AboardTheArk

OLLIE RELÁMPAGO - JAN. WK1 Nicolas Lopez vs. Silver Tiger Marcos Flores vs. Phobia ??? vs. Queen Amazon The Freedom Family (with Agueda Alonso) vs. The American Cobras (with Emilia Reyes) North Star Jr vs. Extraordinario Jr (with Space Invaders) Dos Phoenix Nuevo (Phoenix II & Phoenix IV) & Fuego Fantastico vs. El Critico & Dragón Americano & Super Diestro Laberinto Jr & Blue Phantom & Astro vs. Amo Del Gato & Coulrophobia (Hellech & Pierrot) Optional: Rosa Perez It's definitely tough to balance real life mexican wrestling with the CVerse, excited to see how it works. Lightning matches are a great addition.

best of luck, OLLIE rules.

The Golden Four are going to save the company?

Card for UPJ Showdown in Hiroshima 2021 MAIN EVENT: UPJ International Heavyweight Title Match: Erik Van Rjin vs Kintaro Kinjo (2nd Defense) UPJ International Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Jin Fujiwara vs Kozue (2nd Defense) UPJ International Tag Team Championships Match: Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita vs Pure MUSCLE (5th Defense) Furosuto vs Ryotaro Naruto PunkRockCity vs Oda Yamawaki & Kamei Takauji HardRockCity Juniors vs Dustin LeFever, Nakada & Yamada and Sugarskull Alvaro Buey III, Lobo, Jayden Cole and Otojiro Ikina vs ???, Des Miller, Koji Yamada & Ukon Kajahara

UPJ SHOWDOWN IN OKAYAMA 2021 Friday, week 3 of February 2021 Held in Okayama Perfectural Arena Confirmed Attendance: 30000 PPV Buys: 171,816 UPJ+ Subs: 959,990 Match 1: Oda Yamawaki vs Kamei Takauji VS Yamawaki was in “good” spirits despite his loss. He came out in the black trunks but decided to steal the show regardless, adopting the mannerisms of the legendary Ichiro Mishima who is one of the last UPJ legends to wear all black for his career. He wrestled a different match than usual against Takauji, keeping things simple and letting his experience and athleticism make the difference, before the Sumida Bridge ended proceedings. Match Rating: 62 Match 2: Hidetsugu Genji & Joao Iwahara vs Utamara & Sugarskull VS This debut was purely a showcase for Sugarskull, the man with the incredible mask and the solid execution of classic high flying moves. Genji and Iwahara base and get heat as instructed with Iwahara showing some really cool technical transitions. Utamara was a “face” in peril, teaming with the Spaniard purely because both have spooky masks, but this is some of the closest he’s gotten to getting a “spotlight” on him in non-tournament season so he really worked hard to sell and milk the hot tag. A few tijeras later, some awesome dodges into the HardRockCity team crashing into each other, a big missile dropkick and a Dia De Los Muertos (Phoenix Senton Splash) later, and Sugarskull had picked up his first UPJ W! Match Rating: 55 Match 3: 10 Man Unaffiliated Battle Royal Koji Yamada wins and is the first entrant in the Ozeki Summit. A bit boring and by the numbers, no returns or debuts also hurt it. Match Rating: 57 Match 4: Furosuto vs Dustin LeFever VS One show without Dustin LeFever was one too many, as he gets a marquee singles against the potential ace of the division. And he shows out showing why he’s the greatest brand representative in UPJ history, being a very hard puzzle to solve for a Furosuto who has a lot on his mind. There’s no pretenses here, LeFever isn’t willing to match Furosuto for pace, instead using his incredible understanding of the rules to frustrate and gain small advantages. Rope breaks and rolling out of the ring and spatial awareness are the kind of things you need to succeed in the cutthroat world of business. But so is resiliency, and apparently Dustin is still working on that because as soon as Furosuto adjusted it got real ugly, real fast for our hero. The dropkicks rocked him, the suplexes wrecked him, and a normal First Sign of Frost gave Furosuto the win. Match Rating: 69 Match 5: Bruiser Cassidy & Erik Van Rjin vs Kintaro Kinjo & Mr. Yamashita VS The semi-main was purely to build up anticipation for the Van Rjin vs Kinjo title fight on the next night, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t do great work in there. Cassidy and Kinjo went on from where they left off, with the struggle of the champion being echoed whenever Mr. Yamashita went in- despite his newfound usefulness, there’s limits to how much he can achieve in the ring unless two dynamic behemoths. Van Rjin was a man possessed in particular. His reckless abandon with which he threw himself and his opponents around would make you swear he’ll hurt himself before getting to Hiroshima. Kinjo made a business decision towards the end stretch to sacrifice Yamashita at the altar, and the two Ignite Muscle Army took turns wrecking him (and almost lost to a schoolboy pin for their hubris) before a Running Elbow by Van Rjin sealed the deal. After that, Erik waved at the champ and shouted “See you at Hiroshima” with a smile on his face. Match Rating: 82 Match 6: International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: SHOGUN & Ryotaro Naruto vs Cody & Matsuo After the Captain UPJ weight debacle, faction leader Ryotaro Naruto stepped up next to SHOGUN. The issue? These two haven’t been teaming up together in tag team scenarios and therefore weren’t nearly as on the same page as the champions. Nevertheless, their individual brilliance was more than enough to keep them in the match and give them advantages, but they weren’t up to the task in maximizing those advantages through teamwork. Every time they went for a double team move it backfired, and Junichi Matsuo and Cameron Cody were ready to pounce, frustrate them and outwrestle them in those occasions. Matsuo especially was hungry to mix it up with Ryotaro Naruto, clearly viewing him as a measuring stick. And let’s admit: he didn’t just get his ass kicked! His ability to land on his feet out of most move set ups and capitalize quickly got him out of hot water a couple times, and he hit a huge Junichi Plex (Package German Suplex) that almost ended the match if not for a miraculous kickout. By that point SHOGUN was desperately to tag in and got a huge hot tag where he just started spamming vintage offense with dropkicks, a huge crucifix driver and his finishing Thrust Kick- not enough! Cody & Matsuo decide “screw the rules” and double team him without a tag or regard for a (always lenient anyway) 5 count. Naruto initially saves SHOGUN which gets them the momentum they needed to finally get on the same page. Stereo dropkicks! Back Body Drops! Taunts to the crowd! Double Frankensteiner! Those weren’t enough to get the win either so Naruto calls for the thrust kick into the Naruto Driver, but Cody pulls Matsuo out of the way and SHOGUN kicks Naruto! Junichi Plex-Flying Lariat combo on a stunned SHOGUN and the champs retain in a great match. Match Rating: 74 Main Event: Kato vs Katsuhiko Ishii VS United Promotions Japan is a Big Match company. That means they produce some of the biggest and most important wrestling matches of the year, every year. But it also means they have world class wrestlers who are ready to produce a big match out of any circumstances. This is what happened when the leader of the Ignite Muscle Army faced the second of Kinjo-Jidai in a seemingly filler main event match. These two instantly looked at each other and knew it was a big night. They skipped the (sometimes annoyingly customary in UPJ main events) grappling and went instantly into plummeting and walloping and thrashing and exerting all possible force to knock each other out. What begun as a classic strike exchange soon started vaguely reminiscing a shoot-style match with blocking and avoidance of every hit as they really started selling the damage and danger early on. But the hatred prevailed as a sick dropkick from Ishii to Kato sent the warrior to the outside and begun an elongated ringside brawl. Katsuhiko seems very passionate about inducing horrible head trauma upon Kato, but his opponent’s resiliency is incredible to the point where he no sells a steel post bump, instead getting so pissed off that Ishii backs off in terror for a second before getting his senses back and trying to lariat Kato. He dodges, sending Ishii’s forearm right into the post, and getting the opening he needed to ground his match. The armwork was particularly brutal and focused on the elbow joint especially, kicking and stomping accompanying more standard wrestling heat. Ishii did his best to sell without sympathy but rather contempt but his helplessness got the crowd fired up and he managed to get to the point where he mounted a comeback with fury and huge offense using his off-arm, his head and ring smarts. He even hit the spider suplex-Ishii Knee Drop combo that almost was enough to end the contest, but once Kato managed to get enough separation to get in control and latch on the arm again, he managed to wrist clutch into the Zero Point Slam twice and end the contest in the runaway UPJ Match of the Year so far! Match Rating: 91 Show Rating: 87

