Willsky Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 Night of WRESTLING, December 2001 The biggest show of the year came around again with some monumental matches and the promise of world-class matches. Match Card Akinori Kwakami & Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Mamoru Nagahama and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Dino Maldini vs. Mito Miwa Chuichi Sanda, Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Kojiro Harada and Koryusai Kitoaji Dread vs. Raymond Diaz Dan Stone Jr & Steve Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) Noriyori Sanda vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Pistol Pete Hall © for the Glory Crown title MATCH 1: Akinori Kwakami & Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Mamoru Nagahama and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) The opening match of the show saw Akinori Kwakami put in his best performance yet, helping Team MILLENIUM get the victory. Mamoru Nagahama looked despondent – injured and once again on the losing side. MATCH 2: Dino Maldini vs. Mito Miwa A spat at Night of ENDURANCE prompted this match between the recently-returned Dino Maldini and Mito Miwa whose 2001 had faded ever since losing the Glory Crown and failing to win the Elite Tag Series. But he was not to be denied by Maldini who, although fighting well and looking close to his previous best, couldn’t handle the Pride Warrior who hit the Pride Bomber to win. MATCH 3: Chuichi Sanda, Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Kojiro Harada and Koryusai Kitoaji Once again, Hito Ichihara and Koryusai Kitoaji pitted themselves and their protegees against each other, this time with some reinforcements. Chuichi Sanda was quickly becoming the new Kazuo Mitsushi, in that he lost nearly every match he took part in. But while Mitsushi lost everywhere except Night of WRESTLING, Sanda couldn’t even do that as Kojiro Harada pinned him, earning the victory. MATCH 4: Dread vs. Raymond Diaz High stakes were at play as Raymond Diaz challenged the leader of DREAD Army, of which Diaz was a founding member. Diaz had grown frustrated at the lack of success he and the group had seen over the last year, especially since his former tag partner Lee Wright was kicked out. He had already taken out his frustrations on Nagahama, but now blamed Dread for the failure. In a sensational outburst, he upped the intensity by saying that if he could beat Dread, DREAD Army would have to disband. But if Dread won, Diaz would leave PGHW. This turned what would already have been a fun big-man battle into an emotional rollercoaster. On multiple occasions Dread seemed to have the match won, but Diaz hung onto his status as a PGHW wrestler with some impressive grit. Then he turned the tables and unleashed the kind of powerful violence fans had been waiting to see from him for years, taking his game to the next level. He brutalised Dread with some extraordinary powerbombs and suplexes, something nobody else had the strength to do. Diaz finished it off with a Ray Gun and a three count to earn by far the biggest victory of his career. And in doing so, he put an end to DREAD Army forever. MATCH 5: Dan Stone Jr & Steve Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) Stone & Flash were turning heads in the tag division. They performed well at the Elite Tag Series, then got good wins over Rebel Cell and Team MILLENIUM. However, many thought they were biting off more than they could chew by challenging Team EXPLOSION to a match at Night of WRESTLING. But credit to them, they showed they weren’t far off the level of the former two-time Glory Tag Crown champions. Flash used his grappling skills to slow down the wild Hoshino, while Stone traded strikes with Kunomasu. In the end, though, the Eisaku Explosion was too much as Kunomasu managed to pin Stone for the victory. After the match, Hoshino & Kunomasu showed their respect to Stone & Flash, who were happy to receive it and return theirs in kind. MATCH 6: Noriyori Sanda vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title Noriyori Sanda challenged for the Historical Japan title with his best chance of victory yet. He was a new wrestler thanks to Nobuatsu Tatsuko’s brutal curriculum in the summer. That led to Sanda being a standout performer in Team Energy’s Elite Tag Series victory. Now he could elevate his stock even further by beating Sean McFly. It was exactly a year to the day that McFly won the Historical Japan title from Kojiro Harada. His reign had been highly impressive, with victories over many of the best talents in PGHW. Sanda set out to end that. He was alive with energy with slowly warped into savagery. A honey-badger spirit and a desire to win. McFly had his own limitless energy, though. He had become famous for his enthusiastic, high-velocity offence and bottomless pit of stamina that helped him keep going at top speed seemingly forever. The result was a match that transcended the usual PGHW style, becoming an almost high-flying affair, with the ropes being used as springboards far more often than the fans were used to. And it was a springboard forearm that turned the match in McFly’s favour, catching Sanda on the jaw and weakening him enough for McFly to hit the Delorean Driver. McFly retained the Historical Japan title and made it a full year holding the belt! MATCH 7: Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Cornell & Morgan defended the Glory Tag Crown titles against the team they won them from back in March. Then, Team Dynasty 2000 consisted of an injured Shuji Inukai and an erratic Yoshimi Mushashibo. Now, Inukai was back to full health and Mushashibo back to full focus. It seemed an unlikely prospect for Cornell & Morgan to hang on against their Kumasaka-buntai stablemates. But Walter Morgan had come into his own as a tag competitor. Having someone else to rely on when he ran out of puff meant he could use his Wigan-style hooking and precise grappling to great effect. He often wore down opponents, allowing Tommy Cornell to come in and finish the off. And what a wrestler Cornell was turning out to be. The youngster had enjoyed an incredible 2001 and many fans thought he’d end it with a victory. The match the two teams had was on another level. Mushashibo and Cornell’s interactions were a highlight – this time there were no underhanded tactics that spoilt the quality – instead they battled it out the right way, neither able to best the other. And when Mushashibo went to the mat with Walter Morgan, the PGHW fans were treated to a display of technical grappling so fluid and slick there wasn’t a moment to breathe. It was counter-hold after counter-hold, the two men in constant motion, always searching for the next transition, the next position that would put them in control. But there was one man who made the difference. Fans may have forgotten what he was capable of, seeing as for the last year he had been fighting with a severe back injury. They may have forgotten the violent intensity he brought to every match he contested, the direct aggression which had made him famous. Shuji Inukai was ruthless. He battered Cornell and Morgan with such ferocity, they would spend the whole festive period recovering. He stamped, he clubbed, he slammed and he spiked. It was a roaring return to form that could only be capped off with one move – the Untouchable Lariat. Not seen for over a year, the deadly finisher connected with Tommy Cornell’s chest, sending the Brit smashing to the mat for the one, two, three. Team Dynasty 2000 won the Glory Tag Crown titles! It was their third time winning the belts, something no other team had achieved, and it was redemption for Mushashibo and Inukai. After the match, Danger Kumasaka and Akinori Kwakami came down to the ring and the six men celebrated and commiserated together, the winners and losers of the same faction in mutual respect, joy and despair. It was an emotional moment that brought to a close an unbelievable tag team match. MAIN EVENT: Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Pistol Pete Hall © for the Glory Crown title The biggest match of the year, the main event of Night of WRESTLING, saw the most dominant wrestler of 2001, Pistol Pete Hall, take on a man who was becoming the epitome of PGHW, Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Tatsuko held the historical advantage over Hall, having defeated him three times: twice in 1999 and once in 2000. However, recency favoured Hall, as he beat Tatsuko in the Elite Series final in March, not to mention the fact that he hadn’t lost a singles match all year. Following the epic tag match, Tatsuko and Hall started slowly. Tatsuko had to resist the urge to attack at full throttle, knowing that Hall was capable of lashing back and getting a quick victory. Instead, they sought to probe and press. Tatsuko delivered repeated kicks and elbow strikes, trying to catch Hall unawares, ready to pounce and unleash his usual barrage of violence. Hall, in contrast, restrained his attacks, waiting for Tatsuko to overextend himself, at which point he could counter. This is exactly what happened. Tatsuko upped the intensity and soon got caught in a massive spinebuster. From there, Hall took control. It was a relentless few minutes, with hall ragdolling the smaller Tatsuko around the ring. The fans surged behind Tatsuko, willing him to beat the big foreigner. Tatsuko rallied back into the match, digging into his energy reserves (of which he had many) to hold back the overwhelming pressure Hall was putting on him. If he could last long enough, Hall would eventually tire. Tatsuko was famous for being able to endure for as long as needed, and he hoped to tire Hall enough to take control. The battle went on with Hall dominating for periods, punctuated by Tatsuko’s rallies when things got too much. But maybe Tatsuko underestimated the big man’s conditioning, or he got his timing wrong, but twenty-five minutes into the match, Hall took it up a level. He blasted Tatsuko with several big hits. Tatsuko responded in kind and the pair began slugging it out, strike for strike, hardly bothering to protect themselves. This favoured Hall. His superior size and striking ability meant Tatsuko would always lose out in a straight battle. When Tatsuko realised this, he dropped a shoulder and hoisted Hall up for the Tatsuko Driller. An impressive feat on a man so large! Tatsuko dumped Hall on the mat and went for the pin. One…Two… Kick out! Hall survived Tatsuko’s biggest move. Tatsuko would not be put off, though, as he grabbed Hall and went for a second Driller… Hall escaped! Hall landed on his feet and turned to clobber the incoming Tatsuko with a monstrous Pistol Whip Lariat! The weight of Hall’s arm almost separated Tatsuko’s head from his shoulders, and when Hall went for the pin, there was no kicking out. Pistol Pete Hall retained the Glory Crown! For Tatsuko, it was another disappointment. While he had won the Elite Tag Series with Noriyori Sanda, he had scant else to celebrate in 2001. It was a huge victory for Hall, who cemented his reign as being one of the best and few could argue with him winning the PGHW Wrestler of the Year award. Conclusion The main event of Night of WRESTLING was a fantastic match. However, it was overshadowed by the Glory Tag Crown match which preceded it, a match that immediately shot to the top of the list of “best PGHW matches”. Not only was it by far and away the best tag match the company had ever put on, but it surpassed Hall’s classic bouts against Miwa and Mushashibo from earlier in the year. Overall, Night of WRESTLING was a top, top show. Perhaps not quite the best ever, but certainly in the top three. Miwa’s match with Maldini and McFly defending against Sanda were two of the other highly-rated matches in a card which only had one average bout (the six-man tag with veterans Ichihara & Kitoaji and their protegees Koiso and Okano). PGHW End of Year Awards: WRESTLER of the year: Pistol Pete Hall MATCH of the year: Team Dynasty 2000 vs. Cornell & Morgan, Night of WRESTLING MOST IMPROVED wrestler of the year: Noriyori Sanda TAG TEAM of the year: Cornell & Morgan PGHW seemed to have a lock on the World Tag Team of the Year Award, as Cornell & Morgan earned that accolade. Tommy Cornell made it two awards in 2001, as he was voted Best Young Wrestler of the year across the globe. In the big picture, PGHW grew significantly in size. This was mostly due to a change in broadcasting deal which saw a departure from the pay-per-view model and a move to get the product on more screens in Japan and Oceania. Japan had become the powerhouse of world wrestling. BHOTWG was the number one company in the world, surpassing SWF. MPWF and HGC were growing well, but PGHW boasted much better domestic attendances. Just behind were GCG and 5SSW, more evidence that the balance of power in wrestling was shifting further and further eastwards. After the show, the customary press conference featured several top stars. First to comment was Yoshimi Mushashibo. Mushashibo: Every year I sit here and tell you what I’ve learned. Well, this year it’s a lot. The definition of the word “beauty” has eluded me. I seem to have a grasp of it, but then it slips away and I’m left with dust in my hands. At first, I though beauty was the art of wrestling. The flow, the fluidity, the technical brilliance that I strove towards. Then I realised that wasn’t enough. While it was nice, victory held a more concrete and vivid beauty. So I began doing everything I could to be victorious, using whatever means I found necessary. Obviously, that wasn’t popular. And after a short time, it lost its effectiveness. But victory still is beautiful. But it must be victory in a certain manner. Cheating tarnishes the porcelain face of beauty, gives it cracks and a sense of shame. Tonight I experienced the most beautiful moment of my life. Alongside my friend Shuji who is finally back to being his best, we won the titles in the right way against two men who I proudly consider friends, in front of an arena full of wonderful fans. So my current definition of beauty is this: victory through effort and courage. Let’s see if that holds up in the face of challenges to come. After that, Dread spoke in more restrained tones. Dread: He beat me. I knew he would eventually, but even now it shocks me. That young man truly is the monster his nickname claims. Don’t underestimate him. DREAD Army is finished. That hurts me. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I need success soon. I’m starving for it. So be warned, everyone in the roster. Dread’s hungry. Last to speak was Mito Miwa. Miwa: I don’t feel the need to prove myself any further. Pistol Pete Hall, you’re holding my Glory Crown title. I want it back. You know I’m the man who should challenge for the belt next, and I’ve kept my tongue in my head for months. Now is the time. At Night of RESPECT, show me the respect and put the title on the line. ---OOC--- Last post for a while as I disappear for a month or so. Thanks everyone for your predictions and comments, I'm really enjoying getting deep into the stories of this dynasty. Rest assured I'll be back in August with an exciting 2002 ahead! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 10 Author Share Posted August 10 ALL GOOD THINGS Two of PGHW’s most popular and consistent gaijin wrestlers for the last few years had undeniably been Dread and Sean McFly. Dread was a Japanese wrestling mainstay, having spent decades in the country proving he was one of the most talented big-men of all time and breaking perceptions about super heavyweights. Sean McFly arrived in March 1998 and quickly earned a lot of praise, gaining plaudits for his fantastic tag reign alongside Mito Miwa and recently his year-long stint with the Historical Japan title. At the start of 2002 he still held the belt and was defending it on a regular basis. But everyone knew his success couldn’t last for ever. At some point it would come to an end, just like all good things. But who would be the one to pull the curtain, and who would rise to take their place in history? Night of RESPECT, January 2002 Sean McFly put the Historical Japan title on the line against Walter Morgan. It was the second time Morgan had challenged McFly during this reign, but as he had been champ for so long, he was running out of new contenders. Morgan now had the freedom to pursue singles success after he and Tommy Cornell had lost the Glory Tag Crown titles, and the Historical Japan belt looked like a great opportunity to get his hands on more gold. But McFly wasn’t ready to give it up yet. He battled out of Morgan’s Wigan-style hooking and hit the Delorean Driver for the victory. Night of ENERGY, January 2002 Kojiro Harada was next to step up to Sean McFly. Harada was the man McFly beat to win the belt back in 2000, as the pair had a heated rivalry. Now Harada was back in the running, hoping to start his third run, twenty years after his first. However, he was not the same wrestler that he was twenty years ago, or even one year ago. His frustrations in PGHW had mostly been down to attitude and a declining body, so he struggled against McFly. Even so, Sean looked distracted. Fans had noticed something not quite right in the latter months of 2001, but he seemed to have shrugged that off. Now, though, he had a vacant, faraway look as if he were somewhere else. Fortunately for him, Harada didn’t capitalise and a Delorean Drive got the job done. Also on this show, Dino Maldini took on Dread, with Maldini jumping on the new bandwagon of Raymond Diaz’s new MONSTER Army. Maldini got a stunning victory with a Knee Bar, handing Dread one of his biggest losses. Night of DESTINY, February 2002 Fukusaburu Inao made his challenge for the Historical Japan title at Night of DESTINY. Sean McFly again had the vacant stare, with his mind not quite 100% in the ring. Inao was quick to seize the advantage, grabbing every small distraction and hesitation and using it to his advantage. McFly had to fight with his usual courage to stay in the match, but this time it wasn’t enough. When he should have been going for the Delorean Driver, a momentary lapse of concentration – looking out into the crowd – Inao caught him and transitioned into La Magistral Cradle and pinned the champions shoulders to the mat. Fukusaburu Inao became the new Historical Japan champion! It was his first time holding singles gold and ended McFly’s reign at 14 months with 22 successful defences, the longest time since Nobuatsu Tatsuko in 95-97 and the fifth longest of all time. Night of BATTLE, February 2002 At Night of BATTLE, Fukusaburu Inao started his Historical Japan reign well with a victory over Steve Flash. Flash provided stiff competition, but Inao was discovering a newfound momentum and La Magistral Cradle was enough to provide victory again. Dread was in action again, this time teaming with Akinori Kwakami and Danger Kumasaka to face the new lineup of MONSTER Army: Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard. Dread may have been seen as the senior man on his team, but he struggled to live up to that. Something had gone from him. That aggression and determination… perhaps seeing DREAD Army taken away from him and suffering the betrayal of Raymond Diaz… Anyway, his team lost, with Maldini pinning Danger Kumasaka. The leader of MONSTER Army, Raymond Diaz took on Sean McFly in singles action. Both men would be competing in the Elite Series, so this was seen as a warmup match. McFly was well off the pace. His focus was so far elsewhere that at times, Diaz paused to check if McFly wasn’t just playing mind games. In the end, a Ray Gun put McFly away and ended the match with a feeling of confusion. What was going on with Sean McFly? And was Dread okay? It was clear something wasn’t right with the pair of them, but nobody could put their finger on what it was. With the Elite Series coming up, they would both need to sort their heads out or risk humiliation. ---OOC--- I'm back from my travels, having learned while I was away about the new game coming out. That has, as you'd expect, captured my attention somewhat. However, I have got this dynasty written up way into the future so it will be continuing for a while yet. I'm thinking of finishing it at Night of GLORY 2006 which would be ten years since the company's opening and a nice place to round things off. With that in mind, posting will be a little more regular, probably 3-4 posts a week instead of the previous 2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 THE BREAKOUT STAR OF 2002? Every year, PGHW sees one of its young talented wrestlers take their game up to the next level. The likes of Tommy Cornell, Eisaku Kunomasu and Nobuatsu Tatsuko have all had incredible years that took them right up the card. But who would be next? There were plenty of young lions coming through, but none of them quite looked ready yet. Could Mamoru Nagahama finally make that step up to the big time? Would Chuichi Sanda throw off his long-term malaise and realise some of the potential he had promised years ago? Or would someone else take charge and assert themselves as the fastest rising star in the fastest rising company in the world? Night of RESPECT, January 2002 At Night of RESPECT, Noriyori Sanda took on Fukusaburu Inao in a straight singles match. Sanda’s performances as one half of Team Energy had won him a lot of plaudits, and with Tatsuko seemingly focused on singles competition, Sanda had the opportunity to further his own individual career. However, he came up short against Fukusaburu Inao. A former Glory Tag Crown champion, Inao had long shown he had the technical ability to thrive in PGHW. He did so on this occasion, using his rarely-seen finisher, La Magistral Cradle, a clever pinning move that he could execute from a variety of positions. He used it on Sanda to pick up his first win of the year. Night of ENERGY, January 2002 If Fukusaburu Inao’s career in PGHW had been firmly in the midcard so far, the same was not true in GCG, where he was a top star. For him, 2001 was an incredible year in the other promotion, winning both the Golden Cup and the Champion Climax, the two biggest tournaments. In fact, it was the third straight year he had won the Champion Climax, although he was yet to beat Maeda or Yoshizawa for the prestigious World Heavyweight title. He kept up his momentum by teaming with Team MILLENIUM partner Takeshi Umehara and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) to defeat the veteran-lion combination of Hito Ichihara, Yasunobu Koiso, Koryusai Kitoaji and Iwane Okano. Again, Inao’s La Magistral Cradle was the decisive move as he pinned Okano’s shoulders to the mat. After the show, he made his intentions clear – he wanted another go at Sean McFly’s Historical Japan title. Night of DESTINY, February 2002 Fukusaburu Inao was granted his wish, and he faced Sean McFly for the Historical Japan title. McFly had reigned for fourteen months and rarely looked like dropping the belt. However, on this occasion, the world could see that McFly’s head was not in the game. He was distracted by something. Inao sensed his opportunity to make history and caught McFly in La Magistral Cradle, pinning the American’s shoulders to the mat and earning his first singles gold in PGHW! It was a stunning moment that few fans expected, but it put Inao among other champions like Miwa, Tatsuko, Inukai, Kunomasu, Hoshino and Mushashibo as youngsters who used the title to gain recognition for their talents. For Inao, this was the start of a new chapter. Night of BATTLE, February 2002 At Night of BATTLE, Fukusaburu Inao kicked off his reign with a relatively comfortable win against Steve Flash. Inao had the momentum of three straight wins on his side and there would be no stopping him. La Magistral Cradle was still proving too much for wrestlers to handle, and nobody had found a way out of it, not even someone as technically proficient as Flash. Inao got the win and announced he would be taking part in the Elite Series, as was his right as Historical Japan champion. There was plenty of excitement, as the tournament provided the opportunity for someone like him to gain even more traction. How far could he go? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 MONSTROUS FORCE Raymond Diaz stunned the world when he defeated Dread at Night of WRESTLING 2002. It was by far the young monster’s biggest victory yet, and it showed he was ready to break out of DREAD Army and carve his own path through destiny. But where would Diaz go next? Would he hold onto previous allies, pick up new ones, or go out on his own? The sands of PGHW were shifting and Diaz knew he would have to make the right decisions else risk becoming a footnote, a talented youngster who always found himself playing second fiddle. Night of RESPECT, January 2002 At Night of RESPECT, Raymond Diaz took on former DREAD Army team mate Dino Maldini. Neither men had been particularly close during their time in the stable, neither had they had any issue with each other. Diaz showed his victory over Dread wasn’t a fluke by defeating Maldini in this match, using the Ray Gun. Maldini kept the match competitive, but he had to accept defeat. After the bell had rung, he acknowledged Diaz’s rise and suggested they continue their alliance. Diaz went one further. He invited out two unfamiliar faces to join them in the ring. One was Michael Howard, a 23-year-old Hispanic American who had been seen a couple of times, before in PGHW: in the Warriors Cup and facing Pistol Pete Hall. The second was Hector Sims, a stocky 25-year-old from New Hampshire who had picked up the puroresu style magnificently during his time in SAISHO and was one of the company’s top prospects. He had recently put on plenty of muscle and, while considerably shorter than most, had the classic amateur wrestler’s physique. Now the four men stood in the ring and Raymond Diaz spoke in fluent Japanese, declaring that this was the MONSTER Army, the new dominant force in PGHW. All should fear. All must surrender. Night of ENERGY, January 2002 At Night of ENERGY, Dino Maldini was set his first mission as part of MONSTER Army. He faced Dread in singles competition. Diaz wanted him to break from his previous alliance with Dread, and Maldini did just that. It was a fantastic performance from Maldini who forced Dread to tap out with a Knee Bar. One of the biggest wins of Maldini’s career and a great start for MONSTER Army. Directly after that, the other members of the group competed as a trio for the first time, with Raymond Diaz leading Michael Howard and Hector Sims to a solid victory over Akinori Kwakami, Chuichi Sanda and Danger Kumasaka. No, they weren’t the toughest of opponents, but the new arrivals looked aggressive and dominant, capable of competing at a higher level. Night of DESTINY, February 2002 MONSTER Army opened the show with the same three lining up: Raymond Diaz, Michael Howard and Hector Sims. They again showed a high level of aggression, beating stiffer opposition this time, in Kojiro Harada, Koryusai Kitoaji and Iwane Okano. Hector Sims continued to look like a brutal bulldog, while Michael Howard displayed a smoother, classier approach to violence. And Raymond Diaz was on an unstoppable run, smashing through the other team, pinning Iwane Okano with a Ray Gun. After that, Dino Maldini cut all ties with the former DREAD Army by defeating Mamoru Nagahama in singles competition. Diaz and Nagahama had fallen out – their tag team BATTERY falling short of expectations, and Maldini proved his dedication to the new MONSTER Army by battering his former team mate and finishing the match with a Triangle Clutch. Night of BATTLE, February 2002 This time it was Dino Maldini who took on the role of team captain, leading Michael Howard & Hector Sims in a big match against Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka and Dread. Of course, Dread was the main force on the rival team, but he looked far from his best. Howard and Sims dealt with Kwakami and Kumasaka, while Maldini once again got the better of the big man. In the following match, Raymond Diaz returned to singles action with a massive bout against Sean McFly. While McFly was dealing with his own problems, it was still a stern test for the young monster, who could add another big scalp to his name. And a scalp is exactly what he got, using the Ray Gun to great effect and pinning the former Historical Japan champion. This set up Diaz perfectly for the Elite Series tournament at which he hoped to better his previous performances. He would also be joined by Dino Maldini as MONSTER Army sought to stamp their mark on PGHW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 A LASTING DYNASTY Team Dynasty 2000 beat stablemates Cornell & Morgan to win the Glory Tag Crown titles for a record third time at Night of WRESTLING 2001. The return of Shuji Inukai from long-term injury and the restoration of Yoshimi Mushashibo’s desire to win the right way resulted in the all-time classic tag match which went down as one of the greatest bouts of all time. Now in their third run, the pair hoped this time it would last longer than before. Their first reign had only lasted two months, and their second three months. It showed they were able to win, but not to hold onto the belts for long at all. Admittedly, on both previous occasions, there were mitigating circumstances. The first time being a fall out between the pair, and the second due to Inukai’s serious long-term injury. They hoped that third time would be a charm and they could keep the belts much, much longer. Night of RESPECT, January 2002 To kick off the year, Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka, Shuji Inukai, Tommy Cornell and Yoshimi Mushashibo) took on the mix of five other wrestlers: Dan Stone Jr, Steve Flash, Kojiro Harada, Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso. It looked to be a relatively straightforward ten-man match, but a nasty-looking move from young Koiso caused Mushashibo to tag out, suffering serious wrist pain. It looked like his wrist had broken, and he had to sit out the rest of the match. The disadvantage cost Kumasaka-buntai as Steve Flash was able to once again pin Danger Kumasaka and get the victory. Stone & Flash made it clear they were due a title shot, and challenged Team Dynasty 2000 to a match at Night of ENERGY. Night of ENERGY, January 2002 Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) had a serious task to defeat Stone & Flash considering Mushashibo had essentially lost the use of his wrist. Given that most of his grappling offence (including the Yoshimi Lock) relied on his wrist being in good condition, he was severely limited. In a reversal of their title reign a year prior, this time it was Shuji Inukai doing the heavy lifting. Fortunately, he was up to the task and an Untouchable Lariat on Stone was enough to retain the belts. Still, things didn’t look great for Mushashibo, and doubts were cast over whether they could make their reign last much longer. Night of DESTINY, February 2002 Old rivals tagged together as Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) teamed with Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to beat the foursome of Stone & Flash and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Again, Mushashibo played a very small role in the match, and when he did get involved he was mostly ineffective. Team EXPLOSION and Inukai managed to battle their way to victory, with Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat again proving decisive. Perhaps sensing an easy opportunity, Hoshino and Kunomasu decided to challenge Team Dynasty 2000 to a tag match at Night of BATTLE, with the Glory Tag Crown titles on the line. Inukai and Mushashibo found themselves having to accept as if they didn’t defend the belts regularly, they could face being stripped of them. Night of BATTLE, February 2002 Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) were one of the most respected and decorated tag teams of PGHW history, so when they took on champions Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) it was a big occasion. The match main-evented Night of BATTLE, something that was no longer a surprising fact. What was surprising, though, was how Mushashibo’s injury played into the match. It made it much worse than it should have been. Whether he was trying to push through the pain, or will the injury to go away, Mushashibo tried to hold up his side of the team by grappling with Hoshino and Kunomasu. But it was clear to everyone that he was in immense pain and shouldn’t be anywhere near the ring. Inukai tried to get the crowd going with a fiery comeback, but Mushashibo’s distress overwhelmed the mood. Hoshino got the pin on Mushashibo when he and Kunomasu hit the Eisaku Explosion. Team EXPLOSION won the Glory Tag Crown titles for the third time – equalling Team Dynasty 