PGHW - The Other Beginning

[SomeLazyMagic]

Match Card

Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko in Semi Final 1 of the Elite Series

Dread vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo in Semi Final 2 of the Elite Series

Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Walter Morgan vs. Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Yodo Nakane

Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

Eisaku Kunomasu © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Historical Japan title

Danger Kumasaka, Eisaku Hoshino and Kazuo Mitsushi vs. Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell

Winner of Semi Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi Final 2 for the Elite Series Trophy

[siah463]

Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko in Semi Final 1 of the Elite Series

Dread vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo in Semi Final 2 of the Elite Series

Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Walter Morgan vs. Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Yodo Nakane

Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

Eisaku Kunomasu © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Historical Japan title

Danger Kumasaka, Eisaku Hoshino and Kazuo Mitsushi vs. Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell

Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Dread for the Elite Series Trophy

[Chaddes]

Match Card

Mito Miwa

Dread

Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Yodo Nakane

Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Eisaku Kunomasu ©

Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell

Mito Miwa

[Willsky]

Night of PRIDE 1999

Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko in Semi Final 1 of the Elite Series

Dread vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo in Semi Final 2 of the Elite Series

Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Walter Morgan vs. Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Yodo Nakane

Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

Eisaku Kunomasu © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Historical Japan title

Danger Kumasaka, Eisaku Hoshino and Kazuo Mitsushi vs. Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell

Winner of Semi Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi Final 2 for the Elite Series Trophy

 

As usual, Night of PRIDE was dominated by the climax of the Elite Series, with four men hoping to get their hands on the prestigious prize.

The rest of the card was filled with big tag matches featuring members of all levels of the roster as well as a Historical Japan title match.

 

MATCH 1: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko in Semi Final 1 of the Elite Series

Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Mito Miwa faced in this exact fixture in the 1998 instalment of the Elite Series, with Tatsuko coming out on top that time. He later went on to win the whole tournament.

Miwa was out for revenge. He had risen in the PGHW ranks thanks to his impressive tag achievements as one half of Team MYTHOS, but a win here would see him really break out in singles competition.

Tatsuko, on the other hand, was on another level since defeating Koryusai Kitoaji at Night of WRESTLING. He had fallen short of defeating Dread at Night of RESPECT, but vowed to get right back in the title picture as soon as possible. Beating Miwa would do just that.

In another great match, they went back and forth, trading their biggest shots, but in the end it was Tatsuko who got the victory with the Tatsuko Driller.

 

MATCH 2: Dread vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo in Semi Final 2 of the Elite Series

It had been exactly two years since Dread last lost a singles match. At Night of PRIDE 1997, Koryusai Kitoaji defeated him to defend the Glory Crown.

In that time, Mushashibo had grown from a technical starlet into a serious competitor, regularly putting in outstanding performances, and, this year, getting out of the Blocks of the Elite Series for the first time.

But nobody expected him to win.

He tried his best, though. He knew Dread was suffering a minor injury to the back, so he went to work, gracefully floating around the big American, using leverage and momentum in his favour.

He applied several holds that caused Dread visible pain. This enraged the Glory Crown champion, who fought back with a powerful vengeance. When he hit a Dread Bomb it looked all over for Mushashibo, but the youngster kicked out!

Then Dread went for the Dreadsault… missed and landed on the injured back! Mushashibo capitalised and applied the Yoshimi Lock, wrenching Dread’s spine upwards and back…

Dread tapped out!!

Mushashibo defeated Dread in what had to be called a massive upset. He moved on to the final to face Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

 

MATCH 3: Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) and Walter Morgan vs. Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Yodo Nakane

The first of several big tag matches was a good run out for some of the lower card workers. Nakane let his team to victory, pinning Go Matsunaga.

 

MATCH 4: Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama & Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

Four teams competed in the second big tag match. Many expected the team of two former Glory Tag Crown teams to win, but Pistol Pete Hall pulled of the second big shock of the night, getting the pinfall victory on Lee Wright after a Pistol Whip Lariat.

 

MATCH 5: Eisaku Kunomasu © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Historical Japan title

Eisaku Kunomasu promised he would give anyone who defeated him in the Elite Series a shot at the Historical Japan title. Shuji Inukai was the first to take him up on the offer.

Inukai was by far Kunomasu’s most dangerous opponent yet, and many had him down as the favourite to win. But Inukai couldn’t replicate his tag partner Mushashibo’s success, as he fell to a devastating Launching Knee Strike after a great match.

 

MATCH 6: Danger Kumasaka, Eisaku Hoshino and Kazuo Mitsushi vs. Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell

The third big tag match had the most famous names, with Koryusai Kitoaji, Eisaku Hoshino and Danger Kumasaka involved.

Despite the wealth of stars around him, Tommy Cornell didn’t look out of place. He had enjoyed a better-than-expected first Elite Series and his natural superstar aura helped him standout in a field of top guys.

The result of the match was given away by the presence of Kazuo Matsushi. It was inevitable that he would lose the match, and after Cornell put in his good performance, Koryusai Kitoaji finished it off with a Kitoaji Braindrop to Mitsushi.

 

MATCH 7: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Elite Series

It had come. The big one.

Last year’s victor Nobuatsu Tatsuko hoped to get his name engraved on the trophy a second time. He had shown great form all tournament, going unbeaten and only dropping two points in time-limit draws. Going into the tournament, he had much better odds than Mushashibo.

That was made worse when Tatsuko defeated Mushashibo in the opening round. But since then, Mushashibo went on a winning run, picking up the two points in his six remaining matches and earlier in the night stunning Dread to get to the final.

That victory had people believing he could go on and defeat Tatsuko. Others thought he might be too tired after the effort he had put in during that epic semi-final.

It was clear from the very start Mushashibo wanted to keep a steady pace. He kept his distance and initiated grapples whenever possible. Tatsuko wanted the exact opposite. He could keep up a fast rhythm for much longer than Mushashibo, and it favoured his intense style.

This battle of strategies played out for nearly twenty minutes. Tatsuko was frustrated at Mushashibo’s stalling, while Mushashibo struggled to contain Tatsuko’s explosiveness.

When Mushashibo got in his groove, things looked bad for Tatsuko. A sequence of painful holds and submissions wore down Tatsuko, often being locked in for several minutes at a time.

The crowd grew frustrated. They wanted to see Tatsuko on a rampage.

Finally, they got it. Tatsuko broke free of an armbar and roared to his feet, sending the weary crowd into raptures. He went wild on Mushashibo, landing eight consecutive suplexes.

Mushashibo, to his credit, battled back bravely. But by then the unstoppable train was in motion and Tatsuko would not be slowed. He continued launching Mushashibo around the ring, slamming his back into the mat and crunching him with big kicks and elbow strikes.

The Tatsuko Driller capped it all off, getting the pinfall victory.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko won the Elite Series 1999!

It was an impressive victory for the young man, making it back-to-back tournament success and getting him another shot at the Glory Crown.

It may have been Mushashibo who landed the first blow to Dread, but it was Tatsuko who smelled blood in the water. Blood that could end in him redeeming his loss at Night of RESPECT and getting his hands on the Glory Crown.

 

After the show, Mushashibo was thoughtful despite the obvious pain he was suffering.

Mushashibo: I always say the best man wins on the night, assuming all was fair and equal. And I cannot deny that was the case. Tatsuko beat me. Only just, I’ll add, but he deserves his success.

I am disappointed not to have won the Elite Series. But I know I can walk away from this tournament with my head held high. Not only did I qualify from the block stage for the first time, but I also reached the final. What’s more, I was the first man in two years to defeat Dread.

Yes, he was suffering a mild injury. That doesn’t take away from my achievement. And if Dread doesn’t think it was an honourable way to defeat him, then maybe he would like to face me again, and I will show him I can overcome him at one hundred percent

Edited November 30, 2023 by Willsky

[monrapi3]

Now, that is an upset. Even at defeat, Mushashibo left Night of PRIDE '99 as a potential Glory Crown holder. His defeat to Tatsuko ain't hindering him when he's the one to finally end that streak of Dread.

[Scottie]

Shocked by that outcome! Gives Dread a couple of huge challengers, though - and what a way for Mushashibo to make a name for himself.

[Willsky]

On 12/2/2023 at 12:57 PM, Scottie said:

Shocked by that outcome! Gives Dread a couple of huge challengers, though - and what a way for Mushashibo to make a name for himself.

 

On 12/1/2023 at 1:02 AM, monrapi3 said:

Now, that is an upset. Even at defeat, Mushashibo left Night of PRIDE '99 as a potential Glory Crown holder. His defeat to Tatsuko ain't hindering him when he's the one to finally end that streak of Dread.

Considering Tatsuko was going to win the thing and get that boost, I thought why not give the rub to someone else? And Mushashibo was right there! Also, I wanted to hold off on the Dread vs. Tatsuko rematch.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Willsky

[Willsky]

GLORY IN VIOLENCE

PGHW was home to wrestlers with a variety of in-ring styles. From the power of Dread to the skill of Danger Kumasaka, from relentless impact of Nobuatsu Tatsuko to the careful strategy of Luis Figo Manico, the conflict of these approaches plays a large part in what made the company shine.

Some wrestlers, though, just liked to fight. They cared little for tactics or technique. They weren’t the strongest, the fastest or the cleverest.

Instead, they used sheer violence and tenacity to overcome their foes. A mindset based on a willingness to get hit and hit back harder.

Two wrestlers personified that approach in their own unique ways.

