WWE's NXT Japan: A Wrestling ATL

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1. NXT: Takeover Tokyo
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    • Bolt451

    This is a reasonably realistic take on a probably (if I'm honest) unrealistic concept. Basically what if HHH had tried to push into Japan instead of the UK. I'm aware this probably wouldn't happen, companies like NJPW and Noah are much bigger than UK Promotions like Progress, RevPro and ICW but sod it. Here goes. The PoD is vaguely that Kota Ibushi and Zach Sabre Jr agee to contracts post Cruiserweight Classic which I'm aware is almost ASB. There's also a little speculation on contracts given this information can be hard to come by.

    Its mostly me having fun.

    NXT Japan: The world that Hunter Built

    The earliest rumblings that WWE was moving into the Japanese market came in autumn 2016. They had signed former IWGP and IWGP Intercontinental champion Shinsuke Nakamura in January 2016 with Nakamura winning the NXT Championship in August 2016. Former Bullet Club leader AJ Styles had also signed in January 2016 with him going straight to the main roster, debuting at that year's Royal Rumble and winning the title in September of that year. Asuka, the former Kana most notable in Pro Wrestling Wave won the NXT Women's title in April 2016 and ruled the division with an iron fist, having been dubbed by HHH as "the one person NXT could not afford to lose" and the "Anchor" of NXT (1). In summer 2016 Dave Meltzer reported that Kota Ibushi had signed with WWE alongside the man who defeated him in the Cruiserweight Classic Final, Zach Sabre Jr. Other rumblings were happening. In Autumn 2016 WWE Contacted Joshi Stars Kairi Hijo and Io Shirai of World Wonder Ring Stardom about WWE contracts.

    In December 2016 WWE aired an episode of NXT from the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan where it was headlined by Shinsuke Nakamura winning the NXT Championship for the second time, beating Samoa Joe. The show went down well and in the eyes of WWE showed there was demand for WWE in Japan. Rumours and stirrings of a WWE Move into Japan grew in spring 2017 as Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE had been in talks with several up and coming Japanese stars such as Pro Wrestling NOAH star Kennoh and NJPW and Suzuki-Gun member Lance Archer,. They had also been in continued talks with various stars of Stardom and Tokyo Joshi Pro.

    In April 2017 HHH held a press conference in Tokyo where he announced that in June 2017 WWE would hold "NXT Takeover Tokyo". A 2 day event at the legendary Korakuen Hall. The centre of this tournament would be a tournament to crown the inaugural WWE Japan Championship. This in turn lead to speculation that WWE were planning to start their own Japan based promotion.

    The day came and Takeover Japan was a success in both Japan and around the world with strong viewing numbers on the WWE Network and a packed Koarkuen Hall. WWE held press conferences with various stars, most notably former NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. The show featured several non Japanese WWE superstars who were famous in Japan such as former Bullet Club leaders Finn Balor and AJ Styles and former NXT Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

    During the second show HHH held a formal contract signing with Kairi Sane, the former Stardom Joshi wrestler Kairi Hojo. During a speech to the crowd a hooded figure jumped the crowd barrier and attacked Kairi from behind before revealing themself to be Kagetsu, the former member of the villainous Oedo Tai faction. The latter wrestler would later be reported to have signed a WWE contract.

    NXT Takeover: Tokyo card
    Night 1
    Hideo Itami Def Lance Archer (Japan Championship Quarter Final)
    The Authors of Pain (c) def Anderson and Gallows for the NXT Tag Team Championship
    Zach Sabre Jr Def Kennoh (Japan Championship Quarter Final)
    Kota Ibushi Def Tajiri (Japan Championship Quarter Final)
    Finn Balor Def Akira Tozawa (Japan Championship Quarter Final)
    Asuka (c) def Nikki Cross for the NXT Women's Championship

    Night 2
    Hideo Itami Def Zach Sabre Jr (Japan Championship Semi Final)
    AJ Styles Def Sami Zayn
    Kota Ibushi Def Finn Balor (Japan Championship Semi Final)
    Shinsuke Nakamura def Kevin Owens (c) for the United States Championship
    Kota Ibushi Def Hideo Itami for the WWE Japan Championship

    (1) These are real quotes from HHH when Vince first suggested moving her to the main roster in summer 2016
     
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    • Bolt451

    eldandythedoubter said:
    The one lady I hope to see soon in NXT Japan based off the list of champions you showed in the test thread:
    Saki-Sama. Vince will cream himself if he ever saw her.
    Click to expand...
    Potentially definitely. She's amazing and reasonably well established at TJPW in 2017. It's hard to work out who WWE would sign tbh as I don't have info on contract renewals. It kinda comes down to who was at a position in their career to be poached. Kennoh wasn't quite as big as he is now. Kagetsu was just before his big push as head of Oedo Tai

    Btw Im using she her pronouns for Kagetsu as I am mostly talking about the character. I'm aware that IRL Yu Ishino came out as a transgender man after retiring from wrestling and I'm super happy for him as he's one of my favourite wrestlers in Joshi. Oedo Tai with him and Kris Wolf (another retired fave) was the best (and something we're robbed of ITTL)
     

    Bolt451

    Ico said:
    pretty good can't imagine the IWC during this timeline.
    Click to expand...
    Yeah it'll be very different. It might be a bit more subdued. The UK scene was way more suitable for expansion. Hence why it happened IRL. This is just a take on a fun but ultimately unlikely concept

    There are a few things that happened post PoD that will still happen ITTL though.
     
