BHOTWG: Walking The Burning Path [8RoW]

Derek B · December 21, 2012

*deep breath*

Just a little out-of-character prologue to start with. I've been a big fan of Burning Hammer but have somehow never played a game with them. They've got a huge history in the Cornellverse and some very interesting characters, but I don't think many people know much about them. So I've been doing lots of research to come up with ideas to make everyone come to life and be interesting in some way.

In terms of presentation, this will essentially be the view of Burning Hammer from your armchair. We have a highlights show that broadcasts every week and that is what I'll be showing, along with Pay Per View events. The two will have different formats and hopefully I can entice you to read along with my foolish plans. For those not familiar with BHOTWG, the first few shows (while I'm not on tour) should set up the board for you in a way that makes them accessible and hopefully interesting too. And ultimately, I just hope you develop some favourites, someone to root for, someone to root against, a cause you want to fight for or an enemy to defeat. It's been a while since I've written anything and I've spent a lot of time hyping things and working out more ways to do things, so hopefully it pays off. Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this, if you like this don't forget to check out the other [8RoW] dynasties on offer because they're all going to probably be more awesome than this.

*deeper breath*

btw, this first show is bigger than most of them will be, so don't panic!

Derek B · December 21, 2012

<div style="text-align:center">http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BHOTWG.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BHOTWGtv.jpg</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Results from BHOTWG Silencing Dragons PPV, held in front of a 30,000 sell-out crowd at Kanagawa Stadium, Kanto on Fri, Week 3, December, 2012 Burning Junior Tag Team Championship Match: Haru Kurofuji*/Hachigoro Maeda defeat Yoshii Shiomi*/VENOM by pinfall via Kurofuji’s Suicide Headbutt at 9:39 (defense #1) Burning World Tag Team Championship Match: Toshiki Shibanumo/Nissho Yuasa* defeat Sessue Kawate*/Sanetomo Shiraishi by pinfall via Yuasa’s Thunder Drop at 13:42 (defense #1) Sensational Dragon (J#2) drew with Marihito Masuko (J#3) via time limit at 20:00 Masaaki Okazaki (HW#7) defeats Tadakuni Toshusai (HW#5) by submission via Angular Arm Bar at 21:29 Chuichi Sanda/Eiji Hamacho* defeat Natsu Miyamae/Kansuke Konda* by pinfall via Hamacho Sledge at 15:10 Burning Junior Championship Match: Elemental III (J#1) defeats MYSTIC Dragon (J#4) by pinfall via Inferno Splash at 23:41 (defense #2) Kinnojo Horri (HW#3) defeats Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#1) by pinfall via Destiny Bomb at 29:46 MAIN EVENT: Burning World Championship Match: Tadiyuki Kikkawa (HW#2) defeats Yasuhiko Taira (HW#4) by pinfall via Kikkawa Driver at 26:08 (defense #4) * indicates the winner and loser of a fall in a multiman match</div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center">http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/KazutoshiImoo.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/MitsuhideMuro.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/ToruMinamoto.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/HidetadaKozu.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/DanjuroKomatsu.jpg Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu The Sportscasters of BHOTWG</div> (We join the studio from which Burning Hammer broadcast their weekly shows, hosted as always by Toru Minamoto and surrounded by the best analysts in the business. For years Toru has welcomed fans to the show from his position in the center of the group, with each of his colleagues ready to add their opinions on all the important matters relating to all things Burning Hammer. If this is your first time with Burning Hammer, you are in for a treat as you get to experience pro wrestling treated like a true sport instead of the “sports entertainment spectacle” that North American fans are forced to endure. Tonight is the first night of wrestling as it should be, the Burning Hammer way.) Toru: “Good evening, wrestling fans, welcome to the first edition of Burning Hammer’s Lord of the Rings in 2013, bringing you all the results, rankings, information, highlights and show details for the world’s greatest wrestling showcase. Following on from last week’s look back at 2012 with the “Best of the Year” edition in which Marihito Masuko’s triumph over Elemental III in the finals of the Best of Super Juniors event once again stole the show, this week we will be looking forward to what we can expect to see from Burning Hammer in 2013. The officials of Burning Hammer and President Kaneko have been busy assessing the performances of wrestlers from the last tour and with this being the first broadcast of the new month, that means updated rankings.” Mitsuhide: “That’s right Toru, the new rankings are in across all of the divisions as of just a few minutes before this show went to air. As always there was a lot of deliberation gone into them and the fallout from Silencing Dragons is going to be felt by some in their new ranking for sure.” Hidetada: “Let’s cut to the chase Mitsuhide, you’re the only one here who has seen the rankings so far and we all want to see how things have shaken out. There are going to be some huge championship matches on the next tour and I want to know who the top three challengers to Kikkawa’s Burning World championship are so that I can look forward to our pay per view main events.” Danjuro: “Let’s not forget the Burning Junior championship. With Masuko and Elemental winning Best Match of the Year, the Junior title matches are sure to steal the show again on every pay per view and every night on the road as Elemental III looks to defend the gold.” Kazutoshi: “The Juniors might steal the show, but the Heavyweights always take it back, Danjuro. Burning Hammer is the home of the finest heavyweight wrestlers in the world so lets’s get on with the Heavyweight rankings first because that’s what everyone really wants to see.” Mitsuhide: “Yes, the Heavyweight rankings are first, as always. Ranking in at #10 following the last tour is……” <div style="text-align:center">#10 (NEW) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/EijiHamacho.jpg Eiji Hamacho</div> Toru: “It’s been a good month for Hamacho, who moves back up into the top ten following some impressive showings in both tag and singles competition, with the tag title loss to Shibanumo and Yuasa serving to light a fire under the powerful veteran.” Hidetada: “He’s not been a regular in the rankings for several years now so he’ll definitely welcome this return, but there are a lot of talents in Burning Hammer looking to break through and just like his tag partner, he may not find himself in the rankings for long.” Mitsuhide: “Indeed, it certainly seems like he may have grabbed a spot from his tag partner who hasn’t fared quite as well in singles competition, picking up a key loss in December to the man occupying the number nine spot….” <div style="text-align:center">#9 (UP 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/NatsuMiyamae.jpg Natsu Miyamae </div> Danjuro: “Yes! It’s great to see Miyamae continue his rise up the heavyweight ranks, the former Burning Junior champion and Burning World Tag Team champion takes another small step towards completing a unique treble in Burning Hammer.” Kazutoshi: “I won’t disagree that the potential for him to win all the most prestigious championships in Burning Hammer is intriguing, but I just don’t think he has the talent to be able to pull it off. As you highlighted, he’s mostly been a tag team competitor or has competed in the Junior ranks. Twenty pounds of muscle isn’t going to be enough to bridge the Junior to Heavyweight divide, no matter how talented he may be.” Danjuro: “You seem to be overlooking the fact that his time in the tag division saw him regularly competing with Heavyweights, it’s not like he is lacking experience against them and he brings something to the Heavyweight division that almost no-one else is allowed to… speed, technique and a unique background.” Mitsuhide: “Gentlemen, I can’t disagree with your points and the issue of the divide between Juniors and Heavyweights may be motivated by the success or lack thereof of men like Natsu Miyamae and Kansuke Konda. But for now, it’s about the rankings. Up next is our biggest fall of the month….” <div style="text-align:center">#8 (DOWN 3) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TadakuniToshusai.jpg Tadakuni Toshusai </div> Toru: “It has been a bad month for Tadakuni Toshusai. He started December sitting at #5 in the rankings, so close to earning his first ever shot at the Burning World Championship but has had a torrid month, losing almost every match.” Mitsuhide: “It’s back to the drawing board for him after some key losses in tag team matches against the likes of Kikkawa, Iesada and Nakasawa. But to cap it all off, he was also forced to submit at the hands of Masaaki Okazaki after being caught with the Angular Armbar, a move that must’ve hurt more than just his pride as the former INSPIRE star showed why the name still lives on today.” Danjuro: “Despite the loss, the fans still seem to love him and have been showing their support in the wake of those painful losses. There isn’t a single fan in Burning Hammer that doesn’t know of his quest to get to the top of Burning Hammer, so this will just be a set back for him on his way to the top.” Mitsuhide: “He’ll certainly be hoping that is the case. But standing in his way are a lot of worthy competitors, including our number seven….” <div style="text-align:center">#7 (UP 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/YasunobuMasuno.jpg Yasunobu Masuno </div> Toru: “The Fallen Hammer tour wasn’t good to Masuno, with him losing the King of Fighters championship to Tasuku Iesada at Night Of The Burning Hammer, an event has triggered a rapid slide down the rankings, falling from number five to number 8. December saw him bounce back though, picking up a win in tag team action with Yasuhiko Taira over Team INSPIRE.” Hidetada: “That was a huge upset victory for the brash Masuno, getting a fall over an uber-team like Kikkawa and Iesada shocked everyone.” Kazutoshi: “He was the King of Fighters for 16 months and beat Kikkawa for the belt! How can you possibly call that an upset? Masuno and Taira are among the elite heavyweights in the world, as evidenced by even reaching the Heavyweight rankings, and they’re both former singles champions who held the Burning World tag team belts while reigning as singles champions!” Hidetada: “Tadiyuki Kikkawa is the greatest wrestler of his generation, perhaps of all time, anyone who gets a victory over him has to be lucky!” Danjuro: “Your bias for the former INSPIRE wrestlers knows no bounds! Why don’t you just go back there… wait, you can’t, because they’re dead.” (A ripple of laughter spreads out from the desk except from Hidetada Kozu who starts to turn a bright red colour as he fires back at the youngest member of the Burning Sportscasters) Hidetada: “INSPIRE isn’t dead, it was closed down when Tadiyuki Kikkawa came back to Burning Hammer and brought back the fine talents that had the vision to follow him in the first place. And in case you haven’t noticed, Kikkawa is the Burning World Heavyweight champion, Tasuku Iesada is the King of Fighters and Masaaki Okazaki has been making all of your favourite wrestlers submit as if tapping out was the new Gangnam Style. INSPIRE is not only still alive, it’s thriving under the name of Burning Hammer and continues to show that Kikkawa’s vision was a success beyond measure.” Toru: “Gentlemen, please. Let’s keep this civilised. Yasunobu Masuno is ranked at number seven in the Heavyweight rankings, let’s find out who is next.” <div style="text-align:center">#6 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TasukuIesada.jpg Tasuku Iesada King Of Fighters (0 defenses)</div> Hidetada: “Ranked undeservedly lowly despite being the King of Fighters. Clearly he is being overlooked because there is an anti-INSPIRE agenda in Burning Hammer…” Toru: “Enough, Hidetada. Iesada had a very mixed December as has already been pointed out. He hasn’t defended the King of Fighters since winning it in October and after losing in tag action with Kikkawa against Masuno and Taira, he may even be lucky to be in the spot he’s in.” Kazutoshi: “I think he’s in a fair spot, he’s not had any unexpected defeats and has even piled woe on Tadakuni Toshusai’s bad month with a victory over him. But I do think he needs to defend the King of Fighters more often against high quality opposition if he want sto continue up the rankings. He is a great mat technician but he has always been in the shadow of Tadiyuki Kikkawa, who has been a dominant champion wherever he has gone, with Iesada always being a step behind him.” Danjuro: “I even heard that he actually has the record in Burning Hammer for the most title shots at the Burning World championship without a victory.” Toru: “That might be true, Danjuro, I’d have to go look that up as I don’t have that information to hand. Certainly he has spent a lot of time in the upper reaches of the rankings here in Burning Hammer without ever becoming champion. He may now be the King of Fighters, but many view that as a secondary championship when compared to the long lineage of the Burning World Championship.” Mitsuhide: “And yet it is still a highly prestigious prize that is held in high esteem by the entire locker-room. But now, on with the rankings. At number five…” <div style="text-align:center">#5 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/YasuhikoTaira.jpg Yasuhiko Taira </div> Toru: “The Bulldozer may have had some triumphs but his loss to Kikkawa in his championship match seems to have cost him his place in the title hunt for the Fire Tour.” Hidetada: “There’s no shame in losing to Tadiyuki Kikkawa, I can’t help but feel that Taira may have been unfairly dropped down the rankings on this one. He went toe to toe with Kikkawa for more than 20 minutes, which is longer than many have and even had me thnking he could’ve won the match, even if only for a moment.” Mitsuhide: “Interesting that you should say that, because at number four we have….” <div style="text-align:center">#4 (UP 3) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/MasaakiOkazaki.jpg Masaaki Okazaki </div> Mitsuhide: “Okazaki has had an incredible month, getting submission wins over Tadakuni Toshusai who was ranked at number 5 last month and Chuichi Sanda who was ranked at #10. Combined with his stunning pinfall victory in a six man tag over Hiroaki Nakasawa and he has shot himself all the way into title contention.” Hidetada: “I take it back, Taira deserves to have fallen down a spot as Okazaki has really earned this one! The former INSPIRE star has been on fire lately and has some huge wins as you say, but Kikkawa has never submitted so I don’t know if he’ll have what it takes to wrestle the gold away from him.” Toru: “Okazaki will get third choice on when to take his Burning World Championship match, although the choice is minimal given that the other two will get to pick first. Traditionally the top challenger has picked to receive his title shot at Fire Dream Of The Immortals in March, so Okazaki will likely hve his chance in February or April.” Danjuro: “Given who is likely to be ahead of him in the rankings, I think we’ll see him get his shot in April.” Kazutoshi: “That depends on how smartly the other contenders play this. Some people like to have more time to prepare for a match and getting three months of preparation would suit Okazaki’s style well.” Mitsuhide: “Well, perhaps we’ll find out soon enough. Up next, a surprisingly low ranking for our Burning World Heavyweight champion at number three….” <div style="text-align:center">#3 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TadiyukiKikkawa.jpg Tadiyuki Kikkawa Burning World Champion (4 defenses)</div> (Hidetada looks ready to jump up in defense of his hero but Toru cuts him off by putting his hand up and motioning for him to sit down in one easy move.) Toru: “Before you say anything, Kikkawa may have successfully defended the Burning World Championship but he has suffered defeats in tag team action and was even pinned last month. In contrast, he doesn’t hold a fall on either of the men who are going to be ranked above him, so this ranking is exactly where I thought he’d be.” Kazutoshi: “I see it pretty much the same way. Kikkawa hasn’t lost any matches in singles competition lately but he has looked shaky in tag team action alongside Team INSPIRE colleague, Tasuku Iesada. With that in mind, and given how hard it can be to separate people in the rankings at times, I think most people had him dropping down to number three based on recent results.” Hidetada: “He’s the Burning World Champion, reigning for eight months now with four defenses! He’s not been beaten in singles competition for almost a year and yet he’s still only ranked at number three? Behind people he beat during the last tour? This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice against a great man!” Toru: “That’s quite enough Hidetada. Mitsuhide, if you could be so kind, I’m sure everyone is anxious to find out who the top contenders for Kikkawa’s championship are. Perhaps if he can beat them he’ll return to the top of the rankings soon.” Mitsuhide: “Thank you Toru. I think we all realise that there are two big names left to be ranked. When it came down to trying to rank them it was very close so they clashed at Silencing Dragons to determine the top ranking. The winner of that match was Kinnojo Horri, so ranked at number two is the man who lost that match…” <div style="text-align:center">#2 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/HiroakiNakasawa.jpg Hiroaki Nakasawa </div> Toru: “Nakasawa had quite the tour, winning several matches early on before failing to dethrone Kikkawa for the championship at Night Of The Burning Hammer after being the top ranked contender. He spent the next two months helping to mentor his protégé in the ring, teaming with Atsumori Takemura several times and coming up short on a few occasions. But most importantly was the fall he lost in six man tag action to Masaaki Okazaki that put his top spot in jeopardy, followed by the big loss to Kinnojo Horri at Silencing Dragons.” Danjuro: “There has been a lot of talk in the locker-room, particularly among the younger wrestlers, about Nakasawa perhaps overly dedicating himself to helping his protégé. Nakasawa is a popular presence in the locker room and there aren’t a lot of veterans who are willing to take somenone under their wing like he has, which is really helping his youngster improve by leaps and bounds in the last few months.” Mitsuhide: “Indeed, not many veterans here are working so closely with young talent, it’s a great sight to behold.” Kazutoshi: “I’m inclined to disagree with that a little, it’s clearly not helping his own career and when you find yourself regularly in the ring against the likes of Kikkawa, Horri, Okazaki and the rest, you need to be at the top of your game.” Hidetada: “And I’m inclined to agree with you for once, when you step into the ring with Tadiyuki Kikkwa you had best be as prepared as you possibly can be. He’s recently passed a milestone in his career that few ever reach, a combined total of ten years as a major singles champion. Only a handful of men have ever achieved this, in part because Kikkawa doesn’t waste his time helping out youngsters who should be looking out for themselves, like Kikkawa did.” Kazutoshi: “That’s not exactly what I said. I admire what Nakasawa is doing because it will benefit Burning Hammer in the long term, while Kikkawa’s unwillingness to do the same speaks volumes about himself. Personally, I will always hope for Nakasawa to keep helping Burning Hammer and I think the best step for that would be to take Kikkawa’s belt from him. The sooner the better.” Mitsuhide: “Well, before this gets too heated I’ll remind people that Nakasawa will get second choice of which pay per view to receive his championship match on. The man who will get first choice, the number one ranked wrestler in the Burning Hammer Heavyweight divisionand rising one place thanks to his victory over Nakasawa in singles competition is...” <div style="text-align:center">#1 (UP 2) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/KinnojoHorri.jpg Kinnojo Horri </div> Toru: “Despite losing his forty-two minute clash with Kikkawa for the Burning World Championship in November, Horri has fired back with a string of strong results, winning every match he competed in since then including a just under the wire victory over Nakasawa, getting the pinfall with just fourteen seconds to go after hitting the Destiny Bomb.” Danjuro: “It certainly was an exciting finish to a hotly contested match, though I still feel that Elemental vs MYSTIC Dragon stole the show that night.” Kazutoshi: “Be patient, young one. The Junior rankings are coming soon. Horri came so very close to dethroning Kikkawa in their clash and he has turned the frustration of being so close into motivation to make sure that he wins next time. I just hope he can maintain this fire and mount an even stronger challenge next time.” Hidetada: “Horri is obviously a great talent and he clearly pushed Kikkawa to his limits, but these two men have a long history together that heavily favours Kikkawa. Horri keeps raising his game but when he does, he simply motivates Kikkawa to even higher levels of greatness. That’s why Horri is a perennial contender for the championship and why Kikkawa is the perennial champion.” Toru: “It’s hard to disagree with that, when you look at the careers of Horri and Kikkawa they have crossed paths many times and Kikkawa has a lot more wins. But Horri is a two time Burning Champion who is only just beginning to hit his prime now, while Kikkawa is a four time Burning Champion and two time King Of Fighters who some would say is beginning to slip.” Hidetada: “Slip? He’s the Burning World Champion, the absolute peak of professional wrestling in the entire world. While everyone else is trying to climb to the summit of the mountain, he’s standing atop it and still trying to reach up to the heavens in order to get even better. The only challenge he has is that the mountain isn’t high enough and he can’t climb any further.” Mitsuhide: “And yet he sits at number three in the rankings, behind Horri and Nakasawa.” Toru: “Indeed. Fans, over the next few weeks we’ll hear from the top challengers about when they will be making their challenges for the Burning World Championship. Kinnojo Horri will get first choice on whether to challenger in February at Sword Of Destiny, in March at BHOTWG’s second biggest event of the year Fire Dream Of The Immortals or in April at Test Of Prophecies. Once Horri makes his choice the remaining options will pass to Hiroaki Nakasawa which will let Masaaki Okazaki know when he will be making his challenge.” Danjuro: “The same is true of the Junior division too, with the top 3 contenders also getting to choose which event they will challenge at, which will mean some incredble action and potential match of the year candidates very early in the year!” Toru: “That is very true. And since I’m sensing more than a little excitement from you, I shall pass control of proceedings back over to Mitsuhide.” <hr> Mitsuhide: “Thank you once again. The Junior division has long been one of the crown jewels of Burning Hammer, with the Burning Junior Championship being introduced as Elemental revolutionised the division forever. 40 years on and Elemental still holds the championship, though the original has long since retired and even his successor has joined him in leading a relatively more sedate lifestyle. Elemental III is now a two time Burning Junior champion and has fended off the challenges of Marihito Masuko at Night Of The Burning Hammer and MYSTIC Dragon at Silencing Dragons, an aptly named pay per view. But who will his next challenges be? Who might he face? Well, lets start the rankings at number ten and find out…” <div style="text-align:center">#10 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BaireiYasujiro.jpg Bairei Yasujiro</div> Toru: “No change for Bairei as a he continues to show that he is a consistent competitor. His Yasujiro Suplex picked up a few wins for him but he also picked up a few defeats, leaving him exactly where he started.” Mitsuhide: “It’s worth noting that all ten of the ranked competitors in the Junior division from last month are still ranked in the top ten this month.” Danjuro: “No new competitors in the top ten? I had the likes of Shimedzu, VENOM and Maeda all in close contention with Yasujiro for the bottom spots, that’ll be some hard news for them to take.” Mitsuhide: “Indeed it will. But good news for everyone already in the rankings, though the man at number eight will be disappointed to have slipped down one place. He is…” <div style="text-align:center">#9 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/HyosukeKokan.jpg Hyosuke Kokan</div> Danjuro: “The Electric Live Wire won’t be shocked to see he’s dropped a place, his losses in singles and tag action against Red Panther and American Optimus last month were always going to hurt his standing. He’s perhaps a little lucky that Bairei didn’t pass him or that the others just outside the rankings didn’t have a stronger month.” Toru: “There certainly is a lot of congestion at the bottom end of the Junior rankings, highlighting the strength in depth of the Burning Junior division.” Kazutoshi: “Toru, we’ve both been with Burning Hammer for a long time and I think we can both agree that the Junior division is looking as strong as it ever has, with more talent in this generation of wrestlers than we’ve ever seen before.” Hidetada: “You know, I can agree with that. That’s why I think we should all pay attention to the philosophy created in INSPIRE, where size isn’t an issue, only skill.” Danjuro: “We don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things Hidetada, but on this I do agree with you. The current batch of Junior wrestlers are probably the greatest of all time, with the potential to continue growing in stature for many years yet. If ever there was a time for Junior wrestlers to be treated as equals to the Heavyweights, now is the time.” Kazutoshi: “Here we go again… I won’t deny that the Junior division is talented but if even the great Elemental was unable to win the Burning World championship when he challenged, then I don’t see how any of the current crop have a chance. They are talented, undoubtedly, but as great as the legend? I’m not convinced.” Danjuro: “And you’ll never be able to be convinced if they don’t get the chance to prove it. President Kaneko has the power to make the change and there are many who want to see the changes happen, but yet he does nothing about it!” Toru: “Danjuro, I think you might be getting a little carried away with yourself. No-one doubts the talents of the Junior division but until it is shown that a Junior wrestler can realistically compete in the Heavyweight division, I don’t think President Kaneko will feel justified in making any of the changes you are so vocal about. But before this discussion gets out of hand, back to Mitsuhide to continue the rankings.” Mitsuhide: “Thank you Toru. Ranked at number eight and also moving down one place in the rankings….” <div style="text-align:center">#8 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/GoldenScorpion.jpg Golden Scorpion</div> Toru: “Scorpion picked up a tough loss to his own tag team partner in singles comptition last month, marking the first time they’ve faced each other in singles action in more than a year. Unfortunately for him that saw his month go from average to a little worse, dropping him one place in the rankings” Kazutoshi: “It’s not often that tag team partners agree to face each other in singles competition without some championship gold on the line, I was surprised when Scorpion agreed to face The Awesome Kiyaru even with both men sitting outside championship contention.” Hidetada: “It was all about pride. The team hasn’t been doing particularly well in the tag team ranks lately and I think there was some mounting tension based on their failed attempts to even earn a shot at the Burning Junior Tag Team championships on the last tour. Though given how well they performed as a team, that was probably for the best.” Danjuro: “Whether it be pride or competitive spirit, both men had a great match and that has hopefully done enough to right the ship. Kiyaru picked up the victory and Scorpion shook his hand after the match, so hopefully they can both put whatever tensions they’ve had behind them and get back on the same page.” Mitsuhide: “Well said Danjuro, your knowledge of the Junior division is