(Written by jom, photo credit to @kaikiha)
Survival Tobita vs. Genshi Enjin Virgon (SPWC 03/29/1999)
Y'know, in theory, this match should've been the one to start my comprehensive on Tobita. This was the main event of the first ever SPWC show (the only time SPWC used a wrestling ring), and featured Tobita taking on his first monster, the massive ape-like creature known as Genshi Enjin Virgon. Virgon actually doesn't come directly from SPWC, instead being an urban legend for years with a "monster hunting" show in the early 80s doing a whole short series about trying to find the creature. Tobita had been hyping up this match for a good bit before it happened, even appearing on one of the EWF shows promoted by Kazumasa Nihei and Sanshiro Takagi a week before this SPWC show happened, proclaiming "I will kill Genshi Enjin Virgon!" after the main event ended.
I pretty much have to start this with entrances, which is something I tend not to do. Tobita comes out to one of the many Elephant Kashimashi songs he used in his career, stomping to the ring in the wide and powerful stance he always had. I still don't know if this is just part of Tobita's gimmick or actually how he walks, but either way it's awesome and fitting for such a beast like Tobita. Virgon is the real reason I'm talking about this though. With a theme songs that's just some guy singing with no instrumental behind him, Virgon is dragged from the back by Naoshi Sano and YOSHIYA, covered in a big sack that's been tied up to keep him from escaping. The second he escapes from his confinement, Virgon goes on a rampage, attacking fans and wrestlers alike, before finally being dragged into the ring so the match can start.
The match itself is fairly simple in concept: Survival Tobita is a wrestler who wants to wrestle, and Genshi Enjin Virgon is an ape man who doesn't understand the concept of pro wrestling. Tobita's attempts to engage lead Virgon to abscond from the match multiple times, spending time outside terrorizing those that decided to attend the show. Once he does engage though, it's not even a fair fight for Tobita. All it takes is one massive Virgon shove and Tobita is sprawled out like he's just been shot by a cannon. Eventually, Virgon leaves the ring and Tobita tries to drag him back in, only to get slammed hard on the gym floor, smashing his head into the ground resulting in a genuinely horrifying noise and an almost certain concussion. And then... the match ends by countout! Neither man makes it in by the 20 count, and Virgon just hops away to the back.
However, Tobita, concussion and all, refuses to accept this conclusion, and after throttling the referee, the match is restarted! Virgon is dragged to the ring by all the wrestlers once again, and the fight is on. Tobita throws big clubbing blows and even an eye poke, but it's still not enough to match up against Virgon, who hits a wild leg trip taking out Tobita. Virgon climbs to the top rope, and in maybe the best moment of the entire match, simply jumps off and lands on his feet before continuing to prowl around like nothing happened. Tobita finally gets his opportunity soon after, catching Virgon with a hard shot before absolutely MURDERING the ape man with a piledriver, getting the pinfall victory. Virgon immediately gets up and hops away. A legend is born.
In terms of historical importance, this match is almost mythical. The groundwork it set would lead to years of Survival Tobita facing off against inhuman creatures and alien entities, while also establishing a starting point for Tobita's own legacy as a cult hero for Japanese indie wrestling fans. This isn't a match where its only value comes from the aftereffects of it though. As a standalone match, Tobita vs. Virgon rules! Tobita's struggle to combat this ridiculously strong primitive ape man was incredible, and whoever played Virgon did a wonderful job communicating not only how powerful he was, but also how Virgon straight up doesn't understand pro wrestling. The only reason I'm not giving this an A is because Tobita would do even better monster matches in the future. A total blast of a watch, one I cannot recommend enough.
Rating: A-
Survival Tobita vs. Miyako Matsumoto (Ice Ribbon 08/25/2013)
Tobita in Korakuen Hall is always a wild visual. I've become so used to seeing Tobita work in front of a handful of fans in dingy bars and high school gyms, that it almost feels just as alien as some of Tobita's foes whenever I see Tobita working in front of hundreds in one of the most legendary venues in pro wrestling history. Tobita's opponent for the day is Miyako Matsumoto someone who I have never seen before but from doing some reading seems to have been a pretty vital player in Ice Ribbon. There's a prematch VTR showing Matsumoto working against Sanshiro Takagi, Kazunari Murakami, and Minoru Suzuki in Korakuen Hall, before leading into Tobita attacking her and announcing his intentions to join that murderer's row.
