NJPW: 2019 Could Be YOSHI-HASHI’s Year – If He Allows It

Already, 2019 has been a year of change and rejuvenation for wrestlers up and down the New Japan Roster. The Head Hunter of CHAOS should be no different. New haircut, new t-shirt, new, reinvigorated attitude… new YOSHI-HASHI, who dis?

Everybody falls into a slump at some point in their lives. We can all have bad days or bad weeks, but the important thing is to be able to pull ourselves out of those funks before those bad weeks turn into bad months. For some, this could lead to bad years or, worse, bad careers.

For some, though, it never gets so far as being bad, while also never really being all that good either.

Existing in that limbo can be more troublesome than being outright bad. At least if something is bad enough, there’s the car crash element to watching it. If something is just… there, though? It simply becomes forgettable.

Thus is the plight of YOSHI-HASHI.

What’s worse is that whenever YOSHI-HASHI does seem to have some momentum behind him, he immediately crashes and burns – literally.

At last year’s Destruction In Kobe, Jay White and Gedo finally made their move and turned on Kazuchika Okada. As the duo put boots to Okada, a savior rose along the horizon.

That hero was YOSHI-HASHI. Or, at least, it was supposed to be.

As he charged down the ramp with fervor ready to even the odds for Okada, he tripped and smashed face and shoulder first into the ring apron. With his history of being a bit of a joke, many quipped that this was the most YOSHI-HASHI thing that YOSHI-HASHI had ever done.

Still, he rose from the rubble and entered the ring to carry on the fight. With blood dripping from a gash near his eye, our sweet, precious Tacos fought back against White and Gedo. It wasn’t long before White gained control and sent YOSHI-HASHI to the arena floor.

For months, the true hero of the people YOSHI-HASHI was on the shelf. New Japan released a vague statement about the injury, but everything was kept pretty well under wraps. When, if ever, would YOSHI-HASHI return to the ring?

Fans all over the world kept waiting on bated breath for a return from our valiant would-be hero. Or maybe it was just me?

Anytime Okada was down and out or Jay White had the advantage on someone, I crossed my fingers and wished for The Head Hunter of CHAOS to make a surprise appearance.

All of that waiting eventually paid off with YOSHI-HASHI making his official in-ring return at New Year Dash the day after Wrestle Kingdom 13. One has to wonder whether or not Okada would have been successful against White in the Tokyo Dome had YOSHI-HASHI been in his corner on that fateful night.

Nonetheless, YOSHI-HASHI returned to… a mild response. The crowd was respectful, but they weren’t exactly leaping to their feet to welcome him back.

With a bit of a new look, it was only a matter of time before he stepped into the spotlight and made New Year Dash his platform to reinvigorate his career.

That is, until Jay White struck with The Blade Runner and pinned him in his return bout. That’s right. After months on the shelf after a self-inflicted injury on the night The Switchblade broke from CHAOS, YOSHI-HASHI returned to be pinned in the center of the ring by White.

Classic YOSHI-HASHI.

For the ensuing months, not much developed with The Head Hunter. It seemed that he had fully returned to form and was shuffled into his spot as a bit player in the background.

As the New Japan Cup rolled into view, though, another opportunity became clear for YOSHI-HASHI to prove his worth.

After less-than-exciting victories over Manabu Nakanishi and Chase Owens in the first and second rounds, he met fellow CHAOS member Tomohiro Ishii in the quarterfinals. This is where a new YOSHI-HASHI stepped into view.

It’s no secret that Ishii is one of the true magicians in New Japan who can pull a great match out of anybody at any time. With no huge surprise then, Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI put on a great, competitive bout before Ishii moved onto the semifinals.

This match was more than just a solid contest in a great tournament, though. Ishii helped tell the story of a YOSHI-HASHI who was downtrodden and needed to snap into a new gear.

With the help of Ishii ripping the restorative Kinesio Tape from his shoulder, YOSHI-HASHI finally showed some fire.

Gaining power from Ishii’s kicks and taunting/encouragement, YOSHI-HASHI stood tall and literally spit in the face of his opponent. Tacos staggered Ishii with a series of slaps which drew a shocked gasp from the crowd and, I swear, a hint of a smile crossed Ishii’s face as his ally finally reached for his potential.

As we know, this was the end of the road for YOSHI-HASHI in the tournament but it is, by no means, the end of YOSHI-HASHI in New Japan.

It may not seem like it, but YOSHI-HASHI is in a bit of a sweet spot in his career right now. This was on full display in his match with Shota Umino at April 14’s Road To Wrestling Dontaku show.

When a Young Lion is paired up with a veteran in a singles contest, the writing is generally on the wall as far as the outcome. Young Lions are out there to gain experience and hone their craft but, ultimately, eat losses.

With a rising star like Umino, though, and someone who treads the line between lovable loser and midcard threat like YOSHI-HASHI, it’s like looking into a Magic 8-Ball after a quick shake – the outcome isn’t so clear.

What makes his current position so pivotal is that what would usually be a by-the-numbers match lower on the card becomes must-win for both wrestlers.

For Umino, a singles win over a main roster wrestler would boost his credibility.

For YOSHI-HASHI, victory means less than it means for Umino. In fact, it means more for him to simply avoid a loss than it does to earn the win. By coming out on top, YOSHI-HASHI stops himself spiraling down the same drain his previously broken CHAOS partner Okada went down last year.

It remains to be seen whether or not YOSHI-HASHI can make believers out of the fans, the commentators, and the rest of the roster – including ally Rocky Romero who has frequently railed on his stablemate for his lack of confidence leading to loss after loss.

If you asked me to explain my love of YOSHI-HASHI, I would be at a loss as to what I could tell you. I think what draws me to him most is the potential for him to surprise people when he busts out a solid performance.

Nobody expects anything from YOSHI-HASHI at this point, it seems. When he rises to the occasion and competes with the same fervor and vigor as an Ishii, you’re reminded that there’s still somebody with heart and passion behind that patented YOSHI-HASHI gaze.

More so, YOSHI-HASHI feels like the leftovers of a group who constantly shines brighter than he does. He seems forgotten and discarded. He’s the underdog of the underdogs, and I can’t keep myself from rooting for him regardless of how sensible it may or may not be.