gordi

Is that Brady Boone or Bob Bradley with the paw pads on his wrestling boots?

I like the basic idea of the Box y Lucha super show, a lot. I enjoy the way you are formatting and writing it up, and I hope we see the return of your patented "Meltzer voice" at some point as well. But... mannnnn... You are gonna have a LOT of bald wrestlers on your second show.

I like how you seem to be playing off of what is happening in McMemphis here. Nicely done.

Who doesn't like a good old fashioned hoss battle? That was one of the downsides of the 1980s WWF style of booking guys based on their body type: all of the real hosses ended up as bad guys so true hoss battles were rare.

I am worried about what might happen to The Thrillseekers in the second or third round when they have to face off against real shooters.

Doc vs Takada and Steiners vs European Monsters. That is, to say the least, intriguing.

That's a very good point about Brazo being a show-stealer. But... In my imagination the Sanrio collaboration characters are SO popular with their schoolgirl fan base that I could put them in there with Hogan, Andre, Inoki, and Flair... and Hello Spider and Bolshoi Kitty would still get the loudest screams. If I was gonna book this out over several imaginary years, I'd have the Kawaii Wrestling trend grow out of control and end up at a point where those characters are booked at the top of every card... Only for the trend to dry up suddenly when the schoolgirls age out of it and the next generation move on to something else. You also make a good point about listing the names from least to most prominent! I'm just personally happier doing it the other way 'round. That's one of the nice things about armchair booking: I get to do it my way ::

Gli-San Puroresu Best Bouts on LaserDisc volume XVI: Autumn 1988 8-Man Tag Team Match: Baba, Misawa, Kobashi, and Kikuchi vs Hashimoto, Gordy, Bigelow, and Hara This was the main event of our big show at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. It is 20 solid minutes of non-stop clubbering, with Baba and Kikuchi taking turns playing face in peril, and it helps to set up the big Tag Title Match for our upcoming Osaka Super-show. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Tiger Mask III We want as many people as possible to see this one, to help build up the Kanemoto iteration of the character. This match built up to a big struggle to be the first to hit the Tiger Suplex. In the end, Misawa won… but he sold a ton for TMIII and after the match he made a big speech about how this new Tiger Mask was a worthy successor. Hashimoto, Super Strong Machine, and Rusher Kimura vs Terry Funk, Baba, and Jumbo The headliner from a house show in Kawasaki, this match is on the LaserDisc in part to promote the Osaka Main Event of Funk vs Hashimoto for the title, and in part to show everyone how crazy and intense our house show matches can get sometimes. Owen Hart vs Kikuchi Also from Kawasaki, this helps to set up the Six-Man Title Match in Osaka, and shows off a faster-paced more athletic kind of house show match. El Samurai, Dynamite Kansai, and Mayumi Ozaki vs TMIII, Mariko Yoshida, and Megumi Kudo A comedy-style mixed tag match. Basically, Kansai and Oz beat up on Tiger Mask, and El Samurai thinks that is hilarious… but then Yoshida and Kudo beat up on Samurai and that makes him furious. It’s one of about a half-dozen comic formulae that we use and re-use on the mid-card. Cage Match: Kansai and Oz vs Kudo and Toyota A much more serious, very hard-hitting, Joshi match. This one headlined our September Furitsutaiikukaikan show, with a Six-Man Title defense as the semi-main. Jumbo and Baba vs The Can-Am Express (Furnas and Kroffat) Further hype for the Osaka Six-Man Tag match, as well as a pretty darned good tag match in its own right. El Brazo de Plata and Hello Spider vs Bolshoi Kitty and Sakigake Gantetsu The Sanrio Brand Hello Wrestling characters have been an incredible money-maker for our joshi performers. Bolshoi Kitty was the first character we tried out and the test run was so successful that we simply could not make t-shirts, key-holders, pens, plush toys, cat ears, throw blankets, notebooks, shopping bags, and play sets fast enough. Literally everything sold out as fast as we could get it into stores. So, now, All of our joshi wrestlers play at least one Sanrio-type character from time to time. The merchandising money is just too good to pass up. Sanrio section seats (specially-decorated pink chairs on the floor, opposite the hard camera, available only to fan club members) sell out immediately all over Japan (except in Nagoya, for some reason). There is a LOT of fan interaction in this style of match. Loser Leaves Town Cage Match: Rusher Kimura vs Takeshi Ishikawa A showcase for Kimura to set up a match down the road; and a chance to say goodbye to Ishikawa, who will mainly be working as a trainer in the dojo for now (though he is cleared to take one-of bookings if any come up). Kimura is brutal and merciless in this one. Isamu Teranishi, El Samurai, and Gantetsu vs TMIII, Hoshino, and Hamada Pure spot-fu excitement, with Teranishi working as a very solid base for all the high-flying action. Funk, Misawa, and Kobashi vs Hashimoto, Gordy, and Bigelow 20 minutes of high level brawling before everything goes bonzo gonzo. Builds up the main event and the semi-main for Osaka. So, there you have it: Our basic philosophy in putting together these laserdisc sets is to build up for the next big show, and for the future, while giving our fans at least a taste of everything that makes Gli-San Puroresu special. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Nice! Magee really had a great build, a good look, and top-notch athleticism. It's not hard to imagine a promoter projecting him as a future star.

