LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[bookerbill]

Interesting first night. Great mix of styles and results. The six man tag was just a bizarre grouping but created an interesting bout regardless. The end of the Masked Superstars, at least in Japan, was excellent. Looking forward to the junior action between Mask and Liger in what will likely be match of the night.

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah and Bookerbill. I always have fun putting together the KRU tours and matches like that six-man tag are the reason as I can make some unusual pairings as is often done in Japan for the multi-man matches. Also since our base of puro stars is limited I have to oftentimes pair them up with the gaijin talent. You will see another unique pairing on the next card with champion and challenger teaming up for a match.

There will be a Masked Superstar vs. Big John Studd match which was set up hastily forcing me to reshuffle the next card. I should also note that the aforementioned Mongols vs. Fuji & Saito bout in Osaka on the final night has been cancelled as all four men will instead be competing in a Battle Royal. The stars of 8MW will be featured in an eight-man tag on the final night also. Main events for the next two nights are Harley Race vs. Andre the Giant in Chiba and Race and Antonio Inoki vs. Andre and Giant Baba in Osaka.

[joebreakdown]

Six man tag match was great! Fantastic European combination of Street Andre and Sabre Jr! And some shocking behaviour from Big John Studd to cap a brilliant show in the Far East!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Joebreakdown. I really had fun putting that six-man tag together and that was my thought as well as it was a nice European trio of Andre, Street and Sabre Jr. That may have been one of the must fun six-man tags I have ever rolled out, the action was off the charts. If I used star rankings it would be up there at four or even five stars it was that good.

The idea behind Studd turning there was because he was never able to be tagged in so I figured he was going to take it out on someone and Masked Superstar was the victim. I am hoping to have the next KRU show posted soon I just need to roll out a few more matches.

[cruefan68]

LOW Kings Road United - Chiba Port Arena - Chiba, Japan (Card #963)

1) Bravado Brothers defeated Kyle O’Reilly & Zack Sabre Jr:
Both champion and challenger were forced to work together in this opening contest as IWA J-Crown champion Kyle O’Reilly and Zack Sabre Jr. teamed up to take on the Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot Bravado). With their championship match coming up in Osaka, O’Reilly and Sabre Jr. had to put that aside as the Bravado Brothers, who are free agents in LOW, were looking to pick up a big win. The two worked well together in the early going including getting submission chances on Harlem with the Armageddon by O’Reilly and the Cross Armbreaker by Sabre Jr. The Bravado Brothers then took over using their tag team experience and Lancelot in particular did a great job of isolating Sabre Jr. At the same time it looked as if O’Reilly wasn’t interested in tagging back in as several tag attempts failed. After nailing Sabre Jr. with a bicycle kick for a big near fall it was the Bravado’s hitting Gentleman’s Agreement, a tandem twisting neckbreaker, on him for the pin. O’Reilly failed to make the save there and afterward held up the IWA J-Crown title over a fallen Sabre Jr.

2) Steve Williams, Terry Gordy, & The Mongols defeated C.W. Anderson, Brent Albright, Arik Cannon, & Erick Stevens:
Eight-man tag team action featured the Miracle Violence Connection (Steve “Dr. Death” Williams & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy) teaming up with The Mongols (Bepo & Bolo) to battle the foursome of C.W. Anderson, Brent Albright, Arik Cannon, & Erick Stevens. This was an all out war from bell to bell with the graduates from the KRU dojo (Anderson, Albright, Cannon and Stevens) nearly pulling off a huge win. It was Cannon nailing “Dr. Death” with the Glimmering Warlock for a big near fall at one point. Anderson and Cannon also nailed Gordy with a double team superkick that resulted in a two count. The Mongols caught Anderson with their devastating Mongolian Drop at one point but he managed to kick out before the three count. Williams would gain some revenge on Cannon late nailing him with the Backdrop Driver. The finish of the match saw Williams level Albright with a Football Tackle to score the pin.

3) Moose Nation defeated Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito:
The dynamic free agent team of Moose Nation (Moose & Uhaa Nation, accompanied by manager Stokely Hathaway) took on Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito, one of the top tag teams in KRU. Fuji and Saito have had some very impressive wins and were considered the favorites here but Moose Nation blitzed them from the opening bell. Fuji reversed the momentum at one point going for a deathjump but Moose caught him up top with a superplex. Uhaa Nation tagged in and came off of the top rope with a spectacular flying bodypress on Fuji for a two count. Moments later it was Moose spearing Saito off of the ring apron as Uhaa leveled a prone Fuji with the Standing Shooting Star Press to score the pin. It was an impressive win for Moose Nation who may not be free agents in LOW for much longer.

