Wrestle Association "R"

[Agahnim Demen]

3rd April 2005

Reporters caught up with Riki Choshu for a few questions regarding his defeat in the J-1 Tournament, and his match on 06/04 in the Sumo Hall. He said that it was simply just Tenryu's time, and that this is Tenryu's tournament; adding that he felt confident he had lost to the person who was going to go on to win in the final. Choshu also stated that since he can't get his hands on the J-1 Title, he would take the WAR Six Man Tag Title and make it even more prestigious than the Japan J-1 Heavyweight.

Masatomo Takei also announced the final matches for the 06/04 Tokyo Sumo Hall show;

WAR: RAISING TENRYU IN TOKYO ~ J-1 TOURNAMENT FINALE

Tokyo Sumo Hall

06/04/05

1. Masao Orihara & Susumu Yokosuka v Super Shisa & Nobuhiko Takada

2. Milano Collection AT v Masato Yoshino

3. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon) v Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER)

4. Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai v Shiro Koshinaka & Tatsutoshi Goto

5. Andrei Arlovski v Yoshiaki Fujiwara

6. The Great Sasuke v Kendo Kashin

7. Different Style Fight: Masaaki Satake v Katsuyori Shibata

8. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title: Jushin Thunder Liger v Satoru Sayama

9. WAR Six-Man Tag Team Title: Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki v Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazuyuki Fujita & Minoru Suzuki

10. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title ~ Tournament Final Bout: Kensuke Sasaki v Genichiro Tenryu

Edited March 10, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

4th April 2005

Genichiro Tenyu returned from the United States in the afternoon, where he teamed with 'Lion Heart' Chris Jericho to defeat the team of Edge and Christian at WrestleMania XXI. He said that the match was a great success, but that it was only a warm up compared to what was going to happen in the Tokyo Sumo Hall on 06/04.

NikkanSports.com had a large feature on the upcoming WAR: Raising Tenryu in Tokyo show, where they looked in detail at the individuals who are featured in the event.

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- Taken from NikkanSports.com

Wrestle Association "R" makes its return in a big way this Wednesday (6th April), when they return to the Tokyo Sumo Hall for the first time since July 6th 1997 with WAR: RAISING TENRYU IN TOKYO 2005. So far, the promotion has been significant amount of success, managing to sell out half of the shows on the first tour. The J-1 Tournament has been a very successful (re)start for the promotion, as they quicky solidify their reputation as a credible threat to New Japan, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and especially All Japan and Zero-One MAX.

As far as content goes, Wrestle Association "R" appears to be a sincere attempt at reviving what has arguably been a wavering Japanese Wrestling industry, however some commentators have suggested that the seeming association with World Wrestling Entertainment creates the possibility that WAR is just a big money promotion, with little concern for traditional values. Whether or not this stands true will be revealed in time, no doubt. The 'Raising Tenryu in Tokyo' card does seem quite solid however;

The opening match features four interesting juniors who have been fighting for supremacy in the lower rings of the Junior division.

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1. Masao Orihara & Susumu Yokosuka v Super Shisa & Nobuhiko Takada

Masao Orihara is quite an experienced junior, who achived success in the early incarnation of Wrestle Association "R", earning himself the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title. He has also held titles in Michinoku Pro and DDT. (5'6", 215lbs)

Susumu Yokosuka was a young Dragon Gate regular before making his way to Wrestle Assocation "R", where he was reaching new heights before the company came to a close. Yokosuka will possibly be looked upon to help secure the future of the WAR Junior Division, as he seems to have unlimited potential. (5'10", 141lbs)

Super Shisa was also a regular junior for Dragon Gate, where he achieved relative success and was said to be the first trainee of SAITO. Could have a bright future in Wrestle Association "R". (5'7", 175lbs)

At 43 years of age, Takada is easily the most experienced of the four competitors. Nobuhiko Takada also worked in the early incarnation of WAR, where he captured the Six Man Tag Team Title alongside Naoki Sano and Masahito Kakihara; he also held the IWGP Heavyweight Title and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at seperate times, as he turned heavyweight during the 90s, having been a junior previously. Takada retired from pro wrestling in 2002, but was seemingly coaxed out of retirement from Tenryu; however during this time Takada lost a lot of weight and was once again a Junior. Takada aims to leave the Junior division of Wrestle Association "R" and once again aim for heavyweight success. (6'0", 218lbs)

The second match of the night is between two former Dragon Gate allies, seperated by the closure of Dragon gate and returning to Wrestle Association "R" as enemies.

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2. Milano Collection AT v Masato Yoshino

Both Milano Collection AT and Masato Yoshino were sucessful juniors during their time in Dragon Gate, as a part of the popular Italian Connection. Look to these workers as the next generation of WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title contenders. (5'9", 184lbs), (5'7", 170lbs)

The first International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title match of the resurrected Wrestle Association "R" looks to be a very exciting junior battle between four very popular workers.

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3. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon) v Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER)

Yoshihiro Asai is better known to many around the world as Ultimo Dragon, however he no longer wrestles with his mask, having retired 'Ultimo Dragon'. He is a legend in his own right, having worked in countless promotions from WWE, WCW to NJPW and Michinoku Pro, even running his own Gym, and he also held the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title in the promotions earlier years. (5'6", 182lbs)

Dragon Kid was trained by Ultimo Dragon to be his successor, but some have argued that he will never reach the success of his mentor. Previously a regular of Dragon Gate, Dragon Kid has a bright future in Wrestle Association "R", and may still reach the heights of his mentor. (5'4", 154lbs)

Magnum TOKYO is an experienced, charismatic and cocky junior who was working regularly in Dragon Gate before coming to Wrestle Association "R". He has held various titles in the past, and may be looking to obtain similar success in WAR. (5'8", 180lbs)

Darkness Dragon is another Dragon Gate regular, sometimes referred to as K-Ness. He has an exciting and varied style that features both ground work and aerial versatility, but is yet to reach his full potential. (5'7", 180lbs)

This fourth match features four workers who worked regualrly in the previous incarnation of Wrestle Association "R".

