Vamanos Amigos 73 or El Numero Cero 2004

This episode chronicles the round robin tournament leading up to the El Numero Uno PPV in late April.

March 26, 2008 – Yokohama, Japan

Michael Iwasa {FB} & Daniel Mishima {FB} vs. Stalker Ichikawa [Handicap Match]
Iwasa starts by putting Ichikawa in a wristlock. Ichikawa escapes with an armdrag. He puts Mishima in a headlock. Mishima hits a shoulder tackle. The Floridas drop toehold Ichikawa onto each other’s feet. They hit a double big boot, a double back elbow and a double elbowdrop. They choke Ichikawa in the corner. Why are they having a real match? Ichikawa comes back with a back bodydrop and an eye poke. He walks the ropes and hits a dropkick. He hits the 619 and a topé suicida. He hits Mishima with a low blow. He hits the Kancho and the 619. He gets la magistral for 2 when Iwasa distracts the referee. Ichikawa won’t use his pitchfork so Iwasa fakes like he was impaled through the head with it and wins the match by disqualification at 5:25. I can’t figure out for the life of me why they went the serious route until the finish, but it wasn’t terrible.
Rating: **

Henry III Sugawara had been courted by Aagan Iisou earlier in the year. Recently a clown had been attacking CIMA with Sugawara’s finisher the Buckingham Drop. CIMA unmasked the clown as “brother” YASSHI. Anthony W. Mori attacked YASSHI for besmirching his partner’s good name. Still, the two are scheduled for an El Numero Uno match against each other, so they must fight regardless.

Anthony W. Mori {RB} vs. Henry III Sugawara {RB} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
The Aagan Iisou clowns run out during Sugawara’s entrance and attack Mori en masse. They all unmask, and one of them is Sugawara!!! Mori fires at him with a forearm. Sugawara comes back with the Buckingham Drop for the win in 31 seconds. That’s a fun heel turn if ever there was one. I loved the visual of Sugawara appearing among the masses of evil clowns, giving it a more brainwashed feel than all the Dr. Muscle turns we get nowadays (the latest of which was, oddly, Sugawara returning to Dragon Gate). All points for the effectiveness of the heel turn.
Rating: *

Sugawara runs down Mori on the microphone after the match and then cuts off his own ponytail to show Mori just how finished with the Royal Brothers he is. He also cuts off Mori’s royal shirt. Mori is too miserable to fight back, so Ryo Saito runs out to make the save. He tries to snap Mori out of it but has no luck.

Susumu Yokosuka {DF} vs. Touru Owashi {AI} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Aagan Iisou leader Masaaki Mochizuki defeated Yokosuka on PPV back in February and then assaulted him after the match, so to say Yokosuka has problems with Aagan Iisou is an understatement. Owashi and Yokosuka lock up to start. Owashi hits a shoulder tackle. He sends Yokosuka into the crowd where Aagan Iisou attacks him. The Italian Connection comes out to get Yokosuka’s back. Owashi hits a vertical suplex for 2. He hits Yokosuka with a chair. He puts on a chinlock. Sugawara scrambles to escape so Owashi puts on a double chicken wing. Yokosuka gets to the ropes. He avoids a charge and dropkicks Owashi’s knee. He hits the Ashi Yokosuka. He hits a diving kneedrop on the knee. He puts on a figure 4 leglock. Aagan Iisou takes out the referee and beats on Yokosuka. Owashi hits an avalanche. He and Shuji Kondo double-team Yokosuka. He hits a chokeslam for 2. A new referee comes in but Owashi takes him out. The Italian Conneciton and Do Fixer run in to beat on Owashi. Yokosuka hits an exploder. He hits a plancha. Owashi stands through the Jumbo no Kachi. A second one puts Owashi against the ropes and a third puts him on the mat for 2. Owashi blocks a miracle piledriver and hits a backdrop. He hits a big boot for 2. Yokosuka counters a powerbomb to a hurricanrana for 2. Owashi hits the running chokeslam and the Superfly Splash for the win at 8:04 shown of 11:03. The crowd was insane for this match. All the gaga in the middle of the match was pretty unnecessary, as Yokosuka does a great job of playing the underdog without all that stuff. Owashi got to look like quite the monster here.
Rating: **¾

Two days later Owashi gave YOSSINO much of the same treatment, beating him in an El Numero Uno match. CIMA took on Masaaki Mochizuki that night in what looked like an amazing match. They beat the crap out of each other until neither could stand and the match was a draw. I wish that had aired in full. SUWA battled Dragon Kid and picked up the win with the FFF. That gives us the following standings:
A Block
CIMA: 3
Masaaki Mochizuki: 5
Genki Horiguchi: 4
Shuji Kondo: 4
Anthony W. Mori: 0
Takuya Sugawara: 4
B Block
SUWA: 6
Milano Collection AT: 2
Dragon Kid: 2
Ryo Saito: 3
Second Doi: 4
“brother” YASSHI: 0
C Block
Don Fujii: 0
TARU: 2
Kenichiro Arai: 0
Susumu Yokosuka: 0
YOSSINO: 4
Touru Owashi: 8

But, but SUWA and Saito were hurt during the tournament, changing the field quite a bit in the B Block. SUWA forfeited his remaining matches and Naoki Tanisaki took Saito’s place and got his points.

