Willsky

THE ELITE SERIES 2001 The Elite Series 2001 was one of the most open tournaments the company had put on. A good six or seven wrestlers could stake their claim as favourite to go away victorious and fans predictions were hugely split. History dictated that Nobuatsu Tatsuko was the most likely to win, but his shine had worn off recently with a couple of high profile losses. Eisaku Kunomasu was one of the men to defeat him – could last year’s winner do it again? Block A consisted of: Dan Stone Jr Dread Eisaku Kunomasu Fukusaburu Inao Hito Ichihara Mito Miwa Nobuatsu Tatsuko Walter Morgan Four Glory Crown title holders packed out a scary looking Block A. Reigning champion Mito Miwa knew that he wouldn’t have to face Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the semi-final for a fourth consecutive year because they would do battle in the block. That was one of the most anticipated matches – a rematch of the Night of HONOUR bout that saw Miwa win the Glory Crown. Alongside them were last year’s winner Eisaku Kunomasu and the always dangerous Dread. While DREAD Army had suffered a slew of injuries, Dread remained fit and capable of leading his faction to glory. Hito Ichihara competed once again, while Koryusai Kitoaji was absent from this year’s tournament. Ichihara still held on to his courage and pride, but many believed he would struggle to make it out of the block against such talented opposition. The block was rounded off by three young talents who would hope to cause some upsets and make a name for themselves. Fukusaburu Inao was on the rise, having enjoyed tag success, while Walter Morgan remained one of the best technical wrestlers in the company. And then there was Dan Stone Jr. A bit of an unknown. Clearly supremely talented, but was he able to adapt to the rigours of such a gruelling tournament after only having recently arrived in PGHW? BLOCK B consisted of: Eisaku Hoshino Kojiro Harada Pistol Pete Hall Raymond Diaz Sean McFly Takeshi Umehara Tommy Cornell Yoshimi Mushashibo Two wrestlers stood out as most likely advancers from Block B: Eisaku Hoshino and Yoshimi Mushashibo. Both had history in the tournament, reaching the semi-final stages in previous years. Mushashibo would have to contend with his Kumasaka-buntai “team mate” Tommy Cornell who took issue with Mushashibo’s recent underhanded tactics. The pair fought at Night of BATTLE with Mushashibo coming out on top that time. For Cornell it was another opportunity to show how far he had come since joining PGHW. Kojiro Harada, Pistol Pete Hall and Sean McFly were all in prime position to push for qualification. Harada had the pedigree and experience in this kind of tournament, having wrestled in the BHOTWG Summit Challenge and holding major gold himself. Sean McFly, though, recently got the advantage over Harada, defeating him for the Historical Japan title. And of course, Pistol Pete Hall was on his charge to defeat everyone in PGHW. While many assumed he would likely lose a few matches and then beat those opponents at a later stage, he remained confident and bullish. Making up the numbers were Raymond Diaz and Takeshi Umehara. Diaz had competed in plenty of Elite Series tournaments before, but never made an impact. For Umehara, it was his first time and nobody really considered him a threat. Could either of them prove the doubters wrong? PGHW Elite Series: DAY 1 Block A Results Dread def. Walter Morgan Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dan Stone Jr Mito Miwa def. Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Hito Ichihara Block A began with some relatively predictable results. Dread demolished Walter Morgan, while Kunomasu overpowered Dan Stone Jr. Fukusaburu Inao gave a good account of himself against Mito Miwa, and the main action was to be seen as Hito Ichihara battled from underneath against Tatsuko. Ichihara reminded the world why he was such a big star a few years ago, but eventually fell to a Tatsuko Driller. Block B Results Raymond Diaz def. Takeshi Umehara Eisaku Hoshino def. Tommy Cornell Sean McFly def. Kojiro Harada Pistol Pete Hall def. Yoshimi Mushashibo Diaz picked up some early points with a win over Umehara while Eisaku Hoshino started strong by beating a very game Tommy Cornell. Later, Sean McFly repeated his Night of WRESTLING victory over Kojiro Harada, who looked livid. In the main event of the show, there was a surprising result as Pistol Pete Hall overcame Mushashibo’s trickery to get a massive win, using the Pistol Whip Lariat. It was a clear statement from the big man that he was not messing about in this tournament. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 2 Block A Results Eisaku Kunomasu def. Fukusaburu Inao Hito Ichihara def. Dan Stone Jr Mito Miwa def. Walter Morgan Dread def. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Eisaku Kunomasu built upon a good start by dispatching with Inao, who once again looked impressive but not quite good enough. Ichihara got the win over Dan Stone Jr whose promise didn’t turn into a result this time. Miwa defeating Walter Morgan was expected, but Dread getting the win over Nobuatsu Tatsuko was a massive result. Tatsuko looked frustrated throughout the match and even more so afterwards. Dread, meanwhile, was imperious in victory. Block B Results Eisaku Hoshino def. Takeshi Umehara Sean McFly def. Raymond Diaz Tommy Cornell & Yoshimi Mushashibo drew Pistol Pete Hall def. Kojiro Harada Hoshino got a good win over Umehara, who was the odds-on favourite to be the wrestler who finished with zero points. Sean McFly did well in his win over Raymond Diaz, too. Then it was a hard-fought draw between Cornell and Mushashibo. Cornell nearly got caught out by an eyepoke, but had it scouted. Mushashibo couldn’t finish him off in a very-highly rated match. Then, Pistol Pete Hall continued his strong start and Kojiro Harada continued his bad start. Hall hit the Pistol Whip Lariat to win. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 3 Block A Results Dread def. Dan Stone Jr Fukusaburu Inao def. Walter Morgan Eisaku Kunomasu def. Hito Ichihara Mito Miwa and Nobuatsu Tatsuko drew Block A continued with some strong matches, with Dread and Kunomasu getting good wins over Dan Stone Jr and Hito Ichihara respectively. Inao picked up his first win by defeating Walter Morgan, who was in the race with Umehara to see who would have the worst tournament. In the main event of the show, there was nothing to separate Mito Miwa and Nobuatsu Tatsuko. It was another great instalment of their rivalry and fans were disappointed when the thirty-minutes ran out. Block B Results Tommy Cornell def. Kojiro Harada Pistol Pete Hall def. Raymond Diaz Sean McFly def. Takeshi Umehara Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Eisaku Hoshino Kojiro Harada’s tournament went from bad to worse as he made it three straight losses at the hands of Tommy Cornell. Pistol Pete Hall, in contrast, kept up his 100% record with a solid win over Raymond Diaz. Sean McFly got an expected victory over Umehara. The biggest result saw Mushashibo defeating Eisaku Hoshino. Hoshino was furious after the match as he claimed Mushashibo had clawed at his eyes on several occasions. Mushashibo didn’t deny the accusations, simply stating that he had won. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 4 Block A Results Mito Miwa def. Dan Stone Jr Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Fukusaburu Inao Dread def. Hito Ichihara Eisaku Kunomasu def. Walter Morgan The top half of Block A fought the bottom, with all four qualification contenders getting a win. Miwa beat Dan Stone Jr and Tatsuko beat Inao in remarkably close bouts. Dread didn’t give Ichihara a chance and Kunomasu was ruthless in dismantling Walter Morgan. Block B Results Tommy Cornell def. Raymond Diaz Eisaku Hoshino def. Kojiro Harada Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Takeshi Umehara Pistol Pete Hall def. Sean McFly Tommy Cornell picked up another impressive win, dispatching Raymond Diaz who looked lost without Dread’s guidance. Kojiro Harada couldn’t buy a result as he fell to yet another loss, this time against Hoshino. Mushashibo got a straightforward win over Umehara before the main event which pitted the two wrestlers boasting a 100% record so far. Pistol Pete Hall made it four from four with the Pistol Whip Lariat and took an outright lead in Block B. Mid-point round-up Block A Table 8 Dread 8 Eisaku Kunomasu 7 Mito Miwa 5 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 2 Fukusaburu Inao 2 Hito Ichihara 0 Dan Stone Jr 0 Walter Morgan Block B Table 8 Pistol Pete Hall 6 Eisaku Hoshino 6 Sean McFly 5 Tommy Cornell 5 Yoshimi Mushashibo 2 Raymond Diaz 0 Kojiro Harada 0 Takeshi Umehara Block A had split into two clear halves. Kunomasu and Dread were leading the charge with Mito Miwa just behind and Nobuatsu Tatsuko struggling to keep pace. At this stage, all four of the remaining competitors were out of contention. In the final three rounds, there were plenty of fixtures between the major contenders in which anything could happen. Pistol Pete Hall was taking control of Block B, making it four wins from four. Behind him, one of four wrestlers stood a chance of qualifying, with Cornell doing particularly well to be level with Mushashibo. Kojiro Harada was the biggest surprise, having failed to score a single point. The only thing left for him was to claw back some sliver of pride

For the first time, let's have some predictions for the Elite Series. Tell me who you think is/are going to be the: Qualifying wrestlers from Block A (2 answers): Qualifying wrestlers from Block B (2 answers): Winner of the tournament: Underachiever: Overachiever:

REIGN OF PRIDE After defeating Eisaku Hoshino to retain the Glory Crown in the main event of Night of WRESTLING, Mito Miwa established himself as a strong champion. He was leading the company towards another level of performance. On that same show, Eisaku Kunomasu defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko. It was the biggest victory of Kunomasu’s career, except for, perhaps the Elite Series 2000 win, again over Tatsuko. There was no doubt that Kunomasu was next in line for a shot at the Glory Crown. And regardless of who came out of that match victorious, they would be the leading figure of this powerful new wave, ever improving, ever striving. Night of RESPECT, January 2001 Eisaku Kunomasu didn’t have to wait long to get his title shot at Mito Miwa. It was the third time Kunomasu challenged for the belt – the previous two attempts ending in failure against Nobuatsu Tatsuko. But he had vanquished Tatsuko, now Miwa was in his sights. The pair had met three times in singles competition before this match. Miwa got the better of Kunomasu at Night of GLORY in 1998, while Kunomasu held two wins over Miwa – the first at Night of COURAGE in 1999 and the second during the Elite Series in 2000. Add to that their rivalry over the Glory Tag Crown titles as Team EXPLOSION and Team MYTHOS, and they knew each other quite well. But if Kunomasu wanted to add another win to their head-to-head record, he would have to wait. He came up against an imperious Miwa who was taking no prisoners. Miwa deftly avoided the Launching Knee Strike and hit a Pride Bomber to get a strong win to start the year. Night of ENERGY, January 2001 Mito Miwa found himself tagging with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) once again. The last time the three were on the same team, hostility between Hoshino and Miwa cost them the match. While Miwa could claim to have beaten both of them now, there was still tension in the air. And against the strong opposition of DREAD Army (Dread, Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) not being on the same page was a serious issue. And that is how things turned out. Dread were a slick team and while they might not have had the individual star power, they got the better of the match. The finish was quite a spectacular one, with Dread pinning none other than Mito Miwa after he got taken out by the Power Surge and a Dread Bomb. Dread made it clear that put him next in line for a shot at the Glory Crown. Night of DESTINY, February 2001 Dread got his way at Night of DESTINY when he challenged Mito Miwa for the biggest prize in PGHW. Like Kunomasu, Dread had a superior head-to-head record against Miwa in the past. He defeated the now-champion at Night of WRESTLING in 1997 on his charge to beat everyone in the company, and again at the Elite Series in 1999. However, Miwa avenged this with a block-stage win in 2000’s edition of the tournament. Dread looked determined to get the title back. He was fighting in full force, using his size and experience to his advantage. But Miwa was on another level. He dealt with the bulk and strength of the challenger and even managed to get him up for an impressive Pride Bomber to win. Night of BATTLE, February 2001 At Night of BATTLE, attention was well and truly focused on the upcoming Elite Series. Several of the big contenders for the tournament wrestled an eight-man tag match. Mito Miwa was one of them. He teamed with Kojiro Harada, Dread and Mamoru Nagahama, a team which had plenty of conflicting egos. They took on Hito Ichihara, Dan Stone Jr and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). All men in the match would take part in the Elite Series, so they wanted to show their stuff ahead of the tournament. The main news from the match was that Mamoru Nagahama suffered a severe ankle injury that would put him on the sidelines for a long time. This meant that he would miss the Elite Series and be replaced by Walter Morgan. It also led to his team’s loss, as he couldn’t be there to stop Hoshino pinning Harada after an Eisaku Explosion. This change resulted in the following blocks being announced for the tournament: BLOCK A Dan Stone Jr Dread Eisaku Kunomasu Fukusaburu Inao Hito Ichihara Mito Miwa Nobuatsu Tatsuko Walter Morgan BLOCK B Eisaku Hoshino Kojiro Harada Pistol Pete Hall Raymond Diaz Sean McFly Takeshi Umehara Tommy Cornell Yoshimi Mushashibo

