Date: January 12th, 2015
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,129
Backtracking a little bit, but Legend doesn’t run shows very often so I have to be sure to review them when they do. Legend The Pro-Wrestling is a promotion run by some combination of Fujinami, Sayama, and Choshu and features a mixture of wrestlers borrowed from other promotions and older freelancers. There are some unique matchups here, as there usually is with Legend, with participation from a number of smaller promotions. Here is the full card:
– Alexander Otsuka and Super Tiger vs. Mitsuya Nagai and Nobuyuki Kurashima
– Bear Fukuda vs. Yuji Okabayashi
– Hiro Saito and AKIRA vs. Masakatsu Funaki and Kaz Hayashi
– NOSAWA Rongai, MAZADA, and FUJITA vs. Tatsumi Fujinami, Kanemoto, and LEONA
– Akitoshi Saito and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Daisuke Sekimoto and Tatsuhito Takaiwa
– Atsushi Onita, Ichiro Yaguchi, and Hideki Hosaka vs. Riki Choshu, Original Tiger Mask, and Takatoriki
I am sure something on this card will be good, I just have no idea what it will be.
Alexander Otsuka and Super Tiger vs. Mitsuya Nagai and Nobuyuki Kurashima
Super Tiger start off and trade kicks and Nagai hits a vertical suplex. He tags in Kurashima but Super Tiger drives him back and tags in Otsuka. Otsuka works over Kurashima on the mat but Kurashima gets position and they return to their feet. Kurashima gets Otsuka to the mat and he tags in Nagai. Elbow by Nagai and he tags Kurashima back in. Kurashima hits a vertical suplex to Otsuka, Nagai is tagged in but Otsuka hits a suplex and tags in Super Tiger. Super Tiger hits a single arm suplex on Nagai and drops a knee for two. Crossface chickenwing by Super Tiger but Kurashima breaks it up. Nagai catches Super Tiger’s kick and he hits a capture suplex. Nagai tags in Kurashima, but Super Tiger plants him with a high kick and tags in Otsuka. Uppercuts by Otsuka to Kurashima as Nagai gets in the ring and they hit Otsuka with a double shoulderblock. Double vertical suplex to Otsuka but Otsuka hits a release German suplex on Kurashima. Otsuka picks up Kurashima and hits a brainbuster, and he then applies the good ‘ol Giant Swing. Crab hold by Otsuka to Kurashima and Kurashima quickly submits. This was a bit clipped, maybe 25% of it wasn’t shown but I imagine we just missed more of the same. A really basic opener, nothing different or exciting, but fundamentally sound. Score: 4.0
Bear Fukuda vs. Yuji Okabayashi
They tie-up to start and Okabayashi chops Fukuda in the chest. They take turns trying to knock each other over and then trade elbows, Okabayashi goes off the ropes but Fukuda knees him. Okabayashi hits a powerslam and then a lariat in the corner. Okabayashi applies a crab hold but Fukuda gets to the ropes. Fukuda hits a lariat in the corner and then hits a vertical suplex for a two count. Fukuda slams Okabayashi in front of the corner and he hits a body press off the second turnbuckle. Lariat by Fukuda but Okabayashi lariats him back. Another lariat by Okabayashi and he hits a scoop slam. Okabayashi goes up top and he hits the Golem Splash for the three count! Like the last match about 25% was clipped. I liked the power stuff but it stayed at a low level, for example none of the lariats or elbows looked really hurty like you see in the big leagues, it never ramped up to a hateful brawl or exchange. So that made it more dull then exciting since it never felt like they were really trying to bring the pain. Not bad, just not good. Score: 5.0
Hiro Saito and AKIRA vs. Masakatsu Funaki and Kaz Hayashi
AKIRA and Funaki kick things off and they trade holds on the mat. They tussle around for a few minutes and Funaki hits a shoulderblock but AKIRA ducks the PK. Hayashi and Saito are tagged in and Hayashi tries to engage with Saito even though Saito is old and not very mobile. Saito applies a stretch hold and he tags in AKIRA. AKIRA applies a leg submission to Hayashi and tags in Saito. Saito and Hayashi trade chops and Saito tags in AKIRA. Hayashi suplexes AKIRA but AKIRA stomps down Hayashi in the corner but Hayashi hits a reverse STO into the turnbuckles. Funaki is tagged in in and he kicks AKIRA in the chest. Back kick by Funaki and he hits an armdrag. Funaki applies a crossface chicken wing to AKIRA but AKIRA gets to the ropes. Diving double chop by AKIRA and he tags in Saito. Funaki is double teamed in the corner and Saito hits a DDT for a two count. Scoop slam by AKIRA and Saito hits a senton. Scoop slam by Saito and he hits a diving senton. Hayashi hits a handspring kick to AKIRA and he hits a pescado down onto AKIRA. In the ring Funaki hits a PK on Saito, he applies the cross armbreaker in the middle of the ring and Saito has to tap out. This was rough, I mean I am just not a fan of old man mat wrestling. I like my wrestling a little flashy, or hard hitting, or interesting. Hayashi tried, bless his heart, and Saito was wrestling to the best of his ability (I enjoy sentons), but it was just a slow match with not a lot going on until the ending stretch. Score: 3.5
