LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[Pariah]

Well, snap! If Havok and Kraven continue to function as a team, we could be looking at new Shimmer Tag Team Champions before too long...

Really enjoyed LeRae's victory... Nice display of class by Rayne, offering the handshake when the match was over...

Excited to see the no-DQ rematch for the tag straps and hoping that Steph & Nevaeh can emerge victorious...

Excellent stuff!

[cruefan68]

Thank you for the comments Pariah, the SHIMMER action is always fun to roll out and yes Havok & Kraven could be headed for gold if they stick together. The No DQ tag title rematch should be fun. Next up is an event I know that you and others have been waiting for and here it is - the first IWA Supercard of Honor...

IWA Supercard of Honor - Soldier Field - Chicago, IL (Card #949)

1) 22-Man Battle Royal:
IWA Commissioner David Marquez welcomed a near capacity crowd to a big night of IWA action at Supercard of Honor. He attempted to run down the events for the night when he was suddenly interrupted by Truth Martini and the entire House of Truth (LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion Roderick Strong, Delirious, Rhino and Matt Taven). Martini grabbed the mic away from Marquez and said that this would be an incredible night for many reasons not the least of which was the House of Truth putting an end to AJ Styles and the Bullet Club. Martini added that he was so confident of a victory that he was offering up a special prize for the winner of the Battle Royal – a shot at the LOW Tex-Arkana Television title on the next edition of LOW All-Star Wrestling in Memphis, TN (Card #951). Marquez interrupted and asked if he would stand by his word and Martini, after conferring with Strong, said yes and so the victory stipulation was added to the match. The wrestlers then began filing down to ringside and Martini held up the Book of Truth while pointing at the title belt held up by Strong.

IWA officials stepped in and cleared the House of Truth out so that the match could get underway. The field of talent involved in the match was varied and there were a number of standouts including two surprises in Manimal and Tadarius “TD” Thomas. Both men made the final four and Manimal was responsible for eliminating one of the odds on favorites in Ricochet. Thomas, who won a Battle Royal to earn his IWA contract, obviously put that experience to use and eliminated three men including Manimal. The other two making it down to the final four were Sami Callihan and Jay Lethal. Callihan also scored three eliminations including knocking Tursas over the top rope. However it was Lethal who came away with the win by eliminating five men including Thomas at the end. Lethal was a force in the final moments scoring several eliminations and his manager SoCal Val joined him for a victory celebration. Val grabbed the mic and said that Martini had made a huge mistake and pointed to Lethal indicating that everyone was looking at the next LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion.

Order of Elimination:

● Mikey O’Shea (by Tursas)
● Green Ant (by PJ Black)
● Willie Mack (by Tadarius Thomas)
● Brodie Lee (by Ricochet)
● Joey Ryan (by Johnny Yuma)
● Rich Swann (by Manimal)
● Ron Hutchison (by Sami Callihan)
● Wild Bill White (by Jay Lethal)
● Nigel McGuinness (by Trent Barreta)
● Fire Ant (by Chuck Taylor)
● Bobby Fish (by Tursas)
● Soldier Ant (by Sami Callihan)
● Ricochet (by Manimal)
● Tursas (by Sami Callihan)
● Trent Barreta (by Chuck Taylor)
● Johnny Yuma (by Tadarius Thomas)
● PJ Black (by Jay Lethal)
● Chuck Taylor (by Jay Lethal)
● Manimal (by Tadarius Thomas)
● Sami Callihan (by Jay Lethal)
● Tadarius Thomas (by Jay Lethal)
W) Jay Lethal

2) Shaun Ricker defeated Adam Pearce:
The intense rivalry between Shaun Ricker and Adam Pearce took center stage at Soldier Field. The two have had some memorable battles since the formation of the IWA and this one was no exception. They fought both in and out of the ring and before it was over both men were busted open. Ricker scored with the D.T.B., a belly to back suplex into a chokeslam, setting up the Gravy Train, his version of the Celtic Cross, for a big near fall. Pearce battled back and hit the Jumping Piledriver for another big near fall. Fatigue was setting in near the end and it was Pearce missing a charge into the corner allowing Ricker to execute a Counter Roll-Up to score the pin. The crowd cheered the victory by Ricker who tried to shake hands with Pearce post-match but he walked off hinting that this war may be far from over.

