Look to the East – 02/14/13

Hello everyone and welcome to Look to the East for the week of February 14, 2013.  Not a huge news week yet again in Japan, but I do have some notes from the last iPPV from New Japan and a couple of match announcements.

 

“The New Beginning” anything but (NJP)

Another big, sold out show for New Japan on iPPV and while the show was successful, it didn’t live up to its name as all of the titles that were on the line were successfully retained.

So, it looks like “Forever Hooligans” (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) won’t be carrying the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles into ROH on March 11^th, which would have really made the match more interesting against “The American Wolves” (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards).

Speaking of the Juniors, Prince Devitt defeated his “Apollo 55” tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title and end the trend as of late for the title to change hands after a couple of defenses.

Once again, “Killer Elite Squad” (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr) successfully defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles against “TenKoji” (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), who I believe is the only team they’ve defended the titles against since they won them.  I’d be interested to see them defend those titles against a new team, within or outside of New Japan.

It also appears that Lance Archer feels that he doesn’t have enough gold.  After Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Suzuki Army’s Kengo Mashimo (K-Dojo) in a non title bout, Archer showed up to challenge Nakamura for his IWGP Intercontinental Title and avenge his stable mate. This could be an interesting match, as I’m interested to see how Nakamura handles a big man like Archer.

In the main event of the night, while “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson was very game competition, he was unable to wrestle away the IWGP Heavyweight Title from Hiroshi Tanahashi, who gains his 7^th successful defense and may possibly be looking to break his own record of 11 defenses.  Also, seems that no one is willing to actually challenge Tanahashi for his title anymore, as for the second straight month, nobody came out after the match.  There is speculation after a recent victory over Tanahashi that Prince Devitt could go for the rare double play and challenge for the main title in New Japan for the March 3^rd show.  However, if there’s no challenger by then, a new one will surely be determined via the New Japan Cup.

Liger set to appear for DDT (NJP / DDT)

Japanese wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger will be leading fellow New Japan roster member Hiromu Takahashi into Dramatic Dream Team to face off against the team of Yukio Sakaguchi & Akito.  This match stems from a match that Liger had with Sakaguchi at the Legend Pro Wrestling event where it seems a rivalry between the two began.  The match takes place in Korakuen Hall on February 17^th.  The main event match for the card features KO-D Openweight Champion Kenny Omega in his second defense against Harashima.

 

Soya to defend BJP Title (AJP / BJP)

Manabu Soya of All Japan has really lit a fire under the members of Big Japan wrestling since winning the BJP World Strong Heavy Title, as he has been seen taping a letter A over top of the B on the title belt.  Well, Soya goes into enemy territory on March 1, defending the title against Daisuke Sekimoto in Korakuen Hall.  Other action on this show sees the continuation of the Ikkitosen Deathmatch Survivor League, which is set to begin February 24^th.  The matches on March 1 are Ryuji Ito vs. Drake Younger (CZW) in a Glass Board match and Isami Kodaka (Union) vs. Takumi Tsuakmoto in a Tenchiwokurau match, of which I have no idea what that entails.

 

Show Results – 02/08/13 – 02/13/13

02/08/13 – Naniwa Big Fireworks (Zero1) – Osaka Bodymaker Coliseum

Keita Yano & Teitora-chan Ogawa def. Machi no Hokenya Kaeru Sensei & Igano Ninja

Mineo Fujita, Shoichi Uchida & Yasu Kubota def. Ikuto Hidaka, Yoshikazu Yokoyama & Kenichi Fujii

12 Man Tag – Hisakatsu Ooya, Freddy Krueger, Crypt Keeper, Badboy Hido, Miss Mongolia & Akugyo Senshi Dark Ranger def. Masanobu Kurisu, Ricky Fuji, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, The Shooter, Choden Senshi Battle Ranger & Flying Kid Ichihara

International Jr & NWA World Jr Heavyweight Double Title Match – Takuya Sugawara (C2) def. Yo-Hey

6 Man Tag – Kohei Sato, Ryoji Sai & Zeus def. Magnitude Kishiwada, Hideki Hosaka & Tomohiko Hashimoto

Shinjiro Otani & Masato Tanaka def. Sabu & Leatherface

No Rope, Barbed wire, Current Blast Naniwa Hell Deathmatch – Atsushi Onita def. Akebono (Free)

