Friday, October 25, 2013

[Results] "CORONATION 10.25 ~Kingdom First Chapter~," 2013.10.25 @ Korakuen Hall

 * In front of a sold out Korakuen Hall crowd, a new era of Japanese Pro-Wrestling was ushered in by the new HEC Heavyweight Champion -- the "Rampaging Mastodon" Naoki Fukuda! While many predicted that Norihiro Akashi would successfully regain the crown he properly never lost, the overwhelmingly popular Fukuda defied the odds to put down the "Dream Catcher" after an epic performance from both men. While Akashi looked to still be on the World stage of competition, his arrogance and self-indulgence would play a pivotal role in his downfall.

Akashi entered the bout thoroughly hated by a majority of fans. Despite his ability and unique personality, many fans have been quick to reject what some have deemed a "manufactured character." Instead of toning back on the performance however, Akashi entered Korakuen Hall to a seemingly unending cascade of "angel feathers" from the ceiling. As promised, while maintaining possession of the HEC Heavyweight Title belt, Akashi left the title in the hands of ring second Daisuke Iwakuma and lived up to his promise of not wearing the title until he defeats Naoki. Unfortunately for him, that would not come to pass.

With the many missteps and failed promises, a homerun of a show was needed for any hope of fan forgiveness. With that said, the pressure was on both Akashi and Fukuda to deliver not just a make-good on everything that was to come before -- but to leave fans wanting more. The early going saw both competitors working to their individual strengths. Akashi used his quickness and mat skills to ground Fukuda, who fought back using his mammoth strength. Tempers quickly flared as Akashi soon became frustrated. While initially succumbing to Fukuda's brutal elbows and chops, the "Dream Catcher" fired back with European forearms and elbows. The exchange continued back-and-forth until the tenacity of both men sent them tumbling to the outside. Taking advantage of the referee's leniency, Akashi used a few chairs to smash across Fukuda's broad back. However, the tables were quickly turned for Akashi as Fukuda telegraphed his sprint with a shoulder throw over the security railing, and onto Korakuen Hall's hard wooden floor! Back in the ring, Akashi tried to keep Naoki grounded with a chain of submissions, culminating with an excruciatingly painful stepover facelock! While weathering the hold initially, the move only became tighter as time went by, forcing Fukuda to power his way to a standing position. With Akashi on piggy-back, the "Mastodon" demonstrated his strength by grabbing both sides of Akashi's head and HURLING HIM OVERHEAD! In the confusion, Akashi turned around into a POWERFUL Lariat! This was Naoki's time to shine, as he hurled Akashi across the ring in-between cement-crushing elbows. After a crushing lariat in the corner, Fukuda spiked Akashi head first into the mat with a DDT, followed with a cover-attempt of two. Not to be beaten so easily however, Akashi would come back with a perfectly-timed kneel kick after escape the Naoki's clutches. Akashi literally pushed the pace by constantly using the ropes and catch Naoki with dropkicks and elbows. At one point, Naoki appeared to have countered by tossing Akashi high into the air -- only for the "Dream Catcher" to in-turn counter with a well-placed kick to the face! At this point, Akashi began to target Naoki's left leg with a volley of attacks and holds. While holding out initially, Naoki soon began to show signs of injury after his leg buckled following a leap frog! Akashi ultimately locked in the Figure Four Leg Lock in the center of the ring. The agonizing look on Naoki's face told the story to the audience. With victory nearing for the "Dream Catcher," the Korakuen fans rallied behind the perennial babyface, Naoki Fukuda. The cries from the passionate fans was more than enough to encourage Naoki to keep fighting -- and ultimately reach the ropes for the escape! Turn about soon became fair play as Akashi found his left arm isolated by Fukuda! While defending well early on, Akashi soon found himself colliding left shoulder first into the STEEL RING POST! Akashi's painful cries could be heard through out Korakuen as he clutched his arm on the floor. The attack nearly got Akashi counted out, as it took him to the count of 19 to climb back in -- something that earned him a loud round of applause from the appreciative crowd! With their respective injuries, both wrestlers put on an incredible performance, with several high-spurt back-and-forth moments culiminating a big move. In doing so however, both men put critical strain on their injured limbs. Naoki managed to connect with his Mastodon Buster -- only for the weight of Akashi's body to fall directly onto his left knee! Akashi on the otherhand perhaps found the victory snatched away as he connected with his "Dream Weaver" Axe Bomber! However, the impact of the blow nearly ripped Akashi's shoulder from its socket! As both men got to their feet, Naoki surprised everyone by using a FLYING ARMBAR to catch Akashi! As the "Dream Catcher" struggled, Fukuda would turn the hold into Naoki's own Hammerlock Crossface called the "Nightmare Cascade!" After getting to the ropes, Akashi was clearly infuriated by what he interpreted as a mockery. He was poised as Fukuda then tried to use his own "Dream Weaver" variation of the Axe Bomber! After evading Fukuda's wicked swing, Akashi belted out an obnoxious "BAAAAKAAA!" (You idiot!) before SMACKING Naoki across the face with his right hand! The shot echoed through out Korakuen, leaving many fans breathless as Naoki stood momentarily stunned. Not wasting one second, Akashi lifted Naoki over his shoulder before SPIKING HIM WITH NAOKI'S OWN MASTODON BUSTER! The move sent Korakuen hall ablaze as Akashi chose not to go for the pin -- but instead, climb to the top rope! There, he exacted further revenge by CRUSHING Naoki's body with his own MASTODON CRASH! The violent impact caused the "Dream Catcher" to literally bounce off Naoki's body, preventing him from immediately getting the pin! However, as Akashi laid there motionless for the moment, he suddenly began SCREAMING in pain while clutching his left shoulder! The impact appeared to have put severe strain on Akashi's shoulder. This drew the concern of Referee Hirata, who immediately began surveying the injury! Shooting quick looks to the Ringside Doctor Chisato Komine, Hirata continually asked Akashi if he wanted to continue, only to get a scream of agony in response! Before Komine could further evaluate the situation, Naoki suddenly LEAPED to his feet, before ascending to the top rope! Not only that, but AKASHI jumped to his feet -- while still clutching his arm! As he glanced up towards the lights, his vision was briefly obscured by the flying body of Naoki, who SMASHED INTO AKASHI WITH A MASTODON CRASH-STYLE BODY ATTACK! Wasting no time, Naoki jumped over the top rope and climbed to the top, before crushing Akashi with his patented MASTODON CRASH! All 1,500+ fans in Korakuen came unglued as Naoki covered -- GETTING THE THREE COUNT!! Naoki Fukuda becomes the 3rd HEC Heavyweight Champion!!

