Williams & Rotunda win Real World Tourney

By JOHN F. MOLINARO -- SLAM! Wrestling

 Steve 'Dr Death' Williams and Mike Rotunda won All Japan's Real World Tag League tournament, defeating Toshiaki Kawada and Masa Fuchi in the finals yesterday at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Hall.

Williams and Mike Rotunda won the match in 21:27 when Williams pinned the veteran Fuchi following his signature combination of the Oklahoma Stampede and doctor bomb.

The round-robin tournament saw four teams tie for the top spot in the standings, forcing two semi-final matches Saturday in Tokyo. The usual format of the tournament sees the top two teams in the standing facing off in a sudden-death final for the championship.

Williams and Rotunda defeated Taiyo Kea and Johnny Smith in the first semi-final when Williams secured the pinfall over Smith using his back drop driver. Kawada and Fuchi advanced to the finals after disposing of Mike Barton (formerly the WWF's Bart Gunn) and Jim Steele.

This is the third Real World Championship for Williams having won back to back tournaments in 1990 and 1991 with Terry Gordy.

Now in its 24th year, All Japan's Real World Tag League tournament is the most historic and prestigious tag team tournament in Japan. Previous winners have included Terry & Dory Funk, Jr. (1977, '79 & '82), Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka (1981), Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen (1983), Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase (1985) and Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (1988)

-- With files from Zach Arnold