Post by 円相! TV on Jan 8, 2024 2:50:02 GMT
ENSOU! TV スポーツ
LIGHTNING NEWS!!
Things were quiet during the winter not much news about MAX-J activities, but an end-of-the-year corporate announcement from the 4536 Group with GM Massaki “Genki” Sano leading the MAX-J portion was well worth the wait.
Earth Warrior on “administrative probation”?!?
Rumors were that a surprise V3 defense of the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship had been setup in what would be a joint venture between Pollo Road and MAX-J. However, the vessel Earth Warrior – who travels by sail for most international events – experienced a delay in his travels due to his ship being damaged in a storm. When rescue helicopters arrived, he refused to be airlifted and instead was transported by a group of local fishermen to the Marshall Islands where, due to the fact that he refused all non-eco-friendly forms of travel, he was essentially marooned for weeks and became unable to attend, thus scuttling the possibility of a defense before the end of the new year.
The board of directors of Group 4536 were furious and considered vacating the titles but given that the current champions are still in their inaugural reign, they refrained and instead placed Earth Warrior under a probation policy that will place considerable scrutiny on the actions of the fighter and likely imposed travel restrictions that force him to accommodate company requests.
ATTACK OF THE FUTURE! set for 2/10
The next show has been set for 2/10 in Shimonoseki and will be headlined by a V3 defense by the champions Earth Warrior and METAL HERO against the team of AJ “the Crusader” Knight and the newly reinvigorated “Judoka” Jimmy Winner! The team of Knight and Winner will be the first time we have seen a Pollo/MAX partnership. A representative from Jimmy Winner, who has been living in Yokohama, said that he wanted to prove to AJ how much he has grown since the two men were on the roster together in Lion’s Road where AJ was a champion and Winner was one of the lower ranked fighters.
The rest of the event is to be announced within the week, though there are rumors that the Japan Chessboxing League is scrambling like mad behind the scenes to organize another event. The JCB is of course infatuated with Gusuku Bowl winner now referred to by many fans as “Checkmate” David Troy, though there are significant questions whether Troy’s health will allow him to be cleared by health officials to sanction the boxing portions of such a match.
U.S.A., Canada, and Mongolia announced as foreign travel destinations for MAX fighters
GM Sano has long been a proponent that pro-wrestling ought to “embrace the globalism of competition” and has stated that foreign entry clearance has been provided for MAX fighters to compete in North America as well as Mongolia, the last of which caught many observers by surprise. The MAX-J GM always has something up his sleeve, and was mum on details, so this is a story we’ll be watching very closely.
J1 SUMMIT CONFIRMED FOR SUMMER 2024
Perhaps the biggest announcement was hearing that the J1 SUMMIT, MAX-J’s annual singles tournament that ran from 2017-2019, would be revived after a five-year hiatus. The format will likely be a round-robin and as of right now there are no known weight restrictions. Sano stated that the tournament will be held in Tokyo and that it will also be “the biggest and most impressive version” of the tournament that has ever been seen.
The initial J1 SUMMIT was won by “Mighty Fine” Mike Musket in a finals that crowned the first ever MAX Heavyweight Champion. In 2018, Tokyo Zombie won the next tournament and went on to unsuccessfully challenge then champion ZENKI for the heavyweight title at BLACK LION’S ROAD III BOM-BA-YE. This was the last major accomplishment before Zombie’s untimely passing a year later. Chris Ravenna is the last SUMMIT winner and while it is known that he is still active and training, it’s unclear whether his participation will be secured to attempt a repeat performance.
Regardless, if Sano is to be believed, fans of MAX-J have a lot to look forward to in 2024!
Earth Warrior on “administrative probation”?!?
Rumors were that a surprise V3 defense of the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship had been setup in what would be a joint venture between Pollo Road and MAX-J. However, the vessel Earth Warrior – who travels by sail for most international events – experienced a delay in his travels due to his ship being damaged in a storm. When rescue helicopters arrived, he refused to be airlifted and instead was transported by a group of local fishermen to the Marshall Islands where, due to the fact that he refused all non-eco-friendly forms of travel, he was essentially marooned for weeks and became unable to attend, thus scuttling the possibility of a defense before the end of the new year.
The board of directors of Group 4536 were furious and considered vacating the titles but given that the current champions are still in their inaugural reign, they refrained and instead placed Earth Warrior under a probation policy that will place considerable scrutiny on the actions of the fighter and likely imposed travel restrictions that force him to accommodate company requests.
ATTACK OF THE FUTURE! set for 2/10
The next show has been set for 2/10 in Shimonoseki and will be headlined by a V3 defense by the champions Earth Warrior and METAL HERO against the team of AJ “the Crusader” Knight and the newly reinvigorated “Judoka” Jimmy Winner! The team of Knight and Winner will be the first time we have seen a Pollo/MAX partnership. A representative from Jimmy Winner, who has been living in Yokohama, said that he wanted to prove to AJ how much he has grown since the two men were on the roster together in Lion’s Road where AJ was a champion and Winner was one of the lower ranked fighters.
The rest of the event is to be announced within the week, though there are rumors that the Japan Chessboxing League is scrambling like mad behind the scenes to organize another event. The JCB is of course infatuated with Gusuku Bowl winner now referred to by many fans as “Checkmate” David Troy, though there are significant questions whether Troy’s health will allow him to be cleared by health officials to sanction the boxing portions of such a match.
U.S.A., Canada, and Mongolia announced as foreign travel destinations for MAX fighters
GM Sano has long been a proponent that pro-wrestling ought to “embrace the globalism of competition” and has stated that foreign entry clearance has been provided for MAX fighters to compete in North America as well as Mongolia, the last of which caught many observers by surprise. The MAX-J GM always has something up his sleeve, and was mum on details, so this is a story we’ll be watching very closely.
J1 SUMMIT CONFIRMED FOR SUMMER 2024
Perhaps the biggest announcement was hearing that the J1 SUMMIT, MAX-J’s annual singles tournament that ran from 2017-2019, would be revived after a five-year hiatus. The format will likely be a round-robin and as of right now there are no known weight restrictions. Sano stated that the tournament will be held in Tokyo and that it will also be “the biggest and most impressive version” of the tournament that has ever been seen.
The initial J1 SUMMIT was won by “Mighty Fine” Mike Musket in a finals that crowned the first ever MAX Heavyweight Champion. In 2018, Tokyo Zombie won the next tournament and went on to unsuccessfully challenge then champion ZENKI for the heavyweight title at BLACK LION’S ROAD III BOM-BA-YE. This was the last major accomplishment before Zombie’s untimely passing a year later. Chris Ravenna is the last SUMMIT winner and while it is known that he is still active and training, it’s unclear whether his participation will be secured to attempt a repeat performance.
Regardless, if Sano is to be believed, fans of MAX-J have a lot to look forward to in 2024!