EwiakVerse 1991 (HYPE)

[jesseewiak]

OOC: It's the mod that refuses to die! Tomorrow I should have World Class up, then a 'story' post again. Frorm there, it should be Japan and other companies after that. Hopefully. 

CONTINENTAL WRESTLING ASSOCIATION

As a territory, Memphis has existed in a variety of forms ever since the beginnings of pro wrestling in the state, whether it was the Welch, Gulas, or other families in control, or the various ‘outlaw’ groups that tried to take the place of the main promotion. Ever since the 70’s though, it’s been Jerry Jarrett as the man in charge, along with eventually the ‘King’ Jerry Lawler stepping in as a co-owner, with the help of what could be regarded as the pound for pound, most popular weekly TV show in the country. But, the national expansion of the NWA and WWF hurt the talent available along with the rise of the PWA. As a result, in 1987, for legal reasons, the Memphis territory was reformed as the Continental Wrestling Association, and aligned with the AWA & World Class, as the USWA. Even though in many ways, it’s the least known territory outside of its home area, it’s also the strongest within that territory, which may allow it to last longer than it’s current allies.

MAJOR PLAYERS

JERRY LAWLER

The famous "King of Memphis" Jerry Lawler is easily one of the most well-known names in the business during the territory era of the 1980’s. His rise to fame outside of Memphis came on the back of a feud with comedian Andy Kaufmann, including a now infamous spat on the Tonight Show. Not a flashy performer by any stretch, Lawler has a talent for brawling and for story telling in the ring. A former AWA World Champion, Lawler’s keeping Memphis afloat, almost on his own, and could be a national draw in the right situation.

JIMMY HART

One of the most legendary managers in the history of the territory, Jimmy Hart & His First Family feuded with Lawler and the rest of the babyfaces of the Memphis area from the late 70’s on, Hart left for the WWF in 1985, but returned in 1988 after he began to believe he’d never get a shot to be the top manager while Heenan was still in the promotion. Returned to Memphis in a shocking angle where he was revealed as the man bankrolling a variety of top stars from other territories to try to take out Lawler, and has been in some ways, the top heel since.

BILL DUNDEE

One of the most surprising top territory stars in history, Dundee came to the territory from Australia in the 70’s and quickly ensconced himself as a top star in Memphis for fifteen years since then, thanks to his charisma, despite his small size. Has been a babyface, a heel, and in feuds with Lawler, Dundee, Idol, Mantell, and Valiant.

THE IRON SHEIK

After losing the WWF title to Hogan, ‘Sheiky Baby’ hung around for a few more years, including a tag title reign, then had a variety of short stops in the territories, before returning to Stamford for a nostalgia run in ’88 that ended with his 35-second loss to Flash King at Summerslam. Leaving almost immediately afterward, Sheik ended up in World Class and then the AWA, playing his typical evil foreign heel character. Currently somewhat regularly showing up in Memphis as part of the USWA co-promotion. Relatively over, but a bit of a pain backstage.

AUSTIN IDOL

Idol is best known for his long tenure in Memphis and other southeastern promotions throughout the 80’s. A possible bigger star, if not for his dedication and reliability issues, along with a reluctance to take plane flights after a 1975 plane accident, and thus, was hard to book regularly. Has a legendary feud with Lawler in the 80’s, and is still fairly popular in the area, despite never saying for too long.

DUTCH MANTELL

A talented brawler and talker, Mantell has been a consistent star in the Memphis territory throughout the 80’s, along with strong runs in Puerto Rico, and even a very short run in the PWA. Has also booked in Memphis and Puerto Rico, while also having helped out on the booking team in various small promotions during his breaks from Memphis.

JEFF JARRETT

The son of legendary promoter, Jerry Jarrett, Jeff has been thought as a possible star in his business since his debut. A natural talent, even though he’s not entirely fluid in the ring, Jarrett will likely have a long career in the business. However, Jarrett’s career had a very rough speed bump has he missed most of 1989 thanks to a severe car wreck in the spring.

JIMMY VALIANT

Valiant will never have a match loved by tape trading circles, but he’s still a massive draw in the small towns around the Southeast, where he can get a crowd to his feet in small arenas and high school gyms from Virginia to Alabama, and all points in between. Has had viable runs in the NWA, Memphis, the Continental territory, and the Gulf Coast.

