Toryumon TV 4 or Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 1999
July 11, 1999But first we get a few matches from a show in Fukuoka on America’s 223rd birthday.
July 4, 1999 – Fukuoka, Japan
Genki Horiguchi vs. Yasushi Kanda
We start with a rematch of Toryumon Japan’s inaugural match. Horiguchi is now wearing a wetsuit, showing off his new surfer gimmick. They do a typical lucha-inspired exchange to start. Kanda works the leg. They trade chops until Kanda puts on a headlock. He hits a shoulder tackle. He hits a hiptoss. Horiguchi comes back with a dropkick. Kanda hits a vertical suplex for 2. He hits a pair of elbowdrops for 2. They trade chops again in an exchange that Kanda wins. He hits a powerslam. He hits the flying elbowdrop to the back for 2. He hits a German suplex for 2. Horiguchi crotches him up top, smacks him and brings him down with the Beach Break. It gets 2 when Kanda slips his foot under the ropes. Horiguchi hits a moonsault for 2. Kanda blocks a second Beach Break attempt and puts on a Boston crab. Horiguchi powers out but Kanda gets a roll up for 2. Kanda hits a side slam but misses the flying elbowdrop. Horiguchi hits a diving senton and puts on the GH Lock for the win at 9:55. Total squash for Kanda with a fluke win for Horiguchi. Horiguchi sold like a champ throughout, making this really enjoyable. I also really like how the finish played off the finish of their first match.
Rating: ***¼
TARU {CM} vs. Stalker Ichikawa
This is another rematch from the first Toryumon Japan show. It seems a little early for there to be two rematches on the same show. This is some kind of title match, though for the life of me I can’t figure out what belt TARU has. Wikipedia tells me that TARU was once the World Lucha Libre Martial Arts Champion, though it doesn’t say when so I don’t know if that’s what this belt is. Ichikawa steals the belt at the bell. He pokes TARU’s bum with his pitchfork. He stalls forever. TARU sweeps the leg, making first contact three minutes into the match. They trade holds on the mat. Ichikawa misses wide on a crossbody attempt. TARU rubs his face against the ropes. He hits a chair shot. Ichikawa goes to the eyes. He hits a suicide dive after a few dive taunts. That’s the most I’ve ever seen Ichikawa move. Back in the ring TARU beats Ichikawa to the mat. He hits a delayed brainbuster for 2 with a one-finger cover. He blocks a sunset flip so Ichikawa hits the Kancho. He goes for a powerbomb but his butthole hurts too much to hit it. He tries again but Ichikawa counters to a hurricanrana for 2. TARU hits chest kicks. Ichikawa hits a dragon screw. He gets la magistral for 2. He starts beating on TARU but TARU no-sells it completely and smacks Ichikawa. Ichikawa hits a low blow. TARU crotches him up top. Ichikawa gets a backslide for 2. TARU finishes things with the TARU Driller and then makes Ichikawa into his own personal toilet at 10:25. Is Ichikawa going ten minutes insane? Yes. Did they manage to make it interesting by telling a wild story including near-falls for Ichikawa? Surprisingly yes.
Rating: **¼
Magnum TOKYO, Kenichiro Arai & SAITO vs. TARU {CM}, Shiima Nobunaga {CM} & Sumo Fuji {CM}
Judo Suwa was supposed to be in this match, but, but he was hurt and started attacking TOKYO with a chair and a crutch, so he was ejected. The match starts with just Nobunaga and Fuji on the Crazy Max side, getting destroyed by the Toryumon heroes. After a minute TARU runs out to take SUWA’s place. Fuji hits TOKYO with a back elbow and a side slam. Nobunaga hits a senton. He and Fuji hit a double back elbow for 1. Fuji tries to absorb Arai’s headbutts. Crazy Max gangs up on Arai in the corner. Nobunaga hits a prolonged low blow. TARU rakes the eyes. He hits the Kakato Otoshi. Nobunaga hits a dropkick. SAITO dropkicks TARU to give his team control. TARU and TOKYO have trouble getting through a sequence. TOKYO hits a swinging DDT on the floor. Nobunaga hits Arai with a spin kick. Arai hits a big boot and a standing moonsault for 2. He misses a charge and hits the post. Fuji chokes SAITO. He stays in control with elbows. SAITO hits a backdrop and a dropkick. TOKYO hits an Arabian press for 2. TARU stands on TOKYO’s neck. Nobunaga hits legdrops for 2. He hits Arai with a low blow. I’m having a really hard time staying invested in this match. TARU hits SAITO with an elbowdrop. Fuji hits an elbowdrop for 2. SAITO puts on an armbar. Nobunaga hits a senton. TARU puts on a Boston crab. Nobunaga hits the X-Factor for 2. He and Fuji lift and drop SAITO for 2. SAITO dropkicks TARU’s leg. He hits Fuji with something I can’t make out but the commentators call a facebuster. He hits Nobunaga with a dropkick. Arai cleans house with headbutts. He hits TARU with a suicide dive. TOKYO hits Nobunaga with the Gyrating Frankensteiner. Fuji hits a chokeslam. Nobunaga hits an Asai moonsault for 2. Fuji hits a powerslam for 2. He hits a low blow. TOKYO hits a spin kick. He hits a quebrada. SAITO gets the ugliest sunset flip ever on TARU for 2. He gets a backslide for 2. TARU hits a wheelbarrow suplex for 2. He hits the TARU Driller for 2. Nobunaga hits Arai with a neckbreaker. He hits the Venus. Arai comes back with headbutts. SUWA smacks Arai with a crutch from the floor. Nobunaga hits the Perfect Driver. Arai hits an avalanche chinbreaker. He hits the 450 splash but doesn’t go for the cover. He hits a diving headbutt for 2. That’s his own fault. TARU hits a spiderbomb for 2. He hits TOKYO with an ax kick for 2. He hits the T-Crush for 2. TOKYO hits a lariat. He hits the Viagra Driver and goes for the AV Star Press but SUWA throws a chair at him. Nobunaga hits the Venus and Iconoclasm for 2. Fuji hits a chokeslam and TARU hits a diving legdrop for 2. Nobunaga hits a corkscrew plancha. TOKYO counters the TARU Driller to a reverse DDT. He hits a dragon suplex for 2. He hits the Viagra Driver and the AV Star Press for the win at 29:03. The last third of the match was worthwhile and actually a ton of fun, but the first two thirds were really hard to get through. The moral of the story here is to cut ten minutes out of the main event and don’t wrestle for a half an hour for the sake of it.