ONE HELL OF A CHALLENGE Pistol Pete Hall only went and did it. In an effort to motivate himself and earn his position among the elite of PGHW, he decided he’d reproduce Dread’s unbelievable streak of defeating everyone on the PGHW roster. Some saw this as a vain attempt to compare himself to Dread, but most considered it an unreachable goal. When Dread did it, the roster was strong, but many of the wrestlers were yet to reach their peak. Now Hall would have to go through bona fide megastars like Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Mito Miwa, not to mention the wealth of other talent emerging as some of the best in the world. And he was hardly the force that Dread was when he started that challenge. Sure, Hall had challenged for titles, but he was yet to win any gold in PGHW and, with the exception of beating Dread at Night of ENDURANCE, he had never really scored that big win. But, as he would say in the media over the New Year Period, “It’s one hell of a challenge, but I’m up to it. This is going to be my legacy. People will remember this for centuries.” Night of RESPECT, January 2001 Pistol Pete Hall began his attempted vanquishing of the whole roster with a relatively straightforward opponent in Sotatsu Sarumara. The Rebel Cell stalwart held his own in the fight, but fell to a Pistol Whip Lariat. Hall declined to celebrate and instead shocked everyone by claiming he wasn’t done yet. He challenged Sarumara’s tag partner Harumi Okazawaya to a match right then and there. With Hall already weakened from the match, Okazawaya saw it as an opportunity to cause an upset and agreed. It was much tougher for Hall now, who had to dig deep into his energy reserves. But he found enough there to hit another Pistol Whip Lariat to make it two wins on the night. A risky strategy, but a statement of intent. Night of ENERGY, January 2001 At Night of ENERGY, Danger Kumasaka accompanied youngster Akinori Kwakami to meet Pistol Pete Hall’s challenge. Kwakami had been seen a few times already in PGHW, notably answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge and competing in the Elite Tag Series. Now it seemed Kumasaka had taken him under his wing as another protégé. He was still inexperienced and never stood a chance against Hall. But once again, Hall wasn’t finished. He immediately beckoned Danger Kumasaka to get in the ring. The veteran obliged and the second match was on. Kumasaka may have been able to beat Hall a few years ago, but Hall was in his prime now and hard to stop. Another Pistol Whip Lariat made it four victories in two events. A blistering start. Night of DESTINY, February 2001 Night of DESTINY brought a new face to the PGHW roster. Koryusai Kitoaji showed off his new protégé, a highly-talented youngster who had been impressing in SAISHO for his intense strikes and “Kitoaji-esque” style. His name was Iwane Okano, a name, Kitoaji promised, we would be repeating very often in not too long. He challenged Pistol Pete Hall and gave a good account of himself before suffering the Pistol Whip Lariat. Kitoaji then asked Hall if the challenge would extend to him tonight, and the big man nodded. Koryusai Kitoaji might have wanted to derail Hall’s momentum and gave his best showing in months, but it still wasn’t enough to topple Pete. Hall got the win, and six had fallen before him. Night of BATTLE, February 2001 Pistol Pete Hall met his third duo of mentor and protégé. It appeared Yasunobu Koiso had been impressing several big names in PGHW, not least Hito Ichihara. Night of BATTLE marked the first step in that relationship with Koiso tipped for great things. Those things weren’t beating Hall, though, who beat him with the Pistol Whip Lariat. However, it was a tough match and Hito Ichihara didn’t wait for an invitation. Ichihara came closer than anyone so far to defeating Big Pete, but despite getting a couple of dramatic near falls, he couldn’t get it done. Four shows, eight wins. Pistol Pete was destroying the roster. But bigger tests were yet to come. Ahead of the Elite Series, he had this to say. Hall: I’m not going to make any comment on whether Dread was injured or not for the Elite Series in ’98 when he couldn’t take part. What I can say is I am in top condition and I will be competing in the tournament. I know it will be tough and there’s a serious chance of losing matches. But the challenge is to beat everyone. That means all seven block-stage opponents, a semi-final and a final. That sure is one hell of a challenge, but it’s exactly what I intend to do.

THE RIGHT THING: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Kumasaka-buntai had become a strange mix. Danger Kumasaka himself had taken a back seat and was working with more and more young talent, but the four full-time members were experiencing some heady changes. Team Dynasty 2000’s reunification, Elite Tag Series win and later Glory Tag Crown triumph was by far the most notable, not just for the victory involved, but the manner in which it was achieved. Yoshimi Mushashibo had apparently abandoned his previous moral position which strictly adhered to “do the right thing” in favour of winning at all costs. Some may have expected Inukai to resist this, especially since the same issue caused them to fall out in the past. Instead, he supported his tag partner. The truth was, the underhanded tactics were needed. Inukai was still suffering a long-term spinal injury meaning he was far from his best and Mushashibo was desperate to win after his defeat to Tatsuko at Night of GLORY in 2000. Meanwhile, their faction-mates, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan were gaining traction of their own. Cornell especially was taking off like a rocket ship. He had always promised much, but now his confidence was high and his potential being realised. And alongside Morgan, they were a dangerous tag outfit themselves. Potential challengers for the Glory Tag Crown? Perhaps. Night of RESPECT, January 2001 Kumasaka-buntai began the year with a tough match against the other major group in PGHW, the new-look DREAD Army. It was Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) and Tommy Cornell against Dread, Mamoru Nagahama and Raymond Diaz. Inukai was the obvious target for Dread’s team. His spinal injury slowed him and it was an irresistible target for the power of Diaz and the aggression of Nagahama. Tommy Cornell fought hard to keep his side in the match, while Mushashibo resorted to the kind of tactics that had brought him success recently. A subtle jab to Nagahama’s eye put his team in a good position, but he couldn’t quite capitalise, with Dread coming to the aid of his team mate. While the referee might not have noticed the eyepoke, Cornell did. And he made his feelings clear. He barked at Mushashibo who responded with a shrug, tagging Cornell into the match. But Cornell wouldn’t let it slip. That was his downfall as he wasn’t paying enough attention to Dread who blasted him from behind, hit a Dread Bomb and got the win. This did not go down well with Inukai and Mushashibo. Night of ENERGY, January 2001 Kumasaka-buntai was a full strength for an eight-man tag match. Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) teamed with Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan to face the disparate team of Dan Stone Jr, Hito Ichihara, Steve Flash and Yasunobu Koiso. Ichihara led his young team mates well and had Kumasaka-buntai on the back foot. The friction between Cornell and Mushashibo didn’t help, and it might have cost them the match if Mushashibo didn’t take matters into his own hands. With Inukai distracting the referee, Mushashibo got in another eyepoke, this time on Steve Flash. This let him manoeuvre into the Yoshimi Lock to which Flash was forced to submit. Again, Cornell saw exactly what was going on. He and Morgan showed their disapproval by storming to the back instead of celebrating. Night of DESTINY, February 2001 Team DYNASTY 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) made their first defence of the Glory Tag Crown titles at Night of DESTINY against BATTERY (Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) who had previously beaten Kumasaka-buntai and got a big win at Night of ENERGY. It was a similar story, with BATTERY targeting Inukai’s weakness and Mushashibo using dirty tactics to even the playing field. Those tactics were successful. Again it was Nagahama who suffered the finger to the eye and it was he who tapped to the Yoshimi Lock, meaning the champions retained. After the match, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan made their way to the ring. Both had been in action earlier in the night, notably Morgan in a strong, but unsuccessful, Historical Japan title challenge. Cornell took the lead, claiming that Mushashibo had lost what made him special. That he didn’t act like a Kumasaka-buntai member anymore. Mushashibo waved him off, which irritated Cornell even more. It ended up with Cornell getting in Mushashibo’s face and challenging him to a single match at Night of BATTLE. Mushashibo accepted with a smile. Night of BATTLE, February 2001 Shuji Inukai had the night off to recuperate as his tag partner Yoshimi Mushashibo took on Tommy Cornell in the main event of Night of BATTLE. It was a real show of progress for Cornell who could now boast two main event singles matches in PGHW. And with the Elite Series fast approaching, it was a fantastic opportunity for both men to stake their claim as tournament favourite. And once again, Cornell showed he had stepped up. He went hold-for-hold with Mushashibo, matching him on the mat. That was something very few wrestlers could do. He even had Mushashibo set up for the Rough Justice until a last-second escape. Things were going firmly in Cornell’s favour. But before he could get the biggest win of his career, Mushashibo was up to his tricks again. This time it was a headlock with Mushashibo using his back to block the referee’s vision. A quick scrape of the eye had Cornell temporarily blinded. The next step was the Yoshimi Lock. But Cornell reversed it into his own submission, the Guilty Conscience! Mushashibo was in big trouble, but he managed to find a counter somewhere, rolling over onto Cornell and, with a handful of trunks, pinning his shoulders to the mat for the three count! Mushashibo won the match, but didn’t hang around to celebrate. Tommy Cornell’s face was a picture of rage. After the show, Cornell vocalised his feelings. Cornell: I knew this would happen. But there was nothing I could do to avoid it. If the referee can’t do his job and see the rules infringement, what can the victim do? Mushashibo, you used to claim you would always “do the right thing”. But what does that mean? Do the right thing to be an honourable and fair competitor? Or do the right thing just to win?

UPPING THE ENERGY Nobuatsu Tatsuko had never been keen on forming a tag team with Noriyori Sanda. In fact, it was only after he suffered a blow to the head that he agreed to give Sanda an opportunity to prove himself and, in the Elite Tag Series 2000 they entered as Team Energy. They did not qualify from their block. Most would blame the youngster Sanda for this, but Tatsuko himself was hardly known as a tag team wrestler. Since then, Tatsuko had lost the Glory Crown and some of his direction. He teamed with Sanda every now and then, but nothing permanent was agreed. Now, in the new year, could Noriyori Sanda get the former Glory Crown champion to commit? Night of RESPECT, January 2001 The year began with a victory for Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Noriyori Sanda. They tagged with Eisaku Hoshino and Kojiro Harada to overcome Hito Ichihara, Steve Flash and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). The only established tag team in the match was Team MILLENIUM, who had hoped to bounce back after dropping the Glory Tag Crown titles at Night of WRESTLING. They couldn’t do that, though as Sanda showed resilience while Tatsuko showed dominance, getting the win with the Tatsuko Driller. Night of ENERGY, January 2001 Noriyori Sanda had a big night, challenging Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title. He lost the match, but afterwards, Tatsuko appreciated his efforts. Sanda was delighted with this. As for Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s match, it was another big tag bout. He teamed with Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Unfortunately for Tatsuko, his opponents were stronger this time: Kojiro Harada, Koryusai Kitoaji and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). Tatsuko got into a brawl with Umehara and was frustrated when he couldn’t get the win. Night of DESTINY, February 2001 At Night of DESTINY, two important singles matches took place in the middle of the card. The first was Noriyori Sanda against Takeshi Umehara. It was a good back and forth, with Sanda getting as close as he’d ever been to a big singles win. However, Umehara was too strong. After that, Fukusaburu Inao took on Nobuatsu Tatsuko. It was a one-sided affair, but Inao refused to go down without a fight. Tatsuko was as intense and ever and got the job done with a Tatsuko Driller. After that match, Inao and Umehara squared up to Tatsuko. Noriyori Sanda appeared to stand by his partner’s side and it wasn’t long until a tag match was made for Night of BATTLE. Night of BATTLE, February 2001 It was only the second time Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) had teamed up since the Elite Tag Series. They took on Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) who were hoping to get back into Glory Tag Crown contention with a victory. The fight was hard. Noriyori Sanda took a lot of punishment from the Inao and Umehara who trapped him in their corner, using swift tags and slick communication to control the match. But Sanda held on. And when he tagged in Tatsuko, the intensity went up several levels. He battered both Team MILLENIUM members and hit a Tatsuko Driller on Umehara to win! It was a big win for Team Energy. Sanda looked thrilled. Tatsuko, after the show, indicated he was less sure. Tatsuko: It’s always good to win. And of course I respect Sanda. But my focus now has to be on the Elite Series. I am not a tag wrestler. I never have been. I do my own thing, and that usually results in me winning. For the last three years I have been in the Elite Series final. Last year I failed to win, but I will not suffer that fate again. Mito Miwa may think he is safe with the Glory Crown, but I have not lost sight of the prize. I will win the tournament, then I’m getting my title back!

