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Mayumi Ozaki vs Saori Anou: How to build upon and twist catharsis

Professional wrestling as a medium has one main goal among others, which is to allow the audience to feel emotionally invested into what is presented to them. Accomplishing such a feat in any form of art or, in the case of wrestling, in “a medium with artistic potential”, never is an easy task which should never be overlooked.

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“I fucking hate Shingo Takagi” – the story of the eternal rivalry of Dragon Gate’s first trueborns (part 3)

The two rivals ended 2013 back in their old slots on the pecking order – featured, but not at the top. Popular, but less so than their more charismatic contemporaries and seemingly aeons away from possibly replacing CIMA as overall ace. However, for Hulk at least, 2014 would see an upswing in fortune. Throughout the early part of the year, tension had been growing between Hulk and full shit-stirring mode Naruki Doi, which culminated on May 5th in the annual Dead or Alive six-way Hair vs. Mask steel cage escape match.

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“I fucking hate Shingo Takagi” – the story of the eternal rivalry of Dragon Gate’s first trueborns (part 2)

May 2008: Takagi and Hulk were once again in opposing units, and now bitter enemies. Takagi saw Hulk as weak, and blamed him for the lack of success of New Hazard, their shared faction. Hulk felt personally betrayed by a man he had formed a huge bond with. Their first singles match since Ota-ku 2006 would take place at Osaka Prefectural Gym #2 on 29th June 2008, once again with a Dream Gate key on the line. The result was shocking, a sixty-minute draw – a first in Dragon Gate history, and by far its longest match up to this point. The aftermath was even more shocking, as current champion CIMA announced he was vacating the title due to injury. Shingo and Hulk would re-match with the title on the line the following month at Kobe World, DG’s biggest show of the year.

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“I fucking hate Shingo Takagi” – the story of the eternal rivalry of Dragon Gate’s first trueborns

That these words became a catchphrase of BxB Hulk shows how intense the rivalry between Dragon Gate’s first two trueborns became and remained. This is the story of two polar opposites whose rivalry existed from the dawn of Dragon Gate until Takagi’s departure from the promotion. Earmarked from their debuts as future aces, they faced similar struggles in their attempts to reach that lofty position.

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Clearing the Rainy Skies-I, The First Dance

The date is 4th of January 2017. It is Wrestle Kingdom 11 and the match between IWGP Heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada and challenger Kenny Omega is the main event of the night. The bout they have is widely praised by wrestling fans, industry veterans & wrestling journalists alike. The match was about control, not just over each other but also the company. Here begins what many consider the best rivalry in modern pro wrestling, and one of the greatest stories in wrestling ever. A story that is about two men, one title and its relation with the two of them.

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The life and burial of Super Hardcore Katsumata

Super Hardcore Katsumata (SHK) was, for the man under the facepaint, Katsumata Shunma, an embodiment of Shunma’s specific talents. Talents that, over the 14 months of SHK’s existence, found recognition and helped establish ‘idol wrestler’ Shunma as a serious competitor whose creativity brings far more than just novelty value to his wrestling. In between the scattered legos and facepaint, there’s a story of friendship, rivalry and personal growth. This is the story of the burial (and life) of Super Hardcore Katsumata. 

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Dawn of the Aoyagi Era

When people think of modern day All Japan wrestlers it’s a pretty good bet that the first wrestler that comes to mind is Kento Miyahara. He is the ace after all, so it makes sense. Other wrestlers could be Suwama, Jake Lee and maybe even Shuji Ishikawa. But another name is emerging as a popular All Japan wrestler. Someone who it looks like the Triple Crown Championship is in his not-so-distant future. And that person is Yuma Aoyagi.

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