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I concur, NWA has certainly delivered this year. A nice little vacation won't do any harm. The magazine format is a good placeholder and keeps everyone in the loop as the year ends. Lots of interesting things on the horizon.

Great job with the promos for this episode, especially for Savage/Andre. Demolition vs Rockers will be a very fun match when it happens. Get well soon!

Things are heating up for Super Clash! Terry Gordy and Kerry von Erich continue to deliver with their interactions and the promos for Stevens/Jumbo and Nikita were very well done.

But how often does Mox work in Japan? Eddie Kingston and Gates of Agnony are not top guys. Calling NJPW the junior partner in a relationship that has been promoted as something between equals is not exactly the way I would go about this. There are reasons why AEW hardcores are annoying a lot of people, and talking down on promotions like NJPW is one of those reasons. Edit: My larger point is that a lot of folks, including myself, primarily follow NJPW. It irks us when people lecture us about how AEW's relationship with NJPW is beneficial when we don't really see the results and then say NJPW is the "junior partner."

Tony Khan doesn't let his top guys wrestle New Japan more than occasionally. The exception seems to be Jon Moxley and that's just for Strong shows in the US. The myth that TK lets guys sign contracts that allow them to wrestle in Japan needs to die. Danielson took like two years to show up in NJPW and that's for a Tokyo Dome show. Omega didn't even defend his US title in Japan. Takeshita rarely wrestles for DDT and his last match there was to advance an AEW storyline. We'll rarely see Ospreay in NJPW after February. TK signing Okada wouldn't go over well with NJPW either. Don't point and say WWE is the alternative because neither outcome benefits NJPW. People have turned NJPW into a junior partner in this relationship with AEW and the way some people talk about NJPW as a feeder now is very annoying. In any case, I don't expect Okada to leave.

Seems like they might be aiming for a TMDK vs Bishamon match at Wrestle Kingdom, so perhaps TMDK? As for the Okada story, I don't buy it. I would be shocked if he left but who knows? Edit: On the other hand, Super-J Cast seems to be hinting that NJPW has a lot of deeper issues going on and it might be a bigger mess than most of us realize. Kidani might need to clean house over there.

Kerry vs Gordy is really heating up and that should be a great match. Can't wait! Also love the Jumbo/Tsuruta interaction at the end, nice job closing the show and continuing to build up hype for Super Clash. Not sure why, but I'm rooting for Orndorff to walk out of Denver with the belt.

Good question. I imagine CZW wouldn't have reached the same heights ROH did and the brand would have capped their popularity levels to some extent...ECW was lightning in a bottle and I don't think they would have been able to repeat the same magic. We might have seen more of the top indie guys go to TNA instead perhaps.

It probably would have made more sense at the time, and I'm wondering why they didn't go with that since Muto would win his first major singles title a year later. This is pretty good, and I could see this happening but wrestling bookers are strange creatures and sometimes trip themselves up for no reason.

Yeah, I was surprised when I learned that as well a few years ago! One of the fascinating things about UWFi is that they had a bunch of guys you would never expect to see in a shoot-style promotion like J.T. Southern or John Tenta.

UWF Newborn adds: Aleksandr Karelin David Gobejishvili Marco Ruas Casemiro "Rei Zulu" Martins

Don Callis in an executive role should be very interesting and fun to follow. Jacques Rougeau is in NWA and he's on fire! Great job with the promo there.

Nightmares ducking the Renestos already? They can't hide for too long...

I like the Koko and Zenk pairing...that was a good choice. Might have said that before but it's worth repeating. Funny Ultimate Warrior promo...that made me chuckle.

Tully Blanchard immediately going up against Ric Flair should be very interesting.

Tony Khan dropping the ball with CM Punk and spending big money to sign Will Ospreay has to be one of the funniest things ever. All while the MJF title reign is killing the town.

