LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[cruefan68]

Thanks Pariah, Bookerbill, Joebreakdown and Crimson for the comments about WrestleCade IX. I had as much fun reading your reactions to the show as I did rolling it out. Bookerbill your rundown of each match was really fun to read, I am truly humbled by the praise you gave the show. Same goes for your words Pariah, Joe and Crimson. That kind of feedback is what makes this community so great.

As far as my accident, thanks for the nice words. I am doing ok, just some neck pain now and again, but at least I am here to talk about it. I am also here to keep the dice rolling and have started on the Tokyo Dome card, just not sure when I will be able to finish and post it. Rest assured that the new year in my fed will start as soon as I am able to finish up that card.

[Pariah]

Take care of yourself... Nothing more important than that... And when LOW hits the Tokyo Dome, your loyal audience will be right there in the front row!

[EpicDave]

Great work, cruefan! Both the Ladies' matches crushed it, and my man Bruiser Brody took the PWI invitational. Congrats on an outstanding supercard!

[cruefan68]

Thanks Daytondave, the ladies had big spots on the show and they delivered. I always have fun running the SHIMMER events and it was cool setting them up for spots on WrestleCade. As for Bruiser Brody he has often underperformed for me in terms of his legendary status so it was really exciting to see him win that event.

Thanks also Pariah, I have started rolling out the Tokyo Dome card (I am about four matches in) but as you can expect it is not as comfotable as normal so I'm just doing a little at a time. With any luck maybe I can have it posted by the end of the weekend or early next week.

[cruefan68]

I finally had a chance to finish the Tokyo Dome show and get the new year in my fed started. Hope you enjoy the action...

LOW Kings Road United - Exciting Battle in Tokyo Dome - Tokyo Dome - Tokyo, Japan (Card #901)

1) New Year Special Opening Fight: C.W. Anderson defeated Arik Cannon:
A hard hitting opening match saw the “Enforcer” C.W. Anderson take on “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon. Both men made their way through the KRU dojo to earn spots on the roster and this was a huge opportunity to compete on the grand stage. Cannon struck early with the Glimmering Warlock but Anderson kicked out before the three count. Anderson likewise hit his finisher, the Spinebuster, two times for big near falls. Cannon showed off some of his great suplex throws before Anderson hit him with the Anderson Left Hand and followed with a Hammerlock Slam and press to score the pin.

2) Ring Angels Invasion: April Hunter & Sumie Sakai vs. Amber O’Neal & Krissy Vaine was a Draw:
The ladies were in action next as four top independent stars squared off with “Big Red” April Hunter & Sumie Sakai taking on former SHIMMER tag team champions Team Blondage (Amber O’Neal & Krissy Vaine). Hunter is also a former two-time SHIMMER tag team champion having held the belts with Madusa Miceli and Jazz. This was an incredible bout with both teams scoring big near falls throughout, including Team Blondage hitting the Blonde Bomb three times. Hunter survived an early onslaught and came back with some impressive offense including executing The Head Hunter on Vaine. Sakai was the clear crowd favorite being from Tokyo and she survived the Blonde Bomb near the finish and then hit the Moonsault on O’Neal for a big near fall. Unfortunately time ran out and this match ended up in a draw.

3) Fantastic Flying Style: Jushin Liger, AJ Styles, & Scorpio Sky defeated Tiger Mask, Frightmare, & Matt Sydal:
What more can be said about a match pitting Jushin “Thunder” Liger, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, & Scorpio Sky against Tiger Mask, Frightmare, & Matt Sydal? It was a dream match for fans of junior heavyweight style wrestling and spectacular aerial ability. Liger and Tiger lit up the crowd as they started out for their respective teams trading dropkicks and jumping spin kicks. An offensive turn by Frightmare saw Liger counter a tilt-a-whirl DDT into a Tombstone Piledriver. Styles, who came to the ring with a new look wearing a dark hoodie, hit the Styles Clash on Sydal for a big near fall at one point. Scorpio Sky would also score a near fall on Sydal with a huracanrana. It would come down to a great exchange between Styles and Sydal as the other four men fought on the outside. Styles picked Sydal off of the top rope with a bodyslam and then went up top himself hitting the Spiral Tap to score the pin.

