Willsky
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Night of GLORY 2001 Predictions Card
Night of GLORY will mark the fifth anniversary of the inception of PGHW in 1996 (although the first show took place in July).
YOUNG LION SHOWCASE: Akinori Kwakami and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano and Michael Howard
Dan Stone Jr, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Kojiro Harada, Raymond Diaz, Steve Flash and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Dread vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Special Appearance from Luis Figo Manico
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MATCH: Danger Kumasaka, Hayate Hasegawa and Hito Ichihara vs. Go Matsunaga, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama
Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles
Mito Miwa © vs. Pistol Pete Hall for the Glory Crown title
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TICKING TIME BOMB
Mito Miwa was enjoying a strong run as Glory Crown champion. He had defeated Eisaku Hoshino, Eisaku Kunomasu and Dread in high-profile matches so far. And he had only narrowly missed out on Elite Series success due to a technicality in the block stage.
The victor of that tournament suffered no technicalities. Pistol Pete Hall dominated the Elite Series and looked unstoppable in his conquest of the roster.
When would he get his Glory Crown match? Not yet, as he had stated he wanted to tick more names of his list.
That left Mito Miwa in the search of other challengers until Hall was ready. And that meant there was a chance Miwa would drop the title before his match with Hall could even take place!
Night of FORTITUDE, April 2001
Mito Miwa took part in a six-man tag match at Night of FORTITUDE. He partnered Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso. The three men showed plenty of affinity to each other. Miwa was long considered the heir of Ichihara’s position in PGHW, while Koiso was Ichihara’s protégé and had recently tagged with Sean McFly, another ally of Miwa.
They took on Kojiro Harada and Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo). Inukai was still far from his best. It had been months since he sustained his spinal injury and despite having a month to recover during the Elite Series, the injury had not gone away.
Yoshimi Mushashibo was in fine condition, though. He and Inukai had just lost the Glory Tag Crowns and Mushashibo himself had failed to qualify from the block stage of the Elite Series, so he was determined to get back to winning ways.
And he did so. Yasunobu Koiso was his victim. The youngster wasn’t used to the kind of trickery Mushashibo was now employing and he couldn’t avoid a thumb to the eye with the referee unsighted.
This led to a Yoshimi Lock as Mushashibo submitted Koiso right in front of Miwa.
After the match, Mushashibo demanded a shot at the Glory Crown.
Night of POWER, April 2001
Yoshimi Mushashibo didn’t have to wait long for his title shot. Mito Miwa defended the belt in the main event of Night of POWER.
A year or two before, this match would have been hailed as a potential match of the year candidate. It was incredible. But PGHW had stepped up a level recently and this match was considered another of many fantastic title matches.
Mushashibo was up to his tricks again. On several occasions he was about to do something illegal, but held off just in time as the referee was wise to it.
In fact, the referee, Shihei Nagano, was on the ball throughout the match, clearly instructed by higher ups to keep an eye on Mushashibo in such an important bout.
So when Mushashibo thought he had created a situation to dig his fingers into Miwa’s eyes, Nagano shifted his position to see the illegal manoeuvre and call an instant disqualification.
Mushashibo was furious. This wasn’t the first time he’d been caught, but it certainly was the most important. He stormed away, while Miwa was muted in his celebration.
Miwa certainly came across pensive at the end of the show. Something was on his mind, and many reckoned it wasn’t anything to do with Mushashibo.
Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2001
Night of EXCELLENCE saw Mito Miwa team up with Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso again. They found themselves against Kojiro Harada, Yoshimi Mushashibo and Dan Stone Jr.
This time, Koiso had learned from his mistake at Night of FORTITUDE and refused to let Mushashibo get him into a compromising position where the referee couldn’t see an illegal move.
This frustrated Mushashibo further. There was nothing beautiful about his wrestling or his attitude on this occasion. And if beauty was found in victory, things turned ugly for him, as Dan Stone Jr got caught in the Pride Bomber from Miwa to end the match.
While Koiso and Ichihara looked delighted with the win, Miwa had his mind elsewhere. He looked impatient, almost nervous.
Night of SUCCESS, May 2001
While Mito Miwa may not have been enjoying himself at this stage of his Glory Crown run, he was certainly seeing success alongside Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso.
They scored another win. Kojiro Harada was once again a victim, alongside another veteran-protégé pairing in Danger Kumasaka and Akinori Kwakami.
Miwa was impressive as always, but most of the work was done by Koiso and Ichihara, with Ichihara pinning Kwakami.
After the show, Miwa had something to get off his chest.
Miwa: I feel like there’s a ticking time bomb strapped to my chest. I can’t move on, I can’t push forward as champion while it’s there.
The problem is, I can’t see the timer on the bomb. I don’t know when it’s going to explode.
But that changes. I’m going to rip at that bomb. Tear out the wires, smash the circuits. Because Pistol Pete Hall, your time is up. You’ve been hanging over me for too long and I want this over with now.
At Night of GLORY, you WILL face me for the Glory Crown. I don’t care about your list. I don’t care who you’ve beaten recently. The only thing that matters is that I am the champion and you are the challenger. And when Night of GLORY is over, that bomb will be defused, deactivated… just a lump of metal. I will tear it off me and throw it to the side and continue my reign!
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On 5/31/2024 at 5:19 PM, Shmoe II said:
as this goes on the more and more I love your approach. in terms of presentation its as bare bones as it gets but you move everything along with definition and brevity - a tough thing to do together, but you do it. the long term storytelling you provide is just excellent. didn't see Pistol Pete being this much of a guy but it's pretty cool to see the veteran going for broke and delivering.
