Thursday, July 14, 2011

April 1993 to May 1994 - WO Results Notes

For reasons that I can not completely explain, I decided to run through about 12 months of Wrestling Observers RESULTS sections.

These Results sections offer an interesting window in the wrestling scene at that time, though by no means is it absolutely comprehensive and complete. In fact, major shows like PPVs and Clash of the Champions aren't usually listed in the Results section - especially if they are reviewed in another part of the same issue. Which indies are covered were probably a function of whether there was a reader attending or wrestling on those shows.

Observations:

** Award for World's Most Honest Attendance - NCW in month of May

5/10 Dallas (NCW - 30): Ray Evans b Mad Dog Billy, Sangre Guerrera b El Galena, Guido Falcone (Sweet Daddy Falcone) b El Geminis, Jimmy James & Ebony Prince (Dwayne Meadows) b Billy Steele & Chad Starr, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Steven Dane & Chris Barrett, Rod Price & Scotty Braddock b Iceman King Parsons & Action Jackson

5/24 Dallas (NCW - 11): Mad Dog Billy b Country Dog, Big D b Ray Evans, Iceman King Parsons b Chad Champion, Action Jackson b Billy Steele, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Chris Barrett & Thunder Warrior

5/29 Dallas (NCW - less than a dozen paid): Ray Evans b Big D, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Jimmy James & Chris Barrett, Action Jackson b Killer Tim Brooks-COR, Guido Falcone & Vito Mussolini DCOR Calvin Knapp & Steven Dane, Bill Irwin d Iceman King Parsons, Chris Adams b Scotty Braddock to win NCW title

That's right - they had a show with 18 wrestlers and less than 12 people even paid to attend.

Runner up for this award would probably be the ill-named "North American Wrestling Alliance" (NAWA) which criss-crossed the entire continent by running shows everywhere from Chester, South Carolina all the way down to Welford, South Carolina. Dozens of fans turned out to see to Paul Jones Jr, Rick Link, Gary Royal, Johnny B. Goode and Scotty McKeever.

** Globetrotters

While WWF superstars made it to US, Canada, Israel and Europe the man who really worked his passport to the max from May 1993 to April 1994 was SIONNE~!

Yes, the Barbarian was quite diverse:

He worked American Indies in Michigan alongside Dan Severn and Al Snow and Taz, he showed up in Germany to hang out with Papa Shango, Jushin Liger, Reno Riggins and Stan Hansen. He toured India with "Indo-Asian Wrestling" where he won the IAW Championship by defeating Vladimir Koloff and eventually losing to Giant Warrior Butch Masters in front of a crowd claimed to be 75,000. In July he stopped by Puerto Rico to mix it up with Invader #1, El Bronco #1 and watch Carlos Colon carve up Ricky Santana with barbed wire. And he spent most of the year with New Japan teaming with everyone from Haku, Scott Norton, Masa Saito and Ludvig Borga. Guess he had to do something while he waited for Samu to leave the Head Shrinkers!

Stars (Abdullah the Butcher, Jake Roberts, Terry Funk) and future stars (Chris Jericho) spent time on both sides of the ocean. However, I'm most intrigued by the lesser-known working stiffs (aka non-stars) who got to tour the world like Dusty Wolfe, Rambo and Max Moon/Paul Diamond:

Max "Paul Diamond" Moon - toured with New Japan as "Max Moon" teaming with Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit), Red Scorpio (Scorpio Jr) and several Brads (Armstrong and Rheingans)! He worked for both AWF - Australia (wrestling Akira Nogami every night) and Puerto Rico. Lastly, he squirmed around US indies doing everything from headlining PA indies against Nailz, competing in a "Hood Match" in ECW alongside the original Tanaka (Pat) against Public Enemy and even working as a Steve Austin jobber in Atlanta.

Dusty Wolfe went to Japan for NOW to get his groove back (part of an ecletic Gaijin list which included Tiger Ali Singh, Rockin' Rebel and Sweet Daddy Guido Falcone's tag partner Vito Mussolini), fighting to take the WWF jobber mantel by defeating Jose Luis Rivera in WWC and battling the legendary Lord Zoltan in American States Wrestling.