 

02/08/13 – The Second Navigation ’13 (NOAH) – Tokorozawa City Civic Gym

Genba Hirayanagi def. Lance Bravado

Katsuhiko Nakajima (Diamond Ring) def. Barry Bruiser

Ryuji Hijikata (Free) def. Harlem Bravado

Taiji Ishimori & Yoshinari Ogawa def. Ross & Marshall Von Erich

Battle Royal – Ryuji Hijikata def. Barry Bruiser

Akitoshi Saito def. Kento Miyahara

Maybach Taniguchi & Maybach Taniguchi Jr def. Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge

Kenta & Yoshihiro Takayama def. Takeshi Morishima & Mohammed Yone

 

02/09/13 – The Second Navigation ’13 (NOAH) – Korakuen Hall

Atsushi Kotoge def. Hitoshi Kumano

Ross & Marshall Von Erich def. Lance & Harlem Bravado

Kento Miyahara def. Masao Inoue

Yoshinari Ogawa & Akitoshi Saito (Free) def. “Diamond Ring” (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Satoshi Kajiwara)

Takeshi Morishima def. Captain New Japan

Maybach Taniguchi & Maybach Taniguchi Jr vs. “Chaos” (Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka) (NJP) – Draw – (Double DQ)

6 Man Tag – Kenta, Yoshihiro Takayama & Genba Hirayanagi def. Naomichi Marufuji, Mohammed Yone & Taiji Ishimori

 

02/09/13 – Excite Series ’13 (AJP) – Kyoto KBS Hall

3 Way Match – Masanobu Fuchi def. Andy Woo & Mazada

Manabu Soya & Reid Flair def. Seiya Sanada & Yasufumi Nakanoueno

Kenso def. Sushi

“Smop” (Akebono & Ryota Hama) def. Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto

“Burning” (Jun Akiyama, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki) (Free) def. Takao Omori, Kaz Hayashi & Shuji Kondo

8 Man Elimination Tag – “Baka Hentai” (Hiroshi Yamato & Hikaru Sato) & “Last Revolution” (Suwama & Joe Doering) def. Masakatsu Funaki, Masayuki Kono & “Junior Stars” (Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto)

 

02/09/13 – Club-K 3000 (K-Dojo) – Reina Arena

Yuji Hino & Ricky Fuji def. Taishi Takizawa & Tank Nagai

Subaru Inematsu def. Bambi

Bo-So Golden Tag Tournament ’13 – Kengo Mashimo & Ryuichi Sekine def. Kotaro Nasu & Hiroshi Fukuda (Union)

Bo-So Golden Tag Tournament ’13 – Hiroki & Daigoro Kashiwa def. Kunion Toshima & Psycho

Bo-So Golden Tag Tournament ’13 – Shiori Asahi & Yuki Sato def. Hiro Tonai & Ayumu Honda

 

02/10/13 – The New Beginning ’13 (NJP) – Hiroshima Sun Plaza

10 Man Tag –Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Tama Tonga, Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Tiger Mask IV def. “Chaos” (Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi & Jado)

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Titles – “Time Splitters” (Alex Shelley & Kushida) © def. “Forever Hooligans” (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) – V1 Defense

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title – Prince Devitt © def. Ryusuke Taguchi – V2 Defense

IWGP Tag Titles – “KES” (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr) © def. “TenKoji” (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – V3 Defense

Togi Makabe def. Yujiro Takahashi

“Laughter7” (Kazushi Sakuraba & Katsuyori Shibata) def. Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue

Shinsuke Nakamura def. Kengo Mashimo (K-Dojo)

Minoru Suzuki def. “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada

IWGP Heavyweight Title – Hiroshi Tanahashi © def. “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson – V7 Defense

 

02/10/13 – Excite Series ’13 (AJP) – Hakata Starlines

3 Way Match – Kenso def. Andy Woo & Mazada

Masanobu Fuchi & Reid Flair def. Tomoaki Honma (Free) & Kazushi Miyamoto – DQ

6 Man Tag – Shuji Kondo & “Last Revolution” (Suwama & Joe Doering) def. Sushi & “Smop” (Akebono & Ryota Hama)

Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono def. Seiya Sanada & Yasufumi Nakanoueno