 

OTHERS OF NOTE

THE FIRST FAMILY

There have been many versions of The First Family, but this most recent version was formed in the spring of 1989, when Dr. Tom Pritchard and ‘Prime Time’ Brian Lee turned on their partners and joined up with Joel Deaton. Long-time veteran hand Danny Davis quickly joined the group, and they’ve been very successful in the promotion since then and helped all four men become bigger stars in the area, which is the point of the stable.

STEVE KEIRN

A talented worker, if not slightly bland, Keirn drew well in the early and mid-80’s as a member of The Fabulous Ones with Stan Lane, and had underneath runs in several other promotions, before recently returning to Memphis as a mid-card babyface, chasing after the Southern title held by Dutch Mantell.

BRIAN C & JAMIE D

The two scions of legendary wrestlers in the territory, even though one of those bloodlines isn’t mentioned on Memphis television, Brian C & Jamie D are the typical young babyfaces that have been built up a million times in the territory to appeal to the young female fanbase, but both men have possibly long and successful careers in the wider wrestling business if things roll correctly for them.

DIRTY WHITE BOY (w/ DIRTY WHITE GIRL)

Tony Anthony has played his dirty, trashy character, as both a babyface and heel in various Southern wrestling promotions ever since his debut in the early 80’s, whether it’s Memphis, Continental, or other small start-up promotions. Currently has long-time girlfriend has his valent, the Dirty White Girl. Not the smoothest in-ring worker but has good psychology and sure as hell can have a brawl.

KOKO B. WARE

Koko had a successful run at the start of his career in Memphis, but recently returned to the area as he no longer had a full-time contract with the World Wrestling Federation and is allowed to ‘moonlight’ for the Memphis promotion, as long as he’s always available for Titan if necessary. Currently plugging in holes at spot shows or showing up as a tag or six-man partner as parts of larger feuds.

 

MAJOR SHOWS

MID-SOUTH COLUSEIM

Every Monday, rain or shine, no matter the roster, the newcomers, or the top of the card, pro wrestling is on the marquee in Memphis, Tennessee, and will likely continue to be as long as the names Jarrett, Dundee, and Lawler are in the business.

[jesseewiak]

WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

Rising to prominence in the early 80s thanks to cutting-edge production, entertaining angles, and a legion of Dallas teen girls screaming for the heroic Von Erichs, the tragedy of the family, along with Fritz Von Erich’s reluctance to not have his boys at the top of the card led to a fall from grace, especially after their initial alliance with Pro Wrestling America barely lasted six months in the aftermath of the 'Kiel Double Cross.'

On the verge of collapse, the Von Erichs joined the fledgling USWA, giving the new alliance some mainstream credibility with the living Von Erichs, and its still somewhat strong syndication package. The question that remains is how long World Class can survive without creating viable stars without the last name Von Erich.

MAJOR PLAYERS

KERRY VON ERICH
The peak of Kerry Von Erich’s career is still his short run with the NWA title after the death of his brother David in 1984, but despite his numerous personal issues, the rise of the USWA has allowed the World Class territory to be slightly more secure – regardless, Kerry is still the biggest star in the territory, and now a multi-time AWA World Champion, but the question remains how long he can battle his demons and stay a draw.
 

KEVIN VON ERICH
The older Von Erich brother has somewhat slowed down, due to injuries and his own demons, even if they’re nothing close to his brothers. Still a tough brawler and decently charismatic, but doesn’t quite appeal to the teenyboppers of the 90s as opposed to the lovelorn girls of the mid-80s. Still a strong part of the World Class roster, though.
 

GARY HART’S NEW AGE MANAGEMENT
Gary Hart has always had a menagerie of heels looking to destroy the Von Erich’s, and now is no different, as the former Chicago Street thug has the dangerous Angel of Death, the legendary Great Kabuki, and the mysterious Yoshi Kwan. Currently feuding with Warrior, who turned his back on Hart earlier this year.
 

DEVASTATION INCORPORATED
The other major heel group in the company, and one that always has a tense détente with Hart, Skandor Akbar currently has in his corporation, the maniacal Matt Borne who is the current WCCW Champion, the tough cowboy Black Bart, and the ego-fueled Bombastic Bob Holly.

OTHER PLAYERS OF NOTE

THE SIMPSONS
The Simpsons are two younger wrestlers from South Africa, who came to the US in the mid-80s and became a prominent part of the Texas territory over the last three years, as their father at various times has had points in the territory, to help Fritz Von Erich stay afloat. Both brothers are talented, but the idea they’re second-tier Von Erich’s isn’t too far from the truth.
 

