Who Will Take The Triple Crown From Kawada?

[OldSchool]

I just read the results Zach posted on the main page from the All Japan 8/23 show. The show looks really good, for a recent All Japan show anyway, and im looking forward to both the Kawada / Kojima Match and also the Fuchi / Nishimura which peaks my interest for some reason.

But i dont understand the booking of Kawada / Kojima. I know its been said for a long time and the Kojima push never happens, but after the buzz from the Misawa match surely beating Kojima was a mistake. I would have liked to see them add a few minutes and make it a 30 minute draw. It would have helped Kojima and certainly not harmed Kawada any. Or are they going to try and make Kojima out as a huge underdog?

I guess my big question is is who you guys think will be the one who takes the Triple Crown from Kawada? With all the cross promotional stuff, and All Japan working with both New Japan and NOAH, there seem to be many choices.

The smart choice from All Japans point of view would be Kojima, but since when has Mutoh booked whats best for All Japan?

So who would you like to see take the title from Kawada, who would be the best choice business wise for All Japan and finally who do you think will be the person who eventually DOES take the Crown from Kawada?

[Zach Arnold]

NOAH seems tentative working with All Japan, and they are really putting the screws to New Japan right now in key markets in the next few months for big house shows.

Which leads me to guess...

That perhaps they are putting it on Kojima, with the angle being that he's going to lose to all the top guys (Kawada, Sasaki, etc.) in 2004 and make a run-through in 2005 by getting payback wins over all the guys to get a clean title reign.

[Iron Chad]

I don't see a scenario where MutoHHH doesn't end up with the belt at some point next year, probably as the Kevin Nash to Kojima's Goldberg in the scenario you presented. I hope I'm wrong.

I also think the NOAH/All Japan deal will warm back up when NOAH gets closer to a dome show and needs them. The next one isn't for awhile is it?

I thought the whole deal was Kawada was keeping the belts warm for Naoya Ogawa, have plans changed after the PRIDE GP or had they already changed once the Yakuza, er, money marks figured out how much the amphibian, lizard and gorilla suits cost in HUSTLE?

-Chad

[Zach Arnold]

With Ogawa losing to Fedor on 8/15, I severely doubt that they can get the TC now.

The fact that Kawada agreed to be a goofy babyface with Ogawa's faction might be a smart political move on his part to avoid trouble.

Hey Chad, is that picture you have of your wife? Hahahaha.

[Iron Chad]

Hey Chad, is that picture you have of your wife? Hahahaha.

No, that's Fran the Australian schoolgirl who was expelled for posing in said photo and another more revealing one. It was in the news earlier in the summer, you may have heard about it because there was quite a tizzy about it.

The wife's schoolgirl photos are $9.95 a month. I'm like Hardbody Harrison with my women.

-Chad

[RogerDeaton]

I was really hoping that DSE would buy the Triple Crown Title for purposes of Hustle like Panda / Jarrett did with the NWA World Title.

[arcadiadan]

on the subject of Ogawa, now that the Pride GP is over will he start appearing on Zero One cards again or will he stick to Hustle only? seems like Z1 could use him once Hashimoto goes on the shelf...

[CMU]

I wish they'd at least give Kojima a chance with the TC. I mean just try it for cryin' out loud and see what happens.

[Coventry]

MutoHHH??? I don't think Mr. Muto married Motoko Baba. Anyways, I think in a few months someone like Kojima or Muto will win it, they don't have anyone else.

[DynamicA]

Coventry said:

MutoHHH??? I don't think Mr. Muto married Motoko Baba.

Well, he certainly screwed her over... whichever way you want to take that will work.

-DA

[Coventry]

Did he? What exactly did he do, I'm wondering and I wanna know.

[Mike Campbell]

The Triple Crown is best just to be left where it is for right now. Nobody else on the roster not named "Mutoh" is looked at as a possible champion. The only other person I'd advocate getting the belts would have been Goldberg, only for what he could have done as far as filling the arenas.

Re: Kojima. Just because he lost, it doesn't mean that he's getting buried or anything. He lost against Misawa and looked really good. Nishimura lost to Mutoh, but now he's getting a TC shot. I'm guessing (with AJPW you never know) that Kojima will beat Mutoh, and probably challenge for the titles at the end of the October Series.

[Ditch]

I have this nagging suspicion that it'll be Mutoh But it could be Koji, based on his 'strong showing' lately.

[Spunk]

Eh, I'd probably go with Kojima.. Believe the predictable: Keiji Mutoh booking

[BobD]

Roger: there was serious discussion of Kawada losing the 3C title to Goldberg on a Hustle show earlier this year. You may remember that was aborted when Goldberg's hand got infected and they replaced him with Foley.

Zach: The reading I'm getting from friends in Japan on Ogawa's loss is that it's not that serious. Everyone, at least the casual fans, were stunned, but don't take how quickly it happened as a sign of real inferiority to Fedor. Instead, it was just one of those unlucky losses every great fighter has sometimes.. and how good it happened at the hands of a great fighter, and the probable GP Champion.

You have to marvel at the power of human rationalization.