1983 - The Tournament

[Jaded]

Ripping off Adam's C-verse tournament just before the game came out, I'm going to do a similar thing with the DOTT mod. Basic premise is 16 guys each from US, Japan, Canada/Mexico, Rest of World. (15 from each of the top divisions in World League to get all the big stars in, plus one wild card from each so that I had an excuse to put Robbie Brookside in somewhere.) Wrestlers are seeded roughly by their overness, then split into 4 quarters of the draw which each have 4 wrestlers from each area in. If I haven't screwed things up TOO badly, it should be set for the top 4 from each area to reach the last 16 - although hopefully there'll be a few shocks on the way. All games will be simmed using exhibition mode, CPU vs CPU, Old School match type. I'll post brief write-ups here. Thanks go to Adam for the great game, and Boon/Rick for the incredible mod - the AI is absoutely superb and as some have already pointed out, watching matches with the scenario is almost like sticking a DVD of 80's stuff in! 1st round draw... [I]The Sheik of Araby vs Robbie Brookside (wild card) Seiji Sakaguchi vs Huracan Ramirez Ricky Steamboat vs Rusher Kimura El Satanico vs The Original Kendo Nagasaki[/I] Mad Dog Vachon vs Bruiser Brody Billy Robinson vs Riki Chosyu Giant Haystacks vs Ray Stevens Osamu Kido vs Mil Mascaras [I]Mongolian Stomper vs Otto Wanz Dusty Rhodes vs Kintaro Oki David Von Erich vs Dos Caras Big Daddy vs Strong Kobayashi[/I] Mark Rocco vs Bruno Sammartino Tatsumi Fujinami vs Gino Brito Dr Wagner vs Dynamite Kid Giant Baba vs Jerry Lawler (wild card) [I]Blue Demon vs Great Muta (wild card) Mick McManus vs Junkyard Dog Jos Leduc vs Norman Frederick Charles III Jimmy Snuka vs Tiger Mask[/I] Terry Funk vs Jacques Rougeau Animal Hamaguchi vs Johnny Saint Masa Saito vs Rick Martel Jim Breaks vs Ric Flair [I]Kerry Von Erich vs Antonio Inoki El Solitario vs Marty Jones Dino Bravo vs Hulk Hogan Jumbo Tsurata vs Mal Sanders[/I] Great Kabuki vs Leo Burke Jackie Pallo vs Buddy Rose Mr Wrestling II vs Killer Khan Andre the Giant vs Abdullah the Butcher (wild card) These are the actual brackets for the tourney, so winner of Wrestling/II takes on winner of Andre/Abby, and so on...

[Jaded]

