Wrestler appearances in other video games | Critical Club: Fire Pro Wrestling Universe

Shadow Master
Super Kaiser

***Legendary Fire Pro Historian***

Posts: 1,644

Wrestler appearances in other video games Nov 27, 2024 17:33:58 GMT Staubhold likes this

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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 27, 2024 17:33:58 GMT

For card game enthusiasts looking for another Wrestling-themed set to step into the ring with, might I suggest:

SLAM WARS (2020)

Slam Wars is a Pro-Wrestling card game that pays tribute to the Wrestling legends of yesteryear. To date, several expansions
have been released, each with their own selection of Wrestlers from different regions or territories.

The Legends of Canadian Wrestling features stars like Whipper Billy Watson, Bret Hart, Stu Hart and Maurice Tillet
(who, while being born in Russia, made a name for himself as 'The French Angel' throughout Canada as well).

You can't have a historical Canadian expansion without mentioning the Leduc Brothers.

Makhan Singh of Karachi Vice is an early gimmick of Bastion Booger.

The Female Wrestling Legends of North America is an all-women's expansion to the Slam Wars card game.

This set features memorable wrestling personalities from various promotions in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Included in this set:

Solo Wrestlers:

Bambi,
Candi Devine,
Clara Mortenson,
Debbie Combs,
Debbie Malenko,
Denise Storm,
Desiree Petersen,
Fabulous Moolah,
Heidi Lee Morgan,
Irma Gonzalez,
Joyce Grable,
Judy Martin,
June Byers,
Lady Apache,
Leilani Kai,
Linda Dallas,
Liz Chase,
Lola Gonzalez,
Luna Vachon,
Mad Maxine,
Madusa,
Magnificent Mimi,
Malia Hosaka,
Martha Villalobos,
Mildred Burke,
Miss Janeth,
Misty Blue Simmes,
Monster Ripper,
Peggy Lee Leather,
Penny Banner,
Princess Victoria,
Reggie Bennett,
Rockin' Robin,
Sherri Martel,
Susan Green,
Susan Sexton,
Terri Power,
Tina Moretti,
Toni Rose,
Velvet McIntyre,
Vivian Vachon,
Wendi Richter,
Wenona Little Heart,
and Xochitl Hamada.

Tag Teams:

Bad, Black & Beautiful (Bad Girl & Black Venus),
Betty Jo Hawkins & Penny Banner,
Combs Family (Cora & Debbie),
Daughters of Darkness (Lock & Luna),
Donna Christanello & Toni Rose,
Ella Wladek & Mae Young,
Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai & Judy Martin),
Las Apaches (Faby & Mary),
Las Brujas (Tiffany & Janeth),
Las Irmas (Aguilar & Gonzalez),
Las Rockeras (Surena, Villalobos & Wendy),
Nasty Girls (Linda Dallas & Kat Leroux),
Power Company (Power & Bennett),
Team America (Simmes & Morgan),
Velvet McIntyre & Princess Victoria,
and Vicki Williams & Joyce Grable.

Boosters:

Billy Wolfe,
Boni Blackstone,
Boogaloo Brown,
Eddie Sharkey,
Joe Pedicino,
Jonathan Blue,
Riverside Resort & Casino,
and Spider Lady.

Last Edit: Nov 27, 2024 17:41:06 GMT by Shadow Master

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Shadow Master
Super Kaiser

***Legendary Fire Pro Historian***

Posts: 1,644

Wrestler appearances in other video games Nov 30, 2024 13:51:58 GMT Staubhold likes this

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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 30, 2024 13:51:58 GMT

In MDickie's Wrestling Empire, the Barber Shop level pays tribute to Brutus Beefcake's The Barber Shop; a television segment
that helped get Wrestlers and managers over.

The most famous of which being the split between The Rockers; kickstarting Shawn Michael's singles career of the 1990's.

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Shadow Master
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Wrestler appearances in other video games Dec 3, 2024 14:59:04 GMT Staubhold likes this

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Post by Shadow Master on Dec 3, 2024 14:59:04 GMT

On the previous page of this thread, we looked at the Pro-Wrestling Karuta card game; one of the earliest known Wrestling games
that was released in 1955.

