Willsky

Predictions DinoKea: 2/3 Old School Fan: 2/3 Caledonian Cup 1978 Predictions DinoKea: 8/15 Old School Fan: 4/7 Next Time: Cardiff Trophy Jacques Strapp vs. Leo King Daniel Whitman vs. William Riley Alexander Tomov vs. Mikel de Sota Angus McCloud vs. Kenny Maynard

First time in a while I can see Kawashima maybe dropping the belt. Let's go Jimbo!

HISTORY EXPLODES For most of 1998, Team EXPLOSION stayed apart. Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu fell out at the beginning of the year due to a poor run of form, and their relationship wasn’t helped when they came to blows in the Elite Series. But absence makes the heart grow fonder and by the time September came around, Hoshino and Kunomasu found themselves back on the same page just in time for the Elite Tag Series. They got straight back to their aggressive best in the block stage, but fell short against Team Dynasty in the semi-finals. Still, their time together had healed over many of the wounds from before and their tag team looked destined to continue. However, it wouldn’t be Hoshino’s main priority as he now had possession of the Historical Japan title after winning it from Luis Figo Manico earlier in the year. As he continued to put on more and more fantastic matches, would he leave Kunomasu behind? Or could the Lord of Strong Style catch up with his tag partner? Night of KINGS, October 1998 Eisaku Hoshino put his Historical Japan title on the line against Raymond Diaz. Diaz was another competitor better known for his tag efforts, and he and Hoshino shared history going back to last year when Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH battled for the Glory Tag Crown titles. Hoshino had come a long way since then, though. His wild violence hadn’t abated, but he chose his moments better now, something Diaz had yet to learn. This edge gave Hoshino the win. He hit a Godzilla Plunge (impressive on someone as big as Diaz) to get the win and keep hold of the Historical Japan title. Night of IMPACT, October 1998 Eisaku Kunomasu was in singles action at Night of IMPACT. He defeated the aging Yodo Nakane with a clinical performance. While Nakane was nowhere near the man he had been a couple of years ago, it was still a strong win for Kunomasu whose Launching Knee Strike was extremely effective. In the main event of the show, Eisaku Hoshino brought prestige to the Historical Japan title as the belt usually featured at the start or middle of the card. He battled against Shuji Inukai in a brutal bout that saw both men exchanging crunching blows. Hoshino wanted revenge for Inukai’s Team Dynasty knocking Team EXPLOSION out of the Elite Tag Series, and he got it. He hit the Godzilla Plunge to retain. Night of COURAGE, November 1998 Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) took on reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) in another main event match. The match had been made because Team EXPLOSION drew with Team MYTHOS in the Elite Tag Series, so the new champions thought Hoshino and Kunomasu deserved an opportunity. It was a great showing from both teams, but in the end, Team MYTHOS got the job done when McFly hit a Delorean Driver on Kunomasu. Night of ENDURANCE, November 1998 Eisaku Hoshino returned to singles competition, putting his Historical Japan title on the line against Pistol Pete Hall. The big gaijin was a fearsome opponent, and at times looked like he might end Hoshino’s run. But Hoshino had just about enough fortitude to hold off Hall and hit another impressive Godzilla Plunge to win. Later in the show, Eisaku Kunomasu went up against Hito Ichihara with the latter hoping to build momentum ahead of his Night of WRESTLING title match. Nobody expected Kunomasu to win, but he went out to spoil Ichihara’s party. And he nearly did, narrowly missing the Launching Knee Strike and overall giving a great account of himself. But in the end, Ichihara hit the Head Drop Suplex for the win. After the show, Kunomasu made a challenge. He wanted a match for the Historical Japan title. Against Eisaku Hoshino. It was a surprising move for him to challenge his tag partner, but Hoshino took it well. He had these words in the post-match press conference. Hoshino: I wouldn’t want anything else. Kunomasu is a badass. He doesn’t care about feelings or stepping on people’s toes. Nor do I. So sure, I’ll face him at Night of WRESTLING. But if he thinks I’ll go easy on him because we’re tag partners… nah, he’d hate that. He’d want me to give everything. And he’ll do the same. So strap in folks, we’re gonna beat the hell out of each other.

TECHNICAL PROWESS Two styles of wrestling predominated in PGHW. The first was hitting very hard. The other was wrapping your opponent up in painful holds. There were specialists in both, with many operating in a middle ground. One of the technical specialists had always been Danger Kumasaka. He was rumoured to know every variation of every submission move on the planet, although that was surely an exaggeration. But nobody could deny he had been one of the foremost technicians in Japan for a couple of decades. And recently he had found a new talent to develop. Walter Morgan. They tagged together with some success in the Elite Tag Series, and the relationship looked to keep Kumasaka entertained while Mushashibo was beginning to outgrow his guidance. But there were others who boasted great grappling skills. And for any of them hoping to make a name for themselves, submitting Danger Kumasaka would be a very good way of doing it. Night of KINGS, October 1998 In the opening match of Night of KINGS, Luis Figo Manico teamed with Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall). Figo was recovering from a loss to Nobuatsu Tatsuko at Night of HONOUR, and needed a win here to get him back on track. He got that win. The opponents were Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Walter Morgan. Figo got the win by pinning Morgan with a big powerbomb. Night of IMPACT, October 1998 At Night of IMPACT, Danger Kumasaka and Walter Morgan failed in their shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles against new champions Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly). After the match, Kumasaka suggested Morgan take on Luis Figo Manico in singles competition at Night of COURAGE, claiming that Figo may be a good wrestler, but he couldn’t submit someone as talented on the mat as Walter Morgan. Night of COURAGE, November 1998 Luis Figo Manico accepted Kumasaka’s challenge and took on Walter Morgan in what had to be considered Morgan’s best ever match. It was a slick, technical affair with plenty of holds and counters from both men. Figo’s strategy of studying his opponent beforehand was nullified by Morgan’s ability to improvise mid-match, and for a while, they cancelled each other out. But Figo had battled with the best in PGHW and he found a way to win, forcing his way into the Madrid Maul, in which Morgan tapped. Kumasaka, a little annoyed his protégé had been defeated, challenged Figo to a match at Night of WRESTLING. But he wanted it to be special. He said it should be a first in PGHW, a submission match, with striking disallowed. Figo claimed this was Kumasaka’s way of stacking the cards in his favour, but agreed to the match nonetheless, confident in his abilities to beat the veteran. Night of ENDURANCE, November 1998 In the main event of the last show before Night of WRESTLING, Danger Kumasaka joined Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) in taking on Luis Figo Manico and Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly). The story of the match mostly centred around Team Dynasty’s interactions with Team MYTHOS, but Figo and Kumasaka had their moments, too. Whenever they were both the legal men, Figo made a point of striking Kumasaka with his elbow, knee or palm. Kumasaka wanted to grapple, but Figo denied him. This, and other factors in the match, led to Kumasaka’s team getting the win. Figo looked annoyed, but had some sharp words after the show. Figo: Kumasaka knows I’d beat him. We drew at the Elite Series in March, and he saw then that I was getting stronger and he weaker. It’s clear that if striking was allowed, I’d easily beat him. But I like a challenge. I’ve faced enough since joining this company. And if Kumasaka thinks he’s got the better of me on the mat, then he’s about to learn a thing or two about The Pain from Spain. He’s going to learn all about my technical prowess. Because he may have once been Mr. Wrestling, but at Night of WRESTLING, he’ll be Mr. Submitting as I lock in the Madrid Maul and he taps out.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS At Night of HONOUR, Team MYTHOS stunned PGHW by winning the Elite Tag Series. They had only formed a few months before the tournament and were outside bets to even qualify from the block stage. But a victory over Team STRENGTH RUSH in the semi-final and a hard-fought win over Team Dynasty in the final saw them become the second winners of the already esteemed prize. This occasion, plus the surge in high quality tag teams over the last months meant the division was reaching the heights everybody expected of it. And Glory Tag Crown champions Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama had plenty of challengers. Night of KINGS, October 1998 Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) immediately took up the opportunity to challenge Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama for the Glory Tag Crown titles. The champions had enjoyed a strong reign since February and were hoping to surpass Team STRENGTH RUSH’s record reign of nine months. However, Team MYTHOS were flying from their Elite Tag Series win and showed no sign of slowing down. Sean McFly was instrumental in the match, providing a constant menace to Ichihara. But it was Mito Miwa who made the decisive move, a Pride Bomber, on Mamoru Nagahama to get the victory. Team MYTHOS became new Glory Tag Crown champions! They were the fifth team to win the belts, and they put an end to Ichihara and Nagahama’s reign of eight months. Night of IMPACT, October 1998 Another new team that impressed at the Elite Tag Series, despite not qualifying from Block A, was the pair of Danger Kumasaka and Walter Morgan. It was against them that Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) made their first defence of the Glory Tag Crown. Kumasaka and Morgan were technical specialists and aimed to slow the pace. But Miwa and McFly had enough skill to avoid the worst holds and retaliated with some high energy offence and impactful attacks that eventually resulted in McFly pinning Morgan with a Delorean Driver. Night of COURAGE, November 1998 During the Elite Series, Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) drew in the block stage against Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). While Hoshino was still reigning Historical Japan champion, he found the time to team up with Kunomasu for a shot at the Glory Tag Crown. He nearly ended up double champion, too, as an Eisaku Explosion put Miwa down, but McFly saved the day by making the tag to his dazed partner and hitting a Delorean Driver on Kunomasu for the pinfall victory. Night of ENDURANCE, November 1998 The main event of Night of ENDURANCE saw Danger Kumasaka and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) take on Luis Figo Manico and Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly). It was the final show before Night of WRESTLING, and the Glory Tag Crown champions were looking for serious contenders. They found them. Team Dynasty fought with fire and fury, Shuji Inukai particularly showing his worth, getting a decisive pinfall win after hitting the Untouchable Lariat on Sean McFly. The win set up Team Dynasty as clear contenders for Night of WRESTLING, and the match was made. A hotly-anticipated rematch of the Elite Tag Series final. Mito Miwa had some words in the post-show press conference. Miwa: We’ll take on anyone. Obviously, Team Dynasty is a great team – they’ve won the Glory Tag Crown titles before, and the Elite Tag Series. But they did all that before we met. Before Team MYTHOS was born. And don’t forget we defeated them in the Elite Tag Series final this year, meaning we’re the best tag team in the company right now. That doesn’t change at Night of WRESTLING. Yoshimi Mushashibo was thoughtful in Team Dynasty’s interview. Mushashibo: In our previous encounter, perhaps we made the mistake of underestimating Team MYTHOS. Or there lies the possibility that novelty overcame us – we had not fought them before. I like their name. MYTHOS. It gives a sense of something more than reality. More than mundanity. That aligns with my ambitions. Our ambitions, right Shuji? To create something greater than the norm, to transcend the boundaries of mere sport and reach an almost ethereal nature beyond immediate reality. Good. If they call themselves myths, then we could be considered legends. Myths and legends. Like Emperor Jinmu and Momotaru. At night of WRESTLING. I’m very much looking forward to it.

