Nerd Watch Wednesday - Collision in Korea 1995

May 13, 202015 min read

Updated: Jun 3, 2020

This week it was Pete Hitchcock's turn to pick a show for the WSBF boys and he chose a truly infamous one! It's only Collision in Korea, officially known as the Pyongyang International Sports and Culture Festival for Peace.

Think of it as the 90's version of the current Saudi WWE shows... except Eric Bischoff slags off communism on commentary. You don't see Corey Graves talking politics in Jeddah!

2 COLD SCORPIO vs. WILD PEGASUS

By Matt Connolly

So kicking off Nerd Watch this week and I have been given what must have been a mouth watering opening bout in the year 1995. 2 Cold Scorpio taking on Wild Pegasus. Obviously this means I have the task of making the art/artist separation here with regards to Pegasus but I am able to usually go back and enjoy his matches.

I do completely understand those who can't of course. In the ring as we cut to the arena is Scorpio. He is throwing out a bunch of dance moves that would have lesser Men screaming for a hip replacement. He has tights that carry the American flag all over them and is wearing a bright silver ring jacket.

Mike Tenay is trying to put Scorpio over but in the process is running down communism. "These people have only a couple of channels of tv. They have never even seen an athlete like Scorpio before".

He goes on about how the Government control all the music and that people in North Korea have never heard anything in the top 40. Whilst he lists all the limitations, Pegasus enters the ring. He is lacking the flair that Scorpio showed, it's a jog to the ring and he is wearing black tights.

Early stages both Men set their stall out. Scorpio is able to do more athletically but Pegasus looks more comfortable at close quarters. It's a boring beat to consistently hit but few ever matched the intensity of Pegasus in the ring and even simple things like a lock up or arm bar carry way more weight when applied by the future Benoit.

I'm not sleeping on Scorpio though. It takes two to tango and he is matching his opponent early doors. Commentary doing a really great job of calling the action here. During some chain wrestling sections they talk of the importance of conditioning and chatter extensively about the advantages that certain muscle groups give you. This is right up my alley.

Benoit is bigger up top to help him overpower opponents but Scorpio has those thick thighs to support his better cardio. Scorpio then puts a few moves together. A moonsault floors Pegasus and then he hits a super kick that pre 2003 lands like a killer blow. He comes up short with a moonsault though before the ground and pound game of Pegasus takes over.

Into the closing stretch and Scorpio hits a second super kick that floors his opponent again. He picks up Pegasus for a tombstone attempt but Benoit does the Taker spot and switches into his own tombstone which looks deadly!

Up top and a diving headbutt for the win to Wild Pegasus. A fine opener. I don't think it will win any awards but at 6 minutes and 30 seconds it did what it could with its time.

WINNER - WILD PEGASUS BY DIVING HEADBUTT

TOKIMITSU ISHIZAWA vs. YUJI NAGATA

By Ross Casey

So it turns out that getting people to agree to review the latest round of Potato graps (Brum coined this for wrestling filmed on a potato) was particularly difficult. Therefore, as editor I am going to pull triple duty, starting here with Ishizawa v Nagata.

Both wrestlers are in young boy black pants, kneepads and boots so they are handily hard to tell apart too, sporting the same haircuts. They grapple strong style with Nagata's wrist work looking particularly gnarly.

Both grapplers manage to reach the ropes when in submissions as the match has a very even ebb and flow in terms of momentum.

Eric Bischoff is hilarious on commentary by the way - mild indifference along with one or two moans about North Korea - including a statement that going for a run was like having three heads.

Just as I am starting to figure out quite what that means, Yuji Nagata locks in his armbar and makes his opponent tap in less than five minutes.

A strong start to my potato graps triple header.

WINNER - YUJI NAGATA BY ARM BAR

MASAHIRO CHONO & HIRO SAITO vs. EL SAMURAI & TADAO YASUDA

By Nineties Mike

I’m not ashamed to say my knowledge of old Japanese wrestling is lacking compared to a few of the other writers in this group, but even I recognise the name of Masahiro Chono.

