PGHW - The Other Beginning

[Shmoe II]

Night of Pride Predictions

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

 - I want to say it's Mushashibo's time to win the Series, but with the way Kunomasu rallied to win his block (and he's always been a favourite of mine to give his long-overdue flowers), I think he's on a roll.

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

 - Two great rivals clash. Miwa winning would give Tatsuko another challenger for his belt, but I think maybe Miwa is just a little short on beating the Glory Crown holder with the stakes so high for now!

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

 - It's Danger Kumasaka AND Tommy Cornell you know?

Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly

 - I am a big fan of McFly, after I finally got to utilise him for the first time in my last PGHW save and he absolutely crushed it. But Hoshino is on his way to becoming a PGHW icon.

Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama

 - After showing signs of life in the Elite Series, I think whilst Ichihara is done at the very top level, he's still crafty enough to defeat Nagahama despite his new attitude.

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

 - Dread & Diaz is an unstoppable force, and I think after Diaz' poor showing in the Series he'll be out for blood.

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

 - Inukai is going on a run with the Historical Japan belt for sure. You've formed a really unique and creative lore for the belt and added to its prestige a lot ...but it's for the newer generations to carry forward.

Elite Series FINAL: EISAKU KUNOMASU

 - I get the feeling that you, like me, are a fan. So perhaps this is a sentimental pick for me, but I have a hunch. As you are currently rewriting history, I feel Kunomasu picks up a massive major singles honour right here whilst also defeating Tatsuko, a huge feather in the cap.

[monrapi3]

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 (Mushashibo) vs. Winner of semi final 2 (Tatsuko)

[Chaddes]

Night of PRIDE Predictions

Elite Series SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu

Elite Series SEMI FINAL 2: Nobuatsu Tatsuko

Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Sean McFly

Mamoru Nagahama

DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz)

Shuji Inukai

Elite Series FINAL: Eisaku Kunomasu

[SomeLazyMagic]

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

[StanMiguel]

Eisaku Kunomasu

Nobuatsu Tatsuko

Chuichi Sanda and Team Milleniu

Eisaku Hoshino

Mamoru Nagahama

Strike Force 

Shuji Inukai

Nobuatsu Tatsuko

[Willsky]

NIGHT OF PRIDE, 2000

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

 

MATCH 1: SEMI FINAL 1: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo

Block A’s leader Eisaku Kunomasu competed in his first semi-final in the Elite Series after battling back from a poor start in the early rounds. He faced Yoshimi Mushashibo who was one of the favourites in Block B, and indeed, for the whole tournament.

They had only competed against each other in singles competition three times before. Twice in the Elite Series block stages in both 1998 and 1999, with Mushashibo winning both times, and once for the Historical Japan title which Mushashibo won from Kunomasu.

History was against Kunomasu, then, but he cared little. His reign as Glory Tag Crown champion alongside Hoshino had ignited something inside him, and he battled through Mushashibo’s clever, smooth transitions to strike harder and more precisely than ever before.

When he connected with the Launching Knee Strike, it sent Mushashibo slumping, out cold, to the mat. Kunomasu got the pinfall victory and made it to the final!

 

MATCH 2: SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko

For the third straight year, Mito Miwa and Nobuatsu Tatsuko fought at this stage of the Elite Series. Both previous times, Tatsuko had come out on top and went on to win the tournament. The second time he did so led to his Glory Crown victory over Dread at Night of GLORY in 1999.

Miwa went into the match hoping to turn things in his favour on the third attempt. He and Tatsuko’s history pre-dated PGHW when they battled for the Historical Japan title on the independent scene.

Since then, Tatsuko’s rise had been incredible. Miwa, too, had seen his fortunes skyrocket, but not quite to the same fanfare.

However, the fanfare was all Tatsuko’s once again as he showed the kind of aggression and unlimited spirit to absorb everything his opponent could throw at him, survive, then hit back with relentless intensity. The Tatsuko Driller ended the match and saw him advance to face Kunomasu in the final!

 

MATCH 3: Chuichi Sanda and Team Millenium (Takeshi Umehara & Fukusaburu Inao) vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Many expected Kumasaka-buntai to get the win here, but a passionate performance from the new Team Millenium caught them off guard. Fukusaburu Inao particularly impressed, submitting Walter Morgan. Danger Kumasaka had lots of praise for Inao after the match.

 

MATCH 4: Eisaku Hoshino vs. Sean McFly

Hoshino and McFly were no strangers to each other, having battled over the Glory Tag Crown titles at the tail end of 1999. During that time, they battled in singles competition in one of the best PGHW matches of all time.

They also met each other in the Elite Series block stage with Hoshino coming out on top. They decided to have another go, with McFly hoping to avenge the loss.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get it done as Hoshino was rampant. Hoshino’s failure to advance from the block stage had irritated him and he was taking no prisoners. A Godzilla Plunge got the win.

 

MATCH 5: Hito Ichihara vs. Mamoru Nagahama

The animosity between Ichihara and Nagahama had been boiling away for months, ever since Ichihara opted to partner with Koryusai Kitoaji at the Elite Tag Series in September last year.

The rejection changed Nagahama, who abandoned his “Mr. Nice Guy” image and turned aggressive with a streak for violence.

However, he was yet to achieve much on his own. That could change with a win over Ichihara, something that would surely propel his career to the next level.

Ichihara had no intention of letting that happen, though, as he held off Nagahama’s violence and hit a Head Drop Suplex to win.

 

MATCH 6: DREAD Army (Dread & Raymond Diaz) vs. Strike Force (Dino Maldini & Pistol Pete Hall)

For all four men involved in this match, the Elite Series had been disappointing. Dread came close to qualifying, but fell to Kunomasu in the last round. Pistol Pete Hall picked up a few points, but Diaz and Maldini finished very poorly in Block A.

Maldini particularly had been on a poor run, highlighted by constant defeats against DREAD Army.

And that continued here. Dread was dominant, and Diaz was powerful. They got the win with a Boot Camp Driver, a new move only possible with the combined power of the two behemoths.

After the match, Pistol Pete Hall consoled Maldini, but to no avail. Maldini was furious. Another loss. He hadn’t won a single match in 2000 so far.

As he broke away from Hall’s attempts to calm him down, he ran into Dread. Dread grabbed him by the throat, leant in and said something to Maldini.

Maldini’s expression changed. Then he turned back to Hall, who looked at his tag partner questioningly. Then Maldini struck Hall square in the jaw!

Hall was taken completely off guard and Maldini continued the assault, battering his mentor and team mate. It was a shocking moment as violence outside of the matches was rare and frowned upon in PGHW.

Officials rushed to break up the assault, but DREAD Army hindered their progress, allowing Maldini to beat Hall into a pulp. When the battering finally ended, Maldini left the ringside area with the rest of DREAD Army.

 

MATCH 7: Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

During the Elite Series block stage, Kitoaji defeated Shuji Inukai. This led to Inukai offering Kitoaji a shot at the Historical Japan title.

The history of these two went back to 1997 when Inukai showed his clear potential to Kitoaji when the latter was on his way to becoming Glory Crown champion, and later holding the belt.

Inukai had always impressed the legend, but never defeated him in singles competition.

That changed here, though, as Kitoaji fell to the Untouchable Lariat, which still remained the deadliest finishing move in the company.

Inukai celebrated another step on his aim to becoming longest reigning champion, while Kitoaji found himself once again defeated by one of the new wave.

 

MATCH 8: Elite Series FINAL: Eisaku Kunomasu vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko

Nobody was surprised to see Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the Elite Series final. After all, he had won the tournament the last two years, dominated his block and was the reigning Glory Crown champion.

Kunomasu, on the other hand, had caused a bit of a stir with his involvement, especially seeing as he failed to win the first two matches of the block stage. But he had battled back and looked in fantastic form.

Encounters in singles competition between them were rare. 1998 saw Tatsuko beat Kunomasu twice, and who could forget their incredible bout at Night of WARRIORS in 1999? It was match of the year in 1999 and arguably the best match PGHW had ever put on.

So fans were salivating with the prospect of seeing the two intense fighters going at it again.

And intensity was the key word. Tatsuko was famed for his relentless attacks, while Kunomasu was one of the rare few who could match that level of power and precision.

What started as a cautious exchange of strikes and throws quickly became a savage war of will. Much of the match saw the pair clubbing, slapping, chopping and kicking each other with little regard for their own wellbeing. The two bulls seemed to agree that the winner would be the one who could deliver and survive the most violence.

Tatsuko was the Ironman. He could outlast anyone. But Kunomasu was the Lord of Strong Style. And on this particular occasion, the Lord exerted his rule over PGHW.

Tatsuko landed the Tatsuko Driller, but Kunomasu miraculously kicked out. Kunomasu recovered from the impact then caught Tatsuko with a brutal Launching Knee Strike, flattening the former two-time winner and allowing Kunomasu to get the three count.

Eisaku Kunomasu won the Elite Series!

 

Conclusion

Night of PRIDE capped off the most high-profile and critically acclaimed Elite Series yet. The show immediately slotted in as one of the company’s greatest yet, and continued the fantastic run of quality events from the second half of 1999.

Three matches competed for the best on the night, with subjective opinion the only thing separating them. Two included Tatsuko – his semi-final against Miwa and the final against Kunomasu. The other standout match was Hoshino vs. McFly.

After the match, some wrestlers made their voices heard.

Dread spoke, surrounded by his DREAD Army of Lee Wright and Raymond Diaz as well as Dino Maldini.

Dread: The army grows. Dino Maldini is perfect for us. He has unbelievable talent that Pistol Pete Hall has held down for too long. Hall always wants to be the main man. So he stopped Maldini from overtaking him. But now you’re free, Dino. In DREAD Army, you’re free to be as violent as you want.

Welcome to the army.

Next up was Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

Tatsuko: I don’t know what happened. I have to give credit to Kunomasu because he got the victory. It has been fourteen months since I suffered defeat in singles competition and I have almost forgotten what it is like. Kunomasu reminded me. I am not invincible. But I will make sure this doesn’t happen again!

