Back to Japan!

Wow. Yesterday was a long day of travel. We were scheduled for a 12 hour flight from LAX to Narita, but then our plane had maintenace issues. We waited on board for 2 hours and 15 minutes before the plane even left the floor! So, our 12 hour flight was now a 14 hour and 15 minute flight. We then ran straight through immigration, baggage claim and customs and found our good friend Tanisaki waiting with a smile. Dragon Gate wrestlers are just too polite. After another 90 minutes of driving from Narita to Tokyo we finally arrived at the New Star Hotel.

Of course before any of this travel began, we had to say goodbye to our loved ones. Saying goodbye is easily the worse thing in the world, or at least in the top three. I thought that this particular time would be the easiest because I've done this rodeo a couple of times before. However, this time was easily the toughest - especially with my wife Dana.. Maybe because Dana and I haven't been apart for more than 4 days since we got married in November? We wake up together, drink coffee together, commute together, work together, live together and sleep together. We truly are living the great life. =) These next several weeks are going to be rough, but I know we will get through them. These Dragon Gate tours are mine and Nicks bread and butter and the reason we've gotten so much notoriety this past year.

Our first match is tonight at the legendary Korakuen Hall against Doi and McKz - two guys that we've wrested many times in the past. It should be a very fun, athletic match to say the least. After tonights show, we've got four straight shows in three different cities. Feel free to check out which cities we'll be hitting on our MySpace page schedule.

Anyhow, I'm going to try to update this regularly so you can follow us on our tour. I think this can be fun and interesting! Hit me up with questions, comments, etc and I'll try to answer them on here.

Be safe, and God bless!

Matt

1st Post

I'm starting this blog so I can write about my career as a professional wrestler. More to come later!

