PGHW - The Almanac

Scottie · August 9, 2023

KINGS TOUR
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021

The "KINGS Series" was an interesting one - despite pinning him in the main event at "Night of LEGACY", Kozue Kawashima offered 26-year old Hirotsugu Satou the biggest match of his career: a shot at the Glory Crown in the main event of "Night of LEGACY". It was a bout that Satou readily accepted, though it was his mentor Magnum Kobe that did much of the talking on his behalf - talking up his chances in the pre-series press conference.

Satou was built up throughout the series in a series of multi-man matches as well as a singles match on the sixth show of the tour, where he beat Kawashima's stable mate Tsurayuki Kamachi via submission. It certainly did a lot to enhance his credentials as a contender, but few saw him as a real threat to Kawashima's fledgling fourth reign as champion.

Meanwhile, Magnum Kobe was clearly building himself up for a shot at either Kawashima or Satou, as he locked in a special singles match for "Night of LEGACY" against Bussho Makiguchi. Makiguchi had been left alone throughout the tour, after his long-time partner Chojiro Kitoaji suffered a broken arm during a multi-man match on the third show of the series. A rare singles opportunity against an experienced main event force - Makiguchi would be keen to make an impression in his match against Kobe in the series ending show.

Various other matches were also announced for the series ending show throughout an otherwise uneventful tour. After a stoppage loss to Yasunobu Masuno at "Night of HONOUR" back in August, Masaru Ugaki remained keen to get a rematch against the giant former Glory Crown Champion. He went one step closer to that last month in a multi-man win, but would get a chance to go even closer at "Night of KINGS" as he would team with Hirokazu Yamanoue against the twin towers of Masuno & Mutant. Elsewhere, in a preview for next month's Elite Tag Series, former champions Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda would face off against The APIA War Dogs, AKIMA & Toma.

* * * * *

It wasn't quite a capacity crowd at Kobe Football Stadium, but still more than 26,000 fans turned out on Oct. 15 to see "Night of KINGS".

The undercard started with a fun tag team sprint, as KITA & SATO made their fourth defence of the Historical Japan Tag Team Titles, beating the RONIN VII pairing of Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto. The pair have been clearly the less successful duo of the typically iron strong stable of seven, leaving many to question whether they can realistically remain in it going forward.

Then, in a further multi-man bout, Hirobumi Takimoto picked up the win for his team with a Gutwrench Tombstone on Canadian Dragon (technically Canadian Dragon II). Dragon is better known to Canadian wrestling fans as Topher Smith, under which moniker he is a four-time ACPW Tag Team Champion alongside Ant-Man. His performance here was reasonable, though he's still clearly adjusting to the mask on his second PPV outing for PGHW.

In an excellent match elsewhere, the strong RONIN VII trio of Avalanche Takano, Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo prevailed over The Front's Kazushige Matsuki, Michio Gensai & Tetsunori Yasuda. It was a result that didn't bode well for Masuno's feared faction, as despite the size and strength advantage the trio of Matsuki, Gensai & Yasuda fell. It was the former BHOTWG man, Gensai, who took the fall - in a major boon for Takano, who struck with the Mountain Takano.

After a tag bout in which BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi ultimately won handsomely, it was time for the first of the night's triple headers - as the Coyote Club faced off against The Front in tag team action. The bout saw the monster pairing of Yasunobu Masuno & Mutant dominate the hapless veteran Hirokazu Yamanoue for a lengthy stretch - much to the frustration and concern of Masaru Ugaki. But eventually, Yamanoue stunned Masuno for long enough to get the hot tag to his stable leader Ugaki, who came out firing against his hated rival Masuno.

Ugaki too would eventually wilt under the combined pressure of the two monsters, with the giant Mutant bullying him around the ring. But the American soon got complacent, and gave the two-time Glory Crown Champion an opening. After firing off punches, Ugaki stunned Mutant in the corner, before climbing the top rope and sending Mutant crashing to the mat with a Flying DDT. Masuno could only watch on in horror as Mutant failed to respond to the three count - handing Ugaki a big win, and Mutant just his second direct defeat since joining PGHW last year.

In the penultimate bout, Bussho Makiguchi and Magnum Kobe raised the stakes even further in an excellent singles bout which lasted just under 24 minutes. As is standard for Kobe, he sought to use every trick in the book to overcome to the steadfastly fair Makiguchi, whose superior size and strength looked like it might carry the day. But Kobe eventually saw an opening with a thumb to the eyes - much to the frustration of the crowd - and collected Makiguchi with the Amazing Red for the pinfall.

That left only the main event, as Kozue Kawashima looked to make the first defence of his fourth reign as champion against the game challenger Hirotsugu Satou. Kawashima is a consummate professional, and he made Satou look incredibly important as the two went toe-to-toe in an excellent bout. The challenger had moments where he used his superior athleticism to his advantage, and even had Kawashima locked into the feared Scorpion Lock. But it was the champion who recovered - slamming Satou to the mat with a trio of German Suplexes before hitting the Kawashima Driver 2005 to secure his first defence inside twenty minutes.

It was a convincing win in the end, but one in which Satou was made to look like a credible threat - and, undoubtedly, a future star. Wrestling magazines would rate the match four-and-a-quarter stars (some were critical of the short length - though it worked for this match-up), with Kawashima's fourth reign off to a high quality start.

Next month, Kawashima will combine with Hirobumi Takimoto as one of fourteen teams fighting to win the 24th Elite Tag Series.

PGHW “Night of KINGS”, 15.10.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe Football Stadium
26,443 Fans
[86]

Historical Japan Tag Team Titles: KITA & SATO (c) defeated Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto (13:56) with the Cross Arm Breaker from KITA to Emoto (4th defence) [70] [★★★]
Crimson Tigers (Hirobumi Takimoto & Tsurayuki Kamachi) & Taija Chajima defeated Canadian Dragon, Hitomaro Suzuki & Motoyuke Miyake (9:44) with the Gutwrench Tombstone from Takimoto to Dragon. [55] [★★]
Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda defeated The APIA War Dogs (AKIMA & Toma) (11:57) with the Vortex Crush from Sanda to Toma. [70] [★★★]
RONIN VII (Avalanche Takano, Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo) defeated The Front (Kazushige Matsuki, Michio Gensai & Tetsunori Yasuda) (16:06) with the Mountain Takano from Takano to Gensai. [77] [★★★½]
BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi defeated The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) (15:09) with the Choke Slam from Kikuchi to Igor. [72] [★★★]
Special Tag Team Match - Coyote Club vs. The Front: Coyote Club (Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki) defeated The Front (Mutant & Yasunobu Masuno) (20:02) with a Top Rope DDT from Ugaki to Mutant. [76] [★★★½]
Special Singles Match - REBEL vs. Crimson Tigers: Magnum Kobe defeated Bussho Makiguchi (23:34) with the Amazing Red. [79] [★★★¾]
Glory Crown: Kozue Kawashima (c) defeated Hirotsugu Satou (19:55) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 (1st defence). [90] [★★★★½]

Injuries: Chojiro Kitoaji (Broken Arm).

Edited August 9, 2023 by Scottie

Scottie · August 10, 2023

"COURAGE Series" - Pre-Tour Press Conference
2021 ELITE TAG SERIES BLOCKS ANNOUNCED

_____________________________________________________

BLOCK A

AKINORI KWAKAMI & NORIYORI SANDA

The most experienced team in the field, Kwakami & Sanda are a former Glory Tag Crown winning pair and have both previously won the Elite Tag Series with PGHW legends (Kwakami with Mito Miwa and Sanda with Nobuatsu Tatsuko). On their fifth attempt, can they do it for the first time as a team?

THE APIA WAR DOGS (AKIMA & TOMA)

The APIA War Dogs burst onto the PGHW scene only recently, as Toma came to AKIMA's rescue in an ultimately losing effort against BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi. A fearsome and unpredictable pairing - the need for consistency in the group stages may not be their friend, but they are undoubtedly a threat to any team they face.

AVALANCHE TAKANO & GONNOHYOE KADA

An odd pairing: Takano is the reigning Historical Japan Champion, while Kada returns to PGHW for the first time since "Night of WARRIORS" in July last year. Although getting on in age, the muscular striker is likely to be a good match for the up-and-coming Takano who is looking to continue his excellent 2021.

BISON YANO & BRUTE KIKUCHI

The pair are two-time Glory Tag Crown Champions, but are still yet to lift the Elite Tag Series despite countless attempts. After a listless year in BHOTWG, Brute Kikuchi returned recently to help his longtime partner, Yano, blindside Yano's then-partner AKIMA. They are a force to be reckoned with - but are they ready to win the toughest test of all?

CRIMSON TIGERS (BUSSHO MAKIGUCHI & TSURAYUKI KAMACHI)

For the first time, Bussho Makiguchi attempts to win the Elite Tag Series without his long-time partner Chojiro Kitoaji. As KitoGuchi, Makiguchi is a four-time Elite Tag Series winner and a dominant force in this competition - but will he be able to replicate that form with long-time midcard partner Kamachi?

THE IVANOFF BROTHERS (IGOR IVANOFF & IVAN IVANOFF)

The Russian (not Russian) brothers (not brothers) Igor and Ivan have struggled to gain much success in PGHW since joining in May. Still, they have undoubted success in the UK where they are three-time 21st Century Tag Team Champions (albeit nearly a decade ago now). Can they finally step up to the plate in PGHW?

RONIN VII (JOSHUA TAYLOR & SEIJI JIMBO)

Jimbo and Taylor were a surprise package in the 2020 Elite Tag Series, as they went all the way to the finals before valiantly losing to KitoGuchi. Can these undoubtedly excellent singles wrestlers go one better in 2021?

_____________________________________________________

BLOCK B

THE AMERICAN COBRAS (MARVEL MOLLOY & STORM SPILLANE)

The reigning PGHW United States Tag Team Champions (more on that in a separate post) are a real wildcard in this tournament. While their size disadvantage will no doubt be a factor, they are an unknown quantity for nearly all of the field - will it be enough for them to pull off the greatest upset of all?

COYOTE CLUB (MASARU UGAKI & HIROKAZU YAMANOUE)

Ugaki's assault on the Elite Tag Series last year was derailed by a potentially career ending injury to his long-time partner Ryoma Muruyama - a man he has won this series with on two previous occasions. Here, he combines with the 47-year old Yamanoue. The two most recently had success with a win over Yasunobu Masuno & Mutant at "Night of KINGS".

CRIMSON TIGERS (HIROBUMI TAKIMOTO & KOZUE KAWASHIMA)

The reigning Glory Crown Champion teams up with the imposing Hirobumi Takimoto. Last year, Kawashima failed to progress from the group stage alongside Tom Barrowman (AKA One Man Army). Will his attempt with Hirobumi Takimoto be any more successful?

KAZUSHIGE MATSUKI & TETSUNORI YASUDA

Matsuki & Yasuda have emerged as a real force on the tag scene since pairing up early last year. As their reign as Glory Tag Crown Champions nears the one-year mark, they will hope to match the efforts of KitoGuchi in 2020 by winning the Elite Tag Series as champions. But there's undoubtedly a huge target on their backs - can they overcome it?

KITA & SATO

Although relatively new in their relationship, KITA & SATO have emerged as a wildly popular pairing known for their great combination moves and energetic style. It's been a real change for KITA in particular, who was previously known for methodically slugging away against opponents with kicks and punches in SAISHO as Azumamaro Kita. The two recently claimed gold as the second Historical Japan Tag Team Champions - but their first assault on the Elite Tag Series stands as the biggest opportunity of their career as a team.

REBEL (HIROTSUGU SATOU & MAGNUM KOBE)

The most hated pairing in the field, Satou & Kobe have made a name for themselves in using underhanded tactics to their advantage - recklessly bringing youngster Motoyuke Miyake along for the ride with their nefarious ways. However, they are undoubtedly rich talents - as evidenced by Satou's fantastic performance against Kozue Kawashima last month in the main event of "Night of KINGS". Here, they have a chance to prove themselves as a worthy tag team force - while also having another shot at Kawashima in the group phase (an opportunity that Kobe in particular seems very keen to do).

RONIN VII (HARANOBU KOBAYASHI & SUGURU EMOTO)

While RONIN VII is meant to consist of seven equal warriors with no leader, there's no doubt that Kobayashi & Emoto are at the bottom of the rung in that group. Their recent results - whether in singles action, as a duo or in multi-man action - has left much to be desired, and there are murmurings of discontent from the more experienced warriors in Seiji Jimbo and Akinori Kwakami in particular. Last month, they didn't go close to KITA & SATO when given a shot at the Historical Japan Tag Titles at "Night of KINGS". Now, they have another chance to prove themselves worthy members of RONIN VII - and if they can't do that, then there are real questions about their future inside that faction going forward.

_____________________________________________________

* * * * *

This is my first prediction contest for anyone who is following along:

ELITE TAG SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2021 Elite Tag Series Winner:

2021 Elite Tag Series Runner-Up:

Most Points (Group Stage):

Will any team end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?).

