iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I feel like I stepped into an old movie

Now I have to figure out when the hell "8PM Wednesday" is for the tribute show, because I'm always a day ahead here. I might be on a bus back to Tokyo at the time.

120

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 17h

Speaking of drinks, this plum cider I got in Kyoto was delightful and I want to track down a case of it.

250

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Had lunch with Ho Ho. Might have planted some ideas for future overseas shows. 👀

090

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Had a day to process my thoughts and this is what fell out of my brain.

Working in wrestling and being a lifelong fan, no wrestler's death has ever hit me like this. Hell, few celebrities overall: maybe just David Bowie, Phil Hartman, and Michiyuki Kawashima - the latter of which is the main reason I'm in Japan right now, to attend his 10th anniversary tribute show. So loss was already looming over this trip. I'm also going to multiple DG shows and know some of the staff, so I'll consistently be around people actively mourning the loss - not of the character PAC, but their friend and brother Ben Satterley - and trying to distract myself. But there are a lot of reasons why this hits me particularly hard:

-Partially because PAC was my #1 guy for 20+ years. The one I would tell friends who aren't into wrestling "Hey watch this." My favorite all the way through his career: from Typhoon, to The Man That Gravity Forgot, to The Bastard. I'd watch his big matches even when I wasn't watching the company he was in.

-Partially because he was the most complete wrestler I've ever seen. Bryan Danielson once called him "textbook perfect in every way". I only got to see him wrestle live twice, and they weren't big marquee matches, but they still blew me away because he always went 100% and his technique was so precise. There is nobody else like him. I'm not sure there ever will be. I don't think there could be.

-Partially because other than Ricochet, he was one of the very few gaijin "Dragon Gate guys" who came up there and kept the style intact in the West. When he finally got his release after WWE shelved him, he returned home to Dragon Gate shredded, angry, motivated, and introduced The Bastard character in one of my favorite ever Korakuen Hall moments. He destroyed the roster as Eita's secret weapon in R.E.D as an extremely rare foreign Dream Gate champion for the better part of a year before the newly formed AEW signed him, and he even brought the belt to their press conference. To long time fans, it was vindication and respect for his roots.

-Partially because this came out of nowhere. We didn't have an announcement that he was rushed to the hospital or a history of health issues. He was in peak condition. Then he wrestled a PPV match, then he was gone. I'm not sure how I'll experience his absence; for lengthy spans of his time in AEW he was out - injured, visa issues, or went home to spend time with his family - and I don't regularly follow AEW aside from major shows. I always suspected that some of his undisclosed injuries were because they wanted something that sounded tougher than "he's back home taking care of his mum."

It's been comforting to see how universally beloved he was, both by colleagues and fans alike. I've never heard a disparaging word from anyone in the industry - that's exceptionally rare. For my part, I'm happy we got so many great years watching one of the best performers to ever do it, so I can't say we didn't get our fair share. If you feel like you missed out, track down some of his old DG matches. You'll be amazed at what he could do against peers who matched his style. I recommend his Brave Gate match with Dragon Kid, his Dream Gate match with Kzy, and any of his singles with CIMA, Masato Yoshino, and Ricochet.

But aside from the outpouring of love, another prevailing sentiment I keep seeing is how "unfair" it is. And I totally get it:

He lived simply. He split time with going home to take care of his family, even at the sacrifice of being pushed to the top level of the company by not moving overseas. He never bothered anyone. By all accounts he was warm, kind, and gave great advice and support to his colleagues. So he of ALL people in this cruel industry should get to hang it up on his own terms and retire to a quiet life when he decides it's time. That's the ending someone he deserved.

THAT'S what hurts. THAT'S what's so unfair. I'm not sad because we were robbed of him. I'm sad because he was robbed of that.

Maybe he was too good for this world. Rest easy, PAC.🖤

2132

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Cannot stress this enough: The food is obviously fake for both, but I would MUCH rather eat at the place with the plastic food display because they actually worked hard to replicate everything. The slop menu looks like it grew on an alien planet. These shops are right next to each other.

Display case with well crafted plastic replicas of the food on the menu.

260

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

One of my favorite moments in DG was just as Shingo was gearing up to leave the company, the lights cut out in Korakuen, and suddenly PAC returns as R.E.D's secret weapon after being forced to sit out his WWE contract for an entire year. "You may THINK I resemble a boy you once knew..."

0101

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It's wild that @lsdandkizuki.bsky.social and I were just talking about PAC last night as the guy AEW should position to face every incoming talent from Japan, especially if they booked Shun Skywalker on the next Forbidden Door. We really need to treasure our best while they're still around.

1140

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Completely in shock about PAC. I can't even process it. HOW?

2112

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Gekiochi-kun spotted in the wild

030

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

2026.09.27 Kobe Sambo Hall ■YAMATO/DK/Susumu/KAGETORA v Mocchy/Fujii/Takashi/Mondai ■Doi v Clowns ■XenisS/Moody v Cielo/Mante/HHL ■Riiita v Fuda v ISHIN ■Xenostal v Hyo/Jacky/Junior ■Kzy/SMJ/UT/GuC v Kato/Kikuta/KAI/Jason Not sure where my seats are yet.

