WWF on MSG Network 1/23/84

Legacy Review- From the Vault

WWF on MSG Network 1/23/84

January 23, 1984 from Madison Square Garden in New York City

 

Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Pat Patterson

 

It may not look like it on the surface, but this is one of the most important events in not just WWF/E history, but all of wrestling history, for one simple reason: the birth of Hulkamania. It's January 1984. Vincent Kennedy McMahon (or Vince Jr to the old guard) was barely two years removed from purchasing the company from his father, much to the chagrin of many in that old guard. Vince the Younger had one immediate goal: make WWF national, the first wrestling promotion to ever do so. Step one was divesting from the NWA, which he did in '83. Step two, get a major star to carry the company. For that he only had one man in mind- Hulk Hogan.

 

Hogan had his initial run in WWF as a heel from '79-'81 under Vince Sr, but when he was offered an opportunity to star in Rocky III, anti-Hollywood Vince Sr made him choose. Ever the astute businessman himself, Hogan chose Rocky, which skyrocketed him in public perception. After that he moved over to the AWA, where he quickly became the most popular babyface in the company and the #1 AWA World title contender. The AWA, however, was legendary for its ass backwards World title booking, and constantly found new ways to screw Hogan out of the title rather than put it on him, even at their major Super Sunday show that was *designed* to get the title on Hogan. Or so it seemed. Hogan, seeing the writing on the wall, jumped at the chance when Vince offered to make him the face of the WWF if he came back over, and Vince wouldn't waste any time making it happen. And that's where we are today. 

 

Tony Garea def Jose Luis Rivera in 6:46- Garea was one of the most successful tag team wrestlers in WWF history, winning the tag titles five times with four different partners. He's on the downslope of his career now. If he was in New Japan he'd be a New Japan Dad. The Fink is still wearing his frilly '70s shirt. Love it. Not a fan of the bell ringing after everyone's introduction. That was very much an MSG thing at the time. Old bald ref for this match looks like Mills Lane before Mills Lane. Some standing switches at the start lead to a quick mat stalemate. Hammerlock tradeoffs. Garea pushes Rivera away with his boot after getting taken down. Long series of headlock/headscissors exchanges that end with Rivera holding the headlock. Speed run and Rivera gets a small crossbody for 2. Garea comes back with an armdrag takedown into an ARMBAR. More speed and Garea hits a couple of shoulderblocks, then another armdrag. Rivera tries to slam out of an armbar but Garea rolls through and hangs on. Rivera takes advantage of Garea's love of shoulderblocks to dodge and roll him up for 2. Garea dodges a monkey flip attempt with a cartwheel. Garea ducks down for a backdrop and Rivera counters with a dropkick that pretty much goes over Garea's head. Garea sells it anyway. That gets some boos in MSG even in this pre death of kayfabe era. Snap mare from Garea for 2. He goes back on Rivera's arm. Corner whip tradeoff. Rivera tries a reverse crossbody, but Garea rolls through and gets the pin. Other than the dropkick whiff it was mostly technically proficient, but also awfully dull. *1/4 

 

