*
Prior to the start of the PPV broadcast, the assembled masses at BODYMAKER
Colosseum were witness to a double debut, as junior heavyweights Yusuke
Kishimoto and Maleko Momoa, both training under the auspices of Genji Yamato,
showed off what they were made of. The match itself was pretty even, as
Kishimoto and the Hawaiian native Momoa were both showing off high-flying
prowess. In the end, however, it was on the ground that the match was
determined, as Momoa managed to roll up Kishimoto with a small package for his
debut win. After the match, Momoa and Kishimoto both shook hands, bowed to the
crowd, and left the ring together, in good spirits as the TV broadcast began...
*
The live PPV opened with Ring Announcer Kinta Nakayama welcoming all 7,500 fans
to KING
× KING in Osaka's BODYMAKER Colosseum to a thunderous reaction. The
confident ring announcer then proceeded to read off the night's card lineup,
with the fans anticipation building with every bout.
*
After the proper show opening, the event began in earnest. "Stronger"
by Kanye West & Daft Punk sounded out through the Colosseum, as the second
group of Genji Yamato's debutants arrived: Kohei Obata, dressed in all red ring
gear, partnering with a bulkier Hajime Kon, in black trunks, black kneepads and
white boots. "THE SHOWDOWN" then played, bringing us Yutaka Awano,
clad in plain yellow trunks/kneepads with black boots, and Hybrid Corps
ARMADA's Yukio Kisanuki, head shaven and in all black, themselves debuting in
the same match at one time earlier in their careers.
The
match started simply enough between Awano and Obata, each exchanging basic mat
holds along with some chops and elbow exchanges. Obata tagged in Kon, who
started overpowering Awano with his sheer physicality. This dynamic changed
once Kisanuki was brought in, and despite Kisanuki's size disadvantage, his
affiliation with ARMADA gave him more mastery of submission holds and judo
strikes, which seemed to overtake the Yamato student. Kon was able to wrestle
his way out of Kisanuki's clutches, tagging in Obata. Obata seemed to do better
against Kisanuki, catching him in a series of suplexes before getting him into
Lock Kohei, a crossface STF. Awano assisted Kisanuki out of this, and was soon
tagged in. Obata let Kon work for a while after that as well, with Kon getting
the better of Awano, until Awano managed to counter a Russian leg sweep attempt
by the rookie and catch him with a series of stiff elbows that left Kon woozy.
The
contest ended shortly thereafter, with Awano tagging in Kisanuki, who
immediately hit a DDT on Kon. Kisanuki followed that up with his patented
"Kimura lock," which left the young Yamato acolyte had no choice but
to submit. The match ended with another set of handshakes from all
participants. Afterwards, Obata took the house mic, imploring the crowd to
"Not judge us on one match, but rather see what the future does indeed
hold." Applause came from that, which Kon followed up with stating "Next
time, we will do better."
*
Two faces familiar to the Osaka crowd took stage next, as one of the most
controversial figures in KJPW's short history, the "Nightmare Child" Norihiro Akashi faced former Nansei
Nihon Pro-Wrestling Ace, Ryuugo Nagashima. Out of the national spotlight for
several years, Ryuugo appeared with a renewed poise and determination. Akashi
however continued to display his now trademark aloofness, all while refusing to
acknowledge Ryuugo's very existence! While earning some bemused laughs from the
crowd, Nagashima was not amused in the slightest -- pouncing on Akashi with
elbows and kicks to the body!
Both
men traded rapid blows back and forth, with neither man wanting to show
weakness. Finally, Akashi struck with a well-timed kick to the stomach before
following with an Irish Whip. Almost anticipating Akashi's actions however,
Nagashima struck first -- KNOCKING
Akashi to the mat with a sledgehammer-like forearm! Not relenting, Ryuugo
continued to season Akashi with measured forearms in the corner. After
motioning to the crowd, Ryuugo distanced himself in the opposite corner --
preparing for an oncoming attack. However, the crafty "Nightmare Child" would strike first with a brutal-looking running high kick! After
delivering a few elbows of his own, Akashi pulled the prone Ryuugo outward,
before executing a technically-precise Snap Suplex. As Ryuugo sat up, Akashi
grabbed a handful of hair before SLAMMING
the back of Ryuugo's head into the mat. To add further injury, Akashi followed
by TEARING AT RYUUGO'S FACE in a
sudden motion using both feet! Completely ignoring the referee's admonishments,
Akashi continued playing rough -- jabbing Ryuugo in the corner with petty
kicks. Whether intentional or not, the jabs fired Ryuugo up each time,
ultimately resulting in him ROARING to
his feet! Nose-to-nose with Akashi, Ryuugo forced him towards the center of
the ring, where he threw a flurry of elbows -- staggering Akashi into the ropes!
There, Ryuugo followed with yet a hard
Jumping Elbow after taking a running start! As Akashi stumbled forward, Ryuugo
threw him to the mat with a snapmare, before following off the ropes and SMASHING
INTO AKASHI WITH THE R-BRACER (Sliding D)! The blow caused a SHOCKWAVE to erupt as fans were not
expecting to see Ryuugo's finishing attack so early! Fans sensed an upset as
Ryuugo eagerly made the cover -- ONE..
TWO... TH--2.5! With the fans
solidly behind Ryuugo, he wasted no time in pulling the stunned Akashi up.
Aiming to finish the match in short order, he lifted Akashi with an inverted
Northern Lights -- clearly indicating the
DRAGON DRIVER (Inverted Northern Light Bomb)! However, Akashi suddenly came alive -- fighting with everything he had left
to escape Ryuugo's ultimate technique! Finally, Akashi fought his way free
before dropping behind Ryuugo. Without fail, Akashi grabbed hold of Ryuugo's
right arm, before pulling him in and delivering the DREAM WEAVER (Rain Maker) LARIAT!!
Caught off guard, the fans came unglued for the action unfolding before
their eyes, and became even louder as Akashi made the cover! ONE! ...TWO!! ..TH--2.5!!
Feeling
the effects of the other man's finisher, both men took the next few moments to
recover on the mat... Akashi and Ryuugo finally begun stirring as fans cheered
both men wildly. Ryuugo was the first to recover, as he pelted Akashi with more
elbows. After sending him to the outside, Ryuugo showed excellent showmanship
in gaging the audience while waiting for Akashi to get to his feet... As he
finally did so, Ryuugo came off the ropes for momentum, before sailing through the middle ropes with a
beautiful elbow suicida -- ONLY FOR AKASHI FOR MOVE! To the horrified cries
of the crowd, Ryuugo's body was haphazardly sent SMASHING into the steel railing! Akashi strutted around ringside to
add further insult before taking back control. In the ring, Akashi displayed
his rarely seen technical side as he grounded Ryuugo with a painful Chickenwing
Armlock. Ryuugo did well to weather the storm, but soon found himself in
trouble as Akashi stepped over his neck to apply even more pressure! Suddenly
Ryuugo was in a lot of trouble! With
concerned fans crying Ryuugo's name in support, Nagashima slowly begun to inch
his way to the ropes -- eventually reaching them with his toes! Retaining his
grip on Ryuugo's right arm, Akashi positioned him in the corner before
attempting an Irish Whip. However, Ryuugo managed to counter the attempt with
one of his own -- sending Akashi into the corner! Ryuugo's offense was brief
however, as Akashi caught him charging in with a boot to the face! With his
opponent staggered in center-ring, Akashi confidently came off the ropes -- ONLY
TO BE BLASTED BY A COUNTER LARIAT FROM NAGASHIMA!! After showing his
guts with a visceral ROAR, Nagashima
dragged the groggy "Nightmare
Child" up, before immediately spiking him with a VERTICAL DROP BRAINBUSTER! Not satisfied, Ryuugo pulled Akashi up
to give him a SECOND BRAINBUSTER!!
Finally, Ryuugo covered --sensing the end! ONE...
TWO... THR--2.9!
With
the fans firmly with Ryuugo, the "Dragon of Nansei" looked to finish
Akashi once and for all. After waiting for his opponent to reach a seated
position, Ryuugo focused all of his remaining strength for one final blow...
Coming off the ropes at full velocity, Ryuugo pulled the trigger on a second R-Bracer... ONLY FOR AKASHI TO COUNTER WITH
A CRUCIFIX HOLD!! ONE! ...TWO!! ...THREE!!!
