Grand Japan Pro. A TEW game diary

[Stopspot]

Tag Team Titles Vacated
​

GJPW released the following press release earlier today: Due to circumstances outside of GJPW's control, Masashi Takeda will be out longer than expected to prepare for his MMA fight. Due to the extension of Takeda's training camp by another 3 months he will be out for 4 months total. And GJPW feels that they cannot have the tag team titles go undefended for such long a period of time with him being as new as they are. After deliberating with both Takeda and his partner Minowa the decision has been made to declare the titles vacant. But MMA Combi have a guaranteed rematch for the titles once Mr. Takeda is back with GJPW full time. The GJPW offices thank both Mr. Takeda and Mr. Minowa for being understanding and professional in this situation.

The vacant belts will be contested at the final show of this tour, and Suwama and Kitamiya (Glory) have voiced their interest to be part of the match, since they were the last team MMA Combi defended against. Suwama has suggested moving his title match for the Grand Championship to earlier in the tour to prevent working two matches on the same card. Mr. Burke has yet to accept this yet tho.

More updates will be posted as we have them.

 

[Stopspot]

GJPW Gold Dust Series 2017 Report​

It is time to report on the first ever Gold Dust Series. The month of March was the first month in a few where we did not see any injuries occur, and multiple title matches were held during the month. Keeping the action flowing. At the opening day of the tour, GJPW management announced the debut of a new championship, which would be geared towards the lighter wrestlers in the promotion. but unlike the NWA International Junior belt it would not be a pure NWA sanctioned title, but sanctioned under GJPW itself. Over the course of the tour Garuda and Kudo earned the spots in the title match on the final day of the tour, giving Garuda the possibility of becoming a dual crown champion.

GJPW also announced that Rob Conway would defend the NWA world title against a yet unnamed opponent at the final show of the tour.

Daiki Inaba vs Yasufumi Nakanoue was also announced for the final day of the tour.

Gold Dust Series day 4 results

Title change! Suwama cashed in his title shot earned from winning the Open World League, defeating Elijah Burke halfway through the tour. Ending Burke's reign at just one successful defense.

Post Match Ryuichi Kawakami and Ikuhisa Minowa laid down the challenge against Suwama and Kitamiya (Glory) for the vacant GJPW World Tag Titles. It looks like Minowa, the former tag champion has enlisted the help of the man who pinned his partner in order to regain the belts. It will be interesting to see if this makeshift duo will find success. Or if Suwama also will seize the chance to leave the tour as a dual champion.

Ryuji Ito laid out the former champion in the parking lot after the show, assaulting him viciously until being separated by security. Ito then challenged Burke to a last man standing match, with the loser having to leave GJPW. The GJPW has made the match official and it will take place on the final show as the semi main event.

Gold Dust Series 2017 Final Results

Rob Conway capped off the month by defeating Ryota Hama to retain his NWA World Title. Conway stated that he intends to defeat any wrestler that steps in front of him. GJPW roster member or not. Hama has not signed on with GJPW full time, but rather it was a special one off appearance. Hama impressed tho and is open to returning if the right opportunity appears.

Daiki Inaba defeated Nakanoue one on one, but he did not do so cleanly. Masayuki Kono ran in on the match when the referee was distracted and assaulted Nakanoue. Allowing Inaba to roll up his former partner. Inaba and Kono then announced their intentions to form a tag team.

Kudo defeated Garuda to become the first ever GJPW Cruiserweight champion. Kudo has now positioned himself as the top lightweight wrestler in the company, a position Garuda has held for months. How Garuda will bounce back after this will remain to be seen.

In the semi main event. Ryuji Ito defeated Elijah Burke in a last man standing match, exiling Burke from the company in the process. The status of the God Brothers faction has been put in flux with this. As only Conway and Dane remain now. And with the ghost of Burke now behind him, Ito can move on to getting back into the title hunt.

In the main event. Glory (Suwama and Kitamiya) defeated Minowa and Kawakami to become the new tag team champions. Minowa and Kawakami's makeshift alliance proved fruitless. And Suwama and Kitamiya now hold the tag team belts, making Suwama a dual crown champion.

With the Gold Dust Series in the books, GJPW now goes into a rest period during April. And will return to running shows in May.

 

[Stopspot]

GJPW News Update​

The GJPW office have released the following news and information before next month's upcoming tour.

Per the agreement of the match stipulation at the Gold Dust Series final. Elijah Burke has left GJPW after losing a loser leaves town match. Burke will focus on his work in TNA and FIP going forward. We wish Elijah the best and hope to see him back in a GJPW ring some time in the future once he is allowed back.

On the medical front Seiki Yoshioka has come down with a torn rotator cuff whilst working for Wrestle-1. He will miss 2 months worth of work and we wish him a speedy recovery.
Giant Hohki will make his return after almost half a year on the shelf during the upcoming Diamond Series tour. We're looking forward to the return of the original GJPW rookie.
Shuji Ishikawa and Akito are still out with long term injuries. And Masashi Takeda is still off preparing for an MMA fight.

