gordi

I would not mind at all if that led to, say, Kendall, Ricky, & Robert vs Slater and the Midnights. I wonder who Magnum's partner will be, vs the Russians.

JWA: Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance JWA Heavyweight Champion: Genichiro Tenryu JWA Japanese Champion: Yoshiaki Fujiwara JWA Tag Team Champions: The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey-Boy Smith) JWA Middleweight Champion: Tiger Mask (Sayama) JWA Trios Champions: The Machines (Super Strong Machine, Sumo Machine, & Very Tall Machine) JWA Middleweight Tag Team Champions: Facekickers (Masa Fuchi & Toshiaki Kawada) JWA Wrestlers who have held belts overseas: UWF TV Title: Rusher Kimura (5/4/85-5/25/85) NWA Canadian International TV Champion: Super Strong Machine (8/17/85 - 12/27/85) Other Notable Victories: 1986 Johnny Rougeau Memorial Cup Winner: Giant Baba (5/3/86, Montreal) 1986 JWA Rumble Winner: Jumbo Tsuruta (2/14/86, Yokohama) Title Histories: JWA Heavyweight Champion: Genichiro Tenryu - defeated Giant Baba (PWF World Heavyweight Champion), Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA International Heavyweight Champion) ,and Riki Choshu (Japan Pro Wrestling Champion) at the JWA Revival Debut Show, April 6, 1985, Tokyo, Nippon Budokan JWA Japanese Champion: Tatsumi Fujinami - Defeated Bruiser Brody on July 28, 1985, in Yokohama, to win the JWA Japanese Championship Tournament. Andre the Giant - Defeated Tatsumi Fujinami at the Tour-opening show on May 4th 1986 at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, in Nagoya. Yoshiaki Fujiwara - Defeated Andre the Giant at the Tour-ending show in Tokyo. JWA Tag Team Champions: The Fighting Sprits (Antonio Inoki and Akira Maeda) - defeated The American Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) at the JWA Revival Debut Show, April 6, Tokyo, Nippon Budokan The Giants (Andre the Giant and Giant Baba) - defeated The Fighting Spirits at the JWA Revival Second Chapter Tour Opening Show in Osaka, May 16th, 1985 Toukon (Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi) - defeated The Giants during the JWA Tournament on July 11, at the Osaka Prefectural Gym Power Rush (Riki Choshu and Rusher Kimura) - Defeated Toukon November 20th, 1985, in Fukuoka The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey-Boy Smith) - Defeated Power Rush, June 4th 1986, in Fukuoka JWA Middleweight Champion: Black Tiger - defeated The Cobra (WWF Junior Heavyweight Champion), Nobuhiko Takada, and Shiro Koshinaka at the JWA Revival Debut Show, April 6, Tokyo, Nippon Budokan Dos Caras - Defeated Black Tiger on June 21, 1985 in Tokyo, at the Festival of Champions End of Tour show. Tiger Mask (Sayama) - Defeated Dos Caras on October 17th, 1985 in Seoul, Korea. JWA Trios Champions: The Machines (Super Strong Machine, Sumo Machine, & Very Tall Machine) - Defeated Tenryu, Hara, & Kawada at the JWA Trios Tournament Finals – on February 24, 1986 in Tokyo JWA Middleweight Tag Team Champions: Animal Hamaguchi and Mighty Inoue - defeated Keiichi Yamada and Gran Hamada at the JWA Revival Debut Show, April 6, Tokyo, Nippon Budokan Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez - defeated Mighty Animals at the JWA Revival Second Chapter Tour Opening Show in Osaka, May 16th, 1985 (Belts suspended when Adams and Hernandez split up without making a title defense) Facekickers (Masa Fuchi & Toshiaki Kawada) - defeated Shining Wizards (Mutoh & Chono) in the tournament finals to claim the suspended title, April 24, 1986, Tokyo Korakuen Hall.

Is Paul Heyman going?

Love the ending to the Southern Tag Team Title Match. Great veteran ring awareness from Finlay. Nice to see the young guys coming back fired up and confident after doing well in Japan. The Chris Adams time limit draw storyline is very entertaining and original.