6 Man Tag – “Burning” (Jun Akiyama, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki) (Free) def. Kaz Hayashi & “Get Wild” (Takao Omori & Manabu Soya)

All Asia Tag Titles – “Junior Stars’ (Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto) def. “Baka Hentai” (Hiroshi Yamato & Hikaru Sato) © – “Junior Stars” become the 91^st Champions

 

02/10/13 – The Second Navigation ’13 (NOAH) – Shimizu Marine Building

Mitsuhiro Kitamiya (Diamond Ring) def. Hitoshi Kumano

Kento Miyahara (Diamond Ring) def. Ross Von Erich

Yoshinari Ogawa def. Harlem Bravado

Taiji Ishimori def. Lance Bravado

Maybach Taniguchi def. Marshall Von Erich

Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura def. “Diamond Ring” (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Satoshi Kajiwara)

Kenta, Maybach Taniguchi Jr & Genba Hirayanagi def. Takeshi Morishima, Mohammed Yone & Atsushi Kotoge

 

02/11/13 – New Japan Road ’13 (NJP) – Osaka Bodymaker Coliseum

Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe def. Bushi & Sho Tanaka

8 Man Tag – Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Tiger Mask IV & “Time Splitters” (Alex Shelley & Kushida) def. “Chaos” (Jado, Gedo & “Forever Hooligans” (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov))

Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi def. Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue

8 Man Tag – “Suzuki Army” (Taka Michinoku (K-Dojo), Hiro Tonai (K-Dojo) & “KES” (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr)) def. Tama Tonga, Captain New Japan & “TenKoji” (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima)

6 Man Tag – Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi def. “Chaos” (Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Yujiro Takahashi) – DQ – (Illegal Weapon)

Shinsuke Nakamura & “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada def. Minoru Suzuki & Kengo Mashimo (K-Dojo)

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi def. “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson & Prince Devitt

 

02/11/13 – Dream Anniversary ’13 (Diamond Ring) – Korakuen Hall

Battle Royal – Antonio Honda def. Namazu Man, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kikutaro, Chango, Menso-re Oyaji, Nosawa Rongai, Marines Mask, Masao Inoue & Shu & Kei Brahman

Manami Toyota (Free) & Meiko Satomura (Sendai Girls) def. Yumiko Hotta & Sonoko Kato

6 Man Tag – Satoshi Kajiwara, Ryuiji Hijikata (Free) & Tajiri (WNC) def. Fujita “Jr” Hayato (Michinoku), Kenichiro Arai (DragonGate) & K-ness (DragonGate)

Osamu Nishimura def. Mitsuhiro Kitamiya

“K-Dojo” (Kento Miyahara & Taishi Takizawa) vs. Taru & Kazunari Murakami – No Contest

8 Man Tag – Kento Miyahara (K-Dojo), Taishi Takizawa (K-Dojo), Satoshi Kajiwara & Mitsuhiro Kitamiya def. Kazunari Murakami & “Voodoo Murders” (Taru, “Brother” Yasshi & Kengo)

 

02/11/13 – “Into the fight series” (DDT) – Koyama City Cultural Center

Yukio Sakaguchi & Makoto Oishi def. Mikami & Masa Takanashi

Keisuke Ishii & Takao Soma def. Takagi Sanshiro & DJ Nira

Kota Ibushi & Gota Ihashi def. Michael Nakazawa & Tomomitsu Matsunaga

Danshoku Dino def. Fuma

Yasu Urano def. Shighiro Irie

3 Way Match – Kenny Omega def. Harashima & Daisuke Sasaki

 

02/11/13 – Excite Series ’13 (AJP) – Kumamoto City Food Exchange Center

Hikaru Sato (Pancrase) def. Andy Woo

Masanobu Fuchi & Reid Flair def. Seiya Sanada & Yasufumi Nakanoueno

Kenso & Honoo! Shuichi def. Sushi & Mazada

“Smop” (Akebono & Ryota Hama) def. Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto (Tenryu)

6 Man Tag – “Burning” (Jun Akiyama, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki) (Free) def. Hiroshi Yamato & “Get Wild” (Manabu Soya & Takao Omori)

