PGHW - The Almanac

[DasherTM]

2023 Elite Series Winner: Chojiro Kitoaji

2023 Elite Tag Series Runner-Up: Masaru Ugaki

Most Points (Group Stage): Chojiro Kitoaji

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

Biggest Surprise Package: SATO is in the mix to win the block

Biggest Upset: Aaron Knight beats Kozue Kawashima

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 25.02.2023 (Japanese Sports Vision)
Kobe Football Stadium
1,148,634 Viewers (1.53 Rating)
[80]

1. Chojiro Kitoaji & The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) defeated Crimson Tigers (Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) (5:44) with the Shockwave Slam from Kitoaji to Mihara. [70] [★★★]
2. Goro Sakamoto & Michio Gensai defeated George Wolfe & Joshua Taylor (6:55) with the Avalanche Spike Slam from Gensai to Wolfe. [59] [★★¼]
3. Magnum Kobe & Minoru Nakahata defeated Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki (8:59) with the Magnum Death Lock from Kobe to Yamanoue. [70] [★★★]
4. KITA, SATO & Washi Heat defeated RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) (8:14) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from SATO to Yoshihara. [70] [★★★]
5. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [2] defeated Hirotsugu Satou [0] (13:05) with the M-Bomb. [75] [★★★½]
6. Elite Series - Glory Block: Akinori Kwakami [2] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (16:15) with the Pain Lock. [75] [★★★½]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kozue Kawashima [2] defeated Aaron Knight [0] (15:46) with the Kawashima Driver 2005. [70] [★★★]
8. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [2] defeated Kazushige Matsuki [0] (18:56) with the Blazing Elbow. [82] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• Bussho Makiguchi's star continues to rise, as he was given the main event of the first show of the series. In a hard hitting bout, the Glory Tag Crown Champion prevailed over the grizzled vet Kazushige Matsuki.
• In a battle between two tag partners, Akinori Kwakami picked up his first points of the block as he forced Noriyori Sanda to tap out to the Pain Lock. Kwakami had an uncharacteristically bad series last year, and he's looking to prove that he's not past his prime.
• In his Elite Series debut, Mutant had a convincing win over former Glory Crown contender Hirotsugu Satou. Satou was game but ultimately couldn't overcome the massive American, who won with the M-Bomb.
• In a multi-man bout, SATO got the edge over Glory Block rival Seiji Jimbo, as he picked up the pinfall over Jimbo's partner Yuri Yoshihara. The veteran Washi Heat, who has now signed a permanent deal to return to PGHW, suffered a sprained ankle but is unlikely to miss any dates.

Trying something a little different with this Elite Series - so each of the tour shows will be posted instead of a single recap at the end.

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 26.02.2023
Takamatsu
817 Fans
[80]

1. Haranobu Kobayashi, Noriyori Sanda & Takashi Fujimura defeated REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake) (8:25) with the Exploder XXL from Sanda to Nakahata. [67] [★★¾]
2. KITA & Mutant defeated Akinori Kwakami & Yuri Yoshihara (6:20) with the Mutilator from Mutant to Yoshihara. [59] [★★¼]
3. The North (Aaron Knight, George Wolfe & Mark Griffin) defeated Crimson Tigers (Kozue Kawashima, Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) (10:57) with the Knight Fall from Knight to Mihara. [63] [★★½]
4. Goro Sakamoto & Kazushige Matsuki defeated Bussho Makiguchi & Storm Spillane (11:11) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to Spillane. [67] [★★¾]
5. Elite Series - Pride Block: Michio Gensai [2] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [0] (10:38) with a Fisherman Suplex Hold. [68] [★★¾]
6. Elite Series - Glory Block: SATO [2] defeated Magnum Kobe [0] (18:17) with the Wind Spirit Elbow. [90] [★★★★½]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [2] defeated Joshua Taylor [0] (6:52) with the Lariat. [68] [★★¾]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Seiji Jimbo [2] defeated Masaru Ugaki [0] (22:45) with the Jimbo Driver. [81] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• A smaller crowd, as the island of Shikoku is a region PGHW just hasn't really managed to crack, but they were treated to some excellent bouts which will no doubt feature in the weekly tour highlights.
• Without a doubt, the best was the showdown between SATO and Magnum Kobe in the Glory Block. The two are old rivals - SATO used to be Kobe's second in command before a bitter falling out in 2020 - and they clearly knew each other's strengths and weaknesses well. SATO prevailed here in a massive win to start his series, in a bitter blow from Kobe who expressed his distaste with the result after the bout with a tantrum.
• The main event was hotly anticipated, with two former Elite Series winners facing off: Seiji Jimbo and Masaru Ugaki. To many, it was a surprisingly tough start to the series for both of them, on an untelevised show at that. The bout didn't quite live up to expectations, as the technical chess match they were going for didn't quite land, but it was a solid enough bout which Jimbo won. The two are bitter rivals, but after the bout expressed respect for each other with arguably their toughest fixture out of the way.
• Elsewhere, KITA suffered a disappointing injury in a tag team bout, as he seems to have torn his quadriceps muscle. The injury initially looked like keeping him out of action for a whole year, but his surgeons are now much more optimistic that he'll only be out for the quarter. Perhaps unfairly, the veteran Akinori Kwakami has been blamed by some backstage for contributing to KITA's injury.

 

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 01.03.2023
Matsukiyama
772 Fans
[77]

1. Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Shinji Mihara & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated Haranobu Kobayashi & The Griffin Family (Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) (7:34) with the Scorpion DDT from Kamachi to Mark. [70] [★★★] [★★½]
2. The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) defeated REBEL (Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake) (6:22) with a Super Kick from Spillane to Nakahata. [63]
3. BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & SATO defeated RONIN VII (Joshua Taylor, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) (9:15) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from SATO to Yoshihara. [70] [★★★]
4. Coyote Club (Hirokazu Yamanoue, Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake) defeated The Front (Kazushige Matsuki & Mutant) & George Wolfe (8:08) with the Arc Kick from Ugaki to Wolfe. [67] [★★¾]
5. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [4] defeated Aaron Knight [0] (16:20) with the Lariat. [72] [★★★]
6. Elite Series - Glory Block: Akinori Kwakami [4] defeated Hirotsugu Satou [0] (17:09) with a Pile Driver. [66] [★★¾]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kozue Kawashima [4] defeated Michio Gensai [0] (13:04) with the Kawashima Driver 2005. [67] [★★¾]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Magnum Kobe [2] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (13:34) with the Amazing Red. [80] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• The second of two shows on Shikoku saw Magnum Kobe get on the board in the Glory Block, besting the veteran Noriyori Sanda by pinfall. Sanda has put up a good fight in both his singles bouts so far, but has fallen short. It's difficult to see where the Winter Battle winner's Elite Series points will come from.
• Elsewhere, four-time winner Kozue Kawashima and former winner Akinori Kwakami went two-from-two, with victories in their respective bouts. It looked like there was something in the waters in Matsukiyama, though, because both matches were off. It was probably Kawashima's worst singles showing in years.
• On the undercard, SATO picked up a win alongside surprise partners BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi, getting the wood over Seiji Jimbo whose partner Yuri Yoshihara (as per usual) took the pin.

