Into the Indies 08.24.10: Happy IndyVersary! (Part 2)

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Into the Indies, the column that can’t stop partying.

If you missed I2I two weeks ago, you might want to go back and read it before starting in on this week. Why? Because in that column we began celebrating the first anniversary of Into the Indies’ debut on 411mania with a series of special features looking back on the column’s past twelve months. We’re going to continue those features this week, and we may as well begin by running down exactly what they are!

(I should note that this second installment of our anniversary column was meant to run last week, but we departed from our original plan in order to pay tribute to the late Lance Cade.)

I2I’s Top 10 Wrestlers of Year 1 – This is exactly what it sounds like, as I rank the ten best individual performers that we’ve seen across the all of the prior editions of I2I. Last time around we took a look at the bottom five, with Billy Ken Kid, Hajime Ohara, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Tajiri, and Go Shiozaki all placing (in that order). Numbers five through one will be revealed today, and it’s your chance to see where your favorite landed.

The Indy-Dex – In the time since I2I was first published, we have covered over twenty different wrestling promotions. The Indy-Dex is an effort by yours truly to provide a comprehensive listing of all of those promotions, providing a bit of background on them and then linking to all instances in the history of the column in which they have been covered. The first installment of the Indy-Dex fourteen days ago covered everything from 100% Lucha through Michinoku Pro, and this week we pick it up with everything between NWA On the Mat and ZERO1.

I2I’s Top 10 Matches of Year 1 – 411mania loves lists, so we just had to get in on the action. As with the list of I2I’s top performers, this list is fairly straightforward: It ranks the best matches that have been reviewed in prior installments of the column. In part one, entries number ten through six included action from Kensuke Office, NOSAWA Bom Ba Ye, Apache Army, BattlArts, and Michinoku Pro. Will those companies be able to appear in the top five as well, or will new promotions pull it out? We’ll find out in just a few short paragraphs.

Guest (High) Spots – As I’m really the only person covering this style of wrestling on 411mania on a regular basis, I thought that it might be a good idea to have others deliver their opinions. To put that idea into motion, I recruited a group of 411’s top writers to review Japanese indy matches so that their thoughts could be published as part of this IndyVersary celebration. Last week, Chad Nevett and Matt Sforcina put in appearances. This week, we’re going to see what Aaron Hubbard and Steve Cook think when they head Into the Indies.

Number 5: Doug Williamssize=4>

Yes, Doug Williams. He may currently be under a TNA deal which keeps him from taking as many independent bookings as he used to, but the British sensation got plenty of exposure during year one of I2I, most notably in the King of Europe Cup tournament. I have been watching Williams wrestle on the independent level for many years, and one of the greatest things about him is that he falls prey to literally NONE of the trappings that often knock the performances of independent wrestlers down a notch. As much as I love indy wrestling, I’ll be the first one to admit that a lot of the guys have a certain roughness to them or are missing out on one or two things that would keep them from being a complete package, which is why they’re wrestling on an indy level and not as part of a major national promotion. Williams, however, has been a stabilizing force for many years on the indy scene because he has for some time had all of the in-ring tools to be a big league star even though he was only recently picked up by one of the national promotions. I won’t be seeing him too often now that he’s in TNA, but I will look forward to any guest appearances that he makes down at the independent level.

Number 4: Jun Kasaisize=4>

People who have read this column from the beginning should have known that Kasai would be an entry on this list. The “Crazy Monkey,” as he is known to fans, has quickly become a favorite of mine. When I was first exposed to deathmatch style wrestling many years ago, I quickly grew to detest it. Though I could muster up an odd respect for men who were willing to sacrifice their bodies for my entertainment, it never seemed to require quite as much talent as putting on a straight professional wrestling match. However, when I started to discover the work of guys like Kasai, my opinion changed dramatically. Instead of putting on deathmatches where weapon shots and falls from high places act as substitutes for traditional pro wrestling psychology, he is able to create matches in which weapon shots and falls from high places become part of traditional pro wrestling psychology. In addition to that, he has a great, unique charisma and sense of humor which would make him a compelling character even without his penchant for being slammed on to razor blade boards and log cabins made of light tubes.