[U]The Sheik of Araby vs Robbie Brookside[/U] [I]17 year old rookie Brookside 'won' the wildcard entry to this tourney by taking the duke in a World of Sport battle royal, but if he'd realised the legendary Sheik would be his first round opponent, he may well have thrown himself over the top rope to save himself some pain...[/I] The Sheik opens up with a series of strikes and headlocks, before jabbing Robbie in the throat with a pencil. Taking the British rookie down, he gets on a hammerlock, then an arm bar, and gets the Rolling Hammerlock for the submission win in 2 minutes, much to the disapproval of the crowd. (Match rating [B]F[/B].) [U]Seiji Samaguchi vs Huracan Ramirez[/U] [I]The 41 year old Seiji takes on David Garcia, the veteran who's the second wrestler to wear the Huracan Ramirez costume (after Eduardo Bonada, who took on the character after performing stunt duties for him in the film where he was created.) I have to admit, these are two guys I don't know too much about.[/I] First few minutes see the pair sound each other out, exchanging a series of technical holds until Seiji takes control with a series of headlocks and facelocks. Keeping him on the ground with a mixture of armbars and facelocks, the Japanese judo star seems to be in total control, but it's noticeable that he seems to have a knee injury. Still, he's taking it nice and slowly, never letting Huracan back into the match, and gradually working in more impressive moves, taking the Mexican legend down with a knee jab before locking on a straddled armbar. Judo throw grounds Huracan, but he slips out of another armbar attempt and finally gets in some offense, using the candado invertido to slow Seiji down. Side headlock and European uppercut follow, but it's obvious that the Mexican's arm is in real pain. Mixture of headlocks and single leg trips buy Ramirez some time, and the crowd seem solidly behind him. Full arm drag and twist takes Seiji down, but he counters a knife edge chop with a series of vicious slaps. Hip lock takedown quickly puts Huracan back in charge though, and an arm scissors takedown seems to be keeping Seiji grounded until he manages to get the Morote Seoinage throw. Knee jab misses from Samaguchi, but a series of uppercuts don't get him anywhere as Ramirez blocks one and slams him. Knee drop misses, and a leg braced wrist lock from Seiji then straddled arm bar keep him down. Knee jab is avoided though, and Ramirez gets the hammerlock, then drives Samaguchi into the corner. He tries to follow up with a forearm charge, but Seiji ducks, spins, and lands one of his own, sending the two to the outside through the ropes! Huracan gets a running dropkick as the referee gets to the halfway point of his count, and the two have to cease hostilities for a few seconds to get back into the ring. Forearm flurry, single leg grapevine, and head and straight arm lock by Huracan have completely stalled Seiji's momentum, but he blocks a head scissors and fires off three quick kicks to the thigh. Airplne spin follows, and he locks in the short arm scissors, leaving Huracan with no choice than to submit! Incredibly, the crowd STILL dislike the match, chanting that it sucked - no pleasing some people. Hopefully one of the next few will have a few more big spots, as they don't seem keen on the technical wrestling side. (Match rating [B]E[/B].) [U]Ricky Steamboat vs Rusher Kimura[/U] [I][I]And from two guys I know little about, to a legend who EVERYONE knows - Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, one of the true greats. Surely the 42 year old Kimura can't beat one of the favourites in the first round... can he?[/I][/I] A series of headlocks, facelocks, and armbars start us off once again, until Steamboat takes Rusher down and starts working the arm in earnest, driving a knee into it then getting the grounded hammerlock. Kimura is rocked by a series of strikes until he manages to retaliate with an open hand slap, and gets that hammerlock himself. Steamboat slips out of an armbar attempt though, taking Rusher back to the ground with a hip lock takedown and back to the chinlocks and facelocks as the crowd cheer him on. Spinning head scissors builds momentum for Ricky, and then he gets the handstand knee drive into Kimura's leg. Straddled arm bar is broken, though, and Rusher works over the arm before hitting a European uppercut. Breaking another arm bar, Ricky regains control, with a pair of dropkicks leaving Rusher slumped in the corner. Right back to working the arm, it's another handstand knee drive by Steamboat, who then channels Wahoo McDaniel by hitting a falling chop to the forehead. Dropkicking Rusher into the corner, he looks to capitalise with another dropkick, but Rusher dives out of the way at the last minute and the Dragon crotches himself on the ringpost! Kimura HAS to keep Ricky grounded now, and tries it with the armbars again, but Steamboat slips out of the back of one and gets the atomic drop to go back into the driving seat. Elbow drive to the arm misses, though, but Steamboat quickly regains control once more by hitting a short arm knee lift to counter an uppercut attempt. Judo chop and knee drop from Rusher stop him in his tracks, and Rusher tries to get the half-strangle hammer, only for Ricky to avoid it. But a single leg takedown doesn't work for Steamboat, Kimura dodging it and taking out Ricky's leg with an elbow drive. Three kicks to the thigh, short-arm knee to the stomach, and a knee face driver, and for the first time in this match, Kimura seems to be in real control! Kick to the thigh can't find it's target though, but Ricky goes for a dropkick and just bounces off Rusher! Rusher has the momentum now, getting a knee jab and a straddled arm bar, then grinding his forearm into Steamboat's shoulder. Seated Hammer misses, but Steamboat can't get back into this, as he tries to strike Rusher only for his opponent to easily bodyslam him. Out of desperation, Ricky manages to avoid the half-strangle hammer once more, and gets a high cross body, only for Rusher to kick out at two and three quarters! Springboard Body Press misses, and a deep hip toss then a driving body scissors keep Rusher looking the stronger man. Double chop to the neck, knee drive, arm bar once more, and airplane spin as Ricky tries to get that high cross body again, and there can surely be only one winner now. Japanese Spinning Toe Hold by Rusher... but the escape by Steamboat, only to walk into a Japanese Power DDT! 1... 2... KICKOUT! Somehow, Ricky kicked out of it! Forearm strike flurry by Rusher leads to Ricky ducking behind him to get a headlock into a hammerlock, and he tries for the figure four only to be kicked away. Spinning back suplex puts Rusher down but not for long enough, as he rises with a running knee. Kickout of the pin attempt, Ricky tries for a springboard body press again but once more misses. Spinning toe hold by Rusher, and Steamboat looks like he might give up - but the crowd are screaming for him, and somehow he finds the energy to hang in there! Ducking a flurry of forearms, Steamboat slaps on a side headlock, moves to a hammerlock, and takes Rusher down with a single leg trip. Abdominal stretch buys Ricky a little time to recover, and this time he DOES get the springboard body press - but only for two! The crowd are on their feet as the Dragon goes up top, to come off with a flying body press... but they sigh as Rusher ducks it, then drapes an arm over the fallen Steamboat! 1... 2... it's... NO! Last second, last MILLIsecond, Ricky kicks out! One more high cross body attempt, but Kimura leaps sideways and nails Ricky in the head with a knee strike. That gets another nearfall, and then Rusher takes Steamboat down with an enziguri to the arm. Grabbing Steamboat's legs, Rusher locks on a Boston Crab... but STILL, Ricky won't give up! Flurry of forearm strikes meeet him as he struggles to his feet, taking him outside. Steamboat blocks Rusher's attempts to get him back in, f\ irst with a hair pull and then with a suplex, and enters with a sunset flip - only for Rusher to roll through! Two count, the two rise, and Kimura gets another Japanese Power DDT, busting Steamboat open! Surely that's it - or is the Dragon invincible? He STILL can't be kept down! Missed enziguri may even give him the chance to get back into this one, and he goes up top for a flying knife edge chop. Picking Kimura up, he attempts a back suplex only for Rusher to stop him with a well-timed kick, but then counters the Japanese guy's attempt at a running knee by hitting a fireman's carry. Kimura sends Steamboat outside, and follows himself, getting a charging forearm which turns Ricky inside out! The two roll back inside, and once more, Kimura gets the Japanese Power DDT - but third time's NOT the charm, with one more last second kickout! These guys are 35 minutes in now, and Kimura's been in control for at least quarter of an hour, he just can't finish it! Another running knee gets a close call once more, and Kimura sends Ricky to the apron again with those forearm strikes, then brings him in hard with a suplex. A second attempt at the forearms is countered, though, as Ricky arm drags his opponent, but the running knee counter to the high cross body works again for Rusher! One... two... it's official, this guy's immortal! Enziguri, forearm strikes, Kimura is on fire! Enziguri misses, though, and an abdominal stretch may buy some time for Ricky - but not long, as Kimura ducks another cross body attempt and hits a charging forearm. The two fall to the outside, and this time an enziguri hits - and Kimura drags Steamboat back into the ring, when he could possibly have taken the win by countout if he'd just rolled in himself! Strike flurry, ring apron suplex, Japanese Power DDT - FOURTH time lucky, maybe?! Steamboat's crimson mask is about 0.7 Muta at this point - but STILL, he won't give up!! He even manages to get up to the second rope and come off with a dropkick! Figure four is blocked though, and surely a fifth JPD must mean it's over! One... two... 2.99! Enziguri, momentum ALL Rusher's once more, but Steamboat will NOT stay down! Boston crab... somehow, he breaks it. Enziguri once more, he kicks out. JPD number 6, he kicks out again. How the heck can the Dragon even SEE to wrestle through all that blood?! Springboard body press from out of nowhere by the Dragon, but Kimura kicks out of it! Another... and he kicks out again! And out of desperation, Kimura blocks an attempt at a third by diving into the ropes, knocking Ricky off! Enziguri to the arm, Boston Crab must surely do it - but Ricky makes the ropes! A seventh JPD... it's not gonna happen! What does Rusher have that can beat Steamboat? Running knee attempt goes awry as Ricky bodyslams him, and sweet science comes into play with a bridging roll-up... for two and a half! Leaping up top, Ricky hits the Dragon Body Press... and the crowd go crazy as he pulls off the win! Standing ovation for the Dragon as he acknowledges his fans while he wipes some of the blood away, but WHAT a performance from Kimura, dominating one of the world's greatest wrestlers for about half an hour but just never quite finding the killer move. A 49 minute classic which is surely going to be that match of the tournament. (Match rating [B]A*[/B], like you needed to ask.) Note: I'm going to use the editor to reduce condition for the next match for those people who've been in really gruelling bouts, like this one - Ricky finished with head condition 0%, so I'm thinking of reducing him to 75% or so head condition - does that sound about fair? I want to make it realistically hard for someone who's been beaten up badly while still giving them a chance.