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4. Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai v Shiro Koshinaka & Tatsutoshi Goto

Nobutaka Araya is a very agile and talented big man, a former sumo wrestler who can still hit a perfect moonsault. Started as a young ace in the IWA-Japan promotion before gaining success in the original incarncation of Wrestle Association "R" where he was Tenryu's main disciple and managed to capture the WAR Six Man Tag Title numorous times. When WAR closed down, he became a headliner for All Japan before jumping back to WAR upon its revivial. Recently lost the respect of a grumpy Tenryu, and aims to reclaim that respect from his former mentor. (6'1", 265lbs)

Nobukazu Hirai is a quiet, solid traditional wrestler who worked under Tenryu in Super World of Sports and Wrestle Association "R" in its early years. Never really gained the sucess of Araya, but has held the WAR Six Man Tag Team Title once. Worked for AJPW before coming back home to WAR. (6'1", 234lbs)

Shiro Koshinaka is a very experienced and charismatic worker who has had great success in various promotions around Japan, having held titles in WAR and NJPW; especially a run as tag team champs with Tenryu in New Japan. Was a highly successful Junior in the 80s, and worked occassionally in Pro Wrestling NOAH before coming back to Wrestle Association "R". (6'1", 232lbs)

Tatsutoshi Goto is an experienced heavyweight who is said to have the best Back Drop in the business. Goto worked for WAR in the past to relative success, and also worked in New Japan where he was an ally of Koshinaka in his Heisei Ishingun stable. (5'11", 254lbs)

The debut match for this former MMA fighter will not be his easiest, as he faces off against a highly experienced wrestling veteran who has also seen time in the original years of WAR.

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5. Andrei Arlovski v Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Andrei Arlovski achieved great success in Ultimate Fighting Championship, and had an impressive win-loss record. Apparently seeking a new challange, he has turned to professional wrestling to make his mark, and is almost the tallest man in this event. (6'4", 240lbs)

Yoshiaki Fujiwara is a very experienced veteran of Japanese professional wrestling at 55 years of age, often credited for the invention of the armbar that is named after him. Some have said that he may be past his prime, but he seeks to rebuild himself and have one last successful run before retiring. (6'0", 227lbs)

The next match is the number one contenders match for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title between two experienced juniors.

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6. The Great Sasuke v Kendo Kashin

The Great Sasuke is a very experienced and highly decorated junior who has held the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title in the past. He is also the original founder of now defunct Michinoku Pro, and became a politician, however he has recently vowed to dedicate more time to his wrestling career. (5'8", 185lbs)

Kendo Kashin is a relatively experienced junior who has a very submission orientated style. He was originally a regular in NJPW before jumping to All Japan in 2000, having held junior and tag titles in both promotions he now wrestles for WAR full time. (5'11", 203lbs)

The seventh match of the night is another 'Different Style Fight' match, which features rules very similar to those in K-1 fighting.

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7. Different Style Fight: Masaaki Satake v Katsuyori Shibata

Masaaki Satake is a former mixed martial artist who worked in professional wrestling also, namely for Wrestle Association "R" in its earlier years. He, like Nobuhiko Takada, retired from wrestling in 2002, however it would appear that Tenryu managed to convince him to continue and revitalise his career in WAR. (6'1", 234lbs)

Katsuyori Shibata is the son of former New Japan wrestler who turned referee, Katsuhisa Shibata. He is a very promising and heavily talented wrestler, showing great technique, tremendous will, spirit, and a fierce mean streak who dabbled in MMA through New Japan, the promotion where he found his pro wrestling feet. Left New Japan to join the BIG MOUTH promotion, but the promotion never got underway, making Shibata a freelancer. He was quickly snapped up by Wrestle Association "R" where he could have a strong future, being only 25 years of age. (6'0", 227lbs)

Continued Next Post...

Edited March 17, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

The eighth match is for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title, and is between two true legends of junior wrestling worldwide, who have begun a somewhat personal rivalry in WAR.

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8. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title: Jushin Thunder Liger v Satoru Sayama

Jushin Thunder Liger is a legend of junior wrestling who hardly needs an introduction. He looks to capture this title again, having held it in the previous incarnation of Wrestle Association "R". (5'7", 209lbs)

Satoru Sayama is another legend known worldwide as the original and first Tiger Mask. Not quite as agile and athletic as he used to be, Sayama spends most of his time training younger workers when he is not competiting. (5'5", 180lbs)

The second last match of the night is for the WAR Six Man Tag Team Title, and features some of the top heavyweights of Wrestle Association "R".

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9. WAR Six-Man Tag Team Title: Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki v Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazuyuki Fujita & Minoru Suzuki

Riki Choshu (53), Fujinami (50) and Shinzaki (38) are three very experienced heavyweights, moreso Fujinami and Choshu than Shinzaki. Choshu and Fujinami have both reached great heights in New Japan Pro Wrestling, becoming legends in their own right. Shinzaki has had great success the world over, working in WWE in the past as Hakushi, and for various Japanese promotions (6'0", 255lbs), (6'0", 238lbs) & (5'11", 228lbs)

Takayama, Fujita and Suzuki are three workers who all have some experience in shoot fighting, particularly Fujita, who has an impressive win-loss record of 10-4-0.

Takayama has won various titles across various promotions and is reknowned for his incredible toughness. Fujita had great success in New Japan, capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Suzuki has had relative success in MMA and professional wrestling, working regulary for New Japan before coming to Wrestle Association "R". (6'5", 276lbs), (6'0", 254lbs) & (5'10", 225lbs)

The main event is between two greatly successful heavyweight workers who have worked together and against one another in the past. This match is for the WAR Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title.

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10. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title ~ Tournament Final Bout: Kensuke Sasaki v Genichiro Tenryu

Kensuke Sasaki is a strocky powerhouse, who also uses a variety of submission holds. He worked predominantly for NJPW for most of the 90s, and even had some success in WCW, capturing the U.S. Heavyweight Title. He became freelance in 2002 when he turned his back on NJPW to work for the greatly unsuccessful World Japan promotion that closed down after two years. He worked for All Japan and various indies, including Dragon Gate before moving to WAR in early 2005. (5'11", 243lbs)

The 'Sky-Rising Dragon', Genichiro Tenryu, more recently known as 'Mr' Puroresu' is a legend of the sport who up until recently wasn't as recongised in the west as Inoki and Baba, despite appearing at WrestleMania VII. Seemingly ageless, Tenryu is grumpy and extremely tough, and was the first wrestler to have held both the IWGP Heavyweight and All Japan's Triple Crown. (6'2", 265lbs)

All in all, it looks to be an entertaining event.

I'll see you at the Sumo Hall!!

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Note: Any thoughts, questions, predictions?