Upon looking him up, he was clearly quite the big name!

With a record FIVE G1 Climax wins, an NWA title and IWGP title to his name, not to mention 7 NJPW Tag Team titles, he was the main heel in NJPW for the majority of his 26-year stint. He also worked for WCW, joining the NWO at one point, as well as AJPW and Osaka Pro Wrestling.

His partner is Hiro Saito, the first Japanese wrestler to popularise the senton, and the first ever AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion. He won the WWF Junior Heavyweight title from The Cobra while in NJPW, where he returned in 2017 to compete in the New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 11.

Their opponents are El Samurai and Tadao Yasuda. El Samurai worked in NJPW for 16 years, winning the IWGP Jr Heavyweight singles and tag titles. His crowning achievement in the company, however was winning the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 1997, besting Koji Kanemoto in a match rated 5 Stars by “Big” Dave Meltzer.

Yasuda had a career as a sumo wrestler for 15 years, before turning to wrestling in 1993. Yasuda also has an IWGP Heavyweight title to his name, retiring in 2011.

Saito and Chono are out first, and Eric Bischoff alludes to Chono not being the friendliest of people. Mike Tenay follows up with the wrestling history lesson for us uneducated folk. The crowd sound pretty quiet considering there are apparently 165,00 people in attendance.

Chono and Yasuda lock up and collide mid-ring, with neither man giving an inch. Test of strength follows and Chono takes control, tagging in Saito, who delivers a top rope axe-handle to Yasuda. Saito works the arm, and hits some big boots to the midriff. Yasuda counters with a powerslam and a tag for his partner El Samurai, who takes complete control and gets our first pin attempt for a 1.5-count.

Chono back in and he’s in control, but El Samurai sees the back body drop coming and sunset flips him into a pinning predicament for a 2-count. Chono tries to talk smack to Yasuda, but El Samurai uses the distraction to push Chono into the corner and these two will surely now cut the ring in half.

Irish Whip and a big boot from Yasuda, followed by a big scoop slam, but they are undermined by a very slow and telegraphed Elbow Drop, seeing Chono regain control. Saito tags in and a double-clothesline knocks down Yasuda, who is hit by a glorious senton from Saito.

Another 2 count. Once both men are up, Yasuda uses his size advantage and drags Saito into the corner for El Samurai to try to shift the momentum back in their favour, but Saito is too clever, slams on the breaks and El Samurai dropkicks thin air.

Irish Whip from Saito, into a spinebuster and El Samurai is in deep here.

Chono tags in and stomps a mudhole in El Samurai before locking in a modified chin-lock. He breaks the hold and hits a mean-looking inverted atomic drop, leaving El Samurai in dire straits.

If he thought that was bad, Saito tags in, as a knee to the groin and a kick to the face soon follow. Saito Irish Whips him, but El Samurai counters with a kick and tags in Yasuda. Straight on the offence, Yasuda hits Saito with a high hanging suplex and another big boot.

He escapes though and tags in Chono. Yasuda hits a series of sumo slaps and a big splash in the corner. Another Yasuda scoop slam, leading to El Samurai landing a big flying headbutt and a good 2.5-count.

El Samurai goes for a belly-to-back suplex, but for some reason the ref is not looking and Chono hits the most blatant low blow you’re ever likely to see. Yasuda is furious, but as he argues with the ref, Chono and Saito are making hay with poor El Samurai. All hell breaks loose, Saito clobbers Yasuda to the floor, Chono hits EL Samurai with a shoulder tackle from the top rope, and that is 1, 2, 3! Win for the dastardly heels.

SUMMARY: A fun mixture of big powerhouse moves, some technical sprinkles and some absolutely shocking refereeing see Chono and Saito walk away victorious. I’m off to check out the main event of Ric Flair vs Antonio Inoki, which will be reviewed by Pete Hitchcock further down the page. Buzzing!

