A Match 2 Remember
Chapter Five: Smoky Mountain Spike Slicing
#PWHS #Article #Match2Remember #M2R #SmokyMountain #SpikeSplicing
Growing up in my hometown I was fortunate to see the last of the great territories, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, twice on Saturdays for awhile if I so chose to do. One was at like 6:30 am and the other sometime in the afternoon. What I saw on March 6, 1993 will probably stick with me until my final breath-and I got to watch two versions. It was the infamous Kevin Sullivan-Wing Kanemura Singapore Spike match that goes down in Pro Wrestling history as one of the sickest moments ever.
Just a few months before, Kevin Sullivan had entered SMW with dramatics by fireballing an unexpectant Brian Lee and then putting a metal spike repeatedly into his forehead. This TV bloodbath was attention-getting itself. While SMW was building this storyline for a big payday, Wing’s Kanemura was brought in on a promotion exchange in which Kevin Sullivan would appear in Wing a couple months later. Kanemura was gaining fame by allowing his body to be mutilated, and coming out as the victor in a good percentage of his matches. In fact he was the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champion for the past two plus months at the time of this match.
Memory has a way of playing tricks on a person. I saw this match about twelve years ago and mainly remembered the spiking of Kanemura’s bicep and him actually making a couple comebacks (which seemed impossible) during the actual match. Upon reviewing the entire segment on Youtube, so much more comes to light:
1. (Mr Believable) Bob Caudle, with Dutch Mantell in the background, is in the process of introducing 2 special guests at the commentators’ desk: Kanemura and Mr Yamaguchi, his interpreter (is my best guess).
2. Kevin Sullivan just appears and attacks Kanemura and slams him into announcers’ table. They exchange chops toward the ring until Kevin slams Kanemura into the ring post.
3. Kanemura shows his inexperience as he takes forever blading himself in the forehead unto the point Kevin looks undecisive and attacks Mr Yamaguchi long enough so Kanemura can complete his task.
4. At around the 2 minute mark they finally enter the ring after Kevin has beaten Kanemura all around ringside and almost into the crowd.
5. Kevin continues the butchering, and the camera just happens to get two different close-ups of Kanemura’s crimson mask of pooling blood around his right eye.
6. The action is soon back on the floor as you see little kids and moms running scared as the action almost ends up in their laps. Bob Caudle even tries to talk Mantel into doing something.
7. At the 3-and-a-half minute mark, Kanemura is rolled into the ring and gets his only attack in on Sullivan for about 25 seconds. As Sullivan is thrown into the turnbuckle, you see him reveal the spike and gouges Wing’s bicep 2 times. Wing escapes to the floor as “then” Brian Hildebrand asks for the bell to disqualification Kevin; as nothing before must have warranted a disqualification.
8. The next minute is one of the sickest scenes ever. Kevin gouges Wing’s bicep at least 6 times; to the bone it was reported. One scene has Kevin turning Wing toward the camera so the TV audience can watch the bicep being gouged. This is when the first big RED X appears on the screen to protect the TV audience from this brutality. The seriousness goes from bad to worse as Kevin will twice stick the spike DEEP into Wing’s bicep. The several inch cut is very visible in a couple camera angles. Brian Lee finally makes the rescue.
What took place during the match was one thing, but what happened afterwards was even stranger. After receiving 55-58 stiches, Wing actually thanked Kevin for the good job he had done. In addition, Wing would actually defend and retain his WWC belt the next night in Puerto Rico against El Exotico.
In closing, I was probably one of the few who saw the match uncensored on Television. I remember contacting photographer Greg Bowles locally and told him what I had seen on that rare morning that I had gotten up to watch. Somewhere between the early morning version and the afternoon one, I guess there had been too many complaints in the Bible Belt in other cities. The afternoon version had the BIG RED X make a half-hearted appearance to please the sponsors and TV station managers.
I’m not endorsing this type of match, would not like to see it usually, but it sure made an impression. Later on, three of us helped to promote two Smoky Mountain cards locally and watched Nightstalker and Sullivan ramble throughout the Exposition Hall, over a Grand Piano, and even taking the fight outside on 1 of the cards.