Thanks for saying so. I know the text-only format isn't for everyone, but I've found it my favourite way for telling stories in the long run, and not having to worry about graphics etc. means I can just get stuck in and write. As for Pistol Pete, he's certainly on a tear right now!
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HALL’S HURTLE
Pistol Pete Hall was in the best form of his life. After a few years of struggling to compete at the top, his repeated battering by DREAD Army awakened the incredible force the world had been waiting to see since his return to wrestling.
And at the Elite Series 2001 it was on full display. A complete performance, winning all seven block matches and defeating Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the final, all that after demolishing eight opponents in the four shows leading up to the tournament.
There was no denying he deserved his guaranteed shot at Mito Miwa’s Glory Crown title, but he seemed in no rush to take it.
Instead, there were names to cross off his list. While he had dispatched of more than half the roster, around a dozen remained. The question was, when would Mito Miwa’s name come up?
Night of FORTITUDE, April 2001
Despite the intense schedule of the Elite Series, Pistol Pete Hall refused to relent in his charge. He continued fighting two matches per show. At Night of FORTITUDE, the first of these was against Chuichi Sanda.
Sanda didn’t prove too much of an issue and a Pistol Whip Lariat got the job done in fifteen minutes.
Later in the night, Hall took on Steve Flash. Flash was yet to impress in PGHW, although he had a good showing against Hall, who began to tire near the end.
But if there was an opportunity for Flash, he didn’t take it. Rather, he took a Pistol Whip Lariat and a loss.
Night of POWER, April 2001
Noriyori Sanda was the next victim in the path of the rampaging Pistol Pete Hall. The youngster gave everything, as usual, but heart and energy aren’t enough against a colossal man on a once-in-a-lifetime rampage. Pistol Whip Lariat. Job done.
Mamoru Nagahama would have proven a much tougher opponent had he not been struggling with injury. Nagahama joined DREAD Army at the tail end of 2000, so was involved in tormenting Hall.
But it was all torment for Nagahama who, despite putting on a brave face, couldn’t resist the power and intensity that led to a Pistol Whip Lariat win.
Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2001
The list of opponents Hall had to face was rapidly diminishing as he blasted through them all. Fukusaburu Inao was his first challenger at Night of EXCELLENCE. The former Glory Tag Crown champion took Hall to the limit, nearly causing a huge upset, but in the end Hall was able to put him down.
Then it was Shuji Inukai’s turn. However, like Nagahama before, Inukai was far from 100%. Fans who wanted to see Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat collide with Hall’s Pistol Whip Lariat would have to be patient.
Still, at least they got to see the Pistol Whip Lariat as it won Hall the match. Inukai became number 23 on Hall’s scorecard.
Night of SUCCESS, May 2001
Pistol Pete Hall had two potential roadblocks on his road, in the name of Walter Morgan and Dan Stone Jr. Both were young gaijin hoping to one day emulate the likes of Hall and Dread.
Morgan was reigning Glory Tag Crown champion and perhaps thought he could create more of a name for himself by upsetting Hall. He was wrong. His technical wizardry proved no match for Hall’s immense power.
Dan Stone Jr carried more weight and muscle than Morgan, but at this stage of his career, he didn’t have the experience to seize opportunities when they came.
And he had an opportunity. By the end of their match, Hall had wrestled for over forty minutes that night alone and looked short on breath.
Instead of capitalising, Stone tried to go for a rushed win. Hall still had one burst of energy left and exploded into a tremendous Pistol Whip Lariat that span Stone upside down.
Hall made it 25 in a row. Only a few names remained on his list. And one of them was Mito Miwa.
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EXPLOSION and the Army
DREAD Army was having a tough time with injuries. Dino Maldini’s Historical Japan title reign was cut short by a long-term injury, while new member Mamoru Nagahama was working through an ankle problem that looked set to last a while.
The only two fit members of the group were Dread and Raymond Diaz. The two giant Americans would not be put off by their team mates’ woes, though, and were determined to continue their rampage across PGHW.
Unfortunately for them, there were plenty who wanted to stop them. Team EXPLOSION were among them, and it was inevitable that tempers would flare between such violent and intense competitors.
Night of FORTITUDE, April 2001
DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) took on Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) in a tag match at Night of FORTITUDE.
It was a brutal, hard-hitting affair that ended in a shocking victory for DREAD Army. Dread himself was the man to get the pin after he and Diaz hit the Too Hot to Handle (Diaz and Lee Wright’s old finishing move) on Kunomasu.
Kunomasu and Hoshino were furious at their loss. Kunomasu, usually stoic and silent, showed a rare flare of emotion as he squared up to Dread after the match. Cool heads prevailed, and the teams separated before things got out of control.
Night of POWER, April 2001
Eisaku Kunomasu had a chance to exact some revenge on Dread at Night of POWER as they were on opposing teams again. This time it was an eight-man tag match.
Dread teamed with Raymond Diaz, Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Dan Stone Jr while Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) were joined by reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan.
Kunomasu and Dread had a wild few minutes as legal men together, with their striking exchange sending them tumbling out of the ring.
But that was not the decisive moment of the match. Instead, Dread focused on Walter Morgan, hitting a Dread Bomb on him, then tagging in Diaz for the Too Hot to Handle, letting Diaz get the pinfall victory.
This put Dread and Diaz in prime contention for a shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles, which was made for Night of EXCELLENCE.
Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2001
Early in the night, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) let off some steam as they ran through Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) in a strong victory.
The main event of the show was an all-gaijin Glory Tag Crown match as Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan put their titles on the line for the second time. Dread and Raymond Diaz were aggressive in their challenge, manhandling the young Brits.
But Tommy Cornell particularly, was beginning to show signs of a true megastar as he fought from underneath the bigger men and surged back into contention. He hit Raymond Diaz with a Justice Served to retain the tag titles!
Night of SUCCESS, May 2001
DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) had a rematch with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).
Both teams wanted to get themselves back into Glory Tag Crown contention, but their main motivation was to defeat their rivals and gain bragging rights.
The last encounter, at Night of FORTITUDE, went the way of DREAD Army, but Team EXPLOSION refused to let that happen again. They targeted Diaz and hit him with the Eisaku Explosion to get a resounding victory.
After the show, Eisaku Hoshino announced his intention to go after Sean McFly’s Historical Japan title, while Eisaku Kunomasu called out Dread for a singles match at Night of GLORY. Dread was very happy to accept, claiming he’d destroy Kunomasu.
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THE NEW CHAMPIONS
While it was certainly shocking that Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan defeated their Kumasaka-buntai team mates Team Dynasty 2000 for the Glory Tag Crown titles, it was not a surprise to many fans.
After all, Shuji Inukai was still far from 100%, Mushashibo’s behaviour had become more and more questionable, while Tommy Cornell was fast developing into one of the best wrestlers in the company.
Alongside Cornell, Walter Morgan was enjoying the best time of his career. It seemed the young technician was destined for success in tag competition. On his own, he struggled to see out matches as he would often run out of steam. But with Cornell to substitute for him, he was able to keep up his technical wizardry for the long haul.
And wizardry certainly was the word for it. Mushashibo was in contention for being the top technician in the world, perhaps only second to Jeremy Stone. But Morgan was not far behind and could well be argued to be a top-five technical wrestler on the planet.
So really, Cornell and Morgan’s victory was inevitable. The next step for them was to convert themselves into solid, long-term champions. They would have plenty of opposition in the burgeoning PGHW tag division, with established powerhouse teams and new alliances forming all around.
Night of FORTITUDE, April 2001
Such was the acclaim that Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan had earned, they immediately main-evented their first show since winning the Glory Tag Crown titles.
They took on former champions Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) who held several prior victories over them.
But Inao and Umehara had lost the spark that propelled them to gold in 2000 and they couldn’t withstand the vivacious energy of the new champions. Cornell got the win with a Guilt Trip.
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) also competed in tag action on the show, defeating Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).
Tatsuko may have initially resented his partnership with Sanda, but the more they tagged together, the more invested he became, despite the fact that he had to do most of the work. And victories helped, of course.
Night of POWER, April 2001
Nobuatsu Tatsuko was on the winning team again at Night of POWER. This time he didn’t tag with Sanda, instead teaming with Dread, Raymond Diaz and Dan Stone Jr to defeat the foursome of Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Cornell & Morgan.
The main action was between DREAD Army and Team EXPLOSION and Dread & Diaz earned a tag title shot as a result of the victory, but it was clear Tatsuko had turned his eye towards the Glory Tag Crown titles.
Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2001
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) made it another victory, this time alongside Koryusai Kitoaji and Steve Flash as they dispatched Danger Kumasaka, Akinori Kwakami, Chuichi Sanda and Mamoru Nagahama.
Then, in another main event, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan defended the Glory Tag Crown titles in an all-gaijin match against Dread and Raymond Diaz of DREAD Army.
It was a brutal affair, with the size of Dread and Diaz proving almost too much to handle for the champions. But Morgan was able to use his clever technique and leverage to wrap up the girth of Raymond Diaz, allowing Cornell to take advantage, using the Guilt Trip to win and retain the belts!
Night of SUCCESS, May 2001
At Night of SUCCESS, Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) were once again on the victorious side of a multiman match. This time it was a ten-man tag in which they teamed with Yoshimi Mushashibo, Steve Flash and Fukusaburu Inao.
They overcame the combination of Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara), Koryusai Kitoaji, Iwane Okano and Chuichi Sanda.
The Glory Tag Crown champions both competed in singles action. Walter Morgan attempted to best Pistol Pete Hall, but found himself swatted down by the force of nature that was Hall’s charge to glory.
Tommy Cornell challenged Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title in what was Cornell’s third main event match in just four shows. Unfortunately for him, it was a losing effort as McFly showed he was the better gaijin on this occasion.
After the match, Morgan joined Cornell in the ring and they were soon interrupted by Nobuatsu Tatsuko who made his way down.
Tatsuko grabbed a microphone and began making a title challenge to the champions. He was soon interrupted by Noriyori Sanda who sprinted to be alongside his tag partner as the words were spoken.
Cornell and Morgan looked at each other and both agreed to the match, which was set for Night of GLORY!
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THE FIGHTING CHAMP
Sean McFly had already established himself as one of PGHW’s most talented wrestlers. His speed and energy had recently been supplemented with some incredible brawling and striking skills which rivalled anyone else in the company.
And while he had already seen great success in the tag division, 2001 was proving to be his breakout year as a singles wrestler in Japan.
As Historical Japan champion, he carried the legacy of the belt with pride and dignity, with some stellar performances in the first few months of the year.
But how long could he keep the belt knowing he would have to defend it on every show? Challengers were queuing up to dethrone him.
