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New Japan Lion's Roar: The Final Episode
After the credits, the show opens with Richard Mulu. He speaks of his love of wrestling at a young age. He was in twenties when he decided to give wrestling a try. He saw an advertisement for Fale's school, but he was not familiar with Fale or New Japan, but yet was willing to apply to the Fale Dojo. They show Rich's home and his dogs playing in his family's yard.
Rich's Recap
The first time he got into a ring, he was intimidated, but he was motivated to try. He said that is was a really difficult process, especially with his cardio. He thinks of his motivations and taking it step by step. He struggled mentally and that his progress which would slow down the rest of the group. Fale told him that it does not matter who comes in first, but he is looking for guys who do not give up.
Inspire
Rich continues saying that he second guesses all his choices throughout the training. Fale told him if you can envision yourself [wrestling for New Japan], then you can accomplish this. He sees himself in New Japan and providing for his family. He wants to inspire others as his trainers did for him.
Week 12 The Last Day
The recruits are cleaning and doing chores still on the last day. Sebastian came down with a cold in the past two days, but he is hoping to finish strong. Michael Richards says that this has been one of the more interesting intakes he has participated in due to COVID and the film crew. Mitch was lucky to receive a return flight home to Australia as the Lockdown was closing, but he would have to follow quarantine rules for the next several weeks. Sebastian was also lucky to get a flight to Australia.
Many of the recruits from Australia do not have flights home. So after they leave the Dojo House, they will be stuck in New Zealand until more flights open up. Jake explains several of them sat down with Fale and Kozina to talk details of long term plans like moving to New Zealand, and get ready for the next intake of recruits, or moving back home for good.
The scene shifts to the Fale Dojo. Fale speaks on how the recruits have changed while they were training. He wants to find guys who are hungry for the business. He hopes he will see that today.
Exhibition 2.0
This exhibition is much less formal than the first, due to COVID. The trainers sit to evaluate matches between the recruits. They show clips of the matches between the recruits and camera captures the reactions of the trainers.
100% Brothers
Everyone gathers in a circle and Fale addresses the group. He thanks everyone who participated and also thanked the documentary crew who shot all the footage. He said this experience will help [the Fale Dojo] get better. Mark Tui tells those who choose to leave, he says to have no regrets. He tells them to go hard in whatever they choose to do in their lives. Will Averill addressed the trainers and said he probably saved $100,000 because he would be smoking it up. Fale says that after this intake they would all be brothers going forward. Fale references his faction [Bullet Club], and no matter where they are in the world, they will always come back and be brothers. They do a group clap and bow to each other.
The Aftermath
The NZ Dojo Intakes occur quarterly throughout the calendar year. This group was the 3rd Quarter Intake of 2021. They show beautiful aerial shots of the NZ Dojo, Dojo House and of South Aukland.
The COVID laws in New Zealand restricted wrestlers from Europe, Asia and America from coming to the 4th Quarter Intake in 2021.
Michael Richards continued into the next Intake. He is in the seventh year of pursuing his New Japan dream.
Andrew Villalobos also continued into the next Intake.
Jake Taylor also continued and decided to move to New Zealand permanently.
Richard Mulu returned to work full time and plans to return in 2022 for the next Intake.
Tumanako Te'i opted out of a wrestling career and plans to pursue rugby and return to the United States.
Lloyd Morgan stepped away from the Intake to take care of his family during the Lockdown. He plans to return to the NZ Dojo in the future.
Will Averil found love outside of the ring. He plans to return to the NZ Dojo next year.
Warren Walters is waiting on surgery for his arm, which is now a torn labrum. He is traveling around New Zealand, but will not be returning to the NZ Dojo.
AJ Visage returned to his family in Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand, after the Lockdown. He will be pursuing a physical therapy degree at Otago University.
Perenise "Eli" Taito is training to defend his WKN Oceania Kick Boxing Title. He plans to return to the NZ Dojo after the fight.
Dan Puru works as a life guard and plays summer basketball. He will return to the NZ Dojo next year.
Tim Hayden decided to stay and continue training at the NZ Dojo, because of there were no flights available. He joined the 4th Quarter Intake with Michael, Jake and A.V.
Sebastian Matters cancelled his flight to Australia and chose to train with the 4th Quarter Intake.
Mitch Schoemaker spent almost a month in quarantine, and finally arrived back home in Brisbane, Australia. The cameras caught Mitch meeting his partner at the airport.
One Month Later...
Fale is shown getting ready to go to the airport to travel to Japan for a New Japan Tour. (This was for World Tag League 2021.) Tim, Jake, Michael and A.V. help Fale load his things into the car. He says it has been six months since his last tour, and it is always hard to get back into that groove. Your body has to get used to all the bumping again. He plans to recommend a couple of his recruits to New Japan. He says that if new wrestlers want to come to the NZ Dojo, they need to figure out how to get to New Zealand. If they can do that, then they are hungry for the next level.