MCFLYIN’ HIGH At Night of WRESTLING, Sean McFly overcame Kojiro Harada to win the Historical Japan title. It was his first taste of singles gold in PGHW and his second title after his record-breaking tag run with Mito Miwa. And for many, it was long overdue. McFly had promised a lot from the moment he arrived in mid-1998. Yet despite his brilliant performances, he had never quite come out from under the shadow of the heralded Japanese stars. At Night of GLORY in 1998, Dread stated that McFly “would be the best wrestler in the world in 5 years time”. That was two-and-a-half years ago. McFly was halfway to that milestone and stood a good chance of getting there. As was customary with the Historical Japan title, frequent defences were an expectation. Night of RESPECT, January 2001 The first show of the year saw Sean McFly defend the Historical Japan title against a debuting superstar. Not well-known in Japan yet, but certainly a big deal in Canada, Dan Stone Jr made his arrival in PGHW as one of the top prospects in the world with a legendary name attached. He immediately made an impact, going toe-to-toe with McFly. The pair put on a great match, showcasing their speed and smoothness. Ultimately McFly got the win with a Delorean Driver, but many considered Dan Stone Jr to be the “new Sean McFly”. (Side note: Sean McFly got engaged to Dan Stone Jr’s sister Victoria Stone in May 1999) Night of ENERGY, January 2001 Sean McFly’s next opponent was a more familiar face, but one with no less energy. Noriyori Sanda, one half of Team Energy got his title shot at Night of ENERGY. Sanda was steadily developing but still lacked the physicality and experience to compete with the likes of McFly. A spirited showing saw Sanda fall to the Delorean Driver. Night of DESTINY, February 2001 Walter Morgan was next to challenge Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title. Morgan seemed like a perennial contender for the belt, but was yet to get his hands on it. Some considered his style to be too one-dimensional, relying on ground-wrestling alone, while others noticed he struggled with conditioning in singles matches. Whatever the cause, Morgan fell to another defeat as he suffered the Delorean Driver. Night of BATTLE, February 2001 From technical wizardry to brute strength, Sean McFly defended the Historical Japan title against Raymond Diaz at Night of BATTLE. Diaz had struggled in the last year or so, in most part due to the decline of his tag partner Lee Wright. Still, the young big man was not progressing as some had expected and he still had plenty to go in his development. Decision-making seemed to be his fatal flaw and McFly exploited this, catching Diaz off-guard on multiple occasions. And in a heroic finish, McFly managed to lift Diaz up for the Delorean Driver – an impressive feat given the size difference. Going into the Elite Series, Sean McFly was certain to take part and could even be in the mix for qualification out of the block!

AN ENVIABLE PROBLEM The transition was over. The new wave had washed away the remaining structures and now the pillars stood in their wake with bricks and mortar joining to create a sturdy whole. Mito Miwa and Eisaku Hoshino proved to be a revelation. They took the company from what some were calling a period of mediocrity to another burst of excitement. That is no slight on Tatsuko. His achievements were incredible and without him, Miwa and Hoshino would never have had the opportunity to do what they did. Now it was time to capitalise. The only issue I had at this point was the sheer number of talented wrestlers who were worthy of main event and title glory. Beyond the core 6, Sean McFly, Dread, new signing Kojiro Harada, Pistol Pete Hall and soon, Tommy Cornell all wanted to be the top guy. I wondered if I had recruited too much top-level talent. Should I have brought in more like Mamoru Nagahama, Fukusaburu Inao and Walter Morgan? Guys who could do wonders in the midcard but never quite had the x-factor, or the ambition, to make it to the very top. In the beginning, there was always going to be a transition. The likes of Mushashibo and Tatsuko and all those legends-in-the-making had their path to the top laid out. Ichihara, Kumasaka, Kitoaji – they would move aside as they aged. But this new wave would not budge. They were still young. The oldest, Tatsuko, was still only 30. They all had at the very least a decade of elite level performance in them. Would they ever budge? And how long before those below got tired and frustrated? Admittedly, it was a good problem to have. It bred competition. They all knew they had to be the absolute best to make it to the top. And those supposedly “hand-picked” stars? Well, they’d find out pretty quickly that if they didn’t cut the mustard, there’d be a long line of equally talented young men ready to take their spot.

Night of WRESTLING, 2000 Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Noriyori Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko DREAD Army (Dread, Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) vs. Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Pistol Pete Hall Kojiro Harada © vs. Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Eisaku Hoshino vs. Mito Miwa © for the Glory Crown title MATCH 1: Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Noriyori Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) The opening match gave an opportunity for some of the wrestlers who weren’t involved in major confrontations to show their stuff on the biggest stage. Tommy Cornell stood out above all others in another excellent performance that got plenty of people thinking he was destined for big things in the near future. He pinned Chuichi Sanda after a Guilt Trip to get the victory for his team. MATCH 2: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko One of the hottest matchups of the last eighteen months saw its latest instalment as Tatsuko took on Kunomasu. For a change, there was no gold on the line, only pride and the ability to boast they were the best striker. Their previous encounters mostly ended in Tatsuko winning, with the exception of the Elite Series final earlier in the year. Despite that one win, Kunomasu was going in the underdog, particularly as he had suffered several defeats to Tatsuko in tag matches leading up to Night of WRESTLING. But as the back-and-forth got underway, it looked like Kunomasu was in the ascendency. Massive blows were thrown in both directions and at one point they were taking turns one-upping each other with elbows, knee strikes and devastating chops. The psychology of the striking battle might have been what turned the match. Tatsuko’s best moves were not strikes. He rarely defeated anyone with a single blow, instead using the famed Tatsuko Driller. In contrast, Kunomasu’s most devastating move was his Launching Knee Strike. It was that move that won him the Elite Series. As they had wordlessly agreed to make the match a striking battle, Tatsuko didn’t use his big moves. Meanwhile Kunomasu was enthusiastic in his. He hit a Launching Knee Strike but didn’t go straight for the pin. Instead, he waited for Tatsuko to recover, then smashed him with a second that put the former Glory Crown champion down for the three count! MATCH 3: DREAD Army (Dread, Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) vs. Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Pistol Pete Hall Pistol Pete Hall claimed that this was the last time he’d face DREAD Army after a year of being tormented by the dominant faction. In his mind that meant he would beat them so hard they’d crumble. They had other ideas. Mamoru Nagahama was instrumental in booting out Lee Wright from the group and now he took Wright’s position alongside Raymond Diaz as a lieutenant to Dread. On the other side, Hall had the aging Ichihara and Kitoaji in his corner. Both were on the decline but had showed they were not quite done yet. And Hall was riding high after defeating Dread in singles competition at the previous show. But this match turned on the burning emotion of hatred. Mamoru Nagahama had vowed to end Hito Ichihara for his betrayal over a year ago. He was ruthless in his assault, targeting his former tag partner and making him suffer. Ichihara struggled to hold him off and was forced to tag himself out of the match. Pistol Pete Hall fought hard, but couldn’t contain DREAD Army on this occasion. Kitoaji was the man who took the pin, suffering first a Dread Bomb and later a Detonator (a new move from Diaz and Nagahama with Diaz shoulder-tackling the opponent into a German suplex by Nagahama). Nagahama made the pin on Kitoaji and got the victory for DREAD Army. After the match, Dread ordered his men to throw each of the three opponents over the top rope into a pile on the ground and the three victors stood tall. Then Dino Maldini came out on crutches to join his team mates in standing tall. The army was just as dominant as ever. MATCH 4: Kojiro Harada © vs. Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title Since making his exciting debut, Kojiro Harada had quickly become one of the least liked wrestlers in PGHW. His treatment of Yasunobu Koiso riled plenty of people, not least Sean McFly who had recently been teaming with Koiso. But Harada was unstoppable on his rampage to Historical Japan success. He stepped back in time to win the belt he had held 19 years before by beating Sean McFly in the final of the tournament. McFly did not give up. He earned himself a title rematch at Night of WRESTLING and looked determined to make amends. He started the match on fire, getting Harada on the back foot early on. He showed even more energy and speed than usual, at times looking like a cruiserweight with some of the leaps and sprints he made. However, Harada would not go down easily. He held BHOTWG for nearly two years and had defeated everyone there was to defeat. He surged back into the match and clobbered McFly with some heavy strikes and slams. Successfully slowing the pace, he ground down McFly’s exuberance and the excitement of the crowd. But McFly wasn’t about to lose again. He surged back into contention with a passionate display of courage, culminating in a springboard uppercut that had Harada down for a near fall. It wasn’t enough to finish the champion, though. McFly summoned everything he could and tried for the Delorean Driver. He hit it! He put Harada down on the mat and got the three count! Sean McFly won the Historical Japan title! Harada was dazed for a while after the match, then furious at the result. He stormed off while McFly celebrated alongside Yasunobu Koiso. MATCH 5: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles A year ago, nobody would have given Team MILLENIUM a chance in this match. They only came together at the tail end of 1999, having never achieved anything. Meanwhile Team Dynasty 2000 were two of the top wrestlers in PGHW, having a Glory Tag Crown reign and Elite Tag Series victory to their name. But things were different now. Sure, Inukai and Mushashibo had put aside their differences and managed to win the Elite Tag Series again, but Inukai was a long way short of full physical fitness. And Team MILLENIUM had become a serious force in the tag division. They beat Team EXPLOSION to win the Glory Tag Crown titles and worked extremely hard to become a well-oiled machine. The doubts over Inukai’s condition were apparent well into the match. Mushashibo started as the legal man and stayed there for quite some time, fending off the attacks of Inao and Umehara. It was notable that Mushashibo was quite content to push the boundaries of the rules and test the referee’s patience. He did so several times by not breaking holds on his opponent until the referee nearly reached the end of his count. Eventually, though, Mushashibo couldn’t hold off his two opponents alone and had to tag in Inukai. It was Inukai’s first time in the ring since the final of the Elite Tag Series and he did not look great. His spinal injury slowed him significantly and Inao took advantage. The only reason for Inukai to be in the match was to give Mushashibo a rest. Because while Inukai couldn’t offer any offence, he wouldn’t be beaten. He struggled through intense pain to kick out of several attacks and keep his team in with a chance. Finally he could take no more and Mushashibo took control again. But still it felt like two against one and Mushashibo could do little to handle the swift tags and excellent communication between the champions. Then Mushashibo made things ugly. First, he insisted a corner turnbuckle was loose and made the referee inspect it. Then he held his hands up to Umehara as if to say the match was on pause while the ref was distracted. And finally, with the referee distracted, he stepped behind Umehara and dug a finger into his eye. Umehara lashed out with a wild miss and Mushashibo took him down straight into the Yoshimi Lock. Inukai, having seen what was going on, shouted at the referee, who turned just in time to see Umehara struggle… and tap out! Team Dynasty 2000 won the Glory Tag Crown titles! But everyone had seen what Mushashibo did – there was no denying he had used underhanded tactics to earn the victory. What’s more, Inukai was on board. He congratulated Mushashibo and celebrated with him as they held the tag titles high over the unfairly defeated Team MILLENIUM. MAIN EVENT: Eisaku Hoshino vs. Mito Miwa © for the Glory Crown title Everyone wanted to see this rematch. Hoshino and Miwa had put on, in many people’s reckoning, the best PGHW match of all time a couple of months ago at Night of KINGS. Blood was spilled, tempers snapped and Miwa just about got the victory to start his title reign with a success. Since then, the pair had fought on the same team, with plenty of difficulties, and against each other in a tag match. Their hostility towards each other was reaching a fever pitch. Hoshino always had a chip on his shoulder about not being a chosen one. Miwa, on the other hand, represented everything PGHW. He was the archetypal Jimbo wrestler who embodied the spirit of the company more than anyone except for, perhaps, Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Hoshino was scrappy and tenacious. Miwa was collected and imperious. And that is how this match began. Hoshino wanted to take it right to Miwa, get in his face and renew the violence from previous encounters. While Miwa certainly wanted to fight, he took a more conservative approach, keeping Hoshino at bay and frustrating him. This worked for a while until Hoshino found a breakthrough and scored a headbutt to Miwa’s forehead. It was a repeat of the move that bust Miwa open at Night of KINGS and the blood flowed again. This time, though, Miwa shook off the medical attention and continued fighting with crimson spilling down his face. Not to be outdone, Hoshino walked into a massive knee strike that had his nose leaking blood. All thought of strategy from Miwa had gone now and the pair starting taking lumps out of each other. A powerslam from Miwa was answered by a DDT by Hoshino. Hoshino’s uppercut was answered by a Miwa forearm smash. And so it went. Twenty minutes into the brawl, both men smacked into each other with lariats and crumpled to the ground. They lay unmoving, broken, exhausted, unable to stand. The referee began to count. One of them had to get to their feet to break the count by the count of twenty. Ten came and went. Then fifteen. Eighteen. Nineteen. At the final moment, both men roared upright in a moment that had everyone in the arena hearing their own pulse. Then the violence began again. This time strikes were slower and heavier. Energy was departing and now it was a battle of wills. One strike after the other. Hoshino was the first to break from the back-and-forth. He span Miwa up in the air and hit the Godzilla Plunge! He went for the pin… one… two… Kickout! Miwa just about got his shoulder up! Hoshino was stunned, while Miwa struggled back into contention. He hoisted Hoshino onto his shoulders… Pride Bomber! One…two… No! Hoshino got a shoulder up! Neither man would accept defeat! Then Mito Miwa showed why he was the man. His expression turned as he stood over Hoshino, knelt down in a mount position and started dropping elbows onto his face. It was brutal. The repeated thunking strikes had Hoshino’s head whacking into the mat and his face bright red with blood and welts. The referee saw Hoshino’s body go limp and pushed Miwa aside, calling an end to the match. Miwa won by technical knockout! It was a brutal and stunning end to another incredible title match! Conclusion Miwa vs. Hoshino’s second match earned just as many plaudits as the first. Nobody could definitively separate the two bouts, but simply because it was at Night of WRESTLING, this title match came out on top and became PGHW’s best ever match. Absolute credit to both men, but especially the Glory Crown champion Mito Miwa who really took the company to the next level at the end of 2000. There were plenty of other classics on the show as well, notably Kunomasu vs. Tatsuko and McFly’s Historical Japan title win. But nobody was talking about them. Instead, the nation was alive with the image of Hoshino’s bloodied face and Mito Miwa standing tall. The year concluded with the two members of Team MYTHOS holding both singles titles. Miwa had inarguably had the most successful year of anyone, while Sean McFly finished on a high. PGHW End of Year Awards: WRESTLER of the year: Mito Miwa MATCH of the year: Mito Miwa def. Eisaku Hoshino for the Glory Crown, Night of WRESTLING, December MOST IMPROVED wrestler of the year: Dino Maldini TAG TEAM of the year: Team EXPLOSION Team EXPLOSION also won the World Tag Team of the Year Award, a brilliant way to recognise their talents. Isei Deushi, commentator for SAISHO was rewarded for his brilliant year, winning the Best Announcer in the World award for 2000. It seemed a certainty he’d be promoted to PGHW in the very near future. A few wrestlers made their thoughts known after the show. Shuji Inukai: You’re all hypocrites. I heard you all criticising Yoshimi when he failed to beat Tatsuko. When he put wrestling craft over victory. And now you all pile in on him when he finds his killer instinct? He was a superstar out there. He won that match because he was strong and smart. He did the right thing to make sure we won. Nobuatsu Tatsuko: What’s next for me? What do you think? I beat the hell out of everyone and get my Glory Crown back. What the hell did you think I was going to do? Pistol Pete Hall: I said I was done with DREAD Army, but this isn’t how I saw it. I feel terrible right now. But there’s only one way to deal with failure. Come back stronger. Come back with more fire and more fight. My battle is no longer against Dread and his legion. It is against everyone. Yeah, that’s right. Call it copying, call it whatever you like, but whatever Dread can do, I can do, too. Starting in 2001, I will defeat every single wrestler in PGHW in singles competition. Eisaku Kunomasu: Tatsuko is beaten. Miwa, you’re next

