November 08, 2008
Tokyo - Korakuen Hall
2,350 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Hiroaki Nakata & Kinniku Kamen Nisei beat Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin (8:50) when Nakata used a wakigatame on Tetsujin.
2. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Kyoto Okazaki beat Jet Jaguar (10:52) with the Otokogoroshi.
3. Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai beat Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] (10:05) when Ota used the Michelada on Patrick.
4. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Kazuma Fujita beat Daisuke Iwata (9:04) with the Fujita Lariat.
5. YAKUTA beat Manabe Tsuji (9:50) with an STF.
6. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: ATSUKA beat Hidaka Kamon (8:44) with the Viento Clutch.
7. Otsuo Kayusa, Kyoshima Yosuken & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Tetsuhisa NAKAI, Chikao Kessin & Kazuki Sendo (13:20) when Kayusa used a German Suplex hold on Sendo.
8. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Yoshihiro Shimoda beat RYUJI (13:20) with the Sapporo Lancer.
9. TAKU, Mastodon Fukuda, Shin Kaiju & Eric Dane [WCC] beat Akira Takayoshi, Naoyuki Watanabe, Etsuya Kawachi & C. Bones [WCC] (21:35) when Dane used the Stardriver on Kawachi.
11/08 Notes: Pro-Wrestling FURY opened the 2008 F-MAX Summit tournament in front of a packed crowd in Korakuen Hall. The first four matches of the tournament saw little in the way of upsets, as Kyoto Okazaki, Kazuma Fujita, ATSUKA, and Yoshihiro Shimoda all secured clear passage to round two. However, the main event saw the FURY landing of “The Only Star” Eric Dane, who made his debut in the FURY ring as a gaijin member of UPRISER'Z. He failed to disappoint, as he scored the winning fall after decimating NEW FORCE's Etsuya Kawachi with the Stardriver. After the match, TAKU declared a clean sweep for UPRISER'Z in the tournament, promising an all UPRISER'Z finals... Earlier in the show, two more gaijins from Wrestle Coast Cascadia debuted, as Jon and Patrick Smith faced the “OKINAWA SPEED STARS,” Kotaro Ota and Fumihiko Shirai. The Brothers Smith impressed fans with their fast-paced style of tag team wrestling, but Kotaro Ota managed to isolate the less experienced Patrick Smith, and force a submission with the Michelada.
November 09, 2008
Saitama - Omiya Citizen Gymnasium
3,200 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: C. Bones [WCC] beat Kinniku Kamen Nisei (6:59) with a Brainbuster.
2. Daisuke Iwata, Shin Kaiju, RYUJI & Eric Dane [WCC] beat ATSUKA, YAKUTA, Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai (10:05) when Dane used the Stardriver on Shirai.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Chikao Kessin beat Go Taniguchi (12:51) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.
4. Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] beat Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin (8:55) when Jon used The Flash on Tetsujin.
5. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Otsuo Kayusa beat Kazuki Sendo (7:24) with a German Suplex hold.
6. Kazuma Fujita, Hiroaki Nakata & Kyoshima Yosuken beat Tetsuhisa NAKAI, Yoshihiro Shimoda & Jet Jaguar (13:20) when Yosuken used a sleeper hold on Jaguar.
7. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Ryo Inoue [FREE] (9:40) by DQ.
8. TAKU, Mastodon Fukuda, Kyoto Okazaki & Manabe Tsuji beat Akira Takayoshi, Naoyuki Watanabe, Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon (20:10) when Fukuda used the Mastodon Hades on Kawachi.
