PGHW - The Other Beginning

[monrapi3]

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

[Willsky]

Night of HONOUR 1999

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

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

PGHW started the show with Sadaharu Jimbo greeting the crowd and making an announcement about the condition of one of its biggest stars.

Luis Figo Manico had been on the shelf with a posterior cruciate ligament tear for six months. Jimbo explained that the injury had suffered serious complications and that Figo would no longer be able to wrestle. His retirement from the ring was official from this moment forward.

Jimbo said PGHW would continue to support Figo financially as per the conditions of his contract. For now, Figo was spending time with his family and friends in Spain and would soon step into the role of Head Booker of UCR in his home country.

 

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

Reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) recently surpassed the record for longest reign with the belts and were set to make it a full year at the top of the division.

Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) held the record that was broken. They had the chance to protect their honour, challenging for the tag titles at Night of WARRIORS, but failed to do so. Now they were looking for revenge, and winning the Elite Tag Series was a good place to start.

Team MYTHOS dominated Block A, winning all five of their matches, while Team STRENGTH RUSH finished second, having lost to Team EXPLOSION in the final round.

Both teams brought intensity and the tension between them underlied the whole match.

Lee Wright found himself struggling. His physical condition was on the wane and his cunning experience could only get him so far. He had to rely on the power and dominance of Raymond Diaz to stay competitive.

And Diaz was effective. It was probably the best performance of his career so far, single-handedly battering McFly and Miwa and looking every bit the young Dread that people saw in him.

However, Miwa and McFly had ruled the tag division for a year thanks to their refusal to give in combined with their excellent chemistry. They surged back into the match and focused on isolating Lee Wright.

When they did that, Diaz helplessly watched his veteran partner get hit by the Pride Bomber and pinned.

Team MYTHOS won and advanced to the final! It was an incredible match that had the crowd on their feet in appreciation.

 

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

One of the big questions about this year’s Elite Tag Series was “how far could Ichihara & Kitoaji go?”

Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji had made it out of a very competitive Block A, surpassing Team Dynasty. Now they came up against former Glory Tag Crown champions Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).

At Night of GLORY, Kunomasu and Ichihara had done battle, with the veteran Ichihara narrowly coming out on top. For Kunomasu it was a serious blow since many of his young peers overcame the old guard on that show.

The story of this match was the conflict of two brilliant individuals against a well-oiled machine.

Ichihara and Kitoaji had only been tagging together for a couple of months and, although they knew each other well from their storied rivalry, they were still getting used to each other as partners.

Team EXPLOSION, in contrast, had been a team since the very inception of PGHW over three years ago. Yes, they had spent time away from each other and even in conflict, but they knew exactly how to get the best out of each other.

This was the decisive factor. While Ichihara and Kitoaji on their own were superior to Hoshino and Kunomasu as individuals, timing and communication more than compensated.

Hoshino and Kunomasu made smart and frequent tags to keep fresh and managed to isolate their opponents, wearing them down.

Kitoaji had a wild flurry at the end of the match, hitting a Kitoaji Braindrop on Kunomasu, but he didn’t realise that Kunomasu had already tagged out and Hoshino was the legal man. Hoshino hit the Godzilla Plunge to win the match.

Team EXPLOSION advanced to the Elite Tag Series final!

 

MATCH 3: Mamoru Nagahama vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Mamoru Nagahama challenged Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Historical Japan title a month ago, with Mushashibo emerging victorious. But during the Elite Tag Series, in which they shared a block, Mushashibo deemed Nagahama worthy of a rematch.

Nagahama tried to prove him right and pick up his first singles gold in PGHW, but he got caught in the Yoshimi Lock and tapped out.

Despite his victory, Mushashibo still looked tired, a result of a manic schedule defending the belt nearly 40 times in a couple of months and going through a gruelling Elite Tag Series tournament.

 

MATCH 4: Chuichi Sanda, Yodo Nakane and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) vs. Tommy Cornell, Walter Morgan and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara)

Three of the teams who performed admirably in the Elite Tag Series (and Sanda and Nakane) wrestled not for the tournament, but for pride. It was a fun match in which Pistol Pete Hall got the win with a Pistol Whip Lariat on Sotatsu Sarumara.

 

MATCH 5: Danger Kumasaka vs. Dread

At Night of TOUGHNESS, Dread suffered defeat in a six-man tag match against Danger Kumasaka, Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Shuji Inukai.

The big man wanted revenge for that loss and, with Tatsuko and Inukai in action later, Danger Kumasaka was the only man left to take out his frustrations on.

And he did just that. Kumasaka was smart, trying to chop down the big man and manipulate him on the mat, but Dread easily fended him off and smashed him with big move after big move.

In the end a Dread Bomb put the veteran away, although Dread’s expression didn’t suggest he had reduced his level of anger at all.

 

MATCH 6: Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Shuji Inukai for the Glory Crown

Shuji Inukai had impressed Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the last couple of months as the pair were successful in multi-man matches. Tatsuko had promised Inukai a shot at the Glory Crown when Inukai was next available. With Team Dynasty out of the Elite Tag Series, Inukia was now free.

Tatsuko had proved himself as a relentless, unstoppable force that could keep attacking without letting up seemingly forever.

Shuji Inukai had shown he could hang on under serious pressure, absorbing endless punishment and always battle back.

The unstoppable force versus the immovable object.

This match played out the dynamic with Tatsuko on top for long periods. His typical intensity would have finished off anyone else in under twenty minutes, but Inukai was made of different stuff.

Inukai took the punishment and managed to kick out of a Tatsuko Driller, something that shocked the audience.

Then he battled back. Dazed and beaten, yes, but that didn’t halt his determination. He had Tatsuko on the back foot for a few minutes before setting up the Untouchable Lariat, a move that nobody had ever kicked out of.

But Tatsuko saw it coming. He dodged the swinging arm and reversed into another Tatsuko Driller. This time Inukai couldn’t kick out and the referee counted to three.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko retained the Glory Crown.

 

MAIN EVENT: Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu)

Two of the favourites to win the Elite Tag Series met in the final. Team MTYHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) won the tournament last year and then came out victorious in the subsequent Glory Tag Crown title match. They still held the belts from that victory nearly a year ago.

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) competed in the first ever Elite Tag Series final, losing that time to Team Dynasty. They were former Glory Tag Crown champions, but over the last year had not teamed as regularly as usual due to personal divisions between them.

However, those wounds had been mended and they were the back to their best.

The match began with Kunomasu squaring off against Sean McFly. The action was electric, with McFly’s flurries of rapid offence punctuated by devastating, precise strikes and slams by Kunomasu.

When Miwa and Hoshino tagged in, things went up another notch. Eisaku Hoshino was still resenting his big singles loss to Shuji Inukai at Night of GLORY and was out to prove everyone he was the most violent, the most durable and the most tenacious.

Miwa, on the other hand, was proud and forceful. He had become one of the very elite performers in PGHW and he knew it. He showed some disdain for the imprecision and ruggedness of Hoshino, but couldn’t deny the savagery with which Hoshino went at him.

Miwa was right to be confident. Team MYTHOS had only ever lost one match as a duo and that was over a year ago at the Elite Tag Series 1998. He expected to win.

And that was his downfall. A hint of complacency from the Pride Warrior, or just a denial of the obvious danger Team EXPLOSION presented, but when Hoshino and Kunomasu started taking control, instead of tagging out, he continued to battle, believing he could handle it.

But by the time he realised their quick tags and good teamwork were too much for him, it was too late. He made the tag to Sean McFly who got immediately isolated and pummelled.

Miwa charged back into the match later on, but he had suffered too much and McFly was in a bad way.

Hoshino and Kunomasu hit the Eisaku Explosion on McFly and Hoshino pinned him for the win.

Team EXPLOSION won the Elite Tag Series 1999!

 

Conclusion

Night of HONOUR may have been the best show in PGHW history. There were no weak matches and it contained three absolute classic matches, including the main event Elite Tag Series match which was immediately considered the best tag team match in the company’s history.

And the opener was the second best. Team MYTHOS were involved in both and received a lot of plaudits for their performances, despite their loss in the final. Team EXPLOSION, meanwhile, came out looking incredible.

The other great match was Tatsuko against Inukai which, if it hadn’t been on a show with two other amazing bouts, would have been heralded as a match of the year contender.

After the show, the loser of that match, Shuji Inukai had some comments for the press conference.

Inukai: Tonight was a bad night for me. It is hard to get an opportunity to fight for the Glory Crown. I have challenged every champion and fallen short. That is hard to stomach.

But what irritates me more is the fact that I should have been competing in the Elite Tag Series tournament tonight. But me and Yoshimi didn’t qualify from the block.

Yes, it was a tough group, but we have prevailed through similar difficulties. We won the first instalment of the tournament. We reached the final last year. We should be competing at the very top, not finishing third.

And I know why. This is going to be hard to hear, but it’s the truth. It’s the same old story. Yoshimi Mushashibo refuses to dedicate his time and energy to Team Dynasty. He has been more concerned about the Historical Japan title over the last few months.

How many times did he defend it? Forty? Fifty? Too many. He is tired. Exhausted. Anyone would be with that kind of schedule. Fine, he is representing the belt well. But what about me? What about Team Dynasty?

If he wasn’t Historical Japan champion, we would have won the Elite Tag Series. But as it is, I sit here empty handed. 

[Willsky]

THE SAME OLD STORY

The relationship between Team Dynasty members Shuji Inukai and Yoshimi Mushashibo had always been complex. Their bond was extremely tight, but disagreements were common. On several occasions they had fallen out, resorted to conflict in the ring, then resolve their problems afterwards.

The latest problem was the same old story. Shuji Inukai wanted to succeed in the tag division, but Mushashibo wanted to focus on other priorities as well.

Back in 1997, Mushashibo defeated Inukai to maintain his position of splitting his time between singles and tag competition. Inukai reluctantly agreed, and the pair actually went on to win the Elite Tag Series and then the Glory Tag Crown.

But even that victory had been marred by its nature, with Inukai bending the rules to counter Team STRENGTH RUSH doing the same. When they lost the Glory Tag Crown, they both pursued singles success and had since failed to win any tag gold.