Night of FORTITUDE, April 2001
Sean McFly continued to put the Historical Japan title on the line at every event, as was tradition, and he continued offering title shots to those who would otherwise struggle to get a look in.
The Historical Japan title was all about giving chances, and Akinori Kwakami, urged on by Danger Kumasaka, was the man who stepped up at Night of FORTITUDE.
Kwakami was developing under the veteran’s guidance and was quite an accomplished technician by now. He gave McFly some things to think about, but the champion handled it and hit a Delorean Driver to win.
Night of POWER, April 2001
Yasunobu Koiso followed in Kwakami’s footsteps and became the next young lion to challenge Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title.
Koiso enjoyed the mentorship of Hito Ichihara, who encouraged him from ringside. However, it wasn’t enough for the youngster to resist the Delorean Driver that finished the match.
Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2001
The third of PGHW’s highly-rated young lions, Iwane Okano challenged Sean McFly next. Nobody could accuse the champion of denying opportunities.
Okana was raw talent. With Koryusai Kitoaji guiding him, he was beginning to show better decision making to go with his savage striking and brutal technical prowess.
But yet again, the Delorean Driver was too much for the youngster to handle and McFly continued his impressive reign.
After three relatively straightforward victories, someone higher up the ranking wanted a shot. Tommy Cornell said it was his time to challenge. One half of the reigning Glory Tag Crown champions, he wanted to become double champ at Night of SUCCESS.
Night of SUCCESS, May 2001
Sean McFly defending against Tommy Cornell main-evented Night of SUCCESS, showing how McFly was bringing the belt into even greater repute.
The match itself was good, although not quite at the level some expected. The weight of the main event and a few too many minutes prevented it from reaching the heights some had hoped for, but it was still a fantastic bout.
Cornell gave McFly his biggest challenge for a while, seemingly having him beaten on several occasions, but McFly always found a way to escape and the Delorean Driver notched another victim.
After the show, McFly was confronted by Eisaku Hoshino. Hoshino said McFly had been defending against easy opposition for too long (which later drew a bitter retort from Cornell). Now it was time he faced a proper challenger, someone who had won the Historical Japan title before and was ready to do it again. Hoshino wanted gold. McFly accepted, making a huge match for Night of GLORY.
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NIGHT OF PRIDE, 2001
Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Eisaku Hoshino
Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Pistol Pete Hall vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Kojiro Harada and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Akinori Kwakami & Danger Kumasaka vs. Dread & Raymond Diaz
Hito Ichihara, Mito Miwa and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Koryusai Kitoaji and Noriyori Sanda
Sean McFly © vs. Steve Flash for the Historical Japan title
Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles
Elite Series FINAL: Winner of semi final 1 vs. Winner of semi final 2
MATCH 1: SEMI FINAL 1: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Eisaku Hoshino
Nobuatsu Tatsuko controversially finished top of Block A and took on Hoshino, who squeezed through in second spot of Block B.
Both men were keen to get back into the Glory Crown title picture, having suffered defeats to reigning champion Mito Miwa at the tail end of 2000.
Hoshino was dogged and relentless as usual, while Tatsuko was arguably the greatest Elite Series competitor in the tournament’s history. He proved that again by overcoming Hoshino with a Tatsuko Driller to make it to his fourth consecutive final.
MATCH 2: SEMI FINAL 2: Pistol Pete Hall vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Pistol Pete Hall was on a rampage. He had defeated fifteen members of the PGHW roster in the space of three months, often beating two opponents in a night. And he surged through the block stage, winning all seven of his matches.
But he came up against his toughest test yet, the winner of the previous year’s Elite Series, Eisaku Kunomasu who was one of the few wrestlers in the company who could go strike-for-strike with Hall.
And they absolutely traded some strikes. It was an incredible display of slaps, chops, elbows and forearms, with Kunomasu sprinkling in some high kicks, too.
But in the end, it was a Pistol Whip Lariat that finished the match for Hall, who scored another win and made it to the Elite Series final to face Tatsuko!
MATCH 3: Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Kojiro Harada and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Kojiro Harada and both members of Team MILLENIUM had a pretty disappointing Elite Series. They regained a little pride and momentum by dispatching Sanda and Rebel Cell here, with Harada getting the pin over Sanda.
MATCH 4: Akinori Kwakami & Danger Kumasaka vs. Dread & Raymond Diaz
Danger Kumasaka joined his latest protégé in a tough match against Dread and Raymond Diaz. Dread was in a foul mood, having seen two of his DREAD Army soldiers fall to injury and barely missing out on qualification to the semi-final of the Elite Series on a technicality.
He and Diaz battered and mauled the aging Kumasaka and the inexperienced Kwakami. Diaz got the pin over Kwakami with a Ray Gun.
MATCH 5: Hito Ichihara, Mito Miwa and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Koryusai Kitoaji and Noriyori Sanda
Koryusai Kitoaji and Hito Ichihara did battle again, only this time both with a handpicked young lion in their corner. Yasunobu Koiso was a surefire star-in-the-making, while Iwane Okano boasted incredible talent.
The difference in the teams was Mito Miwa on one side versus Noriyori Sanda on the other. The reigning Glory Crown champion led his team to victory, pinning Sanda after a Pride Bomber.
MATCH 6: Sean McFly © vs. Steve Flash for the Historical Japan title
Sean McFly could hold his head high after a solid Elite Series performance, but a couple of defeats meant he had a few challengers to the Historical Japan in waiting.
