#pro wrestling debut

[sistertonin]

carlito's debut smackdown 10/7/04

[soundberr1es]

THE RAMPAGE Kaisei Takechi [Match & Commentary Video] Pro wrestling debut - "I have a strong desire to do it again." The high drop kicks and coordinated moves were just as fascinating.

[kopw]

[thedman0310]

Chad Gable’s last moments caught on camera

[jeshaisabookworm]

Taya is ALL ELITE Is She the Woman to Dethrone Jade Cargil? | AEW Debut

La Wera Loca is ALL ELITE!Canada’s own Taya Valkyrie debuts in All Elite Wresting.Is she the one to finally dethrone the undefeated Jade Cargill? (more…) “”

[agendabymooner]

MASTERLIST: A-N F1 DRIVERS by agendabymooner

LINK TO MASTERLIST: O-Z F1 DRIVERS by agendabymooner

LINK TO SOMETHING SINFUL (SMUT) MASTERLIST by agendabymooner (MINORS DNI)

note: I CANNOT OFFICIALLY FIT MY WORKS IN ONE POST 😭 so here is my alphabetical f1 masterlist!!!

legends/genre:

a = angst g = general fic hc = hurt/comfort h = humour

s = smut (minors, dni) mc = mature content (minors, dni) f = fluff

★ - newly added ♡ - favourite piece

ALSO CHECK OUT:

MOONY'S CHARACTER DIRECTORY

MOONY'S FILIPINO CHARACTERS DIRECTORY

alex albon (aa23)

front page lover (thai!kpop idol!ofc)

keeper, smau: polly berkshire has obscure interactions with her thirsty boyfriend and it's safe to say that they love each other.

fashion week, smau: the williams driver and polly always got something for everyone to talk about.

double aa, socmed snapshot: a series of instagram stories in which alex is a dad to alice albon

own it, smau: alex's hidden talent is being a good boyfriend with a dash of photographer. ★

fernando alonso (fa14)

the breakup and makeup series (pro wrestler!ofc)

time to rock and roll, fic: the first time beatrice staedtlander and fernando alonso had broken up. (hc) ♡

heaven, smau: back in 2000s, fernando alonso and beatrice anastasia 'trish' staedtlander were every racing and wrestling fans' couple. years after, trish alonso became a mother and a wife... and the grid's crush of the season. fernando was certainly not happy so what's a better way to remind everyone that he was hers? (f, g, h)

from the ground up, smau: tino and tiago alonso were the twins that trish had given birth to at the age of 40, and everyone understood now why she didn't make it to the 2024 canadian gp. (f)

look what god gave her, smau: beatrice 'trish' alonso survived fernando's messy image better than anybody did. (f, g, h)

bonnie and the fame

maneater, smau: bonnie catherine sutton was carlos sainz's ex-girlfriend who returned to the f1 scene as a different woman. turns out, she's fernando alonso's fiancée (f)

ego, smau: never underestimate a woman's self-esteem, it might end up wounding you more than it would her.

oliver bearman (ob8)

ice ice baby, smau: kimi raikkonen's daughter romania raikkonen debuted in formula one with her friends AND it's safe to say that the iceman doesn't like ollie that much.

icy in saudi, smau: aroma raikkonen was ollie's biggest supporter in his f1 debut. plus, she also had her personal 'reverse harem' consisting of her best friends in the f2 grid. ★

ollie on thin ice(man), scenario: kimi raikkonen had proven himself to be oliver bearman's biggest hater at some point. ★

jenson button (jb22)

pride and pettiness (x british!actress!ofc)

one, 2004: in which, ada and jenson met for the first time.

the mr. darcy type, smau: much like the popular love interest, jenson should have known better than to say things that wouldn't impress a woman he grew interested in. OR ada abbott made sure that he worked hard for her time and attention. (f) ♡

shunt the hell up! (x hunt!driver!ofc)

shunt your lovers, kiss your enemies. smau: it was funny how enemies can be your teammate AND your lover at the same time. OR jj hunt, the daughter of the late james hunt, was jenson's biggest rival until a certain baby predicament cost her her entire racing career. (g) ♡

better enemies than strangers, smau: the brawn gp docuseries discussed jj hunt and the surprising turn of events in her rivalry/partnership with jenson in 2009. ★

other works

affection, blurb: in which, jenson learned that he should just say it without being a little too drunk.

pierre gasly (pg10)

newsflash, smau: ensley soleil doesn’t like playboys. too bad, pierre gasly’s down bad for her (attention and love). (f, g, h)

odds, fic: their timing was always wrong, maybe that's why pierre should consider making it even for the two of them as she writes songs about him and their courtship.

lowkey, smau: fans thought that pierre moved on from ensley four months after publicly declaring his (love?) for her. funnily enough... (f, g, h)

indigo, chatfic + smau: there's really no reason for pierre gasly to be jealous over some man that ensley wrote 'high school in jakarta' about. not when she wrote one or more songs about the frenchman. (f) ♡

high school in jakarta, fic: meeting ensley’s close friends would also mean that he’d have to meet her high school sweetheart, who he believed he couldn’t compete against until ensley ensured that his two-day attendance wouldn’t be spoiled by some guy who couldn’t let go of some memories she couldn’t even remember. ♡ 

dancing with the devil, smau: ensley soleil doesn't care about what people are saying about her relationship with pierre especially now that she's married to him. (f)

vintage, smau: pierre gasly is a husband and a fanboy of ensley soleil gasly amongst other things. (f)

hot dad era, socmed snapshot: pierre gasly. 30% f1 driver 70% dilf.

other works

do i make you nervous, blurb: lesson learned: just date her first rather than being friendly in the bed.

lewis hamilton (lh44)

stevie and lewis (hearth sister!ofc)

thick and thin, smau + fic: lewis should know better than underestimating her and her capabilities to yearn for him for years. (hc)

hands on and paws on, socmed snapshot: lewis is a stay-at-home dad to lottie hamilton and his best boy, roscoe, happens to watch his mummys everywhere she goes as she carries baby hamilton #2.

the hamilton daycare, fic: lewis is already a stay-at-home dad so what makes his day out in monaco with his two kids any different? (f) (2/3 of daddy, debriefed!)

where the bad girls are (kpop idol!ofc)

lifted, smau: lewis is married to a kpop idol who happened to be one of the girls to shape the image of female groups in the korean pop community.

crowned couple (x miss universe!ofc)

the couple of the universe, smau: lewis is a careless being this season and everyone's wondering why.

melody series (x performer!ofc)

summary: with her sharp eyes focused on her audience, a burlesque performer who went under the name of melody returned to rythme romantique, an entertainment lounge which exclusively caters to the wealthiest people of monaco — or in this case, to the people with a status that are recognized by all. her three exclusive performances were meant to be a closure for her connections in the principality. still, a certain formula one driver saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with his former flame after two years of her absence. felicity vos learned that this was a rich man’s world and that he could do whatever he wanted, but she also realized that the agreement they settled on years ago was corrupted the moment he expressed his love for her. 

