Could there ever be another Liger?

[BusaLiger Dragon]

I kind of took this from the SSS messageboard...i thought it would be a good subject here. So what do you all think?

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Yes, but not unless things in the industry change. Liger was built in a time frame where workrate and entertainment value were hand in ahnd, with workrate being the dominant partner. Now that is not the case. With the damgae that Inoki, Mutoh, MMA and th eAmerican influence has done, it is hard to picture such a dynamic worker, with the charisma and the heart and the gimmick. It also has a lot to do with the value of the Jr. heavies. Liger is now doing the J-O-B for heavies he should never be in the ring with, and do not get me started on him trying to shoot. Mistakes like that cannot be made if another breakout JR heavy is to come and again revolutionize the sport.

[One to Remember]

still the jr. heavies have got to be able to adjust to a changing industry because thet are apart of it. Unless jr. exclusive companies are founded jr.s will continue to be suseptible to the same crossover treatment as the big guys. Sooner or later a jr. knows the day would come when he had to face a big guy and they've got to do their best to prepare just incase that happens. Liger isnt just a great jr. but he has that ora that is hard to duplicate. He's well known and the only guy who could come close to the following of liger would be Mysterio but im pretty sure if givin that chance he'd try to get two feet higher. Mysterio is trying to get into the heavyweight divison to prove something and withoput him i cant think of anyone close to Liger who hasnt hung up the trunks. Guys like Low-ki, Ame. Dragon, AJ styles, and Red are sort of your run of the mill indys. You see with the end of 1999 in my opinion came the end of orginality. You dont get guys like the Rock, Flair, Austin, Hart, Steamboat, Mysterio, Goldberg (yea he has the ora), Sting (both versions), Savage, Andre, DiBiase, Hogan, Junk Yard, 'Taker and the rest. The magic it took to make those figures I just DONT see anymore anywhere. I dont understand why I just know somethings wrong.

See Heidenreich, Batista, and Snitsky are the exact same generic characters. Batista's got a cool aspect but still. Lance Cade, Nunzio, Morgan, Haas, Benjamin, Bashams, Carlito, Suzuki, Akio, Sapp, Omori, Kea, Doug Williams, Spanky, and American Dragon just dont have 'it.' Somethings missing. Like they dont have independent personalities.

[kwilson83]

Sapp has a personality and charisma. He just can't wrestle for more then five minutes without blowing up.

[pigman]

IMO there can never be another Liger. He is one of a kind. sure he's not as popular these days as he was in the 90's but that soesn't bother me. He's my favorite wrestler. So could there ever be a person as good of a wrestler as liger...Yes. Could there ever be another person that could take the place of Liger....No.

[Supah Indy]

I think if anyone has a chance to be the next Lyger, it's GARUDA. Hayabusa and Liger had similiar styles and GARUDA's style is very hayabusa-esque so I could see him, albeit with proper push and support as the next Lyger or something close to it. That is, like my man Dan said, if the industry changes.

[stunning_grover]

No. To me, Keiichi Yamada IS Jushin Liger. When he started to work as Jushin Liger in 1989, it may have seemed more like Yamada was playing Liger. But over the years, Yamada has become Liger. Liger is more than just a gimmick, he is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

[HORRORSHOW]

I dont think there could be another Liger, the personality and cult of the man and the character has grown too strong. There isnt a costumed gimmick wrestler out there who can live up to Liger's standards.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

still the jr. heavies have got to be able to adjust to a changing industry because thet are apart of it. Unless jr. exclusive companies are founded jr.s will continue to be suseptible to the same crossover treatment as the big guys. Sooner or later a jr. knows the day would come when he had to face a big guy and they've got to do their best to prepare just incase that happens. Liger isnt just a great jr. but he has that ora that is hard to duplicate. He's well known and the only guy who could come close to the following of liger would be Mysterio but im pretty sure if givin that chance he'd try to get two feet higher. Mysterio is trying to get into the heavyweight divison to prove something and withoput him i cant think of anyone close to Liger who hasnt hung up the trunks. Guys like Low-ki, Ame. Dragon, AJ styles, and Red are sort of your run of the mill indys. You see with the end of 1999 in my opinion came the end of orginality. You dont get guys like the Rock, Flair, Austin, Hart, Steamboat, Mysterio, Goldberg (yea he has the ora), Sting (both versions), Savage, Andre, DiBiase, Hogan, Junk Yard, 'Taker and the rest. The magic it took to make those figures I just DONT see anymore anywhere. I dont understand why I just know somethings wrong.