[D. Boons Ghost]

[QUOTE=Jaded]Note: I'm going to use the editor to reduce condition for the next match for those people who've been in really gruelling bouts, like this one - Ricky finished with head condition 0%, so I'm thinking of reducing him to 75% or so head condition - does that sound about fair? I want to make it realistically hard for someone who's been beaten up badly while still giving them a chance.[/QUOTE] I think that sounds fair. And a darned good idea. Poor Robbie, heh. I'm really liking this so far. Thanks a lot for it!

[Jaded]

Glad you're liking it, Boon - any thoughts on who you'd expect to win? I was convinced that Kimura would put Steamboat away, was actually marking out as I read it - unbelievable the way Ricky kicked out time and time again, but if there's one person who could've done it, it would've been the Dragon :) Will try and post 3 matches or so a day, have the next 5 written out ready but want to leave posting until tomorrow so that I have a backlog in case I get really busy at work for a few days. There's one other classic already :) Snuka vs Tiger Mask and Andre/Abdullah are the two I'm really looking forward to in the first round, and hoping we'll eventually get to Flair/Funk and Sheik/Steamboat if they can beat their other opponents!

[D. Boons Ghost]

While I am bummed that Nick Bockwinkel didn't get in (heh), there are a ton of great matches lined up. Some of the highlights of the first round (imo): [B]Andre vs. Abby[/B] (as you mentioned), [B]Kerry Von Erich vs Antonio Inoki[/B], [B]Mad Dog Vachon vs Bruiser Brody[/B] (should be one of the more violent matches in the first round --- besides Andre v. Abby), [B]David Von Erich vs Dos Caras[/B], [B]Mark Rocco vs Bruno Sammartino[/B] (I'd love to see Rocco pull this one off, but I don't know - heh) [B]Dr Wagner vs Dynamite Kid[/B] (to go along with the above: it would be super if Rocco and Dynamite met up later), [B]Jimmy Snuka vs Tiger Mask[/B] (maybe the most interesting first round match-up - again, as you alluded to in your last post), And this entire first round bracket is tops: [B]Terry Funk vs Jacques Rougeau Animal Hamaguchi vs Johnny Saint Masa Saito vs Rick Martel Jim Breaks vs Ric Flair[/B] -------- I'll hold off my pick on who I think will win it until the next round. :) But in my eyes, Andre is the #1 seed. Depending upon how Hogan fares v. Bravo, he might be one of the only ones to give the Giant a run for his money.

[TCP1]

I predict an Andre vs Hulk Hogan clash along the way, with Andre brushing the orange goblin aside!

[Jaded]