one, million dollar man: monaco was a world of glitz and glamour that she left two years ago. returning to the principality clearly was a huge mistake as she found herself talking to the man who swore to nothing but his love for her.

two, this is what makes us girls: "decorum isn't something you can buy with money or fame." or what did lewis really want from her and why did he show up on the second night of her performance?

arthur leclerc (al12)

the scheming schumachers, smau: sunny schumacher is mick's cousin and what does a family do? they attract arthur leclerc to get him away from his best friend, who happens to be mick's girlfriend. thankfully, the schumacher cousin is something of a welcome distraction for the monegasque.

charles leclerc (cl16)

the leclerc boys series (x hearth sister!ofc)

debunking drama, smau: prequel to of long lines and names; aimee hearth, the mclaren media manager and one of the famous hearth sisters, was rumoured to be dating lando norris. a certain monegasque's baffled reaction became a trending topic in twitter as he counteracts the rumour with an instagram post of his lover. (f, h)

many kids with many names, smau: everyone found out that aimee and charles were having not only one but two babies. turned out, those two babies have at least a million name. (h) ★

of long lines and names, fic: five kids with (almost) five names under six years. OR the three pregnancies that charles had witnessed told him how motherhood and memories could come in two sets of twins and a boy that looked so much like him. (f)

the leclerc daycare, fic: before his last set of twins were born, charles had to watch his boys on his own- not exactly by himself when he's got esteban and pierre acting as his right hand men. (f) (1/3 of daddy, debriefed!) ♡

about names, scenario fics

summary: extension to of long lines and names and the leclerc daycare; charles and aimee's boys and their names go hand in hand OR times when the couple had to tell their kids that their names were signs of love and respect for their namesakes.

one, an amazing boy with an amazing name: hervé's anger left his parents confused after he refused to be called by his first name. thankfully, his mamé pascale had an easy access to his heart that eventually led to an answer to his sadness.

two, the wingman of maranello: jules leclerc learned two things as he travelled to italy with his father: he had an uncle named uncle teague and uncle teague had a best friend that was once charles' godfather.

other pieces

"slut", smau: charles' ex trashed his new girlfriend a while ago, but too bad he wasn't really into the thought of making music with anyone but lou villar.

breaking curses not hearts, smau: frankie bardot atkinson was also known for her curse in the film industry. after breaking her long streaked curse and finally won an oscar, was it finally charles' time to break his curse at monza gp?

kevin magnussen (km20)

family ties, smau: lando norris forgot that his brother-in-law is in the grid with him and lola norris magnussen couldn't help but make of her brother for it.

lando norris (ln4)

lover era (x alessandro sister!writer!ofc)

london boy, smau: nicola 'cola' alessandro moved to britain and what's a better way to introduce yourself to england than taking a trip around with a certain mclaren driver? (f, g, h)

i think he knows, smau: grazia nichols published her debut novel based off formula one, and a fan could have sworn that the the book bf - nolan langford - was based off of lando's character as a driver altogether. (f, g, h)

✿ honey, honey! series masterlist - lando norris x ofc (honey-sue lewis) ft. sidemen

other pieces

too good to be true, smau: just a brief overview of lando’s relationship with a countryside girl who, beyond her introverted tendencies, was an unhinged, unserious yet amazing mother and girlfriend. ★

f1 drivers (general)

✿ 9 to 5 series masterlist - f1 grid x ofc (lester alessandro) ft. fictional wolff kids

✿ f1 voicemail blurbs - series of blurbs with voicemails left by the drivers. ★

too much caring, smau, sv5 + jb22: kpop idol juno was assumed to have cheated on retired driver jenson button with his best mate sebastian vettel. oh how wrong those people were...

[guywrestlingaddiction]

Everything Great About a Match: Mr.Joshua Goodman v Christian Taylor (bgeast.com)

Everything Great About a Match: +5

Mr.Joshua Goodman v Christian Taylor (bgeast.com)

SPOILER ALERT: I highly recommend viewing this match in its entirety before reading this post.

So let's begin:  +1: For Christian's debut match! Every great wrestler needs an origin story and Christian's story begins with big bad Joshua.  So can he win? Well of course not, this is Mr.Joshua we are talking about here but still enjoy these images of Christian before he was famous and suffered his first pro beatdown.

From Cocky ... To Crippled. 

Mr.Joshua: You, you don't know the rules.  Looks like I'm going to have to explain them to you. 

+1: Mr.Joshua brings the heat and does not hold back on our rookie.  If you were expecting some mercy being the new guy then you picked the wrong opponent because Mr.Joshua does no such thing.  The guy brutally dismantles our newbie and gives him the freshmen match to remember. 

+1: The humiliation.  Not only is our jobber destroyed but Mr.Joshua makes our jobber look as humbled as possible.  He thrashes him and even toys with the guy's head by slapping him to show him he's the man.  Christian is not only dominated but he's made to be humiliated, repeatedly, and with just a little something extra to claim the poor guy.  What a welcome to bgeast! I'm surprised Christian came back from this.  

+1: For this move.  I'm not sure what we're calling this - headlock with leg split variation but our wrestlers know each other's bodies enough to make this work.  How else do you combine Mr.Joshua's chisled muscular frame with Christian's long lanky body to produce a new wrestling outcome?  

+1: For the "Adjustment".  This will always get a point as Mr.Joshua's sexy signature move in my book.  The man knows it's what the fans want and knows how to work it into every match to not let us down!

------- Everything Great About this Match: +5

So there you have it.  This may very well be the toughest, vicious, most primal newbie match I have ever seen and I've seen a ton of matches.  Mr.Joshua goes balls to the walls all over Christian's poor lithe body ensuring that the rookie will never forget his place on the food chain.  In the end, Mr.Joshua takes this match to that extra special place beyond domination and poor Christian may never fully recover from the humiliation.  

[bijouxcarys]

I seriously can’t stop thinking about Roman’s return at Summerslam, and it’s not just because I’m a huge Reigns fan and a huge fan of the Samoan dynasty.

This man grew up with a father whose job was a professional wrestler in the biggest wrestling federation in the world. Anyone who knows anything about that industry knows it’s one hell of a feat to be able to maintain a family in tandem with working for the WW(F).

This man was a talented football player. He worked hard to get somewhere in that field. He had a good woman by his side, a good career, a tight family. He was heading straight to the top. The NFL. And then found out about the leukaemia. Back to square one.

This man got released from two football contracts after his diagnosis, headed home and worked in a furniture installation warehouse with his cousins for 2 years.

This man’s father saw it in him. Just as it was in his older brother. One push, into the deep end, and he was training tirelessly to make it in the WWE. To garner the same respect his old man had, the same respect his cousins had, the same respect given to the Samoan wrestling dynasty.

This man smashes it in FCW, smashes it in NXT, smashes a Survivor Series debut at the age of 27.

This man has a long-time girlfriend, a 6/7 year old daughter, his cousins are working in the same company, he’s getting there, he’s working it. And then the beloved faction—The Shield—implodes.

