Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods - Death of the King

Bigpapa42 · August 13, 2018

Definitely enjoy these. I like seeing how some of the directions you've gone for characterizations differ from mine. Looking forward to the next installment.

Jon The GOAT · August 13, 2018

Rise of the Juniors

The Four Heavenly Kings of the Junior division in BHOTWG have left a ceiling that is nearly impossible to breakthrough. Since MYSTIC Dragon came into possession of the Burning Junior championship in 2011, no one but one of the Four Heavenly Kings has held it. American Optimus has come closest to breaking through that ceiling, and despite a Best of the Super Junior victory, even he was unable to unseat any of the Four Heavenly Kings. While the Heavyweights have left an open door for anyone with the will and skill to breakthrough, the Junior division is helmed by four wrestlers between 28 years old and 33 years old who could easily go on to dominate the division for another decade.

Having established all of that, there is an incredible depth in the Juniors division, more than ever before, of talent hoping to breakthrough. The rise of companies like WLW, EX2010, and SAISHO have all contributed to a surge in Junior wrestlers. At the moment, there are seven wrestlers in the Junior division currently working towards breaking through the ceiling of the Four Heavenly Kings to either unseat one of them, or expand this illustrious group to five. Once again, in no order of quality, only alphabetic, we will go through these wrestlers hoping to become part of BHOTWG history.

"New Century Wrestler" Hachigoro Maeda

“New Century Wrestler” Hachigoro Maeda was made in the WLW system working a whether outlandish gimmick of a wrestler from the future that wasn’t entirely human. He ditched it after being released and working at Hinote Dojo. Maeda impressed enough to earn a contract with BHOTWG in 2011. He had a solid but unexceptional Burning Junior Tag Team title reign with veteran Haru Kurofuji that last seven months, but hasn’t found much success with Kurofuji since then. Maeda cited his intentions to focus on his singles wrestling in 2016. A fine high flyer with some technical skills that often surprise his opponents, Maeda’s only weakness may be what he failed to take away from his time in WLW, a colorful persona. He hasn’t really been able to get the crowd behind him, nor has he had the sheer talent to outshine his peers. As the oldest of the Juniors on this list, and at 32 years old, on the upper reaches of the Four Heavenly Kings, Maeda has to be desperate to either have it all come together for him in the ring, or to channel his WLW past if he wants to become more than just a one-time Burning Junior Tag Team title holder.

Helikaon "The Burner"

Helikaon “The Burner” is known in most circles as K.C. Glenn, the Joey Minnesota prodigy who tore up MAW for a time from 2013 to 2015, during which BHOTWG was suitably impressed and brought him in for a tour and later on for a permanent contract. Helikaon has been quite divisive before his time in BHOTWG, his rapidly spreading highlights have seen him labeled a spot monkey, while others have highlighted him as god’s gift to wrestling. Joining BHOTWG has seen an immediate decrease of his show stealing matches, but there are many hoping the BHOTWG will round out his game and make him a smarter worker, others believe he already belongs in the upper echelons of the Junior division. After a year of working the undercard, Helikaon’s future very much resides within Kaneko and upper management, will they finally let “The Burner” loose, or continue to hold back.

Hijo Del Relampago

Hijo Del Relampago may be just another man wearing a mask in BHOTWG but his distinctively lucha libre style has made him an immediate stand out from everyone else in the locker room. A top MPWF star before it closed, and a brilliant high flyer, Hijo could’ve signed with any Mexican promotion but instead chose to head to Japan and compete with the elite Junior division of BHOTWG. He’s done less than a year so far but has certainly impressed and his rare showcases with the Four Heavenly Kings have highlighted his brilliant aerial skills. Hijo still has some holes in his game, but many believe he’s perhaps one or two years away from being in a position to challenge the Four Heavenly Kings, and at 28 years old, time is on his side.

“The Sensei of the Senton” Jin Miyamoto

“The Sensei of the Senton” Jin Miyamoto is 31 years old with 13 years already under his belt and four Hinote Dojo title reigns to show for it. One of the best athletes in the world, there are less than ten people in the world who come up with more jaw-dropping maneuvers than Miyamoto thanks to his gymnastics background. A charismatic wrestler with a substantial female fan base, Jin Miyamoto has all the tools to be a success and is probably only unfortunate in that the guys he has to compete against to become a Burning Junior champion aren’t just good or great, they’re living legends, and that’s not something that can be said for Miyamoto. Furthermore, at 31 years old, it would be harsh but honest to say that Miyamoto may be smarter taking his talents where there’s a less congested main event.

Ninja Shuni

Ninja Shunji has one thing going for him, he has a unique look. Dressed in an all-black ninja attire, Ninja Shunji is 29 years old, an 11 year pro, WLW product, and Hinote Dojo project. He’s a good high flyer and somewhat competent technician, and while his ninja gimmick is somewhat over with the crowd (especially in his showdowns with White Samurai), no one has any delusion that he can recreate the magic of Hooded Kudo. Ninja is a solid member of the roster, but he’s a mile away from competing with one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the right tag team pairing could be what he needs to be anything more than exciting low card act.

Toju Munkata

Toju Munkata is 25 years old, fresh off being a young lion after a win late in 2015 against White Samurai and ready to work towards chasing the Burning Junior belt. Next to Helikaon, Munkata may have the best odds of breaking the ceiling thanks to his youth. As a young lion, he often teamed with Kazunori Yamura (who has not shed the young lion title), but he’s expected to spend some time as a singles wrestler until Yamura is ready to reignite the PUNK Nasty Club pairing that made both of them stars in Hinote Dojo. Munka combines some slick technical wrestling with some good high flying, and his ability to connect to the crowd (by pissing them off) has shown his ability to become more than most of the older Juniors mentioned here. Expect Munkata to continue refining his craft in 2016, and perhaps if Yamura sheds his black trunks, to challenge for the Burning Junior Tag Team titles.

