In my personal opinion it feels like he consistently has the weakest matches on any given card & he’s been more of a net negative for the company in the past few years.
I think it’s the gimmick holding him back, but simultaneously NJPW needs him as the pure heel. Without HoT the roster are all good guys or at worst shades of grey.
NJPW saw House of Torture as a suitable replacement for *Naito* in their Shinkansen promotional event that just recently happened, which required you to buy a ticket to ride the Shinkansen in order to participate.
One of the legends (I can’t remember who) recently did a training session with elementary school kids and asked who their favorite NJPW wrestler was, and most or all the kids said EVIL.
People also tend to either forget or were just not around during the time when LIJ EVIL was a massive merch mover and hugely popular with women and kids. BC/HoT EVIL didn’t lose too many of those fans, and that’s part of why he’s always been over to some degree. (SHO and, to a slightly lesser extent, Ren are in the same boat.)
For as long as EVIL is the President of New Japan, there’ll be a place on the card for him.
They do for a good reason, he’s extremely popular by the younger crowd
I think there is a disconnect between the western fans, Japanese fans and indeed what NJPW itself sees.
EVIL has been a consistent worker for years, has been loyal to the company forever, always shows up, is very rarely injured (from what I know), a reliable hand and him being an easily hateable heel makes him a good way to build babyface sympathy for anyone they wish to.
Not to mention the HOT merch is absolutely LIT.
IMO I think NJPW values EVIL just about as highly as he has deserved to be.
Evil is great, HOT not so much.
Nope. But it is what it is.
Evil/HoT is their highest merch seller, so no.
You are wrong because I wish other promotions would think MORE highly of him.
Like…I don’t know…AEW? Preferably when they have a certain PPV featuring New Japan talent coming up?
Wink Wink
It is what it is, i guess.
My brother lost my Soul Sports “Everything Is EVIL” zip up hoodie, we no longer speak.
I think the over booking of the matches are terrible but let’s not forgot who EVIL is especially in LIJ who was super over and had a lotta of merch sells even now HOT has the best merch in NJPW and has an argument for in the world ngl. EVIL has charisma and is naturally funny and NJPW needs a pure heel. HOT is over and EVIL is to and he can indeed wrestle for sure it’s just with HOT they are not there to produce the best matches on the card they are there for boos which they receive a lot of.
It doesn’t help that HoT are like the only real villains in NJPW. Everyone else is either a face or a cool tweener.
So EVIL kinda just gets to be the main antagonist by default.
You dont think highly enough of evil, sir
I like NJPW because it’s not the traditional American style. The interference shtick he does really gets on my nerves.
Yes & it’s mostly the HOT Gimmick LIJ EVIL was great
Eh. I don’t agree but can see where you are coming from.
EVIL is right where he should be. The House of Torture seems to be massively popular in Japan and you need a top heel act (nobody in UE fits that mold and while David Finley can, the War Dogs are more in tweener territory at the moment due to their feud this year with the House). I think that the disconnect is largely with western fans. I know the crossover from New Japan to Stardom isn’t massive, but there’s still some there. I don’t see nearly the same level of hate from western fans towards H.A.T.E. even though they use a lot of similar tactics to the House. Maybe it’s because Natsuko Tora doesn’t need to be the top heel in Stardom with Kamitani around and that Kamitani is absolutely gorgeous (especially with the Phenex Queen gimmick leaning into gothic territory), but the promotion needs a top heel for the babyfaces to overcome. NJPW has EVIL, Stardom has Kamitani (whenever she does end up dropping the belt). The major difference is that Kamitani seems to be breaking through as a mainstream star, so her popularity makes it worthwhile to keep the red belt on her for quite a while (I’m hoping for an Okada type reign from her).
IDK. I liked EVIL in LIJ but I liked most of the other guys more. I don’t see him as any long term answer at the top of the card but he seems over with the fans. They always gasp whenever he goes for Everything is Evil.
You might be too new to watching NJPW because EVIL has been slowly climbing and paying his dues and put on solid matches.
Part of the problem as I see it is HoT in general uses the interference trope in every single match. I believe this makes your heel leader look weak and ineffective. Now that HoT is the only true “heel” faction they need to build evil more up as the monster heel than what they have done historically to make him work
Nah.
President EVIL is the GOAT.
Yes, you’re wrong.
EVIL rules and his matches are entertaining, with or without Togo fuckery. Merch sells, the fans like him, thus his treatment is well-deserved.
He’s a good wrestler I can admit that, I just hate the HoT gimmick
Yes. You are wrong. Because EVERYTHING is EVIL!
Its funny how gaijin like MANEUVERS so much
Because aside from EVIL they dont have a good heel unless shingo turns into his verserk era heel
Well that’s a very Western perspective.
I wish they’d push him more! Same with Tsuji. They need new stars!
Yes.
I hated HOT when they started, but they’ve grown on me. I do think they over-expanded with their recent additions though.
