PART 1: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
okay so our story starts in 2006. Kenny’s been wrestling for a while now, most recently spending a soul-crushing year in WWE’s developmental promotion Deep South Wrestling, and he’s kind of lost hope of ever finding someone who shares his vision for what wrestling can be
because to Kenny, wrestling can be anything. it’s an artform with infinite possibility, as long as you have the imagination and skill to create it
one day a friend shows Kenny a video from the japanese wrestling promotion DDT (Dramatic Dream Team). in the video he sees Kota Ibushi for the first time
[ID: Kenny being interviewed for Begin Japanology in 2013: “And I thought: he MUST think the same way I do. He’s doing the same crazy things that I’m doing. He’s SUPER athletic. And, you know, he’s not afraid to make people laugh. A lot of people are too afraid to make themselves laugh. They’re too prideful about looking tough. And he didn’t seem to be that kind of guy. But he IS tough, so I felt like whoever this guy is, I feel like I need to meet him, I need to challenge him, and you know, let’s make some magic together in the ring. Whether it be together as partners or against each other. I felt like my destiny, if there is such a thing, was to come out here and fight Kota Ibushi.” End ID] [LINK]
(isn’t that incredible? can you imagine seeing a stranger a world away and, despite barriers of distance and language, having the certainty and determination necessary to cross an ocean just to meet?)
Kenny sets out to get ddt’s attention. He films this insane “audition” video, a falls count anywhere out-of-ring match (Kota’s specialty) at his cabin in canada [LINK]
(the match is ridiculous in the best way, at one point Mike Angel “drowns” in the lake and Kenny is like “he’s dead! count him out!” only for the supposed drown-ee to make a surprise recovery and attack before the 10 count is up)
luckily for the future of wrestling, ddt’s interest is peaked and they invite him to japan
Kenny films a short promo ahead of their match challenging Kota [LINK]
[ID: screenshot from the promo, Kenny is standing in some random alley looking kind of challengingly at the camera. end ID]
(he says “ibushi” every other sentence its v cute)
their first match was August 6th, 2008 - 2 out of 3 falls, falls count anywhere [LINK]
Even tho there’s no belt on the line for this match, Kenny is still fighting for something: if he loses he may never see Kota again. Only a win will secure him his place as Kota’s rival.
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