UnWrest (Week of July 27, 2018)- TV Reviews, Recommendations, and Why Nakamura Should Go Back to New Japan in 2019
What's up everyone? Here are my thoughts on the week's TV shows, the Rewind match of the week, and a Podcast Recommendation of the Week. Plus, I'm going to give my opinion on why Shinsuke Nakamura should go back to New Japan in 2019. And warning: I'm going to go "there" in regards to Nakamura's future in WWE. Without further ado, HERE WE GO!!!!
WWE Thoughts
- WWE just had to pat themselves on the back this week over and over again after announcing the first-ever All-Women PPV. Making the announcement was one thing (a really cool thing). It was another to pound into the ground so many times and self-congratulate themselves as aggressively as they did over their TV shows this week. They effectively destroyed the goodwill that the announcement had. Here's an idea: Make the announcement, let it soak in while you promote SummerSlam, and then start ramping up the promotion after your biggest event of the summer. Don't treat us like morons by making everyone, including males involved in deep storylines for the big event in 3 weeks, take time out to discuss the announcement. This was just another example of WWE being great and beating you over the head to make sure you know how great they really are. Didn't you know they are great? Because they are great. They are so great that they will continue to tell you how great they are greatly until you get it that they are great. So, let's be grateful that they are so great to remind us how great they are in such a great way.
If you were annoyed in the slightest by that last part, you now know how I felt watching Raw and SmackDown this week after this announcement. I think it's a cool thing for women's wresting that this PPV is going to happen. And I hope it succeeds above and beyond our expectations. I just don't like how WWE congratulated themselves for it.
- Raw this week was boring otherwise. The highlights for me were the promotion for Elias' album and the Balor/Rollins vs. McIntyre/Ziggler match. WWE is forcing another Lesnar/Reigns match on all of us at SummerSlam which is going to cause a riot in Brooklyn if it goes on last. Here's hoping Braun uses the briefcase to get involved in the match and save the show if it has to go on last. Other than that, I just couldn't get into this show. I'm tired of The B Team and The Deleters of Worlds going at it. I'm beyond tired of Roman getting title shots. I'm SO DONE with anything involving Bayley or Sasha Banks. And I've had it with WWE promoting itself so much with the EVOLUTION PPV announcement as stated earlier.
- Smackdown was a little bit better. I enjoyed Orton's promo going after the fans for voting for flips and hand gestures. It was old school in the best way possible, and LEGEND Randy Orton could be an interesting character to see unfold in the feud with Hardy. Rusev and Almas lost me for the reason that I knew they weren't going to get more time. It was ok, but I just couldn't get into it. Joe beating up A.J. and signing the contract was a great moment for all wrestling fans. Indy fans will remember their history together in NJPW, and WWE fans just want to see Joe and AJ go at it. Sanity lost again. Big shock, I know. And Miz tossed a fake baby at Daniel Bryan before beating him up. Yeah. That happened. It was a good show, but it had Raw to be compared to. So, it's going to look good regardless.
NXT Thoughts (with a match review)
- ADAM COLE BAY BAY!!!!! His match was forgettable, but Ricochet's interaction with him after the match was anything but. It looks like we're getting Ricochet and Adam Cole at TakeOver: Brooklyn, even if Adam Cole turned him down. I'm definitely down for that match. (I'm calling it now: Cole vs. Gargano for the NXT Championship will take place at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn before WrestleMania.)
The segment did a great job setting THAT match up and a War Raiders vs. Mustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era match for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Again, I'd be down for that one too. All three teams have been impressive recently, and it's the type of match that the War Raiders could use to show NXT and the big man in Stamford what they are made of.
- Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler had a fun simple contract signing for their match at TakeOver. I didn't watch 99% of the Mae Young Classic, but I did enjoy their match in the finals. This is a big opportunity for Sane to show soemthing in the division, which is suddenly becoming crowded with credible challengers to Baszler.
- Since the main event is a HUGE match for NXT, I'm doing a full on review.
NXT Championship
Aleister Black (c) vs. Tomasso Ciampa
Ciampa.... BOOOOOO!!!!! I love his entrance. No music. No fanfare. Just one word on the screen, and the crowd is just ready to boo the dude out of the building. Ciampa could be the best pure heel in wrestling.
