With Kawada gone what does Mutoh need to do to make AJ better then it already is?

[BusaLiger Dragon]

Ok i thought this be a fun little thread...With Kawada gone and being a freelancer. My question to all of you is...What would Mutoh need to do now to make AJ get better in terms of Fanbase, Talent, Storylines?

[OrangeCrush51]

Some suggestions:

1. Keep the belt on Kojima for awhile. Start looking at new possible contenders, such as Kea, Honma, maybe go back to Sasaki, maybe try something with the geriactric classic Tenryu. Just don't hog the belt for yourself.
2. Get more good juniors. He's already picked up a few with TARU and the recently fired Dragon's Gate guys. Osaka Pro is facing really tough times. Take advantage of that and scour the indys for some good high-fliers that fit the "fun" AJ atmosphere.
3. Keep doing business with other promotions. I hate to say it, but AJ's roster can't compete with New Japan's or NOAH's. So if you really want to make the fans happy, bring over guys from the other leagues to some big names on the roster.
4. Keep your eyes on the next generation. I really like Kazushi Miyamoto. I think he has a good look and if he has the talent, he'll go far.
5. Keep RO&D alive! The WWE is bound to lose more talent due to it being a crap factory, and maybe AJ should look into hiring some younger guys who are hot on the American indy scene. That's part of why I like HUSTLE.

Of course, I'm not Keiji Mutoh, and for me to try and tell him to do his job, I probably deserve a stiff Shining Wizard... on the rocks!

[Luds]

1) Build talent.

Mutoh needs to build talent within the company. Honma and Myamoto are obvious candidates for heavyweights in the next few years

2) Build massive feuds between Kojima, Kea, Tenryu. These 3 have a history.

3) Don't ever put Arashi in a main event TC match...

[edgehead1984]

Or put the belt on outsiders (i.e. Hashimoto)...

[Pheonix_Chi25]

1) Build talent.

Mutoh needs to build talent within the company. Honma and Myamoto are obvious candidates for heavyweights in the next few years

2) Build massive feuds between Kojima, Kea, Tenryu. These 3 have a history.

3) Don't ever put Arashi in a main event TC match...

1: Mutoh needs to start a dojo ala New Japan.

2: Yes, Put Kojima in some major feuds and if possible call in some New Japan/NOAH guys, or even Z-1 MAX

3: PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF BOB LEAVE ARASHI OUT OF MAIN EVENTS!!!! (lol)

4: I'd ransack some of the Osaka pro Juniors too.

[Luds]

Good point with the juniors. If the AJ junior division is gonna go anywhere, they need to sign a few.

[Tradewynd]

They don't need a few. They just need Koji. No one can compete with TAKA and Koji for style, so you don't need any more juniors. They'll just make the other guys look like the dorks. If you really want a few more, Teddy Hart and Super Hentai would fine additions.

[lonewolfsuarez]

I always thought that Mutoh would want the opportunity to win the Unified Crown now that Kawada is a freelancer, maybe also he should concentrate on the juniors, they could use some new blood.

[kwilson83]

Maybe someone here can answer this, since many of you have watched more puroresu then I have.... but what do people see in Kojima that I don't see? I have seen five or so of his matches from the last three years, all "big" matches that main-evented, and I didn't like him in any of them. I then showed my older brother, who doesn't watch Japanese wrestling (but is a fan of Benoit, Jericho, etc.), his 30 minute draw against Tenzan last December. His first comment after the match was that Kojima was boring to watch (he liked Tenzan). Personally, I don't think Kojima has an impressive moveset and I don't think he has the charisma that many other top wrestlers (Mutoh, Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi, etc.) have.

So obviously I don't think Kojima is the answer to helping All Japan, he needs to go back to the upper mid-card where he can shine. I think he needs to hold the belt for a few months just for legitimacy purposes, but after that I would love to see him drop it either back to Kawada (who will still be wrestling All Japan) or to Mutoh. Starting a Dojo would be a great idea as well, and I would love to see a few more juniors.

[Luds]

Kojima doesn't have that great of a move set that's true. His Lariat is nice, but his Koji Cutter sucks. But he does everything well, like all the major stars.

He's got tons of charisma and fighting spirit. He reminds me very much of Tenzan in every way, except that I'd have to say that Tenzan has a nicer look, and a better move set.

Kojima is not as good as Kawada, or Tenryu in my opinion. He hasn't passed them yet.

Kojima is a very good wrestler, a superstar, but isn't the guy to take AJ all the way. I think that Mutoh should push Taiyo Kea. He's got the charisma and the move set, and looks really COOL. He needs to improve his abs & build his pecs though. Not that pecs are a must, Chono never had any arms or pecs but always looked great. All due to his Badd A-- attitude and look.

[Tradewynd]

With the exception of being charasmatic, Kojima is not great at anything. However, he's good-very good at almost everything. He can brawl. He has psychology. He can wrestle. He can pull out stiff highspots. There is a reason why MLW did good business with him on top. He also has fantastic ring presencse. Billy Gunn may not be the best worker on the planet, but when you see him you KNOW he is a star. You can feel it through the television. Kojima has the same gift, which is why he has such a strong following in America.

Kea is another guy AJ needs to get over, but he's far behind Kojima in kayfabe. It's going to be awhile before he could be taken seriously as Triple Crown Champion.

I was never high on Chono's early look. If you put him together with late 80s Scott Hall you could call them The 70s Porn Express. That mustache was hideous. nWo Chono, on the other hand, was one of the coolest dudes on the planet, just because of his look.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Maybe someone here can answer this, since many of you have watched more puroresu then I have.... but what do people see in Kojima that I don't see? I have seen five or so of his matches from the last three years, all "big" matches that main-evented, and I didn't like him in any of them. I then showed my older brother, who doesn't watch Japanese wrestling (but is a fan of Benoit, Jericho, etc.), his 30 minute draw against Tenzan last December. His first comment after the match was that Kojima was boring to watch (he liked Tenzan). Personally, I don't think Kojima has an impressive moveset and I don't think he has the charisma that many other top wrestlers (Mutoh, Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi, etc.) have.

So obviously I don't think Kojima is the answer to helping All Japan, he needs to go back to the upper mid-card where he can shine. I think he needs to hold the belt for a few months just for legitimacy purposes, but after that I would love to see him drop it either back to Kawada (who will still be wrestling All Japan) or to Mutoh. Starting a Dojo would be a great idea as well, and I would love to see a few more juniors.

Kojima has this aura about him that either you like him or you don't. He has a nice moveset and his Lariat is one of the best in the sport. He has charisma but he is, as a few others have said, not the guy who can lead a company. I'd also like to see the belt on Kea, here is a guy who stayed loyal to All Japan and has gotten the "Benoit Treatment".

[kwilson83]

Thanks for the replies. Yea, I do agree he has the aura of a star, but I guess to me that only can take you so far. I think his moveset is what bothers me, since he does have good pyschology and the ability to tell a story in the ring. I think that if he could just add maybe two or three moves to his arsenal and use the Koji Cutter more as a transition move and less as a finisher (which he already has started doing) he will be ok.

I haven't seen many matches from Kea when he is put in the position to show off, but at this point I don't see how it could hurt to experiment with some of the mid-card guys.