WCW/New Japan Supershow III

Last updated
WCW/New Japan Supershow III
WCW & New Japan Supershow III logo.jpg
Promotion World Championship Wrestling
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateJanuary 4, 1993 [1]
Aired March 1993
City Tokyo, Japan
Venue Tokyo Dome
Attendance63,500 [1] (official)
53,500 [2] (claimed)
Pay-per-view chronology
 Previous
Starrcade
Next 
SuperBrawl III
NJPW January 4 Dome Show chronology
 Previous
Super Warriors in Tokyo Dome
Next 
Battlefield
WCW/New Japan Supershow chronology
 Previous
II
Next 
Final

WCW/New Japan Supershow III (known as Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome in Japan) took place on January 4, 1993, in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. [3] The show would be the third and final show available on pay-per-view (PPV) in America under the name WCW/New Japan Supershow. In Japan it was promoted under the name "Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome" and was the second annual NJPW January 4 Dome Show, NJPW's premier event of the year.

Contents

The US PPV broadcast originally advertised that they would show the eighth match of the show, an IWGP Tag Team Championship match with champions The Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior) defending the championship against WCW representatives The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner), but by the time the PPV was shown in the US the Steiner Brothers had informed WCW that they were leaving the company and thus the match was pulled from the show. Instead WCW chose to air the match with WAR's Koki Kitahara, Masao Orihara, and Nobukazu Hirai vs. NJPW's Akira Nogami, Takayuki Iizuka, and El Samurai.

The WCW/NJPW Supershows were a part of a small number of WCW-produced PPVs that were not included in the "on demand" features when the WWE Network was launched in 2014. [4]

Storylines

The event featured ten professional wrestling matches and two pre-show matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. [5]

Other on-screen personnel
Role:Name:
Commentator Tony Schiavone
Jim Ross

Event

The opening bout was an eight-man tag team match pitting Akitoshi Saito, Great Kabuki, Masashi Aoyagi, and Shiro Koshinaka against Hiro Saito, Norio Honaga, Super Strong Machine, and Tatsutoshi Goto. The match was won by Saito, Great Kabuki, Aoyagi, and Koshinaka when Kabuki pinned Honaga following a backdrop suplex [6] . This was a dark match that did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.

The second bout was a singles match in which IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Jushin Thunder Liger defended his title against Último Dragón. The match ended when Liger pinned Dragon with a Frankensteiner, winning the title. [6]

The third bout was a singles match between Ron Simmons and Tony Halme. The match was won by Simmons, who pinned Halme following a spinebuster. [6]

The fourth bout was a tag team match pitting Dustin Rhodes and Scott Norton against Masa Saito and Shinya Hashimoto. The bout was won by Saito and Hashimoto when Hashimoto pinned Rhodes following an enziguiri. [6]

The fifth bout was a title vs. title match pitting IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Masahiro Chono. The match was won by The Great Muta, who pinned The Great Muta using a pair of moonsaults. [6]

The sixth bout was a six-man tag team match pitting Akira Nogami, El Samurai, and Takayuki Iizuka against Koki Kitahara, Masao Orihara, and Nobukazu Hirai. The match was won by Nogami, El Samurai, and Iizuka when Iizuka pinned Orihara following a powerbomb. [6]

The seventh bout was a singles match between Hiroshi Hase and Sting. The match ended when Sting pinned Hase following a diving splash. [6]

The eight bout was a tag team match in which IWGP Tag Team Champions the Hell Raisers defended their titles against the Steiner Brothers. The match ended in a double countout after both teams brawled to the arena floor. [6] This was a dark match that did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.

The ninth bout was a singles match between Takashi Ishikawa and Tatsumi Fujinami. The match was won by Fujinami, who forced Ishikawa to submit using a dragon sleeper. [6] This was a dark match that did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.

The main event was a singles match between Genichiro Tenryu and Riki Choshu. The match was won by Tenryu, who pinned Choshu following a pair of powerbombs. [6] This was a dark match that did not air on the pay-per-view broadcast.

Results

No.Results [7] StipulationsTimes
1D Akitoshi Saito, Great Kabuki, Masashi Aoyagi, and Shiro Koshinaka defeated Hiro Saito, Norio Honaga, Super Strong Machine, and Tatsutoshi Goto by pinfall Eight-man tag team match 14:20
2 Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Último Dragón (c) by pinfall Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 20:09
3 Ron Simmons defeated Tony Halme by pinfallSingles match06:10
4 Masa Saito and Shinya Hashimoto defeated Dustin Rhodes and Scott Norton by pinfall Tag team match 13:57
5 The Great Muta (c - IWGP) defeated Masahiro Chono (c - NWA) by pinfall Title vs. title match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 19:48
6 Akira Nogami, El Samurai, and Takayuki Iizuka defeated Koki Kitahara, Masao Orihara, and Nobukazu Hirai by pinfall Six-man tag team match 15:11
7 Sting defeated Hiroshi Hase by pinfallSingles match15:31
8DThe Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior) (c) vs. the Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) ended in a double countout Tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship 14:38
9D Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Takashi Ishikawa by submissionSingles match11:41
10D Genichiro Tenryu defeated Riki Choshu by pinfallSingles match18:14
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
D – this was a dark match

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Halme</span> Finnish boxer and politician (1963–2010)

Tony Christian Halme was a Finnish politician, athlete, author, actor, and singer. He was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2007 as an independent elected on the True Finns party list. Halme was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki, which he used while appearing in Gladiaattorit, a Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators, in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiji Muto</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born 1962)

Keiji Muto is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego The Great Muta in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and during the 1980s and 1990s, and from his runs in other Japanese, American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican promotions. He was the president of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) from 2002 to 2013 and representative director of Wrestle-1 (W-1) from 2013 until its closure in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jushin Liger</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Keiichi Yamada, better known as Jushin Liger and later Jushin Thunder Liger, is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a trainer. He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having worked for the company since his professional wrestling debut in 1984. Throughout his career, which spanned three-and-a-half decades, he wrestled over 4,000 matches and performed in major events for various promotions across the globe.