3) Kevin Steen defeated Ultramantis Black by Count Out:
This open contract match between Ultramantis Black and Kevin Steen came about when Steen stepped up to accept after UMB injured Drew Galloway on a recent IWA card. Steen could care less about Galloway as this was more about getting a spot on the first major card for the IWA and “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” was looking to make an example out of the former leader of the Order of the Neo Solar Temple. Steen was very aggressive early including biting at the mask of UMB a number of times despite warnings from the referee. UMB bounced back hitting a flying tackle off of the ropes and then hit the Praying Mantis Power Bomb for a big near fall. It was a staggering blow to Steen but he managed a comeback himself and laid out UMB with a sleeperhold suplex. UMB rolled out of the ring to gain his bearings when he was suddenly jumped by Galloway who had run down to ringside wearing a neck brace. Galloway tore into UMB as Steen kept the referee distracted. The two then fought down the aisle and the referee turned issuing a ten count and giving Steen the victory. It took a number of IWA officials to pry Galloway and UMB apart and it can be said that when Galloway is officially cleared to return to the ring he will have his sights set on UMB. As for Steen, he spoke to PWI Editor Bill Apter afterward and said he has his sights set on only one thing – the IWA Heavyweight title.

4) American Wolves defeated Mark & Jay Briscoe:
Two of the premiere tag teams in the IWA squared off as the American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) took on Dem Boys, Mark & Jay Briscoe. Things got off to a quick start with the two teams battling both in and out of the ring. The Briscoe’s could have easily been disqualified several times including when Jay blasted Richards with a chair shot. Mark then hit the Cut-Throat Driver on Richards scoring a two count. The Wolves battled back and it was Richards nailing Mark with kicked to death setting up the Die Hard from Edwards for a big near fall. Mark was busted open and in a bad way late into this one when Richards caught him in the Ankle Lock. Jay broke it up initially but then was cut off by Edwards. That allowed Richards to trap Mark in the Ankle Lock again and he was unable to escape which resulted in a submission victory for the Wolves.

5) Brian Cage & Lance Hoyt defeated Eddie Kingston & Michael Elgin by DQ:
The first time pairing of the “War King” Eddie Kingston and “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin faced the Pringle Dynasty duo of “The Machine” Brian Cage & “American Psycho” Lance Hoyt who were accompanied by their manager Percy Pringle III. This was an all out war from the opening bell but early on it was Kingston and Elgin who were in complete control. They isolated Cage and Kingston hit the Sliding D for a two count before Elgin hit the Elgin Bomb but Hoyt broke up the pin. Hoyt was able to tag in and hit the Texas Tornado on Kingston but the “War King” kicked out of the pin with authority. Elgin would hit a second Elgin Bomb on Cage but the pin was prevented as Pringle got up on the ring apron distracting the referee. Both Kingston and Cage were busted open during the course of the battle. Cage managed to hit Weapon X on the bloody Kingston but Elgin made the save in the nick of time. The finish saw both teams battling out on the floor when Elgin lost his cool and was disqualified by the referee for delivering repeated chair shots to Hoyt. A number of IWA officials had to separate the two teams after a wild and hard fought battle.

6) Bryan Danielson defeated Rob Van Dam:
A friendly hand shake kicked off this match between two of the most popular stars in the IWA, the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson and Rob Van Dam. This was about what you would expect between these two very talented stars as they traded control often and utilized their speed and technique to wow the crowd. It wasn’t a very long match but the action packed into it more than made up for that. RVD stunned Danielson with forearm smashes and a rolling fireman carry at one point and set up for a backdrop but it was countered. Danielson then put RVD up top and executed a spectacular back superplex covering him for a two count. That move rattled RVD and Danielson quickly pounced on him hitting a barrage of MMA Elbows which resulted in the pin. RVD was disappointed over the loss but Danielson showed great class in raising his arm in victory as well and you can bet that these two would like the opportunity to face each other again.

