ZIP JAPAN Archive Thread

- Tora Katsu vs Shuji Tsukamoto

A decent little opener here, with Tsukamoto effectively able to use his size advantage to great effect. Katsu hit some believable hope spots, but Shuji's Hurricane Driver in the center of the ring finished him off.

Elimination Fatal 4 way
- Thunder Fist vs Mickey Grinds vs Kenji Sawada vs Dougie Doogan

A very rough match. Sawada seemed to be on a mission to destroy Thunder Fist, dropping him on his head multiple times...but it was Fist who scored the first elimination, taking out Mickey Grinds with a Turnbuckle Stampede. Dougie Doogan made Sawada tap out to a vicious Bear Hug soon after, leaving just Dougie and Thunder Fist in the match. Dougie no sold a Rainmaker, but Fist followed it up immediately with a Bowel Evacuation for the victory!

- Aya Mizuno vs Cutie Booties

Both these ladies are more than capable of kicking someone's head clean off their shoulders, so this was destined to be determined by striking...but Cutie kept things interesting by OKITE'ing Aya's Running Powerbomb for a great nearfall. After numerous stiff striking exchanges, Cutie came out on top with a savage combination of kicks.

- Maki Yoshida vs Donnie Doogan

Great stuff here between two big, tough hosses of ZIP JAPAN. Donnie brought the pain, but Yoshida's granite head absorbed most of the damage with no problem. Both men got several believable near falls down the stretch, but the second Doogan Hammer of the match ultimately proved decisive.

- Suki ZIP vs Yumi Yamaguchi

A superb performance here from Yumi, who showed incredible fire in the ring tonight. The early stages were dominated by several quick pinning attempts and reversals by both wrestlers. Yumi was diving all over, and hit an Angelic Driver but was in the ropes, before kicking out of a sickening ZIP Driver from Suki. In the end, Yumi nailed a diving Brain Chop and rolled up Suki to take a huge victory. Would've probably been MOTN if not for what happened later in the show.

Archive Match from 2007
- Genki Raiga/Mr Suplex vs Crusher Kodo/Wataru Nakajima

Four legends of ZIP JAPAN showing off their skills in a big way in this special Archive match. It had everything you could want from these guys; stiff striking, devastating suplexes, and crunching head drops like only ZIP JAPAN can deliver. Fantastic action throughout and a fine finish when Kodo smashed in Raiga's head with a Cranium Crusher. Another MOTN Contender.

Elimination Fatal 4 way
- Danger Daniels vs Saburo Hamada vs Darkness HAGE vs Ichiro Katagiri

HAGE was eliminated surprisingly early in this one following a Hamada Perfect Driver. The other three men battled a long time, with Katagiri the main shit disturber, constantly breaking up offensive moves and pinfalls. Eventually at the near 40 minute mark, Danger Daniels caught Katagiri in an Ankle Lock, forcing a tapout. Once it was down to two, Daniels didn't take long to finish off Hamada with a spectacular Dangerplex. A great match from Daniels who reminded everyone in the Junior Division that he is a force to be reckoned with.

To determine #1 contender for ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship
- Justin Starr vs GORO

Long time fans of ZIP JAPAN will know that Justin Starr has been a dominant force in the Junior Division for over 14 years, and have seen him put on some amazing performances, but I think tonight might go down as Starr's greatest clutch performance of all time. In a match he had to win to gain a shot at the Heavyweight Championship, he wrestled the most focused, technically perfect match of his career against a very tough opponent and former Champion. Starr controlled things beautifully from the outset, keeping GORO grounded, working him over, and scoring plenty of reversals. Once Starr took to the skies, GORO's game plan went out the window and he reverted to his Junior ways, attempting (and hitting) several sentons and dives to the floor. Starr held firm and worked his ground game for all it was worth, finally securing a submission victory with the third Anaconda Vice of the night. Rating be damned, this was MOTN no question, maybe MOTY?

