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Willsky

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Willsky last won the day on May 19 2023

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  • Birthday 02/17/1994

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  1. A NEW DYNASTY Yoshimi Mushashibo’s loss to Nobuatsu Tatsuko at Night of GLORY was a serious blow to the young contender. Afterwards, his enigmatic response suggested a new approach to wrestling. But what would that entail? What would Mushashibo change to get him to the next level? And what would he sacrifice? Meanwhile, Shuji Inukai’s Historical Japan title reign was going well. He had dispatched many worthwhile opponents and some were beginning to believe that he might have a chance at breaking the record for longest time holding the belt. And of course, the Elite Tag Series was on the horizon. Team Dynasty had competed at all three of the previous tournaments, although there was plenty of doubt about whether they were on the same page after their dispute over the Historical Japan title at the end of 1999. They had hardly been seen together since. Night of STRENGTH, June 2000 Shuji Inukai continued his regular defences of the Historical Japan title, as was tradition, by taking on Yasunobu Koiso. Koiso made his debut a couple of months before, answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge and giving a good account of himself. Now he found himself with the opportunity to make a real impact in PGHW. As a young lion, a victory over Inukai here would have propelled him to instant stardom. Inukai wasn’t having it though. Once again Koiso was impressive, but Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat was deadly once again and the youngster had to settle for earning only respect rather than victory. Also on the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo tasted defeat as he teamed with fellow Kumaska-buntai members Tommy Cornell & Danger Kumasaka as well as Noriyori Sanda. They lost to the impressive team of Glory Tag Crown champions Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and the team that had challenged for the titles at Night of GLORY, Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). Night of WARRIORS, July 2000 Both Inukai and Mushashibo competed in high-profile singles matches at Night of WARRIORS. First, Shuji Inukai accepted the challenge from Dino Maldini for the Historical Japan title. Inukai found himself up against the newest member of DREAD Army who had surged into great form recently. And this form paid off as Maldini managed to score a huge victory, choking out Inukai with the Triangle Choke and winning the Historical Japan title! It was a devastating blow to Inukai whose bid to become longest reigning champion fell disappointingly short, at just seven months. In the main event of the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo stepped up to Mito Miwa who was still running his open challenge. Mushashibo was by far the biggest threat to Miwa yet and it was unofficially considered that the winner of this match would soon earn a shot at Tatsuko’s Glory Crown. It was a solid match between the two, but Mushashibo couldn’t shake off the disappointment of his failed challenge and Miwa’s impressive form led him to victory with the Pride Bomber. On this night, Inukai and Mushashibo left with heads hanging low. Night of VICTORY, July 2000 In the opening match, Shuji Inukai partnered Kumasaka-buntai stablemate Walter Morgan to take on Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). Iano and Umehara were in fine form, rebounding from defeat at Night of GLORY to keep themselves in the running as title contenders. They isolated Morgan and beat him with the Y2K. Inukai looked bereft of confidence. In the next match, it was another defeat for Kumasaka-buntai as Danger Kumasaka and Tommy Cornell teamed with Noriyori Sanda who was pinned by Pistol Pete Hall tagging with Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. And later in the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo took another loss alongside Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) up against Dread and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). With not a single thing to cheer at Night of VICTORY, Danger Kumasaka called a meeting with his group. He was seen backstage speaking for a long while with Mushashibo, Inukai, Morgan and Cornell and at the end, the four looked much more confident. Night of LEGACY, August 2000 Kumasaka-buntai took part in three matches at Night of LEGACY. The first was a rather predictable loss for Danger Kumasaka as he stood up to Mito Miwa’s challenge and suffered a Pride Bomber. The second was Walter Morgan’s challenge for Dino Maldini’s Historical Japan title. The belt had been with Kumasaka-buntai for well over a year prior to Maldini defeating Inukai, and Morgan was the one tasked with winning it back. He failed. However, it was not all doom and gloom for Kumasaka-buntai as the trio of Tommy Cornell and a seemingly reunited Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) got a big win over Roka Furuhata, Mamoru Nagahama and Chuichi Sanda. More than the win was the sight of Inukai and Mushashibo back together, competing with confidence and expression. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000 Danger Kumasaka’s work in turning around the fortunes of his group was clearly having an effect. He got a good opening match victory over young Yasunobu Koiso, but it was later in the show that we saw the younger members shine. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan tagged with Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) to defeat the incredibly dangerous foursome of DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) along with Mamoru Nagahama. Cornell looked especially impressive, and got the pinfall victory over Lee Wright. And in the main event, Team Dynasty (Inukai & Mushashibo) tagged with perennial rivals Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) in a massive win over Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) and Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall. Inukai and Mushashibo were singing from the same hymn sheet and at the end of the show, Kumasaka announced Cornell & Morgan would be entering the Elite Tag Series, as would Inukai & Mushashibo, but not as Team Dynasty, but as Team Dynasty 2000! Diary will be inactive for a week or so as I'm away on holiday.
  2. SEAN’S SEARCH Sean McFly was one half of PGHW’s longest-reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Team MYTHOS who held the belts for an incredible fourteen months. He and Mito Miwa brought the tag division to new heights until they finally lost to Team EXPLOSION at Night of WRESTLING 1999. After that loss, Mito Miwa decided to focus on his singles career, with McFly happy to do the same. Miwa saw much more success during the year 2000 while McFly found himself a bit lost in the shuffle. Now, with the Elite Tag Series coming up and Miwa declaring he would not take part in the tournament, it was natural that McFly was looking for a new tag partner. But with most big names already part of an established team, who would step up? Night of STRENGTH, June 2000 Sean McFly began his search for a new tag partner by teaming with Mamoru Nagahama in a match against Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Nagahama had also been part of a successful tag team. His reign alongside Hito Ichihara was only ended by Team MYTHOS. With Nagahama and Ichihara at each other’s throats, Nagahama was also on the lookout for a partner. However, they did not get along at all well. Nagahama’s single-minded aggression left McFly stranded on his own at times and up against the in-form Rebel Cell, such failures of communication left them struggling to compete. In the end, Okazawaya pinned Nagahama to get the win. McFly decided Nagahama was not the right man. Night of WARRIORS, July 2000 The second man to have a test tag match with Sean McFly was none other than Koryusai Kitoaji. The legend had been in many major tag teams over the years, with Shimi Komatsuzaki in BHOTWG and recently Hito Ichihara in PGHW. They faced the red hot Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). Many fans thought the McFly-Kitoaji pairing could be a powerful one, but this match proved otherwise. Kitoaji had slowed down a lot and often seemed a step behind the lightning-quick McFly. They couldn’t handle Inao and Umehara, and in the end fell to the Y2K with Umehara getting a monumental pinfall win over Kitoaji. It was another failed experiment for McFly, but there was still plenty of time left to find the right partner. Night of VICTORY, July 2000 It was more than generous for Sean McFly to give Chuichi Sanda the opportunity to tag alongside him. Despite showing glimpses of potential and occasionally threatening to up his game, Sanda had been a failure in PGHW. He had little to cheer about in singles action and even less in the tag division. But McFly was open to new possibilities and the pair took on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) who had dropped off from their dominance a few years ago. Still, the DREAD Army members were able to keep Chuichi Sanda at bay with relative ease and McFly was helpless to stop them hitting the Too Hot to Handle to get the win. It wasn’t all bad for McFly, though, as after the match, a young star-in-the-making approached him. Yasunobu Koiso. The young lion had impressed in his few matches in PGHW so far, notably going over twenty minutes with none other than Mito Miwa. Still, the kid had a lot to prove and McFly suggested he show his abilities in a singles match between them at the next show, Night of LEGACY. Night of LEGACY, August 2000 Sean McFly took on Yasunobu Koiso in the second match of the show in a match where everyone knew the outcome. There was no way Koiso would beat McFly. But the youngster showed he wasn’t as far off as they thought. On several occasions he looked close to getting a three-count pinfall over McFly, who was just as surprised as the fans. Ultimately McFly got the win with a Delorean Driver, but Koiso had impressed him so much he agreed to give him a shot as a tag partner for the Elite Tag Series. McFly had these words after the show: McFly: Koiso is a real talent. At his young age he’s already better than half the men on this roster. But I’m not getting my expectations up too much. He has a way to go and winning the Elite Tag Series will be a real outside bet considering the opposition. But we may as well try. And who knows, this could be the start of another legendary partnership. Mito Miwa gave me an opportunity a couple of years ago and look what happened. I hope this might be the same kind of thing. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000 At Night of TOUGHNESS, with his partner for the Elite Tag Series set, Sean McFly surprised a lot of people by answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge. It was the first time they had shared a ring since dropping the Glory Tag Crown titles in December 1999 and the first time they’d gone head-to-head since April 1998. Both men had developed significantly since then. Mito Miwa was shocked at first, but soon a smile spread across his face as McFly stood up to him. They were good friends still. This match simply marked the moment that they no longer considered themselves on the same team. Miwa was doing his own thing, McFly had a new partner. It was a typically enjoyable match from the pair, with Miwa getting a hard-earned win with the Pride Bomber. Yasunobu Koiso appeared afterwards to stand with his new partner, and Miwa expressed how he was very impressed with the youngster. And after the show, it was officially announced that Sean McFly and Yasunobu Koiso would compete in the Elite Tag Series.
