Official WreSpi2 CPUvsCPU Tournament

[Adam Ryland]

As those of you who attended the developer's chat a week ago will know, due to popular demand WreSpi2 features the ability to have CPU vs CPU matches. This should be useful to people who want to run e-feds with the game. In order to test this feature, as well as to provide an interesting talking point, I am setting up a world tournament between the stars of the CornellVerse. This will be played in Exhibition mode, and will be single elimination. The rules will be standard (count outs, disqualifications, ref bumps, etc) and the match style will be set to Normal. The line-up will be random for each round (i.e. the winners in the first round will then be randomly drawn to get the second round line up). Although most workers have custom move sets new to WreSpi2, they will all be using their stats from TEW2005's version of the CornellVerse. This is just for fun, it isn't actually part of the official CornellVerse history ;)

[Adam Ryland]

[B]The 32 Competitors[/B] Angry Gilmore BLZ Bubb Bruce The Giant Bryan Vessey Buddy Garner Christian Faith Cliff Wilson Dan Stone Dread Eisaku Hoshino Eisaku Kunomasu Elemental II Enygma Haruki Kudo Jeremy Stone Kinnoji Horri Liberty Mito Miwa Nemesis Nobuatsu Tatsuko Raul Hughes Remo Richardson Runaway Train Sam Keith Sean McFly Shuji Inukai Skull DeBones Steve DeColt Steve Frehley Tadiyuki Kikkawa Tommy Cornell Yoshimi Mushashibo

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One Draw[/B] Dread vs. Shuji Inukai BLZ Bubb vs. Nemesis Remo Richardson vs. Haruki Kudo Skull DeBones vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo Jeremy Stone vs. Cliff Wilson Kinnoji Horri vs. Steve DeColt Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Bruce The Giant Eisaku Hoshino vs. Angry Gilmore Dan Stone Jr. vs. Tadiyuki Kikkawa Steve Frehley vs. Elemental II Mito Miwa vs. Eisaku Kunomasu Tommy Cornell vs. Sam Keith Raul Hughes vs. Buddy Garner Enygma vs. Bryan Vessey Liberty vs. Runaway Train Christian Faith vs. Sean McFly

[bookerman]

I'm assuming Dan Stone is Dan Stone Jr. Great idea. This is going to be fun to watch. Are you going to give match by match summaries or just the results?

[Adam Ryland]

Yes, I added the Jr. to the draw to make it clearer. I'll be doing mini-summaries of the match, highlighting the use of new features such as the game-altering momentum meter that adds an entirely new dimension to WS2, and any big moments.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Dread vs Shuji Inukai[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]Dread[/I] is a veteran 400lb monster who simply rams straight through opponents. He is a former multi-time world champion all around the globe, and current works for PGHW. His strengths in this match are his huge size and power advantage, his weaknesses are his lack of stamina and already battered physical state. [I]"The Untouchable" Shuji Inukai[/I] is one of PGHW's main stars, and is almost the embodiment of Strong Style, with a lot of his attack based around stiff strikes. His gameplan will be to weather the initial burst of offence from Dread and try to outlast his opponent. [B]The Match[/B] As expected, Dread storms into an early lead, flooring Shuji repeatedly with stiff shots. The first five minutes are entirely Dread, with Shuji's rare blows simply not fazing the big guy at all. By the eight minute mark things are looking bleak for the Japanese star - he is at Low energy while he has yet to have hit any big moves on Dread at all. Dread has a big momentum advantage, and is picking his shots, primarily sticking to big forearm shots, splashes, and the occasional Three Point Stance. The turning point comes as we hit the ten minute mark; after missing a Dread Splash, Dread's lack of stamina becomes very apparent. While he is struggling for breath, Inukai is barely sweating, and is able to take control with four minutes of uninterrupted offense, completely turning the match. With momentum now completely switched around, Inukai hits several big moves, including his trademarks of the Shuji Flash Knee Strike and Shuji Spinal Shock. Inukai finally makes a mistake, missing an avalanche. Dread capitalises with a crunching DDT, and it looks like he may have survived Inukai's attack. However, Dread makes a huge mistake, taking the time to use a taunt - the throat slitting gesture. With the momentum still with Shuji at this point he is able to get back to his feet and punish Dread's arrogance with an Untouchable Lariat for the relatively easy pinfall. The first finisher attempt of the match is the only one needed. Dread is eliminated in a shockingly quick 14 minutes. Neither man attempted a single rest hold during the entire bout, it was simply two men seeing who could take the most punishment. Shuji Inukai's superior conditioning was the deciding factor, and he proceeds to the next round. [B]Winner[/B]: Shuji Inukai (pinfall -> Untouchable Lariat) [B]Time[/B]: 14:50 [B]Grade[/B]: C