Shuji Inukai had gained a reputation for being able to take serious punishment and always get back up. He was proud, aggressive and refused to give in. He may have been more famous for the devastating Untouchable Lariat that nobody ever kicked out of, but his opponents respected him more for the fact he could take all the punishment they inflicted on him and not give up.

Eisaku Hoshino had a similar ability to withstand pain. The difference between him and Inukai was that while Inukai maintained a grim, tight-lipped focus, Hoshino was wild. He scrapped and tore, battling for every single moment like a caged wolverine.

His tenacity was becoming legendary. He eschewed pretty technique and the precise delivery of his tag partner Eisaku Kunomasu and instead went at his opponents with an untampered ferocity.

PGHW fans had seen Hoshino and Inukai do battle before, mostly in tag matches. During those encounters, their wild violence had been diluted by the grace of Yoshimi Mushashibo and the iciness of Kunomasu.

In previous head-to-head singles competition, they had a win apiece. Hoshino defeated Inukai in October 1998 to retain the Historical Japan title, while Inukai scored a victory in the block stage of the Elite Series 1999.

But as the fates decided, the pair would face off again, and the results would be glory in violence.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 1999

In the main event of Night of FORTITUDE, Shuji Inukai teamed up with his regular tag partner Yoshimi Mushashibo and Nobuatsu Tatsuko to face Eisaku Hoshino, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

The star-studded match had plenty of memorable moments with Mushashibo pinning Kitoaji, but one encounter that fans enjoyed was when Shuji Inukai and Eisaku Hoshino shared the ring together.

All the patient wrestling and deliberate striking from the other members of both teams was cast aside when Inukai whacked Hoshino in the jaw with a massive elbow strike.

This set Hoshino’s temper aflame, and he reacted with a forearm shot in response. For the next three minutes, the two of them let loose a cavalcade of angry blows before Ichihara tagged himself in, replacing Hoshino.

After the match, Inukai, whose team had won, walked up to Hoshino and made a gesture and mouthed some words which nobody could quite make out.

Hoshino understood, though, and took it with the amount of grace and calmness you’d expect from him - that being none at all. He charged at Inukai, but Kitoaji and Ichihara, plus some officials, held him back. After a few seconds, his body calmed, but anger raged in his eyes.

 

Night of POWER, April 1999

It was only natural that Eisaku Hoshino and Shuji Inukai would face off in the ring again, this time in singles competition. It was the best way for them to resolve their differences.

The match began with the wild frenzy seen in the trios match at the previous show. Within two minutes, Hoshino’s nose was busted open and blood poured down his face.

Such a frantic pace slowed somewhat, and Inukai took control. He launched Hoshino across and around the ring with powerful suplexes and powerbombs.

Hoshino was in a real bad way. But he refused to give up. He fought back into the match with a bloodied savagery, swinging wildly at Inukai until the connections started to do some real damage.

Inukai was reeling and Hoshino saw his moment – he hit the Godzilla Plunge to get the three count!

Hoshino won and celebrated like a madman. When Inukai came to, he seethed and for a moment, looked like he might attack Hoshino, but his legs gave out from beneath him.

Nonetheless, it seemed this rivalry was far from over.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 1999

Shuji Inukai partnered with Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) to take on Eisaku Hoshino and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

The brief moments when Inukai and Hoshino shared the ring were fleeting flurries of viciousness before the other competitors took over.

Inukai’s team got the victory thanks to a Too Hot to Handle from Team STRENGTH RUSH on Harumi Okazawaya.

After the match, Inukai walked up to Hoshino and got in his face. The pair didn’t come to blows, but words were exchanged and shortly after, a second match between them was announced for Night of SUCCESS.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 1999

Eisaku Hoshino and Shuji Inukai faced off in singles competition again.

This time, the start of the match was no different – a rush of savagery that resulted in Shuji Inukai bleeding from his forehead.

Hoshino was on fire. He picked up where he left off their last singles encounter, a lashing, flailing windmill of danger. Inukai took hit after hit, getting knocked down and the strength sapped from his core.

But Inukai would not give up. Blood now streaming down his face, he surged back into contention, catching Hoshino off guard. It became one-way traffic as Inukai landed big move after big move, until he connected with the Untouchable Lariat which put Hoshino away.

Inukai took a while to recover, then got his hand raised. But whether he was knocked senseless by the Untouchable Lariat or couldn’t accept his defeat, Hoshino charged at Inukai and tackled him to the ground.

The match may have ended, but the brawl continued. The pair tumbled out of the ring where fists flew and heads clashed. Hoshino was bleeding now, too, and, when they crashed into the timekeeper’s area and commentary booth, they left a trail of carnage the like of which had never been seen before in PGHW.

Officials flooded them both, dragging them apart. That didn’t stop the incensed pair trying to get at each other, though, and more than a few officials found themselves on the end of wild strikes.

Finally, enough bodies separated the two that control was restored and both Inukai and Hoshino were escorted away from ringside. It was later announced that both men would be fined for their actions.

Another announcement came in shortly after. Despite the ugly scenes and the appalling behaviour from both men, it seemed clear that their issues were not resolved. So, at Night of GLORY, they would have one more match to settle things once and for all.

At 2 wins apiece over the last half a year, this was the rubber match. The decider. The bout that would decide who was the king of violence in PGHW.

[Willsky]

TAG CROWN DRIVE

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) were well on their way to reaching the record for longest Glory Tag Crown reign set by Team STRENGTH RUSH at nine months. They had reached five months already, and defeated almost every regular team on the roster.

Given the strength of the tag division at the time, that was no mean feat. But there were still four months to go. Plus, with the tag belts defended on most major shows, that meant there was plenty of work still to be done.

Meanwhile, other members of the roster were considering tag competition as a route to potential glory, just like Mito Miwa and Sean McFly had done.

That meant more obstacles for the champions, and fresh competition.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 1999

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) took on a low-level team in Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao for the Glory Tag Crown. The match was made mostly because there were few other teams remaining for the champions to beat.

Hasegawa was a tag specialist hoping to nurture Inao’s talents. Inao had definitely improved in the last year or so, but still had a long way to go. He was pinned by Sean McFly after a delightful Delorean Driver.

After the show, Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama decided they would reunite their tag team for another bid at the Glory Tag Crown, making a direct challenge to Team MYTHOS.

Also on the show, Tommy Cornell defeated Walter Morgan in singles competition. It was a pretty good match for the two young Englishmen, showcasing both their technical talents.

Cornell’s impressive start to life in PGHW continued, and Walter Morgan didn’t seem upset by the victory. In fact, he and Cornell chatted on the way to the back, with Danger Kumasaka (who had been in Morgan’s corner) joining in.

 

Night of POWER, April 1999

Danger Kumasaka tested Tommy Cornell’s skills in-ring. He was clearly impressed with Cornell’s victory over Walter Morgan, and he came out of this match even more so.

Kumasaka got the victory eventually, using his decades of experience to manipulate Cornell into the Aurora Surfboard Vice, but there was a sense of excitement in the veteran’s eyes as he shook Cornell’s hand afterwards.

Later in the show, Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) defended the Glory Tag Crown against the team they won it from, Hito Ichihara & Mamoru Nagahama.

Nagahama’s slight improvement in the last six months mirrored Ichihara’s minor decline in physicality, meaning the pair were slightly more equal now. Still, equality wasn’t enough to win.

Mito Miwa hit the Pride Bomber on Nagahama for another title defence, meaning they would extend their reign to six months.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 1999

Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) had shown they were ready for another Glory Tag Crown shot with some good victories in the last month. They challenged Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) for the belts.

It was a competitive match and arguably one of the best tag matches in PGHW history, second only to Team MYTHOS’s victory over Team Dynasty at Night of WRESTLING 1998.

Ultimately, the champions retained when McFly hit the Delorean Driver on Dino Maldini.

There was more tag action on the show, though, as Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan teamed up to face Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara).

Cornell and Morgan’s slick wrestling overwhelmed Boundary 97 and Cornell got the victory with a Guilt Trip on Matsunaga. In their first outing, the young Brits got a good win. Danger Kumasaka looked on, obviously quite pleased with their performance.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 1999

Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan tagged again. They had enjoyed the first outing together, and they hoped to repeat it against Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

They didn’t disappoint. This time it was Walter Morgan who shone, getting the submission victory on Okazawaya with his Wigan Wrench.

Later on, Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) successfully defended the Glory Tag Crown titles against the pair of Chuichi Sanda and Yodo Nakane. The challengers had tagged on and off since their miserable performance at the Elite Tag Series in 1998, and now finally got a shot at the gold. They failed. Miwa hit the Pride Bomber on Nakane to win.

After the match, Danger Kumasaka made an appearance with Morgan and Cornell. He spoke to Team MYTHOS in the arena.

Kumasaka: I understand that you are fighting champions. You have defeated every other team in PGHW in an impressive reign. I congratulate you.

But I present to you a new force. Two of the best wrestlers in-the-making, two men who have impressed me no end during the last couple of months, and two competitors I believe deserve a shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles.

And don’t think they’ll be an easy match. Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan are no joke and, if you’re not careful, they’ll cut your reign short before you reach any sort of record!

Miwa and McFly didn’t waste any time agreeing to the match, and the fixture was made for Night of GLORY.

[Willsky]

THE ARTIST AND THE LORD

Two wrestlers took their craft up a level in early 1999, seeing a remarkable rise in success and renown.

