[Results] "EMPEROR'S CUP Opening Round," 2013.03.08 @ Korakuen Hall

* After weeks of hype, the quest to crown the first HEC Heavyweight Champion began in front of over 2,000 fans; packing every available seat in the world-famous Korakuen Hall. Once again, the professional touch was given to every aspect of the production. Banners hung from the balconies, displaying various wrestler names and catch-phrases, such as Kazuma Fujita's, "NEVER, EVER, EVER SURRENDER!!" At gong time, the lights faded before the opening VTR (video-tape-recording; video package) was cued onto the projection screen hanging on the north wall of Korakuen. In under 3:30, the VTR went over the importance of the EMPEROR'S CUP tournament, using tag lines such as, "Among 16, A Hero will Forge the Beginning of his Legend!!" and "Only the Strongest Can Ascend to the Throne..." After reaching a sweeping, bombastic music video climax, the cheesy but epic tune of "Holding Out For a Hero" by Miki Asakura floods the hall. With all 2,000+ clapping along with the rhythm of the song, Ring Announcer Eizou Hayakawa welcomed the fans to the opening round of the EMPEROR'S CUP tournament. Hayakawa proceeded to introduce all sixteen participants individually, according to match-ups. Each wrestler appeared wearing a gold ceremonial sash with their names printed across. After every participant lined the inside of the ring, KJPW CEO and Acting President Shigesato Ishiyama entered the ring, carrying the immaculately pristine HEC Heavyweight Title Belt. As Mr. Ishiyama hoisted the belt up, the fans showed a great deal of respect with their applause, and did the same once more as Mr. Ishiyama then displayed the physical EMPEROR'S CUP, which will also be awarded to the winner in addition to 10,000,000 Yen in prize money. Very briefly, Mr. Ishiyama once more reiterated what was at stake, and wished all sixteen competitors the best of luck in their campaign.

 * As a primer before the actual tournament, six of KJPW's young guns took the stage for the night's opening match, as Kazuki Sendo and ARMADA's Yusaku Kitajima each led an able-bodied team of rookies against each other. Naturally, both Sendo and Kitajima had some remaining tension stemming from their last encounter on 02/23, with Sendo in particular seeking Kitajima out with cheap shots and other antagonistic behavior. The four members of KJPW's rookie class showed off great potential as usual; attacking one another with an assorted array of basic attacks and wrestling fundamentals. The moment any of the four tried to be overzealous, they quickly paid for it. Uchikawa and Nishioka showed great, fiery chemistry as they traded fierce forearms. Nishioka seemed to be growing frustrated with Uchikawa's dominance. However, he finally BLASTED Uchikawa with an amazingly graceful Dropkick, catching his rival right under the chin! The shot caught even the fans off guard, who responded with a loud ovation of applause and calls. Unfortunately for Nishioka, before he could take the fanfare in, he found himself on the receiving end of a flurry from his senior, Yusaku Kitajima. The more experienced Kitajima wore Nishioka down further with powerful kicks, and capped off with a double underhook suplex. Nishioka would try to make a comeback a couple of times, only to receive a sturdy kick to the face for his trouble. After catching Nishioka with a reverse waterwheel drop, Kitajima applied a combined Prison Lock/Full Nelson on the poor rookie. In no time, Kitajima had Nishioka's neck forced downward at an unnatural angle! This, combined with the figure four variation applied forced Nishioka to flair his arms in submission!

* With the preliminary bout out of the way, the first round of the EMPEROR'S CUP officially got underway, as the "Hot-Tempered Samurai" Riki Ichiro faced "ARMADA's Berserker" Yuichi Miwa. Showing no love lost since their last encounter on 02/23, both men lit into the other from the opening bell with back-and-forth forearms and slaps! The ferocity of attack caught even the fans off guard, creating a feverous atmosphere. With fans slowly picking their favorite, heavy blows continued to be exchanged. The wound Riki suffered above his right eye brow on 02/23 was re-opened within minutes. This only seemed to motivate Ichiro, who dared Miwa to hit him even harder! Naturally, Miwa obliged with three HARD slaps across Riki's face! The third shot in particular sent blood FLYING from the side of Riki's face! Showing guts, Riki grabbed hold of a headlock; only to be forced off into the ropes. There, Ichiro showed his strength by knocking Miwa off his feet with a shoulder tackle! After briefly wearing Miwa down with a chin lock, Riki threw his opponent to the floor, before following. On the outside, Ichiro immediately sent Miwa HURLING chest first into the steel security railing! After peppering Miwa with a couple of knuckle punches, Ichiro tried once more to send Miwa into the steel. This time however, the "Berserker" turned the momentum to send Ichiro crashing into the railing! Ready to strike, Miwa continued pummeling Riki with kicks, knees, forearms, and slaps for the early duration of Referee Hideki Kajiwara's 20 count, before finally rolling Ichiro in at 17. Choosing to slow down the pace, Miwa tried wearing Ichiro down with various holds; moving from the top of Ichiro's body with a front face lock, to the middle with a grounded cobra twist. With the Tokyo fans seemingly more supportive towards Riki, all 2,000+ rallied with chants of "I-CHI-RO!" With blood trickling down his face, Ichiro managed to fight his way back to a standing position, where he broke Miwa's grip with a series of smashing fists deep into his body -- one after another! After sending Miwa into the ropes, Ichiro flew into action, SMASHING Miwa's face with a kneel kick! As he popped to his feet, Ichiro intensely pumped his arm; showing nearly every vein pulsating from his body! As Miwa regrouped in the corner, Ichiro followed in; CRUSHING Miwa with a lariat! As Miwa staggered out, Ichiro sent him flipping forward onto the mat before ascending to the top turnbuckle! There, Riki dived; landing a STERN elbow across Miwa's chest. After a failed pin attempt, Ichiro continued to pound away with stomps and sledgehammer blows. Miwa fought back with more body shots; only prompting further assault from Riki. Changing tactics, Riki returned to the top rope... However, before he could reach the top, Miwa would found a way to reach deep and cut him off! After a brief struggle, Miwa tossed Riki overhead; sending him hurling overhead and crashing to the mat! Ichiro scrambled to his feet; only to receive a HARD savate kick to the body his troubles. The blow left Riki open to a textbook Brainbuster (vertical suplex). Miwa seemed to be winning over many of the fans who were unfamiliar with him, leading briefly to a dueling exchange of "I-CHI-RO!/LET'S-GO-MI-WA!" This led to yet another exchange of heavy strikes back-and-forth; this time with the trash-talking turned up to 11. This became less about a wrestling match, and more about who was the alpha dog, as both men openly welcomed the other to give them their best shot! This led to a SICK flurry of slaps from Miwa, which seemed to be causing severe swelling around Ichiro's mouth. Riki however returned in kind, CLOBBERING Miwa with short, yet powerful lariats. As the fans reached a feverous pitch, Miwa; exhausted himself, seemed to be chipping away at Ichiro's armor after a deadly combination of kicks and elbows, which left Ichiro kneeling, and in a daze! Feeling this was his chance to end it, Miwa measured Riki from the corner before patting his right "Berserker" knee... However, as he charged out of the corner, RIKI SPRUNG TO LIFE; BLASTING MIWA WITH A POWERFUL LARIAT! The sheer ferocity of the attack sent Miwa doing a COMPLETE 180! Feeling his second wind and a groundswell of support from the Korakuen fans, Ichiro came roaring off the ropes before taking Miwa's head off with ANOTHER LARIAT! Ichiro collapsed onto Miwa; pressing his hands down firmly across Miwa's body as Referee Kajiwara rendered the three count!