WINNERS - MASAHIRO CHONO & HIRO SAITO BY TOP ROPE SHOULDER TACKLE

BULL NAKANO & AKIRA HOKUTO VS MANAMI TOYOTA & MARIKO YOSHIDA

By Brum

Thanks to Pete today for picking the WCW/NJPW supershow, Collision in Korea. I have a list of potential future NWW picks & this was on it so looking forward to this one! I also get to review another Manami Toyota match so no complaints there.

This is a match stacked with legends. As well as one of the greatest wrestlers ever, Toyota; we have fellow 5-star machine, Akira Hokuto; inventor of the Air Raid Crash, Mariko Yoshida; and maybe the most famous joshi wrestler ever (sorry Aja), Bull Nakano. If that’s not enough legends for you, we also have Tiger Hattori on ref duty.

As the ring introductions are kicking off, the commentators do a good job of getting over the standard of AJW and how hard it is to make the cut. They follow that up with a bit of casual sexism featuring a hotel room so we’ll call that a score draw.

Nakano starts off by beating up Toyota. Though it wouldn’t be a Toyota match without a string of missile dropkicks & we get that as soon as Toyota gets a window. Nakano is rocked & Toyota tags Yoshida in. Yoshida doesn’t have the same luck as Nakano & Hokuto regains control.

Hokuto hits a sick piledriver on Yoshida & gets a 2 count. Nakano & Hokuto do a good job of isolating Yoshida. I spoke too soon though as Hokuto goes for a clothesline but a beautiful cartwheel evasion from Yoshida sets up a crossbody & a couple of handspring elbows to cut off the heels’ momentum. A fisherman suplex gets a 2 count for Yoshida.

Yoshida’s advantage is short lived as Hokuto hits a big top rope superplex! Only a 2 count. Nakano & Kokuto misfire leaving Hokuto on the mat. Toyota tags in and goes for a top rope move but eats Hokuto’s feet! Nakano tags in and hits a violent powerbomb on Manami’s poor neck. Ouch.

Nakano suplexes both Yoshida & Toyota but Hokuto misses the follow up & receives a double missile dropkick from the faces, sending her out of the ring. We then get a suicide dive from Yoshida & a springboard plancha to the outside from Toyota!

They don’t mess about & get Hokuto back in the ring. Toyota hits a moonsault but it’s only worth 2! She gets her up for the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex though so this one could be done. But no! Hokuto reverses into a reverse victory roll! Only a 2 count.

Yoshida tags in but to no avail as Hokuto hits a nasty German on her neck. Still only 2. Nakano tags back in & means business! But Yoshida is not a fan of that business & hits a springboard crossbody! Only a 2, again! Yoshida tries a couple of dropkicks on Nakano but they barely register. However, when Toyota joins in, a double missile dropkick fells the beast.

Hokuto covers for Bull by taking both faces out. Nakano drags them outside for Hokuto to hit them again from the top rope, though this time to the floor with a somersault. Yoshida is the legal one & is thrown back into the ring. Hokuto slams her in the middle of the ring for Nakano to hit a gorgeous top rope legdrop. That should be enough for the 3 and it is.

SUMMARY: This wasn’t as batshit as the last Toyota match I reviewed but it was a lot of fun & sub 10 minutes so a breezy watch.

WINNERS – HOKUTO & NAKANO WITH BULL’S DIVING GUILLOTINE LEG DROP

SCOTT NORTON vs. SHINYA HASHIMOTO

By Ross Casey

So Mike let me into a little secret about this match when he became aware that this match was a 20 minute time limit draw and he swiftly passed it over. Well, Mike, I'm strapped in at 2am to watch this one on YouTube!

Let's see how far I make it through before reaching for the fast forward button. Eric Bischoff is still on commentary and after his three head comment in my last match he starts this one by complaining about having his passport taken off him upon arrival in North Korea and living with 'escorts' at the hotel who spy on him.

