(ALL JAPAN) New Year's Special Feature - Challenges and Prospects of the World of Wrestling in 1973
Japan at a turning point as professional wrestling celebrates its 20th anniversary. American fans and Europeans alike desire the American style for the "decisive battle" between N and A and WA.
1973 (Showa 48) is about to begin with a bright and cheerful start. The world of professional wrestling, which delivers thrilling and exciting matches to fans, will it continue to provide topics for discussion in the new year? What challenges will the four major Japanese promotions, the major American promotions, and the European wrestling scene.
Let's look ahead to the hopes and anxieties that lie ahead in 1973.
Amidst a shortage of talent, Tsuruta shines a light, along with All Japan's well-established promotional foundation.
While it's the newest promotion, the safest option in terms of management base, foreign wrestler issues, and domestic show presence is All Japan Pro Wrestling...that's the consensus among media insiders.
With the backing of Nippon Television, which is passionate about broadcasting professional wrestling, Baba was in a financially secure position from the start. Using this financial advantage, Baba embarked on creating a new promotion, and his long-standing relationships with top-tier foreign wrestlers allowed him to smoothly secure their introduction.
Starting with Sammartino, Monsoon, and Morales in New York, he quickly gained the cooperation of The Destroyer, Snyder, and even Texas legend Dory Funk. Even within Japan, while not reaching the peak of professional wrestling's heyday, they are achieving considerable success in terms of audience attendance.
However, the biggest concern with this promotion right now is the absolute lack of Japanese wrestlers. While there's Thunder Sugiyama, who transferred from International Pro Wrestling, and Koma and Okuma, who returned from America, having only ten people including the boss is far too few.
Baba, having learned from his bitter experiences in Japan Pro Wrestling, prefers a small, elite group for both wrestlers and front office staff, but he really needs three or four more young wrestlers. Many prospective trainees have come forward, and while Baba's current selective training policy will likely be maintained, it seems he will have to rely on his existing strengths for the first half of 1973.
Instead, the presence of Tomomi "Jumbo" Tsuruta, a star candidate who was selected through a rigorous selection process, is significant. The fact that Tsuruta ended up coming to Baba after a bidding war with various professional wrestling promotions and sumo stables, shows the bright future of All Japan. Tsuruta's exceptional athletic ability has even surprised Baba, who wants to use him immediately. However, a careful training plan will be devised, and this "golden egg" will likely be hatched sometime in 1973.
I can't wait for that day to come.
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