Control21

RINGS signs Kazuyuki Fujita from NJPW and Carlos Newton, bringing its roster total to 40.

Everything looks good on my end. Thanks for working to get these up!

UWF Newborn – “Fighting Network Sapporo” August 8th, 1988 Nakajima Sports Center Sapporo, Japan Attendance: 5,200 (sold out) As usual, the UWF wrestlers on the card are introduced one by one as they enter the ring. Maeda and Takada speak, thanking the fans for coming to Sapporo and making the show a success. Maeda promises a great event for the fans and says that Takada will be in the main event tonight as he has earned the opportunity. Masakatsu Funaki vs Yoji Anjo Funaki came out sharp and determined after his brutal loss to Ryuma Go on the last show. Anjo initially kept up the pace with him during an extended grappling battle on the mat, but Funaki was slicker and had better counterwork, making Anjo expend his energy faster. On the stand-up, Funaki’s striking abilities were on full display with stiffer strikes than before. With that said, Anjo knocks down Funaki once while Funaki gets two knockdowns before the 12:00 mark. In the closing stretch, Anjo is forced to use his second rope escape during the match making the match 2-2. Funaki decides to take the match to the mat for the final time to finish Anjo off, quickly capturing him in a heel hook during a leg lock exchange. Anjo is caught by surprise and taps. Funaki wins via submission (heel hook), 12:32 Minoru Suzuki vs Shigeo Miyato While things have not gone Miyato’s way, nothing is stopping him from improving. There is a bit of a “young lion” rivalry here if you can call it that, as both are eager to cement themselves in the promotion as the better talent. Miyato and Suzuki start things off the canvas in a grappling contest, with Miyato showing off his ability in catch-as-catch-can by keeping Suzuki grounded and working for a better position. Miyato prefers a slower pace, and his more calculated approach keeps Suzuki from working on the quick transitions that he prefers. Miyato goes 1-0 up on Suzuki after he forces Suzuki to get to the ropes twice. A frustrated Suzuki stands back up with Miyato and shows him his ability as a striker is not far from Funaki’s. Miyato keeps his cool and exchanges with his opponent, delivering some sharp low kicks aimed at putting pain on Suzuki’s legs. Miyato catches Suzuki off guard with a high kick and goes 2-0 up after another knockdown. The match continues on the mat again after Suzuki gets Miyato back on the canvas and this time he is the dominant grappler and keeps Miyato moving with some excellent counterwork, even reversing a standing rear-naked choke into a kneebar by rolling through Miyato’s legs. In the finishing stretch of the match, Suzuki catches Miyato with a stiff palm strike. As Miyato goes down, Suzuki quickly takes advantage and gets his opponent into a guillotine choke on the canvas. Miyato struggles to break free and despite his reluctance to do so, taps out. Miyato leaves the ring after the match in clear frustration, kicking guard rails as he exits. Suzuki wins via submission (guillotine choke), 15:34 Tatsuo Nakano vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Nakano is looking to test his luck against the veteran ring general, Fujiwara. Nakano shows he is not afraid to step up to his superior, throwing some vicious palm strikes to get his opponent on the back foot. Nakano gets a surprise a few minutes in when he knocks down Fujiwara after some furious strikes to the face. Fujiwara dusts himself off in a timely fashion but Nakano continues to keep on the pressure. Nakano even manages to click onto Fujiwara and gets a belly-to-belly suplex off. Nakano tries to work a cross armbreaker on Fujiwara, but this is where he makes his first mistake. Fujiwara reverses it by leaning into Nakano and managing to somehow get Nakano’s leg for a heel hook. Nakano quickly scrambles to the ropes for a break and the two stand up. Nakano manages to get two more knockdowns on Fujiwara in the next few minutes! Nakano goes 3-0 at around the 8:00 mark and the crowd begins to rally firmly behind Nakano in this shocking development. Fujiwara realizes that he needs to teach the young Nakano a lesson and begins to show why he is one of the best defensive wrestlers in the world. Fujiwara lures the firey Nakano into several traps, and even manages to catch Nakano by surprise with a vicious headbutt! Nakano is knocked down and the score is now 3-1. As Nakano gets up in time, Fujiwara gets wrist control and brings Nakano down to the canvas. As Fujiwara manages to get Nakano into a grappling contest, he keeps his young opponent scrambling for the ropes and after a rope escape, Fujiwara gets the score at 3-2. Fujiwara keeps the pressure on Nakano, becoming a demon on the canvas, and begins to toy with his opponent in several ways. After Nakano struggles for more rope escapes, Fujiwara gets the score at 3-3 around the 16:00 mark. Finally, Fujiwara shows Nakano that sometimes you have to bring more to a match to beat a