- The third installment of the Sakura Tag Festival kicked off in front of a packed Tokyo crowd in JCB Hall tonight! All twelve teams were introduced at the start. As is the custom, all twelve teams briefly gave their thoughts. After the teams said their piece, they returned to the back to prepare for the first night of the Sakura Tag Festival!
- Before the first tournament match, fans were treated to a singles bout between the young and courageous NEW FORCE fledgling Kazuki Sendo, and the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Shin Kaiju! While vastly out matched in size and experience, the spunky Sendo did his best to combat the F-MAX Champion, with the Tokyo fans behind him every step of the way. Kaiju toyed with him early on, seemingly getting a thrill by getting the young Sendo's hopes up. However, Kaiju finally got too cocky, as Sendo ducked a wild Kaiju Lariat, before connecting with a beautiful dropkick, sending Kaiju stumbling through the ropes. Sendo then put it all on the line, as he hurled himself through the middle rope onto the Jr. Heavyweight Champion with a cannonball dive! Back in the ring, Sendo tried to score the biggest win of his young career by hitting Kaiju with the "Nice Hit!" seated knee, only for the champion to demonstrate his incredible power by stopping Sendo's leg before it could crash into his skull! It was only a matter of time before Kaiju finished it, as he finally turned Sendo inside-out with the brutal Kaiju Lariat for the three count...
- At last, the 2009 Sakura Tag Festival tournament kicked off with an A Block match between defending champion's Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken, against the mentor/student team of Masafuji Yoshida and Tetsujin. Despite being vastly outmatched, Tetsujin held his own under the guidance of Yoshida, as the two showed off great team work. In the end however, experience spelled the difference as Yosuken forced Tetsujin to submit to a tight Sleeper hold, getting the defending champion's off to a great start!
- The A Block continued as Tetsuhisa NAKAI and Ryuugo Nagashima, the "RED DRAGONS" battled the Okinawa Speed Stars in an interesting match, pitting a Heavyweight team against Juniors. Much like Yoshida, NAKAI had the inexperience of Nagashima to contend with. Despite that, Nagashima showed good skills in the match great short-burst strength. After some close calls, the Speed Stars managed to rally back, using their unique teamwork to cut Nagashima off from NAKAI. In the end, the Speed Stars pulled off the big win after Ota trapped Nagashima in the Michelada, forcing the heavyweight to submit!
- The B Block was up now, as the F-MAX Tag Team Champions TAKU and Mastodon Fukuda took the stage, facing the "Baka Machineguns," Go Taniguchi and Kinniku Kamen Nisei. There was some odd comedy between Nisei and TAKU early on, with Nisei calling TAKU "Aniki" ("Brother", in reference to TAKU being the first generation Kinniku Kamen.) Of course, this didn't sit well with TAKU, who punished Nisei by going after his mask... Despite putting up a good fight early on, Nisei and Taniguchi were no match for the current F-MAX Tag Team Champions, as Fukuda squashed Nisei with the Mastodon Splash. After the match, TAKU and Fukuda promised a dominant campaign for the tournament.
- After long last, Shigeru Iwasaki got his opportunity to face his former partner Daisuke Iwata in a singles match. Unfortunately, it was marred from the start as Iwata ambushed Iwasaki during his entrance. Iwata dragged Iwasaki to the ring, where he continued to attack him with foreign objects despite referee Akinori Fuwa's warnings. However, with the crowd behind Iwasaki, he managed to fight back, causing Iwata to retreat to the outside. Iwasaki led chase, as a wild brawl erupted all over the JCB Hall, forcing Fuwa to count both men out! Afterwards, a blood Iwasaki returned to the ring, vowing to destroy Iwata in the middle of the ring.
- The tournament resumed with the B Block, as NEW FORCE's Etsuya Kawachi and Hidaka Kamon faced the DREAM HEROES team of Jet Jaguar and Nansei's GALLEON in an exciting confrontation. As always, both teams put on an incredible showing for the Tokyo fans, with a match full of fast-paced action and nail-biting near falls. In the end however, the veteran GALLEON would trap Kamon's shoulders to the mat with the Genesic Clutch for the three count, giving the DREAM HEROES their first two points of the tournament! Afterwards, Jaguar and GALLEON briefly spoke to the fans, with both saying the weights of their respective promotions were on their shoulders, and together, they would carry them to the championship!
- In the next tournament bout, Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe of NEW FORCE faced UPRISER'Z's "OSAKA WILD STYLE" duo of RYUJI and Manabe Tsuji, who attempted to ride a surge of momentum they gained competing in Nansei Nihon Pro-Wrestling's "TAG BLITZ" tournament. Their confidence immediately showed through, as RYUJI and Tsuji took the initiative against Takayoshi and Watanabe. The two heels showed off some unique teamwork, impressing many in attendance. However, one slight mistake from RYUJI allowed NEW FORCE to take over, with Watanabe eventually putting Tsuji away following the Shining Kenka Kick, and a Dragon Suplex hold, giving NEW FORCE their first two points of the tournament. However, even in defeat, Tsuji and RYUJI showed more than enough to make them a threat in the nights to come!
