Richard Slinger - Career - All Japan Pro Wrestling

All Japan Pro Wrestling

The nephew of All Japan Pro Wrestling legend, the late Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, Slinger became a trainee in All Japan Pro Wrestling dojo and was a regular there for much of the 1990s. He toured Japan with AJPW and a number of American wrestlers including André the Giant, Abdullah the Butcher & Giant Kimala II, Stan Hansen & Dan Spivey, Terry Gordy & Steve Williams, Johnny Ace, Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith, Doug Furnas, Joe & Dean Malenko and Well Dunn (Timothy Well & Steven Dunn) from September 29 to October 12, 1990.

During the next year, he would continue to team with Gordy & Williams in matches against Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Yoshinari Ogawa. In August 1991, he and Jim Brunzell also faced The Blackharts (Apocalypse & Distraction) during their first Japanese tour. He also teamed with Stan Hansen and Dan Spivey defeating Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi in Honjo, Japan on October 16, 1991.

In early 1992, Slinger won the Junior Heavyweight Battle Royal held at Korakuen Hall on January 3, 1992. That same month, he and Johnny Ace competed in the New Year's Giant Series facing The Youngbloods (Chris & Mark Youngblood) on January 26, 1992. He also participated in the '92 Excite Series teaming with Terry Gordy & Steve Williams in a 6-man tag team match against Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Yoshinari Ogawa at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on February 23, 1992. The next night, they lost to Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace and Buddy Lee Parker in Kuraiki, Japan and against Hansen, Ace and James Earl Wright in Kisarazau, Japan two days later. They also lost to Hansen, The Patriot & The Eagle in Oita, Japan on April 10.

He again teamed with Gordy and Williams during the '92 Super Power Series returning to Korakuen Hall to face Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada on May 17 and, on May 25, they faced Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Yoshinari Ogawa in a rematch at the Sendai Miyagi-ken Sports Center. This match was later aired on Japanese television at the end of the month. On June 2, the three would lose to Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace and The Patriot in Fukushima, Japan and, the following night, faced Misawa, Kawada and Kikuchi at the Niigata Shi Taiikukan.

In the '92 Summer Action Series, he teamed with The Patriot against Misawa & Kawada at Korakuen Hall on July 5. On October 4, he would team with Gordy & Williams against Mitsuhara Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi. For the rest of the month, he would team with Gordy and Williams several more times trading matches with Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace and several different partners including Dan Kroffat and Johnny Smith in Fuji, Okiyama, Nagaoka and Mito, Japan.

On January 4, 1993, Slinger and Terry Gordy faced Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi in Tokyo and, on January 31, he teamed with Gordy and Williams to defeat Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace and Barry Horowitz. They lost to Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace and Dan Kroffat in Toyota, Japan on April 1 but defeated them in Honjo on May 15.

During the fall, he would also team with Steve Williams against Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada on September 3. He would also team with Williams and Bubba Rogers in 6-man tag team matches against Stan Hansen, Ted DiBiase and Dan Spivey (and later Kendall Windham) in Shizuoka, Kasumigaura and Matsumoto. They also wrestled Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama in Yokosuka on November 13.

From November 13 to December 3, Slinger and Tracey Smothers competed in the 1993 World's Strongest Tag Determination League coming in last place with no points. Among the tournament's participants included Patriot & Eagle, Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas, Danny Spivey & Johnny Ace, Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue, Stan Hansen & Giant Baba and winners Mitsu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi. During the tournament, he teamed with Steve Williams and Big Bubba against Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama at the Niigata City Gym on November 29.

In January 1994, Slinger finished third place behind Takao Ōmori and Jun Akiyama for the Asunaro Cup tournament. On August 5, Slinger made a one-time appearance in Smoky Mountain Wrestling where he wrestled and was pinned by Chris Walker at the Night of Legends supercard in Knoxville, Tennessee. Returning to Japan, he teamed with Stan Hansen and Bobby Duncum, Jr. to defeat Johnny Ace, Patriot, & The Eagle in Takaoka, Japan on September 4, 1995. During the 1997 Super Power Series, he faced Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Kentaro Shiga in a 6-man tag team match with Steve Williams & The Lacrosse on May 31 and teamed with Satoru Asako against Daisuke Ikeda & Yoshinobu Kanemaru at Budokan Hall on June 6, 1997. In front of 16,300 fans, Slinger won the match when he pinned Kanemaru.