DGinnetty

KY Wakamatsu was a wrestler for IWE from 1973 - 1980. He would wrestle for Stampede occasionally 1982-1984, right before they grabbed him to be manager for the Machines for New Japan. That would explain why he didn't get steamrolled in this match. I don't think I ever saw him in good match in the IWE, FWIW. Dan Ginnetty

Don't forget Split Enz!

When Nishimura got the big slap at Inoki's retirement show, my friend and I both said "He's getting the big push." The crowd at the Dome knew it too, and popped when Inoki sapped him across the face. Too bad Nishimura got testicular cancer shortly after that. The 6/5/02 tag match was a tour-de-force performance, IMO. His MUGA style, coupled with Inoki-esque mannerisms worked very well together. Nakanishi was injured and was taken backstage, leaving Nishimura alone to fight off Chono and Tenzan by himself was fun to watch. Nishimura bails out of the ring after sustained double teaming and removes his boots to wrestle the rest of the match barefoot! He goes from MUGA-mode to SUPER MUGA-mode!! The crowd goes ballistic. Although only 37 minutes of the match aired, it is fantastic. Dan Ginnetty

Hmm. Earlier in this match, Maeda and Choshu squared off, and I thought they both appeared uncooperative, to the point that it looked a little out of place. Thanks for keeping my favorite wrestling message board thread EVER alive! Dan Ginnetty

Definitely worth following up with him, especially if he will deal using Google Drive. Over several years, I got over over 200 discs from him, full of AJW TV and handhelds from 1978 thru 1991. Based on the lists he has, There is a LOT more to get from 80 to 89. He is difficult to deal with (at least it was difficult for me), but I don't know any anyone who has the AJW footage he has. Keep us posted. Dan Ginnetty

Can't thank you enough for this amazing stuff! One minor correction concerning Dyanamite Kid's tour in 1979: "Hara’s next pair of defenses would take place two months later, on 1979.07.20 and 1979.07.21, and the latter was a double title match for a belt he’d already held. In his first major Japanese appearance (a draw against Isamu Teranishi on 1979.07.19 was also broadcast in clipped form, though the first Hara match wasn’t)" I have a thick magazine covering the IWE, and it happens to have TV "relays", or match listings for all the TV shows. This magazine claims these were the listings covering that July tour: 7/23 (taped 7/17) Chain Death Match: Ashura Hara def Ox Baker Rusher Kimura/Mighty Inoue (DCOR) Andre the Giant/Alexis Smirnoff 7/30 (taped 7/16) Alexis Smirnoff (8:33 pin) Animal Hamaguchi *Rusher Kimura/Ashura Hara (10:47 DQ) *Ox Baker/Haystack Calhoun Andre the Giant (5:04 canadian back breaker) Mighty Inoue 8/6 (taped 7/20) WWU World Junior Heavyweight Title: Ashura Hara* (18:37 DCOR) Dynamite Kid IWA World Heavyweight Title: Rusher Kimura* (10:25 DCOR) Andre the Giant 8/13 no show 8/20 (taped 7/21) Animal Hamaguchi/*Mighty Inoue (6:18 pin) Andre the Giant/*Haystack Calhoun IWA World Heavyweight Title*: Alexis Smirnoff (2-1) Rusher Kimura 1: Kimura (8:48 pin) 2: Smirnoff (2:50 pin) 3: Smirnoff (3:16 pin) 8/27 (taped 7/21) 12-man Battle Royal Final: Andre the Giant (5:55 COR) Animal Hamaguchi * Other participants: Rusher Kimura, Great Kusatsu, Mighty Inoue, Goro Tsurumi, Snake Amami, Moretti Alexi Smirnoff, Ox Baker, Texas Outlaw, Haystack Calhoun, Ed WWU World Junior Heavyweight/British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Double Title: Ashura Hara [WWU] (4min 7R time limit draw) Dynamite Kid [BC] 9/3 (taped 7/19) The Mongolian: *#1/#2 (16:35 pin) *YANG Sun-hi/KIM Kwang-sik Isamu Teranishi (30min limit draw) Dynamite Kid I have searched everywhere for that 8/6 episode, but have only located the Andre match from that show. Carry on! Can't wait to see what you post next. Dan Ginnetty

I would love to get an All Japan book along the lines of the IWE and NJ releases. Specifically, I would love to get AJ tv listings, at least up through the 1970s. We already have access to house show attendances. It would be cool to get actual Tv ratings for all the feds, sunce that is also something of a "black hole" in my Showa Puroresu research. Dan Ginnetty

As a big puro fan for the last 29 years, this is my favorite thread ever! I can't express how grateful I am to you for your labors. Thank you very much for all this. Dan Ginnetty

There are several Japanese wrestling games for the PS1 or PS2 that incorporate transitions and incorporate the crowd response. Toukon Retsuden 3 and 4, for example. Giant Gram 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast is also very good. Dan Ginnetty