possible demise of all japan

[phil]

I read on 1wrestling.com com in Mike johnson's international column that Muto and Hashimoto have a plan to phase all japan out at some point. Also that Hoshimoto wining thetriple crown wasthe first step in the process. I see a good and a bad side to this. But first I will admit that I don't folow the japanese wrestling scene as closelly as the rest of you do. But if they do get rfid of all japan it could mean bad things like a decline in the business like here in the us when Mcmahon bought wcw. It could also mean that another promotion could step up and becomne a major player in the japanese scene.

[Jason]

Mike Johnson... The king of "reporting" puro news 3-5 days after its been reported everywhere else.

But I digress.

The parallel you draw with the decline of wrestling in the U.S. with the demise of WCW isn't a particularly good one. All Japan probably can't realistically lay claim to being the number 2 promotion in Japan at this point anyway. While they certainly have a great tradition, NOAH and maybe even Zero-One have surpassed their current product in my opinion. Unlike the U.S. where there is basically just one company, there are several major promotions in Japan and there is certainly no danger of them all disappearing.

Business has already declined in Japan but for mostly different reasons than why it has declined in the U.S.

[Mutoh-Mania]

"Shin'ya Hashimoto ran an angle today on a radio show in Japan that ZERO-ONE intends of "absorbing" All Japan by having all of the ZERO-ONE guys hold all the AJ championships. Hashimoto also said that he would end up merging All Japan with ZERO-ONE by taking over all power of the groups. Hashimoto said that in his match against Muta on 2/23 at Budokan that he lost a lot of blood and his doctor was not happy. Hashimoto said that Kojima would be a good choice for a first Triple Crown title match, but that Toshiaki Kawada (who Sponichi Newspaper in Japan says is 39) is the ultimate showdown match. The Hashimoto/Kojima TC match would take place in a ZERO-ONE ring. "

(This is in quotes as I took it from Puroresu Power website.)

[phil]

The only way I get news on japan is from these boards and his columns so I may read it a week after it happens. Your right about the fact that they have declined in recent years but you never no what could happen. Their COULD be some sort of turn around in the two companyie becoming one.

[El Fiasco]

In my opinion, the guys at 1Wrestling have always been great when dealing with American wrestling, but lousy at foreign news and columns...their columnists are REALLY bad...it's like reading the Ross Report sometimes...

[RoaringElbow25]

Would the Triple Crown unify with the NWA Title in Zero-One and become the quadruple crown??? seriously tho the Zero-One absorbing AJPW by holding all their championships sounds like the nWo invasion, would they Unify the PWZO belts w/ the ALPW belts or what???

[jamiemorrisx]

why bash 1wrestling? Sure their focus is on wrestling in the U.S. but that is probably because that is what most of their readers want. There pop up ads are quite annoying, but the information the provide is generaly quite good in my opinion.

[El Fiasco]

Originally posted by jamiemorrisx
why bash 1wrestling? Sure their focus is on wrestling in the U.S. but that is probably because that is what most of their readers want. There pop up ads are quite annoying, but the information the provide is generaly quite good in my opinion.

As I said, as far as news reports go, they're great. But their columnists are really bad and come across as like they don't know what they're talking about.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

As I posted on the New Japan board (Zero-One Championships), I don't believe that All Japan would be absorbed by Zero-One, but the reverse might happen, because the All Japan name has a richer history behind it than Zero-One and it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.

-------------------------------

100 POSTS!!! WHOO-HOO!!! TOP 'A THE WORLD, MA!!!!

[EvilMidnightBomber]

I agree with Pollo. Using the Zero-One name would be foolish. I have a hard time believing Mutoh and Hashi would just throw away the All-Japan brand name, as well as the titles. Of course, I've had a hard time believing a lot of Mutoh's moves, so who knows.

[Tradewynd]

Even if Mutoh WOULD be stupid enough to flush the All Japan name down the toilet, her doesn't own the company, and I really don't see Mrs. Baba going for that one. Now the whole AJ roster could jump to Zero-One, but Zero-One won't be absorbing the All Japan name or the titles.

And on RoaringElbow's point of the TC being unified with the NWA World Heavyweight Title, since Jarrett has control of the NWA Title I'm sure he could be talked into that, expcept the NWA would still hand him control of the unified title, and going under the idea of Zero-One and AJ merging and then having only one vote inside the NWA to take control of the title away from Jarrett, which wouldn't outvote every other member of the alliance that love the TNA relationship, so I wouldn't get my hopes up for that anytime soon.

[OldSchoolFan]

If something like this were to happen it would only become reality if Zero-One took over AJPW. My reasoning is simple. Hashimoto's ego.

You can't honestly tell me that Hashimoto isn't the most egotisitcal guy in japan right now. Seriously, when's the last time he DIDN'T work the main event of a show he's been on. And whens the last time HE put anyone over? You can give me that #1 guy in the promotion and all that stuff but seriously, would it kill the guy to give one of the younger guys a bit of a rub by putting them over?

In case you didn't notice, I can't stand hashitmoto...

[Tradewynd]

Yeah, but at least Hashimoto is better than Goldberg.

[OldSchoolFan]

At no point did I endorse, let alone mention goldberg.

[Tradewynd]

I was just pointing out that there are far worse things in Japan than Hashimoto. I could have also used Arashi or someone of equal suckosity. I trying to convey the message of picking your battles. Sure, guys like Hashimoto and Misawa may not job much, but at least they're among the very best at what they do. It doesn't enrage me, like Goldberg and Hulk Hogan refuses to job to Jeff Jarrett. And speaking of Hogan, if he doesn't sign that 1 year deal Vince offered him that's going to give us something else to complain about entirely.