KBR after-ball party a success

Spending a weekend night at school with a bunch of parents isn’t a typical high school student’s idea of a good time.

Last fall, many Baker High School seniors image of attending an all-night parent-sponsored celebration was like something from a bygone era. Some were expecting June Cleaver with chocolate chip cookies, an army of parents, teachers and administrators enforcing an array of rules and regulations, and whole lot of nothing to do.

But that was before Keep the Ball Rolling came to Baker.

The first annual KBR celebration attracted 388 students – roughly 80 percent of those who attended the senior ball. Parents, teachers and administrators did their best to get students interested.

They had to overcome the resistance of kids thinking they’d come back to school to an ordinary school function, so they made it look like a Hollywood after-party, not the same place they go every day. Seniors and their dates were greeted by paparazzi and a search light while walking the red carpet leading into the all-night drug and alcohol-free event.

Once inside, attendees passed by inflatable statues of Oscar and found themselves transformed into a world of Hollywood maniacomplete with hundreds of movie posters and life-size cutouts from some of their favorite movies. Seniors found the cafeteria lined with linens, tables of soda, popcorn, snacks and a giant candy-filled table that would give you a sugar rush just standing near it.

Attendees could be found participating in many activities scattered throughout the buildinglaser-tag, sumo wrestling, dancing, karaoke, basketball, Omniken ball, volleyball, foosball, can-jam, ping-pong or just chillin in the giant entanglement. Many took the opportunity to preserve their evening by capturing their images in the photo-booth, wrote messages to class mates on the giant Wall of Fame, while others found quieter areas to reminisce about moving up day, the ball and their senior year.

Those who came hungry enjoyed frappacinos made to order by Starbucks, an ice cream sundae bar, pizzas, subs, veggie/fruit trays and desserts from many of their favorite local restaurants and businesses. Prizes were drawn all night – computers, TVs, gift cards, dorm and graduation supplies, electronics and more.

The Grand Prize, a 2003 Toyota Corolla LE, which included sales tax, registration fees and a limited power-train warranty, was donated by Burdick Automotive BMW, Ford, Lexus and Toyota-Scion. Baker senior, Kyahrae Milton-Walker, won the vehicle at the conclusion of the event.

Baker PTSA would like to thank the Baldwinsville Central School District for all their support and the many businesses and members of the community for their generous donations. Additionally, Baker PTSA would like to thank the Baldwinsville Optimists for hosting drug and alcohol-free events for youth in our community for many years prior to this event.

For more information on how you can get involved with next years event, contact Baker HS PTSA President, Wendy Burke at wendy.burke1@yahoo.com.

Kyahrae Milton-Walker, left, a senior from Baker HS, receives the keys to her new 2003 Toyota Corolla LE from Kelly Pelcher. Milton-Walker won the car, which was the grand-prize during Baker High Schools Keep the Ball Rolling celebration.

A night to remember

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Chingawassa Days is this weekend

The festival that Marion residents anticipate all year will begin Friday in Central Park, downtown Marion.

The 14th annual Chingawassa Days will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday with the Marion National Bank Community Barbecue. An ice cream social will follow at 6:30.

Traditional bluegrass music by Timber Creek will begin at 6:45 p.m. followed by comedy stage hypnotist Brad Clark at 8:30.

Activities Saturday morning will begin with a pancake feed from 7 to 10 a.m. Runners will line up to start the Rhino Run at 8.

A horseshoe-pitching tournament will be held 8 to 11 a.m. with registration at 7:30.

Local officials and business leaders are still being recruited for the celebrity tricycle races at 9:30 a.m. on Main Street.

Following the tricycle race, for the first time this year, competitors will race toilets on Main Street.

The St. Luke Hospital Dinky Duck Race will begin at 10:30 am. at the park fountain.

A bal-a-vis-x demonstration will be at 11:15 a.m. on the gazebo stage.

Register to play in the Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament at 11 a.m. Participants must have a button to play and the event is limited to the first 100 to register. The tournament will begin at noon, as will Midlands Farm Services/Scully games.

Kansas Anvil Shooters will display their accuracy at noon by launching an anvil.

The Kansas City Marching Cobras will perform at 12:30 p.m. on the main stage.

A rock/paper/scissors tournament will begin at 1:15 p.m. At 1:30, Jake Schmidt will perform gospel and country music.

A spam-carving contest will begin at 1:45 p.m.

A dodge ball competition will begin at 2 p.m. on the basketball court.

Limber fingers will compete in a texting contest at 2:15 p.m.

A watermelon feed will be at 2:30 p.m. followed by a sumo wrestling tournament at 3. Contestants will don inflated costumes and take to the ring for playful bouts.

Bingo will be available at 3:15 p.m., followed by a competition involving ice at 4.

During the day, an animal menagerie, water balloon launching, and inflatable activities will be available in the park.

The park will close at 5 p.m. in preparation for the concert, reopening at 5:15.

The evening of music will begin at 6 p.m. when the band Vegetable will perform followed by the band Rain at 7:15.

The annual chain saw art auction will be at 8 p.m.

Southern rock sensation 38 Special will take the stage at 9:15 p.m.

The community is invited to attend a community church service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at USD 408 Performing Arts Center.

Friday evening and Saturday evening events require a festival button. Saturday events require a day pass.

All-access festival buttons, which includes Saturday night’s concert with 38 Special, are $35 at the gate. A Saturday pass will be $6.

Chingawassa Days is this weekend

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Many wrestlers who try to make an impact in the ring get booed by fans when they enter the arena, spend a few years in professional wrestling, and eventually leave the sport. There are very few who are loved by everyone, ranging from wrestling fans to the crew to even fellow professional wrestlers. Arnold Skaaland is one such wrestler who was loved by everyone, and leaves behind a glorious legacy and countless friends after his death. He fought when he was young, managed different champions in his career, but his link to professional wrestling never got weak.

Arnold Skaaland fought in World War II as a United States marine before entering the world of professional wrestling in 1946. He was initially known as “The Golden Boy” because of his ability to move quickly and use his wits and toughness in the ring to his advantage. The Golden Boy travelled around the world to fight with many wrestling legends. He fought some historic matches with many NWA World Champions, and gave them a fight of their lifetime. The Tri-City Herald had this to say about the prolific wrestler in 1950: “Skaaland, one of the fastest and one of the most clever wrestlers in the game today, is 23 years old and rapidly headed for the top spot in the wrestling world.” His illustrious career brought him to Japan, where he refereed the famous match between Freddie Blassie and the teacher of legendary wrestler Antonio Inoki, the great sumo wrestler Rikidozan.

His professional wrestling career saw its peak when he made a tag team with Spiros Arion. Arnold Skaaland used his swift grappling techniques, astonishing speed, and great power to win the United States Tag Team Championship. This is the same Tag Team Championship which has evolved into the prestigious World Tag Team Championship today. It will be justified to claim that Arnold Skaaland was one of the people who initiated and strengthened the world of professional wrestling in the United States, as he was a shareholder in Capital Wrestling Corporation, which transformed into the famous World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in later years.

Arnold Skaaland’s win as the Tag Team Champion was not the only time in his life where he was loved and admired by millions of wrestling fans around the world. He later gained unprecedented levels of popularity when he reentered the world of professional wrestling to manage two famous WWE champions, Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund. Under his guidance, both wrestlers won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

However, there was one instance which brought a bad name to the career of Arnold Skaaland, but established a repute of loyalty and friendship. This paradox came when he was managing Bob Backlund, and the famous Iron Sheik challenged Backlund for a WWE Championship match. Unfortunately, Bob Backlund was suffering from a neck injury, and the Iron Sheik trapped the WWE champion in his infamous finishing move, the Camel Clutch. The pro-wrestling move pressurized the neck of neck of Bob Buckland, who seemed to be in intense pain and in need of medical help. Arnold Skaaland, who was blinded by loyalty to his long-time friend and client, disregarded the wrestling rules and threw a towel in the wrestling ring to distract the opponent. However, Bob Backlund lost the match and Iron Sheik became the new WWE Champion. Disgraced in the world of professional wrestling, Arnold Skaaland left the arena and isolated himself for some time.

