The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
The original alternate programming is back with Mike Sempervive and I and there’s much to discuss about the Japanese wrestling scene.
Those topics include but are not limited to the new GHC Champion at 58 years old Keiji Mutoh, everything about good and bad about NOAH’s Return to Budokan, NJPW’s New Beginning tour and Gedo pushing the envelope, a tour around the Joshi landscape, and much more!
Hideki Suzuki has left Japan, though it isn’t currently clear where his destination is.
Tokyo Sports reported this morning that the Big Japan Pro Wrestling star had left Japan with a one-way ticket, indicating he was leaving the country. The report was vague regarding where Suzuki would go other than he left via the international terminal. Suzuki previously guest trained at WWE’s Performance Center last year.
Training under Billy Robinson in the UWF Snake Pit dojo, Suzuki made his debut in 2008 for Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation. He is best known for his run in Big Japan Pro Wrestling, winning their World Strong Heavyweight championship two times and winning the Strong Climb tournament in 2018. He has most recently started to appear for Pro Wrestling NOAH as part of Takashi Sugirua’s Sugiura-gun stable.
Two more recent signees to WWE include former Wrestle-1 star Jiro Kuroshio and Sareee, who has wrestled for both World Woman Pro Wrestling Diana and Seadlinnng.
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WON NEWSLETTER: November 30, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Undertaker retirement, Survivor Series, more
We’ve got a heavy-historical double-issue of the Wrestling Observer out this week. Our lead story looks at the career and final appearance of The Undertaker. We look at his famous matches, the WrestleMania streak, how long it’s been since he actually worked a full schedule, the dream match that did happen and why, and the one that never happened and why.
Also in this issue:
Survivor Series with match-by-match coverage, star ratings, poll results and interest level of the show.
The $39 million settlement of a lawsuit against WWE, the largest settlement of a lawsuit in pro wrestling history, why it was settled, testimony key witnesses were going to make, who sued, what the judge in the case said, crazy facts about the case, and testimony on what really happened in Saudi Arabia the day the WWE talent couldn’t get out of the country.
A story on the life of Bob Ryder, the start of TNA, the business numbers behind the start and how it got so deep in debt, what saved the company in 2005 and 2015 and Impact releases a statement on his death.
How Dana White is expecting a packed house for a UFC show sooner than you think and how that ties into what has been booked.
Major front office changes in WWE, and background of the decisions and people who are in and out, Xavier Woods and WWE negotiate a mainstream deal, NXT Takeover lineup notes, Lana documentary, Undertaker talks most famous matches and how Vince talked him into ending the streak, how WWE & AEW TV shows did this past week as compared to major sorts, U.K. Heritage Cup, former college football star has WWE interest, value of WWE stock right now and top ten most-watched shows on the WWE Network from last week.
Full coverage of UFC 255, details behind the show, match-by-match coverage and poll results.
The induction of Marc Ratner into the UFC Hall of Fame. We look at his background in boxing, his connection to pro wrestling, and his role in okaying an angle that literally changed the power structure of pro wrestling where Vince McMahon needed his approval. We look at why two different proposed dream match involving WWE stars didn’t happen as well as how Floyd Mayweather’s unbeaten streak stayed in tact due to a decision by Ratner as well as his role in making UFC treated as a sport, and how UFC was able to get Ratner to join the promotion.
2019 Business Year in review, with the biggest attendances, biggest PPV numbers, who headlined the most major shows, UFC business, WWE business and what Becky Lynch did in 2019 that no woman in the history of pro wrestling had ever come close to.
An updated list of the biggest drawing cards in pro wrestling history, comparing Jim Londos with Hulk Hogan, who Sam Muchnick said were the biggest draws ever, where Hogan ranked with Austin and Rock, and every annual attendance record from 1931 to the present and what record is likely never to be beaten.
NOAH’s Pro Wrestling Chronicle show and the Go Shiozaki ivs. Katsuhiko Nakajima main event.
A feature on the seven different Triple Crown award winners of the last 40 years, as well as those who came one step from doing so.