I need more Eric and less potato graps. Also, I tuck into Scott Norton on Sean Mooney's podcast about the show and it's wild. Listen below to the stories...

Hashimoto works the arm for a long while. He starts kicking the crap out of the future NWO member, but Norton absorbs them and ducks a second spinning heel kick. Hashimoto is pretty huge and his speed and velocity when hitting kicks is pretty cool, truth be told.

Norton drops some elbows and goes for a powerbomb, but Hashimoto backdrops out. Hashimoto tries to break Norton’s arm over the shoulder, but Norton rakes the eyes to break it up.

He scrapes Hashimoto’s face across the ropes and then works a chinlock and continues with his methodical offence. Hashimoto blocks a chop and legsweeps Norton to mount a comeback. He kicks Norton around and hits a DDT for two.

Norton asks Hashimoto to kick his sizeable chest and he gets just that. The kicks are stiff as fuck and he just walks into them. Bad ass!

Powerbomb is blocked again by Hashimoto, but Norton can get him over for a suplex. Norton FINALLY gets that powerbomb and heads to the top for a flying splash for 1-2-NO! That brings us to the 20-minute time limit draw. Bizarrely, they release streamers on either side of the ring, which looks really cool but I'm not sure the finish required it!

SUMMARY: I obviously condensed this pretty obscenely, but the 20 minutes went fairly fast to be honest. The work was snug and whilst there were a lot of rest holds, the submissions always looked painful and not simply like they needed to recharge. I liked it. Very HOSS.

WINNER - 20 MINUTE TIME LIMIT DRAW

TADAO YASUDA vs. ROAD WARRIOR HAWK

By Ross Casey

We made it people! Here it is, my potato graps hat-trick ball!

Before this match - which was actually my pick for the show - I sit through one of those North Korean marching shows which is mesmeric, to be honest. What a scene.

Yasuda starts the match using some sumo moves which Hawk cannot match, so he hits him with a wild diving shoulder tackle. Not sure Hawk has much time for his opponent. He goes up top but misses the splash.

Yasuda hits him with a beautiful butterfly suplex - which Hawk completely no sells and lays a clothesline on his opponent for good measure. Get to fuck. I hate the LOD no selling.

Hawk follows up with a powerslam, jumping fist and diving clothesline for the win.

SUMMARY: Complete squash as per with the Road Warriors.

WINNER - ROAD WARRIOR HAWK BY TOP ROPE DIVING CLOTHESLINE

THE STEINER BROTHERS vs. HIROSHI HASE & KENSUKE SASAKI

By Dom Van Dam

G’day lads and welcome to North Korea and your special tag team attraction. I’ve heard a lot about this fabled show over the years and I would definitely recommend checking out Eric Bischoff’s podcast on the topic. It is genuinely incredible to think that an American and a Japanese company could strike a deal to run an interpromotional show in a country in the World that I would consider essentially impossible to access or visit.

Bischoff is doing the play by play here and he reminds us that the North Korean fans, all 190,000 of them, don’t really have any idea about how to respond to professional wrestling and when Scott Steiner presses Hase to the outside of the ring (thought that might have still been a DQ in WCW) Bischoff wonders what the fans must be thinking as Rick Steiner runs around the ring barking like a dog.

Sasaki has an incredible mullet. This thing would be revered by Australian hipsters in 2020. Mike Tenay is telling us that this tour was where Sasaki was introduced for the first time to Joshi superstar Akira Hokuto and later that year they got married! No way! This match just paid for itself with that story.

The Steiners are just drilling the Japanese here. It’s a traditional Steiner, tag wrestling squash, with suplexes and strikes; cutting off the ring and isolating Hase from his partner. Hase has taken a lot of punishment but he’s able to hit a Uranagi suplex and gets the hot tag to Sasaki. But after a big double team move (a back suplex, combined with a diving elbow from the top, Briscoe Style) Sasaki is straight back out to leave Hase to cop another beating.