  3. RESISTING THE ARMY Since their inception at the tail end of 1999, DREAD Army had been dominant. First they showed their power over Kumasaka-buntai, then they spent the first half of the year 2000 splitting Dino Maldini from his tag partner Pistol Pete Hall and making the latter’s life miserable. There was plenty of controversy about their actions. Post-match attacks were extremely rare and severely frowned upon by everyone in the company, but DREAD Army got away with several leading up to Night of GLORY, receiving no punishment. Sadaharu Jimbo, who created the motto “do the right thing”, was notably quiet on the matter. Some wondered whether he was loosening his tight grip on the boundaries and willing to let more pass. Either way, Pistol Pete Hall had found some allies willing to help him in the fight against DREAD Army, and after a mixture of results at Night of GLORY, the resistance was only strengthening. But would it be enough to stop Dread and his band of thugs? Night of STRENGTH, June 2000 In the opening match of Night of STRENGTH, Dino Maldini tagged with his stablemate and leader Dread in a crushing win over Yodo Nakane and Chuichi Sanda. It was always going to be a one-sided affair, but Dread hardly had to get involved. It was incredible to see the change in confidence and aggression from Maldini since joining DREAD Army and no shenanigans were needed for him to choke out Sanda with the Triangle Choke. Pistol Pete Hall was absent from the show, reportedly recovering from the battering he had picked up over the previous months. Rumours of an injury were shut down quickly when his return was announced for the next show, Night of WARRIORS. Night of WARRIORS, July 2000 Pistol Pete Hall returned with plenty of vigour, a month since his defeat to Dino Maldini. This time he tagged with Hito Ichihara to take on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). Hall and Ichihara worked well as a team and dispatched the former two-time tag champions when Hall hit the Pistol Whip Lariat. In the next match on the show, Dread accompanied Dino Maldini to the ring for his Historical Japan title match against champion Shuji Inukai. Few expected Inukai to drop the belt considering he was setting himself up for a record-breaking reign, so it was a huge shock when Maldini followed Dread’s barked orders to a victorious performance. The critical moment was when Inukai was setting up his Untouchable Lariat, which nobody had ever kicked out of. Dread’s shout was audible around the arena, just in time to alert Maldini who dodged it and fought back, finally applying the Triangle Choke until Inukai passed out. Maldini became the new Historical Japan champion! Night of VICTORY, July 2000 At Night of VICTORY, there was no direct conflict between members of DREAD Army and those who resisted them, with the exception of Dread teaming with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to face Yoshimi Mushashibo and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). It was at Night of GLORY that Rebel Cell got a surprise win over Dread’s stablemates Team STRENGTH RUSH, but the big man got his revenge on this occasion, putting away Sarumara with a Dread Bomb. Elsewhere in the show, Koryusai Kitoaji apparently added himself to the resisting alliance as he teamed with Pistol Pete Hall and Hito Ichihara to defeat Noriyori Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka and Tommy Cornell. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) were back to winning ways as they dealt with Chuichi Sanda and Sean McFly. And of course, Dino Maldini defended the Historical Japan title, getting another impressive win. He dispatched the hugely popular Roka Furuhata, earning his third big singles win in recent times, after Hall and Inukai. Night of LEGACY, August 2000 A feisty six-man tag match was one of the best matches at Night of LEGACY. It saw Hito Ichihara and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) face Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). DREAD Army’s original lineup suffered due to one thing – Lee Wright’s physical decline. There was no doubt he was still technically proficient, but when exposed in action for a few minutes, he blew up quickly. Ichihara spotted this and directed Rebel Cell to take advantage. It all resulted in Okazawaya once again pinning Wright and a loss for DREAD Army. Fortunately for the group, Dino Maldini fared better. He came out on top of a bout against Walter Morgan that saw plenty of technical mastery from both men. Maldini’s Triangle Choke got the job done for his second defence. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000 Night of TOUGHNESS, as was tradition, featured two major eight-man tag matches ahead of the Elite Tag Series. One of these saw Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) team with Kumasaka-buntai’s Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan to face DREAD Army’s Dread, Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) as well as an aggressive Mamoru Nagahama. Many expected DREAD Army to get the victory, but Rebel Cell once again had the measure of Lee Wright. Nagahama looked frustrated as Wright was isolated and dispatched with an Insurrection. He made his opinion clear to Dread and Diaz as he stormed to the back. Another loss for DREAD Army that was softened by Dino Maldini’s excellent performance in defending the Historical Japan title against Koryusai Kitoaji. Yes, the veteran’s star had certainly waned, but it was still another big name to add to his collection. At the end of the show, both sides of the war announced they would be entering two teams into the Elite Tag Series. Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall would team up, while Rebel Cell would take their usual place. Team STRENGTH RUSH were an obvious choice, while Dread announced he would take part in the tournament for the first time, teaming with Dino Maldini.
  4. SHIFTING The transition to the new era of PGHW couldn’t have gone much better. I was delighted with how Tatsuko was able to lead the charge as champion without any step down in quality or intensity from his more experienced predecessors. The other top youngsters were shining and it was perfectly reasonable for six men under the age of thirty to be considered the best in the company. But part of that was due to a decline in the old guard. Yodo Nakane, Danger Kumasaka, Koryusai Kitoaji, Hayate Hasegawa were the main four who had seen a serious drop off. That was to be expected. Age catches up with everyone. But while they transitioned away from full-time action and the young midcard rose to main event status, that meant several positions opened up for other to impress. Those wrestlers who had performed admirably for years but never really shone enough to get a big break. I needed them to become the mortar to keep the old foundation and the new pillars standing. The first candidates were well known to PGHW fans. Fukusaburu Inao and Takeshi Umehara in Team MILLENIUM had picked up their game significantly in the last six months. They were a strong tag outfit and potential contenders for the Historical Japan title. Mamoru Nagahama was steadily improving, although not as fast as I’d hoped, while Rebel Cell were finally showing some signs of progress. Behind them, though, was where excitement began to build. Noriyori Sanda had already shown he was a great talent, while dojo graduates Yasunobu Koiso and Akinori Kwakami were stars ready to be formed. It wouldn’t be long before the three of them would be a regular part of the shows. Yet still there was more shifting. Go Matsunaga and Kazuo Mitsushi were out of the picture now, going to help with training in SAISHO, and Luis Figo Manico’s retirement left another big spot unfilled. So there was definitely room for another signing or two. There were options everywhere. But my attention was firmly fixed on Canada. A young lad there looking to break out of the confines of his family’s company. I thought PGHW might be just the right place for him.