[DasherTM]

I really like this new way to recap the Elite series

[Scottie]

FLASHBACK - "NIGHT OF PRIDE" 1997

1997 saw the debut of the famed Elite Series, the yearly round robin tournament (with a couple of notable exceptions where the format changed) culminating in a singles bout for the Elite Series shield at "Night of PRIDE".

It came just four months after the young promotion stormed onto the scene with "Night of WRESTLING" - an event full of some famed BHOTWG breakaways, some young stars and some heavy hitting gai-jin from the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Coming into the series, there were three real frontrunners: the reigning Glory Crown Champion Hito Ichihara; his famed rival, the inaugural Glory Crown Champion Koryusai Kitoaji (the father of current contender Chojiro Kitoaji); and the feared American, Dread. But they weren't the only contenders, as the tag champion Lee Wright; the Historical Japan Champion, Shuji Inukai; and veterans Danger Kumasaka, Dragon Agakawa and Yodo Nakane rounded out the field.

In all, there were 13 competitors - who incredibly had to wrestle all twelve other competitors in the single group stage. To many of those original competitors, the current structure - with two blocks - pales into comparison. As it happens, six real contenders quickly emerged: the five experienced pillars in Dread, Ichihara, Kitoaji, Kumasaka and Nakane, along with the 26-year old future legend Nobuatsu Tatsuko. For his part, Tatsuko did incredibly well: beating Kumasaka and the Glory Crown Champion Ichihara in singles action for the first time, while taking the veteran Nakane to a time limit draw.

Eventually, it was Kitoaji and Dread who qualified for the final - just a single point ahead of Ichihara and Tatsuko. Coming into the final, Dread was the strong favourite - but as would so often be the case in his PGHW career, he well short against the spirited local hero. Kitoaji managed to hoist Dread up for the Brain Drop, which was enough to keep Dread down for the three count and give Kitoaji his first of two Elite Series wins.

Kitoaji would go on to beat Ichihara at "Night of PRIDE" to reclaim the Glory Crown in July, a title he would eventually hold on three occasions. 

Block Stage - Standings:
Dread - 19
Koryusai Kitoaji - 19
Hito Ichihara - 18
Nobuatsu Tatsuko - 18
Danger Kumasaka - 17
Yodo Nakane - 15
Shuji Inukai - 12
Mito Miwa - 8
Dragon Agakawa - 6
Eisaku Hoshino - 4
Lee Wright - 4
Hayate Hasegawa - 2
Kimitada Yanagita - 0

Elite Series - Final:
Koryusai Kitoaji defeated Dread with the Kitoaji Brain Drop
 

 

[Scottie]

11 hours ago, DasherTM said:

I really like this new way to recap the Elite series

Thank you! I don't think I'll do it for any other tournaments, but it is a nice way of changing things up.

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 03.03.2023
Kyoto
1,910 Fans
[81]

1. Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) defeated Haranobu Kobayashi, Mark Griffin & Yuri Yoshihara (7:01) with the Choke Bomb from Kikuchi to Griffin. [70] [★★★]
2. Chojiro Kitoaji, Kozue Kawashima & Hiroshi Ito defeated The North (Aaron Knight, George Wolfe & Robby Griffin) (10:45) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Griffin. [67] [★★¾]
3. REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuki Miyake) defeated SATO & The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) (10:55) with the Scorpion Death Lock from Satou to Spillane. [80] [★★★★]
4. Michio Gensai & Mutant defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) (7:32) with the Power Bomb from Gensai to Furuta. [64] [★★½]
5. Elite Series - Glory Block: Masaru Ugaki [2] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (14:57) with the Ugaki Clutch. [80] [★★★★]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kazushige Matsuki [2] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [0] (11:42) with the Fist of Fury. [74] [★★★½]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [4] defeated Joshua Taylor [0] (10:31) with the Blazing Elbow. [72] [★★★¼]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Seiji Jimbo [4] defeated Akinori Kwakami [4] (16:42) with the Jimbo Driver. [82] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• It was an all-RONIN VII battle in the main event, is Glory Crown Champion Seiji Jimbo made it two-from-two in an excellent bout against the veteran Akinori Kwakami. Jimbo has now passed the two of the toughest tests of the Glory Block, with wins over former champions Kwakami and Masaru Ugaki.
• Speaking of Ugaki, he bounced back from a disappointing start with a win over Noriyori Sanda. It was a tough loss for Sanda, who at 0-3 looks very unlikely to have any chance of qualifying. He was joined on zero points by fellow RONIN VII wrestler Joshua Taylor, who was beaten by Bussho Makiguchi's Blazing Elbow.
• There was an excellent bout on the undercard, as Magnum Kobe's REBEL faction faced off against SATO and The American Cobras. Kobe's team got the win, but it was his right-hand man Hirotsugu Satou who secured the victory with the Scorpion Death Lock on poor Storm Spillane.

 

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 04.03.2023
Kobe
1,442 Fans
[78]

1. Haranobu Kobayashi & Noriyori Sanda defeated Hiroshi Ito & Washi Heat (5:59) with the Vortex Crush from Sanda to Ito. [63] [★★½]
2. Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) defeated The North (George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) (7:48) with the Yano Express from Yano to Mark. [63] [★★½]
3. Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Kozue Kawashima & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated Chojiro Kitoaji & The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) (15:21) with the Scorpion DDT from Kamachi to Malloy. [80] [★★★★]
4. RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) defeated REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake) (11:20) with the Pain Lock from Kwakami to Miyake. [70] [★★★]
5. Elite Series - Pride Block: Aaron Knight [2] defeated Joshua Taylor [0] (14:57) with the Knight Fall. [53] [★½]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kazushige Matsuki [4] defeated Michio Gensai [2] (14:06) with the Fist of Fury. [71] [★★★]
7. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [4] defeated Magnum Kobe [2] (13:59) with the M-Bomb. [75] [★★★½]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Masaru Ugaki [3] vs. SATO [3] (30:00) - Time Limit Draw. [78] [★★★¾]

Show Highlights:

• PGHW returned to a packed crowd in Kobe, though the action didn't quite meet expectations. The main event saw the rivalry between Masaru Ugaki and SATO reignite, in their first singles meeting since the main event at "Night of WRESTLING". Although parts of the bout will no doubt be in PGHW's weekly highlights packages, it didn't reach the heights of their other meetings. Eventually, the time limit expired before either man could pick up the two points.
• The dominant American Mutant made it two wins from two bouts in his bout, with another big win - this time over Magnum Kobe. Kobe did his best to use underhanded means to topple the giant, but never really went close. Eventually, Mutant won with the M-Bomb to join Kwakami and Jimbo on four points.
• In a sign that his best years are now well behind him, 40-year old Joshua Taylor suffered a third straight loss in an awkward match against Canada's Aaron Knight. "A-Game" is still finding his feet in Japan, but has managed to develop a reasonable following in recent months. He tried a technical masterclass against Knight - but that's not really his style. Nor is it Taylor's anymore.

