Post by Chuckie Finster on May 28, 2009 16:55:28 GMT -5
Apparently this is getting huge play on the Japanese blogs and it's made it's way to the English-speaking message boards.
Dragon Gate wrestlers have blogs on the company's website. It's not kayfabed like WWE's so it's basically whatever the wrestlers want to post.
Recently, Shingo Takagi blogged and posted pics that depicted him and fellow wrestler Araken abusing a pet monkey that is housed at the Dragon Gate dojo. Araken himself also blogged and posted pics. Here's what one of the guys off the DVDVR message board posted, which includes links. The links are in Japanese, but the pics tell the story.
UPDATE: Araken was a whistle blower who brought light to this with more pics. Along with Shingo, the other involved are Akira Tozawa and Katsuo/Yuki Ono (he also was Cyber Kongcito, a Cyber Kong look alike, for a short time)
UPDATE 2: Shingo's blog was titled "Successful capture!" and was about how the monkey escaped the dojo and injured three people and he captured it. The blog says how the monkey has acted weird recently and says Tozawa was bullying the monkey.
So basically, Shingo more-than-likely just got lumped into this by posting the pics. And the pics with the person "choking" the monkey is not Shingo.
Another note, this apparently has been going on for a while (somewhere around a year) as the pics are from different times as noted on Araken's blog.
UPDATE 3 - Official statement from Dragon Gate (translated into English and slightly paraphrased due to the language differences)
dgusa.puroresufan.com/
And here's what was written by the DG fan site guy.
Apparently RYOMA has been fired from Dragon Gate.
WARNING. THE PICTURES ARE DISTURBING.
As noted, the police are involved as well. This could end putting public pressure on Dragon Gate and knowing how sensitive Puro companies are about their image, it could be very bad for the careers ofShingo and Araken Tozawa, Yuki Ono and whoever else was involved.
EDIT: For those who don't know, Sake is a Japanese for "Rice Wine". It's about 15% alcohol, which is 3-times more alcohol than a basic American beer.
Dragon Gate wrestlers have blogs on the company's website. It's not kayfabed like WWE's so it's basically whatever the wrestlers want to post.
UPDATE: Araken was a whistle blower who brought light to this with more pics.
UPDATE 2: Shingo's blog was titled "Successful capture!" and was about how the monkey escaped the dojo and injured three people and he captured it. The blog says how the monkey has acted weird recently and says Tozawa was bullying the monkey.
So basically, Shingo more-than-likely just got lumped into this by posting the pics. And the pics with the person "choking" the monkey is not Shingo.
Another note, this apparently has been going on for a while (somewhere around a year) as the pics are from different times as noted on Araken's blog.
UPDATE 3 - Official statement from Dragon Gate (translated into English and slightly paraphrased due to the language differences)
"Thank you very much for your continued support of Dragon Gate.
One of our rookie wrestlers made an unofficial blog detailing incidents regarding our pet monkey Cora, detailing them from the monkey perspective. We received many inquiries about the abuse mentioned in the blog. We apologize respectfully for causing such a great concern and worry.
To confirm the facts gathered from our staff and roster. Cora has lived at our gym for many years. He is raised and cared for by our rookies and trainees, and is cherished and loved. The cruelty to animals allegations on the internet were investigated and found to not be true.
The offensive blog posts have been deleted. Cora is now living with foster parents to ensure safety and remove fears of his conditions.
The company will continue to investigate to uncover further facts and information, in hopes of eliminating any further doubts and recover the trust of our fans.
The wrestler responsible for causing all this confusion has been disciplined for an indefinite amount of time. Further, President Takashi Okamura accepts responsibility for these events and will incur both disciplinary action and a reduction in pay."
www.gaora.co.jp/cgi-bin/bbs/dragon/news.cgi
One of our rookie wrestlers made an unofficial blog detailing incidents regarding our pet monkey Cora, detailing them from the monkey perspective. We received many inquiries about the abuse mentioned in the blog. We apologize respectfully for causing such a great concern and worry.
To confirm the facts gathered from our staff and roster. Cora has lived at our gym for many years. He is raised and cared for by our rookies and trainees, and is cherished and loved. The cruelty to animals allegations on the internet were investigated and found to not be true.
The offensive blog posts have been deleted. Cora is now living with foster parents to ensure safety and remove fears of his conditions.