Night of WRESTLING, 2000 Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Noriyori Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko DREAD Army (Dread, Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) vs. Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Pistol Pete Hall Kojiro Harada © vs. Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Eisaku Hoshino vs. Mito Miwa © for the Glory Crown title

NEXT LEVEL Even the most enthusiastic supporter of PGHW would have trouble arguing against the fact that the major shows throughout the middle of 2000 had faltered somewhat. They were by no means poor, but considering the rapid growth of the company and the lofty expectations of all involved, the shine was beginning to wear off. Some blamed Tatsuko’s long title run, others put it down to an accumulation of injuries and the decline of the established stars. Regardless of the cause, one man had stepped up to lead PGHW into the next phase of its existence. Mito Miwa. The new Glory Crown champion. He aimed to raise the bar and take the company to the next level. But was he ready? At just 27 years old, this was the first time he had to bear a large responsibility. Time would tell if he could be the man. Night of KINGS, October 2000 Mito Miwa began his reign with the Glory Crown by defending it against Eisaku Hoshino in the main event of Night of KINGS. Hoshino and Miwa were no strangers, having locked horns in the tag division several times. But until now, they had remained mutually respectful of each other. That changed here. What fans in the arena saw was the beginning of something that promised to be special. It all began when a sequence of chain wrestling came to a sudden halt as Hoshino headbutted Miwa square in the forehead. The strike busted Miwa open straight away and the referee had to pause the match to allow doctors to clean up the blood. As soon as he was let back into the match, Miwa stormed straight over to Hoshino and headbutted him as hard as he could, splitting open the challenger’s forehead in just the same way. Hoshino pushed away medical attention and insisted on continuing the fight. Things got wild. The sheer savagery and refusal to back down from both men meant a thousand more strikes were exchanged before anything got resolved. Hoshino came within split-seconds of winning the match, but ultimately the blood in his eyes cost him as he spent a vital second blinking it away only to receive a huge elbow to the jaw followed by a Pride Bomber. Miwa had to fight hard to make his first defence of the Glory Crown! The match immediately stole headlines across the nation. Even considering the effects of recency bias, it was considered to be on the level of Kitoaji vs. Ichihara from 1997 and Tatsuko vs. Kunomasu in 1997. In fact, a good portion of the journalists reporting on the match put it a step higher, heralding it as the greatest PGHW match of all time. Night of IMPACT, October 2000 Mito Miwa followed up his title defence by teaming with the man who had challenged him. He partnered Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to face the trio of Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Cornell & Morgan. It was a match dominated by the disagreements between Hoshino and Miwa. They clearly hadn’t shaken hands and become friends after their match at Night of KINGS and were barely able to stand in the same corner. Their verbal animosity boiled over when they hopped down to the ringside area and began getting physical with each other. Their attention on the match was gone, leaving Eisaku Kunomasu to take a Tatsuko Driller and eat the pin at the end of a fantastic match. Kunomasu was furious and dragged Hoshino away from Miwa before things got out of hand. Meanwhile, Tommy Cornell performed admirably in the match, impressing Miwa before he got distracted and the champion offered the young Englishman a Glory Crown title match at Night of COURAGE. Night of COURAGE, November 2000 Tommy Cornell got his biggest break yet – a Glory Crown title shot against Mito Miwa in the main event of Night of COURAGE in front of over 46,000 fans in Kyoto. Since his arrival in PGHW, Cornell had promised plenty and looked solid in the midcard. But few were expecting him to step up to the heights of this match. He pushed Miwa to his absolute limit, holding his own in a striking battle and getting a stunning near fall on the champion that had plenty of fans in the arena believing there would be a title change. Given the pair had very little in the way of history and rivalry, they managed to put on such a well-worked match that it flew into the bracket of best of all time PGHW matches, way beyond what others may have expected. Tommy Cornell could hold his head high in defeat, while in the past three shows, Mito Miwa had been part of three of the promotion’s top ten matches of all time. He really was taking things to the next level. Night of ENDURANCE, November 2000 Mito Miwa and Eisaku Hoshino came to blows again, this time on opposing teams. Miwa tagged with his old rival Nobuatsu Tatsuko against Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu). There was plenty of animosity between all four men, with the only pairing that could be called allies being Hoshino and Kunomasu. Despite their history, Miwa and Tatsuko got on the same page. While Tatsuko focused on Kunomasu, Miwa and Hoshino got back into their wild brawl from Night of KINGS. In the end it was Miwa who scored the victory by pinning Kunomasu. The champion made a blind tag to Tatsuko who was getting battered by Kunomasu. Kunomasu didn’t see the tag nor the figure of Miwa stalking him, ready to hit the Pride Bomber. The move was completed and the match was won. There was a hugely tense moment after the bell as Miwa and Hoshino looked set to tear each other apart and Tatsuko and Kunomasu were ready to keep things violent. But all four men knew that Night of WRESTLING was where things would be decided. Because Eisaku Hoshino made a challenge to Miwa for another shot at the Glory Crown which Miwa quickly accepted, hoping to score further pain and humiliation. Hoshino was defiant in the post-show press conference. Hoshino: The only reason Miwa beat me at Night of KINGS was because he didn’t have blood in his eyes. Because he paused the match to get cleaned up. I just wanted to fight! But at Night of WRESTLING, blood or no blood, I won’t make the same mistake. Miwa, you think you’re the man, but really you’re just like Tatsuko and Mushashibo and Inukai. A chosen one. Meanwhile me and Kunomasu are the extra men, the guys who made it to the top without being handpicked. And I’ll prove I deserve to be the man when I beat you and raise the gold above my head!

