Yanagase Pro Wrestling made its return to SPORTS BAR M's Cafe in Gifu for the last time this year on December 25 for its annual Christmas Special. This year the event was highlighted by the participation of former KO-D Openweight Champion Yuji Hino and FantastICE Champion Akane Fujita.
In the first match, Lowther went against Shinya Ishida.
Lowther and Shinya Ishida have faced each other in tag team and three way action in the past, but this was their first singles match against each other.
Both men being very technically skilled and having the same amount of years of ring experience, this match was evenly matched from the beginning.
Lowther took control of the match by using his agility to nail Shinya Ishida with a dropkick.
However, the tide of the match turned when Shinya Ishida showed that he is agile as well by hitting Lowther with a rope-assisted axe kick.
Shinya Ishida used his in-ring and athletic abilities to stay on Lowther, but Ishida also showed that he is not above using illegal tactics to stay ahead.
Lowther managed to make a comeback, and the fans were behind him.
The fans showed support for both wrestlers as Lowther got a couple of near falls and also almost made Shinya Ishida submit. In the end, Ishida persevered and got Lowther in a schoolboy pin for the win.
Next, it was time for one of the special guests to appear, as FantastICE Champion and
Prominence member Akane Fujita went against YPW roster member and Shinsyu Girls Pro Wrestling (SGP) titleholder Sae.
Although this was their first singles match against each other in YPW, Akane Fujita and Sae have competed in singles action outside of YPW many times.
Sae and Akanae Fujita showed that they are both capable of wrestling a technical style and a more physical style equally well.
A great overhead camera shot while Akane Fujita attempted to gain a pinfall on Sae. This type of camera angle is very popular with many American pro-wrestling fans, although it is rarely used these days in American promotions.
As the match was coming to an end, Sae had gained control. After nailing Akane Fujita with a boot to the head, it appeared that Sae was going to gain a pinfall victory over Fujita for the first time as Sae went for the cover. But suddenly, Fujita hooked Sae's arms and countered her pin attempt with a pin of her own, getting the win.
In the next match,
Jack Kennedy faced Yanagase Kamen Fuerza.
There is a lot of history between the two men. This match marked the one-year anniversary of Jack Kennedy's pro wrestling career, and his opponent in his debut match was Yanagase Kamen Fuerza. Throughout 2022 they were in the ring many times as opponents in tag team matches as well as another singles match. And earlier this month at
YPW Akishimo Sanshaku, they were tag team partners.
At the beginning of the match, Jack Kennedy challenged Yanagase Kamen Fuerza to a test of strength, but he instead tried to take control of the match with a surprise kick to Kennedy's gut and then slapped on a headlock. However, Fuerza was overwhelmed by Kennedy's size and strength advantage.
To counteract Jack Kennedy's size advantage, Yanagase Kamen Fuerza began targetting attacks at Kennedy's legs, keeping him off his feet.
Once Jack Kennedy was back on his feet however, he regained control of the match.
Yanagase Kamen Fuerza was able to stop Jack Kennedy's momentum by going after one of his weakened legs.
Yanagase Kamen Fuerza continued to work on Jack Kennedy's leg and tried to make him submit to a figure-four leglock and an ankle lock. But Kennedy refused to quit and put Fuerza down with a spear from a corner of the ring as he approached in an attempt to continue his attacks.
Jack Kennedy attempted to use his, "Jacky Driver" finisher on Yanagase Kamen Fuerza, but Kennedy's left leg couldn't support the weight after everything that Fuerza had done to it, and Kennedy fell to the mat. Fuerza countered Kennedy's finisher attempt into a schoolboy, almost getting a three-count. Fuerza then bounced off the ropes and charged towards Kennedy, but ran into a lariat from him. Kennedy went for the cover, but Fuerza got a shoulder up before a three-count. Kennedy then applied a camel clutch to Fuerza, forcing him to submit.
Next, Michio Kageyama went against Mari Manji.
Along with wrestling in NOAH, DDT, BJW, AJPW, and ZERO1, Michio Kageyama has made many appearances in YPW over the past three years. He has gone against Mari Manji in tag team and singles action in YPW this year, being victorious in both matches.
This was a unique match in which specific weapons were allowed to be used: A folding chair, beer cans, and Mari Manji was allowed to use the most dangerous weapon in the match: Jack Kennedy.
After fallaway slamming Michio Kageyama, Jack Kennedy left the ring and Kageyama and Mari Manji continued to battle back and forth. Towards the end of the match, Kageyama was preparing to superplex Manji, and Kennedy reentered the ring to aid her, powerbombing Kageyama from the turnbuckle. Manji then delivered a diving splash to him for the three-count and the win.
In the main event, Sui Pro Champion (in the Shonan-based Seisho Pro Wrestling promotion) Kenta Kosugi went against the other special guest for this YPW event, former KO-D Openweight Champion Yuji Hino.
It's a wonder that these two men had not faced each other previously. Both Yuji Hino and Kenta Kosugi are two powerhouses who have been wrestling for almost 20 years, and they have even wrestled for the same promotion at one point, to the extent that they both wrestled at an event in separate matches. In any case, YPW is the promotion that finally made it happen.
Yuji Hino and Kenta Kosugi showed mutual respect for each other at the beginning of the match.
Although Yuji Hino and Kenta Kosugi use power to their advantage in their matches, they are both technically skilled as well.
But it didn't take long before Yuji Hino and Kenta Kosugi engaged in a chop competition.
Yuji Hino then gained control of the match, keeping Kenta Kosugi on the mat with a tight reverse chinlock, robbing him of oxygen.
Unable to make Kenta Kosugi submit, Yuji Hino tried to slam Kosugi through the mat and then hit him with a 271-pound senton.
Still having fight left in him, Kenta Kosugi made it back up to his feet after kicking out of a pin attempt and soon
hit Yuji Hino with a hard forearm shot to the jaw. Hino responded with a chop to Kosugi's chest, and another chop competition ensued. The chops were stiffer this time, their chests turning red like lobsters.
Kenta Kosugi clotheslined Yuji Hino in the corner and followed it up with a bulldog, but wasn't able to get a three-count, due to Hino putting a foot on the ropes after Kosugi covered him. Kosugi then delivered a knee strike to Hino's chest while he was on one knee and went for the cover once again, and he kicked out. So Kosugi changed strategies and attempted to make Hino submit.
Yuji Hino escaped Kenta Kosugi's submission by reaching the ropes, and then regained control of the match after catching him in an overhead belly-to-belly suplex when Kosugi bounced off the ropes to attempt a clothesline.
As the match came to close, Yuji Hino attempted to use his thunder fire powerbomb finisher, and Kento Kosugi attempted to use his falcon arrow finisher as well, but both wrestlers blocked their opponent's finsiher. Hino was finally able to powerbomb Kosugi after weakening him with a clothesline, gaining Hino the win.
Yanagase Pro Wrestling Christmas Special is available to watch in full via
TwitCasting until 1/8, 23:59 Japan Time! You can use a
time zone converter to find out what time that is in your area.