But at the Elite Tag Series 1999, Shuji Inukai wanted to win. Unfortunately for him, Yoshimi Mushashibo had gone through some intense months, defending his Historical Japan title on nearly 40 occasions. In the Elite Tag Series, he looked exhausted and Team Dynasty couldn’t qualify from their block.

It was a sorry state of affairs for one of the best tag teams in PGHW history, and Inukai made his feelings known.

With the formation of Kumasaka-buntai, of which both Inukai and Mushashibo were integral parts, Inukai had other options for success. But what were his priorities now? And could Mushashibo continue to be a singles star and keep his friendship with Inukai alive?

 

Night of KINGS, October 1999

Yoshimi Mushashibo’s run of defending the Historical Japan title one every show including tours had come to an end, understandably. He simply couldn’t keep up that kind of schedule. But he committed to defending the oldest active title belt in the world on every major show.

At Night of KINGS, he faced Takeshi Umehara. Umehara had suffered issues with his tag team partner too. Boundary 97 had divided and Umehara’s partner Go Matsunaga had left to join SAISHO where he would help train the stars of tomorrow. That left Umehara seeking singles success.

This was not his night, though, as Mushashibo showed his technical talents once again, submitting Umehara with the Yoshimi Lock.

Also on the show, Shuji Inukai teamed up with fellow Kumasaka-buntai team-mates Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan. The trio put in a great performance to beat Yodo Nakane and Team STRENGTH RUSH.

 

Night of IMPACT, October 1999

Yoshimi Mushashibo’s next challenger was another wrestler whose tag team had fallen apart. Fukusaburu Inao. On this occasion it was Inao who had initiated the break-up, claiming Hayate Hasegawa had been holding him back. Hasegawa also departed for SAISHO.

Inao’s luck was no different to Umehara’s. Mushashibo was several steps up the food chain and finished off Inao with another Yoshimi Lock.

Shuji Inukai once again partnered with Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan in the main event, taking on Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH. Their opponents this time were too much to handle and Kumasaka-buntai ended up losing, with Dread pinning Morgan.

 

Night of COURAGE, November 1999

Shuji Inukai teamed up with Danger Kumasaka to face Team STRENGTH RUSH. Although Inukai and Kumasaka had never really seen eye-to-eye, they had brilliant chemistry together and rarely slipped up. They overcame Wright & Diaz.

Yoshimi Mushashibo took on Dino Maldini, with the Historical Japan title once again on the line. It was a brilliant match. One of the best in PGHW history. Mushashibo looked absolutely incredible and Dino Maldini showed how much he had developed alongside Pistol Pete Hall.

On multiple occasions it looked like Maldini might get the victory, but finally Mushashibo applied the Yoshimi Lock, getting the submission victory.

After the match, Shuji Inukai came out to join Mushashibo in the ring. He had a microphone.

Inukai: A month ago, I said that I wished you had never won the Historical Japan title. And you know why. Not because I want to deny your success, but because I want us to share it. We have always been together.

But you have made it so difficult. You always think of yourself first, when I think of the team. I’ve been teaming with the Kumasaka-buntai guys for the last few months, doing my best to make our group successful.

Now it’s time for me to prioritise myself. If I can’t win championships WITH you, I’ll have to win singles gold. AGAINST you.

At Night of WRESTLING, Yoshimi, in one month’s time, I want that Historical Japan title.

 

Night of ENDURANCE, November 1999

At the last show before Night of WRESTLING, Shuji Inukai wanted to get a singles victory ahead of his match against Mushashibo for the Historical Japan title.

He faced Yodo Nakane, a veteran who had suffered a pretty torrid year, declining physically and competitively. Inukai beat him fairly comfortably, using the deadly Untouchable Lariat, which nobody had ever kicked out of.

Yoshimi Mushashibo, meanwhile, defended the Historical Japan title again, this time against SAISHO graduate Noriyori Sanda. Sanda had recently come back from a two-year excursion in Canada and hoped to make an impact in PGHW.

He performed admirably in defeated. Nobody expected him to win, but many were impressed by his energy. He was already being seen as a future champion. However, this time he submitted to the Yoshimi Lock.

In the post-show press conference, Mushashibo was typically pensive.

Mushashibo: It is a shame Shuji feels the way he does. I thought we had put this kind of thing behind us, come to an agreement. Apparently not. It’s the same old story from him.

But I am happy to face him at Night of WRESTLING. He did not need to make this about him and me, but simply about two wrestlers competing over one of the greatest prizes in this sport. That’s how I see it. He wants me to change, to be more like him. To be a tag wrestler above all else.

That is not who I am, and he will not change me.

[Scottie]

Very sad to see Figo retire! He had a great run and the dreaded knee injury was his undoing.

The Inukai/Mushashibo bout is a hotly anticipated one. Surely Mushashibo's reign is coming to an end! 

[Willsky]

THE SUPERIOR PARTNER

Among all the drama and excitement of the Elite Tag Series 1999, one team stood out. The combination of the two founding icons of PGHW, the men who battled for over two years for the Glory Crown, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

Between them, they shared three Glory Crown reigns and a Glory Tag Crown reign, when Ichihara held the tag titles alongside Mamoru Nagahama for eight months.

Despite being new partners, they did well to advance from a very competitive block, but fell just short at the semi-final stage as Team EXPLOSION defeated them.

Still, the pair of legends enjoyed their run together. But would it continue? And how would the rejected Mamoru Nagahama feel about his long-term team mate opting for Kitoaji?

 

Night of KINGS, October 1999

The three men in question, Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama competed in a six-man tag match against Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall).

The story of the match was told by who Ichihara tagged in to the match. It was notable that he included Nagahama in the early portions of the match when everyone was still fresh and feeling each other out.

But when things picked up, Ichihara brought in Kitoaji. The veteran may have suffered a steep decline throughout the year, but he could handle himself against adversity, and with Nobuatsu Tatsuko on the other side of the ring, there was plenty of physical and personal conflict.

But Tatsuko was too strong. He had Kitoaji in serious trouble, and he had to tag out. To Nagahama. The youngster rampaged into the match and turned the tide in his team’s favour, finally getting the pinfall victory on Dino Maldini.

It was a huge moment for the youngster and after the match he had some words for Ichihara and Kitoaji, for the first time in his career showing some real steel.

Nagahama: Ichihara, you made a mistake at the Elite Tag Series. You should have teamed with me. We have been successful together. You can rely on me. Kitoaji may have a great reputation, but he is on the way down. I am on the way up. Want me to prove it?

Kitoaji, at Night of IMPACT, let’s wrestle. I’ll defeat you in singles competition and prove I am the better tag partner!

 

Night of IMPACT, October 1999

Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama wrestled in singles competition for the third time ever.

The first time was somewhat controversial. Not the match itself, but the reason for the match existing. It was late 1997 with Kitoaji in full control of the Glory Crown. He was picking his challengers and controversially chose Nagahama who had done little to earn the shot.

Kitoaji won comfortably and irritated those who wanted to see the likes of Nobuatsu Tatsuko challenge for the belt.

The second encounter came in early 1999, with Kitoaji overcoming Nagahama again, although it was much less one-sided.

And at this show, Night of IMPACT, there was even less of a difference. Nagahama had improved greatly since their initial battle over two years ago while Kitoaji had been in decline all year.

Still, Kitoaji managed to squeeze out a victory, using his ring-awareness to escape a submission by rope-break and get a clever roll-up pin.

Nagahama was furious after the loss, while Kitoaji looked exhausted.

 

Night of COURAGE, November 1999

Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama found themselves in the same six-man tag match again, but this time on opposite teams.

Kitoaji teamed with Yodo Nakane and Fukusaburu Inao while Nagahama had Walter Morgan and young lion Noriyori Sanda with him.

The experience of Nakane and Kitoaji suggested they would come out on top, but some fiery performances from all of Nagahama’s team made a serious difference.

Mamoru Nagahama won the match for his team, submitting Nakane with a Nagahama Guillotine.

Again, Nagahama showed his attitude had changed by immediately getting in Kitoaji’s face. Moments later, he had a microphone in hand.

Nagahama: You scraped a lucky win over me last time out. I know that’s not good enough for you, and it certainly isn’t good enough for me. You proved nothing. I’m still the better partner and the better man. So face me again, and let’s do it at Night of WRESTLING and this time, I’ll choke you out just like I did to Nakane.

 

Night of ENDURANCE, November 1999

Leading up to Night of WRESTLING, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama once again did battle, although their time together in the ring was very limited.

It was an eight-man tag. Nagahama teamed with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) while Kitoaji was with none other than Hito Ichihara and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

Seeing Ichihara and Kitoaji on the same team against him only made Nagahama more incensed. He put in a spirited performance and again walked away as the finisher of the match, choking out Okazawaya with the Nagahama Guillotine.

After the bell had rung, Kitoaji was quick to stand up to Nagahama. The pair touched foreheads and Ichihara had to step between them to stop things getting worse.

Kitoaji spoke in the post-show press conference.

Kitoaji: Nagahama is a young man who is discovering himself. It’s interesting to draw parallels between him and Tatsuko. They both started quiet, humble, and hard-working.

Tatsuko broke out of that, in no small part due to his rivalry with me, and now look at him.

It looks like Nagahama might be following a similar path. But the thing is, there’s a difference between Tatsuko and Nagahama.

I’ll beat Nagahama at Night of WRESTLING. And when I do, Ichihara will only consider me as a viable tag partner.

Because Tatsuko is destined for greatness. Nagahama is destined for mediocrity.

[Willsky]

On 1/26/2024 at 10:27 AM, Scottie said:

Very sad to see Figo retire! He had a great run and the dreaded knee injury was his undoing.

The Inukai/Mushashibo bout is a hotly anticipated one. Surely Mushashibo's reign is coming to an end! 

Figo's retirement was a real blow. He's one of my favourites in the CVerse and I had huge plans for him! 

[Willsky]

TAG TRILOGY

Team EXPLOSION celebrated a fantastic victory at the Elite Tag Series. It was the third edition of the tournament and it had changed hugely from its first iteration, now considered by many to be on the same level as the singles Elite Series.

For Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu, it represented a return to the excellent form that had seen them reign as Glory Tag Crown champions in 1997.

To win the final, they had to beat current Glory Tag Crown holders Team MYTHOS. Mito Miwa and Sean McFly had smashed the existing longest-reign record and had made it to a full year with the belts – an impressive achievement.