The first was Eisaku Kunomasu. The “Lord of Strong Style” began wrestling at the inception of PGHW, meaning he only had three years of experience under his belt. But you wouldn’t know that from looking at his achievements so far.

He had already won the Glory Tag Crown as part of Team EXPLOSION alongside Eisaku Hoshino. The pair had also reached an Elite Tag Series final.

And more recently, Kunomasu became Historical Japan champion, beating Hoshino at Night of WRESTLING in December 1998. Since then, he had defended his belt against serious competitors like Yodo Nakane and Shuji Inukai. Things were looking bright for the Lord of Strong Style.

The other wrestler on the way up was Yoshimi Mushashibo. There had never been any doubts about Mushashibo’s talents. He was one of the finest technical wrestlers in the world with an air of grace and style that earned him the nickname “The Artist”.

He had also seen success in the tag division as part of Team Dynasty alongside Shuji Inukai. They won the inaugural Elite Series in 1997 and held the Glory Tag Crown titles shortly after that.

But Mushashibo’s individual success had been limited. Until 1999 he was yet to make a serious dent in the singles division of the company. But at the Elite Series 1999, that changed. He defeated Koryusai Kitoaji in the block stage, then got a shocking victory over Dread in the semi-final stage.

It was Dread’s first singles loss in two years. Mushashibo came unstuck against Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the final, but it was clear the Artist had taken his drive to the next level.

So Kunomasu and Mushashibo had improved. But had they risen to the level where they could take consistently take the place of legends like Kitoaji, Ichihara and Dread?

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 1999

Eisaku Kunomasu defended his Historical Japan title against Danger Kumasaka. Kunomasu had promised to give a title shot to anyone who beat him in the Elite Series, and Kumasaka took him up on that.

The veteran Kumasaka used all his technique and experience, but couldn’t overcome the direct precision of Kunomasu, who hit the Launching Knee Strike to retain.

In the main event of the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo teamed up with his regular tag partner Shuji Inukai and the man who defeated Mushashibo in the Elite Series final, Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

They took on Eisaku Hoshino, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. It was a spectacular match with all six men showing why they were main event stars.

But the end of the match was most memorable, with Mushashibo applying the Yoshimi Lock to Koryusai Kitoaji. Kitoaji managed to wriggle out, but Mushashibo switched it into a pinning situation that got the three count.

Kitoaji looked angry that Mushashibo had beaten him again.

After the show, Mushashibo said that it was time he got his opportunity at Kunomasu’s Historical Japan title, as he had also defeated the champion during the Elite Series.

 

Night of POWER, April 1999

For only the second time ever, the Historical Japan title main-evented a major show. Eisaku Kunomasu defended against Yoshimi Mushashibo.

It was a great match. The best in the belt’s PGHW history. It was really a representation of the improvement both men had made, and an exciting clash of styles.

Kunomasu’s precise strikes and perfect execution had overcome the technician Danger Kumasaka at the last show, but Mushashibo’s slick grace and fluid movement proved to be a greater challenge.

And when Mushashibo got the Yoshimi Lock fully applied, there was no escape for Kunomasu who, after exerting himself for a long time to try to get free, had to tap out.

Yoshimi Mushashibo became the new Historical Japan champion!

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 1999

Yoshimi Mushashibo and Eisaku Kunomasu once again main-evented a major show. This time, they were on the same team, facing Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

Kitoaji was looking for revenge against Mushashibo, who had pinned him twice in the last couple of months.

Meanwhile, Kunomasu was hoping to bounce back after dropping the Historical Japan title. He did exactly that, being the star of the show and pinning Hito Ichihara with a Launching Knee Strike.

The victory was another resounding blow from the young talents towards the old guard. Hito Ichihara congratulated Kunomasu on his victory, but suggested the result might be different in a singles match.

Mushashibo, however, was criticised for not defending the Historical Japan title at the show. And when it was announced that at Night of SUCCESS the belt would not be on the line, many fans complained that he was not living up to the expectations of a Historical Japan champion.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 1999

For the third time in a row, Eisaku Kunomasu and Yoshimi Mushashibo were last on the card, in the biggest match of all. They took part in a trios match. Again, they were on the same team and this time joined by Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

They faced Dread, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

It was a spectacle. Nobuatsu Tatsuko made the biggest impact, but Mushashibo and Kunomasu’s interactions with Kitoaji and Ichihara respectively had fans excited for more matches between them.

Tatsuko got the youngsters the victory, pinning Hito Ichihara after a Tatsuko Driller.

After the show, Kunomasu and Ichihara agreed to a singles match at Night of GLORY, while Yoshimi Mushashibo was eloquent in the press conference.

Mushashibo: I understand that the Historical Japan title carries with it a level of expectation and I have not lived up to that in the last month. For that I apologise. I will endeavour to uphold the standards of the belt in the coming months.

For that reason, I will offer a title shot to anyone who wishes one, both at the biggest events and on tour. I promise that soon it will be defended at every single PGHW show until someone defeats me.

First, though, I wish to offer Koryusai Kitoaji a chance at history. I have always respected his determination and believe that he is the first who should challenge for the title. That match will happen at Night of GLORY. I am confident that I will win and in doing so prove to you all that I am a worthy champion.

[Willsky]

A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION

The last twelve months had been a rollercoaster ride for Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Winning the Elite Series in 1998 was a high, followed by the low of losing to Koryusai Kitoaji in his first Glory Crown match at Night of GLORY.

He fought back to the top, though, defeating Kitoaji at Night of WRESTLING and getting himself a shot at the Glory Crown again, this time against Dread. But for a second time, in a title match, he fell short.

Now, with another Elite Series tournament victory to his name, he had an opportunity to redeem himself. To put those title failures behind him and finally get his hands on the biggest prize.

A third title shot was guaranteed. Dread was the reigning champion. But during the Elite Series, Dread had injured his back – something that allowed Yoshimi Mushashibo to defeat him in the semi-final.

This injury ruled Dread out of action for a short while. Not long enough for him to have to relinquish the Glory Crown, but enough that Tatsuko would have to wait to get his title shot. The trouble was, Nobuatsu Tatsuko was done waiting. He wanted his glory straight away.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 1999

In a main event trios match, Nobuatsu Tatsuko teamed with Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) against two former Glory Crown champions, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji as well as Eisaku Hoshino.

It was a superb match. Evident to all watching at home or in the crowd was how far the younger wrestlers had advanced over the last few years, now able to outshine the decorated legends they shared the ring with.

Tatsuko was in a fiery mood. Unable to get his Glory Crown shot, he took it out on all three of his opponents, particularly Koryusai Kitoaji.

Kitoaji encouraged the violence. He had revealed after Night of WRESTLING that he had manipulated Tatsuko into this state of mind. Tatsuko wasn’t about to thank him for it, though.

The match ended with Yoshimi Mushashibo pinning Kitoaji, with the latter trying to escape a Yoshimi Lock but ending up trapped in a pinfall.

It was a huge moment for Mushashibo – something that Tatsuko didn’t care to share, instead walking off once the match was over, leaving his team mates to celebrate alone.

 

Night of POWER, April 1999

Nobuatsu Tatsuko took on Chuichi Sanda in a one-sided affair. Sanda did well to survive as long as he did because Tatsuko showed him no mercy.

It was a battering. A sequence of devastating moves all executed with aggressive precision, and a Tatsuko Driller got the victory.

Again, Tatsuko didn’t celebrate. He stalked to the back, clearly still frustrated that he wasn’t getting his Glory Crown title shot.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 1999

Danger Kumasaka had the misfortune of facing Nobuatsu Tatsuko with the youngster still bringing the deadly mixture of a foul mood and exceptional form.

Kumasaka tried to slow Tatsuko down and wrap him up in some holds, but Tatsuko was having none of it. He powered out of submissions and pummelled Kumasaka until the Tatsuko Driller finished him off.

After the show, Dread announced his injury issues had nearly cleared up. He would be available to wrestle at Night of SUCCESS, but preferred to take part in a tag or trios match as he wouldn’t quite be one hundred percent.

He guaranteed that he would face Tatsuko at Night of GLORY. Tatsuko took the news with a mixture of excitement and frustration. He would get his match soon, but not soon enough. Night of GLORY was a month away and he’d have to contain his rage until then. No easy feat.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 1999

A huge trios match took place at Night of SUCCESS with Nobuatsu Tatsuko teaming with Eisaku Kunomasu and Yoshimi Mushashibo to face Dread, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

It was Dread’s first in-ring appearance since his loss to Mushashibo in the Elite Series semi-final, and he looked in pretty good shape. He made sure not to overexert his back, but was still able to execute most of his moves without issue.

However, his reluctance to fully commit himself may have been the deciding factor, as his team lost. Nobuatsu Tatsuko was on fire. He had kept that anger and desire to win under control, bubbling away, ready to unleash at the right moment.

His full commitment allowed his team to get the victory, with Tatsuko himself getting the pin on Hito Ichihara.

It was a huge moment as three of the young rising stars overcame three of the original main-eventers.

At the post-match press conference, Tatsuko spoke with passion.

Tatsuko: There’s no hiding now. Not for me, not for Dread. He can’t avoid me any longer. And I can’t avoid my fate any longer. I’ve tried twice already to get the Glory Crown. It was Night of GLORY last year I lost to Kitoaji. And the second time, I lost to Dread.

Now I will face Dread at Night of GLORY and this time, I will emerge victorious. I am unstoppable. I am iron. I am Nobuatsu Tatsuko!

