Podcast
Wrestling Omakase
Hosted by Wrestling Omakase · EN
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.
39episodes
Episodes
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Wrestling Omakase #304: NJPW G1 Climax Night 1 Live from Hoffman Estates w/ Arametha, Quinlan & John Bivins
6d ago01:24:02Tap to summarizeIt's another LIVE ON LOCATION episode of Wrestling Omakase, this time from BEAUTIFUL Hoffman Estates, Illinois! John is joined by three frequent Omakase guests all live in the hotel room, as Arametha, Quinlan & John Bivins help them break down an incredible first night of the New Japan Grade One Climax! All nine matches get reviewed, vibes get talked, and a whole lot more.John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #303: Korakuen-palooza (NJPW 7/6 & 7/7, STARDOM 6/30, DG 7/2 & NOAH 7/5), G1 Climax & 5STAR GP Previews w/ Arametha
1w ago03:46:47Tap to summarizeEpisode 2 of the three-episode Arametha takeover is a bonafide Korakuen-palooza, as the two of them discuss new Korakuen shows from NJPW (a big Road to G1 show featuring a major title change and then Tiger Mask's retirement), STARDOM (featuring an awesome red belt match), Dragongate (yet another middling show) and NOAH (which the two hosts strenuously disagreed on about almost everything!). They also preview a busy upcoming summer in Japanese wrestling with breakdowns of NJPW's G1 Climax and STARDOM's 5STAR GP tournaments, including predictions and full rundowns of both opening nights. And then they preview Dragongate's biggest show of the year, Kobe World, as well as NOAH's big upcoming show in Osaka. There's a lot going on right now. Also as a warning, this episode might have a lot of random/off topic banter even by our standards....Follow Wrestling Omakase on TwitterFollow John on BlueSkyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #302: 2026 Mid-Year Awards w/ Arametha, Paul, Eric & Velkej
3w ago04:34:28Tap to summarizeIt's an annual tradition here on Wrestling Omakase, and John isn't going to get the fact that they are very, very jet lagged put a stop to it! They're joined by an all star panel of frequent Omakase guests for our 2026 Mid-Year Awards, as all five choose the best & worst of the first half of a busy year in Japanese wrestling! See below for the full list of awards that were covered on the episode, in order.Best Tag TeamBest FeudMost ImprovedMost Overrated/OverpushedMost Underrated/UnderpushedBest UnitWorst UnitBest Major ShowWorst Major ShowMost Outstanding Wrestler (in ring only)Best PromotionWorst PromotionMatch of the (Half) YearWorst Match of the (Half) YearFlair/Thesz Award (in ring + drawing, basically MVP)Apologies for Zencastr repeatedly fucking with us, as well as John falling asleep at the end. Jet lag is real!! It's a menace!!Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Check out the Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshowSocial Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #301: STARDOM The Conversion Live from Japan w/ Matt
4w ago00:54:39Tap to summarizeIt's another Live from Japan episode, this time covering STARDOM The Conversion. John (while a little drunk) and Matt break down what was possibly the show of the year, featuring shocking results, a mega-hot crowd, and a whole lot more. Very short description because I'm in a rush to go to club MOGRA. Go listen. Or don't, it makes no difference to me really.Follow Matt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/armanishoeFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #300: NJPW Dominion Live from Japan w/ Matt
Jun 1401:01:57Tap to summarizeIt's the THREE HUNDRETH EPISODE of Wrestling Omakase (!!), and in very fitting fashion we are live from Japan! John is joined by first time guest Matt from their hotel room in Osaka for a full review of an eventful NJPW Dominion show from Osaka Jo Hall. Lots of live notes of course on the building and what the crowd was like in person as they break it all down match by match. A bit of a shorter episode than usual this week (the izakaya was calling us to be honest), but definitely a fun one!Follow Matt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/armanishoeFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #299: NJPW BOSJ Nights 11-13 & Finals, Dominion Preview, TJPW 6/7, DG 6/4 & 6/5 Korakuens, AJPW 6/6 Nikko w/ Velkej
