VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

My Carolina Vacation

Masa and his WWF friends
Masanori in the middle (in the Y2J T-shirt) with Stevie Richards, Mick Foley, Luna, Val Venis, Chris Jericho, and X-Pac, September 27, 1999, Greensboro, North Carolina

I traveled around North and South Carolina from September 24 to October 1, 1999. I attended the NWA, WWF, and ECW shows. Please take a look at my pictures.


NWA 51st Anniversary / Battle Of The Belts '99 / Tradition On Trial
Saturday, September 25, 1999 / 7:45 p.m.
Grady Cole Center / Charlotte, North Carolina (300)

(11) NWA World Tag Team Championship:
Team Extreme (Kit Carson & Khris Germany / NWA Southwest) beat The Brotherhood (Knuckles Nelson and Dukes Dalton with Jeff Katz / NWA New England) to win the title---(7:20)
(10) Legends Match: "Hands of Stone" Ronnie Garvin beat "Sweet" Stan Lane---(9:40)
Stan Lane
Masanori with "Sweet" Stan Lane

(9) NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship:
Logan Caine (NWA Ohio/WV) beat Twiggy Ramirez with Madonna Wayne Gacy (NWA 2000-AWC) to retain the title---(7:00)
(8) NWA World Junior Heavyweight Contenders "Free For All" Battle Royal:
Order out---Chris Michaels (NWA New York-RCW), Air Paris (NWA Georgia), Buck Quartermaine (NWA Florida), Mercury (NWA-PWA), Gary Royal (NWA Mid Atlantic), Jonny Moss (NWA U.K.), Chris Hero (NWA Ohio / WV), Vince Kaplack (NWA East-PWX), Danny Dominion (NWA Midwest), Tony Kozina (NWA Canada), and Twiggy Ramirez got the title shot against Logan Caine
(7) Single Match: Abdullah the Butcher with "Honest" Johnny No Contest with Big Don Brody (NWA Mississippi). Abdullah carved up the NWA referees (J.J. Rivers and Fred Richards) and Gene Austin & Tommy Starr (NWA Michigan) until Ronnie Garvin made the save.
Abdullah the Butcher
Masanori and Abdullah the Butcher

(6) Triangle Match for the NWA World Championship:
Gary Steele (NWA U.K.) beat Naoya Ogawa (Universal Fighting-Arts Organization) and Mike Anthony (NWA East-PWX) to win the title (7:12)
NWA World champion Gary Steele
NWA World Champion Gary Steele and Masanori

(5) Tag Team Contenders Tournament Final:
Team Extreme beat Triple XXX (Curtis Thompson & Drake Dawson with valet Strawberry Fields / NWA Mid Atlantic)---(4:45)---Team Extreme got the title shot against The Brotherhood
Strawberry Fields
Strawberry Fields and Masanori
Curtis Thompson

Curtis Thompson and Masanori

(4) Queen's Cup Match (U.K. vs. Canada):
EZ Ryder (NWA Canada) beat Sebastian P. Sterling (NWA U.K.)---(8:00)
(3) Tag Team Contenders Tournament Match #3:
The Rage (Samu & Quinn Magnum / NWA East-PWX) No Contest with THE Canadian Cartel ("Gorgeous" Michelle Starr & Crusher Carlsen / NWA Canada)---(7:00)
(2) Tag Team Contenders Tournament Match #2:
Team Extreme beat "Hard Times" Gene Austin & "Death Dealer" Tommy Starr (NWA Michigan)---(6:30)
(1) Tag Team Contenders Tournament Match #1:
Triple XXX beat The Sex Pistols (David Young & Shane Austin / NWA Georgia) ---(8:30)

Woods, Thesz, Parks, Wahoo, and Royal
NWA Legends (l-r) Tim "Mr. Wrestling" Woods, Lou Thesz, Reggie Parks, Wahoo McDaniel, and Nelson Royal

* It wasn't too good this year compared to last year in Cherry Hill, NJ (NWA 50th Anniversary show), but I was happy to see a lot of legends. "Chief" Wahoo McDaniel, Mr. Wrestling #1 (Tim Woods), Nelson Royal, Swede Hanson, Rene Goulet, Ricky Steamboat, Don & Rocky Kernodle, "Sweet" Stan Lane, Tommy Young, Penny Banner, and Susan Greene, who are from this area, and Lou Thesz, Abdullah The Butcher, and Reggie Parks were at the Fan Convention. I couldn't find Abe Jacobs.
Wahoo McDaniel
Masanori with Chief Wahoo McDaniel
Abdullah and Wahoo
Abdullah and Wahoo
Tim 'Mr. Wrestling' Woods
Masanori with Tim "Mr. Wrestling" Woods
Tommy Young
Legendary NWA / Mid-Atlantic referee Tommy Young and Masanori
Rocky and Don Kernodle
Masanori with Rocky and Don Kernodle, and the NWA United States championship belt
Swede Hanson
Masanori with Mid-Atlantic legend Swede Hanson
George Hines (Jackie Fulton)
Masanori with George Hines (Jackie Fulton / The Eagle)
Nelson Royal
Former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Nelson Royal and Masanori
David Crockett
Masanori with David Crockett
Charles Robinson
Masanori with WCW referee Charles "Little Naitch" Robinson
Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat with Masanori

