How I Met Your Puroresu is a series dedicated to providing background information on matches in hopes of broadening horizons. These matches will be no longer than that of a sitcom as to not overwhelm a first time viewer.
Company: Active Advance Pro Wrestling
Show Title: Grand Slam in 2AW Square
Match: Kengo Mashimo & Tatsuya Hanami vs Toru Sugiura & Tomoya Hirata
Stakes: 2AW Tag Team Championship
Length: 19 Minutes
Production Date: March 28, 2021
Air Date: March 28, 2021
Ascending the mountain is only half the battle; just as important is keeping your momentum. 2AW is a promotion that gained a sizable amount of buzz during the early days of the pandemic due in large part by owning a building to run their shows. By having a well-known champion in Yuji Okabayashi as well as noteworthy tag title matches that were critically praised, 2AW became a must-see show during the spring and summer months of 2020. Just as important as what was happening on top of the card is what they were building underneath.
Tatsuya Hanami was a young prospect who debuted with 2AW in 2018, back the days where they were still known as K-DOJO. He first entered my radar in January of 2020 through 2AW’s joint shows with BJW and became the person I most looked forward to monitoring during those first months of the pandemic. Gifted with a spunky attitude that jumps off the screen, Hanami received a career-altering opportunity on June 9, 2020 when he was scheduled to face the ace, Kengo Mashimo.
Legend on the independent level, Kengo Mashimo is a 20-year veteran who has been with K-DOJO / 2AW since its inception in 2002 and has gone on to six reigns on top as well as nine tag team reigns. His accolades also include multiple Champion Carnival appearances, semifinalist in NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Tournament as well as entry in the company’s 2012 World Tag League. Arguably the most respected wrestler to come out of K-DOJO, the now 42-year old is tasked with bringing up the next generation and someone 18-years his junior.
The fight Hanami brought to Mashimo lead to his graduation from young boy status and the duo began teaming together. Less than two months later they were able to capture the tag team championship, a reign that lasted nearly 100-days. Derailed momentarily, they were able to win the titles back from the team who originally beat them and it has been smooth sailing ever since – that is until now.
Challenging the champions are an invading team from Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS, Toru Sugiura and Tomoya Hirata. Sugiura isn’t a stranger to this series. I wrote about his current reign as King of FREEDOM Champion a couple months ago and since then, his numbers have increased to 9 defenses over 561 days. Flanking him is Hirata, a massive prospect a la Daisuke Sekimoto, who is looking to break out of his young boy role by capturing his first title.
The immediate threat the challengers bring to the table is knowing the place they call home. FREEDOMS is the premiere death match promotion in Japan and Sugiura is their champion. Now they’re headed into 2AW which is a fairly cut and dry traditional wrestling promotion. They present an entirely different hurdle for the champions to overcome; one that will put them to their greatest test yet.
While it’s great that Hanami has earned the respect of Mashimo, he must keep his momentum moving as he’s now being tasked with invaders coming into his home and challenging for his title. His partner is a man who’s done it all so it’s time for him to prove he can follow in Mashimo’s footsteps by fending off all who step up to the plate.