To determine #1 contender for ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship
- Hanako Yoshii vs Momoe Ito

A real clash of styles here between the methodical Yoshii and the high flying Ito...but I think Ito may have drank some pure rocket fuel before this one. Momoe was a non-stop diving machine, showing off her supreme acrobatic prowess in a dazzling array of dives from the top rope and out of the ring. Yoshii did her best to display her technical abilities, but Momoe's aerial assault overwhelmed and left her prone to a devastating grounded kick. Momoe Ito is #1 Contender!

ZIP JAPAN Tag Team Championship match
- Green Crush (Asano Kaneshiro/Takeshi Kiriyama) vs Team Fighting Spirit (Akira Shinjo/Daisuke Shimura) (C)

Another ZIP JAPAN show, another dominant title defense for Team Fighting Spirit, they've really been on a roll the past several months. Green Crush were no pushovers, and Asano bloodied Shimura early with a nasty headbutt to the bridge of the nose, but TFS could not be denied. The finish was spectacular with all 4 men in the ring, Kiriyama with Shimura locked into a tight cross armbreaker, but the legal men were Asano and Shinjo. Shinjo managed to lift the massive Asano with his patented Schoolboy Suplex for a great victory.

ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship match
- Yutaro Ichikawa vs Johnny Rekless (C)

What a sprint in the main event, both guys going for the gusto from the bell. Rekless got most of his spots in early, including a big Inverted 450 in the first few minutes, and a Superstar Elbow inside of 10 minutes. Ichikawa threw himself at Rekless with total abandon and zero regard for his own health and safety, plowing his way through his moveset at a frightening pace. I didn't expect this match to last very long, and that was borne out with Ichikawa reclaiming the ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship with a superb 630 Cannonball Senton in under 12 minutes! Amazing stuff.

*camera fades in on a large and well attended press conference, Reiko ZIP and White Trash standing side by side on a raised stage in front of a podium, both wearing smart business attire. A huge video screen is mounted on the wall behind them, displaying a fancy animated ZIP JAPAN logo. Murmuring in the crowd falls silent as Reiko steps up to the microphone. As usual, her words are translated into English at the bottom of the screen*

Reiko ZIP: <Welcome everyone, and thank you for attending today's Press Conference! As expected, we will be announcing the final card for our annual WrestleQuest show. However, before we get to that, I believe we have a small bit of other business to attend to. Please give a warm welcome to ZIP JAPAN Official White Trash!>

*there is a smattering of applause as Reiko steps aside and Trash steps up to the podium. Trash bows slightly to Reiko*

White Trash: <Thank you Reiko. I'm glad to say that my Japanese has improved immensely this past year, but I hope you'll accept my apology if my grammar isn't perfect (Trash chuckles and gives a bow to the assembled journalists, who laugh). It has become something of a tradition in ZIP JAPAN to introduce new roster members following a WrestleQuest event, and this year is no different. I am very pleased to announce that two new Heavyweights will be joining the ranks of ZIP JAPAN at the May 3rd event! Their identities will remain a secret until that date, so let the speculation begin! I'm also pleased to say that unlike last year, no one on the active roster will be retiring, so ZIP JAPAN will continue to grow even bigger and stronger!>

*a renewed wave of applause ripples through the audience*

White Trash: <Not only that, but this year none of our active roster members are currently injured, meaning that every single ZIP JAPAN star is available and will participate in a match at WrestleQuest! So without further ado, here's Reiko to run down the Supercard!>

*another small round of applause as Reiko reclaims her spot at the podium. The ZIP JAPAN logo on the screen disappears and is replaced by a graphic illustrating the matches as Reiko announces them*