[U]El Satanico vs The Original Kendo Nagasaki[/U] [I]Can ANYONE top that? Sure not, but these two have as good a chance as most - and they must have loved that last bout, as whoever wins this will take on Ricky in the second round. The 34 year old El Satanico is one of the most charismatic rudos in Mexico, while The Original Kendo Nagasaki is a legend in Britain, as is his foppish manager George Gillette. [/I] The usual mixture of headlocks, armbars, and strikes get things started, which gives your recapper a chance for a breather to recover from that Steamboat classic. Nagasaki takes control fairly quickly, with a judo chop, a few forearms, and several arm bars and front facelocks to keep the Mexican down. But Satanico gets a single leg trip and a few grounded arm bars of his own, only for Nagasaki to regain control with those forearm blows again. A bodyslam counters one though, and El S blasts away with strikes, including a couple of closed fist punches which displease the referee. Hammerlock kick brings Kendo back into it after a short-arm knee lift stops Satanico in his tracks, but a knee jab misses and Satanico is back to the punches before working the leg, with a grapevine and a cross figure four. Nagasaki slips out of another grapevine attempt, taking the luchador down with a hammerlock, then jabbing him with a knee. Straddled arm bar and single leg grapevine seem to have him in control, but Satanico gets a grapevine of his own, then a leg braced wrist lock, then a head and straight arm lock. Satanico fools Kendo, going for a low blow but instead sweeping his legs out, then hitting the handstand knee drive to his leg. Figure four is broken, and Kendo gets a knee to the stomach. Hammerlock takedown puts El S on the mat, but another fake low blow confuses Nagasaki and Satanico is back to the cross figure fours and grapevines. Wrist lock is broken, and Kendo gets the double arm lever submission on! Grapevine submission is broken though, and neither of these two can get any momentum going. Punch flurry, leg braced wristlock, handstand knee to the leg, cross figure four, and El Satanico seems to be in charge until he has an inverse figure four broken. He breaks a German suplex in turn though, hitting a rana, and leans down to pick Kendo up - only to get a face full of salt! The referee is furious, giving Nagasaki a stern warning, and Satanico takes advantage of Kendo's distraction by hitting a series of rapid fire dropkicks, despite the blinding salt. The two keep dodging each other's moves for a few minutes, until Satanico manages to get the Cerrajera tangle, but Nagasaki manages to escape, before countering a fisherman's buster with a forearm blow. Kendo takes off a turnbuckle cover, then whips El Satanico into the exposed steel, hip tossing him on his way out and then scoring with a German suplex! 1... 2... that's it, the Brit taking the win in 33 minutes, and if it didn't live up to the previous match, it was a huge improvement on the first two. (Match rating [B]C[/B].) [U]Mad Dog Vachon vs Bruiser Brody [/U] [I]This is set to be brutal, with the 54 year old Mad Dog being one of the most violent competitors around, but the 37 year old Brody being pretty damn close to him when it comes to ass-kickings.[/I] Well, not quite the chain wrestling start of the last two matches - Vachon immediately takes it to Brody with punches and kicks to the guts, but none of them have much effect on the New Mexico wildman. Shrugging off the blows, he punches Mad Dog a few times, then rakes his eyes across the top rope. Tossing him into the corner, Bruiser kicks him in the midsection, then smashes his head into the turnbuckle. Mad Dog manages to slip out of an armbar attempt and the pair brawl for a while, Brody still dominating as he throws Mad Dog into the corner again then charging in with a big boot. Mad Dog comes back with punches, kicks, and a sneaky low blow, but Brody gets a running dropkick, to the awe of the crowd, then a running clothesline. Brody picks Vachon up - only for the Dog to sink his teeth into Bruiser's forehead! Vicious kick to the stomach follows, then a seated hammer, a boot choke, and another bite, this time to the leg! The ref is losing control of this one fast, although that's no surprise with this pair in. Seated hammer misses, Brody gets a bodyslam, and a vicious kick to the back of the head, and Brody decides it's his turn for lunch, sinking his teeth into the Mad Dog's forehead, only for Vachon to twist somehow and counter by locking his own jaws into Brody's cheek! The pair exchange several punches, until Brody puts Vachon down in the corner, stomping away and kicking him in the back of the head. Brody has all the momentum, until a last gasp low blow stops him in his tracks, and Vachon takes him to the outside with a mad man clothesline. The pair get back into the ring, where Brody chokes Mad Dog then slams his head into the mat, breaking him open! Off the ropes, Brody goes for a knee drop, but Vachon misses and almost gets a three count off the resulting cover. Huge bodyslam puts Vachon back down, but the running knee drop misses again! Kickout once more, and Vachon goes for the mad man clothesline once more - only for Brody to duck, and get the big bear hug! Vachon won't quit, and slips out of Bruiser's attempts at a big press slam, and low blowing the wildman from behind. Bodyslam can't win it for Brody, but a big boot followed by the running knee drop hitting at the third attempt might manage it... and does! Crowd loved the brutal 28 minute spectacular, and it gets the second standing ovation of the tourney! (Match rating [B]A*[/B].)

[Jaded]

3 fairly poor bouts here, but I promise tomorrow's will be better... [U]Billy Robinson vs Riki Chosyu[/U] The Brit is surely an underdog here, despite being extremely technically gifted, but he dominates the early stages after the usual exchange of holds to get things started. He gets the figure four cross leglock, then the head scissors, before switching to an armbar, a leg grapevine, the head scissors again... total control here for Robinson. Chosyu finally slips out of a grapevine, hits a kick to the thigh, a European uppercut, and takes Billy down to work the arm. Series of side headlocks and front facelocks follow, keeping Robinson well under control, and Riki then moves it up a notch. Elbow driver to the leg and a measured knee drop, then three quick kicks. Robinson manages to block a judo throw, only for Riki to slip out of a head and straight armlock, and get the Japanese brainbuster. Leg elbow driver once again, another measured knee drop, and Riki goes back to the grounding holds, until Robinson slips out of a scorpion deathlock attempt. Billy takes him down with a hammerlock and patiently goes back to the wear down holds, but Riki comes back with a series of forearms to send the Brit to the ring apron, then suplex him back in. Scorpion Deathlock follows, and Riki takes the win in a fairly boring 22 minute match. (Match rating [B]D[/B].) [U]Giant Haystacks vs Ray Stevens[/U] The smaller man starts things off well, punching and grappling with the giant for the first six or seven minutes and keeping him busy, but Haystacks comes back by hurling Stevens into the corner, then dropping him up top and throwing him off. Stevens rolls out of the way of a stomp, though, and quickly hits a series of strikes then a full arm drag and twist. After a bit more control by Stevens, Haystacks manages to retaliate with a big forearm blow, and a hip lock takedown, but Stevens fights back and Haystacks has no momentum here. Knee arm driver, rope assisted knee drop, and a seated bionic elbow follow, and Haystacks is lucky to avoid a kick to the gut before taking Stevens to the mat with a few rest holds to catch his breath. Double axe handle puts the smaller man down, but a falling headbutt misses, and Stevens gets the running butt drop. Another seated bionic elbow hits, as does a knee drop, but the giant fights back and gets a bear squeeze on. Unfortunately, a falling fist drop misses, and Stevens takes control again, wailing away on Haystacks while he's down. Pulling a roll of quarters out of his tights, Stevens blasts the giant in the head with them, busting him open - and gets DQ'ed! The crowd turn on the match, which was bad enough anyway, without the momentary madness by the 48 year old. (Match rating [B]F[/B].) [U]Osamu Kido vs Mil Mascaras[/U] The first quarter of an hour is decent technical stuff but barely exciting, with neither guy managing to get anything much going. Kido is the first one to really take control, getting the driving body scissors, dropping an elbow onto the arm, then going for a series of armlocks. Mascaras does make a comeback, countering an airplane spin attempt with a few slaps to the chest, and going for an arm bar only for Kido to make the ropes. Mil hits a rana then a figure four cross, but Kido avoids an elbow drop and gets a judo throw. We're back to the point when no one can take control, until out of nowhere, Kido locks on the Gotch Toehold, and gets the 21 minute win. Horrible match considering what the fans were hoping for from two guys with a total of 32 years experience. (Match rating [B]F[/B].)

