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Post by TheDenizen on Jul 28, 2018 5:13:35 GMT
Well ZIP JAPAN Otsu vs Shimura III was a great success tonight! As always, thank you very much to everyone who attended all or part of the show, especially given that there were like 4 streams running concurrently this evening. Your interest in my fake wrasslers never fails to pleasantly surprise me :D The show is currently archived on Twitch here: www.twitch.tv/videos/290031823Let's get to the results: - Momoe Ito vs Suki ZIP  Both ladies started strong here, and had a solid back and forth match to open the show. Suki doing King ZIP proud with a victory via a devastating ZIP Driver. - Danger Daniels vs Super Scorpio  Daniels is pretty hot right now. After a couple of close falls for Scorpio, Danger got one of his own with a snug spinning powerbomb, and then put the ugly one away with his backdrop -> diving lariat combo. Triple Threat Elimination match - Jumbo Jinzei vs Donnie Doogan vs Akira Shinjo  Battle of the big boys here, and it looked like Shinjo was going to go far, as he dished out brainbusters left and right. Killer finishing sequence after a lengthy 3 way battle, as Donnie CRITICAL'd Shinjo with a Doogan Hammer II before immediately smashing down Jumbo with a Doogan Hammer for the pinfall. - Johnny Rekless vs ECKO  A fun juniors match with a furious pace and plenty of high impact. Another strong ending here as ECKO got a 2.9 with his Tombstone Finisher, and Johnny kicked out and instantly his a REKT Neck flipping piledriver for what is probably the biggest one on one victory of his burgeoning ZIP JAPAN career. - Cutie Booties and Psycho Witch vs Yumi Yamaguchi and Eun-jin Choi  A solid showcase tag match, with everyone getting in some signature offense. Yumi Yamaguchi stole the show though, as her devastating Avalanche Dragon suplex on Cutie set up a pair of Angelic Drivers, with the decisive one after a series of like four consecutive back switches lol. Archive match from 2011 - Ichiro Katagiri vs Justin Starr  A simply savage performance here from the current Junior Champ in tonight's archive match against Justin Starr. Reverse Tombstones and Orbital Explosions galore. Starr is such a damn super hero he kept kicking out though, until somehow Katagiri caught one of Starr's kicks and wrenched his leg into a pretzel. Starr was completely outmatched in the encounter, which is something you rarely hear. - Mr Suplex vs Mad Bomber  A strong outing from two of ZIP JAPAN's finest Heavyweights, this match was really just starting to heat up as the two were trading nearfalls...before Mad Bomber decided he wanted to hit the showers early, and set up Mr Suplex for a disgusting Avalanche Jackknife that left Mr Suplex totally helpless. To determine No1 Contender for ZIP JAPAN Tag Team Championship - Pure HEEL (Kenji Sawada and Kenzo Kobayashi) vs Green Crush (Asano Kaneshiro and Takeshi Kiriyama)  This was the bloodbath of the night, with Kenji bloodied early, and everyone except for Kiriyama getting color before the end. Both teams resorting to underhanded tactics early and often in this one, but Kaneshiro's Asano Bomb made for an unpleasant result for Kenzo and Pure HEEL. Green Crush vs Blue Destiny next show! To determine No1 Contender for ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship - Darkness HAGE vs Saburo Hamada  Intense, focused and determined not to let Hamada have a moment to breathe, HAGE was ruthless here. Hamada showed off some great fighting spirit to kick out of two HAGE Firebombs, but could muster no more for the third HAGE Firebomb of this short and brutal match. Katagiri's first Junior Title defense of his new reign will be against his old foe Darkness HAGE. ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship match - Hanako Yoshii vs Vicki Violence (c)  This was pretty phenomenal. Champ Vicki Violence hit a Package Piledriver only 8 minutes in, and then busted out the scythes and forks, ripping open Yoshii's forehead in the process. I thought it was all over when Violence hit a Sliding V but only managed a 2.9 count. Hanako's fighting spirit manifested itself over and over as she made a meticulous comeback against Violence's wild style. Yoshii expertly picked her spots and scored a very unexpected win off her C2C running knee attack, to become the NEW ZIP JAPAN Joshi Champion! Congrats to Hanako Yoshii. ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship match - Demon Otsu vs Daisuke Shimura (c)  A main event and rubber match that more than lived up to the hype. These two started off slow and methodical for the first ten minutes or so, both guys feeling out the opposition cautiously, each well aware of what the other is capable of. Past ten minutes that all went out the window. Shimura looked great getting nearfalls from his Steiner Screw and Iconoclasm moves, and Otsu got his share of licks in too, including a couple of big powerbombs...one of them on the arena floor! One particularly excellent spot saw Shimura nail a springboard knee smash from the apron, and immediately follow it up by tossing Otsu out of the ring and hitting him with a springboard dropkick to the floor! Shimura worked the legs throughout, perhaps looking to repeat his last win via Sasori-gatame, but in the end it was his rarely used Cross Kneebreaker that secured his first Heavyweight Title defense! MOTN right here, no question, and a fitting end to the Otsu and Shimura feud. A little disappointing ratings wise tonight, but I do have to say that I thought all the matches were very good and most of them had really cool finishes, so I'm happy overall. Some strong Title contenders established tonight, Rekless Endangerment are looking like they are a natural fit in the ZIP JAPAN Juniors Division, a shocking title change and a very strong title defense/feud blowoff. A solid show. Thanks again to all the ZIP JAPAN supporters out there, you guys make the shows fun and the prep work worth the effort. Card for the next show will be up at some point in the next day or two, as well as some information on the discussed Heavyweight Invitational Tournament. |