  5. Night of GLORY 2000 Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH Dread vs. Hito Ichihara Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title MATCH 1: Koryusai Kitoaji & Mamoru Nagahama Despite Koryusai Kitoaji defeated Mamoru Nagahama at Night of WRESTLING six months before, Nagahama’s disrespect had not waned and he still desired to prove himself against the icon. It all began when Hito Ichihara replaced Nagahama with Kitoaji as his tag partner, an act that sent the previously calm and humble Nagahama into a spite-fuelled rage which continued to this point. This match saw the culmination of that bitterness as Nagahama was relentless against Kitoaji. There was no doubt that Kitoaji had declined over the last year or so, but even so, Nagahama took up his game here. After fifteen minutes, Kitoaji was struggling with energy and conditioning. Nagahama battered him for the next five minutes and finally applied the Guillotine Choke. Kitoaji struggled… and faded, ultimately tapping out. It was a colossal victory for Nagahama, by far the biggest in his career so far! MATCH 2: Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) The two men called Sanda tagged for the first time together, although after this performance it appeared their name wouldn’t be strong enough to overcome their difficulties in this match as they fell to a comprehensive defeat against the much more established partnership of Cornell and Morgan. MATCH 3: Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata Roka Furuhata was making his name as a legendary freelancer across the world and he returned to face Mito Miwa, having advised Miwa he would answer his open challenge. Miwa relished the prospect of knocking off the big name and, while Furuhata brought his energetic style, The Pride Warrior came out on top with another big Pride Bomber. Miwa’s Elite Series disappointment seemed to be a thing of the past as five straight victories put him back on the path towards singles success. Many fans thought he was due a Glory Crown opportunity at some point soon. MATCH 4: Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall Dino Maldini faced his former Strike Force partner in singles competition for the first time since their acrimonious and violent split. Maldini came to the ring with the entirety of DREAD Army in his corner: Dread, Lee Wright and Raymond Diaz. It was the first of a string of three matches for the dominant faction, and many predicted they might win all of them. Hall had always been the senior partner in Strike Force, but Maldini had been slowly progressing. With Dread helping him gain his first pinfall victories in a long time over the previous few months, he held his head high and showed no fear in the face of Hall, who outweighed him significantly. It wasn’t long before Hall was punishing him for his errors, though. Hall had not taken kindly to DREAD Army’s constant beatdown of him over the spring and he was out for revenge. His body was strapped and bandaged in several places, but in the early stages of the match, that didn’t seem to worry him. However, the physicality of the match took its toll. And psychologically Hall was facing an uphill battle, too. Team STRENGTH RUSH had shown in the past they weren’t above bending the strict PGHW rules, and they tested the limits again here, repeatedly calling out abuse to Hall and occasionally even climbing up on the ring apron. The crowd were furious at this. It may have been acceptable elsewhere, but not in PGHW. Jimbo’s “Do the right thing” mantra was not to be dismissed. But once again DREAD Army escaped the consequences and Dino Maldini used the physical and mental advantages to his benefit. He finally managed to trap Hall in the Triangle Choke and, while Hall refused to tap, he couldn’t stay conscious and the referee called an end to the match. Dino Maldini got his first major win in PGHW! MATCH 5: Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Rebel Cell were part of the group that came to the aid of Pistol Pete Hall at the end of Night of SUCCESS two weeks prior, and now they faced off against the inaugural Glory Tag Crown champions, the infamous Team STRENGTH RUSH. It seemed like the most straightforward of DREAD Army’s three matches at Night of GLORY, with Rebel Cell, while improved, yet to reach the level of Wright and Diaz’s partnership. Perhaps Team STRENGTH RUSH were overconfident. Perhaps Wright’s declining condition played a big part. Maybe they all had their minds on other battles. Whatever it was, it led to one of the most stunning victories in the tag division, with Rebel Cell putting in a heroic shift. Okazawaya was once again impressive, battling from under Raymond Diaz’s mighty power and hitting back with ferocity. It all led to Lee Wright isolated in the middle of the ring, set up perfectly for the Insurrection, which Rebel Cell hit with aplomb, and Okazawaya got the pinfall victory and the biggest result in the tag team’s history. MATCH 6: Dread vs. Hito Ichihara Having just watched his team mates suffer a stunning loss, Dread had to turn his attention to an old foe in Hito Ichihara. When Ichihara was Glory Crown champion back in 1997, he had the better of Dread. But the big American changed his fortunes over the coming year and a half, culminating in his incredible run of beating everyone in the company that finished with Hito Ichihara at Night of WRESTLING 1998. Since then, their only singles encounters had come in the Elite Series block stage, with Dread winning in both 1999 and 2000. Ichihara wasn’t the wrestler he used to be, but he was far from a spent force. And he showed he could still hold his own against the man voted “Best Brawler in the World”. It was a violent and brutal match with both men giving as good as they got. But Dread was the younger man and he had to maintain his group’s position of dominance. Those two factors provided the edge and he hit the Dreadsault followed by a Dread Bomb to win the match. MATCH 7: Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title Shuji Inukai set himself the task of becoming longest reigning Historical Japan champion. That was a huge endeavour that few expected him to achieve. Just six months into his reign, he had another fourteen to go. And if he faced opponents like Sean McFly, he’d be in real trouble. McFly’s run as one half of the longest-reigning Glory Tag Crown champions had elevated his stock enormously, but he was yet to prove himself as a top singles competitor. This was his opportunity. And he went for it. He caught Inukai by surprise early on, busting out some of his more acrobatic manoeuvres that weren’t often seen in PGHW. Inukai was on the back foot. He had to work hard to get back into contention, which is exactly what he did. Several times McFly had him set up for the Delorean Driver, but Inukai managed to escape on all occasions, and on the last, he countered with the Untouchable Lariat. That was game over because nobody ever kicked out of the Untouchable Lariat. MATCH 8: Team EXPLOSION © (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) for the Glory Tag Crown titles Hoshino and Kunomasu defended the Glory Tag Crown titles for the first time since February, something Team MILLENIUM were keen to point out leading up to the show. The champions had seen mixed success in their singles endeavours, with Kunomasu winning the Elite Series, but both men failing to beat Tatsuko to win the Glory Crown. Inao and Umehara hoped to capitalise on those distractions and continue their impressive run of victories with another that would gain them gold. But despite their newfound connection and power, Team MILLENIUM were reminded why Team EXPLOSION were champions. They were simply the best tag team in PGHW. Kunomasu’s precise striking and Hoshino’s ragged intensity were too much to handle for any pairing. The Eisaku Explosion got the job done. Still, Team MILLENIUM were able to hold their heads high in defeat as they’d shown they could at least compete at the top – something neither man had been able to do until now. And with some more time together, who knows what they could achieve? MATCH 9: Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title If one had the inclination to rank the potential and talent of the new wave of wrestlers in PGHW, it would be hard to argue that Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Yoshimi Mushashibo wouldn’t occupy first and second places. Mushashibo was one of the most technically accomplished wrestlers in the world, second only to perhaps Jeremy Stone, who was ten years his senior. He was also one of the most enjoyable to watch and certain for a career rich with gold. Meanwhile, Nobuatsu Tatsuko was the man with the gold. For a full calendar year, he had reigned with the Glory Crown, defeating the likes of Dread, Kunomasu and Ichihara. He had all the tools to dominate the next decade or more of Japanese wrestling. That’s why seeing them compete against each other in singles competition was special. Their most recent encounter was a time-limit draw in the Elite Series block stage, with neither man able to assert their superiority. They had sixty minutes on this occasion, virtually guaranteeing a victor would be decided. The standout fact about this matchup is that Mushashibo had never defeated Tatsuko in singles competition. Not the most embarrassing, because very few people could claim to have defeated Tatsuko. Nonetheless, it only gave Mushashibo more drive to win. The match began slow. This was Mushashibo’s aim as he reacted to Tatsuko’s aggressive start and quickly shut him down, taking things to the mat where he could methodically, gracefully begin a masterpiece. Nearly ten minutes passed with Tatsuko writhing under the oppressive grappling from the challenger. But the champion wasn’t interested in Mushashibo’s artwork and as soon as he freed himself, started hitting back with ugly, industrial strikes and slams. The following ten minutes proceeded in that way with Tatsuko delivering his own brand of intensity upon Mushashibo. Yet the challenger was not defeated so easily. Eventually, the match broke down into trading strikes and heavy-hitting offence. In theory this benefitted Tatsuko, but Mushashibo held his own. The artist had grit. And he reverted to his strengths again, smoothly taking Tatsuko down and applying the Yoshimi Lock. He had it dug in tight, pulling Tatsuko’s head nearly off his shoulders with the torque. But Tatsuko fought out. His surge of energy came seemingly from nowhere, but those long hours working out to get into “Ironman” condition paid off. As soon as he was free, though, Mushashibo had him back down on the mat with the Yoshimi Lock in tight. Tatsuko once again battled. The referee paid careful attention to him, checking he would stay conscious… he did. He heaved Mushashibo off his back and went for the Tatsuko Driller… Mushashibo escaped and got the Yoshimi Lock on again! This time Tatsuko was in real trouble. His limitless energy was running dry… surely he couldn’t get himself free again? The answer was no. But he didn’t need to. Instead, he showed that he had some technical nous and shifted his body upwards and backwards, rolling over on top of Mushashibo whose shoulders were flat on the mat. The referee spotted it and counted. One… Two… Three!! That was it! Tatsuko retained the Glory Crown by the skin of his teeth. It was a shocking moment for the crowd who had begun to believe that Tatsuko’s reign was over, but the Ironman found a way to get the victory. Conclusion Night of GLORY 2000 wouldn’t go down as one of the all time great PGHW shows, but it was solid and enjoyable. There were no particular standout matches with the main event title match the best of the night and even that was a step below a lot of the recent performances. The ending was a little disappointing for some fans and the match went on a little too long. Still, it set up plenty of interest for the future. The show saw some surprising results – Nagahama beating Kitoaji and Rebel Cell besting Team STRENGTH RUSH. Now attention would swing towards the summer season and the leadup to the Elite Tag Series and which teams would take part. After the show, a few wrestlers spoke in the press conference. Mito Miwa: I would like to announce this as early as possible in order to avoid any later confusion or disappointment. I will not be competing in this year’s Elite Tag Series. While I very much enjoy tagging with Sean, I must focus on my singles career. I am 90% of the way to where I want to be. The tag tournament would be a distraction. I want the Glory Crown and I will not allow anything to take my attention away. Mamoru Nagahama: I think you’d all better start taking me seriously now. I don’t care about your ideals of respect and honour towards elders. They’re the past. I’m the present. Yodo Nakane is washed up. Danger Kumasaka is done. Kitoaji is done, I just put him out to pasture. And there’s one man who keeps hanging on to his youth, but soon enough I’ll put him down like a sick old dog, too. Hito Ichihara, I’m coming for you. You betrayed me and wrecked my life. So I’m not going to stop going after you until the day you retire. And I’m going to make sure that day is soon. Yoshimi Mushashibo: I lost. You can debate the manner of the loss, and I’m sure you will. But the fact is, my shoulders were pinned to the mat for three seconds. That’s all. I’d love to tell you how that flash, reactive pinfall doesn’t align with the beauty of wrestling. But I can’t. Because it was decisive. Nobuatsu Tatsuko taught me something tonight. Wrestling can be art. It can be graceful and full of joy. But the most beautiful form of wrestling is winning. Victory triumphs over everything else. I will not complain or criticise Tatsuko tonight. He deserved to win. I have to think very carefully about that.
