Tag: my dad is a heel wrestler

Daily Update: Reopening sports, My Dad is a Heel Wrestler, Woodley

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

WON NEWSLETTER: May 4, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Florida and UFC/WWE/AEW, more news

A look at how the major companies are looking at either running or not running is the lead story in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We also have a major feature on the characters from ABC’s 20/20, from David Schultz, John Stossell, Jim Wilson and Eddy Mansfield, as well as a feature on Gerald Brisco and how Vince McMahon got control of the TBS time slot for one year.

The issue also covers:

The schedule for UFC, WWE and AEW. 

The time frame Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida talked about for live events, the hypocrisy sanctioning these events, why UFC isn’t running Las Vegas, ESPN’s change of policy, another state open to bring in wrestling, boxing and MMA, UFC’s first show back, update on Fight Island, Bellator plans and Scott Coker talks his ideas.

Another feature on WWE financials with Vince McMahon’s quotes on all facets of business going forawrd and what is and isn’t honest about them.  We also look at why you can’t compare live attendance, what category does look good and what does’t, empty arena shows, costs of taping now and why Vince says the WWE Network should grow.

The firings of Cain Velasquez and Curtis Axel and the departure, at least for now, of Gerald Brisco.

How close Brisco and Vince McMahon have been, the 1984 purchase of GCW by McMahon and how it went down, how McMahon lost the time slot after one year, the WWE signing and usage of Vealsquez, and what major WWE decision-maker thought Axel would be one of the company’s signature stars.

The latest episode of Dark Side of the Ring on David Schultz. We look at the start of Schultz’s career, his feud with Hulk Hogan, slapping John Stossel, Eddy Mansfield, Jim Wilson, Jim Barnett, how Schultz got fired by WWE, Jim Cornette on the show, the Lou Thesz-Eddy Mansfield confrontaton, the deregulaton of wrestling, and how the story on Jimmy Snuka and the 20/20 story on wrestling intertwine.

New Monday night competition to Raw, 2K plans or 2020, How WWE stars get paid, wrestler who pulled out of tapings this past week, U.K. and Canada TV ratings, Taynara Conti and Mike Bennett talk being released, Jerry Lawler talks his remark bout Tozawa, Heath Slater talks his departure, David Starr talks current conditions and the most-watched bouts for the past week on WWE Network.

A harrowing story on Ilima lei-Macfarlane and her childhood going to the famed Punahou Schoolin Hawaii and the dirty secret the school covered up for decades that has just come to light.

Full coverage of the Impact Rebellion show with so many champions not there, as well as match-by-match coverage.

Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.

In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

Dr. Anthony Fauci in the New York Times on the return of sports in the U.S: “U.S. disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said that it “might be very difficult for major sports” in the U.S. to “return to action this year.” Fauci indicated that a “key variable” will be “whether the country can gain broad access to testing that quickly yields results.” He said, “If you can’t guarantee safety, then unfortunately you’re going to have to bite the bullet and say, ‘We may have to go without this sport for this season.’” He added, “I would love to be able to have all sports back. But as a health official and a physician and a scientist, I have to say, right now, when you look at the country, we’re not ready for that yet”.

So I finally got to see “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” which is on NJPW World with English subtitles. I highly recommend it. Kokoro Terada, who plays Shota Omura, totally steals this film. Hiroshi Tanahashi is the lead in the movie playing the role of a babyface that was supposed to be the biggest star in Japanese pro wrestling, who was the most popular young wrestler in Japan a decade earlier, but a knee injury nearly ends his career and he comes back as a masked heel wrestler to hide his physical limitations.

His profession is kept from his young son, who has no idea of any of this, as the family kept it from him, but he follows his father to work and ends up at a wrestling show with the family of a girl he has a crush on. The movie is about young children and teenagers following pro wrestling and its heroes, with the current star of wrestling being Dragon George, played by Kazuchika Okada. The Z-1 tournament is coming and Cockroach is not at that level, largely due to knees that limit his mobility, but a series of injuries to others puts him in the tournament for what he believes will be the last time in his career. 

Between all this, the Cockroach wants to turn face because his son and his son’s classmates think being a heel is bad, then wants to quit, ends up getting fired, and everything you expect in a formulaic sports movie then doesn’t happen. It ends up with a lesson that you can’t have a top babyface without a heel and that while wins and losses count in pro wrestling, the most important thing is entertaining the crowd. You will cry many times in the last 20 minutes, that’s how good Terada plays his role. Tanahashi is really good at playing essentially Tanahashi if he had never made it big.

It’s not at the level of the Mickey Rourke “The Wrestler,” but would be No. 2 as far as pro wrestling movies go. There are more similarities as far as the movie being a slice of the time frame with the 1974 movie “The Wrestler,”  which was about the AWA in the 70s, while this is about New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2018, but this movie is far superior to that one.  Plus you get all kinds of NJPW cameos including Manabu Nakanishi swinging the old Iron Sheik clubs. 