LET’S GO AGAIN Two men who epitomised the hard-hitting style of PGHW were former Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko and two-time Glory Tag Crown champion Eisaku Kunomasu. Both could boast of plenty of success, with Elite Series victories to their names as well as high-profile victories over pretty much everyone else on the roster. And when they fought against each other, it was a real spectacle. The world first became aware of this fact in 1999 when Kunomasu challenged Tatsuko for the Glory Crown at Night of WARRIORS in a match that flew to the upper echelon of bouts in the company’s history. They since battled in the Elite Series 2000 final and two weeks later for the Glory Crown again, with Tatsuko retaining. Now neither man held gold. And that made them even more determined than ever. And that determination would be channelled into the intense power of a celestial body. Should two such bodies collide… the results would be explosive. Night of KINGS, October 2000 An eight-man tag match at Night of KINGS saw Tatsuko and Kunomasu collide again. Nobuatsu Tatsuko teamed with Yoshimi Mushashibo and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) while Eisaku Kunomasu partnered Chuichi Sanda, Hito Ichihara & Koryusai Kitoaji. Given the talent of many of the competitors, there was no surprise when the match was excellent. But standing out above all else were the brief moments when Tatsuko and Kunomasu shared the ring together. Kunomasu reminded everyone of his crisp, clean striking, while Tatsuko was in a foul mood having just dropped the Glory Crown when he was so close to breaking the longest-reign record. The result was a series of short but highly-charged exchanges that had everyone in the arena buzzing. Fortunately for Tatsuko, his team proved superior on the night and he got the pinfall victory with a Tatsuko Driller on Chuichi Sanda. Night of IMPACT, October 2000 A huge trios match headlined Night of IMPACT. Nobuatsu Tatsuko tagged with Cornell & Morgan who were in fine form. They took on new Glory Crown champion Mito Miwa and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). The match was notable for two things. The first was the inability of Miwa and Hoshino to get along for reasons explained in another story. The second was the renewed hostility between Tatsuko and Kunomasu. The pair seemed intent on battering the daylights out of the other. Which was all well and good until Hoshino and Miwa’s friction left Kunomasu isolated. Tatsuko took advantage and hit the Tatsuko Driller on Kunomasu to get the pin. Kunomasu was angry both with Tatsuko for beating him and with Miwa for causing his team to fall apart. His ice-cold demeanour was beginning to thaw – Tatsuko was bringing out the heat. Incidentally, the match was exceptional and for many fans, was definitely a top-ten match in PGHW’s history. Night of COURAGE, November 2000 Night of COURAGE saw Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Eisaku Kunomasu clash once again. This time they were with their established tag partners. Kunomasu alongside Team EXPLOSION mainstay Eisaku Hoshino while “established” was a strong word to describe Tatsuko’s relationship with Noriyori Sanda in Team Energy. Still, Sanda had managed to get himself in another match alongside Tatsuko, although it didn’t do their future prospects much good. Sanda was consistently the weak link and, without Mito Miwa’s presence distracting Hoshino, Team EXPLOSION were rampant. The beating of Sanda was brutal. Credit to the youngster, he showed plenty of courage befitting of the event’s name, and the kind of grit that impressed Tatsuko enough to consider teaming with him. But it wasn’t enough. The Eisaku Explosion finished off Sanda and Kunomasu could claim a victory over Tatsuko following two losses. Night of ENDURANCE, November 2000 The last show before Night of WRESTLING saw a colossal main event. Four of the company’s major talents competed in a memorable tag match. For Nobuatsu Tatsuko it was hard to stand beside his partner for the night, Mito Miwa, the man who had defeated him for the Glory Crown just a couple of months ago. They took on Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). As you would expect from the wrestlers involved, the match was incredibly intense. Miwa and Hoshino seemed intent on continuing their own violence, while Tatsuko and Kunomasu were quite happy to duke it out blow-for-blow. But it was actually Miwa who scored the victory by pinning Kunomasu. The Glory Crown champion showed he hadn’t forgotten his tag team exploits and made a blind tag to Tatsuko who was in trouble at the time. Kunomasu didn’t notice and got caught in a Pride Bomber that ended the match. After the bell had rung, though, all four men seemed keen to keep things going. But cool heads prevailed and they went their separate ways. In the post-match press conference, Tatsuko confirmed that he and Kunomasu would compete in a singles match at Night of WRESTLING. Tatsuko: I don’t hate Kunomasu. In fact I respect him very much. But he is not the best. I am the best. I have been for the last two years in this company and I continue to prove that. I showed it to Kunomasu at Night of FORTITUDE when I beat him to retain the Glory Crown. But fighting him is a pleasure. Beating him is even better. So at Night of WRESTLING, let’s go again.

THE OLD AND THE NEW Dino Maldini’s major injury had serious ramifications for the Historical Japan title. He immediately vacated the belt and an eight-man knockout tournament was hastily organised to crown a new champion. There were contenders from all parts. One of these was Sean McFly who was one of the most popular wrestlers in the company by now but yet to win any singles gold. Since he and Mito Miwa parted ways, it was Miwa who had gone on to great things, notably winning the Glory Crown at Night of HONOUR. Many thought it was time for McFly to do something similar. But another force had arrived. Recently joining PGHW from BHOTWG was Kojiro Harada. One of Japan’s most highly-respected and experienced talents, at 40 years old it seemed he was set for a final run in the big time. And Harada had history with the Historical Japan title, winning it all the way back in 1981 when he was still a youngster. His arrival in PGHW coincided with the tournament for the belt and it seemed appropriate he should be a major contender. In fact, his previous reign with the title ended due to his own injury, so it seemed poetic he should be involved. Night of KINGS, October 2000 The four first round matches of the Historical Japan tournament took place at Night of KINGS. Mamoru Nagahama defeated Noriyori Sanda and Pistol Pete Hall defeated Lee Wright. Sean McFly also saw victory, getting a good victory over the much larger gaijin Raymond Diaz. But the main highlight was the debut of Kojiro Harada. He came out to open the show, announcing that he would fight tooth-and-nail to win the belt he hadn’t held in nearly twenty years. He faced a very game Yasunobu Koiso and defeated the young lion, although it was a close-fought match. In the end, Harada had to raise his game to the violent level he had become famous for. A nasty-looking Kojiro Clutch got the match won, although he held it in for several seconds after the bell had rung. Harada ignored Koiso’s show of respect after the match, and the fans quickly turned on Harada. Night of IMPACT, October 2000 Night of IMPACT saw the semi-finals of the Historical Japan tournament. Sean McFly had to fight hard to beat Mamoru Nagahama and afterwards suggested Harada didn’t understand the meaning of respect in PGHW, referring to how he treated Koiso. Kojiro Harada for his part, looked strong and violent again in victory as he overcame Pistol Pete Hall. It was a tough match that saw blood spilled from both men thanks to the impact of the shots going back and forth. Eventually Harada got the win with the Kojiro Clutch. Night of COURAGE, November 2000 Sean McFly and Kojiro Harada faced off in the final of the Historical Japan tournament with the eponymous title on the line. McFly was eager to get his first singles title in Japan, while Harada wanted to relive his successes from two decades ago. Neither held back. After cheering his debut, the fans soon realised Harada was not the kind of man they wanted to support, so they were strongly behind McFly who, as usual, put on a fantastic performance with his lightning speed and boundless energy. But he couldn’t handle Harada’s sheer violence. This was a man who held the BHOTWG World Championship for nearly two years, defending it 28 times. A man who defeated Koryusai Kitoaji in his prime. Harada took no prisoners and was ruthless in defeating McFly with a Kojiro Clutch. Kojiro Harada won the Historical Japan title – his second reign with the belt! Night of ENDURANCE, November 2000 If Harada represented the past of the Historical Japan title, he must have missed the part where it was defended on every available occasion. Instead of putting the title on the line, Kojiro Harada teamed with Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) at Night of ENDURANCE against the foursome of Sean McFly, Noriyori Sanda and Cornell & Morgan. McFly and Harada quickly assumed leadership of their respective teams and it was clear McFly wanted revenge for the loss he suffered two weeks prior. Fortunately, he had the fast-rising pair of Cornell and Morgan on his team and he was able to lead them to victory. McFly got the winning pinfall over Chuichi Sanda, handing Harada his first loss since joining the company. Harada was not pleased about this, and reacted with passion when McFly challenged him to a rematch for the Historical Japan title at Night of WRESTLING. He accepted and threatened to hurt McFly so bad he’d never wrestle again. McFly didn’t seem scared by the threat in his post-show comments. McFly: Harada came in here and did something cool. He won the Historical Japan title again after a huge wait. Good for him. The problem is, he did it in a way that I consider… unpleasant. The way he treated Koiso was callous. A veteran like him should know better. And while he beat me at Night of COURAGE, I don’t think he’s unbeatable. And I don’t think he’ll be a great Historical Japan champion. So when I beat him at Night of WRESTLING, you can be sure I’ll take that belt and defend it the right way, with pride and respect!

THE WAR RAGES FORTH DREAD Army did not enjoy a positive Elite Tag Series. Sure, Dread and Maldini made it to the semi-final stage, but in that match against Team EXPLOSION, Dino Maldini suffered a devastating injury, ruling him out for as long as a year. And if they had pinned any hopes on the faction’s established pairing, Team STRENGTH RUSH, they were sorely disappointed. The former two-time Glory Tag Crown champions failed to score a single point from the five block matches. Mamoru Nagahama pointed out, quite rightly, that Lee Wright was the obvious weak link. It was a time of frailty, then, from PGHW’s most dominant group. Meanwhile, the men who stood up to them: Hito Ichihara, Pistol Pete Hall and Koryusai Kitoaji above others, were not willing to let up the fight. Ichihara and Hall had also made it to the Elite Tag Series final and were set on revenge. Dino Maldini’s long-term injury meant he had to vacate the Historical Japan title. It was a shame for him, but an opportunity for others. An eight-man knockout tournament was scheduled over the next three shows, with the final taking place at Night of COURAGE. Some of the competitors included Mamoru Nagahama, Pistol Pete Hall and Lee Wright, so the warring groups would be drawn together. Not that they needed an excuse. The war would rage on until a victor was decided. Night of KINGS, October 2000 The first round of the Historical Japan tournament saw two matches relevant to this story. The first was Mamoru Nagahama defeating Noriyori Sanda and looking extremely intense in the process. The second pitted Pistol Pete Hall against Lee Wright. It was a domination. Lee Wright may have been a big bruising force in the past, but he looked feeble compared to Hall. After the match, the two other fit members of DREAD Army made their way to the ring: Dread and Raymond Diaz. They looked set to attack Pistol Pete Hall, who grabbed Lee Wright in a proactive move, as if he were a hostage. But DREAD Army shouted at Hall and convinced him to release Wright. They let Hall leave, which he did, tentatively. Lee Wright staggered to his feet in the ring, using Raymond Diaz as his support. His tag partner pushed him to the ground. Wright looked confused. And his confusion turned to fear as Dread waved to the back and Mamoru Nagahama came out, entering the ring and standing over Wright. Dread and Diaz stepped back. Nagahama saw this as his signal to strike and leapt upon Wright, trapping him in a guillotine. The veteran tapped furiously, but Nagahama refused to let go until Wright lay unconscious in the middle of the ring. In their own, brutal way, DREAD Army removed one member of their group and replaced him with another. Raymond Diaz showed little concern for his broken former partner. Team STRENGTH RUSH was no more. Night of IMPACT, October 2000 In the semi-final stage of the Historical Japan tournament, Pistol Pete Hall took on Kojiro Harada. The major star recently signed from BHOTWG looked set to create history and proved an insurmountable opponent for Hall on this occasion. Later on, Mamoru Nagahama also suffered defeat as he faced Sean McFly in the other semi-final. It was a hard loss for Nagahama to take considering he had just been welcomed into a new faction. But Sean McFly was on another level. And it wasn’t all bad news for DREAD Army as in another match on the show, Dread and Raymond Diaz got a big win over Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. It was the group’s first big statement since the disappointment of the Elite Tag Series and afterwards, Dread paid tribute to Nagahama as the new member and also to Dino Maldini who was spending some time back in America to recover. Night of COURAGE, November 2000 It was time for the latest huge battle between the two warring sides. Pistol Pete Hall teamed with Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji against all three fit members of the new-look DREAD Army: Dread, Mamoru Nagahama and Raymond Diaz. It was also a moment for Nagahama to share the ring with Ichihara again. It was not long ago that Nagahama had declared he would haunt Ichihara until he put him out of the business and that attitude was clearly on display in this match. Maybe it was that reckless aggression or the fact the three men were wrestling together for the first time and lacked communication that led to their surprise defeat. Pistol Pete Hall may have held his major grudge with Dino Maldini, but it was DREAD Army who had tormented him for a big part of the year. He led Ichihara and Kitoaji to a powerful win, hitting the Pistol Lariat on Diaz for the victory. All three members of DREAD Army were furious and vowed to get their revenge. In fact, Dread was so angered, he challenged Pistol Pete Hall to a singles match at Night of ENDURANCE to put him in his place. Night of ENDURANCE, November 2000 The battles were coming thick and fast. In the opening match of Night of ENDURANCE, Mamoru Nagahama and Raymond Diaz teamed against Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. It was a hard-hitting match in which Nagahama and Diaz showed much better chemistry than they had at the previous show. This chemistry helped them to victory with Nagahama getting the pin on Kitoaji. After the match was over, Nagahama and Ichihara stared each other down until their team mates intervened to stop anything more violent occurring. Then it was the singles match between Dread and Pistol Pete Hall. Two of the finest big-man gaijin to ever wrestle in Japan, both having toured in the country during the late eighties and early nineties. Dread was widely considered the best brawler in the world, but Hall had definitely caught up since returning from hiatus and may well have taken first spot after this match. Because he scored a famous win over Dread, hitting a huge Pistol Lariat to down the giant and marking another notch in favour of his side. After the show, a rematch of their six-man tag was announced for Night of WRESTLING, with both sides having something to say. Dread: This cannot stand. DREAD Army is here to dominate, but we have suffered too many defeats of late. We can rectify this. A victory at Night of WRESTLING over three of the company’s biggest names will surely keep us at the top of the pile. So Diaz, Nagahama, don’t let me down. And I won’t let you down. Pistol Pete Hall took on the roles of spokesperson for his team. Hall: For the whole of this year I have been fighting Dread and his band of thugs. They turned my partner against me and attacked me outside of matches on multiple occasions. If it wasn’t for the support of my allies, they would still be doing so. I am sick of it. I am sick of seeing Dread and Diaz and whoever follows them around. That’s why this match at Night of WRESTLING will be my last against DREAD Army. Because we will defend the honour of this company and defeat them. It will be a blow so hard they cannot come back the same, if at all. At Night of WRESTLING, this war ends with the annihilation of the army.

