ZIP JAPAN Archive Thread

- Minoru Hoshino vs Super Scorpio

A fun little opening match. Scorpio hit a nice dive to the floor to soften up Hoshino, and ultimately finished him off with a Tiger Driver/Moonsault Stomp combo.

6-Woman elimination match
- Hanako Yoshii vs Eun-jin Choi vs Rebecca Roxx vs Aya Mizuno vs Suki ZIP vs Psycho Witch

Thus began the insanity. Hanako Yoshii seemed like she was on a mission tonight after failing to capture the #1 contenders spot against Momoe Ito on the Road to WrestleQuest. She set out to steal the show and she couldn't have performed any better, taking out all five of her opponents in this chaotic Battle Royal. Lady Armbreaker armbarred the hell out of everyone, only Roxx managed to avoid submitting to Yoshii, but she still got pinned by her. Definitely an early shout for MOTN.

- Thunder Fist vs Demon Otsu

This resembled a war more than a wrestling match. These two behemoths battered the hell out of each other for over 30 minutes. Fist survived getting Devil Dropped on the arena floor TWICE, and Otsu somehow kicked out of two KTFO punches. Just a ridiculous amount of no selling huge moves here...this came down to toughness and conditioning, and eventually exhaustion got the better of Otsu. Thunder Fist knocked him down with a big elbow shot, and Otsu could not muster a kick out. This was brutal, another potential MOTN performance.

Triple Threat elimination match
- Tetsuo K vs Tora Katsu vs Ichiro Katagiri

A very good triple threat match that saw Katagiri doing his usual thing of breaking up pins at every opportunity. After some fast and furious action, Tora Katsu hit Katagiri with a snug Tiger suplex and Tetsuo K was smart enough to let the pin happen. Tetsuo followed up shortly after with a big Fire Star Splash on Katsu to pick up a solid victory.

- Cutie Booties vs Yumi Yamaguchi

Fantastic back and forth stuff from the Joshi here. Cutie came out like a house of fire, and Yumi got her shine on down the stretch before Cutie cut her down (as promised) with the Cutie Kick. Cutie Booties has finally shaken off the ignominy of those CRIT losses to Yumi last year.

5-Man elimination match
- Maki Yoshida vs Jin Matsuda vs Asano Kaneshiro vs Takeshi Kiriyama vs Mad Bomber

Just like at last year's WrestleQuest, the "get everyone on the card" Battle Royal actually produced a fantastic match with some fun twists and turns. Maki Yoshida was busted open by a punch to the face from Kaneshiro after a minute or so. Mad Bomber struggled to get out of the gate and was first to fall to a big German Suplex from Kiriyama, who then immediately eliminated his own partner Asano Kaneshiro with another German! Kiriyama continued to look good against both members of Blue Destiny...until Jin Matsuda tossed his own partner out of the ring, and scored the pin on Kiriyama with a Made in Japan. A bloodied Yoshida then eliminated Matsuda with a nasty looking Blue Crush in the center of the ring. Very entertaining stuff.

- Darkness HAGE vs Saburo Hamada

Poor Saburo Hamada. He really, REALLY tried in there tonight, hitting HAGE with two huge Perfect Drivers early and scoring near falls left and right with diving elbows and reverse ranas. HAGE fired back with all his best offense, including a HAGE Firebomb, a big pair of FFFs and a Gotch piledriver, but Hamada somehow kicked out of everything at 2.999. Just when it seemed that Hamada was on the cusp of victory HAGE snatched it away with an Avalanche Rana into a Sharpshooter for the submission win. The shitty run continues for Hamada against his former teacher but this was an excellent match nonetheless.

- Pure HEEL (Kenji Sawada/Kenzo Kobayashi) vs Nails N Grinds (Jimmy Nails/Mickey Grinds)

The two best pure tag teams in ZIP JAPAN have wrestled each other many times, and it almost always produces a classic. This was no exception, both teams exhibiting excellent teamwork throughout and producing a ton of dramatic near falls. Jimmy Nails nearly had it won with a Figure 4 before a bloody Sawada made it to the ropes and smashed Nails with a Towerhacker while Kenzo was brawling with Grinds. Superb stuff.

- Wataru Nakajima vs GORO

This was really something special. Nakajima has a history of pulling out great performances when it doesn't matter and choking on the biggest stages, but tonight he pulled it all together in incredible fashion. GORO promised to break the Partiarch's neck in this match, and he certainly did his best, spiking Nakajima on his head more times than should be allowed. Both men were absolute warriors....there were so many ridiculous 2.9s in this match, I completely lost count of the number of times I was sure it was over. Nakajima ultimately caught GORO with the Nakajima Special dead center of the ring to win what was certainly the MOTN, and a match that ranks up there with some of the most insane matches in the history of ZIP JAPAN. If you only see one match from WrestleQuest, see this one. Holy shit.