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Post by TheDenizen on Jul 28, 2018 16:14:27 GMT
ZIP JAPAN Announcement! *camera fades in on Reiko ZIP, seated at her desk in her usual office*
Reiko :<Greetings fans, I have a couple of important announcements following the success of Otsu vs Shimura III last night. First up, I want to congratulate both Hanako Yoshii and Daisuke Shimura for their Title match victories, as both displayed the strength of spirit that personifies ZIP JAPAN. Sadly, I must report that during the final stages of his title defense, ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Champion Shimura re-tweaked the quadriceps injury that kept him out of action for much of last year. We are still awaiting final reports from the doctors, but early indications are that he may be out of action for up to two months.>
Reiko: <While this is certainly disappointing news, I like to try and find the silver lining in such situations. Rather than forcing Shimura-san to vacate the Heavyweight Championship, I have decided to hold a Heavyweight Tournament, similar to the Super Z Cup last fall. I'm calling it the Z-1 Climax: a 16 man invitational tournament open to all professional wrestlers willing to step up, with the winner receiving a future match against Shimura for the ZIP JAPAN Heavyweight Championship. Hopefully by the time the tournament is resolved, Shimura will be back in fighting form. ZIP JAPAN's North American liaison TheDenizen will be providing more details soon regarding the tournament structure and rules.>
Reiko: <Speaking of TheDenizen, that brings me to my second announcement regarding the next ZIP JAPAN event. It's a little known fact that TheDenizen and I actually share a birthday, August 15th. Given how much excellent work TheDenizen has done on behalf of the ZIP JAPAN promotion over the years, I decided to invite him to Japan to celebrate our birthday together, and as a gift I offered him the opportunity to wrestle a match in ZIP JAPAN for the first time in over 10 years. TheDenizen has graciously accepted my offer, and as a result the next ZIP JAPAN show will be entitled "Birthday Bash". Please allow me to run down the card for this exciting event!>
*the camera shot cuts to a graphic displaying the event card, with Reiko's image inset in the corner as she reads off the matches*
Reiko: <We will be starting strong with a SIX man elimination battle royal featuring some of the best talent the Junior division has to offer, including 3 former Junior Heavyweight Champions. Justin Starr, Tetsuo K, ECKO, Saburo Hamada, Yutaro Ichikawa and Satoshi Iguchi will take part in what is sure to be a chaotic show opener. Next up Canadian Rebecca Roxx will be looking avenge her recent loss against Psycho Witch, which will be followed by the up and coming Junior duo Rekless Endangerment facing Tora Katsu and Minoru Hoshino in a tag team match.>
Reiko: <Former Tag Team Champion and Storm of the Century member Wataru Nakajima makes his return to the ring to challenge the terrifying bulk of Jumbo Jinzei, which will be followed by the Korean Dream Eun-jin Choi squaring off against my sister Suki ZIP, who is hot coming off a dominant victory over Momoe Ito. The archive match from Birthday Bash will be all the way back from the dark ages of 2001, featuring the team of King ZIP and his then-protege Kintaro taking on the duo of very young versions of Gorobei and Akira Shinjo.>
Reiko: <The second half of the show will begin with Jimmy Nails, Donnie Doogan, Mad Bomber and Thunder Fist in an elimination battle royal. After this, former Joshi Champion Aya Mizuno makes her return to face Yumi Yamaguchi, with the winner earning a Title match against current champ Hanako Yoshii. TheDenizen will be facing a mystery contestant in his match, and I have given TheDenizen carte blanche to choose his own opposition here, even I will not know who he is facing until his opponent steps through the curtain.>
Reiko: <The first of two big title matches to cap off the show will see Blue Destiny defending their recently won Tag Team Championships against the #1 contenders Green Crush. And finally, Darkness HAGE gets another opportunity to complete his comeback from retirement as he faces Ichiro Katagiri for the ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship. ZIP JAPAN Birthday Bash should be a fantastic event, and will be held on Friday, August 10 2018, starting at 9pm EST. I hope to see you all there!>
*Reiko bows slightly to the camera as it fades to black* For those interested in participating in the Z-1 Climax tournament, please check this thread: criticalclub.com/thread/280/japan-heavyweight-invitational-tournament-sign |
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Post by Senator Phillips on Jul 28, 2018 16:31:05 GMT
Tremendous show!