  6. Night of Glory 2000 Card Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH Dread vs. Hito Ichihara Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title
  7. PROGRESS AT LAST For the entirety of PGHW’s existence starting in 1996, Fukusaburu Inao was Mr. Rock Solid. Solid and unspectacular. Unfortunate, maybe. Unsuccessful for sure. Despite his evident potential, the youngster struggled to get any sort of traction. His tag team with Hayate Hasegawa evolved from Inao being the understudy to their split at the tail end of 1999 when Inao indicated the veteran was holding him back. Three and a half years and he felt he hadn’t achieved anything. Meanwhile, Takeshi Umehara was going through something very similar. His tag team with Go Matsunaga, known as Boundary 97, was a mainstay in the division, but were far from ever winning gold. Umehara also ditched his tag partner and shortly after joined with Fukusaburu Inao to form Team MILLENIUM, named because it was the end of 1999 that they came together. In the early months of the new millenium, they didn’t do much better than before in terms of results. But fans could see the improvement. The pair together looked far better than either had alongside their previous partners. Could this partnership be the catalyst to success? Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000 Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) took on the pairing of Chuichi Sanda and Yodo Nakane. Yodo Nakane was at the tail end of a great career and unable to keep up with most of the roster, while Chuichi Sanda was still far from achieving what his potential promised. As a result, Team MILLENIUM were expected to get the victory, and so they did. It was a pretty dominant performance, with the new partnership showing they had been practicing together and developing their communication. They hit the Y2K and Inao pinned Sanda to win. Night of POWER, April 2000 At Night of POWER, Team MILLENIUM took on the established young tag team of Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Like Inao and Umehara’s previous tag pairings, Rebel Cell had yet to make any waves in the division. This was a tough match for Team MILLENIUM, though, as they struggled to overcome the chemistry between the two men who had been teaming for nearly four years. But Inao was once again in fine form, getting the pinfall over Sarumara after the Y2K. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000 After two wins on the bounce, Team MILLENIUM were looking for more. They took on Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan, representing Kumasaka-buntai. The young brits were a real test for Inao and Umehara, who again had to dig deep. Their continued training paid off, though, as their ability to communicate and be in the right place at the right time saved Inao when he was trapped in Morgan’s Wigan Wrench. Umehara was there to save his partner, then get the pinfall victory after they hit the Y2K. After the show, Inao spoke out against the Glory Tag Crown champions. Inao: It’s been two months since Team EXPLOSION defended their titles. And when they did, it was against Cornell and Morgan. We just beat them, making it three wins in a row. When are we going to get our shot? If they cared about the tag division, maybe they’d be less focused on becoming singles stars. Or perhaps they can let a real tag team take the reins. Night of SUCCESS, May 2000 Team MILLENIUM were in six-man action at Night of SUCCESS, getting the honour of teaming with Koryusai Kitoaji. They took on Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama and one half of the Glory Tag Crown champions, Eisaku Hoshino. It was a fierce, back and forth match. But Team MILLENIUM were determined to prove a point to Hoshino and fought like tigers. And Hoshino was never one to back down from a fight. In the end, it was Kitoaji who got the pin for his team after hitting the Kitoaji Braindrop on Danger Kumasaka. And while Kitoaji and Nagahama squared off, Team MILLENIUM made their challenge directly to Hoshino. Hoshino was fired up and accepted the title challenge, setting it for Night of GLORY. After the show, Inao was outspoken again. Inao: This is our time. We have finally made some progress. Takeshi is a great partner for me, and I know he feels the same way. We’re finally ready for success. For gold. For glory. And at Night of GLORY, Team EXPLOSION will regret not paying attention to the tag division because they’ll no longer be the ones at the top!
  8. SERIOUS COMPETITION The New Wave of talent in PGHW had washed over the original landscape and now the foundational veterans like Danger Kumasaka, Koryusai Kitoaji and Hito Ichihara had given way to the pillars of what was fast becoming a powerhouse in Japanese wrestling. Nobuatsu Tatsuko stood front and centre of that movement, but as he was finding out during his reign as Glory Crown champion, there were plenty of major threats breathing down his neck. The potential of 1996 was manifesting itself in 2000 in the form of serious competition for the Glory Crown. The Elite Series 2000 was a prime example. All four of the semi-finalists (Tatsuko, Miwa, Kunomasu and Mushashibo) were under the age of 30 and the likes of Inukai and Hoshino narrowly missed out. Tatsuko had fended off some dangerous threats so far in his title run, but things were stepping up. As he neared one year holding the belt, his defeat to Eisaku Kunomasu in the Elite Series final meant Kunomasu was closing in on taking the top spot. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000 Night of FORTITUDE hosted the monumental clash between Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Eisaku Kunomasu whose Elite Series victory earned him a shot at the Glory Crown. It was a rematch of the tournament final two weeks ago and Kunomasu’s second attempt at dethroning Tatsuko. The first was at Night of WARRIORS in 1999 in what was considered by many to be match of the year and inarguably one of PGHW’s greatest ever contests. Kunomasu had recently taken exception with Tatsuko dismissing Kunomasu as one of the top stars of the company, claiming instead the four pillars of PGHW were himself, Inukai, Miwa and Mushashibo. So there was plenty of pride at stake above and beyond the importance of the Glory Crown. Both Tatsuko and Kunomasu were famed for their direct intensity, and once again they clashed in spectacular fashion. Kunomasu looked set to repeat his Elite Series victory when he hit the Launching Knee Strike, but as he went for the pin, the referee noticed Tatsuko’s leg positioned under the bottom rope. This allowed Tatsuko a way back into the match which he took advantage of, battling from underneath to stun Kunomasu with the Tatsuko Driller and retain the Glory Crown! While the match wasn’t nearly as incredible as their previous two encounters, it was another huge victory for Tatsuko. Night of POWER, April 2000 After retaining the Glory Crown, attention turned to who would be the next contender. The main event of Night of POWER gave an answer to that as Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Sean McFly defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Hito Ichihara and Yoshimi Mushashibo in six-man action. In an absolute classic match, Eisaku Hoshino was the star of the show. It seemed he was invincible, withstanding a barrage of offence from his opponents, particularly Tatsuko, but refusing to go down. In fact, he became one of the rare men to kick out of the Tatsuko Driller. This monumental show of spirit led to Hoshino rallying his team to victory when he and Kunomasu hit the Eisaku Explosion on Hito Ichihara to win the match. Tatsuko was angry at the loss, but more impressed at Hoshino. He immediately offered him a shot at the Glory Crown at the next show, Night of EXCELLENCE. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000 Surprisingly, Eisaku Hoshino’s challenge for the Glory Crown was only his second in his career. The previous came over two years before against Koryusai Kitoaji. Now he stood as number one contender against Nobuatsu Tatsuko. It was also remarkable that Hoshino and Tatsuko had only ever faced off three times in their history, two times in the Elite Series and once in early 1998. All three times saw Tatsuko come out victorious. Hoshino was determined to change that record and was typically tenacious and relentless. But Tatsuko knew how tough Hoshino could be and planned accordingly. When he managed to hit the Tatsuko Driller, instead of going straight for the pinfall, he picked Hoshino up to hit him with the move a second time. There was no kicking out of that, and Tatsuko got the three count, retaining his title once again. Night of SUCCESS, May 2000 Night of GLORY couldn’t go without a Glory Crown title shot, so Sadaharu Jimbo set up a huge number one contender’s match between Eisaku Kunomasu and Yoshimi Mushashibo. Mushashibo had drawn with Tatsuko at the Elite Series and only fell to Kunomasu in the semi-final stage. This was his opportunity to get that win back and earn his first Glory Crown shot since 1997. He and Kunomasu starkly contrasted each other in the ring. Kunomasu favoured precise strikes and utilitarian functionality. Mushashibo was an artist. He flowed and swayed with fluidity. It was staccato versus legato. And on this occasion, Mushashibo rose to the occasion. He narrowly dodged the Launching Knee Strike that put him away last time and transitioned smoothly into the Yoshimi Lock. Kunomasu was loathe to tap out, but finally he had to submit or risk permanent damage. After the match, Tatsuko, who had won in a ten-man tag earlier in the night, came out to congratulate Mushashibo, but warn him that Night of GLORY was Tatsuko’s night and there would only be one winner. In the post-show press conference, Mushashibo was pensive about his chances. Mushashibo: I have shown many times that I am capable of dealing with Tatsuko. He doesn’t intimidate me. In fact, I consider him an equal both as a wrester and as a man. There’s no denying he is seeing incredible form at the moment. But as I found out last year, reigning as a singles champion for an extended period is a challenge beyond just winning one match. There can be no days off, no mistakes, no possibility of thinking of anything other than victory. So his comment about Night of GLORY belonging to him… I think that tells us something. We know Night of GLORY was when he first lost to Kitoaji. Does that bother him? Still? I think maybe he wants to eliminate that from his memory. If he has that on his mind, there’s a potential weakness. Will I be able to exploit that? We shall see. But do not think that Tatsuko is unbeatable at this time. Someone will defeat him sooner or later, and I hope that I will be that man.
