Super World Sports – Takasaki-Shi Central Gymnasium 08/09/91
Yokohama Arena
Attendance: 14,650
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.
Rampage
Date: March 10, 2023
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Jim Ross
We’re still in California and it’s the fallout Rampage from Revolution. I’m not sure what that is going to mean as you never know what you are going to get on this show. One of the bigger matches announced is Konosuke Takeshita vs. Preston Vance in a match Takeshita could actually win. Let’s get to it.
Smackdown
Date: March 10, 2023
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
We are just over three weeks away from Wrestlemania and the biggest development coming into this show was Jey Uso rejoining the Bloodline by taking out Sami Zayn. That seems to be the step that we have been waiting for on the way to whatever the Usos and Zayn are going to be doing at Wrestlemania so we might see something big tonight. Let’s get to it.
Monday Night Raw
Date: April 7, 2008
Location: Times Union Center, Albany, New York
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
We’re officially out of Wrestlemania season and the build to Backlash has begun. We should be in for some big stuff going forward, apparently including JBL coming after Randy Orton’s Raw World Title. They are going to need something to go with that, and Shawn Michaels vs. Batista might be on the list as well. Let’s get to it.
Ring Of Honor
Date: March 9, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We’re still on the first taping of this new show so things are likely to look like they did last week. The wrestling itself was pretty good, but the length of the show was quite the drag. They did offer something big at the end with Eddie Kingston showing up to challenge Claudio Castagnoli, so there is at least a path forward in the main event. Let’s get to it.
Impact Wrestling
Date: March 9, 2023
Location: Sam’s Town Live, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
We are on our way to a trio of shows with Sacrifice, Multiverse United and Rebellion, which makes for quite the packed series of builds. That got started last week with a little something for each show getting time, but they are going to have to do it again for the next few weeks. Let’s get to it.
Dynamite
Date: March 8, 2023
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
We’re done with Revolution and that means it is time to start getting ready for Double Or Nothing. That show is only two and a half months away so AEW actually needs to put some things together a little bit faster here. Other than that, we have a lot of fallout to get through so let’s get to it.
NXT
Date: March 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
This is the Roadblock special, because we need a special event less than a month before what is probably the biggest NXT event of the year. Since the NXT Champion is in a six man tag, the real main event is probably Shawn Michaels appearing on the Grayson Waller Effect. NXT has teased Michaels fighting Waller, so odds are we see who is doing it in Michaels’ place this week. Let’s get to it.
Monday Night Raw
Date: March 6, 2023
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
We are less than a month away from Wrestlemania and tonight is going to be one of the bigger shows, as John Cena is back. There is a good chance that we get his Wrestlemania match set up this week, as he is running out of time. Other than that, we also get a face to face staredown between Logan Paul and Seth Rollins. Let’s get to it.
Revolution 2023
Date: March 5, 2023
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Jim Ross
We’re back with another AEW pay per view and that should mean something really good. The television shows haven’t been the strongest in recent weeks but that has never stopped the pay per views from being special. The main event will feature MJF defending the World Title against Bryan Danielson in an Iron Man match, which should be…uh, long. Let’s get to it.
Cyanide
Date: December 11, 2010
Location: America Legion Post #308, Reseda, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Brandon Bonham, Chris Hero, Kevin Steen, Rick Knox, Joey Ryan, Chuck Taylor
It’s back to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with what they call “A Loving Tribute To Poison”. If there is one thing that PWG knows how to do, it is come up with some wacky names and they have done it again here. I have no idea what to expect here, which is pretty much the norm for anything from this company. Let’s get to it.
Super World Sports Takasaki-Shi Central Gymnasium 08/05/91
Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Attendance: 2,769
Aired on WOWOW Cable TV
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.
Impact Wrestling
Date: March 2, 2023
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
We are done with No Surrender and that means we are at least one step closer to Rebellion in April. Josh Alexander is still the World Champion after retaining over Rich Swann, but now Steve Maclin is waiting on the champ. That should make for a good buildup and they have time to make it work. Let’s get to it.
Rampage
Date: March 3, 2023
Location: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross
It’s the final show before Revolution and that means this week is live. Normally I would say a pay per view card is set two days before the show but AEW has a tendency to throw in a bunch of stuff at the last minute. This week will also see Dustin Rhodes/Keith Lee vs. Mogul Affiliates so let’s get to it.
Smackdown
Date: March 3, 2023
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
We are less than a month away from Wrestlemania and that means it is time to kick the build into high gear. This time around we are going to be seeing something special as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be going face to face for the first time in a very long while. Other than that, I’m sure Sami Zayn will be up to something. Let’s get to it.
Ring Of Honor
Date: March 2, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
So after a year or so of Ring Of Honor being a major part of AEW, it is time for the company to get its own show. That might mean quite a few things, but there is a good chance that we are going to be seeing a bunch of AEW stars around here. This show could go in a few different ways though so let’s get to it.
Dynamite
Date: March 1, 2023
Location: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
It’s the go home Dynamite for Revolution and that means we have a stacked show. This time around that includes the Face of the Revolution ladder match plus a Casino tag team battle royal to determine the fourth team in Sunday’s four way Tag Team Title match. That should be more than enough to carry the show so let’s get to it.
NXT
Date: February 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
We are about a month away from Stand & Deliver and the card is starting to take shape. While nothing has happened yet and Roadblock is next week, you can probably figure out a lot of what is coming. One thing that is not entirely clear is what will be going on with Shawn Michaels and Grayson Waller, but maybe we can find out some more tonight. Let’s get to it.
Monday Night Raw
Date: February 27, 2023
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
We are less than five weeks away from Wrestlemania and you can see a lot of the show’s card from here. That means we should be in for a good event, as there is time to build things up in advance. Odds are we’ll hear a lot from Cody Rhodes this week, which often works out well. Let’s get to it.
Super World Sports – Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center 07/09/91
Sendai, Miyagi
Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center
Attendance: $$$
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.