8 Man Elimination Tag – Masakatsu Funaki, Masayuki Kono & “Junior Stars” (Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto) def. Kaz Hayashi, Shuji Kondo & “Last Revolution” (Suwama & Joe Doering)

 

02/11/13 – Memorial Gate ’13 (DragonGate) – Iwade City Gym

6 Man Tag – Dragon Kid, Gamma & Hub def. Super Shisa, Super Shenlong III & Chihiro Tominaga

Cyber Kong def. “Hollywood” Stalker Ishikawa

Mondai Ryu def. Jimmy Kagetora

Yamato & Shingo Takagi def. Masato Yoshino & Shachihoko Boy

Open the Twin Gate Titles – Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fuji © def. Naruki Doi & Ricochet – V6 Defense

10 Man, Captain Fall, Elimination Tag – Naoki Tanizaki (Captain), Ryo “Jimmy” Saito, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kagetora def. Pii Pii Tomakomai Penguin (Captain), Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, Kzy & Mondai Ryu – Due to his loss, Tomakomai is exiled from Dragon Gate

Open the Dream Gate Title – Cima © def. Jimmy Kanda – V11 Defense

 

02/12/13 – New Japan Road (NJP) – Takaoka Techno Dome

Wataru Inoue def. Yohei Komatsu

Yoshi-Hashi & Jado def. Manabu Nakanishi & Captain New Japan

Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Bushi def. Ryusuke Taguchi Kushida & Hiromu Takahashi

“TenKoji” (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) def. Yuji Nagata & Takaaki Watanabe

Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii def. Kengo Mashimo (K-Dojo) & Taka Michinoku (K-Dojo)

“Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada & Gedo def. Minoru Suzuki & Hiro Tonai (K-Dojo)

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Hirooki Goto def. “Chaos” (Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Yujiro Takahashi)

 

02/13/13 – Excite Series ’13 (AJP) – Kochi Sunpia Chres

Mazada def. Andy Woo

Seiya Sanada & Reid Flair def. Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto (Tenryu)

3 Way Match – Kenso def. Sushi & Hikaru Sato (Pancrase)

“Smop” (Akebono & Ryota Hama) def. Masanobu Fuchi & Yasufumi Nakanoueno

Kaz Hayashi & “Get Wild” (Takao Omori & Manabu Soya) def. “Burning” (Jun Akiyama, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki) (Free)

8 Man Elimination Tag – Masakatsu Funaki, Masayuki Kono & “Junior Stars” (Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto) def. Shuji Kondo, Hiroshi Yamato & “Last Revolution” (Suwama & Joe Doering)

 

02/13/13 – Onihasoto Fukawa ’13 (Union) – Shinkiba 1^st Ring

Hiroshi Fukuda & Jun Kasai def. Choun Shiryu & Akito

Seiya Morohashi def. Goro Junior w/ El Hijo del Goro

Masako Takanashi & Kaori Yoneyama def. Cherry & Mio Shirai

Keisuke Ishii def. Ken Ohka – Due to the loss, Ken Ohka & Mio Shirai have to leave Union

4 Team Elimination Tag – Menso-re Oyaji / Iriomote Wild Cat def. Shuji Ishikawa / Fuma, Shigehiro Irie / Takao Soma & Daichi Kazato / Sagat

Kengo “Ohka” Mashimo def. Isami Kodaka

 

Final Thoughts

It’s kind of a shame that “Forever Hooligans” didn’t win the Jr Tag Titles.  I would’ve liked to have seen if they would defend them against the “American Wolves”.  Then what happens if the wolves won the belts?  I’m sure Richards & Edwards could take over Japan with their mix of speed and power.  Also, I’m interested to see who Tanahashi’s next challenger is going to end up being.  Though it makes me curious, why aren’t they having the challengers call Tana out after his defenses anymore?  My thought is that they’re trying to make Tana look like an unstoppable force that no one wants to face. Guess we’ll have to see.

 

Well, that’s all I have for this edition.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for Crossing the Impact Zone, as we go on week three from the UK.  So until then, take care, stay tuned and remember……listen to the stars, for they know all.

 

Dennis Gates Jr. (@knightnephrite)

http://knightnephrite.deviantart.com for photos

knightnephrite@aol.com