Obaton Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 #3: Tadiyuki Kikkawa vs Sam Strong (August 1995, BHOTWG) This is probably one of the most famous heavyweight matches in Japanese history, and set a new attendance record for BHOTWG as they drew 70,000 people to see a "dream show" loaded with big matches, none of which were bigger than this main event. Sam Strong had debuted a year ago, and had quickly made his mark, defeating Hooded Kudo in March 1995 for the world title. He went into this match as the defending champion, undefeated in Japan. Kikkawa was a youngster who had been winning accolades for his brutally powerful style of wrestling, and this was both his first main event and his first world title shot. The match was a hard-hitting physical affair, with neither man backing down for a second. Strong in particular was showing a violent side that had rarely been seen before, and was a world away from the style North American fans associated him with. After thirty minutes of brutal combat, both men went for a Lariat, and they both got knocked down and out. Kikkawa was up first, just beating the ten count. He lifted Strong to his feet, and nailed him with three quick forearms before planting the champion with a sickening Kikkawa Driver for the three count. Kikkawa won his first world title, and went on to be the dominant heavyweight wrestler in Japan for the next decade, redefining how physical heavyweight grappling should be along the way. Strong, who has publically agreed with the many people who call this his best singles performance ever, had one further match for BHOTWG, losing to Hooded Kudo two months later. He then took some time off before returning to North America, joining HGC in a landmark big money deal in October 1996. That deal shook the US wrestling scene to the core, and led directly to the modern era, as Strong's former employer SWF had serious competition for the first time in almost two decades. [Exert from the Greatest Matches of All Time] Tadiyuki Kikkawa had just won the World Championship of BHOTWG, it was a time of happiness, and emotion. Granted it's what everybody feels when they win a world title. It's a representation of power, skill and technique. This was a time, when pro wrestling in Japan was not scripted. Pre-Determined victories, were never heard of. Tadiyuki Kikkawa was said, to become one of the greatest champions of all time. Neigh, his destiny, was to become the greatest Champion of all time. He held the title for two years, before dropping it to Japanese Legend, Haruki 'Hooded' Kudo. No shame in that defeat. He worked on his mistakes, and came back in the year 1998 to win the title back from the very man who defeated him. In the year 2000, the Big Man, Bruce the Giant, defeated him for the title. Again, big problems were presented by Bruce, due to his sheer size. But Three Years Later, Tadiyuki Kikkawa did what no man thought possible, defeat Bruce the Giant, to win the title again. This would be his final reign with the title, as Raul Hughes would take it away from him in his final run at the title. Then, the tabloids got hold of the biggest shake-up in Japanese Wrestling. INSPIRE: Crisis In Japan Ryan Jalda, GrappleFanatics.net Japanese wrestling undergoes biggest shake-up in ten years! In March 2006, the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) had its blackest day, when two fighters died, the first deaths associated with the sport. Both had fought earlier on a big card being promoted in Tokyo, and both had lost, suffering head injuries in the process. One fighter was knocked unconscious, never to awake, while the other left the ring under his own power but later collapsed backstage. The world's media had a feeding frenzy, finally able to lay into a sport that could always be relied upon to garner strong reactions. What few realised was that this night would also lead to the most fundamental shift in the landscape of Japanese pro wrestling that had been seen in over a decade. Burning Hammer Of The Wrestling Gods was the king of Japanese wrestling, having been on top of the business since the 1980s. While facing stiff competition from the up-and-coming PGHW promotion, many felt that BHOTWG - both with massive financial power and a massively talented roster - were virtually unbeatable in the long run. What had made BHOTWG so popular was their ability to fuse many styles of combat together; a tactic displayed most obviously by the amount of legitimate fighters on their roster, including world famous shoot fighters Mike watson and Raul Hughes (their world champion). However, Kaneie Komine, the man who owned the company and had been the visionary behind their recent style, was rocked by what had happened in Tokyo that night in March. Realising that the media backlash would be immense, he acted swiftly. Some would say too swiftly. With dazzling speed, Komine had organised a press conference in which he told the gathered media that BHOTWG had decided that the