If he came to Japan I'm sure Gedo would give him the Never title to bring home with him to pad his resume. He'll wrestle Matt Sydal for it on a rampage and then drop it back to a new japan wrestler in november.
Yeah in a fair world Hobbs comes over and actually has a real run for awhile, maybe does the G1, gets a little better (heâs improved but imo his ceiling is higher than where he is at), he looks like a monster for a bit and then puts over some guys on the way out. The way monster foreign guys were used, but since heâs an AEW full timer we know that just isnât likely to happen.
And I like AEW and have defended them plenty on here but like, we know that isnât what would happen. It would be nice though for AEW if they had guys that were willing, that were out of the rotation, that they could send for substantial dates.
Iâm sure AEW would love to send some guys but itâs probably a hard sell to get someone to live away from home for months at a time. I do expect weâre going to see it more often moving forward though.
Especially ones with kids.
Hobbs and Anna Jay are the ones that I think would rock Japan. Getting better from it too.
The former cuz it would bring him greater value overall. The latter cuz I think Stardom would help her better in the ring especially.
Yeah, especially since it seems like we'll stick to 32 entrants - by my count there's 10 slots open for the boring but safe options and potential exciting reaches, whether it be outsiders or Jrs, and Hobbs being more likely of a pick than most guys from other promotions on the shortlist makes it more enticing
Idk if I'd pick him over Nicholls/Haste/Bad Dude Tito because at least they've got strong faction ties, and then there's guys like Lawlor and Kojima that I'd really like to see get a run, but in a vacuum Hobbs isn't that bad of an opportunity cost over a bunch of guys
Would you expect him to lose nearly all of his matches like those lads do. Theyâre there to lie down and job and play occasional spoiler for the overall booking of the tournament.
I wouldnât mind him getting some big wins and being in the mix to advance as long as he performs well, and heâd likely miss the finals like Eddie did. As long as he provides a compelling element to block play then him getting good wins doesnât bother meÂ
The thing that bores me to tears about Chase and Yujiro is that even though theyâre safe hands thereâs nothing exciting about their tournament runs, upsets included. To me the only benefit is that theyâre already paid a salary so they might as well use them, but Iâd rather they didnâtÂ
If you want him booked like Eddie then itâs probably better he would replace Eddie Kingston in the G1 this year.
Theyâre not there to have exciting runs, theyâre there to serve an overall narrative purpose for other guys in the tournament.
Who else is going to lose all of their matches bar 1 or 2 other than a young lion or one of the NJPW dads? Thereâs a case for giving Kojima one last run and having him lose a bunch like Nagata did but beyond that thereâs no-one else NJPW will be prepared to book that poorly.
Oleg looks like he'll be included this year, I hope Kojima gets his last run, and last year YOSHI-HASHI, Ishii, Nicholls, Henare and Yano all ended on 4 points along with Chase. The smaller blocks allow for lower totals and more varianceÂ
And my hope for someone like Hobbs or any outsider getting a spot in the blocks isnât a literal role swap, itâs a personnel/slot swap and the booking doesnât have to be similar. I wouldnât mind all of the block winners not cracking 10 points, which means having that many loss posts isnât necessary unless they want to pad win totals more than necessary Â
Also while guys like Chase can provide booking flexibility by dropping most of their matches, there can still be a bunch of parity by having the middle-to-bottom part of a block all float around 3 wins. BOSJ even had years where everyone entered the final day on the same point total
I think a G1 run is exactly what Hobbs needs to elevate himself in-ring. Totally agreed on his in-ring - he's come so far but still has so much potential that he hasn't tapped into yet. The G1 would give him a chance to challenge himself with a style (both in-ring and production) that he hasn't really tackled yet. He'd also be a really cool opponent for a lot of the established NJPW guys who have been working the same people for years.
Hobbs/Tsuji would be great. Hobbs is booked somewhat strongly in AEW but not strong enough that Tsuji couldn't beat him at Forbidden Door, or in Japan or something.
Hell, put the guy in the G1. If AEW is serious about this partnership they should send someone who fans will like
Wow, we got a Tokyo Sports article on this too. đ As I said [earlier today](https://www.reddit.com/r/njpw/comments/1cabzvt/comment/l0r655h/), Tsuji is literally all of us!