Korakuen was set ablaze by the tenacious efforts of both men. As the other members of ARMADA attended to the fallen Miwa, Ichiro took the house microphone. He praised Miwa's "Berserker Spirit," but said he wasn't strong enough to overcome the "Soul of a Samurai." Riki's comments seemed to incense Miwa, who tried his best to charge him; only to collapse under his own weight. Holding his WWA National Heavyweight Title, Riki told Miwa to train harder, and maybe he could challenge him for both the WWA National Heavyweight Title, AND the HEC Heavyweight Title when he wins it.

* In the next first round match, Tetsuji Kawamura of "MONSTER HEAD DUO" would have an incredibly difficult challenge before him in the form of dangerous hardcore wrestling veteran Sean King; who even without his tools-of-the-trade; is still a threat in the ring. Led to the ring by SPIRIT International's Katsumi Gakusha and Shino Hiriyama, King took the microphone and threatened Kawamura directly before the match, shouting "IT'S OFF WITH YOUR HEAD, KAWAMURA!!!" This prompted a wild, and chaotic brawl to start. Many fans were sent scurrying as King HURLED Kawamura into a row of lined up chairs. As King tried to drag Kawamura around, Tetsuji would fight back, and give King a dose of his own medicine by sending him head first into the steel ring post; INSTANTLY opening him up! Kawamura didn't let up, and broke SEVERAL chairs over King's large back, and even a couple over his head! Referee Haruhiro Hirata tried to be as liberal with the rules as possible; given the importance of the tournament. However, he was finally forced to bring the ring-out count up to 17 before both Tetsuji and King realized severity of the situation; leading to both men DARTING into the ring at 19. Tetsuji seemed to bring his A Game tonight, and used what speed advantage he had to counter and evade King's lumbering attacks. However, upon coming off the ropes, Tetsuji found himself CRUSHED with a smashing Bear hug-like attack! King went on to punish Tetsuji with three consecutive body slams; each one harder than the last. Further damage was inflicted as King hopped off the ground; smashing Kawamura with a body press! King then tried to finish things with a TOP ROPE body press... However, Kawamura resiliently moved away, sending all 159kg of King IMPACTING the canvas! With fans soundly behind the native Kawamura, Tetsuji unleashed a volley of chops and strikes left-and-right -- having little to no effect. Tetsuji continued, kicking and elbowing King. With nothing seemingly working, Tetsuji began wildly throwing MONGOLIAN CHOPS! The unorthodox attack caught King off, and allowed Tetsuji to muster all of his strength to SCOOP-AND-SLAM the Super Heavyweight! Feeling high on momentum, Tetsuji took to the top rope before begging King to rise to his feet... After doing so, Tetsuji jumped; hoping to catch King unsuspectingly with his Raiden Crush. Unfortunately for him however, King seemed to be more than aware of his plans, as he CAUGHT Tetsuji in mid-seated senton! Tetsuji had but a mere moment to realize just how badly he screwed up before King SPIKED HIM with a Whipping Powerbomb! Wasting no time, King dragged the groggy Tetsuji up before scooping him over his shoulder and DRIVING HIM HEAD FIRST INTO THE MAT WITH THE FIRE THUNDER; or the Welcome to St. Louis as King brands it. Sensing the end, King covered Tetsuji with an arrogant foot; ONLY FOR TETSUJI TO KICK OUT AT 2.5! Feeling offended, King pulled Tetsuji back up; while simultaneously asking Tetsuji if he "wants more!?" After hoisting Tetsuji overhead in the Fireman's Carry position, King proceeded to deliver two rapid rotations to disorientate Tetsuji; followed by the virulent Death Valley Bomb to complete what King calls the SK DRIVER! Pushed beyond the point of breaking, there was nothing Tetsuji could do to kick out of the ensuing pin attempt.