[Jaded]

[U]Mongolian Stomper vs Otto Wanz[/U] Stomper dominates to start, brawling with Wanz and sending him reeling with a vicious headbutt to the back of the head. He has a huge momentum advantage until he gets kicked in the thigh as he pulls Wanz's tights when going for a forearm, and Wanz quickly takes him down to slow the pace. After a few restholds, the Stomper breaks a front facelock, but misses with a clubbing blow, and Wanz capitalises by tossing him into the corner. The fans count along as Otto rams the rulebreaker's head into the turnbuckle 10 times, then cheer the big elbow drop. It's actually becoming a surprisingly technical match, with the 2 exchanging several holds down on the mat, but neither managing to get any real control. At last, however, Otto gets a bear hug on and manages to weaken Stomper, following up by stomping him in the groin and dropping the huge seated hammer before using a massive axe handle to set Stomper up for a butt drop on the ropes. Stomper rolls out of the way at the last minute, though, leaving the unfortunate European to crotch himself! But Stomper is unable to capitalise, even with JR Foley trying to distract Wanz for him, and Ottom nails him with a massive roundhouse. He follows up by hitting the hammer/axe handle/butt drop combo this time, In desperation, Foley takes one for the team, leaping onto the apron and allowing Wanz to chase him away in order to buy some time for the Stomper to sneakily remove a turnbuckle cover then hit a low blow on Otto. As the ref deals with Foley, Stomper manages to grab a splinter of chair his manager slips to him, then blasts Wanz in the throat with it! Otto recoveres to get a head twist on MS, only for Foley to try to distract him once again, but he catches Stomper trying to sneak up on him this time and throws him to the corner, following up with a huge avalanche! A massive bodyslam follows, as does the Wanz Roll and Splash, but Stomper avoids it! Stomper comes back now, twice biting Wanz, and desperately tearing at his face! Otto comes back with a few strikes, but has a huge stroke of misfortune after throwing Stomper into the exposed steel, missing with an avalanche which sends him chest first into that unforgiving metal! Stomper gets a second chair stab, then piledrives his opponent for the two, before nearly getting a win with the standing stomach claw! Fighting his way out, Wanz again hits that huge bodyslam, but misses again with the Roll and Splash and just kicks out in time from the resulting cover! Stomper goes up top, though, and in turn misses with a flying elbow drop misses in turn for Stomper, and we have a few more exchanges where no one can dominate until a big bear hug nearly puts Wanz away. Wanz brawls back after reaching the ropes to break another stomach claw, and Stomper needs a kick to the gut to counter another slam attempt. Piledriver follows, busting Otto open but not getting the three, and Wanz gets the ropes to break a Shinnni attempt! Stomper goes to the top and hits a flying elbow, then goes for the Mad Man clothesline only for Otto to duck and get the big bear hug on. Missing the Wanz Roll and Splash AGAIN, he leaves himself open for a 2 and three quarter count from Stomper! Mad Man Clothesline from the Mongolian man takes both of them to the outside, where Stomper smashes Otto's head into the concrete! Rolling back into the ring, Stomper tries to whip Otto to the corner, but it's reversed - only for Otto to take a low blow as he charges in with an avalanche! He hits a piledriver for 2! Another Mad Man clothesline takes the action back to the ringside area. Piledriver back in the ring once again fails to get the duke for the Stomper, and Otto breaks a second Shinni attempt before he FINALLY successfully follows up a big slam with the successful Roll and Splash! One, two, three, and this one's over, as the crowd go wild for these brawlers! (Match rating [B]A*[/B].)

[potty]

Wow, the crowd is really loving those brawls! Looks very interesting.

[D. Boons Ghost]

Wanz beating Stomper is a shocker! Granted, Wanz was a much better wrestler than just about anyone in America gives him credit - but it's the Stomper for crying out loud! :) Great job, Jaded.

[Jaded]

Thanks guys! The two brawls getting A*'s were huge surprises for me - can't wait for the Abby/Andre bout, which should be even wilder!

[Jaded]

[U]Dusty Rhodes vs Kintaro Oki[/U] The American Dream starts strong, but misses a dropkick and Oki quickly takes him to the mat. Great chain wrestling by the Japanese star, until Rhodes manages to get his second attempt at a dropkick then pound Oki down on the ground with a series of elbow drops and other strikes. Tossing Oki into the corner, he rams his head into the turnbuckle 10 times as the crowd chant along. Oki breaks an armbar, though, and goes to work on Rhodes' own arm and head. Breaking a chinlock, Dusty attacks Oki and takes him to the mat, hitting a huge series of elbow drops then a falling fistdrop. Oki does manage to counter a flurry of punches with a fireman's carry takedown, but Dusty gets a bionic elbow after breaking an armlock. Big elbow drops follow once more, a spread eagled stomp, and a rope assisted knee drop! But Oki counters the Flip Flop Fly combo with a Japanese arm drag, then goes to a mix of body scissors, armbars, and wrist locks. After he misses a big kick, however, he gets bust open by a pair of bionic elbows, and a falling fistdrop compounds the pain for Oki. A few minutes later, the Weaver Lock is on, and the crowd cheer in relief at the end to a dire 20 minute match. (Match rating [B]F[/B].)

[Jaded]