The company will continue to investigate to uncover further facts and information, in hopes of eliminating any further doubts and recover the trust of our fans.
The wrestler responsible for causing all this confusion has been disciplined for an indefinite amount of time. Further, President Takashi Okamura accepts responsibility for these events and will incur both disciplinary action and a reduction in pay."
www.gaora.co.jp/cgi-bin/bbs/dragon/news.cgi
dgusa.puroresufan.com/
And here's what was written by the DG fan site guy.
The offending player and the person behind the blog that started this entire series of events was RYOMA. He was keeping a blog from the perspective of Cora, and discussed all of the various allegations of abuse that are out there now. The blog was deleted immediately after it was discovered.
Regarding the official blog posts from Shingo and Araken, neither of them were involved in the incidents detailed by RYOMAs' blog. While the choking photo is inexcusable, the post itself details an incident where Cora escaped and attacked people, and had to be restrained.
Cora has lived at the gym since the early Toryumon days, and alongside Momo the dog he has been an idol and mascot for the gym. He is now staying with the parents of a roster member and will be cared for properly. Hopefully the healing process over this whole ugly ordeal can begin now.
Regarding the official blog posts from Shingo and Araken, neither of them were involved in the incidents detailed by RYOMAs' blog. While the choking photo is inexcusable, the post itself details an incident where Cora escaped and attacked people, and had to be restrained.
Cora has lived at the gym since the early Toryumon days, and alongside Momo the dog he has been an idol and mascot for the gym. He is now staying with the parents of a roster member and will be cared for properly. Hopefully the healing process over this whole ugly ordeal can begin now.
Apparently RYOMA has been fired from Dragon Gate.
WARNING. THE PICTURES ARE DISTURBING.
- They choked it by the neck until it passed out.
- They burned it with charcoal.
- They threw it into a tub of boiling hot water.
- Not sure on this one but it looks like they blew air into its mouth and it would cause it to crap instantly.
- They gave it sake regularly until it would pass out.
- Drag it around by a chain on its neck.
- attached fire crackers to it and lit them
- lock it in a box and spray antiperspirant in the box causing it to freak out.
It really disgusting stuff and they created a huge mound of evidence. These people are snorking cretins.
Here's some links to some of the posts. You can see the monkey is often bruised and bleeding. The first link is Shingo's blog taking a picture of the monkey being choked unconscious, it's disgusting.
spora.jp/takagishingo/archive/909/0 <- choking
spora.jp/araken/archive/472/0 <- abuse
spora.jp/araken/archive/731/0 <- drunk
spora.jp/araken/archive/740/0 <- dragging
The police in Japan are all over it as well.
More: plaza.rakuten.co.jp/anticablog/diary/200905260000/
There's also videos created by a wrestling fan that shows the blogs, photos and asks for help saving the monkey.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_haFLwfwSUE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEyPPNfeCk
- They burned it with charcoal.
- They threw it into a tub of boiling hot water.
- Not sure on this one but it looks like they blew air into its mouth and it would cause it to crap instantly.
- They gave it sake regularly until it would pass out.
- Drag it around by a chain on its neck.
- attached fire crackers to it and lit them
- lock it in a box and spray antiperspirant in the box causing it to freak out.
It really disgusting stuff and they created a huge mound of evidence. These people are snorking cretins.
Here's some links to some of the posts. You can see the monkey is often bruised and bleeding. The first link is Shingo's blog taking a picture of the monkey being choked unconscious, it's disgusting.
spora.jp/takagishingo/archive/909/0 <- choking
spora.jp/araken/archive/472/0 <- abuse
spora.jp/araken/archive/731/0 <- drunk
spora.jp/araken/archive/740/0 <- dragging
The police in Japan are all over it as well.
More: plaza.rakuten.co.jp/anticablog/diary/200905260000/
There's also videos created by a wrestling fan that shows the blogs, photos and asks for help saving the monkey.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_haFLwfwSUE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEyPPNfeCk
As noted, the police are involved as well. This could end putting public pressure on Dragon Gate and knowing how sensitive Puro companies are about their image, it could be very bad for the careers of
EDIT: For those who don't know, Sake is a Japanese for "Rice Wine". It's about 15% alcohol, which is 3-times more alcohol than a basic American beer.
