On Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 7:57 PM EST
Rising Sun Soliloquy #2: News From Japan
November 19, 2008
By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Huge Main Event Announcement for the January 4th “Wrestle Kingdom III” Show at the Tokyo Dome!
Hiroshi Tanahashi has answered the wishes of President Sugabayashi and will challenge mentor Keiji Muto for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th! Tanahashi and Muto have a pretty significant, storied history, with Tanahashi unable to defeat the man he has looked up to. Earlier this year at the Champions Carnival, Tanahashi managed a time limit draw. Logic has always said that it would appear to be Tanahashi's time to defeat his mentor, but as we've found out many times, that logic doesn't always play out, especially in Japan. Just this last October, Mutoh successfully defended his belt against Shinsuke Nakamura who coincidentally was the same man whom he defeated for the title earlier in the year.
Tanahashi Cancels TNA Appearances
Tanahashi has canceled all of his TNA appearances, which is probably for the best given how “well” he was being positioned on cards there. He's all but confirmed he'll be on all the “Circut 2008 New Japan Alive” shows to finish out this year. On that circuit, he'll have two big matches to prep him for his upcoming Tokyo Dome title shot, which is certainly a step up from getting pinned by 'Black Machismo'. The first will pit him against Gaijin Ace Giant Bernard on December 6th in Aichi and the second will pit him against Togi Makabe the very next day (December 7th) in Osaka.
NOAH Starting to Feel Economic Pinch
According to the Observer, Pro Wrestling NOAH has begun to show signs of some financial issues. The promotion's owner Mitsuharu Misawa announced that starting with the next tour, there were going to be some major changes taking place. The company won't be taking all wrestlers on tour. They will be cutting shows down from nine matches a card to the standard seven and there will be far more singles matches, and significantly less trios matches. This is being done to save costs by paying for less wrestlers on the road.
That being said, there won't be any huge contract re-negotiations. Most talents are contracted at a certain amount and will remain at that. Misawa has made it clear though, that wrestlers are going to have to earn their keep on the road. The ones working hard will continue on to the next tour while the ones that aren't, will be replaced. Those who won't be on tour will be training at the NOAH gym in Tokyo and if there's improvement, they can be put on standby is someone else falls off track and brought on the next tour.
All Japan is gearing up for it's “World's Strongest Tag League” Tournament which is usually held annually at the end of November into early December. What the heck is it? Well, pretty straight forward stuff, so lemme explain:
Here in the states, it's probably better known as the 'Real World Tag League'. That name is actually a screwed up translation by past promoter Giant Baba from the word “Saikyo”, which actually means 'Strongest' not 'Real' but for whatever reason, Baba thought it'd sound cooler in English to call it 'real'. Baba was always keeping it 'real'. Sounds like someone watched too many soccer tapes.
Anyways, the tournament started off in 1977 and is held under round-robin rules. 2 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw and zero for a loss, kind of like the old World Cup rules. The two teams with the most points at the end of this fun, meet in the finals. It's frequently been used in the past to push up and coming talent. Most recently or perhaps relevantly for you gringos here in the US, Umaga won this thing with Taiyo Kea back in 2004 under his “Jamal” name. It's easily the second biggest event on the All Japan calendar annually. So that's why you should care.
Full Strongest Tag League Cards Announced
All Japan has announced the full cards for the tag league. The kickoff show looks to be the show to watch with the always fearsome Kojima & Tenzan combination taking on Muto and his up and coming partner Ryota Hama. Also be on the lookout for the Kea/Suzuki team and the Suwama/Kondo teams should also be pretty impressive here. After the best Champion's Carnival in forever, the Tag League has a lofty task ahead of itself.
