READER COURTESY: This review was about 4.5 pages on Google Docs.
“It used to be better.” – The Lapsed Fan Pro Wrestling Podcast
Previously on The Lapsed Timeline:
The Lapsed Journeyman – August 2000 (JAPW/Toryumon)
This review is dedicated to the late, great Jahmale Hepburn (RealHero).
As Pro Wrestling NOAH justifiably got all the buzz and hype with its novelty debut weekend, AJPW was left having to look beyond its own severely depleted roster and front office.
For all the egos that are in the pro wrestling business though, this is Japan, not the damn United States. Hence, another crossover, a staple of the puro scene going back years, if not decades.
We turn to the dirtsheets for some brief table-setting.
In Japan, for the short-term, the All Japan vs. New Japan feud should and will pop business for both companies. Still, history has shown that companies that enter into this agreement with New Japan, which ultimately occurs as a last ditch for survival, in the long run don’t make it as the famed UWFI feud showed. Pro Wrestling NOAH right now is also a hot ticket as a novelty and Pride seems very strong. But of the four, only New Japan looks from this vantage point to have long-term stability, and even that company on its own is suffering from what up to this point has been the most boring year for the promotion in recent memory. All Japan, after this angle runs its course, has its questions, particularly after losing its television and most of its wrestlers as its perception as an underdog company right now trying to survive will only take them so far. NOAH, once the novelty of the new group runs its course, needs to create new stars for survival, because the old guard thrived and later survived and presenting great matches, and the bodies are banged up badly from that and the matches are neither new, nor can they match up to the memory of what those matches once were. With wrestling being even more a part of the future of cable in that country, what with already having a 24-hour fighting channel which concentrates on wrestling along with MMA, boxing and martial arts, it’s value as TV programming over the long-term will down the road be similar to what it is today in the U.S.
The All Japan promotion, which was practically being given its last rites when nearly all its talent quit, has now been saved and has great short-term business prospects with the opening of the feud with New Japan.
The first match-up between the two companies in more than ten years drew a sellout crowd of 16,300 to Tokyo Budokan Hall on 9/2, and that was drawn with a Masahiro Chono vs. Masa Fuchi match, a match featuring New Japan’s biggest full-time draw against an aged wrestler who hasn’t been in a serious program in years. The feud should peak on 10/9 for the New Japan Tokyo Dome show which, with a main event of Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki strongly rumored (the official main event announcement is expected to come later this week and the latest word we had is that they want to make the first meeting a non-title match since the feeling is it doesn’t need the IWGP title at stake to draw a sellout and many feel New Japan must break from its tradition, which is to put itself over in the famous first meeting since historically that’s the one everyone remembers, because for the longevity of the feud, Kawada probably needs to go over), is also expected to draw a sellout–the first at the Dome except for the traditional 1/4 shows every year, since the Antonio Inoki retirement show more than two years ago.
While All Japan needed this feud for survival, New Japan needed it almost as badly, because its place as one of the big two sports entertainment group in Japan was threatened by the recent success of Pride running big stadiums and by the huge television success of K-1, which may realistically be No. 1 in Japan right now, as well as competing with both groups as the top attraction in the new PPV marketplace. – Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Dated September 11, 2000)
It’s the Budokan Hall. It’s a sold out crowd. It’s the two titans that have dominated the Land of the Rising Sun for nearly an entire literal generation.
It’s time to go down The Lapsed King’s Road.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x50vief
Masahiro Chono vs. Masanobu Fuchi
AJPW Summer Action Series II Final Day
September 2, 2000 – Tokyo Japan
NJPW’s Team 2000 faction of Hiro Saito, Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Tatsutoshi Goto arrives, all sitting in the front row for this one. Way to raise the stakes.
The Budokan crowd is molten hot for this crossover encounter, erupting at the opening bell as both legends take their time. The smallest things are getting a great reaction, then the crowd erupts even more when Fuchi drops Chono with the backdrop driver to gain control. Fuchi has so much control on submissions that Chono has to take a powder after reaching the ropes.