Stats for MVP, Most Outstanding, Best on interviews, Best Tag Team and others over the past 40 years as well as who seems to deserve more Hall of Fame consideration.
A feature on European villain Klaus Kauroff, who passed away this past week.
Television business, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Alberto Rodriguez, Wednesday ratings, Monday’s Raw, Mike Tyson and more. You can send questions for the show to [email protected]
Raw tonight is billed around a Sudden death match for a title shot at Drew McIntyre with A.J. Styles vs. Keith Lee vs. Riddle, plus they shoot the angle for Randy Orton vs. The Fiend on A Moment of Bliss. I’m not sure how sudden death differs from any other three-way where the first pin wins. Also on the show is Jeff Hardy vs. Elias in a Symphony of Destruction match where all musical instruments are legal and an interview with Drew McIntyre.
Raw will be going against a Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on ESPN that should do pretty solid numbers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens game originally set for Thanksgiving,and expected to be tomorrow, will be delayed until Wednesday due to COVID spread. However it will not go against AEW and NXT since NBC insisted on a 3:40 p.m. start time and will be airing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in prime time. AEW has its biggest match in Dynamite history, Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega for the AEW title, scheduled as Wednesday’s main event. NXT has announced Shotzi Blackheart vs. Raquel Gonzalez for the man advantage for Sunday’s War Games match.
Dana White said he would be meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi, which would be in January. The meeting in theory would be about whether Nurmagomedov will fight again.
Mike Tyson has indicated he will do another exhibition fight and will be better for the next one. He said he’d like to fight often and stay in shape. Evander Holyfield, mentioned months back as a potential opponent, has said he’s up for it. Tyson said his team reached out to Holyfield but the sides couldn’t come to an agreement. No PPV numbers are out yet but based on Google trends, the show looks like it did extremely well. The interest in Saturday’s fight reached far far beyond the boxing audience.
The Best of the Super Juniors tournament continues on Wednesday morning at 4:30 a.m. Eastern with:
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Antonio Inoki wins WWF title
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DDT and Pro Wrestling NOAH will soon merge into one promotion.
A press conference was held this morning to announce the merger of the two companies into one promotion, which will be called CyberFight. The promotion will be named after DDT and NOAH’s parent company, CyberAgent. These changes will go into effect on September 1.
Both promotions, as well as Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and GanPro, will continue to operate as separate brands within the promotion. Sanshiro Takagi, who recently took over as president of Pro Wrestling NOAH in January, will serve as president of the new promotion with NOAH star Naomichi Marufuji and DDT star Akito serving as EVPs.
In the press conference, Takagi stressed that the in-ring content of both promotions will remain the same. He said that the move to merge the companies is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to streamline costs.
Takagi also said that one of the goals of the new company is to run a Tokyo Dome event.
The Big Audio Nightmare has returned for episode 400!
Myself and Mike Sempervive are back to guide you through the pandemic affected Japanese wrestling scene including Wednesday’s breaking news from NJPW president Harold Meij on the roadmap for their return to the ring.
We also take a look at last week’s head scratching NOAH shows, another Masato Tanaka classic in DDT, and our NJPW archive rewatch of Bob Backlund vs Anotnio Inoki for the WWF Title from 1979.
Representatives from seven Japanese promotions joined together today to take part in a government meeting regarding how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the professional wrestling industry in Japan.
The meeting included representatives from NJPW, Stardom, AJPW, DDT, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, and World Women’s Wrestling Diana. They met with Hiroshi Hase, the former pro wrestling star who now serves as Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.
Here’s the list of those who attended the meeting:
NJPW wrote that the representatives met with Hase “with the goal of presenting a request for coronavirus testing kits for wrestlers and staff in the industry, as well as support to cover pay for wrestlers as events have canceled under Japan’s current state of emergency in reaction to the virus.” The formal proposal is available below:
The current Novel Coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected the entire professional wrestling industry, including but not limited to Bushiroad Group members New Japan Pro-Wrestling and STARDOM.
Professional wrestling is a contact sport, and even matches without the public present is a dangerous undertaking in the current climate. We can not allow the flame of professional wrestling that has burned brightly in this country for over half a century to be exterminated.