remarkable, as always. I doubt it’ll surprise you to see who has risen up to number seven in the rankings…” <div style="text-align:center">#7 (UP 2) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/PhenomenalE_alt1.jpg Red Panther</div> Danjuro: “Red Panther had an fantastic month, picking up victories in tag team and singles competition to boost him up the rankings to a career high. He’ll be looking to build on this but his tag team partner can’t be far above him and of course there is the question of the new generation of Junior stars, who seem almost impossible to overthrow right now.” Toru: “Panther’s new career high ranking is a definite sign of how far he has progressed and it seems likely that he and American Optimus are going to receive a Burning Junior Tag Team championship rematch on the Fire Tour, giving them the chance to regain the gold after losing it at Night Of The Burning Hammer. And I have to admit, I’d hate to bet against them.” Kazutoshi: “I think the team of Haru Kurofuji and Hachigoro Maeda, whle both unranked in singles competition, have the edge in terms of working together as a tag team. They’ve both known each other for many years, do even with them being ranked lower than Panther and Optimus, I see a very close match there. I’d fancy the champions to retain on that one.” Mitsuhide: “It’ll be an interesting match when it happens, that’s for sure. Ranked at number six is Red Panther’s partner…” <div style="text-align:center">#6 (DOWN 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BlackEagle_alt5.jpg American Optimus</div> Mitsuhide: “… who didn’t have a good month in singles action, losing an important match to MYSTIC Dragon during the month and ultimately just missing out on a potential big match at Silencing Dragons.” Hidetada: “You know, I’m a pretty big fan of Junior wrestling if only because I’m watching them to see who might be able to compete with the Heavyweights. American Optimus is a fantastically talented wrestler but if there’s one weakness in his arsenal, it’s that he lacks the ability to perform one of the true Optimus’ signature moves… the White Mist.” Kazutoshi: “Some people would argue that it makes American Optimus a more noble man as a result, that White Mist is hardly a legal wrestling move.” Hidetada: “There’s nothing illegal about the White Mist. It turned the tide in favour of Optimus on many occasions but it seems that American Optimus is either unable or unwilling to use it. Personally, I think he’d have ever more success if he were to use it.” Toru: “But as you point out, he may not be able to. The secrets of any Mist Attack are known to very few individuals and are taught to very few men. And as has been pointed out in the past, American Optimus is not a successor to the Optimus lineage, unlike the current Burning Junior champion, Elemental III, who is the third official man in the Elemental lineage.” Mitsuhide: “Which neatly brings us around to a man who many are wondering if he will appoint a successor, ranked at number five…” <div style="text-align:center">#5 (UP 1) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TheAwesomeKiyaru.jpg The Awesome Kiyaru</div> Danjuro: “Kiyaru is a man with an incredible career, one of the finest Juniors in wrestling history who’s name is rightly spoken of in the same esteem as the Elementals and Optimus. The only man to have won the Best Of Super Juniors tournament three times, doing so in consectutive years in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Kiyaru is a legend who is as capable today as he was a decade ago when he won those tournaments.” Toru: “However in recent times he has found himself away from his almost customary spot as one of the top challengers for the Burning Junior championship, with the four men known by the fans as “The Heavenly Kings” almost monopolising the top spots in the Junior division, the Junior championship and the Best Of Super Juniors Tournament in recent years.” Hidetada: “And it looks like they’re still holding onto the top four spots between them again, with Kiyaru not quite being able to break into title contention despite having a good month. Once again, he’ll need some strong performances and probably a singles victory over one of “The Heavenly Kings” if he is to move any higher in the rankings, which is true of American Optimus too.” Mitsuhide: “Which brings us to the man ranked at number four, who most recently lost to the champion in his bid for the gold…” <div style="text-align:center">#4 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/MysticDragon.jpg Mystic Dragon</div> Kazutoshi: “Mystic Dragon has been something of a phenomenon in Junior wrestling, having been with Burning Hammer for less than three years but already considered among the elite in the division after a meteoric rise to the Burning Junior championship within one year of his debut. There have been few success stories like Mystic’s and yet so little is known about him. And there are always those rumours that he is the son of a famous wrestler, but he refuses to talk about himself.” Danjuro: “As you all know, I’ve spent a lot of time around the locker-room during events and I’ve still not made any headway in finding out any more about him, he’s a very reclusive man. Even the other wrestlers seem to know nothing about him, or if they do then they aren’t letting on.” Hidetada: “I wouldn’t tell you anything either if you came up to me while I was getting ready for a match. We know he came up through the Hinote Dojo and was highly successful there before coming here and being highly successful here too. I have to admit, given his incredible successes, I’d love to see what he could do in the Heavyweight division. I can’t be the only one thinking he blaze his way through the Heavyweight ranks as easily as he has the Junior ranks.” Toru: “I wouldn’t say he’s blazed through them easily, he’s currently sitting fourth in the rankings and is rebounding from a loss to the reigning Burning Junior champion, Elemental III.” Mitsuhide: “And while we have control here, second in line to get a championship match against Elemental III will be…” <div style="text-align:center">#3 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/MarihitoMasuko.jpg Marihito Masuko</div> Danjuro: “Before anyone says anything, I just want to remind the folks at home that Masuko and Sensational Dragon are pretty much deadlocked in the rankings as of late. The two men have had some incredbile matches but because the Junior division has a time limit of just twenty minutes on their non-title bouts, neither man has quite been able to put the other one away. Quite frankly, I expect to see these two clash even more on the upcoming tour and continue their epic rivalry and I hope that President Kaneko extends the time limit to give them enough time to fight to a finish.” Kazutoshi: “The Junior division has never needed a longer time limit for their matches, they wrestle at such an intensity that matches are over long before then.” Danjuro: “Given how often Sensational and Masuko have wrestled to a draw lately, with Elemental III and Mystic Dragon being involved in some draws too, I’d say it’s time for President Kaneko to take another look at those rules. The fans want to see decisive finishes, they don’t want to see fantastic matches end in a time limit draw because the wrestlers of old used to be able to win matches in shorter times.” Hidetada: “I agree with the kid here, when it comes to predicting winners for our pay per view game, I much prefer there to be a clean winner instead of a draw. And I’m sure the fans share my opinion on that one.” Toru: “There’s no doubt that we’d all like to see clean finishes, but Burning Hammer has a show to run and there are limits on how long our shows are allowed to run. If every match was given no time limits then we could put together an eight match show that could go on forever if the competitors wanted it to, and that’s not something that the fans like. Deadlines bring out the best in our wrestlers, just looke at Kinnojo Horri’s victor over Hiraoki Nakasawa with just seconds to go if you disagree with me.” Kazutoshi: “I can’t really argue that one, that deadline pushed Horri to another level and he got a hard earned victory because of that.” Mitsuhide: “I also agree with you, part of being a star wrestler is being able to work within the pressure of a deadline. Ranked at number two is the man that Masuko drew with…” <div style="text-align:center">#2 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/SensationalDragon.jpg Sensational Dragon</div> Danjuro: “A Burning Hammer sensation in his own right, Sensational Dragon has been one of the finest young wrestlers to have ever emerged. With his incredible athleticism, devastating technical wrestling skills and incomparable high flying ability, he is almost a perfect Junior wrestler, capable of doing whatever he wants to as if the basic laws of physics and nature don’t apply to him. A four time Burning Junior champion and the 2009 Best Of Super Juniors Tournament winner, Sensational Dragon never fails to live up to his name and wows fans every night.” Hidetada: “And with an introduction like that, I guess you are his biggest fan, right? Well, he may be sensational, but he’s currently sitting at number two in the rankings after losing the Junior title to Elemental III back in September and is coming off a draw with his long term rival Marihito Masuko. So when it comes to doing whatever he wants, it seems that he’s met his equal in terms of toughness and willpower in his fellow “Heavenly Kings” rivals.” Kazutoshi: “Those four men have proven themselves to be virtually on another level when it comes to the Junior division, turning back so many challengers to the top four spots on the rankings and driving the previous generation of stars to evolve in order to stay competitive. The veterans of the Junior division have found some success in taking a more mat based approach to wrestling in order to compete, with men like Golden Scorpion, Bairei Yasuhiro and even The Awesome Kiyaru adapting their styles in order to slow down and wear down their faster, younger opposition.” Toru: “And yet all that has seemed to do is enable to new stars to develop an even more well rounded game in order to compete, with Sensational Dragon in particular seemingly becoming one of the elite when it comes to exchanging hold and counterhold with anyone who dares to try. I’m starting to think that the only way to beat some of “The Heavenly Kings” is perhaps to use power against them.” Danjuro: “And yet so many people seem againt putting them against the Heavyweights to find out if that is true. Imagine how incredible it would be to see Kikkawa vs Sensational Dragon? Elemental III vs Hiroaki Nakasawa? Marihito Masuko vs Yasuhiko Taira?” Mitsuhide: “Some of those sound like a huge mismatch to me, I have to admit. But they would all be intriguing matches. But more importantly, we now know that Sensational Dragon, Marihito Masuko and Mystic Dragon will be getting the chance to challenge the champion for the Burning Junior Championship. And they’d better bring their very best in that thirty minute window, because ranked at number one….” <div style="text-align:center">#1 ( = ) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/ElementalIII.jpg Elemental III Burning Junior Champion (2 defenses)</div> Toru: “There is no doubt that Elemental III is a great wrestler and has been an incredible choice to continue the Elemental legacy. Currently enjoying his second reign as Burning Junior champion and with two Best Of Super Junior Tournament victories to his credit, alongside a huge reign as Burning Junior Tag Team champion with Marihito Masuko, his 5 years with Burning Hammer have already been filled with more success than the careers of most veterans. Sitting atop the Junior rankings at such a young age, it seems like he has only just begun to write his chapter in the legacy of the Elemental dynasty.” Kazutoshi: “There is no doubting that he is going to be one of Burning Hammer’s crown jewels for a long time to come, the youngster has shown an incredible amount of talent for his age and he’s only going to keep getting better. And as he does that, the rest of the Burning Junior division are going to do the same as everyone guns for the right to challenge for the Burning Junior championship.” Danjuro: “I’ve made no secret of being a big fan of his and he always seems so humble, with a great sense of being honoured to be the one to follow in the giant footsteps of Elemental and Elemental II, who he still sees every day. It would be so easy for Elemental III to develop an ego given how much success he has had, but under the careful tutelage of the Elementals he works hard every day to be the best he possibly can be in order to live up to their legacy. And not only has he rewarded their time and effort with him by being hugely successful, he has passed on that same drive to the entire division. Really, this batch of Junior wrestlers are so competitive with each other that they could go out and defeat any team in the world if given the chance.” Hidetada: “I bet they’d lose to a team of the top four heavyweight wrestlers. Kikkawa would lariat their heads right off their bodies if they were foolish enough to step into the ring with him!” Toru: “Hidetada, I wouldn’t be so certain of that. What the Junior division lacks in size, they make up with in technique. And as a fan of INSPIRE, I’m sure you know perfectly well what happens when someone with incredible technique can do to a wrestler who isn’t as skilled.” Hidetada: “The Juniors are talented, no doubt about that, but they could never beat Kikkawa, who hits brutally hard, knows how to wrestler and would never, ever submit to anyone. How could a Junior wrestler actually beat a man like that?” Kazutoshi: “I hate to agree with Hidetada but I see his point. The Juniors are exciting and know how to use their bodies as a weapon, but the heavyweights are used to being hit harder than a Junior could ever hit, are big enough to block suplexes and slams just with their weight alone and are mostly capable of making up with power anything that they may lack in technique. I don’t see how they could hope to beat our top heavyweights.” Hidetada: “I didn’t say that! I just said the Juniors couldn’t beat Kikkawa… or Iesada for that matter. Or Okazaki. But everyone else? They might have a chance.” Danjuro: “They’d have more than a chance, the Juniors would be fighting for what they believe in if such a match were made, they’d have a cause, the talent and the drive to beat any team of Heavyweights they went against. And that would be enough for them to prevail.” Toru: “Wait… I’m sorry gentlemen but I’m going to have to interupt this debate for now. Fans, I’m receiving word in my earpiece that we are about to go to a live announcement from Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko, who will be broadcasting from his office. Let’s go over to him right now for a special announcement.” <hr> <div style="text-align:center"> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TetsuzanKaneko.jpg President Tetsuzan Kaneko</div> (Stood in front of his desk, which itself is positioned in front of a huge Burning Hammer flag, President Kaneko is dressed in a smart business suit and greets the world with a courteous bow. Unlike a lot of the wrestlers who work with him, he is a man if business and speaks like a businessman making a presentation instead of a wrestler preparing for war. He is calm, composed and seems to radiate a sense of authority while he delivers his announcement.) “Fans of Burning Hammer, I am Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko. Burning Hammer has been known as the greatest wrestling organisation in the world for almost fifty years, which has given us a rish history and a long line of unbroken traditions. Yet in that time there have been revolutions, some of them sudden and some of them gradual, all of which have left their own marks on this organisation that are still felt today. As Burning President, responsibility for the continued success of Burning Hammer falls on my willing shoulders and it is up to me to provide you, the fans, with the most exciting match ups in the world between the greatest wrestlers in the world. And it is because of these responsibilities that I have a formal announcement to make that will change the structure of tag team wrestling within Burning Hammer forever. Starting with the Fire Tour in February, all wrestlers on our roster, Heavyweights and Juniors alike, will be permitted to be ranked as a part of tag tag teams, instead of one, allowing for a potential groundswell of new and exciting tag teams to form among the many diverse athletes on our roster.” “To facilitate this, the tag team rankings as they have previously stood are being considered null, allowing for all tag teams to start on an even footing. In addition to this, following very vocal support from fans and wrestlers alike, Heavyweight and Junior wrestlers may now compete together as Openweight tag teams in the Heavyweight tag team division. I am calling this “The Rebellion Rule”, in honour of the highly regarded duo of Natsu Miyamae and Ken Shimedzu, who have been very vocal about their wish to compete once again as a tag team. They will now be eligible to compete in the Heavyweight tag team division despite competing in different weight classes while in singles competition. The most notable effect of these new rules on the Burning Hammer tag team divisions is that a competitor may now be capable of earning more than one tag team championship opportunity per tour if they show themselves to be successful enough. I encourage all wrestlers to reach out to others on the roster and seek out new potential tag team combinations as the opportunity to quickly rise up the ranks has never been so easily achievable. The creation and development of new tag team combinations will lead to a new era of prosperity for Burning Hammer, providing all of our loyal fans with the best tag team wrestling the world has ever seen alongside our thriving Junior and Heavyweight singles divisions.” “In honour of this new era for tag team wrestling in Burning Hammer, I have personally selected a tag team match from our last tour that highlights the effects of excellent teamwork and how important it is in developing a tag team, enabling two men who may not rank as highly in singles competition to challenge the very finest Heavyweights in the world when they are given the chance. I hope you enjoy the match and I thank you for your time.” (Just as he started his announcement, President Kaneko delivers a short bow to the fans as he closes and his hand-picked choice of match begins to play.) <hr> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center">Match held on Sunday, Week 1, October 2012 in front of 9,729 fans in the Tochigi Sports Stadium, Kanto, Japan http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TadiyukiKikkawa.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/TasukuIesada.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/vs2_zps145f0fba.gifhttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/ToshikiShibanumo.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/NisshoYuasa.jpg Team INSPIRE (Tadiyuki Kikkawa/Tasuku Iesada) vs Toshiki Shibanumo/Nissho Yuasa Non-title Match</div> • At the time this match happened it saw the recently crowned Burning World Tag Team champions, Toshiki Shibanumo and Nissho Yuasa, taking on the reigning Burning World champion Tadiyuki Kikkawa and the challenger for the King of Fighters championship, Tasuku Iesada. All four men were gearing up for a big match at the upcoming BHOTWG Night Of The Burning Hammer 2012 event. As this match is a non-title Heavyweight division bout, it was scheduled for one fall and had a 30 minute time limit. • It took very little time to highlight the differences in the two teams, with the tag champions sending Yuasa out first to use his sizeable bulk to combat whatever would be sent his way, while Kikkawa and Iesada both wanted to assert their willpower over who would start. Stonefaced, Kikkawa refused to let Iesada start the match and the two power men of their teams would engage in a series of battles. Yuasa proved why he is called “Baby Elephant” as he showed once again that he is able to nullify much of Kikkawa’s offense with his sheer size, forcing Kikkwa to tag out. • Iesada, riding a lot of momentum in the build up to his King of Fighter’s opportunity, was full of confidence and managed to use his skills to take Yuasa down. Sensing trouble, Yuasa fights out and makes the tag, knowing he simply cannot compete in the mat game with someone like Iesada. Toshiki would then try to ground and wear down Iesada, with the two veterans methodically trying to outwrestle each other, looking for submissions but neither had a great advantage. The momentum would shift when Yuasa would receive the tag once again, mauling Iesada with his raw power and giving his side the upperhand. • After this the pattern of the match was estalished. The superior teamwork and relatively quick tags of the Burning World Tag Team champions would negate the advantage in skill that Kikkawa and Iesada seemed to have, allowing them to fight back into the match any time that Team INSPIRE started building momentum. The swift tags were not just thanks to their tag experience together though, as it became more and more obvious that by not being able to put away Kikkawa or Iesada early on that Yuasa was once again falling victim to his own size, becoming increasingly tired as the match wore on, and forcing Toshiki to do more of the work. • Superior cardiovascular conditioning was clearly swinging the match in favour of Kikkawa and Iesada, allowing for them to get more and more offense in as Toshiki became overwhelmed with the workload he was being forced to take on. Yuasa would try to cover for his partner, moving into absorb some brutal flurries of offensive strikes from Kikkawa but there is no-one in the world capable of taking that kind of offense for long, as has been proven many times over many years. • A late flurry of offense from Toshiki in tripping up Iesada saw a glimmer of hope for a victory for his team as Yuasa tried hit a big sit down splash, getting a two count before Kikkwa hit a brutal running Kikkawa Lariat on him to break up the fall. With the match seemingly all but over and the tag team champions down for the count, the bell rung to signifiy that the thirty minute time limit had expired just as Kikkawa was about to get a tag to make him the legal man. RESULT: Team INSPIRE (Tadiyuki Kikkawa/Tasuku Iesada) drew with Toshiki Shibanumo/Nissho Yuasa via time limit at 30:00</div></blockquote> <hr> <div style="text-align:center">http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/KazutoshiImoo.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/MitsuhideMuro.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/ToruMinamoto.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/HidetadaKozu.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/DanjuroKomatsu.jpg Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu The Sportscasters of BHOTWG</div> (As we rejoin the studio with the Burning Hammer sportcasters we see them seemingly stopping an animated discussion just as the cameras roll, hinting at the effects of the announcement they heard just a half hour ago. Toru leads once again, the voice of Burning Hammer and the leader of the group.) Toru: “Welcome back to the studio. It’s been something of a surprising show this week as Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko has announcer an overhaul of the tag team divisions here. While you watched that excellent tag team match that was handpicked by President Kaneko himself, we’ve spent the last half an hour here trying to work out the possible ramifications of the announcement. Mitsuhide, could you recap for us.” Mitsuhide: “Certainly. In short, the current tag team rankings have been dropped and President Kaneko has handpicked challengers for the the Heavyweight and Junior Tag Team championships, though he has yet to reveal who they will be. Going forward all wrestler will now be allowed to compete as a part of two regular tag teams instead of one, meaning that there could potentially be two championship matches for a wrestler per tour. In addition Openweight tag teams will now be allowed in the Heavyweight tag team ranks, which President Kaneko has dubbed “The Rebellion Rule” and seems to pave the way for them to re-unite in order to chase after tag team gold once again, which will be a popular move.” Danjuro: “If you ask me, this seems to be a way of testing the waters for Junior wrestlers to regularly compete in the Heavyweight division, so I’m a huge fan of these changes.” Kazutoshi: “First of all, no-one asked you. And secondly, there was no mention of it affecting the singles rankings. President Kaneko made it quite clear, at least to me, that he was keeping the Junior and Heavyweight divisions apart with this and that he was simply trying to encourage more tag teams to form in a bid to make the tag team division in Burning Hammer as exciting as it can be. In that regard, I’m very happy with the announcement.” Hidetada: “But he has made it possible for Junior wrestlers to compete in the heavyweight tag team ranks with this announcement, that’s certainly a noteworthy step in Burning Hammer history” Kazutoshi: “The Rebellion used to compete as Juniors in the Heavyweight tag team ranks years ago, and Kansuke Konda competes in the Heavyweight division already despite being a Junior. The most important part of this announcement is nothing to do with weight class divides being bridged, it’s about rejuvenating the tag team divisions to bring about a new era of prosperity to tag team wrestling in Burning Hammer.” Toru: “There is certainly going to be a lot of talk about this going forward. We’re sure to hear more from President Kaneko with regards to who the top contenders to the World and Junior Tag Team championships are, but if possible I’d like to quickly hear from each of you about any possible tag team combinations you think may form over the coming weeks.” Mitsuhide: “The reformation of The Rebellion seems like a certainty, but I think we’re going to get to see the official teaming up of Hiroaki Nakasawa and his young protégé, Atsumori Takemura. Obviously they’ve been training together a lot in recent times and they’ve been wrestling together a few times on the last couple of tours. Now seems like a perfect time for them to be officially announced as a tag team.” Danjuro: “Personally, I’m hoping for someone in the Heavyweight division to team up with someone from the Junior division to show that the Juniors are capable of anything if given the chance. The reformation of the Elemental III and Marihito Masuko tag team that was so dominant in the Junior division could set the heavyweight division on fire if they decided to give it a try.” Hidetada: “Team INSPIRE have obviously been one of the top tag teams in recent years, but they don’t spend very much time teaming together and there are times where there definitly seems to be some tension between them. If anyone was going to team with a Junior wrestler, it would be one of them. The prospect of seeing Kikkawa team with Sensational Dragon, or seeing Iesada pair up with the young Mystic Dragon… the potential combinations could be incredible.” Kazutoshi: “I’m surprised that so many of you are rushing to put together so many openweight teams. Personally, I’ve always thought that someone like Natsu Miyamae would be a great tag team partner for a younger rising star, perhaps a Tadakuni Toshusai or a Nissho Yuasa. They could learn a lot from him and he could learn a lot from them, and I think that the styles of those men would work well together to form a team that could be truly dominant if given the chance. Far superior to an openweight team like Iesada and Dragon.” Toru: “Thank you for your input gentlemen, I’m sure there will be a lot of chatter on the Burning Hammer website about possible tag teams and the effects of the announcement. On next week’s edition of Lords Of The Ring we will mostly be focusing on the Heavyweight division, talking more about the rankings and keeping you up to date with all the breaking news about championship matches, new signings, new tag teams, some exciting matches from the last tour and anything else that comes up. Until then, we have been the Burning Hammer sportcasters and we all wish you a good evening. Until next week, good bye!” (The entire announce team let out a hearty “thank you” as the credits begin to roll, allowing them to shuffle their papers as all good broadcasters do for some reason. And with that, the first edition of the year is brought to a close.) <div style="text-align:center">http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BHOTWG.jpghttp://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c33/DerekB83/Burning%20Hammer/BHOTWGtv.jpg</div>