 

Edited February 10 by Scottie

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 07.03.2023
Doshisha Athletic Center
1,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
[78]

1. Magnum Kobe & Minoru Nakahata defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) (8:45) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Furuta. [70] [★★★]
2. George Wolfe, Joshua Taylor & Mutant defeated Coyote Club (Brute Kikuchi, Hirokazu Yamanoue & Toyotomi Yasutake) (8:36) with the Tina Turner from Mutant to Yasutake. [62] [★★¼]
3. Akinori Kwakami & Haranobu Kobayashi defeated SATO & Washi Heat (8:48) with a Side Walk Slam from Kobayashi to Heat. [70] [★★★]
4. Chojiro Kitoaji, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin defeated The Front (Goro Sakamoto, Kazushige Matsuki & Michio Gensai) (11:12) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Sakamoto. [75] [★★★½]
5. Elite Series - Glory Block: Masaru Ugaki [5] defeated Hirotsugu Satou [0] (14:06) with the Arc Kick. [78] [★★★¾]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kozue Kawashima [6] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [0] (11:56) with the Kawashima Driver 2005. [72] [★★★¼]
7. Elite Series - Glory Block: Seiji Jimbo [6] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (14:06) with the Jimbo Driver. [78] [★★★¾]
8. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [6] defeated Aaron Knight [2] (13:43) with the Blazing Elbow. [78] [★★★¾]

Show Highlights:

• Some one-sided Elite Series bouts meant that this show, in front of a sell-out crowd in Doshisha, lacked the spark of some more recent ones. In the main event, there was a solid showing between Bussho Makiguchi and former CWA Champion Aaron Knight, with Makiguchi staying undefeated and joining his stable leader Kozue Kawashima on six points.
• In the Glory Block matches, Seiji Jimbo overcame a spirited performance from fellow RONIN VII member Noriyori Sanda, while Masaru Ugaki picked up an important two points after nailing Hirotsugu Satou with the Arc Kick. It's been a disappointing tournament so far for Satou, who has failed to make his mark with a win.

Edited February 17 by Scottie

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 09.03.2023 (Japanese Sports Vision)
Nara Baseball Stadium
15,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
1,158,439 Viewers (1.54 Rating)
[80]

1. Supreme Warrior Return Match: The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi) defeated The Lions of Japan (Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) (8:20) with the Cross Armlock from Hikichi to Mihara. [39] [¾★]
2. Kazushige Matsuki & The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) defeated The North (George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) (8:10) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to Mark. [69] [★★¾]
3. Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki defeated Joshua Taylor & Noriyori Sanda (8:49) with the Arc Kick from Ugaki to Taylor. [70] [★★★]
4. Aaron Knight,  Roderick Remus & Washi Heat defeated Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) (8:13) with a Flying Cross Body from Remus to Yasutake. [70] [★★★]
5. RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) defeated REBEL (Magnum Kobe, Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuki Miyake) with the Jimbo Driver from Jimbo to Nakahata. [75] [★★★½]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [8] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [0] (14:55) with the Blazing Elbow. [82] [★★★★¼]
7. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [6] defeated Akinori Kwakami [4] (12:46) with the Mutilator. [74] [★★★¼]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Hirotsugu Satou [2] defeated SATO [3] (12:42) with an Inside Cradle. [65] [★★½]
9. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [6] defeated Kozue Kawashima [6] (25:09) with the Lariat. [81] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• The main event of what ended up being the last show of PGHW's run on JSV (see below) was a huge showdown between former stablemates Chojiro Kitoaji and Kozue Kawashima. The bout itself ended up being surprisingly underwhelming: the two have had much better bouts before, and this one sort of meandered. It wasn't bad by any means; it just wasn't as good as expected. Kitoaji won in the end with the Lariat to move level with the four-time winner Kawashima on six points.
• Kawashima's loss meant his stablemate, the Glory Tag Crown Champion Bussho Makiguchi, moved clear at the top of the Pride Block on eight points. He had a great bout against his tag partner Tsurayuki Kamachi, but it the result never really looked in doubt.
• Hirotsugu Satou got his first points of the tournament with a surprise win over SATO, though it wasn't without controversy as SATO found himself close to victory until he was distracted by Magnum Kobe. Kobe and SATO's rivalry goes way back, and the older man was very unhappy about his loss to SATO earlier in the series. The distraction was just enough to enable Satou to regain his thoughts and get the inside cradle. The crowd, of course, hated the finish.
• Finally, Mutant made it three from three with a big win over the former winner Akinori Kwakami. In his first real run as a singles force, Mutant is showing real promise - and the veteran Kwakami was kind enough to give him a win.
• Elsewhere, TCW wrestler Roderick Remus made an appearance - with his face paint and all. He was without tag partner Maverick, but he did well here with a pin over the young lion.

Wrestling > World > Japan
JSV DROPS THE HAMMER ON PGHW TOUR SHOWS

KOBE, Japan - Last night's instalment of the "PRIDE Series" has seen commercial giant Japanese Sports Vision drop the hammer on PGHW altogether, cancelling the existing broadcasting deal due to declining ratings and a perceived drop in broadcast quality.

The relationship had previously been a good one, although the move to a more prominent time slot was met with frustration by the JSV executives who were unhappy with the quality of recent shows. In particular, there was real frustration with the "throwaway" International Title match during the "DESTINY Series" between SATO and Joshua Taylor, and recent showings during the Elite Series failed to improve things. Instead of demoting PGHW to a different slot, JSV cancelled the deal altogether in a big step back for the march of Japanese wrestling.

The decision leaves PGHW without a commercial broadcaster of its "lesser" events during each tour, after its longtime deal with Prime Japan TV expired last month. It is expected to spend the next while broadcasting shows on its online streaming platform only, as it looks to find a new broadcast partner once the dust has settled.

The bigger events will continue to be broadcast on the HYBOSO pay-per-view platform, which so far seen huge buys of in the order of 1.6 million.

 

 

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 10.03.2023
Nagoya
2,151 Fans
[78]

1. Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake defeated Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake (15:22) with the Arc Kick from Ugaki to Nakahata. [69]
2. Mutant & The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi) defeated RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi, Noriyori Sanda & Yuri Yoshihara) (10:41) with the M-Bomb from Mutant to Yoshihara. [69]
3. Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Shinji Mihara & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated The North (Aaron Knight, George Wolfe & Robby Griffin) (10:32) with the Scorpion DDT from Kamachi to Griffin. [64]
4. Kozue Kawashima, SATO & The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy & Storm Spillane) defeated Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Hirokazu Yamanoue) & Mark Griffin (10:38) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from SATO to Griffin. [64]
5. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kazushige Matsuki [6] defeated Joshua Taylor [0] (10:43) with the Fist of Fury. [69]
6. Elite Series - Glory Block: Magnum Kobe [4] defeated Akinori Kwakami [4] (15:13) with the Amazing Red. [80]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [8] defeated Michio Gensai [2] (11:47) with the Lariat. [80]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Seiji Jimbo [8] defeated Hirotsugu Satou [2] (13:17) with the Jimbo Driver. [80]

Show Highlights:

• The Elite Series is now reaching its pointy end, with only a few real contenders in each block. In the Glory Block, Seiji Jimbo made it four wins in four bouts as he edged ahead of Mutant on eight points with a win in the main event over Hirotsugu Satou.
• In the Pride Block, Chojiro Kitoaji joined former partner Bussho Makiguchi on eight points with a dominant win over the tough Michio Gensai. But not far behind is the veteran Kazushige Matsuki, whose win over Joshua Taylor kept him in the hunt.
• On the undercard, young Marvel Malloy landed awkwardly during the eight-man bout before the Elite Series matches. He will miss about five or six weeks with a back injury.