[Willsky]

Night of GLORY 1999 Match Card

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Shuji Inukai

Chuichi Sanda & Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane

Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Hito Ichihara

Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Dread © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title

[siah463]

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Shuji Inukai

Chuichi Sanda & Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane

Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Hito Ichihara

Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © 

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan

Dread © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko

[monrapi3]

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Shuji Inukai

Chuichi Sanda & Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane

Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Hito Ichihara

Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Dread © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title (TATSUKO! TATSUKO! TATSUKO!)

[Willsky]

Night of GLORY 1999

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Shuji Inukai

Chuichi Sanda & Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane

Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Hito Ichihara

Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Dread © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title

 

MATCH 1: Eisaku Hoshino vs. Shuji Inukai

Hoshino and Inukai’s rivalry in the last few months had gotten out of control. PGHW was founded on respect and honour, with “do the right thing” a key tenet instilled into all members of the roster.

For that reason, Hoshino and Inukai’s brawl after their match at Night of SUCCESS was shocking. It resulted in the pair receiving substantial fines.

But in the spirit of competition, they were granted one more match to settle who was the superior fighter. In their previous four matches in singles competition, they had each won two, with Inukai winning the most recent – the Night of SUCCESS match that triggered the brawl.

In both their two last matches, blood had been spilled and the winners had shown a refusal to give up under pressure. Yet rather than unite the two in mutual appreciation, the similarity in their abilities and approaches only served to create more division between them.

This opening match began with the crowd expecting chaos. But for the first couple of minutes, Inukai and Hoshino just circled each other. They had become wary. Too much was on the line for mistakes now, and neither wanted to be the first to make one.

Finally, Inukai took the initiative and charged forward, swinging with the Untouchable Lariat, a finishing move nobody had ever survived…

Hoshino dodged and caught Inukai in the Godzilla Plunge! He went for a pin. One…

Kick out! Inukai roared to his feet, shaking off the effects of Hoshino’s finisher and getting right in his face.

This triggered the outbreak of violence the fans had been expecting. Elbows, forearms, palm strikes, chops, kicks, knees and headbutts flew back and forth. Occasionally one of them executed a wrestling move, but that was rare.

The battle raged on, often spilling outside the ring. Both men ended up with blood on their face and massive red welts over their chest and neck area.

But no matter how hard they hit each other, neither man backed down. It became a test of will, a contest of who was toughest. Who could absorb the most violence. Because self-protection was out of the question. There was no defence.

Just eating what the other threw at you and trying to throw something bigger back.

The decisive moment of the match came when Hoshino had Inukai down on the mat, pounding him with vicious elbows.

Inukai struggled out from beneath and applied, to everyone’s surprise, a rear naked choke to the unsuspecting Hoshino.

Hoshino battled as hard as he could to get free. But Inukai’s grip was in too tight. Yet still Hoshino survived. He refused to submit, and through a mighty show of willpower and strength, he shrugged off the choke. He struggled to his knees, then his feet, then…

Untouchable Lariat!

That was it. The referee counted to three and the match was over.

Shuji Inukai won the match. However, the sight of Hoshino crumpled and bloody on the mat after giving everything he had down to the last fibre in his body must have changed something in Inukai’s mind.

The Untouchable one waited for Hoshino to regain his senses, then gave a curt bow to the defeated man. Hoshino nodded his head back.

Respect had been gained. Violence had been glorious.

 

MATCH 2: Chuichi Sanda & Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane

After the chaos of the opener, this trios match calmed the crowd and gave them some time to recover. Nagahama pinned Umehara to get the win.

 

MATCH 3: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Hito Ichihara

When Eisaku Kunomasu pinned Hito Ichihara in a tag match at Night of EXCELLENCE, it was a watershed moment for the young man. A three count over one of the greatest of all time was a major achievement, and Ichihara recognised that.

Ichihara would have known that this wave of youngsters would surpass anything he and Koryusai Kitoaji ever achieved, but he wasn’t about to let them walk all over him. They had to earn their place in history. And the former Glory Crown champion still had plenty left in him.

The match was world class. It was already in serious contention for match of the year and rivalled Ichihara’s bout with Koryusai Kitoaji at Night of WRESTLING 1997 and the Elite Series 1998 final against Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

Kunomasu took things up another notch. He was unbelievable, delivering crisp, accurate, well-timed offence with ease, his icy demeanour hardly changing throughout.

Ichihara, on the other hand, showed grit in surviving Kunomasu’s offence. Then he turned things in his favour with improvisation and adaptability, his strongest traits. This level of experience and strategic know-how edged the match.

Ichihara hit a Brain Drop Suplex to get the win. However, the fans were more impressed with Kunomasu and how far he had come in the last three years – his first three years as a wrestler.

 

MATCH 4: Hayate Hasegawa, Fukusaburu Inao and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

An eight-man tag saw four tag teams collide. Raymond Diaz got the winning pinfall, hitting a Too Hot to Handle on Hasegawa, and Team STRENGTH RUSH looked in a good position to make another shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles.

 

MATCH 5: Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

This match was Mushashibo’s first defence of the Historical Japan title since winning it six weeks ago from Eisaku Kunomasu. He received criticism for not defending it at Night of EXCELLENCE or Night of SUCCESS, but putting it on the line against Kitoaji and promising to defend it on tour shows subsequently turned the tide of opinion slightly back in his favour.

Assuming he defeated Kitoaji. Surprisingly, he was the favourite to do so, which is something nobody would have though at year ago. A combination of Mushashibo’s rapid ascent and Kitoaji’s recent decline meant that Mushashibo had pinned the legend on two occasions in the year so far.

Kitoaji wanted revenge. And he wasted no time trying to get it. His impactful offence was hard for Mushashibo to deal with at first. The youngster clearly wanted to get into some grappling but Kitoaji refused.

Mushashibo survived. His body had grown tough in the last couple of years. Still lean and sinewy enough to move with the grace of a panther, but now sufficiently durable to absorb Kitoaji’s punishment.

When Kitoaji tired (as he tended to do earlier and earlier), Mushashibo took control. Instead of slowing the pace, though, he increased it while maintaining control over Kitoaji. It was magnificent to watch the artist at work.

He drew curves on the mat and etched lyrics on Kitoaji’s body. His movement had rhythm and his moves blended in a dazzling array of colour.

To finish his masterpiece, Mushashibo applied the Yoshimi Lock, altering the position of his body to prevent Kitoaji’s escape. Kitoaji hung on for a couple of minutes before weakly tapping out.

History resounded through New Shiga Stadium. Mushashibo had just forced the great Koryusai Kitoaji to submit.

In doing so, he defended the Historical Japan title successfully and nobody could deny what he had achieved. The only question was, how far could he go?

 

MATCH 6: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Tommy Cornell had been in PGHW for less than six months, but already he’d established himself as a superstar in the making. His performances had impressed Danger Kumasaka who, as a mentor of Walter Morgan, had brought the two young Englishmen together as a tag team.

A couple of wins later and they’d earned themselves a title shot.

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly), meanwhile, were edging closer to the nine-month record reign held by Team STRENGTH RUSH.

A victory here would put them at eight months, tying Ichihara & Nagahama’s reign and placing them just a month behind the record. At this stage, they wanted no slipups. And to be fair to them, they had been in excellent form, consistently delighting PGHW fans with impressive performances.

And they needed one here. Cornell and Morgan brought their very best. Morgan was a supremely talented mat wrestler, whose tight holds and painful submissions could best anyone’s. However, he had always been undone by the fact he was very one-dimensional.

Cornell, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as good technically, but could throw and strike well enough to compete against all opponents. This versatility hid Morgan’s weaknesses and allowed him to emphasise his strengths.

And on another day, they could have beaten Team MYTHOS. The trouble was, Mito Miwa was in an imperious mood, shrugging off everything thrown at him. McFly brought unlimited energy and desire, turning difficult situations into advantages for his own team.

Miwa hit the Pride Bomber on Morgan to win the match and retain the Glory Tag Crown titles.

The bout supplanted Team MYTHOS’s match against Strike Force last month as the best PGHW tag match of the year, and many considered it even better than their match against Team Dynasty.

Once again, Mito Miwa and Sean McFly brought the tag division to new heights.

 

MATCH 7: Dread © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown

Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s Elite Series victory in March earned him a shot at Dread’s Glory Crown.

The last time they met, at Night of RESPECT in January, Tatsuko fell just short. And at last year’s Night of GLORY, he also suffered defeat while challenging for the Glory Crown. He had gone on record saying this was his redemption moment.

Dread hadn’t been quite so vocal. His two-year reign of dominance came to a screeching halt when Yoshimi Mushashibo defeated him in the semi-final of the Elite Series in part due to a back injury.

Dread took some time off to heal. This frustrated Tatsuko who had done away with patience and for two months had rampaged through the roster.

Now Dread was at full strength, there were no excuses.

Tatsuko attacked Dread with full force at the start of the match. He caught the big man off guard and immediately got him off his feet. It was an electric way to begin the match, and he followed up by going for the Tatsuko Driller. He couldn’t quite get Dread up to hit it, but the intent was there, and the champion looked in real trouble.

But Dread had been around for decades. He knew how to deal with that kind of thing. He survived the early flurry and powered his way into the match. His immense strength and superior size soon gave him the advantage and Tatsuko found himself on the end of several big powerbombs and chokeslams.

For a long while Dread stayed in charge. He kept the pace relatively slow, knowing that at high speed, he’d get tired long before Tatsuko.