* New NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gary Steele lost the title back to ex-champion Naoya Ogawa on Saturday, October 2. However, Gary is a serious and aspiring young wrestler who has a bright future in both the USA and Japan.
* NWA Mid-Atlantic promoter David "Slim" Baucom is running a lot of night clubs in this area.
* Mick Foley had a autograph session in Statesville, NC (45 minutes from Charlotte) and stayed in the same hotel where a lot of NWA wrestlers stayed, but only a few people knew about it.
Mick and the DX Chop
Mick Foley and Masanori do the DX Chop
Mick does the Undertaker
Mick and Masanori imitate the Undertaker


WWF Unforgiven
Sunday, September 26, 1999 / 7:45 p.m.
Charlotte Coliseum / Charlotte, North Carolina (18,000)

(9) Main Event / Six Pack Challenge Match for the WWF Championship:
Hunter Hearst Helmsley won the vacant title (20:28)
The other participants: The Rock, Mankind, Kane, The Big Show, British Bulldog
Steve Austin was the special enforcer referee.
(8) Single Match: X-Pac beat Chris Jericho (13:09 DQ)
(7) Kennel From Hell Match for the Hardcore Championship:
Al Snow beat Big Bossman to retain the title (11:42)
(6) WWF World Tag Team Championship:
The New Age Outlaws beat Edge & Christian to retain the title (11:29 "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn beat Edge)
(5) Hardcore Rules Match for the Women's Championship:
Ivory beat Luna to retain the title (3:36)
(4) Tag Team Match: The Acolytes beat The Dudley Boyz (7:27 Faarooq beat D-Von)
(3) The Intercontinental Championship:
Jeff Jarrett beat Chyna to retain the title (11:52 DQ)
(2) The European Championship:
D-Lo Brown beat Sexual Chocolate Mark Henry to win the title (9:11)
(1) Single Match: Val Venis beat Steve Blackman (6:30)
Teddy Long
Masanori with WWF referee Teddy Long


WWF RAW is WAR
Monday, September 27, 1999 / 7:45 p.m.
Greensboro Coliseum / Greensboro, North Carolina (12,000)

(6) WWF World Heavyweight Championship: The Rock beat Hunter Hearst Helmsley with Chyna (7:14 DQ)
(5) Chyna & Debra beat Jeff Jarrett & Dr. Tom Pritchard with Miss Kitty (1:11)
(4) WWF Women's Championship: The Fabulous Moolah & Mae Young beat Ivory
(3) WWF World Tag Team Championship: The New Age Outlaws No Contest with X-Pac & Kane (2:33)
(2) D-Lo Brown beat Steve Blackman
(1) The Big Show beat Chris Jericho (DQ)
Terry Taylor
The WWF's Terry Taylor and Masanori

* Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE), which has had NHB style "PRIDE" shows, is interested in having WWF shows in Japan in 2000.


ECW
Thursday, September 30, 1999 / 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Auditorium / Spartanburg, South Carolina (900)
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

(10) Steve Corino / Rod Price / Jack Victory beat Tommy Dreamer with Francine / Raven / Jazz
(9) Sabu with Bill Alfonso beat Johnny Smith
Sabu
Sabu

(8) Justin Credible & Lance Storm with Jason & Dawn Marie beat Danny Doring and Amish Roadkill with Miss Congeniality
(7) Yoshihiro Tajiri beat Spike Dudley and Little Guido with Sal E. Graziano in a Three Way Dance
Yoshihiro Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri

(6) New Jack beat Spanish Angel
(5) Spanish Angel / Tony DeVito / Vito Lograsso No Contest with The Dupp Brothers (Otto Scwanz / Mike Maverick / Cham Pain)
(4) ECW World Championship: Mike Awesome with Judge Jeff Jones beat Davey Cash to retain the title
(3) Super Nova beat Simon Diamond
(2) Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney beat C.W. Anderson & Bill Wiles
(1) P. N News beat Tom Marquez

Tajiri and Masanori
Yoshihiro Tajiri and Masanori

* Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium opened in 1951 and had held Jim Crockett's weekly wrestling show every Saturday night until the mid-1980s. This facility began a renovation in March. Local ECW promoter Greg Price has promoted ECW shows in this area.
* Dory & Terry Funk and Sabu are scheduled to go to FMW in Japan at the end of November. FMW will have a big show at the 17,000-seat Yokohama Arena on Tuesday, November 23 (Japanese Labor Thanksgiving Day).
* Bill & Cheryl Black and Abdullah the Butcher's manager, "Honest" Johnny, were backstage.
Bad Boy Billy Black
Masanori with "Bad Boy" Billy Black

* A lot of young wrestlers from this area had try-outs before the doors opened.

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You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp

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