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According to Nakazawa’s blog, the GL went out to eat and trained with him quite often throughout January. Nothing new there.

Ibushi also dressed like this for one of the DDT shows, for reasons unknown to me. #ddt culture:

January 6th Ibushi shows up at the NJPW office and asks for/demands (a sweet Kota-style demand anyway) a match against one of their wrestlers, Gedo. Bold move! Matsui follows him there and takes photos of him in the New Japan offices. Arrangements must’ve been made, since Gedo and his tag partner Jado would face the Golden Lovers at the end of January, and Ibushi would have a one-on-one with Gedo in April at a DDT show.

The GL defeated Antonio Honda and Francesco Togo at a DDT house show on the 10th. Photos featured are from HERE.

They also made an appearance at a Imaike Pro Wrestling show, where Ibushi partnered up with little Mr. 6. The two shows where held at the same venue on the same day.

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Mid-month Ibushi and Nakazawa go to New York. The two men work out in a gym, and visit Madison Square Garden. Ibushi had been booked to face Davey Richards in the first ever EVOLVE show in New Jersey. EVOLVE, started by promoters from Dragon Gate and ROH, would later be purchased by WWE, acting as a scouting agency for the company. But when Ibushi first wrestled for them, they were a brand new independent company. How Ibushi got wind of this show I’m not sure. Maybe heard of it through wrestling grape vine? Or he heard about Kenny’s matches with Davey Richards and wanted to have a go too?

Kenny goes to a bar for drinks and karaoke with some friends. They sang some Michael Jackson and Metallica, and had a good time.

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January 24 is the DDT January Special. In an unusual swerve, the Golden Lovers are placed on opposing tag teams, Kenny partnering with Yukihiro Abe and Kota with Gota Ihashi. But the two men aren’t used to being on opposing sides, and the ref has to stop Kenny from saving Kota from being kicked by his own partner. Then when it is Kota’s turn to put Kenny in a chokehold, he gives him the softest most gentle hold, basically an in-ring cuddle. No sirs, these two men just cannot bring themselves to fight each other.

January 31st, the Golden Lovers faced Gedo and Jado and won by the ref’s decision, when Jado got injured and the match had to be cut short.

photo credit

It was not the type of win they wanted – according to Ref Matsui, “After the match, the Lovers were somehow disappointed, but after hearing the cheering of the fans when they left the venue, they seemed to recover a little. At the family restaurant I stopped by on the way home, they were back to the usual disgusting couple.”