The post match was a joyous occasion as chants of "NA-O-KI!" roared through out Korakuen. The new Champion was presented with a plethora of trophies, certificates, and monetary rewards. None however seemed as important to Naoki as the physical HEC Heavyweight Championship! Even though it did not seem possible, the ovation from the crowd became even louder. Naoki was near tears as Ryouka Nonoka of popular Idol group E.D.G. (El Dorado Girls) conducted the 'Champion Interview.' Noting that Naoki is also one-half of the HEC Tag Team Champions with Riki Ichiro, Nonoka asked Naoki how it felt to be a Double Champion. Asking Ichiro to come into the ring, Naoki acknowledged that both he AND Riki were now Double Champions, as a result of Ichiro regaining the WWA National Title earlier in the night against Katsumi Gakusha. He admitted that the target on their backs were as large as they could be -- but said the thought of the pressure excited him. Naoki went on to state that this victory meant more to him than any of his past accomplishments. He said that before, he was the Ace of an "Indy." No matter how hard he tried to raise his company's image, it was always thought of as below the "major league." He declared that the HEC Heavyweight Title would be recognized as the #1 Championship on the World stage, and said that he would take on challengers from all over the world... This brought out TAKU of all people. While hinting at wanting Naoki's Championship, TAKU swerved and offered congratulations to his former partner. Vowing to put his past failures behind him, TAKU promised to climb back to the top -- even announcing that he would be traveling to America to compete in EXODUS's ring. Apologizing for his interruption, TAKU said that he wanted Naoki to hang onto the title until was ready to challenge for it yet again. Naoki vowed to kept the belt safe, which prompted the arrival of "THE BIG BOSS" Chikao Kessin, who brought both Goodwin brothers with him. Kessin's large presence and stoic demeanor made him a very threatening sight. Keeping his words short, Kessin said that the "BIG BOSS" was now running the show in KJPW, and demanded Naoki surrender the title to him now! Naturally, the new Champion refused to back down... However, it was TAKU who appeared take the most offense to Kessin's words, as he shoved Kessin's girth back with both hands! Taking the microphone out of Kessin's hands, The hot-tempered TAKU said that Kessin would have to get through him first to properly challenge for the title. Kessin accepted, and vowed to make an example out of TAKU before leaving the ring... Finally, with the interruptions over, Naoki was allowed to properly celebrate his victory in the ring with a volley of streamers from fans. Putting both champions over, TAKU raised Naoki and Riki's arms to close the show with a "GOOD END."