Biggest Upset:

Edited August 10, 2023 by Scottie

Tiberious · August 10, 2023

Just wanted to chime in and say that I'm enjoying this dynasty and the way you keep it moving while still giving the highlights (and occassional lowlights) of each tour.

ELITE TAG SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2021 Elite Tag Series Winner: Bison Yano & Brute Kikuchi

2021 Elite Tag Series Runner-Up: Hirotsugu Satou & Magnum Kobe

Most Points (Group Stage): Bison Yano & Brute Kikuchi

Will any team end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?).
Yes, the Ivanoff Brothers.

Biggest Upset: Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto defeat Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki

Edited August 10, 2023 by Tiberious

Scottie · August 12, 2023

PGHW INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION MARCHES ON

Three months in, PGHW's expansion into the United States seems to be making ground with its offshoot promotion PGHW USA having now crowned three new champions.

After debuting its worldwide streaming platform PGHW Global last year, the usually conservative promotion took the ambitious move in August to stage regular events in Los Angeles using a mixture of PGHW alumni (including Danny Cavanagh, Timmy West, “One Man Army” Tom Barrowman, Washi Heat and young lion Matt Blackburn); independent talent from the American scene (such as Warren Technique and Connor Threepwood; and other wrestlers known for their Japanese wrestling careers outside PGHW (such as BCG’s Dynamite Narahashi and Giant Brody).

Thus far, PGHW USA has held five shows - roughly one every three weeks - in front of moderate crowds in Los Angeles of between 200 and 400 fans. The most important show was the second - billed as "Guilty Pleasure" - which saw all three champions crowned, including the inaugural PGHW United States Champion Troy (for licensing reasons - he's better known for his time in TCW as Troy Tornado); the PGHW United States Tag Team Champions, the American Cobras; and the US Junior Heavyweight Champion, Austin Smooth.

The next event - PGHW USA “Seven Deadly Sins” - will be held on Oct. 24, with the main event pitting unsuccessful US Title contender Logan Wolfsbaine against “The French-Canadian MVP” Marcel LeFleur. The event can be streamed live on PGHW Global via pghw.jp.

PGHW USA “Guilty Pleasure”, 08.08.2021 (PGHW Global)
Las Angeles, CA
343 Fans
[56]

Rafe Sashay & Washi Heat defeated Ray Cavalero & Zachary Chambers (6:55) with the Explosion from Heat to Chambers. [35]
Matt Blackburn & Toshinari Matsumoto defeated Hammer Hadley & James Diaz (8:01) with the Springboard Forearm from Blackburn to Hadley. [47]
Connor Threepwood, Giant Brody & Marcel LeFleur defeated Dynamite Narahashi, Ethan Engels & Rob Reynolds (10:13) with the Choke Slam from Brody to Engels. [50]
United States Junior Heavyweight: Austin Smooth defeated Ray Snow (11:40) with the Smooth Hold (1st Champion).
United States Tag Team Titles: The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane) defeated Iron Might (Danny Cavanagh & Timmy West) (16:39) with the Pile Driver from Spillane to West (1st Champions). [53]
Warren Technique defeated Tom Barrowman (13:21) with the STF. [52]
United States Title: Troy defeated Logan Wolfsbaine (20:22) with the Star Maker (1st Champion). [58]

* * * * *

2021 ELITE TAG SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2021 Elite Tag Series Winner:

2021 Elite Tag Series Runner-Up:

Most Points (Group Stage):

Will any team end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?).

Biggest Upset:

Edited August 12, 2023 by Scottie

Scottie · August 12, 2023

COURAGE TOUR
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

The ten-show instalment of the 2021 “COURAGE Series” was held throughout late October and early November, with tag team wrestling being the focal point with the running of the 24th Elite Tag Series!

Expanding to two blocks for the first time, the field was full of some experienced bona fide tag teams (such as the Glory Tag Crown Champions, Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda), singles stars (such as Seiji Jimbo & Joshua Taylor and Kozue Kawashima & Hirobumi Takimoto) and makeshift pairings.

Elsewhere, the tour saw the return of Gonnohyoe Kada (alongside the impressive Avalanche Takano in the Elite Tag Series) as well as the unceremonious PGHW debut of 49-year old Tribal Warrior. It was a cruel debut series for the veteran Samoan powerhouse, who was due to compete alongside Java in the Elite Tag Series - a man who he won the USPW World Tag Team Titles on five occasions between 2003 and 2010. As it happened, Java injured himself before the tour - giving The Ivanoff Brothers the chance to make their Elite Tag Series debut, and relegating Tribal Warrior to largely meaningless multi-man matches throughout the series.

BLOCK A

The favourites from the outset in "Block A” consisted of experienced pairing of Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda, the former champions BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi and the 2020 finalists Jimbo & Taylor. Those three teams were joined early in the reckoning by a surprise pairing - Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi - whose inexperience as a pairing belied their surprisingly good results.

The first big clash of the block occurred on the series’ fourth night, as Jimbo & Taylor faced off against the former champions Yano & Kikuchi. In a hard-hitting 22-minute match, it was Jimbo & Taylor who surprisingly prevailed - Jimbo stunning the larger Kikuchi with a Jimbo Driver for the pinfall win. But their good fortunate would not last long - as on the next show they dropped a surprise loss to the aforementioned Makiguchi & Kamachi.

The second televised show of the tour - the seventh show in total - saw some enormous results. On the undercard, Avalanche Takano & Gonnohyoe Kada picked up the biggest upset of the series as they beat Jimbo & Taylor. The result came as Takano nailed Joshua Taylor with the Mountain Takano for the pinfall, as the two continue their rivalry inside RONIN VII. Then, in the decisive result, Yano & Kikuchi picked up a momentous win over Kwakami & Sanda to close within two points of the block leaders with a match in hand.

The following night, Yano & Kikuchi levelled with Kwakami & Sanda on 8 points each as they bested the APIA War Dogs, AKIMA & Toma, in a bitter re-match from “Night of LEGACY”. It meant that the block would come down to the very final tour show: Yano & Kikuchi vs. Makiguchi & Kamachi in a famous match between three of the four new generation of tag stars (with Kamachi in place of the injured Chojiro Kitoaji), and Kwakami & Sanda vs. Jimbo & Taylor in an all-RONIN VII affair.

In the first of those matches, Kwakami & Sanda battled hard but were unable to secure the win over Jimbo & Taylor in a hard-fought 30-minute time-limit draw. That result meant that the winner of Yano & Kikuchi vs. Makiguchi & Kamachi would advance to the block final (a draw would no doubt lead to some messy count backs). As it happened, there was no such mess: in an excellent bout, Kikuchi secured the win for his team with a pinfall over Kamachi to see Yano & Kikuchi advance to the final.

Block A - Final Standings:

BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi - 10 
Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda - 9 
Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi - 8 
Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo - 7 
Avalanche Takano & Gonnohyoe Kada - 4
 AKIMA & Toma - 2
 Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff - 2

BLOCK B

Meanwhile, “Block B” involved a string of highly capable wrestlers chasing after the reigning Glory Tag Crown Champions and favourites to win the group, Matsuki & Yasuda.

Early on, the champions showed why they were the team to beat: on the opening night of the tour, they bested the dangerous pairing of Hirotsugu Satou & Magnum Kobe, before following up with a win over the former PGHW USA Tag Team Champions, The American Cobras on the second night. Through their first six bouts, the champions went undefeated - adding impressive wins over the likes of Kozue Kawashima & Hirobumi Takimoto and Masaru Ugaki & Hirokazu Yamanoue. It looked to many that it would be a cakewalk.

But on the televised seventh show of the tour, the champions suffered their first slip. Faced with the chance to secure their spot in the final with a fifth victory, Matsuki & Yasuda found themselves in a heated bout against the Historical Japan Tag Team Champions, KITA & SATO, who were clinging onto their chance to earn a shot in the final in their Elite Tag Series debut. In just under 20 minutes, it was KITA & SATO who stunned the champions in the match of the tour to that point - with the increasingly popular SATO striking Yasuda with the Wind Spirit Elbow to secure the upset win.

The result left Matsuki & Yasuda needing to win on the final tour show - facing the RONIN VII pairing of Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto. On paper, it was a desperately unfair contest: Kobayashi & Emoto hadn’t managed to win a single point all tournament, and against the champions they looked completely outgunned. It was therefore a complete shock when Kobayashi came out of the gates immediately with the Kobayashi Plunge which only just failed to keep Matsuki down for the three count. Shocked and stunned, Matsuki had to fight to claim back control - and after that early scare, it was Yasuda who secured the win for his team - and the block - with the Minilla Plunge on Emoto.

The result meant that the main event of the show - a tag match between Satou & Kobe and Kawashima & Takimoto - was a dead rubber: the former team was mathematically unable to qualify, and the latter would miss out on a count back even if successful against Kobe & Satou. But it remained a spirited affair as the heated rivalry between Kozue Kawashima and Magnum Kobe continued. In a spirited display, Kobe secured a rare clean win - hitting the giant Takimoto with the Amazing Red for the win.

Block B - Final Standings:

Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda - 10
 KITA & SATO - 8
 Hirobumi Takimoto & Kozue Kawashima - 8
 Hirotsugu Satou & Magnum Kobe - 8
 Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki - 6
 Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane - 2 
Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto - 0

* * * * *

2021’s “Night of COURAGE” took place in Osaka in front of 25,482 fans.

The undercard was largely full of relatively meaningless multi-man matches involving the also rans from the Elite Tag Series, though there were a couple of notable results. In the opening match, Mutant (who had had a quiet series) bounced back from his shock defeat at “Night of KINGS” with a destructive win over the hapless Suguru Emoto.

Then, in an all-RONIN VII affair, Noriyori Sanda secured a rare win on PPV - this time by securing the win for his team by pinning the out-of-form Haranobu Kobayashi in another disappointing result for the youngster. There are cracks beginning to show in this RONIN VII faction, which were only amplified by this intra-stable bout.

Finally, for the second month running, Yasunobu Masuno lost a tag match to Masaru Ugaki as he watched his partner Michio Gensai submit to the Ugaki Clutch. Following the match, Ugaki again challenged Masuno to a singles rematch at “Night of WARRIORS” - questioning Masuno’s courage. It was a challenge which, finally, Masuno accepted.

Ultimately, though, this was a one match show as the Elite Tag Team Series final pitted the reigning Glory Crown Champions Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda against the former Glory Crown Champions BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi. In a tough affair - which never quite reached the heights expected of it - it was Yasuda who secured the win for his team, with his patented Minilla Plunge knocking Yano down for the count to give the pair their first win of the Elite Tag Team Series.

They were joined after the bout by the other members of The Front - who had enjoyed various degrees of success throughout the night - for the trophy presentation.

And one thing was for sure - the two veterans had established themselves as the leading tag team in PGHW.

PGHW “Night of COURAGE”, 12.11.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Osaka, Japan
25,482 Fans
[76]

Mutant defeated Suguru Emoto (4:48) with the Mutilator. [41] [★½]
Gonnohyoe Kada, KITA & SATO defeated The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) & Goro Sakamoto (9:31) with a Power Bomb from KITA to Sakamoto. [61] [★★¼]
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) defeated AKIMA, Toma & Tribal Warrior (10:05) with the Kobe Bomb from Kobe to Warrior. [63] [★★½]
Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Hirobumi Takimoto, Kozue Kawashima & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki (11:40) with the Blazing Elbow from Makiguchi to Dragon. [68] [★★¾]
Intra-Faction Warfare: RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Avalanche Takano & Noriyori Sanda) defeated RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi, Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo) (17:27) with the Vortex Crush from Sanda to Kobayashi. [69] [★★¾]
Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki defeated Michio Gensai & Yasunobu Masuno (15:18) with the Ugaki Clutch from Ugaki to Gensai. [67] [★★¾]
Elite Tag Team Series - Final: Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda defeated BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi (22:10) with the Minilla Plunge from Yasuda to Yano. [80] [★★★½]

Returns: Gonnohyoe Kada (BBP).
Guest Appearances: Tribal Warrior (US Independent); Marvel Molloy (BCG / CZCW / PGHW USA); Storm Spillane (BCG / CZCW / PGHW USA).

Scottie · August 13, 2023

2021 “NIGHT OF WRESTLING” CARD ANNOUNCED

KOBE, Japan - PGHW has announced a stellar nine match card for the last of its “Glorious 4” events for the year as PGHW “Night of WRESTLING” takes place on Dec. 17 from Kobe Football Stadium.

Below, we examine some highlights:

BATTLE FOR THE GLORY CROWN

The year ending show will be headlined by a long-awaited showdown between Glory Crown Champion Kozue Kawashima and challenger Magnum Kobe. The rivalry between the two began during the “LEGACY Series” in August, and since then Kobe has taken every opportunity to get under the Glory Crown Champion’s skin with his underhanded means going close to crossing the line.

For his part, Kawashima has fought bravely to maintain his composure and his adherence to the rules despite his opponent’s techniques. At “Night of KINGS”, he accounted for Kobe’s stablemate Hirotsugu Satou in an excellent main event, but he fell in tag team action to Kobe & Satou during the Elite Tag Team Series.