4) Giant Baba defeated Exotic Adrian Street:
A rematch over one year in the making saw Shohei “Giant” Baba take on LOW Junior Heavyweight champion Exotic Adrian Street who was accompanied by his valet Miss Linda. It was in Sapporo, Japan (Card #833) where Street scored a surprise pinfall win over Baba which left KRU fans in shock. Baba has rarely been defeated in his home country of Japan, especially via pinfall, and no one expected Street to get a win over him. The title was not on the line, obviously due to Baba being way out of the weight limit for the division, but Street had no problem showing off his new purple and pink championship belt. Baba got the advantage early and scored two counts with the 16-Mon Kick (boot to the face) and the Baba Chop. Street mounted an impressive comeback and scored a near fall with a knee lift, the same move which he used to roll up Baba for the pin in Sapporo. Street also used The Daffodil on Baba for a submission chance. It was a fairly even contest from there before Baba leveled Street with another Baba Chop driving him out of the ring. Street attempted to take off but Baba pulled him back in by his pig tails and sent him into the ropes to deliver the devastating Jumping Neckbreaker Drop to score the pin. The crowd cheered the victory for Baba who waited a long time to get his hands back on Street.

5) Big John Studd defeated Masked Superstar:
This grudge match was requested by the Masked Superstar following the main event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo (Card #962) where Big John Studd assaulted him after they lost to Steve Williams & Terry Gordy. The Superstar wasted no time in calling out Studd and KRU promoters had to reshuffle the matches on this card in order to accommodate this battle between the now former tag team partners. The Superstar was very aggressive early including trapping Studd in a sleeper hold and battering him with forearm smashes. Studd absorbed the beating and struck back flooring the Superstar with a vicious clothesline. Moments later he hoisted the Superstar up into his feared Backbreaker and scored a submission victory. It was a bitter defeat for the masked man who perhaps was still feeling the affects of the beating that he took the night before in Tokyo.

6) Tiger Mask defeated Jushin Liger by Count Out:
The highly anticipated number one contenders match between Jushin “Thunder” Liger, a record seven-time LOW Junior Heavyweight champion, and Tiger Mask, who has held the championship six times, took center stage in Chiba. The winner would go on to face Exotic Adrian Street for the championship on the final night of the tour in Osaka (Card #964). Street, accompanied by his valet Miss Linda, showed up at ringside during the introductions holding up his purple and pink title belt complete with an image of his face emblazoned on the side plates. He then entered the ring and went to shake the hand of each man but instead pranced around the ring holding up the title belt. After Street and Linda left ringside the referee called for the bell drawing cheers from the crowd. These two men have always had a friendly rivalry but the stakes were high in this match meaning that friendship had to be put aside. The crowd watched in awe as the two masked legends traded holds, counter holds and flying moves throughout the match. The turning point would come when Tiger nailed Liger with a tombstone piledriver. Liger alertly rolled out of the ring avoiding a follow up attack. Tiger, however, was quick to act and he dove through the ropes with a wicked suicide dive causing the heads of both men to collide together. The two were shaken up as a result and the referee began issuing a twenty count which is customary under KRU rules. Tiger wound up recovering first and rolled back in at the count of sixteen. Liger, however, was dazed from the hit and was unable to make it back into the ring. The referee called for the bell and Tiger was awarded a count out victory meaning that he would face Street for the title in Osaka.

7) Rikidozan, Antonio Inoki, & The Destroyer defeated Adam Cole & Young Bucks:
Grudge six-man tag team action saw Rikidozan, Antonio Inoki, & The Destroyer take on Adam Cole & Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) representing Bullet Club. It was Cole coming out a count out winner over Rikidozan the night before in Tokyo with assistance from the Young Bucks. Rikidozan had revenge on his mind but early on it was Cole and the Young Bucks getting the better of the KRU founder. All three men introduced Rikidozan to a “Superkick Party” delivering the striking blow at various points. After Rikidozan countered with a Hiplock on Matt for a two count he was able to tag out. Inoki exploded into action and scored a submission chance on Matt using the Octopus Hold. The Bucks bounced back and nailed Inoki with the Indytaker but he managed to kick out just before the three count. The action picked up from there with some heated exchanges between the two sides. It was Inoki picking up a near fall on Cole late when he blasted him with the Enzuigiri. Cole was able to survive that but moments later he was blasted with the Thunderous Chops by Rikidozan resulting in the pin. The Bullet Club members failed to get the job done but afterward sent a message to The Destroyer that AJ Styles, the leader of the group, was en route to Japan to take on the masked man in Osaka. Cole threatened that the group would unmask The Destroyer who had to be held back by Rikidozan and Inoki from going after them.

