The following is a reprint of the Torch Newsletter ETC. Newswire from five years ago this week.

-Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor

* * *

Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
ETC. Newswire
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #476
Cover dated: January 24, 1998

INDEPENDENT HIGHLIGHTS
Global Wrestling Alliance: Jan. 18 in Toledo, Ohio at St. Clements Hall (100): Mr. Main Event (w/The Producer) beat "Beach Bully" Johnn Rayz, G. Moe beat Devon daniels, Kasey Thunder beat Super Ninja III, "Buzzsaw" Brian Ireland beat T. Voletz, Brian Fury (w/Producer) beat Eddie "The Jock" Kauffman, Elvis Elliott beat Alexis Machine (w/Producer), Alexis Machine won a 15 man battle royal. [Adnrew Ebbeskotte]

South Eastern Wrestling Alliance: Jan. 17 in Little Canada, N.C> (50): Ken Varner beat Mr. Tiny, Executioner beat Jake MCKenzie, Lance Starr beat Greg Robbins, The Scorpion beat Carolina Heartbreaker, Craig Farmer beat Terminator Rex via DQ, Fast Track beat Outlaw Tommy Jones via DQ, Abe Jacobs Jr. & John Owens fought Kane & Able Atoms to a no contest.

East Coast Wrestling Asosciation: Jan. 17 in Wilmington, Del.: Thunder beat Mr. Ooh La La (w/Barry Casino), Persian Prince (w/The Ayatollah Master) beat "Mr. Italy" Gino Caruso, Viper (w/Dirty Dirk) beat Cowboy Blaze, Little Louie beat King Sleezy in a midget ladder match, J.R. ryder beat Ravishing Ronny, Reckless Youth beat Devon Storm and Ace Darling and Lance Diamond in a four-way match for the ECWA Mid-Atlantic Title, Cheetah Master (w/Capt. Lou Albano) fought Glen Osbourne (w/The Master) to a draw so Osbourne retained the ECWA Hvt. Title, and Cheetah won a 16 man bunkhouse battle royal. Reurn date: Feb. 21 in Wilmington at the St. Matthew's Parish Center.

St. Paul Championship Wrestling: Jan. 17 in West St. Paul, Minn. at the Armory (550 SRO): Joker won a 12-man battle royal, Mick Karch interviewed Jonnie Stewart (who holds the "AWA Hvt. Title"), Punisher & Destiny beat Cory Wormsley III & Travis Shillington, Charlie Norris beat Randy Gusto, Scotty Z & Guts & Glory (w/Sheik Adnon El Kaissey) beat Lenny Lane & Tony Denucci & Bobby Blaze (w/Ken Patera), El Toro Loco beat Derrick Dukes, Dan Jesser & Ragin' Red Tyler beat Joker & Burgler, Jonnie Stewart beat Tokyo Bullet, Jim Brunzell beat The Hater (w/Sheik). [Wade Keller]

Insane Championship Wrestling: Jan. 17 in Warren, Mich. at the Metropol Music Cafe: Rhino Richards beat Jason Fuller, Kane Adams (mgd. by Handsome Johnny Bradford) fought Sheik Abdul to a no contest, Dangerous DBA beat J.T. Lightning, Joe E. Legend (w/Bradford) beat Rebel Levi Blue, Danny Dynamic & Andy Muscar were eliminated and Bobby Clancy & Otis Pollo fought Steve Nixon & Chad Casey to a draw in a three-way tag match, Psycho Ric Matrix KO'd Jimmy V, and Joe E. Legend beat Tony Smalls to win the Brass Knuckles Title. [Buddy McFarlan]

IPWA: Jan. 16 in Alexandria, Va. (150): Draco beat Shorty Smalls, Knuckles Zanwich beat Harvey Shaw, Christian York beat Mark Shrader, Cpl. Punishment beat Adam Flash, Cueball Carmichael beat Party Animal Arillo, Hoyo "Hot Stuff" Sanchez beat Lance Diamond, Axl Rotten beat Knuckles Zanwich, Jimmy Cicero beat Dan Rage, Cueball Carmichael won a 12-man battle royal to win the vacant IPWA Title. Return date: Feb. 19 at Secret Cove Restaurant. [Bob Pivoroff]