Smackdown tonight has:

  • Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler in a MITB qualifier
  • Carmella vs. Mandy Rose in a MITB qualifier
  • New Day vs.. Forgotten Sons non-title match
  • King Corbin vs. Daniel Bryan

Jonathan Snowden’s biography of Ken Shamrock was released today. I was told this book is excellent.

Ariel Helwani reported today that Tyron Woodley was leaning toward accepting a main event with Gilbert Burns on the 5/23 UFC show that still doesn’t have a location. He said he was hoping for Colby Covington but he doesn’t want it.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the largest crowd in the history of pro wrestling, a show in North Korea headlined by Antonio Inoki vs. Ric Flair that drew 160,000 fans, although most were ordered to attend and had no idea what they were going to witness.  A story on the two shows that week can be found here.

 MISCELLANEOUS

  • MLW’s TV show tomorrow night: Octagon Jr. & El Hijo del Vikingo & Myzteziz Jr. defending the AAA trios titles against Jordan Oliver & Kotto Brazil & Myron Reed, plus Mocho Cota Jr. & Tito Santana & Carta Brava Jr. vs. Black Destiny & Fantastik & Rayo Star, both from Tijuana. Plus L.A. Park cooking and the build for Jacob Fatu vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
  • Impact on Tuesday has a tape of The North defending the tag team titles but not from the tapings in Nashville and Cousin Jake vs. Joseph P. Ryan in a rematch. 
  • Super LTD announced today that it has acquired the North American distribution rights to “You Cannot kill David Arquette,” a movie about Arquette and his run through independent pro wrestling. More on that here.
  • Pro Wrestling Eve had scheduled three events this week in the U.K., which all ended up being canceled.  So instead, tomorrow at 4 p.m. Eastern time and 9 p.m. Greenwich time they will be airing the “Road to Wrestling Queendom” special on their YouTube page with Kay Lee Ray, Dash Chisako, Kris Wolf, Piper Niven, Nina Samuels, Charlie Morgan, Millie McKenzie and more.  On Tuesday, they will stream last year’s Wrestling Queendom show featuring Aja Kong vs. Piper Niven, a War Games match, a ladder match, plus Kay Lee Ray vs.  Meiko Satomura. And on 5/8 they will have a 24 hour live stream featuring never before released matches with Manami Toyota, Emi Sakura, Toni Storm and a match with Paige vs. Nikki Cross.  The stream starts at 7 a.m. Easter time, noon Greenwich time. These are one time only streams and they will not be added to the Eve YouTube library.
  • Kevin Eck talks the latest ROH news here.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Harley Race wins NWA title from Tommy Rich

CONTACT INFORMATION

‘My Dad is a Heel Wrestler’ movie coming to NJPW World

Posted on by Joseph Currier

“My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” is coming to New Japan World later this week.

The movie, which came out in 2018 and stars Hiroshi Tanahashi, will be uploaded to NJPW World at midnight Japan Standard Time on Saturday, April 4. It will have English subtitles available.

“My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” tells “the tale of a former top-flight, fan-favorite wrestler trying to reclaim a bond with both the public and his son.”

Outside of Japan, the movie is being made available in America, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and Germany and can be streamed from when it’s uploaded until September 3, 2020.

In Japan, the movie can be streamed on NJPW World until April 3, 2021.

During NJPW and CMLL’s Fantasticamania tour in January 2019, Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi faced Kazuchika Okada & Togi Makabe in a match where all four wrestled as their in-ring personas from “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler.”

The movie is being added to NJPW World as part of the NJPW Together project, which features alternative content being uploaded while new events aren’t happening due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania results: ‘My Dad is a Heel Wrestler’ match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Fantastica Mania 2019 wrapped up today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. 

The undercard featured Atlantis Jr. in singles action, as well as a Mexican National Trios Championship match. 

The semi-main saw NJPW mainstays Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Togi Makabe, and Ryusuke Taguchi in action, but as their characters from the “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” film. 

The main event featured Volador Jr. taking on Caristico in a crazy stunt show. 

Full results and match recaps are below:

TEMPLARIO & BARBARO CAVERNARIO DEFEATED AUDAZ & FLYER  

A really good opener. 

Audaz and Templario kicked things off. Audaz hit an enzuigiri and a springboard crossbody. Cavernario and Flyer jumped in. Flyer hit a headscissors. Templario cut off a double dive, hitting a double lariat, sending Audaz and Flyer to the floor. 

Templario hit a Sasuke Special, and Cavernario hit a crazy step-up springboard plancha to the floor. Cavernario hit a top rope dropkick, and Audaz flew about six feet in the air taking the bump from it. 