Black and Ciampa start with the typical grappling you would expect. Ciampa almost catches Black with a quick rollup. More rollup attempts by Black this time. Black working on the arm early on. Ciampa avoids Black Mass. Black avoids the hanging DDT. Both men outside. Black hit a big kick and chases Ciampa inside. Ciampa attacks Black immediately when he rolls in. Big Left Kick by Black to Ciampa in the corner. Ciampa goes outside, and Black sits in the ring waiting for Ciampa to come back in.
Ciampa eventually gets back in, and Black aagain hits a big kick and a big boot. Ciampa pushes Black over the top rope after Black goes for a springboard. Ciampa immediately goes on the attack by ramming Black into the guard rail and ring with vicious velocity. He rolls Black back in the ring and starts working on torturing Black more. Huge backbreaker by Ciampa. Knee to the chest by Ciampa followed by an abdominal stretch. Black tries to get a German Suplex off, but he can't due to his back being hurt. Ciampa locks in a Texas Cloverleaf on Black, but Black gets to the ropes. They are trading punches and kicks on the apron now. Black climbs up, but Ciampa cuts Black off. They are on the top rope, with Ciampa looking to hit a big move. Black gets down to the ring and kicks Ciampa's knee. Both men collide in the middle of the ring.
Black starts mounting quick offense against Ciampa with a fast series of strikes and kicks. Asai Moonsault on a standing Ciampa for a 2. Ciampa tries to get a hanging DDT in, but Black stops him. More strikes and kicks by Black for a 2.5 count. More kicks and strikes in the corner by Black. Ciampa trips up Black once he tries to follow him on the outside. Ciampa dives off the ropes with a knee in the ring to Black for a 2 count. Ciampa gets a huge clothesline in for a 2. Black gets a big knee attack in for a 2. NXT Chant along with THIS IS AWESOME. It's good. I don't know if I'd say awesome. Ciampa goes for a rollup after a Black Mass attempt. Quick series of moves with Black nailing a German suplex for a 2. Ciampa avoids a big moonsault by Black and throws him into the cameraman on the outside. While the referee is distracted, Ciampa nails Black with a crutch! 1-2-KICKOUT!
Ciampa goes for the hanging DDT, but Black sends Ciampa over the top rope and executes a HUGE dive over the ropes! But when Black rolls Ciampa in, Ciampa catches him and NAILS A HANGING DDT! 1-2-KICKOUT!!!! Ciampa now is pulling at the floor mat outside the ring, exposing the concrete. He pulls Black to the edge of the mat, threatening to go for the DDT, but the referee stops him. As he goes in to fight Black, Ciampa is pushed into the referee who flies off the apron onto the concrete floor! BLACK MASS!!!! No count as the referee is down. He had him for 12!!!! Black goes to get Ciampa back up to hit another big move, but Ciampa rakes the eyes and grabs a chair. GARGANO is in!!!! He's going for Ciampa with the chair, but when Black grabs Gargano, Gargano swings around and nails Black with the chair by accident. Ciampa throws Gargano out of the ring. Double Underhook Face First Piledriver by Ciampa! 1-2-3!!! New Champion!
Winner: Tomasso Ciampa (NEW NXT Champion)
Match Grade: B. I'm not ready to give this anything but a B. The fact is that until the last few minutes, the match was just average at best. When they hit that next gear, it became a better match. Still, there were too many shenanigans for me to give it a higher rating. (If I gave Tonga vs. Naito a B, I feel comfortable giving this a B too with all the outside stuff that happened.) That being said, it's still the best match on WWE TV by about 10 miles this week.
(Editor's Note: I decided not to review the ROH show for 7/20/18 as I had already covered the main event match earlier. Check out the Special Report blog I posted a few weeks back about the ROH World Championship match.)
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Podcast Recommendation of the Week
I'm giving a nod this week to 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff for the Hog Wild 1996 episode that was posted this week. Eric responds to the rumors and innuendo regarding why he chose to put a PPV for free in front of the Sturgis, ND crowd. It was a fascinating discussion on his business-centric reasoning, the realities of the big event that the wrestling show was a part of, and what WCW was like during the time period. I also enjoyed his discussion of the matches that took place and why he values some matches higher than others despite an apparent lack of in-ring quality. Check it out.