Jun 904:37:18Tap to summarizeJohn is back on another Japan trip eve-eve, so they're filled with restless energy at the prospect of soon being back in a giant metal tube for 14 hours and they're pretty sure it showed! Thankfully returning guest Velkej is here to help them break down the end of the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and boy is there a lot to talk about: the very divisive winner, who had the best and worst tournaments, the giant gap between A and B blocks, and a whole lot more! Plus, a preview of a very underwhelming-on-paper Dominion card for Osaka Jo Hall (not ideal when you're going to it of course!).Then it's over to Tokyo Joshi for nothing but unabashed praise (well, not quite as much from Velkej but hey) as John happened to think this random Korakuen show from them ended up being one of the very best shows of the year- from any promotion. They break down a MOTYC tag title match, a strong undercard with their young wrestlers once again showing out, and a surprisingly great main event. Afterwar they head back to Dragongate for a very mixed bag of two more Korakuen Hall shows, including the enormous news of Shun Skywalker's imminent departure. They break down the perplexing way that's been handled so far, comparisons to Okada's NJPW departure, some really weird and stupid angles, and Kobe World being booked seemingly on the fly.Finally, John goes solo to break down AJPW's 6/6 show from Nikko, another fun show from the most improved promotion of 2026. They wrap things up with a little bit of rambling on as we approach the 300th episode of this stupid podcast, somehow. Thanks to our listeners!!!Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_BrachaFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #298: NJPW Sale, 30 Under 30, STARDOM 5/26 Korakuen, BOSJ Nights 8-10, DDT 5/31 Korakuen, Marvelous 5/31 & Ice Ribbon 5/31 w/ Eric
Jun 204:00:23Tap to summarizeJohn and Eric (fka Snazzy??) are back for another super packed episode of Wrestling Omakase! They start things off with some discussion of VOW's latest edition of the 30 Under 30 project- who they voted for that got lost in the honorable mentions, then as 30-16 dropped right when they started recording they go through that list as well. Plus, lots of discussion on young wrestlers and how different places do (or don't) develop them in general! Then it's on to a major topic from last week, as they talk the major news of NJPW's sale from Bushiroad to TV Asahi & Cyberagent, including a lot of things they think people are getting wrong about this topic so far.Then of course it's on to our show reviews, starting out with a STARDOM Korakuen show from 5/26 packed with major news: of course, Utami Hayashishita's sudden return to the company being the big one, but also a major title change on top. They break it all down as well as the sudden burst of unit movement from this past weekend as well. Then it's on to NJPW BOSJ Nights 8-10 (5/27, 5/29 & 5/30) which were kind of the dog days of the tournament, though there were still a couple highlights (and some real lowlights as well).Afterward they talk a trio of shows that all took place on May 31st, starting with the King of DDT finals from Korakuen Hall. They break down a somewhat surprising winner, whether or not this was a mistake, if DDT's young talent is being pushed fast enough, "vibes" and more. Then it's over to Marvelous to talk their latest Shin Kiba 1st Ring show, featuring some notable foreign talent, Chigusa Nagayo's divisive commentary (Nicole made a run in for this part- she is not a fan!), and what's coming up next for them. Finally, it's back to the land of Ice Ribbon to discuss their show from Yokohama that John was particularly invested in the result of, as their favorite wrestler in the promotion tries to earn a title shot on a show they're going to next month! Also somewhere in here we rank the Omakase co-hosts by who would beat who in a FIGHT, so definitely don't miss that!Joshi-ing Around podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/1309343e-3781-4750-9209-4efbc9976ab6Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #297: STARDOM Queens Dynasty, NJPW BOSJ Nights 4-7, Marigold Shine Forever & TJPW 5/22 Shinjuku w/ Arametha
