The Jay White Situation
Jay White is currently the IWGP Heavyweight Champion of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Though some think that it’s about time, I think that it’s too soon. I understand why they took a relatively short time to put the belt on him. The thing is I, as a fan, have issues with him being believable one, as his persona of the Switchblade and two, as the Heavyweight Champion.
Jay White became more of a focus within the NJPW storyline when Kenny Omega offered him a spot in Bullet Club, but White swerved Omega and joined Chaos, as this elaborate plot with Gedo and maybe Tama Tonga to destroy Chaos from inside came to fruition. In the storyline, Jay White did some pretty dastardly things in order to get where he is today, as the leader of Bullet Club. My issue is this, one, Jay White hasn’t earned the moniker of the Switchblade. Second, I don’t think storyline wise he’s worked his way up to having earned a title shot. Lastly, Jay White may have caused dissension within Chaos, but in my mind, it didn’t make me feel like, “Ok, this guy deserves to be the leader of Bullet Club.”
The ‘Switchblade’ character is supposed to be someone that with one look exudes this feeling of “if you step to me the wrong way, I’ll cut you, “and I just don’t get that feeling from Jay White at all. I have always seen Jay White as the grungy, faux punk rock guy or death metal guy who likes to jump in the pit at a concert and pretend that he’s badass, instead of actually being badass. He’s not menacing to all to me, and that’s not what a visceral character is supposed to feel like to me. Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale and Tonga Loa are menacing and badass. Frankly, Jay White feels like the nerdy wannabe at the bottom rung that’s always trying to ingratiate himself with the real badass, so that he can pretend to be badass as well. You know now that I think about it, Jay White’s persona with NJPW feels like he’s a Chester type to Tama’s Spike in the old Spike the Dog cartoons—of course without the majority of the yammering. I may be wrong, but that’s my honest opinion. White just hasn’t made it to badass status for me yet. I honestly think Tama Tonga should be the leader of Bullet Club. Who said that the leader of Bullet Club has to go after the Heavyweight belt? When was that stipulation announced? They could have built Tama up to be the next in line for the IWGP Heavyweight belt and have him and Tonga Loa be the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Champions as well. It would have made Tama more of a badass that way.
When it comes to his in-ring talent, he’s a really good wrestler, but I feel like I did when Alexa Bliss gained her first title, he’s just not ready. Alexa Bliss is an amazing talker on the mic, but honestly, her in-ring skills have never backed up her words on the mic. She’s just been given the belt, because of her promo work. In the ring, over time, she has gone from being competent to being sloppy. Every time I see her in the ring, it’s glaringly obvious that she doesn’t really work on her craft when she’s not on TV.
In the same vein, Jay White hasn’t been on the Heavyweight scene for very long. I’ve read that they are trying to push him as a replacement for Kenny Omega, but in-ring wise, he’s not on the level of an Okada, Omega, Tanahashi or Naito. I’ve read that NJPW was in a rush to get another top foreign star in the Heavyweight picture, but there were other options besides Jay White. Honestly, I wouldn’t have seen an issue with Naito getting the belt from Tanahashi, and then slowly build White, while say Tama Tonga, Ospreay or Ibushi, who are all amazing wrestlers and are definitely on the level of the four previously mentioned are built up for title shots, before giving White a shot at the title.
Right now with Jay White winning the belt before he is really ready, I feel like NJPW are booking out of apprehension and fear. That’s never been New Japan’s way, and honestly, with Jay White currently holding the belt, it feels like IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt is devalued. I truly hope that I am wrong, and that White proves me to be an idiot, but right now, as a fan of NJPW and pro wrestling in general, I don’t feel like White has proven himself to be the best that New Japan has to offer, and shouldn’t that be who holds the top belt in a company?
The Becky Lynch apology and how it could have been booked better
Man this ‘new era’ of WWE just gets worse and worse story wise. This past Monday night on RAW Stephanie and Triple H kayfabe forced Becky Lynch—“The Man” Becky Lynch to apologize for attacking them the previous week so that she can indeed get her main event shot at Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. Then after the apology, Vince comes out and tell Becks that she’s suspended for 60 days and therefore can’t compete at WrestleMania because she feels that she’s bigger than the WWE. Next, he announces that her replacement for the title match and main event of WrestleMania will be Charlotte Flair. I had issues with this for many reasons, but I will name a few.
