Toryumon TV 1 or King of Dragon

Toryumon comes to Japan.

January 31, 1999 – Tokyo, Japan

I originally saw and reviewed most of these matches when they appeared on the Gate of Decade special in 2009, but there’s an extra match on this episode of this show and three times more of the main event is shown. This was the first episode of this program and it chronicled Toryumon Japan’s first show. Before this Ultimo Dragon had been giving his students experience in Mexico. The show has a studio format, with Magnum TOKYO and Dragon hosting and introducing the matches.

Genki Horiguchi vs. Yasushi Kanda
This was the very first official Toryumon Japan match ever. We are joined in progress with Horiguchi (dressed like Jorge Rivera) hitting a bodyslam. He hits a dropkick. He hits a couple armdrags and a head scissors takedown. Kanda hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. They trade chops until Horiguchi hits another dropkick for 2. He gets a roll up for 2. Kanda hits a powerslam. He hits an elbowdrop for 2. Horiguchi goes for a submission but Kanda gets to the ropes. Horiguchi hits a crossbody and a hurricanrana for 2. Kanda hits a powerbomb. He hits a clothesline. He hits a side slam and a flying elbowdrop for the win at 4:07 shown of 9:07. Solid stuff for guys with seven months wrestling experience.
Rating: **

Susumu Mochizuki vs. Kenichiro Arai
We’re joined in progress again. Mochizuki has Arai in a chinlock. His hair is just plain awful, and it’s weird to see Arai with hair at all. Arai gets to the ropes. Arai hits a standing moonsault for 2. He puts on a Boston crab. Mochizuki gets to the ropes. He puts on a cross armbreaker but Arai gets to the ropes. Mochizuki goes back to the cross armbreaker. He hits a leg lariat for 2. He hits a Finlay roll for 2. He slaps on the cross armbreaker again. He peppers Arai with kicks. He was like Masaaki in more than just the shared name back then. Arai hits a chinbreaker and a clothesline for 2. He hits an atomic drop and a dropkick. He hits a headbutt off the bottom rope for 2. It looked like he wanted to go higher but couldn’t get it together. He hits headbutts to stay in control. He hits another off the top for the win at 5:59 shown of 9:10. Again they kept it simple, and Arai came out looking pretty good all around. Mochizuki is hesitant to shake Arai’s hand after the match, but eventually relents.
Rating: **

Yoshikazu Taru {CM} vs. Stalker Ichikawa
Ichikawa had a tail at this point. He pokes Taru’s eyes to start. He hits double chops but they do nothing to Taru. He avoids Taru’s kicks with twirls. Taru slugs him to the mat. Ichikawa side-steps him, forcing him to the floor. He taunts Taru. Taru comes back into the ring and kicks Ichikawa’s back. He puts on a chinlock. He hits a delayed brainbuster for 2 with a cocky cover. Ichikawa hits a drop toehold and gets a roll up for 2. Taru kicks his chest and back. He hits the Taru Driller and pins Ichikawa with one finger for the win at 4:22. This was exactly what you’d expect from these guys, before you had any idea who they were.
Rating: *

Shiima Nobunaga {CM}, Judo Suwa {CM} & Sumo Fuji {CM} vs. Magnum TOKYO, Dragon Kid & SAITO [Elimination Match]
I first saw and reviewed this match when it aired on Dragon Gate’s Gate of Decade special. That show only aired 16:15 of the match. I’m using my play-by-play from that review, but my thoughts afterwards will be fresh. You know the Crazy Max team today as CIMA, SUWA and Don Fujii. SAITO is not Ryo Saito, but rather the man who would later become Super Shisa. The match starts in progress with Suwa holding TOKYO in a hammerlock. TOKYO comes back with a dropkick. Nobunaga hits Kid with a double stomp. Kid hits a dropkick. He hits a head scissors takedown. He hits a hurricanrana and the Bermuda Triangle. Fuji dives out onto Kid. SAITO dives onto Fuji. Suwa and Nobunaga follow suit. TOKYO hits a crazy moonsault press to the floor. Crazy Max triple-teams Kid. Kid hits Suwa with a super hurricanrana. TOKYO tags in and hits Suwa with a scary super hurricanrana. He hits a head scissors takedown on the floor. SAITO dropkicks the crap out of Fuji. Kid eliminates Suwa with a Dragon Rana. SAITO rolls up Fuji for 2. Fuji hits a bulldog. He hits a powerslam for 2. SAITO counters a chokeslam to a cross armbreaker but Nobunaga helps Fuji get to the ropes. Nobunaga hits the Venus and Iconclasm. Fuji hits a low blow. He hits a second rope chokeslam to eliminate SAITO. TOKYO hits a brainbuster for 2. Fuji hits a lariat. He hits a chokeslam for 2. TOKYO hits a facebuster. Fuji hits Kid with a huge chokeslam for 2. Kid counters another to a hurricanrana to eliminate Fuji. TOKYO hits Nobunaga with a Tombstone Piledriver and Kid hits a phoenix splash for 2. He hits a 450 splash but is too wiped out to capitalize. Kid hits a hurricanrana for 2. He hits a Dragon Rana but Crazy Max interferes en masse to stop the pin. Nobunaga hits the Mad Splash to eliminate Kid. Ultimo Dragon sends out the roster to drag Taru away. Nobunaga and TOKYO trade roll ups. TOKYO hits a super hurricanrana. He hits the Egoist Driver for 2. He hits the AV Star Press for the win at 42:29 shown of 45:04. In my original review I said I was scared to ask if the full match existed anywhere, as it felt like 15 minutes aired was just the right amount of time for these guys. I stand by that, as in this full match Kid looked completely out of his element and was very sloppy, and everyone else wrestled pretty loose as well. That said I’d still say that this was solid, and a fitting main event for the debut show.
Rating: ***