ZIP JAPAN Tag Team Championship match
- Doogan Bros (Donnie Doogan/Dougie Doogan) vs Team Fighting Spirit (Akira Shinjo/Daisuke Shimura) (C)

Another superb tag team match, and another fantastic defense for Team Fighting Spirit. By now, I think they've beaten just about everyone in the Division. This was a bruising affair, 4 big hosses just murdering each other for 45 minutes, with tons of near falls. The champs spent most of the match fighting in the Doogan's half of the ring, but it ultimately didn't matter when Shimura locked in his Sasori-gatame on Donnie Doogan. Donnie instantly tapped, giving his brother Dougie zero chance to make the save. Who can possibly take the tag belts off of TFS at this point?

ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship match
- Momoe Ito vs Vicki Violence (C)

MomoeMania runnin' wild. After demolishing Hanako Yoshii to earn this match, Momoe Ito continued to shine tonight against Joshi Champ Vicki Violence. Her highflying attack was in full force, smashing Vicki with back to back Double Lotations for nearfalls. The Champ tried to fight back with some King Kong knees and a Sliding V, but Momoe could not be denied tonight. She secured a victory with her patented Momoe Latch to become the new Joshi Champion, and celebrated with a Momoeroonie while the crowd went wild.

6-Man elimination match from the ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship
- ECKO vs Satoshi Iguchi vs Shuji Tsukamoto vs Johnny Rekless vs Danger Daniels vs Yutaro Ichikawa (C)

This match got off to a rip-roaring start, and Johnny Rekless was eliminated early after getting CRIT'd by an Ichikawa Cannonball. Ichikawa himself was out next after being Tombstoned by ECKO, ensuring we'd see a new Champion crowned in this match. Satoshi Iguchi showed real fortitude, kicking out of two ECKO Tombstones, before ECKO caught Danger Daniels in an STF for another elimination. Three way action between the heels lasted a while until Tsukamoto eliminated ECKO with a Hurricane Driver. Finally, Satoshi Iguchi caught Tsukamoto with a Diving Cutter to win the match and become the new ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Champion! A very satisfying semi-main event.

ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship match
- Justin Starr vs Mr Suplex (C)

It was going to be very difficult for this match to live up to the hype and follow the stellar matches that had come before it, but Starr and Suplex were really going for it while it lasted. Starr started things off methodical, until he got dumped to the outside and Suplex hit him with Three Amigos on the floor. Then pacing went out the window and both men were getting 2.9s inside of 10 minutes. Suplex was suplexing left and right, Starr was diving like a maniac. The action tumbled to the arena floor for a second time, and Mr Suplex demolished Justin Starr with a Raigaplex on the concrete that knocked him out cold. The match was immediately stopped, and Mr Suplex remained at ringside while EMTs attended to Starr. Technically a double countout draw, Mr Suplex retains his title. The good news is that Starr regained consciousness shortly after, and gave a thumbs up to the fans in the arena as he was stretchered out. Hopefully he won't have picked up a serious injury.

- Eun-jin Choi vs Suki ZIP

Ridiculously hot opener. Suki and Choi went hard at each other the whole way, delivering some fantastic thrills especially down the stretch. Suki hit a back to back to back moonsault Stomp and followed up with a ZIP Driver for a 2.9, and Choi fired back with a Gory Bomb for a near fall of her own. Eventually Suki hit the triple moonsault stomp again, only for Choi to respond with a Seoul Breaker for the win. Excellent stuff out of the gates.

- Newfie George vs Demon Otsu

Newfie George may have arrived in ZIP JAPAN with a slightly new look, but his ass kicking Modus operandi is still in effect. Digital Dave always shits on George's matches because at heart he's a pretty basic brawler, but he did his share of diving from the turnbuckles tonight. He did a great job keeping Otsu at a distance before smashing the Demonic One with his Kiss the Cod Running Lariat to pick up a big victory in his debut match.

- Danger Daniels vs Ichiro Katagiri

A very competitive, fast paced and physical Juniors match. Both guys had plenty of opportunity to show off their skill sets, but just as Daniels was turning up the heat on his opponent, Katagiri reminded everyone that he can turn the momentum of a match on its head in an instant. One German Suplex outta nowhere and this was over.

- Storm of the Century (Thunder Fist/Wataru Nakajima) vs Doogan Bros (Donnie Doogan/Dougie Doogan)

After spending the last couple of months mostly wrestling singles matches, it was fun to see Storm of the Century reunited again as a team. Sadly, they did their usual thing of kicking a ton of ass and then losing in the end lol. Fist got caught in a Doogan Doubleteam lariat right as Tomi was chasing Nakajima out of the ring. Nakajima couldn't save in time and the Doogan Bros get an impressive win.