Following their victory, Liger and Scorpio Sky left the ring with Styles remaining behind. He grabbed the mic away from the ring announcer and said that the IWA has an open invitational King of Trios event coming up (Cards #908-910) and he was declaring himself the first man entered into the tournament. He then said that he could probably win it all by himself but he knows that the IWA will insist that he have tag team partners. In that event he was going to introduce them right now and out from the audience wearing black hoodies and black t-shirts came the Young Bucks – Matt & Nick Jackson. Styles said that he and the Bucks have been “left out in the cold” without IWA contracts but that it didn’t matter because they will take over from the outside not only there but also in Kings Road United drawing some jeers from the crowd. He vowed that this new alliance called the “Bullet Club” would take over whenever and wherever they decide to strike. The Bucks then threw superkicks at the air and said that they will bring a “Superkick Party” raining down on anyone who tries to stop the Bullet Club.

4) Global Mutation War: The Missing Link & Dr. Cube vs. Invincible Kraken & Mutant was a DDQ:
The aptly named “Global Mutation War” pitted The Missing Link & Dr. Cube against Invincible Kraken & Mutant. This one was not very pretty and the Link, Kraken and Mutant all look like they could have been created in the lab of Dr. Cube. All four men brawled in and out of the ring throughout the match which included the Link being busted open. The man with the blue and green face paint nearly won it for his team when he covered Mutant for a two count after delivering a wild chair shot. It was the Link on the defensive for a good stretch as Kraken and Mutant worked him over. Mutant nearly won it via submission with the Temple Grinder but Dr. Cube made the save. The finish saw the Link and Kraken engage in a wild battle on the outside that resulted in the referee calling for the bell. Dr. Cube and Mutant joined them and all four men fought into the crowd and back to the locker room with the official result being a double disqualification.

5) WrestleCade VIII REBORN: Danny Hodge defeated Nick Bockwinkel:
This long awaited rematch from WrestleCade VIII saw Danny Hodge take on Nick Bockwinkel. It was Hodge getting the win on that night in Atlanta, GA (Card #800) so Bockwinkel was hoping to even the score. Ironically the two are now allies in the GWA coming off of Bockwinkel having his right arm injured in a recent attack by Ivan Koloff & Boris Zhukov. Bockwinkel opted to compete with the injury putting him at a disadvantage but chose to do so that the fans of KRU would be able to see this rematch. Both men were cheered by the crowd as they were introduced and those cheers grew louder as they shook hands before the opening bell. Unfortunately for Bockwinkel the injury seemed to play a key role in the outcome of the match. He was a step behind the fluid Hodge most of the way and in the end it was Hodge catching him with the Oklahoma Side Roll to score the pin. The right arm injury appeared to factor in there as Bockwinkel couldn’t kick out of the pin. Hodge looked disappointed to win that way knowing that Bockwinkel wasn’t at one-hundred percent but Bockwinkel showed great class by raising his arm in victory.

6) Eight-Man Excite Battle: The Destroyer, Steve Williams, Terry Gordy, & Brent Albright defeated Mr. Fuji, Mr. Saito, Masked Superstar, & Big John Studd:
It was eight-man tag team action up next as The “Intelligent, Sensational” Destroyer, Steve “Dr. Death” Williams, Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy & “The Shooter” Brent Albright took on Mr. Fuji, Mr. Saito, Masked Superstar & Big John Studd. This one was all action from the opening bell with the devious Fuji starring for his team as he hit key moves like the shoulder breaker and kamikaze clothesline. Saito was also impressive tying up Gordy with the Prison Deathlock at one point. On the other side it was “Dr. Death” working at a dominant pace which included battering the Masked Superstar with the press slam and lariat. Studd nearly won it for his team when he lifted Gordy into the Backbreaker but he escaped from the punishing hold. Albright, who was recently brought into KRU after a stint in the company dojo, hit the move of the match laying out the massive Studd with an Exploder Suplex. The Destroyer then tagged in and trapped Studd in the Figure Four Leglock resulting in his team winning the match via submission.

