The Evolution of Pro Wrestling is a series for our Premium Subscribers designed to track the historical changes and paradigms in the art form and creative aspects of the sport through Professional Wrestling’s History.
The decade of the 1980s
The 1980s marked a transformative and explosive decade in professional wrestling, often referred to as the “Golden Era” or “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Era,” characterized by a massive surge in mainstream popularity, national expansion, and the integration of celebrity culture, music, and media. This period shifted wrestling from a niche, regionally focused entertainment to a pop culture phenomenon, largely driven by the rise of cable television, pay-per-view events, and aggressive marketing strategies. Attendance, television ratings, and merchandise sales boomed, with events drawing record crowds and wrestlers becoming household names.
Analysis of Pro Wrestling in Japan During July 1985
In July 1985, Japanese professional wrestling was in a dynamic phase, characterized by intense competition among promotions and a variety of styles that defined the era’s “golden age.” The major players—New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro-Wrestling (AJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), and All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW)—each ran active schedules, primarily through multi-day tours rather than standalone pay-per-view events (which were not common in Japan at the time). This period highlighted the diversity of Japanese puroresu: NJPW’s “strong style” emphasized athleticism and international crossovers, AJPW’s “king’s road” focused on epic storytelling and powerhouse matches often involving foreign “gaijin” talent, UWF pioneered “shoot-style” wrestling with realistic grappling and a points system to simulate MMA-like credibility, and AJW showcased high-speed, athletic joshi (women’s) wrestling.
