King's Road Pro Wrestling Podcast

Thoughts on AEW's Blood & Guts show from the opening match to the final blood soaked screenshot. I'm going over what worked for me, what didn't, and where I think things might go from here. Plus some thoughts on people who can't seem to get past Jungle Boy's size, the finish of the Blood & Guts match, and the use of weapons in the cage. All that and some quick bites on AJPW Champion Carnival, NJPW Takagi vs. Ospreay, and more!

In this episode we pick up pretty much where we left off in Chapter I. Genichiro Tenryu is the new AJPW Triple Crown Champion, but his feud with Jumbo Tsuruta continues. How does it end and where do we go from there are the big questions we answer in this outing. The Four Pillars of Wrestling also make their first appearances in our story and we chart Mitsuharu Misawa’s life up until May of 1990. What elements of his upbringing drove him to wrestling greatness? What obstacles did he overcome? And who helped him along the way? All of these things and much more are covered in Chapter 2 of King’s Road: A 90s All Japan Retrospective.

In addition to the context and background information discussed, we also take a look at the following four matches:

* Tenryu vs Tsuruta 10/11/89 - Triple Crown III

* Tenryu vs Tsuruta 4/19/90 - Final Outing

* Tiger Mask II & Toshiaki Kawada vs Fuyuki & Yatsu 5/14/90 - The Mask Comes Off

* Misawa, Kobashi, & Taue vs. Jumbo, Kabuki, & Fuchi 5/26/90 - New Generation Emerges

Missing Pieces -

Genichiro Tenryu left AJPW after his defeat in April of 1990 at the hands of Jumbo Tsuruta to be the spokesmodel for Megane Super - an eyeglass maker in Japan. However, the company seemed to have a dual motive in hiring Tenryu as they would launch a wrestling company shortly thereafter - Super World of Sports. The SWS was founded with the motto “Straight and Strong”. Megane threw a ton of money around to recruit wrestlers - mostly from All Japan - in an attempt to form a legitimate threat to the other big two - NJPW & AJPW. They even had a short-lived partnership with the WWF and promoted 3 shows at the Tokyo Dome with Vince McMahon’s company. SWS would not last and became a victim of both the economic downturn in Japan and perhaps their own overreach. Tenryu would go on to found another company - Wrestling and Romance, better known as WAR. Eventually he found his way back to All Japan and enjoyed quite a bit of success in his late 40s and early 50s capturing both the IWGP Heavyweight title and then the AJPW Triple Crown twice more.

Horst Hoffman was a journeyman wrestler in the truest sense of the word. Born in Germany, he spent most of his early career wrestling in his homeland and honing his considerable technical skills. Hoffman caught the notice of fellow European Billy Robinson and found his way to the AWA for a time where he competed in upper mid-card and main event matches. Hoffman has been described as a shooter and his eventual exposure to a wider audience provided all the evidence one needed to apply that appellation. When he made his Japan debut in 1972 for International Wrestling Enterprises, it’s possible that an 11 year old Misawa first became acquainted with him, though he would go to even wider exposure in Japan when he began wrestling for AJPW in 1975. He competed at the highest level for the promotion notching victories over the Destroyer and Pat O’Connor and engaging in main event contests with Jumbo Tsuruta and Giant Baba. His final recorded All Japan tour came in 1977 when he teamed with Billy Robinson in the precursor to the Real World Tag League. They finished in the middle of the pack with 7 points. A minor figure in pro wrestling history by today’s standards, he was no less incredible in the ring and is highly esteemed by his peers and fans alike. If nothing else, he provided inspiration to a young Misawa when he needed it most and an older Misawa would pay a suitable tribute by adopting his ring colors and tights.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:10:00 Tenryu as champ

00:11:00 10/11/89 Tenryu v Tsuruta Triple Crown

00:17:00 Where next for Tenryu?

00:17:42 4/19/90 Tsuruta v Tenryu Triple Crown

00:24:00 Sayonara Tenryu

00:24:26 Where do we go from here? Tiger Mask

00:26:18 Mitsuharu Misawa

00:34:43 5/14/90 Tiger Mask II & Toshiaki Kawada vs Fuyuki & Yatsu - The Unmasking

00:36:21 What do I say?

