Dylan Fox reunites with Gerard Di Trolio of the Emerald FlowShow for Eastern Lariat's annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame special! This year, we're putting the Japanese ballot through the Gordy List, examining each candidate's drawing power, in-ring work, and historical significance before comparing our rankings and making our selections. Yoshihiro Takayama's candidacy gets particular attention, including Dylan's latest research into his career and drawing record. We also tackle the cases for Hayabusa, KENTA, Meiko Satomura, Tiger Jeet Singh, Masaaki Mochizuki, Io Shirai, Zack Sabre Jr., and the rest of the Japanese field. Along the way, we debate peak versus longevity, the weight of influence, and how much exceptional match quality can carry a Hall of Fame case. Then we work through the Historical, Modern, Mexico, Rest of the World, and Non-wrestler categories to round out the 2026 ballot. More than three hours of research, disagreements, reconsiderations, and wrestling history as we sort through who deserves a place in the Hall!
If you wanna hear more of Gerard and talking about modern NOAH, AJPW, occasionally GLEAT & BJW, check out the Emerald Flowshow!
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https://open.spotify.com/show/1sjbd84fZN0VC46hCnyc3V
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