John Tenta

Super World Sports Battle Message Night 1 & 2 04/16/92 – 04/17/92

Previously In SWS…

Bad news as SWS’s TV slot on WOWOW is over as the company declined to renew their deal, due to Akira Maeda’s RINGS getting better ratings despite the alleged names associated with Straight & Strong.

PWFG made their USA debut in Miami drawing 2,300 for a main event featuring Bart Vale defeating Fujiwara. PWFG continues to outdraw SWS even in countries with no access to their product.

I’m not saying SWS is getting it’s arse handed to it by shoot-style companies but PWFG’s Duran vs. Funaki show is reportedly outselling Flair vs. Tenryu Title Match (happening the day afterwards) by nearly a 10-to-1 margin.

Super World Sports Kyoto Prefectural Gymnasium 02/14/92

Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto Prefectural Gymnasium
Attendance: 5,720

Previously In SWS…

Hulk Hogan vs. Genichiro Tenryu was named as 1991’s MOTY, which was the only thing Tenryu had a chance of winning in that match.

However, Weekly Pro Wrestling’s 1991 Fan Awards saw…absolutely no SWS nominations. Whether this was due to SWS banning the publication or none of the voters buying what they were selling is debatable.

Seiji Sakaguchi of New Japan met with Hachiro Tanaka of SWS to try and settle out-of-court on the lawsuit New Japan has against SWS for raiding Naoki Sano and George Takano. Part of the settlement may include doing a co-promotion show (or they could just wait a few months and just book Tenryu).

UWF-i sold out Korakuen Hall on 01/09 and PWFG drew 4,120 at Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium on 01/15 as shoot-style continues to get bigger every month. SWS representative defeated Goldberg’s favourite Jerry Flynn which explains the big number.

Super World Sports – Osaka Furitsu Taiikukaikan 01/08/92

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
Osaka, Japan
Attendance: 4,850

Previously In SWS…

Gong Magazine’s 10 biggest news stories in Japan of 1991 were revealed and it’s nice to see SWS make any list at this point so let’s look and brag about their relevance:

1. UWF splits into three groups
2. Koji Kitao fired by SWS
3. All Japan continues doing mega-great
4. Small indie FMW draws two crowds of more than 30,000 fans
5. Masa Chono wins the singles tournament for New Japan in August
6. Ashura Hara comes out of retirement for SWS
7. Tatsumi Fujinami wins NWA title from Ric Flair
8. Giant Baba returns to action after missing six months
9. W*ING promotion forms
10. Dynamite Kid retires/Yoshihiro Asai jumps from Universal to SWS.

Well that was nice. Let’s get to SWS’ newest idea: a Tag Team Tournament for some nice new belts!

Super World Sports – Nagoya Congress Center 01/06/92

Nagoya Congress Center
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Attendance: 2,160

Previously In SWS…

SWS officials announced total proceeds from their Dome Show as being 760 million yen (approximately $5,850,000) with the breakdown being $4.62 million live gate, which would set an all-time pro wrestling record if it were true. Welcome to SWS where every day is Bruce Pritchard talking about Wrestlemania VII.

But it doesn’t matter as no-one’s talking about the Dome Show right now after UWF-i’s last event on 12/22/91, featuring a little match you may have heard about: Trevor Berbick vs. Nobuhiko Takada.

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 – 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

The only Big Fat Heels I’ve never heard of- the Colossal Kongs! And HARLEY RACE was their manager! While he was managing Vader!

Welcome back to the final Dream Matches column of 2021! And true to form, I fill it with Big Fat Guy matches! This week, we’ll be taking a look at a request that netted me TWO bizarre matches- bouts featuring the Colossal Kongs! First, we see the pair of rotund near-clones as they take on two of the Four Horsemen- Arn Anderson & Paul Roma! Then we see one in a strange JTTS match against Ric Flair of all people, as Flair tries to use his “Broomstick TV Match” template on a hopeless obesitron!

Then take another look at mid-90s Nitro mishmash bouts as Lord Steven Regal takes on a young, masked Juventud Guerrera! And we see Freddie Joe Floyd for one final time, as I’ve run out of matches of his- here he teams up with Barry Horowitz as the “Elite Jobber” team up against… the Headbangers! Yes, Freddie Joe Floyd and the Headbangers interacted! How’s THAT for a wacky “Dream Match you never knew you needed”?! Then watch the strange circumstances of WCW boldly hiring away ECW’s 911 only to use him as a piece of shit jobber, taking on Ice Train on the D-show! And then it’s a glorious Fat Guy Dream Team as the One Man Gang teams up with John Tenta against the Armstrong Brothers… sadly, it’s Tenta as The Shark, but still! This would have been a mega-team in 1990!

THE COLOSSAL KONGS (Awesome Kong & King Kong, w/ Col. Rob Parker) vs. ARN ANDERSON & PAUL ROMA:
(WCW, Oct. 24th 1993)
* Shockingly, the Kongs are a pair of Big Fat Heels I’ve NEVER HEARD OF, but were apparently in WCW for a little bit. They debuted separately, but looked similar enough that they were eventually paired up, but neither ever became anything. Rob Parker is subbing for Harley Race, said to be busy with Vader at the moment. Awesome Kong is the hairier one of the two. And they’re taking on two of the Four Horsemen, which at this point features infamous failed star Paul Roma. Roma’s in long white tights and Arn’s in manly powder-blue trunks.