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<< Rewind Match of the Week <<- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada, G1 Climax 25- August 2015
The battle between the two heads of CHAOS here. This turned out to be Nakamura's last G1 before going to WWE the next year. It's a great 25 minute match between Okada and Nakamura. Okada has only gotten better believe it or not after this, and this was another example of how great Nakamura can be in big time matches when he's allowed to go all out. Look for it on your Google search engine, and there should be a Dailymotion video of it with Jim Ross calling it.
Next Week's Rewind Match: The Beast vs. The Dead Man in Brooklyn
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OP-ED: Why Shinsuke Nakamura Should Go Back to New Japan in 2019
Multiple reports are out in the wrestling media that the contracts of the New Japan Four that left NJPW for WWE in 2016 (Nakamura, Styles, Gallows, and Anderson) expire at the beginning of 2019. New Japan is interested in trying to bring all these guys back into their company obviously. And while New Japan is incredibly hot right now, AJ Styles is likely having the time of his life in WWE at the moment. He's the WWE Champion, a merchandising powerhouse, the face of SmackDown Live, an extremely popular act on that brand, and on the cover of WWE 2K19. He's not going anywhere. But Gallows and Anderson are more likely to head back to Japan. While I'm sure the paycheck is good, there's a possibility to go even further in Japan and make around the same money for less dates. (I know. What can be less than never being on TV? But consider the house shows and having to be at TV in the equation here. That's still a lot of miles.) They can go back to the Bullet Club and be instantly inserted into the emerging Elite vs. Old Guard feud in that faction. They have a possibility of making more money off merchandise as well with NJPW and Pro Wrestling Tees. Then again, it is Japan, and they may want to stay state side. This could open up a possibility to go to ROH if they wanted to and still do tours in Japan as well as be involved still in the Bullet Club feud. I'm not going to put a percentage mark on these two moving on from WWE, but I'm just saying it's a viable option if you take a dispassionate view of the situation. Obviously, if you want more personal reasons for going WWE or Japan/ROH, you'd have to ask the actual wrestlers to get their thoughts.
THAT LEADS US TO SHINSUKE NAKAMURA. Again, I want to preface this with a couple thoughts. 1) I am just saying this from a dispassionate, outside perspective. I have no frigging clue what Nakamura is thinking, and at times, I don't know if I want to know. Lol. I'm just a fan. 2) I say this as a guy who was very happy to see him live on the WWE's winter tour last year and have a Nakamura autograph from the event.
That being said, Nakamura needs to leave WWE when the contract expires in 2019. I have a lot of reasons to feel that which I will detail now. And excuse me if I get a little politically incorrect in some of the things I'm about to say.
1) The Glass Ceiling- There. I said it. Vince McMahon has a glass ceiling in his perception of what Japanese talents can do in WWE. Need proof? What's Asuka been up to? Why did Vince book a Samoan to play a Japanese sumo wrestler as his champion? Why did Nakamura never beat Styles in their 4-5 WWE Championship matches this year? Granted, Nakamura (and Asuka for the women) won the Royal Rumble, but that's as far as it went. Triple H didn't seem to have a problem booking Nakamura as NXT Champion, but for some reason, Vince doesn't see what Triple H saw in Nakamura. Nakamura has overperformed this year as a great heel act in the company and finally has a U.S. Championship run to show for it. But after what happened this year with Styles and last year with Jinder Mahal (a racist feud I'm still trying to forget), you have to think that glass ceiling is hanging over Nakamura. In Japan, Nakamura doesn't have that ceiling to deal with. He showed that, even with a secondary championship, he can main event big shows and be given a major push. He was a main attraction for that company regardless of what position he was on the card. In WWE, I fear the U.S. Championship is as far as he will ever climb.
(By the way, I will argue with anyone who says that Nakamura vs. Mahal wasn't a racist feud with the garbage Mahal said on live TV for weeks in September-October last year.)