7) Eight-Man Elimination Tag Team Match: House of Truth defeated Bullet Club:
The torrid rivalry between the members of Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Adam Cole and the Young Bucks of Matt & Nick Jackson) and the House of Truth (Roderick Strong, Delirious, Rhino, & Matt Taven) has been a focal point of the IWA since its inception. The Bullet Club are not officially signed to IWA contracts but instead work as free agents often appearing as a unit in Japan for Kings Road United. When it was announced that Supercard of Honor was taking place it didn’t take long for officials to put together this special eight-man elimination tag team match hoping to settle the differences between the two sides. The arrogant and boastful Truth Martini quoted from page “69” of the Book of Truth before the match and said that the Bullet Club will be “firing blanks” at Soldier Field. Jay Lethal and his manager, SoCal Val, then showed up at ringside with Lethal gesturing around his waist showing to say that he will defeat Strong for the LOW Tex-Arkana Television title when they meet on the upcoming edition of LOW All-Star Wrestling. IWA officials escorted the two to the back as tension built between Bullet Club and the House of Truth inside the ring.

Order of Elimination:

● Rhino pinned AJ Styles with the Gore!
● Roderick Strong over Adam Cole by submission with the Stronghold
● Delirious pinned Matt Jackson after delivering Red Poison
● Nick Jackson and Rhino were both eliminated via a double disqualification

This match was just a total war and it took a long time before the fist elimination was scored. There was some controversy around it as Bullet Club leader AJ Styles had Delirious about to tap out to the Calf Killer when Rhino broke it up with an elbowdrop. He then reversed the positions and put Delirious on top of Styles for a near fall. Rhino then tagged in and blasted Styles with the Gore! scoring the pin moments later. Martini was ecstatic at ringside boasting about Bullet Club losing their leader. It was Adam Cole who was ousted next when he tapped out to the Stronghold applied by Roderick Strong. That left the Young Bucks in a two-on-four situation and they fared pretty well until Delirious sprayed Matt Jackson with the controversial Red Poison and rolled him up for the pin. Nick Jackson could have bailed out at that point but instead he fought back against all four members of the House of Truth. It came down to him and Rhino brawling on the floor and with the referee unable to get them back inside he called for a double disqualification eliminating both men. The House of Truth, much as they did back at King of Trios (Card #910) outlasted Bullet Club and came away with a big victory. Martini was beside himself gloating over the win and then directed his men to gang attack Nick until Styles, Cole and Matt ran back down to make the save. Styles was beside himself with anger and vowed that Bullet Club would return to the IWA and finish off the House of Truth.

8) IWA J-Crown title – Decision Match: Kyle O’Reilly defeated Johnny Gargano to win the title:The first ever IWA J-Crown champion was determined as Kyle O’Reilly, one-half of reDRagon along with Bobby Fish, took on free agent star Johnny Gargano. Both men had fought through a field of talented competitors to get to this point but only one man would leave as the new champion. The crowd was decidedly split in their support of the two men who went on to engage in a thrilling championship contest. Late in the bout it was O’Reilly who took control and laid Gargano out with a high kick to the head. He then trapped him in Armageddon, a cross armbreaker, going for the submission but there was a break in the ropes. Gargano tried to rally back but it was O’Reilly locking on Armageddon for a second time to get a snake eyes submission victory. The crowd erupted in cheers as Fish ran down to the ring and joined his tag team partner in celebrating the title win. As the referee went to hand O’Reilly the IWA J-Crown title belt, Gargano interrupted and grabbed it away. He briefly stared at the championship belt before handing it to O’Reilly and saying that he would be back with a tag team partner to challenge reDRagon before going for his shot at the title. O’Reilly said that reDRagon are up for the challenge and the match was announced to take place in Revere, MA (Card #959). PWI Editor Bill Apter later asked Gargano why he opted for a tag team match over a return title match and he said that first he would take down reDRagon with his mystery partner and then beat O’Reilly to stake his rightful claim to the IWA J-Crown title.

9) IWA tag team titles – Three Way Elimination Match: Kings of Wrestling defeated Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas and Osirian Portal to win the titles:
Newly crowned IWA tag team champions Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, who are known as “Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team”, had the unenviable task of making their version one title defense against two former championship teams in the Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian) and the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli). This was also a three way elimination match meaning that two teams needed to be eliminated in order to attain victory. It was worked triple threat match style with one member from each team in the ring with tags to their partner allowed as in a traditional tag team match. The short history of the IWA tag team titles has been highlighted by some memorable battles among these three teams and the crowd was pumped up for what was expected to be a great battle.