The taciturn Eisaku Kunomasu responded as he celebrated with tag partner Eisaku Hoshino.

Kunomasu: Last year Tatsuko said there were four pillars of PGHW. Himself, Miwa, Inukai and Mushashibo. Even now he doesn’t consider me and Hoshino on that level.

But tonight, I have proved him wrong. And in two weeks at Night of FORTITUDE, I will do it again. I’ve already won the Elite Series. Now it’s time for the Glory Crown.

[Willsky]

THE PRIDE WARRIOR

Mito Miwa had earned his nickname as “The Pride Warrior”. He fought with a confidence that bordered on arrogance and refused to let anyone question his commitment and desire to win.

But it was no secret he hated losing. And usually when he did, it was due to underestimating the opponent, like when he lost the Historical Japan title to Luis Figo Manico, or it was against Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

Miwa and Tatsuko seemed destined to battle forever. But Miwa found himself on the losing side more often than not, and his defeat to Tatsuko in the semi-final of the Elite Series was the third instance of the exact same result at the exact same stage.

The shame of the triple loss was burning in Miwa. But, prideful as he was, he would not resort to excuses or pettiness – he was determined to keep going until the end.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000

Mito Miwa came out after the opening match of the show and announced he would bounce back from the Elite Series disappointment by showing he could beat anyone. He challenged anyone in the locker room to come out and face him.

For a few moments, there was silence, until Tommy Cornell appeared, with Danger Kumasaka urging him on. The leader of Kumasaka-buntai clearly thought this was a great opportunity for young Cornell, and the youngster looked up for a battle.

And he certainly proved himself against Miwa. Cornell’s unbelievable potential was still being realised, but he showed another step in his progression by coming close to defeating Miwa on two occasions, once with a Rough Ride and the other with a Guilt Trip.

But Miwa resisted. A Pride Bomber got the victory after an excellent bout.

 

Night of POWER, April 2000

Mito Miwa repeated his open challenge at Night of POWER. This time, it was the show opener and Noriyori Sanda was the one to answer his call.

The young lion never really stood a chance, but he survived for twenty minutes and gave a good account of himself.

The Pride Bomber was deadly, once again and Miwa looked as determined and committed as ever.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000

The third installation of Mito Miwa’s open challenge saw him face Mamoru Nagahama. This was a big step up in quality from Sanda at the previous show, with Nagahama poised to break out sooner rather than later.

But it would not happen on this night. Miwa was taking no prisoners and survived everything Nagahama could throw at him to earn another victory via the Pride Bomber.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 2000

Now Mito Miwa’s challenge had become a regular fixture, there was some intrigue about who would confront him at Night of SUCCESS.

And this time everyone was surprised. A new face in PGHW, although some may have known of his presence. A youngster, a young lion still, but tipped for future stardom. His name, Yasunobu Koiso.

His performances in SAISHO had stood about above the rest in the development company and he stood up to Miwa with confidence.

And what a debut it was – he not only went hold-for-hold with Miwa, but nearly got the most remarkable win in the company’s history. Miwa, for the sake of his pride, managed to withstand it, though and used the Pride Bomber to great effect again.

 

Following the match, Miwa nodded his appreciation at Koiso’s talents, but before Koiso could pay his respects, another new face appeared. Well, not exactly new, but one not seen in PGHW for a long time – Roka Furuhata. The highly-respected and famed freelancer came down to the ring to say that he would be answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge at Night of GLORY, so Miwa should prepare himself for a loss. Miwa smiled in response and welcomed the challenge.

[Willsky]

SHUJI STORMS ON

Shuji Inukai’s bold claim that he would break the record for longest reign as Historical Japan champion at first seemed absurd, given he was only three months into twenty-two that he needed.

However, his confidence was high, holding his first singles gold, and he had dispatched of all challengers put in front of him so far.

Some already speculated that this was Inukai’s bid to stand out in a company full of young superstars just like him. Looking around at peers like Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Mito Miwa and even his tag partner Yoshimi Mushashibo, he may have seen himself as the furthest behind of the group.

But a long Historical Japan title reign? Then they’d have to consider him on the same level at the very least.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000

Shuji Inukai’s next title challenger was the young Noriyori Sanda. Sanda was approaching three years in the business during which he had been sent on excursion and returned to little fanfare.

Few could deny his talents, but his physicality wasn’t at the level of the rest of the roster yet, and wins for him were few and far between.

Still, this was the Historical Japan title, so all challengers were welcome. Inukai had little trouble dispatching him with a trademark Untouchable Lariat that sent Sanda flipping around and crashing to the mat.

 

Night of POWER, April 2000

Danger Kumasaka brought a complete contrast to Noriyori Sanda. The veteran grappler had slowed down a lot over the last couple of years and now acted more of a mentor than an in-ring threat.

In fact, he was mentor to Shuji Inukai in a certain way, being the leader of Kumasaka-buntai. Despite working well as a team, Inukai and Kumasaka had often seen things differently, and there was no friendly treatment from either man in this match for the Historical Japan title.

Inukai got the job done with another Untouchable Lariat which dropped Kumasaka like a sack of potatoes.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000

A wrestler who had been quietly improving over the years was one half of Rebel Cell, Harumi Okazawaya. While he never stood out in a field of prodigious talents, he had upped his game and his popularity with the PGHW faithful.

A victory for him here wasn’t completely out of the question, then. But this time, Shuji Inukai held onto his Historical Japan title with another Untouchable Lariat. The match left fans confident that one day Okazawaya may well win the title.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 2000

Following his victory over Okazawaya, Shuji Inukai took on the other half of Rebel Cell, Sotatsu Sarumara. Unlike Okazawaya, though, Sarumara wasn’t seen by many as such a fine prospect. Solid in his own right, he still had decades ahead of him, but his trajectory would have to pick up a lot if he held any hope of singles gold.

Inukai ended any immediate hope with the Untouchable Lariat which was garnering ever stronger reactions from the crowd. Still nobody had kicked out of the devastating move.

After the match, Inukai demanded a strong opponent for Night of GLORY where he hoped to steal the show. He was answered by Sean McFly. This got the arena buzzing. McFly hadn’t seen much singles success since parting ways with Mito Miwa, but he was just the kind of guy who could stun Inukai and get his hands on the Historical Japan title.

[Willsky]

HELL (AND HELP) FOR HALL

At Night of PRIDE, Dino Maldini shocked the world by turning on his Strike Force tag partner, Pistol Pete Hall and joining DREAD Army. The pack led by Dread then enacted a brutal beatdown on Hall, who couldn’t stand the four-against-one advantage.

Long-time fans of PGHW were stunned by the violence. Physical contact outside of the confines of sanctioned matches was extremely rare and severely frowned upon. While it was commonplace in other promotions, it wasn’t here.

Less surprising, though, was Dino Maldini’s reasons for switching sides. He had been under Pistol Pete Hall’s guiding influence for quite some time, but had failed to press on. Strike Force promised a lot, but failed to deliver in the big moments. And Dino Maldini’s year so far had been awful. He suffered loss after loss, most at the hands of DREAD Army. So when Dread gave him the opportunity to join them, it made total sense.

That, unfortunately, left Pistol Pete alone and vulnerable against the most dominant faction in PGHW.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000

DREAD Army’s new addition, Dino Maldini, joined the other three members (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) in an eight-man tag match against Mamoru Nagahama, Sean McFly and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

The match was brutal. As if energised by battering Hall two weeks ago, DREAD Army took their viciousness to a new level. Also, it didn’t help that Nagahama and McFly couldn’t get on the same page, leaving Rebel Cell to take a lot of punishment.

Still, Okazawaya and Sarumara showed courage and heart in defeat, refusing to go down easily.

But they never stood a chance. And once Dread had Sarumara down, he tagged in Dino Maldini who finished him off, getting his first victory of the year with a Triangle Choke submission.

After the match, Pistol Pete Hall came out. He sported a few bandages around his midsection, but overall looked in decent condition after two weeks of rest.

He kept his distance and challenged Dino Maldini to face him like a man. Dread responded saying he wouldn’t get Maldini, but “The Monster” Raymond Diaz at the next show, Night of POWER!

 

Night of POWER, April 2000

DREAD Army continued their dominance as Dread, Dino Maldini & Lee Wright teamed with Mamoru Nagahama to beat Chuichi Sanda, Koryusai Kitoaji, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan.

The story of the match was Nagahama and Kitoaji butting heads again. Nagahama’s aggressive disrespect had riled up Kitoaji at the end of 1999, leading to the veteran defeating Nagahama at Night of WRESTLING.

Clearly Nagahama hadn’t forgotten that and made a point of targeting Kitoaji who, in response, told Nagahama to know his place.

Once again, Dread set up the finish for Dino Maldini, who applied the Triangle Choke on Walter Morgan.

Then there was the match between Pistol Pete Hall and Raymond Diaz. Two massive brawlers. They collided in an enjoyable match that was only marred by the presence of DREAD Army at ringside.

Hall managed to keep them out of his mind to get an excellent victory over Diaz. But once the bell had rung, Dino Maldini and Lee Wright surged the ring and began another savage attack on Hall.

Officials raced to the ring as Dread called his men off, but damage had been done. This was the second post-match attack, and fans wondered if there would be repercussions.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000

Pistol Pete Hall must have called in some serious favours as he tagged with Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji to face DREAD Army (Dread, Dino Maldini & Raymond Diaz).

For much of the match, Hall and the veterans had DREAD Army on the back foot. A spirited performance led to Ichihara exchanging massive blows with Dread. The big American struck harder, but Ichihara resisted and neither man could find an advantage.

Dino Maldini and Raymond Diaz survived for long enough for Dread to recover, then get the job done himself, pinning Kitoaji after a Dread Bomb.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 2000

In the opening match, Pistol Pete Hall took on Lee Wright with the stipulation that if Hall won, he would get a singles match against Dino Maldini at Night of GLORY.

