FUSION: Misawa in America?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Has anyone else heard about this FUSION show going on in New Jersey? The main event is the SAT's vs. Misawa and Ogawa, and I heard that someone from Japan is the financial backer. Does anyone have any details?

[Tradewynd]

I have heard that it is one of the backers who backed MLW and the same one that backed H2. Not WGO Properties, but the other mystery backer that no one knows about. The rumors of Court Bauer being the backer came about because it is believed to be the same backer Baurer used, and the SAT may have gotten this backer's contact information from Bauer. If it is the same backer it should be noted that they pulled money on Bauer three times, the first time eliminating the money needed to book Kojima, the second time killing MLW and the third killing H2. It will be interesting to see if the SAT get buried by the IWC like Bauer did if their funds are pulled.

[naterob2003]

I read the same thing just a little bit ago. The backer isn't supposed to be court bauer, but if so hisa might have some news. Anyways, it is ashame that nothing more ever came about with Kojima and MLW. I am really suprised that ROH or someone didn't try to book Kojima really hard. Kojima as the first ROH champ... man that would have been cool.

On a different note, trade you mentioned WGO. If you go to MLW's website their name is at the bottom and they are promoting the reopening of MLW. Does anyone know who WGO is and when MLW's return will come?

[Tradewynd]

According to Court Bauer, WGO is an "Asian properties company." They focus primarily on video distribution in Asia via the VCD format in places like Singapore, Malaysia, etc. and were a backer of MLW. Wrestling VCDs sell well so they bought all of the assets (including promotion rights) of MLW from Court Bauer for the tape library. Before Bauer got involved in H2 WGO was promoting "MLW 4.0" on the website. Obviously, it has not yet happened. When he was promoting H2 Bauer stated that he had nothing to do with MLW 4.0, or MLW at all from that point, and had no information on what they were doing. I don't know what his Hollywood commitments are, but it would be theoretically possible for him to come back into the fold at MLW now if they were to seriously try to promote again. But since the website was hyping 4.0 before H2 even started, I wouldn't hold my breath. Highspots released MLW shows after the sale, so I would assume they have an agreement with WGO for the footage. It would be a nice bonus if TV only promos and angles appeared on the DVDs as extras.

Oddly enough, the Gary Hart Uncut shoot interview is no longer listed for sale on MLW's site. For those interested in the DVDs after King of Kings, they're 3 bucks cheaper direct from MLW than from Highspots, and in the near future every MLW show will be available on DVD. If you want MLW to come back, show WGO you're willing to buy DVDs, because that's where they look to make money.

Bauer was able to bring in Japanese talent like Kojima and Tanaka becasue he wasn't footing the bill. When a show aired on GAORA, GAORA paid for the transportation and hotels for the Japanese talent in exchange for rights to air the footage in Japan. As I recall the shows were not huge ratings successes, and GAORA became less and less willing to pay for plane tickets and hotels, with WGO picking up the difference. That eventually led to MLW no longer using Japanese guys. ROH has no interest in licensing their footage to anyone, and must be planning on selling a ton of DVDs to pay for Liger.

I love how the website from "MLW 3.0" comes back when you click on some of the merchandise. That is fantastic.

I only recognize 6 characters in that string across the bottom, although I'm sure someone who reads more Japanese than me can decipher it. There may be some useful information there. At least, I'm assuming it's Japanese and not Chinese due to the presence of the katakana o.

[naterob2003]

Thanks trade... for the kojima thing, i was talking about him being in ROH. I think that ROH would really be interested in a japanese partnership but i could be wrong. I hope MLW comes back.

[Tradewynd]

ROH books Japanese guys whenever they don't have to pay the travel bill. When Mutoh came over at the end of last year to get his knees drained and brought some AJ guys along as tourists ROH booked them for Final Battle 2003. They know they can sell enough tickets and DVDs to make up for the booking cost of Japanese talent. But adding in the cost of a last minute plane ticket from Tokyo means you need to sell a LOT of DVDs you would not have otherwise sold just to break even on the booking. Japanese guys are also presented as a special attraction, and if they had them all the time they wouldn't sell 1500+ tickets and move a ton of extra DVDs because of them. I'll gladly buy a DVD that has Muta, Kojima, Miyamoto, etc. on it as a special event, but if they were ROH regulars I wouldn't buy every DVD they are on. It wouldn't be special anymore. ROH realizes this, and knows it is in their best interest to use Japanese guys sparingly, and to always do it when they don't need to buy plane tickets.

