The Cubed Circle Newsletter
This week we have a pretty varied issue, from UFC and how it relates to professional
wrestling to the Bull Nakano retirement show. This week’s issue also covers some
thoughts on the Royal Rumble and who I think is most likely to win, some great pictures
from the Bull Nakano retirement ceremony and more! As always feel free to send in any
thoughts you had on the topics covered in this week’s newsletter, either in the comment
section below or on Facebook or Twitter, you can find more contact information at the
end of the newsletter.
UFC 141: A Lesson Learned
It’s been said a million times in this newsletter, this newsletter does not feature MMA
coverage, but we keep coming back to it. Why do you think that is? The reason is simple
MMA and professional wrestling are two sides of the same coin and if you don’t see this
you are in denial.
No other show in the past couple of years proved this more than UFC 141: Aldo vs.
Mendez, from the strength of the crowd, to the finishes and even the bad refereeing
decisions, most of the things that made the show great were from the Big Book of
Wrestling Tactics, whether it was intentional or not.
When MMA was still in it’s infancy it learned from the promotional tactics used in
professional wrestling, this was a major contributing factor to it’s success. Even
promotions like PRIDE, who were formed for pro wrestlers like Sakuraba. All of them
learned to build fights from professional wrestling, to the to the babyface heel dynamic
that has been used countless times, to promos. These tactics will work in MMA and
professional wrestling, because of the fact that they play off of intrinsic elements of
human nature. Elements so built into the nature of humans and combat sports (scripted or
non-scripted) that they can happen spontaneously like we saw at UFC 141.
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Some of the events at UFC 141 didn’t even seem to be spontaneous, like in the Anthony
Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort match, when the fight went to the ground or they were in the
clinch the referee stood the fighters up. Which could have been because they were in
Brazil and they boo when they go to the ground, or because they wanted Belfort to go
over in Brazil. I would say it was the former, but even that proves something and that is
the fact that the UFC is not a 100% sport.
Regardless the moments that were created at UFC 141 like the amazing knockouts and
Aldo’s celebration, will be shown on countless highlight reels and TV promos and that is
something that the WWE or any other wrestling promotion for that matter don’t have
going for them at the moment. Sure the WWE will probably have some incredible
footage to place in video packages, promos etc. after the Cena vs. Rock match and
probably from the WrestleMania 29 mainevent too, but then what happens after that?
Whether anyone would like to admit it or not, now is the time for wrestling to learn back
what MMA learned from it and I don’t mean give everyone an MMA gimmick like some
promotions are doing. I mean the simple dynamics that should be used in wrestling make
wins and losses matter, have the championship be the most important thing in the
promotion and book matches for a specific area just like the UFC did here. After all
wrestling and MMA are cut from the same cloth, some of the major things that work for
one will undoubtedly work for the other, that’s just the way it works.
Bull Nakano Produce Empress Retirement Show Thoughts
1. Aja Kong vs. Ayako Hamada
This was an enjoyable opener, with Hamada going over Kong in front of an older
audience which was good to see, even though Kong really isn’t in the same position that
she was in when these fans were following Joshi. There were some fun spots in the
match, including a moonsault to the floor and a big powerbomb on Kong from Hamada.
Hamada won the match with the Fisherman driver in 15:14.
***
2. Tag Team Match
AKINO & Maki Narumiya vs. Kayoko Haruyama & Ryo Mizunami
This match showed AKINO and Narumiya having trouble as a team and attempting to
overcome it, but they could not. I thought that the ending spot was good, with AKINO
missing the super kick and hitting it on Narumiya, setting up the finish. The match ended
in 14:46 with Mizunami pinning Narumiya with a top rope leg drop.
***
4. 10 Man Tag Team Match
Dump Matsumoto, Kyoko Inoue, Leon , Sawako Shimono & Tsukushi vs. Cherry ,
Jaguar Yokota, Manami Toyota, Natsuki Taiyo & Tomoka Nakagawa
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Everyone on Toyota’s team took a headshot with the metal bin from Dump Matsumoto.
They brawled at ringside and the entire thing broke down, Matsumoto and Inoue were
terrible, botching move after move and they could not take bumps very well. Luckily
Toyota along with the other good workers saved the match from being horrid.
Matsumoto’s team won the match in 16:15, when Kyoko Inoue hit a big powerbomb on
Cherry. They continued to brawl after the match, the brawling wasn’t really note worthy
and didn’t really add anything to the match that I could see.
** ¼
5. Singles Match
Kagetsu vs. Kana
This was a really fun shoot style match, both of the women in the match exchanged
armbars, various submissions and takedowns. They went back and forth up until the point
where Kana locked in the dragon sleeper on the ground for the win in 11:23. Overall a
very fun shoot match, that I would recommend just to see the shoot style pulled off so
well.
*** ½
6. Six Man Tag Team Match
Emi Sakura, Meiko Satomura & Nanae Takahashi vs. Ayumi Kurihara, Tsukasa Fujimoto
& Yoshiko
Definitely the best tag match on the show, it had a lot of unique spots like a double step
up drop kick to the top rope and a double code breaker. Fujimoto hit some really stiff
kicks, both teams shook hands at the end of the match after Sakura hit the Firebird Splash
on Fujimoto for the win in 21:41.
*** ¼
7. Singles Match
Hikaru Shida vs. Yuzuki Aikawa
This match had shoot elements, but it
definitely leaned towards the strong style
side, rather than shoot. These two women
were the only wrestlers on the show that
had their entrances air and they really
came across great and just with the
entrances alone they got over the
champion vs. champion aspect. The
match was by far the best match on the
show, with Aikawa hitting a big axe kick
on Shida for the win in 15:11. Shida gave
an emotional speech after the match.