The story repeated about the above incident was that the young wrestler was not blading fast enough, or good enough. Kevin decided to help him and at the same time added honors to the young man’s building resume. It got a little carried away, but it all ended well for Kevin, Kanemura, W*ING and SMW Promotion.
Just a few months before, Kevin Sullivan had entered SMW with dramatics by fireballing an unexpectant Brian Lee and then putting a metal spike repeatedly into his forehead. This TV bloodbath was attention-getting itself. While SMW was building this storyline for a big payday, Wing’s Kanemura was brought in on a promotion exchange in which Kevin Sullivan would appear in Wing a couple months later. Kanemura was gaining fame by allowing his body to be mutilated, and coming out as the victor in a good percentage of his matches. In fact he was the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champion for the past two plus months at the time of this match.
Memory has a way of playing tricks on a person. I saw this match about twelve years ago and mainly remembered the spiking of Kanemura’s bicep and him actually making a couple comebacks (which seemed impossible) during the actual match. Upon reviewing the entire segment on Youtube, so much more comes to light:
1. (Mr Believable) Bob Caudle, with Dutch Mantell in the background, is in the process of introducing 2 special guests at the commentators’ desk: Kanemura and Mr Yamaguchi, his interpreter (is my best guess).
2. Kevin Sullivan just appears and attacks Kanemura and slams him into announcers’ table. They exchange chops toward the ring until Kevin slams Kanemura into the ring post.
3. Kanemura shows his inexperience as he takes forever blading himself in the forehead unto the point Kevin looks undecisive and attacks Mr Yamaguchi long enough so Kanemura can complete his task.
4. At around the 2 minute mark they finally enter the ring after Kevin has beaten Kanemura all around ringside and almost into the crowd.
5. Kevin continues the butchering, and the camera just happens to get two different close-ups of Kanemura’s crimson mask of pooling blood around his right eye.
6. The action is soon back on the floor as you see little kids and moms running scared as the action almost ends up in their laps. Bob Caudle even tries to talk Mantel into doing something.
7. At the 3-and-a-half minute mark, Kanemura is rolled into the ring and gets his only attack in on Sullivan for about 25 seconds. As Sullivan is thrown into the turnbuckle, you see him reveal the spike and gouges Wing’s bicep 2 times. Wing escapes to the floor as “then” Brian Hildebrand asks for the bell to disqualification Kevin; as nothing before must have warranted a disqualification.
8. The next minute is one of the sickest scenes ever. Kevin gouges Wing’s bicep at least 6 times; to the bone it was reported. One scene has Kevin turning Wing toward the camera so the TV audience can watch the bicep being gouged. This is when the first big RED X appears on the screen to protect the TV audience from this brutality. The seriousness goes from bad to worse as Kevin will twice stick the spike DEEP into Wing’s bicep. The several inch cut is very visible in a couple camera angles. Brian Lee finally makes the rescue.
What took place during the match was one thing, but what happened afterwards was even stranger. After receiving 55-58 stiches, Wing actually thanked Kevin for the good job he had done. In addition, Wing would actually defend and retain his WWC belt the next night in Puerto Rico against El Exotico.
In closing, I was probably one of the few who saw the match uncensored on Television. I remember contacting photographer Greg Bowles locally and told him what I had seen on that rare morning that I had gotten up to watch. Somewhere between the early morning version and the afternoon one, I guess there had been too many complaints in the Bible Belt in other cities. The afternoon version had the BIG RED X make a half-hearted appearance to please the sponsors and TV station managers.
I’m not endorsing this type of match, would not like to see it usually, but it sure made an impression. Later on, three of us helped to promote two Smoky Mountain cards locally and watched Nightstalker and Sullivan ramble throughout the Exposition Hall, over a Grand Piano, and even taking the fight outside on 1 of the cards.
The story repeated about the above incident was that the young wrestler was not blading fast enough, or good enough. Kevin decided to help him and at the same time added honors to the young man’s building resume. It got a little carried away, but it all ended well for Kevin, Kanemura, W*ING and SMW Promotion.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter Five.
Author: Terry Kent.
Published: August 7, 2014.
Article: #210.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: June 10, 2018.
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter Five.
Author: Terry Kent.
Published: August 7, 2014.
Article: #210.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: June 10, 2018.
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter Four - Read Here.
Other articles by Terry can be Read Here.