However, fans from around the world will always Arnold Skaaland as a great wrestler, a loyal friend and a professional manager. And it was Bob Backlund who inducted Arnold Skaaland in the WWE Hall of Fame in 1997. Fans poured into the arena to watch the induction ceremony of Arnold Skaaland, but no one knew at that time that this phenomenal wrestler would die quietly in 2007, at the age of 82, and would leave his fans mourning. Upon the death of Arnold Skaaland, many wrestling fans believed that this was not merely a death, but a chapter of professional wrestling closed forever. However, the legacy of Arnold Skaaland will live on, and will inspire many young wrestlers to come.

Wrestling Legend Arnold Skaaland

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I’m back and have Ditch and Kevin Wilson to help welcome me back

In the wrestling world, summer is really the best time of year on a global scale. In Mexico, Triplemania—Mexico’s Wrestlemania—was this past Sunday, every major promotion in Japan has at least one tournament taking place during the summer, one specific tournament to mention would be the 20th installment of New Japan’s G-1 Climax tournament coming in August. The summer months in the U.S. means the build to SummerSlam for The E and TNA celebrates another year. In the spirit of there being plenty to write about, this seemed like as good a time as any for a roundtable.

1. What do you guys thought about the whole Bryan Danielson/Michael Cole angle on WWE NXT with Cole criticizing Danielson and the “internet geeks,” and Danielson getting pissed about it?

Note: Ditch and Kevin’s responses were e-mailed to me before this week’s RAW

D.D.: On one hand, it’s interesting to see WWE acknowledge Danielson’s past and his existing fanbase. On the other hand, pretty much any time the word ‘internet’ is used on a wrestling program there will likely be a failed angle associated with it.

K.W.: The angle has been entertaining, and since wrestlers have been known to criticize Internet wrestling fans behind the scenes it doesn’t seem out of bounds for a heel announcer to do so. Danielson has to get pissed, for if he didn’t it would look like he doesn’t care that Cole is making fun of his fans so I have no problem with that either. Really one of the reasons that the Miz/Cole/Danielson feud is entertaining is that it feels different then all the other cookie cutter feuds, so while it might seem a bit lame to make fun of someone for having fans that enjoy the Internet, there have been worse reasons for feuds and in general it is one of the more entertaining storylines currently in WWE.

P.C.: The idea for this storyline was perfectly fine because it gave Danielson time on the air, but at the same time, did he have to go 0-10 on NXT for the storyline to be believable? He didn’t have to go unbeaten (we all knew that wasn’t going to happen), but a couple of wins would’ve made Cole sound even more like a dick for downplaying this guy who is winning because of his fanbase. Then again, an older pro Ala Jericho or Regal would’ve probably eliminated this whole storyline anyway; my belief being that the initial reaction to Miz being Danielson’s pro from the Internet community birthed this storyline. Then again, the fact that Danielson has more experience as a wrestler than Miz does make that pairing seem quite the joke doesn’t it?

2. What’s your take on Gabe Sapolsky’s new project, Pro Wrestling EVOLVE, where wins and losses literally count for something?

D.D.: It’s too soon to really pass judgment on EVOLVE, except to say that it feels like an also-ran after ROH and Dragon Gate USA. It’s nice to see workers like Sawa get exposure in the US. I hope they do more with larger guys like Sekimoto, who would do anything to wrestle regularly in the US.

K.W.: I think on paper having wins and losses mean something is a great idea. When I was a kid I always enjoyed seeing WCW’s rankings each week and see how my favorite wrestler was faring. But in reality it is very problematic and I don’t think in a small indy that it will work. With ROH, TNA, and WWE (not to mention Japan) all able to sign EVOLVE’s wrestlers which would prevent them from working in EVOLVE, it will be difficult to have many wrestlers with a lot of wins or losses on their records. They run the risk of just having a lot of 1-1, 1-0, 0-2 etc. wrestlers on their roster which would beat the purpose of keeping track of records in the first place. But like I said, much like communism, keeping tracks of wins and losses does sound like a good idea but rarely works in real life, we’ll have to see if Gabe can keep a solid crop of wrestlers together long enough for the records to become meaningful.

P.C.: My belief has always been that wins and losses do matter, especially in big matches or pay-per-view matches. However, one aspect of the fight game that wrestling shouldn’t adopt is actual win-loss records for the wrestlers. The fact that the guy won or lost is what matters, and if that guy wins a bunch of times, people are going to notice. Other than that, I couldn’t be more intrigued by this promotion. Like ROH and Dragon Gate USA they are going after a wide range of talent, and any promotion that gives more Japanese wrestlers exposure in the U.S. is okay with me.

3. In the past year, four different people have held All Japan’s Triple Crown title with Minoru Suzuki (a man who held the title this time three years ago) as the current titleholder. What can All Japan do with their world title moving forward?

D.D.: They need to have a long-ish reign with a clear ‘theme’. Kojima was aimless as champion. For Suzuki they seem to clearly have laid out an ‘old vs new’ theme, with Suzuki as the leader of the veterans now that Mutoh is out hurt. The biggest obstacle to this is a lack of depth in the ranks of up-and-comers: Suwama, Kono, and the can’t-draw-a-dime Hama. I doubt they’ll do Suzuki vs Hama again, and how can they do an extended theme based on two challengers? Perhaps they can get Akira “Kiyoshi” Raijin back from TNA for a tour, and perhaps a title defense against Mutoh when he returns over who leads the veterans, before Suzuki finally drops the title to Suwama.

K.W.: With their big youth movement starting up, which I am all in favor of, they need to decide which one they like the best (probably Suwama) and give them a nice reign of at least 6 months to put that wrestler over as the new top wrestler of All Japan. All Japan is ace-less at the moment and has been for awhile, so their biggest concern right now should be just to discover who that ace is and roll with it. Kono seems to have his best matches against Suwama, and if I ruled the world All Japan would have Suwama beat Suzuki at the next Sumo Hall show and have his first defense against Kono to establish themselves as the premiere feud in All Japan going forward.

P.C.: All Japan’s biggest problem in terms of booking in recent years has been a lack of patience with almost anything they do. Granted, Kaz Hayashi is on defense twelve of All Japan’s junior title, but if you look at both tag titles and the Triple Crown, it has been one example after another of lack of patience. Suwama and Ryoto Hama’s world title wins would be the best example of lack of patience dictating the Triple Crown. Suwama won his first world title less than a month after winning his first champions carnival while Hama won the belts in his first career challenge. Both of these would’ve benefited ten-fold from practicing “less is more.” Suwama winning his first singles tournament was good enough at the time to build off of towards a title win while Hama winning in his first challenge because of his previous career as a sumo wrestler and previous appearances in Sumo Hall is just silly, and would’ve worked just as fine if he lost. However, it has to be a younger wrestler who gets that mammoth title reign (one that will be needed) that gives them the ace distinction. Suwama is still the best choice in the heavyweight pool to be that guy as Masayuki Kono is less than two years removed from being in MMA, Hama hasn’t been a wrestler for two years yet, Taiyo Kea’s place within the promotion has probably been set in stone, and then you have several juniors who wrestle a more heavyweight style. As for when, they still have a little time, but I would’ve rather seen Funaki somehow get the belts since Suzuki already had a reign (and a pretty good one at that), and that would’ve been a more noteworthy story since Funaki has never won singles gold as a pro wrestler. Something to think about All Japan for the time being.

