|
|
WWE's forgotten Japanese super shows: photos
S8 D/ z& @+ u" @" N+ s" m
. [9 e! f5 n# }
: k) ?' s+ Q! N( E& u
# I! O7 q/ k, \& F8 |! x* zIn the early ’90s, WWE presented three massive events in Japan’s Tokyo Dome.
5 }% U8 B8 r- e% n& r) |# h& L0 {
 + _, G. X* ]4 g# a" h4 [" N( q1 j
6 m, E- u% _* t1 `
& d# _4 K* r: u- {
2 T3 M- Y r2 u O6 a2 q% _Wrestling Summit in 1990 and 1991’s WrestleFest and SuperWrestle saw WWE Superstars take on some of Japan’s best.
& U: N; s) p( ^
4 w$ z! Q1 B" t$ q: J
5 v$ Z, ~: i1 v" ?: j3 l. [+ T. h5 q1 R
 : W7 P% b; G/ C) K% Q
! C7 ~; Q$ _" q/ y6 H9 u9 Z6 V3 {More than 64,000 fans came to the Tokyo Dome on March 30, 1991, to experience WrestleFest.0 e( p% ?# p1 x
! l, {2 [, O3 p' K# r1 w, e3 y: `8 F
$ V( A- L: @1 h5 E4 ~
! _+ p& |$ j) b- @3 S' k
7 ^. s+ S/ k5 c! M- M, l! b) y4 v! {) Q
WrestleFest’s main event featured Hulk Hogan teaming with Japanese legend Genichiro Tenryu to battle Legion of Doom.
4 T r/ W- z9 l% j
6 w2 C0 x5 }* E: n , g- u0 m2 F$ b; b
* R+ w" [$ A4 ~$ r
9 L6 G* F1 X$ N) i2 c9 h1 Q5 W9 c& s Y3 v, X# m, l+ c
Randy Savage battled Japan’s George Takano in another major matchup.
E( s0 C4 d0 @0 P @! ^, m! n. v3 D9 u% b
* _) `1 I, d2 r9 G. Y L9 j
; ]) v# b4 h7 C3 P - V. @6 f7 D$ F* O! i
5 g% w% x5 \6 o# s/ k
 1 T0 \) j* E0 Z: e- ?$ n9 W7 ^
4 w& x; k7 @6 z; D7 Y" K1 i1 y$ B
There were also marquee WWE matches, including Ultimate Warrior battling Sgt. Slaughter.
$ H; H% X9 W( E6 X; B r! F$ j7 w3 @# E W+ x a9 b& W
; h; K, _2 \6 M0 o6 X: T
9 \/ h! l: l& U3 Y M. z4 d7 N. S! B. ~
: J) N8 \& l; B* c' rWWE Superstars like Jimmy Snuka were able to experience the local culture during WWE’s Japanese tours.
$ m) |9 B s+ j, Z: E s" W, i% s9 V) |% r, b r
7 s/ |5 h0 ^0 y6 o3 w+ e# R4 B" H5 Y3 t& }& ]0 I! c/ A
 , d9 @1 ^# G2 L
/ E- R; I$ }; i% Q0 h! L + \2 p* m, j( F1 Q" J
- [9 r$ w; I0 M+ _% j( Q
Earthquake and Koji Kitao were involved in an infamous match in Japan.
9 ]+ h x' X5 E% m) A0 \% ]
4 ]& [# N' w/ T6 a, ^8 q 8 o B5 l1 H; G& ^( d0 s
/ Q! W: \* e2 k) Q7 ~) S
( }5 F0 f) r* j& g, ?: g# y( g8 s' ? u9 v& b6 J
 - B# D6 ?# ^* J8 P/ k
* E6 |( }$ Z1 W' ]# y
The WrestleFest event was presented in conjunction with an upstart promotion called Super World of Sports.