But now, they had Team EXPLOSION high on momentum and chasing down their titles… would the reign continue? Or would Hoshino and Kunomasu capture the belts again?

 

Night of KINGS, October 1999

It said something about the tag division as a whole, as well as the two teams involved, that there was no surprise at the announcement the Glory Tag Crown title match would main event Night of KINGS.

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) defended the Glory Tag Crown belts against the team who had beaten them two weeks beforehand to earn this shot, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).

It marked a year to the day that Team MYTHOS had beaten Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama to begin their run.

The match was a good one. Not nearly as jawdropping as their Elite Tag Series final bout, but still exciting. The main drawback was the fact that Hoshino got his brow busted open early on. Ringside doctors patched him up quickly, but the blood constantly slowed him and disrupted his offence.

At this level of competition, fine margins matter. The slight disorientation and split-second difference in reaction time that Hoshino suffered from cost his team dear. He failed to avoid the standing dropkick from Sean McFly that led to the Pride Bomber from Mito Miwa.

Team MYTHOS retained!

 

Night of IMPACT, October 1999

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) teamed with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Pistol Pete Hall to comfortably defeat Chuichi Sanda, Kazuo Mitsushi, Takeshi Umehara and Yodo Nakane.

Of course they did. Their opponents included Kazuo Mitsushi who had managed to once again get to October without winning a single match on a major show.

Later in the show, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) took on Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Rebel Cell showed signs of improvement at the Elite Tag Series, but it wasn’t enough yet, as Okazawaya got on the end of an Eisaku Explosion.

After their victory, Hoshino got on the microphone and said they were the only true challengers to Team MYTHOS and if it weren’t for his bleeding forehead, Team EXPLOSION would be Glory Tag Crown champions.

Miwa and McFly came out to respond. Miwa said Team EXPLOSION could have another shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles as long as they defeated both him and McFly in singles competition at the next show, Night of COURAGE. Team EXPLOSION agreed.

 

Night of COURAGE, November 1999

Tension was high in the opening match of the show. Eisaku Kunomasu took on Mito Miwa. Kunomasu had to win for he and Hoshino to stand any chance of getting another tag title shot.

While they had met many times in tag competition, this was only the second singles match between the pair. The previous time was at Night of GLORY in June 1998, with Miwa winning.

But Kunomasu had improved greatly since then. He was a precise, damage-dealing machine. Miwa found this out to his cost. Kunomasu got the win with a Launching Knee Strike.

Now it was up to Eisaku Hoshino. He faced Sean McFly knowing all of Kunomasu’s work would be undone if he failed to defeat the American. It was a frantic match, with both men bringing their own brand of high-energy offence.

Hoshino’s drive and aggression were the deciding factor as he landed a Godzilla Plunge to defeat McFly.

With Team EXPLOSION having fulfilled their side of the bargain, a rematch for the Glory Tag Crown titles was arranged for Night of WRESTLING – the third in a trilogy of matches in the latter half of 1999, with plenty of hype to live up to!

 

Night of ENDURANCE, November 1999

Both teams featured in the main event of the final show before Night of WRESTLING. It was a huge ten-man tag match featuring some of the biggest names on the roster.

Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) teamed with Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan.

They faced the imposing forces of Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu), Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) and the behemoth Dread.

The match saw plenty of rivalries, old and new. Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH put their previous animosity behind them in the name of gaining momentum before Night of WRESTLING.

And with the dominant Dread on their side, they managed to do just that, with his Dread Bomb setting up Hoshino and Kunomasu for the Eisaku Explosion on Walter Morgan, a move that got them the victory.

At the end of the match, Team EXPLOSION stood up to Team MYTHOS who raised the Glory Tag Crowns above their head and refused to be cowed.

After all, nobody seemed to be able to stop them for over a year now. They would not repeat the mistake of the Elite Tag Series final and be overconfident, would they?

[Willsky]

THE RISE OF FACTIONS

During the first three years of PGHW, one thing typical to most wrestling promotions and particularly puroresu federations had been missing from Sadaharu Jimbo’s endeavour. Factions.

But in the build up to the Elite Tag Series, a collection of young wrestlers assembled around legendary trainer Danger Kumasaka.

Yoshimi Mushashibo had been Kumasaka’s first protégé in PGHW, aligning with the veteran in 1997. Shortly after, Mushashibo’s Team Dynasty partner Shuji Inukai began to align himself with Kumasaka, despite their different points of view.

Then in 1998, Danger Kumasaka saw promise in young British technician Walter Morgan and even teamed with him during the Elite Tag Series of that year. And when Tommy Cornell arrived in the company, it wasn’t long before Kumasaka realised his potential and invited him to study under him.

This collection was quickly christened Kumasaka-buntai and was the first significant group that could be considered a faction in PGHW.

But where one group rises, another often follows in opposition. The benefit to young wrestlers of learning from older hands was obvious. And for those veterans it was a chance to give back, or to seek even greater glories.

 

Night of KINGS, October 1999

Kumasaka-buntai (Shuji Inukai, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan) teamed up to face Yodo Nakane and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz).

It was the first time this combination of Kumasaka-buntai had teamed together, although Inukai had tagged with Cornell in August in a bid to win the Glory Tag Crown titles from Team MYTHOS.

With Danger Kumasaka coaching them from the corner, the young trio did well. The strategy was to keep Raymond Diaz as inactive as possible and instead wear down the aging veterans Nakane and Wright.

They did this successfully and when Inukai hit the Untouchable Lariat on Nakane, it was all over.

 

Night of IMPACT, October 1999

Shuji Inukai again partnered with Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan in the main event against Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) but instead of Nakane, this time it was Dread.

This drastically changed the situation. The strategy of excluding Diaz was pointless because that meant inviting Dread into the ring, which was always a bad idea.

The former Glory Crown champion was still in a vile mood after dropping the belt. However, as seen on recent shows, he performed with more energy and passion alongside fellow gaijin Wright & Diaz. In fact, the big man seemed to love tagging with another massive heavyweight in Raymond Diaz.

The match was brutal and eventually swayed towards Dread’s team. The big man got the victory with a Dread Bomb on Walter Morgan.

 

Night of COURAGE, November 1999

Continuing the conflict between the two nascent groups, Dread faced Tommy Cornell in singles competition. Cornell had an exciting future in front of him, certainly stocked with victory and gold.

But he couldn’t match Dread at this point in his career. Cornell’s spirited offence ran into a thick wall of bricks which struck back with the power of a ballistic missile. Dread got the win with a Dread Bomb.

Later in the night, Shuji Inukai and Danger Kumasaka tagged together as a duo for only the second time ever, the last being over two years ago. The pair had never got on well, but when they chose to tag, they had fantastic chemistry.

So good that they were able to overcome Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz). For Lee Wright, it was a tough night. At 42 years old, his body was beginning to decline and he lacked the explosiveness and grit that had brough him success for over two decades.

Shuji Inukai hit him with the Untouchable Lariat to win the match.

 

Night of ENDURANCE, November 1999

Kumasaka-buntai suffered some internal conflict leading up to Night of WRESTLING as Shuji Inukai called out Yoshimi Mushashibo, wanting a shot at the Historical Japan title. That story is told elsewhere.

It meant two of its members were busy with other things, so Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan would have to face down the impending threat of Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Walter Morgan) without two of their top stars.

The latest conflict occurred in the main event of Night of ENDURANCE with Kumasaka-buntai teaming up with Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) while Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH fought alongside Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).

While Team STRENGTH RUSH and Team EXPLOSION didn’t get along at all, they all wanted to win, so put aside their differences.

And Dread made a huge difference. His size and power overwhelmed his smaller opponents and led his team of five to a momentum-boosting victory.

After the show, Dread had these words:

Dread: Kumasaka-buntai may have a lot of members, but half of them are kids and half of them are fighting each other. And Kumasaka is an old man.

But if you want a group made of studs, look no further than my team-mates for the last few months. I’ll admit, I was not happy about losing the Glory Crown. But these guys are on my side. They get it. They know how to deal with things the right way… expression through violence.

Together we are an army. And at Night of WRESTLING, we challenge Kumasaka-buntai to a trios match. Kumasaka, Cornell, Morgan, if you’ve got the guts, bring everything you’ve got because Dread Army will rip you limb from limb!

[Willsky]

LAST CHANCE FOR ICHIHARA?

Nobody would question Hito Ichihara’s position as all-time legend of PGHW and future Hall of Immortals inductee. What he had achieved already in the nascent company, not to mention his previous career, was legendary.

But at 43, time was getting on. He was yet to suffer the steep physical decline of his old rival and now tag-team partner Koryusai Kitoaji, but everybody could see his position gently fading away.

Take the Elite Series earlier in the year. He didn’t make it out of the block. His tag team with Nagahama dropped the Glory Tag Crown titles a year ago and he was yet to hold any gold since.

That’s not to say he wasn’t still competitive. He and Kitoaji went on a good tag run in the Elite Tag Series, and he had defeated Eisaku Kunomasu at Night of GLORY.

But with his gradual downward trajectory, it might not be long before he was out of the Glory Crown picture for good.

And the Glory Crown was where everybody wanted to be. Nobuatsu Tatsuko held the belt and was already enjoying a good run.

With such a young, aggressive champion, was it possible for Ichihara to have one last chance at glory?

 

Night of KINGS, October 1999

Hito Ichihara, Koryusai Kitoaji and Mamoru Nagahama wrestled against Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) at Night of KINGS.

It was a decent match, mostly focused on the interaction between Nagahama and Kitoaji who were both hostile towards each other, believing they were Ichihara’s best partner. Ichihara had to manage his team. No easy feat.

Not to mention he had to withstand a barrage of attacks from Nobuatsu Tatsuko and avoid getting pinned.

But he managed it, and his team earned a victory. It was Nagahama who proved decisive, going on a rampage and pinning Dino Maldini.

 

Night of IMPACT, October 1999

To continue with some friendly competition, Hito Ichihara took on Dino Maldini in singles competition. Maldini had improved massively since his start in PGHW and now looked like a solid wrestler ready to take a step up.

And he nearly did that on this occasion. He impressed many with his direct MMA-influenced attacks, and came half a second away from pinning Ichihara.

