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.
セミデスマッチ
ルール
・相手の顔にセミくっつけたら勝ち
or
・床にたくさん落ちてるセミ触っていきなり暴れ出してもビビらなかったら勝ち(足が閉じてると基本死んでるはずなのにたまに生きてるから厄介)#KOPW2020— El Desperado (@ElDesperado5) August 16, 2020
‘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.
殺るか
殺られるか…#NEVER無差別級選手権試合 https://t.co/PPGwpbSSmt pic.twitter.com/ccKj4syOgf
— 鷹木 信悟(SHINGO TAKAGI) (@Takagi__Shingo) August 10, 2020
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!’
皆さんどうもありがとう
今夜は良い夢みれそう
消灯!#CHAOS— YOSHI-HASHI (@YOSHIHASHICHAOS) August 9, 2020
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?
夢の中で試合の入場曲が流れてるのに全く着替えてないというありがちな夢をみた。
今日から後楽園大会、少し早めに着替えようかな— YOSHI-HASHI (@YOSHIHASHICHAOS) August 5, 2020
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…
@bougoriyaku
棒さん!おめでとうございます!
めっちゃベルト似合ってます! pic.twitter.com/Jm2WirUCRO— KENTA aka Lil’K (@KENTAG2S) August 10, 2020
‘Congratulations Stick! The belt looks great on you!’ And then…
ブス話長くてTOMO途中から完全に飽きちゃってるの最高に面白い。 https://t.co/ivu3nDvgd9
— KENTA aka Lil’K (@KENTAG2S) August 10, 2020
‘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.
Hahaahahahahahahaha#njpwstrong pic.twitter.com/WEOwzqqxbN
— KENTA aka Lil’K (@KENTAG2S) August 15, 2020
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.