RESULTS: BOLD WARRIOR INVASION - Day 2 (10/22/2024)

With the anticipation from Day 1 still buzzing, the Sturgeon Park Civic Center was filled with eager fans, ready for the climax of the SEKAI Trios Cup tournament. Over 4,000 people packed the venue, their energy palpable, and the pyrotechnics lit up the stage in a glorious display. While the autumn leaves outside painted the landscape in reds and oranges, inside the arena, the action was red-hot not only in the ring but also in the stands.

Before the matches began we had an unfortunate incident that allegedly began when a Demon Brigade supporter knocked a soft drink out of the hands of one of the Canadian native fans and said, "Lick it off the floor, American dog." While we can't be sure what was more offensive to the Canadian patron - the attack on the soft drink or being called an American - but either way it began a brawl actually spilled over the guardrail and resulted in over a dozen ejections.

But with the tension quelled, the bell would ring in and the show would officially begin!

The first semifinal match featured the SHYc team of Takeda Izumi, Akira Nakamura, and Shinzo Takamori taking on the battle-tested trio of David Troy, Ryan Samuels, and Orville Newton. The SHYc squad started strong, using their speed and teamwork to outmaneuver their larger opponents. Izumi, in particular, focused on taking out Newton’s legs with brutal kicks, knowing that eliminating his power base would give SHYc the advantage. Troy and Samuels, however, weren’t about to back down, and the match swung back and forth, with each side getting their moments to shine.

As the action intensified, Samuels nearly decapitated Nakamura with a lariat, but Izumi broke up the pin just in time. The match-ending sequence came when Takamori, the powerhouse of SHYc, hoisted Newton onto his shoulders and drove him into the mat with a brutal Samoan Driver, securing the win for his team as the crowd exploded in cheers. SHYc moved on to the finals, one step closer to the SEKAI Trios Cup.

In the second semifinal, Canada’s hometown heroes, the Punch Line—Roy Vezina, Harv Norris, and Rick Hull—faced the luchador team of El Refresco IV, Il Ladro, and Dark Feather II. From the opening bell, the Punch Line had the fans on their feet, but the luchadores showed off their incredible agility and submission prowess, trying to outmaneuver their larger, more powerful opponents. The crowd went wild when Vezina took flight from the top rope, delivering a double ax handle to Dark Feather II, a move that sent the Canadian supporters into a frenzy. At one point later in the match, Il Ladro hit the Venetian Drill (spinning running knee strike, typically to a downed opponent), but Vezina broke up the pin, causing the fans to shout, "Save made, Roy Vezina!"

However, the turning point came when Harv Norris locked Il Ladro in a picture-perfect sharpshooter, paying homage to one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time. The crowd roared with approval, chanting for Norris as he wrenched the hold tighter. With no escape in sight, Il Ladro had no choice but to tap out, sending the Punch Line into the finals. The Canadian contingent in the crowd celebrated wildly as their heroes advanced.

In a thrilling tag team bout, the tandem of Eiichiro Yamazaki and Rhythm Saitoh took on the veteran team of Thunder Mask and Jimmy Winner. The bout was a technical masterclass, with Thunder Mask’s grappling skills on full display. Winner, too, was experimenting with new techniques, showcasing a vicious utsuri-goshi that nearly earned him the victory over Saitoh. However, Saitoh, always a step ahead with his quick reflexes and jazz-like improvisation, caught Thunder Mask off guard in a slick transition, trapping him in a Dragon sleeper. Thunder Mask fought valiantly, but Saitoh’s grip was too tight, forcing the masked legend to submit as the crowd erupted in applause.

SANGRE vs. Devlin Masters

The next match was a quick but brutal encounter between SANGRE and Devlin Masters. SANGRE wasted no time, taking the fight straight to Masters with a barrage of stiff strikes and vicious submissions. Masters tried to mount a comeback, but SANGRE was relentless, cutting him off at every turn. The match came to a swift end when SANGRE locked in his signature submission, the Ala y Garra, forcing Masters to tap out after just over seven minutes of action. SANGRE raised his arms in victory as the crowd acknowledged his dominant performance.