Chono continues stalling and milking the 20-count, and once back in with control, argues with the AJPW official. This tribalistic aura in front of the partial audience is very much welcomed. Chono returns to jaw-jacking with the ref as he stays in control over Fuchi.
After several minutes, Fuchi finally cuts off the cocky Chono with a sleeper hold, drawing a great reaction for the partial crowd. When Fuchi gets the legs wrapped around for extra leverage, the AJPW commentary does a great job of selling the excitement. Fuchi escalates the animosity by repeatedly stepping on Chono’s face for good measure.
Fuchi takes it up another notch, platforming Chono between the top and middle rope and stepping on his throat. They exchange strikes, including eye rakes, and Fuchi’s Enziguri gets a great reaction, as does his big boot that causes Chono to collapse. Fuchi follows up with more backdrop drivers, but that’s not enough to put down the former IWGP Heavyweight Champ for the three count.
Chono hits a low blow blatantly to cut off Fuchi, which the ref surprisingly doesn’t disqualify him for. The other Team 2000 faction members get up and hover around Fuchi, escalating the tension and drama. Fuchi tries getting up after a Piledriver, only to get Yakzuka kicked down, but that’s just a near-fall.
Fuchi reaches the ropes when Chono applies an STF, but Chono isn’t as fatigued, keeping control. However, Fuchi’s resiliency keeps showing, kicking out once again after more strikes until a Yakuza kick puts him down for good, having no energy left to kick out. Chono immediately puts his boot on Fuchi’s face before his Team 2000 mates get in the ring to gloat with him.
The entire post-match isn’t shown sadly, as we miss Chono talking shit about AJPW and Taiyo Kea being restrained from trying to attack the cocky NJPW stars.
Not an all-time classic by any means, but the exact atmosphere that I wanna see on this timeline. As major crossover matches are looking to become an even bigger deal 21 years later in North America, this might be a great one for wrestlers and promoters to study and learn from.
Rating: ***3/4
The main event of this card doesn’t appear to be available to stream in its entirety, but the reviews of it don’t sound that promising anyway.
After the main event on the show, where Stan Hansen & Genichiro Tenryu beat Steve Williams & Toshiaki Kawada, Kawada said that since Fuchi lost, he would have to go to New Japan and asked the All Japan fans to support him and cheer for the All Japan wrestlers at New Japan shows. – Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Dated September 11, 2000)
New Japan officially announced a non-title Kensuke Sasaki vs. Toshiaki Kawada match for 10/9 at the Tokyo Dome and the results of what many thought literally for decades was the ultimate Japanese wrestling program have been very disappointing.
The New Japan vs. All Japan program, which figured to be the hottest ticket seller in Japan over the next year, is starting with the supposed top star in each company…
This program started with a big hit with Masahiro Chono’s appearance on the 9/2 Budokan Hall show, which got everyone involved excited. However, after the announcement of the main event, ticket sales for the Dome have been a disappointment.
The angle is that Kawada issued a challenge to the top star of New Japan and Sasaki is mad because he didn’t issue the challenge to him, and by not saying his name, considered it a slight. In hindsight, those close to the situation believe the problem is not only that the general public sees through the angle, seeing All Japan as a skeleton of what it once was, but also, even though Kawada has more than a decade of being a top guy in the Japanese wrestling world, to most fans he had fallen to the No. 4 native star in the company before the recent promotional split, behind Mitsuharu Misawa, who he was always behind in the pecking order, but also falling behind both Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama. – Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Dated September 18, 2000)
Last time, it was said that this chapter would look at what AJPW was up to. Since only one match got covered and it’s not an all-time heralded masterpiece, let’s stick to the same month and city and check out another well-received match over in NJPW.