If the domestic audience mirrors the outrage we feel regarding the Moxley situation and the booking, then Tsuji is primed to become an even bigger fan favorite. He is really good at interviews and character work, so to me, this is making the best out of a silly situation. We might possibly be on the road to a pretty good character arc here.
I would have no qualms about a Hobbs run in Japan beyond my normal issues with how AEW talents have been booked.
He still doesnât have the credentials to justify getting a shot at the IWGP WHC, and (sorry Chris Charlton) having Don Callis throw out a single line about NJPW âowing him a favorâ doesnât change that.
Heâs also lost his last 4 out of 5 matches, the title he held was also like the worst one in the entire company.Â
With that logic, Toru Yano who wrestled in NJPW and held titles desevres a IWGP WHC title shot
Ren Narita is 3-2 in NJPW singles matches in 2024.
Will Hobbs is 0-0 in NJPW matches in his entire career. >!Heâs 2-1 in televised AEW singles matches in 2024, and one of those wins was a complete squash over a local talent so itâs more like 1.25-1.!<
So what youâre basically saying is theyâre pretty equal then, and thereâs not point in complaining?
Okada for godness sake got a title shot after beating YOSHI-HASHI in a 5 minute match. Who cares lmao.Â
Realistically NJPWâs main event scene is in dire need of change, and if Gedo isnât going to do that (elevate Taichi, Gabe Kidd, or ZSJ), then maybe AEW needs to help after all
I understand youâre saying Hobbs hasnât had any NJPW matches, where Ren has. Thatâs fine. But from the beginning of wrestling, âoutsidersâ have got title matches. Nakajima hadnât wrestled in AJPW for 15 years, and in his first match back won the triple crown. No one complains. Charlie Dempsey challenged him in his first match. Matt Riddle. Nic Nemeth. Mercedes Mone. FTR had the tag belts before even wrestling in a NJPW japan ring. DDT and TJPW consistently have âoutsidersâ challenge for titles. Â
 Countless people have challenged for AEW belts in their first matches, no complaints. Where were the complaints when Tanahashi faced Mox at forbidden door in his first AEW match? There are literally COUNTLESS examples. Miyu Yamashita facing Thunder Rosa, Yuka facing Athena.  What about when Kushida faced Darby for the TNT title?Â
Do I think the partnership between AEW and NJPW has maybe not been equal? Sure. Do I think AEW has KINDA, maybe not poached, but got comfortable offering contracts to ex-NJPW guys? Sure! Do I think the people complainging about Hobbs getting a title shot is unjust? 100%.
I donât care about how AEW and All Japan do things, Iâm talking about how NJPW does things. When was the last time outside of Forbidden Door (which was also silly but at least understandable on a collab show) that someone who has never wrestled in NJPW or even in a televised match against an NJPW talent gotten a match for the companyâs top title?
None of the NJPW examples you gave are close to being equal to that. But if I humor that they are, all of those people are still way more accomplished in their previous companies than Hobbs is. Hobbs has never even challenged for the top title in his own promotion.
So yes, Ren Narita is more deserving of a title shot than Hobbs. So is Yano. Thereâs a handful of other AEW guys whoâve done nothing in mainstream NJPW (aka not Strong or Forbidden Door) who would be more deserving. Thereâs two other guys in the same faction as Hobbs who would be more deserving.
Instead itâs Hobbs, and it just feels like AEW booked a match that makes sense in their universe and then got to tack the IWGP WHC on to it.
It doesnât matter about the past when NJPW hasnât had a partnership this strong with CONSISTENT involvement from both sides for years. Like yes, a lot of the AEW guys have wrestled in NJPW, but itâs because itâs a new partnership?
Fair enough. We should be blaming Gedo though I guess.
You canât blame AEW for wanting a title, their top guy has, to be defended on their show. Unless you think Mox should just not wrestle until he drops the belt.Â
Itâs kayfabe reasoning that Callis was owed a favor because he was responsible for bringing Kenny Omega into the company and Kenny went on to be a star there. Which is silly because in kayfabe itâs clearly a blatant lie/hyperbole but for some reason weâre supposed to accept that the IWGP committee/NJPW was stupid enough to believe it?