** Stipulations!

I always love digging through the archives for fun stipulations.
Some winners:

4/17/93 Circleville, OH (Big Time Wrestling/Bobby Fulton promoter - 200): Loser has to ride a donkey: Bobby Fulton b Grim Reaper (this should have been the main event instead of Ron Garvin DCOR Abdullah the Butcher)

5/7/93 Dallas Sportatorium (GWF - 1,300/125 paid): Branding iron on pole match: Angel b Black Bart

6/27/93 Dallas (Big D - 290): Hair vs. beard street fight: Big D b Handsome One

8/18 Jefferson City, TN (SMW - 275): Losers must bungee jump: Rock & Roll Express b Heavenly Bodies-DQ (Cornette loves stips like Russo loves poles)

9/2/93 Winnipeg (River City Wrestling): Losers wears a dress: Caveman Broda b Dakota Moondog

10/30/93 Bensalem, PA (NWA - 1,000): Loser gets spanked: Sherri Martel b Jim Cornette (this card was quite the affair with Steve Keirn as Doink, Brian Hildebrand as a Ninja Turtle, Ted DiBiase, Terry Funk, Sabu, Chris Candido and "Ed the Razor" who may have been Beefcake). And yes, this show is on DVD on Fan Cam.

11/26 Knoxville (SMW - 1,280): Loser gets tarred and feathered: Bobby Blaze b Chris Candido (Candido actually did this stip that whole week 11/25, 11/26 and 11/27 along with losing a battle Battle Royal 10/1 where the last man out, him, received that punishment).

11/27/93 Central City, KY (Tri-State Wrestling): Loser must kiss a pig: Dan Shannon b Mountain Man Miller (somehow Mike Samples and Mad Man Pondo managed to be in the other matches)

11/29/93 Memphis (USWA): Loser eats dog food: Little Eagle b Midget D

12/9/93 Indianapolis (Championship Wrestling from Indiana - 450): Flash Flash Flannagan won Royal Rumble rules everyone armed with a board match (GIANT BOARD WITH NAILS IN IT!)

1/27/94 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Pro Wrestling Crusaders - 600): Nail barricade death match: Power X I & II b Shunji Takano & Nobutaka Araya

2/4 Winnipeg (West Four Wrestling Alliance): Loser chews on winners socks: Chief Saddlebaggs b Steve Stryker (there was a man named "The Sicko" who wrestled on this card - but not in this match?!)

2/14 Memphis (USWA - 825): Hubcap on pole: Wolfie D b J.C. Ice, Unified title vs. Eddie Gilbert's car: Eddie Gilbert b Jerry Lawler-COR to win title (two Car-related stips on one card! Take that Bischoff Autoracing/Wrestling fed!)

** Hardest Working Woman in Show Business!

Now, there are many events - especially from the major federations - which aren't covered in the RESULTS section - usually if they have a separate review elsewhere in the issue. So, WWF and WCW wrestlers are probably under-represented. Additionally, while I've done some name cleanups - there are still 6,000 names listed and I know there are some duplicates.



That said, look at the All Japan Women - particularly in October 1993!

