JPW WRESTLE KINGDOM
Seibu Dome
Seibu, Japan
Feb. 29, 2008
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<video runs of the Champions Carnival and Super Grade Tag Team Tournaments>
Wrestlers from around the world came to Japan and spent the month of February in round-robin competition in an effort to become champion. Tonight the first ever International heavyweight singles and tag team champions will be crowned.
10-Man Tag Team Match
Rusher Kimura/Animal Hamaguchi/Billy Jack Haynes/Jun Akiyama/Yoshiaki Fujiwara
def.
Hiroshi Hase/Akira Nogami/Akira Maeda/Osamu Kido/Al Snow
Some nice back and forth action at the start as both teams worked all members into the match. Fujiwara tagged in after Haynes powerslammed Al Snow and locked in the armbar and forced a submission.
Cactus Jack def. Stan Stasiak
These two took the fight in and out of the ring. Stasiak did hammer Jack with the Heart Punch but he got his foot on the ropes. Cactus kept sending Stasiak to the outside, but the end came when Stasiak charged right into a steel chair.
Hiro Saito/Toru Tanaka def. Dick Slater/Buzz Sawyer
The very first match on the debut JPW show Feb. 1 these teams fought tooth and nail until Slater and Sawyer were disqualified. This time around was another excellent tag team match. Tanaka had Slater in the Shininomaki for a time but couldn't put him away. Sawyer battled both opponents for quite awhile. Tanaka put Slater out with the sleeper.
Christopher Daniels def. Mil Mascaras
The Fallen Angel came up with a huge win for his young career. Daniels crushed Mascaras on the outside with a plancha, sending him into the steel railing. Daniels landed the BME and then the Angel's Wings for the win.
Masked Superstar def. Super Strong Machine
From the high-fliers to the big men. Masked Superstar completely dominated the match. Super Strong Machine barely had an any offense at all and the M.S. used his Cobra hold to get the win.
Stampede Wrestling
Commonwealth Mid-Hwt. Title Tournament Final
Dean Malenko def. Adrian Street
Street started fast with the flying crucifix and the London bridge leglock, but Malenko survived. Malenko stopped Street from going up top. Later Malenko slammed him off the top again, but Street made it to the ropes while in the Texas Cloverleaf. After fighting on the outside Malenko got the Texas Cloverleaf on again and forced the submission.
Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Headhunters/Wild Samoans def. Moondogs/Bulldog Brower/Mountie
This time the action shifts from the mid-heavyweights to the wild and crazy heavyweights. The Headhunters take over against Moodog Rex. After a tag it's the Samoans double teaming Bulldog Brower, but the Mountie breaks it up. Bulldog turns things around after going to the outside. Sika is in trouble until catching Moondog Spot with a thrust kick. Headhunter B comes off the top rope with an elbow smash on Spot to get the pin.
Lou Thesz/Ed Lewis def. Dory Funk Jr./Gene Kiniski
Kiniski sets up Lewis for Funk to come in with consecutive Butterfly suplexes. The teams fight back and forth until Thesz and Kiniski both go down hard. Kiniski kicks out of the Greco Roman backdrop. Lewis works Kiniski over with the side headlock. Thesz finally holds Kiniski down for the three count.
Steve Williams/Terry Gordy fought the Blackjacks to a double DQ
These teams picked up bad feelings after Gordy and Williams came down to ringside during the last round-robin match for the Blackjacks. Mulligan and Lanza took control of the fight and kept Gordy and Williams from getting into their attack. The match was spent both in and out of the ring and finally everything broke down and both teams were disqualified.
David/Kerry Von Erich def. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue
Kerry Von Erich started the match and wouldn't make the tag when David wanted it. He took Kawada outside and almost won by countout. David finally got in the match, but when Kawada left the ring, Kerry attacked him again and Kawada barely made back inside. David went to the Iron Claw which brought Taue in for the save. Kerry stayed in the ring and put the claw on Kawada. Finally Kawada got a breather coming off the ropes. Kerry tagged himself in and went to work on Taue, winning with the Discus Punch. The two brothers didn't look happy with each other. David didn't like how aggressive Kerry was and Kerry wanted to know what was wrong, they won the match. Kerry then whirled around and nailed David with the Discus Punch and left the ring.
Six-Man Tag Team Match
Giant Baba/Rikidozan/Genichiro Tenryu def. Kenta Kobashi/Kensuki Sasaki/Shinya Hashimoto
All six went at it in a furious pace. The match went back and forth until Baba beat Kobashi with the Neckbreaker Drop.
Dan Kroffat/Doug Furnas def. Seiji Sakaguchi/Strong Kobayashi
These were the two teams that lost their semifinal matches last night in Sapporo. The match was even until Furnas started to take over against Sakaguchi and landed the Frankensteiner. Sakaguchi took a beating until finally stopping Furnas off the ropes. Kobayashi used the Canadian Backbreaker on Furnas. Kobayashi fought off both opponents, but Sakaguchi lost after charging into the turnbuckle.
TRADITION Heavyweight Championship
Submission Match
Bret Hart (ch) def. Chris Jericho
Jericho went on the attack and maintained the advantage until the two spilled to the floor. The match went back and forth and both went to the outside again. This time Lance Storm and Jim Neidhart, who had come down to ringside during the match, all of a sudden the Thrillseekers started pounding on Jericho. Hart got back in the ring, then Jericho pulled himself in as well. The Hitman put on the Sharpshooter and it was all over. The Thrillseekers took a few more shots at Jericho and left the ring with the Hitman.
Antonio Inoki def. Mitsuharu Misawa
These two lost in the semifinals of the Champions Carnival Tournament last night. During round-robin play, Misawa got the victory over Inoki. It was all offense for Misawa for several minutes. The two went back and forth and Inoki began to take controll. Misawa battled back but another Enzuigiri put away Misawa.
Super Grade Tag Team Tournament Final
Bruiser Brody/Stan Hansen def. Road Warriors
This was an absolute dream match between four of the toughest men the sport has ever known. It was more of a fight then a wrestling match and could have gone either way. There was all sorts of brawling on the outside and saves made on both sides after pin attempts. After Animal came in and all four were fighting, Hansen hit Hawk with the Lariat one more time and got the three count. Your International Tag Team champions are Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen.
Champions Carnival Tournament Final
The Great Muta def. Jumbo Tsuruta
These two had a great match during pool play that ended with Jumbo winning by countout. Muta opened up with an offensive flurry. The two went back and forth. Muta took over and had Jumbo in a lot of trouble. Muta spews the Green Mist! Muta goes up for the Moonsault. 1-2-3 it's over! The first International heavyweight champion is the Great Muta!