Home » News Archive » News from 10/09/05 to 10/25/05

Roster Update - Yokoi Default!

October 25th, 2005

Due to doctor's orders, Hirotaka Yokoi will not be taking part in the November tour. Yokoi faced the psychotic Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in a no-ropes barbwire death match on 10/9 which was halted by referee stoppage when Matsunaga tied Yokoi to the ring post by his throat with a steel chain.

Yokoi then faced Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a MMA fight for PRIDE Fighting Championship on 10/23 and withstood several blows to the head ending that match. Yokoi should be able to return to action in December.

Sasaki vs. Matsunaga's Deathmatch Stipulation!

October 28th, 2005

The stipulations for the November 17th deathmatch between former FMW wrestlers has been decided. And as you can see from the sketch displayed above it's going to be old-school FMW style - NASTY! Two sides of the ring will be left open, with barbwire strung up on the other two sides in the familiar X. The open sides will end in barbwire wrapped boards placed on the floor on one side, and on the other a spider-net construction of barbwire!

Initial observations of this match show a great favor to Matsunaga, a wrestler who has sacrificed his body in every type of deathmatch known to man and against many famous deathmatch wrestlers. He's not called "Mr. Danger" for nothing! Sasaki on the other hand, while a trainee from FMW, has never participated in this type of match. His fire and aggressiveness can't be ignored however, as the young fighter usually shows his best effort when backed against the wall. But this time it will be a wall of razor sharp steel wire! ZERO1-MAX is counting on Sasaki finally being the one to drive off Matsunaga from the promotion.

"Fallen Angel" Arrives! Next Tour Cards Up!

October 25th, 2005

Finally one of America's top grapplers, the "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, makes his ZERO1-MAX debut! American wrestling fans know Daniels well, most recently from his regular runs in TNA and ROH. Daniels is a multiple time NWA Tag Team title and a former holder of the X-Division Title. Daniels will be seeking to add the ZERO1-MAX US Openweight title to his long list of accomplishments when on the November 23rd "Xtasy" show he'll face current champ Alex Shelley and "The Playa from the Himalayas" Sonjay Dutt.

Earlier on in the tour on 11/17, Sonjay will also be battling for the 4-company International Jr. Heavyweight title held by Ikuto Hidaka. Hidaka posted on his livedoor blog that he is looking forward to his V4 defense, but would also like to face the "Fallen Angel" in a singles match for the title as well. See the updated cards here.

Also on that show, Young MAX fighter and former FMW trainee Yoshihito Sasaki will face "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in a deathmatch. Matsunaga has torn through ZERO1-MAX after initially entering with Ogasawara's "Karate Forces" in their battle with Young MAX. He has violently attacked Osamu Namiguchi, Rikiya Fudo, and Kohei Sato, often being DQ'd for his violent antics. He even turned on the "Karate Forces," bloodying them as well. Even Mr. Nakamura and Ring Announcer Okidata have felt his wrath. Since then the mission in ZERO1-MAX has been: STOP THE MATSUNAGA!!

On the first day of the two-shot "Interception" show he faced Hirotaka Yokoi in a no-ropes barbwire death match where he once again showed how violent he could be by choking Yokoi with a chain tied around the ring-post. The stipulations on what kind of deathmatch he will face Sasaki in has yet to be announced...

Osamu Namiguchi has left for Mexico, where he will study to perfect his craft for several weeks before then coming to the US sometime next year to appear in WORLD-1. Buenos suerte Nami!

Kohei Sato recently returned from an overseas trip to Russia where he took place in a martial arts competition. Kohei was glad to be back in Japan, and didn't find Russia to be that attractive.

Current NWA United National Heavyweight Champion, CW Anderson, who had to remove himself from the recent "Interception" shows because of health reasons, posted the following message on his website about his recent illness and explanation for the cancelation of his bookings:

"Due to a "colistatic liver injury" I have substained from a supplement called Superdrol (that could be picked up at most GNC type stores), I have cancelled my Oct. dates. The liver specialist at UNC Chapel Hill says I will make a recovery from this but is a work in progress. Thank you to everyone who has emailed me and/or called to check on the progress of my health. I will be back soon with a commentary on my past 3 weeks of this delima and the details of everything."

