Filthy Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including Smackdown from Friday, his weekly Rampage report, the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge, plus All Japan and New Japan big match recaps. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: all japan
Wrestling Observer Radio: Mark Shapiro on WWE business, Dynamite and NXT, Andrade’s contract, more
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including Mark Shapiro talking WWE and UFC business, Andrade and his contract status, All Japan and New Japan tournament updates, Stardom PPV notes, ratings, Dynamite and NXT TV reports, plus Collision and Rampage spoilers. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Mark Shapiro of TKO talks WWE business
7:15: Andrade el Idolo heading back to CMLL, Bryan Danielson on the AEW Disciplinary Committee
10:29: AJPW & NJPW tournament, Stardom updates
15:23: Ratings
22:36: European MVP Observer Award thoughts
23:51: AEW Dynamite recap
36:49: WWE NXT recap
48:27: AEW Collision & Rampage spoilers
August 4, 2003 Observer Newsletter: WWE Vengeance review, All Japan in trouble, more
The first Smackdown brand-only PPV in the U.S. (there have been Smackdown only brand PPV shows in the U.K.) on 7/27 at the Pepsi Arena in Denver, was largely considered an in-ring success, with every match that on paper looked good delivering.
The show drew approximately 9,500 paid (far more than that were actually in the building, although much of the upper deck was blocked off) and a house in the $475,000 range for a show headlined by Kurt Angle capturing what could be called his fourth or fifth-ever so-called world title (depending if you consider a six-day run as WCW champion when WWE recognized the title in 2001) in a three-way over Brock Lesnar and Big Show. The only surprise in the finish was that he pinned Lesnar. In most cases, it’s better for the title for the champion to get pinned, but they have pinned Lesnar, who had been booked as something special, so many times of late that I didn’t expect it to happen.
July 28, 2003 Observer Newsletter: Big week in Japanese wrestling, more
One of the biggest weeks in Japanese wrestling in recent memory included a WWE tour, four straight nights of major arena shows in the Tokyo market, and three straight nights of PPV action.
The results ranged from super hot sellout crowds, one surprising crowd, down to really an expected poor show.
The WWE was the highlight of the week, running shows on 7/17 and 7/18 at the Yokohama Arena (which is about 30 minutes outside of Tokyo) and 7/19 at the Kobe World Memorial Hall (nowhere near Tokyo). The latter two shows sold out well in advance, as soon as tickets were put on sale, with 15,750 paying $1.3 million on the 7/18 show, and 8,008 on 7/19. If there was a chink in the armor, it was shown when an added show in Yokohama was nowhere near full, even though it was the only show with an advertised line-up and was said to have been the best of the four big shows in the Tokyo area.
July 14, 2003 Observer Newsletter: WWE releases updated PPV buyrate information, more
World Wrestling Entertainment’s decision to publicly release updated PPV buy information has led to a few interesting findings.
While most figures are in the ballpark of what had been reported, and keep in mind all shows within the past year will have numbers constantly change, there were two shows of note over the past two plus years, one big and one small. It should be noted that all buys are approximate because of both the nature of PPV accounting, and also because the WWE released the information in a graph.
The big one was the July 22, 2001, Invasion PPV from Cleveland, headlined by a supposed WWF team of Kurt Angle & Steve Austin & Chris Jericho & Undertaker & Kane against a supposed combined WCW and ECW team of Diamond Dallas Page & Rhyno & Dudleys & Booker T which did about 760,000 buys (the last number we had received on the show was 726,400), making it the fifth most buys for a pro wrestling PPV in history, trailing only the Wrestlemania shows from 1999-2002.
Pacific Rim: Debbie Malenko on life in All Japan Women’s Wrestling
This week on the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling podcast, we talk with co-host Fumi Saito’s good friend Debbie Malenko.
Trained by Professor Boris Malenko, Debbie was talented enough that he allowed her to take the Malenko name. Not long after wrestling school, she was off to Japan to compete for the legendary All Japan Women’s company. She was there at the beginning of the Japanese women’s wrestling boom, so if you want to learn more about Japanese culture and what it was like to continually train and work all over the country, this is the show for you.
Hear about her time and experiences working with Bull Nakano, Akira Hokuto, Kyoko Inoue, Mariko Yoshida, language barriers, and a stern lecture she got for doing the unthinkable: talking with Dave Meltzer.
February 11, 2002 Observer Newsletter: Questions surrounding NJPW talent leaving for All Japan, more
There were still few answers as the week came to an end in the third week of the saga of Keiji Muto, Satoshi Kojima and Tokimitsu Ishizawa leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling for All Japan.
