Hokkaido Puroresu (PERFECT CHOICE PPV)
"GAIKOKUJOU LIVE: HOKKAIDO PARADISE 2007"
09/15/07 - Sapporo Teisen Hall
1,362 Fans
1. KOBUSHI VS. GAIKOKUJOU: Joshyn Hasagawa beat Yasushi Ito (9:50) with a sunset flip. (*3/4)
- The opening bout saw OCH's Ito nearly take Hasagawa to the ten minute time limit, and even score a few near falls. Crafty Hasagawa stayed one step ahead, and after elbowing out a wasitlock he cracked Ito with an enzuigiri, before leaping over cradling him just ten seconds before the time limit! Ito refused to accept defeat, and low blowed out of a handshake afterwards...
2. UPSIRING: Shinji Oshima beat Masa Adachi (9:06) with the Drug Bomb. (**1/2)
- Two men struggling to find places for themselves met in their third recent match, having previously tied 1-1. Adachi again displayed advanced technique for his experience level, but Oshima countered an attempted hurricanrana into the Drug Bomb (powerbomb~facebuster) to take the win. Afterwards the two shook hands, and Oshima surprisingly made an offer to team with Adachi! Adachi accepted, the two shaking hands.
3. SAPPORO CITY TAG TITLES TOURNAMENT - SEMI FINAL: Jin Hiroto & Yoshihiro Shimoda beat KAZUKI & Taku Shizuma (13:49) when Shimoda made Shizuma submit to the Sapporo Lancer. (**3/4)
- The first of two tournament matches for the vacated Sapporo City Tag Titles saw perhaps Hokkaido's two most powerful defeat the up and coming KAZUKI and Shizuma. Despite KAZUKI's recent surge few fans had their doubts over the winners here, but the Sakaigama Gumi team still managed to impress, KAZUKI at one point nearly downing Shimoda with the Skyjin. The "Gods of Hokkaido" rallied by isolating Shizuma, Hiroto dropping him with a goardbuster to set up Shimoda's Sapporo Lancer. KAZUKI nearly saved but was cut right off by Hiroto, Shizuma pushed to his limit.
4. SAPPORO CITY TAG TITLES TOURNAMENT - SEMI FINAL: Tsuyoshi Yamamura & Satoru Watanabe beat Yusuke Yuhara & Yuichi Hida (21:03) when Yamamura pinned Hida after a sliding knee kick. (***1/2)
- The second semi-final was far more drawn out. The two teams did not take their opportunity to shine on a national stage lightly, and weaved a tense match that built to an exciting conclusion. Yuhara and Hida controlled large portions with their lucha libre flavored matwork, Hida at one point turning a rolling cradle against Yamamura into a painful submission that involved a neckscissored ankle hold. WataYama would turn the tides their way after a massive double avalanche suplex onto Yuhara, effectively taking him out for the next couple of minutes. Focusing on Hida, they picked him apart with a chop (Watanabe) / kick (Yamamura) corner rush, Watanabe then throwing him with a belly to belly suplex for 2 1/2. Hida took some punishment for the next few minutes, but reversed a Watanabe tilt-a-whirl slam into a satellite headscissors before making the hot tag to Yuhara. Yuhara appeared to be favoring his back and it was quickly exploited, Watanabe ducking under a shotei and leveling him ram-style with a headbutt mid-back. Yuhara rolled outside, Watanabe relentlessly pouncing on him with a tope suicida. Yamamura and Hida charged in, Hida ducking a spinning heel kick, only for Yamamura to land back on his feet and level him with a roundhouse kick! Yamamura hit the ropes as Hida pulled himself up, just in time to catch a knee kick to the jaw, Yamamura collapsing onto him to advance!
