Speaking of Strong Style

Fun Times In Hokkaido on Road to Destruction

This week, Steven and Jeremy discussed the recent show in Hokkaido, how Toru Yano was the man of the hour, and how a full house of excited fans made what might have been a pedestrian night of wrestling into a fun show. They also talked about some of their early shows as kids, kicked around ideas for Ryohei Oiwa, considered a Shota Umino heel turn, and spoke on why sometimes a multi-man tag can be a lot of fun for people who don't see wrestling live so often. They also looked ahead to the Destruction in Kobe show and looked more at the history of Hiroshi Tanahashi.
 
 

Road to Destruction: Four Excellent Main Events

This week, Steven and Jeremy talked about four shows this past week, each of which provided an excellent main event. They discussed Shingo Takagi's 20th Anniversary Show, Jeff Cobb's TV title defense against Yota Tsuji, HENARE's NEVER Openweight title match with Hiromu Takahashi, and Taiji Ishimori's challenge of DOUKI for the Junior Heavyweight title. They also debated rematches, who might be the next challengers, and fretted about injuries to Jake Lee and Ren Narita. Finally, they looked back at the life of Kuniaki Kobayashi, a man who was part of a critical time in pro wrestling and had a long-term job behind the scenes making him a positive influence on the careers of many top stars of today.
 
 

Road to Destruction, Shingo Anniversary & Brainstorming Ideas

This week, Steven and Jeremy discussed news regarding Yuya Uemura's injury, Jake Lee's contract status and Ryohei Oiwa wrapping up his NOAH run. What would be the best fit for Oiwa's return to New Japan? Should he slide back into a faction or create something brand new? They also talked about Shingo Takagi's 20th Anniversary show and previewed this week's title matches, including DOUKI versus Taiji Ishimori and Jeff Cobb versus Yota Tsuji. Jeremy and Steven looked at each match and its implications, and whether Hiromu Takahashi should take the NEVER Openweight title from HENARE. Should there be big changes in LIJ? And should two members of the company's top faction square off at Wrestle Kingdom? Steven also went back in time to examine Hiroshi Tanahashi's first NJ Cup win, his first G1 victory and his first IWGP title run.
 
 

Capital Collision Live Recap Special

Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway are back with a special edition of Speaking of Strong Style, covering the Capital Collision event from Washington DC. The pair discussed each match on the card and picked the best and worst matches. They discussed how the crowd reacted to stars such as Zack Sabre Jr., Mercedes Mone, Lio Rush, Mustafa Ali, Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi. They also wondered why NJPW Strong still has poor production values and talked about whether these shows truly deserve PPV status.
 
 

Larry Sternshein On Attending the G1 Finals Live, Capital Collision Preview

This week, Steven and Jeremy were joined by special guest Larry Sternshein, host of the "Reel Early" podcast, who attended the G1 Semifinals and Finals in person. Larry shared his thoughts about seeing New Japan live, who got the best reactions and some highlights from his trip to Tokyo. He also told us about a former death match wrestler whose restaurant makes great food. Jeremy and Steven also previewed Capital Collision, including Mercedes Mone versus Momo Watanabe, TMDK versus Hechisero and Virus, TJP versus Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi versus Mustafa Ali. They also looked at the early years of Hiroshi Tanahashi and his ascension to the main event level.

Zack Sabre Jr. Wins G1 Climax 34, Interesting Autumn Ahead

This week, Steven and Jeremy cover the semifinals and finals of the G1 Climax tournament. Zack Sabre Jr. got his well-deserved victory, and the pair discussed how New Japan used its own booking style against us to make us feel Zack was in jeopardy, what the future holds for finalist Yota Tsuji and how David Finlay has risen in the eyes of fans with his strong performances. They also talked about Shingo Takagi's sublime selling, why Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd make an intriguing tag team and why they are thrilled Hiromu Takahashi is chasing HENARE's NEVER Openweight title. They also looked ahead to future title matches, talked some Hiroshi Tanhashi history and discussed why Zack's decision to challenge at King of Pro Wrestling makes the autumn more interesting than usual.
 
 

G1 Playoff Winners Move on and the Final Four is Previewed

Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone return with Speaking of Strong Style! Episode 121 looked back at the end of block action in the G1 Climax 34 tournament, along with the first round of playoffs. New Japan is down to its final four! Jeremy and Steven discussed the journeys of Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji and David Finlay as they prepare for the semifinals. They also looked at why Konnosuke Takeshita should be in New Japan full time, where El Phantasmo could be headed and how Yuya Uemura's injury interrupted a fine run. They also discussed Capital Collision and took viewer questions.
 
 

G1 Climax 34 Goto Stands Tall, Sabre Jr. Punches His Ticket

This week's episode reviewed a busy week of G1 Climax action. Zack Sabre Jr. punched his ticket to the playoffs, but he's the only one thus far. Steven and Jeremy also talked about the chances of other contenders in A Block, such as Shingo Takagi, EVIL, Great O-Khan. Will Shota Umino make an impact despite being eliminated? Can O-Khan take his comeback story all the way to the knockout rounds? They also looked at B Block, and how Jeff Cobb and Yuya Uemura have gone in opposite directions. They wondered if there was any way New Japan could just keep Konnosuke Takeshita, and they looked at the chances of B Block contenders such as David Finlay, Yota Tsuji, Ren Narita and this year's tournament Cinderella, Hirooki Goto.
 

G1 Climax Week 2, Will Anyone Deliver Us From EVIL?

This week, Steven and Jeremy discussed the G1 Climax tournament as it moves just past its halfway point. EVIL leads the field in the A Block, but the guys are skeptical that will continue. They discussed each participant in the tournament and their chances of advancing to the playoffs. They also wondered if Jake Lee will stay with the War Dogs, if Gabe Kidd will be turning babyface, and if Shota Umino is due for a late surge to take him to the knockout round with Zack Sabre Jr. They also looked at the logjam in B Block, and how matches involving David Finlay, Jeff Cobb, Konosuke Takeshita, Yota Tsuji and HENARE make for a fascinating home stretch for the tournament. They also wondered about Hirooki Goto's role as the "old guard" representative, and what the future holds for El Phantasmo.
 
 

G1 Climax 34: Yuya's Huge Week, Zack Leads Early

Jeremy and Steven discussed the first four nights of the G1 Climax tournament. They looked at each participant and how their individual stories unfolded into an intriguing tournament. They worried that things are going a little too well for Zack Sabre Jr., marveled at Konosuke Takeshita's early run, and spoke of how Yuya Uemura has been the surprise breakout star. They also looked at IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito and how his health has been woven into his storyline, why Gabe Kidd is so fascinating, and the outstanding matches piled up by David Finlay, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, HENARE and others. They also speculated on Hirooki Goto's future in the tournament and why he's so valuable this year, plus why Jake Lee has been an in-ring disappointment thus far.