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CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM RUSSIA #3 Taped at the Ostankino Television Technical Center in Moscow, Russia. Dark Match: Igor Kolmykov and Vladimir Berkovich beat Mike Awesome and Billy Gunn in 9:54 when Berkovich made Billy Gunn tap out to the Boston Crab. (41) The show opens with Lyudmila Kondratyeva interviewing Salman Hashimikov. She asks him how he feels about Terry Funk busting into the studio in consecutive weeks. 'Quite frankly? I'm not worried at all. In fact, I've told Valeri Vasiliev that if security sees him come in, tonight, send him straight to me.' (46) Minoru Suzuki and Steven Regal beat Grigory Verichev and Vladimir Popov in 13:21 when Suzuki choked out Popov with the sleeper hold. (58) Gary Hart and Bull Nakano are backstage with Lyudmila Kondratyeva. They are shown a brief video of Svetlana Goundarenko winning a gold medal at the European Judo Championships and competing at the Summer Olympics. Kondratyeva asks for their reaction. 'Well, that's amateur sport, which is small potatoes for us. We're about winning real champonships and making real money. If she wants to go live in that world, that's fine. But we'll be waiting for her here when she's ready to play a real sport,' Gary Hart says. (28) Terry Gordy defeated Cosmonaut I in 7:49 with a backdrop driver. (52) There's a commotion backstage. The camera crew finds Gama Singh laid out and beaten bloody. Valeri Vasiliev rushes to the scene to find Terry Funk sauntering into the room. 'It looks like you're down a man for your tournament tonight. It's a good thing I happened to be in town,' Funk tells him as Vasiliev glares at him. (36) Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Dave Finlay in 15:17 with a diving headbutt to advance in the All-Russia Heavyweight Championship tournament. (47) Salman Hashimikov, Victor Zangiev and Volk Han defeated Dick Togo, Jado and Gedo in 10:11 when Volk Han submitted Jado with a heel hook. (48) As Zangiev leaves with Anastasia, they run into Kamala coming out for the main event. Kamala is still transfixed by Anastasia's beauty but keeps his distance this time. (36) Terry Funk defeated Kamala in 14:52 with the spinning toe hold to advance in the All-Russia Heavyweigth Championship tournament. (46) Terry Funk grabs the microphone. 'Nothing was going to keep me away from the championship tournament. When I realised how easy it was to beat the strongest Russian you've got and snap his damn neck like a twig, I knew I could rob this country of everything it has, humiliate every single one of your heroes, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do to stop me.' Hashimikov comes out to confront him, furious. They get into a shoving match but Valeri Vasiliev runs out and forces himself between them. They are standing off and glaring at eachother as the show goes to black. (48) Overall Rating: 46

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM RUSSIA #2 Taped at the Ostankino Television Technical Center in Moscow, Russia. Dark Match: Minoru Suzuki and Perry Saturn beat 2 Cold Scorpio and Booker T in 10:10 when Suzuki put Booker T in the sleeper. (44) Valeri Vasiliev opens the show. He reveals the All-Russia Heavyweight championship belt and reveals the tournament brackets. In the World bracket, Dave Finlay will face Bam Bam Bigelow and Kamala will face Gama Singh while in the Russia bracket, Vladimir Popov will face Volk Han and, in tonight's main event, Salman Hashimikov will face Victor Zangiev. Hashimikov and Zangiev come out and shake hands. (50) The Flying Cosmonauts and Norman Smiley defeated The Ugly Americans (Johnny Ace, Scotty Flamingo and Dr. Tom Prichard) in 10:14 when Cosmonaut II pinned Scotty Flamingo with a brainbuster. (57) Backstage, Lyudmila Kondratyeva interviews Volk Han and Vladimir Popov. They both praise the other wrestler and look forward to having a good, clean match. (36) Vladimir Berkovich and Ivan Kolmykov defeated Billy Gunn and Dean Malenko in 7:30 with Billy Gunn tapping out to Berkovich's Boston Crab. (48) Berkovich and Kolmykov get on the microphone. They want one more match to prove themselves against Finlay and Regal! Finlay and Regal come out and accept the challenge. This segment suffered because one side has no charisma and the other side speaks no Russian. (26) Volk Han defeats Vladimir Popov in 14:56 by pinfall. Volk Han advances in the All-Russia Heavyweight Championship tournament. (56) Gary Hart comes into the studio accompanied by Bam Bam Bigelow and Bull Nakano. He says Volk Han will never be champion as ong as Bam Bam Bigelow is standing in his way. (31) Grigory Verichev defeats Al Snow in 9:56 with a judo slam. (55) Verichev does a post-match intervierw with Kondratyeva. He tells her he wants another match with Minoru Suzuki. He won't be choked out this time. (21) Salman Hashimikov defeats Victor Zangiev in 19:34 by pinfall. Salman Hashimikov advances in the All-Russia Heavyweight Championship tournament. Kamala comes out and distracts Zangiev from ringside. (41) Zangiev and Kamala start to brawl at ringside. As Hashimikov watches them, Terry Funk hits the ring and attacks him. All four men are brawling around the studio to end the show. (49) Overall Rating: 47