Interception - Day 2

October 11th, 2005

The second night of the two-day Korakuen Hall sprint is over, and Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita are now 2-title tag team Champions! The current holders of the NWA Lightweight Tag Team Titles won the NWA International Tag Team titles as well in a 19-minute battle at the top of the card against Kohei Sato and Ryoji Sai. Kohei and Ryouji had held the belts since April, when they defeated the reunited Team EMBLEM on the "Outburst Revolution" show.

The match itself was a conflict of styles, with the Heavyweight team versus the Junior class team. Sato and Sai used impact moves like suplexes, backdrops and hard slams, Hidaka and Fujita countered with reversals, high-flying, and flawless teamwork by constantly breaking up possible pinfalls. Hard kicks and strikes were used by both of the teams, including Ryouji landing a vicious top rope stomp onto Hidaka.

Sato and Sai also once again used their new "Cyborg Tiger" combination move - a springboard dropkick into an opponent in the electric chair. The victory came when Hidaka used a modified roll-up to pin Sai. Afterwards the new double tag champs embraced and did the ZERO1-MAX rallying cheer to the crowd!

The semi-main event was the continuation of the ZERO1-MAX and New Japan Junior clash, as Koji Kanemoto of the New Japan came to answer the challenge issued by Sasaki. The two had fought earlier in the week on October 8 at the Tokyo Dome in a tag match. The match started when Sasaki quickly attacked Kanemoto before the bell and delivered a face-wash. Kanemoto soon rallied with hard kicks, and a brainbuster out of the ring, followed by a hard body slam on the floor.

When back into the ring, Sasaki managed to hit a spear but Kanemoto went quickly to the ankle lock until Sasaki bit hit opponent's foot to get released! The battle increased, and Sasaki even managed to get some rough moves on his opponent, dropping him with a German suplex and his Argentine Coaster finishing move.

Kanemoto then rallied himself and started to punch the "Tenka-Ichi" Winner in the face repeatedly, knocking him cold. He then started to kick him, and the ref called for the bell. Former New Japan Junior and current ZERO1-MAX fighter, Tatsuhito Takaiwa entered the ring to face down Kanemoto.

Originally scheduled as the opening bout, former partners Takao Omori and Tadao Yasuda fought in the 5th spot instead, since Yasuda showed up late for the show! Omori went on the attack right away, though Yasuda was able to battle back often by cheating. The "Debt King" constantly attacked Omori's right arm during the match to defend against the "Axe Bomber." And when Omori finally threw it, Yasuda blocked the arm and used a backslide to get the victory!

The 4th match was the "Remember E" match between former ECW Heavyweight Champions, Masato Tanaka and The Sandman. The two have faced each other in both ECW and FMW in the past, and for this match the count-out was eliminated to allow brawling.

Sandman came out with his Singapore cane and a ladder, which he climbed to the top to drink beer, spray it at the fans, and smash the can on his head!

Tanaka, knowing what he was in for came armed with a steel chair. The match was everything anybody would expect, with tables, ladders and many chairs used. Tanaka even stacked numerous chairs around the Sandman's head, topped by the ladder, before delivering a violent chairshot. Tanaka eventually got the win with a Tornado DDT onto a pile of chairs.

Two of Kanemoto's former acquaintances from New Japan, Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa, tagged together on the bottom of the card taking on Murahama and Kamikaze. Otani won the match for his team just after 12 minutes with the "Spiral Bomb" on Murahama. Also on the show, Rikiya Fudo defeated Takuya Sugawara when Sugawara once more got DQ'd for using his "black box," this time on the referee!

The opening match, after Ring Announcer Okidata revealed that Tadao Yasuda was late getting to the arena, was an English Professional Wrestling Jr. Confrontation between Jody Fleisch and Jonny Storm. The two had tagged the day before, this time they pulled out all the stops to impress the fans at Korakuen Hall, with many high flying and high risk moves both inside and outside the ring. Jody finally scored the win with a Shooting Star Press for the pinfall, and then afterward the two shook hands and showed appreciation to the crowd who wildly applauded back to them.