Predictions DinoKea: 1/4 Caledonian Cup 1978 Predictions DinoKea: 6/12 Old School Fan: 2/4 Next Time Kenny Maynard vs. William Riley Angus McCloud & Leo King vs. Daniel Whitman & Jacques Strapp Alexander Tomov vs. Maynard/Riley

UNSTOPPABLE FORCE Heading into October 1998, Koryusai Kitoaji had held the Glory Crown for sixteen months. It was an incredible achievement despite the rumblings of discontent that he often avoided the most dangerous challengers with his insistence on picking contenders he deemed worthy. For almost exactly the same amount of time, Dread had been ruling over PGHW in his own way. A self-imposed challenge to spite those who thought he was over the hill became one of the most dominant and terrifying winning streaks in modern history. He had set out to defeat everyone on the roster. And for nearly a year and a half, he had done that. Twenty-eight wrestlers had fallen to him, including many top-tier talent like Yoshimi Mushashibo, Mito Miwa, Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Shuji Inukai, Luis Figo Manico and Danger Kumasaka. Only two remained. The two men upon whose shoulders PGHW was founded. Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. And with Ichihara busy defending the Glory Tag Crown titles, Dread’s attention was firmly fixed on the Glory Crown holder, one of the forefathers of strong style, Koryusai Kitoaji. Night of KINGS, October 1998 Those who accused Koryusai Kitoaji of ducking threatening opponents were silent when he accepted Dread as his challenger at Night of KINGS. Dread had broken Kitoaji’s rule of waiting for the champion to pick a contender, but he could hardly turn down Dread’s request. Who else could he pick? Fans went into Night of KINGS knowing something historic would come to an end. Either Kitoaji’s huge title run or Dread’s unbelievable winning streak. Anticipating filled the air as the main event got underway. Kitoaji was at his ferocious best, striking hard, fast and without pause. But Dread soaked it all up. Kitoaji’s sequences of attacks were punctuated by massive moves from Dread that stopped the champion in his tracks. Dread was a machine, an unstoppable force, like his body was made of steel. He hadn’t defeated 28 other men to lose tonight. He hit a Dreadsault. Kitoaji kicked out to a raucous fan reaction. But the champion couldn’t kick out of the subsequent Dread Bomb, and the referee counted to three. Dread became the new Glory Crown champion! The big man towered over the crumpled Kitoaji and raised the belt high. Koryusai Kitoaji became number 29. Night of IMPACT, October 1998 Dread teamed with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Yoshimi Mushashibo in a trios victory over Luis Figo Manico, Koryusai Kitoaji and Shimi Komatsuzaki. Kitoaji still looked shaken by the loss at Night of KINGS, while Dread was once again dominant. Yet a post-show press conference comment by Dread was the main talking point. He said there was only one man left to face to complete his promise of defeating everyone. Hito Ichihara. Ichihara had lost the Glory Tag Crown at Night of KINGS, so had no reason not to compete in singles competition. Dread suggested that he would like to reach number 30 at Night of WRESTLING, the biggest show of the year. Night of COURAGE, November 1998 In an eight-man tag match, Dread partnered with Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Koryusai Kitoaji. It was a spectacle to see the three men who had ever held the Glory Crown on the same team together. They defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Danger Kumasaka, Shuji Inukai and Yoshimi Mushashibo in a classic match – the best on the show. After the match, Hito Ichihara turned to his partner for the night, Dread, and accepted his offer of a match at Night of WRESTLING. With the Glory Crown on the line, he vowed to end Dread’s streak and become two-time champion. Night of ENDURANCE, November 1998 Dread again competed in a large tag match, this time teaming with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Mamoru Nagahama to defeated Koryusai Kitoaji and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). Dread got the decisive pinfall, with a Dreadsault to Lee Wright, and the Glory Crown champion looked unstoppable going into Night of WRESTLING. Moments later, Hito Ichihara took on Eisaku Kunomasu in a bid to build some momentum in singles competition. Ichihara had focused on his tag team with Nagahama for much of 1998 and wanted a victory to build confidence. He got that win, despite Kunomasu’s best efforts. The Head Drop Suplex was once again effective. After the show, Ichihara had words about their upcoming clash. Ichihara: I was probably one of the ones who underestimated Dread eighteen months ago. He had everything he needed to be at the very top, but lacked the right motivation. Unfortunately for the rest of us, he found that. And now he’s an unstoppable force. Or is he? You may remember the last time I faced him in singles competition. I had the Glory Crown at that time. You know the result. I remained champion. This time it’s him holding the belt, but I see no reason why I can’t defeat him again. And I have to. For PGHW. For everyone on the roster, Dread must be stopped. He must be thrown off his newly-won seat, because the longer he sits in it, I fear the harder it will be to remove him. I’m the only one left. Number 30, he says. But that just motivates me to defeat him even more. To be the fly in his ointment, the one he couldn’t steamroller. So come Night of WRESTLING, I end the streak.

I would love to see gimmicks getting a little more depth with the addition of iconic items, gear or weapons. Think Sting's baseball bat, the Dudley's table obsession and even Jake Roberts' snake. At the moment, TEW doesn't have anything to represent those things. However, I do get that can be included under the "theatre of the mind" aspect of the game, but I think it would give workers more ways of being unique and add a little spice to booking. Adding a road agent note "use iconic item" would probably be a good way of implementing it. Obviously these iconic items would offer a boost to certain matches (particularly hardcore if they're weapons) and angles. They'd have to be used frequently enough to remain relevant, but if overdone would become stale. Perhaps they could have a similar mechanism to the gimmicks - either they're pretty wild with some big boosts but cool off quickly, or they give a small boost and stand the test of time (D-Von, get the tables is incapable of not being fun every time). Their rating/reputation/prestige could be tied to angle and match performance. If they're used in a 5 star classic, they grow in prestige/reputation, but if they're present in a stinker, they lose that. I don't know exactly how best to implement this mechanically, but I hope I got across the idea of this extra layer of detail to gimmicks.

I think popularity should play a main part, although I agree that other factors should have an influence. Especially star quality and respect. I think a lot of bookers (and wrestlers who might be asked to do the job) would use popularity as a proxy for all of the factors you mention, because if they made it big, they probably have at least some combination of those things. However, I can't see a traditional Japanese company going for someone like Shane McMahon, which they might do if it was based purely on popularity. And in your KENTA example, the product and attitude of WWE had an impact. I think you're right to point out there's quite a lot of detail to the implementation of something like this beyond my initial simplistic just "high pop = get boost".