AJPW, 11/22/08 (Samurai! TV)
Koga City Gymnasium
1. Hiroshi Yamato vs. NOSAWA Rongai
2. KAI vs. TAKEMURA
3. Osamu Nishimura, Kaz Hayashi & Ryuji Hijikata vs. TARU, Hate & “brother” YASSHI
4. World’s Strongest Tag League: Suwama & Shuji Kondo vs. Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (New Japan) vs. Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama
AJPW, 11/23/08
Act City Hamamatsu
1. KAI vs. NOSAWA Rongai
2. Shuji Kondo vs. Hiroshi Yamato
3. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Suwama & Nobutaka Araya
4. Keiji Muto, Ryuji Hijikata & Ryota Hama vs. TARU, Hate & “brother” YASSHI
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya vs. Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
AJPW, 11/24/08 (GAORA TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Masanobu Fuchi vs. Nobutaka Araya
2. KAI & Hiroshi Yamato vs. NOSAWA Rongai & TAKEMURA
3. Ryuji Hijikata, Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya vs. Joe Doering, ZODIAC & “brother” YASSHI
4. World’s Strongest Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. TARU & Hate
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Suwama & Shuji Kondo
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki
AJPW, 11/25/08
Shizuoka Shimizu Building
1. Seiya Sanada vs. “brother” YASSHI
2. Ryuji Hijikata vs. Hiroshi Yamato
3. Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Nobutaka Araya & Manabu Soya
4. Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & KAI vs. Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: TARU & Hate vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. Suwama & Shuji Kondo
AJPW, 11/27/08
Nagoya International Conference Hall
1. KAI & Hiroshi Yamato vs. Nobutaka Araya & Ryuji Hijikata
2. NOSAWA Rongai vs. Joe Doering
3. Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. ZODIAC & “brother” YASSHI
4. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Suwama & Shuji Kondo vs. Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. TARU & Hate
AJPW, 11/28/08
Toyama Techno Hall
1. Hiroshi Yamato vs. Hate
2. Shuji Kondo vs. Manabu Soya
3. KAI & Seiya Sanada vs. TARU & “brother” YASSHI
4. Suwama, Nobutaka Araya & Ryuji Hijikata vs. Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi
AJPW, 11/29/08 (GAORA TV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2
1. Ryuji Hijikata vs. NOSAWA Rongai
2. Nobutaka Araya vs. Hiroshi Yamato
3. Suwama, Shuji Kondo & KAI vs. TARU, Hate & “brother” YASSHI
4. World’s Strongest Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki
AJPW, 11/30/08
Kurashiki San-yo Heights Gymnasium
1. Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya vs. Nobutaka Araya & Ryota Hama
2. Shuji Kondo vs. NOSAWA Rongai
3. Suwama vs. Ryuji Hijikata
4. Keiji Muto, KAI & Hiroshi Yamato vs. Joe Doering, ZODIAC & “brother” YASSHI
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. TARU & Hate
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki
AJPW, 12/2/08
Matsusaka City Gymnasium
1. Ryuji Hijikata vs. “brother” YASSHI
2. Kaz Hayashi vs. Hiroshi Yamato
3. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Osamu Nishimura & Nobutaka Araya
4. Keiji Muto, KAI & Ryota Hama vs. Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya vs. TARU & Hate
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Suwama & Shuji Kondo vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
AJPW, 12/4/08
Fukui City Gymnasium
1. Nobutaka Araya vs. Ryuji Hijikata
2. Hiroshi Yamato vs. ZODIAC
3. Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi vs. Joe Doering & “brother” YASSHI
4. Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & KAI vs. Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Suwama & Suji Kondo vs. TARU & Hate
AJPW, 12/6/08
Sanjo Welfare Hall
1. NOSAWA Rongai vs. “brother” YASSHI
2. Nobutaka Araya & Ryuji Hijikata vs. KAI & Hiroshi Yamato
3. World’s Strongest Tag League: Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya vs. Joe Doering & ZODIAC
4. World’s Strongest Tag League: Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki vs. TARU & Hate
5. World’s Strongest Tag League: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Osamu Nishimura & Kaz Hayashi
6. World’s Strongest Tag League: Keiji Muto & Ryota Hama vs. Suwama & Shuji Kondo
AJPW, 12/8/08 (GAORA TV)
Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
1. World’s Strongest Tag League - Final TBD
-- The Tokyo Dome main event will be pretty awesome. People can say what they want about Muto not being what he was. And they'd be right. But there's not doubting the guy is drawing SERIOUS business and interest to New Japan for the first time in forever. It'll be interesting to see the direction they're going in. Tanahashi has more or less been the face of this new generation of young lions, but at this point, you have to think there's at least another four months of super-draw matches for Muto as champ. There's Giant Bernard for the always reliable under dog draw. There's Chono ONE MORE TIME~ for nostalgia's sake. There's Yuji Nagata, “Mr. IWGP” who beat Muto in the G1 Final way back in 2001 and could make for an awesome rematch. Heck, there's even Kenta Kobashi... The President of All Japan, the current New Japan Champion against NOAH's version of Hulk Hogan and it's NEVER been done before? Yah, print yen.
So while Tanahashi makes sense for a ton of reasons, you've got to wonder whether New Japan may just keep things moving along with Muto seeing the business he's drawing.
-- NOAH's having Financial issues now. Well no kidding. Working pointless six man tag matches until your eyes bleed is NOT the way to 1.) Push guys and 2.) Sell tickets. Sometimes I even wonder if NOAH actually HAS a booker the way their stuff is just sort of randomly decided and determined. It doesn't mean their matches are bad. They're usually OK to very good. It's just that in this day and age, things have got to make sense on some sort of level. Booking the equivalent of Snitsky in the main event of a big show out of the blue doesn't.
-- Can't really blame Tanahashi for checking out of TNA. New Japan might want to consider doing the same thing altogether. Kurt Angle pops up in Japan, gets a Tokyo Dome main event and another high profile match with Shinsuke Nakamura, to unify the IWGP title of all things... and when Tanahashi comes here, he gets to get pinned by Black Machismo in a multi-man garbage match. Seems like a one sided relationship to me.