Finally, in Kobe, the rivalry between the pair will come to a head in a battle for the Glory Crown. For Kawashima, it is a chance to further cement his legacy as one of PGHW’s great champions. For Kobe, it marks the high point of his three-year career in PGHW which has thus far failed to result in any gold - despite being a ten-time champion during his storied WLW career.

The question is: does Kobe have what it takes to best the ace on one of the biggest stages of them all?

CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS

In the semi main event, the Glory Tag Crown will be on the line as Kazushige Matsuke & Tetsunori Yasuda battle against the Historical Japan Tag Team Champions KITA & SATO.

Matsuke & Yasuda have been a formidable pairing since capturing the titles back in January, and last month they went to an even higher level by capturing the Elite Tag Team Series. But there was one blemish on their otherwise perfect record during that series - a humiliating televised loss to KITA & SATO.

For their part, KITA & SATO have had breakout years as the second Historical Japan Tag Team Champions. However, this marks their first shot at the grandest tag prize in PGHW - can they best the veteran pairing from The Front in this Champions vs. Champions bout for the Glory Tag Crown?

KITOAJI’S QUEST FOR REDEMPTION

2021 has been a bittersweet year for Chojiro Kitoaji. After besting Yasunobu Masuno for the Glory Crown earlier in the year, he lost that title to his mentor and stablemate Kozue Kawashima in a classic bout at “Night of HONOUR” in August.

Since then, Kitoaji has looked lost - rarely teaming alongside other members of the Crimson Tigers except for his long-time tag team partner Bussho Makiguchi. To make matters worse, a broken arm prevented him from defending the Elite Tag Team Series alongside Makiguchi last month - and he could only watch on as his partner fell short alongside Tsurayuki Kamachi.

At “Night of WRESTLING”, Kitoaji and Makiguchi team with fellow Crimson Tiger Hirobumi Takimoto to take on a fearsome trio from the RONIN VII in Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo. It’s been a tough year for the three of them, with Jimbo’s quest in particular to reclaim the Glory Crown derailed by a broken arm during the Elite Series and then sidetracked by a months-long feud against TCW’s The Syndicate.

RONIN VII have struggled with cohesion in recent times, but there’s little doubt that this is their strongest and most experienced trio. Can Kitoaji get back on track with the help of his Crimson Tigers?

TWO TITLES ON THE LINE

In one of the year’s longest storylines, fellow RONIN VII members Joshua Taylor and Avalanche Takano have been locked in a heated rivalry which dates back to “Night of FORTITUDE” in April.

After an excellent start to the year in which he won the New Year Battle Royale and beat Taylor in the Elite Series, Takano suffered a set back by failing in his attempt to wrest the International Title from Taylor at “Night of FORTITUDE”.

Incensed by his loss, Takano acted quickly to reclaim the Historical Japan Title for the third time in June, before fighting alongside Taylor in RONIN VII’s blood feud against The Syndicate (although not always with success).

The two were uneasy allies during that period - never quite on the same page - and most recently Takano picked up a pinfall win over Taylor in the Elite Tag Team Series to further enhance his credentials as a challenger.

In the lead-up to this series, Takano challenged Taylor to another shot at the International Title - a challenge to which Taylor agreed under one condition: that Takano put the Historical Japan Title on the line too.

Keen to prove himself ready to take the next step, we can only imagine that Takano didn’t hesitate in accepting that condition. So who will leave Kobe as a dual champion?

ULTIMATE GRUDGE RE-MATCH

Another long-running feud comes to a head here at “Night of WRESTLING”, in an “Ultimate Grudge Re-Match” between two former Glory Crown Champions. In one corner, it’s the former BHOTWG giant Yasunobu Masuno, whose rollercoaster year saw him lose the Glory Crown which he snatched from Seiji Jimbo last year. In the other corner, it’s the experienced crowd favourite Masaru Ugaki, who enters his 18th year as a PGHW wrestler.

The two began to feud back in June, where Ugaki took exception to the tendency of Masuno and his other stablemates (in particular, Mutant and Michio Gensai) to take liberties with young lions, including Ugaki’s protege Toyotomi Yasutake. That led to a “Special Singles Match” at “Night of HONOUR”, where Masuno forced Ugaki to pass out in his devastating Deep Sleep hold - an ultimate humiliation for a man known for his technical excellence.

Since then, Ugaki has been fighting for redemption - but until now Masuno has shown little interest in giving him another chance. It took wins in tag team action over Mutant and Gensai to finally force Masuno to accept Ugaki’s challenge. Will it all have been worth it for the PGHW true born?

RONIN VII TO BECOME RONIN VI

The RONIN VII stable prides itself on being a collection of capable equals - seven equals with no leader. However, in recent times, there has been dissension in the ranks over the performance of two members: 29-year old striker “The Hammer” Haranobu Kobayashi and 25-year old ex-BCG wrestler Suguru Emoto.

Most recently, the two paired together in the Elite Tag Team Series - and while no one expected them to win, they were consistently outclassed throughout the competition. The result was humiliating: zero wins and seven losses.

It was enough to force the balance of RONIN VII - particularly the most experienced trio of Jimbo, Kwakami & Sanda - to act.

At “Night of WRESTLING”, the two will compete in the second all-RONIN VII singles match. However, unlike the other bout, neither of Kobayashi or Emoto will leave “Night of WRESTLING” as a champion. Rather, the winner will retain their spot in the elite group of warriors while the loser will be cut adrift.

Who has it was it takes to keep their spot in the illustrious group?

PGHW “Night of WRESTLING”, 17.12.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe, Japan

Loser Leaves RONIN VII: Haranobu Kobayashi vs. Suguru Emoto.
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake) vs. Goro Sakamoto & Sanjiro Sasaki
Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Gonnohyoe Kada vs. The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki.
AKIMA, Tsurayuki Kamachi & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) vs. The Front (Michio Gensai & Mutant) & The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata).
RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo) vs. Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto).
Ultimate Grudge Re-Match: Masaru Ugaki vs. Yasunobu Masuno.
International Title & Historical Japan Title: Joshua Taylor (c) vs. Avalanche Takano (c).
Glory Tag Crown: Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. KITA & SATO.
Glory Crown: Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Magnum Kobe.

* * * * *

PGHW "NIGHT OF WRESTLING" 2021 - PREDICTION KEY

GLORY CROWN 
Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Magnum Kobe

CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS - GLORY TAG CROWN ON THE LINE 
Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. KITA & SATO

STABLE WARFARE - SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto) vs. RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo)

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION - HISTORICAL JAPAN TITLE & INTERNATIONAL TITLE ON THE LINE 
Avalanche Takano (c) vs. Joshua Taylor (c)

SINGLES MATCH - ULTIMATE GRUDGE RE-MATCH 
Masaru Ugaki vs. Yasunobu Masuno

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Gonnohyoe Kada vs. The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
AKIMA, Tsurayuki Kamachi & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) vs. The Front (Michio Gensai & Mutant) & The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata)

TAG TEAM MATCH 
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake) vs. Goro Sakamoto & Sanjiro Sasaki

SINGLES MATCH - LOSER LEAVES RONIN VII 
Haranobu Kobayashi vs. Suguru Emoto

Edited August 13, 2023 by Scottie

Willsky · August 13, 2023

GLORY CROWN 
Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Magnum Kobe

CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS - GLORY TAG CROWN ON THE LINE 
Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. KITA & SATO

STABLE WARFARE - SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto) vs. RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo)

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION - HISTORICAL JAPAN TITLE & INTERNATIONAL TITLE ON THE LINE 
Avalanche Takano (c) vs. Joshua Taylor (c)

SINGLES MATCH - ULTIMATE GRUDGE RE-MATCH 
Masaru Ugaki vs. Yasunobu Masuno

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Gonnohyoe Kada vs. The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
AKIMA, Tsurayuki Kamachi & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) vs. The Front (Michio Gensai & Mutant) & The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata)

TAG TEAM MATCH 
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake) vs. Goro Sakamoto & Sanjiro Sasaki

SINGLES MATCH - LOSER LEAVES RONIN VII 
Haranobu Kobayashi vs. Suguru Emoto

Some huges matches I'm very much looking forward to. I'm annoyed at myself for missing the Elite Tag Series predictions, but enjoyed reading the tournament. You continue to do a fantastic job with this diary!

Chaddes · August 13, 2023

Night of Wrestling 2021

Kobe - Gonna go for an outsiders pick here just because Kobe is so good he deserves at least a transitional run 😭

KITA & SATO - SATO's had a bit of a shite time as of late, hope ma boy picks up a title at least

Ronin VII - Chojiro I think is destined to have his own group at some point, and I think a loss here could set that further into motion

Takano - This is purely because I'm a Takano Stan haha

Ugaki - I think whoever wins this match has a case for being the next challenger to the Glory Crown, and while Masuno has seemingly been getting better and better throughout his time in PGHW, you can't go wrong with a Ugaki challenge

The Front & The Lions of Japan

REBEL

Emoto - Kobayashi's been really underwhelming from what I've seen in this thread, so I can see him getting punted

Big fan of this thread chief, can't wait for the show!

Tiberious · August 13, 2023

Looks like a great card, really has that biggest show of the year feel with these matchups.

GLORY CROWN 
Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Magnum Kobe
I love Magnum Kobe and think he definitely has what it takes to be champion, but at the same time Kozue Kawashima is the ace and I don't think he loses here.

CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS - GLORY TAG CROWN ON THE LINE 
Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. KITA & SATO

At first I was going to go with the challengers here because after they won the elite series Matsuki & Yasuda are running out of legitimate challengers. However, the best tag team in PGHW wasn't in the tournament. I think the champions retain here, continuing riding high after their elite series and we build to a big match with KitoGuchi down the road.

STABLE WARFARE - SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto) vs. RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo)
At first glance Takimoto taking the pin seems the obvious result, but I think Kitoaji has enough fire in his return to get a big win.

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION - HISTORICAL JAPAN TITLE & INTERNATIONAL TITLE ON THE LINE 
Avalanche Takano (c) vs. Joshua Taylor (c)

Avalanche seems to be someone you've been building, and I think it's time for him to capatilize to beat Taylor and push himself into the upper eschelon of talent in PGHW.

SINGLES MATCH - ULTIMATE GRUDGE RE-MATCH 
Masaru Ugaki vs. Yasunobu Masuno

The Masuno experiment seems to have mixed results at best so far. To me he feels very good rather than great, and someone who is best used as a sort of gate keeper, a challenge overcome only by the biggest stars. Ugaki is undoubtedly one of those stars, and I'd be stunned if you had him fail at getting his revenge on the biggest stage.

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Gonnohyoe Kada vs. The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki
Not much to say here with one side having an obvious advantage.

EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH 
AKIMA, Tsurayuki Kamachi & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) vs. The Front (Michio Gensai & Mutant) & The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata)

If this was pre-elite series I would have picked the other way since the Lions of Japan beat the Ivanoff brothers on their re-debut, but I think the "Russian" duos unexpected promotion to the elite series has elevated them to the point where the Lions are the weak point in this match; even with Gensai & Mutant on their side.

TAG TEAM MATCH 
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake) vs. Goro Sakamoto & Sanjiro Sasaki

Young lions paying their dues. It is a bit funny that Magnum Kobe would pick two very no frills type wrestlers to be a part of his unit, but I suppose it makes sense since part of his friction was SATO was insecurity over someone potentially upstagging him.

SINGLES MATCH - LOSER LEAVES RONIN VII 
Haranobu Kobayashi vs. Suguru Emoto
This is tricky because Emoto has been the one losing almost every match, and going by their initial stats in 2020 Kobayashi is definitely much more developed while Emoto needs a lot more work. The final match in the elite series against delibrately pointed out that Kobayashi almost won the match against the champions while Emoto was the one who lost in the end.

The real question here is what's the purpose behind booking the match. If it's simply to get rid of dead weight than Emoto is the obvious choice, but if it's to have one of them rebound in a new unit it makes far more sense for Kobayashi to get kicked out since he's far more capable of standing on his own and perhaps even getting some measure of revenge on Ronin VII while Emoto can continue to refine his skills as the bottom rung of Ronin VII. I'll gamble and go with the second option.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Tiberious

Scottie · August 18, 2023

WRESTLING TOUR
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021

An action packed 2021 in Japanese wrestling came to an end with the eight-date "WRESTLING" Series, where all roads led towards one of PGHW's four big events of the year: "Night of WRESTLING" on Dec. 17.

Unsurprisingly, the focus of the tour shows was on building towards the marquee matches at "Night of WRESTLING", although there were no clear indications as to who might come out on top.

The fifth night of the tour was televised in full on Prime Japan TV (and simulcast on PGHW Global), with the Glory Crown challenger Magnum Kobe picking up a pinfall win over the champion's stablemate, Hirobumi Takimoto in the main event. It was a hard-hitting bout, in which Kobe had to use all of his skill to overcome the bulky Takimoto before winning with The Amazing Red.