I love how you booked that show. Lafon looks pretty good in defeat, but Finlay was just the better man this time. Patera is looking for revenge on Nord, and we maybe get the set-up to Patera & Blackwell vs Nord & Kabuki... which sounds very good to me. Douglas also looks good n defeat and we get the contrast between Dundee's constructive mentoring here and Sullivan's bullying style later on. Cactus gets a huge win but not in a way that makes the heels look weak, and it continues and intensifies the ongoing feud. The whole Varsity Rush story sets up Gaylord and Peterson as more interesting heels than I ever thought they could be. Any time they face Leon White or Pillman or Furnas or Lafon you get a whole extra layer of story behind it now. And finally you get to see Big Leon start to come into his own while simultaneously setting up a big Buddy Rose vs Sarge match for next time. Beautifully done, all around,

JWA Presents: Middleweight Tag Team Championship Tournament/ International Young Lions Showcase Day 2: April 24th, 1986 – Tokyo, Korakuen Hall Aired on tape delay on Asahi TV World Pro Wrestling (ワールド・プロレスリング) Commentary Team: Ichiro Furutachi and Takashi Yamada Tournament Semi-Final: Top Guns (Misawa & Hase) vs Shining Wizards (Mutoh & Chono) Misawa debuted for All Japan in '81, and he was still working as Tiger Mask in '86 “in real life.” Baba didn’t start pushing him up the cards in earnest until 1990, although he did have an NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship run in ’85. His partner here, Hase, represented Japan in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In ’86 he did excursions to WWC and Stampede, and got a major push on his return to New Japan in 1987, winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Kuniaki Kobayashi. In the Armchair booking world, my current plan is to start Misawa’s push a little sooner, and to bring Hase along a bit more slowly. Mutoh and Chono both debuted in 1984. In fact, they faced each other in their very first pro match. In ’86 “in real life” Chono was still travelling the world and learning his craft and Mutoh had just returned from his American excursion and was working under the “Space Lone Wolf” gimmick. In 1988, while on an excursion in Puerto Rico, Mutoh, Chono, and Hashimoto formed Toukon Sanjushi or “The Three Musketeers.” In this world, they have been working together all along as “The Young Lions.” Anyway: The relative veteran Misawa pretty much dominated while he was in the ring, while the rookie Hase got a little shine but mostly took a ton of punishment when he was in. Eventually, The Shining Wizards managed to isolate Hase in the red corner where they worked over his leg leading to Mutoh putting him away with the Figure Four. Tournament Semi-Final: Facekickers (Fuchi & Kawada) vs Invaders (#2 & #3) This was a flat-out brawl, with the Facekickers living up to their name throughout the match. Invader #2 looked tough and fearless as he gave as good as he got, but the smaller #3 mostly just ate a ton of punishment. #3’s big moment came near the end of the match as he got a close near-fall on Kawada with a Flying Cross Body. After Kawada kicked out, though, #3 got trapped in the Facekickers corner, where he got kicked in the face a whole bunch of times. Finally, a Gamengiri from Kawada put an end to a very hard-fought match. Youngbloods (Blackman & Wellington), Hot Property (Travis & Savoldi), & Spike Huber vs Triple H (Hata, Hata, & Hayato), Yoshihiro Asai, and Shunji Kosugi Billy Joe Travis was unable to make the long flight from America due to injuries he suffered after a Spike Piledriver from The Stud Stable. Rocky Hata graciously offered to sit out the match, allowing it to proceed as a 4-on-4 bout. The highlight of the match was a long segment worked in semi shoot style between Mach Hayata and Biff Wellington. The Korakuen crowd got really heated up as the two traded stiff strikes and technical holds. There was also a nice exchange between Asai and Huber as the muscular American tossed the young and acrobatic dojo boy around the ring but Asai kept coming back and using his speed and athleticism against the bigger but slower American. As the 15-minute time limit was drawing near, Hirokazu Hata and Mach Hayato worked Steve Blackman over in their corner. They tagged in Shunji Kosugi and he prepared to finish Blackman off… but instead he was surprised by a Bicycle Kick “out of nowhere” that put Kosugi down for the count. Owen Hart vs Keiichi Yamada Just a reminder: Keiichi Yamada is the future Jushin Liger. So, once again we got the young Liger and young Owen thrilling the Japanese crowd with smooth mat-work and spectacular moves. The difference is that this time Owen Hart was clearly working heel. He pulled tights, used the ropes, went after Yamada’s eyes… A fired-up Yamada came back hard and made Owen pay for his cheating ways, but that anger also led to Yamada making a fatal mistake. He went up for a Frog Splash a little too soon, and Owen was able to get his knees up to block it. Hart then rolled up the winded Yamada with a handful of tights for the win, much to the crowd’s displeasure. Shootstylists (Takada & Funaki) vs Anjo & Kido This match was an opportunity for Anjo & Kido to get one more JWA paycheque, and