Kenny Vs Minoru, Junior Stars In DDT, Nagoya, Union

October 24, 2011

DDT “FUTURE HEAVEN! IN NAGOYA 2011”, 30/10/2011
Nagoya Club Diamond Hall

1. MIKAMI Vs Toru Sugiura
2. Makoto Oishi & Mr. #6 Vs DJ Nira & Kazuki Hirata
3. KUDO, Kenny Omega & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Masa Takanashi, Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie
4. HERO! Last DDT Match: HARASHIMA & HERO! Vs Michael Nakazawa & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
5. KO-D Tag Team Title Contendership: Antonio Honda & Yasu Urano Vs Takao Soma & Akito
6. Special Singles Match: Hikaru Sato Vs Danshoku Dino

Kenny Omega will make his first appearance in DDT since becoming the AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion here in Nagoya.

DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL 2011”, 06/11/2011
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. Triple Threat: Kushinbo Kamen Vs Kikutaro Vs Gorgeous Matsuno
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Winner Of 30/10 Contender Match
3. Special Tag Match: Kenny Omega & HARASHIMA Vs Minoru & Koji Kanemoto
4. KO-D Openweight Title: KUDO (c) Vs Masa Takanashi

Masa Takanashi finds himself in the same main event spot Hikaru Sato was in this time last year. The 2010 “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL” show had Sato become the KO-D Openweight Champion in dramatic fashion, defeating HARASHIMA and halting his KO-D Title run that began at Sumo Hall. Takanashi can repeat the same achievement when he goes up against the champion KUDO.

Kenny Omega’s first challenger for the AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Title has been confirmed to be Minoru, a supernova of the Japanese Jr. Heavyweight scene. Their title match will take place in DDT, which I’ll get to below. But before that match happens, Kenny will be teaming up with HARASHIMA to take on the Junior Stars of Minoru & Koji Kanemoto in Osaka on 6/11.

UNION “UNION 6th ANNIVERSARY”, 22/11/2011
Shinjuku FACE

1. Isami Kodaka (w/ Rumi Kazama) Vs Hiroshi Fukuda
2. Kasu Rachoresu Mental Health Treatment Match: Yoshiaki Yago (w/ Good Nurse Madoka) Vs Miyako (w/ BENTEN)
3. 6th Anniversary Battle Royal: Kazuhiko Ogasawara Vs Poison Sawada Vs A. YAZAWA Vs Chou-un Shiryu Vs Mecha Mummy Lite Vs Sister Akiko Vs Takeshi Minamino
4. SGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Cherry (c) Vs Apple Miyuki
5. Mio Shirai & Ken Ohka Vs Masao Orihara & Big Morohashi
6. DDT Extreme Title: El Generico (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi

A correction for the match involving the Kasu Rachoresu Mental Health duo of Yoshiaki Yago & Madoka with the oriental couple BENTEN & Miyako. It turns out that Yago will not be facing BENTEN but will in fact have some sort of match against Miyako! BENTEN will be in Miyako’s corner while Yago will have his “Good Nurse” Madoka by his side for the bout.

DDT “GOD BLESS DDT 2011”, 27/11/2011
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega (c) Vs Minoru

Just like when Kota Ibushi was the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion and when the Golden Lovers held the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, DDT will now get to host an AJPW Jr. Title match for Omega Vs Minoru.


Kenny Omega Clears AJPW Arcade Mode

October 23, 2011

AJPW “PRO-WRESTLING LOVE IN RYOGOKU VOL. 13”, 23/10/2011
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
8,500 Fans

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega defeated KAI (c) with the Croyt’s Wrath (20:43).
*KAI fails in V3. Kenny Omega becomes the 31st AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Champion!

A few months back, around the time Kota Ibushi was the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion for New Japan Pro Wrestling, his tag team partner Kenny Omega decided that his goal for 2011 was to go over to All Japan Pro Wrestling and win their Jr. Heavyweight belt. Today he achieved that goal in Sumo Hall, an arena where success had previously eluded him. Kenny defeated the champion KAI after hitting him with the Croyt’s Wrath twice, once from the top rope. Kenny now aims to be the cool champion that All Japan is currently lacking. He already has his first challenger lined up. Minoru has stepped up to grab the first title shot and is someone that Kenny lost to during the AJPW Jr. Heavyweight League that took place just last month. However, Kenny’s response to the challenge was he wanted the title match to take place in DDT.

Several DDT wrestlers attended the show to be in Kenny’s corner for the match. Kota Ibushi, Keisuke Ishii and Michael Nakazawa were there to show support. Also some of them might have also gone along so they could meet the Momoiro Clover Z pop group who were performing during the show.


Kenny Gets AJPW Jr. Title Shot, KO-D Tag Title Match In Sapporo

September 27, 2011

AJPW “PRO-WRESTLING LOVE IN RYOGOKU VOL. 13”, 23/10/2011
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: KAI (c) Vs Kenny Omega

Just like in the Best Of The Super Jr. tournament back in June, Kenny Omega came so close to winning the 2011 AJPW Jr. Heavyweight League. Omega finished second place in Block A behind the AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion and eventual tournament winner, KAI. Omega defeated KAI, BUSHI and BLACK BUSHI but what cost him were losses to Kaz Hayashi and MINORU. Hikaru Sato was also in the tournament but could only finish fifth in Block B, beating Jimmy Yang and MAZADA but losing to Hiroshi Yamato, Koji Kanemoto and Shuji Kondo.

