Date:  May 11th, 2015
Location:  Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance:  1,021

Ah Dradition.  On the scale of small wrestler produced promotions, Dradition has to be near the bottom somewhere.  Run by Tatsumi Fujinami he usually brings in a couple bigger name freelancers but mostly it is the normal lower level freelancers like MAZADA and Nagai.  Anyway, sometimes the matches are decent.  Here is the full card:

- Daisuke Kanehira vs. Nobuyuki Kurashima
- Bear Fukuda and Hiro Saito vs. MAZADA and NOSAWA Rongai
- Daijiro Matsui vs. Mitsuya Nagai
- LEONA vs. Minoru Suzuki
- Alexander Otsuka and Super Tiger vs. Black Tiger and Masato Tanaka
- Masakatsu Funaki vs. Tatsumi Fujinami

Let’s get the party started.

Daisuke Kanehira vs. Nobuyuki Kurashima
They take it to the mat pretty quickly and jockey for position, with Kanehira getting the first upper hand.  Kurashima switches positions with him until Kanehira gets into the ropes, back up Kanehira pushes Kurashima into the ropes and he gives a clean break.  Kurashima applies a headlock on the mat and then a hammerlock but Kanehira applies a Cattle Mutilation.  Kurashima flips out of it and they trade elbows back up, Kurashima applies a single leg crab hold but Kanehira gets to the ropes.  Roaring elbow by Kanehira and he dropkicks Kurashima.  Kanehira elbows Kurashima in the corner, Irish whip, and Kanehira hits a back elbow.  Irish whip by Kanehira but Kurashima reverses it and hits a body avalanche.  Northern Lights Suplex by Kurashima but Kanehira kicks out.  Waistlock by Kurashima, Kanehira goes for another elbow but Kurashima ducks it and applies a cross armbreaker.  Kanehira struggles to turn himself over but Kurashima applies a crucifix and he gets the submission victory!  I won’t pretend like I enjoyed this, I know there is a fan base for slow dull submission mat wrestling but I am not part of that fan base.  Just utterly void of excitement.

Bear Fukuda and Hiro Saito vs. MAZADA and NOSAWA Rongai
Saito and MAZADA start off, Saito pushes MAZADA in the ropes and he gives a clean break.  MAZADA returns the favor, waistlock by MAZADA but Saito reverses it into a wristlock. MAZADA gets Saito to the mat but they return to their feet as Saito hits elbows and a scoop slam.  MAZADA leaves the ring to re-group but returns after a moment.  Rongai and Fukuda are tagged in, side headlock by Fukuda and he hits a shoulderblock. Scoop slam by Fukuda and he hits another one followed by an elbow drop.  Double Irish whip to Fukuda but Fukuda lariats both Rongai and MAZADA.  Fukuda throws Rongai in the corner and tags in Saito, and Saito pokes Rongai in the eyes.  Another eye poke by Saito and he rakes his face.  Saito tags in Fukuda, Fukuda elbows Rongai and he hits a chop.  Fukuda chops Rongai into the corner but Rongai and MAZADA crotch Fukuda around the ring post.  Rongai picks up Fukuda and he applies a neck crank.  Fukuda is double teamed and Rongai kicks Fukuda in the back of the head for a two count.  Rongai tags in MAZADA and MAZADA applies a stretch hold but Saito breaks it up. 

MAZADA tags in Rongai but Fukuda has had enough and knocks around both Rongai and MAZADA.  He tags in Saito and Saito DDTs Rongai.  Senton by Saito and he covers Rongai for two.  Scoop slam by Rongai, he goes up top but MAZADA grabs his foot.  Fukuda comes back in but he eats a double flapjack.  MAZADA picks up Fukuda, Rongai hits a Shining Wizard and MAZADA delivers a German suplex.  Rongai charges Saito but Saito hits an elbow followed by a senton.  Cover, but MAZADA breaks it up.  Saito hits a jawbreaker on MAZADA and senton, while Fukuda slams Rongai in front of the corner.  Saito goes up top and hits a diving senton on Rongai, and he picks up the three count!  I wonder if I paid Rongai and MAZADA $50 if they’d come to my home and let me pin them in my backyard wrestling league.  Anyway Saito is 53 but he looks 63 so this one didn’t have a fast pace.  Even Fukuda looks like he has lost a step and he really isn’t that old yet.  There were a few fun moments spread throughout but not enough to justify a 15 minute match, safe to skip unless you love Saito.