time was right to return to its wrestling roots, and the MMA influence that had been obvious in the promotion for several years was going to be downgraded severely. It was clearly a safety tactic, to distance the company from the deaths in MMA, but it also clearly meant a period of change for BHOTWG. What we also know is that he addressed the locker room that very night, and said that the wrestlers were to downplay any mixed martial arts elements of their style, and up the wrestling content. After this, things are less clear, but from piecing together different bits of information, it is safe to say that what happened next went something like this... After the meeting, several of the wrestlers were unhappy, having spent years building their styles to incorporate more realistic fighting elements. Obviously former shoot fighters Mike Watson and Raul Hughes were extremely unhappy, but they were joined by three other senior figures; company figurehead Tadiyuki Kikkawa (who was well known as a champion of MMA) and two other popular wrestlers, Masaaki Okazaki and Tasuku Iesada. We known that all five demanded a meeting with Kaneie Komine to try and get him to change his mind, and somehow that meeting then led to a massive argument. What we know for sure is that at the end of the meeting all five men had resigned from the promotion. The news of the resignations was kept quiet, at least for two weeks, out of the wrestlers' respect for the company. BHOTWG had a major show coming up, which would be their final matches with the company, although nobody other than themselves and Komine knew that. Each took a defeat in their final match, and did so in a professional manner. Mike Watson was pinned by future star Hiroaki Nakasawa to help him in his run to the main event scene; Chuichi Sanda rolled over Masaaki Okazaki to end a feud that had been running for several months; Yasunobu Masuno made Tasuku Iesada submit to cement his reputation as a tough fighter; Tadiyuki Kikkawa was finally beaten cleanly by Kinnoji Horri, ending years of unsuccessful attempts by the youngster; and Raul Hughes lost his world title to Bruce The Giant by clean pinfall. The INSPIRE Story Seven days after that show, a press conference was held by the five men who were later to be christened the "Five Rebels" by Japanese journalists. Kikkawa was the spokesman, and announced both their departure from BHOTWG and the formation of Inspire Diversity Group International, INSPIRE for short, a new company of which he would be the CEO. All five men would be part of the initial roster. He also announced the concept behind the company, which would be that it'd be a place where fighters from all backgrounds could come and test themselves. The promotion would be based upon The Three Rules Of The Art Of Combat, which were: Only one-on-one matches were a true test of a fighter, and so that would be the only form of combat allowed. A fighter's physical size is of no importance, it is his spirit which matters; therefore there would be no weight limits. All fighters are expected to behave with honour and dignity. Cheating or other short cuts would not be allowed. Kikkawa also announced that their first event would happen the following month, when they would crown the first King Of Fighters. This tournament happened on May 6th 2006, and proved a massive success, both commercially and critically. Eight men were entered into the tournament. The first match saw a dream bout, as Raul Hughes squared off with Mike Watson in their first ever meeting. Hughes won after knocking out Watson, but injured himself in the process with a broken wrist, meaning both were out of the tournament. Tadiyuki Kikkawa advanced, beating Puerto Rican shoot fighter Billy Russell by pinfall. Russian monster Marat Khoklov looked very impressive as he beat Tasuku Iesada (who was also head booker of the company) by knock out. Marat had only wrestled in Europe prior to this, but had been someone BHOTWG were very interested in due to his size and intensity. Rumour has it that Tadiyuki Kikkawa himself personally talked the Russian into signing with INSPIRE instead, marking a "steal" of sorts from BHOTWG. In the final first round match Masaaki Okazaki defeated Morimasa Kato by submission. In the semi-finals, Kikkawa beat Okazaki by pinfall while Khoklov received a bye due to the injury to Hughes. The final has gone down in history. Tadiyuki Kikkawa is a legend in Japan, the figurehead of BHOTWG for the past ten years and a former three time world champion with reigns that spanned five years in total. Marat Khoklov is a behemoth, the most physically imposing wrestler since Bruce The Giant. The match was a brutal affair, with both men laying in the stiffest blows imaginable. After ten minutes of action, Kikkawa blasted the giant with his trademark Kikkawa Lariat, but couldn't take him off his feet. When he tried again he was nearly beheaded with a counter Lariat from the Russian. Khoklov promptly hit the most vicious