Scott Norton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and author. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in which he was a member of the New World Order and nWo Japan. He is a two-time world champion, having won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinya Hashimoto</span> Japanese professional wrestler (1965–2005)

Shinya Hashimoto was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and actor. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in the mid-1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiroyoshi Tenzan</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Hiroyoshi Yamamoto is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name Hiroyoshi Tenzan. With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Tag League in NJPW, becoming the only tag team which has done both. He is a four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and a record twelve-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He is also a former National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiroshi Hase</span> Japanese politician and professional wrestler

Hiroshi Hase is a Japanese politician and semi-retired professional wrestler who is currently the governor of Ishikawa Prefecture. As a professional wrestler, Hase primarily worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and also for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Stampede Wrestling. During his affiliation with AJPW, he also served as the chairman for the Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF), which is the governing body for all championships in the promotion. Among his numerous title wins, Hase held the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship once, making him a one-time world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collision in Korea</span> 1995 wrestling pay-per-view event

Collision in Korea, officially known as the Pyongyang International Sports and Culture Festival for Peace, was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event jointly produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event featured 15 matches over two evenings on April 28 and 29, 1995, at May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. It aired in North America on August 4, 1995, when WCW broadcast a selection of eight matches from the show on pay-per-view. It was the first event hosted by an American professional wrestling promotion in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takashi Iizuka</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Takayuki Iizuka, better known by his ring name Takashi Iizuka, is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his 33-year career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He has also worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion.

Wrestling Dontaku 1993 was the first Wrestling Dontaku professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3, 1993, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Dome. As part of working relationships between NJPW and American promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF), WCW's Sting and WWF's Brutus Beefcake, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart took part in the event. Professional wrestlers from Japanese promotion Wrestle and Romance (WAR) also appeared at the event.

Wrestling Dontaku (1995) was the third Wrestling Dontaku professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), held on May 3, 1995, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome.

Wrestling Dontaku 1994 was the second Wrestling Dontaku professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event was held on May 1, 1994, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured thirteen matches; three of which were contested for championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome</span>

Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event co-produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotions. The show took place on January 4, 1993 in Tokyo's Tokyo Dome. Officially, the show drew 63,500 spectators and $3,200,000 in ticket sales. This was the second year that the show was co-promoted by the American WCW promotion. The show featured 10 matches, including four matches that featured WCW wrestlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrestling World 1997</span>

Wrestling World 1997 was a professional wrestling event co-produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) promotions. It took place on January 4, 1997 in the Tokyo Dome. Officially, the show drew 62,500 spectators and $5,000,000 in ticket sales. The show featured 12 matches, including four matches that were promoted jointly with the BJW promotion and presented as a rivalry between the two promotions. The show featured 12 matches in total, including three title matches, two of which saw new champions crowned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCW/New Japan Supershow II</span> 1992 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

WCW/New Japan Supershow II took place on January 4, 1992, from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The show was the first NJPW January 4 Dome Show, something that would become an annual tradition in NJPW and would become their biggest show of the year. The show was also the second under the name WCW/New Japan Supershow. The show was broadcast on pay-per-view (PPV) months later in America. The US PPV broadcast did not include several of the matches of the 12-match show, with only six being broadcast in America out of a total of twelve matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCW/New Japan Supershow I</span> 1991 World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling pay-per-view event

WCW/New Japan Supershow I, was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event that took place on March 21, 1991, in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was co-promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), who hosted the event, and the US-Based World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which supplied a number of the wrestlers on the show. The event was the inaugural WCW/New Japan Supershow.

Battle Formation was an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place at the Tokyo Dome during the month of April in 1996 and 1997. It was a major event, drawing over 60,000 fans in attendance during both editions. Shinya Hashimoto headlined both editions, cementing his status as the ace of NJPW during that period.

The 1996 Battle Formation was the first Battle Formation event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The event was held on April 29, 1996 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was a major success with a crowd of estimated 60,000 people and an approximate revenue of $5,700,000 from ticket sales. The event featured competitors from various promotions including Michinoku Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Union of Wrestling Forces International, World Championship Wrestling and Wrestle Association R.

The 1997 Battle Formation was the second and final Battle Formation event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which took place on April 12, 1997 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was a massive success, drawing a crowd of about 60,000 fans and the revenue generated from ticket sales amounted to $5,000,000.

Strong Style Evolution was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on May 3, 1997 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Fantastic Story". ProWrestlingHistory.com. January 4, 1993. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  2. Meltzer, Dave (January 16, 2012). "Jan 16 Observer Newsletter: Cyborg busted for steroids, all the details, Edge and Horsemen going into WWE Hall, New Japan Dom e Show review, 30 year Muchnick retrospective, TNA and Strikeforce shows, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Campbell, California. pp. 14–16. ISSN   1083-9593.
  3. "WCW/New Japan Pay Per Views WCW/New Japan Supershow III". Prowrestlinghistory.com. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  4. "16 PPVs now on the WWE Network". Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  5. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on 2013-11-29. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Dunn, J.D. (May 3, 2009). "Dark Pegasus Video Review: WCW/New Japan Supershow III". 411Mania.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  7. Cawthon, Graham (2014). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   1499656343.