Inoki and Mutoh

[Mike Leroi]

I've noticed a fair amount of people bad mouthing them.
What have they done that's so bad?
I have no idea what's going on in puro so I'm completely in the dark.
Please help inform me.

[ChrisAwesome]

Mutoh recently took control of All Japan Pro Wrestling and has basically run it into the ground.

Not sure why people are down on Inoki lately but he's really into mixed martial arts so I suppose that might have something to do with it...

[Mike Leroi]

Mutoh recently took control of All Japan Pro Wrestling and has basically run it into the ground.

Not sure why people are down on Inoki lately but he's really into mixed martial arts so I suppose that might have something to do with it...

Yeah, I've been reading about Mutoh.
Basically another Vince McMahon.
But, I haven't found out why Inoki's getting negative attention.

[Daishikaze]

I think its because Inoki spent a good chunk of his career trying to legitimize Puroresu,and now he's so into shootfighting and he's making Puroresu look bad by having his stars get destroyed in Shootfights.

[t bone y2j]

I'd say that has alot to do with it. Having Nagata and Nakamura destroyed on New Year's is very bad for everyone.

[edgehead1984]

Nakamura wasn't exactly destroyed, his loss is pretty controversial. The ref called for a knock out without a count in any way and Nakamura got right back up after the strikes.

[Antonia_Inoki]

inoki does not understand that his fights were different from fights today. he fought judokas and got draws but mma fighters can hit and grapple. most wrestlers cant do either. or some can do one but not the other. many say inoki proved himself against ali but he just got beat up and went down. if he would ever have had to fight royce gracie or ken shamrock on pride or ufc rules he would have lost. against cro cop or silva he wouldve been wasted...

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

I wish I have more time to translate the interviews by Japanese wrestlers and promoters (including Inoki, of course). You guys may have different opinions after reading them.

[bannabop]

I wish I have more time to translate the interviews by Japanese wrestlers and promoters (including Inoki, of course). You guys may have different opinions after reading them.

In what way?

[matt farmer]

The politics with these promoters are much different than that in the US. With Inoki he has done what he feels best for his own image. But he does not realize that Pro Wrestling and MMA are two different enities. Sure there is alot fo cross popularity. But the way he is treating it will eventually kill wrestling in Japan. Having one of your top guys enter into a fight were there is little chance he will look good is plain stupid . (Nagata) Then have that same guy go over someone a few days later? (Sasaki) It made both parties look bad. Remember Wrestling is 90% perception, even in Japan. Most of their fans realize it's not on the up and up. But love it for what it is!
As for Muto I don't follow AJ that much anymore besides what I read in the sheets. Muto is a very talented wrestler. But with the breaks in wrestlin tradition they have lost the art of grooming new talent. Which Muto should know all about as he was a student of that system! I mean he was in the business for almost 10 years before he was taken as a star in his hometown.

[Luds]

Yes, as explained above, Mutoh was the top star of New Japan with his new Shinning Wizard gimmick and attitude, and won the Triple Crown in All Japan as New Japan bookers wanted to push younger guys (Nagata). Mutoh signed full time in All Japan, became president and since then has pretty much brought the company to the groung by booking Goldberg and other over-priced american stars instead of booking good wrestling. The terrible crowds at the Wrestle 1 shows didn't help either...

As for Inoki, he's been pushing MMA fighters in Puroresu for a while now. That's why Kazuyuki Fujita got the IWGP title. He also brought back the NWF title to New Japan. THe experiment is finished now and the title is no more, but for a while, many people feared that there were going to be 2 divisions in NJ. MMA fighters going for the NWF title and wrestlers for the IWGP.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

The thing that bothers me so much is that Mutoh is trying to turn All Japan into WWE Japan. And Inoki, well he has given positive reviews to New Japan only because of one wrestler...Shinsuke Nakamura.

[Luds]

Yes, but now since Nakamura is vacating the IWGP title 1 day after defeating Takayama due to his injuries in the K-1 fight and the 01/04 fight, he'll have to think again! Putting the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in a K-1 fight a week before the Dome show! What was Inoki thinking?

[Pheonix_Chi25]

I think he was drunk....on power again.

[Luds]

Well, If Muto starts sending Kawada to K-1, I'll *really* start to wonder if they've (Inoki & Muto) been in kahoots from the start to destroy pro wrestling!