There were a lot of directions I could go in with my card. But when I saw one of my favourites was still available, someone who could arguably outdraw anyone else drafted, I knew I had to build the card around him.
The pound for pound best fighter in the world, arguably one of the best pound for pound fighters of all time. This is a pro wrestling show though, so it’s important to note that he’s a damned good worked shooter in his own right. On top of that, he’s got insane charisma and the IT factor, so he’ll get you to care about everything he’s doing. Being the most popular athlete in Japan, when his aura was at its most mystical, you better believe the whole country will be watching this card. It will be what Vince wishes Wrestlemania was.
I would say "I can't believe nobody picked this guy" but I get this is not that kind of board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDbXTekxSI0
IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW
NO NOT TITO HE'S JUST SHOWING HOW WE ALL FEEL ABOUT THE MAN
Kazushi Sakuraba, February 2001
Tokyo Dome? Yeah that’s cool. But it’s not the biggest stadium in Japan so it wouldn’t even be my first pick. And a match this big needs the largest capacity stadium to ever host a wrestling event in Japan. A place that was so prestigious, it was picked to host the World Cup Final. If you don’t live in a wrestling bubble, you know how special that is:
Nissan Stadium - Yokohama, Japan (not TN, Hawk)
And before you ask, yes there was a wrestling event hosted here:
https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=252603&page=3
This will be a classic outdoor show. We booked a potential makeup date in case of bad weather, but thankfully we had clear skies on our chosen date.
In order to make this main event matter and really be a big deal for though, we need an epic feud with one of the best worked shooters and a very well known wrestler in Japan himself. What’s better, these two have had rivalries in the media for years but never faced off in their primes. Only before when they were unknown and after when they were broken down.
We’ll capitalize while the heat is hottest and they matter the most. With the level of ability between these two combined with the backstory, this match will be a truly epic main event worthy of a packed house at Nissan Stadium.
Kiyoshi Tamura, 2001
That’s the look of a man who is cool with being hated by 80k people.
I'll post more later. But due to the epic nature of the main, the rest of the card has to have that ‘mania’ feel. There will be something for everyone. A lot of local talent will feature, of course. But it will also be ‘cosmopolitan’, this won’t be some UWF-i dimly lit arena shit. It will be the kind of event where celebs and athletes want to be seen at, which is why I'll feature wrestling styles from all around the world. Stay tuned.
