JPN
"Meni☆Mani" has achieved their long-awaited first championship. In the NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship match, Furusawa Kian & Rian defeated the reigning champions "Sakurara," also known as Sakura Aya & Kurei Sayaka. They were crowned the 6th champions and shed tears with Ito Maki, the boss of the Ito Respect Army (RG), who was in their corner
The match was originally scheduled for August 23rd at Ryogoku, but was canceled due to Rian's absence. Nevertheless, the two gained experience together and seized the opportunity to challenge again, making the most of it
Meanwhile, Kurei, who had been absent due to treatment for an injury, made her return to the ring after about a month and a half. Her first match was a title defense, but she used the second rope as a springboard to execute a spectacular flying elbow, and then, in a combined armlock with Sakura, she captured Rian. With movements that showed no signs of her long break, she relentlessly attacked the challengers
But Meni☆Mani was not to be outdone. Furusawa started with a low dropkick, followed by a simultaneous stomp attack. When Furusawa caught Kurei in an ankle hold, Rian also choked Sakura with a sleeper hold
Rian engaged in a fierce elbow exchange with Sakura, and even when caught in a triangle choke, she desperately endured. Despite being subjected to a plancha and a diving knee attack, she fought back with the help of Furusawa. She landed a diving body attack and followed up with a fisherman's suplex
Even when her Hanaguruma attack was blocked, she immediately went for a body-lock sleeper hold. Even after taking Kurei's Tokimeki Spear at both of them, her determination to win remained unbroken
Once again facing off against Sakura, Rian endured high kicks, buzzsaw kicks, and German suplexes, raising her shoulders each time. The venue erupted in loud chants of "Rian!"
Here, Furusawa eliminated Kurei. Rian landed a counter stunner, and then followed up with a combined stunner. Finally, they pinned Sakura with a Hanaguruma for the three count. They had finally broken down the champions' stronghold
As Ito narrowed her eyes, Rian, holding the microphone, shouted, "I finally got the belt!"
"I'm not good at expressing my emotions or putting them into words, but I was able to wear the belt like this. I was the last to debut among the 2023 group, and I was also the last to wear the belt, but I'm happy that I was able to wear it like this."
Following her partner, who was savoring the victory, Furusawa proudly declared, "I was the last to debut among the 2025 generation, but I was the first to win a belt." After expressing her gratitude to Rian and Ito, she vowed, "I will become even stronger and I will definitely win the next title defense."
Sakura placed her hands on the shoulders of the two new champions and offered them some words of encouragement. Kurei also revealed that there were things she wanted to do more of after winning the belts, and then offered her support, saying, "I think you two can do it. You took them from Sakura and the others, so please make NB Tag Team even more exciting."
When Ito received the news from his protégé, "We won the belts," he couldn't hold back his tears
"I'm so glad I trusted the two of them, and I'm incredibly happy that they followed me. I'm truly proud of them. Congratulations!"
After the three shared a warm embrace, the boss made a new proposal. There had been talk of officially establishing the faction after winning the NB Tag Team Championship, but after seeing his disciples' efforts, he wanted to achieve results himself
"I thought that since it's Ito RG, we should try to achieve results as a trio. And once we achieve results as a trio, how about we bring up the topic of making it official to the company?"
Both agreed. Finally, Rian and Furusawa shouted, "Ito Respect Army, forever!" bringing the joyous ring to a close