8) Harley Race defeated Andre the Giant by DQ:
The main event saw Harley Race, a two-time LOW World Heavyweight champion and a three-time LOW International Heavyweight champion, take on the “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant. This was a preview of the final night of the tour in Osaka where Race will team with Antonio Inoki to face Andre and Shohei “Giant” Baba in the main event. The undefeated Andre used his superior size and strength to control early and locked on a bearhug for a submission chance. He then uncharacteristically went up to the top rope and dove off with a splash but Race alertly rolled out of the way. Race then rolled over on Andre and hooked the leg scoring a big near fall (Promoter’s Note: Race rolled snake eyes but Andre’s pin was at 1 so it was that close to being a win for Race!). The crowd gasped as Race nearly became the first man in LOW history to score a clean win over Andre. It was an unsettling moment for Andre but he bounced back strong hitting the sitdown splash and scored near falls with the turnbuckle squash and underhook suplex. Race showed his great resiliency as he bounced back and executed a vertical suplex on Andre followed by a diving headbutt scoring a two count. He also traded blows back and forth with Andre shaking up the giant on more than one occasion. They ultimately battled out to the floor where Andre lost his cool and speared Race head first into the ring post. The referee immediately called for the bell and disqualified Andre giving Race a huge victory. Andre raged out of control post-match tearing up the ringside area and going after both Race and the referee. KRU officials ran in along with Baba and were finally able to cool Andre down ending the show on a very tense note.

[Pariah]

Wow! That was quite the post-match breakdown by Andre, after being disqualified... Very interested for the upcoming tag team bout featuring him and Giant Baba against Race and Inoki... Could we see the Giant lose control once again?

The action between Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask was truly intense... Impressed that the latter will now receive a shot at the LOW Junior Heavyweight Champion, Adrian Street...

Huge victory for Moose Nation over the established veterans, Mr Fuji and Mr Saito... As implied, I'm thinking that the duo of Moose and Uhaa Nation might find themselves regular roster spots in the near future...

The opener set an interesting tone for the upcoming J-Crown title match between O'Reilly and ZSJr... Did O'Reilly actually allow his partner to be pinned in order to prove some kind of point?

Another superb show, my friend... Nice work!

[cruefan68]

Mar 24, 2016 4:02:40 GMT -5 Pariah said:

Wow! That was quite the post-match breakdown by Andre, after being disqualified... Very interested for the upcoming tag team bout featuring him and Giant Baba against Race and Inoki... Could we see the Giant lose control once again?

The action between Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask was truly intense... Impressed that the latter will now receive a shot at the LOW Junior Heavyweight Champion, Adrian Street...

Huge victory for Moose Nation over the established veterans, Mr Fuji and Mr Saito... As implied, I'm thinking that the duo of Moose and Uhaa Nation might find themselves regular roster spots in the near future...

The opener set an interesting tone for the upcoming J-Crown title match between O'Reilly and ZSJr... Did O'Reilly actually allow his partner to be pinned in order to prove some kind of point?

Another superb show, my friend... Nice work!

I try to use a heel version of Andre on the KRU tours, much like his great run as a heel in New Japan during the early to mid-1980's, but will still team him up with guys like Giant Baba as you see on this tour. You could say he is a mix of face and heel Andre depending on his mood and I don't think anyone will call him out on it Also, he nearly tasted defeat via pinfall in that match with Harley Race but the (1) pin rating saved him on snake eyes. I nearly marked out because I thought he had finally lost a match via pin or submission in my fed until I realized he was still at (1).

Moose Nation have been great in their appearances and I definitely see them getting a permanent spot perhaps in the IWA. O'Reilly definitely pulled a fast one there and it will be interesting to see how Sabre Jr. responds in their title match. I also expect Tiger Mask vs. Exotic Adrian Street to be a lot of fun. Thanks for the comments my friend, I really appreciate it. The tour ending show should be fun just not sure how soon I can roll it out and post it but hopefully sometime this weekend.

[bookerbill]

Really hot show for night two. The authentic feel to your KRU is staggering. Marked out huge for the heel Andre in the main event. Playing with his personality has always been fun for me and it is great that we get to see his dark side during this tour.

[cruefan68]

Mar 25, 2016 10:06:26 GMT -5 bookerbill said:

Really hot show for night two. The authentic feel to your KRU is staggering. Marked out huge for the heel Andre in the main event. Playing with his personality has always been fun for me and it is great that we get to see his dark side during this tour.

Thanks for the nice praise for KRU, Bookerbill, I really appreciate it. When I first decided to run tours of Japan in my fed the goal was to try and present it as authentically as possible. The fact that many enjoy the Japan shows makes me feel good. Right now I run three per year plus big cards at the Seibu Dome and Tokyo Dome so eleven in total. I might have to look into squeezing in an extra tour in my next game year but that is still a ways off.

I agree with you on heel Andre and I am thinking of using his heel side exclusively in KRU on future tours. He was a scary heel for New Japan and I was a big fan of that version of him as he was closer to his prime years during that time so his matches were good to very good and some, like his wars with Antonio Inoki, were great.

[cruefan68]

Coming up next will be the final night of the KRU tour and I noticed that I am closing in on 300 pages for my fed. Thanks so much to everyone who follows along as it wouldn't be as much fun posting without the feedback. Here's hoping for another 300 pages and I hope you enjoy the final night of action. The next show after this will be from the AWE with Angelo & Lanny Poffo vs. Bruiser Brody in a handicap match and the Road Warriors defending the LOW World tag team titles against Mad Dog & Butcher Vachon.