With more and more strapping and bandaging across his body combined with the looming threat of DREAD Army at ringside, Hall had his work cut out.

But Lee Wright was no longer at his peak. The veteran ran out of gas, meaning Hall was able to get a relatively comfortable win.

What was not comfortable, however, was the third and most brutal beatdown yet as Maldini, Dread and Diaz piled onto Hall after the match. But while it was the most violent, it was shortlived.

Hito Ichihara rushed out, followed by Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya and Sotatsu Sarumara) to come to Hall’s aid and DREAD Army retreated.

Later in the show, Hito Ichihara and Harumi Okazawaya would be in action again, teaming with Sean McFly, Tommy Cornell and Walter Morgan in a losing effort against DREAD Army (Dread, Dino Maldini, Raymond Diaz) with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Noriyori Sanda.

It was a wild, exciting match that ended with Tatsuko pinning Cornell, but after the show, matches were made for Night of GLORY.

First, Pistol Pete Hall’s bout with Dino Maldini was confirmed. Second, Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) would take on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) and third, Hito Ichihara would face Dread in singles competition.

[Willsky]

SERIOUS COMPETITION

The New Wave of talent in PGHW had washed over the original landscape and now the foundational veterans like Danger Kumasaka, Koryusai Kitoaji and Hito Ichihara had given way to the pillars of what was fast becoming a powerhouse in Japanese wrestling.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko stood front and centre of that movement, but as he was finding out during his reign as Glory Crown champion, there were plenty of major threats breathing down his neck.

The potential of 1996 was manifesting itself in 2000 in the form of serious competition for the Glory Crown. The Elite Series 2000 was a prime example. All four of the semi-finalists (Tatsuko, Miwa, Kunomasu and Mushashibo) were under the age of 30 and the likes of Inukai and Hoshino narrowly missed out.

Tatsuko had fended off some dangerous threats so far in his title run, but things were stepping up. As he neared one year holding the belt, his defeat to Eisaku Kunomasu in the Elite Series final meant Kunomasu was closing in on taking the top spot.

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000

Night of FORTITUDE hosted the monumental clash between Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Eisaku Kunomasu whose Elite Series victory earned him a shot at the Glory Crown.

It was a rematch of the tournament final two weeks ago and Kunomasu’s second attempt at dethroning Tatsuko. The first was at Night of WARRIORS in 1999 in what was considered by many to be match of the year and inarguably one of PGHW’s greatest ever contests.

Kunomasu had recently taken exception with Tatsuko dismissing Kunomasu as one of the top stars of the company, claiming instead the four pillars of PGHW were himself, Inukai, Miwa and Mushashibo.

So there was plenty of pride at stake above and beyond the importance of the Glory Crown.

Both Tatsuko and Kunomasu were famed for their direct intensity, and once again they clashed in spectacular fashion.

Kunomasu looked set to repeat his Elite Series victory when he hit the Launching Knee Strike, but as he went for the pin, the referee noticed Tatsuko’s leg positioned under the bottom rope.

This allowed Tatsuko a way back into the match which he took advantage of, battling from underneath to stun Kunomasu with the Tatsuko Driller and retain the Glory Crown!

While the match wasn’t nearly as incredible as their previous two encounters, it was another huge victory for Tatsuko.

 

Night of POWER, April 2000

After retaining the Glory Crown, attention turned to who would be the next contender. The main event of Night of POWER gave an answer to that as Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Sean McFly defeated Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Hito Ichihara and Yoshimi Mushashibo in six-man action.

In an absolute classic match, Eisaku Hoshino was the star of the show. It seemed he was invincible, withstanding a barrage of offence from his opponents, particularly Tatsuko, but refusing to go down.

In fact, he became one of the rare men to kick out of the Tatsuko Driller. This monumental show of spirit led to Hoshino rallying his team to victory when he and Kunomasu hit the Eisaku Explosion on Hito Ichihara to win the match.

Tatsuko was angry at the loss, but more impressed at Hoshino. He immediately offered him a shot at the Glory Crown at the next show, Night of EXCELLENCE.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000

Surprisingly, Eisaku Hoshino’s challenge for the Glory Crown was only his second in his career. The previous came over two years before against Koryusai Kitoaji.

Now he stood as number one contender against Nobuatsu Tatsuko. It was also remarkable that Hoshino and Tatsuko had only ever faced off three times in their history, two times in the Elite Series and once in early 1998. All three times saw Tatsuko come out victorious.

Hoshino was determined to change that record and was typically tenacious and relentless. But Tatsuko knew how tough Hoshino could be and planned accordingly.

When he managed to hit the Tatsuko Driller, instead of going straight for the pinfall, he picked Hoshino up to hit him with the move a second time. There was no kicking out of that, and Tatsuko got the three count, retaining his title once again.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 2000

Night of GLORY couldn’t go without a Glory Crown title shot, so Sadaharu Jimbo set up a huge number one contender’s match between Eisaku Kunomasu and Yoshimi Mushashibo.

Mushashibo had drawn with Tatsuko at the Elite Series and only fell to Kunomasu in the semi-final stage. This was his opportunity to get that win back and earn his first Glory Crown shot since 1997.

He and Kunomasu starkly contrasted each other in the ring. Kunomasu favoured precise strikes and utilitarian functionality. Mushashibo was an artist. He flowed and swayed with fluidity. It was staccato versus legato.

And on this occasion, Mushashibo rose to the occasion. He narrowly dodged the Launching Knee Strike that put him away last time and transitioned smoothly into the Yoshimi Lock. Kunomasu was loathe to tap out, but finally he had to submit or risk permanent damage.

After the match, Tatsuko, who had won in a ten-man tag earlier in the night, came out to congratulate Mushashibo, but warn him that Night of GLORY was Tatsuko’s night and there would only be one winner.

In the post-show press conference, Mushashibo was pensive about his chances.

Mushashibo: I have shown many times that I am capable of dealing with Tatsuko. He doesn’t intimidate me. In fact, I consider him an equal both as a wrester and as a man.

There’s no denying he is seeing incredible form at the moment. But as I found out last year, reigning as a singles champion for an extended period is a challenge beyond just winning one match. There can be no days off, no mistakes, no possibility of thinking of anything other than victory.

So his comment about Night of GLORY belonging to him… I think that tells us something. We know Night of GLORY was when he first lost to Kitoaji. Does that bother him? Still? I think maybe he wants to eliminate that from his memory.

If he has that on his mind, there’s a potential weakness. Will I be able to exploit that? We shall see. But do not think that Tatsuko is unbeatable at this time. Someone will defeat him sooner or later, and I hope that I will be that man.

[Willsky]

PROGRESS AT LAST

For the entirety of PGHW’s existence starting in 1996, Fukusaburu Inao was Mr. Rock Solid. Solid and unspectacular. Unfortunate, maybe. Unsuccessful for sure. Despite his evident potential, the youngster struggled to get any sort of traction.

His tag team with Hayate Hasegawa evolved from Inao being the understudy to their split at the tail end of 1999 when Inao indicated the veteran was holding him back. Three and a half years and he felt he hadn’t achieved anything.

Meanwhile, Takeshi Umehara was going through something very similar. His tag team with Go Matsunaga, known as Boundary 97, was a mainstay in the division, but were far from ever winning gold.

Umehara also ditched his tag partner and shortly after joined with Fukusaburu Inao to form Team MILLENIUM, named because it was the end of 1999 that they came together.

In the early months of the new millenium, they didn’t do much better than before in terms of results. But fans could see the improvement. The pair together looked far better than either had alongside their previous partners.

Could this partnership be the catalyst to success?

 

Night of FORTITUDE, April 2000

Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) took on the pairing of Chuichi Sanda and Yodo Nakane.

Yodo Nakane was at the tail end of a great career and unable to keep up with most of the roster, while Chuichi Sanda was still far from achieving what his potential promised.

As a result, Team MILLENIUM were expected to get the victory, and so they did. It was a pretty dominant performance, with the new partnership showing they had been practicing together and developing their communication.

They hit the Y2K and Inao pinned Sanda to win.

 

Night of POWER, April 2000

At Night of POWER, Team MILLENIUM took on the established young tag team of Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Like Inao and Umehara’s previous tag pairings, Rebel Cell had yet to make any waves in the division.

This was a tough match for Team MILLENIUM, though, as they struggled to overcome the chemistry between the two men who had been teaming for nearly four years.

But Inao was once again in fine form, getting the pinfall over Sarumara after the Y2K.

 

Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2000

After two wins on the bounce, Team MILLENIUM were looking for more. They took on Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan, representing Kumasaka-buntai.

The young brits were a real test for Inao and Umehara, who again had to dig deep. Their continued training paid off, though, as their ability to communicate and be in the right place at the right time saved Inao when he was trapped in Morgan’s Wigan Wrench.

Umehara was there to save his partner, then get the pinfall victory after they hit the Y2K.

After the show, Inao spoke out against the Glory Tag Crown champions.

Inao: It’s been two months since Team EXPLOSION defended their titles. And when they did, it was against Cornell and Morgan. We just beat them, making it three wins in a row. When are we going to get our shot? If they cared about the tag division, maybe they’d be less focused on becoming singles stars. Or perhaps they can let a real tag team take the reins.

 

Night of SUCCESS, May 2000

Team MILLENIUM were in six-man action at Night of SUCCESS, getting the honour of teaming with Koryusai Kitoaji. They took on Danger Kumasaka, Mamoru Nagahama and one half of the Glory Tag Crown champions, Eisaku Hoshino.

It was a fierce, back and forth match. But Team MILLENIUM were determined to prove a point to Hoshino and fought like tigers. And Hoshino was never one to back down from a fight.

In the end, it was Kitoaji who got the pin for his team after hitting the Kitoaji Braindrop on Danger Kumasaka.

And while Kitoaji and Nagahama squared off, Team MILLENIUM made their challenge directly to Hoshino.

Hoshino was fired up and accepted the title challenge, setting it for Night of GLORY.

After the show, Inao was outspoken again.