Daijiro Matsui vs. Mitsuya Nagai
Matsui pushes Nagai into the ropes to start and he gives a clean break.  They trade kicks until Nagai trips Matsui and they jockey for position on the mat until they return to their feet.  Back to the mat they go as Matsui gets Nagai’s back but Nagai gets to the ropes.  Nagai clubs Matsui and throws him out of the ring, he leaves the ring too and he throws chairs at him.  Nagai throws Matsui into the stands and then into the ring post.  Nagai throws Matsui into the apron and then back into the ring before hitting a vertical suplex for two.  Nagai applies a choke but Matsui makes it into the ropes.  Nagai puts Matsui in the tree of woe, and Fukuda chokes Matsui with a chair from ringside.  Nagai picks up Matsui and he hits a scoop slam, Scorpion Deathlock by Nagai but Matsui gets to the ropes.  Matsui fights back and he hits a snapmare, sleeper by Matsui but Nagai gets a toe on the ropes.  Capture suplex by Nagai, he picks up Matsui and he hits an elbow in the corner.  Single arm suplex by Nagai, cover, but it gets two.  Matsui snaps off a German suplex and he applies a cross armbreaker, but Nagai gets to the ropes.  Kicks by Matsui but Nagai boots him back and hits a Michinoku Driver.  Nagai puts Matsui in the Stretch Plum, and Matsui quickly taps out!  This was not a bad match, it started dry but Nagai started being interesting and the end stretch was fun.  Both of these guys are respected submission wrestlers so the mat work meant something, it wasn’t just filling time.  Definitely some entertaining stuff here.  Mildly Recommended

LEONA vs. Minoru Suzuki
LEONA and Suzuki trade holds on their feet, Suzuki gets LEONA to the mat and applies a headlock but LEONA gets out of it.  Headscissors by Suzuki but LEONA gets out of it and applies a headlock.  Suzuki gets LEONA’s wrist and starts twisting his arm before applying a stretch hold.  Single leg crab hold by Suzuki but LEONA gets to the ropes.  LEONA hits an armdrag and keeps a hold of the wrist, but Suzuki reverses it.  They trade wristlocks and Suzuki elbows LEONA in the arm.  Suzuki grabs LEONA and gets him to the mat, Suzuki cranks on the cross armbreaker but rolls to the ropes to force a break.  Back up they trade elbows, Irish whip by Suzuki but LEONA hits a dropkick.  Elbows but Suzuki but LEONA hits a jumping elbow strike for a two count.  Suzuki goes for the sleeper but LEONA sneaks in a small package for a two count.  Running knee to the stomach by Suzuki and he kicks LEONA in the chest, LEONA slowly gets up but Suzuki slaps him.  Sleeper by Suzuki, he spins LEONA around and drops him with the Gotch-Style Piledriver for the three count!  I was a bit disappointed as I was hoping Suzuki would kill LEONA like the little jobber he is but he was pretty gentle.  A few stretchings and hard slaps but nothing memorable. So it wasn’t bad, but it’s nothing that needs to be sought out.

Alexander Otsuka and Super Tiger vs. Black Tiger and Masato Tanaka
Black Tiger attacks Super Tiger before the match starts and they brawl in the corner while Tanaka calmly goes out to the apron.  Otsuka helps out and Black Tiger bails out of the ring but returns after a moment and tags in Tanaka.  Tanaka and Super Tiger jockey for position and end up on the mat.  Super Tiger kicks Tanaka in the leg but Tanaka catches one and he elbows Super Tiger in the leg.  Sleeper by Super Tiger and he tags in Otsuka.  Otsuka and Tanaka circle each other, Tanaka gets Otsuka’s arm but Otsuka gets an armbreaker applied.  Tanaka gets out of that and they both end up on their feet.  Tanaka tags in Black Tiger, and Black Tiger rakes Otsuka in the eyes.  Black Tiger throws Otsuka out of the ring as Tanaka comes over and they brawl at ringside.  Tanaka and Black Tiger keep the upper hand as they battle into the crowd, with Tanaka beating Otsuka with a chair.  Black Tiger and Otsuka finally return to the ring and Black Tiger kicks Otsuka in the groin in the corner.  Black Tiger applies a seated armbar and he tags in Tanaka.  Tanaka elbows Otsuka in the corner and he covers him for a two count.  Tanaka tags in Black Tiger and Black Tiger chops Otsuka in the head.  Black Tiger goes off the ropes but Otsuka catches him with a suplex and makes the tag to Super Tiger. Irish whip by Super Tiger and he hits a double chop to Black Tiger’s chest.  He then hits a heel kick on Tanaka, DDT to Black Tiger and he hits an elbow drop for a two count.  Super Tiger applies the crossface chickenwing but Tanaka breaks it up.  Super Tiger tags in Otsuka, uppercuts by Otsuka to Black Tiger and he hits a tombstone piledriver. 