2) Going Back Would Be Going Forward- New Japan was a much different place when Nakamura left in 2016. Since then, The Bullet Club/The Elite have transformed the wrestling world, and the New Japan product has used that momentum along with the growth of other acts like Los Ingobernables de Japon, Kazuchika Okada, and others to further their progression. NJPW World has become a thing that allows fans all over the world to watch the product. (It says a lot that when you go into the search function on the website that Shinsuke Nakamura is still among the most searched options.) Nakamura has an obviously deep history with New Japan, and his return would spark even further interest in the brand considering he would have just finished 3 years in WWE/NXT. He could use that momentum to sell more merchandise through PW Tees and NJPW, and he could continue to be on TV through appearances with ROH. When Cody had his first 7-figure year when he LEFT WWE, that tells you the market has changed. Nakamura could achieve similar success.
Consider this as well: Nakamura can come back to New Japan and instantly have many different high-level matches. He can face off against Omega in the match that was teased before his departure. Maybe we get Nakamura against Okada for the leadership of CHAOS. He can restart his rivalries with Tanahashi, Goto, or Ibushi. He can maybe wrestle some of the other stars in the company that weren't there or as popular when he left (Juice, Jay White, Cody, Marty Scurll, or even Chris Jericho). Maybe we get this heel version of Nakamura vs. the Tranquilo Naito. (Don't tell me that thought doesn't excite you.) I'm not pretending that there aren't other great matches in WWE for him. I'd like to see Nakamura have matches with the likes of Rollins, Balor, or even Reigns. But Japan offers just as many intriguing possibilities.
3) Age is NOT an Issue for Nakamura- Some are saying Nakamura is too old for New Japan now. REALLY?! Wake up. Nakamura is 38. That's not a spring chicken by any means, but it isn't the beginning of the end either (as it may have been a decade or two back). One of the biggest stars in Japan is Minoru Suzuki who continues to wrestle and be pushed at the young age of 50. 50. Tanahashi is in his early 40s and continues to be pushed. Ishii is in his 40s. Makabe is 45. Naito and Omega are both only in their mid 30s. Liger is in his 50s. Chris Jericho is the IWGP Intercontiental Champion, and he's in his late 40s (and still kicking butt at everything by the way). The point is Nakamura can come back in and be still pushed despite whatever age. Japan has proven not to just job all the old-timers out.
4) There's No Place Like Home, to quote a girl from Kansas- If Nakamura made the decision to leave WWE for Japan, he'd be welcome back instantly as one of the most popular stars in the company. When Nakamura left, the company gave him one of the most heartfelt, biggest sendoffs I've ever seen. If he came back, the reaction would be thunderous in whatever building he appeared in. And that says something considering how quiet Japan crowds can be at times. His popularity would give New Japan a 5th person at the top of their cards (if you consider Okada, Naito, Omega, and Tanahashi as their biggest stars at the moment). But more importantly, Nakamura would be home. It's the same as any movie or personal story you've heard in life where the hero goes out into the world on an epic journey. That hero returns home to help make it a better place than when he left it. There's a beautiful symmetry to that thought. Nakamura, having done it all in New Japan, left for the biggest company in the world in WWE. He spends 3 years there, having a very good run in the company. But he decides to come back home to New Japan to make that even better than when he originally left it. Tell me that doesn't sound like an awesome chapter in the book.
Obviously, whatever Nakamura decides is up to him. But of the four wrestlers mentioned earlier, Nakamura has the greatest chance to take the return trip to New Japan. And as I mentioned, there's never been a better time to make that transition. He's obviously been seen as reaching the glass ceiling in WWE. He's not going to get past that unless McMahon keels over. The money has never been better for wrestlers outside of WWE since the fall of WCW in 2001. We are in the biggest wrestling boom in 20 years. Nakamura returning to New Japan would be another big move for both him and NJPW. Everyone in that company will benefit from Nakamura's return, as would Shinsuke. For him, I think it's a bigger risk to stay in WWE knowing that ceiling is above your head. You've got a lot more dates on the road in WWE, and your body isn't getting any younger. Taking the journey home to have less dates, more time to rest, and expanding your brand through merchandise and possible other methods seems like the smart move.
I'm not advocating Nakamura give a low blow to WWE on the way out, but I'm advocating a handshake, Thank You, and Moonwalk back to Japan. (Hey, it's obvious Nakamura is a mark for Michael Jackson. I can write that joke.)