Luckily for Omega, he was the only person in the tournament to beat KAI and for that he has been granted a title shot. He will face KAI for the belt at Sumo Hall on 23rd October.

DDT “PRO WRESTLING FESTIVAL IN SAPPORO”, 10/10/2011
Sapporo Teisen Hall

1. Poison JULIE Sawada & Antonio Honda Vs Yasu Urano & DJ Nira
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Hiroki Vs Michael Nakazawa & Chiharu
3. MIKAMI Vs Masa Takanashi
4. HARASHIMA & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Tomoya Adachi & Takao Soma
5. KUDO & Hikaru Sato Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa
6. KO-D Tag Team Title Decision Match: Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie

The vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles will be on the line in the main event. Tsurumi Amon thinks the rivalry between Shigehiro Irie and Keisuke Ishii will translate into one well-oiled machine of a tag team. Irie briefly held the KO-D Tag belts with Munenori Sawa back in June while Ishii is coming off of a failed KO-D Openweight Title challenge.

Speaking of Munenori Sawa, this will be one of his last shows in DDT before his retirement. Best to enjoy his team with Sanshiro Takagi while we still can. Meanwhile Takagi will be working double duty by wrestling in the semi-main as well as what I think is a mixed tag match.

DDT “NON-FIX 11.13”, 13/11/2011
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

Hard Hit “ATLANTIS”, 13/11/2011
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

UNION “FANTASY ILLUSION 5”, 13/11/2011
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

A Shin-Kiba 1st RING tripleshot is set for 13th November. DDT will hold a show, Hard Hit returns for its first event since April 2010 and Cherry will get to produce her fifth Fantasy Illusion.


Omega Dragonball’s KAI In All Japan

September 11, 2011

 

AJPW “FLASHING TOUR 2011”, 11/09/2011
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,700 Fans

3. Masanobu Fuchi, Jimmy Yang & BUSHI defeated Hikaru Sato, MAZADA & BLACK BUSHI when Yang pinned MAZADA with the Yang Time (12:44).
8. Jr. Heavyweight League – Block A: Kenny Omega [2] defeated KAI [0] with the Croyt’s Wrath (18:07).

Kenny Omega sent a loud message to All Japan Pro Wrestling, he wants the AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Championship! Kenny made a great start to the 2011 Jr. Heavyweight League by defeating the current Jr. Heavyweight Champ, KAI in the main event of today’s AJPW show in Korakuen Hall. After the match Kenny complimented KAI but also said All Japan needs a cool champion and he was here to become that champion.

Meanwhile Hikaru Sato was on the losing side of a 6-Man Tag featuring the League competitors that did not have a group match on the night. Sato will have his first League match on 14th September against Jimmy Yang.


Omega & Sato Vs All Japan, Ibushi Vs KUSHIDA

August 16, 2011

This September, Kenny Omega and Hikaru Sato are both crossing over to All Japan to compete in this year’s AJPW Jr. Heavyweight League. Omega has stated that he wants to win a singles title in Japan. Since his fellow Golden Lover is currently king of the New Japan Jr Heavyweight scene, Omega has set his sights on All Japan for his search of glory. Omega’s opposition in his group are the current AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion KAI, aswell as Kaz Hayashi, Minoru, BUSHI and BLACK BUSHI (who I assume is BUSHI’s non-union Canadian equivalent). Hikaru Sato returns to the tournament after a luke-warm win-loss record from last year. This time Sato’s opponents in his block are Shuji Kondo, Hiroshi Yamato, MAZADA, Jimmy Yang and New Japan’s Koji Kanemoto.

NJPW “G1 CLIMAX SPECIAL 2011”, 19/09/2011
Kobe World Hall

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kota Ibushi (c) Vs KUSHIDA

Meanwhile, Kota Ibushi has learned of his next challenger for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. KUSHIDA surprised many fans by defeating Ibushi when they clashed at the Best Of The Super Jr. XVIII back in June. Now just five months after he joined New Japan full time, KUSHIDA gets his first shot at the belt.


Golden Lovers Get Got, Ibushi Gets It All Together

August 14, 2011

NJPW, 14/08/11
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
11,500 Fans

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi (c) defeated Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega when Devitt pinned Omega after the Black Sunday (15:01).
*V6 for Apollo 55.

The Golden Lovers returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling to battle with Apollo 55 once more over the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. It was the fourth time these two teams faced each other with the belts on the line. This time Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi were victorious when Devitt pinned Kenny Omega with the Black Sunday double team finisher. Apollo 55 and The Golden Lovers both have two wins each in their series but surely it will be a long time until they wrestle each other again.

NJPW/AJPW/NOAH “ALL TOGETHER”, 27/08/11
Tokyo Nippon Budokan

ALL TOGETHER Opening Match ~ SUNRISE OF J: Kota Ibushi, Taiji Ishimori, Hiroshi Yamato & BUSHI Vs Tiger Mask, Kaz Hayashi, Shuji Kondo & Ricky Marvin

Kota Ibushi will be taking part in one of the most important wrestling events to take place in Japan this year. The “ALL TOGETHER” event will be a festival of wrestling consisting of crossover matches featuring the New Japan, All Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH rosters. All proceeds from the show will go to charities of the earthquake disaster from earlier this year. As IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Ibushi will get to be a part of the show in the first match of the night. The SUNRISE OF J bout will have Ibushi teaming with Taiji Ishimori from NOAH and Hiroshi Yamato & BUSHI from AJPW to take on New Japan’s Tiger Mask, Kaz Hayashi and Shuji Kondo from All Japan, and finally NOAH’s Ricky Marvin.