During the week, even after their New Japan contracts expired at the end of January, all three were playing the role of being free agents entertaining offers. The only thing announced was that Muto would face Toshiaki Kawada for the Triple Crown, a match announced months ago, on 2/24 at Budokan Hall. Genichiro Tenryu issued a challenge to Kojima for the same show, but the match hasn’t been announced, and if that is the bout, it would strangely seem to favor the idea of Kojima starting with a loss. Muto has only said that he would attend All Japan’s 2/9 show at Korakuen Hall when they start their new tour, and discuss finances with Motoko Baba, acting as if no deal has been made.
January 28, 2002 Observer Newsletter: NJPW talent to All Japan, Royal Rumble review, more
New Japan Pro Wrestling was thrown into absolute chaos this past week, leaving the balance of power in Japanese wrestling in question when 2001 Wrestler of the Year Keiji Muto, IWGP junior heavyweight champion Tokimitsu Ishizawa (Kendo Ka Shin) and Satoshi Kojima all gave their notice and, along with five other front office employees, will be headed to attempt to rise All Japan Pro Wrestling from near ashes.
The moves, details of which are still sketchy, have resulted in rumors flying and made up newspaper tabloid stories throughout Japan. This leaves all business relations between All Japan and New Japan dead. New Japan immediately attempted to forge a stronger working relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH. In addition, there is a significant power struggle going on in New Japan which will likely shake out over the next week when Antonio Inoki returns from Los Angeles at the end of the week.
Tanahashi facing Miyahara in tag match at Baba memorial show
The main event for the Giant Baba Memorial show has been set.
IWGP Heavyweight champion Hiroshi Tanahashi will team with Yoshitatsu (who has been regularly wrestling for All Japan) to take on the team of Triple Crown champion Kento Miyahara and Big Japan’s Daisuke Sekimoto. It will be the first time that Tanahashi and Miyahara will be in the same ring.
The event marks the 20th anniversary of Giant Baba’s death, as he passed away from liver failure on January 31, 1999. It will also have the official retirement ceremony for Abdullah the Butcher, who wrestled regularly for All Japan for a number of decades.
Here is the full, likely final card for the memorial show which will take place on February 19 at Sumo Hall. Broadcasting information is currently unknown:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yoshitatsu vs. Kento Miyahara and Daisuke Sekimoto
- Mil Mascaras and Dos Caras vs. NOSAWA Rongai and Kaz Hayashi
- Naomichi Marufuji and Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Masaaki Mochizuki and Shun Skywalker
- Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata and Omasu Nishimura vs. Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori and Taiyo Kea
- Atsushi Onita, Kendo Kashin, Hideki Suzuki and Hideki Hosaka vs. Great Kojika, Mitsuya Nagai, Shuji Ishikawa and Hikaru Sato in a street fight tornado bunkhouse deathmatch
- SANADA and BUSHI vs. Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino in a three way match
- Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yuma Aoyagi
- Kazushi Miyamoto, Tomohiko Hashimoto, Daichi Hashimoto and Takuya Nomura vs. Tomoaki Honma, Yuji Okabayashi, Naoya Nomura and Ren Narita
- Giant Baba Memorial battle royal featuring Mitsuo Momota, Kim Duk, Joel Deaton, MEN’s Teioh, TARU, Ryuji Hijikata, Yuto Aijima, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Masahito Kakihara, Masao Inoue, Tamon Honda and Yasu Urano
AJPW crowns 2018 Champion Carnival winner
Naomichi Marufuji has just pinned the All Japan Triple Crown champion, winning the Champion Carnival for the first time in his career.
Marufuji, representing Pro Wrestling NOAH, pinned Kento Miyahara tonight in the finals of the All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Carnival tournament that had been running for the last month. After an intense back and forth match, Marufuji finally picked up the win after the Emerald Flowsion. With the win, it is likely that Marufuji will get a future shot at the Triple Crown championship, though that is not outright confirmed yet.
The final standings for the A Block have Kento Miyahara at 10 points. Yuji Hino, Joe Doering, Shuji Ishikawa and Shingo Takagi end with eight points. Ryoji Sai finishes with six points and Naoya Nomura and The Bodyguard tie for last with four points.
B Block finishes with Naomichi Marufuji with 10 points. Suwama, Zeus and Jun Akiyama end with eight. KAI, Yoshitatsu and Dylan James finish with six, and Yutaka Yoshie rounds it out with four points.
Marufuji was only couple of years into the business when he jumped from All Japan in 2000 to help form Pro Wrestling NOAH. He has made several trips over the years back to his original promotion, including winning their Junior Heavyweight title on one occasion.
October 16, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Potential WCW sale, New Japan vs. All Japan, plus more
With its wrestlers in Australia and its front office personnel in a total state of uncertainty, media reports continued hot and heavy regarding a potential imminent sale of World Championship Wrestling.