ICEMAN KING PARSONS
A longtime member of the World Class roster, Parsons has been both a face and heel, including a successful team with Brickhouse Brown, multiple Television and Tag title runs, and even two WCCW Heavyweight title runs in the past year or so as a heel, but after a brief break, Parsons returned as a babyface this past fall, back in his familiar mid to upper-mid card position.
 

WARRIOR
An incredibly charismatic, muscular, and explosive worker, but very uneven and out there, who’d made his name known as a wild brawler and over-the-top character over the past few years in World Class. After losing a WCCW title match in August, New Age Management turned on him and left him for dead, but he returned in November and is in a big-time feud with the stable.
 

JIMMY GARVIN
A veteran worker, who is still entertaining in the ring, after bouncing between various territories, Garvin has remade his home in World Class for the past couple of years, including a very entertaining off-and-on feud with Eric Embry, over the Television title.
 

THE CALIFORNIA STUD
A relative newcomer to the business, Rod Price, under the name ‘The California Stud’ has quickly risen to be a very hate able heel to the Texas crowd, especially as he talks up California to the partisan Dallas crowd. Currently the tag champs with Jimmy Garvin.
 

ERIC EMBRY
A somewhat underrated worker but doesn’t have quite the size to be a true star, even in a territory such as Dallas. Still a solid midcard competitor who has had an entertaining off-and-on feud with Jimmy Garvin over the past few years.

MAJOR SHOWS

STAR WARS

Connected to major holidays, and edging against copyright violations galore, the major Star Wars show make up the majority of the big shows during the World Class calendar, and are where big World title defenses, major gimmick happens, and big moments happen.

PARADE OF CHAMPIONS

After the alliance with the USWA, the Von Erich Memorial part of the show’s name was quietly dropped, as pointing out the Von Erich’s various tragedies were likely a net negative, when combined with Kerry’s issues, even as he’s with us among the living. Despite this, Parade of Champions is still the biggest show of the year for World Class, and still takes place at Texas Stadium, despite issues with attendance since the peak of the mid-80’s.

LAST MAJOR SHOW
X-MAS DAY STAR WARS
Dallas, TX
Matt Borne © d. Kevin Von Erich – (19:07)
Kerry Von Erich & The Simpson Brothers © d. Jeff Gaylord & The Moondogs – (14:16)
Iceman King Parsons d. Jimmy Garvin © - (10:05)
Eric Embry d. ‘California Stud’ Ron Price – (12:35)
Black Bart & Bob Holly d. Fantastics – (13:25)
The Warrior d. Yoshi Kwan – (4:42)
Great Kabuki & Angel of Death CO Action Jackson & Tugboat Taylor – (11:13)

[jesseewiak]

PWTorch.com Rewind

‘SURVIVE OR STRIVE – THE FUTURE OF THE USWA’
January 5^th, 1991
by Editor Wade Keller

As a long-time AWA fan, the rise of the USWA as a way for what could be called the second-tier of wrestling promotions to survive against the onslaught of the Big Three has had its upsides and downsides. On one hand, the mainstream credibility of the Von Erichs and the combined strength of USWA cards have probably led to enough money flowing into the coffers of all three companies that wrestlers such as Curt Hennig and Rick Martel are still in Minnesota, as opposed to standing across the ring from Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, or Roddy Piper. On the other hand, it’s also meant having to hope that Kerry Von Erich actually shows up to big AWA shows, that Jimmy Valiant isn’t drafted to stink up a mid-card six-man match no matter his supposed drawing power in Memphis, or that Jerry Lawler’s ego doesn’t make another appearance when it comes time to do a job to somebody outside of his hometown.

But, after three years of existence, this alliance has already outlasted most ‘hardcore’ fans' views that wrestling promoters can’t get along for more than five minutes, even when their continued existence is at risk. However, the three promotions have been smart in that the promotions are still largely disconnected, and that all three companies have big enough draws so that nobody can dominate the proceedings. There are still rumblings, though. Whether it is Von Erich’s well-known demons, Lawler’s own view of his stardom, especially within Memphis, and the intense worry in the AWA offices over the chances of current AWA Champion Curt Hennig’s long-term future are all pieces in an unstable Jenga board that could collapse at any time.

So, as we go into the New Year, I wanted to look at the long-term future of all three promotions, as part of the alliance, and on their own terms.

AMERICAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION

When it comes to the AWA, the strongest parts of the promotion are a fairly strong top of the card, a viable cable network TV deal, and at least at the moment, the strongest recent booking. However, a dearth of younger babyfaces, strong competition locally from both the WWF and PWA, and the instability that comes from multiple members of the roster that could jump when their contracts are up mean that with just a few signings, the AWA could quickly be ravaged and have no viable stars.

As long as they don’t lose Slaughter, Hennig, or Martel, the AWA could likely survive the USWA falling apart, but if those wrestlers left, they’d need to double down on the remaining Von Erich's, Jarrett, and Lawler, along with others to remain anything more than an independent promotion with a lot of history.

CONTINENTAL WRESTLING ASSOCIATION

The interesting thing about the CWA is that, if the USWA collapsed tomorrow, much of their current audience wouldn’t know the difference. Outside of occasional appearances from Von Erich, Hennig, and others, Memphis is still a ‘bubble’ where a reference to a feud from 1981 is still more important than a big-time star from outside of the area.

But, the long-term issue for the CWA is the rise of the national promotions means that not only have their ratings and attendance been slowly chipped away, especially outside of Memphis, but their ability to create new stars and build long-time roster members has become almost non-existent, and the well-known lack of pay for wrestlers who aren’t connected to the top of the card doesn’t help either.

If Lawler, Dundee, Jarrett, Valiant, and other well-known names remain as part of the company, the CWA can easily last for another five years or more without fully losing ground to either an encroaching NWA or a rising PWA. But, if one or more of those names, especially Lawler decides to take the risk at becoming more than a local legend, that might be the day the lights go out in the Mid-South Coliseum.

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING

In many ways, even with the USWA, WCCW is in the most precarious position, but if it could break out of its own self-limitations, has perhaps the best chance at becoming something more. However, the Von Erichs must realize that their time has passed when it comes to them being the alpha and omega of the promotion. They can still be important parts, and Kerry Von Erich is still a household name in Texas, but that’s about it. 

Their old enemies are either overseas or past their prime, and they’ve built no new monsters or charismatic heels to oppose them. That’s nothing against the current crop in Dallas, but it’s not a surprise that the top heel came in from the AWA. Even their possible young star, Warrior, has obvious flaws, and a limited shelf life, if not booked perfectly. That’s not even getting past the obvious attention he could get from one of the major companies.

But, World Class is still World Class – it has a name that casual fans are aware of, it still has good production values, even if they’re not a world ahead anymore, and a base in Texas is likely stronger than Tennessee or Minnesota. That’s only if World Class takes advantage, otherwise, they’re one more arrest, overdose, or simple bad booking to becoming irrelevant.

At the moment, the USWA as an alliance is useful to all three promotions – AWA can build depth, WCCW can expand beyond the Von Erich’s, and the CWA can have a national stage for its local legends, but as with any agreement among promoters, it can quickly fall apart. The Von Erichs have already broken one alliance only a few years ago, Memphis can also retreat behind the walls of a local fanbase, and the AWA can decide to go it alone with an expansive cable reach. For now, though, the alliance survives, and as a result, so will all three promotions…for now.

NEXT UP: JAPAN!

[LordofGustav]

It looks cool so far.

So, in this universe the USWA it's an alliance between the AWA, World Class and CWA?

[jesseewiak]

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING

A result of the Giant Baba – Antonio Inoki split that led to the formation of the two dominant promotions in Japanese wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling is still the leading promotion in the country, with a large national audience. Inoki led the company through the 70s and much of the 80s, leading NJPW to prominence thanks to his massive amounts of charisma and ‘Strong Style’ matches against various opponents from outside of the pro wrestling world, including Muhammad Ali. However, a series of financial and political scandals led Inoki to cede control of the company to long-time front-office member Seiji Sakaguchi, and a series of other financial backers.

In recent years, Riki Choshu has taken over as booker and thanks to prominent gaijins such as Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow, the mega-wattage stardom of Jushin Liger, and the ‘Three Musketeers’ of Shinya Hashimoto, Masahiro Chono, and Keiji Muto, New Japan’s been on a recent hot streak, but a somewhat weak midcard could lead to some issues in the long-term.