April 4, 2004 – Sendai, Japan

CIMA {CM} vs. Takuya Sugawara {AI} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Mori accompanies Sugawara to the ring, brainwashed by his evil former friend. Sugawara attacks before the bell. He sends CIMA’s shoulder into the post. He gets some help from his Aagan Iisou allies. They trade strikes in an exchange that CIMA wins. CIMA hits a dropkick. He tries to get Mori to attack Sugawara but Mori won’t do it. CIMA kicks Sugawara’s face on the apron. He hits a knee kick in the ring. He hits a piledriver for 2. He hits a side suplex. He hits four more but won’t go for the pin. A sixth side suplex and Mori is freaking out. CIMA puts on a chinlock. Saito tries to keep Mori under control. Sugawara comes back with a backbreaker. CIMA hits a superkick. Aagan Iisou gangs up on CIMA in the corner. Crazy Max does the same to Sugawara. CIMA hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. Mori distracts and attacks CIMA. Sugawara hits a lariat. He hits the Shiisanpuuta (his new name for the Buckingham Drop) for the win at 7:57. The match wasn’t much, just a CIMA beating, but the finish helped move the storyline along and gave Sugawara a big upset win. After the match Sugawara beats on Mori.
Rating: **¼

Don Fujii {CM} vs. Susumu Yokosuka {DF} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Fujii hits a lariat. Yokosuka hits an exploder for 1. He hits the Yokosuka Cutter for 2. Fujii powers through the Jumbo no Kachi and hits a lariat. Yokosuka hits the Jumbo no Kachi to the back and another to the front. He hits the Jumbo no Kachigatame for the win at 1:00 shown of 12:30.

Masaaki Mochizuki {AI}, Shuji Kondo {AI}, Touru Owashi {AI} & “brother” YASSHI {AI} vs. Milano Collection AT {IC}, YOSSINO {IC}, Genki Horiguchi {DF} & Naoki Tanisaki
This match came about when the Italian Connection saved Do Fixer from an Aagan Iisou beating after the Mochizuki vs. Yokosuka PPV match in February. Everyone brawls to start. Kondo and YASSHI hold Tanisaki for a big boot from Mochizuki. YOSSINO sends Owashi to the floor. Kondo hits AT with a shoulder tackle. AT puts on a bow and arrow after a brilliant exchange. YASSHI hits Tanisaki with a shoulder tackle. Tanisaki works the arm. He and Horiguchi go for a tandem surfing attack but Tanisaki doesn’t hold up his end. They get things together with a double dropkick. AT mocks YASSHI and hits a dropkick. Horiguchi hits an elbowdrop for 2. Kondo chokes Horiguchi with a chain. Owashi hits a vertical suplex and a legdrop on Tanisaki. YASSHI talks trash. Mochizuki hits chest kicks on the apron. Kondo hits lariats in the corner. He throws YASSHI into Tanisaki. They hit the Babylon for 2. Mochizuki puts on a half crab. Tanisaki gets to the ropes. He tries to dropkick Mochizuki and Kondo but they stand strong. Horiguchi hits Kondo with a missile dropkick. AT puts the Italian Stretch #8 on Owashi. YOSSINO puts from Jungle on YASSHI. Horiguchi can’t get the Backslide from Heaven and Aagan Iisou regains control. Mochizuki hits Horiguchi with the SicK Kick for 2. Horiguchi hits a dropkick. He hits the topé con hilo. AT hits Owashi with an enziguiri. He hits a miracle back suplex. YOSSINO hits Kondo with the Sling Blade. Kondo hits the Hurricane Mixer for 2. YOSSINO jumps over the Lanzarse. Tanisaki hits a diving knee kick. YASSHI hits a low blow. Tanisaki hits a running elbow for 2. The good guys gang up on YASSHI in the corner. AT hits the Emporio Armani Shoe for 2. YOSSINO hits the Torbellino. He puts on the Sol Naciente but Kondo makes the save. Kondo and Owashi double-team Horiguchi. Owashi hits a chokeslam for 2. Kondo and YASSHI hit the Big Boy for 2. Horiguchi and Tanisaki get stereo backslides for 2. Mochizuki kicks the crap out of Tanisaki for 1. He hits the Sankakugeri. Kondo hits an insane Lanzarse. He hits the King Kong Lariat. Owashi hits the Superfly Splash and YASSHI pins Tanisaki with one knee for the win at 13:03 shown of 16:05. This was so much fun. Our heroes had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands with their amusing offense and Aagan Iisou got to look unstoppable again. The finish was perfect too.
Rating: ***¾

After the match YASSHI talks trash so Horiguchi attacks him. Horiguchi gets the Backslide from Heaven and the Italian Connection count 3 for him.