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That's it for this week's UnWrest blog. Thank you all for reading. Leave comments or feedback below with your thoughts. I will be continuing to follow the G1 Climax and post blogs on each show as they happen. UnWrest is YOUR home for G1 coverage. Share the blog or any of the posts you like with your other wrestling friends. And if you want me to cover something, put it on the guestbook or in the comments section below. I'll try to cover it.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And as always, spread some awesomeness.
WWE Thoughts
- WWE just had to pat themselves on the back this week over and over again after announcing the first-ever All-Women PPV. Making the announcement was one thing (a really cool thing). It was another to pound into the ground so many times and self-congratulate themselves as aggressively as they did over their TV shows this week. They effectively destroyed the goodwill that the announcement had. Here's an idea: Make the announcement, let it soak in while you promote SummerSlam, and then start ramping up the promotion after your biggest event of the summer. Don't treat us like morons by making everyone, including males involved in deep storylines for the big event in 3 weeks, take time out to discuss the announcement. This was just another example of WWE being great and beating you over the head to make sure you know how great they really are. Didn't you know they are great? Because they are great. They are so great that they will continue to tell you how great they are greatly until you get it that they are great. So, let's be grateful that they are so great to remind us how great they are in such a great way.
If you were annoyed in the slightest by that last part, you now know how I felt watching Raw and SmackDown this week after this announcement. I think it's a cool thing for women's wresting that this PPV is going to happen. And I hope it succeeds above and beyond our expectations. I just don't like how WWE congratulated themselves for it.
- Raw this week was boring otherwise. The highlights for me were the promotion for Elias' album and the Balor/Rollins vs. McIntyre/Ziggler match. WWE is forcing another Lesnar/Reigns match on all of us at SummerSlam which is going to cause a riot in Brooklyn if it goes on last. Here's hoping Braun uses the briefcase to get involved in the match and save the show if it has to go on last. Other than that, I just couldn't get into this show. I'm tired of The B Team and The Deleters of Worlds going at it. I'm beyond tired of Roman getting title shots. I'm SO DONE with anything involving Bayley or Sasha Banks. And I've had it with WWE promoting itself so much with the EVOLUTION PPV announcement as stated earlier.
- Smackdown was a little bit better. I enjoyed Orton's promo going after the fans for voting for flips and hand gestures. It was old school in the best way possible, and LEGEND Randy Orton could be an interesting character to see unfold in the feud with Hardy. Rusev and Almas lost me for the reason that I knew they weren't going to get more time. It was ok, but I just couldn't get into it. Joe beating up A.J. and signing the contract was a great moment for all wrestling fans. Indy fans will remember their history together in NJPW, and WWE fans just want to see Joe and AJ go at it. Sanity lost again. Big shock, I know. And Miz tossed a fake baby at Daniel Bryan before beating him up. Yeah. That happened. It was a good show, but it had Raw to be compared to. So, it's going to look good regardless.
NXT Thoughts (with a match review)
- ADAM COLE BAY BAY!!!!! His match was forgettable, but Ricochet's interaction with him after the match was anything but. It looks like we're getting Ricochet and Adam Cole at TakeOver: Brooklyn, even if Adam Cole turned him down. I'm definitely down for that match. (I'm calling it now: Cole vs. Gargano for the NXT Championship will take place at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn before WrestleMania.)
The segment did a great job setting THAT match up and a War Raiders vs. Mustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era match for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Again, I'd be down for that one too. All three teams have been impressive recently, and it's the type of match that the War Raiders could use to show NXT and the big man in Stamford what they are made of.
- Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler had a fun simple contract signing for their match at TakeOver. I didn't watch 99% of the Mae Young Classic, but I did enjoy their match in the finals. This is a big opportunity for Sane to show soemthing in the division, which is suddenly becoming crowded with credible challengers to Baszler.
- Since the main event is a HUGE match for NXT, I'm doing a full on review.
NXT Championship
Aleister Black (c) vs. Tomasso Ciampa
Ciampa.... BOOOOOO!!!!! I love his entrance. No music. No fanfare. Just one word on the screen, and the crowd is just ready to boo the dude out of the building. Ciampa could be the best pure heel in wrestling.
Black and Ciampa start with the typical grappling you would expect. Ciampa almost catches Black with a quick rollup. More rollup attempts by Black this time. Black working on the arm early on. Ciampa avoids Black Mass. Black avoids the hanging DDT. Both men outside. Black hit a big kick and chases Ciampa inside. Ciampa attacks Black immediately when he rolls in. Big Left Kick by Black to Ciampa in the corner. Ciampa goes outside, and Black sits in the ring waiting for Ciampa to come back in.