The
crowd roared with surprise, as Akashi's cradle came from out of nowhere! Even
as Ring Announcer Kinta Nakayama declared Akashi the winner, Ryuugo appeared to
be in denial -- going as far as to question the referee's three count! Akashi
retreated up the isle way, sporting a sleazy, but satisfied grin. Perhaps
helped by the adoration of the crowd, Ryuugo composed himself in the ring, and
bowed apologetically to the fans -- who essentially thought he had nothing to
apologize for.
*
In a match set to highlight the re-established Jr. Heavyweight division, the
members of the first Junior Seikigun
(Home Army): Jet Jaguar, ATSUKA, Yoshihiro Shimoda, GALLEON, and Hayato
Saigo met the band of villains calling themselves, KYOU HON GAN -- the Rebel Outlaws of Cancerous Evil: "The
Worst One" Kyoto Okazaki, the two men known collectively as HOT LIMIT -- Wataru Yamada and Keisuke
Rongai, and the two newest members introduced last week, former FURY stars and
Kazuma Fujita trainees, Kazuki Sendo and Seiji Sasaki -- now known as S★S
Star. The group's arrival created an uneasy atmosphere within BODYMAKER.
Appearing to literally have just left Osaka's finest cabaret, the five men
filed out one by one -- with Okazaki and HOT LIMIT displaying the championship
belts they had won during their last tour of Mexico. Kazuki Sendo actually
earned a great deal of heat from the crowd, being a former KJPW wrestler. Sendo
showed no love for his former haunt by blowing his nose on a bandana sporting
the emblem of KJPW... The Jr. Seikigun by contrast were met as heroes upon
arriving, as they all appeared wearing KJPW "Seal Mark" T-Shirts!
Upon entering the ring however, they were cut off by Kyou Hon Gan -- bringing
an abrupt start to the bout!
After
quickly eliminating the Jr. Seikigun, Kyou Hon Gan isolated GALLEON in the
corner; where the five men made frequent tags while taking turns stomping their
opponent... Referee Kajiwara finally restored some order, forcing all but Star
out of the ring. With GALLEON hurt, the former Seiji Sasaki hit a succession of
moves -- eventually blasting GALLEON face first with a seated dropkick! Star then tagged out to Kazuki Sendo, who
raised the ire of the crowd by choking GALLEON with his boot -- all while
gyrating his hips... The insult motivated the "Masked Lion of Nansei"
to fight back with short punches to the body, followed by chops to the chest!
After trying to whip Sendo into the ropes however, he found himself reversed
into the ropes. After ducking Sendo's wild swing, GALLEON leaped onto the
middle rope, before DIVING ONTO SENDO
WITH QUEBRADA MOONSAULT! The sensational move brought the crowd alive as
GALLEON tagged out to the ever popular Third Generation JET JAGUAR, who proceeded to cut Sendo down with piercing kicks --
climaxing with a VICIOUS Blade Kick
to the side of the head! Jaguar would follow with the cover -- only for both
Yamada and Rongai to jump in for the save! The referee quickly lost control of
the match once more as Okazaki and Star jumped in to cut the remaining Jr.
Seikigun members off! While momentarily having the 5-on-1 advantage, Kyou Hon
Gan soon found themselves outsmarted as the Seikigun members timed their
counter-attack perfectly, causing the five heels to scurry to the outside like
cockroaches... One-by-one, the Jr. Seikigun members took the fans breath away
with a series of beautiful dives! ATSUKA and Shimoda pulled off an incredible
dual-dive, with Shimoda pulling off a tope suicida while ATSUKA sailed over the
top rope with the Tornillo! After returning Kazuki Sendo back to the ring,
Jaguar aimed once more to finish him with another head kick. However, Sendo
managed to narrowly avoid the shot
before cradling Jaguar with a Schoolboy! The pin attempt was inconsequential
however, as Sendo used it to set up a short-ranged THRUST KICK to Jaguar's jaw! This brought Keisuke Rongai in, who
further grounded Jaguar with a bodyslam, followed by a standing moonsault.
Showing excellent teamwork, Rongai made a quick tag to Wataru Yamada, who both
pulled off a picture-perfect series of attacks with precise fluidity. Despite
being heels, the crowd could not help but to be impressed. They were not
enamored for long however, as soon "JETTO!" calls began rising from
the crowd. Agitated, Yamada hastily went to deal severe damage with a German
Suplex -- ONLY FOR JAGUAR TO LAND ON HIS
FEET WITH A BACKFLIP! Caught off guard, Yamada foolishly charged in --
allowing Jaguar to kick out Yamada's feet, SENDING
HIM COMICALLY FLYING INTO THE TURNBUCKLE INVERTEDLY!
Desperately
wanting in, ATSUKA finally got his wish as Jaguar made the tag. Over flowing
with charisma, ATSUKA encouraged the fans to clap along as he stood over the
now trapped Yamada in the corner... In a completely disgusting, but not
unamusing move -- ATSUKA spat into
both of his hands, before RUBBING THEM
INTO YAMADA'S HAIR! The fans reacted with a unique mixture of shock,
disgust, and enjoyment. Yamada
scrambled away in embarrassment, giving ATSUKA further time to play to the
crowd... This however would be ATSUKA's folly, as he foolishly gave Yamada enough
time to recover -- who would strike with a timely thumb to the eye! This finally brought in "The Worst One," Kyoto Okazaki -- one of ATSUKA's longest
rivals. Okazaki took great pleasure in beating ATSUKA down with kicks to the
body, while occasionally taking the opportunity to STOMP ATSUKA's fingers. The offense would continue, with ATSUKA
trying to mount a comeback every so often -- only to be cut down by an underhanded
move from Okazaki. Finally after connecting with a quick backbreaker, Okazaki
motioned to his stablemates -- prompting them to jump in and cut the Jr.
Seikigun off, before following suite! With ATSUKA prone on the canvas, Okazaki
climbed to the top, with his back facing the ring... There, Okazaki delivered
his trademark Moonsault press -- ONLY TO
HIT ATSUKA'S KNEES! Striking like a viper, ATSUKA wasted no time in pulling
Okazaki into a Small Package hold! ONE!
...TWO!! ..TH--2.5!! With
Okazaki still hurt, ATSUKA was quick to capitalize -- following his pin attempt
up with the AT-Z -- ATSUKA Twister Z-Type
(Yokosuka Cutter)! Fans erupted once more as ATSUKA went for the cover -- ONLY FOR KYOU HON GAN TO BREAK THE COUNT!
Chaos once more broke out in the ring as all five Kyou Hon Gan members put the
boots to ATSUKA, before whipping him into a neutral corner. There, all five
members consecutive crushed ATSUKA with a succession of attacks -- that was
except for Kazuki Sendo, as ATSUKA moved out of the way! At the same time came
the JR. SEIKIGUN MEMBERS from out of nowhere,
crushing Sendo with a series of blows -- culminating with a running double knee
from ATSUKA! Sendo then found himself on the receiving end of each of the Jr. Seikigun's finishing moves! With Sendo a heaping corpse, ATSUKA made the
legal tag to Jet Jaguar, who was already perched onto the top rope. There, he
finished Sendo with the JAGUAR SPECIAL
(Twisting Guillotine Drop)! With the Jr. Seikigun members blocking the
ring, Jaguar secured the three count!
Fans
met the result with a huge round of cheers. After the match, ATSUKA cut a
rousing promo -- prominently declaring, "J(unior) IS BACK!" Addressing Okazaki on the outside, ATSUKA
asked if that was all Kyou Gon Han had.