Reiko (giving an almost imperceptible wink to White Trash): <Thanks, Trash. As stated, every current ZIP JAPAN wrestler will make an appearance at WrestleQuest this year, so it will be a huge event sure to have something for everyone! Starting things off will be a Juniors match with the pace and passion to set the stage for a great night of action, as the Firebrand Minoru Hoshino faces off against Super Scorpio! Following that will be a 6-Woman Joshi elimination match featuring a group of extremely talented ladies all jockeying for position in a very competitive Division: Hanako Yoshii, Eun-jin Choi, Rebecca Roxx, Aya Mizuno, Psycho Witch and Suki ZIP! After that we will see a battle of two titans, as the African Assassin Thunder Fist squares off with his dangerous rival Demon Otsu! Next up will be a Junior Triple Threat elimination match as Tetsuo K, Ichiro Katagiri and Tora Katsu step into the ring to show off their considerable skills!>

Reiko: <In the fifth match, continuing a rivalry that has lasted almost this entire past year across several big events, Yumi Yamaguchi will go one on one against Cutie Booties one more time! Following this Joshi match will be a 5-Man elimination match including both members of Blue Destiny, Maki Yoshida and Jin Matsuda, both members of Green Crush, Asano Kaneshiro and Takeshi Kiriyama, as well as the Living Nightmare that is The Mad Bomber! Will the tag team members involved be able to work together, or will partnerships be strained in the choatic battle to survive? The next match will rekindle a rivaly from last year's WrestleQuest event, as Saburo Hamada challenges his former sensei Darkness HAGE! HAGE had Hamada's number back then, but Hamada eliminated HAGE from a Battle Royale match on the Road to WrestleQuest as old emotions bubbled to the surface! Things are sure to boil over in this match. Following HAGE vs Hamada fans will witness two of the very best Tag Teams in ZIP JAPAN work their magic and attempt to steal the spotlight as Pure HEEL square off against Nails and Grinds!>

Reiko: <The ninth match of our Supercard will see the living legend, The Patriarch of ZIP JAPAN Wataru Nakajima going to war in a grudge match against the man who he injured at the Showdown in Sapporo, GORO! After that epic encounter we will move on to the title matches, and every ZIP JAPAN Championship will be on the line! First up are the Tag Team Titles, as Team Fighting Spirit look to extend their long run against the dangerous gaijin combination of the Doogan Bros! Next will be the Joshi Title as the #1 contender Momoe Ito steps up to challenge the vicious champ, Pretty Evil Vicki Violence! Momoe was dominant in her match against Hanako Yoshii and and will look to carry that momentum into what is a potentially bloody affair.>

Reiko: <The Junior Heavyweight Title will be defended in a huge 6-Man elimination match, with newly crowned Champ Yutaro Ichikawa stepping into the ring with ECKO, Satoshi Iguchi, Shuji Tsukamoto, Johnny Rekless and Danger Daniels! Will Ichikawa be able to make it out of the match with his title intact? Will the members of Rekless Endangerment work together to help Rekless get his belt back? Will a new Champion emerge from the chaos? All these questions will be answered at WrestleQuest! Finally, the main event of the evening will see the Go Go Gaijin Justin Starr challenge ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Champion Mr Suplex for the biggest prize in our promotion! Starr is only the second ever Junior Heavyweight to earn a shot at the Heavyweight Title in ZIP JAPAN history, and will need to continue his stellar performances of late to stand a chance against the Human Suplex machine who has recently made short work of both Thunder Fist and Wataru Nakajima!>

*Reiko pauses briefly and looks around triumphantly as the image of Starr and Mr Suplex looms behind her. A fresh burst of applause comes from the crowd and Reiko shouts over them*

Reiko: <ZIP JAPAN WrestleQuest takes place on Friday April 19th at 8pm EST! We hope you will all join us there! Thank You!>

*Reiko bows deeply, and the camera fades to black as the applause reaches a new crescendo*

*camera fades in on Vicki Violence standing in front of a ZIP JAPAN banner, her forehead covered in scars and an evil grin on her face. The ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship belt is draped over her shoulder. Her English promo is translated into kanji at the bottom of the screen*

Vicki: Momoe Ito, you sure are an adorable little thing. You're cute and perky, you dress in pink, and think that because you can bounce around the ring like a pinball on crack it makes you a good wrestler! Hah! You even think it makes you a worthy contender to my Joshi Championship! What a god damn joke! (she spits on the ground) That's what I think of you Momoe, you ain't worth a damn in my eyes! WrestleQuest is one week from tonight, and Momoe, you are in for a world of hurt...you're getting in the ring with an evil psychopath! (Vicki produces a fork and rakes it down her own forehead, instantly drawing a steady stream of blood) You think you can hang with me? I'm gonna teach you a lesson in pain and humiliation, one you'll never forget...and one the fans will never forget either! Enjoy your last week of being cute, Ito-chan, because next Friday I'm not just gonna beat you, I'm gonna rip off your mask and carve up your face!