Therefore, we hereby make the following requests:
1. Testing kits
While we understand that top priority for medical supplies must go to those in centers on the front lines of battling this disease, if at all possible, we request that kits may be supplied to test and protect wrestlers and staff within the industry.
2.Compensation for contracted wrestlers
Not only the wrestlers under contract in our group of companies, but those in the industry at large are designated as contractors whose livelihood is therefore threatened by not being able to perform in the current climate. We ask that contracted wrestlers be met with benefits and protections befitting of full time employees.
“This formal proposal has my name signed at the bottom, but the issues covered are ones that affect the entire professional wrestling industry as well as all of sports and live entertainment,” Kidani said. “I hope that it will be accepted as such.”
NJPW’s article about the meeting said that Hase received the proposal before seeking the opinion of the wrestlers who were there. Hiroshi Tanahashi said:
While events have been canceled, our wrestlers have been training diligently and maintaining their focus for an eventual return. Yes, not being able to wrestle does make a lot of us concerned for our livelihoods, but in the world of sports, be that baseball, soccer, or sumo, I feel that professional wrestling should be the anchor. I think it should be acceptable for professional wrestling to be the last sport to return to full activity. I want people to know that when professional wrestling is back, then and only then it means truly that Japanese entertainment has properly recovered.
Mayu Iwatani said:
On a personal note, on February 19, I was scheduled to have a birthday party event, which was canceled. On March 8, we streamed a live event with no fans in Korakuen Hall, but since then there have been cancellations after cancellations. We list our occupations as professional wrestlers, but to not have matches is, of course, incredibly frustrating. If we have access to testing kits for wrestlers and staff, it can put minds at ease and help us return to active duty. Rather than sitting and waiting for an unclear point in the future, to be able to take some kind of action like we’re doing today is something I’m extremely grateful for. I hope this can help the entire industry come back strong.
The sports board representative spoke about precautions sports have taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and about a fundraising system where ticket refunds can be given back to organizations as a tax deductible donation. Hase was also quoted as saying:
Thank you to the representatives of the professional wrestling industry for sharing their plight, as well as for the explanations from official bodies today. There are measures we can enact to assist enterprises, promotions and wrestlers during these times, and I would like to continue to discuss them further. This situation will not last forever. Speedy and accurate testing, effective treatment and medicinal development are all things the whole world is working together on. Professional wrestling has a huge and very important role in raising the flag of victory over COVID-19. I ask all staff members and all wrestlers to keep working to be in the best shape possible to spread joy to the fans with incredible matches very soon.
** The big takeaways**
** Show review **
This week’s MLW Fusion opened with Konnan arriving at the building earlier in the day. He was walking and talking through the parking lot and out of nowhere, LA Park, El Hijo de LA Park, and Bestia 666 jumped him and knocked him to the ground. Salina de la Renta then appeared and took back her phone out of his pocket and walked away saying that Konnan was now powerless.
Jordan Oliver (with Myron Reed) defeated Gringo Loco (7:30)
We had recap videos from last week’s amazing six-man tag match featuring Oliver, Reed, and Kotto Brazil taking on Loco, Air Wolf. and Zenshi. Oliver got an in-set promo during his entrance talking about Reed picking up broken ribs when Loco hit him with brass knuckles in last week’s match.
Eagle-eyed and regular viewers of Fusion will notice the venue of this match and that it took place at a previous set of tapings before last week’s six man tag actually took place. Others will also notice Jim Cornette at the announcer’s table, but it was Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini who did a great job on commentary to keep the continuity of the feud going despite the jump in the timeline.
Reed interfered in the early going which eventually led to Oliver hitting a suicide dive to the outside. Loco fought back and hit a big powerbomb followed up by a split-legged moonsault for a two count.
Oliver then poked Loco in the eyes behind the referee’s back while he was disposing of Reed’s “Injustice” sign after he tried to get it involved. Oliver then hit a jumping stunner and a small package for a two count of his own.
Loco knocked Oliver to the outside so Loco dove and landed a big tope over the top rope on top of both Oliver and Reed. Back in the ring, Oliver feigned an injury so the referee was distracted again. With his back turned, Reed got involved and hit Loco with a chair, which led to Oliver getting the tainted 1-2-3, but a victory nonetheless.