"You're supposed to be bad heels,
right? RUDOS? You're all lame
imitations of KANJI SAKAIGAMA! ...And I know, I WAS THE ORIGINAL IMITATOR!!" ATSUKA shouted, clearly poking
fun at himself. Taking the opportunity to respond, Okazaki shot right back -- snidely
insinuating Sakaigama was a clone of former Oita Pro-Wrestling star Kyohei
Yamada in a reference that was largely lost on fans... The two continued to
engage verbally in what was revealed to be a ploy on Okazaki's part, as the
talk battle provided the perfect opportunity for a post-match ambush! From behind, the four other members of Kyou Hon
Gan stormed the ring, laying all five
out with chair shots! Despite the referee's protest, the rudo band continued
their assault: Okazaki began driving a chair frame into ATSUKA's throat,
choking him into near unconsciousness! Sendo and Star both assaulted Hayato
Saigo in the corner -- taking turns choking him with their boots. However, in
the biggest insult, HOT LIMIT beat down the DREAM HEROES -- Jet Jaguar and
GALLEON, before TEARING OFF THEIR
SIGNATURE MASKS!! Surrounded by a roaring cascade of boos, Yamada and
Rongai mocked the unmasked heroes by dawning the torn hoods... One final time,
Okazaki took the microphone and said that a dark cloud had descended upon KJPW,
and that they would be the cancer to kill the company once and for all...
*
One of the most controversial matches of the night followed suit, with the
so-called "Farewell to Big Boss" match. "BIG BOSS" Chikao
Kessin already publicly announced his departure from KJPW, moving on to Pro
Wrestling EXODUS in California, and his Dark Triad cohorts Double Goodwin
("Big" Jon Goodwin and James Goodwin, Jr.) hoped to send him out in
style. In this final matchup of the Dark Triad as we know it, they were faced
with 3 veterans from the days of Pro Wrestling FURY - Hiroaki Nakata, Manabe
Tsuji, and RYUJI, all three with history in and outside of the UPRISER'Z
faction from FURY's glory days.
From
the start, Dark Triad had a size advantage, between Kessin and "Big"
Jon. Nakata particularly seemed eager to get in a scrap with Kessin, the two
having had history in FURY and elsewhere. Dark Triad also had a teamwork
advantage, being more in harmony than the former UPRISER'Z. Indeed, both Tsuji
and RYUJI seemed to hesitate to tag in for Nakata, and when they did go in,
they rarely seemed to stay in the ring for more than thirty seconds at a time.
This seemed to frustrate Nakata, and the Dark Triad, especially as
"Big" Jon Goodwin in particular was hoping for a "good ol'
ass-whuppin'" on Tsuji and RYUJI. Nevertheless, the most technically sound
wrestling of the match came from Nakata going against James Jr., thrilling the
crowd with submission holds and power moves, both. BIG BOSS Kessin got some of
the loudest reactions from the crowd, some of whom seemed genuinely sad to see
the big man go abroad.
At
one point, Nakata caught Kessin with a Dragon Suplex hold for a
two-and-a-half-count, before "Big Jon" broke that up. Kessin
capitalized, hitting a Back Blow on Nakata as Nakata tried in vain to tag to
Tsuji or RYUJI, neither of whom seemed interested in getting back in the ring.
Kessin followed that up with a thundering Disaster Point, before allowing James
Jr. to tag in, climb the top rope, and batter Nakata with a Moonsault Press for
a three-count.
After
the match, as ring attendants tried to help Nakata out of the ring, the Goodwin
brothers brought a six-pack of beer into the ring, which all three of the
victors guzzled down, as BIG BOSS showed the BODYMAKER Colosseum crowd just
what he thought of them, giving middle finger salutes and even dropping his
wrestling trunks and showing a full moon. The crowd were shocked and hurt by
this, as they hoped to send him off with a hero's farewell. While this was
going on, the cameras also caught Nakata chewing out Tsuji and RYUJI for not
helping him when needed. The two former UPRISER'Z tried to show contrition, but
it took quite a bit of begging and pleading before Nakata was willing to let it
go...
*
Debuting alongside one another on January 24, 2013, fate has brought Shinji
Uchikawa and the now "Mr. Hard Body" Tsutomu Nishioka back together.
While very different personalities, the two shared a friendly rivalry up to the
Burning Spirit Cup at the 2013 KANSAI PRO-WRESTLING FESTIVAL -- where Uchikawa
beat Tsutomu enroute to winning the tournament, and its accompanying prize: an
extended training excursion to the United States. Almost two years later,
Shinji Uchikawa is a new man. He has established roots in Southern California,
along with a plethora of relationships -- both good and bad -- in San
Diego-based EXODUS Pro-Wrestling. Most recently, Shinji seized his first
championship in pro-wrestling, winning the EXODUS Pro Pacific Coast
Championship. Meanwhile in Japan, Tsutomu found himself at a standstill. While
his strength and experience grew, fans were more focused on the American
exploits of their beloved son, Shinji Uchikawa. Defying common convention,
Tsutomu developed the "Mr. Hard Body" character based on his
background as a bodybuilder. In recent weeks he has embraced the persona by
virtually living out of Osaka's local GOLD'S GYM franchise. Now having not met
since the Burning Spirit Cup, both face off against the other: reborn.
With
two bikini-clad women by his side, "Mr. Hard Body" made his arrival
into the building, and even cut an Americanized heel promo. He commented on the
fact that soon, BODYMAKER Colosseum will revert back to being known as the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium -- noting
that he was now the one, true BODYMAKER! His
terrible joke was almost cut off by "Seven Nation Army" (Glitch Mob
Remix) by The White Stripes -- the EXODUS theme of the reigning and defending
Pacific Coast Champion, Shinji Uchikawa, who appeared sporting a Superstar Aura -- wearing a t-shirt from
the band 36 Crazyfists. The Osaka
fans met Shinji with a loud ovation -- acknowledging his growth and success.
Upon the two entering the ring, former pro-wrestler and KJPW Director GO TANIGUCHI appeared to read the
official title match proclamation to an enormous ovation from the nostalgic
Osaka crowd. Before the bout could begin proper however, Ring Announcer Kinta
Nakayama reiterated the special conditions of the EXODUS Pro Pacific Coast
Championship, being that it can only be won via submission or knockout.
The
start of the bout came a bit quicker than expected, as Nishioka charged at Uchikawa immediately after
his introduction, catching the champion off guard with a lariat into the
corner! There, Tsutomu aggressively kicked and stomped Shinji until he was
slumped into the corner. After kicking him to the outside, Tsutomu followed and
began choking the champion with a
microphone cable! With his ladies
watching, Tsutomu took great pleasure in posing -- all while strangling Shinji. After pulling him up,
Tsutomu warned reporters to back away from the far railing... However, Shinji
thwarted his Irish Whip attempt with one of his own! After being sent crashing into the steel railing, Shinji
came FLYING on screen, BLASTING TSUTOMU IN THE FACE WITH A LEAPING KENKA
KICK! The shot sent "Mr. Hard Body" over the rail, and onto the
laps of some happy females... This
in-turn made Tsutomu's ladies
unhappy, who pelted him with spiteful slaps... Grabbing Tsutomu by the hair,
Shinji led him around ringside, and onto the long entrance ramp. After stunning
him with two quick elbows, Shinji began to create distance by heading towards
the entrance. With some running room, Shinji begun to sprint -- aiming for a
big impact... Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the impact he was expecting, as
Tsutomu telegraphed it with a MILITARY
PRESS! The fans SHRIEKED as
Tsutomu lifted Shinji high into the
air in an amazing display of power...
And in one graceful motion, Tsutomu turned his body and SLAMMED Shinji down onto the hard ramp! The crash sent an uncomfortable thud reverberating throughout the
building. Back on top, Tsutomu dragged the champion back to the ring. Using the
muscles he loves so much, Tsutomu clamped on a facelock -- using his bicep and triceps
as a vice between Shinji's cheek bones. Every time the champion would fight,
Tsutomu would apply even more pressure. Finally feeding off the energy of the
crowd, Shinji fought through the pain to a standing position. After finding the
strength to push Tsutomu off into the ropes however, Shinji quickly found
himself grounded once more with a forceful Shoulder block! With Tsutomu still
moving, Shinji rolled onto his stomach; forcing Tsutomu to jump. Upon
rebounding off the ropes however, Tsutomu found himself on the receiving end of
BOTH of Shinji's boots, as he landed
a beautiful counter Dropkick! With Tsutomu stunned, Shinji unleashed a flurry
of right-left elbows, before BLASTING HIM
WITH THE ROLLING ELBOW! Referee Hirata began administering the 10-count,
but Shinji would not relent! Mounting Tsutomu, Shinji unleashed more
close-quarter elbows; forcing the referee to forcibly pull him off! Now with
the referee starting his count, Shinji had possibly inadvertently woken up Tsutomu, as he climbed to his
feet after 6.