[U]David Von Erich vs Dos Caras[/U] Von Erich starts strong, with a mixture of brawling and good technical wrestling, until he misses a dropkick and Dos Caras takes him down with a double leg trip. They end up exchanging strikes and holds for the next 8 or 9 minutes with neither able to dominate or get any momentum going, until Caras manages to work over the Yellow Rose's legs with grapevines and figure four variations. Von Erich breaks a leglock attempt, though, hitting a hard punch to take Caras down, and then wailing away with his right hand as Caras lies helpless on the mat. Slamming his face into the mat, David tries for another punch flurry, but Caras slips out to get a standing double arm lever on, then pulls a grounded crucifix cradle out of nowhere for the 3. Somehow, they managed to go 29 minutes without having one decent spot in there! (Match rating [B]E[/B].) [U]Big Daddy vs Strong Kobayashi[/U] The Brit starts strong, pounding away on Kobayashi, throwing him into the corner, and ramming his head into the turnbuckle 10 times as the crowd cheer. Taking him to the mat, we see a series of arm bars, then a massive elbow drop, and a rear chinlock. A brief Strong comeback gets ended by a forearm to the back, and some clubbing blows help Daddy dominate again, but Strong turns things around with some vicious kicks then takes Daddy down with a mixture of rear chinlocks and front facelocks. Kobayashi keeps the Brit grounded for a couple of minutes, but Crabtree breaks an armbar, then hits a short arm shoulder tackle with massive impact! Head vice is broken, though, and Strong takes him down with more armbars and knee bars. Leg elbow driver and driving body scissors take us up a notch, and the Brit looks in real trouble! Leg braced wrist lock, arm bar, straddled arm bar, driving body scissors again, arm trap head lock... Daddy REALLY looks lost here, but breaks a straddled arm bar and manages to buy some time with a shoulder tackle. He misses with a seated hammer, though, and Strong takes him down with a hammerlock, then immediately goes back to those moves working on the arm again. Desperation allows Daddy to get a bear hug on and ram his opponent into the turnbuckles, then pound away with a series of punches, but a second bear hug attempt is countered by four forearms which put him to the outside. As they come back into the ring, Strong hits six or seven kicks to Daddy's huge right thigh, then judo tosses him. Picking him up, he sends him reeling with more blasts to the leg, then gets the Japanese Power DDT, but Daddy kicks out at two and a half! Sidestepping a forearm flurry, Daddy hits his trademark belly butt, then a huge seated hammer, but misses with an axe handle and falls prey to a second Power DDT, this time kicking out at the last second. As the crowd cheer the Brit to make a comeback, though, he manages to slam his opponent and stomp him in the groin, then get that bear hug turnbuckle smash again and follow up with a massive avalanche! Another running belly butt, a hammer punch, and a leaping elbow drop... and Crabtree joins his long term rival Giant Haystacks in the second round! Another excellent brawl which the fans loved. (Match rating [B]A[/B].)

[Jaded]

Confirmed 2nd round matches so far... [I]The Sheik of Araby vs Seiji Sakaguchi Ricky Steamboat vs The Original Kendo Nagasaki[/I] Bruiser Brody vs Riki Chosyu Giant Haystacks vs Osamu Kido [I]Otto Wanz vs Dusty Rhodes Dos Caras vs Big Daddy [/I] Really looking forward to Otto/Dusty and Kendo/Ricky, especially :)

[Jaded]

[U]Mark Rocco vs Bruno Sammartino[/U] Rocco immediately tries to take Bruno to the mat, but Sammartino powers out and starts to beat the living daylights out of the Brit, eventually tossing him to the corner and slamming his head into the turnbuckle. A few kicks of his downed opponent have the fans screaming Sammartino's name, but he misses a knee drop and Rocco starts to attack Bruno's knee, then arm. Lots of wear-down holds follow, and the legend is struggling here. Running clothesline, measured knee drop, and a rope assisted knee drop come next, as Rocco builds momentum! Bruno tries to punch his way back in, only to be taken down by a snap mare, then the pair struggle for a few minutes, each dodging and blocking lots of moves. Rocco manages to hit another measured knee drop, then goes back to working the arm, and gets a near fall from a German suplex. He goes for a spinning inverted piledriver, but Bruno manages to kick him in the gut to block it, although a bear hug attempt is stopped when Rocco hits him with a forearm. Slipping out of an armbar, though, Sammartino hits several arm whips, then stomps his opponent on the ground, drops a knee, and slams his head into the mat. Double stomp follows, but a running butt drop misses! Rocco gets a spinning back suplex, then a spinning toe hold, which Sammartino just about manages to break out of. But Rollerball follows up with the spinning inverted piledriver... only for Bruno to SOMEHOW find the strength to kick out! Powering up as the crowd cheer him on, Bruno drops his opponent with a flurry of punches, only to have a bear hug attempt countered by a forearm. Rocco follows up, dropping Sammartino throat first across the top rope! Ref doesn't like it, warning Rollerball, who shrugs and hits another German. Kickout at the last second, only for another spinning inverted pilederiver to follow, busting Sammartino open and sealing the win for Rocco! The crowd cheer the efforts of both guys as the Brit joins his two countrymen in advancing, and Rocco has to be considered to have pulled off an upset here, even with Sammartino's part-time status these days. (Match rating [B]A*[/B].)

[Jaded]

[U]Tatsumi Fujinami vs Gino Brito[/U] Brito starts off with a couple of strikes to take the Japanese star down, then keeps him there by working the leg, arm, and head. Fujinami breaks out of a hammerlock to hit a few kicks to the thigh, then goes to his own series of wear-down holds, only to miss a kick. The pair mat wrestle for a while, Brito getting a nice figure four armlock on. Fujinami gets out of the way of some uppercut attempts, then uses a judo throw to take Gino down, before kicking him several times more as he gets back up. Hammerlock takedown, head twist, and driving body scissors follow, before Tatsumi goes for the arm with an arm breaker then several submission holds. Spinning side kick and Riki chop hit the mark, but Gino sidesteps the second attempt at the side kick and gets an arm lock and wrist bend. Tatsu breaks another arm lock, hits a running knee, and gets the first two count, then takes his opponent to the outside with forearm strikes, before dragging him back in and locking in the crossface for a submission win in an average 24 minute match. (Match rating [B]C-[/B].)

[D. Boons Ghost]

Wow! I am very surprised (and pleased) that Rocco advanced. While Bruno gave him a good fight, Rollerball left the old man a bloody mess. :) I'm equally surprised that the Von Erich v. Caras match was such a dud. Dusty v. Oki I can see - heh, but you'd think those two should have put on a more entertaining match. Let's see if Big Daddy can get a more crowd-pleasing match out of Caras. And I agree with you on the next round; the Steamboat v. Nagasaki match, in particular, should be fab. That's a dream match to a lot of people, I'd think. Great job!

[PWNED]

I'm looking forward to Baba vs. Lawler and Snuka vs. Tiger Mask, as well as Andre vs. Abby.

