JPW WRESTLE UNIVERSE
Fukuoka Dome
Fukuoka, Japan
April 4, 2008
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Eight-Man Tag Team Match
The Funk Brothers/Steve Williams/Terry Gordy
def.
Giant Baba/Jumbo Tsuruta/Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue
by C.O
An incredible eight-man tag team encounter opened up the show. The gaijin team will be spending most of April in Japan and they hit the island like a storm. Baba, Jumbo and Taue took the majority of the punishment in this one, but fought back after taking such moves as the Oklahoma Stampede, the Oriental Spike and the Spinning Toe Hold. The Funks, Doc and Gordy didn't seem all that happy to be on the same side but grudgingly worked together. Gordy threw Baba to the outside and delivered a crushing powerbomb, which resulted in a countout.
A whole lot more happened after the match. It seemed the Funks didn't think their partners needed to take the match outside the way they did. The four men were arguing when Atsushi Onita and W*ING Kanemura stormed into the middle of it and laid out the gaijins with steel chairs.
LLI Middleweight Championship
Ultimo Dragon (ch) def. Juventud Guerrera
The Japanese fans have enjoyed seeing the great Luchadors in recent weeks here in JPW. Ultimo Dragon had this match in hand for the most part and beat Guerrera with the Dragon Sleeper.
International Womens Championship
The tournament opening ceremonies took place in the center of the ring with all 16 participants being introduced. The tournament will be double elimination and takes place over the next two weeks.
GRAND PRIX TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Manami Toyota def. Yumi Fukawa
Toyota never gave Fukawa the chance to get her down on the mat and work any submission holds. Toyota crushed Fukawa with the Ocean Cyclone Suplex to advance.
April Hunter (GPW) def. Dump Matsumoto by DQ
What an unbelievably brutal fight turned in by these two. By the end Hunter was bleeding profusely from Matsumoto's use of foreign objects and chairs. Hunter still controlled the majority of the action, but Dump kicked out of the Headhunter. They fought on the floor and finally the referee had to call for the bell and disqualify Matsumoto.
Misty Blue Simms (BSW) def. Princess Victoria (TAG)
An absolute five-star classic as Misty Blue dominated the match, but Princess Victoria fought like a true champion. Over and over, time after time Victoria got the shoulder up or a foot on the ropes. Misty Blue used a slingshot suplex and then the Superfly Leap but even that wasn't enough. Misty went to the airplane spin again and this time got the three count. The two shook hands and embraced after the match.
Bull Nakano def. Luna Vachon (SSCW)
This match put two out of control women against each other. Nakano proved to be too strong, but Luna stood right with her in the hardcore tactics outside the ring. Nakano got the pin after a DDT. After the match, Dump Matsumoto helped inflict some more punishment on Vachon. That attack brought a bandaged April Hunter back out to run off Bull and Dump.
Aja Kong def. Mayumi Ozaki
The sheer size advantage of Aja Kong didn't make winning an easy thing. Ozaki showed all the heart anyone could ask in fighting against overwhelming odds. Kong finally downed Ozaki with a brutal Uraken.
Madusa Miceli (WCCW) def. Reggie Bennett (GPW)
Another great match that could have gone either way. Bennett easily overpowered Madusa, but Miceli kept turning things around after going to the outside. Madusa dropped Bennett with a back suplex, but later Miceli somehow kicked out after a top rope splash by Bennett. Madusa powered Bennett up for an airplane spin and picked up the three count.
Chigusa Nagayo def. Chaparrita Asari
These two showed another match between different styles. Asari maintained some offense until missing the Skytwister Press. Nagayo took over after that and won the match with the Superfreak (gut wrench highangle powerbomb).
Akira Hokuto def. Devil Masami
Hokuto wasted no time at all and blew through Masami. Hokuto tried to take her out permanently by dropping her on her head outside. After that, the Northern Lights Bomb finished off Masami.
The first round is in the books. Here is how the bracket looks now.
Winner's Bracket QuarterfinalsManami Toyota vs. Bull Nakano
Chigusa Nagayo vs. Misty Blue Simms
Madusa Miceli vs. Aja Kong
Akira Hokuto vs. April Hunter
Loser's Bracket First RoundYumi Fukawa vs. Luna Vachon
Chaparrita Asari vs. Princess Victoria
Reggie Bennett vs. Mayumi Ozaki
Devil Masami vs. Dump Matsumoto
Rocky Mountain Cruiserweight Championship
Tiger Mask (ch) def. Hector Garza
Hector Garza upset Tiger Mask in a non-title match last week. This time around Tiger Mask made sure that didn't happen. His slight edge in speed was enough to take the upper hand and pin Garza with a Tiger Suplex.
Six-Man Tag Team Match
Tatsumi Fujinami/Riki Choshu/Antonio Inoki def. Gary Albright/Johnny Ace/Rusher Kimura
What happened at the conclusion of this match was much more important than the actual result. Before it even got underway, Choshu and Fujinami argued over who would start the match. Choshu refused to so Fujinami came in. All during the match, Fujinami and Choshu would not tag each other. Inoki took the brunt of triple teams by the opponents. When Choshu or Fujinami did tag in the other, they did so with a slap to the face. The two would trade slaps and chops before getting back into the match. Fujinami pinned Kimura with a sunset flip. Then Choshu attacked his former partner with chops, kicks and slams. The two had to be restrained from further fighting.
Best 2/3 Falls
International Tag Team Championship
Masahiro Chono/Hiroyoshi Tenzan (ch) def. Seiji Sakaguchi/Strong Kobayashi, 2-0
Both teams really fought with all the intensity they could muster. The champs were in charge most of the time but couldn't get either opponent into postion for a cover. The first fall came when Tenzan used a superplex on Kobayashi. The second fall came quickly as Tenzan tagged in Chono and the STF finished off Kobayashi. Chono put the STF on again as Tenzan took Sakaguchi to the outside. Then Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue came in to fight wiht the champs.
Best 2/3 Falls
International Heavyweight Championship
Kensuki Sasaki def. The Great Muta (ch), 2-0
The challenger really looked like he was on a mission in this first fall. Muta did little to slow him down and took a major beating both in and out of the ring. Despite this, Muta did hit the Moonsault but Sasaki was too strong. Muta whethered the storm until the King Buster gave Sasaki the first fall. Sasaki kept up the pressure in the second fall. He overwhelmed Muta his strength and won the match after another power slam and lariat. Kensuki Sasaki is the new International heavyweight champion!