I don't know how a Japanese partnership would benefit ROH. If a Japanese TV station was willing to buy a license to use ROH footage, that would obviously help, since it would be money coming in. I don't see ROH ever trying to run a show in Japan though, seeing as established Japanese promotions have problems drawing. If a Japanese promotion were willing to buy plane tickets to send guys to ROH and not have ROH buy plane tickets to send guys to Japan that would benefit them. If they could get a promotion in Japan to sell their DVDs at American prices that would help ROH, because even at full price they'd be bargain basement priced in Japan. I don't know what realistic long-term relationship ROH could establish in Japan that would be beneficial to both ROH and the Japanese promotion.

Here's an idea for you. ROH uses Samoa Joe as a contact to establish a relationship with New Japan. Inoki uses his influence to have Fujita squash Joe for the ROH Title in 2 minutes. He then cuts all ties to ROH, tells them to send a shooter after Fujita if they want their belt back. However, he will force ROH to form offshoot ROHK and will only only allow Fujita to defend the ROH Title against the champion of ROHK, and if Fujita beats the ROHK champion then tough ****. He furthermore bans all NJ talent from ever working for ROH again if they want to keep their NJ bookings and get any money NJ might owe them. Kusama will then somehow spin this into a project that makes NJ billions of yen.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Hey trade, didn't ROH make Liger fly himself over to work those shows?

[Tradewynd]

I was under the impression that he was coming over to do a training camp and maybe working with some of the juniors in the LA Dojo and ROH booked him since he was going to be in the states anyway. I don't know if Liger paid for his plane ticket from Japan, but I can guarantee you there is no way ROH did. I'm sure Liger's booking fee was high enough for them as is.

[naterob2003]

Yeah he was in california for a training session at Inoki's LA Dojo. I still believe what i said earlier in this post. I agree with trade that things need to be seen as special and that it is/would be expensive to fly people in from tokyo. BUT, what about kojima in MLW. He was in America (i am guessing) about 10 times at most during his stretch but the point is that MLW showed footage of his MLW defenses in Japan (exposure) and showed his defenses that happened in Japan to us here in america (genius). Nobody is saying that they would be taking a leave from Japanese wrestling. I am saying for Big shows much like liger was used and really like Kojima was. Oh well i doubt we will see it much more really unless somebody could get a working agreement with a Japanese Indy like Dragon's Gate or DDT.

[Tradewynd]

A working relationship with DDT, eh? If FUSION booked The Ladder, I just may have to make the trip. I miss The Ladder, and would fully forgive The Ladder for coming out of retirement.

Kojima only worked 3 MLW shows. The plan was for him to be the ace of the company, and not a special attraction, but the TV ratings in Japan didn't pan out to making that a possibility, and he didn't draw enough to warrant buying him a plane ticket on top of his booking fee. There was no real exposure being gained from the GAORA TV deal, since MLW would never run (nor draw for that matter) in Japan, it was just a way to get someone else to pick up the tab on Kojima.

[DizzyValentine]

Yeah, i heard about the Misawa thing, it's a show i would love to see, i'll buy a dvd or something no doubt. I hope FUSION gets off the ground, could really be something.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I just read on puroresupower.com that Misawa and Ogawa pulled out of the show, as did Chris Daniels and AJ Styles.

[Tradewynd]

Matt Striker is gone too. To show the true genius of the promotional minds behind this show, Marty Jannety was considered to replace all of the guys who aren't making it now. MARTY F'N JANNETY to cover Misawa, Ratboy, Matt Striker, Christopher Daniels and Matt Striker. They ended up getting Ultimo, who as great as he is, does not make up for all those guys not being there. One or two, maybe, but nobody short or Goldberg or Steve Austin is going to sell the tickets and DVDs those 5 names would have. I am taking bets on how FUSION will screw up Ultimo's name on the new flyer for those interested. Ultimate Dragon seems likely, since WCW did it too. American Dragon or Super Dragon also seem like possible FUSION screw ups. Or maybe something less drastic like Ultmio Drahgon. I just hope they don't cancel Ultimo's plane ticket too, then they'll have to find another headliner, and they're starting to run out of names. All of this under the combined wrestling acumen of the SATs and Evan Karagous. And to think we say bad things about New Japan.