A true Survivor Series feel! Very well done with everything as always. Demolition and The Rockers impress as expected, and Muta has really cemented himself as a star in WWF. Hogan is back on top form and Savage better look out. Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Heavenly Bodies with the tag belts will be an interesting change of pace, especially with Cornette backing them. Jim Duggan holds on and retains a chance at beating Dutch Mantell. Bert Prentice in a turkey suit is a funny visual.

Can't wait for Fujinami vs Vader. That should be a great match. Happy belated Thanksgiving!

A night of title changes and big moments. Great job writing this show! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Super happy to see the Road Warriors back with the belts and Jimmy Snuka should be a good addition to NWA. Ronnie Garvin pulls off the biggest upset of the night by dethroning Tully Blanchard! Wow, didn't see that one coming. Junkyard Dog is on the upswing as well. Happy belated Thanksgiving!

I would say Dragon Lee, Volador Jr, Shuji Ishikawa, and Utami all deserve a closer look

I can't say for certain how Japanese fans kept up with American wrestling in the 1980s, but magazines like Tokyo Sports, Gong/Baseball Magazine, Weekly Pro Wrestling, and the like probably did a lot to keep them in the loop. There was a lot of crossover with American wrestling during the 1980s and 1970s, so a lot of names like the Funks, Hansen, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, the Malenkos, Backlund, Abdullah the Butcher, the British Bulldogs, etc were familiar. I think Japanese television channels also held highlight shows for some American wrestling companies. I forget the name right now, but there was a show that aired somewhere periodically that often covered what was going on in the territories. Edit - The name of the show was "World Pro Wrestling" which aired from 1984-1987 on TV Tokyo (Channel 12). More info from this tweet -