Taking
advantage of Shinji's overzealousness, Tsutomu avoided his oncoming attack
before cutting him off with a knee to the stomach. Dragging Shinji towards the
middle rope before draping him throat first, Tsutomu oddly began distracting
the official. His strategy was obvious however, as one of his ladies begun CHOKING SHINJI OVER THE ROPES! As she relented, the other struck -- slapping Shinji across
the face! The Osaka crowd booed wildly, with some fans even shouting some
rather unflattering remarks. Feigning a lack of understanding the rules,
Tsutomu continually attempted pinning Shinji -- albeit with one foot. After
seemingly understanding the rules, Tsutomu began stretching Shinji with a surprising variety of holds he had never
demonstrated before -- mostly Lucha Libre inspired. With the fans clearly on
his side however, Shinji refused to submit -- much to Tsutomu's frustration.
After some work, "Mr. Hard Body" connected with an amazing stalling Superplex! However, after being
again denied a pinfall count by
Referee Hirata, Tsutomu's patience snapped. "WHAT KIND OF CROOKED RULES IS
THIS!?" Nishioka shouted angrily at the referee. This was the opening
Shinji needed, as he caught the unsuspecting Nishioka with the SAINT WALKER BOMB (Rydeen Bomb)! With
Nishioka prone on the mat, Shinji arranged himself and Nishioka, sinking in a YURIKAMOME! Using all of his weight to
pull back on Tsutomu's neck, "MR.
HARD BODY" HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SUBMIT!
While
seemingly caught off guard by the sudden result, fans met Shinji's first
successful title defense with unanimous fanfare! "U-CHI-KAWA!" chants
filled BODYMAKER Colosseum, giving him the aura of a true superstar. After
having his championship belt returned by Director Go Taniguchi, Shinji spoke
before the crowd, acknowledging how much he has missed his home country since
moving to the United States. "While I now have a life there, there's a
warm comfort in being back here..." Shinji started. "However... I cannot come back until I have resolved
something in America." While disappointed by Shinji's announcement,
fans met Shinji's heartfelt words with loud cheers of support. "SHINJI! FIND YOURSELF IN AMERICA! WE'LL BE
WAITING!!" "SHOW THE WORLD WHAT JAPAN IS MADE OF!!" Holding
back the tears, Shinji vowed to come home someday,
and asked fans to "please watch over
KJPW" in his absence...
*
Finally, after weeks of heated words and confrontations, the first shot was
fired in the war between Kenji Tanamura's Hybrid
Corps ARMADA and Ryo Inoue's Total
Attack Puroresu as both men led their teams into battle. Fans were primed
as the BODYMAKER Colosseum lights faded. On the video screen, three initials
slowly begin to appear on screen -- blood
red: T. A. P. The
sound of a howling wolf accompanied the unmistakable entrance theme of Ryo
Inoue -- "You Get to Burning" by Yumi Matsuzawa. The fans roared as a
feeling of nostalgia washed over the building. Two young boys flanked the isle
way, before raising two vertical flags: One for Total Attack Puroresu, and one for the revered Steel Wind Dojo. Finally one by one, the members of T.A.P. begin to
arrive, first with the "Hungry Wolf" Daichi Kurumada, followed by a
hooded figure -- presumably the "Mystery Wolf" spoken by Inoue. Next
was Takumi Amano, Inoue's second-in-command and loyal fief. Finally, amidst a
mixture of cheers and boos, the "Shoot
Terrorist" Ryo Inoue made his arrival! Seemingly pleased by the rowdy
reaction, Inoue tried to rile fans up even more. In the ring, Amano proudly
displayed the T.A.P. flag -- garnering a huge round of boos from the largely
pro-KJPW crowd, who would meet the opening chords of Europa's "The Final
Countdown" -- the theme of Hybrid Corps ARMADA -- with unanimous cheers!
Similarly to their opponents, ARMADA arrived in full force with many of
Tanamura's martial arts students appearing with ARMADA flags. One by one, ARMADA
filed out beginning with Yusaku Kitajima. Showing the gravity of this bout,
Harumi Sakai appeared sans his usual cosplay. The man known as "The
Berserker," Yuichi Miwa walked with an unbridled intensity befitting his
moniker. Finally, the General of ARMADA,
the "Gladiator King" Kenji Tanamura arrived, showing a cold focus not
seen in years! As both teams now filled the ring, the atmosphere became even tenser...
However, before the bout could begin, Inoue had one last surprise up his
sleeve, revealing the "Mystery Wolf" to be former Nansei Nihon
Pro-Wrestling star and Kazuya Asakino trainee SHUJI KIDO!
Tempers
began to flare even before the match could begin. Both sides began trading
verbal barbs back and forth, leading to the more rash members of both teams
needing to be momentarily restrained... Fans were ecstatic however as Tanamura
began trying to goad Inoue into starting the match. Inoue smirked, seemingly up
to the task... However, just as it appeared he would meet Tanamura to start the
match, TAKUMI AMANO ATTACKED TANAMURA
FROM BEHIND! Having pulled one over on Tanamura, Inoue climbed to the
outside -- allowing his ward to start the match. ARMADA naturally protested the
action, only to be held at bay by Referee Hirata. With all 7,000+ fans cheering
Tanamura on, Amano continued his assault with vicious soccer kicks to the ribs!
As Tanamura scuttled into the corner, Amano did not let up -- BLASTING Tanamura in the chest with a
soccer kick! "OI! KING! KING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE TOUGH?!"
Amano said mockingly as he began STOMPING
TANAMURA'S BODY WITH BOTH FEET! The fans EXPLODED in boos, clearly disapproving of Amano's actions! Finally,
Referee Hirata forcibly pulled Amano away. However, as Hirata was admonishing
Amano, TANAMURA SHOOTS AND TAKES AMANO TO
THE MAT! Like an uncaged animal, Tanamura began slapping Amano violently! After standing, Tanamura delivered a
blunt STOMP TO AMANO'S FACE! Within
moments, Amano had clearly been busted open by Tanamura's offense. Now after
finding himself pulled off of Amano, Tanamura tagged out to Yuichi Miwa, who
continued to pound the scrapping Amano with knees to the body, and elbows to
the face. While blood would slow down some people, the crimson seemed to motivate Amano, who fought back with
wild slaps and knees in retaliation! Both men put everything on the line, with
the crowd cheering (and feeling) every shot!
With neither wanting to show weakness, one would absorb whatever the
other threw -- and vice versa, until both men simply collapsed into their
respective corners! Both Miwa and Amano received a loud ovation from the appreciative Osaka crowd for their efforts.
Now with Kido and Sakai in, the match took a bit of a slower pace after Sakai
wrestled Kido to the mat. Being proficiently trained in many martial arts
however, Kido established his superiority early on by countering nearly
everything Sakai would throw at him. Having enough, Sakai upped the aggression
and caught Kido with some good strikes -- only to receive a brutal savate kick
to the body in-turn! With Sakai hurt, Kido connected with a series of suplexes
to set up with looked to be a modified triangle choke... However, Kido was
suddenly beckoned by Ryo Inoue, who demanded
to be tagged in! Showing brief hesitation, Kido relented and bowed out to
his senior. There, Harumi Sakai found himself face-to-face with the
"Terrorist of Nansei," Ryo Inoue... Thinking on his feet, Sakai dove
forward to shoot Inoue to the mat -- only for Inoue to move back, before
driving his body weight forward onto Sakai! With the position established,
Inoue began paint brushing the back of Sakai's head, while occasionally
reaching and pulling back on his fingers!
Unable to watch anymore, Tanamura found himself jumping into the ring and firing
a HARD kick between Inoue's shoulder
blades! After releasing his grip on Sakai's fingers, Inoue smirked once more
before turning to face Tanamura, who had quickly returned to the apron. Pulling
Sakai up by his hair, Inoue hurled
him into his corner, URGING TANAMURA TO
TAG IN!
Without
any hesitation, Tanamura made the tag, before leaping over the top rope! The fans went wild with anticipation as
neither man showed any fear... However, this too would appear to be another
mental ploy from Inoue, as the three illegal members of T.A.P. suddenly rushed
the ring, before knocking Tanamura's partners off the ring apron! During the
confusion, Inoue BLINDSIDED TANAMURA WITH
A SLEEPER HOLD! After being subdued, Tanamura was lined up by Inoue, who
ordered his men to unleash three consecutive soccer kicks to Tanamura's back!
