12.19.07 The Comebackâ<80>¦
Here we are after 2months of rehab, reflecting, and regrouping. Back once again. This time its unfamiliar territory. No more being spoon-fed by the WWE. Now itâ<80><99>s time to experience wrestling a little differently.
First stop, Japan!! This is my 1st time here and working for an outside the WWE promotion. Iâ<80><99>m here to work for the legendary Antonio Inoki in his new IGF promotion. Very excited, a little nervous, but thatâ<80><99>s normal.
The flight was about 11hrs from LAX to Tokyo. Couldnâ<80><99>t sleep much so I watched a documentary on Alcatraz and Death Valley California. With still 4 hours left over, I played the original Super Mario Brothers for the 1st time since it came out probably!! It was fun, but King Koopa have some unfinished business on the way back home lol!
Moving onâ<80>¦when I arrived in Japan, I was greeted by Simon Inoki who I had met for the 1st time 3 days prior at the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles. Booker T was also there that day. We all talked and bs’d about the businessâ<80>¦.Fun times!
Unfortunately, Booker didnâ<80><99>t make it to Japan this time, but hopefully next time. Heâ<80><99>s awesome, & a class act! Not to mention, a familiar face down here would have been nice.
So, back to my arrival to Tokyo. Along with Simon, Low Ki was also at the airport! A guy Iâ<80><99>ve heard a lot about but finally had the pleasure to meet. Heâ<80><99>s a class act! Down to earth. We rambled on and on about everything you can think off–wrestling, women, & of course gossip (wouldnâ<80><99>t you like the details lol)– on our 30min ride to the Tokyo Dome Hotel.
Later that night, I got into the ring at the Inoki Dojo to move around a bit & test my elbow for tomorrowâ<80><99>s show. It was an honor to meet Antonio Inoki who made a special appearance there that night.
12.20.07
I woke up around 5:30AM. The time change and travel messed with me a bit as always. I only slept about 3 hrs. I waited for the 6:30 breakfast to grab a bite and hit the gym. 12 PM was our pick up time for the show that evening. I was very anxious but didnâ<80><99>t know what to expect. When I arrived I checked out the arena and got in the ring to fill it out. Not too much different from a WWE ring, except they use cables instead of ropes. Much stiffer, but better for spring boards & other aerial moves. I decided to bust out my spring board moonsault for the match. LOL. J/kâ<80>¦
I met the â<80><9c>phenomenalâ<80> AJ Styles for the 1st time before the show. Cool dude! We talked for a while about WWE, TNA, and family. Good conversation, heâ<80><99>s a funny guy and easy to get along with. AJ and Low Ki opened the show with a hell of a match. Two of the most innovative workers youâ<80><99>ll ever see in a ring!!
Kurt Angle showed up a bit later that afternoon. It was great to see him, especially since he was the only one I really knew. So, we spent most of the afternoon talking. Kurt was in good spirits. He seems very happy with TNA. I look up to him so it was nice to catch up!
Now, on to the match!! I worked against Ryuji Yanagisawa. He wrestles, but also competes in MMA. The match was about 5min.
The Japanese fans are very straight faced. They sit, observe, & applaud the performers. Very respectful towards the athletes, which is almost un-heard off in the US where fans donâ<80><99>t treat it as much like a sport, but more so entertainment.
Match went ok, though the style was a bit different. It took a little adapting! I went over with the Master-Lock.
You can check out the match on my myspace @ http://www.myspace.com/chrismordetzkyofficial (under my bulletin).
That night I grabbed some Korean bbq with Low Ki & some of the Japanese sponsors. After trying some horse meat and cow tongue..no joke!..fresh off the grill in front of us, I had a couple of glasses of wine and that was it for me!! Haha. Remember Iâ<80><99>m still on 3 hrs of sleep. Goodnight Tokyo.
In conclusion, Japan was a great experience for me. Cool meeting AJ & Low Ki for the first time, & Iâ<80><99>m looking forward to working with Mr Inoki and the IGF promotion in the near future!
I have a couple of bookings for Harley Race (World League Wrestling) the end of Dec in Missouri. So, if youâ<80><99>re in the area, come check out some WLW action!
Until next time WrestleZone Junkies, have a Merry Christmas!