MAJOR PLAYERS

ANTONIO INOKI
A living legend, and one of two men who has carried on Rikidozan’s legacy in professional wrestling, Inoki has created an aura for himself as a legit badass by facing off against various outsiders from different fighting styles, with varying degrees of legitimacy, and booked himself to go over. Most famously, fighting to a draw against Muhammad Ali in the late 70s cemented Inoki’s place, and even opened bigger doors outside of the wrestling industry.

Now in his late 40s, and with outside interests including politics, Inoki no longer books New Japan or is there day-to-day, but he’s still a massive draw, and even if he only shows up for big shows, can be both a help and hindrance.

TATSUMI FUJINAMI
Known as ‘The Dragon’, Tatsumi Fujinami was the Ace of the promotion throughout the 80s as Inoki stopped being a full-time wrestler and helped move the promotion to a more modern style, along with other rising stars in the promotion such as Choshu, Yatsu, and big-time gaijin stars like Bruiser Brody. Now in his late 30s, Fujinami is slowing down slightly but still is one of the better workers, and one of the top draws for New Japan.

 

JUSHIN ‘THUNDER’ LIGER
The successor to ‘Tiger Mask’ has become an even bigger star than the legendary competitor, and even threatens the balance between the heavyweight and junior heavyweight divisions in New Japan, thanks to his crossover stardom, which has even led to international attention. Cartoons, comics, t-shirts, stickers, and even a guest appearance in the latest ‘Godzilla’ movie have made Liger a massive star, even as he continues to be perhaps the greatest non-heavyweight worker anywhere on the planet.

RIKI CHOSHU
One of the biggest stars in puroresu, Choshu was famously the first ‘traitor heel’ in Japanese pro wrestling, turning on Fujinami in ’83, before leaving NJPW for All Japan in a move, along with several jumps by prominent gaijins that eventually led to the current agreement between the two companies that there will be no stealing of currently contracted workers, between the two companies.

After returning to New Japan, Choshu eventually got back on the side of the New Japan Army by battling the monster Vader, and other top stars, and even though he’ll likely never be the top star in the promotion, he has been trusted with the book, in part because of his ability to bring in outside ideas from the rest of the wrestling world, and his own creative mind.

KEIJI MUTOH
A rising young superstar, Mutoh first gained prominence in the mid-80s as a rising young lion in New Japan, eventually becoming IWGP World Tag Team Champion with Shiro Koshinaka. But his true stardom wasn’t evident until he went to the States for a second excursion and created the character of The Great Muta in the NWA. Coming back to Japan, Mutoh quickly rose to the top of the card, under the Muta gimmick, including somewhat shockingly defeating Vader for the IWGP Heavyweight title at the first January 4^th Dome show.

Unfortunately, Mutoh suffered a serious knee injury a couple of months afterward and had to give up the title, and only recently returned to the ring in November, but going back to his real name. It's unknown when and if the Muta gimmick will return.

BIG VAN VADER & BAM BAM BIGELOW - 'ULTRA VIOLENT'
Since arriving in Japan by destroying Antonio Inoki in a non-title match in only five minutes, and causing a riot at Sumo Hall, Big Van Vader has been nearly unstoppable in the Japanese rings, winning the IWGP Championship multiple times, facing the biggest stars in the company, all while having a presence that’ll likely lead to American stardom for him eventually

Bigelow’s path to New Japan is more interesting, as despite only having been in the business five years, he’s had appearances in both the NWA & WWF, before arriving in Tokyo as Vader’s surprise partner when they destroyed Fujiwara & Yamazaki for the IWGP Tag Titles in under seven minutes. Since then, as ‘Ultra Violent’, Vader & Bigelow have been the dominant tag team in the promotion, with only Vader’s flirtations with the IWGP title stopping them from being completely unstoppable.

OTHER PLAYERS OF NOTE

MASAHIRO CHONO
Another rising star in the promotion, while Chono may not be the worker Mutoh or Hashimoto may end up being, Chono’s intensely charismatic, either as he is currently as a cocky babyface, or possibly even as a heel. Chono’s time at the top is coming, whether it’s through impactful strikes, his STF finisher, or teaming up with the other ‘Three Musketeers’, it’ll be interesting to how Chono gets there.

SHINYA HASHIMOTO
The last member of the ‘Three Musketeers’, Hashimoto doesn’t have the look of a star you’d expect in the United States, but the stocky young man with Elvis-like mutton chops whom can kick the hell out of you and is fiery in a way the Japanese crowds can easily get behind. Already a multiple-time tag champion with his mentor Masa Saito, Hashimoto has gone blow-for-blow with monsters like Vader, talented gaijin workers like the Steiners, and legends like Inoki & Fujinami, so it seems the sky truly is the limit for him.