Mr. Fuji & Tiger Chung Lee and The Invaders 20:00 time limit draw- The Invaders are a rare masked team that are faces. They're billed from Puerto Rico and had recently arrived in WWF. Fuji was another tag team legend, like Garea a five time tag champ, and also winding down his in ring career. He'd soon transition to managing and be one of the famous deep roster of WWF managers in the late '80s and early '90s. Lee was more well known elsewhere under his real Korean name, Kim Duk. The Invaders are nearly identical and telling them apart will be hard but I'll try 1 and 2. Commentary is actually a better help in that than I anticipated. Thanks, Gorilla. 1 starts with Lee and they do some clean break gamesmanship. 1 gets a quick sunset flip for 2. 2 almost trips over the top rope trying to do the fancy leap over the top after tagging in. They crazy rapid fire tag on Lee's arm literally nearly a dozen times in one unbroken sequence. Lee finally picks one up and drags him to his corner, but for some reason doesn't tag out and 2 (per commentary) escapes. Fuji tags in, takes some shots and begs off. Invader 1 keeps leaping off the apron into the ring and back for reasons that are completely beyond me, other than he had too much caffeine before the match. No such thing as energy drinks back then. 2 catches Fuji with a crossbody for 2. Fuji takes an armdrag and looks like he's about to murder someone. 1 and Lee do some more back and forth stuff with the Invaders keeping more of an edge. They love their armdrags. Invader whichever gets caught in the wrong corner and Fuji chokes him with the tag rope. Fuji hits a diving headbutt to 1's gut or possibly lower. 1 goes officially In Peril. 1 comes back with a suplex, then slams Fuji off the top rope. Both sides tag. Lee does a nice flip upside down in the corner and 2 jumps all over him. Lee cuts the momentum off with a back suplex, almost a Saito. Gutwrench suplex from Fuji on 2 for 2. Big chop from Fuji. Lee hooks on a bear hug. 2 bell rings out but Lee cuts the tag off. Back to the bear hug. 2 starts to fade, so 1 comes in to break it up. The heels use that to swap without a tag. Fuji stays on the back with one of his nerve holds. Because he's Oriental, you see. 2 (who Monsoon keeps calling "Johnny Rivera", completely blowing the guy's secret identity, he can never fight crime again) kicks free and just manages to make a tag. Lee completely no sells 1's chop. 1 tries a crossbody, can't get his footing on the ropes and barely gets off, then Lee barely manages to catch him and drop him with some kind of atomic drop. Snap mare into a chinlock from Lee. 2 distracts the ref so Lee and Fuji quickly grab a double team nerve hold. Because they're Oriental, you see. 1 fires back with a dropkick. Lee dodges a big dive and 1 crashes into the corner hard. Cover from Lee, but 2 reaches in to break the pin up, allowing 1 to tag out. 2 dropkick with a jackknife cover on Lee for 2. He starts working on Lee's leg. The Invaders go to the rapid fire tags again, which really gets the MSG crowd that wasn't sure about them at the start behind them. Lee fights off a spinning toe hold. 2 cuts off a tag and hooks up a leg scissors. Lee fights it off and tags. Monsoon correctly gets on the Invaders for failing in basic tag team tactics, not cutting the ring in half. Now it's time for crazy rapid fire tags on Fuji's leg. A bit slower, they're getting a little tired. The Invader in the ring puts Fuji in an abdominal stretch. Fuji is able to work over and tag out. Lee runs into an abdominal stretch! I love Monsoon critiquing how the hold is being applied. Behind the ref's back Fuji runs in and hits Invader from behind and Lee covers for 2. 2 tags in and tries his own abdominal stretch on Lee. It's still not put on right as far as commentary is concerned. Things break down and it's EVERYONE IN THE POOL. The heels are run into each other and the Invaders start rowboating their legs. The bell rings. No one's sure at first if there was a submission or DQ because WWF didn't do time calls during the match, but Fink announces it as a time limit draw. You know, I wasn't expecting a whole lot there, but that turned into a pretty damn fun match. Kind of a shame the Invaders didn't stick, they definitely had potential. ***

 

The Masked Superstar def Chief Jay Strongbow in 7:26- Strongbow was kind of WWF's version of Wahoo McDaniel, a longtime popular wrestler in the territory with an Indian gimmick, though I don't think he delighted in stiffing the bejeesus out of all his opponents like Wahoo did. Like a lot of others so far on this show he's in the final wind up phase of his career. The Masked Superstar is Bill Eadie, the future Demolition Ax, still using his original gimmick that he'd been using in the southern territories before coming to WWF. Holy hell, once he gets his entrance gear off Strongbow does look like he needs to park it in a rocking chair and call it a career. Superstar shoves Strongbow a bit on the first rope break and Strongbow lets him know how he feels about that. Extensively. Headlock, another rope break and more jawing. Shoulderblock from Strongbow and he slaps the headlock right back on. He does a nice slide under Superstar to put it on again. OK, guess he can still move a little. After a while trying to catch a cradle pin Superstar does a headscissors counter. Strongbow pops right back out reading the riot act again and Superstar backs off, then hides in the ropes. Strongbow ducks a chop, hits his own, and right back to the headlock. Speed run and Strongbow hits another chop. He goes for Superstar's mask. Why is that OK just because Superstar is a heel? Superstar gets out of the ring to escape with his identity intact. Hey, at least Monsoon isn't spoiling it this match. Johnny Rivera. Superstar hangs out on the floor complaining that Strongbow isn't allowed to do that. When Superstar gets back in Strongbow starts warming up the war dance, then hits a series of kneelifts. He goes for the mask again. Superstar hits an elbow to the gut to get free this time. Strongbow immediately starts no selling and war dancing. Chops. Another kneelift. Sleeper! Superstar gets free and wallops Strongbow with a clothesline. That gets the pin. 1/2* 