Psycho Sam · December 21, 2012

Nice.

Unregistered · December 21, 2012

Yay Derek! I'll be reading of course!

Tiberious · December 21, 2012

Awesome, I really love the way you've brought the promotion to life and given the characters/commentators different personalities. I've never played as BHOTWG, but the way you set it up I'm looking forward to where you go from now.

moon_lit_tears · December 23, 2012

Guess I'll read along since I'm interested and all.

foolinc · December 23, 2012

I...got nothing. Amazing start Derek! Can't wait to see what you can do when you are actually booking shows!

Derek B · December 23, 2012

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Psycho Sam" data-cite="Psycho Sam" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Nice. <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"></div></blockquote> Cheers. <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Unregistered" data-cite="Unregistered" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yay Derek! I'll be reading of course!</div></blockquote> And thanks for all your feedback via our facebook chats, it's been really helpful. <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Tiberious4" data-cite="Tiberious4" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Awesome, I really love the way you've brought the promotion to life and given the characters/commentators different personalities. I've never played as BHOTWG, but the way you set it up I'm looking forward to where you go from now.</div></blockquote> I've never played as BHOTWG either, but I've followed them extensively through every version of TEW. I'm hoping to make it feel like we're all kinda jumping into something that is already in full flow, rivalries and the like are going to get padded out more over the next few weeks but it's still a few episodes away from actual shows, the downside of being a touring company. <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="moon_lit_tears" data-cite="moon_lit_tears" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Guess I'll read along since I'm interested and all.</div></blockquote> Yay, I was hoping I'd rope you in. Hopefully Unregistered can get you to watch more puro, then you can diss me for not knowing enough. <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="foolinc" data-cite="foolinc" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35104" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I...got nothing. Amazing start Derek! Can't wait to see what you can do when you are actually booking shows!</div></blockquote> <img alt=":eek:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/eek.png.0e09df00fa222c85760b9bc1700b5405.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> USPW not able to find a way to diss Burning Hammer? I'll come up with something for you to fire back about, maybe by dissing your signing of Sozen. <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

Bigpapa42 · December 24, 2012

Count me in amongst those looking forward to this. Burning Hammer has become one of my favorite C-verse promotions and I love seeing people's take on it.