In one of the night’s most hard-fought contests, the team of METAL HERO and Earth Warrior squared off against the intimidating duo of Kenzo Hirata and Shigeru Toyama. METAL HERO, making his return to the ring after an injury, showed no signs of rust, trading blows with the towering Hirata in a true test of strength. Earth Warrior, always the strategist, focused his efforts on Toyama, eventually catching him off guard with a brutal running face kick.

As Toyama lay on the mat, unable to continue, the referee called for the technical knockout, declaring METAL HERO and Earth Warrior the winners. The celebrations were cut short, however, when a public affairs officer from the All-Japan Sports and Wrestling Commission emerged to offer the victors a shot at the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, giving the two fighters a long-awaited rematch and the opportunity to reclaim the titles. Both HERO and Warrior bowed and accepted the offer.

But the surprises didn’t stop there. The AJSWC public affairs officer also revealed that MAX-J’s December event would take place in the most extreme environment imaginable—the icy continent of Antarctica—a shocking announcement that sent the crowd into a frenzy. As he spoke, the following promotional poster could be seen:

J1 REUNION TAG MATCH: Tiger Mask Red and AJ Knight vs. ZENKI and Alexander Irvine

The much-anticipated J1 Reunion Tag Match pitted the formidable team of Tiger Mask Red and AJ Knight against the volatile pairing of ZENKI and Alexander Irvine. Tensions were high from the start, with both teams trading hard-hitting offense. Irvine and ZENKI initially seemed to work together, isolating Knight and punishing him with a series of suplexes and strikes. At one point, Irvine hit his devastating Battle Cry on Knight and went for the pin, only for Tiger Mask Red to pull his partner out of the ring to break it up, using up their one save.

The match descended into chaos from there, with all four men brawling in and around the ring. As the match neared its conclusion, ZENKI and Irvine began to argue, the tension between them finally boiling over. Sensing an opportunity, Tiger Mask Red grabbed Irvine from behind, locking him in a Dragon suplex hold. With ZENKI standing by, he had the chance to save his partner but chose to exit the ring instead, leaving Irvine to his fate. Tiger Mask Red pinned Irvine, securing the win for his team, as ZENKI rode away in his ceremonial carriage.

In the final match of the night, the SEKAI Trios Cup Grand Final saw Takeda Izumi, Akira Nakamura, and Shinzo Takamori of SHYc face off against Canada’s beloved Punch Line trio of Roy Vezina, Harv Norris, and Rick Hull. Prior to the final, both teams respective national anthems were played in what was a symbol of national respect all around. 

The elimination-style match was an absolute war, with both teams pushing themselves to the limit. 

The first elimination came when Takamori, after a fierce back-and-forth with Hull, delivered a powerful German suplex hold to secure the pinfall and eliminate the Canadian superstar.

Vezina quickly responded, taking advantage of a weary Takamori and planting him with a brutal Gotch-style piledriver, leveling the playing field so that it was essentially a 2v2 tag team match.

Sniper Izumi entered next, and his relentless offense targeted Norris. After trapping Norris in the corner, Izumi unleashed a series of devastating grounded knee strikes to the head, forcing the referee to call for a corner stoppage.

This would leave Vezina alone to fend for himself in what was a 2v1. Vezina would hold own the fort for quite a bit and Izumi would miss a roundhouse kick and get planted with a succession o sick European uppercuts that would cause Izumi to stumble before falling to a roaring elbow!  Vezina would drop to the mat and back up the 1-2-3 in stunning fashion! 

The match came down to Vezina and Nakamura, with both men refusing to back down. Vezina hit the Puck Drop and seemed poised to take the victory, but Nakamura kicked out at the last second much to the chagrin of the Canadian audience. Nakamura would halt Vezina's offense with an enzuigiri followed up by a Michinoku Driver - however, the move would only garner a two-count! 

