All texts and photos © their respective owners.
As always, my annotations are in [], and additional explanations will be provided where I can.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Matsui
1/1 2012
Happy New Year!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
I hope you have a great year!
I rang in the new year in the ring in beautiful fashion with the Vice President1 and Yoshino2.
DDT’s Kôrakuen [show] and the New Year’s wrestling [show] were both a roaring success.
Thank you!
I will write in detail about this later.
Take this picture of the prodigy duo as the first one this year.
I’ll live my life with wrestling in 2012 too!
1 i.e. Marufuji, at that time EVP of Noah, now of Cyberfight.
2 Yoshino Tatsuhiko, was at the time wrestling for Guts World Pro Wrestling, now with BJW.
Matsui [excerpt]
1/3 2012
All Japan Kôrakuen!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Today, I visited All Japan’s Kôrakuen show at noon.
[…]
Kenny appeared in the semi main event!
He was greeted with rounds of boos as he came in, wow.
Kenny continued to wrestle in a manner that would incite boos.
He had his difficulties dealing with Yamato’s brave fighting, but I think Kenny always had control over the match.
In the end, he succeeded in defending for the second time with a Croyt’s Wrath that sealed the deal after he threw [Yamato] around with an onslaught of very fast release Dragon suplexes.
He accomplished an undisputed defense, wrapped up in the atmosphere of an away match.
He came across as extremely promising.
The next challenger will be Kaz Hayashi!
This will be another fight I’m looking forward to!
The picture is of Kenny, having completely made the World Junior belt his own.
Congrats!
BBM
1/3 2012
40th Anniversary Year 2012 New Year Shining Series
Yamato (while crying loudly): “I couldn’t win…I’m sorry I couldn’t win the World Junior belt…I couldn’t do anything. I’m so sorry…”
Kenny: “Today, I might have been the bad guy. But, I never lie. I won like I promised I would, and like I promised, the match was good. And Yamato’s career will be elevated with this as well, right? Kaz what’s-his-face. He’s an egoist. Didn’t he win the World Junior [belt] again and again when he was at the top? I’m giving All Japan a big business opportunity with this. He has challenged me after wallowing a bit in his jealousy. I’m not scared of Kaz or anyone. Come at me. To be honest with you, I don’t want to do tough matches. I don’t want to do any hard matches except in DDT. But I’m going to give All Japan a belated Christmas gift, a New Year’s gift. The fans are waiting. I’m going to give them one more good match.” (foam from the beer can he opened bubbles out) Aah! All Japan set me up. You want to embarrass me? Anyway, cheers!”
Matsui
1/4 2012
Dome!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Today, after doing something or nothing in the office, I went with the Great President and Ibushi to Suidôbashi.
We went to New Japan’s Tôkyô Dome show.
It felt like this last year as well, but as you’d expect from the biggest event of the year in wrestling, it was on a completely different scale.
The screens had been even more elaborately constructed, there were clearly even more fans than last year. I felt absolute admiration in my heart.
That’s New Japan for you.
Since the business leader is having that kind of success year in year out, we have to work even harder and harder!
It lit a fire under me!
Matsui [excerpt]
1/6 2012
Presser!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
I went to an All Japan press conference today.
It seems that [Kenny’s] title match with Kaz for the World Junior [belt] has been decided to be on 2/3 in Kôrakuen. [The two] had quite the heated back-and-forth.
Kaz put forward the demand for Kenny to not bring Michael along as a second anymore, and Kenny retorted that without Michael, he can’t talk Japanese.
He said, in Japanese, that he doesn’t want [to not have Michael there], because [without him] he can’t ride the train, he can’t go to the convenience store, he can’t pick up girls in the club or the All Japan offices.
Well, about Michael…
He sure is Michael.
I think Kenny has cemented his position as a heel within All Japan very nicely.
It’s all because he’s talented, though.
Michael, [on the other hand]…
Isn’t.
Afterwards, I was creeping around in the office.
The pictures are of:
1. the press conference.
[Kenny’s doing] Mutô’s pose!
[…]
Sportsnavi [excerpt]
1/6 2012
Kaz Refuses to Let Nakazawa Michael Second [for Kenny]
(image: Sportsnavi)
[…]
It was announced that Kaz and Kenny will fight for the World Junior [Heavyweight Championship] on 2/3 in Kôrakuen, for the opener of the next series of events, “40th Anniversary Year 2012: Excite Series”.
