Every Dog Has His Day by Natsumi Kuroyama, November 29th, 1998 Puroresuring has been influenced by the growing popularity of "strong style" or "shootfighting".  Nowhere is this development more visible than in the number of puroresuring stars who have made the crossover to organizations such as SHVF.  But the reverse is also true as demonstrated by the recent success of "Black Dog" Yoshito Katsumura who has amassed an impressive string of victories in Gunryo Pro. Katsumura, the eldest son of a retired army officer, originally followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.  It was in the military that he earned his nickname as his shaggy, dark hair inspired his friends to call him "Black Dog".  And while Yoshito's military career was short-lived, it did expose him to unarmed combat where he found he had a hidden talent. He studied numerous martial arts and even took up Western-style boxing, quickly becoming adept at a number of styles.  Leaving the military with little future prospects, he was recruited by a small shootfighting league based of Kyoto where he dominated the ranks.  But the organization was mismanaged and quickly folded. Disillusioned with this experience, Katsumura vowed to himself that he would fight for larger sums of money and he turned his attention to the world of puroresuring. He attracted the attention of Gunryo Pro and made his debut on September 19th at the Olympic Gym in Tokyo.  His opponent was another newcomer, Seikai, and initially, Katsumura had a tough struggle on his hands.  Toward the end of the match, Seikai scored with a powerbomb, a dropkick, an Asai Moonsault bodyblock down to the floor, and a springboard DDT.  Things looked grim but Katsumura regained control with a guillotine drop across the top rope and softened Seikai up with a belly-to-belly superplex before nailing the Black Dog Driver for the pin. Katsumura went on to impress observers with participation in several trios matches and a victory over the infamous luchador, Estrago.  A loss to Shoji Suzuki and a draw against Simon "ThunderStryke" McQuaid slowed his momentum briefly but he overcame this with a convincing victory by knockout over "Predator" Paul Gamble.  Katsumura claims that this match drove Gamble out of G-Pro and he went on to score an upset over former G-Pro Super-Middleweight Champion, Kashan Akuma. Just who is this man who has done so well in the world of puroresuring? He is a loner and not an easy man to get to know.  He consciously fashions the image of a "lone wolf" operator and has recently demonstrated that he does not feel bound by rules or conventions.  It would seem that his closest friends are the pair of vicious Rottweilers who have made several appearances at ringside, serving as a deterrent against those who would interfere against him. The fans have not taken to Katsumura with much affection as his aloof attitude has alienated many and his personality is not amongst the most dynamic or colorful in the G-Pro roster.  Yet, they have been impressed by his technical ability as he has earned for himself a grudging amount of respect.  His repertoire of takedowns, submission moves and hard-hitting strikes have proven to be highly effective in overcoming larger opponents as well as fast-moving ones. So what does the future hold for the "Black Dog"? Speculation had it that he might move over to SHVF to resume his shootfighting ways.  But he dispels this quickly with a terse remark: "I am dominating Gunryo Pro, why would I go anywhere else?" And indeed, his plate is full in G-Pro these days as he continues a feud with McQuaid as well as openly expressing his hatred for "Japeater" Jarred Jones.  And with the ability he has shown, a title shot could very well be in Katsumura's future someday. He is fond of claiming that "The Day Of The Black Dog" is dawning in G-Pro. Perhaps he is right.