11/09 Notes: The F-MAX Summit tournament continued in Saitama. It was something of a historic night, as the infamous “Terrorist” Ryo Inoue returned to the ring after a multi-year hiatus... However, it would be a return mired in controversy. Inoue, who had shown little interest in the tournament other than having the chance to possibly face Kazuma Fujita reiterated his policy in front of the FURY fans against Kenichiro Hujikawa. Inoue refused to take Hujikawa seriously, and even wrestled the match with his t-shirt on. Insulted, Hujikawa took the fight to Inoue himself, throwing HARD slaps and elbows. Inoue eventually grew tired, and finally unleashed a flurry of strikes of his own, nearly knocking Hujikawa unconscious! Inoue played around with the weakened Hujikawa, allowing Hujikawa opportunities to fire back. Finally however, Inoue caught Hujikawa in a sleeper hold. Hujikawa was obviously out of it, forcing the referee to stop the match... However, Inoue refused to release the hold, even after several warnings from referee Akinori Fuwa. When Inoue continued to disobey, Fuwa made a bold call by REVERSING THE DECISION, DISQUALIFYING INOUE! The fans responded with a mixture of cheers and boos. Inoue released the hold, and proceeded to assault Fuwa by throwing him over the top rope! Inoue took the microphone, and said that one way or another, he would lure Fujita out to face him...
Other tournament matches saw C. Bones, Chikao Kessin, and Otsuo Kayusa won their ticket to the next round. Kessin arguably had the toughest match out of the three, battling Go Taniguchi. Go showed an aggressive side that he rarely shows, and nearly scored the win after a second rope diving neckbreaker drop. But in the end, he was no match for the “World's Best Backdrop.”
In the main event, UPRISER'S once again got the best of NEW FORCE, with Fukuda debuting his brand new “Mastodon Hades” move on Kawachi, which could best be described as a electric chair lift into a neck-breaking Michinoku Driver II. TAKU repeated his claim of an “All UPRISER'Z Final” for the tournament.
November 11, 2008
Kanagawa - Yokosuka City Gymnasium
2,600 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] beat ATSUKA & Fumihiko Shirai (9:25) when Jon used The Flash on Shirai.
2. Otsuo Kayusa, Kyoshima Yosuken & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Naoyuki Watanabe, Hidaka Kamon & C. Bones [WCC] (11:00) when Hujikawa used the Axe Bomber K on Kamon.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: TAKU beat YAKUTA (14:05) with the Chojin Bomber.
4. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Akira Takayoshi beat Etsuya Kawachi (10:17) with the Tiger Suplex hold.
5. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Hiroaki Nakata beat Manabe Tsuji (9:29) with a wakigatame.
6. Chikao Kessin, Yoshihiro Shimoda, Jet Jaguar & Kazuki Sendo beat Daisuke Iwata, Kyoto Okazaki, Shin Kaiju & RYUJI (13:16) when Jaguar used the Spiral Bomb on RYUJI.
7. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Mastodon Fukuda beat Kotaro Ota (15:58) with the Mastodon Buster.
8. Tetsuhisa NAKAI, Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin beat Kazuma Fujita, Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei (20:02) when Yoshida used the Masayume on Taniguchi.
11/11 Notes: In the third night of the F-MAX Summit, TAKU, Akira Takayoshi, Hiroaki Nakata, and Mastodon Fukuda advanced in hard matches. TAKU faced CHAOTICS member YAKUTA in a wild brawl that saw the two nearly counted out. YAKUTA held his own against the “Muscle Beast.” But in the end, TAKU would secure the win after a ENZUI Chojin Bomber, followed by the normal variation for the pin... Akira Takayoshi had a difficult match as well, facing his own NEW FORCE stable-mate, Etsuya Kawachi. Kawachi proved to be a spirited challenge, and appeared to have Akira's number at times. But in the end, experience and size won out, as Akira folded Kawachi in half with the Tiger Suplex hold. Despite losing, Kawachi insisted that his respect for Akira had only grown, and jokingly said he would make a fine teacher one day... Finally, Hiroaki Nakata faced UPRISER'Z's Manabe Tsuji. Tsuji looked to show his growth against the veteran, and made a very strong impression on the Saitama crowd. But despite many passionate attempts, Tsuji was eventually worked over, and forced to submit to Nakata's wakigatame. Nakata even bestowed praise for Tsuji, calling him a “rock steady fighter.” In the last tournament match of the night, Mastodon Fukuda downed Kotaro Ota, who delivered a spirited challenge. Ota stuck to his strengths, and used his technique and speed to try and get the best of the Mastodon. But when Fukuda would catch him, he'd punish him with his brute power. Towards the end, Ota absorbed everything Fukuda threw at him, including two HARD lariats, and even the Mastodon Buster... But finally, Ota's spirit was broken after a final Mastodon Buster, keeping him down for the three!