White Samurai

White Samurai has been with BHOTWG for almost a decade now and doesn’t have much to show for it aside from some fun encounters with Ninja Shunji. He’s the student of Scarlet Samurai and is just about destined to mirror his mentor in having brushes with the best of his decision without ever seriously competing against them. Samurai probably has a home in BHOTWG as long as the Junior division doesn’t get too bloated, but with a boom in the division, it seems almost inevitable that Samurai will find himself looking elsewhere for work.

Best of the Super Junior 2016 will prove to be a hyper competitive tournament between the Four Heavenly Kings, the elite tag teams, and the many rising stars, and that’s without counting the veterans who could easily conjure up a surprise or two. If there are two men who have everyone’s eyes, it has to be Helikaon “The Burner” and Toju Munkata, but rumors are circling around that this space may be swelling before too long.

Next up, we come near the end of our heavyweight division with 3 veterans who would probably begrudge us for presuming they're done competing for the top.

Jon The GOAT · August 14, 2018

<div style="text-align:center;">The Stars of Yesterday

With Masaaki Okazaki and Hirokumi Saito in Kikkawa’s Army, Chuichi Sanda & Eiji Hamacho remaining Burning World Tag Team title competitors, and Toshiki Shibanumo a Burning World Tag Team champion, the list of heavyweight veterans remains a thin one. Alas, for the most part these wrestlers aren’t likely to hold gold in BHOTWG again before the end of their careers, and some could well see their career in BHOTWG put to an end once their contracts run out. Until they, it would be disastrous for anyone who faces them to let their guards down. These are easily the most vicious and experienced workers you’ll find in Japan and one wrong move could easily spell a loss for those in their prime, or those coming up the ladder. For the most part, they work the undercard, fighting against those rising stars trying to break through the glass ceiling, or the young lions still refining their crafts.

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"Inhuman Indonesian" Java

Best known for his pairing with Tribal Warrior as Savage Fury, the “Inhuman Indonesian” Java made his return to Japan with BHOTWG to close out his career. After a successful decade-plus stint in USPW which saw him win 3 USPW National Championships, and 5 USPW World Tag Team Championships, Java arrived in BHOTWG with enough of a reputation to briefly headline BHOTWG against Kikkawa’s Army. While he continues to remain a surprisingly solid worker, the excitement surrounding his arrival has mostly faded and Java now remains a solid threat for top workers to overcome, and for lower workers to be crushed by. At 43 years old, and with a quarter-century career in the books, Java will likely have a home in BHOTWG as long as his body holds him up.

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"Honey Badger" Mitsunari Fugunaga

The 36 year old 17 year veteran “Honey Badger” Mitsunari Fugunaga has often been mocked for his nickname, and broken teeth because of it. The nickname is all too fitting, despite being on the smaller size as a middleweight, and certainly not physically impressive with a flabby physique, Mitsunari Fugunaga is without a doubt the last man you want to threaten on the roster. He’s as tough as they come and will beat the shit out of you whether you’re Tadiyuki Kikkawa, the King, or Kazunori Yamura, the young lion. Fugunaga has often been turned to as a fitting challenge for Burning World and Burning World Tag Team titles because he’s both beloved by the crowd and will undoubtedly deliver a great match. Fugunaga’s frequent cussing at opponents to hit him harder has made nearly all of his matches a contest of manliness. Fugunaga may be an exception to this list, it’s hard to imagine him as a Burning World champion but he’s also a man that should never be discounted, and if anyone can win his heart as a tag team partner, Fugunaga could easily have gold in his future. As it is, Fugunaga only has a Burning Openweight championship reign to his name (the last to hold it), and though he’s in this category, expect him to be in the upper reaches of the card leaving everyone he steps into the ring with bruised and battered.

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Natsu Miyamae

Formerly one half of The Rebellion, Natsu Miyamae is 44 years old and a 26 year veteran who has spent almost two decades with BHOTWG. One of the most well rounded wrestlers in BHOTWG history, Miyamae’s past as a Junior made him a high flyer, while remaining a great technician, a good hardcore wrestler, and a good brawler and puroresu, you’ll have a hard time finding a better jack-of-all-trades than Miyamae. It’s what helped him and The Rebellion partner Shimedzu compete for the Burning World Tag Team championships before there was a Junior equivalent of the belts. They would go on to hold the belts twice in a rivalry that lasted around two years with Sanetomo Shiraishi and Sessue Kawate. At the end of their second reign in 2005, BHOTWG decided to start a Burning Junior Tag Team championship reign, unfortunately The Rebellion who were expected to dominate the division, lost in the finals of a tournament to The Awesome Kiyaru and Golden Scorpion and would never actually hold the belts. Miyamae also has a Burning Junior championship to his name, the last of a series of experiments that was mostly regarded as a failure to see if BHOTWG could move away from the Optimus/Elemental/Elemental II rivalry. He held the belt for 3 months in 2000 before handing it to Optimus for his 7th reign. Since breaking up with Shimedzu four years ago, Miyamae has remained a static member of the Heavyweight midcard. His best years are behind him but he’s expected to remain with the company till he retires.

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"Everlasting" Sanetomo Shiraishi

“Everlasting” Sanetomo Shiraishi has been with BHOTWG since 1994, and has not worked for another professional wrestling company since. A 33 year veteran, and 51 years old, Shiraishi remains the oldest wrestler in the company, and next to Masayuki Shiga, the oldest employed wrestler in the world, and one of the longest active wrestling careers out there. Sanetomo probably has a career with BHOTWG until he decides to unlace his boots. A former Tag Team of the Year winner in 2013 with Sessue Kawate, and a four time Burning World Tag Team champion as well as one-time Burning Openweight champion, and the only active wrestler who is also a part of the BHOTWG Hall of Fame, Shiraishi has done more than most wrestlers can hope to achieve. Many have argued that Shiraishi & Kawate deserve to be in the Hall of Immortals between their four Burning World Tag Team title reigns, and their Tag Team of the Year award, as well as several legendary matches with pairings like Black Magic, Hamacho & Sanda and Kikkawa’s Army. Shiraishi could retire any day now, but as it is, he continues to enjoy beating up the young lions in the opening act.

It’s hard to say what 2016 will bring for these four wrestlers, but Mitsunari Fugunaga undoubtedly remains the exception as a man who has every reason to argue he deserves to be competing at the top of the card.

With only two more entries to go, we will now check out the veterans of the Junior division composed of five wrestlers who have held countless titles between them.</div>

LlamaSquad · August 14, 2018

The words 'Java' and 'headline BHOTWG' in the same sentence made me cringe.

Historian · August 14, 2018

The words 'Java' and 'headline BHOTWG' in the same sentence made me cringe.

Don't hate on Java!

Bigpapa42 · August 14, 2018

The words 'Java' and 'headline BHOTWG' in the same sentence made me cringe.

Lol it doesn't necessarily mean he was selling out arenas in the main event of a PPV. Can just mean he was involved in the main event of a tour show. Whether against a major name like Kikkawa, or as part of a multi-man tag.

Jon The GOAT · August 14, 2018

The words 'Java' and 'headline BHOTWG' in the same sentence made me cringe.

Don't hate on Java!

Lol it doesn't necessarily mean he was selling out arenas in the main event of a PPV. Can just mean he was involved in the main event of a tour show. Whether against a major name like Kikkawa, or as part of a multi-man tag.

I think coming in with the USPW hype (won a ton of titles there, including singles), his historical wins over legends like Miwa/Inukai (even if they were ages ago you can still bill it as having toppled former world champions), his solid enough brawling, performance skills not far off from infrequent title challenger Fugunaga, the fact that he's a big foreigner (which BHOTWG has a history of giving big opportunities too even if like Khoklov, they arent stellar in the ring), makes him a pretty great throwaway title defense for Kikkawa when he's been fighting the same main eventers since his return. Nakasawa has been out for ages, Hoshino just got back at the end of the year, NEO is staying away from the Burning World championship and 'feuding' with Toshusai, you're left with a slim list of Horri & Fugunaga to challenge for most of 2015 (and Khoklov in his brief time there). Java ends up being a very sensible defense choice at that point. I won't argue it's a great choice, only that it's something I can see being done and actually being a perfectly solid brawl . Think of it like a Michael Elgin, Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson headlining. It's not gonna excite anyone, but it's happened.

Bigpapa42 · August 14, 2018

Bad Luck Fale is actually who I was thinking of. Headlining isn't necessarily limited to those who draw, especially if paired against an opponent who will draw a crowd on their own.

Jon The GOAT · August 15, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Bigpapa42" data-cite="Bigpapa42" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Bad Luck Fale is actually who I was thinking of. Headlining isn't necessarily limited to those who draw, especially if paired against an opponent who will draw a crowd on their own.</div></blockquote> Exactly. And no wrestling company has ever been adverse to bad booking decisions or to title challenges so obviously one-sided, you question what's the point, whether that's a WWE or NJPW. Sometimes you've got throwaway title challenges (especially NJPW which is hyper structural and you pretty much 100% know that at New Beginning the champion is retaining, and that between the G1 and WK, the champion is pretty much guaranteed to retain so they're more prone to going out there with challengers). -- <div style="text-align:center;">The Juniors of Yesterday There’s a significant age gap between the Juniors of the first era, and the Juniors of the second era, and as I’ve highlighted far too many times, that’s because the initial attempt at a transition into a new era failed. Many of the workers who were part of that failed transition have since found success elsewhere, others have remained in BHOTWG with their legacy somewhat tarnished by their inability to grab the torch, and by being passed by those who came after them. Nevertheless, there isn’t any disrespect intended for those that follow, there are countless belts shared by these wrestlers and in many ways, the Four Heavenly Kings have been shaped by their rivalries with them. <img alt="pXjjvyX.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/pXjjvyX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> "World Demon" Bairei Yasujiro “World Demon” Bairei Yasujiro is a late-comer to the BHOTWG’s Junior division. At 45 years old, with 27 years of experience under his belt, Bairei is known for having worked the independent scenes the world over. He’s particularly distinguished for a run in Mexico during the early 90s, and for his time in WLW during the late 2000s. In the 2010s, Yasujiro has been finishing off his career in BHOTWG. With Universal titles for WLW, and one World title for MPWF, his intentions were clear in wanting to win the Burning Junior title. Unfortunately, Yasujiro may have stalled too long before joining the roster and faced with the Four Heavenly Kings who were younger and capable of athletic feats that had faded out of his game, Yasujiro was tragically unable to keep up. It’s been a few years since Yasujiro has been at his best, and we can say with certainty that it’s unlikely he’ll fulfill his goal of holding a Burning Junior belt. <img alt="DBpqZQd.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DBpqZQd.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> "The All-Japan Warrior" Haru Kurofuji The “All-Japan Warrior” Haru Kurofuji just turned 40 years old and is into his 22nd year in the business. Kurofuji spent most of his career with WLW, being a pivotal part of helping shape its image and culture for just under a decade. For the last decade, he’s been a part of the resurgent BHOTWG division and while he hasn’t found singles success, Kurofuji is a significant part of helping the Four Heavenly Kings fulfill their potential. His career in WLW saw him become a 3X World Tag Team Champion and a 1X Universal Champion, it’s that knowledge that Shimedzu and Hachigoro Maeda utilized which gave Kurofuji two Burning Junior Tag Team title reigns. Haru remains a fun part of the BHOTWG and his suicide headbutt is still one of the more cheered for moves in the entire company. It’s hard to say what’s next for Kurofuji but we wouldn’t be surprised if another wrestler came to him for a run at the Burning Junior Tag Team belts. <img alt="yewBsEW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/yewBsEW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Shimedzu Shimedzu, the other half of The Rebellion, is 45 years old and a 27 year pro who may be one of the best “what if” examples out there. An insanely intelligent worker, Shimedzu has been with the company for almost 20 years (featuring a 2 year spell with WLW), which saw him hold the WLW World Tag Team titles, the Burning World Tag Team titles, and the Burning Junior Tag Team titles, four of those coming with Natsu Miyamae and one with Haru Kurofuji. Shimedzu’s dedication to tag team wrestling came at the cost of little singles success, and his attempts to bulk up with Miyamae to become a heavyweight, stalled a greater part of his career, and ended in failure. Many have argued that if he had abandoned his ties with Miyamae earlier, he could have taken a greater role in the resurgent Junior division and even added a Burning Junior championship belt to his resume, such was his experience and in-ring knowledge. Others have even proclaimed that Miyamae was the one holding them down. With all of that said, Shimedzu’s career is clearly on a downhill slope, and few expect them to challenge for any belt once again. <img alt="T3y3JN8.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/T3y3JN8.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> The Incredible Koyama The Incredible Koyama was once meant to become the star of WLW with an incredible array of accomplishments that include 5 WLW World Tag Team title reigns (each with Koki Ishibashi) and 3 WLW Show Stealer title reigns. In 2009, he shocked his mentors Koji Kojima and Koki Ishibashi by signing with BHOTWG’s resurgent Junior division. WLW faithfuls have often called Koyama a traitor for his transition, but it’s hard to blame a man for wanting to compete in the biggest company in the world. Unfortunately for Koyama, it did not pay off and he wasn’t able to match the rising stars of the Junior division, only highlight how much better they were than the ones of WLW. He’s only 34 years old, and still has 16 years under his belt, and while he’s an incredible high flyer, his best bet is to find a partner, or to take advantage of his peak years to head off the land of exiles or SAISHO where he might easily shine as a big fish in a smaller pond. <img alt="rxcwiwv.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/rxcwiwv.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> "The Sublime" Yoshii Shiomi Lastly, “The Sublime” Yoshii Shiomi may have the best prospects of all the wrestlers so far mentioned. A 15 year pro at 36 years old, Shiomi has a unique background in that he went to Canada to learn from the Stones (specifically Jeremy Stone) before returning to Japan under a mask in 2003 and wrestling for BHOTWG ever since. His best success came in the late 2000s when he had two Burning Junior Tag Team title reigns with VENOM. VENOM’s departure for Kikkawa’s Army ended what could’ve been an extremely successful tag team, but with VENOM’s spot in the army in jeopardy, he’s turned back to Shiomi to reignite the best part of his career. Yoshii has struggled to find success on their own but they’re both dedicated to winning their 3rd Burning Junior Tag Team title reigns in 2016, something that could also secure a spot for Shiomi in Kikkawa’s Army. Interestingly enough, what’s most distinct about these wrestlers that could’ve been but never truly was is that they were mostly only able to find success as tag team wrestlers, did not display the sort of loyalty expected in BHOTWG, and for the most part, seemed to have been brought in solely to refine the Four Heavenly Kings as they began their rise atop the Burning Junior division. For Koyama, Shiomi and Kurofuji, they’ll refuse any statement that says their career is on the downturn, for Yasujiro and Shimedzu, it’s hard to deny that their better years are long behind them. We finally end the list with three young lions!</div>

Jon The GOAT · August 15, 2018

The Young Lions

BHOTWG has been in an interesting situation with regards to Young Lions in recent years. Since Hinote Dojo began running events in 2005, the concept of a Young Lion mostly disappeared from BHOTWG vocabulary because most wrestlers debuting in BHOTWG typically had experience in Hinote Dojo or WLW and were familiar to crowds. These wrestlers would typically come in with some measure of momentum and be immediately transitioned into a competitive program, at-times with the King of Fighters, Openweight or World and Junior Tag Team belts to be fully legitimized in the eyes of BHOTWG. However, with Hinote Dojo no longer running events as of 2014, young lions have returned to the fray. There were officially four young lions in BHOTWG since the Dojo’s closing, with most of the workers that were signed on becoming a part of the midcard.