4. Since we were all wrong about DDT’s Sumo Hall show last year, let’s look at their show this year as if it’ll do just fine. What is the big plan to pull in people this year since Sekimoto/Ibushi already happened?

D.D.: It seems obvious to me that Sekimoto will hang onto the title heading into the Sumo Hall event. They’ve built him as the monster from Big Japan, and it would be anticlimactic if that storyline wasn’t wrapped up at their version of Wrestlemania. I was thinking HARASHIMA would be likely when I started writing this, and the next thing I know, I see the results of a KOD Title contendership tournament from today (May 30th) with HARASHIMA winning. It would be somewhat fitting if he won the title at the second Sumo Hall show main event after losing the title in the first. The other key element of the show will be a match or two of DDT against big name outsiders. Last year had Chono vs Sawada and Sasuke vs Takagi. Neither of those really could have been predicted in advance, so the only thing I’ll say is that DDT better have something up their sleeve if they’re going to repeat last year’s success. The second time might not have as much special appeal as the first.

K.W.: Based off of last year’s show doing do well, DDT is lucky enough that they seem to have fans that get excited about seeing the promotion in the large arena which allows DDT to just focus on their current storylines without doing anything special to draw. So I’d say that there is no plan, they are just going to hype and promote the hell out of it and hope that Sekimoto/HARASHIMA will be as exciting as Ibushi/HARASHIMA, and I am sure that Ibushi will have some sort of exciting match, maybe against a New Japan wrestler since he is in the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament as we speak. But I don’t see the promotion doing more then that and I guess they will surprise me and do well again.

P.C.: Considering the good turnout didn’t really help business, the allure of it being their first really big show was likely why they got past 8,000 paid last year. And they really shouldn’t expect to get back to that this year—if they do, fine, but they likely won’t. However, their approach last year was just fine for the kind of show they wanted to put on. They had their big match, they got a couple of big name guests and scored a double whammy by turning one of those guests’ matches (Sasuke/Takagi) into a dream match of sorts. Sekimoto/Takagi for the title comes to mind for a dream match, but HARASHIMA would be a fine choice and would provide an opening for the biggest Takagi/Ibushi match ever. As for any potential guests, Tenryu did wrestle in a tag with Sekimoto for Big Japan and did start his own Indy project, so I wouldn’t rule him out. And they might be able to go to New Japan for a little help again; Yuji Nagata has never had a problem mixing some sports entertainment into things, and a Liger/Ibushi singles match in Sumo Hall might look more appealing than Takagi/Ibushi. Plus, they’ve already announced Dick Togo/Tajiri for that show, so they’re off to a good start.

5. Did Takashi Sugiura come back too early from his injury, especially considering his position as GHC champ?

D.D.: There’s several ways to look at it. Was he needed for the tournament? Not really. His main contribution was the well-received match against Akiyama on the final night, which was Akiyama’s big win of the tournament and made good on Akiyama’s “do well or retire” threat. But they could have had a different wrestler in Sugiura’s place and had about the same effect, other than now Akiyama clearly has a title shot coming his way. Was he ready to come back? I’m in favor of “take the time off you need to get healthy”, especially after Misawa died because he refused to miss any tours. At the same time I will say that Sugiura didn’t look like he was hurting, so it’s possible he really was ready, in which case he absolutely should have been on the tour.

K.W.: No, I don’t think so. This is quite possibly Sugiura’s last big chance. He is 40, and the only reason he has the belt now is that NOAH forgot to train young wrestlers that were any good in the last 10 years besides Shiozaki. But if he took any more time off, it would have increased the chances of him having to forfeit the title and possibly never winning it again, and if he feels it is his last big run I am sure he wants to get as much out of it as he can. So from a personal standpoint I can understand it for that reason, if he wasn’t champion he probably would have taken more time off, but from a promotional standpoint obviously they want him back as soon as possible and as long he isn’t at risk for further injury then I can’t blame them for using him in some capacity while he finishes up being healed. If it was the neck, it would be a totally different story.

P.C.: If Sugiura had waited until after the tournament to come back, I would’ve had no problem with it. If the break wasn’t as bad as it sounded at first, fine, but why risk rushing it for a tourney that was designed to create a contender for you? Not only that, but if he wanted to come back, have him in tags or six-mans during the tour so he’ll be there, but he can ease back and have a fresh program at tour’s end. But he came out of it without suffering another injury—always a worry when you’re initially coming back—and the match with Akiyama hopefully provided a glimpse of a future title match.

SEVEN MATCHES UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

I’m trying something new. Every week I’ll be giving my readers a match for each day until the next week’s installment (assuming I’ll be able to get them out exactly seven days apart). Whether it’s actually a match a day for each day in between the next installment is irrelevant. The point of this will be a way of letting people in on all the other types of wrestling, promotions of wrestling, and great wrestlers both past and present. Enjoy.

Shinya Hashimoto Vs. Masato Tanaka, Zero-1, 3/2/2002

Zero-1 celebrated its first anniversary with these two guys beating each other. Can’t say I’m not thankful for that. The angle going in was Tanaka stealing Hashimoto’s NWA title belt from his office in front of the media, then basically holding it hostage for a match. He got it. Oh, he got it. Why the title wasn’t on the line I’ll never know, but it doesn’t take away from the match itself.

Nobuhiko Takada Vs. Vader I, UWFi, 12/5/1993

A different kind of champion versus champion match. Vader was still WCW champion at the time with his Starrcade loss to Flair still weeks away. Takada had won UWFi’s world title the year before and Vader had steamrolled through UWFi as well as WCW during 1993. The match is in front of over 46,000 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo and did mark the highpoint for UWFi as a promotion.

Nobuhiko Takada Vs. Vader II, UWFi, 8/18/1994

The rematch eight months later. This came at the end of UWFi’s “Best in the World” tourney. As if there’d be any final other than this. My pick for the best of the trilogy and the crowd atmosphere is typical for a big match in Budokan Hall.

Nobuhiko Takada Vs. Vader III, UWFi, 4/20/1995

The trilogy ends in another brutally stiff match between these two. UWFi was beginning its descent by this point as this was one of Vader’s last, if not his last, matches in UWFi.

PWF Title: Giant Baba (c.) Vs. Bruiser Brody, AJPW, 1983Part 2

This was near the end of Baba’s time as a main-event star. This was around the time Brody was become a star in Japan, and those two roads mesh well here. However, it’s a big match between two big stars, it’s All Japan, and it’s the 1980’s. The ending should be obvious.

Dr. Wagner Jr. Vs. Tajiri, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, 1996

Imagine if this was just a few years later and longer? Tajiri is only a few years pro while Wagner Jr. is a seasoned pro not even hitting his stride in Japan yet (that would come in New Japan a few years later).

Jushin Liger Vs. The Great Muta, NJPW, 10/20/1996

One thing that was never lost on these two at their peaks was how to make a match fun. Even though their styles (at least Mutoh’s style as Muta) don’t really mesh perfectly, they still make things really entertaining. And who knew Liger could do a little bit of hardcore wrestling if the occasion called for it? Of course Liger getting unmasked is the best part. Oops, did I ruin it for you? Nope.

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I totally agree with you that Rampage seems to have regressed as of late. It could be because of the allure of Hollywood, but I tend to think that it has a lot to do with his training with Wolfslair. Bisping is a nice middleweight, but other than him, who have they produced? I think he has subjected himself to inferior training and it is showing in his fights. He is not the same since he got rid of Juanito Ibarra. I think you should get Juanito’s thoughts on this for an article or even a podcast.
— Dave, Bridgewater, N.J.

