Eastern Lariat
@easternlariat.bsky.social
Your show for news, notes, reviews and opinions on the world of #wrestling from #japan. A podcast hosted by Dylan Fox and STRIGGA.
Check out 1000s of hours of content on our Patreon: patreon.com/easternlariat
@EasternLariat on all SocMed.
Check out 1000s of hours of content on our Patreon: patreon.com/easternlariat
@EasternLariat on all SocMed.
Pinned
2025 Eastern Lariat Awards
docs.google.com
Now is the time...Who are the best of the best in Japanese Pro Wrestling? 12 categories. Any kind of fan or vote is allowed, any Japanese company, any wrestler in them. Who will win? Who deserves it? Who do you got?
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
A thread of winners for the 2025 ELAs!
The Eastern Lariat Year End Awards 2025 are in the books!
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
Eastern Lariat #317: 2025 Eastern Lariat Awards, Best of the Year in Japan « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
www.cagematch.net
January 21, 2026 at 9:55 PM
A thread of winners for the 2025 ELAs!
The Eastern Lariat Year End Awards 2025 are in the books!
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
Eastern Lariat #317: 2025 Eastern Lariat Awards, Best of the Year in Japan « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
www.cagematch.net
January 20, 2026 at 11:16 AM
The Eastern Lariat Year End Awards 2025 are in the books!
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
STRIGGA & Dylan unveil the ELAs, voted on by the listeners across 12 categories. Join in to hear about the best of japanese pro wrestling in the last year! #ELAs #WrestleSky ##PuroSky #JoshiSky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1351
Finally, the Hansen. Named after Stan "The Lariat" Hansen, this award is given to those performers who jad the best year in Japan while representing a different country of origin. Who was the best foreigner in Japan in 2025? #ELAs #PuroSky #WrestleSky
January 16, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Finally, the Hansen. Named after Stan "The Lariat" Hansen, this award is given to those performers who jad the best year in Japan while representing a different country of origin. Who was the best foreigner in Japan in 2025? #ELAs #PuroSky #WrestleSky
The Akiyama Award is for the best rookie, someone who debuted in 2024 or 25 as dictated by the ELAs terms on Rookie categorization. There are A LOT of great young talents out there. Which one should take home the crown as the Rookie of the Year? #ELAs #WrestleSky #PuroSky #JoshiSky
January 14, 2026 at 7:07 AM
The Akiyama Award is for the best rookie, someone who debuted in 2024 or 25 as dictated by the ELAs terms on Rookie categorization. There are A LOT of great young talents out there. Which one should take home the crown as the Rookie of the Year? #ELAs #WrestleSky #PuroSky #JoshiSky
Improvement & growth is arguably the entire meaning of life, no matter your path in it. The Most Improved award is to award who from Jan 1 to Dec 31 of 2025 took the biggest step forward from point A to point B. So, who was the one who was the Most Improved of 2025? #ELAs #WrestleSky #PuroSky
January 13, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Improvement & growth is arguably the entire meaning of life, no matter your path in it. The Most Improved award is to award who from Jan 1 to Dec 31 of 2025 took the biggest step forward from point A to point B. So, who was the one who was the Most Improved of 2025? #ELAs #WrestleSky #PuroSky
Best Promotion has many facets to be judgedby. There is in-ring quality, but also business growth and the usage of their roster through their booking & stories as well as their ideals as a company. With all that said, what was the best promotion in 2025 in Japanese Pro Wrestling? #ELAs #WrestleSky
January 12, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Best Promotion has many facets to be judgedby. There is in-ring quality, but also business growth and the usage of their roster through their booking & stories as well as their ideals as a company. With all that said, what was the best promotion in 2025 in Japanese Pro Wrestling? #ELAs #WrestleSky
Show of the year. Match quality, structure, it feeling special...so many qualities go into a great singular show and that's not even talking about the buildup to it. But with all that being said, which show held up and stood out as the best of the year? #ELAs #wrestlesky #purosky
January 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Show of the year. Match quality, structure, it feeling special...so many qualities go into a great singular show and that's not even talking about the buildup to it. But with all that being said, which show held up and stood out as the best of the year? #ELAs #wrestlesky #purosky
Best Bout. Match of the Year. Whatever you call it, it speaks for itself.
What was the best match that took place in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
What was the best match that took place in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
January 11, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Best Bout. Match of the Year. Whatever you call it, it speaks for itself.
What was the best match that took place in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
What was the best match that took place in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
Tag Team wrestling comes in various shapes and sizes depending on the company and the heart for it within each team where two wrestlers work in tandem as a singular entity. Which one had the best year in 2025 and deserves the crown of winning the Kawada/Taue Award? #ELAs
January 10, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Tag Team wrestling comes in various shapes and sizes depending on the company and the heart for it within each team where two wrestlers work in tandem as a singular entity. Which one had the best year in 2025 and deserves the crown of winning the Kawada/Taue Award? #ELAs
The Liger award. The representation of the best Jr. Heavyweight of the year. There's a lot of options with the amount of wrestlers below 100kg & used in the Jr. Heavyweight divisions. Who was the best when it comes to purely the Jr. Heavyweights in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
January 10, 2026 at 1:06 PM
The Liger award. The representation of the best Jr. Heavyweight of the year. There's a lot of options with the amount of wrestlers below 100kg & used in the Jr. Heavyweight divisions. Who was the best when it comes to purely the Jr. Heavyweights in Japan in 2025? #ELAs
Reposted by Eastern Lariat
In addition to the Tanahashi love and Dome coverage we had heading into his retirement...we already have a Tanahashi Trophy! This award is given to the best wrestler of the year PURELY from an in-ring standpoint. The pound for pound best wrestler.