PGHW “New Year War 2021”, 10.12.2021 (Prime Japan TV/PGHW Global)
Yokkaichi, Mie
10,000 Fans - No Vacancy
387,095 Viewers (0.51 Rating)
[74]

The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane) defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata) (9:18) with the Pile Driver from Spillane to Furata. [45] [★½]
BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi defeated The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) (9:22) with the Choke Bomb from Kikuchi to Ivan. [70] [★★★]
Noriyori Yanda defeated Michio Gensai (12:02) with a Roll-Up. [62] [★★½]
The Front (Kazushige Matsuki, Mutant, Tetsunori Yasuda & Yasunobu Masuno) defeated Hirokazu Yamanoue, KITA, Masaru Ugagi & SATO (12:38) with the Day of Rackening from Masuno to Yamanoue. [74] [★★★¼]
Avalanche Takano & Joshua Taylor defeated AKIMA & Canadian Dragon (11:46) with the Butterfly Lock from Taylor to Dragon. [67] [★★¾]
RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Haranobu Kobayashi, Seiji Jimbo & Suguru Emoto) defeated Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji, Hitomaro Suzuki & Sanjiro Sasaki (13:31) with the Pain Lock from Kwakami to Sasaki. [72] [★★★]
Kozue Kawashima & Tsurayuki Kamachi defeated Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake (16:04) with the Double K KIller from Kawashima to Miyake. [65] [★★½]
Special Singles Match: Magnum Kobe defeated Hirobumi Takimoto (14:18) with the Amazing Red. [75] [★★★½]

The balance of the tour shows saw little of note, though on the last night of the tour Magnum Kobe completed his warm up for his title assault as he and Hirotsugu Satou combined to beat the two RONIN VII members on the chopping block, as Haranobu Kobayashi & Suguru Emoto failed again as a team. Meanwhile, the champion Kozue Kawashima picked up a pinfall in the eight-man tag main event, as he pinned the veteran Hirokazu Yamanoue.

* * * * *

"Night of WRESTLING" took place on Dec. 17 in Kobe in front of 27,614 fans. It was the fourth of the "Glorious 4" events of the year.

RONIN VII loses a warrior

The opening bout saw a "Loser Leaves RONIN VII" match, as two members of the feared warrior stable did battle with their continued membership of the alliance at stake. In one corner, it was the 28-year old Haranobu Kobayashi - once a promising main event prospect. In the other corner, it was Suguru Emoto - a former BCG wrestler who joined RONIN VII in August 2020 following an exodus to BHOTWG.

Ultimately, the match itself was a little underwhelming - hardly the passion filled brawl some expected - with Kobayashi accounting for Emoto with the Kobayashi Plunge (a high vertical suplex into a sit-out power bomb).

Ultimate grudge match reaches thrilling conclusion

After some low stakes multi-man matches (which largely failed to reach any real heights), the next important bout was a showdown between PGHW true born Masaru Ugaki and feared former Glory Crown Champion, Yasunobu Masuno. The bout followed the usual Masuno formula, as the bigger man withstood a bitter early onslaught from Ugaki to dominant with clubbing blows and crushing bear hugs. While Masuno is limited in the ring, Ugaki played the role of the underdog to perfection - putting in an excellent display of selling to get the crowd onside. Eventually, Masuno got too cocky - allowing Ugaki to struggle free from the Day of Rackening and landing a drop kick.

He couldn't quite force Masuno to tap out (or pass out) to the Ugaki Clutch, but he did enough to soften him up for a devastating Arc Kick to secure the win and avenge his loss from earlier this year.

International and Historical Japan titles go to one home

Another long-running rivalry then came to a head following the Ugaki/Masuno bout, as Avalanche Takano and Joshua Taylor put their respective titles on the line in a winner takes all bout. With more than 20 years of experience under his belt, Taylor was confident on the big stage, and looked the better wrestler earlier with the young bull Takano looking a little unsure in such a big match. But eventually the Historical Japan Champion found his feet, with a trio of crunching German Suplexes getting him the momentum.

In a bout which lasted just over eighteen minutes, the 27-year old Takano picked up the biggest win of his career - hoisting Taylor up into the crucifix position and landing the Mountain Takano to become a two-title champion. After a tense stand-off following the bout, Taylor showed immense respect to his fellow RONIN VII warrior with a bow and a handshake - a clear sign that their at times bitter rivalry had come to an end.

RONIN VII and Crimson Tigers do battle

The third-from-last bout saw a "Stable Warfare" bout between RONIN VII and the Crimson Tigers. It had been a tough night so far for RONIN VII, who had seen four of its seven warriors in intra-faction contests, so it was refreshing for them to face-off against another stable for a change. In the opposing corner were Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto - a highly rated trio with a real chance of picking up a big win. The bout lasted more than 22 minutes, and it was balls to the wall action right from the start, as the Crimson Tigers trio kept up with the experienced trio of Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo. The bout was excellent - by far the best so far - and in a shock result it was the former champion Kitoaji who took the pinfall loss, as he was hit with the Jimbo Driver following a rare miscommunication with his long-time partner Makiguchi.

The result was a shocking one - most expected that, if the Crimson Tigers trio were to lose, it was Takimoto who was the likely candidate to take the pinfall. But the loss for Kitoaji marked a devastating end to 2021 for the former Glory Crown Champion - a year which initially held so much promise. While his long-time partner Makiguchi tried to console him after the bout, a devastated Kitoaji shrugged his friend off to walk backstage alone.

Glory Tag Crown decided in an instant classic

The co-main event was next, with the Glory Tag Crown on the line. On one side of the ring, it was the defending champions Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda, who were looking to capitalise on their Elite Tag Series win and make their fourth defence. On the other, it was the Historical Japan Tag Team Champions, KITA & SATO, who had been the only team to best Matsuki & Yasuda during the Elite Tag Series.

The match was excellent - a hard-hitting bout marked by some excellent, prolonged exchanges between Matsuki & SATO. SATO in particular has been growing in stature during his reign as champion, and again he proved himself to be one of the most over and capable wrestlers on the roster.

The ultra-competitive bout lasted the best part of half an hour, before an intense finishing passage culminated in a Fist of Fury to Matsuki to a rare diving attempt by KITA from the top rope. It knocked him clean out, and the pinfall was academic. Top stuff.

Kawashima and Kobe feud blows off in classic end to 2021

That left just one bout for 2021, as Kozue Kawashima looked to make his second defence of the Glory Crown in a much-anticipated bout with five-time World Level Universal Champion Magnum Kobe.

The match was a classic contest between two of puroresu's best strikers, as they punished each other with kicks, slaps, punches and elbows which left them both covered in welts. Kawashima mixed up his game with some typically effortless suplexes and throws, while Kobe had his usual tricks up his sleeve as he sought to use every trick in the book to escape difficult situations and get a leg up on the champion.

The bout lasted more than half an hour, with multiple near falls and high drama moments. It was clearly match of the night. While Kobe went close, it just wasn't his time - Kawashima fighting valiantly to hit the Kawashima Driver 2005 to continue his fourth reign as champion in an excellent end to a show that was carried by its top three matches in particular.

PGHW “Night of WRESTLING”, 17.12.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe, Japan
27,614 Fans
619,832 Viewers (1.23 Rating)
[87]

Loser Leaves RONIN VII: Haranobu Kobayashi defeated Suguru Emoto (11:08) with the Kobayashi Plunge. [57] [★★]
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou & Motoyuke Miyake) defeated Goro Sakamoto & Sanjiro Sasaki (5:58) with the Scorpion Lock from Satou to Sasaki. [55] [★★]
AKIMA, Tsurayuki Kamachi & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) defeated Michio Gensai, Mutant & The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata) (8:43) with the Spear Tackle from AKIMA to Mihara. [63] [★★½]
Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Gonnohyoe Kada defeated The American Cobras (Marvel Molloy & Storm Spillane), Canadian Dragon & Hitomaro Suzuki (10:02) with the Yano Express from Yano to Dragon. [53] [★¾]
Ultimate Grudge Re-Match: Masaru Ugaki defeated Yasunobu Masuno (14:34) with the Arc Kick. [73] [★★★]
International Title & Historical Japan Title: Avalanche Takano (c) defeated Joshua Taylor (c) (18:06) with the Mountain Takano (5th defence) (Failed 7th defence -> 22nd Champion). [71] [★★★]
RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo) defeated Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji & Hirobumi Takimoto) (22:29) with the Jimbo Driver from Jimbo to Kitoaji. [86] [★★★★]
Glory Tag Crown: Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) defeated KITA & SATO (25:18) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to KITA (4th defence). [86] [★★★★]
Glory Crown: Kozue Kawashima (c) defeated Magnum Kobe (30:15) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 (2nd defence). [90] [★★★★½]

Departures: Taiji Chajima (Contract Expiry); Toma (Contract Expiry)
Guest Appearances: Marvel Molloy (BCG / CZCW / PGHW USA); Storm Spillane (BCG / CZCW / PGHW USA).

Scottie · August 18, 2023

Night of WRESTLING - Prediction Results

@Tiberious

@Willsky - 5/9

@Chaddes - 4/9

Thanks all for your predictions and really well thought out comments! (Though some of you perhaps give me a little too much credit for my booking approach - particularly for the multi-man matches). I think I'll keep these going forward for at least the big four shows.

Scottie · August 23, 2023

2021 GLOBAL AWARDS

MALE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
GINO MONTERO (EILL)

32-year old Gino Montero was the stand out wrestler of the year, in an impressive year which saw him hold the Campeonato del Mundo EILL title for half of the year and remain in the title picture for its balance. Arguably Mexico’s biggest star, the 32-year old had a spectacular first reign with EILL’s top belt, which included top shelf defences over the likes of El Demonio, Dr Rudo and Soul Taker. He eventually dropped the title to Multimillonairio at “Infierno” and, despite being unable to recapture it at “Anniversario XXIV”, produced some excellent bouts to cap off a career year. All up, his televised record was 36-9.

________________________________________________

FEMALE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
ALICIA STRONG (USPW) [3]

35-year old Alicia Strong became a record eight-time champion in December 2020 and continued to hold the USPW Women’s title until May 2021, where she lost to Miss American Pie on an episode of “American Wrestling”. It was one of just three televised losses for Strong, who spent the balance of the year feuding with the likes of Wendy Anderson and Tiffany Jade. Now in the fourteenth year of her career, Strong’s record in 2021 was an impressive 24-3.

________________________________________________

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
THE AMAZING BUMFHOLES (RANDY UNLEASHED & ZWB) (SWF)

The Amazing Bumfholes reformed in August 2020, but it was 2021 where they produced their best work despite never competing for the SWF Tag Titles. The pair produced consistently great tag matches, including a three-way win over The Dogs of War (consisting of Scythe & Marshall Dillon) and Des Davids & Ekuma at “Awesome Impact” and a four-star loss to The Dogs of War (consisting of Primus Allen & Scythe) on a July episode of “Supreme TV”. Although both have singles careers to focus on, they will be hoping to combine in 2022 to become six-time SWF World Tag Team Champions.

________________________________________________

YOUNG WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
HURIKAN (EILL) [2]

2020’s young wrestler of the year Hurikan took his game to even higher levels in 2021, finishing inside the top 15 in the Power #500 and producing top quality matches with the likes of Gino Montero. Continuing to combine with Itzamna as The Mayan Warriors, Hurikan looks to be on the cusp of making it big in 2022 - despite a relatively unsuccessful record of 10-39 in 2021.

________________________________________________

VETERAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
DOC HAMMOND / SCOUT HAMMOND (TCW / PGHW / USPW)

With 25 years under his belt, 2021 was an enormous year for 44-year old Doc Hammond, who currently competes in USPW under an amalgamation of his old and new ring name, Scout Hammond. Hammond spent the early parts of the year feuding with the likes of Wolf Hawkins and Sammy Bach while coming up short in a TCW World Heavyweight Title shot with Aaron Andrews at “Where Angels Fear to Tread”. He also featured in a summer storyline in Japan, feuding with RONIN VII and facing off against Seiji Jimbo in a highly reviewed singles match at “Night of HONOUR”.

But the big news was his defection to USPW in December, where he debuted on an episode of “American Wrestling”. While his team was on the losing end, it marked the end of an incredible 2021. The question in 2022 will be whether he can make his mark as a singles force in USPW.

________________________________________________

INDEPENDENT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
MASA KURATA

The 31-year old lightweight had an excellent 2021, amassing a record of 124-12 across promotions WLW, KITSUNE and in guest appearances with PGHW. He made an incredible ten defences of the KITSUNE Triple Crown and recaptured the World Level Universal title in October 2021. His best bout was a fast paced win over Kaito Doan at “The Hit 2021”, though he also featured in the spotlight in a tag bout at the “Danger Kumasaka Memorial Show” alongside Nirichen Amagawa against the feared team KitoGuchi.