Number 3: KUSHIDAsize=4>

KUSHIDA is one of the youngest and least experienced wrestlers that we’ve had an opportunity to regularly review here at I2I. However, despite his youth and his inexperience, he is also one of the most captivating and entertaining wrestlers that we’ve had an opportunity to regularly review here at I2I. Though people watching his current matches know him as a high flying wrestler, he was originally trained by Nobuhiko Takada in mixed martial arts and shoot style professional wrestling before taking a trip to Mexico to gain some additional seasoning in the lucha libre style. The first major exposure that he gained in professional wrestling came from HUSTLE, where he was taken under the wing of none other than Yoshihiro Tajiri. Tajiri was able to obtain bookings for his protege in several different promotions, including All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Now that the original incarnation of HUSTLE has died, KUSHIDA has become the ace of Tajiri’s new promotion SMASH, and, while there, he has consistently delivered the best matches in the company, whether it’s against fellow up and comer Hajime Ohara or outsiders like Prince Devitt and Tetsuya Naito. Of every person on the Japanese indies these days, it is KUSHIDA who has the most chance to break out at a high level and become a player in wrestling.

Number 2: Sanshiro Takagisize=4>

Sanshiro Takagi is a fifteen year veteran of the professional wrestling industry, training originally in the FMW dojo. Only two years after his debut, he decided that he would be best served by forming his own wrestling promotion, and, as a result, the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) was born. DDT has remained open ever since Takagi founded it, and he has perpetually been the cornerstone of the promotion. In year one of I2I, we have consistently seen Sanshiro in main events and semi-main events in his promotion, most recently as one half of its tag team champions with up and comer Munenori Sawa, doing a ridiculously entertaining gimmick in which they take on all comers from a variety of different promotions in a variety of different matches. Not only is it entertaining in its own right, but it’s doing a great job of giving Sawa a rub, which is what Takagi has done with younger talent throughout his entire career. Here’s to hoping that the veteran still has much more gas in his tank so that we can keep getting solid performances out of him.

Number 1: Emi Sakurasize=4>

This might be a bit of a surprising result for some, but, honestly, when I thought of who has consistently put on the highest quality matches that I’ve watched as part of this column thusfar, nobody came out ahead of Ice Ribbon’s boss Emi Sakura. Though she has historically had the benefit of being in the main event or semi-main event of almost every show I have watched her on and has also usually had the benefit of booking the cards she wrestles on and therefore being able to pick her own opponents, that is counterbalanced by the fact that many of her opponents are significantly less experienced than your average professional wrestler. What Emi has consistently been able to do with wrestlers who have less than twenty matches under their belts is highly impressive, and the things that she can do in the circumstances in which she is paired opponents who have a level of experience similar to her own are nothing short of amazing. In addition to her in-ring performances, during the first year of I2I, she has also had an important role as the lead trainer and booker for Ice Ribbon, a promotion which has produced some of my favorite shows that have been a part of year one. Whether in the ring or out of the ring, Emi Sakura’s efforts have entertained me more than just about any wrestler who has been active on the independents for the past twelve months.

NWA On the Matsize=4>

For a decade between 1975 and 1984, “On the Mat” was the top professional wrestling broadcast in the country of New Zealand. Featuring several native grapplers in addition to many Australians and a few American imports, On the Mat delighted many a kiwi during its run on television. Thanks to an NWA affiliation, it served as a platform to promote appearances of the most recognizable championship in the world making appearances on the island nation. The promotion came to my attention and was reviewed in I2I thanks to two episodes of the program which were archived on the internet by a website known as NZ on Screen. They provided solid if not spectacular professional wrestling which I examined as more of a curiosity than anything else. The result was a couple of hours of entertainment and a Wikipedia article about On the Mat in which I was cited to an unusually high number of times.

July 29, 1980: Featuring the world’s ugliest wrestler
March 17, 1981: Samoan Joe!

Okinawa Pro Wrestlingsize=4>

Okinawa Pro Wrestling was founded in 2008 by long-time lucharesu wrestler Super Delfin. Delfin had previously established Osaka Pro Wrestling, a promotion which, per its name, runs the vast majority of its small shows in the city of Osaka. Okinawa Pro was essentially the second coming of Osaka Pro, with the exception of the fact that it would be based in Delfin’s hometown of Okinawa instead of Osaka. It is a unique company in that its roster is very small and that it does not do much padding of its cards without outside wrestlers. There are no more than nine or ten wrestlers competing in Okinawa at a time, but, despite this fact, the cards always manage to have a fresh feeling to them thanks to the use of various types of matches. Combine solid professional wrestling with unique gimmicks that are mostly influenced by local Okinawa culture, and you’ve got a product that is fun to pick up every couple of months.