Night of HONOUR, September 1998 Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) Luis Figo Manico vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Chuichi Sanda, Koryusai Kitoaji, Shimi Komatsuzaki and Yodo Nakane vs. Danger Kumasaka, Dread, Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama Elite Tag Series FINAL: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2 As usual, the spotlight was on the culmination of the Elite Tag Series at Night of HONOUR. The block stage had established the four best teams over the last month, and now they would compete to become the second ever Elite Tag Series champions. Team Dynasty were marginal favourites, having one the tournament last year. However, they would have to face Team EXPLOSION who were in resurgent form. Team MYTHOS were still dark horses, but more and more people believed they could upset Team STRENGTH RUSH. Aside from the tag action, Night of HONOUR would also see the third match between Luis Figo Manico and Nobuatsu Tatsuko – a rivalry that had grown tense over the last few months, with both men getting a win apiece. This match was billed as the “rubber”. MATCH 1: Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) In a repeat of last year’s Elite Tag Series final, two teams who had suffered their own internal disputes now went head-to-head. Hoshino and Kunomasu began in ferocious style, targeting the more graceful and languid Mushashibo, but when Inukai got involved, he countered with similar aggression. The story of the match was an onslaught from Team EXPLOSION, with Mushashibo hanging in there to struggle to his own corner and tag in his partner. Inukai repeatedly went for his devastating Untouchable Lariat, missing it on two occasions. Finally, though, he connected with the move on Hoshino and that spelled the end of the match – Team Dynasty got the victory and advanced to the final! MATCH 2: Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Team STRENGTH RUSH looked strong in the block stage, while Team MYTHOS barely scraped through on the final day. Wright and Diaz had been teaming for over two years, and had strong chemistry together. Miwa and McFly, in contrast, had only been a team for a couple of months. It was no surprise that Wright and Diaz controlled a lot of the match. They worked over Sean McFly for long periods, slowing the pace and battering the young American. But McFly once again showed his heart and talent, surviving the beatdown and getting across the ring to tag in Mito Miwa. The Pride Warrior ran wild and ended up hitting Lee Wright with a Pride Bomber to get the win. It may have been considered an upset, but Team MYTHOS won the match and went on to face Team Dynasty in the final! MATCH 3: Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) Four of the unsuccessful block-stage teams competed in an eight-man tag, with some level of pride on the line. Rebel Cell and Strike Force got the win thanks to Pistol Pete Hall’s Pistol Whip Lariat on Umehara. MATCH 4: Luis Figo Manico vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko When Nobuatsu Tatsuko didn’t shake Figo’s hand after their first singles match (which Tatsuko won), a seemingly small gesture exploded into something much larger, something that showed the real pressure that comes as a consequence of high-profile failure. Tatsuko claimed he hadn’t noticed Figo’s outstretched hand. Few believed him. It seemed more likely that he was still hurting from his loss to Koryusai Kitoaji for the Glory Crown – the biggest match of his life. In their second match, which main-evented Night of TOUGHNESS, Figo got the victory. Tatsuko had promised to shake Figo’s hand, no matter the result. And he did. Then he attacked Figo, hitting him with the Tatsuko Driller. Tatsuko was suspended for two weeks unpaid, but since it was Elite Tag Series season, that didn’t affect him much. Now, with one win apiece, it was time to find a true winner. The match started with a lot of posturing and trash talk – something rare in PGHW, where competitors usually got straight into the business of wrestling. And after a few minutes, Figo and Tatsuko did get into it, with plenty of tension and aggression. Tatsuko was intense and direct. Figo was meticulous and cerebral. When Tatsuko struck, he struck hard, but when he missed, Figo had an effective, calculated counter. The pace didn’t let up. But finally, Figo got Tatsuko into the Madrid Maul – a move he had used to pin Tatsuko three times in the last couple of months. But now Tatsuko had an answer. He had prepared for this very moment, and slipped out of the Maul and into a submission of his own – a triangle choke. Figo struggled, nearly passed out, then wriggled his way free. Only to walk straight into a Tatsuko Driller which got the win. After the match, Tatsuko stood over his fallen opponent with a look of darkness in his eyes. Yet he would not repeat last month’s violent attack. Instead, he hauled Figo to his feet, shook the dazed man’s hand, and headed to the back. MATCH 5: Chuichi Sanda, Koryusai Kitoaji, Shimi Komatsuzaki and Yodo Nakane vs. Danger Kumasaka, Dread, Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama A palette-cleanser after the intensity of Figo and Tatsuko, some of the bigger names on the roster (plus a few smaller ones) competed in an eight-man tag. For Dread, it was the first non-singles match in over a year, and he was dominant. Whenever he was in the ring, there was a sense of foreboding, and for a brief moment, he and Glory Crown holder Koryusai Kitoaji were the legal men. Fans rumbled with excitement at that. Dread had only two men left on his roster rampage, and Kitoaji was one of them. MATCH 6: Elite Tag Series FINAL: Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) Few had predicted Team MYTHOS would make it this far. Meanwhile, Team Dynasty had been favourites from the very start. Interestingly, neither team had won their respective blocks, both finishing in second place. Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat was once again a massive part of Team Dynasty’s strategy. It seemed to be Mushashibo’s job to weaken the opponents with torturous holds and suffocating grappling, then Inukai would pounce with violence, going for the deadly lariat. The problem with their strategy was that they were up against two of the most enduring and spirited wrestlers on the roster. Sean McFly, especially, took a serious amount of punishment, but refused to give up. His legs were worn down by Mushashibo, yet he kept hanging in there. And Mito Miwa had sensed the prospect of gold. His pride wouldn’t let him suffer defeat. When McFly finally escaped the clutches of Team Dynasty and tagged in Miwa, it was full speed ahead for the Pride Warrior. He barrelled through Inukai and hit Mushashibo with the Pride Bomber. One…Two… Mushashibo kicked out! Miwa was just as stunned as everyone else in the arena. Mushashibo rallied and tagged in Shuji Inukai. Inukai took advantage of the moment and smashed Miwa with the Untouchable Lariat. Inukai went for the pin, but the referee didn’t start the count. That was because right before Inukai hit the lariat, McFly had made a blind tag and was now the legal man. McFly came hurtling through the ropes and hit Inukai with the Delorean Driver. One…Two… Three! Team MYTHOS won the Elite Tag Series! It was a monumental victory for a team who weren’t expected to even reach the semi-final stage. It reflected the individual talents of both Miwa and McFly, who had quickly developed a great partnership. They celebrated with the Elite Tag Series trophies, knowing they would get a shot at the Glory Tag Crown very soon. Conclusion Team MYTHOS’s win capped off a very good show, although match of the night was widely considered the semi-final between Team Dynasty and Team EXPLOSION. This instance of the Elite Tag Series showed how far the tag division had evolved since the same point last year, with the addition of several strong teams. It still hadn’t quite reached the prestige of the Elite Series, but with more tournaments like this one, it was certainly catching up. After the show, Mito Miwa displayed his team’s mood in the press conference. Miwa: Nobody thought we’d do this. I’m not sure if we even thought we’d do this when we put our names in the hat. But over the last month, I’ve come to know Sean McFly very well. I’ve seen first hand what he’s capable of. And let me tell you, he’s going to be huge. We’re going to be huge. Because while we will spend some time enjoying this victory, we know that in two weeks’ time, it’s Night of KINGS. And we want our coronation. We’re the Elite Tag Series champions, but it’s time we got ourselves some crowns. Dread also had a few words to say: Dread: Only two remain. Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. None of you ever believed me, but here we are. Here I am. Closing in on greatness. At Night of KINGS, I want a match. Ichihara will be unavailable, defending the Glory Tag Crown. But as far as I can see, Koryusai Kitoaji doesn’t have a challenger for the Glory Crown. And Kitoaji, I don’t care about how you like to do things. I’m not going to wait for you to pluck up the courage to give me a title shot. I demand one. I’ve beaten everyone else on this roster. So like it or not, I am inevitable. And you are going to be number 29.

Something I've found a little frustrating in the game is signing workers from another game area who are hugely popular there but don't have much popularity in my company's region. It's difficult to treat them like a massive superstar coming in at the top because nobody will put them over. For example, let's say I'm playing as WWE and I want to sign AJ Styles, just like what happened in 2016. AJ's USA popularity then (let's say 50) would have been way lower than pretty much everyone on the roster and lower than his pop in Japan (let's say 80). These are not exact numbers, I'm just using them as an example so no need to debate them! Realistically, Styles should be able to enter the company as someone who has plenty of credentials to his name and be treated as a big deal by everyone on the roster. In his first few months he beat Jericho and was in a title program with Reigns, then in June he beat Cena. You could also imagine something similar in the CVerse. Biggest name in USA and UK, Tommy Cornell (86) has a low popularity in Japan (17). If I want to sign him for SWF, he's going to be way lower than even the most hopeless of jobbers. In TEW, that means I would have to treat both of them as insignificant wrestlers. There's no way of fast-tracking them to the top without angering every lower midcarder who has to put him over on the way, and some top guys would just outright refuse. That means it could take years of squash matches and low-level feuds to get him anywhere near the top of the card. But this is AJ Styles who was huge in Japan, or if you prefer, Cornell, the guy the whole game is named after. They're not lower carders. They should immediately come in as significant threats, even if they're not going to immediately beat the top guy in the company. Another consequence of this is that big companies in TEW very rarely sign any big foreign talents and treat them like a big deal which means the game world loses some dynamism. I'm sure I'm not the first one to consider this, but I have come up with some kind of solution. So here is my suggestion: When a worker joins a new company in a different game area they should carry over their popularity from other areas for a short amount of time (3 months?). Perhaps not all of that popularity, but a good portion of it. They have this grace period in which they're treated as a big star and can quickly gain popularity in the new area to catch up with where they should be. For example, Tommy Cornell could go to BHOTWG and everyone knows early on he's a big star. Let's say he carries over 75% of his USA popularity (86), so he's on about 65. Given the top guys in BHOTWG are in the 70's, the booker could reasonably expect them to put him over without complaining. Cornell's popularity in Japan would quickly shoot up from 17 to maybe 50 or 60, while the top guys in BHOTWG wouldn't suffer a massive drop in popularity. In Style's case, the effect wouldn't be so strong, but even carrying over 75% of his Japan popularity would put him at a starting point higher up the card than otherwise. Of course this grace period shouldn't last forever, otherwise it would be easy to exploit. But it gives a company a bit of time to treat the new signing as a star. If they don't do so in the first few months, then fine, they lost their shot. The way of implementing this could be with a temporary Attribute (Breaking into a new area), potentially one for each new area. And to avoid companies spamming this by signing and re-signing, the temporary Attribute could have a cool-off period of a few years so it can't be repeated. Something like this means in game, you playing AEW could sign Okada and not have to treat him like a jobber. NJPW could swoop in for Brock Lesnar and immediately have him win the title... big stars could move across the globe to companies who can push them properly.

