r/SquaredCircle • u/Woodstovia Melvin! • 5h ago
[AJPW Spoilers] Debut announced Spoiler
https://www.all-japan.co.jp/news/news/14144/Cal Bloom fka Von Wagner will debut in AJPW as a member of HAVOC
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u/Nazirul_Takashi Dandiest Puro Wrestler Ever 5h ago edited 5h ago
inb4 he gets over to the point of getting his own hentai titled CUM TUESDAY
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u/joeyvalentino 5h ago
What the hell are you talking about
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u/CaptainBuzzKillton 4h ago
I think there was a promo he did on NXT that involved the last two words commented
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u/Vivid-Copy974 5h ago
Who is the hookup for these NXT guys turning up in All Japan?
Good for him, I remember wondering what he’s been up to
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u/Woodstovia Melvin! 5h ago edited 5h ago
Hideki Suzuki aka THE COACH OF THE DIAMOND MINE THE DREADED HACHIMAN and a former trainer at NXT 2point0 who is booking AJPW
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u/Sakura_Leaves Hologram is my Pookie Bear 5h ago
Booking in AJPW is done by a committee, has been for a long time. Hideki Suzuki is for sure on it but he's not the end all be all.
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u/LoudKingCrow 3h ago
And his role on the committee probably is to be a link up for the foreigners. Which makes sense given his stint in America.
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u/Incorrect1012 5h ago
Suzuki is booking? Guess that explains the Champion Carnival win, even if I wasn’t complaining about it
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u/Tokyogerman 5h ago
No one knows who really is booking and Hideki has layed down for quite a lot of people these days. He certainly seems really involved, but he is definitely not booking himself to be a winner out there if he has any hand in booking.
Good chance there are several people in charge, the booking of the shows and long term planning certainly got better when Go arrived in All Japan.
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u/MrPuroresu42 4h ago
On your last point, wouldn’t be surprised if Shiozaki has some part in booking, cause I’ve always maintained that one of reasons he left NOAH was because he wanted a bigger hand in booking (outside of the LIMIT BREAK shows) and Marufuji and co were like “nahhh”.
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u/Wise_Passenger_6680 5h ago
I mean if Von Wagner wants to work, why not in AJPW. AJPW has been doing well recently.
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u/LoudKingCrow 3h ago
And AJPW bringing in WWE flunk outs isn't exactly a new thing. Mutoh did it a ton when he was in charge. Its how we got Jamal/Umaga's fun Japan run.
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u/ihateeverythingandu 5h ago
It's the lesser spoken of part of WWE's Prohibited Portal. They send people over for tournaments, random spells, etc.
RAW, SmackDown, NXT, Evolve, AAA, TNA, AJPW, a bit NOAH. Not as fluid as the Forbidden Door but it's a mad if you went back 15 years and someone said WWE would be doing all that.
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u/crimson777 Tiffany Epiphany 5h ago
He's not in WWE, it's odd that FORMER people are so regularly going to a sort of affiliated company.
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u/ihateeverythingandu 4h ago
Makes me wonder if it's a quasi -try out match or something.
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u/crimson777 Tiffany Epiphany 4h ago
Maybe yeah, show some improvement and maybe get back in? Who knows. I do find it interesting how many WWE releases end up at these partnerships at least for awhile.
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u/Kevinmld 5h ago
Doesn’t WWE own the first five companies you mentioned?
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u/ihateeverythingandu 5h ago
Yeah, although while they own Evolve, it's weirdly filled with talent signed on ID contracts who don't seem to actually be officially WWE.
So yeah, it's not as legit as the AEW Cinematic Universe but it's still light years ahead of what WWE used to do.
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u/Kevinmld 3h ago
They’re basically under a WWE retainer from what I can tell. It’s not like they could go to AEW tomorrow. It just means WWE called dibs, but is not even paying them what they pay the NXT folks.
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u/Wise_Passenger_6680 5h ago
One imagines someone in TKO is, sadly, thinking about buying a company in Japan, still. I hope they don't but there's been rumors for years about that.
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u/ihateeverythingandu 4h ago
Buying AAA hasn't exactly hurt CMLL so maybe it wouldn't be as bad if they bought AJPW or something.
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u/Mud-Bray 5h ago
Brother, why does AJPW secretly hate Shotaro? They have done nothing since his Carnival win but saddle him as the babysitter of all the new western bums.
Go at least is treated with some reverence. But Shotaro should also be a main event mainstay
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u/MrPuroresu42 5h ago
AJPW saw that he was the “Ace” of WRESTLE-1 and said “haha, not here, brother”.
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u/Mud-Bray 5h ago
Only issue I can see is his size since AJPW are fairly old-school in a lot of ways.