Over the first nine months of Championship Wrestling from Russia, we've seen goundswell support for our promotion build up and we've now reached 'small' size. We're now eligible to negociate a TV deal, and we do, making a deal to show Championship Wrestling from Russia on 2×2 on Saturday afternoons. Also, Zaza Tkeshelashvili has been publicly fired for injuring Gama Singh. CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM RUSSIA #1 Taped at the Ostankino Television Technical Center in Moscow, Russia. Dark Match: Ivan Kolmykov and Vladimir Berkovich beat Shoichi Funaki and Ulitmo Dragon in 9:55 when Berkovich makes Ultimo Dragon tap out to the Boston Crab. (47) The show begins with Georgy Sarkisyants recapping the Hashimikov/Funk affair. 'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us on Championship Wrestling from Russia.' He explains how Ivan Koloff arrived in Russia from America, intending to end his career in his home country. He discusses his partnership with Vladimir Hashimikov and rivalry with Terry Funk, and shows footage of his devastating injury at the hands of Funk. 'At this time, we can confirm that Ivan Koloff's injuries are so severe that doctors question whether he will even walk again, let alone return to the wrestling ring. Terry Funk's vicious assault has brought an end to Ivan Koloff's career.' He announces that Terry Funk has been indefinitely suspended from Championship Wrestling from Russia for using the banned piledriver. (43) The Flying Cosmonauts beat Jado and Gedo in 10:23 when Comsonaut I (Chris Benoit) nails Jado with a Flying Headbutt in a fast-paced, car-crash opener. (47) Gary Hart cuts a promo with Bull Nakano, with backstage interviewer Lyudmila Kondratyeva. 'I came to Russia looking to make easy money,' Gary Hart explains. 'But I didn't realise how easy it would be to take the All-Russia Women's Championship from Svetlana Goundarenko, who turned tail and ran outta town. We haven't even seen her. Is that the best Russia has?' (31) Bam Bam Bigelow beat Zaza Tkeshelashivli in 9:48 with a diving headbutt. (51) Gary Hart has a warning for Volk Han. After accompanying Bam Bam at ringside, Gary Hart has more to say. 'I offered you an opportunity, Volk Han, to leave this shithole country and make something of yourself in America. But I can't wait forever. If you're not going to come work for me, Bam Bam is going to deal with you.' (34) Valeri Vasiliev has a major announcement. He says that now that Championship Wrestling from Russia has been established as the pre-eminent wrestling promotion in Russia, it is time to crown a men's champion. A tournament will unfold in the following weeks with the best Russian wrestler facing the best foreign wrestler to determine who will go home with the All-Russia Heavyweight Championship. (40) Victor Zangiev defeated Billy Gunn in 10:21 by tapping him out. Anastasia is watching him at ringside. (50) Kamala comes out early for his match. He runs into Victor Zangiev and Anastasia at ringside. Kamala tries to move on Anastasia but Zangiev steps in the way and he backs off. (28) Kamala defeated Norman Smiley in 9:31 with the Ugandan Nerve Lock. (52) Dave Finlay and Steven Regal conduct a pre-match promo. They protest the injustice of suspending Terry Funk, the greatest wrestler in all of Russia. (40) Salman Hashimikov beats Steven Regal in 18:24 by submission in our main event. (49) There is noise in the background -- Terry Funk has broken into the studio! He's swinging a chain and attacking security guards. No one can control him! Salman Hashimikov stands resolute in the ring as the cameramen and technicians flee. Terry Funk looks down the barrel of a camera and says that he has no respect for anyone in Russia and won't be controlled. He knocks over the camera and the show cuts to black. (58) Overall Rating: 49

CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 6 Perm, Russia. 573 fans in attendance. The Flying Cosmonauts beat Al Snow and Dean Malenko in 13:05 when Malenko tapped out to the Cosmonaut Crossface. Cosmonaut I also strained his rotator cuff in this match. (54) Gama Singh beat Johnny Ace in 13:19 with the camel clutch. Finlay and Regal come out. They announce that, since they have beaten all the teams there are to beat in Russia, they will continue their singles careers. (32) Vladimir Popov beat Steven Regal in 10:19 with a Boston Crab. (57) Gary Hart comes out and says he has a new client for Svetlana Goundarenko to defend her title against… it’s Bull Nakano! (25) Bull Nakano beats Svetlana Goundarenko in 9:41 for the All-Russia Women’s title with the guillotine leg drop. (46) Bam Bam Bigelow beat Andrei Kopylov in 15:14 with a diving headbutt. (48) Victor Zangiev beat Kamala in 9:39. (56) The mysterious woman finally introduces herself to Zangiev. Her name is Anastasia… she leaves ringside with him. (37) Volk Han defeats Dave Finlay in 15:10. (66) Volk Han gets on the mic and calls out Gary Hart! He says he won’t let his wrestling career be derailed by an American who only wants to make money off him. (36) Terry Funk beats Salman Hashimikov in 15:30 with the deadly Piledriver. Ivan Koloff is at ringside… (60) Terry Funk attacks Ivan Koloff! He is still injured from taking the Piledriver on the last night of the tour! Salman Hashimikov is helpless to stop him as he assaults Koloff! Overall Rating: 57 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 7 Chelyabinsk, Russia. 642 fans in attendance. Valeri Vasiliev announces Terry Funk’s piledriver has been banned. After Ivan Koloff and Salman Hashimikov have been injured, he has no choice. Funk comes out and is furious and says he has the best American lawyers to challenge this ruling. (52) Kolmykov & Berkovich beat The Headhunters in 13:12 when Berkovich submits Headhunter B with the Boston Crab. (47) Andrei Kopylov beats Johnny Ace in 5:01 in a short squash match. (22) Gama Singh beats Dean Malenko in 12:55 with the camel clutch. (57) Zaza Tkeshelashvili beats Steven Regal in 13:22 with the achilles lock. (58) Bull Nakano beats Cutie Suzuki in 9:40 to retain the All-Russia Women’s title. (45) Kamala and Bam Bam Bigelow beat Victor Zangiev and Volk Han in 14:44 when Bigelow hits Zangiev with the diving headbutt for the win. (59) All four men continue brawling! Anastasia and Gary Hart both have to duck for cover as they brawl around ringside until security can separate them. (46) Vladimir Popov beats Dave Finlay in 12:31 in a shocking underdog victory. (44) Terry Funk defeats Grigory Verichev in 14:43 with the spinning toe hold. (63) Terry Funk grabs the microphone. He wants a match with Ivan Koloff to expose him and prove he’s not a Russian hero at all. (51) Overall Rating: 57 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 8 Novosibirsk, Russia. 698 fans in attendance. Kolmykov and Berkovich taunt Finlay and Regal for losing their singles matches on the past few shows. They come out and answer the tag team challenge. (27) Finlay and Regal beat Kolmykov and Berkovich in 15:19 when Finlay hits Berkovich with the tombstone piledriver. (58) Bull Nakano beats Velvet McIntyre in 10:09 to retain the All-Russia Women’s title. (36) Ultimo Dragon beats Dean Malenko in 10:20 with the Dragon Bomb. (57) Cosmonaut II (Eddie Guerrero) beats Lizmark Jr. in 9:31 with a Brainbuster. (47) Victor Zangiev and Vladimir Popov beat the Ugly Americans (Johnny Ace and Scotty Flamingo) in 12:51 when Zangiev pins Flamingo. (51) Kamala comes to ringside, entranced by Anastasia’s beauty. Zangiev sees this and tries to get him to back off. (47) Volk Han defeats Gama Singh in 14:46 with a leg bar. (59) Gary Hart comes out and tells Volk Han he’s still interested in getting him to sign a contract with him; he has a lot of potential and Hart would regret having to end his career. (41) Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Grigory Verichev in 14:43. (61) Terry Funk defeats Ivan Koloff in 15:04 with the spinning toe hold. (59) Terry Funk continues the attack after the match – and he piledrives Ivan Koloff through the press table at ringside! Paramedics try to take Koloff out on a stretcher as Hashimikov arrives too late to make the save! (49) Overall Rating: 56 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 9 Moscow, Russia. 842 fans in attendance. Regal and Finlay defeat the Samoan Swat Team in 12:47. (58) Cosmonaut II beats Ultimo Dragon in 13:02. (53) Bull Nakano beats Klondyke Kate in 10:21 to retain the All-Russia Womens title. (46) Zaza Tkeshelashvili defeats Gama Singh in 12:57 with the Achilles lock. Gama Singh is injured during the match. (35) Minoru Suzuki defeats Grigory Verichev in 13:12 with a sleeper hold. (56) Kamala beats Vladimir Berkovich in 14:41 with Air Africa. They have no chemistry as opponents. (44) Kamala grabs the ringside microphone. He starts babbling in some unknown language, then he starts to chant her name – Anastasia, Anastasia, Anastasia – until they wrestle the mic away from him. (41) Vladimir Popov, Volk Han and Victor Zangiev defeat Jado, Gedo and Dick Togo in 10:44 when Volk Han submits Gedo with the leg bar. (55) Salman Hashimikov defeats Terry Funk in 14:21 after he passes out in the camel clutch. (60) Salman Hashimikov tries to piledrive Terry Funk to get revenge for the injured Ivan Koloff. Before he can do so, Valeri Vasiliev runs to the ring and threatens to suspend him if he doesn’t back off. (52) Overall Rating: 57