That was something Tatsuko knew, too, and tried to exploit. He battled back and upped the pace. Tatsuko shone here, delivering some impressive suplexes to Dread and chopping his legs from underneath him.

Then he went for the Tatsuko Driller again… he couldn’t get it done. He had Dread off the ground and in position, but his legs trembled for a moment, allowing Dread to escape. And counter. Into a Dread Bomb. One…Two…

Kick out! Tatsuko survived the move. Only to get hit by a Dreadsault! One…Two…

Kick out again! Tatsuko somehow got his shoulder up! The two moves that had beaten him at Night of RESPECT didn’t put him away this time.

Dread couldn’t believe it. But he didn’t lose focus. Instead, he went for another Dread Bomb… Tatsuko escaped, tripped Dread and tried to roll him up! One…Two…

Kickout! Dread survived by a fraction of a second. Tatsuko struggled to his feet. Dread rushed at him… Tatsuko picked him up into the Tatsuko Driller… his legs trembled, his knees wobbled, his whole core threatened to collapse…

But this was his time. This was his redemption. He was the iron man and iron would not buckle. It would hold. Veins popped out of every muscle, but he kept Dread up… then drilled him down. Tatsuko Driller! One…Two…

Three! Nobuatsu Tatsuko pinned Dread to become the new Glory Crown champion!

Another monumental victory. The first young star to earn the Glory Crown. Tatsuko was so exhausted he could barely stand to celebrate, but the 42,000 fans in the stadium helped him rise to his feet and hold the biggest prize above his head.

At last, he had done it.

 

Conclusion

Night of GLORY was a show packed full of memorable matches. Inukai and Hoshino’s wild battle, Ichihara’s narrow victory over a rapidly rising Kunomasu, Mushashibo’s stunning submission of Koryusai Kitoaji, another fantastic tag match and, of course, Tatsuko’s glorious crowning.

Match of the night belonged to Ichihara and Kunomasu. The Glory Tag Crown match was most people’s pick for second, followed by Mushashibo vs. Kitoaji.

The main event, while a massive moment for Tatsuko, was a very good match but a step below the others.

After the match, Nobuatsu Tatsuko spoke about his victory.

Tatsuko: It’s been just under three years since PGHW opened. Many of us have been here since the very start, growing and improving alongside the company.

Some say that PGHW was founded on two men, Koryusai Kitoaji and Hito Ichihara. But I would argue that is wrong. First, there was a third man – Dread. Without him, PGHW would not be where it is today. In the past eighteen months, I have defeated Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Dread.

They were the foundation.

And secondly, there were the four pillars of PGHW. The Pride – Mito Miwa, the Glory – Nobuatsu Tatsuko, the Honour – Shuji Inukai and the Wrestling – Yoshimi Mushashibo.

All four of us have won tonight. We will never forget the foundations upon which we are built, but now it is time to look up and around. Time to plan to construct this great edifice that will house so much history and glory.

I sit here with the Glory Crown. Finally. The transition is over. Now a new era begins.

[Willsky]

THE PAYOFF

When I started PGHW, I had in my mind the first major milestone. It was not an attendance figure or a network deal. Nor was it a number in a bank account or a global award of recognition.

It was the end of Night of GLORY. Nobuatsu Tatsuko as the first Glory Crown champion of the new generation. The ending of one era and the transition to a new one. With Miwa, Mushashibo, Hoshino, Kunomasu and Inukai at the top of the card, and many more rising below them.

A prophecy fulfilled.

The company’s future looked bright, too. I had invested significant money in the SAISHO dojo, with two exciting trainees standing out. They would debut soon enough.

I was also hoping to convert the dojo into a small promotion to give more time and opportunities to graduates and young signings. Many were on excursion in Europe and Canada, but I hadn’t seen much progress. They needed something closer to home. Those plans were in the works.

The move to broadcasting on Emperor Choice boosted finances significantly and now there was no concern over the company’s health. I could afford to make some huge signings should the opportunity arise, but at this stage the roster was plenty strong enough.

The only bad news was the injury to Luis Figo Manico. Things looked serious there and I worried that when he returned, he might not be able to do many of the things that made him special.

That aside, my focus was on a positive road ahead. We had become the second biggest wrestling promotion in Japan. BHOTWG were still far ahead. For now. I had no particular issue with them, but it was a challenge I set for myself – to make PGHW number one.

 

(note to readers: the diary will return in January as I'm unable to post over the Christmas period. Happy holidays!)

[Scottie]

Excellent show! I like how you pulled the trigger on some younger names, but still kept people like Ichihara strong. If you don't mind disclosing, what kind of match ratings are your big bouts getting at the moment?

Looking forward to seeing what the rest of 1999 holds.

Happy New Year!

[Willsky]

On 12/31/2023 at 1:42 AM, Scottie said:

Excellent show! I like how you pulled the trigger on some younger names, but still kept people like Ichihara strong. If you don't mind disclosing, what kind of match ratings are your big bouts getting at the moment?

Looking forward to seeing what the rest of 1999 holds.

Happy New Year!

Thanks! The biggest matches get between 85 and 90 ratings. I think at this stage, the highest rated match in company history was still Kitoaji vs. Ichihara at the end of 1997 with 90, although plenty have come close.

[Willsky]

A FEARSOME SCHEDULE

Yoshimi Mushashibo upset a large section of the PGHW faithful when he neglected to defend his newly-won Historical Japan title for two major shows. Since defeating Eisaku Kunomasu for the belt, he had other things on his plate. That included a rivalry with Koryusai Kitoaji.

Finally, Mushashibo did defend the Historical Japan title at Night of GLORY, beating Kitoaji and establishing himself as a true top star in the company.

And, importantly, he aimed to win back lost trust by putting the Historical Japan belt on the line at every show he attended. It was a bold claim. Until that point, the belt had been a regular fixture at major shows, but rarely turned up on tour.

This fearsome new schedule meant Mushashibo would have to be on his game every night of the tour else risk losing his new prize.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 1999

During the lead up to Night of STRENGTH, Yoshimi Mushashibo defended the Historical Japan title on six occasions against established PGHW talent and a few independent names.

At Night of STRENGTH, it was Pistol Pete Hall who took up the challenge, and the match was made the main event of the show.

Mushashibo and Hall didn’t disappoint, contesting the best match of the night. Mushashibo retained by submitting Hall in the Yoshimi Lock.

There were plenty of young wrestlers and independent names that had already put their names in the hat for a match in the near future.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 1999

Seven defences saw Mushashibo to Night of WARRIORS, a remarkable number in just two weeks between the shows. At this rate he was putting the belt on the line more than once every two days.

At Night of WARRIORS, Yoshimi Mushashibo faced Tommy Cornell. The young Englishman had continued to impress since his arrival and few could disagree that he was due a title shot.

It was a hard-fought technical battle, with Cornell nearly getting the victory with a Guilt Trip, but Mushashibo had the answer with a Yoshimi Lock and it was another defence to his name.

Fans were already loving the number of defences the Historical Japan title was getting, reminding them of the early 90’s when it would appear all over the country at small events.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 1999

The veteran Yodo Nakane was next to face Mushashibo for the Historical Japan title.

The champion dispatched of six challengers on tour and frankly looked unstoppable. Nobody expected Nakane to walk away with the title, and they were not surprised when the Yoshimi Lock forced him to submit.

After the show, Mushashibo commented that the schedule was tiring him out, but he still had plenty of energy to live up to the reputation of the belt.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 1999

Raymond Diaz was next to face Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Historical Japan title on a major show. Another six competitors had fallen to the champions might on tour.

Diaz was a different test to the challengers before him. His size and strength allowed him to bully “The Artist” and every hold or submission Mushashibo applied cost him extra effort and energy.

Finally, he got the job done with the Yoshimi Lock, but it was clear his body had suffered with the exertion.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1999

Only four tour shows separated Night of TOUGHNESS from Night of LEGACY, but Yoshimi Mushashibo made the most of all of them, continuing his impressive reign.

Mamoru Nagahama challenged him at Night of TOUGHNESS in a fierce match. Mushashibo’s fatigue affected his performance and allowed Nagahama to take control for long periods.

The champion struggled to a victory with the Yoshimi Lock, but every match cost him an extra chunk of energy and at some point, it would run out.

Mushashibo was typically thoughtful after the show.

Mushashibo: I have defended this title thirty-five times in the last three months. Of course some of the challengers have been tougher than others, but all of them have been hurdles to overcome. Quite frankly, it has drained me.

Not hugely, mind. I can still go. However, I believe I have done the belt its true service and earned myself a momentary reprieve.

The Elite Tag Series begins in three days. As usual, I will be taking part. That means my time will be dedicated to Team Dynasty, not to this belt. And I expect we will reach the semi-final as a minimum and potentially win the tournament again meaning more distraction from this title.

I understand that is disappointing for many of you. That’s why I’ve worked so hard to elevate the belt in the last few months and, once my tag team duties calm down, I will continue being a regular fighting champion.

[Willsky]

ICONS UNITE

Since the very beginning of PGHW’s existence, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji were the main guys. Sure, Dread and Danger Kumasaka were significant names, but nobody put them quite on the level of the two founding icons.

And right up until the end of 1998, they battled over the PGHW Glory Crown, defeating all other challengers and only suffering defeat to each other. The five matches that made up their rivalry were already talked about as legendary and historic.

But at the tail end of 1998, Kitoaji dropped the belt to Dread. And Hito Ichihara failed to get defeat the big American at Night of Wrestling.