*** ¾
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The first Bull Nakano retrospective was shown, it featured the start of her career and
early feuds.
The first match reenactment took place, it was a reenactment of Bull Nakano & Dump
Matsumoto vs. Lioness Asuka & Chigusa Nagoya. It wasn’t the real Asuka and Nagoya,
but just some random wrestlers wearing ridiculous masks. Nakano put on weight just for
this appearance. The beginning of the match was reenacted, but they soon cut to clips of
the actual match. They cut off at the dual submission spot and came back to the arena
were Nakano got the win. These reenactments were good on the show, but I couldn’t help
thinking that it was just a blatant disregard for kayfabe.
Part two of the retrospective was shown featuring the next rendition of Nakano and the
build to the chain match with Shinobu Kandori. Kandori made her entrance, she still
looks completely in shape, then out came Nakano after Kandori was chained, the
cosmetic work for the retirement ceremony was phenomenal. As Kandori was getting
chocked with the chain in the arena by Nakano, they cut to the real footage once more.
They cut back to the arena as Nakano and Kandori began to brawl into the crowd and the
crowd actually got really into it. They cut back to the actual footage for the finish. They
were then unchained and shook hands.
Part three of the retrospective was shown showing the build to the famous steel cage
match with Aja Kong and one of the most memorable moments in Joshi history. Aja
Kong made her entrance and so did Nakano. There was a segment of the cage that was set
up in the corner, they then cut to the footage once again. When they cut back to the arena
were Kong was choking Nakano, they used the same weapons they used in the match and
then cut back to the real footage once again for the more intensive spots and the set up for
the leg drop. When they cut back to the arena Nakano was on the top of the cage praying
,they obviously cut to archive footage for the leg drop, but it was still pulled off
amazingly well. Phenomenal work.
They showed the fourth and final retrospective focusing on the rest of her career and her
retirement match against Kong. They came back to were she handed the belt over to
Kong and Kong grabbed the mic and reenacted what I can only assume was the same
promo, which I thought was a bit odd.
Nakano was then standing in the ring as we had a ten bell salute for her old life and her
new life was brought in, in the form of her real wedding ceremony.
Overall Show Thoughts
Wrestling wise this wasn’t the best show in the world, there was some really good stuff
on the show like the Hikaru Shida vs. Yuzuki Aikawa match, which I would recommend,
but there was nothing world beating. However the Nakano retirement ceremony really
was one of the best retirement ceremonies I have ever seen, possibly better than Ric
Flair’s on Raw. The production was incredible, the reenactments were amazing and the
way that everything just fell together was great.
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Apparently Nakano is thinking about a backstage or PR role which could really help
revive Joshi and is a massive positive. I would suggest that anyone who hasn’t seen the
show already check it out, even if you just catch the Nakano retirement.
The Chris Jericho Angle Part II
I thought that the Jericho angle was pulled
off really well this week, having him walk
out on his partners further cemented his
selfishness, without turning him into a full
blown heel in the eyes of the casual fans
just yet.
I think it will be very interesting to see where they go from here and where the inevitable
conclusion on the angle lies. One think that I am sure of is that with Jericho behind the
wheel of this angle, I think we are in for an interesting ride
The Royal Rumble 2012 Thoughts
Men most likely to win the rumble in order:
1. Randy Orton
2. Chris Jericho
3. Dolf Ziggler
4. Mystery Man
I think that this year’s Rumble is important, not because of the stage that it is on, but
because the Rumble is at risk of losing it’s importance. Since the 2007 Rumble where
Undertaker won and went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Batista
at WrestleMania 27, the Royal Rumble winner has not been victorious at WrestleMania.
And besides the winner of last year’s Royal Rumble, Alberto Del Rio, they have all been
mainevent stars who didn’t really need the Rumble win anyway.
I think that Orton is the most likely candidate to win the Royal Rumble this year, it is in
his hometown of St. Louis and they seem to be keeping him off of TV to build to his
entrance in the Royal Rumble. I don’t think that Orton winning the Rumble is necessarily
the best move, but if Bryan still is the World Heavyweight Champion by the time Mania
comes around, they should have one hell of a match.
I think that Chris Jericho also stands a good chance of winning, many people have
thought of possible scenarios where Jericho takes a very long time to complete his
entrance and then by the time he get’s to the ring it will have emptied substantially. I
think that since Jericho is still a returning face that has been off of TV for a couple of
years, I think that it could work.
Even though Ziggler is in the championship match on the PPV, it seems that they went
out of their way to point out that anyone former champions and challengers from the PPV
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can enter the Rumble. Since he is already in the title picture as of right now, I think that it
would be a good move to have him be seen in the title picture with this match, lose the
match and then go on to mainevent Mania. Of course Ziggler is the heel and this is more
of a face angle, but I think that they could make it work pretty easily.
A mystery man is a possibility and some inside sources have said that there is a
possibility of someone that isn’t a part of the roster as of now winning the Rumble. I
don’t know if it would be the best idea in the world, given that you already have the
return of the Rock and Jericho, but I see them possibly going that way.
Next Week’s Issue
Next week we will be covering the go home show for the Royal Rumble, the TNA
Genesis Buyrate, all the news from the week, and more. For more information on next
week’s issue and the Cubed Circle Wrestling Newsletter head over to
cubedcirclewrestling.blogspot.com.
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