________________________________________________

COMPANY OF THE YEAR
EMPRESA INTERNACIONAL DE LUCHA LIBRE [4]

A fourth win for EILL, who continued to grow in size as it surges further ahead from OLLIE. Its major stars remain Multimillonario (the reigning Campeonato del Mundo EILL champion); El Héroe Mexicano; Gino Montero (the wrestler of the year); veteran Velocidad; and Dr Rudo. The usually very stable roster expanded slightly to include OLLIE star Hilo Del Mephisto; COTT wrestlers Hysteria and Blue Phantom; and CILL veteran Amazing Fire Fly. It’s fair to say they’ve successfully navigated the phase following Champagne Lover’s retirement and Jorge Ibanez Sr’s death.

________________________________________________

MOST IMPROVED COMPANY OF THE YEAR
PRIDE GLORY HONOR WRESTLING

Now approaching ten years in charge, Nobuatsu Tatsuko seems to have finally righted the PGHW ship which looked so precarious following the departure of its formative stars last decade. The new era of PGHW is led by the likes of “ace” Kozue Kawashima, Seiji Jimbo and Masaru Ugaki, as well as emerging stars such as Chojiro Kitoaji, Magnum Kobe and SATO. Topping it off are former BHOTWG strongmen Yasunobu Masuno and Michio Gensai.

If there’s one area the promotion is (uncharacteristically) lacking, it’s gai-jin stars, following the departure of the likes of Reaver, Danny Cavanagh & Timmy West, Simon Flemmingway and William Hayes over the past two years. Although names such as Joshua Taylor, Tom Barrowman and Mutant have filled those gaps, there is still work to be done.

________________________________________________

MATCH OF THE YEAR
KINNOJO HORRI VS. MATTHEW KEITH, BHOTWG "EVERLASTING MISSION 2021"

A near perfect non-title bout between the six-time BHOTWG World Champion Kinnojo Horri and the incredibly talented American Matthew Keith took place at “Everlasting Mission”, with the veteran Horri coming out on top. Although the two men appeared in the same match on 27 occasions in 2021, this was their only singles meeting - and it was an instant classic. Expect more in 2022.

________________________________________________

SHOW OF THE YEAR
EILL "FELIZ NAVIDAD 2021"

Such was the success of EILL in 2021, it is little surprise that the show of the year came from Mexico with “Feliz Navidad” in December from Sureste. The eight-match card saw some excellent bouts between some of the world’s top luchadors, including two near five-star bouts. The main event saw Multimillionairio retain the Campeonato del Mundo EILL title against nemesis Yellow Flash.

EILL “Feliz Navidad 2021”, 24.12.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Sureste
34,000 Fans
551,006 Viewers (1.10 Rating)
[94]

Triangle Tag Team Match: Absolute Power (Major Junta & Devious Doctor Fang) defeated Relentless (Star Master & Yellow Jacket) and Amazing Fire Fly & Lunatic. [80] [★★★½]
Cerebro defeated Blood Raven. [69] [★★¾]
Trios Match: Cannonball Kid, Capitâo Brasil Jr. & Soul Taker defeated La Alianza Del Terror (El Sucio & Hysteria) & Pharaoh King. [78] [★★★½]
Trios Match: Angel of Mercy, Dutch Wilkes & La Sombra defeated Catastrophe (Jagged & Mystery Man) & Heavy Metal Anarchy. [77] [★★★½]
Triangle Match: Pirata Malvado defeated El Mitico Jr and Hijo del Águila Americana. [86] [★★★★]
Trios Match: Gino Montero & The Mayan Warriors (Hurakan & Itzamna) defeated El Héroe Mexicano & Masked Lightning (Ultra Spark Jr & Velocidad). [95] [★★★★¾]
Dr Rudo defeated Scarlet Scarab. [83] [★★★★]
Campeonato del Mundo EILL: Multimillonario (c) defeated Yellow Flash (6th defence). [96] [★★★★¾]

________________________________________________

STORY OF THE YEAR
THE DEMISE AND DEMISE OF TCW

After being named “Promotion of the Year” by this journal in 2020, 2021 was disastrous for the Kyle Rhodes led Total Championship Wrestling. Despite a successful 2020, the omen was already there following the departure of Jay Chord in October 2020. But that was just the start of the exodus, as 2021 saw the departure of Killer Shark and Titan (to USPW and SWF respectively), Eddie Peak (to SWF), Greg Gauge (to USPW), Mighty Mo (to USPW) and Sammy Bach (to USPW). Those departures were not replaced by like talent, with the promotion relying heavily on five-time current world champion Aaron Andrews and Wolf Hawkins, supported by the likes of Edd Stone, Freddy Huggins and Petr Novak.

In a sign of how far things have fallen, TCW “Psycho Circus 2021” (headlined by a Dog Collar Match between Andrews and Huggins) suffered a 27% reduction in US PPV buyers.

Scottie · August 26, 2023

PRIDE HONOR GLORY WRESTLING
THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION - 2021

________________________________________________

Glory Tag Crown
KitoGuchi (c) vs. Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda
“New Year War 2021”

The first show of the year saw 2021’s break out team, Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda, put The Front well and truly on the map, as they claimed they claimed the Glory Tag Crown from KitoGuchi. The match itself was solid, but it was a notable match for what was to come in 2021. [80]

________________________________________________

Glory Crown
Yasunobu Masuno (c) vs. Chojiro Kitoaji
“Night of RESPECT”

Despite the disappointment of losing the tag titles, Chojiro Kitoaji rebounded here at “Night of RESPECT” to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming the 26th Glory Crown Champion. It ended a mixed reign for the BHOTWG big man Masuno, though he and Kitoaji had a weirdly good chemistry. [79]

________________________________________________

Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo vs. Hirotsugu Satou & Magnum Kobe
“DESTINY Series”

A truly excellent bout that few people saw, as Taylor & Jimbo combined to continue their strong pairing in the first half of 2021. But it was a great showing from Satou & Kobe, who would prove themselves to be big players in the second half of the year. [87]

________________________________________________

Survival Match - Elite Series Preview
RONIN VII & Magnum Kobe vs. Coyote Club & Crimson Tigers
“Night of DESTINY”

A preview of the Elite Series, this was a messy brawl at times but a preview of what was to come. It ended with Seiji Jimbo pinning Chojiro Kitoaji - rumoured by some to be PGHW’s planned summer rivalry, but of course ruined by Jimbo’s injury in the Elite Series. [81]

________________________________________________

Elite Series
Kozue Kawashima vs. Joshua Taylor
“PRIDE Series”

In a match where Taylor proved that he could still really go, he put on probably the best bout of the series in a losing effort against the eventual champion Kozue Kawashima. [85]

________________________________________________

Elite Series
Bussho Makiguchi vs. SATO
“PRIDE Series”

A great bout between two of the Elite Series’ lesser lights, in which Bussho Makiguchi prevailed. SATO went winless throughout this his second Elite Series, but his fortunes would change in H2 as he became one of the fastest rising stars in PGHW as one half of the Historical Japan Champions. [82]

________________________________________________

Elite Series - Final
Akinori Kwakami vs. Kozue Kawashima
“Night of PRIDE”

The Elite Series Final was never truly in doubt, but it didn’t stop the two old rivals putting on a great show - with Kawashima winning the Elite Series for a record fourth time. In reality, it was perhaps Kwakami’s last hurrah - he was a surprise qualifier for the final, in a block that also included the injured Seiji Jimbo and the Glory Crown Champion, Chojiro Kitoaji. [84]

________________________________________________

International Title
Joshua Taylor (c) vs. Avalanche Takano
“Night of FORTITUDE”

The two stablemates fought valiantly over the International Title here, in a rivalry that would last from April to December. Avalanche Takano’s year had started strongly as he won the New Year Battle Royal, the Winter Classic and eight point in the Elite Series, but he fell just short here to the experienced Taylor. [81]

________________________________________________

KitoGuchi vs. Mutant & Yasunobu Masuno
“Night of FORTITUDE”

In a bout that built up to a Kitoaji/Masuno re-match, the Glory Crown Champion picked up a pinfall win over the giant American Mutant. It was notable for two reasons: it was Mutant’s first direct loss in PGHW, and it was also the best match of his young career. A classic tag main event. [85]

________________________________________________

Glory Tag Crown
Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. Hirotsugu Satou & Magnum Kobe
“Night of GLORY”

An excellent tag bout, in which Kobe & Satou fell just short again and Matsuki & Yasuda established themselves as strong champions. It would be a good 2021 for all four of them. [83]

________________________________________________

KitoGuchi vs. KITA & SATO
“STRENGTH Series”

A televised tour match from Kobe, which saw the experienced team in Kitoaji and Makiguchi face off against the fast rising pair of SATO and three-time former SATO Destiny Champion KITA. The bout lasted less than 15 minutes, but it was a highlight reel match in which all four men looked great. [86]

________________________________________________

Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kozue Kawashima & Java
“Danger Kumasaka Memorial Show”

Not the best bout of the year, but one of the most emotional. The four men paid tribute to the departures PGHW and puroresu legend in an excellent bout. Even at 49 years of age, Java didn’t disgrace himself here alongside three talented workers. [78]

________________________________________________

KitoGuchi vs. Kozue Kawashima & Tom Barrowman
“Night of WARRIORS”

Tom Barrowman’s run in PGHW was a mixed bag, as he never quite got the fans all that interested, but he was still a strong worker - and here he was paired with three exceptional workers. As part of the build up for the inevitable Kitoaji/Kawashima showdown, this all Crimson Tigers affair ended with Barrowman taking the loss. But it was an excellent bout. [86]

________________________________________________

Historical Japan Tag Team Titles
KITA & SATO (c) vs. Warwolf
“Night of HONOUR”

The “HONOUR Series” started in a shock title switch, as KITA & SATO claimed the Historical Japan Tag Team Titles on a televised tour show from Kobe. At the end of the series, the former champions AKIMA & BISON Yano immediately challenged for the title, with the dangerous AKIMA taking the pinfall. The match itself was nothing really to write home about - but the big news was the post-match swerve, as Brute Kikuchi returned to PGHW to team up with BISON Yano and decimate AKIMA: putting an end to the Warwolf team which had garnered some success. [77]

________________________________________________

MATCH OF THE YEAR

Glory Crown
Chojiro Kitoaji (c) vs. Kozue Kawashima
“Night of HONOUR”

Chojiro Kitoaji’s first reign as Glory Crown Champion saw him making two successful defences, but he couldn’t stop his stable leader at “Night of HONOUR” as Kozue Kawashima became a four-time champion. It wasn’t clear which was this bout would go, but in the end PGHW didn’t go all in on their new star Kitoaji, as Kawashima picked up the win. The bout itself was very good - perhaps just short of the epic they were hoping for - and hopefully we’ll see it again. [90]

________________________________________________

RONIN VII vs. The Syndicate: Japan
“Night of LEGACY”

The inter-promotional storyline between PGHW’s RONIN VII and TCW’s The Syndicate was an interesting one. It marked the biggest cross-promotional bout in recent years, but in truth it didn’t quite hit the mark. Part of that might be that, of course, The Syndicate were no longer together on TCW TV. Another issue was the lack of TV coverage for TCW in Japan.

This ten-man survival match had some good moments, but ultimately didn’t quite reach any real heights. Seiji Jimbo was the undoubted star, while Wolf Hawkins (in his first Japanese match) was off his game. Maybe it was jet lag. [71]

________________________________________________

Glory Crown
Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Hirotsugu Satou
“Night of KINGS”

Kozue Kawashima’s first defence of the Glory Crown was an interesting one, against a 26-year old Hirotsugu Satou who had never competed for the main PGHW title before. The result was never in doubt, but Kawashima was incredibly generous to Satou in this surprisingly lengthy nineteen minute bout. It ended up being one of the best bouts of the year. [90]

________________________________________________

International Title & Historical Japan Title
Joshua Taylor (c) vs. Avalanche Takano (c)
“Night of WRESTLING”

The culmination of a nine month rivalry between the two RONIN VII stablemates, Avalanche Takano became a dual-champion as he finally bested Joshua Taylor in an excellent end to the year. The bout itself, unfortunately, didn’t quite reach the heights expected of it - Taylor looked tired and his age seems to be catching up with him. But the Mountain Takano finished the bout - and a post-match handshake ended the rivalry for now. [71]

________________________________________________

Glory Tag Crown
Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) vs. KITA & SATO
“Night of WRESTLING”

PGHW’s biggest tag teams in 2021 were the Glory Tag Crown Champions, Matsuki & Yasuda, and the Historical Japan Tag Team Champions, KITA & SATO. They met in a group stage match in the Elite Tag Series, where KITA & SATO were the only team to beat the eventual winners of the tournament. Here, they were given a shot at the Glory Tag Crown - falling just short in a sensational bout. [86]

________________________________________________

Glory Crown
Kozue Kawashima (c) vs. Magnum Kobe
“Night of WRESTLING”

Kawashima spent most of his time as Glory Crown Champion in 2021 locked in a rivalry with the dastardly Magnum Kobe’s REBEL alliance. At every turn, Kobe sought to undermine the champion and take shortcuts. He played it a little straighter in the main event of “Night of WRESTLING”, before finally losing clean to the champion. It was a great bout to end 2021 - a superior year for Kozue Kawashima who is now in his 21st year as a professional wrestler. [90]

Scottie · August 28, 2023

RESPECT SERIES
JANUARY 2022

As is customary, 2022 kicked off with the shortest tour of the year - a six-night series starting with "New Year War!!" and ending with "Night of RESPECT".

