Anyone? I just realized after reading a few people raving about the HHH VS TAKA match (which should have been the best of Raw IMO) that I have no recollection of TAKA leaving, just that one day Funaki was all alone. Where'd he go?
From what I remember, he injured his shoulder a couple of times and went back to Japan to rehab it. WWE must not have any use for him or his contract expired.
TAKA's last match was on October 20, 2001, when he and Funaki teamed up against Raven & Justin Credible. You can read Cubs Fan's review of that match at http://slashwrestling.com/jakked/011020.html . There's a point where he says it looks like he falls from the ring to the floor, right onto his right shoulder.
TAKA is opening either his own wrestling school, or his own light-heavyweight promotion in Japan.
"If you go out with a girl and they say she has a great personality, she's ugly. If they tell you a guy works hard, he can't play a lick. Same thing." -- Charles Barkley
The original injury dates back to the Big Bossman carelessly tossing him from the Royal Rumble (in 2000?) so that he landed directly on his shoulder. He reaggravated the injury a time or two while stillwith the WWF. He got healthy around the same time his WWF contract expired in 2002, and the story was that he was offered a new contract and declined.
He'd been running the school, Kaientai Dojo, for a while, and turned it into an indy promotion which started running shows in the first half of 2002. The promotion is not exclusively light-heavyweights, just predominantly so. The promotion has been largely disappointing as he books mostly WWE-esque short matches. He made his return to the ring in May in K-Dojo, and has since also been working freelance for various Japanese promotions, including Zero One and his old stomping grounds, Michinoku Pro, for an MPro reunion show that featured all the original members of Kaientai DX (yes, even Funaki) a couple months back. He looked pretty good in his work in Zero One.
Speaking of Taka(whose work I've always loved), how much would he rule on Smackdown right now? Bring him back and team him with Funaki and *bam*. You've got a super hot tag team and another awesome cruiserweight.
Originally posted by joedgeryThe original injury dates back to the Big Bossman carelessly tossing him from the Royal Rumble (in 2000?) so that he landed directly on his shoulder.
I remember that injury. They kept showing TAKA being thrown over the ropes in different angles while The King yukked it up. Just another reason Lawler should burn in Hell.
"Veterans Stadium is a shithole of a place. My mother can't even come because it's such a shithole. But the demolition crew is on its way. We're going to close it down" -Warren Sapp
TAKA opened up his own school a little over a year ago, called K-Dojo. He has branches in Puerto Rico and Japan. He occasionally does shows under the K-D banner, and often freelances in All Japan and ZERO-ONE.
Originally posted by Santa SangreI remember that injury. They kept showing TAKA being thrown over the ropes in different angles while The King yukked it up. Just another reason Lawler should burn in Hell.
Some of us already have reservations confirmed in hell, and we really don't want Lawler disturbing us when we are there.
Please help control the McMahon population. Have your Triple H's spayed or neutered.
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I thought this was a much better show then last week. At least they kept the garbage with the stalking/assault angle in the ring instead of the dumb backstage skits that we had last week.