November 12, 2008
Shizuoka - Act City Hamamatsu
2,150 Fans (Super No Vacancy)
0. Chikao Kessin beat Kazuki Sendo (5:04) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.
1. ATSUKA, YAKUTA & Kotaro Ota beat Go Taniguchi, Yoshihiro Shimoda & Kinniku Kamen Nisei (10:44) when Ota used the Michelada on Nisei.
2. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Naoyuki Watanabe beat Kyoshima Yosuken (11:03) with the Kodou-style Dragon Suplex hold.
3. Otsuo Kayusa & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] (9:27) when Hujikawa used the Northern Light Bomb on Patrick.
4. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Eric Dane [WCC] beat Fumihiko Shirai (2:01) with the Stardriver.
5. Hiroaki Nakata & Jet Jaguar beat Mastodon Fukuda & Kyoto Okazaki (10:08) by DQ.
6. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Masafuji Yoshida beat Tetsujin (12:24) with a lariat.
7. TAKU, Daisuke Iwata, RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji beat Akira Takayoshi, Etsuya Kawachi, Hidaka Kamon & C. Bones [WCC] (17:28) when TAKU used the Chojin Bomber on Kawachi.
8. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 1: Tetsuhisa NAKAI beat Shin Kaiju (14:19) with the MAX BULLET.
11/12 Notes: The first round of the tournament wrapped up in Shizuoka. Naoyuki Watanabe became the first to advance, defeating Kyoshima Yosuken in a superb technical battle. Yosuken often appeared to have Watanabe's number, and nearly scored the win several times with cradles and suplexes. But in the end, Watanabe's never ending fighting spirit pulled through, allowing him to chain together a German Suplex into a Dragon Suplex, into finally the Kodou-style Dragon Suplex for the three count. Yosuken praised “Watanabe-kun” for the match, and said he had no regrets... UPRISER'Z's gaijin representative Eric Dane made his awaited singles debut facing CHAOTICS member Fumihiko Shirai... Shirai was immediately overwhelmed, and put up very little in the way of a fight. After toying around with Shirai, and deadly gaijin finished him viciously, using the Stardriver to get the win after just 121 seconds! Masafuji Yoshida also passage to the next round after defeating protégé Tetsujin. Tetsujin appeared to have leveled up, as he gave Yoshida an incredible power fight, before finally being downed with a HARD lariat from Yoshida. In the main event, the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion met the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion in the final first round match. Kaiju looked strong against NAKAI, and demonstrated his insane strength by pressing the F-MAX Heavyweight Champion above his head! In the end however, NAKAI won out after a chain of BRUTAL lariats, climaxing with the MAX BULLET.
November 14, 2008
Hyogo - Akashi Park Gymnasium
3,125 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] beat Kyoshima Yosuken & Kinniku Kamen Nisei (8:41) when Patrick used a henkei Dragon Sleeper hold on Nisei.
2. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Kazuma Fujita beat Kyoto Okazaki (8:47) with the Fujita Lariat.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Yoshihiro Shimoda beat ATSUKA (18:00) with an ikkakugeri.
4. YAKUTA, Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai vs. Daisuke Iwata, RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji
5. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Chikao Kessin beat C. Bones [WCC] (11:16) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.
6. TAKU, Mastodon Fukuda & Shin Kaiju beat Masafuji Yoshida, Jet Jaguar & Tetsujin (12:00) when Fukuda used the Mastodon Splash on Tetsujin.
7. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Otsuo Kayusa beat Kenichiro Hujikawa (7:22) by knockout.