*Vicki laughs like a maniac as blood drips off the end of her nose and off her chin. A ZIP JAPAN logo swooshes across the screen to reveal the Doogan Brothers, their two huge and oiled torsos filling the screen. Dougie is smiling and wringing his hands, while Donnie looks agitated. The brothers largely ignore the camera, mostly speaking to each other*

Dougie: Oooooh yeah, man! Next Friday at WrestleQuest the Doogan Bros are finally gonna make their mark on the Tag Team Division in ZIP JAPAN!

Donnie: Yeah, finally! I can't believe we had to wait this long for a Tag Title shot! Friggin' Reiko doesn't see pure gold when it's right under her damn nose! I'm a multiple time Heavyweight Champ! We should've been fast tracked to the front of the line!

Dougie: Whoa, chill there broseph, dont' pop a vein! I ain't had it easy either you know? I've been here for months waiting for a chance like this to come along. But what matters now is that we make it count, man!

Donnie: You're damn right! Listen, this ain't gonna be easy Dougie. Shinjo and Shimura are tough dudes, you can't mess around during this match.

Dougie: (with a mocking shocked expression) What are you saying Donnie? You saying I'm not good enough to beat those two jabronies?

Donnie: (grabs Dougie by the ear and twists, Dougie squeals) That's exactly what I'm saying! Listen goofball, you're not bad, but you ARE the weak link in the Doogan Bros. I'm pretty much untouchable, so IF we end up losing to TFS, it's gonna be because YOU somehow screwed it up. So next Friday, keep your eyes on the prize and make sure that doesn't happen! You got me? (Donnie lets go of Dougie's ear)

Dougie: (rubbing his ear) Ow, Jeez bro, I hear you, I hear you. No shenanigans, let's get it done.

Donnie: Damn straight. (looks at the camera for the first time) Team Fighting Spirit, get ready for the end of your title run...The Doogan Bros are comin', and you both are gonna Feel the Power!

*The Doogan Bros do a fist bump and a ZIP JAPAN logo swoosh transitions to Darkness HAGE in mid closeup. The camera moves slowly but steadily towards his face as he speaks*

HAGE: <Hamada-san. It's been over a year now, and you still haven't learned. You haven't learned what it takes to become a Champion. You haven't learned that your place will always be somewhere far beneath me. You haven't learned that prolonged exposure to my Darkness will only continue to weaken your already weak mind. Reiko ZIP says that you personally asked her for a singles match against me at WrestleQuest...what foolish recklessness!  I guess it's time for the sensei to teach his student one final lesson! You might think you have some kind of advantage because you fluked your way into a pinfall over me in the middle of chaotic elimination match, but let me remind you Hamada-san...every time you have faced me one on one over the past year, you have been found wanting. The student can NOT defeat the teacher, and it seems it is my fate to remind you of that hard truth again, and again, and again. So be it. In one week Hamada-san, I will introduce you to true Darkness one...last...time!>

*By the time HAGE finishes speaking, the camera is completely zoomed in, and HAGE's eyes take up the whole screen as he stares intensely down the lens. For a moment, all you can hear is HAGE's heavy breathing, before the screen cuts suddenly to black*

*camera fades in on Tomi ZIP in semi-close up, smiling in front of a ZIP JAPAN banner.*