Satisfied, Inoue tagged out to Daichi Kurumada; who began peppering the
"Gladiator King" with short, jabbing kicks with the heel of his shoe.
The shots antagonized Tanamura more than anything, who responded with a
measured forearm! Kurumada absorbed the shot, and retaliated with a volley of
knees to the body, followed by a flurry of slaps! Defending well, Tanamura
found his opening, and struck --THROWING
KURUMADA HARD TO THE MAT WITH A JUDO HIP TOSS! Upon scrambling to his feet,
Kurumada was met with one of Tanamura's signature attacks -- connecting with
the KNEEL KICK! This led to both men
tagging out, bringing Yuichi Miwa and Takumi Amano back into the fray! Picking
up where they had left off, both men traded more heavy shots -- further
bloodying the sadistic Amano! Miwa eventually caught Takumi in a side triangle
sleeper. While seemingly innocent at first, Miwa sunk the hold deep -- causing
Amano's already red face to begin turning purple!
Fans even began sensing the end could be near. "...AMANO! SHOW YOUR GUTS! YOU WILL NOT GIVE UP!" Inoue ordered.
Locking eyes with his mentor, Amano knew the only way out besides escaping was death. Unable to reach the ropes, Amano
did the only thing he knew he could do -- AND GOUGED MIWA'S EYES! Screaming in
pain, Miwa had no choice but to release the hold... Amidst unanimous boos,
Amano increased his ruthless attack. Wearing open-fingered gloves found
typically in mixed martial arts fights, Amano BLASTED MIWA IN THE RIGHT EYE WITH A STRAIGHT PUNCH! Falling
against the ropes, Miwa found himself helpless to Amano's continued assault!
Now it was MIWA who was bloody after having his right eye continually focused
on by Amano! Resembling a street beating more than a pro-wrestling contest, the
six remaining men suddenly hit the ring, with some protesting to the referee,
while others got into shoving matches... What mattered however was the chaos
Amano was inflicting upon Miwa --
technically legal due to Amano's gloves! With "The Berserker"
offering virtually no defense, Referee
Hirata was forced to stop the match, awarding the victory to T.A.P.!
The
result was met with unanimous boos from the rowdy Osaka fans. Medical attendants,
along with Ringside Doctor Chisato Komine were quick to tend to Miwa; covering
his damaged right eye with a cold press, and towel. Beside himself, Tanamura chastised
Referee Hirata. All while this is going on, Ryo Inoue and his followers
celebrated in the isle way. To add ultimate insult to injury, Inoue took great
pleasure in tearing one of the many ARMADA
flags in half -- with Tanamura helpless but to watch on... With thousands of
concerned fans looking on, Miwa would find himself stretchered out of the
building...
*
At last, the semi-main event was here, featuring two of the most heavily
decorated wrestlers of the previous era of KJPW, including the last HEC
Heavyweight and Tag Team Champions of record. First, "MACHINEGUN
SAMURAI" heralded the arrival of Tetsuhisa NAKAI, one of the top men of
Pro Wrestling FURY, but who was shut out by the politics of KJPW before the
Opening of the Borders was decreed. "Red Spirit" brought down the man
who begged on his knees to partner with NAKAI, "Greco Superman"
Mamoru Sekishima, a towering giant of a man compared to the majority of the
talent in KJPW.
The
"Hot-Blooded Samurai" Riki Ichiro, one-half of the last HEC Tag Team
Champions of record, came out next, to a rousing ovation, but nothing compared
to when DAKK's "LAST FIGHT" kicked off. The entire BODYMAKER
Colosseum erupted to chants of "FU-KU-DA" when Ichiro's co-champion,
and the last HEC Heavyweight Champion before KJPW's hiatus, emerged -
"DAUNTLESS" Naoki Fukuda. Four massive, well-regarded heavyweights -
this was the proverbial clash of titans.
The
match started with NAKAI and Ichiro squaring off, each trying to feel each
other out with mat wrestling before each tried to shoulder-block the other, a
battle that NAKAI would eventually win. NAKAI followed that up with a jujigatame,
before Ichiro reached the ropes. NAKAI broke cleanly, and Ichiro tagged in
Fukuda to raucous applause. NAKAI and Fukuda both plied their own tests of
strength, with Fukuda gaining the upper hand before NAKAI was able to break.
Sekishima was on the outside, practically screaming to get in, so NAKAI
obliged, with the Tallest Wrestler in KJPW taking on The Strongest Wrestler in
KJPW. The crowd were wowed by the wrestling on display. Fukuda definitely had a
power advantage, but Sekishima lived up to his "Greco Superman" name
whilst the action went to the ground, especially once Sekishima managed to get
Fukuda locked into an impossibly high-angled Boston Crab. Fukuda managed to
power himself to the ropes, and tagged out to Ichiro. Sekishima brought NAKAI
in as well, which lead to a battle of dueling lariats that Ichiro was on his
way to winning, before NAKAI dodged one, and sent Ichiro to the outside of the
ring!
Once
the action went to the outside, chaos began to reign, as NAKAI hit a DDT on
Ichiro right onto the floor mats. NAKAI's flirtation with "garbage
wrestling" also came back to bear, when NAKAI lay a guardrail on the prone
Ichiro, and then performed a standing leg drop onto it! Fukuda was incensed by
then, leading to Fukuda going to the top rope to drop a MASTODON CRASH right to
the floor against NAKAI! What a sequence! The Colosseum crowd went berserk at
this point, but so did Sekishima, finally getting involved by picking up Fukuda
and sending him right back down with a shock nodowa-otoshi!! At this point, a
recovered Ichiro sent NAKAI back into the ring for a two-count.
Ichiro
tagged in Fukuda, who picked up where Ichiro left off with a Mastodon Slam onto
NAKAI, covering for another two count. Fukuda picked up NAKAI once more,
sending him to the ropes and meeting him with a thundering lariat that nearly
knocked NAKAI out of his boots! One, two, thrr--NO!! Sekishima wanted more of
Fukuda, but NAKAI couldn't get to him in time! Fukuda brought back Ichiro, who
locked NAKAI with a Scorpion Deathlock! NAKAI struggled, but managed to reach
the ropes for a clean break! Ichiro then tried another lariat on NAKAI, but
NAKAI ducked once more, coming off the ropes for a diving lariat of his own!!
One, two, kick out! NAKAI felt the momentum go his way, and lifted Ichiro into
a Fireman's Carry!! DEVIL ERUPTION!! ONE! TWO! NO, FUKUDA WITH THE SAVE!!
NAKAI
had enough of Fukuda at this point, and tagged in Sekishima! NAKAI went after
Fukuda on the outside, brawling all the way up the entrance ramp! But Sekishima
had his way with Ichiro! GRECO BOMB! ANOTHER GRECO BOMB! THIS HAD TO BE IT!!
ONE! TWO! THREEEEEEE!!!
Sekishima
celebrated after the final bell rang, as if he had just won the HEC Heavyweight
Title itself. Not an altogether bad thing, though, as he also helped Ichiro to
his feet, the two shaking hands in the center of the ring. Meanwhile, Fukuda
was FURIOUS with NAKAI, and although the two stopped their brawling, Fukuda
merely stormed off as NAKAI tried to offer a conciliatory handshake himself.
The crowd chanted Sekishima's name as he helped Ichiro to the back....
*
After an exciting night of action, the 7,500 rabid Osaka fans were ready for
the main event, as a rush of emotion came over the BODYMAKER Colosseum. The
anticipation grew as the video screen displayed the words "Toitsu (Unified) Double Titles Match."
The
nostalgic theme from Neo Japan Pro-Wrestling seemed to have caught long-time
pro-wrestling fans completely off guard, ushering the arrival of the appointed
administrator for illustrious title belts -- the villainous heel and former Neo
Japan Heavyweight Champion, HIROYOSHI
TENZAKI! Creating a stark contrast to his days as a rule breaker, Tenzaki
appeared in great spirits; with a cheerful demeanor... After entering the ring,
the BODYMAKER Colosseum lights dimmed once more, bringing the crowd to a swift,
but eerie hush. Just when the silence seemed to drag on too long, the opening
chords of "NEVER SURRENDER" by
Lion -- the unmistakable theme song of "Mr.