  9. HELL (AND HELP) FOR HALL At Night of PRIDE, Dino Maldini shocked the world by turning on his Strike Force tag partner, Pistol Pete Hall and joining DREAD Army. The pack led by Dread then enacted a brutal beatdown on Hall, who couldn’t stand the four-against-one advantage. Long-time fans of PGHW were stunned by the violence. Physical contact outside of the confines of sanctioned matches was extremely rare and severely frowned upon. While it was commonplace in other promotions, it wasn’t here. Less surprising, though, was Dino Maldini’s reasons for switching sides. He had been under Pistol Pete Hall’s guiding influence for quite some time, but had failed to press on. Strike Force promised a lot, but failed to deliver in the big moments. And Dino Maldini’s year so far had been awful. He suffered loss after loss, most at the hands of DREAD Army. So when Dread gave him the opportunity to join them, it made total sense. That, unfortunately, left Pistol Pete alone and vulnerable against the most dominant faction in PGHW. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000 DREAD Army’s new addition, Dino Maldini, joined the other three members (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) in an eight-man tag match against Mamoru Nagahama, Sean McFly and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). The match was brutal. As if energised by battering Hall two weeks ago, DREAD Army took their viciousness to a new level. Also, it didn’t help that Nagahama and McFly couldn’t get on the same page, leaving Rebel Cell to take a lot of punishment. Still, Okazawaya and Sarumara showed courage and heart in defeat, refusing to go down easily. But they never stood a chance. And once Dread had Sarumara down, he tagged in Dino Maldini who finished him off, getting his first victory of the year with a Triangle Choke submission. After the match, Pistol Pete Hall came out. He sported a few bandages around his midsection, but overall looked in decent condition after two weeks of rest. He kept his distance and challenged Dino Maldini to face him like a man. Dread responded saying he wouldn’t get Maldini, but “The Monster” Raymond Diaz at the next show, Night of POWER! Night of POWER, April 2000 DREAD Army continued their dominance as Dread, Dino Maldini & Lee Wright teamed with Mamoru Nagahama to beat Chuichi Sanda, Koryusai Kitoaji, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan. The story of the match was Nagahama and Kitoaji butting heads again. Nagahama’s aggressive disrespect had riled up Kitoaji at the end of 1999, leading to the veteran defeating Nagahama at Night of WRESTLING. Clearly Nagahama hadn’t forgotten that and made a point of targeting Kitoaji who, in response, told Nagahama to know his place. Once again, Dread set up the finish for Dino Maldini, who applied the Triangle Choke on Walter Morgan. Then there was the match between Pistol Pete Hall and Raymond Diaz. Two massive brawlers. They collided in an enjoyable match that was only marred by the presence of DREAD Army at ringside. Hall managed to keep them out of his mind to get an excellent victory over Diaz. But once the bell had rung, Dino Maldini and Lee Wright surged the ring and began another savage attack on Hall. Officials raced to the ring as Dread called his men off, but damage had been done. This was the second post-match attack, and fans wondered if there would be repercussions. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000 Pistol Pete Hall must have called in some serious favours as he tagged with Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji to face DREAD Army (Dread, Dino Maldini & Raymond Diaz). For much of the match, Hall and the veterans had DREAD Army on the back foot. A spirited performance led to Ichihara exchanging massive blows with Dread. The big American struck harder, but Ichihara resisted and neither man could find an advantage. Dino Maldini and Raymond Diaz survived for long enough for Dread to recover, then get the job done himself, pinning Kitoaji after a Dread Bomb. Night of SUCCESS, May 2000 In the opening match, Pistol Pete Hall took on Lee Wright with the stipulation that if Hall won, he would get a singles match against Dino Maldini at Night of GLORY. With more and more strapping and bandaging across his body combined with the looming threat of DREAD Army at ringside, Hall had his work cut out. But Lee Wright was no longer at his peak. The veteran ran out of gas, meaning Hall was able to get a relatively comfortable win. What was not comfortable, however, was the third and most brutal beatdown yet as Maldini, Dread and Diaz piled onto Hall after the match. But while it was the most violent, it was shortlived. Hito Ichihara rushed out, followed by Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya and Sotatsu Sarumara) to come to Hall’s aid and DREAD Army retreated. Later in the show, Hito Ichihara and Harumi Okazawaya would be in action again, teaming with Sean McFly, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan in a losing effort against DREAD Army (Dread, Dino Maldini, Raymond Diaz) with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Noriyori Sanda. It was a wild, exciting match that ended with Tatsuko pinning Cornell, but after the show, matches were made for Night of GLORY. First, Pistol Pete Hall’s bout with Dino Maldini was confirmed. Second, Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) would take on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) and third, Hito Ichihara would face Dread in singles competition.
  10. SHUJI STORMS ON Shuji Inukai’s bold claim that he would break the record for longest reign as Historical Japan champion at first seemed absurd, given he was only three months into twenty-two that he needed. However, his confidence was high, holding his first singles gold, and he had dispatched of all challengers put in front of him so far. Some already speculated that this was Inukai’s bid to stand out in a company full of young superstars just like him. Looking around at peers like Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Mito Miwa and even his tag partner Yoshimi Mushashibo, he may have seen himself as the furthest behind of the group. But a long Historical Japan title reign? Then they’d have to consider him on the same level at the very least. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000 Shuji Inukai’s next title challenger was the young Noriyori Sanda. Sanda was approaching three years in the business during which he had been sent on excursion and returned to little fanfare. Few could deny his talents, but his physicality wasn’t at the level of the rest of the roster yet, and wins for him were few and far between. Still, this was the Historical Japan title, so all challengers were welcome. Inukai had little trouble dispatching him with a trademark Untouchable Lariat that sent Sanda flipping around and crashing to the mat. Night of POWER, April 2000 Danger Kumasaka brought a complete contrast to Noriyori Sanda. The veteran grappler had slowed down a lot over the last couple of years and now acted more of a mentor than an in-ring threat. In fact, he was mentor to Shuji Inukai in a certain way, being the leader of Kumasaka-buntai. Despite working well as a team, Inukai and Kumasaka had often seen things differently, and there was no friendly treatment from either man in this match for the Historical Japan title. Inukai got the job done with another Untouchable Lariat which dropped Kumasaka like a sack of potatoes. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000 A wrestler who had been quietly improving over the years was one half of Rebel Cell, Harumi Okazawaya. While he never stood out in a field of prodigious talents, he had upped his game and his popularity with the PGHW faithful. A victory for him here wasn’t completely out of the question, then. But this time, Shuji Inukai held onto his Historical Japan title with another Untouchable Lariat. The match left fans confident that one day Okazawaya may well win the title. Night of SUCCESS, May 2000 Following his victory over Okazawaya, Shuji Inukai took on the other half of Rebel Cell, Sotatsu Sarumara. Unlike Okazawaya, though, Sarumara wasn’t seen by many as such a fine prospect. Solid in his own right, he still had decades ahead of him, but his trajectory would have to pick up a lot if he held any hope of singles gold. Inukai ended any immediate hope with the Untouchable Lariat which was garnering ever stronger reactions from the crowd. Still nobody had kicked out of the devastating move. After the match, Inukai demanded a strong opponent for Night of GLORY where he hoped to steal the show. He was answered by Sean McFly. This got the arena buzzing. McFly hadn’t seen much singles success since parting ways with Mito Miwa, but he was just the kind of guy who could stun Inukai and get his hands on the Historical Japan title.
