Dear friends,
It has come to my attention that the internet wrestling community does not like their favorite wrestler to be question for logical reasons. It has come to my attention that the word ‘fanboy’ is offensive now. I post on THREADS (app) my wrestling thoughts for conversational purposes, and I will question pro wrestling to gather thoughts from others and to help improve the business and/or wrestlers if I can from my insight.
This summer season isn’t only for hangouts, cookouts, and heading the beach to have fun but it’s also G1 Climax season. New Japan Pro Wrestling hosts this round robin style tournament yearly, and this year they went back to the original format of two blocks consisting of 10 competitors each. The G1 Climax tournament is designed to have points and wrestlers of their respected block takes turn fighting the other competitors. With each win that could be a pin or submission grants the victor 2 points. If the competitors somehow get a draw as their match decision from the referee, that grants each competitor 1 point. If the competitors completely forfeit or use weapons illegally and the match becomes a no contest as the match decision from the referee, no competitors get any points. The competitors with the most points in their respective blocks will fight in the finals to determine the winner of the G1 Climax, win a trophy, and get a guaranteed title shot at Wrestle Kingdom in January of the new year.
Now that I’ve explained the G1 Climax, let me dive into what happened on Threads App. This year, NJPW decided to hold qualifier matches. NJPW never really did this route before, therefore that’s more of Tony Khan’s influence. Tony Khan love qualifier matches! NJPW decided to have wrestlers compete for Block A and Block B to fill in the last two remaining spots. No big deal from me. However, I noticed that Tony Khan sent over Konosuke Takeshita to be in the G1 Climax. There are times when NJPW would feature new stars from other companies in the G1 Climax or in Best of the Super Jrs. I enjoy when they do so.
But Konosuke Takeshita being the G1 Climax didn’t bother me until he started to have a record of 2-0. And after Konosuke defeated Jeff Cobb, I took to the internet to air my frustration with the booking. Simply: Why is Konosuke Takeshita beating the NJPW guys?
Konosuke Takeshita was booked super strong as if the world merged Superman and Goku together so Konosuke can be overpowered with no selling and mixing in maxed out reversals and endurance like a WWE 2k created character.
Konosuke originally wrestled for DDT Pro. DDT Pro Wrestling gets a bad rep in wrestling. If you venture to watch DDT Pro on your own, just beware and tread carefully. It may not be your thing. DDT stands for: Dramatic Dream Team. DDT has a lot of comedy mixed with gay-esque weird dealings that get somewhat uncomfortable and cringy. That overshadows the wrestling aspect of DDT. Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi started in DDT and moved up in the ladder of wrestling promotions in Japan. Konosuke started in DDT Pro and by recommendation from Kenny Omega told Tony Khan to hire him. Tony Khan has yet to have Konosuke win on AEW programming.
Since questioning the booking of Konosuke, all kinds of fanboys came from left field to not have a conversation with me. Mostly they didn’t and wanted to talk amongst themselves as if I — the OP — wasn’t there. I had conversation with those I replied to so they can understand my perspective on the matter but for those that laughed at me because I stand firm in being a realist when talking about pro wrestling and told me that: wrestling isn’t that deep. I know for a fact, that person wasn’t looking for a productive conversation, so I simply said: “Then don’t seek out and comment on wrestling threads if you believe that.” Before that a comment read: Takeshita winning is always the correct decisions if we’re being honest.” I automatically knew that commentator didn’t want to have a conversation. He wanted to just hear his comment. This is where I find out ‘fanboy’ can be offensive. My response to that previous statement was: If you’re a fanboy, yeah. If you're a realist no.
An emotional replier didn’t like how I replied so he called me a clown and told me that I exposed myself. That calling someone a ‘fanboy’ meant that because someone disagreed with me, that was a bad thing I did. Oh, someone disagreed with you, guess what: YOU ARE A FANBOY!!!! The logic here makes no sense.
How did I expose myself? How does that make me a clown for calling someone a fanboy? A fanboy or a fangirl are people who love their fandom with a passion. We are all fanboys and fangirls in one way or another. How can that be offensive or hurtful or any other emotional reactionary feeling?
This replier and I chat for a bit, and I can see that he has no idea what a character is in wrestling. Telling me that Konosuke’s character at the moment is an invader to NJPW because he doesn’t like what NJPW has done. That’s not a character. If anyone has watched wrestling long enough or through documentaries, Degeneration X — Shawn Michaels and Triple H — decided to invade WCW on the tank. Does that mean that their characters were invader of WCW on a tank? That sounds silly. Shawn Michael is the Heartbreak Kidd. The man who got all the ladies. The man who was sly and mischievous in nature and did whatever he could to get gold around his waist. Triple H is the cerebral assassin. The man who plays mind games with his opponents, often times finding their weaknesses and exposing that the world and becoming champion.