Actually, I spoke with Ibarra just days before the fight and he declined to address Jackson on the record, though I’ll say there was some obvious disappointment from him over what could have been. I covered Rampage as close as anyone until the falling out with Ibarra, his reckless driving incident in Orange County and the move to Wolfslair — at which point he became increasingly difficult to reach. He was at his best when he had one strong captain leading the ship. Both Colin Oyama and Ibarra handled Jackson similarly, that is to say they didn’t put up with his nonsense and forced him to work. Left to his own devices, Jackson simply will not do what he needs to do to improve.

Also, I wonder if Jackson is suffering from a physical deterioration. When was the last time he slammed an opponent? Matt Lindland in 2006, I think. That says to me Jackson isn’t as strong or explosive as he once was — because he never needed much technique to pull them off in the past.

As for Wolfslair, they’re a professional outfit that can get anyone ready to fight. But based on the trajectory of Jackson’s career, it could be argued his time with the London gym hasn’t done much to elevate him as a mixed martial artist.

This is in reference to your article “Racial overtones surrounding UFC 114 unnecessary, inappropriate.” I completely disagree with your assessment on so many levels.

The only agreement that I can give you is that this may be personally offensive to you and others however that could be said of the entire sport of mixed martial arts, which you could argue is unnecessary and inappropriate, the same could be said about NFL since you mentioned it.

The “black on black crime comment” was a joke and smack talk, meant to be entertaining to the adult audience that watches MMA. The bulk of which understands it was a joke and only loosely related to race.

To conflate it to a greater statement on race issues in America or Sports or MMA or even the UFC is missing the point, disingenuous and turning it into something it’s not. If you want to really address racial issues, you should focus your energy on addressing real black on black crime or continued discrimination or poverty or immigration laws in Arizona.

I know you’re a sports writer but really this article only creates a distraction from those real issues related to race and gives people an outlet to release their guilt by showing outrage over something that makes them personally uncomfortable about something that is only marginally related to race thus allowing them to avoid having a real conversation about racial issues in our society which is again because that conversation would make them uncomfortable.

I can’t even express how tired I am of people getting so up in arms about these types of comments, yet take no action on truly furthering the dialogue on race in America. Part of the reason that it makes you and others so uncomfortable is because race hasn’t been truly dealt with in our society.

Bottom line this article is not about race or even Rampage’s comment but about your discomfort, allowing you and others to co-op the role of victim as it relates to race. Please leave that role to the real victims of racism and their descendants and instead foster a real conversation about race in our society or better yet do something about it. Regards, black military veteran and descendant of American slaves.
— Roy, Leesburg

No doubt, the editorial was a reflection of my feelings. Based on the response I received, some people agree, some don’t. It was a close to even split. Also, I can’t agree that some things are justified in the name of entertainment. Just can’t. Where’s the line drawn?

I just read your piece titled “Racial overtones surrounding UFC 114 unnecessary, inappropriate.” I thought it was a pretty insightful and thought provoking piece. I couldn’t have agreed more with your assertion that it’s inappropriate, sets a bad precedent in a new sport that I love, and would look absurd if it happened in another sport (like the NFL or NBA).

Dana White is a pretty brash and unapologetic personality, so I doubt he would ever “regret” this marketing decision. However, I think he should definitely re-evaluate this marketing angle in subsequent promotions.
— Mike, Sacramento, Calif.

It was interesting during the post-UFC 114 press conference that White was quick to warn Michael Bisping off using a slur word for homosexuals. A word White was castigated for in the wake of a video tirade last year. This isn’t about political correctness. This is about right and wrong. That’s the prism through which I saw the promotion of Evans-Jackson. In the long-term, MMA will suffer if this kind of language, these verbal indiscretions if you want to call them that, continue.

I agree with your commentary regarding booing fighters. Hearing the crowd booing (either because they don’t like a fighter or a fight is “slow”) is frustrating as an MMA fan. Many times the more interesting fights involve strategy and positioning, like the Kim-Sadollah fight. Booing simply because two fighters aren’t going Tank Abbott on each other seems to be missing the point of the sport.
— Aaron, Phoenix

Chalk it up to a lack of education. Maybe lack of patience. Blood-and-guts fans of MMA will always exist. My hope, over time, is that they come to appreciate the intricate details. The little battles played out inside the clinch. Hand fighting. The nuances of guard passing. My idealism is probably getting the better of me here.

Regarding the fan’s treatment of Bisping and Evans, they are treated that way simply because of the way they were portrayed on The Ultimate Fighter shows. (Also, in Rashad’s case, people dislike him for knocking out Chuck.) Both of them came across as being arrogant and, quite frankly, a lot of MMA fans (especially newer fans) react merely on a surface level. They don’t care how hard they work or how good of a guy they are, they take what they see and it becomes absolute. The fans at UFC 114 where especially harsh, they booed everyone, they booed Noguiera, Tim Duncan, Larry Fitzgerald, and then they cheered for David Spade. I’ve heard a lot of complaining from fans that the Evans-Jackson fight was boring and that GSP or Jon Fitch are boring fighters. They say wrestlers that dominate on the ground are boring and then they complain about UFC 115 being a boring card even though its full of strikers. You just can’t make these guys happy.
— Bo, Austin

You must respect the Spade. Mike Tyson and Snoop Dog earned cheers as well. People are ornery these days.

What I learned from this article: Josh Gross has no sense of MMA or sports in general. Scolding fans for booing someone they don’t like? They weren’t throwing stuff at him, they were expressing their opinions. Fans pay for their tickets! Fans pay for the PPVs! Everyone knows that Rashad is talented, but he is also very unlikable. He has been saying for a year that he was going to knock Rampage out and then proceeded to dance around and not engage in order to secure a decision. If he kept his mouth shut he probably would not be booed. If you were at the Phoenix Suns game last night, you probably would have gotten angry that the Suns’ crowd cheered for them after they got eliminated from the playoffs. How dare they cheer for a losing team! Why can’t they cheer for the Lakers?
— Michael, Grand Rapids

I didn’t imply fans can’t boo. Of course they can. I’ve booed at sporting events. It just seems that some fighters get placed in certain categories, and Bisping and Evans are examples of that. No matter what they do, fans seem to regard them as “heels,” which is too pro wrestling for me.

I watched UFC 114 with friends and was pretty shocked. I hadn’t really paid attention to UFC in years — I actually purchased UFCs 1 through 6 at home years and years ago when I was curious about the bloodsport aspect. After watching 114 I had a question: What exactly does the ‘mixed’ in MMA mean now? Before it was Karate v Sumo v Streetfighting v Boxing. Now, all the fighters seem to have the same technique and training: A bit of boxing, a bit of kickboxing and a bit of jiu-jitsu — some have a dash of wrestling. Is the mix now less on clash of styles and more “jack of all trades” fighting?
— Richard Jackson, Houston, Texas

If you miss the old days, watch UFC 118 when James Toney fights Randy Couture.

So do you think we’ll see Rampage vs Machida?
– @SeanChae702

Sounds like it’s being considered by UFC. Bad matchup for Jackson, whose trouble with movement and speed is obvious by now. Machida wins easily.

Do you think Greg Jackson and his lay-&-pray/wall-and-stall tactics are good for the sport? Yeah a win is a win but not w/fans.
– @mmafan1984

You’d prefer Toughman where guys play “Who can take a better punch”? Sorry, strategy is an important part of serious MMA.

Worst main event ever. Rashad doesn’t deserve a [title] shot.
– @RobertMenn

Worse than Anderson Silva’s recent fights? There wasn’t anything wrong with what I thought was a close, competitive, spirited, well-executed bout.