Inao: This is our time. We have finally made some progress. Takeshi is a great partner for me, and I know he feels the same way. We’re finally ready for success. For gold. For glory. And at Night of GLORY, Team EXPLOSION will regret not paying attention to the tag division because they’ll no longer be the ones at the top!

[Willsky]

Night of Glory 2000 Card

 

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title

[Scottie]

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title

[SomeLazyMagic]

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title

[monrapi3]

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title (ITS TIME. ITS FRICKIN' TIME)

[Chaddes]

Night of Glory 2000 Card

 

Koryusai Kitoaji

Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa

Dino Maldini

Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread

Shuji Inukai ©

Team MILLENIUM

Nobuatsu Tatsuko ©

[StanMiguel]

Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda

Mito Miwa

Dino Maldini

Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread 

Shuji Inukai ©

Team EXPLOSION ©

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © 

[Willsky]

Night of GLORY 2000

Koryusai Kitoaji vs. Mamoru Nagahama

Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Rebel Cell vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Team EXPLOSION © vs. Team MILLENIUM for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title

 

MATCH 1: Koryusai Kitoaji & Mamoru Nagahama

Despite Koryusai Kitoaji defeated Mamoru Nagahama at Night of WRESTLING six months before, Nagahama’s disrespect had not waned and he still desired to prove himself against the icon.

It all began when Hito Ichihara replaced Nagahama with Kitoaji as his tag partner, an act that sent the previously calm and humble Nagahama into a spite-fuelled rage which continued to this point.

This match saw the culmination of that bitterness as Nagahama was relentless against Kitoaji. There was no doubt that Kitoaji had declined over the last year or so, but even so, Nagahama took up his game here.

After fifteen minutes, Kitoaji was struggling with energy and conditioning. Nagahama battered him for the next five minutes and finally applied the Guillotine Choke. Kitoaji struggled… and faded, ultimately tapping out.

It was a colossal victory for Nagahama, by far the biggest in his career so far!

 

MATCH 2: Chuicha Sanda & Noriyori Sanda vs. Kumasaka-buntai (Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan)

The two men called Sanda tagged for the first time together, although after this performance it appeared their name wouldn’t be strong enough to overcome their difficulties in this match as they fell to a comprehensive defeat against the much more established partnership of Cornell and Morgan.

 

MATCH 3: Mito Miwa vs. Roka Furuhata

Roka Furuhata was making his name as a legendary freelancer across the world and he returned to face Mito Miwa, having advised Miwa he would answer his open challenge.

Miwa relished the prospect of knocking off the big name and, while Furuhata brought his energetic style, The Pride Warrior came out on top with another big Pride Bomber.

Miwa’s Elite Series disappointment seemed to be a thing of the past as five straight victories put him back on the path towards singles success. Many fans thought he was due a Glory Crown opportunity at some point soon.

 

MATCH 4: Dino Maldini vs. Pistol Pete Hall

Dino Maldini faced his former Strike Force partner in singles competition for the first time since their acrimonious and violent split. Maldini came to the ring with the entirety of DREAD Army in his corner: Dread, Lee Wright and Raymond Diaz. It was the first of a string of three matches for the dominant faction, and many predicted they might win all of them.

Hall had always been the senior partner in Strike Force, but Maldini had been slowly progressing. With Dread helping him gain his first pinfall victories in a long time over the previous few months, he held his head high and showed no fear in the face of Hall, who outweighed him significantly.

It wasn’t long before Hall was punishing him for his errors, though. Hall had not taken kindly to DREAD Army’s constant beatdown of him over the spring and he was out for revenge. His body was strapped and bandaged in several places, but in the early stages of the match, that didn’t seem to worry him.

However, the physicality of the match took its toll. And psychologically Hall was facing an uphill battle, too. Team STRENGTH RUSH had shown in the past they weren’t above bending the strict PGHW rules, and they tested the limits again here, repeatedly calling out abuse to Hall and occasionally even climbing up on the ring apron.

The crowd were furious at this. It may have been acceptable elsewhere, but not in PGHW. Jimbo’s “Do the right thing” mantra was not to be dismissed.

But once again DREAD Army escaped the consequences and Dino Maldini used the physical and mental advantages to his benefit. He finally managed to trap Hall in the Triangle Choke and, while Hall refused to tap, he couldn’t stay conscious and the referee called an end to the match.

Dino Maldini got his first major win in PGHW!

 

MATCH 5: Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Rebel Cell were part of the group that came to the aid of Pistol Pete Hall at the end of Night of SUCCESS two weeks prior, and now they faced off against the inaugural Glory Tag Crown champions, the infamous Team STRENGTH RUSH.

It seemed like the most straightforward of DREAD Army’s three matches at Night of GLORY, with Rebel Cell, while improved, yet to reach the level of Wright and Diaz’s partnership.

Perhaps Team STRENGTH RUSH were overconfident. Perhaps Wright’s declining condition played a big part. Maybe they all had their minds on other battles.

Whatever it was, it led to one of the most stunning victories in the tag division, with Rebel Cell putting in a heroic shift. Okazawaya was once again impressive, battling from under Raymond Diaz’s mighty power and hitting back with ferocity.

It all led to Lee Wright isolated in the middle of the ring, set up perfectly for the Insurrection, which Rebel Cell hit with aplomb, and Okazawaya got the pinfall victory and the biggest result in the tag team’s history.

 

MATCH 6: Dread vs. Hito Ichihara

Having just watched his team mates suffer a stunning loss, Dread had to turn his attention to an old foe in Hito Ichihara.

When Ichihara was Glory Crown champion back in 1997, he had the better of Dread. But the big American changed his fortunes over the coming year and a half, culminating in his incredible run of beating everyone in the company that finished with Hito Ichihara at Night of WRESTLING 1998.

Since then, their only singles encounters had come in the Elite Series block stage, with Dread winning in both 1999 and 2000. Ichihara wasn’t the wrestler he used to be, but he was far from a spent force.

And he showed he could still hold his own against the man voted “Best Brawler in the World”.

It was a violent and brutal match with both men giving as good as they got. But Dread was the younger man and he had to maintain his group’s position of dominance. Those two factors provided the edge and he hit the Dreadsault followed by a Dread Bomb to win the match.

 

MATCH 7: Sean McFly vs. Shuji Inukai © for the Historical Japan title

Shuji Inukai set himself the task of becoming longest reigning Historical Japan champion. That was a huge endeavour that few expected him to achieve. Just six months into his reign, he had another fourteen to go.

And if he faced opponents like Sean McFly, he’d be in real trouble. McFly’s run as one half of the longest-reigning Glory Tag Crown champions had elevated his stock enormously, but he was yet to prove himself as a top singles competitor. This was his opportunity.

And he went for it. He caught Inukai by surprise early on, busting out some of his more acrobatic manoeuvres that weren’t often seen in PGHW.

Inukai was on the back foot. He had to work hard to get back into contention, which is exactly what he did. Several times McFly had him set up for the Delorean Driver, but Inukai managed to escape on all occasions, and on the last, he countered with the Untouchable Lariat.

That was game over because nobody ever kicked out of the Untouchable Lariat.

 

MATCH 8: Team EXPLOSION © (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) for the Glory Tag Crown titles

Hoshino and Kunomasu defended the Glory Tag Crown titles for the first time since February, something Team MILLENIUM were keen to point out leading up to the show.

The champions had seen mixed success in their singles endeavours, with Kunomasu winning the Elite Series, but both men failing to beat Tatsuko to win the Glory Crown. Inao and Umehara hoped to capitalise on those distractions and continue their impressive run of victories with another that would gain them gold.

But despite their newfound connection and power, Team MILLENIUM were reminded why Team EXPLOSION were champions. They were simply the best tag team in PGHW. Kunomasu’s precise striking and Hoshino’s ragged intensity were too much to handle for any pairing.

The Eisaku Explosion got the job done. Still, Team MILLENIUM were able to hold their heads high in defeat as they’d shown they could at least compete at the top – something neither man had been able to do until now. And with some more time together, who knows what they could achieve?

 

MATCH 9: Nobuatsu Tatsuko © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title

If one had the inclination to rank the potential and talent of the new wave of wrestlers in PGHW, it would be hard to argue that Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Yoshimi Mushashibo wouldn’t occupy first and second places.

Mushashibo was one of the most technically accomplished wrestlers in the world, second only to perhaps Jeremy Stone, who was ten years his senior. He was also one of the most enjoyable to watch and certain for a career rich with gold.

Meanwhile, Nobuatsu Tatsuko was the man with the gold. For a full calendar year, he had reigned with the Glory Crown, defeating the likes of Dread, Kunomasu and Ichihara. He had all the tools to dominate the next decade or more of Japanese wrestling.

That’s why seeing them compete against each other in singles competition was special. Their most recent encounter was a time-limit draw in the Elite Series block stage, with neither man able to assert their superiority.

They had sixty minutes on this occasion, virtually guaranteeing a victor would be decided.

The standout fact about this matchup is that Mushashibo had never defeated Tatsuko in singles competition. Not the most embarrassing, because very few people could claim to have defeated Tatsuko. Nonetheless, it only gave Mushashibo more drive to win.

The match began slow. This was Mushashibo’s aim as he reacted to Tatsuko’s aggressive start and quickly shut him down, taking things to the mat where he could methodically, gracefully begin a masterpiece.

Nearly ten minutes passed with Tatsuko writhing under the oppressive grappling from the challenger. But the champion wasn’t interested in Mushashibo’s artwork and as soon as he freed himself, started hitting back with ugly, industrial strikes and slams.

The following ten minutes proceeded in that way with Tatsuko delivering his own brand of intensity upon Mushashibo.

Yet the challenger was not defeated so easily. Eventually, the match broke down into trading strikes and heavy-hitting offence. In theory this benefitted Tatsuko, but Mushashibo held his own. The artist had grit.

And he reverted to his strengths again, smoothly taking Tatsuko down and applying the Yoshimi Lock. He had it dug in tight, pulling Tatsuko’s head nearly off his shoulders with the torque.