300%" Kazuma Fujita brought nearly all of the capacity hometown crowd
to their feet! Deafening chants of "FU-JI-TA!" flood every
square-inch of BODYMAKER Colosseum. With an aged look of determination, Fujita
emerged onto the entrance way to a local hero's welcome. Upon entering the ring,
Fujita immediately greeted Tenzaki with a handshake, along with a respectful
deep bow...
For
a third time, the lights went back as Fujita's music faded. Before his music
could even begin to play, chants of "YA-MA-TO!" began shooting from
the crowd. Finally, the opening beat to "Climbatize" by the Prodigy
is queued, causing an eruption of
cheers from the nostalgic fans! Even more, the chants rise from the crowd.
Without question, Osaka is Kazuma Fujita's turf... But never has there been a
wrestler to rival his popularity across Japan than Genji Yamato. Like a ninja,
the revered "Living Legend" popped
from the curtain, immediately striking
his "FIGHTING LOVE!" pose with the fabled Unified Double Titles to an
explosive reaction! Radiating with charisma and poise, Yamato entered the
ring locking eyes with his fated opponent -- going so far to as once more
strike his trademark pose right in
Fujita's face, garnering a huge reaction!
As
Fujita's ring music faded, Ring Announcer Kinta Nakayama took center-stage in
the middle of the ring. "...The following contest is our MAIN EVENT!"
Nakayama emphatically declared, earning a huge burst of cheers from the live
crowd. The man appointed by the KJPW Championship Committee to be the
Administrator of the Unified Double Titles -- the legendary HIROYOSHI TENZAKI was introduced to read
aloud the declaration signed by Tenzaki himself and the KJPW Championship
Committee. Fans cheered wildly as Tenzaki finished, showing their nostalgia...
Both competitors were then introduced, beginning with Osaka-born Kazuma Fujita,
who received a suited reception. However, Yamato would once again garner an
equal -- possibly larger reaction from the older fans. As the bell time
approached, the fervor inside the building continued to climb. Until,
finally...
"FUJITA!
Are you ready...? Okay! YAMATO! Are
you ready? ...Okay! Time keeper,
Ready? ...GO!!"
With
a sudden motion of his hand, Referee Hideki Kajiwara called for the start of
this historic contest! The elated crowd couldn't help but to let out a huge
round of eager applause as Fujita and Yamato worked their charisma to draw the
opening moments out... Amidst dueling chants of "YA-MA-TO!" and
"FU-JI-TA!" both men sized the other up while inching closer to one
another. Within reaching distance, both men begun grasping desperately at the
other -- hoping to grab a hand or even a limb! However, neither man wants to be
the first to show weakness; and tactically break away before the other can
capitalize. Circling once more, the two would finally lock arms. Being the
larger wrestler, Fujita overpowered Yamato into the ropes immediately;
prompting Referee Kajiwara to call for the break. While teasing a cheap blow,
Fujita instead patted Yamato gently on the chest before backing away; earning a
respectful ovation from the crowd! Yamato on the other hand found the gesture
far from respectful, and responded in kind with a SLAP ACROSS THE FACE! "DON'T GO EASY ON ME, YOU SENTIMENTAL
FOOL!" Yamato boldly shouted, much to the surprise of the crowd. Showing
some hesitation, Fujita shoved Yamato
back into the ropes, before blasting
him across the chest with a blistering knife-edge chop! While clearly Fujita's
best effort, Yamato still felt insulted, prompting him to strike, throwing a
sudden and swift pinpoint dropkick to Fujita's knee, followed by another! With the roar of the crowd as
their backdrop, both fighters scrapped early on to gain control. With every
chop Fujita threw, Yamato would answer with a quick kick or elbow. Just as it
seemed Fujita had gained the upper hand by catching Yamato's leg, the champion
countered with a short-ranged DIAMOND
BLUE (Shining Wizard), catching Fujita flush on the jaw! Like a timbering
tree in the forest, Fujita fell to the mat,
prompting Yamato to pounce for the fall! The crowd erupted at this sudden
event as Referee Kajiwara dove to make the count -- only for Fujita to power out before ONE!
While
far from a KO blow, the shot was enough to make Fujita retreat to the outside
for a momentary breather -- indirectly allowing Yamato to soak up the
fanfare... Fujita was more cautious after returning to the ring, leading to a
brief lull as both men contemplated their next move... Finally, Fujita stepped
forward to lock up -- prompting Yamato to drop down and counter with a
go-behind... Slowly, but forcefully; Fujita broke Yamato's grip to counter
in-turn with a top wristlock! Jockeying for position, both men tried to out
power the other. Ultimately however, Fujita would bring Yamato to his knees --
and then his back -- using the top wristlock, before further grounding the
Principal of "FIGHTING LOVE!" with a headlock... Waiting patiently
however, the venerable Yamato eventually countered the hold by grapevining
Fujita's head with a leg scissors! Immediately, Fujita tried to pry his way
free. However, Yamato quickly cut him off by using his hips to wrench Fujita's surgically reconstructed
neck! Fujita finally popped his head free after Yamato tried to apply further
pressure, prompting both men to scramble to their feet, where they were met
with polite applause... After another brief standoff, it would be Yamato who
would become the aggressor after wearing the challenger down with a side
headlock. After bringing Fujita to the mat with a snapmare, Yamato suddenly
sprang off the ropes with remarkable short-burst agility, before crushing Fujita with one of his
trademark attacks -- the Flashing
(twisting) Elbow Drop to a big reaction! As Fujita sat up -- almost as a
reflex of the impact, Yamato was quick to sink in a sleeper hold; albeit loose.
This allowed Fujita to quickly get to his feet, where he hoisted the champion
up into the air, before spiking him with a DANGEROUS
BACKDROP! Nobody -- not Yamato, nor the live crowd were prepared for Fujita's
swift counter. While he briefly grimaced still over the elbow drop, Fujita
covered Yamato -- prompting him to kick out BEFORE
ONE! With fans popping out of their seats, Fujita suddenly came alive, beckoning Yamato to his feet! With the
champion seemingly disoriented, Fujita signaled for a quick end with his
patented lariat! Coming off the ropes, Fujita charged up his signature attack
before swinging violently... However,
Yamato ducked through, and answers
with a POWERFUL LARIAT, KNOCKING FUJITA
OFF HIS FEET! Many fans sensed a sudden end as Yamato covered Fujita for a
second time, this time nearly getting
two! This gave Yamato enough control to work Fujita into the corner, where
he softened him further with two hard palm slaps to the chest, followed by an
elbow! Yamato then sent Fujita into the opposite corner. However, upon
following through, Yamato found himself met with a COUNTER FUJITA LARIAT IN THE CORNER! While still feeling the
effects of Yamato's offense, Fujita made the cover -- only getting two...
Something about this lit a fire under Fujita, who quickly pulled Yamato up to
his feet, where he throttled him...
With almost all 7,500 fans sensing what was coming, Yamato found himself on the
receiving end of a hellacious CHOKESLAM! After another two-count pin
attempt, Fujita peppered the recovering Yamato with more chops. Thankfully for
Yamato, a momentary gap in Fujita's defenses allowed him to strike, catching
the unsuspecting Fujita with an ABISEGIRI
(rolling heel kick) to the face! The roar of the crowd met Fujita as he
rolled to the outside to compose himself... The shot had done more damage than
it had appeared, as Fujita took his time lying on the arena mats... After the
count of 8, Fujita finally begun to
stir. At 12, he was able to pull
himself up to apron-level using the bottom rope... However, before he could
climb back in, the 46-year old Yamato continued to pull out the stops,
delivering a DIVING PLANCHA ONTO FUJITA!
Once
more, the fans went wild with chants of "YA-MA-TO!" With the ring out
count now reset, both champion and challenger took their time to recover.