Tomi: <Hello, ZIP JAPAN fans! Tomorrow night ZIP JAPAN presents our biggest show of the year, WrestleQuest! This year's card is stacked with plenty of exciting match ups and title defenses, but there is one particular match that has the fans buzzing with excitement. For the first time in almost 9 years, a Junior Heavyweight has become #1 contender and will challenge for the ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship! I'm very pleased to say that with me today are both men who will participate in our main event, challenger Justin Starr and the defending Champion Mr Suplex!>

*the camera pulls back slightly to reveal both wrestlers flanking Tomi. Justin Starr is wearing a dark blue suit and his Old Glory mask, while Mr Suplex is in a light gray suit, also wearing his mask. Mr Suplex has the Heavyweight Championship draped over his shoulder. Both men seem relaxed as they bow slightly to Tomi*

Tomi: <Thanks to both of you gentlemen for being here today. Let's start with the challenger. Justin, you're the first Junior Heavyweight to challenge for the Heavyweight Championship for a very long time. How do you rate your chances of success?>

Starr: <It's an exciting opportunity to be sure, and one I plan to take full advantage of. The last man in my position was White Trash when he challenged then-Champion Daisuke Shimura at Great Voyage 2011. Although Trash came up short on that occasion, the match went a long way to cementing his position as a legend in our sport. I plan to become the first ever Junior Heavyweight to hold the top prize in ZIP JAPAN, and while I have the utmost respect for Mr Suplex, if I have to beat him to do it, then I will.>

Tomi: <It's a well known fact that you specifically asked Reiko to book you in matches against the Heavyweights...did you ever imagine your path would lead you here, to a title match at WrestleQuest?>

Starr: <I never had any doubt. I wanted to face the best ZIP JAPAN has to offer, and I have. I'm supremely confident in my ability in the ring, and I proved it to myself and everyone else by defeating three former Heavyweight Champions to earn this chance. Tomorrow night I will grab that brass ring with both hands and I won't let go until Mr Suplex is defeated. That Heavyweight Championship is as good as mine, end of discussion.>

Tomi: <Well, some strong words there from our challenger. Mr Suplex, do you have a response?>

Mr Suplex: <Hehe, of course I do. Justin Starr is a very talented wrestler, no question, and heavily decorated in the Junior Heavyweight Division. And while he has shown his ability to step up in weight class to take on some former Champions, I am the current Champion, and he has never defeated me. I'm going to- >

Starr: (interrupting) <You've never even faced me, Suplex!>

Mr Suplex: (annoyed) <Hey, adults are talking here, show some respect. We may never have had a one on one match before in our careers, but that doesn't give you any kind of advantage, Starr. You might have beaten a few guys to get this opportunity, but I've built my entire life around competing at the very highest level! You want to become a legend? Well I've defeated legends! I AM a legend!>

Starr: <Yeah, we'll see about that.>

*Mr Suplex reaches across Tomi and pie-faces Justin Starr, pushing him backwards, but Starr stays on his feet and bristles*

Mr Suplex: <Punk!>

*Tomi interjects herself between the two men and both calm down slightly*

Tomi: <Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please, let's maintain some decorum here!>

Mr Suplex: (bowing to Tomi) <Apologies. Justin Starr can indulge himself in whatever fantasies he wants, but tomorrow night he faces a harsh reality in the ring, and I'm going to throw him all over the ZIP JAPAN Arena. He might have defeated GORO to become #1 Contender, but it took me less time than that match took to defeat the last TWO challengers for my title combined. You have a good long think about that, Starr.>

Starr: (still agitated) <Whatever. Talk all you want Suplex, but tomorrow night, my dreams are becoming reality. I will become the Heavyweight Champion, and nothing you're capable of will stop me!>

Tomi: <Thank you both for your comments. Tomorrow night, ZIP JAPAN proudly presents WrestleQuest at 8pm EST! Starr vs Suplex for the Heavyweight Championship in the main event! I'll see you there! Until next time, this is Tomi ZIP, signing off!>

*Tomi flashes a peace sign as Starr and Mr Suplex stare at each other intensely, and the camera fades to black*