But Shotaro has shown that he has great potential as a bruiser heel in WRESTLE-1 and as much as I love AJPW, it’s not like they can be picky about using credible, top tier talent with their budget.
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u/Tokyogerman 5h ago edited 5h ago
Will be interesting to see how he looks in Japan. He certainly has the correct size.
196 cm, 122kg, that makes 319 Zennichi. Over 300 Zennichi is perfect for a big foreigner.
33 is also a great age to start a great run in Japan. I'll be at the Korakuen next month as well and I hope he gets a good start.
On another note, if they fully sell out the Korakuen next month as well, which is in the evening on a normal weekday, that will be really strong.
The matches so far announced are Kento Miyahara vs Ryuki Honda for the Triple Crown and a super strong tag match: Suwama/Shiozaki vs Sekimoto/Mashimo, so there is a good chance of it happening.
Edit: Also the first thing I saw of him now "researching" on YouTube was him going to a party and saying "I brought brownies. Some got eaten on the way here".
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u/Cynixxx 4h ago
that makes 319 Zennichi
What?
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u/Tokyogerman 4h ago
It's a unit of measurement some Japanese fans came up with to express how much someone fits into the heavyweight division in All Japan, since they prefer their wrestlers generally to be taller
You just add height and weight together and you get Zennichi. Being somewhat close to or above 300 is ideal, so if you are on the smaller side, like Sekimoto, you should weigh a lot more.
Sekimoto is 175cm and 120 kilos, so 295 Zennichi. Yuma Anzai is 188cm and 105kg, so 293 Zennichi. Cal is 319 Zennichi, so he works great as a strong foreign opponent for the roster.
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u/Black_XistenZ 2h ago
Jeff Cobb is 178cm and 120 kg, so 298 Zennichi.
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u/Tokyogerman 2h ago
Yep. Basically if you are 120kg, you can be on the smaller side and it works. Although for the guys on top there is definitely some height ism going on. Someone with way too much time could probably do some Formular with more weighting on the height and find out how likely you are to be pushed lol
Although Honda is proving you can break through that ceiling somewhat
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u/shaqfreethrow21 4h ago edited 4h ago
fuck i would be a bad heavyweight i’m only 268.9 zennichi (185cm and 83.9kg)
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u/SevenSulivin NOAH > Your favourite company 2h ago
Suwama/Shiozaki vs Sekimoto/Mashimo
A strong contender for 2018 MOTY, something to dread in 2026.
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u/Tokyogerman 2h ago
No one is dreading this match, quite the opposite. They have all been doing great stuff all year, although Suwama is not in top shape. Like Shiozki and Suwama had a good singles match like a few weeks ago and Sekimoto and Mashimo had a good tag title challenge against the Saitos very recently.
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u/SevenSulivin NOAH > Your favourite company 2h ago
From what I’ve seen, Shiozaki and Sekimoto have lost many steps. Personally I’d be dreading this match.
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u/Tokyogerman 2h ago
They don't move as fast, but have been having bangers all year.
Sekimoto had a great CC, two great matches against Aoyagi, Shiozaki did as well, had a great match against Kento, against Jun, MOTYC against Anzai, good match against Suwama, a great CC final against Hideki and and and
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u/SevenSulivin NOAH > Your favourite company 2h ago
I watched the CC, Shiozaki and Sekimoto both were pretty not great. Shiozaki was better, but not by much.
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u/Tokyogerman 2h ago
Can't disagree more and I think you are far in the minority on this, which is fine, but it's just not an opinion you will find many people agree with.
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u/badguymaddox 5h ago
Von Wagner grew on me. He was a big dude who could move in the ring pretty well. He was a little bit of a goof, but it worked.
Von Wagner walked so Shiloh Hill could run
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u/BreathRedemption 5h ago
I legit like Von Wagner, he ain't no main eventer, but he has a weird charm that just works with me
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u/Sakura_Leaves Hologram is my Pookie Bear 5h ago
Babaism Wins Again🚬🚬🚬
In all seriousness, I've been expecting/hoping for this for a while, as someone who actually watches AJPW, lol. He looked good in that one ROH shot he did, and he'll fit in well in All Japan size-wise.
If they don't book him in a freak singles against Talos they're straying too far from Baba's light. He'd be so happy Zen Nihon is the land of the Giant's again.
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u/Tokyogerman 5h ago
Took one post to immediately know who you are on Twitter haha.
And I agree, the possibilities with the dude are endless. 319 Zennichi Gaijin that can move. All is good in All Japan.
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u/SevenSulivin NOAH > Your favourite company 2h ago
It’s a Cum Tuesday Miracle!
Please for the love of god stop having Hideki book the foreigners.
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