Thanks for a kickass diary. Excited to see what you return with whenever you're comfortable.

CGC World Title: Eric Tyler vs Steve DeColt (Guest Referee Jack DeColt) I believe Steve keeps the title but not in a satisfying way, as this builds to Steve supporting Jack and Alex in overcoming the influence of Tyler and fear of DaLay while he has probably lost the belt. Think this goes through Ultimate Showdown. Chain on a Pole Match: Jon Jetson vs Ed Monton This is the big crowdpleasing moment of the show. Grudge Match: Barry Bowen vs Howling Dog Next CGC Champion? Depends on if he gets poached. Barnyard Bash: John McClean vs Black Sheep I think you'll be too tempted with how the other results go. Frenchie's Choice: Rocky Psycho vs Steve Flash Flash just isn't a Self CGC guy imo. 900lbs-a-side Tag Match: Land Mass & Mammoth vs Jake Sloan & Friends FUN! Pie Eating Contest: Biff the Bruiser vs Moose Mulder Just think you like Moose more.

Shimakage Kato Uno & Urugotaya Narahashi Genji Team Roster Members

Thank you all for the predictions and the feedback. Rest assured, your Dustin LeFever concerns will be alleviated, especially post-Summit. Next stop, Okayama! With 5 straight huge shows one of them had to be the "filler" one, and this is what we got: Card for Showdown in Okayama Main Event: Kato vs Katsuhiko Ishii International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: SHOGUN & Ryotaro Naruto vs Cody & Matsuo (2nd Defense) Bruiser Cassidy & Erik Van Rjin vs Kintaro Kinjo & Mr. Yamashita Furosuto vs Dustin LeFever 10 Man Battle Royal for the first entrant to the Ozeki Summit: Alvaro Buey III vs Des Miller vs Jayden Cole vs Koji Yamada vs Koma Kobiashi vs Lobo vs Nakano Yuki vs Otojiro Ikino vs Ryuko Mishamoto vs Ukon Kajahara Hidetsugu Genji & Joao Iwahara vs Utamara & CLLM's Sugarskull Oda Yamawaki vs Kamei Takauji