7) Gods Of War: Harley Race defeated Johnny Valentine:
SWA star Johnny Valentine took on Harley Race of KRU in a highly anticipated battle. Both men are former holders of the LOW World Heavyweight title and are considered by many to be among the toughest wrestlers of all-time. Valentine is managed by Sir Oliver Humperdink in the SWA but he did not travel to Japan for the match. Race scored early netting two counts with a diving headbutt and a flying bodypress from the top rope. A missed charge by Race into the corner saw him rolled up by Valentine for a two count. A short time later it was Valentine connecting with a forearm hammer which resulted in a big near fall. The blows exchanged by the two men during an outside the ring brawl rang throughout the Tokyo Dome. It was on the outside where Race would deliver the pivotal blow as he sent Valentine crashing shoulder first into the ring post. That shook up Valentine and back inside Race finished him off by executing the Piledriver to score the pin.

8) Clash Of ICONS: Giant Baba defeated Antonio Inoki:
There are few bigger matches than this literal clash of icons as Shohei “Giant” Baba took on his counterpart Antonio Inoki. Both men are protégés of Rikidozan, the founder of KRU, and although they are often allies there has always been a sense of bitterness between the two men as they look to earn the respect of their mentor. It was Inoki that issued the challenge for this match when he slapped Baba following a tag team match on the last KRU tour. The gauntlet was thrown down and the two faced each other one-on-one for the first time since the KRU debut show in Yokohama, Japan (Card #662), a match which Inoki won via pinfall. Inoki had a great battle plan as he went to work on the tall legs of Baba with blistering karate kicks. He also tied him up with the Cobra Twist and hit a top rope kneedrop scoring a two count. Baba had to regroup and when he did he came back full force including hitting back to back Jumping Neckbreaker Drops for big near falls. The crowd was at a fever pitch late into this one with both men going on impressive offensive runs. It could have gone either way but in the end it was Baba hitting a third Jumping Neckbreaker Drop to score the pin. That evened up their personal series at 1-1 and gave Baba a huge victory over his rival. Inoki was gracious in defeat as he shook hands with Baba and raised his arm in victory drawing cheers from the capacity crowd.

9) Unified Golden Road - LOW World tag team titles: Road Warriors defeated Midnight Express to win the titles:
The LOW World tag team titles were on the line as the record seven-time champions the Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk, with manager Paul Ellering) challenged four-time champions the Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, with manager Jim Cornette). The Express were without third member “Ravishing” Randy Rose as Cornette was ordered by LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox to select his team prior to the show. The Road Warriors had gone nearly two years without holding the titles and their determination to regain them helped fuel a win over fifteen other tag teams in a recent tournament held by KRU. It seemed like they were still in first gear as they headed into this match and Cornette and his men ran into a literal freight train. Condrey impressed early battling Animal tooth and nail but it wasn’t long before things turned around. The Road Warriors punished Eaton scoring near falls on him with the double clothesline and a Powerslam by Animal. Cornette nervously paced around ringside while in the opposite corner Ellering coolly stood with his copy of the Wall Street Journal. He had a reason to be calm as late into this one it was the Warriors nailing Condrey with a big spike piledriver. That shook him up bad and moments later they connected with the Doomsday Device with Animal covering Condrey to score the pin. Cornette had failed to interfere as Ellering tripped him off of the ring apron and as a result the Road Warriors were crowned eight-time LOW World tag team champions.

