Jushin Liger

[TV Rundown] ‘Power Hour’ 5.4.91 – Old Pros and Japan Supershows

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COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Paul E. Dangerously

WCW draws on two weeks’ worth of Pros this week for the Power Hour, plus a full (okay clipped) match from last month’s Japan Supershow special.

CHAMPIONS

  • WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
  • WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Total Package” Lex Luger
  • WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson
  • WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner)
  • WCW UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CAHMPIONS: Vacant
  • WCW WORLD SIX MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Ricky Morton, “Wildfire” Tommy Rich, & The Junkyard Dog

LINEUP

  • Big Josh vs. Jeff Sword (Pro – 4.27.91)
  • Jushin Liger [c] vs. Akira Nogami for the IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (Japan Supershow – 3.21.91, PPV Airdate 4.7.91) (***)
  • LARRY Z’S LEGENDS w/ Larry Zbyszko & Ron Simmons (Pro – 4.20.91)
  • Ron Simmons vs. Tony Mella (Pro – 4.27.91)
  • WRESTLING NEWS NETWORK w/ Gordon Solie
  • Brian Pillman & El Gigante vs. Doug Vines & Mark Kyle (Pro – 4.20.91)
  • One Man Gang vs. Keith Hart (Pro – 4.27.91)
  • Sting & Lex Luger vs. Magnum Force (Pro – 4.27.91)

 

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[PPV Review] WCW/NJPW Japan Supershow I – Flair/Fujinami, Sting/Muta

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Show Date: March 21, 1991
Airdate: April 7, 1991
Venue: Tokyo Dome (Tokyo, Japan)
Commentators: Jim Ross & Tony Schiavone

After weeks of hearing about it in vague terms, now it’s time to see this Japan Supershow for myself. WCW held the event in conjunction with New Japan Pro Wrestling in March, but WCW waited until April to present it to American audiences. Sadly a lot of the matches are clipped and some didn’t even make the PPV. Oh well. Hopefully it’ll still be a fun watch. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a real big show to sink my teeth into, so I’m hungry for it.

NOTE: due to the clipped nature of this event, the ratings presented for most of these matches should be taken with an even bigger grain of salt than usual.

CHAMPION ROLL-CALL

  • WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
  • IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Tatsumi Fujinami
  • IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Jushin “Thunder” Liger
  • WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner)
  • IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki

THE LINEUP

  • Brian Pillman, Tom Zenk, & Tim Horner vs. Takayuki Iizuka, Kuniaki Kobayashi, & Shiro Koshinaka (***)
  • Jushin Liger [c] vs. Akira Nogami for the IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (***)
  • Masahiro Chono & Masa Saito vs. Arn Anderson & Barry Windham (***1/2)
  • El Gigante vs. The Big Cat (NR)
  • The Steiner Brothers [WCW] vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki [IWGP] for the WCW and IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS (****)
  • Sting vs. The Great Muta (***1/2)
  • Ric Flair [WCW] vs. Tatsumi Fujinami [IWGP] for the NWA AND IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS (***)

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