BLACK TIGER II (Eddy Guerrero)
The scion of the legendary Guerrero family, Eddy came to New Japan at the start of last year, quickly rising to the top of the junior heavyweight division, and having fantastic matches with El Samurai, Norio Honaga, and Liger. Will possibly head back to Mexico at the end of this year, but while under the mask as the second Black Tiger, has already been a very successful member of the roster.

 

BRIAN PILLMAN & CHRIS BENOIT
A rising star in Japanese wrestling under the mask as ‘Wild Pegasus’, Chris Benoit is one of the most talented young wrestlers in the world when it comes to workrate but was likely doomed to being an occasional challenger to Liger and to be unknown in North American wrestling, until Brian Pillman decided against signing a contract with the NWA in the middle of 1989, and instead, moved to Mexico. After a few impressive matches against young New Japan dojo wrestlers on an excursion, word got back to Liger, and the young former Bengal was brought over to Japan at the beginning of 1991. Shortly before that, in the fall of 1990, Benoit dropped the 'Wild Pegasus' mask to Liger. 

From there, Benoit & Pillman were teamed up, and quickly became a popular duo, especially to younger fans, thanks to Benoit’s intense aura and Pillman’s charisma along with his good looks. The real question is how much longer it will take until the Big Three come calling for Pillman again, and whether Benoit gets a chance as well.

MAJOR EVENTS

WRESTLING WORLD
After its opening in the late 80s, the Tokyo Dome quickly became known as the place where the biggest possible shows take place, and this is true of New Japan as well. Starting with this year, New Japan is attempting to make a yearly January 4^th show as its trademark show. It remains to be seen whether they’ll continue to do other Dome shows throughout the year, as well.

G-1 CLIMAX
For many years, New Japan has held an annual round-robin series, under various names such as the World League, the MSG League, and the IWGP League. In 1990, the G-1 was christened as the newest example of this round-robin tournament. The yearly series, taking place in August, has some of the best wrestling action on the planet and can help create stars and make main eventers, as it’s done for men like Hulk Hogan and Riki Choshu.

BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS
A relatively recent invention, and likely only continues to take advantage of Liger’s insane popularity, the BotSJ is a round-robin style tournament, only involving junior wrestlers.

[sonny912]

This looks amazing! I want to hear more about this universe of yours!

[jesseewiak]

‘Liger-Mania’ Sets New Heights

In Gobe, a small city that sits on the Pacific Ocean seventy miles south of Osaka, the small city-owned arena is sold-out with over a thousand fans, waiting for the beginning of a locally promoted show for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the largest wrestling organization in the nation. While there are still many middle-aged and younger salarymen who are here for stoic fighters such as Riki Choshu or Shinya Hashimoto, who descend from the line of samurai-like fighters that have topped professional wrestling cards in this nation since the days of Rikidozan in the aftermath of World War II, or even some young women coming from those same long office jobs because of young Western wrestlers such as former football linemen Brian Pillman, a mass of the crowd are children who are all here for one man – a masked superhero named Jushin Liger.

Hundreds of children buy masks, manga (Japanese comic books), t-shirts, and CDs, alongside other pieces of merchandise, that according to some estimates makeup half of all merchandise sales for New Japan during the past year, before filling up the arena. They quietly pay attention to the rest of the evening’s card, but even the well-known myth of how well-behaved Japanese children only has so much truth, as there’s plenty of obvious restlessness throughout the crowd, before the last match of the evening – Liger teaming up with two other wrestlers for a six-man tag team match. From the moment the ring announcements start, the chants of ‘LI-GER, LI-GER’ begin, and continue throughout the entrances of all six wrestlers, and it continues through much of the match. After the end of the show, the masked hero signs pictures, toys, masks, and sticker books for nearly an hour, before New Japan officials take him to the back.

Pro wrestling has been a popular form of entertainment in Japan, since it rose to prominence in the aftermath of World War II, where American wrestlers helped create the sport with Rikidozan, a former sumo who wrestled a match against Lou Thesz in a match that got an enormous 85.1 rating, more than double what the Super Bowl gets even today in the United States. As with the early days of television in the United States, professional wrestling was cheap, exciting content for the burgeoning television industry. Even after Rikidozan’s tragic death and a split between his two most famous pupils, pro wrestling still has a large place in Japanese society. Both major promotions have network television shows, long-time New Japan owner Antonio Inoki has become a politician, and respect is given in polite society in ways that never come to American wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, who first rose to stardom in Japan. 