Nedew · December 25, 2012

Absolutely fantastic. The level of depth is awe-inspiring, clearly shows all the thought you've put into this. As someone who's really got into puro over the last year or so this has come at the perfect time. You're only one post in and i'm left wanting more already!

Unregistered · December 28, 2012

Cheers.

And thanks for all your feedback via our facebook chats, it's been really helpful.

We'll have to set up time for all of us to watch some of the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom together. Nice way for you two newbs to learn from a Puro master :rolleyes:

Here's looking forward to your first show!

Derek B · January 7, 2013

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Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu

The Sportscasters of BHOTWG

(The introductory video for BHOTWG’s weekly TV show plays, highlighting famous moments of history throughout the ages as legends like Master Kitozon, Elemental, Optimus, Motoichi Arakaida, Tadiyuki Kikkawa, Sam Strong, Dread and Sam Keith are crowned as champions of the company. For many this first minute of program is the first they see of BHOTWG, and compacting so much history into sixty seconds isn’t enough to do it justice. After this we join the Burning Hammer studio as we do every week and are welcomed by the sight of the full panel of BHOTWG analysts and commentators sitting behind the semi-circular table emblazoned with the logo of the world’s greatest wrestling promotion, BHOTWG. As is customary, Toru Minamoto is the first to speak with his regular greeting.)

Toru: “Good evening, wrestling fans, and welcome to Burning Hammer’s Lord of the Ring broadcast, keeping you up to date with the latest news, results, highlights and show information for the world’s greatest wrestling showcase. Last week saw the announcement of the udpated rankings for both the Heavyweight and Junior singles rankings along with a big announcement from Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko about the tag team rankings that we will talk about more later today. This week the focus of the show is on the Heavyweight division in particular and tonight we have a lot of breaking news coming your way, for more on this, let me hand over to my broadcast colleague Mitsuhide Muro.”

Mitsuhide: “Thank you Toru. Sports fans, we have a lot of exciting things happening today as not only will we have Burning World Heavyweight champion Tadiyuki Kikkawa live in the studio, but will also have the three challengers to his championship reign in the studio tonight and we have been promised that each of them will decide when they will be taking their championship matches. That means our next three major pay per view events will have their main event matches decided tonight, live in this very studio.”

Hidetada: “I still consider it a travesty that our champion isn’t even the number one ranked wrestler in the company right now, but when he is here and looks each of his competitors in the eye, we will see who truly has nerves of steel. Who will be first to step up and fall once again at the feet of the greatest competitor of his age, a man who has spent more than ten years as champion?”

Mitsuhide: “Not only that, but I can confirm that we will be getting the first interview with a massive star signing that was completed just a couple of days ago. With rumours running wild that Burning Hammer have signed a huge name for the next tour, we can confirm that the rumours are accurate, that he is here and will be joining us later tonight for an interview!”

Danjuro: “I can’t wait to find out who it is! Could it be someone from the world of MMA? A returning star from the company’s past? A big name from elsewhere in the wrestling world? Perhaps even someone from a rival company?”

Kazutoshi: “There has been so much speculation on the Burning Hammer fansite about who this signing could be, or if there was even going to be a big name signing. Burning Hammer always delivers on the big news items so I’m not at all surprised to see that Burning President Kaneko has been able to agree terms with whoever it is. And personally, I think I know who it will be but I won’t ruin the surprise for anyone by saying who I think it is.”

Toru: “Well, given that he is in the back in his own private room that no-one has been allowed to go near, your guess would be as good as mine. But we won’t find out about him for at least another hour yet, during which time we’ve got so much more ground to cover. So up first, let’s review Burning President Kaneko’s tag team announcement from last week and show some of the responses from the wrestlers on our roster.”

One week ago…

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President Tetsuzan Kaneko

(Stood in front of his desk, which itself is positioned in front of a huge Burning Hammer flag, President Kaneko is dressed in a smart business suit and greets the world with a courteous bow. Unlike a lot of the wrestlers who work with him, he is a man if business and speaks like a businessman making a presentation instead of a wrestler preparing for war. He is calm, composed and seems to radiate a sense of authority while he delivers his announcement.)

“Fans of Burning Hammer, I am Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko. Burning Hammer has been known as the greatest wrestling organisation in the world for almost fifty years, which has given us a rish history and a long line of unbroken traditions. Yet in that time there have been revolutions, some of them sudden and some of them gradual, all of which have left their own marks on this organisation that are still felt today. As Burning President, responsibility for the continued success of Burning Hammer falls on my willing shoulders and it is up to me to provide you, the fans, with the most exciting match ups in the world between the greatest wrestlers in the world. And it is because of these responsibilities that I have a formal announcement to make that will change the structure of tag team wrestling within Burning Hammer forever. Starting with the Fire Tour in February, all wrestlers on our roster, Heavyweights and Juniors alike, will be permitted to be ranked as a part of tag tag teams, instead of one, allowing for a potential groundswell of new and exciting tag teams to form among the many diverse athletes on our roster.”

“To facilitate this, the tag team rankings as they have previously stood are being considered null, allowing for all tag teams to start on an even footing. In addition to this, following very vocal support from fans and wrestlers alike, Heavyweight and Junior wrestlers may now compete together as Openweight tag teams in the Heavyweight tag team division. I am calling this “The Rebellion Rule”, in honour of the highly regarded duo of Natsu Miyamae and Ken Shimedzu, who have been very vocal about their wish to compete once again as a tag team. They will now be eligible to compete in the Heavyweight tag team division despite competing in different weight classes while in singles competition. The most notable effect of these new rules on the Burning Hammer tag team divisions is that a competitor may now be capable of earning more than one tag team championship opportunity per tour if they show themselves to be successful enough. I encourage all wrestlers to reach out to others on the roster and seek out new potential tag team combinations as the opportunity to quickly rise up the ranks has never been so easily achievable. The creation and development of new tag team combinations will lead to a new era of prosperity for Burning Hammer, providing all of our loyal fans with the best tag team wrestling the world has ever seen alongside our thriving Junior and Heavyweight singles divisions.”

Tuesday, Week 1, January

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Danjuro Komatsu – Shimedzu (J-U) – Natsu Miyame (HW#9)

(The video cuts short of him hyping up the match that was shown last week and instead cuts to a pre-taped interview. We see the junior analyst of the sportscast crew Danjuro Komatsu standing in front of a wrestling ring in which both members of The Rebellion are training against some unknown wrestlers. No matter what the unknowns seem to do, the Rebellion are cutting them off, using quick tags and ring awareness to always be one step ahead of the opposing team. Eventually Shimedzu manages to lock in an arm bar on one of the youngsters and forces a quick submission. The Rebellion barely look out of breath as they instruct the youngsters to take a break so that they can talk to Danjuro.)

Danjuro: “Gentlemen, you both looked incredibly in sync in there despite not teaming together much for the last couple of years. With the announcement made last week by Burning President Kaneko, you must both be very happy to be allowed to compete in the heavyweight ranks as a tag team again despite your weight class differences.”

Miyamae: “Of course we’re happy, we’ve been campaigning for this for a while. We spent years as the best tag team in all of Burning Hammer while we were Junior wrestlers and then we tried to do the same as Heavyweights. It didn’t quite work out and there were some management changes in the process… it might have taken a while for management to get onside with us, but thanks to the support of the fans and a lot of support from our fellow competitors, the right thing has been done.”

Shimedzu: “That’s right. And while we may have spent a lot of time apart over the last couple of years, with me even winning Junior Tag Team gold with another partner, there’s no way to weaken the connection we have as a tag team. I’ve seen us described as having a near psychic connection, always knowing where the other is or what the other is thinking but it’s not psychic. We’ve been a team for over fifteen years and we’ve fought in countless battles together. Through trust, teamwork and experience, we have grown to be the best team the world has to offer. I’m just surprised that Kaneko took this long to see that and let us compete together again.”

Danjuro: “And I see that you’ve both donned the facepaint for this training session.”

Miyamae & Shimedzu: “The Rebellion always wears warpaint when it prepares for war.”

Danjuro: “That’s a little bit scary with the synchonisation there…”

Miyamae: “We’ve always worn the facepaint when we’ve fought together. I might choose not to for my singles career in the heavyweight ranks but when we fight together, we will always wear the paint. It’s our uniform, our standard, our call to arms. As long as we wear the pain, the Rebellion can never be crushed.”

Danjuro: “I can’t disagree with that, I can’t imagine you two in the ring together and not wearing the warpaint. With the new rules in place it seems like there are going to be a lot of new tag teams created in the near future. Are you looking forward to the new competition you might face as a result of this?”

Shimedzu: “We’ve always thrived on competition, it helps to bring out the best in us. For all the training we do and all the experience we have together, we’d be nothing if we weren’t being challenged by other teams. But if any new teams thing that they stand a chance against our experience together, our collective talent and discipline, they’re going to have a tough fight. We’re the standard bearers of tag team wrestling, and we don’t lose.”

Miyamae: “Exactly. And now that we’ve let these youngsters recover a bit, we’re going back to training. Because when it comes to dedication to wrestling, there are few who come close to us. An army wins on it’s discipline and ability to execute a plan, and there are no teams in the world that can do that like we can.”

(And with that The Rebellion summon their young opponents back over to the ring for another practise session, leaving our young sportscaster to watch on in awe as one of his favourite tag teams in the world show off what makes them so awesome. But we don’t get to see that, because the camera sensibly cuts to a commercial break instead…)

Thursday, Week 1, January

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Kazutoshi Imoo – Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#2) – Atsumori Takemura (HW-U)

(… and when we return from that commercial break we join sportcaster Kazuoshi Imoo in the familiar surroundings of the Hinote Dojo with two time Burning World champion and number two ranked Heavyweight Hiroaki Nakasawa and his protégé Atsumori Takemura. Nakasawa is busy putting the youngster through his paces with a heavy cardio session, pushing him to his physical limits while matching him step for step along the way, highlighting the exceptional conditioning the former champion has. Imoo almost seems out of breath just watching them for a minute, before Nakasawa takes a moment to bark more orders at his student before breaking over to the sportscaster.)

Nakasawa: “Good afternoon to you, Kazutoshi. As you can see we’re training hard here, our second session of the day already. I know you want to ask some question, but I’ll have to ask you to be quick as I shouldn’t take long from my own work out.”

Kazutoshi: “Of course, Nakasawa-san. As you know, we’ll be talking about your Burning Heavyweight Championship match on Lords of the Ring so I’m here today to ask you about the tag team announcement that was made by Burning President Kaneko. How do you feel about it? And will you finally be entering the tag team ranks with your protégé?”

Nakasawa: “I love that President Kaneko is trying to add a new spark to the tag team divisions, but I’m not sure that allowing Juniors to compete in the tag ranks is a good idea. The retired Burning Openweight title was dominated by Heavyweights who seemed to enjoy bullying the Junior wrestlers around in openweight bouts and I’m concerned that Juniors who try to compete in the Heavyweight Tag Team ranks could end up hurting their careers more than helping them.”

Kazutoshi: “But what about the Rebellion? They were Juniors who competed in the Heavyweight Tag Team ranks for years?”

Nakasawa: “They were exceptions to the rule, but if you look back to when they were tag team champions the division wasn’t particularly strong at the time. And they haven’t been champions since 2005 either. They are talented wrestlers with an amazing tag team chemistry but I don’t think they are capable of competing in the Heavyweight Tag Team division, they don’t stand a chance against a team like Takemura and I.”

Kazutoshi: “So you are confirming that you are going to be joining the tag team ranks with your protégé?”

Nakasawa: “Yes, I am. We’ve not yet submitted it officially to Burning Hammer management but I feel like we are ready to make an impact in the tag team ranks. With my experience guiding the team and Atsumori working hard to become the star he will no doubt one day become, I feel confident that we will have a lot of success in our future. And if you may excuse me, I must return to training otherwise my confidence may turn out to be misplaced.”

Kazutoshi: “Well, there you have it. A new team has been added to the tag team ranks in Burning Hammer, this should make things very interesting indeed as a former champion teams up with a rookie of barely two years experience.”

Sunday, Week 1, January

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Mitsuhide Muro – Nissho Yuasa (HW-U) – Toshiki Shibanumo (HW-U)

(We cut to a dark corridor somewhere in Tokyo, evidently a building full of flats that seems to be home for Toshiki Shibanumo and Nissho Yuasa, the Burning Hammer World Tag Team champions. Toru approaches the door and knocks on it, and a few seconds later he hears the slightly pained sounds of someone moving to open the door.)

Toshiki: “Hello, I was expecting you. I’d invite you in but things are something of a mess just now.”

Yuasa: “Is that the delivery boy? Tell him to make sure that all my food is there this time, we don’t want a repeat of the last time.”

Toshiki: “Nissho, it’s Mitsuhide Muro from Burning Hammer, he’s here for the interview we promised.”

(Nissho lets out a grunt and we hear something creak under his weight as he pushes himself to his feet. “Baby Elephant” is known for being one of the biggest wrestlers in Japan and perhaps one of the grumpiest when he doesn’t get his food, there have been a number of stories about him from various food outlets about his behaviour in their restaurants when he feels he has been short changed on the “All You Can Eat” deals. But his mere presence does atrract others along so for the most part he has been allowed to just be himself. As he approaches the door the corridor gets a little darker agin as Nissho blocks out the light from inside with his girth.)

Nissho: “So, what do you want to know?”

Mitsuhide: “I’m sorry?”

Nissho: “You’re here for an interview, right? So you must have questions. What do you want to know?”

Toshiki: “I’m sorry for his abruptness, but we have yet to eat though we are expecting food soon.”

Nissho: “You don’t need to apologise for me, we’re all friends here. Mitsuhide, ask your questions now. Once food gets here I’m not going to be doing any more speaking because my mouth will be full of food.”

(Mitsuhide looks a little uncomfortable at being confronted with the abruptness of Nissho but tries to soldier on regardless.)

Mitsuhide: “On the last edition of Lords of the Ring, Burning President Kaneko announced new rules for the tag team divisions in Burning Hammer. As the Burning World Tag Team champions, what are your feelings about this?”

Toshiki: “Well, I….”

Nissho: “It’s great! Everyone knows I’m an immovable object, the Baby Elephant! If the Juniors think that they have chance to beat me then they are more than welcome to try. But between you and me, I’m just gonna eat them all up and spit them out again. Hah!”

Toshiki: “Yes, indeed. And I think that…”

Nissho: “And as for those new teams that can come together now, they don’t stand a chance either! Toshiki and I, we’ve got it all worked out. With his technical know how and my size, we’re unbeatable. You saw it last week on Lords of the Ring, President Kaneko himself picked a match where we had Kikkawa and Iesada on the ropes. They’re lucky that the time limit ran out on that match, we were moments from victory over the guys that are major singles champions now. I could beat them too you know, but I’ve been so busy in the tag team division that I’ve been neglecting my singles ranking. Isn’t that right Toshiki?”

Toshiki: “Perhaps, Nissho. But let’s not allow….”

(And that’s the last we hear of Toshiki as Nissho suddenly gets the smell of something up his nose and interupts him once again. Mitsuhide is “gently” shoved aside as a delivery boy arrives with a box of food big enough to feed a pretty large family. Nissho wheels Toshiki into the flat to fetch money while he himself takes control of the box of food with a loud bellow)

Nissho: “FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!”

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Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu

The Sportscasters of BHOTWG

(We are back live in the studio once again where the sportscasters seem to be in a jovial mood following the last of the videos.)

Hidetada: “I swear, you looked for a moment like you thought Nissho was about to eat you near the end of that video.”

Mitsuhide: “He might’ve! I’ve seen fire and passion and hunger in the eyes of men on the Burning Hammer roster before, but normally only in the ring. And not normally that kind of hunger!”

Toru: “Gentlemen, if I can be serious for just a moment. The champions do seem to be in fairly high spirits but the announcement of a new tag team and the reformation of an old one is surely going to be a major challenge for them in future. Not only that, but there are other tag teams that have been gunning for them for a while now and… hold on, I’m being notified in my earpiece that Burning President Kaneko is once again looking to make an announcement live on the show. Um… ladies and gentlemen, here is Burning President Kaneko live from his office at Burning Hammer headquarters.”

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Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko

(For the second week running President Kaneko makes an appearance on Lords of the Ring, something that has previously been limited to only a handful of appearances since he became president… including the announcement that he had become president and the announcement of the return of the INSPIRE faction as a consequence of this. Once again dressed sharply in a business suit and radiating the kind of power that only comes from being as close to a ruthless dictator as is legally allowed, Kaneko also does his best to appear as humble as possible while he stands in front of the huge Burning Hammer flag. His speech commences, as it always does when he is on air, with a bow.)