Tiger Jeet Singh is already off the tour. He tried to get into a fight with Vakha Evloev, so he's fired. Other than the fact that we got rid of our #2 foreign heel, however, things are looking good for Championship Wrestling from Russia. Just look at how many fans we've managed to get in a few short months. Clearly, groundswell support is building around CWR and the fans want to support Salman and the others. I also received a report that Vakha Evloev has become 'flabby', so he has also been publicly fired. CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 4 Kazan, Russia. 446 fans in attendance. Vasiliev hypes the crowd, but is interrupted by Gary Hart. He's tired of dealing with Volk Han's obstinance and puts out an open offer of his services to any Russian wrestler who wants to make it in America. (37) The Tkeshelashvili Brothers defeat Jado and Gedo in 13:15 when Zaza submits Gedo with an Achilles lock. (38) Svetlana Goundarenko beats Velvet McIntyre for the All-Russia Womens title in 15:07 with a judo slam. (43) Vladimir Popov defeats Dean Malenko in 13:26 with a Boston Crab. (58) Steven Regal defeats Igor Kolmykov in 14:51 with the Regal-plex. (53) Regal and Finlay cut a promo on Kolmykov and Berkovich. Now that Regal's cracked tailbone has healed they don't stand a chance. (34) Terry Funk and Kamala beat Victor Zangiev and Volk Han in 15:19 when Funk taps out Zangiev with the spinning toe hold. (61) The woman at ringside who's been watching Zangiev catches Kamala's eye as he leaves the ring... he's transfixed by her beauty. (31) Grigory Verichev beats Gama Singh in 12:49 with a judo throw. (53) Salman Hashimikov beats Dave Finlay in 19:46. They're said to have great chemistry. (49) Hashimikov then delivers a post-match promo. He says he'll take on all comers and defeat anyone who insults the Russian people. (51) Overall Rating: 53 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 5 The show starts with a ceremony honouring Ivan Koloff. He has announced his upcoming retirement, wanting to end his career in Russia. Valeri Vasiliev and Salman Hashimikov are delivering speeches talking about what an honour it is to have him come home. Terry Funk comes out to disrupt the ceremony, says Koloff isn't even really Russian. Hashimikov is furious. (47) Steven Regal and Dave Finlay beat Igor Kolmykov and Vladimir Berkovich in 15:04 when Berkovich taps out to the Regal Stretch. (58) Finlay and Regal post-match promo where they say they've proven there's no tag team in Russia tougher than them. They're still held back by the language barrier. (35) Svetlana Goundarenko beats Velvet McIntyre for the All Russia Womens title in 14:45 with a judo throw. (46) Gama Singh beats Victor Zangiev in 12:44 when Kamala comes out and attacks Zangiev. (53) The Flying Cosmonauts (Cosmonaut I and Cosmonaut II) beat The Ugly Americans (Johnny Ace and Scotty Flamingo) in 13:19 when Johnny Ace taps out to Cosmonaut II's Gory Special. (46) Grigory Verichev beats Ultimo Dragon in 12:42 with a judo throw. (53) Gary Hart reveals his new client. Bam Bam Bigelow has arrived in Russia and he wants a piece of Volk Han! (33) Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Volk Han in 14:49 with a flying headbutt. They're said to have had good chemistry in-ring. (63) Terry Funk and Kamala beat the Dream Team (Salman Hashimikov and Ivan Koloff) in 19:32 when Funk hits Koloff with the piledriver. (54) Post-match, the brawl continues. Koloff is badly hurt by the piledriver and it turns into a two-on-one where Funk and Kamala work over Hashimikov, until Zangiev, Volk Han and Verichev run out to make the save. (48) Overall Rating: 54

CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 1 Saint Petersburg, Russia. 260 fans in attendance. Valeri Vasiliev warms up the crowd. He explains that tonight's card will have, in addition to some of the finest wrestlers Russia has ever produced, the return of Ivan Koloff, a Russian emigre born in exile. Terry Funk comes out to interrupt him, although no one in the audience understands what he's saying. He is chased off by Salman Hashimikov. (Rating: 42) Vladimir Berkovich, Igor Komylov and Vladimir Popov vs. Dick Togo, Jado and Gedo. Vladmir Popov lays out Gedo and makes him tap out in a chaotic opener. (38) Svetlana Goundarenko vs. Klondyke Kate. The Russian judoka drops Kate with a huge slam to retain the All-Russia women's championship. (38) Kamala vs. Vakha Evloev. Kamala defeats the Russian in a short squash match. (37) Tiger Jeet Singh vs. Andrei Kopylov. Singh defeats the Russian in a back-and-forth match. (44) Steven Regal and Dave Finlay come down to the ring. They disparage the nation of Russia and declare they are the toughest tag team in the entire country. No one understands what they are saying. (28) Finlay and Regal vs. the Tkeshelashvili Brothers. Regal and Finlay make short work of Zaza and Koba. (56) Victor Zangiev vs. Al Snow. In a brief but highly skilled and technical encounter, the wrestling machine Zangiev takes Snow for a ride. (50) A mysterious woman is seen watching Zangiev from ringside. She tries to get his attention with her steely glare. (29) Volk Han vs. Dean Malenko. In the technical highlight of the night, Volk Han taps out Malenko with a leg lock. (63) Gary Hart offers his services to Volk Han. He promises he can get Han a huge contract with an American company, but Han blows him off. (36) Terry Funk vs. Tiger Levani. Funk gets a big win over the Georgian. (47) The Dream Team (Salman Hashimikov and Ivan Koloff) vs. the Ugly Americans (Scotty Flamingo and Johnny Ace). Hashimikov gets a huge win here with the assist from Koloff. (56) Terry Funk comes out to confront Hashimikov. He's upset about being humiliated in the opening segment. Hashimikov lays him out with one punch. (56) Show Rating: 56 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 2 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. 327 fans in attendance. Vasiliev is interrupted by Terry Funk again. Hashimikov and Koloff come out to chase him off. (39) The Flying Cosmonauts (Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero as Cosmonaut I & II) defeat Jado and Gedo. (40) Svetlana Goundarenko defeats Klondyke Kate for the All-Russia Women's title. (40) Igor Kolmykov and Vladimir Berkovich defeat Al Snow and Dean Malenko. (56) Finlay and Regal come out to taun them. They say no Russian team can beat them. No one has a clue what they're saying because they're speaking English. (23) Kamala defeats Shoichi Funaki in a short squash match. (22) Volk Han defeats Dave Finlay in a show-stealing bout. (60) Gary Hart comes out to make another offer to Volk Han. Volk Han ignores him. (35) Grigory Verichev and Victor Zangiev defeat the Samoan Swat Team (Samu and Fatu.) (52) The mysterious woman is still at ringside watching Zangiev. She whispers something to him as he leaves the ring. (30) Terry Funk defeats Vladimir Popov. The rookie is no match for the wily veteran. (53) Terry Funk gets on the mic and declares he can beat any Russian. (46) Salman Hashimikov defeats Tiger Jeet Singh. (40) Terry Funk comes out to confront Hashimikov again and gets laid out cold once again. (55) Overall Rating: 52 CWR WAR AND PEACE TOUR: NIGHT 3 Yaroslavl, Russia. 382 fans in attendance. The Flying Cosmonauts defeat 2 Cold Scorpio and Booker T. (47) Kamala defeats Scotty Flamingo. (22) Svetlana Goundarenko defeats Klondyke Kate for the All-Russia Women's title. (39) Regal and Finlay come out to tell Kolmykov and Berkovich they can't face them this week because Regal has a cracked tailbone, but they have an alternate for them. (45) Victor Zangiev defeats Dean Malenko. (57) The mysterious woman is watching Zangiev once again. (26) Grigory Verichev defeats Dr. Tom Pritchard. (50) Dave Finlay defeats Volk Han. Gary Hart appears at ringside and distracts Volk for the finish. (57) Gary Hart warns Volk Han he can make his life a living hell if he doesn't agree to do business with him. (40) Terry Funk pre-match promo. He's upset at being humiliated by Hashimikov and Koloff, but he thinks he and his partner have theri number. (37) The Dream Team defeats Terry Funk and Tiger Jeet Singh. (48) Overall Rating: 50

