>>6443273Raku always does fine in singles matches either having good ones or entertaining ones. Neko has improved a lot this year and everyone here and among the Japanese fans seems to agree that so far her match eith Shoko was the best one of the tournament. People are just sick of the same people winning every match and the seniority > all style of booking.
To me, what's the point in having a tournament with the entire roster when the first couple of rounds are meaningless and the same results you get on every other show? Just make it an 8 person tournament with only one show (the finals) being at Korakuen. If you're going to throw everyone into the tournament, then have the balls to book upsets or give underdog runs. Koda is fine at getting people over as underdogs but he falters once they get over because he's so conservative in his booking and so welded to his seniority trumps all philosophy that he'll never ride that momentum and allow them to start winning consistently, even against morr senior wrestlers.
Look at Raku. She was one of the hottest and most over wrestlers in TJPW by the time she got her first win and instead of riding that wave, he gives her a belt challenge and then goes back to having her lose every match and wouldn't you know it, she cooled off significantly. Exact same problem Itoh had the year before. Exact same problem Arisu has now. The only reason Arai isn't jobbing to Mahiro in openers is because Takagi would probably rip his head off if he tried it.
As for Hikari, she sucks and has sucked basically since she switched to her current costume and starter getting fat.