But Ichihara had something else on his mind. Something motivating him to rekindle some of that spirit that brought him to glory a couple of years ago. He hit the Head Drop Suplex to win.

In the next match, Pistol Pete Hall tagged with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) to defeat the team of Chuichi Sanda, Kazuo Mitsushi, Takeshi Umehara and Yodo Nakane.

It was a fairly straightforward win, but Pistol Pete Hall stood out, his power and skill overwhelming Mitsushi, who took the pin.

After the match, Tatsuko said he had been so impressed with Hall’s performance and offered him a shot at the Glory Crown at Night of COURAGE. Hall, of course, accepted.

 

Night of COURAGE, November 1999

At Night of COURAGE, Hito Ichihara picked up another victory. This team it was alongside the much-improved team of Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) as the three of them overcame Kazuo Mitsushi, Chuichi Sanda and Takeshi Umehara.

In the main event, Nobuatsu Tatsuko defended the Glory Crown against Pistol Pete Hall. Those who didn’t yet see Hall as a big-name player would have their opinions changed in this match as he took it to Tatsuko, using his size and ability to overwhelm the champion.

But Tatsuko won the belt on aggression and grit, two qualities that stood him in good stead here. He fought back and hit the Tatsuko Driller on Hall to retain the Glory Crown.

But as he celebrated, Hito Ichihara made his presence known, microphone in hand.

Ichihara: Tatsuko! The time has come. You do not yet have a major challenger for Night of WRESTLING. I should be that man. I have proved myself in the last couple of months with strong wins, including in a trios match against yourself. I want the Glory Crown.

Tatsuko approached and took the microphone out of Ichihara’s hand.

Tatsuko: Your time has passed, old man. The youth of PGHW runs the show now. Figure out who your partner is gonna be and focus on the tag division.

Ichihara snatched the microphone back.

Ichihara: You show me disrespect. I suppose you have earned that right with all you have achieved this year. Still, I am the biggest challenge to you at the moment. You know just what it is like to be the rightful challenger and be overlooked by the champion. Don’t make the same mistake. Give me this chance and I will show you the past isn’t finished yet.

Tatsuko considered the words for a moment then requested Ichihara hand him the microphone.

Tatsuko: You’re right. You are deserving of a chance. One chance. The last one. Because after Night of WRESTLING, we enter a new millenium. Where the future lives. Not the past.

So I’ll give you this last chance at the Glory Crown, Ichihara, but on one condition. If you lose, you can never challenge for it again.

Despite the risk, this was not a challenge Ichihara would turn down. He accepted with a nod and the match was made for Night of WRESTLING.

 

Night of ENDURANCE, November 1999

Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Hito Ichihara competed against each other for the last time before Night of WRESTLING. Tatsuko teamed with Mamoru Nagahama and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) while Ichihara was with Koryusai Kitoaji and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

While Tatsuko and Ichihara briefly interacted, the match featured Mamoru Nagahama particularly, angry at Ichihara’s partnership with Kitoaji. Nagahama was the decisive factor, choking out Okazawaya with the Nagahama Guillotine.

Ichihara found himself having to get involved with Nagahama and Kitoaji to stop them breaking out into violence after the bell, but once that was resolved, he found himself face to face with Tatsuko. The youngster stared at him intensely for a while, then extended a hand. Ichihara shook it.

After the show, Ichihara had some contemplative words.

Ichihara: I never expected to feel this way. When Sadaharu Jimbo sold PGHW to me, it was all about creating a platform for the next generation of Japanese talent to do things the right way.

I believed that. I still do. That’s why it pains me to feel like this. Like I want to burn it all down. To crush all that future for my own personal glory. I always thought I was here to help. Maybe my inner self never quite agreed.

I feel like the last bastion of the old guard. The one man capable of holding off the terrifying tide of the future, yet knowing it is inevitable. That standing in the face of the tsunami is futile. Hating the wall of water despite the change it will bring.

Holding on to the past. My past. It is hard to let go.

That is why at Night of WRESTLING I will fight with all the pride, all the honour and all the glory I can muster. Whatever strength I have will pour into the fight against the great wave. Because that is all I know. After all, what good is change if it isn’t earned?

This is the last chance.

 

[Willsky]

Night of WRESTLING 1999 Match Card

Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown title

[monrapi3]

Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown title

[SomeLazyMagic]

Night of WRESTLING 1999 Match Card

Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown title

[Shmoe II]

Haven't posted on the forums since I was the original Shmoe many years ago but really love your diary and PGHW has always been my C-Verse favourite. Really cool seeing your take on its alternative history, how the established canon legends play out to if any new ones will develop. That last piece of writing for Ichihara was a great piece of character work and complex motivation.

Night of WRESTLING

Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown title

[Willsky]

Night of WRESTLING 1999

Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown title

 

The final PGHW show of the year and also of the millenium. Y2K was just two weeks away and the hysteria of that event was in full flow. Still, the sensible ones stuck to enjoying good wrestling.

The New Shiga Stadium in Kansai welcomed a bumper crowd of 45,000 for the fourth edition of Night of WRESTLING, and they all knew they were in for a great night.

 

MATCH 1: Chuichi Sanda, Noriyori Sanda and Yodo Nakane vs. Fukusaburu Inao, Kazuo Mitsushi and Takeshi Umehara

Very much an undercard match to start the show. In 1997 and 1998, Kazuo Mitsushi failed to win anything on a major show, except for at Night of WRESTLING, where he was undefeated.

In 1999 so far, he again hadn’t won a single match on a major show. The record was both amazing and appalling at the same time.

But once again, he triumphed at Night of WRESTLING! Admittedly he had to thank his partners Fukusaburu Inao and Takeshi Umehara for the victory as together they performed well as a team.

In fact, afterwards, Inao and Umehara, who had both recently split from their tag partners, decided to give tag wrestling another shot and christened themselves Team Millenium.

 

MATCH 2: Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Koryusai Kitoaji found himself in the rare situation of being the underdog against a more determined and aggressive opponent. This was made all the more surprising by the fact his opponent was Mamoru Nagahama, someone who, until very recently, had always been quiet and hard-working.

But this new Nagahama wanted revenge. He hated Kitoaji for replacing him as Hito Ichihara’s tag partner and for the way in which Kitoaji defeated him with a roll-up at Night of IMPACT.

They faced off again in singles competition, with Nagahama direct and aggressive. In many ways this match resembled Kitoaji’s first bout against Nobuatsu Tatsuko, with the youngster determined to prove a point, and prove himself.

But Kitoaji said previously that Nagahama wasn’t destined to be a superstar like Tatsuko was. And perhaps he was right, at least for now, as Nagahama burnt himself out, over-extending himself. Falling into all of Kitoaji’s traps.

And despite not being at peak physical condition, Kitoaji won the game of patience and cunning, luring Nagahama into a Kitoaji Braindrop that got him the pinfall victory.

After the match, Kitoaji bowed to Nagahama in respect. For a moment it looked like Nagahama might return to the humble kid he used to be and return the bow, but instead he snarled and walked away.

 

MATCH 3: Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

While neither Rebel Cell or Strike Force qualified from the block stage of the Elite Tag Series, they both did alright. Rebel Cell were a team on the rise while Strike Force were yet to live up to their high, self-imposed expectations.

This match put them back on track, however, as Pistol Pete Hall pinned Sarumara after a Pistol Whip Lariat.

 

MATCH 4: DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

The first two major factions in PGHW went to war to establish who was superior.

Danger Kumasaka led the young pair of Brits, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan. It was a mixture of experience and youth, and all three were technically brilliant. Walter Morgan, especially, was a deadly submission wrestler.

DREAD Army only received their name at the end of Night of ENDURANCE when this match was set up. Dread had enjoyed teaming with Wright & Diaz and now they were out to make their mark.

Initially, they struggled. Lee Wright got wrapped up in the many dangerous holds of Walter Morgan and later Danger Kumasaka. Wright found himself exhausted quickly and had to use all his wiles to escape and tag in Raymond Diaz.

From then, the nature of the match changed. Diaz bullied Kumasaka-buntai. As if trying to impress Dread, he shrugged off all attempts to take him to the mat and set about demolishing whoever dared step in the ring with him.

Finally they chopped him down, but the damage had been done. When Dread tagged in, the demolition job was finished. Dread tossed his foes around the ring like ragdolls and finished the match by hitting a Dread Bomb on Kumasaka for the win.

It was a decisive and dominant performance from the new faction.

 

MATCH 5: Shuji Inukai vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo © for the Historical Japan title

The backstory behind this match needed half a novel to tell in full. On-and-off tag partners, close friends, disagreements on what wrestling was all about, competitive matches, strained egos and plenty of drama.

Ultimately it came down to the fact that Mushashibo was Historical Japan champion and Shuji Inukai thought it would be better if he held the belt.

When the competitors came out, there was a tension to the amicable gestures and forced smiles from both men.

And there was a tautness about the initial exchanges. While they were no strangers to being on opposite sides of the ring, the friction between them and the fact the Historical Japan title was on the line, not to mention the huge occasion, meant they were both cautions and stiff.

Mushashibo was first to ease into his slick, graceful style. He wrapped Inukai up in a number of holds, more to show him that he could than to do any serious damage.

After a while, this irritated Inukai. The challenger obviously resented Mushashibo going easy on him and struck out, landing a vicious elbow to Mushashibo’s jaw.

Naturally, Mushashibo was stunned. And angered. Now he flew into the match with a renewed vigour and those previously smooth holds turned into violent wrenches and twists.

Inukai was suffering. But suffering was something that Inukai knew. And in the depths of his own pain and adversity, he found strength and will to succeed.

Little by little, he scrapped his way back into the match, each time feeling the pain of armbars and leglocks as motivation.

Another massive elbow strike to Mushashibo had the champion reeling, then Inukai was on him like a wild beast. He threw forearms and knees and delivered suplexes and slams. Mushashibo had to think fast to survive.

And think fast he did. When Inukai went for the deadly Untouchable Lariat, Mushashibo reversed it into the Yoshimi Lock!

Inukai was in real trouble. He tried to battle free, and for over three excruciating minutes, he struggled. And struggled. Until the life was nearly squeezed from him.

Then he surged back! He caught everyone by surprise, not least Mushashibo who thought he had put his friend to sleep. Inukai shrugged Mushashibo off him and dragged himself to his feet.