130

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

AEW All In and AEW All Out imply the existence of AEW Shake It All About

15314

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Skinny old man next to me in the hotel breakfast area just housed an entire grocery bag of food for breakfast, including eating a cup of yogurt with chopsticks, and now he's my new hero.

131

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Just realized how close I am to here. That's a day trip from here. (no, I am not actually going)

050

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

BTW if I don't get back to folks it's because I've been constantly on the go for a week while navigating a completely different culture and everything is amazing but overwhelming and it's 8-10 hours +/- your time and I have two kinds of drinks in my hands and I'm walking around a busy city. NBD.

010

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Sad that I could only visit this venue once, but I never thought I'd get to at all. Worth it. We'll miss you Shinjuku FACE.🥲❤️

1120

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

⚠️ALERT I AM IN SHINJUKU FACE⚠️

1130

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

When did Google Maps actively start to suck? I feel like it used to be reliable, but now it's "I'm changing directions midway through navigation, I'm going to buzz your phone every half-second while I correct myself, and you can't turn off the alternate routes that clutter your screen."

220

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

WAVE card I'm going to at Shinjuku FACE today: ■Tag Titles: Kobayashi Kaho/ZONES (c) v Natsu Sumire/YuuRI ■Unagi Sayaka/Noah Hikari v Hirota Sakura/Hanazono Momoka ■Enka vs. Natsupoi (!) ■Shinjuku Ranbo ■Regina di WAVE: Haruka Umezaki(c) v Rina Amikura Kinda can't believe I'm actually doing this

270

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Starting a thread to rate vending machine drinks while I'm here. Each of these costs 80-150¥ which is like 50-90 cents USD.

150

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I almost forgot! One of my goals on this trip is to find the 2019 Music Gate EP with the Makoto drum & bass remix of Space Gate. If I can find it, I'll rip it to mp3 when I get home.

010

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"Aaaah, Shimbashi, Shimbashiii..." (jingle)

040

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Freshly made red bean taiyaki is a global treasure that must be protected at all costs.

050

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

There's a Denny's near my hotel. I would feel so incredibly stupid going there, but I kind of want to see whatever the Japanese equivalent of Moons Over My Hammy is.

120

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Planning on travel blogging throughout my trip for all tiers of my channel memberships. It's very cheap and it will fund my new addiction of 60 cent drinks from street vending machines.

030

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Claudio & Copeland form a tag team and their entrance theme is a Swiss remix called Yodelingus, is that anything

041

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I didn't come all the way to Japan to eat cheeseburgers

240

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Can't wait for the exclusive prisonmaxxing content where the cell block teaches that little creep how to really smash your face with a hammer

010

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Localized social media content is wild and there's no other way I ever would have seen this.

040

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Yesterday was just for getting here through a typhoon. Today is rest, recovery, and planning the rest of the trip. I always hate downtime days because I'm so antsy to explore, but they're necessary. That said, a nice local walk around Asakusa sounds lovely now that I can actually see the sky.

140

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Bold move to release new music as BBS. Love both bands separately, but labeling it as TSBxBBS feels right because it sounds a lot more like Nakano's old school experimental EDM style (also it's in English - typical of BBS, but not TSB). Hope to hear it live when I see them. youtu.be/WAOBvhwgYK4

youtu.be

THE SPELLBOUND×BOOM BOOM SATELLITES 「Brand New Drive」

YouTube video by BOOM BOOM SATELLITES Official YouTube Channel

020

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Whatever is down here is probably going to be the raddest thing I've ever seen

Punk af looking basement steps down to below street level in Asakusa

1100

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

If it's not sold out, I may need to attend a New Japan Korakuen in October on the off chance that Shun is there and I can yell at him for abandoning us.

040

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

They have Doraemon travel pouches, and all I can think of is that it BETTER hold way more than it looks or else that's false advertising.

140

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

2026.09.20 Tohoku Dragongateway ■XenisS v Mocchy/Moody ■SMUT v 🤡🤡 ■B×B/Susumu/KAGE v KAI/Jason/ISHIN ■Hyo/Jacky/Junior v Xenostal v Cielo/Mante/Sangre ■Brave Gate: Dragon Kid v Ryu Fuda ■Dream Gate Prelude: Kzy/YAMATO v Kikuta/Kato I'll be about 2/3 to Japan during this, so I'll catch up later.

130

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Mocchy got another belt His 5th time as I-J champion, including in WAR, Tenryu Project, and the 2x in DG that he won it and vacated/retired it after the match. Previously one of the J-Crown belts, and famously the one that split off from the 8 during Liger's reign.

Masaaki Mochizuki holding AJPW's Gaora TV Championship and the Tenryu Project International Jr. Heavyweight Championship (formerly WAR title).

050

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It used to be that Pre-Check got you past security within minutes, but then everyone noticed that so everyone else got it too, so they created an extra super express, then everyone started using that, now there's super duper mega express where they scan your colon and steal one of your toes.

120

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Desperately need that wait menu slider from Skyrim that lets you pass several hours in a few seconds so I don't have to wait all night at SeaTac.

020

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What do you MEAN I missed Naruki Doi at Ring Soul by one week!? 😭

020

Mark🐉Edits @gutsdozer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

So it begins. Leg 1 of 3: Seattle (taking the dumbest route possible instead of flying direct to Tokyo because it was the best available when I booked it)

120