2000’s record! However, the whole thing left a bitter taste in the mouth. Mercifully, Mushashibo announced after the show that he would not be taking part in the Elite Series. However, he admitted the injury had become so severe due to his refusal to stop wrestling that he may miss the following year’s Elite Series too. Another major injury in PGHW and another blow to Team Dynasty 2000 who still hadn’t held the Glory Tag Crown titles for more than three months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 18 Author Share Posted August 18 A SUDDEN SHIFT PGHW saw a period of evolution at the start of 2002. It was a company-wide transition, with a mix-up of the roster, freshening things up and granting new opportunities to young stars. But one of the most sudden changes came in the Glory Crown title picture. Pistol Pete Hall had made it half a year with the Glory Crown, enjoying an unbeaten singles record in 2001 and arguably being the best wrestler in Japan (although Tadiyuki Kikkawa would have something to say about that). Following Night of WRESTLING, Mito Miwa challenged Hall for the title. Hall had just defended successfully against Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the main event, but he had no time to count his blessings as Miwa was right back in the mix. Night of RESPECT, January 2002 In the main event of Night of RESPECT, Mito Miwa defeated Pistol Pete Hall for the Glory Crown. It was a stunning victory that saw Miwa regain the belt from the man who took it off him at Night of GLORY in June 2001. It also marked the first time the belt had changed hands at Night of RESPECT. Usually, title changes occurred on the really major shows, like Night of WRESTLING a month before. But Miwa proved that you could win the biggest belt in the company at any time. It put an end to a strong reign for Hall. After the show, Pistol Pete looked quite tired. It seemed the intensity of 2001 had taken its toll on his body, and now 40 years old, it may have been the last truly great run for the legend. Night of ENERGY, January 2002 Mito Miwa and Pistol Pete Hall found themselves on the same team in an eight-man main event, along with Cornell & Morgan as they faced the foursome of Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda). It was certainly a match full of star power, but the young Tommy Cornell stood out above the rest. He was instrumental in his team’s victory, getting the decisive move on Noriyori Sanda – the Guilt Trip. Miwa was impressed by Cornell’s performance and admitted the young Brit had been one of the best wrestlers in the company over the last few months. He stated he intended to make his first defence of the Glory Crown against Cornell at Night of DESTINY. Night of DESTINY, February 2002 Mito Miwa was recapturing the form that propelled him to his first Glory Crown reign just over a year ago. He took on Tommy Cornell in the main event. Earlier in the show, Cornell’s tag partner Walter Morgan announced his departure from PGHW (he would be moving to BHOTWG). That news may have distracted Cornell, but he didn’t show it, putting in another strong showing at the top of the card. However, Miwa was too strong for him. The Pride Warrior used his might and talent to overcome Cornell’s crafty grappling and smashed him with the Pride Bomber to get the win. Night of BATTLE, February 2002 At Night of BATTLE, Mito Miwa teamed with Tommy Cornell and Kojiro Harada to face Pistol Pete Hall and Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda). All six men would be taking part in the upcoming Elite Series, so it was a great opportunity to pick up some momentum. Miwa and Cornell managed to do just that, while Harada earned a much-needed victory. Pistol Pete Hall again looked like his body needed a rest. Nobuatsu Tatsuko was the shining light for his team, but he couldn’t stop Miwa pinning Sanda after a Pride Bomber. Going into the Elite Series, would Miwa and Tatsuko find themselves in conflict again? After the show, the blocks for the Elite Series were announced. BLOCK A Dread Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko Pistol Pete Hall Raymond Diaz Shuji Inukai Tommy Cornell Yasunobu Koiso BLOCK B Dino Maldini Eisaku Hoshino Eisaku Kunomasu Kojiro Harada Mito Miwa Noriyori Sanda Sean McFly Steve Flash ---OOC--- If anyone wants to, now is the time to throw out your Elite Series 2002 predictions! Winner: Block qualifiers: Overachiever: Underachiever: Comments: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 21 Author Share Posted August 21 THE ELITE SERIES 2002 The sheer volume of talent heading into the Elite Series 2002 meant it was almost impossible to pick a winner. The sixth edition of the tournament promised to be the best yet, both in terms of match quality and competitive spirit. Block A consisted of: Dread Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko Pistol Pete Hall Raymond Diaz Shuji Inukai Tommy Cornell Yasunobu Koiso Last year’s finalists Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Pistol Pete Hall were the favourites to advance from Block A. Tatsuko had reached the final of the last four Elite Series, winning two of them, however he was defeated by Hall in 2001, with the big American going on to capture the Glory Crown. Speaking of big Americans, Dread had never won the Elite Series, but was always a major force. He would have to deal with the up-and-coming Raymond Diaz who had until now failed to achieve much in the tournament. Now, with his new MONSTER Army, Diaz was hoping to elevate his stock and become the new dominant power in PGHW. Two members of Kumasaka-buntai were present in Block A. Tommy Cornell was the Best Young Wrestler in the World in 2001 and a tournament like this could raise his profile even further. Meanwhile, Shuji Inukai was back from injury and hoping to qualify from the block for the first time. He was the only representative of Team Dynasty 2000 as Mushashibo withdrew from the tournament with a crippling wrist injury. Fukusaburu Inao may have been an outsider to qualify, but his recent Historical Japan title win had seen him pick up some momentum – expectations were high. The only wrestler who nobody expected to qualify was Yasunobu Koiso who was completing his transition from young lion to established wrestler and was brought in to replace Mushashibo. BLOCK B consisted of: Dino Maldini Eisaku Hoshino Eisaku Kunomasu Kojiro Harada Mito Miwa Noriyori Sanda Sean McFly Steve Flash Block B pitted Team EXPLOSION team mates against each other. Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu were always a big part of the Elite Series, with Kunomasu winning the tournament in 2000, and most years at least one of the pair advanced to the semi-finals. But they would have to deal with some serious competition as reigning Glory Crown champion Mito Miwa was the favourite to advance, given his continued strong form. He would have to face off against fellow member of The Pride, Sean McFly, who had been looking distracted lately, but would hope to up his game and advance from the block for the first time. Behind those four, there were a few stars who were looking to break out. Dino Maldini had allied himself with Raymond Diaz and recently got a big singles win over Dread. He would hope to capitalise with a strong performance here. The other gaijin, Steve Flash had impressed in tag action alongside Dan Stone Jr, and now it would be seen if he could do it as a singles competitor. Noriyori Sanda’s strong end to 2001 seemed to have fizzled out a little as he didn’t have Tatsuko by his side to invoke that animalistic spirit inside him. Kojiro Harada, meanwhile, seemed to be well past his best, but still capable of causing an upset here or there. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 1 Block A Results Raymond Diaz def. Dread Shuji Inukai def. Tommy Cornell Yasunobu Koiso def. Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Pistol Pete Hall drew Block A started hot. Raymond Diaz repeated his great victory over Dread from Night of WRESTLING, who looked a little off the pace. Shuji Inukai proved he was a serious contender by beating his stablemate Cornell with the Untouchable Lariat. And then Koiso got the biggest win of his career by defeating the current Historical Japan champion Fukusaburu Inao. In the main event of the night, Tatsuko and Hall had a rematch of last year’s final which Hall won. He couldn’t repeat the result here though, and the pair had to settle for a time-limit draw after 30 minutes of intense action. Block B Results Steve Flash def. Dino Maldini Mito Miwa def. Kojiro Harada Eisaku Hoshino def. Sean McFly Eisaku Kunomasu def. Noriyori Sanda Most of the results in Block B were straightforward, with the exception of Steve Flash overcoming Dino Maldini in a huge result for Flash. Maldini looked furious. Mito Miwa got an expected win over Harada and Hoshino beat McFly, with McFly again looking off into the distance. Noriyori Sanda nearly hung on for a draw with Kunomasu, but the winner of the 2000 tournament hit a Launching Knee Strike in the last moments to get an important victory. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 2 Block A Results Tommy Cornell def. Dread Raymond Diaz def. Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Yasunobu Koiso Shuji Inukai and Pistol Pete Hall drew Dread fell to another defeat, this time to Tommy Cornell, meaning it was his worst start to an Elite Series ever. It wasn’t much better for Fukusaburu Inao who lost his second match, with Diaz making it two wins from two. Tatsuko defeated Yasunobu Koiso, as you’d expect, but he was impressed by the youngster and told him so afterwards. And finally, Pistol Pete Hall failed to get a victory again, with his second draw. Neither man was able to hit their devastating lariat finisher to win. Block B Results Mito Miwa def. Dino Maldini Eisaku Hoshino def. Steve Flash Noriyori Sanda def. Kojiro Harada Eisaku Kunomasu def. Sean McFly Miwa got a good win over Maldini while Hoshino dispatched of a very competitive Steve Flash. Noriyori Sanda’s victory over Kojiro Harada caused a bit of a stir, with the youngster overcoming the veteran, who looked set for another disappointing tournament. In the main event, Kunomasu got the edge of McFly who started the match well, but it was clear his mind wasn’t quite there. He and Dread were pointed out as disappointing this early in the tournament, and some wondered if something more sinister was going on. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 3 Block A Results Fukusaburu Inao def. Tommy Cornell Dread def. Pistol Pete Hall Raymond Diaz def. Yasunobu Koiso Shuji Inukai def. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Block A saw more surprising results on Day 3. Inao recovered from a poor start to get a huge win over Tommy Cornell, while Dread also bounced back, silencing the critics with a massive victory over Pistol Pete Hall. Hall was yet to win a match. Diaz defeated Koiso in a straightforward affair. The main event of the night saw Shuji Inukai scoring a colossal victory over Nobuatsu Tatsuko. Defeated the two-time winner of the tournament was a huge deal for Inukai, and it looked like this might finally be the year he advanced from the block stage. Block B Results Dino Maldini def. Noriyori Sanda Sean McFly and Steve Flash drew Eisaku Kunomasu def. Kojiro Harada Eisaku Hoshino and Mito Miwa drew Maldini got a strong win over Sanda, while Steve Flash couldn’t quite capitalise on McFly’s mental absence, and the pair shared the points. Kunomasu then dominated Harada, who looked well off the pace. Hoshino and Miwa couldn’t be separated as they recreated some of their magic from the tail end of 2000 when they battled over the Glory Crown. On this occasion, Hoshino looked most likely to win, but Miwa held on to see out the clock. PGHW Elite Series: DAY 4 Block A Results Pistol Pete Hall def. Fukusaburu Inao Tommy Cornell def. Yasunobu Koiso Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Raymond Diaz Shuji Inukai def. Dread Pistol Pete Hall picked up his first win of the tournament, putting away Fukusaburu Inao. Tommy Cornell hadn’t impressed much so far, but managed to beat Koiso with relative ease. Then Tatsuko put an end to Diaz’s electric start, by hitting him with an impressive Tatsuko Driller. In the main event, Shuji Inukai continued his fantastic start with an impressive victory over Dread in which he used his Untouchable Lariat to put away the big man. The doubts over Dread’s performances flooded back in, with rumours beginning to swirl. Block B Results Eisaku Hoshino def. Noriyori Sanda Dino Maldini def. Kojiro Harada Eisaku Kunomasu def. Steve Flash Mito Miwa def. Sean McFly More results went the way they were expected in Block B, with Hoshino beating Sanda and Maldini confirming that Harada was the whipping boy of the block. Eisaku Kunomasu had to work hard to get the better of Steve Flash, who nearly had him beaten a few times. Miwa’s match with McFly was a strange one. McFly was a lot more focused than usual, but he still fell to the Pride Bomber. After the match, Miwa had a knowing look on his face and embraced his Team MYTHOS partner. Mid-point round-up Block A Table 7 Shuji Inukai 6 Raymond Diaz 5 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 4 Tommy Cornell 4 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Yasunobu Koiso 2 Dread 2 Fukusaburu Inao Block B Table 8 Eisaku Kunomasu 7 Eisaku Hoshino 7 Mito Miwa 4 Dino Maldini 3 Steve Flash 2 Noriyori Sanda 1 Sean McFly 0 Kojiro Harada Block A had seen some surprising results and there was still no clear picture of who might advance. Pistol Pete Hall and Tommy Cornell still held onto a fragment of hope, while Shuji Inukai and Raymond Diaz looked in the best position. However, Tatsuko was lurking, and it would be a real surprise if he didn’t make it. Behind them, Dread had been the standout underperformer. Equal on points with Yasunobu Koiso, it was extremely unlikely that he would advance, as was the case for Inao who wasn’t quite living up to expectation. In Block B, three wrestlers were breaking away from the pack. Kunomasu, Hoshino and Miwa had been favourites from the start, and it would be a battle between them to see which two advanced. Sean McFly and Kojiro Harada were in dismal form, with both men mathematically unable to qualify. Flash, Sanda and Maldini were outsiders at best… but there was always the chance of a heroic comeback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 23 Author Share Posted August 23 THE ELITE SERIES 2002 Part 2 With four rounds complete, the Elite Series blocks were taking shape. Eisaku Kunomasu was the only man to have achieved a 100% record, but he would have to fend off stiff competition from Hoshino and Miwa, while Block A remained open to several wrestlers. Block A Table 7 Shuji Inukai 6 Raymond Diaz 5 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 4 Tommy Cornell 4 Pistol Pete Hall 2 Yasunobu Koiso 2 Dread 2 Fukusaburu Inao Block B Table 8 Eisaku Kunomasu 7 Eisaku Hoshino 7 Mito Miwa 4 Dino Maldini 3 Steve Flash 2 Noriyori Sanda 1 Sean McFly 0 Kojiro Harada PGHW Elite Series: DAY 5 Block A Results Pistol Pete Hall def. Yasunobu Koiso Shuji Inukai def. Fukusaburu Inao Raymond Diaz def. Tommy Cornell Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Dread drew Pistol Pete Hall kept his qualification hopes alive with a win over Koiso, although the top two in the block also picked up victories, with Inukai beating Inao and Diaz getting another big win, this time over Tommy Cornell (who now could not advance). Tatsuko’s hopes took a blow as he couldn’t quite get past Dread. The big man looked more focused than before and, while a draw wasn’t enough to keep him in the running, at least it was a better performance. Block A Table 9 Shuji Inukai 8 Raymond Diaz 6 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 6 Pistol Pete Hall 4 Tommy Cornell 3 Dread 2 Yasunobu Koiso 2 Fukusaburu Inao Block B Results Sean McFly def. Noriyori Sanda Eisaku Hoshino def. Kojiro Harada Eisaku Kunomasu def. Dino Maldini Mito Miwa def. Steve Flash Sean McFly’s win over Noriyori Sanda was his first of the tournament and it kept away some of the speculation about his mental state. Hoshino comfortably beat Harada, while Kunomasu got a strong win over Maldini. Miwa needed to win to keep himself in the running, but Steve Flash provided stiff opposition. With time running out, Miwa finally got the