January 10, 2009: Meeting Golden Pine & Goya Mask
November 8, 2009: Oyaji steps up for a title shot

Osaka Pro Wrestlingsize=4>

As noted above, Osaka Pro Wrestling runs almost exclusively out of Osaka with an occasional trip to Tokyo or other cities. The business model is an interesting one, with three to four small shows occurring on weekdays in the same venue, all building to a slightly bigger weekend show. In turn, everything leads to four to five major cards per year which manage to draw several hundred fans as compared to the crowds in the double digits that turn up for the weekly cards. Despite the small audiences, O-Pro still manages to get decent television coverage for its more important shows, and, because it runs frequently, its young wrestlers progress at a rapid rate and many of them have become very solid performers. If you’re into old school indy lucharesu, there may be no better place to go than O-Pro.

February 11, 2010: Hurricane
April 29, 2010: 11th Anniversary Show

OZ Academysize=4>

In the late 1990’s women’s professional wrestling in Japan, which had previously been big business in the country, started a long and painful downward slump. One of the results of the slump was the fragmenting of talent in the country into several small promotions, with one of those promotions being the OZ Academy. OZ Academy was founded by former All Japan Women’s wrestler Mayumi Ozaki, primarily as a way to showcase herself and wrestlers that she had trained. Nowadays, promotional lines seem to mean very little to what joshi wrestlers appear on what cards, so there is little that distinguishes OZ Academy shows from other shows put on by other women’s promotions, aside from the fact that you’re virtually guaranteed an Ozaki match and you’re virtually guaranteed at least one match which involves a fair amount of outside interference and weapons shots, both hallmarks of Mayumi’s booking.

November 15, 2009: Kong, Toyota, & Kansai in action

Perros Del Malsize=4>

Perros Del Mal was the subject of I2I’s second trip south of the border and into Mexico. PDM began as a stable of professional wrestlers in the country’s CMLL promotion, but differences between stable frontman Perro Aguyao, Jr. and the CMLL office lead to the group bolting and becoming a stand-alone wrestling promotion. Infused with several independent luchadores who had not previously been a part of the Perros Del Mal group, the crew managed to put on several shows throughout 2009 and 2010, though they were always on uncertain financial footing. Many of the notable PDM members began appearing on shows for major promotion AAA during the summer of 2010, leading most observers to believe that the independent promotion founded by Aguayo and company is now officially dead.

December 19, 2009: LA Park in tag action

Pro Wrestling SUNsize=4>

As noted above, women’s professional wrestling in Japan has seen better days. Many groups attempted to fill the void when All Japan Women’s wrestling and its successor group GAEA both folded. One of those grounds was Pro Wrestling SUN (also known as Chick Fights SUN), which was founded by a parent company called “First on Stage” in 2006. If the First on Stage name sounds familiar, it probably should, because it is also the company which currently owns and operates men’s promotion ZERO1. SUN never really got off the ground and never really had a core roster of more than four or five wrestlers, meaning that, before long, they largely gave up on promoting their own shows and mostly just held women’s matches billed with the SUN name on ZERO1 cards. Ultimately, in April 2009, it was decided to give up the ghost and fold SUN. It was the final show of the promotion which was reviewed here in I2I.

April 26, 2009: SUNset

Real Japan Pro Wrestlingsize=4>

You can’t go wrong with the classics, according to some. If there is one Japanese wrestling promotion which supports this philosophy, it is RJPW. The group is operated by Satoru Sayama, better known to US fans as the original Tiger Mask. Sayama, who now has a body and ring gear which makes him resemble a bumble bee more than anything else, is also a regular main event wrestler for the group. He brings with him a bevy of his “old school” friends, including Genichiro Tenryu, Gran Hamada, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Riki Choshu. The older generation’s matches are usually on the short side, though they are also usually entertaining, nostalgic sprints. In addition to the legends of puroresu, the undercards of Real Japan shows usually feature high quality shoot style professional wrestling from two of Sayama’s proteges, Super Tiger II and the Tiger Shark.