The main event announced for "Night of RESPECT" was an interesting one: Glory Crown Champion Kozue Kawashima would team up with Hirobumi Takimoto to face Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda for the Glory Tag Crown. Elsewhere, Avalanche Takano would look to defend his newly earned International Title for the first time against BISON Yano, while Chojiro Kitoaji would begin his journey away from the Crimson Tigers against Pacific Islander AKIMA in a Special Singles Match.

The first stop, though, was the yearly opener, which saw two titles on the line and the annual ¥1,000,000 Battle Royal using Mayhem rules. The annual event included some former stars Kimitada Yanagita and Washi Heat as well as PGHW USA stars Giant Brody and the United States Champion Troy. It also saw the debut of a new gai-jin, the burly heavyweight from New York, Andrew Harper. But none of them ended up standing a chance, as the giant American Mutant started his year off with ¥1 million in his pocket - last eliminating stablemate Michio Gensai to win the battle.

Elsewhere, Avalanche Takano and KITA & SATO successfully defended the Historical Japan and Historical Japan Tag Team titles respectively, while Kawashima & Takimoto had the best possible preparation for their tag title bout with a competitive win over former champions Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda in the main event.

After the bout, there was a confrontation between the champions and challengers which very nearly came to blows.

PGHW “New Year War 2022”, 01.01.2022 (Prime Japan TV/PGHW Global)
Kobe Football Stadium
30,000 Fans - No Vacancy
442,801 Viewers (0.59 Rating)
[81]

¥1,000,000 New Year’s Battle Royal: Mutant won (22:10) last eliminating Michio Gensai. [64] [★★½]
Magnum Kobe & Hirotsugu Satou defeated Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi (13:41) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Kamachi. [80] [★★★½]
Historical Japan Tag Team: KITA & SATO (c) defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata) (12:04) with the Cross Arm Breaker from KITA to Furata (5th defence). [70] [★★★]
Historical Japan Avalanche Takano (c) defeated Hitomaro Suzuki (12:48) with the Mountain Takano (6th defence). [65] [★★½]
Chojiro Kitoaji, Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo defeated Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Masaru Ugaki) (16:20) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Kikuchi. [82] [★★★¾]
Special Tag Match: Kozue Kawashima & Hirobumi Takimoto defeated Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda (20:18) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 from Kawashima to Sanda. [83] [★★★¾]

The balance of the tour consisted of mainly multi-man matches building up to "Night of RESPECT", including a series of bouts where Chojiro Kitoaji teamed up with other "lone wolves" such as Suguru Emoto and Hitomaro Suzuki.

Elsewhere, the RONIN VII elders Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo promised to announce the seventh member of RONIN VII at "Night of RESPECT", with the new member replacing the recently ousted Emoto.

***

There wasn't much to write home about on the undercard here, which was really a table setting exercise after the December break. In the opening bout, Mutant capitalised on his Battle Royal win with a dominant display over Suguru Emoto, whose fortunes continue to plummet.

The first really notable bout was a Special Singles Match between Chojiro Kitoaji and AKIMA. In the final show of 2021, Kitoaji suffered defeat and turned his back on the Crimson Tigers - including his long-time partner Bussho Makiguchi - to go solo. This was a spirited bout, but the result was never really in doubt - Kitoaji stunning the tough Pacific Islander with a Lariat for the victory.

In the following bout, RONIN VII ended the brief period of suspense to announce their newest member - back from excursion, Yuri Yoshihara! The 23-year old spent two years with Total Championship Wrestling, where he saw some improvement to his skills. He took some time to find his feet, but eventually picked up the win for his team as he forced young lion Goro Sakamoto to submit to the Choke Sleeper. (He's going to need to find a more compelling finisher!)

In the penultimate bout, Avalanche Takano produced a good display to defend the International Title for the first time. The victory was a big one - BISON Yano is well-protected, and has rarely tasted singles defeat outside of the Elite Series. So it was an impressive sight indeed as Takano hoisted him up for the Mountain Takano to complete his first defence.

That brought us to the main event, with the Glory Tag Crown on the line. The bout was solid if unspectacular, as Hirobumi Takimoto perhaps failed to match the intensity of the three other men in the bout. Ultimately, his partner Kozue Kawashima could only do so much - watching as his big partner was floored by a Fist of Fury from Kazushige Matsuki to end the bout.

The bout perhaps failed to live up to expectations, but it was a strong showing for Matsuki. So strong, that he immediately challenged Kawashima for a singles return bout at "Night of DESTINY" next month - with the Glory Crown on the line!

PGHW “Night of RESPECT”, 14.01.2021 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe
26,914 Fans
605,472 Viewers (1.21 Rating)
[81]

Mutant defeated Suguru Emoto (5:35) with the Mutilator. [65] [★★½]
Magnum Kobe & Hirotsugu Satou defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata) (9:35) with the Scorpion Death Lock from Satou to Mihara. [66] [★★½]
Bussho Makiguchi, Hitomaro Suzuki & Tsurayuki Kamachi defeated The Front (Goro Sakamoto, Michio Gensai & Yasunobu Masuno) (12:25) with the Blazing Elbow from Makiguchi to Sakamoto. [63] [★★¼]
Historical Japan Tag Team: KITA & SATO (c) defeated Haranobu Kobayashi & Joshua Taylor (14:30) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from SATO to Taylor (6th defence). [70] [★★★]
Special Singles Match: Chojiro Kitoaji defeated AKIMA (12:03) with the Lariat. [78] [★★★½]
RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Noriyori Sanda, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) defeated Coyote Club (Brute Kikuchi, Hirokazu Yamanoue, Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake) (19:40) with the Choke Sleeper from Yoshihara to Yasutake. [77] [★★★½]
International Title: Avalanche Takano (c) defeated BISON Yano (14:54) with the Mountain Takano (1st defence). [77] [★★★½]
Glory Tag Crown: Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda (c) defeated Hirobumi Takimoto & Kozue Kawashima (23:58) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to Takimoto (5th defence). [83] [★★★¾]

Returns: Yuri Yoshihara (from TCW)
New Signings: Andrew Harper (from NYCW)
Guest Appearances: Giant Brody (BCG/PGHW USA); Kimitada Yanagita (Independent); Tribal Warrior (Independent); Troy (PGHW USA); Washi Heat (PGHW USA)

Edited August 28, 2023 by Scottie

Scottie · September 3, 2023

DESTINY SERIES
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2022

The year's second series was the "DESTINY Series" - a ten-night tour which would conclude with an already announced main event between Kozue Kawashima and 36-year old Kazushige Matsuki for the Glory Crown.

While that bout was the main event, it wasn't the biggest news confirmed at the pre-series press conference. That news was the announcement of the co-main event at "Night of DESTINY": a Special Singles Match between former Glory Crown Champion Chojiro Kitoaji and former SWF World Heavyweight Champion Tom Gilmore (better known to fans as Angry Gilmore).

It was a big return for Gilmore, who had success in Japan more than 20 years ago as BHOTWG Junior Heavyweight Champion. In particular, it would be his first appearance since October 2020 where broke his neck during a tag bout at SWF "Let The Games Begin". After being controversially released by SWF, and with doubts as to whether he'd ever return to the ring, his debut in PGHW was undoubtedly a hotly anticipated one.

The series also saw the third instalment of the Winter Battle, where the two finalists would again qualify for next month's Elite Series. This time, the battle forewent the two round robin blocks and instead adopted a sixteen-man single elimination tournament throughout the series. The first round was as follows:

Winter Battle - First Round:

Hirobumi Takimoto vs. Hitomaro Suzuki
Hirokazu Yamanoue vs. Motoyuke Miyake
Canadian Dragon vs. Yuri Yoshihara
Haranobu Kobayashi vs. Suguru Emoto
Andrew Harper vs. BISON Yano
Michio Gensai vs. Tsurayuki Kamachi
KITA vs. Noriyori Sanda
AKIMA vs. Brute Kikuchi

There were two televised shows throughout the tour, one of which was shown on mainstream channel Japanese Sports Vision for the very first time (due to broadcasting agreements, this one couldn't be shown on PGHW Global - a quirk of the fact that Japanese Sports Vision streams into Hawaii). The show itself was a little underwhelming, with the highlights being a strong singles win by AKIMA over Brute Kikuchi in the Winter Battle; a successful defence of the Historical Japan Title by Avalanche Takano against Canadian Dragon; and a multi-man main event which saw Masaru Ugaki and the Coyote Club prevail over Kozue Kawashima's Crimson Tigers.

The second televised show, on Prime Japan TV, was stronger. Incensed by an unsuccessful shot at the Historical Japan Title earlier this year, Hitomaro Suzuki distracted Avalanche Takano in the champion's defence of the Historical Japan Title - costing him the bout and giving AKIMA just his second career singles title. Suzuki continued the beatdown post match - eventually sending Takano crashing into the guard rails outside. Elsewhere, Hirobumi Takimoto and Michio Gensai booked their respective places in the Winter Battle Final (and, therefore, the Elite Series), as they picked up wins over Haranobu Kobayashi and Noriyori Sanda respectfully. It was a disappointing loss for Sanda in particular, who would miss his first Elite Series in years.

Finally, after a main event in which Chojiro Kitoaji picked up the pinfall win, Tom Gilmore made his PGHW debut to confront his opponent for "Night of DESTINY". The two came close to blows in a heated exchange, but clearly their respect for one another kept them from losing their cool.

PGHW “DESTINY Series”, 28.01.2022 (Prime Japan TV/PGHW Global)
Doshisha Athletic Center
1,000 Fans - No Vacancy
[77]

Winter Battle - Semi-Final: Hirobumi Takimoto defeated Haranobu Kobayashi (11:10) with the Backdrop Driver. [63] [★★¼]
Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake defeated Joshua Taylor & Sanjiro Sasaki (9:53) with the Arc Kick from Ugaki to Sasaki. [64] [★★¼]
Winter Battle - Semi-Final: Michio Gensai defeated Noriyori Sanda (12:17) with the ##. [73] [★★★]
RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) defeated REBEL (Hirotsugu Sarou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) (12:01) with the Pain Lock from Kwakami to Miyake. [78] [★★★½]
Historical Japan Title: AKIMA defeated Avalanche Takano (c) (11:46) with the Spear Tackle (Failed 8th defence -> 44th Champion). [63] [★★¼]
The Front (Kazushige Matsuki, Mutant, Tetsunori Yasuda & Yasunonu Masuno) defeated Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Kozue Kawashima & Tsurayuke Kamachi) & Canadian Dragon (20:24) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to Dragon. [78] [★★★½]
Chojiro Kitoaji, KITA & SATO defeated Andrew Harper, BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi (12:09) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Harper. [80] [★★★½]

The penultimate night of the tour wasn't broadcast, but it allowed the Glory Crown challenger Kazushige Matsuki to cap off the preparation for one of the biggest matches of his career in a tune up bout against former International Champion Joshua Taylor. Taylor was game, but he was caught by surprise at the 15 minute mark by the Fist of Fury - Matsuki waiting a couple of seconds before covering the out cold American for the pinfall.

***

The second Friday of February saw "Night of DESTINY" in front of a big crowd in Kobe. (I've really got to stop the auto-venue from picking Kobe. Surely they've had enough!)

In the night's opening bout, Hirobumi Takimoto won the third ever Winter Battle as he bested former BHOTWG Japan Champion Michio Gensai in a hard-hitting but underwhelming bout. In any case, both will appear in next month's Elite Series despite the result here.

Elsewhere on the undercard, new Historical Japan Champion AKIMA was joined in tag team action by a new gai-jin - 21-year old TCW "School of Pro Wrestling" graduate Joey Fili. The two combined for a win over The Ivanoff Brothers, with AKIMA spearing Igor Ivanoff for the win.

In other results, Avalanche Takano got a measure of revenge against Hitomaro Suzuki, after the latter effectively cost him the Historical Japan Title earlier this month. Suzuki did his best, but couldn't match it with the fearsome Takano who won with the Mountain Takano.

In a reasonable tag bout, Yuri Yoshihara paired with Seiji Jimbo in a bout against veteran pair Masaru Ugaki & Hirokazu Yamanoue. The focus was mainly on Jimbo and Ugaki, who are two of the big contenders in next month's Elite Series. This bout was hard fought, but in the end it was Jimbo who took the pinfall with over Yamanoue with the Jimbo Driver.

After that bout, Tom Gilmore made his return to wrestling action with his first bout in nearly 18 months - and his first match in Japan in more than 20 years. The real question was whether the 43-year old could still go, with age and a neck injury against him. But he was facing an incredibly safe opponent - the experienced former Glory Crown Champion Chojiro Kitoaji, who is a consummate professional. The bout itself took a little bit of time to get going, and Gilmore looked like he had really lost a step. But Kitoaji was excellent, and he did all he could to turn this into a watchable bout.

The finish came with a Lariat from Kitoaji (which collected with Gilmore's chest, for obvious reasons) after a slightly too long bout which nevertheless got the crowd into it.