May 2604:07:11Tap to summarizeJohn is joined once again by Arametha, the man of many pronunciations, as they discuss mostly absolute nonsense for 45 minutes before finally getting into STARDOM's Queen Dynasty show! They break down another strong showing for the World Wonder Ring at the box office, a fun undercard, and then very notable first title defenses for Sayaka Kurara & Hanan! After that it's over to New Japan for continuing coverage of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, covering night 4 from Korakuen Hall (the final true dual block show for a while) before heading into single block nights from Osaka, Hyogo & Kyoto! Who's been standing out so far, and who's been disappointing?Then it's back to joshi with Marigold's Shine Forever, their annual anniversary show from Ota Ward Gym. We discuss a difficult time for the embattled young promotion due to a mix of injuries and departures, and talk about where they might be able to go from here. Finally, we wrap things up with Tokyo Joshi's 5/22 Shinjuku FACE show, a delightful little event on their road to their next Korakuen show next month.Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #296: NJPW BOSJ Nights 1-3 (5/14, 5/16 & 5/17), AJPW Champion Carnival Finals (5/17), STARDOM 5/17 & Marigold 5/16 Korakuens w/ Velkej
May 2003:43:44Tap to summarizeJohn is back alongside returning guest Velkej Bracha as they open things up with the start of NJPW's annual Best of the Super Juniors tournament! They discuss all the tournament action from nights 1 through 3 all around Tokyo, breaking down which performances have been entertaining and which ones have been grating so far (and there's been plenty of both!). Then they head back to AJPW to wrap up their surprisingly good 2026 Champion Carnival, in front of one of their biggest crowds in years at Ota, before looking ahead to some big upcoming shows next month.Next up it's back to the World Wonder Ring, as John & Velkej discuss another solid Korakuen Hall show from STARDOM, celebrate the long-awaited return of the Artist six-woman belts (and talk a little about why they've been so important to the promotion historically), and then preview this coming weekend's Queen's Dynasty PPV from Aichi. Finally, they wrap up the episode with a review of Marigold's most recent Korakuen, including some surprisingly frank English commentary on everything surrounding Utami Hayashishita's departure, the promotion's current struggles but also the young talent we think can help them turn things around in the future. There's also a few very brief notes on NOAH's latest Korakuen, which we meant to review more in full but ran out of time this week.Follow Velkej on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Velkej_BrachaFollow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Wrestling Omakase #295: NOAH 5/2 Ryogoku & 5/5 Korakuen, Marvelous 10th Anniversary Show, AJPW Champion Carnival Nights 8/9, Sendai Girls 5/10, King of DDT 2nd Round, ICE 5/10 & DG 5/8 w/ Chris & John
May 1205:15:19Tap to summarizeJohn is back on the air for a special split episode! They start things out with returning guest Chris from Social Suplex, making his first appearance since the MOTY episode a few months back. After much complaining about broken phones and Apple bullshit they reminisce a little about being in Vegas for the Marvelous & West Coast shows, which is an excellent transition into the review of Marvelous' huge 10th Anniversary Show from Yokohama Buntai! They discuss a divisive main event and a ton of other huge matches. Then it's over to Sendai Girls for a typically low key but enjoyable 5/10 Shin Kiba show, featuring another great performance from Chihiro Hashimoto (but what else is new this year). To wrap up the joshi talk, John then goes solo to discuss the back half of Ice Ribbon's 5/10 show featuring a great world title match.Then John is joined by John Bivins, making his second straight appearance, as they cover all the men's wrestling together for the week. It starts out with Pro Wrestling NOAH, who we haven't covered in a while on this show and as it turns out for good reason, as they bury a mostly quite bad major show from Ryogoku, discuss a better effort from Korakuen Hall a few days later, and just generally talk about the current state of the once-proud green ring. Then it's back to AJPW to wrap up the Champion Carnival's last two block nights, which continued the trend of a quite enjoyable tournament. Speaking of enjoyable tournaments, it's the second round of the King of DDT from Shinjuku FACE! And finally, John goes solo again for a review of Dragongate's 5/8 Korakuen, as they talk the directions (and lack thereof) coming out of the big Nagoya event and some really weird booking in general, even if the show was mostly pretty good in ring wise. An absolutely packed show!---Social Suplex newsletter: https://www.socialsuplex.com/newsletter/John Bivins' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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