There will now be another Japanese promotion for fans to sink their teeth into, and it promises to be a very hard hitting one. This is GLEAT, pronounced as GREAT due to L & R being interchangeable in the Japanese language. It’s a new startup promotion that is run by LIDET, who previously owned Pro Wrestling NOAH.
GLEAT will be making its debut on October 15th at the legendary Korakuen Hall, and we know two members of their roster.
Takanori Ito & Soma Watanabe From Wrestle-1 Have Signed On With GLEAT
With most of the big names in puroresu locked down into contracts with companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, DDT, Dragon Gate and more, GLEAT will have to work with what they can get. Thankfully for them, Wrestle-1 recently shutdown, giving them a nice stock of free agents to pick up.
First we have Takanori Ito, who made his debut within Wrestle-1 and stuck with them until the companies end. During his time in Wrestle-1, he would win the Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championships once with Masayuki Kono for 51 days, and the Wrestle-1 Result Championship twice for a total of 191 days. He’s a young talent with only three years experience in the ring, but getting young talent to build up is an investment.
Secondly, we have Soma Watanabe, who wrestled as Pegaso Illuminar, and who is another young wrestler. At only 21 years old with two years experience, he has not won any championships, but was a fan favorite in Wrestle-1 with his gimmick. Watanabe & Ito wrestled in a singles match on the final Wrestle-1 show, with Ito getting the win after 13 minutes.
The Plan Is For A Shoot Style Promotion Like The UWF
While they only lasted for a few years, the UWF left a huge mark on the landscape of puroresu and helped with the creation of Mixed Martial Arts. It was a predecessor of sorts to Pride FC, and featured names like Nobuhiko Takada, Vader, and Minoru Suzuki. They had a very popular invasion angle with NJPW, which is their most lasting legacy.
Former wrestler and MMA fighter Kiyoshi Tamura will be the Executive Director for this promotion. Tamura previously competed in UWF, UWFi, RINGS and PrideFC. He would say the following about his vision for the promotion, “My ideal is this. Martial arts pro wrestling, The UWF. That’s what I want to make. I want to leave UWF for future generations. I want to keep it as history.”
Are you excited for the debut of GLEAT? Will they get lost in the shuffle of puroresu? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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