Some Observer notes for the non-WWE crowd:
ALL JAPAN
There was a wrestling war in Tokyo on 2/23 as All Japan, Pro Wrestling NOAH and the IGF all ran big shows in the city. All three groups claimed sellouts, although NOAH was a little show. All Japan sold out Korakuen Hall based on a best-of-five series between All Japan vs. Burning (the former NOAH wrestlers). NOAH ran Differ Ariake and had 1,400, which was almost sold out. The IGF ran the Tokyo Dome City Hall and sold that out with 3,070, largely due to the fact that so many legends would be appearing.
All Japans show in the best-of-five series opened with Atsushi Aoki over Hiroshi Yamato in 9:12 with the assault point to give Burning the first win. Aoki said that his new goal was to team with Kotaro Suzuki and take the All-Asia tag titles from Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto. Kaz Hayashi evened it up for All Japan pinning Suzuki in 11:07. Next saw Burnings Go Shiozaki make a statement by pinning Manabu Soya with the Go Flasher in 4:52. Such a win would indicate they are building Shiozaki up for a Triple Crown title shot, since he quickly beat the guy who holds both the Big Japan title and All Japans world tag titles. All Japan evened it up with Takao Omori pinning Jun Akiyama in 12:14 with the axe bomber. Last year, Akiyama had beaten Omori when Akiyama held the Triple Crown in a tremendous match, so this evened it up between the two guys who started their careers together and used to be a tag team. The deciding match saw Burnings Yoshinobu Kanemaru win the All Japan jr. title from Shuji Kondo in 15:54 with the brainbuster. The other big match on the show was a captains fall elimination match (theyve been doing these four vs. four matches in the main event every night this tour) with Suwama & Joe Doering & Hikaru Sato & Mazada beating Masakatsu Funaki & Akebono & Ryota Hama & Koji Kanemoto with Funaki and Suwama as captains. This time Suwama, who is challenging Funaki for the Triple Crown on 3/17 at Sumo Hall, beat Funaki via ref stoppage on a submission which is a big deal since Funaki is supposed to be the submission master.
The 3/17 show at Sumo Hall has Funaki vs. Suwama on top, Omori & Soya defending the tag titles against Akiyama & Shiozaki, Keiji Muto & Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Masayuki Kono, Seiya Sanada vs. Kai, Tanaka & Kanemoto vs. Suzuki & Aoki for the All-Asia belts and Kanemaru vs. Hayashi for the jr. title. Frye and Takayama got a lot of non-wrestling attention because the June 23, 2002, match at the Saitama Super Arena between the two of them in Pride is arguably the greatest MMA brawl of all-time. There have been movies in Japan and TV shows, as well as wrestling shows where the match is referenced. The two reprised their match in the Japanese movie Nagurimono, and its been referenced many times by Joe Rogan in UFC broadcasts, as well as in Rogans commentary in the movie Here Comes the Boom! Its pretty much a descriptive term in MMA, Frye-Takayama meaning beyond match of the year and maybe match of the decade, and the Frye-Takayama spot, essentially two guys standing and wailing on each other is done in both Japanese pro wrestling, and as an opening spot on tons of American indie matches. Frye will be doing two matches in Japan next month.
To lead up to it, they have a 3/10 show at Korakuen Hall with Funaki & Akebono vs. Suwama & Doering with no pins and no DQ, with the only finishes being a knockout or submission, plus Omori & Soya & Hayashi vs. Akiyama & Shiozaki & Kanemaru, Tanaka vs. Suzuki and Kanemoto vs. Aoki.
Kanemoto, who has been working here as a regular for the past year while on loan from New Japan, is now a free agent as he didnt sign a New Japan contract for 2013.
PRO WRESTLING NOAH
Kenta Kobashi did a public training session on 2/23 to build his 5/11 retirement match at Budokan Hall. Kobashi said that he wanted Toshiaki Kawada to come to the show. Kawada now works at a Ramen noodle shop.
The big show of the week was 2/23 at Differ Ariake with Maybach Taniguchi & Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka (the latter two from New Japan) beating KENTA & Maybach Taniguchi Jr. & Genba Hirayanagi when Taniguchi pinned KENTA after a power bomb. KENTA defends the GHC title against Taniguchi on the 3/10 show in Yokohama.
NEW JAPAN
Jushin Ligers return to the U.K. after two decades on 6/15 in London at York Hall will be in a singles match against Prince Devitt.
Prelim wrestler Hiromu Takahashi is being sent to Europe for a long tour. Its the usual New Japan deal where they sent a prelim guy away for a year or two, then bring him back with a new look and gimmick and try to push him.
New Japan took profiles of Shelton Benjamin, Low Ki and MVP off its web site. Low Ki hasnt been back since the Tokyo Dome where he wore the Agent 87 costume from the Hitman video games, which was perceived by those in the company was his final FU to them. That and his being part of a match of the year candidate. If nothing else, he has a unique way of giving his notice. Benjamin has been trying to get into WWE for some time. MVP also hasnt been back of late. MVP has been busy trying to develop a U.S. television show with Lionsgate Entertainment, and is taking a break from wrestling. The TV show is not wrestling related. He said when he returns to wrestling, which he will, that WWE, TNA or New Japan are all possibilities.
OTHER JAPAN NOTES
The IGF show on 2/23 at the Tokyo Dome City Hall started a show long angle as IGF world champion ended up being the mystery opponent for Akira Joe in the opener, which Fujita won in 2:06 with the Boston crab. Bobby Lashley appeared pinning Hideki Suzuki with a spear. Next came the Antonio Inoki birthday celebration. Among the stars brought in were Tatsumi Fujinami, Satoru Sayama as Tiger Mask, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Gran Hamada, Kitazawa, Don Arakawa, The Cobra, Akira Maeda and Stan Hansen. Hansen presented flowers to Inoki for his 70th birthday. Inoki claimed he would be running shows in China, Cuba and they would go back to Pakistan. Satoshi Ishii was supposed to face Jeff Monson. Monson was advertised but apparently pulled out, which they never announced. Instead, Ishii was to fight Sean McCorkle, a big heavyweight, who came in with a 16-4 record. However, Ishii won with an armbar in 2:41. After the match, Ishii challenged Monson to fight him on he 3/20 show in Fukuoka. A new Korean giant, Taizan, knocked out Bob Sapp in 1:39 with a right. The main event was scheduled as Naoya Ogawa facing Atsushi Sawada. Before the match started, Fujita came out. If you recall, Fujita beat Ogawa via ref stoppage on punches on the ground on the companys New Years Eve show that was considered a disaster. Ogawa yelled at Fujita telling him that he only wrestled in the opener and he should go home. Ogawa first beat Atsushi Sawada with a choke in 10:27. Fujita came back out and they went at it and Ogawa used two STOs and won via choke, and then challenged Fujita to a title match.