Order of Elimination:

● Ophidian pinned Shelton Benjamin with the Osirian Sacrament
● Chris Hero pinned Ophidian with the Rolling Elbow Smash

All three teams laid it all out on the table in what was an incredible match. There were a ton of near falls and even some timely pin saves from all three teams. It took quite a while before the first elimination took place and that came at the expense of the defending champions. It was Benjamin that lost the fall when Ophidian covered him for the pin after the Portal executed the Osirian Sacrament. It was the second time that the Portal had hit that move on WGTT during the course of the match. That left the Portal against the KOW to decide the new champions. Castagnoli quickly took over on offense as the KOW isolated Ophidian from Amasis. The finish came when they laid out Ophidian with the Royal Power and Glory and then Hero followed up with the Rolling Elbow Smash to score the pin. The epic three-way battle ended with the Kings of Wrestling, Hero and Castagnoli, winning the titles and becoming the first ever two-time IWA tag team champions.

10) IWA Heavyweight title: Diamond Dallas Page© defeated Mike Quackenbush to retain the title:
The main event saw popular Jersey Shore native Diamond Dallas Page putting the IWA Heavyweight title on the line against former champion Mike Quackenbush, a member of the Pringle Dynasty who was accompanied by his manager Percy Pringle III. Quackenbush and Pringle have been livid since losing their grip on the title and they were determined to make DDP a former champion here. Following the enthusiastic ring introductions by Gavin Loudspeaker, the match got underway and it was DDP that was dominant early as he hit such moves as the Russian Legsweep and discus clothesline. An attempted chest breaker was countered by Quackenbush into the Chikara Special and after releasing it he hit the Jig N’ Tonic scoring a two count. A dramatic offensive reversal saw DDP hit the Diamond Cutter but the pin was broken up when Pringle pulled Senior Referee Bryce Remsburg out of the ring. Remsburg argued with Pringle as the action continued inside with Quackenbush recovering and hitting the Quackendriver. Things were looking good for the former champion until a battle on the outside saw DDP take over. He then fired Quackenbush back into the ring and struck with a second Diamond Cutter to score the pin and retain the title. Pringle failed to interfere there as he tripped attempting to climb onto the ring apron and it was DDP retaining his grip on the IWA Heavyweight title with a successful version two defense of the championship. Fireworks exploded around the stadium as DDP held up the title belt and both IWA photographer Dr. Mike Lano and PWI Editor Bill Apter snapped pictures of the champion. While all of that celebration was going on a distraught Quackenbush had a few words with Pringle as they returned to the locker room.

[Pariah]

IWA Supercard of Honor from Soldier Field in a single word - Epic!

Really thought that The Whole Shebang was gonna claim the J-Crown... But, the submission skills of O'Reilly proved to be more than he could handle... Excited to see who is willing to be Gargano's partner when he chases the Dragon...

House of Truth scored a huge triumph over the Bullet Club... Have to give Roddy Strong lots of credit here... He remained focused, even knowing that Jay Lethal is waiting for his chance to become the LOW Tex-Arkana Television Champion...

Great to see the Kings win the tag straps in a heated battle against two formidable teams - WGTT and Osirian Portal... But, they shouldn't grow too confident... Based on their earlier impressive victory over the Briscoes, I'm thinking it won't be long before we see the Wolves on the prowl for some gold...

Also enjoyed the big win for Kevin Steen... There's a guy who is a legitimate threat to everyone anytime he's in the building... And he had put the entire company on notice...

Congrats to DDP on retaining the top prize... Never doubted him for a second... Could the Quack be second guessing his decision to join Pringle's Dynasty?

Absolutely stellar show from start to finish... Awesome work!

[EpicDave]

Just an amazing show! Jay Lethal cleaned house in the Battle Royal! Shaun Ricker and Bryan Danielson picked up exciting wins and the Main Event was off the charts. Great job, cruefan!

[Crimson Cross]

DDP keeping the IWA strap is very cool, but seeing Kyle O'Reilly take the J-Crown belt over Johnny Gargano is huge and I really liked that he won the gold. It's going to be fun to see how long O'Reilly can keep that strap and I'd like him to have a long reign...