* While Tetsuji Kawamura failed, we would next find out how the other member of "MHD" would fair in the Cup as he faced the powerful and revered Chikao Kessin. This bout was nothing short of hard-hitting as two of KJPW's most physically dominating competitors squared off. Trying his best to show that he has leveled up in the last year, Mamoru took the fight to Kessin from the start, and used his incredible size to overwhelm Kessin, who's typically used to being the biggest wrestler in the ring. Using all 198cm of his height, Sekishima sent shock waves through out Korakuen by SLAMMING heavy knees deep into Kessin's thick body early on. Not easily broken; Chikao Kessin returned Mamoru's brutality in kind with THUDDING kesagiri chops. Eventually, Sekishima's over zealousness caught up to him after Kessin cut him off with a mighty Lariat! From there, Kessin displayed his familiar power-oriented Sumo style of simple throws and powerful strikes. Mamoru finally found an opening after Kessin came off the ropes, which allowed him to strike Kessin with a hard boot to the face. The shot stunned Kessin long enough to allow Sekishima to grab the waist lock from behind... There, the "Greco Superman" showed off his immense strength combined with his masterful greco-roman wrestling skills by SUPLEXING Kessin with a Gutwrench! The move vehemently won over the fans, who responded with almost unanimous chants of "MA-MO-RU!" With adrenaline rushing, Sekishima seemed confident enough to pull Kessin back into the Gutwrench position, where he tried to power the 145kg Kessin up for the GRECO (Gutwrench) BOMB... However, Mamoru's over-eagerness would be his downfall, as Kessin struggled defensively; before ultimately overpowering Mamoru with a shoulder throw! As Sekishima pulled himself up using the corner pad, Chikao Kessin showed amazing agility for a man his size by sprinting into the corner; CRUSHING him with a body attack that sent Mamoru collapsing on his rear; with his head propped in the corner. Refusing to seize the opportunity, Kessin followed in once more; BURYING HIS HIP INTO MAMORU'S FACE! Kessin dragged Mamoru out before going for the cover -- only to get a kick out. The Sumo continued to devastate Mamoru with his weight, which involved three consecutive Guillotine drops across the back of Sekishima's neck! Urging him on tauntingly, Kessin would let Mamoru start to get his footing, before CHOPPING him back down with another Kesagiri chop. Eventually however, Kessin's chops were baring little effect. The "Destructive Power" rapidly began fighting back with exuberant chops to the chest; with another power to send Kessin reeling! After whipping the Sumo off the ropes, Mamoru followed off the opposite side; BLASTING Kessin with a JUMPING KNEE! With the crowd solidly behind him, Mamoru took the chance to leap onto the middle turn post, before thrusting his fist in the air three times in unison with the "MA-MO-RU!" calls! ...Unfortunately, this boisterous gesture left him open to Kessin's rebounding attack from behind! With his his back completely exposed, Mamoru could do nothing to fight as Kessin climbed up from behind... After securing his grip, he propelled both he and Mamoru from the top rope, as he FOLDED MAMORU IN HALF WITH AN AVALANCHE SEKAI ICHI NO BACKDROP! The desperation attack seemed to take almost take as much out of Chikao's heavy frame as it did Mamoru's, leading to both men nearly being counted down by the referee! Unfortunately, by the time he'd reach for the cover, Mamoru would have recovered enough to kick out at 2.5! Having just a little more left than Mamoru, Kessin reached deep to connect with two clubbing BACK BLOW S; staggering Mamoru. Gripping the waist lock tight, and with the fans bursting in anticipation of knowing what's coming; Chikao gathered his remaining strength to hoist Sekishima upward, before SPIKING HIM WITH THE SEKAI ICHI NO BACKDROP! Chikao made the cover, while hooking the leg in the process. There was nothing left in Mamoru's tank, giving Chikao Kessin passage to round two!

Mamoru won over many, many fans in his performance; including Chikao Kessin himself, who acknowledged Mamoru's growth. However, he told Sekishima that he hadn't quite reached the "Ozeki" level, but possibly was at the Sekiwake rank. He encouraged Mamoru to improve, and said he'll give him something to aspire to when he achieves the Yokozuna rank by winning the EMPEROR'S CUP and becomes HEC Heavyweight Champion.