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: BLZ Bubb vs Nemesis[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]BLZ Bubb[/I] is TCW's resident monster. He lacks technique or speed, but makes up for it in raw power. He's also hugely over, and has to be one of the favourites to win the tournament. His strategy will be simple - batter his opponent into the ground. [I]Nemesis[/I] is DAVE's main star, and the only representative of that promotion in the tournament. He relies on brawling and his natural resilience. He is a massive underdog in this bout, as BLZ Bubb is simply so much bigger and more powerful than him that he will struggle to even take him off his feet. He does have one secret weapon - he will be managed by his DAVE bodyguard Hell's Bouncer in this bout, one of the few people who can match BLZ Bubb for size and power. [B]The Match[/B] The story of the match starts with the very first move - Nemesis headbutts the big guy, and BLZ Bubb just stares right back at him. The DAVE star's blows have little effect, and Bubb is soon able to get right into his normal strategy, tossing Nemesis around like a rag doll. The match is far from pretty - it's almost entirely punches, clotheslines and chokes - but it is working for Bubb, as he is totally dominant. Five minutes into the match and he has full momentum and Nemesis is struggling to hit anything other than eye gouges and hair pulls. We get our first close fall after eight minutes, as Nemesis gets planted with a Sidewalk Slam. He gets a break right after though, as Hell's Bouncer distracts BLZ so that Nemesis gets a chance to hit his first offensive flurry - a Drop Toe Hold and two Elbow Drops. Bubb is soon up though, thanks to the momentum being on his side, and takes control back. Bouncer interferes again a few minutes later, but this time BLZ Bubb simply knocks him off the apron. With his "insurance policy" gone, Nemesis charges....and walks straight into a Hades Bomb, and the match is over. The second quick match in succession, this however was far more expected. Nemesis was completely dominated by a man who has the ideal attributes to deal with the DAVE star's offense, and without Hell's Bouncer's interference Nemesis would have struggled to get past ten minutes. BLZ Bubb goes into the next round looking impressive, and remains one of the favourites. He'll be hoping to draw another smaller man in the next round, as that plays to his strengths. [B]Winner[/B]: BLZ Bubb (pinfall -> Hades Bomb) [B]Time[/B]: 15:10 [B]Grade[/B]: E

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Remo Richardon vs Haruki Kudo[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]Remo Richardson[/I] is a wrestler who is all about impact, with a style that is all about hitting the ring and throwing the opponent around. He will be looking to keep this match an upright striking contest - if it goes to the mat, Kudo can easily tie him. [I]Haruki "Hooded" Kudo[/I] is a veteran Japanese worker, who can work most styles. He is giving up a lot of power to Remo, but has a big advantage when it comes to technique and speed. His strategy will be to counter Remo's occasional big strikes by using his skill to put together periods of dominance. [B]The Match[/B] It looked like we might be in for a repeat of the last match, as Remo threw Kudo around for the first two minutes, including throwing him over the top rope at one point. However, Kudo's strategy was smart - he used headlocks and leg trips to ground his stronger foe, and then used rest holds to drain Remo's momentum. The first ten minutes followed that pattern; Remo would hit a big move, but Kudo would ground him and keep him down with several low-level technical moves, focussing mainly on the legs. Remo had his first big imact at 11:00 - a Remo Buster, a headbutt to the groin, and a Gorilla Press all in a row. This got a two count. Kudo came back with his first risky moves, hitting a double axe handle from the top rope, then following it up with two snap elbow drops. Haruki then became the first person to really get his momentum up, as he punished Remo with with a series of dropkicks and throat thrusts. That momentum boost proved to be the beginning of the end, as the combination of momentum, speed and technique allowed Kudo to easily slip out of every move Remo tried, leaving the SWF star vunerable to a run of several impact moves - a DDT, a Japanese back suplex, and big kick to the face. That set up the Kudo Kutter, and for the third match running the very first finisher attempted proved to be all that was needed, as Remo couldn't kick out. Probably the biggest shock was the quality of the match - Kudo's strategy of grounding Remo with low-level leglocks and chinlocks made for a dull match, and also prevented Richardson from gaining enough momentum to string together more than one big move at a time. As a result the match only had one really big moment in it (the Kudo Kutter), and the fans were not happy about it. Nonetheless, the veteran Kudo pulls off a mild shock and moves into the next round; it'll be interesting to see if his less-than-exciting strategy works against any of the really big hitters, like Kikkawa, Bruce or Runaway Train. [B]Winner[/B]: Haruki Kudo (pinfall -> Kudo Kutter) [B]Time[/B]: 16:00 [B]Grade[/B]: E

