This is basically an introduction to our Osaka Holiday Paradise website. We started off running an Osaka thread on the Strong Style Symphony boards and then went to LiveJournal. After a year or so of debating, we asked if we could run a hosted Puroresufan.com Osaka site and it was accepted. Putting together this site was easier said than done, with two relative newbies trying to organize a load of information into a neat (we hope) little package. Luckily, we had some help along the way and here we are.
Our goal is to be a comprehensive guide to everything that is Osaka Pro-Wrestling. Not only will there be results, but news updates and opinions/reviews. Although it's safe to say Osaka's our favorite promotion, we won't hold back if we think something's questionable or downright bad.
Some of the sections like history and results archive are still a work in progress, but they'll be completed very soon.
Below are some of the basic facts of Osaka, in terms of venues run, shows, recommendations, etc. It'll be updated as time passes.
Saturday Night Story: Osaka's weekly Saturday (obviously) evening show. Tends to be more serious and storyline-driven, although there's usually 1-2 comedy matches on the card.
Osaka Holiday Paradise: Osaka's weekly Sunday afternoon show. Is more family-friendly, with the main event almost always a multi-man comedy match.
Hurricane: Osaka's annual big event held in February.
Osaka Delfin Arena (The Original): The home of Osaka Pro from the beginning to August 2007. It was located at Festival Gate, which is now closed due to money issues. It was basically a converted train station, with even some of the subway signs still hanging. Despite all this, it was very cozy and hosted many memorable matches in company history.
***Note from Jonathan: I had the pleasure of visiting here a few months before it closed and while Festival Gate was basically empty, it was a fun experience. I can only imagine how much better the place was in the earlier years.***
Osaka Delfin Arena Dotonbori: The current home of Osaka Pro, located in the Dotonbori section of Namba. Dotonbori is one of the top tourist stops in Osaka. The new arena is a big upgrade to the original, ranging from a VIP section to a cafe. Other promotions such as Kaientai Dojo and DDT also run shows here from time to time.
Matsushita IMP Hall: The venue where Osaka holds some of its bigger shows of the year, such as the Tennozan finals.
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Recommendations
Osaka Wars Vol. 8: Covering the 2002 Osaka Tag Festival. Teams like INFINITY and eventual winners Delfin & Demekin were really good.
Osaka Hurricane 2003: One of the more well-rounded Hurricane events. Most significant for Delfin's dropping of the title and deciding to fade in the background, letting others take the main event spotlight.
Osaka Wars Vol. 13: The last great moments of INFINITY, including a war against Liger & Murahama for the tag titles. Buffalo would eventually turn on Tsubasa and join Kishiwada Gurentai.
Osaka Wars Vol. 16: This features the popular team of Billyken Kid & Tigers Mask from 12/03 to 4/04. Tells a great story of their rise to the tag titles and their defenses, with the matches shown mostly in full. The defense against QUALLT & Goa is an underrated classic.
Osaka Royal Rumboo: Not a typo as that's how Osaka billed it as. Took place in April 2005, just before the big roster exodus. Dolphin/BKK vs. QUALLT/Buffalo was a hot opener and the Rumboo match itself had some hilarious moments, including Minoru Suzuki participation.
Osaka Pro 4/29/05: Noteworthy as it was the first show after the roster exodus. This had the debuts of Atsushi Kotoge and Hideyoshi, along with a one night only INFINITY reunion.
Osaka Hurricane 2008: Arguably the best Hurricane event. The main event of Tigers vs. Buffalo was truly everything a fan could ask for, from both a storyline and wrestling standpoint. Also featured Billyken Kid's return against Naomichi Marufuji and a tag team war between Zero & GAINA and Mucha Lucha.
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Thanks to the Osaka Pro-Wrestling site for wrestler information, results, news, etc. Honorable mentions go to Hazel and the other Japanese blogs dedicated to Osaka Pro-Wrestling. Special thanks to Ryan Forrester with his help with the site, from the content to the overall look. And of course, thanks to everybody who has supported us from the SSS board days to LiveJournal to right now.
-Sincerely, John and Andy
