KENTA for the GHC Heavyweight strap?

I outline a bunch of reasons why KENTA (and by extension almost all juniors) should be kept away from the GHC Heavyweight belt... but certainly can be thrown into tag matches with and against heavies.

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http://www.youtube.com/DanielTalksPuroresu

Thanks people!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• KENTA
• GHC
• Heavyweight
• Championship
• juniors
• Marufuji
• Naomichi
• DanielTalksPuroresu

[seancarletonzero]

Good video.

I think KENTA is too small to have a run as a heavyweight champion, he just doesn't have the frame, he does however look like a well built 15 year old.

Nakajima on the other hand could one day fill out and become a dominant Heavy ala Sasaki Kensuke.

Shiozaki is still top 5 in Japan, behind Masao Inoue of course ;).

Subbed to the new channel.

[IchibanPuroresu]

@seancarletonzero Shiozaki is an interesting case because already being a one-time champion, he cant quite convincingly carry the 'prodigy on the rise' gimmick that suits him so well. He is still kinda doing that, but it would work better if he wasn't already a former champ.

Nakajima will be a heavyweight some day. Even at 15 yrs old he was well put together, and he has the natural frame to be Kensuke-esque. He'll have to grow a lot more in charisma though to make up for lack of height.

[MrMarkman1981]

Didnt realize having a belt in good ol nippon may actually hurt you as a wrestler. Thats strange man

[IchibanPuroresu]

@MrMarkman1981 It is a little strange, but the Japanese in general tend to love getting being guys struggling from underneath. THat's why it is often 5-10 years before they are even given a look-in to the main event. They need to use a really slow build to keep the fans invested.

[seancarletonzero]

This video is still very relevant.

Marufuji as Heavyweight Champion was almost as ridiculous Ogawa as Heavyweight Champion. NOAH bookers have always been crazy though, which explains Rikio.

I like KENTA as the tough underdog who can take on the Heavies, sometimes even beat them, but he should never ever win the Heavyweight Title, you are correct, sir.

You know what else feels right on the (W)hole....? I know, I'm a perverted motherfucker.

[dbdh8]

@DanielTalksPuroresu I would put Shiozaki & Sugiura on about the same level. I agree that they aren't on Kobashi, Akiyama, and Misawa level but those guys are the best of the best

[DanielTalksPuroresu]

@dbdh8 I don't even think Sugiura is that good of a champion. He's a notch up from Rikio and Shiozaki, but he's no Kobashi/Misawa/Akiyama ;) I like KENTA quite a bit, but his best work is him getting punished by Takayama and co. The plucky junior who is almost inevitably going to lose but will fight hard suits him IMHO a lot better than being a champ.

[dbdh8]

@DanielTalksPuroresu Hisa, thanks. I was aware of the 2010 with Sugiura. I have no beef with him. He's great no doubt, but with NOAH's issues they have an opportunity to do something different. And they've done good with KENTA, but with their booking having KENTA as HW champ is a pipe dream I'm sure. Akiyama is doing great right now & with the triple crown now you are probably right

[DanielTalksPuroresu]

@dbdh8 The polls are magazines and imageboards. If you follow Hisa's website or hang around forums at the right time of year (normally Dec-March) you get plenty of info on the fan awards and so on. The TSGP MVP award is a pretty good indicator as well. 2010 was Sugiura, miles ahead of Kojima, Makabe, Devitt and Nakamura. 2011 is a totally open question. Akiyama might sneak it.

[dbdh8]

@DanielTalksPuroresu That's cool. I respect your opinion and any puro fan. Japan & puroresu are becoming more Americanized though and tradition and precedent are slowing decreasing. And NJPW is different from NOAH. NJPW is the top of the puro food chain. NOAH isn't and could benefit from doing something different and out of the box. Do you have a link to some of those polls? That stuff interests me. I'm always looking for more sites.

[DanielTalksPuroresu]

@dbdh8 Vince doesn't run NOAH. Tradition does. Tradition and precedent (as I explained in the video) does not encourage a small junior being a heavyweight champ. The business has changed? Yeh, it has declined so much that it no longer matters, but that's not a positive sign. KENTA is a draw, but he's not heavyweight champ material. Kanemoto has tonnes of hardcore fans, he's nowhere near the IWGP Heavy belt. And for good reason.

[DanielTalksPuroresu]

@dbdh8 Taz worked America right? Puroresu is a different beast. KENTA has many, many fans in the building - at this point as much as any other guys on their permanent employ - but they don't really care if he's champ or not. Sugiura wins magazine polls all the time which more accurately reflect the opinion of the fans than tshirt sales. Where do you get those shirt sales from anyway? Right now I can order a no mercy shirt, but not any of Sugiura's which are out of stock.

[dbdh8]

@DanielTalksPuroresu Puroresu may not be as strong as it once was, but the product is still better than WWE & TNA (I'm staying positive). I just think NOAH has done a good job with KENTA. They should do same with a heavyweight. The fact is the fans in NOAH love KENTA. Just watch the match with Sugiura when he won the title shot. Crowd loves him. In the ring & on the mic, he's hot right now. I just hate the Vince McMahon 'fuck smaller guys' attitudes. The business is changing.

[dbdh8]

@DanielTalksPuroresu take a breath & relax baby. 1 - Yeah, you're right KENTA doesn't hit as hard as any HW, but lots. 2 - Taz got over because he was a tough, physical little guy (so is KENTA) & people like rooting for tough little guys (like David & Golitah story). That is what it has to do with it. I thought I made that clear. My bad. 3 - KENTA & his No Mercy shirts are selling more merch than anyone in NOAH (fact). The fans want him as champ, can't you hear them chant his name?