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Review and recap of Lion’s Roar, A NJPW Series, Episode 1
Lion's Roar opens with Toks Fale, aka Bad Luck Fale, describing the experience of stepping into a New Japan ring. He says he is the first foreigner to go through a New Japan Dojo at 100%. Everything the Japanese wrestlers did, he also completed. This dedication allowed Fale to open his own New Japan wrestling Dojo in New Zealand. Fale is the owner and manages the the NZ Dojo.
The tryouts.
Fale and his trainers welcome the new trainees to his NZ Dojo in South Auckland. Fale welcomes the new recruits. He describes pro wrestling as harder than any other sport, specifically boxing. Boxers train months for 2-3 matches a year. Wrestlers have to perform every night, up to 250+ times a year and keep the same intensity. You have plan how to sleep and wake up at certain time. The training is designed to get wrestlers mentally tough.
Next, Tony Kozina speaks. He is the head wrestling coach of the NZ Dojo. He began his wrestling career in the Pacific Northwest and won the NWA Pacific Northwest Junior Heavyweight Championship. He wrestled on the independents, WWE, ROH and TNA. He was hired by Fale in 2018.
Kozina speaks on how hard life is for a wrestler. You have to make sacrifices, give up lots of things for a little money.
Kozina led several exercises with the new recruits.
Fale speaks that number one thing he looks for in a recruit is heart. In Japan, his trainers would tell him “Show me heart”. The camera cuts back to the recruits doing push-ups. Some are doing what they are told. Others are struggling. Kozina and Fale yell at them to finish. Cut back to Fale saying he looks if their hearts are good and tough, meaning “can they handle it?”. He says many wrestlers will break easily. When he brings a new recruit up to New Japan, everyone will ask him if he has heart.
Kozina says he sees potential in these recruits, but are they willing to sacrifice and are they coachable? Do they want it?
Fale says he is the living proof for these recruits that this goal can be achieved. He spoke of his goal to take care of his parents. After 10 years, his parents have a new house and Fale achieved his goal.
Waterfront Apartments.
They show Fale’s apartment in Auckland City. He states he grew up in bad part of the city with gangs and racial tensions. He was motivated for a better life. New Japan sent Fale to the United States for a year. He made friends with Mark Hunt, who was involved with MMA. Hunt lived on the waterfront in Auckland City. Fale said that he would live here one day. The air and climate is clean and it motivates him.
A Land of Milk and Honey.
Fale describes how COVID impacted his Dojo. He could travel for wrestling shows, and no one could travel out of the country. He focused on growing his business and the NZ Dojo. Fale and his trainers are shown at De La Selle College in South Auckland on a recruitment job. Fale was an alumni of this college. Dressed in New Japan jackets, they invite young athletes to come to their Dojo. He states he was a large man in college. He says he feels small against some of these kids who are taller than he is. He believes that the talent of these young New Zealand athletes is vast.
The Hearts of Men.
The show shifts back to the recruits in the Dojo. Kozina tells them to not cheat themselves if they are slowing down. Fale speaks of depression amongst young wrestlers. He states that wrestlers have to be mentally tough. He says most wrestlers can be “ a little crazy”, but he goes into the ring expecting his opponent to be just as tough.
Fale states that these recruits will be doing exactly what the Japanese recruits will be doing. Everything is mimicked what is done in Japan, with the only difference being the language. He expects crying, fights among the recruits, and friendships to be forged.
Kozina leads some in-ring exercises. He states that after an intense 3 month regimen he has seen recruits with no motivation entering the program, blossom like a flower. He states that the proper attitude is everything.
The training day is concluded with each recruit in the ring doing a promo, or something charismatic that sets them apart from each other.
Kozina and Fale meet at the Wild Fire Restaurant in South Auckland to review the new recruits. They talk and decide on their choices. They can only accept 3 recruits with this current class.
The House.
The next scene is at the NZ Dojo House in South Auckland. Recruits arrive at the house where they will live and train.
Show Me Your Roar.
Fale, Kozina, Mark Tui, co-owner of the NZ Dojo, and Tangi Ropati, strength and conditioning coach, line up the recruits and address them as they are about to start their training. Fale welcomes them. He warns them Japan is harder than the training. COVID has cut their training class but they will make the best of it. Fale told to not get discouraged if they come down hard, because the coaches are doing it for the student’s benefit. Fale said this is how they learned. They will be hard, tough and fair.
Tui speaks of looking for heart and toughness. He congratulated them all for making it here. Ropati speaks and wishes them luck. Fale tells them to show me your roar. A few yell out a scream. Fale tells them when they are addressed they have yell out a roar. Fale says they have to be alert on on point. Fale wants them to roar at 110%. Kozina tells them there will be no shortcuts. Tui tells them this is a business, but it is a lonely business and they will have to sacrifice a lot. Tui told them to enjoy the moment, because tomorrow there will be no laughing.
Credits roll.
Trainers:
Toks Fale
Tony Kozina
Mark Tui
Tangi Ropati
Recruits:
Tumanako “T” Te’i (new)
Perenise “Eli” Taito (new)
Warren Walters (new)
Will “Southside” Averil (Returning student)
Dan Peru (Returning student)
Michael Richards (Young lion)
AJ Visage (Returning student)
Lloyd Morgan (Returning student)
Richard Mulu (Returning student)
Andrew “A.V.” Villalobos (Young lion)
My review:
This was a great first episode. I knew Bad Luck Fale had a school but this is the first I have seen it. Fale is involved in all aspects of the school, which shows me he takes this seriously and wants to provide New Japan the best wrestlers he can train. Aaron Henare was at Wrestle Kingdom 16 and Jay White headlines New Japan Strong so Fale’s process is well established.
My impression of the Kozina and Fale is that they are no-nonsense trainers who tell it like it is. There is a respect in their voices towards the recruits and they seem to be avoiding embarrassing the recruits (as United States reality television has become). However, this is episode one.
Another interesting aspect to the show is that it shows the training regimen of a New Japan wrestler, which I am most interested in. The basic things that Fale is teaching is what I am seeing in current young lions, and former young lions like Ren Narita and Alex Coughlin.
Lastly, with the recent releases from WWE and ROH on pause, it is great to see that there are options in wrestling during the time of COVID. Kozina moved from the United States to New Zealand and is enjoying it. Fale is providing New Japan with new talent so that these young men and achieve their goals in life. The message I got from this first episode is that there can be good things in the wrestling business, when you have leaders and mentors who believe in you. It will be the recruits to live up to that expectation.
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