Ciampa eventually gets back in, and Black aagain hits a big kick and a big boot. Ciampa pushes Black over the top rope after Black goes for a springboard. Ciampa immediately goes on the attack by ramming Black into the guard rail and ring with vicious velocity. He rolls Black back in the ring and starts working on torturing Black more. Huge backbreaker by Ciampa. Knee to the chest by Ciampa followed by an abdominal stretch. Black tries to get a German Suplex off, but he can't due to his back being hurt. Ciampa locks in a Texas Cloverleaf on Black, but Black gets to the ropes. They are trading punches and kicks on the apron now. Black climbs up, but Ciampa cuts Black off. They are on the top rope, with Ciampa looking to hit a big move. Black gets down to the ring and kicks Ciampa's knee. Both men collide in the middle of the ring.
Black starts mounting quick offense against Ciampa with a fast series of strikes and kicks. Asai Moonsault on a standing Ciampa for a 2. Ciampa tries to get a hanging DDT in, but Black stops him. More strikes and kicks by Black for a 2.5 count. More kicks and strikes in the corner by Black. Ciampa trips up Black once he tries to follow him on the outside. Ciampa dives off the ropes with a knee in the ring to Black for a 2 count. Ciampa gets a huge clothesline in for a 2. Black gets a big knee attack in for a 2. NXT Chant along with THIS IS AWESOME. It's good. I don't know if I'd say awesome. Ciampa goes for a rollup after a Black Mass attempt. Quick series of moves with Black nailing a German suplex for a 2. Ciampa avoids a big moonsault by Black and throws him into the cameraman on the outside. While the referee is distracted, Ciampa nails Black with a crutch! 1-2-KICKOUT!
Ciampa goes for the hanging DDT, but Black sends Ciampa over the top rope and executes a HUGE dive over the ropes! But when Black rolls Ciampa in, Ciampa catches him and NAILS A HANGING DDT! 1-2-KICKOUT!!!! Ciampa now is pulling at the floor mat outside the ring, exposing the concrete. He pulls Black to the edge of the mat, threatening to go for the DDT, but the referee stops him. As he goes in to fight Black, Ciampa is pushed into the referee who flies off the apron onto the concrete floor! BLACK MASS!!!! No count as the referee is down. He had him for 12!!!! Black goes to get Ciampa back up to hit another big move, but Ciampa rakes the eyes and grabs a chair. GARGANO is in!!!! He's going for Ciampa with the chair, but when Black grabs Gargano, Gargano swings around and nails Black with the chair by accident. Ciampa throws Gargano out of the ring. Double Underhook Face First Piledriver by Ciampa! 1-2-3!!! New Champion!
Winner: Tomasso Ciampa (NEW NXT Champion)
Match Grade: B. I'm not ready to give this anything but a B. The fact is that until the last few minutes, the match was just average at best. When they hit that next gear, it became a better match. Still, there were too many shenanigans for me to give it a higher rating. (If I gave Tonga vs. Naito a B, I feel comfortable giving this a B too with all the outside stuff that happened.) That being said, it's still the best match on WWE TV by about 10 miles this week.
(Editor's Note: I decided not to review the ROH show for 7/20/18 as I had already covered the main event match earlier. Check out the Special Report blog I posted a few weeks back about the ROH World Championship match.)
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Podcast Recommendation of the Week
I'm giving a nod this week to 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff for the Hog Wild 1996 episode that was posted this week. Eric responds to the rumors and innuendo regarding why he chose to put a PPV for free in front of the Sturgis, ND crowd. It was a fascinating discussion on his business-centric reasoning, the realities of the big event that the wrestling show was a part of, and what WCW was like during the time period. I also enjoyed his discussion of the matches that took place and why he values some matches higher than others despite an apparent lack of in-ring quality. Check it out.