[bookerman]

Great stuff so far. Would it possible to give a quick description of some of the guys signature spots? Like the Shuji Flash Knee Strike (Shining Wizard?) and Shuji Spinal Shock. It would make imaging the match a little easier. Again great stuff. I'm wondering if I should buy WS 1 now or try to last until WS 2 comes out.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Skull DeBones vs Yoshimi Mushashibo[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]Skull DeBones[/I] is a big brawler who relies almost entirely on out-muscling the enemy. His strategy in this match is obvious, and that's to pound away on the Japanese mega-star. He'll be looking for either his Skull Krusher (Inverted Piledriver) or Six Feet Under (second rope twisting choke slam) finishers. [I]Yoshimi Mushashibo[/I] is a PGHW star, and one of the finest technical wrestlers ever. His one weakness in this tournament, and in this match, may be his lack of size and power. He will be looking to follow Haruki Kudo's lead in the last match by using his awesome technique to keep DeBones on the mat. He will be looking to use the Yoshimi Lock (variated Full Nelson clutch) to get the submission, but his wide variety of suplexes are useless, as Skull is too big for him to lift. [B]The Match[/B] The opening of the match was even, with Skull using hard blows (especially the "DeBones Shaker" clubbing forearm blow) to hammer Mushashibo, while the Japanese wrestler used facelocks and leg trips to keep Skull off balance. Yoshimi's usual Kesagiri blows had little effect on the big guy, who just shook them off. The even match continued all the way past the sixteen minute mark, making this the longest match so far. Neither man has managed to take the advantage for more than a few moves. The only difference is that Skull is starting to breathe a bit harder, his stamina being lacking compared to the wrestling machine that is Yoshimi Mushashibo. As we go past 18:00, the stamina issue starts to tell - Yoshimi suddenly takes it up another level, and strings together a series of strikes to finally start to build his momentum. He seems to be looking for a leg submission in this match - he has softened them up with several knee bars, and has tried the figure four leglock and elevated leg lock twice already, with Skull blocking both times. The match goes past the twenty minute mark, and Skull is struggling to keep afloat; in a three minute spell he is forced to repel three attempts at a Dragon Sleeper, and several attempts at leg submissions. Yoshimi can clearly feel the victory getting closer. Unfortunately for him the series of unsuccessful submission attempts saps his momentum, and Skull is able to make a comeback at last after five minutes of being on the defence. He fires back with two Reaper Leapers (flying clotheslines) and a massive Leaping Side Suplex. He attempts the Skull Krusher to finish, but Mushashino slips out the back and scores with a Chop Block. Mushashino whips him to the corner and charges, but eats a big boot....and gets lifted up and drilled with the Skull Krusher. Nobody kicks out of that move, and DeBones pulls off something of an upset to advance in the tournament. A pretty good match, the styles clash of the two men made for an interesting tactical battle; Yoshimi had a long period of dominance, but was unable to apply the submission hold that would have won him the match. His tenacious attempts to get a hold applied was his undoing, as it lost him his momentum, and allowed Skull the opportunity he needed to get back into the match. Skull advances, limping, and knows he is lucky to have survived. [B]Winner[/B]: Skull DeBones (pinfall -> Skull Krusher) [B]Time[/B]: 23:50 [B]Grade[/B]: C-