34 comments
I think it’s the gimmick holding him back, but simultaneously NJPW needs him as the pure heel. Without HoT the roster are all good guys or at worst shades of grey.
NJPW saw House of Torture as a suitable replacement for *Naito* in their Shinkansen promotional event that just recently happened, which required you to buy a ticket to ride the Shinkansen in order to participate.
One of the legends (I can’t remember who) recently did a training session with elementary school kids and asked who their favorite NJPW wrestler was, and most or all the kids said EVIL.
People also tend to either forget or were just not around during the time when LIJ EVIL was a massive merch mover and hugely popular with women and kids. BC/HoT EVIL didn’t lose too many of those fans, and that’s part of why he’s always been over to some degree. (SHO and, to a slightly lesser extent, Ren are in the same boat.)
For as long as EVIL is the President of New Japan, there’ll be a place on the card for him.
They do for a good reason, he’s extremely popular by the younger crowd
I think there is a disconnect between the western fans, Japanese fans and indeed what NJPW itself sees.
EVIL has been a consistent worker for years, has been loyal to the company forever, always shows up, is very rarely injured (from what I know), a reliable hand and him being an easily hateable heel makes him a good way to build babyface sympathy for anyone they wish to.
Not to mention the HOT merch is absolutely LIT.
IMO I think NJPW values EVIL just about as highly as he has deserved to be.
Evil is great, HOT not so much.
Nope. But it is what it is.
Evil/HoT is their highest merch seller, so no.
You are wrong because I wish other promotions would think MORE highly of him.
Like…I don’t know…AEW? Preferably when they have a certain PPV featuring New Japan talent coming up?
Wink Wink
It is what it is, i guess.
My brother lost my Soul Sports “Everything Is EVIL” zip up hoodie, we no longer speak.
I think the over booking of the matches are terrible but let’s not forgot who EVIL is especially in LIJ who was super over and had a lotta of merch sells even now HOT has the best merch in NJPW and has an argument for in the world ngl. EVIL has charisma and is naturally funny and NJPW needs a pure heel. HOT is over and EVIL is to and he can indeed wrestle for sure it’s just with HOT they are not there to produce the best matches on the card they are there for boos which they receive a lot of.
It doesn’t help that HoT are like the only real villains in NJPW. Everyone else is either a face or a cool tweener.
So EVIL kinda just gets to be the main antagonist by default.
You dont think highly enough of evil, sir
I like NJPW because it’s not the traditional American style. The interference shtick he does really gets on my nerves.
Yes & it’s mostly the HOT Gimmick LIJ EVIL was great
Eh. I don’t agree but can see where you are coming from.
EVIL is right where he should be. The House of Torture seems to be massively popular in Japan and you need a top heel act (nobody in UE fits that mold and while David Finley can, the War Dogs are more in tweener territory at the moment due to their feud this year with the House). I think that the disconnect is largely with western fans. I know the crossover from New Japan to Stardom isn’t massive, but there’s still some there. I don’t see nearly the same level of hate from western fans towards H.A.T.E. even though they use a lot of similar tactics to the House. Maybe it’s because Natsuko Tora doesn’t need to be the top heel in Stardom with Kamitani around and that Kamitani is absolutely gorgeous (especially with the Phenex Queen gimmick leaning into gothic territory), but the promotion needs a top heel for the babyfaces to overcome. NJPW has EVIL, Stardom has Kamitani (whenever she does end up dropping the belt). The major difference is that Kamitani seems to be breaking through as a mainstream star, so her popularity makes it worthwhile to keep the red belt on her for quite a while (I’m hoping for an Okada type reign from her).
IDK. I liked EVIL in LIJ but I liked most of the other guys more. I don’t see him as any long term answer at the top of the card but he seems over with the fans. They always gasp whenever he goes for Everything is Evil.
You might be too new to watching NJPW because EVIL has been slowly climbing and paying his dues and put on solid matches.
Part of the problem as I see it is HoT in general uses the interference trope in every single match. I believe this makes your heel leader look weak and ineffective. Now that HoT is the only true “heel” faction they need to build evil more up as the monster heel than what they have done historically to make him work
Nah.
President EVIL is the GOAT.
Yes, you’re wrong.
EVIL rules and his matches are entertaining, with or without Togo fuckery. Merch sells, the fans like him, thus his treatment is well-deserved.
He’s a good wrestler I can admit that, I just hate the HoT gimmick
Yes. You are wrong. Because EVERYTHING is EVIL!
Its funny how gaijin like MANEUVERS so much
Because aside from EVIL they dont have a good heel unless shingo turns into his verserk era heel
Well that’s a very Western perspective.
I wish they’d push him more! Same with Tsuji. They need new stars!
Yes.
I hated HOT when they started, but they’ve grown on me. I do think they over-expanded with their recent additions though.
H.g. H h j. V
You don’t understand evil