March 1, 2009: Tiger Masks I and IV team up

SENDAI Girlssize=4>

Aaaand it’s yet another joshi promotion. This one is based out of the city of Sendai and focuses in on the young trainees of Meiko Satomura. Though Satomura will usually appear on the cards and can put on the entertaining match from time-to-time, I haven’t been too horribly impressed by her trainees for the most part. Yes, they are young, and, yes, they deserve to be cut a little bit of slack as a result, but there are better promotions with other wrestlers who have comparable levels of experience who have come along much further. Maybe I haven’t come across the right SENDAI show just yet, but, by and large, I would be comfortable recommending avoiding this one.

April 19, 2009: One Night Tournament

SMASHsize=4>

When HUSTLE went out of business late last year, several individuals who were involved in it decided that they were going to form their own promotion, known as SMASH. Originally the plan was for SMASH to have three divisions, one promoting kickboxing shows, one promoting MMA shows, and one promoting professional wrestling shows. For whatever reason, though, the kickboxing and MMA divisions of SMASH have yet to really get off the ground. The wrestling division, lead up by Yoshihiro Tajiri, has produced a series of entertaining monthly shows in a small venue. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the group is that they draw in wrestlers from across the globe, not just the United States and Canada, but also unexpected locations like Finland and Israel. Though it is still a promotion in its infancy, SMASH’s shows have been very well-balanced in my opinion, and they are among the most entertaining top-to-bottom cards that I have reviewed in my time doing this column.

March 26, 2010: Debut Show
May 29, 2010: Prince Devitt and the Finnish visit

Stand-Alone Showssize=4>

One of the things which differentiates Japanese wrestling from American wrestling is that, in Japan, you’re much more likely to see what I refer to as a “stand-alone” show, i.e. a show that is not put on by a regular professional wrestling promotion but is instead backed by a corporate entity or a consortium of regular promotions. The goal is not to build a wrestling company that will run regularly and generate large amounts of money. Instead, the goal is to do one event and one event only, usually as a promotional tactic for another product and/or to be taped for a television special or commercial DVD release. We have looked at several such shows for I2I during year one, including cards that promoted children’s toys and muscle milk. They have given us some entertaining moments, including many wrestlers dressing up as characters from M.U.S.C.L.E. and later the LARD WARRIORS~!, a group of obese men doing the old Road Warrior gimmick.

April 28, 2007: King of Europe Cup (Night 1)
April 29, 2007: King of Europe Cup (Night 2
May 29, 2009: Kinniku Mania
July 9, 2009: NOWA Bom-Ba-Ye
December 31, 2009: DDT/BJW/K-Dojo 108 Man Battle Royale
February 28, 2010: Glico Power Production

ZERO1size=4>

Of all the independent groups in Japan, ZERO1 is the one that I feel tries the hardest to emulate the “major league” promotions in the country. While organizations like DDT and Big Japan intentionally adopt styles that differ from New Japan or All Japan in order to appeal to niche audiences, ZERO1 is content to book similarly to NJPW or AJPW, just with smaller audiences due to their lessened television exposure and reduced levels of star power. The only thing that really sets them apart is the fact that they sometimes make very unusual choices as to the foreign wrestlers that they bring into the company, including recent appearances by the former “Just Joe” of WWF fame and “The Predator” Sylvester Terkay. Occasionally a Masato Tanaka or a Shinjiro Ohtani will bust out a can’t miss match in ZERO1, but, for the most part, they don’t offer much that the bigger groups in the country aren’t already doing.

July 28, 2002: Samoa Joe vs. W*ING Kanemura
March 15, 2009: Shinjiro Ohtani vs. Orlando Colon
May 24, 2009: Young Lions tag team match
May 5, 2010: Japanese debut of the Osirian Portal

This match was the main event of SMASH’s debut show, and there couldn’t have been a better way to kick the promotion off. Though Tajiri and Tommy Dreamer, who worked the semi-main, could have been put up top if SMASH wanted them to be the focus of the promotion, the group was making it clear that young, talented wrestlers would be elevated on their watch. In one match which ran just over fifteen minutes, KUSHIDA and Ohara transformed themselves from guys who I had seen put on solid performances on HUSTLE undercards to guys who I would gladly watch wrestle in junior heavyweight style main events regardless of the time, place, or promotion. KUSHIDA in particular put on a show that made it clear that he was to be the company’s ace. For two wrestlers with their level of experience to walk out and hit the ball out of the park like these two did is nothing short of impressive, and I have no doubt in my mind when I call it one of the best matches that has come out of the indies in the past twelve months.

