Wrestling Omakase

Wrestling Omakase
  • 3.8 (33)
  • Wrestling
  • Updated Biweekly

Omakase means, literally, "I'll leave it up to you". It's a term primarily used in modern Japanese in sushi restaurants, where you allow the chef to prepare their own personal favorites, leaving your meal completely in their hands. Wrestling Omakase, therefore, is a show where we place each episode into the hands of one or two passionate fans, from all across the wrestling spectrum. Our regular host John Carroll has over 20 years of diverse wrestling fandom to draw upon, and they will be joined by a revolving door of guests who will share their knowledge and passion for particular promotions or time periods. While our primary focus will be on modern Japanese wrestling, we will also at least touch on wrestling from all over the world, in addition to the occasional episode covering historical periods of various promotions. This is a journey with wrestling fans around the world, bringing you the promotions they know and love the best, and we hope you will join us! This podcast is a member of the Voices of Wrestling Podcast Network. Learn more about the Voices of Wrestling Podcast Network at voicesofwrestling.com.

  1. 1d ago

    Wrestling Omakase #316: TJPW Wrestle Princess VII, DG 10/2 & STARDOM 9/29 Korakuens, Shinjuku FACE Final & Ice Ribbon 10/3 Kamata w/ Arametha

    John is back on the air on their own podcast feed, joined by returning guest Arametha! They start things out with a wide-ranging first hour that covered a ton of random wrestling and non-wrestling topics alike (honestly more than I can even remember trying to write this at the end now....) before getting to the actual show reviews of the episode, beginning with TJPW Wrestle Princess VII from Ota! They discuss a bit of a mixed bag of an attendance number, another fantastic show from TJPW in a long series of them this year, and a lot of discussion on just why their wrestling style stands out so much in the current landscape. Then it's over to Dragongate to discuss their very newsworthy 10/2 Korakuen show, which featured an enormous title change and the first actually funny Jiro Shinbashi match in ages. Still in Korakuen, they also discuss a bit of a meh event from STARDOM from last week, with a lot of talk about the big unit movement that caused all sorts of controversy on social media. After that it's time to discuss the final show that will ever be held at (the original at least) Shinjuku FACE, an interpromotional affair from 9/30 that was emotional and hilarious. Finally, they wrap things up with another check in on Ice Ribbon as they review their 10/3 show from Kamata. Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  2. Sep 29

    Wrestling Omakase #315: AJPW Oudou Finals, NJPW Destruction in Kobe, DDT 9/27, Sareee-ism Chapter XII, Sendai Girls 9/23 & TJPW 9/27 Shinjuku FACE, Ice Ribbon 9/22 Yokohama w/ John Bivins

    John & John reunite for the first time in months, and unfortunately the first topic they have to discuss is something no one wanted to be talking about: the incredibly tragic and sudden news of PAC passing away. That's right at the start so wanted to make sure I noted it for anyone listening who isn't ready to hear that sort of thing- it does come up a few more times in the episode as well. RIP to an incredible professional wrestler and, by all accounts, an even more incredible man. They then have to make an awkward transition over to discussing the imminent closing of an iconic Japanese wrestling venue, Shinjuku FACE, as John takes you through some of their own personal history with the venue and talks about how much they're going to miss banging their head on the bathroom ceiling, ahead of discussing a bunch of final FACE shows later in the episode. But first they head over to the thankfully not closing Korakuen Hall to discuss the finals of an eventful AJPW Oudou Tournament, discussing the first of two bonafide MOTYCs, a homegrown wrestler finally winning the big one, and more. They also look ahead to an upcoming AJPW tour that really spreads the wealth around a bunch of different shows, so to speak. Then it's over to the King of Sports to discuss a somewhat underwhelming Destruction in Kobe show, at least until a fantastic main event saved it somewhat. There's lots of speculation about where things might be headed into Wrestle Kingdom season too, as they look ahead first to the upcoming King of Pro Wrestling show (and two Korakuen title matches as well). And then they finally get to the whole load of final shows for each promotion at iconic venues, starting with DDT (maybe the promotion most synonymous with the venue of all!). They discuss a final title challenge, Daisuke Sasaki's incredibly high memorabilia valuation, and more! Afterward it's time to finally leave the men's wrestling behind and shift into joshi, first with Sareee-ism Chapter XII, a fantastic show with another bonafide MOTYC in the main event. Then they discuss the final Sendai Girls show from FACE which featured a big debut and John Bivins describing how much he loves Spike Nishimura. John (Original) then goes it alone for two more show reviews, first the final TJPW show from FACE that also serves as their go home show for the big Wrestle Princess VII event next week (which they also dutifully preview). Finally, they wrap things up with another Ice Ribbon review, this time the second half of a doubleheader from Yokohama. A packed episode!! John Bivins' Instagram Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter Follow John on Bluesky Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  3. Sep 22

    Wrestling Omakase #314: Marigold Dream Star GP Night 8 & Finals, Ice Ribbon 8/30 & 9/6, AJPW Oudou Tournament Nights 3 & 4, DDT 9/21 Korakuen w/ Eric

