MUTA vs. Gladiator

[Mantis X]

this is like a slap in the face to Baba.

two gimmicks wrestling for the Triple Crown.
Kawada should do something soon.


And wasnt the TC supposed to be frozen until Kawada returns.

Mutoh is flip-flopping like Bill Clinton.

[Muiyan]

well...Gladiator isn't really gimmicky, now is it?

MUTA certainly is the epitome of gimmick. but isn't "Gladiator" basically a normal Mike Awesome with a different name?

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Either way, WHOM has Mike beat to warrant a shot at the Triple Crown. Do not get me wrong I think the guy is talented and enjoy his work, but he has not done anything to deserve this shot

Muto is not becoming BIll CLinton(that would be saying that Clinton is a talent)...he is becoming Inoki.

[Mantis X]

Somebody should check the RPM's on Giant Babas Grave.

Let the crazy messed up spotfest begin in All Japans ring.


I wish 1994 never ended...........

[Peru-Yakuza]

Somebody should check the RPM's on Giant Babas Grave.

Then what about Mil Mascaras, Dos Caras, Magic Dragon, Baby Face, Mexico Grande, Fishman, Ultra Seven, Tiger Mask II, The Destroyer, Abdullah, Terminator, Skywalker Nitron, Patriot, American Eagle, and others that I can't get off the top of my head? Would Baba would have put them out there if he wasn't open to gimmicks?

And the Gladiator was Awesome's original FMW persona, so people in Japan know him that way.

[Sofa Kingdom]

Things had to change... people was getting board with the same old All Japan.

[Muiyan]

Who sez? Real fans of AJPW won't be bored!

[Peru-Yakuza]

Misawa has already overkilled the Oh-do style with his stupid actions in NOAH.

And a change of pace wouldn't be so bad on Kawada, Tenryu, and even Muta himself. They cannot afford to be so risky anymore. Whine all you want, the super Oh-do just won't come back, even with Kawada. Some things happen only once... just the way that I predict Tamura's UWF will fail with the kind of talent it has.

[DANGEROUS DAN]

I think what Muiyan is refering to is the logical, athletically based storylines that Baba injrcted into the promtion in 1993. You did not see flash over substance, or a hot gimmick performer who could not work the style earn his shot at the Triple Crown. Sure all the lucha guys are gimmicks, but how many of them got shots at the coveted championship?

Destroyer is not a luchador (obviously) but because of his history within the promtion he was given shots. But not a one of them after 1993. The Patriot did earn his oppurtunities at the title, but was able to work the style and earned that oppurtunity.

For Abdullah see above on the Destroyer.

Tiger Mask 2 was Misawa(as I am sure we all knew). It helped Misawa learn a style with a hot gimmick per Sayama. Yet did Tiger Mask 2 exsist post 1993? Of course not.

P-Yakuza I agree on with your take on the new UWF, but only because the world has seen what real fights look like. So why would they like worked shoots? You could have the most dynamic workers in the world but the style is limited by its admission of what it is to be, a work.

[Mantis X]

these guys arent bad because they wear a hood.

They are bad for All Japan because they are "Spot Monkeys" that blow as many spots as they connect with and have NO CLue about Ring Psychology.

They wouldnt know how to spell a clue if you spotted them the first 3 letters.

King's Road was built on ring psychology.

[DANGEROUS DAN]

I will second that notion. Like real automobile driven highways, Kings Road was built with hard work and the proper chemistry between all of it's workers. Unfortunetly, ring pschology is a term foreign to most areas of the business. Thanks to the Heymans, McMahons and all the extreme trash wrestling fodder, talent is put aside for flash and propaganda. But there is hope that the art will not be lost. But first thing is first, and that is a change has to happen to the audience that draws it back to the fundamentals of the sport; not the garbage that currently inhabits iit.

[Luds]

I agree that Awesome doesn't deserve a shot... He's only been back for a tour...

But this has the potential to be a pretty good match... Not 5 stars, but still, a good match... That's the thing with All Japan now... They don't seem to want to give the title away to younger talents like Kojima or Kea (I don't agree with that) yet. They do however want to give a LONG and DESERVED run to Kawada when he returns.

I think that to keep the title on Mutoh is a good idea till Kawada returns. Then give a long run to Kawada (wins over Mutoh, Kojima, Kea, Williams, Tenryu (maybe not since he said that it was his last run), Hase, and even Anjo or Nagai) and then have him pass the torch, and lose to Kea or Kojima.

I like that plan... It's just sad that Kawada got injured. He'd be in that long run as TC champ as we speak...

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Luds I could not have said it better myself. As far as Kea and Kojima are concerned, one of them will gain the title by the end of 2003. My money is on Kojima because of the politics.