Join The Community
TNM Discord
@tnm7sim
tnm7sim
TNM 3:16 Forums
FORUM HOME > Wrestling > Puroresu
Lesnar Stripped
| Justin | Posted on 07/15/06 at 22:12:31 New Japan Pro Wrestling has stripped Brock Lesnar of the IWGP World Heavyweight title. The promotion is claiming that due to a working visa issue, Lesnar would not appear on the 7/17 show where he was slated to defend the IWGP title against Hiroshi Tanahashi at the Tsukisamu Green Dome in Sapporo. A tournament is expected to determine a new IWGP champion. Those grapplers that will compete in the tournament on Monday to crown a new champion include Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata, Giant Bernard, Akebono, and Travis Tomko. |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/15/06 at 22:20:44 If Tomko wins I'm going to be a very sad man. Unlike Bernard, Tomko has not and will not improve in Japan. We all know that either Bernard, Nagata, or Tanahashi is going to win though. |
| Justin | Posted on 07/16/06 at 14:06:44 To update the New Japan/Brock Lesnar from earlier today, it has been widely report that the former WWE champion quit New Japan after a major falling out. Lesnar has been a colossal major disappointment for the fledging Japanese promotion, especially considering the financial investment they put into the former WWE superstar, and putting him over with the IWGP World Heavyweight title. The issue reportedly involved plans for Monday's match with Hiroshi Tanahashi. Next logical move for Lesnar appears to be entering the world of MMA. As previously reported, New Japan will conduct a tournament on Monday to determine a new IWGP champion. New Japan is also offering a refund for the show which was advertised to be headlined by Lesnar vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in Sapporo. Seems like Brock's history of creating problems with promotors that put him over has a way of repeating. He probably didn't want to drop the belt to Tanahashi. |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 07/16/06 at 16:34:57 I guess this means that Tanahashi will be the next IWGP champ then. I'd love for A-Train Bernard to win it, but I don't think a gaijin will get it the title in the near future thanks to Lesnar's prickish selfishness. Perhaps he can go to UFC and have the washed up Ken Shamrock kick his ass? Or go have Bob Sapp beat him senseless in Japan? And if Tomko wins, it's all Christian Cage's fault that he may have just solved the NJPW problem. ;) |
| Justin | Posted on 07/17/06 at 19:54:07 7/17 Results from the Green Dome: - Mitsuhide Hirasawa, Taichi Ishikari, & Takashi Uwano d. Tetsuya Naito, Yujiro, & Takashi Iizuka - IWGP Title tournament: Akebono d. Hiroyoshi Tenzan - IWGP Title tournament: Yuji Nagata d. Travis (Tyson) Tomko - Koji Kanemoto, Prince Devitt, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Negro Casas d. Minoru, Jadoh, Gedoh, & Jushin Liger - Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii d. Naofumi Yamamoto & Riki Choshu - IWGP Title tournament: Giant Bernard d. Akebono - IWGP Title tournament: Hiroshi Tanahashi d. Yuji Nagata - NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title match: Tiger Mask IV d. Wataru Inoue - IWGP Tag Titles match: Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori d. Shin'ya Makabe & Shiro Koshinaka 9. IWGP Heavyweight Title tournament finals: Hiroshi Tanahashi d. Giant Bernard |
| Rick Garrard | Posted on 07/18/06 at 00:42:15 I'm kinda hoping that A-Train's run in New Japan will mean that at some point WWE will bring him back. And hopefully for Tomko's sake, this is a good learning experience for him, since he didn't rate too well in WWE with his first go-round. And Akebono is a sideshow attraction much like when he was at WM vs Big Show. He's got an uphill battle. The good thing is that he's American so that there's always an outside chance that he could show up at a WWE event since he already has past ties to them. Of course the biggest problem with NJPW booking is that it is logical. ;) |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/18/06 at 06:44:58 Lesnar is the weak sauce, he looked really good in the WWE because he was much better than his opponent, or because, for a short while, he was actually motivated to not suck. That time has ended, and Lesnar's time in Japan was some of the worst wrestling I have EVER seen from over there. I think the Antonio Inoki vs. The Great Antonio was better wrestling, and if you've never seen that match http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHJ4xmwb9hs&search=Antonio%20Inoki watch it and you'll get my point. Lesnar = a primadonna who is in my opinion, never going to get better because he buys into his own hype. Bernard is actually quite good. I know I wasn't impressed by him in the WWE but he was better in AJPW and has gotten even better in NJPW. If he comes back to the states he'd get under used again...I think his best course of action would be to take the Scott Norton approach and just concentrate mostly on wrestling in Japan. Akebono's match at wrestlemania was a sideshow match to begin with, so it's an unfair base to start from. Akebono has got commitment down OK, he seems to honestly enjoy wrestling, however his size limits him...a lot...and his stamina takes away any chance he has of being anything more than a novelty fighter, however he's not bad at that role at all. Tomko sucks, and has always sucked. No amount of time on any kind of learning excursion would help him to be anything more than an over-muscled hack. |