TAG TURMOIL Following the Elite Tag Series, the PGHW tag division was wide open. The reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Team MILLENIUM failed to qualify from their block, suffering several losses on the way and opening the path for a number of teams to get a shot at their titles. The most obvious of these was Team Dynasty 2000 who, with a little rebranding and reuniting had propelled themselves to the top of the division once again, winning the tournament and guaranteeing themselves a title match. But would they even be able to compete? Shuji Inukai’s spinal injury looked increasingly painful and severe as the tournament went on and despite his never-say-die attitude, at some point he wouldn’t be able to continue. And what about Mushashibo’s controversial actions in the Elite Tag Series final? Opinion was split about whether the finger that entered Kunomasu’s eye was deliberate or not, and Mushashibo seemed nonplussed. All anyone could say for sure was that the road ahead was unpredictable at best and chaotic at worst. Night of KINGS, October 2000 Team Dynasty 2000 were unable to compete at Night of KINGS as Inukai had not been cleared for action. Instead, Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) defended the Glory Tag Crown titles against one of the teams that defeated them in the block stage of the Elite Tag Series: Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan. Considering the four young men were still a rung or two below the stacked main event scene, they managed to put on a fantastic bout. Tommy Cornell looked especially impressive. However, it was Fukusaburu Inao who was most decisive, getting the pin on Walter Morgan after the Y2K. Night of IMPACT, October 2000 With Shuji Inukai still out of action, Yoshimi Mushashibo teamed with Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) to face the trio of Noriyori Sanda and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). The most notable thing about the match was the change in Yoshimi Mushashibo. He still held himself with grace and poise, but there was something keener, more predatory about his body language. He didn’t hold back on his opponents and led them to victory. Harumi Okazawaya got the pin over Takeshi Umehara. This prompted Rebel Cell to suggest they were next in line for a tag title match, assuming Team Dynasty 2000 were still unable. Mushashibo reluctantly assented and the match was set for Night of COURAGE. Night of COURAGE, November 2000 Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) made their second defence of the Glory Tag Crown titles against Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). At the start of the year, these two teams had been at the bottom of the pecking order, but here they were battling it out for gold. Still, Rebel Cell hadn’t quite reached the top level and they fell to a Y2K with Umehara getting his pinfall win back over Okazawaya. Night of ENDURANCE, November 2000 The announcement that Shuji Inukai would be fit enough to compete at Night of WRESTLING was met with relief. Team Dynasty 2000 would be able to get their title match and one of PGHW’s top stars would be on the biggest show of the year. On the last show before the big finale, Yoshimi Mushashibo faced Fukusaburu Inao in singles action. There was no denying Mushashibo had found a more ruthless edge. There were no controversial eye-pokes, but he stretched the referee’s patience at times, always bordering on the edge of rule-breaking. This led him to a solid win over Inao and a whole heap of momentum going into Night of WRESTLING where he and Inukai would challenge for the Glory Tag Crown titles. After the show, Mushashibo was asked whether Inukai would be at 100% for the match. Mushashibo: No. But then neither will I, nor Inao, nor Umehara. We are never at 100% in this business because every night we put our bodies on the line, taking hit after hit in search of victory. Shuji will be fine. It is a brutal business – he knows that more than anyone. And those who emerge at the top with glory and acclaim are those who get the job done when it really matters. You know, I used to think wrestling was beautiful. And in a way it still is to me, but more and more I see it as an ugly sport. That’s not a bad thing. Ugly has its place in the world. I’m sure at Night of WRESTLING our match will get ugly and I’m not afraid of that. I’d rather win ugly than lose beautifully.

Night of HONOUR, 2000 Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Dino Maldini & Dread Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda & Raymond Diaz vs. Koryusai Kitoaji & Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Lee Wright vs. Mamoru Nagahama Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) vs. Sean McFly and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Elite Tag Series Final: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2 Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown MATCH 1: Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Dino Maldini & Dread The show’s opening match was a mouthwatering prospect. Four men who hit hard and refused to back down went hell for leather in a bid to reach the Elite Tag Series final. It was new ground for Maldini & Dread. Maldini’s experiences with Strike Force in the past had never taken him to the semi-finals, and Dread had hardly competed in the tag division before. In contrast, Team EXPLOSION were veterans of the Elite Tag Series, having reached the semi-finals for the fourth time and having won the whole tournament the year before. Their familiarity with each other in these big situations may have been the deciding factor, or it was the sheer intensity of the match as after both teams whacked seven shades of the proverbial out of each other, Maldini’s knee looked in very bad shape. Team EXPLOSION hit the Eisaku Explosion with Hoshino getting the pin on Maldini. MATCH 2: Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall The second semi-final was similar in that one team had seen great success in all of the previous three Elite Tag Series while the other had hardly teamed with each other before. Team Dynasty 2000 looked fantastic in the block stage, but Shuji Inukai was still suffering from a herniated disc that slowed his movement significantly. On occasion he had looked reluctant to hit the Untouchable Lariat because of the pain it put him in. Ichihara and Hall failed to capitalise on this, though. Not through want of trying, but because Mushashibo was smart in tagging himself in when Inukai was really feeling it. And eventually it was Mushashibo who got the victory for his team, locking the Yoshimi Lock in tight on Ichihara who was forced to tap out. A huge moment for Mushashibo and another final for him and Inukai – up against Team EXPLOSION in a repeat of the 1997 tournament’s final. MATCH 3: Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda & Raymond Diaz vs. Koryusai Kitoaji & Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Raymond Diaz found himself on a relatively weak team against three men who had fiercely resisted DREAD Army recently. Rebel Cell defeated Team STRENGTH RUSH at Night of GLORY and made it a second victory over Diaz here, although it was Chuichi Sanda who took the pin. MATCH 4: Lee Wright vs. Mamoru Nagahama At Night of TOUGHNESS, Mamoru Nagahama tagged with Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH and found himself on the losing team thanks to, as he saw it, the weakness of Lee Wright. Wright took offense to this and this match was set up to settle the dispute. Lee Wright’s recent performances had been woeful and here things didn’t get better. In fact it was a one-sided affair that really exposed the veteran’s decline. Nagahama choked him out with a Guillotine and stood tall. MATCH 5: Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) vs. Sean McFly and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Cornell & Morgan got a sensational victory over Team MILLENIUM during the Elite Tag Series block stage and they picked up another win over the Glory Tag Crown champions here, alongside their mentor Danger Kumasaka. It was another setback for the tag champions who had contenders lining up to dethrone them, not to mention the defence they would have to make against whoever won the Elite Tag Series. MATCH 6: Elite Tag Series Final: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) Some were surprised to see the tournament final second from last on the show, but that perhaps was due to the sheer magnitude of the Miwa vs. Tatsuko main event. Regardless, the anticipation for Team EXPLOSION vs. Team Dynasty 2000 was palpable. The teams had seen similar successes and disappointments, spending some time away from each other while enjoying Glory Tag Crown reigns and previous Elite Tag Series victories. Shuji Inukai was clearly in significant distress even before he got in the ring. Mushashibo did well to cover for him in the semi-final, but few expected Hoshino & Kunomasu to take it easy on him. And they didn’t. Even with Mushashibo starting the match and avoiding tagging in his partner for a while, Inukai didn’t want to be left out and entered for a few moments of explosive action, then doubling over in pain. But as Eisaku Hoshino knew from personal experience, Shuji Inukai was a tough son of a gun. In Spring 1999 they had battled for sheer pride and over who was the most resistant to pain. And he proved his mettle again by surviving the absolute onslaught Kunomasu and Hoshino inflicted upon him. For long periods he was trapped on the wrong side of the ring. Mushashibo got the crowd behind him and eventually, Inukai crawled his way to make a tag. Then for ten minutes, Mushashibo was essentially in a handicap match. Inukai was surrounded by medical officials while Mushashibo battled with the ferocity he kept hidden inside him only to be unleashed at these crucial moments. A level of intensity and savagery seemed to overcome Mushashibo. And something else, too. Something never seen before. It occurred when Inukai tried to haul himself onto the ring apron, catching the eye of the referee. At that moment, Mushashibo struck. A wild lash at Kunomasu, catching him in the face. In the eye? It was hard to see for sure. But whatever happened, Kunomasu seemed unable to see properly. It was enough for Mushashibo to lift him up and dump him on his head with a brand new move that resembled a Michinoku Driver. The referee turned his attention back to the action and counted to three. Team Dynasty 2000 won the Elite Tag Series! Mushashibo dragged Inukai into the ring to celebrate with him, although Inukai could hardly lift his golden plate and seemed unaware of how the match had ended. MAIN EVENT: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown This Glory Crown title match was laden with history. For a start, the two competitors were very much the embodiment of the two men who had formed the foundation of PGHW – Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. The comparisons had been drawn from the very start, with Tatsuko adhering to Kitoaji’s direct, intense style while Miwa favoured a cerebral, adaptive approach. Both had defeated their predecessor and now stood atop the company. But their rivalry had deeper roots than that, going back to times before PGHW even existed. Their rivalry over the Historical Japan title on the independent scene and later in PGHW was looked back on as what propelled them both to stardom. At Night of FORTITUDE in 1997, Mito Miwa defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko and in doing so ended his 22-month reign with the belt. A reign which had seen hundreds of defences and came within a hair’s breadth of breaking the record for longest duration. Tatsuko was denied his place in history then. Now he was a step away from breaking Kitoaji’s record for longest reign with the Glory Crown. A victory over Miwa would do it for Tatsuko. In theory, that shouldn’t be a problem. They had seen three singles matches since that Historical Japan bout, all of which were in the semi-finals of the Elite Series and all of which Tatsuko had won. This last encounter was what spurred Miwa towards this moment. It had motivated him to sweep aside ten of PGHW’s top competitors in his open challenge and earn a title shot. The match began as you’d expect. Tatsuko at full throttle and Miwa avoiding the worst of the assault and formulating a plan of response. That plan took the form of targeting Tatsuko’s ankle. Tatsuko would overextend himself with some high kicks and Miwa caught the leg in a tight grip, twisting hard to send the champion to the mat. The ankle lock proved an effective antidote to Tatsuko’s violence for a while. Until Tatsuko did what he did best and blasted through adversity and hit back harder than ever. In the end it was a huge Tatsuko Driller that led to the end of the match. Tatsuko had just clocked Miwa in the jaw and went for his finisher… Miwa slipped out of his grasp and immediately reversed into a Tatsuko Driller of his own, dumping the author of the move on the mat! This was exactly how Miwa defeated Tatsuko for the Historical Japan title over three years ago! One… Two… Tatsuko kicked out! The champion refused to be humiliated in that way again. He surged back to his feet… and got caught by Miwa who lifted him up, then dumped him down with the Pride Bomber! One…Two… Three! It was over! Mito Miwa became the new Glory Crown champion and ended Tatsuko’s reign at two weeks short of Kitoaji’s record! It was an astonishing change at the top of the company as Miwa became the fifth man to hold the prestigious trophy. Tatsuko looked stunned. He could hardly believe what had happened. Conclusion Miwa’s victory saw him climb to number one spot while Team Dynasty 2000 reigned supreme, albeit with some controversy to their victory. It was a solid show from PGHW who had lost a touch of their magic over the last few months. The Elite Series matches all shone, as did the Glory Crown bout, but none reached a transcendental level and some of the midcard matches disappointed. Added to that was the injury difficulties suffered by Inukai and the fact Dino Maldini got badly hurt. After the show, Maldini revealed his patellar tendon was severely damaged and he would be out of action for around a year. He would have to vacate the Historical Japan title. The spectre of Luis Figo Manico’s retirement hung over the whole ordeal. Perhaps a new champion in Mito Miwa would add a new freshness to proceedings and boost the mood, and it was certain the rest of the year would hold plenty of intrigue and excitement. After the show, there were some notable comments in the press conference. Mamoru Nagahama: I want to speak directly to Dread and his army. Lee Wright is done. He’s not even half the competitor he used to be. I showed that tonight. I’m not going to tell you how to handle your personnel, but if I were you I’d kick him out and recruit someone young and violent… Yoshimi Mushashibo: Of course I’m delighted to win the Elite Tag Series again. We had to fight hard and I want to thank Shuji for his unbelievable determination to hang in there. I know how much that hurt him. I think we both showed how passionate we are about winning tonight. In response to a question about the nature of his controversial victory where it looked like he might have poked Kunomasu in the eye, Mushashibo had this to say: Mushashibo: We won the match, alright? If there was something illegal then the referee would have reprimanded me, correct? That’s what he’s there for. But he didn’t, so what’s the problem? Finally, the new Glory Crown champion had some words. Mito Miwa: Do I take pleasure in once again stopping Tatsuko from breaking a record? No. I didn’t last time, and I don’t tonight. But I do take pleasure in beating him. I have seen him rise to the top over the last two years and it made me wonder why it wasn’t me in that position. Whatever he can do, I can do, too. And tonight, I did it better. And what brings me even greater pleasure is that I’ll be able to prove it time and time again while I hold this belt. I no longer need to hold an open challenge because the best in PGHW will be lining up to face me. Bring it on