However, they were otherwise engaged at Night of HONOUR, so the opportunity fell to Steve Flash. The Canadian had been seen a few times in the last few months, mostly at the Elite Tag Series, but was yet to get a real break.
He showed what he was made of in this match, pushing McFly hard, but ultimately succumbing to the Delorean Driver.
MATCH 7: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles
Yoshimi Mushashibo’s underhanded antics had infuriated Tommy Cornell and split Kumasaka-buntai in half. Now Team Dynasty 2000 found themselves defending the Glory Tag Crown titles against their team mates in Cornell and Morgan.
Mushashibo got the upper hand over Cornell in their singles match at Night of BATTLE, but in the block stages, Cornell held him to a draw, and Mushashibo’s cheating got him disqualified in the final match, meaning he didn’t reach the semi-final.
Now he came under attack from a fired-up Cornell and determined Walter Morgan. At the same time, his tag partner, Shuji Inukai was still suffering from his long-term back injury, despite having enjoyed a month of rest while the Elite Series went on.
Mushashibo knew he had to compensate for Inukai’s problem again. He was more careful, now, keen to avoid the watchful eye of the referee.
But he never expected what would happen. While he lined Cornell up for a Yoshimi Lock, it was Cornell who dug his fingers into Mushashibo’s eyes, blinding him and hitting the Rough Justice for a three count!
Cornell and Morgan became new Glory Tag Crown champions in a stunning result! But more stunned than anyone was Mushashibo, who saw his own trick used against him.
MATCH 8: Elite Series FINAL: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Pistol Pete Hall
For once, Nobuatsu Tatsuko hadn’t been the most dominant performer in the Elite Series. Sure, he had looked great, but who could deny Pistol Pete Hall’s eight consecutive wins was mightily impressive.
Still, Tatsuko went into the final as the favourite. It was his fourth final, having won two of the previous three Elite Series. He was a former Glory Crown champion and the leader of the new wave and a key pillar in PGHW.
By contrast, Pistol Pete Hall had won no gold in PGHW. His partnership with Dino Maldini as Strike Force failed to impress, and he was yet to sustain a long-term run of form.
What Hall did have over Tatsuko was size. On a roster with someone the size of Dread, it often escaped notice how big and powerful Hall was. He dwarfed Tatsuko and had as much as one hundred pounds of weight advantage over him.
And he used that to great effect. The match saw Tatsuko trying to deal with Hall’s power and immovability. Of course, Tatsuko was used to fighting bigger men, like Dread. But it was still a great effort for him to move the big man around.
Several times Tatsuko attempted the Tatsuko Driller, but he couldn’t quite lift Hall into the right position, his muscles giving out at just the last moment.
The crowd were enthralled. The heroic Tatsuko was pulling out everything, but Hall matched him. The American was on a mission and nobody would stop him. When he hit the Pistol Whip Lariat, Tatsuko looked like he had broken in half. And those halves were unable to kick out of the pinfall.
Pistol Pete Hall won the Elite Series! It was an incredible achievement and his run of victories extended to 17!
Conclusion
Night of PRIDE 2001 was a show to remember. The bout between Hall and Tatsuko roared to the top of the all-time matches in PGHW, surpassing anything the company had put on before. It was the birth of a legend in Hall, who also competed in the second-best match of the night against Kunomasu (a match which was a top-ten PGHW match of all time in its own right).
But while Hall was the standout star, Tommy Cornell and Yoshimi Mushashibo were also making headlines after their tag match that ended dramatically. That match was up there with Team EXPLOSION vs. Team MYTHOS from Night of WRESTLING 1999 and Cornell & Morgan’s victory was huge for both of the young Brits.
The standard of all matches on the show, along with the stunning main event made this show the best ever in anyone’s reckoning.
Afterwards, some wrestlers had a word to say.
Tommy Cornell (speaking in stilted Japanese): Do the right thing. I’ve been thinking about that a lot since Mushashibo beat me. What does it mean?
Well, I have to agree with him. You have to do the right thing to win. And tonight, me and Walt won gold!
As he finished speaking, Mushashibo and Inukai appeared. For a moment there was tension in the media room, but Mushashibo extended his hand. Cornell took it and allowed him to speak.
Mushashibo: You’re smart, Tommy. Incredibly smart. I thought I had you pinned down as… well, as someone just like I was a few years ago. Naïve. Honest to the point of fault. Now I see what you really are. Cunning. Wise beyond your years. Willing to do what it takes to be successful.
I like that. I have learned that the most beautiful thing in life is victory. And while it hurts me to sit here alongside Shuji without those titles, it is beautiful to see you two holding them. You are winners. But mark my words, when Shuji is fit again, back to one hundred percent, you must know we’re coming back for those belts. And we will do whatever it takes to win gold again.
Finally, Pistol Pete Hall had some words in fluent Japanese.
Hall: This feeling. I haven’t felt it in a long time. Not since before I got injured and stopped competing. Not since the eighties when I was rampaging through North America and Japan. I was unstoppable. A juggernaut powering down the highway.
And when I joined PGHW a few years ago, I always thought this was going to be a bit of fun. Enjoy myself, go up against the best in the world. I never had my mind on gold and trophies. But here I am.
Last year, I changed. I don’t know what Dread did to me, but that juggernaut woke up. And it ain’t stopping soon.
Mito Miwa. You know what’s coming. You’re tied down on the road ahead. But I don’t wish to rush. I have names to call, numbers to check off, more stops on the highway before I reach my destination. I will get to you, sooner or later. Maybe you’ll be the final man I defeat. Maybe not. But you know I’m coming, so keep the Glory Crown warm for me, okay?