9 h& x, u6 E1 \1 b3 a g( w. Y( `
% Q# K: @' t7 J r1 U
/ Y k; N& N" A+ H" _3 g% i0 e4 w* @; g2 u& C @9 F! G
 . f3 u9 z3 {4 [8 ^! ~) t
9 X5 w) [% P) |- O; a6 ~- F/ SGenichiro Tenryu, formerly of All Japan Pro Wrestling, was the company’s star.
* g5 R4 L; u( Q$ i9 A" H! F* p( i# f0 Q
& e7 i, x& W& H4 T$ s: O1 |( {2 \" d
" R7 \ L* P; p9 z: t" L: _( t 0 @+ l/ D7 G% e) n' T$ `. y3 T. X) ]
1 `, Y( n y$ T% F# D
# _5 a; Q) |8 S/ x, M* A8 L' F0 }0 v6 H8 m& t1 X. k! {1 Q' {7 |9 Q/ S1 H3 e
SWS was bankrolled by a Japanese eyeglass manufacturer called Megane Super.( @, v7 g; U" I# H
2 l x. G9 [8 z0 a: p8 y# e
 - b% ~! r: d: _) O
9 f. Y+ i0 Q+ G; H5 d2 `( } # l8 D& I; m2 p$ N6 w
+ s" Y, ~. x1 k( |
Although an upstart promotion, they were able to attract top Japanese stars and cultivate a relationship with WWE.& I, I9 u8 H0 r- E% t& w8 L
: Q$ Q% C; E: h+ r
% J* E5 y( U& \3 f' d. B; W5 q' @) r
9 n" K0 V( k6 c6 }5 r3 x0 N
2 V2 u# o) B7 l9 b$ `1 {0 j. n$ I
# I8 v; ~ v2 L: q( I* e4 S* Q2 }4 x/ {9 g
WrestleFest was a hugely successful venture for both WWE and SWS./ Y1 L" M: a4 v+ o$ J
/ _0 h1 x4 n; Q( Q0 U# I( }/ W
 ' E" T& J7 B- X1 L6 G2 ^
6 V6 A( ~9 n& Y# x& y* P8 O. W5 N
 1 E' H9 x- k" @( e/ x
3 h" `7 n; y* q6 {1 ^& vWWE's first major event at the Tokyo Dome occurred on April 13, 1990.
* L* A6 Y$ I4 V; A; z! G% B/ e( l! g' j8 K+ x8 n6 b6 X* d" @
6 r, v7 V0 `( i) `' J7 ^" s9 Q" K9 V y( W$ y" I) \
$ A: T# ^. {2 A- r+ J( @+ D! L6 C8 c; V% ~* j! J% @
Dubbed the Wrestling Summit, the historic event featured a showdown between Bret Hart and Tiger Mask II.+ j- \5 b! r$ f- }/ X& M
2 U. ~& O8 X/ s6 J/ V9 u
& {* n& \" @+ x6 q& ]; }
5 @& N0 K! I" }, U4 K& k1 {, i
( u. N' X+ g0 H9 ^ s
2 w1 d3 ?& l6 x: p0 MAfter dropping the Tiger Mask II persona, the late Mitsuharu Misawa became one of Japan’s most respected performers.3 M, V4 _9 i9 b% t2 y6 Z
# Y3 J% d' w( O# k( z" Q
 ; J3 q0 c/ P! r# `: b0 {
- V7 q3 Q* k+ d0 m% \: N7 G
7 X) x+ T: d l5 Q) K
, Z1 _# y. N7 b. F" r4 v. @ T" DAndre the Giant teamed with Japanese icon Giant Baba at the event to beat Demolition.0 _; }- V2 A% b
) p$ W2 T2 o: n' h: v" o. D " Q* K" J1 u( @+ T5 Q, a$ a' Y
( l e0 F. X5 N6 @) P5 A6 p
 , R# z4 y5 T/ E( Y; k* v0 ?' i
$ T0 b' Q/ m c. J: R: I# S2 {
The Wrestling Summit was presented in conjunction with All Japan Pro Wrestling, one of Japan’s two big promotions.
7 R5 \6 C2 I+ `: Q( Z- g! L( J' j0 Y
 " M1 `. V- s1 Z; Y* e
/ g6 r% N5 v3 ]3 t$ c, e
 - Q) _" V$ o" Z( Z+ O
, c+ W. V9 [( n) z+ {Randy Savage lost to Genichiro Tenryu at the event./ i( n/ j4 u/ [4 K% e6 I8 Y7 {
0 p6 K$ {7 e5 r# ]! g; Y; X5 e
- G. G: e7 h. |2 g, W% b8 H2 L: ~2 O0 _& m7 l- r, G8 E
* W* s3 p+ D& f, p
6 o! k) j2 x4 s$ J! X6 K ; N0 @ ]" p$ q
+ W) p1 J, k9 j' t6 m- S7 bHaku teamed with powerhouse Jumbo Tsuruta to battle Mr. Perfect & Rick Martel.( n: n+ v z1 W* g' C" W' [
; E: l+ p; [2 ]1 T3 M' [6 G+ D2 w5 T
6 t6 X7 H8 s6 a( V3 K* o* c; N6 E7 [' Q+ N/ w
7 M; b; I, ]* v2 n* O+ t
/ {* e# k1 i6 f e8 O$ ?In the show’s main event, Hulk Hogan brawled with the dangerous Stan Hansen.! j/ Y: N4 l% X0 N2 H y
& Z" \7 A$ Y1 i. u: d& l' ~
9 M% d: E$ U5 ~
$ s6 a; m& m5 H+ K" x0 i# _
+ l+ w8 C& k: W, x1 h& N
& M( W- l/ c- q' A0 Y6 GHansen’s brutality made him one of the top American stars in Japan.