victory with a Pride Bomber, keeping pace with his Team EXPLOSION rivals. Block B Table 10 Eisaku Kunomasu 9 Eisaku Hoshino 9 Mito Miwa 4 Dino Maldini 3 Sean McFly 3 Steve Flash 2 Noriyori Sanda 0 Kojiro Harada PGHW Elite Series: DAY 6 Block A Results Shuji Inukai def. Yasunobu Koiso Raymond Diaz and Pistol Pete Hall drew Dread def. Fukusaburu Inao Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Tommy Cornell Shuji Inukai stayed at the top of Block A with a comfortable win over Koiso. Raymond Diaz and Pistol Pete Hall both suffered a setback as neither could get the win over each other in a battle of the behemoths. Dread again looked like he was returning to some kind of form by beating Inao. Tatsuko had to win against Cornell. A loss and he couldn’t advance, and a draw gave him almost no chance. In the end, he removed that situation by hitting the Tatsuko Driller on Cornell and maintaining his third place, knowing that first and second, Diaz and Inukai, would meet in the final round. Block A Table 11 Shuji Inukai 9 Raymond Diaz 8 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 7 Pistol Pete Hall 5 Dread 4 Tommy Cornell 2 Yasunobu Koiso 2 Fukusaburu Inao Block B Results Sean McFly def. Kojiro Harada Steve Flash def. Noriyori Sanda Eisaku Hoshino def. Dino Maldini Mito Miwa def. Eisaku Kunomasu McFly got another win, this time against Harada, which wasn’t all that impressive. Flash continued to have a good tournament by beating Sanda. Things at the top were very tight, and Hoshino got a crucial victory over Maldini to stay in the running. The main event saw Miwa ending Kunomasu’s 100% start and sending the winner of the tournament in 2000 to third place. In the final round, Miwa only had to get past Noriyori Sanda, while Kunomasu and Hoshino would face off, with that match likely deciding who of the two Team EXPLOSION members would advance. Block B Table 11 Eisaku Hoshino 11 Mito Miwa 10 Eisaku Kunomasu 5 Sean McFly 5 Steve Flash 4 Dino Maldini 2 Noriyori Sanda 0 Kojiro Harada PGHW Elite Series: DAY 7 Block A Results Shuji Inukai def. Raymond Diaz Dread def. Yasunobu Koiso Pistol Pete Hall def. Tommy Cornell Nobuatsu Tatsuko def. Fukusaburu Inao The biggest match of the round came between Inukai and Diaz, with the two men fighting for top spot. Inukai was already guaranteed to advance, but that didn’t stop him defeating Diaz with the Untouchable Lariat. Dread got another win, beating Koiso, while Hall made his tournament look better with a victory over Cornell, who disappointed overall. Then Nobuatsu Tatsuko had his destiny in his own hands. All he had to do was beat Inao and he’d advance. He did just that with a Tatsuko Driller and once again he found a way to make it to the semi-final. Block A Table FINAL STANDINGS 13 Shuji Inukai 10 Nobuatsu Tatsuko 9 Raymond Diaz 9 Pistol Pete Hall 7 Dread 4 Tommy Cornell 2 Yasunobu Koiso 2 Fukusaburu Inao Block B Results Steve Flash def. Kojiro Harada Dino Maldini def. Sean McFly Mito Miwa def. Noriyori Sanda Eisaku Kunomasu def. Eisaku Hoshino Flash made it a tournament of misery for Harada and a great showing for himself, finishing with a respectable points haul. Maldini edged a close encounter with McFly, while Miwa assured himself of advancement with a win over Noriyori Sanda. Then it all came down to the main event, with the winner of the match qualifying. Hoshino knew a draw would see him through, but he still fought with his usual aggression. Unfortunately for him, Kunomasu brought his best and won the match with a Launching Knee Strike, leapfrogging his tag partner and finishing second in the standings. Block B Table FINAL STANDINGS 13 Mito Miwa 12 Eisaku Kunomasu 11 Eisaku Hoshino 7 Steve Flash 6 Dino Maldini 5 Sean McFly 2 Noriyori Sanda 0 Kojiro Harada Block Stage Roundup Kojiro Harada, Noriyori Sanda, Fukusaburu Inao and, to a lesser extent, Yasunobu Koiso had a tournament to forget. Harada failed to score a single point, while Sanda and Inao performed worse than their recent form suggested. It wasn’t great for Sean McFly and Tommy Cornell either, who finished near the bottom of the order without much to cheer about. Steve Flash impressed, but was nowhere near the top of his group, while Raymond Diaz was furious to miss out on advancement having been in the top two until the final round. According to the final standings, the first semi-final would see Shuji Inukai take on Eisaku Kunomasu in a mouth-watering battle between two of the hardest hitters around. And in the other semi-final, history came around with an almost ironic slap across the face of Mito Miwa as he’d have to face Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the semi-final for the fourth time in five years. The previous three occasions saw Tatsuko beat Miwa who hoped he could reverse that run and make it to his first Elite Series final Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 24 Author Share Posted August 24 Night of PRIDE, March 2002 The Elite Series was, as always, the feature attraction of Night of PRIDE, although one other big match was on the card. Following the Elite Series, several wrestlers announced their contracts would expire after the show and they would not be re-signing The first was Walter Morgan. The young Englishman had a bright future ahead of him, however he felt PGHW was no longer the best place for him. He had jumped ship to BHOTWG where he would take part in their Junior Heavyweight division. And there he’d certainly become a major star. The other two departures were also gaijin, but they left for a very different reason. Family. Sean McFly and Dread had both seen a slump in form recently. There was plenty of speculation going around about why this might be. But despite some pessimistic rumours, the real reason was revealed to be the desire to spend time with significant other and create a family of their own. Sean McFly’s marriage to Victoria Stone was well known, and it was expected that by the end of the year, the pair would welcome their first child. Sean intended to move to Canada with Victoria to bring up their child there. Dread’s personal life had always remained behind closed doors, but it was known that he had become a father in August 2001. He remained committed to his contractual obligations, but it was clear he would much rather be based in the USA, having achieved everything there is to achieve in Japan. Walter Morgan had already departed, but a farewell match was scheduled for Night of PRIDE, with Dread and McFly teaming up to face Pistol Pete Hall and Raymond Diaz. Match Card ELITE SERIES SEMI FINAL 1: Shuji Inukai vs. Eisaku Kunomasu ELITE SERIES SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Stone & Flash and Mamoru Nagahama vs. MONSTER Army (Dino Maldini and BVG (Hector Sims & Michael Howard)) Kojiro Harada vs. Noriyori Sanda Eisaku Hoshino and Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka & Tommy Cornell) vs. Iwane Okano, Koryusai Kitoaji and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Yasunobu Koiso for the Historical Japan title FAREWELL MATCH: Dread and Sean McFly vs. Pistol Pete Hall and Raymond Diaz ELITE SERIES FINAL: Winner of Semi Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi Final 2 MATCH 1: ELITE SERIES SEMI FINAL 1: Shuji Inukai vs. Eisaku Kunomasu Shuji Inukai had reached the knockout rounds of the Elite Series for the first time. He bossed Block A and had looked in fantastic form since returning from his long-term spinal injury. With Mushashibo now out of action, it was an opportunity for him to get a solid run in the singles division. Eisaku Kunomasu was more experienced in the latter stages of the Elite Series. He reached the semi-finals in both 2000 and 2001, winning the 2000 edition. Kunomasu was known for his precise strikes, but against Inukai’s violent offence, he had to switch up his strategy, shifting to a more technical approach. Kunomasu’s grappling was often underrated, and he could hold his own against the best. Inukai was not the greatest technician and Kunomasu got some traction with this method. But what Inukai lacked in holds and stretches, he made up for in throws and strikes. Added to that, a hot-headed aggression and directness and Kunomasu couldn’t handle him. To top it all off, Inukai hit the Untouchable Lariat for the win, a move that still nobody had kicked out of. It saw him advance to the final! MATCH 2: ELITE SERIES SEMI FINAL 2: Mito Miwa vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko Mito Miwa must have been thinking “not again”. For the fourth time in the last five years of the Elite Series, Mito Miwa had ended up facing Nobuatsu Tatsuko in the semi-final stage. And on all three previous occasions, Tatsuko had won. In fact, Tatsuko was Mr. Elite Series, having reached four finals and bagged two titles. Miwa, in contrast, had never reached a final, mostly due to Tatsuko beating him. Their rivalry was one of the most storied in PGHW, stretching back to before the company was even founded when they battled for the Historical Japan title on the independent scene. Miwa had developed a habit of beating Tatsuko before Tatsuko could break a record, and the two seemed destined to one-up each other long into the future. Now Miwa was Glory Crown champion, enjoying his second reign. He won Block B ahead of Eisaku Kunomasu. Tatsuko, though, only just made it through, leapfrogging Raymond Diaz in the last round. His form was not at its absolute best, but he could boast an Elite Tag Series victory over Mito Miwa’s Team MYTHOS at the tail end of last year. Now they fought again. Tatsuko charged into the match, his strategy clear: hit harder, deal more damage and last longer. That was his way. Miwa, though, followed the Ichihara school of reactive, on-the-fly strategizing. That helped him here as Tatsuko was relentlessly going for kicks to the side of Miwa’s ribs. Miwa quickly turned this into his own advantage by catching a kick and delivering a dragon screw leg whip that had Tatsuko hobbling for the rest of the match. The slight advantage was all Miwa needed to press home a victory, hitting the Pride Bomber twice to defeat Tatsuko and advance to the final! It was a huge moment, and the weight of history seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. MATCH 3: Stone & Flash and Mamoru Nagahama vs. MONSTER Army (Dino Maldini and BVG (Hector Sims & Michael Howard)) MONSTER Army got a run out against Dino Maldini’s former team mate Nagahama and Stone & Flash, one of PGHW’s newest and exciting tag teams. Speaking of tag teams, Hector Sims and Michael Howard were announced as an official team with the name BVG. As of yet, they had not revealed what the initials stood for, so there was plenty of speculation and amusing names invented. Unfortunately for them, a new name didn’t convert into victory as Dan Stone Jr was able to pin Howard for the win. MATCH 4: Kojiro Harada vs. Noriyori Sanda Kojiro Harada had a horrific Elite Series in which he fell to defeat by all seven of his block mates. The one that irritated him most was Sanda, who he still considered a rookie. But Sanda had shown huge signs of improvement in the last six months and stepped up his game again, defeating Harada with a smart rollup. Harada was spitting with rage after another humiliating loss. MATCH 5: Eisaku Hoshino and Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka & Tommy Cornell) vs. Iwane Okano, Koryusai Kitoaji and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Little more than a filler match for veterans, youngsters and those who failed to qualify from the block stage of the Elite Series, this nonetheless gave the fans something to enjoy. Tommy Cornell and Eisaku Hoshino combined together as the standouts of the match. They were both tag experts by now, and found a smooth rhythm that compensated for Kumasaka’s age and Kwakami’s inexperience. That was enough to overcome their opponents, with Hoshino hitting the Godzilla Plunge on Iwane Okano to win. MATCH 6: Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Yasunobu Koiso for the Historical Japan title One of the biggest surprises of the Elite Series was when Yasunobu Koiso defeated Fukusaburu Inao in the first round of Block A. Koiso had recently stepped up from young lion status and now had the biggest win of his career over the reigning Historical Japan champion. After that, neither man impressed particularly in the block stage, but Koiso made the challenge to Inao for the title. Inao knew what to expect on this occasion, though, and didn’t allow Koiso to take advantage again. Another strong showing from the youngster, but not enough to avoid getting caught in Inao’s La Magistral Cradle which got the win. MATCH 7: FAREWELL MATCH: Dread and Sean McFly vs. Pistol Pete Hall and Raymond Diaz Ahead of the main event, the pre-announced farewell match took place. It was a bittersweet moment for PGHW as they said goodbye to two of the most iconic gaijin wrestlers of the last five years, one international legend of the business and one who was set to become just that. Pistol Pete Hall and Dread renewed some of their big-man rivalry, clubbing each other with massive strikes, but it was Raymond Diaz who caught the eye, somewhat stealing the show. This is where the sweet, and a little sour, part of the match came in. Diaz clearly wanted to make the occasion about himself, and succeeded in drawing a lot of negative attention. And it was he who got the victory, pinning Dread in a final, decisive blow over his former leader. But fans knew that although Dread was leaving, Diaz was more than ready to fill his colossal shoes. After the match, McFly and Dread received a standing ovation and bowed their way out of PGHW. MAIN EVENT: ELITE SERIES FINAL: Shuji Inukai vs. Mito Miwa With the emotional match over, all eyes turned to the big one, the business of the night. The Elite Series final. Shuji Inukai and Mito Miwa topped their respective blocks and saw victory earlier in the night. For both it was the first time reaching an Elite Series final, and it was certainly deserved. Mito Miwa was the reigning Glory Crown champion. No champion had won the Elite Series while holding the belt before, so he hoped to create some history in doing so. Inukai was in great form, returning from injury with a steely determination to underpin his fieriness and aggression. The Untouchable Lariat was still the most devastating move in PGHW. Miwa treated the match much like his bout with Tatsuko earlier. Inukai started on the front foot, attacking directly, without hesitation. Miwa analysed and assessed, absorbing the early onslaught to work his way back into the match. He had clearly scouted Inukai, too, because on three occasions Inukai had Miwa set up for the Untouchable Lariat, but Miwa managed to avoid it – ducking, sidestepping and checking his run. Inukai grew more and more frustrated as he failed to put Miwa away. After those three missed lariats, he set about charging at Miwa with full fury and ferocity, using his body as a battering ram. This strategy worked, as he bowled Miwa off his feet several times, winding the Glory Crown champion and dazing him when his head hit the mat. But still he couldn’t get the job done. Miwa hung on. Whether it was pride, or the fear of falling short in another tournament, something propelled him onwards, getting his shoulder up just when it was needed and avoiding yet another Untouchable Lariat. When Inukai charged at him again, this time he had figured out the solution to the problem and countered, using Inukai’s momentum and lifting him up and around into a spinning Pride Bomber. Inukai landed hard on the mat and Miwa went for the pin. One…Two… Three! Mito Miwa got the victory and won the Elite Series tournament. History was made as he raised the Elite Series trophy above his head while the Glory Crown hung around his waist. He also made history as being the first man to win all five titles in PGHW: Historical Japan, Glory Crown, Glory Tag Crown, Elite Tag Series and now, Elite Series. He pipped Nobuatsu Tatsuko to the achievement – another case of besting his old rival. Inukai, for his part, took the loss with bitter grace. He hated losing, but still showed his respect to Miwa. Conclusion While not the greatest Night of PRIDE and Elite Series of all time, it was still a fantastic show, with Mito Miwa being the star, involved in the best two matches of the night. Reflecting the mood of the farewell match, the whole show was tinged with the emotions of change