Next came a ferocious exchange of blows. Each one saw Mushashibo fade and Inukai rise. And the final blow was the Untouchable Lariat. Mushashibo couldn’t avoid it. And nobody kicked out. Ever.

Shuji Inukai defeated Yoshimi Mushashibo to become the new Historical Japan champion!

 

MATCH 6: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles

This was the third match between Team EXPLOSION and Team MYTHOS in the latter half of 1999.

Team EXPLOSION beat Team MYTHOS in the final of the Elite Tag Series, but in the following Glory Tag Crown title match, Team MYTHOS edged the victory.

But Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu charged back into contention when they defeated Mito Miwa and Sean McFly in singles matches to get another shot. And this time they would want to make sure they didn’t miss the mark again.

And if Mito Miwa could have been accused of overconfidence in the Elite Tag Series final, he wouldn’t be now. He knew exactly what he was up against.

Kunomasu started opposite him in the ring. Both men were precise and deadly, Kunomasu with his accurate strikes, Miwa with his quick, versatile manoeuvres. It was a clinic.

When Hoshino and McFly tagged in, the energy went through the roof. Hoshino was a rugged, tenacious brawler, while McFly raced around the ring, probably the fastest and most agile competitor in PGHW.

The result was another epic match between the two teams, matching the Elite Tag Series final.

And the victors were the same as in that match, as Hoshino and Kunomasu teamed up to hit the Eisaku Explosion on Sean McFly to get the pin.

Team EXPLOSION became new Glory Tag Crown champions!

 

MAIN EVENT: Hito Ichihara vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko © for the Glory Crown

Six months after defeating Dread for the Glory Crown title, the fourth man to hold the Glory Crown, Nobuatsu Tatsuko, was in roaring form. He was on his way to becoming a great champion.

But he would have to prove himself against the man many were calling the last bastion of the old guard, Hito Ichihara. Ichihara and Kitoaji’s legendary bouts laid the foundation for PGHW. Their rivalry underpinned everything… until the youngsters took over.

The new wave saw every champion in PGHW aged under 30 and the veterans struggling to keep up.

Hito Ichihara was among those veterans, but he had done enough to earn this shot at the Glory Crown and get himself one last chance at the gold. One last chance if he lost. Because if Tatsuko defeated him, Ichihara could never challenge for the Glory Crown again.

As he made his way to the ring, Ichihara held himself tall, but there was an atmosphere of finality about his expression. Gravity. As if it were life or death. His last stand.

Tatsuko sensed the importance of the moment and showed his respect to Ichihara before the match.

The action started slowly, with Tatsuko, unusually, keeping a steady pace. This favoured Ichihara who couldn’t physically match the champion, but perhaps Tatsuko just wanted to beat the veteran at his own game.

Indeed it was Ichihara who upped the pace, suddenly and violently, exploding towards Tatsuko and lifting him up for the Head Drop Suplex!

But Tatsuko was too fast and he escaped before Ichihara could dump him down. From then the rhythm quickened and Tatsuko asserted his control. His direct style was too much for anyone, even Hito Ichihara who had suffered through Koryusai Kitoaji’s relentless barrages.

But Ichihara had one thing that the youngster didn’t. Experience. And a tactical mind. This was evidenced in a few attempted counters when Tatsuko was on the attack. Ichihara goaded the champion into overextending himself, then…

Bam! Head Drop Suplex! He hit the move and went to pin Tatsuko! One…two…

Kick out! It was a rare man who could kick out of Ichihara’s finishing move, but Tatsuko was no ordinary wrestler. Ichihara tried to slow the pace down then, looking for a submission finish.

He got the Ichihara Armbar locked in and Tatsuko was in real danger. The champion fought and scraped and finally powered his way out of the hold.

From then, Tatsuko’s face took on the intense fury that had propelled him to Glory Crown victory at Night of GLORY. The same expression that defeated Kitoaji a year ago. This was Tatsuko the relentless. The Iron Man.

The onslaught was incredible. Suplexes, lariats, powerbombs, and just old-fashioned strikes to the jaw. It was brutal.

But Ichihara held on, barely kicking out of everything Tatsuko could throw at him, suffering under the tsunami of offence, the New Wave crashing down on him.

Tatsuko went for the Tatsuko Driller…

Ichihara escaped! He sensed the moment. His last chance… if he could get it… Head Drop Suplex! One… Two…

Kick out! Tatsuko got his shoulder up again, somehow. For several moments neither man moved. Then, when they finally struggled to their knees, Ichihara knew the situation. That had been his last chance. He had failed.

He gestured for Tatsuko to come at him and, as the blows rained down on him, he embraced them all, standing up to stand eye-to-eye with Tatsuko, a last defiant gesture before…

Tatsuko Driller. One… Two…

Three. Tatsuko got the win and retained the Glory Crown.

 

Conclusion

Night of WRESTLING closed with the death of an era. The last show of the millennium was all wrapped up and the new generation was in full force. 1999 had been a hugely successful year for PGHW, with plenty of excitement about the future of the many young talents on the roster.

The match of the night was the main event between Tatsuko and Ichihara, with the emotional weight of the occasion giving it the edge over the excellent Glory Tag Crown match that preceded it.

Both matches were already at legendary status, along with the likes of Kitoaji vs. Ichihara from 1997 and Tatsuko and Ichihara’s Elite Series final in 1998.

While Ichihara’s time at the very top was over, he could be pleased with the fact that he took part in four of the five best matches in PGHW during the 90’s. Tatsuko was in three of them, and few would doubt he’d be seen in many more.

The match of the year award also went to this final match, barely edging out Tatsuko vs. Kunomasu from Night of WARRIORS and Ichihara vs. Kunomasu from Night of GLORY. Also in contention were two battles from the trilogy between Team EXPLOSION and Team MYTHOS.

PGHW End of Year Awards:

WRESTLER of the year: Nobuatsu Tatsuko
MATCH of the year: Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Hito Ichihara for the Glory Crown, Night of WRESTLING, December
MOST IMPROVED wrestler of the year: Sean McFly
TAG TEAM of the year: Team MYTHOS

Team MYTHOS also won Best Tag Team of the Year, an award voted on by notable journalists internationally across all promotions. A great honour for the pair.

 

After the show, a few wrestlers made comments.

Dread: What did I say? DREAD Army is here to dominate. Kumasaka-buntai crumpled in our path and soon we will dominate this whole company!

Yoshimi Mushashibo: Shuji deserved to win. He has been taking care of his body and condition much better than I have over the last few months. While I am disappointed to lose the Historical Japan title, I believe some rest is important.

Shuji Inukai: Holding this belt means a lot to me. I have worked hard to become part of history, and now my name will never be forgotten. As for the future of Team Dynasty? I do not know. Yoshimi will have to decide where his priorities are. For now, mine are with this belt.

Mito Miwa: It has been a great run in the tag division. I will always enjoy tagging with Sean because he is pure energy. But at this time, I see myself focusing on singles competition. Nobuatsu Tatsuko needs challengers and, given our history, I am sure I can dethrone him. The Glory Crown will be mine, sooner or later!

[Willsky]

A NEW ERA

A wise man learns from the past. That’s something my uncle always used to tell me, although it may have been a lifetime of teaching history skewing his point of view.

Personally, I much enjoyed imagining the future than looking back, but here I had to agree with him.

How many wrestling promotions have started up, looked fantastic for a few years, then crumbled under their own weight? I look at the graveyard in this country and around the world and try to find a pattern.

Does rapid growth lead to rapid decline? No, Burning Hammer came out of nowhere and quickly overtook GCG in the 70’s.

Is it a case of too many new egos created that cause the company to melt from the inside? Perhaps, but a good leader deals with those situations. Look at OLLIE in the 70’s and 80’s. Full of questionable characters, drugs, steroids and crime. They’re still going pretty well.

Or was it poor financial management? In some cases this is true, but most of the time income soon exceeds expenses, and I found that out myself. I had to make some hard decisions about wages, but in the end, my faith was repaid.

So what kills a wrestling promotion? What should I look out for?

In my opinion, it’s getting into a stupid war with a superior competitor. In a war, there are winners and losers. The losers die, or at least fall a long way. GCG and BHOTWG battled for over a and now look at how different their situations are.

Burning Hammer are a heavyweight, arguably the biggest company in the world, behind SWF. And GCG are struggling along, with all their talented workers either gone or about to retire. When Maeda and Yoshizawa hang up their boots, I don’t know how they’ll manage.

Hell, their next most popular stars are Fukusaburu Inao and Dino Maldini, two of my guys. If I were to hand them exclusive contracts…

No. I am not about conflict. I want GCG to exist. I want BHOTWG to exist. Together we are all stronger.

But as PGHW grows, there will be tough times against Burning Hammer. And I must not make the mistakes of the past. Perhaps I could win a war against them. Perhaps not. I am not willing to take that risk, not willing to jeopardize the position we have all made, the glory we have built.

Instead, we must quietly continue to do what we do best. In this new era, we will not attack Burning Hammer, we will not throw insults or get into pointless bidding wars.

We will simply put on better wrestling shows than them. And PGHW certainly has the roster to do that!

[Scottie]

Exciting times to come in the new millennium! Surely that's Ichihara's last real chance at winning the Glory Crown, and I'm not sure Kitoaji has much of a chance either. But it'll be interesting to see how they hang with the next (now current) generation in 2000.

[Willsky]

ANOTHER NAIL

Hito Ichihara had his last chance at the Glory Crown and failed. He would never again challenge for the title, as per the stipulation of his match against champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko at Night of WRESTLING.

It marked the end of an era, the transition from one millennium to another, and the new wave of talent engulfing what had come before.

Such is the natural order. And in the natural world, when predators smell weakness, they’re quick to act. Hito Ichihara had been leader of the pack for years, but now he was injured and vulnerable.

And there were young, ferocious lions waiting to take over the pride.

 

Night of RESPECT, January 2000

At Night of RESPECT, Hito Ichihara tagged alongside Mamoru Nagahama and Noriyori Sanda, facing the terrifying new trio called DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz).

It was the first time Ichihara and Nagahama had teamed for a while, with Ichihara previously opting to partner Koryusai Kitoaji, much to Nagahama’s annoyance.