The year is 1992. The Soviet Union has fallen. Kleptocracy rules, state assets are sold off at fire-sale prices and party cadres become powerful oligarchs. American corporations enter the country like conquering heroes. There's a McDonalds in Red Square. Mikhail Gorbachev is in a commercial for Pizza Hut. The old world and its way of life have not just gone from this world; they have been smashed to pieces. It is time to teach the Russians to love pro wrestling. Like Rikidozan for the Japanese public in the 50s, we will show a broken people to stand up again. We will lift their spirits and create new heroes and legends. We will make lots of money. We are entering the breach that capitalism has made in the Iron Curtain. This is Championship Wrestling from Russia. PROLOGUE 'There are rumours of a new promotion opening in Russia,' writes the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 'Several talents have already received contract offers for a year-long tour with a view to build groundswell support for a TV series.' The economics make no sense. The Russian people have no money. They don't even know what pro wrestling is. They have no reason to come watch us. Never mind that, we'll give the tickets away for free. We are building something bigger than that here. The Russians are the first to respond. Salman Hashimikov, Victor Zangiev, Volk Han -- these guys will be the backbone of the CWR roster. We have Grigory Verichev and Svetlana Goundarenko, the judo players from FMW. To fill out the roster, we have Andrei Kopylov and Igor Kolmykov from RINGS, with Vladimir Berkovich, Vakha Evloev and the Olympic wrestler Vladimir Popov rounding out the roster. Represenging RINGS Georgia, we have Tiger Levani and the Tkeshelashvili brothers Koba and Zaza. We have some American talent as well. You'll hear about them later. Every story needs a villain. The first problem facing us is that a lot of our talent is lacking in star quality and charisma. We've asked them to take steroids to make up the difference. Some of them, like Salman and Volk Han don't want to do steroids. They are incorruptible. This only confirms my convictions that they should be the pillars of this company. Others accept the offer easily, and even agree to start building muscle immediately. We need a product that can effectively convey the essence of pro wrestling to a public that have been deprived of it for almost a hundred years. Something that can encompass all the violence, the comedy, the romance, the struggle and ordeal inherent to the whole sport. For that, we have selected Three Ring Circus. After all, the Russians do know a thing or two about circuses. But every wrestling federation needs an authority figure. We need someone who projects strength that can keep all these crazy wrestlers in line. For that purpose, we have chosen Valeri Vasiliev, the legendary enforcer of Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet national team. He can run this asylum. Once we secure a television deal, commentary will be provided by the legendary Georgy Sarkisyants. There's just one thing more -- we need a star to be a draw for us, to help lift us off the ground until the whole Russian wrestling scene is able to sustain itself. To that end, Ivan Koloff will make his triumphant debut in the land of his ancestors...

It's time for TOTAL WAR -- but first, to get caught up on some other events in the world of wrestling: I gave Randy a hard time for his poor performance on the last show, but he was entirely reasonable and understanding about it. This means he is a complete pushover and I will be able to bully him even more. I felt bad about the strain I would be putting on married couples by having their valets come out to work in Russia, so I'm glad that this divorce means that is no longer a concern, at least for 'Svetlana.' And now, live from Moscow, Russia, it's the long-awaited sequel to War and Peace... it's WAR AND PEACE 2: TOTAL WAR! The fake Russian being publicly fired as a display of dominance tonight will be Canada's Boris Kruschevv. Congratulations, Boris! Get the fuck out of my locker room! A crowd of 350 fans who have only just heard of pro wrestling two weeks ago and came for free (maybe half the people from the last show brought a friend?) are here to see a huge six-match card that will go down in history as one of the wrestling shows that took place in January of 1992. Let's begin! Lord Steven Regal and Dave Finlay come to the ring. Regal runs down the crowd as being a bunch of drunken peasants and thugs. He says that compared to them, Finlay is actually good company. Finlay grabs the microphone and says they'll take on anyone from the Russian side. The crowd again doesn't understand a word they're saying but unlike the Terry Funk segments from last week, this doesn't go over as well. Vladimir Berkovich and Igor Komylkov come down to the ring to face Regal and Finlay. In a great match, Regal beats Berkovich with the Regal-plex. El Cosmonauta faces the returning Gama Singh and defeats him in 12:53 with a brainbuster. The match is good, but has no heat. Volk Han comes out and whips Randy Hogan in 5:37. Surprisingly, Volk Han is able to carry him to a decent match. Maybe I won't yell at him after the show. The show is interrupted by Terry Funk. He still wants a match with Salman Hashimikov and doesn't care what he has to do to disrupt the show -- he'll tear down the ring if he has to, he just wants Hashimikov to come out to face him. Hashimikov comes out and, despite the language barrier, makes it clear that he is already scheduled to face Ice Train in the main event. Funk tells him he's putting himself in the main event and that Hashimikov should find a partner for later. This is followed by Grom Zaza vs Siva Afi. The wrestling is bad and there is no heat. I've found my scapegoats for the post-show speech. Andrei Kopylov and Grigory Verichev face Jado and Gedo next. Verichev hits his judo throw on Jado in 13:18 for the victory in a decent match that sets the table for our main event... In an epic main event, Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev take on Terry Funk and Ice Train. Hashimikov finally gets Terry Funk to tap out at 30:30. Moments after the bell, Ice Train hits the ring and lays out Hashimikov with a chain wrapped around his fist, bloodying him up and knocking him out. Zangiev tries to make the save but Ice Train chokes him with the chain as Terry Funk gets on the house mic and once again castigates the fans and swears revenge on Salman Hashimikov for humiliating him tonight -- this isn't over! The crowd doesn't understand a word he's saying but they're sufficiently agitated. Grom Zaza and Siva Afi weren't bothered by me repeatedly insulting them post-show. Join us next month when ЧРР returns for the most anticipated trilogy in Russian pro wrestling history -- it's WAR AND PEACE III: NAPOLEON'S REVENGE.