- Before the night's main event, we came to a special attraction bout, pitting a team led by Chikao Kessin against the Total Attack Pro-Wrestling team trio led by the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion, Ryo Inoue! The match was purely a showcase for Inoue and Kessin, who will face off for the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight title on 4/19 in Aichi. In the end, Kessin would deal the first psychological blow, as he pinned the young Kitajima after his volatile Sekai Ichi no Backdrop. Inoue scoffed, saying Kessin proved nothing by beating a "mere rookie." Inoue promised to expose Kessin on 4/19, and lure the returning Fujita to meet him in the ring! An angry Kessin accused Inoue of looking past him, and promised to squash the "myth" of Inoue before lifting the F-MAX Heavyweight title from his waist!
- In the main event, and final tournament match of the night, "NS Corps" battled Millennium SAGA in a match of two skilled duos. As many expected, both teams took each other to the limit, in a bout that lasted past twenty-minutes. ATSUKA and YAKUTA seemed to be the favorites as the bout progressed, as they tried their best to keep Shimoda isolated from Nakata. In the end however, Nakata would manage to make the save just as Shimoda was able to recover. After ATSUKA was disposed, Nakata unleashed a flurry of blows onto YAKUTA, climaxing with the Torokero Knee from Shimoda! But to the surprise of the Tokyo fans, YAKUTA showed true grit by kicking out at 2.9! Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do after being SPIKED with Shimoda's Shinto Buster, giving Nakata and Shimoda their first win of the tournament!
- Before the first tournament match, fans were treated to a singles bout between the young and courageous NEW FORCE fledgling Kazuki Sendo, and the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Shin Kaiju! While vastly out matched in size and experience, the spunky Sendo did his best to combat the F-MAX Champion, with the Tokyo fans behind him every step of the way. Kaiju toyed with him early on, seemingly getting a thrill by getting the young Sendo's hopes up. However, Kaiju finally got too cocky, as Sendo ducked a wild Kaiju Lariat, before connecting with a beautiful dropkick, sending Kaiju stumbling through the ropes. Sendo then put it all on the line, as he hurled himself through the middle rope onto the Jr. Heavyweight Champion with a cannonball dive! Back in the ring, Sendo tried to score the biggest win of his young career by hitting Kaiju with the "Nice Hit!" seated knee, only for the champion to demonstrate his incredible power by stopping Sendo's leg before it could crash into his skull! It was only a matter of time before Kaiju finished it, as he finally turned Sendo inside-out with the brutal Kaiju Lariat for the three count...
- At last, the 2009 Sakura Tag Festival tournament kicked off with an A Block match between defending champion's Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken, against the mentor/student team of Masafuji Yoshida and Tetsujin. Despite being vastly outmatched, Tetsujin held his own under the guidance of Yoshida, as the two showed off great team work. In the end however, experience spelled the difference as Yosuken forced Tetsujin to submit to a tight Sleeper hold, getting the defending champion's off to a great start!
- The A Block continued as Tetsuhisa NAKAI and Ryuugo Nagashima, the "RED DRAGONS" battled the Okinawa Speed Stars in an interesting match, pitting a Heavyweight team against Juniors. Much like Yoshida, NAKAI had the inexperience of Nagashima to contend with. Despite that, Nagashima showed good skills in the match great short-burst strength. After some close calls, the Speed Stars managed to rally back, using their unique teamwork to cut Nagashima off from NAKAI. In the end, the Speed Stars pulled off the big win after Ota trapped Nagashima in the Michelada, forcing the heavyweight to submit!
- The B Block was up now, as the F-MAX Tag Team Champions TAKU and Mastodon Fukuda took the stage, facing the "Baka Machineguns," Go Taniguchi and Kinniku Kamen Nisei. There was some odd comedy between Nisei and TAKU early on, with Nisei calling TAKU "Aniki" ("Brother", in reference to TAKU being the first generation Kinniku Kamen.) Of course, this didn't sit well with TAKU, who punished Nisei by going after his mask... Despite putting up a good fight early on, Nisei and Taniguchi were no match for the current F-MAX Tag Team Champions, as Fukuda squashed Nisei with the Mastodon Splash. After the match, TAKU and Fukuda promised a dominant campaign for the tournament.
- After long last, Shigeru Iwasaki got his opportunity to face his former partner Daisuke Iwata in a singles match. Unfortunately, it was marred from the start as Iwata ambushed Iwasaki during his entrance. Iwata dragged Iwasaki to the ring, where he continued to attack him with foreign objects despite referee Akinori Fuwa's warnings. However, with the crowd behind Iwasaki, he managed to fight back, causing Iwata to retreat to the outside. Iwasaki led chase, as a wild brawl erupted all over the JCB Hall, forcing Fuwa to count both men out! Afterwards, a blood Iwasaki returned to the ring, vowing to destroy Iwata in the middle of the ring.
