Post by UNION of SPORTS! on Jul 11, 2018 13:53:38 GMT -5
MAXIMUM Japan Pro-Wrestling presents...
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 1
7/11/2018
Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
This afternoon in downtown Shimonoseki at the famed Fugu Hall, 2,000 fans arrived in attendance we kicked off Day 1 of the “sport form” rules exhibition series. This specialty match style is intended to showcase the technical wrestling skills of the MAX-J fighters. Fans of pure wrestling did not go home disappointed.
In the opening bout, the first ever MAX champions at the heavyweight and junior heavyweight levels, respectively, opened things off. Pulver’s cautious approach kept him in the match, but takedown attempts were blocked by the much heavier Musket at each opportunity. Musket almost locked on an anaconda sleeper in the second round, but Pulver wriggled out and stayed on the defensive. The fight went to the judges and Musket got the unanimous victory due to his superior defense and nearly scoring the win.
Pulver would stay in the ring as MAX welcomed “Mountain” Shinjiro Nakama. As the towering superheavyweight stalked down the aisle, Pulver could be seen cursing under his breath having to face an even heavier fighter than Musket. But unlike his previous opponent, Nakama - whose background is more as a striker - Pulver had an advantage in skill. Nakama compensated for his lack of technical expertise with aggression, attempting to smother Pulver several times as he showcased fearsome strength. From a full guard, however, Pulver caught Nakama off-balance and transitioned a triangle hold into an armbar to earn the tapout submission in the first round!
After a short break, Nakama would stay in the ring as his corner offered guidance and Mike Musket returned to the ring. The two titans squared off. Nakama was a bit winded and a fresh Musket initiated offense, locking up several times with the big man. A more cautious Nakama nearly earned a takedown on Musket but the wily catch wrestler managed to shove him off as they went to the ground and achieve side control. It wasn’t long before Musket isolated an arm and locked in a kimura to earn the victory!
Although there was no official post-match interview, Mountain Shinjiro’s trainers said that despite two early losses that he had already improved immensely and tomorrow would reign down fire on the other two fighters. Pulver commented to an ENSOU! TV reporter that these much bigger competitors were a severe challenge, but that his speed and agility gave him his own unique advantage. Plus, while today Musket enjoyed the break between fights, tomorrow it would be Pulver's turn. Expecting the two heavier fighters to be exhausted, he promised that he would earn at least one tapout victory! We could not catch up with Mike Musket, unfortunately, being told that he had already left to go fishing for the day.
Let’s take a look at the rankings:
Rankings
Mike Musket [5]In the opening bout, the first ever MAX champions at the heavyweight and junior heavyweight levels, respectively, opened things off. Pulver’s cautious approach kept him in the match, but takedown attempts were blocked by the much heavier Musket at each opportunity. Musket almost locked on an anaconda sleeper in the second round, but Pulver wriggled out and stayed on the defensive. The fight went to the judges and Musket got the unanimous victory due to his superior defense and nearly scoring the win.
Pulver would stay in the ring as MAX welcomed “Mountain” Shinjiro Nakama. As the towering superheavyweight stalked down the aisle, Pulver could be seen cursing under his breath having to face an even heavier fighter than Musket. But unlike his previous opponent, Nakama - whose background is more as a striker - Pulver had an advantage in skill. Nakama compensated for his lack of technical expertise with aggression, attempting to smother Pulver several times as he showcased fearsome strength. From a full guard, however, Pulver caught Nakama off-balance and transitioned a triangle hold into an armbar to earn the tapout submission in the first round!
After a short break, Nakama would stay in the ring as his corner offered guidance and Mike Musket returned to the ring. The two titans squared off. Nakama was a bit winded and a fresh Musket initiated offense, locking up several times with the big man. A more cautious Nakama nearly earned a takedown on Musket but the wily catch wrestler managed to shove him off as they went to the ground and achieve side control. It wasn’t long before Musket isolated an arm and locked in a kimura to earn the victory!
Although there was no official post-match interview, Mountain Shinjiro’s trainers said that despite two early losses that he had already improved immensely and tomorrow would reign down fire on the other two fighters. Pulver commented to an ENSOU! TV reporter that these much bigger competitors were a severe challenge, but that his speed and agility gave him his own unique advantage. Plus, while today Musket enjoyed the break between fights, tomorrow it would be Pulver's turn. Expecting the two heavier fighters to be exhausted, he promised that he would earn at least one tapout victory! We could not catch up with Mike Musket, unfortunately, being told that he had already left to go fishing for the day.
Let’s take a look at the rankings:
Rankings
Matt Pulver [2]
Shinjiro Nakama [-2]
Musket is in the lead after picking up a unanimous judge’s decision and a tapout victory. Despite a loss in the first match, Pulver holds the middle spot after his own submission win. And in last place, Shinjiro Nakama lost both matches and has some ground to make up. Expectedly, the two men with the most wrestling experience are ahead. However, with two more days left to go, this series is far from over!
- RECAP -
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 1
Date: 7/11/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
Attendance: 2,000 fans (80% capacity)
1. Sport Form Rules: Mike Musket [2] defeats Matt Pulver [-1] (R2 8:00) via judges’ decision (unanimous).
2. Sport Form Rules: Matt Pulver [2] defeats Shinjiro Nakama [-1] (R1 4:18) via submission (armbar).
3. Sport Form Rules: Mike Musket [5] vs. Shinjiro Nakama [-2] (R2 2:36) via submission (kimura).
- PREVIEW -
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 2
Date: 7/12/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
1. Sport Form Rules: Matt Pulver vs. Shinjiro Nakama
2. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama vs. Mike Musket
3. Sport Form Rules: Matt Pulver vs. Mike Musket
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 3
Date: 7/13/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
1. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama vs. Matt Pulver
2. Sport Form Rules: Mike Musket vs. Matt Pulver
3. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama vs. Mike Musket
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 4
Date: 7/14/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
1. Final – Sport Form Rules: #1 points winner vs. #2 points winner