8. Akira Takayoshi, Naoyuki Watanabe, Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon beat Tetsuhisa NAKAI, Hiroaki Nakata, Go Taniguchi & Kazuki Sendo (22:42) when Takayoshi used the Tiger Suplex hold on Taniguchi.
11/14 Notes: A sellout crowd assembled in Hyogo to witness the start of the second round. In the first tournament match, FURY patriarch Kazuma Fujita battled “The Outlaw” Kyoto Okazaki, who showed no respect for his teacher, calling him “Ojijita” (Old Man-Jita). Okazaki used all of his dirty tactics early on, including a near fall after cradling Fujita while using the ropes for leverage... In the end however, Okazaki was no match for the legendary strength of Fujita, who spiked Okazaki with a VICIOUS Brainbuster, before finishing him with the Fujita Lariat!
In the following match, eternal rivals faced off, as ATSUKA battled Yoshihiro Shimoda in arguably the best match of the tournament thus far. After a feverish see-saw battle, Shimoda finally pulled out a new trick, as he caught ATSUKA wedged between the turnbuckles, and drove all of the air from his body with a VICIOUS running knee kick, paralyzing ATSUKA long enough for the three count! The post match was particularly interesting. After recovering, ATSUKA took the microphone and began laughing hysterically, before shouting, “TANOSHII!” (“That was FUN!”) ATSUKA praised Shimoda as his greatest kouhai, but said between all of his rivals, Shimoda was his favorite. ATSUKA uncharacteristically encouraged Shimoda, telling him to win the entire tournament!
In the final two tournament matches, both Chikao Kessin and Otsuo Kayusa secured their third round match against one another. Kessin battled NEW FORCE's C. Bones in a skilled battle. But in the end, Kessin would deal Bones his first direct loss on the FURY mat after the deadly “Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.” Kessin praised Bones afterwards, saying he truly felt he was facing a “worldly” wrestler. Kayusa on the other hand faced fellow STRONG RIDER Kenichiro Hujikawa, who apparently had not yet entirely recovered from the 11/09 match against Ryo Inoue. Kayusa at times tried to get Hujikawa to call the match off, only to receive JARRING blows from Hujikawa. Kayusa eventually lost his cool, and ended up KO'ING Hujikawa with the Uraken, bringing an abrupt end to the match... Kayusa apologized profusely afterwards. Hujikawa shook it off, and admitted that he had it coming...
November 15, 2008
Kyoto - Fukuchiyama Park Gymnasium
2,500 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai beat Daisuke Iwata & Manabe Tsuji (10:21) when Ota used the Viento Clutch on Tsuji.
2. Yoshihiro Shimoda & Jet Jaguar beat Chikao Kessin & Kazuki Sendo (12:04) when Jaguar used the Jaguar Special II on Sendo.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Eric Dane [WCC] beat Naoyuki Watanabe (9:50) with the Stardriver II.
4. Etsuya Kawachi, Hidaka Kamon & C. Bones [WCC] beat Shin Kaiju, Kyoto Okazaki & RYUJI (12:48) when Kamon used the Shoushinjisatsu on RYUJI.
5. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Tetsuhisa NAKAI beat Masafuji Yoshida (20:12) with the Koukai Vice.
6. ATSUKA & YAKUTA beat Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] (10:11) when YAKUTA used the Ace Driver on Patrick.
7. Otsuo Kayusa, Kyoshima Yosuken & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Kazuma Fujita, Go Taniguchi & Tetsujin (13:29) when Kayusa used the Olympic ASP on Tetsujin.
8. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Mastodon Fukuda beat Hiroaki Nakata (12:31) with the Mastodon Hades.
9. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 2: Akira Takayoshi beat TAKU (17:29) the Tiger Suplex hold.
11/15 Notes: The final four second-round matches took place in Kyoto, in front of a packed house. In the first tournament match, NEW FORCE's Naoyuki Watanabe was met with the challenge of WCC's Eric Dane. Watanabe faired better against Dane than Shirai, but eventually Dane pulled out the Stardriver II, forcing Watanabe down for the three count... The F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion would be the next to advance, after edging out Masafuji Yoshida in a back-and-fourth 20+ minute match. Yoshida took NAKAI to his limit, and nearly finished him with the Masayume. But at the last second, NAKAI fought his way out, before connecting with the Koukai Smash, leading to the Koukai Vice for the submission...