Becky Lynch is supposed to be a badass, brawling, take no shit babyface. Why would you have her apologizing for it? I mean if you aren’t trying to devalue her, why would she apologize for being who she is, especially when the higher-ups are trying to take away the chance that she’s worked her ass off for? She is “The Man” and yes Vince she has become bigger than the WWE, and I would think that creative would want that. Becky Lynch has become synonymous with the likes of Stone Cold, the Rock and yes even DX in terms of sticking it to those that want to keep her down. She and the rest of the four horsewomen (Charlotte, Sasha, and Bayley; along with others like Paige) are who brought many of your current audience back to your product. The rest of women’s division (minus a few stragglers) have run with their rallying cry and put on amazing matches. So yes Vince, she is “The Man.” Why would apologize for simply being who she is?
Secondly, I know that creative has two months until the actual WrestleMania event, and I know that they have to continue to build this whole Ronda vs Becky match, but now it seems that creative doesn’t have enough faith in Becky to put forth a main event caliber match. I don’t know if that’s kayfabe or not, but frankly in this ‘new era’ it just feels like more of same. It feels like creative are yet again attempting to quash a natural push, and frankly, it may drive me away from the WWE once again. I know it’s been well reported that creative prefers a clear babyface and a clear heel in matches, but truthfully, that’s antiquated thinking. Fans nowadays have no issues with wanting to just see an amazing match for the ages between two top-shelf wrestlers, and we would get that with just Becky vs Ronda. Creative doesn’t see it that way, so we as fans will probably get a Triple Threat match for the RAW Women’s Championship to main event WrestleMania between Becky, Charlotte, and Ronda. Problem is the WWE has used the Triple Threat matches as a stipulation way too much in recent PPVs. So much so that this match stipulation will seem played out and may turn some fans off to seeing the match.
Don’t get me wrong, as I’ve said many times before, I love the Four Horsewomen of the WWE. I have since their days in NXT, with Becky and Sasha being my faves of the four potential future hall of famers. Honestly, I’d love to see these four become an official faction on the main roster and tear it up in the Women’s division. Ronda Rousey is well on her way to becoming one a top level pro wrestler in the industry, and she is definitely proving herself to be on a level with the horsewomen. It’s been proven that a match between Rousey and any of the four horsewomen will be an amazing one and has the potential to be the match of the night. The most recent proof is Rousey’s match with Sasha Banks at this year’s Royal Rumble, where their match definitely competed with Becky vs Asuka for match of the night. If creative are indeed trying to set up a Triple Threat match for Mania, it’s not needed.
The way they should have booked the last segment of RAW this past Monday was Becky should have told Stephanie and Triple H to go fuck themselves complete with bleeps, or to stick their want of an apology up their collective arses, and restate that she’s never going to apologize for being who she is, or demanding what she rightfully deserves, which is the title shot that she won at the Royal Rumble. The fans would have cheered and been behind her one thousand percent. Stephanie and Triple H could have been arguing with Becky about her stance, when Vince, the big cheese of the WWE, comes out and tells Becky that because of her refusal to apologize and her refusal to show remorse for what she did he is going to suspend her for 60 days, therefore taking her shot at the WrestleMania main event away. RAW should have gone off the air with the fans booing Vince and chanting Becky’s name.
Then the next night on Smackdown, Vince could have come out to a lot of booing and announced that the person replacing Becky at WrestleMania would be Charlotte Flair. Charlotte could have come out and given the same promo she did on Tuesday night. Then as she was finishing, Becky could have slid into the ring and proceeded to give Charlotte a hellacious beat down, maybe with a little blood. Then as Becky picks up the mic, she’d announce that if they (the higher-ups of the WWE) aren’t going to give her the rightful title shot that she earned at the Royal Rumble, then she going to make the WWE a living hell for the bigwigs in the back—specifically Vince McMahon, which would get a big pop from the crowd, before she’d leave the ring through the crowd. That would have kept all three women very strong with Becky being a badass, take no shit, brawling tweener, Charlotte a badass, sadistic heel (because when she snaps she revels in seeing her opponent in pain, like they’ve used her since the Survivor’s Series match with Rousey), and have Ronda as a badass babyface who may not start the fight, but she’ll definitely be the one to finish it.
I know this is all just one pro wrestling fans opinion and anyone reading knows what opinions are like, but I feel like in many ways both NJPW and the WWE are in a type of rush mode because frankly, whether they want to admit or not, they both are afraid of the potential of All Elite Wrestling. They know that six or seven of the top wrestlers working today and a couple of their up-and-comers are widely loved within the pro wrestling universe, and it seems that both companies are scrambling to catch up in some ways. The thing is right now each company has something going for it that will keep them in the conversation, but they are going about promoting those features in a rushed and almost panicked way, and doesn’t look good to a lot of us longtime wrestling fans.