SHOWDOWN IN FUKUOKA 2021 Held Saturday, Week 2 of February 2021 Venue: Fukuoka FC Stadium Confirmed Attendance: 3000 (Sold Out) PPV Buys: 599322 UPJ+ Views Worldwide: 700312 Match 1: Hidetsugu Genji vs Kamei Takauji VS Genji, knowing he could use a bounce back singles win, puts an old-fashioned beating on the young rookie. That doesn’t mean Takauji doesn’t get his shine in, if anything this may be the most even matchup he’s had so far in terms of offense without another youngster on the roster. But Genji goes through every trick in the young lion beating book, and is absolutely parading an almost knocked-out on his feet kid for the finishing stretch, hitting a tough lariat, a backbreaker and not even giving him the dignity of losing to a finisher, but rather the Boston Crab. (6:46) Match Rating: 44 Match 2: Filipino Fire Power vs Strength Through Honour VS These two teams went out knowing their job is to warm up the crowd and they did exactly that. The wrestling was fundamentally sound, the vets challenged FFP to give them their hardest shots, and the fans were pushing and pushing for Campos and Apolinario to get that marquee victory against the Blue Rhino Cup finalists. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be and Katsumoto hit the Act of Honour on Campos for the win. (13:27) Match Rating: 51 Match 3: Daijiro Otsuka vs Des Miller VS This was a simple, breezy matchup. Two men who hit hard but in different ways than the rest of the roster, Otsuka’s kung-fu inspired offense against Miller’s boxing/MMA prowess. They came up with a few cool exchanges stemming from the stylistic clash, but it was mostly an oddly paced stiff match that is more curious and fun than great. Otsuka hit the Long Road Home for one of the biggest singles wins of his career so far. (10:53) Match Rating: 55 Match 4: Captain UPJ, SHOGUN and Koji Yamada & Koma Kiobashi vs Cody & Matsuo and PunkRockCity VS These folks had an extended house show brawl, exchanging hits and rapidly changing legal competitors despite not going 100% with big spots. Asahara and INK had a chip on their shoulders and went hard against the heavyweights after losing their tag title shot. Kobiashi and Yamada managed to grapple enough to keep up and not risk getting knocked into a loop of bombs, but the junior heavyweight action in the match was much more lopsided with Matsuo being a house on fire against both SHOGUN and Captain UPJ (who is more of a heavy anyway). However, the finish was Captain UPJ getting a huge upset by getting the tokyo bridge pin on Cameron Cody. He sprinted out of the ring in delight and the crowd let an audible gasp. However, quality wise this did suffer from going a bit long. (18:11) Match Rating: 58 Match 5: Furosuto and Kozue vs Jin Fujiwara and Ryoturo Naruto VS The top four of the junior division (though a certain HardRockCity pair might disagree) all in the ring at the same time, with a mission to deliver an absolute bombfest. Kickouts, rapid pace and lucha-inspired sequences were the name of the game throughout the 20 minutes, with Fujiwara bringing out some llave work against Kozue’s incredible dives. Furosuto and Kozue are not comfortable working together (not in terms of match quality chemistry but in terms of winning the match), though they overcame every shortcoming here by just stringing offense together. A kick was followed by a suplex, a throw by a flying move, a hip toss by a standing shooting star press. Naruto and Fujiwara looked out of it but got back into contention for the finish. Furosuto went for his victory roll, Jin was ready to hit the Glittering Fujiwara but a huge Missile Dropkick for Kozue turned the tables. Yet Fujiwara managed to kicked out and Naruto started mauling Kozue with forearms to the back of the head, taking him out and grappling him to let the two warriors settle their differences. Fujiwara was intense and ready, but also clearly rocked in the skull- a few counter sequences later, and Furosuto hit the rare First Sign of Frost (Avalanche Diamond Cutter) for the win. (19:37) Match Rating: 81 Match 6: Juro Deguchi vs Oda Yamawaki VS Sometimes two wrestlers hate each other so they can’t just have a match. This was the case here. The first half of this was an elongated crowd brawl full of blood and dangerous spots that were mostly hit on Yamawaki such as a falcon arrow from the barricade to the floor or a body slam down the steps in the crowd. However, Deguchi was the one who bladed after repeated shots into the steel steps (with Yamawaki having wrist control on the other side and pulling him). By the time they had exercise every last beat of patience and were threatened with a real count out despite the occasion, both men had lost a lot of the usual explosiveness, and this was a slugfest for control. Deguchi’s rationale was to work over and prepare for the Deguchi hold, keeping the pace at a manageable point, but Yamawaki kept throwing everything strikewise with hatred. The crowd’s expressions changed from concern to hatred at a brutal assault of the veteran, but Deguchi also kept coming back, cutting Oda off, kicking out. Yamawaki was showing visible neck strain after a brutal dropkick and Deguchi started spamming piledrivers. Yamawaki was loopy but still managed to fake out Deguchi’s attempt at a Hard Lariat by ducking and getting a Sumida Bridge for a 2.9! Deguchi though instantly got up and connected with the Hard Lariat that turned Yamawaki inside out and allowed him to transition for the Deguchi Hold (Rings of Saturn) for the tap out victory over the Rebel. (31:28) Match Rating: 78 Main Event: Ignite Muscle Army (Atonga, Erik Van Rjin, Kato, Taheji Ebisawa and Takehide Harada) vs Kinjo-jidai (Katsuhiko Ishii, Kintaro Kinjo, Mr. Yamashita, Torture and Waotaka Eda) in 5 vs 5 Elimination Rules VS No matter the occasion, few things get UPJ crowds as hot as a big elimination tag. Stable warfare is ingrained within the company’s culture and while this one doesn’t look like ending the war between IMA and Kinjo-Jidai, the atmosphere was one of a huge match. Wrestlers don’t get in to break falls as they get DQ’d. This is strategy, this is combat. Mr. Yamashita finds himself isolated against Erik Van Rjin a little too long? Eliminated. Takehide Harada focusing too much on shittalking Kintaro Kinjo who used to be his junior? Clobbered by Waotaka Eda to death. The match stagnated for a bit until Katsuhiko Ishii managed to get a quick 1-2-3 on a victory roll on Ebisawa. That’s when Kato and Van Rjin went berserk on Kinjo-Jidai, with the God Emperor and his chosen one hiding behind their monsters. Even the monsters can’t hold back an army of righteous fury however: Kato eliminated Torture and Van Rjin destroyed Eda who barely got a hot tag on Kinjo. Kinjo wasn’t thrilled to be fighting Van Rjin but they had an explosive exchange that captivated the crowd until Atonga went in with Ishii in a preview of the tag titles match in Hiroshina. Atonga is a dominant force but Ishii has hit a new level in 2021. He may not be able to lift Atonga up for the Fire Thunder Driver but his intensity and tenacity meant the stars of Ignite Muscle Army could only watch as he hit repeated Ishii Knee Drops on Atonga for the elimination… Only for Kato to punt kick him instantly and eliminate him, knocking him out cold! A fired up Kato was a sight to behold for Kintaro Kinjo who instantly ordered Waotaka Eda to defend the honor of Kinjo-Jidai. Kato unleashed a flurry of strikes, but a headbutt exchange left him dizzy and Van Rjin had to finish the job: His running elbows are godly, and Eda just waiting to be felled. The monster kicked out of far too many for a mortal but was still downed. This left us with a finish that was surprisingly straightforward in a 2 on 1 assault on the God Emperor. The fans were going wild on every hit, every tag out, every double team move performed. Kinjo fought back but it wasn’t enough. He could only get a nearfall on Kato once with a small package and once with a Blue Flash. As soon as Van Rjin got in again, a flurry of Running Elbows led to the Van Rjin Hold (modified STF) for the triumphant win. (29:18) Match Rating: 78 Show Rating: 76 (Some) Post Show Comments: Shogun: "We fought hard and we earnt a shot at the UPJ Tag Team Titles! Captain, I am glad to follow.:" Captain UPJ: "Err, about that... I cannot make weight for the junior title shot. I have let myself go! Our sponsors are way too tasty." Shogun: "...So where does that leave me?!" Juro Deguchi: "The 'Rebel' challenged me himself, he provoked me, and he paid the price. You can't be a rebel without a cause and think you can stand up to true Rock. I was never going to lose my hair, but now you start back where everyone who needs to learn their lesson does: at the bottom." Jin Fujiwara: "An unfortunate setback, but no matter. I just need to study harder and innovate my way through Kozue. Furosuto already showed me the path today. I hope he makes a wise decision and joins Hall of the United Throne." Kenta Sonoda: "As part as the renewed alliance between the world's oldest promotions to celebrate the 70th anniversary of UPJ, a CLLM wrestler is joining us on the next show and for the foreseeable future will be part of the shows." The whole Ignite Muscle Army is together, but only the leaders are speaking. Erik Van Rjin: "KINJO! You have something that belongs to Ignite Muscle Army. And I'm going to be bringing it back at Hiroshima! Today was only the beginning you fucking prima donna!" Kato: "And I guess there's only one thing for me. Ishii you lapdog. Okayama is free. If you can show up and fight, maybe I will let you show up healthy for your tag title shot against my friends."