-Matt

TWO THOUSAND EIGHT

The year 2008 may not have been the greatest year for the rest of the world, but it sure has been good to me. For as long as I live, the year 2008 will never be forgotten. Why do I say this? HA! Like you don't already know! It's not like I haven't plastered bulletins and pictures all year long on myspace, bragging about all of the great things that has happened in the last 365 days, right? So... just in case I haven't gotten you to hate me yet from my year long self promotion, here is a list of my accomplishments that occured in the year 2008. Hey, it has kind of become a tradition and it's good for memory sakes! Oh and before I forget... I am sorry if you lost your job, your house was foreclosed, your credit card limit went down, the stock market failed you or if you were like Oprah and put on 50 extra pounds! Ouch! This is my year in review for a year so special, it couldn't be forgotten by me even if I end up with Alzhiemer's Disease in my 70's!
First and foremost: I got married! I sit here on the beautiful hardwood floor inside our cozy mansion, watching Dana bunched up near the fire place with a sheep skin blanket wrapped around her body. I sip from the warm, steamy mug that rests in my left hand, reflecting on all of the financial success that I have had all year long as I type this.... Ok, ok ok.. There isn't really a mansion... or a sheep skin blanket.. or financial success.. But, we do have a hardwood floor! Well, its laminated hardwood. I may not have all of those things (yet) but I did marry the love of my life, Dana! We have our own little one bedroom, one bath palace that we are so proud of. I never thought I could love someone, the way I love Dana. It feels so good to now have the ability to call her my wife! On November 1st, 2008 we had a perfect wedding (yes, they are possible!) and then had an amazing eight day honeymoon in the most beautiful place I've ever been to. We had a near flawless honeymoon in Maui until the "snorkling trip from hell" which occured on our final day of the trip. Lets just say that my new wife was feeding the fish the whole way back to shore and we both nearly drowned as we attempted to snorkle in "Perfect Storm" type weather. Nevertheless, the entire experience of the proposal/planning/wedding day/honeymoon has been something that I will never forget. I love you Dana! (Dana is currently trying to peak over my shoulder and get a spoiler of this which I am not too happy about.) =P
Nick and I have really gelled as a team this year. I really feel like we have found our niche and are only going to get better. We currently hold the tag team titles for the second biggest independent wrestling company in America known as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and have had some amazing matches that many have ranked as the best of the year in professional wrestling. No crowd in the world is like a PWG crowd. We had the honor of being able to tour all over Japan with the promotion Dragon Gate. Dragon Gate is world known and has the greatest wrestlers in the world on their roster. Competing with a company like this is not a small feat and is something that Nick and I are extremely proud of. We completely sold out of t-shirts and photos on our second tour which was awesome! (I believe a whopping total of 3 men purchased a t-shirt.) We were also more then thrilled to perform in Los Angeles for the Dragon Gate USA debut show. This was a huge night for us as it was very special to show our unbelievable fans and loving family what we've been sneaking off and doing for months over seas. That may have been our finest match.
Nick and I were fortunate enough to work with the WWE throughout the year. I got to wrestle Chuck Palumbo on Smackdown in February, The Big Show in October on Smackdown and then got to dress up as Triple H alongside Nick who played Shawn Michaels on ECW in the "Dirtsheet" segment with Morrison and The Miz which was also in October. Hunter came up to me, looked at my giant fake nose and said to one of the boys, "everytime they make fun of me that f***n' thing gets bigger and bigger." HAHA! WWE is a great place to work and is number one on my "dream job" list.
I've gotten to wrestle in nearly 100 matches this year which is great by indy standards. I can honestly say that I have given it my all and tried to steal the show in 80 of those matches. (The other 20 matches, I wrestled the Ballard Brothers.) HAHA. Just kidding guys! But anyways, I feel like this has def been the best year of my professional wrestling career. People actually know who Nick and I are! Imagine that! Some Rockers, Hardy Boys, and Rock N' Roll Express rip offs are actually gaining some attention!? Who would of thunk? We are so very blessed for the opportunity.
I just wanted to thank everyone for the love and support: My soul mate and best friend in life.. my "WIFEY 4 LIFEY" Dana. My unbelievable parents have been so supportive for years. Thanks for believing in me when I was 16 years old and had a bowl cut. You guys are my rock. My brothers Nick and Mal who are so talented and fearless. Nick is only 19 years old and has traveled the world with me. Mal is a survivor and is the bravest kid I know.. and he's rich. (That's a shoot.) My big sis D.J who is so loving and has more energy then anyone I know. My brother in law Paul who is such a family man.. (Who would of known!) My beautiful nieces Makayla and Beckers! ("No numbers!") My in-laws Sue and Dave who I love and have bonded with more then I would ever have imagined, my brother in law Scott who is headed to the Navy, Janie and Derek along with their three beautiful daughters (Kristen, Madyson & Brynnlea), my best friends in this business "The Cutler Brothers" who will be the next big thing in indy wrestling, the "Ballard Brothers" who are both old enough to be my father but I love them like brothers. Sky whom I've always looked up to, Scott for being the life of the locker room and everyone else I didn't mention because its 3 AM and I am tired! Oh yeah, and Joey Ryan. (Thought I'd forget bro?) I gotta go, Dana and her sheep skin blanket is waiting for me. Happy New Year! (Bill Bogle voice)

Update!

UPDATE!!

Hello wrestling fans! (Or should I say friends and family?) Not quite sure what I am going to write about. Just wanted to put up a little update. Here goes..

We are near completion of our second tour here in Japan for the Dragon Gate promotion. We leave on Friday, August 28th in the afternoon. I write this blog from Sappora, Japan.(Yes, the place with the famous beer.) It has been a very memorable and successful trip that neither my brother or I will ever forget. This August tour has been grueling to say the least. In the end we will have spent twenty-one days in Japan. Fifteen of those days were show days! That is A LOT of wrestling shows. After living in Japan and competing for Dragon Gate for a total of two months this year, I have a new respect for the guys on this roster. These guys are not just professional wrestlers - they are the toughest men on this planet. A typical Dragon Gate year has anywhere from 200-250 shows a year! Each show, the wrestlers set-up and tear down the entire venue from the ring, banners and chairs to the PA system and merchandise tables. The matches these guys are having night in and night out are nothing like the typical matches that you see on television every week. I'm still blown away everytime that bell rings. On top of all of this, the Dragon Gate wrestlers and staff typically travel 5-7 hours a day on average. Of course the trips can be WAY longer then that. (We just spent 22 hours on a ship and 7 more on a bus back to back earlier this week.) This is a never-ending carny, yet you'll never see one guy from this group dragging his boots. These guys are not just hard workers, but they are extremely respectful and professional. Nick and I have earned friendships that will last a lifetime.

