7/26/2024: CRUISERWORLD II - Day 1

It was a beautiful day down at Shirahama Beach with the Pacific Pearl anchored along the beach and throngs of people gathered along the shore to witness the day's matches. Fans were packed aboard the ship at standing room capacity and it became very obvious for those near ringside just how close to the action they were. And along the shore the sea-side town had set up numerous chairs and also created a replica of the Shirahama Jinja next to the bridge that united land and sea for wrestlers to say a little prayer to before boarding the vessel.

GM Massaki "Genki" Sano greeted the crowd and thanked everyone both aboard and ashore for their attendance, reporting an estimated 4,500 fans for the event that almost doubled the capacity from last year. With all kinds of action on the docket, he took a special moment to remind the fans of the exits and the locations of life-preservers while also stressing that due to the confined capacity, all fans onboard has signed a waiver in case action from in the ring might spill to the outside a bit too close to those ringside.

The opening tag team match featured a showdown between teams led respectively by Katsuhiko Himura and Akira Nakamura going into a showdown tomorrow. However, it was the partners of the competitors that got the most attention. Himura's partner, Future Mummy, showcased a fearless brand of high-flying action, at one point diving over a top rope to the outside hitting a suicida plancha against both Nakamura to the roar of the fans. But it was all for not, as the Japan Chessboxing League's resident renaissance man, former jazz-rocker Rhythm Saitoh, who displayed an almost jazz-like level of improvisation with some of the smoothest technical wrestling you've ever seen.

It was a photo-finish when Saitoh ducked a spinning wheeel kick from Mummy, who kipped up to his feet and ran forward right into Saitoh's own variant of the Diamond Cutter/RKO - the Edo Fermata - violently dropping the luchador to the mat with a thunderous bounce to go for the pin and pick up the 1-2-3! Fans were very impressed with all of the fighters, especially Saitoh, and a tense staredown after the match between Himura and Nakamura has all of us assured that tomorrow's match between the two men under the sport form rules will not disappoint.

The rest of the show would be dedicated to the opening round of the ENSOU! TV ~ Sports Lightning Cup. During a brief intermission, ENSOU! TV's Vice President of Marketing wheeled out a beautiful trophy onto the deck of the ship for all to see. It was very impressive and all of the fighters were forced to pass by it as they made their way down to the ring.

The first match set the tone for the event as David Troy faced off against the formery ice hockey standout Shinzo Takamori. Known for his strike-heavy offense and cagey veteran tactics, Troy wasted no time in engaging Takamori with hard-hitting chops and basic yet effective wrestling moves. At one point in the match Takamori went on the offensive and gutted Troy with a spear that seemed to damage Troy's ribs, hearkening back memories to last year when Troy's ribcage would be injured on the opening day.

But unlike last year when Day 1 ended in defeat, this time Troy battled back and utilized his advantages in technique over Takamori, preferring to keep the fight grounded so that it didn't get out of hand. Eventually, Troy would achieve a back mount and sink the hooks in for a rear naked choke that not even Snap Shot Takamori could withstand, forcing a tap-out just before the ten-minute mark to give David Troy the victory.


The second bout featured Lynx and Jimmy Winner in a technical showcase. Lynx, a reformer high-flyer turning grappling specialist, tested Winner's judo skills early on, leading to a series of intricate holds and counters. As the match progressed, Lynx shifted to a more aggressive style, incorporating strikes and high-impact moves.

Jimmy would prove resilient, however, and would use a Judo hip throw to send LYNX upside-down into a turnbuckle as he proceeded to deliver stomp after stomp in what was a turning point in the match. The Judoka was less interested in grappling at this point and preferred more of a stand-up style where he could leverage his weight and would even hit a flash uranage that sent chills through the audience - but it would only get a two-count.

With the match past the fifteen-minute mark, Jimmy would attempt a sambo suplex - but Lynx would rebut him with elbow strikes to the head that sent the Judoka reeling. It was at this point Lynx captured a standing rear waist lock and hit a German suplex hold and roll over with a Mexican bridging pin to score the surprise pinfall victory! As the referee held up Lynx's hand in victory, the older fighter would clutch his back as he attempted to stretch himself out, probably not having attempted a move that required that much flexibility in many years.

In the third match, the enigmatic Dark Feather II, also known as Osamu Fujiyama, faced off against Orville Newton. There are few cruiserweights who can make Orville Newton seem short, but Dark Father II is such a man. His towering presence and methodical offense contrasted sharply with Newton's lanky, technical style. Newton tried to ground his opponent with chain wrestling and suplexes, but Dark Feather II's reach would allow him to utilize his feet and knees and it never really felt like Newton found his footing. Despite Newton trying to gut it out, Dark Feather's patented Swallowing Kick proved too much and the devasting Yakuza kick and stomp to the head of the falling American would be enough to result in a pinfall victory.

After the match, Dark Feather II addressed the crowd stating that while the sunny beach and ocean contrasted with his all-black attire, he assured the fans he would be the man who brought darkness to to the ring and promised that he would "unravel every mystery" to ensure he won the tournament. What exactly he meant by his esoteric words we really cannot say, but he definitely seemed serious and for sure was out of step with the tenor of most of the show.

