Articles by Maffew Gregg — page 2

SWS Super Wrestle In Tokyo Dome 12/12/91

Tokyo Dome

Attendance: “61, 500” (lolol)

Previously In SWS…

Oh boy, there’s plenty to get into this week. Apparently SWS is still playing their game of “get as much heat with wrestling reporters as possible” as they claimed that because Hulk Hogan defeated The Undertaker for the WWF World Heavyweight Title at This Tuesday In Texas that he’d naturally be defending it at the Dome…despite reporters already knowing the title was going to be held up/vacated because Jack Tunney has announced it a week ago on Superstars and so they felt SWS was lying to boost ticket sales (which they were).

Speaking of ticket sales: This show’s attendance was announced as 61,500 tickets with the more honest number being around 30,000, but even Japanese sources disputed that number by saying it was the easiest SWS show ever to get free tickets to and that the majority of those in attendance didn’t pay. Supposedly anyone going to Megame Super Opticals could get ten free tickets to the Dome show, and that the day of the show you could get free tickets directly outside the venue. They did exactly the same tactics last time they ran a Dome show so at least they’re consistent.

There’s also a big behind-the-scenes story with Akio Sato of the SWS office allegedly arranging a meeting during the final days of AJPW’s tag team tournament at the Tokyo Ginza Hotel with five of their biggest foreign stars getting ready to sign with WWF and therefore work with SWS. Allegedly only two expressed an interest but I don’t know anymore details about if this went anywhere so let’s move on as this bloody intro is already longer than the one for David Lynch’s Dune.

SWS Nakajima Sports Centre 11/10/91

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Broadcast date: 02/12/91

Attendance: 5,100

Previously In SWS…

This week’s show is a set-up for the big Super Wrestle Tokyo Egg Dome Show happening next month involving WWF, PWFG and CMLL. Currently announced are: Hogan vs. Tenryu, Legion of Doom vs. Natural Disasters, Yatsu & Haku vs. Hara & mystery partner, Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Ishinriki and the finals of the WWF junior heavyweight tournament.

Wait, what tournament?

Oh also this month PWFG ran Battle Of The Lions III, featuring SWS lad Funaki winning again and also Ken Shamrock kicking Kazuo Takahashi’s head off in a match that either started as a shoot or turned into a shoot depending on what answer Ken feels like giving that day.

Thank goodness SWS matches don’t end up falling apart like that.

SWS Kumamoto City Gymnasium 10/30/91

Kumamoto City Gymnasium

Kumamoto, Japan

Broadcast date: 24/11/91

Attendance: 3,450

Previously In SWS…

Yoshihiro Asai is being allowed to finish his bookings for Universal because he was advertised for those shows. I love how not delivering what’s on your posters is such a sin in Japan that even SWS is like “oh no it’s cool, you can work those shows no problem.” Apparently there’s also some negative feedback from some wrestling fans because they’re pissed that such a great wrestler is going to crappy SWS because it means that they’ll have to watch it now, which is the greatest insult for this stupid company.

In even more encouraging news, SWS will be getting a weekly television show on Ch. 12 in Tokyo starting next April! All they need to do is survive until then.

…

Oh.

SWS Fukuoka Kokusai Centre 10/29/91

Fukuoka International Centre

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Broadcast date: 17/11/91

Attendance: 6,870

Previously In SWS…

Even though he denied it a few weeks ago, it turns out with Yoshihiro Asai deciding to jump from the UWA to the EMLL in Mexico and with EMLL signing a talent exchange contract with SWS, that indeed Asai will be leaving Universal for SWS. Asai is apparently making nine times (gif of that nonce from Ferris Bueller) what he was making in UWA so it wasn’t something he could turn down. He wasn’t able to properly debut there due to a TV strike affecting broadcasts but everything seems OK for his wrestling in Japan (apart from with Universal, who really aren’t happy with losing their biggest draw).

Genichiro Tenryu and Great Kabuki were in the U.S. this week with Kabuki making a trip to Mexico to get Asai’s signature, and Tenryu popped in to see the WWF at the Philadelphia Spectrum to accompany his old NWA Six-Man Champ buddies The Legion Of Doom to the ring for their title defence against The Natural Disasters. There’s no footage of that so you’ll have to take historyofwwe’s word for it.

The week prior to this SWS show, PWFG sold out Korakuen Hall for an event featuring Ken Shamrock submitting Beef Wellington (the M-Pro one), a 30 minute Jerry Flynn draw, and Masakatsu Funaki beat Kazuo Takahashi so badly that…Funaki’s not on this show as a result? Man, fuck PWFG and it’s continued success.

Super World Sports – The Battle Hall V 10/03/91

Tokyo, Japan
Korakuen Hall

Attendance: 2,369

Previously In SWS…

PWFG Battle Of The Lions’ drew 2,020 to the Hakata Starlanes (a bowling alley? Now featuring two types of strikes!) to see SWS lad Naoki Sano submit Bart Vale with a Single Crab to the crowd’s delight.