And this annoyance had not abated. DREAD Army got the win, with Diaz pinning Sanda, but it was the interaction between Ichihara and Nagahama afterwards that were most memorable, with Ichihara commiserating his team and Nagahama lashing out, first verbally, then with a fist.

It was a stunning moment. Post-match antics were rare in PGHW and often frowned upon. But Nagahama had shown he cared less and less about the norms. Ichihara was stunned. The crowd was stunned.

Nagahama stormed away with rage in his eyes.

Elsewhere on the show, Mito Miwa defeated Dino Maldini in a fairly routine match. Miwa looked impressive, hitting a devastating Pride Bomber. It was arguably the best match on the show.

 

Night of ENERGY, January 2000

Mito Miwa was in singles action again, this time impressing in a victory over Noriyori Sanda. There was an intensity about Miwa that he had carried over from his time with Sean McFly in Team MYTHOS, and now he looked like a serious threat in the singles division.

Hito Ichihara and Mamoru Nagahama shared a ring again, but this time on opposite teams. Ichihara tagged with Sean McFly while Nagahama had Danger Kumasaka in his corner.

Ichihara and McFly worked well together, and got the victory. But when Ichihara and Nagahama shared the ring, there was tension in the air. The punch from Night of RESPECT was still with both men, and Nagahama clearly wanted the hostility to continue.

Ichihara shook his head after the match, wondering what had happened to his former partner.

 

Night of DESTINY, February 2000

This time, Mito Miwa competed in tag action, but not with his usual partner, McFly. Instead, he teamed with Mamoru Nagahama in a bout against veterans Hito Ichihara and Yodo Nakane.

It was youth against experience, the new wave against the old guard. In the year 2000 the old guard was crumbling and so it seemed again, with Miwa and Nagahama getting the victory when Miwa hit the Pride Bomber on Hito Ichihara, pinning him.

The former Glory Crown champion looked upset at getting pinned and challenged Miwa to a single match at Night of BATTLE with the aim of redeeming this loss. Miwa accepted, but warned Ichihara that this would just be another nail in the coffin.

 

Night of BATTLE, February 2000

The main event of Night of BATTLE was a huge pre-Elite Series clash between Mito Miwa and Hito Ichihara.

Ichihara’s fortunes had been sliding, while Miwa was in the ascendency – his massively successful tag run as part of Team MYTHOS propelled him into a singles run which he hoped to start strongly.

In the early days of PGHW, many compared Miwa to Ichihara, saying they shared the same strategic approach, able to make wise decisions under pressure. What Tatsuko was to Kitoaji, Miwa was to Ichihara.

Tatsuko had long since surpassed his predecessor. Now it was time for Miwa to do the same. Ichihara didn’t go down without a spirited fight, battling for his own pride and position at the top, but the fresh energy of Miwa’s youth overpowered the veteran, and another Pride Bomber put Ichihara down for the count.

It was a statement victory for Miwa ahead of the Elite Series, and a sign that Ichihara would be an outsider for the tournament, rather than the serious contender he had previously been.

[Willsky]

EXPLOSION

Team Explosion’s first Elite Tag Series win in September 1999 put them on the road to regaining the Glory Tag Crown titles two years since they last held them. Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu had changed a lot since then.

Both had risen the ranks of PGHW and showed they were a serious force both as a tag team and as singles competitors, evidenced by their reigns with the Historical Japan title.

The victory at Night of WRESTLING over Team MYTHOS cemented them back in the upper echelons of tag teams, united again and set to hold the belts for as long as possible.

But of course, there would be challengers. And later, with a team comprised of two men with singles ambitions, the upcoming Elite Series tournament always provided potential for tension to bubble.

 

Night of RESPECT, January 2000

The first match of Night of RESPECT, and the first match on a major PGHW show in the new millennium featured Team Millenium (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara), two men who had ditched their previous tag partners who were underperforming in the hopes of seeing greater success.

They were two members of a five-man team alongside Kumasaka-buntai members Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan.

Those five took on Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu), Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and Pistol Pete Hall.

It was a fun bout to kick of the show, with Cornell and Morgan showing good chemistry. Rebel Cell also impressed. Their performance was decisive in neutralising a lot of the threat from the opponents and allowing Team EXPLOSION to run rampage, getting the pin with an Eisaku Explosion.

After the match, Rebel Cell said that their performance had merited them a shot at the Glory Tag Crown titles, and Team EXPLOSION agreed.

 

Night of ENERGY, January 2000

Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) defended the Glory Tag Crown titles for the first time since starting their second reign. They took on Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

For a long time, Rebel Cell were a low-level team. They were far from dangerous contenders for the first three years of their existence, but slowly, surely, they were improving.

They showed their improvement in this match, holding their ground against the champions. But Hoshino and Kunomasu had improved at a much greater rate over the same space of time and the result was never really in doubt. An Eisaku Explosion got the job done.

Elsewhere on the show, Team Millenium (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) were in action again, this time in a trios match alongside Chuichi Sanda.

They faced Kumasaka-buntai’s team of Tommy Cornell, Walter Morgan & Yoshimi Mushashibo.

Team Millenium looked a lot better than either man had in their previous tag teams, but against a team containing Yoshimi Mushashibo, it was always going to be difficult. It was Cornell who got the victory for his team, pinning Umehara with the Rough Justice.

 

Night of DESTINY, February 2000

The winning trio from Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell, Walter Morgan & Yoshimi Mushashibo) aimed to repeat the feat at Night of DESTINY. This time they went up against Noriyori Sanda and the Glory Tag Crown champions, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).

Team EXPLOSION could have claimed they were handicapped by the inexperienced rookie Sanda, who got tied up in knots by the technical wizards across the ring from him, but they refused to do so and accepted defeat with grace.

Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan made their challenge for the tag titles at the end of the show and the match was confirmed for Night of BATTLE.

 

Night of BATTLE, February 2000

Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan made their second attempt at winning the Glory Tag Crown belts, with their last being a hugely exciting, critically acclaimed match at Night of GLORY in 1999.

They were certainly underdogs in this title match against Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) but with Danger Kumasaka in their corner barking out advice, anything was possible.

And it nearly became reality on several occasions. Cornell wrestled well, but it was Walter Morgan who shone most, his technical ability drawing gasps of wonderment. He manipulated Hoshino particularly. Hoshino’s unrelenting bulldog style fell straight into the smooth, reactive flow of Morgan’s holds, and if it wasn’t for Hoshino’s refusal to ever give in, he might have tapped out.

But he didn’t tap out. And when he made the tag to Kunomasu, the tide turned very quickly. A Launching Knee Strike had Morgan reeling, leaving Cornell isolated to take the Eisaku Explosion which meant the champions retained.

Still, it didn’t look unrealistic that Morgan and Cornell might one day hold the Glory Tag Crown titles.

After the show, all four participants of the title match announced their entry into the Elite Series, meaning tag action would be on hold for the time being. Meanwhile, Team MILLENIUM waited in the sidelines for their opportunity.

[Willsky]

INUKAI’S HISTORY

The relationship between Shuji Inukai and Yoshimi Mushashibo had been a rollercoaster for several years. The close friends often disagreed on wrestling matters, and at the end of 1999, they entered a dispute over the Historical Japan title.

Shuji Inukai thought he should have the gold, and he managed to do it by showing his violence at Night of WRESTLING. It was his first singles title in his career.

After the show, Inukai made it clear his priority was with the belt, above his tag team with Mushashibo. And in early 2000, he would have to prove that against the barrage of contenders that any Historical Japan champion should expect.

 

Night of RESPECT, January 2000

Shuji Inukai’s first defence of the Historical Japan title came against Chuichi Sanda. It seemed like a straightforward match for the champion. Sanda had improved his in-ring skills over the last year or so, but his lack of fitness was a major weakness.

Inukai was happy to exploit that. He set a fast, aggressive pace, and the challenger couldn’t keep up, only on a few occasions breaking Inukai’s stride to get a flurry of offence in.

Nobody was surprised when Inukai turned Sanda inside out with the Untouchable Lariat – a move which still nobody has kicked out of.

 

Night of ENERGY, January 2000

Defending the Historical Japan title against Yodo Nakane had become almost a rite of passage as the veteran midcarder always posed a threat. Now it was Shuji Inukai’s turn.

While Nakane couldn’t go like he used to, his ring-intelligence held him in good stead against the direct, relentless Inukai. On several occasions, the veteran caught Inukai out with clever counters.

But experience only got him so far. Inukai was not about to drop the title yet, and another Untouchable Lariat got the win.

 

Night of DESTINY, February 2000

Fukusaburu Inao was next to step up to Shuji Inukai with the hopes of winning the Historical Japan title. As was the nature of the belt, anyone could challenge by throwing their name in the hat.

This often led to surprise results, like Luis Figo Manico defeating Mito Miwa back in 1997. It also kept a busy schedule for the champion; Yoshimi Mushashibo had suffered from a demanding schedule and he claimed that’s why Inukai was able to defeat him.

Inukai didn’t seem to care who he had to face. This time he overpowered Inao with the Untouchable Lariat.

 

Night of BATTLE, February 2000

Mamoru Nagahama was the biggest test for Shuji Inukai so far. Nagahama had proved he had serious potential and was on his way to reaching it. Plus, his recent attitude change made him a dangerous, unpredictable opponent.

But perhaps Nagahama was distracted by his spat with Hito Ichihara, or maybe Inukai was just the better wrestler, because another Untouchable Lariat got the job done, making it four successful defences.

After the show, Inukai spoke.

Inukai: The Elite Series is coming up. That’s a gruelling schedule, but I’m getting used to that. My body is in the best condition it’s ever been in, and I feel like I could wrestle three matches a night.

I fully intend on winning the Elite Series, but whether I do or not, this belt remains my priority. I am untouchable right now. Nobody can take the gold from me.

Everyone has stepped up so far has been well short. And, yes, there will be more. I will swat them down. I know it’s early days, but my aim is to make this a record-breaking reign. I want to surpass Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Onishi Takuma as the longest reigning champion. That means over twenty more months. Nearly two years. Can I make it that far?

YES!

[Scottie]

Looking forward to the Elite Series! Hopefully someone from the old guard can hang on against the new generation.

