Episode 306: Wrestling the Gathering

On today's Eastern Lariat, it's an extremely special episode as Dylan is joined by the esteemed Pro Wrestling Author Dr. Jonathan Foye. The Ganbaru Author and regular Japanese wrestling live show attendee joins Fox in giving looks at all the competitors in the tournament, their histories, who they are as wrestlers and also we come through at the end with predictions for the finals of the tournament as well as the winner. It was great to have the good doctor on once again and to talk about the company he loves, with insight and info abound!   For more coverage of Japanese wrestling, and wrestling past and present please check out our Patreon for literally 1000s of hours of audio and written content as well: https://www.patreon.com/easternlariat    Follow us on Twitter/X:     https://www.twitter.com/easternlariat    https://www.twitter.com/strigga       https://www.twitter.com/viva_zero   www.twitter.com/JonathanFoye   Follow us on BlueSky: @easternlariat.bsky.social @vivazero.bsky.social @strigga.bksy.social   Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/easternlariat   Check out Jonathan's books on AJPW/NOAH at the turn of the century!   https://www.amazon.com/Ganbaru-Japan-Wrestling-Survived-Roster/dp/B09RWJ56KR   https://www.amazon.com/Muto-Years-Jonathan-Foye/dp/B0BHKGL3Y3/

Special Edition: 5 Star Grand Prix Full Review and Recap   We talked about it on the EL but it just wasn't enough for Dylan as he brings in the Dramatic Dream Dragons' Sondre Bjørn into the fold and we go over the entire tournament, with talk about not just the final, but EVERY SINGLE WRESTLER and rank them on a 1/10 scale. We talk about the future and where things could go with Momo as the winner as well as an overall view of the whole tournament. It's A LOT and we get through it together and hope you enjoy!   For more coverage of Japanese wrestling, and wrestling past and present please check out our Patreon for literally 1000s of hours of audio and written content as well: https://www.patreon.com/easternlariat    Follow us on Twitter/X:     https://www.twitter.com/easternlariat    https://www.twitter.com/strigga       https://www.twitter.com/viva_zero   www.twitter.com/sondrebjorn   Follow us on BlueSky: @easternlariat.bsky.social @vivazero.bsky.social @strigga.bksy.social   Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/easternlariat   Check out the Dramatic Dream Dragons and enjoy Dylan in a more silly setting, focused on Dragon Gate and DDT!: https://open.spotify.com/show/0lmhqND9EcIB8jFIGvScoT?si=SEVXXpcpSZK8Vqtfpw_Wvg

Welcome to episode 308 of the Eastern Lariat! STRIGGA & Dylan are back to dish out another potpourri of the Japanese wrestling landscape. This week they dive into New Japan’s freshly updated cards for the Destruction tour before they look back at Stardom’s highly successful 5★Star Grand Prix that elevated numerous wrestlers to greater heights. Another joshi tournament is in the focus following that as Tokyo Joshi Pro’s Princess Cup also finished up with talent elevated as well. The Eastern Lariat also covers the latest in All Japan with the Oudou Tournament, quickly break down Pro Wrestling NOAH’s N-1 Victory lineup, and round it all out with a stop in DRAGONGATE discussing the upcoming Korakuen Hall card and the upcoming Z-Brats rebranding.

STRIGGA & Dylan return with their coverage the final days of NJPW's G1 Climax 35 – the biggest tournament of the Summer. With the final and the road leading to it being pretty controversial, did the tournament hold up the high G1 standards? What does the crowd reactions during Konosuke Takeshita vs. EVIL tell us about the individual performers and the state of the company? From booking choices and patterns to match quality and overall presentation, The Eastern Lariat breaks down what worked, what didn’t, and where New Japan Pro Wrestling stands after the conclusion of the tournament.

In the spirit of the season, The Eastern Lariat returns with deep dive into the big summer gatherings of pro wrestling in japan – the major tournaments. The show starts out with Dylan's rundown of Stardom’s 5Star Grand Prix up until Day 4 and then turns to New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax 35 that crossed the half way point this past weekend. The big question here is: What's in the cards for which performer? The show of course also offers a series of recommended matches, highlights performers and performances and also questions unwritten rules of pro wrestling in Japan. Deservedly so so, All Japan Pro Wrestling is in the main event spot of this show for their excellent, dramatic and energizing Summer Action Wars from Ota Ward that saw two high-class matches in the World Tag Team Title Match and the Final of the Zennichi Junior Festival and that could steer AJPW in the right direction.

