Manabu Nakanishi wrestled a few matches for NJPW after Wrestling Dontaku until July when he became the first NJPW wrestler to go on a learning excursion to NJPW's working partner WCW in the United States, competing as Kurasawa for a year. He returned to NJPW, the following year, in September, competing in the nine-match Kurasawa Trial Series during the G1 Climax Special tour, before reverting to competing under his real name.