The final two tournament matches would probably be two of the most important matches yet. First, Hiroaki Nakata did battle with Mastodon Fukuda. Fukuda immediately posed a threat to Nakata, who fought furiously with kicks and elbows. But Fukuda was quick to assert himself, as he caught a kick from Nakata, and telegraphed it with a Captured Buster! Nakata would eventually come back, and nearly finished Fukuda with the Dragon Suplex hold. However, after a second try, Fukuda escaped and SPIKED Nakata with the Mastodon Buster for a near fall. In the end, Fukuda showed how far he had come by defeating Nakata with the Mastodon Hades to advance to the third round.
Next, it was Fukuda's partner's turn,as TAKU faced off against Akira Takayoshi. Unlike their prior match, Akira soundly defeated TAKU in under twenty-minutes, after thwarting interference from UPRISER'Z members.
November 18, 2008
Mie - Mie Prefectural Sun Arena Sub Arena
2,047 Fans
1. Fumihiko Shirai & Tetsujin beat Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei (7:09) when Tetsujin used the Tetsuotoshi on Nisei.
2. ATSUKA, YAKUTA & Fumihiko Shirai beat Hiroaki Nakata, Jet Jaguar & Kazuki Sendo (9:44) when Shirai used the Okinawa Driller on Sendo.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 3: Kazuma Fujita beat Yoshihiro Shimoda (13:26) with a Powerbomb.
4. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 3: Chikao Kessin beat Otsuo Kayusa (10:40) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.
5. Kyoshima Yosuken & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Shin Kaiju & RYUJI (8:48) when Hujikawa used the Axe Bomber K on RYUJI.
6. Naoyuki Watanabe, Etsuya Kawachi, Hidaka Kamon & C. Bones [WCC] beat TAKU, Daisuke Iwata, Kyoto Okazaki & Manabe Tsuji (12:35) when Bones used a Brainbuster on Tsuji.
7. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 3: Mastodon Fukuda beat Akira Takayoshi (21:27) with the Mastodon Hades.
8. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Round 3: Tetsuhisa NAKAI beat Eric Dane [WCC] (14:54) with the MAX BULLET.
11/18 Notes: The final four were determined in Mie, as Kazuma Fujita, Chikao Kessin, Mastodon Fukuda, and Tetsuhisa NAKAI all advanced. Fujita faced the spirited challenge of Jr. Heavyweight Ace Yoshihiro Shimoda, who poised a very credible threat to Fujita. However, Shimoda's spirit was eventually broken by his teacher, who folded him in half with a mighty Powerbomb... Next, Chikao Kessin edged out Otsuo Kayusa in a pitched battle. Neither man wasted any time dishing out the punishment, with heavy blows being immediately thrown. However, on this night, Kessin was the strongest after folding Kayusa in half with TWO consecutive Sekai Ichi no Backdrops!
In the semi main event, Mastodon Fukuda soundly avenged TAKU by defeating Akira Takayoshi in the match of the night. Both men men appeared spent towards the end. Akira attempted to finish Fukuda with the POSEIDON, but Fukuda mustered enough strength to hurl Akira up and catch him on his shoulders, before DRILLING him into the mat with the Mastodon Hades! Fukuda's limit break was enough to keep Akira down, allowing Fukuda to advance...
In the main event, Tetsuhisa NAKAI battled UPRISER'Z's gaijin representative Eric Dane for the final semi-finalist spot. Dane would be NAKAI's biggest challenge in the tournament thus far. The two engaged in a fierce battle of strengths and grit. Dane performed like a true American heavyweight, and punished NAKAI with an array of suplexes. NAKAI eventually made his move after cutting Dane off with a VICIOUS lariat. Control continued to be traded between the two. Dane ended up scoring a series of near falls off the Star Exploder (Wrist-clutch Exploder,) and even a chair-assisted Shining Wizard! But the spirited F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion fought back, and punished Dane with a Half-Nelson Suplex, followed by a Brainbuster! In the end, NAKAI Burning Spirit pulled him through, as he finished Dane with the MAX BULLET to secure the win.
