Post by andrew8798 on Dec 5, 2007 3:18:19 GMT -5
the TNA dates in Mexico have been canceled. The show on the 14th at Arena Monterrey and the 15th in El Toreo both had ticket blocks in the third row available as of Monday.
Motor City Machine Guns head to Zero-One Max for the January 1st show at Korakuen Hall.
Gail Kim was listed on Forbes.com as one of the 40 most eligible bachelorettes in America
La Sombra, at 18 years and 24 days old, became the youngest wrestler in NWA history to win a championship on November 27th at Arena Mexico, beating Ohara for the World Welterweight Title. He dropped the first fall, but then won the second with a moonsault and the third with a small package. It was said to be excellent, so good that fans threw money into the ring afterwards. He was born November 3, 1989
Averno and Mistico were in a car accident this weekend. Lucky for them Bill Watts doesn't book CMLL. Neither was hurt bad, but Averno was in the rougher shape of the two. Mistico sprained his ankle, and seeing as to how Averno's truck flipped over people couldn't believe how lucky that was. Both still worked that same night.
CMLL crowds are abysmal. The November 23rd Tuesday night show was a disaster of impossible to believe proportions, drawing about 500 fans. The November 30th show where La Sombra won the title only did 2,500. For the show the night we went to press, they not only booked a title match but did a 2 for 1 deal, meaning ticket prices were basically cut in half.
ROH and Koch Vision have reached an agreement to release a series of exclusive ROH DVDs in national retail chains (Best Buy, etc.). The two DVDs, Blood Stained Honor and Stars of Honor, feature matches from the past including a look at the Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk series. Each DVD package will also include an limited edition ROH trading card. The DVDs will sell for $14.98.
One of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Kenta Kobashi, returned to the ring after almost two years before a complete sellout crowd of 17,000 fans at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan on December 2nd. He teamed with Yoshihiro Takayama to lose to long-time rival Mitsuhara Misawa & Jun Akiyama in a 27 minute match when Misawa pinned him with an emerald frosien off the middle rope.
Kobashi, 39, who was voted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame with a record 98% of the vote (beating, believe it or not, ROCK), was hospitalized in June of 2006 and diagnosed with kidney cancer. He underwent surgery on July 5th. It was said to be a success, but at the time there was absolutely no timetable listed for his return, and the belief was that there was no guarantee he'd ever be able to come back and wrestle another match. He was out of the spotlight for the better part of the year, and it wasn't until December 10, 2006, during an appearance at Budokan, that he first announced that he was in training and would return "without fail." Pictures surfaced that showed him to be in rather good shape. Finally, on September 8th it was announced that he would return on December 2nd. NOAH hasn't been lighting the world on fire business-wise, but this return guaranteed a sellout and would have done significantly better in the Tokyo Dome than New Japan will do on January 4th, 2008.
The match was excellent. Kobashi, of course, was introduced last, and one of the announcers, I believe Kobashi's longtime friend Tamon Honda, was already crying. Crowd chanted "KOBASHI!", perfectly in unison. It was like they were excited, but were withholding some of their excitement pending whether or not he could actually do anything. He looked remarkably stoic. They did the ring intros and all the streamers were thrown into the ring. Kobashi, with his robe off, looked to be in great shape, just down slightly in weight. His arms are still frikkin huge. Akiyama and Takayama were going to start, but Akiyama demanded Kobashi get in immediately. "KOBASHI!" So he got in. They locked up and Kobashi immediately threw a chop. They did a quick highspot, then Akiyama tagged in Misawa and everyone gasped. Kobashi took his first forearm to the face. That is when I would have re-thought my return. They traded chops and forearms, then we got another highspot and Kobashi took his first bump. So far so good. Takayama tagged in and they chopped and kicked Misawa in the corner.
The thing I love about this style of wrestling is how understated the selling is early, so that when guys actually start to sell later in the match it just naturally means so much more. It's a weird kind of psychology that makes complete sense, which is also why the finish of Kobashi getting beat also makes total sense. The dude is coming back from a two year battle with cancer. Why would he beat dudes who have been working regularly during that whole period? This isn't a feel-good film, it's "real life". Also amazing to see 18,000 people so completely and utterly silent at times during this match. Kobashi was still moving very gingerly. Knees are shot, and two years off didn't help that problem. Every time he tagged in the place went nuts.