The main event was every bit as awesome as we all hoped, Daisuke Shimura solidifying his reign as ZIP Heavyweight champion in a worthy fashion!
Of course I marked out tremendously for Lady Armbreaker getting that Joshi title, but the match itself was top of the line, blood, violence, Violence, close calls, armbars and an unlikely right move at the right time comeback victory. Hanako Yoshii delivered, big time.
I may have been the only one, but I marked out for Darkness HAGE gaining a shot at the Jr Heavy title, after looking a bit shaky when he returned from retirement, HAGE worked his way back into shape and now looks even more dangerous than ever before. The three HAGE Bombs at the end were as emphatic a finish as they come.
Green Crush and Pure HEEL need to meet on a regular basis. More of a fight than a match, this one was.
Overall, a top notch card, on a super crowded night, ZIP still managed to stand out with some of the best action in the CA. Can't wait to see Katagiri vs HAGE, that'll be a barnstormer.
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Post by TheDenizen on Jul 28, 2018 16:46:51 GMT
Thanks Senator as always for your thoughts: Hanako Yoshii defeating Vicki Violence was a pleasant surprise, I'm glad you enjoyed it too :P
And while I did say in chat that Hamada vs Katagiri would've been a more interesting matchup than HAGE vs Katagiri, I must confess I also marked a little for HAGE's win. HAGE is one of my oldest edits and he's been through a lot over his lengthy career and retirement. Earning a Junior Title match against Katagiri is a big deal, and the match itself should make a worthy main event. |
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Post by TheDenizen on Jul 28, 2018 18:27:02 GMT
Also I just realized that not only is the Birthday Bash show going to be very close to my (and Reiko's) birthday, it is also pretty much the one year anniversary of ZIP JAPAN's rebirth in FPW. TRIPLE BIRTHDAY.
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Post by TheDenizen on Jul 29, 2018 15:00:48 GMT
ZIP JAPAN Z-1 Climax sign ups are now closed.