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<< Rewind Match of the Week <<- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada, G1 Climax 25- August 2015
The battle between the two heads of CHAOS here. This turned out to be Nakamura's last G1 before going to WWE the next year. It's a great 25 minute match between Okada and Nakamura. Okada has only gotten better believe it or not after this, and this was another example of how great Nakamura can be in big time matches when he's allowed to go all out. Look for it on your Google search engine, and there should be a Dailymotion video of it with Jim Ross calling it.
Next Week's Rewind Match: The Beast vs. The Dead Man in Brooklyn
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OP-ED: Why Shinsuke Nakamura Should Go Back to New Japan in 2019
Multiple reports are out in the wrestling media that the contracts of the New Japan Four that left NJPW for WWE in 2016 (Nakamura, Styles, Gallows, and Anderson) expire at the beginning of 2019. New Japan is interested in trying to bring all these guys back into their company obviously. And while New Japan is incredibly hot right now, AJ Styles is likely having the time of his life in WWE at the moment. He's the WWE Champion, a merchandising powerhouse, the face of SmackDown Live, an extremely popular act on that brand, and on the cover of WWE 2K19. He's not going anywhere. But Gallows and Anderson are more likely to head back to Japan. While I'm sure the paycheck is good, there's a possibility to go even further in Japan and make around the same money for less dates. (I know. What can be less than never being on TV? But consider the house shows and having to be at TV in the equation here. That's still a lot of miles.) They can go back to the Bullet Club and be instantly inserted into the emerging Elite vs. Old Guard feud in that faction. They have a possibility of making more money off merchandise as well with NJPW and Pro Wrestling Tees. Then again, it is Japan, and they may want to stay state side. This could open up a possibility to go to ROH if they wanted to and still do tours in Japan as well as be involved still in the Bullet Club feud. I'm not going to put a percentage mark on these two moving on from WWE, but I'm just saying it's a viable option if you take a dispassionate view of the situation. Obviously, if you want more personal reasons for going WWE or Japan/ROH, you'd have to ask the actual wrestlers to get their thoughts.
THAT LEADS US TO SHINSUKE NAKAMURA. Again, I want to preface this with a couple thoughts. 1) I am just saying this from a dispassionate, outside perspective. I have no frigging clue what Nakamura is thinking, and at times, I don't know if I want to know. Lol. I'm just a fan. 2) I say this as a guy who was very happy to see him live on the WWE's winter tour last year and have a Nakamura autograph from the event.
That being said, Nakamura needs to leave WWE when the contract expires in 2019. I have a lot of reasons to feel that which I will detail now. And excuse me if I get a little politically incorrect in some of the things I'm about to say.
1) The Glass Ceiling- There. I said it. Vince McMahon has a glass ceiling in his perception of what Japanese talents can do in WWE. Need proof? What's Asuka been up to? Why did Vince book a Samoan to play a Japanese sumo wrestler as his champion? Why did Nakamura never beat Styles in their 4-5 WWE Championship matches this year? Granted, Nakamura (and Asuka for the women) won the Royal Rumble, but that's as far as it went. Triple H didn't seem to have a problem booking Nakamura as NXT Champion, but for some reason, Vince doesn't see what Triple H saw in Nakamura. Nakamura has overperformed this year as a great heel act in the company and finally has a U.S. Championship run to show for it. But after what happened this year with Styles and last year with Jinder Mahal (a racist feud I'm still trying to forget), you have to think that glass ceiling is hanging over Nakamura. In Japan, Nakamura doesn't have that ceiling to deal with. He showed that, even with a secondary championship, he can main event big shows and be given a major push. He was a main attraction for that company regardless of what position he was on the card. In WWE, I fear the U.S. Championship is as far as he will ever climb.
(By the way, I will argue with anyone who says that Nakamura vs. Mahal wasn't a racist feud with the garbage Mahal said on live TV for weeks in September-October last year.)
2) Going Back Would Be Going Forward- New Japan was a much different place when Nakamura left in 2016. Since then, The Bullet Club/The Elite have transformed the wrestling world, and the New Japan product has used that momentum along with the growth of other acts like Los Ingobernables de Japon, Kazuchika Okada, and others to further their progression. NJPW World has become a thing that allows fans all over the world to watch the product. (It says a lot that when you go into the search function on the website that Shinsuke Nakamura is still among the most searched options.) Nakamura has an obviously deep history with New Japan, and his return would spark even further interest in the brand considering he would have just finished 3 years in WWE/NXT. He could use that momentum to sell more merchandise through PW Tees and NJPW, and he could continue to be on TV through appearances with ROH. When Cody had his first 7-figure year when he LEFT WWE, that tells you the market has changed. Nakamura could achieve similar success.