* As mentioned earlier, there were two champions crowned tonight in Korakuen as Riki Ichiro successfully regained the WWA National Heavyweight Title from SPIRIT International's Katsumi Gakusha in an exciting, but chaotic Title Bout. The match saw constant interference from Gakusha's SPIRIT International allies Shino Hiriyama and Sean King. Ichiro was bloodied very early on due to an out-of-ring assault from Sean King and the steel ring post. Gakusha came very close to stealing the victory several times. However, the excellent officiating from Haruhiro Hirata prevented such a robbery. In fact, Hirata eventually excelled Hiriyama and King from ringside, giving Ichiro his first break of the match. Showing the guts and intensity he has become known for, the crimson-covered Ichiro pulled out his big moves to try and put Gakusha away, including a beautiful Superplex and his trademark Riki Lariat! Gakusha however would come back, landing his Blessful Crusher from out of no where to momentarily halt the challenger's momentum. The final moments were an all-and-out slugfest -- with Gakusha holding his own to his credit. However, another Riki Lariat, followed by a BRUTAL Northern Lights Bomb was enough to put "Mr. DYNAMIC" away, and return the WWA National Heavyweight Title to Riki Ichiro.  In regaining the title, Ichiro became a Double Champion, as he currently holds the HEC Tag Team Titles with Naoki Fukuda. 

* In a match meant to commemorate his joining KJPW, Daisuke Iwakuma met SPIRIT International's boss Seiji Ebisawa in a very special singles match. The match was something of a curiosity, given the two's close relationship with the "Dream Catcher" Norihiro Akashi. While starting off rather sportingly, Iwakuma soon would raise the ire of the older and grumpier Ebisawa with antagonizing slaps and horsing around. Finally, with one shot -- and one shot alone, Ebisawa brought the Korakuen fans off their feet with a fast, and JARRING JAB to Iwakuma's jaw, TEMPORARILY STAGGERING HIM! Ebisawa followed, giving an Exploder! Neither man held back against the other from that point, with the match soon following apart after the two began fighting wildly at ringside! The two completely disregarded Referee Hideki Kajiwara's count, resulting in an unsavory DOUBLE RING OUT! The fans naturally booed the decision. However, the chaos of both men brawling all over Korakuen seemed to satisfy the fans somewhat. Iwakuma soon vanished to the back, having seemingly satisfied himself. Ebisawa however became irate, and DEMANDED Iwakuma come back out and fight him over the house microphone. Clearly, there is unfinished business between the two.

* In the fifth match, the trio known for now simply as "Black Triad" scored a significant six-man tag victory over Kenji Tanamura's "ARMADA" faction. Despite the experience and cohesion, ARMADA could not stand up for the brute, physical power of the "BIG BOSS" Chikao Kessin, James Goodwin Jr., and "BIG" Jon Goodwin. In the end, Kessin would unleash his violent "Disaster Point" wrist-clutch Backdrop on Harumi Sakai for the victory. 

* Last May, KJPW slowly began to re-introduce the Jr. Heavyweights, culminating with July's "J1 Summit" tournament, won by former Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON star Hayato Saigo, who as a result became the very first HEC Jr. Heavyweight Champion. Tonight, Jet Jaguar, Kotaro Ota, Fumihiko Shirai, and Kazuki Sendo scored a thrilling win over ATSUKA, Yoshihiro Shimoda, Hayato Saigo, and EXODUS Pro-Wrestling's Joshua Sullivan. The match was filled with fast exchanges from both teams. One sequence nearing the end saw all eight men pull off consecutive dives -- culminating with Kotaro Ota pulling off a spectacular tornillo plancha onto all four members of the opposing team! The end saw Ota catch EXODUS's inexperienced export with a volley of thrust kicks, followed with the Violent Spark (Shiranui) to obtain the three count!

Coming off of his impressive performance, Ota stepped forward as a challenger to Hayato Saigo's HEC Jr. Heavyweight Title. Ota noted their well-known friendship and occasional partnership, but said that even he doesn't know whether to accept him as a comrade, or consider him an enemy invader...  With strong conviction, Ota asked Saigo to give him the answer in the ring. With the crowd solidly behind Ota, Saigo could not refuse the challenge. Saigo stated that the Juniors scene has been dormant for a long time. However, he vowed to show the worth of Jr. Heavyweights in this match against Ota, and appealed to his friend to bring nothing short of his best.