This man is then shoved down everyone’s throats. This is the guy. The new face. The new Cena.

This man loses autonomy as a wrestler. Loses his creative freedom.

This man wins the 2015 Royal Rumble, only to be booed to no end, despite him supposedly being a baby face. A good guy. No guys, this is who you should be cheering for! See how we are pushing him? This should have been the biggest night of his life, but it was marred by a crowd so hateful towards his character, that he’d rather not remember it!

This man is now married. Is the official face of WWE, whose fan base doesn’t want him. They want him gone. They chant their disdain. Every. Single. Time.

This man continues to be given poor promos, poorly written scripts, is made to say lines that make him into a mockery. But he does it. He plays the game. He knows how this goes. It doesn’t take away the fact he is still one of the most gifted wrestlers of the modern era. But the fans don’t see that. They don’t want to.

This man has his championship opportunity taken from him at Wrestlemania. Fuck.

This man, for the next few years, continues to be pushed and pushed and pushed. Fights with his whole soul. He needs that respect. He deserves that respect. His nose is shattered, his face is split open by a former UFC champion.

This man, still billed as the face of WWE, is now to do what nobody expects of him. Defeat the phenom. The Undertaker. Potentially the most beloved character in the history of pro wrestling. More booing. Nobody believes he deserves it. Just more negativity.

And then, the same exact year, this man’s big brother passes away. But what does he do? He keeps it pushing. He will endure these challenges in order to earn that respect he so desperately needs.

This man continues to be booed and mocked and undermined, under appreciated. Until late 2018.

This man announces that his real name is Joe and he’s been living with leukaemia for 11 years. And it’s back.

For the first time, the WWE universe realise this is a real man. And the absence of said man highlights just how important he is.

This man, in February 2019, announces he’s in remission. Gets a taste of the humanity in the WWE universe. But now he’s floating about. He doesn’t know who he is. He’s pushed as a face, but knows he’s destined for something different, something that will command that respect.

In 2020, this man takes a break. Reinvents himself a bit. Taps into who he is, his culture, his family, his traditions.

And then at Summerslam 2020, The Big Dog returns. And there’s something different about him.

The Big Dog is now The Tribal Chief. The Head of the Table.

And you will Acknowledge Him.

For the next few years, this man raises the bar, lifts up his cousins, has the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Triple H, praising him. The greats can see it. That respect is so close, he can almost taste it.

By April 2024, this man has had one of the longest title reigns in WWE history. Over 1,300 days as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. He’s been pinned less than a handful of times within 4 years. He carried the company through COVID. He’s become the real face of the company whilst being himself, controlling his destiny, his promos, his image.

Yet… he’s still overlooked by the crowd. An undeserving champion some would say.

So you know what? Let’s give this to the man everyone loves. Another prodigy of a legendary family. Cody Rhodes.

Roman’s absence between Wrestlemania 40 and Summerslam 2024 proved just how loved he is. The fans thought they wanted one thing, they thought they wanted Cody. But once Roman Reigns is taken out of the equation… damn, this shit is kinda boring.

The “we want Roman” chants start. The world starts to crave his presence. They need him to come back. To have that genius moment of cinema. The way he commands a room without saying a single word.

During this man’s absence, the wrestling world mourns the loss of Sika Anoa’i. Roman Reigns’ father.

Married, 5 kids, a wife of 10 years, a career like no other, living with leukaemia, constantly working on himself… and now, the man who pushed him, the man who saw something in him, has passed on to the other side.

When those drums rang out in Cleveland on August 3rd 2024, everybody knew how big of a moment this was. Historical. Monumental. And as the Original Tribal Chief turns that corner, showing himself to the WWE universe for the first time since April… he got it.

The respect.

This man is more than a wrestler. He’s a warrior. The pop, the reaction, for his return at Summerslam… it’s never been more deserving. 14 years of trial and error, pain, loss, lack of identity, all paid off.

Because now, we all know. Everyone knows.

They acknowledged him.

Finally.

I’m so proud of him.

[arcadebroke]

the trajectory Kouki is on is wild Feb 2022 Actwres girl'Z/pro wrestling debut & less than 2 years later to be the first GHC/Noah woman's champion is crazy. I struggled to find quality photos of her to share in May 2023, she's been killin' it!

[solefae]

THE NEW DIVA. jimmy uso

SUMMARY ── jimmy can’t keep his eyes off the new diva

It was 2014 and Monday Night RAW was electric as always in the Allstate Arena near Chicago. Backstage, Zahra was buzzing with nerves in her debut match against AJ Lee later on. As the newest signee to WWE's roster of Divas, she was determined to show all the haters doubting the biracial beauty.

Of course, having the entire locker room behind her certainly helped calm the jitters. Well, almost the entire room - as Zahra stretched in the corner warming up, she couldn't help notice a certain blue chipper Samoan's lingering gaze from across the way.

Jimmy Uso had been in the company for a couple years now tearing it up alongside his brother Jey, and Zahra had admired him from afar since her FCW days. But this was the first time they were really interacting beyond friendly hellos in passing.

Her heart fluttered when he finally sauntered over, checking out her toned physique on display in her tiny wrestling gear unabashedly. "Aye girl you look ready to kill it out there. Mind if I spot ya?" Jimmy offered in that addictive baritone, already leading her over to the weights.

"Appreciate it, could always use an extra set of eyes. Especially from a pro like you," Zahra replied coyly, laying back on the bench to start pumping out reps under his watchful gaze. His large hands guided the bar smoothly, lingering a few extra beats each time she brought it down to brush her ample chest teasingly.

"Damn you strong too, know you gon hold that gold belt one day for sure ma. And definitely got them looks to match, bet all the fellas tryna holla," Jimmy flirted smoothly in return, leaning down to murmur the compliment lowly in her ear. Zahra shivered despite the sweltering heat coursing through her veins, equal parts nerves and want now.

"Maybe. But only got eyes for one man out here if he's interested too," she shot back playfully once he helped sit her up, unable to resist brushing her fingers along his bulging arm tantalizingly. The look Jimmy gave her in return had Zahra practically melting like putty in his strong hands already.

"Guess we'll have to continue this conversation after your match shawty. Break a leg out there - I'll be watchin extra close," he promised darkly, punctuating the offer with a lingering kiss to the back of her hand that had her head spinning the rest of prep. This match was about to be way more fun than anticipated now.

Sure enough, Zahra felt Jimmy's intense gaze burning into her the entire time in the ring against AJ. She flew around that canvas like the veteran she was training to be, putting on a clinic and thrillng the packed stadium. When she locked AJ into thesubmission for the clean pin, the roar was deafening as confetti rained down celebrating the new princess of WWE officially.

After a crushing hug from all her girls backstage in congratulations, Zahra began searching the crowded hallway eagerly for Jimmy, needing that follow up chat more than ever buzzing off her high. Spotting his towering frame leaned casually outside the showers, she sauntered over confidently, heart bursting.

