Dear Rock, Save NJPW. Thanks, Marie. [Substack Livestream Replay]

Playback speed

Share post at current time

Share from 0:00

0:00

Transcript

Dear Rock, Save NJPW. Thanks, Marie. [Substack Livestream Replay]

Wrestling doesn’t sleep. Neither do I. Let’s talk comedy, commentary, creative burnout—and why New Japan needs you.

Marie Shadows

Apr 14, 2025

Transcript

(squaredcirclepodcast@outlook.com)

Share Squared Circle Podcast

📍 Creator’s Note: I Said “Break,” But Wrestling Said “Nah”

So, about that break I said I was taking... yeah, not happening.
I decided not to create content with the full intention of doing nothing but resting and working on my cyberpunk sci-fi novel—and next thing I know, The Rock posts up in a New Japan shirt holding a damn Rubik’s Cube and the internet loses its collective mind.

My phone started blowing up, my tweet asking him to save NJPW took off, and the wrestling world once again reminded me:
You don’t get to clock out when you live this life.

🎙️ Square Circle Updates: Memberships, Merch & More

Before we dive into NJPW and The Rock, here’s what’s cooking on my end:

🎥 YouTube memberships are now live:
- $1.99 for the OG Lock-In tier (for the day ones)
- $9.99 for Tape Study Plus (VIP content, reactions, BTS & more)
🛒 FourthWall is up with merch: mugs, stickers, pins—you name it.
✍️ Substack is rolling:
You’re reading it. You can stay free or support monthly for $8 or yearly for $75. There’s no fake news paywall here. Just real talk.

https://youtube.com/squaredcirclepodcast/join
https://marieshadows-shop.fourthwall.com
https://marieshadows.substack.com/subscribe

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvdAzQnNY_PgpR1oHW6VLYH6MrMb0T4k3

🎸 Nickelback Wasn’t on the Agenda... But Here We Are

I fell back into a Nickelback rabbit hole during my so-called downtime. Watched the Hate to Love doc, re-listened to the discography, and remembered why I was a fan in the first place.

Say what you want—but the music hits. “How You Remind Me” Classic.
“She Keeps Me Up” Funky banger. (I said the wrong title in the video)

7.5 good albums, easy.
(Yes, I’m taking half points. “Feed the Machine” was just okay.)

It’s weird how rediscovering something you once loved can kickstart the creative engine again. And it did. Got me back writing. More on that in a bit.

🤼 Big E & The Joke That Wasn’t That Deep

Let’s shift to this Big E situation.
A comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, makes a throwaway joke about Michael Cole being stiff—and compares it to Big E’s neck injury.

Was it edgy? Sure.
Was it disrespectful? Not even close.
It was comedy. It was child’s play.

And then Big E responds with… nothing. Just neutral, tired, kind of like he’s done with the whole thing. And that’s what got to me. Not because I expected him to roast the guy, but because it felt like he gave up the mic.

Here’s what I’d say if I were him:

“Next time I see you, you’re gonna be the one in the neck brace.”

Own it. Flip it. Keep it moving.
That’s what wrestlers do—they build with it, not back away from it.

🦁 The Rock’s NJPW Shirt Wasn’t Just Drip — It Was a Signal

Let’s get to the meat of this:

The Rock.
New Japan shirt.
Rubik’s Cube.
On the day of Windy City Riot.

If you think that’s just a casual fit, you don’t know how The Rock operates.
He doesn’t post anything by accident. Ever.

So I tweeted the only thing that made sense:
Dear Rock, NJPW needs saving.
That tweet? Went viral. Because a lot of people are starting to finally see what I’ve been saying for a bit:

New Japan is slipping. And AEW ain’t helping.

🚨 NJPW’s Real Problem? Lack of Vision + AEW Fatigue

New Japan Strong—the weekly shows—used to be the bridge between the Japanese style and the American audience. It helped us get to know the talent.

Now? It’s just pay-per-views with barely-there builds.
Why? Because AEW scooped up all their top stars without giving NJPW time to elevate the next crop. Ospreay, Okada, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, Kevin Knight —all gone, all too soon.

The pacing, the stories of start/stop/what are we doing, the booking, the presence—it’s off.

And the worst part? It feels like no one’s steering the ship. It feels like Tanahashi is listening to “friends” and not being a boss.

🤝 Why WWE Could Actually Help Save NJPW

Let’s be real for a second.

Under Vince McMahon? WWE would’ve buried NJPW.

But under Triple H, Nick Khan, The Rock, and the TKO team?
We’re talking collaboration, not conquest.

Triple H respects Japanese wrestling. (I was in the room during a specific conversation about NJPW Wrestle Kingdom.)
WWE’s already working with Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Japanese broadcaster ABEMA carries WWE shows but not NJPW. (article down below)

A true WWE x NJPW partnership could bring: