Dreamwatch: SLEEPING GIANTS Press Conference (Match 9)

Yamato Ryukawa: Hello. I'm... No. Hello! I'm the Star Among Stars, Yamato Ryukawa! Dreamwatch has been running shows for almost a year now, and I think we've been able to do some great work here, but I won't shy away from saying that we've stumbled in some areas. Dreamwatch is a company that constantly tries to challenge itself and its wrestlers, and Dreamwatch keeps believing in us even if we stumble. There have been some big setbacks, I lost in a title match to someone making a debut, our top title isn't here, the blood crown tournament was won by someone who cheated their way to the trophy. On top of that, my opponent strolled into our company and got paid a lot of money to crap on the sport I've dedicated my entire life to. Every breathing moment for the better half of my entire life. Here's our next challenge. I have to beat this world class fighter to save the name of pro wrestling. I say our next challenge instead of just my next challenge. I'll be honest, if he comes in here, craps on Dramwatch, gets a huge payday, and then beats me in the main event... After all Dreamwatch has been through, that would be the final death blow to the company. Dreamwatch, spiritually, would be as good as dead. I look around at everyone who has signed this past year and I see so many people doing their absolute best to be the best wrestlers in the world, putting everything on the line for Dreamwatch's survival. A single loss here would undo all of the hard work of every wrestler, every decision maker, every writer, every fan that supports Dreamwatch. That being said, I've never felt this much conviction in my life so I'll be clear. I'm not losing this match. I will walk in and out with my head held high, and I'll make every single person that believes in us proud in this main event. Thank you.

Ewan Jacobs: That sob story makes this feel so much sweeter! I get to kill a pro wrestling company! I don't think about ya'll that often. I mean no one does, no one likes pro wrestling, but hearing that I'm gonna kill this company feels like a dream come true! I'll force you idiots in underwear to get a real job! I don't have an emotional story or any shit like that because I don't need one. I never lose, my wins do all my talking for me. I'm gonna walk into that rinky dink ass ring, out-grapple you, out-strike you, embarrass you in that ring. Embarrass all your friends you got in the company. Embarrass every dumb ass wrestling fan that actually buys tickets to see you! Then I'll close you down for good and maybe I'll find you working a real job like flipping burgers or making lattes for people with better lives than you. How's that sound? Start filling your resumes, after the show they wont have a dime to pay any of you anymore! This'll be fun.

PR Maddie: And that's it for this press conference! Please tune in for all of these matches at Dreamwatch: SLEEPING GIANTS!

Dreamwatch 10.24.21 (Match 6)

Kousei Kanai, Johnny McLaren, & Yuhi Sengoku vs JPWA (Eikichi Kurusu, Yamato Ryukawa, & Mask Legend)

Our main event of the evening is a showcase of some proven and some promising talent in trios action! The faction that has yet to be named on the left have been making waves everywhere they go. Yuhi Sengoku recently put on a star-making performance in his Dreamfall Championship challenge against EIJI, Johnny McLaren has been a permanent fixture in the upper cards of Dreamwatch and seems poised to only go higher from where he is now, and Kousei Kanai managed to shock the world by becoming the Dreamblood champion at Dreamwatch REMember. This team has had ups and downs but the momentum keeps building for them! JPWA has two solid fixtures of Dreamwatch's Jr division in Mask Legend and Eikichi Kurusu, arguably the two most high profile Jr Heavyweight talent in the company outside of the champion EIJI. Yamato Ryukawa has been one of the most consistently good performers in Dreamwatch and has been able to make all of his singles matches feel like big deals. Ryukawa is young, but he is already showing signs of someone who is a master of his craft, even if the latter part of 2021 has given him some shortcomings and roadblocks. We're looking at top tier talent across this board, and this match is going to show us who is at the top of their game right now!

This was an incredibly competitive match. My favorite thing about trios matches is seeing the interesting teamwork that can come from it and how that teamwork plays out. Teamwork wise I would say the stars of the show were Kanai and McLaren. They were incredibly in sync for the whole match. More often than not you saw them together in the ring hitting tandem offense on their opponents that gave them a noticeable edge whenever they whipped a move out. On the other hand, the JPWA were incredibly good at their isolation tactics. Their ability to isolate Yuhi Sengoku in their corner and keep him there as they piled the damage on was really cool to see, no doubt the result of Mask Legend's tutelage. This punishment made Sengoku's performance in the later portions of the match especially awesome, as he managed to go toe to toe with Mask Legend and in my opinion he managed to soundly outwrestle him. Mask Legend couldn't compete with the damage that Sengoku can dish out in such a short period of time, and even after he tagged out and Ryukawa came in, Sengoku had Ryukawa on the ropes as well and almost got a three count on him!

This match came down to the wire, ending with literally a minute left before the time limit, but in the end it was Kanai that was able to deliver the finishing blow on a weakened mask Legend. With McLaren standing right next to him, he was guarded as he got the hard-fought three count victory for his team. Unknown Team Name is victorious!

--

Yuhi Sengoku: Lets address the crowd tonight, baby! People all over the globe!! Its us, the still-sort-of-new hotness around here! The rockstars of your dreams! Tonight was a big one, it ain't easy beating that team. It ain't easy beating a guy that can backflip off the top rope and stomp a hole through you like Eikichi Kurusu. It ain't easy, beating a living superhero that's been kicking ass since a lot of you in crowd were in diapers like Mask Legend. It ain't easy, beating a superstar stud like Yamato Ryukawa and I'm sorry ladies I know you love him but we got it done tonight because that's what we do, sweetheart! Oh yes, it feels so damn good to be-! To be... Us! We don't have a name yet still!

Johnny McLaren: Ah... Yeah sorry we don't I feel like that ruined your speech there, my bad but he's right, that wasn't easy and I'm a little winded! I'm not built for this! All I know is knee stuff! Either way, I feel like we got an important win tonight. In all honesty I usually prefer to ride everything out solo. I was unsure of this team when we first got together, and really I feel like we got together just for the sake of not getting outnumbered, but with this main event victory over the... Over the Everything That Sengoku Eloquently Said, I've grown to recognize these two as my boys. We're brothers now! We just need a name, but I came up with a few I promise this wasn't just a joke of us purposefully not coming up with a name its just that perfection takes time okay I love you guys Kanai take the mic please.

Kousei Kanai: Oh, goodness. I forgot to mention Johnny that I took a liking to one of your suggestions, and if you don't mind I'd like for us to choose that one as the name for our grouping. First, though, I would like to take care of some business first. I have a challenger for this Dreamblood Championship coming up, and I'd like to successfully defend against that opponent and reveal the name afterward. This name is very fitting and very special, and I'd like to make sure we crown ourselves with our new name in a moment of triumph, and I very much do intend to triumph against Mr. Onodera. Mr. Onodera, Dreamwatch is certainly on an upswing right now, but our titles are in a bit of a state of turmoil at the moment. There have not been much in terms of lengthy reigns, and many struggle to defend the belt even once. The champion makes the title, Mr. Onodera, and after seeing your performance in the first Blood Crown tournament, I can simply see that you are not the man for the job. I am by no means the face of the division despite me being its champion, but I won't let you make a mockery of this belt like you did with the tournament. Keep the brass knuckles at home, and please do some fighting for once.

Sengoku and McLaren are making comedically over-exaggerated shocked faces behind Kanai.

Kanai: Anyway, that is all. Look forward to our rebirth, our unveiling. You haven't even begun to see our full potential.

Kanai gives a bow like he finished a stage performance, Ryukawa does an action pose on one knee beneath him, and Sengoku puts his arm around Kanai and leans his weight on him, causing Kanai to stumble slightly before regaining his balance to hold the pose for pictures.

--

Eikichi Kurusu: That Sengoku... I'm interested in fighting him. I feel like I haven't been able to make any big moves in the Jr division lately, and I don't want guys like him getting out ahead of me. He's welcome competition, I just need to bring the competition right back to him!

Mask Legend: Sheesh they got me. My body should be aching, but right now I feel like I only exist through words. Strange, maybe I'm healing. Anyway, Sengoku is really good, but that's unremarkable in all honesty. If youv'e been paying attention, we have loads of good Jr Heavyweight competitors right now. I think a lot about the division these days, since I know EIJI's plan is still in effect, and I want us to fight against it. I want to show that the division is worth something, that its an important part of this promotion. I want a special event for just Jr Heavyweights. Maybe a tournament or something, I don't know. Something that shows our... Huh

Ryukawa is already staring at the man that made Mask Legend stop in his tracks. He comes face to face with MMA fighter Ewan Jacobs.

Ewan Jacobs: Don't mind me pops, just getting a look at the man that was running his mouth about me. Something about shutting me up, teaching me a lession, some other shitty wrestling cliche? You should keep a real fighter's name out of your mouth. When I hear someone that isn't my wife or kid saying my name, it all sounds like fightin' words.

Yamato Ryukawa: I'm glad your ears work, then. I didn't think you watched wrestling promos, but since you watched that press conference, you know how I feel and you know what I want. Dreamwatch can afford you. I can beat you.

Ewan Jacobs: *Laughs* That's real cute! You know I wasn't gonna come here, you didn't seem remarkable and SWA didn't want me around this company, but looking you face to face trying to be tough even after you just got your ass handed to ya? I kinda wanna beat your face in right now!

Mask Legend, Eikichi Kurusu, and other staff cautiously separate the two men.

Ewan Jacobs: Easy, I'm not gonna do that now. No money in that. And I know a fight with you is worth a lot. You're the golden boy around here apparently. So, lets make it a date, huh? Let's fight for it! I love gettin paid to embarrass guys like you. See you at your funeral, Ryukawa!

Jacobs walks off.

Yamato Ryukawa: Good. He's up for the fight. I haven't stopped thinking about what he said about our sport on our show. Dreamwatch in some ways is in some rocky waters right now, and I'm gonna help get us at the top of the wrestling world as the pinnacle of pro wrestling. I start with him, and I don't want to sound overconfident, but I'm not going to lose to that guy. Its not possible for me. After we get past him, Dreamwatch will begin to thrive even more. Thanks for the love, and sweet dreams.

Dreamwatch Blood Crown Tournament Night 2 (Match 4)

Ryuji Katagiri vs Yamato Ryukawa

Our main event from night two is the highly anticipated rematch between Yamato Ryukawa and Ryuji Katagiri! The last time they faced off was for the Dreamscape Stellar World Championship in Katagiri's debut where he shockingly managed to defeat Ryukawa and become world champion in his first match with the company. Now, he's without a title and is looking to prove himself again before he reaches a slump. Ryukawa is in an unfamiliar situation in this match. He's having to adapt to a new style, and has managed to show us some interesting new wrinkles in his moveset in preparation for this tournament, and its time to see if it'll pay off against the opponent he's been wanting to get a rematch with the most.

This match is very, very difficult to describe. It certainly wasn't bad, but in some ways its hard to tell how well each man did. In the early goings of the match, Katagiri completely ran over Ryukawa, starting fast and keeping the pressure on much like he did in his first round match against Ren Kanzaki. Ryukawa chose to not match that aggression, so Katagiri's aggression sort of went unchecked, allowing him to continue. Ryukawa's answer to it came in the form of his technical prowess. Ryukawa certainly had a point to make in this match and I think he made it very well. Ryukawa is a very persistently and solid technical wrestler. Every move he did served to get Katagiri on the ground so he could slap on a submission and it was wonderful. When he was on his feet he did everything he could to trip or slam Katagiri to the ground before locking in any number of submissions. Katagiri instead of matching Ryukawa's technical prowess instead went for raw power, trying to punch holes through Ryukawa's torso for much of this match. This was very much a match of two men playing their own game and almost completely ignoring their opponent's strategy, stubbornly sticking to their own. As a result, this match was actually an extremely close one. However, it was going to be difficult for Ryukawa to beat Katagiri in this environment and in the end he did not. Katagiri hit Ryukawa with a sickening body blow that left Ryukawa unable to get back to his feet before the ten count. I would say Ryukawa came out of this match looking incredible, though. Despite his disadvantages, he did his best to keep the match close, and its obvious that through this match he's managed to grow as a performer. He only gets better from here in my opinion, but his tournament run is over. Katagiri moves to the next round.

Ryuji Katagiri: Ryukawa... Its absurd how strong that guy is. I knew I couldn't let my guard down against him, but I knew he'd have a disadvantage here with these rules. He still gave it his all and almost got me, though. Ryukawa seems to just dive head-first into everything, and every time he manages to do well. He's strong, but I was a little stronger today, is all. I was a little aggressive, but I owe that to him. I can't hold back against anyone right now. I came in this tournament to win the crown, and I wont stop until I get there. As long as I don't stop, nobody around will be able to stop me.

Yamato Ryukawa: Agh... My stomach... His fists feel like bombs whenever he lands a punch on me. I'm sad I couldn't beat him. He was my first one on one loss in Dreamwatch, and now he's also my second. He's better than me right now, but I feel like I learned a ton from training and fighting in this tournament. There's a lot of people on my mind right now that I have to try to reach out to with this painful language we all speak. I'm sad, but I hope my pro wrestling reached everyone. I was out of my depth but you can never be unsure of your abilities. Even if you're unsure if you can do something, I like to think if you're trying you're succeeding. No room for failure here. Katagiri beat me for the belt and then lost it in his first defense. That would eat me alive, and being a pro wrestler I know its eating at him too. Katagiri, focus on winning for the right reasons. You're a shoot style pro wrestler, so you probably like this style a lot. Don't let pursuing a belt take that from you. Anyway, enough of my sappy role model talk, I've gotta realign my focus. I dunno what's next, but you should keep your eyes on me and Dreamwatch to find out! Thanks for the love, and sweet dreams. Guh... I need to lay on a bag of ice for a while.

Dreamwatch Blood Crown Tournament Night 1 (Match 8)

Beast vs Yamato Ryukawa

This match in a way was the oddest match of the first round, while simultaneously it was also the most mundane. Ryukawa definitely trained for this tournament though, busting out some solid ground work and a very nice new leglock that he took advantage of in this match. Beast on the other hand... Was Beast. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, Beast is cool and popular and does nice moves in the ring, but he just lost his belt. To me, its clear that just being Beast isn't good enough, and he needs to improve himself in some way to keep up with everyone that's managing to evolve. That being said, Beast still looked amazing in this match. Beast has a sort of natural power to him that allows him to throw around any opponent, Ryukawa included. Belly-to-back suplexes, karelin lifts, Beast was looking to turn Ryukawa into paste with his suplexes. Ryukawa, though, was looking to win. Displaying some signature Ryukawa offense with his leg work and even his Twisting Complete Shot which was surprising to see him pull out in this kind of match. Ryukawa also displayed some new offense that seemed tailored to the tournament and gave him an awesome edge, breaking down Beast's legs but also doing some high impact damage with his suplexes. Beast had nothing that could compete with Ryukawa's gameplan, and by the end I think everyone could see it. Ryukawa wrapped this match up with a running dropkick to keep Beast down. He knew Beast couldn't guard himself from it, and Beast couldn't get up from it either. Ryukawa moves on to the next round.

Ryukawa: I feel like I have a lot to think about, right now. In all honesty, my mind hasn't been able to stop thinking about Ewan Jacobs and how he came to one of our shows and disrespected wrestling without me being able to confront him. There are some guys that have had MMA training in this tournament, and I want to beat them so I can be prepared to defeat him and look down on him like he tried to look down on us. During that match though... Beast. I'm not a smart guy, wrestling is literally all I know, but something about Beast right now feels... Off, or dissapointing, maybe. I don't really know. I can only really fix things with wrestling so I figured I would just let him throw me around and respond with my own big moves so we can hype each other up. I got pretty pumped there, but I felt like I couldn't get Beast's heart to be in it. The referee had more life than him. I don't really know what's going on with him but he's not doing all that bad in Dreamwatch. He's popular with people, that should be enough to give him some strength. Maybe not. I'm not a psychoanalyst, though, I've got more matches to win. I think I face Katagiri in round 2... I didn't expect us to meet again so soon but I'm 100% ready for him. I wasn't that far from beating him last time and I'm better now than I was then. I know he's a great competitor, so I hope our next fight will be better than our last. I feel like I'm going to say its better if I win... So I have to win *laughs*]

--

Beast: *Beast sits silently staring at a wall*

everyone, I feel like I should talk to you about two people. Let me tell you about Beast. Beast, is a strong, larger than life, memorable competitor. Beast is someone that's been on a lot of Dreamwatch shows because the fans seem to like and remember him. Beast doesn't always win or dominate every match, but when you watch him you'll get your money's worth. You probably didn't need me to say that, you're all familiar with Beast. Now let me tell you about someone very close to Beast.

You've never heard of his man, but his name is Steve Warner. You could call him the man behind the Beast. Beast will live forever, Steve Warner will not. Steve Warner is someone that looks at what he's put so much of his time and health into and has realized that he's really mostly gotten disappointment out of it. He doesn't want to admit that he isn't good enough, he doesn't want to admit that he's been wasting his time, but he doesn't have to say it out loud for him to firmly believe this fact. With disappointment after disappointment, a Beast can continue to fight and press forward, a man... A real person, breaks down. Is it worth it to even continue? Should Steve stop and give up on his dream? I don't have an answer for that, I just figured you'd want to know about... About Steve. That's all I think. Yeah, that's all.

Beast does not answer questions and he instead walks off.

Dreamwatch: REMember (Match 1)

Elimination 8-Man Tag Match: Takaya Kiryu/Johnny McLaren/Katsu Himuro/Yamato Ryukawa vs Shota Inaba/Keiichiro Asakawa/Ewan Jacobs/Tatsuya Mido (Click here to watch!)

We start off this historic show with a huge tag match! Four of Dreamwatch's most promising talents face off against a litany of mystery opponents! Who knows what could happen in this match? Who will stand out?!

Short answer: Everyone. Everyone stood out. From the first minute of the match we knew we were in for a wild night when MMA fighter Shota Inaba decided to try and burn Ryukawa with fire! Ryukawa has faced off against Carlos Gomez in the past so he was more prepared for something like this than expected, ducking out the way despite being visibly shaken. From there the match was chaotic and frenetic, while simultaneously showing off the best qualities of every participant. Ryukawa's strategy, McLaren's striking prowess, Kiryu's speed, and Himuro's overwhelming intensity were all on full display as if they hadn't been on a hiatus at all! The enemy team was not willing to be stood up, though, as Tatsuya Mido provided the power and intensity of the team, even seeming to match Himuro's at times! Along with him was the heart and explosiveness of Keiichiro Asakawa. These two have only shown us Dreamwatch fans a glimpse of what they can do, but they did look promising out there! Ewan Jacobs looked like he came to do business, getting in the ring and hitting straightforward world-class punches like only a top-level MMA fighter can. Along with him was... "MMA fighter" Shota Inaba, who shocked everyone with his antics! Perhaps you expected a shoot fighter like Jacobs, but instead Inaba's most notable moments were breathing fire and pulling out a scythe to cut Himuro and bust him open! A wildcard to say the least!

As the match rolled on, the opposing team did well and even got off two eliminations, but the Dreamwatch team was too solid all the way through to take a loss here. Team Dreamwatch takes the victory in a chaotic and very fun opening match!

-POST MATCH COMMENTS-

*Ryukawa, Kiryu, and Himuro share a long, uncomfortable look at each other. Himuro then glances over to McLaren and the two share a look. There is no talking for a significant amount of time*

Himuro: *shoving Kiru and Ryukawa out of the way to get closer to the camera* This is the first show back and this is what you give to me. Those opponents... One of them tried to make me bleed to make a name for himself. He's an embarrassment. My heart pumps, and I have more heart than his frail body can muster. He made me bleed with his dulled tools, but I'd grind him into the ground with my bare hands. Also that shitty white-haired guy? He tried to be big and bad and he got embarrassed. Get these pieces of shit out of my ring and don't invite them back. Dreamwatch isn't a game, Dreamwatch isn't big paychecks. Dreamwatch is me. Don't step to the strongest if you're not strong. I'm done here. *Shoves his teammates out of the way to walk off-screen*

Takaya Kiryu: One legend, seven losers. This ain't a welcome party in my book. Let's not forget that I'm the most successful wrestler in Dreamwatch, I've beaten one of the most successful wrestlers in this business is under ten minutes, and yet I'm being put on the same level with the biggest disappointments in this company, facing a comedy act of a team. Gonna need a bit more love around here, considering I'm literally carrying the company on my back. I better be getting paid more than Ryukawa, at least. *Kiryu prepares to take his leave before stopping and turning to McLaren* Also... Johnny, right? I noticed the orange gear. You looking for my attention? Now that we're back, show me what you can do, yeah? I'm watching. *Kiryu takes his exit*

McLaren: I need new gear...

Yamato Ryukawa: We need to step it up now that we're back! My last big match resulted in a loss that cost me in a big way, and it seems like they're trying to replace us with... Whatever those guys were *laughs* It didn't work though, even though admittedly that Keiichiro guy... I've heard of him and he was pretty strong. Mido too... Regardless, I need to change my focus. There's still a struggle for supremacy in Dreamwatch, and no offense to you Johnny, I'm the only one that can stand at the top by the end of this. Now that I managed to avoid having my hair burned off of my head for the second time, I'll at least look good when I get there.

Johnny McLaren: Its good to be back everybody! I was getting ready to fight in the Blood Crown tournament before the hiatus, and I'm assuming that that's still going on, and the look on Ryukawa's face tells me he forgot...

Yamato Ryukawa: Sorry!

Johnny McLaren: I hope you've been working on those leg locks. I don't want to have a rival that's lost a step. No point in beating you then. Anyway, now that Dreamwatch is back its time to begin the long crawl. When I first got here, people didn't think much of me, and during the hiatus I meditated and thought back on how things went, and I can tell I'm in the right direction. Dreamwatch fans, get loud! Johnny's back baby!

--

Tatsuya Mido: Dreamwatch, huh... They ain't as tough as all the hype makes them seem. That hiatus makes it seem like you boys and girls are all crumbling under your own weight. Perfect opportunity for someone like me to swoop in and take over the whole operation. You need someone strong running things here. Invite me back, Dreamwatch. I dare you.

Shota Inaba: Look what I did to your boy, Dreamwatch! Look what I did to him! That win means nothing, that wasn't a real fight, but I let a present for that bitch! *holds up the sickle he used in the match to cut Himuro* A little souvenir from the baddest fighter on Earth! Nobody can touch me! If I see that tall fucker again I'll carve his ass up! See me one on one, boy!

Ewan Jacobs: That guy's an idiot but I like his energy! Anyway you already know who I am and if you don't you need to wake up and watch some world-class fighters instead of the bums you got here. It's Ewan Jacobs, the most infamous man in sports. Pro wrestling rules are dumb. Over the top rope eliminations, three second pins... idiotic rules for idiotic people and their low-life fans. Pro Wrestling is the most pathetic-

Keiichiro Asakawa: *Shoves Jacobs to the ground* Oy! Watch your damn mouth!

*Jacobs Lunges at Asakawa, and a brawl ensues backstage, with both men having to be separated from each other and escorted out of the building. A distant "I'll kill you!" is heard from Jacobs*

Dreamwatch: NIGHTFLARE (Match 11)

Dreamscape Stellar World Championship Match: Yamato Ryukawa vs Ryuji Katagiri (Click here to watch!)

Here we go! The main event of evening on an already historic show, and this show is certainly going out with a bang as Dreamwatch decides its first ever Dreamscape Stellar World Champion! This match is also interesting because it is Ryuji Katagiri's first match with the company! Katagiri's work on the indy scene earning him a spot here. This does not sit well with Yamato Ryukawa, arguably the face of Dreamwatch at the moment, who has been on pretty much every show and earned this spot by winning the Round Robin tournament. In fact, Yamato Ryukawa won the tournament without losing a single match (and on top of that, he hasn't lost a singles match at all in Dreamwatch!) Leading up to this match Katagiri showed a sparring video where he sparred against two journeyman grapplers and an MMA fighter! He won all three bouts, winning two of those bouts by Knockout. Both of these men feel like huge deals, but will Ryukawa's hard work in Dreamwatch pay off with a huge win here? Or will Katagiri's first match be shocker, taking the title in his first match and sending shockwaves throughout the entirety of Dreamwatch?! It was do or die time!

The match started with some electricity in the air for sure. Both men were extremely focused and tried to push huge leads early, but were countered. They truly seemed like an evenly matched pair trying to figure their opponent out and not getting too much hard offense off. This was until about a minute it, where Katagiri landed a quick jab that busted Ryukawa's face completly open, just like that! With his first strike in Dreamwatch, Katagiri showed us some immense power, and he immediately solidified himself as a serious competitor. To Ryukawa's credit, though, he did not falter from this. Ryukawa continued to push forward into his opponent, determined to fight through anything to achieve victory! Impressively enough Ryukawa was able to counter and hold off against Katagiri's grounded grappling. Katagiri is very good on the ground, and Ryukawa was able to stop Katagiri's take downs, slip out of mounts, and even counter with some grounded submissions of his own! Reminder, Ryukawa is doing this to a man that was shown tapping out an MMA fighter in a match! Ryukawa is a world class pro wrestler!

Ryukawa couldn't keep it up, however, the loss of blood starting to get to him as Katagiri started landing some mounted punches and big waterwheel drops. Ryukawa certainly had some fire in him still, and continued to defend and land some nice counter submissions but he started to become noticeably slower to get on his feet which allowed Katagiri to capitalize more often. Katagiri was quick to capitalize on any sign of weakness Ryukawa showed, and began to dominate the match with submissions and strikes that only worsened the bleeding on Ryukawa's face. Katagiri showed no mercy at this point, beginning to destroy Ryukawa with Northern Light Bombs that would have easy left a lesser competitor unable to stand. Ryukawa is a different story, managing to have the wherewithal to land a Twisting Complete Shot out of nowhere in an attempt to level the playing field, but it didn't really work. Katagiri continued to dominate the match, with Ryukawa's hopes slowly slipping away.

Ryukawa is not the kind to give up, Ryukawa had been battered and was bleeding and yet still found a way to stand, get his hands up, and fight! Landing a flurry of hard offense, a Sternness Dust, a Moonsault. Ryukawa had managed to dig in just a little deeper, to push just a little bit further! He had the hearts of the Dreamwatch fans, maybe in his mind he was representing Dreamwatch itself against an outsider, either way he showed an undying will to keep digging deeper in order to succeed.

But eventually, Ryukawa would hit the bottom, and could dig no longer.

Katagiri, also hurt and exhausted at this point started to swing wildly with all of his might, dropping Ryukawa with punches to the face and stomps to the body before locking in a double wristlock. Ryukawa got so close to the ropes, but that's when he hit the bottom. Ryukawa had nothing left to give in that moment, and we all knew it. It was over. Ryukawa gave up. In an impressive victory against arguably the best that Dreamwatch had to offer, Ryuji Katagiri immediately staked his claim at the top of the heap, making history as he became the first Dreamscape Stellar World Champion in his debut match!

Katagiri breathes heavily, but slowly gets to his feet. His imposing figure stands over Ryukawa, but he isn't hostile. He holds his hand out to Ryukawa, who is clutching his arm and looking much worse for wear. Ryukawa does eventually take his hand and Katagiri lifts Ryukawa to his feet and raises his hand. Ryukawa shakes his head and points to Katagiri before falling back to the mat and slowly rolling out of the ring, assisted by personnel. Katagiri gets his hand raised by the referee and the large blue and purple Dreamscape belt is placed around his waist. Katagiri asks for a microphone and speaks.

"Dreamwatch... That was the most nerve wracking match I've ever been in. I've never been in a championship match in my debut with any company, but I didn't want to disappoint. I wanted to show everyone that I'm serious about being the best here, that I'm willing to work the hardest and suffer the most so that everyone in the world knows that the best of the best stands here in this ring, for this company. I was given this huge opportunity, and I wanted to do my part. Despite me getting the biggest prize here, this isn't the end for me. This isn't the end for us. I wasn't here to build what we have here, so I want to push Dreamwatch further, I want to push everyone, I want to push myself. This truly is just the very, very beginning, and I can't wait to see what we all become. The only way to move forward is through battle, so let's stand firm and fight!" Katagiri drops the mic, and confetti is rained upon him. Ryukawa watches from in front of the curtain, nodding before he turns around and leaves.

In the back, Ryukawa is breathing heavily, taking the time to catch his breath and find the right words. He wipes the blood from his face before beginning

"Agh... I...I lost... This is my first singles lost in Dreamwatch and it feels so much worse than I could have ever imagined. Katagiri is absurdly strong. I didn't know people like him were real. He hit me with a punch early in the match and it felt like a bomb exploded on my face. Deep down, I kind of knew I wasn't ready for the belt from that point. I had to keep fighting though, it felt like I was Dreamwatch out there. Like I was fighting for Dreamwatch's honor against someone trying to stomp all over it. I knew I wasn't going to just stop and quit, I wouldn't let myself live with that. I was going to fight until I couldn't anymore. Katagiri fought me hard, it was kind of humiliating at times, but I would've felt more humiliated if he didn't give me everything he had with every hit. I respect that, and I can accept Katagiri as champion. He's the strongest here. He wont always be though, I've gotta keep going. I'm kind of heartbroken right now, but I'll be excited tomorrow, I promise. Katagiri, you don't need me to say this, but this isn't over. I'll crawl my way back to the top and knock you off. For now, though. Congratulations."

And that is it for this incredible show! Congratulations to the inaugural champions Beast, EIJI, Futarioniki, and Ryuji Katagiri. The future keeps getting brighter, and the stars just keep getting bigger! I'm excited to see what happens next, and I hope you all are too!

Dreamwatch 5/09/21 (Match 6)

JPWA (Mask Legend/Yamato Ryukawa/Akimasa Nojiri) vs Seigi-Gun (Jiro Kazama/Raita Matsuoka/Soji Uzaki)

(Click here to watch)

We have another match in the lead up to Ryukawa's showdown against Ryuji Katagiri to be the inaugural World Dreamscape Champion. Seigi-Gun is a formidable team without Ryuji here, though, as evidenced by the fact that they beat JPWA on the last show. This is an opportunity for both teams to build momentum, as members of both factions are likely to be key players in Dreamwatch going forward.

This match mainly showed two things: The tenacity of Akimasa Nojiri and the strategic cunning of Soji Uzaki. Nojiri did his best to turn back the clock in this match, landing some brutal offense that managed to put JPWA in the driver's seat at multiple points in this match. Simultaneously, Soji Uzaki managed to do the same for his team, working together extremely well with his allies and always keeping himself in a good position to take advantage. That is, unless he tried it with Ryukawa. Ryukawa managed to thwart Uzaki at every turn in this match, taking the opportunity to shine on his own. Ultimately though, Seigi-Gun would not be denied as Uzaki and the two bruisers put together a beautiful effort that ended in Uzaki landing a surprise roll-up on Nojiri for the victory tonight.

Uzaki comments that they're now 2-0 in main events and 2-0 against Yamato Ryukawa. Its interesting that Ryukawa is going to fight for the biggest prize despite this. Uzaki comments that he thinks he can beat Ryukawa, and he challenges Ryukawa to a match at the next show. He says that there's no point in working their way up slowly if he has the opportunity to beat Ryukawa in his third match and make the big title match Seigi-Gun vs Seigi-Gun. Raita Matsuoka says that Uzaki has a point, but he doesn't mind taking the long way to get to tag gold. Carving a warrior's path sometimes makes the belt mean that much more. Either way, he understands the privilege they have to fight current and future legends in their first future matches and he hopes the fans see that they're here to compete and they're here to win. They want to be legends to and the only way to do that is to win.

Akimasa Nojiri feels like a fool for letting his guard down long enough for that sudden pin to work on him. He admits that the JTW guys are very good competition for them and for everyone in Dreamwatch. Mask Legend says that despite how good they are, he thinks that Ryukawa is still better than all of them. Regardless, they could be a lot worse than they are so at least they pose a good threat instead of being whiny and entitled because of how good they think they are. Ryukawa sighs. He admits that they are really good and he hopes to fight all three of them in singles competition someday. He will admit that he's disappointed in Katagiri, though. One of the important parts about being a champion is actually being here. To interact with the people, to represent the company. Ryukawa knows that Katagiri is strong but if he can't do that then Ryukawa doesn't think he should be champion. Ryukawa wants to make sure to beat Katagiri until Katagiri can be brave enough to face the people that give Dreamwatch their heart and spirit to keep them fighting as hard as they can. This really is pro wrestling 101, isn't it? A reporter asks Ryukawa about the animosity brewing between Mask Legend and his friend, Eikichi Kurusu. Ryukawa politely declines to answer and the three depart.

Ryukawa comes back shortly after to apologize and says he will comment on the question, actually. He says he understands why its happening. Sometimes when you're putting your body and health on the line for this industry, you don't want all of that effort to go to waste. You want to get to the top and you want to make sure no one is stopping you. He understands the frustration for everyone involved and he hopes that this will provide some sort of answer for them, maybe. Ryukawa is asked if that statement means he's on Kurusu's side, to which Ryukawa politely declines to comment before actually leaving.

Dreamwatch 4/29/21 (Match 6)

JPWA (Kurusu/Nojiri/Mask Legend/Ryukawa) vs Seigi-Gun (Soji Uzaki/Jiro Kazama/ Raita Matsuoka/ Daigo Asahina) (Click here to watch!)

In our main event we have four new debuts! The four men in Seigi-Gun (alone with Ryuji Katagiri) were signed a while back and its time for the members to have their first match! Ryuji Katagiri is being saved for a later date, so a confrontation between the two challengers for the Dreamwatch Heavyweight Championship will have to wait, but the rest of Seigi-Gun are far from underlings, and JPWA definitely have their work cut out for them here tonight.

One thing that is very clear in these matches is that teamwork is 100% essential. This may be obvious looking at the fact that this is a tag match, but more often than not this fact can be forgotten by its participants. It is imperative that everyone remain on the same page, and when you're up against four opponents it really doesn't matter how impressive your achievements are individually. That being said this match was very good, Seigi-Gun are full of personality and are already showing impeccable skill, but more importantly they simply know how to win together. JPWA has not been the strongest unit as of late, with Ryukawa finding more success on his own than with his allies and the explosive altercation that occurred between Eikichi Kurusu and Mask Legend still in everyone's mind. Still, All of the members fought hard with Ryukawa and Akimasa Nojiri working together really well and Kurusu showing some impressive offense. However, against the quickness of Uzaki, the hard hitting brawling of Kazama and Matsuoka, and the calm and collected leadership of Asahina, it was too much and the youthful Seigi-Gun team managed to get the victory, with Soji Uzaki pinning the veteran Akimasa Nojiri.

Backstage, Seigi-Gun celebrate their first victory in Dreamwatch. Soji Uzaki comments that before they stepped in the ring together he felt like JPWA had this mysticism surrounding them, like they were the big dogs in Dreamatch. Now, Uzaki feels like they weren't so tough after all considering he pinned a popular veteran in his first match. Raita Matsuoka is a bit more respectful, saying that he and Jiro Kazama pride themselves on being an incredibly tough team always. He notes that part of them becoming a team was the fact that they were fans of Akimasa Nojiri when they were younger, so it was great to immediately get to share a ring with him. Daigo Asahina speaks in a softer, quieter tone saying that Seigi-Gun are an extremely competitive bunch and it naturally makes them prepared for any opponent, even if their opponents are the best. Asahina is grateful that they got to fight such a formidable team immediately, and the momentum they all have now is tremendous. He wishes that his friend Ryuji Katagiri were here with them, but he says that Katagiri is training hard for his match against Ryukawa, and is a bit of a freak of nature about it. Chuckling, he says he better go check on Katagiri before he goes overboard and says we'll be seeing them again real soon.

Backstage, Akimasa Nojiri comments that the new debuts are stronger than he thought, but very respectable. The competition is as steep as ever, and Dreamwatch isn't just a promotion starting off anymore, Dreamwatch is already in its prime, filled with heavy hitters. He isn't able to say much more than that becasue Eikichi Kurusu storms to the backstage area, getting into Mask Legend's face again saying that Mask Legend probably considers Nojiri a perpetual loser now too because Mask Legend is a self-centered piece of garbage. Mask Legend gives Eikichi Kurusu a hard shove and says he's tired of uppity kids thinking they're hot when they're still nothing! Nojiri and Ryukawa hold the two back and escort them away from each other, cutting the backstage promo short.

Dreamwatch Round Robin Tournament FINAL (Match 6)

Round Robin Tournament FINAL: Johnny McLaren vs Yamato Ryukawa (Click here to watch!)

We make it to the main event of this historical show! On this show we've had new alliances, tensions boiling over, shocking developments, but at the heart of all of these things is the desire to chase glory. When you're inches away from reaching that ultimate goal, you get a match like this. Johnny McLaren is a talent that always seemed to be special on paper, a prolific 6 man tag specialist that has been scratching and clawing and trying to reach the top as a singles competitor but has never gotten close. In his Dreamwatch tensure, he has gone from someone who seemed hopeless in their journey, someone who perhaps viewed himself as an afterthought, to skyrocketing to the top through sheer grit, heart, and defiance of the general consensus of what he was supposed to be. He made it here, the road was lonely, but he's made it to one of the most important main events in Dreamwatch history. He becomes the protagonist of his own story tonight.

On the other hand we have Yamato Ryukawa, the man given the moniker of "Star Among Stars." Ryukawa has always had hefty expectations placed on top of him, as a star graduate of the NCPW school. He makes it into Dreamwatch with all of the expectations on top of him, with mentors and friends in tow. Ryukawa has honestly never met the expectations set for him by others, and overtime that pressure builds. Ryukawa's first significant taste of success as a wrestler came with his first singles match in Dreamwatch, scoring a victory of Hiro Kurosaki. From that point on, it seems like he's broken out somewhat, standing on his own, finding his own way, carving a path with his bare hands. Away from the mounting pressures on his shoulders, Ryukawa was allowed to flourish by himself, going undefeated in the Round Robin tournament! The road was lonely, but he's made it to one of the most important main events in Dreamwatch history. He ascends to superstardom tonight.

This match encapsulates everything that got both men to this point. They know what they're capable of, they know they have the ability, and they held absolutely nothing back in this match. Big moves, big strikes, nail-biting submissions and near-falls, heart pushed both of these men forward. The key difference in this match ended up not being heart, but strategy. As the two men battered each other, Ryukawa peppered in a significant amount of targeted offense at McLaren's leg. This is a huge issue as McLaren is known for his kicks and knee strikes, so every kick he threw he hurt himself that much more. His pedigree finisher involves him landing on his knees, which made the maneuver painful to use. As he did his best to shrug off the pain, the pain only increased. In the end, he went to throw a defiant punch to the face of Ryukawa, who ducked under and hit a low dropkick to the leg, clamping on a reverse figure 4 for the hard-fought submission victory. Johnny McLaren kneels in the middle of the ring, looking down at the canvas. This chapter of his story has concluded with a loss. He is brought back to reality at the sight of Ryukawa's hand extending to help him up, and he notices the standing ovation the two men are receiving from the crowd. He stands up, shakes Ryukawa's hand, bows, and exits.

Yamato Ryukawa sits in the ring his weight partially held up by the trophy presented to him, a microphone is rolled into the ring for him and he picks it up, breathing deeply into it as he closes his eyes, looking for words to say. He begins with "I am not alone." That was the first thing on his mind when he entered the arena tonight. The first thing on his mind when the bell rung, standing across from Johnny. He finally understands that Dreamwatch is so big, so much bigger than him, and so much more special than he could have ever imagined. We make each other stronger, we make each other better, and we all want the top of the top to be the very best that pro wrestling has to offer. Johnny McLaren, Masato, Daniel Gonzalez, Carlos Gomez, and all of the fans make Yamato Ryukawa bigger than himself, more special than himself. Being the best is more than just him and looking out into the sea of people clapping, nodding, punching the air, he sees that they are fighting too. He is not alone. We shine together. He's about to go into a title match with an unfamiliar but scary opponent, and this will truly determine who is at the top of this company. Like he said before, the top is more than just an individual, and he wants Ryuji Katagiri to face the people before getting the opportunity to become their champion.

Ryuji Katagiri walks out with Daigo Asahina, perhaps the most imposing figure that Dreamwatch has ever seen. Muscular, confident, threatening... Gentle. He holds out his hand and Ryukawa hands the mic to him. He introduces himself to the crowd for the first time, happy that he finally gets to be out here and gets to be in a ring again, face to face with Ryukawa. He says that he had to win a tournament to win the SWA Heavyweight Championship and now that Ryukawa has won the Round Robin tournament he sees him as an equal in skill. However, Ryukawa seems to be the representative of Dreamwatch right now, he has the heart of the people and from that standpoint Katagiri has to catch up to him. That will take more time, but when they square off Ryukawa will learn that the will of the people isn't everything, you have to put in the work too. Nobody has put in more work to perfecting their craft as Ryuji Katagiri, and he'll be more than happy to prove it to the best of the best, the Star Among Stars. Ryukawa is somewhat stunned by Katagiri's aura, but he steels his resolve as he leaves with Asahina. He tells the fans that he'll make sure that no one shines as bright as him as long as the fans fight with him, before raising his trophy as the show concludes.

Johnny McLaren sits in the back after his loss to Ryukawa, taking time to take in the events. He starts by saying that he feels foolish for not believing in himself sooner, but he's already happy that Dreamwatch has been able to give so much to him. He's got a new lease on life, he's proven to everyone and even to himself what he's capable of. This level of achievement feels unfamiliar to him and its kind of overwhelming. he's hurt, he lost, but he's stronger and that's the most important. The story began, and now the story will continue and for the first time in a long time he's excited for what the next chapter will be. He is interrupted by the appearance of Overkill. Katsu Himuro looks incensed, saying that he was forced to take this show off because of what McLaren did to him. He told McLaren not to lose and yet this is the result. Mitsuru Takahashi has a Kendo stick in hand and McLaren stands up, ready to face the trio before they are interrupted by Kousei Kanai and Yuhi Sengoku. Kanai says that his isn't the way to greet a tournament finalist, and Sengoku says that Himuro got knocked more loopy than he thought and he should rest that head of his before he gets put back on the shelf again. Takahashi turns towards Sengoku but Himuro puts a hand in front of Takahashi, stopping him from engaging Sengoku. Himuro begins to leave, Takahashi and EIJI following suit. Sengoku yells out that he's coming for EIJI too sooner or later, causing EIJI to shoot him a glare as they walk off.

Kanai congratulates McLaren on an incredible tournament. It seems like there are big things in store for them. McLaren comments that they are the big rookies now and it seems like he's already got a target on his back. Kanai says that now is not the time for fretting over trivial things, and they should celebrate McLaren's success. Sengoku says that he hopes McLaren is a beer drinker to which McLaren responds that wine is more of his thing. McLaren is confused as to where this new alliance is coming from but he doesn't mind it, seems like everyone's got a tough friend around here. Sengoku says to wrap up the interview so they can go. McLaren shoots a confused look at Kanai before saying that he plans to be back in the main event again, and he knows he'll see Ryukawa at the top.

Dreamwatch Round Robin Tournament Night Three (Match 9)

Round Robin Tournament Match: Masato vs Yamato Ryukawa (Click here to watch!)

Our main event! This match truly cemented to me that this was the best Dreamwatch show match quality wise up to this point. There have been some phenomenal matches on this card. McLaren making a big statement and knocking out the biggest dog in the yard, Hayato standing defiantly against an overwhelming opponent and pulling out the win to fulfill a promise, Takaya Kiryu panicked and unhinged wrestling a bear. Now, we come to this masterpiece. Our main event of the evening to determine the winner of the A block.

This match starts pretty calmly enough, both men feeling each other out and trying to gain some sort of advantage. Initially it seems like Masato would be the one to come out of this leg of the match on top right until Ryukawa lands a scoop slam and a low dropkick on Masato’s knee in the corner. Masato, undeterred, would deliver the first crucial shot of this match: A headbutt that busts Ryukawa open.

Masato has one of the best headbutts in the game, and this single moment shows why, Masato dealing devastating damage two minutes in. Things weren’t immediately hopeless for Ryukawa, though. Ryukawa was so close to the final and couldn’t be deterred by a headbutt or a crimson mask, Ryukawa responded quickly with a European Uppercut and a Scorpion Deathlock, still raring to go! That’s when Masato delivered another crucial blow in this match: a Tiger Driver, less than three minutes into the match!

Masato was in rare form tonight with an extremely impressive showing against Yamato Ryukawa so far! It seems like Masato knew that it would be tough to establish early control on Ryukawa so he altered his early game plan slightly to make sure he would take control of the match early, as Masato is known to always want to do in his matches. Instead of going for his more submission based control, Masato mixed up his strategy a little by targeting the wound on Ryukawa’s forehead.

Ryukawa was not willing to let this go unanswered. He needed to at least slow Masato down from this onslaught. He remembered the leg he dropkicked earlier in the match and saw an opportunity, going for a dragon screw into a figure four to try and do some lasting damage to his opponent.

This offense was a short lived flash, though, as Masato took control again the same way he did the last time Ryukawa worked his leg: A headbutt. Then another, and then another. Three headbutts to the wound on Ryukawa’s head immediately put Masato back in the driver’s seat. He followed this up by grinding the head of Ryukawa onto the top rope.

At this point Masato was only pushing his lead, strengthening his advantage against Ryukawa. He threw Ryukawa to the outside, and that’s when fortunes changed pretty Drastically. Ryukawa landing a brutal Fisherman Buster on the outside followed by his finisher, a Twisting Complete Shot. At this point both men had taken significant damage, but the match wasn’t over. They both had some shaking off to do if they wanted to stay alive in this thing. Ryukawa didn’t push his lead after landing that move on the outside, instead looking for a count out victory that Masato had enough gas in the tank to stop.

Back in the ring, both men were slower, but Masato had more adrenaline in his system and was able to knock the wind out of Ryukawa’s sails with a spear. He was slower to follow up his moves, but he still managed to keep the pressure on with strikes and submissions until he beckoned Ryukawa to try to trade strikes with him. After suckering him in, Masato hit Ryukawa with a hard dropkick, but Ryukawa showed signs of life and answered with his own dropkick, immediately locking in the figure 4 again afterward. Again Ryukawa could not string any more offense, only able to keep himself alive for a little longer in the match before Masato got back in control again. Masato was slipping though. He was losing his lead and he knew it. He needed something big. He put Ryukawa on the top rope looking for a top rope maneuver, but Ryukawa managed to rake Masato’s eyes! Masato tumbled hard back onto the mat and Ryukawa took this opportunity to land a huge moonsault for a two count! Even more impressive, Masato sprung back up to keep Ryukawa down on the mat by jumping on top of him and locking in a double wristlock. Ryukawa was gaining on him.

With all of this Ryukawa still couldn’t take over the match. Masato fired back. DDT, Spear, Double Wristlock, Saito Suplex, all in a row. Masato tried to irish whip Ryukawa into the corner, who reversed and hit a beautiful spinning heel kick. Ryukawa showing signs of life again. Finally it felt like Ryukawa had caught up to his opponent, finally able to take control and land a string of offense. It was starting to pay off. Masato would keep up his offense but Ryukawa started to interrupt and counter more and more. Masato needed more time to catch his breath after his offense. The match became close as tension filled Yurakuen Hall. Ryukawa suddenly landed a huge Sternness dust followed by a sliding dropkick. Masato was officially in danger. Ryukawa attempted to pick up Masato, but was met by a well placed kick to the face from the tired Deathmatch Duke. Masato was still willing to fight and mustered the strength to get up and run through Ryukawa with a spear. This match was close to over and Masato was back in control. He saw an opening and went for it!

And out of nowhere Ryukawa hit another Twisting Complete Shot! This was his last shot! It was time to make something happen!

Ryukawa takes the victory in an absolutely incredible match!

Ryukawa makes his way to the back, battered and exhausted. He’s kind of stunned at how tough an opponent Masato is. He doesn’t care what anyone says, Masato can’t be written off anymore as a smaller guy or a deathmatch guy after that performance. Ryukawa is sure without a shadow of a doubt that that was his best and toughest match to date. He wouldn’t have felt right ascending to the top without beating the only guy to get a pinfall on him in Dreamwatch so far, and now that he has he feels prepared for anything. He laughs and says that in the future when he gets hit in the ring he’ll always be able to think back to the ass-kicking he got in this match and he’ll think to himself “This isn’t that bad.” He’s got a cut on his head now, though, and he knows that McLaren has a killer jumping knee so he isn’t quite out of the woods yet but that’s fine. He had a perfect score in the tournament block for a reason, his body is unbreakable and his spirit is undeniable. McLaren better get his ass in fighting shape. Ryukawa is gonna shine the brightest and ascend to the top! Time to reach the stars and beyond!

Masato winces in pain and takes a deep breath. He was so close, so close to having a perfect run in the block. Masato isn’t able to say much after that before being interrupted by Hayato who is ecstatic. Hayato showers his partner with praise, raving about how good he was out there, causing Masato to smirk and cover his face with one hand. He comments that Masato almost had a perfect score in the block before Masato interrupts him, saying that he already said that, and that Hayato is embarrassing him. Its Masato’s interview, you know, but he thanks Hayato regardless and tells Hayato to let him rest his body on his partner. Masato continues the interview, his head on Hayato’s shoulder, saying its kind of cool that they managed to do equally well in the tournament. Their triumphs and somehow even their struggles are perfectly in sync with each other, which gives Masato even more confidence in the duo as a team. Hayato nods in agreement. A reporter comments to ask Masato what they think of the new belts. The duo are confused before being informed that there are tag belts announced for Dreamwatch! Hayato ecstatically yells “finally!” his shoulders jumping, bumping his partners head. Hayato apologizes and lays Masato’s head back down on his shoulder. Masato feels like this tournament has lit a fire under the both of them, and now he feels like everyone knows that the strength of their bond isn’t just for show, it isn’t just to be cute. Its real, and now they get to take their strength, finally, into a tag division. Hayato comments that he feels like celebrating despite the fact that neither of them made it to the finals. Masato says they’ll celebrate in advance since he knows they’re gonna win those tag belts before commenting that he’s starting to sound like his partner. Hayato says they should head out, but Masato comments that it feels like Ryukawa put a bomb on his legs and he isn’t sure if he can walk. Hayato gets it, hoists Masato onto his back, and the two head out.

Dreamwatch Round Robin Tournament Night Two (Match 5)

Round Robin Tournament Match: Yamato Ryukawa vs Daniel Gonzalez (Watch the match here!)

This match was tense going into it. Gonzalez needed a win here or he was out of the tournament. Ryukawa would not be willing to give that win to him easily, as he is fighting to become the undisputed ace of Dreamwatch. We weren't sure how this was going to go, but we knew that both men needed to give it their all.

They certainly gave us just that. This match almost went to a time limit draw, which makes it seem like the match was a competitive and even affair. In truth, Gonzalez got in a lot of offense in this match and it was significant, but there was a point where Ryukawa had something to prove. He wanted to let us know that he is the ace here, and he wasn't going to suffer a loss here. There were points where perhaps he could have gone for a win but instead he kept the offense coming, perhaps to prove a point, perhaps to get an emphatic win, but this allowed Gonzalez to get some extra flurries in before the battered member of Bondad was put away by a series of machine gun chops from the Star Among Stars.

Yamato Ryukawa respects Gonzalez' offensive prowess. He was strong, and forced Ryukawa to really hone in and go for some massive damage in that match. Truthfully, he also wanted to show us that he is without a doubt the best. He knows that there are a lot of competitors making waves in Dreamwatch, and he has to keep eyes on him somehow. Regardless, he's doing well in the block, and insecurity is certainly not gonna help him now. He has to know he's the best or nobody else will. Tomorrow, he faces Masato, the only person to have beaten him in DREAMWATCH. He says that he takes Masato seriously, and that he wouldn’t want to become champion without going through Masato first. The tournament is starting to get really intense, but intensity and high stakes are the backbone of pro wrestling, and pro wrestling is all he knows. He’s ready for tomorrow and he knows Masato is too. He’s going to give it his all!

Daniel Gonzalez sits disappointed in the back, officially eliminated from the running. He says he’s grateful he got the opportunity to fight the talented people in his block, but he feels ashamed. He wanted to help put bondad on the map. He’s joined by Javier Martinez who claps him on the shoulder and says he’s proud of Gonzalez’ effort. The fight isn’t over for them, they just need to pick themselves up and keep fighting. Gonzalez says he has another match tomorrow. He wants to pick up the win and rebuild some momentum for himself. Javier says Bondad has his back. He thanks everyone for cheering for him, and says he’s gonna give us a big win at the next show.

Dreamwatch Round Robin Tournament Night 1 (Match 5)

Carlos Gomez vs Yamato Ryukawa (Watch the match here!)

This match was surprisingly less chaotic than it seemed like it would be on paper given the man on the left there (though to be fair he did breathe fire at Ryukawa at one point.) Of course, this isn’t a bad thing, as the two went out there and put on a solid match regardless with some good action and impactful moves. One interesting thing about this match is that Ryukawa chose a game plan that didn’t involve using his Twisting Complete Shot finisher, instead opting to hit his opponent with some nice high flying moves to the back, weakening Mago’s back enough to get a tap out with a reverse viper hold.

Yamato Ryukawa is horrified and confused! He had no idea that Gomez could breathe fire, and that no one thought to inform him of this before he went out there. He’s more horrified that he didn’t seem to have any kerosene or matches or anything with him, so Ryukawa is scared and confused. He didn’t think that Gomez would actually be a mage of some sort. Either way, he’s glad he managed to not get burned. He has too much hair, and his family would probably get upset if he burned it all off. He says now that the hardest match is out of the way, he's sure to win the rest of the block!