Crimson Ghost

Crimson Ghost doesn’t give the impression of a Young Lion at all and has left BHOTWG in a particularly intriguing situation. Ghost has never wrestled unmask much in the way masked wrestlers of old, and Lucha Libre masked wrestlers don’t have their identity known, but it’s tradition for Young Lions to work in the Burning Hammer orange trunks, boots and white knee pads without any additional accessory. Crimson Ghost had Kaneko’s support in his signing and was allowed to maintain his attire, the only way he would sign with the company. There has been a lot of criticism from the senior members of the roster and from BHOTWG loyalist that he shouldn’t have been signed with such disregard for BHOTWG’s rules. This has transitioned to an extremely tough time for Ghost on-screen and he’s often at risk of suffering more in matches than his fellow young lions. It’s not uncommon for him to be shunned by other young lions, or for his seniors to attempt to unmask him, often forcing the referee to come to his defense. Ghost will continue to have a hard time until he can prove himself, but that’s the result of his desire to preserve his identity.

Kazunori "BAD BOY" Yamura

Kazunori “BAD BOY” Yamura found quite a bit of success in Hinote Dojo with both a Dragon Warrior title reign and a Tag Team title reign with is PUNK NASTY Club partner Toju Munkata. The pairing have been in an awkward situation with Munkata shedding his young lion status at the end of 2015, while Yamura still has his. Furthermore, Yamura has gained some weight over the years and is now ineligible to compete in the Juniors division. There are plenty of rumors that Munkata will try and go up a weight division, and that he’ll be very open to continue teaming with Yamura despite his current status. Yamura & Munkata have suffered nearly as much as Ghost as young lions due to their frequently disrespect behavior but it has set them up to a top heel tag team if they can compete in the same division. A situation that often comes up with Yamura is that he'll warn the ring announcer to introduce him as Kazunori "BAD BOY" Yamura, both the ring announcer and the referee will refuse to do so. His attempts at bullying the announcer were once met with an absolutely vicious beat down from Kikkawa's Army to the point that he was bandaged up for several weeks afterwards. He never dared again. Munkata’s early promotion may be a blessing in disguise as he can work towards his heavyweight goal while Yamura continues wrestling as young lion.

Tetsuji Nishimoto

Tetsuji Nishimoto may be the truest Young Lion in the roster but even he still falls short of the BHOTWG ideal. Japanese but Australian raised and with some experience and the independent scene over there before he returned to Japan and made it to the Hinote Dojo. He only managed a year there before the company closed down. Both skinny and small, it’s often hard to tell with young lions but few believe Nishimoto will ever become a star, and few understand what was seen in him for him to even earn a contract. Nishimoto will have a huge uphill battle going forward and with only 7 months remaining on his contract, he’ll have to work hard to prove to BHOTWG that he deserves to become a long term member of the roster.

The young lions of BHOTWG are a mixed bag but it’s clear the BHOTWG fans aren’t remotely satisfied with the current crop. Ghost’s refusal to abide by tradition, Yamura’s complicated situation and negative behavior, and Nishimoto’s unimpressive skillset and origins have left fans wondering if Hinote Dojo head trainer Tasuku Shinozuka should be replaced to ensure a better crop of talent emerges from the school. Some have complained that it has been at least a decade since Sakai emerged from the dojo, and that it’s time for a change.

That's the end of the roster overview~ Stay tuned for a preview of our next few events.

Jon The GOAT · August 15, 2018

Burning Hammer’s New Tradition

The end of 2015 sparked quite a bit of controversy in Japanese wrestling when President Kaneko announced that BHOTWG would be adopting a new schedule closer to the Western style. He was careful not directly refer to the Modern Japan Movement that WLW, GCG, and several more Japanese companies have become aligned in, making it clear that BHOTWG’s recent isolationist policies would be continuing. BHOTWG would continue broadcasting smaller untelevised events across Japan but these events would be largely inconsequential and devoid of the company’s bigger stars.

BHOTWG would now focus on three key types of events:

Lords of the Ring: The longtime weekly television series of BHOTWG typically showcased highlights from the company’s touring shows, with the bigger matches getting full airings. Lord of the Rings will now be a full-length weekly event of 3hrs (including commercial breaks) similar to WLW’s LuchaResu television series. The event will tour Japan and is expected to be a chief source of income for the company. BHOTWG has not hidden their desire to the move the series to another network because of their inability to shop the show in the US. Lords of the Ring is set to be filmed and aired live on Wednesdays.

Lions of the Ring: The debuting Lions of the Ring is expected to be a showcase for the younger talent of BHOTWG, particularly with the newly reduced schedule. There has been interest in periodically separating the roster to facilitate the Lions of the Ring show testing the international market with shows outside of Japan. Like Lords of the Ring, Lions of the Ring will air live, although in this case it’ll be on Fridays.

Pay-per-views: Traditionally there have been 9 big PPVs in the BHOTWG schedule. There’s the iconic Night of the Burning Hammer which was typically hosted in October but in 2015 happened in December. Fire Dream of the Immortals and Best of the Super Juniors were the other big events of the year, happening in March and July respectively. Six more events occurred across the year to culminate touring months. In 2016, the expectations are that the 9 events will make a return in addition to four brand new events. One of these brand new events has been confirmed to be BHOTWG’s 50th Year Anniversary Show set to happen in May and to feature every singles title on the line in order to commemorate BHOTWG’s half-century year of existence.

This brings us to an extremely hectic start of the year. Kaneko announced that following the Night of the Burning Hammer, it will not be a time to relax and to recover, it will instead be the most intense part of the entire year, the start of The Burning Path on the road to Night of the Burning Hammer. The Burning Path will be the first event of the year and will happen on the very first day of the year. Surviving The Burning Path event will not be nearly enough. After Lords of the Ring, two more events are set to challenge the warriors who have stepped onto The Burning Path at the start of the year: Warrior Globe - another first-time event - and the Test of Prophecies. This is all set to happen before we even get to the second Lords of the Ring of 2016.