On this episode of the Eastern Lariat podcast, STRIGGA & Dylan dive into a packed puroresu lineup. They kick things off with Pro Wrestling NOAH, where KENTA has taken center stage in a major way for the first time since 2014. Then it’s over to All Japan Pro Wrestling for a deep look at the Zennichi Junior Tournament and what it means for the promotion's junior division – is this the best its ever been? From there, STRIGGA & Dylan turn their attention to NJPW's G1 Climax 35. They give a synopsis of the first 7 days of the tournament analyzing each competitor's performance so far, comment on booking decisions, and who might make it to the playoffs with Block B being in complete disarray after Gabe Kidd's injury. Finally, things are wrapped up with high speed review of Stardom’s 5STAR Grand Prix opening night. Join in for a full tour of the Japanese wrestling landscape!  

The Eastern Lariat is back with the much-anticipated Half Year Awards show for 2025! Join in as STRIGGA & Dylan break down YOUR votes and THEIR picks across 12 categories, celebrating the very best of Japanese pro-wrestling in the first six months. From clear-cut winners in some categories, the discussions intensifies on who truly deserves other trophies such like wrestler of the half year, best foreigner, most improved or tag team. STRIGGA & Dylan comment on the obvious choices and also name hidden gems from NJPW to ChocoPro while always keeping business impact in mind. This episode is packed with insight, passion, and plenty of spirited debate. Guided by the listener ballots, the show once again paints a rich picture of an ever-evolving pro wrestling scene in Japan.

STRIGGA & Dylan return with a deep dive into New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Dominion, breaking down the key moments from NJPW's annual big summer event in Osaka. The main focus in this show is on questionable booking decisions, but also on character development and how very little of this development ever matters. With the results of the show and the actual good match quality in mind, they analyze what it says about New Japan's current direction. The conversation heats up with a look at the growing influence of the House of Torture and ongoing shifts in faction dynamics. How are these developments shaping the landscape heading into the summer? This leads straight to an early speculation about who might be the favorites going into the G1 Climax and how this could shape the second half of 2025 and the road to the Tokyo Dome. Disclaimer: The final 15 minutes of the show see Dylan mourn the death of his grandpa Ken.

Wrestle Universe takes center stage in this episode of The Eastern Lariat as STRIGGA & Dylan go though all eight promotions that are on the most comprehensive streaming service for japanese pro wrestling. There's a digest on the current situation and upcoming cards for these promotions as well as viewing recommendations from DDT and NOAH over Sendai Girls to Michinoku Pro. From there, the focus shifts onto the finals of the 2025 Champion Carnival that saw Rei Saito come out on top of a tournament that overall left a lot to be desired, while the Junior Title match delivered on every level. With Kikuta in the Champion Carnival and Dragon Dia in the BOSJ, STRIGGA & Dylan also discuss the news about BIGBOSS Shmizu before finally looking at the Best of the Super Junior so far.

This week, STRIGGA & Dylan start the show talking about the new Hayabusa and from there discuss mask gimmicks in modern japanese pro wrestling including Tiger Mask and Mentai Kid. The biggest point of discussion on the show follows with Wrestling Dontaku, Resurgence and Best Of The Super Junior leaving their marks on New Japan Pro Wrestling in May leading up to Dominion in June. Hirooki Goto still carries the World Title, Yota Tsuji and Gabe Kidd battle for prime positioning and what about Callum Newman? More questions are asked with All Japan Pro Wrestling and their Champion Carnival. Who came out stronger? What about the Saitos and where is it all leading? This brings DRAGONGATE into the conversation as well with Madoka Kikuta turning to Z-Brats, U-T winning the Brave Gate and GOLD CLASS winning the services of Hyo. Finally, the Eastern Lariat team brings up OZAWA vs. Kaito Kiyomiya in Pro Wrestling NOAH that may or may not have an extra stipulation.