NOSAWA Rongai, MAZADA, and FUJITA vs. Tatsumi Fujinami, Kanemoto, and LEONA
Lots of CAPS in this write-up. LEONA and NOSAWA start off and they quickly go to the mat. After a moment they return to their feet, LEONA gets NOSAWA back down and goes for the leg but NOSAWA reverses it. Fujinami and FUJITA are tagged in, FUJITA gets Fujinami into the corner and hits him before backing off. Kanemoto and MAZADA are the next legal men, Kanemoto isn’t messing around with submission holds and just kicks the crud out of MAZADA. Facewash by Kanemoto and he hits a running kick. He kicks FUJITA as well just for fun and then dives out onto FUJITA with a tope suicida. Kanemoto is trying to single-handedly make this event not suck and I thank him for it. Kanemoto tags in LEONA and LEONA applies a reverse chinlock to MAZADA. Scoop slam by MAZADA and he tags in NOSAWA. Double team to LEONA and NOSAWA covers him for two. NOSAWA headbutts LEONA into the corner, and NOSAWA applies a submission to LEONA. Kanemoto breaks it up and NOSAWA tags in FUJITA. FUJITA throws LEONA in the corner and tags in MAZADA. LEONA and MAZADA trade chops, cover by MAZADA but LEONA kicks out. I WANT MORE KANEMOTO. MAZADA tags in NOSAWA and LEONA eats a double flapjack. MAZADA picks up LEONA but LEONA hits a vertical suplex. LEONA tags in Fujinami and Fujinami hits dragon screws on everyone. Sleeper to NOSAWA but it is quickly broken up. Kanemoto comes in and hits a double dropkick to NOSAWA and MAZADA, he then hits a kick combination onto MAZADA. Fujinami picks up MAZADA and hits a backbreaker before tagging in LEONA. Double arm suplex by LEONA to MAZADA but the pin is broken up. LEONA and company all put on submission holds but MAZADA gets to the ropes. NOSAWA tags himself in from the apron and he kicks LEONA low. LEONA is thrown into the corner and everyone hits running strikes. Triple Powerbomb to LEONA, cover by NOSAWA but it gets two. Shining Wizard by NOSAWA but LEONA sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Backslide by LEONA, and he picks up the three count! LEONA’s first career pin, yay! If only it happened ten minutes sooner. Kanemoto as I mentioned seemed motivated but Fujinami was just there to hit a few spots and none of the others did anything special. I mean I have seen a hundred matches with MAZADA and NOSAWA and they are all the same, they aren’t bad but they are just…. average. A little too long and I don’t see much in LEONA to be honest. Score: 4.5
Akitoshi Saito and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Daisuke Sekimoto and Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Ishii and Sekimoto begin the match , Ishii slaps Sekimoto but Sekimoto shoulderblocks him. They trade elbows and Ishii hits the shoulderblock. Chops now, but Sekimoto kicks Ishii to the mat and tags in Takaiwa. Ishii knocks Sekimoto off the apron for no reason, pissing off Sekimoto but the referee gets him back and Ishii tags in Saito. Takaiwa and Saito try to knock each other over without any luck, and Takaiwa tags in Sekimoto. Sekimoto chops Saito and elbows him, but Saito returns fire. Knee to the stomach by Saito and he tags in Ishii. Ishii headbutts Sekimoto but Sekimoto elbows him and hits a lariat. Sekimoto tags in Takaiwa and Takaiwa applies an armbar. Ishii quickly gets out of it and tags in Saito. Saito hits a piledriver on the bare floor to Takaiwa while Ishii hits Sekimoto with chairs. Lariat by Saito and he gets back in the ring with Takaiwa. Kick to the chest by Saito and he tags in Ishii. Ishii applies a crab hold but Sekimoto tries to break it up. Ishii elbows him in the face for his trouble and scoop slams Takaiwa before tagging in Saito. Saito applies a chinlock to Takaiwa, he goes for a vertical suplex but Takaiwa reverses it and tags in Sekimoto. Sekimoto knocks Ishii off the apron and lariats Saito in the corner. Vertical suplex by Sekimoto but it gets a one count. Argentine Backbreaker by Sekimoto, Ishii strolls in the ring but Sekimoto shoulderblocks him out of the ring.