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 3, 2018 0:57:23 GMT
ZIP JAPAN Promo Roundup! *camera fades in on Wataru Nakajima standing in front of a ZIP JAPAN banner. He looks weary as he pleads into the camera lens* Nakajima: <Why is this happening to me? At Birthday Bash, I have to face Jumbo Jinzei? (he lets out a long sigh as his shoulders slump) I'm getting too old for this. How am I meant to face a behemoth who weighs twice what I do? (as Nakajima talks, Thunder Fist silently steps into the shot behind him and just stands there) I haven't got a chance in hell! Reiko, if you're watching, what did I do to deserve this?> Thunder Fist: NAKAJEEMA! Nakajima: <Aaaaaaa!> *Nakajima nearly jumps out of his skin and turns around to see Thunder Fist's hideous mask staring him directly in the face as Fist leans in to him. Fist slaps Nakajima on the chest* Thunder Fist: <Nakajeema not old! Nakajeema strong! Nakajeema fearless! Nakajeema tough son of bitch!> *Nakajima is completely cowed, staring up at Fist, who keeps yelling* Thunder Fist: <For Birthday match, Nakajeema beat fat man! And Fist beat Donnie Muscles and Madman and Skinny man! NAKAJEEMA FIST WINNERS!> Nakajima: (perking up) <You...you really think so? I can defeat Jumbo?> Thunder Fist: <Yes! NAKAJEEMA FIST Tag Champions again!> Nakajima: <Damn right, my boy! (grinning broadly) I've still got it! I can find a way to take down Jinzei and you can easily defeat your opponents in the Battle Royal! We'll prove to Reiko that the Storm of the Century is far from over! I feel a gale force wind brewing! We'll earn our Titles back yet!> *Nakajima and Thunder Fist hug it out for a moment before walking off the set together. A ZIP JAPAN logo swooshes across the screen to reveal Hanako Yoshii standing tall with her Joshi Championship around her waist, and wearing a serious expression* Yoshii: <I haven't been part of ZIP JAPAN for long, but I've already learned one thing for sure: things move pretty fast here. I may have defeated Vicki Violence to become the Joshi Champion, but there's no time for celebrations, and no time to relax. Next Friday at Birthday Bash, former Joshi Champ Aya Mizuno makes her return to action in a #1 contender's match against Yumi Yamaguchi. Yumi is as tough as they come, and I consider her a friend, so I hope she knows I mean no disrespect to her when I say that her record against Mizuno simply isn't very good. Mizuno has the advantage in both physical prowess and in-ring experience, and I expect my first title defense will be against her and not Yumi.> *the camera slowly pulls in on Yoshii's face as she continues speaking intensely* Yoshii: <Know this Mizuno! Since the last time we met, I knew I'd have to face you again someday. And I've been doing nothing but prepare for that moment! You won't get the best of me again! I'm faster, stronger and sharper than I've ever been! I know you'll bring a war to the ring, but Lady Armbreaker is ready for war! And if Yumi catches you still trying to shake off your ring rust, well then I'll look forward to a fantastic technical encounter against Yamaguchi-san at the next ZIP JAPAN Show! Either way, I plan on being Joshi Champion for a long time! Even if I have to snap someone's forearm to do it! *Hanako Yoshii is in closeup by now, and she gives an almost imperceptible smile to the camera and winks. A ZIP JAPAN logo swoosh transitions to Darkness HAGE, crouched alone in the dark, partially hidden by shadows. His voice is calm and quiet, almost a whisper* HAGE: <The time has come. The moment of reckoning. It's time to find out if everything I've endured since returning to the fold of ZIP JAPAN has been worth it. I've sacrificed my health, I've sacrificed my career as a dojo instructor, I've sacrificed my chosen student Saburo Hamada. I've even sacrificed my sanity by embracing the Darkness in my soul...but when I defeat Ichiro Katagiri at the Birthday Bash, my journey will be complete. This has been years in the making Katagiri, and if you think I'm going to let a pink haired freak like you stand in my way, you are sadly mistaken. The ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship is my destiny! And next Friday will see you swept aside like the refuse you are. I will reclaim my crown. I will take back my spot on top of this Division that I put on the map! And all will be right with the world again....> *Darkness HAGE begins to giggle, softly at first, but increasing swiftly in volume and intensity until he is racked with fits of laughter. The ZIP JAPAN logo swooshes across the screen to reveal an oddly familiar figure, his back to the camera. The ZIP JAPAN banner behind him is different, and appears to have been hastily made using budget materials. He slowly turns around to reveal TheDenizen, looking slightly older and fatter than the last time he was seen in ZIP JAPAN* TheDenizen: Well, well. Look who's coming back to ZIP JAPAN. (he smirks) I guess you boys thought you'd seen the last of old Deni, eh? Well guess again! Canada is too small to contain me, so it's time for the Land of Rising Sun to get another taste of this Angry Beardo! What better way to celebrate my birthday than to make my triumphant return to ZIP JAPAN and resume dropping fools on their heads? It'll be just like old times! Next Friday at Birthday Bash I'll be facing a mystery opponent selected by me, and you'll never guess who it is! Rest assured it will be someone worthy of competing against a true luminary such as myself! In a few short days I'll be getting on that plane, so get ready Japan...for another Dose of TheDenizen! *TheDenizen adjusts his tights and stares down the camera lens as the screen fades to black* |
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 7, 2018 3:49:02 GMT
Hey guys, I'm off to catch my flight to Tokyo...I hope my internet access in Yokohama is good enough for the ZIP JAPAN stream Friday...and I hope I'm not too out of shape to actually wrestle.