[Adam Ryland]

[QUOTE=bookerman]Would it possible to give a quick description of some of the guys signature spots? Like the Shuji Flash Knee Strike (Shining Wizard?) and Shuji Spinal Shock. It would make imaging the match a little easier.[/QUOTE] I'll do the majority of the big moves. With the lower level ones I'll only do them occasionally, as most of the big names have several, and I don't want to spend too much of the write up on move names. For the ones already mentioned; the Shuji Knee Strike is a lightning quick high knee to the face, the Shuji Spinal Shock is a stiff kick between the shoulder blades of a seated opponent, the Hades Bomb is a double handed choke bomb, the Kudo Kutter is a springboard face crusher, and the Remo Buster is a standing spinebuster.

[Adam Ryland]

The first quarter of the matches are now done. To recap: [B]Advanced[/B] Shuji Inukai BLZ Bubb Haruki Kudo Skull DeBones [B]Eliminated[/B] Dread Nemesis Remo Richardson Yoshimi Mushashibo

[bookerman]

Mushashibo going out early is a shock. Thanks for clarifying the signature spots.

[Adam Ryland]

I'll say, I thought Mushashibo would win it. He has several brand new custom suplexes, and when in PGHW he's pretty much a living God, he just throws people around like a machine - unfortunately he drew someone too big to suplex, so that screwed him up. I'm looking forward to Kikkawa vs. Stone, as those two are regularly the world cup finalists in World League Mode, and also Miwa vs. Kunomasu as that is usually an A* when held under PGHW conditions (usually it goes over an hour, but under Normal rules it'll probably only go 40 minutes). Personally I think Tatsuko is going to win now that Yoshimi is out. :)

[bookerman]

Tatsuko may run into the same problem as Yoshimi. His opponent (BTG) is too big to toss around. He's going to have to ground him and hope to get a submission or flash pin (are those in the game?) to win. If Bruce gets a hold of him early, it could be very tough.

[Nutlaw]

A very interesting read, even if my boy Yoshimi didn't hang in there. I'll have to root for Vessey and McFly at this point, as Elemental II will probably get squashed.

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Jeremy Stone vs Cliff Wilson[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]Jeremy Stone[/I], "The Canadian Wrestling Machine", is a fantastic technical wrestler, and one of the top fighters in the world. Perhaps his only weakness is that he has no "plan B"; it's either technical wrestling or nothing. He is one of the big favourites to win the tournament, and will be looking to use his Stone Hold (Crossface variation) to pick up victories. He has drawn an ideal first round opponent, as Wilson is a similar style of wrestler, and doesn't have the power to really blitz Stone. [I]Cliff "Dark Angel" Wilson[/I] is well known in Japan and Canada, and has a progressive style, mixing technique with high speed, making him a handful to fight. Jeremy Stone is one of the few people who can outwrestle Wilson, and so he will have to rely on his high risk moves and work a fast-paced match to keep Stone from building a dominant lead. [B]The Match[/B] The opening five minutes showed us two pretty evenly matched fighters, with both men exchanging holds and counter holds, mainly revolving around headlocks and arm wringers. Cliff Wilson showed that he was a good enough technical wrestler to not be overwhelmed by Stone's skills. The first turning point fell to Wilson, as he struck with three dropkicks, threw Stone to the outside, and scored with a plancha dive. By using his superior speed Cliff had opened up a lead, and his momentum was rising. Showing a killer instinct, he pounced with a great sequence of moves, hitting Stone with some Cartwheel Splashes, a Handspring Moonsault, and two Slingshot Senton Bombs. Stone is a great technical wrestler, but he was clearly having trouble getting to grips with an opponent who was simply throwing himself into every move and using his body as a weapon. As we went past the 10:00 mark, it was clear that the match was not going to plan; Stone was down to Low energy, Cliff was still on High. Realising he had to do something, Jeremy moved up a gear, scoring with a Vertical Suplex, a DDT, and two Stone Canadian Kicks (Rolling Wheel Kicks). This was enough to bring the two wrestlers even on momentum, and bring Wilson down to Medium energy level. Cliff Wilson slipped out the back of a suplex attempt, and went on another offense spree; a Backbreaker, a dropkick into the corner, and two more Slingshot Senton Bombs. The next two minutes were desperate for Stone, as in quick succession he had to get to the ropes to avoid being trapped in a Scorpion Deathlock, and had to fight his way free from Wilson's attempt at a Descent Into Hell (Double Underhook Facebuster), his finisher. Jeremy came back once more, but with momentum severely against him he was only able to score with two more Rolling Wheel Kicks - Cliff simply used his speed and momentum to slip out of any suplex attempt, and was luckily able to break free before Stone could apply any of his more impactful moves like the DDT or Belly To Belly Suplex. Frustrated, Jeremy went for a Mafia Kick, only to once again find Cliff too fast to hit. Wilson went for the flashy finish, trying to use the Springboard Reverse DDT; Jeremy used his technical skills to slip out of it though. Unfortunately for the bald Canadian that proved to be his final contribution to the match - he turned around straight into the Descent Into Hell, and suffered a pinfall loss at 17:00. By far the biggest shock of the tournament, the talented-but-underrated Cliff Wilson had eliminated Jeremy Stone. It was not just the result that was a shock, CW had completely obliterated Stone. By the final count, Jeremy had been on the attack for just 38% of the match, and had failed to even get Cliff down to Low energy. A complete off day for Jeremy Stone, and Cliff Wilson surprisingly moves into the next round. [B]Winner[/B]: Cliff Wilson (pinfall -> Descent Into Hell) [B]Time[/B]: 17:00 [B]Grade[/B]: E