cold-blooded veteran by giving him a series of headbutts as they are locked up near a turnbuckle. Nakano collapses into a heap and the referee gives a full 10 count before Nakano can recover. Fujiwara wins via KO, 17:11 Akira Maeda vs Ryuma Go This was a contest of pure technical ability in the art of striking. Ryuma Go continued his form from the last event and was not afraid to get up close and personal with his opponent, even if it is Maeda himself. Go showed off his abilities in palm striking, and low kicks, and even uses several forearm uppercuts to keep Maeda staggered. Maeda is on the back foot for the first half of the match and goes down 2-0 in knockdowns after the first 6:00. As Ryuma Go appears to gain the advantage though, Maeda comes roaring back with his trademark high kicks and even a rolling roundhouse! Maeda begins his comeback as he gets Go for the first knockdown and it is 2-1. A firey striking contest continues, with some brief exchanges of grappling on the canvas, but the two prefer to settle this the old-fashioned way. Knockdown after knockdown, the match approaches the 16:00 mark with both men tied at 4-4. An increasingly violent Maeda finally lures Ryuma Go in, catches him with a counter palm strike, and then finishes him off with a vicious high kick that clearly connects and is audibly heard in the arena. Ryuma Go collapses to the canvas and Maeda wins via TKO. An excellent contest if you love striking in the mold of a heavyweight boxing fight. Maeda wins via TKO, 16:55 Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki Takada is on a hot streak, and Yamazaki is looking to put a stop to that. Takada comes out swinging, testing Kazuo’s striking ability with his own by being active with both low kicks and high kicks. Yamazaki does a good job of playing defense and is content with exchanging strikes with his opponent for now. With both unable to get their opponent on the backfoot, they lock up in the middle of the ring and Yamazaki quickly takes down Takada by wrapping his leg with his own. Takada plays turtle defense and does a good job of keeping Yamazaki looking for an opening. Yamazaki attempts to go the rear-naked choke but Takada doesn’t give an inch. Takada attempts to go for Yamazaki’s leg in a reversal but Yamazaki dodges and the two stand back up to the applause of the crowd. The next stage of the match features some more grappling on the canvas, with Yamazaki having a slight edge as he forces Takada to go for a rope break twice in the span of a few minutes. Yamazaki is 1-0 up at around the 7:00 mark. This gets Takada going, and he is more forceful in his strikes as he launches some fierce high kicks which send Yamazaki stumbling. Takada gets Yamazaki in the clinch and he delivers some sharp knees, this is enough to send Yamazaki to the canvas and the referee starts his first count of the match. Yamazaki gets up relatively quickly. With things tied at 1-1, they go back to the canvas. Another round of grappling sees neither gaining the advantage. They decide to take things back to the stand-up and this is where things get interesting. It doesn’t take long for each to score a knockdown and things are tied at 2-2 in the 15:00 zone. This is an even contest and neither are looking to give an inch. Yamazaki manages to get Takada to the canvas again after hitting a snappy side suplex. He doesn’t waste much time to get side control on Takada and he works for a kimura. Takada has excellent defense still, and this frustrates Yamazaki as he attempts to weaken Takada with a few palm strikes to his ribs. Takada feels their effects and feels his arm tighten enough to scramble for the ropes. This happens to be the second rope break for him in this stretch and the score is now 3-2 Yamazaki. The rest of the match is very even, and it is now Takada’s turn to get Yamazaki scrambling for the ropes after he manages to catch Yamazaki’s leg for a kneebar. It’s 3-3 now at the 22:00 mark as Yamazaki is also forced to use a second rope break. The last few minutes pick up the pace and they start landing some strikes, sending each other stumbling backward. The ring announcer calls out the 25:00 mark in typical dramatic fashion. Proving that any moment can end a match in UWF, Takada catches Yamazaki with one of his trademark high kicks to the cranium. Yamazaki is out! The referee sees no point in a count and he calls for the bell. Takada jumps in the air in celebration and climbs the turnbuckles to take in the adoring crowd. What a match! Takada beats Yamazaki via KO, 25:46 Takada is sure to raise Yamazaki’s hand as well, congratulating him on the great match. The crowd gives their approval for Yamazaki and they appreciate his effort in the main event. Afterward, Takada grabs the microphone and he thanks the fans for coming and supporting UWF. He also says that winning feels great and he wants to prove himself further. He is open to any match at any time. Takada bows in the ring and the fans chant “TA-KA-DA! TA-KA-DA!” as the UWF theme plays In the background.