See you there!
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Post by OrochiGeese on Aug 7, 2018 4:34:58 GMT
Have a great trip to Japan and back, Denizen!!
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 7, 2018 22:29:52 GMT
Thanks geese :D
I had a stupid stopover in LA, 6 hours and never left the airport....but I am now safe and sound in Tokyo, met up with Reiko and White Trash...soon heading to ZIP JAPAN's training facility in Yokohama. It feels like it should be dinner time, but it's like 7:30 in the morning lol. I want sushi. And pocky. And to drop someone on their head.
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 9, 2018 1:15:19 GMT
Jetlag has been kicking my ass, but I managed to get into the gym today, and had a little in-ring workout with Justin Starr to help me drop the ring rust. I should be ready to go for Friday night.
Also, Reiko asked me to let it be known that she has chosen the matchups for the Qualifying round of the Z-1 Climax Heavyweight Tournament. I think she's planning to make a big announcement following the Birthday Bash show, so keep your eyes peeled.
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 10, 2018 11:05:36 GMT
Tonight is the night for Fire Pro streaming goodness.
Blehschmidt's inaugural TEW show at 6pm, ZIP JAPAN's Birthday Bash at 9pm and Senator's L&L #5 right after ZIP JAPAN.
I'll be broadcasting live from backstage in the ZIP JAPAN arena in Yokohama! It's gonna be pretty sweet, so don't miss it!
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Post by Senator Phillips on Aug 10, 2018 20:21:51 GMT
Fired up big time for HAGE vs Katagiri! Two more deserving jerkwads have never met for such a superb Jr heavy contest! And the mystery opponent has me stoked...can't wait to find out who that is going to be.
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Post by TheDenizen on Aug 11, 2018 5:25:05 GMT
Birthdays have been bashed, now it's time for some damn cake. Had a really fun stream tonight, many thanks to everyone who came out and...ahem...supported me in my big return match. If you missed the show, it is currently archived on Twitch right here: www.twitch.tv/videos/295725740Let's get straight into the results: ZIP JAPAN Birthday Bash Aug 10, 2018 6 Man Elimination Battle Royal - Justin Starr vs ECKO vs Saburo Hamada vs Tetsuo K vs Yutaro Ichikawa vs Satoshi Iguchi  Good lord, what a way to open the show. Justin Starr got seriously hurt when Hamada hit him with a Perfect Driver on the floor, before Tetsuo Fire Star Splashed Hamada into smithereens. Both guys looked hurt bad being stretchered through the back. Ichikawa hit a cannonabll senton on Tetsuo K but stupidly got pinned after having his own pin attempt broken up. Tetsuo then Fire Star'd ECKO for a pinfall and caught Iguchi shortly after with a brutal Rewind Shining Heel Kick. A couple of sick CRITs and a dominant showing from former Junior Champion Tetsuo. Great start. - Rebecca Roxx vs Psycho Witch  Awesome, hard hitting match with Rebecca Roxx making a really strong comeback in the end. Both ladies won over the crowd with their fighting spirit and gutsy performances. Rebecca gaining some confidence and momentum now. - Johnny Rekless/Danger Daniels vs Tora Katsu/Minoru Hoshino  Solid tag match victory for Rekless Endagerment here. They knew Katsu had already worked the TEW show earlier in the evening and was bound to be tired. They isolated Katsu early, and when Hoshino got involved they isolated him too. Katsu was too beat to make the save in time when Daniels pinned Hoshino off his big Diving Lariat. - Wataru Nakajima vs Jumbo Jinzei  This was Nakajima really taking Thunder Fist's pep talk to heart and channeling the cantankerousness of a thousand octogenarians through his back muscles. He tossed Jumbo around like a goddamn ragdoll. It was almost inspirational. Avalanche Waterwheel, a couple of back drops and pickup lariats...rounded off by a beautiful Nakajima special. I dunno how he did it, but I'm sure glad he did. - Eun-jin Choi vs Suki ZIP  Suki ZIP really playing up the cocky bitchiness factor in her character tonight...she hit THREE big ZIP Drivers in the match, but kept goofing around and taunting