Warrior Globe is set to feature the first two title matches of the year: a Burning World Tag Team championship defense for Nissho Yuasa and Toshiki Shibanumo, a prime opportunity to prove their durability as champions; and a Burning Junior championship defense for Sensational Dragon who will have to face off against his rival “Purple Demon” Marihito Masuko whom he took the title from in November. The Burning Junior championship match will main event the show, highlighting the intensity of the rivalry and the classics the two have been engaged in over the years.

Test of Prophecies is set to feature two title matches as well: a Burning Junior Tag Team championship defense on the part of Hyosuke Kokan and Kansuke Konda who will be hitting their fourth month as defending champions; and a Burning World championship defense for “The King” Tadiyuki Kikkawa. For the three title matches yet to have challengers, Kaneko and his team are expected to observe both The Burning Path and Lords of the Ring for who might be worthy of a challenge for the belts.

BHOTWG The Burning Path in Yokohama:

The Burning Path is the first event of 2016 and will air from Kanagawa Stadium, the unofficial home of BHOTWG, likely in front of a crowd of approximately 28,000. The Burning Path’s design has been unveiled ahead of time and will feature a ramp long enough to mirror that of Night of the Burning Hammer to signify the long journey ahead to Night of the Burning Hammer at the other end of the year. No one envies the young lions who will have to carry the Burning Throne down it if Kikkawa decides to have one of his State of Affairs.

Kazunori Yamura & Toju Munkata vs. The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu)

Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji vs. Sanetomo Shiraishi & Tetsuji Nishimoto

Bairei Yasujiro & Crimson Ghost vs. Helikaon & Hijo del Relampago

Eisaku Hoshino, Masakazu Kaima & Reijiro Hiraki vs. Java, Ninja Shunji & White Samurai

American Panther (American Optimus & Red Panther) & The Incredible Koyama vs. Hyosuke Kokan, Jin Miyamoto & Kansuke Konda

Elemental III, Golden Scorpion, Marihito Masuko & The Awesome Kiyaru vs. MYSTIC Dragon, Sensational Dragon, VENOM & Yoshii Shiomi

Chuichi Sanda, Eiji Hamacho, Gonkuro Kamioka, Murai Enomoto & Tadakuni Toshusai vs. Kinnojo Horri, Matthew Keith, Mitsunari Fugunaga, Taro Shionoya & Tatsuya Toshitala

Kikkawa’s Army (Heihachiro Sakai & Hirokumi Saito) vs. Ieyoshi Shimakage & Ryushi Sato

Atsumori Takemura & Hiroaki Nakasawa vs. Nissho Yuasa & Toshiki Shibanumo

Kikkawa’s Army (Masaaki Okazaki, Tadiyuki Kikkawa & Tasuku Iesada) vs. NEO (Koshiro Ino, Yasuhiko Taira & Yasunobu Masuno)

Some notes:

- PUNK NASTY Club pairing Kazunori Yamura & Toju Munkata are forbidden to use the name until Yamura graduates from his status as Young Lion. The Rebellion pairing of Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu remain on amicable terms and while they aren't expected to begin teaming in pursuit of tag team titles, they are expected to pair up irregularly if the dynamics permit it. The same can be said of Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji.

- Tadakuni Toshusai and Kinnojo Horri are said to be on disagreeable terms due to the miscommunication between each other and Hiroaki Nakasawa against the trio of NEO at Night of the Burning Hammer

- The match between Burning World Tag Team champions Nissho Yuasa & Toshiki Shibanumo against Hiroaki Nakasawa & Atsumori Takemori is a non-title match although a defeat by the champions would put Nakasawa & Takemori first in line for a shot at the belts.

- Due to 3 previous matches between Kikkawa's Army & NEO which resulted in NEO walking out in a main event, President Kaneko has vowed to suspend them for a half-year should the referee in charge decide that they've intentionally sabotaged the match.

siah463 · August 16, 2018

Can't wait to see them march along the Burning Path, not only to see the destination, but to watch the journey as well. (Idk, I tried to say something cool)

Kazunori Yamura & Toju Munkata vs. The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu)

Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji vs. Sanetomo Shiraishi & Tetsuji Nishimoto

Bairei Yasujiro & Crimson Ghost vs. Helikaon & Hijo del Relampago

Eisaku Hoshino, Masakazu Kaima & Reijiro Hiraki vs. Java, Ninja Shunji & White Samurai

American Panther (American Optimus & Red Panther) & The Incredible Koyama vs. Hyosuke Kokan, Jin Miyamoto & Kansuke Konda

Elemental III, Golden Scorpion, Marihito Masuko & The Awesome Kiyaru vs. MYSTIC Dragon, Sensational Dragon, VENOM & Yoshii Shiomi

Chuichi Sanda, Eiji Hamacho, Gonkuro Kamioka, Murai Enomoto & Tadakuni Toshusai vs. Kinnojo Horri, Matthew Keith, Mitsunari Fugunaga, Taro Shionoya & Tatsuya Toshitala

Kikkawa’s Army (Heihachiro Sakai & Hirokumi Saito) vs. Ieyoshi Shimakage & Ryushi Sato

Atsumori Takemura & Hiroaki Nakasawa vs. Nissho Yuasa & Toshiki Shibanumo

Kikkawa’s Army (Masaaki Okazaki, Tadiyuki Kikkawa & Tasuku Iesada) vs. NEO (Koshiro Ino, Yasuhiko Taira & Yasunobu Masuno)

John Lions · August 16, 2018

Kazunori Yamura & Toju Munkata vs. The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu)