We now go live to Moscow, Russia, where 268 fans who just heard about pro wrestling yesterday and came in for free are ready for a huge seven match card here at CWR WAR AND PEACE. In our opening contest, Vladimir Berkovich and Igor Kolmykov take on Jado and Gedo. Berkovich taps out Gedo with a Boston Crab in 12:52 in what fans are already calling 'decent.' Suddenly, Terry Funk storms out to face Grom Zaza and, after beating him from pillar to post, pins him after a Piledriver in under five minutes. What's this? Now he's grabbing the ringside microphone and blasting the Russian fans! He says there's not a single man in all of Mother Russia who can whup him! The fans have no idea what Terry Funk is saying but everyone is excited and confused! Next, the masked wrestler El Cosmonauta (portrayed tonight by Eddy Guerrero) comes out to face Adrian Street. Cosmonauta gets the submission with the Gory Special in 13:02. The match is decent but doesn't have a lot of heat, and the masked cosmonaut gimmick doesn't seem to go over with the crowd very well. Now the Judo medallist Grigory Verichev is out to face the great Gama Singh. After an exciting back-and-forth contest, Verichev punishes Singh with a huge Judo slam and gets the pin in 13:25. Another tag team contest as Victor Zangiev and Andrei Kopylkov take on Big Bully Busick and Randy Hogan. The Americans get demolished quickly as Hogan taps out for Zangiev after a few short minutes. This is the worst match on the show so far, mostly due to Randy Hogan's abject lack of talent. Volk Han comes out now to face Larry Cameron. In a match with good wrestling and good heat, Han gets the submission at 16:08. The road agent notes that Volk Han and Anya have great chemistry. Finally, our main event. Salman Hashimikov faces Ludvig Borga. The wrestling is not so good but the heat is off the charts as Hashimikov outwrestles Borga for a pin at 14:36. The crowd goes wild as the national hero goes over. But Terry Funk comes back out to the ring and confronts Salman Hashimikov! He's getting up in Hashimikov's face, trying to challenge him! Once again, the crowd has no idea what Terry Funk is saying but they all seem really into it! Hashimikov just laughs him off and leaves the ring with his valet Natasha! Terry Funk is furious, railing against the Russian fans and wrestlers as they eventually cut the house mic off, then the lights, leading him to storm to the back. Join us again when Championship Wrestling from Russia returns with CWR WAR AND PEACE II: TOTAL WAR! I was going to job out D A T R A I N but he gave me a hard time about losing to Hashimikov or anybody so I think I might actually have to push him.

First things first... get his ass out of here. He's not even really Russian! What is he doing here?! Now that's taken care of, we can finally get a good look at our roster. You know when Ice Train is the top wrestler on your roster you're in trouble... nevertheless, him and Victor Borga -- oh, sorry, Ludvig Borga -- are only here to put over the local guys. After the first few shows, our franchise players will be all Russian and Georgian guys with fairly low star power and charisma. Speaking of which, that star quality is going to be a problem for us. We need to bring to bear everything we have to get these guys looking like proper pro wrestlers. Andrei Kopylov is one of the few guys we have under 30 and he has a star quality of eight. EIGHT! So, first we'll take our valets and rename them. Woman is now Natasha, Saraya is now Svetlana and Jeannie Clark is now Anya. Great. Natasha is managing Salman Hashimikov, Svetlana is managing Andrei Kopylov and Anya is managing Volk Han. I wanted to give Victor Zangiev a valet, but after looking at Kopylov's star quality (eight! It's eight.) he needs all the help we can get. And that brings us to the other resource we have at our disposal, Russian medical science. Andrei accepts my implicit instructions to get on the gas. All our other Russian and Georgian athletes do as well, except Grigory Verichev, but I won't hold that against him. We also have a so-called 'dirty doctor' backstage because the boys have to have their candy. The stage is set. All our preparation has come to this: the first CWR show. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for War and Peace!