before going for a pin. Eun-Jin worked hard and tried to mount a comeback, but Suki kept cutting her off with another ZIP Driver. Eventually it was too much for Choi and a Suki-Plex got the job done. Archive match from 2001 - King ZIP/Kintaro vs Gorobei/Akira Shinjo  God damn, young Shinjo started this match super strong style, not intimidated at all by his monster opponents, but Gorobei didn't fare so well. This was in the era before his huge unbeaten run, and after eating a King ZIP Powerbomb on the floor, Gorobei got pinned after a huge Superman Kinniku Buster from Kintaro. Ugly stuff but a brutal match. Fatal 4 Way Elimination match - Mad Bomber vs Thunder Fist vs Donnie Doogan vs Jimmy Nails  Sadly, Fist wasn't drinking any of the KoolAid he's been feeding Nakajima, and he looked pretty average in this match before he got pinned by a Jimmy Nails Fisherman Suplex. Jimmy then got CRITICAL'd by a Doogan Hammer II. Mad Bomber also ate a DHII on the arena floor, but shrugged it off like nothing, got in the ring and Triple Powerbombed Doogan to a whole new level of stupid. To determine No 1 Contender for the ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship - Aya Mizuno vs Yumi Yamaguchi  Really superb stuff here, Yumi was getting the shit beaten out of her by Mizuno, who was out for blood tonight. Yumi made a sweet comeback and hit a couple of huge brain chops to stun Mizuno before putting her away with an Angelic Driver. Yumi vs Hanako Yoshii should be pretty special. - TheDenizen vs ????  Yup, I brought a broken down old legend out of retirement to wrestle, angling for an easy win...and I fucked it up. To be honest though, for a couple of old farts it wasn't bad at all. We didn't stink up the place, and we both got all our shit in. Full credit to Insano here, he kicked out of a Denizen Driver and totally surprised me with a big rollup outta nowhere. A little disappointing but I'm glad to have gotten a chance to wrestle in Japan one more time. Now it's time to party. ZIP JAPAN Tag Team Championship match - Green Crush (Asano Kaneshiro/Takeshi Kiriyama) vs Blue Destiny (Maki Yoshida/Jin Matsuda) (C)  Crazy title change here...this was a decent back and forth while it lasted. Neither team was really close to a win when Takeshi Kiriyama, one of the most underrated guys in ZIP JAPAN, suddenly reminded everyone how ruthless and dangerous he can be. Jin Matsuda got absolutely murdered by a devastating Yakuza Bomb, and Tomi quickly stopped the match and awarded the victory to Kiriyama. Green Crush are ZIP JAPAN Tag Champs again! ZIP JAPAN Junior Heavyweight Championship match - Darkness HAGE vs Ichiro Katagiri (C)  Well, this was something special. Both guys are ostensibly heels, but both had something of a babyface journey to get to this match, so both were actually sympathetic characters here. Started off with Katagiri unleashing kicks, with HAGE trying to match him and failing. HAGE then moved to more acrobatic stuff with much success, and got a near fall with a crushing HAGE Firebomb. That just seemed to wake up Katagiri, and the two went on to have an incredibly violent match. Crazy knees and headdrops galore. Katagiri seemed to get frustrated and eventually went for weapons, but HAGE cut him off perfectly and locked in a sharpshooter for the win. New Junior Heavyweight Champ Darkness HAGE! The end of a long journey for another grizzled veteran of ZIP JAPAN. Overall a really enjoyable show, my loss notwithstanding. There was plenty of violence, technical skill and incredible spirit displayed tonight, I'm glad I got to see it unfold live :D Some nasty CRITICALs, I'm sure we'll get injury updates on those affected very soon. We also had two Title changes and a great Joshi title match now on the horizon! Thanks again to everyone who came out to watch my live stream. I'm going to be in Japan for another week or so, to spend my actual birthday partying in Tokyo with Reiko, Tomi and White Trash...and who knows, I might even stick around here to see the Qualifying round of the Z-1 Climax live! Speaking of that tourney: Reiko has asked me to publish the following list...it's a summary of all the matchups for next Friday's Qualifiers.
