/w/JPW Update - 08/08/15
Aug 7, 2015 17:08:21 GMT -5
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Post by Kondori on Aug 7, 2015 17:08:21 GMT -5
It was only a few days ago that /wooo/ Japan Pro Wrestling president Tsukasa ”Kondori” Kondo posted a picture on his Twitter feed, promoting the company’s next event, The New Boginning. Amidst rumours that the company had recently made a huge deal with a big name in the virtual wrestling circuit, (another picture posted on Kondori’s twitter feed would hint at the identity of said person to be iCONiC Pro Wrestling Owner Joshua Bishop), the details of this agreement were finally revealed at a recent press conference in Tokyo.
Spectators were shocked when suddenly, iCONiC Pro Wrestling’s Global Heavyweight Champion, Steven Santos, appeared at the podium during an interview with the former 大WGP Openweight Champion, Kazuchika Bokada, who months ago had come off of a championship loss to Ace Kaplan in the main event of the critically-lauded 5-hour show Rassuru Kingudamu in Tokyo Dome. At this point it was made official by Kondori, who was present at the venue. As part of a deal with American-based promotion iCONiC Pro Wrestling, a cross-promotional encounter for the iPW Global Heavyweight Championship had been signed to take place before the heavily-anticipated New Boginning event as a special webmatch, which has been announced to be the official return match of /w/JPW.
A major reason both /w/JPW and iPW broke through in the recent Rantboard Network Community Countdown, which featured the top 5 matches of 2013 & 2014, is these competitors’ brilliant performances in their matches, landing the #4 and #2 spots respectively. They are both major reasons that Rassuru Kingudamu in Tokyo Dome and Iconic Revolution were considered among the best shows produced in the past year, so it is fitting that such a monumental encounter as Santos vs. Bokada marks /w/JPW’s return from its almost year-long hiatus.
“Steven Santos is easily one of the best competitors going today”, Kondori was quoted saying in an interview shortly after. “Me and Santos go way back. I’ve been following his work in the circuit for the longest time, and no doubt a star of his magnitude appearing in /wooo/ Japan will only help to enforce our company’s vision of legitimacy.” Whether or not Santos will comply with said “vision of legitimacy” remains in question. A lot of his notoriety stems from his unpredictable and violent nature. His performance at the main event of iPW Iconic Revolution serves as a perfect example, and as such his lack of regard for rules or safety may come into conflict with /wooo/ Japan’s recent decision to start enforcing a more “traditional puroresu” image within the company.
“I don’t care if iPW never does another show in the next ten years. I have gone one year without a fight, and I’m not going to idly stand by after earning what is now the most important prize in the virtual wrestling circuit,” proclaimed the volatile “Loose Cannon” Steven Santos. “For years, I have been overlooked, I have been kicked down, I have been cast aside, and today is the day I change that. People call me sadistic, people call me ruthless...I call it an example of what happens when you write off someone you should be very afraid of. I broke Marcus King. I beat one of the best fighters in the world that night, and now I’m gonna do exactly what I did to him to everyone else on the circuit, starting with that smug-faced piece of s**t Bokada.”
Santos, an internationally-feared adversary, still feels he must prove himself even after completing his long, soul-crushing journey to become a World’s Champion. Said iPW Owner, Joshua Bishop: “Becoming the World Champion, anybody can do that. The great ones last as World Champions. Do I think Santos has that potential? He’s got the passion and the fire to do it. Whether or not he has the skill is another question. That’s why I believe this encounter with Mr. Bokada will be a true test of what Santos can do in that squared circle. He is a great wrestler. But is he the best wrestler in the world? That remains to be seen.”
As the owner of iPW, in order to maintain a sense of impartiality and professionalism at the commentary table, Bishop has agreed to preside over the match as play-by-play commentator alongside Kondori on color commentary. “I couldn’t miss this for the world; besides, as one of the best behind the booth, how could I say no?”
With this and /w/JPW’s other ongoing cross-promotional deal with fellow /wooo/-based promotion /wooo/ is War, one can wonder if these will only be the first among many in the company’s future. Kondori has gone on record several times about his stance on cross-promotion, so it’s very possible that the door is open for other big names within the circuit to make their presence known within /w/JPW.