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 13.03.2023
Doshisha Athletic Centre
1,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
[79]

1. The Griffin Family (Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) defeated Hirokazu Yamanoue & Yuri Yoshihara (15:19) with the Anvil Grinder from Mark to Yoshihara. [37]
2. Chojiro Kitoaji, Kozue Kawashima & Storm Spillane defeated Crimson Tigers (Bussho Makiguchi, Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) (11:13) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Furuta. [72]
3. REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) defeated Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) (10:42) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Yasutake. [78]
4. RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Haranobu Kobayashi & Seiji Jimbo) defeated Goro Sakamoto, Kazushige Matsuki & Washi Heat (8:43) with the Gutwrench Powerbomb from Kobayashi to Sakamoto. [70]
5. Elite Series - Pride Block: Michio Gensai [4] defeated Aaron Knight [2] (14:08) with a German Suplex Hold. [67]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Tsurayuki Kamachi [2] defeated Joshua Taylor [0] (10:14) with the Scorpion Lock. [66]
7. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [8] defeated Masaru Ugaki [5] (17:35) with the Mutilator. [85]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: SATO [5] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (12:44) with the Wind Spirit Elbow. [80]

Show Highlights:

• Well. The upset of the tournament so far came in the penultimate bout, as 28-year old gai-jin Mutant picked up the biggest win of his singles career in PGHW over the two-time Glory Crown Champion and former Elite Series winner Masaru Ugaki. The big man looked very impressive - but even so, the crowd were shocked as he managed to keep Ugaki down for a three count and effectively end the former winner's chances of qualifying for the final. With eight points, Mutant sits on top of the table alongside Seiji Jimbo - with SATO and Ugaki three points behind.
• Speaking of SATO, he was very impressive in the main event as poor Noriyori Sanda suffered his fifth loss of the series. The two combined well, but the result wasn't really in doubt - SATO putting away the Winter Battle winner with the Wind Spirit Elbow.
• In other action, Tsurayuki Kamachi managed to get on the board with a win over Joshua Taylor. The loss for Taylor means he's the only wrestler in the Pride Block with zero points. He's got just two matches left to change that.

[Scottie]

FLASHBACK - "NIGHT OF PRIDE" 2006

2006 saw the tenth instalment of the famed Elite Series, as for the first time two blocks of six of the best wrestlers in Japan did battle for one of the most prestigious awards in Japanese wrestling.

From the outset, the favourites were Mito Miwa, the reigning Glory Crown Champion, and Nobuatsu Tatsuko, the 2005 winner. Extraordinarily, the pair were drawn in a brutal group which also included the then two-time Glory Crown Champion Yoshimi Mushashibo and two-time winner Eisaku Hoshino, in what would be his final Elite Series appearance for more than a decade.

From the outset, it was clear that those four were the only true contenders for a spot in the finals from the Glory Block, though it didn't stop the rising tag team wrestler PRIDE Koiso from claiming upset wins over Hoshino and Miwa (the latter earning him a shot at the Glory Crown later that year). But as is so often the case, the qualifier from that group was decided on the final night as Mushashibo bested Tatsuko with a simple inside cradle to remain undefeated and qualify for the final.

Block Pride was more evenly matched, with Shuji Inukai the favourite to qualify from a group that included the ever dangerous gai-jin trio of Dread (who had never quite managed to win the Elite Series), Raymond Diaz and Lee Wright. The group also included former Glory Crown Champion Buddy Garner and Eisaku Kunomasu, who was recently returned from US hardcore promotion DAVE.

Dread was the early favourite as he picked up a surprisingly easy win over Inukai, but his tournament was derailed by a shock loss to the rising Diaz and an even more shocking submission defeat to the former GAMMA fighter Buddy Garner. Those two losses proved decisive for the big man, as Inukai recovered from his loss to Dread to pick up three wins and a draw (the draw coming against Kunomasu). Lee Wright managed just one victory in his final Elite Series appearance.

The result meant that, for the first time, Team Dynasty 2000 would face off for the Elite Series, as Inukai and Mushashibo did battle. In a hard fought bout, Mushashibo narrowly avoided the Untouchable Lariat - before taking Inukai down and forcing him to submit to the famed Yoshimi Lock.

Just three months later, Mushashibo would claim the Glory Crown for a third time, as he forced Miwa to submit to the Yoshimi Lock too.

Block Pride - Standings:
Shuji Inukai - 7
Dread - 6
Raymond Diaz - 5
Eisaku Kunomasu - 5
Buddy Garner - 5
Lee Wright - 2 

Block Glory - Standings:
Yoshimi Mushashibo - 9
Nobuatsu Tatsuko - 8
Mito Miwa - 5
Eisaku Hoshino - 4
PRIDE Koiso - 2
Bryan Vessey - 2 

Elite Series - Final:
Yoshimi Mushashibo defeated Shuji Inukai with the Yoshimi Lock
 

 

 

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 16.03.2023 (PGHW Global)
Tokyo
[81]

1. Historical Japan Title: Haranobu Kobayashi (c) defeated Mark Griffin (15:10) with the Gutwrench Power Bomb (4th defence). [58] [★★]
2. Aaron Knight & George Wolfe defeated The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi) (7:41) with the Knight Fall from Knight to Hikichi. [47] [★]
3. Crimson Tigers (Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated Goro Sakamoto, Michio Gensai & Washi Heat (7:41) with the Scorpion DDT from Kamachi to Sakamoto. [61] [★★¼]
4. RONIN VII (Joshua Taylor, Noriyori Sanda & Yuri Yoshihara) defeated REBEL (Hirotsugu Sarou, Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake) (8:39) with the Exploder XXL from Sanda to Nakahata. [63] [★★½]
5. BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Magnum Kobe defeated Coyote Club (Hirokazu Yamanoue, Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake) (10:35) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Yasutake. [76] [★★★½]
6. Elite Series - Glory Block: SATO [7] defeated Akinori Kwakami [4] (19:19) with the Wind Spirit Elbow. [81] [★★★★]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kozue Kawashima [8] defeated Kazushige Matsuki [6] (11:53) with the Kawashima Driver 2005. [80] [★★★★]
8. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [9] vs. Chojrio Kitoaji [9] - Time Limit Draw (30:00). [84] [★★★★¼]
9. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [10] defeated Seiji Jimbo [8] (16:16) with the Mutilator. [82] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• The first live televised show since Japanese Sports Vision sensationally cancelled its TV deal with PGHW mid-tour, this show was streamed live worldwide on the PGHW Global platform - reaching an estimated 1.9 million subscribers around the world.
• The big story was, of course, the main event bout which pitted the leaders in the Glory Block against each other: the reigning Glory Crown Champion Seiji Jimbo and the terrifying gai-jin Mutant, who had each managed four wins from four bouts. In a shock result, a surprisingly fresh Jimbo was beaten clean by the American Mutant, who squashed him flat with the Mutilator to surge ahead to the top of the Glory Block with five wins from five bouts. It was undoubtedly the biggest win of Mutant's career - even bigger than his squash match triumph over Yasunobu Masuno late last year. With just two bouts left, he's the clear favourite to qualify for his first Elite Series final.
• Hot on his tail, though, is the International Champion SATO, who moved to seven points from five bouts with a win over the former winner Akinori Kwakami. SATO would need Mutant to drop his last two bouts to have a shot of winning, but he kept his hopes alive here with an impressive display. He meets Mutant in one of his remaining two bouts.
• In the Pride Block, it's really a battle between three as arch rivals and former tag partners Bussho Makiguchi and Chojiro Kitoaji fought out a hard fought time limit draw. The two have been on a collision course in recent months, but showed here just how well they know each other as neither really got too close to a decisive win. They both sit on top of the Pride Block one point ahead four-time winner Kozue Kawashima, who effectively put Kazushige Matsuki's chances to rest with a dominant display.
• In other action, Haranobu Kobayashi made a fourth successful defence of the Historical Japan Title. This one wasn't a great bout, as the Canadian Mark Griffin wasn't really taken seriously by the crowd in a prolonged bout.