Carlos Gomez is holding his back in pain, feeling the effects of the blows to the back from Ryukawa. Sergio Perez joins him, asking if his back is okay before shouting at the media crew present. He says they’re too far away from them, and should get closer. He assures them they have no reason to be scared, before singling out a single reporter, beckoning him to come closer. The reporter looks horrified, but slowly inches toward them regardless. Perez grabs the reporter by the tie and yanks the frightened man close to him. He shouts in the man’s ear to write that next time they meet Ryukawa, they’re going to turn him into fireworks. He lets the man go and the man falls to the floor before scurrying backwards. He tells the rest of the competitors to watch themselves, and the two depart.

Fire Pro Round Robin Tournament!

We have our field of eight! These eight men will do their best in the tournament to come out on top for a chance to become champion in Dreamwatch! Here are the blocks:

Block A: Yamato Ryukawa, Masato, Daniel Gonzalez, Carlos Gomez

Block B: Katsu Himuro, Hayato, Kousei Kanai, Johnny McLaren

A win nets two points, a draw nets one point, a loss gives you zero. The person with the most points in their block goes to the final to fight the person who got the most points in the other block. Winner of that match takes the whole thing!

Wish them luck!

Dreamwatch 3/19/21 (Match 3)

JPWA (Mask Legend/Yamato Ryukawa/Eikichi Kurusu) vs Overkill (Mitsuru Takahashi/Katsu Himuro/EIJI) (Watch the match here!)

This is a match between two rival factions, both with members that trained in the NCPW school. EIJI and Mask Legend have a title match coming up, and Yamato Ryukawa and Katsu Himuro are in opposite blocks in the tournament, but could be considered favorites to win their blocks. This match could provide some important momentum for either side going forward.

Surprisingly, this match ended up being a pretty strong showcase for Eikichi Kurusu! Perhaps as a result of being underestimated or just a display of true in-ring acumen, Kurusu did a significant amount of damage to both of the heavyweights in the match with high flying and high impact maneuvers that seemed to leave them reeling!

This streak of dominance was stopped in its tracks though the moment Kurusu managed to encounter EIJI, EIJI laying him out and continuing his streak of bloody violence in his matches by busting Kurusu Open with knees to the face.

Ultimately though, the damage had already been done, and Yamato Ryukawa was able to take over, getting the victory of Mitsuru Takahashi with a figure four leglock

After the match, Eikichi Kurusu looked almost incensed. He says at the last big event, he put on a match with someone who was pretty much a nobody, and managed to have the best match on the card, while EIJI wasn’t even considered to be valuable enough to be on the card, and yet EIJI gets the title shot. He wants to fight EIJI to prove that EIJI is nothing more than a barbarian that can’t win on his own.

Mask Legend thinks this is an interesting development. He wants to see what both men are capable of, and considers the winner of that match to be the rightful contender for his title.

Yamato Ryukawa is pumped. He feels like JPWA is growing into the faction that everyone expects and depends on them to be. He’s excited for the tournament and wants JPWA to stay in the discussion to be the top representatives of Dreamwatch

Katsu Himuro took some damage from Kurusu, but considers him little more than a nuisance. If he didn’t have the tournament to look forward to, he would squash him beneath his boot. He looks to EIJI and tells him to get Kurusu out of the way.

EIJI thinks that Mask Legend is cruel, putting some dangerous ideas into the head of Eikichi Kurusu. He feels that Mask Legend deep down doesn’t want a successor, and is depending on EIJI to put an end to Kurusu before Kurusu can take Mask Legend’s place. EIJI is more than happy enough to take them both out. He doesn’t try to make people bleed, bloodbaths just follow him around, and Kurusu should’ve known better than to approach him.

Mitsuru Takahashi says that punk ass kid Kurusu has dug his own grave and should’ve been raised better. Says he’ll be taken care of, and Mask Legend is next.

DREAMWATCH 3/16/21 (Match 3)

JPWA (Akimasa Nojiri/Yamato Ryukawa) vs SEISHUN-GUN (Steel Johnson/Hayato)

This match is somewhat of a continuation from the 6 man tag on the last show between members of JPWA and SEISHUN-GUN. Steel Johnson after the JPWA vs MOMO-GUN match on the previous show noted that he wanted to face off against Nojiri to show the fans and critics that they can still go and put on excellent matches at their age. Ryukawa and Hayato have somewhat of a rivalry slowly forming, mostly due to Ryukawa wanting to see which unit is the most popular amongst fans and Hayato not liking Ryukawa, seeing him as a hand-picked golden child that wants to impose his will onto others. This match was fairly short and sweet, with Steel Johnson getting the win with a sweet bridging pin on Nojiri.

Yamato Ryukawa notes that he gets why the fans love Hayato and MOMO-GUN so much. Hayato's passion is magnetic. It's hard not to be drawn to him, even when he wants to hurt you. He feels like that passion for everyone round him is the cause of that success. Ryukawa feels like he has to strive to have the same connection with the people like Hayato does, and he wants to be the best instead of trying to deal with being jealous of someone else.

Steel Johnson is ecstatic that he pulled one over on Nojiri. Says Nojiri should owe him a beer for being able to pull off that impressive bridge at his age.

Hayato is too distracted by Masato's upcoming match to think too much about his own but he says he hopes that Masato can take their energy from this win and channel it into his own and says he'll be with Masato out there. He wants tomake sure he gets to congratulate Masato first after his big win in the main event!

DREAMWATCH 3/14/21 (Match 4)

SEISHUN-GUN (Steel Johnson/Hayato/Masato) vs JPWA (Eikichi Kurusu/Yamato Ryukawa/Mask Legend)

Our main event! These two can be considered the two top face factions in Dreamwatch at the moment, with JPWA representing traditional puro excellence with top caliber main event talent (and a champion!) and SEISHUN-GUN representing underdogs who would normally be overlooked but are finding a way to build themselves from the ground up with hard work and fan support to try and sit on the same level as their main event peers. Masato is challenging for the SWA Jr Heavyweight Championship on the next show, with this tag match being an interesting preview.

This was an extremely competitive match between the six men, SEISHUN-GUN’s brawling  contrasting well with the more top level well-rounded skills and agility of JPWA. This match had quite the SHOCKING conclusion though, when Masato hit his Tigerdriver on Yamato Ryukawa and got the unexpected three count! Hayato managed to hold of the other members of JPWA long enough for the referee to count the pin!

A stunning conclusion to the match! Arguably, this was a huge upset. JPWA has the champ, JPWA also has Ryukawa who is considered atm to be the top heavyweight who hadn't taken a pin or tapped out in a LONG time. And he gets pinned by a Jr Heavyweight!

Kurusu tells the press that tried to make himself known. He wanted to beat Masato in this match to show that he was better and deserved to be in the title picture. He still thinks he does, and he’ll try to steal the show next time to secure a shot! Yamato Ryukawa was excited mostly because he wanted fans to see them square off and decide who the more popular and cooler faction was! Perhaps he was too focused on trying to look cool or impressive, since he lost the match for his team. He wants to face off against all of the members of SEISHUN-GUN in one on one matches. They have a determination that matches his own, and he wants to be able to say he beat them on his way to the top of Dreamwatch!

SEISHUN-GUN are on a bit of a roll in Dreamwatch!

Masato is happy that he got to show that he's in top form and he hopes he sent a message to Mask Legend. He wants to be the soldier of legend! Hayato respects JPWA but doesn't like them. He feels like they have all this hype and the hype has kind of gone to their head, causing them to try to impose their will on others while pretending to be nice about it. Steel Johnson was upset that Nojiri wasn't in the match. Nojiri and Johnson are the dads of the promotion and are at the bottom of the totem pole. He wanted to square of with Nojiri to show that they can still go together. He says he'll get Nojiri next time.

The next show will  have Masato vs Mask Legend for the SWA Jr Heavyweight Championship!