"So you liked what you saw out there big boy?" Zahra purred brazenly, fisting her tiny hands in his open shirt to drag him into the empty locker room teasingly. Jimmy couldn't resist cupping her supple cheeks, eyes already lidded and dark like a starving man shown an endless buffet.

"Goddamn ma you know you take my breath away. Can't stop thinkin bout gettin my hands all over that sexy lil body," he groaned hungrily, backing her into the locker to hike her leg high around his muscular hips. Zahra whimpered helplessly feeling his thick manhood straining against her throbbing core through their thin barriers, lips locking desperately.

"Then take me already daddy, been wanting you forever," she urged breathlessly, tugging his jersey over his head eagerly. Their clothing disappeared in a flurry, lips and tongues mapping out every new inch of glistening skin fervently. Jimmy lifted her with ease, sinking home between her folds in one smooth glide that had them both crying out at the sensation.

"You feel so damn good n tight on this dick, fuck!" he grunted already, setting a blissful punishing pace in and out of her quivering heat. Zahra could only sob and beg shamelessly for more, hands clawing down his sculpted back as her first orgasm approached fast and mercilessly under his skilled ministrations.

Jimmy was determined to test her stamina after that electrifying showing, pounding into her greedy pussy relentlessly against the metallic lockers. Zahra came again and again, gushing around his thick member each time with increasing intensity until Jimmy finally spilled deep inside her with an animalistic growl of completion.

Collapsing in a sweaty euphoric tangle afterwards, neither could find it in themselves to regret giving into temptation so thoroughly. "Damn ma was worth the wait," Jimmy eventually mumbled against her hair softly, pressing sweet kisses along her heaving collarbones adoringly.

Zahra only smiled dreamily, tracing the lines of his handsome face tenderly as her heart swelled bursting with joy and belonging. "This is just the beginning for us. Who knows what we'll accomplish together," she whispered back confidently, knowing in her soul their story had only just begun unfolding...

taglist aka my loves! ⇩

@kumapassion @truefant4sy

@yeaiamme2 @cody-uso

@riverina69 @shantinextdoor

@christinabae @empressdede

(lemme know if you want to be added/removed!) 🤍✨

©solefae.

[bullet-clubs-bitch]

My heart Beats for no one but you

Jay White X fem reader Word Count 5K

Main Masterlist Jay White Masterlist

Summary: Everyone wanted to know the real reason Jay White left NJPW to come to AEW when he had contracts around the world. The truth is he came to AEW because of Y/n, the love of his life. He was going insane without her by his side and he knew he would die if they coudn't be together.

Everyone wants to know why I became All Elite. Why I decided to come to AEW when I had offers all around the world. I was the hottest free agent and of all the places to pick I decided to join All Elite Wrestling. Even though I might not be getting booked the way I wanted to I don’t regret signing with AEW, not in the slightest. Why? Well, it’s because of Y/n. 

Y/n and I met years ago in Japan. She was in Bullet Club and I was just starting out in New Japan Pro Wrestling. I remember when I met her for the first time. She was everything. She was gorgeous, everything about her was perfect. In a way, I looked up to Y/n. We were the same age but she had the experience over me, she had accomplished so much for her age. She truly was one of the best pro wrestlers out there. Due to that, I would often ask her for advice just as an excuse to talk to her. Two years after my debut in New Japan I realized I was in love with Y/n. I found the courage to ask her out and we began going out in 2017. She even helped me get into Bullet Club, which I am forever grateful for. The two of us were perfect for each other, we fit each other perfectly. I knew she was my soulmate, I knew I would marry her. We spent all of our time together, we were joined at the hip. People claimed it was too much, we were obsessed with each other but the truth was I just found my other half. 

Y/n knew that some of the other boys wanted to leave New Japan. She knew they wanted her to go with them but she never told me about the secret plans. Instead, she acted like nothing happened and encouraged me to betray Kenny Omega. “You should turn on Kenny and take over Bullet Club. I’ll help you!” I remember looking at her like she was crazy. “Now why would I do that? Don’t get me wrong I like the idea but why would you encourage me to turn on some of your best friends?” Later I found out that Y/n put in a good word and wanted me to become the new leader of Bullet Club once the Elite left. 

A year after Y/n and I made it official, in late 2018 she helped me to take over Bullet Club. Many members such as Kenny, Matt, Nick, Cody and Hangman left the club soon after and ended up leaving New Japan as a whole. I knew Y/n was hiding something from me for months leading up to the betrayal but every time I tried to bring it up I was shut down. “You won’t understand. I’m just under a lot of stress” It was true, she was under a lot of stress. I felt like our relationship was forming cracks due to it. The sneaky phone calls, how she would come home late at night and leave in the morning before I got up. Anyone else would think she was cheating on me but in my gut, I knew it was something different. I knew that whatever it was that was bugging Y/n she would tell me when she was ready. 

The night I took over Bullet Club we went out to celebrate. All of my friends such as Juice, Finlay and the remaining members of Bullet Club went out and partied all night. I was sad Y/n didn’t join us. She said she needed to have some meetings with New Japan and I believed her. Once I returned to our shared flat I found Y/n a mess. Her hair was a mess, her makeup was smudged, various empty bottles and half-lit cigarettes were scattered on the floor. I was drunk but the moment I saw Y/n I was instantly sober. I carefully sat down next to Y/n on the floor and carefully asked her what’s wrong? That’s when she broke. Everything she was hiding for months came flooding out. She cried and cried, all I could do was hold her and tell her I was there for her. When she was able to calm down enough to speak she told me everything. 

“I’m sorry Jay. I’m sorry I’ve been hiding everything from you. The truth is everyone is leaving New Japan. Kenny, Matt, Nick and Cody want to start their own wrestling promotion and they want me to go with them. They want me to move to America” I didn’t know what to say. I was in shock. This explains why she suggested the betrayal. Everything was slowly starting to make sense. I didn’t want to know the answer to this question but I had to ask. “Are you going to go with them?” “I don’t know. It’s complicated. As much as I love them I don’t know if I can move back to the States on a flip of a dime when there is still so much uncertainty” The truth was I didn’t want Y/n to leave but I knew this could be a big opportunity. 

Fast forward a few months and All Elite Wrestling was formed. Y/n had declined the offer to join everyone in America. The Bucks understood her reasoning, the unknown was scary. She liked the stability she had in Japan. They said they would always have a contract with her name on it if she ever changed her mind. I also knew they wouldn’t give up that easily on her. Y/n’s contract with New Japan was up and although she was offered a new one she had a bigger contract waiting for her in America. I’ll never forget the day when I saw that letter arrive in the mail. I felt my stomach drop when I saw it. The difference between this official contract and The Elite asking Y/n to come to America was that this letter was from Tony Khan. The billionaire that invested in AEW. We opened the letter together and discussed the pros and cons of the offer. 

Pros: Making way more money, more vacation time, closer to family, better benefits, reuniting with old friends, new opponents, more opportunities, and a guaranteed championship

If I was Y/n I would have taken the contract. Despite whether AEW would succeed or not she would still be making good money. AEW offered her a million-dollar contract, something neither of us expected. The con list was small but for some reason, they were controlling Y/n’s decision. 

