King's Road Pro Wrestling Podcast

Back with an epic conversation between yours truly and the Filsinger Games Legends of Wrestling Team! Card gurus Chad and Cory Olson, Tim Dalton, and handbook writer, Stu Lowry, are all on board - albeit in various forms - to chat about their favorite territories, legends, and signings. Plus we go fairly in-depth about card creation - how do you craft a main eventer vs a mid-carder? What mechanics are important? How do you maintain a fidelity to the era while also creating exciting cards? I also get the chance to ask about the team's most desired signings, their favorite wrestling-related books, and their new podcast, Uncharted Territory!

Buckle up, it's a long one but well, well worth it.

(Editors Note: We had some technical difficulties during the recording process but decided to preserve the bulk of the recording as is. Special thanks to Chad Olson for joining me to record an intro and outro due to some unsalvageable material.)

The Dark Menace himself joins us for this special Filsinger Games episode of KoPW! I loved getting the chance to interview Tom Filsinger, creator of Champions of the Galaxy, as we take a stroll down memory lane to chat about the "Best of" set released to celebrate 50 game editions of CotG! Todd Joerchel rides shotgun and we wrap the show up with coverage of the new George Tragos - Lou Thesz Hall of Fame set headlined by Jack Brisco. There's also some teasers, Best of the Indy's 2020: Tag Team edition, and an announcement for the future.

NOTE: We suffered a couple of small technical difficulties during the recording of this episode. All efforts have been made to retain as much of the original conversation as possible while also providing the most seamless listening experience possible.

Another Filsinger Games edition of KoPW is here and what better time than GalactiCon season! It's a different con this year in light of the pandemic, but it might just be the best chance for lots of fans to attend in the virtual space. I'm joined by Todd and Mike to discuss the con, the newest game editions, and so much more!

Plus stay tuned at the end for a brief update on the King's Road project.

It's finally here. Any longtime followers of KOPW are aware of my love of 90s AJPW and my desire to chart the decade in podcast form. I have finally taken the plunge and present to you the first part of a series diving deep into the King's Road.

In this episode we journey through the beginnings of puroresu, the major players at the genesis of AJPW, and the lead up to the pivotal matches that set the table for the 1990s in All Japan. Names like Rikidozan, Lou Thesz, the Destroyer, Giant Baba, Stan Hansen, and, of course, Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu.

In addition to the prologue we also take a look at three matches:

* Tsuruta v Hansen 4/18/89 “The Triple Crown”

* Tsuruta v Tenryu 4/20/89 "First Defense"

* Tsuruta v Tenryu 6/5/89 "The Blueprint"

I hope you will join me for this ride through one of the finest decades in the history of professional wrestling.

Missing Pieces -

I want to take a moment to discuss some of the pieces left out of the episode.

Toyonobori is a name that western audiences may not recognize as much as Rikidozan, but he was a star in the early days of puro - second only to Rikidozan. His team with the JWA founder and battles against him propelled him to the number 2 spot in Japan. After Rikidozan's death, he would lead the promotion as it's top star until a schism that saw him depart to form Tokyo Pro Wrestling. He took along with him one of the hottest young talents of the promotion and promised to make him a star - Antonio Inoki. Within a few years TPW failed and they left for IPW only for Inoki to find his way back to the JWA before forming NJPW.

Jumbo Tsuruta was an amateur wrestling talent and even competed in the 1972 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. He did not amass any wins during the Olympic Games.

Genichiro Tenryu's sumo background included wrestling for the same stable that Rikidozan had belonged to. He reached the top division of sumo, similar again to Rikidozan, but after friction with his new stablemaster, he left the sport at the relatively young age of 26.

Stan Hansen began wrestling in Japan for NJPW in 1977 and became a huge star immediately. His reputation from breaking Bruno's neck preceded him and he was an immediate threat to NJPWs top talent. He abruptly jumped ship to AJPW and it was a jump that had lasting effects on the power dynamics of puroresu. He is considered to be among the most, if not THE most, legendary gaijin of puroresu.

Thank so much for taking the time to listen. I don't claim to be perfect or know everything and appreciate any and all comments, criticisms, and dialogue about this fantastic era of pro-wrestling.

Thank you to Matt Charlton (@shiningwizardds) & Eddie Kingston (@madking1981) for their inspiration and support on this project - even if they don't know it.

Hit me up on Twitter @kopw72

Chapters -

00:00 - Genesis

04:47 - What Is Past...

17:53 - ...Is Prologue

30:24 - The Belts

35:54 - The Triple Crown

43:37 - First Defense

52:46 - The Blueprint

1:01:46 - What's Next?

My immediate thoughts on AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view! What's my reaction to Stadium Stampede? What were my favorite matches? Did the PPV provide much needed enjoyment in a time that had been marked by darkness and tragedy in the wrestling community? (Spoiler alert: YES!) Check it out and hit me up with your feedback over on the Twitter @kopw72

Thanks for listening!

My immediate thoughts on AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view! What's my reaction to Stadium Stampede? What were my favorite matches? Did the PPV provide much needed enjoyment in a time that had been marked by darkness and tragedy in the wrestling community? (Spoiler alert: YES!) Check it out and hit me up with your feedback over on the Twitter @kopw72

Thanks for listening!

No intro music, no flash, no script, ho hot takes - just some time spent thinking about Hana Kimura, fatherhood, loss, grief, love, compassion, and community. No anger or hate in here either. Take care and be well. Reach out for help if you need it. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255

It's time to dive into some of the DVDs I've been watching during quarantine. First up - "Harley Race: The Greatest Wrestler on God's Green Earth" and the superb "Championship Wrestling from Florida: The Story of Wrestling in the Sunshine State". [Ellbow Productions](https://ellbowproductions.weebly.com) and [Highspots.com](http://www.highspots.com/p/cwf-story-of-sunshine-state-dvd.html) have done an excellent job on these docs and I give my thoughts on each. What's good? What's not so good? What's great? And should you give them a watch (spoiler: yes!)

I had the pleasure of speaking to Matt Charlton again for this episode. We chat about his new - and first - book, "J-Crowned: An Illustrated Guide to the Champions of Japanese Wrestling" - the genesis of the project, favorite bits of art, decisions on the flow of the book, favorite matches, and so much more. It's always a joy to chat with Matt and this was no exception. We spent a bit of time at the front of the interview talking about the current lockdowns and circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and while I feel it was a positive and interesting discussion, I know it might not be for everyone - that said, discussion about his book beings around the 19 minute mark.

You can order your copy of "J-Crowned" in either electronic or print format at Amazon today! And don't forget to visit Matt on Twitter @shiningwizardds or instagram @shiningwizarddesigns for a commission or to check out his fantastic artwork.

And be sure to check out Hybrid Shoot at @hybridshoot on Twitter or hybridshoot.com for more great titles coming soon!

A quick update on the state of KoPW and what you can expect in the future!