“It’s a totally different world, brother,” Hogan said, via phone while on tour with the WWF. “Obviously, I’m happy as a clam in the World Wrestling Federation, wrestling all over the world in front of millions, but there’s something special about a Japanese crowd.”

Despite this success, New Japan officials realized their crowds were trending older, and needed some splashy to bring in a new generation of fans to whom the serious brand of wrestling that wrestlers such as Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami personified didn’t appeal too, especially in a world with far more media options, so they returned to an idea that’d brought them great success before – a superhero based on a popular superhero anime (Japanese animation).

This had been a huge success before with a wrestler named Tiger Mask in the early 1980’s, so with a young graduate of their harsh dojo under the mask, the new character debuted during New Japan’s first show at the 60,000-seat Tokyo Dome. Officials expected a popular wrestler, but they never expected what has happened with Liger.

In Japanese pro wrestling, as with its American cousin, the drawing power has always rested with the larger wrestlers – whether it’s somebody like a heavyweight like Inoki wrestling Muhammed Ali or the over 7-foot Giant Baba taking on American stars such as Ric Flair in All Japan Professional Wrestling, lighter workers could be short-term attractions or something to fill out the card, but the big men drew the money.  Even with Tiger Mask, “he sold a ton of merchandise and helped create a new style for younger wrestlers to be drawn to, but even at his height, men like Baba, Inoki, Fujinami, and Tsutura were much larger stars,” Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer, a publication that covers the business and backstage side of the pseudo-sport stated. “Liger was something different – I had people in the New Japan office tell me that almost immediately they could see a shift in their audience on television, and especially at smaller house shows.”

For obvious reasons, New Japan officials wouldn’t say anything quite that firm, but other reporters in Japan who cover the business agree with Meltzer.

“In places like Tokyo, Osaka, and such, it’s the same crowds, but those crowds were always diverse,” Fumi Sato, a reporter for a Japanese sports publication that covers pro-wrestling said. “The true change is in the smaller cities and towns. These are places that were slowly dying off and being abandoned by the two major companies, as it wasn’t financially viable to do so. Towns and cities that were barely half-filling gyms and arenas in 1988 & 1989 were now selling out 1,000 to 5,000-seat arenas. Unlike the US, there aren’t a ton of 10,000 to 20,000 seat arenas in the nation, so these smaller buildings like that are the lifeblood of both major promotions.”

This change has not been without some growing pains, as veteran pro wrestler Dick Beyer said, “This is a very hierarchical culture, and wrestling is no different. Just like you take a job at Toyota and work there forever, you go to a dojo and work for that company forever, slowly raising up the ranks as you gain experience. Guys like Sayama (Tiger Mask) and Liger kind of upend that belief.”

Satoru Sayama, the man who was under the Tiger Mask caused a sensation when he published ‘Kayfabe’, a book that spilled many of the backstage secrets of pro wrestling, but so far, the man who is behind the Liger masks, Keichi Yamada, seems unlikely to do anything like that. “Yamada’s a dojo-bred guy, and intensely loyal,” Meltzer said. “Anything is possible, but unless New Japan really screws up, I don’t see any way he causes anything close to the problems Sayama did, who always beat to his own drummer.”

But, Meltzer added, “In a world where he continues to be a top-top draw, the question becomes, does he move to a heavyweight division? Do they begin to have large shows with Liger in the main event? Do they really have to build up the division to help Liger, at that point, other interesting questions about the future begin to bubble up." 

Those are all questions for the ‘hardcore’ fanbase in the United States and Canada, who keep track of professional wrestling via video tapes traded in the mail and copied discreetly, but for the legions of elementary school children in Gobe, all that matters is not only did their hero win, but they can shake his hand and bow to him after the match, before going home.

 

[sonny912]

Hey i thought your name sounded familiar, you got a YouTube channel right? You thinking of posting the stuff here onto their?

[YanNep]

This sounds so cool

[sonny912]

1 hour ago, YanNep said:

This sounds so cool

I know. I wish people would post based Off mods like these instead of the real world or the c-verse. It would be interesting to see these worlds in action and a nice change of pace compared to other stuff.

[bhalbur]

Of all the alternative history mods I've seen, this history looks to be the most interesting.