Templario and Cavernario hit a tandem dropkick/suplex. Cavernario hit a springboard splash for a two count. Flyer hit a springboard headscissors, followed by a quebrada to the floor. Audaz hit a springboard tope con hilo. 

Audaz and Flyer gained momentum. Audaz hit a quebrada on Templario and made a cover, but Cavernario broke up the pin. Audaz and Flyer hit stereo frankensteiners for a near fall. Cavernario and Templario hit powerbombs. They made covers with their feet on the ropes, but Flyer and Audaz kicked out. 

Flyer hit a Spanish fly off the top for a near fall. Templario hit a gutwrench powerbomb off the second for a two count. Audaz hit a rana with Templario seated on the top. Cavernario jumped in and cut him off, and used the Cavernaria for the submission. 

ATLANTIS JR. DEFEATED OKUMURA

Atlantis Jr. did well for himself until the finish, where he ran into some trouble. He’s going to be really good sooner than later. 

Atlantis Jr. came out hot, hitting a pair of suicide dives. The action spilled into the crowd, where Atlantis Jr. continued his assault. 

As the match went to the ring, OKUMURA struggled to establish any offense early. Atlantis Jr. used a flying headscissors, and a plancha off the post to the floor. OKUMURA started jawing at the referee, so the ref tried to quick count him off a flying headscissors into a cradle. 

OKUMURA hit an OKUMURA Special, but Atlantis Jr. came back with a high cross off the top, and a pair of tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. OKUMURA used a powerbomb for a near fall. Atlantis Jr. tried for the Atlantida twice, but he had difficulty locking it on. He got it on his third try, and OKUMURA submitted. 

TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI, BUSHI & TERRIBLE WENT TO A NO CONTEST WITH SHO, YOH, TOA HENARE & SATOSHI KOJIMA WHEN SUZUKI-GUN INTERFERED 

The match itself was good, as Naito worked harder than any other night on the tour. The focus here, though, was on the angle at the end of the match, setting up The New Beginning. 

SHO and YOH entered as themselves, rather than their Fujin and Raijin alter egos. LIJ took their sweet time getting to the ring. 

LIJ got jumped before the bell. Henare went after Naito, and that’s a program that they might go to at some point this year. Hopefully they get some steam behind Henare if that’s the case, because he’s pretty much been a job guy for the last year. 

SHO and YOH hit BUSHI and Shingo with dropkicks. Henare and Kojima worked over BUSHI in the ring. Kojima hit BUSHI and Shingo with machine gun chops. Terrible cut Kojima off and slammed him off the top. Shingo and BUSHI went after SHO and YOH on the outside. 

Naito and Terrible worked over Kojima, hitting tandem dropkicks. Shingo came in and hit Kojima with a senton. Shingo hit a brainbuster for a two count. Terrible hit a top rope slash for a near fall. Kojima hit a Koji cutter, and tagged SHO. 

SHO and Naito had a nice exchange, ending with SHO dropkicking Naito to the floor. SHO hit BUSHI with a spear. YOH jumped in for the double team, but BUSHI took both out with a dropkick. Shingo hit an elbow drop off the ropes onto YOH for a near fall. 

Shingo teased the pumping bomber, but YOH countered with a dragon screw. YOH used an enzuigiri and a falcon arrow for a two count. Shingo hit YOH with a huge lariat. Henare and Naito got tags. 

Henare hit Naito with lariats and a shoulder tackle. Naito sold big for Henare’s offense. Henare hit a suplex. Kojima ran in and hit a lariat, and Henare hit a Samoan drop. Terrible ran in, and Kojima nailed him with a lariat. 

BUSHI jumped in and hit Henare with a sunset flip, allowing Naito to hit him with a dropkick. Shingo hit a pumping bomber, and Naito covered, but Henare kicked out. 

Taichi, Kanemaru and Desperado ran in and attacked everyone for the no contest. Taichi hit an Air Raid Crash on Naito and posed over him. Kanemaru spit whiskey on Shingo. Taichi got a visual pinfall on Naito. Desperado unmasked BUSHI. 

MEXICAN NATIONAL TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: FORASTERO, CUATRERO & SANSON DEFEATED ATLANTIS, TITAN & ANGEL DE ORO TO RETAIN THE TITLES

Really fun match. All action. 

Sanson and Titan traded a series of cradles for one counts. They did some more mat work, and exchanged quick covers again. This was different, but good. 

Atlantis and Forastero entered. Atlantis hit a monkey flip, then a series of hip tosses and backbreakers on all three opponents. Angel entered. He hit a series of moves, but as he mugged in the ring, the rudos took control of his teammates. The rudos went three on one against Atlantis. 

