Rob Faint
When you think about professional wrestling in Japan several names come to mind: NJPW, AJPW, NOAH. This article will focus on one of the smaller, yet influential organizations, the IWE, or International Wrestling Enterprise.
The IWE was founded in 1966 by Isao Yoshihara. While NJPW and AJPW were associated with the WWF and NWA respectively, The IWE worked exclusively with the AWA and Canadian promotions. Their claim to fame is they were the 1st company to bring Andre the Giant to Japan.
Yoshihara, a former wrestler himself, had his start working with the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA). After the death of Rikidozan and a conflict with the main office he left to form the IWE. Yoshihara’s formula was to hire freelancers to tour Japan. He quickly learned the ineffectiveness of this plan and began offering contracts and building a roster. Hiro Matsuda was their first booker, but success had stalled. After many starts and stops, including partnerships with Antonio Inoki, they finally secured a TV deal and began promoting cards including international talent.
Their roster included some of the best talent around the world. Japanese wrestlers included Matsuda, Masa Saito, Kim Duk, and Rusher Kimura. International talent included Verne Gagne, Andre the Giant, the Crusher, Ivan Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Nick Bockwinkel, Wahoo McDaniel, Superstar Billy Graham and many others.
They recognized several titles, the IWA World Heavyweight championship, the IWA World Tag Team Championship, and the IWA World Mid-Heavyweight Championship. (The AWA belt was considered equal value to the IWA’s; several title vs title matches had occurred). Rusher Kimura was a 5-time heavyweight champion, the IWE’s answer to Inoki and Baba.
Competition was fierce in Japan and the promotion closed in September 1981. Kimura and 2 others joined NJPW as an invading faction predating the New World Order by several years.
David Fullam
Important, deserves to be remembered.