  11. THE PRIDE WARRIOR Mito Miwa had earned his nickname as “The Pride Warrior”. He fought with a confidence that bordered on arrogance and refused to let anyone question his commitment and desire to win. But it was no secret he hated losing. And usually when he did, it was due to underestimating the opponent, like when he lost the Historical Japan title to Luis Figo Manico, or it was against Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Miwa and Tatsuko seemed destined to battle forever. But Miwa found himself on the losing side more often than not, and his defeat to Tatsuko in the semi-final of the Elite Series was the third instance of the exact same result at the exact same stage. The shame of the triple loss was burning in Miwa. But, prideful as he was, he would not resort to excuses or pettiness – he was determined to keep going until the end. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000 Mito Miwa came out after the opening match of the show and announced he would bounce back from the Elite Series disappointment by showing he could beat anyone. He challenged anyone in the locker room to come out and face him. For a few moments, there was silence, until Tommy Cornell appeared, with Danger Kumasaka urging him on. The leader of Kumasaka-buntai clearly thought this was a great opportunity for young Cornell, and the youngster looked up for a battle. And he certainly proved himself against Miwa. Cornell’s unbelievable potential was still being realised, but he showed another step in his progression by coming close to defeating Miwa on two occasions, once with a Rough Ride and the other with a Guilt Trip. But Miwa resisted. A Pride Bomber got the victory after an excellent bout. Night of POWER, April 2000 Mito Miwa repeated his open challenge at Night of POWER. This time, it was the show opener and Noriyori Sanda was the one to answer his call. The young lion never really stood a chance, but he survived for twenty minutes and gave a good account of himself. The Pride Bomber was deadly, once again and Miwa looked as determined and committed as ever. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000 The third installation of Mito Miwa’s open challenge saw him face Mamoru Nagahama. This was a big step up in quality from Sanda at the previous show, with Nagahama poised to break out sooner rather than later. But it would not happen on this night. Miwa was taking no prisoners and survived everything Nagahama could throw at him to earn another victory via the Pride Bomber. Night of SUCCESS, May 2000 Now Mito Miwa’s challenge had become a regular fixture, there was some intrigue about who would confront him at Night of SUCCESS. And this time everyone was surprised. A new face in PGHW, although some may have known of his presence. A youngster, a young lion still, but tipped for future stardom. His name, Yasunobu Koiso. His performances in SAISHO had stood about above the rest in the development company and he stood up to Miwa with confidence. And what a debut it was – he not only went hold-for-hold with Miwa, but nearly got the most remarkable win in the company’s history. Miwa, for the sake of his pride, managed to withstand it, though and used the Pride Bomber to great effect again. Following the match, Miwa nodded his appreciation at Koiso’s talents, but before Koiso could pay his respects, another new face appeared. Well, not exactly new, but one not seen in PGHW for a long time – Roka Furuhata. The highly-respected and famed freelancer came down to the ring to say that he would be answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge at Night of GLORY, so Miwa should prepare himself for a loss. Miwa smiled in response and welcomed the challenge.
  12. NIGHT OF PRIDE, 2000 Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Chuichi Sanda and Team Millenium (Takeshi Umehara & Fukusaburu Inao) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title Elite Series FINAL: Winner of semi final 1 vs. Winner of semi final 2 MATCH 1: SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo Block A’s leader Eisaku Kunomasu competed in his first semi-final in the Elite Series after battling back from a poor start in the early rounds. He faced Yoshimi Mushashibo who was one of the favourites in Block B, and indeed, for the whole tournament. They had only competed against each other in singles competition three times before. Twice in the Elite Series block stages in both 1998 and 1999, with Mushashibo winning both times, and once for the Historical Japan title which Mushashibo won from Kunomasu. History was against Kunomasu, then, but he cared little. His reign as Glory Tag Crown champion alongside Hoshino had ignited something inside him, and he battled through Mushashibo’s clever, smooth transitions to strike harder and more precisely than ever before. When he connected with the Launching Knee Strike, it sent Mushashibo slumping, out cold, to the mat. Kunomasu got the pinfall victory and made it to the final! MATCH 2: SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko For the third straight year, Mito Miwa and Nobuatsu Tatsuko fought at this stage of the Elite Series. Both previous times, Tatsuko had come out on top and went on to win the tournament. The second time he did so led to his Glory Crown victory over Dread at Night of GLORY in 1999. Miwa went into the match hoping to turn things in his favour on the third attempt. He and Tatsuko’s history pre-dated PGHW when they battled for the Historical Japan title on the independent scene. Since then, Tatsuko’s rise had been incredible. Miwa, too, had seen his fortunes skyrocket, but not quite to the same fanfare. However, the fanfare was all Tatsuko’s once again as he showed the kind of aggression and unlimited spirit to absorb everything his opponent could throw at him, survive, then hit back with relentless intensity. The Tatsuko Driller ended the match and saw him advance to face Kunomasu in the final! MATCH 3: Chuichi Sanda and Team Millenium (Takeshi Umehara & Fukusaburu Inao) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Many expected Kumasaka-buntai to get the win here, but a passionate performance from the new Team Millenium caught them off guard. Fukusaburu Inao particularly impressed, submitting Walter Morgan. Danger Kumasaka had lots of praise for Inao after the match. MATCH 4: Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly Hoshino and McFly were no strangers to each other, having battled over the Glory Tag Crown titles at the tail end of 1999. During that time, they battled in singles competition in one of the best PGHW matches of all time. They also met each other in the Elite Series block stage with Hoshino coming out on top. They decided to have another go, with McFly hoping to avenge the loss. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get it done as Hoshino was rampant. Hoshino’s failure to advance from the block stage had irritated him and he was taking no prisoners. A Godzilla Plunge got the win. MATCH 5: Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama The animosity between Ichihara and Nagahama had been boiling away for months, ever since Ichihara opted to partner with Koryusai Kitoaji at the Elite Tag Series in September last year. The rejection changed Nagahama, who abandoned his “Mr. Nice Guy” image and turned aggressive with a streak for violence. However, he was yet to achieve much on his own. That could change with a win over Ichihara, something that would surely propel his career to the next level. Ichihara had no intention of letting that happen, though, as he held off Nagahama’s violence and hit a Head Drop Suplex to win. MATCH 6: DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) For all four men involved in this match, the Elite Series had been disappointing. Dread came close to qualifying, but fell to Kunomasu in the last round. Pistol Pete Hall picked up a few points, but Diaz and Maldini finished very poorly in Block A. Maldini particularly had been on a poor run, highlighted by constant defeats against DREAD Army. And that continued here. Dread was dominant, and Diaz was powerful. They got the win with a Boot Camp Driver, a new move only possible with the combined power of the two behemoths. After the match, Pistol Pete Hall consoled Maldini, but to no avail. Maldini was furious. Another loss. He hadn’t won a single match in 2000 so far. As he broke away from Hall’s attempts to calm him down, he ran into Dread. Dread grabbed him by the throat, leant in and said something to Maldini. Maldini’s expression changed. Then he turned back to Hall, who looked at his tag partner questioningly. Then Maldini struck Hall square in the jaw! Hall was taken completely off guard and Maldini continued the assault, battering his mentor and team mate. It was a shocking moment as violence outside of the matches was rare and frowned upon in PGHW. Officials rushed to break up the assault, but DREAD Army hindered their progress, allowing Maldini to beat Hall into a pulp. When the battering finally ended, Maldini left the ringside area with the rest of DREAD Army. MATCH 7: Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title During the Elite Series block stage, Kitoaji defeated Shuji Inukai. This led to Inukai offering Kitoaji a shot at the Historical Japan title. The history of these two went back to 1997 when Inukai showed his clear potential to Kitoaji when the latter was on his way to becoming Glory Crown champion, and later holding the belt. Inukai had always impressed the legend, but never defeated him in singles competition. That changed here, though, as Kitoaji fell to the Untouchable Lariat, which still remained the deadliest finishing move in the company. Inukai celebrated another step on his aim to becoming longest reigning champion, while Kitoaji found himself once again defeated by one of the new wave. MATCH 8: Elite Series FINAL: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Nobody was surprised to see Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the Elite Series final. After all, he had won the tournament the last two years, dominated his block and was the reigning Glory Crown champion. Kunomasu, on the other hand, had caused a bit of a stir with his involvement, especially seeing as he failed to win the first two matches of the block stage. But he had battled back and looked in fantastic form. Encounters in singles competition between them were rare. 1998 saw Tatsuko beat Kunomasu twice, and who could forget their incredible bout at Night of WARRIORS in 1999? It was match of the year in 1999 and arguably the best match PGHW had ever put on. So fans were salivating with the prospect of seeing the two intense fighters going at it again. And intensity was the key word. Tatsuko was famed for his relentless attacks, while Kunomasu was one of the rare few who could match that level of power and precision. What started as a cautious exchange of strikes and throws quickly became a savage war of will. Much of the match saw the pair clubbing, slapping, chopping and kicking each other with little regard for their own wellbeing. The two bulls seemed to agree that the winner would be the one who could deliver and survive the most violence. Tatsuko was the Ironman. He could outlast anyone. But Kunomasu was the Lord of Strong Style. And on this particular occasion, the Lord exerted his rule over PGHW. Tatsuko landed the Tatsuko Driller, but Kunomasu miraculously kicked out. Kunomasu recovered from the impact then caught Tatsuko with a brutal Launching Knee Strike, flattening the former two-time winner and allowing Kunomasu to get the three count. Eisaku Kunomasu won the Elite Series! Conclusion Night of PRIDE capped off the most high-profile and critically acclaimed Elite Series yet. The show immediately slotted in as one of the company’s greatest yet, and continued the fantastic run of quality events from the second half of 1999. Three matches competed for the best on the night, with subjective opinion the only thing separating them. Two included Tatsuko – his semi-final against Miwa and the final against Kunomasu. The other standout match was Hoshino vs. McFly. After the match, some wrestlers made their voices heard. Dread spoke, surrounded by his DREAD Army of Lee Wright and Raymond Diaz as well as Dino Maldini. Dread: The army grows. Dino Maldini is perfect for us. He has unbelievable talent that Pistol Pete Hall has held down for too long. Hall always wants to be the main man. So he stopped Maldini from overtaking him. But now you’re free, Dino. In DREAD Army, you’re free to be as violent as you want. Welcome to the army. Next up was Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Tatsuko: I don’t know what happened. I have to give credit to Kunomasu because he got the victory. It has been fourteen months since I suffered defeat in singles competition and I have almost forgotten what it is like. Kunomasu reminded me. I am not invincible. But I will make sure this doesn’t happen again! The taciturn Eisaku Kunomasu responded as he celebrated with tag partner Eisaku Hoshino. Kunomasu: Last year Tatsuko said there were four pillars of PGHW. Himself, Miwa, Inukai and Mushashibo. Even now he doesn’t consider me and Hoshino on that level. But tonight, I have proved him wrong. And in two weeks at Night of FORTITUDE, I will do it again. I’ve already won the Elite Series. Now it’s time for the Glory Crown.