* ARMADA would meet SPIRIT International next as the Kenji Tanamura faced Katsumi Gakusha! While Tanamura had ARMADA seconding him, Gakusha had the very sneaky Shino Hiriyama seconding him, along with Sean King. Gakusha seemed unimpressed with Tanamura to start, and arrogantly whipped his hair back at the thought of shaking Tanamura's hand upon invitation. He was quick to figure out Tanamura's expertise early on however, as the "Gladiator King" shot in and took him to the mat before he could realize what was happening. Tanamura kept Gakusha grounded with submissions, with Kenji resting on a top wrist lock, Gakusha showed off incredible agility by kipping-up in a crowd pleasing maneuver. Using momentum, Gakusha threw Tanamura with an arm drag! As Tanamura scrambled to his feet, Gakusha met him once more, popping him with a Dropkick! Tanamura made his counter-attack after locking up, as he gave "Mr. DYNAMIC" a taste of his own medicine by countering out of his side headlock; sending him off into the ropes. As he rebounded, Tanamura met him with a HARD kick to the body, followed by another! Gakusha stumbled back, while trying his best to absorb the shot... Not wanting to be look weak, Gakusha threw up his hands, screaming "C'MON! GIMME MORE!" Tanamura obliged; throwing two consecutive kicks to the upper body. The blows landed so hard, Gakusha's entire chest would noticeably tense up as he tried to take the kick. Despite wavering, Gakusha again provoked Tanamura again, leading to him loading up once more on kicks. After throwing two brutal chest kicks, Tanamura sized Gakusha up for the home run. In doing so, he intentionally gave Gakusha enough time to throw up his hands to block the shot, before pulling his kick in anticipation! With Gakusha completely exposed, Tanamura threw a CHOPPING leg kick, which swept Gakusha COMPLETELY off his feet! As he sat up, he immediately ATE a stiff kick to the face! While damaging, the shot wouldn't be enough to keep Gakusha down after Tanamura went for the cover. Seeking a moment to recover, Gakusha retreated to the outside. Tanamura rolled in pursuit, leading to Gakusha scrambling around the corner to get away! Giving chase, Tanamura turned the corner; ONLY TO BE BLINDSIDED BY SEAN KING! The Korakuen fans erupted in a chorus of boos, clearly not approving of SPIRIT International's interference, which was brilliantly hid from the referee thanks to Shino Hiriyama, who provided the timely distraction. After returning to the ring, Gakusha tried to wear Tanamura down with a chin lock; while occasionally letting up just to throw a HARD kick to the back of Tanamura's spine. After finally finding himself in a figure four headscissors, Tanamura managed to use his superb grappling skills to find an escape, before sweeping Gakusha unsuspectingly onto his back! Guarded, Gakusha remained ever vigilant against the former MMA ground specialist. Slowly, Kenji began to isolate Gakusha's left arm for a chickenwing arm lock attempt... Sensing this however, Gakusha blocked the attempt... However, this appeared to be but a ploy, as Tanamura instead began SMACKING Gakusha with a volley of palm strikes from the mount position! The slaps seemed to pull the fans into the match, as Tanamura THEN found himself going for the Chickenwing Armlock! A tap out seemed imminent for the "Blessful One," had it not been for MORE INTERFERENCE from SPIRIT International, as Sean King reached into the ring behind Referee Haruhiro Hirata's back; pulling Gakusha under the ring ropes to prompt a rope break! Once more, the fans were NOT pleased with the interference, prompting even Yusaku Kitajima and Yuichi Miwa of ARMADA to verbally complain to the referee. After releasing the hold, Tanamura mistakenly turned his attention to the outside, allowing Gakusha to ambush him from behind with a knee to the back! As Tanamura stumbled into the ropes, Gakusha met him with a fast Backdrop; folding Tanamura in half! After a failed pin attempt, Gakusha propped Tanamura in the corner, before unloading with a series of body punches and and face slaps; returning the favor for earlier in the match. However, this only lit a fire under the spirited "Gladiator King," who responded in kind with a burst off rapid-fire palm strikes to the face, followed by an ABISEGIRI! Tanamura scrambled to recover in time to make the prudent pin attempt. However, by the time he could follow through, Gakusha had enough to kick out at 2.5. With the fans soundly behind Tanamura, both men seemed to go into their final reserves as they loaded up once again on palm slaps to the face. With the stakes setting in, neither man wanted to give an inch. Gakusha however seemed to pull ahead after evading a few of Tanamura's shots, and landing timely counters. Feeling the time to strike, Gakusha quickly kicked Tanamura in the midsection before grabbing the 3/4 cravate. After his trademark "Blessful" gesture, Gakusha attempted to finish Tanamura off with his Blessful Crusher! However, Kenji managed to prevent the finishing attack by hanging onto the top rope! However, his positioning allowed Sean King to BLAST HIM WITH A LARIAT FROM THE APRON! This time, the interference was blatantly in front of the referee, prompting a stern threat of expulsion and DQ to King! Naturally, King protested, and said he was only trying to help Tanamura. This provided the opportunity for MORE intrusions, as Shino Hiriyama joined Gakusha in the ring. Together, the two measured Tanamura before delivering a Leg Sweep/Kneel Kick formally known as the LOVE GUN! After Hiriyama escaped the ring, Gakusha went for the cover. The fans seemed to sense the end, as they erupted in cheers at Tanamura's kick out! Calling once more for the end, Gakusha confidently shouted, "BLESSFUL! FINISH!!" before pulling Tanamura groggily to his feet. After hooking the cravate once more, Gakusha tried to follow through with his match-ending Blessful Crusher... Tanamura however COUNTERED by locking in a SLEEPER HOLD! The counter-attack caused SPIRIT International to scramble as both Shino Hiriyama AND Sean King found themselves on the ring apron to desperately get the referee's attention! Just as things couldn't get anymore chaotic, a heavily bandaged RIKI ICHIRO came out, TAKING SEAN KING'S LEGS OUT WITH A LARIAT!! While trying to help, Ichiro only seemed to anger ARMADA's Yuichi Miwa, who responded to Riki's aid by SHOVING HIM TO THE GROUND! This led to a wild brawl involving SPIRIT International, ARMADA, and Riki Ichiro; all while Tanamura had the submission applied! In fact, Tanamura transitioned the sleeper hold into a crossface hold, which he in turn shifted into a modified front sleeper hold, with an added hammerlock for leverage! With SPIRIT International momentarily detained, Katsumi Gakusha was FORCED TO TAP to the painful joint/choke submission combo!

Fans responded unequivocally with cheers and calls for Tanamura. The ringside area had to be quelled by more than one party. Riki Ichiro found himself profusely bleeding from brawling with both Sean King and Yuichi Miwa. He was eventually led to the back after continually trying to fight his way back to either King or Miwa. In the ring, Tanamura said that At 36-years-old, he'd show what a world-class fighter could truly be at his age. Like every winner before him, he vowed to win the EMPEROR'S CUP, and declared that the "Gladiator King" would become the "Gladiator Ace" when he became HEC Heavyweight Champion.

* Just before intermission wrapped up, a video message was played on the projection screen from the team known as "DOUBLE GOODWIN," James Goodwin Jr. and "BIG" Jon Goodwin. The two American's spoke in English, with the words translated to the fans in Japanese. James said that he and "Big Jon" were coming to KJPW to continue the legacy their father established; the legendary James Goodwin. His "little" brother was much more fiery in his words, saying that he and his brother both had an appetite for destruction, and said they were coming for Mamoru Sekishima and Tetsuji Kawamura; MONSTER HEAD DUO on 03/15, here in Korakuen Hall!