King of heels: Rashad or Koscheck?
– @neebleton

Would you consider Jason Brilz a possible top 10 now?
– @BrayMMA

When my new rankings come out later this week, Brilz will be in the 11-15 range. I was very impressed with his ability to neutralize and endanger Lil Nog.

Mailbag: Rampage Jackson's deteriorating skills, race and MMA

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Lints battled rain, dehydration and hypothermic shock as he ran 113 miles. While short of his original goal, Lints is expected to break one record, for being the youngest person to run such a long distance.

Lints showed up earlier than the thousands of other participants that filled Husky Stadium this weekend for the 18-hour event to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

This year, the UW Relay For Life included 217 teams and more than 3,000 participants, numbers that are both up from last year’s event.

“We are really proud of how many people we’ve gotten to be involved in the relay in general,” said co-chair Darrah Kauhane-Floerke. “I think we’ve gotten out to more of the UW community.”

For Lints though, the event was more about raising awareness than breaking records.

“I just really hope it can raise as much awareness as possible, and more people will know about this story, and this can help the American Cancer Society in a lot of ways,” he said.

The 2010 relay has raised $290,099.69 so far, and co-chair Lauren Rastetter is confident it will reach the goal of $300,000 by the end of the fiscal year, in August. She said a heavy emphasis on online fundraising paid off this year.

“We are the third top online-fundraising relay in the entire nation out of about 500 other college relays,” Rastetter said.

For UW sophomore Selina Pittari, as for many other participants, the relay is personal.

“I’m participating because I lost my grandma to cancer,” she said. “So I’m here trying to raise money, awareness, and give the people in my life an opportunity to donate.”

The UW was selected as one of seven colleges in the nation to host a model event. Relay chairs and American Cancer Society advisers from all over the country came to learn from the UW organizers and witness the event.

“That’s an honor for us; it’s very humbling to be able to show them what we do and, hopefully, benefit their relays,” Kauhane-Floerke said.

With the idea that cancer never sleeps, team members took turns walking around the track for a sleepless 18 hours. Fortunately, there was plenty of entertainment to keep everyone going.

“It’s just walking around the track,” said committee member Eric Wallig. “After a while, you need something else to keep you busy, something to keep people going the whole time.”

Ultimate Frisbee and sumo wrestling were some of the opportunities participants had to stay active through the night, despite unpleasant weather.

As people danced to music blaring from the east end-zone, threw around the Frisbee and casually walked around the track, the mood of the event was both relaxed and celebratory.

During the relay, many participants wore black t-shirts that read “I relay for___________” that allowed participants to fill in a name or reason they support the event.

Committee member Gibran Hyder said the shirts were one of the fundraisers used to demonstrate that everyone is touched by cancer in some way.

“It was a way for people to tell other people why they relay,” he said.

Reach contributing writer Christina Corrales-Toy at development@dailyuw.com.

Relaying for records, remembering the past

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I always get depressed after the Memorial Day weekend.

Doesn’t anyone else see it’s the beginning of the end?

It seems so simple to me. The day before Memorial Day is glorious because we’re heading for the beginning of summer.

It follows that the day after Memorial Day is the beginning of the countdown to the end of summer.
I could swear that yesterday, driving home from East Hampton, it seemed to be getting darker earlier.
I’m also depressed from lack of sleep.

Shlomo, now sneeze-free for a decade

On Saturday night my wife, the Beautiful Judy Licht, and I came home late from a party.

Judy, the permanent designated passenger, had polished off two margaritas at the party. Judy is a light drinker and usually cannot handle even a glass of white wine, so needless to say she was NON COMPOS MENTIS (not of sound mind, memory, or understanding).

As I prepared for bed I heard this crunching sound. I looked down and there was my little puppy Shlomo, munching on something.

After a struggle worthy of World Wrestling Entertainment I managed to pull what he was chewing out of his mouth. To my horror it was a plastic prescription bottle. Clearly Shlomo had eaten the contents.

Was it a doggy suicide attempt? Quickly I looked around for a letter with a paw print on it. There was none. Shlomo, who I’m training to be a pickpocket, had lifted the pills deep from a bag that belonged to me.

“Judy!” I screamed. “Shlomo has poisoned himself!”

“That’s nice,” was her sleepy answer.

So, after much screaming and yelling on my part, I got Judy to give me the phone number of our veterinarian, Cindy Bressler.

Let me say this about Cindy. The next time the Pope wants to make a new saint, Cindy gets my vote. If you own a pet you love, you should give Cindy a call.

I called her at 1:30 a.m. and she was ready to come to my house in the middle of the night to make a house call.

Naturally, I was hysterical. Yes, Shlomo had eaten the contents of the pill bottle, but he also ate the part of the plastic that had the name of the contents. The prescription number was there, but little else.

Shlomo was happy as can be and seemed no worse for the experience.

“Check him every hour to see if he is sleeping and make sure he is moving,” was Cindy’s advice. “Call me in an hour and let me know how he’s doing.”

So after I watched two old episodes of Monk I got up and checked Shlomo, who looked at me each time I woke him up as though I was crazy. Then I reported to Cindy. And so it went. I watched the following old TV shows: NCIS, Criminal Minds, Monk and more Monk. Watch a show, check the dog. Watch a show, check the dog. In the morning I was exhausted and Judy and Shlomo were running around in great shape.

It turns out the medicine Shlomo ate was at least seven-to-10 Clarinex pills. Clarinex is an antihistamine, and given the size of Shlomo’s cute little puppy body, Shlomo is not expected to sneeze again until the year 2016.

If you wish to comment on “Jerry’s Ink,” send your message to jerry@dfjp.com.

Jerry's Ink: My Depression

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By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
arcade@MorningJournal.com

Click to enlarge

For a region that boasts about its cultural diversity, the silence from Northeast Ohio’s growing Asian community has been mostly deafening.

But everything changes this week, which is, not coincidentally part of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

For the rest of May, multiple opportunities will allow Northeast Ohioans to become immersed in the pageantry of cultural traditions and discover current artistic endeavors.

Mixing entertainment with a dash of education are the classical Chinese dance and music by Shen Yun Performing Arts, the first annual Asian Festival, Filipino-American comedian Joy Koy and Taiwanese-American writer, producer and actor Will Tiao who will screen his film “Formosa Betrayed.”

Live on stage

The Shen Yun Performing Arts group may be immersed in history, but its expressive and delicate movements, which relate to ancient legends and heroic figures, are just as mesmerizing and relevant today.

“Cleveland is a city with a strong appreciation for all artistic endeavors,” said Tianlun Jian, CEO of Ohio Oriental Culture Association (OOCA), a nonprofit organization that aims to promote cross-cultural understanding, “so we thought the citizens of Cleveland would very much appreciate this show. It is also a multi-cultural community, and this show complements the rich diverse atmosphere of this city.”

With nearly 100 members in the Shen Yun troupe including a live orchestra and a large number of costumes and props, the production aims to represent the folk traditions of the different ethnic groups in China.

“It represents the work of highly accomplished artists who are dedicated to reviving the ancient Chinese cultural traditions,” Jian said. “You will also see in the performance some acts that highlight the lack of freedom of belief in China today. So this show in some ways represents an affirmation of the human spirit and the rights of people everywhere to freedom of belief.”

A vision in sight and sound, there are more than 20 set pieces that focus on classical Chinese dance as well as choreography that ranges from grand imperial processions to legions of thunderous drums, with stunningly costumed dancers moving in synchronized patterns. Animated backdrops that transform from blossom landscapes to palaces enhance the players’ on-stage activities.

“To truly understand the Chinese people, one needs to have an appreciation of this ancient cultural background,” Jian said. “We feel that this is especially important today since so much of the traditional Chinese culture has been suppressed under the communist regime. Shen Yun represents a renaissance of the traditional performing arts of China.”