Fighting Network RINGS - "Mega Battle Tournament 1996: Second Round" November 22nd, 1996 Osaka-jō Hall Osaka, Japan Attendance: 8,068 Lenne Hardt welcomes everyone to tonight's event and introduces the competitors one by one, with large receptions for Akira Maeda, KiyoshI Tamura, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoshihiro Takayama, Volk Han, and Frank Shamrock. Ricardo Morais gets a strong welcome as well. The WOWOW commentators recap last month's events and highlight tonight's tournament matches and the story behind tonight's main event with Akira Maeda attempting to get revenge on Ricardo Morais for squashing Yamamoto in August. We see tonight's tournament competitors getting ready backstage before the first match. Akihiro Gono vs Rumina Sato A fun opener to get the crowd going. Gono and Sato have a high-paced match that demonstrates the athletic ability of both. There’s a ton of quick counterwork and smooth transitions here, with both not willing to give an inch to their opponent. While mostly a display of fine grappling, Gono’s striking causes Sato some issues at times, with Gono getting an early 4-1 lead on Sato after two knockdowns. Sato keeps the pressure on Gono though, and eventually retakes the lead at 5-4 after Sato establishes control on the canvas. By the 11:00 mark, Sato is in clear control and wins the match after he submits Gono with a flying armbar that gets a very good reception from the crowd. Sato defeats Gono via submission (flying armbar), 11:41 Naoyuki Taira vs Caol Uno Taira and Uno pick up where the previous match left off, and go at it for 10 minutes plus with non-stop action. Taira’s striking is on top form, but Uno answers right back with some solid counters, and the match is tied 4-4 within the first few minutes with both trading some surprising knockdowns. Taira and Uno also go at it on the canvas, and they are evenly matched here as well with Taira using his experience to catch Uno off guard, as the young Shooto prospect mostly relies on his athletic skills. Regardless, Uno eventually catches Taira with a very smooth rolling takedown, and he quickly transitions into a kneebar which causes Taira to tap. Uno defeats Taira via submission (rolling kneebar), 10:22 Yoshihiro Takayama vs Dick Vrij Takayama continues his great form as he gives Dick Vrij everything he can handle. The Dutch kickboxing maestro is unable to exert his will on Takayama, who mixes his strong striking skills with some nasty suplexes. Dick Vrij grows increasingly flustered and throws some very stiff knee strikes. One of them appears to catch Takayama square in the face and a bit of blood comes pouring out a cut above his left eye. Takayama gets treated by the cutman, and quickly goes back to work on Vrij, returning Vrij’s medicine with a vicious combo of stiff palm strikes and punches to the stomach. Vrij is dazed and is caught in a Maeda-esque Capture suplex from Takayama and the referee calls for a 10-count. Leading the match at 6-2, Takayama decides to take Vrij to the canvas, who is unable to defend himself from a well-timed Katahajime from Takayama. Takayama defeats Vrij via submission (Katahajime), 11:04 Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs Sanae Kikuta Sanae Kikuta has been on a roll and possibly fought himself into the Mega Battle Tournament with his impressive wins earlier, but Yamamoto is a tougher challenge. Kikuta isn’t intimidated though, and puts the pressure on Yamamoto early but getting him to the canvas. Yamamoto is a good grappler in his own right, but Kikuta has proven himself to be quite effective in this department and makes Yamamoto go to the ropes early in the match. Yamamoto finds himself trying to fight from behind again, and this is perhaps his strong suit. With each passing minute, Yamamoto gets more fire in him and throws stiffer palm strikes as Kikuta puts him to the test in the striking game as well. Yamamoto also begins to figure out Kikuta’s movement on the canvas and fights for openings better, especially as Kikuta makes the mistake of getting into a leg lock battle with Yamamoto, who is a bit of a veteran when it comes to that in RINGS. The match is tied at 5-5 in points by the 12:00 mark after a further exchange in rope breaks by both, and the last two minutes see Yamamoto and Kikuta give a very strong performance from the crowd as they exchange more strikes and both teeter on the brink of a knockout. Kikuta tries to clinch with Yamamoto to buy more time as exhaustion sets in, but Yamamoto fires back with Muay Thai knee strikes followed up by a nice combo of palm strikes. Kikuta stumbles to the canvas and the referee begins the 10 count. Kikuta can’t find his legs before the referee reaches the magic number, giving Yamamoto the victory! Yamamoto defeats Kikuta via KO, 14:13 Kiyoshi Tamura vs Kazushi Sakuraba As expected, these two are right at it as the crowd becomes very lively for a highly anticipated matchup between two rivals from UWFi. Tamura and Sakuraba pick up where they left off several months ago, and engage in a terrific grappling contest where the counterwork and transitions on the canvas