for Shootstylists to get some of their heat back after losing in the first round of the tournament. Nonetheless, Takada and Funaki gave Anjo and Kido a ton of offense, fighting from underneath until the final couple of minutes. The action was stiff and realistic, and built to a nice climax where Shotstylists trapped Anjo in their corner and kicked him in the arm again and again before Takada tapped him out with a Cross Armbreaker. ***BREAK*** Semi-Main Event: 5-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Sting, Shinya Hashimoto, Pegasus Kid, Brian Pillman & Scorpio vs Chris Candido, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Kensuke Sasaki, Yoshinari Ogawa, & Akira Nogami The critics rave: …wild 10 man elimination tag - dawho5, San Juan Daily Star …that 10 man tag gets my money – spaldoni, The Charlotte Observer So much talent in the semi-main event… - SirEdger - Montreal Gazette This was more of a straight-up New Japan style elimination match, rather than the cibernetico-type elimination tag matches that JWA has run in the past. No tags in this one. Man-on-man until we get a pinfall or submission, then the next man enters. Part 1: Scorpio vs Akira Nogami – All action to start out as these two heat up the crowd with some nice high-spots, without getting too far into overkill territory. Akira got near-falls with a Sunset Flip and a Diving Splash but in the end it was a Scorpio Somersault Leg Drop that ended the first stage of this match. Part 2: Scorpio vs Yoshinari Ogawa – “Rat Boy” Ogawa showed how he earned his nickname in this one. After eating a near-fall off of a Scorpio Superkick, Ogawa started cheating up a storm. He managed to bait Scorpio into losing his cool, and lured him into making a blind charge at Ogawa in the corner. Of course, Rat Boy was playing possum, and he dodged the charge and pinned Scorp with a flash Roll-up. Part 3: Ogawa vs Brian Pillman – As Ogawa was celebrating his pinfall, Pillman flew off the ropes with an Air Pillman Springboard Clothesline, taking Ogawa’s head off for the one two three. Part 4: Pillman vs Kensuke Sasaki – These two battled back and forth with the momentum constantly shifting for over fifteen minutes. Pillman was able to match Kensuke’s outstanding power, and he earned to close near-falls with Diving Crossbody Blocks… but Pillman went to the well once too often. On his third Crossbody attempt, Pillman got caught in mid-air by Kensuke and crushed into the mat with a vicious Powerslam. Part 5: Kensuke vs Pegasus Kid – The two men went toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring exchanging stiff chops. Kensuke, worn down after his tough battle with Pillman, dropped first. Benoit knocked him down again with a series of clotheslines, stomped on Kensuke a bunch of times, followed up with a Diving Headbutt, then picked him up and finished him off with the Bridging Tiger Suplex. Part 6: Pegasus Kid vs Kuniaki Kobayashi – Ten straight minutes of non-stop stiff and violent action, capped off when Pegasus Kid caught Kobayashi with a Second-Rope Tombstone, followed up with a Back Body Drop, and once again used the Tiger Suplex to earn the victory. Part 7: Pegasus Kid vs Chris Candido – More stiff and exciting action, building up to Candido crushing the Pegsasus Kid with a Blonde Bombshell Superbomb then following up with a Diving Headbutt of his own to finish things off. Part 8: Candido vs Shinya Hashimoto – Hashimoto wasted no time, nailing Candido with a Jumping DDT before he could get his bearings. He followed up with a Running Legdrop and then a Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin and the victory. Hashimoto then pointed at Sting, who had not had a chance to fight, then at himself… and the crowd roared in approval. Sting entered the ring and shook Hashimoto’s hand. Part 9: Hashimoto vs Sting - The two team-mates squared off and fought hard but clean for ten minutes until Sting, in an impressive display of power, hoisted Hashimoto up with an Overhead Press Slam, then pinned him with a Diving Splash. Sting picked Hashimoto up from the mat and raised his hand. Pegasus Kid, Brian Pillman, and Scorpio joined them in the ring to celebrate their victory. Main Event: JWA Middleweight Tag Team Championship Tournament finals: Facekickers vs Shining Wizards After such an epic semi-main event match, we kept the main event basic and nasty. The action was ferocious, but both teams stayed within the rules. Chono and Kawada went back and forth, as did Mutoh and Fuchi. Masa Chono very nearly beat Kawada with the STF… but Kawada escaped and made the tag to Fuchi, who kicked and stomped Chono for a few minutes before applying an STF of his own. This time, there was no escaping. The Facekickers were crowned the new JWA Middleweight Tag Champs in a relatively short ceremony, and they posed (unsmilingly) for photos with the belts to end the show.

It is, I think, kind of a common problem with a certain kind of young wrestler. Stringing move after move together with a kind of "Look at me! Look how many moves I know!" type of attitude rather than trying to tell any kind of coherent story or develop dramatic tension or whatever. It not just jumpy flippy guys who are spot monkeys. Hopefully they'll grow out of it eventually.