Nakamura would attempt to seal the win with a ground game that saw him attempt to lock in an armbar, but Nakamura could not sneak the proverbial puck past the goalie and when the two stood back up we would see a chopfest that the Canadian - with the backing of his fellow countrymen behind him - would prevail in before lifting up Nakamura in what was a scoop sla ~ no, he transitioned it to a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! Vezina would drape himself over the torso of Nakamura for the pin...

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NO!! Nakamura would kick out at the last second.

Vezina keeping the momentum going, waited for Nakamura to get back up to his feet and charged him for a running elbow smash - but Nakamura would leap forward with a running high knee strike that smashed Vezina in the face! With Mr. Canada groggy, Nakamura would not lose chance of finishing the match and summoned the strength to hit a vertical-drop brainbuster to send Vezina into the canvas like a railroad spike! Nakamura would hook the leg for a pin...

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YES!! The bell sounded!

The SHYc team gathered in the ring to celebrate and the Canadian crowd was at first unsure how to react. However, after collecting themselves, Vezina took the mic and reminded the fans that the Japanese team won fair and square and that - "unlike those Demon Brigade jackoffs" showed a lot of grit and respect and deserved to carry the evening. The excitable SHYc team not only shook the hands of the Punch Line members but even went in for a big hug which took the Canadians a bit by surprise. 

It was Shinzo Takamori, the only member of SHYc fluent enough in English to communicate with the fans, saying that as a former hockey player he always viewed Canada as a "holy grail nation" and said that he hoped that they could all party together sometime! This gesture was enough to earn a round of applause from the fans and end the show on an upbeat note as Izumi, Nakamura, and Takamori posed in front of the trophy that they would soon take back home to Hokkaido as the cameras fluttered and flashed.

After the show, SHYc posted an image on social media thanking the Canadians fans for their hospitality and partying with them a bit after the show and telling the Japanese fans that they would soon get the yacht underway and begin sailing back for Sapporo and they'd be bringing the Trios Cup back to country! They thanked their parent promotion, BLIZZARD Pro, for allowing them to take the journey and also thanked MAX-J GM Masaaki Sano for bringing them on as ambassadors and giving them the opportunity to compete at the highest level!

BOLD WARRIOR INVASION ~ SEKAI Trios Cup - Day 2
Date: 10/22/2024
Location: Sturgeon Park Civic Center, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

1. Semifinals: Takeda Izumi, Akira Nakamura, and Shinzo Takamori defeat David Troy, Ryan Samuels, and Orville Newton (11:13) via pinfall after Takamori uses a Samoan Driver on Newton.
2. Semifinals: Roy Vezina, Harv Norris, and Rick Hull defeat El Refresco IV, Il Ladro, and Dark Feather II (13:04) via submission when Norris uses a sharpshooter on Il Ladro.
3. Eiichiro Yamazaki and Rhythm Saitoh defeat Thunder Mask and Jimmy Winner (15:52) via submission when Saitoh uses a Dragon sleeper on Thunder Mask.
4. SANGRE defeats Devlin Masters (8:25) via submission with the Ala y Garra.
5. METAL HERO and Earth Warrior defeat Kenzo Hirata and Shigeru Toyama (18:40) via technical knockout after Earth Warrior uses a running face kick on Toyama.
6. J1 REUNION TAG MATCH: Tiger Mask Red and AJ Knight defeat ZENKI and Alexander Irvine (19:59) via pinfall when Tiger Mask Red uses a Dragon suplex hold on Irvine.
7. Grand Final - Six-Man Elimination Tag Rules: Takeda Izumi, Akira Nakamura, and Shinzo Takamori defeat Roy Vezina, Harv Norris, and Rick Hull (42:09) via pinfall after Takamori eliminates Hull via pinfall with a German suplex hold, Vezina eliminates Takamori via pinfall after a Gotch-style piledriver, Izumi eliminates Norris via corner stoppage after a series of grounded knee strikes to the head, Vezina eliminates Izumi via pinfall after a roaring elbow, and Nakamura eliminates Vezina via pinfall after a vertical-drop brainbuster.