That is probably the most realistic way to represent late-80s/early-90s pro wrestling fandom

You mean, like, featuring Johnathan B. Badd or Kenneth Patera? I'd like to see that, too.

The King of Moon Royal Rumble with this roster is going to be completely insane. Andre has to be the favourite going in, considering how the lighter gravity should help alleviate some of his physical issues.

That is a whale of a roster, with the potential for so many interesting match-ups.

Very interested to see how a mix of these two distinct style will end up working.

You've put together a truly superb roster for a late-80s/early-90s Canadian promotion, and I have 100 percent confidence that you are going to book it just right. I am really looking forward to this.

... and I probably wanted the other ten percent. Having three sets of rules has a clear upside and a clear downside: - it makes your promotion unique - it provides cool booking and storytelling opportunities, where wrestler A can dominate wrestler B in one type of match, but lose to him in another... - allows for more stylistic variation up and down the cards but - it will require an educated and dedicated fan base

That sounds really, really good to me.

A look at the roster (in the order that they were drafted): Terry Funk 1989 – Strengths: Absolutely one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. Extremely versatile, can work face or heel in a huge variety of pro wrestling styles. Charming, likeable, and (by pro wrestling standards) almost free of ego. Makes everyone he fights look like a million bucks. Weakness: Doesn’t have the sheer physical size to work as a monster gaijin heel. Alignment: Absolutely beloved by the Osaka crowds, Funk is the rare gaijin who can work as a pure good guy in Japan… but he is absolutely capable of flipping the switch whenever necessary. Jumbo Tsuruta 1989 – Strengths: Absolutely one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. A master storyteller in the ring. Offense is stiff and intense, selling is generous and believable. The best kind of locker-room leader. A true company ace. Weakness: Can be lazy on house shows, does not always work up to his amazing potential. Allignment: Tweener, leaning face. Crowd cheers him when he is teaming with Baba, boos him when he is mercilessly beating up younger wrestlers. Mitsuharu Misawa 1990 – Strengths: Absolutely one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. A worthy successor to Jumbo as the company ace. Also a great locker-room leader. A true crowd favourite. One of the best “hot tag” guys in the business. Weakness: Takes too many physical risks trying to pop the crowd. Alignment: Pure baby-face. Shinya Hashimoto 1991 – Strengths: Absolutely one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. Unparalleled stiffness and intensity. Has a great aura and presence. Can get the crowd behind him or turn the crowd against him whenever he pleases. Weakness: Smokes, and doesn’t take the best care of himself physically, which can affect his stamina. Alignment: At the present time he’s being built up as a native Japanese monster heel. Kenta Kobashi 1991 – Strengths: Handsome and athletic. Works a very exciting style. An expert at rallying the crowd. Willing to do what is best for the business, without complaint. Arguably one of the greatest... Weakness: Definitely guilty, sometimes, of trying to do too much in the ring. Alignment: Pure baby-face. Terry Gordy 1992 – Strengths: Great size, great look. Solid, believable offense. Understands when and how to bump and sell. Has all of the tools.Great name. Weakness: Not always the most exciting guy in the ring. Alignment: Monster gaijin heel. Bam Bam Bigelow 1992 – Strengths: Has the perfect look for his role. Is an amazing athlete for his size. Has some truly impressive offense and is a very good bumper. Weakness: Can get lazy and sometimes just coasts in there. Alignment: Gaijin monster heel. Owen Hart 1991 – Strengths: Extremely agile and athletic. Does all of the little things very well. Warm and likeable personality in the locker room. Very good “ring general” when he is focused. Weakness: Sometimes cares more about goofing around and having fun than putting on the best possible match. Alignment: Tweener, leaning face, but works as a heel when teamed up with Kroffat and Furnas. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi 1992 – Strengths: One of the very best “face in peril” workers of all time. Amazing at drawing sympathy heat. Tremendous bumper and seller. Excels at making fired-up comebacks. Weakness: Physically unimposing. Alignment: Pure baby-face Giant Baba 1989 – Strengths: Beloved, iconic, living legend. Arguably the greatest locker room leader, promoter, and booker in pro wrestling history. Always willing to do what is best for the business. Radiates joy in the ring. Weakness: Well past his physical prime, and occasionally awkward in the ring. Alignment: Pure baby-face. Doug Furnas 1992 – Strengths: Amazing physical specimen with incredible strength and explosive power. Plays the cocky bully role very well. Very quick and agile for someone of his build. Weakness: I would have preferred the British Bulldogs for this role, but the Can-Am Express is not a bad consolation prize. Alignment: Heel Dan Kroffat 1992 – Strengths: Fast and agile. Creative on offense. Understands how to structure a compelling tag match. Weakness: Not the most charismatic guy. Allignment: Tweener, leaning heel. Rusher Kimura 1989 – Strengths: Grizzled vet is the former ace of IWE. Cage match specialist. Still a very capable brawler. Good on the mic. Weakness: Limited offensive move-set. Alignment: Heel Super Strong Machine 1989 – Strengths: Extremely versatile puzzle piece. Can work face or heel anywhere on the card. Good size and Iconic look. Steady and reliable. Very good tag team worker. Weakness: Lacks the star quality that sets the very top guys apart from the crowd. Alignment: Tweener John Nord 1992 – Strengths: Great size, great look, great intensity, non-stop motor. Willing to commit to a character. Big bumper. Weakness: Doesn’t have the awe-inspiring presence of the great gaijin heels like Abdullah, Brody, Hansen, and Doc. Alignment: Gaijin monster heel. El Samurai 1992 – Strengths: Iconic masked look. Fast and athletic. Can work face or heel. Makes his opponents look good. Weakness: He is not Liger. If I’d managed to get Liger, I would have put more emphasis on the juniors division. Alignment: Twener Dos Caras 1989 – Strengths: Very versatile. Can work heel or face, heavy or juniors. A Mexican star who is very familiar with the Japanese style. Can adapt to almost any kind of opponent or match. Weakness: Doesn’t have the superstar aura of his brother, Mil Mascaras (but makes up for it by being WAY more giving in the ring) Alignment: Tweener Gran Hamada 1990 – Strengths: Has an unbelievable set of tools, with experience in Mexico working for UWA and CMLL, and in shoot style as one of the UWF pioneers. Excels at playing the veteran wrestler putting young punks in their place. Very good tag team worker. Weakness: Lacks that last little bit of star quality. Alignment: Tweener Tiger Mask III 1992 – Strengths: Very good striker, good on the mat, good high flyer. Weakness: Very green at this point. Alignment: Baby-face Ashura Hara 1988 – Strengths: Works very stiff. Has a great sense of when, and how much, to sell. Weakness: At his best working alongside real-life friend Tenryu… but Tenryu is off gallivanting around Russia with Inoki and Flair. Allignment: Heel Brazo de Plata 1992 – Strengths: Unique look, pushing 300 pounds at under 5’7”. Very agile and athletic for a man of his proportions. Can work comedy style or