Interception - Day 1

October 9th, 2005

The first of two "Interception" shows at Korakuen Hall happened today, and it was a raucous affair with a hot crowd. The show was headlined by a "Special" no-rope barbwire deathmatch between Hirotaka Yokoi and Mitsuhiro Matsunaga, which was short, bloody and EXTREMELY violent.

The match started with thr fighters punching and kicking each other, until Matsunaga brought out the metal spike from his boot and began his attack. Yokoi countered by switchin his MMA glove with one wrapped in barbwire and raining punches down on the head of "Mr. Danger."

Matsunaga soon rallied and came out with a pair of pliers, entangling Yokoi in the barbwire removing his wrapped glove from his hand, and then using his pliers to squeeze Yokoi's hand! Matsunaga then shot Yokoi into the barbwire and the crowd grimaced as Yokoi's flesh stuck to the razor sharp wire!

"Mr. Danger" then rushed to the attack, but was met with a nasty exploder suplex into the barbwire! Yokoi then locked on a sleeper/choke hold, but Matsunaga used powder to-the-face to reverse the hold and a chain to choke his opponent back, and then he tied the chain around one of the corner posts and began to pull, choking Yokoi! The referee, seeing no escape for Yokoi, then called for the bell. Matsunaga would've continued his attack regardless, had not fellow FMW alumnus Yoshihito Sasaki run in and chased him off. Sasaki got on the microphone and said he will be the next opponent Matsunaga will face, and it will be he who will drive him from ZERO1-MAX and perhaps even kill him!

The actual Main Event, previous to the special match, of the show was a tag team match for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles between current holders, Sato and Sai, and the new team of Takao Omori and the "Debt King" Tadao Yasuda. Yasuda, after his honesty and loyalty had been questioned by the other ZERO1-MAX fighters and office personnel during the "Fire Festival," won his way back into the good graces of everybody by putting on solid and steady performances (and with the backing of Otani, who felt Yasuda could change his ways).

Well, he reverted to his untrustworthy ways, as several times when Omori tried to tag out in this match he either turned his back, jumped off the ring apron, or pretended to tie his shoelace!

And when he finally entered the ring he only caused more problems, even hitting his partner with an Axe Bomber and leaving him to be set-up by Kohei's German suplex hold for the pinfall! Then to make matter worse, Yasuda attacked Omori after the match by piling chairs on his arm and using another chair to attack! Otani broke it up and Yasuda calmly walked out to a chorus of boos.

Omori then got on the microphone and blamed Otani and Nakamura for their trust in Yasuda, as Omori NEVER trusted him and only went along with the pairing because Otani gave his word. He then said he wants a singles match against Yasuda tomorrow! Nakamura spoke with Otani and the two instantly agreed.

Following that incident, Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita came out to talk trash to Sato and Sai, who had belittled them in an earlier press conference. Hidaka said that tomorrow they will conquer "2 classes," meaning the Junior and Heavyweight class. Sato and Sai admitted the current Junior tag team is good and very popular, but on Day 2 of "Interception" they will catch both Hidaka and Fujita in their "Mosquito Net."

As for Hidaka and Fujita, they faced the English gaijin team of Jonny Storm and Jody Fleisch. The match was a high-speed, high-flying event, with Storm even diving off the balcony of Korakuen Hall! Storm and Fleisch showed great teamwork, but weren't able to keep up with the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team champions.

Another "Special Event" match was the semi-main event of Otani and the lovable Sandman versus former FMWers Masato Tanaka and Yoshihito Sasaki. Both Tanaka and The Sandman are former ECW Heavyweight Champions and Tag Team champions. The Sandman did his extended entrance, with the beer in one hand and the Kendo stick in the other, moving through the crowd and sharing his alcohol in the usual manner. No sooner did he enter the ring did Tanaka hit him with a dropkick and the melee ensued!

As one would suspect it was a huge brawl, with tables and chairs being involved, and Otani and Sandman showing surprising veteran tag team connectivity. But despite Tanaka's toughness and Sasaki's fire, Otani hit the German suplex hold on Sasaki for the pinfall and then shared a beer with the Sandman!

Other matches on the show saw Takaiwa win over Sugawara when Sugawara turned to his black box for the win and was DQ'd. Kamikaze defeated the Lingerie Muto with a moonsault, and Murahama defeated Rikiya Fudo with the cross arm breaker.