Post by 円相! TV on Jul 8, 2024 20:52:19 GMT
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ENSOU! TV スポーツ LIGHTNING NEWS!!
MAX-J fighters would return to Okinawa for the first time since September 2023’s GRAPPLING SONATA for a USA-Japan event being promoted as TOMODACHI Infinity to the general public. This was an event that was generally in good spirits and was funded by joint U.S. and Japanese backers who wanted to celebrate the remarkable friendship between the two countries. All of the competitors signed autographs for hours before the show alongside a sunny beach in what can only be described as an iconic summer image. With nearly 2,500 fans in attendance, the audience was split half-and-half between U.S. and Japanese nationalities. In an ironic twist, most of the Japanese fans could be seen eating hot dogs with the majority of Americans taking in sushi, takoyaki, or other Japanese dishes. This was something that the promoters made notice of while welcoming the fans at the beginning of the show and drew a hearty laugh from all in attendance, setting the stage for a warm, inviting atmosphere.
In the first of two matches that would feature MAX participation, the initial contest would see two recently signed ambassadors in Satoshi “Soldier of Fortune” Kamakura and “Demon Hunter” Takashi Yamashita take on the North American duo AJ “Crusader” Knight and “Serpiente” SANGRE. The Japanese team would compete fiercely and Kamakura himself would request AJ Knight in the ring at one point to test his kickboxing skills. While AJ was tentative at first, he managed to hold his own versus the Soldier of Fortune long enough to land a super kick and nearly pick up a pinfall. However, it would be the offense of SANGRE that would win the day, catching Yamashita with his patended Ala y Garra chicken-wing submission to force the Demon Hunter to tap-out and give the two IRON ROAD superstars a well-earned win.
The next match would feature SHYc’s Takeda “Sniper” Izumi and “Snap Shot” Shinzo Takamori versus fellow MAX-J ambassador “Judoka” Jimmy Winner and a mysterious partner. The reveal that Winner’s teammate was none other than the “Unnatural” Alexander Irvine sent fans of all nationalities into a frenzy, as Irvine is considered a major figure in both countries and has generally maintained a low profile for the last several years in pro-wrestling.
SHYc, however, would not be as impressed as the crowd and would hold nothing back. Takamori and Irvine would get into a chopfest around the five-minute mark that allowed Takamori to showcase his tenacity as a former yet still roughhousing ice hockey standout that would back Irvine into a corner. Relying more on wits and using his opponent’s momentum against him, Irvine intercepted one of the chops into a Fujiwara armbar takedown and would get Jimmy in the mix.
The American Judoka, riding high from earning an invite to the J1 SUMMIT, would make the match a chain wrestling affair, using grounded headlocks to keep Snap Shot on his back. However, the hockey standout would land a backdrop hold to bring in Izumi, who would kick his distance from Winner using his best weapon – his feet, and a feint front kick into a roundhouse that rattled the young fighter.
The battle would rage on and fans would see an Irvine they were very familiar with, whose own martial arts skills would keep pace with Izumi, catching a flying knee and sending the Sniper over the top rope with a captured buster in a Herculean display of strength! With Snap Shot now the legal man and Izumi incapacitated on the outside, it didn’t take long for Irvine to drop Takamori with an Evenflow DDT and then slap on an armbar to force a tapout!
After the dust settled after the match, Irvine thanked all of the fans for attending and said that he would have two announcements. Before the 2,500 fans he first stated that he had accepted a MAX-J sponsorship as a Global Hero. Additionally, as a former World Tag Team Champion, he also officially accepted his invitation to the 2024 J1 Summit, again to a round of applause.
Of course, Irvine could only take the stage for so long before AJ Knight would return to join him in the ring. There was a rather lengthy showdown between the two as the anticipation built. For those you who do not know, these two fighters have encountered one another a number of times and their rivalry has had several interesting moments. In one of the most unusual combinations, they became tag team champions together later in the history of MAX-J, though predictably the tensions between them would ensure that the partnership would not last long. Additionally, AJ Knight holds some distinction in ending Irvine's reign as the King of Lions Champion back when the two wrestled in the same promotion.
With a mic in hand, AJ stated that he, too, had an announcement. Also as a former World Tag Team Champion, he would officially accept his invite to the Summit as well. And upon that note with a bit of a smirk, he stated that he was glad to see Irvine had emerged from hiding after all this time. Irvine would ask AJ if his balls had dropped yet - something that caused a great deal of laughter from hundreds of Americans in the audience - and a not-to-be-deterred AJ seemed ready to drop trou and show him the evidence when ringside officials slid into the ring to try and maintain a PG rating for the television audiences, separating the two to prevent any escalation as the event went to commercial.
Needless to say, TOMODACHI Infinity was full of excitement and significant ramifications for August’s J1, which is getting closer and closer by the day...
Date: 7/8/2024
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Attendance: 2,500 fans (94% capacity)
1. AJ Knight and SANGRE defeat Satoshi Kamakura and Takashi Yamashita (14:08) via submission when SANGRE uses the Ala y Garra on Yamashita.
2. Alexander Irvine and Jimmy Winner defeat Takeda Izumi and Shinzo Takamori (16:26) via submission when Irvine uses a cross armbreaker on Takamori.