10) Rise Of The Vampire: Fred Blassie defeated Rikidozan:
The main event saw KRU founder Rikidozan take on one of his most legendary rivals in the “King of Men” Fred Blassie, a two-time former LOW World Heavyweight champion. Blassie is also known as “The Vampire” and he was caught by the press filing his teeth only hours before the match. This marked the first time that the two rivals met in LOW and it was a highly anticipated showdown. Both men were presented with flowers by beautiful ring girls before the introductions and Blassie not so surprisingly tossed his away and then growled at them. Rikidozan took offense to the actions of Blassie but was held back by the referee so the ring announcer could go forth with the formal introductions for the match.

The early action was some nice give and take as the two men traded blows. Rikidozan tried to keep it on a scientific level but that was near impossible as Blassie is known to flagrantly bend the rules. A bodyslam by Blassie shook up Rikidozan and not long after the end of the match came. Rikidozan reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and charged in but Blassie moved out of the way and executed a counter roll-up for a two count. As the two men got to their feet it was Blassie connecting with a low kick to the midsection before nailing Rikidozan with the Southern Neckbreaker to score the pin. It was a huge win for the “King of Men” who smiled as he posed over the fallen Rikidozan. The crowd jeered the decision but there was no doubt that Blassie made a statement by defeating the top star of KRU at the Tokyo Dome. In a post-match press conference it was Blassie stating that he would return to KRU on the next tour to finish what he started. Rikidozan also met with the press and said that Blassie is a top ranked opponent and there is no shame in losing to him but that one day he would even the score.

[Pariah]

The Exciting Battle from the Tokyo Done was worth the wait and exactly what it's name implied... EXCITING!

It may go without saying that my favorite match was the Fantastic Flying Style six-man tag... And if the action of the contest itself was not enough... Then, The Phenomenal One drops a BOMB! THE BULLET CLUB IS HERE! Gotta admit, I was not happy that Styles missed out on a contract with IWA... Now, it seems like that oversight may prove beneficial for the fans... Can't wait to see him and The Bucks taking care of business on their own terms!

Very entertaining contest involving Krakan & Mutant... Double DQ! Could it have ended any other way?

Big congratulations to the Road Warriors on becoming LOW World Tag Team Champions once again! Eight times... Wow!

Glad to see this KRU show posted, my friend... It was rockin' from start to finish... And I hope you're continuing to feel better with each passing day... Take care... Thanks for sharing!

[Crimson Cross]

I honestly loved those match themed names, you really give your KRU tour a vibe that's unmatched and this event was another stellar read. The Road Warriors winning is great, my highlight is that Global Mutation War match where it was fitting to see Double DQ. Overall this was a fun event, but another highlight is that WrestleCade VIII REBORN match and I was pulling for Nick, but Hodge has his number, solid stuff...

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah and Crimson. Even though I still have some pain I did have a blast rolling this card out, though it took a few extra days. Not sure when the next show will be up but things are going ok so far. Glad you guys enjoyed the action from the Tokyo Dome. I have so much fun coming up with names for the matches much like how they present it in Japan for major shows.

I also have had a blast coming up with the team names for King of Trios which you will see when I am able to post my next show. Speaking of KOT, that is where I got the idea to form Bullet Club in my fed. With the new Young Bucks cards coming out and AJ Styles not signed to the IWA I figured why not pair them up that way. It was perfect in a sense since I was able to form the faction in Japan which of course is where they are based in real life. Sometimes things work out just right - new Bucks cards and a Japan show with Styles booked on it leads to Bullet Club. I am really hoping for big things from the Bucks with the new cards. Thanks as always for reading and commenting.

[Pariah]

Jul 27, 2015 8:07:50 GMT -5 cruefan68 said:

I am really hoping for big things from the Bucks with the new cards.

Based on their new stats, I'm thinking we'll all get those big things we're hoping for out of The Bucks... Looking sharp!

[EpicDave]

Well done, sir! Loving the combination of AJ and the Bucks with a chip on their collective shoulders.

Hodge-Bockwinkel, Inoki-Baba, and Warriors-Midnights are timeless bouts in any arena! Ditto for Valentine-Race.

The Main Event with Blassie is always a spectacle, but filing his teeth was OVER THE TOP!