- The tournament resumed with the B Block, as NEW FORCE's Etsuya Kawachi and Hidaka Kamon faced the DREAM HEROES team of Jet Jaguar and Nansei's GALLEON in an exciting confrontation. As always, both teams put on an incredible showing for the Tokyo fans, with a match full of fast-paced action and nail-biting near falls. In the end however, the veteran GALLEON would trap Kamon's shoulders to the mat with the Genesic Clutch for the three count, giving the DREAM HEROES their first two points of the tournament! Afterwards, Jaguar and GALLEON briefly spoke to the fans, with both saying the weights of their respective promotions were on their shoulders, and together, they would carry them to the championship!
- In the next tournament bout, Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe of NEW FORCE faced UPRISER'Z's "OSAKA WILD STYLE" duo of RYUJI and Manabe Tsuji, who attempted to ride a surge of momentum they gained competing in Nansei Nihon Pro-Wrestling's "TAG BLITZ" tournament. Their confidence immediately showed through, as RYUJI and Tsuji took the initiative against Takayoshi and Watanabe. The two heels showed off some unique teamwork, impressing many in attendance. However, one slight mistake from RYUJI allowed NEW FORCE to take over, with Watanabe eventually putting Tsuji away following the Shining Kenka Kick, and a Dragon Suplex hold, giving NEW FORCE their first two points of the tournament. However, even in defeat, Tsuji and RYUJI showed more than enough to make them a threat in the nights to come!
- Before the night's main event, we came to a special attraction bout, pitting a team led by Chikao Kessin against the Total Attack Pro-Wrestling team trio led by the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion, Ryo Inoue! The match was purely a showcase for Inoue and Kessin, who will face off for the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight title on 4/19 in Aichi. In the end, Kessin would deal the first psychological blow, as he pinned the young Kitajima after his volatile Sekai Ichi no Backdrop. Inoue scoffed, saying Kessin proved nothing by beating a "mere rookie." Inoue promised to expose Kessin on 4/19, and lure the returning Fujita to meet him in the ring! An angry Kessin accused Inoue of looking past him, and promised to squash the "myth" of Inoue before lifting the F-MAX Heavyweight title from his waist!
- In the main event, and final tournament match of the night, "NS Corps" battled Millennium SAGA in a match of two skilled duos. As many expected, both teams took each other to the limit, in a bout that lasted past twenty-minutes. ATSUKA and YAKUTA seemed to be the favorites as the bout progressed, as they tried their best to keep Shimoda isolated from Nakata. In the end however, Nakata would manage to make the save just as Shimoda was able to recover. After ATSUKA was disposed, Nakata unleashed a flurry of blows onto YAKUTA, climaxing with the Torokero Knee from Shimoda! But to the surprise of the Tokyo fans, YAKUTA showed true grit by kicking out at 2.9! Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do after being SPIKED with Shimoda's Shinto Buster, giving Nakata and Shimoda their first win of the tournament!
"TOKYO HANAMI 2009,"
April 16, 2009 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo - JCB Hall (3,000)
3,150 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Shin Kaiju beat Kazuki Sendo (7:46) with the Kaiju Lariat.
2. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: Otsuo Kayusa & Kyoshima Yosuken [2] beat Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin [0] (7:23) when Yosuken used a sleeper hold on Tetsujin.
3. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai [2] beat Tetsuhisa NAKAI & Ryuugo Nagashima [FREE] [0] (12:49) when Ota used the Michelada on Nagashima.
4. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda [2] beat Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei [0] (9:01) when Fukuda used the Mastodon Splash on Nisei.
5. Shigeru Iwasaki vs. Daisuke Iwata (5:36) went to a double ring out.
6. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: Jet Jaguar & GALLEON [Nansei] [2] beat Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon [0] (15:11) when GALLEON used the Genesic Clutch on Kamon.
7. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe [2] beat RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji [0] (12:24) when Watanabe used the Dragon Suplex hold on Tsuji.
8. Chikao Kessin, Kenichiro Hujikawa & Jun Kobayashi [FREE] beat Ryo Inoue [T.A.P.], Yuichi Miwa [T.A.P.] & Yusaku Kitajima [T.A.P.] (8:38) when Kessin used a Scrap Buster on Kitajima.
9. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: Hiroaki Nakata & Yoshihiro Shimoda [2] beat ATSUKA & YAKUTA [0] (25:11) when Shimoda used the Shinto Buster on YAKUTA.
Sakura Tag Festival 2009 Standings
A Block:
1. Otsuo Kayusa & Kyoshima Yosuken [2]
- Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai [2]
- Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe [2]
4. Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin [0]
- Tetsuhisa NAKAI & Ryuugo Nagashima [FREE] [0]
- RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji [0]
B Block:
1. TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda [2]
- Jet Jaguar & GALLEON [Nansei] [2]
- Hiroaki Nakata & Yoshihiro Shimoda [2]
4. Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei [0]
- Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon [0]
- ATSUKA & YAKUTA [0]
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