We are very proud of the work that we have put out this month here in Japan. We feel like it is some of our best stuff yet. One highlight from this trip was aligning our selves with the strongest unit in Dragon Gate, World-1. Getting to stand ringside during Speed Muscle matches every night may be the best learning technique out there. Do the Young Bucks have a future with Dragon Gate? Absolutely. We will be back. (I know that some internet fans are not going to be thrilled to hear that. A long time ago I used to let you types get to me... however, that was a long time ago.) [EDIT: Most of you are awesome and Nick and I owe a lot to you for getting the "word" out. Oh, and obviously I do care about what you think. Otherwise it wouldn't of been mentioned in this blog.] We also got to check out Universal Studios Japan in Osaka which has the most ridiculous "Adventures of Spider-Man" ride EVER. Nick and I both agreed that its more advanced than anything we've been on in the states. Another major highlight was the beach show/after-party at Sumo Beach earlier this month. Dragon Kid and Hayabusa put on a concert in a ropeless ring that seriously rocked the house. It was fun clapping along to songs (which we obviously couldn't understand) with guys like Tanisaki, B x B Hulk, Yoshino and Doi. (Name drop count: 4) We also had a couple of sponsors take us out to dinner which didn't agree with our stomachs but was a ton of fun nonetheless. We were both peer pressured into trying raw Kobe Beef which was just weird tasting. Dinners in Japan last about 2-3 hours by the way..... And your eating..the ENTIRE time.

My brother and I have a lot to look forward to in the coming days/months. We have a big weekend for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (the company that got us out here) coming up that we are extremely psyched for. Ever since I fell in love with independent wrestling, El Generico was one guy that I have always wanted to work. And then the following weekend is the US debut of Dragon Gate. If you live within a six hour drive and you call your self a wrestling fan you MUST go to this show. Also, Nick and I have been filming a bunch of great stuff for our new internet reality show "YBTV" that I know you guys are going to get a kick out of. Dustin Cutler, (the sole editor) Nick and myself have really big plans for the show that we are very excited about. Stay tuned...

And then the main event... November 1st - The day I marry my best friend and love of my life. I've always known that we would end up together. Seriously. Even during our break-ups and months apart, I knew it. I told my good friend and cougar hunter a little earlier today, "I'm just lucky I found someone to put up with all of my crap." Not to mention that she is the most wonderful and supportive women I could of chosen to spend the rest of my life with. I miss you Dana. You've taken this whole 'me not being home thing' unbelievably well.

Anyhow, we've got three more matches to go and then we are headed onto that long 10-12 hour flight home from Tokyo.

God bless,

Matt Buck

Dragon Gate ring breaking incident...

Did the ring really break at the Korakuen Hall during the 8/09/08 Dragon Gate show? Did the Young Bucks and the rest of the Dragon Gate roster all wrestle on the floor with just plain mats? These are just some of the questions that WERE NOT asked. I'm going to go ahead and clear some of this up anyway..

We talked a little to Cima (Dragon Gates most popular wrestler and Japanese heart-throb) the night before our first match of the tour and he made it aware that we would be performing in a brand new American style ring the next night. We thought it would be neat to perform in a ring that came from home at a place that is very much different than home. We get to the hotel and grab a few hours of sleep in our mini rooms (I am not complaining Joey Ryan) which was nice because of the jet-lag. Morning comes too fast as always. We grab some coffee which size-wise could be compared to those little tiny plastic cups filled with grape juice that you sipped during communion at church, grabbed some McDonalds breakfast, rested a little and were soon off to the legendary Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The Korakuen Hall is also known as the "Wrestling Building." On our first tour we were told by Pac (best high-flyer in wrestling today) that the Korakuen Hall has a wrestling show held in it EVERY night. WOW. Nick and I also find it to be kind of cool that we could jump and land on top of the Tokyo Dome from the forth floor balcony in this building.