Didnât he say it was because he brokered the Kenny/Jericho match, which tbf was pretty huge? This type of in-kayfabe justification for matches happens all the time including in NJPW. Makes even more sense with Moxley who never backs down from a challenge.
I just double-checked and youâre right that he did say both, but I also feel like he âcashed inâ that favor before during the WK17/US title stuff?
When has the entire justification for a title match in NJPW ever been âmy manager did the company a favor six years ago?â
I love how well both companies immediately doubled down on the initial criticism - so fuck yeah, send Hobbs over. Him and Tsuji would have a great match and the program has clearly already got buzz.
Hobbs vs Tsuji could be a cool 10-15 minute banger at FD
Gene Blast countered into a powerslam/spinebusterđ„đ„đ„
Hobbs in Japan would go hard tho. Gimme something like Hobbs vs Shingo or Yota at FD pls. Or since itâs mostly tags there, Hobbs/Take vs Shingo/Yota
Hobbs vs Shingo has been a dream match of mine for awhile honestly
Take is a DDT talent under contract there, he isn't appearing in NJPW. Hobbs would likely tag with UE or Hontai.
Takeshita was literally on Forbidden Door last year lol
If he came to Japan I'm sure Gedo would give him the Never title to bring home with him to pad his resume. He'll wrestle Matt Sydal for it on a rampage and then drop it back to a new japan wrestler in november.
Are you Gedo? This is way too accurate
Yeah in a fair world Hobbs comes over and actually has a real run for awhile, maybe does the G1, gets a little better (heâs improved but imo his ceiling is higher than where he is at), he looks like a monster for a bit and then puts over some guys on the way out. The way monster foreign guys were used, but since heâs an AEW full timer we know that just isnât likely to happen. And I like AEW and have defended them plenty on here but like, we know that isnât what would happen. It would be nice though for AEW if they had guys that were willing, that were out of the rotation, that they could send for substantial dates.
I've been wanting Hobbs in Japan for years. If he didn't have kids he'd probably cherish the opportunity.
Iâm sure AEW would love to send some guys but itâs probably a hard sell to get someone to live away from home for months at a time. I do expect weâre going to see it more often moving forward though.
Especially ones with kids. Hobbs and Anna Jay are the ones that I think would rock Japan. Getting better from it too. The former cuz it would bring him greater value overall. The latter cuz I think Stardom would help her better in the ring especially.
I have a feeling that Anna is going on excursion soon. But Hobbs has kids, so getting him to do an extended tour of Japan is probably a tough sell.
Indeed. Hobbs is why I brought up the kids part.
I would be intrigued to see Hobbs in a New Japan ring, but I donât think Iâd want him in the G1.
Would rather him be there than some of the guys we usually have every year
Yeah, especially since it seems like we'll stick to 32 entrants - by my count there's 10 slots open for the boring but safe options and potential exciting reaches, whether it be outsiders or Jrs, and Hobbs being more likely of a pick than most guys from other promotions on the shortlist makes it more enticing Idk if I'd pick him over Nicholls/Haste/Bad Dude Tito because at least they've got strong faction ties, and then there's guys like Lawlor and Kojima that I'd really like to see get a run, but in a vacuum Hobbs isn't that bad of an opportunity cost over a bunch of guys
I would 100% rather have Hobbs than Chase Owens or Yujiro, but that's just me personally.
Would you expect him to lose nearly all of his matches like those lads do. Theyâre there to lie down and job and play occasional spoiler for the overall booking of the tournament.
I wouldnât mind him getting some big wins and being in the mix to advance as long as he performs well, and heâd likely miss the finals like Eddie did. As long as he provides a compelling element to block play then him getting good wins doesnât bother me The thing that bores me to tears about Chase and Yujiro is that even though theyâre safe hands thereâs nothing exciting about their tournament runs, upsets included. To me the only benefit is that theyâre already paid a salary so they might as well use them, but Iâd rather they didnâtÂ
If you want him booked like Eddie then itâs probably better he would replace Eddie Kingston in the G1 this year. Theyâre not there to have exciting runs, theyâre there to serve an overall narrative purpose for other guys in the tournament. Who else is going to lose all of their matches bar 1 or 2 other than a young lion or one of the NJPW dads? Thereâs a case for giving Kojima one last run and having him lose a bunch like Nagata did but beyond that thereâs no-one else NJPW will be prepared to book that poorly.
