Great Bash Heel
Encyclopedia
Great Bash Heel, often abbreviated to G・B・H, was a professional wrestling
stable, and is currently a tag team
, in New Japan Pro Wrestling
(NJPW). It was the top heel
group in New Japan Pro Wrestling, before April 2009, when the rest of the group turned on their leader, Togi Makabe
, and formed a new stable named CHAOS
, under the leadership of Shinsuke Nakamura
. Though, Makabe and Tomoaki Honma
are still billed as members of G・B・H, the stable is effectively dissolved.
, fresh off his G1 Climax triumph and a big win over former mentor Masahiro Chono
and on his way to challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, announced the formation of his first stable and named former IWGP Provisional Tag Team Champions, Togi Makabe
and Shiro Koshinaka
, as his first recruits. Tenzan announced that the criteria for joining his group was to "be strong, bad and cool" and that the intention of his new stable was to revive the old "beautiful New Japan". Tenzan immediately began sending out invitations to other New Japan wrestlers, such as Yuji Nagata
, Manabu Nakanishi
and even Makabe's and Koshinaka's blood rivals, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
, to join the group, which was unofficially named Mougyu Ikka. On October 9, Tenzan failed in his attempt to regain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi
, but despite the setback, announced that his quest had only just begun. Finally, on October 15, Tenzan announced that the official name of his stable was Great Bash Heel, G・B・H, and named their goal to become the biggest heel
group in New Japan history by causing "grievous bodily harm
", something the group's name was also a reference to. The following day, Tenzan orchestrated a truce between the teams of Makabe and Koshinaka and Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano, who became the fourth and fifth member of G・B・H.
(AJPW) in December, Makabe acted as the de facto
leader of G・B・H. The group then attempted to simultaneously capture both the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship
and IWGP Tag Team Championship, but failed on both attempts. In February 2007, G・B・H was joined by Tomoaki Honma
and he was followed by veteran tag team of Jado and Gedo in July, while the following month, Koshinaka turned on G・B・H and joined Masahiro Chono's new Legend stable. After being pinned by Koshinaka in a tag team match between G・B・H and Legend, Tenzan announced that he was going to be taking some time off to heal himself up. With his regular tag team partner gone from G・B・H, Makabe formed a new tag team with Toru Yano and together the two of them entered the 2007 G1 Climax Tag League, along with their stablemates, Gedo and Jado. Makabe and Yano would make it to the semifinals of the tournament, before being defeated by the eventual winners of the whole tournament, Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko
of RISE
, a spinoff group of BLACK, led by Shinsuke Nakamura
. After the tournament, Makabe and Yano would remain together as a tag team, naming the unit the Most Violent Players. On January 4, 2008, at Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome, MVP faced Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA) tag team Team 3D
(Brother Devon and Brother Ray) in a hardcore tag team match in a losing effort. After spending months sidelined, Hiroyoshi Tenzan finally made his return to New Japan on February 17, but after he, Gedo, Jado and Ishii were defeated by Legend in an eight man tag team match, the rest of G・B・H turned on their leader and kicked him out of the group. Later that same night, Makabe and Yano defeated Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, G・B・H's first title in New Japan. As the former leader of G・B・H, Tenzan had difficulties in finding new allies, however, long time New Japan Sekigun member Takashi Iizuka
was the first to accept him and the two went on to form a tag team. On April 27, Tenzan and Iizuka challenged Makabe and Yano for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, however, Iizuka ended up turning on Tenzan and joining G・B・H. Tenzan would find new allies in Legend and Satoshi Kojima
and would spend the rest of the year feuding with the stable he had created. On September 5, 2008, former RISE member, Low Ki
, made his return to New Japan, attacking Jushin Liger
and Tiger Mask IV
, before being revealed as the newest member of G・B・H. The same day, Giant Bernard and Rick Fuller
turned on RISE and joined G・B・H along with fellow Americans Black Tiger IV, Karl Anderson
and Val Venis
. Fuller, Black Tiger and Venis would all, however, leave the promotion shortly after their first appearances as members of G・B・H. On September 21, Low Ki defeated Tiger Mask IV to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
. Both of G・B・H's title reigns ended on January 4, 2009, at Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome, when Low Ki lost the Junior Heavyweight Championship back to Tiger Mask IV and MVP lost the Tag Team Championship to Team 3D in a hardcore rematch of their encounter from the previous year.
with Yano, Gedo, Jado, Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Takashi Iizuka and Tomohiro Ishii, all of whom abandoned Makabe and G・B・H. The event would kickstart Makabe's singles career and quest for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which he would win on May 3, 2010, and although he and Tomoaki Honma, the only member of G・B・H to remain loyal to him, would occasionally wrestle together under the G・B・H banner, the stable was effectively dissolved.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
stable, and is currently a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
, in New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
(NJPW). It was the top heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
group in New Japan Pro Wrestling, before April 2009, when the rest of the group turned on their leader, Togi Makabe
Togi Makabe
, better known by his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Tag Team Champion....