Elite Series - Pride Block Standings

Bussho Makiguchi - 9
Chojiro Kitoaji - 9
Kozue Kawashima - 8
Kazushige Matsuki - 6
Michio Gensai - 4
Aaron Knight - 2
Tsurayuki Kamachi - 2
Joshua Taylor - 0

Elite Series - Glory Block Standings

Mutant - 10
Seiji Jimbo - 8
SATO - 7
Masaru Ugaki - 5
Akinori Kwakami - 4
Magnum Kobe - 4
Hirotsugu Satou - 2
Noriyori Sanda - 0

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 17.03.2023
Doshisha Athletic Center
[77]
Partial Results

1. Elite Series - Glory Block: Hirotsugu Satou [4] defeated Magnum Kobe [4] (14:12) with an Inside Cradle. [79] [★★★¾]
2. Elite Series - Pride Block: Joshua Taylor [2] defeated Michio Gensai [4] (13:23) with an STO. [53] [★½]
3. Elite Series - Pride Block: Aaron Knight [4] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [2] (12:28) with a Sunset Flip. [61] [★★¼]
4. Elite Series - Glory Block: Akinori Kwakami [6] defeated Masaru Ugaki [5] (19:55) with the Red Star Neckbreaker. [79] [★★★¾]

Show Highlights:

• None of the four bouts tonight bore upon the qualifiers for the final, but there was still some good action to be had. In a bitterly fought main event, Akinori Kwakami won the battle of the former winners as he edged out Masaru Ugaki with his secondary finisher - the Red Star Neckbreaker - after being unable to make his fellow veteran submit to the Pain Lock.
• Elsewhere, two-time International Champion Joshua Taylor picked up his first two points of the series with a win over Michio Gensai with an STO. The match was fiercely underwhelming and yet a further sign of the tremendous decline in Taylor's skills, though Gensai hardly showed much himself.
• In the first of the Elite Series bouts, there was a surprise of sorts as Hirotsugu Satou bested his faction leader Magnum Kobe. It was probably the best of the night's tournament bouts, as the normally very serious 27-year old used one of his mentor's tricks against him with an inside cradle to pick up the win. Kobe looked furious after the bout but - eventually - congratulated his young partner. The flash pinfall finish was reused just a couple of bouts later as the cocky Canadian Aaron Knight picked up his second win of the Elite Series over tag champion Tsurayuki Kamachi.
•  Elsewhere, in the pick of the non-tournament bouts, tournament contenders Chojiro Kitoaji & SATO combined with The Supreme Warriors, Hatamoto & Hikichi, to beat four members of the Crimson Tigers: Bussho Makiguchi, Kozue Kawashima and The Lions of Japan. The finish came with a Lariat from Kitoaji to Shinji Mihara.

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 18.03.2023
Yokohama
[81]
Partial Results

1. Elite Series - Pride Block: Bussho Makiguchi [11] defeated Michio Gensai [4] (11:20) with the Blazing Elbow. [80] [★★★★]
2. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kozue Kawashima [10] defeated Joshua Taylor [2] (8:21) with the Double K Killer. [70] [★★★]
3. Elite Series - Pride Block: Seiji Jimbo [10] defeated Magnum Kobe [4] (20:22) with the Jimbo Driver. [81] [★★★★]
4. Elite Series - Glory Block: SATO [9] defeated Mutant [10] (28:32) with the Wind Spirit Elbow. [82] [★★★★¼]

Show Highlights:

• In contrast to the previous night, the show in Yokohama was stacked with contenders for the final - though the state of the groups was even less clear at the end of a packed night.
• In the first of the bouts, Bussho Makiguchi surged to top of the Pride Block with a dominant win over Michio Gensai in an excellent bout, though he continues to have stablemate Kozue Kawashima nipping at his heels following the latter's win over Joshua Taylor. It's ultimately a battle between three, with Makiguchi, Kawashima and Chojiro Kitoaji the only men now mathematically capable of qualifying for the final.
• In the Glory Block, Seiji Jimbo recovered from the first blip on his Elite Series with an impressive win over Magnum Kobe. Kobe has had a bitterly disappointing series, so he pulled out all stops here in the hopes of picking up a pinfall win over the Glory Crown Champion. It wasn't to be, though, as Jimbo picked him off with the Jimbo Driver to keep his chances of defending the Elite Series alive.
• His chances of doing so were only kept alive because of the result in the main event, as SATO handed Mutant his first loss of the series - and a rare singles loss in his PGHW career - with the Wind Spirit Elbow. In the longest singles bout of Mutant's career, the match looked destined to go to a time limit draw - only for SATO to strike the giant with his finishing move twice in quick succession to keep him down for the three count. The result means, much like the Pride Block, the Glory Block is a battle between three men: Mutant, SATO and Jimbo.

Elite Series - Pride Block Standings

Bussho Makiguchi - 11 (one bout to come)
Kozue Kawashima - 10 (one bout to come)
Chojiro Kitoaji - 9 (two bouts to come)
Kazushige Matsuki - 6 (two bouts to come)
Aaron Knight - 4 (one bout to come)
Michio Gensai - 4 (final score)
Joshua Taylor - 2 (final score)
Tsurayuki Kamachi - 2 (one bout to come)

Elite Series - Glory Block Standings

Mutant - 10 (one bout to come)
Seiji Jimbo - 10 (one bout to come)
SATO - 9 (one bout to come)
Akinori Kwakami - 6 (finał score)
Masaru Ugaki - 5 (one bout to come)
Hirotsugu Satou - 4 (one bout to come)
Magnum Kobe - 4 (one bout to come)
Noriyori Sanda - 0 (two bouts to come)

* * * * *

REMAINING ELITE SERIES BOUTS

"PRIDE Series", 20 March 2023 (Kobe - Televised)

PRIDE Block:

Bussho Makiguchi [11] vs. Kozue Kawashima [10]
Chojiro Kitoaji [9] vs. Kazushige Matsuki [6]