In other El Numero Uno news SUWA defeated “brother” YASSHI by forfeit after SUWA abused YASSHI with a chair when they fought back on the opening night of the tour (March 6th). Can YASSHI do better against the leader of the Italian Connection?

April 15, 2004 – Kobe Japan

Milano Collection AT {IC} vs. “brother” YASSHI {AI} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
AT is flanked by Do Fixer and YOSSINO. He attacks at the bell. He goes after the arm but YASSHI gets to the ropes. YASSHI misses a headbutt. AT goes back to the arm. YASSHI gets to the ropes. On the floor YASSHI gains control. Aagan Iisou gets their shots in. AT hits YASSHI with a low blow. He hits another for good measure. He hits an enziguiri. AT grabs the bell so that YASSHI can’t forfeit. YASSHI talks trash so AT hits another enziguiri. He hits the Armani Shoe Exchange. He puts on the AT Lock and YASSHI taps out but the referee is distracted with Aagan Iisou. If I were YASSHI I’d be pretty upset at my buddies about that. Aagan Iisou and the heroes at ringside brawl. AT and YASSHI get thrown into the mix. The brawl goes on so long that both guys get counted out at 5:25 shown of 7:19. The finish was trash, but the story leading up to it was fun enough.
Rating: **

Kenichiro Arai vs. Susumu Yokosuka {DF} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Arai goes after the arm to start. Yokosuka gets to the ropes. Arai rams Yokosuka’s arm into the post. He puts on a cross armbreaker. Yokosuka gets to the ropes. He attacks Arai’s knee. He hits a diving kneedrop on the knee. He puts on a half crab. Arai blocks the Ashi Yokosuka and gets a crucifix pin for 2. He goes back to the cross armbreaker. Yokosuka gets to the ropes. Arai ducks lariat and hits a diving headbutt for 2. Yokosuka hits the exploder for 2. Arai hits the Stroke with his hard head against Yokosuka’s arm. He puts on an armbar. Yokosuka gets to the ropes. Arai goes for an avalanche version of the headbutt Stroke but Yokosuka blocks it. Arai goes for a super chinbreaker but Yokosuka blocks that and hits an avalanche Ashi Yokosuka. Awesome exchange there. The move gets 2. Yokosuka puts on a figure 4 leglock. Arai gets to the ropes. He hits a chinbreaker from the apron to the floor. Both guys beat the count at 19. They trade strikes until Yokosuka hits the Jumbo no Kachi for 2. Arai puts on a sleeper hold. Yokosuka blocks the tiger suplex. Arai kicks the arm but gets caught with a German suplex. Yokosuka hits the Jumbo no Kachi but his arm has nothing behind it. He hits another with slightly better results. A third continues the good trend. Arai stops him dead in his tracks with a tiger suplex. It gets 2. Arai hits a backbreaker. He misses a diving headbutt but blocks the Jumbo no Kachi with a big boot. He hits a back suplex. Yokosuka hits the Yokosuka Cutter. Arai’s head-bouncing sell of the move is brilliant. Arai comes back with a headbutt to the arm but Yokosuka rebounds with the Jumbo no Kachi. He hits it again for the win at 15:35 shown of 28:20. This took quite a while to get going, but once it did all the foundational work they did early on paid off. I’d never heard anything about this match, but it was fantastic and totally deserving of a lot of praise. Check this one out if you can as Arai was at the peak of his singles career here.
Rating: ****

CIMA {CM} vs. Shuji Kondo {AI} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
CIMA hits Kondo with a superkick to start. He hits a low blow. Kondo hits the King Kong Lariat for 2. Crazy Max and Aagan Iisou pull Kondo and CIMA from the ring and beat on them. Back in the ring Kondo is in control. He hits lariats in the corner. CIMA gets a clutch for 2. He hits the double knee kick, the Venus and the Iconoclasm. YASSHI stops him from hitting the Mad Splash and helps Kondo hit the Big Boy. Fujii runs in and hits YASSHI with a lariat. Owashi runs in to help Kondo double-team CIMA and hit a chokeslam. TARU sends Owashi to the floor but gets taken out by Kondo. CIMA counters the Lanzarse to the Nakayubi. He hits the Schwein for the win at 3:15. There was way too much interference for such a short match, but it was good to see CIMA finally get a win over Aagan Iisou. The crowd ate it up too.
Rating: *