powerbomb anyone had ever seen, knocking Kikkawa unconscious. Marat then started raining down punches from a mounted position, forcing the referee to call for the bell as Kikkawa was out cold and unable to defend himself. This was a massive shock, and not only made the previously unheard of Marat Khoklov into an overnight sensation, but also ensured that everyone was talking about the show the next day. In just six matches INSPIRE had made themselves a power player in Japan. The BHOTWG Story With the BHOTWG world title safely off Raul Hughes and onto Bruce The Giant, Kaneie Komine was left with two problems; how to fill the massive gap that the five man loss had created in the heavyweight division, and how to limit the damage to the company's image. Konnoji Horri was the first man to benefit. Thanks to his win over Tadiyuki Kikkawa he had finally been elevated to true main event star, and was the obvious choice to be moved up to rub shoulders with established names Haruki Kudo and Bruce The Giant. The move also made way for Hiroaki Nakasawa, a youngster who had been being groomed for several years as the eventual figurehead of the promotion. It had been assumed that he would eventually be passed the torch by Tadiyuki Kikkawa, but with him leaving, Nakasawa was promoted earlier. With a new outfit and updated move set, Nakasawa was swiftly moved up the card to a position where he would be positioned as a future world champion. Also on his way up was Yasunobu Masuno, a young promising wrestler who had spent a few years in the tag team division developing his skills. With size and a great look, he was an obvious choice to be moved up to world title contender. By moving those three up, albeit a few years before he would have liked to, Komine would plug the gap in the main event scene. In order to reduce the damage to the company's image, he went back to the history of the promotion, and brought in recently-retired Sam Strong all the way from the USA. Strong was a former BHOTWG champion, and the man who had really cemented Tadiyuki Kikkawa's reputation when he lost the world title to him. Strong is a legend in Japan, and he was signed both to work as a road agent for the company, but more importantly to act as somewhat of a figurehead. Knowing the Japanese public's respect for history, Komine knew that by having Strong attached to the company, even in a non-wrestling capacity, it would boost the prestige of the company. Unfortunately, even with that signing, some damage was done. The loss of five major heavyweights was clearly seen as a sign of weakness by the public, and it was obvious to everyone that this debacle had seriously hurt BHOTWG. Indeed, as the attendances and TV ratings since the formation of INSPIRE have shown, for the first time since the 1970s BHOTWG are no longer the undisputed number one promotion in Japan, PGHW have clearly drawn level with them, and many would say that they have even overtaken their major rivals. What we are left with is a much-changed battlefield. For the first time in their history, PGHW are the top dogs in Japan, and show no signs of slowing down their progress. BHOTWG are in a rebuilding phase, but still have the depth of roster and financial clout to comeback soon and comeback strong. INSPIRE are the joker in the pack; with only one show under their belt it is impossible to say whether they have any longevity, but they certainly have the advantage of being the hot topic in the wrestling media, and have an incredible roster to begin with. One thing is certain; Japanese wrestling has been changed in a dramatic way. After that, every man, who wanted to work, in an evironment, where every moment is shocking, and unexpected, would move to INSPIRE. Every Man who went to INSPIRE, set out for one thing... To be The King of Fighters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obaton Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Short OOC post here You guys probably already figured it out, PSW is done, and here's the reason why. I picked INSPIRE because you don't really need to have some intelligent booking, just straight match-ups basically. As long as the guys are correctly booked in good matches, it's good to go. Thus, I don't need to use much of my time to book the promotion, and write the shows. PSW, was very hard for me to book, due to my short amounts of time. Plus, Eisen-Verse's diary, is incredible. I encourage you all to read it, as it is a very good piece of work, that could probably go for Diary of the Year 2009. So, that's basically why I picked this promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlameSnoopy Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I am going to follow this diary, atleast in the beginning. Because it's Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obaton Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/INSPIRE.jpg Roster Run-Down The Power Players <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/TadiyukiKikkawa.jpg Tadiyuki Kikkawa Kikkawa is a brutal, straightforward kind of fighter, who will always put on a dangerous battle. Be it with his trademark Lariat, his merciless elbow, or his powerful slams, he always puts on a show. He was the original man to set out on the INSPIRE rebellion of 2006, and has been the King of Fighters ever since beating Marat Khoklov, the original champion. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/RaulHughes.jpg Raul Hughes Raul Hughes was a former shoot fighter who fought for GAMMA in their early days. After quitting MMA, he brought his MMA skills into BHOTWG, where he was a former World Champion, until the INSPIRE rebellion of 2006, where he followed Tadiyuki Kikkawa into this shoot-fight based promotion. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/MaratKhoklov.jpg Marat Khoklov Marat Khoklov is the biggest man to ever step in to the INSPIRE ring. With his size, and brutal power, which he used to KO legendary Tadiyuki Kikkawa. He had never wrestled in Japan prior to INSPIRE, and when BHOTWG came knocking at an opportunity to get this powerful male, INSPIRE jumped at the opportunity to get this powerful former Champ. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/MikeWatson.jpg Mike Watson Mike Watson had a similar story to Raul Hughes. He fought for GAMMA in the promotion's early days. After too many fights, he retired from the sport, and brought his athleticism into wrestling. Fighting for BHOTWG, Tadiyuki Kikkawa organized the INSPIRE rebellion of 2006, where he joined on, and has been with INSPIRE ever since, leaving BHOTWG in the dust. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/TasukuIesada.jpg Tasuku Iesada Tasuku Iesada was a top dog in BHOTWG. He dominated with his technical abilities, and powered through his opponents with some bone-snapping submissions. After the INSPIRE rebellion of 2006, he made his way with friend Tadiyuki Kikkawa, over to the Shoot-Fight Based promotion, and has stayed ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr>Hot Prospects <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/SamoanMachine.jpg Bali So'oialo Bali So'oialo is a big prospect, his talent is immense, and potential is through the roof. Enough however, for BHOTWG to take a stab at signing him. Though we share him with GCG, it is sure that it will not impact him in any way, but the thought of having BHOTWG sign him away is always in the back of our mind. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/HitomaroSuzuki.jpg Hitomaro Suzuki Hitomaro Suzuki is a tough wrestler, with size at his advantage. At 23 years of age, he has the raw talent to go all the way in this company, and become a future champion. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/HaruhiroTsumemasa_alt.jpg Haruhiro Tsumemasa Haruhiro Tsumemasa is a tough kid, who is a dark horse for the INSPIRE Promotion. With the raw talent and abilities to beat anybody in the promotion, he has to re-fine his skillset, before he gets a shot at the big time. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/TsurayukiKamachi.jpg Tsurayuki Kamachi Tsurayuki Kamachi is a wrestler, with a skillset that is built for future success. Kamachi can easily beat opponents with a little bit of work, but until then, he'll have to work at it for a little while longer. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center">The Rest of the Rebels <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/BillyRussell.jpg Billy Russell Billy Russell is a solid technical grappler who knows how to win a fight with his great technical submissions and powerful knees. After a background in MMA, he took his first foray into Pro Wrestling, and eventually came over to INSPIRE, where he's been ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/HajimeSugisata.jpg Hajime Sugisata Hajime Sugisata is getting old, but still has that upset ability, that can make any fighter a tough one to beat. Sugisata has that one punch power that can end a fight in shocking manner, but with everybody now adapting their skills to avoid one punch brawlers, his skills aren't as useful as they were years ago. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/HirokumiSaito.jpg Hirokumi Saito Hirokumi Saito is a 32 year old man, who knows how to beat men with his brutal MMA-Knee Strikes. He made his way through the PGHW youth system, and made his debut in 1997, and subsequently leaving in 2003, after 6 years of fighting with them. Up until 2007, he returned to the independant scene, and in 2007, he was picked up by INSPIRE, where he's stayed ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/KaluOwusu.jpg Kalu Owusu Kalu Owusu is one of the most unique fighters in the world. Hailing from the Ivorian Coast, he made his way up the ranks, after being snatched up by INSPIRE, where he's stayed ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/KenichiKomagata.jpg Kenichi Komagata Kenichi Komagata's technical style has always been respected in Japan, just never ever won him the respect as a great fighter. The opportunity he got with INSPIRE in 2007, was one he didn't need to think of, immediately signing with the promotion, where he's been ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/KimitadaYanagita.jpg Kimitada Yanagita Kimitada Yanagita has been one of those, under the radar kind of guys, until he signed with INSPIRE, where his size, and incredible chin have made him a tough guy to beat. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/LiBingci.jpg Li Bingci Li Bingci's wrestling abilities were never doubted in the world of pro wrestling, and after training, unsigned with BHOTWG, he made a trip over to INSPIRE, where he signed with Tadiyuki Kikkawa, to make his debut with the Shoot Based Promotion. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/MasaakiOkazaki.jpg Masaaki Okazaki Masaaki Okazaki is an explosive kind of fighter, who always presents a threat to his opponents. After walking out on BHOTWG, going out in flames after the end to the violent feud between him and the Hooded Kudo, he's been with INSPIRE ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/MohamedElYaaggoudi.jpg Mohamed El Yaaggoudi Mohamed El Yaaggoudi's skills as a kick-boxer, his amazing arsenal of kicks, and punches, that can lay opponents out in mere minutes, Yaaggoudi was never a top notch wrestler. Until he started training as an amateur wrestler. He joined INSPIRE in 2006, where he's stayed ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr align="center"> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/MorimasaKato.jpg Morimasa Kato Morimasa Kato is a man with some legit fighting skills, and had a background in MMA before being signed up by INSPIRE in 2006. He's stayed ever since and has been one of their more popular fighters. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/OdaYakuta.jpg Oda Yakuta Oda Yakuta's brawling skills are never to be doubted, but he does rely too heavily on Punches and Kicks. His ground work is to be worked on, but he was snatched up by INSPIRE in 2006, where they immediately thought he could be a contender. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/RokuSotomura.jpg Roku Sotomura Roku Sotomura is a great technical worker, who never got the attention he deserved by his peers. In jokes, he is called "The Master of the Chinlock" because of his love to hold a tight resting position. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/SotatsuSarumara.jpg Sotatsu Sarumara Sotatsu Sarumara is not exactly the most exciting worker, however he is respected, as a tough technical worker, who loves to use an MMA-Inspired Arm-Lock from the mount, with some beautiful variations from his mind. He is a dangerous man, and should never be underestimated. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/TornadoNagai.jpg Kazu 'Tornado' Nagai With his explosive burts of energy, don't get in suplex range of Kazu Nagai, as he'll throw you half way across the ring, and can dominate you if he gets the chance. However, he lacks the skill to ever become a big star, and at thirty-five, chances are, he will not become a star in the future. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/WillieYork.jpg Willie York One of the MMA Bad Boys to make his INSPIRE debut in 2007, he brings a lot of MMA moves to the table. In the MMA World, he was hit too many times in the head, subsequently being knocked out in the process, which is where he decided to start a career in Pro Wrestling, where he's stayed ever since. Current Record 0-0-0 <hr> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obaton Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/Obaton/INSPIRE/INSPIRE.jpg INSPIRE DEAD OR ALIVE 2008 Kenichi Komagata vs Kimitada Yanagita Haruhiro Tsumemasa vs Sotatsu Sarumara Hirokumi Saito vs Roku Sotomura Kalu Owusu vs Morimasa Kato Mike Watson vs Willie York Billy Russell vs Li Bingci Masaaki Okazaki vs Bali So'oialo SUPERFIGHT Marat Khoklov vs Raul Hughes MAIN EVENT KING OF FIGHTERS CHAMPIONSHIP Tadiyuki Kikkawa defends against Tasuku Iesada Quick Picks Kenichi Komagata vs Kimitada Yanagita Haruhiro Tsumemasa vs Sotatsu Sarumara Hirokumi Saito vs Roku Sotomura Kalu Owusu vs Morimasa Kato Mike Watson vs Willie York Billy Russell vs Li Bingci Masaaki Okazaki vs Bali So'oialo Marat Khoklov vs Raul Hughes Tadiyuki Kikkawa © vs Tasuku Iesada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyde Hill Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Kenichi Komagata vs Kimitada Yanagita Haruhiro Tsumemasa vs Sotatsu Sarumara Hirokumi Saito vs Roku Sotomura Kalu Owusu vs Morimasa Kato Mike Watson vs Willie York Billy Russell vs Li Bingci Masaaki Okazaki vs Bali So'oialo Marat Khoklov vs Raul Hughes Tadiyuki Kikkawa © vs Tasuku Iesada Intrested to see where this will lead as INSPIRE is both hard to book and write about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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