Twenty years ago, for the first time ever on U.S. Television, a memorable event treated fans to a night of wrestling featuring some then unknown wrestlers from Mexico that would later go on to change the face of an industry. This was a night that revolutionized pro wrestling.
Nearly 20 years later, TNA Wrestling is set to introduce another group of incredible foreign talent to the U.S. wrestling world. Bound For Glory offers incredible wrestling showcasing the amazing talents of Wrestle-1 and TNA in one action-packed show. Of course, many are familiar with names such as The Great Muta and Tajiri but what about the rest of the talent? Will we find the next international superstar?
Here’s a look at just a few of the foreign-born talent to watch Sunday night.
Ryota Hama
Hama is a 450-pound sumo wrestler and holder of multiple Japanese wrestling championships. The monstrous athlete is a dominant force to be reckoned with, holding over 230 professional victories in sumo competition. Hama moves around the ring with ease, despite being much larger than his competitors, which makes him even more of a threat. He is set to challenge EC3 and could potentially score the upset of the night. If he does, best believe the entire TNA locker room will be on high alert! This is a must-see match!
Minoru Tanaka
Tanaka is one of Japan's brightest stars and widely-recognized as one of the best technical wrestlers in the business. He's held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship a total of 4-times and the IWGP Tag Team Championships a whopping 5-times. Tanaka has also been the World Junior Heavyweight Champion and has earned titles and accolades in every major Japanese promotion. At Bound For Glory, Tanaka faces the newest member of James Storm's Revolution, Manik. For years, Manik has made a name for himself as an incredible (and high-flying) wrestler so we expect this match to be technically sound with a lightning fast pace!
Kazma Sakamoto
Trained by the legendary Taka Michonoku at the famed Kaientai Dojo, Kazma Sakamoto is finally poised to show off his wrestling skills to a U.S. audience. Despite having a well-known following in the States, most people truly don’t know how the extent of Sakamoto’s talent. Scheduled to face MVP, Sakamoto is going to have an extremely difficult challenge ahead of him in this contest. However, if he is victorious on such a grand stage, he could bypass other names in the hunt for a shot at TNA gold!
Yusuke Kodama
Looking for an opportunity to breakout, Kodama is poised to take the next step in his career this Sunday at Bound For Glory. A relatively young newcomer, he has already been faced with tremendous challenges including matchups with Taka Michonoku, Ultimo Dragon, Tommy Dreamer and other international wrestling superstars. Interestingly enough, Kodama was trained by Tajiri and, after struggling in competition, recently turned on his mentor to take a more aggressive approach. Could we play witness to Kodama following in The Great Sanada's footsteps in attempting to eclipse the legacy of one of Japan's most respected wrestlers?
The world will be watching this Sunday!
Sunday night's Bound For Glory will be a truly special night in wrestling history. Seeing some of TNA's biggest stars travel to Japan and work with the best and brightest of Wrestle-1 is something that must be seen. We just broke down four of the top competitors on the card, and that is the tip of the iceberg. 10 Wrestle-1 competitors are set to take center stage on U.S. Television for the first time and you do not want to miss a new star being born!
Bound For Glory is only available on Pay-Per-View, this Sunday at 8/7c!
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