Category: Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast

Japanese fans in attendance thought they witnessed history as IWGP Champion Tatsumi Fujinami beat Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but a disputed finish and secret angle after the match tarnished the victory. On this episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Fumi Saito and Jim Valley go in-depth on “Starrcade at Tokyo…

On this episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Fumi Saito and I share our memories of Dick Beyer, The Intelligent Sensational Destroyer, who just passed away at the age of 88, and discuss his incredible legacy in Japan. The Destroyer was Rikidozan’s last opponent. Two of Beyer’s matches drew some of the highest television ratings in…

From Tokyo while driving in traffic, Fumi Saito and Jim Valley review the Giant Baba 20th Anniversary Memorial Show. Immediately after leaving Sumo Palace, Fumi and Jim give you their thoughts on the event, its historical significance, and the history and politics behind many of the choices made on the show. Stars who appeared on the…

Former WWWF Champion Pedro Morales, who passed away yesterday, was very famous in Japan. He was even featured in a comic book (pictured). On this edition of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Fumi Saito shares stories of Morales, who was promoted as a friend of Giant Baba and then later as a rule-breaking enemy of Antonio…

We’re back for another episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling podcast. Fumi talks about his night out with Keiji Muto and others. In addition, we talk about Becky Lynch, the road to WrestleMania, Jim’s observations attending SmackDown in Everett, Kendo Kashin at the WWE Performance Center, Giant Baba’s “MMA” match with Raja Lion, the…

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Jushin Thunder Liger. And on this episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Fumi and I look at the legendary career of Keiichi Yamada, from his beginnings in 1984, to becoming Liger in ’89 and beyond. Fumi talks about the origins of the Liger character, great opponents like…

Jumbo Tsuruta is one of the greatest wrestlers and biggest legends in the history of professional wrestling. On this edition of Pacific Rim, Fumi Saito and I go in-depth on the life, career, and legacy of Tsuruta. From the Munich Olympics, to The Funks, All Japan, the AWA, and helping to build and establish Mitsuharu Misawa, learn…

Photo credit: Toshi Kuramori It’s another packed episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast. Fumi Saito and I talk about Kenny Omega. Fumi offers his thoughts on why he thinks the odds are good that Omega will work for both NJPW and AEW in 2019. Plus, the winners of the Tokyo Sports Pro Wrestling Awards and…

It’s a special episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast as Fumi Saito catches up with his long-time friend Paul Lazenby. Fumi and Paul first met when Paul was a gaijin in the Pancrase dojo. Paul recounts how Fumi introduced himself and told Lazenby that he had a lot of potential. There is also…

From Tokyo, Japan, less than a mile away from the Tokyo Dome, home of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13, it’s the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast. Fumi Saito and Jim Valley talk about all of their wrestling-related activities this week. Jim and Fumi describe Korakuen Hall and talk about its history. They go in-depth…

From Tokyo, Japan, a very special episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast. Fumi Saito and Jim Valley welcome Dave Meltzer to the show. After months of trying, Dave and Fumi are finally together on a podcast. Over an hour of discussion on Japanese wrestling history between two of the most respected journalists in pro…

This week, the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast goes in depth on one of the members of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Class of 2018: Yuji Nagata. Fumi Saito and Jim Valley talk about Nagata’s career, his amateur background, getting recruited by Hiroshi Hase, his time as IWGP Champion, his MMA career, Fedor, and Nagata’s current time…

Fumi Saito and Jim Valley are back with a new Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast. This week, they look at Asuka winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the WWE TLC PPV, how it’s being received in Japan, and what it can mean for the future. Plus, how companies in Japan remembered Dynamite Kid following his…

Dynamite Kid made an impression everywhere he wrestled: England, Calgary, Portland, and the WWF. But he arguably had his most famous matches and greatest historical impact in Japan. On this special episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Jim Valley and Fumi Saito look at the Japanese career of the Dynamite Kid, including the…

Fumi Saito and Jim Valley are back and cover a lot of topics on this new episode of The Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast. They include: Fumi’s annual quest for turkey and Thanksgiving dinner in Japan, The Nosawa Rongai show featuring The Jung Dragons, Shannon Moore, the return of Dory Funk Jr., plus the viability of…

This time of the year means one thing: it’s tag league season in Japan. Fumi Saito and Jim Valley cover the history of both tag league tournaments: Real World Tag League in All Japan and the World Tag League in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Tracing back to Rikidozan, they also talk about the Madison Square Garden tournaments in…