Collision in Korea.

[agent817]

Today I watched the DSotR episode on this for the second time and I have to say that the whole concept behind this event was crazy. I know people talk about the stuff behind the Saudi Arabia shows is crazy, especially thinking about how they allowed Sonya DeVille and Doudrop to be there when their sexual orientations are punishable by death in that country. But Collision in Korea, for 1990s standards, this is just bizarre. I had read that the whole thing was set up because Antonio Inoki had ties to the North Korean government, which was how this was set up. I could go on about all of the stuff the talent and others went through, whether it was Eric Bischoff jogging unsupervised in the streets of Pyongyang and being looked at as a monster, the whole Scott Norton thing with calling his wife, the part about the wrestlers playing pool and getting into it with NK soldiers, etc. But what stood out to me was how when the footage was shown, it felt weird seeing the people of North Korea looking on not knowing what they were watching. It was bizarre. I'm sure it would have been safer if the show was in South Korea, but that would be stating the obvious.

I found the show on YouTube. Is it even worth watching at all? I mean I could enjoy some matches, but knowing a lot of the drama surrounding this show makes me wonder if it's worth it.

[Mozenrath]

It's worth watching as a historical novelty on a few levels, but it's not like, anything special exactly from an in-ring standpoint, I feel, so it depends on what you're interested in.

[Cyno]

Weren't the attendees at that show basically forced to go too?

It made WWE's Saudi Arabia events look like a standard international tour by comparison.

[chrom]

Jun 20, 2022 21:29:46 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Weren't the attendees at that show basically forced to go too?

It made WWE's Saudi Arabia events look like a standard international tour by comparison.

Correct.

[Mozenrath]

Jun 20, 2022 21:29:46 GMT -5 Cyno said:

Weren't the attendees at that show basically forced to go too?

It made WWE's Saudi Arabia events look like a standard international tour by comparison.

Basically, yes, from what we know. Naturally, 100 percent verified information is difficult to come by.

Inoki did continue to maintain some ties with North Korea to try to warm relations, I believe, but WCW obviously was out after this.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Agree that it worth seeing due to the novelty, but I'd say the only match from worth hunting down would be Inoki/Flair... well, the Steiner match was fun, too. Everything else seemed to be on autopilot.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I watched the episode for the second time the other day, never really found the need to watch the show, I suppose it may be interesting from a historical standpoint, but I feel I can go without.

[tafkaga]

Is this the show where Bischoff said he was sitting next to Mohammad Ali, scared shitless, because Ali was talking shit about Kim Jong Il, who was sitting only a short distance away?  Or am I getting my WCW events hosted by foreign dictators confused?

I did watch it some time ago and I barely remember anything about it, if that tells you anything.

[chazraps]

It's also worth listening to the episode of 83 Weeks about this. One of the finest episodes of any wrestling podcast ever released.

Scott Norton's book (arguably the best wrestling memoir of the 2010s, or at the very least top 2) goes into amazing detail on this as well.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

Jun 21, 2022 13:55:55 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Is this the show where Bischoff said he was sitting next to Mohammad Ali, scared shitless, because Ali was talking shit about Kim Jong Il, who was sitting only a short distance away?  Or am I getting my WCW events hosted by foreign dictators confused?

I did watch it some time ago and I barely remember anything about it, if that tells you anything.

I know Flair mentioned in his book that he was sitting next to Ali when North Korean officials started going on about how they were “morally superior” and “could take out the U.S. and Japan any time they wanted.” He said that Ali, who had been pretty quiet to this point, loudly and clearly said, “No wonder we hate these motherf***ers!”

[fw91]

Jun 21, 2022 17:53:21 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

Jun 21, 2022 13:55:55 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Is this the show where Bischoff said he was sitting next to Mohammad Ali, scared shitless, because Ali was talking shit about Kim Jong Il, who was sitting only a short distance away?  Or am I getting my WCW events hosted by foreign dictators confused?

I did watch it some time ago and I barely remember anything about it, if that tells you anything.

I know Flair mentioned in his book that he was sitting next to Ali when North Korean officials started going on about how they were “morally superior” and “could take out the U.S. and Japan any time they wanted.” He said that Ali, who had been pretty quiet to this point, loudly and clearly said, “No wonder we hate these motherf***ers!”

And assuming this was when Ali's speech was starting to decline, that had to have been pretty audible.

[chrom]

According to the New Japan Wrestlers, the Real Collision in Korea happened when Kensuke Sasaki and Akira Hokuto met later that night.

[Mozenrath]

Jun 21, 2022 18:28:32 GMT -5 chrom said:

According to the New Japan Wrestlers, the Real Collision in Korea happened when Kensuke Sasaki and Akira Hokuto met later that night.

I always forget if this was when the two met or when they had only briefly been dating before this. I do know he proposed to her basically immediately, and they've had a long, very consummated marriage since.

[tafkaga]

Jun 21, 2022 17:53:21 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

Jun 21, 2022 13:55:55 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Is this the show where Bischoff said he was sitting next to Mohammad Ali, scared shitless, because Ali was talking shit about Kim Jong Il, who was sitting only a short distance away?  Or am I getting my WCW events hosted by foreign dictators confused?

I did watch it some time ago and I barely remember anything about it, if that tells you anything.

I know Flair mentioned in his book that he was sitting next to Ali when North Korean officials started going on about how they were “morally superior” and “could take out the U.S. and Japan any time they wanted.” He said that Ali, who had been pretty quiet to this point, loudly and clearly said, “No wonder we hate these motherf***ers!”

That's what I was thinking of.  I thought I read it in Bischoff's book.

[Rumble McSkirmish]

Jun 21, 2022 18:25:06 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Jun 21, 2022 17:53:21 GMT -5 "Playboy" Don Douglas said:

I know Flair mentioned in his book that he was sitting next to Ali when North Korean officials started going on about how they were “morally superior” and “could take out the U.S. and Japan any time they wanted.” He said that Ali, who had been pretty quiet to this point, loudly and clearly said, “No wonder we hate these motherf***ers!”

And assuming this was when Ali's speech was starting to decline, that had to have been pretty audible.

I think it was Bischoff that said the officials heard what Ali said but just laughed it off because Ali was pretty much untouchable due to his lofty status.