Who was that person in 2025? #ELAs
Who was that person in 2025? #ELAs
January 10, 2026 at 6:37 AM
In addition to the Tanahashi love and Dome coverage we had heading into his retirement...we already have a Tanahashi Trophy! This award is given to the best wrestler of the year PURELY from an in-ring standpoint. The pound for pound best wrestler.
Who was that person in 2025? #ELAs
Who was that person in 2025? #ELAs
I've always said that Best Moment is my personal favorite award. What was the greatest moment in Japanese wrestling in 2025 that stuck with you the most? #ELAs
forms.gle/hh2wU5K5bgRv...
forms.gle/hh2wU5K5bgRv...
January 9, 2026 at 1:10 AM
I've always said that Best Moment is my personal favorite award. What was the greatest moment in Japanese wrestling in 2025 that stuck with you the most? #ELAs
forms.gle/hh2wU5K5bgRv...
forms.gle/hh2wU5K5bgRv...
Reposted by Eastern Lariat
Aight here are my picks.
MVP: Sareee
Was everywhere, always in important positions and more often than not has gotten me to watch.
Joshi MVP: Marino Saihara
With Sareee getting her flowers elsewhere, Marino has carried AWG on her shoulders, has been double champ and arguably the best performer.
MVP: Sareee
Was everywhere, always in important positions and more often than not has gotten me to watch.
Joshi MVP: Marino Saihara
With Sareee getting her flowers elsewhere, Marino has carried AWG on her shoulders, has been double champ and arguably the best performer.
Now is the time...Who are the best of the best in Japanese Pro Wrestling? 12 categories. Any kind of fan or vote is allowed, any Japanese company, any wrestler in them. Who will win? Who deserves it? Who do you got?
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
2025 Eastern Lariat Awards
docs.google.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Aight here are my picks.
MVP: Sareee
Was everywhere, always in important positions and more often than not has gotten me to watch.
Joshi MVP: Marino Saihara
With Sareee getting her flowers elsewhere, Marino has carried AWG on her shoulders, has been double champ and arguably the best performer.
MVP: Sareee
Was everywhere, always in important positions and more often than not has gotten me to watch.
Joshi MVP: Marino Saihara
With Sareee getting her flowers elsewhere, Marino has carried AWG on her shoulders, has been double champ and arguably the best performer.
The Joshi MVP, the Toyota Trophy is the Joshi exclusive equivalent of the MVP (which women are also allowed to win!) and utilizes the same idea of in-ring, business and overall importance to a company.
That said who is the best pick for the Joshi MVP through all of 2025? #ELAs
That said who is the best pick for the Joshi MVP through all of 2025? #ELAs
January 7, 2026 at 7:28 PM
The Joshi MVP, the Toyota Trophy is the Joshi exclusive equivalent of the MVP (which women are also allowed to win!) and utilizes the same idea of in-ring, business and overall importance to a company.
That said who is the best pick for the Joshi MVP through all of 2025? #ELAs
That said who is the best pick for the Joshi MVP through all of 2025? #ELAs
We'll turn our eyes to the #ELAs for our next ep. We've already got some votes but we need more to truly tell the story! Who was the MVP of Japanese Pro Wrestling in 2025? Who led the way in the ring, in terms of business & importance to their company? Who deserves the win most?
January 7, 2026 at 6:42 AM
We'll turn our eyes to the #ELAs for our next ep. We've already got some votes but we need more to truly tell the story! Who was the MVP of Japanese Pro Wrestling in 2025? Who led the way in the ring, in terms of business & importance to their company? Who deserves the win most?
Wrestle Kingdom 20 is in the books and it wasn’t just a show - it was a farewell. STRIGGA & Dylan discuss Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match, his legacy as the Ace, and how NJPW moves on in the post ace era. #njwk20
www.cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr...
www.cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr...
Eastern Lariat #316: Wrestle Kingdom 20 Review « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
www.cagematch.net
January 5, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Wrestle Kingdom 20 is in the books and it wasn’t just a show - it was a farewell. STRIGGA & Dylan discuss Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match, his legacy as the Ace, and how NJPW moves on in the post ace era. #njwk20
www.cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr...
www.cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr...
Now that the dust has settled on #njwk20 from a sold out Tokyo Dome, time to weigh in with some thoughts before the EL records and breaks it all down.