 

Sgt. Slaughter def Ivan Putski by countout in 11:29- Our first real high profile match of the night. Slaughter was still a heel at this point following a feud with then WWF Champion Bob Backlund after coming back to WWF, but he was about to turn face to kick off a big feud with the Iron Sheik. Putski was another of the last of the old Vince Sr guard still standing, one of the most popular wrestlers in the company in the '70s despite the fact he never got a run with a singles title. Slaughter is the first guy tonight to have any kind of entrance, with music. I've always liked seeing the walk in from the MSG locker rooms in that very distinctive hallway. There's a great shot where we can see the ref reflected in Slaughter's sunglasses. The bell rings and Slaighter puts on a stall fest that could make Larry Zbyszko jealous. He slowly steps out of the ring and takes off his hat, sunglasses, whistle and belt. Damn, Slaughter's so young he's still got hair! Putski swings a bunch of jabs that Slaughter ducks, then he steps out to the apron again. Slaughter tries to get into a flex off. Putski's going to win that one every time. Now Slaughter backs out of a lockup. LOCKUP! Finally. Like three minutes into the match. And stalemate. On the third go Putski pushes Slaughter into the corner, then slams him as he comes back in. Slaughter immediately bails into the corner. Putski cranks a headlock, which gives us a great shot of Slaughter's bald spot. Spoiler: it's gonna grow. Speed run and Slaughter does one of his classic pinball bumps off a shoulderblock. Say one thing about Slaughter, he was always an enthusiastic bumper. Again Slaughter's in a headlock he can't escape. Finally he does by lifting Pustki up into an atomic drop. Backbreaker from Slaughter for 2. He runs Putski's back into the top turnbuckle and hits another backbreaker for 2. Putski blocks a buckle shot and rams Slaughter's head all the way into the ring post. Kicks to Slaughter's gut and Slaughter flies up and dangles over the top rope! Corner whip and Slaughter does another classic crazy face first bump into the corner. Another corner whip reversal and Slaughter hits a clothesline. He tries a slam but Putski falls on him for 2. Off the ropes Putski hits the Polish Hammer! A shoulderblock sends Slaughter out of the ring. Somehow he gets caught on the bottom rope. I know his chin is massive, but those ropes are loose as hell. Putski helps him get free and Slaughter goes to the floor. We can see he's bleeding a little. Slugfest on the apron. A punch sends Slaughter tumbling over the top back in. The ref calls for the bell, but Putski doesn't care as he's still all over Slaughter. Slaughter does another corner hit that sends him back out to the floor. He comes back in and tries to jump but Putski is still all over him. This brawl is going on almost as long as the match did. Finally the ref gets them separated and explains the decision. Slaughter wins by countout. Putski stayed on the apron too long, and punching Slaughter back in allowed him to beat the count. Weak. Pretty decent match before that once they got going though. **1/2 

 