Predictions Card for Night of HONOUR, September 1998 Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) Luis Figo Manico vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Chuichi Sanda, Koryusai Kitoaji, Shimi Komatsuzaki and Yodo Nakane vs. Danger Kumasaka, Dread, Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama Elite Tag Series FINAL: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2

ELITE TAG SERIES 1998 Twelve teams would contest the second installation of the Elite Tag Series, with plenty of big names to look out for. Block A contained two of the most well-known teams in PGHW: Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo). The two teams had history as, when Team Dynasty won last year’s Elite Tag Series, they earned a shot at the Glory Tag Crown that Team STRENGTH RUSH held. Koryusai Kitoaji’s presence in the group put him in immediate contention. Although his tag partner Shimi Komatsuzaki had not begun life in PGHW particularly well, the pair of them together had a good shot of qualification. Danger Kumasaka offered Walter Morgan the chance to team with him after Night of TOUGHNESS, and Yodo Nakane’s pairing with Chuichi Sanda was an equally recent addition. And the block was rounded out by Boundary 97 who, despite tagging for nearly two years now, had yet to achieve anything. BLOCK A: Boundary 97 (Matsunaga & Umehara) Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki Kumasaka & Morgan Nakane & Sanda Team Dynasty (Inukai & Mushashibo) Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) Block B may not have boasted as many former Glory Tag Crown reigns as Block A, but it contained the current holders, Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagamaha as well as recently reunited former champions Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). Two teams were very unlikely to advance. Those were Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and the pair of Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao. Just finishing off the bottom would be an achievement for them. Then there were the two unknowns, the potential dark horses. Strike Force consisted of the big, dominant Pistol Pete Hall and his project, Dino Maldini. And Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) had shown real promise and could compete for qualification spots. BLOCK B: Hasegawa & Inao Ichihara & Nagahama Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) Strike Force (Maldini & Hall) Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) Team MYTHOS (Miwa & McFly) PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 1 Block A Results Kumasaka & Morgan def. Nakane & Sanda Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Boundary 97 Team Dynasty def. Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki Kumasaka & Morgan picked up a good win in their first match against the struggling pair of Nakane and Sanda. Team STRENGTH RUSH also saw an expected victory over Boundary 97. The battle between Team Dynasty and Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki was a lot closer, but in the end, Shuji Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat on Komatsuzaki got the pinfall win. Block B Results Strike Force def. Hasegawa & Inao Ichihara & Nagahama def. Rebel Cell Team EXPLOSION and Team MYTHOS went to a time-limit draw Ichihara & Nagahama had no problems in dispatching Rebel Cell, while Dino Maldini looked good alongside Hall as they got a win in their first tournament match. In Team EXPLOSION’s first match together since January, there was nothing to separate them from Team MYTHOS, and a fantastic match ended in a draw. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 2 Block A Results Boundary 97 def. Nakane & Sanda Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki and Kumasaka & Morgan went to a time-limit draw Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Team Dynasty Boundary 97 got their first win of the tournament, while thirty minutes ran out in a match where Kitoaji was the biggest name. But the match everybody was interested in was Team STRENGTH RUSH defeated Team Dynasty. It was a disappointing loss for last year’s winners, and it reminded everyone that Wright and Diaz were specialists at tag wrestling. Block B Results Hasegawa & Inao def. Rebel Cell Team MYTHOS def. Strike Force Team EXPLOSION def. Ichihara & Nagahama Hasegawa & Inao got a rare victory against the weaker team of Rebel Cell. Team MYTHOS showed they were the superior “new” team by putting away Pistol Pete Hall and Dino Maldini. And in the main event of the show, Team EXPLOSION got back to their glorious best with a monumental win over Glory Tag Crown champions Ichihara & Nagahama. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 3 Block A Results Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki def. Boundary 97 Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Nakane & Sanda Team Dynasty def. Kumasaka & Morgan Team STRENGTH RUSH made it three wins out of three in simple fashion, while Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki got their first win of the tournament against point-less Nakane & Sanda. Yoshimi Mushashibo defeated his mentor and friend Danger Kumasaka as Team Dynasty got back to winning ways in the main event. Block B Results Team MYTHOS def. Rebel Cell Ichihara & Nagahama def. Hasegawa & Inao Team EXPLOSION def. Strike Force Rebel Cell suffered another defeat, this time at the hands of Miwa and McFly. After their loss in the last round, Ichihara & Nagahama bounced back by battering Hasegawa & Inao Team EXPLOSION continued their good form with another win, targeting the weak link of Strike Force, Dino Maldini, and hitting him with the Eisaku Explosion. Mid-point round-up Block A Table 6 Team STRENGTH RUSH 4 Team Dynasty 3 Kumasaka & Morgan 3 Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki 2 Boundary 97 0 Nakane & Sanda Block B Table 5 Team EXPLOSION 5 Team MYTHOS 4 Ichihara & Nagahama 2 Strike Force 2 Hasegawa & Inao 0 Rebel Cell PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 4 Block A Results Team Dynasty def. Nakane & Sanda Kumasaka & Morgan def. Boundary 97 Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki Team Dynasty’s win and Kumasaka & Morgan’s victory put both teams in serious contention for qualification with only one round to go. Neither would catch Team STRENGTH RUSH, however, as they defeated Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki to stay two points clear at the top where they would stay courtesy of having defeated Team Dynasty already. For Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki, the next match was vital – they had to win and hope Kumasaka & Morgan slipped up against Team STRENGTH RUSH. Block B Results Rebel Cell def. Strike Force Team EXPLOSION def. Hasegawa & Inao Ichihara & Nagahama def. Team MYTHOS Rebel Cell pulled off a surprising win, their first of the tournament, by targeting Dino Maldini who couldn’t get his experienced partner Pistol Pete Hall involved. Team EXPLOSION continued their great form with a routine win over Hasegawa & Inao and pulled clear at the top when Ichihara & Nagahama defeated Team MYTHOS to supplant them in second place. PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 5 Block A Results Team Dynasty def. Boundary 97 Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki def. Nakane & Sanda Kumasaka & Morgan def. Team STRENGTH RUSH Team Dynasty’s victory over Boundary 97 was crucial. That win ensured their qualification despite Kitoaji and Komatsuzaki’s victory and a valiant performance by Kumasaka & Morgan who spoiled Team STRENGTH RUSH’s party. However, in the end, Team STRENGTH RUSH did finish top of the group based on their head-to-head record with Team Dynasty, who also qualified. Block B Results Team EXPLOSION def. Rebel Cell Team MYTHOS def. Hasegawa & Inao Strike Force def. Ichihara & Nagahama Team EXPLOSION’s victory ensured they topped Block B – a near perfect display. Team MYTHOS had to beat Hasegawa & Inao to stand a chance of progressing, and they did so. Then, Strike Force did them a huge favour when Pistol Pete Hall pinned Mamoru Nagahama, meaning the Glory Tag Crown champions slipped into third place and did not qualify. Instead, the newly formed Team MYTHOS made it to the semi-final stage. FINAL STANDINGS Block A Table 8 Team STRENGTH RUSH 8 Team Dynasty 7 Kumasaka & Morgan 5 Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki 2 Boundary 97 0 Nakane & Sanda Block B Table 9 Team EXPLOSION 7 Team MYTHOS 6 Ichihara & Nagahama 4 Strike Force 2 Hasegawa & Inao 2 Rebel Cell Conclusion Nakane & Sanda didn’t expect much going into the tournament, but even so, zero points was embarrassing. Even Boundary 97 did better than that. As did Hasegawa & Inao and Rebel Cell, who both scored a single win. Koryusai Kitoaji would have been disappointed to be three points off qualification, and it seemed his tag team with Komatsuzaki, while historically successful, might not last long in PGHW. Strike Force also failed to deliver, but there were signs of a good partnership, and Pistol Pete Hall was invested in his project, Dino Maldini. Glory Tag Crown holders didn’t qualify – a big upset, and they were joined in the “narrowly missing out” spots by a surprisingly effective Kumasaka & Morgan partnership. Team STRENGTH RUSH finished top of Block A only on head-to-head record, but there’s no doubt they were big favourites to win the tournament. They would face Team MYTHOS in the semi-final. Miwa and McFly scraped through in the last round and would have a tough task against Wright & Diaz. Team EXPLOSION dominated Block B, only dropping one point over the five matches. Their time away from each other had done wonders, as they reunited with ferocity and efficiency. They would meet Team Dynasty in the other semi-final – a mouthwatering prospect and a rematch of last year’s Elite Tag Series final.