    Ico

    Ico

    Bolt451 said:
    Yeah it'll be very different. It might be a bit more subdued. The UK scene was way more suitable for expansion. Hence why it happened IRL. This is just a take on a fun but ultimately unlikely concept

    There are a few things that happened post PoD that will still happen ITTL though.
    Click to expand...
    can't wait to see buddy.
     

    Sonny912

    You know i think I remember a rumor of how wwe wanted to buy out Noah way back, maybe nxt Japan could do some crossover shows with them. Also they could work a partnership with dramatic dream team pro wrestling sense they share the same sports entertainment style as wwe.
     

    eldandythedoubter

    Sonny912 said:
    You know i think I remember a rumor of how wwe wanted to buy out Noah way back, maybe nxt Japan could do some crossover shows with them. Also they could work a partnership with dramatic dream team pro wrestling sense they share the same sports entertainment style as wwe.
    Click to expand...
    Right before Cyberagent bought them out.
     
    2. Takeover Brooklyn III
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    • Bolt451

    not 100% sure about this one, pals.

    2. Takeover Brooklyn III

    Following the success of NXT Takeover Tokyo, WWE Japan Champion Kota Ibushi would be introduced to American audiences on the main NXT Show the week after the Takeover where he showed up as the surprise partner of Drew McIntyre Vs Sanity (Killian Dane and Eric Young) However he would soon reopen an old feud with his Cruiserweight Classic rival Zach Sabre Jr.

    ZSJ had reigned as Cruiserweight champion until losing the belt to Akira Tozawa at the on the inaugural episode of 205 Live on 29th November 2016. Tozawa in turn lost it to Neville in the Wrestlemania 33 Kickoff Show. ZSJ would have an on again off again feud with Neville on 205 Live and Raw for much of the spring. At NXT Takeover Tokyo ZSJ would lose in the semi final to Hideo Itami when Neville appeared at ringside, exposing Sabre Jr to a GTS from Hideo Itami. Neville revealed on Raw that he should have been the one to represent the UK at Takeover Tokyo. This in turn lead to a face down between Neville and Sabre Jr at Battleground 2017 with Sabre Jr which went down especially well with Dave Meltzer who awarded it 4 and a quarter stars, citing its shortness as its only flaw. At the pay per view WWE Japan champion Kota Ibushi was regularly seen in the front row of the crowd and even had a face down with ZSJ with a distraction leading to a win for Neville.

    Further speculation on what was going on at Titan Towers arose when several wrestlers were spotted by informers for the dirt sheets at the tapings of the inaugural Mae Young Classic. Expected names like Kairi Sane (as she was now being called) and Kagetsu were seen alongside American Indy stars like Mercedes Martinez and Mia Yim (More commonly known as former Impact Knockouts Champion Jade) but also Yuu of Tokyo Joshi Pro and the TJPW Princess of Princess Champion Reika Saiki but viewers would have to wait until the shows aired in September to find out more.

    Zach Sabre Jr would confront Ibushi on NXT the following Thursday where NXT General Manager William Regal would set up a rematch between the two of them for the NXT Japan Championship at NXT Takeover Brooklyn III. The IWC was set a pondering when it was revealed that Ibushi Vs Sabre Jr would Main Event the show, taking precedence even over Drew McIntyre winning the NXT Championship from Bobby Roode.

    The match would be well received, being given just shy of 20 minutes to face each other. Ibushi's high flying facing off well against ZSJ's technical style. In the end the champion would retain and afterward ZSJ would bow and shake the hand of his opponent. Sabre Jr returned to the backstage leaving Ibushi to celebrate. This was when the lights went out. Then came back on, to reveal KO-D Openweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita, holding his championship aloft.
     
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    • Bolt451

    Sonny912 said:
    Ah well please to meet you miss or misses.
    Click to expand...

    In fact I've recently introduced MrBolt to live wrestling. He likes live indy shows way more that watching it on the telly. Especially if it's a family show because then you get kids booing and hecklimg the heels and joining in is a lot of fun. Plus he can see it a lot clearer

    He likes the Royal Rumble for how silly it is though 😁 and Ibushi Vs the Blow up doll. Basically silly wrestling
     
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