-TheDenizen/Minoru Hoshino vs Yoji Shinichi/Satoshi Iguchi-
The Story: This junior tag match is the ZIP JAPAN debut for TheDenizen. Satoshi Iguchi and Yoji Shinichi are both talented, aggressive heels who are angry about being left off the card for the DOJO Showcase. They are looking to make a point against the rookie, who is teamed up with highflying journeyman Minoru Hoshino.
The Match: Rapidfire junior action to open the show, Hoshino started the match against Iguchi with a series of armdrags and reversals that had the crowd gasping. The more experienced heels dominated the offense for much of the match, but Hoshino did hit the Burn Out twice on Iguchi, though could only get a 2 count each time. Best spot of the match saw Shinichi tag in and climb to the top just before Iguchi hit TheDenizen with a Diamond Cutter - Shinichi immediately followed up with a high impact moonsault that landed right as TheDenizen rolled over for a 2.9 count. Ultimately, after kicking out of one of Shinichi's Michinoku Drivers at 2.9, TheDenizen was finally able to hit his finisher in the middle of the ring for the pinfall while Hoshino kept Iguchi occupied on the apron. The crowd was really behind TheDenizen and Hoshino during this match.
Result: TheDenizen/Minoru Hoshino (pin) - TheDenizen Driver at 22:13.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: I was so stoked to pick up a victory in my first ever match for ZIP JAPAN. I think Hoshino and I worked pretty well as a team, and I was pleased by the response of the fans. I hope I can carry this momentum forward into the next event. Damn, Iguchi is MEAN. That guy just wants to hurt people.
-Genki Raiga vs Johnny Jobber-
The Story: Raiga is a veteran wrestler, an aggressive man who likes to toss his opponents around the ring, and he is a strong fan favorite. Johnny Jobber is, well, enhancement talent.
The Match: Johnny looked good coming out of the gate, landing some stiff elbow shots and a big DDT on Raiga in the opening few minutes. Raiga quickly regained his composure, and took control. He used suplexes and backdrops to wear Johnny Jobber down, and threw him over the ropes to continue the beating outside the ring. After a few irish whips into the railing and a sick double underhook suplex on the outside, Raiga rolled Johnny back into the ring. Johnny valiantly tried to make a comeback, but his weak attempt at a suplex of his own was easily blocked by Raiga, who countered the move into a Reverse Drop, and followed it up with a face lock submission move. Johnny tapped out instantly.
The Result: Genki Raiga (sub) - Reverse Drop -> Just Face Lock at 12:48.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: Strong performance from Genki Raiga. Johnny never really had a chance, but Raiga was very over with the crowd who chanted his name throughout the match.
-Kenzo Kobayashi vs Mickey Grinds-
The Story: Kobayashi/Sawada are the tag champs and feuding with Nails/Grinds. At the DOJO show, during a tag title match, Jimmy Nails was seriously injured by Kobayashi's finisher, the Schwein. Mickey Grinds is looking for some payback for his tag team partner in this one on one match up.
The Match: This match began at a lightning quick pace, Grinds really taking it to Kobayashi with aggressive strikes that chased the tag champion out the ring at 2:15. Kobayashi flipped off some fans before climbing back in the ring and locking up with Mickey again. After some fast reversals, Mickey landed a big Reverse DDT. Suddenly, Kenji Sawada arrived on the scene, and he and Kobayshi began a vicious beatdown on Mickey Grinds. Reiko ZIP called for the DQ, but that didn't stop Sawada from holding Mickey in place for a nasty chairshot to the head from Kenzo. Mickey was barely conscious as they stomped away at him. The tag champs left when security showed up en masse, leaving Grinds in a bloody heap on the canvas.
The Result: Mickey Grinds (DQ) - 4:35.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: Pretty shocking stuff, the 2 on 1 beatdown was unbelievably intense. Blood was everywhere, women in the audience were crying out for mercy, and the heels were lapping it up as they put the boots to Mickey. I saw him backstage afterwards being loaded into an ambulance. It didn't look good.
-Asano Kaneshiro/Takeshi Kiriyama vs Crusher Kodo/Wataru Nakajima-
The Story: Kaneshiro/Kiriyama are a nasty heel tag team looking to reassert their dominance after losing their Interpromotional tag match at the DOJO. Kodo/Nakajima are a combination of tough old vets who have been working well together at the last few events, establishing themselves as a team to beat.
While the ring canvas was changed after the last match/bloodbath, Nakajima and Kodo appeared backstage in the locker room.
Nakajima: Hey, Crusher, you see tonight's call sheet? We're up next. Wake up!