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah, Daytondave and Crimson. I had a lot of fun putting that card together and rolling out the results. It looks like the IWA now has its answer to Wrestlecade with the yearly Supercard of Honor. The most surprising result to me had to be O'Reilly over Gargano. It was almost a one-sided match and Gargano never even got close to locking on the Gargano Escape. It will be interesting to see how O'Reuilly fares as the champion.

Next up will be the big Seibu Dome card from Japan for Kings Road United which also marks the halfway point of the year in my fed. I am not sure when I will have that one posted but hopefully soon.

[bookerbill]

A capacity crowd at Solider Field. That is amazing.

Great opening segment with Martini and an interesting win for Lethal in the battle royal. An interesting dynamic with Lethal squaring off with the HOT especially in light of their relationship in ROH. Shocked to see Mack and Lee go out early.

Ricker and Pearce looked solid with both men getting colour. Looking forward to seeing if they can keep the match quality up for the next encounter.
The booking of Steen was great. I can totally see him using that method to get booked for the sole purpose of announcing his intention to go for the gold. Nice touch with the Galloway run in.

Anytime the Wolves battle the Briscoes the intensity goes up a notch. Supercard of Honour was no exception. Enjoyed the finish.
Cage & Hoyt v. Kingston & Elgin was an absolute war. So many booking possibilities coming out of this one. One question however, if this was a first time paring of Kingston & Elgin, how did they make a pin save?

The American Dragon over RVD had the unfortunate spot between the intense tag team war and the main event bouts but they rose to the occasion. Enjoyed the match.

The eight man elimination bout must have a been a blast to play out. All the elements you would expect from a real match and a great finish. The next showdown between these two sides should be awesome.

Snake Eyes bites Johnny Wrestling but it did not take away the intensity of the bout of the J-Crown. The tag team match should be great and it will be interesting to see when, or if, Gargano gets his rematch.

Good to see the Kings back on top of the tag team division. It appears that WGTT still has some issues with the Portal.

The main event seemed almost anti-climatic after all the intensity of the undercard. Fireworks may have masked the discord brewing in the Pringle Dynasty. Quackenbush may have to seek an alternative path if he wants another shot at Page.

Some real solid creativity in this one Crue. I cannot imagine how long this must have took to play out and then write up. Thank you for sharing.

Kings Road United is next. I am marking out!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the awesome analysys of IWA Supercard of Honor, Bookerbill. You had a question about the pin save for Kingston & Elgin and the simple answer is that I use my own house rule for tag matches. I feel that both men, unless they are mortal enemies, want to win so cooperation is necessary and pin saves are thus allowed. I just feel that it works better that way for me. I have never used that chart for the tag rules so all teams get the two save chances. Thanks for the question and next up is a show that I know you are ready for - Kings Road United at the Seibu Dome! I hope that everyone enjoys the action...

Kings Road United - Golden Week in Seibu Dome - Seibu Dome - Seibu, Japan (Card #950)

1) KRU Dojo Opening Challenge: Arik Cannon & Erick Stevens defeated C.W. Anderson & Brent Albright:
A spirited opening bout saw “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon & Erick Stevens take on C.W. Anderson & “The Shooter” Brent Albright. All four men fought their way through the KRU Dojo earning contracts with Kings Road United and this match was a showcase event for them. Anderson and Albright looked great early and were able to isolate Cannon for a good stretch. Cannon made a nice comeback, though, and hit the rarely seen Burning Hammer on Albright for a big near fall. Stevens got involved after that and struck with such moves as the single leg lift into lariat and “Choo Choo!” corner splash. Cannon and Albright also had a nice suplex exchange at one point building to the finish. It was Stevens that won it when he planted Albright with the Doctor Bomb scoring the pin.

2) Ring Angels Beauty Fight: April Hunter defeated Sumie Sakai:
The stars of Ring Angels, a women’s division in LOW co-founded by Sumie Sakai and KRU founder Rikidozan, were featured as the aforementioned Sakai took on the powerful April Hunter. The Japanese crowd were in full support of Sakai who nearly won it by submission in the early going with a choking Camel Clutch. Hunter was able to take over on offense using the Hunter’s Hangman, Fisherman Suplex and a devastating power bomb to rattle Sakai. Her power based assault led the way to victory as it was Hunter coming off of the top rope with The Head Hunter, a somersault neckbreaker, on Sakai to score a snake eyes pin.

