FROM THE VAULT: MUTA! STING! SIMMONS! LIGER! STEINERS!

Exclusive Color Coverage Of The Third Annual WCW-New Japan Supercard

This article was originally published in the May 1993 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. The original text also appeared in the Winter 2021 PWI digital special, alongside new photos and captions not included in the 1993 story.

TEXT BY ANDY RODRIGUEZ
PHOTOS BY KOICHI YOSHIZAWA

IT IS IRONIC that WCW World champion Big Van Vader, the man who forged his reputation for violence in Japan, did not compete on the third annual WCW/New Japan supercard at the Egg Dome in Tokyo on January 4. That irony was not lost on Ron Simmons, the man who lost the title to Vader.

“It is strange, isn’t it?” Simmons said. “The man beats me for the belt, then doesn’t come here. You’d think he’d want to boast to the Japanese people. I find that real hard to believe. But who can figure that man out?”

Sting was not one to be surprised about being in Japan. The former World champion was signed to wrestle Hiroshi Hase—and he expressed no concern over his longtime foe Vader’s whereabouts.

“Who cares if Vader is here or not,” he scoffed. “I have a job to do—and it’s hard enough without worrying about whether Vader is making the trip.”