This match was the main event of the first show that I reviewed for Into the Indies. It came from the twentieth anniversary card of the Great Sasuke in his home promotion of Michinoku Pro Wrestling. Rather than going up against one of his classic opponents from the prime of his career, Sasuke chose to wrestle perhaps the brightest up and coming star in the promotion for his big anniversary match. That opponent was Fujita “Jr.” Hayato, a former Toryumon wrestler with shoot style leanings who has recently received several opportunities from New Japan and, in my opinion, should be the next young Japanese wrestler brought over to do a few shots on the US independent scene. The result was a match which in no way, shape, or for showed Sasuke’s age and in no way, shape, or form showed Hayato as being inferior to his much more seasoned and much more heralded opponent. Sasuke struck a perfect balance between wrestling a match that celebrated his career and wrestling a match which elevated Hayato in the eyes of the people who watched it, which is a large part of what makes it a bout that lands high on my list of the best of the last year.

Speaking of elevating young talent, we’ve got a match here which may well be the definition of elevating young talent. Riho, a thirteen year old professional wrestler who has four years of experience, had an opportunity to wrestle her trainer Emi Sakura in the main event of a show held at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall for Ice Ribbon. If you read the foregoing sentence to somebody who had little to no familiarity with Ice Ribbon or with Japanese professional wrestling as a whole, that person’s guess as to the quality of the match would probably be a Jay Sherman-esque, “It stinks!” However, Riho versus Sakura exceeded virtually every expectation that I could have had for it. Where I expected Riho to be uncertain of herself and out of position on a few occasions, she showed a significant amount of poise and really botched only one spot. Where I expected Sakura to be dominating on offense so that her younger opponent wouldn’t have to be doing much, Emi was actually selling as much as she was dishing out the punishment. Where I expected a match which would contain some well-rehearsed and well-executed highspots but no real emotion, I received a match which was dripping with sentiment that felt absolutely genuine. This was a great piece of professional wrestling regardless of who was involved, and the fact that one of the performers was so young resulted in it blowing my mind even more.

Last summer, DDT shocked the wrestling world by drawing over eight thousand fans to Sumo Hall, which is a hell of an accomplishment for a promotion that had a prior attendance of just over 1,500. Sitting atop that card was a main event of Kota Ibushi vs. HARASHIMA for the KO-D Openweight Title. It probably can’t be fairly said that Ibushi vs. HARASHIMA drew those eight thousand fans. Though the payoff of Ibushi’s run for the KO-D Title certainly helped, the novelty of seeing DDT on such a grand stage as a one-time only treat was probably what got fans through the doors more than anything else. However, though they may not have drawn the eight thousand fans on their own, HARASHIMA nad Kota certainly put on a match which was befitting of being put on in front of eight thousand fans. Kota Ibushi has often been lauded on the internet for wrestling a revolutionary style, in large part due to his United States exposure. What several of those US fans fail to realize, though, is that Kota has a whole slew of wrestlers in DDT with him who are able to go move-for-move and hold-for-hold with the former ROH guest star. HARASHIMA is one of those men, and he teamed up with Ibushi here to absolutely slay the biggest audience that either man had ever wrestled in front of.

This bout was selected as the best match of all of 2009 by Tokyo Sports magazine in a poll of journalists that included not just independent matches but also matches from the major promotions in Japan. Who am I to argue with that? Seriously, though, even absent the prestigious award that it won, the Kasai/Ito battle that took place last fall is a classic in every sense of the world. These two men had each been portrayed as top competitors in Big Japan Wrestling for quite some time, but they had also been kept apart from one another. This was their first singles matchup in several years, and, as a result, fans were absolutely rabid to see them tear into one another. Kasai and Ito did their best to make sure that nobody would be disappointed after the long wait, putting on a match which started basic but grew more and more “extreme” with each passing spot, the violence escalating over time at a steady rate, never dipping and never backtracking. Splashes were delivered on to razor blade covered boards. Pedigrees were executed in the middle of beds of thumb tacks. Cacti were wrapped in barbed wire and then used as landing pads for piledrivers. The match wasn’t just a series of sickening moves, though. It was a series of over the top moves which were delivered in sequence and as part of an internal storyline which made perfect sense. A great deathmatch is one thing. A great deathmatch with strong psychology is another. A great deathmatch with strong psychology and two of the biggest stars on the independent scene is your number one match in year one of I2I.