For more information on the production, go to www.Shenyunperformingarts.org.

Asian Festival in AsiaTown

Displaying the Asian community’s growing presence, unity and influence in the Northeast Ohio, the first of an intended annual Asian Festival was born.

It runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday along Payne Avenue, between East 27th and East 30th streets, and in Asia Plaza’s main parking lots in the heart of AsiaTown, the business district from East 30th to East 40th Streets between St. Clair and Payne avenues that is home to many Asian merchants.

There will be two stages of performing artists, more than 50 exhibitions, children’s activities, competitions, a health pavilion and, of course, Asian cuisine.

The event is free to the public.

Games and competitions include an egg roll eating contest, inflatable sumo wrestling and karaoke. Visual artists will have displays, while local and national performers including Indian and Japanese drumming, martial arts and Chinese dragon/lion dancers will perform.

Besides the entertainment, educational materials, cultural exhibits, demonstrations and interactive workshops will be on hand.

“In recent years, there has been greater interest in our Asian community and more of us want to get involved in shaping the future of our community,” said Vi Huynh, current MotivAsians for Cleveland President, one of the organizations putting together the festival. “So our thought is to do something really big.”

Ranging from Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese to minor Asian ethnic groups, Asian-Americans make up 2.3 percent of Cuyahoga County’s residents.

Promoters noted that although Columbus has had a big Asian festival for years, Cleveland is the only city between Chicago and the East Coast with a genuine Asian area (more generally known as Chinatowns), which provides a much more authentic setting for a festival.

The festival will also be the setting for a special series of painted ox sculptures as part of a Chinese New Year’s project by the St. Clair Superior Development Corp. The decorative ox sculptures were installed Wednesday throughout downtown Cleveland and AsiaTown.

For more information, call 216-539-4634, or go to www.ClevelandAsianFestival.org.

From Improv to Tower City

With a boost from his Comedy Central special and “Chelsea Lately” appearances, Filipino-American Jo Koy is quickly becoming a rising star.

The standup comedian appears, who pokes fun of his Asian heritage, talks about everything from his “worst” compliments (“I get the worst compliments all the time. ‘Oh you’re Asian? I love orange chicken.’”) to how Filipinos are often mistaken for Mexicans.

He performs at 8 and 10:15 today and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Cleveland Improv Comedy Club & Restaurant in the Powerhouse entertainment complex on the west bank of The Flats. Tickets are $15 to $18. For more information, call 216-696-4677.

Moving from The Flats to Tower City, Asian-American culture continues with a special Taiwan-U.S. film connection.

Promoting his latest film, “Formosa Betrayed,” writer, producer and actor Will Tiao will participate in question-and-answer sessions following the 7 and 9:45 p.m. screenings tonight at Tower City Cinemas, 230 W. Huron Road in downtown Cleveland’s Tower City Center.

Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for seniors, and are available at the theatre box office and online at www.clevelandcinemas.com.

For more information, call 440-528-0355.

Born and raised in Kansas, the Taiwanese-American artist worked in the Clinton and Bush administrations as an international economist. By 2002, he left the political world to pursue a career in entertainment.

“Formosa Betrayed” also stars James Van Der Beek (“Dawson’s Creek”), John Heard (“Home Alone” and “Awakenings”) and Leslie Hope (“24”). Inspired by actual events, Tiao’s character helps a FBI agent with an investigation of the brutal murder of a Taiwanese-American professor on U.S. soil that eventually leads to a collision course with the U.S. State Department, the Chinese Mafia and ultimately the highest levels of the Republic of China government in Taiwan.

For more information on the film, visit www.formosathemovie.com.

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He made his name as a boxer — “King of the Four-Rounders” — back in the late 1990s when, as a rotund, bald, scowling super heavyweight wearing massive American flag trunks, he took on all comers, including former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes (Holmes won a 10-round decision, despite getting knocked down by Butterbean in the 10th).

Now he’s using his name to promote mixed martial arts, trying to sell events featuring men with nicknames such as “The Serial Killer,” “The Texas Gunslinger,” “The Meat Cleaver” and “The French Foot Fighter.”

Butterbean’s latest show is Friday in Worcester, Mass., a pay-per-view mixed martial arts promotion (9 p.m. ET, $29.95) known as “Moosin: God of Martial Arts,” which features a headline match between Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia, a former UFC heavyweight champion at 6-8, 300 pounds, and Poland’s Mariusz “The Dominator” Pudzianowski, the world’s strongest man five years in a row. The Dominator (2-0) is raw but light on his feet, finishing second in the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars.

Butterbean says this could be the most viewed MMA show ever, what with 5 million Poles expected to watch one of their most popular athletes.

It’ll have to pull a lot of viewers to beat the record — EliteXC on CBS on May 31, 2008, when Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson drew 7.281 million viewers.

Butterbean, whose real name is Eric Esch, has done it all — toughman, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, even sumo wrestling. He is 43 and still fights, though the bouts are few and far between, unlike his heyday when he sometimes fought three times a month.

He had to call off a charity match on his own card against former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon Byers because the commission said Byers was not qualified to fight.

His fights have spanned the globe, from Kalamazoo to Baraboo, from Beijing to Beverly Hills, from the Playboy Mansion to Madison Square Garden, and every casino in between.

He’s never had a bad experience, he says, unless you count the time at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut when “they wouldn’t let me chew bubble gum in the locker room.”

Most people remember him not from his fights but as the guy who knocked out Johnny Knoxville in the movie Jackass.

“All those fights, and I get recognized for knocking out an actor,” he says with a chuckle.

Friday’s main event is the kind Butterbean loves because he’s not a “Corvette vs. 18-wheeler” kind of guy. “I want to see two freight trains going at it,” he says. “The Pudzianowski-Sylvia fight, that’s two freight trains.”

With more than 200 fights on his résumé, Butterbean, who weighs in at about 400 pounds, says it may be time to become a full-time promoter, a side of the business he’s been dabbling at for about four years.

“It’s time to slow down,” he says. “The body takes its toll. I’m 43, so I have a few fights left, but I’m getting into promoting because I love the sport so much.

“I also want to promote boxing matches,” he says. “It’s not which sport is better. They’re different sports. You can’t compare them.”

Butterbean’s two sons, Caleb, 21 (215 pounds), and Brandon, 23 (270-pound “Babybean”), both do MMA, but they’re not on Friday’s card because “it’s way above their skill level,” their dad says.

Asked if he’d like to promote their fights, Butterbean says, “I’d rather they not fight. The fight game’s so hard. I tried talking both of them out of it. (Caleb) had a scholarship to play football (father and sons played high school football), but he wanted to fight. You have to support your kids at whatever they want to do.”

“They both have fights coming up in Louisiana, and I’ll be there, to make sure they don’t get hurt and do what they need to do.”

Butterbean, from Jasper, Ala., couldn’t be happier these days.

“I’m likin’ this promoter thing,” he says. “It’s a mind challenge, and I haven’t had a chance to work with my mind that much.”

Boxer 'Butterbean' enters a new ring as promoter of MMA cards

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Section 1- Results

Dragon Gate: Two title changes at the Korakuen show on the 13th. Yamato retained over Mochizuki, but Yokosuka & K-ness won the tag titles and CIMA/Gamma/Horiguchi won the trios belts. Tigers Mask retained the lightweight title over Shisa.

IGF: Takayama didn’t face Josh Barnett, claiming an injury. However, he wrestled two days before and won’t miss the upcoming NOAH tour. Meltzer speculates it’s because he couldn’t lose after winning the tournament, and IGF wouldn’t want Barnett to lose.