Cons: No Jay White, move across the world, 14hr time difference, no Jay 

“Y/n, I think you should really consider this contract. It’s amazing! You deserve it. I don’t want to be rude or anything but you have done everything in Japan. There is nothing else left for you to do. Just think about it. I’ll be fine here, I can take care of myself.” I didn’t know why Y/n insisted on staying here in Japan with me when I knew she was frustrated and bored. 

“I can’t go, Jay!” She told me “Why not? I’d take that contract in a heartbeat!-” “Because I need you. I think I would go insane if I moved to the other side of the world and couldn't see you. I’m completely in love with you Jay. Long distance never works out and there is no way I’m going to let you slip through my fingers” I knew her words were genuine. She wanted to go but was she really willing to sacrifice her dreams to be with me? It took a lot of convincing but Y/n agreed to at least try going to try AEW. We packed the essentials in suitcases and this was the end. I knew how much it would hurt but I couldn't let Y/n throw this away for me. Our drive to the airport was silent. We couldn't say a word without bursting into tears. I was never an emotional person but I now understood how Y/n felt. We said our goodbyes at the gate but neither of us could hold it together. “I can’t do this, Jay. I need to stay here with you” Y/n told me as neither of us dared to break the hug we were currently in. “Then stay. We can figure something out. As selfish as it sounds I need you here with me too” In the end Y/n declined yet another offer from All Elite Wrestling and took the same old New Japan contract she had been in forever. At least this time they offered her more money. Was it anything close to what she could be making in America? No, but it was a job, right?

With Y/n staying in Japan it led us to take over New Japan. The two of us were quickly the faces of the company and were able to solidify ourselves as two of the biggest stars in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling. This was a big accomplishment for anyone, an even bigger one for two foreigners. I became the first-ever grand slam champion and Y/n made history by being the first woman to win a men’s championship in NJPW. It truly was us against the world, no one could beat us, no one was on our level. We were able to bring back the spotlight to NJPW. In a way we saved wrestling. Even though we were on the highest of highs it didn’t mean we didn’t experience the lows. Social media and pro wrestling never got along. Wrestlers never truly got the appreciation they deserved. Everyone called our sport fake but there is nothing fake about it. Sure some things are predetermined but the injuries, the risk, it was no joke. I could tell you stories about some scary moments in wrestling, this shit is not fake, the people who claim it to be are full of shit. When you are on that mountain people fight for your spot, they envy you, it can get messy at times.

 Once I was in a storyline with Will Ospeary and it got way out of hand. It was just supposed to be Will Osepeary Vs Jay White but those freaks in the United Empire couldn't help themselves. They started going after Y/n, they would make inappropriate comments at her, interfere with her matches and on more than one occasion try to snatch her from me. A war had broken out between Bullet Club and the United Empire and unfortunately, Y/n was caught in the middle of it.

I didn’t understand the hyperfixation they had on her. Sure she was stunning but she was taken, she was mine, and everyone knew that. That didn’t stop them from trying to get into her pants. When I first found out about the situation I was furious. I was going to murder the United Empire. The fight was set, this was going to end everything but it was only the beginning. 

The ring was chaotic, bodies were everywhere. It was WWIII, Bullet Club Vs The United Empire. During the match, Will and his goons had managed to get to Y/n, who was a special guest commentator. I tried everything in my power to get to her but I was handcuffed and duct-taped to the ring. I was forced to watch their attack on the love of my life. She was defenceless, she couldn't do anything. I was a five-on-one attack. The sound of kendo sticks to the back, snapping in half was sicking but not as bad as the chair shot to the head which busted her open. The worst was the tacks, why on earth would they use thumbtacks? By the time I got free, it was too late. The match was called off, no winner no loser, not even a draw, it went too far. I spent that evening screaming at the entire Bullet Club, why did no one do anything? I fired half of them on the spot. I couldn't even get myself to look Y/n in the eye, I was ashamed of myself. I couldn't protect my woman, I was a coward. “Look at me Jay” I couldn't “Look me in the eye” I turned to see my love’s once-green eyes all red and dark. I held her face in my hands delicately and looked at every mark that was left. I cringed at the 15 stitches and 3 staples in the side of her head. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry honey bee. I should have never let this happen” I told her. “I’m okay, this is not your fault,” she told me reassuringly. “But it is my fault, I did nothing. I watched that whole attack play out and I did nothing. And you’re not okay, you’re concussed, you have stitches and staples in your skull, and you’re covered in welts and bruises. This is not okay, you’re not okay” I was grateful we were alone, I didn’t understand why I had become so emotional. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, I felt weak. 

Times like that were hard, shit goes south, and you find yourself being stocked by fans. Not to mention that many of our friends moved on from New Japan. Despite all of that Y/n and I remained loyal to the company. During all of this, AEW just got more and more popular. She would never admit it but I knew a part of Y/n regretted not signing with AEW when she got the chance. I could see it in her eyes. In the few years of the company’s existence, they managed to change the world. I knew deep down that I should have pushed harder for Y/n to go but I was too selfish, I’ll never forget that and promised myself I would repay the favour one day. 

That day came sooner than I thought. One day Y/n and I got called into NJPW headquarters to discuss some classified information. I was skeptical and honoured that they wanted us to be a part of such a secret meeting. I was shocked to see that one of the many important faces in the room was none other than Tony Khan himself. He explained that he’s a huge fan of ours and that he would like to have a joint PPV with AEW and NJPW called Forbidden Door. He explained the concept and I was interested. This was a great way to show the American crowd Japanese wrestling and vice versa. I knew this would break the wrestling world, this had never been done before. Dream matches would be made, people all over the world would be talking about this. Best of all Y/n and I were going to be promoting the event. They wanted us to go scout out AEW for who we thought would work best with our talent along with building stories for who we would want to face. Of course, we agreed and soon enough we raided All Elite Wrestling.

During the main event on an episode of Dynamite Y/n and I emerged from the crowd and attacked the people in the ring. By this point, people knew of the joint PPV but didn’t know who would be in it or who would be the first to make a move. Y/n grabbed a mike and introduced us to the crowd, but to our surprise, no introduction was needed. They knew who tf we were. “In case you dumb Americans don’t know who we are, let us introduce ourselves. That right there is Jay Mother Fucken White, The catalyst of professional wrestling and your current IWGP world heavyweight champion. The first and only Grand Slam Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the very best wrestler in Japan. You must live under a rock if you don’t know who I am. In case you don’t recognize me, my name is Y/n Y/l/n or as they call me in Japan ‘The Goddess of Love’. Jay and I lead Bullet Club and have taken over wrestling in Japan.  We’re simply the best that Japan has to offer so of course we had to come check out All Elite Wrestling. I’ll admit it’s cute here, different but cute. Boo us all you want but whether you like it or not you will be seeing a lot more of us. We will take over All Elite Wrestling and you all will have no choice but to breathe with the Switchblade!” Just like I thought, they ate it up. Y/n and I made history yet again. 