Predictions DinoKea: 3/4 Old School Fan: 2/4 Caledonian Cup 1978 Predictions DinoKea: 5/8 Old School Fan: 2/4 Next Time Angus McCloud vs. Kenny Maynard Daniel Whitman vs. Leo King McCloud/Maynard vs. Whitman/King Alexander Tomov vs. William Riley

TAG TEAM FEVER When the dust had settled on Night of GLORY, for many, attention turned to the next big milestone of the year. The Elite Tag Series. It was the second year of the tournament’s existence and once again it would take place in September, culminating at Night of HONOUR. In that first year, only eight teams had entered, but in 1998, it was announced that 12 teams would take part, with two blocks of six teams each. This was widely seen as a positive thing. However, at this point in June, there were far from enough teams to fill out every spot. Last year’s winners Team Dynasty looked to have put aside their differences and would be favourites again, while Glory Tag Crown holders Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama would certainly take part, although whether they were still champions by then, it remained to be seen. Boundary 97, Rebel Cell and Hasegawa & Inao would be there as outside bets. And of course, Team STRENGTH RUSH were always a threat. That made six teams. Where would the other six come from and who would be at the head of the pack going into to the Elite Tag Series? Night of STRENGTH, June 1998 At Night of STRENGTH, Glory Tag Crown champions Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama put their titles on the line against the pairing of Pistol Pete Hall and Dino Maldini. It was the first time Hall and Maldini had teamed together, but Hall’s reputation was enough for the champions to accept the challenge. While Hall wasn’t the only one to have seen Maldini’s potential, he might not have appreciated how much work the youngster still had to do. He struggled with decision-making above all. His excellent range of martial arts skills was negated by poor choices and timing. Ichihara got the victory over Maldini with a Head Drop Suplex. After the match, Pistol Pete Hall didn’t look too upset – he’d had a chance to assess Maldini first hand. Night of WARRIORS, July 1998 Another new tag team got a Glory Tag Crown shot. This time it was Shimi Komatsuzaki and Chuichi Sanda taking on Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama. Komatsuzaki was well known for his tag proficiency, notably alongside Koryusai Kitoaji in BHOTWG. However, he didn’t blend well with Chuichi Sanda, who ultimately ate a Head Drop Suplex to lose. Nagahama and Ichihara continued to look strong, and Nagahama contributed more and more, so the lopsided nature of their team started to balance out a little. Elsewhere on the show, Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) teamed with Danger Kumasaka to defeat Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) and Kazuo Mitsushi. The result was almost predicted from the start – the mere presence of Mitsushi usually meant defeat, and this time was no different. This year, there was no question that Inukai and Mushashibo would be the duo entering the Elite Tag Series together, which left Danger Kumasaka without a partner for the event. He made it clear that he would have his eye out on anyone with the skill and courage to team with him. Night of VICTORY, July 1998 Not a single two-on-two tag match featured on the Night of VICTORY card, but there were two trios matches of interest. First was Sean McFly and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) beating Kazuo Mitsushi and Boundary 97. The notable events came after the show when Sean McFly made it clear he wished to compete in the Elite Tag Series alongside Mito Miwa. The second match saw Koryusai Kitoaji team with Pistol Pete Hall and Dino Maldini. They defeated Chuichi Sanda, Hayate Hasegawa and Fukusaburu Inao. The latter two announced their official entry into the Elite Tag Series. And so did Hall and Maldini. Pistol Pete said that he and his new project would from now on be known as Strike Force due to them both relying on strike-based offence and aiming to be a major force in the tag division. In the main event, an 8-man tag match saw Shuji Inukai and Yoshimi Mushashibo of Team Dynasty getting a victory over Glory Tag Crown champions Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama. While neither Inukai nor Mushashibo got the pinfall win, they made it clear they should get a title shot at Night of LEGACY. Night of LEGACY, August 1998 Mito Miwa teamed up with Sean McFly (as well as Yodo Nakane and Shimi Komatsuzaki) to beat Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Miwa and McFly made it official that they would be in the Elite Tag Series and announced their team name as Team MYTHOS. Despite being a very new pairing, many were considering them dark horses for the tournament. Later in the show, Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama put their Glory Tag Crown titles on the line against the team they won the belts off back in February: Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo). It was a fierce match and one of the best tag bouts in PGHW history. Ultimately, the champions retained, with Ichihara’s Head Drop Suplex on Mushashibo proving decisive, although it must be said that Mamoru Nagahama’s determination and endurance played a big part. After the show, Inukai and Mushashibo were on good terms, but affirmed that they needed to work hard if they were going to win the Elite Tag Series for a second year running. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1998 Night of TOUGHNESS was the last show before the Elite Tag Series kicked off. The card featured two eight-man tag matches consisting of many of the major players in the division. The first match saw two newly formed teams. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) teamed alongside Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly). They got a good win over Hasegawa & Inao and Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara). Strike Force and Team MYTHOS could both be considered contenders to qualify from the block stage, but neither was a firm favourite to win the whole tournament. The other eight-man match saw some of the top names in action. Glory Tag Crown holders Ichihara & Nagahama teamed up with Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) to take on the reunited pair of Koryusai Kitoaji & Shimi Komatsuzaki and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). Ichihara and Kitoaji’s time in the ring together was brief but enjoyable, harking back to their huge rivalry from last year. And it was Kitoaji’s team who got the win courtesy of a Too Hot to Handle from Team STRENGTH RUSH, putting the former two-time Glory Tag Crown winners at the front of the pack for the tournament. Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) were also in action, teaming with Danger Kumasaka to defeated Yodo Nakane, Walter Morgan and Eisaku Kunomasu. Walter Morgan impressed Danger Kumasaka enough for the veteran to offer the young Brit the chance to tag alongside him. Morgan was happy to accept, seeing that he could develop his technical skills alongside a master of the craft. A last-minute entry to the tournament was the pair of Yodo Nakane and Chuichi Sanda. Both had struggled recently and were hoping their combined skills could set them back on track. After the show, the twelve teams entering the Elite Tag Series were put in their blocks. BLOCK A: Boundary 97 (Matsunaga & Umehara) Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki Kumasaka & Morgan Nakane & Sanda Team Dynasty (Inukai & Mushashibo) Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) BLOCK B: Hasegawa & Inao Ichihara & Nagahama Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) Strike Force (Maldini & Hall) Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) Team MYTHOS (Miwa & McFly)