Edited March 10, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

5th April 2005

Kensuke Sasaki made an entry in his online blog.. 'http://kensuke.livedoor.biz/'

"..I've been training very hard for the last few weeks with Katsuhiko, always pushing myself that little bit more. I'm in good health, and in between training I've been spending time with Akira and my children. Its interesting to see where I am now in Wrestle Association "R" after only one month.. earlier this year at Tenryu's 55th birthday party we were talking about putting WAR under way, thinking about ideas and workers and the future of that promotion. For some reason I never thought that I would be that future, nevermind facing off against Tenryu for the Japan J-1 Title. In some ways I'm glad to be going up against him, he seems to have let this whole WAR thing get to his head.. the Sky-Rising Dragon.. ( ^^; ) I mean make no mistake, I have a lot of respect for Genichiro, but perhaps he is not the right man to lead Wrestle Association "R" into the future.

I see the future for Wrestle Association "R" as a rival for New Japan and All Japan, and hopefully going above and beyond that. The Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title is a clean slate in some ways, compared to the IWGP Heavyweight Title and The All Japan Triple Crown, that I feel have been tarnished in some way. I'm disappointed that Pro Wrestling NOAH is having financial problems, as I would have enjoyed some tough compeition from a pure pro wrestling promotion. If I am to win the Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title, I would like to defend it against the likes of Kobashi and Misawa.. If I do not win this match against Tenryu.. I wont feel bad, Tenryu and I have been through much in the past, and he is an highly experienced veteran, with great resiliance and he is a tough fighter who doesn't give in easy. Wish me luck! (^0^) "

Edited March 10, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

WAR RAISING TENRYU IN TOKYO 2005 06/04/05

The Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan presents; Wrestle Association "R": Raising Tenryu in Tokyo 2005 ~ J-1 Tournament Finale.

On this night, four titles will be up for grabs, along with the conlcusion of the Japan J-1 Heavyweight Tournament. The reported attendance is just over 11,000, close to a full house for the Sumo Hall. Akira Maeda and Kiyoharu Ujiie make their way to the announce table as the show kicks off, with Eiji Ezaki making his way to the ring to welcome the fans to the Sumo Hall and kick off the event. The ring boys for the event are Raimu Mishima, Takamichi Iwasa, Takuya Sugawara, Ryuji Ito and Katsuhiko Najakima.

1. Masao Orihara & Susumu Yokosuka v Super Shisa & Nobuhiko Takada

Orihara, Yokosuka, Shisa and Nobuhiko battle out for supremacy. Many believe that Takada has the advantage in this bout, as he is an experienced veteran of both junior and heavyweight work, however the remaining juniors have looked very impressive so far in Wrestle Association "R". Yokosuka and Shisa start the match off, impressing the crowd with a complex high risk chain that winds up in a stalemate of sorts. Yokosuka tags in Orihara who begins to ground Shisa, and keeps the match mat based for a while. Shisa manages to escape however, and make the tag to Nobuhiko who wears down Orihara with some stiff kicks to the chest. The match continues in a back and forth manner for the majority of the time, with Takada seemingly the dominant force in the match. As the match came to a close, Yokosuka tags in Orihara to take on Shisa. Orihara slingshots into Takada who was also in the ring at the time, with a senton like maneuvre, before hitting Shisa with an Implant DDT for the three count. Orihara celebrates with Yokosuka for a while before they head to the back. Backstage, Orihara says that this is just the beginning of his rise to fame in Japanese pro wrestling.

2. Milano Collection AT v Masato Yoshino

Long time Dragon Gate allies from the old Italian Connection face off in this match, where Milano seeks to defeat Yoshino for siding with Do FIXER upon arrival in Wrestle Association "R". The two get the feel for one another as the match kicks off, as they compete in a contest of amatuer style one-upsmanship, with both workers also attempting to lock on one of their own unique submission holds. Yoshino changes the pace of the match by striking Milano with a vicious forearm to the side of the head. As Yoshino begins to dominate the match, the remaining members of the Nuovo Italian Connection (MOCHI & Ishi Mori) make their way to ringside.. and as soon as they do, the remaining members of Do FIXER (TOKYO & K-Ness) also make their way to ringside. Yoshino throws Milano to his fellow Do FIXER members, but MOCHI and Ishi Mori prevent them from getting at Milano. Milano makes his way back into the ring and returns offence on Yoshino, picking up the pace. The two exchange high impact offence before Milano locks in an ankle lock variation and forces Yoshino to give up. MOCHI and Ishi Mori celebrate with Milano before heading to the back.

3. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon) v Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER)

In a match that came about through a simple desire to impres the fans, legendary junior Yoshihiro Asai teams with his understudy Dragon Kid against two members of dance group Do FIXER for the Wrestle Association "R" International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title. Asai starts the match against Magnum TOKYO, wherein he wears down TOKYO with some submission holds after an arm drag exchange. TOKYO, seemingly irritated by his inability to really weaken Asai, tags in K-Ness who starts off by springboarding into Asai with a missile dropkick, followed by a number of vicious kicks to the body as Asai tries to make it to his feet. Asai tags in Dragon Kid, who assaults Darkness Dragon with a variety of high flying offence, before K-Ness tags TOKYO back in. TOKYO begins to ground Dragon Kid and isolates him from Asai for some time. Dragon Kid eventually manages to escape from TOKYO and K-Ness, tagging in Asai. Asai goes to hit the Asai DDT on Magnum TOKYO, but TOKYO reverses it into the Egoist Driver, that keeps Asai down for the three count. Yoshino joins K-Ness and TOKYO for a celebratory dance of victory, as Wrestle Association "R" crowns its first WAR International Junior Tag Team Champions. Dragon Kid seemed to be angry at his mentor Asai as they left the ring and headed to the back.

4. Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai v Shiro Koshinaka & Tatsutoshi Goto

Nobutaka Araya teams up with old friend Nobukazu Hirai to try and regain the respect of old mentor Genichiro Tenryu. Koshinaka and Goto have a clear experience advantage in this match however, having both been active for 20 years or so. All four workers have worked in Wrestle Association "R" in the past, and seemed to have good chemistry in their individual teams. Koshinaka and Goto used their experience to dominate the majority of the match, often isolating either one of Hirai or Araya. A lariat battle between Goto and Araya resulted in the end of the match, as Araya hit Goto with a big clothesline that knocked him down and got Araya the three count. Araya and Hirai began attacking Koshinaka and Goto after the match ended, but TARU and Naohiro Hoshikawa came down and helped Koshinaka and Goto fight back against Arayaa and Hirai. TARU and Hoshikawa started down Koshinaka and Goto, before all four men shook hands in the centre of the ring before making their way to the back. Backstage, Araya seemed to be very angry, as the assault on Koshinaka and Goto was meant to be the nail on the head that would gain them Tenryu's full respect.

