WWK TV 6-25-88 King's Road League final!
Jun 27, 2022 12:31:52 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Jun 27, 2022 12:31:52 GMT
World Wrestling Kingdom, Lord James Blears; Chairman
Airs across Japan on Saturday, June 25, 1988 on:
Taped on June 15, 1988 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan
Announcers: Kenji Wakabayashi and Kotetsu Yamamoto
Ring Announcer: Takashi Yamada
Referees: Tiger Hattori, Joe Higuchi, Kyohei Wada
KENJI WAKABAYASHI and KOTETSU YAMAMOTO open the show.
They welcome us to this week’s episode of the World Wrestling Kingdom!
We have four big matches set for today’s program! We’ll see the final match of the Best of 5 Series between the Can-Am Connection and the team of Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi, with the winning team becoming the new All Asia tag team champions!
Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody face the young duo of Toshiaki Kawada and Shinya Hashimoto!
Then we’ve got two final King’s Road League matches! First we’ll see two wildmen face off, as Abdullah the Butcher faces Ivan Koloff! Both men have two points in the league.
Then, our feature bout will see the final of the league! Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta meet to determine the first King’s Crown champion! They met in the tournament a few weeks ago, with Tsuruta getting the win, but Tenryu attacked Jumbo after the match, knocking him to the floor, and delivering a brutal Powerbomb on the arena floor! This led to Tsuruta being taken out on a stretcher!
Jumbo has promised to make Tenryu pay for that vicious attack when they meet here today in the league final!
We’ll also take a look at some of the gaijin wrestlers that will be taking part in the next tour, the “Burning Spirit in Summer” series, which begins on July 1 in Omiya, Saitama!
Wakabayashi and Yamamoto discuss the Best of 5 Series between the Can-Am Connection and Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi.
VTR: Can-Ams vs Misawa/Kobashi, 5-21-88, JIP:
These two teams are pretty evenly-matched. Misawa and Kroffat are in the “big brother” role here, as they both have a few years experience on their tag team partners. Kobashi, as the most inexperienced participant in the match, spends most of his time in the ring getting worked over by the Can-Ams, but every so often, he’ll get some offence in.
In the end, while Kobashi ties up Furnas, Misawa hits Kroffat with a vicious elbow, and then connects with the Tiger Suplex ’85 for the 1, 2, 3!
END VTR
Misawa and Kobashi took the early lead in the series with that win, but the following week the two teams met again, and things didn’t go quite as planned for the young Japanese team . . .
VTR: Can-Ams vs Misawa/Kobashi, 5-28-88, JIP:
Late in the match, Kobashi is getting double-teamed by the Can-Ams, so Misawa comes in to help out his partner. The referee tries to break up the melee, and Furnas leaves the ring first. While the referee is telling Misawa to go back to his corner, with his back to the action, Kobashi rolls Kroffat up in an inside cradle. However, the referee still has his back to the action, and Furnas comes in, delivers a vicious kick to Kobashi’s head, then rolls them over, so that Kroffat now has Kobashi’s shoulders down!
Unfortunately for Kobashi and Misawa, that’s when the referee decides to turn his attention back to the action, sees Kobashi’s shoulders down, and makes the 3-count!
Kroffat and Furnas pick up the, albeit tainted, victory here, and the series is tied up at 1 win each!
END VTR
With the series tied up at one win apiece, the third match took place two weeks ago. . .
VTR: Can-Ams vs Misawa/Kobashi, 6-4-88, JIP:
The Can-Ams take the lead in this series, as they pick up the win here. The action was fast and furious, and could have gone either way, but in the end, Kenta Kobashi was counted out, after being run into the ringpost by Furnas.
END VTR
That leads into the fourth match, where a win would give the Can-Ams the titles, so it was do-or-die time for Misawa and Kobashi . . .
VTR: Can-Ams vs Misawa/Kobashi, 6-11-88, JIP:
Late in the match, Kobashi is back in, and he’s being pummeled by the gaijin team. The Can-Ams constantly distract the referee, allowing the non-legal man to get some shots in. At one point, Kobashi is able to make the hot tag, but thanks to Kroffat distracting the ref, he didn’t see it, and Misawa is forced back to his corner!
Misawa makes save after save for Kobashi, usually getting there in the nick of time, just a split second before the referee’s hand hits the mat for the third time!
Misawa finally gets the hot tag, and he comes in like a tornado, tearing into both Furnas and Kroffat! After sending Kroffat through the ropes with a dropkick, Misawa stuns Furnas with a vicious rolling elbow, then drives Furnas into the mat with the TIGER DRIVER for the pinfall!
END VTR
We’re all tied up, two wins apiece, and it’s time for the final match, to see which team will walk out of Nippon Budokan as the All Asia tag team champions!
BEST OF 5 SERIES, MATCH #5
FOR THE VACANT ALL ASIA TAG TEAM TITLES!
THE CAN-AM CONNECTION: DAN KROFFAT & DOUG FURNAS beat MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI. This match goes about 15 minutes, but is edited down for TV time. These two teams put on an exciting, fast-paced match, and we see plenty of offense from both teams.
