AboardTheArk Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 “United Promotions Japan was formed in 1951 as a conglomeration of the smaller regional federations across the country after the government introduced strict regulations for the sport. The promotion quickly established professional wrestling as one of the most popular sports in Japan, thanks in large part to trailblazer Ozeki who really established the sport throughout Asia. UPJ has gone through many different "eras" during its 70 year history - from the Ozeki days of the 1950s, the gaijin-heavy 1980s and the slim pickings of the early 2000s. In 2002, Ozeki's twin nephews Jun and Kenji Matsumoto purchased a controlling stake in UPJ but their poor management led to both the DIASPORA and HONOUR walkouts. With the promotion looking to be on its last legs, multinational drinks company Blue Rhino bought the company in 2015 and placed fan favourite veteran Tetsuo Nagata in charge. UPJ is finally back on top in Japan and looking set for a very successful 70th year.” - Thunderverse Mod Team “Working UPJ was probably my favourite run of my career. There’s something to be said about guys being so stiff they loop back around to being easy to work with, and the fans were so passionate you wanted to extract every drop of emotion possible” -Wrestling legend Juggernaut, in his autobiography Path of Devastation “UPJ is the home of puroresu. It’s where dreams come true. Every time I stepped into that ring the legacy of Ozeki was looking at me from the bleachers, making me do a performance worthy of the status of the promotion.” -UPJ legend Thunder Iesada, at his retirement speech “UPJ is my castle at the top of the Pro Wrestling mountain. It’s only as good as the person residing inside it, and I, the Emperor of Wrestling, am the golden standard upon which the fighters are judged. Hopefully I reign long enough for the whole world to understand the might that exists in UPJ.” - Kintaro Kinjo, current UPJ International Heavyweight Champion Join us all in the talismanic 70th year anniversary of the Promotion of Japan. Now with UPJ+, brought to you worldwide. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) Company Backstage Rundown Core Product: Strong Puroresu Current Product: Strong Puroresu CEO: Tetsuo Nagata -2x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -1x AWC World Heavyweight Champion -Former WFJ President Head Booker: Kenta Sonoda -2x Ozeki Summit Winner -(Tied) Record 7x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -Pro Wrestling HONOUR Promoter Owner Goals: Company Must Gain Popularity In Japan (2 years) Company must grow to Big size (29 months) Kato kept to at least 71 pop (18 months) Kozue kept to at least 71 pop (2 years) Oda Yamawaki kept to at least 77 pop (18 months) No hiring wrestlers over 40 years old (1 year) No hiring wrestlers with legal issues (14 months) No hiring or extending wrestlers with under 60 charisma (29 months) This feels like a mandate from Blue Rhino: Start thinking about the future. There's no protecting Kinjo and Deguchi's popularities, though obviously they cannot and will not be immediately jobbed out. Coupling this with Sonoda's personal (not canon, in this diary) belief that Kato has reached his ceiling as a star, and the next couple of years of UPJ are going to be particularly eventful. The 60 charisma requirement will also mean that unfortunately, some loyal soldiers of the company will have to be released. It's an exciting time, a time of change, starting with the Blue Rhino Cup and the Showdown Series. Champion Rundown International Heavyweight Champion: Kintaro Kinjo (3rd reign) International Tag Team Champions: Pure MUSCLE (Atonga & Taheji Ebisawa, 1st reign) Junior Heavyweight Champion: Kozue (4th reign) Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Cameron Cody & Junichi Matsuo (1st reign) Edited February 23 by AboardTheArk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) UPJ ~ STARTING ROSTER OVERVIEW HALL OF THE UNITED THRONE Formed in 2015 in response to the emerging threat of Erik Van Rijn's RENEGADES, the Hall of the United Throne remain the premier face unit in UPJ. More of a loose alliance than an actual stable, the group has undergone a huge amount of change in recent years, with founders Kintaro Kinjo and Juro Deguchi leaving for their own groups. Now led by veteran Ryotaro Naruto, the group's combined experience is vital to its success in the ring. HEAVYWEIGHTS: CAPTAIN UPJ (31) -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -De Facto Company Mascot Daijiro Otsuka (29) -2009 IWJ Graduate Honour Katsumoto (40) -4x UPJ Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -No association with Pro Wrestling HONOUR Hyotaru Ichigawa (47) -2019 Blue Rhino Cup Winner -2007 Ozeki Summit Winner -2x Turncoat Otojiro Ikina (34) -Debuted in 2009 -Won his first match in 2015 Strength Ogawa (42) - Honour Katsumoto (40) -4x UPJ Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Takanori Sakunai (40) -World Traveller JUNIORS: Jin Fujiwara (34) -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team -2020 Junior Mountain Cup Winner Ryotaro Naruto (44) (Leader) -1999, 2005 Ozeki Summit Winner -4x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -2x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Champion SHOGUN (40) -Former CLLM Campeon De Mundo -2017 Junior Mountain Cup Winner -2x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion HARDROCKCITY HardRockCity is Juro Deguchi's long-running stable. Although the group had some downtime in the mid-2010s, HRC can trace its history back more than a decade. Reformed to combat Kintaro Kinjo's shock betrayal of the Hall of The United Throne, HRC has grown and grown with the likes of Cameron Cody, Junichi Matsuo and TOKI INK becoming much respected members of the group. Juro Deguchi continues to be the clear leader, however, and with no apparent heir, the group's long-term future is in doubt. HEAVYWEIGHTS: Amando Ocampo (32) -One Half of Filipino Fire Power Apolinario (31) -One Half of Filipino Fire Power Danger Asahara (31) -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -Best Tiger Driver in the business Juro Deguchi (44) (Leader) -2004, 2009, 2017 Ozeki Summit Winner -2x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -4x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Toki INK (31) -5x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion JUNIORS: Cameron Cody (32) -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -DRAGON alumni Hidetsugu Genji (49) -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Champion -2x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Joao Iwahara (28) -Aikido practicioner Junichi Matsuo (31) -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -1x LETHAL Unity of Blood Champion IGNITE MUSCLE ARMY Over the years, Kato has transformed from tag team icon to one of the most respected singles heavyweights in all of Japan. Having had his card marked by Kintaro-jidai throughout 2019, Kato returned from injury with the news that he had formed his own alliance. Arguably the strongest heavyweight group in UPJ, Kato is joined by some of the biggest and best fighters in the company, with experienced hand Erik van Rijn as his right-hand. HEAVYWEIGHTS: Atonga (37) -Blue Rhino Cup 2020 winner -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -Former World Champion of AWF and HONOUR Bruiser Cassidy (35) -5x LWA Puerto Rican Heavyweight Champion -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion -Largest Man On The Roster Erik Van Rjin (30) -2015 Ozeki Summit Winner -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -Deputy Leader of Ignite Muscle Army Kato (36) (Leader) -2019, 2020 Ozeki Summit Winner -3x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion 1x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion Taheji Ebisawa (33) -Blue Rhino Cup 2020 winner -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Takehide Harada (50) -2019 Blue Rhino Cup Winner -2003 Ozeki Summit Winner -2x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion KINJO-JIDAI Kinjo-jidai, or the Kinjo Era, is the cult of personality surrounding the "Emperor of Wrestling" Kintaro Kinjo. After turning on his friends and fans and abandoning the Hall of The United Throne in 2017, Kintaro proceeded to slowly build up a cabal around himself. Employing muscle such as Waotaka Eda and Torture alongside lackeys from the junior division, Kinjo's most dangerous gamble is the recruitment of Katsuhiko Ishii and Dustin LeFever, men with huge egos of their own, as heirs-apparent. HEAVYWEIGHTS: Katsuhiko Ishii (33) -Kenta Sonoda's Protege -Heir Apparent of Kinjo-Jidai -Former HONOUR Ace Kintaro Kinjo (40) -2011, 2014, 2016 Ozeki Summit Winner -3x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion Mr. Yamashita (29) -Actor -Ateur -Wrestler? Torture (41) -7x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Waotaka Eda (39) -2010, 2012 Ozeki Summit Winner -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -1x International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion JUNIORS: Akito