5. Andrei Arlovski v Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Andrei Arlovski makes his on screen professional wrestling debut against veteran Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Fujiwara tries to make an example of Arlovski early in the match, by using an amateur style take down on him, and tauning Arlovski when he was down. Arlovski got to his feet and took Fujiwara down with a big kick to the back of the head. After almost getting a three count on Fujiwara, Fujiwara started battling back much more aggressively, as Arlovski would become more and more of a challange for him as the match went on. Fujiwara's frustration became more and more evident as the match went on, even hitting Arlovski with a belly to belly from the top turnbuckle in an effort to keep the Belarus native down. Fujiwara climbed to the top and tried to jump onto Arlovski with a big knee drop, but Arlovski rolled out of the way. When Fujiwara tried to get to his feet, Arlovski caught Fujiwara with a Fujiwara armbar, and made Yoshiaki tap.

6. The Great Sasuke v Kendo Kashin

This match is to determine who will be the next contender for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title. This is not the first time Kashin and Sasuke have met in the ring, and this shows through their treatment of one another. Kashin uses his usual tactics in this bout, using a combination of trickery and submission work to try and dominate and ground Sasuke. His tactics only go so far however, as Sasuke eventually hits Kashin with his trademark Swanton Dive to pick up the win and become the No. 1 contender for the International Junior Heavyweight Title.

7. Different Style Fight: Masaaki Satake v Katsuyori Shibata

Satake and Shibata both have some experience in MMA, with Satake holding an experience advantage over Shibata. Shibata goes for an early take down, and tries to go straight into an armbar. Satake just manages to roll over into the ropes however, before Shibata can get it locked in properly. They begin exchanging punches and kicks, both hitting some hard kicks to the body. Satake hits a takedown on Shibata and tries to lget him in a knee lock, but Shibata manages to avoid it and reverses Satake into a guillotine. Satake manages to get to his feet, but Shibata still has the guillotine locked in, overpowering Satake, Shibata brings down Satake with a DDT like move that knocks Satake out cold. Shibata celebrates before heading to the back, where he speaks to the press about climbing the ladder in Wrestle Association "R" and one day challenging for the J-1 Heavyweight Title.

8. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title: Jushin Thunder Liger v Satoru Sayama

Two legends of the wrestling world go head to head for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title. Liger starts quickly, hitting Sayama with a belly to belly suplex as soon as they lock up at the start. Sayama quickly gets to his feet and responds with a belly to belly of his own. As Liger starts to get to his feet, Sayama tries to pull his up, but gets hit by a rolling savate kick from Liger. Liger drags Sayama into the corner and hits on him with a few chops and a big palm strike. Sayama shakes it off and hits Liger with a chop before throwing him into the corner. He then works over Liger with a sucession of sharp kicks to the body, and concludes with a spinning back kick to the face. When they come out of the corner, they begin to exchange more belly to belly suplexes. The exchange comes to an end when Liger hits Sayama with a rolling leg lock. Liger begins to work on the leg of Sayama, continuously grounding Sayama with leg holds. Sayama eventually gets back to his feet, but seems to be limping, however he manages to hit Liger on the back with a forearm and follows it up with a spinning back suplex. They both fall, but Liger manages to pull himself up in the corner. Sayama runs at Liger, but misses the attack; Liger places Sayama on the top turnbuckle and hits him with a brainbuster from the top, but Sayama kicks out. Liger picks Sayama up and puts him in the corner again for another top rope brainbuster that gets the three count. Liger celebrates in the corners and then poses in the ring for the photographers with the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title. Backstage, Liger spoke about leading the Junior division of Wrestle Association "R", and bringing in a strong junior spirit.

9. WAR Six-Man Tag Team Title: Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki v Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazuyuki Fujita & Minoru Suzuki

This match consists of the six contestants of the J-1 Tournament who didn't make it into the final round. All six have had a lot of exprience in this kind of physical compeition, with some of the workers looking for revenge after their initial exits from the J-1 Tournament. Fujinami starts it off against Minoru Suzuki, snap suplexing Suzuki and keeping him down with a chin lock. Fujinami drags Suzuki to the corner and tags in Shinzaki, who seems anxious to get some kind of vengeance on Suzuki after his J-1 Tournamenr loss. Shinzaki goes to slam Suzuki, but Suzuki slides around the back of Shinzaki and catches him in a sleeper choke hold. Shinzaki carries Suzuki on his back and drops him into the corner where Takayama and Fujita are. Takayama tags himself in and takes down Shinzaki with a big boot. The match was an extremely physical back and forth battle, that went well past the thirty minute mark. Near the end of the match, Choshu and Takayama were in a clothesline battle that came to a close when Takayama ducked low on a Choshu clothesline, and spun around the back of Choshu; he then hit Choshu with the Everest German Suplex to get the three count, with Shinzaki and Fujinami trying to make the save, but just being stopped by Suzuki and Fujita. Takayama, Suzuki and Fujita stood in the ring for photographs with the belts. Backstage Takayama said that he felt the team he had here was undefeatable, and said he thought about making them NO FEAR 2005. He added that he was looking forward to a long run as WAR Six Man Tag Team Champions.

10. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title ~ Tournament Final Bout: Kensuke Sasaki v Genichiro Tenryu

The anticipation towards this match can be felt around the Sumo Hall, and the crowd seem very excited upon the announcement of the match by Ezaki. This match could easily go either way, as there are so many variables that have to be considered. Kensuke Sasaki, while perhaps not as experinced as Genichiro Tenryu, has had a very successful career. He has won many tournaments in his career, a Japan/U.S. All-Star Tournament in 1996, an IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament in 2001, a World Japan Strongest Tournament in 2003 and he is a two time G1 Climax winner; just to name a few accomplishments. He has a 2-0 win-loss record in mixed martial arts and has held numerous titles worldwide, and is still only 39 years of age. Tenryu matches up more than well against Sasaki however, having won almost twice as many tournaments in the past, a United National Title League in 1986, a WAR J-1 Title League that went from 11/18/97 to 1/14/98, an AJPW Triple Crown Tournament in 2000 and the AJPW Champion Carnival in 2001. He is the only man to have held the WAR Japan J-1 Title in the previous incarnation of Wrestle Association "R", and he has held various other titles worldwide, being the first man to have held both the IWGP Heavyweight and Triple Crown titles. Add to that victories in the past over the likes of Inoki and Baba, and you have a very experienced veteran in the 55 year old Genichiro Tenryu.