LONG MAY HE REIGN When Koryusai Kitoaji defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko to retain the Glory Crown at Night of GLORY 1998, he achieved the impressive feat of holding the belt for a full year. It was at the same show in 1997 that he defeated Hito Ichihara to start this, his second reign. He had already passed the record reign length months ago, but considering only it was only the third reign in the title’s history, that feat wasn’t so spectacular. Reaching the year milestone cemented his position at the top of PGHW. And with Tatsuko’s failure, a vacancy in the contender’s spot opened. Despite all the criticism, Kitoaji continued insisting he was the one who should pick the contenders, and he would do so until one of them defeated him. But would any of his handpicked challengers have enough to overthrow him? Many top names had tried, and they had all failed. In fact, Kitoaji had only ever lost to one man in singles competition – Hito Ichihara. If not Tatsuko, then who? Night of STRENGTH, June 1998 Koryusai Kitoaji took a rare break away from the main event scene and tagged with the modest combination of Chuichi Sanda and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). He led his team to victory over Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara). If Kitoaji was looking for the next contender to the Glory Crown, he didn’t find it in this match. Later in the show, though, Sean McFly got a good win over Walter Morgan. Kitoaji offered McFly a title shot at the next show, Night of WARRIORS. Night of WARRIORS, July 1998 Fans of Nobuatsu Tatsuko were frustrated at Kitoaji’s behaviour. After denying the worthy Tatsuko for months, he had now handed an opportunity at the Glory Crown to someone who had only recently joined the company. Yes, Sean McFly had impressed since his arrival earlier in the year, but so far he was yet to get any major wins. Fans could see his potential, but to walk into a Glory Crown main event so soon left a sour taste in the mouth. And, as many predicted, Koryusai Kitoaji defeated Sean McFly in the main event. The match was good, with McFly once again proving his class. However, the atmosphere was hampered by a murmuring discontent directed at Kitoaji. Night of VICTORY, July 1998 Koryusai Kitoaji returned down the card to team with Dino Maldini and Pistol Pete Hall in a successful outing against Chuichi Sanda, Hayate Hasegawa and Fukusaburu Inao. Pistol Pete Hall had taken a liking to Maldini, taking him under his wing for some experienced guidance. And Maldini did well alongside two elite competitors. But Kitoaji was more interested in Pistol Pete Hall himself. After the show, he struck back at critics who questioned his picks, and challenged them to doubt the ability and credentials of Pistol Pete Hall who he had chosen to face him at Night of LEGACY. The problem was, Hall was also a new arrival in PGHW and, while he was highly respected, had yet to set the company alight. Once again, Kitoaji’s criteria for determining who should get a title shot was put under serious scrutiny. Night of LEGACY, August 1998 In the main event of Night of LEGACY, Koryusai Kitoaji defended the Glory Crown against Pistol Pete Hall. It was a rugged match, with striking the main feature. Hall’s heavy blows went up against Kitoaji’s crunching strikes, and by the end of the match, both men were peppered with red welts and swellings. In the end, Kitoaji got the win with the Kitoaji Braindrop. Again, a good match was undermined by a rumbling of discontent within the arena. After the show, Kitoaji announced that he would be taking part in the Elite Tag Series alongside his old buddy and partner in BHOTWG, Shimi Komatsuzaki. Komatsuzaki hadn’t impressed since joining PGHW. He looked off the pace and a little out of shape, yet when he and Kitoaji were together, they were always a threat. Still, plenty of fans wondered how long it would be until Kitoaji handed a title shot to his friend rather than facing someone who deserved it more. “Long may he reign” was a comment heard more than once from sarcastic voices. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1998 In the final show before the Elite Tag Series, Koryusai Kitoaji teamed with Shimi Komatsuzaki and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) against Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). It was the first time since Night of WRESTLING in December last year that Ichihara and Kitoaji shared the same ring. It had been a while. The fans got excited when the two found themselves across the ring as the legal men, and their brief interactions called back some of their classic moments. But in an eight-man match, those moments are shortlived. The match was won with other competitors, with Raymond Diaz pinning Sotatsu Sarumara after he and Wright hit the Too Hot to Handle. For both Team STRENGTH RUSH and Kitoaji & Komatsuzaki, the victory over the Glory Tag Crown champions was a great way to head into the Elite Tag Series.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE Nobody was more disappointed at Night of GLORY than Nobuatsu Tatsuko. After two years of working towards a shot at the Glory Crown, after proving time and time again he was ready to face Koryusai Kitoaji, he came up a fraction short. Everybody knew that it wouldn’t be his last chance. In fact, he’d probably have many more in the future. But that was little consolation for Tatsuko. Kitoaji had told him he lacked patience. And in the critical moment of the biggest match of his life, after showing incredible patience for so long, he lost it. Frustration took over and it cost him everything. How would he react? Would he roar back into contention? Or would he get bogged down in self-pity? Meanwhile, he wasn’t the only one who had suffered a loss recently. They say the strength of a man is measured not in his victories, but in how he reacts in the face of adversity. Now it was time to be strong. Night of STRENGTH, June 1998 The main event of Night of STRENGTH was an 8-man tag match. On one side was Nobuatsu Tatsuko with Danger Kumasaka and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushahibo). They faced Luis Figo Manico, Mito Miwa and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). Seeing four of the most highly-rated youngsters in the same match was a rare delight for the PGHW fans, and the rest of the field wasn’t half bad either. The interactions between Team Dynasty and Team STRENGTH RUSH were fun, but the main talking point was how Luis Figo Manico pinned Nobuatsu Tatsuko to get the victory. It was a surprising outcome. Tatsuko looked quietly angry at the result, while Figo treated it as if it were perfectly normal. After the show, Tatsuko wanted to right that particular wrong and challenged Figo to a one-on-one match at the next show, Night of WARRIORS. Night of WARRIORS, July 1998 The show opened with Luis Figo Manico taking on Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Both men had stuttered recently, with titles slipping away from them. So, while there was nothing official on the line, the stakes of gaining momentum to re-enter the title picture were enough to create an intense atmosphere. And the match was intense. Tatsuko fought relentlessly, like a metronome turned up to eleven. Figo countered with clever moves he had planned in advance. In the end, Tatsuko managed to hit the Tatsuko Driller and get the victory. After the match, Figo went to shake Tatsuko’s hand, but Tatsuko appeared not to notice the gesture and walked away. Later, Tatsuko claimed he hadn’t realised what Figo was doing, but the Spaniard seemed sour about the whole thing and unconvinced by Tatsuko’s excuse. Night of VICTORY, July 1998 If Nobuatsu Tatsuko thought he’d dealt with Luis Figo Manico by beating him at the previous show, he was wrong. They met in another 8-man main event. This time, Figo partnered with Danger Kumasaka, Shuji Inukai and Eisaku Kunomasu. Tatsuko’s team mates were Mito Miwa, Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama. It was another blockbuster match and another big result. It was surprising only in the sense that it had happened again. Figo pinned Tatsuko, using the Madrid Maul to grind him down on the mat. After the match, Tatsuko offered his hand in respect, but Figo mocked the gesture, looking up, down and around – anywhere but the outstretched hand, then walked childishly out of the ring. Tatsuko seethed. Night of LEGACY, August 1998 In the show’s opener, Nobuatsu Tatsuko was on the winning side of a big tag-match alongside Team STRENGTH RUSH, Dino Maldini and Danger Kumasaka. They beat Kazuo Mitsushi, Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao, Chuichi Sanda and Walter Morgan. Tatsuko was imperious in the match, smashing through several of his opponents and getting the pin on Kazuo Mitsushi. (For the record, Kazuo Mitsushi had failed to win a single match on a major show this year, so the curse was still well and truly on him). Later in the show, Luis Figo Manico took on Dread. Everybody had to do it at some point. And everybody lost. Figo was no different, but at this point, a good performance against the dominant force didn’t result in a victory, just not getting completely destroyed. Figo, who could count himself moderately proud of his showing, called out Tatsuko after the show, saying if he wanted to shake his hand, he should have done it when he had the chance. However, he suggested a rematch of their Night of WARRIORS match at the next show, Night of TOUGHNESS. Tatsuko accepted, saying no matter what the result was, he would expect a handshake. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1998 The profiles of Luis Figo Manico and Nobuatsu Tatsuko had grown to such an extent that their match main-evented Night of TOUGHNESS. With it being the last show before the Elite Tag Series, many eyes were on the teams preparing for the Block matches. Neither Figo nor Tatsuko intended to take part in the event, so a victory here would carry them through September, while a loss would linger like a bad smell for the whole month. Having already experienced Tatsuko’s intensity once, Figo came even more prepared. He had an answer to everything. Tatsuko tried to overwhelm him with constant pressure, but the Spaniard evaded it and struck precisely with his own offence. Tatsuko wouldn’t give up easily, but the frustration was clear on his face. He couldn’t connect with his biggest moves. Still, he managed to maintain a constant level of danger and on several occasions seemed to have the match won. But, for the third time in the space of two months, Tatsuko found himself in the Madrid Maul, unable to escape, head getting smashed into the mat, until he was turned over and pinned for the three-count. It was another huge result for Figo. And Tatsuko was enraged. He couldn’t believe he had lost. Yet, being a man of his word, he extended his hand to shake Figo’s. The Spaniard grasped it with his own, and the pair shook. Then Tatsuko yanked Figo towards him, swung him up into the Tatsuko Driller and drove his head into the mat. Figo slumped to the floor. Rage flickered in Tatsuko’s eyes as he stared at the downed body and officials rushed to the ring. It was rare for any violence to take place outside of the confines of the allotted match time in PGHW. In fact, it was the first time anybody had done any serious physical harm to another competitor in such a way. And Tatsuko realised it. After a few seconds of looking like a trapped lion, his body softened and his fury crumbled into regret. He departed the ring in a hurry, head down, muttering to himself. After the show, he did not appear to speak to the press. Figo, having recovered, did, and he had these words: Figo: What is it with this guy? I get it, he lost his chance at the Glory Crown. That sucks. But he’s not the only one to suffer defeat. Kitoaji has beaten loads of guys. I only just lost the Historical Japan title and couldn’t win it back. That hurt. A lot. But I dealt with it. First he pulls the stunt with the handshake and now this. It’s immature. If he can’t live with the consequences of his failure, then he’s got a thing or two to learn before he could ever be champion. And I’m willing to teach him. At Night of HONOUR. We’ve got one win apiece, let’s blow it off, as they say. Complete the trilogy. If he beats me, fine, I accept that. But I intend on mauling him again, and he’d better behave like an adult when I do.

Predictions DinoKea: 2/4 Caledonian Cup 1978 Predictions DinoKea: 2/4 Next Time Jacques Strapp vs. Kenny Maynard Leo King vs. Mikel de Sota Alexander Tomov vs. Angus McCloud Daniel Whitman vs. William Riley

I love this idea. I'll take it a step further and suggest it could become a worker interaction similar to requests for payrises. For example, Hogan approaches you and requests you hire Beefcake. If you agree, it becomes a promise / immediately goes to contract negotiation. If you refuse, Hogan gets upset. If it's a major star, you may want to just make the hire to keep him happy. Or, if your booker stats are high (leadership, diplomacy, etc.) you can talk your way out of the situation. The extent of the morale change would depend on booker reputation vs. worker reputation, worker's role in the company and worker's personality. This would create a meaningful choice and an interesting dynamic - do you risk annoying your biggest star, or do you do what he asks and bring in someone who will affect the backstage atmosphere by forming cliques. And if you bury Beefcake, he'll cause even more problems... On the flip side, if it's a worker wanting to bring in a trainee or a friend, they might offer the promise of putting them over in the near future. I would say this direct worker request should probably be an optional feature, as it could be quite annoying for some players.