He went for a dive off the middle rope and ran right into a hard Misawa forearm. Akiyama went to work on him with hard knees. In fact, as beat up as he is, and he's beat up bad, Misawa moves better. Crowd chanted "KOBASHI!" as he was being worked over. His selling was so awesome. He finally fired up and started laying in chops on Akiyama, but Misawa got in the ring and broke it up. People were PISSED. I laughed. He chopped the crap out of Misawa but then ate a roaring elbow. Misawa went up top but Takayama stopped him, allowing Kobashi to hit a superplex. Takayama got a hot tag and ran wild on both guys. He tagged Kobashi back in, and now Kobashi was mad. It was time for multiple chops in the corner on Akiyama. He chopped and chopped and chopped and chopped. He chopped with anger and fury. Akiyama had a look on his face like a condemned man accepting his fate. Kobashi finally dropped him, then dropped him on his head with a sleeper suplex. Misawa broke it up.
Crowd booed. This is awesome. And then Kobashi slammed him and went up top. No. YES. He did his giant moonsault, bad knees, cancer and all. Place went batshit haywire. Akiyama kicked out, they traded shots, then Akiyama hit an exploder and a knee strike. Misawa tagged in and hit the tiger driver but Kobashi kicked out. You could hear people stomping their feet in the crowd. Misawa went for the roaring elbow but Kobashi ducked and hit the half nelson German. Misawa jumped right to his feet, no-selling it, but then ate a huge lariat. Takayama tagged in and killed Misawa with his huge German suplex. Kobashi followed it up with another lariat, but Akiyama broke it up. Kobashi went for a burning hammer but Misawa flipped out and tagged Akiyama in. Kobashi has the best facials in wrestling, still. Takayama got sent outside and Misawa and Akiyama double-teamed Kobashi. What pricks. Misawa hit the emerald frosien and Kobashi kicked out. Insane reaction. So Misawa went and sat on the middle rope. Akiyama hosited Kobashi up there and Misawa a super emerald frosien for the pin. Hot damn. (****1/4)
Afterwards, everyone came out and put icepacks all over Kobashi. Takayama helped him to his feet, they hugged, and you could see and hear people everywhere, announcers, fans, wrestlers, all crying. Misawa and Akiyama got in there and held his hand up, then everyone chanted "KOBASHI!"
Motor City Machine Guns head to Zero-One Max for the January 1st show at Korakuen Hall.
Gail Kim was listed on Forbes.com as one of the 40 most eligible bachelorettes in America
La Sombra, at 18 years and 24 days old, became the youngest wrestler in NWA history to win a championship on November 27th at Arena Mexico, beating Ohara for the World Welterweight Title. He dropped the first fall, but then won the second with a moonsault and the third with a small package. It was said to be excellent, so good that fans threw money into the ring afterwards. He was born November 3, 1989
Averno and Mistico were in a car accident this weekend. Lucky for them Bill Watts doesn't book CMLL. Neither was hurt bad, but Averno was in the rougher shape of the two. Mistico sprained his ankle, and seeing as to how Averno's truck flipped over people couldn't believe how lucky that was. Both still worked that same night.
CMLL crowds are abysmal. The November 23rd Tuesday night show was a disaster of impossible to believe proportions, drawing about 500 fans. The November 30th show where La Sombra won the title only did 2,500. For the show the night we went to press, they not only booked a title match but did a 2 for 1 deal, meaning ticket prices were basically cut in half.
ROH and Koch Vision have reached an agreement to release a series of exclusive ROH DVDs in national retail chains (Best Buy, etc.). The two DVDs, Blood Stained Honor and Stars of Honor, feature matches from the past including a look at the Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk series. Each DVD package will also include an limited edition ROH trading card. The DVDs will sell for $14.98.
One of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Kenta Kobashi, returned to the ring after almost two years before a complete sellout crowd of 17,000 fans at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan on December 2nd. He teamed with Yoshihiro Takayama to lose to long-time rival Mitsuhara Misawa & Jun Akiyama in a 27 minute match when Misawa pinned him with an emerald frosien off the middle rope.
