Puroresu (Japanese Pro-wrestling)

This video is a little overview of the notable personalities and events of Japanese pro-wrestling called "puroresu". When TV was young in post-war Japan, Rikidozan built the sport from the ground up by conquering foreigners. After his controversial death, puroresu nearly died out. It survived and eventually expanded under Shohei "Giant" Baba and Antonio Inoki. These two Rikidozan disciples formed new companies, All Japan and New Japan, respectively. Through the 1970s, puroresu took on new dimensions. Baba adopted a more American-influenced style dubbed "King's Road", Inoki pioneered the mixed martial arts form which he called "Strong Style." A third company, the IWE, innovated death matches in Japan, which were taken to new heights by Atsushi Onita's FMW and other so-called "garbage wrestling" companies. The 1980s saw a rise in popularity of a shoot-style, which boomed in the 90s and peaked with the development of Pride FC. Another popular innovation was the lucha style, which was introduced by Mil Mascaras, developed by Tiger Mask and made it a sensation all around Japan. Puroresu's roots were grounded in blurring the lines between reality and entertainment in way very different than anywhere else in the world. It has risen and fallen in its popularity, but it continues to this day.

Opening Reel - Rikidozan KO's Masahiko Kimura; Opening features audio from the Korean Rikidozan movie, post-war photography by Ihee Kimura and three shots of Rikidozan (one as a sumo); Inoki's catchphrase Ich-Ni-San-Daa with pictures of him with Giant Baba and Tiger Mask; The Great Sasuke, Kaientai Deluxe's reunion (L to R: Funaki, "Shiryu" Kaz Hayashi, Dick Togo, MEN's Teioh, TAKA Michinoku); Rusher Kimura x2, Great Kusatsu in a chain match; ~Atsushi Onita x3, Hayabusa, Mitsuhiro Matsunaga clip; Toshiaki Kawada invades New Japan to battle Kensuke Sasaki, Giant Baba, Shiro Koshinaka's hip attack on Gotoh; Billy Robinson and Thunder Sugiyama; Tatsumi Fujinami; Masahiro Chono & Great Muta x2, New Japan's Three Muskateers: Shinya Hashimoto, Masahiro Chono and Keiji Muto


"Dragon's Heartbeat" Segment: Strong Kobayashi; Kintaro Oki headbutts Killer Karl Krupp; Mitsuharu Misawa's Tiger Driver on Big Van Vader; Jushin Liger's Liger Bomb on Tiger Mask IV, Keiji Muto's Shining Wizard on Shinsuke Nakamura; Hashimoto's Dangerous DDT on Nobuhiko Takada in 3 shots; Akira Taue's Dynamic Bomb on Kenta Kobashi, Riki Choshu's Riki Lariat on Tiger Jeet Singh; Kobashi-Sasaki Chop Montage: audio and 1st shot is Kobashi vs. disciple Jun Akiyama, Sasaki vs. KENTA (KK student), Kobashi vs. disciple Go Shiosaki, Kobashi-Sasaki dream match, Kobashi-watermelon and on close-up); Chavo Guerrero's German Suplex on Mighty Inoue; Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and Mitsuo Momota (audio is Momota talking about leaving All Japan with Misawa); NOAH's debut card in 2000; Jumbo Tsuruta's jumping knee on Bruiser Brody, Steve Williams' Dangerous Backdrop on Kobashi, Hiromichi Fuyuki with the WEW belt, Toryumon's Crazy MAX (Big Fujii, TARU, SUWA and CIMA);
Genichiro Tenryu x2 (one lariating Jumbo), the Great Kabuki, bloody Great Muta clip and collage (Gary Hart provides audio); Tiger Mask manga, Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama) vs. Black Tiger (Mark Rocco); Tiger Mask III (Koji Kanemoto) vs. Ultimo Dragon, Misawa (the recently unmasked Tiger Mask II) and Yoshiaki Yatsu;
Fireman's Carry Montage (The Destroyer, Toyonobori, Animal Hamaguchi, audio is from Animal's retirement);