Riki Choshu publicly met up with Genichiro Tenryu and two of them made it onto the front cover of Gong Magazine together, which had people wondering if this meant Tenryu would show up to the big NJPW January Dome Show… uhhh despite Tenryu having his own Dome Show in December. And you thought journalists on Twitter were bad for hearing hooves and thinking “oh shit, zebras!!!”

There’s an early report emerging that with Yoshihiro Asai jumping from Mexico’s UWA to EMLL, that he’d be leaving Universal Lucha Libre for SWS. But that can’t be right as he denied it last time he was asked so shut up OK?

Slow news week so let’s get to the SWS-ness.

Super World Sports – Toyama City Gymnasium 09/17/91

Toyama, Toyama City Gymnasium
Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center
Attendance: 3,130

Previously In SWS…

It’s the day after the previous show so there’s no news, let’s jump to the dodgy wrestling instead.

Super World Sports – Return To Fukui Fukui-Shi Taiikukan 09/16/91

Super World Sports – Takasaki-Shi Central Gymnasium 08/09/91

Yokohama Arena

Attendance: 14,650

Previously On SWS…

Tonight, SWS goes head-to-head with NJPW who were running the same night nearby. NJPW were worried that SWS and the device they use to give away free tickets would mess with their attendance, but they sold out all three days for their long weekend at Sumo Hall with LOADED shows, so they needn’t have worried.

Also this week, Koji Kitao announced his retirement from wrestling. He’d get better.

Super World Sports Takasaki-Shi Central Gymnasium 08/05/91

Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Attendance: 2,769
Aired on WOWOW Cable TV

Previously In SWS…

Meltzer delivered his awards and SWS walked away with MOST UNDERRATED WRESTLER (Naoki Sano), ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (Ishinriki) and BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER (Orihara Moonsault) which is a nice positive for a promotion so criticized. Meltzer hopes Orihara survives doing the move on a regular basis to see 1992, which is kind of back-handed after you’ve rewarded the crazyness.

Oh also Tenryu picked up the Observer award of Newest President of SWS.

This show is a set-up for SWS’s big show at the Yokohama Arena in four days time (going head-to-head with New Japan’s first Sumo Hall show) which will feature the second annual SWS tag team tournament. SWS wasn’t crazy enough to run a 17,000 seater without something special so today’s show features the return of his old tag partner Ashura Hara.

Super World Sports – Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center 07/09/91

Sendai, Miyagi
Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center
Attendance: $$$

Previously in SWS…

Glass Man (boop boop) Tanaka is looking at funding another new promotion, this one based around Koji Kitao. I don’t know if this was the early days of what would eventually become Kitao Dojo but he’d have to wait until 1994 if it was.

Tanaka is reportedly is confused how the deep SWS roster can barely give tickets away for their shoes whereas the four-member PWFG’s NK Hall is nearly sold out. So clearly the answer is “more Kitao.”

UWF-i ran their third show and they’re still ironing out certain issues, like flying in JT Southern (aka the drummer from Clash Of The Champions X) before checking to see if he can actually wrestle shoot-style. For an idea on how it went, here’s Kazuo Yamazaki’s happy face after winning.

Meltzer is dubious at SWS’ plan to run the 17,000 seat Yokohama Arena in  a month’s time given that they’ve only been able to sell out Korakuen Hall with a half-paying crowd. I’m sure some sort of big return might help.

Super World Sports – The Battle Hall IV 06/26/91

Tokyo, Japan
Korakuen Hall
Attendance: 2,297

Previously in SWS…

Apparently Randy Savage is trying to work out a deal where he’ll work for All Japan while remaining with WWF and even called Baba’s office several times. This despite WWF and SWS working together. Savage wouldn’t appear again for SWS so maybe there’s some truth to this. Or maybe I just want it to be true for the sheer nerve of it all. (and in case you were wondering, Savage wouldn’t wrestle for AJPW either and would return to Japan for the WWF/WAR Mania 1994 tour).

It’s been reported that SWS was so desperate to draw a legit sell out for this show to shut up the HATERS that they lowered the price of GA tickets from the usual price of $22 to just $7. However it doesn’t say who you had to cheer for if you sat in those seats.

Super World Sports – Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium 06/10/91

Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
Attendance: 7,709

Super World Sports – Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 06/07/91

Tokyo, Japan
Ryogoku Kokugikan
Attendance: 8,691

The one with Tenryu getting his revenge on Haku!

Super World Sports – The Battle Hall III 05/23/91

Tokyo, Japan
Korakuen Hall
Attendance: 2,179

The one with Macho Man headlining the Korakuen Hall!

Super World Sports Region Plaza Joetsu 04/23/91

Region Plaza Joetsu
Attendance: 2,769
Aired on WOWOW Cable TV

Straight And Strong Wrestle Dream In Kobe 04/01/91

Kobe World Hall
Attendance: 5,877
Aired on WOWOW Cable TV

SWS Wrestlefest In Tokyo Dome 03/30/91

Tokyo Dome
Attendance: 64,618 (yeah right)
Aired on WOWOW Cable TV

SWS Declaration Of War 02/22/91

Tokyo, Japan
Korakuen Hall
Attendance 2,309