* Despite an impressive entrance and new ring outfits, MONSTER HEAD DUO faltered in what had been something of a re-debut for the team after traveling to Germany and Australia over the last two months. The two faced SPIRIT International's Shino Hiriyama and Sean King, who have been something of a problem for the upstarts in the past. While initially looking impressive, MHD succumbed to the dirty-but-effective methods of Hiriyama and King. However, Sekishima and Kawamura appeared to be on a tear towards the end—only to inadvertently collide into one another! Sean King capitalized by finishing Kawamura with the SK Driver for the three count. Mamoru offered words of encouragement to his partner after the match, vowing to take two steps forward in response to this set-back.

* Since June, rookie Shinji Uchikawa has been embarking on an extended learning excursion overseas; primarily training under the stars of American-based EXODUS Pro-Wrestling. While only a “visit” home, Uchikawa aimed to show his growth to both TAKU and the fans. Shinji returned sporting largely the same black trunks he had prior. However, he had allowed his hair to grow out extensively. Physically, he showed definite increase in muscle mass, in addition to a bronze, California tan. He faced the first HEC Heavyweight Champion, and the newly assigned Headmaster of the KJPW dojo -- TAKU in a true test of his mettle. Uchikawa showed definite improvement in his attack. However, he still fell into making simple mistakes that the more experienced TAKU would capitalize on. TAKU tried humbling Uchikawa with chops, bodyslams, and crab holds. But to his credit, Uchikawa refused to surrender, and put up a valiant fight. Despite coming up short in the end, Uchikawa displayed new offense, including a Complete Shot turned into a modified leg choke! Uchikawa also pulled off a modified Choujin Bomber -- only using his elbow instead of TAKU’s trademark lariat. In the end, TAKU proved that his version was stronger by securing the pinfall.

After the match, TAKU offered praise to Uchikawa, but quickly ordered him to not let it go to his head… Speaking rather candidly, TAKU praised Uchikawa’s skill and heart. However, he bluntly said the name “Shinji Uchikawa” did not have the ring of a pro-wrestler to it. After a motivating slap across the face, TAKU told Shinji, “Find yourself in America!”

Before the show officially began, ARMADA’s Yusaku Kitajima defeated rookie Yukio Kisanuki in a spirited test of his progress. While the match and result were uneventful, Kitajima said that ARMADA has been watching Kisanuki for months. While he had a while to go in his journey to find strength, the unit recognized his potential, and offered the rookie the opportunity to join Hybrid Corps ARMADA! Kisanuki was stunned by the offer, and couldn’t initially get a response out. However, the rookie graciously accepted and promised to do his best.

Kingdom of Japan Pro-Wrestling,
"CORONATION 10.25 ~Kingdom First Chapter~"
October 25, 2013
Tokyo - Korakuen Hall (2,100)
1,518 Fans (No Vacancy)
0. Yusaku Kitajima beat Yukio Kisanuki (6:29) with a camel clutch.
1. Masafuji Yoshida & Yutaka Awano beat Yujiro Higuchi & Tsutomu Nishioka (6:44) when Yoshida used the Powerbomb on Nishioka.
2. Shinji Uchikawa Homecoming: TAKU beat Shinji Uchikawa (8:10) with the Choujin Bomber.
3. Shino Hiriyama & Sean King beat Mamoru Sekishima & Tetsuji Kawamura (9:26) when King used the SK Driver.
4. Jet Jaguar, Kotaro Ota, Fumihiko Shirai & Kazuki Sendo beat ATSUKA, Yoshihiro Shimoda, Hayato Saigo & Joshua Sullivan [EXODUS] (12:30) when Ota used the Violent Spark on Sullivan.
5. ARMADA vs. Black Triad: "BIG BOSS" Chikao Kessin, James Goodwin Jr. & "BIG" Jon Goodwin beat Kenji Tanamura, Yuichi Miwa & Harumi Sakai (10:08) when Kessin used the Disaster Point on Sakai.
6. Daisuke Iwakuma KJPW Debut Match: Seiji Ebisawa vs. Daisuke Iwakuma (10:38) went to a double ring out.
7. WWA National Heavyweight Title: Riki ichiro beat Katsumi Gakusha (c) (15:29) with the Northern Light Bomb to become the 23rd Champion.
8. 3rd HEC Heavyweight Champion Decision Match: "Rampaging Mastodon" Naoki Fukuda beat "Dream Catcher" Norihiro Akashi (29:50) with the Mastodon Crash to become the 3rd champion.

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