Billionaire Ted never sleeps, and when he doesn't see something he likes, he just moves on to the next target. Case in point here with the acquisition of WCW. This time, it will be guided by very talented southern-style wrestlers who should know how to lead the promotion back to its previous heights. With key pieces already set in place, Ted Turner might be already looking to dominate the wrestling landscape in the US. Lots of pieces are already moving on the chess board, should be interesting to see what is next!

Shane Douglas seems to be positioning himself as a future top star. Meanwhile, the Pacific Island Connection is set to face off against the Sheepherders in what should be a great match. Junkyard Dog continues to show why he is one of the best. The Bash on the Beach card looks really cool! The Road Warriors vs Beasts of Burden should be another great tag match. And of course, the main event between Junkyard Dog vs Col Debeers should go down to the wire.

Fighting Network RINGS ruleset: Matches can end in a submission, KO, 10-count KO, TKO, referee stoppage, doctor stoppage, or judges' decision Each wrestler has 10 "points" that can be deducted. A loss of all 10 points ends in a TKO. 30-minute time-limit for all matches, except for RINGS' round system, which is 5 rounds for 3 minutes each. Points are deducted when a wrestler uses a rope break or gets knocked down. Rope breaks result in a 1-point deduction, knockdowns result in two points being deducted. Yellow cards and red cards can be used by the referee in any given match. Yellow cards serve as a "caution" and result in a point deduction. Red cards serve as a "warning" and result in two points being deducted. Three red cards results in an automatic disqualification. In the case time expires, the wrestler with the fewest points deducted will be declared the winner. If there is no point difference at time expiration, the decision will go to a judge panel. Fist strikes to the face are prohibited but are allowed for anything below the face except for the groin. Palm strikes are allowed except for the groin area. Knee strikes are allowed. Headbutts are prohibited above the neck area. All kicking techniques are allowed. Hitting a downed opponent is prohibited. An opponent is considered downed when both knees or hands are touching the mat. All joint techniques are allowed except for knuckle techniques. "Soccer kicks" are prohibited, even if the opponent is not fully downed. Grabbing or hitting the groin area is prohibited. All strangulation and throwing techniques are allowed. Tag team matches will be sanctioned starting August 1996. Under RINGS rules, tag team matches will be 20 minutes with five points for each wrestler instead of 10. Matches will be in an elimination format, meaning if one wrestler is eliminated, the team can still win if the remaining wrestler eliminates the other two opponents, or a single opponent if an elimination for the other side has already occurred. Vale Tudo rules are also sanctioned occasionally, with the same rules applying as above, but in these matches, opponents can choose to wear gloves. If they wear gloves, closed fists to the face are allowed. If no gloves are being worn, closed fits to the face are still prohibited.

The Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers by Rookie Year-1997 (ainsworthsports.com) Some other wrestlers making their debuts in 1997: CIMA Rocky Romero Togi Makabe Magnum Tokyo Rob Conway Snitsky Ricky Banderas

Owner: Akira Maeda Commentators: Kenichi Takayanagi, Hideyuki Kumakubo, Shigesato Itoi Referees: Ryogaku Wada, Yuji Shimada, Motoyuki Kitazawa Ring announcer: Nobuyuki Furuta, Lenne Hardt Location: Tokyo, Japan Fighting Network RINGS, established in 1991, is the promotion founded by Akira Maeda after the collapse of UWF Newborn in 1990. Other UWF stars founded their own promotions as well and took most of the talent with them. Maeda was the most isolated of the group and started from scratch. He only had himself and one promising UWF trainee named Mitsuya Nagai. This was perhaps a blessing in disguise for Maeda as he had to use his old contacts in Holland to help build a roster for the promotion's first few shows. This international flavor quickly grew, as Maeda also ventured to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to find new talent in the wake of political upheaval in the region. In time, RINGS would develop a unique identity in the 1990s, becoming known as a shoot-style promotion that billed itself as "real fighting." This wasn't any different from UWF Newborn, but the use of international talent who had legit backgrounds in various combat sports gave it more legitimacy. WOWOW, Japan's HBO equivalent, would air RINGS shows from 1991 onwards, treating their shows as boxing-esque special events. RINGS was somewhat of a pioneer, using fancy video game-style graphics to serve as match introductions along with high production values to give fans a "big fight feel" on almost every show. While RINGS was not a top drawing promotion in the 1990s, they did carve out a unique spot for themselves in the professional wrestling landscape and often drew more than 10,000+ fans to their big "Mega Battle Tournament" show every January at Budokan Hall. By 1996, RINGS was reaching its zenith and had become known for its high-level grappling, state-of-the-art wrestlers, and a growing mix of both worked matches and shoots to add more flavor to their shows. This was out of necessity as MMA organizations such as UFC, Pancrase, and even Shooto were growing in popularity. RINGS was still a "professional wrestling" promotion though, and it would not transition into full MMA until late 1999 after PRIDE's growing strength forced its hand. For now, as RINGS enters August 1996, a shifting professional wrestling landscape is presenting some very unique opportunities for Akira Maeda. Perhaps this will make RINGS more resilient in the long run, as the tides of shoot-style retreat thanks to the growing presence of MMA across the globe. Can Akira Maeda forge a path for RINGS and retain its unique identity?

Who's better than Kanyon?!? Kanyon back in WCW should be interesting!

All good with me

RINGS closes the rest of its draft and re-signs the following with its remaining picks: Bitsadze Ameran Todor Todorov Hans Nyman Joop Kasteel Christopher Haseman Adilson Lima Ricardo Morais

With its 31st pick, RINGS selects.....Wanderlei Silva from Brazil Vale Tudo!

After my next pick, I will probably just be re-signing RINGS guys for the rest of the draft, so if it is okay with everyone else, I'll just close my draft at that point with those picks and wait for free agency to make the rest of my moves (if any).

With its 30th pick...RINGS re-signs Willie Peeters.

With its 29th pick...RINGS selects...Kevin Randleman from Universal Vale Tudo Fighting!

RINGS will re-sign Egan Inoue with its 28th pick.

Don't forget @SirEdger

With its 27th pick, RINGS re-signs Dick Vrij @jeff5819 is up next

With its 26th pick, RINGS re-signs Bitsadze Tariel. @jeff5819 back on the clock

With its 25th pick...Fighting Network RINGS continues its Shooto raid and selects....Akihiro Gono. @jeff5819 is back on the board.

With its 24th pick...Fighting Network RINGS selects....Hayato Sakurai. @jeff5819 is back on the clock.

With it's 23rd pick, Fighting Network RINGS selects...Sanae Kikuta! Back to @jeff5819

Starting in Round 23, @Mr JMML will be on the board after Jeff goes.

With its next pick in Round 22...Fighting Network RINGS selects....Caol Uno! @jeff5819 is on the board