In the weeks leading up to Forbidden Door, many talent from Japan started appearing. The card was booked and everything was going perfectly. I was booked to face Okada, Adam Cole and Hangman Page in a four-way for my title and Y/n would get to wrestle AEW women’s champion Thunder Rosa in a non-title match. I had a good feeling about this show. I knew our matches would go well, one might say they went too well. 

Just like I said we would Y/n and I both won our matches. Y/n’s match was so good that after the show Tony Khan proposed Y/n a contract. I felt as if I had gone back in time, we were here before, this was her second chance. “I’ll let you think about it, I don’t need an answer right away,” Tony told her. “So, what do you want to do?” I asked Y/n. “I want to take it, this one is even better than the one they offered me three years ago. I really like it here. There is more opportunity, new opponents, and fuck, that paycheck.” I was so proud of Y/n, I wanted her to take that contract and run as far as she could with it. Sure being far away would be hard but this was my turn to take a step back and let Y/n follow her dreams. 

Y/n accepted the contract and made her surprise debut a few months later in October. This time when we sat together in our flat packing everything there were no sad tears. Instead, we savoured the time we had. We were moving on, we were opening a new door, experiencing a new chapter in life and in my gut I knew this would be the best one yet. “I’m going to miss you, Jamie” “I’m going to miss you too Y/n. I’m only one call and one plane trip away” I told her reassuringly. “Yeah except that flight is 14hrs and I’ll be lucky if I can get a direct flight” 

***

Once Y/n left, truthfully I was a mess. I didn’t know what to do with myself, we spent every second of every day together. I would come home and expect Y/n waiting for me with open arms but she never was. Our once-shared flat that used to be filled with colour and life was now cold, dark and dead. All of her things were gone, it felt so empty without her. I didn’t realize it at the time but I had fallen into a deep depression. Every night I lay in bed alone, unable to sleep. I would spend the night staring at the empty space next to me, trying to picture Y/n there but I was unable to do so. We called twice a day but it wasn’t the same, I needed her next to me. Along with being unable to sleep I also couldn't find myself able to eat. I had lost all appetite. Y/n would spend hours making the most delicious foods you could imagine even with being a full-time wrestler. Every weekend we would have people over, but now I had no one. I knew how to cook but all I could get myself to make was toast while I sat in the dark. 

I hated that I felt this way. Y/n was finally getting her break, she was making millions and doing all of these amazing things while I was over here feeling bad for myself. I was still the IWGP champion but I had no motivation to get out of my bed, let alone wrestle. Cowardly I called NJPW headquarters and put in my sick days. I couldn't let anyone see me in such a state. Y/n had been gone for a month but it felt like she had been gone forever, I felt like I had lost her for good. 

One night I was drinking away my sorrows when I heard a loud knock on my door. I couldn't get myself to move off the floor, even if I could I didn’t want to open the door anyways. I wanted to be alone. The knocking wouldn’t stop. Whoever it was wouldn’t leave me alone. “Go away!” I yelled through the door. “It’s me, Riley, come on Jay open up” I wasn’t expecting my best friend El Phantasmo or ‘Riley’ to be on the other side. “Leave me alone Riley” “Don’t make me come in there” I didn’t move. Y/n must have given Riley her keys because he let himself inside, once he spotted me he stopped in his tracks, he looked like he saw a ghost. 

Before I could even say anything Riley cut me off. “Y/n gave me her keys once she left. She wanted me to keep an eye on you. I came over because she said you had been ignoring her calls for days. Not to mention everyone at the Dojo is worried about you, we haven’t seen you in weeks” What was he talking about? Y/n hadn’t been calling me. I checked my phone and did indeed find 30 missed calls and about fifty texts over the past four days. “What’s going on man, you look like shit” “I’m fine, I don’t know what you are talking about” Riley gave me a disapproving look before his phone rang. “Yeah, I’m with him right now. Yes, Y/n he’s alive. No, you don’t need to come over here. I’ll look after him. Okay, yes, I will. I’ll tell him. Now get some rest, it’s late over there. Bye Y/n” I felt ashamed of myself. 

Riley sat down on the ground next to me and asked “What’s going on? Whatever it is you’re going through you can tell me.” “I don’t know Riley. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I can’t do anything, I feel useless. I know this is pathetic of me to say and I will sound selfish but I need Y/n. I’m going crazy without her. I don’t know what’s wrong with me” Riley said nothing, he just let me get everything out. “It’s okay to miss her, Jay. We all miss her but you need to stop relying on her for everything. She’s not always going to be there and hold your hand. You almost made her fly out here Jay.” “Why am I feeling this way?” I asked Riley “Because you love her. I know you know that but you love, love her. I know you have that ring, we picked it out ages ago. If you’re so worried about losing her I think you should think about popping the question. I mean you have been together for the past five years” He was right 

That night I left my flat for the first time in weeks, I forgot what the outside world was like. Riley and I walked around the streets of Tokyo and just talked. It was therapeutic, we went out to eat at Y/n’s favourite sushi place and I knew I couldn't keep living like this. I needed to be a supportive partner, I needed to finish what we started together in Japan. Instead of doing everything with Y/n, I needed to be doing everything for her. I had to be a defending champion for her, I needed to main-event Wrestle-kingdom to prove I could take care of myself. 

I needed to get my life back on track. I didn’t even realize how much I was impacted by Y/n’s departure. I looked sickly, I wasn’t eating or working out. I had lost a decent amount of muscle and looked pale as a ghost. I wasn’t lying when I said I was sick, this was just a different kind of sick. 

***

Instead of sulking, when I missed Y/n the most I would either watch our old matches together or give her a call. I felt bad calling her when I couldn't sleep at 3 am but she reminded me of the time difference. 3 am for me was 5 pm for her but she insisted I call whenever I please even if it’s the middle of the night, so I did just that. This particular evening I was missing her the most, the holidays were soon approaching and I was sad we coudn’t spend them together. “How’s everything going in Japan?” Y/n asked me “It’s alright, I miss you. It’s not the same here without you” I told her honestly. “I know, I’m sorry I can’t be there for Christmas but I have some good news that will make up for it” “What’s that?” I asked curiously “Well, I talked with TK and since I’m working all the holiday shows I can come back to Japan for Wrestle Kingdom!” She said excitedly through the phone. I coudn’t believe what I was hearing. “What’s the catch? There’s always s catch, is it a 24-hour trip?” “Nope, no catch. I asked to do all the Christmas shows so I can come out to see you. I have almost two weeks with you. 13 days, I’ll only miss one week of TV!” “That’s great honeybee, I can’t wait to see you!” “Your main eventing the Tokyo Dome, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” “I love you, Y/n” “I love you too Jay”

​​​​

Those few weeks leading up to the Tokyo Dome went by fast and before I knew it I was reunited with the love of my life. It was weird not having Y/n by my side when I took on Okada in the main event of that year’s Wrestle Kingdom but having her front row cheering me on was just as good. Even though I lost I was grateful that I had Y/n there with me. She was always there when I needed her the most and boy did I need her. We spent the remained of Y/n’s trip to Japan spending quality time together. We made the most passionate love to make up for the time spent away and explored the city we became one with. 