In the end, Kroffat and Kobashi are the legal men. Kobashi has been improving with each match, and at this point, he’s in control of the match. However, Kobashi makes a rookie mistake, allowing Kroffat to lure him into the gaijin corner. Kobashi still has the upper hand, but Furnas keeps getting shots in from the apron as well, and this allows Kroffat to turn the tables.
Kroffat goes to work on Kobashi, but Kenta battles back, connecting with a big elbow that stuns Kroffat. Kobashi then climbs up, standing on the middle turnbuckle, facing Kroffat, but out of view of the referee, Furnas clocks Kobashi in the back of the head! Kobashi stumbles, falling from the turnbuckle, and he’s met with a kick to the head from Kroffat!
Kroffat then pulls the stunned Kobashi up, turns so that they’re facing Misawa . . . and Kroffat then drives Kobashi into the mat with Misawa’s Tiger Driver!!!
Kroffat covers Kobashi, Misawa jumps into the ring, but Furnas cuts him off, stopping Misawa from breaking up the cover. Kobashi can’t kick out, and Kroffat gets the 1, 2, 3!
The Can-Am Connection have become the All Asia tag team champions!
STAN HANSEN & BRUISER BRODY defeat TOSHIAKI KAWADA & SHINYA HASHIMOTO. Kawada and Hashimoto both utilize a lot of strikes, particularly kicks, but that doesn’t seem to help them much against this monster gaijin duo! Hansen and Brody steamroll poor Kawada and Hashimoto, with Hansen pinning Hash after the Western Lariat, while Brody pummels Kawada outside the ring.
Before the next match, we see a highlight package of the King’s Road League, with short clips of each match.
KING’S ROAD LEAGUE:
ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER (4 points) beats “THE RUSSIAN BEAR” IVAN KOLOFF (2 points). This is a wild match right from the opening bell! There’s no scientific wrestling here at all, just a pure, American-style brawl! They spend almost as much time battling outside the ring as they do inside! In the end, Abdullah gets the upper hand, and hits Koloff with the Butcher’s Axe elbowdrop for the 1, 2, 3!
An ad airs for the upcoming “Burning Spirit in Summer” tour. It’s announced that several gaijins will be on the tour, including the young team of Shane Douglas and Johnny Gunn, British stars Fit Finlay and Mark Rocco, and the brother duo of Chavo and Eddie Guerrero! Plus, Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody will be back!
Before the main event, Wakabayashi and Yamamoto discuss the attack on Jumbo Tsuruta a few weeks ago at the hands of Genichiro Tenryu.
VTR: Tsuruta vs Tenryu, 6-4-88, JIP:
As Tsuruta is getting his hand raised, Tenryu attacks him from behind!!!! Tenryu delivers an Enziguri that stuns Tsuruta, and Genichiro then dropkicks him, sending Jumbo tumbling through the ropes and to the floor!
Outside the ring, Tenryu slams Tsuruta head-first into the ringpost, busting him wide open . . . then delivers the Folding Powerbomb ON THE ARENA FLOOR!!!!!
The crowd in the arena is shocked, as Tsuruta is down on the floor, and he’s not moving! The referee calls for medical personnel, as Tenryu spits on Tsuruta, and heads to the locker room!
END VTR
WWK Chairman Lord James Blears comes out to the ring. He has a case, and a large trophy with him. He sets the trophy down, and it’s almost as tall as him! He opens the case, and takes out the King’s Crown heavyweight championship belt!
Blears issues his official proclamation, stating that this is the finals of the King’s Road League, and the winner will get not only this beautiful trophy, but he will also become the very first King’s Crown heavyweight champion!
He asks that Tenryu and Tsuruta shake hands, but neither man seems interested in that, they just glare at each other!
KING’S ROAD LEAGUE FINAL!
FOR THE KING’S CROWN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!
GENICHIRO TENRYU (17 points) (w/ Masa Saito) beats JUMBO TSURUTA (17 points) (w/ Tatsumi Fujinami). Tsuruta and Tenryu aren’t alone when they come to the ring. Tsuruta has his opponent from last week, Tatsumi Fujinami, with him, while Tenryu is accompanied by Masa Saito.
Tsuruta is FIRED UP after being attacked by Tenryu three weeks ago! He tears into Tenryu early, and dominates the early going. Tenryu battles back, and the momentum shifts several times. Both men hit their big moves throughout the match, but can’t put the other away!
In the end, Tenryu catches Tsuruta with three Enziguris in quick succession, then hoists Tsuruta up, and drives him into the mat with the Folding Powerbomb!
Jumbo can’t kick out, and Genichiro Tenryu gets the 3-count to win the King’s Road League, and become the inaugural King’s Crown champion!!!
We see a graphic on the screen:
KING’S ROAD LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS:
Genichiro Tenryu (17 points) (WINNER)
Jumbo Tsuruta (17 points)
Tatsumi Fujinami (12 points)
Bruiser Brody (12 points)
Steve Williams (11 points)
Dory Funk Jr (9 points)
Abdullah the Butcher (4 points)
Ivan Koloff (2 points)
Bad News Allen (2 points)
Mighty Inoue (2 points)
Wakabayashi and Yamamoto wrap things up, and hype next week’s show, which will kick off the “Burning Spirit in Summer” tour.
Credits Roll
© 1988, World Wrestling Kingdom
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