    Wrestling Omakase is back on the airwaves and thankfully for John they're not solo this time, as Eric from Joshi'ing Around once again joins them! And boy do they joshi around to start this episode, with around 90 minutes (!) of Marigold talk! They break down a very exciting final two nights from Korakuen Hall for the Dream Star GP in detail, reviewing all the tournament matches, talking about who really stepped up from their younger generation, and a whole lot more. Plus, rankings of every block by their performances and favorite matches from each block! Then it's over to Ice Ribbon to discuss a pair of shows from a little while back now, their 8/30 show from Yokohama and their 9/6 from SKIP City. There was a match that may have been one of the most surprising bangers of the year, so be sure to listen to find out which one! Once the women's coverage is finally over it's time to talk some men's wrestling, beginning with All Japan, as our ongoing coverage of the Oudou Tournament continues! They discuss four second round/quarterfinal matches, all from Shin Kiba. Finally, they wrap things up by reviewing a DDT Korakuen for the first time in eons, as they break down a MAO title defense, some surprising cash-ins, and a very underrated wrestler getting some flowers! Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6 Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/ Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  4. Sep 16

    Wrestling Omakase #313: STARDOM to the World, DG 9/12 Ota, AJPW Oudou Tournament Nights 1-3 & Marigold Dream Star GP Nights 4-7

    John is flying solo this week on Wrestling Omakase due to being at another anime convention, although this one came with an indoor waterpark! Wow! In theory they were doing this episode on the road, although in practice most of it ended up being recorded at home anyway. They start things out with STARDOM's latest PPV event from Yokohama Arena from this past Saturday (9/12), discussing a couple really good matches, some kinda meh booking, and an, uh, interesting debut for a new English announcer! Then it's over to Dragongate for their own major show from 9/12, which had all the meh booking of the STARDOM show but none of the high end match quality to make up for it. Of course the big booking decision everyone's talking about came in the Brave Gate match, and John breaks down both sides of that debate in detail! Then it's back to the tournaments, starting out with the entire first round of AJPW's Oudou Tournament broken down over three nights! John discusses some really awesome stuff as AJPW continues having a big year. Then they head over to Marigold to discuss the middle nights of their own tournament (nights 5-8), a real mixed bag that had a bunch they could recommend and a bunch more they weren't that into. Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  5. Sep 8

    Wrestling Omakase #312: STARDOM 9/6 Korakuen Review & 9/12 Yokohama Preview, TJPW 9/5 Yokohama, Marigold Dream Star GP Night 3 & DG 9/3 Korakuen w/ Paul

    Omakase is back for another episode, as John is joined by returning guest Paul Volsch, co-host of the Emerald Flow Show on this very network! They start out a week of talking about mostly smaller shows building to bigger ones with STARDOM's 9/6 Korakuen Hall event, a show that featured some good build to their upcoming Yokohama Budokan show and also a truly horrendous High Speed Title match. They then give a full preview of said Yokohama Budokan show on 9/12 including how likely they think all the major titles are to change hands. Then it's back to the world of Tokyo Joshi to cover their 9/5 Yokohama Radiant Hall event, featuring a great three-way tag match to determine the Princess Tag challengers on their major Ota show early next month. They also give a quick look ahead at what's coming up for TJPW, including an early look at said Ota card and how tickets are moving for it so far. They then continue their ongoing coverage of Marigold's Dream Star GP with a look at the day/night doubleheader from Osaka, including some stuff that really worked for them and a couple things that really, really didn't. (NOTE: This was recorded before Nao Ishikawa withdrew from the rest of her Dream Star GP matches- just noting this since at one point we speculate about whether or not she's out for the rest of the tournament, and now we obviously know she is!) Finally, they wrap things up with a quite passionate review of Dragongate's 9/3 Korakuen show, a truly baffling event on multiple levels. Allegedly this was to build their own major show, also on 9/12 from Ota, but unless you count Jiro Shimbashi it's hard to figure out how exactly this show was supposed to even do that. They rant quite a bit about DG booking in 2026 in general as they also preview said Ota show with an absolutely absurd name (seriously, what was wrong with Dangerous Gate guys??). Also some other odds & ends including Paul attending All In in London, the Wrestle Kingdom 21 ticket prices & on sale dates finally being revealed, and more! Check out the Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshow Follow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  6. Sep 1

    Wrestling Omakase #311: AJPW 8/29 Ota, Sendai Girls 8/28 Yoyogi, Marigold Dream Star GP Nights 1 & 2, SEAdLINNNG 8/25 Korakuen w/ Velkej