Night of HONOUR, 2000 Card Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Dino Maldini & Dread Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda & Raymond Diaz vs. Koryusai Kitoaji & Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Lee Wright vs. Mamoru Nagahama Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) vs. Sean McFly and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Elite Tag Series Final: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2 Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown

ELITE TAG SERIES 2000 The tag landscape in PGHW had shifted significantly since 1999’s Elite Tag Series. One of the most successful teams of all time, Team MYTHOS would not be taking part, Strike Force had broken apart and now Team MILLENIUM were a major force, going into the tournament as Glory Tag Crown champions. Block A contained three well-established teams and three unknown entities. Team EXPLOSION were the clear favourites to advance, having won the tournament in 1999 and reigning as tag champions for most of the year so far. Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall made an intriguing partnership and posed a serious threat. Sean McFly had pedigree in the tournament, winning alongside Miwa in 1998, but his young partner Yasunobu Koiso was still mostly untested. Team STRENGTH RUSH were always a force to be reckoned with, while Rebel Cell had stepped up recently. Could this be their year to advance? And finally, the thrown-together outfit of Nagahama and new Canadian signing Steve Flash were a complete wildcard. BLOCK A: Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall Mamoru Nagahama & Steve Flash Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Sean McFly & Yasunobu Koiso Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Block B was just as unpredictable. Team MILLENIUM were certainly big favourites, considering they were the reigning tag champions. Team Dynasty 2000 had only recently reunited, but as inaugural winners and perennial contenders, many had them as their pick to win the whole thing. Team Energy was a strange prospect. Some speculated that the concussion he suffered at Night of LEGACY was the reason he ever let Noriyori Sanda have a chance at impressing him. Still, the youngster held up his side of the bargain and the two made an odd but potentially devastating pair. Speaking of devastating, it was hard to rule out Dino Maldini and Dread who had become DREAD Army’s best chance of winning the tournament. They would surely expect to do better than the likes of Cornell & Morgan and the favourites for the wooden spoon, Kwakami & Sanda BLOCK B: Akinori Kwakami & Chuichi Sanda Dino Maldini & Dread Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 1 Block A Results Nagahama & Flash def. Ichihara & Hall McFly & Koiso def. Rebel Cell Team EXPLOSION def. Team STRENGTH RUSH The first day of the tournament saw a couple of big surprises. Nagahama exacted some revenge on former tag partner Ichihara as the impressive Steve Flash helped him to a stunning win. McFly & Koiso also had a strong start for a new team, defeating the established Rebel Cell. Old rivals Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH underlined their different trajectories over the last couple of years as Hoshino & Kunomasu dealt with Wright & Diaz quite comfortably, hitting the Eisaku Explosion on Lee Wright. Block B Results Cornell & Morgan def. Team MILLENIUM Team Dynasty 2000 def. Kwakami & Sanda Maldini & Dread def. Team Energy Glory Tag Crown holders Team MILLENIUM had an awful start to the tournament, losing to the motivated Cornell & Morgan. Kumasaka-buntai then made it a perfect first day as Team Dynasty 2000 easily beat Kwakami & Sanda. The main event saw Tatsuko come up against Dread, the man he defeated to win the Glory Crown over a year ago. But Dread was alongside the massively improved Dino Maldini who proved decisive against the inexperienced Noriyori Sanda. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 2 Block A Results Ichihara & Hall def. McFly & Koiso Nagahama & Flash def. Team STRENGTH RUSH Team EXPLOSION def. Rebel Cell Ichihara & Hall recovered from their opening round loss to beat McFly & Koiso, while the surprise package for the tournament turned out to be Nagahama and Flash who overcame the faltering Team STRENGTH RUSH, with Lee Wright taking the pin once again. Team EXPLOSION made it two from two with a solid victory over Rebel Cell who, with two losses now, were far from getting that breakout moment. Block B Results Team Energy def. Cornell & Morgan Maldini & Dread def. Kwakami & Sanda Team Dynasty 2000 def. Team MILLENIUM Nobuatsu Tatsuko got his first Elite Tag Series win as Noriyori Sanda helped him overcome Cornell & Morgan. Meanwhile, Dread and Maldini had a relatively easy time against Kwakami & Sanda. The show’s main event saw Team MILLENIUM suffer their second loss. This time it was against the serious threat of Inukai & Mushashibo who looked to be working great together despite a spinal disc injury to Inukai. Still, for Team MILLENIUM the result left them bottom of the block. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 3 Block A Results McFly & Koiso def. Team STRENGTH RUSH Ichihara & Hall def. Rebel Cell Team EXPLOSION def. Nagahama & Flash Team STRENGTH RUSH looked a shadow of their former selves. They fell to McFly and Koiso, meaning they were yet to score a single point. Ichihara & Hall recovered from a poor start to lay more misery upon Rebel Cell. The top two teams in the block, Team EXPLOSION and Nagahama & Flash collided with the outcome narrowly favouring the former two-time tag champions. Block B Results Team MILLENIUM def. Kwakami & Sanda Team Dynasty 2000 def. Team Energy Maldini & Dread def. Cornell & Morgan Team MILLENIUM finally got a win, beating the much weaker Kwakami & Sanda. Team Dynasty 2000 continued their winning streak with a solid victory over Team Energy, something that irritated Nobuatsu Tatsuko. The other strong team in the group, Maldini & Dread picked up their third victory over Cornell and Morgan. Mid-point round-up Block A Table 6 Team EXPLOSION 4 Nagahama & Flash 4 Ichihara & Hall 4 McFly & Koiso 0 Rebel Cell 0 Team STRENGTH RUSH Block B Table 6 Maldini & Dread 6 Team Dynasty 2000 2 Cornell & Morgan 2 Team Energy 2 Team MILLENIUM 0 Kwakami & Sanda PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 4 Block A Results Rebel Cell def. Team STRENGTH RUSH McFly & Koiso def. Nagahama & Flash Team EXPLOSION def. Ichihara & Hall Rebel Cell picked up their first win of the tournament at the expense of the hugely disappointing Team STRENGTH RUSH who remained on zero points from four matches. Lee Wright getting pinned again was a clear problem. The two surprise outfits collided, with McFly & Koiso getting a big win over Nagahama & Flash. McFly & Koiso now had a pretty good chance of advancing, despite still having to face Team EXPLOSION. As for Team EXPLOSION, they continued their 100% form, getting a tight win over Ichihara & Hall who just about remained in the running. Block B Results Team Energy def. Kwakami & Sanda Team Dynasty 2000 def. Cornell & Morgan Maldini & Dread def. Team MILLENIUM Team Energy had their easiest match yet with Tatsuko able to dominate Kwakami & Sanda while Noriyori Sanda showed plenty of energy alongside his senior partner. Team Dynasty 2000 made it four from four with a solid victory over Cornell & Morgan who dropped out of the running. And the advancing teams were confirmed as Maldini & Dread beat Team MILLENIUM in another big loss for the tag champions – knocked out of the block with a match to go. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 5 Block A Results Rebel Cell def. Nagahama & Flash Team EXPLOSION def. McFly & Koiso Ichihara & Hall def. Team STRENGTH RUSH Rebel Cell got their second win and put an end to the surprising start from Nagahama & Flash. In fact, this victory took Rebel Cell above Nagahama & Flash in the standings. Team EXPLOSION rounded out a perfect block stage with a win over McFly & Koiso who needed some help from Team STRENGTH RUSH. They didn’t get it as Ichihara & Hall surged their way to victory, piling on the misery for Wright & Diaz and scraping into the semi-finals thanks to their head-to-head record over McFly & Koiso. Block B Results Cornell & Morgan def. Kwakami & Sanda Team MILLENIUM def. Team Energy Team Dynasty 2000 def. Maldini & Dread For four teams in Block B it was about saving pride. Cornell & Morgan made sure they finished with a win, meaning Kwakami & Sanda finished with 0 points. Team MILLENIUM clawed back a victory over Team Energy to avoid a completely humiliating tournament. And in the main event, Team Dynasty 2000 overcame Maldini & Dread in the match of the tournament to make sure they topped Block B and kept their 100% record. FINAL STANDINGS Block A Table 10 Team EXPLOSION 6 Ichihara & Hall 6 McFly & Koiso 4 Rebel Cell 4 Nagahama & Flash 0 Team STRENGTH RUSH Block B Table 10 Team Dynasty 2000 8 Maldini & Dread 4 Cornell & Morgan 4 Team Energy 4 Team MILLENIUM 0 Kwakami & Sanda Conclusion While the Elite Tag Series 2000 blocks didn’t see the extreme heights of match quality from previous years, it was a remarkably consistent tournament with many “smaller” teams putting in some fantastic performances. Sean McFly and Yasunobu Koiso were the standout performers considering they had never tagged before and Koiso was still in his second year of wrestling. The fact they only missed out on a semi-final spot thanks to a head-to-head record showed how well they had done. Team EXPLOSION and Team Dynasty 2000 were rightly favourites going in and they did not disappoint. Maldini & Dread also lived up to the expectations attached to their individual names. For the likes of Rebel Cell and Cornell & Morgan it wasn’t an awful tournament, but they were once again a step or two away from taking the next forward step. Meanwhile, Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s first appearance in the tournament was disappointing – his future with Noriyori Sanda looked bleak. Not as bleak as Team STRENGTH RUSH’s prospects, though. The team that began in PGHW as the most dominant force failed to get a single point. Many fingers pointed to Lee Wright’s age and lack of conditioning, but there were a few comments about how Raymond Diaz hadn’t progressed as much as expected. Still, DREAD Army had one team in the semi-finals. Maldini & Dread would face Team EXPLOSION in what promised to be a hard-hitting bonanza. Ichihara & Hall had the tough task of facing the in-form Team Dynasty 2000 although they would gain confidence in the fact that Shuji Inukai’s injury did not go away. He was suffering from a herniated disc, slowing him down significantly. Another fact that came out of the tournament was that Team Energy did not reach the semi-finals, so Mito Miwa would get his highly-anticipated Glory Crown title match at Night of HONOUR. The card for that show was promising to be one of the biggest of all time!