Nakada (39) -2018 Blue Rhino Cup Winner -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Dustin LeFever (26) -Blue Rhino Sports Energy Spokesperson -Also Heir Apparent of Kinjo-Jidai -2019 Junior Mountain Cup Winner Haruko Yamada (37) -2018 Blue Rhino Cup Winner -1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion UNAFFILIATED HEAVYWEIGHTS Alvaro Buey III (27) Des Miller (38) Jayden Cole (33) Koji Yamada (33) -3x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Koma Kobiashi (42) -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Lobo (28) Oda Yamawaki (33) -2018 Ozeki Summit Winner -2x UPJ International Heavyweight Champion -1x UPJ International Tag Team Champion Ukon Kajahara (32) -1x UPJ International Heavyweight Tag Team Champion JUNIORS Furosuto (33) -2007, 2015, 2018 Junior Mountain Cup Winner -2x UPJ International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Kamei Takauji (20) Kozue (39) -2010, 2016 Junior Mountain Cup Winner -4X UPJ Junior Heavyweight Champion 1x UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Nakano Yuki (28) Ryuko Mishamoto (31) Utamara (37) Edited February 24 by AboardTheArk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
229tman Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Hell ya love me some UPJ please push Danger Asahara! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny912 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Huh, rare to see a thunderverse diary. Hope it's a long runner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoe II Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 As the guy who invented Ozeki way back when working with jhd1, and a good amount of the original Thunder-verse Japanese scene, I will be following this with great interest and looking forward to seeing what's changed in the many years since! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neslo024 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Super excited for this! Push Ishii to the moon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knkmaster69 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I know nothing about the Thunderverse but any diary you put on the forums I'll check out so I can't wait to see more and learn this roster and this company! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaddes Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 THUNDERVERSE FOR LIFE BAYBEE LETS GO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martel123 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 UPJ is the one ThunderVerse save I've done so far, and I love it. Good luck to you man 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJ Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Dustin Lefever forever 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 Thank you all for the loud and unexpected support so far! One of the two reserved posts, the briefer one, has gone up! It goes over my first booking thoughts and presents the ownership and champions, some of you are already familiar with. Next post will be the Roster Overview for whoever needs an idea of what exactly the roster situation is, and then I'm going to begin with a summary of the Blue Rhino Cup tour- I will probably not be following that exact format for tour shows, but for some reason starting in-media-res in that tour on the schedule always messed with me a little so I will just be going over the Cup matches and the builds to the feuds that will carry the -staggering- 5 consecutive big events over January and February. I'm also a bit ahead on the save itself, so your wishes will take a while to come true- I came in with my own selfish agenda! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 24 Author Share Posted February 24 Roster Overview is up, on the third post from the top! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Blue Rhino Cup Tour Overview Blue Rhino Cup Night 5: This show saw the end of the first round of the Blue Rhino Cup tournament: -Torture & Waotaka Enda def. Vanguard (Takanori Sakurai & Otojiro Ikina) in 11:47 -Strength Through Honour (Honour Katsumoto and Strength Ogawa) def. Tokyo Tigers (Nakano Yuki & Ryuko Mishamoto) in 8:52 -Filipino Fire Power (Apolinario & Amado Ocampo) def. Smash n’ Grab (Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi) in 12:01 -Cameron Cody & Junichi Matsuo def. Wild (Hidetsugu Genji & Joao Iwahara) in 13:41 Elsewhere in the card, Ignite Muscle Army’s Bruiser Cassidy, Kato and Erik Van Rjin defeated Oda Yamawaki, Lobo and Alvaro Buey III. Backstage, Bruiser Cassidy challenged