It left just the main event, as Kozue Kawashima defended the Glory Crown against Kazushige Matsuki. Matsuki tasted success against Kawashima in the main event of last month's show, as he combined with Tetsunori Yasuda to defend the Glory Tag Crown. But the singles bout against Kawashima was a different story, with the Glory Crown Champion producing an excellent performance. The bout against Matsuki didn't quite rise to the level of Kawashima's previous defences, but produced some moments of drama. Though the result was never really in doubt, as Kawashima entered the Elite Series as Glory Crown Champion with the Kawashima Driver 2005.

PGHW “Night of RESPECT”, 11.02.2022 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe
27,506 Fans
609,668 Viewers (1.21 Rating)
[81]

Winter Battle - Final: Hirobumi Takimoto defeated Michio Gensai (12:09) with the Gutwrench Tombstone. [60] [★★]
AKIMA & Joey Fili defeated The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) (9:09) with the Spear Tackle from AKIMA to Igor. [66] [★★½]
Bison Yano & Brute Kikuchi defeated Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi (14:30) with the Choke Slam from Yano to Kamachi. [77] [★★★½]
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) defeated RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Haranobu Kobayashi & Noriyori Sanda) (10:41) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Kobayashi. [77] [★★★½]
International Title: Avalanche Takano defeated Hitomaro Suzuki (11:32) with the Mountain Takano (2nd defence). [60] [★★]
Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara defeated Hitomaro Suzuki & Masaru Ugaki (11:11) with the Jimbo Driver from Jimbo to Suzuki. [73] [★★★]
Special Singles Match: Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Tom Gilmore (20:51) with the Lariat. [80] [★★★½]
Glory Crown: Kozue Kawashima (c) defeated Kazushige Matsuki (25:40) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 (3rd defence). [83] [★★★¾]

After the show, there were the usual reflections from the night's winners and losers to the waiting "media". The big news, though, was the announcement by Tom Gilmore that he'd secured a place in next month's Elite Series. After 18 months on the shelf, there are real questions as to whether the 25-year veteran is up to the punishing schedule of the Elite Series, but he clearly seems to think he is.

* * * * *
New Signings: Joey Fili (from TCW/MAW); Tom Gilmore (from SWF)
Departures: Canadian Dragon (to ACPW); Suguru Emoto (to KITSUNE/SAISHO).

Scottie · September 3, 2023

Four recent signings, and one departure:

"ANGRY"
TOM GILMORE

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Unaligned	178cm	95kg	O+
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Toronto, Ontario	1978	1996	Anger Management Sky High Elbow

Tom "Angry" Gilmore is a Canadian veteran who has established an international reputation for excellence.

Originally an innovative high flyer, the pinnacle of the early part of his career was winning the coveted Burning Junior title in Japan, the first gaijin to ever achieve that.

He came to wrestle in America with the SWF in 2002, smartly bulking up his muscle mass and changing his style to a more well rounded approach. For most of his SWF run he was a great 'second tier' guy, a vital member of the roster but not quite in a position to main event, but in 2015, with the SWF main event scene in tatters, Gilmore was finally given a shot at being a truly top guy and pushed accordingly, winning the world title in the summer.

Undoubtedly, Gilmore's lengthy career has taken its toll on his body and he's not quite the worker he once was. It was therefore not entirely surprising (but still very controversial) that SWF decided to release him following a neck injury in October 2020 which threatened to end his career.

But at 43-years of age, Gilmore has shown he is intent on continuing his career - returning to Japan for the first time in more than two decades in 2022 to join PGHW (now sporting a long beard, which he grew during his time off). Although he's lost a step and is still wary about his injuries, he will put himself through one of the biggest physical and emotional tests in March 2022 when he participates in the famed Elite Series.

SWF World Heavyweight, SWF World Tag Team, SWF North American [x3], Burning Junior Heavyweight

YURI YOSHIHARA

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
RONIN VII	176cm	87kg	A+
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Kyoto	1998	2017	Choke Sleeper

Yuri Yoshihara is a young Japanese wrestler who was trained at the PGHW Dojo. Making his pro debut for the company in 2017, Yoshihara spent the next eighteen months as a young boy, working dark matches and paying his dues.

The PGHW management team were sufficiently impressed with his skill and attitude that they arranged for him to go on excursion with TCW to help him prepare for an eventual return to PGHW.

During his time in TCW, Yoshihara steadily gained experience and even got multiple televised singles bouts against the likes of Wolf Hawkins, Mighty Mo and Greg Gauge. Undoubtedly, the biggest match during his time was at "Hotter than Hell 2021", where he picked up his first (and only) PPV win over Guillotine, but overall he was a solid hand who saw his skills improve.

Still looking to grow as a wrestler, Yoshihara was thrust into the RONIN VII stable on his return to PGHW, where he will continue to learn from the likes of Seiji Jimbo, Akinori Kwakami and Noriyori Sanda. It's a real sink or swim environment for him, though, so 2022 will be a pivotal year for the young man.

JOEY FILI

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Unaligned	185cm	108kg	O+
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
San Jose, California	2000	2019	Spinning Back Fist

Joey Fili is a Samoan wrestler (for once, not part of any of the extended Samoan families that are well known in the business) who was taught at the TCW "School Of Pro Wrestling".

Graduating in 2019, he was sent down to Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in order to learn to work a live crowd as part of the ongoing agreement between the two companies. He competed semi-regularly there - mainly on the losing end - as he tried to improve his skills.

In July 2021, Fili was called up to the TCW main roster, where he was treated as an enhancement talent - losing televised singles bouts to the likes of Wolf Hawkins, Edd Stone and Sammy Bach. A fine athlete with a good look, many expected Fili to do well for himself in wrestling. So it was a little surprising when he was released at the end of his contract in January 2022.

Keen to reignite his career, Fili has recently teamed up with veteran Pacific Islander AKIMA (known to some as Akima Brave) in Japanese promotion PGHW.

ANDREW HARPER

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Unaligned	196cm	125kg	A+
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Staten Island, New York	1989	2011	Spike Slam

Discovered by Larry Vessey wrestling very small shows in high school gyms around the Tri-State area, Andrew Harper is a big brawler from Staten Island.

Harper debuted for New York City Wrestling in 2012 but would not start getting over until he started running a table-breaking gimmick (where he would powerbomb his hapless foe through a table) the following year. That helped establish him with the NYCW audience and he has gone on to have a good run with the company - becoming a four-time Tri-State Regional Champion.

He's also had decent runs in other smaller American independent promotions, before finally getting his break with Japanese promotion PGHW in 2022. Although he's had limited success so far, and has not brought his table breaking gimmick to Japan, he's been a solid hand and even been trusted to participate in multi-man main event matches on tour shows.

NCWY Tri-State Regional [x4], CWC Intercontinental, RLW National Tag Team

CANADIAN DRAGON (II)

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Unaligned	173cm	78kg	O-
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Toronto, Ontario	1990	2008	450 splash

Better known to Canadian audiences at the aerial artist Topher Smith (also known as "The Gopher").

As a youngster, he made a name for himself on the Canadian independent circuit, before ACPW came calling and he joined their roster for their August 2009 debut show. He was on almost every single show since then, where he was best known for his tag team work alongside Ant-Man (with their team The Gopher & The Ant becoming multiple-time tag team champions). A very solid hand in the ring, Smith showed improvement as he aged and seemed likely to end up working for bigger companies before his career is through.

One such opportunity came in September 2021, where he was signed for a short-term touring deal with Japanese heavyweights PGHW under a mask as the second iteration of the Canadian Dragon. His run came to an end at "Night of DESTINY 2022", but he managed to compete in matches against some of the best wrestlers in Japan and even received a shot at the Historical Japan Title shortly before his departure.

Although rubbing some people the wrong way backstage, many expect Canadian Dragon will return to PGHW in the future - although, given his size, he's perhaps better suited for some other Japanese promotions if he's to continue his career in Japan.

ACPW Canadian Regional, ACPW Tag Team [x4]

Edited September 3, 2023 by Scottie

CGN91 · September 4, 2023

You're still doin' a great job Scottie! Love it.

CobheadJake · September 5, 2023

First timing commenting in a while but I've been keeping up with it the whole time.

I love this style of writing and it fits PGHW's style perfectly, imo. I'm a big Gilmore fan but it'll be interesting to see if he copes well in the Elite Series, or if his body will let him down. Maybe after the ring rust has disappeared a bit, he will be ok.

Looking forward to seeing you mould the next generation of PGHW Japanese talent! Kawashima can't be the Ace forever!

Scottie · September 7, 2023

"PRIDE Series" - Pre-Tour Press Conference
2022 ELITE SERIES

It doesn't take long in the new year for the Elite Series to roll around, and the 2022 instalment promises to be one of the biggest ever.

The 2022 Elite Series kicks off with a televised show at the Kobe Football Stadium, and hosts a bevy of former winners and champions. As is tradition, the two eight-man blocks were named after PGHW alumni with a history of success in the Elite Series: the 2008 winner Raymond Diaz and the 2011 winner Eisaku Kunomasu!

The field included mostly expected or already announced names - with one big addition in the form of former Glory Crown Champion Yasunobu Masuno, who was making his first Elite Series appearance after sitting out last year. That was coupled with the announcement that International Champion Avalanche Takano would not be participating - despite competing strongly last year, he said his focus was on being a fighting champion (and he had his opponent for "Night of PRIDE" lined up already: ACPW wrestler Mimic).

_____________________________________________________

BLOCK EISAKU KUNOMASU

Joshua Taylor (2x International, 1x TCW International)
Kazushige Matsuki (Current Glory Tag Crown, 1x Elite Tag Series, 2x International, 2x Historical Japan)
Kozue Kawashima (4x Elite Series, Current Glory Crown [4], 2x Glory Tag Crown, 4x Elite Tag Series)
Magnum Kobe (5x World Level Universal)
Masaru Ugaki (1x Elite Series, 2x Glory Crown, 3x Glory Tag Crown, 2x Elite Tag Series)
Michio Gensai (1x Historical Japan, 1x BHOTWG Japan)
Tetsunori Yasuda (Current Glory Tag Crown, 1x Elite Tag Series, 1x Historical Japan)
Tom Gilmore (1x SWF World Heavyweight, 3x SWF North American, 1x SWF World Tag Team, 1x Burning Junior)

_____________________________________________________

BLOCK RAYMOND DIAZ

Akinori Kwakami (1x Elite Series, 1x International Title, 3x Historical Japan, 3x Glory Tag Crown, 1x Elite Tag Series)
Bushho Makiguchi (1x Historical Japan, 4x Glory Tag Crown, 4x Elite Tag Series)
Chojiro Kitoaji (1x Glory Crown, 1x International, 1x Historical Japan, 4x Glory Tag Crown, 4x Elite Tag Series)
Hirobumi Takimoto (1x International)
Hirotsugu Satou (1x Historical Japan)
SATO (Current Historical Japan Tag Team, 2x Historical Japan, 1x Winter Battle)
Seiji Jimbo (2x Elite Series, 1x Glory Crown, 2x International, 2x Historical Japan)
Yasunobu Masuno (1x Glory Crown, 4x BHOTWG World Tag Team)

* * * * *

ELITE SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2022 Elite Series Winner:

2022 Elite Series Runner-Up:

Most Points (Group Stage):

Will any wrestler end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?).

Biggest Surprise Package:

Biggest Upset:

Tiberious · September 7, 2023

Definitely a stacked lineup here.

For the Kunomasu Block the three I see potentially taking it are Kozue Kawashima, Masaru Ugaki, and Magnum Kobe. I don't see Kawashima winning the series, and while he could make it to the final I think he can just fail to make it. I love Magnum Kobe and think he'd be an excellent champion, but he had a title shot pretty recently and Ugaki has a bit more momentom having finally defeated Yasunobu Masuno so I think he takes this block

Block Diaz is a bit trickier with Kitoaji and Jimbo seeming the most likely, but I I could see Bussho Makaguchi being the dark horse to win and prove he can be a top level singles guy just like his partner. I think Kitaji falls short to Jimbo one more time here though, and perhaps a failure here can sort of shape his direction going forward now that he's split from the Tigers.

ELITE SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2022 Elite Series Winner: Masaru Ugaki

2022 Elite Series Runner-Up: Seiji Jimbo

Most Points (Group Stage): Seiji Jimbo

Will any wrestler end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?).
I'll go with Hirobumi Takimoto, he's an up and comer but he's yet to really impress in a singles match. The only likely win I can see for him is Hirotsugu Satou, but Satou at least has had af few good singles matches. I'd love to see him prove me wrong and put in a good showing here though.

Biggest Surprise Package: I'll say SATO goes from no points in the last Elite Series to being a contender here.

Biggest Upset: Michio Gensai beats Kozue Kawashima. Is it likely? No, but it's hard to get a bigger upset.