See Heidenreich, Batista, and Snitsky are the exact same generic characters. Batista's got a cool aspect but still. Lance Cade, Nunzio, Morgan, Haas, Benjamin, Bashams, Carlito, Suzuki, Akio, Sapp, Omori, Kea, Doug Williams, Spanky, and American Dragon just dont have 'it.' Somethings missing. Like they dont have independent personalities.

Kea, Doug Williams, Spanky, and American Dragon have "it" but it is not the "it" thak makes Liger, Liger. There will never be another Liger. Or even another Hayabusa for that matter.

[darktowerchilde]

Hmm, I don't think its safe to say there could never be another Liger. In All-Japan, Jumbo was the Man, as dominate in his era as anyone has ever been. And yet there came a time when he had to step down and help a few others reach his level of greatness: Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi, etc. When I think of the greatest heavyweight ever, I think of Jumbo, but not exclusively. When I think of the greatest Jr. ever, I think of Lyger, no question about it. But I think history could repeat itself and someone could inherit his role, largely because of Liger's selflessness and ability to help someone get over. That said, I think Liger's so time-tested, has shown such an extraordinarily ability to change through the years, that its likely no one could fully measure up to him. Not in popularity, not in talent, not for being such a figure throughout his career. I think people could come close to his ability, perhaps to his popularity, but I don't think people can touch his versatility. Liger can be the ultimate face and an incredible, arrogant heel. He's one of the most influential high flyers as well as an incredible mat wrestler. A striker as well as a submission artist, a move inventor and a style perfecter. He's had some of the best gaijin matches that Japan has ever seen, has had great quasi-humor matches, has done brawls, and still wrestles for the indys when few others in his position do so. He is an extradordinary legend.

[stunning_grover]

I really don't think there will be a wrestler who can reach Liger's level of greatness. At least not in the near future. There hasn't been one since The Great Sasuke.

[Luds]

Heat's streak might have given him some recognition, but he sure isn't a Liger.

Liger is probably the greatest junior ever. There won't be another Liger. There can be other super juniors, like Great Sasuke, Ultimo Dragon, Koji Kanemoto...

Who knows, one of the young lions might go on to be the greatest junior of the new era, but I doubt that Liger will be passed...

[kurama_tengu]

First of all, I think gimmick-wise, it would hard for another wrestler to have such a campy gimmick in this day in age, unless Liger would pass the gimmick to someone else a la Tiger Mask II, III, IV, etc. , although the Japanese culture does handle those types of gimmicks differently than the US. Even now, I kinda wish Liger would switch exclusively to the standard long tights and reduced mask like he used in his match with Hashimoto years back, as it gives him a more serious look and makes him look a lot more powerful, even in his late 30's(or is it early 40's?).

Wrestling-wise, with the advanced training techniques, MMA cross-training, as well as plenty of tapes for the youngsters to study, I do believe that there will be another with the skill level that Liger was able to attain. However, what Liger was able to do over such a long period of time that many won't be able to do is get others over while at the same time keeping himself over. As a booker, I think only Hiroshi Hase was able to be so unselfish. Think of all of the stars Liger was able to season by having a great series of matches: Sano, Nogami, El Samurai, Otani, Kanemoto(I remember when he was only considered average at best), Sasuke, etc. I won't even get into the gaijins. Now, I know most of these wrestlers were skilled and not some Lex Luger-type scrubs that needed to be carried, but Liger had that aura that increased each opponent's star when they were programmed with him.

Another thing Liger did so well was adapt his style to his level of physical ability. Since I began to watch NPJW, he's had a serious broken leg and a brain tumor. Each time, he was able to adjust his working ability to compensate for his injuries during his comeback. I remember after the broken leg, it was less flying moves. After the tumor, it was shorter matches, even less flying moves, and an emphasis on the shotei/palm thrust. The latter move was also an adaptation to the more MMA-style moves many of the NJPW guys such as Nagata and Kashin were utilizing. This adaptation has allowed Liger to extend his career and make it believable. I find it much more believable that Liger could still be Heat or Tiger Mask IV than a 50+ Inoki defeating a much younger Great Muta or Don Frye.

Will the Liger gimmick be passed on after Yamada decides to retire? Who knows? I personally hope he doesn't, as I don't think lightning will strike twice or more as it did with the Tiger Mask gimmick. However, the promoters always try to recapture a successful gimmick when they have a chance, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see a similar character down the line.

[Black_Flag_Of_Ulster]

There already is!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

[One to Remember X]

Kurama what you mean by long tights? I dont think that shirt part is needed. More colorul pants would due as well.
I think his outfet has do do wuth his opularityand ora.

Blackflag Maven and Steamboat are half breathers. You wanna show case too?