Tournament szn let's go

Card for UPJ Showdown in Fukuoka 2021 Main Event: Ignite Muscle Army (Atonga, Erik Van Rjin, Kato, Taheji Ebisawa and Takehide Harada) vs Kinjo-jidai (Katsuhiko Ishii, Kintaro Kinjo, Mr. Yamashita, Tortura and Waotaka Eda) in 5 vs 5 Elimination Rules Grudge Match: Hair vs Young Lion Gear Juro Deguchi vs Oda Yamawaki Furosuto and Kozue vs Jin Fujiwara and Ryoturo Naruto Captain UPJ, SHOGUN and Koji Yamada & Koma Kiobashi vs Cody & Matsuo and PunkRockCity Daijiro Otsuka vs Des Miller Filipino Fire Power vs Strength Through Honour Hidetsugu Genji vs Kamei Takauji

SHOWDOWN IN GIFU 2021 Held Saturday, Week 1 of February 2021 Venue: Gifu Dome Confirmed Attendance: 30000 (Super No Vacancy Sell Out) PPV Buys: 625343 UPJ+ Views Worldwide: 776,452 Match 1: Juro Deguchi vs Kamei Takauji VS It’s an evil thing to start of a major show like this. Deguchi was absolutely ready to slaughter this child to send a message. The only reason this went long was Takauji using some Yamawaki-taught techniques such as rolling out of the ring and desperately clutching the ropes in terror before dodging the incoming attack, which helped him get some breaks and string some offense in in the form of weak forearms and mediocre-form dropkicks. As the crowd actually begin to get behind Kamei, Deguchi cuts him off with a big chop, then hits him with a backdrop backbreaker and puts him in the Boston Crab. Takauji has to tap out to the young lion killer. (7:58) Match Rating: 60 Match 2: Jin Fujiwara, Ryotaro Naruto and SHOGUN vs Furosuto, Kozue and Utamara VS Junior Heavyweight Chaos never looked so controlled. This was a very good match that didn’t quite reach the next gear due to SHOGUN and Utamara performances, the two guys doing a bit too much of the lifting as they were being worked over by the stars of each team. In terms of the story itself, Furosuto clearly wasn’t comfortable working alongside his nemesis in Kozue, and was more emotional than usual when paired with Fujiwara who “stole” his title shot. However, emotion doesn’t always cloud clarity of judgement, as Furosuto looked near unbeatable at times. However, the stable unit just worked and flowed better. Jin Fujiwara is on a roll, and is looking real threatening against the Junior Heavyweight Champion. He made Utamara tap to an armbar while Kozue could only watch (16:12). Match Rating: 75 Match 3: Erik Van Rjin, Kato and Takehide Harada vs Dustin LeFever, Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita VS With Pure MUSCLE defending their title belts on the show, Ishii and Yamashita had to occupy themselves with the rest of Ignite Muscle Army. Arguably, this was a complete mismatch considering Dustin LeFever is a junior and an influencer first and foremost, but the Kinjo-Jidai members didn’t go down without a fight. Ishii shared a lot of tense moments with both Van Rjin and Kato, Yamashita is absolutely on a roll of holding his own against opponents that have been stronger than him in the past, though Van Rjin especially targetted him and did his best to victimise him throughout. Ishii got a pretty huge nearfall on Harada with the Ishii Knee Drop, but as he was teasing the Thunder Death Driver all chaos broke loose with the six men brawling against each other, and it led to a sequence with Harada and Dustin LeFever in the ring. LeFever’s agility and cunning served him well against the legend, with the crowd appalled to see him almost get the three with an inside cradle after an eye rake, but Harada’s steadfast resolve was enough to just chop and chop and chop until Dustin’s defenses went down. He applied the Cloverleaf, Kato and Van Rjin held the rest of Kinjo-Jidai, and LeFever tapped. (16:43) Match Rating: 73 Match 4: Oda Yamawaki vs Hidetsugu Genji VS Genji has made a habit in the latter stages of his career of going after the heavyweights, even competing in the Ozeki Summit once, but against a pissed off Oda Yamawaki he didn’t really stand a chance. Yamawaki kicked and punched and elbow with no much regard for the fundamentals, and Genji could only withstand and find openings. Dropkicks, suplexes, headbutts from the veteran led to an earned double finishing stretch, but Oda just never looked like it was likely he’d lose. This was confirmed as he didn’t even need Total Fear to win, and the Sumida Bridge (Bridging Dragon Suplex) was enough (11:22). Match Rating: 75 Match 5: UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Match: Nakada & Yamada vs Cody & Matsuo A rematch from Hall of the Immortals, this was fun and snappy and about as good as you’d expect, but it wasn’t particularly new, and perhaps a reminder of a thin junior tag team division. Nevertheless, Cameron Cody and Junichi Matsuo are a revelation for the company and work amazingly together. They tend to alternate the face in peril from match to match, truly presenting themselves as equals who also equally care about winning and protecting each other. Nakada & Yamada did competent work as the heels, showing desperation in trying to win their titles back knowing failure means going to the back of the, admittedly kind of short, line. The Junichi-plex on Nakada ended proceedings and officially kickstarted the new era in the division. (16:55) Match Rating: 76 Match 6: UPJ International Tag Team Championships Match: PunkRockCity vs Pure MUSCLE These two teams know each other and have faced each others multiple times in the past couple of years. And the four wrestlers had fun with that, mixing the pairings and having the non-tagged in wrestlers intervene in signature sequences. There was this “chippy” environment, especially between Asahara and Ebisawa. Pure MUSCLE really went in with a champion aura, baiting the innate gutsiness of the challengers and stacking double team offense against them, like Ebisawa’s Belly2Helly into a Muscle Press from Atonga, but Asahara