| Anubis | Posted on 07/18/06 at 08:06:33 Everybody always thought Lesnar was WWE's Goldberg, but in all honesty, Lesnar is nowhere near Goldberg's level. Like him or hate him, Goldberg was a draw and was mega-over, deserved or not. Lesnar, well, I dunno what screwed it up, because I honestly thought he was decent. Guess he just didn't have that "it" factor. Giant Bernard, though? Good grief, Japan has sunk to a real low here. That guy is just awful. I hope Tanahashi gets it and that A-Trainwreck never even gets close to touching the belt. I'm surprised people around here, who outright hate Goldberg, like someone like him so much, especially given he's far worse than Goldberg could ever be. |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/18/06 at 08:46:24 I'm going to go out on a limb and say you've never actually watched a Giant Bernard match. Sure you've seen A-Train, but it's not the same...I didn't think he had any talent either, he's proven me wrong...he can actually hold his own in an entertaining way. This isn't to say he's going to be a legend, but his matches in Japan have far surpassed Lesnar in terms of actual wrestling quality and watchability. |
| Anubis | Posted on 07/18/06 at 08:51:41 Seriously?! I find it very hard to even imagine that, honestly . . . You are correct, though. Heck, it took me a few moments to figure out that Giant Bernard and A-Train were one and the same. Still, I find it hard to believe, no offense. |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/18/06 at 11:02:41 No it's fine,there's no reason to appologize. If you said the same thing and I was in your position I wouldn't believe you either. If you can find the New Japan Cup finals where he faces Nagata you should watch it, it's not a 5 star match of the year contender or anything, but it's solid and Bernard puts on a very good match. |
| Anubis | Posted on 07/18/06 at 11:08:31 Hmmm . . . Thing is, anyone could go a good one with Nagata because he's pretty awesome in the ring. Heck, he could probably take me to a three-star match hahaha! Are you just saying the guy is "watchable" now and capable of doing decent work (as opposed to absolute crap), or is he good to the point of being able to carry other people to good matches? Other than that, where would I be able to download some of these matches you speak of? I always relish being able to chance a look at Japan's wrestling scene, as little as I get to see of it these days. |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/18/06 at 13:51:28 Youtube has an alright selection of matches. I usually buy them from http://www.puroresudvdsource.com/ which I think I've linked you to about a billion times by now. I don't know if he's able to carry others to good matches, he's not been stuck in the ring with poor workers that I've seen. He's definatly able to hold his own, without being carried, provided the other worker isn't totally useless. Now, if he was stuck in the ring with say...Tomko...I'm sure it'd suck worse than tea bagging a belt sander. |
| Justin | Posted on 07/19/06 at 13:23:39 According to Tokyo Sports, Lesnar not only refuses to give the third generation IWGP Heavyweight Title belt back, but he may be set to defend it without authorization for New Korea Pro-Wrestling, after receiving an offer from the group. You wouldn't believe it, but rumours are already flowing of Nakamura vs. Lesnar for "Lesnar's version of the title" at "INOKI GENOME" on 9/1. |
| suicidalbynature | Posted on 07/19/06 at 22:27:06On 07/18/06 at 06:44:58, Carlzilla wrote:haha wow, i've never heard of that until now. inoki kicks~! the shit out of great antonio. i like the part where inoki through a real punch/slap at great antonio's face and the dude "HEY!" like he was surprised or something. what a shooter! |
| Justin | Posted on 07/22/06 at 12:37:30 Reports out of Japan indicate that a meeting is scheduled with Simon Inoki and the New Japan locker room to discuss the recent incident involving Brock Lesnar. The Daily Sports newspaper reports that New Japan management is considering such action as permanent banishment of Lesnar and/or a possible lawsuit against the former WWE superstar. |
| psz | Posted on 07/26/06 at 04:41:00 BTW, I stopped being amazed when someone says "Dude, in Japan x-wrestler is AWESOME, but here in the US he's so dull...." I'm thinking Hogan here.... |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/26/06 at 04:46:00 Who ever said Hogan was good in Japan? Hogan sucked everywhere he went. |
| psz | Posted on 07/26/06 at 14:53:01 Compare Hogan in Japan to Hogan in the US, you'll see what I mean. Totally different style. I thought he was actually enjoyable. Then again, I loved the Hansen v Hogan match ;-> |
| Carlzilla | Posted on 07/26/06 at 22:55:55 I've seen a few of his matches in Japan, I just felt they were as boring as his regular stuff, more technically sound mind you, but boring just the same. |