#njpw #wrestlesky #purosky
Grade on a 1-10 Scale for the whole show:
Best Match:
Best Cameo in Tana's Retirement Ceremony:
Worst Match/Moment:
#njpw #wrestlesky #purosky
Grade on a 1-10 Scale for the whole show:
Best Match:
Best Cameo in Tana's Retirement Ceremony:
Worst Match/Moment:
January 4, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Now that the dust has settled on #njwk20 from a sold out Tokyo Dome, time to weigh in with some thoughts before the EL records and breaks it all down.
#njpw #wrestlesky #purosky
Grade on a 1-10 Scale for the whole show:
Best Match:
Best Cameo in Tana's Retirement Ceremony:
Worst Match/Moment:
#njpw #wrestlesky #purosky
Grade on a 1-10 Scale for the whole show:
Best Match:
Best Cameo in Tana's Retirement Ceremony:
Worst Match/Moment:
2026 Predictions! What's likely? What's unlikely? What's gonna happen in NJPW? STARDOM? AJPW? NOAH? MARIGOLD? DG? DDT? TJPW? And of course, GLEAT. All that and more on the 2026 Predictions show!
cagematch.net/?id=128&nr=1340
cagematch.net/?id=128&nr=1340
Eastern Lariat #315.5: 2026 Predictions for Japan « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
cagematch.net
January 4, 2026 at 2:20 AM
2026 Predictions! What's likely? What's unlikely? What's gonna happen in NJPW? STARDOM? AJPW? NOAH? MARIGOLD? DG? DDT? TJPW? And of course, GLEAT. All that and more on the 2026 Predictions show!
cagematch.net/?id=128&nr=1340
cagematch.net/?id=128&nr=1340
Reposted by Eastern Lariat
A thread of the top 25 young wrestlers in Japan as determined by this very show! With some pretty spiffy graphics if I do say so myself! 🧵
January 2, 2026 at 7:45 PM
A thread of the top 25 young wrestlers in Japan as determined by this very show! With some pretty spiffy graphics if I do say so myself! 🧵
A thread of the top 25 young wrestlers in Japan as determined by this very show! With some pretty spiffy graphics if I do say so myself! 🧵
January 2, 2026 at 7:45 PM
A thread of the top 25 young wrestlers in Japan as determined by this very show! With some pretty spiffy graphics if I do say so myself! 🧵
Now is the time...Who are the best of the best in Japanese Pro Wrestling? 12 categories. Any kind of fan or vote is allowed, any Japanese company, any wrestler in them. Who will win? Who deserves it? Who do you got?
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
2025 Eastern Lariat Awards
docs.google.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Now is the time...Who are the best of the best in Japanese Pro Wrestling? 12 categories. Any kind of fan or vote is allowed, any Japanese company, any wrestler in them. Who will win? Who deserves it? Who do you got?
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
The #ELAs are back! Vote right here!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Eastern Lariat
In episode 315 of the Eastern Lariat STRIGGA & Dylan break down the best Japanese pro wrestling talent under 25 and discuss who’s in line to become the future of puroresu. Who made it? Who is the number one wrestler now & in the future born in the 00s?
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
Eastern Lariat #315: Top 25 Wrestlers 25 & Under (Japan) « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
www.cagematch.net
January 1, 2026 at 4:59 AM
In episode 315 of the Eastern Lariat STRIGGA & Dylan break down the best Japanese pro wrestling talent under 25 and discuss who’s in line to become the future of puroresu. Who made it? Who is the number one wrestler now & in the future born in the 00s?
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
In episode 315 of the Eastern Lariat STRIGGA & Dylan break down the best Japanese pro wrestling talent under 25 and discuss who’s in line to become the future of puroresu. Who made it? Who is the number one wrestler now & in the future born in the 00s?
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
Eastern Lariat #315: Top 25 Wrestlers 25 & Under (Japan) « Podcasts « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database
Internet Wrestling Database
www.cagematch.net
January 1, 2026 at 4:59 AM
In episode 315 of the Eastern Lariat STRIGGA & Dylan break down the best Japanese pro wrestling talent under 25 and discuss who’s in line to become the future of puroresu. Who made it? Who is the number one wrestler now & in the future born in the 00s?
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
#wrestlesky
www.cagematch.net?id=128&nr=1339
Reposted by Eastern Lariat
The time has come once again for our predictions episode!
Drop your predictions for 2026 in Japanese Pro Wrestling in a reply/quote and I'll discuss each one along with drop a few of mine as well. For any company, any gender, realistic or silly. What will happen in 2026?
#purosky
#wrestlesky
Drop your predictions for 2026 in Japanese Pro Wrestling in a reply/quote and I'll discuss each one along with drop a few of mine as well. For any company, any gender, realistic or silly. What will happen in 2026?
#purosky
#wrestlesky
December 28, 2025 at 5:21 PM
The time has come once again for our predictions episode!
Drop your predictions for 2026 in Japanese Pro Wrestling in a reply/quote and I'll discuss each one along with drop a few of mine as well. For any company, any gender, realistic or silly. What will happen in 2026?
#purosky
#wrestlesky
Drop your predictions for 2026 in Japanese Pro Wrestling in a reply/quote and I'll discuss each one along with drop a few of mine as well. For any company, any gender, realistic or silly. What will happen in 2026?
#purosky
#wrestlesky