kept kicking out and TOKI INK pulled out the big guns and started headbutting Atonga with no regard to his cranial safety or concussion protocols. With both men slipping outside, TOKI shoved Atonga face first into the steel post then headbutted him to the back of the head, which caused Atonga to bleed the hard way but also completely discombobulated the challenger. Asahara and Ebisawa had a fighting spriit strike exchange in the middle of the ring with no apparent winner, until Asahara pulled out a spinning elbow strike that dropped Ebisawa on his back. Fired up, he went for Imminent Danger, but Ebisawa reversed into the Okinawa Crab. TOKI INK came in at the right moment and hit another headbutt to break the hold, but that just gives Ebisawa the control and power to hit him repeatedly on his “already through a lot” head. a few slaps and a lariat after, and Atonga and Ebisawa are able to hit double team moves on Asahara until a double powerbomb does the trick. (23:06) Match Rating: 73 Main Event: UPJ International Heavyweight Championship Match: Bruiser Cassidy vs Kintaro Kinjo This was probably the first “MOTY” contender out of UPJ for 2021, with PWI, Diaspora and ELL already having a few to their name. Cassidy is an absolute machine with no regard for Kinjo. This is his first huge singles in his second UPJ run and he’s understandably extremely motivated. One could criticize Kinjo for wrestling this like how he would before his turn with giving so much offense to the big man and selling his ass off, but there’s still the character work that makes him shine as the best in the world- every tiny advantage he gets, every time Cassidy messes up even slightly, Kinjo gloats and feels invincible and tries a mistimed bomb with the confidence of the God Emperor. However, around 18 minutes in there’s a tonal shift with Kinjo beginning to outlast Cassidy. First he’s able to string more strikes together. Then he cuts him off with a huge dropkick. Then around 20 in he actually manages to get a huge suplex in. No one would think of Cassidy as vulnerable, especially since this isn’t a case of leg selling taking him off his strategy, but his weight absolutely takes a toll on him the longer a match goes on and the more offense his opponent can string together. One would say Cassidy goes for the Annihilation Bomb too early as the champ slips away to counter with the Sunset Flip Bomb. From this point on, it gets frantic. Kinjo is running around like a madman trying to down Cassidy as many times as possible, while Cassidy knows one hit will give him back control. The crowd is getting restless as it feels like the God Emperor’s inherent superiority is getting affirmed. The whole Kinjo-Jidai stable who are seconds are ringside are cheering loudly. And that’s when Cassidy hits the Misawa Press (Thesz Press Pin) and the arena goes silent in shock at first. 1…2…3! They count, but no bell rings. Cassidy’s enormous stature hid the fact Kinjo somehow managed to slide the shoulder up. He still hasn’t escaped fully, to the point ref Sugimura starts another count that is broken at one, but that was a nearfall that changed the complexion of the finish. Cassidy suddenly felt inevitable. Blows and slams and brute dominance. He lifts up Kinjo for the Annihilation Bomb a second time, and this time he hits it. Kinjo bounces so hard off the mat he doesn’t even sell unconsciousness, just enormous pain. As he’s landed near the ropes, the Bruiser makes a show of dragging him to the middle of the ring, and places his foot on the emperor’s chest to pin him. A very enraged LeFever gets up on the apron to protest the move but he receives a middle finger as the fall is counted. 1…2…Kickout at 2.9! No nonsense, Cassidy goes for the Annihilation Bomb again, only for a frankensteiner by Kinjo to get him a two count and the separation he needed to grab onto the ropes and essentially force a timeout. He gets about ten seconds before he’s forcefully deadlifted. Cassidy goes for a huge throwing german but Kinjo lands on his feet and comes back at him with a Blue Flash (Bicycle Knee Strike), and a second one to finally down the monster. An “Emperor of The Throne” (High Fly Flow) later, and he had managed to defend his title. (26:09) Match Rating: 89 Show Rating: 85 (Some) Post Show Comments: Kintaro Kinjo: "Another triumph that will be sung as my empire prospers. Cassidy fought hard, but barbarians cannot match their brute strength with their wit. Every unfortunate next challenger should keep that in mind." Katsuhiko Ishii: "And don't forget. At Hiroshima, we're adding to the legend of Kinjo-Jidai. Atonga, Ebisawa, you're done!" Mr. Yamashita: "Yeah, baby!" Oda Yamawaki: "Deguchi, you bastard. If you want to put me in young lion's clothes upon victory, so be it. But know that when I embarass you, I'm shaving you like one! Prepare to lose that "Rockstar" hair you old weirdo." Jin Fujiwara: "I'm hitting full gear right at the perfect time. I will go on steady and end Kozue's reign of narcissism before it can even rev up!" Danger Asahara: "A disappointing defeat. We know we have them. 2021 is not going as planned. But the Ozeki Summit isn't far. And there's more opportunities on the way. We're going to Rock on!" TOKI INK: "Atonga's big head was a great enemy, but he's a bit of a tryhard idiot. Whenever we face them, they either outlast us or get outwrestled. It's not pretty. I'm going to make some sick, beautiful shit happen this year. That's a promise to the fans and my teammates."

Well, considering the main and with Eric Tyler all over the show, no surprise that this was one of the best episodes yet. Really curious that the fans were essentially treated with an angle at the main event of survival of the fittest! I also really enjoy bumbling rookie Eddie Chandler who's in over his head. Maverick looks like he has his priorities straight.