Atlantis was able to make a tag to Angel, but Angel also got beat down three on one. Titan entered and suffered the same fate. Atlantis came in and made a comeback. Titan hit a tope suicida. Angel hit a Sasuke Special. Atlantis hit a plancha off the post. 

Titan and Forastero had a nice sequence that ended with Titan making a crucifix cover, and Sanson breaking up the pin. Atlantis used a schoolboy for a near fall. Angel hit a quebrada. 

Angel used a dropkick on Cuatrero for a near fall. They used a stacked up superplex. Titan used a headscissors. Titan used a fireman’s carry in the ring, then hit a dive off the post. Cuatrero hit a spinning sit-out powerbomb on Angel for the pin. 

ULTIMO GUERRERO, GRAN GUERRERO & NAMAJAGUE DEFEATED DRAGON LEE, MISTICO & SOBERANO JR.

This was fun. The work was very solid, and the crowd loved it. 

Ultimo and Soberano began. They did some crowd work. Ultimo used a Romero Special. Ultimo got a takedown and used an ankle lock. Soberano rolled through and hooked an ankle himself. They rolled to the floor, neither man willing to break the hold. 

Gran and Mistico entered. Gran offered a handshake, but it was a ploy. Gran unmasked Mistico, but Mistico had a second mask underneath. Mistico hit an arm drag, sending Gran to the floor. Mistico hit a flying headscissors off the post to the floor. 

Dragon and Namajague came in and had a chop battle. Each hit a knee strike. They traded lariats. Namajague hit a left hand, and Dragon countered with a woo dropkick. Dragon hit another dropkick into the corner, and picked up a near fall.

Namajague hit a lariat and cleared the apron, enabling his team to triple up on Dragon, then Mistico, and then Soberano. 

The babyfaces made a comeback, and all three hit topes over the top to the floor. Ultimo baited Soberano into a facebuster off the top, then a powerbomb off the second. Soberano hit a tornillo, but Namajague broke up the pin. 

Dragon hit a suicide dive. Mistico hit a quebrada. Ultimo hit a Guerrero Special on Soberano, and got the pin. 

DRAGON GEORGE & SWEETGORILLA MARUYAMA DEFEATED GINBAE MASK & GOKIBURI MASK

This was a total cartoon match. I will only answer to SweetGorilla for the rest of the week. 

Ginbae was Taguchi, Gokiburi was Tanahashi in a cockroach mask, SweetGorilla was Togi Makabe, and Dragon George was Okada. 

Makabe worked like Makabe. Tanahashi worked nothing like Tanahashi, using heel brawling tactics. Gokiburi used bug spray on Dragon George and SweetGorilla. Ginbae used a fly swatter. Ginbae used a toilet brush. Gokiburi used a plunger and a hammer. 

Okada hit a dropkick and used a plancha. He teased a top rope elbow. Gokiburi hit a slingblade. Gokiburi jumped into a dropkick. Dragon George went for a Rainmaker, but Gokiburi hit another slingblade. Ginbae hit a back elbow and used a bulldog for a two count. 

The match broke down into a four-way. SweetGorilla hit a double lariat. Dragon George hit a dropkick and a tombstone, then hit a Rainmaker for the pin on Ginbae. 

VOLADOR JR. DEFEATED MISTICO

These guys could probably have a good match with each other in their sleep. This was a wild stunt show that served as a nice closer for the tour. 

They came out fast, both hitting suicide dives. They traded topes, doing long countout teases after. Caristico hit a missile dropkick for a near fall, then hit a springboard crossbody for another. Volador hit a backstabber for a near fall of his own. 

Volador hit a handspring into a dropkick from Caristico. Caristico went for a moonsault off the top, but Volador got his feet up, and picked up a two count. Volador got launched outside, and Caristico hit a pescado, then hit a crossbody off the post to the floor. Volador countered with a beautiful Asai moonsault. 

Back in the ring, Caristico hit a 619. He went to the top, and jumped into a powerbomb. Volador picked up a two count. They traded chops and forearms. Volador hit a superkick. Caristico hit a double stomp for a near fall. 

Caristico hit a handspring back elbow for a near fall. They fought on the ropes, and Volador got crotched. Caristico hit a headscissors from that position for a near fall. 

They exchanged strikes. Caristico went up top, but Volador connected with an enzuigiri. Volador hit a beautiful super frankensteiner for a near fall. Insanity. 

Caristico went for La Mistica, but Volador hit a Canadian destroyer and earned a two count. Caristico hit a Canadian destroyer and got a two count. 

Caristico missed a swanton bomb, and Volador covered for a near fall. Caristico slapped on La Mistica, but Volador was able to roll to the ropes. 

Volador hit a top rope Spanish Fly, and got the pinfall win.