GLORY Block:

Magnum Kobe [4] vs. Masaru Ugaki [5]
Hirotsugu Satou [4] vs. Noriyori Sanda [0]

"PRIDE Series", 22 March 2023 (Kyoto - Televised)

PRIDE Block:

Aaron Knight [4] vs. Kazushige Matsuki [6]
Chojiro Kitoaji [9] vs. Tsurayuki Kamachi [2]

GLORY Block:

Mutant [10] vs. Noriyori Sanda [0]
SATO [9] vs. Seiji Jimbo [10]

Edited February 25 by Scottie

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 20.03.2023 (PGHW Global)
Kobe
[81]

1. Elite Series - Pride Block: Hirotsugu Satou [6] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (16:10) with the Scorpion Death Lock. [69] [★★¾]
2. Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake defeated Joshua Taylor & Takashi Fujimura (6:38) with a Spear Tackle from Nakahata to Fujimura. [53] [★★]
3. The Supreme Warriors (Hatamoto & Hikichi) defeated Hirokazu Yamanoue & Hiroshi Ito (7:51) with a Full Nelson Bomb from Hikichi to Ito. [37] [★]
4. Crimson Tigers (Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) defeated Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) (9:21) with the Scorpion DDT from Kamachi to Yasutake. [70] [★★★]
5. The Front (Goro Sakamoto, Michio Gensai & Mutant) defeated The North (George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) (5:45) with the Mutilator from Mutant to Robby. [68] [★★¾]
6. Aaron Knight, SATO, Storm Spillane & Washi Heat defeated RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami, Haranobu Kobayashi, Seiji Jimbo & Yuri Yoshihara) (10:37) with the Wind Spirit Elbow from SATO to Yoshihara. [80] [★★★★]
7. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [11] defeated Kazushige Matsuki [6] (12:23) with the Lariat. [77] [★★★★] [★★★½]
8. Elite Series - Pride Block: Masaru Ugaki [7] defeated Magnum Kobe [4] (21:11) with the Arc Kick. [88] [★★★★¼]
9. Elite Series - Glory Block: Bussho Makiguchi [12] vs. Kozue Kawashima [11] - Time Limit Draw (30:00). [86] [★★★★¼]

Show Highlights:

• As per usual, the Elite Series will come down to the final night. In the Glory Block, it will all depend on whether Chojiro Kitoaji can best the Glory Tag Crown Champion Tsurayuki Kamachi, after the group leaders Bussho Makiguchi and Kozue Kawashima went to a time limit draw in the main event of this televised show. The two stablemates clearly knew each other too well, and neither man was able to land the decisive blow, leaving the door open for Kitoaji on Wednesday night's televised decider. Kitoaji and Makiguchi are famed tag partners - but will Makiguchi's new partner be able to stun the world and keep Kitoaji out of the final?
• Tonight's results had no bearing on the results in the Pride Block, but it was notable for two reasons. In an excellent bout, Masaru Ugaki ensured he would finish fourth in the group with a win over Magnum Kobe; while Kobe's partner Hirotsugu Satou picked up a third win to leapfrog Kobe into equal fifth. On Wednesday night, it will really come down to whether the gai-jin Mutant can win his bout to top the group - because that will be enough regardless of the result of the bout between Seiji Jimbo and SATO (in circumstances where Mutant would beat Jimbo on a count back). The man standing in his way: 44-year old Winter Battle winner Noriyori Sanda, who has lost all six bouts this series. Can he put an end to that in the most extraordinary way? 

Elite Series - Pride Block Standings

Bussho Makiguchi - 12
Chojiro Kitoaji - 11 (one bout to come)
Kozue Kawashima - 11
Kazushige Matsuki - 6 (one bout to come)
Aaron Knight - 4 (one bout to come)
Michio Gensai - 4
Joshua Taylor - 2
Tsurayuki Kamachi - 2 (one bout to come)

Elite Series - Glory Block Standings

Mutant - 10 (one bout to come)
Seiji Jimbo - 10 (one bout to come)
SATO - 9 (one bout to come)
Masaru Ugaki - 7
Akinori Kwakami - 6
Hirotsugu Satou - 6
Magnum Kobe - 4
Noriyori Sanda - 0 (one bout to come)

"PRIDE Series", 22 March 2023 (Kyoto - Televised)

PRIDE Block:

Aaron Knight [4] vs. Kazushige Matsuki [6]
Chojiro Kitoaji [11] vs. Tsurayuki Kamachi [2]

IF KITOAJI WINS: Kitoaji wins the group.
IF KITOAJI LOSES: Makiguchi wins the group.
IF KITOAJI DRAWS: Kitoaji and Makiguchi face off in a semi-final at "Night of PRIDE".

GLORY Block:

Mutant [10] vs. Noriyori Sanda [0]
SATO [9] vs. Seiji Jimbo [10]

IF MUTANT WINS: Mutant wins the group (either in his own right or on a count-back vs. Jimbo).
IF JIMBO WINS AND MUTANT LOSES: Jimbo wins the group.
IF SATO WINS AND MUTANT LOSES: SATO wins the group.
IF MUTANT DRAWS AND SATO/JIMBO DRAW: Mutant wins the group (on a count-back).
IF MUTANT DRAWS AND SATO WINS: SATO wins the group (on a count-back).
IF MUTANT DRAWS AND JIMBO WINS: Jimbo wins the group.

Edited February 25 by Scottie

[Chaddes]

GO ON SATO SON LETS FUCKIN GOOOOO

[Scottie]

PGHW “PRIDE Series”, 22.03.2023 (PGHW Global)
Kyoto
[81]

1. Historical Japan Tag Team Titles: BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi (c) defeated Joshua Taylor & Yuri Yoshihara (11:28) with the Stereo Choke Slam from Kikuchi to Yoshihara (6th defence). [74] [★★★½]
2. Bussho Makiguchi, Storm Spillane & Tsurayuki Kamachi defeated Goro Sakamoto, Michio Gensai & Motoyuke Miyake (9:46) with the Blazing Elbow from Makiguchi to Sakamoto. [77] [★★★½]
3. REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Minoru Nakahata) defeated The Supreme Warriors (Hatamoto & Hikichi) & Washi Heat (11:20) with the Scorpion DDT from Satou to Heat. [75] [★★★½]
4. Akinori Kwakami & Haranobu Kobayashi defeated Masaru Ugaki & Toyotomi Yasutake (8:13) with the Pain Lock from Kwakami to Yasutake. [70] [★★★]
5. Crimson Tigers (Kozue Kawashima, Shinji Mihara & Shozo Furuta) defeated The North (George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) (8:58) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 from Kawashima to Wolfe. [62] [★★]
6. Elite Series - Pride Block: Kazushige Matsuki [8] defeated Aaron Knight [4] (11:47) with the Fist of Fury. [76] [★★★½]
7. Elite Series - Glory Block: SATO [10] vs. Seiji Jimbo [11] - Time Limit Draw (30:00). [91] [★★★★½]
8. Elite Series - Glory Block: Mutant [12] defeated Noriyori Sanda [0] (8:39) with the Tina Turner. [70] [★★★]
9. Elite Series - Pride Block: Chojiro Kitoaji [13] defeated Tsurayuki Kamachi [2] (13:46) with the Blazing Elbow. [80] [★★★★]