Yasutake The Team in Charge Suzuki Miyagi OMURA Taguchi Yamagawa Team Giant Suzuki Jr

Thank you all for the predictions and for reading the show! I'm going to be posting these Showdown Series shows about once a week before settling into the pace for the next tour and the Ozeki Summit later. Speaking of the predictions, here's the results: @neslo024 8/9 @Vandal 7/9 @StanMiguel 6/9 @Chaddes 7/9 @Dalton 5/7 @229tman 6/9 Pretty good for a first show, and that's high participation so thank you all. UPJ SHOWDOWN IN GIFU 2021 CARD: Main Event: UPJ International Heavyweight Championship Match: Bruiser Cassidy vs Kintaro Kinjo (1st Defense) UPJ International Tag Team Championships Match: PunkRockCity vs Pure MUSCLE (4th Defense) UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Match: Nakada & Yamada vs Cody & Matsuo (1st Defense) Erik Van Rjin, Kato and Takehide Harada vs Dustin LeFever, Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Jin Fujiwara, Ryotaro Naruto and SHOGUN vs Furosuto, Kozue and Utamara Oda Yamawaki vs Hidetsugu Genji Juro Deguchi vs Kamei Takauji

oh those are two big X's! Seems like a quality show despite the struggles.

UPJ Rhino Cup 2021 Results Sunday, Week 2 of January at Saitama Hyper Arena CA: 40,477 PPV Buys: 698, 952 UPJ+ Views Worldwide: 748,494 Match 1: Danger Asahara vs Jayden Cole VS Very much a warm-up match for the long-ass 200 minute show, Asahara and Cole went out there and grappled intensely for 5 minutes until they began trading absolutely rocking strikes. Jayden Cole had a particular sell to a forearm where he first no sold it then lost his balance and fell backwards through the middle and top ropes to the outside. The two men didn’t keep it complicated and a couple guardrail spots and a tease that Cole might not make it to the ring before the 20-count turned into a fast-paced finishing sequence where Cole hit a huge dropkick but couldn’t connect with the Tornado Bomb as Asahara managed to counter into the back body drop. Two brutal elbows later and Asahara managed to hit the Imminent Danger (Spinning Tiger Driver) for the win. (8:56) Match Rating: 56 Match 2: Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara vs Furosuto and Utamara VS Mostly a sprint, this was a delightful match of junior action held together by a remarkable Furosuto performance. The ways with which he brutalized Captain UPJ were a delight and got loud reactions every time by a crowd that was surprised to see him wrestle with anything but calm and swagger- there was a fire there unbecoming of his place on the card. But the bigger story was Jin Fujiwara having counters for everything. He was practically untouchable every time he tagged in, going as far as destroying Utamara’s left arm and almost dislocating it in an act that would get him heat in a promotion that doesn’t appreciate beautiful violence. In the en the two dominant forces were in there after a double hot tag, and Furosuto finally got the upper hand. Leg lariats, elbows and tijeras galore, he got Fujiwara off his feet and went for a Cazadora Foot Stomp that uses as a set up for his finisher, but Fujiwara countered into the Glittering Fujiwara (Wheelbarrow Neckbreaker) for the huge win! (14:44) Match Rating: 71 Match 3: Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa vs Vanguard VS This was a dud. They went too long, there was some miscommunication and there wasn’t connective tissue in between the violence. Daijiro Otsuka mercifully pinned Takanori Sakurai with a Long Road Home (corner to center leg lariat). (15:12) Match Rating: 39 Match 4: Alvaro Buey III, Lobo & Ukon Kajahara vs Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) VS A fun, brutal brawl that doesn’t drag on, that match was the perfect palette cleanser from the slugfest that preceded. Everyone got time to shine, especially since it mostly comprised of people hitting each other in turns and dropping each other on their heads. Bruiser Cassidy once again showed why he’s one of the biggest forces in the company right now as he only lost an exchange if he was up against multiple opponents at the same time, otherwise steamrolling everyone. That’s the attention that allowed Takehide Harada to clinch the win for his team with a German Suplex on Lobo. (11:24) Match Rating: 60 Match 5: Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi vs Filipino Power, Cody & Matsuo and Hidetsugu Genji VS This match went similar to the prior one as a pretty bare bones contest though with the pretty clear junior-heavyweight divide extremely present. Yamada and Kobiashi did incredible damage to the junior heavyweight tag team champions, Filipino Fire Power got some excellent babyface shine in comparison to their place on the card, and this was the first match on the show where we actually got a couple nearfalls on stereo splashes from Nakada & Yamada to Hidetsugu Genji. However, this was all a ruse for the actual finish. As Apolinario and Campos are about to crush Dustin LeFever, by sheer luck he dodges and makes them clothesline each other, then rolls Apolinario up for a triumphant cross-division victory! (14:22) Match Rating: 64 Match 6: Juro Deguchi & TOKI INK vs Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki VS The match begun with a very interesting and tense exchange between Yamawaki and INK, full of small things and counters that would alter control in an instant. A disrespectful slap from INK to Yamawaki led to a flurry of offense from the former world champion, and a self satisfied tag to his young lion. Kamei Takauji, only 5 months into his professional wrestling career had the biggest opportunity of his young life being in the ring against one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time in Juro Deguchi. Predictably, he got killed multiple times. This was an out of body experience as the HardRockCity members hazed the kid while Oda Yamawaki intervened as much as possible to save his life. Takauji managed an incredible burst of energy and with a series of forearms that barely dented Deguchi he got enough separation for a dropkick that let him scurry to the corner and tag Yamawaki in. Oda fought a brutal war against both members of HardRockCity, but he was forced to tag out after an especially brutal headbutt from a hateful Deguchi. That led to a final stretch of INK vs Takauji which was mostly procedural. Toki’s INK SINK (Tombstone Piledriver) put an end to the match. (16:25) Match Rating: 68 Match 7: Erik Van Rjin & Kato vs Waotaka Eda & Torture VS On paper, Van Rjin & Kato are the strongest possible duo in the company. But Eda and Torture have the same exact strengths and can attempt to match the stiffness and brutality better than anyone else. In short, this was a damn war. The words are melting into each other by this point but really, this was a true strike-fest the likes of which we don’t often see. The crowd is electric early on as Eda wins the early exchange against Kato, dodging a big kick and coming back with a flying lariat, then tries to pins him with a foot on the sternum. Kato kicks out at 1 and is absolutely furious. He gets into Eda’s face and yells at him. Eda tries to grab him into the belly to belly suplex but Kato gets Mongolian Chop as he’s off his feet to escape. It’s frenetic and dangerous, with just the right dose of Fighting Spirit to keep the action going, especially since Eda and Torture are bigger guys who don’t have middleweight mobility. Van