Kobashi, 39, who was voted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame with a record 98% of the vote (beating, believe it or not, ROCK), was hospitalized in June of 2006 and diagnosed with kidney cancer. He underwent surgery on July 5th. It was said to be a success, but at the time there was absolutely no timetable listed for his return, and the belief was that there was no guarantee he'd ever be able to come back and wrestle another match. He was out of the spotlight for the better part of the year, and it wasn't until December 10, 2006, during an appearance at Budokan, that he first announced that he was in training and would return "without fail." Pictures surfaced that showed him to be in rather good shape. Finally, on September 8th it was announced that he would return on December 2nd. NOAH hasn't been lighting the world on fire business-wise, but this return guaranteed a sellout and would have done significantly better in the Tokyo Dome than New Japan will do on January 4th, 2008.
The match was excellent. Kobashi, of course, was introduced last, and one of the announcers, I believe Kobashi's longtime friend Tamon Honda, was already crying. Crowd chanted "KOBASHI!", perfectly in unison. It was like they were excited, but were withholding some of their excitement pending whether or not he could actually do anything. He looked remarkably stoic. They did the ring intros and all the streamers were thrown into the ring. Kobashi, with his robe off, looked to be in great shape, just down slightly in weight. His arms are still frikkin huge. Akiyama and Takayama were going to start, but Akiyama demanded Kobashi get in immediately. "KOBASHI!" So he got in. They locked up and Kobashi immediately threw a chop. They did a quick highspot, then Akiyama tagged in Misawa and everyone gasped. Kobashi took his first forearm to the face. That is when I would have re-thought my return. They traded chops and forearms, then we got another highspot and Kobashi took his first bump. So far so good. Takayama tagged in and they chopped and kicked Misawa in the corner.
The thing I love about this style of wrestling is how understated the selling is early, so that when guys actually start to sell later in the match it just naturally means so much more. It's a weird kind of psychology that makes complete sense, which is also why the finish of Kobashi getting beat also makes total sense. The dude is coming back from a two year battle with cancer. Why would he beat dudes who have been working regularly during that whole period? This isn't a feel-good film, it's "real life". Also amazing to see 18,000 people so completely and utterly silent at times during this match. Kobashi was still moving very gingerly. Knees are shot, and two years off didn't help that problem. Every time he tagged in the place went nuts.
He went for a dive off the middle rope and ran right into a hard Misawa forearm. Akiyama went to work on him with hard knees. In fact, as beat up as he is, and he's beat up bad, Misawa moves better. Crowd chanted "KOBASHI!" as he was being worked over. His selling was so awesome. He finally fired up and started laying in chops on Akiyama, but Misawa got in the ring and broke it up. People were PISSED. I laughed. He chopped the crap out of Misawa but then ate a roaring elbow. Misawa went up top but Takayama stopped him, allowing Kobashi to hit a superplex. Takayama got a hot tag and ran wild on both guys. He tagged Kobashi back in, and now Kobashi was mad. It was time for multiple chops in the corner on Akiyama. He chopped and chopped and chopped and chopped. He chopped with anger and fury. Akiyama had a look on his face like a condemned man accepting his fate. Kobashi finally dropped him, then dropped him on his head with a sleeper suplex. Misawa broke it up.
Crowd booed. This is awesome. And then Kobashi slammed him and went up top. No. YES. He did his giant moonsault, bad knees, cancer and all. Place went batshit haywire. Akiyama kicked out, they traded shots, then Akiyama hit an exploder and a knee strike. Misawa tagged in and hit the tiger driver but Kobashi kicked out. You could hear people stomping their feet in the crowd. Misawa went for the roaring elbow but Kobashi ducked and hit the half nelson German. Misawa jumped right to his feet, no-selling it, but then ate a huge lariat. Takayama tagged in and killed Misawa with his huge German suplex. Kobashi followed it up with another lariat, but Akiyama broke it up. Kobashi went for a burning hammer but Misawa flipped out and tagged Akiyama in. Kobashi has the best facials in wrestling, still. Takayama got sent outside and Misawa and Akiyama double-teamed Kobashi. What pricks. Misawa hit the emerald frosien and Kobashi kicked out. Insane reaction. So Misawa went and sat on the middle rope. Akiyama hosited Kobashi up there and Misawa a super emerald frosien for the pin. Hot damn. (****1/4)
Afterwards, everyone came out and put icepacks all over Kobashi. Takayama helped him to his feet, they hugged, and you could see and hear people everywhere, announcers, fans, wrestlers, all crying. Misawa and Akiyama got in there and held his hand up, then everyone chanted "KOBASHI!"