[Adam Ryland]

Round One: Kinnoji Horri vs Steve DeColt [B]Overview[/B] [I]Kinnoji Horri[/I] is a long-shot for this tournament; basically just a big brawler, he lacks the ability to trouble the big guns. He is up against a very similar fighter in Steve DeColt, and so the match will probably be a simple stand-up brawl. Horri has the size advantage, which may play a crucial role. He'll be looking to use some of his trademark spinebuster variations to give him the advantage. [I]Steve DeColt[/I] is primarily a straight ahead brawler, although he has a better all-round game than his opponent. He is also a long-shot for the tournament, as due to his style he will struggle if drawn against a much bigger opponent. His strategy will be to try and match Horri at brawling, and use his better technique and speed to give him the edge. [B]The Match[/B] Hopes aren't high for a quality match; nerves seem to be effecting the competitors thus far, as we've had a lot of talented wrestlers fight, but we are yet to see a really great match. Horri and DeColt are two of the most limited workers in the tournament, so we're not expecting much. As the match began, apparently Steve had remembered that he'd left the gas on, as he seemed to want the match over as quick as possible - he came out with a full head of steam, peppering his Japanese opponent with a barrage of punches, DeColt Thrusts (double handed throat thrust) and clotheslines. This seemed to take Kinnoji by surprise, as he spent the first ten minutes almost completely on the defensive. After shrugging off a Horri elbow, Steve continued his run, scoring with a Belly To Belly, a DDT, and a Gorilla Press to get a two count. Kinnoji made a brief comeback, hitting several blows to the head in a row, but walked into a High Knee, and then got surprised when DeColt took a rare trip to the top turnbuckle and came off with a Flying Clothesline for a very close fall, Horri's shoulder coming up just before the three. Steve continued to fire away, testing Horri's famous resilience, and racked up two more close falls; one following a Powerslam, the other from a Piledriver. This seemed to wake up Horri, who struck with two big Clotheslines, then simply went bezerk, sitting on DeColt's chest and unloading with elbow and punches like a madman, taking off a huge chunk of energy in under a minute. Over-confidence proved to be his undoing though. After suplexing DeColt, Horri went back to the mounted elbows, but Steve was ready and used his technical skills to slip out the back and hit the DeColt Stampede (running bulldog) for a three count. A pretty poor match in terms of quality, about 90% of the attack was punches or kicks, livened up by Steve's top rope Flying Clothesline midway through the match. Horri never really got going, and was probably lucky to last past the 15:00 mark, such was Steve's dominance. Steve DeColt advances. Two poor matches in a row, marked by one wrestler dominating...next up though is one of the biggest matches of the first round, Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Bruce The Giant. While it won't be a technical masterpiece, Tatsuko is one of the few people tough enough to go toe-to-toe with the Australian monster, can he eliminate the tournament favourite? [B]Winner[/B]: Steve DeColt (pinfall -> DeColt Stampede) [B]Time[/B]: 17:50 [B]Grade[/B]: E