In the back of my mind, I knew my contract was expiring. Y/n knew of this and I know she wanted me to come to AEW but the truth was they didn’t offer me anything yet. I had many offers from other promotions but the one I wanted most simply didn’t exist yet. For the first time in my career, I was scared, scared of what the future held. I never told Y/n my troubles, instead I faced them alone. I agreed to a loser leaves NJPW match with Eddie Kingston and hoped for the best. I lost that match and felt like a failure, Y/n was front row for that match and I’ll never forget the look on her face when I lost. She comforted me after the match and tried to convince me to join her in AEW. I lied and told her they never offered me a contract when in reality they did and I accepted it. “What do you mean? They love you! I’m sure they will offer you a contract, Jay!” I felt bad for lying but I wanted all of this to be a surprise. 

I made my surprise debut in April and although Y/n was mad I didn’t tell her she was happy we were together again. I could have gone anywhere in the world but I needed Y/n by my side. 

I took Riley’s advice and proposed to Y/n. “My heart beats for no one but you. Every day I spent without you killed me. I love you so much Y/n. I would do anything and everything for you. Us being apart for those six months made me realize I coudn’t spend another day without you. Y/n Y/m/n Y/l/n, would you marry me?” 

So yeah the real reason I joined AEW was to be with the love of my life, my wife. I’d die without her, my heart beats for no one but her. 

[kopw]

[elitehanitje]

The Pro wrestling debut of Kaisei Takechi, part of the Rampage from Exile Tribe, a subgroup of Exile Tribe, a J-Pop group.

[dynared]

I'm convinced at this point a lot of Western animation is the equivalent of a cargo cult. A cargo cult, for those of you who don't know, originally referred to a group of Melanesian cults that formed around the accidental dropping of supplies, with a belief system formed around recreating those conditions through ritual without understanding how they worked in the first place (namely, that supplies were being accidentally dropped).

In modern vernacular, the term often refers to attempts to duplicate a result without understanding why the core works. In this particular case, it's yet ANOTHER attempt at trying to imitate anime, this time with all the Current Year trappings, but the primary influence as per the interview...is Naruto.

Keep in mind that there have been wrestling anime since the medium first began to form in Japan, with Tiger Mask debuting back in a 1968 manga and 1969 anime, a character so seminal there have been six real wrestlers who have carried the mantle on top of numerous Black Tiger's to oppose them. Or the Ultraman parody turned pro wrestling manga and anime Kinnikuman, which was actually quite popular in the early 2000s in the US under the Ultimate Muscle branding. But since the director here has only engaged with the material in the most surface manner possible, he doesn't understand that it is baked in, and whatever ideas he's piecing together were probably done better by other shows.

[eldesperadont]

hello and welcome to the start of my rough Despe/Hiromu recap essay! I'll go over their history in relation to one another. A big reason for this recap is to explain my fascination with the 10+ year long history of these characters, and why I, a queer person, is so drawn to it — this post will include links, spoilers and cover the first 9 years of their careers. If you have corrections or additional infos pls DM me!!

egg, (2010-2012)

Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado started their pro wrestling training around the same time in NJPWs dojo – both passing NJPW's entry exam in 2009 and training for roughly a year till they officially debuted in 2010.

Desperado in March under his real name, Mikami Kyōsuke, and Hiromu later in August. And here we already have some key moments:

Takahashi's professional debut was a singles match against Mikami. (its on YouTube btw)

Despe's first ever singles victory was defeating Hiromu in said debut match.

Mikami is older and ahead of Takahashi, going on to have an impressive winning record over Hiromu, who only managed to get a sole victory over Despe during their time together as students. (two if you count in a dark match)

Hiromu genuinely struggled a lot as a Young Lion (dojo trainee), having been close to giving up on wrestling if it weren’t for main roster wrestler Tetsuya Naito, who took him under his wing.

So yeah starting off Despe had the upper hand.

This part of their career is the hardest to research given that 1.) the language barrier was way higher a decade ago, 2.) there straight up is barely any footage. So instead, I want to explain the emotional importance of the NJPW dojo background:

The time as Young Lions in NJPW is kayfabe canon. These guys are rivals but also teammates, live and train together, fight with/and each other, cheer each other on in their bouts with the seniors, carry each other to the back when they once again got beaten – these guys are close, they have to, it's them against the world.

And that is the case for pretty much all the homegrown NJPW talent. This system provides feuds with an emotional core; why would someone who was that close be so cruel to each other now? What turns brothers, best friends, partners into enemies? So much room for juicy rivalries with a real weight behind it, after all we watched these guys grow and learn, saw their highs and lows.

Also on a less serious note it's simply amusing to watch old stuff and see two guys that will be bitter rivals, who’s matches will get praise and awards - tag together in mostly fruitless efforts, stumble behind the curtain together and be so clueless about all the greatness they’ll achieve one day thanks to each others hard work.

Young Lions my beloved <3

oceans apart, (2012-2016)

As is custom with most Young Lions both went on excursion: Mikami graduating first, in 2012, and working in Mexico for a year as "Namajague" - Hiromu leaving Japan the year Desperado debuts on the New Japan main roster, in 2014, touring in Mexico and the US as "Kamaitachi" till August 2016.

Both worked in CMLL as heels, as is custom for foreign trainees, starting as masked wrestlers, loosing them in a stipulation match, and also getting their hair shaved at some point.

Here you have unmasked Namajague, who went on to rock a half facepaint look and had half of his hair bleached (in 2014, a trendsetter)

and here you got a young unmasked Kamaitachi (yes he was in a team with Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian in RoH)

These are the years Mikami and Hiromu don’t interact in canon, but in an 2020 interview Desperado confessed that he kept an eye on Takahashi during the latter's excursion, cause of his success in Middle/North America and spectacular matches with Dragon Lee.

Love confessions, (May - June 2018)

Their rivalry was fully rekindled in the “Best of the Super Juniors 25” tournament, so let’s set the scene:

Takahashi’s successful: having won the most important championship for their weight division in his first year on the main roster. He’s beloved by fans and critics and a valuable member of his mentor's faction, Los Ingobernables de Japon.

El Desperado is struggling: unsuccessfully having fought for singles titles several times in the last couple of years. His only championship victories so far having been in the tag division, after joining Suzuki-gun, a shady group that tolerates him, but not without hurdles. The masked man debuted in 2013 as a cheerful honourable guy, but by now he was just a bitter, sinister bastard.

They will have their first singles meeting in 6 years, and their first on the main roster.

They are winking and nodding towards the fact that Desperado already has several wins over the younger guy, but do not address who Despy really is - officially Mikami Kyōsuke hasn’t wrestled in New Japan ever since he left for Mexico.

Leading up to the BOSJ Hiromu made a booklet in which he describes all of his possible opponents, Desperado's page is kept blank at first, but later Takahashi adds “I know who you are, and I hate you.”