DasherTM · September 8, 2023

2022 Elite Series Winner: Masaru Ugaki

2022 Elite Series Runner-Up: Chojiro Kitoaji

Most Points (Group Stage): Masaru Ugaki

Will any wrestler end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?). No

Biggest Surprise Package: Hirotsugu Satou

Biggest Upset: Takimoto draws with Kitoaji

Willsky · September 15, 2023

ELITE SERIES PREDICTION CONTEST

2022 Elite Series Winner: Chojiro Kitoaji
I was tempted to go with Ugaki, but I think Kitoaji gets his return to the top here and a rematch to win his title back?

2022 Elite Series Runner-Up: Masaru Ugaki

Most Points (Group Stage): Masaru Ugaki

Will any wrestler end up with zero points?: (Bonus point: If so, who?). No.

Biggest Surprise Package: Tetsunori Yasuda

Biggest Upset: Someone unexpected beats Masuno. Could be Kwakami or Satou. I´ll go with Satou.

Still loving the diary Scottie!

Edited September 15, 2023 by Willsky

Scottie · September 30, 2023

PRIDE SERIES
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2022

February saw the onset of the 26th instalment of the Elite Series - an enormous sixteen man tournament involving some of the biggest stars of Japanese wrestling and some excellent wrestlers from abroad.

Inexplicably, ahead of the series the names of the two blocks changed - with the first block named after the feared gai-jin Raymond Diaz and the second block named after the 2011 winner Eisaku Kunomasu. Given the figureheads of each group really only had a symbolic resemblance, the decision for the move was unclear. Perhaps it was just because the first block had the only two foreign stars in the tournament, meaning it was a better match for the giant Diaz?

As it was, Block Diaz had some real stars. The leading trio were the four-time winner Kozue Kawashima, the former Glory Crown Champion Masaru Ugaki and perhaps the biggest "bad guy" in PGHW, Magnum Kobe. But it was also made up of some impressive other competitors - the former SWF World Champion "Angry" Tom Gilmore; the hard-hitting former BHOTWG bruiser, Michio Gensai, in his first Elite Series appearance; the Glory Tag Crown Champions Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda; and the former International Title, Joshua Taylor.

Block Kunomasu in contrast consisted of only Japanese wrestlers, but the field there was terribly strong too. It included two former winners and three Glory Crown Champions, with the big five being Akinori Kwakami, Bussho Makiguchi, Chojiro Kitoaji, Seiji Jimbo and first-time Elite Series competitor Yasunobu Masuno. Rounding out the field, there were the fast raising duo of SATO and Hirotsugu Satou, as well as the Winter Battle winner Hirobumi Takimoto.

* * * * *

BLOCK DIAZ

Although full of talented wrestlers, it was tolerably clear early on that Block Diaz would be a three-man affair: Kawashima, Kobe & Ugaki. The opening night saw a battle between the two stalwarts, Kawashima and Ugaki, in a televised main event affair which saw Kawashima win after a closely fought 20-minute affair. Meanwhile, Magnum Kobe did his best to match it with his recent rival - beating Michio Gensai in the latter's Elite Series debut and then following up the next night with a win over Tetsunori Yasuda.

Ugaki wasn't to be counted out, either, as he bounced back from his loss on the opening night with a streak of wins over Tom Gilmore (who won against Joshua Taylor in his opening night), Kazushige Matsuki and Tetsunori Yasuda. He also handed Magnum Kobe his first loss of the tour, in a great bout on Night 5. His consistently solid performances kept him in the hunt.

Perhaps the biggest result of the block came on Night 10, in a televised bout between Kozue Kawashima and Magnum Kobe. To that point, Kawashima was undefeated and he came into the bout with the mental advantage having bested Kobe in their title bout to end 2021. But he was also weary - being a marked man, all of his opponents so far had thrown everything they had at him. In a decent bout which never quite reached the heights of their last bout, it was Kobe who prevailed - hitting the Amazing Red for a big pinfall win over the champion.

With two nights to go, there were still three in the tournament - but Kobe suffered a huge disappointment on the penultimate night, as he was beaten by the Glory Tag Crown Champion Kazushige Matsuki. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Kobe - the match itself was one of the best of the tournament, but he threw a tantrum after the bout knowing that a win could have been enough to see him into the final.

In reality, it meant he needed both Kawashima and Ugaki to fall on the final night to qualify for the final.

On the last night, Ugaki needed a win to remain a chance, but he fell short against Joshua Taylor in a surprise result. It meant that Kawashima only needed to draw his bout against Matsuki to qualify, but he went one better: getting a pinfall win with the Kawashima Driver 2005 in just under 24 minutes.

The win saw Kozue Kawashima into the Elite Series final again, and meant he was in with as good a chance as ever to win the tournament for a record fifth time.

FINAL STANDINGS:
KOZUE KAWASHIMA - 12
MAGNUM KOBE - 10
MASARU UGAKI - 10
KAZUSHIGE MATSUKI - 6
TETSUNORI YASUDA - 6
JOSHUA TAYLOR - 4
MICHIO GENSAI - 4
TOM GILMORE - 4

* * * * *

BLOCK KUNOMASU

While Block Diaz was a battle between three, Block Kunomasu was more open with a number of potential winners in the field. On the opening night, Masuno won his first Elite Series bout as he crushed Satou, while SATO bested the Winter Battle winner Takimoto with the Wind Spirit Elbow.

The first real surprise in the block came on Night 3, as Bussho Makiguchi bested former winner and last year's finalist Akinori Kwakami to successfully bounce back from his opening defeat to Seiji Jimbo. Kwakami was disappointed, but he offered a handshake to the victor nevertheless. However, it was a recurring theme for the veteran Kwakami, who fought valiantly but fell short in some big bouts.

Despite Makiguchi's big win, he had an inconsistent tournament - losing to the likes of Masuno and surprisingly SATO, though he did manage to eek out a draw against his former partner Chojiro Kitoaji, who seemed to lack his usual killer instinct against his long-time friend. Despite that result, Makiguchi's tournament ended on an uncharacteristically poor note - losing to stablemate Hirobumi Takimoto, in the latter's only win of the tournament.

With Kwakami and Makiguchi out of the reckoning, Block Kunomasu also ended up being a sprint between three: former Glory Crown Champions Chojiro Kitoaji, Seiji Jimbo and Yasunobu Masuno. Heading into the final night of the tour, each had blemishes on their record: Masuno had lost to Kitoaji; Jimbo had gone to time limit draws with Kitoaji and Kwakami; and Kitoaji had in turn gone to time limit draws with Jimbo and Makiguchi.

On the penultimate night, Kitoaji moved to 12 points with a convincing win over Hirotsugu Satou, which meant that the giant Masuno was effectively out of the running having lost to Kitoaji during the Group Stage. It meant that only Jimbo stood a chance, but a win over Masuno on the final night would see him and Kitoaji end up with identical records and a draw in their only bout.

So, of course, Jimbo beat Masuno in a rough 14-minute bout - the two just never click.

With Kitoaji and Jimbo tied on 12 points each, there was some confusion in the ranks as to what that meant for the tournament. The confusion was put to rest as the block's namesake, Eisaku Kunomasu, came to the ring to announce that Jimbo and Kitoaji would meet again in the opening bout at "Night of PRIDE" - with the winner facing Kawashima for the Elite Series in the main event.

It was a big outcome, and soon enough Kitoaji came out to the ring to join the pair - the trio being the last three men remaining in the quest for the 26th Elite Series.

FINAL STANDINGS:
CHOJIRO KITOAJI - 12
SEIJI JIMBO - 12
YASUNOBU MASUNO - 10
SATO - 6
AKINORI KWAKAMI - 5
BUSSHO MAKIGUCHI - 5
HIROTSUGU SATOU - 4
HIROBUMI TAKIMOTO - 2

* * * * *

27,894 fans turned out in Kobe for "Night of PRIDE" to see three of PGHW's biggest names vie for the title of 26th winner of the Elite Series.

Immediately, three would become two, as Chojiro Kitoaji and Seiji Jimbo fought under the watchful eye of Eisaku Kunomasu in a re-match to decide the winner of the Kunomasu Block. Both men were intent on winning the bout, but also conscious that a long, draining match would mean neither would be fresh for the bout later that night against Kawashima. It meant that the action was hard hitting and urgent, though it still lasted 22 minutes. The bout was excellent with twists and turns, but it was Jimbo who prevailed with the Jimbo Driver to advance to the final.

The rest of the card was almost a sideshow. It really isn't worth talking about. But there were a couple of big results. In his fourth defence of the International Title, Avalanche Takano made light work of ACPW junior heavyweight Mimic in what was, on any view, an ordinary bout. After catching fire last year, Takano's reign as International Champion has underwhelmed. Then, in a spirited tag team bout ahead of the main event, Mutant combined with Yasunobu Masuno to best the veteran pairing Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda - Mutant pinning the veteran Sanda for the win.

That led to the main event, which saw Kozue Kawashima vie to become a record five-time Elite Series winner against the two-time winner Seiji Jimbo. The two had had some excellent bouts over the past decade, and this was absolutely no exception. The 32-minute bout was a masterclass in storytelling, with Jimbo starting strongly before fading in the middle of the bout as the weight of his double duty started to take its toll. Kawashima, meanwhile, bounced back from the early assault from Jimbo, as he started to dominate the bout and use his additional eight years of experience to his advantage.

But there was, of course, a turn as Jimbo showed incredible fight to work his way back into the bout and go perilously close to winning the bout on a couple of occasions. Kawashima, too, went close - but couldn't quite land the Kawashima Driver 2005 on the game Jimbo. With the bout past half an hour, Kawashima went for his patented Kawashima Driver 2005 - only for Jimbo to escape and catch Kawashima with the Jimbo Driver.

The crowd held their breath as the referee counted three, seeing Seiji Jimbo claim the Elite Series for the third time - and denying the Glory Crown Champion the record.

PGHW “Night of PRIDE”, 18.03.2022 (Emperor Choice/PGHW Global)
Kobe
27,894 Fans
704,632 Viewers (1.40 Rating)
[89]

Elite Series - Block Kunomasu: Seiji Jimbo [14] defeated Chojiro Kitoaji [12] (22:16) with the Jimbo Driver. [86]
Hirobumi Takimoto & The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff) defeated Hitomaro Suzuki, Sanjiro Sasaki & Toyotomi Yasutake (5:45) with the Gutwrench Tombstone from Takimoto to Sasaki. [50]
Michio Gensai & Minoru Nakahata defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata) (7:53) with a Power Bomb from Gensai to Mihara. [57]
KITA, SATO & Tom Gilmore defeated Andrew Harper, BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi (7:45) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from KITA to Harper. [69]
REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) defeated The Front (Goro Sakamoto, Kazushige Matsuki & Tetsunori Yasuda) (8:26) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Yasuda. [70]
Bushho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi defeated AKIMA & Joey Fili (8:17) with the Blazing Elbow from Makiguchi to Fili. [67]
Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki defeated Haranobu Kobayashi & Joshua Taylor (8:59) with the Ugaki Clutch from Ugaki to Kobayashi. [68]
International Title: Avalanche Takano (c) defeated Mimic (14:18) with the Mountain Takano (4th defence). [53]
Mutant & Yasunobu Masuno defeated Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda (9:40) with the Mutilator from Masuno to Sanda. [79]
Elite Series - Final: Seiji Jimbo defeated Kozue Kawashima (32:27) with the Jimbo Driver.

Scottie · October 1, 2023

"FORTITUDE Series" - Pre-Tour News
34th GLORY TAG CROWN CHAMPIONS TO BE CROWNED IN "FORTITUDE SERIES" TOURNAMENT

It seems that the ignominy of taking the pinfall loss to Magnum Kobe proved too much for the Glory Tag Crown Champion Tetsunori Yasuda, who sensationally departed PGHW on poor terms following the six-man match at "Night of PRIDE" on Mar. 18.

Despite five successful defences alongside Kazushige Matsuki and a victory in the Elite Tag Series, the 37-year old was granted his release late last week - leaving PGHW with a hole to fill in a tag division which has now lost two of its strongest pairings: Matsuki & Yasuda and KitoGuchi.

It was a surprising end to Yasuda's near twenty year stint with PGHW, given 2021 was arguably a career year for him. He'd previously only claimed gold one - an nine-month stint with the Historical Japan Title in 2007-2008 - and his return levels had been described as "staggeringly poor" by some. But it seems tag success wasn't exactly what he was after, and rumours are swirling that BHOTWG is ready to pounce.

The departure of Yasuda means the Glory Tag Crown will be decided throughout the upcoming "FORTITUDE Series" in an eight-team tournament with the new champions to be crowned at "Night of FORTITUDE":

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS:

AKIMA & Joey Fili vs. Akinori Kwakami & Noriyori Sanda
BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi vs. RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi & Yuri Yoshihara)
Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi & Tsurayuki Kamachi) vs. The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furata)
REBEL (Magnum Kobe & Hirotsugu Satou) vs. The Ivanoff Brothers (Igor Ivanoff & Ivan Ivanoff)

Former champion Kazushige Matsuki won't feature, with many speculating whether he will branch out from the tag ranks following his shot at the Glory Crown earlier this year.

Chaddes · October 3, 2023

The BISON & Brute era's gonna continue baybay let's goooo

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