[Willsky]

On 2/18/2024 at 4:35 AM, Scottie said:

Looking forward to the Elite Series! Hopefully someone from the old guard can hang on against the new generation.

It's going to be very tough for them with this wave of talent coming through!

[Willsky]

RISE OF DREAD ARMY & TATSUKO’S REIGN

At Night of WRESTLING, Dread’s new faction alongside the dominant tag force Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) erupted into life with a powerful victory over Kumasaka-buntai.

Just seeing the two behemoths of Dread and Raymond Diaz next to each other sent a chill of fear down the spine. Nobody knew how far the group could go, how destructive they could be or how much gold they would win.

But where there is a powerful force, others rise up to meet it, to slow it, or even try to break it apart before it can wreak havoc upon the world.

 

Night of RESPECT, January 2000

At the first show of the year, DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) showed no sign of complying with the event’s name.

They took on the trio of Hito Ichihara, Mamoru Nagahama and Noriyori Sanda. On paper, they seemed like tough opponents, but a combination of Sanda’s inexperience and the major friction between former tag partners Ichihara and Nagahama meant it was easy work for DREAD Army.

They picked apart the disconnected individuals. Raymond Diaz was particularly impressive, once again showing off his immense power and ferocity.

Dread watched on with a sickening smile as Diaz smashed Sanda into the ground again and again, finally pinning him after a Ray Gun.

In the main event of the show, Nobuatsu Tatsuko defended the Glory Crown against Sean McFly whose impressive tag performances won the admiration of the champion.

McFly did well, but failed to really show himself as a main event star, at least not yet. His spirit was strong, but he couldn’t resist the Tatsuko Driller that finished him off.

 

Night of ENERGY, January 2000

A huge trios match headlined Night of ENERGY in front of over 46,000 fans. DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) faced off against Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall).

Of course it was just 7 months since Tatsuko had defeated Dread for the Glory Crown (at Night of GLORY 1999) but now Dread had a renewed sense of vigour accompanied by his brutish partners.

Tatsuko had his own gaijin battlers on his side, though. Strike Force were always strong contenders, although had yet to really challenge the very top of the company. A win here could change that.

Unfortunately, they failed to do so. Raymond Diaz was once again in fine form, and his violent battle of shoulder-charges against Pistol Pete Hall had the crowd showing their appreciation.

Dread was the decisive man, though, targeting Dino Maldini with a Dread Bomb and getting the pinfall victory. After the bell had rung, Dread made it quite clear to Nobuatsu Tatsuko that it was time for a rematch for the title.

 

Night of DESTINY, February 2000

At Night of DESTINY, Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) faced off against Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall) in tag competition.

Diaz and Hall picked up where they left off, smashing into each other, trying to force the other into breaking. But it was the interactions between Wright and Maldini that decided the match. Maldini clearly had talent. And alongside Hall he had been improving. Wright showed him he had a lot more to learn with some clever reversals and understanding of the ring.

The former two-time Glory Tag Crown champions, Diaz & Wright isolated Maldini and finished him off with a Too Hot to Handle.

In the main event, Dread challenged Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown. It was a monumental rematch of the bout that saw Tatsuko crowned, and expectations were high. However, like their previous encounters, it failed to live up to the high standards of a Glory Crown title match.

Tatsuko got the win after lifting Dread up for a Tatsuko Driller, something he struggled to do throughout the match. It was the first bump in the rise of DREAD Army.

 

Night of BATTLE, February 2000

As if wanting to let off some steam following his title challenge defeat, Dread opened the show in singles competition against Dino Maldini.

Maldini did his best. But against the rampaging, furious Dread, there was very little he could do. A Dread Bomb made it four straight losses for Maldini in 2000 an he didn’t look best pleased about it.

Later in the show there was a huge pre-Elite Series 8-man tag match that saw Nobuatsu Tatsuko team with Yoshimi Mushashibo and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) against the equally eclectic foursome of Koryusai Kitoaji, Sean McFly, Pistol Pete Hall and Danger Kumasaka.

Most of the competitors would take part in the Elite Series in March, so it was an important bout for picking up confidence and momentum.

Tatsuko led his team to victory, with Raymond Diaz getting a decisive pinfall over Pistol Pete Hall.

After the match, the blocks for the Elite Series were announced:

BLOCK A:

Dino Maldini
Dread
Eisaku Kunomasu
Hito Ichihara
Koryusai Kitoaji
Mito Miwa
Raymond Diaz
Shuji Inukai

BLOCK B:

Eisaku Hoshino
Mamoru Nagahama
Nobuatsu Tatsuko
Pistol Pete Hall
Sean McFly
Tommy Cornell
Walter Morgan
Yoshimi Mushashibo

[Willsky]

THE ELITE SERIES 2000

March meant only one thing in PGHW, the Elite Series. The tournament had grown in stature and was now considered as equal in prestige to BHOTWG’s Summit tournament.

The year 2000 saw the highest quality entrants yet, with huge names across both blocks and a number of wrestlers with a serious chance of getting the victory.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko entered the tournament as favourite. He was on top of PGHW, holding the Glory Crown and having won this same tournament in both 1998 and 1999. Could he make it a hat-trick?

Block A consisted of:

Dino Maldini
Dread
Eisaku Kunomasu
Hito Ichihara
Koryusai Kitoaji
Mito Miwa
Raymond Diaz
Shuji Inukai

Three years ago, seeing Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji in the same block would have brought about a huge clamour. However, this was a new millennium, and neither man was favourite to advance, although nobody could rule out a surge for qualification.

Instead, the likes of Dread, Eisaku Kunomasu, Mito Miwa and Shuji Inukai were expected to battle for the top two spots.

Dread had picked up plenty of momentum with his DREAD Army faction, but failing to defeat Tatsuko for the Glory Crown a month ago had slowed that. He’d also have to face his up-and-coming protégé Raymond Diaz in a battle of behemoths.

Eisaku Kunomasu and Shuji Inukai came into the tournament holding gold. Kunomasu had been outstanding in Team EXPLOSION’s second reign with the Glory Tag Crowns, while Shuji Inukai was enjoying a strong start to his Historical Japan run. Both men would surely be aiming to advance from the block.

Mito Miwa, meanwhile, was without gold, but on a rampage, having just defeated Hito Ichihara. Was this the time for the Pride Warrior to take it to the next level? For the last two years, he had made it out of the block but fell at the semi-final. Could he go a step further this year?

Dino Maldini was the only man who had a shot at losing every single match. He was by far the weakest competitor, but there was always the chance of an upset victory.

BLOCK B consisted of:

Eisaku Hoshino
Mamoru Nagahama
Nobuatsu Tatsuko
Pistol Pete Hall
Sean McFly
Tommy Cornell
Walter Morgan
Yoshimi Mushashibo

The obvious favourite for Block B was Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Qualification was almost a certainty in most people’s eyes. However, there was plenty of competition for the top spots.

Eisaku Hoshino was always competitive in the Elite Series and his recent Glory Tag Crown win alongside Kunomasu had him in high spirits and strong form.

Yoshimi Mushashibo was a dangerous prospect, too. He reached the final of last year’s tournament, becoming the first man to defeat Dread in two years in the process. Could he overcome Tatsuko this year and win the whole thing?

Behind the three clear favourites was a clump of great talent who hadn’t yet stepped up to the elite level. Pistol Pete Hall was a threat, as was Sean McFly who hadn’t really competed in singles competition since last year’s tournament.

Mamoru Nagahama, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan were all hoping for a breakout tournament. Nagahama had changed his attitude and would be desperate to back that up with some success. Cornell and Morgan were improving, but still a way off competing for qualification. But could the young Brits cause a few surprise results?

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 1

Block A Results

Dread def. Koryusai Kitoaji
Mito Miwa def. Dino Maldini
Shuji Inukai def. Raymond Diaz
Hito Ichihara def. Eisaku Kunomasu

Mito Miwa started the tournament well with an expected win over Dino Maldini. Dread defeated Kitoaji, who fought hard but couldn’t keep up with the physicality, and Inukai battered big-man Diaz into defeat, using the Untouchable Lariat to finish him off.

The big result was Ichihara defeating Eisaku Kunomasu. Many had thought Ichihara’s recent decline would see him struggle against the rampaging youngsters in the company, but he held off Kunomasu, who started the tournament poorly.

Block B Results

Tommy Cornell def. Sean McFly
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Mamoru Nagahama
Eisaku Hoshino def. Walter Morgan
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Pistol Pete Hall

Mushashibo and Hoshino got fairly comfortable wins over Nagahama and Morgan respectively, while Tatsuko had to battle hard to get the two points from Pistol Pete Hall.

Cornell defeating McFly in the opener was considered by many as an upset. Cornell once again proved his talent, despite being only 21 years old.

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 2

Block A Results

Koryusai Kitoaji def. Dino Maldini
Dread def. Raymond Diaz
Hito Ichihara and Mito Miwa drew
Eisaku Kunomasu and Shuji Inukai drew

Kitoaji got a solid win over Maldini, while Dread had a hard battle against stablemate Diaz, who took him to the limit.

There were two big draws in the block, with Ichihara once again proving he wasn’t done, surviving the full half hour with Miwa and earning his point. Kunomasu looked ferocious against Inukai, but could only get a draw. With one point from two rounds, it was a poor start for Kunomasu.

Block B Results

Mamoru Nagahama def. Tommy Cornell
Sean McFly def. Walter Morgan
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Pistol Pete Hall
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Eisaku Hoshino

After the high of defeating McFly in the first round, Cornell’s hopes came crashing down as he was forced to submit by Nagahama. McFly got his first win, defeating Walter Morgan.

Match of the night belonged to Mushashibo and Hall, with the young technician getting the win. It was two losses from two for Hall, although arguably against two of the best in the block. Also, Tatsuko got an important victory over Hoshino, who couldn’t survive the Tatsuko Driller.

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 3

Block A Results

Mito Miwa def. Dread
Hito Ichihara def. Dino Maldini
Koryusai Kitoaji def. Shuji Inukai
Eisaku Kunomasu def. Raymond Diaz

The old guard showed they weren’t finished yet as Ichihara comfortably beat Maldini, while Kitoaji scored an upset victory over Historical Japan champion Shuji Inukai.

