Post by “The Relentless” Conor Caine on Sept 6, 2022 8:08:34 GMT -5
BUZZ-FED.COM EXCLUSIVE
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO CONOR CAINE IN JAPAN (...and why he doesn't want to talk about it!)
Why is the JWA Number One Contender so hesitant to talk about his past?
BY SCOTT MILLAR
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO CONOR CAINE IN JAPAN (...and why he doesn't want to talk about it!)
Why is the JWA Number One Contender so hesitant to talk about his past?
BY SCOTT MILLAR
Last week, on August 30th's episode of JWA Glory, The Relentless Conor Caine was interviewed by Toni Cruise about his recent beefs with Champion Red Pirate Rogers and The Dutch Destroyer, Tommy End. During the interview, Cruise tried to make reference to Caine's past exploits in BIG JAPAN but was shot down by The Relentless One, who barked "I'm not interested in talking about Japan, Toni!" Many fans were left bewildered by the exchange, unfamiliar with the Japanese Federation or Caine's five year stint there: well, if you were one of those bemused marks, fear not, because Buzz-Fed is here to set the record straight!
1) WHAT IS BIG JAPAN?
BIG JAPAN is the premiere Professional Wrestling company in Japan, where many of your favourite wrestlers are sure to have performed at some stage in their illustrious careers. Even JWA Champion, Red Pirate Rogers, has spent time in BIG JAPAN, during his seafaring days!
2) ...AND CONOR CAINE WRESTLED IN BIG JAPAN?
Yes! Caine spent five years in BIG JAPAN, from 2016-2021! He joined the federation as a young, green 21 year old, after a few years touring the indy scene in America. He joined BIG JAPAN wrestling under the name The Charismatic Conor Caine - a white-meat babyface if there ever was one - and, despite the saccharin gimmick, he caught the attention of fans with his high flying, face-paced style in the ring. Things went well for the first few years, with Caine enjoying a successful run in the tag team division, chalking up two tag title victories with his partner Ricardo Marceau (AKA The Charm Offensive), and a run with BIG JAPAN's US title!
3) SO WHAT HAPPENED IN JAPAN?
With a few title wins - and a considerable amount of fan support - behind him, The Charismatic Conor Caine was given an opportunity to challenge BIG JAPAN World Heavyweight Champion Natsukashi for his title in November 2019's TOKYO THROWDOWN PPV. However, before Caine could make it to the ring for the match, he was brutally attacked by Natsukashi's former rival for the belt, The Enigmatic Madman: Insane! Insane assaulted Caine backstage in an attack so brutal, Caine was hospitalised for 10 weeks and didn't return to the ring for another six months. When he did return to BIG JAPAN, in May 2020, he gave a receipt to Insane, the new World Heavyweight Champion, with a brutal attack of his own; Caine dropped the "Charismatic" gimmick and became a much more serious competitor (eschewing his high-flying repertoire for a more grounded, bruising fighting style) as he entered into a months long feud with Insane for revenge... and the World Title too, of course. It was a rivalry that would culminate in controversy, ending the careers of both men in BIG JAPAN.
4) HOW DID IT END?
Over the course of eighteen months, Caine and Insane fought a bloody, brutal campaign of violence against one another, during which Caine adopted his current "Relentless" gimmick and won the Heavyweight Title three times. The feud culminated in a "Loser Leaves Town" match at TOKYO THROWNDOWN 2021 - the two year anniversary of Insane's initial attack on Caine. It was to be a Hell In A Cell match and, as predicted, it turned out to be a bloodbath; climaxing with the two men taking a fall off the top of the cell and through the commentary table. Neither man could get to his feet before the thirty minute time limit was reached, and the match was declared a tie. Fans tuned in to Big Japan Worldwide the next week to see the fallout from the show and were informed by the President of BIG JAPAN that the decision had been made that, since neither man won the match, both were declared the loser and, as such, would have to leave Japan. There was outrage from the fans: they accused BIG JAPAN of shying away from Caine and Insane's violence, cried conspiracy and branded the event "The Tokyo Screwjob." Insane was likewise incensed, becoming so violent that he had to be arrested by local law enforcement. Caine, for his part, only spoke to say he accepted the decision and left; he remained quiet for another six months before he showed up on May 17th 2022's episode of JWA Glory, wrestling Bad Luck Bradley.
5) WHY WON'T CAINE TALK ABOUT IT?
As he's never spoken publicly about BIG JAPAN since leaving last year, we have little to go on, but Grappling Watcher Weekly's (GWW) James Seltzer spoke to Caine's former trainer in Japan about why Caine would just accept the decision of BIG JAPAN's president and leave so easily; Caine's trainer speculated that perhaps The Relentless One didn't like the person he'd become during his feud with Insane - that the unbridled rage and violence had changed him at his core - and he'd rather put it all behind him and start fresh somewhere new. We don't know for sure and, as Toni Cruise found out last week, Conor Caine isn't going to be talking about it any time soon!