Kaneko: “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you once again for your time. Last week I announced sweeping changes for the tag team divisions here in Burning Hammer, and you have only just begun to see how this will effect the future of the company. New teams are already forming and more alliances are being worked out even as I address you now. With these changes also comes new opportunities too, which is what I am here to address today.”

“There are many teams in Burning Hammer who believe they can be justly called the best tag team in the world. They walk the Burning Path into battle and willingly clash with their enemies in order to prove who the strongest unit is. Our reigning champions are the team of Toshiki Shibanumo and Nissho Yuasa and they have many challenges yet to face. At this time I will announce the next two challenges they will meet with the championship on the line. First will be the team they defeated for the championships back in September, the four time former Burning World Tag Team champions, the team of Eiji Hamacho and Chuichi Sanda. This match will be contested at our pay per view event Sword of Destiny in February and I eagerly anticipate yet another fantastic battle between these two talented tag teams.”

“Awaiting the victors of that match are a team I have the utmost respect for, a team for whom I have helped to reshape Burning Hammer in order to fully accommodate, The Rebellion. I don’t think I need to state the accolades that they have collected over the years for they are famous around the world for being perhaps the greatest tag team of all time. In March at our Fire Dream Of The Immortals event they will have the chance to prove to the world that they deserve their accolades when they challenge for the Burning World Tag Team titles once more in what I’m sure will be one of the finest matches ever.”

“Lastly, I have decided to leave the challenger spot for our April event Test Of Prophecies, open. In order to reward the success of any tag teams that form or who continue to shine, I feel that it would be best to motivate success by offering rewards. Those teams who show dedication, chemistry and who are successful could find themselves on top of the world within just a few short months. The Burning Hammer tag team division is one to watch and will be reinvigorated over the coming months and it is now in the hands of the wrestlers to show to me that they deserve the title opportunity. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope this is to your satisfaction and I thank you once again for your time. May you have a good evening.”

(Kaneko smiles what he probably intends to be a friendly smile but that actually ends up being a little shark like, knowing that every word he says is carefully planned to make him sound like a humble man when he is anything but that. He bows to the camera as he finishes though, which sends us to a commercial break.)

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Toru Minamoto – Tadiyuki Kikkawa (HW#3) © – Kinnojo Horri (HW#1) – Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#2) – Masaaki Okazaki (HW#4)

(When we get back from commercials the studio has been set-up with the top heavyweight stars in the company stood behind individual podiums with microphones built in anda the Burning Hammer logo emblazoned on them. In order to prevent overcrowding, most of the sportscasters have been set aside for now and only Toru is dealing with the questions, being the most senior member of the broadcast teams.)

Toru: “Gentlemen, thank you for agreeing to do this interview today, our fans are delighted to be able to keep up with the live breaking news thanks to you guys and I’m sure you have all put a lot of thought into this over the last week. Before I ask anything else, as Burning World Champion, would you like to say anything to your challgners, Kikkawa-san?”

Kikkawa: “I have the greatest respect for each of my challengers. Each man has proven themselves time and again in the ring and there is no doubt that they all deserve an opportunity to win this prestigious championship. But with that said, I am the greatest wrestler in the world. I have been wrestling for twenty-two years and I have been a major singles champion for more than ten of those years. I am the greatest wrestler of my generation, the greatest wrestler to step into the ring since Master Kitozon himself. And as great as each of you are, I am telling you now that I intend to hold this championship until the day that I decide to retire, and just like with Kitozon, this championship will be retired alongside me out of respect for my legacy.”

(Kikkawa’s words immediately and obviously rub up his challengers the wrong way, with Nakasawa glaring at him with daggers in his eyes while Horri smiles and shakes his head. Okazaki looks intense as ever, so it’s a little hard to tell if he’s angered by the words or if he’s just looking for an excuse to try and slap an armbar on someone to make them scream out in pain.)

Toru: “Strong words from the champion, I don’t think anyone would’ve expected anything less. Without any further ado, I’m going to ask the question that is on the lips of everyone across the nation. Kinnojo Horri, as the top ranked competitor in the Burning Hammer, are you going to make your Burning World title challenge in February, March or April?”

Horri: “Everyone knows that Burning Hammer’s premiere event is Night Of The Burning Hammer in October, but there has always been some disagreement on our second biggest show of the year. Personally, I’ve always felt that Fire Dream Of The Immortals is that show. It’s held some fond memories for me in the past, I’ve had a few major firsts there. And this year, I’m going to make history there by beating Kikkawa for the championship in the main event to become a three time Burning World champion.”

Toru: “That’s certainly a blockbuster announcement right there! In March, at Fire Dream Of The Immortals the pay per view event will be headlined by Kinnojo Horri challenging for the Burning World Championship. But the question is… who will he be facing for the championship. Only one man can decide that now, and that man is the number two ranked Heavyweight, Hiroaki Nakasawa.”

(Horri looks pleased with himself following his announcement and turns his head to watch what Nakasawa says next, knowing that it could be important. Nakasawa doesn’t pay any attention to anything except the Burning World Championship being carried by Kikkawa as he firmly intones his intentions.)

Nakasawa: “I’m taking that championship in February at Sword Of Destiny. Kikkawa, you might just be the greatest wrestler of your generation but you are also the most selfish. When Burning Hammer wouldn’t bow before you in the past, you left and created INSPIRE, a place where teamwork and helping others wasn’t just discouraged, it was outlawed. Singles matches only, a true test of who is the best fighter? INSPIRE was your ego trip and an excuse to give nothing back to the company that helped you become a star. At Sword Of Destiny, I’ll cut through all the hyperbole and prove to everyone that I’m not just the better wrestler, but that I’m the better man too.”

Kikkawa: “Better man? Is that all you’ve got? I beat you on the last tour and I’ll beat you again. You can go off and play with your little protégé, but I’m concentrating on what matters, and that’s being the best. And this belt proves that I am.”

Nakasawa: “You won’t have that belt for long, I’m taking it from you. You should start working on your legacy now, Kikkawa, because once you lose that belt you’re never going to be champion again. And for all your accolades, for all your accomplishments, once you lose that belt you’ll be the guy that ran a failed company into the ground and ran back to Burning Hammer with his tail between his legs afterwards.”

Toru: “Gentlemen, please. Let’s keep this civil.”

Horri: “It’s funny… I knew Nakasawa would rush right into things as he always does, forgetting that even if he did manage to beat Kikkawa that he’d then have to face me. Let’s not forget, I made my name beating Kikkawa and sending him out of Burning Hammer. And ever since you’ve been back, we’ve been evenly matched. And as for you Nakasawa-san, I’ve beaten you for that Burning World Championship twice before, I’m pretty confident I can do it again.”

Kikkawa: “In case neither of you have noticed, I’m not only the reigning champion but I’ve been champion for longer than both of you combined. You’ve beaten me before, you’ve proved that you are both elite level competitors but you aren’t on my level. No-one is.”

(Trying to get a hold of things as the tensions builds and it looks like champion and challengers might collide in the studio, there is a shout from the previously silent challenger, anger and intensity on his face and in his voice.)

Masaaki: “Enough! The last few months of 2012, I was a human highlight reel of submission victories. While each of you three rely on your power to guide you through matches, I have been perfecting my technique. I’m learning new ways to torture your bodies every day, refining my skills to make every jointlock more painful, every arm bar more likely to rip tendons from bone, every choke to put you to sleep faster than ever. I’m at the peak of my abilities and as you are all going to find out… everybody taps.”

Kikkawa: “I’ve never tapped in my life and I’m not about to start now, Masaaki, whether we are friends or not.”

Masaaki: “Everybody taps.”

Horri: “I’ve never tapped out in my life either.”

Masaaki: “I will break you and make you tap.”

Nakasawa: “You’ll never be able to break me or make me tap.”

Masaaki: “Then I’ll make you pass out if I must. The point being, when the Fire Tour is finished, I will be Burning World Champion. And there is nothing any of you will be able to do about it.”

Nakasawa: “If you think you can make me tap, then why don’t you try it now?”

(With tempers flaring, Nakasawa and Masaaki get into a shoving match and almost come to blows. Toru dives for cover as things start to get a little chaotic. Nakasawa’s protégé appears from behind the camera to try to pull his mentor away, while the King Of Fighters Tasuku Iesada tries to pull Masaaki away, with Kikkawa simply walking past his INSPIRE allies and heading off set. Horri watches on to make sure nothing gets too far out of hand, eventually putting himself between the two almost-brawling parties. The cameras follow the action for a few minutes before Toru eventualy pops up immediatel in front of the camera.)

Toru: “Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that this interview section has gotten somewhat out of hand. To recap… Hiroaki Nakasawa will challenge for the Burning World Championship against Tadiyuki Kikkwa in February, Kinnojo Horri will challenge in March and Masaaki Okazaki will challenge in April. While we try to restore some order to the studio, here is today’s scheduled match. It is a heavyweight six man tag team contest that features some of the top stars in the division squaring off during the last tour. I hope you enjoy watching it now as much as I enjoyed watching it live.”

Match held on Wednesday, Week 4, November 2012 in front of 10,000 fans in the New Mei Sports Stadium, Kink, Japan

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Hiroaki Nakasawa/Yasuhiko Taira/Yasunobu Masuno vs The INSPIRE Group (Tadiyuki Kikkawa/Tasuku Iesada/Masaaki Okazaki)

• At the time this match happened it was a big warm up for the main event of BHOTWG Silencing Dragons in December that would eventually see Kikkawa defeat Taira to retain the Burning World Championship. Being a heavyweight bout, this contest is schedule for a thirty minute time limit and one fall. With so much top talent involved, with six of the top eight ranked heavyweightss in Burning Hammer, the crowd knew they were going to see something special.
• On one side of the ring stood the remaining members of the INSPIRE rebellion, with the King Of Fighters championship and the Burning World Championship in their posession. On the other side saw a group of men who have been loyal members of the Burning Hammer roster for their entire careers, heavyweights who have warred with and against each other over the years on their way up the ranks. Everyone bar Masaaki Okazaki in this match has been a major singles champion and perhaps the only reason he has never quite been able to accomplish this is due to Kikkawa’s near inhuman ability to endure a submission hold and not only find a way out, but find a way to win afterwards.
• Knowing that there was a time limit against them and feeling that there was something to prove, the Black Magic pairaing of Taira and Masuno threw caution to the wind in the early going and tried to level the entire INSPIRE group with high impact offense from the start. Not giving them any breathing room, the highlights of this section included a brutal exchange on the ringside floor between Taira and Kikkawa that would be reflected in their championship bout weeks later, with both men landing industrial suplxes onto the floor and sending each other into the fans, scattering them in the process.
• But eventually Masuno would fall victim to the technical prowess held by Okazaki and Iesada, getting his knees clipped and then worked over with a series of painful submission attempts from Iesada before Okazaki would move on to the arm instead, wrenching on it from every angle to attempt to force the submission. Luckily Nakasawa and Taira were on hand to break up some of the attempts as it seemed that Masuno might be forced to tap out to the excrutiating pain that was being inflicted, something that he has had to do in the past and one of the reasons his current ranking is not as high as it could be.
• Eventually Masuno managed to escape his opponent’s clutches and dive to make the tag to his regular tag team partner who would explode into action with some high impact offense, laying waste to them with a series of hugely impactful slams and a devastating Wrecking Ball (a capture suplex position turned into a charge into the corner) on Iesada that looked like it could easily have ended the match had Kikkawa not been there to break up the pinfall attempt.
• The match finally came to a finish when things broke down. Kikkawa and Taira ended up outside the ring brawling again, unable or unwilling to stop hitting each other as hard as they could in the lead up to their title match. Okazaki and Masuno also ended up on the floor, with Masuno doing his utmost to fend off the submission attempts by throwing powerful elbows at the head of Okazaki. That left Iesada and Nakasawa in the ring together again. With Iesada still reeling from the offense of Taira and with Nakasawa still relatively fresh, it was relatively easy for Nakasawa to hit a Compression Powerbomb, dealing yet more damage to the neck of Iesada and allowing him to pick up the victory with a pinfall for his team.

RESULT: Hiroaki Nakasawa*/Yasuhiko Taira/Yasunobu Masuno defeated The INSPIRE Group (Tadiyuki Kikkawa/Tasuku Iesada*/Masaaki Okazaki) by pinfall via Compression Powerbomb at 27:41

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Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu

The Sportscasters of BHOTWG

(We return to the studio once again with our favourite sportscasters. The excitement in the studio is starting to build and to find out why we head back over to Toru Minamoto, the lead voice of Burning Hammer.)

Toru: “Welcome back sports fans, and I hope you enjoyed that big six man tag match as much as I enjoyed calling it at the time. Six of Burning Hammer’s best battling for supremacy and that was quite the physical battle, wasn’t it guys?”

Hidetada: “That match was an awesome preview of the Kikkawa vs Taira battle we saw at Silencing Dragons, with those two in particular going out of their way to cause as much damage as they could to their opponent in the lead up to that event. It wasn’t the only time they clashed and both men picked up wins in tag team bouts without either man actually losing a fall their pay per view match had that something special about it. One of my favourite bouts of the year.”

Kazutoshi: “No doubt because Kikkawa managed to retain the title in that one, I’m sure you wouldn’t have been so pleased if the result had gone the other way.”

Toru: “Before we get sidetracked again, I’m being reminded that we have limited time remaining on this show and we still have to cover some of the new arrivals to the Heavyweight division in Burning Hammer, including our new big name signing. Mitsuhide, if you could introduce our first signing please.”

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Tatsuya Toshitala

Mitsuhide: “The first of three signings to the Heavyweight division, the young Tatsuya Toshitala was signed at the tail end of 2012 but was not given his debut on the last few events before the new year. Our scouts have had their eyes on him for a few years while he has been building up his reputation on the independent circuit and he is known as an aggressive mat technician who can get very creative with his submission moves.”

Danjuro: “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him in action and he should be a fantastic addition to the roster. In some ways he reminds me of a young Masaaki Okazaki with the way he will relentlessly target a limb and try to get a submission victory, which is high praise indeed.”

Hidetada: “It’s always good to see some young talent coming through with their mind so concentrated on being the best. I’m sure this kid was watching INSPIRE when it was still active and seeing the success of mixed martial artists there not only inspired him to develop his Jiu-Jitsu based style but has also motivated him to aim to walk the Burning Path alongside his heroes here in Burning Hammer.”

Kazutoshi: “I wouldn’t rule out him being a fan of INSPIRE, but all wrestlers know that Burning Hammer is the place to be when it comes to wrestling. If you want to be known as the best you have to be in Burning Hammer.”

Toru: “I can’t disagree with that. We’e all see his scouting video and there’s no doubt that he is a very bright prospect. But he isn’t the only bright prospect being brought into Burning Hammer. Mitsuhide, back over to you for the next young lion.”

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Tanyu Toshusai

Mitsuhide: “Tanyu Toshusai is the nephew of former Burning World champion Yoshinaka Toshusai, one of the heavyweight greats. Tanyu has always made it clear that he has wanted to compete in a Burning Hammer ring and after going undefeated on the independent scene for his first year, Burning President Kaneko decided to give him a contract. It’s been quite the young career for young Tanyu thus far.”

Toru: “To make it to Burning Hammer with just one year of experience is an incredible feat. President Kaneko must have a lot of confidence in Tanyu’s abilities if he is willing to give him this opportunity and that makes me very excited to see him in action.”

Hidetada: “I don’t often agree with, well, anyone here… but it would be difficult to not be impressed by Tanyu Toshusai. I’ve spoken to the scouts about him and they say that he has the potential to be even better than his uncle was. Given that his uncle is a former Burning Champion and the man who followed Master Kitozon as champion following his retirement, that is high priase indeed for the youngster.”

Kazutoshi: “I just hope the youngster can keep his head and not let the opportunity and the pressure that comes with it get to him. The eyes of the world will be following his successes and his failures, and there are plenty of young talents in Burning Hammer who would love to be the first one to put a dent in his winning record.”

Danjuro: “No doubt about it, but there are also plenty of veterans who will be waiting for him to put a foot out of line too. As talented as Tanyu might be, he’s young and he will make mistakes. There are a lot of men on the roster here who have been wrestling long enough to know that all it takes is one mistake to win or lose a match, and they are all good enoug to capitalise on it if they step into the ring with him.”

Toru: “I can’t disagree with that analysis, Danjuro. Burning Hammer is home to the finest wrestlers in the world and just being on the roster here is a prize in it’s own right. Veterans and youngsters alike know how hard it is to get here and how incredibly tough you have to be to be able to compete at this level for a long period of time. Many men have come and gone from Burning Hammer over the years, but only the best ever get to stay and truly make their mark on the company… one moment sports fans, I’m getting a word in my ear.”