OOC: Thanks everyone for making your predictions - it's always fun to see how you all think things will turn out!
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NIGHT OF PRIDE, 2001 Card
Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Eisaku Hoshino
Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Pistol Pete Hall vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Kojiro Harada and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Akinori Kwakami & Danger Kumasaka vs. Dread & Raymond Diaz
Hito Ichihara, Mito Miwa and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Koryusai Kitoaji and Noriyori Sanda
Sean McFly © vs. Steve Flash for the Historical Japan title
Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles
Elite Series FINAL: Winner of semi final 1 vs. Winner of semi final 2
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THE ELITE SERIES 2001 Part 2
Three wrestlers could boast a 100% record at this point of the Elite Series, a truly impressive feat. But that didn’t mean they were guaranteed to qualify, because in both blocks plenty of contenders were right behind them, ready to leap up into the top two spots.
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
PGHW Elite Series: DAY 5
Block A Results
Dan Stone Jr def. Fukusaburu Inao
Mito Miwa def. Hito Ichihara
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Walter Morgan
Dread and Eisaku Kunomasu drewDan Stone picked up his first victory of the tournament, beating Fukusaburu Inao, who was disappointed not to have added to his tally. Unfortunately, however, Dan Stone Jr also dislocated his elbow and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Mito Miwa got a strong win over Hito Ichihara, while Nobuatsu Tatsuko kept his chances alive by defeating Walter Morgan.
The biggest result was between the two at the top. Instead of one of them losing their 100% record, they both did, sharing the points in a slightly disappointing time-limit draw.
Block A Table
9 Dread
9 Eisaku Kunomasu
9 Mito Miwa
7 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
2 Dan Stone Jr
2 Fukusaburu Inao
2 Hito Ichihara
0 Walter MorganBlock B Results
Eisaku Hoshino def. Raymond Diaz
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Kojiro Harada
Pistol Pete Hall def. Takeshi Umehara
Tommy Cornell def. Sean McFlyHoshino got an expected victory over Raymond Diaz, while Kojiro’s miserable run continued at the hands of Yoshimi Mushashibo. Pistol Pete Hall became the only competitor to make it five wins from five, defeating Takeshi Umehara.
In the main event of the show, Tommy Cornell scored a huge victory over Sean McFly and put himself right in contention for qualification from the block (and likely earning himself a Historical Japan title shot in the near future).
Block B Table
10 Pistol Pete Hall
8 Eisaku Hoshino
7 Tommy Cornell
7 Yoshimi Mushashibo
6 Sean McFly
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Kojiro Harada
0 Takeshi UmeharaPGHW Elite Series: DAY 6
Block A Results
Fukusaburu Inao def. Hito Ichihara
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Eisaku Kunomasu
Walter Morgan def. Dan Stone Jr (by forfeit due to injury)
Mito Miwa def. DreadA huge round in Block A saw Inao get one of the biggest wins of his career over the legendary Hito Ichihara. Walter Morgan picked up two points without having to wrestle as Dan Stone Jr had to withdraw from the tournament.
But the focus was all on the top four of the block in direct competition. Tatsuko overcame Kunomasu to haul himself up the leaderboard, while Mito Miwa strode out ahead with a colossal victory over Dread.
Block A Table
9 Dread
9 Eisaku Kunomasu
11 Mito Miwa
9 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
4 Fukusaburu Inao
2 Hito Ichihara
2 Walter Morgan
2 Dan Stone JrBlock B Results
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Raymond Diaz
Pistol Pete Hall def. Tommy Cornell
Kojiro Harada def. Takeshi Umehara
Eisaku Hoshino def. Sean McFlyMushashibo continued his push for qualification with a solid win over Diaz. Pistol Pete Hall kept up his incredible form, fending off a very capable Tommy Cornell. And Kojiro Harada finally broke his duck, getting a win over Umehara, who was the final man to remain without points.
And in a fun match, Eisaku Hoshino scrapped his way to a win over Sean McFly, meaning the latter could no longer qualify from the block, while Hoshino had a great chance of finishing second and maybe even first if he could defeat Hall in the final round.
Block B Table
12 Pistol Pete Hall
10 Eisaku Hoshino
9 Yoshimi Mushashibo
7 Tommy Cornell
6 Sean McFly
2 Kojiro Harada
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Takeshi UmeharaPGHW Elite Series: DAY 7
Block A Results
Hito Ichihara def. Walter Morgan
Dread def. Fukusaburu Inao
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Dan Stone Jr (by forfeit due to injury)
Eisaku Kunomasu def. Mito MiwaHito Ichihara defeated Walter Morgan, who finished with two points despite having not won a match (his points came via forfeit). Dread needed to beat Inao to stand a chance of qualifying, and he did so, while Tatsuko benefitted from Dan Stone Jr’s injury to gain two more points.
The biggest match was, of course, Kunomasu vs. Miwa, in which only a victory from Kunomasu could see him qualify – that’s exactly what he achieved, using the Launching Knee Strike on the Glory Crown champion. The result meant four men finished on 11 points. As it now went down to head-t0-head records, Tatsuko ended up finishing top, with Kunomasu in second, meaning Miwa and Dread only missed out by a hair’s breadth.