But Tatsuko fought out. His surge of energy came seemingly from nowhere, but those long hours working out to get into “Ironman” condition paid off.

As soon as he was free, though, Mushashibo had him back down on the mat with the Yoshimi Lock in tight.

Tatsuko once again battled. The referee paid careful attention to him, checking he would stay conscious… he did. He heaved Mushashibo off his back and went for the Tatsuko Driller…

Mushashibo escaped and got the Yoshimi Lock on again!

This time Tatsuko was in real trouble. His limitless energy was running dry… surely he couldn’t get himself free again?

The answer was no. But he didn’t need to. Instead, he showed that he had some technical nous and shifted his body upwards and backwards, rolling over on top of Mushashibo whose shoulders were flat on the mat.

The referee spotted it and counted. One… Two…

Three!! That was it! Tatsuko retained the Glory Crown by the skin of his teeth.

It was a shocking moment for the crowd who had begun to believe that Tatsuko’s reign was over, but the Ironman found a way to get the victory.

 

Conclusion

Night of GLORY 2000 wouldn’t go down as one of the all time great PGHW shows, but it was solid and enjoyable.

There were no particular standout matches with the main event title match the best of the night and even that was a step below a lot of the recent performances. The ending was a little disappointing for some fans and the match went on a little too long. Still, it set up plenty of interest for the future.

The show saw some surprising results – Nagahama beating Kitoaji and Rebel Cell besting Team STRENGTH RUSH.

Now attention would swing towards the summer season and the leadup to the Elite Tag Series and which teams would take part.

After the show, a few wrestlers spoke in the press conference.

 

Mito Miwa: I would like to announce this as early as possible in order to avoid any later confusion or disappointment. I will not be competing in this year’s Elite Tag Series. While I very much enjoy tagging with Sean, I must focus on my singles career. I am 90% of the way to where I want to be. The tag tournament would be a distraction. I want the Glory Crown and I will not allow anything to take my attention away.

 

Mamoru Nagahama: I think you’d all better start taking me seriously now. I don’t care about your ideals of respect and honour towards elders. They’re the past. I’m the present. Yodo Nakane is washed up. Danger Kumasaka is done. Kitoaji is done, I just put him out to pasture. And there’s one man who keeps hanging on to his youth, but soon enough I’ll put him down like a sick old dog, too. Hito Ichihara, I’m coming for you. You betrayed me and wrecked my life. So I’m not going to stop going after you until the day you retire. And I’m going to make sure that day is soon.

 

Yoshimi Mushashibo: I lost. You can debate the manner of the loss, and I’m sure you will. But the fact is, my shoulders were pinned to the mat for three seconds. That’s all. I’d love to tell you how that flash, reactive pinfall doesn’t align with the beauty of wrestling. But I can’t. Because it was decisive.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko taught me something tonight. Wrestling can be art. It can be graceful and full of joy. But the most beautiful form of wrestling is winning. Victory triumphs over everything else. I will not complain or criticise Tatsuko tonight. He deserved to win. I have to think very carefully about that.

[Willsky]

SHIFTING

The transition to the new era of PGHW couldn’t have gone much better. I was delighted with how Tatsuko was able to lead the charge as champion without any step down in quality or intensity from his more experienced predecessors.

The other top youngsters were shining and it was perfectly reasonable for six men under the age of thirty to be considered the best in the company.

But part of that was due to a decline in the old guard. Yodo Nakane, Danger Kumasaka, Koryusai Kitoaji, Hayate Hasegawa were the main four who had seen a serious drop off. That was to be expected. Age catches up with everyone.

But while they transitioned away from full-time action and the young midcard rose to main event status, that meant several positions opened up for other to impress. Those wrestlers who had performed admirably for years but never really shone enough to get a big break.

I needed them to become the mortar to keep the old foundation and the new pillars standing.

The first candidates were well known to PGHW fans. Fukusaburu Inao and Takeshi Umehara in Team MILLENIUM had picked up their game significantly in the last six months. They were a strong tag outfit and potential contenders for the Historical Japan title.

Mamoru Nagahama was steadily improving, although not as fast as I’d hoped, while Rebel Cell were finally showing some signs of progress.

Behind them, though, was where excitement began to build. Noriyori Sanda had already shown he was a great talent, while dojo graduates Yasunobu Koiso and Akinori Kwakami were stars ready to be formed. It wouldn’t be long before the three of them would be a regular part of the shows.

Yet still there was more shifting. Go Matsunaga and Kazuo Mitsushi were out of the picture now, going to help with training in SAISHO, and Luis Figo Manico’s retirement left another big spot unfilled.

So there was definitely room for another signing or two. There were options everywhere. But my attention was firmly fixed on Canada. A young lad there looking to break out of the confines of his family’s company. I thought PGHW might be just the right place for him. 

 

[Willsky]

RESISTING THE ARMY

Since their inception at the tail end of 1999, DREAD Army had been dominant. First they showed their power over Kumasaka-buntai, then they spent the first half of the year 2000 splitting Dino Maldini from his tag partner Pistol Pete Hall and making the latter’s life miserable.

There was plenty of controversy about their actions. Post-match attacks were extremely rare and severely frowned upon by everyone in the company, but DREAD Army got away with several leading up to Night of GLORY, receiving no punishment.

Sadaharu Jimbo, who created the motto “do the right thing”, was notably quiet on the matter. Some wondered whether he was loosening his tight grip on the boundaries and willing to let more pass.

Either way, Pistol Pete Hall had found some allies willing to help him in the fight against DREAD Army, and after a mixture of results at Night of GLORY, the resistance was only strengthening. But would it be enough to stop Dread and his band of thugs?

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 2000

In the opening match of Night of STRENGTH, Dino Maldini tagged with his stablemate and leader Dread in a crushing win over Yodo Nakane and Chuichi Sanda. It was always going to be a one-sided affair, but Dread hardly had to get involved.

It was incredible to see the change in confidence and aggression from Maldini since joining DREAD Army and no shenanigans were needed for him to choke out Sanda with the Triangle Choke.

Pistol Pete Hall was absent from the show, reportedly recovering from the battering he had picked up over the previous months. Rumours of an injury were shut down quickly when his return was announced for the next show, Night of WARRIORS.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 2000

Pistol Pete Hall returned with plenty of vigour, a month since his defeat to Dino Maldini. This time he tagged with Hito Ichihara to take on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz).

Hall and Ichihara worked well as a team and dispatched the former two-time tag champions when Hall hit the Pistol Whip Lariat.

In the next match on the show, Dread accompanied Dino Maldini to the ring for his Historical Japan title match against champion Shuji Inukai.

Few expected Inukai to drop the belt considering he was setting himself up for a record-breaking reign, so it was a huge shock when Maldini followed Dread’s barked orders to a victorious performance.

The critical moment was when Inukai was setting up his Untouchable Lariat, which nobody had ever kicked out of. Dread’s shout was audible around the arena, just in time to alert Maldini who dodged it and fought back, finally applying the Triangle Choke until Inukai passed out.

Maldini became the new Historical Japan champion!

 

Night of VICTORY, July 2000

At Night of VICTORY, there was no direct conflict between members of DREAD Army and those who resisted them, with the exception of Dread teaming with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to face Yoshimi Mushashibo and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

It was at Night of GLORY that Rebel Cell got a surprise win over Dread’s stablemates Team STRENGTH RUSH, but the big man got his revenge on this occasion, putting away Sarumara with a Dread Bomb.

Elsewhere in the show, Koryusai Kitoaji apparently added himself to the resisting alliance as he teamed with Pistol Pete Hall and Hito Ichihara to defeat Noriyori Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka and Tommy Cornell.

Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) were back to winning ways as they dealt with Chuichi Sanda and Sean McFly.

And of course, Dino Maldini defended the Historical Japan title, getting another impressive win. He dispatched the hugely popular Roka Furuhata, earning his third big singles win in recent times, after Hall and Inukai.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 2000

A feisty six-man tag match was one of the best matches at Night of LEGACY. It saw Hito Ichihara and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) face Dread and Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz).

DREAD Army’s original lineup suffered due to one thing – Lee Wright’s physical decline. There was no doubt he was still technically proficient, but when exposed in action for a few minutes, he blew up quickly.

Ichihara spotted this and directed Rebel Cell to take advantage. It all resulted in Okazawaya once again pinning Wright and a loss for DREAD Army.

Fortunately for the group, Dino Maldini fared better. He came out on top of a bout against Walter Morgan that saw plenty of technical mastery from both men. Maldini’s Triangle Choke got the job done for his second defence.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000

Night of TOUGHNESS, as was tradition, featured two major eight-man tag matches ahead of the Elite Tag Series.

One of these saw Rebel Cell (Okazawaya & Sarumara) team with Kumasaka-buntai’s Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan to face DREAD Army’s Dread, Team STRENGTH RUSH (Wright & Diaz) as well as an aggressive Mamoru Nagahama.

Many expected DREAD Army to get the victory, but Rebel Cell once again had the measure of Lee Wright. Nagahama looked frustrated as Wright was isolated and dispatched with an Insurrection. He made his opinion clear to Dread and Diaz as he stormed to the back.

Another loss for DREAD Army that was softened by Dino Maldini’s excellent performance in defending the Historical Japan title against Koryusai Kitoaji. Yes, the veteran’s star had certainly waned, but it was still another big name to add to his collection.

At the end of the show, both sides of the war announced they would be entering two teams into the Elite Tag Series.

Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall would team up, while Rebel Cell would take their usual place. Team STRENGTH RUSH were an obvious choice, while Dread announced he would take part in the tournament for the first time, teaming with Dino Maldini.

[Willsky]

SEAN’S SEARCH

Sean McFly was one half of PGHW’s longest-reigning Glory Tag Crown champions Team MYTHOS who held the belts for an incredible fourteen months. He and Mito Miwa brought the tag division to new heights until they finally lost to Team EXPLOSION at Night of WRESTLING 1999.