5. OSAKA CITY STREETFIGHT: Akitoshi Mikami & DOKUGA beat KEIJI & TSUKYO [Ichimi Army] (09:05) via referee stop. (*3/4)
- Ichimi Army kingpin TSUKYO made a risky move by placing himself (in his current injured state) in the middle of the war between the SPG and Osaka City Heidan. TSUKYO's bravery/idiocy of continuing to wrestle (depending on whom you ask) has been the talk of the puroresu community in recent weeks, the Shibuya Danger Man in and out of the hospital on several occasions due to a massive concussion suffered at the hands of "Mr. Puroresu" Yoshikazu Kanda on the Ichimi Gun's 4/14/07 rally. TSUKYO was greated with a loud reaction, he and KEIJI entering to TSUKYO's "blood" theme. They wouldn't make it to the ring, as Mikami and DOKUGA charged from the back with steel chairs, beating them down the ramp! The fight took off into the crowd, Mikami and KEIJI brawling as DOKUGA laid into TSUKYO. DOKUGA pressing TSUKYO up, shouting "Here is your hero!" before throwing him into members of the crowd! Back in the ring KEIJI and Mikami slugged it out, KEIJI gaining the upperhand before throwing Mikami with an Exploder for a two count. DOKUGA ran in and struck KEIJI from behind with a chair, as Mikami rolled outside to grab one for himself. They took turns taking their strikes, before setting KEIJI up for a Conchairto attack...only for KEIJI to duck under, the chairs striking together! KEIJI took Mikami down with a spinning heel kick as TSUKYO made his entrance to the ring, producing a chain and whipping DOKUGA in the back! TSUKYO latched onto DOKUGA's back, piggy-backing himself up and choking him with the chain as a few Ichimi diehards began to call his name. KEIJI and Mikami rolled out to brawl, DOKUGA locked in the Ichimi-style camel clutch! It wouldn't last long, DOKUGA deadlifting TSUKYO up and tossing him down hard over his shoulders. TSUKYO slowly staggered up, appearing dazed, as DOKUGA charged off the rope and nearly took his head off with an enzuilariat! TSUKYO landed at a weird angle, and within moments it was clear that he was knocked completely unconcious...Referee Yoshida stepped in, immediately stopping the match.
The scene around ringside was chaotic in the moments after the bell, ring doctors rushing in to check on TSUKYO. Though they were able to revive him, TSUKYO was stretchered out as all 1,000+ fans called his name in support...
6. SAPPORO CITY TAG TITLES TOURNAMENT - FINAL: Jin Hiroto & Yoshihiro Shimoda beat Tsuyoshi Yamamura & Satoru Watanabe (13:12) when Hiroto pinned Yamamura after the Amatsukami Guillotine. (***) (Third Champions)
- The tag tournament came down to the "Gods of Hokkaido" against the hungry WataYama, who almost certainly didn't get the lengthy rest they were hoping for after their grueling semi-final contest. Yamamura showed early on that his team weren't to be taken lightly, however, as after testing the water by a middle kick exchange with Shimoda he swung a huge high kick out of nowhere, Shimoda dropping to his knees! Yamamura took off and tried his sliding knee kick, Shimoda rolling away just in time! Both men tagged out, Hiroto wasting no time in pummeling Watanabe, charging in and attacking with middle kicks. It was obvious that the "Death Agent" was taking the chance to regain the Sapporo City Tag Titles quite seriously, as he did his best to effenciently dispatch Watanabe and leave no openings. Watanabe showed excellent heart in taking Hiroto's punishment but was clearly still exhausted from the previous match. This would be he and Yamamura's downfall, as Hiroto and Shimoda wore them out further with painful stretch holds before zoning in on Yamamura for the kill. They debuted a tandem finish, Shimoda striking from the front with the Torokeru knee as Hiroto clipped Yamamura with a leg lariat. Yamamura took a nasty bump and Hiroto covered with one foot, Shimoda fending off Watanabe!
The new champions were presented with their belts by Kuniyuki Ohmiya, along with a giant check for 100,000 yen. Hiroto spoke over the mic, saying that his "rebirth" was nearly complete, and threw his name in the hat as a potential challenger to the winner of Sakaigama vs. Yujita!