New Japan: Kanemoto & Samurai won the junior tag titles in an upset, beating Devitt & Taguchi in the finals. Marufuji retained over Tiger Mask. They sold out JCB Hall for an all-juniors show, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they start using the venue for events that are really too big for Korakuen, though that might not be until next year.

Section 2- News

All Japan: Looks like I was wrong about Kondo getting a shot at Hayashi. He lost in the tag at the start of the tour, and Hayashi will defend against Minoru Fujita on the 30th. They’ve booked Osaka Prefectural Gym for July 4th, so that should be Suzuki’s first title defense.

Dragon Gate: Yamato’s next title defense won’t be until Kobe World Hall in July, as expected. Hulk & Tanizaki will make a (probably futile) tag title challenge on the 30th. Yamato, Shingo & Kagetora will get a trios shot on June 10th. Also on the 30th is a Hulk vs Cyber Kong match that I have a feeling will be important.

New Japan: Card is set for the next big show, June 19th at Osaka Prefectural Gym. Main event is Makabe defending against Rikio. Underneath is a series of rematches. There will be another tag title 3-way, this time in elimination form; Goto vs Tanaka; and Tanahashi vs Yano hair vs hair. Ishimori was the last name announced for the Super Juniors tournament. Based on the Super Juniors schedule, I’m guessing these matches on the next-to-last day will determine the semifinalists: Ishimori vs Hayato, Kanemoto vs Taguchi, Ibushi vs Richards and Tiger Mask vs Devitt. Nakamura is out with a shoulder injury

NOAH: Kawada isn’t on their next tour, though Yoshie is. It looks like Akiyama’s “win or retire” statement was a hollow threat, since he’s on the tour as well.

Section 2a- Meltzer News

All Japan: They did just 2000 paid at Aichi Prefectural Gym (capacity over 8000) for Hama vs Suzuki, which should put an end to any possible Hama push in the future.

Dragon Gate: They drew 7000 at Aichi for Yamato vs Shingo. I can’t stress enough how well they’re doing. For instance, last year All Japan didn’t even do half that for Takayama vs Suzuki.

HUSTLE: The relaunch drew only 500 at Korakuen, which doesn’t shock me because the “Full budget” original didn’t reliably sell out and probably gave many tickets away.

NOAH: They drew 8000 for the Budokan show.

Other: Yoshiaki Yatsu, who hasn’t done anything of note since leaving All Japan almost 20 years ago, will be retiring. Meltzer notes that even while wrestling in All Japan full-time, in 1987 he won Japan’s amateur championship. He was getting ready to go to the Olympics for a second time (the first being in 1976), but the Olympic committee said that he couldn’t because he was a professional. Just think about that for a minute: they were applying a rule that was meant for the likes of Michael Jordan.

Section 3- Z’Xavier Shillsaw

Randy Orton: anti-hero. Me, I can’t get over how a guy with his looks could cover himself in tattoos.

Look, I don’t care how old this Wrestling Underground column is. Anything with a Weird Al reference is getting a link.

Section 4- Media Corner

2010

Nakamura vs Makabe, IWGP title, New Japan May 3rd.

I don’t like this as much as last year’s G-1 final, but the second half is darn good and the finish is a creative bit of nastiness. Looks like Nakamura picked up his shoulder injury here, and they actually use it to make the match better. As much as anything you want this because of the STAGGERINGLY good video quality.

I Love The ‘90s: New Japan & UWF in early 1990

Takada vs Yamazaki, UWF February 9th 1990.

What’s sad about this feud is the way it should have been one of the most memorable shoot-style matchups and rivalries but never was. They were in the same promotion for over a decade between New Japan and the UWF iterations, yet only had a handful of singles bouts and most of those were forgettable. This outing shows some of the promise, with their typically sharp execution and a minimum of downtime. Over the coming years Yamazaki became primarily a jobber-to-the-headliners, going 0-4 against Takada in UWFi. That led to Yamazaki jumping ship in 1996, something I’ll cover with gusto once we get there.

Jumbo & Yatsu vs Kengo Kimura & Osamu Kido, New Japan February 10th 1990.

This was one of three interpromotional bouts on the second-ever Tokyo Dome event. New Japan gave a hefty sum (and the only clean finish) to All Japan in exchange for the matches most responsible for drawing fans. Vader vs Hansen is the most famous of these, in part because the native vs native bouts were never aired or released officially. These are off the raw feed, and as a result are somewhat ‘rough’. You don’t need digital grading to notice the overwhelming and non-stop crowd heat. Kimura and Kido are over-the-hill midcarders and get a huge response for any offense, especially the somewhat short Kido doing anything with Jumbo. This one doesn’t have spectacular highspots or stiffness, but it does a good job of setting the stage for a match that does.

Choshu & George Takano vs Tenryu & Tiger Mask (Misawa), New Japan February 10th 1990.

According to Meltzer’s obituary of Misawa, this match was the main attraction on the show. That strikes me as odd since there were two years of Choshu vs Tenryu in All Japan during the ‘80s, and Tiger Mask Misawa wasn’t a superstar, but I can’t complain about the reception for this. Tenryu, as he is wont to do, delivers the hate and chops. Takano brings the ‘A’ game previously seen in the July ’89 tag title match. Choshu wasn’t as limited as he would become and at this point a high-energy heavyweight tag was second nature to him. For Misawa, I’m tempted to say that this was a star-making match, in that he was coming off a lackluster 1988 through 1989, and this was by far the biggest match of his career. A few months later his unmasking was a big enough deal to give All Japan’s sales a huge boost, so perhaps being in this high-profile battle demonstrated that he had arrived. Ignore the finish, which is an unfortunate hold-over from the ‘80s.

Liger vs Owen Hart, New Japan February 24th 1990.

Perhaps you’ve heard of this Owen Hart character. Owen was a much better fit for Japan than Bret had been, Bret having left a minimal impression in New Japan during the early ‘80s. Owen was tearing it up in 1988 thanks to his still-amazing athletic ability. Owen in there against peak-condition Liger is a no-lose situation.

Section 5- Stick your head in a grab bag and get yourself a tan

Oh, the volume of online wrestling content that relies on Dave Meltzer. Thankfully I was able to find ONE thing that doesn’t stem from the top pro wrestling newsletter.

Masahiko Kimura

Kimura, a judo master who originated the ‘Kimura’ armbar, was one of Japan’s first major professional wrestlers. He was on the wrong end of one of wrestling’s great double-crosses.

“In November 1951, I founded Kokusai Pro Wrestling Association. After I came back from US doing pro wrestling matches, I did pro wrestling shows throughout Japan. In those days, Rikidozan also started a new organization called Japan Pro Wrestling Association. So, mass media started to talk about Kimura vs Rikidozan match. I met with Rikidozan and asked his opinion. He said, “That is a good idea. We will be able to build a fortune. Let’s do it!” The 1st bout was going to be a draw. The winner of the 2nd will be determined by the winner of a paper-scissors-stone. After the 2nd match, we will repeat this process. We came to an agreement on this condition. As for the content of the match, Rikidozan will let me throw him, and I will let him strike me with a chop. We then rehearsed karate chop and throws. However, once the bout started, Rikidozan became taken by greed for big money and fame. He lost his mind and became a mad man. When I saw him raise his hand, I opened my arms to invite the chop. He delivered the chop, not to my chest, but to my neck with full force. I fell to the mat. He then kicked me. Neck arteries are so vulnerable that it did not need to be Rikidozan to cause a knock down. A junior high school kid could inflict a knock down this way. I could not forgive his treachery. That night, I received a phone call informing me that several ten yakuza are on their way to Tokyo to kill Rikidozan. ”

Here’s the match in question. It’s unclear if Rikidozan was attacked or not on that night, but he did eventually die due to complications from a stab wound he suffered at the hands of a yakuza member. Kimura lost some of his judo stature due to pro wrestling, but he needed the money to pay for medical care of his wife, who had tuberculosis.

