Ep. #417: August 2-7, 1996

Kris and David are guestless as we discuss the (almost-)week that was August 2-7, 1996. Topics of discussion include:

Dave Meltzer's tour of Japan that week for the sixth-annual NJPW G1 Climax tournament, which also featured that the J*Crown tournament to crown the ultimate junior heavyweight champion.Riki Choshu's impending retirement and how winning the G1 played into those plans.Jushin Thunder Liger's brain tumor and how he worked through it until right before his surgery, making sure to put over Ultimo Dragon in a big way during the J*Crown.The Great Sasuke fracturing his skull for the second time in a year en route to winning the J*Crown tournament, which also included one of the best matches of 1996 in Ultimo Dragon vs. Shinjiro Ohtani.The complete awesomeness of New Japan at the time in every way, especially the booking, which was some of the greatest of all-time.The rest of the week’s Japanese news, featuring Dave Meltzer attending an All Japan Women show at Korakuen Hall as it was starting to become clear that the promotion’s best days were behind it.The first Nitro since the infamous nWo attack at Disney World — which didn’t have any live nWo presence — and how the WCW babyfaces were trying to cope with that.News on WCW’s negotiations with Jeff Jarrett, Sean Waltman, and The Can-Am Express, as well as how the office were trying to plant rumors about Bret Hart coming in to try to help pop a big buy rate for Hog Wild.ECW losing their TV time slot in New York yet again, albeit this time before ever airing on the station.The famous "The Doctor Is In" show at the ECW featuring the debut of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and “KISS” getting interrupted by The Sandman, among other things.WWF morale being down as house show business underwhelmed.The WWF pushing Bret Hart on TV in absentia to quell those WCW rumors despite Bret being a free agent.Ahmed Johnson undergoing emergency kidney surgery, which was the beginning of the end of him being a top star.

…and a LOT more. This is an extremely fun show, so LISTEN NOW!!!!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 NJPW

1:45:31 Other Int’l: BattlARTS, BJPW, IWA Japan, Michinoku Pro, PWC, Samurai Project, AJW, Jd’, CWA, AAA, & CMLL

2:12:03 Classic Commercial Break

2:16:58 Halftime

2:58:31 WCW

3:39:55 Other USA: ECW, USWA, NAASW, & APW

4:24:52 WWF

5:24:10 Patreon Preview: 1992 Ole Anderson on Jim Herd, Black wrestlers, and Black community outreach

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