11/19 Notes: On the eve before the F-MAX Summit finals, President Nishida revealed the full card for the event. The biggest announcement was that after being disqualified in his 11/09 tournament match, Ryo Inoue would be brought back to participate in an “F-MAX Special Match” with TAKU, facing Akira Takayoshi & Hiroaki Nakata. Otsuo Kayusa objected to Inoue's inclusion, siting his behavior against Inoue. Mr. Nishida said he understood Kayusa's feelings, but said that it would be unfair to punish the fans, who are still eager to see Inoue in the FURY ring...
November 20, 2008
Osaka - Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
6,107 Fans (No Vacancy)
1. ATSUKA, YAKUTA, Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai beat Yoshihiro Shimoda, Jet Jaguar, Kazuki Sendo & Kinniku Kamen Nisei (11:13) when ATSUKA used the Naniwa Lancer on Sendo.
2. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Semi Final: Chikao Kessin beat Kazuma Fujita (10:17) with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop.
3. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Semi Final: Tetsuhisa NAKAI beat Mastodon Fukuda (14:55) with the MAX BULLET.
4. RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji beat Jon Smith [WCC] & Patrick Smith [WCC] (10:01) when Tsuji used the Guts Coaster on Jon.
5. Daisuke Iwata, Kyoto Okazaki, Shin Kaiju & Eric Dane [WCC] beat Naoyuki Watanabe, Etsuya Kawachi, Hidaka Kamon & C. Bones [WCC] (12:20) when Dane used the Stardriver on Kamon.
6. Otsuo Kayusa, Kyoshima Yosuken & Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Masafuji Yoshida, Go Taniguchi & Tetsujin (14:09) when Yosuken used a Gotch-style Piledriver on Tetsujin.
7. F-MAX Special Match: Akira Takayoshi & Hiroaki Nakata vs. TAKU & Ryo Inoue [FREE] (30:00) went to a time limit draw.
8. F-MAX Summit 2008 - Final: Tetsuhisa NAKAI beat Chikao Kessin (12:09) with a strong-arm lariat.
11/20 Notes: The 2008 F-MAX Summit tournament came to close in Osaka, in front of over 6,000 fans. CHAOTICS battled members of mushozoku to open the match, with Yoshihiro Shimoda and Jet Jaguar leading rookies Kazuki Sendo and Kinniku Kamen Nisei to battle. In the end, ATSUKA used a modified Sapporo Lancer to submit Sendo, sending a message to Shimoda. But exactly what that message was is unclear...
Things picked up quickly as we had two the F-MAX semi final matches. First, FURY Patriarch Kazuma Fujita battled Chikao Kessin in a first-time meeting. Fujita aimed to prove he could still hang with his younger protégés, and held nothing back against Kessin, blistering him with VICIOUS chops. Kessin however took every shot Fujita delivered, and paid him back in dividends! The match relied more on heavy blows rather than suplexes and throws, with both men aiming to show their guts in front of the Osaka crowd. Fujita eventually managed to hit Kessin with the Fujita Lariat, causing him to wobble... But as Fujita aimed for a second, Kessin telegraphed it perfectly, and CRACKED Fujita in the side of the skull with the Back Blow, before setting up the SEKAI ICHI NO BACKDROP! Fujita however showed his incredible Burning Spirit by RISING to his feet, ONLY TO ABSORB A VICIOUS LARIAT FROM KESSIN! Kessin pulled Fujita up once before, before delivering a final Sekai Ichi no Backdrop, dropping Fujita directly on his NECK! Kessin went for the pin, and stunned the Osaka crowd as referee Akinori Fuwa COUNTED THE THREE. The celebration was brief, as it appeared Fujita was seriously hurt... Fujita eventually made it up on his own power, but it was clear he was hurt...