"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff (w/Roddy Piper) def Salavatore Bellomo in 14:06- More of the soon to be important new guard coming in. Orndorff and Piper had both just arrived in WWF, and this is Orndorff's MSG debut. This is just two months after Piper's bloody dog collar match war with Greg Valentine at the first Starrcade. He's managing here I think because he had a non-compete with Jim Crockett he was working through, but if so it was a short one and would be over before long. Bellomo was a Belgian wrestler billed as Italian that there was some high hopes in when he first came to WWF, but he quickly ended up as a jobber. Orndorff really gets into the cocky stalling, staying on the floor with his robe on all through intros. The stallfest continues after Orndorff finally saunters into the ring with Piper in tow. Bellomo and the ref try to get things going, so Orndorff and Piper hop back out and walk back up the aisle. Apparently they're using Bellomo's knee brace as an excuse, saying it's an illegal weapon. It's not even a knee brace as we know them know, just a wrapping. They get back in and Piper slowly disrobes Orndorff. Never mind, they're walking out again robe still on. Even Naito would have had his suit off by now. Orndorff takes his robe off on the floor while the ref finally starts a count up. Then Piper distracts Bellomo and Orndorff ambushes him. All Orndorff squash match style for the first portion while Piper provides extra commentary for it all from the floor. Orndorff only gets a 2 count after a backdrop and both heels complain about the count. Orndorff tries a slam and Bellomo falls on top of him for 2 with literally his first "offense" of the match. Now Piper's complaining about the ref counting too FAST for Bellomo! He's a natural. Bellomo dodges in the corner and Orndorff posts his shoulder with some A+ selling. A couple of desperate dropkicks from Bellomo hit. He goes to work on Orndorff's hurt arm. Orndorff tries a kneelift for space but Bellomo is back on the arm. Orndorff tries an armdrag but Bellomo hangs on. Piper claims a hair pull from the floor. Orndorff ducks under the arm and hits a modified northern lights suplex, but Bellomo uses that position to put on a headscissors, then again holds the arm. Orndorff finally gets Bellomo down again with a back suplex. Piper shouted "suplex" before Orndorff hit it. Reminds me of a house show I went to in my town one time, sitting not far away from a guy that delighted himself (not so much everyone around him) by calling every move just before it happened. Some stomps from Orndorff and he tosses Bellomo to the floor right in front of Piper. Piper makes a big show of not touching him while getting in his face. Or is possibly trying to kill him with his breath. Wonder if Piper is Scots enough to be a haggis eater, that might do it. Right when Bellomo gets back on the apron Orndorff hits him full speed to knock him down again. Orndorff then goes out and slams Bellomo on the floor. The still unpadded floor back then. Orndorff was very gentle with it. Back in Orndorff hits a delayed suplex. Cover for 2. Bellomo tries some more desperation comebacks but Orndorff cuts them all off. Setup slam and Orndorff goes up top. Bellomo dodges a kneedrop! He starts slugging back again, then hits a shot that Monsoon says "stretched the knee ligaments" but looked like a straight up low blow to me. Orndorff sells it that way too. Bellomo tries some speed stuff but runs into an Orndorff powerslam. The piledriver hits, and it's over. Honestly they probably would have been better off with a straight squash rather than Bellomo grabbing an arm for five minutes in the middle of it, but it's still mostly fine. A squash is perfectly fine booking since it's Orndorff's MSG debut, and he looked great here and would be a major player in short order. *3/4

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: The Magnificent Muraco (c) (w/Capt. Lou Albano) and Tito Santana double DQ in 16:03- Muraco is in his second reign as IC champ and had just hit the one year mark on this reign. Santana was another guy that had a cup of coffee in WWF under Vince Sr, including a short tag title reign teaming with Ivan Putski, but had just been brought back in by Vince K to be a near term major player. And.......never mind. For some reason this match has been cut out of the Vault copy of this show. Based on what I've read I don't think we're missing to much, but I hate it when things aren't complete. Like all those old New Japan Tokyo Dome shows that have matches not available on NJPW World. In this case I don't care enough to try to dig it up elsewhere though. After this double DQ Santana would stay focused on the target and a few weeks later succeeded in dethroning Muraco in WWF's #2 regular arena, the Boston Garden, for his first of two IC title reigns. 

 

There's also a midget match that took place here on the card that's been cut out of the Vault copy. No loss at all as far as I'm concerned. Nothing screams wrestling's carnie roots, in a bad way, more than comedy midget wrestling.

 

To set up for tonight's not the final match main event: on the last MSG show the day after Christmas the Iron Sheik upset Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship, ending Backlund's near six year reign as champion. WWF's business model all through the Vince Sr years was long multiyear babyface title reigns with short heel transitional champions in between. Backlund wasn't the longest (Bruno Sammartino's first reign was nearly eight years), and Sheik wouldn't even be the shortest. That match was hugely controversial, as Backlund's manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel while Backlund was in Sheik's camel clutch without Backlund ever submitting. A decade later in his WWF comeback crazy old man Backlund would insist he never lost the title and was still champion. When Hogan made his WWF return just a few weeks before this he saved Backlund to make it clear he was a good guy now for anyone that still remembered his previous heel run.