Kintaro Kinjo for the UPJ International Heavyweight Championship and Oda Yamawaki complained about being booked to team up with randoms considering his hatred of factions. After the team of Ryotaro Naruto, Hyotaru Ichigawa, SHOGUN and Furosuto defeated Kozue, Mr. Yamashita and Nakada & Yamada, Ryotaro Naruto challenged Kozue to a match for the International Junior Heavyweight Championship and also extended an invitation to Furosuto to become the newest member and next leader of Hall of the United Throne. In the main event HardRockCity’s Juro Deguchi, TOKI INK, and Pure MUSCLE defeated Katsuhiko Ishii, Kintaro Kinjo, Dustin LeFever and non-Kinjo-Jidai member Jayden Cole, the Emperor of Wrestling suffered an injury at the hands of TOKI INK that would lessen his participation in the tour to follow. Blue Rhino Cup Night 6: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match: Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa def. Filipino Fire Power (13:49) HardRockCity’s Danger Asahara, TOKI INK and Juro Deguchi defeated Oda Yamawaki, Lobo and Des Miller. Backstage, Oda demanded a singles match for the next tour show, while Deguchi reiterated his need to make Yamawaki pay for his attack after last year’s Hall of The Immortals. After teaming with Ryotaro Naruto in a multiman, Furosuto’s comments towards his offer were very cold and non-descript, not hinting a leaning for his decision. In the Main Event, Ignite Muscle Army’s Kato, Bruiser Cassidy and Pure MUSCLE defeated Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Torture & Waotaka Enda with Cassidy continuing his unstoppable start to 2021. Blue Rhino Cup Night 7: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match: Strength Through Honour def. Waotaka Enda & Torture (12:51) Ryotaro Naruto teamed up with stablemate Jin Fujiwara to defeat the team of Kozue and Dustin LeFever. After the match Naruto said he’d show Furosuto why he should join the Hall by beating Kozue and reaching the top of the division once again. Oda Yamawaki got his wish and a singles match against TOKI INK, who he beat in around 15 minutes. The Main Event was an 8 Man Tag where Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Nakada & Yamada defeated Erik Van Rjin, Pure MUSCLE and Takehide Harada, giving Kinjo-Jidai a win against Ignite Muscle Army Blue Rhino Cup Night 8: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Match Main Event: PunkRockCity (Danger Asahara & TOKI INK) def. Pure MUSCLE (Atonga & Taheji Ebisawa) in 13:42 In the opening, Oda Yamawaki faced young lion Kamei Takauji in a singles and dispatched him in about 8 minutes. The two showed excellent chemistry together and Yamawaki raved about the young man backstage before setting a date for his match against Juro Deguchi: February, Week 2 at Showdown in Fukuoka. Blue Rhino Cup Night 9: Blue Rhino Cup Quarter Final Main Event: Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita def. Cameron Cody & Junichi Matsuo Furosuto and Ryotaro Naruto defeat Kozue and Dustin LeFever after losing in the exact same combination on Night 8. Asked to comment, Furosuto says “Yeah that’s dope, I guess.” Bruiser Cassidy, sick of beating mishapen teams in 8 man tags to prepare for Kintaro Kinjo, decides to take day 10 off. Blue Rhino Cup Night 10: Blue Rhino Cup Semi Final Match Main Event: Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita def. PunkRockCity (Danger Asahara & TOKI INK) Blue Rhino Cup Semi Final Match: Strength Through Honour def. Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa Blue Rhino Cup Night 11: Bruiser Cassidy, Kato, Erik Van Rjin, Takehide Harada and Atonga def. Nakada & Yamada, Waotaka Enda & Torture and Kintaro Kinjo (74) PunkRockCity and Strength Through Honour def. Katsuhiko Ishii, Mr. Yamashita, Daijiro Otsuka and Hyotaru Ichigawa (53) Kozue, Dustin LeFever and Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi def. Furosuto, Ryotaro Naruto, SHOGUN and Captain UPJ (70) Oda Yamawaki def. Hidetsugu Genji (72) Filipino Fire Power def. Des Miller and Jayden Cole (55) Juro Deguchi def. Kamei Takauji (61) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Card for Blue Rhino Cup 2021 Main Event: Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryotaro Naruto vs Kozue (First Defense) Blue Rhino Cup Final Match: Strength Through Honor vs Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Erik Van Rjin & Kato vs Waotaka Eda & Torture Juro Deguchi & TOKI INK vs Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi vs Filipino Power, Cody & Yatsuo and Hidetsugu Genji Alvaro