So the 4th of July NXT Special in Japan is going to be (allegedly) co-headlined by Brock Lesnar (returning) vs. Kofi Kingston. This seems like a very odd match (Lesnar squash presuming?) but if given 15 minutes (maybe some New Day run ins with Lesnar destroying the other two), I think this is a very very interesting match and could be very very good. It's a new match we haven't seen yet. What do you guys think about this?

Also Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens for the title.

Brock vs Kofi will be interesting in the sense that it will be somebody who can take bumps against Lesnar, but the only way they can convince anybody that follows the product that Kofi has a chance is some kind of run in possibility. Until some kind of run in happens it is basically just a spectacle with a known outcome.

That or they crown Kofi Mr. MITB this weekend.

I'm interested in the Kofi match for exactly the reasons mentioned. It's a new matchup, Kofi can take bumps and there's potential for some good New Day interference. Japan is a perfect crowd for this match as well. If New Day run ins leads to Kofi getting in any kind of offense then they will react. I actually think Kofi is a decent wrestler when he's not a spot monkey in some gimmick match.

Not getting my hopes up for that though. More than likely it's going to be Bork murdering all 3 members of New Day for 5 mins. Not a bad thing but not the greatest.

I still wouldn't think he had a chance of a clean win against Lesnar. I do think Kofi with the briefcase could lead to good things angle wise though.

Well no, and he shouldn't have any chance of a clean win against Lesnar, but it would open up more possibilities besides just Lesnar squashing. At that point the match between them actually makes some sense, Mr. MITB vs. the returning former champion.

Kofi shouldn't have any chance of a clean win against Lesnar, but with his appearances being so limited by his contract, whomever is facing him in any match should. This match could very easily make some sense and be interesting to some extent, but I don't see how Kofi could be an ideal opponent without a run in.

You can prolong a match between Kofi and Lesnar believably just by having Kofi run a stick-and-move type of offense for several minutes, where he gets in a shot and then scampers away and then gets in a shot and then scampers away, etc. After a sequence of that you can also have New Day interference cause a few more problems. Eventually Lesnar catches up to him and destroys him. It can't be a really long match, but you can do 6-8 minutes with that, have it be quasi-competitive, still have a fine result that doesn't really hurt the loser, and have it be fun.

Or The Authority comes down just before the match starts and makes it a 3-on-1 handicap match with Lesnar overcoming the odds

Plus that would completely the tag champions! Two birds with one stone!

I don't think this counts against his contract, otherwise WWE wouldn't let him do it. Brock wants to go to Japan and see Masa Saito, who's apparently not in great shape. So he saw the schedule, saw the tour, and made a request.

This show was supposed to be just another house show, all of this NXT/Network Special stuff is being built on the fly and it's the only date on the tour Brock's going to show up.

Also, Finn Balor is a graduate of the New Japan Dojo. People over there will know who he is.

I didn't know any of this. Very cool.

Can see Kingston taking such a beating that he wakes up speaking in a Jamaican accent again.

And people say there is no way to make Lesnar hated.

Owens/Joe next week. I love that Owens is feuding with like 5 different people all at once.

Watching NXT.

I thought Mojo was fired.....

I can't watch anything Dana Brooke does without cringing.

Backstage interview with Enzo and co was great. Loved the the Fresh Prince reference. Enzo is the complete opposite of a wrestler I usually like but everything he does is entertaining.

I guess I'm the only one that liked Bull. Not a fan of this joke gimmick they've given him. He should go to Japan.

lol @ "Let's go Baron. Baron sucks." chants and the WWE draining the crowd noise every time the negative chants started. Good to see the NXT crowd has stopped dick riding.

WTF is going on with Joe's music. It's the least hype music for a monster I've ever heard. Great to see him in a WWE ring though even though it still feels weird. I love that they've basically kept him untouched and haven't tried to WWE him up. Match was a bit a slow but it was nice little teaser.

Haven't read the spoiler for next week's show but I'm more hype for Joe/KO than anything else right now.

This so much.

No one watching NXT?

They put together a really good Balor package. It was part 1 and they put over his younger life and indy efforts. It ends with him going to NJPW so part 2 must cover his time there which would be awesome.

Dana Brooke still sucks and she has a hairy face.

Joe vs Owens was pretty good apart from the 2 hour headlock. Both guys got a decent amount of offense and the finish left me wanting more.

I haven't tuned in for quite some time for whatever reason. Maybe it's fear of sing-along. The knowledge that Sami Zayn is out doesn't help. But I suppose I should start tuning in again.

Someone very dedicated to Kofi wrote his wiki. It has 159 sources ffs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofi_Kingston

Wiki pages for wrestlers are generally very detailed. Midcarders have pages as long as multiple future hall of fame athletes from other sports.

A lot has been miss-able but the Joe/Owens stuff has been great so far. They're letting Joe be himself and Owens is still killing it. Definitely worth checking out.

I find NXT`s been a little dull past few weeks. I was probably expecting too much from Joe vs Owens, but i thought it was just an average match.

They need to just strap Enzo and Cass, and end the Blake and Murphy mess.

That Balor segment was cool, and I feel like he should have a good run as champ coming up.

Samoa Joe is terrible