Consider this as well: Nakamura can come back to New Japan and instantly have many different high-level matches. He can face off against Omega in the match that was teased before his departure. Maybe we get Nakamura against Okada for the leadership of CHAOS. He can restart his rivalries with Tanahashi, Goto, or Ibushi. He can maybe wrestle some of the other stars in the company that weren't there or as popular when he left (Juice, Jay White, Cody, Marty Scurll, or even Chris Jericho). Maybe we get this heel version of Nakamura vs. the Tranquilo Naito. (Don't tell me that thought doesn't excite you.) I'm not pretending that there aren't other great matches in WWE for him. I'd like to see Nakamura have matches with the likes of Rollins, Balor, or even Reigns. But Japan offers just as many intriguing possibilities.
3) Age is NOT an Issue for Nakamura- Some are saying Nakamura is too old for New Japan now. REALLY?! Wake up. Nakamura is 38. That's not a spring chicken by any means, but it isn't the beginning of the end either (as it may have been a decade or two back). One of the biggest stars in Japan is Minoru Suzuki who continues to wrestle and be pushed at the young age of 50. 50. Tanahashi is in his early 40s and continues to be pushed. Ishii is in his 40s. Makabe is 45. Naito and Omega are both only in their mid 30s. Liger is in his 50s. Chris Jericho is the IWGP Intercontiental Champion, and he's in his late 40s (and still kicking butt at everything by the way). The point is Nakamura can come back in and be still pushed despite whatever age. Japan has proven not to just job all the old-timers out.
4) There's No Place Like Home, to quote a girl from Kansas- If Nakamura made the decision to leave WWE for Japan, he'd be welcome back instantly as one of the most popular stars in the company. When Nakamura left, the company gave him one of the most heartfelt, biggest sendoffs I've ever seen. If he came back, the reaction would be thunderous in whatever building he appeared in. And that says something considering how quiet Japan crowds can be at times. His popularity would give New Japan a 5th person at the top of their cards (if you consider Okada, Naito, Omega, and Tanahashi as their biggest stars at the moment). But more importantly, Nakamura would be home. It's the same as any movie or personal story you've heard in life where the hero goes out into the world on an epic journey. That hero returns home to help make it a better place than when he left it. There's a beautiful symmetry to that thought. Nakamura, having done it all in New Japan, left for the biggest company in the world in WWE. He spends 3 years there, having a very good run in the company. But he decides to come back home to New Japan to make that even better than when he originally left it. Tell me that doesn't sound like an awesome chapter in the book.
Obviously, whatever Nakamura decides is up to him. But of the four wrestlers mentioned earlier, Nakamura has the greatest chance to take the return trip to New Japan. And as I mentioned, there's never been a better time to make that transition. He's obviously been seen as reaching the glass ceiling in WWE. He's not going to get past that unless McMahon keels over. The money has never been better for wrestlers outside of WWE since the fall of WCW in 2001. We are in the biggest wrestling boom in 20 years. Nakamura returning to New Japan would be another big move for both him and NJPW. Everyone in that company will benefit from Nakamura's return, as would Shinsuke. For him, I think it's a bigger risk to stay in WWE knowing that ceiling is above your head. You've got a lot more dates on the road in WWE, and your body isn't getting any younger. Taking the journey home to have less dates, more time to rest, and expanding your brand through merchandise and possible other methods seems like the smart move.
I'm not advocating Nakamura give a low blow to WWE on the way out, but I'm advocating a handshake, Thank You, and Moonwalk back to Japan. (Hey, it's obvious Nakamura is a mark for Michael Jackson. I can write that joke.)
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That's it for this week's UnWrest blog. Thank you all for reading. Leave comments or feedback below with your thoughts. I will be continuing to follow the G1 Climax and post blogs on each show as they happen. UnWrest is YOUR home for G1 coverage. Share the blog or any of the posts you like with your other wrestling friends. And if you want me to cover something, put it on the guestbook or in the comments section below. I'll try to cover it.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And as always, spread some awesomeness.
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