After exchanging forearms, Sasaki and Tenryu begin the match in a kind of headbutting contest, as both try to out do one another in terms of toughness and strength. Sasaki brings the contest to a grinding halt however, when he hits Tenryu with the Ipponzei (shoulder throw). The match continues as a seemingly never ending battle of endurance, with both workers using a combination of skill and experience to try and out-do one another. The experience of Tenryu was evident throughout, as he knew when to ground the match and when to roll outside to regather himself... however on this day it seemed that Sasaki's youth, strength and revolutionary spirit were stronger than ever as he would bring Tenryu to his knees with a sucession of thunderous lariats. He follwed the clotheslines with another Ipponzei, followed that with the volcanic eruption and then laid out Tenryu with the Northern Lights Bomb nearly 27 minutes into the match. However, Tenryu kicked out. Sasaki climbed to the top turnbuckle and came down on Tenryu with a flying elbow and this was enough to finally keep Tenryu down for the three count, making Kensuke Sasaki the first Wrestle Association "R" Japan J-1 Heavyweight Champion.

Sasaki celebrated around the ring, and stood with the belt for photographs. He helped Tenryu to his feet, and shook his hand. Tenryu then grabbed Sasaki's wrist and raised his arm. Sasaki celebrated some more, and said that he looked forward to defending the reputation of Wrestle Association "R" as its face, and that he looked forward to a long and prosperous future as the Japan J-1 Champion. Backstage Tenryu admitted that he was disappointed to have lost the match, but that he can't have asked for a better champion for his promotion than Kensuke Sasaki.

WAR: RAISING TENRYU IN TOKYO ~ J-1 TOURNAMENT FINALE, 06/04/05

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

7,291 Fans

1. Masao Orihara & Susumu Yokosuka defeat Super Shisa & Nobuhiko Takada when Orihara hits Shisa with an Implant DDT. (12:02)

2. Milano Collection AT defeats Masato Yoshino through tap out with an ankle hold variation. (13:53)

3. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER) defeat Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon) when TOKYO hits the Egoist Driver on Asai to become the 11th WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. (16:21)

4. Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai defeat Shiro Koshinaka & Tatsutoshi Goto when Araya hits a Lariat on Goto. (14:35)

5. Andrei Arlovski defeats Yoshiaki Fujiwara via submission with a Fujiwara Armbar. (10:10)

6. The Great Sasuke defeats Kendo Kashin with The Waterfall. (18:41)

7. Different Style Fight: Katsuyori Shibata defeats Masaaki Satake by knockout with a DDT. (12:39)

8. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title: Jushin Thunder Liger defeats Satoru Sayama with a Top Rope Brainbuster to become the 12th WAR International Junior Heavyweight Champion. (23:21)

9. WAR Six-Man Tag Team Title: Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazuyuki Fujita & Minoru Suzuki defeat Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki when Takayama hits the Everest German Suplex on Choshu to become the 16th WAR Six Man Tag Team Champions. (35:53)

10. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title ~ Tournament Final Bout: Kensuke Sasaki defeats Genichiro Tenryu with a Flying Elbow Drop to become the 2nd WAR Japan J-1 Heavyweight Champion. (27:48)

Edited February 3, 2006 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

9th April 2005

Wrestle Association "R" President Masatomo Takei unveiled the poster for the new WAR tour, along with the dates and venues where the tour would hit.

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Fukuoka International Center

13/04/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Daigo Gran Dome

20/04/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Asahikawa Citizen Center Gymnasium

27/04/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Nankoku City Gymnasium

04/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Kumamoto Hungnam Hall

11/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION 2005

Osaka Castle Hall

18/05/05

He added that more information would be announced about the tour in the coming days.

Edited March 16, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

10th April 2005

Toshiaki Kawada was seen leaving the office of Wrestle Association "R", where he told press he was speaking with WAR President Masatomo Takei. He announced to the press that he agreed upon a contract with Wrestle Association "R", and that the contract included a shot at Kensuke Sasaki's WAR Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title on 18/05 in the Osaka Castle Hall.

12th April 2005

Takei announced the full card for the show on 13/04 at the Fukuoka International Center, along with a few more matches for the tour;

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Fukuoka International Center

13/04/05

1. Kengo Mashimo v MOCHI

2. Shiro Koshinaka, Tatsutoshi Goto & TARU v Ryuma Go, Nobukazu Hirai & Nobutaka Araya

3. Naohiro Hoshikawa v CIMA

4. Milano Collection AT & Ishi Mori v Kendo Kashin & Kazunari Murakami

5. Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski v Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Fujiwara

6. The Great Sasuke & Satoru Sayama v Jushin Thunder Liger & Lion Heart

7. Genichiro Tenryu, Kazuyuki Fujita & Katsuyori Shibata v Kensuke Sasaki, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Daigo Gran Dome

20/04/05

1. Toshiaki Kawada, Katsuyori Shibata & Andrei Arlovski v Kensuke Sasaki, Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Asahikawa Citizen Center Gymnasium

27/04/05

1. Kensuke Sasaki & Jinsei Shinzaki v Toshiaki Kawada & Lion Heart

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Nankoku City Gymnasium

04/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Kumamoto Hungnam Hall

11/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION 2005

Osaka Castle Hall

18/05/05

1. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title: Kensuke Sasaki © v Toshiaki Kawada

Edited March 14, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

WAR SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005 13/04/05

The Fukuoka Interntional Center hosted the first show in the WAR: Super Revolution 2005 Tour, featuring the debut of Kengo Mashimo; formerly a young star of the Kaientai Dojo seeking to further his career in Wrestle Association "R". This show also features the on screen debut of former Wrestle Association "R" regular Ryuma Go.

1. Kengo Mashimo v MOCHI

Kengo Mashimo made an impressive debut; he is known as a very skilled fighter; using fast submissions and crisp strikes whilst being somewhat flashy at the same time and this was evident in this bout. The experience of MOCHI, originally a Wrestle Association "R" true born who has held three of the four WAR titles at least once, seemed to be too much for Mashimo in the end however, as MOCHI got the three count with the Twister (Spinning Brainbuster).