Back to Business
Fale says that the life of a wrestler is lonely and tough. That is why he asks the recruits come to NZ Dojo to train and live together. They have to learn that this can be a hard lifestyle, but they have to decide if this is what they really want. The recruits meet at the airport and wishes Fale luck on his trip.
They show a clip of New Japan World of Bad Luck Fale teaming with Chase Owens.
Well Done Bro
Kozina and Tui are standing in the Fale Dojo. Fale calls in by video conference from Japan. They call in Michael Richards into the Dojo. Fale tells Richards that he spoke to New Japan officials and showed video footage from the training. The New Japan office offered a Young Lions contract to Richards. Fale tells him "Congrats. Well done, bro." Richards says that he feels like it has taken a lifetime and it still does not feel real. He knows that it will get harder and promises to work even harder. He thanks Fale.
A.V. gets called in. Fale tells him that New Japan is offering him a 1 year contract. He thanks Fale and the New Japan office.
The scene moves to the Dojo House. The trainers and Fale by video meet with Jake. Fale tells him that New Japan is offering him a 1 year contract. Fale said to him this is not the end. This is just the start.
They also note that if Richard Mulu had continued training he would have been in consideration for a contract too.
7 Years
The director asks Michael Richards how does he feels about his doubters. Richards gives the middle finger to the camera and says "F**k them*. He says he knows what his critics say about him, but he does not care about their opinions. He knows what he has sacrificed, how hard he has worked and how harder he must work to get to the next level.
The show ends with the statement:
"The NZ Dojo is open for new recruits."
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 Puru (Returning student)
Michael Richards (Young lion)
AJ Visage (Returning student)
Lloyd Morgan (Returning student)
Richard Mulu (Returning student)
Andrew “A.V.” Villalobos (Young lion)
Jake Taylor (Young lion)
Sebastian Matters (Returning student)
Tim Hayden (new)
Mitch Schoemaker (new)
My review:
Great final episode. This was a great show that wrapped up the story of a group of young men who want to be wrestlers. This was an honest look at pro wrestling. There were no high spots or a stunt show. They showed guys training, mostly outside the ring, training their bodies to be comfortable in the ring, and to withstand the pain that comes from wrestling. Tony Kozina was great at explaining the psychology of a wrestling hold and where you should be thinking of going next, once you have an arm bar or headlock.
I am extremely happy for Michael Richards. He acted like a leader (senpai) of this Intake group and really helped them all succeed. When I saw him over a year ago as a young lion, I did not think he was a bad wrestler. I do think the leaders of the New Japan locker room were hard on him. However, I think the documentary footage was important to the New Japan office for them to see that Richards can be a leader.
I am happy for A.V. and Jake that they are getting a chance with New Japan once again. I am even happy for those men who chose to leave and I hope they find what they are passionate about in their future. The wrestling business is not for everyone.
For those who are returning recruits, I hope they see Michael, A.V. and Jake and know that New Japan is a goal that can be achieved.
In looking at the documentary as a whole, for a wrestling fan, I think it is important for several reasons:
1. This is a look inside New Japan protocols and procedures of how they train their wrestlers. Japanese wrestling is stiff and they actually hit each other. No knee slaps here. They teach the basics and the extensions off those basic moves. No moonsaults or tope con hilos taught in this Dojo.
2. The goal of the show was to show if a recruit could make it to the next level or not. This documentary captured that. This was a risk for Fale to because it was something different. A new way to evaluate talent with video footage and share that information with New Japan. If Michael, A.V. or Jake looked worse from the film footage and showed no improvement, it would have been shameful on Fale. Luckily, Richards was able to prove himself to the office to earn a new contract.
3. This could lead to more documentaries about the NZ Dojo. It would interesting to see an entire Intake that was not interrupted by COVID.
4. This documentary could get fan attention behind some of these new young lions. I am a Michael Richards fan now and I will cheer him on as he looks to achieve his dream. Any of these recruits who are seen on this documentary could build a fan base, which could mean more money for New Japan or any other wrestling company who signs them. As a young lion, they wrestle as themselves. They have no character yet. Toa Henare became the Ultimate Weapon Aaron Henare, when he joined United Empire. Toa Henare had no character prior. Jay White was just a young lion who learned the basics from Kazuchika Okada. Now Jay White is "King Switch" and leading Bullet Club over two countries. If Henare and White were a part of an Intake, that we watched and we could follow their journey, the fan base of the New Japan product could grow.
That is what "Tough Enough" was supposed to be for WWE.
5. The most important aspect of this documentary is that it is about life lessons. Not just becoming a wrestler. Anything Toks Fale, Tony Kozina or Mark Tui said to the recruits could apply to any job in any industry. These recruits will be forever remembered on this documentary and share a brotherhood. Fale said it many times about finding the motivation and hunger for this business, and how hard are you willing to work for it.
As I have said before, I highly encourage every wrestling fan to check out this documentary.
Please check out New Japan World at http://www.njpwworld.com, to see the entire season of Lions Roar.
Thanks for reading.
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