This is a very strange match in all honesty, as for one of the first times in Tobita's career, he is the monster for Matsumoto to overcome. Very early into the match, Matsumoto tries to hit a pose and Tobita just obliterates her with a throat thrust, leading to Tobita working her over hard for a few minutes. Every time Matsumoto tries to fight back with hard slaps and kicks, Tobita just throws a single headbutt and it entirely shuts down Matsumoto's attempted comeback.
Matsumoto finally gains the strength to fight back later on, countering a cobra twist from Tobita into a Manji-gatame. She tries to hit a brainbuster but Tobita immediately hits a suplex of his own. She tries again, and once again Tobita drops her hard with a suplex. Finally, she tries one more time, and pulls it off, dropping Tobita right on his head. She follows this up with a rainmaker, before starting a long "Mamma Mia!" spam segment. Every time Tobita kicks out from the move, Matsumoto gets up, hits the ballet poses, and does it again. This includes a time where Tobita rolled over so she hit it on his back (the ref actually starts to count a pinfall before remembering how pinfalls work) and the final one where Tobita was trying to just pull himself up, only for Matsumoto to almost hit a sliding Mamma Mia! for the win.
After the match, Tobita cut a promo, urging Matsumoto to consider running a Korakuen Hall show for her Gake No Fuchi promotion. Matsumoto crying at Tobita saying he would fully support her was honestly a really sweet moment. Also, on the topic of a potential low attendance, Tobita said "Sad Genius once ran a show in Korakuen Hall and only 50 people came, so don't worry!" Truly, only Tobita would bring up Sad Genius in a promo like that.
This was fun! I really don't have much else to say, this was just a cool look at Tobita getting to work in a more dominant way, and Matsumoto more than held her own. The Mamma Mia! spamming may have gone a little long, but it had enough funny moments to keep me from losing engagement. Overall, an enjoyable match. Also, Tobita, if you're reading this, please hit me up if you have video of that UNW Korakuen Hall show you mentioned, I've been looking for it for two years now and will pay you a large amount of money for a copy of it.
Rating: B
Survival Tobita vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW 05/19/2018)
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is, in fact, a match that somehow happened. This was for Akiyama's GAORA TV Championship, with Tobita winning a battle royale in Korakuen Hall two months before this to earn a shot at the title. I'm not going to explain who Jun Akiyama is. I refuse to believe anyone reading this blog wouldn't have at least heard of him and be aware of just how legendary he is. The world is a strange place, and the fact Tobita got to have this match is even stranger.
Tobita, from the get-go, is the crowd favorite. Immediately upon the bell ringing, a "TO-BI-TA!" chant breaks out, which, considering this match also has JUN AKIYAMA in it, is truly incredible. The match starts with some mind-boggling grappling, as while Akiyama is definitely in control, Tobita actually holds his own on the mat, going for double leg takedowns and even pulling off a cool hold at one point, trapping Akiyama's leg and biting his arm. Akiyama gets sick of Tobita's shit and blasts him with a sliding knee, but Tobita kicks out! Never would I have thought that I would get to write about Tobita kicking out from one of Jun Akiyama's signature moves, but here we are.
They both go to the outside after this and Tobita takes the advantage with some classic Tobita brawling, including the throat thrust and the headbutt. It is also at this point that I see Naoshi Sano has come with Tobita as his 2nd for this match, and it's just so cool to see Sano, someone who has almost always been there for Tobita's major career moments, getting to be there once again for Tobita's match against one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time. Once they get back in the ring, Tobita USES THE FUCKING PLUNGER ON AKIYAMA'S BALD ASS HEAD!!! Akiyama of course no-sells this entirely and just headbutts Tobita as hard as he can. Tobita fights as hard as he can fight for the rest of the match, but really, it's all to no avail. Akiyama eventually takes to spamming knee strikes (shades of Miyako Matsumoto), and even though Tobita somehow kicks out after getting hit with multiple brutal knees, he finally gets put down with a front necklock.
This isn't an incredible match or anything like that. The match is worked at a slowish pace, and the work itself, while extremely fun, never does anything to try and elevate this match into being great. But that's because it didn't want to be "great", nor need to. This is a match that, at its core, is all about Tobita facing one of the most lauded pro wrestlers in history, and using everything in his arsenal to prove himself. Tobita was never going to win this. Of course not. But Tobita made sure that Jun Akiyama would remember him. Akiyama might've pulled the plunger off of his head, but that plunger will be stuck in his head for the rest of his life.
Rating: B+
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