I'd be interested in a Funks-as-Super Ds vs Von Erichs match or two, where the Von Erichs are at least as focused on trying to rip off the masks as in winning the match. Also... the Hillbillies vs Funks-as-Super Ds or vs the Freebirds could be fun. I think I'd enjoy more of that that Texas six-man action, in other words.

I enjoyed how the show started out with a touch of class and then Parsons comes out and starts heeling things up. "Rootie poots" is, to me, such a pure 80s pro wrestling kind of insult. Loved him busting that out. ...and then you pay it off nicely without making the Iceman look weak. That Big Bubba guy kind of reminds me of Bossman Traylor, who has worked some nice matches over here for the JWA recently. Yes! JYD and Dusty working together is a thing of beauty. Road Warriors are the perfect TV main event team. That San Antonio card looks great.

Whoa! What a finish! I was looking forward to Duggan vs Hansen but I am in no way disappointed with what we got instead. Hopefully, this is not over yet. Hansen & DiBiase vs Duggan & X, please!

I think that if you are limiting the discussion to wrestlers for whom a ton of footage is available, then Atlaantis is a damned good choice for "most underrated/least discussed" There's also a whole subset of wrestlers like Gene Kiniski (AWA and NWA champion), Gorgeous George (one of the first great heels and a true star of the early TV era) and, say, El Santo where they are barely even in the discussion because there is only limited footage available. It's hard to even rate those wrestlers properly at all, even if their historical importance is clear and obvious.

Nice to see Bad News back, and using his judo. Savage and Sika are both losing their minds, but in totally different ways. Bodes poorly for their opponents, but well for the fans.

Definitely shows that you have a ton of talent to work with here, putting on two big shows with totally different line-ups and giving both crowds their money's worth. I think that "outsmarting the Warlord" is definitely the best way to get past Devastation Inc.

What a card! Love the finish in the opener. Rheingans vs Backlund should be a really good feud featuring a lot of scientific wrestling, but with a clear good guy/bad guy dynamic. Ole may have lost his match, but at least he got some revenge on Dillon. NEW US TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!!! Those glitter robes don't look so good without the tag belts to go with them. I think that's exactly how I would have booked Antonio Inoki vs. Tiger Jeet Singh in America. Emphasizing Singh's strengths and downplaying his weaknesses, Heyman style. Nice finish to a very good Mid Atlantic Title Bout, letting Race keep the title but making Orndorff look strong. If you are gonna go face vs face in the main event of a big show, it better be an excellent match... and Martel and Taylor definitely delivered with some great near-falls and a nice show of class at the end.

Yep. Hat tip to Edwin, the Travis Tomko of PWO.

How about Colonel DeBeers' Belly to Back Inverted Mat Slam? Considering that his gimmick was both military (he's a Colonel) and industrial (a member of the DeBeers Diamond family) as well as racist...

It'll be interesting to see who Sammartino challenges.

Curiosity over who the huge signing will be and anticipation for Hacksaw vs Lariat are pushing all other thoughts out of my mind after reading that.

Maybe the mighty truly has fallen. Wrestlingdata.com says Backlund did not wrestle between 1985 and 1988. Does anyone know if this is true? I think it is true. After leaving the WWF he had a short run with the ill-fated Pro Wrestling USA, which folded in the summer of '85. He had one match for the UWF (Japanese Shoot-Style promotion) in December 1988, and another in 1989 (both worth watching) but as far as I know that was it from the summer of '85 until his comeback in the 1990s.

Total game changer. Huge moment. With Carlos Colon falling to Abdullah the Butcher in WWC and now Falir beating Hogan, that's two of the greatest heroes in our world suffering shocking losses in the same week. I love it!

Very nicely booked, with almost every moment building to something in the future.

I'm also interested in seeing what is next for Butch Reed.

I like Kokina as a monster, and I like the unexpected title change.

With the sad news about Paul Jones today... I was reminiscing about his feud with Jimmy Valient... then I realized my memories were not so much of the actual Paul Jones Army vs Boogie Woogie man feud, but rather of stuff from this thread. I don't mean any disrespect by that at all. It was honestly kind of nice, like I somehow had fresh memories of the man, even if they are memories that you created.

Good Lord! At least you got a story to tell out of it. And, w/r/t kevin's concerns: I totally prefer that everyone book in their own style. That is a huge strength of this project, in my eyes. That being said, I also like to take a Jeet Kune Do approach in my booking, by which I mean I will happily steal bits and pieces from what everyone else and doing, and keep the stuff that seems to work