2. Shiro Koshinaka, Tatsutoshi Goto & TARU v Ryuma Go, Nobukazu Hirai & Nobutaka Araya

Koshinaka, Goto and TARU accompanied by Naohiro Hoshikawa were sporting some familiar flags as they made their way to the ring, and Koshinaka had the word 'Ishingun' across the back of his coat upon entry. All evidence pointed towards this being the resurrection of Heisei Ishingun that Koshinaka spoke of several weeks back. Ryuma Go teamed up with Hirai and Araya, who certainly aren't strangers, having worked together many times in the past. Go was once a regular member of the Wrestle Association "R" roster in its earlier days and achieved varying success. He seemed to be in a great physical shape in this match however, and worked well together withy Araya and Hirai. Well enough in fact, to topple TARU with a huge lariat and pick up the win over a newly formed Heisei Ishingun stable. The members of Ishingun appeared very disappointed at their failure.

3. Naohiro Hoshikawa v CIMA

Hoshikawa returned to the ring after helping TARU and the others backstage to face off against CIMA; an experienced and well decorated junior who has featured to great success in a number of tournaments, and has won various titles across Japan. This experience was on display as CIMA overwhelmed Hoshikawa, and hit him with the Mad Splash for a three count.

4. Milano Collection AT & Ishi Mori v Kendo Kashin & Kazunari Murakami

Two members of the Italian Connection take on a regular team of Kendo Kashin and Kazunari Murakami in this match. Kashin holds an experience advantage over all the other participants in this match, and uses this experience well when facing off against Milano and Ishi Mori. Ishi Mori and Milano worked together well in this match however, distracting Kashin, with Milano rolling up Murakami with a hurricanrana for the three count. Backstage after the match, Murakami expressed a great anger for losing to Milano, and demanded the opportunity to get revenge.

5. Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski v Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Arlovski made his second appearance for Wrestle Association "R", tagging alongside Yoshihiro Takayama to take on his first opponent in WAR, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Riki Choshu. Choshu is looking for revenge after his loss to Takayama in the WAR Six Man Tag Team title match at 'Raising Tenryu in Tokyo'. Arlovski surprised everyone again though, finishing off Fujiwara once more, but this time with an impressive powerbomb.

6. The Great Sasuke & Satoru Sayama v Jushin Thunder Liger & Lion Heart

Sayama seeks vengeance after his WAR International Junior Heavyweight title match loss to Jushin Thunder Liger in this match, as he teams with the man who will fight for the same title in Osaka; The Great Sasuke. Liger teams with former International Junior Heavyweight Title holder and WWE Superstar, Lion Heart. Both Lion Heart and Liger were employing a variety of dirty tactics in the match. Sayama was on a mission in this match, and began brawling with Liger on the outside of the ring. This distraction was enough for Sasuke to knock down Lion Heart and use The Waterfall (Swanton Bomb) from the top rope to get the three count.

7. Genichiro Tenryu, Kazuyuki Fujita & Katsuyori Shibata v Kensuke Sasaki, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki

Tenryu teams with one third of the WAR Six Man Tag Team Champions, Kazuyuki Fujita and fresh from a victory over Masaaki Satake in Tokyo the week before, Katsuyori Shibata, in this match, taking on Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title holder Kensuke Sasaki, who teams with Tatsumi Fujinami and Jinsei Shinzaki. Many in this match were out for some form of revenge, however it was Fujinami's quest for revenge that resulted in this matches conclusion, as Shibata takes advantage of a dsitratced Fujinami, finishing him off with a snap piledriver.

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005, 13/04/05

Fukuoka International Center

4,715 Fans

1. MOCHI defeats Kengo Mashimo with the Twister. (7:05)

2. Ryuma Go, Nobukazu Hirai & Nobutaka Araya defeat Shiro Koshinaka, Tatsutoshi Goto & TARU when Ryuma Go hits TARU with a Lariat. (13:12)

3. CIMA defeats Naohiro Hoshikawa with the Mad Splash. (9:51)

4. Milano Collection AT & Ishi Mori defeat Kendo Kashin & Kazunari Murakami when Milano Collection AT hits a Hurricanrana Pin on Kazunari Murakami. (13:43)

5. Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski defeat Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Fujiwara when Arlovski uses a Powerbomb on Fujiwara. (14:22)

6. The Great Sasuke & Satoru Sayama defeat Jushin Thunder Liger & Lion Heart when Sasuke hits The Waterfall on Lion Heart. (16:30)

7. Genichiro Tenryu, Kazuyuki Fujita & Katsuyori Shibata defeat Kensuke Sasaki, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki when Shibata uses a Snap Piledriver on Fujinami. (18:01)

Edited February 3, 2006 by Ganon Dun

[Liam]

Considering how little I know about Puro, I must admit that you are one of the better diary writers that I've seen in the Diary Zone.

There's nothing much I can add to tell you what to do, or how to change things, but I just thought you deserved some positive feedback what with you plugging away without reward.

[Agahnim Demen]

15th April 2005

A small press conference was held with a few workers from Wrestle Association "R", hosted by Wrestle Association "R" President Masatomo Takei.

Riki Choshu has something to say about Mixed Martial Arts in professional wrestling, and more specifically Andrei Arlovski. He stated that someone like Arlovski doesn't have what it takes to be a success in professional wrestling, and that Arlovski brings something to Wrestle Association "R" that fans don't want to see. He continues by saying that he is well aware that Arlovski isn't the only worker in Wrestle Association "R" who practices Mixed Martial Arts, but that Arlovski personifies everything Choshu doesn't like about MMA workers breaking into the professional wrestling industry. In closing, Revolution Warrior Riki Choshu made the claim that he would put an end to MMA in Professional Wrestling via his own Lariat Pro Wrestling style.

Katsuyori Shibata recieved some bad looks from Choshu, as he had this to say about his match with Tatsumi Fujinami.. He said that his victory over Japanese wrestling legend Fujinami was a prime example of why he should be headlining the WAR shows, fighting for the Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title. He was staring at President Takei when he added that something had better be done about it soon.

Takei finished the conference by announcing a few more matches for the upcoming show;

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Daigo Gran Dome

20/04/05

1. Ishi Mori v Masato Yoshino

2. Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki v Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai

3. Genichiro Tenryu & Lion Heart v Jinsei Shinzaki & Masaaki Satake

4. Toshiaki Kawada, Katsuyori Shibata & Andrei Arlovski v Kensuke Sasaki, Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Asahikawa Citizen Center Gymnasium

27/04/05

1. Shiro Koshinaka & Noahiro Hosikawa v Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Masaaki Satake

2. Kensuke Sasaki & Jinsei Shinzaki v Toshiaki Kawada & Lion Heart

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Nankoku City Gymnasium

04/05/05

1. Genichiro Tenryu, Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski v Riki Choshu, Nobutaka Araya & Shiro Koshinaka

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Kumamoto Hungnam Hall

11/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION 2005

Osaka Castle Hall

18/05/05

1. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title: Kensuke Sasaki © v Toshiaki Kawada

Note: Thanks for the feedback rvdwannabe

[Kurei]

Yay! Dai-chan marks for MMA fighters being lariated the hell out of the ring! Welcome to the Revolution, Arlovski!