  13. Night of Pride Predictions Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Chuichi Sanda and Team Millenium (Takeshi Umehara & Fukusaburu Inao) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title Elite Series FINAL: Winner of semi final 1 vs. Winner of semi final 2
  14. THE ELITE SERIES 2000 Part 2 The Elite Series was in full flow with a wide-open block A and a tense battle at the top of block B. So far nobody had enjoyed a 100% tournament. Tension was building in the final three rounds to determine which four wrestlers would advance to the semi-finals. Block A Table 6 Koryusai Kitoaji 5 Eisaku Kunomasu 5 Hito Ichihara 5 Mito Miwa 5 Shuji Inukai 4 Dread 2 Raymond Diaz 0 Dino Maldini Block B Table 7 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 7 Yoshimi Mushashibo 6 Eisaku Hoshino 4 Mamoru Nagahama 2 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Sean McFly 2 Tommy Cornell 2 Walter Morgan PGHW Elite Series: DAY 5 Block A Results Dread def. Hito Ichihara Koryusai Kitoaji def. Raymond Diaz Mito Miwa def. Shuji Inukai Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dino Maldini Koryusai Kitoaji retained his spot at the top of the block with a veteran’s win over young Raymond Diaz. Kunomasu had a few troubles with Dino Maldini, but eventually got the victory. The other two results were monumental. Dread’s victory over Hito Ichihara saw the big man surge back into serious contention, while dampening Ichihara’s prospects. It was a great match, the best of the series so far. And Miwa’s win over Inukai saw him join Dread on seven points, just behind Kitoaji. Block A Table 8 Koryusai Kitoaji 7 Eisaku Kunomasu 7 Mito Miwa 6 Dread 5 Hito Ichihara 5 Shuji Inukai 2 Raymond Diaz 0 Dino Maldini Block B Results Sean McFly def. Pistol Pete Hall Tommy Cornell def. Walter Morgan Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Mamoru Nagahama Eisaku Hoshino and Yoshimi Mushashibo drew Tommy Cornell overcame his tag partner while Sean McFly defeated Pistol Pete Hall, with both the winners elevating themselves up the table, but now without any real hope of qualification. Tatsuko’s victory saw him take a one-point lead at the top over Mushashibo who couldn’t quite get the better of old rival, Eisaku Hoshino as they shared a draw. Block B Table 9 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 8 Yoshimi Mushashibo 7 Eisaku Hoshino 4 Mamoru Nagahama 4 Tommy Cornell 4 Sean McFly 2 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Walter Morgan PGHW Elite Series: DAY 6 Block A Results Dread def. Dino Maldini Eisaku Kunomasu def. Koryusai Kitoaji Mito Miwa def. Raymond Diaz Hito Ichihara and Shuji Inukai drew Dread and Mito Miwa got relatively straightforward wins over Maldini and Diaz to aid their bid to finish in the top two. With just one round to go, the two points were vital for both men. Eisaku Kunomasu may have started the tournament poorly, but a stunning victory over block leader Kitoaji put him level on points with Dread in second place, with their fixture coming next. And neither Inukai nor Ichihara would have been pleased with a draw as it meant they were out of the running – they could no longer mathematically qualify. Block A Table 9 Eisaku Kunomasu 9 Mito Miwa 8 Dread 8 Koryusai Kitoaji 6 Hito Ichihara 6 Shuji Inukai 2 Raymond Diaz 0 Dino Maldini Block B Results Eisaku Hoshino def. Pistol Pete Hall Sean McFly def. Mamoru Nagahama Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Tommy Cornell Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Walter Morgan Hoshino and Tatsuko furthered their strong block performances by getting expected wins over Hall and Cornell respectively. Sean McFly’s victory over Nagahama sent him higher up the table, but qualification was out of the question. Mushashibo needed a win to stay in the battle with Hoshino. What seemed like a comfortable tie against Walter Morgan turned into a fierce technical battle and the best match of the tournament so far. Morgan had progressed significantly in the last two years and went hold-for-hold with Mushashibo, who needed to break out some big strikes to get the job done. Block B Table 11 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 10 Yoshimi Mushashibo 9 Eisaku Hoshino 6 Sean McFly 4 Mamoru Nagahama 4 Tommy Cornell 2 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Walter Morgan PGHW Elite Series: DAY 7 Block A Results Dino Maldini and Shuji Inukai drew Hito Ichihara def. Raymond Diaz Mito Miwa def. Koryusai Kitoaji Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dread The top four of the block faced off – the four men who could qualify. Mito Miwa assured his progression with a big win over Kitoaji, whose early strong run faltered near the end as his body couldn’t quite keep up. Ichihara bested Diaz while Maldini battled to a surprising draw against Inukai. But the main event of the show was where the drama happened – Kunomasu overcoming the big man Dread to finish top of Block A. Nobody expected that after he only scored one point in the first two rounds! Block A Table FINAL STANDINGS 11 Eisaku Kunomasu 11 Mito Miwa 8 Dread 8 Koryusai Kitoaji 8 Hito Ichihara 7 Shuji Inukai 2 Raymond Diaz 1 Dino Maldini Block B Results Pistol Pete Hall def. Walter Morgan Eisaku Hoshino def. Mamoru Nagahama Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Tommy Cornell Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Sean McFly Eisaku Hoshino did his part to have a chance of qualification, but despite his victory over Nagahama, Mushashibo and Tatsuko also defeated their opponents, meaning they advanced ahead of Hoshino. Pistol Pete Hall rescued some pride at the end of the tournament with his second win, leaving Morgan to prop up the table Block B Table FINAL STANDINGS 13 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 12 Yoshimi Mushashibo 11 Eisaku Hoshino 6 Sean McFly 4 Mamoru Nagahama 4 Pistol Pete Hall 4 Tommy Cornell 2 Walter Morgan Block Stage Roundup Nobuatsu Tatsuko dominated the tournament, only dropping one point throughout. His Block B rival, Yoshimi Mushashibo almost matched him – two draws blemished his otherwise perfect record. Eisaku Hoshino was disappointed not to advance, but the competition in PGHW nowadays was so high. The rest of Block B flattered to deceive. The other five competitors, as expected, were fighting to finish in the top half, but none of them managed to score a big win over one of the top three. Block B was much more open, with several competitors fighting until the last day. In the end, the youngsters Miwa and Kunomasu made it through ahead of three of “the old guard” in Kitoaji, Ichihara and Dread. Shuji Inukai disappointed, but not as much as Raymond Diaz and Dino Maldini. Maldini left it until the final round to pick up a point, while Diaz only picked up points by defeating Maldini. The semi-finals would take place, as usual, at Night of PRIDE, with the Elite Series final at the end of that show. Semi-final 1 would see Eisaku Kunomasu take on Yoshimi Mushashibo for the first time since Mushashibo defeated Kunomasu to win the Historical Japan title at Night of POWER 11 months ago. The other semi-final was becoming something of a ritual. Remarkably, for the third year in a row, Nobuatsu Tatsuko would take on Mito Miwa in the semi-final. Tatsuko won both of the last encounters on the way to Elite Series victory – could Miwa get a win back against his oldest rival?
