[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! Sitting next to
me is Taka Shimura. I'm Yo Kurasawa. We just finished the second
night of World Crown 2016 here at Korakuen Hall. It was also the
second night of the first round of the 64 wrestler tournament.
Everyone is fighting for the main event spot at the Tokyo Dome, the
World Crown, and a return to the Tokyo Dome main event in June for a
World title match at International Incident!
SHIMURA: The
proceedings were kicked off with a dark match between HATOYAMA, who
was eliminated from the World Crown tournament last night, and IJPW
Dojo student Masaru Maeda. Mabuchi Hida was the referee. Maeda
took out a barbwire bat after four minutes. He looked decent up to
that point, but also frustrated. He almost got a pin after six
minutes. Maeda started taking it to HATOYAMA, who then turned it
around with some kicks and a top rope moonsault, but Maeda took
control back with some throws. Maeda kicked out after the Dragon
Cutter at ten minutes. There was another big kickout after thirteen
minutes when HATOYAMA bridged a dragon suplex. HATOYAMA got the pin
at 14:46 after his second Dragon Cutter – 16 seconds before the
time limit.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Danjuro Komatsuzaki vs. Selena Martinez
KURASAWA:
The main card started with IJPW
Dojo Master Danjuro Komatsuzaki taking on Selena Martinez. Danjuro
has made a bet with Markie Bristow to see who can go further in the
tournament. Nobody knows the origin of this bet, but it's become
public. Meanwhile, Selena Martinez hasn't been seen in IJPW since she
got knocked out by Lainey Boyle in a Six Person Tag Team Match at the
Grand Opening in March.
SHIMURA:
Danjuro looked very confident
going in. He takes great pride in being the IJPW Dojo Master and one
can see that he wants to live up to that and be seen as a worthy
teacher. Selena looked fired up. I've never been her biggest fan, and
I criticized her on the radio this week because I didn't think she
deserved to be in this tournament, bu–
KURASAWA:
You called her a model who
didn't care about the sport and said she held back Los Asesinos.
Those are some serious criticisms.
SHIMURA:
Tonight, she came looking to
prove her doubters wrong.
KURASAWA:
The referee for this match was
Kuni Ariwara.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Jackie Walters vs. Lorie Koenig
KURASAWA:
This was a battle between two
standouts in the American independents. Jackie is a hard-kicker from
Miami who can knock anyone out. Lorie Koenig comes from Stockton,
California. She runs with Lainey Boyle and Lolly Lea in the Deadly
Three. Lorie has expressed that she feels underrated compared to her
friends.
SHIMURA:
I haven't seen anything that
would suggest she isn't underrated. I will say that she carries
herself like a rock star nonetheless. The Deadly Three are never
short on swagger. Jackie wasn't having it though. She was all
business.
KURASAWA:
Kanzaburo Outakara was the
referee for this match.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Christy Hayden vs. AKIO
KURASAWA:
AKIO is normally the lovable
underdog, but he was the favorite in this match with Christy Hayden.
SHIMURA:
Except he was still more loved.
KURASAWA:
Hayden is a newcomer to Japan.
The Portland, Oregon native makes up one-half of The Alternative and
is very open in regards to being a lesbian.
SHIMURA:
AKIO and Christy showed respect
for each other before the bell. AKIO looked way more comfortable in
his entrance. Christy appeared to be nervous.
KURASAWA:
The official for this match was
Nene Hishikawa.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Florenza Peretz vs. Sun Demon
KURASAWA:
Sun Demon has had a
disappointing start to his time in Iron Japan. He tapped out to
Jocelin Masterson in the first night of Puroresu Power last night in
an Eight Person Tag Team Match. It was a huge moment for Masterson,
but it left many people wondering if there was any bigger problems
with one of Japan's best junior heavyweights. Italy's Florenza Peretz
came in with more problems for Sun Demon to solve. The referee was
Tashiaki Suzuki.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Jocelin Masterson vs. Freddy Deeds
KURASAWA:
Jocelin Masterson, as it has
been mentioned already, had a huge moment when she made Sun Demon tap
out at Puroresu Power. Unfortunately for her, Lainey Boyle rained on
her parade later that week by knocking her out. Masterson looked to
bounce back against Freddy Deeds – one-half of Detroit's notorious
Rotten Saints. Freddy is a very talented young man with an abrasive
attitude. The referee for this match was Toyoko Toshikura.