Block A Table FINAL STANDINGS
11 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
11 Eisaku Kunomasu
11 Mito Miwa
11 Dread
4 Fukusaburu Inao
4 Hito Ichihara
2 Walter Morgan
2 Dan Stone Jr
Block B ResultsKojiro Harada def. Raymond Diaz
Tommy Cornell def. Takeshi Umehara
Pistol Pete Hall def. Eisaku Hoshino
Sean McFly def. Yoshimi MushashiboIt was a dramatic final round in Block B, too. Harada regained another fragment of pride as he defeated Raymond Diaz, while Tommy Cornell made it a healthy finish by beating Umehara who earned the wooden spoon prize.
Pistol Pete Hall made it seven from seven and finished top of the Block when he defeated Eisaku Hoshino. That meant a win for Mushashibo would send him through to the semi final. He was despearate to beat Sean McFly and used his usual eyepoke. But this time he failed to disguise it enough – the referee saw it and disqualified him, meaning McFly got the victory and Hoshino stayed in second place!
Block B Table FINAL STANDINGS
14 Pistol Pete Hall
10 Eisaku Hoshino
9 Tommy Cornell
9 Yoshimi Mushashibo
8 Sean McFly
4 Kojiro Harada
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Takeshi UmeharaBlock Stage Roundup
There was plenty of confusion about the results of Block A, with fans trying to get their heads around how the head-to-head record worked out with four competitors. In the end, they all had symmetrical records so it came down to match lengths, with the competitors who won their matches in the shortest times getting the advantage.
Sadaharu Jimbo had to come out to explain this after the show. He also stated that this had been built into the rules of the tournament, but he understood the frustration for Miwa and Dread. While there was no chance of re-formatting the tournament this year, he affirmed that he would consider a playoff round should this strange occurrence happen again.
Over in Block B, it was dominance for Pistol Pete Hall. He would face Eisaku Kunomasu in the semi-final. Not only did he finish top, but he added seven more names to his charge to defeat everyone in the company. Now he was on 15 – just over halfway through the roster and he had only been going three months!
After him, Hoshino advanced to a semi-final against Nobuatsu Tatsuko. He nearly missed out, though, and only qualified thanks to Mushashibo’s trickery finally catching up to him. Mushashibo did not look happy with the referee after the match, and after the show, Tommy Cornell approached him and demanded a tag title match for he and Morgan against Team Dynasty 2000 at Night of PRIDE. The match was made
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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 MorganFour 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 MushashiboTwo 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 IchiharaBlock 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 MushashiboDiaz 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 TatsukoEisaku 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 HaradaHoshino 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 drewBlock 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 HoshinoKojiro 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 MorganThe 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 McFlyTommy 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
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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:
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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 MorganBLOCK B
Eisaku Hoshino
Kojiro Harada
Pistol Pete Hall
Raymond Diaz
Sean McFly
Takeshi Umehara
Tommy Cornell
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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.
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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?
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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 EXPLOSIONTeam 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
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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
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
PGHW - The Other Beginning
in Total Extreme Wrestling 2020 Dynasties
Posted
Night of GLORY, June 2001
Night of GLORY will mark the fifth anniversary of the inception of PGHW in 1996 (although the first show took place in July).
YOUNG LION SHOWCASE: Akinori Kwakami and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano and Michael Howard
Dan Stone Jr, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Kojiro Harada, Raymond Diaz, Steve Flash and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Dread vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Special Appearance from Luis Figo Manico
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MATCH: Danger Kumasaka, Hayate Hasegawa and Hito Ichihara vs. Go Matsunaga, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama
Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles
Mito Miwa © vs. Pistol Pete Hall for the Glory Crown title
MATCH 1: YOUNG LION SHOWCASE: Akinori Kwakami and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano and Michael Howard
The most recent cadre of young lions had enjoyed plenty of development and time on major shows recently with high-profile mentors.
They took part in a showcase tag match. Kwakami, Koiso and Okano were already known by most fans, while Michael Howard had been impressing in SAISHO and was given this opportunity to show his stuff.
He impressed, as did all the youngsters. Kwakami and Koiso came out on top thanks to a well-executed Koiso Kutter.
MATCH 2: Dan Stone Jr, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Kojiro Harada, Raymond Diaz, Steve Flash and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
A huge ten-man match brought some serious quality to the start of the show. Shuji Inukai was still struggling with his physical condition, while Mushashibo looked angry at his recent disappointments.
Still, they found themselves on the right side of victory, having the fortune of teaming with Dan Stone Jr who continued to quietly impress.
MATCH 3: Dread vs. Eisaku Kunomasu
Dread and Kunomasu came to blows in the recent feud between DREAD Army and Team EXPLOSION. The latest encounter saw Team EXPLOSION come out on top. Dread wanted revenge, while Kunomasu was hoping to get another big scalp to add to his resume.
As expected, it was a brutal, hard-hitting exchange of savage strikes and powerful throws.
Dread asserted his dominance early on, but Kunomasu refused to give in, battling back with steely determination and hitting two consecutive Launching Knee Strikes to get a huge singles win!
Special Appearance from Luis Figo Manico
Luis Figo Manico made his return to PGHW to a huge ovation. It was nearly two years since he retired due to a devastating cruciate ligament injury. After departing PGHW, he went on to become head booker and prime figure in Ultimate Combat Ring, a sports entertainment promotion in Spain.
He came out to celebrate the fifth anniversary of PGHW and put over the incredible roster he had the privilege of sharing a locker room with.
The sadness that tinged his exit from the company was transformed here into a sense of respect and joy at what he achieved in Japan as well as plenty of expectation for the future of his career behind the scenes.