Rjin in particular was a man possessed however. He routinely tossed Eda and Torture around in between brutal lariats and knee strikes, and would only be stopped by a cheap shot as a cut off, desperate attempts for survival. One of those cut offs led to Eda hitting a huge backdrop immediately after for a very close nearfall, that led to trying a second consecutive one that was countered into a crossbody and led to the final hot tag. Kato and Torture were brutal to each other, with the American 7-Time Tag Team Champion really leveraging his strength and size advantage to deny the mystical powers of the hot tag, but Kato is a relentless wardog. He took every strike in stride and hit the Zero Point Slam (Twisting Northern Lights) out of nowhere to lead to Infinity (Sliding Elbow) for the three count as Eda and Van Rjin were trading elbows at ringside. (23:35) Match Rating: 72 Match 8: Blue Rhino Cup Final Match: Strength Through Honour vs Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita While the Blue Rhino Cup is a fun fixture and a show of brand unity, there is always the feeling that it’s a filler tournament in terms of brand quality. With its lineup, the 2021 edition wasn’t an exception, but the finalists knew that and goddamn did they overdeliver in comparison to expectations. Strength Ogawa and Honour Katsumoto made a compelling case for one final run as they anchored this performance on an emotional and structural level, Mr. Yamashita put on a career match and Katsuhiko Ishii is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but it’s nice when he gets to remind people on a stage bigger than HONOUR. Despite Strength Through Honour clearly working more face against the members of Kinjo-Jindai, we didn’t really get the concept of heat here. The veterans controlled the pace, Kinjo-Jindai looked like on the verge of losing for most of the contest, Ishii traded headbutts with both of them that got him dizzy and almost lost him the match to a double backdrop (with Mr. Yamashita breaking the pin). Strength Ogawa instantly hurled Mr. Yamashita to the outside and went out to neutralize him, but that left his partner on an island with the most dangerous man in the ring. Ishii’s young age let him get a second wind and he built up to a Thunder Death Driver (Fire Thunder Driver) for the three count and the Blue Rhino Cup Victory! (20:23) Match Rating: 73 Main Event: Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryotaro Naruto vs Kozue The first big main event of the year was a huge responsibility on the two veteran junior heavyweights. Luckily, they’re who they are for a reason. A three-act broadway that was the longest a UPJ match has gone so far in 2021 ensued, starting off with the struggle of knowing each other two much, countering most initial approaches, getting very small victories in terms of hits in or grappling, and pinfalls not even getting attempted. Kozue got the separation he needed first, and followed up a huge, rocking dropkick with a beautiful tornillo for an early two count. This begun a period of dominance for him that clearly defined the wrestlers’ roles, with Naruto turning more into a wrestler who will catch Kozue and counter with throws rather than his usual style which even in his age is closer to a classic junior heavyweight. His opponent just happens to be the best high flyer in the world, and he needs to adjust. There was a level of violence not usually seen in Naruto matches, he didn’t hold back on the suplexes, including a german right into the turnbuckles that had Kozue hit neck-first. He decided this was a perfect time to hit the Naruto Driver (Cradle Piledriver), but Kozue manage to counter into a jackknife pin for a very close nearfall. Sadly for Naruto, when the match became a war of attrition he couldn’t quite keep up, to the point where he started spamming the Naruto Driver attempt and just hoped he’d figure out the counters in time, which he did half the time. He managed to execute the move once but Kozue kicked out at 2 with ease, and by that point Ryotaro decided the best course of action are his strikes in order to wear down Kozue as fast as possible. That backfired on him as Kozue would dodge and get the freedom of movement to run circles around him, hit a barrage of moves that ended with the K-Drop II (Fisherman’s Falcon Arrow) for the win and successful title defense (30:21) Match Rating: 86 Post-Match Promo: Next Challenger After the grueling title match, Kozue doesn’t get enough time to celebrate before Furosuto comes out. The crowd goes wild at the two rivals being in the ring together. Furosuto first helps Ryotaro Naruto to his feet, before calling for a microphone, but Jin Fujiwara’s music hits the speakers. The Steampunk Fighter points out how he beat Furosuto today and he is entitled to challenge for Kozue’s title first. Kozue jumps at the chance to accept the challenge, saying he’s already at war with Hall of the United Throne anyway, so it’ll be nice to send another message. Furosuto is frustrated, but he backs down. Segment Rating: 65 Show Rating: 81 (Some) Post-Show Comments: Bruiser Cassidy: "Undefeated in 2021. Next up is the joke of an emperor who's going to lose his belt in the first defense. It's been a while since I was here, and I've been hungry and waiting for a shot at the International Heavyweight title. He has lackeys behind him protecting him, but I have my brothers in the Ignite Muscle Army, and that will make the difference." Katsuhiko Ishii: "An offering at the altar of the God Emperor. Just the start of what is going to happen. Whoever wins the tag title match should expect us at Hiroshima. Nothing more impressive than winning a title with Mr. Yamashita in the eyes of Kinjo." Mr. Yamashita (completely oblivious): Yeah baby that was maximum! First accolade for the greatest team in UPJ!" Furosuto: "It was Fujiwara's day today, but that won't affect my course towards reclaiming the junior title. If it was part of Naruto's plan to get me to join the Hall, he's not getting any warmer." Juro Deguchi: "If Yamawaki was to fuck around with young lions, then when I beat him he should probably go back to being one. Losing the International Heavyweight title has clearly impacted him and made him unfit to lead UPJ, he cannot handle pressure." Ryotaro Naruto: "That was hard-fought, huh? Fair play to Kozue. But this is not the last time I fight for titles. I'm here to stay, no matter what happens in terms of passing the stable. UPJ needs stability amidst the chaos of megalomaniacs squabbling. And with the support of the fans, this stability can come back."

Glad to see you continue, on your terms, after the burn out you expressed with the January release!

Card for Blue Rhino Cup 2021 Main Event: Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryotaro Naruto vs Kozue (First Defense) Blue Rhino Cup Final Match: Strength Through Honor vs Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Erik Van Rjin & Kato vs Waotaka Eda & Torture Juro Deguchi & TOKI INK vs Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi vs Filipino Power, Cody & Yatsuo and Hidetsugu Genji Alvaro Buey III, Lobo & Ukon Kajahara vs Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa vs Otojiro Ikina & Takanori Sakurai Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara vs Furosuto & Utamara Danger Asahara vs Jayden Cole Q: What's your guys' favorite free agents to bring in to UPJ?

