Updates from Yokohama~SHINING News!
May 16, 2018 17:06:14 GMT -5
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Post by Shining Road Review on May 16, 2018 17:06:14 GMT -5
From April 2017 - January 2018, Shining-Road Pro-Wrestling was the official Japanese affiliate of the Laurentide Athletic Commission. Following the dissolution of Shining Road after a revolt from the roster which prompted the Laurentide Athletic Commission to select MAXIMUM Japan Pro-Wrestling as its official Japanese affiliate, the fighters' journey would continue once again as an independent entity.
This special edition of the Shining Road Review serves to update fans of the former Shining Road on its tumultuous journey thus far...
- A PROMISING REBIRTH -
On 1/6/2018, Masayoshi Arimoto won an eight-man decision tournament to finally bring the GPWS Heavyweight Championship back into the fold on the last match in Shining Road history. This victory would lead the roster to support a move away from the influence of the fastfood chain POLLOBUCKET that once rescued the company from financial ruin. In addition to leaving the Laurentide Athletic Commission, the company would also part ways with the shoot-oriented All-Japan Sports and Wrestling Commission (AJSWC). President and Chairman Takeo Yoshida named the new independent brand SEKAI (WORLD) SHINING PRO-WRESTLING and planned the debut of the company to occur on 1/30/2018. Most of the fighters returned under the new banner and Masayoshi Arimoto would defend the GPWS Heavyweight title against Makoto Ueno in his V1 defense to headline the show in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,000 Yokohama fans at the historic Bushidokan, now owned outright by SSPW after POLLOBUCKET's buyout of the company's affiliation with the Laurentide Athletic Commission.
- INTO THE MAELSTROM -
But March's “FIGHTERS FOREVER” tour would once again witness chaos consume the upstart promotion. A mysterious masked wrestler known as METAL HERO would arrive and defeat Thunder Mask in singles competition in his debut match! Instead of challenging for the Jr. title, he demanded a shot at the end of the month against GPWS Heavyweight Champion. Arimoto accepted and promised to defeat this junior heavyweight braggart. But when 3/31 came, it was METAL HERO who left the ring as the 18th champion, defeating Arimoto with his patented Metallic Kick!
At a hastily organized event on 4/2, METAL HERO would defend the GPWS title against co-SSPW ace and former All-Japan Imperial Champion Makoto Ueno. METAL HERO would control the match and punish the wrestler with soccer kicks to the head, forcing a referee stoppage. Shortly after, METAL HERO would disappear and left the company in shambles with its junior champion and two top-ranked heavyweight fighters in disgrnce and once again without a heavyweight title.
SSPW would endure a hiatus during the remainder of April as the GPWS discussed its next move with the competition committee. Already in a losing ratings battle with MJPW and other top companies in Japan, it was concluded that the company would have to close its doors if it could not recover their heavyweight title. President and Chairman Takeo Yoshida then reached out to a familiar source: former King of Lions Champion Julian Cutlass. Julian Cutlass was an instrumental figure in the creation of Shining Road Pro-Wrestling as a mediator during the negotiation between Pollobucket and the All-Japan Sports and Wrestling Commission. Having permanently moved to Japan as a member of the MJPW roster, Yoshida contacted Cutlass – one of the few men to have contact with the unusual fighter. Once again, Cutlass pulled a Hail Mary and successfully convinced METAL HERO to vacate and return the GPWS title.
- AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE -
Much of the prestige of the GPWS has been lost due to the erratic defenses of its championship. The GPWS Heavyweight title is once again in limbo, vacated twice in the last six months, first by ZENKI and now METAL HERO. The GPWS Jr. Heavyweight Championship has fallen from the ranks of top junior titles after Thunder Mask’s embarrassing defeat. Moreover, the decision of the Sword of Lite Grand Prix organizers to allow the annual juniors event to act as a decision tournament for the MJPW’s own Junior Heavyweight also cast doubt on the belt. Prominent superstars such as Takeshi Morimoto and KRAKEN have permanently jumped ship to Buck U Productions' Pro-Wrestling Grand Prix (PWGP)
On the executive side of the house, rumor has it that senior members of the competition committee have advised President Yoshida to request restatement into the Laurentide Athletic Commission as a second-tier Japanese affiliate, primarily to air shows on the POLLOVISION broadcast platform, and reboot the Shining Road brand. Presently, the company has no televised distribution and broadcasts all events on RYUSEI Satellite Radio. But there still exists bad blood from other committee members and wrestlers on the roster who resented being “rescued” by a foreign company. A reunion would likely spark a roster flight that would undoubtedly become a death knell for the promotion.
Despite the once-promising promotion now on life-support, we should take a moment to remember its significant legacy in Japanese pro-wrestling. Successfully integrating pro-wrestling and shootfighting matches on its card, the company challenged the conventions of the combat arts. It was not uncommon to witness a pro-wrestling match followed by a kickboxing or catch wrestling bout and then return to pro-wrestling. Examples include the 2017 World Pro-Wrestling Tournament that alternated between pro-wrestling and shootfighting matches. Shining Road would send fighters to compete at the FUSION supershow jointly promoted with Lion's Road Pro-Wrestling, Seattle PRO, and SKYFIRE Wrestling in New York City, USA on 7/29/2017. Where this format would fail in most promotions, dedicated fans appreciated the artistry that the fighting roster brought to a diversity of fighting platforms. Fighters from S.R. showcased Mixed Martial Arts action along with a defense of the GPWS Jr. Heavyweight title. Whether known as Shining Road Pro-Wrestling or SEKAI SHINING PRO-WRESTLING, the unique fighters that inspired fans across Japan would create a testament to one of strongest forms of pro-wrestling ever captured inside the squared circle.