[The scene opens with an aerial shot
of a studio set. There are two men sitting behind a desk. One is Yo
Kurasawa - the legendary commentator, notorious pervert, and current
Vice President of Talent Relations and Head Booker for Iron Japan.
Next to him is Taka Shimura - another veteran voice in puroresu. A
video screen is behind them.]
KURASAWA: Welcome to the English
language highlight show for Iron Japan Pro Wrestling! I'm Yo
Kurasawa. Sitting next to me is Taka Shimura. This was our fourth
straight night at Korakuen Hall as we concluded the first round of
the World Crown tournament. This was our most star-studded card of
the tournament so far.
SHIMURA: We
had a great mixture of foreign stars, national legends, and future
greats. There was even some interesting backstories behind some of
these matches, Yo. Sometimes you get these tournament draws that make
interesting match-ups, but there isn't much else behind them other
than two great wrestlers.
KURASAWA: Definitely.
We'll get more into it as we progress through the show. But first,
Taka, it's your dark match report.
SHIMURA: Tonight's
lucky IJPW Dojo student was Kaori Kuno. The big guy took on Ryuichi
Hojo, who hasn't had the best time in IJPW. It's been downhill since
he stuffed Muffin Vanderburg's head down his tights for a piledriver
at the Grand Opening. He submitted to eliminate DanHojo from the
World Tag Team title tournament on Puroresu Power's first night and
got beat by Muffin on the second. He lost to a feces-covered Teiji
Shintaro last night and had the man's underwear shoved down his
throat after the match. He was hoping to take out his frustrations on
the dojo student, but they wrestled to a fifteen minute time limit
draw. Hojo was blinded by green mist at the fourteenth minute. Yo,
are you surprised that a dojo student is using green mist?
KURASAWA: I'm
sure Danjuro will have a word with Kuno. Especially since he did it
to his tag team partner.
SHIMURA: It's
not just the mist. Kuno attacked Hojo after the bell and assaulted
him with a barbwire bat. He's going to be in for some hell at the
Dojo. He either has a lot of balls to attack Danjuro's partner like
that or he's an idiot.
KURASAWA: I
should mention that Jimmy Erikson was the official for tonight's
pre-show dark match.
World Crown 2016
First Round Match
Miss Lizzy vs. Tae Muraguchi
KURASAWA:
Australia's Miss Lizzy has
bounced between here and her native country. The sassy seductress
tore into Tae Muraguchi leading up to tonight.
SHIMURA:
It was catfight stuff. I didn't
care for it, but I know that stuff revs your engine.
KURASAWA:
Heh... Oh yeah... Tae was going
to take the high road until last week when she called Lizzy an
“air-headed diva.” Did Tae shut up Miss Lizzy, or does the
Australian get to talk shit into the second round? The referee for
this contest was Kanzaburo Outakara.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Raul El Aguila vs. Morio Kamisaka
KURASAWA:
Raul El Aguila came from El
Loco's Loco Combat Club. He moved from Mexico City to Brooklyn just
for the chance to train at the famous luchadore's gym and learn from
his idol. Raul combines a lucha style with brawling and striking that
he learned on the streets of Mexico City. He hasn't had the chance to
make a career for himself in singles matches since he struggled until
teaming with Roberto Lopez. Tonight was Raul's chance to shine as an
individual as he took on Morio Kamisaka – another man who's known
better as a tag team wrestler. Morio's partner, Michinori Osaragi,
got his neck broken on the first night of World Crown and could be
out for close to a year. Morio wanted to dedicate this match to him.
The referee was Kuni Ariwara.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Nori Imoo vs. Jun Hageshii
KURASAWA:
Jun Hageshii grew up fighting
on the docks in Osaka. He's a street-hardened and very angry young
man. He loves to hurt people for no reason at all. Jun has looked
impressive so far in IJPW. His opponent tonight, Nori Imoo, is more
known for her tag team work with Ginger Mattingly. This was her
chance to prove herself in singles competition, but Jun went as far
as to say that he was going to “cut her head off.” Nanako Fujioka
was the official for this match.
POST-MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
[Imoo is still in the ring, but Jun rolls to the
outside. He looks under the ring...]
KURASAWA: [In
Japanese.] Hageshii is
pulling out... A MACHETE?!
SHIMURA: [In
Japanese.] Get out of
there, Nori!
[Imoo immediately jumps out of the ring and runs to
the back when she sees Jun slide into the ring with it. Nanako
Fujioka also books it to the locker room. Jun kicks the bottom rope
in frustration and the ring is soon surrounded by the poor dojo
students. They had to deal with Teiji Shintaro last night and now a
machete-wielding Jun Hageshii. They knew the wrestling business would
be tough, but not like this. Jun points the machete at one of them
and demands a microphone, which is granted quickly.]
HAGESHII: [In
Japanese.] You all
thought I was violent before Iron Japan... Teaming with the men in
the Ultraviolence Union taught me two things. It taught me that I
need to step up my violence... and it also taught me that I have it
in me. You haven't seen anything yet! And in this tournament, you
will see me reach the next level!
