gordi

Yep. What more can a wrestling fan ask than to have Ric, Tully, and The Andersons together in the Mid Atlantic territory?

On the positive side: I think it's a great idea turning the Sensational Tiltle into a sanctioned-in-Quebec championship. On he sad side: I am sorry to hear that the crowd *literally* exploded after Andre's win. My heart goes out to the friends and family of everyone involved in that tragedy.

Heck of a show! Particularly enjoyed Savage vs Race, but every match was fun to read.

That being said, it's a pretty amazing twist to see Andre win that strap!

Thanks. Luger would have just been coming off his final season in '85, and the USFL was on the verge of cancelling the '86 season and collapsing... so it felt like a thing that could actually happen. The sake that I drink is generally both delicious and reasonably-priced. However, high-end bottles of "daiginjo" sake that are frequently given as gifts can easily go for $100 or more. You can find replica USFL jerseys for less than that on eBay, but game-worn jerseys are still priced at over $200... One of the reasons that I typed out little descriptions of every member of each faction is to help myself keep the names and personalities straight... so it's definitely not just you. Participating in this project has been (among other things) a real education in 1980s Japanese wrestling for me. It's certainly not always the case, but the friendship and camaraderie in a pro wrestling locker room can be an amazing thing to see and experience. I'm always trying to get that across in one way or another. I figure that Baba's locker room would be one of the good ones, even with difficult personalities like Sayama, Inoki and Maeda involved. I left him out of next month's tournament so he'd be free to come over whenever it suits you. He might defend the belt once of twice over here, as well. Thank you very much for the kind words. I've got such a loaded roster right now, and people are so generous when it comes to sending talent over here, so hopefully JWA will be able to keep putting on exciting and interesting match-ups. I get a real kick out of being able to book something like Flair vs Jumbo or Buddy Rose vs Mighty Inoue. And that's the most fun: being able to book real-life dream matches that may never have happened. Muraco is an interesting one! Great look, real skill, hilarious personality.... but oh boy could he be lazy sometimes. My feeling is that a match-up with Tenryu (and a big Japanese pay day) should have pulled the good stuff out of him.

Wow. So long, OMG and Rick Rude! Big changes ahead in the AWA Main Event scene.

The MegaPYTers Explode!!! Digging the surprise title change... And the only bad thing about Orndorff, Steamboat, Rude, and OMG on top is that it will be over soon.

I'm enjoying the "Dirt sheet reports" style of summing up a lot of action quickly. I might steal that idea down the line some time.

Nice way to keep building up the Brody/Olympia rivalry.

I like seeing actual mid card story-lines. The Chris Colt/Damien Kane interaction makes both guys more interesting.

Oh, dude... you just hurt my feelings there. I agree that the missed flight story is a cool idea. We stayed up all night drinking in Tokyo after the show, so it is easy to imagine one of the American wrestlers sleeping in and missing their flight.

I don't get to watch a ton of US TV over here, but the four best shows I've seen this year have been Legion, Fargo, Better Call Saul, and GLOW.

I bet after one show he would be!

I think it would be hilarious if you guys started running house shows in Osaka or Fukuoka. Just toss them in on your loop.

Me, too!

I don't think my point is going towards a Flair title defense... but I just don't know why, outside of name value, the NWA World Champion would be put in that position for the UWF. He has a lot on his plate here for a promotion and alliance that for all intensive purposes, he doesn't belong to. If anything, this was a chance to build someone up and put them in that spot. That could have been a big stepping stone for someone to take that and become a mega star for the company/alliance. I'll happily concede that point. I could see Ricky Morton or Tommy Rich playing a similar role and getting some shine off of that... though I can't quite see either of them brawling outside with Stan Hansen and then clocking Dusty with a chair. As for *why* Flair got the slot... I can't speak for Kevin,but I think it was the simple happy coincidence that he was born in Memphis That gave us the nice comedy spot on USWA TV where Fritz was all frustrated and fuming about Flair being from Carolina.

Oh, man... I have a totally different take on how Flair was used on this card. Obviously, the big story here is the end of the months-long battle between Fritz Von Erich and Jerry Jarrett for control of the territory. Everything else, including titles and special guests, comes in second to that particular story line. I feel like a series of six-man tag matches is the *perfect* way to bring that huge story to a close, particularly given the historical importance of six-man tag matches for the Von Erich family. So, with huge names like Lawler, Hansen, and Flair on this particular card with this particular story reaching its climax after months of build-up... the *only* way to use those huge name stars is to put them in the third and deciding six-man tag match. With the story being told here, that particular six-man is arguably the biggest match in the history of this promotion. It has to be a larger-than-life epic match that blows the crowd away...and it really should come down to Dusty vs Lawler at the end, given the story leading up to here. I think it was excellent booking. Texas loses, Fritz is gone... but at least the Von Erichs win their six-man tag, so there is still some reason for Texas pride. Tennessee triumphs... but not cleanly, and not without a big assist from a big name outsider... so the Fritz vs Jarrett portion of the story is over, but the Tennessee vs Texas feud can continue if that's what kevinmcfl wants to do. You even have the timing of Bronco Lubich's suspension coming to an end... tlak about planing ahead! You get a satisfying climax and a clear end to this chapter of the story, but there is still lots of hatred and resentment to build on moving forward. I don't see how it could have been booked much better, and I honestly don't think a Flair title defense would have made this card any stronger. If anything, it might have taken some focus off of the main story being told on this card.

ain't that the truth!

Gino Brito & Rick Martel vs The Midnight Rockers works great as a face vs face match-up... but my instinct is always that such a show of mutual respect can also be a good way to set up a shocking heel turn. You never know... Also looking forward to seeing who will challenge for the NWA Canadian International Heavyweight Championship. It almost doesn't matter who it is, as Funk is a great match-up for almost anyone.

The Varsity Club vs The British Bulldogs should be a white-hot main event in Calgary. I'm really interested to see what happens with those two LLT matches in Winnipeg.

If the Harts win the straps at the Royal Brawl, will Bret have to fight twice on SNME?

Oh, that sucks.

That is GLORIOUS. Deserves some kind of award just for the sound editing.

Well... I'm hyped.

I'm really enjoying all the action among OMG, Steamboat, Orndorff, and Rude at the top of the card. Rose had a really good match over here in Japan. He'd be welcome back any time.