— Low Ki had a word for his partners “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and the Von Erichs next week in War Chamber. He said with the recent events in MLW and despite their history over the MLW World title, he is their best option.
Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Richard Holliday (7:09)
Back in New York, Holliday got on the mic before the match and said that the Dynasty runs MLW and not the Hart Foundation. Pillman had his Rookie of the Year trophy with him.
Holliday got the advantage early when he blocked a kick while Pillman was on the apron and used his momentum to swing him down hard on it. Pillman fought back with chops, a flying forearm, and an elbow in the corner. He then reversed a figure four attempt for a close two count and hit a nice power slam for another two.
Moments later, Holliday hit a rolling senton for a close two count but was frustrated with the referee so he brought in a chair to finish Pillman off. The referee wrestled the chair off him and had his back turned when Pillman threw Holliday his Rookie of the Year trophy and hit the mat feigning injury ala Eddie Guerrero.
Holliday protested his innocence to the referee who eventually believed him and disposed of the trophy, but as his back was turned again, Pillman kicked Holliday low and hit him with his Rolling Straitjacket Neckbreaker to pick up the win.
— Dominic “The Bone Collector” Garrini is coming to MLW this fall.
— The Von Erich Brothers had a recorded message, saying that they hope that Low Ki can honor his word and have their back in the War Chamber. This was a great video package with the brothers chiming in that they will have the homefield advantage in the Chamber, that they will put an end to CONTRA, and that they are fighting for their future and for MLW, and there is no way they are letting CONTRA raise their flag in Texas.
— Mance Warner had a message for Jimmy Havoc after he and Salina de la Renta had him arrested a few weeks ago. He said he is coming to f*ck Havoc up.
— Rich Bocchini then had a video conversation with Lawlor. Bocchini asked if Lawlor was ready for War Chamber after CONTRA did a number on his ribs last week. Lawlor said nothing will stop him and it is his destiny that he makes sure that Gotch, Samael, Kwan, and Fatu didn’t walk out of the Chamber on their own. He said he doesn’t know if he can trust Low Ki, but he can count on him to be the professional and rip the head off of CONTRA Unit, and he is ready for whatever comes next.
Alexander Hammerstone defeated Go Shiozaki
This match was taped in Japan for Pro Wrestling NOAH, one of MLW’s newest partners, and was part of their annual N-1 Victory tournament. Bocchini let us know that Shiozaki debuted back in 2003 and was the protege of Kenta Kobashi.
They started slow and got a respectable round of applause for a clean break out of the corner. Shiozaki then tried a shoulder block but Hammerstone didn’t budge. Shiozaki retaliated with a chop and another attempt but Hammerstone bulldozed him with a shoulderblock of his own.
After the commercial break, Shiozaki was in control. He muscled Hammerstone over in a delayed vertical suplex but the MLW National Openweight Champion fought back with a German suplex that got a slow two count from the NOAH official.
Shiozaki floored Hammerstone with a hard lariat. At the beginning of this match, the crowd was relatively quiet, but were into it by this point. Both got to their feet and went head-to-head and began a forearm exchange. Hammer eventually hit a sit-out urinagi slam that Bocchini incorrectly called the Nightmare Pendulum.
Hammer then went for the Burning Hammer, a move made famous by Kobashi, but Shiozaki fought out and returned with a ripcord lariat. He missed a second lariat then ate a boot and an enzugiri in the corner. Hammerstone fought back and hit a high knee and a powerbomb for a two count. After the kick out, he picked up Shiozaki and hit him with the actual Nightmare Pendulum for the win.
— We went off the air with a CONTRA Unit propaganda video. They said Lawlor was a broken man, the Von Erichs are blinded by pride, and the black flag on CONTRA will wave high over Dallas. Gotch told the Von Erichs to rest their heads as they have no one else to look up to. “You want a war? CONTRA will take you to war.” It was interesting (telling?) that they didn’t mention Low Ki at all in the promo.