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Bruce The Giant[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]"Iron Man" Nobuatsu Tatsuko[/I] is a huge name in Japan, and one of PGHW's main stars. His attack is based around hard strikes, particularly his brutal array of kicks. He has a fine all-round game, without any real weaknesses. His strategy will either be to try and use his techique to take Bruce down to nullify his size advantage, or to blitz him with as many strikes as possible and try to avoid any comeback blows. [I]Bruce The Giant[/I] is the biggest worker in the tournament, and a world famous name. With a 200lb+ size advantage he will be looking to simply flatten Tatsuko tonight. He has one major weakness though; his stamina isn't good, and he'll badly struggle against the super-fit Japanese star if the match goes past fifteen minutes. [B]The Match[/B] We start off with a test of spirit - the two men simply start firing away with strikes. Tatsuko gets more in thanks to his better speed, but can't take the big guy off his feet. Bruce may get less shots in, but his are more powerful, and the Iron Man is down five times in the first two minutes. More comfortable with this style thanks to his Strong Style roots, Tatsuko takes a commanding lead after the five minute mark, connecting with two Sole Kicks (one footed dropkicks to the face) and a seemingly endless supply of forearms, followed by some leg trips to take The Giant down where he can hit kicks and forearm drops. Bruce cuts him off before his momentum gets too high though, coming back with some bruising chops and some bodyslams. As we reach ten minutes it's all square; both men are just into Medium energy levels, and the momentum is dead even. Tatsuko comes back again, using kicks as his main weapon. A set of strong forearm strikes even sends Bruce out to the ring apron temporarily, but he is soon back in. Unable to use any throws on Bruce, Tatsuko continues with his strike-based attack, putting Bruce down several times with Roaring Sole Kicks (running one footed dropkicks to the face). Once again Bruce makes his come back though, scoring with some bear hugs to bring his opponent's momentum down, then planting him with some massive bodyslams and overhead throws to inflict damage. As we head toward the 20:00 mark, the match switchs yet again; Tatsuko takes Bruce down with some leg trips and then drives forward with a rush of kicks to the face. Bruce becomes the first to fall into the Danger level, and is open to finishers. However, yet again, the veteran makes a comeback, hitting several Giant Elbow Drops to hurt the chest of the Japanese star. Momentum swings Bruce's way just as Tatsuko also drops to Danger levels, it looks like the Australian has timed his comeback to perfection! Bruce hits a short arm clothesline, picks up Tatsuko...who slips out of an attempt at the Giant Choke Slam, Bruce's finisher. Nobuatsu comes back with two big kicks, then a High Knee to stun Bruce. The momentum has swung around yet again. Tatsuko hits two charging forearms to soften up the big guy, then bounces off the ropes and hits the Finishing Sprint Forearm, nailing The Giant right between the eyes. The referee counts; one, two.....three. The amount of blows Bruce has taken to the head have taken their toll, as he is nearly unconscious, and that final blow knocked him senseless. Nobuatsu Tatsuko proves why he is regarded as a true legend by going toe-to-toe with Bruce The Giant and winning the battle in a hard fought contest. A really physical battle, it would have been a B level match had it been held before a Strong Style crowd, but it only gets an F before the regular crowd we have for this tournament. It is still a magnificent victory, and with Bruce now eliminated and a strong performance to his credit, Tatsuko must now be regarded as one of the strong favourites to win this tournament. [B]Winner[/B]: Nobuatsu Tatsuko (pinfall -> Finishing Sprint Forearm) [B]Time[/B]: 20:30 [B]Grade[/B]: F

[Adam Ryland]