are top-notch. Sakuraba and Tamura know each other very well, and neither gets control of the match as they read each other’s moves like the back of their hand. The pace keeps up for the next few minutes, and the crowd eats up every moment. It appears both of these competitors are willing to use the ropes for a break, perhaps to please their egos. Sakuraba is finally able to get Tamura to go for the ropes around the 6:00 mark after he smartly goes for a heel hook and gives Tamura something to think about. Tamura gets fired up and lures Sakuraba into a striking contest as he shows off very sharp kicks and knee strikes in the clinch. Sakuraba fights his way through, avoiding a knockdown, and reminds Tamura that he knows a thing or two about kicking as well. The match continues to be a back-and-forth affair, with Tamura getting the score even at 1-1 after he tries to catch Sakuraba in a guillotine choke near the ropes. Tamura establishes more control of the match on the canvas, getting Sakuraba to slow down a bit as he looks for control of Sakuraba’s back more often. Sakuraba tries to scramble when needed, but Tamura has a better read on him this time. The minutes add on, and it feels like Tamura can’t quite get Sakuraba where he needs him, but a moment of magic comes around the 15:00 mark. Sakuraba attempts to turtle up and get Tamura in a roll, but Tamura doesn’t relent and stays on top of Sakuraba. As Sakuraba tries to roll through, Tamura comes along with him and ends up locking him in a rear-naked choke at the end of the move. Sakuraba struggles to get the ropes and begins to think about passing out instead of tapping, but for some reason he relents and taps the canvas, giving the referee a signal to end the match. Tamura jumps up and celebrates, and the two begrudgingly shake hands afterward. Tamura defeats Sakuraba via submission (rear-naked choke), 15:31 On the WOWOW broadcast, there's a break in between matches as the commentators go over the recent SAMBO World Championships event in Japan, which leads into a highlights package: Volk Han vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka Kohsaka and Han meet again for the third time this year, and Kohsaka immediately takes it to Volk Han with an opening flurry of palm strikes. Volk Han avoids most trouble here and prepares for a scrappy contest with the up-and-coming native RINGS star. Han catches Kohsaka on the counter and slips behind his opponent for a standing shime-waza (strangulation technique). Kohsaka goes down to the mat as Volk Han drags him down, but he quickly turns out of the hold and finds his way out of it. Kohsaka and Volk Han stand back up, and Kohsaka continues to put pressure on his Dagestani opponent by throwing a variety of strikes. Volk Han catches one of these strikes and surprises Kohsaka again by getting him in a standing double-wrist-lock, but Kohsaka counters with a sweet hand-wheel throw that lands Volk Han squarely on his head. A bit shocked, Volk Han tries to buy some time as he gets Kohsaka in a kneebar on the canvas, but the hold is weak and since both are near the ropes, the referee stands them both back up. The match continues with a fired-up Kohsaka continuing to apply pressure on Volk Han whenever he gets the chance, with Volk Han trying to catch his opponent with a surprise hold or two that Kohsaka works his way out of, leading to a 2-0 lead for Volk Han at the halfway point. Volk Han catches a kick from Kohsaka, which he turns into an inverted kneebar as Kohsaka is caught in the middle of the canvas. Kohsaka tries to work his way out of this, even with Volk Han’s attempt at a leg-lock and neck-crank combination hold. Kohsaka and Volk Han scramble on the canvas more, leading to a cross-armbreaker attempt from Kohsaka, which sends Volk Han to the ropes and gives Kohsaka his first point of the match. Kohsaka and Volk Han stand back up, and Kohsaka promptly hits Volk Han with a gut punch to the stomach. Volk Han keels over and the referee starts a 10 count, but Volk Han finds his footing before the 8 count. Kohsaka continues to apply the pressure though, and delivers a series of sharp knee strikes to Volk Han’s abdomen. Volk Han is knocked back down for another 10 count! Volk Han beats the count again but now faces a 5-2 deficit against Kohsaka. Volk Han, working from behind now, loses a bit of steam as Kohsaka continues to rack up the points with a cross-armbreaker attempt near the ropes, and Han is again forced to expend a point by using the ropes. It is now 6-2 Kohsaka 10:00 mark. Volk Han, of course, is a magician and finds a way. As Kohsaka attempts to take him down for a reverse-scarf hold, Volk Han turns his body and gets his patented gyaku-ude-garami (entangled armlock) for the submission victory! Kohsaka looks on in frustration as Volk Han celebrates. Han defeats Kohsaka via submission (entangled armlock), 10:27 Frank Shamrock vs Nikolai Zouev In another grappling masterclass, Zouev and Shamrock put on a clinic from the start. Zouev is a perfect foil for Shamrock, and both take joy in finesse. Zouev aims for Shamrock’s legs for the first few minutes, choosing to