After that loss, Mito Miwa decided to focus on his singles career, with McFly happy to do the same. Miwa saw much more success during the year 2000 while McFly found himself a bit lost in the shuffle.

Now, with the Elite Tag Series coming up and Miwa declaring he would not take part in the tournament, it was natural that McFly was looking for a new tag partner. But with most big names already part of an established team, who would step up?

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 2000

Sean McFly began his search for a new tag partner by teaming with Mamoru Nagahama in a match against Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

Nagahama had also been part of a successful tag team. His reign alongside Hito Ichihara was only ended by Team MYTHOS. With Nagahama and Ichihara at each other’s throats, Nagahama was also on the lookout for a partner.

However, they did not get along at all well. Nagahama’s single-minded aggression left McFly stranded on his own at times and up against the in-form Rebel Cell, such failures of communication left them struggling to compete. In the end, Okazawaya pinned Nagahama to get the win. McFly decided Nagahama was not the right man.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 2000

The second man to have a test tag match with Sean McFly was none other than Koryusai Kitoaji. The legend had been in many major tag teams over the years, with Shimi Komatsuzaki in BHOTWG and recently Hito Ichihara in PGHW.

They faced the red hot Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). Many fans thought the McFly-Kitoaji pairing could be a powerful one, but this match proved otherwise.

Kitoaji had slowed down a lot and often seemed a step behind the lightning-quick McFly. They couldn’t handle Inao and Umehara, and in the end fell to the Y2K with Umehara getting a monumental pinfall win over Kitoaji.

It was another failed experiment for McFly, but there was still plenty of time left to find the right partner.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 2000

It was more than generous for Sean McFly to give Chuichi Sanda the opportunity to tag alongside him. Despite showing glimpses of potential and occasionally threatening to up his game, Sanda had been a failure in PGHW. He had little to cheer about in singles action and even less in the tag division.

But McFly was open to new possibilities and the pair took on Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) who had dropped off from their dominance a few years ago.

Still, the DREAD Army members were able to keep Chuichi Sanda at bay with relative ease and McFly was helpless to stop them hitting the Too Hot to Handle to get the win.

It wasn’t all bad for McFly, though, as after the match, a young star-in-the-making approached him. Yasunobu Koiso. The young lion had impressed in his few matches in PGHW so far, notably going over twenty minutes with none other than Mito Miwa.

Still, the kid had a lot to prove and McFly suggested he show his abilities in a singles match between them at the next show, Night of LEGACY.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 2000

Sean McFly took on Yasunobu Koiso in the second match of the show in a match where everyone knew the outcome. There was no way Koiso would beat McFly.

But the youngster showed he wasn’t as far off as they thought. On several occasions he looked close to getting a three-count pinfall over McFly, who was just as surprised as the fans.

Ultimately McFly got the win with a Delorean Driver, but Koiso had impressed him so much he agreed to give him a shot as a tag partner for the Elite Tag Series.

McFly had these words after the show:

McFly: Koiso is a real talent. At his young age he’s already better than half the men on this roster. But I’m not getting my expectations up too much. He has a way to go and winning the Elite Tag Series will be a real outside bet considering the opposition. But we may as well try. And who knows, this could be the start of another legendary partnership. Mito Miwa gave me an opportunity a couple of years ago and look what happened. I hope this might be the same kind of thing.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000

At Night of TOUGHNESS, with his partner for the Elite Tag Series set, Sean McFly surprised a lot of people by answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge.

It was the first time they had shared a ring since dropping the Glory Tag Crown titles in December 1999 and the first time they’d gone head-to-head since April 1998. Both men had developed significantly since then.

Mito Miwa was shocked at first, but soon a smile spread across his face as McFly stood up to him. They were good friends still. This match simply marked the moment that they no longer considered themselves on the same team. Miwa was doing his own thing, McFly had a new partner.

It was a typically enjoyable match from the pair, with Miwa getting a hard-earned win with the Pride Bomber. Yasunobu Koiso appeared afterwards to stand with his new partner, and Miwa expressed how he was very impressed with the youngster.

And after the show, it was officially announced that Sean McFly and Yasunobu Koiso would compete in the Elite Tag Series.

[Willsky]

A NEW DYNASTY

Yoshimi Mushashibo’s loss to Nobuatsu Tatsuko at Night of GLORY was a serious blow to the young contender. Afterwards, his enigmatic response suggested a new approach to wrestling. But what would that entail? What would Mushashibo change to get him to the next level? And what would he sacrifice?

Meanwhile, Shuji Inukai’s Historical Japan title reign was going well. He had dispatched many worthwhile opponents and some were beginning to believe that he might have a chance at breaking the record for longest time holding the belt.

And of course, the Elite Tag Series was on the horizon. Team Dynasty had competed at all three of the previous tournaments, although there was plenty of doubt about whether they were on the same page after their dispute over the Historical Japan title at the end of 1999. They had hardly been seen together since.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 2000

Shuji Inukai continued his regular defences of the Historical Japan title, as was tradition, by taking on Yasunobu Koiso. Koiso made his debut a couple of months before, answering Mito Miwa’s open challenge and giving a good account of himself.

Now he found himself with the opportunity to make a real impact in PGHW. As a young lion, a victory over Inukai here would have propelled him to instant stardom.

Inukai wasn’t having it though. Once again Koiso was impressive, but Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat was deadly once again and the youngster had to settle for earning only respect rather than victory.

Also on the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo tasted defeat as he teamed with fellow Kumaska-buntai members Tommy Cornell & Danger Kumasaka as well as Noriyori Sanda. They lost to the impressive team of Glory Tag Crown champions Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and the team that had challenged for the titles at Night of GLORY, Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara).

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 2000

Both Inukai and Mushashibo competed in high-profile singles matches at Night of WARRIORS.

First, Shuji Inukai accepted the challenge from Dino Maldini for the Historical Japan title. Inukai found himself up against the newest member of DREAD Army who had surged into great form recently.

And this form paid off as Maldini managed to score a huge victory, choking out Inukai with the Triangle Choke and winning the Historical Japan title!

It was a devastating blow to Inukai whose bid to become longest reigning champion fell disappointingly short, at just seven months.

In the main event of the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo stepped up to Mito Miwa who was still running his open challenge. Mushashibo was by far the biggest threat to Miwa yet and it was unofficially considered that the winner of this match would soon earn a shot at Tatsuko’s Glory Crown.

It was a solid match between the two, but Mushashibo couldn’t shake off the disappointment of his failed challenge and Miwa’s impressive form led him to victory with the Pride Bomber.

On this night, Inukai and Mushashibo left with heads hanging low.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 2000

In the opening match, Shuji Inukai partnered Kumasaka-buntai stablemate Walter Morgan to take on Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara).

Iano and Umehara were in fine form, rebounding from defeat at Night of GLORY to keep themselves in the running as title contenders. They isolated Morgan and beat him with the Y2K. Inukai looked bereft of confidence.

In the next match, it was another defeat for Kumasaka-buntai as Danger Kumasaka and Tommy Cornell teamed with Noriyori Sanda who was pinned by Pistol Pete Hall tagging with Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji.

And later in the show, Yoshimi Mushashibo took another loss alongside Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) up against Dread and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu).

With not a single thing to cheer at Night of VICTORY, Danger Kumasaka called a meeting with his group. He was seen backstage speaking for a long while with Mushashibo, Inukai, Morgan and Cornell and at the end, the four looked much more confident.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 2000

Kumasaka-buntai took part in three matches at Night of LEGACY. The first was a rather predictable loss for Danger Kumasaka as he stood up to Mito Miwa’s challenge and suffered a Pride Bomber.

The second was Walter Morgan’s challenge for Dino Maldini’s Historical Japan title. The belt had been with Kumasaka-buntai for well over a year prior to Maldini defeating Inukai, and Morgan was the one tasked with winning it back. He failed.

However, it was not all doom and gloom for Kumasaka-buntai as the trio of Tommy Cornell and a seemingly reunited Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) got a big win over Roka Furuhata, Mamoru Nagahama and Chuichi Sanda.

More than the win was the sight of Inukai and Mushashibo back together, competing with confidence and expression.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000

Danger Kumasaka’s work in turning around the fortunes of his group was clearly having an effect. He got a good opening match victory over young Yasunobu Koiso, but it was later in the show that we saw the younger members shine.

Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan tagged with Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) to defeat the incredibly dangerous foursome of DREAD Army (Dread, Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz) along with Mamoru Nagahama. Cornell looked especially impressive, and got the pinfall victory over Lee Wright.

And in the main event, Team Dynasty (Inukai & Mushashibo) tagged with perennial rivals Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) in a massive win over Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) and Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall.

Inukai and Mushashibo were singing from the same hymn sheet and at the end of the show, Kumasaka announced Cornell & Morgan would be entering the Elite Tag Series, as would Inukai & Mushashibo, but not as Team Dynasty, but as Team Dynasty 2000!

 

 

Diary will be inactive for a week or so as I'm away on holiday.

[Willsky]

COLLISION COURSE

Mito Miwa’s open challenge was fast becoming a highlight of PGHW shows. It started after his disappointment at the Elite Series, losing for a third straight year in the semi-final stage to perennial rival Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

Since then he had beaten established stars and youngsters without pause. His trajectory was clear – a collision course with the top star of the company and Glory Crown holder Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

Tatsuko was also showing great form. His reign had reached a full year, thanks to the victory over Mushashibo at Night of GLORY and it looked like nobody could stop him. If he kept on in this way, he would surely break Kitoaji’s record for the longest reign holding the belt.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 2000

Mito Miwa continued his open challenge with a solid victory over Walter Morgan. The British technician gave Miwa a few things to think about, but by now the Pride Warrior was able to adapt to almost any situation. More and more he resembled Hito Ichihara’s flexible, reactive style.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko appeared in the main event of Night of STRENGTH, tagging with the man whose profile he aligned with, Koryusai Kitoaji. Since their heated rivalry throughout 1998, Tatsuko had never really forgiven Kitoaji and their partnership was tense.