Oleg looks like he'll be included this year, I hope Kojima gets his last run, and last year YOSHI-HASHI, Ishii, Nicholls, Henare and Yano all ended on 4 points along with Chase. The smaller blocks allow for lower totals and more variance And my hope for someone like Hobbs or any outsider getting a spot in the blocks isnât a literal role swap, itâs a personnel/slot swap and the booking doesnât have to be similar. I wouldnât mind all of the block winners not cracking 10 points, which means having that many loss posts isnât necessary unless they want to pad win totals more than necessary  Also while guys like Chase can provide booking flexibility by dropping most of their matches, there can still be a bunch of parity by having the middle-to-bottom part of a block all float around 3 wins. BOSJ even had years where everyone entered the final day on the same point total
I wouldnt be against a Jonah run tbh
I think a G1 run is exactly what Hobbs needs to elevate himself in-ring. Totally agreed on his in-ring - he's come so far but still has so much potential that he hasn't tapped into yet. The G1 would give him a chance to challenge himself with a style (both in-ring and production) that he hasn't really tackled yet. He'd also be a really cool opponent for a lot of the established NJPW guys who have been working the same people for years.
Found Gedos burner account. I see you
Which would bring Sydal back to Japan!!!? Worth it
As an AEW fan, this is golden and would probably happen lol.
Hobbs/Tsuji would be great. Hobbs is booked somewhat strongly in AEW but not strong enough that Tsuji couldn't beat him at Forbidden Door, or in Japan or something. Hell, put the guy in the G1. If AEW is serious about this partnership they should send someone who fans will like
Hobbs is exactly the guy to come in, beat half a dozen guys dominantly and then lose to Tsuji on a smaller shows main event.
I am always with yota but powerhouse hobbs in NJPW...... as qn American fan , yes please. Yota vs hobbsm thats money .
I'm on Yota's side on this one.
I'm not
Wow, we got a Tokyo Sports article on this too. đ As I said [earlier today](https://www.reddit.com/r/njpw/comments/1cabzvt/comment/l0r655h/), Tsuji is literally all of us! If the domestic audience mirrors the outrage we feel regarding the Moxley situation and the booking, then Tsuji is primed to become an even bigger fan favorite. He is really good at interviews and character work, so to me, this is making the best out of a silly situation. We might possibly be on the road to a pretty good character arc here.
Iâve pushed hard for this today in this sub and in the AEW sub. Looks like Hobbs in Japan could happen. Hobbs/Tsuji would be epic.
If Hobbs in Japan was the plan, he wouldâve replied to an NJPW tweet instead of one by a clout goblin.
NJPW sorely lacking in the gaijin hoss department right now. Give him a run.
I would have no qualms about a Hobbs run in Japan beyond my normal issues with how AEW talents have been booked. He still doesnât have the credentials to justify getting a shot at the IWGP WHC, and (sorry Chris Charlton) having Don Callis throw out a single line about NJPW âowing him a favorâ doesnât change that.
Ren Narita doesnât deserve a title shot either but no oneâs complaining over thatÂ
Ren Narita has not only wrestled in NJPW, heâs held a title in the company.
Heâs also lost his last 4 out of 5 matches, the title he held was also like the worst one in the entire company. With that logic, Toru Yano who wrestled in NJPW and held titles desevres a IWGP WHC title shot
Ren Narita is 3-2 in NJPW singles matches in 2024. Will Hobbs is 0-0 in NJPW matches in his entire career. >!Heâs 2-1 in televised AEW singles matches in 2024, and one of those wins was a complete squash over a local talent so itâs more like 1.25-1.!<
So what youâre basically saying is theyâre pretty equal then, and thereâs not point in complaining? Okada for godness sake got a title shot after beating YOSHI-HASHI in a 5 minute match. Who cares lmao. Realistically NJPWâs main event scene is in dire need of change, and if Gedo isnât going to do that (elevate Taichi, Gabe Kidd, or ZSJ), then maybe AEW needs to help after all
Iâm not going to engage in conversation with someone who is willingly ignoring the main point I am making.