3) Free Style Tag: Moose Nation defeated War Machine:
The newly formed free agent tag team of Moose Nation (Moose & Uhaa Nation, accompanied by wrestler-manager Stokely Hathaway) took on another free agent team in the impressive War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe). The duo of Hanson and Rowe recently completed a successful tour of KRU and were invited back to take part in this big event. They clearly had the advantage in tag team experience and that was on display in the early going. They dominated for a good stretch and twice nailed Uhaa Nation with War Machine but Moose prevented one pin while Uhaa kicked out just in time on the other. Hathaway looked on concerned but his team began to stage an impressive rally including dominating the action on the outside. Moose was very impressive and he nearly pinned Hanson with the Spear but the pin was broken up by Rowe. A short time later it was Moose connecting with the Pounce, an explosive running shoulder block, on Hanson to score the pin. KRU officials were very impressed by the performance of Moose Nation and invited them to return on the next tour. Hathaway spoke to the press afterward and said that Moose and Uhaa Nation are no doubt become the hottest free agent tag team in all of LOW

4) Death Mask ENCOUNTER: Steve Williams defeated Masked Superstar:
Two of the toughest stars in KRU battled it out as Steve “Dr. Death” Williams and the Masked Superstar squared off. This one was intense from the opening bell as the two traded heavy blows in and out of the ring. Williams took over on offense midway and never looked back putting on an impressive display. He blasted Superstar with the football tackle and lariat and then executed the dangerous Backdrop Driver for a big near fall. The masked man tried to battle back but Williams was honed in on a victory and he nearly took it by count out after hitting a lariat on the floor. Back inside Williams executed his trademark Oklahoma Stampede to score the pin.

5) All Asian Warfare - No DQ Match: The Mongols defeated Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito:
The long standing rivalry between The Mongols (Bepo & Geeto) and Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito, which dates back to the inception of KRU, resulted in them colliding in this No DQ match. The two teams engaged in a savage battle that saw a number of big near falls including Geeto hitting the Top Rope Knee Drop on Saito. Both teams used a number of foreign objects as well. The Mongols hammered Fuji and Saito with their chains while the Japanese duo countered with chair shots, chokes with the tag rope and salt into the eyes. The finish of the brutal battle saw The Mongols connect with their Mongolian Drop on Saito with Geeto covering him to score a snake eyes pin. The action continued post-match with Fuji tossing salt in the eyes of Bepo and chopping him in the throat, a blow that caused him to fall out of the ring. Fuji and Saito then ganged up on Geeto and wound up wrapping a chair around his neck. The referee tried to intervene but was shoved down by Fuji who held the chair in place. Saito then mounted the second rope and dove off with a knee drop across the throat of Geeto which was doubly punishing with the chair wrapped around his neck. KRU officials then stormed the ring as did a recovered Geeto while Fuji and Saito bailed out. The damage had been done and it was later learned that Geeto will be forced to miss the next KRU tour due to a neck injury.

6) Big Strong Strike: Big John Studd defeated Terry Gordy:
A true battle of the big men saw Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy collide with the massive Big John Studd. After their tag team partners, Steve Williams and the Masked Superstar respectively, did battle earlier there was a lot at stake in this one. Studd was hoping to avenge the defeat of the Masked Superstar and early on in the match he trapped Gordy in his punishing Backbreaker. Gordy fought out of the hold but Studd remained on the offensive. He hammered Gordy with headbutts, forearms and hit a big clothesline to score a near fall. Gordy struck back with a nice back suplex on the larger Studd and then took the fight out to the floor. The two titans traded blows but again Studd took control and hoisted Gordy up into the Backbreaker. Gordy struggled to escape and finally did by freeing his arm and gouging the eyes of Studd. It was an impressive show of resiliency by Gordy but the third time would be the charm for Studd as he applied the Backbreaker again and got the victory via a snake eyes submission. Studd kept the hold on post-match until Williams hit the ring saving his partner. The Miracle Violence Connection then did a number on Studd and left him laying after a Backdrop Driver from “Dr. Death”. Studd need to be helped out of the ring and later on backstage he demanded that the MVC face him and the Superstar in a tag team match on the next tour. The Japanese press went to Gordy and Williams for a response and the challenge was accepted.