While virtually all reports listed Mandalay Sports as the prime suitor, with a group headed by Eric Bischoff, most of the talk over the weekend involved a longshot in the deal which has been rumored for some time, the potential of the World Wrestling Federation buying out its long-time competitor, particularly after a story on 10/9 in Multi Channel News.
Based on sources very close to the details of the potential sale, no deal has been finalized at press time. Both companies, and perhaps others, are involved in various degrees of negotiations to purchase the company from Turner Broadcasting, which has owned the company since buying out Jim Crockett Promotions in late 1988. Those close to the negotiations expect a deal finalized within the next two weeks.
Big Audio Nightmare: All Japan, STARDOM, NOAH, NJPW, more
Somehow, someway, keeping to their word, the original alternate is back after only a few day layoff to present to YOU, the fine purveyor of this website, even more audio activity for your dollar.
This week’s topics on Adam & Mike’s Big Audio Nightmare include:
– Adam’s thoughts on WWE SummerSlam and TakeOver
– MYC Bracketology
– The Curse of Enzo
– STARDOM World
– Ishikawa love
– Thoughts on All Japan’s July 7 show
– Nakajima-Cage
– An impressive looking New Japan Destruction tour, and much more.
And for a lack of a better closing statement, we’ll just recycle the Bossman’s: A fun show as always, so check it out~!
June 19, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Goldberg turns heel at Great American Bash, All Japan changes, more
In a week where the entire landscape of the pro wrestling industry is expected to change, the first tree to fall, All Japan Pro Wrestling, at least in the form it has been for the past 28 years, is no more.
Tokyo Sports confirmed on 6/12 that the long-rumored split talked about in this publication had started with Mitsuharu Misawa, the President and top star of the company, resigning on 5/28. The news was kept quiet by all parties until the end of the tour and they were hoping to keep it quiet for several more days in an attempt to present a smoother public transition. On 6/13 at an emergency meeting of the board of directors once the story had broken publicly, five more members, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Mitsuo Momota, Yoshihiro Momota (the oldest son of Rikidozan who is a retired pro wrestler who works in the front office) and Kenichi Oyagi (the Managing Director of All Japan) all formally resigned, confirming what was already known by insiders that virtually the entire company was leaving Motoko Baba.
Big Audio Nightmare: Thoughts on the last two weeks of shows in Japan
The oldest show here at F4WOnline.com that doesn’t include A Man Named Vince is back, and we are reinvigorated, with fighting spirit.
Maybe it’s because of the American presidential debate. Maybe it’s the American throw ball game. Either way, we’re pretty sure it’s not Monday Night Raw or the Clash. And on this edition of the original alternate, the topics include, but aren’t limited to, where we stand on the climb of YOSHI-HASHI, Katsuyori Shibattering ram, BUSHI, Kyle O’Reilly Moves Like…, the last few New Japan shows and the company’s direction, DDT’s Osaka Bay Blues, Dragon Gate feeling blue, and the hosts occasionally working blue, NOAHone was there to see the show, FMW, Nick Numbers and the Numeral Posse, continuing unabashed loved for the U-30 pro wres landscape, and much more.
It’s the radio show whose strongest attribute is its temperament, the Adam and Mike BIG AUDIO NIGHTMARE.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Marathon: “Dr. Death” Steve Williams
Photo Credit: Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman
On today’s July Classic Wrestling Marathon Show, host Karl Stern takes a look at another of his personal favorite wrestlers in “Dr. Death” Steve Williams.
As far as tough guys go, Williams certainly had the reputation for being just that. A standout football player and wrestler at the University of Oklahoma, Williams started wrestling during college breaks as a personal favorite of Bill Watts in the Mid-South area. Though Williams had runs in WCW and WWF, he was far and away most successful in All-Japan Pro Wrestling during an era when AJPW had the best wrestling in the world.
Williams was part of multiple top tag teams with partners like Ted DiBiase and Terry Gordy. Williams and Gordy dominated the Japanese tag team division during the early 1990s, and had a memorable run against the Steiner Brothers in WCW. His health took a turn for the worse while Doc was in his mid-40s as he fought cancer on multiple occassions.
In this latest edition of the July Classic Wrestling Marathon, Karl Stern takes a look at one of Jim Ross’ favorite pro wrestlers: Steve Williams. Click below to play or right click to save to your computer.
Reminder: This is the last week to order the Super Stern Stick 16gb flash drive full of pro wrestling history featuring over 500 podcasts and over 500 documents on one USB drive dealing with the history of professional wrestling from the pioneer days until today. You can order it here for just $20 with free shipping worldwide.