Match Numero Uno: Misaki Ohata & Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Nanae Takahashi & Natsuki*Taiyo (NEO, 2/14/2010)
by Aaron Hubbard

There’s not a lot of information I could find on these girls other than Takahashi, who I was vaguely familiar with. Ohata and Taiyo are EXTREMELY short. And I don’t mean like, short for wrestlers, or even short for women. They can’t be more than five feet. Given that ICE Ribbon uses twelve-year olds in their promotion, I assumed they were kids, but everyone here is over twenty. This unfortunately changes my opinion of the Ohata and Taiyo, who look polished for their apparent age, but don’t come across as anything special for their actual age. Takahashi and Matsumoto are closer to average height, which allows them to bully the smaller girls, and in Matsumoto’s case, to use Ohata like a missile. Takahashi and Taiyo end up getting a heat segment on Ohata, which is entertaining enough but nothing really mind blowing.

Matsumoto and Takahashi trade strikes and shoulder tackles before Matsumoto wins it, which is a nice little mini-story in the match. She gets a nice spot where she puts Takahashi in a torture rack, and when Taiyo tries to save she just throws the much larger Takahashi onto her, which was a very inventive spot that didn’t come across as contrived. The next spot that catches my attention is a perversely humorous spot where Matsumoto keeps missing elbow strikes, not so much because Taiyo is ducking them, but because she’s so short! It looks like Taiyo is going to end up playing Ricky Morton, but she makes her own comeback in a nice series where Ohata keeps dodging running knees so she switches to a dropkick to the face. Once Takahashi gets in, she misses a Vader Bomb, and Matsumoto targets the midsection with a gutbuster and then doing the alley-oop on her partner, ending in a splash to the gut.

Ohata gets hit with a springboard crossbody by Taiyo but ranas her where to avoid a powerbomb Doomsday Device and hits a German Suplex on Takahashi for a nearfall. Ohata continues to impress with a crucifix driver (think Austin Aries). But things go wrong for her when she gets planted with a backdrop suplex. This pot had built to as every previous attempt at the move in the match had been countered with a headlock, so it makes sense that once it was hit, it would lead to the end of the match. Matsumoto saves Ohata from being pinned she is taken down with a double-team STO, but Takahashi’s Blue Thunder Driver is enough to put Ohata away.

This was a decent match, but it felt like an exhibition. There was no flow, no selling, just a bunch of moves until the finish. There were a few clever sequences that showed they had some idea of how to build a match, but overall I was underwhelmed. This was like listening to some guy mindlessly play guitar. Sure, it sounds nice, and it can even be entertaining, but there’s no hook, no structure. Also, the crowd was extremely dead for this match, even for a Japanese crowd. They popped and booed for nothing; the striking flurries, the big spots, the attempt at heat segments. The reason I got into Joshi was because, aside from the quality work, they took advantage of the fact that women are more emotional than men. Top Joshi stars were able to sell their anger, their frustration, their pain, their joy and their sorrow in a way that transcended the language barrier and made me care. This was devoid of emotion, and felt no different than a match I could see from a local promotion wrestling in my old high-school.

MATCH RATING: ***

Match Numero Dos: Danshoku Dino vs. Men’s Teioh (DDT, 3/6/2007)
by Steve Cook

I asked Byers for “something funny, preferably with completely ridiculous characters”, and the man does not disappoint. I’ve seen Dino one time before on a CHIKARA show, so I have a pretty decent idea of what I’m getting into here. Attitude-era WWE fans might kind of remember Teioh from his very brief stint as one of the members of the original Kaientai faction, alongside Dick Togo, Sho Funaki and later joined by TAKA Michinoku. I think he disappeared after trying to help Yamaguchi-San chop off Val Venis’s pee-pee, but maybe he stuck around long enough to bang Sunny and/or Sable.

Then again, the YouTube description tells me that he’s a 15 time holder of this title, so who can say that was a priority? (I’m not fact checking that because I think typing “GAY World Anal Title” into Google is probably a horrible idea.) I’m guessing Japanese fans think of him more as a Kaientai guy.

