New Japan released main information about "FIGHTING SPIRIT SERIES 2002", which runs from 10/19 to 11/4. Firstly the outsider participation:

Scott Norton (all shows)
Jack The Bull (all shows)
American Dragon (all shows)
Rocky Romero & Ricky Reyes (all shows)
Joanie Laurer (10/26 & 10/27)
GREAT MUTA (10/26 & 10/27)
Bas Rutten (10/26)
Kazunari Murakami (10/26, 10/27 & 11/4)
Shinya Makabe (10/26, 10/27 & 11/4)
Minoru Fujita (10/26, 10/27 & 11/4)
Azteca & Diablo (Pro Wrestling KAGEKI, 10/21)

Quite a cast. Laurer is supposed to be banished from the ring if she loses to Chono, so the 10/26 & 10/27 participation is very confusing (and scary). The Jr. Triathlon will run over three shows and will feature four teams, with the semi finals on the first two and the final on the last one. Each pairing will have a singles match (1 point), tag match (2 points) and six man tag match (3 points). There is even a possibility (albeit light) of Liger vs. American Dragon (see below)! The big 10/26 PPV, which has some interesting matches, will host an IWGP Heavyweight Title match and New Japan vs. Makai Club 5 vs. 5 Single Match Series. New Japan's fifth wrestler is unannounced, and it could be Nagata (if he loses to Fujita, who would be facing Chono in the main event). 10/27 will have another New Japan vs. Makai Club 5 vs. 5 Single Match Series, this one featuring Tanaken. Also, a Nishimura vs. Liger rematch is set, which should please fans who were unhappy with their recent short bout. The other announced match sees 10/14 singles matches in tag form, with Chono & Tenzan facing Laurer & MUTA. The last WPW taping of the tour is on 11/4, and this will have, yes, ANOTHER 5 vs. 5 series, this one the big conclusion match with New Japan's elite five involved. I believe whoever wins this will win the feud. It will also host the Jr. Triathlon Survivor final. Shinya Makabe works the three WPW tapings, teaming with his tag partner from Puerto Rico, Minoru Fujita. Not sure what the SXW tapings will be yet, I'm guessing 10/20, 10/21 and maybe one of the latter tour shows. No Iizuka on match lists, which is puzzling. This promises to be a very intriguing series for New Japan followers.

NJPW, 10/21/02
Strait Messe Shimonoseki

1. Jushin Thunder Liger & Heat vs. Azteca & Diablo


NJPW "FUKUOKA FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY", 10/26/02 (PPV/WPW)
Fukuoka International Center

1. Jr. Triathlon Survivor - Semi Final: Jushin Thunder Liger, Heat & Tiger Mask 4 vs. American Dragon, Rocky Romero & Ricky Reyes
2. Koji Kanemoto vs. Bas Rutten
3. Masahito Kakihara & Masayuki Naruse vs. Shinya Makabe & Minoru Fujita
4. Kenzo Suzuki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Joanie Laurer & GREAT MUTA
5-9. New Japan vs. Makai Club 5 vs. 5 Single Match Series Vol. 1: Kensuke Sasaki, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Osamu Nishimura & TBA vs. Tadao Yasuda, Kazunari Murakami, Ryushi Yanagisawa, Makai Mask #1 & Makai Mask #2
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Winner of Nagata/Fujita (c) vs. Masahiro Chono


NJPW "KOBE FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY", 10/27/02 (WPW)
Kobe World Hall

1. Jr. Triathlon Survivor - Semi Final: El Samurai, Masahito Kakihara & Masayuki Naruse vs. Koji Kanemoto, Jado & Gedo
2. Yutaka Yoshie & Blue Wolf vs. Shinya Makabe & Minoru Fujita
3. Osamu Nishimura vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
4-8. New Japan vs. Makai Club 5 vs. 5 Single Match Series Vol. 2: Yuji Nagata, Kensuke Sasaki, Manabu Nakanishi, Kenzo Suzuki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tadao Yasuda, Kazunari Murakami, Ryushi Yanagisawa, Makai Mask #1 & Makai Mask #2
9. Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Joanie Laurer & GREAT MUTA

NJPW, 11/4/02 (WPW)
Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall #11

1. Hiro Saito & Tatsutoshi Goto vs. Shinya Makabe & Minoru Fujita
2. Kenzo Suzuki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Scott Norton & Jack The Bull
3. Jr. Triathlon Survivor - Final: Winner of 10/26 Match vs. Winner of 10/27 Match
4-8. New Japan vs. Makai Club 5 vs. 5 Single Match Series Vol. 3: Masahiro Chono, Yuji Nagata, Kensuke Sasaki, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Tadao Yasuda, Kazunari Murakami, Ryushi Yanagisawa, Makai Mask #1 & Makai Mask #2

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- All Japan's 10/26 Budokan show will be aired on SKY PerfecTV! PPV (which hosts New Japan's PPVs too).

