Strange Matches

[air_raid]

If we want to get deep into Japanese guys in the US, if you forgot that Little Kazu had a TNA excursion, you’ve definitely forgotten this.

 

[Chico Torres]

Worth remembering that the not-quite-official storyline reason for the WCW vs NJPW Starrcade was that Bobby Heenan “sold” 50% of WCW Pro and Worldwide (apparently being a commentator on a show gives you ownership interest) to Sonny Onoo acting on behalf of New Japan. Hence the Japanese being entitled to tv time on the prestigious C and D syndicated shows as a build up to their supposed flagship event of the year.

It gave us classics like Ohtani and Kanemoto vs The American Males

 

[BomberPat]

4 hours ago, air_raid said:

If we want to get deep into Japanese guys in the US, if you forgot that Little Kazu had a TNA excursion, you’ve definitely forgotten this.

Okada's US excursion gave me one of my favourite wrestling rib stories. I normally hate ribs; all the stuff that old wrestlers laugh it up about that's actually just horrific bullying and abuse, but occasionally you get a trick played on someone that's just wholesome harmless fun. 

Okada, randomly, wrestled one match for CHIKARA in 2006, in Barnesville, Pennsylvania, against a guy called Osiris (who I know absolutely nothing about, and doesn't seem to have worked another match there). At this tiny show, in a tiny town (population less than 2000), Bryce Remsburg managed to convince Okada that wrestling fans in Barnesville really liked Giant Baba, so with Okada as the Japanese guest, it would get over huge if he wrestled like Baba for them. So Okada spends the whole match lumbering around and doing Khali chops to the head and big boots, to an audience who have no idea who he is or what he's doing.

[Liam O'Rourke]

8 hours ago, Chico Torres said:

Worth remembering that the not-quite-official storyline reason for the WCW vs NJPW Starrcade was that Bobby Heenan “sold” 50% of WCW Pro and Worldwide (apparently being a commentator on a show gives you ownership interest) to Sonny Onoo acting on behalf of New Japan. Hence the Japanese being entitled to tv time on the prestigious C and D syndicated shows as a build up to their supposed flagship event of the year.

It gave us classics like Ohtani and Kanemoto vs The American Males

 

I VIVIDLY remember this match when it aired here. I think it was the main event on the final ever WCW Worldwide broadcast on ITV.

[Snitsky's back acne]

8 hours ago, Chico Torres said:

Worth remembering that the not-quite-official storyline reason for the WCW vs NJPW Starrcade was that Bobby Heenan “sold” 50% of WCW Pro and Worldwide (apparently being a commentator on a show gives you ownership interest) to Sonny Onoo acting on behalf of New Japan. Hence the Japanese being entitled to tv time on the prestigious C and D syndicated shows as a build up to their supposed flagship event of the year.

It gave us classics like Ohtani and Kanemoto vs The American Males

 

Even stranger, Kanemoto worked "Cuban Assassin" Dave Sierra at the Tampa Sportatorium two days after he worked the American Males with Ohtani.
 

 

Edited July 23, 2025 by Snitsky's back acne

[Chili]

From the file marked 'Oh, right. That happened did it?'

Here's Ted DiBiase, sans Million Dollar Man gimmick, one week before his final WWF match at Summerslam 1993 visiting Germany to face Rambo (Luc Poirior aka Sniper of the Truth Commission).

 

 

[garynysmon]

While the ‘new’ Hulk Hogan was on his Lex Express tour in the summer of 1993, the actual Hulk Hogan was still wrestling Yokozuna every night on the house show and European loop.

The impression at the time was that Hulk was toast after KOTR, and I remember reading some results on Sky’s WWF teletext pages at the time and thinking it was some kind of mistake.

Hulk’s last WWF match of that run was on August 6, beating Yoko in Sheffield by DQ as he had everywhere else.

A month on from the bodyslam challenge and just three weeks before Summerslam.

Edited July 23, 2025 by garynysmon

[Snitsky's back acne]

2 hours ago, Chili said:

From the file marked 'Oh, right. That happened did it?'

Here's Ted DiBiase, sans Million Dollar Man gimmick, one week before his final WWF match at Summerslam 1993 visiting Germany to face Rambo (Luc Poirior aka Sniper of the Truth Commission).

 

 

Plus, that is the future Pitbull Two in DiBiase's corner.

[boshealecta]

Someone’s been following this thread at the Vault

[Dai]

15 hours ago, boshealecta said:

Someone’s been following this thread at the Vault

Why? Absoltuley none of those fit the criteria for this thread.

[boshealecta]

1 hour ago, Dai said:

Why? Absoltuley none of those fit the criteria for this thread.

Coz the title is Strange Matches and then there’s a video called Strangest Matches. So was just making that link. I’m sure the person who edits and uploads the videos isn’t actually part of the UKFF - I was just making a parallel. 

[Dai]

The WCW Vault's latest upload today has one which fits the bill. 45 minutes in, and you have The Great Muta having some exchanges with Tank Abbott. Strange enough, but then the background figures for this are ICP and 3 Count, and an audience that dont give two shits about poor Keiji. Increases the strangeness a few levels.

 

 

On a side note, every faction thats featured on this show is the shits. Natural Born Thrillers? MIA? Awful

[SpykeDudlei1]

On 7/23/2025 at 4:46 PM, garynysmon said:

While the ‘new’ Hulk Hogan was on his Lex Express tour in the summer of 1993, the actual Hulk Hogan was still wrestling Yokozuna every night on the house show and European loop.

The impression at the time was that Hulk was toast after KOTR, and I remember reading some results on Sky’s WWF teletext pages at the time and thinking it was some kind of mistake.

Hulk’s last WWF match of that run was on August 6, beating Yoko in Sheffield by DQ as he had everywhere else.

A month on from the bodyslam challenge and just three weeks before Summerslam.

I was there with my late grandad, one of my best mates and his grandad. Dined out for 9 years on the fact I’d seen Hogan’s last ever WWF match.

[air_raid]

7 hours ago, SpykeDudlei1 said:

I was there with my late grandad, one of my best mates and his grandad. Dined out for 9 years on the fact I’d seen Hogan’s last ever WWF match.

Funny how things work out, I often think about Hogan’s last match when I drive past the was-MEN now-AO Arena, not just that I saw it but how strange that I live so close to where he had it.

Well, when I’m not cursing myself for not going to the taping there where AJ won the WWE title.

[gmoney]

How about Kurt Angle and Raven vs Big Show and Essa Rios?

I tend to associate bizarre combos with WCW rather than WWF, but this is a good example of weird shit on the other side. At the arse end of the ratings war, they could do what the flipping hell they liked.