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International Pro Wrestling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This page describes the two promotions that have administered the International Wrestling Alliance titles in Japan. For an earlier Japanese promotion in the 1950s called International Pro Wrestling Force, see Masahiko Kimura. For the IWA Japan promotion, see International Wrestling Association of Japan
International Pro Wrestling (国際プロレス興行;, Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō) was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1967 to 1981. It was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Europe. The promotion cooperated with All Japan Pro Wrestling and later, New Japan Pro Wrestling. When IPW closed its doors in 1981, Inoue, Hara, Tsurumi, and Fuyuki joined All Japan, while Kimura, Hamaguchi and Teranishi joined New Japan as an stable that formed the first "invasion" angle in history, later copied by the Japanese UWF, Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the nWo in WCW in America.
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- Japanese talent: Thunder Sugiyama, Hiro Matsuda, Great Kusatsu, Strong Kobayashi, Rusher Kimura, Mighty Inoue, Animal Hamaguchi, Ashura Hara, Isamu Teranishi, Goro Tsurumi, Hiromichi Fuyuki
- Foreign talent: Billy Robinson, Verne Gagne, André the Giant, Wahoo McDaniel, Karl Gotch, Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge
IPW's governing body was called the International Wrestling Alliance and administered the following titles:
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship
- IWA World Mid-Heavyweight Championship
- IWA World Tag Team Championship
Near the end of IPW's existence, it billed a World Wrestling Union title, supposedly based in Germany, to give a push to wrestler Ashura Hara:
- WWU World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Before the IWA system was created, IPW recognized the Trans-World Wrestling Alliance titles:
- TWWA World Heavyweight Championship
- TWWA World Tag Team Championship
See also American Wrestling Association for the AWA World titles.
In 1994, Goro Tsurumi formed a promotion called IWA Kakutō Shijuku (IWA格闘志塾, International Wrestling Alliance Fighting Hope Training School), but in 1997 he renamed the promotion International Wrestling Promotion (国際プロレス・プロモーション Kokusai puroresu promotion). The only recognizable name in the promotion is Tsurumi himself; the rest of the roster uses masked identities. Wrestlers from other independents have been invited to participate, including Shoji Nakamaki and Yukihide Ueno.
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship — Goro Tsurumi
- IWA World Mid-Heavyweight Championship — J.R.F. Lion
- IWA World Middleweight Championship — Phantom Funagoshi
- IWA World Tag Team Championship — Super Iron Hercules and Iron Hercules I
- IWA World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship — Tomoya and Macho Bump
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