I added a ton more profile re-writes today, links to which can be found below. I've now completed the pre-existing core New Japan profiles, though will be adding ones for the likes of Choshu and Inoki in the near future. Also added an "Other Events" history page for Antonio Inoki Final Countdown (5/1/94 to 4/4/98).

Kazuyuki Fujita

Don Frye

Tadao Yasuda

Yoshihiro Takayama

Kazunari Murakami

Ryushi Yanagisawa

Naoya Ogawa

Dan Devine

Rob Rage

Negro Casas

Brian Johnston

Kengo Kimura

Masakazu Fukuda (with more details of his death)

Michiyoshi Ohara

Nobuhiko Takada

Osamu Kido

Scott Hall

Today's news has been sent in by KrisZ of World Wide Wrestling...

All Japan President Keiji Muto said today that talks between Masahiro Chono, Shinya Hashimoto, Mitsuharu Misawa and himself about working together for the "Wrestle-1" show on 11/17 at Yokohama Arena are premature. Muto went on to say that All Japan, New Japan, NOAH, & ZERO-ONE are about to start on tours and that the four Presidents need to concentrate on their businesses, but when the time is right, the negotiations will begin.

Muto also talked about another possible opponent for the "Wrestle-1" show and that is Bob Sapp and that would be only if Muto couldn't get a deal worked out with Bill Goldberg. Muto also answered Masahiro Chono's challenge to show up at the 10/14 Tokyo Dome show saying that he wished he could be there, but since All Japan is running a show in Nagoya on the same day, it would be impossible. Muto said that he would send a telegram to Chono telling Chono to do his best by all means on the show and Muto also brought up that since he became President of All Japan on Monday, he has not had much sleep at all, because he is worrying about his future, but he said he will be like Napoleon Bonaparte and lead All Japan to a great future starting on 10/6 when they start their next tour.

Jun Akiyama is not only concentrating on the GHC Tag Titles, but wants to add more gold to his collection. He has already gone on record in wanting a IWGP Tag Titles match with Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan, but that might be a problem with the rival TV networks Nippon (NOAH) & TV Asahi (New Japan). So, Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito are looking at a match against Shinjiro Otani & Masato Tanaka for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Titles which there won't be a network problem because ZERO-ONE is only on Samurai! TV. Akiyama said that Otani/Tanaka would be the 1st conquest and then they will conquer Chono/Tenzan for the IWGP Tag Titles.

Kazuhiko Ogasawara is now an enemy with Shinya Hashimoto again since Hash reunited the OH Gun team with Naoya Ogawa. In a interview today, Ogasawara stated that he has chosen Gerard Gordeau (UGH) to be his partner along with Akio Kobayashi and they will overthrow OH Gun to become the dominant team in ZERO-ONE. Ogasawara also sent a warning to Wataru Sakata demanding that Sakata face him on ZERO-ONE's show on 10/20 at Korakuen Hall. Kazuhiko said that he would destroy Sakata and that Wataru wouldn't be able to play with his girlfriend (Eiko Koike) who has been part of a love triangle of late with Antonio Rodrigo Nogiuera, Sakata & Vanderlai Silva. Ogasawara also said that he plans to start running his own shows out of his dojo very soon to show off his Karate students.

Makai Club sponsor Kantaro Hoshino declared today that when the Foreign Enemy wins the 7 vs. 7 series against New Japan on 10/14 at the Tokyo Dome, they will take over the company and banish Masahiro Chono. Hoshino said that Tadao Yasuda would take Masahiro Chono's place as Director and that Inoki-ism will reign supreme.

Riki Choshu & Katsuji Nagashima will attend Atsushi Onita's "Onita X" card at Differ Ariake tommorrow as they are invited guests of Onita. This is the first show that Choshu will have attended since he left New Japan in May and Onita hopes for him to start a working agreement with Dojo Riki.

I've completed quite a bit of roster profile work today, re-writing numerous of them.

Shinya Makabe

AKIRA

Black Tiger 3

Jado

Gedo

GOKU-DO (brand new biography)

Jushin Thunder Liger

El Samurai

Minoru Tanaka

Masahito Kakihara

Masayuki Naruse

Dr. Wagner Jr.

Katsuyori Shibata

Wataru Inoue

Katsushi Takemura

New Japan stood in union with a big joint practice session at the Setagaya Dojo at 11:30am yesterday.