Yamato would obviously be the first to return to the ring, where he would lie
in wait for Fujita. As he climbed onto the apron, Yamato immediately met him
with a hard elbow to the jaw, before
grabbing Fujita's leg through the ropes... Smart fans quickly realized what
Yamato was aiming for -- a Dragon Screw leg whip through the ropes! However, Fujita fought tooth-and-nail, knowing
full well of Yamato's intentions. It would take of all things, a headbutt from "Mr. 300%" to jar Yamato long enough to pull his leg
free. Even further, Fujita followed through by using his renowned strength to SUPLEX YAMATO OVER THE ROPES, AND ONTO THE
GYMNASIUM FLOOR! Within moments, the crowd came unglued once more -- this
time out of concern for both competitors!! Despite their age, both men showed
incredible Burning Spirit. Fujita took a moment to recover, but quickly rose to
his feet amidst the cheers of the Osaka fateful. Upon climbing onto the apron
however, YAMATO would suddenly spring
to life! Catching Fujita blind, Yamato grabbed hold of Fujita's right knee, and
proceeded to deliver a DRAGON SCREW FROM
THE RING APRON!! With the adrenaline pumping full blast, Yamato wasted
little time in getting Fujita back into the ring. As the challenger tried
getting to his feet, the intelligent champion cut him off with a pinpoint
dropkick to the knee! As Fujita once again scrambled to his feet, Yamato
aggressively persisted; grabbing Fujita's injured right knee and TWEAKING IT WITH ANOTHER DRAGON SCREW! With
Fujita primed, Yamato grabbed Fujita's left leg, before grapevining it across
the right -- Yamato locked in the FIGURE
FOUR LEG LOCK! The agony on Fujita's face was indescribable -- and the rabid
Osaka fans felt it. While many were enamored with Yamato's charisma and
mystique, the hometown crowd rallied behind the fighting challenger with chants
of "FU-JI-TA!" "C'MON, FUJITA!" Yamato boisterously shouted
to antagonize -- maybe even motivate his opponent. It seemed to work, as Fujita
sat up and SLAPPED Yamato across the
face to a tremendous reaction! In response, Yamato put even more pressure on
the hold, causing Fujita to writhe in agony, and in-turn begin fighting his way
to the ropes! Eventually, Fujita managed to find relief with a rope break.
However, the damage had already been done to Fujita's right leg. Like a shark
sensing blood, Yamato continued to focus on Fujita's right knee. However, as he
tried for yet another Dragon Screw, Fujita fought back with more chops,
followed with thudding forearms to
the jaw! The back-and-forth continued until Fujita blocked Yamato's pinpoint
dropkick, before following it up with a BRUTAL
Knee Kick to the champion's body! With Yamato doubled over, Fujita quickly
snapmared him to the mat, before locking in a double-wrist facelock! Like two
soup bones, Fujita used his giant wrists to apply pressure to Yamato's jaw and
neck. Despite how painful the hold looked, Yamato kept his composure until
Fujita finally relented and released the hold, albeit before forcing Yamato to
kick out of a pin attempt at two. Now it was Fujita who was the aggressor.
After more tenderizing blows in the corner, Fujita aimed to deal severe damage
with a VERTICAL BRAINBUSTER! Refusing
to surrender however, Yamato countered upside down with a precise knee strike
to the top of Fujita's skull! The
shot disoriented Fujita long enough to allow Yamato to drop down behind Fujita,
where he grabbed the waistlock and countered with a GERMAN SUPLEX HOLD! Sensing the end, the fans counted along with
Referee Kajiwara -- ONLY FOR FUJITA TO
KICK OUT AFTER TWO! Wasting no time, Yamato was quick to Full Nelson Fujita
while pulling him to his feet. While the champion was possibly thinking of going
for the Dragon Suplex, Fujita used his power to break free, and counter with a
swift go-behind! There, Fujita struck Yamato in the back of the head with an ENZUILARIAT! The shot sent Yamato careening forward into the ropes! As he
staggered backwards, the challenger was waiting with open arms, where he
delivered perhaps the biggest blow of the match yet -- a HALF NELSON SUPLEX! The 46-year old Yamato's body violently crashed
head first into the mat, where Fujita capitalized with the cover -- ONLY FOR YAMATO TO KICK OUT AT 2.5! Yamato's
escape was met with a huge rise of cheers, along with the accompanying stomps
of the excited Osaka crowd!
Not
deterred, Fujita whipped Yamato into the corner, where he followed in with a hard lariat. After lifting Yamato onto
the top rope, Fujita suddenly pointed upward, surprising many... Indeed, Fujita
climbed the ropes; slowly positioning Yamato for what appeared to be an Avalanche Brainbuster! However, Yamato
valiantly fought with short elbows, before delivering a headbutt of his own
between Fujita's eyes! The shot sent the challenger staggering on his feet,
in-turn allowing Yamato to DIVE FROM THE
MIDDLE ROPE, DROPKICKING FUJITA IN THE RIGHT KNEE! After bringing the fans
to their feet with his "FIGHTING LOVE!" pose, Yamato once more sunk
in the FIGURE FOUR LEG LOCK IN THE CENTER
OF THE RING! With much of his tank spent, Fujita found it incredibly
difficult to do anything but contemplate surrender... However, loud chants of
"FU-JI-TA!" filled BODYMAKER once more, encouraging him to keep
fighting! Like earlier, Fujita slapped Yamato across the face -- prompting the
champion to apply even more pressure! This time however, Fujita defiantly ROARED BACK IN YAMATO'S FACE, AND DELIVERED
ANOTHER SLAP! With most of the fans behind him, Fujita used his strength to
lift Yamato's leg up -- alleviating the pressure for a moment, until Yamato
slapped Fujita's hand away... The back-and-forth struggled until Fujita finally
turned the hold over, REVERSING THE
PRESSURE! While both men were slow to get to their feet, there was still
plenty of fight left as champion and challenger exchanged hard chops and elbows
once more... Just as it seemed Fujita was running away with the momentum, the
crafty Yamato struck, landing a short-ranged
Diamond Blue -- staggering Fujita! With Fujita helpless, Yamato mustered a
brief burst of strength to lift Fujita up, and SPIKE HIM WITH A FISHERMAN BUSTER! Once more, BODYMAKER came
unseated as fans roared with a mixture of "FUJITA!" and
"YAMATO!" calls. While briefly catching his breath, Yamato finally
pounced onto Fujita for the cover -- ONLY
FOR FUJITA TO KICK OUT AT 2.5! Deafening cheers and stomps flooded the
atmosphere as both men laid motionless -- albeit briefly before Yamato jumped
to his feet! With the crowd stirring wildly -- anticipating what would come
next, Yamato sized Fujita up upon the challenger getting to a knee... Finally,
Yamato struck -- BLASTING FUJITA WITH A
PERFECT DIAMOND BLUE!! Sensing the end, the crowd erupted as Yamato went
for the cover -- FIGHTING LOVE! pose
in hand! Down went the referee's hand... ONE!
...TWO! ...THR--2.9! Somehow,
the challenger found the spirit to keep fighting. For a brief moment, time had
returned to almost 15 years ago as over 7,000 fans chanted in unison:
"FU-JI-TA! FU-JI-TA! FU-JI-TA!!" Yamato himself
seemed momentarily demoralized after connecting with what should have been a knockout blow. However, Yamato finally
psyched himself up, shouting "...FINISH!!"
Going back to his signature weapon, Yamato measured Fujita -- even using
his hands as a frame to line up the shot! As he went to pull the trigger
however, Fujita CROSSED HIS ARMS TO BLOCK
THE DIAMOND BLUE! During the confusion, Fujita took the chance to
capitalize -- BLASTING YAMATO FLUSH WITH
A DIAMOND BLUE OF HIS OWN!
Hitting the mat like a sack of bricks, Yamato seemed woefully unprepared for
his own finishing attack! Sensing his chance to become the Unified Double Champion, Fujita covered Yamato -- hooking the leg! ONE! ...TWO! ...THR--2.9! Going back and
forth between both perennial favorites, the fans were now calling out Yamato's
name! However, Fujita went take the crowd's attention back by pounding the mat
to psyche himself up. Grabbing Yamato by his bald head, Fujita stuffed Yamato's
head between his legs... With a powerful hoist, Fujita lifted Yamato's body
up... before sending him back down with a violent POWERBOMB! Leaning
forward, Fujita maintained the pin as Referee Kajiwara made a dramatic leap to
the mat... ONE! ...TWO!! ...THR--2.999!!! Losing their collective
minds, the 7,000+ Osaka fans stomped and clapped wildly in appreciation...