** Next week **
MLW’s newly-formed working relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH will see Alexander Hammerstone make his NOAH debut this summer.
Hammerstone has been announced for NOAH’s N-1 Victory tournament, which was formerly called the Global League. Hammerstone will be in the A Block with Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura, Go Shiozaki, and Masa Kitamiya.
Katsuhiko Nakajima, Shuhei Taniguchi, Kenoh, Masaaki Mochizuki, and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. will be in the B Block of the round-robin tournament. Each wrestler will face everyone else in their block one time.
The N-1 Victory tournament will begin on August 18 and conclude with the winner of the A Block facing the winner of the B Block on September 16. The winner of the tournament will challenge for Kaito Kiyomiya’s GHC Heavyweight Championship on November 2.
Hammerstone is MLW’s National Openweight Champion and part of the Dynasty stable with MJF, Richard Holliday, and Aria Blake.
MLW announced their alliance with Pro Wrestling NOAH last week, with the partnership including a talent-exchange agreement and content collaboration.
MLW has formed a working relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH.
The alliance between the companies was announced at Thursday night’s MLW television tapings in Queens, New York. MLW’s Court Bauer told Sports Illustrated that the partnership includes a talent-exchange agreement and content collaboration.
“The world of MLW just got a lot bigger,” Bauer said. “This begins the next phase as we continue to grow the league’s global footprint with these strategic alliances.”
“NOAH has been fond of what we’ve been doing and they are embarking on a new chapter with exceptional ownership,” Bauer said. “We now find ourselves in a mutually beneficial allegiance that changes the complexion of our business in a profound way.”
Minoru Tanaka, NOAH’s GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, made his MLW debut at the promotion’s tapings in New York City over WrestleMania week in April. Tanaka wrestled at both nights of the tapings, winning matches against Myron Reed and Daga and also taking part in this year’s Battle Riot match.
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F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch win Royal Rumbles
For the second straight year, WWE went with two fan-pleasing choices as their Royal Rumble winners. WWE followed up on Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka’s wins from last year by having Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch win their respective Rumble matches on Sunday night. The results were entirely predictable, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the right choices. While there are other stories that WWE can tell, top babyfaces beginning their road to WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble will pretty much always work.
WON NEWSLETTER: January 28, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Future of Ronda Rousey, Royal Rumble preview, more
Our lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer talks about Ronda Rousey and her WWE schedule including how long a time frame of when she has talked of stepping away.
Also, look at the top of the WrestleMania card and what major star isn’t scheduled, and what other major star may be having his match changed.
Read the full preview of the Royal Rumble, with notes on ticket expectation, how the market is for all four WWE arena events in Phoenix this week, and the situation with John Cena.
Also, look at UFC’s first show on ESPN, the Dillashaw vs. Cejudo aftermath, the Greg Hardy debut, the business notes on the show and what record was set as well as how streaming sign-ups destroyed any combat sport event in history, and match-by-match coverage.
Break down the latest Jon Jones drug test failure and why failing the test actually gives more credence to his story than if he had passed all of his tests.
Examine a fourth generation wrestler training at the Performance Center, what happened with The Revival, lots of WWE contract news, XFL President announced, XFL TV talks, and injury updates.
Look at the major hearing next week in Nevada, California’s reaction and UFC’s reaction to Jones’ test failure.
This issue has a rundown of the final three nights of the Fantastica Mania tour, including why the third night was such an entertaining show, as well as an update on the talent in CMLL and the unique match that came from a movie.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: John Cena defeats AJ Styles to win WWE title
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
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Tokyo Sports have released the names of winners for their annual awards.
Hiroshi Tanahashi has been named the MVP of the year, the first time he’s won the award since 2014. This is the fourth time he’s won the award overall. He won with eighteen votes. Kazuchika Okada came in second with twelve votes, while Kenny Omega got three.
New Japan also won Best Bout, with the Dominion match between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega for the IWGP title winning that category. Tetsuya Naito also walked away with the Technique award.
Shuji Ishikawa and Suwama, who team regularly in All Japan Pro Wrestling, won the Best Tag Team award.