7) Respect Battle Formation: The Destroyer & Tiger Mask defeated Harley Race & Jushin Liger:
The amount of talent in the ring for this match could never truly be measured as it was The “Intelligent, Sensational” Destroyer & Tiger Mask joining forces to take on Harley Race & Jushin “Thunder” Liger. All four men have had great championship reigns in LOW and one could sense it was truly a battle of pride between the four men who drew cheers from the crowd as they shook hands before the match. The Destroyer and Race had a great exchange early culminating in Race laying him out with a nice vertical suplex. Liger tagged in and blasted The Destroyer with a rolling koppo kick to keep the offensive going for his team. When Tiger tagged in and went against Liger, his longtime storied friendly rival in LOW, the crowd was at a fever pitch. The two legendary junior heavyweight stars put on amazing display that saw Tiger win out after hitting a jumping spin kick. Late in the bout it was The Destroyer trapping Liger in the intelligent sleeper hold nearly getting the victory via submission. Liger was in a bad way when Tiger subsequently caught him with the Tiger Suplex and scored the pin as The Destroyer prevented Race from making the save. Afterward all four men shook hands again before Liger grabbed the mic and said that he and Tiger both have the same goal – the LOW Junior Heavyweight title currently held by Danny Hodge. He challenged Tiger to a number one contenders match on the next KRU tour which will feature the LOW Junior Heavyweight title being defended. Tiger accepted to cheers from the crowd and it was later learned that the winner would indeed get a title shot on the tour ending show.

8) The Madness vs. KING KONG: Bruiser Brody defeated Randy Savage:
No one could have been prepared for the chaos of this grudge match between freelance stars as “Macho Man” Randy Savage took on “King Kong” Bruiser Brody. The crazed Brody, storming the ring with his chain, had tape around his ribs courtesy of an injury inflicted on him by “The Solid Man” William Muldoon in the AWE. That same night it was Brody getting into a non-physical altercation with Angelo Poffo, the father of Savage, drawing even more anger from the “Macho Man”. Savage was like a wrecking machine in the early going as he took the fight to his larger foe. He nailed Brody with the running knee to the back and a couple of knee drops leaving him little chance to fight back. Things began to turn around when they fought out to the floor and Brody nailed Savage with a running boot to the face. Brody then took it back inside and hit the Jumping Knee Drop but Savage kicked out before the three count to a big pop from the crowd. Savage fought back hard and got the better of Brody again until being laid out with a piledriver. That left Savage in a bad way and Brody struck with another Jumping Knee Drop to score the pin. It was a very impressive win for Brody who fought off a rib injury to get the better of his rival. Brody rubbed salt in the wound afterward speaking to a brave assemblage of Japanese press by saying that he would do the same to the “old man” of Savage and his “runt of a brother” too, meaning Angelo & Lanny Poffo. When Savage received word of that he tore up the locker room area and had to be restrained by KRU officials so this war appears to be far from over.

9) Kings Road vs. Vampire & Strangle WAR - 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Rikidozan & Giant Baba defeated Fred Blassie & Ed Lewis (2-0):
This special tag team grudge match, contested under the best two-out-of-three falls, saw Rikidozan & Shohei “Giant” Baba join forces to take on the “King of Men” Fred Blassie & Ed “Strangler” Lewis. It all started on the last KRU tour where Blassie got into it with Antonio Inoki after Inoki had injured him during a match. The volatile Blassie vowed revenge on Inoki but had to settle for facing his allies, Rikidozan and Baba, due to Inoki earning a shot at the LOW World Heavyweight title. It was no problem for Blassie who has found a new ally in Lewis, a free agent star, and both men expressed interest in beating Rikidozan and Baba on their home soil. Rikidozan has also had issues with Blassie especially after losing to the “King of Men” in a heated main event earlier this year at the Tokyo Dome (Card #901).

First Fall: The action in the opening fall was about as intense as you would imagine with the four men trading blows throughout. Baba hit the Jumping Neckbreaker Drop on Lewis early but the “Strangler” kicked out with authority. Rikidozan and Blassie had some heated battles one of which saw Blassie strike with a low blow which drew jeers from the crowd. Rikidozan battled back with the overhead chops and later hit the Thunderous Chops on Lewis but Blassie broke up the pin. Rikidozan then exchanged with Baba and tackled Blassie driving him out of the ring. That set up Baba hitting another Jumping Neckbreaker Drop on Lewis to score the pin.