* The second-half of the show kicked off with a intense showdown between TAKU and ARMADA's Harumi Sakai. The two contrasting personalities clashed heads early on; literally, as a round of trash talking prompted the two to butt heads. After a fruitless exchange of forearms, the two took to the ropes, hoping to use the added momentum to sink the other. Both men resisted the others attacks back and forth, antagonizing the other. Tempers flared, leading to a wild flurry of HARD elbows! TAKU appeared to gain the upper hand after staggering Sakai with a series of three shots. However, as he boldly charged at the seemingly stunned Sakai, the "Technique Savage" caught both TAKU and the fans by surprise with a SPIKING Frankensteiner! The attack was so severe, it forced TAKU to the outside, where he quickly was on the receiving end of a baseball slide from Sakai! From the apron, Sakai took a running start before LEAPING with a apron missile kick, catching TAKU and sending him tumbling into the steel security railing! After taking the time to retrieve TAKU, Sakai rolled him into the ring before Referee Kajiwara could begin his 20-count. Sakai stuck to a hard hitting game plan, and drove his his shin deep into TAKU's back with a soccer kick. The shots seemed to invigorate the "Rampaging Choujin" however, as he beckoned Sakai to give him more. With a running start, Sakai was happy to oblige, before throwing a WILD soccer kick aimed for TAKU's chest... TAKU however CAUGHT the kick, using both arms! After getting to his feet, TAKU BLASTED the one-legged Sakai with a LARIAT! After the failed pin attempt, TAKU sent Sakai scrambling into the corner, before following in with a HARD back elbow! As Sakai staggered forward, TAKU rushed off the ropes, hoping to catch the stunned Harumi with a Spear... However, Sakai would be ready as he CRACKED TAKU UNDER THE CHIN WITH A PERFECTLY-TIMED KNEE! The blow sent cries of HORROR through out Korakuen Hall as fans TAKU appeared slumped forward; seemingly unconscious! After a brief moment to recover, Harumi sprung to action and shot the half-nelson to cover TAKU! However The "Muscle Beast" shocked everyone by KICKING OUT AT 2.9! While surprised, Sakai did not let up; and kept TAKU grounded momentarily with a chickenwing face lock... However, after pulling TAKU up, Sakai applied a DOUBLE Chickenwing, leading to a TIGER SUPLEX HOLD! With TAKU's body impacted into the mat, he once again showed amazing resilience my kicking out at 2.5! Sakai however showed his own sort of resilience as he kept the double chickenwing applied, before hooking the CATTLE MUTALATION! The end seemed near once more for TAKU, who desperately tried to reach the bottom rope with his foot to break the unbelievably excruciating submission. And with guts and an incredible threshold for pain, TAKU would indeed do so, garnering a huge ovation from the devoted Korakuen fans. Trying to drown out passionate chants of "TA-KU!", Harumi Sakai aimed to finish TAKU once and for all. To set up his kill shot, he pelted TAKU with a flurry of palm strikes and kicks to leave him staggered in the center of the ring. Sakai then rushed towards the ropes... What he did not see was TAKU FOLLOWING BEHIND. As Sakai came off the ropes to attack, he was suddenly caught off guard by TAKU's evasion... By the time he turned around, Sakai found himself walking into a SPEAR FROM TAKU! With TAKU sufficiently stunned, he followed with the JACKHAMMER; showing no effort at all in hoisting his opponent up! Unfortunately for him, Sakai would have just a bit left after kicking out at 2.5! Seated upward in a haze, Sakai could not be in a better position for TAKU to finish the match. TAKU seized his chance accordingly, and came off the ropes before BLASTING SAKAI WITH THE CHOUJIN BOMBER! With Sakai doubled over, TAKU covered him to pick up the three count!!

  
Afterwards, TAKU took the microphone and said he was simply unstoppable. He vowed to show the "True Might of an Emperor" when he seized the Cup on 03/15.

* On almost any given night, Go Taniguchi is often found to be the most light-hearted man imaginable in a pro-wrestling ring... However, prompted by the stern words of his opponent tonight, Go Taniguchi came to the ring with no purpose but to win. This set with Yujiro Higuchi nicely, who had no intention of holding back against Go. The two 193cm+ towers would face off, before quickly breaking down into an ugly exchange of blows. Higuchi threw wild chops and slaps, only to fight his shots BLOCKED and returned with a HARD northern chop from Taniguchi! The exchange continued until Higuchi tried to whip Go off into the ropes. To his surprise, Yujiro was caught off guard by Go's counter, who sent Yujiro off into the ropes. As Higuchi rebounded, Go caught him with a HEAVY boot to the face! While slightly stunning Higuchi, the "Nagoya Tower" returned fire with a jabbing boot of his own. As Go staggered into the ropes, Higuchi tried to follow through; ONLY FOR GO TO PULL THE BOTTOM ROPE DOWN, SENDING HIGUCHI TUMBLING TO THE FLOOR! It was at this point the fans lost it for Go, and could no longer hide their bias support for him. Higuchi was irate upon realizing his humiliation, and taunted Taniguchi to meet him on the outside. While his opponent seemed to be willing to oblige, Higuchi instead chose to cut Go off on the apron with a HARD palm to the chest, before dragging Go through the middle rope! With the fans anxiously watching, Yujiro grabbed Go by the throat, using both arms -- The set up to his DOUBLE GAUGE! The mere thought of Go taking such an attack from the ring apron sent the crowd (especially the women) into near hysteria! However, Go managed to fight Yujiro off with more vertical chops to the skull! After sending Yujiro stumbling backwards towards the ring post, Go motioned to the crowd for a big move... However, just as he began to charge, HIGUCHI BLASTED HIM IN THE FACE WITH A LEAPING BIG BOOT! The fans shrieked in horror as Go crashed to the floor! Higuchi showed no mercy however, and quickly stayed persistent in his assault. After burying Go's head into the hard ring apron surface several times, Higuchi rolled him into the ring, leading to a failed pin attempt... With a "TA-NI-GU-CHI!" chant slowly building, Go bid his time for the right opportunity to strike. Finally, after anticipating an Irish Whip into the corner, he caught Higuchi with a HARD boot of his own to return the favor from earlier! With Higuchi momentarily stunned, Go came off the ropes to connect with a Running Neckbreaker Drop. After a guillotine drop across Higuchi's chest, Go covered him; only to get a two-count. This led to Go attempting his Aqua-Line Northern Light Suplex hold... Higuchi however countered with a HARD knee to the body to break Go's grip! With the opening, Higuchi then THRUSTED his palm into Go's throat, grasping for the Chokeslam! Despite struggling to breathe, Go fought Higuchi off with fervent Northern chops, before going once more for the Aqua-Line, THIS TIME GETTING IT! The crowd erupted as Go suplexed the 194cm, 121kg Higuchi over his head, only to be disappointed when Higuchi kicked of the bridging pin at two... Go however was not disappointed, but sure victory was near. This prompted him to uncharacteristically scale the top turnbuckle... In doing so however, he would take took much time, which allowed Higuchi to climb up and cut him off! After a brief struggle, Higuchi mustered his strength to lift the 193cm Go up, before delivering him to the canvas with a SUPERPLEX! Higuchi wasted no time in covering, only for Go to kick out at 2.5! Among the fans rallying behind Go, Higuchi took aim in the corner as he waited for his victim to rise to his feet. Finally, Higuchi bolted out of the corner before BLASTING Go full-force with his giant foot! Higuchi covered, sensing victory--ONLY FOR GO TO KICK OUT AT ONE! This sent the fans in a joyous uproar, with calls and chants echoing through out Korakuen! Go himself was momentarily re-invigorated, as with blood seeping from his mouth, he screamed, "I'M TAKING THIS SERIOUS NOW! HIT ME AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!" The crowd seemed almost taken aback by Go's outburst. And Higuchi was happy to appease by coming off the ropes and hitting him ONCE MORE with the big boot! The shot sent Go scrambling to stay standing; only to walk straight into a doubled-over position. There, Higuchi once more displayed his power by lifting the big Go Taniguchi vertically, before FOLDING HIM IN HALF WITH A POWERBOMB! Higuchi kept his weight firmly on top of Go's to complete, and follow through the pinfall attempt!