Earth Warrior stepped out to the ring wearing a "WHALES ARE BEST" t-shirt that he discarded before the match that caused a few cheers from some fans but generally fell on deaf ears. SANGRE did not appear to be impressed or moved in any particular way, but the bell ring and action got hot from the get-go. Both fighters were laser focused in an opening that featured both fighters making a lot of flips, rolls, drop kicks, and arm drag takeover with neither side seemingly getting the better of the other.

It would be SANGRE who got his first break, hitting an enzuigiri that sent Earth Warrior tumbling to the apron. And when Warrior got to his feet, a flying elbow smash would send him flung from the apron, into and over the guard rail, and spilling into the seats of those ringside. Fans moved out of the way as fast as possible as SANGRE followed up, putting Warrior literally on the deck with a vertical suplex before dragging him back to the ring.

SANGRE's offense would see him go for a springboard leg drop to the downed Warrior -and it would connect! But only a two-count would be the result. SANGRE would stand up Warrior for an enzuigiri - but the young man would block it and counter with an enzuigiri of his own! SANGRE would stumble - and then hit an enzuigiri! Warrior would stumble - and hit another! The two men traded enzuigiri like this until it was SANGRE who collapsed to the mat face first.

After shaking off the cobwebs, Warrior would display his athleticism by effortlessly leaping to the top rope, soaring into the air with a diving elbow drop, and hitting his elbow directly between the shoulder blades of "Serpient", who howled in pain. Warrior would thin apply a crossface hold, something that caught the fans by surprise! SANGRE would reach for the ropes, slowly dragging himself, and, eventually, arriving to break up the hold.

But Warrior wasn't done. He lifted up a still-dazed SANGRE with a release Northern Lights suplex that dumped the Mexican fighter on his back once again! Warrior would take the action to the ground at this point with a full mount as he tried to isolate an arm for a submission hold, but SANGRE managed to somehow scoot out of it, get up to his feet, and slap Warrior in his masked face with a super kick! SANGRE would then apply a Stretch Plum to a seated Warrior, wrenching on the former gymnast's torso as he tried to force him into submission.

It wasn't looking good at all for Warrior, but he remained resolute, and eventually SANGRE would break the hold and level soccer kicks to the fighter's kidneys. Warrior was seemingly in bad shape as he used the ropes to get to a knee. SANGRE would fling himself forward with a running knee strike but Warrior would get his forearms up and block the attack, springobarding off the ropes as he caught SANGRE with a flying armbar and dragging him down to the mat! SANGRE would grit his teeth and groan and just as the ref was ready to call the match somehow slithered out from the hold.

Warrior came forward but a drop toe hold put him on his back and gave SANGRE time to get to his feet. A spinning heel kick from SANGRE would be ducked by Warrior who bounced into the ropes and rebounded - but SANGRE would intercept him with an abdominal stretch! Warrior groaned in pain and things got worse when SANGRE turned the stretch into an Octopus Hold! In the center of the ring, with nowhere to go, and with SANGRE in perfect balance, Warrior succumbed to the submission and waved his army to signal that he was giving up as SANGRE advanced to the semifinals!

After this match, which lasted over twenty-five minutes, a disappointed Earth Warrior in considerable pain and still in the ring would smack the top of the turnbuckle. SANGRE would approach him, say a few things to him in Spanish that were understood without translation, and the two fighters would nod and depart their separate ways. 

With Day 1 in the books, fans have a lot to be looking forward to when the day after tomorrow when we will reach Day 2. However, the fans won't have to wait for what we're told is a very important announcement by GM Masaaki Sano that will occur tomorrow. We haven't heard anything, but the rumor mill is a-poppin' and we'll just have to wait and see, so it seems.

The action will resume on 7/28 with the semifinals and final of the Sports Lightning Cup, a sport form rematch between Himura and Nakamura that has been 7 years in the making, and the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in the main event. Speaking of the champs, there was noticeably no Demon Brigade activity - and this was something that caught a number of people by surprise. After the show, some noted that ZENKI was not even on the card for Day 2 and it prompted many of the Demon Brigade faithful in the crowd to laugh as though they knew something that others did not...

As of right now, ENSOU! TV has no knowledge of ZENKI's whereabouts and it appears as though we will just have to see what CRUISERWORLD II has in store for us all!

Date: 7/26/2024

Location: Shirahama Beach, Tokyo, Japan

Attendance: 4,500 fans (combined onboard and ashore)

1. Akira Nakamura and Rhythm Saitoh defeat Katsuhiko Himura and Future Mummy (13:33) via pinfall after Saitoh uses the Edo Fermata on Mummy.

2. ENSOU! TV ~ Sports Lightning Cup - Opening Round: David Troy defeats Shinzo Takamori (9:55) via submission with a rear naked choke.
3. ENSOU! TV ~ Sports Lightning Cup - Opening Round: Lynx defeats Jimmy Winner (18:12) via pinfall with a German suplex hold.
4. ENSOU! TV ~ Sports Lightning Cup - Opening Round: Dark Feather II defeats Orville Newton (12:01) via pinfall after the Swallowing Kick.
5. ENSOU! TV ~ Sports Lightning Cup - Opening Round: SANGRE defeats Earth Warrior (25:40) via submission with an Octopus Hold.