Ishii chops Sekimoto in the corner and he hits a powerslam. Ishii and Sekimoto trade elbows, and Sekimoto hits an exploder. Sekimoto tags in Takaiwa and Takaiwa hits a lariat. Takaiwa goes up top and he hits a diving elbow drop. Sekimoto comes in and both lariat Ishii in the corner. Sekimoto and Takaiwa both lariat Ishii again but Saito breaks up the pin attempt. Takaiwa picks up Ishii but Saito lariats Takaiwa. Sekimoto lariats Saito but Ishii lariats Sekimoto before Takaiwa and Ishii lariat each other. Ishii and Takaiwa trade elbows, Ishii puts Takaiwa on the top turnbuckle and he hits a delayed vertical suplex. Waistlock by Takaiwa, Sekimoto comes in the ring and suplexes Takaiwa to suplex Ishii. Sekimoto suplexes Saito as well, Takaiwa lariats Saito and he hits the death valley bomb on Ishii. Ishii headbutts Takaiwa in the chest and then hits a lariat. Brainbuster by Ishii, and he picks up the three count. This one was a lot of fun, it had the hard hitting action we hadn’t seen yet on this show. Ishii and Sekimoto were tons of fun to watch, I am shocked to see they haven’t had a singles match since 2007. This needs to happen. Loved the end stretch, both teams made me think that winning was really important to them, which is what I want in my pro wres. Takaiwa and Saito aren’t on Sekimoto and Ishii’s level these days but still gobs of fun overall. Score: 8.0
Atsushi Onita, Ichiro Yaguchi, and Hideki Hosaka vs. Riki Choshu, Original Tiger Mask, and Takatoriki
This is a Barbed Wire Board Deathmatch. Takaiwa pushes Hosaka into the barbed wire board before the match even starts and spits red mist into Onita’s face before taking things out to the floor. Tiger Mask headbutts Hosaka but Yaguchi comes in and hits Tiger Mask with a barbed wire bat. Tiger Mask is thrown into a table propped up in the corner but Choshu comes in for the save. Choshu throws Yaguchi into the corner, breaking the table, and then he hits Yaguchi with a piece of the table. Onita and Takatoriki make their way back to ringside while Tiger Mask throws Hosaka back out of it. Yaguchi ‘hits’ Tiger Mask with the barbed wire bat and throws him out of the ring. Hosaka sets up some chairs so they can put the barbed wire board on it, but Choshu lariats Yaguchi. In the ring Onita hits Takatoriki with a piece of table but Onita spits red mist in his face. Takatoriki and Choshu hit a double vertical suplex on Onita, sending him through the barbed wire board. Yaguchi and Hosaka dutifully set up the chairs and barbed wire board again (such a creative bunch), they grab Tiger Mask and Hosaka goes for a dive but Choshu cuts him off and hits a superplex. Lariat by Choshu to Hosaka and Tiger Mask kicks Yaguchi out of the ring. Pescado by Tiger Mask to Yaguchi as Takatoriki re-emerges, Takatoriki grabs Hosaka and chokeslams him through the barbed wire board for the three count. Things wrong with this match – it was too short for a main event, it was used mainly to put over a storyline that may never come to fruition, Yaguchi and Hosaka are horrible, and how many people even know who Takatoriki is? Honestly if it lasted a bit longer and was more crazy brawling it may have worked but there was very little crazy brawling anyway. Just a weird and disappointing way to end the event, not to mention a waste of some legitimate legends. Score: 2.0
Final Thoughts:
So basically what we have here is one great match, a bunch of average matches, and a really bad main event. There were so many legendary wrestlers on this event and this is the best that they could do? Obviously not an event as a whole I could ever recommend, just find the tag match online somewhere if you feel so inclined and call it a day.