7. WPJ INDEPENDENT WELTERWEIGHT TITLE: Yoshi Yujita beat KANJI Sakaigama [C] (17:49) with the Mujou. (***1/2) (Seventh Champion)
- Three years after their first singles contest for the WPJ gold, Yoshi Yujita once again challenged former mentor Sakaigama. Both men were flanked by their respective groups, but that quickly went array as Akitoshi Mikami went straight for KEIJI, causing both sides to battle it out ringside! Referee Yoshida attempted to restore order, but it wasn't until President Ohmiya himself stormed out and demanded both sides head to the back that proper introductions were able to be made. With no seconds other than the ringboys, Sakaigama and Yujita began the match by testing one another on the mat. Yujita became frustrated and slid outside, but Sakaigama attacked out of nowhere with a tope suicida! He tried to whip Yujita into the rail but found it reversed, KANJI crashing against the steel before immediately taking a chair to the face, thrown wrecklessly by Yujita! Back inside Yujita spiked KANJI with a tombstone piledriver for 2 1/2. He with up and connected with a moonsault press, but found only 2.9! Desperate to end things early, Yujita scooped KANJI up for the Mujou, but Sakaigama flipped out onto his feet. Yujita turned, KANJI leaping up and connecting with a Violence Flash enzuigiri! Things slowed back down, Sakaigama working over Yujita's neck with various holds. At the 10 minute gong KANJI tried another Violence Flash, but Yujita ducked out of the way. KANJI stood up into a lariat, Yujita going up for another moonsault press. KANJI rolled out of the way, but Yujita landed on his feet, and as Sakaigama stood he was decked with a second, more powerful lariat for another 2.9! Yujita slugged Sakaigama with elbows and tried an Irish whip, but Sakaigama reversed this time, following him in and connecting with a zero-sen kick to the skull, Yujita toppling out! Ringboys cleared the way as Sakaigama hit the ropes again, and wiped out his former pupil with a spaceman quebrada to a loud applause! Both men with slow in getting up, but after a minute Sakaigama sluggishly rolled Yujita back inside. He measured him for another Violence Flash, but Yujita got a hand up to block, before low-blowing KANJI to the jeers of the crowd. He pulled him to his feet and clubbed him with an enzuilariat, KANJI staggering forward but not falling, Yujita grabbing him from behind and spiking him with the Gaikokujou suplex hold! The crowd counted along with Referee Yoshida, but KANJI squeaked out at 2.9! The Teisen Hall fans stomped their feet in unison, as Yujita pulled KANJI up into another full-nelson. It would be Sakaigama with the low blow this time, kicking Yujita between the legs before hauling him up into the Sex Pistol! KANJI covered a knee across the throat...but Yujita kicked out at 2.9! Frustrated, Sakaigama threw Yujita to the buckle and set him up. He called out for the Death Lake Driver, the crowd at fever pitch, but Yujita threw wild elbows to knock him off balance! Sakaigama staggered, Yujita turning around and kicking him in the jaw, before leaping off the top with a missile dropkick! KANJI stubbornly stood right back up, Yujita doing the same. They stared one another down, KANJI brashly slapping his former pupil in the face. Yujita returned the favor, before clubbing him with a standing lariat! KANJI still stayed up, daring Yujita to hit the ropes. Yujita ablidged, KANJI ducking under the resulting lariat and swinging a high kick, but Yujita ducked that! KANJI spun back around into another low blow, Yujita calling out "Bakayaro!" before dunking him on his head with a _release_ Gaikokujou suplex! "KANJI!" chants came from the crowd, as Sakaigama stumbled up in a daze. He was easy prey for Yujita, who came up from behind and threw him with the Mujou! Yujita hooked both legs, Referee Yoshida diving into the count, KANJI finding no answer this time!
Afterwards, a distraught Sakaigama said that his student had finally matched him. Sakaigama half-heartedly commended himself and Hiroto for "raising the next generation", but somberly admitted that unlike Hiroto, he had failed to reinvent himself for the changing times. Sakaigama then announced that he would travel to America with gaijin ally Seth Andrews for a "prolonged excursion", and would not compete full-time on Japanese soil until he felt he could once again become the "standard-barer" for junior heavyweight wrestling.
Yujita took the mic next, and in tears stated that holding WPJ gold had been a dream of his for some time. Yujita stated, "Like it or not, I have always strove to emulate Sakaigama." He offered his hand, which KANJI accepted to some applause. Yujita slapped Sakaigama's face, and demanded that he "wake from [his] sleep." and come back for the belt. He then called out former ally KEIJI, demanding that he be Yujita's first challenger! The show ended on this note, the fate of Hokkaido Puroresu still undecided.
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Unfortunately for the startup company, their national debut did not even manage to sell out the venue it was held in. The national pay-per-view buyrate also proved disappointing, and having sunk all of the remaining funding into this national push, the company soon suspended opperations.
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