  15. THE ELITE SERIES 2000 March meant only one thing in PGHW, the Elite Series. The tournament had grown in stature and was now considered as equal in prestige to BHOTWG’s Summit tournament. The year 2000 saw the highest quality entrants yet, with huge names across both blocks and a number of wrestlers with a serious chance of getting the victory. Nobuatsu Tatsuko entered the tournament as favourite. He was on top of PGHW, holding the Glory Crown and having won this same tournament in both 1998 and 1999. Could he make it a hat-trick? Block A consisted of: Dino Maldini Dread Eisaku Kunomasu Hito Ichihara Koryusai Kitoaji Mito Miwa Raymond Diaz Shuji Inukai Three years ago, seeing Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji in the same block would have brought about a huge clamour. However, this was a new millennium, and neither man was favourite to advance, although nobody could rule out a surge for qualification. Instead, the likes of Dread, Eisaku Kunomasu, Mito Miwa and Shuji Inukai were expected to battle for the top two spots. Dread had picked up plenty of momentum with his DREAD Army faction, but failing to defeat Tatsuko for the Glory Crown a month ago had slowed that. He’d also have to face his up-and-coming protégé Raymond Diaz in a battle of behemoths. Eisaku Kunomasu and Shuji Inukai came into the tournament holding gold. Kunomasu had been outstanding in Team EXPLOSION’s second reign with the Glory Tag Crowns, while Shuji Inukai was enjoying a strong start to his Historical Japan run. Both men would surely be aiming to advance from the block. Mito Miwa, meanwhile, was without gold, but on a rampage, having just defeated Hito Ichihara. Was this the time for the Pride Warrior to take it to the next level? For the last two years, he had made it out of the block but fell at the semi-final. Could he go a step further this year? Dino Maldini was the only man who had a shot at losing every single match. He was by far the weakest competitor, but there was always the chance of an upset victory. BLOCK B consisted of: Eisaku Hoshino Mamoru Nagahama Nobuatsu Tatsuko Pistol Pete Hall Sean McFly Tommy Cornell Walter Morgan Yoshimi Mushashibo The obvious favourite for Block B was Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Qualification was almost a certainty in most people’s eyes. However, there was plenty of competition for the top spots. Eisaku Hoshino was always competitive in the Elite Series and his recent Glory Tag Crown win alongside Kunomasu had him in high spirits and strong form. Yoshimi Mushashibo was a dangerous prospect, too. He reached the final of last year’s tournament, becoming the first man to defeat Dread in two years in the process. Could he overcome Tatsuko this year and win the whole thing? Behind the three clear favourites was a clump of great talent who hadn’t yet stepped up to the elite level. Pistol Pete Hall was a threat, as was Sean McFly who hadn’t really competed in singles competition since last year’s tournament. Mamoru Nagahama, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan were all hoping for a breakout tournament. Nagahama had changed his attitude and would be desperate to back that up with some success. Cornell and Morgan were improving, but still a way off competing for qualification. But could the young Brits cause a few surprise results? PGHW Elite Series: DAY 1 Block A Results Dread def. Koryusai Kitoaji Mito Miwa def. Dino Maldini Shuji Inukai def. Raymond Diaz Hito Ichihara def. Eisaku Kunomasu Mito Miwa started the tournament well with an expected win over Dino Maldini. Dread defeated Kitoaji, who fought hard but couldn’t keep up with the physicality, and Inukai battered big-man Diaz into defeat, using the Untouchable Lariat to finish him off. The big result was Ichihara defeating Eisaku Kunomasu. Many had thought Ichihara’s recent decline would see him struggle against the rampaging youngsters in the company, but he held off Kunomasu, who started the tournament poorly. Block B Results Tommy Cornell def. Sean McFly Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Mamoru Nagahama Eisaku Hoshino def. Walter Morgan Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Pistol Pete Hall Mushashibo and Hoshino got fairly comfortable wins over Nagahama and Morgan respectively, while Tatsuko had to battle hard to get the two points from Pistol Pete Hall. Cornell defeating McFly in the opener was considered by many as an upset. Cornell once again proved his talent, despite being only 21 years old. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 2 Block A Results Koryusai Kitoaji def. Dino Maldini Dread def. Raymond Diaz Hito Ichihara and Mito Miwa drew Eisaku Kunomasu and Shuji Inukai drew Kitoaji got a solid win over Maldini, while Dread had a hard battle against stablemate Diaz, who took him to the limit. There were two big draws in the block, with Ichihara once again proving he wasn’t done, surviving the full half hour with Miwa and earning his point. Kunomasu looked ferocious against Inukai, but could only get a draw. With one point from two rounds, it was a poor start for Kunomasu. Block B Results Mamoru Nagahama def. Tommy Cornell Sean McFly def. Walter Morgan Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Pistol Pete Hall Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Eisaku Hoshino After the high of defeating McFly in the first round, Cornell’s hopes came crashing down as he was forced to submit by Nagahama. McFly got his first win, defeating Walter Morgan. Match of the night belonged to Mushashibo and Hall, with the young technician getting the win. It was two losses from two for Hall, although arguably against two of the best in the block. Also, Tatsuko got an important victory over Hoshino, who couldn’t survive the Tatsuko Driller. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 3 Block A Results Mito Miwa def. Dread Hito Ichihara def. Dino Maldini Koryusai Kitoaji def. Shuji Inukai Eisaku Kunomasu def. Raymond Diaz The old guard showed they weren’t finished yet as Ichihara comfortably beat Maldini, while Kitoaji scored an upset victory over Historical Japan champion Shuji Inukai. Kunomasu got his first win of the tournament, getting the better of Raymond Diaz, but he still had plenty of catching up to do. Meanwhile, Mito Miwa made a statement by defeating Dread in a colossal match. Block B Results Mamoru Nagahama def. Pistol Pete Hall Eisaku Hoshino def. Tommy Cornell Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Walter Morgan Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Sean McFly Pistol Pete Hall suffered his third loss. This time he couldn’t claim it was against one of the favourites, because it came to Mamoru Nagahama who now had two wins. Hoshino and Tatsuko got good wins over Cornell and Morgan, with the Tatsuko-Morgan match standing out as the best of the tournament so far. In the main event, Mushashibo just got the win over Sean McFly in a match that could have gone either way. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 4 Block A Results Eisaku Kunomasu def. Mito Miwa Raymond Diaz def. Dino Maldini Koryusai Kitoaji def. Hito Ichihara Shuji Inukai def. Dread Block A blew into pieces with some massive results in the fourth round. Shuji Inukai put in a heroic performance to defeat Dread, with the big man now in serious trouble. Kitoaji ended Ichihara’s incredible start, while Ramond Diaz kept himself just about in the picture by defeating Maldini. But the biggest result was for Eisaku Kunomasu who managed to pull himself back into contention with a stunning victory over Mito Miwa, who up until this point was looking set to pull away from the pack. Block B Results Pistol Pete Hall def. Tommy Cornell Walter Morgan def. Mamoru Nagahama Eisaku Hoshino def. Sean McFly Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Yoshimi Mushashibo drew Pistol Pete Hall ended his losing streak and inflicted one upon Cornell, who was yet to gain a point since his opening round win. Morgan built on a great performance against Tatsuko last time out to beat Nagahama. Hoshino did well to defeat McFly, while there was nothing to separate Tatsuko and Mushashibo who had to settle for a point each. Mid-point round-up Block A Table 6 Koryusai Kitoaji 5 Eisaku Kunomasu 5 Hito Ichihara 5 Mito Miwa 5 Shuji Inukai 4 Dread 2 Raymond Diaz 0 Dino Maldini Block B Table 7 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 7 Yoshimi Mushashibo 6 Eisaku Hoshino 4 Mamoru Nagahama 2 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Sean McFly 2 Tommy Cornell 2 Walter Morgan Block A was anyone’s game. Surprisingly, Koryusai Kitoaji was leading the pack, but behind him were four wrestlers on five points, and Dread on four. Dino Maldini was out of it, and Raymond Diaz would have to hope for a miracle, but apart from those two, nobody could predict which two wrestlers would make it to the semi-final. In contrast, Block B was taking shape as most expected. Tatsuko, Mushashibo and Hoshino were pulling out a lead with only Mamoru Nagahama holding onto any hope of keeping pace. The remaining four wrestlers had all earned one win apiece, and it remained to be seen how they would finish in the order. Qualification hopes were gone, but there was still the pride of having a good final position.
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