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Muffin Vanderburg vs. Markie Bristow
KURASAWA:
The ever-cheerful Muffin
Vanderburg had an eventful Puroresu Power weekend. She won the opener
for her team, defeated Ryuichi Hojo in a grudge match on the second
night, and lost to Lainey Boyle on the third. Two out of three isn't
bad. Tonight, she took on Manchester, England's Markie Bristow, who
was making his IJPW debut. It was mentioned earlier that Bristow made
a bet with Danjuro to see who can go further in World Crown. The
Mancunian is one of the UK's best, having held the British
Heavyweight Championship numerous times. The referee was Masanori
Katayanagi.
POST-MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
[Muffin has left. Bristow is wiping blood from his
face in the ring. Danjuro Komatsuzaki comes out and climbs in.
Bristow sees him and shrugs. He's disappointed about losing the bet,
but is a begrudgingly good sport. But there seems to be a real
bitterness in Markie's face. Then Danjuro adds insult to injury by
kicking Bristow in the groin. With Markie doubled over, Danjuro grabs
the fluorescent light tube and shatters it over his head! Bristow
falls to one knee and Danjuro spits in his face! Bristow springs up
and the two trade blows. The dojo students jump into the ring and
break it up. Danjuro demands and received a microphone from dojo
student Kaori Kuno. With students standing between him and Bristow,
Danjuro speaks from a corner in the ring.]
DANJURO: [In
Japanese.] I'm not just
looking to collect my earnings from you. If I didn't make it clear to
you at the restaurant earlier this week, then let me say it again –
you are trash. You British are disgusting. You come to other
countries, get drunk, take off your shirts, and urinate in the
streets. Look at your ridiculous hair, Markie! You are a disgrace as
a man! After I win World Crown, I will see to it that you and the
rest of your type are never again allowed in an Iron Japan ring!
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Ricky Doyle vs. Paul Cannon
KURASAWA: Ricky
Doyle is one-half of the IJPW World Tag Team Champions. He's a world
class mixed martial artist who can bend anyone like a pretzel. The
Belfast native was up against a legend in violence - “The Hardcore
Lumberjack” Paul Cannon.
SHIMURA: Cannon
is a real lumberjack too. Not a web developer dress as a lumberjack.
He's a giant too. Doyle was a brave man for entering with such
confidence against a huge and violent man like Paul Cannon.
KURASAWA: The
Doyle Brothers fight without fear. The referee was Cassidy Reischer.
*** MAIN EVENT ***
World Crown 2016 First Round Match
Ashley Thorne vs. Mallory Northway
KURASAWA: Mallory
Northway saw her “frenemy,” Mercy Monroe, get eliminated from the
tournament in last night's main event. Tonight, “The Centerfold”
headlined against Ashley Throne – one of the most physically
intimidating people in any gender. These women are polar opposites.
Mallory is a cross-platform entertainer from the Arizona sun who
takes her modeling very seriously. Ashley is a hard-drinking
power-lifter from Vancouver who isn't nearly as pretentious as her
opponent. The referee was Nanako Fujioka.
WRAP-UP
KURASAWA: So
how did you do on your predictions tonight, Taka?
SHIMURA: I had
Danjuro over Selena, Jackie over Koenig, AKIO over Hayden, Cannon
over Doyle, Sun Demon over Peretz, Deeds over Masterson, Bristow over
Vanderburg, and Northway over Thorne. I was 5-3 tonight. That puts my
tournament predictions at 11-5 in total.
KURASAWA: You're
not doing bad. The first round continues tomorrow in the third night
of World Crown. What are your predictions?
SHIMURA: J
Murda over Komon. KANNON over Asano. Dixon over Boyle. Shintaro over
Hojo. Ronnie Doyle over Arai. Loco over Bagglio. Yordanka over
Mattingly. And here's an upset pick... I'm going for Capra over
Narwin in the main event.
KURASAWA: I
don't know how much of an upset that is.
SHIMURA: Narwin
might be old and rusty, but Capra is in her mid-50's. She's still The
Original Queen of the Deathmatch.
KURASAWA: I'm
predicting Narwin. He's one of the most violent men on the planet. In
2008, he was banned from
professional wrestling.
If he's been in underground fights since, then I don't know about
it... but Iron Japan is the only promotion since his ban to hire him.
We don't know what he's going to do.
SHIMURA: Tomorrow
is going to be crazy. We have KANNON, Teiji The Terror, FAB, Capra,
and Narwin all on the same card. We're going to have psychologists
handing out business cards in front of this building.
KURASAWA: They
wouldn't go near any of those people if they were smart. Anyway,
that's all the time we have here tonight. He's Taka Shimura. I'm Yo
Kurasawa. Join us again tomorrow night for more first round action at
Korakuen Hall!
[FADE TO BLACK.]