Pro Wrestling NOAH got a couple of nods as well. Kaito Kiyomiya won the Fighting Spirit award, while Naomichi Marufuji won a special award for his 20th anniversary, with an event taking place earlier this year where he faced the former KENTA (Hideo Itami).
For women, Tsukasa Fujimoto of Ice Ribbon also won Joshi wrestler of the year, while Utami Hayashishita of Stardom was voted Rookie of the Year, which includes both men and women wrestlers.
The awards are usually divided out each year by Tokyo Sports and are given to the bigger pro wrestling promotions in Japan. For whatever reason, Dragon Gate did not get an award this year.
For the first time since he was known as KENTA, Hideo Itami will be sharing the ring with Naomichi Marufuji later this year.
At today’s Pro Wrestling NOAH show, it was announced that Marufuji vs. Itami (using his WWE name) would be the main event of Marufuji’s 20th anniversary event at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on September 1. The semi-main event for the anniversary show will be Takashi Sugiura & Daisuke Harada vs. Jun Akiyama & Atsushi Aoki.
Marufuji and Itami have a history as both rivals and opponents in NOAH. Itami departed the company in 2014 as he signed with WWE.
Itami joined the 205 Live roster last December and has recently been positioned as a top challenger for Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship.
Dave Meltzer reported in last week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE and NOAH had made a working agreement of some sort that would see Itami return for a show.
Following an announcement that was made in Japan earlier in the day, Impact Wrestling announced on its website on Tuesday night that the company had entered an official working relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH.
“We look forward to making a formal announcement soon in Tokyo and seeing IMPACT Stars compete at NOAH’s Yokohama event on March 12,” Impact Wrestling wrote when announcing the agreement. “We are thrilled to build this relationship even further with more details to come.”
Some of those details will likely be revealed when that formal announcement is made, but it appears that the promotions will at least be sharing talent going forward.
Both promotions have undergone ownership changes in recent months. In a move that became expected once Billy Corgan was unsuccessful in his attempts to gain control of Impact Wrestling, Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced at the beginning of 2017 that they had acquired a majority interest in the company.
It was also announced last November that NOAH had been sold to Japanese IT company Estbee, which later changed its name to NOAH Global Entertainment.
Former All Japan and NOAH mid-level wrestler Ryuma “Jun” Izumida passed away more than one week ago at the age of 51.
The news was released by the NOAH promotion and Naomichi Marufuji on Facebook. No cause of death was released but the death was at the end of January, and he passed away in his home in Kanagawa and he recently had his funeral.
Izumida was a former sumo who worked in the 90s as a regular in the mid-card comedy match that would involve Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura, often as their partner, often against Haruka Eigen, who also recently passed away.
His specialty was head-butts. He wrestled under his real name, and later had modifications including Ryukaku Izumida, Junji Izumida, Izu and Jun Izumida.
He started as a pro wrestler in 1992 in All Japan, and went, with most of the talent, to NOAH in 2000 where he worked full-time through 2009. He was released at that point due to cost cutting measures when NOAH started having financial problems, and did some independent wrestling through 2012.
His only major title win with All Japan came on October 6th, 1998, when he teamed with Tamon Honda, a regular partner, to beat Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield and win the All-Asia tag titles, which they lost in an interpromotional angle to Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki.
After being gone for a minute, Adam Summers and Mike Sempervive are back with the original alternate here at Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online.
After a little warm up where the guys discuss the winter of Adam’s discontent getting (temporarily) erased by THE BOSS, the Chicago sporting mentality, and some other non-grapple tidbits, we get into a cavalcade of puroresu hot messiness.
Topics include having all the GUTS World in the world, DDT’s Osaka Octopus, an Uwai Station reunion reference so obscure that they’re celebrating at Victor Zangiev’s house, NOAH’s new look and future plans, an amazing All Japan show, New Japan’s march to 1/4, the Les Bullet Club, watermelon shirts, Tokyo Produced produce, and so much more.
It’s the show that inspired other shows to do shows, because they figured how hard could it be? It’s the Adam and Mike BIG AUDIO NIGHTMARE, here at F4WOnline.com.