Exhibition match
- ISKARIOT (MordecaiXLII) vs PerfectShawn (Level)
Z-1 Climax Qualifiers
- Akahata (Eisenheim) vs Roderick Brookes (kingradical)
- Bad Amador (TwistC) vs Snickers CRUNCHER (Soak314)
- Silver Demon (romanticmisery) vs Slammin Jam (Prof Voodoo)
- Leo Rossa (Aroo) vs Yoshihiro Mikasa (thelodger)
- Tony Swinger (maikeru) vs Blayze Kindler (Zealot)
- Lariat Brisco (Blehschmidt) vs Akira Soma (samuraicake)
- Todd Colton (FireHawk) vs Victor Newcastle (kaoticpersona)
- Stan Classic (Wonderland) vs Kenneth (xeroprogram)
- Rey de la Carne (Officer Brightly) vs KK Ryu (TigerStripePro)
- Aquarius Jethro (magmadiver) vs Hiko Sojirou (brick9mm)
- Lewis Smith (norefunds) vs Roy Carter (lankylefty)
- Mohammad Ramses (Senator) vs Mark Hodge (Slick_36)
Also, the Next show following that will be on Friday Aug 24th, and will feature the beginning of the Z-1 Climax Tourney proper, including all 8 first round matches. For the record, the 4 ZIP JAPAN regulars who will get a first round slot are: Maki Yoshida (this was originally slated to be Jin Matsuda, but he was replaced after Matsuda was injured tonight), Akira Shinjo, Donnie Doogan, and a returning GORO!
Some big news there. Also on the card will be Tetsuo K vs Johnny Rekless vs ECKO in a triple threat to determine the #1 Contender for the Junior Championship, Storm of the Century squaring off against Pure HEEL to determine #1 contender for the Tag Team Championships, and of course Yumi Yamaguchi vs Hanako Yoshii for the ZIP JAPAN Joshi Championship! The full card will be posted following the completion of the qualifying round. |
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Post by Senator Phillips on Aug 11, 2018 16:53:05 GMT
That was one heckova night of FPW, and ZIP did not disappoint in the slightest!
Opener was pure, unadulterated, absolute chaos. Hamada had all that momentum, and Tetsuo took it right away from him like he took Scorpio's mask! A better opener couldn't have been made.
Rekless Endangerment takes another step forward, I still think they can hold their own against the big boys, they're that good.
NAKAIMMMAAAAA! Could very well have been the Patriarch's best showing in the ZIP Reborn era. What a force of nature!
Suki is awesome. Doesn't even think she needs to hurry to the finish, just takes her sweet time and gets it done when she's well ready. That was a performance, and watching the chat get progressively more irritated with her taunting was hilarious.
A tremendous archival bout, loved seeing Young Lion Shinjo mix it up with two of the baddest men to ever step into the ZIP Ring. And perhaps this match was the motivation for Gorobei to go all in with his training to make himself what he became later on.
Fist, you let me down, dangit. That's all I have to say there. That, and get back up, and start crushing people again!
Yamaguchi has tapped into that vein of babyface fortitude that only the truly purehearted can access. She really fought through and showed Mizuno that she's a force to be reckoned with in the division. Fun match for sure.
Ok, for the record, I must state this. I did NOT know who the opponent was going to be. I do not believe that I am actually psychic. Really. But the call I made before the Denizen match...perhaps that leaves me with some doubt in that regard. In any case, CAPTAIN INSANO JUNIOR! Loved seeing the insane luchador return to the ring, and give Deni the wonderful birthday present of a high profile loss in Japan! The kickout of the Denizen Driver was a startling moment and the match, well, for two old, broken down guys, that was one heckova showing.
Green Crush has always been ruthless. Sometimes we forget this, like the time the Capitalists somehow beat them or some of their more ordinary showings. But Asano is a brutal fighter and Kiriyama is flat out cruel in his approach. The Gang Green should never, ever be counted out of a tag team match, and this was a perfect example why that is the case.
The main event completely lived up to the billing. Years of context. Two multifaceted, dynamic wrestlers who each had their own compelling stories to complete here. The center stage was theirs to own, and they staked their claim over it and then some. Katagiri looked like he had it early on, bringing out the knees before things even got going. He looked like he was desperate to hold onto that which he had fought so hard to reobtain. But as experienced as Purple Tenzan is, HAGE was that much more. The Dark One did not panic, did not give up and picked his spots, piece by piece, working his way back into the match, and by the time he hit his first HAGE Bomb, we knew this was not going to be a simple as it started to look. And finally, by the end, after Orbital Explosions, roughhousing, brawling, groin kicks and bodily destruction, HAGE's master plan, which he kept in his head for so long, through retirement, returns, betrayals, conversions and the rapid ascension through the ranks, finally was ready to be carried out and as he locked in that unexpected Sharpshooter, the return was finally complete. Darkness HAGE has finally conquered the Junior Heavyweight division again in the ZIP Reborn era.
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