In the second semi finals match, Tetsuhisa NAKAI faced Mastodon Fukuda in a very hectic match filled with interference and violence. Fukuda ambushed NAKAI before the match, and dragged him across all four corners of the gymnasium, with the other members of UPRISER'Z jumping in while referee Edd Sasaki was distracted. NAKAI eventually had aid however, as Hiroaki Nakata, Masafuji Yoshida and Jet Jaguar all came to his aid to fight UPRISER'Z to the back. The match picked up once it finally became a one-on-one encounter. Fukuda nearly sealed the match with the Mastodon Hades, but NAKAI managed to fight his way out, before setting up the Devil Eruption! After a fast-paced exchange of reversals, NAKAI finally caught Fukuda on his shoulders, and SPIKED him with the MAX BULLET to keep Fukuda down for the three!
In the semi final, we had the “F-MAX Special Match” as Akira Takayoshi and Hiroaki Nakata teamed up in something of an HDU reunion against TAKU and the villainous Ryo Inoue. In typical fashion, Inoue took the microphone before the match, and said he had no interest in a match in the FURY ring that doesn't involve Kazuma Fujita, but said he'd use his “prized students” to send a message. The match was paced slowly early on, with Nakata locking horns with the infamous Ryo Inoue for the first time. There was a lengthy “feeling-out” process, as the two engaged in various exchanges before reaching a stalemate. Things picked up once TAKU was tagged in, as he wasted no time in assaulting Akira with kicks and chops. TAKU and Inoue surprisingly made a good time early on, as frequent tags were made. Still, Inoue paced himself, and primarily left the early going to TAKU. Things finally picked up about twenty-minutes into the match, as Hiroaki Nakata grew tired with Inoue's tentativeness. Nakata landed a JARRING slap across Inoue's face as he stood on the ring apron, garnering a HUGE reaction from the fans. Red-faced with embarrassment, Inoue leaped into the ring, and assumed a fighting stance. Both he and Nakata traded a RAPID flurry of blows, with Inoue beginning to get the better of the exchange. However, Nakata managed to narrowly avoid Inoue's Uraken attempt, before following with a HARD Savate to Inoue's midsection! Their fight spilled to the outside, leaving Akira and TAKU in the ring. As time ticked down to the half-hour time limit, Akira and TAKU went balls-to-the-wall in an attempt to get the win... But just as TAKU went for the Kinniku Buster, the gong sounded to signify the draw... Words were exchanged afterwards, as TAKU extended an INVITATION to Inoue to become a member of UPRISER'Z! Inoue laughed, and bluntly said, “Don't misunderstand my position... I have honor, so I agreed to be your partner... But you are filth. Do not insult me!”
