Thread Tools

rzombie1988 · 10-16-2012, 09:08 PM

I just finished watching the japanese version of the WCW/NJPW Supershow. Like most people, I only saw the WCW version of it for years. However, watching the japanese version of it was very different.

Here's how the versions differ:
Japanese version:
- Includes Norton/Equalizer, Singh/Choshu, an 8-man and the last match of Doom against Vader/Bam Bam
- Complete matches
- Production music and no real themes
- No Sting interview and no Fujinami/Flair angle

WCW version:
- English commentary
- Angle at the end of the show with Fujinami and Flair
- Official music for all of the American stars
- No Norton/Equalizer, 8-man, Choshu/Singh or Doom vs Vader/Bam Bam
- Different shots and some entrances
- Includes the national anthem ceremony for the main event
- Somehow has more heat for everything

Watching the two shows is almost like watching completely different shows. The big thing is that the WCW version is heavily clipped. This is a bad thing and a good thing. It's good because it shows the best parts of each match, but it's bad because it misses some parts and makes matches appear much better than they are.

In particular, the Liger/Nogami and Steiners/Hase and Sasaki matches are totally different. Liger/Nogami is actually even better than it was made to be while the Steiners match was actually not quite as good. Yes, they did alot of cool stuff, but it didn't have alot of flow and the teams weren't really comfortable with working each other.

Overall, I thought the show was very good. The only turd here was a Choshu/Singh match that was obviously going to stink.

Picking the best match on the show is not an easy feat here. Sting/Muta was great, Liger/Akira was probably even better and Doom vs Vader/Bam Bam was really good as was Steiners/HaseKen. I guess I would still have to pick the Steiners match as the best match on the show but, the quality of it was not what I had thought it was.

I kind of recommend checking out both versions to be honest. The angles/explanations to things are missing on the Japanese one, but tons of matches and minutes of matches are missing on the WCW one.

What did you guys think of the WCW/NJPW Supershow? Also, did anyone ever check out the japanese version?

I reviewed the full show with pics/gif's in my blog in my signature.

MF83 · 10-16-2012, 11:25 PM

Do you have a blog?

nevereveragainu · 10-17-2012, 02:17 PM

i once read on another forum that Norton had quite a following in Japan

Martyn · 10-18-2012, 05:19 AM

I've seen both, the japanese and US version. I love Tokyo Dome shows, but this one was really boring. Only Sasaki & Hase vs. Steiners deliver and the rest was mediocore. Fujinami/Flair was a big disappointment to me and they didnt do nothing memorable. It was the only time, when Flair main evented Tokyo Dome show and its really weird, that he couldnt do something better with an opponent like Fujinami. Their match from two months later in United States was a lot better. Overall, I enjoyed SWS/WWF early 90's supershows a lot more, than all those NJPW/WCW events.

HerbUWF · 10-21-2012, 04:58 PM

Norton is back in japan now, and this show was the nuts.