On 1/3 at the Kôrakuen show, Kenny defeated Yamato Hiroshi, and successfully defended the title for the second time, but who stood before him then, was the symbol of All Japan’s juniors, Kaz. The All Japan side accepted Kaz’ request, and negotiated with DDT immediately. As a result, Kaz will challenge Kenny [for the title] on 2/3 at the Kôrakuen show.
At the press conference, Kaz was enraged right from the very beginning. The reason for that: Nakazawa Michael, DDT wrestler and companion to Kenny, for whom he interprets. Michael is not just Kenny’s interpreter, he also works as his second during matches.As a matter of fact, on 1/3 during the title defense at Kôrakuen, he at times got in the way of his opponent Yamato, and thus assisted Kenny.
Kaz couldn’t stand for that, refusing to let Michael second: “I have felt that Kenny is a wrestler with very high potential and capabilities, who is creating a new era. But this Michael? Honestly, is there any need to interfere in a World Junior title match? I want to have a [fair] one-on-one with Kenny, so don’t let him second.”
Countering this, Kenny suddenly made fun of him in fluent Japanese: “Leaving Nakazawa aside, thank you for respecting me, scum1.” Even when Kaz corrected him, [saying,] “It’s Kaz!”, he wouldn’t stop teasing: “Kas, is it?”
He got even more cocky, speaking with a smirk: “I don’t think you want this belt. You just want everyone’s attention. If you want attention, you don’t need to have a match. So, how about you just go to a host club?” He went on in Japanese, bringing the necessity of Michael to attention: “I really need Nakazawa. I can’t do anything. I can’t speak Japanese. I can’t go to the train station. I can’t go to the convenience store. I can’t pick up [girls] at the club. I can’t pick up female staff members at the office. I always need him. He’s a good second. We’re on the same team. Team DDT.”
[…]
President Uchida Tadashi, who was also present, [said] about Kenny’s teasing remarks with a sober face: “Don’t be so irritating.” Meanwhile, Kaz didn’t hide his frustration either: ”I think it’s amazing that he can speak Japanese so fluently, but everything he’s saying makes me mad. It just seems like he’s making fun of me.” He appealed again to Kenny’s pride as a wrestler: “Is DDT okay with this? Even if you won against Yamato, is this gonna make you more valuable if you win via interference?”
However, Kenny preached to the choir: “I don’t think that’s the case. DDT is fine with it.” In the end, he pushed the responsibility onto Yamato: “When I watched those two, Yamato did a spear. It’s all Yamato’s fault. No one in All Japan is a professional. Nakazawa is protecting me.”
Furthermore, he insisted (from here on in English): “I won’t let you do as you please. We’ll do it how I want to do it. I just want the match to be as good as it can possibly be.” And then he turned to Uchida, declaring bluntly in an arrogant manner: “President, you love me, right? Because I’ve come bringing you business opportunities. You actually want me to carry the belt. Everyone thinks the more good-looking champion is the better one.”
Uchida looked dumbfounded at that as well. “Our World Junior [championship] has a long history, and the matches for it have been chosen for the Best Bout Award too. But there has never been a World Junior [match] in which the name of the second emerged.” However, given that the choice for seconds lies with the DDT side, there is at present no means to prevent an interference by Michael. It was simply an appeal to Michael’s better nature.
Kaz is part of “Team Bichitto!”2 and has a respectable partner in KENSO as well. However, he wishes for a fair and square match with Kenny, [saying,] “I’m not even thinking about asking for help”. Furthermore, it seemed that his aim with bringing up Michael like this during the press conference was to keep the enemy in check: “It’s going to make it harder [for him] to interfere. If he wins with an interference like this, it’s just going to make Kenny seem less credible. Unless you’re chicken shit, Kenny, fight me one on one!” It is however highly questionable how effective this was as a measure to deter [Kenny and co].
“Everyone has to face it. I’m always having the best matches, not just in All Japan, but among all the juniors in Japan. Blaming me is barking up the wrong tree. I’m not chicken shit. I’m not scared of a guy who says stupid stuff like that. No one in All Japan is a professional, so they’re all injuring me. So I’ll continue using Nakazawa. Stop your bitching. ‘Cause it’ll definitely be a good match. I’ll make them understand this, even if they aren’t fans of me!”
Kenny, still not having promised to not have Michael interfere, posed in Mutô Keiji’s pose for the pictures together with Michael, and thus left the offices of All Japan behind with an air of arrogance.