    Omakase is back for another fun filled week, as John is once again joined by Czechia's hardest working farmer Velkej Bracha! They're checking in on a whole bunch of promotions they haven't talked about in a while (due to the combined trio of the G1, 5 Star & Princess Cup eating up a great deal of our time of course!), and it begins with All Japan's big show from EBARA WAVE Arena Ota! They talk about an unexpected result in the Triple Crown title match, where things might be headed with the Oudou tournament approaching, and a whole lot more. Then it's over to Sendai Girls for their own big show from Yoyogi Gym #2, another edition of "lol Chihiro wins". But also we get to talk about yet another amazing joshi rookie, of which there is apparently just an endless supply. Then it's over to Marigold for the opening two nights of the Dream Star GP tournament, which was actually a bit better than expected! John is very, very happy to have Victoria Yuzuki back at least! Finally, things wrap up with SEAdLINNNG's 11th anniversary show from Korakuen, featuring some really good action and also a pair of fake Mexicans winning their tag titles, for some reason. Yeah. Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  7. Aug 26

    Wrestling Omakase #310: STARDOM 5 Star GP Finals & Wrap-Up, TJPW Princess Cup Finals & Sareee-ism Chapter XI w/ Arametha, Suit & Ed

    It's a jam packed episode of Wrestling Omakase this week that features not one, not two, but THREE guests! Wow! Arametha is onboard for the entire thing, but meanwhile we're also joined again by Suit Williams to review the final night of the STARDOM 5 Star GP and then go over every wrestler in the tournament and how we thought they performed! The trio discusses the entire finals card from Ryogoku in great detail (along with some history of STARDOM in the venue and how their attendance here compares), including the semis and finals, the big Natsupoi vs. Saori Anou match as Poi's retirement road continues, and also discuss all the upcoming matches and possible directions heading into the fall! Plus, a review of every wrestler's overall tournament! Then Suit says goodbye but John & Arametha are joined by first time guest Ed Kody! Ed is a big Tokyo Joshi fan so they were the perfect person to have on to help break down another awesome show out of this promotion from Korakuen Hall, on a great run of them! But first John discusses being inspired by Jeff Hawkins' goodbye podcast from this past week and how it made them think of 'ol TJPW (seriously!). Also I think there was some stuff in here about anime con raves getting shut down. I don't know, this segment was a little all over the place. But most importantly, it's PARTY TIME because Suzume won the Princess Cup, as they review the final night of the tournament and look ahead to what's coming next! Finally, John & Arametha review the Sareee-ism Chapter XI show from Shinjuku FACE, breaking down what was another excellent show out of the sun god. It features another big Poi retirement road match, plus Chi Chi vs. Senka in a battle of young demons and a whole lot more! Somehow this episode went nearly four and a half hours despite ostensibly only being three individual show reviews. Who could possibly be surprised by now really. Williams Watches Wrestling blog: https://suitwilliams.com/ Name a Dirtsheet podcast: https://youtu.be/pqtLG3f3KkQ?si=F0s0Ya4nRkVKOi2e Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  8. Aug 19

    Wrestling Omakase #309: NJPW G1 Climax Nights 16-18 & Finals, STARDOM 5 Star GP Nights 12-15 & TJPW Princess Cup Night 5 w/ Velkej

    Wrestling Omakase is back on the air with everyone's favorite Czech farmer Velkej Bracha joining us as the summer tournaments continue (and end, in one case!). They start things off with some of the usual topics (mostly- you'll never believe this- Japan travel) before heading over to NJPW for the final 4 nights of the G1 Climax! There is a TON to talk about here, including the, uh, very *interesting* reactions to the big Oiwa/Uemura final, but they don't shy away from any of it- full reviews of all four shows, plus thoughts on the individual performances of each and every wrestler and John gives their top 10 matches of the entire tournament! Then it's over to STARDOM for the most recent 4 nights of the 5 Star GP, which is also very close to wrapping up but not quite over yet! John & Velkej talk yet more Julia Hart, Starlight Kid taking down the talls, who we want to see back next year (and who we don't), and a whole lot more! Finally, John goes solo to wrap up the episode with Night 5 of TJPW's Princess Cup, featuring the semifinals! Bee vs. Hair! Hip vs. Lariat! Pom Harajuku pretends to be the creepy ghost girl from the Ring for some reason! This show really had it all! Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_Bracha Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakase Follow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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3.8
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Omakase means, literally, "I'll leave it up to you". It's a term primarily used in modern Japanese in sushi restaurants, where you allow the chef to prepare their own personal favorites, leaving your meal completely in their hands. Wrestling Omakase, therefore, is a show where we place each episode into the hands of one or two passionate fans, from all across the wrestling spectrum. Our regular host John Carroll has over 20 years of diverse wrestling fandom to draw upon, and they will be joined by a revolving door of guests who will share their knowledge and passion for particular promotions or time periods. While our primary focus will be on modern Japanese wrestling, we will also at least touch on wrestling from all over the world, in addition to the occasional episode covering historical periods of various promotions. This is a journey with wrestling fans around the world, bringing you the promotions they know and love the best, and we hope you will join us! This podcast is a member of the Voices of Wrestling Podcast Network. Learn more about the Voices of Wrestling Podcast Network at voicesofwrestling.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Wrestling Omakase
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    282
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Wrestling Omakase

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