Upcoming title matches​

During the upcoming tour, Suwama will make his first Grand Championship defense against his tag team partner, and co-tag team champion Mitsuhiro Kitamiya during the final day of the tour. Kitamiya requested a chance to challenge for the championship after securing the tag team belts. And his partner accepted the challenge.

Kudo will also make his first defense of the Cruiserweight title at this show. A challenger has yet to be named, but will be crowned during the upcoming tour.

Suwama and Kitamiya will also defend against the new team of Masayuki Kono and Daiki Inaba halfway through the tour, during the upcoming stop in Hagi. Should Kono and Inaba win the belts, a title match will also be set for the final show of the tour.

More info will be released as we get it.

 

[Leo C]

What a geek this Takeda is. Suwama is champ, yay! What a surprise coming from such a mark for him huh. Conway vs Hama sounds... interesting. Burke out so fast, that's strange. Suwama double champ, yay! People are getting hurt quite often, I see. Good going stoppy.

 

[Stopspot]

Mid tour update, Diamond Series 2017​

We're halfway through the 2017 Diamond Series. And we have a fair bit of news to share.

1 year in the business
GJPW are rapidly closing in on their one year anniversary. And as a result are planning to celebrate it in style. An anniversary show, known as Wrestling Stars Festival. Will be held in the month of June in the company's home region of Chugoku. It will be a grand spectacle filled with exciting matches from top to bottom.

New recruits
GJPW have signed two new recruits to its ranks. Sanzo Kurogane and Shusaku Endo, both products of the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo, have joined the promotion going forward. Sanzo Kurogane has also changed his ringname to just Kurogane. To indicate a new phase in his career.

Returns
Giant Hohki, the original GJPW rookie and dojo graduate. Made his return from injury on the first show of the tour, facing Ikuhisa Minowa in a losing effort. When interviewed afterwards he was happy to get his first match back out of the way. And was now putting focus on regaining his momentum and start a push towards his goal of holding gold.

New Challengers
Kazuki Hashimoto won a number 1 contenders match for a shot at Kudo's Cruiserweight title, and will be cashing it in at the tour final.

​

Diamond Series Day 4 Results! World Tag Team Titles up for grabs

Following his attack on Konosuke Takeshita during the final day of the Gold Dust Series, Yoshiazu Shimizu has undergone a transformation of sorts. Donning a black mask and re-christening himself Jami Shimizu (after a Japanese type of evil spirit), he has begun causing havoc up and down the shows this month. Specifially targeting Takeshita. As a result Takeshita has called out for a singles match with Shimizu on the tours final show.

New champions! Glory's tag title run became a surprisingly short one. As the new tag team of Inaba and Kono toppled them on the very first defense. Kitamiya and Suwama were shocked afterwards, and for a while it looked like the two tag partners would go at it. But Kitamiya eventually stormed out of the ring, and in a post match interview said that these things happen, and that he's now focused on his title match for the Grand Championship against Suwama later this month. And that they'd patch things up after that. A sentiment which Suwama shares.

 

[Stopspot]

GJPW 2017 Diamond Series Result & Wrestling Stars Festival card information

​

The 2017 Diamond Series is over. And here are the results.

​

Local wrestlers SUWA and Ronin joined GJPW for the night to top off the card.

In the rivalry between Jami Shimizu and Konosuke Takeshita, Shimizu emerged victorious, spitting black mist in Takeshita's face before rolling him up for the win.

Kudo chalked up his first defense of the cruiserweight belt, vanquishing Kazuki Hashimoto to do so. After the match he was attacked by Jami Shimizu, who then challenged for the belt at the Stars Festival.

Ryuji Ito defeated Ikuhisa Minowa in a number 1 contenders match, and as a result earned a shot at the Grand Championship at the Stars Festival.

Inaba and Kono also got their first defense of the tag titles out of the way, defeating American Muscle. In a backstage interview earlier in the show Inaba's former tag partner and current rival Yasufumi Nakanoue called out for a shot at the belts, teaming up with Giant Hohki to do so. Yasu and Hohki are an interesting duo since Yasufumi was the one who put Hohki on the shelf to begin with. But the two seem to have put the past behind them to vie for gold on the big anniversary show.

In our main event of the evening. Suwama managed to defeat his tag team and unit partner Kitamiya to retain the Grand Championship. And after the match the two friends shook hands and put the tension that existed before the match behind them. This means that Suwama will be facing Ryuji Ito at Stars, in what is possibly the biggest match GJPW has to offer. The president of the company vs the ace.

It was also announced that Pro Wrestling NOAH will have a presence at the Stars Festival. Sending one or two wrestlers to GJPW for the night. 1 of them will be Takashi Sugiura, who will challenge Rob Conway for the NWA World Title.


That leaves us with the following main matches for the Wrestling Stars Festival in June. Celebrating 1 full year of GJPW.

GJPW Grand Title: Suwama (c) vs Ryuji Ito
GJPW World Tag Titles: Inaba & Kono (c) vs Yasu & Hohki
GJPW Cruiserweight Title: Kudo (c) vs Jami Shimizu
NWA World Title: Rob Conway (c) vs Takashi Sugiura
GJPW vs NOAH: Mitsuhiro Kitamiya & Naoya Nomura vs X & X

That and much more will make up the first ever GJPW anniversary show.