Ohio Valley Championship Wrestling: Jan. 1 in Jeffersonville, Ind. at the Davis Arena: Doug Basham pinned American Ninja, Trailer Park Trash beat Juan Hirtado via DQ, Nick Dinsmore & Rob Conway beat Intern & Assassin #2, "Nightmare" Danny Davis vs. Rip Rogers didn't take place because Rogers pointed out Davis didn't have a wrestling license, Jason Lee & David C fought Jebdiah Blackhawk & Cousin Otter and Doug Basham & Trailer Park Trash to a three-way tag no contest, Rip Rogers pinned Kousin Krazy to retain the Ohio Valley Hvt. Title. [Bob Pontrich]

JAPAN HIGHLIGHTS
All Japan: Jan. 18 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall (2,100 sellout): Yoshinari Ogawa beat Kentaro Shiga, Ricky Santana & Johnny Ace beat Maunakuea Mossman & Giant Kimala II, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Haruka Eigen & Masanobu Fuchi beat Mitsuo Momota & Rusher Kimura & Giant Baba, Wolf Hawkfield beat Skull Von Crush, Takao Omori & Jun Akiyama fought Jun Izumida & Tamon Honda, Asatoru Asako & Mitsuharu Misawa beat Yoshinobu Kenmaru & Kenta Kobashi, Johnny Smith & Gary Albright & Steve Williams beat Masao Inoue & Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue when Smith pinned Inoue.

Pancrase: Jan. 16 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall (2,250 sellout): Hasegawa fought Minowa to a draw, Hasegawa beat Minwa, Inagaki beat Kim, Kunioki beat Kubata, Jason Delusia beat Ito, Shibuya beat Yamamiya, Yanagisawa, Semi Shults beat Minoru Suzuki.

Michinoku Pro: Jan. 16 in Hakkaido Sapporo at the Nakajima Sports Center (5,326): Hoshikawa beat Seno, Gran Naniwa beat Magic, Jinsei Shinzaki beat Yone Genjin, Super Boy & Shoichi Funaki & Dick Togo beat Tiger Mask & Gran Hamada & Great Sasuke, Super Delphin beat Men's Teoh to capture the Super Welterweight Title.

Big Japan: Jan. 16 in Kawasaki (1,530): Nefutari beat Koyama, Kobayashi beat Shadow #7, Matsuzaki & Kawabata beat Saito & Motegi, Nagasaki beat Hanma, Fujita & Tajiri beat Hidaka & Tanaka, Winger & Shadow beat Yamakawa & Nakamaki, Mr. Pogo beat Jason the Terrible.

WAR: Jan. 14 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall (1,950 sellout): Tomohiro Ishi beat Yoshitazu Taru, Battle Ranger beat Takashi Okamura, Osami Taitoko & Kikuchi beat Lance Storm & Shoichi Ichinomiya, Abdullah the Butcher & Nobukazu Hirai beat Nariaki Mochizuki & Mitshuaru Kitao, Koki Kitahara & Masao Orihara beat Yuji Yasuraoka & Arashi, and Genichiro Tenryu beat Nobutaka Araya to capture the Japan Hvt. Title in the tournament finals (a belt which had been retired since Rikidozan wore it).

IWA Japan: Jan. 13 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall (1,250): Doug Gilbert beat Yamada and Tsukioka in a three-way bout to win the IWA World Title, Matsuda & Yamada & Gilbert beat Freddie Krueger & Metal Face & Leatherface, Motokawa & Toyota Manami beat Wakizawa & Nakanishi, Turugar & Benkei & Kabuki beat Pelceus & Takeru & Tsukioki, Hirano pinned Sato, Nishibori pinned Fuji, Kito pinned Yamashita.

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