All Japan Under Mutoh

[OrangeCrush51]

Okay, here's a request for your opinions on how AJPW has done since Keiji Mutoh started running things. I hope we don't all just the same thing...

Personally, I think Mutoh has done a poor job actually running the business, spending money very poorly, such as on bringing Goldberg over and doing Wrestle-1. AJPW's financial troubles have arisen from Mutoh's bad decisions and it's pretty apparent arrogance led to him doing what he did with talent and trying to book large venues all the time.

That said, Mutoh gets kudos for keeping All Japan independent and still going at a time when it really faced tough times. All Japan may not be the best product on the market, but the very fact that it's still there and still has a fan following is better than being dead or close to death. He has become a better booker since 2002 and has helped All Japan add some "entertainment" to the "sports entertainment" that is mainstream wrestling. While All Japan still has room for improvement, I'd dare say, there has already been some improvement from what it was when Mutoh first assumed control.

I'll open the floor...

[BusaLiger Dragon]

Ok i seen this topic somewhere else...probably SSS message board....but ill just add to this anyway. I think he has done a good job bring back AJPW. I mean couple years ago from what i have learned over the last couple of months AJPW was just flatout Sheeeeeety before mutoh was given the president name. Then when mutoh was given the president title he made some dumb decisions like bring in goldberg and letting him run over most of the AJ roster. Now you look at AJ with Kojima finally and I MEAN FINALLY REACHING THE TOP! Kawada's reign, The RO&D era,The new Jr division(i guess, taka and kaz) The all around new look for AJPW. I say its done dayum good for mutoh almost running AJ into the ground but for me i say even with all that...hes done a good job running AJ. Mutoh you can pat yourself on the back my friend.

[jobsquad]

if you cut out the first bit of his run where he went beserk spending money left and right he has done a good job.

He has 2 young guys who can run with the top title(kojima & kea).
He has built a decent little jr devision not as important as the other of the big three but far ahead of its status in baba's era.taka and kaz can main event for a lot of promotions. if they could just get akira and nakajima into the mix more frequently they could have one real good jr devision run.
He has built a good tag devision I enjoyed almost all of the real world tag league i have seen.

[Luds]

2 important points to me since Mutoh got in:

Tenryu and Kawada both left the promotion...

[Tradewynd]

How well Mutoh has done really depends upon how you look at it.

Goldberg, I am willing to say, was a bad decision on the whole. His expense, lack of long term value and unwillingness to job make that a bad move.

WRESTLE-1 was not a failure from a television ratings viewpoint. WRESTLE-1 did huge ratings. The gates were terrible, but the TV company made money hand over fist. If they had focused on putting AJ talent over with it and got the TV station and K-1 to pick up more of the tab WRESTLE-1 wouldn't have gone away. The business model just wasn't set up properly.

He had a chance to sign Masato Tanaka to a contract and didn't. That was a big mistake, as he could have been another top star for AJ by now.

He is yet to put to the Triple Crown on a ladder or 10 year old girl, so it's still light years ahead of DDT in the credibility department. Considering that Tenryu wouldn't go along with Kojima over, the booking of the Triple Crown has not really been that bad, and has been booked far more effectively than the IWGP Title and anything Zero-One calls a title. Depending on how long you're going to hold Ratboy against the GHC, it may be the most credible title in puroresu(until a Hustle Hardcore Hero is crowned).

Kendo Ka Shin seems to have lost all sanity after jumping to AJ. I'm not sure if Mutoh can be blamed for that though.

I don't really hold Kawada and Tenryu leaving against him too much, since they will still work for AJ and there wasn't anything Mutoh could have realistically done to prevent it. Considering how cooperative Tenryu has been with doing jobs, losing him may not be that bad in the long run.

TAKA rocks the party that rocks that body. TAKA's coolness is at least equal to NJ's entire junior division(sorry Koji, you ain't TAKA cool). The junior division has been making progress as of late. Bring in Chris Hero, Super Hentai (due to the awesomeness of his ring name), Teddy Hart (just imagine how he could heel all of Japan without even trying), Juvi, Aguila and throw some money at Koji when NJ's contracts come up next year and you've got a junior division that is worth something.

I will not even attempt to apologize for the Voodoo Murderers or the Love Machines. Bad Keiji.

He got All Japan back on TV. That is huge huge huge huge HUGE.

Vader is healthy again and willing to work. Mutoh really needs more guys on top, and should have tried to sign him to a deal instead of bringing him in to go over Suwama. He also should have made an effort to go after Shibata. It's not too late for either of them, and would greatly expand AJ's top tier.

He made some bad decisions early on, which is to be expected considering that he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Since then, he has done a respectable job of starting to rebuild the company. Unlike Inoki, he has figured out that booking the Osaka Dome when you can only sell 10,000 tickets is a bad idea, and you don't see him booking buildings they have no business running anymore.

[Black_Flag_Of_Ulster]

He is yet to put to the Triple Crown on a ladder or 10 year old girl, so it's still light years ahead of DDT in the credibility department.

You mean behind, right?

[Luds]

OMG Tradewynd, tell me you didn't just write that!!!

Koji IS the very definition of coolness. TAKA is also cool, but he's no Koji!

[edgehead1984]

There is a reason why I keep my Koji desktop screen even though I get ridiculed for it...

[Tradewynd]

It looks like I forgot to mention that I was speaking gimmickly. TAKA is Kaientai DX. TAKA is bWo 4 life. Koji wore a furry mask that made him look like a stuffed animal. There is no comparison. Unless Koji joins the Monster Army, he will never be able to compete.