[…]
1 “scum” or “trash” (クズ) sounds vaguely like Kaz (カズ).
2 An AJPW stable founded by KENSO. The name comes from KENSO’s habit to say that word in the sense of “tightly or properly fitting”.
Matsui
1/9 2012
First Dream Match1!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
HARASHIMA and Kenny will have a one-on-one at the next New Year’s Kôrakuen [show].
I think their last singles [encounter] was probably in Kôrakuen when Kenny first came to Japan?
In the August 31st 2008 singles match, Kenny defeated HARASHIMA with a Hadôken, and it was called a big upset at the time.
It goes without saying that they both have leveled up substantially since then.
I look forward to seeing what kind of fight they have in store for us!
1 A pun on 初夢 (the first dream of a new year) and, well, a dream match.
Matsui [excerpt]
1/13 2012
Ôsaka Yodagawa Tomorrow!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Yes, tomorrow finally, finally is the first Ôsaka show this year!
The matches start at 6 pm in the Yodagawa Community Center, which will be used for pro wrestling for the first time.
[…]
[One of] the four big singles matches, Kenny vs Irie!
I’m honestly looking forward to this one.
If he can win in an upset against World Junior champion Kenny, then that should change recognition of Irie yet again.
Being in his hometown of Ôsaka should be another favorable condition for Irie.
Let’s see and wait!
[…]
The picture is of two [people]1 at the Puroresu Awards!
1 Though I’m not sure, the person on the left could be Aikawa Yuzuki, Stardom wrestler who won the Women’s Wrestling Grand Prize that year.
Matsui [excerpt]
1/13 2012
Puroresu Awards!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Today, I went together with Ibushi and Head of Merchandise Ôka Ken to the Tôkyô Sports Puroresu Awards.
It was disappointing that no one from DDT got an award this time, after Ibushi won one two times in a row and before that Mecha Mummy received the Topic Award and such.
But this year for sure!
Is the fresh resolve I made.
[…]
The pictures are of:
1. Ibushi Kôta, (probably) saying with his face: I have been successful this entire year, I’ll win an award and the prize money too!
[…]
Matsui [excerpt]
1/15 2012
Ôsaka Yodogawa!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Yesterday at 6 pm was the beginning of DDT’s matches in Ôsaka in 2012.
At 6 pm, it was the first time the Yodagawa Community Center was used for wrestling.
It being on a rare Saturday and a first-time venue could have been disadvantages, but looking at the results, we had a very full house.
Thank you everyone for coming!
[…]
Kenny vs Irie!
I had my predictions, but it was an excellent fight that surpassed those.
Irie faced Kenny without pulling back at all.
I think it wasn’t just because [this was] Irie’s hometown that the chants for him were so loud.
[…]
After the matches, I was invited to dinner together with Ibushi and HARASHIMA.
Oh my god, it was so good!
Thank you so much!
[…]
The pictures are of
[…]
2) the two posing with the meat in front of them.
Matsui
1/16 2012
Beginning of Contract Renewals!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
It’s that time of the year again: the DDT contract renewals are here.
Today too, several wrestlers came to the office to discuss contracts.
It looks like all the information about those who have renewed will be announced once everything is over and dealt with.
Speaking of, it seems that Nakazawa came to the office while I wasn’t there, but I wonder if he [extended] his contract…?
I write this, but I’m actually not that interested in what’s [happening with] Nakazawa.
Matsui
1/24 2012
Evil!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
A clique of three villains who cast clouds of darkness over the streets of Chiba.
Their pride, Painmaker1 [move], showed a surprising amount of power.
A wise man keeps away from danger!
1 No, not that one. As far as I can tell, everyone’s face paint in this is parodying SWS and AJPW wrestler HATE (also known as Hirai Nobukasu), but if the move name is a reference to something specific, it’s lost on me.
Matsui [excerpt]
1/31 2012
Three Matches in a Row!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
It seems there was a press conference today.
Apparently it was announced Dîno and Anton would have another singles match on 2/4 in Shinkiba, as well as on 2/11 in Nagoya, as they prepare [to face each other] on 2/19 in Kôrakuen for the KO-D [Openweight belt].
Will you look at that!
[…]
The picture is of the World Junior champion after defeating his formidable enemy, HARASHIMA.
His fight against Kaz Hayashi is on the 3rd!
I want him to come home to Shinkiba as champion on the 4th!
完璧だった。 