, and formed a new stable named CHAOS
Chaos (professional wrestling)
CHAOS is a Japanese professional wrestling stable formed by Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano in New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Formation:In April 2009, Toru Yano turned on Togi Makabe, costing Makabe the match against Shinsuke Nakamura. As Nakamura continued the attack on Makabe, Tomoaki Honma tried to...
, under the leadership of Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Super Rookie :...
. Though, Makabe and Tomoaki Honma
Tomoaki Honma
Tomoaki Honma is a freelance Japanese professional wrestler, currently touring with New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Career:Honma trained in the Big Japan dojo before debuting for the promotion in May, 1997...
are still billed as members of G・B・H, the stable is effectively dissolved.
Formation (2006)
On October 2, 2006, Hiroyoshi TenzanHiroyoshi Tenzan
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the Real World Tag League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Climax Tag League in NJPW becoming in the only tag team which has done...
, fresh off his G1 Climax triumph and a big win over former mentor Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
and on his way to challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, announced the formation of his first stable and named former IWGP Provisional Tag Team Champions, Togi Makabe
Togi Makabe
, better known by his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Tag Team Champion....
and Shiro Koshinaka
Shiro Koshinaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestle Association "R" during the 1980s and 1990s...
, as his first recruits. Tenzan announced that the criteria for joining his group was to "be strong, bad and cool" and that the intention of his new stable was to revive the old "beautiful New Japan". Tenzan immediately began sending out invitations to other New Japan wrestlers, such as Yuji Nagata
Yuji Nagata
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He was known for his perennial tweener status, currently a solid fan favorite, and his stiff, shoot style wrestling technique....
, Manabu Nakanishi
Manabu Nakanishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Amateur wrestling career:...
and even Makabe's and Koshinaka's blood rivals, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
Toru Yano
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
, to join the group, which was unofficially named Mougyu Ikka. On October 9, Tenzan failed in his attempt to regain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
, but despite the setback, announced that his quest had only just begun. Finally, on October 15, Tenzan announced that the official name of his stable was Great Bash Heel, G・B・H, and named their goal to become the biggest heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
group in New Japan history by causing "grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm is a term of art used in English criminal law which has become synonymous with the offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861....
", something the group's name was also a reference to. The following day, Tenzan orchestrated a truce between the teams of Makabe and Koshinaka and Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano, who became the fourth and fifth member of G・B・H.
Makabe takes over (2006–2009)
G・B・H were then engulfed in a three–way war with the New Japan Sekigun, led by Yuji Nagata, and BLACK, led by Masahiro Chono. While Tenzan began touring All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
(AJPW) in December, Makabe acted as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of G・B・H. The group then attempted to simultaneously capture both the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship
AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship
The All Japan Pro Wrestling Unified World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling...
and IWGP Tag Team Championship, but failed on both attempts. In February 2007, G・B・H was joined by Tomoaki Honma
Tomoaki Honma
Tomoaki Honma is a freelance Japanese professional wrestler, currently touring with New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Career:Honma trained in the Big Japan dojo before debuting for the promotion in May, 1997...
and he was followed by veteran tag team of Jado and Gedo in July, while the following month, Koshinaka turned on G・B・H and joined Masahiro Chono's new Legend stable. After being pinned by Koshinaka in a tag team match between G・B・H and Legend, Tenzan announced that he was going to be taking some time off to heal himself up. With his regular tag team partner gone from G・B・H, Makabe formed a new tag team with Toru Yano and together the two of them entered the 2007 G1 Climax Tag League, along with their stablemates, Gedo and Jado. Makabe and Yano would make it to the semifinals of the tournament, before being defeated by the eventual winners of the whole tournament, Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko
Travis Tomko
Travis David Tomko is an American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Tomko, who most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he previously was a member of Christian's Coalition and the Angle Alliance and often worked alongside A.J. Styles. He was also notable for his...
of RISE
RISE (professional wrestling)
RISE was a professional wrestling stable that competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling and was led by Shinsuke Nakamura. The group was a spinoff group of BLACK which also featured Nakamura as a co-leader with Masahiro Chono and featured Giant Bernard, Travis Tomko, and Milano Collection AT as...
, a spinoff group of BLACK, led by Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Super Rookie :...