We then had the eagerly awaited finals of the 2008 F-MAX Summit tournament, as Tetsuhisa NAKAI battled former Devil Storm stablemate Chikao Kessin in a battle of heavyweight powerhouses. The atmosphere was intense, as the two mammoths locked horns. The match was briskly paced, with neither man wasting any time. Heavy chops were exchanged early on, with Kessin surprisingly getting the better of the exchange over the F-MAX Heavyweight Champion. But never to be outdone, NAKAI fired back with chops of his own, followed by a flurry of elbows in the corner. Kessin eventually made the first big offensive move of the match, after catching NAKAI with the Scrap Buster, followed by a running guillotine drop across NAKAI's neck! NAKAI eventually fought his way back, and displayed his incredible strength by giving Kessin a Backdrop of his own, followed by a SICKENING Half-Nelson Suplex! However, NAKAI pushed himself too hard after attempting to POWERBOMB the 145kg Kessin, giving him control of the match once more. After several failed attempts, Kessin finally succeeded in connecting with the Sekai Ichi no Backdrop. However, Kessin was too fatigued to make the cover immediately, giving NAKAI time to recover. NAKAI fought his way out of a second Backdrop, allowing NAKAI to muster all of his strength to HOIST the 145kg Kessin ONTO HIS SHOULDERS, before delivering perhaps the slowest Devil Eruption ever... However, the attack appeared to deal severe damage, as NAKAI scored a 2.8 count off the pin attempt! NAKAI surged with a second wind, and unloaded onto Kessin with another flurry of chops and elbows, before coming off the ropes with a ROARING LARIAT, sending a loud *THUD* noise echoing through out the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. But still, Kessin refused to go down... NAKAI came off the ropes for another, BUT KESSIN TELEGRAPHED IT PERFECTLY, AND CAUGHT NAKAI WITH A SECOND SEKAI ICHI NO BACKDROP! However, to the SHOCK of both the fans and Kessin himself, NAKAI REBOUNDED onto his feet, and SMASHED into Kessin with another lariat, KNOCKING KESSIN OFF HIS FEET! NAKAI followed with the pin, only for Kessin to kick out at 2.999! With roaring calls in the background, NAKAI pulled Kessin's body up, before gripping the back of Kessin's head, and firing a VICIOUS STRONG-ARMED LARIAT, KNOCKING KESSIN'S HEAD OFF! NAKAI hooked the leg, AS HE SCORED THE THREE COUNT, BECOMING THE FIRST F-MAX HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TO WIN THE F-MAX SUMMIT!
The fans ROARED with cheers as NAKAI was awarded his purse and trophy. During the post-match interview, NAKAI was asked about the awkward situation that had been created, as traditionally the November tournament winner would challenge the F-MAX Heavyweight Champion on 12/21... NAKAI jokingly apologized, and said that a match involving himself against himself probably would be interesting... NAKAI then got serious, and said he would leave the decision to President Nishida, but said he wanted to face only the strongest... NAKAI then revealed something that many fans in the building had suspected, stating that Kazuma Fujita had suffered an injury in the ring, and would miss an indefinite amount of time. And because of this, NAKAI said there was extra pressure on him to carry the company as its symbol going into 12/21. He thanked the Osaka fans for their loyalty and support, and said he would present the best quality of wrestling possible on 12/21, no matter who he faces.
This brought out RYO INOUE, who entered the ring to an ENORMOUS reaction. Inoue, as always, was already ill tempered, and demanded that Fujita show himself, calling his injury an “admission of cowardice.” NAKAI of course took exception to this, and got right in Inoue's face, prompting Inoue to respond with, “...Who are you?” NAKAI proudly introduced himself as the “F-MAX Champion, Tetsuhisa NAKAI!” Prompting Inoue to again respond with, “... ... ...Who?” Inoue got serious, and finally acknowledged NAKAI, even offering him half-hearted praise for winning tonight. However, Inoue said that without Fujita, the FURY ring posed no interest to him, and said he would return to his dojo until Fujita essentially “grew a pair.” NAKAI took the bait perfectly, as he DEMANDED to face Ryo Inoue in a match, even going as far as to offer to put the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight title on the line on 12/21! Inoue contemplated for a moment, and acknowledged NAKAI as the student who has beaten Fujita two times previously, before ACCEPTING the challenge!
However, before the match could be made official, HIROAKI NAKATA intruded, and announced his OBJECTION to the match, citing that Inoue has done nothing to deserve a match of this caliber. NAKAI argued with Nakata, saying he had to defend the honor of not just FURY, but Kazuma Fujita. Nakata again objected, and said he would only agree to the match if Inoue could DEFEAT HIM in a match! Inoue outright refused, saying Nakata was not in his league. President Nishida then appeared, and said that Nakata's request was reasonable, and bluntly told Inoue that he would in fact have to face Nakata to get at NAKAI. Inoue reluctantly accepted, saying he would humiliate two of Fujita's best students, win their “worthless” belts, and force Fujita a match when he “recovers” from his fake injury. President Nishida made the match between Nakata and Inoue official for the 12/06 Korakuen show, calling it an official “#1 contenders match” with the winner facing NAKAI on 12/21.
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