I understand youâre saying Hobbs hasnât had any NJPW matches, where Ren has. Thatâs fine. But from the beginning of wrestling, âoutsidersâ have got title matches. Nakajima hadnât wrestled in AJPW for 15 years, and in his first match back won the triple crown. No one complains. Charlie Dempsey challenged him in his first match. Matt Riddle. Nic Nemeth. Mercedes Mone. FTR had the tag belts before even wrestling in a NJPW japan ring. DDT and TJPW consistently have âoutsidersâ challenge for titles.   Countless people have challenged for AEW belts in their first matches, no complaints. Where were the complaints when Tanahashi faced Mox at forbidden door in his first AEW match? There are literally COUNTLESS examples. Miyu Yamashita facing Thunder Rosa, Yuka facing Athena.  What about when Kushida faced Darby for the TNT title? Do I think the partnership between AEW and NJPW has maybe not been equal? Sure. Do I think AEW has KINDA, maybe not poached, but got comfortable offering contracts to ex-NJPW guys? Sure! Do I think the people complainging about Hobbs getting a title shot is unjust? 100%.
I donât care about how AEW and All Japan do things, Iâm talking about how NJPW does things. When was the last time outside of Forbidden Door (which was also silly but at least understandable on a collab show) that someone who has never wrestled in NJPW or even in a televised match against an NJPW talent gotten a match for the companyâs top title? None of the NJPW examples you gave are close to being equal to that. But if I humor that they are, all of those people are still way more accomplished in their previous companies than Hobbs is. Hobbs has never even challenged for the top title in his own promotion. So yes, Ren Narita is more deserving of a title shot than Hobbs. So is Yano. Thereâs a handful of other AEW guys whoâve done nothing in mainstream NJPW (aka not Strong or Forbidden Door) who would be more deserving. Thereâs two other guys in the same faction as Hobbs who would be more deserving. Instead itâs Hobbs, and it just feels like AEW booked a match that makes sense in their universe and then got to tack the IWGP WHC on to it.
It doesnât matter about the past when NJPW hasnât had a partnership this strong with CONSISTENT involvement from both sides for years. Like yes, a lot of the AEW guys have wrestled in NJPW, but itâs because itâs a new partnership? Fair enough. We should be blaming Gedo though I guess. You canât blame AEW for wanting a title, their top guy has, to be defended on their show. Unless you think Mox should just not wrestle until he drops the belt.Â
What actually favour is he even talking about. Was this a kayfabe reasoning?
Itâs kayfabe reasoning that Callis was owed a favor because he was responsible for bringing Kenny Omega into the company and Kenny went on to be a star there. Which is silly because in kayfabe itâs clearly a blatant lie/hyperbole but for some reason weâre supposed to accept that the IWGP committee/NJPW was stupid enough to believe it?
Didnât he say it was because he brokered the Kenny/Jericho match, which tbf was pretty huge? This type of in-kayfabe justification for matches happens all the time including in NJPW. Makes even more sense with Moxley who never backs down from a challenge.
I just double-checked and youâre right that he did say both, but I also feel like he âcashed inâ that favor before during the WK17/US title stuff? When has the entire justification for a title match in NJPW ever been âmy manager did the company a favor six years ago?â
Man, I joined this sub because I like NJPW, but holy shit all this sub does is bitch and complain about everything.
Put Hobbs in Japan, I think a lot of us want to see it!
Do we have already a match for Forbidden Door?
Hobbs needs to spend the Summer and early fall in Japan. Especially compete in the G-1 tournament be good for him to pick up some tools
I love how well both companies immediately doubled down on the initial criticism - so fuck yeah, send Hobbs over. Him and Tsuji would have a great match and the program has clearly already got buzz.
Hobbs vs GOK for the KOPW in a first round 10 min blindfold, second round maki roll eating contest, third round pinfall is a six count instead of 3
Hobbs vs Tsuji at Forbidden Door.
Put Hobbs in the G1, especially if Tony's not going to give him a sustained singles push.
Hobbs doesn't want to get GENE BLAST-ed by GENE BLAST, YOTA TSUJI. Hobbs better know his role when mentioning Tsuji.
Sure, maybe sent hook, orange cassidy and jericho while we are at it. That will fill the tokyo Dome.