That’s character. That’s story. That’s all layered and humanly flawed. Not Konosuke who doesn’t have that much under his name to be considered a well-rounded wrestler. When I speak about well-rounded wrestlers, they need to have the in-ring skills such as storytelling and fundamentals and a style unique to them. They need to have good promo skill. Only a few wrestlers can get away with barely any promo skills. They need to have character and personality and something that can connect with the fans.
Konosuke Takeshita has the wrestling ability but even that needs to be polished up a bit if I’m honest. Somewhere in the comments of that viral Threads post, I was told that Konosuke is dope. Well, what makes him dope? Let me know so I can see and understand your perspective on the matter.
And then, the next day, because all this happened over a now 4-day period. The next day I congratulate Yuya Uemura — a young wrestler in the G1 Climax 34 — but at the same time question the winning decision against Konosuke and emotional responder gets upset and misses the big picture.
While I go into great detail about that, let me write it out.
Yota Tsuji is the complete package for a wrestler. He has the look, the ability, and more. NJPW did a documentary on his life and asked about ambitions. He wants to bring wrestling all over the world. He believes that NJPW is number one. This video is released before the G1 Climax 34. It’s very wholesome. In America, releasing a video package on YouTube that follows your home life and you talk about your hopes and dreams, would indicate nine times out of ten of being pushed and being the hero.
Yota Tsuji should have the momentum and backing of that wholesome video and win in the opening night. But that’s not the case. When Tsuji came back from his excursion, NJPW automatically put him in the position to fight former IWGP Champion Sanada and Tsuji came oh so close to beating Sanada and becoming champion. We were all on the edge of our seats. Tsuji also looked good holding up with the IWGP Title. Tsuji was then positioned to win the New Japan Cup and he did. The New Japan Cup tournament is designed as single elimination. Then NJPW decided to create a trios team of Tsuji, Titan, and Hiromu — LIJ guys — and they won the 6-man NEVER Openweight Championships ONLY to drop it back the original owners of Yano, Tanahashi (our NJPW President), and Boltin Oleg.
So, as I say all this, you’d think that New Japan management is high on Tsuji, so he shouldn’t lose in the opening night, right?
Wrong.
So, I ask the question: Why does Tsuji lose Konosuke? Konosuke doesn’t have a footprint in NJPW. He’s not established, so why is Konosuke booked so strongly for the opening night?
Jeff Cobb has a lot of accomplishments and accolades. Currently, he is the NJPW World TV Champion. When you think of TV champions, who comes to mind? Jerry Lynn, RVD for representing ECW. A TV champion is supposed to keep the viewers interested to tune in every week. They are supposed to be must-see TV. This mindset is what I have for the NJPW World TV Championship. Jeff Cobb’s role is to get and bring in new subscribers for NJPW so NJPW can get out of the negative with their money problem and pay the boys more. NJPW does pay their roster and all the staff members but give them sustainable amounts, so Tony Khan doesn’t steal away more talent without giving NJPW anything in return.
So, if we keep this mindset about the TV title for NJPW, I ask this question: Why is Jeff Cobb losing to Konosuke? Jeff Cobb is not only TV Champion and trying to get new subscribers for the NJPW World network, but Jeff Cobb is built like a tank. He’s the tank of the United Empire. NJPW management trusts him to carry that TV championship, but Konosuke enters the match and defeats Jeff Cobb?
When Zack Sabre Jr held the NJPW World TV Championship, he never lost match before dropping the title to Jeff Cobb. But Jeff Cobb can lose to Konosuke for an unknown reason?
So back to Yuya. I enjoy Yuya’s work. He’s a great talent but he’s missing something and I’m not sure what. However, he should celebrate that win. I’m questioning Yuya’s victory because what made him able to beat Konosuke while Tsuji and Jeff Cobb — both established wrestlers with accolades, accomplishments, and tight foothold in NJPW — lost to Konosuke? The booking decision just doesn’t make sense.
I’m questioning the positioning NJPW is giving Yuya because Yuya isn’t ready to be their Ace right now. And it seems like NJPW is making one Ace rather multiple Ace’s to have on rotation for their stories to be told.
Think WWE at this very moment. We have The Bloodline. We have Cody Rhodes. We have Jey Uso. We have Drew McIntyre and CM Punk. We have Damien Priest and Judgment Day.
Not to make this into a competition, but NJPW needs to realize that their three musketeers: Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura, and Yota Tsuji for the Reiwa Era of Japan which mean harmony, can all be on rotation to tell their unique stories. However, the format for NJPW events is not like Amercian Wrestling Television but more American indie style where it’s a bunch of matches with in-ring storytelling. NJPW can adapt and hybrid the two. But as NJPW rent out the venues there is a time limit for the shows. NJPW would need a showrunner to produce similar story structures like WWE.