Despite their favorite losing, the Tokyo fans were very supportive of Higuchi's victory, and gave him a good reaction. With the match now behind them, the two appeared to have struck a friendship of sorts after shaking hands...

* After six first-round matches, one member of SPIRIT International has advanced to the next round, while the others campaign was soundly ended. Now, we'd see if its venerable leader could double its odds in the second-round as Seiji Ebisawa met Masafuji Yoshida, formally of the Sumo Brothers. Ebisawa was booed; largely due to the members of SPIRIT International at ring side. Very quickly, the faction has garnered infamy within Korakuen Hall... The match however had little incident; at least early on. The two sought to test the others mettle early on as a HARD exchange of thick knife-edge chops followed. With almost 100% of the crowd behind perennial fan favorite Masafuji Yoshida, the "Fake Ozeki" bravely gained steam with one chop after another--BEFORE KNOCKING EBISAWA TO HIS BACK! The crowd burst into cheers, as if he had won the actual match. Yoshida however remained focused, and whipped the 44-year-old into the corner after pulling him up. Following in, Yoshida CRUSHED Ebisawa with body attack; sending Ebisawa stumbling forward. Bewildered, he was easy pray for Yoshida's oncoming LARIAT, TAKING EBISAWA TO THE CANVAS! Not wasting this opportunity, Yoshida pounced onto Ebisawa for the cover; driving all 129kg of his weight onto him! However, it would still only get him a two-count. Back in the corner, Yoshida continued pelted him with knife-edge chops. Before long, the shots seemed to exalt Ebisawa, who retaliated with fiery knuckle punches and chops! After reversing positions, Ebisawa unleashed with punch after chop after punch after chop, before finishing with a HARD LARIAT! As Yoshida collapsed onto the mat, Ebisawa began MASHING his boot into the top of Yoshida's head despite the reprimands of Referee Kajiwara and the jeers of the crowd. Finally on the count of four, Ebisawa relented; albeit with a satisfied grin on his face. Ebisawa continued to subdue Yoshida on the mat; applying a fatiguing chin lock while occasionally letting up to deliver a short, but blunt chop to the side of Yoshida's neck. Ebisawa's antagonistic style finally lit a fire under Yoshida as he caught Ebisawa completely unprepared with a POWERFUL Football Tackle! Yoshida gave chase as Ebisawa retreated to the outside-- only to fall victim to the crafty SPIRIT International leader, who cut Yoshida off with a knee to the body before tossing him into the steel security railing, NEARLY causing it to buckle under Yoshida's weight! The onslaught continued from Ebisawa, who BLASTED YOSHIDA WITH A RUNNING KICK, which sent Yoshida tumbling over the railing! As the referee reached the count of 15, Ebisawa returned; seemingly satisfied with taking a ring out victory. Unfortunately for him, Yoshida recovered and made it back in at 18, only to be met with more thudding jabs. This time however, the blows seemed only to bring out the "Spirit of Sumo" in Yoshida, who EXPLODED with a volley of Sumo palms one-after-another until Ebisawa was backed into the corner! Using momentum however, Yoshida immediately TOSSED Ebisawa overhead with a Sumo-style throw before striking a like-wise pose to the delight of the fans! Aiming for another Sumo-style tackle, Yoshida charged at an ostensibly Seiji Ebisawa--ONLY TO WALK INTO AN ENZUIGIRI! Staggered, Yoshida was easy pickings for Ebisawa to gather his strength and follow through with an EXPLODER! Ebisawa went for the cover, only for Yoshida to burst out at 2.5! Wanting to finish this, Ebisawa slowly dragged Yoshida up by his now-mangled brown hair. With precision and technique, Ebisawa grabbed Yoshida, along with hooking his arm through his legs to set up the WRIST-CLUTCH EXPLODER! However, amidst 2,015 fans shouting their support, Yoshida EXPLODED in a fit of strength! With Ebisawa still hanging on, Yoshida began began fighting wildly with elbows to the body... Just as it appeared Yoshida would break free, EBISAWA TRANSITIONED TO A SLEEPER HOLD! Yoshida struggled; only making the hold worse! Before long, he faded into unconsciousness--FORCING REFEREE KAJIWARA TO STOP THE MATCH!!

Fans begrudgingly showed Ebisawa their respect afterwards, while still showing concern for the fallen Yoshida. Showing no concern for his opponent, Ebisawa promptly left the ring with the other three members of SPIRIT International in toe...