The DFG drops Hase right on the top of his head with one of the most brutal German Suplexes you’ll ever see and then brawls on the outside with Sasaki. Scott is in the ring with Hase on Dream Street.

Scott hoists Hase up, Holy shit this is going to be the Stenier Screwdriver! Scott is delaying the vertical drop from the suplex to the tombstone, to make Hase think about it aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the camera cuts to Rick stomping Sasaki on the outside and we miss probably the most devastating manoeuvre in wrestling of this period, maybe any period.

The camera comes back to Scott with the lateral press and the 3 count, I’m fuming. One bloody job! There aren’t too many clips around of Scott hitting the Screwdriver and this Steiner squash would have actually been worth watching if the camera caught it. At least we got the story of how Sasaki met his missus.

Drink lots of water; look after your mates

WINNERS - THE STEINER BROTHERS BY CAMERA CUTAWAY

RIC FLAIR vs. ANTONIO INOKI

By Pete Hitchcock

Let's just get this straight. This is not really going to be a review of the match, well it might, I don't know. This is just gonna be a review of Inoki's amazing chin, slightly just past his prime, slightly before the glory of Inokiism, a weird time for the "legend himself".

Cool mention of Rikidozan in a promo before the match and I'll give a shout out to my friend and published author George Twigg and his fine, fine novel on the big man. Flair out first with what might be his career worst hair and he does not look happy to be here, he has said this was the worst experience of his career and you can see it on his face.

Meanwhile commentary is talking about Inoki and his magnanimity putting together this WRESTLING WORLD PEACE FESTIVAL with the same superlatives one would talk about Kim Jong Il with at the time on North Korean television, probably. You have to think KJI would have had a Goldbergesque streak, no?

Things start off with...an armbar! We might be getting an Inoki match and not a Flair match and the crowd is pretty loud. Well, it is the largest one ever to be fair, even if for...reasons. Inoki's chin man, this guy should have been a superhero in a movie. Inoki Batman BOMBAYE!!!!! Flair gets trapped in the ropes by Inoki and rolls out and it's a little more Flair as a match, I guess.

Chops and kicks in the corner and Inoki takes a walk on the outside, frustrated. The commentary when they are not, understandably, shilling for the whole situation, are really good and scientific, explaining moves and motives. Inoki, to his credit, is selling well for Flair as alleged British Wrestler Hiroshi Hase cheers on Inoki on the outside.

Flair with a cool variation on the STF on Inoki and the commentary and I are both surprised. Leg work starts on Inoki's left knee and chop block follows, the crowd are still loud but this is incredibly slow for these two, although they're both old by this point.

Mention of Hulk Hogan and you forget this was in a real crap time for WCW at least at the main event level and a real nadir for guys like Flair. Back to the match and when you forget that it was the Crown Jewel bloodshow of its day it is almost encouraging to see this level of crossover between Eastern and Western promotions and a fine continuation of the tradition from the late 80s and earlier in the decade.

Flair gets rolled up for 2 trying to go for the Figure Four. What was Inoki's scandal that got him to do this, by the way? I picked this so I should know. Arms dealing perhaps, allegedly?

Wild shit. Inoki fires up and Flair is now begging off, we've seen this time and time again says the commentary and this does feel quite house show, flip over the corner but Flair back in on the inside gets a slight bit of advantage but Flair goes up top...and is thrown off per usual.

Inoki gets 2 on a dropkick but Flair is able to get Inoki into a slugfest and holds his own getting in shots in the ribs that Inoki really sells quite well. A big back suplex follows but Flair is too beat up to get an immediate cover and only gets 2. Koppo Kick gets Flair in the temple and a knee drop follows and the camera angle is quite weird as Inoki hits the Enzuigiri and Inoki wins!

The crowd don't seem to be thrilled at that...Flowers for Inoki too. Flair goes over to Inoki half dazed and offers a handshake and that is...it? With the exception of the NK shilling, this was played shockingly straight. INOKIISM NEVER DIE.

WINNER - ANTONIO INOKI BY ENZUIGIRI