And through the first half of 1999, Ichihara and Kitoaji struggled. Kitoaji especially. After so many years of his brutal strong style (which he was considered a founding father), his body was decaying. He couldn’t bring the same strength and intensity that had made him so successful.

Pinfall losses to Yoshimi Mushashibo and Nobuatsu Tatsuko left him watching the new generation steamroller over him on their way to emulating his success.

Hito Ichihara also found himself slipping. Not quite so much, though, as he managed to hold on to defeat Eisaku Kunomasu at Night of GLORY. Yet even he couldn’t deny his position at the top of the card had been under serious threat for some time.

Sometimes, when the going gets tough and the world starts to crumble around you, solidarity and friendship rises up in unlikely places. Attitudes change. Foes become less hostile and old grudges fade away.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 1999

Koryusai Kitoaji teamed with Tommy Cornell and Team STRENGTH RUSH to defeat the four-man team of Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team MYTHOS. The match was notable for a number of reasons, but what stood out for fans of Kitoaji and Ichihara was how absent they were.

The younger men flew around, smacking, slapping, slamming and smashing. The 21-year-old Tommy Cornell was like a wildfire and Raymond Diaz, two years his senior was a rampaging bison.

Kitoaji and Ichihara competed, but both could see their star had lost some shine. They weren’t the centre of attention. At the end of the match, when Kitoaji’s team had won, the two icons shared a moment of grim acceptance at their declining fates.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 1999

Night of WARRIORS saw another eight-man tag match, but this time Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji were on the same team. They tagged with Mamoru Nagahama and Yodo Nakane to beat Hasegawa & Inao and Boundary 97.

The win was expected. Working together, Ichihara and Kitoaji pulled off a couple of clever moves. They had some chemistry on the same team.

As if the idea had sprung into their mind at the same time, both men tentatively suggested another match together to show the youngsters they weren’t beaten yet.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 1999

Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji handily dispatched Hasegawa & Inao in a one-sided match. Once again, the icons showed they could work pretty well as a tag team and for the first time in months, they found themselves smiling.

After the show, Ichihara spoke in the press conference.

Ichihara: I never thought I’d enjoy being in the ring with Kitoaji again. After all we’ve been through. All the conflict, the acrimony, the humiliation of losing to him and the pride of defeating him… well, it turns out we’re not so different.

In styles, yes, we are opposites. But in the desire to win and succeed… we have to be similar otherwise we’d never have found ourselves competing at the top for so long. We both found the need to join PGHW and the desire to excel at what we did.

We have spoken in private to agree this, but now I would like to reveal it publicly. In two weeks at Night of LEGACY, we will wrestle against Strike Force, a serious tag team threat. If we defeat them, then we have agreed to enter the Elite Tag Series together.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 1999

The prospect of Ichihara and Kitoaji entering the Elite Tag Series was mouthwatering, even considering their recent declines. The legends would surely be a massive threat to any team in the company.

But first they had to get through Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall). While Strike Force had never done anything to anger the fans, they were certainly unpopular in this match. The PGHW faithful wanted to see the icons unite.

They got their wish. Hito Ichihara struck the decisive blow, hitting a Kitoaji Braindrop on Dino Maldini. After hitting his partner’s devastating finisher, Ichihara grinned at Kitoaji, who returned the gesture. The two shook hands and the deal was done.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1999

As if everything in 1999 so far had been forgotten, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji returned to the main event as they teamed with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) against reigning Glory Tag Crown holders Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall).

It was the highest-profile warmup match for the Elite Tag Series, and everybody wanted to win. Kitoaji and Ichihara went toe to toe with the tag champs and it was evident that the icons would be in the running for a shot at the titles at some stage down the line.

The match ended with victory for Ichihara and Kitoaji as their team-mate Eisaku Hoshino hit the Godzilla Plunge on Dino Maldini.

After the show, Hito Ichihara’s press conference was interrupted by Mamoru Nagahama. Ichihara and Nagahama had been tag partners for a couple of years, holding the Glory Tag Crown titles for eight months.

Nagahama had clearly been expecting to enter the Elite Tag Series with Ichihara this year and wanted to know what was going on. Ichihara responded.

Ichihara: I apologise, Mamoru. You have to understand that… realistically the pair of us were a long shot from winning the Elite Tag Series. It’s the truth. We had our successes together, but I’m not at the level I used to be.

Kitoaji is a fierce competitor. A proven winner. And I know that alongside him I will be elevated. We can win this!

So this year, at least, my friend, you’ll have to sit out.

Nagahama had never before shown any signs of bitterness or bad temper towards anyone. In the face of adversity, he had always acted with humility and decorum. On this occasion, however, it was easy to understand why he pursed his lips and strode out of the press room.

[Willsky]

A DREADFUL LOSER

Dread had lost the Glory Crown. Eight months after defeating Koryusai Kitoaji, the big man suffered defeat to the rampaging Nobuatsu Tatsuko. A few months before that, his epic winning streak came to an end at the hands of Yoshimi Mushashibo.

It turned out that Dread’s body couldn’t quite handle the strain of the relentless PGHW schedule after all, as it was an injury picked up during the Elite Series that led to Mushashibo defeating him in the semi-final of that tournament, and when he returned, Tatsuko had picked up a monstrous head of steam.

Now Dread had to react. Would he bounce back from these setbacks? Or would he do what so many secretly hoped and crumble away from dominance?

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 1999

Dread’s first match since losing the Glory Crown was against the unfortunate Chuichi Sanda. Sanda had been showing some signs of improvement in the last year or so, but he was absolutely crushed here.

Dread tossed him about like a ragdoll and obliterated him with a Dread Bomb to win.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 1999

Walter Morgan was the next unlucky soul to come up against Dread. It was becoming clear that the big man knew only one way to express his anger and frustration: taking it out on those lower down the food chain.

Morgan suffered a beatdown of immense proportions, offering almost nothing in return. Dread finished him off with a Dreadsault.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 1999

At Night of VICTORY, Dread took part in a trios match, teaming with Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). It was a rare collaboration for Dread who had been used to singles matches during his massive winning run.

But he seemed to enjoy teaming with Wright and Diaz. It was another one-sided affair as they demolished Kazuo Mitsushi and Boundary 97 (Go Matsunaga & Takeshi Umehara).

Interestingly, it was Raymond Diaz who sparked the initial injury to Dread that derailed his Elite Series tournament. But there was no sign of bitterness or grudges. Quite the opposite. Dread enjoyed teaming with the rare monster that could match him for size.

In many ways, Diaz was similar to Dread. Their fifteen year age gap was the major difference, but given a decade more experience, Diaz could well replicate what Dread had done.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 1999

It was another tag match for Dread. This time he was only alongside Lee Wright as Raymond Diaz challenged (unsuccessfully) for the PGHW Historical Japan title.

Dread and Wright faced Hasegawa & Inao in another dominant display. Dread’s disgust and anger at losing the Glory Crown was once again abated in the presence of Lee Wright, and the pair seemed to share great pleasure in mauling their opponents.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1999

Dread’s latest tag exploits fell short of his recent fun. This time he tagged with Hasegawa & Inao against Shuji Inukai, Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Danger Kumasaka.

His team mates were not up to the task. Against three of the top guys in the company, Dread needed some backup. He may have wondered how things might be different if he had Raymond Diaz and Lee Wright on his team, but they were busy in an eight-man Elite Tag Series warmup match.

Instead, Dread had to watch Nobuatsu Tatsuko standing tall again, pinning Hasegawa after a Tatsuko Driller. If he had begun to forget about his Glory Crown loss over the last month, this was a sour reminder.

After the match, he turned towards Hasegawa and Inao who were very quick to back away from a potential explosion of anger.

With Diaz and Wright competing in the Elite Tag Series, Dread would watch the tournament from the sidelines, perhaps considering his opponent for Night of HONOUR.

[Willsky]

THE GLORIOUS CHAMPION

Nobuatsu Tatsuko had finally done it. After two years of adversity and harsh lessons, the young prodigy got his hands on the PGHW Glory Crown, becoming the first of the new wave and the pillars of PGHW to do so, breaking the dominance of the old guard.

It had not been easy. It took three attempts to get there, having lost to Koryusai Kitoaji at Night of GLORY 1998, then to Dread at Night of RESPECT at the beginning of 1999. Now, six months after that defeat, Tatsuko had overcome Dread and redeemed himself.

And along the way he had changed. Gone was the grim, quiet young man who kept his head down and waited for destiny to catch hold of him. Now he was a force of nature. He had caught hold of destiny and forced it to do his bidding.

Now the question was, would he keep up that aggression and intensity as champion, or would he cool down and act with more decorum? The first few months of his reign would be telling.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 1999

Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s first match since winning the Glory Crown was a six-man tag match in which he teamed with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to defeat Dino Maldini and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

After his victory at Night of GLORY, Tatsuko described the four pillars of PGHW: himself, Shuji Inukai, Mito Miwa and Yoshimi Mushashibo. Notable by their absence from his list were Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu.

Many, including the two Eisakus, believed they were just as important to the future of PGHW as the others. And now, teaming with Tatsuko, they intended to let him know exactly that.

Hoshino and Kunomasu hardly let Tatsuko get into the match. Instead, they spent most of the time battering their opponents. Hoshino used his unchained savagery, while Kunomasu unleashed his crisp, deadly strikes.

It was a formidable display, and Kunomasu got the victory with a Leaping Knee Strike.