After a few hours of set-up which consists of loading the elevator, unloading the elevator, and building the ring, the shows start time was fast approaching. (By the way, it is Dragon Gate tradition that all of the wrestlers help with the set up and tear down.) The show starts on time at 6:30 p.m (Yes, wrestling shows start on time out here!) and the first match is underway! Nick and I grab a comfortable seat in the backstage locker room, down a "Real Gold" Japanese soft drink and begin watching the opening match. And then the ring broke. Yes, it happened THAT fast. We blinked and noticed that the rings ropes were extremely loose to the point where they were sagging. Immediately a few young boys jumped up to the apron and started trying to tighten the turnbuckles to repair the loose ropes. This made things worse. We looked deep into the monitor and then noticed that one of the poles was completely off base. The match gets wrapped up quickly. The ref then stands on to the apron and in an attempt to correct the off balanced pole, begins to push and kick the pole. Following a strong kick from the ref, the ring implodes! The Japanese crowd was shocked - almost as much as the wrestlers in the back.

We're thinking that the show is going to get canceled and that there is no way they can fix the ring. (We later found out that one of the vital parts of the ring was completely destroyed.) We looked back into the monitor and saw the young boys taking down the ropes. We were under the impression that maybe the show would go on but without the ropes? As we looked on along with the stunned Japanese crowd, the young boys continued to disassemble the ring. Off went the padding, the wooden planks, the metal pieces and finally the four poles. I then thought about unlacing my boots as the show was surely going to be canceled. What a disaster! As the entire locker room looked on to what was going on through the monitor along with the patiently seated 2-3 thousand fans, one of the Dragon Gate announcers grabbed a microphone and stood in an empty 20 x 20 space where a wrestling ring once stood. (This all took well over 20 minutes.) There was a hush silence in the building similar to the sound a crowd would make if Nick or I decided to take a shot at a singles career. The announcer quickly fixed that silence by saying something in Japanese. The crowd absolutely exploded. I am not kidding, this was a CENA pop. In unison, Nick and I turned to one of the workers in the back and tried to figure out what the announcer said to please the crowd so much? Don Fuji then turns to us and says "Show.. Go on.. no ring... ONLY PADDING on floor!" I thought out loud "Only in Japan."

Then in a frenzy all of the wrestlers in full gear came out to what was formally ringside. They grabbed the blue outside mats and placed those perfectly on the floor. On top of that went the wooden planks which were once used as the floor for the now broken ring. Atop the planks went the padding which was also originally used in the wrecked ring. The wrestlers, young boys and rest of the staff worked like a well oiled machine - so strategic. Surely something like this has happened before which is why everyone was so prepared right? I later asked CIMA that same question and he said NOTHING like this has EVER happened in Dragon Gate. Finally the Dragon Gate mat was taped over the padding and we had our selves a make shift ring in less than 35 minutes.

We went on to have a pretty good match that we both will never forget. Never would I ever dream of performing in Tokyo, Japan at the Korakuen Hall on the first day of the "Summer Adventure Tag League Tournament" in a make shift ring with no ropes. To the Japanese fans credit, they were hotter then ever from start to finish. It is such a joy to work in front of them. Nick and I both stood with the crowd after our match and watched the remainder of the show in complete awe. These guys are putting on better matches on the floor in a fake ring then most matches I see now days anywhere. I just wanted to note that none of this would have probably went down in the states. As soon as the ring broke, I strongly believe that the show would of been canceled had this show been anywhere else besides Japan. Or, if this type of thing did happen in the states and the promotion decided to go on with the show with a make shift ring, I believe that 50 percent (or more) of the audience would want a refund for their ticket. This is only one example of why the Japanese people are so disciplined. If I had to describe this wonderful place in one word.... it would be RESPECT.

In a terrible, terrible situation that could have been a disaster, Dragon Gate prevailed and put on a show that will never be forgotten. Any who.. I hope that helped clear up those questions that you didn't ask.

God bless.

-Matt Buck