Teioh is sporting a blue “Men’s Club” t-shirt and white & blue tights with tassles. Dino is decked out in a purple robe reminiscent of Jimmy Jacobs’ robe he wore in ROH for like a month. He wears identical tights to Teioh, but with longer tassles. Advantage: Dino. Teioh wants a tieup, but Dino circles him and kicks him. Snap mare, Teioh reverses a chinlock attempt into an armbar, and Dino goes to the ropes. They exchange punches, Dino goes for a kiss thrice, Teioh ducks, Dino punches Teioh in the gut and goes for the dragon screw testicle whip, but Teioh cartwheels out of it. Teioh makes the international “Just Bring It” hand signal. Dino swings wildly and Teioh puts him in an abdominal stretch. Teioh rubs Dino’s nipple with his finger and Dino begs off! He gets down on all fours and pounds the mat while Teioh adjusts his elbow pad. Another day at the office for the fifteen-time champion. This title must change hands a lot.

Now Teioh drops to all fours and lets Dino ride him. Series of go-behinds leads to Teioh on top, patting Dino on the back. Dino is very frustrated. Teioh picks up the microphone and tells Dino something that the fans find humorous. He gets a big hug from the female ref who’s name escapes me at the moment but I’ve seen before. Dino starts threatening her because…he’s jealous? Makes sense. Teioh then hypnotizes Dino! Now this is what I’ve been waiting for! Dino starts flapping his arms while walking around the ring, then he starts acting like he’s playing a piano or something. He staggers around and then approaches female ref again and head butts her! He’s snapped out of it and now he fires away on Teioh. Choke slam followed by a…well, um, Dino lowers his pants, puts his hands behind his head and squat thrusts above Teioh. I’m sure there’s a name for this. It gets a two count. Teioh wipes his face while Dino goes up top…Teioh hits the ropes and Dino walks across the top rope before crotching himself! Well, why not? Dino is in pain now, and Teioh continues to target the groin area with a mule kick. Teioh spreads Dino’s legs, and after some conversation Teioh punches him right in the balls. Delayed vertical suplex by Teioh, who finally drops Dino after having his pants reached into. Teioh goozles Dino, who goes to the ropes. Teioh goozles Dino again, but Dino reverses the choke slam attempt into a hip toss, and then…hits a Stunner-like move except he’s holding Teioh’s balls during it. I don’t think Austin ever thought of that one.

KISS! A long one too. Teioh raises his arms on 2, breaks the kiss and applies one of his own! Dino raises his arm on two, Teioh overhead suplexes Dino, Dino shows FIGHTING SPIRIT and hits a…Shining Crotch? Sure, why not? Both men are slow to get up…Dino forearms Teioh and rams him in the nether regions, Teioh goes into the corner and Dino stretches his pants out…sure enough, Teioh sticks his head in and Dino piledrives him! I think I saw Lawler do that once in Memphis. A cover gets two. Now Dino takes his tights off, he takes Teioh’s tights off, and puts them on himself! That’s gotta be some sort of psychological warfare. He fires away with forearms, Teioh blocks a choke slam, knocks Dino down and puts on Dino’s trunks! Big forearm and a thrust sends Dino into the corner, and now Teioh sticks Dino’s head in his tights and piledrives him! Count gets two. Now Teioh does a cradle version of that piledriver, which I think I saw Jerry Lynn do once in ECW. Two count! Piledrivers don’t seem to mean much in Japan.

Dino swings wildly at Teioh and misses, Teioh does not, and a running forearm knocks Dino down. He goozles Dino, but then decides to goozle Dino’s balls and apply a modified version of Miracle Ecstasy (Choke powerbomb)! That gets the three count at 12:05!

After the match, female ref hands the belt to Teioh for the 16th time, and there’s nothing quite like a title belt with “GAY” emblazoned on the center plate and cartoon drawings of penises around it. Dino grabs the mike and gives what appears to be a rather emotional promo congratulating Teioh. Dino gets a hug from Teioh as he leaves. We then get locker room footage of them shaking hands and they talk to the press people around as the show ends.

Match Thoughts: This is pretty much what somebody would expect from a “Gay World Anal Title Match”. Say what you will about Dino and his act, but he’s a pretty darn good entertainer and the DDT fans seemed really happy with this effort. This is something that would never see the light of day in any mainstream American wrestling promotion for a number of reasons that probably don‘t need to be explained, but I thought it was a pretty funny piece of business and sometimes that’s all I want out of my pro wrestling. ***

And, with that, our first ever IndyVersary celebration will draw to a close. We will be back next week with a more traditional installment of I2I, and we hope to be able to celebrate another IndyVersary in just twelve short months!

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