Gaea: 1995-2005

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Just recently read at the GAEA website that GAEA will be closing it's doors next year. You can read it here:

http://www.gaea-inc.com/rls/index-e.html

Such a way to end one of my favorite promotions. My question is where will all the joshi's go?

But, thanks GAEA. The memories will be forever.

[edgehead1984]

Well RIP, perhaps we'll see a AJW renaissance...

[Bull Nakano #1 fan]

Maybe there are too many joshi federations. It would be better having bigger federations with bigger roster instead of having a dozen federation with smaller rosters.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Here's to hoping most of the former AJW stars return there and some consider going to a new fed. I thought New Japan wanted to start a joshi fed?

[Tradewynd]

While I share the sentiment that it is always sad to see any wrestling organization close its doors, I will not lament the loss of GAEA. They had a good run, but in the current joshi landscape no one is drawing any money, so if the remaining feds get a boost in talent and revenue it would certainly be worth it in the long run.

Who from AJW(I realized I typed Zenjo the first time and then realized no one here would probably have any idea that it's AJW's real name) would you want to see come back Pheonix? And who would realistically be able to still perform? On a personal level I'd love to see Kudo come back, but even if she did who knows how she would perform after all of these years? I'm very curious as to who you think would come back that could probably still go.

[edgehead1984]

I just didn't think that GAEA would be the one to go...

[Daishikaze]

Gaea isn't going anywhere. This is their way of saying they will be revamping a few things and will become a New Gaea, which if you ask me will probably be the same as the old Gaea.

In a hypothetical view of your Question, Trade, I think the only one from AJW who can still get the job done in the ring is Aja. She has already been on a few AJW shows this year teaming with Amazing Kong anyways. But I doubt she could revive AJW no matter how good she is.

If any company could benefit from a Gaea closing, it would be JWP. They might have had a good chance of getting all their youngsters back, Though their stay in Gaea has probably ruined their reputation.

[Tradewynd]

I'm curious about M's Style, but not getting my hopes too high. Personally, the only chance I think Joshi has is for all of the good talent to join one promotion or a new promotion and for everyone else to fade away. That way, that super joshi group should be able to draw at least 1500 if not 2000 instead of 600-900. If they could continue to build steam maybe even run a supershow with 10,000+ ala Dreamslam in a few years. As the business picks up and more young girls who can go get trained maybe open up a second fed, but I just don't see the profitability of promoting joshi as it is now, and even if it is profitable nobody can be making much since the fanbase is divided between so many promotions. It's not like joshi fans are like NOAH fans, who are incredibly loyal to only one promotion, they are loyal to the art, and would logically all support a strong joshi promotion.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Gaea isn't going anywhere. This is their way of saying they will be revamping a few things and will become a New Gaea, which if you ask me will probably be the same as the old Gaea.

In a hypothetical view of your Question, Trade, I think the only one from AJW who can still get the job done in the ring is Aja. She has already been on a few AJW shows this year teaming with Amazing Kong anyways. But I doubt she could revive AJW no matter how good she is.

If any company could benefit from a Gaea closing, it would be JWP. They might have had a good chance of getting all their youngsters back, Though their stay in Gaea has probably ruined their reputation.

Why do you say that Daish, I mean I heard a few stories and I read the Manami Toyota interview. Anything you know that we don't?

[Daishikaze]

Frankp316 said this at the Smarkschoice Joshi forum:

Well, that didn't take long. 24 hours after GAEA announced that they
are closing, it appears that it's not true. I'm shocked, I say,
shocked. Well, not really. My original thinking was GAEA is probably
setting up some sort of angle. Now it appears that there may be some
sort of disagreement between some of the wrestlers and GAEA
management regarding the direction of the company. Also, there
appears to be some sort of dispute over merchandising sales. This may
be the big issue. So, GAEA is threatening to close down some of their
divisions but it appears that the promotion itself isn't going
anywhere. It seems that the announcement had some inconsistent
semantics which led an observer to dig a little deeper and find a few
little white lies. They used language in the announcement designed to
trick everyone into thinking that they are closing when in fact they
have no intention of doing so. Oh, those wrestling promoters. They
sure are sneaky.

Punq posted this afterwards, its an email from Gaea to the Wrestling Channel in the UK:

GAEA JAPAN will be closing its door in April, 2005.
I mean that GAEA JAPAN first stage will be closing down.
We are thinking of the second stage now.

[Tradewynd]

Those PR bastards, getting us all hot and bothered about GAEA closing down to make way for "second stage." Talk about lame.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Well this royally bites. I'm thinking where all the joshi wrestlers will go and here they are trying to pull a WMF. Nice PR stunt really (blows rasberry):P

[Tradewynd]

I don't know how effective it was as a PR stunt on the level of getting people to care about the promotion. Sure, it'll get the internet talking here (which doesn't help since we can't buy tickets and don't buy their merch because of super high prices, in addition to super high shipping) and in Japan (which doesn't help because internet fans are hardcore already). It will get some short term buzz, but by the time second stage actually starts no one will care any more than they would have otherwise. If they wanted to spark more interest they should have announced that GAEA was closing down, close it down and then once GAEA is ready to relaunch make a big deal about the GAEA comeback tour. Someone may care about version 2 if you hype it when you can buy tickets, but hyping it six months or more in advance isn't going to help, especially in the joshi market.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

I think I was being sarcastic Trade. LOL

[Daishikaze]

Personally, I think their closing would have been better in the long run, providing no one opened a new promotion afterwards. I mean all the Youngsters could either go to AJW or JWP and revitalize one of those companies.(I know alot of people want JWP to close, but I just can't let it go yet)

Most of the oldsters need to retire because they just don't have anything left. But I wouldn't be surprised if they would have opened another promotion just to cling onto what they once had.

The ones that can still go should just try to train new stars (as hard as that may be with the scene in such a state) and help build up the young stars that we have left.

I realize this is all a dream, so no one needs to point out the fact that I'm deluding myself