While Yamura is a Young Lion, he will do his job and do the job

Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji vs. Sanetomo Shiraishi & Tetsuji Nishimoto

Same as above, but for Nishimoto

Bairei Yasujiro & Crimson Ghost vs. Helikaon & Hijo del Relampago

Same as above, but for Crimson Ghost

Eisaku Hoshino, Masakazu Kaima & Reijiro Hiraki vs. Java, Ninja Shunji & White Samurai

Java/Ninja/Samurai combo I think have relatively little mileage for you, while the Hoshino side have more upside

American Panther (American Optimus & Red Panther) & The Incredible Koyama vs. Hyosuke Kokan, Jin Miyamoto & Kansuke Konda

Tough one, I'll give it to these guys because I like Hyosuke Kokan and his render

Elemental III, Golden Scorpion, Marihito Masuko & The Awesome Kiyaru vs. MYSTIC Dragon, Sensational Dragon, VENOM & Yoshii Shiomi

Another tough one, so I'll go with team Marihito

Chuichi Sanda, Eiji Hamacho, Gonkuro Kamioka, Murai Enomoto & Tadakuni Toshusai vs. Kinnojo Horri, Matthew Keith, Mitsunari Fugunaga, Taro Shionoya & Tatsuya Toshitala

Think this side has the biggest upside overall

Kikkawa’s Army (Heihachiro Sakai & Hirokumi Saito) vs. Ieyoshi Shimakage & Ryushi Sato

Can't have both sides of Kikkawa's Army lose on one card, right?

Atsumori Takemura & Hiroaki Nakasawa vs. Nissho Yuasa & Toshiki Shibanumo

I think you've established that you are not a Shibanumo fan

Kikkawa’s Army (Masaaki Okazaki, Tadiyuki Kikkawa & Tasuku Iesada) vs. NEO (Koshiro Ino, Yasuhiko Taira & Yasunobu Masuno)

Give the invaders some momentum with a huge win in the main event

Hashasheen · August 16, 2018

Have to say that all the little touches you put in are great. Stuff like the young lion colours, how Hinote Dojo plays into the traditional young lion system, the division of Punk Nasty Club, etc... all really flesh out the world in ways I don't usually consider in a puro run. And even though I always envision BHOTWG as having a relationship with NOTBPW, your definition of the company as isolationist does harken back to King's Road AJPW, with Kikkawa almost akin to Genchiro Tenryu if he'd come back after SWS.

bonnie · August 16, 2018

The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu)

Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji

Helikaon & Hijo del Relampago

Eisaku Hoshino, Masakazu Kaima & Reijiro Hiraki

American Panther (American Optimus & Red Panther) & The Incredible Koyama

Elemental III, Golden Scorpion, Marihito Masuko & The Awesome Kiyaru

Kinnojo Horri, Matthew Keith, Mitsunari Fugunaga, Taro Shionoya & Tatsuya Toshitala

Kikkawa’s Army (Heihachiro Sakai & Hirokumi Saito)

Atsumori Takemura & Hiroaki Nakasawa

NEO (Koshiro Ino, Yasuhiko Taira & Yasunobu Masuno)

Jon The GOAT · August 16, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Have to say that all the little touches you put in are great. Stuff like the young lion colours, how Hinote Dojo plays into the traditional young lion system, the division of Punk Nasty Club, etc... all really flesh out the world in ways I don't usually consider in a puro run. And even though I always envision BHOTWG as having a relationship with NOTBPW, your definition of the company as isolationist does harken back to King's Road AJPW, with Kikkawa almost akin to Genchiro Tenryu if he'd come back after SWS.</div></blockquote> Thanks! I actually noticed you mentioning that in another thread hence the emphasis on recent because I also noticed that was somewhat true. It feels like since maybe Kaneko came in or at some point before or after that, BHOTWG hasnt had a lot of relations with other companies. Past, I'd say maybe 2010, they seem to stop extensively hiring ex-WLW guys and having guys who have worked or went to work in NOTBPW. I dont have the game in front of me. It might just be a case of the BHOTWG roster remaining mostly stagnant from CV2010 to CV2016 as many companies seem to be and not really a push towards isolationism. Kanekos in-game refusal to work with other companies does make me sad. Thanks all for the comments and predictions.

Hashasheen · August 16, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jon The GOAT" data-cite="Jon The GOAT" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Thanks! I actually noticed you mentioning that in another thread hence the emphasis on recent because I also noticed that was somewhat true. </div></blockquote> Right, the post in What's going on in your game thread. 90s AJPW, man. Great and terrible at the same time. I actually really like that touch of the trunks, to emphasize again. Orange is so not something you'd think of as a color, but I'm guessing that was a nod to Kenta Kobashi? Obviously completely at odds against somewhere like GCG which would use black.

LlamaSquad · August 16, 2018

Kazunori Yamura & Toju Munkata vs. The Rebellion (Natsu Miyamae & Shimedzu)

Munkata's a young lion, give them time.

Hachigoro Maeda & Haru Kurofuji vs. Sanetomo Shiraishi & Tetsuji Nishimoto

Irregular team vs. tag team legend.

Bairei Yasujiro & Crimson Ghost vs. Helikaon & Hijo del Relampago

I believe that Yasujiro is the only non-jobber in this match at game start.

Eisaku Hoshino, Masakazu Kaima & Reijiro Hiraki vs. Java, Ninja Shunji & White Samurai

It is well established that I HATE Java. Hoshino is indeed a freelancer, so you may have Java win just to spite him, but I doubt it.