* Finally we came to the main event, along with the final first round match of the EMPEROR'S CUP tournament. In what was easily the most anticipated bout of the first round, "The Strongest Pro-Wrestler of the New Millennium" Kazuma Fujita was set to meet perhaps his greatest and most prolific student; the "Invincible Mastodon" Naoki Fukuda! Indeed, deciding who to support seemed to be a difficult task for the Korakuen fans as passionate calls rang equally for both men as they made their respective entrances. Fujita's use of his original entrance theme, "Chase The Dream" by Kinuko Oomori once again elicited a wave of sentimentality and nostalgia through out the hall, as fans were briefly transported to the atmosphere of 2001... Teacher and student faced off just before the gong. After intensely eying the other up and down, both men simultaneously extended their hands out in a mutual sign of respect. The two naturally clasped hands, causing a large round of applause to rise from the crowd. After separating, the GONG sound to initiate the main event!

The nostalgic tune seemed to have won over some fans, as a resounding "FU-JI-TA!" chant boomed through out the hall to begin the match. After circling the other, the two finally made first contact by locking up. Immediately, Fujita took charge by forcing Naoki a few steps back... However, that was to be short lived as Naoki suddenly SHOVED FUJITA TO THE MAT IN A BURST OF INCREDIBLE POWER! Naoki struck a muscular pose as well to garner a mixed reaction from the fans. Not shaken however, Fujita regrouped and circled once more. After another collar-and-elbow tie up, Fujita once more started strong, and forced Naoki back towards the ropes... But again, Naoki came back, and began to force Fujita backwards! Living up to his creed of "Never, ever, ever surrender!", Fujita was not deterred. In fact, he mustered enough power to combat The Mastodon to begin forcing Naoki into the ropes! However, just as it seemed Fujita would back his opponent against the ropes, NAOKI REVERSED THE POSITION, trapping Fujita against the ropes! Referee Hirata forced Naoki to let up with Fujita in the ropes... Naoki did so slow... before RIPPING into his mentor's chest with a brutal knife-edge chop! Another followed; illiciting a empathizing groan from the crowd. After a third however, Fujita came to life; BLASTING Naoki with a shotgun-like chop, followed by another! With Naoki briefly stunned, Fujita whipped him into the ropes before DRIVING HIS KNEE INTO NAOKI'S BODY! Fujita followed through and repeated this, landing another knee to the body! Sufficiently worn down, Naoki could do nothing to fight the classic Russian Leg Sweep from Fujita! The rabid fans were given a few minutes to catch their breath as Fujita applied a methodical rear chin lock; while simultaneously driving his knee into Naoki's back. After finally fighting to a standing position, Naoki was able to force Fujita into the ropes with a powerful shove. The crafty Fujita however was ready; KNOCKING FUKUDA DOWN WITH A SHOULDER TACKLE! Continuing his sprint, Fujita came off the ropes before jumping over Naoki's body. Upon the rebound however, Naoki returned the favor with an even HARDER shoulder tackle than Fujita's! This time, Fujita could not hide his embarrassment, as he jumped to his feet shouting, "YOU THINK YOU'VE ECLIPSED ME!? THIS DOG CAN STILL BITE!" With tempers flaring, Naoki responded, "GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT! I'LL PUT YOU DOWN!!" With eyes widened, Fujita came rushing off the ropes before CRASHING shoulder-to-shoulder with Naoki, sending The Mastodon stumbling back into the ropes. Naoki used the momentum to COME BACK WITH HIS OWN SHOULDER TACKLE, which in turn knocked Fujita into the ropes also; prompting him to return with ANOTHER SHOULDER BLOCK! This process repeated for about two minutes; with each successive tackle exchanged being harder than the last! Both volatile forces eventually succumbed to exhaustion, and simultaneously tumbled through opposite ends of the ring, to the floor amidst a boisterous ovation from the 2,015 fans! Both remained laid out as the referee reached the count of 10. Fujita finally began to move around, and slowly pulled himself to a standing position... The younger, energetic Naoki however WAS ALREADY IN THE RING, AND QUICKLY SCALED THE TOP ROPE! Just as Fujita realized what was happening, it was too late as ALL 113KG OF NAOKI CAME CRASHING ONTO HIM WITH A DIVING BODY ATTACK! The Korakuen fans once more came unglued with cheers and applause echoing through out. Naoki rolled his mentor into the ring, leading to the cover. "Mr. 300%" however was far from done, and kicked out after two. Now with his own nasty chin lock applied, Naoki looked to wear Fujita down on the ground... However, as he finally got Fujita to a prone position, Naoki suddenly let up before jumping and DRIVING HIS RIGHT KNEE INTO FUJITA'S CHEST! Naoki would return to his chin lock momentarily, before subduing him long enough for another knee drop. After repeating the process three times, he covered Fujita once only; only getting a two-count. After getting to his knee, Fujita tried to fight back with short strikes to Naoki's body, only to get a HARD forearm to the face for his efforts. Naoki was looking very strong as he whipped Fujita into the neutral corner. However, as he followed in, the wise veteran struck, CATCHING NAOKI WITH A BOOT TO THE FACE! Upon staggering backwards, Naoki could do nothing to stop Fujita, who sprinted out of the corner to connect with the RUNNING NECKBREAKER DROP! Fujita made his first cover of the match among a roar of cheers, only for Naoki to kick out after two! After taking a short breath, Fujita pulled Naoki to a standing base before pummeling the back of his neck with downward elbows! This set up a simple body slam, which itself led to Fujita giving a receipt for earlier with a CRUSHING KNEE DROP TO THE FACE! Fujita covered once more, only to score a quick two-count. Fujita stayed on top of his protege, and sank in the ugly-but-effective STRETCH PLUM! Naoki appeared to be managing the pain for a moment, until Fujita repositioned himself for added leverage! In one swift motion, Fujita began TWISTING Naoki's upper body and head in unnatural positions to cause immense pain! Naoki could do nothing to hide it either, as his mashed face and muscle stretching-induced screams painted a vivid image of anguish. Even the fans sympathized so much with Naoki, that the support had effectively shifted towards him. And naturally, they were elated as he managed to hook the bottom rope with his foot to force the rope break! Looking to land a critical blow, Fujita pulled Naoki from behind, all while grasping a half-nelson... Immediately, fans sensed what was coming and responded appropriately as Fujita aimed to mortally wound Naoki with a Half-Nelson Suplex. Having among the best ring awareness in pro-wrestling however, Naoki fought back with rapid back elbows! After breaking Fujita's grip, Naoki exploded with a volley of right-left elbows back-and-forth! He added an exclamation mark with a THUDDING HEADBUTT, leaving Fujita weak in the knees! Aiming to capitalize, pumped his right arm into the air before taking off into the ropes... Indeed, Naoki looked to hit Fujita with his very own Lariat! However, knowing the movements and set up of the lariat more than anyone, FUJITA DUCKED! The velocity of Naoki's swing sent him rotating into Fujita's waiting grasp, who spent much of his remaining strength SPIKING HIM WITH THE HALF-NELSON SUPLEX! The fans once more shifted their support to Fujita as he went for the cover. The equally expressed their astonishment as Naoki found the power to kick out at 2.5! Feeling his second wind, Fujita passionately pumped his right lariating arm into the air, causing an huge wave of cheers... Sizing the staggered Mastodon up, Fujita raced off the ropes before throwing his trademark FUJITA LARIAT... TO NOTHING BUT AIR! Naoki had ducked to a knee, and narrowly avoided Fujita's destructive lariat! Caught off guard, Fujita stumbled right into Naoki's grasp, who hoisted the 114kg Fujita into the air before DRIVING HIM INTO THE MAT WITH THE MASTODON SLAM! Hitting his very first finishing move, Naoki covered his teacher--ONLY FOR FUJITA TO KICK OUT AT ONE! Awe-struck, the Korakuen fans once more erupted in a chorus of "FU-JI-TA!" chants. Naoki however almost seemed to expect the sudden burst of life, and came rushing off the ropes as Fujita reached his feet; BLASTING HIM IN THE BACK OF THE BRAIN WITH AN ENZUILARIATO! As Fujita stood there momentarily a catatonic vegetable, Naoki continued his sprint off the opposite end before CONNECTING WITH ANOTHER POWER LARIAT, TAKING FUJITA OFF HIS FEET! Rather than go for the pin, Naoki dragged Fujita up, before hoisting him overhead in the standing Fireman's Carry position... After crossing-and-hooking Fujita's legs, Naoki took two rapid spins, before hurling him HIGH into the air. Still clutching Fujita's legs, Naoki sent his body crashing forward, and downward into a seated position; HEAD FIRST INTO THE MASTODON BUSTER! Sensing the end, the fans counted along with Referee Hirata--ONLY FOR FUJITA TO KICK OUT AT 2.8! Among deafening calls of "NA-O-KI!" and "FU-JI-TA!", Naoki took a moment to collect himself, before looking upward... He dragged his mentor's lumbering frame out from the corner, before leaping over the top rope and ascending to the top rope! While trying his best to sit up and presumably move, Fujita found himself unable to escape his fate as the Invincible Mastodon brought all 113kg's onto Fujita with the MASTODON CRASH! With the leg hooked, Both fans and referee rendered the three count!

