SmooveK
08-12-2004, 05:04 AM
Went to a Kaientai Dojo show on Sunday, as my two favorites in the world (other than Excalibur, of course, being The Great Sasuke and TAKA Michinoku) would hit the ring five minutes away from me. I had great expectations for the show. I wish it delivered.
While the most serious wrestler in Japan takes care of him/herself, the typical Japanese wrestling fan continues to live up to the stereotype of being the biggest slob in the country. Before the show, I'm waiting for a good hour the the biggest group of hard smoking, hard drinking, overweight people I've seen in this country. I could overlook these physical aspects if so many of them weren't staring at me the in shock when I bought a ticket, then immediately make comments about me when I walk by. It's nothing that horrible, but how many black people you know going to a PWG show wouldn't take issue with half the people saying "Hey, a black person... what's he doing here?" under their breath as they walked by? Only in Japan, as the Japanese Don King would say.
The weird thing is, those who were more open minded about me not moving to the back of the arena would sometimes come up to me and ask if I was a wrestler. I had actually worn an XPW shirt of Kaos, and since I look like a 6 foot 3 decathlete compared to the average wrestling fan (and even some wrestlers), some thought that *I* was Kaos. I just told them that he's someone I enjoyed watching in Southern California, and there is a chance that he will someday make an appearance in NJPW. I do hope it is the case, actually.
As far as the show is concerned, it was the cheapest I'd ever seen in Japan: $45 for a 2nd row (out of 4 rows of folding chairs) ticket. Although I could have stood for the whole thing and saved 5 bucks. Even being so "cheap", this does not forgive the EXTREMELY short card. I usually don't mind paying so much for tickets as I know these touring wrestlers have no other job, but there were 5 matches, including the opening training match between students and one comedy match, and three of the matches were less than 10 minutes each. The show began at 3:10 and ended at 4:30, leaving me to wonder how the people who paid for $50 ringside felt.
And, I'm sad to say it, but I am spoiled by PWG, Revolution Pro, and AWS. I was so impressed by the Michinoku Pro live show in Kyoto in 2002, but was again impressed by live events in Southern California. I hate to say it, but as far as quality, TAKA's promotion can't compare to PWG. I can understand as the show is mostly made up of students of K-Dojo, but even when that was the case in Revolution Pro, Rev Pro was much more entertaining. After a year of Southern California wrestling, I'm at the point where simple live wrestling in Japan won't cut it anymore just because it is local. A promotion now has to make one hell of a card to earn my forty bucks.
After the show was some supercool stuff, though... Like two years earlier, I met with both TAKA and Sasuke, and Sasuke even remembered meeting before. So, that was nice. Then, while the wrestlers were bringing the equipment to the truck and then getting on the tour bus, I was kind of hanging around the area with most of the female fans, talking it up. Might as well, I had nothing else to do. After about 45 minutes everyone was gone, and the ladies were a little sad to see the grapplers leave. It's about this time that I realized I could have taken a few rats home if I told them I was a wrestler. I wouldn't even have had to pay to see the show!
All in all, it was fun, I guess. The show was decent, just short. And the negative fan contact was to be expected. I guess I just have the perspective now... For the cost of one decent, short live show, I could have 2 PWG DVDs shipped to me that have shows which are much more satisfying.
I think the only logical compromise is that TAKA and Sasuke should work PWG. While that won't happen anytime soon, I did write "TAKA Michinoku and The Great Sasuke vs. Excalibur and Super Dragon (Southern California indy wrestlers)" in the "What match would you want to see in K-Dojo?" section of the questionairre that the fans were given. I think that match would get me back to the arena.
-K
While the most serious wrestler in Japan takes care of him/herself, the typical Japanese wrestling fan continues to live up to the stereotype of being the biggest slob in the country. Before the show, I'm waiting for a good hour the the biggest group of hard smoking, hard drinking, overweight people I've seen in this country. I could overlook these physical aspects if so many of them weren't staring at me the in shock when I bought a ticket, then immediately make comments about me when I walk by. It's nothing that horrible, but how many black people you know going to a PWG show wouldn't take issue with half the people saying "Hey, a black person... what's he doing here?" under their breath as they walked by? Only in Japan, as the Japanese Don King would say.
The weird thing is, those who were more open minded about me not moving to the back of the arena would sometimes come up to me and ask if I was a wrestler. I had actually worn an XPW shirt of Kaos, and since I look like a 6 foot 3 decathlete compared to the average wrestling fan (and even some wrestlers), some thought that *I* was Kaos. I just told them that he's someone I enjoyed watching in Southern California, and there is a chance that he will someday make an appearance in NJPW. I do hope it is the case, actually.
As far as the show is concerned, it was the cheapest I'd ever seen in Japan: $45 for a 2nd row (out of 4 rows of folding chairs) ticket. Although I could have stood for the whole thing and saved 5 bucks. Even being so "cheap", this does not forgive the EXTREMELY short card. I usually don't mind paying so much for tickets as I know these touring wrestlers have no other job, but there were 5 matches, including the opening training match between students and one comedy match, and three of the matches were less than 10 minutes each. The show began at 3:10 and ended at 4:30, leaving me to wonder how the people who paid for $50 ringside felt.
And, I'm sad to say it, but I am spoiled by PWG, Revolution Pro, and AWS. I was so impressed by the Michinoku Pro live show in Kyoto in 2002, but was again impressed by live events in Southern California. I hate to say it, but as far as quality, TAKA's promotion can't compare to PWG. I can understand as the show is mostly made up of students of K-Dojo, but even when that was the case in Revolution Pro, Rev Pro was much more entertaining. After a year of Southern California wrestling, I'm at the point where simple live wrestling in Japan won't cut it anymore just because it is local. A promotion now has to make one hell of a card to earn my forty bucks.
After the show was some supercool stuff, though... Like two years earlier, I met with both TAKA and Sasuke, and Sasuke even remembered meeting before. So, that was nice. Then, while the wrestlers were bringing the equipment to the truck and then getting on the tour bus, I was kind of hanging around the area with most of the female fans, talking it up. Might as well, I had nothing else to do. After about 45 minutes everyone was gone, and the ladies were a little sad to see the grapplers leave. It's about this time that I realized I could have taken a few rats home if I told them I was a wrestler. I wouldn't even have had to pay to see the show!
All in all, it was fun, I guess. The show was decent, just short. And the negative fan contact was to be expected. I guess I just have the perspective now... For the cost of one decent, short live show, I could have 2 PWG DVDs shipped to me that have shows which are much more satisfying.
I think the only logical compromise is that TAKA and Sasuke should work PWG. While that won't happen anytime soon, I did write "TAKA Michinoku and The Great Sasuke vs. Excalibur and Super Dragon (Southern California indy wrestlers)" in the "What match would you want to see in K-Dojo?" section of the questionairre that the fans were given. I think that match would get me back to the arena.
-K