Gaijin section: Stan Hansen lariats Andre the Giant; Hansen and Bruiser Brody in samurai garb;
Volk Han leglocking Kiyoshi Tamura in RINGS; Hulk Hogan's Axe Bomber; Inoki-Brody,
Brody kneedropping Seiji Sakaguchi, Brody in manga form;
Abdullah the Butcher and Dory Funk Jr. in a nailed board death match; "Vampire" Freddie Blassie;
Dick Murdoch's calf-branding; Johnny Powers vs. Sakaguchi; the Funks battle; Funks vs. Sheik & Abby; Funk disciple Cactus Jack; Wahoo battering Kusatsu; Harley Race's backbreaker on Jumbo; Miracle Violence Combination (Steve Williams and Terry Gordy); Dynamite Kid chinlocks Isamu Teranishi; Mil Mascaras bodypresses Dory Funk Jr.;
Big Van Vader's lariat,
Vader vs. Takada in UWFi; Takada with Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge and Billy Robinson; Generalissmo Takada from HUSTLE, Kiyoshi Tamura necklocks Takada; Super Tiger kicking Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Naoya Ogawa STO's Kawada; Akira Maeda celebrates with Takada; Maeda and Masakatsu Funaki; Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Don Frye; Kazushi Sakuraba's win over Royce Gracie in 5 shots; Hiro Matsuda; Yoshimura; Karl Gotch and Masahiko Kimura; Rikidozan's gravesite

Tech Used: iDVD, iMovie HD, GarageBand, Youtube, Zamzar, MPEG Streamclip

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• puroresu
• pro-wrestling
• Japanese
• New
• All
• Japan
• NOAH
• FMW
• IWE
• Michinoku
• gaijin

[Mujangga]

"The big bad white man"? Seems to me "the big bad white man" saved the world from the holocaust of Japanese atrocities.

And now, "the big bad white man" is helping Japan recover from their earthquake. God, the Japanese are racist and ungrateful.

[wrestlingscout]

@Mujangga those comments were taken from a Korean film about Rikidozan, so I wouldn't put too much into that one direct part. There was a generation of many Japanese who were nationalistic and were devastated psychologically by as a result of the War and had many negative experiences with Westerners in the years of the Occupation. Rikiodozan was one person who capitalized on that and made a fortune for himself and others - including the Westerners he brought in!

[wrestlingscout]

@Mujangga As someone who has been welcomed into the homes of people from that generation, they are a proud people who are thankful to Americans (and other Westerners) and just want their culture & country to have a spot in the world. Yes, there were and still are Japanese who despise foreigners, but you'll find those people in many cultures. I'd point out that we also used foreign heels (that were not often the real deal). Hundreds of Western wrestlers made better money in Japan for years.

[Mujangga]

@wrestlingscout

You're right. I got upset for personal reasons. But I still think the ant-foreigner sentiment in Japan is openly tolerated.

プロレスが好きです。隼は永々一番です

[wrestlingscout]

@Mujangga I think this video just got better because it includes one of a select few videos on YouTube with a civil comment section! I can understand being frustrated with some of the "anti-foreigner sentiment" that is present in Japan. I've experienced it myself and I think anyone who has had extensive dealings with Japanese people or companies will experience some of that, although it is (like much of Japanese culture) nuanced at its strongest. Thanks for being level-headed.

[wrestlingscout]

Shiro (which means "white") Koshinaka. Please refer to my "info" for who's who

[armandroh666]

Rikidozan, Shoehei "Giant" Baba, Antonio Inoki, Jumbo Tsuruta, Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask I), Mitsuharru Misawa (formely Tiger Mask II), Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, The Great Kabuki, Jun Akiyama, Toshiaki Kawada, Keiji Mutoh (Great Muta), Yoshinari Ogawa, Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Koji Kanemoto (formely Tiger Mask III), Great Sasuke, Jushin Liger, Hayabusa. Are indeed some of the best not only to have come out of Japan but from the world to have grace the SPORT known as wrestling.

[babyface76]

Respect

[Dimitri0809]

Japanese wrestling is pretty awesome they are very talented but I still pefer WWE this is 2nd best in the world though.

[roylucier]

Loved this video. Thank you very much for uploading it on here. It totally brought goosebumps to my body

[FLINT235]

THE PURORESU IS THE EBST WRESTLING IN THE UNIVERSE 4 EVER.

[MarioMetroidFan]

Awesome video, the Bruce Lee music fits it perfectly.

[dbdh8]

Awesome video! Loved it.

[Mujangga]

@SapporoMagokoro くそくらえ! みもないけつもどき!

[SapporoMagokoro]

@Mujangga

you dumbfuck piece of shit

[Mujangga]

@wrestlingscout

Yes, I overreacted. I am sorry.