So, where do we get started? Well, I've selected Salman Hashimikov as my user character. Wikipedia tells me (in a totally unsourced statement) that he only became a wrestler after a failed business career, which makes him the perfect candidate to run a wrestling promotion. (How do you fail to run a business in a communist country? How do you even start one? None of the answers will be found here.) What Product should we bring to the people? Well, Hashimikov, Zangiev and the others are all great wrestlers but they're not so charismatic. We may have to start with a wrestling-focused product. Hot angles and convoluted storylines are good and all, but we're breaking completely new ground here -- these Russian marks probably won't even know wrestling is f*ke. I'm going to go with Slobberknocker for the product because I have a feeling that with the economy in total freefall, people are going to want to see guys get the piss beat out of them. It's cathartic. Now, let's get to hiring some talent. What Russian talent is available to us? Less than ideal. Even after hiring all these guys (and three guys out of the Republic of Georgia who already work for RINGS) we only have ten potential members of the roster. How are we going to fill out our numbers? It's time to look abroad. Now, I don't want to go overboard hiring talent. I'm not Tony Khan. What we need are a few solid job guys to get our local talent established, and some wrestlers to establish as proper foreign heels for our Russian heroes to fight against and restore our national dignity. First, the job guys. Ludwig Borga, Larry Cameron, Big Bully Busick, Gama Singh, Ice Train, Adrian Street and of course the king of them all, Randy Hogan. These guys are all signed to one-appearance contracts. Some of them will be brought back depending on their performance, but to be honest, I want to keep things fresh and get a nice rotation of barely-remembered 90s wrestlers coming through Moscow to get stretched by the true masters. Now for the proper heels. This is good. Steven Regal and Dave Finlay are obvious choices. Jado and Gedo are available to work in Europe so they're in too. Eddie Guerrero had to be talked into working in Europe, but he's in. Norman Smiley, he's in as well. All these guys have skills that will help our Russian talent get to the next level. But there is, of course, only one choice to be the number one heel in the ЧРР. Terry Funk gets the nod to be the Ugly American, and that rounds out our roster for the time being. (I've also hired Boris Zhukov, specifically so that I can fire him on the first day. Fake Russians will not be tolerated in the ЧРР.) It's the 90s, so we'll need a bit of sex appeal as well. Woman, Sweet Saraya and Jeannie Clark all get the nod to be valets. Now that we have the talent secured, it's time to bring wrestling to Russia.

The year is 1992. The Soviet Union has dissolved. State assets are sold off at fire-sale prices. Party cadres become powerful oligarchs. American corporations enter the country like conquering heroes. There's now a McDonalds in Red Square. Mikhail Gorbachev is in a commercial for Pizza Hut. Old cultural mores fall away as the youth are ensorceled by the powers of blue jeans, rock music and Pepsi cola. The only thing missing is professional wrestling. Salman Hashimikov, Victor Zangiev, Volk Han -- all legendary names in the world of Japanese wrestling. But why didn't some enterprising oligarch try to promote them at home? In 1989, NJPW drew 15,000 fans in Moscow -- I intend to do the same, building up homegrown talent and creating a new wrestling scene out of nothing. And along the way, I intend to make lots of money. This is Championship Wrestling from Russia.

Because NJPW and AJPW have weight divisions they're usually seeking out more lightweight guys to hire, so I usually turn that off... they still hire a few though.

Since touring contracts are gone from this version, is it possible to get this added so that Japanese promotions don't lock up name talent from other countries in long-term exclusive deals?

Ikaro isn't really related to the Lucha Brothers...

Faye Jackson has announced her retirement. 😭 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNKxN3gJM2k/

I edited the database and moved all the NJoA workers into a separate promotion in my own game and I have to agree, it's much closer to reality.

Another note for you. Lady Flammer is pregnant and currently on hiatus.

I have a couple notes from playing this mod religiously for the past month. - Fenix is no longer in CMLL - LA Park's other son (and Hijo de LA Park's brother) LA Park Jr. isn't in the database... I think he's appeared in MLW - A lot of the top CMLL guys should have non-exclusive contracts since they regularly appear on the Mexican & US indies... Cavernario, Mistico, Titan and Templario just off the top of my head - I would probably make Minoru Suzuki non-exclusive too since he makes a lot of random indie appearances - This is more of a subjective thing but Chris Dickinson could probably be a little higher in psychology and charisma

Is it just me or is youtube a little OP as a broadcaster? All the CMLL guys have like 50 pop in the US after like one month and I think it's because they're on there like three times a week. It's only annoying me because I thought I was getting Cavernario over by my own effort, damn

I made a Raven's Flock background for your stable-making pleasure

I'm finding it really hard to get any of my partner feds to do talent trades with me because they have no interest in taking any of my workers. It was so much simpler in 16 to just send them a bunch of money! Can we please get this feature back?

From the observer for oct 14, 1996: I don't know how you'd want to approach this but it seems close enough to the start date that you could make the case to put all the WCW luchadores in Azteca and give them a talent-trading relationship.

Loving this mod so far, but some notes I have: looking at the women workers, I don't see Marcela or Princesa Sugehit. I don't know much about modmaking, but is it possible to recreate the exodus of talent from AAA to Promo Azteca?

Okay, man. Why even post this?