UKFF Questions Thread v3

[Infinity Land]

The future Jushin Liger and Akira Maeda are well known Japanese wrestlers that came over to the UK during their excursions from their home promotion. I was wondering if anyone had a good idea of any other names? Mainly from the late '80s-into the early '00s. There's a few names like Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Shinjior Otani, Togi Makabe that have some ASW appearances.

[Merzbow]

1 minute ago, Infinity Land said:

The future Jushin Liger and Akira Maeda are well known Japanese wrestlers that came over to the UK during their excursions from their home promotion. I was wondering if anyone had a good idea of any other names? Mainly from the late '80s-into the early '00s. There's a few names like Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Shinjior Otani, Togi Makabe that have some ASW appearances.

The original Tiger Mask came over here as Sammy Lee, probably the most famous excursion but a bit earlier than you're asking for.

[Infinity Land]

1 minute ago, Merzbow said:

The original Tiger Mask came over here as Sammy Lee, probably the most famous excursion but a bit earlier than you're asking for.

Forgot about him. I always remember Liger and knew there was at least one other. Maeda just sticks him in my head because of Kwik-Kick Lee.

[TheScarlettChad]

Bit of an odd one but I was reading the observer archives and it mentioned someone at HBKs school got injured pretty badly, and HBK assumed that he'd be sued by the family and he said he may have to start wrestling again to pay them off because he had no insurance. Anyone remember this? It's never brought up anywhere. 

[BomberPat]

On 2/7/2025 at 1:11 PM, Infinity Land said:

The future Jushin Liger and Akira Maeda are well known Japanese wrestlers that came over to the UK during their excursions from their home promotion. I was wondering if anyone had a good idea of any other names? Mainly from the late '80s-into the early '00s. There's a few names like Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Shinjior Otani, Togi Makabe that have some ASW appearances.

Satoshi Kojima worked All-Star in 1995. I have a poster on my wall, where he's billed as "Japan's Mean Machine" in a match with Terry Rudge. Neither of their photos actually made it on the poster, but a bloke in a cheap Power Rangers get-up did.

Takashi Iizuka worked as Sambo Iizuka for All-Star in '92.

Masakatsu Funaki was Yuji Funaki in 1989, did some tags with Liger on that run.

Michiyoshi Ohara worked CWA in Germany, and I'm pretty sure would have done some UK dates, as Fuji Yamaha in the early '90s.

A bunch of Michinoku Pro guys famously did an All-Star tour in '96, though that wasn't an excursion in the truest sense.

[unfitfinlay]

I was just thinking about Eddie Kingston and how he really owes his career to that one desperate promo he did, where he challenged a bunch of names, including Cody, without actually expecting anyone to accept. Cody saw it, they had a match on Dynamite and Eddie ended up getting his big break.

Is this the only example of a “Grandstand” challenge, where it’s done just to get people talking, actually working out? I can think of a few examples where it’s been embarrassing - Goldberg challenging Austin, VKM challenging DX - or disastrous - Yoji Anjo challenging Rickson Gracie and getting a doing - but none where the challenger has actually benefited from making the challenge? Surely Eddie can’t be the only one? 

[TibBo]

Ironically, isn’t that exactly what Cody did when he left WWE?

[unfitfinlay]

1 hour ago, TibBo said:

Ironically, isn’t that exactly what Cody did when he left WWE?

Oh good point. I completely forgot about the famous “To Do” list. Quite crazy in retrospect that his goals included wrestling Rodrick Strong and Matt Bennett. 

[Merzbow]

So what was the deal between WCW/Bischoff and K1 around 1995? Was it just to show K1 on PPV in the US or were there other plans?

[Your Fight Site]

Why are WWE sticking location names in pay-per-view Premium Live Events these days, i.e. Elimination Chamber: Toronto etc? I could understand a little with events taking place in a novel location like Backlash: France, but just seems a bit unnecessary for events like Backlash: St. Louis.

[simonworden]

13 hours ago, Your Fight Site said:

Why are WWE sticking location names in pay-per-view Premium Live Events these days, i.e. Elimination Chamber: Toronto etc? I could understand a little with events taking place in a novel location like Backlash: France, but just seems a bit unnecessary for events like Backlash: St. Louis.

Totally random guess but probably to do with social media algorithms and how the content gets shared more if there's a place name to pick up on it. It also keeps the handle's fresh and more relevant. .hat be especially true for B list PPVs. I doubt they'll be doing much promotion this was for Royal Rumble next year. 

[mim731]

Please excuse my ignorance if this has been covered before, but beyond the idea of doing "something different" do we know why WWE do America The Beautiful traditonally rather than the Star Spangled Banner as the anthem for WrestleMania etc? I appreciate in early Manias and similar it's not completely consistent but in later years it's pretty consistent. Is it just a Vince-ism? Or is there an actual reason?

[Chili]

Apparently Vince preferred the America the Beautiful as a song to the anthem. The anthem has been done a few times though, Okerlund at the first Mania and Arriba McIntyre at VIII spring to mind.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

13 hours ago, Chili said:

Arriba McIntyre

I thought they were saving her for when they do Wrestlemania in Mexico. 

[Ro_y Disco]

Video packages in the build-up to Cactus Jack/Triple H and the opening video at Royal Rumble 2000 emphasised Foley's Japanese deathmatch past with clips of his exploding barbed wire matches. Was there any anticipation or talk at the time of their match incorporating those elements? I can't help but think if the match were happening today the Internet would be furious that the build-up showed C4 explosions but the match delivered none.

Maybe it was only ever intended to show how dangerous Cactus was? Or maybe it was an intentional bait-and-switch?