Interview: JACK GALLAGHER

FUJIWARA INTERVIEWS #01: JACK GALLAGHER

My friend Olly, though a deliberately frustrating man, knows his wrestling and can spot a good wrestler a mile off. I dragged him along to a Grand Pro Wrestling (GPW) event in Wigan. On the way home he raved about Jack Gallagher. Though Olly and I occasionally disagree, he had hit the nail on the head. A gritty, sinewy wrestler with a supreme scientific base and a believably belligerent (in-ring) personality, Gallagher is a perfect fit on paper for the range of styles on offer in Japan (or indeed, anywhere else).

During 2013, Gallagher (under the name Jack Anthony) travelled to Japan to work for Zero1, Big Japan, NOAH and Diana and hone his skills. I'd had the idea to interview him at the outset of this blog, and when I finally asked he was only too receptive to share his experiences of Japan, training, the domestic scene and various asides along the route. I haven't edited his answers in the slightest. It was too good from beginning to end, packed with insight, humour, self-deprecation and honesty.

Matches of note vol. 1

FUJIWARA ARMBAR'S MATCHES OF NOTE VOL. 1

I can't review everything I watch. I can't even watch all of everything that gets put out there. I am but a man. However, Fujiwara Armbar Enterprises is all about spreading the word about the sport* we love. This is a new feature that will recap any interesting matches going on in various Japanese promotions with a general focus on recent activity, though I can't promise not to jump back in time now and again.

These aren't reviews as such, just little spoiler-free guides to maybe help you navigate through some chaff. This round-up covers everything from mid-September to early-October, with a couple just outside.
 

fujiwara armbar investigates: All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW)

An occasional series in which, in a bid to further my spotty knowledge of Japanese wrestling promotions, I watch a recent event and assess whether or not I'd watch regularly given the time, money and ability to access.

Promotion: All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW, sometimes AJP)

Event watched: Summer Action Series Day 8, 27th July 2014, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo.

What did I know about the promotion going in?: A lot. Too much. The extracurricular problems of AJPW in 2014 ensures they're as much a walking soap opera as TNA are in the US.  Much of what I write here will cover the official history too.

fujiwara armbar investigates: Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project (JWP)

An occasional series in which, in a bid to further my spotty knowledge of Japanese wrestling promotions, I watch a recent event and assess whether or not I'd watch regularly given the time, money and ability to access.

Promotion: Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project (JWP)

Event: Tsubasa Kuragaki 15th Anniversary ~ WINGS!, Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo, 14th October 2013.

What did I know about the promotion going in?: Practically nothing. Whether through deliberate mass self-denial or the lack of quality information and media out there, joshi puroresu in 2014 is not the phenomenon of the late 1980s and early 1990s when legends such as Manami Toyota, Kyoko Inoue, Aja Kong and Bull Nakano routinely tore down houses and enthralled critics into the admission that women's wrestling was much more exciting and visceral than that colossal boob Hulk Hogan and his worn-out routine. 

fujiwara armbar investigates: Wrestle-1 (W-1)

An occasional series in which, in a bid to further my spotty knowledge of Japanese wrestling promotions, I watch a recent event and assess whether or not I'd watch regularly given the time, money and ability to access.

Promotion: Wrestle-1 (W-1)
Event watched: Wrestle-1 Tour "Cherry Blossom", Tokyo Dome City Hall, 4th April 2014.

What did I know about the promotion going in?: Not a significant amount. Head honcho of the promotion is the great Keiji Mutoh aka The Great Muta and many of the workers are taken from the AJPW exodus v2.0, with a sprinkling of talent from W-1's recent annexation of TAJIRI's WNC promotion and a variety of foreigners on excursion from other feds, most notably TNA.

fujiwara armbar investigates: Pro-Wrestling ZERO1

An occasional series in which, in a bid to further my spotty knowledge of Japanese wrestling promotions, I watch a recent event and assess whether or not I'd watch regularly given the time, money and ability to access.

Promotion: Pro-Wrestling ZERO1 (ZERO1)

Event watched: True Lies, Korakuen Hall, June 1st 2014

What did I know about the promotion going in?: little bits from here and there. In about 2002 I saw a VHS of their first ever show, which was probably the first full Japanese show I ever sat through. The opener featured Naomichi Marufuji, performing moves now made standard by international exposure but at the time were completely breathtaking. A lot of the card featured worked-shoot matches that seemed to be either a man kicking a man who was on the floor, or two men just rolling around on the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Misawa showed up in the main event and all was fine again.