Tatsuko was annoyed that they had excluded him from the match, but admitted he was impressed. He told Kunomasu that if he wanted to prove himself worthy of “pillar” status, he should start by facing him for the Glory Crown at the next show, Night of WARRIORS.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 1999

Nobuatsu Tatsuko defended the Glory Crown for the first time against Eisaku Kunomasu.

The match started off tense as Kunomasu felt he had a point to prove. Tatsuko refused to give the challenger any leeway and fought with the kind of directness and relentlessness that characterised his performances leading up to the title victory.

Kunomasu did well. He got some great offense on Tatsuko, and lived up to his “Lord of Strong Style” moniker.

But it wasn’t enough. Tatsuko absorbed everything and hit back harder. It was all over when he hit the Tatsuko Driller for the pinfall victory.

The match was incredible. The striking exchanges and skill on display was through the roof. For a match that everybody thought they knew the outcome, it still stunned everyone with its quality. It was already a frontrunner for Match of the Year and people were talking about it in the same breath as Ichihara vs. Kitoaji from ’97.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 1999

Nobuatsu Tatsuko competed in another six-man tag match, this time with Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) on his side of the ring.

They faced Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Shuji Inukai and Tommy Cornell. Shuji Inukai and Tommy Cornell performed well, but it was Danger Kumasaka who really made an impact on Tatsuko. The veteran was swift and cunning, picking the right time to take the wind out of Tatsuko’s ferocity.

This ability to slow the champion may have been the decisive factor in the match because, although Kumasaka didn’t pin Tatsuko (instead, Inukai hit the Untouchable Lariat on McFly), negating Tatsuko’s dominance was a crucial factor in his team’s success.

After the match, Tatsuko made it clear he understood Kumasaka’s importance, and said he would like to try it again in singles competition. With the Glory Crown on the line.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 1999

Night of LEGACY was a huge moment for Danger Kumasaka. It had been over two years since the veteran had been around the title picture and many believed this would surely be his last chance to win the Glory Crown.

And while Nobuatsu Tatsuko had been in unbelievable form, the way Kumasaka shut him down at Night of VICTORY had sown a seed of doubt in the minds of a few fans.

That doubt didn’t last long. Tatsuko knew what to expect from the veteran now, and he smashed his way through. It was a fiery stampede with brief interludes where Kumasaka got a grip on the match only for Tatsuko to swing it back in his favour.

The veteran went down swinging, but he couldn’t resist the Tatsuko Driller that finished him off.

After the match, Tatsuko was calm and said he respected Danger Kumasaka. Kumasaka said the feeling was mutual.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1999

This time, Nobuatsu Tatsuko teamed with Danger Kumasaka and Shuji Inukai, two of the men who had beaten his team at Night of VICTORY.

They faced Dread and Hasegawa & Inao. Despite the danger of Dread, Hasegawa and Inao were sub-par opponents, meaning victory for Tatsuko’s team was always likely.

Tatsuko was fired up, but not quite to the level of the rampaging force he had been a few months ago. He was cooler alongside Kumasaka and Inukai.

It was Inukai who did the rampaging. He was a man on a mission, clearly wanting to impress before the Elite Tag Series, and impress he did. He did a lot of the work in this match, although it was Tatsuko who got the pin after hitting a Tatsuko Driller on Hayate Hasegawa.

After the show, Tatsuko commented on Inukai’s performance.

Tatsuko: Inukai is stepping up. He is a serious threat both in singles and tag competition. I respect that. I respect how he defeated Hoshino at Night of GLORY, the refusal to back down.

I know he will be busy with the Elite Tag Series in the next month, but once he is available, I would love to show the world how great he is and, at the same time, prove that I am better.

[Willsky]

RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN

Team MYTHOS were approaching the record. Mito Miwa and Sean McFly had held the PGHW Glory Tag Crown titles for eight months and should they keep them another month they would surpass Team STRENGTH RUSH’s nine-month milestone.

During that time, Miwa and McFly had beaten every team in the company. Not only that but they had made the Glory Tag Crown titles a massive part of the company, propelling the division to heights it had never seen before.

Classic matches against Team Dynasty, Strike Force and, most recently, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan had made the championships the highlight of every show.

They showed no signs of stopping.

But one team wouldn’t want them to continue. One pair of men who held the current record: Lee Wright and Raymond Diaz, the inaugural Glory Tag Crown champions and two-time holders of the belts – Team STRENGTH RUSH

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 1999

Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) had been on a hot streak of late, getting good wins over a number of teams. They had the opportunity to get themselves in serious tag title contention at Night of STRENGTH as they teamed with Koryusai Kitoaji and Tommy Cornell to take on Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly).

It was an enjoyable match with plenty of egos jostling. But most importantly for the tag division, it was Team STRENGTH RUSH who came out on top, with Raymond Diaz pinning Mamoru Nagahama after a Too Hot to Handle.

After the match, Wright & Diaz made it quite clear they wanted to stop Team MYTHOS from breaking their record and challenged them to a match at Night of WARRIORS – exactly nine months from when the reigning champions had won the belt.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 1999

The stakes were high. If Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) defeated Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) to defend their Glory Tag Crown titles, they would break Team STRENGTH RUSH’s longest reign record.

As expected, Wright & Diaz weren’t about to let that happen without a serious fight. And that’s what they gave. Intensity, aggression and a willingness to bend the rules. This latter was unusual in PGHW where everybody followed Sadaharu Jimbo’s mantra of “do the right thing”.

But Lee Wright especially hadn’t been afraid of testing those limits before and on this occasion, too much was on the line. He threw cheap shots while not the legal man and took his time getting out of the ring when Diaz had tagged in.

The referee gave him two warnings and threatened disqualification on a third. As a result he behaved.

Throughout this, Miwa and McFly had done their very best to ignore the underhanded tactics and now they rampaged into the match, targeting Lee Wright and trying to keep the more powerful Diaz out of the action.

This strategy proved successful. Mito Miwa managed to hit the Pride Bomber on Wright and get the three count.

Team MYTHOS defended the Glory Tag Crown titles and broke the record for the longest reign!

 

Night of VICTORY, July 1999

In the heat of summer, Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) took part in a trios main event. They teamed with Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko against Danger Kumasaka, Shuji Inukai and Tommy Cornell.

Danger Kumasaka had taken a number of talents under his wing: Yoshimi Mushashibo, Shuji Inukai, Walter Morgan and, most recently, Tommy Cornell. The group had become large enough that it deserved a name. Suggested by Yoshimi Mushashibo, the group was called Kumasaka-buntai.

The three of its members started the faction off well in this main event. Danger Kumasaka gave Tatsuko a hard time on the mat, while Shuji Inukai stood out with his intensity and aggression. He hit the Untouchable Lariat on Sean McFly to earn his team the victory.

After the show, two matches were made. Nobuatsu Tatsuko challenged Danger Kumasaka, with the Glory Crown on the line, while Team MYTHOS offered Inukai and Cornell a chance at the Glory Tag Crown titles. Both matches were made for Night of LEGACY.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 1999

Over 44,000 fans packed into the arena in Kyoto to watch, amongst other things, Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) defend the Glory Tag Crown titles against Shuji Inukai and Tommy Cornell, representing Kumasaka-buntai.

Some thought Team MYTHOS might ease off after becoming longest-reigning tag champions of all time, but they were wrong.

Despite Inukai’s relentless intensity and Cornell’s variety of attacks, the champions held on. Sean McFly hit the Delorean Driver on Cornell for Team MYTHOS to retain the Glory Tag Crown.

At Night of TOUGHNESS, an eight-man main event involving Team MYTHOS was announced, meaning the champions would head into the Elite Tag Series with the Glory Tag Crown titles.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 1999

Tag team wrestling had come a long way since the inception of PGHW over three years ago. The Elite Tag Series was hotly anticipated, with many fine teams taking part.

Four of them were in action in the main event of Night of TOUGHNESS.

Glory Tag Crown champions Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) teamed with Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) to take on Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Hito Ichihara & Koryusai Kitoaji.

It was a fierce match. All four teams wanted to build some momentum going into the Elite Tag Series. It was not the tag champions who came out successful, though. Instead, Team EXPLOSION looked strongest, with Hoshino pinning Dino Maldini.

At the end of the show, the blocks for Elite Tag Series were announced:

BLOCK A:

Hasegawa & Inao
Ichihara & Kitoaji
Nagahama & Nakane
Strike Force
Team Dynasty
Team MYTHOS

BLOCK B:

Boundary 97
Cornell & Morgan
Mitsushi & Sanda
Rebel Cell
Team EXPLOSION
Team STRENGTH RUSH

[Willsky]

ELITE TAG SERIES 1999

Another strong set of teams would contest the Elite Tag Series in its third instalment. The first winners of the trophy, Team Dynasty would take part, as would the winners of the 1998 tournament and still reigning Glory Tag Crown champions, Team MYTHOS.

And those two teams would collide in the block stage as the two favourites to advance. Fans were already salivating at the prospect of a rematch between the finalists of last year’s competition and the teams that contested one of the company’s greatest ever tag matches.

Other massive contenders in Block A were the newly formed team of icons: Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji. While they had only just come together, the two most successful wrestlers in PGHW were many people’s picks to advance.

Slightly behind them in the odds was Strike Force who had impressed together but were yet to find real success. Could this be their breakout moment? And behind them, Nagahama and Nakane could cause an upset and Hasegawa & Inao would likely struggle.