Despy wants to impress Hiromu. He was one half of the IWGP Jr. Tag champs at that point and took both belts with him to the ring - he's also wearing a special mask, that is mostly white, a colour Japanese wrestlers tend to only wear on special occasions/in big matches.

A lot has changed since they last fought 1 on 1 - except one thing: Hiromu cannot beat Desperado.

Both didn’t shy away from using dirty tricks, but in the end Despy has the upper hand once more. As his opponent lays defeated in the ring the masked menace has this to say:

(postmatch promo) (the match)

Hiromu will go on to win the tournament and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight belt from Will Ospreay at the 2018 Dominion show, but the loss to his fellow former Young Lion means that the latter has the right to challenge him, and so he does, in this now infamous promo.

please watch the whole thing: link

(funfact, this happened the same night Kenny won the IWGP Heavyweight Title with Ibushi in his corner, the gays were EATING that day, in pride month no less)

Leading up to their confrontation Hiromu would post a video on his twitter playing the 'love me/not' flower game, landing on "he loves me" - which promptly makes him eat the flower in frustration

On the day of their match, June 18 2018, he brings Desperado a present:

A bouquet in a guitar case, a cruel call back to Desperados main roster debut back in early 2014: after Kota Ibushi won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight belt at Wrestle Kingdom 8 a masked stranger approached the ring with a guitar case, revealing it to carry a bouquet of black roses for the freshly crowned champ (who was a lil confused by the whole situation)

It was the start of Despes unsuccessful run as a face and partnership with Ibushi (which you can read as the first man he tried to pursue).

The masked lad wasn't that fond of Hiromu bringing back old memories.

Their match is an all out war, both using underhanded tactics to keep the other one down, including Hiromu unmasking Despy, who shockingly doesn’t care at all - which is a huge deal, I'm going to quote Japanese NJPW commentator Milano here because he said it best:

“To a masked wrestler that’s your identity. It’s everything. But Desperado has it ripped off and then just puts it on like he was fixing his necktie. He was saying that this very essence of himself wasn’t as important as Hiromu or the belt." (translation by Chris Charlton)

But in the end Hiromu is victorious, finally ending his losing streak. After the match he has some interesting things to say:

(postmatch promo) (the match)

Life’s a b*tch. (mid 2018 - late 2019)

Hiromu's next title defence is in August 2018 in the USA against Dragon Lee, a match I still haven't been able to watch and probably never will. Due to a messed up move from his opponent, Hiromu lands hard on his neck, breaking it in the process. He somehow managed to finish the match but collapsed backstage, immediately being rushed to a hospital.

In the documentary RED HEADED REVIVAL Hiromu shared that he knew right away that something was wrong – he saw his life flash before his eyes and feared that this is the end of his career, but he decided against stopping the fight:

It took Hiromu over a year to fully recover.

That wasn't the only unfortunate incident though: in spring of 2019 Desperado broke his jaw in a deathmatch against his idol Jun Kasai. The timing couldn't have been worse: the highly anticipated BOSJ Tournament for that year being just about to start. Despe had to withdraw mere days before its opening.

Neither of them would make a return till late 2019. And their next actual confrontation wouldn’t be till 2020.

It was a sad time to be a fan of either - with Hiromu we didn't know till his return if he will even be able to wrestle again. And with Despy we had to witness fans being unnecessarily rude to him, ridiculing him about doing a deathmatch in the first place, eventho the injury could have occurred in any type of match. (if I remember correctly, Desperado even deleted his twitter due to the fan backlash)

BUT I'm gonna end this post on a good note:

1.) Despy's return marked the start of a new era for him:

He wasn't gonna apologise, he broke his jaw, so what? Shit happens. He wasn't going to pretend that the situation didn't happen either tho, hell - Despe returned in a shirt covered in blood spots, making direct references to the match he got injured in. (sth he talked about in this video) And his mask? Dons a fractured jawbone now, the cracks filled in with gold - reminiscent of kintsugi, a Japanese method for repairing broken ceramics with a special lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or platinum. The philosophy behind the technique is to recognize the history of the object and to visibly incorporate the repair into the new piece instead of disguising it.

2.) Hiromu wasn't giving up on his way of life either, making a spectacular return - the best was yet to come. Individually and together/against each other.

Stay tuned for the next part, that will absolutely also take me ages to finally put out, I'm apologising in advance,, anyways thx bye!! <3 👹🐱

[galaxy-brain-rasslin]

"Helpful" Rundown of AEW Wrestlers, Part 1

Like the title says, this will be a summary/rundown for various wrestlers in AEW for people who would like the information.

Swerve Strickland

1x AEW World Champion (current as of the time of this writing), 1x AEW Tag Team Champion (with Keith Lee)

The coolest wrestler not named "Scott Hall"

Genuinely great in the ring

Amoral opportunistic asshole

Makes all of his feuds personal to get in his opponent's head

Can, will, and has threatened a child with violence

Will betray people to further his own success

Canonically immune to pain from staple guns

Canonically spent two weeks inside a casket following the first All In from London in 2023.

"Timeless" Toni Storm

3x AEW Women's Champion (current as of this writing)

Tied with Hikaru Shida as 3x champs

Arguably the most over woman on the entire roster

Previously part of The Outcasts with Saraya (fka Paige) and Ruby Soho (fka Ruby Roit[t]) where she was more in line with her previous Stardom/WWE presentation

Had an episode after losing the belt to Shida, resulting in her becoming an unhinged and paranoid 1950s/Golden Age of Hollywood, Sunset Blvd-esque star.

As part of the change, Toni spoke with a different accent, changed her hair, makeup, and wardrobe--as well as her entrance music-- to look and feel more akin to the Golden Age, and will consistently appear only in black and white (outside of matches and other limited moments)

Currently in the middle of another episode following a betrayal by a former friend.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

1x AEW World Champion, 1x ROH Tag Team Champion (with Adam Cole), 1x AEW International American Champion (current as of this writing)

A genuine generational talent

Better than you (and you know it)

Manages to capture the same sort of energy as 1980s-1990s/Golden Age WWF heels and babyfaces

A loud piece of shit. One of the worst people.

Openly deals with various insecurities that he can and will weaponize in feuds in order to get his opponents to lower their guard

Is a heel basically as a defense mechanism for those insecurities as well

Has canonically had two friends in AEW. Betrayed the first friend, and was betrayed by the second.

Rarely breaks character

Mercedes Mone

1x AEW TBS Champion (current as of this writing), 1x NPJW STRONG Women's Champion (current as of this writing)

FKA Sasha Banks in WWE

Basically what would happen if that obnoxiously pretty and arrogant girl you went to high school with was also wildly successful and passive-aggressively rubbed it in your face at every opportunity

Genuinely loves pro wrestling, openly stated that Eddie Guerrero was one of her favorite wrestlers

Generally very good in the ring. Will let herself be fucking ragdolled by people to help sell a move

Doesn't have the best finisher or theme music.

Technically debuted as a babyface, but the character is a natural heel and she embraced that quickly.