(Toru puts his finger close to his ear and a big smile crosses his face as he receives some news over his headset. The rest of the sportscasters watch him, with Hidetada trying to get close enough to hear what is going on before Toru snaps back to the action again.)

Toru: “Well, this is quite the day for Burning Hammer. I just got word over my earpiece from President Kaneko himself that it is time to reveal who the man in the locker room is. Personally, I’ve been a big fan of his work for a very long time and have been following his career both inside and outside the ring with the greatest of interest. For a few months in the year 2008 he was one of the biggest names in Burning Hammer and had a series of matches that brought tens of thousands of fans to arenas around Japan. In fact, he even headlined Night Of The Burning Hammer that year in a losing effort to then champion Yasuhiko Taira…”

Danjuro: “No way!”

Toru: “… ladies and gentlemen, making his return to wrestling after a four year absence, he is a man known around the world for his indomitable fighting spirit, the one and only “Never Say Die” Eisaku Hoshino!”

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Eisaku Hoshino

(The cameras cut to the locker-room that Hoshino has been hiding out in for the last few hours and he emerges with his familiar headband on and a look on this face that says “I’m here for business” despite the smile that he can’t quite suppress. He passes by a few shocked Burning Hammer staffers who can’t hide their own surprise at having such a big name walking past them, though one staffer puts out a hand and gets it shaken for his troubles, the politician side of Hoshino coming to the fore in a heartbeat. Hoshino makes his way to the studio where the studio audience give him a big ovataion and a handful of press who were smart enough to realise that something big might happen here today flash their cameras at him. Hoshino shakes hands with each of the sportscasters before Toru escorts him off to one side where a comfortable couch has been quickly brought in by staff for a makeshift talkshow set, featuring the Burning Hammer logo in the background, as it always is. Toru pulls up a chair opposite the returning hero Hoshino and motions for quiet from the crowd as he tries to conduct an interview.)

Hoshino: “That’s quite a welcome, it’s good to see I left an impression here in Burning Hammer.”

Toru: “Good evening, Hoshino-san. To say that you left an impression here would be understating it. Last time you were here, in the space of three months you beat some of our top stars and headlined the biggest event of the year in a violent encounter with Yasuhiko Taira, the defending Burning World champion at the time.”

Hoshino: “I think I’m only just recovering from the bruises he gave me in that match, Toru. The man hits like a demolition truck at a hundred miles per hour.”

(Hoshino has always been a man known for his fighting spirit and his toughness, but humility and good humour haven’t really been major parts of his arsenal in the past… though admittedly, most of his old battles took place in a PGHW ring rather than in the middle of the political theatre like in recent years.)

Toru: “Hoshino-san, on behalf of everyone here I want to welcome you back to Burning Hammer. Last time you were only here for three months but left an impression that will never die. I have to ask… how did President Kaneko manage to lure you back and will you be staying for longer this time?”

Hoshino: “I have to admit, it was a tough decision to return to wrestling at all but I’ve spent so much of my political career wishing I could hit the Godzilla Plunge on my opposition and knowing that I can’t, that when I was approached by Kaneko about making a return I decided that it was the right time. I’ve had four years in which my body has healed up really well, I’m ready to get back into the ring and compete with the very best. And that’s right here, in Burning Hammer.”

Toru: “And will you be staying longer this time? I mean, three months is hardly enough time to be getting close to the Burning World Championship again.”

Hoshino: “I’m going to be staying with the company for at least a couple of tours. Beyond that, we’ll have to see how well I do. Four years doesn’t sound like a long time, but in that time I’ve seen some incredible talents emerge here in Burning Hammer and the return of the INSPIRE rebels to Burning Hammer. The standards of competition are higher than they’ve ever been, even if Hooded Kudo is no longer here.”

Toru: “Interesting that you should mention Kudo as he was the man you defeated to claim the title opportunity at Night Of The Burning Hammer 2008 when he put his title shot on the line. He may not be here any more but the other two men you faced in high profile singles matches still are, the Black Magic pairing of Yasuhiko Taira who defeated you and Yasunobu Masuno who you defeated. How do you feel about possible rematches with them?”

Hoshino: “Those guys both remind me of Raymond Diaz in the way they hit, there aren’t many people who can hit me so hard that I can barely breathe but they certainly had that power and fire behind them. I’d love to give them a rematch someday, though given their current rankings I might have to aim even higher if I want to get my hands on the Burning World Championship.”

Toru: “So your goals are to be the very best here in Burning Hammer?”

Hoshino: “I wouldn’t step back into the ring if I wasn’t aiming for the very top. Anything less than the best isn’t good eno...”

(Hoshino is distracted by the sound of audience being distracted by something out of shot. The cameras quickly turn towards the disturbance and are met with the sight of two of largest native wrestlers in Japan making their presence felt, with Yasunobu Masuno and Yasuhiko Taira walking towards Hoshino, who is quickly up to his feet and ready to fight. Masuno is his usual cocky self, letting a sneer loose from his face as he looks down at Hoshino who is a full seven inches shorter than him and gives up more than a hundred pounds of weight. It almost looks like a mismatch until you remember that Hoshino is known for his never say die attitude and his incredible toughness. Taira brings up the rear, seemingly less intent on getting involved but equally intimidating by his mere presence)

Masuno: “President Hoshino, stop lying to the fans here abot why you came back to wrestling. You know, we’ve been sat in the back all night waiting to see who the “big star” signing that President Kaneko had brought in was going to be and I’m disappointed. Sure, you used to be a big star but that wasn’t here in Burning Hammer, that was elsewhere. You might have a win over me, but that was four years ago. Unlike you, I’ve been wrestling ever since then and I’ve held championships. Singles and tag, at the same time! I’m bigger… better… badder than you. You’ve been letting yourself rot in an office somewhere, getting soft and now you’re going to show up here for a couple of tours and make some money losing to guys like me and Taira here. You aren’t a wrestler any more, you are a politician and that means that you make a living from lying to people and getting as much money for yourself as you can.”

Hoshino: “I am Eisaku Hoshino and I don’t tell lies! I seem to recall that four years ago you thought you were good enough to beat me and that when the time came to prove it, I dropped you with the Godzilla Plunge and pinned your shoulders to the mat. I might be four years older now, but I’m healed up. My joints don’t ache, my bones aren’t broken, I’ve not bled in years and I’m in great shape. If you couldn’t beat a bruised and battered competitor then, what makes you think that you even have a chance now? And you, Taira? I don’t even know why you are standing behind this man and letting him do the talking, why are you out here?”

(Masuno looks derisively at Hoshino as Taira slowly and deliberately locks eyes with Hoshino, the two men waiting to see who will be first to move. Eventually, Taira speaks in his deep, booming voice.)

Taira: “Hoshino-san, I’m here in case someone needs to step between you two. Because unlike Yasunobu, I’ve beaten you before and I know I can do it again. If this gets ugly then you’re going to want me here to stop things getting worse, because this Bulldozer slows down for no-one. So just you think about that when you direct your words at me because I’ve flattened you once before and I’ll flatten you again if you cross paths with me.”

Toru: “Gentlemen, this isn’t the time or the place for a fight, we’ve already had enough trouble here and we don’t want any more.”

Masuno: “Are those your words, or the words of either of our Presidents? With all the hype President Hoshino has gotten from you and President Kaneko, you’d think that Taira and I were irrelevant. We have been champions, holders of singles and tag gold at the same time, we’ve beaten everyone this company has to offer. We aren’t just the future of Burning Hammer, we are it’s present. And you, President Hoshino, are barely a glimmer of the past.”

Hoshino: “Is that so, Yasunobu? Then I guess I know who my first big singles match will be against… at least, I’m close. It’s not for me to make the ultimate decision, but President Kaneko, I know you’re watching, I ask of you one thing. When it comes to deciding who my first big singles match is against, I want it to be against one of these two men. Yasuhiko Taira, Yasunobu Masuno… I’m looking forward to cementing my place in Burning Hammer by beating one of the best Heavyweights in the world.”

(The fans in the studio let out a cheer of excitement for Hoshino as Taira and Masuno keep their eyes locked on him. There is a long moment of tension as the three men seem potentially ready for a fight, with Toru slowly edging away from all of them just in case he gets caught in the middle of them. But as the crowd noise starts to fade away, Hoshino turns to thank Toru for his time then walks right past the two big men, waving to the fans on his way past. Taira and Masuno have some words to each other and as Toru approaches them, they turn to leave. Cameras follow them for a moment to make sure there is no drama before we cut back to Toru in the studio again, looking a little stressed.)

Toru: “Folks, that was a tense situation but it seems to have been settled for now as the challenge has been issued. We are running out of time on this edition of Lords Of The Ring. Next week we will be taking a closer look at the Junior division, President Kaneko will update us on the challengers for the Burning Junior Tag Team titles and we will keep you up to date with any new match ups made, new signings and all the news from around Burning Hammer. On behalf of all of everyone here at Burning Hammer, I wish all of you a good evening.”

(And with that the show is brought to a close with a few quick infographics that highlight the Heavyweight division in Burning Hammer, running through the champions of the company and a complete roster listing of the division as it stands right now.)

Burning World Champion

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Tadiyuki Kikkawa

King Of Fighters

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Tasuku Iesada

Burning World Tag Team

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Toshiki Shibanumo/Nissho Yuasa

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Atsumori Takemura – Chuichi Sanda – Eiji Hamacho (HW#10) – Eisaku Hoshino – Heihachiro Sakai

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Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#2) – Ieyoshi Shimakage – Kansuke Konda – Kinnojo Horri (HW#1) – Masaaki Okazaki (HW#4)

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Mitsunari Fugunaga – Murai Enomoto - Natsu Miyamae (HW#9) – Nissho Yuasa – Sanetomo Shiraishi

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Sessue Kawate – Tadakuni Toshusai (HW#8) – Tadiyuki Kikkawa (HW#3) – Tanyu Toshusai – Tasuku Iesada (HW#6)

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Tatsuya Toshitala – Toshiki Shibanumo – Yasuhiko Taira (HW#5) – Yasunobu Masuno (HW#7)

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Derek B · January 7, 2013

Again, I hadn't intended for this show to be as long as it was. I just hope that you enjoyed it, there are still a few shows before I actually get to my turn to run shows and it feels a little odd writing Japanese shows with no real wrestling on them.

All feedback welcomed and encouraged. The next show will be a Junior division focused show, which I'm sure some of you will be greatly looking forward to given how awesome the division is. If anyone has any questions that they might want someone to ask any Juniors, let me know. Or if there's anything in general you might want to know, fire it my way and I'll see if I can work it into the show.

And for those wondering... there will be predictions once I Get shows running, though they won't be for every match of every show. Pay per views will be for the entire main show cards, touring shows will only have a few big matches announced ahead of time to lure fans to the shows and make predictions on. Hopefully it'll be fun, and the prizes may include the ability to pick someone that I should push, so if you have a favourite worker, you'll be able to contribute to their success by making predictions.

Bigpapa42 · January 8, 2013

Holy hell, that was a lengthy read. Looking forward to when you finally get shows rolling fully. Nice additions. Interested to see if you manage to make a star of Tanyu.

Self · January 8, 2013

I got about half way through. I've made camp at the press conference with the heavyweight challengers. I'll rest now, and try for the submit in the morning.

Some nice characters coming through, which is something I've struggled with when I've played BHOTWG. They also feel rather Japanese. The Baby Elephant reminds me of anime characters. The mentor/student relationship between Nakasawa and Takamura. The tag team. The emphasis on the openweight change is treated with the proper importance. Lot of good stuff.

It's just so much to take in at once, dude. Especially with a Japanese company. Especially kicking off with 5 analysts, none of whom really pop. Although the youngest one has a certain earnest, naive quality I'm enjoying.

Looking forward to the more wrestling-based shows.

Skywalker1976 · January 8, 2013

Great start and as a Puro fan in both real world and C-Verse I will be reading for sure!

Big Roguey · January 8, 2013

The thought of Hoshino in a suit hitting his opposition with a Godzilla Plunge is a brilliant thought.

Derek B · January 9, 2013

I got about half way through. I've made camp at the press conference with the heavyweight challengers. I'll rest now, and try for the submit in the morning.

Some nice characters coming through, which is something I've struggled with when I've played BHOTWG. They also feel rather Japanese. The Baby Elephant reminds me of anime characters. The mentor/student relationship between Nakasawa and Takamura. The tag team. The emphasis on the openweight change is treated with the proper importance. Lot of good stuff.

It's just so much to take in at once, dude. Especially with a Japanese company. Especially kicking off with 5 analysts, none of whom really pop. Although the youngest one has a certain earnest, naive quality I'm enjoying.

Looking forward to the more wrestling-based shows.

This is the kind of advice/feedback I like to get. I know things have gotten pretty long, which is something I'm hoping to cut back on a bit in future as I don't want to be writing shows that end up feeling like a chore to read. Re-writing is something that both shows could have done with, but my schedule has become a bit more crowded in real life so I've not had the time to go through and change as much as I should.

The announce team is a bit too big but I don't want to just fire people or send them to development. But I do also want each one to have a role. The problem is, this is a very sports based company so everyone has some traits in common... fairly professional, fairly straight laced and not outlandishly over the top. I'd love to be able to say that I'm aiming for subtlely but that second show was fairly bad writing for them. Adding colours for text was a fairly late addition to the first post... I know there aren't many ways to tell them apart and with foreign names I'm hoping people at least associate them with their colours. Danjuro is my favourite though, I think that's pretty obvious.

But mostly, I'm happy that there is a sense of character coming through for some people. It would be too easy to have 40 serious athlete types so I'm planning to have some athletes with personalities on my roster, which is a bit different with the personalities with athleticism that North America tends to have. Hopefully it pays off, but I'm dying to get some actual shows booked soon, it should be awesome to see how my BHOTWG actually turns out compared to the other major companies in the world.

Tiberious · January 9, 2013

I really like what you're doing with this. I admit that I did skim the match writeup, but I read everything else and enjoyed it a lot. I don't mind the writeup being long, as it's sometimes necessary to introduce characters to an audience that might not be familiar with BHOTWG.

Derek B · January 9, 2013

I really like what you're doing with this. I admit that I did skim the match writeup, but I read everything else and enjoyed it a lot. I don't mind the writeup being long, as it's sometimes necessary to introduce characters to an audience that might not be familiar with BHOTWG.

I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. There is a lot to set up and that has really added to the length of the shows somewhat, hopefully once I'm a bit further in I won't be needing to go over things as often or introduce so many ideas, so things should hopefully get even better.

The thought of Hoshino in a suit hitting his opposition with a Godzilla Plunge is a brilliant thought.

I don't know a lot of real world politics, but I can imagine him dropping important political figures around the world any time someone does something bad/stupid/terrible. Awesomeness ensues.

Great start and as a Puro fan in both real world and C-Verse I will be reading for sure!

Thank you, I'm using this as a way to get into the real world more too, which should hopefully make this better/more interesting for anyone following. I'm glad I've not done too badly so far!

Holy hell, that was a lengthy read. Looking forward to when you finally get shows rolling fully. Nice additions. Interested to see if you manage to make a star of Tanyu.

I've got plans for Tanyu... just with I'd gotten Matthew Keith, he'd have been perfect as a rival for him. Other plans are afoot instead, hopefully things work out well for him, he's got everything he needs to become a star.

Derek B · January 27, 2013

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Kazutoshi Imoo – Mitsuhide Muro – Toru Minamoto – Hidetada Kozu – Danjuro Komatsu

The Sportscasters of BHOTWG

(Standing in a small Burning Hammer branded studio instead of the usual open set studio is lead announcer and main BHOTWG host Toru Minamoto looking smart in a suit. Notable by their absence is everyone else, who we’ll see throughout the night as Burning Hammer move to a more pre-produced show format and ditch the studio audience a bit. Why? Because it might mean I write less as a result!)

Toru: “Good evening sports fans, and welcome to another edition of Lord Of The Rings, where we review the performances of those who walk the Burning Path on their way to making history. Tonight’s edition is packed full of all the latest news from the Junior division and the latest happenings in Burning Hammer and across Japan. So without any ado whatsoever, I take you over to a conference being hosted live by Danjuro Komatsu and all four members of the Junior division’s Heavenly Kings.”

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Danjuro Komatsu – Elemental III © (J#1) – Sensational Dragon (J#2) – Marihito Masuko (J#3) – Mystic Dragon (J#4)

(We join Danjuro Komatsu in the same set as we saw the Heavyweight title contenders on last week, only without a live studio audience to back them up. There are noticably more security forces on hand in case there is a repeat of the drama that was caused by the heavyweight division one week ago when the top contenders got together to announce who when each man would be taking their title shots. This week we have the exciting aces of the Junior division standing in the sequence of their rankings, ready to declare their intentions and ambitions to the world once again.)