Buey III, Lobo & Ukon Kajahara vs Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa vs Otojiro Ikina & Takanori Sakurai Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara vs Furosuto & Utamara Danger Asahara vs Jayden Cole Q: What's your guys' favorite free agents to bring in to UPJ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neslo024 Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Kozue- he's the better and younger talent here. Gives him a good win to help him establish the reign. Ishii and Yamashita have more upside and Ishii is a personal favorite so I'll always pick him. Van Rjin and Kato are premier guys they aren't losing here. Juro and Toki Ink pick up the win and Oda's hatred of teaming up grows. I think LeFever's team picks up the win as a big Lefevre fan. The Army steamrolls the random. Totally picking at random here as I'm not super familiar with either team so let's say Ichigawa's team. Furosuto isn't losing to that team. Danger wins as he always should I always love to bring in Fergus Storm once he returns from injury, Rhyno Khan, Bryce Christensen and El Hijo Del Rampago (may have spelled it wrong but he is crazy talented). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vandal Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Kozue Ishii & Yamashita Van Rjin & Kato Deguchi & TOKI INK Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi Ignite Muscle Army Ikina & Sakurai Furosuto & Utamara Danger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanMiguel Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Ryotaro Naruto Strength Through Honor Erik Van Rjin & Kato Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara Danger Asahara 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaddes Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) Kozue YamaIshii EVR & Kato Deguchi & INK Nakada, LeFever, Yamada & Kobiashi Ignite Muscle Army Ikina & Sakurai Furosuto & Utamara Asahara For free agents I'd say Junji Goto and Yasutake cause they both rule Edited March 2 by Chaddes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 (edited) Gotta say that the BRC final is WILD. Three of those four guys never get pushes in any of my UPJ saves lol. Kozue Ishii/Yamashita (sorry grandpas) EVR/Kato FFP/Cody/Yatsuo/Genji Otsuka/Ichigawa Furo/Utamara Asahara Q: Fergus Storm, of course. Nobuhisa Yasutake is probably the best unemployed native heavyweight to bring in. Edited March 2 by Dalton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
229tman Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Main Event: Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryotaro Naruto vs Kozue (First Defense) Blue Rhino Cup Final Match: Strength Through Honor vs Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Erik Van Rjin & Kato vs Waotaka Eda & Torture Juro Deguchi & TOKI INK vs Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi vs Filipino Power, Cody & Yatsuo and Hidetsugu Genji Alvaro Buey III, Lobo & Ukon Kajahara vs Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa vs Otojiro Ikina & Takanori Sakurai Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara vs Furosuto & Utamara Danger Asahara vs Jayden Cole Q: Fergus Storm and MAGNUM Idol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 UPJ Rhino Cup 2021 Results Sunday, Week 2 of January at Saitama Hyper Arena CA: 40,477 PPV Buys: 698, 952 UPJ+ Views Worldwide: 748,494 Match 1: Danger Asahara vs Jayden Cole VS Very much a warm-up match for the long-ass 200 minute show, Asahara and Cole went out there and grappled intensely for 5 minutes until they began trading absolutely rocking strikes. Jayden Cole had a particular sell to a forearm where he first no sold it then lost his balance and fell backwards through the middle and top ropes to the outside. The two men didn’t keep it complicated and a couple guardrail spots and a tease that Cole might not make it to the ring before the 20-count turned into a fast-paced finishing sequence where Cole hit a huge dropkick but couldn’t connect with the Tornado Bomb as Asahara managed to counter into the back body drop. Two brutal elbows later and Asahara managed to hit the Imminent Danger (Spinning Tiger Driver) for the win. (8:56) Match Rating: 56 Match 2: Captain UPJ & Jin Fujiwara vs Furosuto and Utamara VS Mostly a sprint, this was a delightful match of junior action held together by a remarkable Furosuto performance. The ways with which he brutalized Captain UPJ were a delight and got loud reactions every time by a crowd that was surprised to see him wrestle with