''UWC'' is an unreleased

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

developed by

Thinking Rabbit was a software house based in Takarazuka, Japan, best known for being the original publishers of ''Sokoban''. Falcon, a company which former president Hiroyuki Imabayashi is currently involved in, owns the trademark and copyright to Thinking ...

in 1988 or 1989 for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

(NES). The game was set to be published by

SETA In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

but was never officially announced or released. In June 2019, the game's

ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...

was made available to download for free.

History

Existence of the game became known in March 2019 when YouTuber Stephan Reese, known online as Archon 1981, got his hands on the game after a former

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

employee gave it to him. Reese uploaded footage of him playing ''UWC'' on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

after the

Video Game History Foundation The Video Game History Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded by Frank Cifaldi. The primary aim of the foundation is the archival, preservation, and dissemination of historical media related to video games. History In a talk given at th ...

(VGHF) digitized the game. The game was first beaten by the VGHF and footage of the play through was also uploaded to YouTube.

Release

Another video game collector offered $10,000 to purchase the game and for Reese not to release it, but Reese declined, stating he was planning on releasing the game online "soon". On June 9, Reese posted a video to his YouTube channel in which he announced that the ROM had been uploaded and was available to download for free.

Connection to World Championship Wrestling

While the game does not use the

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nation ...

name, it does appear to have been based on that promotion. The name ''Universal Wrestling Corporation'', which formed the initials of the game, was actually used very briefly by

Turner Broadcasting Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (alternatively known as Turner Entertainment Networks from 2019 until 2022) was an American television and media conglomerate. Founded by Ted Turner and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (lat ...

after their purchase of

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...

before they switched to the WCW name, and the game's roster is made up of late-1980s WCW stars like

the Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in th ...

, the Midnight Express,

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

, and

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

, who purchased WCW's assets in 2001, acknowledged the connection on their website.

References

{{World Championship Wrestling Cancelled Nintendo Entertainment System games Nintendo Entertainment System-only games Nintendo Entertainment System games Professional wrestling games Video games developed in Japan Thinking Rabbit games