MATCH: 4: FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MATCH: Danger Kumasaka, Hayate Hasegawa and Hito Ichihara vs. Go Matsunaga, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama
Six of PGHW’s original roster competed in a tag match. Veterans Hasegawa and Matsunaga returned for this one-off appearance. They were both instrumental in the training and development going on in SAISHO and while their performances were well below what they used to be, they received plenty of applause.
Koryusai Kitoaji and Hito Ichihara had a fun interaction in which they replicated moments from their legendary rivalry. When Hito Ichihara climbed the turnbuckles, the crowd swelled, and when he hit a beautiful missile dropkick on Kitoaji, they went wild.
The only sour note was the presence of Mamoru Nagahama. He spent most of the match with a scowl and, despite working through an injury, he was vicious towards his opponents, particularly Danger Kumasaka.
And it was he who got the victory, choking out Hasegawa with a Guillotine. When, with the bell having rung, he kept the hold on, all the other veterans piled in to pull him away and scold him. Nagahama stormed away from the veterans who all paid their respects to each other in the ring.
MATCH 5: Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title
The intensity of the show ramped up rapidly, changing from a fun nostalgia match to a bout between two of the company’s top young stars.
McFly was about to reach six months with the Historical Japan title, while Eisaku Hoshino was determined to start his second reign with the belt.
Hoshino’s stock went up massively at the tail end of 2000 when he and Mito Miwa put on two of the best matches in PGHW’s history. He may have lost both, but he looked destined for victories down the road.
And against McFly, it was another incredible bout. While McFly had earned adoration from the fans for his energy and workrate, Hoshino was always able to get them behind him, refusing to give in to the onslaught that McFly enacted upon him.
As always, he roared back into contention, his scrappy, dogged tenacity getting McFly on the back foot.
But McFly wasn’t ready to give up his title yet. He withstood the late rampage from Hoshino to hit the Delorean Driver and retain.
MATCH 6: Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles
The Glory Tag Crown titles were on the line, with Cornell & Morgan making their third defence since winning at Night of PRIDE. Tatsuko and Sanda were making their first bid for the tag belts as Team Energy after picking up a string of wins over the last couple of months.
Tatsuko was, as always, the dominant force for his team. Sanda rushed about and looked energetic, but was largely ineffective. He struggled against the grappling masterclass of Morgan and the direct offence of Cornell, surviving long enough to let Tatsuko in to run rampant.
But Cornell and Morgan quickly realised the pattern of the match and set about isolating Sanda as often as possible.
This paid off when they had him trapped on their side of the ring and Cornell was able to get the victory with the Guilt Trip.
Tatsuko went from excited about winning gold to furious at missing out by the end. He was seething at Sanda who had cost him victory and refused to even acknowledge the youngster’s existence as he strode to the back.
MAIN EVENT: Mito Miwa © vs. Pistol Pete Hall for the Glory Crown title
By far the outstanding PGHW wrestler of the last few months was Pistol Pete Hall. He was on an absurd run of singles victories over almost everyone on the roster, including an Elite Series tournament triumph.
After he defeated more of the other wrestlers in the company, Mito Miwa lost his patience with the big American, demanding that he cash in his Glory Crown title shot at Night of GLORY.
Hall accepted and made this huge main event. Miwa had held the Glory Crown since September 2000 and was approaching a full year as champion. It was a year in which he had set records for match ratings and show attendances.
The match started slowly. Like Hito Ichihara before him, Mito Miwa liked to study his opponents and exploit their weaknesses. This involved a few minutes of tentative encounters in which he could learn as much as possible.
Hall was willing to let this happen, knowing that Miwa wouldn’t be able to find much to take advantage of.
Eventually Miwa opted for a technical approach, trying to wrap Hall up in knots. It didn’t work. While Miwa was an accomplished grappler, Hall was able to defend and stay on his feet, threatening with deadly strikes when Miwa let his guard down.
One particular strike had Miwa reeling. Hall took advantage. For the next ten minutes, Hall was on the attack, as he had been for much of 2001. But it was much harder to defeat Miwa than it was most of the rest of the roster.
Miwa refused to give in. After twenty minutes of the match, he found another store of energy and hit back with savagery and pride, putting Hall in serious trouble.
It was all set up for the Pride Bomber. Not an easy task against someone as large as Hall, but Miwa raised the big man onto his shoulders with a herculean effort and dumped him onto the mat.
But instead of going for the cover, Miwa clutched his back, seemingly strained by the effort. That meant his cover was delayed for a few seconds… Hall kicked out!
Hall shrugged off Miwa’s attempts to cover him again and instead got to his feet… Pistol Whip Lariat!
The move turned Miwa inside out, sending him crumpling to the mat. One… Two…
Three!! Hall won! PGHW crowned a new Glory Crown champion!
Pistol Pete Hall made Mito Miwa number 26 on his list!
Conclusion
Miwa vs. Hall was a masterclass. It immediately became the best PGHW match of all time, with unanimous agreement. Hall’s rise to the top had caused waves in the wrestling industry worldwide, and this incredible bout against Miwa took the company to a new level once again.
It outperformed the other classics on the show like McFly vs. Hoshino and Kunomasu vs. Dread which were both first class matches.
It was a new reign, starting with potentially the best show of the year in Night of GLORY. It was hard to see how PGHW could keep rising at this rate, but they continued to defy the odds. With Hall at the top, the potential was astronomical.