They started with some fundemental warm-ups, with Nagata looking commanding and moving very quickly. With Yoshie on all fours, Nagata jumped over him with front and back flips. Other wrestlers followed his example, repeating the practice.


The wrestlers split into groups of two for sparring matches. They used bodyslams, headlock throlws and arm whips, and were repeatedly thrown to the mat. Nagata, who acts as a trainer in the dojo, helping young wrestlers, was again in charge, giving instructions. Nakanishi and Tenzan, eternal rivals who recently put their differences aside for the common cause, did what was described as a Strong Style spar, with a sleeper hold, bridge and armlock.


Uh oh! If you've seen any recent SXWs, you'll have witnessed the segments from the dojo with the new trainees. Under the watchful, stern eye of Kotetsu Yamamoto, who often wields a stick, they are forced to suffer through some difficult practices, such as bridging on their head with him sat on them. He acted as referee for a Tanaken sparring match, growling instructions to them. After all the sparring was over, the roster sat in the ring, meditating, performing mental training.


Nakanishi didn't stop there though, as he simulated his upcoming match against Bob Sapp. With one arm, he threw Yoshie and Yano, at a combined weight of 518lbs, in a joint fireman's carry. He then hit both with a spear, so it was mental preparation for his contest with Sapp. Furthermore, two journalists who were there covering the event for mainstream press outlets, were lightly persuaded into an Argentine backbreaker, and Mr. Unbelievable showed his remarkable strength by lifting both at once.


Nakanishi talked about what Sapp said yesterday, where he boldly commented that he would eat both Nakanishi and Nagata, with Nakanishi as his dessert and Nagata the champagne. Nakanishi smiled, saying, "I will make Sapp my 'appetizer' and consume him!". Nakanishi plans to use his German suplex on Sapp, which should make for quite a sight. Before then, he will attend K-1's 10/5 show to study Sapp as he competes in a fight.

New Japan stands united at "THE SPIRAL", with much on the line. If they lose, the balance of power could switch, with the Foreign Enemy controlling the company they strive to defend so bravely. Before 10/14, some of the wrestlers get chance to warm up on the New Japan/MUGA shows during "FIGHTING SPIRIT SERIES 2002 PROLOGUE" from 10/6 to 10/12. I hope to have real-time coverage of all shows. I can more or less guarantee some real-time coverage before then of NOAH's 10/4 Korakuen Hall show, which kicks off "NAVIGATION AGAINST THE CURRENT 2002".

Firstly, notes from KrisZ of World Wide Wrestling...

- All Japan's documentary show on Fuji TV debuted on Tuesday from 1:40 AM - 2:25 AM JST and it did a 1.7 rating for it's debut show. The show consisted of Kazuyoshi Ishii & Keiji Muto chatting about their future project "Wrestle-1" which will run on 11/17 at the Yokohama Arena.

- Masahiro Chono dropped a bomb today in a interview, saying that he is very positive to the idea of working with Shinya Hashimoto, Mitsuharu Misawa, & Keiji Muto. He said that he wants to talk to Muto, but only if Muto comes to New Japan's 10/14 Tokyo Dome show and wrestles him, saying that he will arrange the card so he could face Joanie Laurer & Keiji Muto in a double header. All Japan is running a show on 10/14 in Nagoya and it would be hard for him to be at both places, but with the way that puroresu is going these days, you never know what is going to happen.

- Chono also said today that New Japan will eliminate the Foreign Enemy on 10/14 and when they do, Chono said that he will run New Japan as he likes to and will exclude Antonio Inoki from overriding him on decisions. Chono said that the Foreign Enemy is like robots controlled by Antonio Inoki to overthrow Chono from power and take back control of New Japan, and Chono had a answer for that saying that he won't lose this battle.

- NWA President Jim Miller has stepped up his demand to Shinjiro Otani & Masato Tanaka for ZERO-ONE's next tour which starts on 10/20. Miller is saying now that Otani & Tanaka have to defend their NWA Intercontinental Tag Titles not once but twice on the tour and if they don't, he will strip them of their belts.

Some of my own notes...

- Kenta Kobashi may be a bigger ratings draw right now than ever before. The 50 minute Captain's Fall Elimination Match was aired (heavily clipped) on NOAH's 9/15 NTV show, and drew a tremendous rating of 4.4. It's thought the rating for the 9/29 broadcast of Misawa vs. Takayama will be even higher, as NOAH is undergoing something of a small boom right now.

- I updated September and October All Japan Samurai! TV markings as I did with the GAORA TV ones yesterday. From what I have gathered, the 9/22 show isn't airing, meaning the Real World Jr. Tag League final(s) will not be shown, unless they are added to the 9/23 broadcast.