For instance, he was Toyota's schedule:
10/2 Chigasaki (All Japan women - 2,150): Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda b Etsuko Mita & Suzuka Minami
10/4 Iwase (All Japan women - 1,215): Manami Toyota & Kaoru Ito b Yumiko Hotta & Suzuka Minami
10/5 Kanagawa (All Japan women): Manami Toyota & Yumiko Hotta b Suzuka Minami & Etsuko Mita
10/6 Utsunomiya (All Japan women - 1,730): Yumiko Hotta & Takako Inoue b Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada
10/7 Moriya (All Japan women - 1,075): Toshiyo Yamada & Etsuko Mita b Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda
10/9 Tokyo Bay NK Hall (All Japan Women Wrestlemarinpiad '93 - 6,700 sellout): Manami Toyota b Mayumi Ozaki (JWP)
10/10 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (All Japan women - 2,100 sellout): Manami Toyota & Asari b Tomoko Watanabe & Kaoru Ito
10/11 Mito (All Japan women - 1,620): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada & Kyoko Inoue b Aja Kong & Bull Nakano & Suzuka Minami 22:17
10/12 Fukuyama (All Japan women - 1,675): Manami Toyota b Sakie Hasegawa
10/13 Munakata (All Japan women - 1,120): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada b Yumiko Hotta & Takako Inoue
10/14 Sakuse (All Japan women - 1,001): Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda b Kaoru Ito & Sakie Hasegawa
10/15 Hakata (All Japan women): Manami Toyota b Suzuka Minami
10/16 Kagoshima (All Japan women - 1,730): Manami Toyota & Aja Kong b Toshiyo Yamada & Kyoko Inoue
10/17 Kumamoto (All Japan women - 1,380): Toshiyo Yamada & Yumiko Hotta b Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa
10/18 Mitsua (All Japan - 1,190): Aja Kong & Suzuka Minami b Manami Toyota & Yumiko Hotta
10/19 Himdeo (All Japan women - 1,320): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada b Aja Kong & Sakie Hasegawa 20:59
10/20 Miyagi (All Japan women - 1,480): Manami Toyota & Suzuka Minami b Aja Kong & Numacchi
10/21 Omura (All Japan women - 1,100): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda
10/22 Miyazaki (All Japan women - 1,569): Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa b Kaoru Ito & Yumiko Hotta
10/23 Moji (All Japan Women - 1,230): Kyoko Inoue & Toshiyo Yamada b Yumiko Hotta & Manami Toyota
10/28 Shizuoka (All Japan women - 1,550): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Eagle Sawai & Yasha Kurenai
10/29 Fukyama (All Japan women - 1,695): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Kaoru Ito & Tomoko Watanabe

That's 22 matches in 28 days.

When you look at who performed in front of the most people that year, the list is geared towards the people you'd expect:

* New Japan (Jushin Liger, Hiroshi Hase, Tatsumi Fujinami, Masa Chono, Satoshi Kojima, Takayuki Iizuka, Shinya Hashimoto, Akira Nogami, El Samurai, Kengo Kimura, Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, Shiro Koshinaka, Michiyoshi Ohara, Shinjiro Otani, Keiji Muto, Great Kabuki, Osamu Kido, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Tatsutoshi Goto)

* All Japan (Masa Fuchi, Rusher Kimura, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Giant Baba, Haruka Eigen, Toshiaki Kawada, Yoshinari Ogawa, Takao Omori, Mitsuharu Misawa, Stan Hansen, Steve Williams, Mighty Inoue, Mitsuo Momota, Satoru Asako, Jun Akiyama, Masao Inoue, The Eagle, Dan Kroffat, Doug Furnas, Johnny Ace, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Ryuma Izumida, Richard Slinger)

* WWF (Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, Samu, Lex Luger, Fatu, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka, Mike Shaw, Shawn Michaels, Rick Steiner, Jacques Rougeau, Doink the Clown, Sean Waltman, Billy Gunn, Bart Gunn, Scott Steiner, Quebecer Pierre, IRS)

* FMW (Tarzan Goto, Atsushi Onita, Megumi Kudo, Ricky Fuji, Miwa Sato, Yukie Nabeno, Mr Pogo, The Gladiator, Big Titan, Crusher Maedomari, Shark Tsuchiya, Sambo Asako, Mr Gannosuke) - Terry Funk might belong on this list with the huge stadium show he did with Onita

* AAA (Octagon, Perro Aguayo, El Hijo del Santo, Love Machine, Rey Misterio Jr, Blue Panther, Cien Caras, Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal, Mascara Ano 2000, Konnan El Barbaro, La Parka, Volador, Misterioso, Winners, Latin Lover, Jerry Estrada, Mascara Sagrada, El Satanico, Universo 2000, Angel Azteca, Psicosis, Fishman, Eddy Guerrero, Vulcano)

* EMLL (Pierroth Jr, Atlantis, Haku, Negro Casas, La Fiera, Jaque Mate, El Dandy, Emilio Charles Jr, Ultimo Dragon, Mano Negra, Dr Wagner Jr, Black Magic, Mocho Cota, Escudero Rojo, Javier Cruz, Kahos I, Gran Markus Jr, Felino, Ciclon Ramirez, Metalico, Pantera II, Olimpus, Chris Jericho, America, Aguila Solitaria, Canadian Vampire Casanova)