deadly serious style. Weakness: Brazo de Plata has no weakness. Alignment; Tweener, leaning sympathetic face. Isamu “Carpenter” Teranishi 1988 – Strengths: As indicated by his nickname, is very good at making others look good. Another versatile puzzle piece who can work face or heel, up and down the card. Weakness: His 1970s working style no longer electrifies the crowd. Alignment: Tweener, leaning heel. Kantaro Hoshino 1988 – Strengths: This tough little veteran really knows how to entertain the crowd. Weakness: Mainly a nostalgia/comedy act at this point in his long career. Alignment: Face Sakigake Gantetsu 1992 - Strengths; Will eventually become Dick Togo Weakness: Is not Dick Togo just yet. Alignment: Heel Dynamite Kansai 1992 – Strengths: Witheringly stiff worker. Great look, with a monster aura and presence in the ring. Weakness: She’s not Aja Kong. Aja Kong is on the moon. Alignment: Monster heel, most of the time. Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: Hashimoto. Mayumi Ozaki 1992 – Strengths: Incredible ring presence. Completely believable as the tough little punk who backs down from no-one. Great at selling. Great facial expressions and acting in the ring. Weakness: Can be sloppy and will botch a move from time to time. Alignment: Mostly heel. Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: Tenryu for the toughness/sloppiness combo, Stone Cold Steve Austin for the ring presence and acting. Megumi Kudo 1992 – Strengths: Great brawler. Pioneer of women’s death match wrestling and mixed tag wrestling in Japan. Weakness: The rest of her game is not up to the level of her brawling. Alignment: Tweener, leaning heel. Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: Atsuhi Onita. Maybe Foley, if you only watch North American Corporate Wrestling. Mariko Yoshida, 1991 – Strengths: Very talented. Gifted, even. Weakness: Her strongest period was in the late 1990s and beginning of the new century, when she was a Negro Navarro/Volk Han type sublime mat technician. At this stage, she was more of a lucha-influenced high flyer. Alignment: Tweener, leaning face Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: At this stage? A young Bryan Danielson. Manami Toyota 1991 – Strengths: An athletic and flashy worker with a non-stop motor. A real crowd-pleaser. Weakness: Often tries to do too much in the ring. Alignment: Face Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: Kenta Kobashi. HBK. Command Bolshoi 1992 – Strengths: Very good sympathetic babyface worker. Big bumper. Weakness: She is teeny tiny, even by Japanese female standards. Alignment: Sympathetic baby-face. Male wrestler comparison for people who don’t watch Joshi: Kikuchi. Ricky Morton.

This project has become a very welcome distraction from worrying about her... which may in part be why I sometimes get impatient wanting things to keep moving forward.

I would certainly like to read your version of a Rumble with that roster! That should be nuts. I haven't started writing out any of my matches yet, but I have laid out the booking for three big shows and two "best bouts" DVDs... I think I'll have sufficient time to write up one show per month, if life doesn't throw me too many more curve balls. My wife fell off her bike and shattered her elbow late last month and she is still in a full-arm cast after the operation. That has shaken things up quite a bit, but we are getting into a new routine now.

Can you maybe book a one-off show before Dec. 31? I feel pretty certain that some people (myself possibly included) will lose interest if we drag the second stage of this out into next year. The way stage one (the draft) is dragging on and on is already testing my enthusiasm.

I took El Samurai in round 16.

Nice job sorting that all out!

The case of the missing Missing Link

Referee Red Shoes Unno '92 Lee Casebolt Joeg Elliot