anything but calm and swagger- there was a fire there unbecoming of his place on the card. But the bigger story was Jin Fujiwara having counters for everything. He was practically untouchable every time he tagged in, going as far as destroying Utamara’s left arm and almost dislocating it in an act that would get him heat in a promotion that doesn’t appreciate beautiful violence. In the en the two dominant forces were in there after a double hot tag, and Furosuto finally got the upper hand. Leg lariats, elbows and tijeras galore, he got Fujiwara off his feet and went for a Cazadora Foot Stomp that uses as a set up for his finisher, but Fujiwara countered into the Glittering Fujiwara (Wheelbarrow Neckbreaker) for the huge win! (14:44) Match Rating: 71 Match 3: Daijiro Otsuka & Hyotaru Ichigawa vs Vanguard VS This was a dud. They went too long, there was some miscommunication and there wasn’t connective tissue in between the violence. Daijiro Otsuka mercifully pinned Takanori Sakurai with a Long Road Home (corner to center leg lariat). (15:12) Match Rating: 39 Match 4: Alvaro Buey III, Lobo & Ukon Kajahara vs Ignite Muscle Army (Bruiser Cassidy, Atonga and Takehide Harada) VS A fun, brutal brawl that doesn’t drag on, that match was the perfect palette cleanser from the slugfest that preceded. Everyone got time to shine, especially since it mostly comprised of people hitting each other in turns and dropping each other on their heads. Bruiser Cassidy once again showed why he’s one of the biggest forces in the company right now as he only lost an exchange if he was up against multiple opponents at the same time, otherwise steamrolling everyone. That’s the attention that allowed Takehide Harada to clinch the win for his team with a German Suplex on Lobo. (11:24) Match Rating: 60 Match 5: Nakada & Yamada, Dustin LeFever, Koji Yamada & Koma Kobiashi vs Filipino Power, Cody & Matsuo and Hidetsugu Genji VS This match went similar to the prior one as a pretty bare bones contest though with the pretty clear junior-heavyweight divide extremely present. Yamada and Kobiashi did incredible damage to the junior heavyweight tag team champions, Filipino Fire Power got some excellent babyface shine in comparison to their place on the card, and this was the first match on the show where we actually got a couple nearfalls on stereo splashes from Nakada & Yamada to Hidetsugu Genji. However, this was all a ruse for the actual finish. As Apolinario and Campos are about to crush Dustin LeFever, by sheer luck he dodges and makes them clothesline each other, then rolls Apolinario up for a triumphant cross-division victory! (14:22) Match Rating: 64 Match 6: Juro Deguchi & TOKI INK vs Kamei Takauji & Oda Yamawaki VS The match begun with a very interesting and tense exchange between Yamawaki and INK, full of small things and counters that would alter control in an instant. A disrespectful slap from INK to Yamawaki led to a flurry of offense from the former world champion, and a self satisfied tag to his young lion. Kamei Takauji, only 5 months into his professional wrestling career had the biggest opportunity of his young life being in the ring against one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time in Juro Deguchi. Predictably, he got killed multiple times. This was an out of body experience as the HardRockCity members hazed the kid while Oda Yamawaki intervened as much as possible to save his life. Takauji managed an incredible burst of energy and with a series of forearms that barely dented Deguchi he got enough separation for a dropkick that let him scurry to the corner and tag Yamawaki in. Oda fought a brutal war against both members of HardRockCity, but he was forced to tag out after an especially brutal headbutt from a hateful Deguchi. That led to a final stretch of INK vs Takauji which was mostly procedural. Toki’s INK SINK (Tombstone Piledriver) put an end to the match. (16:25) Match Rating: 68 Match 7: Erik Van Rjin & Kato vs Waotaka Eda & Torture VS On paper, Van Rjin & Kato are the strongest possible duo in the company. But Eda and Torture have the same exact strengths and can attempt to match the stiffness and brutality better than anyone else. In short, this was a damn war. The words are melting into each other by this point but really, this was a true strike-fest the likes of which we don’t often see. The crowd is electric early on as Eda wins the early exchange against Kato, dodging a big kick and coming back with a flying lariat, then tries to pins him with a foot on the sternum. Kato kicks out at 1 and is