Eastern Lariat Special: Jeff Cobb, BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito OUT of NJPW
Eastern Lariat
Just a day after our last show it was announced Jeff Cobb was leaving the company and the tag titles were vacated. Then one of the biggest stunners of the year was announced: Tetsuya Naito (and BUSHI) are out of NJPW. After an alleged mutual agreement Dylan rides solo to go through the history of the 3 men, what they meant to NJPW (including a spicy take or two about Naito's usage through the years) and what the future could hold. What's it gonna be? What led to this? Where is it all going? For Cobb, we pretty much know where he's going. Naito...there are a world of infinite possibilities....
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Episode 299: Authenticity
Eastern Lariat
Two continents, two shows and the search for uthentic top guys continues for New Japan Pro Wrestling. The Eastern Lariat looks back at Sakura Genesis and Windy City Riot including an incredible Tanahashi vs. Takeshita match, more discussions regarding Shota Umino and the question who could be headlining Dominion and who the G1 winner might be. After that, STRIGGA & Dylan turn to All Japan Pro Wrestling's Champion Carnival and the first two shows they had so far that saw some great matches – including Hideki Suzuki and Kento Miyahara. Other topics are Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura's...
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Episode 298: Hanami Potpourri
Eastern Lariat
With Cherry Blossom japanese pro-wrestling usually gets into second gear after more moderate months. So STRIGGA & Dylan fully dive into the scene, covering everything from New Japan over Marigold to Michinoku Pro. This episode begins with AJPW's latest big show and the upcoming Champion Carnival and then turns to DRAGONGATE’s Rey de Parejas final and their road to Dead or Alive. This is followed by a big chunk of joshi wrestling including Marigold’s latest Korakuen, Stardom’s build to 4/27, and the latest from TJPW and Sendai Girls. While Pro Wrestling NOAH set up a huge title match...
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Episode 297: Show, don't Tell
Eastern Lariat
The Eastern Lariat returns right before the final stage of the 2025 New Japan Cup with a look back at the tournaments' early rounds, an assessment of the overall tournament quality and where the roads might lead for some of the main players such as David Finlay and Shota Umino and for some up and coming talent like Drilla Moloney and Callum Newman. Besides the New Japan Cup, STRIGGA & Dylan also cover DRAGONGATE's Rey de Parejas tournament trying to figure out how the tournamen could lead to a new challenger for YAMATO. The third big chunk of the show is All Japan Pro Wrestling and their...
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Episode 296: 2nd Eastern Lariat Hall of Fame Class
Eastern Lariat
The Eastern Lariat presents the second class of The Eastern Larait Hall of Fame, a pantheon that doesn't celebrate the most successful or necessarily the best wrestlers in japan, but those who matter most to this specific podcast and STRIGGA & Dylan. Some of them might be both the best and those who matter the most – a lot seems possible with this Hall of Fame. In the second half of the show STRIGGA & Dylan return from their trip down memory lane to discuss current events and developments in DDT, TJPW, Marigold and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Join in for some historic and modern japanese pro...
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Episode 295: Nuthin' but a Goto Thang
Eastern Lariat
Join the Eastern Lariat in celebrating the impropable coronation of one of New Japan's most loyal and hardest working wrestlers as Hirooki Goto, despite all the setbacks, despite all the losses and despite all the nay sayers finally won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on a very good show with lots of developments up and down the card. STRIGGA & Dylan discuss how long Goto's reign might be and who might be the next guys to step up until the G1. After this big thunks, the attention is on a quick digest of Stardom & TJPW before STRIGGA & Dylan discuss All Japan's recent events...
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Episode 294: Year End Awards 2024
Eastern Lariat
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Episode 293: STRIGGA in Japan
Eastern Lariat
After returning from Japan, STRIGGA share some of the stories he's expierenced during his vaction that fell into one of the most busiest times in japanese pro-wrestling. Given that, Dylan not only asks him about all the venues he went to, which food and drinks were on the menu, but they also discuss most of the events from late December until early January which includes DDT & Stardom in Sumo Hall, AJPW in Yoyogi, NOAH in Budokan and of course NJPW & AEW in the Tokyo Dome. Join in and listen to this first hand experience of a wrestling trip to Tokyo!
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Episode 292: 2025 Japanese Wrestling Predictions Special
Eastern Lariat
The end of the year upon us means time for looking back, and time for looking ahead. This episode we do both! First Dylan gives a preview of the year end awards and talks about last year's winners and how things may play out this year. Then after that we get to predictions dropped on us by YOU. We got a lot from the fans and it's time to talk about all of them, before ending the show with STRIGGA reappearing as if by magic! Dylan and STRIGGA bring up their predictions and set the stage for what 2025 could bring us all, in the beautiful world of Japanese pro wrestling. Happy new year! ...
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2024 Eastern Lariat Christmas Fantasy Booking Special (w/Yannik)
Eastern Lariat
A first in Eastern Lariat history, Dylan welcomes on Yannik from the Dramatic Dream Dragons for a fantasy booking special. An idea from the Swiss Icon that takes our draft concepts to a new level, introducing a full fantasy booking exercise. The first half of the show is the draft portion of the show where they select from every Japanese company as well as gain a couple of wild card wrestlers from outside of Japan at various points. The second half shows the creative minds in action for the utterly bizarre companies these two ended up running with, after a shocking trade shakes things up...
info_outlineIt took a while for the Eastern Lariat crew to catch up with the events that took place on Bunka no Hi, the Day of Culture in Japan this past Monday – and it was a lot. STRIGGA & Dylan first discuss New Japan's Power Struggle including the big title matches, SANADA's turn, Umino's challenge and the reaction to it and the Tokyo Dome double shot in January taking shape. Moving on, All Japan's Hokkaido tour was less eventful than the NJPW show, but the sudden title switch to Davey Boy Smith Jr. Caught many spectators off guard and raises the question where former champion Aoyagi goes and for how long Smith holds the championship. The third big topic is last weekend's Gate of Destiny from DRAGONGATE that left many questions unanswered that fans expected to be answered. Finally, STRIGGA quickly goes over the DDT show from Sumida before the team discusses the Kota Ibushi/DDT situation and Yoshiki Inamura leaving for „unsual“ WWE training.