Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

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Big Red Machine
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Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 13th, '22, 12:59

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/jun- ... xt-rampage

Josh Nason
Nov 12, 2022



Japanese wrestling legend Jun Akiyama will make his AEW debut on next Friday's live edition of Rampage -- the go-home show for Full Gear.

Akiyama will team with the returning Konosuke Takeshita against Eddie Kingston & Ortiz as announced on Twitter by Tony Khan.

The 53-year-old has worked in both NJPW and AJPW with his primary home being DDT the past few years.

Takeshita made an positive impression in his AEW run over the summer with standout performances against Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Hangman Page and Claudio Castagnoli. He wrapped up in August before returning to Japan.

Kingston & Ortiz are undefeated as a team, racking up five wins heading into the match. As of this writing, neither have matches for the pay-per-view.

Next Friday's Rampage will be live from the Prudential Center in Newark, Jersey where next Saturday's Full Gear will also be held. This is the only match announced for Rampage thus far.
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by cero2k » Nov 13th, '22, 17:37

Happy for Kingston, one of his dream matches is vs Akiyama
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 13th, '22, 18:05

cero2k wrote: Nov 13th, '22, 17:37 Happy for Kingston, one of his dream matches is vs Akiyama
I'm happy for him, too, but I wish it were a singles match. Takeshita in particular feels so random it almost feels like he's in there just because he's also Japanese. And having Ortiz in that other spot feels like a waste. Why not Mox?
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by cero2k » Nov 14th, '22, 02:03

Big Red Machine wrote: Nov 13th, '22, 18:05
I'm happy for him, too, but I wish it were a singles match. Takeshita in particular feels so random it almost feels like he's in there just because he's also Japanese. And having Ortiz in that other spot feels like a waste. Why not Mox?
Well yeah, just wrestling wise, I much rather have a singles, but I also wouldn't waste that on a random tv show.

Kingston and Ortiz have been teaming for a while now actually
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 14th, '22, 02:37

cero2k wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 02:03
Big Red Machine wrote: Nov 13th, '22, 18:05
I'm happy for him, too, but I wish it were a singles match. Takeshita in particular feels so random it almost feels like he's in there just because he's also Japanese. And having Ortiz in that other spot feels like a waste. Why not Mox?
Well yeah, just wrestling wise, I much rather have a singles, but I also wouldn't waste that on a random tv show.

Kingston and Ortiz have been teaming for a while now actually
Only because Santana is injured. It's so clear that neither of the big names will beat the other that it makes the match feel unimportant.
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by XIV » Nov 14th, '22, 09:13

Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 14th, '22, 11:11

XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Akiyama is a real, actual legend, and this appears to be only his second match in the US. If I were able to go this show, this would draw me, as he is my favorite of the 90s AJPW guys.

That being said, it's not ROH bringing in Kobashi or Misawa, which is what I think Tony thinks it is.
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by XIV » Nov 14th, '22, 16:38

Big Red Machine wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 11:11
XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Akiyama is a real, actual legend, and this appears to be only his second match in the US. If I were able to go this show, this would draw me, as he is my favorite of the 90s AJPW guys.

That being said, it's not ROH bringing in Kobashi or Misawa, which is what I think Tony thinks it is.
He might be a legend, but he's 53. It's just another aged wrestler on this show. One of Tony's major champs (Jericho) is 52. We've just had Jarrett "debut" and do something physical, he's 55. We recently saw Muta, who's 59. Christian Cage is 48. Big show occasionally does stuff, he's 50. Billy Gunn is 59. Christopher Daniels is 52. Dustin Rhodes is 53. Matt Hardy is 48.

You've got enough older talent running throughout the show. It doesn't offer much confidence if this is all you've got.

Remember how everyone groans when Goldberg comes back every 2 years? And he's just the singular 50+ year old wrestling other than R-Truth in WWE. AEW has to be careful not to fall into these traps.

If he's appearing to do something like timekeep, or special referee, excellent, get those veterans a payday, but these single matches do nothing. It's not impactful at all when 20% of your main roster is already aged.
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 15th, '22, 15:54

XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 16:38
Big Red Machine wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 11:11
XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Akiyama is a real, actual legend, and this appears to be only his second match in the US. If I were able to go this show, this would draw me, as he is my favorite of the 90s AJPW guys.

That being said, it's not ROH bringing in Kobashi or Misawa, which is what I think Tony thinks it is.
He might be a legend, but he's 53. It's just another aged wrestler on this show. One of Tony's major champs (Jericho) is 52. We've just had Jarrett "debut" and do something physical, he's 55. We recently saw Muta, who's 59. Christian Cage is 48. Big show occasionally does stuff, he's 50. Billy Gunn is 59. Christopher Daniels is 52. Dustin Rhodes is 53. Matt Hardy is 48.

You've got enough older talent running throughout the show. It doesn't offer much confidence if this is all you've got.

Remember how everyone groans when Goldberg comes back every 2 years? And he's just the singular 50+ year old wrestling other than R-Truth in WWE. AEW has to be careful not to fall into these traps.

If he's appearing to do something like timekeep, or special referee, excellent, get those veterans a payday, but these single matches do nothing. It's not impactful at all when 20% of your main roster is already aged.
I agree that the single matches don't do much, which is why I think it's best to put them on PPV (as Tony clearly doesn't care how long those things go). The people for whom this (or, say Dragon vs. Suzuki) will mean something are willing to pay to see it). They don't do much, but they do do a little, so you might as well get as much as you can out of that little.

About the age thing, I don't think it's that much of an issue, as other than Gunn, Christian, and Jericho, most of those guys are on TV twice a month at most, and I think the other three who are on TV regularly have been used relatively well (and the same goes for Sting, who you didn't mention, and even Dustin), and I don't think that Matt and Christian in particular come off as being as old as they are. Daniels didn't either, when he wrestled.
Jarrett is in his fifties, yes, but that's not the problem with him. The problem with him is that he's Jeff Jarrett, and he has that perennial stink of failure on him.

The Muta appearance was a one-off, although I absolutely agree that it was a mistake, and great example of what not to do. This match or even the Shibata vs. OC match are much more palatable to me than that.

With Goldberg, I think you're misdiagnosing the reason for the groaning. It's not that he's old so much as it's that he's old AND you know that they're not going to use him to try to make someone new. And, with Goldberg in particular, we've all seen every Goldberg match ever a million times already. Who cares if it's Dolph Ziggler in there taking the spear as opposed to Baron Corbin or Austin Theory or Miz?
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by cero2k » Nov 19th, '22, 08:21

XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Because he's better than 95% of wrestlers in the west
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by XIV » Nov 19th, '22, 15:01

cero2k wrote: Nov 19th, '22, 08:21
XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Because he's better than 95% of wrestlers in the west
Yet he won't draw a dime.
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Re: Jun Akiyama to make AEW debut on next Rampage

Post by Big Red Machine » Nov 20th, '22, 12:18

cero2k wrote: Nov 19th, '22, 08:21
XIV wrote: Nov 14th, '22, 09:13 Another old Japanese wrestler? Why?
Because he's better than 95% of wrestlers in the west
Let's not exaggerate here. I like Akiyama more than most people do, and I don't think that's anywhere near true.
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