[B]Round One: Eisaku Hoshino vs Angry Gilmore[/B] [B]Overview[/B] [I]Eisaku Hoshino[/I] is from PGHW, and is famed for being able to take a beating and still come back strong. His attack is mainly based around forearm strikes and his trademark headbutts. He will be looking to finish with either his Gozilla Plunge (Northern Lights Bomb) or Nuclear Death Bomb (Burning Hammer). [I]Angry Gilmore[/I] is a dark horse in the tournament; he's skilled enough in all areas to be able to wrestle any style of match, but he's not over enough to be a huge threat. His main weakness, other than his small size, is that he doesn't have the killer finisher that most other competitors do. He got a good draw in this tournament though, as Hoshino is not much bigger than him. [B]The Match[/B] It's clear that both men are even to begin with, as we see an exchange of chops and forearms with both guys at times simply shrugging off blows to go back on the offence. This continues for the first eight minutes, even after both fall to Medium energy; neither can manage to stay in control long enough to really take advantage. The big moves start to pile up once we get past 10:00, but still the match is finely-balanced, neither man can gain enough momentum to really surge ahead. Hoshino scores with his trademark Trapping Headbutts, a big DDT, and a nasty Head Drop Suplex. Gilmore responds with a vertical suplex, a Slingshot Splash, a Cartwheel Splash, and three questionable Headbutts to the groin. On 13:00, almost at the same moment, both men fall to Danger levels. Both are in virtually identical situations; the same momentum, the same energy, the same stamina. It looks like whoever hits the first major move could sneak the win. Hoshino scores with a stiff back suplex, but his attempts at a Tiger Bomb and STF are both blocked. Gilmore makes headway with a DDT and sharp thrust kick, but can't see to get Hoshino in position for his Anger Management (Forward Russian Legsweep) finisher. As expected, the first mistake is crucial - Angry misses a simple leg lariat, and Hoshino is able to instantly capitalise, hitting the Godzilla Plunge to win the match. A nice match, albeit lacking in big moves that would have gotten it into C or B grade territory. It was by far the most even match so far, neither man could take control, and it was one moment of killer instinct that proved vital. Eisaku Hoshino may not have the fancy skills or awesome power of some of the guys who have advanced, but he's in the next round, he's a tough fighter, and nobody will want to have to face him. [B]Winner[/B]: Eisaku Hoshino (pinfall -> Godzilla Plunge) [B]Time[/B]: 15:30 [B]Grade[/B]: D

[Adam Ryland]

The first half of the matches are now done. To recap: [B]Advanced[/B] Shuji Inukai BLZ Bubb Haruki Kudo Skull DeBones Cliff Wilson Steve DeColt Nobuatsu Tatsuko Eisaku Hoshino [B]Eliminated[/B] Dread Nemesis Remo Richardson Yoshimi Mushashibo Jeremy Stone Kinnoji Horri Bruce The Giant Angry Gilmore So far it's been a relatively good tournament for PGHW, as they have three people in the next round, more than any other promotion. It's been a bad tournament for the USA - an American has been a competitor in half the matches wrestled so far, and all four have been defeated.

[bookerman]

Keep it up. Does limb targetting work in WS2 like it does in WS1? It appears it does based on the BTG/Tatsuko match.

[Adam Ryland]

Yes, it does. There's even a picture of a little man in each person's profile whose body parts change colour as they get more damaged, so that you can see where he is hurting. It'll be in the next batch of screen shots.

[bookerman]

Awesome. I'm liking the new momentum feature. When you said Normal Match Rules, does that mean Sports Entertainment? I'm surprised by the match grades considering the quality of workers involved.

[Adam Ryland]

No, the four rule types are Normal, Sports Entertainment, Strong Style or Spot Monkey. The rule type used effects: * How the matches are rated * How long matches usually last * How a match unfolds in terms of what moves become available at what points As an example, the average Strong Style match between two big names would usually go well over 30 (game time) minutes, and you wouldn't be seeing finishers until at least the 25 minute. The flip side of that is that a Spot Monkey match would rarely go over 15 minutes, and you'd often see big finishers happening as early as 7 minutes in. The reason for the low match ratings so far is that the guys involved, being top stars, all have killer finishers, so there hasn't been very many near falls, and also there's been a lack of super-spectacular moves (mainly because most of the guys so far have been people who have a more realistic style of attack, I think there's only been three top rope moves in the entire tournament). If you put speedsters like The Great Hisato or Optimus in there you'd probably be getting B+ minimum.