Kunomasu got his first win of the tournament, getting the better of Raymond Diaz, but he still had plenty of catching up to do. Meanwhile, Mito Miwa made a statement by defeating Dread in a colossal match.
 

Block B Results

Mamoru Nagahama def. Pistol Pete Hall
Eisaku Hoshino def. Tommy Cornell
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Walter Morgan
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Sean McFly

Pistol Pete Hall suffered his third loss. This time he couldn’t claim it was against one of the favourites, because it came to Mamoru Nagahama who now had two wins. Hoshino and Tatsuko got good wins over Cornell and Morgan, with the Tatsuko-Morgan match standing out as the best of the tournament so far.

In the main event, Mushashibo just got the win over Sean McFly in a match that could have gone either way.

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 4

Block A Results

Eisaku Kunomasu def. Mito Miwa
Raymond Diaz def. Dino Maldini
Koryusai Kitoaji def. Hito Ichihara
Shuji Inukai def. Dread

Block A blew into pieces with some massive results in the fourth round. Shuji Inukai put in a heroic performance to defeat Dread, with the big man now in serious trouble. Kitoaji ended Ichihara’s incredible start, while Ramond Diaz kept himself just about in the picture by defeating Maldini.

But the biggest result was for Eisaku Kunomasu who managed to pull himself back into contention with a stunning victory over Mito Miwa, who up until this point was looking set to pull away from the pack.

Block B Results

Pistol Pete Hall def. Tommy Cornell
Walter Morgan def. Mamoru Nagahama
Eisaku Hoshino def. Sean McFly
Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Yoshimi Mushashibo drew

Pistol Pete Hall ended his losing streak and inflicted one upon Cornell, who was yet to gain a point since his opening round win. Morgan built on a great performance against Tatsuko last time out to beat Nagahama.

Hoshino did well to defeat McFly, while there was nothing to separate Tatsuko and Mushashibo who had to settle for a point each.

 

Mid-point round-up

Block A Table

6 Koryusai Kitoaji
5 Eisaku Kunomasu
5 Hito Ichihara
5 Mito Miwa
5 Shuji Inukai
4 Dread
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Dino Maldini

 

Block B Table

7 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
7 Yoshimi Mushashibo
6 Eisaku Hoshino
4 Mamoru Nagahama
2 Pistol Pete Hall
2 Sean McFly
2 Tommy Cornell
2 Walter Morgan


Block A was anyone’s game. Surprisingly, Koryusai Kitoaji was leading the pack, but behind him were four wrestlers on five points, and Dread on four. Dino Maldini was out of it, and Raymond Diaz would have to hope for a miracle, but apart from those two, nobody could predict which two wrestlers would make it to the semi-final.

In contrast, Block B was taking shape as most expected. Tatsuko, Mushashibo and Hoshino were pulling out a lead with only Mamoru Nagahama holding onto any hope of keeping pace.

The remaining four wrestlers had all earned one win apiece, and it remained to be seen how they would finish in the order. Qualification hopes were gone, but there was still the pride of having a good final position.

[Willsky]

THE ELITE SERIES 2000 Part 2

The Elite Series was in full flow with a wide-open block A and a tense battle at the top of block B. So far nobody had enjoyed a 100% tournament. Tension was building in the final three rounds to determine which four wrestlers would advance to the semi-finals.

Block A Table

6 Koryusai Kitoaji
5 Eisaku Kunomasu
5 Hito Ichihara
5 Mito Miwa
5 Shuji Inukai
4 Dread
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Dino Maldini
 

Block B Table

7 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
7 Yoshimi Mushashibo
6 Eisaku Hoshino
4 Mamoru Nagahama
2 Pistol Pete Hall
2 Sean McFly
2 Tommy Cornell
2 Walter Morgan
 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 5

Block A Results

Dread def. Hito Ichihara
Koryusai Kitoaji def. Raymond Diaz
Mito Miwa def. Shuji Inukai
Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dino Maldini

Koryusai Kitoaji retained his spot at the top of the block with a veteran’s win over young Raymond Diaz. Kunomasu had a few troubles with Dino Maldini, but eventually got the victory.

The other two results were monumental. Dread’s victory over Hito Ichihara saw the big man surge back into serious contention, while dampening Ichihara’s prospects. It was a great match, the best of the series so far. And Miwa’s win over Inukai saw him join Dread on seven points, just behind Kitoaji.

Block A Table

8 Koryusai Kitoaji
7 Eisaku Kunomasu
7 Mito Miwa
6 Dread
5 Hito Ichihara
5 Shuji Inukai
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Dino Maldini

Block B Results

Sean McFly def. Pistol Pete Hall
Tommy Cornell def. Walter Morgan
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Mamoru Nagahama
Eisaku Hoshino and Yoshimi Mushashibo drew

Tommy Cornell overcame his tag partner while Sean McFly defeated Pistol Pete Hall, with both the winners elevating themselves up the table, but now without any real hope of qualification.

Tatsuko’s victory saw him take a one-point lead at the top over Mushashibo who couldn’t quite get the better of old rival, Eisaku Hoshino as they shared a draw.

Block B Table

9 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
8 Yoshimi Mushashibo
7 Eisaku Hoshino
4 Mamoru Nagahama
4 Tommy Cornell
4 Sean McFly
2 Pistol Pete Hall
2 Walter Morgan

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 6

Block A Results

Dread def. Dino Maldini
Eisaku Kunomasu def. Koryusai Kitoaji
Mito Miwa def. Raymond Diaz
Hito Ichihara and Shuji Inukai drew

Dread and Mito Miwa got relatively straightforward wins over Maldini and Diaz to aid their bid to finish in the top two. With just one round to go, the two points were vital for both men.

Eisaku Kunomasu may have started the tournament poorly, but a stunning victory over block leader Kitoaji put him level on points with Dread in second place, with their fixture coming next.

And neither Inukai nor Ichihara would have been pleased with a draw as it meant they were out of the running – they could no longer mathematically qualify.

Block A Table

9 Eisaku Kunomasu
9 Mito Miwa
8 Dread
8 Koryusai Kitoaji
6 Hito Ichihara
6 Shuji Inukai
2 Raymond Diaz
0 Dino Maldini

 

Block B Results

Eisaku Hoshino def. Pistol Pete Hall
Sean McFly def. Mamoru Nagahama
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Tommy Cornell
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Walter Morgan

Hoshino and Tatsuko furthered their strong block performances by getting expected wins over Hall and Cornell respectively. Sean McFly’s victory over Nagahama sent him higher up the table, but qualification was out of the question.

Mushashibo needed a win to stay in the battle with Hoshino. What seemed like a comfortable tie against Walter Morgan turned into a fierce technical battle and the best match of the tournament so far. Morgan had progressed significantly in the last two years and went hold-for-hold with Mushashibo, who needed to break out some big strikes to get the job done.

Block B Table

11 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
10 Yoshimi Mushashibo
9 Eisaku Hoshino
6 Sean McFly
4 Mamoru Nagahama
4 Tommy Cornell
2 Pistol Pete Hall
2 Walter Morgan

 

PGHW Elite Series: DAY 7

Block A Results

Dino Maldini and Shuji Inukai drew
Hito Ichihara def. Raymond Diaz
Mito Miwa def. Koryusai Kitoaji
Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dread

The top four of the block faced off – the four men who could qualify. Mito Miwa assured his progression with a big win over Kitoaji, whose early strong run faltered near the end as his body couldn’t quite keep up.

Ichihara bested Diaz while Maldini battled to a surprising draw against Inukai. But the main event of the show was where the drama happened – Kunomasu overcoming the big man Dread to finish top of Block A. Nobody expected that after he only scored one point in the first two rounds!

Block A Table FINAL STANDINGS

11 Eisaku Kunomasu
11 Mito Miwa
8 Dread
8 Koryusai Kitoaji
8 Hito Ichihara
7 Shuji Inukai
2 Raymond Diaz
1 Dino Maldini

Block B Results

Pistol Pete Hall def. Walter Morgan
Eisaku Hoshino def. Mamoru Nagahama
Yoshimi Mushashibo def. Tommy Cornell
Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Sean McFly

Eisaku Hoshino did his part to have a chance of qualification, but despite his victory over Nagahama, Mushashibo and Tatsuko also defeated their opponents, meaning they advanced ahead of Hoshino.

Pistol Pete Hall rescued some pride at the end of the tournament with his second win, leaving Morgan to prop up the table

Block B Table FINAL STANDINGS

13 Nobuatsu Tatsuko
12 Yoshimi Mushashibo
11 Eisaku Hoshino
6 Sean McFly
4 Mamoru Nagahama
4 Pistol Pete Hall
4 Tommy Cornell
2 Walter Morgan

 

Block Stage Roundup

Nobuatsu Tatsuko dominated the tournament, only dropping one point throughout. His Block B rival, Yoshimi Mushashibo almost matched him – two draws blemished his otherwise perfect record. Eisaku Hoshino was disappointed not to advance, but the competition in PGHW nowadays was so high.

The rest of Block B flattered to deceive. The other five competitors, as expected, were fighting to finish in the top half, but none of them managed to score a big win over one of the top three.

Block B was much more open, with several competitors fighting until the last day. In the end, the youngsters Miwa and Kunomasu made it through ahead of three of “the old guard” in Kitoaji, Ichihara and Dread.

Shuji Inukai disappointed, but not as much as Raymond Diaz and Dino Maldini. Maldini left it until the final round to pick up a point, while Diaz only picked up points by defeating Maldini.

 

The semi-finals would take place, as usual, at Night of PRIDE, with the Elite Series final at the end of that show.

Semi-final 1 would see Eisaku Kunomasu take on Yoshimi Mushashibo for the first time since Mushashibo defeated Kunomasu to win the Historical Japan title at Night of POWER 11 months ago.

The other semi-final was becoming something of a ritual. Remarkably, for the third year in a row, Nobuatsu Tatsuko would take on Mito Miwa in the semi-final. Tatsuko won both of the last encounters on the way to Elite Series victory – could Miwa get a win back against his oldest rival?

[Willsky]

Night of Pride Predictions

Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo

Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko

Chuichi Sanda and Team Millenium (Takeshi Umehara & Fukusaburu Inao) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly

Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama

DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Elite Series FINAL: Winner of semi final 1 vs. Winner of semi final 2