Shinji Hamada and Mitsunori Takizawa: What's Wrong With This Team? by Joutei Boshoku, October 23rd, 1998 The atmosphere was right.  Chiimu Tora had just reformed earlier in the night, and fan expectation was running high.  Team Tiger had already suffered one loss during the evening due to outside interference from the Daimyo.  The main event was to see Akira Hashimoto team with Chiimu Tora members Shinji Hamada and Mitsunori Takizawa against Super Tengu, Jensai Tenru, and Ace Kilcannon.  Most fans thought that it would be a lopsided affair, as Tenru and Tengu had already been waging a war of egos, and the history between Tengu and Kilcannon would surely keep that team from working as a unit.  That proved not to be the case though, as Hamada and Tengu ended up brawling on the floor, while Tenru scored the pin on Hashimoto. Fans were disappointed with the result, but many felt the team of Hamada and Takizawa had a good chance at going the distance in the tag team tournament, especially with their first round opponents being the newly reformed Black Sun Rising.  Although Hamada and Takizawa seemed to be working well as a team, they lost the match when Hamada was pinned.  Takizawa was unable to make the save as he was fighting off outside interference.  Although many fans understand why they lost, there is a vocal minority who are saying that Takizawa and Hamada are just not meant to be tag team partners. Although members of Chiimu Tora have refused to comment on the situation, word in the locker room is that Hamada is feeling the pressure of living up to Tiger Kikuchi's legacy, and being the erstwhile leader of Team Tiger has only added to that pressure.  One wrestler, who refused to be identified, said that Hamada seems to be worried that he may be too influenced by Takizawa's tendency to stretch the rules, and in turn that could lead to a return to his more vicious side, which was last seen during the period when he went by Shinji "Blockbuster" Hamada... the Hamada that seriously injured Tiger Kikuchi.  The more time spent with Takizawa, the more likely Hamada will pick up his partners more brutal style. For Takizawa, he's competed in tag teams since his early runs in Old Japan Pro with (current SJPW color commentator) Akira Ono, and later in SJPW with Ed Dean.  Sources close to Takizawa say that although he respects Hamada, and considers him a friend, he doesn't believe they are compatible as a tag team.  "Hamada spent a long time trying to prove himself in the singles scene, and finally achieved it only as SJPW folded around him," our source revealed.  "Now he's suddenly thrust into the tag team scene and he feels he has to prove himself all over again, especially to the fans.  Takizawa doesn't care about the fans once he steps into the ring... to him it becomes all business.  Hamada courts the fans, Takizawa ignores them.  It's not that Takizawa doesn't like having the fans behind him, but it's not his priority.  He needs a partner who is of the same mind-set.  The problem for Takizawa is that right now there's no one who really fits that bill.  He and Ed Dean seemed to be perfectly suited, but even back when they were first teaming, they clearly didn't get along." If our locker room insiders are correct, it means that we may have seen the last of Takizawa and Hamada as a tag team, although it seems clear they will both remain in Chiimu Tora.  What roads they take from there, however, remains to be seen.