Kodo: *snoozing* Hm? Wha?Nakajima: Come on, Crusher. We've got Kaneshiro and Kiriyama in the ring, right now! If we beat these guys tonight, King ZIP will HAVE to put us in line for a Tag Team Title shot. Let's go take these kids to school, I heard Kaneshiro called you a "Geritol Joke" in the match program.
Kodo: Grrrrr. Damn punks. I'm gonna break someone's head.
The match: This match started with a huge flurry of offense from Kaneshiro, who battered both Nakajima and Kodo from pillar to post with brutal elbows and powerslams. After nearly 5 minutes of punishment, Kaneshiro tagged in Kiriyama who started attacking Nakajima's arm. The heels did a great job of isolating Nakajima for a long time, both of them working over his shoulder and elbow. One spot in the match saw Kodo come in to try and make a save as Nakajima was trapped in a triangle choke by Kiriyama. Kaneshiro cut him off, press slammed Kodo over the top rope, and then went over to his partner and executed a double team lariat on Nakajima! Kodo was going nuts on the apron during this beating, and Nakajima came close to tapping out a couple of times, before finally crawling to his corner and making the hot tag. Kodo was fresh and began destroying the heels, smashing both his opponents with huge lariats and chops. After tossing Kiriyama out of the ring, Kodo hit his finishing move on Kaneshiro and scored the 3 count to the elation of the fans.
The Result: Crusher Kodo/Wataru Nakajima (pin) - Cranium Crusher -> Pin at 21:25.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: This was a fantastic tag team match, Nakajima was an inspiration in the ring. The way he fought through the pain of being worked over by two younger and stronger opponents, refusing to give up, had the crowd on their feet cheering. The combination of Nakajima and Kodo are enjoying some real success recently, the veterans know how to get the job done, and the fans are fully behind them. Things are going less well for the team of Kaneshiro and Akiyama, they are on something of a losing streak at the moment.
-Jumbo Jinzei vs White Trash-
The Story: King ZIP is angry at Reiko for counting a pinfall on him during his comeback match at the DOJO. He has decided to punish her by booking this match between her boyfriend, White Trash (a slender junior), and the massive beast Jumbo Jinzei. Jinzei has nothing personal against White Trash, but he's more than happy to destroy anyone at King ZIP's urging. Poor Reiko will be in the ring as referee to witness the brutality up close.
The Match: White Trash did his best to avoid the big man here, spending the early part of the match outside the ring trying to run away from Jinzei. Once he got into the ring, the evasion tactics continued, until Jumbo finally caught hold of him. Jumbo unleashed a powerful flurry of strikes and slams that left Trash on the mat, before Jinzei unleashed the running Jumbo Splash. That should've been more than enough for the win, but Jumbo added more misery by climbing the turnbuckles and flattening White Trash with a top rope splash. Reiko ZIP counted the pinfall and was noticeably concerned watching White Trash being helped back to the locker room.
The Result: Jumbo Jinzei (pin) - Mud Splash at 9:48.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: Well, King ZIP wasn't kidding when he said he had a dismantling in store for White Trash. He also said this would just be the beginning. I wonder what White Trash will be faced with next?
-Daisuke Shimura vs Taro Yamamoto-
The Story: Yamamoto requested this match from King ZIP, to avenge an earlier defeat at the hands of Shimura. Last month, in his biggest win to date, Shimura forced Yamamoto to tap out to his Sasori-gatame. Yamamoto went wild after the loss, pitching a crying tantrum in between beating up security team members. Yamamoto is a former World Champion looking to reestablish his dominance over a talented youngster, and Shimura wants to prove his first victory was no fluke.
The Match: Things kicked off literally with Shimura nailing a roundhouse to Taro's face right off the bat. That set the tone as these two proceeded to stiff the hell out of each other for the duration of the match. Yamamoto was trying to use his experience to outwit Shimura, who was relentless in his attack on Yamamoto's knees. The action built in intensity until after 20 minutes, Taro nailed the Stern Perfect but could only get a 2.9 count. Incandescent with rage, Yamamoto pulled Shimura to his feet, hit a second Stern Perfect, but again could not secure the victory. Shimura locked in the Sasori-gatame after 26 minutes, but the early leg work was insufficient to force a tapout, and Yamamoto reached the ropes for a break. The absolute sickest spot of the match (and of the night, really) came around the 31 minute mark. As the two combatants grappled outside the ring, they worked their way up onto the entrance ramp, where Shimura hit a Steiner Screwdriver on the EDGE of the ramp. Yamamoto's scalp was split wide open and he crashed all the way down to the concrete floor. But by the time Shimura was able to roll him back into the ring, he could only get a 2.9 count. The crowd was incredulous. Wiping blood from his eyes, Yamamoto soldiered on, both men trading vicious chops in the center of the ring. After such an incredible match, the ending was somewhat underwhelming, as Yamamoto kicked Shimura in the groin before rolling him up for a cheap victory.
