NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

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AUG.17.2020

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The Social Round-Up: KOPW Creative Edition

As we count down to Summer Struggle in Jingu in August 29, KOPW2020 has been the talk of the town on social media of late. With voting now open for stipulations in this unique Kazuchika Okada conceived title, plenty of wrestlers have jumped online to bring their takes. 

Well, El Desperado certainly has. Early and often. 

‘Cicada death match: Win by putting a cicada on your opponent’s face. Or have a bunch of dormant cicadas on the mat and if you don’t freak out when they spring to life then you win (you’d think they’re dead but they aren’t)’. Add this to his ‘Third Generation Booster Pack Rules’ (no clotheslines, headbutts, kicking or Argentine backbreakers) and anything else he might come up with along the way and we might have enough for Despe to win and hold steady until the end of the year. 

Desperado is certainly motivated when it comes to KOPW 2020 and Jingu beyond, and the same can be said for Shingo Takagi. 

 

Declaring his match with Minoru Suzuki on August 29 for the NEVER Openweight Championship to be a case of ‘kill or be killed’, Takagi has promised to ‘bring the fireworks’ to Jingu while exposing the self proclaimed King of professional wrestling as ‘the emperor with no clothes’. Takagi will have to back up those words in ring, where Suzuki will be doing some very violent talking of his own. 

It was triumphant words that rang around Korakuen Hall last week when after 12 long years of hard work, heart and determination, YOSHI-HASHI finally picked up the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships with Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii; his first championship gold in NJPW. Responding with gratitude to all the well wishes for his long awaited title win, YOSHI-HASHI said ‘thanks everyone! I think I’ll be having good dreams tonight. Good night!’

 

A statement that made a good deal more sense considering what came before it. Earlier in the week, the Headhunter wrote that ‘I had a dream where my entrance music had started playing for my match and I hadn’t even begun changing my ring gear yet. I think I’ll start getting ready extra early tonight’. Maybe that’s the key; could we expect this to be a new pre-match ritual?

 

Of course, you can count on friends and fans to celebrate your crowning glories, and your trolls and foes to hate no matter what. Cue KENTA in 3…2…

 

‘Congratulations Stick! The belt looks great on you!’ And then…

 

‘Uggles here goes on for so long that TOMO loses all interest. Awesome.’

KENTA has been quick to antagonise on both sides of the Pacific, responding with classical flare to those critical of his tainted victory over Jeff Cobb on STRONG this week.

 

A win in the New Japan Cup USA final Friday would certainly ensure conversation stays focused on BULLET CLUB in Japan and the US for a long time to come.  

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