Summer 1988 Wrestling Observer notes, via. Loss of ProWrestlingOnly

All Japan:-Brody’s death was a huge deal in Japan, with his name and pictures showing up for weeks and weeks afterward. The Brody memorial show drew 14,200 fans at Nippon Budokan. It was the biggest gate in All Japan history, and the highest paid attendance since 1978. This was the sixth largest live gate in pro wrestling history (at the time) due to high-priced tickets. The show the next night in Osaka with a rematch of the tag title main event only drew 3900, or less than a third as many at they did in Tokyo (and not at inflated ticket prices most likely). All Japan, and subsequently NOAH, has always been weak in Osaka. New Japan drew 5600 a week later with a weaker main event tag. In fact, so far as I know, All Japan and NOAH have never used a venue in Osaka bigger than the 6500 seat Prefectural Gym, despite Osaka having a much bigger population than New York City.

-Joe Malenko was offered a UWF match, but Baba offered him and brother Dean more money to turn it down. Dave says Joe Malenko was tailor made to the UWF, but “Baba will be around forever”. Joe would eventually work with several shoot-style promotions in the ‘90s, but he was a success in All Japan as well.

New Japan:-After the hour long Fujinami vs Inoki match, Inoki stopped touring to let Fujinami have the spotlight. However he was secretly hoping for Fujinami to fall flat so that he would be able to remain the top star and not have the same pressure to pass the torch.

Meltzer notes from his biography of Don Frye

-Frye got his pro wrestling training from Curt Hennig.

-He was inspired to try MMA after watching Dan Severn at UFC 5, and was able to break into the sport thanks to Dan. After becoming a breakout star he was given a contract by New Japan, who had lost a bidding war over Ken Shamrock.

-New Japan gave him a big push right away, which included winning a tournament to be Inoki’s last opponent. Inoki won, but Frye had wrestled earlier on the show. Frye broke Inoki’s ribs, forcing the match to go short.

-He was involved in the big match for the biggest dome shows in Tokyo (vs Inoki), Osaka (Frye/Shamrock vs Mutoh/Takada) and Sapporo (vs Kaz Fujita). That success plus his MMA success made him an obvious choice for PRIDE.

-His 2002 fight with Takayama was so brutal that it caused Frye to announce his retirement, but because of the response to it he was in such demand that he got an offer from K-1 he couldn’t turn down. Meanwhile, the fight elevated Takayama tremendously. The fight also got Frye into Japan’s pop culture, including movie roles.

-He suffered arm, ankle and neck injuries from MMA, wrestling and a car accident, without taking significant time off. That hurt his ability to train, leading to his decline as a fighter. His last big wrestling match was against Kawada in 2003.

Meltzer notes from his biography of Tony “Ludwig Borga” Halme

-Got discovered by New Japan while in Japan as a bodyguard for the band Cheap Trick. He’d done some small-time wrestling in the US, which New Japan was able to ignore when they decided to push him as a dangerous boxer. He got a series of wins in 1990 and 1991 before finally putting over Hashimoto.

-NJ initially booked Vader to job twice on the same tour to Halme, so Halme could rebound from his loss to Hashimoto. After some bad blood in the first match Vader refused to lose again. NJ backed down, especially after he’d also put over Norton, realizing that they didn’t want to reduce his stature as top gaijin. Vader won the rematch.

-The boxing gimmick was dropped after that loss to Vader, but they still pushed him despite mediocre matches and crowd response. He got wins in regular matches against Vader, Bigelow, and Scott Norton, who was also cultivated by NJ but was much more over. Halme’s push ended with him putting over Chono in the ‘92 G-1 Climax.

-He knocked Scott Norton out after an argument, though the sense is that it was a sucker punch. New Japan decided that in order to not alienate Norton or other wrestlers who disliked Halme’s attitude, Halme would be de-pushed. He left the company in June ‘93 and went to WWF.

-Halme eventually attained some of the boxing credentials he was given in kayfabe, becoming the Finnish boxing champ in 1997 and again in 2000.

Meltzer notes from 1991

New Japan:-’Starrcade at Tokyo Dome’ wasn’t as big a deal as UWF’s ‘89 dome or the 2/10/90 dome, but it was still a big success and by far the biggest show backed by WCW. Meltzer figured it was a bad idea to put it on US PPV even at a discount rate of $10, since US vs Japan only appeals to hardcore fans, and because the Flair/Fujinami angle needed as many viewers as possible due to Fujinami’s lack of profile in the US. Luger avoided wrestling Choshu because of his contract not requiring him to do shows in Japan. Odd attitude to have, but then the world is probably better for not having had a Choshu vs Luger match. WCW got paid around $500k for its part, plus it would get PPV/tape revenues in the US).

-April’s Super Juniors final show at Sumo Hall was done as a benefit for JWA star Toyonobori, who had joined up with Inoki in the ’60s to try and form a new promotion. That failed and pretty much ended Toyonobori’s run as a star, though Inoki was able to recover from it.

-A book on Ali revealed a lot about Ali vs Inoki. The match was supposed to go like so: Ali busts Inoki open with punches, ref considers stopping it but Inoki refuses, Ali asks the ref to stop it because he doesn’t want to hurt Inoki, Inoki hits the enzuigiri in the confusion for the pin. Ali changed his mind and they did the dull shoot. Rose-colored glasses about the fight today gloss over what was a very negative reaction in Japan, leading to a business decline for both NJ and AJ after the Ali fight. Ali was promised $6 mil but only got $2.2, leading to lawsuits.

-Debacle at New Japan’s 9/23/01 Yokohama show. Fujinami vs Muta had a gimmicky finish, almost causing a riot. Inoki came out and demanded that Fujinami and Muta get back, but it wasn’t planned so nothing happened. Then Choshu came out (which was the original plan) and called out the Musketeers (Mutoh/Chono/Hashimoto), but Inoki stole the spotlight by saying he’d also go after them… which also wasn’t in the plans.

-They had the 2nd biggest opening day ticket sales to date on 10/10/91, for the upcoming Tokyo Dome show. UWF had #1 for its ‘89 dome show, with 40,000 told and $2 million in revenue, but they deliberately waited until just a few weeks before to open up sales, because they wanted to set an unbreakable record. New Japan was selling tickets almost three months ahead of time.

-Dave mentions the frankensteiner off the top from the 10/18/91 Liger vs Benoit match as the first time he’d heard of it. I’m guessing it happened in Mexico first.

FMW:-They did 33,000 paid in Kawasaki for Onita vs Goto a few hours after NJ drew 18,000 just 12 miles away. To put it in perspective, Hogan & Tenryu vs The Road Warriors did 20,000 paid for SWS in the Tokyo Dome. And Tokyo has many more people nearby. FMW’s show was to that point the biggest indy show ever.

-”Atsushi Onita has become a television star on the Nippon network with a Sunday 8 p.m. slot. He does the first 10 minutes of a 30 minute comedy/variety show doing a “Dear Abby” type segment where he does pro wrestling style interviews as responses and gets all worked up and cries at the lovelorn problems and gets intensely and crazily mad and people who have problems they should be mad about.” And it got big ratings. Fantastic.

-When Dick the Bruiser died, he was the go-between for Onita and several US boxers (including Leon Spinks) who were scheduled to go to FMW. This put Onita in a panic because he had no idea how to get in touch with them.

Next Time: Unless something else comes up, I’ll do a long-overdue look at a wrestling legend

Puroresu Pulse, issue 171: A Column About Nothing

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