. After the tournament, Makabe and Yano would remain together as a tag team, naming the unit the Most Violent Players. On January 4, 2008, at Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome, MVP faced Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) tag team Team 3D
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
(Brother Devon and Brother Ray) in a hardcore tag team match in a losing effort. After spending months sidelined, Hiroyoshi Tenzan finally made his return to New Japan on February 17, but after he, Gedo, Jado and Ishii were defeated by Legend in an eight man tag team match, the rest of G・B・H turned on their leader and kicked him out of the group. Later that same night, Makabe and Yano defeated Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, G・B・H's first title in New Japan. As the former leader of G・B・H, Tenzan had difficulties in finding new allies, however, long time New Japan Sekigun member Takashi Iizuka
Takayuki Iizuka
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Early years :Takayuki Iizuka made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling in November 1986, wrestling against Akira Nogami. In June 1989, Iizuka and Hiroshi Hase went to the Soviet...
was the first to accept him and the two went on to form a tag team. On April 27, Tenzan and Iizuka challenged Makabe and Yano for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, however, Iizuka ended up turning on Tenzan and joining G・B・H. Tenzan would find new allies in Legend and Satoshi Kojima
Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. As a singles wrestler, he was the first wrestler to hold NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship and All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Championship simultaneously...
and would spend the rest of the year feuding with the stable he had created. On September 5, 2008, former RISE member, Low Ki
Low Ki
Brandon Silvestry is an American professional wrestler. He is best known under his ring names Low Ki, Senshi in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Kaval in World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a former one-time PWG World Champion and a former ROH Champion...
, made his return to New Japan, attacking Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
and Tiger Mask IV
Tiger Mask IV
Yoshihiro Yamazaki , best known by his ring name Tiger Mask , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask image / persona; having used it since 1995...
, before being revealed as the newest member of G・B・H. The same day, Giant Bernard and Rick Fuller
Rick Fuller
Richard Fuller is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances World Championship Wrestling. He would later be featured in several video games including WCW Nitro and WCW/NWO Thunder....
turned on RISE and joined G・B・H along with fellow Americans Black Tiger IV, Karl Anderson
Karl Anderson
Chad Allegra is an American professional wrestler better known by his stage name Karl "Machine Gun" Anderson currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is currently one half of the IWGP and GHC Tag Team Champions with partner Giant Bernard.-Personal life:Allegra grew up in Asheville,...
and Val Venis
Sean Morley
Sean Allen Morley is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Val Venis, during his time with World Wrestling Federation, later known as World Wrestling Entertainment...
. Fuller, Black Tiger and Venis would all, however, leave the promotion shortly after their first appearances as members of G・B・H. On September 21, Low Ki defeated Tiger Mask IV to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
. Both of G・B・H's title reigns ended on January 4, 2009, at Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome, when Low Ki lost the Junior Heavyweight Championship back to Tiger Mask IV and MVP lost the Tag Team Championship to Team 3D in a hardcore rematch of their encounter from the previous year.
Betrayal (2010–present)
On April 5, G・B・H co–leader Togi Makabe faced RISE leader Shinsuke Nakamura in a singles match, at the end of which Yano turned on both Makabe and Tomoaki Honma and helped Nakamura pick up the win. In the aftermath of the event, Nakamura dissolved RISE and formed new top heel stable CHAOSChaos (professional wrestling)
CHAOS is a Japanese professional wrestling stable formed by Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano in New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Formation:In April 2009, Toru Yano turned on Togi Makabe, costing Makabe the match against Shinsuke Nakamura. As Nakamura continued the attack on Makabe, Tomoaki Honma tried to...
with Yano, Gedo, Jado, Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Takashi Iizuka and Tomohiro Ishii, all of whom abandoned Makabe and G・B・H. The event would kickstart Makabe's singles career and quest for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which he would win on May 3, 2010, and although he and Tomoaki Honma, the only member of G・B・H to remain loyal to him, would occasionally wrestle together under the G・B・H banner, the stable was effectively dissolved.
Championships and accomplishments
- Apache Pro WrestlingFrontier Martial-Arts WrestlingFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...
- WEW Heavyweight ChampionshipWEW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WEW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship currently contested in Apache Army. It was originally created for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling as the FMW World Heavyweight Championship.-Title history:...
(3 times) – Makabe (1), Yano (1) and Ishii (1)
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Makabe
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
(1 time) – Low Ki - IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Makabe and Yano
- G1 ClimaxG1 ClimaxThe G1 Climax professional wrestling tournament is a weeklong event held each August by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The G1 draws standing room only crowds each night, record receipt gates and generates front-page coverage on the sports sections of several of the daily newspapers in Tokyo...
(2009) – Makabe
- Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Fighting Spirit Award (2009) – Makabe
- Tag Team of the Year (2007) – Makabe and Yano