and the prospect of more to come. There were rumours that Morgan, Dread and McFly wouldn’t be the only departures in 2002, with a few names being mooted as on the way out. However, the excitement of who was to come after them made up for it, with SAISHO fast becoming the best source of young talent in the world. There was a lot of talk going around about a couple of young superstars on their way soon, including one named Kozue Kawashima. A few wrestlers voiced their thoughts after the show. Mito Miwa: Tonight is full of emotion. Yeah, come in Sean, one last time. Come sit here beside me. Without this man Sean McFly, I don’t know if I’d be here now as Glory Crown champion and Elite Series winner. I consider you one of my closest friends and allies. While it pains me to see you leave, I know your family will appreciate it. Sean McFly had a bit of trouble keeping his emotions at bay and embraced Miwa, promising him that one day he would come back to PGHW, in some capacity, and when he did, he knew that Mito Miwa would be the greatest of all time. Raymond Diaz was less interested in the past, and more in the future, speaking while flanked by his three MONSTER Army team mates. Diaz: Let’s stop blubbing about what those guys did. Sure, they’re great and all. Giants of PGHW. But giants have shoulders that others step on. And tonight I pinned Dread’s shoulder to the mat for the second time, and I fully intend on exceeding what he’s done here. Together with these three studs, Maldini, Howard, Sims, we will make Dread’s run a footnote in history. The MONSTER Army ain’t messing about. And finally, the Elite Series final loser made his thoughts clear. Inukai: This loss hurts. But it is just a step in the right direction. Because I WILL fight my way back into contention and I WILL have another title match. Whether it’s against Miwa or someone else, I don’t care. Whoever they are WILL fall to the Untouchable Lariat, and I WILL become Glory Crown champion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 THE NEW ARMY With Dread gone from PGHW, Raymond Diaz was the biggest, scariest monster in the company. He had beaten Dread on a few occasions after DREAD Army imploded and now was set to follow in the legend’s footsteps right to the top of Japanese wrestling. He had kicked off 2002 by introducing his new faction, MONSTER Army. Dino Maldini made the jump with him from DREAD Army, while the arrival of highly-rated SAISHO talents Hector Sims and Michael Howard made the group a might force. But it was still unclear exactly who the group were. Would they act like DREAD Army? Or would Diaz take a different direction? Night of FORTITUDE, April 2002 At Night of FORTITUDE, MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michale Howard) opened the show by taking on three members of Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka, Tommy Cornell) as well as another young arrival, Gonnohyoe Kada. The match was made mostly as a chance for a lot of the young talent to get a high profile showing. Which they did. But after Diaz pinned Danger Kumasaka with a Ray Gun, he ordered his troops to pile in on the veteran, battering and pummelling him for no clear reason. It was a swift and brutal attack. Cornell and Kwakami came to his rescue once they realised what was going on, but the damage was done. Kumasaka looked in a bad way as his team mates helped him to the back. Night of POWER, April 2002 After that strong win and unwarranted attack, MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini & Michael Howard) found themselves tagging with Eisaku Kunomasu to take on two tag teams in Stone & Flash and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Diaz’s team were the favourites going into the match, but they suffered a surprise upset as Michael Howard got caught on the wrong side of the ring and pinned with a Spark Plug. The night got worse for MONSTER Army when Hector Sims failed to defeat Fukusaburu Inao for the Historical Japan title. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2002 The four members of MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard) were reunited in another eight-man tag match against familiar opposition. They took on Noriyori Sanda and the same three members of Kumasaka-buntai as before: Akinori Kwakami, Danger Kumasaka & Tommy Cornell. There was plenty of bad blood in the air, highlighted by the fact that Kumasaka still hadn’t returned to 100% after the violent beatdown at the hands of Diaz and his boys. But if Cornell and Kwakami wanted to avenge their veteran leader, they were disappointed. Diaz instructed his team to consistently target Kumasaka, focusing on his knee which they weakened throughout. And when Diaz hit another Ray Gun for the victory, the hyenas piled in on Kumasaka and swiftly damaged the knee again. Cornell and Kwakami were much quicker to react this time, and Noriyori Sanda came to their aid. They chased off MONSTER Army and stood tall. However, the damage Kumasaka took to his knee during the match had added up and he was unable to walk to the back on his own. Night of SUCCESS, May 2002 Two tag matches at Night of SUCCESS saw another tumultuous moment in MONSTER Army’s early beginnings. First, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) defeated BVG (Hector Sims & Michael Howard). This was a relatively predictable win as Sims and Howard were still at early stages of development. But after the match, Raymond Diaz and Dino Maldini flooded the ring and got in some cheap shots on Rebel Cell, who backed off, stunned by the sudden, unprovoked violence. Diaz and Maldini would compete later in the night against Akinori Kwakami and Tommy Cornell. The Kumasaka-buntai members were not in a good mood after the news that Kumasaka would be out injured for a while. Kwakami took his game to a new level, while Tommy Cornell continued to shine. They managed to defeat Diaz and Maldini after Cornell hit the Guilt Trip on Maldini. It was quite the upset, or at least Diaz and Maldini thought so. They were furious, and tried to assault their victors after the match, but Kwakami and Cornell were having none of it, leaving the ring in disgust. After the show, the injured Danger Kumasaka spoke on behalf of his group. Kumasaka: Rarely before have we seen such needless, petty violence. I’m quite disappointed that it is happening in what I consider to be the most honourable promotion in the world. But as we have been told before, the integrity of PGHW relies on those who are willing to stand up and defend it. If this kind of senseless brutality happens, those with spirit and honour must combat it with force. And that is what we will do. Well, unfortunately, I will not be able to, due to injury. But these two strong men, Cornell and Kwakami will be on the frontlines. And we have spoken to another pair of men with integrity, Okazawaya and Sarumara. They have agreed to join forces with us on this occasion. So at Night of GLORY, we want to show that PGHW will not stand for this. MONSTER Army, all four of you, we challenge you to an eight-man tag. Face us there, and you might learn something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 KEEP THE BALL ROLLING Fukusaburu Inao’s Historical Japan title reign was yet to really get started. He was still thriving on the victory over Sean McFly that earned him the belt, while wins over Steve Flash and Yasunobu Koiso had in part made up for a poor Elite Series performance. Looking forward, there would be plenty of challengers to come. Such was the nature of the Historical Japan title, the champion needed to be on the ball at all times. Now it was time to get that ball rolling and, for as long as he could, keep it doing so. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2002 The young lion talent of PGHW were occasionally afforded a shot at the Historical Japan title, more as an excuse to get them experience in a big match than with any expectation of victory. In this case, it was Koryusai Kitoaji’s protégé Iwane Okano who took on Fukusaburu Inao for the belt. Okano’s direct and relentless offence caused Inao a few problems, but experience won out in the end, with La Magistral Cradle getting the job done. After the match, MONSTER Army made their presence known, and Raymond Diaz positioned Hector Sims as the next in line to take on Inao for the belt. Night of POWER, April 2002 Fukusaburu Inao didn’t have too much to fear from the rookie Hector Sims, however, there was an element of the unknown as Sims hadn’t been in PGHW for long. Added to that was the threat of the rest of MONSTER Army making an appearance. Thankfully they didn’t, as the other three members took part in a tough match in the previous slot on the card. While Hector Sims showed real potential, Inao gained a relatively straightforward victory over him, again using La Magistral Cradle. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2002 The recently debuting Kozue Kawashima took his shot at Fukusaburu Inao’s Historical Japan title next. The fans were already excited about Kawashima’s potential, with the youngster displaying the kind of superstar quality associated with generational talent. That talent, at least for now, wasn’t quite ready for a title, though. Inao fended off the youthful vigour that Kawashima brought and used La Magistral Cradle to get another victory. That win made it his fifth successful defence, and his reign was beginning to take some shape. Night of SUCCESS, May 2002 Fukusaburu Inao’s recent string of matches really shone a spotlight on the upcoming talent in PGHW, with new arrival Gonnohyoe Kada becoming the next to challenge for the Historical Japan title. Kada was another post-Elite Series arrival, having spent over two years in SAISHO developing his skills. The result was a pacy, stiff strike-based brawler with a sharp, determined focus. Of all the youngster so far, he gave Inao his toughest test, almost pinning him after a particularly vicious strike to the temple. However, Inao recovered to catch Kada in La Magistral Cradle to get another successful defence on his record. Someone was not impressed, though. After the match, Mamoru Nagahama came out to the ring with some harsh words for Inao. Nagahama: Well done, you’ve beaten a bunch of rookies. Are you going to do anything meaningful with that belt? Sure, you beat McFly, but since then, you’ve been hiding from anyone who might seriously threaten you. No longer. It’s my turn. Damn it, I’ve tried for that belt a few times before and it always escaped me. But at Night of GLORY, it’s my turn. My turn to hold gold, and my turn to make history! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 29 Author Share Posted August 29 A SPARK OF ANGER Dan Stone Jr and Steve Flash were the big surprise package in 2001’s Elite Tag Series. Until that point, they had been considered as lower card gaijin fodder, but together, the Canadians found some excellent form. Flash proved himself a match for technical geniuses like Yoshimi Mushashibo, while Dan Stone Jr had really taken to the PGHW style, looking every bit the superstar. At Night of WRESTLING, they took on Team EXPLOSION. While Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu got the win in that match, there was no doubt the gaijin duo elevated their stock further. In 2002, they hoped to continue their upward trajectory. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2002 With the Elite Series concluded, the Glory Tag Crown champions, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) turned their attention to defending their newly won titles. They had started their third reign with the belts in February, defeating old rivals Team Dynasty 2000. Now they put the belts on the line against the team who had impressed them at the end of 2001: Dan Stone Jr and Steve Flash. It was another great showing for the Canadian pair. On multiple occasions it looked like they might pull off an upset win. The decisive moment that swung against them was not without controversy. As Kunomasu missed a Launching Knee Strike, he clattered into the referee. Steve Flash pounced on Kunomasu and hit him with the Flash Bang. However, the referee was unable to make the count. The crowd made it to around three before Kunomasu got his shoulder up, but nobody could be sure if Flash would have got the win. It didn’t matter because the count was never officially made. Kunomasu recovered, as did the official and after a couple of minutes of back-and-forth, Hoshino finished the match with an Eisaku Explosion on Dan Stone Jr, meaning his team made their first successful defence of the belts. Stone and Flash did not look pleased. Night of POWER, April 2002 While Eisaku Hoshino took on Mito Miwa for the Glory Crown in the main event, Eisaku Kunomasu found himself up against the Canadians again. This time Kunomasu was on a team with three members of MONSTER Army: Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini and Michael Howard. Stone & Flash partnered Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Kunomasu looked to have the stronger team, but it turned out Flash and Stone hadn’t lost heart from their title defeat. They fought to a great win, pinning Michael Howard with a Spark Plug. After the match, Dan Stone Jr made it abundantly clear to Kunomasu that they considered themselves deserving of a rematch for the Glory Tag Crown. Kunomasu was noncommittal. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2002 In the opening match, Stone & Flash made another statement of intent by defeating Koryusai Kitoaji and Iwane Okano. Again, the Spark Plug was the finisher. There was a snarl about their performance, especially considering Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) opted to defend the Glory Tag Crown titles against a different team – in this case Stone & Flash’s partners at the previous show, Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). Team EXPLOSION got the win, but as soon as the bell had rung, Stone & Flash were on their way to the ring. Stone got on the microphone and called out Hoshino and Kunomasu for getting a cheap win over them, then ducking their challenge of a rematch. Hoshino tried to hold himself together, but lost his cool, snatching the microphone and responding. Hoshino: You got a mouth on you, Stone. You think because the fans counted to three that it means anything? Kunomasu woulda kicked out and we’d still be champs. So don’t go struttin’ around like you got some god-given right to a title match. But hell, we’ll give ya one. At Night of GLORY. Glory Tag Crowns on the line. But before we get there, I wanna teach you a lesson, Stone. One on one. Two weeks’ time, Night of SUCCESS. Let’s see if you can still run your mouth once I’ve put my fist through it. Night of SUCCESS, May 2002 For Dan Stone Jr, his match against Eisaku Hoshino was one of the biggest in his singles career in PGHW. A victory here would put him in the upper echelons of talent in the company. But Hoshino was in no mood to help him get there. He went into full attack mode, smacking Stone with some vicious, vulgar strikes, making the Canadian’s life as miserable as possible. But credit to Stone, he held on. He took barrage after barrage of punishment, refusing to lie down and take it, always fighting back with the kind of tenacity fans were used to seeing from Hoshino himself. And for a moment, it looked like Stone might get the win as he had Hoshino in the Stone Ankle Stretch for some time. But Hoshino scrapped his way out of it and hit the Godzilla Plunge for the victory. A victory which again earned the loser some respect. Hoshino nodded his appreciation of Stone’s toughness and said he was looking forward to going again at Night of GLORY. Later, in the main event, Eisaku Kunomasu was on the winning team alongside Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) as they took on Mamoru Nagahama, Mito Miwa and Steve Flash. During that match, Flash and Kunomasu got into a tussle on the mat, with tempers flaring. Ultimately the other team members became the story of that match, but heading to Night of GLORY, there was still plenty of unresolved tension between Flash and Kunomasu which would come to a head with the Glory Tag Crown titles on the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted August 31 Author Share Posted August 31 THE BATTLE OF THE LARIATS Some wrestlers have a finishing move that is so intrinsically linked to their spirit and character that it gains an iconic aura about it, especially when it is such an effective move. Shuji Inukai’s Untouchable Lariat was a classic example of this in PGHW. Nobody had survived it. Ever. If it connected and Inukai went for the pin, there was only ever one result. A three count and a loss for the unfortunate victim. It was arguably the deadliest move in Japanese wrestling at the time. But it was not alone. Pistol Pete Hall had his own world-famous finisher that also happened to be a lariat, in this case the Pistol Whip Lariat. He had used it to win the Elite Series in 2001 and subsequently the Glory Crown. PGHW fans had long wondered whether these two lariats would collide. In the spring of 2002, they finally did. But which would come out on top? Night of FORTITUDE, April 2002 In the main event of Night of FORITUDE, Shuji Inukai teamed with Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) against the trio of Mamoru Nagahama, Pistol Pete Hall and Takeshi Umehara. It was a fiercely competitive match with plenty of great action. The finish came when Inukai battered Umehara with a series of forearm smashes, then turned him inside out with the Untouchable Lariat. The following pinfall victory was inevitable. In a rather cocky post-match bit of goading, Inukai pointed at the arm responsible for the deadly lariat, then gestured at Pistol Pete Hall as if claiming that Hall’s lariat couldn’t match his. Hall looked like he disagreed. Night of POWER, April 2002 In another trios match, Pistol Pete Hall and Shuji Inukai met again. This time Hall tagged with Koryusai Kitoaji and Iwane Okano while Inukai’s partners were from his faction, Kumasaka-buntai: Akinori Kwakami and Tommy Cornell. While the youngsters battled for much of the match, the decisive moment came from Pistol Pete Hall. He found himself in the ring with Akinori Kwakami and turned the young man to glue with one of the mightiest Pistol Whip Lariats ever seen. In fact, it took Kwakami several minutes to recover, during which time Hall made it clear to an annoyed Inukai that his lariat was just as good as the Untouchable one. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2002 The third trios match in a row saw Shuji Inukai partnering Mito Miwa and Yasunobu Koiso to take on Pistol Pete Hall, Mamoru Nagahama and Nobuatsu Tatsuko. The match saw an intense sequence between Inukai and Hall in which both were determined to hit the other with their lariats. However, neither could make contact. Hall swerved away from the Untouchable Lariat, while Inukai dived to the side before the Pistol Whip Lariat could connect. In the end, the match was won by Tatsuko pinning Koiso, and both Hall and Inukai were disappointed they couldn’t teach the other a lesson. Night of SUCCESS, May 2002 In the opening match of Night of SUCCESS, Shuji Inukai was out to make a point. He took on the new arrival Gengyo Tokuoka in a match that many considered a squash. For his part, Tokuoka refused to let it become a complete annihilation. But when Inukai smashed him with the Untouchable Lariat, the thud of flesh on flesh followed by the smash of Tokuoka’s limp body dropping to the mat rung throughout the arena. Inukai looked pleased with his work. Later in the night, Pistol Pete Hall competed in singles action himself. He took on the more established youngster Iwane Okano. Okano again showed he was developing well, but against the colossal former Glory Crown champion, he never really stood a chance. Hall went out of his way to hit the most brutal Pistol Whip Lariat he could muster, and the effect was astonishing. Okano had to be helped out of the ring as he was barely able to stand. After the show, Shuji Inukai made his thoughts clear. Inukai: I’m done posturing and postulating. Pistol Pete Hall has a great lariat. One of the best in the world. But not THE best. That honour belongs to me. Not only is the Untouchable Lariat the best lariat in the business, but it’s the best MOVE. And if you don’t believe me, let’s find out at Night of GLORY. Inukai vs. Hall, Untouchable vs. Pistol Whip! And here’s a spoiler. Nobody survives the Untouchable Lariat. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted September 2 Author Share Posted September 2 THE ETERNAL RIVALRY (AND A NEW FACE) Mito Miwa stood on top of the world. He had now won every single major title in PGHW and had become the first man to win the Elite Series while reigning as Glory Crown champion. He was involved in many of PGHW’s most iconic matches and, to many, was the face of the company. But change was coming to Miwa’s world. Sean McFly had departed, one of Miwa’s closest and most trusted allies. His mentor, Ichihara was easing into a lighter schedule and more of a training role, while new young forces were appearing all the time. But since starting his second reign with the belt with a victory over Pistol Pete Hall for the Glory Crown in January, there had always been one colossal figure waiting for his chance at revenge. Night of FORTITUDE, April 2002 Following the departure of Sean McFly, Mito Miwa’s Pride group had a special occasion in store. First, Miwa teamed with Yasunobu Koiso and Hito Ichihara to defeat Kojiro Harada and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara). It was a solid match, but Miwa had something else in store. After the defeated opponents had left the ring, Miwa took a microphone and addressed Yasunobu Koiso. He said that Koiso had earned his place in Pride and his continued improvement meant that soon he would be a trusted partner. He declared that Koiso would no longer go by Yasunobu, but take on the name of the group. He was now PRIDE Koiso. Koiso looked delighted. His face brimmed with excitement at the honour bestowed upon him. But Miwa wasn’t done. He whisked past Koiso’s parade to announce a new member of Pride. At this, the crowd became excited. They had heard rumours of a supremely talented youngster, and many had seen him impress in SAISHO already. Mito Miwa announced that his new protégé had arrived in PGHW – Kozue Kawashima! Kawashima strode out, basking in the spotlight, a confident smile on his face, and a flashy jacket to match. It was an exciting moment for him. Meanwhile, the newly minted PRIDE Koiso looked on with a sour face. Night of POWER, April 2002 The Pride’s new set up had a difficult start. Hito Ichihara took on the role of guiding Kozue Kawashima through his first match in PGHW, along with PRIDE Koiso. The three took on Mamoru Nagahama and Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda). Tatsuko was by far the standout of the match, as you’d expect with someone of his calibre. He led his trio to victory, pinning Ichihara. It was notable that, although they followed Ichihara’s lead without complaint, Koiso and Kawashima didn’t seem keen on working together. In the main event, the leader of The Pride, Mito Miwa defended his Glory Crown against Eisaku Hoshino. The bout called back to the pair of classics they had at the end of 2000 during Miwa’s first reign. Miwa granted Hoshino the challenge as the pair drew in the Elite Series. Once again it was a great match. Hoshino was wild and scrappy as usual, but the imperious Miwa was in the form of his life, and dispatched the challenger with a Pride Bomber. Night of EXCELLENCE, May 2002 Hito Ichihara defeated another promoted youngster from SAISHO, Gengyo Tokuoka, while the newest member of The Pride, Kozue Kawashima challenged Fukusaburu Inao for the Historical Japan title. Inao hadn’t enjoyed the best Elite Series, but he had enough to see off Kawashima this time, using La Magistral Cradle to great effect. In the main event, Mito Miwa teamed with PRIDE Koiso and Shuji Inukai in a blockbuster trios match against Mamoru Nagahama, Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Pistol Pete Hall. The result was a fiery encounter in which PRIDE Koiso looked a little out of place compared to the big boys. He fought well against Nagahama, but he didn’t quite have enough to battle with dominant forces like Tatsuko and Hall. And while Inukai and Miwa did their best, they ultimately fell to defeat, with Tatsuko pinning Koiso after a Tatsuko Driller. After the bell had rung, Tatsuko flung the beaten body of Koiso at Miwa’s feet and got in his face, pointing to the Glory Crown title. His intentions were clear. Night of SUCCESS, May 2002 Early on the Night of SUCCESS card, The Pride (Hito Ichihara, PRIDE Koiso & Kozue Kawashima) took on Danger Kumasaka, Koryusai Kitoaji and Robert Oxford who had recently signed as a veteran part-time trainer. Koiso and Kawashima did not get along. Despite Ichihara’s stern tone and veteran authority, the youngsters spent the whole match trying to outdo each other and refusing to tag. This infuriated Ichihara and distracted the whole team, so Kitoaji was able to pin Kawashima after a Kitoaji Braindrop. It was a poor result and Ichihara had fierce words with them afterwards. In the main event, it was more bad news for The Pride. Mito Miwa tagged with Steve Flash and Mamoru Nagahama against Eisaku Kunomasu and Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda). While it was yet to be officially confirmed, it seemed certain that Tatsuko would challenge Miwa at the next show, Night of GLORY. But Tatsuko wanted to leave no room for doubt, bossing the match and hitting a Tatsuko Driller on none other than Miwa himself to get the pin! It was a huge statement. Miwa had been pinned for the first time since October, seven months ago. And of course, on that occasion it was Tatsuko who had beaten him in the semi-final of the number one contender’s tournament. Tatsuko had these words after the show. Tatsuko: It’s time. We’ve all wanted to see it, ever since Miwa won the title in January. I should have beaten him at the Elite Series and made this happen sooner, but it didn’t work out. But now I’ve beaten all his little group, except for Kawashima, but he hardly counts right now. And I’ve pinned him. Miwa, you know this isn’t the last battle. Our rivalry will never end. But on this occasion, this particular battle, at Night of GLORY, I’m winning. And I’m getting MY Glory Crown back! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 Night of GLORY 2002 Match Card (Predictions) Gengyo Tokuoka, Iwane Okano and Koryusai Kitoaji vs. The Pride (Hito Ichihara, Kozue Kawashima & PRIDE Koiso) Pistol Pete Hall vs. Shuji Inukai Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami & Tommy Cornell) and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard) Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Mamoru Nagahama for the Historical Japan title Stone & Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Mito Miwa © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monrapi3 Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Gengyo Tokuoka, Iwane Okano and Koryusai Kitoaji vs. The Pride (Hito Ichihara, Kozue Kawashima & PRIDE Koiso) Pistol Pete Hall vs. Shuji Inukai Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami & Tommy Cornell) and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard) Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Mamoru Nagahama for the Historical Japan title Stone & Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Mito Miwa © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 Night of GLORY, June 2002 Match Card Gengyo Tokuoka, Iwane Okano and Koryusai Kitoaji vs. The Pride (Hito Ichihara, Kozue Kawashima & PRIDE Koiso) Pistol Pete Hall vs. Shuji Inukai Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami & Tommy Cornell) and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard) Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Mamoru Nagahama for the Historical Japan title Stone & Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Mito Miwa © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title SHOCK ARRIVAL Before the show got started, ahead of the first scheduled match, the 50,000 plus fans who had barely arrived in the arena were stunned by the blaring of music and sudden arrival of a massive name in Japanese wrestling: Masaaki Okazaki. The 32-year-old’s debut surprised everyone, as it was thought he had renewed his contract with BHOTWG a month ago. Instead, he opted to move to PGHW to bolster a roster that had seen the loss of several big names recently. Okazaki was known for his ultra-physical, non-stop style with a preference for submission grappling. It is thought his previous connection to mentor Hito Ichihara was what encouraged him to jump ship. His arrival warranted a showcase of his talents, so a match was quickly put together to start the show. MATCH 1: Gonnohyoe Kada and Masaaki Okazaki vs. Noriyori Sanda and Takeshi Umehara Kada, Sanda and Umehara were not scheduled for matches at Night of GLORY, but they got a last-minute position on the card in this opening match. It was a huge moment for Gonnohyoe Kada who was delighted to team with such a big name in the industry. Sanda and Umehara were out to cause an upset, but it wasn’t going to happen on Okazaki’s debut. The new man hit an Okazaki Kick Barrage on Sanda, then locked in the Angular Arm Bar and it was all over. MATCH 2: Gengyo Tokuoka, Iwane Okano and Koryusai Kitoaji vs. The Pride (Hito Ichihara, Kozue Kawashima & PRIDE Koiso) The resentment between Kozue Kawashima and PRIDE Koiso began when Kawashima’s debut and induction into The Pride overshadowed Koiso taking on the PRIDE moniker. Since then, they had failed to get along. Now Hito Ichihara hoped they would come together against relatively straightforward opponents including a couple of young lions in Okano and Tokuoka. Whether it was Ichihara’s words or just a bit of luck, Kawashima and Koiso decided their best strategy was to outperform the other. Both young men showed their obvious potential and helped their team to victory, with Koiso scoring the win over Tokuoka with a Koiso Kutter. MATCH 3: Pistol Pete Hall vs. Shuji Inukai At last, the battle of the lariats would take place in singles competition with no excuses, no injuries, nothing else to focus on except showing who was best. A few spiky words were exchanged before the match as both men asserted their claim to the greater finisher, but when things got into the action, there was a determined, silent focus all round. The match ebbed and flowed with first Hall building momentum ready to hit the Pistol Whip Lariat, going for it, but missing. This allowed Inukai to get a head of steam until he had Hall set up for the Untouchable Lariat… which he couldn’t connect with. This back-and-forth went on, and it started to look like neither man would hit their famed finishing move. Then one man did. At later stages of this kind of match, experience is important. The younger man, Inukai, was growing frustrated. He had failed to hit the Untouchable Lariat on several occasions now, and his temper snapped. He lunged at Hall, who immediately seized upon the chance to hit the Pistol Whip Lariat. Inukai span in the air and crashed to the mat. It was a brutal blow. A colossal impact, and Inukai looked unconscious. Hall went for the pin. One…Two… Thr—kick out! Inukai somehow managed to get a shoulder of the mat! Pistol Pete Hall was stunned. How long had it been since his Pistol Whip Lariat had failed to end the match. And he had hit it with full force, too! Inukai was dazed, staggering to the ropes. Hall stalked him, waiting for the moment to strike again. Inukai stumbled into the middle of the ring and Hall pounced. Bang… No! Inukai dropped to the mat, before Hall could hit the move. Was it because he could no longer stand, or a reflex action at the last microsecond? Nobody was sure. Inukai rolled to the side, realising what had happened. Hall spun around, ready to go again when Inukai roared forwards, his arm stretched out. UNTOUCHABLE LARIAAAAAAT! He hit it, and collapsed onto the body of Pistol Pete Hall. The referee counted. One…Two… Three!! Inukai got the victory! A monumental moment for him, and more evidence that the Untouchable Lariat was the greatest move in wrestling. Nobody kicked out of it! After the match, Pistol Pete Hall recovered in time to congratulate Inukai, bowing in respect and shaking his hand. Inukai struggled to hide his overwhelming pride, but did a good job of returning the respect. MATCH 4: Kumasaka-buntai (Akinori Kwakami & Tommy Cornell) and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Dino Maldini, Hector Sims & Michael Howard) A beefy eight-man tag match came next, pitting the full-strength MONSTER Army against