RECONCILIATION For the bulk of 1998, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu) had stayed well clear of each other. They showed maturity in stepping away from each other’s company and focusing on themselves before their relationship deteriorated beyond repair. But both had on their mind the possibility of reforming the tag team. With the Elite Tag Series approaching, it made sense for them to reform. Was it the right time for their partnership, though? Would rushing back together for the tournament be too early? Or had they been apart so long they no longer clicked like they used to? There was also the fact that Eisaku Hoshino was now the Historical Japan champion with his own honour and duty to live up to. Would a reconciliation lead to further trouble? Night of STRENGTH, June 1998 In the opening match, Eisaku Kunomasu comfortably dispatched of Kazuo Mitsushi in a rare singles match for the veteran. The younger Kunomasu had the physical and psychological advantage, beating the powerless Mitsushi who at this point, couldn’t buy a win. Later on, Eisaku Hoshino defended the Historical Japan title against Yodo Nakane, another veteran. It was a similar story – a feisty youngster overcoming the aging veteran. It was more competitive than the previous match, but the result was the same. After the match, Dino Maldini, accompanied by Pistol Pete Hall, challenged Hoshino. Hall clearly saw potential in Maldini and wanted him to prove himself against the best. Hoshino accepted, and the match was made for Night of WARRIORS. Night of WARRIORS, July 1998 This time it was Eisaku Kunomasu who defeated Yodo Nakane. Kunomasu may not have enjoyed the great success of singles competition like Hoshino, but he was picking up solid wins over solid competitors, really establishing himself as a threat in this, just his third year of wrestling. Eisaku Hoshino’s match against Dino Maldini for the Historical Japan title went about as everyone expected. Maldini once again showed he had some spark, some killer instinct, but inexperience was his enemy, and he couldn’t avoid the Godzilla Plunge from Hoshino that retained the title. Night of VICTORY, July 1998 Eisaku Hoshino defended the Historical Japan title again. The tradition of putting the belt on the line at as many major shows as possible continued, and there were plenty of competitors willing to step up. This time it was another gaijin: Walter Morgan. Morgan was a supremely gifted mat wrestler, with a talent for submissions. But that was about all he could do, so he couldn’t cope with Hoshino’s wild, unorthodox brawling style. The Godzilla Plunge finished him off. In the main event, Eisaku Kunomasu was on the winning team in an eight-man tag match. While he wasn’t the star of the show, he certainly didn’t look out of place alongside esteemed tag partners in Luis Figo Manico, Danger Kumasaka and Yoshimi Mushashibo. They defeated an equally star-studded lineup of Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Mito Miwa, Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama. And, after that victory, Kunomasu decided it was time. Time for him to have a go at the Historical Japan title. He called out Eisaku Hoshino who appeared to face him in the ring. The tag partners locked eyes, guarded against what might happen next, but a nod of agreement from both signalled the match was made for Night of LEGACY. Night of LEGACY, August 1998 They say your friends are often the ones you hit hardest. Well, at this point it wasn’t clear if Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu were friends, but they knocked seven hells out of each other in their Historical Japan title match. There were no concessions. No favourable treatment from either side. Just two men battering each other with strikes that carried extra weight, either from anger, pride or hope, or even a mixture of all of those things, it didn’t matter. Kunomasu’s style was precise and crisp. Hoshino’s was wild and ugly. Both were equally effective. And when it looked like the pair might cancel each other out, Hoshino showed why he had become champion in the first place and pulled out the Godzilla Plunge for a massive win. After the match, Kunomasu looked irritated. But that anger was directed at himself, not his tag partner. He dipped his head and walked away. Hoshino followed and, after the show, asked Kunomasu if he’d compete alongside him at the Elite Tag Series. He received no answer. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1998 Eisaku Hoshino got a routine win over Chuichi Sanda as he made his seventh defence of the Historical Japan title. Sanda had been in PGHW for a while and fit the mold of young twenty-something potential star, but so far had struggled to keep up. Eisaku Kunomasu was in action in another tag match, teaming with Walter Morgan and Yodo Nakane. They suffered defeat against the trio of Danger Kumasaka and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo). Perhaps seeing Team Dynasty back on the same page triggered something in Kunomasu. Or perhaps he had made up his mind beforehand. Nobody knew. But at the end of the show, Kunomasu agreed to reunite Team EXPLOSION to fight for the Elite Tag Series. The usually stoic Kunomasu had these words: Kunomasu: I’ve been thinking about this for two weeks. Could I sit on the sidelines and watch the Elite Tag Series without taking part? Or could I find a different tag partner to compete alongside? The answer to both questions was obviously, no. Hoshino and I have been tag partners since the beginning. It is what defines us most. Maybe we will have our own separate successes, but despite all that comes between us, we will always be a tag team.

CLOSING IN ON GREATNESS Nearly a full year had passed since Dread set out on his path to prove his doubters wrong and defeat everyone on the PGHW roster. And, remarkably, he was still going. 23 wrestlers had fallen before him during that time, and only a few remained. His latest conquest had been Sean McFly, a fellow American, and they had competed in one of the greatest matches of the company’s history. Mito Miwa, Eisaku Hoshino, Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Danger Kumasaka, and Yoshimi Mushashibo had all been crossed off the list. Who was next? And with the majority of the remaining competitors being serious players, would he manage to go all the way? He was closing in on greatness, but some big hurdles lay in his path yet. Night of STRENGTH, June 1998 Compared to Dread’s recent opponents, Shimi Komatsuzaki proved relatively straightforward to defeat. The former BHOTWG wrestler had only recently joined the company, but he still counted as a roster member for Dread to defeat. The match was surprisingly good, with Komatsuzaki fighting as a spirited underdog, surviving for longer than he had any right to, but ultimately, a Dreadsault put him away. Shimi Komatsuzaki became number 24. After the match, Dread was challenged by someone who was new to the company, but no stranger to Dread. Pistol Pete Hall. Night of WARRIORS, July 1998 Pistol Pete Hall and Dread spent a year and a half on the GCG roster in the early 90’s. They were both 37 at the present time, and had seen very different career trajectories – Dread dominating both the USA and Japan, with multiple world titles to his name, while Hall had gained a great reputation despite his lack of gold. Not to mention Hall had been away from the ring for six years. But Hall was one of the few men in the world who could match Dread for size and force. He had one of the strongest right hands in the business, capable of knocking most people out cold. But Dread wasn’t most people. He ate the right hand, staggered, then retaliated with a Dread Bomb to win the match. Pistol Pete Hall became number 25. Night of VICTORY, July 1998 Next in Dread’s sights was Shuji Inukai. Dread had actually defeated Inukai two weeks before starting his path of dominance, so he could have been excused for counting Inukai among the already conquered. But Dread wanted no asterisks and faced Inukai again. The last time they met, Inukai had impressed Dread with both his offense and spirit. And as Inukai set himself for the Untouchable Lariat, the fans in Kobe wondered if Inukai might be “the one”, or if he hit the lariat, Dread might be the first person ever to kick out of it. Neither happened as Inukai never connected with his deadly finisher. Instead, Dread charged into him, knocking him flat near the corner, and hit a Dreadsault to get the victory. Shuji Inukai became number 26. Night of LEGACY, August 1998 Luis Figo Manico had certainly made an impression since his arrival in PGHW a year ago. He had enjoyed a similar winning run, going all the way to the Elite Series without losing a singles match. Dread was on a rampage, though, so Figo had his work cut out. It was a fantastic match, with Figo managing to counter many of Dread’s big moves with clever, well-planned sidesteps and shoulder drops. But Dread only needed to hit a few big moves to deal immense damage. And when he hit the Dread Bomb, there was no way Figo was kicking out. Luis Figo Manico became number 27. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1998 In a match made more out of administrative completionism than real wrestling merit, Ryoma Muruyama had the ominous task of facing Dread next. Muruyama had only recently graduated from SAISHO, the company’s training school, and was a very fresh, very green young lion. The size difference between him and Dread was just as alarming as the gulf in experience. To give Muruyama credit, he survived an astonishing ten minutes of brutalisation before succumbing to the Dreadsault, although it must be said that Dread was guilty of playing with his food at times. Ryoma Muruyama became number 28. With Night of HONOUR mainly focusing on the Elite Tag Series, the remainder of Dread’s potential competitors were unavailable due to their participation in the tournament and so Dread would not face anybody in singles competition on that show. Not that many opponents remained. In fact, only two members of the PGHW roster were left. Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

Predictions DinoKea: 3/4 Old School Fan: 3/4 Leeds Trophy 1978 Predictions DinoKea: 23/32 Old School Fan: 15/24 The Blonde Bomber: 6/8 Next Time FIRST ROUND OF THE CALEDONIAN CUP Alexander Tomov vs. Leo King Daniel Whitman vs. Kenny Maynard Angus McCloud vs. Mikel de Sota Jacques Strapp vs. William Riley

RISKY BUSINESS As it turned out, that kid I had my eye on was running down his contract in SWF. Sean McFly. I had to do my best to get him. He was destined to be one of the all-time greats and his attitude perfectly matched the project. It came at a price, though. Over $200,000 a month, if you’re interested. A huge outlay for someone who had little name-value in Japan. I knew it was a risk. But the money was running in and I had to capitalise. He wasn’t the only expense, either. Pistol Pete Hall’s salary was pretty high, and a whole bunch of contracts needed renewing. I had given most people 2-year contracts upon signing in ’96 and they were all coming to an end. Ichihara, Kitoaji, Dread, all the future pillars – spring and early summer were expensive months. But worth it. Because as long as we kept up the strong performances and killer shows, we were making enough money to pay for all these stars. If we dropped off, then that might be a problem. For now, I could afford the risk. Risks had never been my thing before. Taking care of my personal finances had always been a priority, and I repelled the idea of splashing the cash. Yet business is different. When people spend their money on flash cars or pricey holidays or gawdy watches, that money disappears. The thing about investing in a business is that, if done right, that money pays itself back and then some. That’s exactly what was happening. I could have taken my initial $2 million out by now and still had plenty in the PGHW coffers to thrive. So can you blame me for doubling down and investing even more? I believed that in another year, we’d be getting triple the revenue. Assuming everything went well.