use leglock entries and takedowns whenever the opportunity arises. Shamrock remains patient and avoids most trouble by using his awareness to avoid any sudden submissions. Shamrock, recognizing that striking is probably Zouev’s main weakness, chooses to engage on that front after an extended scramble on the canvas. Zouev has trouble blocking Shamrock’s sharp palm strikes and low kicks and mainly plays defense here. By the halfway point, neither competitor has opted to use the ropes or score a knockdown in another tense stalemate. Shamrock steadily builds a 2-0 lead after Zouev begins to tire out, and scores a cross-armbreaker attempt near the ropes which Zouev promptly chooses to reach for. Zouev scores a point on Shamrock after catching him off-guard with a kani-basami (flying leg takedown), which he turns into a heel hook. With a 2-1 lead, Shamrock begins to apply the pressure on Zouev. Zouev’s defense is pretty good and gives Shamrock some trouble on the canvas again as he continues to look for leglock attempts, but Shamrock works his way for a guillotine choke and gets the submission victory over his RINGS Russia opponent. Shamrock defeats Zouev via submission (guillotine choke), 14:21 Akira Maeda vs Ricardo Morais Maeda comes out to a hero’s welcome to “Captured” by Camel as the boisterous crowd makes it known they are fully behind him for this challenge. Morais comes out next, and the muscular Brazilian Vale Tudo fighter seems focused on dispatching his opponent. After easily defeating Yoshihisa Yamamoto in August, Ricardo Morais comes in as a monster opponent for Akira Maeda. Morais is an imposing 6’8 figure, even for Akira Maeda. Maeda, who has both knees bandaged up, leaves a bit wanting in comparison to the fitness levels of Morais. In any case, Maeda immediately brings it to Morais with a series of low kicks. Morais, without gloves this time, fires back with punches aimed at Maeda’s abdomen. Maeda seems flustered as Morais pressures him. Maeda seems to be on the back foot for the first part of the match as Morais manages to get him down to the canvas, and Morais uses his frame to keep Maeda working from underneath as Maeda is unable to get much going. Morais is happy to tire Maeda out by keeping him moving and doesn’t spend much energy to go for any submissions except for a collar choke. Maeda has to go to the ropes as the pressure Morais puts on his neck isn’t particularly dangerous, but it is very annoying. It doesn’t take long for Morais to come back at Maeda again, putting more pressure on him with a combo of low punches and palm strikes to the face. One of them catches Maeda dead on and Maeda stumbles back a bit, clearly stunned. Morais gets a clinch on his opponent and delivers a few Muay Thai knee strikes for good measure. Maeda stumbles down to the canvas and Morais gets his first knockdown to make the match 3-0 at around the 8:00 mark. The crowd rallies behind Maeda and chants his name as he beats the 10 count by the count of 7. Maeda is beginning to look like he is gassed and tentatively offers some low kicks to test Morais’ reach. It doesn’t look good for Maeda, and Morais lowers his guard in a moment of confidence. Maeda suddenly catches Morais right in the head with a superbly timed high kick! Morais falls to the canvas in a heap and is out cold! Ryogaku Wada doesn’t even bother to start a 10 count and immediately calls for the bell. The crowd erupts in joy as Maeda celebrates his stunning victory with a vicious high kick. “MA-E-DA! MA-E-DA! MA-E-DA!” fills the arena as some of Maeda’s RINGS Japan stablemates come into the ring to celebrate with him. Adilson Lima, Morais’ cornerman, comes into the ring as the medical team checks on Morais, who doesn’t know where he is. Lima seems a bit livid and shoves his way to confront Maeda, and the two have a staredown before the RINGS Japan and RINGS Brazil guys can separate them. Maeda takes in his victory a bit more as Lima helps Morais to the back. Maeda defeats Morais via KO, 9:36 Maeda makes his way back behind the curtains as the commentators go over the match just unfolded and highlight Morais' overconfidence leading to the knockout. The commentators also discuss Lima confronting Maeda and the scuffle that unfolded after the match. They also discuss the other results from the evening and confirm the semi-finals that will take place next month with Yoshihisa Yamamoto going against Kiyoshi Tamura, and Volk Han meeting Frank Shamrock. They discuss Yamamoto recovering from his brutal loss against Morais, which Maeda just "avenged" and Volk Han meeting one of the world's best shootfighters in a real test for the Russian SAMBO master. We catch Maeda backstage as he praises Morais for the challenge he presented, but says that he was too arrogant and he needed to show the strength of RINGS Japan after Morais defeated his apprentice. He says Adilson Lima challenged him to a match and he accepted. It will take place next month and RINGS Brazil thinks they can walk into RINGS and tell him what to do. Maeda says they are wrong. The commentators say goodbye and the WOWOW credits roll to Queen's "Made in Heaven."