BLOCK A:

Hayate Hasegawa & Fukusaburu Inao
Hito Ichihara & Koryusai Kitoaji
Mamoru Nagahama & Yodo Nakane
Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)
Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo)
Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly)

On paper Block B looked slightly weaker. Two teams stood high above the rest: Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH. Both former Glory Tag Crown champions who fought over the belts throughout 1997. Since then, their tag exploits had fallen away somewhat, but they could be confident of a spot in the semi-finals.

Behind them, Cornell & Morgan would hope to impress. While they might not be expected to qualify, there was an outside chance for the young Englishmen. Much better odds than Mitsushi & Sanda, Rebel Cell or Boundary 97 who would all compete to get whatever points they could manage.

BLOCK B:

Boundary 97
Cornell & Morgan
Mitsushi & Sanda
Rebel Cell
Team EXPLOSION
Team STRENGTH RUSH

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 1

Block A Results

Team Dynasty def. Nagahama & Nakane
Ichihara & Kitoaji def. Hasegawa & Inao
Team MYTHOS def. Strike Force

Team Dynasty and Ichihara & Kitoaji picked up expected wins to start the tournament well.

The main event of the show saw Team MYTHOS face Strike Force in a close match. The Glory Tag Crown champions got the win thanks to a Pride Bomber from Mito Miwa. The match was good, but not quite at the level of their title match from a few months ago.

Block B Results

Cornell & Morgan def. Rebel Cell
Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Boundary 97
Team EXPLOSION def. Sanda & Mitsushi

In last year’s tournament, Team STRENGTH RUSH defeated Boundary 97 in the first round of matches. The same happened this time, with the former two-time Glory Tag Crown champions getting a routine win. Cornell and Morgan started strong, defeating Rebel Cell.

Team EXPLOSION were at their best, although their opponents were hardly a major challenge. They beat the thrown-together team of Sanda & Mitsushi when Kunomasu hit a Launching Knee Strike.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 2

Block A Results

Strike Force def. Nagahama & Nakane
Team MYTHOS def. Hasegawa & Inao
Team Dynasty and Ichihara & Kitoaji went to a time-limit draw.

Strike Force got their first points of the tournament, defeating Nagahama and Nakane who were close to getting a result. Team MYTHOS defeated Hasegawa & Inao with ease.

Everybody wanted to see Ichihara & Kitoaji face Team Dynasty, and the two teams did not disappoint, putting on the best match of the tournament so far and sharing the points when thirty minutes expired.

Block B Results

Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Cornell & Morgan
Rebel Cell def. Sanda & Mitsushi
Team EXPLOSION def. Boundary 97

Team STRENGTH RUSH continued their good start to the tournament with a close-fought victory over Cornell & Morgan, the latter of which were disappointed not to get a result. Rebel Cell got a rare victory, overcoming the quite disappointing duo of Sanda & Mitsushi.

It was becoming a theme in Block B: half the block were performing well, the other half were pretty poor. Team EXPLOSION demolished Boundary 97 when Hoshino hit the Godzilla Plunge on Umehara.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 3

Block A Results

Team Dynasty def. Hasegawa & Inao
Team MYTHOS def. Nagahama & Nakane
Ichihara & Kitoaji def. Strike Force

Team MYTHOS made it three wins from three when they defeated Nagahama & Nakane, who were yet to score a point. Also winless were Hasegawa & Inao who lost to Team Dynasty.

The main event of Ichihara & Kitoaji vs. Strike Force didn’t live up to the expectations of the crowd. The legends got the victory, but it was clear Kitoaji couldn’t wrestle like he could a year ago. Fortunately their win ended the match on a high note.

Block B Results

Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Sanda & Mitsushi
Cornell & Morgan def. Boundary 97
Team EXPLOSION def. Rebel Cell

Team STRENGTH RUSH and Cornell & Morgan both got fairly routine wins over poor opponents and now Wright & Diaz were in a strong position to qualify.

Rebel Cell, to their credit, performed admirably in the face of two dangerous opponents in Team EXPLOSION. Ultimately Hoshino and Kunomasu won, but at least Rebel Cell had shown some steel, which was more than could be said about the other two struggling teams in the block.

 

Mid-point round-up

Block A Table

6 Team MYTHOS
5 Ichihara & Kitoaji
5 Team Dynasty
2 Strike Force
0 Hasegawa & Inao
0 Nagahama & Nakane
 

Block B Table

6 Team EXPLOSION
6 Team STRENGTH RUSH
4 Cornell & Morgan
2 Rebel Cell
0 Boundary 97
0 Sanda & Mitsushi
 

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 4

Block A Results

Strike Force def. Hasegawa & Inao
Ichihara & Kitoaji def. Nagahama & Nakane
Team MYTHOS def. Team Dynasty

Things were getting tight at the top of Block A with three teams in the running for the 2 qualifying spots. Strike Force’s victory over Hasegawa & Inao kept them momentarily in contention, but later results put them out of contention.

Mamoru Nagahama had a point to prove when he went up against Hito Ichihara. Nagahama and Ichihara had been long term tag partners, winning the Glory Tag Crown together, but Ichihara ditched Nagahama to team up with old rival Kitoaji. Unfortunately for Nagahama, Ichihara’s decision was proven right as the icons came away with the victory.

In the main event, Team Dynasty hoped to leapfrog Team MYTHOS and secure top spot, but the reigning tag champions had other ideas. Mito Miwa hit a Pride Bomber on Yoshimi Mushashibo to win. Mushashibo seemed a little fatigued at the end of the match.

 

Block B Results

Team STRENGTH RUSH def. Rebel Cell
Team EXPLOSION and Cornell & Morgan went to a time-limit draw.
Boundary 97 def. Sanda & Mitsushi

Once again Rebel Cell looked good in defeat, missing out to Team STRENGTH RUSH who made it four from four and assured qualification from the block.

Team EXPLOSION would have to wait for that achievement as they couldn’t get the better of Cornell & Morgan, with the young Brits surviving to a time-limit draw.

And Boundary 97 got some points on the board, defeating the woeful pair of Sanda & Mitsushi.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 5

Block A Results

Nagahama & Nakane def. Hasegawa & Inao
Team Dynasty and Strike Force went to a time-limit draw
Team MYTHOS def. Ichihara & Kitoaji

Nagahama & Nakane got their first win by beating Hasegawa & Inao. Fukusaburu Inao was furious after the match, having lost all 5 of their block fixtures. He said he was done with “old” Hasegawa and claimed the veteran was holding him back.

Team Dynasty needed two points or they would fail to qualify. They came up against a strong Strike Force who pushed them to the limit. Mushashibo’s condition was pivotal. The Historical Japan champion looked exhausted and he couldn’t act decisively enough, and the match hit the time-limit. Shuji Inukai did not look pleased.

Team MYTHOS made it 100% in the block by beating Ichihara & Kitoaji, handing the new iconic team their first defeat. The legends wouldn’t mind too much, though, as they qualified from the block.

Block B Results

Rebel Cell def. Boundary 97
Cornell & Morgan def. Sanda & Mitsushi
Team EXPLOSION def. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Rebel Cell got their second win of the tournament, and finished on a respectable four points.

Cornell & Morgan also finished well, defeating Sanda & Mitsushi who scored no points from the five matches. Indeed, Mitsushi’s record for 1999 was still to be adorned by a W.

Team EXPLOSION needed at least a point to definitively qualify ahead of Cornell & Morgan and they did one better, getting the victory over old rivals Team STRENGTH RUSH. That meant Hoshino & Kunomasu topped Block B.

 

FINAL STANDINGS

Block A Table

10 Team MYTHOS
7 Ichihara & Kitoaji
6 Team Dynasty
5 Strike Force
2 Nagahame & Nakane
0 Hasegawa & Inao
 

Block B Table

9 Team EXPLOSION
8 Team STRENGTH RUSH
7 Cornell & Morgan
4 Rebel Cell
2 Boundary 97
0 Sanda & Mitsushi
 

Conclusion

The Elite Tag Series 1999 highlighted a clear division between the top-level tag teams and those lower down the card. There were very few upsets and four teams failed to impress.

This was reflected in some later changes to those teams, with Fukusaburu ditching Hasegawa and Boundary 97 also deciding to part ways. Sanda & Mitsushi and Nagahama & Nakane were only temporary alliances and neither thought it a good idea to continue tagging.

Rebel Cell stepped up to the next level. They were still a way off the top teams, but it showed that their consistency as a tag team and their devotion to the division was beginning to pay off. Cornell & Morgan also impressed, only missing out on qualification by a single point.

Strike Force and Team Dynasty had disappointing tournaments. Strike Force once again couldn’t get it done against the big teams and Yoshimi Mushashibo’s fatigue (likely due to defending the Historical Japan title so frequently) cost his team dearly.

Nobody was surprised to see Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH qualify from Block B, while Team MYTHOS were the only ones to win every single match. Ichihara & Kitoaji performed quite well and only a fool would rule them out of going and winning the whole thing.

At Night of HONOUR, the semi-finals would be: Team EXPLOSION vs. Ichihara & Kitoaji and Team MYTHOS vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH.

[Willsky]

Night of HONOUR, 1999 Match Card

Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Hito Ichihara & Koryusai Kitoaji

Mamoru Nagahama vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Chuichi Sanda, Yodo Nakane and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Tommy Cornell, Walter Morgan and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara)

Danger Kumasaka vs. Dread

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Glory Crown title

Winner of Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2 for the Elite Tag Series