While still tending to his right knee, Fujita tried once more for the
Powerbomb! However, Yamato still had the wherewithal to resist -- and even
fight! Slowly, Yamato pulled away from Fujita's grasp, before going for Fujita's right knee! Fujita
in-turn answered with a THUDDING
forearm across the back to loosen Yamato's grip. He followed with a CHEST-CAVING KNEE KICK using his left leg! The
shot sent an audible "OUMPH!" from
Yamato's mouth as he fell to his knees! Helpless, Yamato could do nothing as
Fujita wrapped his arms around his waist once more. With a swift, but sudden
burst of strength, Fujita deadlifted Yamato's body halfway up -- before
struggling! After nearly dropping Yamato, Fujita recalled all of his remaining
strength. With an audible grunt, Fujita raised -- and kept Yamato in the air! Just
when his arms could hold Yamato no longer, Fujita dropped ALL of his weight forward, PLOWING YAMATO'S BODY INTO THE CANVAS WITH A
VIOLENT POWERBOMB! This time, Fujita slide his body even further,
putting his entire body weight on top of Yamato's legs! With the Osaka crowd in
a frenzy, they counted along once more as a haggard Referee Kajiwara made the
diving count! ONE! ...TWO!! ...THREE!!!
The
crowd could not believe it! Kazuma Fujita
could not believe it! However, reality set in as the gong sounded, signifying a
NEW Unified Double Titles Champion!
Both men were immediately flocked by their respective students, along with
receiving aid from Ringside Physician Chisato Komine. While the fans were
clearly exuberant for Fujita's historic victory, every person in the building
gave Genji Yamato nothing but the utmost respect upon his wounded exit.
"YAMATO! PLEASE KEEP FIGHTING!"
"THAT WAS AMAZING! COME BACK!!" "YAMATO, WELCOME BACK!!" The
compliments continued -- and clearly touched Yamato, who did his best to strike
his "FIGHTING LOVE!" pose in the isle way -- only to collapse due to
sheer exhaustion... This only further endeared the crowd, who showered him in
"YA-MA-TO!" chants... After receiving a quick examination from Komine-sensei, Kazuma Fujita was finally
awarded the two belts he always strived for throughout his illustrious career.
To make the moment even more surreal, he was receiving the belts from one of the
men he looked up to when he became a pro-wrestler, the legendary Hiroyoshi Tenzaki. Despite being a man
of deep pride, Fujita couldn't help but to get emotional at the sight of the
Neo Japan and J1 Heavyweight title belts, and did his best to keep his composure
while accepting the belts from Tenzaki. In a rare moment, Fujita looked almost embarrassed to be openly crying in front
of Tenzaki, who gave him a good natured pat on the back before taking his
exit...
Finally
came the Champion Interview, conducted
by popular Fuji TV sports anchor Tetsuo Tanaka. Speaking on the match itself,
Fujita said that he had never came into a match with more anxiety and
uneasiness. He admitted to having self-doubt going in, and even during the
match -- and even worried that his "complex"
would cost him the match. When asked about his considerably larger physique,
Fujita noted that due to his age and past injuries, he focused all of his
training on pure strength -- noting that he was originally called the
"Puroresu Powerhouse" during his BSPW days... Tanaka asked Fujita exactly
what winning the Unified Double Titles meant to him... Fujita said he cherished
every championship and accolade he had achieved during his career. However,
when he decided to become a Pro-Wrestler, the very belts he held in his hands
were the top prize in Japan -- arguably the world. "Without these belts...
I would not have been inspired to become
a Pro-Wrestler!" Fujita boldly declared, much to the shock of the
Osaka fans... Speaking directly to Yamato, Fujita thanked him for protecting belts
he took ownership of after the collapse of Neo Japan in the late 90's. "I
hope this influences your decision moving forward... But I WILL DEFINITELY GIVE YOU A REMATCH!" Fujita shouted --
garnering a huge ovation!
Looking
forward, Fujita oddly took the focus off the Double Titles, and on the HEC
Heavyweight Title... Appealing directly to the two men who will compete for the
title on 5/31, Fujita called out NAOKI
FUKUDA and MAMORU SEKISHIMA!
Amidst confused fans, both men obliged the new Unified Double Champion by walking out to the ring. With both belts
slung over his right shoulder, Fujita admitted that his flame was slowly
burning out... While today is a joyous day in his career, Fujita said that it
is a somber one as it may also be the last
championship he wins in Pro-Wrestling... "...UNTIL THEN, HOWEVER...!!" Fujita shouted, catching both
Naoki and Mamoru's attention... "...I
AM STILL KAZUMA FUJITA! I AM STILL 'MR. 300%!' I AM NOW THE UNIFIED DOUBLE
TITLES CHAMPION!!" Fujita continued while raising both belts with his
left arm, emotionally. "PROVE YOU ARE ON MY LEVEL! LEAVE THESE PEOPLE IN AWE! ARE YOU NOT HEROES!?" Fujita punctuated the point by slapping BOTH MEN across the face! The statement
left everyone momentarily speechless, before heralding Fujita's exit with
unanimous fanfare! The bold gesture by Fujita appeared to have accomplished its
goal, as both Naoki and Mamoru had newfound fire. The closing moments of
tonight's historic event saw both men make eye-contact. Fans sparked with
anticipation for the match that will likely determine KJPW's future going
forward!
KINGDOM of JAPAN
PRO-WRESTLING,
"KING × KING"
(iPPV/PPV/TV)
April 17, 2015
Osaka - BODYMAKER Colosseum
7,500 Fans (Super No Vacancy
Full House)
0. Yusuke Kishimoto/Maleko Momoa
Debut Match: Maleko Momoa beat Yusuke Kishimoto (5:19) with a small
package hold.
1. OPENING MATCH ~ Noble Pride:
Yutaka Awano & Yukio Kisanuki beat Kohei Obata & Hajime Kon (7:59) when
Kisanuki used the Kimura Lock on Kon.
2. Our Pace ~ BRACE FOR NIGHTMARE:
"Nightmare Child" Norihiro Akashi beat Ryuugo Nagashima (12:40) with
a crucifix hold.
3.
RETURN TO SOAR ~ Special Junior 10-Man Tag Match: Jet Jaguar, ATSUKA,
Yoshihiro Shimoda, GALLEON & Hayato Saigo beat Kyoto Okazaki, Wataru
Yamada, Keisuke Rongai, Kazuki Sendo & S★S Star (13:12) when Jaguar used
the Jaguar Special on Sendo.
4. LAST of BIG BOSS ~ Chikao Kessin
Farewell Match: "BIG BOSS" Chikao Kessin, James Goodwin Jr. &
"BIG" Jon Goodwin beat Hiroaki Nakata, Manabe Tsuji [FREE]
& RYUJI [FREE] (10:52) when James used the Moonsault press on
Nakata.
5. We are... NEW GENERATION!! ~
EXODUS Pro Pacific Coast Title Match: Shinji Uchikawa (c) beat "Mr.
Hard Body" Tsutomu Nishioka (12:45) with the yurikamome in his V1
defense.
6. The First Shot ~ Hybrid Corps ARMADA
versus Total Attack Puroresu: "Shoot Terrorist" Ryo Inoue [T.A.P.],
"Elder Brother Wolf" Takumi Amano [T.A.P.], "Hungry
Wolf" Daichi Kurumada [T.A.P.] & "Mystery Wolf" Shuji
Kido [T.A.P.] beat "Gladiator King" Kenji Tanamura, "The
Berserker" Yuichi Miwa, "Cosplay Warrior" Harumi Sakai &
Yusaku Kitajima (7:32) by referee stoppage (Amano beat Miwa.)
7. Magnitude Rising ~ KINGDOM'S HEAVY
WAR: Tetsuhisa NAKAI & "Greco Superman" Mamoru Sekishima beat
"DAUNTLESS" Naoki Fukuda & "Hot-Blooded Samurai" Riki
Ichiro (23:29) when Sekishima used the Greco Bomb on Ichiro.
8. Forever Burning!! The Essence of
Pro-Wrestling ~ Unified Double Titles Match: "Mr. 300%" Kazuma
Fujita beat "FIGHTING LOVE!" Genji Yamato (c) (17:20) with a
Powerbomb to become the 6th champion.
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