J. T. Taylor

World League Wrestling

Eldon MO - June 2, 2001

Members of the Japanese pro wrestling organization NOAH and a host of Japanese media members spent Friday, June 1 evaluating wrestlers from Harley Race’s World League Wrestling organization for competition in Japan, and also taped footage for a documentary on the WLW and the Eldon-lake area.

Japanese wrestling sensation Mitsuhara Misawa and former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Van Vader evaluated WLW wrestling talent at the Harley Race Wrestling Academy for the possibility of competing in Japan.

Among the local wrestlers trying out were Eldon’s "All-That" Matt Murphy, War Cloud, Trevor Rhodes, Josh Besore, Mark Godecker and Superstar Steve. Versailles’ Wild Wade Chism and Lake Ozark’s Johnny Gold were also among the dozen WLW stars to compete for the chance to represent the United States in Japan.

According to Vader, talent coordinator for NOAH, he and Misawa evaluated the WLW stars based on ring talent and athletic ability.

"There is a lot of talent in the WLW," Vader said. "Most guys think they can train in a gym, learn to wrestle, and do it. In Japan though, wrestling is not as much for entertainment value as it is in the United States, so wrestlers really have to be top athletes."

Any WLW wrestlers selected could compete in Japan up to 30 weeks per year, depending on a number of factors like crowd appeal and competitive ability.

Vader, a former University of Colorado three-time All-American, went to the 1980 Super Bowl playing for the L.A. Rams before he began his professional wrestling career.

WLW Chairman Harley Race said this was a great opportunity for the young stars in his organization.

"We have entered into a long-term contract with NOAH," Race said. "The people chosen to go to Japan will be notified as soon as the people from NOAH get back to Japan."

The eight-time World Champion Race was also named to the NOAH board of directors of their championship committee during the organization’s visit. One of his responsibilities will be coordinating future efforts for American wrestlers to compete in Japan.

According to WLW Marketing Director B. J. Race, camera crews and photojournalists from Japan’s major TV and magazine industry arrived in Eldon Thursday, May 31, and began taping.

Race said the Ken Soto led his TV crews through a tour of Eldon and Lake Ozark, focusing on the vacation aspects of the communities. The footage will become part of a three-hour documentary to be aired to more than 150 million homes on national TV in Japan.

"This is a big plus for the Lake and Eldon," Race said. "Wrestling in Japan is like pro football in the United States. The Japanese people will vacation in places in the United States where they can be close to their past times, so this could be a big boost for local tourism."