00:36:54 5/26/90 Misawa, Kobashi, & Taue vs. Jumbo, Kabuki, & Fuchi - The New Generation Emerges

00:51:19 Next time on… & Endnotes

Special thanks and shoutouts to Matt Charlton (@ShiningWizardDs), Hisame (@Hi5ame), Cary Silkin (@rohcary), and Filsinger Games (@filsingergames & filsingergames.com).

Be sure to check out:

ROLL UP - The Official Filsinger Games Podcast: https://filsingergames.com/rollup-podcast/

Uncharted Territory: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncharted-territory/id1537337233

&

Last Stop Penn Station: https://laststoppennstation.com

You can find me on Twitter @kopw72. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments, criticisms, advice, and everything in between. Thank you so much for listening and supporting this endeavor. Stay tuned for Chapter 3 - Gaijin & the Triple Crown coming soon!

Night 2 of WrestleMania is in the books and I have some thoughts. What worked? What didn't? I'm feeling good and ready to share my opinions on the matches, angles, production values, and everything in between.

Immediate reaction to Wrestlemania 37 Night 1! What do I think of the main event? What about Bad Bunny? Omos? Cesaro? It's all here. Plus, I talk a walk through the last few days of indie wrestling, especially that showcased on IWTV. It's good to be back and talk a little wrestling. Give it a listen and join the conversation on Twitter @kopw72

Todd and Mike join me to preview the upcoming Filsinger Games Perennial 2021 virtual con. We go behind the scenes a bit, discuss the schedule, and even have a couple of exclusive reveals! We also present our top 5 game cards for 2020 from each game line (CotG, Legends, & Indies). Head to filsingergames.com to sign up for the Perennial - $10 for tournament play, $7 for non-tournament participation - and join us on Saturday, January 23rd, for a day filled with the fun of galactic proportions!

Todd and Mike join me to preview the upcoming Filsinger Games Perennial 2021 virtual con. We go behind the scenes a bit, discuss the schedule, and even have a couple of exclusive reveals! We also present our top 5 game cards for 2020 from each game line (CotG, Legends, & Indies). Head to filsingergames.com to sign up for the Perennial - $10 for tournament play, $7 for non-tournament participation - and join us on Saturday, January 23rd, for a day filled with the fun of galactic proportions!

Happy New Year! KoPW Style... What does that mean? I'm not 100% sure but it probably involves vulnerability, humor, charm, and the search for perspective on life, love, & death. Oh, and wrestling! Lots of wrestling! Do I succeed? Who knows? What I do know is this past week has been a cathartic experience. I talk about Brodie Lee, AEW's tribute show, the past year, what's behind us, and what's ahead. Plus, what's on my bookshelf, who do I have to thank, and what are some of the people and things I'm grateful for. All that and a promise to you, listeners. Take my hand and come along for a ride...

It's the best time of the year! December releases for Filsinger Games have hit. All three major product lines get something unique - from the fantastic Legends Expansion featuring Dynamite Kid, Adrian Adonis, and Gordon Solie - to name a few - to the Women of the Indies 2020 pack and the mammoth Battle Lines: Kronos set; I’ve got Todd Joerchel, Mike Melesky, and Battle Lines maestro, Rob Beaubien to chat about all the details of the latest and greatest. Rob gives a deep dive into the set’s creation, and we zero in on some of the newest and coolest characters to hit Kronos. Plus, there are some great teases for what's next, including the January virtual con - will you be the promoter to give us a name for what could be a new annual event?

The fantastic Matt Charlton joins me for another round. This time we're talking about his latest book, J-Crowned: An Illustrated Guide to Champions of Japanese Wrestling, Vol. 2. When last we spoke, volume 1 was hot off the press, and the pandemic was just beginning. We dive into the past 8 months of living, a little bit of parenthood, and a whole lot of puroresu goodness. The names, the titles, the matches, and more are all a part of our conversation. We hope you enjoy and, as always, find the podcast on Twitter @kopw72 and Matt @ShiningWizardDs. Thanks for listening!

Todd Joerchel and Mike Melesky are back reppin' Filsinger Games. We discuss the latest Black Friday game announcements including the huge name dropped for Legends of Wrestling's next expansion set. Then we turn back the clock to talk GWF Early Classics and the Classics era of Champions of the Galaxy. It's a deep dive as we go character by character and year by year, to cover the first 3 years of the Galaxian Wrestling Federation's history. We hope you enjoy and make sure to pre-order the latest sets at filsingergames.com and join in the conversation over at the message boards filsingergames.proboards.com