Home /
Arcade

Champion Wrestler

Arcade

Arcade

Champion Wrestler is a wrestling game where you have the choice of eight fighters to become champion. You have various moves to use to beat your opponent into submission including kicks, punches and throws. The action is viewed from the side at an elevated angle showing the whole ring. If you lea...

Download

0/5 Votes: 0

Report

Developer
Taito

Released on
1989

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Fighting

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Report this app

Images

Description

Champion Wrestler is a wrestling game where you have the choice of eight fighters to become champion. You have various moves to use to beat your opponent into submission including kicks, punches and throws. The action is viewed from the side at an elevated angle showing the whole ring. If you leave the ring you have a small time limit to get back into the ring or it’s fight over. Up to four players can play and the multi-player options are one player versus the computer, two players fighting each other, two players fighting together against the computer or four players split into two teams fighting each other.

Champion Wrestler

Overview & History

Released by Taito in 1989, Champion Wrestler is a quintessential arcade sports-brawler that swaps out traditional beat-'em-up enemies for the theatrical grit of late-80s professional wrestling. Standing out against SNK's Mat Mania, Taito’s title embraces a fast-paced, arcade-tuned interpretation of squared-circle combat. The game drops players directly into a grueling tournament circuit where the ultimate goal is to climb the ranks, defeat a colorful roster of global heavyweights, and capture the coveted world championship belt. Each opponent brings a distinct personality and wrestling style, pushing the player to master both striking and grappling arts.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard fighting games, Champion Wrestler relies heavily on a unique stamina and grappling tug-of-war system. When wrestlers lock up in the center of the ring, the game enters a grappling grapple-clash phase where players must rapidly tap buttons to execute high-impact moves. The roster features varied archetypes, including the agile high-flyer Robin, the powerhouse brawler Zangief-esque analogues, and heavy-hitting technicians. Players have access to standard running attacks, turnbuckle leaps, and devastating signature finishing maneuvers like German suplexes, piledrivers, and flying body presses. Navigating the canvas requires careful spatial awareness, as getting cornered or exhausted leaves your wrestler vulnerable to brutal reversals and referee counts.