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3-Way and 4-Way "Fire Festival '09" Semi-Final Matches Determined!

August 5th, 2009

The final A & B Block matches of the "Fire Festival '09" were completed yesterday in Osaka's IMP Hall show. As seen below the results ended with seven wrestlers all with 5 total points; four of Block A and three of Block B. Recently previous "Fire Festival" Block ties have been resolved in multi-man semi-final matches to determine who will go on to the final battle of the "Fire Festival."

This will be the first time that both Blocks will be decided by multi-man semi-final matches on August 8th in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. Shinjiro Otani, Kohei Sato, Ikuto Hidaka and Akebono will all fight for Block A, while Masato Tanaka, Ryouji Sai and Daisuke Sekimoto will fight for Block B.

"Fire Festival '09" Tournament Results!

August 4th, 2009

Ueda Gets Squashed!

July 31st, 2009

Young ZERO1 Heavyweight Shito Ueda faced former Sumo Champion Akebono in his Block "Fire Festival '09" match at the local Shiba neighborhood festival tonight. While Ueda had put some extra effort into building strength and confidence for the bout, the whole thing was over in 3:16 with Akebono victorious. Ueda, a resident of Shiba in the ZERO1 dorms, was given much local support as he entered the ring. The crowd was also in awe of the massive size of Akebono as he entered and did his customary sumo bow.

Before the bell rang Ueda launched himself at Akebono as the crowd cheered his aggressiveness! Ueda drove Akebono back into his corner and delivered several elbow shots and a corner splash! Akebono however caught Ueda in mid-launch and slammed him down hard to the canvas! Akebono tried again but Ueda reversed with a go-behind and a quick schoolboy for a 2-count! Fired up, Ueda hit a strong lariat and a missile kick dropping Akebono to the mat. He kept up the pressure with a rapid succession of elbow drops as the children at the event cheered for the young fighter.

Ueda's run was soon cut short as Akebono stopped him with a hard chop, then another body slam followed by his own big elbow drop! He then hit the big running body press, literally squashing Ueda in the middle of the ring. A 3 count later and Akebono came away the victor. This raises Akebono's current record to one victory and one defeat for a total of 2 points. This also drops Ueda to two defeats for a total of 0 points.

Ueda Looks for Divine Inspiration In Match with Akebono!

July 30th, 2009

Young wrestler Shito Ueda will battle the 64th Yokozuna tomorrow at ZERO1's local Shiba festival show in a Block A "Fire Festival" match. In an effort to boost his already impressive strength, Ueda went to the local shrine and prayed for even more power against Akebono.

After completing his prayer, Ueda apporached the biggest tree in the shrine's park. Grabbing it low with both hands Ueda attempted to pull it from the ground! Though the tree did shake back and forth, he was unable to do it.

The Fire Festival Begins! Tanaka, Otani, Sekimoto & Kohei Victorious!

July 26th, 2009

The ZERO1 "WRESTLER'S GRAND PRIX 2009 Fire Festival ~ The Ambition of Glory ~" began with the kick-off yesterday in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. Both A Block and B Block had two matches apiece with much attention on Masato Tanaka, who has declared he will win his 4th straight Fire Festival, and former sumo champion Akebono making his first ever appearance in the tournament. As is tradition, the event began with all the participants entering the ring and Tanaka as the last champion handing over the "Himatsuri Katana" or "Fire Festival Sword." The crowd was then thanked for coming and asked to continue their support for the wrestlers and the company.

The main event of the show saw B Block participants Ryouji Sai and BJW's Daisuke Sekimoto clash in a re-match. Sekimoto had challenged Ryouji in a losing endeavor back on April 29th in Korakuen Hall for the World Heavyweight title that Ryouji held at the time. Both wrestlers are very familiar with the "Fire Festival" having both participated in previous tournaments (Ryouji with 5 appearances, Sekimoto with 4). This time the match started off slow, with the crowd showing no ill feeling towards Sai as with their first encounter.

Sekimoto used his strength to force Ryouji down, stretching him with a "bow & arrow." Then a shoulder block battle which the shorter and thicker Sekimoto won, sending Ryouji down once more to roll outside the ring. Sekimoto then showed his speed as he launched himself through the ropes with the suicide dive! As in their previous match both men then brawled through the crowd, throwing kicks and using chairs as weapons. They climbed into the South orange seat area of Korakuen as well, with Ryouji hitting a jumping knee attack running the length of the mezzanine walkway!

Back in the ring Sekimoto began to fight back strong as the Korakuen faithful rallied behind him, chanting his name as he locked on a camel clutch. Ryouji didn't say silent for long, fighting back with a leg lariat. Sekimoto recovered quickly with his powerful Argentine Backbreaker, eventually throwing Ryouji to the crowd and climbing to the top rope. Ryouji shot back with a jumping knee to the perched Sekimoto, and landed a quick avalanche brainbuster to regain momentum! Ryouji tried a pinfall with a Liger Bomb but only got a 2 count as 15 minutes in the match elapsed. The two wrestler then scored hard hits off the ropes, with Sekimoto's power winning out with a hard lariat and then a German suplex!

