This is so different from anything we see today. A different language. A different feeling. A different world. A battle over every inch. Nothing given. Everything mattering. We've traded struggle for disposable kinetic euphoria. It can be reclaimed to enhance today's athleticism.

Weirdly, what hit the closest to this in the last few months was the first minute of the exhibition between Shibata/Tanahashi when they were just locking up. That lock up felt just right, picture perfect. Then they traded chops mindlessly til the time limit ran out and lost me.

I sure as heck didn’t see anything like that in Takeshita vs Shibata. For all that Takeshita wrote a thesis on the German suplex, I never see an iota of the above weight and pressure and consequence in his wrestling. Given his stature, you’d think he’d be perfect for it.

Adrenaline. Courage. Victory. 🏆 Experience the rush of Surviving Mann, where every moment counts. Follow for updates & airing times. #SurvivingMann #VictoryAwaits #NavySEALs #SpecOps #TacticalTraining

Struggle and psychology was mistranslated into long rest holds and layout sells. Wrestling is best when it is a constant battle of wills.

Unfortunately, it would require smarks to actually get swept up in the emotions of professional wrestling

Unfortunately, I feel like the genie can’t be put back in the bottle on this one. TV matches are too short and so are fans attention spans. I really wish it wasn’t the case.

I’m a believer that fans can be conditioned over time. That’s the name of the game, right? There are structural issues but it’d take people by surprise/feel fresh. If already over wrestlers show that they care about every inch maybe they can get fans on board? No harm in trying?

@elliottswrstlin It could be. But the newer generations of fans would have to be re-educated to the joys of what once was.

MAN, did these two guys work great together or what?! So tough, so real.

But do the #AEW wrestlers who fetishize Japanese wrestling realize what made it special??? b/c their tributes or emulations of it completely fall short, #njpw

First part of the video reminded me of Eddy and Negro, how the struggle and defense was so cool, that it felt awesome when Eddy finally hit the suplex.