Danjuro: “Good evening Burning Hamsters, welcome to the announcement of what is certain to be a series of match of the year candidates between the most exciting group of professional wrestlers on the face of the planet. I am Danjuro Komatsu and to my right we have the greatest wrestler under 230 pounds in the world today, as evidenced by him holding the Burning Junior Championship, and perhaps the best pound for pound wrestlers on the face of the Earth, Elemental III. I understand that you have some words for your challengers.”

(Elemental III has the Burning Junior Championship draped over one shoulder and wears a ceremonial robe that is closely resembles his predecessors but with his own variation of the colours on him. While the first wore the pale blue with dark trim and the second wore the pale blue with a white trim, Elemental III pays homage to both, mixing both light and dark in with the pale blue that has carried on through the generations of the Elemental character for almost 40 years.)

Elemental III: “Together, we four men have been declared to be The Heavenly Kings, for our aerial might and our unparalleled successes in recent years. We are a new generation of Junior wrestlers, a generation not held back by fear of the unknown or the limitations put upon us by others. A generation for whom even the skies are no limit, for we all burn as bright as stars in the heavens as we travel out journeys along the Burning Path. Generations of men have walked the Burning Path before us and travelled far along it, but between us we can all go farther than anyone has before. We walk in the footsteps of those who blazed the trail before us, breaking new ground and reaching new heights and between us we can blaze a trail for anyone who dares to follow us. With me as champion, each of you will not only announce a date with destiny but also a date with defeat. But in each defeat you allow me to burn brighter. I am your champion, a king among Heavenly Kings, and you will once again all kneel before me.”

(Danjuro looks to say something but is cut off by a hand gesture from Sensational Dragon, a dismissive movement that suggests that he is going to get his way no matter what anyone else says about it. With an air of confidence that borders on arrogance, Sensational Dragon looks regal in a robe that matches his usual purple attire and looks every bit the Heavenly King, taking it further than any of the others towards royalty with his air of confidence that never wavers.)

Sensational: “Elemenal, you may be champion today and the third of your name, but I am the one and only Sensational Dragon. My name is known throughout the kingdoms of the Heavenly Kings as the most explosive, dangerous and exciting wrestlers on the planet whether that be in the Junior or Heavyweight divisions. When I wrestle, hordes of people come to see the me for themselves, to see if I live up to my the hype. And without fail, I always deliver. Elemental, third of your name, you walk in the footsteps of legends but I forge a path that others will walk in for generations to come. Our paths will cross at Fire Dream Of The Immortals, with the Burning Junior Championship on the line. We have waged many wars, traded many victories, but when our paths next cross in singles competition, I will be victorious and begin my fifth and final reign as Burning Junior Champion, a reign that will last forever.”

(The dramatic vision of Marithio Masuko is brought into view as he stands with his bright shock of pink hair, wrapped in a traditional robe of white. He looks noble, and his diminutive size compared to his rivals only serves to highlight how dangerous he must be in order to be able to stand up to those larger than him and be considered among the elite in the world. Always known as a man of few words, he bows his head in quiet thought before he speak.)

Masuko: “The path of the Fire Tour leads through a journey that is not always clear. But I will be bold, as ever, and predict one thing. When the tour ends, I will be Burning Junior champion and my reign will begin at Test Of Prophecies in April. I know not who I will be challenging, only that I will be victorious. And upon completion of this, my preparations for the Best Of Super Juniors Tournament will commence, to cement my legacy as the greatest Junior wrestler in the world today.”

(With a snort of derision, Mystic Dragon makes no secret of his feelings towards his fellow Junior wrestlers, wearing a robe stylised with a green dragon flying in front of a burning orange fire, one that clashes with the simpler and more formal robes worn by his rivals. With the least time in Burning Hammer under his belt, his rise to top of the Junior division has been rapid and his victories over his fellow Heavenly Kings have cemented him as one of the elite stars in the world, as the only man to even hold singles victories over each of the Heavenly Kings in the last couple of years.)

Mystic: “You all speak with such colourful words but you all neglect one thing. Simply put, I’m better than all of you. While each of you wants to prove that you are the best wrestler in the Junior division, I know that I am capable of being the best wrestler in the world, regardless of weight limits. I’ve beaten men twice my size, my limits are unknown even to me. When people talk about the unlimited potential of the Heavenly Kings, they speak of me and the achievements I’ve yet to achieve. I will accomplish things that no other man could ever hope to accomplish. One day, I will become the Burning World Champion. But before that, at Sword of Destiny in February, I’ll regain the Burning Junior Championship. And there isn’t a thing any of you can do about it. So good luck with your challenges, I look forward to beating you all one by one, again and again, from now until eternity.”

(The camera swings around as a small commotion grabs the attention of the secutiry forces. Walking through them, dressed professionally in suits are three masked men, perhaps the most famous masks in all of Japanese wrestling and the look on young Danjuro’s face is priceless….)

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Elemental – Elemental II – Optimus

Elemental: “We three rarely make public appearances, but on this day and at this time, we feel that it would be proper to do so. There can be no doubt that you four men are the greatest Junior wrestlers alive today. In the days of the three of us, we ourselves were without equal, peerless. Each of you are a special talent and you have each walked your own path to get where you are today. Some of you have sought the help of others like us to help guide you, some of you have not. But each of you have gotten this far on your own merit, for our guidance can only help you get so far.”

Elemental II: “Over the course of our careers, we accomplished much. For 20 years, we held the Burning Junior Championship between us before we lost to another. We believe you can do the same if you are to continue to hone your craft and drive each other onwards towards the stars and the glory that awaits you. But there is one thing that none of us could accomplish, that each of us attempted and never succeeded in. Something that if you put your minds together, we feel you could achieve and raise the bar of Junior wrestling forever.”

Optimus: “Each of us stepped up to face the Burning World Champion while we were Junior Champion, and each of our challenges were turned away. We were the elite of Junior wrestling, pioneers of a new style and the masters of our craft. Burning Hammer is the battleground, a place where all styles come together and where all men can be great. The style we developed and the techniques we perfected, have been mastered by each of you and even elevated to new heights. This is what makes you the Heavenly Kings. The Burning World Champion may have defeated the Juniors in the past but he has never faced the likes of you before. We know in our hearts, that if you challenge the Burning World Champion, you can win, and you can raise the Junior division to new heights.”

Elemental II: “We believe in you all.”

Elemental: “The only limits are those that you place on yourself. And so, we urge you to push yourselves to greatness, to push yourselves to the highest possible level you can achieve, to push yourselves beyond all boundaries and into the realm of legends. We humbly thank you for your time, may the Burning Path show you the way to everlasting glory.”

(The Junior legends all give a deep bow to the young Junior division stars who have been so dominant in recent times. The combination of masks and paint make it hard to tell exactly what each man is thinking but it seems like each one has been silenced and humbled by what they just heard. As the legends leave, Danjuro turns to the camera to sum up.)

Danjuro: “Wow… just, wow… the legends don’t make public appearances, except on rare occasions and I think they just gave their support to the Junior cause. I’ve been a long time advocate of the Juniors being as good as the Heavyweights but with the legends backing the cause like that, what will Burning President Kaneko do next? Will he ever allow for Juniors to compete in the Heavyweight division at the same time as competing in the Junior division?”

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President Tetsuzan Kaneko

(A commercial break airs before we return to the office of Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko, the man in charge of running all things Burning Hammer related who has been making a lot more announcements lately as he looks to leave his permanent mark on Burning Hammer. Dressed sharply as always and in front of a huge Burning Hammer logo, he looks very professional and radiates strength.)

Kaneko: “Greetings, fans of Burning Hammer, I am Burning President Tetsuzan Kaneko. The landscape of Burning Hammer has been changing in recent weeks and as part of the changes to the tag team division I am here to once again announce some of the big matches that we can look forward to on Burning Hammer’s pay per view events. This week I am here to announce the challengers for the Burning Junior Tag Team championships, currently held by Haru Kurofuji and Hachigoro Maeda. At February’s pay per view Sword Of Destiny the champions will face off against the team of Yoshii Shiomi and VENOM in what is sure to be a high flying, adrenaline pumping match between two experienced tag teams.”

“In March, at our spectactular Fire Dream Of The Immortals event the winners will defend against the gaijin duo of American Optimus and Red Panther, two of the higher ranked stars of the Junior division and a fierce pairing who have proven themselves to be among the elite of Burning Hammer’s Junior tag teams. This event is really shaping up to be an incredible line-up, being headlined by Kinnojo Horri challenging the winner of the Kikkawa/Nakasawa match along with Sensational Dragon challenging for the Junior championship against the winner of Elemental III and Mystic Dragon. Exciting times lay ahead for Burning Hammer, with some of the most highly anticipated championship matches in this history of the company coming up over the next few months.”

“The final announcement I have to make today is that I am going to hold open the championship match in April to see how the new rules of being allowed in two tag teams. The formation of new tag teams and the development of existing teams is going to lead to some exciting times here in Burning Hammer, and the rewards for rapid success will be the chance at championship gold. So to all the new Junior tag teams forming and developing, you have your chance to shine, now is your chance to seize it and stake your claim to being among the elite of the world. Thank you fans for your time and that you have a good day.”

(President Kaneko gives a deep bow as he thanks the fans with a smile on his face that continues to slightly betray his deadly businessman side where he has ruthlessly taken over Burning Hammer through manipulation, treachery and backstabbing. But at least for the fans he tries to behave well for them, cultivating a personality that might be likeable. To a degree. Sort of.)

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Mitsuhide Muro

(We head to the small studio again and are joined this time by Mitsuhide Muro, the man most known for relaying information as painlessly as possible to the crowd in a factual matter. A little graphic flashes up on-screen to let us know that we’re about to go through some new signings.)

Mitsuhide: “Welcome Burning Hammer fans, tonight I will be walking you through the new addition to the Burning Hammer roster during this busy time between tours. Last week we ran through the new arrivals for the Heavyweight division, this week we’re going to go through some of the new Junior signings. Up first is a signing who comes on the highest recommendation of a former Burning Junior Champion…”

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Stunner Sayuki

Mitsuhide: “The youngster has been rising his way up through the Junior ranks and has been taken under the wing of Stunner Okazawaya while training in the Hinote Dojo, where he has been a champion himself whle taking on challengers of all weight classes. Burning Hammer has always placed a lot of faith in their veterans to be able to recognise and develop talent for the company, and getting such a high recommendation from a former champion has saw Sayuki be given a short term trial with Burning Hammer, with a view to a full time place on the roster in future if he is successful. With the Best Of Super Junior Tournament just a few months away, this could be a huge break for Sayuki as he looks to establish himself on the roster and earn a spot in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.”

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Reijiro Hiraki & Masakazu Kaima

Mitsuhide: “Also making their way up through the ranks are a young Junior duo from the Hinote Dojo who have been making waves, the pairing of Reijiro Hiraki and Masakazu Kaima. They have both been stirring up a lot of trouble with their trainers thanks to their driven attitudes but they’ve also been very successful, picking up a lot of wins particularly in the tag team ranks. Their trainers believe that competing with the best of Burning Hammer’s Junior division will either make them or break them. The youngsters have every faith in their skills though, so they’ll be looking to establish themselves quickly, particularly with the opportunity to claim a Junior Tag Team championship match in April if they can accumulate some significant wins.”

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Americana – Fox Mask – Panda Mask II

Mitsuhide: “Also joining Burning Hammer for a short tour are some international talents from North America. Americana and Panda Mask II have been developing a reputation in Japan for their high flying skills and have been on the radar for Burning Hammer for a while. Fox Mask has been a huge fan of Burning Hammer his entire career and no doubt knows a lot about the stars of the Junior division already and he will be looking to make his mark as he gets his dream opportunity to compete in Burning Hammer’s Junior division. With the Best Of Super Junior Tournament not far away, all three men are being looked at as potential candidates for a spot in the tournament and will need a strong showing in their limited dates to ensure that they get the invite they all desire and perhaps a permanent place on the Burning Hammer roster.”

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Silver Tiger

Mitsuhide: “The last of the signings in the Junior division is a champion of the oldest lucha libre company in Mexico. Silver Tiger is a talented wrestler who has begun to establish himself as one of the premiere talents in Mexico during their revolution. An endlessly talented luchadore, he is looking to become an international star by carrying over his successes from Mexico into the Burning Hammer Junior division, where I personally believe he will be a huge success and go on to achieve great things while he is with the company.”

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Washi Heat

Mitsuhide: “The final addition to the roster is a Heavyweight competitor who will be making his return to Burning Hammer after seven years of touring Japan to build up his skills. Known for being able to mix strikes with technical skills, he is one fo the few heavyweight wrestlers to wear a mask and is somewhat unique among the heavyweights. It will be interesting to see how much he has developed during his time away from Burning Hammer, and whether he will still be able to keep up with some of the men he broke into the company with, with the likes of Yasuhiko Taira, Yasunobo Masuno and Nissho Yuasa having become big stars in Burning Hammer while he has been away.”

Mitsuhide: “That rounds out the new signings for this week, I’ll be back next week to update you on any more Burning Hammer signings and to offer my personal analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of each wrestler who has been signed.”

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Do you think you have what it takes to walk the Burning Path?

The Burning Dojo is open to elite level competitors of all disciplines who believe they have the heart to one day challenge at the highest level of Burning Hammer. Many will fall to the toughest training regime on the planet, ground to dust and ashes by the fire of Burning Hammer’s world class competitors. For the few who graduate, the first steps on the Burning Path will be taken, the beginnings of a journey into history and legacy.

To apply for training, see the Burning Hammer website for details.

Match held on Wednesday, Week 4, October 2012 in front of 5,000 fans in the Kumamoto Sports Field, Kyushu, Japan

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Elemental III / Marihito Masuko vs American Panther (American Optimus / Red Panther)

• This match came two weeks after Burning Hammer’s premiere event, Night Of The Burning Hammer at which American Panther had lost the Burning Junior Tag Team titles and were hoping to be able to regain their momentum with a big win. If anyone could beat Elemental/Masuko it would be American Panther, having ended their near two year Junior Tag Team title run in 2010. But going against two of The Heavenly Kings was going to prove to be a huge challenge, and one that the fans would remember for some time to come as they were treated to an adrenaline fuelled masterclass.
• Knowing that there was only a twenty minute time limit in place and that all of these men were capable of taking each other to that limit, the match started off at a fast pace with both teams trading fast paced hold and counterhold before launching into a flurry of suicidal dives to the floor that was punctuated by Marihito Masuko’s sensational springboard cannonball dive all the way to the floor! Whlie this swung the momentum in his team’s favour for a while, he ultimately stayed in the ring for too long and soon found himself on the wrong end of a lot of quick tags and double team moves that truly tested his resolve.
• Masuko fought valiantly to get the tag but was repeatedly cut off by the borderline cheating tactics of American Panther, who would make use of distractions, blind tags and singlemindedness to keep Masuko in the ring at all costs. But the speedy Heavenly King managed to get the tag eventually, rolling over the back of Red Panther and diving for a tag as Elemental III fired up on both of his opponents with some lightning fast kicks including the rarely seen Wind Sprint Kick (runs up opponent in corner and backflips off into a dropkick) that got the crowd on their feet. Elemental looked to end things with a brainbuster on Panther but American Optimus made the save with a New Jersey Turnpike (slingshot leg drop) to the back of his head.
• Things seemed to be heading towards chaos and anarchy as all four men ended up in the ring, with Masuko in to try and save his partner from any more high impact moves… but all he accomplished was to begin a parade of some of the most visually awesome finishing moves in pro wrestling. Masuko would catch Panther with a beautiful arcing moonsault press only for Optimus to break it up with a Ozone Sky Flier (frog splash), which was itself topped by an Inferno Splash (450 splash) from Elemental III onto Optimus, by which time Red Panther had picked himself up so that he could connect with a Tumbleweed Legdrop on Elemental. With all four men down following the sensational moves, the time limit would expire, leaving the fans wanting more after incredible performances from all four men.

RESULT: Elemental III / Marihito Masuko drew American Panther (American Optimus / Red Panther) by time limit at 20:00.

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Mitsunari Fugunaga (HW-U) – Heihachiro Sakai (HW-U)

(A sparse gym that hosts nothing more than a series of exercise machines and a wrestling ring is set up. Inside the ring a battle is being fought Fugunaga launches an unknown wrestler with a judo hip throw that sees the youngster get the wind driven out of him. Within moments Fugunaga is on top trying to pound him into the mat and while the youngster tries to squirm his way to safety he only exposes his head as Fugunaga quickly rolls to his back to secure a deadly Guillotine Choke, forcing the youngster to tap out in seconds. Fugunaga doesn’t even check on the youngster as he turns to Heihachiro Sakai at ringside.)