One thing about CIMA though, I've never seen him do the Mad Splash after anything other than the Iconoclasm or -on special occaisions- the Goriconoclasm [Cross arm Iconoclasm.], which is in turn preceded by the Venus palm strike [shotei Style!], such an action would destroy the very fabric this world is created from. This of course is the one tiny problem I have with this diary, I like it.

By the way, is that Lion Heart as in Jericho?

EDIT: to clarify, CIMA sits his victim on the top rope, [sometimes rolls] hits them with a jumping shotei [or three. sometimes he rolls then hits three...], The Venus, hits them with the Iconoclasm then hits the Mad Splash. Meh, maybe I'm being finickey but the man's been doing that for years. It would be like Liger without his mask, Shinzaki not being a buddhist monk or Kawada not kicking people in the face really hard.

Edited March 16, 2005 by Kurei

[Agahnim Demen]

Thanks for that bit of information there, Kurei. I have seen a few CIMA matches, but didn't know if the combination was something he always did. Well lets just pretend that previously, even though I didn't mention it, that he actually did the sequence before hand.

By the way, is that Lion Heart as in Jericho?

[Agahnim Demen]

17th April 2005

Dragon Kid is seen leaving the Wrestle Association "R" office of President Masatomo Takei. When reporters catch up with him, he states that he was trying to get a rematch for himself and Yoshihiro Asai against TOKYO and K-Ness for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles, and claims to be quite confident that the request was accepted.

On this same day, Do FIXER member Masato Yoshino had this to say about Satoru Sayama;

".. fair enough, I didn't have what it took on the night to win my own match, but something on that show really annoyed me. To see Satoru Sayama, at his age, still trying to cling on to his faded career, and actually getting a shot at the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title was extremely embaressing. On that note, I can't help but notice that the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title seems to be reserved for over thirty-five year olds.. I mean whats that all about .."

18th April 2005

Masatomo Takei announced a few more matches for the Super Revolution 2005 tour, that include Dragon Kid's request;

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Daigo Gran Dome

20/04/05

1. Ishi Mori v Masato Yoshino

2. Kengo Mashimo & Super Shisa v Susumu Yokosuka & Masao Orihara

3. Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki v Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai

4. Ryuma Go v Kazuyuki Fujita

5. Naohiro Hoshikawa & Tatsutoshi Goto v CIMA & Yoshiaki Fujiwara

6. Genichiro Tenryu & Lion Heart v Jinsei Shinzaki & Masaaki Satake

7. Toshiaki Kawada, Katsuyori Shibata & Andrei Arlovski v Kensuke Sasaki, Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Asahikawa Citizen Center Gymnasium

27/04/05

1. Shiro Koshinaka & Noahiro Hosikawa v Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Masaaki Satake

2. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER) © v Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon)

3. Kensuke Sasaki & Jinsei Shinzaki v Toshiaki Kawada & Lion Heart

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Nankoku City Gymnasium

04/05/05

1. Toshiaki Kawada v Yoshiaki Fujiwara

2. Genichiro Tenryu, Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski v Riki Choshu, Nobutaka Araya & Shiro Koshinaka

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Kumamoto Hungnam Hall

11/05/05

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION 2005

Osaka Castle Hall

18/05/05

1. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title: Kensuke Sasaki © v Toshiaki Kawada

Edited March 18, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[jayden]

Amazing diary. this is the first time I've checked it out. I've never tried a puro diary (despite really loving a lot of Japanese wrestlers, promotions, and the guys you're using here) because I've always thought I'd never pull it off right.

this is great and for me is really capturing the feel of the Japanese industry.

oh, and Arlovski, push, to the moon, get me?

Edited March 18, 2005 by jayden

[Heel Turn]

I never read diaries, but this is an awesome puro diary. I've always been a fan of WAR, and this is totally remaining true to the original promotion. More people should be reading this. Kudos for an excellent diary, dude.

[Agahnim Demen]

19th April 2005

- taken from NikkanSports.com

Major announcement!

Pro Wrestling NOAH co-founder, Mitsuharu Misawa has left the promotion. According to reports, he has departed with a small group of workers from NOAH and defected to ZERO-ONE MAX. Many believe that this is a result of the severe financial problems that Pro Wrestling NOAH has been rumoured to be suffering from lately. No workers from Pro Wrestling NOAH have commented on this move yet, but there seems to be an underlying feeling of unrest.

More on this as it develops.

Edited March 18, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[Kurei]

Hey wait, isn't NOAH now finished? And doesn't that also give WAR an incredible opportunity to stage one of the biggest matches of the year? Hell, you could be able to sell out the Tokyo Dome with Kenny vs. A Decent Draw and those two other guys. You know, the one with the yellow boots and that other one with the forearms. I'd kill to see someone actually put that in a diary...

[Agahnim Demen]

WAR SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005 20/04/05

Attedance is rumoured to be close to 3000 in the Daigo Gran Dome for this Wrestle Association "R" event. Toshiaki Kawada makes his debut for the promotion in a huge six man tag team main event.

1. Ishi Mori v Masato Yoshino

One third of the Italian Connection faces off against one third of Do FIXER in this match. This was a very exciting match between two junior workers who may be looked upon in the future as candidates for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title. It seemed however, that Yoshino was more prepared for this bout than his opponent, and when he locked Ishi Mori in the submission hold that formerly referred to as the Sol Naciente, Ishi Mori had no choice but to give up.

2. Kengo Mashimo & Super Shisa v Susumu Yokosuka & Masao Orihara

This tag team matfch is another junior bout, featuring the second match in WAR of young Kengo Mashimo, as he teams with the enigmatic Super Shisa. They face the team of Yokosuka and Orihara, who seem to have bonded in some manner to form a seemingly regular team. This entertaining bout came to its conclusion when Shisa rolled up Yokosuka in his 'Shisa Clutch'.

3. Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki v Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai

This heavyweight tag team bout features two thirds of the WAR Six Man Tag team champions, in Takayama and Suzuki; who are seen to be the strongest of the two teams in this bout. Araya and Hirai have had varied success in WAR thus far, but hope to reach new heights. This match was a very physical contest, with Takayama and Suzuki seemingly testing the resiliance of Araya and Hirai often throughout the match. In a surprising uspet, Araya manages to get the victory over Minoru Suzuki when Suzuki is caught off guard by an Araya Lariat.

4. Ryuma Go v Kazuyuki Fujita

Ryuma Go has his first singles match in this incarnation of Wrestle Association "R", facing off against one third of the WAR Six Man Tag Team champions, in the intimidating Kazuyuki Fujita. Fujita brings much more than intimidation to the ring with him however, and manages to win via submission with a sleeper/choke variation.

5. Naohiro Hoshikawa & Tatsutoshi Goto v CIMA & Yoshiaki Fujiwara

The weight divisions are mixed in this match, when two quarters of the Heisei Ishingun stable face CIMA and veteran Yoshiaki Fujiwara, who has not had much luck recently where victory is concerned. His bad luck continues in this match it seems, as he loses the fall to Hoshikawa via a German Suplex Pin.

6. Genichiro Tenryu & Lion Heart v Jinsei Shinzaki & Masaaki Satake

Wrestle Association "R" Owner Genichiro Tenryu teams with 'Lion Heart' Chris Jericho to take on Jinsei Shinzaki and Masaaki Satake, in their first teaming. Shinzaki and Satake don't seem to have chemistry in this match up, and Tenryu eventually takes the win by finishing Satake with the 55-Year-Old.

7. Toshiaki Kawada, Katsuyori Shibata & Andrei Arlovski v Kensuke Sasaki, Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami

Former AJPW Triple Crown champion Toshiaki kawada makes his Wrestle Association "R" debut in this match. Earlier in his career, Kawada gained most of his recognition in All Japan as a part of Genichiro Tenryu's Revolution stable; and has teamed with Tenryu often. he teams with angry young heavyweight Katsuyori Shibata, and former MMA star Andrei Arlovski. The team they face is comprised of WAR Japan J-1 Heavyweight Champion Kensuke Sasaki, who will have to defend his title from Kawada in Osaka when this tour comes to a close, Revolution Warrior Riki Choshu, who aims to Lariat MMA from pro wrestling, and Tatsumi Fujinami, who looks for vengeance over his loss last week to Shibata in another six man tag match. Kawada made a very impressive debut, having an intense physical battle with Sasaki, but Fujinami manages to gain his revenge in this bout, finishing off Shibata with a Brainbuster.

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005, 20/04/05

Daigo Gran Dome

3,007 Fans

1. Masato Yoshino defeats Ishi Mori when Ishi Mori submits to the Sol Naciente. (7:12)

2. Kengo Mashimo & Super Shisa defeat Susumu Yokosuka & Masao Orihara when Shisa uses the Shisa Clutch on Yokosuka. (12:04)

3. Nobutaka Araya & Nobukazu Hirai defeat Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki when Araya uses a Lariat on Suzuki. (13:51)

4. Kazuyuki Fujita defeats Ryuma Go with a Choke Sleeper Hold. (10:33)

5. Naohiro Hoshikawa & Tatsutoshi Goto defeat CIMA & Yoshiaki Fujiwara when Hoshikawa uses a German Suplex Pin on Fujiwara. (13:23)

6. Genichiro Tenryu & Lion Heart defeat Jinsei Shinzaki & Masaaki Satake when Tenryu hits the 55-year-Old on Satake. (14:49)

7. Kensuke Sasaki, Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami defeat Toshiaki Kawada, Katsuyori Shibata & Andrei Arlovski when Fujinami uses a brainbuster on Shibata. (21:57)

Note: NOAH is still alive Kurei, but barely.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Ganon Dun

[Agahnim Demen]

21st April 2005

- Taken from NikkanSports.com

More news regarding Mitsuharu Misawa's departure from Pro Wrestling NOAH. Sources have confirmed that the financial situation was a strong reason for the departure, but that the cause of the financial difficulties are quite unusual; the financial problems appeared from out of the blue, when NOAH was going steady. Reporters have been attempting to get some inside information regarding the real cause of this financial problem, and the departure of Misawa, but have had little success as of yet. As mentioned before, Misawa did not leave NOAH alone, he recently appeared on ZERO-ONE MAX TV with Jun Akiyama and KENTA; alongside NOAH co-founder Daisuke Ikeda who was already working for ZERO-ONE MAX, and also Doug Williams.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that Kenta Kobashi has taken over Pro Wrestling NOAH for the time being.

More on this as it develops.

22nd April 2005

Wrestle Association "R" President Masatomo Takei announced today that due to overwheling demand from fans and workers alike, Toshiaki Kawada will have to participate in a sort of qualifier match before he can take on Kensuke Sasaki for the Japan J-1 Title. His opponent has not been confirmed yet, but will be announced in the coming weeks. Takei also announced a few more matchs for the current tour;

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Asahikawa Citizen Center Gymnasium

27/04/05

1. MOCHI v Susumu Yokosuka

2. Shiro Koshinaka & Noahiro Hosikawa v Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Masaaki Satake

3. Kensuke Sasaki & Jinsei Shinzaki v Toshiaki Kawada & Lion Heart

4. WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Magnum TOKYO & Darkness Dragon (Do FIXER) © v Yoshihiro Asai & Dragon Kid (Team Dragon)

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Nankoku City Gymnasium

04/05/05

1. Toshiaki Kawada v Yoshiaki Fujiwara

2. Tatsumi Fujinami & Jinsei Shinzaki v Katsuyori Shibata & Lion Heart

3. Genichiro Tenryu, Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski v Riki Choshu, Nobutaka Araya & Shiro Koshinaka

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION SERIES 2005

Kumamoto Hungnam Hall

11/05/05

1. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title Qualifier: Toshiaki Kawada v ?

2. Kensuke Sasaki, Nobutaka Araya & Riki Choshu v Genichiro Tenryu, Yoshihiro Takayama & Andrei Arlovski

WAR: SUPER REVOLUTION 2005

Osaka Castle Hall

18/05/05

1. Japan J-1 Heavyweight Title: Kensuke Sasaki © v Toshiaki Kawada

Edited March 20, 2005 by Ganon Dun

[kaya]

This has been bothering me for a while now so i'll just go ahead and say it, you know Naohiro Hoshikawa has just come out of a coma right? He can barely walk. OR, did that never happen in the world of this diary?