Still, they managed to overcome the strong pairing of Hito Ichihara and Roka Furuhata to get a solid win.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 2000

Nobuatsu Tatsuko had his work cut out as he tagged with Chuichi Sanda and Noriyori Sanda to take on Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan.

Chuichi Sanda was largely ineffective, while Noriyori Sanda seemed overawed by Tatsuko’s presence. The youngster did his best to impress the Glory Crown champion and succeeded by surviving the long, punishing holds of Kumasaka-buntai.

When Tatsuko finally got tagged in, he ran wild, getting the victory with a Tatsuko Driller.

Elsewhere on the show, Mamoru Nagahama got a huge win over Roka Furuhata and challenged Tatsuko to defend his Glory Crown at the next show, Night of VICTORY. Tatsuko accepted and the match was confirmed.

In the main event of Night of WARRIORS, Mito Miwa’s open challenge was answered by Yoshimi Mushashibo. This was a huge match as Mushashibo had been the last to challenge for Tatsuko’s title. The winner would surely take a large step closer to a championship opportunity.

Mushashibo didn’t quite look himself. He clearly hadn’t fully recovered mentally from the Night of GLORY loss and Miwa noticed. The Pride Warrior took advantage and got the win with a Pride Bomber.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 2000

It was an easier ride for Mito Miwa in his open challenge at this show as he was answered by the young lion Akinori Kwakami who was making his debut in PGHW after some good showings in SAISHO.

Kwakami replicated Yasunobu Koiso’s earlier performance by staying with Miwa for over twenty minutes and impressing everyone with his durability. Of course Miwa got the win, but Kwakami’s name was on many fans’ lips afterwards.

In the main event, Nobuatsu Tatsuko took on Mamoru Nagahama with the Glory Crown on the line. Nobody expected Nagahama to unseat the champion, and he still remained someone fans didn’t consider a worthy contender.

There were some reminders of Kitoaji’s match against Nagahama all the way back in 1997 which was controversial at the time because Tatsuko was considered the strongest challenger.

Three years later, Nagahama had changed his attitude significantly but he was still a few levels below Glory Crown success and he fell to a Tatsuko Driller.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 2000

This time it was Danger Kumasaka who turned out for Mito Miwa’s open challenge. The veteran had a smile on his face, perhaps knowing he would lose but wanting to test himself, and test Miwa. Miwa passed any such tests with a Pride Bomber.

Nobuatsu Tatsuko found himself teaming with young Noriyori Sanda again. Sanda was delighted and did everything he could to impress the champion. He gave all his energy and spirit, up against Pistol Pete Hall and Koryusai Kitoaji who beat him from pillar to post.

Yet he survived and made the tag to Tatsuko who got the job done on Kitoaji with a Tatsuko Driller. It was noted that Tatsuko took a blow to his head during the match and looked a little concussed on his way to the back.

After the show, Noriyori Sanda had a proposal for Tatsuko.

Sanda: I think I’m right in saying Tatsuko has never competed in the Elite Tag Series. Perhaps he has never found the right partner. Well, I’d like to say I’d be very happy to partner him. Tonight we beat two serious opponents and showed we can be a formidable team. So I humbly make this offer to you Tatsuko.

When asked about this later, a still dazed looking Tatsuko frowned.

Tatsuko: I hadn’t thought about it. He’s right that I’ve never found the right partner, but I’m not sure it would be him. I admire his courage, but I doubt he really has the guts. However, he can try to prove me wrong. Night of TOUGHNESS is up next. Let’s have a singles match, no title or anything, just a chance for this kid to prove himself.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000

Noriyori Sanda got the biggest singles match of his life, taking on Nobuatsu Tatsuko. The Glory Crown champion was taking no prisoners. He assaulted Sanda with merciless intensity. It was a brutal spectacle.

But Sanda refused to stay down. He kicked out of a dozen big moves, survived three painful submissions and managed to barely get to his feet before the referee counted him out.

After twenty-five gruelling minutes, he finally succumbed to the Tatsuko Driller, but in doing so he earned Tatsuko’s respect. After the bell had rung, Tatsuko shook the youngster’s hand and almost reluctantly agreed to be his partner in the Elite Tag Series!

Sanda later suggested they name themselves Team Energy. Tatsuko didn’t seem too bothered by the name and went along with it. In fact, he seemed quite annoyed he’d ever given Sanda the opportunity.

Later in the show, Mito Miwa was shocked by Sean McFly who answered his open challenge. But once the surprise had died down, the friends put on a fantastic match. Miwa got the win with a Pride Bomber – his tenth in a row.

After the show, he didn’t hold back with his intentions.

Miwa: At the next possible opportunity I want my title match. It’s been nearly two years since I got my shot and nobody can deny I’m the number one contender.

I don’t care if Tatsuko wants to win the Elite Tag Series, I’ll wait until Night of KINGS instead. Because, Tatsuko, I know what your target is. You want to make it past Night of KINGS to break Kitoaji’s record.

But you won’t get there without going through me. You might remember we have some “history” when it comes to this.

Miwa was later confirmed as due an imminent title match. If Team Energy didn’t make it out of the blocks of the Elite Tag Series, Miwa would get his Glory Crown match at Night of HONOUR. If Team Energy were successful, the title match would be at the next show, Night of KINGS.

[Willsky]

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED

Team MILLENIUM was the standout tag team of the months leading up to Night of GLORY in June 2000. They ran through a number of competitors and called out Team EXPLOSION who they claimed hadn’t been defending the Glory Tag Crown titles often enough.

So they got their title match and lost. A sizeable roadbump in their trajectory and a serious confidence knock for a team made up of two men who had never been picked as major stars of the future.

But all good competitors share the same trait. When they fail, they get back up and try again. And that’s what Team MILLENIUM were ready to do. Would it get them back into the title picture? That remained to be seen.

 

Night of STRENGTH, June 2000

Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) competed on the same side as their Night of GLORY opponents Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) in an eight-man tag match against Kumasaka-buntai’s Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell and Yoshimi Mushashibo as well as Noriyori Sanda.

During the match, the champions and recent challengers combined well together, seemingly enjoying their time as they achieved a good victory with Team MILLENIUM hitting the Y2K on Noriyori Sanda.

After the match, though, there was little in the way of friendliness. Inao and Umehara made it clear they weren’t going to go away any time soon.

 

Night of WARRIORS, July 2000

After their victory over Team STRENGTH RUSH at Night of GLORY and another win at Night of STRENGTH, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) had risen to the position of challengers and got their Glory Tag Crown match at this show against champions Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu).

Rebel Cell fought hard, but once again showed they weren’t quite at the level required to win gold yet.

Elsewhere on the show, it was another win for Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) who got a fine victory over Sean McFly and Koryusai Kitoaji. Takeshi Umehara enjoyed the biggest moment of his career by pinning the legendary Kitoaji after a Y2K.

 

Night of VICTORY, July 2000

Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) were at it again. They scored another fantastic win over Kumasaka-buntai’s Shuji Inukai and Walter Morgan. The Y2K was becoming one of the most effective tag finishers in PGHW and it reflected how much Inao and Umehara had worked on their communication and chemistry.

Later in the show, Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) tagged with Dread to defeat Yoshimi Mushashibo and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara).

Their celebrations were interrupted by Team MILLENIUM coming out and making their challenge official. Inao claimed they had earned their way back into title contention with some strong wins and were ready for another title shot.

Hoshino and Kunomasu were never ones to back down from a challenge and the match was set for Night of LEGACY.

 

Night of LEGACY, August 2000

The Glory Tag Crown titles main evented Night of LEGACY. Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) were used to being part of the final match of the night, having held tag gold twice, the Historical Japan title once each and having several Glory Crown title shots.

For Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) it was unknown territory. The pressure was extremely high. They had worked incredibly hard to get another shot at the titles – a loss here would set them back a long way.

And they were not willing to let that happen. Inao and Umehara looked far different from their initial tag attempts at the start of the year. Their commitment to creating a strong understanding between them had led them to the point of being a well-drilled machine.

They looked even more cohesive than Team EXPLOSION who had been tagging (albeit on-and-off) for four years.

And this hard work bore fruit. They managed to hit the Y2K on Eisaku Hoshino. Fukusaburu Inao went for the pin and got the three count!

Team MILLENIUM became new Glory Tag Crown champions! It was a huge moment for the team and a colossal shift in the division’s landscape just a month away from the Elite Tag Series.

 

Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2000

Night of TOUGHNESS always put on several multi-man matches involving the major tag teams heading into the Elite Tag Series. This was no different.

Team MILLENIUM (Inao & Umehara) enjoyed their first outing since winning the Glory Tag Crown titles as they teamed up with Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall in the main event.

They took on Team EXPLOSION (Hoshino & Kunomasu) who were looking for revenge, and the reunited Team Dynasty (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo).

The match ended with Mushashibo pinning Ichihara, but the action had been fairly equal throughout.

Now heading into the Elite Tag Series, there was plenty of intrigue about which teams would rise to the top. Old favourites like Team Dynasty (now going by the name of Team Dynasty 2000) and Team EXPLOSION were surefire candidates, but so were Team MILLENIUM and the combination of Ichihara and Hall.

The tournament blocks were announced after the show.

BLOCK A

Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall
Mamoru Nagahama & Steve Flash
Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara)
Sean McFly & Yasunobu Koiso
Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu)
Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

Nagahama and new signing Steve Flash were a last-minute thrown-together partnership.

BLOCK B

Akinori Kwakami & Chuichi Sanda
Dino Maldini & Dread
Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo)
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda)
Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan

Chuichi Sanda called upon SAISHO prospect and young lion Akinori Kwakami to be his partner which the youngster was willing to accept as he would get experience against major opponents.

[Willsky]

ELITE TAG SERIES 2000

The tag landscape in PGHW had shifted significantly since 1999’s Elite Tag Series. One of the most successful teams of all time, Team MYTHOS would not be taking part, Strike Force had broken apart and now Team MILLENIUM were a major force, going into the tournament as Glory Tag Crown champions.