Fugunaga: “Sakai… and you there. Get in the ring and show me that you can do better than this kid just did. If you aren’t here to give one hundred percent then don’t bother coming back.”

(Sakai and the second youngster step into the ring. A quick handshake for good sportsmanship later and suddenly things happen in a flurry of limbs. Sakai wastes no time in aggressively locking up the youngster in a Sakai Suplex [T-bone suplex/slam] and driving him into the canvas so hard that he visibly bounces. With no ability to defend himself, the youngster falls victim to Sakai locking in an Anaconda Vice, wrenching back on it with all the determination to get the quickest win possible, forcing the youngster to tap out. Sakai quickly lets go and dusts off the youngsterm offering him a hand to his feet as Fugunaga steps back into the ring.)

Fugunaga: “It looks like you and I might just be able to work something out as a team after all. I’ll get the paperwork worked out for the next tour.”

Sakai: “I’m looking forward to training with you. Some people say you’re cold and unforgiving, and they’re right. And that’s perfect for what I hope to achieve.”

(The two men shake hands to cement their plans before another youngster is called into the ring, ready to receive the kind of training that will definitely leave a mark in the morning. A new team has been formed in Burning Hammer and they are dangerous.)

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White Samurai (J-U)

Defeat is a hard pill to swallow…

Too often I’ve stared down defeat, drawn into battles I cannot win…

Unpreparedness… rushing in without thought…

I lack discipline…

I’ve wandered too far from my master…

I must return to him…

I must train with him…

I know not when I will return…

But when I do, I will be a better man…

Ready for combat…

Back on the path of victory…

Back to the Burning Path…

Match held on Saturday, Week 2, January 2013 in front of 2,469 fans in the Hakodate Athletic Field, Hokkaido, Japan
The Wrestle Peace Festival 2013

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Kinnojo Horri (HW#1) vs Marat Khoklov (SWF)

• This is a dream match put together thanks to the co-operation of all the wrestling companies in Japan and around the world working together to honour the legendary Master Kitozon, legendary champion of Burning Hammer who transcended pro wrestling and entered into legend with his fighting spirit and technical mastery.
• Representing the legacy of Kitozon’s achievements is the #1 ranked man in Burning Hammer, Kinnojo Horri. Standing opposite him is a man reknowned for his incredible size, power and ruthlessness, the giant Marat Khoklov, who flew across following an SWF pay per view event specially for the chance to crush the dreams of the Japanese people.
• With crowd support firmly behind Horri, he showed early on that he is the more skillful and athletically gifted wrestler, using the skills picked up against Burning Hammer’s finest to outwrestle the big man and almost get him to the mat, only for Khoklov to turn the tide with a well placed giant finger into the eye socket of Horri. From there Khoklov seemed to take great pleasure in wearing down Burning Hammer’s “Giant Killer” with power moves, but doesn’t even bother to go for a pinfall while doing so.
• Over the next twelve minutes Horri repeatedly fights back, but as strong as he is his powerful blows barely do any damage to the wall of muscle that is Khoklov’s rock hard torso and each comeback is met with another powerful slam or blow to put Horri back in his place. Things start to look pretty bad for Horri as Khoklov begins to sneer at the audience, knowing he has a lot of time to hit his biggest moves including a series of devastating sidewalk slams that Horri hard into the mat. But as Khoklov goes for the cover after each one, Horri kicks out and the fans applaud his toughness as Khoklov starts to get frustrated, and begins to look tired too.
• Khoklov expends more energy throwing huge body punches at Horri in the corner driving him to his knees and allowing Khoklov to roar at the fans before Horri explodes out of the corner with a fierce throwdown spinebuster to get the big man off his feet for the first time in the match and getting a two count in the process. Khoklov tries to cut Horri off at the pass but the smaller man is quicker and can see the monstrous punches coming, allowing him to slip past them and build momentum off the ropes for some massive flying shoulder tackles, the third of which sees Khoklov fall into the ropes and get tied up. Seeing his chance to lay in some heavy blows, Horri lets loose with some heavy duty offense, pulling out some rarely seen running boots to the head that seem to stun the giant before he is able to be freed up by some help from ringside.
• Knowing that Horri can’t use the Destiny Bomb (Crucifix Powerbomb) on a man the size of Khoklov, he stalks the grounded giant and hits his secondary finishing move, the Hurricane Spinebuster (Twisting Spinebuster) which is usually enough to drive the wind out of a big man. But to the amazement of everyone present Khoklov kicks out! Horri tries again, allowing the giant to slowly get to his feet as he hits a second Hurricane Spinebuster but once again only gets a two count, with Khoklov getting a shoulder up a the last minute! Khoklov is very slow to get to his feet as Horri pumps up the crowd and prepares for a third and final attempt, but as he pulls Khoklov into position the giant uses his overwhelming power to shove Horri to the ropes and unleash a brutal Moscow Lariat. Khoklov almost falls into the cover but only gets a two count on Burning Hammer’s top ranked heavyweight!
• Khoklov shakes out his lariat arm as he pulls Horri to his knees but instead of setting up for another Moscow Lariat he pushes Horri’s head between his treetrunk like legs and the crowd know he’s going for the move that laid out Tadiyuki Kikkawa, the reason the move is named the Russian Legend Powerbomb (Last Ride). Horri seems almost powerless to resist as he’s hoisted up but bursts back to life at the apex of the move, raining sraight blows to Khoklov’s temples to unbalance the giant as he tries to complete the move anyways and ends up losing Horri down his back. Khoklov turns round and is met with a third Hurricane Spinebuster that shakes the ring, with Horri locking up a tight cover to barely get a three count!

RESULT: Kinnojo Horri (HW#1) defeated Marat Khoklov (SWF) by pinfall via Hurricane Spinebuster at 24:38.
RATING: B

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Kazutoshi Imoo - Kinnojo Horri (HW#1)

(In front of a Burning Hammer backdrop and with the sound of the crowd at the Wrestle Peace Festival still lingering in the background, we see Horri make his way through the curtain to where Kazutoshi Imoo is waiting with a microphone in hand for a post match interview)

Kazutoshi: “A great victory for you tonight against an absolute monster of a man, you’ve truly done Master Kitozon proud with that performance. Were there ever any doubts in your mind that you could get the win tonight?”

Horri: “It was a tough fight, one of the toughest I’ve ever had. The man hits like a missile but he’s not used to going out there for thirty minutes. I knew that if I could drive the wind out of him and stop those huge muscles getting oxygen to them that I could win. And that’s exactly what got the job done.”

Kazutoshi: “This match wasn’t announced ahead of time due to how unlikely it would be to get Khoklov here in time away from his American commitments, do you think that you being rested up played a factor in your win tonight?”

Horri: “Absolutely, he just had a huge match a couple of nights ago while I’ve been resting up for the last couple of weeks and training hard in preparation for the Fire Tour. Khoklov made his name with a huge win over Tadiyuki Kikkawa and I cemented my name with a win over him too. This win will set me on the path towards victory at Fire Dream Of The Immortals, whether that be against Kikkawa or Nakasawa, I know that I’m going to have Master Kitozon smiling down on me after what I’ve achieved tonight.”

Kazutoshi: “Thanks for those words, I’ll leave you to get to your locker-room and enjoy your victory. You’ve earned the rest and the pride of the Japanese nation for your performance tonight against the giant.”

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(The recently opened Burning Dojo is the current home of the INSPIRE group, a selection of heavyweights who returned to Burning Hammer from INSPIRE after walking out on Burning Hammer just a few years previously. Their leader is Tadiyuki Kikkawa, perhaps the greatest wrestler of his generation and interviewing the group outside the doors of the new gym is the sycophantic Hidetada Kozu, who joined Burning Hammer at about the same time after working with INSPIRE. Each of the INSPIRE men are dressed ready to train, taped up and warmed up ready for combat at a moment’s notice and each man wears a stern expression.)

Hidetada: “Fans at home, I am joined here by the INSPIRE Group to conduct a short interview about some of the things that have been said recently about them. First, I’d like to ask you Kikkawa-san about the words that Hiroaki Nakasawa used about you last week during the conference to decide when the heavyweight title shots would be decided. He accused you of being selfish and egotistical, among other things. Do you have a response?”

Kikkawa: “Last week Nakasawa had a lot to say about giving back to a younger generation, about being selfless and helping a new wave of stars rise through the ranks. I never needed anyone to elevate me or to guide me through the system. I was thrown into the fire time and again, and each time I came out stronger and better for it. He might not like the way that I conduct business but it’s men like me who define an industry. Men like me and my associates don’t just stand in the shadows and hope for things to go our way, we go out there and we take what is ours. We don’t follow the path of others, we walk our own path and that is why we are so strong, the elite of Burning Hammer’s heavyweight division. We’re very selective about who deserves to be around us, but as a matter of fact, we have been training with a possible new member of our group, a fourth man who we feel could accomplish a lot if given the chance.”

Hidetada: “A fourth member of the INSPIRE Group? Can you tell me more?”

(Kikkawa takes a step back and motions to Masaaki Okazaki to take the spotlight on this one, giving the rugged submissionist a chance to shine)

Okazaki: “I’m not going to tell you who it is, but if he’s good enough to even be considered for our group then you should know that he is a premiere competitor. INSPIRE was founded on the principle that it doesn’t matter about the size of the man in the fight, but that it’s the size of the fight in the man that counts. We’ve been sparring extensively with this man over the last few weeks and he’s been exceptional in terms of helping me to sharpen up my submission skills. It’s refreshing to have someone else on my level, so that when I get my Burning Championship match against Tadiyuki Kikkawa in April we can have a real match for the ages.”

Iesada: “Not only that, but this man embodies everything that we were about with INSPIRE. He is willing to put his body on the line, to train hard to make himself as dangerous as he can be and to test himself against whatever challenges come his way. For every little thing we teach him, he teaches us a little thing in return. And that makes all of us even more dangerous than ever.”

Kikkawa: “And with the Burning World Champion and the King Of Fighters already in this group, that makes us very dangerous indeed. So to address Hiroaki Nakasawa and his sermon from last week. Four of us will be waiting for you on the first night of the Fire Tour. If you think that your protégé can handle it, bring him with you and another two guys and we’ll show you which group is best. Because I guarantee you, the INSPIRE Group is the elite of professional wrestling and there is no team on earth that can defeat us. And now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to close these doors and get back to training, because talents like ours aren’t just natural, we have to work hard to be the best in the world.”

(And with those final comments the INSPIRE Group pull the door closed behind them as they enter the Burning Dojo, the elite training facility recently set-up by Burning Hammer, leaving Hidetada on the outside so that he doesn’t find out who the fourth member is.)

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Toru Minamoto

(We return to the small studio where the night started, back again with the voice of Burning Hammer, the one and only Toru Minamoto, who will be wrapping things up nicely to prepare us for next week.)

Toru: “The Fire Tour is really shaping up to be something special already, with some big championship matches already announced for the tour and some challenges being issued as rivalries old and new continue to spark. We hope that you’ve enjoyed your time with us this evening and that you will join us for our live events, the best way to experience the ultimate test of toughness that is Burning Hammer brand professional wrestling. Details on our future shows are still to come, but from me Toru Minamoto and from everyone here at Burning Hammer, I wish you all a good night and I hope to see you at the same time next week for more updates on all the latest news from Burning Hammer and a look at the King Og Fighters Championship. Good night!”

Burning Junior Champion

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Elemental III

2012 Best Of Super Juniors

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Marihito Masuko

Burning Junior Tag Team

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Haru Kurofuji & Hachigoro Maeda

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American Optimus (J#6) – Americana – Bairei Yasujiro (J#10) – Elemental III (J#1) – Fox Mask

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Golden Scorpion (J#8) – Hachigoro Maeda – Haru Kurofuji – Hyosuke Kokan (J#9) – Marihito Masuko (J#4)

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Masakazu Kaima – Mystic Dragon (J#3) – Panda Mask – Red Panther (J#7) – Reijiro Hiraki

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Sensational Dragon (J#2) – Silver Tiger – Shimedzu – Stunner Sayuki – The Awesome Kiyaru (J#5)

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The Incredible Koyama – VENOM – White Samurai – Yoshii Shiomi

BHOTWG Fire Tour – Monday, Week 1, February
8 Man Tag - The INSPIRE Group [Tadiyuki Kikkawa (HW#3) / Masaaki Okazaki (HW#4) / Tasuku Iesada (HW#6) / ??? vs Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#2) / ??? / ??? / ???

BHOTWG Sword Of Destiny Card – Friday, Week 3, February
MAIN EVENT: Burning World Championship: Tadiyuki Kikkawa (HW#3) © vs Hiroaki Nakasawa (HW#2)
Burning Junior Championship: Elemental III (J#1) © vs Mystic Dragon (J#3)
Buring World Tag Team: Toshiki Shibanumo / Nissho Yuasa © vs Eiji Hamacho (HW#910 / Chuichi Sanda
Burning Junior Tag Team: Haru Kurofuji / Hachigoro Maeda © vs Yoshii Shiomi / VENOM

BHOTWG Fire Dream Of The Immortals Card – Friday, Week 3, March
MAIN EVENT: Burning World Championship Challenger: Kinnojo Horri (HW#1)
Burning Junior Championship Challenger: Sensational Dragon (J#2)
Buring World Tag Team Challengers: The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae (HW#9) / Shimedzu)
Burning Junior Tag Team Challengers: American Panther (American Optimus (J#6) / Red Panther (J#7))

BHOTWG Test Of Prophecies Card – Friday, Week 4, April
MAIN EVENT: Burning World Championship Challenger: Masaaki Okazaki (HW#4)
Burning Junior Championship Challenger: Marihito Masuko (J#4)

*All cards subject to change

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Derek B · January 27, 2013

Real life has been fairly busy but with a few format changes here the show was much quicker to write, so real life can be left til later. All feedback on the changes will be greatfully received, as I'm trying to curb my habits of overwriting and seeing Self posting in his awesome CGC dynasty earlier reminded me of how much can be accomplished with fewer words and more focus.

In case anyone is wondering, I'm trying to plan ahead for things fairly well with this game so there should be a good number of matches on each tour announced ahead of time, with PPVs being fully booked before the show to allow for major predictions and each touring show having a couple of matches announced that can be predicted on. There are still 2 shows to come before any official predictions can be made, but if anyone wants to speculate on things so far, I'd love to hear what you think I've got in mind.

Also... I hope it's not just me that thinks the Junior division picture montage at the end looks kinds cool. So many colourful characters and so much talent, seeing it like that makes me more excited... and I've now fixed the bit that I'd missed, silly me for managing to forget somethign important!

Unregistered · January 27, 2013

Very good show and I'm glad to see your changing your shows up slightly if only because it won't bog you down too much. I think these shows have been great, and I'm really looking forward to the "real" shows to get under way.

Really shocked to see Fox Mask being brought in. To be quite honest, I'm not so sure he'll be around after this first tour, but it's cool to see a charicter I've always enjoyed (mostly due to all of Infinity's work) finally get his chance. Maybe he'll even get a chance in the tournament, although I doubt that with all the talent at your disposal.

My real predictions are as follows. Kikkawa will defend successfully all three matches. I adimt, I could see him losing it too Horri, but thats my own bias. On the other hand, I see Elemental III losing his title, and my guess is too Mystic. My main prediction, is that White Samurai when he re-debut's will rock hard. I think he's going to come back pro-Kikkawa, strip himself of his mask, and become Kikkawa's junior heavyweight hitman

I will make more predictions when fuller cards show up (my guess you'll make them up at the end of your last show pre- "real" shows).

Keep up the great work Derek.

Derek B · January 27, 2013

Thanks Unreg, always good to get feedback even when there aren't any shows to predict yet. Speaking of which, I'm looking to run predictions contests between PPVs, with each touring show having between 3 and 5 competitive matches announced ahead of time (and other lesser matches not booked ahead of time). That should lead to a pretty hefty number of predictions per block and I have a few potential rewards in mind too... including the ability to pick someone that I should push until at least the next PPV. Should be fun to see if people predict just to work on getting people further up the card.

I like your suggestion for White Samurai... will have to add that to my notes, just in case.

Self · January 27, 2013

If I win a prediction contest, can I force you to take one of my guys and push him?

White Samurai segment was my favourite. Not least because it was concise. Also, ninjas are cool.

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BHOTWG: Walking The Burning Path [8RoW]

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