Second Fall: Baba and Lewis started things off in the second fall and you could tell that the “Strangler” was eager for some revenge. Lewis got the upper hand early on and tied up Baba with a full nelson before taking it to the outside. He battered Baba along the guard rail and then drove him back first into it. Back inside it was Blassie taking over and he savagely attacked Baba using his “Vampire” like teeth to bite him. Rikidozan urged Baba for a tag but Blassie continued his attack with multiple knee drops. It wasn’t long before it went back outside and Blassie again began biting Baba as he choked him on the guard rail. Rikidozan and Lewis began trading blows inside as the referee jumped out attempting to break up the attack. Blassie continually ignored his warnings and then decked the referee resulting in him calling for the bell. The result was a disqualification loss for Blassie and Lewis in the second fall giving Rikidozan and Baba a 2-0 decision victory. The fighting continued after the match until KRU officials were able to separate the two teams.

10) Super Golden Battle - LOW World Heavyweight title: Bobo Brazil© defeated Antonio Inoki to retain the title:
The main event saw Antonio Inoki, a two-time LOW International Heavyweight champion, challenging Bobo Brazil for the LOW World Heavyweight title. Brazil was making his version one defense of the title after defeating the “Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt for the belt in Pittsburgh, PA (Card #944). The two were given flowers by beautiful geisha girls following the ring introductions as per the tradition in Japan and the ring was flooded with colorful streamers as well. Everything was set for a great championship match when there was suddenly a disruption in the aisle. Fred Blassie, dragging a number of KRU officials with him attempted to get into the ring, in a chaotic scene. He managed to climb up onto the ring apron but Inoki decked him with a big right hand drawing cheers from the crowd. A second attempt to climb was thwarted by Brazil who blasted him with the Coco Butt drawing more cheers from the crowd. A dazed and furious Blassie was then dragged off by the KRU officials allowing the match to properly get underway. After the referee gave his instructions both men shook hands and the match was on.

The opening sequence was a great exchange between two very determined men. Brazil gained control and twice hit the Coco Butt, the second of which resulted in a big near fall. The fans breathed a sigh of relief as Inoki survived the greatest weapon of the world heavyweight champion. Inoki began mounting a strong comeback and locked on the Octopus Hold for a submission chance. He quickly followed up with the Enzuigiri resulting in a big near fall. Brazil was fortunate to kick out there and Inoki followed up coming off of the top rope with a flying bodypress scoring a two count. A second leap off of the top rope by Inoki nearly resulted in disaster as Brazil rolled out of the way and cradled him for a count of two. A great sequence saw Inoki tie up Brazil with the bow and arrow and then hit the top rope kneedrop which had the fans going crazy. Brazil appeared to be on his last legs when he managed to strike with another Coco Butt scoring a near fall. With Inoki dazed on the mat it was an alert Brazil trapping him in the Grinding Hammerlock which he rode to a submission victory. The crowd let out a collective gasp as Inoki had no choice but to tap out and Brazil had retained the title. It was a hard fought battle and afterward Inoki showed great class embracing Brazil and raising his arm in victory drawing cheers from the capacity crowd in the Seibu Dome.

[Pariah]

The main event was spectacular... Great title defense by Brazil and it was cool to see him and Inoki congratulate each other following the contest... Both should be very proud of the performance...

Brody vs Savage was off the rails... Still, very little seems settled between these two volatile competitors... Not sure of this rivalry can truly end until one man is in a body bag... Yikes!

The most vicious moment of the show may have been provided by Dr Death and Bamm Bamm... Their beatdown on Big John Studd delivered a potent message... But, they may have poked the wrong bear...

And of course, the performance of Moose Nation was a pleasure to watch... War Machine offered up respectable opposition, but the Moose and Uhaa Nation are hungry indeed... The sky might be the limit for this talented duo...

KRU rocks the Seibu Dome in grand fashion! Never a dull moment... Awesome work!

[joebreakdown]

Bordy bests Savage...Williams outclasses the Superstar! What a show!
Wonderful writing, as always. Love the old school feel too!