Ryouji survived as the match became a war of attrition, laying in hard kicks as Sekimoto fought back with power. Ryouji hit Sekimoto with a Sky Kick and then dropped the Nachi's Waterfall double footstomp on him! Taking to the turnbuckle for a 2nd Nachi Waterfall attempt, this time Sekimoto cut him off with a lighting avalanche brainbuster! And then, to the surprise of everybody in attendance, Sekimoto landed his own Double footstomp off the top!! Then a final German Suplex leveled the previous World heavyweight champion at 20½ minutes! Following the bout Sekimoto got on the microphone to address the crowd:

With those words the Hall once more erupted in cheers and a large chant of "Sekimoto! Sekimoto! Sekimoto!" as the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Heavyweight proved again that he is one of the icons of Korakuen Hall and Tokyo pro wrestling fans.

The 2nd to final match was an A Block tournament match with ZERO1 President Shinjiro Otani facing off against Super-Heavyweight Akebono. Akebono was all business as he entered the hall, having announced recently that he planned to make an impact on pro wrestling, stepped OVER the top rope to enter the ring and waited with the crouching posture of the Sumo wrestler he was. The crowd exploded for the entrance of Otani, clapping and loudly chanting his name. They were tempered however when the two wrestlers came face to face and the crowd could see the vast difference in both height and weight!

Otani started on offense with some hard chops as Akebono stood there stone-faced. Otani then attempted some running shoulder blocks only to be easily rebuffed. Finally Akebono grabbed Otani, lifted him high in the air and dropped him down with a hard bodyslam! As Otani rolled to the outside, Akebono followed up with a sliding kick! Otani got back in the ring and was then forced into the corner with the rushing sumo strike attack of the 64th Sumo Grand Champion, but managed to fight back with what turned out to be his strategy by attack Akebono's left foot with a low-altitude missile dropkick! He then quickly clamped on with a leg hold, though the big wrestler was to crawl to the ropes.

Otani charged off the ropes but Akebono caught him with a tight sleeper hold, his large arms practically covering Otani's entire head! Otani attempted a back suplex on Akebono with the results you would expect, and the big man dropped Otani to the mat with a kesagatame. He then rose and stood on Otani while holding the ropes, putting his entire weight on the ZERO1 President! Finally Otani fought back, sending Akebono to the corner and delivering a face wash as the crowd cheered! Otani only managed a short run until Akebono used his strength to force him off, body slamming him and then dropping a big elbow. Otani kicked out at two, as the crowd chanted "Otani! Otani! Otani!"

Suddenly Akebono climbed the turnbuckle looking to drop his girth on Otani. Instead Otani sprung to his feet, positioning himself under Akebono he lifted the 225kg sumo in the air and delivered a power bomb! Akebono kicked out at 1, and as he stood back up Otani ran from the opposite corner with the kesagiri/Hashimoto chop! Otani then unleased a flurry of dropkicks and missile dropkicks to Akebono, both to the back of his head and the front.

The "Otani!" call continued as he finally felled his big opponent in the center of the ring and then with a final dropkick got the 3 count! Following the match both Otani and Akebono glared at each other, as Akebono's dissatisfaction showed on his face.

The 4th Match of the show was a Block B "Fire Festival '09" match with two former FMW wrestlers, Masato Tanaka and Tetsuhiro Kuroda, facing off for the first time in a while. This is Kuroda's fourth Fire Festival appearance (2002, 2003, 2004) as Tanaka aims to win 4 in-a-rows. As the match begun, Tanaka flew at Kuroda hitting him with a hard elbow smash. Kuroda then took Tanaka to the outside after his trademark banging of his opponents floor against the ring post, and dropped him with a DDT.

Kuroda then ran the length of the South side walkway landing a lariat on the World Heavyweight champion! Tanaka however intercepted a second attempt with a jumping knee and then floored Kuroda with his own lariat! Continuing to give Kuroda pay back, Tanaka brought him back to the ring and banged his knee against the ring post, including smashing it with a chair! He then grabbed a towel from a spectator and began to choke Kuroda!

Back in the ring Tanaka continued to attack his opponents left leg. Kuroda briefly rallied with his "Tetsu Cutter" but Tanaka leveled him with another elbow, then hit the "Super Fly" frog splash but Kuroda survived. Tanaka then used the "Diamond Dust" and a "Falcon Arrow." Both men then traded hard lariats until Tanaka finally dropped Kuroda and then hit the "Sliding-D" to the back of his head and then the front for the victory. Tanaka's promised victory in this year's "Fire Festival" steps off on a victorious foot.

The 3rd match was a Block A confrontation where junior class wrestler Ikuto Hidaka took on heavyweight Kohei Sato. This is Hidaka's 2nd "Fire Festival" while it is Kohei's 9th, winning the tournament in 2004. Being the only junior class fighter in the tournament the size difference was as obvious as Otani and Akebono. Hidaka however used his speed and rapid fire kicks to Keep Kohei on his heels.

Hidaka aimed for Kohei's left leg with kicks,a figure-4, dragon screw off the top turnbuckle, an ankle hold and the "Shawn Capture." Kohei 's kicks carried more power than Hidaka's, and he used his strength to overpower his smaller opponent with a crab hold, pile driver and German suplex. Kohei went for the pinfall with a Northern Lights Bomb but the resilient Hidaka kicked out a 2! Kohei finally used the SSD to drive Hidaka to the mat and gain the pinfall.

Kohei left the ring dragging his left foot, and the crowd cheered Hidaka for his strong effort versus difficult odds.

Also on the card, the "Sworn Brothers" (Japanese: Gikyoudai) of Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara reformed again to defeat Osamu Namiguchi and Munenori Sawa. And in an opening 6-man tag team match Magnitude Kishiwada along with Rikiya Fudo and Yusaku Obata defeated the team of KAMIKAZE, Shito Ueda and Yuzuru Saito.