The Result: Taro Yamamoto (pin) - Small Package at 34:11.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: What a war this was! Yamamoto really poured everything into this match, it was clear he did NOT want to lose to Shimura again. Shimura just kept turning it up, kicking out of those finishers and relentlessly pounding Yamomoto's legs during the match. The Steiner Screwdriver spot was absolutely crazy, I have no idea how Taro managed to keep going after taking that bump. Ultimately, the night belonged to Yamamoto, but I don't think the final chapter in this story has been written. Daisuke Shimura was fuming after the match, but Yamamoto returned to the locker room very quickly to get stitched up.
-Mr Suplex vs Riot Gear-
The Story: Mr. Suplex is riding a huge wave of emotions at the moment after his massive win over Kintaro in a 2/3 Falls match. His star is definitely on the rise, but Riot Gear is a tough and psychotic brawler looking to derail Mr. Suplex's bullet train to the top.
The Match: Things started off nice and slow with some circling and hip tosses from Mr. Suplex. He sure likes working that chinlock early, too. Riot Gear started to get into the match around the 4 minute mark, finally getting in a few big punches after finding most of his early attempts reversed. There was some good back and forth stuff in the middle including a spot with a few reversals into an irish whip by Riot Gear ending in a huge lariat -> chokehold combo. At 10 minutes, Mr Suplex cut off Riot Gear's offense with an awesome belly to belly suplex out of the ring, and followed outside. There then followed a wild section of the match with tons of brawling at ringside, both men were nearly counted out a couple of times. Each time they would just make it back into the ring, before going right back out to continue the battle. Eventually Mr. Suplex hit his finisher, a Release German Suplex on the floor outside the ring. Riot Gear was stunned as Mr. Suplex rolled him back inside, and nailed him with the Alek's Lift for the 3 count.
The Result: Mr. Suplex (pin) - Alek's Lift -> Pin at 16:57.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: Mr. Suplex is red hot right now, he has two HUGE singles victories in his last two matches. Riot Gear is a very different type of opponent than Kintaro, all fists and fury compared to Kintaro's more patient balance of cunning, power and technical skill. The fact that Mr. Suplex defeated both of these larger men is a testament to his emerging superstardom.
ZIP JAPAN Junior Championship Rematch
-Justin Starr (c) vs Tetsuo Kinoshita-
The Story: Starr is the talented American rookie who won his first ever title belt from Kinoshita at the DOJO Event a couple of weeks ago. Kinoshita is a dangerous striker and risk taker, looking to regain his title at any cost in this rematch.
Justin came to the ring and addressed the fans as ZIP JAPAN Junior Champion for the first time.
Justin Starr: I just wanted to thank all the fans of ZIP JAPAN for being so supportive of me in these past several months since I arrived here. It has not been easy adjusting to day to day life in Japan, but having the fans on my side has made the transition very enjoyable. Your cheers have strengthened my will, and I've used that strength to defeat many very talented wrestlers to stand before you today as the NEW ZIP JAPAN Junior Champion!Even though I hold this title, a part of it belongs to you fans, who helped me to win it! I vow that I will use every ounce of fighting spirit within me each time I defend this title, and I hope you will continue to support me. Arigato gozaimasu! *bows*
The Match: The match started off with both men feeling each other out a bit. Kinoshita was being wary, not wanting to be caught in another quick roll-up by Starr, and Starr was in no rush to bring out the heavy artillery right away. After some chain wrestling and quick reversals, Kinoshita landed the first big move of the match, flattening Justin with a running Spin Kick. Starr got wise after that, and had pretty good success throughout the match at blocking Kinoshita's trademark kicks. They built up gradually to the bigger impact moves, Starr landing an Egoist Driver for a 2 count after 11 minutes, and Kinoshita replying with a Dragon Cutter for a 2 count of his own. The finish of the match came when Starr surprised Kinoshita with a sudden Superkick that left him lying in the ropes. Starr dragged Kinoshita to the center, climbed the turnbuckle, and came crashing down with a Sky Twister for the 3 count.
The Result: Justin Starr (pin) - Sky Twister at 15:01.
TheDenizen's Thoughts: A convincing victory for Justin Starr in tonight's main event. The new champ looked really confident in the ring, wrestling an intelligent match and displaying a veterans instincts. Justin can now look forward to his second title defense against Great HAGE in the near future, while Kinoshita needs to turn things around after his second straight loss to Starr.
Well, the fans left satisfied after a superb night of action in Osaka. I hope everyone enjoyed reading about the event! The next one will probably be in a couple of weeks.
Feel free to leave comments/feedback on the show!
1 comment:
Great great show Denizen. Congrats on your win as well. On another note... do you know if King Zip is taking applications?
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