absolutely furious. He gets into Eda’s face and yells at him. Eda tries to grab him into the belly to belly suplex but Kato gets Mongolian Chop as he’s off his feet to escape. It’s frenetic and dangerous, with just the right dose of Fighting Spirit to keep the action going, especially since Eda and Torture are bigger guys who don’t have middleweight mobility. Van Rjin in particular was a man possessed however. He routinely tossed Eda and Torture around in between brutal lariats and knee strikes, and would only be stopped by a cheap shot as a cut off, desperate attempts for survival. One of those cut offs led to Eda hitting a huge backdrop immediately after for a very close nearfall, that led to trying a second consecutive one that was countered into a crossbody and led to the final hot tag. Kato and Torture were brutal to each other, with the American 7-Time Tag Team Champion really leveraging his strength and size advantage to deny the mystical powers of the hot tag, but Kato is a relentless wardog. He took every strike in stride and hit the Zero Point Slam (Twisting Northern Lights) out of nowhere to lead to Infinity (Sliding Elbow) for the three count as Eda and Van Rjin were trading elbows at ringside. (23:35) Match Rating: 72 Match 8: Blue Rhino Cup Final Match: Strength Through Honour vs Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita While the Blue Rhino Cup is a fun fixture and a show of brand unity, there is always the feeling that it’s a filler tournament in terms of brand quality. With its lineup, the 2021 edition wasn’t an exception, but the finalists knew that and goddamn did they overdeliver in comparison to expectations. Strength Ogawa and Honour Katsumoto made a compelling case for one final run as they anchored this performance on an emotional and structural level, Mr. Yamashita put on a career match and Katsuhiko Ishii is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but it’s nice when he gets to remind people on a stage bigger than HONOUR. Despite Strength Through Honour clearly working more face against the members of Kinjo-Jindai, we didn’t really get the concept of heat here. The veterans controlled the pace, Kinjo-Jindai looked like on the verge of losing for most of the contest, Ishii traded headbutts with both of them that got him dizzy and almost lost him the match to a double backdrop (with Mr. Yamashita breaking the pin). Strength Ogawa instantly hurled Mr. Yamashita to the outside and went out to neutralize him, but that left his partner on an island with the most dangerous man in the ring. Ishii’s young age let him get a second wind and he built up to a Thunder Death Driver (Fire Thunder Driver) for the three count and the Blue Rhino Cup Victory! (20:23) Match Rating: 73 Main Event: Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryotaro Naruto vs Kozue The first big main event of the year was a huge responsibility on the two veteran junior heavyweights. Luckily, they’re who they are for a reason. A three-act broadway that was the longest a UPJ match has gone so far in 2021 ensued, starting off with the struggle of knowing each other two much, countering most initial approaches, getting very small victories in terms of hits in or grappling, and pinfalls not even getting attempted. Kozue got the separation he needed first, and followed up a huge, rocking dropkick with a beautiful tornillo for an early two count. This begun a period of dominance for him that clearly defined the wrestlers’ roles, with Naruto turning more into a wrestler who will catch Kozue and counter with throws rather than his usual style which even in his age is closer to a classic junior heavyweight. His opponent just happens to be the best high flyer in the world, and he needs to adjust. There was a level of violence not usually seen in Naruto matches, he didn’t hold back on the suplexes, including a german right into the turnbuckles that had Kozue hit neck-first. He decided this was a perfect time to hit the Naruto Driver (Cradle Piledriver), but Kozue manage to counter into a jackknife pin for a very close nearfall. Sadly for Naruto, when the match became a war of attrition he couldn’t quite keep up, to the point where he started spamming the Naruto Driver attempt and just hoped he’d figure out the counters in time, which he did half the time. He managed to execute the move once but Kozue kicked out at 2 with ease, and by that point Ryotaro decided the best course of action are his strikes in order to wear down Kozue as fast as possible. That backfired on him as Kozue would dodge and get