0 E! N2 Y& {$ _5 j. o" E- Q5 q& \! P+ N/ r* O% F
 2 q/ J6 N4 {; f5 ^
" k7 e6 b9 B/ @2 ]1 t) ~5 X- p 8 ?/ T1 `+ b# m, j" D0 }: s; g1 e
. }! j% U" w9 \# [: n! PUltimate Warrior defended his WWE Title against The Million Dollar Man at the Wrestling Summit.1 ] ]+ r& ]& J
$ X4 R& q7 F. ~* P
& m3 m8 l: e0 E! k% R3 Q/ @. a. @
) s9 Y# \4 @9 x- _6 Y# F9 j 7 ?& ?& @2 A. @5 `
$ m+ L& Q+ W5 L- c
9 w/ }8 s; b) j( m5 j6 @0 G& v7 Y0 Z6 S1 | w4 S0 \
E+ U' u5 _4 c# {# C" b- m7 i* m3 p. g) b
WWE’s third big Tokyo Dome show, SuperWrestle, happened on Dec. 12, 1991.+ X& T' E- k9 Z+ q. [% c, z
7 k, H; k% x u
0 \5 U: S, p+ e) E, {# W4 } k) k6 y3 e+ J
( o: _% D' u% [4 a
1 G/ c }+ t& x5 r Y$ ^
, O! ], m7 @6 x# {! [2 n! M
0 [, {4 T1 y) n$ B) s# C ; `* w* ~ B8 Q9 h6 ]$ y @: `
# ?. g- C- R0 ~6 U0 HThe show was headlined by a match pitting Hulk Hogan against Genichiro Tenryu.
% ]6 C0 @2 r+ J4 A5 W. x" t% J b6 M
 4 x! g8 h; E, ?4 _8 K; y5 |+ |
8 B; m. B* P1 _) i
( t/ R( P: e* `+ w1 z' x' y9 `
9 O) _$ X6 l: S r. T3 h
+ ?* b7 A4 X5 q o) \' P
, g& _) I9 }) ^: D+ F# i/ ySuperWrestle was also co-promoted by SWS.
- b) \' P3 H* p% X) M- [7 n$ ~4 }! U2 M
 1 @$ W, F4 L5 Z* i
s7 b. k9 B6 o, \; f
 * Y# t: l3 F0 g9 T
3 a3 B, l. ~- d( B. W1 q, F0 RMore than 40,000 fans turned out for the event.
% b, A; v" p' K! {$ n* `
/ S* l+ s$ X- p0 K# H( P( N " }. G2 K; y( {7 T
7 q6 p! Y- l* @9 y# Z5 o5 i% l
2 S4 H) o5 R1 T' h! g) }. o. @( I- j* P1 r6 ~5 U' {# C7 K" e
Rick Martel competed for the vacant SWS Light Heavyweight Title at the show.
4 ~. M1 Z" Q$ R. G& _% B+ |2 Y/ b; M: J s, S0 j
 4 M) } l9 M% M: ]# ?% Q8 L! S
0 Z6 w9 Z4 M0 F8 a, v! W
- K; L% S4 w) \7 ^% d: X- [7 d
, x' c; A0 ?3 N
5 q1 R# i+ Y* x" x$ R9 `0 `: ~" U* {, \5 {* \8 `; J
The Rockers came up short against brother George & Shunji Takano." g% w K) U3 }1 t1 q
( a; A3 \: P. T6 e: n; d 7 S, l. z- H" b7 R$ _; b- R- Q
" m$ b( u. X9 m: P7 Q
9 T. {! l7 v5 \: j6 p7 V
; j9 } n3 q L! |( L0 ] 5 n1 n! j$ q' r3 W8 A4 i( j' w3 `
6 P' ^4 Y' T* t f" p$ ], Y+ Q
% I' S8 j: P$ l2 ]% [! c0 V. b' ^
 * a: f: r# ] I/ ~2 s* h- `
% \5 D! t! `; C: @5 E7 x- ]
* r: H8 Q% O9 d$ f1 n* h9 V) |
& [. D4 A3 X& g t' h* R/ S6 M$ `( n0 [
0 Q2 Z; q. @, x! s1 @! r
) c; a1 m. |- ]8 x. u3 I
2 A3 |" ]+ B; D1 S+ a
" O0 J# `: H! {$ B s7 a# Q: s5 G/ u; \
 / `5 C& f# k2 f* D. P
# Q2 S, N% P' y5 e
% F' ~/ N. t$ R4 l3 K4 v
$ R( [" a8 g9 _, l9 f9 {# } |
|
发表于 2013-3-21 13:42
发表于 2013-3-21 14:37