[Jaded]

[U]Dr Wagner vs Dynamite Kid[/U] Two of the most hated lightweights in their countries collide, as the masked Wagner takes on Tom Billington, becoming a big star in Japan as well as the UK. High impact stuff to start off with, as the pair shrug off each other's blows at first, until Wagner takes Dynamite down with a snap mare and keeps him there with head locks and punches. Full arm drag and candado inverto follow, but a candado attempt is broken, and Dynamite gets a European uppercut, only for Wagner to shake it off and hit a few forearms, then an arm drag to take Dynamite down. JR Foley tries to run interference, but Dr W takes him down and quickly goes back to punching his charge. Second interference by Foley distracts Wagner for long enough for Dynamite to make a come back, attacking with a snap suplex and a series of chinlocks. Dropkick takes the Mexican star down, and a few elbows are dropped, before Kid misses a knee jab. Wagner gets a rana, then the punetazo furia, a standing surfboard, and an inverse figure four, but Dynamite slips out of a figure four cross, slingshots Wagner into the corner, and whips him across the ring and into the opposite ringpost. Dynamite tries to go up top, but is thrown off by Wagner, and the Dr follows with a hammerlock drive to take him into the corner. Rolling to the outside, the luchador slams the Brit's arm into the ringpost. Back inside, Dynamite manages to backdrop Wagner as he goes for a roll-up, though, and dropkicks him into the corner then chopping away at him. Hammerlock takedown puts him on the ground, but an elbow drop misses, and Wagner gets a spinning tijeras then works the legs. Dynamite gets back up, though, hitting a running clothesline, knee drop, and slingshot to the corner. Wagner comes back well, hitting a drop toe hold to counter a dropkick attempt, and gets a cross figure four before Dynamite slips out of a leg grapevine. Dropkick into the corner again follows from DK, but a Kangaroo dropkick doesn't find its mark, and Wagner gets a pescado! Ducking a cascita cradle, Kid nails a punch, and takes Wagner down with a hammerlock. Falling headbutt to the shoulder follows, but Dynamite goes up top and misses a diving headbutt! Wagner goes for a high cross body, but Dynamite catches him to hit a fireman's carry slam, then get two from a piledriver. Leaping up top, Kid comes off with a flying clothesline, but only gets one, and somehow Wagner manages to put the campana on after diving around Billington! Dynamite tries to break it, but has no choice but to submit at the 28 minute mark! (Match rating [B]B+[/B].)

[D. Boons Ghost]

Nooooooo! :) There goes my Rocco v. Dynamite 2nd round prediction. Still, there is no shame in losing to Dr. Wagner.

[Jaded]

Heh, I would've loved to see Rocco/Dynamite! Will be interesting to see which of the Brits gets furthest... hoping for Bruiser Brody/Haystacks and Otto/Big Daddy in the 3rd round, although Otto going over Dusty would be a major upset. [U]Giant Baba vs Jerry Lawler (wild card)[/U] Lawler starts off all guns blazing, punching away at Baba, but misses a forearm blow and gets chopped right outta his boots with a massive overhead blow! Fighting back, he punches and kicks his way into the driving seat, only for a big slap to the chest to send him reeling. Front facelock and headlock slow him down, then Baba tosses him to the corner, but Lawler avoids a flurry of chops, and goes right back to the brawling style, sneaking in a rake to the eyes. European uppercut attempt sees Baba catch Lawler's hand, though, and decimate him with a massive chop and forearm, but Lawler won't be slowed, and comes right back with punches, uppercuts, and forearms of his own. He manages to down the giant, reaching into his tights for some sort of foreign object and, unseen by the referee, digging it into his opponent's eyes, then hitting a bionic elbow and a double axe handle. Dropping Baba over the bottom rope, he uses his boot to choke him, but misses a double stomp, allowing Baba to come back with a giant squeeze. Tossing his opponent to the corner, Baba stomps over Lawler's chest, leaving the Memphis man gasping for breath! Two more bear squeezes follow, but only one of Baba's two stomp attempts work, Lawler rolling out of the way of the second and clipping the legend's knee. before going back into his tights for the foreign object and again raking the eyes with it - a move which everyone except the referee can see! A seated bionic elbow misses for the King, and Giant downs him with a double backbreaker, then stomps the chest again, but Lawler desperately gets in a forearm to stop a Samoan drop. Going for the foreign object once more, this time he's caught and gets a warning from the referee. Double axe handle and grounded ear punch find their mark, but a knee drop doesn't, and as Lawler gets to his feet, Baba takes him outside with a huge clothesline. They spill back into the ring, where the Giant gets an abdominal claw on, but Lawler breaks free, only for Baba to get a giant choke slam... and the win. 25 minutes, and a much stronger showing from Lawler than our first wild card, but no surprise that he couldn't quite put the giant away. (Match rating [B]C+[/B].) [U]Blue Demon vs Great Muta (wild card)[/U] The Mexican legend is at the twilight of his career, while Mutoh is just beginning his. Keiji tries to take the Demon down early, but the lucha responds with a running dropkick and a spinning tijeras. Estacas Indias is locked in for the submission win, nearly as quickly as our first match. Unsurprisingly, the crowd aren't too keen. (Match rating [B]F[/B].)

[Jaded]

