Post by Mr ??? on Jan 22, 2005 2:16:12 GMT -5
Well as some of you guys know, ever since the most successful run in Japanese Wrestling history, which was New Japan's run between 1993 to 1998, the company was in major slump. First Shinya Hashimoto, Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Shinjiro Ohtani formed Zero-One along with one of the major financial backer in New Japan. Then in 2000 Keiji Mutoh began to move away from New Japan, and later took away Kendo Ka Shin, Satoshi Kojima and 7 front office workers. Shortly after that, Riki Chosyu took away Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki (Who sucks, even by WWE's standard) and the head referee Tiger Hitori from the group along with another major financial backer from New Japan. The company was left with Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Thunder Lyger, Masahiro Chono, Koji Kanemoto and a few others as the groups top stars.
After the UWFI/New Japan war (which was more like a total dimination towards UWFI in the end) and the overpushed Naoya Ogawa, New Japan's booking became pissed poor. The power struggle between Seiji Sakaguchi, Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki caused major problem for the company which lead to the eventual departure of Fujinami. Then New Japan hired a few people outside of the wrestling business to run the company. Inoki was still the man in charge, but at the same time things began to collapse.
Chono's booking wasn't bad, but with the fact that he was a "yes man" to Inoki, the same can be said for Lyger, the promotion wasn't going anywhere, driving people from top to bottom absolutely insane. Gates began to die down, and they just weren't drawing as they once were.
Now we are in year 2005, here comes to the contractual signing, once again several wrestlers are not willing to sign, hell even the young lions are not willing to sign. That is a major issue for New Japan. When you have the young lions being sick of the politics behind the scenes and are concern about their job security, that is one major problem. Koji Kanemoto is the only older guys that is not willing to sign has he continues to berated against the corporate structure of the current New Japan not on just one occassion, but over the past few years everytime there is a contract signing, he still had to look a few times before he was willing to sign.
New Japan still believe that the contract style like WWE's will lead the guys to work harder, but that isn't actually the case. The young lions are not interested anymore, the wrestlers who are currently making the most money are Chono and Lyger, who are the bookers of the Heavyweight and Jr. Heavyweight Divisions. Yet their abilities have died down over the past 6 years, though Lyger can still pull off with some spectacular matches. Chono is no longer a quarter of a wrestler that he once was, though he is still a major draw. However he no long posess the same ability as he once had in the ring.
Yuji Nagata and Hiroyoshi Tenzan are still hanging on the barrier at this point, personally I feel they should jump ship and move to NOAH instead, at least NOAH has guys that can wrestle, and can still draw some good gates. And giving the IWGP Title to Tenzan isn't going to help when he was thrashed by Nakamura a few days after he won his first IWGP Title, making him look like a Paper Champion.
Nakamura and several other younger guys are making next to nothing, you have to wonder why do they even bother. The only answer is loyalty, though some younger guys are not signed with New Japan, but they are very loyal to the company and willing to help out in anyway possible. They have their concern about the company because they care.
New Japan is a sinking ship, and some of the guys really need to step up, including the bookers. Plus someone needs to give Antonio "I think I am bigger than Vince McMahon" Inoki a serious kick to the balls and tell him he should stop running the promotion with his boys being beat up by MMA guys, letting outsiders win all the time and start building their home-grown talents seriously, not those half-assed crap that we have seen over the past several years.
New Japan is in desperate need of a serious relaunch, if they do not do it soon. New Japan will become history like their former US partner, World Championship Wrestling.
DC
After the UWFI/New Japan war (which was more like a total dimination towards UWFI in the end) and the overpushed Naoya Ogawa, New Japan's booking became pissed poor. The power struggle between Seiji Sakaguchi, Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki caused major problem for the company which lead to the eventual departure of Fujinami. Then New Japan hired a few people outside of the wrestling business to run the company. Inoki was still the man in charge, but at the same time things began to collapse.
Chono's booking wasn't bad, but with the fact that he was a "yes man" to Inoki, the same can be said for Lyger, the promotion wasn't going anywhere, driving people from top to bottom absolutely insane. Gates began to die down, and they just weren't drawing as they once were.
Now we are in year 2005, here comes to the contractual signing, once again several wrestlers are not willing to sign, hell even the young lions are not willing to sign. That is a major issue for New Japan. When you have the young lions being sick of the politics behind the scenes and are concern about their job security, that is one major problem. Koji Kanemoto is the only older guys that is not willing to sign has he continues to berated against the corporate structure of the current New Japan not on just one occassion, but over the past few years everytime there is a contract signing, he still had to look a few times before he was willing to sign.
New Japan still believe that the contract style like WWE's will lead the guys to work harder, but that isn't actually the case. The young lions are not interested anymore, the wrestlers who are currently making the most money are Chono and Lyger, who are the bookers of the Heavyweight and Jr. Heavyweight Divisions. Yet their abilities have died down over the past 6 years, though Lyger can still pull off with some spectacular matches. Chono is no longer a quarter of a wrestler that he once was, though he is still a major draw. However he no long posess the same ability as he once had in the ring.
Yuji Nagata and Hiroyoshi Tenzan are still hanging on the barrier at this point, personally I feel they should jump ship and move to NOAH instead, at least NOAH has guys that can wrestle, and can still draw some good gates. And giving the IWGP Title to Tenzan isn't going to help when he was thrashed by Nakamura a few days after he won his first IWGP Title, making him look like a Paper Champion.
Nakamura and several other younger guys are making next to nothing, you have to wonder why do they even bother. The only answer is loyalty, though some younger guys are not signed with New Japan, but they are very loyal to the company and willing to help out in anyway possible. They have their concern about the company because they care.
New Japan is a sinking ship, and some of the guys really need to step up, including the bookers. Plus someone needs to give Antonio "I think I am bigger than Vince McMahon" Inoki a serious kick to the balls and tell him he should stop running the promotion with his boys being beat up by MMA guys, letting outsiders win all the time and start building their home-grown talents seriously, not those half-assed crap that we have seen over the past several years.
New Japan is in desperate need of a serious relaunch, if they do not do it soon. New Japan will become history like their former US partner, World Championship Wrestling.
DC