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Konosuke Usami vs. Sakura Shizuka
KURASAWA: Konosuke
Usami is one of the fastest rising stars in puroresu. The fans are
inspired by his iron will and strong style. Usami is quickly becoming
one of the most loved competitors. He got a big win against Riddick
at the Grand Opening and impressed Nobuyoki Katsushika so much that
the giant gave him a shot at his IJPW World Wrestling Championship.
Usami came up short on the third night of Puroresu Power. Tonight,
Usami took on Katsushika's girlfriend – Sakura Shizuka! The referee
for this match was Masanori Katayanagi.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Killer Komukai vs. Jona Ziesemer
KURASAWA:
Killer Komukai's quick rise
suffered a stumble after losing a feud to Konosuke Usami at the end
of 2015. He's struggled to get back on his feet since then after he
tore through Japan with his vaunted jumping knee strike. Tonight,
Komukai took on Jona Ziesemer. The East Berliner is one of the
greatest technical wrestlers on the planet.
SHIMURA:
Komukai looked nervous going
into this match. Ziesemer came out with a face of stone and ice water
in his veins. What makes Ziesemer so scary is that he's not just a
great technical wrestler. Just when you think you've figured him out,
he'll do something unpredictable. He's not afraid to try new things
and mix it up. But Yo... isn't Ziesemer a bit young to have that head
of gray hair?
KURASAWA: Yeah, I don't know what's happening
there. He certainly doesn't seem like a man who would be stressed out
to the point of graying like that. It's happened so quickly too. If
you compared pictures of the two men before tonight, you'd think
Ziesemer was the stressed out one instead of Komukai. Komukai knew
that a win against the German ring general would earn him that big
break he badly desires, but Ziesemer wants to add more honors to his
impressive resume. Mabuchi Hida was the referee for this bout.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
John Scroggs vs. Stan Ward
KURASAWA:
John Scroggs is one of the most
talented and fearsome gaijins in puroresu. He's not just a big
punisher who can beat the snot out of his opponents and overwhelm
them with his size. The Baltimore native is a former American
football defensive tackle and he's fast. That size and that speed and
agility is scary.
SHIMURA:
I've heard people who got in
the ring with him say that it's like being hit by a truck. One of
those guys was Stan Ward.
KURASAWA:
Ward and Scroggs have fought
before, and Scroggs has gotten the best of him each time. Ward is a
hard-drinking bar-fighting cowboy from Bandera, Texas. This main
events most shows in the world, but it was our sixth match tonight.
It was the IJPW debut of John Scroggs. Cassidy Reischer was the
official for this match.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Isamu Shinagami vs. Curt Fleischer
KURASAWA:
Isamu Shinagami is one of the
most mysterious competitors in puroresu history. He's known for
getting in his opponent's head and blinding them with the green mist.
However, there's nothing mysterious about his opponent tonight. Curt
Fleischer is a ruthless hulk who loves to throw, beat, and tear
people apart. Now he's angry ever since losing out on the IJPW World
Wrestling Championship to Katsushika at the Grand Opening.
SHIMURA:
Earlier this week, Fleischer
said that Shinagami is the creature in your nightmares, but he's the
real-life nightmare. It was interesting to see how Shinagami came out
slowly and methodically when Fleischer was in the ring. Compare that
to Fleischer, who was quick to the ring. He was very loud and showing
off his impressive physique while Shinagami was quiet as he stalked
his opponent.
KURASAWA:
The referee for this match was
Nene Hishikawa.
*** MAIN EVENT ***
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Nobuyoki Katsushika vs. Kuni Hishida
KURASAWA: “White
Tiger” Kuni Hishida
and AKIO were the most famous
couple in Japan until Nokuyoki Katsushika hooked up with Sakura
Shizuka. Hishida hasn't hid her disappointment with how her IJPW time
has started. She's been pinned and submitted. Tonight she had an
opportunity to get the biggest win of her career against the World
Champion and against one-half of the couple who stole Imperial's
thunder.
SHIMURA: She
was asked constantly about Katsushika and Shizuka becoming the new
power couple in puroresu. Kuni didn't get sucked in with a quote, but
her body language spoke volumes in the interviews and when she came
out. There's some real bitterness.
KURASAWA: Hishida
is one of the most fast-paced and explosive wrestlers around.
Katsushika is a giant with power that few can rival. Toyoko Toshikura
had the privilege of officiating this tabloid-worthy main event.
POST-MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
[Katsushika, with the IJPW World title belt over his
shoulder, finishes celebrating and playing to the crowd. He walks
over to Hishida, who stand on one knee with her head hung low. He
offers a hand to help her up, but she declines. He says something to
her, and this appears to upset her. Hishida rolls out of the ring and
goes to an entryway while Katsushika, looking disappointed with the
turn of events, leaves through the other entryway.]
SHIMURA: [In
Japanese.] I know
Hishida is disappointed with herself, but she lost to the World
Champion.
KURASAWA: [In
Japanese.] I think it's
more to do with her losing a six minute main event to one-half of the
new puroresu power couple.