* All Japan Women (Manami Toyota, Kyoko Inoue, Toshiyo Yamada, Aja Kong, Yumiko Hotta, Kaoru Ito, Etsuko Mita, Suzuka Minami, Takako Inoue, Mima Shimoda, Tomoko Watanabe, Bull Nakano, Sakie Hasegawa, Chikako Shiratori, Akira Hokuto)

* UWFi (Yoshihiro Takayama, Yoji Anjyo, Yuko Miyato, Nobuhiko Takada, Naoki Sano, Gary Albright, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kiyoshi Tamura, Dan Severn, Badnews Allen, Dennis Koslowski, Tatsuo Nakano, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Tom Burton, Super Vader, Greg Bobchick, Tommy Cairo, Jean Lydick, Billy Scott, Kazushi Sakuraba, Masahito Kakihara, Mark Silver)

* WCW (Sting, Steve Regal, Dustin Rhodes, Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Rick Steamboat, Ric Flair, Marcus Bagwell, Arn Anderson, Too Cold Scorpio, Paul Orndorff, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Nasty Boys)

* UWA (Canek, Transformer, El Texano, Yamato, El Signo, Villanos IV, Super Astro. Principe Maya, Negro Navarro, Dos Caras, Scorpio Jr)

* WAR (Koki Kitahara, Genichiro Tenryu, Ashura Hara, Ultimo Dragon, Nobukazu Hirai, Super Strong Machine, Hiromichi Fuyuki, Masao Orihara, Great Kabuki, Yuji Yasuraoka, John Tenta, Takashi Ishikawa, Arashi, Masanobu Kurisu, Haku, Shiro Koshinaka, Black Cat, Koji Ishinriki, Masashi Aoyagi, Jado, Gedo)

** Not a lot of Fed Jumpers!

Appears to have worked AAA and EMLL in the same year
Pirata Morgan, Piratita Morgan, and MS 1
(not sure if they're all the same person or not but that's what I noticed)

Appears to have worked WWF and WCW in the same year

Terry Taylor (jobbed in WCW to Godwinns, Roma/Orndorff, Ron Simmons, Jim Steele, Steve Austin, Steve Regal, Tom Zenk and TERRA RIZING~!), Van Hammer (jobbed to Damian Demento) and Joey Maggs (jobbed to Bam Bam in WWF and jobbed to Cole Twins, Johnny Gunn, Bagwell, Maxx PAyne, Too Cold and Erik Watts in WCW).

I didn't see anyone who worked both New Japan and All Japan the same year.

There were a few people who worked both ECW and USWA that same year - namely Eddie Gilbert, Axl & Ian Rotten and THE WOLFMAN~!

** Birth of the Triangle Match?
Besides the Jake Roberts triplemania deal, AAA, ECW, MECW/ASWA and SMW all held multi-team or multi-man matches that year including:

3/28 Beckley, WV (SMW - 500): Smoky Mountain Showdown street fight: Rock & Roll Express won over Dutch Mantell & Jimmy Golden and Stan Lane & Tom Prichard

4/17 Johnson City, TN (SMW - 860): Rock & Roll Express beat Stan Lane & Tom Prichard (DQ) and Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden in three-team Smoky Mountain showdown @@@3/4

10/1 Juan de la Barrera Gym in Mexico City (AAA - 6,000): Huichol won triangular match from Misterioro and Vulcano @

10/2 Philadelphia (ECW TV taping - 400): Cage match: Public Enemy won three-team elimination of Tanaka & Diamond and Rottens

10/23 Pigeon Forge, TN (SMW - 300): Rock & Roll Express won four-corners tag match from Armstrongs, Heavenly Bodies and Bruise Brothers

11/14 Essex, MD (MEWF/ASWA - 625) Axl & Ian Rotten won 4-team Death match over Tony Stetson & Johnny Hot Body, Rich Myers & Jimmy Janetty and Southern Destruction

** Worst Match I could imagine

4/9 Linden, NJ (WWWA - 400): Mad Russian b Super Nova, Drake Debonair b Bobby Piper, Frankie Burns b Amazing Martine, Jack Hammer b Rick Ratchett, Diamond Express b Mr. Motion & Ace Darling, Jimmy Snuka b Metal Maniac, Abdullah the Butcher DDQ Nailz

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