- Touma Tanaka vs Mickey Grinds

Mickey Grinds was the first member of the ZIP JAPAN roster to step up to Tanaka, and he got bloodied early for his efforts. Both men performed very well, and Grinds made up for botching an early dive by hitting a perfect crossbody to the arena floor late in the match. Tanaka showed off his resiliency, kicking out of a a pair of huge Flowsions from Mickey. Tanaka laid Grinds out with a series of chops before putting him away with his patented Kamikaze Diving Headbutt. We didn't get to see the Crash and Burn from Tanaka tonight, but it was a solid victory for the debuting star.

Archive Fatal Four way elimination match from 2004
- Satoshi Iguchi vs Yoji Shinichi vs ECKO vs White Trash

Chaotic and fun action in tonight's archive match. A very young and green White Trash was eliminated fairly early by a Shinichi Moonsault, making this as a triple threat for most of its time. Eventually Shinichi hit a bloody ECKO with his superkick and eliminated him, leaving the veteran against Iguchi. Iguchi showed some fire and connected with a series of Cutters, but Shinichi reversed an avalanche Cutter attempt and used it to set up his Michinoku Driver to complete the clean sweep. There's a reason Shinichi is considered a ZIP JAPAN legend.

- Yumi Yamaguchi vs Vicki Violence

Yumi Yamaguchi grew up as a fan of Gorobei, and she exhibited a slice of his incredible fighting spirit tonight. Vicki threw absolutely everything at Yumi, who ate it up and came back for more every time. Package Piledriver? No problem. Avalanche Urunage -> Sliding V? Kickout. Spear -> King Kong knees combo? Another kickout. Getting dropped on her head on a chair on the floor? Yumi fires back with an Angelic Driver on the concrete. She was on fire and totally unstoppable, so when Yumi finally hit a massive Avalanche Dragon Suplex on Vicki, no one was surprised when it ended the match. MOTN so far.

To determine #1 contender for the ZIP JAPAN Tag Team Championship
- Blue Destiny (Maki Yoshida/Jin Matsuda) vs Pure HEEL (Kenji Sawda/Kenzo Kobayashi)

Super tag team action. Pure HEEL are possibly the most well oiled tag team in the history of ZIP JAPAN, and Blue Destiny pushed them hard throughout this rough encounter. Both teams worked very hard, and everyone scored a nearfall or two with their signature offense, but eventually this one came down to the doubleteam moves. Blue Destiny hit the Blue Trigger more than once, but Pure HEEL picked the exact perfect moment and ring position to catch Jin Matsuda with their version of the 3D to secure the #1 contendership. Pure HEEL vs Team Fighting Spirit will be epic stuff, I think Pure HEEL might be the only team in ZIP JAPAN capable of taking the belts away from TFS.

To determine #1 contender for the ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Darkness HAGE vs Tetsuo K

Super stuff from the Juniors here, both men trying to kick a hole through each other from the opening bell. HAGE busted out his biggest guns here, including the avalanche 'rana to the floor and the devastating HAGE Firebomb, but Tetsuo kept kicking out and giving it all back and more. In the end Tetsuo caught HAGE off guard with a skull shaking Rewind Kick to become #1 contender! Satoshi Iguchi will defend the Junior Championship against Tetsuo K at the next show.

Triple Threat elimination match for the ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship
- Cutie Booties vs Hanako Yoshii vs Momoe Ito (C)

Incredible stuff in the Joshi Title match, all three women leaving everything in the ring here. The match was fast paced and action packed, but someone had to be eliminated first. Eventually that proved to be Cutie Booties, who was KO'd by a monster Double Lotation from Momoe after more than 25 minutes of war. Momoe's speed was the deciding factor in the final fall, as she reacted quickly to counter Yoshii's attempt at an avalanche armbar into a tightly cinched rollup from the top rope. Momoe Ito retains the Joshi championship in a stellar match. Between this, Yumi's big win and the hot opening match, the Women of ZIP JAPAN proved themselves the VIPs of the night.

ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship match
- Justin Starr vs Mr Suplex (C)

This one was months in the making, a moment that was career defining for Justin Starr and historic for ZIP JAPAN. Starr's years-long dominance in the Juniors division finally translated into an opportunity to rise through the ranks of the Heavyweights, and challenge for the biggest prize. Starr has fulfilled his destiny, become the first ever Junior Heavyweight to hold the Heavyweight title, and cemented his spot as a ZIP legend with tonight's match. After the disappointment of his injury during the main event of WrestleQuest, Starr proved to his doubters that he could compete with the very best in the world and win. This was MOTN, a wonderfully tense and technical affair, and featured a finish that is bound to be replayed and discussed for years among ZIP JAPAN fans and historians. After getting Half Nelsoned out of his boots, Starr nailed an impressive Sky Twister Press for a 2.9 count...Mr Suplex responded with a Genki Raigaplex that might have ended it but Starr managed to hook his toe into the ropes for the break, and immediately locked Suplex into an Anaconda Vice for the victory. Superb.