Blue Rhino Cup Tour Overview Blue Rhino Cup Night 5: This show saw the end of the first round of the Blue Rhino Cup tournament: -Torture & Waotaka Enda def. Vanguard (Takanori Sakurai & Otojiro Ikina) in 11:47 -Strength Through Honour (Honour Katsumoto and Strength Ogawa) def. Tokyo Tigers (Nakano Yuki & Ryuko Mishamoto) in 8:52 -Filipino Fire Power (Apolinario & Amado Ocampo) def. Smash n’ Grab (Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi) in 12:01 -Cameron Cody & Junichi Matsuo def. Wild (Hidetsugu Genji & Joao Iwahara) in 13:41 Elsewhere in the card, Ignite Muscle Army’s Bruiser Cassidy, Kato and Erik Van Rjin defeated Oda Yamawaki, Lobo and Alvaro Buey III. Backstage, Bruiser Cassidy challenged Kintaro Kinjo for the UPJ International Heavyweight Championship and Oda Yamawaki complained about being booked to team up with randoms considering his hatred of factions. After the team of Ryotaro Naruto, Hyotaru Ichigawa, SHOGUN and Furosuto defeated Kozue, Mr. Yamashita and Nakada & Yamada, Ryotaro Naruto challenged Kozue to a match for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship and also extended an invitation to Furosuto to become the newest member and next leader of Hall of the United Throne. In the main event HardRockCity’s Juro Deguchi, TOKI INK, and Pure MUSCLE defeated Katsuhiko Ishii, Kintaro Kinjo, Dustin LeFever and non-Kinjo-Jidai member Jayden Cole, the Emperor of Wrestling suffered an injury at the hands of TOKI INK that would lessen his participation in the tour to follow. Blue Rhino Cup Night 6: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match: Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa def. Filipino Fire Power (13:49) HardRockCity’s Danger Asahara, TOKI INK and Juro Deguchi defeated Oda Yamawaki, Lobo and Des Miller. Backstage, Oda demanded a singles match for the next tour show, while Deguchi reiterated his need to make Yamawaki pay for his attack after last year’s Hall of The Immortals. After teaming with Ryotaro Naruto in a multiman, Furosuto’s comments towards his offer were very cold and non-descript, not hinting a leaning for his decision. In the Main Event, Ignite Muscle Army’s Kato, Bruiser Cassidy and Pure MUSCLE defeated Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Torture & Waotaka Enda with Cassidy continuing his unstoppable start to 2021. Blue Rhino Cup Night 7: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match: Strength Through Honour def. Waotaka Enda & Torture (12:51) Ryotaro Naruto teamed up with stablemate Jin Fujiwara to defeat the team of Kozue and Dustin LeFever. After the match Naruto said he’d show Furosuto why he should join the Hall by beating Kozue and reaching the top of the division once again. Oda Yamawaki got his wish and a singles match against TOKI INK, who he beat in around 15 minutes. The Main Event was an 8 Man Tag where Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Nakada & Yamada defeated Erik Van Rjin, Pure MUSCLE and Takehide Harada, giving Kinjo-Jidai a win against Ignite Muscle Army Blue Rhino Cup Night 8: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match Main Event: PunkRockCity (Danger Asahara & TOKI INK) def. Pure MUSCLE (Atonga & Taheji Ebisawa) in 13:42 In the opening, Oda Yamawaki faced young lion Kamei Takauji in a singles and dispatched him in about 8 minutes. The two showed excellent chemistry together and Yamawaki raved about the young man backstage before setting a date for his match against Juro Deguchi: February, Week 2 at Showdown in Fukuoka. Blue Rhino Cup Night 9: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Main Event: Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita def. Cameron Cody & Junichi Matsuo Furosuto and Ryotaro Naruto defeat Kozue and Dustin LeFever after losing in the exact same combination on Night 8. Asked to comment, Furosuto says “Yeah that’s dope, I guess.” Bruiser Cassidy, sick of beating mishapen teams in 8 man tags to prepare for Kintaro Kinjo, decides to take day 10 off. Blue Rhino Cup Night 10: Blue Rhino Cup Semi Final Match Main Event: Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita def. PunkRockCity (Danger Asahara & TOKI INK) Blue Rhino Cup Semi Final Match: Strength Through Honour def. Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa Blue Rhino Cup Night 11: Bruiser Cassidy, Kato, Erik Van Rjin, Takehide Harada and Atonga def. Nakada & Yamada, Waotaka Enda & Torture and Kintaro Kinjo (74) PunkRockCity and Strength Through Honour def. Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Daijiro Otsuka and Hyotaru Ichigawa (53) Kozue, Dustin LeFever and Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi def. Furosuto, Ryotaro Naruto, SHOGUN and Captain UPJ (70) Oda Yamawaki def. Hidetsugu Genji (72) Filipino Fire Power def. Des Miller and Jayden Cole (55) Juro Deguchi def. Kamei Takauji (61)

Roster Overview is up, on the third post from the top!

Omura vs Shiba fifth from the top is the kind of card that shows ambition to fill the Pro Wrestling HONOUR gap! Seiken Nagano Nobuhisa Yasutake Shiki Hirashi The Suzuki Family Omura Junji Goto Murai Abe, Yasuyuki Taka & Okitsugu Hiroyuki Masadore Giant Daisuke, The Mongolian Giant & Hammer Sasaki

Excited to see Nagano's in-game protege job to 55 year olds, which is objectively the correct choice.

Thank you all for the loud and unexpected support so far! One of the two reserved posts, the briefer one, has gone up! It goes over my first booking thoughts and presents the ownership and champions, some of you are already familiar with. Next post will be the Roster Overview for whoever needs an idea of what exactly the roster situation is, and then I'm going to begin with a summary of the Blue Rhino Cup tour- I will probably not be following that exact format for tour shows, but for some reason starting in-media-res in that tour on the schedule always messed with me a little so I will just be going over the Cup matches and the builds to the feuds that will carry the -staggering- 5 consecutive big events over January and February. I'm also a bit ahead on the save itself, so your wishes will take a while to come true- I came in with my own selfish agenda!