Otsuka tags in Super Tiger, kicks to the chest by Super Tiger and he gets a two count.  Otsuka and Super Tiger apply leg locks to Black Tiger, and Super Tiger tags in Otsuka.  Otsuka scoop slams Black Tiger, Irish whip by Otsuka and he hits a spinebuster.  Giant Swing by Otsuka and he knocks Tanaka off the apron.  Otsuka tags in Super Tiger but Black Tiger hits a low blow, Black Tiger picks up Super Tiger and he hits the tombstone piledriver.  Black Tiger goes up top and hits the falling elbow drop, and he tags in Tanaka.  Tanaka throws Super Tiger into the corner and he delivers a lariat.  Otsuka runs in but Tanaka hits him with a lariat.  Tanaka lariats Super Tiger also, Black Tiger picks up Super Tiger and he slams him to the mat.  Tanaka goes up top and he hits the frog splash.  Cover, but Black Tiger pulls Tanaka off.  Black Tiger tags himself in, he covers Super Tiger but it gets a two count.  Tanaka slaps Black Tiger as he wasn’t happy about that, giving Super Tiger time to tag in Otsuka.  Tanaka holds Otsuka but Black Tiger elbows him by accident.  Tanaka hits a roaring elbow on Black Tiger, Otsuka grabs Black Tiger and he hits a double underhook slam for a two count.  Otsuka picks up Black Tiger, he nails a dragon suplex and he picks up the three count!  For a Tanaka match this was slightly below average but it was still the best match on the card so far.  Tanaka and Black Tiger not getting along was fine, makes sense that two people randomly put together may not be friends, although it did make it more obvious there was little teamwork in this match by either team.  It lacked some ‘oomph’ and it dragged in parts, but overall it was a pretty decent tag match.  Mildly Recommended

Masakatsu Funaki vs. Tatsumi Fujinami
They begin the match trading arm holds, Fujinami gets Funaki to the mat but Funaki gets out of the hold and applies a headlock.  Headscissors by Fujinami, they get up but Fujinami gets Funaki back to the mat.  Headscissors by Funaki but Fujinami gets out of it and goes for the armbreaker.  I have a feeling this won’t be the most exciting match.  They go back and forth for several minutes, Funaki almost gets the armbreaker applied but Fujinami gets out of it and they are back on their feet.  Kick by Funaki and an Irish whip, and Funaki kicks Fujinami in the stomach.  Funaki goes for a PK but Fujinami ducks it and hits a dragon screw leg whip.  Irish whip by Fujinami and he applies the sleeper, he then applies the Dragon Sleeper but Funaki gets to the ropes.  Snapmare by Funaki, he goes off the ropes and this time he hits the PK.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Funaki applies a hammerlock and goes for the Hybrid Blaster, but Fujinami blocks it and hits a scoop slam.  Dragon screw by Fujinami, he ties up Funaki and goes for a stretch hold but Funaki gets out of it and applies the cross armbreaker.  Fujinami struggles for a moment but Funaki ties up his other arm too and Fujinami has to tap out! This isn’t really my thing, it was just in my opinion uneventful.  They are both good grapplers but slow mat-based matches aren’t really my personal cup of tea.  So you may enjoy it, it wasn’t unwatchable or anything but it just wasn’t very interesting.

Final Thoughts:

Dradition focuses more on submission based wrestling (it is more ‘traditional’ if you will) which unfortunately I don’t find overly exciting.  I can respect they are good at what they do, but it’s not my personal favorite style.  There was definitely some solid action here and there, but there is nothing here that I could give much of a recommendation to as it was a bit dull as an overall package.

Score: D

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event reviewed on 5/20/15