[U]Mick McManus vs Junkyard Dog[/U] One of the matches I've been most looking forward to, as the British heel takes on one of the top American babyfaces. Can McManus join Rocco, Nagasaki, Haystacks and Daddy in round 2, or will he be the third British casualty of the tourney? To the crowd's delight, JYD completely dominates the early stages, brawling hard and shrugging off the meagre offense which McManus DOES manage. The crowd mark out as Dog hits a couple of his trademark moves, the leaping fistdrop then the crawling headbutts. Another leaping fistdrop follows on the outside, then a stomach breaker as they get back into the ring, a spread eagled stomp, and a pair of more fistdrops. A grounded punch to the ear misses, and McManus comes back with some strong forearms - until JYD shrugs one off and immediately goes back on offense. Mick does slip out of a powerslam attempt, working over JYD's arm from behind for a few minutes, and manages to ground the brawler for a while to stop his momentum. Reeling him with some uppercuts, McManus goes for a charging forearm but gets stopped by a massive punch, then dropped by a huge piledriver! Kickout at two, McManus goes to armbars and leglocks, but gets dropped again by a massive bodyslam, only to regain control with a fireman's carry takedown when JYD tries a running headbutt. Working the arms for a few minutes. Picking the Junkyard Dog up, he sends him to the ropes, and goes for a charging forearm, only for the Dog to counter with a thunderous bodyslam! Roundhouse punch follows, but a powerslam attempt sees McManus slip off JYD's back, and go back to the arm lock and wrist bend. McManus gets a spinning toehold... and almost wins it, with Dog only just managing to break! Self-stranglehold comes next, and again, JYD comes close to submitting! Spinning toe hold for another near-submission, and these guys are taking it all out of each other! Forearm flurry doesn't keep JYD down though, and he tosses McManus over the top and to the outside, drawing a stern warning from the ref! He follows up by slamming Mick's head into a ringside table, then into the hard concrete floor, busting McManus open! Back into the ring, Dog whips McManus to the corner, hits him with a flurry of punches, then another leaping fistdrop. Piledriver follows, but only gets two and three quarters, and McManus breaks a second attempt at it. Charging forearm for McManus, another spinning toehold, but JYD won't give! Eye rake counters a leglock, slam gets two, piledriver may get more... but despite bleeding heavily, McManus finds the strength to kick out! Breaking a slam attempt, Mick locks in a half nelson takedown, then gets the double knee backbreaker locked in, and gets the Dog to quit! 32 minutes of amazing stuff from these two! (Match rating [B]A*[/B].) McManus is losing blood heavily though, and needs to get seen to quickly, especially with a collision with the fresh Blue Demon in the next round.

[Jaded]

[U]Jos Leduc vs Norman Frederick Charles III[/U] The first ten minutes or so are a vicious brawl, with Leduc shrugging off most of Charles' attack, until the Royal Kangaroo nails him with a side suplex. Leduc is quick to come back though, getting his hands on a splinter of a chair, and stabbing Charles in the throat with it, then stomping between his legs and ramming his face into the mat. It takes a low blow from Charles to get back into the match, and then he slingshots the Canadian Wildman into the corner before hitting a spinning head scissors. Another slingshot attempt is less successful, Leduc slipping out of it then biting his opponent's forehead, before stomping away and hitting a seated hammer. Charles comes back with an eye gouge, a double underhook suplex, and another slingshot, then chokes Leduc with the tag rope, but Leduc reverses an Irish whip and gets a charging knee to the gut. Big bear hug locked in by Leduc nearly gets him the win, but Charles just manages to break it. Bunch of headbutts staggers the New Zealander, and a high backdrop puts him down. Charles manages to fight back, slingshotting the Canadian into the corner again then sliding to the outside and ramming his arm into the post. Vicious low blow before they go back inside, then a spinning head scissors from Charles. Leduc ducks a running knee but gets punched hard as he goes for a second bear hug, and Charles ties him in the ropes then wails away at him. Spinning toe hold attempt is broken by Jos, and he backdrops Charles to the apron before knocking him off with a kick, then slides to the outside and slams a chair into his knee, but Charles blasts him with a low blow and nearly manages to get the count out win, rolling back into the ring. Running knee connects as Jos makes it back in, and a last second kickout! As Charles goes for a small package, Leduc gets a thumb to the eye, but wastes time trying to untie a turnbuckle cover and allows Norman to recover, hitting the Wildman with another running knee as he turns. Kickout on two and a half, and Leduc sent to the corner, only to get a desparation kick to the gut as Charles tries to run in with a knee. Irish whip by Leduc, and another backdrop, then a piledriver. Kick out at two and a half, and Charles rises to hit that running knee once more, but again only gets two. As he picks Leduc up, Jos gouges his eye, then gets a clothesline to send both men to the outside. Double axe handle on the outside, Leduc trying to follow up by slamming Charles' head into the floor, but can't get it. Back inside, another axe handle, then another clothesline to go back to ringside. Smashing his opponent's head into the table, we see Leduc stomp away at Charles, then slam his face into the concrete floor successfully this time, and he has all the momentum now! Out of nowhere, though, Charles hits another running knee! Last second kickout, and a thumb to the eye follows from Leduc. Whipping Charles to the corner, he chokes him with the tag rope, then slams his shoulder into the post, before stomping away at him. Leduc goes for a piledriver but Charles takes his legs out, then grabs a handful of tights for a small package, but the referee sees it and won't count the pin. Running knee once more, but a last second kick out. Tying Leduc in the ropes again, Charles pounds away at his head, opening him up, but Leduc comes back viciously, biting a chunk outta Charles' arm! Two standing axe handles follow, and the ref's had enough! Medical DQ for Norman Frederick Charles III, who is clearly in no state to continue! The crowd cheer two competitors who they may not like, but have given their all in this brutal bout. (Match rating [B]A*[/B].)

[Jaded]

[U]Jimmy Snuka vs Tiger Mask[/U] One of the most eagerly awaited first round matches comes next, as two of the sport's best cruisers go up against each other. The Japanese fan favourite has wrestled under the mask for two years, and is quickly becoming one of the most popular men in his country, while Snuka is a hated heel. Tiger Mask opens well, but Snuka sidesteps a dropkick and takes him down, kicking him repeatedly while he's on the mat. It's a while before either gains a decisive advantage, with both men missing aerial moves and getting plenty of counters in, but on the quarter of an hour mark, a spinning kick followed by a judo toss and a figure four cross leglock put Tiger Mask in control. Another spinning kick attempt is ducked, though, and Snuka viciously brutalises the Japanese star with chops and a falling headbutt. A fistdrop attempt doesn't find its mark, though, and Tiger Mask picks his opponent up, driving him into the corner then hitting a dropkick. Scissors takedown, leg twist, and figure four cross slow Snuka right down, and a somersault legdrop draws cheers from the crowd. Mask gets a bridging roll-up for two and three-quarters, then a series of near-falls, from two springboard body presses, two cradle suplexes, and a Tiger Bomb. Snuka kicks out of all of them, but Tiger Mask gets a crossface chicken-wing on, and that's enough to draw the submission and see TM go through in a decent 20 minute bout. (Match rating [B]B-[/B].)