Consider this the first entry of The Lapsed Lion King of Sports.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles Match
Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto vs. Jushin Liger & Shinya Makabe
NJPW Amazing Day 4
September 12, 2000 – Tokyo Japan
It takes several minutes, but the challengers appear to get an advantage on Tanaka, cutting the ring in half on him as the broadcast goes to a commercial break. Back from the break, Liger delivers a Piledriver on Tanaka, indicating the ring has indeed been cut in half.
The tide is turned when Tanaka lands on his feet on a German Suplex attempt, rolling Liger into a Grapevine Ankle Lock. Kanemoto keeps Makabe from interfering, leading to Liger getting the ring cut in half now. After a lariat hope spot from Liger, he finds his left leg and ankle targeted again in the Grapevine Ankle Lock from Kanemoto, as Makabe continues to be held at bay by Tanaka.
Liger keeps teasing comebacks, only to get cut off. Kanemoto applies a Standing Ankle Lock, only to get dumped with a German Suplex by Makabe. Tanaka saves Kanemoto from eating Liger’s Running Powerbomb, but ends up eating a Super Release German Suplex anyway, along with a high elevation Sit Down Powerbomb anyway for a hot near-fall.
Liger makes the hot tag to Makabe, who repeatedly spears Kanemoto. But Kanemoto deadweights Makabe on a German Suplex attempt, leaving Makabe to be dropkicked from behind by Tanaka. Kanemoto hits a Tiger Suplex on Makabe, but Liger breaks up the pin and eats another ankle lock outside from Tanaka for his trouble.
Makabe has a burst in energy and begins a very hot sequence, spearing Kanemoto again and hitting his own German Suplex in the ring. Kanemoto kicks out and applies a Grapevine Ankle Lock to Makabe, and the crowd is VERY hot for this submission false finish.
With Makabe’s left knee already taped going into this, he finds that body part being targeted some more. After a strike exchange, Makabe spears Tanaka, having another hot near-fall on a German Suplex pin attempt. Liger keeps Kanemoto at bay on a Northern Lights Suplex near-fall. The drama just keeps building between Tanaka and Makabe. With Liger out of the equation thanks to Kanemoto, Tanaka finally makes Makabe tap out to an arm submission, holding on to the straps.
Excellent TV main event that built to its peak, and did so without the boost of a hot crossover angle. Since this is also the major leagues, tag legalities were appropriately followed to keep this gem both hot and coherent.
Rating: ****
Next time, we stay put in the world’s biggest city yet again, as the next chapter is a peak in the AJPW vs. NJPW crossover, at that country’s grandest stage of them all – the motherfucking Tokyo Dome.
Around the time of these events, there were some compassionate, forward-thinking people beginning to brainstorm how to address the lack of food security that so many face in Japan. Within a couple years, Japan’s first food bank would be officially incorporated. The following organization has proven to be one of the very best to turn to during times of crisis in Japan, including natural disasters and the current pandemic.
Today’s charity spotlight:
Second Harvest Japan
Japanese – http://2hj.org/
English – http://2hj.org/english/
Twitter – Facebook
Serving as Japan’s only nationwide food bank since 2002, Second Harvest Japan aims to improve food security by working with major global retailers, importers, and food manufacturers. For its outstanding work and reach, the organization earned first place in the social communications division at the Public Relations Society of Japan’s PR Award Ceremony in 2011, becoming the first non-profit organization to receive such an honor.
Second Harvest Japan aims to create a Food Safety Net in Japan. In order to do so, we deliver food to children’s homes, single-mother shelters, centers for the disabled as well as many other welfare organizations and individuals in need. In order to deliver enough food to those who lack food security, 2HJ cooperates with food manufacturers and other companies and hopes to use food to create new partnerships between corporations and the community.
We are the only nationwide food bank in Japan. Since our incorporation in March 2002, we have been working to improve food security for those in need while helping companies deliver their food donations to those in need.
Food banks provide an alternative to destroying food that is still safe for human consumption. Food manufacturers, retailers, and importers have stocks of food they cannot sell. By donating them to us they save money on disposal costs, increase employee morale, and make a positive impact in the community.