Show Highlights:

• And then there were two. Those chasing the group leaders knew they were up against it, with Mutant and Chojiro Kitoaji due to compete in bouts in which they were the raging favourites. But nevertheless, their hopes were dashed as each of them prevailed in quick time to secure a spot in the Elite Series final this Friday.
• Mutant knew he only needed a draw in his bout with Noriyori Sanda, after watching an earlier bout between SATO and Seiji Jimbo end in a time limit draw. It was a devastating result for SATO, who must have felt he went close to winning the bout on multiple occasions - only for the Glory Crown Champion to show real grit to survive. Because of his loss to Mutant earlier in the series, Jimbo was praying for a miracle - with his RONIN VII brother Sanda, coming off a run of six-straight losses, the only thing standing in the way of Mutant and the final. In the opening minutes of the bout, it looked like the impossible could happen, as Sanda stunned Mutant with a very near three count. But Mutant soon fought back, and he ended a spirited display from the 44-year old Sanda with the Tina Turner to become the first gai-jin in nearly a decade to qualify for the Elite Series final.
• In the other half, the group depended on Chojiro Kitoaji's performance against Glory Tag Crown Champion Tsurayuki Kamachi. The match took on an added layer of interest, given the growing animosity between Kitoaji and his former partner Bussho Makiguchi. Kamachi is of course Makiguchi's current partner, as part of KamaGuchi (a clear shot at the former KitoGuchi), and Makiguchi was praying for Kamachi to win so he could himself qualify for the Elite Series Final. Unfortunately for him, it was Kitoaji who picked up the points to secure a spot in the final as he struck Kamachi down with his famous Lariat. Then, to rub salt into his former partner's wounds, he waited for Kamachi to stumble to his feet - before nailing him down with the Blazing Elbow; Makiguchi's own finishing move!
• There wasn't much time to dwell on the ignominy of that move, as Kitoaji was soon confronted by Mutant and his fellow members of The Front (Kazushige Matsuki, Michio Gensai and the young lion Goro Sakamoto). In the final picture before Friday night's Elite Series Final, Kitoaji bravely stared down all the four members of The Front in a clear signal that he is not afraid.

[Chaddes]

I am shocked and appalled.

All my chips are on Mutant now. Go on son. Do It the the US of A brother 🔥

[Shmoe II]

I've been waiting until the blocks of the Elite Series to be done to finally comment how much I love what you're doing here. Firstly, absolutely fantastic presentation and how you keep the threads and development of stories in a succinct streamlined way.

Fantastic Elite Series! I don't really know much about Mutant in-game but the way you're presenting him is exciting, it seems he's stepping into that Dread/Raymond Diaz role with confidence. intriguing to see how you're handling this slow transference between the Ugaki/Kawashima era staying competitive but definitely losing ground to Jimbo/Kitoaji/Makiguchi/SATO etc. 

Looking forward to Night of PRIDE, kind of hoping Mutant does it for the chaos but it's hard to bet against Chojiro. Keep it up man!

[naizen45]

I really enjoy reading this! Mutant vs. Kitoaji will be a great final. I'm going with Kitoaji on this one, I think Mutant is the perfect last big mountain Kitoaji has to overcome to win the Elite Series

Surprised by how good SATO is for you. In my short saves I had with PGHW he wasn't that special

[Scottie]

PGHW "NIGHT OF PRIDE" 2023 - PREDICTION KEY

THE 27TH ELITE SERIES - FINAL
Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Mutant

TAG TEAM MATCH
 RONIN VII (Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo) vs.  The Front (Kazushige Matsuki & Michio Gensai)

GLORY TAG CROWN SKIRMISH
 Crimson Tigers (Kozue Kawashima, Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) vs.  The North (Aaron Knight, George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin)

SINGLES MATCH
Bussho Makiguchi vs. Storm Spillane

TAG TEAM MATCH
 RONIN VII (Akinori Kwakami & Yuri Yoshihara) vs.  Coyote Club (Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki)

HISTORICAL JAPAN TITLE MATCH
Haranobu Kobayashi (c) vs. Washi Heat

SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
 REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) vs. SATO & The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi)

SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
 Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) vs. Noriyori Sanda, Hiroshi Ito & Takashi Fujimura

[Chaddes]

Mutant

RONIN VII

Crimson Tigers

Makiguchi

Coyote Club

Kobayashi

SATO & The Supreme Warriors

Coyote Club

[StanMiguel]

Chojiro Kitoaji
 The Front
 The North
Bussho Makiguchi
  Coyote Club
Haranobu Kobayashi (c)
 REBEL
 Coyote Club

[Scottie]

PRIDE TOUR
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023

The annual Elite Series came to a conclusion at "Night of PRIDE" from Kyoto on Mar. 23, with a blockbuster show headlined by a showdown between block winners Chojiro Kitoaji and Mutant.

The undercard saw the continuation of Noriyori Sanda's story, as he suffered another defeat - this time alongside the young lions Hiroshi Ito & Takashi Fujimura. Sanda was clearly unhappy with the way the cocky BISON Yano put Ito away, setting up a potential future match against the former Glory Tag Crown Champion.

In other news, SATO recovered from the disappointment of missing out on the Elite Series final, combining with The Supreme Warriors to best REBEL. The International Champion had some hot spots against his former stable leader Magnum Kobe, and the two look destined to renew their rivalry after this good bout.

New stories continued to spring out of the Elite Series, as the rivalry between veterans Masaru Ugaki and Akinori Kwakami continued to grow - this time with Ugaki picking up the bragging rights in a tag match. Meanwhile, the Canadian stable The North picked up another big win over Kozue Kawashima's Crimson Tigers.

But the real focus was on the main event, as first time finalists Kitoaji and Mutant did battle for the famed Elite Series shield. The bout was hotly contested - a traditional David vs. Goliath battle between the former Glory Crown Champion Kitoaji and the giant gai-jin Mutant. The result was excellent - a clear match of the night - as both men went perilously close to victory. Eventually, the dominant Mutant went to the top rope for a Giant Splash - only for the wily Kitoaji to move out of the way at the last minute. He followed up with two of his famed Lariats - once from the mat and then once in the air - to follow in the footsteps of his father to claim the Elite Series.