GLORY CROWN Seiji Jimbo (c) vs. Mutant GLORY TAG CROWN
 KamaGuchi (Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi) (c) vs. Chojiro Kitoaji & Eisaku Kunomasu INTERNATIONAL TITLE SATO (c) vs. Magnum Kobe SPECIAL SINGLES MATCH Austin Smooth vs. Kozue Kawashima TAG TEAM MATCH Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda vs. Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
 RONIN VII (Avalanche Takano, Haranobu Kobayashi & Yuri Yoshihara) vs. Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) FOUR-WAY ELIMINATION MATCH - HISTORICAL JAPAN TAG TEAM TITLE SHOT ON THE LINE The Front (Kazushige Matsuki & Michio Gensai) vs. The Supreme Warriors (Hatamoto & Hikichi) vs. The Griffin Brothers (Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) vs. The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) TAG TEAM MATCH Daigo Goya & Washi Heat vs. The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) SINGLES MATCH Hirotsugu Satou vs. Joshua Taylor

I love how you're embracing the curveballs thrown at you during this whole save. I'd have certainly thrown in the towel long ago, but credit for sticking with it and providing us the entertainment of it all going mad!

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED Team MILLENIUM was the standout tag team of the months leading up to Night of GLORY in June 2000. They ran through a number of competitors and called out Team EXPLOSION who they claimed hadn’t been defending the Glory Tag Crown titles often enough. So they got their title match and lost. A sizeable roadbump in their trajectory and a serious confidence knock for a team made up of two men who had never been picked as major stars of the future. But all good competitors share the same trait. When they fail, they get back up and try again. And that’s what Team MILLENIUM were ready to do. Would it get them back into the title picture? That remained to be seen. Night of STRENGTH, June 2000 Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) competed on the same side as their Night of GLORY opponents Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) in an eight-man tag match against Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell and Yoshimi Mushashibo as well as Noriyori Sanda. During the match, the champions and recent challengers combined well together, seemingly enjoying their time as they achieved a good victory with Team MILLENIUM hitting the Y2K on Noriyori Sanda. After the match, though, there was little in the way of friendliness. Inao and Umehara made it clear they weren’t going to go away any time soon. Night of WARRIORS, July 2000 After their victory over Team STRENGTH RUSH at Night of GLORY and another win at Night of STRENGTH, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) had risen to the position of challengers and got their Glory Tag Crown match at this show against champions Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu). Rebel Cell fought hard, but once again showed they weren’t quite at the level required to win gold yet. Elsewhere on the show, it was another win for Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) who got a fine victory over Sean McFly and Koryusai Kitoaji. Takeshi Umehara enjoyed the biggest moment of his career by pinning the legendary Kitoaji after a Y2K. Night of VICTORY, July 2000 Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) were at it again. They scored another fantastic win over Kumasaka-buntai’s Shuji Inukai and Walter Morgan. The Y2K was becoming one of the most effective tag finishers in PGHW and it reflected how much Inao and Umehara had worked on their communication and chemistry. Later in the show, Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) tagged with Dread to defeat Yoshimi Mushashibo and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Their celebrations were interrupted by Team MILLENIUM coming out and making their challenge official. Inao claimed they had earned their way back into title contention with some strong wins and were ready for another title shot. Hoshino and Kunomasu were never ones to back down from a challenge and the match was set for Night of LEGACY. Night of LEGACY, August 2000 The Glory Tag Crown titles main evented Night of LEGACY. Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) were used to being part of the final match of the night, having held tag gold twice, the Historical Japan title once each and having several Glory Crown title shots. For Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) it was unknown territory. The pressure was extremely high. They had worked incredibly hard to get another shot at the titles – a loss here would set them back a long way. And they were not willing to let that happen. Inao and Umehara looked far different from their initial tag attempts at the start of the year. Their commitment to creating a strong understanding between them had led them to the point of being a well-drilled machine. They looked even more cohesive than Team EXPLOSION who had been tagging (albeit on-and-off) for four years. And this hard work bore fruit. They managed to hit the Y2K on Eisaku Hoshino. Fukusaburu Inao went for the pin and got the three count! Team MILLENIUM became new Glory Tag Crown champions! It was a huge moment for the team and a colossal shift in the division’s landscape just a month away from the Elite Tag Series. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000 Night of TOUGHNESS always put on several multi-man matches involving the major tag teams heading into the Elite Tag Series. This was no different. Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) enjoyed their first outing since winning the Glory Tag Crown titles as they teamed up with Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall in the main event. They took on Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) who were looking for revenge, and the reunited Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo). The match ended with Mushashibo pinning Ichihara, but the action had been fairly equal throughout. Now heading into the Elite Tag Series, there was plenty of intrigue about which teams would rise to the top. Old favourites like Team Dynasty (now going by the name of Team Dynasty 2000) and Team EXPLOSION were surefire candidates, but so were Team MILLENIUM and the combination of Ichihara and Hall. The tournament blocks were announced after the show. BLOCK A Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall Mamoru Nagahama & Steve Flash Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Sean McFly & Yasunobu Koiso Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Nagahama and new signing Steve Flash were a last-minute thrown-together partnership. BLOCK B Akinori Kwakami & Chuichi Sanda Dino Maldini & Dread Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan Chuichi Sanda called upon SAISHO prospect and young lion Akinori Kwakami to be his partner which the youngster was willing to accept as he would get experience against major opponents.

COLLISION COURSE Mito Miwa’s open challenge was fast becoming a highlight of PGHW shows. It started after his disappointment at the Elite Series, losing for a third straight year in the semi-final stage to perennial rival Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Since then he had beaten established stars and youngsters without pause. His trajectory was clear – a collision course with the top star of the company and Glory Crown holder Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Tatsuko was also showing great form. His reign had reached a full year, thanks to the victory over Mushashibo at Night of GLORY and it looked like nobody could stop him. If he kept on in this way, he would surely break Kitoaji’s record for the longest reign holding the belt. Night of STRENGTH, June 2000 Mito Miwa continued his open challenge with a solid victory over Walter Morgan. The British technician gave Miwa a few things to think about, but by now the Pride Warrior was able to adapt to almost any situation. More and more he resembled Hito Ichihara’s flexible, reactive style. Nobuatsu Tatsuko appeared in the main event of Night of STRENGTH, tagging with the man whose profile he aligned with, Koryusai Kitoaji. Since their heated rivalry throughout 1998, Tatsuko had never really forgiven Kitoaji and their partnership was tense. Still, they managed to overcome the strong pairing of Hito Ichihara and Roka Furuhata to get a solid win. Night of WARRIORS, July 2000 Nobuatsu Tatsuko had his work cut out as he tagged with Chuichi Sanda and Noriyori Sanda to take on Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan. Chuichi Sanda was largely ineffective, while Noriyori Sanda seemed overawed by Tatsuko’s presence. The youngster did his best to impress the Glory Crown champion and succeeded by surviving the long, punishing holds of Kumasaka-buntai. When Tatsuko finally got tagged in, he ran wild, getting the victory with a Tatsuko Driller. Elsewhere on the show, Mamoru Nagahama got a huge win over Roka Furuhata and challenged Tatsuko to defend his Glory Crown at the next show, Night of VICTORY. Tatsuko accepted and the match was confirmed. In the main event of Night of WARRIORS, Mito Miwa’s open challenge was answered by Yoshimi Mushashibo. This was a huge match as Mushashibo had been the last to challenge for Tatsuko’s title. The winner would surely take a large step closer to a championship opportunity. Mushashibo didn’t quite look himself. He clearly hadn’t fully recovered mentally from the Night of GLORY loss and Miwa noticed. The Pride Warrior took advantage and got the win with a Pride Bomber. Night of VICTORY, July 2000 It was an easier ride for Mito Miwa in his open challenge at this show as he was answered by the young lion Akinori Kwakami who was making his debut in PGHW after some good showings in SAISHO. Kwakami replicated Yasunobu Koiso’s earlier performance by staying with Miwa for over twenty minutes and impressing everyone with his durability. Of course Miwa got the win, but Kwakami’s name was on many fans’ lips afterwards. In the main event, Nobuatsu Tatsuko took on Mamoru Nagahama with the Glory Crown on the line. Nobody expected Nagahama to unseat the champion, and he still remained someone fans didn’t consider a worthy contender. There were some reminders of Kitoaji’s match against Nagahama all the way back in 1997 which was controversial at the time because Tatsuko was considered the strongest challenger. Three years later, Nagahama had changed his attitude significantly but he was still a few levels below Glory Crown success and he fell to a Tatsuko Driller. Night of LEGACY, August 2000 This time it was Danger Kumasaka who turned out for Mito Miwa’s open challenge. The veteran had a smile on his face, perhaps knowing he would lose but wanting to test himself, and test Miwa. Miwa passed any such tests with a Pride Bomber. Nobuatsu Tatsuko found himself teaming with young Noriyori Sanda again. Sanda was delighted and did everything he could to impress the champion. He gave all his energy and spirit, up against Pistol Pete Hall and Koryusai Kitoaji who beat him from pillar to post. Yet he survived and made the tag to Tatsuko who got the job done on Kitoaji with a Tatsuko Driller. It was noted that Tatsuko took a blow to his head during the match and looked a little concussed on his way to the back. After the show, Noriyori Sanda had a proposal for Tatsuko. Sanda: I think I’m right in saying Tatsuko has never competed in the Elite Tag Series. Perhaps he has never found the right partner. Well, I’d like to say I’d be very happy to partner him. Tonight we beat two serious opponents and showed we can be a formidable team. So I humbly make this offer to you Tatsuko. When asked about this later, a still dazed looking Tatsuko frowned. Tatsuko: I hadn’t thought about it. He’s right that I’ve never found the right partner, but I’m not sure it would be him. I admire his courage, but I doubt he really has the guts. However, he can try to prove me wrong. Night of TOUGHNESS is up next. Let’s have a singles match, no title or anything, just a chance for this kid to prove himself. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000 Noriyori Sanda got the biggest singles match of his life, taking on Nobuatsu Tatsuko. The Glory Crown champion was taking no prisoners. He assaulted Sanda with merciless intensity. It was a brutal spectacle. But Sanda refused to stay down. He kicked out of a dozen big moves, survived three painful submissions and managed to barely get to his feet before the referee counted him out. After twenty-five gruelling minutes, he finally succumbed to the Tatsuko Driller, but in doing so he earned Tatsuko’s respect. After the bell had rung, Tatsuko shook the youngster’s hand and almost reluctantly agreed to be his partner in the Elite Tag Series! Sanda later suggested they name themselves Team Energy. Tatsuko didn’t seem too bothered by the name and went along with it. In fact, he seemed quite annoyed he’d ever given Sanda the opportunity. Later in the show, Mito Miwa was shocked by Sean McFly who answered his open challenge. But once the surprise had died down, the friends put on a fantastic match. Miwa got the win with a Pride Bomber – his tenth in a row. After the show, he didn’t hold back with his intentions. Miwa: At the next possible opportunity I want my title match. It’s been nearly two years since I got my shot and nobody can deny I’m the number one contender. I don’t care if Tatsuko wants to win the Elite Tag Series, I’ll wait until Night of KINGS instead. Because, Tatsuko, I know what your target is. You want to make it past Night of KINGS to break Kitoaji’s record. But you won’t get there without going through me. You might remember we have some “history” when it comes to this. Miwa was later confirmed as due an imminent title match. If Team Energy didn’t make it out of the blocks of the Elite Tag Series, Miwa would get his Glory Crown match at Night of HONOUR. If Team Energy were successful, the title match would be at the next show, Night of KINGS.

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.

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.

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.