Rating: ***½
Everyone continues to brawl after the match.
July 11, 1999 – Kobe, Japan
This was the first Toryumon show in Kobe World Hall, marking the point from which all anniversaries would be celebrated through Toryumon’s demise and into Dragon Gate history.
TAKA Michinoku {WWF} vs. Chocoball Kobe {CM}
Suwa distracts Michinoku, allowing Kobe to get early control. Michinoku comes back with jabs and a dropkick. Suwa pulls Michinoku to the floor and abuses him there. He holds Michinoku for a low blow from Kobe. In the ring Kobe opens up with kicks. He hits an enziguiri. Michinoku goes to the eyes. He hits a dropkick. He hits his big plancha. Back in the ring Michinoku hits a missile dropkick. He finishes Kobe off with the Michinoku Driver at 3:04. This was really all Kobe before the finish, but the match was short enough that TAKA never really looked weak. Suwa and Michinoku trade barbs on the microphone after the match.
Rating: *½
Shiima Nobunaga {CM}, TARU {CM}, Sumo Fuji {CM} & Sasuke the Great {MP} vs. Magnum TOKYO, The Great Sasuke {MP}, Tiger Mask {MP} & Kenichiro Arai
The match is joined in progress with Arai controlling TARU. He hits a springboard headbutt. TARU hits a leg kick and a lariat. Evil Sasuke hits a double stomp. Nobunaga and Fuji follow suit for 2. Arai retakes control by hitting headbutts on Fuji. Sasuke puts on a leglock. Mask hits a dropkick. Evil Sasuke hits a delayed piledriver for 2. Mask opens up with kicks on TARU. TARU hits Arai with a low blow. He hits the Kakato Otoshi. Nobunaga hits the prolonged low blow. He and Fuji hit a dropkick sandwich for 2. They throw him to the mat for 2. Evil Sasuke helps Fuji hit a powerbomb. Fuji puts on a Boston crab. Arai gets to the ropes. Nobunaga hits the X Factor for 2. He accidentally hits Suwa with a baseball slide. Evil Sasuke accidentally attacks Fuji. Mask and Sasuke clean house. Mask hits a suicide dive. Sasuke goes for the Sasuke Special but Suwa hits him with his crutch. Fuji hits TOKYO with a powerslam for 2. TOKYO comes back with the Gyrating Frankensteiner. He hits a quebrada. Sasuke catches TARU with a sunset flip. TARU blocks the missile dropkick. He hits a double jump moonsault for 2. Suwa accidentally cracks TARU with the crutch. Sasuke hits a moonsault press for 2. TARU hits the T-Crush for 2. Mask catches Evil Sasuke with a victory roll for 2. Evil Sasuke hits a big boot and a quebrada. Nobunaga hits Arai with a neckbreaker. Arai hits a chinbreaker. He hits a diving headbutt for 2. Nobunaga hits the Venus. He hits it again in the corner. He hits the Iconoclasm. He hits the Perfect Driver. Sasuke stops him from hitting the Mad Splash and Arai hits the avalanche chinbreaker. He hits the 450 splash but doesn’t go for the cover. Dude doesn’t learn. He hits a backbreaker and a diving headbutt for 2. Fuji hits a lariat. Nobunaga hits a neckbreaker. TARU hits a head kick. Fuji hits another lariat for 2. Nobunaga hits a corkscrew plancha. TOKYO catches Fuji with la magistral for 2. Fuji hits a powerslam for 2. He hits a chokeslam for 2. TOKYO hits a lariat for 2. Evil Sasuke hits a low blow and a powerbomb. Fuji hits another chokeslam. TARU hits a diving legdrop for 2. TOKYO hits the Gyrating Frankensteiner on Fuji. He hits a dragon suplex for 2. The way he hits that move looks so dangerous. Sasuke dives onto Evil Sasuke. TOKYO hits Fuji with the Viagra Driver. He hits the AV Star Press for the win at 18:03 shown of 30:24. The finish was totally chaotic, but this was worlds better than the six-man main event from earlier in the show. Just crazy, non-stop action all the way through. A great success for the first marquee show from Toryumon.
Rating: ****
The show ends with clips of the parking lot show from July 10th. We see Horiguchi beating Susumu Mochizuki with the GH Lock, Tsubo Genjin beating Stalker Ichikawa with a nerve hold, and Crazy Max defeating Kanda, Arai and TOKYO when Fuji caught Kanda with a lariat.