American Panther (American Optimus & Red Panther) & The Incredible Koyama vs. Hyosuke Kokan, Jin Miyamoto & Kansuke Konda

Coin flip.

Elemental III, Golden Scorpion, Marihito Masuko & The Awesome Kiyaru vs. MYSTIC Dragon, Sensational Dragon, VENOM & Yoshii Shiomi

Another coin flip, but Masuko losing has more storyline potential.

Chuichi Sanda, Eiji Hamacho, Gonkuro Kamioka, Murai Enomoto & Tadakuni Toshusai vs. Kinnojo Horri, Matthew Keith, Mitsunari Fugunaga, Taro Shionoya & Tatsuya Toshitala

Horri and Fugunaga on the same team? WIN.

Kikkawa’s Army (Heihachiro Sakai & Hirokumi Saito) vs. Ieyoshi Shimakage & Ryushi Sato

Sakai is your next ace, and Shimakage will get popped for drugs imminently.

Atsumori Takemura & Hiroaki Nakasawa vs. Nissho Yuasa & Toshiki Shibanumo

See John Lions. Also, Nakasawa getting and potentially winning a tag title match is feasible with a protégé.

Kikkawa’s Army (Masaaki Okazaki, Tadiyuki Kikkawa & Tasuku Iesada) vs. NEO (Koshiro Ino, Yasuhiko Taira & Yasunobu Masuno)

This was a toss-up. I even considered putting a draw down. Then I remembered the Burning Throne.

Jon The GOAT · August 16, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Right, the post in What's going on in your game thread. 90s AJPW, man. Great and terrible at the same time. I actually really like that touch of the trunks, to emphasize again. Orange is so not something you'd think of as a color, but I'm guessing that was a nod to Kenta Kobashi? Obviously completely at odds against somewhere like GCG which would use black.</div></blockquote> I'll be sad to admit it wasn't a nod towards Kenta Kobashi. I remember when I was first trying to get into NOAH, that I got pretty enamored by Kaito Kiyomiya who was pretty much in the "Young Lion" role at the time but was wearing green trunks (thanks to Misawa). There weren't many other young lions there, Hitoshi Kumano is the only one I remember and he had red trunks that were slightly longer. I thought the green trunks made a lot of sense for a young lion attire in NOAH considering Misawa and those are the colors typically associated with NOAH. In turn, I imagine the colors typically associated with BHOTWG would be orange (for obvious reasons) and felt it would be a more distinctly BHOTWG look. To highlight how much of a noob I am - I'm just discovering now that "Young Lion" is pretty much just a NJPW term and not a term universally used by other companies <img alt=":rolleyes:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/rolleyes.png.4b097f4fbbe99ce5bcd5efbc1b773ed6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> I think in the CVerse, for obvious reasons, the "Young Lion" theme would be something invented by GCG and probably picked up on by BCG. I don't know if BHOTWG/WLW would use it. However, considering there was a great Lions of the Ring logo and I've already adapted it as a B-show, I'll pretend that it's something BHOTWG picked up as well from GCG and it's just a generalized Japanese puro thing now in the CVerse.

Hashasheen · August 16, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jon The GOAT" data-cite="Jon The GOAT" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>To highlight how much of a noob I am - I'm just discovering now that "Young Lion" is pretty much just a NJPW term and not a term universally used by other companies <img alt=":rolleyes:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/rolleyes.png.4b097f4fbbe99ce5bcd5efbc1b773ed6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div></blockquote> Makes sense, they're the only ones with the Lion Mark. Not sure what AJPW called their guys. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> I think in the CVerse, for obvious reasons, the "Young Lion" theme would be something invented by GCG and probably picked up on by BCG. I don't know if BHOTWG/WLW would use it. However, considering there was a great Lions of the Ring logo and I've already adapted it as a B-show, I'll pretend that it's something BHOTWG picked up as well from GCG and it's just a generalized Japanese puro thing now in the CVerse.</div></blockquote> Now see, this is something of a sore button for me. The animal for Golden Canvas Grappling used to be the The Tiger in some old logos. And that worked for me, because The Dragon (my choice of spirit animal for BHOTWG and represented in HINOTE) versus The Tiger is an actual thematic thing in East Asian cultures. Meanwhile, BCG adopting a Lion theme made sense, because Lion versus Tiger was another mental rivalry for me vis-a-vis Animorphs.

Jon The GOAT · August 16, 2018

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45692" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Makes sense, they're the only ones with the Lion Mark. Not sure what AJPW called their guys. Now see, this is something of a sore button for me. The animal for Golden Canvas Grappling used to be the The Tiger in some old logos. And that worked for me, because The Dragon (my choice of spirit animal for BHOTWG and represented in HINOTE) versus The Tiger is an actual thematic thing in East Asian cultures. Meanwhile, BCG adopting a Lion theme made sense, because Lion versus Tiger was another mental rivalry for me vis-a-vis Animorphs.</div></blockquote> I never paid enough attention to it and just figured the GCG logo was a Golden Lion and the BCG logo was a Black Lion. Looking at the GCG logo I now have a hard time figuring out if its a Lion or a Tiger O_o if not for the Lion themed events. Who's the Snake to BHOTWG's Dragon? Then EX2010 has to be the Rat e_e On another note - a part of me is considering giving GCG a weekly event or television series. I imagine that would turn them into a profitable company (haven't tested) and it just seems senseless for me that they should die because its AI is somewhat incompetent. Obviously, it benefits me to let them run themselves to the ground so I can purchase them but I'd love to see them remain alive as well. I'd be tempted to do that for all of the Modern Japan Movement companies if it helps them avoid dying.

Historian · August 16, 2018