SHIMURA: [In
Japanese.] She needs to
forget all of that. It's just going to eat her up and she'll fall
into a deeper hole.
KURASAWA: [In
Japanese.] I guess now
we do the Second Round Draw. The dojo students are about to set it
all up in the ri–
SHIMURA: [In
Japanese.] Hishida is
coming back out.
[Indeed she is. Kuni grabs a microphone from the
ringside table and climbs back into the ring.]
HISHIDA: [In
Japanese.] I apologize
to everyone. I am just upset with my form. That is no secret. I feel
like I should have done better tonight. I congratulate Nobuyoki on
his victory. He deserved to win tonight, but I still have the right
to be disappointed with myself. I know fans have looked up to me for
inspiration, but I am human like all of you... Sometimes I get
depressed too. Many of you have told me that I provided inspiration
when you needed it... Now I need it from all of you.
[The crowd starts to make noise as a colorful man
hits the ring.]
And–
[This man, who wears a silver bodysuit with pink
stars, and a pink mask, slides into the ring. Hishida turns around
into a clothesline!]
KURASAWA: [In
Japanese.] Fabulous
Adrian Bagglio!
SHIMURA: [In
Japanese.] What's this
about?!
[FAB stomps on Kuni's head. He then pulls her up by
the mask and sticks her head between his legs. FAB squeezes her ass
cheeks hard with both hands before lifting her up by the arms, then
slamming her with the Star Maker (Razor's Edge)! He slowly crawls
over her body but the crowd goes from boos to cheers as AKIO runs to
the ring. FAB slithers out of the ring. As AKIO is checking on
Hishida, FAB reaches into one of his pink boots and pulls out a white
black-spotted thong. He holds it up in the air to catch AKIO's
attention. AKIO knows what it is and looks like he's about to jump
out of the ring and murder FAB, but the dojo students stand between
them. FAB puts the thong in his teeth and backs out with a psychotic
smile.]
WRAP-UP
KURASAWA: Taka,
any thoughts on tonight?
SHIMURA: First
I want to talk about what we just saw to close the show. Why is FAB
going after Kuni Hishida? What's the motivation behind that?
KURASAWA: We
don't know yet other there's been several complaints from wrestlers
and backstage personnel regarding FAB and his creepy and predatory
behavior. FAB and Hishida have been booked to fight at Night Eight at
Budokan Hall. Any thoughts on the other matches tonight?
SHIMURA: We saw
a lot of guys on this show who can make a deep run in the tournament.
Fleischer is terrifying. People say Katsushika is the favorite, but
you saw what Fleischer did. He destroyed the myth around Shinagami
tonight. Then look at the other guys who advanced tonight. This was a
very star-heavy card. There's so many potential World Crown winners
who advanced tonight.
KURASAWA: How
did you do with your predictions?
SHIMURA: I had
Miss Lizy over Muraguchi, Morio Kamisaka over Raul El Aguila,
Hageshii over Imoo. Usami over Shizuka, Ziesemer over Komukai,
Scroggs over Ward, Fleischer over Shinagama, and Katsushika over
Hishida. I was 7-1. That puts me at 24-7-1 in overall tournament
predictions.
KURASAWA: After
the main event, Taka and I got in the ring to conduct the second
round draw. Here is the schedule, with matches appearing on the
screen from first on the card to the last...
SECOND
ROUND
WEDNESDAY – NIGHT FIVE
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Takamuku Arai vs. AKIO
Raul El Aguila vs. Dave Manton
Danjuro Komatsuzaki vs. Miss Lizzy
KANNON vs. El Loco
Lolly Lea vs. Jun Hageshii
John Scroggs vs. Big Ugly
Jona Ziesemer vs. Teiji Shintaro
Vera Yordanka vs. Curt Fleischer
THURSDAY – NIGHT SIX
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Fujimaro Odaka vs. Suda Tsukasa
Nobuo Shimizu vs. Freddy Deeds
Jackie Walters vs. Muffin Vanderburg
Florenza Peretz vs. Riddick
Ricky Holt vs. Konosuke Usami
Nobuyoki Katsushika vs. J Murda
Mallory Northway vs. Ricky Doyle
KURASAWA:
The
lucky man who was the last to be drawn was Albert Dixon. He will
receive a bye to the third round.
SHIMURA:
That
pissed a lot of people off. He's been running down Japan since he got
here and is making even more noise after his first round win. What a
hateful and unpleasant man.
KURASAWA:
After
all he's said about this country and the people of Japan, it did make
me sick to draw him last. Anyway, tomorrow night, Taka... What are
your predictions?
SHIMURA:
AKIO
over Arai. Manton over Raul. Danjuro over Miss Lizzy. KANNON over El
Loco. Hageshii over Lolly. Scroggs over Big Ugly. Teiji over
Ziesemer. Fleischer over Vera.
KURASAWA:
That
should do it for us tonight. Join us again for World Crown – Night
Five. It will be the start of the second round and our fifth straight
night here at Korakuen Hall. For Taka Shimura, I'm Yo Kurasawa. See
you again tomorrow night!
[FADE TO BLACK.]