All 2,015 fans showed their appreciation with unanimous cheers and calls for both men... Fujita garnered an incredible reaction during the post match, with thunderous chants of "FU-JI-TA" filling the hall as he was helped to the back... On the microphone, Naoki said that Fujita's power was even more immense than he had imagined, and admitted that he was afraid several times of "Fujita's Miracle." He reiterated what he had said before, stating that if he could defeat Kazuma Fujita, nobody could stop him. This naturally brought out SEIJI EBISAWA and the rest of SPIRIT International. After Sean King wrestled a microphone away from Ring Announcer Eizou Hayakawa before handing the microphone to Ebisawa. "Nobody?" Seiji coyfully asked Naoki. "That's mighty arrogant of you, Mastodon. Did you not see what MISTER KING did tonight?" On cue, King let out an animated roar while thrusting his fists in the air. Naturally, fans met this negatively. "Of course, there is myself," he continued. "...who dispatched the Sumo Pretender. In fact... I believe that makes me your second round opponent. Are you prepared for that, Mastodon?" Without missing a beat, Naoki stepped towards the ropes facing them and invitingly opened the middle ropes up for his entry, garnering a HUGE reaction from the fans! Of course, Ebisawa refused the gesture, and vowed to make Naoki pay for his arrogance two days from now in Osaka! Naoki closed the show by thanking the fans for their support. He promised that exciting things were in store for Professional Wrestling in Japan!

"1st ANNUAL EMPEROR'S CUP ~GAME OF KINGS~ Opening Round"

March 08, 2013 (Fighting TV Samurai)

Tokyo - Korakuen Hall

2,015 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)

1. EMPEROR'S CUP Opening Match: Yusaku Kitajima, Shinji Uchikawa & Yukio Kisanuki beat Kazuki Sendo, Tsutomu Nishioka & Yutaka Awano (7:31) when Kitajima used the Prison Lock w/ Full Nelson on Nishioka.

2. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Riki Ichiro beat Yuichi Miwa (11:17) with the Riki Lariat.

3. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Sean King [SI] beat Tetsuji Kawamura (5:45) with the SK Driver.

4. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Chikao Kessin beat Mamoru Sekishima (10:41) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.

5. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Kenji Tanamura beat Katsumi Gakusha [SI] (13:22) with a Hammerlock Front Sleeper.

6. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: TAKU beat Harumi Sakai (11:01) with the Choujin Bomber

7. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Yujiro Higuchi beat Go Taniguchi (9:23) with a Powerbomb.

8. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Seiji Ebisawa [SI] beat Masafuji Yoshida (10:32) with a Sleeper hold.

9. Emperor's Cup - Round 1: Naoki Fukuda beat Kazuma Fujita (14:39) with the Mastodon Crash.