Block A contained three well-established teams and three unknown entities. Team EXPLOSION were the clear favourites to advance, having won the tournament in 1999 and reigning as tag champions for most of the year so far.

Hito Ichihara and Pistol Pete Hall made an intriguing partnership and posed a serious threat. Sean McFly had pedigree in the tournament, winning alongside Miwa in 1998, but his young partner Yasunobu Koiso was still mostly untested.

Team STRENGTH RUSH were always a force to be reckoned with, while Rebel Cell had stepped up recently. Could this be their year to advance? And finally, the thrown-together outfit of Nagahama and new Canadian signing Steve Flash were a complete wildcard.

BLOCK A:

Hito Ichihara & Pistol Pete Hall
Mamoru Nagahama & Steve Flash
Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara)
Sean McFly & Yasunobu Koiso
Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu)
Team STRENGTH RUSH (Lee Wright & Raymond Diaz)

 

Block B was just as unpredictable. Team MILLENIUM were certainly big favourites, considering they were the reigning tag champions. Team Dynasty 2000 had only recently reunited, but as inaugural winners and perennial contenders, many had them as their pick to win the whole thing.

Team Energy was a strange prospect. Some speculated that the concussion he suffered at Night of LEGACY was the reason he ever let Noriyori Sanda have a chance at impressing him. Still, the youngster held up his side of the bargain and the two made an odd but potentially devastating pair.

Speaking of devastating, it was hard to rule out Dino Maldini and Dread who had become DREAD Army’s best chance of winning the tournament. They would surely expect to do better than the likes of Cornell & Morgan and the favourites for the wooden spoon, Kwakami & Sanda

BLOCK B:

Akinori Kwakami & Chuichi Sanda
Dino Maldini & Dread
Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo)
Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda)
Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara)
Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 1

Block A Results

Nagahama & Flash def. Ichihara & Hall
McFly & Koiso def. Rebel Cell
Team EXPLOSION def. Team STRENGTH RUSH

The first day of the tournament saw a couple of big surprises. Nagahama exacted some revenge on former tag partner Ichihara as the impressive Steve Flash helped him to a stunning win. McFly & Koiso also had a strong start for a new team, defeating the established Rebel Cell.

Old rivals Team EXPLOSION and Team STRENGTH RUSH underlined their different trajectories over the last couple of years as Hoshino & Kunomasu dealt with Wright & Diaz quite comfortably, hitting the Eisaku Explosion on Lee Wright.

Block B Results

Cornell & Morgan def. Team MILLENIUM
Team Dynasty 2000 def. Kwakami & Sanda
Maldini & Dread def. Team Energy

Glory Tag Crown holders Team MILLENIUM had an awful start to the tournament, losing to the motivated Cornell & Morgan. Kumasaka-buntai then made it a perfect first day as Team Dynasty 2000 easily beat Kwakami & Sanda.

The main event saw Tatsuko come up against Dread, the man he defeated to win the Glory Crown over a year ago. But Dread was alongside the massively improved Dino Maldini who proved decisive against the inexperienced Noriyori Sanda.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 2

Block A Results

Ichihara & Hall def. McFly & Koiso
Nagahama & Flash def. Team STRENGTH RUSH
Team EXPLOSION def. Rebel Cell

Ichihara & Hall recovered from their opening round loss to beat McFly & Koiso, while the surprise package for the tournament turned out to be Nagahama and Flash who overcame the faltering Team STRENGTH RUSH, with Lee Wright taking the pin once again.

Team EXPLOSION made it two from two with a solid victory over Rebel Cell who, with two losses now, were far from getting that breakout moment.

Block B Results

Team Energy def. Cornell & Morgan
Maldini & Dread def. Kwakami & Sanda
Team Dynasty 2000 def. Team MILLENIUM

Nobuatsu Tatsuko got his first Elite Tag Series win as Noriyori Sanda helped him overcome Cornell & Morgan. Meanwhile, Dread and Maldini had a relatively easy time against Kwakami & Sanda.

The show’s main event saw Team MILLENIUM suffer their second loss. This time it was against the serious threat of Inukai & Mushashibo who looked to be working great together despite a spinal disc injury to Inukai. Still, for Team MILLENIUM the result left them bottom of the block.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 3

Block A Results

McFly & Koiso def. Team STRENGTH RUSH
Ichihara & Hall def. Rebel Cell
Team EXPLOSION def. Nagahama & Flash

Team STRENGTH RUSH looked a shadow of their former selves. They fell to McFly and Koiso, meaning they were yet to score a single point. Ichihara & Hall recovered from a poor start to lay more misery upon Rebel Cell.

The top two teams in the block, Team EXPLOSION and Nagahama & Flash collided with the outcome narrowly favouring the former two-time tag champions.

Block B Results

Team MILLENIUM def. Kwakami & Sanda
Team Dynasty 2000 def. Team Energy
Maldini & Dread def. Cornell & Morgan

Team MILLENIUM finally got a win, beating the much weaker Kwakami & Sanda. Team Dynasty 2000 continued their winning streak with a solid victory over Team Energy, something that irritated Nobuatsu Tatsuko.

The other strong team in the group, Maldini & Dread picked up their third victory over Cornell and Morgan.

 

Mid-point round-up

Block A Table

6 Team EXPLOSION
4 Nagahama & Flash
4 Ichihara & Hall
4 McFly & Koiso
0 Rebel Cell
0 Team STRENGTH RUSH
 

Block B Table

6 Maldini & Dread
6 Team Dynasty 2000
2 Cornell & Morgan
2 Team Energy
2 Team MILLENIUM
0 Kwakami & Sanda
 

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 4

Block A Results

Rebel Cell def. Team STRENGTH RUSH
McFly & Koiso def. Nagahama & Flash
Team EXPLOSION def. Ichihara & Hall

Rebel Cell picked up their first win of the tournament at the expense of the hugely disappointing Team STRENGTH RUSH who remained on zero points from four matches. Lee Wright getting pinned again was a clear problem.

The two surprise outfits collided, with McFly & Koiso getting a big win over Nagahama & Flash. McFly & Koiso now had a pretty good chance of advancing, despite still having to face Team EXPLOSION.

As for Team EXPLOSION, they continued their 100% form, getting a tight win over Ichihara & Hall who just about remained in the running.

 

Block B Results

Team Energy def. Kwakami & Sanda
Team Dynasty 2000 def. Cornell & Morgan
Maldini & Dread def. Team MILLENIUM

Team Energy had their easiest match yet with Tatsuko able to dominate Kwakami & Sanda while Noriyori Sanda showed plenty of energy alongside his senior partner. Team Dynasty 2000 made it four from four with a solid victory over Cornell & Morgan who dropped out of the running.

And the advancing teams were confirmed as Maldini & Dread beat Team MILLENIUM in another big loss for the tag champions – knocked out of the block with a match to go.

 

PGHW Elite Tag Series DAY 5

Block A Results

Rebel Cell def. Nagahama & Flash
Team EXPLOSION def. McFly & Koiso
Ichihara & Hall def. Team STRENGTH RUSH

Rebel Cell got their second win and put an end to the surprising start from Nagahama & Flash. In fact, this victory took Rebel Cell above Nagahama & Flash in the standings.

Team EXPLOSION rounded out a perfect block stage with a win over McFly & Koiso who needed some help from Team STRENGTH RUSH. They didn’t get it as Ichihara & Hall surged their way to victory, piling on the misery for Wright & Diaz and scraping into the semi-finals thanks to their head-to-head record over McFly & Koiso.

Block B Results

Cornell & Morgan def. Kwakami & Sanda
Team MILLENIUM def. Team Energy
Team Dynasty 2000 def. Maldini & Dread

For four teams in Block B it was about saving pride. Cornell & Morgan made sure they finished with a win, meaning Kwakami & Sanda finished with 0 points. Team MILLENIUM clawed back a victory over Team Energy to avoid a completely humiliating tournament.

And in the main event, Team Dynasty 2000 overcame Maldini & Dread in the match of the tournament to make sure they topped Block B and kept their 100% record.

 

FINAL STANDINGS

Block A Table

10 Team EXPLOSION
6 Ichihara & Hall
6 McFly & Koiso
4 Rebel Cell
4 Nagahama & Flash
0 Team STRENGTH RUSH
 

Block B Table

10 Team Dynasty 2000
8 Maldini & Dread
4 Cornell & Morgan
4 Team Energy
4 Team MILLENIUM
0 Kwakami & Sanda
 

Conclusion

While the Elite Tag Series 2000 blocks didn’t see the extreme heights of match quality from previous years, it was a remarkably consistent tournament with many “smaller” teams putting in some fantastic performances.

Sean McFly and Yasunobu Koiso were the standout performers considering they had never tagged before and Koiso was still in his second year of wrestling. The fact they only missed out on a semi-final spot thanks to a head-to-head record showed how well they had done.

Team EXPLOSION and Team Dynasty 2000 were rightly favourites going in and they did not disappoint. Maldini & Dread also lived up to the expectations attached to their individual names.

For the likes of Rebel Cell and Cornell & Morgan it wasn’t an awful tournament, but they were once again a step or two away from taking the next forward step. Meanwhile, Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s first appearance in the tournament was disappointing – his future with Noriyori Sanda looked bleak.

Not as bleak as Team STRENGTH RUSH’s prospects, though. The team that began in PGHW as the most dominant force failed to get a single point. Many fingers pointed to Lee Wright’s age and lack of conditioning, but there were a few comments about how Raymond Diaz hadn’t progressed as much as expected.

Still, DREAD Army had one team in the semi-finals. Maldini & Dread would face Team EXPLOSION in what promised to be a hard-hitting bonanza. Ichihara & Hall had the tough task of facing the in-form Team Dynasty 2000 although they would gain confidence in the fact that Shuji Inukai’s injury did not go away. He was suffering from a herniated disc, slowing him down significantly.

Another fact that came out of the tournament was that Team Energy did not reach the semi-finals, so Mito Miwa would get his highly-anticipated Glory Crown title match at Night of HONOUR. The card for that show was promising to be one of the biggest of all time!