WAR (wrestling promotion)

Wrestle Association R was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000. The promotion initially established as Wrestle and Romance in 1992 and had very few regular contracted workers; instead most of the workers were either freelance or employed in other promotions. Because of this WAR ran many all-star cards. It had inter-promotional feuds against New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, the new Tokyo Pro Wrestling, and UWF International. WAR also continued, albeit in a loose fashion, SWS's old working agreement with the World Wrestling Federation, when they backed the WWF's first Japanese tour, in 1994.
On July 28, 1995, WAR was renamed "Wrestle Association R" at a show held in the Korakuen Hall. In 1998, WAR cancelled contracts to the roster and began running fewer and fewer events due to Tenryu's comeback in New Japan, and in July 2000, it promoted a farewell show that served as the prelude to Tenryu's return to All Japan Pro Wrestling. The WAR name was kept for the use of a stable led by Tenryu during brief angles in All Japan and FMW in 2001.
On July 27, 2006, WAR staged a reunion show at Tokyo Korakuen Hall. The show was supported by various Japanese wrestling promotions including New Japan, All Japan Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate. This was also the final card promoted under the WAR banner.
WAR was the first promotion to create a steady junior heavyweight tag team title long before New Japan Pro-Wrestling, WCW, and Pro Wrestling Noah hit upon the idea.
In 2010 the Tenryu Project was organised and is somewhat of a successor to WAR.

Championships

J-1 Heavyweight Championship

This title used the championship belt originally used in the 1950s by the old Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance for their JWA Japanese Heavyweight Championship, held throughout its existence by Rikidōzan.

Other titles

WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship
WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
Alumni

These are not exhaustive lists. Guest Japanese wrestlers from other promotions, such as Nobuhiko Takada from UWF International and The Great Sasuke from Michinoku Pro Wrestling, are not listed.

Birth name:	Ring name:	Tenure:
Genichiro Shimada	Genichiro Tenryu	1992-2000 2006
Masao Orihara	Masao Orihara	1992-1999 2006
Susumu Hara	Ashura Hara	1992-1994
Takashi Ishikawa	Takashi Ishikawa	1992-1994 1996-1997
Hiromichi Fuyuki	Hiromichi Fuyuki	1992-1996
Keiji Takayama	Gedo	1994-1996
Shoji Akiyoshi	Jado	1994-1996
Heigo Hamaguchi	Animal Hamaguchi	1994-1995
Yoshihiro Asai	Ultimo Dragon	1992-1997
Kōji Kitao	Kōji Kitao	1994-1998
Isao Takagi	Arashi	1995-1999
Tatsumi Kitahara	Koki Kitahara	1992-2000 2006
Nobutaka Araya	Nobutaka Araya	1995-2000
Nobukazu Hirai	Nobukazu Hirai	1992-2000
Osamu Kawahara	Osamu Tachihikari	1994-2000
Tomohiro Ishii	Tomohiro Ishii	1996-2000 2006
Masaaki Mochizuki	Masaaki Mochizuki	1994-2000 2006
Koji Iibashi	Koji Ishinriki	1993-1994 2006
Yuji Yasuraoka	Yuji Yasuraoka	1992-1999
Chris Irvine	Lionheart / Lion Do	1994-1996
Scott Bigelow	Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow	1994 1996
Rick Bognar	Big Titan / Ti Do	1995-1996
Rick Wilson	Rio, Lord of the Jungle	1993-1994
Lance Evers	Lance Storm	1995-1998
Robert Backlund	Bob Backlund	1994-1995
James Bernardski	Scott Putski	1994
Terry Szopinski	The Warlord	1993-1994
Terry Gordy	Terry Gordy	1998
Oscar Gutierrez	Rey Misterio, Jr.	1995-1996
Lawrence Shreve	Abdullah the Butcher	1997-1998
John Tenta	John Tenta	1993-1996
Dionicio Torres	Psicosis	1995-1996
Tonga Fifita	King Haku	1992-1994

Notable events

WAR/WWF

An inter-promotional show between WAR and the World Wrestling Federation was held on September 15, 1992, at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

WAR Anniversary Show

WAR Anniversary Show was the flagship event of WAR which was used to celebrate the anniversary of the promotion. The event was held between 1993 and 2000, when the promotion was discontinued.

WAR/LLPW

An inter-promotional event featuring talent from WAR and Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling was held on November 28, 1993, at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Revolution

Revolution was a special event held on December 15, 1993, at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Revolution Rumble '94 In Ryogoku Kokugikan

Revolution Rumble '94 In Ryogoku Kokugikan was a special event held on March 2, 1994, at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. The event was notable for an inter-promotional tag team main event match in which Genichiro Tenryu and Ashura Hara represented WAR against Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling's Atsushi Onita and Tarzan Goto. Onita pinned Tenryu and the match set up a major main event between Tenryu and Onita for FMW's 5th Anniversary Show at the Kawasaki Stadium on May 5, 1994.

Super J-Cup

is a professional wrestling tournament featuring junior heavyweight wrestlers from all over the world. The tournament was originally conceived by Japanese wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger as a showcase for junior heavyweights from promotions from Asia and North America on a national level. WAR hosted the second edition of the tournament on December 13, 1995, at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

WAR vs. UWFI: Super Summer Wars

An inter-promotional event featuring wrestlers from WAR and UWFI, among other promotions as well. The event took place a day after the 4th Anniversary Show on July 21, 1996, at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Final - Reborn to Future

Final - Reborn to Future was a reunion event of WAR after the promotion had closed down in 2000 and marked the final event ever in WAR history. The event took place on July 27, 2006, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The event aired via tape delay on Gaora TV on August 17. The event featured a title defense of the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship which had been in possession of Masaaki Mochizuki since WAR closed in 2000 and the main event was an eight-man tag team match, in which WAR wrestlers took on Heisei Ishingun.