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by Taro Nakada, January 24th, 1999 
Super Hyper Visual Fighting is still reeling from the departures of Fukada
and Mayashi, leaving many fans wondering just who will take Fukada's place as
one of the top stars. We all know Asamiya and Shirow are destined for
top spots, and everyone feels Hadi Moditian has been grooming Ed Dean as a
future champion after his recent rampage started in SJPW. However,
there is one man I feel has the potential to surpass them all. He is
the one man who entered SHVF with the stigma of being an outsider to the
rules: Eiji Miyazaki. Miyazaki came into SHVF with one purpose: to take
on Ed Dean, and prove that he was better than him. Why target
Dean? This reporter has discovered the "secret" that lies
between these two men, one that Dean may not even be aware of.Eiji Miyazaki started his training at age fourteen, and was trained in the Kobayashi's Doragon [Dragon] Dojo of Puroresu. This links him with the suspended SJPW CEO, though my sources claim the two only met at Miyazaki's graduation. Miyazaki also studied martial arts under various teachers, then went to Mexico to wrestle, as he wasn't able to find employment in Nippon In Mexico, he chose to don a mask, like the luchadors do, and took the name of Tatsunokuchi [dragon-headed gargoyle]. During his tenure in Mexico, Miyazaki did some touring of the United States. It was here that he met Ed Dean. Dean was a rookie like Miyazaki, but he was all ready ruthless in the ring. The two met on opposite sides in a series of tag team and trios matches. Whenever the two faced off in the ring, the crowd was electrified. Both men are nowhere near the level of skill they are today, but fans were on their seats as these two men tore into each other. It's as if from the moment they set eyes on each other, a genetic instinct of hatred overcame them. They were born to be enemies. The only time they faced in a singles match, they went to a time limit draw. Miyazaki left Mexico, and went to Hong Kong, where he approached the martial arts master known only as The Old Man, sensei to the world famous Tokyo Blades. Something in Miyazaki impressed The Old Man, and he took the young Miyazaki under his wing. During his time with The Old Man, Miyazaki secretly engaged in illegal street fights, and some say he crossed paths with The Mandarin in one of these fights. Needless to say, Miyazaki and The Mandarin are not on friendly terms. When The Old Man discovered Miyazaki's treachery, he kicked him out of his dojo. Miyazaki then went to Thailand, and while there he spent some time training with the man now known as Steel Serpent. My sources claim that Miyazaki trained Serpent in puroresu, in exchange for training in Thai kickboxing. In fact, shortly after Serpent debuted in SJPW, his bodyguard/manager, Victor Creed, contacted Miyazaki, and tried to recruit him to be Serpent's partner. Miyazaki refused, citing personal reasons. When Hadi Moditian opened SHVF, and announced the signing of Ed Dean, Miyazaki came out of hiding. During his self-imposed exile, he reconciled with The Old Man, who stands at his side even now. Miyazaki entered SHVF, and rumors started that the SJPW board of directors hired him to punish Dean for his betrayal. Whether or not this is true has yet to be proved or disproved. My personal feelings are that the board tried to hire Miyazaki, but he refused money, as this is a matter of personal honor with him. Miyazaki and Dean have faced twice. The first time, they went to a double DQ for their excessive violence. The second meeting saw Dean emerge victorious. Miyazaki then challenged Dean to face him one last time, and if he loses, he swore to leave SHVF. He also expressed his interest in facing Dean and his SHVF Ultra Crush tag partner, Doug Thomas, claiming he has a mystery partner that Dean knows well [though never faced in the ring], and that they would destroy Dean and Thomas. Dean readily agreed to both, and Miyazaki has been in training ever since. So why is Miyazaki a reluctant hero? Miyazaki doesn't cater to the fans. It isn't in his nature. However, since day one, the fans of SHVF, and puroresu in general, have chanted his name all across Nippon. Ed Dean broke a sacred bond when he left SJPW and joined SHVF; to most Nipponese, this is a violation of something ingrained in all of us as children: Your word is your bond. Betray that, and you have no honor. Face must be maintained. Dean cares nothing for this, being the "Ugly American". He is proud of being called this. Miyazaki, in opposing Dean, has become a hero to the people. His further challenging of Moditian's backing Dean have made him even more fans. Everyone likes to root for the underdog, and Miyazaki has gone from being just another vicious fighter to being, and forgive me for using a cliched catch-phrase, "The People's Champion". He is a man of honor, yet like Super Tengu before him, challenges the status quo. He even expressed regret at letting the fans down, the first time he ever acknowledged their support for him. Sales of Miyazaki's t-shirts have tripled since he challenged Dean at that press conference, and Miyazaki's SHVF action figure has started to outsell the one of Shirow! While SHVF restructures itself, Miyazaki has gone to America, as The Old Man suffered a concussion at the hands of Damage Incorporated in Wild West Wrestling [The Tokyo Blades home promotion in America]. Miyazaki has sworn to avenge this assault on his mentor, and he has sworn to take his sensei's place at the side of the Blades as they face their foes in combat. Eiji Miyazaki is a brutal, vicious man. However, his need to settle a matter of personal honor has made him a hero to the people, eager to see him lay low Ed Dean. If he can accomplish this, he will surely ascend as one of the top, if not the top, superstar in SHVF! 
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