In 1968, Shonen Book released their own playing cards based on popular Japanese Baseball and Pro-Wrestling athletes from the era.
The cards themselves were included as magazine extras, and featured the biggest stars from the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance (JWA).

Finding decent photos of the cards themselves has been a difficult ordeal. I would imagine not many sets are still intact from 1968.

Thunder Sugiyama & Antonio Inoki.

Kantaro Hoshino and Toyonobori.

The other champion of the set Giant Baba.

At the time, Giant Baba and Antonio had formed a successful tag team called 'BI-Cannon' (the BI being short for Baba and Inoki); who
would become tag team champions.

Shonen Book would disband a year later in 1969. Just three years before Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba would form their own successful
promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro-Wrestling.

The card backs with the Shonen Book logo.

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Shadow Master
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Posts: 1,644

Wrestler appearances in other video games Dec 3, 2024 21:59:24 GMT Staubhold likes this

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Post by Shadow Master on Dec 3, 2024 21:59:24 GMT

Long before arcade cabinets and video game consoles, Wrestling greats were featured on playing cards. In Japan specifically, players
were treated to spotting Pro-Wrestlers in numerous card forms. Can you recognize these two Wrestling legends?

Lou Thesz and Rikidozan.

Despite being one of the most-respected and influential Wrestlers of all time, Lou Thesz is best remembered in Japan for his title match against
Rikidozan.

While the NWA prevented Thesz from dropping his NWA title to Rikidozan directly, Thesz created a secondary belt called the NWA International
Heavyweight Championship; a belt that Rikidozan became synonymous for holding and decades later, would go on to become one of the three
original Triple Crown Championship titles featured in All Japan Pro-Wrestling.

By dropping the NWA International Heavyweight Championship to Rikidozan, Thesz' influence as a Wrestling great helped further solidify
Japanese Pro-Wrestling's credibility on a global scale. A deed that is still looked back in reverence among Puroresu historians.

An uncut sheet featuring Rikidozan. Other recognizable faces include King Kong, Superman, Godzilla, and Japanese
Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh. As to my knowledge, only Rikidozan and Lou were the only Pro-Wrestlers added to
this set of Menko cards.

Last Edit: Dec 3, 2024 22:14:24 GMT by Shadow Master

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Shadow Master
Super Kaiser

***Legendary Fire Pro Historian***

Posts: 1,644

Wrestler appearances in other video games Dec 4, 2024 4:06:43 GMT

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Post by Shadow Master on Dec 4, 2024 4:06:43 GMT

Arguably the earliest Japanese Wrestling game cards could very well be this set of Menko cards.

The cards depict Canadian Wrestler Lou Newman and Rikidozan. The backs of the cards feature Wrestler names and moves. For example, the back of
Newman's card reads 'Boston Crab', while most of Rikidozan's spell out Riki's name in Kanji.

Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance promotional piece advertising Rikidozan, Lou Newman and Hans Schnabel.

Timeline-wise, Lou Newman competed in the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance as a tag team with Hans Schnabel in 1954. The duo faced off against Rikidozan, Kokichi Endo, and
other JWA talent during a brief tour of Japan; possibly making these the earliest Japanese Menko game cards to feature a Pro-Wrestler.

This menko card contains a watercolour illustration of Rikidozan. The text reads 'Pro-Wrestling Champion Rikidozan'.

The backs of this particular Menko card contain the Kanji word '狐' (fox). Fox is not the name of the manufacturer of these cards, but refers to an old pre-war
card game/variation of Menko that people in Japan used to play that was called Kitsuneken; better known today as Rock, Paper, Scissors in English.

In Kitsuneken you have three different plays: Fox, Village Headman and Hunter. Fox beats village headman, who beats hunter, who beats fox. Just like the circular
paper/rock/scissors hierarchy of plays.

Special thanks to:baseballcardsinjapan.blogspot.com for their extensive coverage on Kitsuneken!

Last Edit: Dec 4, 2024 5:07:31 GMT by Shadow Master

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