Night of GLORY, June 1998 Eisaku Hoshino © vs. Luis Figo Manico for the Historical Japan title Chuichi Sanda, Dino Maldini, Fukusaburu Inao, Hayate Hasegawa and Walter Morgan vs. Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara), Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Kazuo Mitsushi Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Mito Miwa Danger Kumasaka and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Pistol Pete Hall, Shimi Komatsuzaki and Yodo Nakane Dread vs. Sean McFly Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama © vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) for the Glory Tag Crown titles Koryusai Kitoaji © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title MATCH 1: Eisaku Hoshino © vs. Luis Figo Manico for the Historical Japan title Hoshino won the Historical Japan title from Luis Figo Manico at Night of EXCELLENCE a month prior. The victory had come about, in part, due to an ankle injury to Figo. Hoshino took advantage and won the belt, but promised Figo a rematch as soon as he was fit. Now Figo was fit. And while he didn’t show it, he would have been annoyed at his eight-month reign coming to an end in such a disappointing way, and he wanted to set the record straight. Hoshino, however, had no intention of giving the belt back without a serious fight. The contrast in styles was stark. Figo was a preparer, a student, an analyst. He would have spent days assessing Hoshino’s favourite movements and manoeuvres. Hoshino didn’t care for all that. He was a wild, aggressive fighter who got stuck in straight away. You can do all the studying you like, but when Eisaku Hoshino charges at you like a honey badger, there’s no formula to react. Figo found this out the hard way, eating a Godzilla Plunge. That move led to the winning pinfall, and Hoshino’s second successful defence of the belt. This time away from Team EXPLOSION partner Eisaku Kunomasu was going extremely well. MATCH 2: Chuichi Sanda, Dino Maldini, Fukusaburu Inao, Hayate Hasegawa and Walter Morgan vs. Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara), Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Kazuo Mitsushi This match was little more than a ten-man filler to get everyone on the card. Kazuo Mitsushi’s curse of always being on the losing team continued as he was pinned by Dino Maldini, who looked pretty good throughout the match. MATCH 3: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Mito Miwa This match came about thanks to a heated striking confrontation at Night of EXCELLENCE where Miwa and McFly beat Kunomasu and Maldini. Kunomasu clearly took exception to the interaction and at the following show, Night of SUCCESS, wanted to show Miwa who was boss. Over the last few months, Mito Miwa had looked a little directionless. He failed in two title attempts, for the Glory Crown and Historical Japan titles, and, while advancing from Block A in the Elite Series, missed out on success when he lost the semi-final to Tatsuko. But a smile had returned to his face when he began tagging with Sean McFly. The American’s arrival seemed to light a fire under the Pride Warrior, and that fire burned strong here as he and Kunomasu battered each other with dozens of brutal chops, elbow strikes and headbutts. Finally, Miwa hit the Pride Bomber to get a hard-fought win. MATCH 4: Danger Kumasaka and Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Pistol Pete Hall, Shimi Komatsuzaki and Yodo Nakane Team Dynasty went through a rough time in the first half of the year. Their falling out over Inukai’s “unethical” tactics to win the Glory Tag Crown titles had simmered for months, firstly leading to them quickly dropping the belts, then an underlying tension that threatened to drive them apart. At Night of POWER, they went head-to-head to determine who would get a title shot against Kitoaji. Inukai won, and Mushashibo embraced him. It seemed that Danger Kumasaka had used that moment to galvanise the team, putting the problems of the past behind them. And it had worked. In this match, the pair were on the same page throughout. They faced tough competition, especially from the recently arrived Pistol Pete Hall, but in the end, Kumasaka applied the Aurora Surfboard Vice to Nakane for the team’s victory. MATCH 5: Dread vs. Sean McFly Everyone in Japan knew Dread. He had been around for over a decade and had entered a period of total domination, with 22 straight singles victories to his name. In contrast, fans of PGHW were only just getting to know Sean McFly. The big-money contract, the brilliant matches he’d had against and with Mito Miwa, and the aura of class that oozed out of him told them he was a superstar, but many were yet to believe it. So, when he challenged Dread with confidence, there were more than a few raised eyebrows. But if fans didn’t “get” Sean McFly at the start of the match, by the end, they were convinced. The two Americans put on one of the best Japanese-style matches the country had seen. Dread was a dominant force. McFly was a heartful underdog performing incredible feats of strength and skill to try to fell the monster. On three, heart-stopping moments, McFly came within millimetres of getting the win. Two pinfalls that Dread barely managed to kick out of, and a submission by McFly which had fans squealing with emotion. But Dread broke free. For the last year, Dread had dominated opponents, but this time he narrowly got the win by reversing a Delorean Driver into a Dread Bomb. The big man was exhausted in victory, and McFly became a fan favourite. MATCH 6: Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama © vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) for the Glory Tag Crown titles The lopsided team of Ichihara and Nagahama faced their toughest test yet – two-time Glory Tag Crown champions, Team STRENGTH RUSH. Wright and Diaz had defeated the champions in trios action at Night of SUCCESS, something Ichihara had criticised Nagahama about. Team STRENGTH RUSH got their title shot right away. And they were not hanging about. When the titles were on the line, Wright & Diaz always upped their game. However, they had to contend with Ichihara. Ichihara alone had defeated Rebel Cell, without needing Nagahama to tag in. But against Wright and Diaz, he had to rely on Nagahama. And it was the younger man who made the difference, tagging in when Ichihara could hold on no longer. He wiped out Diaz, then hit a Head Drop Suplex, Ichihara’s finisher, on Lee Wright to get the pinfall victory to retain. Ichihara clapped Nagahama on the shoulder after the match and raised his hand in celebration. Nagahama looked delighted. MATCH 7: Koryusai Kitoaji © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title Finally. After nine months of waiting, Nobuatsu Tatsuko got his shot at the Glory Crown. Not only was it his first opportunity to take on Kitoaji for the Crown, it was his first ever time competing for the prize, despite having been a major part of the company since its inception two years ago. After months of big victories, making statements and showing Kitoaji he was ready, it took an Elite Series win to confirm the title match. And even then, Kitoaji held it off. But he could delay no more. At the end of the last show, Kitoaji had criticised Tatsuko’s childish lack of patience. As if in response, Tatsuko came out to this match with a look of calm on his face. And the match began slow. As the younger, fitter man who was famous for his conditioning, the longer the match went on, the better for Tatsuko. He could outlast the 41-year-old champion. They grappled and tussled, with a few fierce strikes flying back and forth. Neither man held control for longer than a couple of minutes, as if neither wanted to commit themselves too early. But as the match went on, Kitoaji’s energy levels dropped ever-so-slightly. He was breathing hard after fifteen minutes, while Tatsuko looked fine. Yet Kitoaji still resisted going into full attack mode. The choice unsettled the crowd who were used to seeing the champion battering opponents by now. After twenty minutes, Tatsuko applied a leglock. Kitoaji looked in trouble, and for several minutes he couldn’t escape. But finally, he reached the ropes and Tatsuko had to release him. A flash of irritation crossed Tatsuko’s face and he kept up the assault. He hit some big moves on Kitoaji, taking control of the match and dealing serious damage. Kitoaji survived. He kicked out of half a dozen pinfalls, and every time, Tatsuko looked a little more frustrated. This continued. Tatsuko battered Kitoaji. He threw him around the ring with ferocity, the blood rising to his face. He smashed him with lariats, elbow strikes, powerslams, even a piledriver that nearly got the win. But Kitoaji kept hanging in there. And every time Tatsuko went for his finisher, the Tatsuko Driller, Kitoaji managed to escape. Tatsuko was hot and bothered now, but still in control. Then, when Tatsuko caught him with a stiff elbow strike, Kitoaji stood firm, refusing to let it affect him. Then he said out loud: “You’re not ready” and opened himself up for Tatsuko to hit him. Which he did. The comment enraged Tatsuko whose reddened face turned deep crimson. He saw nothing but rage now, and attacked with wild ferocity. Kitoaji caught a forearm to the nose that bust him open and a crunching knee to the chin that nearly knocked him out. Tatsuko was a whirlwind of violence. And after the torrent of strikes, he grabbed Kitoaji, hoisted him up for the Tatsuko Driller and… Kitoaji reversed it! Kitoaji Braindrop! One…Two… Three! Koryusai Kitoaji got the victory and retained the Glory Crown! Tatsuko was stunned. He recovered from the Braindrop faster than Kitoaji recovered from the battering. The youngster still had energy left in him. He had been dominating, going for the kill… Yet he stood empty-handed in the middle of the ring over the champion who was receiving medical attention for a broken nose. Conclusion Kitoaji and Tatsuko’s match capped off another strong night of PGHW action. The title match shocked many fans who thought it was Tatsuko’s time. Kitoaji had held the belt for a full year, and Tatsuko seemed like the obvious successor. But Kitoaji remained champion. The match of the night was Dread vs. McFly. The bout was already being put in the mix for Match of the Year candidate, although most agreed that Ichihara vs. Tatsuko at Night of PRIDE was still the frontrunner. McFly and Pistol Pete Hall’s arrivals had strengthened the roster, and a couple of new teams were beginning to form. Miwa and McFly announced that they would become an official tag team, with the name Team MYTHOS. Pistol Pete said that he saw potential in Dino Maldini and wanted to see more from him. In the post-show press conference, the attention was firmly on Tatsuko and Kitoaji. Tatsuko had little to say, other than to express his disappointment. Kitoaji, with a thick icepack on his nose, had these comments: Kitoaji: I warned him. I said to Tatsuko, didn’t I, at the end of Night of SUCCESS? I told him he needed to be more patient. Was I wrong? No, I was right. Tonight, he showed why he isn’t ready to be champion. It’s been a full year now. That makes me proud. And looking to the future, I can see some fantastic new challengers. It’s good to have my buddy Komatsuzaki here, as well as Pistol Pete Hall. I think Figo isn’t far off a title shot, and Sean McFly could get there if he keeps up that kind of work. As for Tatsuko, well if he wants another shot, he’s going to have to knuckle down and earn it. Another victor on the night, Dread, had his voice heard: Dread: I have to admit, for the first time in forever I felt worried. Sean McFly, you’re a great competitor. And I reaffirm what I said before the match – I think you’ll be the best in the world in five years. But not now. That’s still me. And I’m nearly out of opponents. I count only six remaining. Six of the best in PGHW. And one of them holds a nice bit of gold I’ve got my eye on.

Thanks! The league format is a lot of fun, even if sometimes it's hard to book. There's still a fair amount to go with the dynasty - the Caledonian Cup, the Cardiff Trophy and, of course, the Champion of Champions tournament! The hatred is strong. Will Kenny Maynard get the job done for you?