the freedom of movement to run circles around him, hit a barrage of moves that ended with the K-Drop II (Fisherman’s Falcon Arrow) for the win and successful title defense (30:21) Match Rating: 86 Post-Match Promo: Next Challenger After the grueling title match, Kozue doesn’t get enough time to celebrate before Furosuto comes out. The crowd goes wild at the two rivals being in the ring together. Furosuto first helps Ryotaro Naruto to his feet, before calling for a microphone, but Jin Fujiwara’s music hits the speakers. The Steampunk Fighter points out how he beat Furosuto today and he is entitled to challenge for Kozue’s title first. Kozue jumps at the chance to accept the challenge, saying he’s already at war with Hall of the United Throne anyway, so it’ll be nice to send another message. Furosuto is frustrated, but he backs down. Segment Rating: 65 Show Rating: 81 (Some) Post-Show Comments: Bruiser Cassidy: "Undefeated in 2021. Next up is the joke of an emperor who's going to lose his belt in the first defense. It's been a while since I was here, and I've been hungry and waiting for a shot at the International Heavyweight title. He has lackeys behind him protecting him, but I have my brothers in the Ignite Muscle Army, and that will make the difference." Katsuhiko Ishii: "An offering at the altar of the God Emperor. Just the start of what is going to happen. Whoever wins the tag title match should expect us at Hiroshima. Nothing more impressive than winning a title with Mr. Yamashita in the eyes of Kinjo." Mr. Yamashita (completely oblivious): Yeah baby that was maximum! First accolade for the greatest team in UPJ!" Furosuto: "It was Fujiwara's day today, but that won't affect my course towards reclaiming the junior title. If it was part of Naruto's plan to get me to join the Hall, he's not getting any warmer." Juro Deguchi: "If Yamawaki was to fuck around with young lions, then when I beat him he should probably go back to being one. Losing the International Heavyweight title has clearly impacted him and made him unfit to lead UPJ, he cannot handle pressure." Ryotaro Naruto: "That was hard-fought, huh? Fair play to Kozue. But this is not the last time I fight for titles. I'm here to stay, no matter what happens in terms of passing the stable. UPJ needs stability amidst the chaos of megalomaniacs squabbling. And with the support of the fans, this stability can come back." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboardTheArk Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 Thank you all for the predictions and for reading the show! I'm going to be posting these Showdown Series shows about once a week before settling into the pace for the next tour and the Ozeki Summit later. Speaking of the predictions, here's the results: @neslo024 8/9 @Vandal 7/9 @StanMiguel 6/9 @Chaddes 7/9 @Dalton 5/7 @229tman 6/9 Pretty good for a first show, and that's high participation so thank you all. UPJ SHOWDOWN IN GIFU 2021 CARD: Main Event: UPJ International Heavyweight Championship Match: Bruiser Cassidy vs Kintaro Kinjo (1st Defense) UPJ International Tag Team Championships Match: PunkRockCity vs Pure MUSCLE (4th Defense) UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Match: Nakada & Yamada vs Cody & Matsuo (1st Defense) Erik Van Rjin, Kato and Takehide Harada vs Dustin LeFever, Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Jin Fujiwara, Ryotaro Naruto and SHOGUN vs Furosuto, Kozue and Utamara Oda Yamawaki vs Hidetsugu Genji Juro Deguchi vs Kamei Takauji 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanMiguel Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Bruiser Cassidy Pure MUSCLE Cody & Matsuo (1st Defense) Dustin LeFever, Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Jin Fujiwara, Ryotaro Naruto and SHOGUN Oda Yamawaki Kamei Takauji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martel123 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Main Event: UPJ International Heavyweight Championship Match: Bruiser Cassidy vs Kintaro Kinjo (1st Defense) UPJ International Tag Team Championships Match: PunkRockCity vs Pure MUSCLE (4th Defense) UPJ Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Match: Nakada & Yamada vs Cody & Matsuo (1st Defense) Erik Van Rjin, Kato and Takehide Harada vs Dustin LeFever, Katsuhiko Ishii & Mr. Yamashita Jin Fujiwara, Ryotaro Naruto and SHOGUN vs Furosuto, Kozue and Utamara Oda Yamawaki vs Hidetsugu Genji Juro Deguchi vs Kamei Takauji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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