two teams they had angered in the last few months. Unprompted attacks and the injuring of Danger Kumasaka led Kumasaka’s boys Cornell and Kwakami to team up with Rebel Cell to show Raymond Diaz and his thugs they couldn’t get away with that kind of thing in PGHW. Unfortunately for the brave protectors of the company, their message would not be successful on this occasion. Danger Kumasaka was at ringside, coaching his team. But his presence cost them the match as Raymond Diaz directed Dino Maldini to attack Kumasaka, going after his injured knee. It was despicable behaviour, made worse by Hector Sims and Michael Howard piling in with cheap shots and dirty kicks to the veteran. All the while, Raymond Diaz had the referee trapped in the corner as he invented falsehoods and distractions. Cornell and Kwakami fought ferociously to clear the marauders away from Kumasaka. This left Rebel Cell in their corner while MONSTER Army quickly regrouped. Raymond Diaz caught Sarumara isolated and hit the Ray Gun, pinning the Rebel Cell man for the win. The crowd hated it. They despised how MONSTER Army were trampling over the traditions and prestige of PGHW. Someone would have to do something about it. MATCH 5: Fukusaburu Inao © vs. Mamoru Nagahama for the Historical Japan title Fukusaburu Inao’s Historical Japan reign was in full flow. He had defeated a number of challengers over the last few months and looked set to continue that form. However, Mamoru Nagahama took issue with the fact that Inao had only defended the belt against young lions and less experienced competitors and claimed that Inao was ducking real threats, like himself. Inao wanted to set the record straight and accepted the match. But it was a mistake, because Nagahama brought everything to this bout and caused somewhat of an upset by choking Inao out with the Nagahama Guillotine. Mamoru Nagahama won the Historical Japan title! It was his second title in PGHW, and his first as a singles competitor. MATCH 6: Stone & Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Dan Stone Jr and Steve Flash had proved they were a great tag team on multiple occasions. They had even proved it to Team EXPLOSION on a couple of occasions, taking the Glory Tag Crown champions to the limit at Night of WRESTLING in 2001 and then again at Night of FORTITUDE in April. This last encounter, with the tag belts on the line, was somewhat controversial. The referee was accidentally taken out while Steve Flash hit Kunomasu with a Flash Bang. The crowd chanted the three count and Kunomasu got his shoulder up around the three mark. It was impossible to say whether it would have counted as a valid pinfall victory or not, but Stone and Flash seemed to think they were deserving of a rematch. After a few weeks of strong words, Team EXPLOSION assented. This match was violent. Hoshino and Kunomasu had been more than a little irritated by Stone and Flash’s questioning their honour, and set about to teach the Canadians a lesson. But Stone and Flash would not go down easily, showing once again why they were a serious threat in the tag division. At one crucial moment, Steve Flash hit the Flash Bang on Kunomasu again. This time the referee was in place and able to make the count. He reached two and nine tenths before Kunomasu got his shoulder up. As if this had proven Team EXPLOSION right all along, they took charge, gaining momentum and eventually finishing off Dan Stone Jr with an Eisaku Explosion. The champions retained. Just. MAIN EVENT: Mito Miwa © vs. Nobuatsu Tatsuko for the Glory Crown title In 1997, there was no question that the biggest match possible in PGHW was Hito Ichihara versus Koryusai Kitoaji. Now, five years later, their respective successors competed in the grandest bout the company could book. Mito Miwa was Glory Crown champion. He had won the belt from Pistol Pete Hall at Night of RESPECT in January, starting his second reign. Since then, he had become the first man to win the Elite Series while Glory Crown champion, and defended his title against high-profile opponents. Meanwhile, Nobuatsu Tatsuko had less to shout about. Yes, he and Noriyori Sanda won the Elite Tag Series nearly a year ago, but as an individual competitor, he had not held gold since September 2000, almost two years ago when he lost the Glory Crown to, you guessed it, Mito Miwa. Saying that, Tatsuko had picked up some serious momentum in the last couple of weeks, even pinning Miwa in a multi-man tag match at the previous show. He was back to his ferocious best just in time for his favourite show. It hardly needs mentioning that Miwa and Tatsuko share one of the longest and most storied rivalries in Japanese wrestling, let alone PGHW. And with Miwa aged 29 and Tatsuko 31, they looked destined to keep at it for another decade. So this match was another chapter in the eternal feud. And arguably the biggest one yet. Because every time they met, they had both improved, matured, gained in international renown. Night of GLORY was considered the second biggest show of the year, and an event from which Tatsuko had walked away as Glory Crown champion twice. The beginning of this bout was abnormal even by Tatsuko standards. He threw himself at Miwa with such ferocity that even though everybody knew what was coming, including the champion himself, nobody was quite prepared for the sheer violence inflicted. Miwa backpedalled. He spent several minutes just trying to limit the damage Tatsuko was doing to him, but soon realised he had to switch things up. He caught a wild kick and dragged Tatsuko to the mat where he could wrestle. Down here, Tatsuko couldn’t unleash his deadly strikes. The champion switched and swivelled, trying to make the strategy work, trying to apply a triangle choke. But the challenger still had plenty of energy. Tatsuko was no slouch on the mat and his defensive grappling was strong enough to untie himself and deliver more hard hits. The punishment was brutal and a few strikes looked close to causing an immediate knockout. At this rate the match would be over very soon. For more minutes, he barely hung on. A vicious elbow strike had him tasting his own blood. He tried to battle back, getting a few rare surges of momentum, but every time, the strikes and suplexes and slams and kicks pounded down like The champion changed plan again. Strategising and thinking quickly had brought him plenty of success, including against his rival. But now, stunned and backed into a corner, literally and figuratively, he had to improvise. He climbed the ropes. The crowd gasped. Even now, it was rare for anyone in PGHW to gain any height, although it had been before on a few, memorable occasions that had dramatic consequences. Desperation had taken over, and he needed something to divert from the challenger’s sheer intensity. So he climbed until his feet wobbled on the top rope, and he flung himself down towards his opponent with both feet forward – a missile dropkick. It missed. Spectacularly. Tatsuko didn’t so much dodge as simply sidestep as Miwa’s weight came crashing down on the mat beside him. A moment of stunned silence hung in the arena after the massive misjudgement. And he had landed hard on his back. Tatsuko was first to react, piling in on Miwa and taking advantage. Killer instinct. While everybody else gawped at the huge mistake, the challenger was busy winning the match. He landed some devastating elbow strikes then hit the Tatsuko Driller. The stunned crowd snapped back into reality when the referee’s hand slapped the mat the first time. On the count of two, they knew this was history repeating itself. And on the third slap of the hand, they revelled in Tatsuko’s victory. As Mito Miwa realised what had happened, Hito Ichihara made his way to the ring to console his team mate. Together they left the ring, with Miwa desperate to escape and hide away. Elation for the new champion, humiliation for the loser. Conclusion Five years to the day after Ichihara’s fatal fall, Miwa plummeted to his own doom in what became another classic match in PGHW’s history. One of the greatest moments of company history repeated by the new wave in front of a show with five times the number of fans in attendance and over 1.3 million viewers. The match was by far the best on the show. It began Tatsuko’s second reign with the Glory Crown. Inukai and Hall’s bout was most people’s second choice for match of the night, but some way off. And PGHW fans had plenty to get excited about from new arrival Masaaki Okazaki. The former BHOTWG was quick to follow up on his debut win with some strong words in the post-show press conference. Okazaki: I am not here to play around. I am not here to get beaten by crowd favourites. I am not here to sit in the middle of the card and wrestle young boys. I am here to fight. To face the best wrestlers in Japan, and to win the biggest titles. I do not expect to go straight into the Glory Crown picture without earning it. But I will earn it. Soon. You will see that Masaaki Okazaki is not made like other people. I am The Unflinching, The Unwavering, The Undeniable. I am the Steel Soldier. Pistol Pete Hall also spoke after the show. Hall: I gotta give credit to Inukai. That Untouchable Lariat really got me. Considering I’m much bigger than him, you’d think my lariat would do more damage. But he has some kinda special technique. I gotta learn that. Finally, the new Glory Crown champion had words for the media. Tatsuko: When Kitoaji won the Glory Crown title at Night of GLORY in 1997, he was angry at you journalists. He said you were already putting the spotlight on Ichihara, focusing on his mistake, taking the shine away from his great victory. And you were. I could argue the same thing. I battered Miwa so hard, he was forced to try what Ichihara had failed and take to the skies. There was no other way out, because I was so dominant. That is true. But I am not angry. You journalists have a job to do. And you will write your headlines about Miwa’s humiliation, forgetting the Glory Crown champion for a while. I don’t care. Because while you make your money selling newspapers and magazines, I’m going to make my money as the greatest champion of all time. See, last time I held this belt, Miwa stopped me from breaking Kitoaji’s record. That won’t happen again. That’s why I’m not worried about the shine being on him for now. Because it’ll come back to me soon enough. My success will become the only thing you can ever write about because it will surpass anything that has come before. Every show, Tatsuko will be the star, the champion, the headline act. That’s what glory is. You don’t have to whine and moan about not getting the attention. Because the attention will come your way soon enough. And I can handle the big time. I revel in the attention, because I am the ACE of PGHW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted Wednesday at 08:45 AM Author Share Posted Wednesday at 08:45 AM POTENTIAL FULFILLING For years, Mamoru Nagahama had shown signs of becoming a top star in PGHW. Alongside Hito Ichihara, he became Glory Tag Crown champion, admittedly as a junior partner, and that reign was hoped to be his step up to the next level. But it never quite materialised. Then, when Ichihara opted for Kitoaji as his partner, Nagahama’s attitude changed. He became less respectful and more violent. He took the fight to his veteran enemies, and briefly joined DREAD Army. Yet throughout this time, he could never make a lasting impact. Flashes of success, but nothing close to the consistent performances his potential promised. Now, though, he had won the Historical Japan title. The belt was widely seen as a stepping stone to greater success, with the likes of Miwa, Tatsuko, Kunomasu, Hoshino and Mushashibo all holding it earlier in their careers. Lately, Fukusaburu Inao elevated his stock as champion, before Nagahama defeated him at Night of GLORY. So was this the moment? Was this the defining reign for Nagaham to really take it to the next level and fulfil his potential? Night of STRENGTH, June 2002 Mamoru Nagahama may have criticised Fukusaburu Inao for only defending the Historical Japan title against inexperienced, lower-level opponents, but he did just that against his first challenger, Michael Howard. As part of BVG and MONSTER Army, Howard was building his reputation for technical prowess and smooth aggression. He did well in this match, but couldn’t escape Nagahama’s Guillotine choke. It was a solid first defence for the new champion. Night of WARRIORS, July 2002 The next man to challenge for the Historical Japan title had the exact opposite profile to Howard. It was Koryusai Kitoaji. He took on Mamoru Nagahama in a repeat of their feud from 1999 and 2000 when Kitoaji replaced Nagahama as Ichihara’s tag partner. How times had changed since then. Even at that point, Kitoaji was declining, but now it was a total mismatch as Nagahama was able to comfortably defeat the former two-time Glory Crown champion and retain the Historical Japan belt. Night of VICTORY, July 2002 At Night of VICTORY, the winner of the Warrior Cup, a tournament for young talents, got a shot at the Historical Japan title. This year, it was Gonnohyoe Kada who earned the honour of facing Mamoru Nagahama. Kada impressed in the Warrior Cup tournament, and certainly looked to be a future star. But right now, Nagahama was in a rich vein of form, and he finished off the youngster with a Guillotine Choke. So far, Nagahama could be pleased with his performances, but not overly delighted. He had yet to face stiff competition. However, that was about to change when it was announced he would take on Dan Stone Jr at Night of LEGACY. Night of LEGACY, August 2002 As part of Stone & Flash, Dan Stone Jr had been impressing fans and backstage figures alike. As a singles wrestler he was yet to really break out, but a shot at the Historical Japan title could alter that overnight. He brought everything in this Historical Japan title match against Mamoru Nagahama. The champion had to dig deep to survive a series of tight holds and dangerous submissions. But Nagahama was bullish in his resistance. He refused to give in. And when he finally managed to reverse an armbar, he transitioned to the Guillotine Choke which won him the match. Steadily, Nagahama was picking up a good head of steam. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2002 With many of the best PGHW talent involved in tag action and bitter rivalries at Night of TOUGHNESS, Mamoru Nagahama found himself putting the Historical Japan title on the line against the young Gengyo Tokuoka. Tokuoka had been fast-tracked from SAISHO due to his obvious talent and start potential. The guy was a legend in the making. But he was far from made yet, and he struggled here against Nagahama. Nagahama took the time to make it clear to Tokuoka who was superior, which allowed Tokuoka to rally and make a comeback. However, Nagahama had the situation under control and used the Guillotine Choke to submit Tokuoka and make his fifth successful defence of the title. The Elite Tag Series would slow his momentum somewhat, but when things kicked into gear in the autumn, Nagahama would have plenty of opportunities to continue his impressive form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted Thursday at 04:02 PM Author Share Posted Thursday at 04:02 PM RETURN OF THE MILLENIUM Team MILLENIUM: Fukusaburu Inao and Takeshi Umehara, had been inactive for several months. This was no bad thing, it was simply that Inao was Historical Japan champion and was expected to defend that title on every show. The downside was that Takeshi Umehara, arguably PGHW’s most underrated wrestler at the time, found himself in a less prominent position. But now that Inao had dropped the Historical Japan title to Mamoru Nagahama, he was free to renew his tag partnership with Umehara, and Team MILLENIUM could return. But would they be the same as what they were before? Could they live up to their previous highs? Or could they even surpass them? Night of STRENGTH, June 2002 Such was the status of Fukusaburu Inao after his Historical Japan title run, he and Takeshi Umehara found themselves in the main event of Night of STRENGTH just two weeks after losing the Historical Japan title. They tagged with Nobuatsu Tatsuko and Shuji Inukai against the foursome of Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Stone & Flash. As Team EXPLOSION were the reigning Glory Tag Crown champions, it was a good opportunity for Team MILLENIUM to set out their stall as challengers to the belts. And they made a good start by being on the winning team. While they weren’t involved in the finish (that was Inukai pinning Flash after an Untouchable Lariat), they could still claim to have defeated the champions. However, earlier in the night, the pair of Kumasaka-buntai members Akinori Kwakami and Tommy Cornell defeated Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) and made it clear they should be first in line for a tag title shot. That match was made for Night of WARRIORS, with Tommy Cornell hoping to start a second run with the titles after the success of 2001. Night of WARRIORS, July 2002 Team MILLENIUM (Fukusabur Inao & Takeshi Umehara) were on the winning side of a result again. This time, it was alongside Hito Ichihara as they beat MONSTER Army (Raymond Diaz, Hector Sims & Michael Howard). With Ichihara struggling with exhaustion at the end of the match, Inao and Umehara had to fight hard to get the better of the rampant Raymond Diaz. But in isolating Michael Howard, they caught the youngster with the Y2K to earn the victory. Later, Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) defended the Glory Tag Crown titles against Akinori Kwakami and Tommy Cornell. Danger Kumasaka was at ringside supporting his young stars, but this time it wasn’t to be. Hoshino got the pin on Kwakami after a devastating Eisaku Explosion. Night of VICTORY, July 2002 Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) were lucky enough to tag with Masaaki Okazaki, the in-form new arrival to PGHW. They still had a tough task, though, facing Dan Stone Jr and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). While Okazaki was undoubtedly the star of the show, again showing his savagery and direct desire to win, Team MILLENIUM held up their end of the bargain. It was Fukusaburu Inao who got the pinfall victory after the Y2K, putting Dan Stone Jr down for the count while locking eyes with Hoshino and Kunomasu. Team MILLENIUM were done waiting – their time to challenge for the Glory Tag Crown titles had come. Night of LEGACY, August 2002 Night of LEGACY was a huge event on the PGHW calendar. On this occasion, all three major titles were defended, with the Glory Tag Crown titles put on the line by Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) against Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara). These two teams had history at this time of year. At Night of LEGACY in 2000, Inao and Umehara defeated Hoshino and Kunomasu to win the Glory Tag Crown titles for the first time. It was considered an upset at the time, but now most fans saw Team MILLENIUM as a much stronger force. The two men who had ditched their veteran partners at the start of that year, taken a huge risk in doing so, had reaped the rewards. Now they were back together, with the same opponents, the same stakes. Could they do it again? Fukusaburu Inao certainly seemed to think so. He was ebullient in his aggression and incision at the start of the match, goading his opponents and dispatching them with impressive moves. But perhaps his hubris got the better of him when Kunomasu caught him with a Launching Knee Strike. It wasn’t enough to win the match, as Inao rolled to the safety of a tag with Umehara, but it put Team EXPLOSION back on top. And from then, after a few shifts of momentum, the match was in the hands of the champions, who finished the job with an Eisaku Explosion on Inao. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2002 Despite their loss at Night of LEGACY. Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) hadn’t given up their hopes of tag glory. Because ahead of the Elite Tag Series, it was typical for the biggest teams to take place in a huge eight-man main event. Team MILLENIUM partnered Shuji Inukai and Pistol Pete Hall to face Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) and Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu). The match itself suffered a little from having too much star power, with nobody really able to shine. But Team MILLENIUM would go away happy, being on the winning side thanks to Shuji Inukai pinning Noriyori Sanda after an Untouchable Lariat. Now Inao and Umehara would hope to have their best Elite Tag Series performance yet, and get back in to title contention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted Friday at 02:19 PM Author Share Posted Friday at 02:19 PM OKAZAKI SCARY Masaaki Okazaki made a shocking jump from BHOTWG to PGHW in time to debut at Night of GLORY 2002. It was shocking because he was in his prime, with plenty of opportunities available to him and no matter what he chose, money was not an issue. The fact that he chose PGHW instead of re-signing with BHOTWG showed how far the new promotion had come in comparison to the established big brand. Previous signings from BHOTWG had been of midcarders and veterans. Never anyone with the talent and name value of Masaaki Okazaki. And after the show he made it clear he was not here to make up the numbers. He intended to earn his way to the top, but that’s where he fully expected to be. But was that all just words? Or could the Steel Soldier really upset the balance of things? Night of STRENGTH, June 2002 When Masaaki Okazaki debuted at Night of GLORY, he took part in a tag match. One of his opponents was Noriyori Sanda. The two wrestled again, this time in singles competition. Sanda was growing a reputation for being tough to beat. Not because he was especially strong, or even had the most devastating moves. Just because he refused to give up and stay down. But when he came up against Masaaki Okazaki, things were different. Okazaki was a nightmare in human form. Relentless, ultra-physical, untiring, unflinching… he battered Noriyori Sanda. Whether it was brutal strikes or torturous submission holds, Sanda’s resolve was pushed right to the limit… when it snapped. An Okazaki Kick Barrage had the youngster winded, then the Angular Arm Bar forced him to tap out. A hugely impressive first singles match for Okazaki. Night of WARRIORS, July 2002 Dan Stone Jr considered himself in with a chance of upsetting the new arrival. He took on Masaaki Okazaki in the opening match of Night of WARRIORS. Stone had wrestling pedigree, with his father a technical master who had taught him well. He had proved this in tag action alongside Steve Flash. Okazaki didn’t care. Whoever the original Dan Stone claimed to be was not important. All that mattered was that Okazaki won. Another violent, spine-shattering display from the Steel Soldier resulted in a submission victory with the Angular Armbar. It seemed like Okazaki was the full package – he could strike, slam, throw and submit, all without seeming to tire. Night of VICTORY, July 2002 Night of VICTORY saw Masaaki Okazaki in his first trios match. He tagged with Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Harumi Okazawaya) against Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) who partnered Dan Stone Jr, who could be forgiven if he didn’t want to face Okazaki again. Still, Team EXPLOSION made formidable tag partners. Unfortunately for them, Team MILLENIUM were back to great form and Okazaki was just as deadly in multi-man action as he was in singles. He was instrumental in weakening Dan Stone Jr enough for Fukusaburu Inao to get the pin after a Y2K. Night of LEGACY, August 2002 The other half of Stone & Flash, Steve Flash was next to face the rampant newcomer, Masaaki Okazaki. Flash brought plenty of experience and technical know-how, and many considered him a tougher challenge than Stone. Okazaki didn’t care what people considered. He only cared about battering the sense out of his opponent and forcing him to tap with the Angular Arm Bar. Which is exactly what he did. It was becoming apparent that Okazaki was not only a talented, ferocious competitor that would add to PGHW’s top ranks, but he might have the power to surpass them all. Okazaki scary. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2002 The man who had the honour of tagging with Masaaki Okazaki in his debut match at Night of GLORY was Gonnohyoe Kada. The youngster had only recently made the step up from SAISHO, and only by sheer fortune ended up as the Steel Soldier’s partner. Still, on that night, he did enough to help Okazaki to a win. At Night of TOUGHNESS, he found himself on the other side of the ring. Kada impressed plenty of fans when he won the Warrior Cup six week prior, and he was out to earn more respect. He fought with courage and directness that, on occasion, matched that of Okazaki. But ultimately Okazaki would surge to victory, using the Angular Arm Bar after the Okazaki Kick Barrage. Once the bell had rung, Okazaki lifted Kada to his feet and stated he would like the youngster to be his tag partner at the Elite Tag Series. So far, Okazaki had made no friends, nor did he intend to. But he wanted to win everything in PGHW, and to win the Elite Tag Series, he needed a partner. Kada would do. Kada, obviously, was delighted to accept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsky Posted Saturday at 07:08 PM Author Share Posted Saturday at 07:08 PM (edited) THE SECOND REIGN OF GLORY Nobuatsu Tatsuko returned to the top of PGHW at Night of GLORY in 2002, defeating Mito Miwa for the Glory Crown. The match would be remembered not only as one of the greatest in company history until that point, but also as the one in which Miwa repeated the doomed strategy of Hito Ichihara from five years before, taking to the skies. After the show, Tatsuko was not concerned about the attention being on Mito Miwa’s perilous plummet. Instead he reflected that the attention would soon come back to the most important figure in the company, himself, as he planned to be champion for a long time. He also claimed he was the “Ace” of PGHW, a highly controversial statement. There had never been a single leader of the pack in PGHW. The company relied on an array of talent rather than one particular face, and that was a strength of Jimbo’s outfit. But if Tatsuko wanted to be considered the “Ace”, he would have to go beyond the great heights he had already achieved. He would have to surpass all the others and take the company to an even higher level. Night of STRENGTH, June 2002 In the main event of Night of STRENGTH, Nobuatsu Tatsuko teamed with Shuji Inukai and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) to face Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) and Stone & Flash. It was a hard-fought match in which one man impressed. Shuji Inukai. Having spent most of 2001 injured, Inukai had begun 2002 in strong form, reaching the final of the Elite Series and defeating Pistol Pete Hall at Night of GLORY. He continued this surge by hitting the Untouchable Lariat on Steve Flash to earn his team the victory. After the match, he made it very clear to Tatsuko that his victory on the night and his prior win over Hall meant he was the number one contender to the Glory Crown. Night of WARRIORS, July 2002 Nobuatsu Tatsuko could not deny that Shuji Inukai was the best-positioned challenger for his newly-won title, so his title reign saw its first defence as a match between the two in the main event of Night of WARRIORS. Throughout the contest, Inukai swung his arm on multiple occasions, hoping to connect with the Untouchable Lariat that would surely win him the title. But it was Tastuko who went untouched by the move, evading it narrowly on occasion, but always managing to steer clear of a certain pinfall loss. And with Inukai so intent on one thing, he became predictable. This allowed Tatsuko to channel a little “Miwa” and react to the situation, changing his strategy to counter the Untouchable Lariat in devastating fashion. He did this by turning it into a powerful Tatsuko Driller which put Inukai down for the count. Tatsuko began his second glorious reign with a huge win. But after the match, Shuji Inukai had some unexpected words. Inukai: Tatsuko, you are a fighting champion. I respect that. And I hope that you respect my opinion that there is only one man who is worthy of fighting you next. A man I know well… Pistol Pete Hall. Night of VICTORY, July 2002 Shuji Inukai’s words of support for Pistol Pete Hall resulted in the two partnering in the main event of Night of VICTORY. They were also joined by Tommy Cornell. The trio took on Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) and Steve Flash. It was a battle of power and intensity. Tatsuko was arguably on the weaker side, and it was his team mate Sanda who let him down, getting hit by the Pistol Whip Lariat and pinned by Hall. Pistol Pete Hall stood tall, and perhaps thanks to Shuji Inukai, was the next in line for Tatsuko’s title. Night of LEGACY, August 2002 Night of LEGACY saw a blockbuster main event pitting Glory Crown champion Nobuatsu Tatsuko against former champion Pistol Pete Hall. Pistol Pete Hall could consider himself as the favourite in one-on-one contests against Tatsuko. He defeated Tatsuko in the 2001 Elite Series final, and defended the Glory Crown against Tatsuko’s challenge at Night of WRESTLING at the end of 2001. Since then, they had shared a draw in the Elite Series 2002. But while history might have favoured Hall, recency was definitely in Tatsuko’s corner. The champion had returned to imperious form in the last few months and he proved that in this match, although not without a few scares. At one point, Hall connected with the Pistol Whip Lariat, but Tatsuko was able to kick out at the very last moment. And in the end, Tatsuko hauled the big man up and then dunked him back down with the Tatsuko Driller, cementing his victory in an instant classic. The match was widely heralded as an all-time great in PGHW, and Tatsuko could confidently say his reign was going extremely well. Night of TOUGHNESS, August 2002 As was tradition, Night of TOUGHNESS was headlined by an eight-man tag match involving four of the main contenders for the upcoming Elite Tag Series. This year saw Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) team with Glory Tag Crown champions Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) to take on the force of Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) along with Pistol Pete Hall and Shuji Inukai. The excitement of the match was that Inukai and Hall had earlier that day agreed to enter as a tag team into the tournament. Inukai’s Team Dynasty 2000 partner Yoshimi Mushashibo was still out with a long-term injury, and other Kumasaka-buntai members Cornell and Kwakami were already proposed as a team. Plus, the respect earned between Inukai and Hall at Night of GLORY had brought them together. Plus, together they boasted two of the deadliest lariats in the world. Out of respect for Inukai’s partner Mushashibo, they declined to consider themselves a permanent tag team and refused many names suggested to them, most notably Team LARIAT! And after the match at Night of TOUGHNESS, in which they powered to victory thanks to an Untouchable Lariat on Sanda, there was no doubt Hall and Inukai were serious contenders for the Elite Tag Series. ---OOC--- Important question to readers! Are there any of you left? With the new game, I know most readers have moved to the forums over there. If you're still following this dynasty, thanks! I've written all the shows up to the final one in the dynasty, Night of GLORY 2006. Yes, I know, that's nearly four years ahead in game time. I like to have everything done in advance, although this is abnormal even for me. So from a writing perspective, I'm done with the diary. However, that's a lot of posts still to go up. So this is my question to you all, if anyone is still there. Would you rather I post the entries on a regular basis, like one a day, leaving room for predictions? Or would you prefer me to post them in bigger blocks, with each phase going up all at once. Or maybe do you want me just to whack all 4 years of shows on the forum now? Let me know. Thanks! Edited Saturday at 07:12 PM by Willsky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CobheadJake Posted yesterday at 08:04 AM Share Posted yesterday at 08:04 AM I'm still reading this. I'd be happy with whatever you feel is best for you, especially so you can focus on your TEWIX diary. I suppose maybe posting them in bigger blocks, but I'll read it either way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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