So back to the emotional responder. He was upset because he couldn’t come back with facts or push back a little, so he resulted in trying to use my past employment as a weapon. Most in the internet wrestling community love to use the fact that I worked for WWE in 2018 as a weapon against me. They can try, but I embrace that I worked at WWE despite everything that has come out — the good, the bad, and the ugly. I accomplished my seven-year-old dream of working for WWE and if the chance arises, I will go back. But I don’t allow people to use that as a weapon against me. Why should I? That’s giving them power to further become a bully.
The emotional responder tried to get under my skin by saying I haven’t taken any bumps. Untrue and this is where danger starts. Don’t assume something of anyone because you’ve never walked in their shoes during their lifetime. Obviously, he doesn’t follow me, but I posted a picture of myself after ring training and proudly showed off my rope bruises from running the ropes. I tried wrestling school a day and half after WWE let me go. I took bumps and I realized; it wasn’t for me. I’m comfortable creating and helping behind-the-scenes if need be.
The emotional responder tried to use my knowledge against me, claiming that SO knowledgeable because I come off as a know-it-all and trying to let know to have some “self-awareness.” I replied with, ‘I am knowledgeable. You want me to lie?’ Do not let anyone talk down to you or make you lower your IQ because they feel inadequate to match your level of intelligence on a subject matter you know 1000% about. Wrestling is my passion. I eat, sleep, talk, repeat wrestling.
The emotional responder finally backtracks. Backtracking is so fun. The emotional responder claimed that he was trying to help me gain viewers for my YouTube channel by wanting me to explain myself to have discussions but because I called some people ‘fanboy’ I lost them. Fanboy has now become offensive and used as a way to disagree with those who criticize my post which is untrue according to emotional responder.
I will never ask my readers and community members of the Squared Circle Podcast to bring their family member or friend to watch any of my videos to get that view count up. Lately, there’s been a rise in creators talking about how view counts are down for their videos. View counts help creators on Youtube to earn money because that view — depending on how long you watch, at least the 10 min mark — it counts towards the hours. While I may be struggling in that area over on YouTube, I don’t force anyone to bring a specific person to become another view count number. That’s why I always say to bring a friend and share the podcast episode. Because you can do that on your time and it’s free, and sharing out into the world is the easy way for us to grow this community. I also don’t know who you know so sharing it that is an easy way for this community and myself to network with people you know that may like wrestling conversations.
Also, I’m not building the same wrestling community as everyone else. I am building a specific kind of wrestling community that appreciates wrestling for what it is which is: the purest form of theater. I’m building a wrestling community dedicated to keeping kayfabe a live. I’m building a wrestling community where we can get excited to watch wrestling matches and learn from it. I’m building a wrestling community that’s positive and happy even with the bad day, and not toxic or spoiling everything. I’m building a community that wants to learn about wrestling. Create a deeper appreciation.
This project is a WE thing because I say that wrestling is all a team effort. And if you are wondering why I used ‘I’m’ doing this or that in terms of building the community here at the Squared Circle Podcast Hub, is because I need to give you the vision to lay the foundation for everyone to BUILD WITH ME something WE all can be proud.
Pro Wrestling is so man made that we took inspiration from Broadway Plays, from Hollywood, from mix martial arts, and more and morphed into a bit of everything to get what we know today as pro wrestling. We tell stories. We help each other overcome bullies and obstacles. And we escape for the three hours and that can give clarity on our problems.
Wrestling has helped in dark times, and while I’m in a semi-dark time, wrestling is that shining still and I’m pushing through to create content for educational purposes, for discussions, and for thought. I encourage all my readers to get in on the discussions! I can’t wait to read your thoughts!
I don’t often talk about drama, but when I do, it’s always to bring awareness to issues that need to be solved. Don’t ever let anyone dim your light or knowledge. Don’t ever let anyone throw your accomplishments in your face as a weapon. Be proud of those accomplishments. The lash out online is just a defense mechanism even if they troll or not.
We are so over stimulated by social media that it’s sad to see how emotional a wrestling fan gets when super emotional because you question the booking of their favorite wrestler. Just tell me that Konosuke Takeshita is your favorite and maybe move on.
Thank you for reading all this and listening to the full podcast episode. I appreciate and love all my readers. As always, tell a friend. And I decided to make this free because I’m generous and want a discussion and to remind everyone that I’ll drop Wrestle Threads Issue 3 as well.
I would charge but the lessons are too valuable even if I wrote in the space above. Besides, money talk makes people uncomfortable, and they go quiet, and I can never brainstorm to see what’s reasonable. Over on Threads, someone voted in my poll about membership, that they would pay $4.99 monthly for a bunch of exclusive stuff. Thoughts?
Thanks for reading!
Find me on the THREAD (app): 📷marieshadows.scp
Check out other links: https://campsite.bio/marieshadows
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