Read more from the JWA on Buzz-Fed.com:
23 craziest fan theories about Seph Kobane's whereabouts (you'll never guess number 5)!
Ronnie or Jessie: Take this quiz to discover your JWA girlfriend!
From the Ashes: What is JWA's latest signing's beef with Duke Mongoose?
1) WHAT IS BIG JAPAN?
BIG JAPAN is the premiere Professional Wrestling company in Japan, where many of your favourite wrestlers are sure to have performed at some stage in their illustrious careers. Even JWA Champion, Red Pirate Rogers, has spent time in BIG JAPAN, during his seafaring days!
2) ...AND CONOR CAINE WRESTLED IN BIG JAPAN?
Yes! Caine spent five years in BIG JAPAN, from 2016-2021! He joined the federation as a young, green 21 year old, after a few years touring the indy scene in America. He joined BIG JAPAN wrestling under the name The Charismatic Conor Caine - a white-meat babyface if there ever was one - and, despite the saccharin gimmick, he caught the attention of fans with his high flying, face-paced style in the ring. Things went well for the first few years, with Caine enjoying a successful run in the tag team division, chalking up two tag title victories with his partner Ricardo Marceau (AKA The Charm Offensive), and a run with BIG JAPAN's US title!
3) SO WHAT HAPPENED IN JAPAN?
With a few title wins - and a considerable amount of fan support - behind him, The Charismatic Conor Caine was given an opportunity to challenge BIG JAPAN World Heavyweight Champion Natsukashi for his title in November 2019's TOKYO THROWDOWN PPV. However, before Caine could make it to the ring for the match, he was brutally attacked by Natsukashi's former rival for the belt, The Enigmatic Madman: Insane! Insane assaulted Caine backstage in an attack so brutal, Caine was hospitalised for 10 weeks and didn't return to the ring for another six months. When he did return to BIG JAPAN, in May 2020, he gave a receipt to Insane, the new World Heavyweight Champion, with a brutal attack of his own; Caine dropped the "Charismatic" gimmick and became a much more serious competitor (eschewing his high-flying repertoire for a more grounded, bruising fighting style) as he entered into a months long feud with Insane for revenge... and the World Title too, of course. It was a rivalry that would culminate in controversy, ending the careers of both men in BIG JAPAN.
4) HOW DID IT END?
Over the course of eighteen months, Caine and Insane fought a bloody, brutal campaign of violence against one another, during which Caine adopted his current "Relentless" gimmick and won the Heavyweight Title three times. The feud culminated in a "Loser Leaves Town" match at TOKYO THROWNDOWN 2021 - the two year anniversary of Insane's initial attack on Caine. It was to be a Hell In A Cell match and, as predicted, it turned out to be a bloodbath; climaxing with the two men taking a fall off the top of the cell and through the commentary table. Neither man could get to his feet before the thirty minute time limit was reached, and the match was declared a tie. Fans tuned in to Big Japan Worldwide the next week to see the fallout from the show and were informed by the President of BIG JAPAN that the decision had been made that, since neither man won the match, both were declared the loser and, as such, would have to leave Japan. There was outrage from the fans: they accused BIG JAPAN of shying away from Caine and Insane's violence, cried conspiracy and branded the event "The Tokyo Screwjob." Insane was likewise incensed, becoming so violent that he had to be arrested by local law enforcement. Caine, for his part, only spoke to say he accepted the decision and left; he remained quiet for another six months before he showed up on May 17th 2022's episode of JWA Glory, wrestling Bad Luck Bradley.
5) WHY WON'T CAINE TALK ABOUT IT?
As he's never spoken publicly about BIG JAPAN since leaving last year, we have little to go on, but Grappling Watcher Weekly's (GWW) James Seltzer spoke to Caine's former trainer in Japan about why Caine would just accept the decision of BIG JAPAN's president and leave so easily; Caine's trainer speculated that perhaps The Relentless One didn't like the person he'd become during his feud with Insane - that the unbridled rage and violence had changed him at his core - and he'd rather put it all behind him and start fresh somewhere new. We don't know for sure and, as Toni Cruise found out last week, Conor Caine isn't going to be talking about it any time soon!
Read more from the JWA on Buzz-Fed.com:
23 craziest fan theories about Seph Kobane's whereabouts (you'll never guess number 5)!
Ronnie or Jessie: Take this quiz to discover your JWA girlfriend!
From the Ashes: What is JWA's latest signing's beef with Duke Mongoose?