PGHW “Night of PRIDE”, 24.03.2023 (PGHW Global)
Kyoto
[84]

1. Coyote Club (BISON Yano, Brute Kikuchi & Toyotomi Yasutake) defeated Noriyori Sanda, Hiroshi Ito & Takashi Fujimura (8:21) with the Yano Express from Yano to Ito. [53] [★¾]
2. SATO & The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi) defeated REBEL (Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & Motoyuke Miyake) (14:28) with the SATO Driver 10K from SATO to Miyake. [75] [★★★½]
3. Historical Japan Title: Haranobu Kobayashi (c) defeated Washi Heat (11:04) with the Gutwrench Power Bomb (5th defence). [67] [★★¾]
4. Hirokazu Yamanoue & Masaru Ugaki defeated Akinori Kwakami & Yuri Yoshihara (8:14) with the Arc Kick from Ugaki to Yoshihara. [65] [★★½]
5. Special Singles Match: Bussho Makiguchi defeated Storm Spillane (7:23) with the Blazing Elbow. [70] [★★★]
6. The North (Aaron Knight, George Wolfe, Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) defeated Crimson Tigers (Kozue Kawashima, Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) (11:18) with the Knight Fall from Knight to Furuta. [55] [★★]
7. Joshua Taylor & Seiji Jimbo defeated Kazushige Matsuki & Michio Gensai (14:29) with the Jimbo Driver from Jimbo to Gensai. [77] [★★★½]
8. The 27th Elite Series - Final: Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Mutant (22:24) with the Lariat. [90] [★★★★½]

 

[Scottie]

Three wrestlers who have returned back to PGHW in recent months:

WASHI HEAT

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Unaligned	177cm	83kg	A
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Tokyo, Japan	1982	2000	Washi Explosion

Washi Heat is something of an enigma in Japan, simply because of his trademark mask; this is something usually synonymous with the junior heavyweights, but Washi is very much a part of the heavyweight division, relying on technique and stiff brawling rather than any high flying or flashy moves. Some have speculated that he wears it for more practical reasons, such as to hide some facial scars.

A decent wrestler who is a valuable member of any roster, in 2006 he left his long-time home of BHOTWG to join PGHW as it better suited his style. He stayed five years before he was off again, this time to join WEXXV. He fit in well and was widely considered to be one of the best in-ring workers the company ever had.

After WEXXV went out of business, he spent time as one of the most in demand workers on the independent scene. Eventually, he filled a role as an experienced hand in the new PGHW USA promotion before recently earning a spot back on the main PGHW roster in Japan. At 40, he's slowing down - but he's got good experience to pass onto the next generation.

PGHW International; WEXXV Warrior's Heart; Marquee Wrestling League International Tag

SUPREME WARRIOR HATAMOTO

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Supreme Warriors	176cm	85kg	O
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Kobe, Japan	1999	2018	Cobra Clutch; Hot Shot

A 2018 graduate of the WWA: Japan dojo, Goro Hatamoto came onto the scene as a very promising rookie.

A no-nonsense type of fighter, he doesn't look fancy (plain black trunks, plain black boots) and doesn't fight fancy (he sticks primarily to nasty strikes and painful looking holds) either, but everything he does looks realistic and he has a definite bad ass aura about him. Notably, he has taken to using the Hot Shot at his finisher, and seems to have perfected it as it looks like a near-decapitation attempt when he hits it.

After working the independent scene from late 2018, the rumours came true in 2020 as PGHW picked him up as a young lion. He had a decent first year, before joining Canadian inter gender promotion ACPW on excursion from February 2021 to 2023, working also for other independent promotions like MAW and OCW.

He returned to PGHW in February 2023 having improved as a wrestler, though there are concerns he's plateaued development wise - even at the tender age of 23. While he's retained his no-nonsense martial arts style and appearance, he's been rebranded as Supreme Warrior Hatamoto alongside fellow excursion returnee Nobuyo Hikuchi.

SUPREME WARRIOR HIKICHI

UNIT	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	BLOOD TYPE
Supreme Warriors	182cm	81kg	B
PLACE OF BIRTH	YEAR OF BIRTH	DEBUT	FINISHERS
Wakayama, Japan	1998	2017	Cross Armlock

 A PGHW true born, Nobuyo Hikichi graduated from the company's dojo system in 2017. After spending the first year and a half of his career as a young boy getting the crap kicked out of him on a nightly basis, Hikichi started to come into his own in 2019, especially once he started leaning in to his natural tendency to be a vicious heel. Noted for the fire in his performances, Hikich started to develop a reputation for being a mean bastard who'll turn an opponent's arm to mush before forcing them to tap to his Cross Armlock finisher.

In February 2021, Hikichi went on a two-year excursion with Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and All-Canada Pro Wrestling, meeting some of the top independent talent (including some of Canada's best female talents like Lauren Easter and Brooke Tyler). Since then, he's resumed his role as a mean bastard alongside fellow martial artist Goro Hatamoto, now being remanded Supreme Warrior Hatamoto.  

 

[Scottie]

“Nagoya Puroresu Festival 2023", 29.03.2022 (PGHW Global)
Nagoya
10,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
[79]

1. Daigo Goya Return Match: Chojiro Kitoaji, Daigo Goya & Storm Spillane defeated Crimson Tigers (Shinji Mihara, Shozo Furuta & Tsurayuki Kamachi) (9:42) with the Lariat from Kitoaji to Mihara. [75] [★★★½]
2. Akinori Kwakami & Yuri Yoshihara defeated Hirokazu Yamanoue & Toyotomi Yasutake (9:15) with the Pain Lock from Kwakami to Yamanoue. [64] [★★½]
3. Hirotsugu Satou, Magnum Kobe & The Griffin Family (Mark Griffin & Robby Griffin) defeated SATO, Washi Heat & The Supreme Warriors (Supreme Warrior Hatamoto & Supreme Warrior Hikichi) (12:15) with the Amazing Red from Kobe to Heat. [74] [★★★¼]
4. Historical Japan Tag Team Titles: BISON Yano & Brute Kikuchi defeated Minoru Nakahata & Motoyuke Miyake (12:22) with the Yano Express from Yano to Miyake (7th defence). [74] [★★★¼]
5. The Front (Kazushige Matsuki, Michio Gensai & Mutant) defeated RONIN VII (Haranobu Kobayashi, Noriyori Sanda & Seiji Jimbo) (15:51) with the Fist of Fury from Matsuki to Sanda. [82] [★★★¾]
6. Special Tag Team Match: Bussho Makiguchi & Kozue Kawashima defeated Aaron Knight & George Wolfe (14:21) with the Kawashima Driver 2005 from Kawashima to Wolf. [80] [★★★¾]

Show Highlights:

• Aaron Knight's first run with PGHW came to an end with a main event defeat alongside fellow Canadian George Wolfe to two of PGHW's biggest stars: Bussho Makiguchi and Kozue Kawashima. It was a good showing from the Canadian pairing, who will head back to North America with a view of rejoining PGHW for further tours later in the year. Their compatriots The Griffin Family will star for at least the "FORTITUDE Series" this month, maybe even longer.
• In the semi-main event, Kazushige Matsuki compounded Noriyori Sanda's misfortunes with the Fist of Fury to secure the win for his team over a RONIN VII outfit including Seiji Jimbo. Buoyed by the win over the Glory Crown Champion (albeit indirectly), Matsuki eagerly challenged Jimbo for the Glory Crown at "Night of FORTITUDE" - a challenge which Jimbo accepted.
• Elsewhere, RONIN VII will have their hands full at "Night of FORTITUDE" next month as Akinori Kwakami challenged Masaru Ugaki to a 5 vs. 5 Survival Match. The two struck up a bitter rivalry in the Elite Series and seem destined for a singles showdown later this year.
• In the opening bout, former young lion Daigo Goya made his return to PGHW following two years on excursion in Canada. The 23-year old has improved in his time away and will be hoping to carve out a spot on the bloated PGHW roster.