 

WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan def The Iron Sheik (c) (w/Freddie Blassie) in 5:40- Hogan makes his iconic walk out of the MSG hallway for the first time in his red "American Made" shirt with "Hulk-A-Mania" on the back. They're still settling on his look. His gear is the soon to be classic red and yellow. Real American is dubbed over his entrance on this copy even though it hadn't even been written yet. At this point Hogan was coming out to Eye of the Tiger from Rocky III.  He does a short version of the shirt tear as that also wasn't a Thing yet. The belt is awfully cheap looking, fortunately it would soon be replaced with a better version. Hogan jumps Sheik from behind before Sheik gets his robe off! What a bully. Running elbow in the corner. Hogan chokes the Sheik with his own robe! The ref gets it and tosses it away. Clothesline from Hogan. Kneedrop. Eye rake and Hogan chokes Sheik as he continues to do heel style moves. Big boot! Hogan covers for 2. Took the ref forever to get in position. Running elbow from Hogan, followed by an elbow drop for 2. Sheik dodges another corner elbow. He immediately stomps away on Hogan's back, setting the camel clutch up. Backbreaker. Cover and Hogan does a huge mini-Hulk up kickout. Sheik kicks Hogan right in the throat with that spike on his boot, then starts kicking his boot on the mat like he's getting a piece of steel or something in there into the right position. Another stomp to Hogan's back. Double leg takedown into a Boston crab. Hogan powers out! Gutwrench suplex from Sheik for 2. Much less energetic kickout from Hogan there. The camel clutch is on! In WWF's canon no one has ever escaped this before. He's got it fully on too. Hogan powers up and lifts Sheik on his back! He runs Sheik back into the corner. Legdrop! Hogan covers and gets the pin! MSG goes NUTS! Definitely no issue with the New York crowd accepting Hogan quickly. As Monsoon famously always said, history has been made. But even moreso than usual. In Monsoon's own words, "Hulkamaina is here". The industry would never, ever be the same again. The match was fine, pretty much all it needed to be. **1/4

 

Doctors come out to put Sheik on a stretcher. After several tries he eventually fights free of them and goes after Hogan again. Hogan tosses him over the top and out, taking out some of the commentary/officials table too.

 

After commercial we go back to Mean Gene in the locker room, where the celebration is on. It's kind of crazy seeing Hogan's emotion at this first title win given how many there would be after. Andre the Giant then comes in, pours a whole bottle of champagne on Hogan, and congratulates him on his win. That's a clip that will get played a LOT when we get into the build to Wrestlemania 3.

 

It was common on MSG cards at the time to have a couple of short "wind down" matches to close out the night, so here we go with those. Why the previous matches were cut out of the Vault copy and not these I have no idea.

 

"Superfly"Jimmy Snuka def Rene Goulet in 3:54- Snuka was one of the first "Vince Jr guys" brought in, initially as a heel but he was getting cheered for his crazy for the time athleticism so he was turned face in short order. The legendary moment where Snuka hit Muraco with a Superfly Splash from the top of a steel cage, an unheard of move at the time, had just happened in MSG the previous October. Goulet, with his blonde hair and glasses, would later be one of the most recognizable WWF officials/road agents that always ran out to stop big fights when they happened outside of matches. Even commentary is still recovering from the title match as this starts, much less the crowd. Goulet jumps Snuka before the bell. He bites Snuka! Back elbow and slam from Goulet for 2. He hits a gut stomp. Snuka fires back with those half open hand half chop/half punches of his and tosses Goulet out of the corner. Goulet begs off and tries to hide in the corner. That's not going to work. He does get an opening to get some more shots in though. Goulet snap mares Snuka and puts a claw on. There we stay for a while. Kneelift from Goulet. Snuka ducks another claw and hits a chop, then a leaping headbutt. Speed run and another big Snuka chop. He goes up top and hits a crossbody, not the full Superfly Splash, to get the pin. 3/4*

 

Andre the Giant and WWF Tag Team Champions Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas def The Wild Samoans in 5:29- Quite the all star six man tag to close things out. Andre had just been convinced by Vince to sign a full time contract, ending his years as a roving special attraction. Johnson is of course the Rock's father, and unbeknownst to anyone outside the business had married into the same Samoan family he was wrestling against. Tony Atlas is.....Tony Atlas. Don't think much more needs to be said. He was a character. On the Samoan side we have Afa, his son Samula (later Samu) who was just starting his career, and Sika, father of Roman Reigns and Rosey. Johnson and Atlas defeated the regular Samoan team of Afa and Sika for the tag titles in November. Andre's still in trunks, not the half singlet yet. Young Samula starts with Atlas. I really like Atlas' trunks. Reminds me of the Harlem Globetrotters uniforms and basketball for some reason. I loved the Globetrotters when I was a kid. They go speed pretty quickly and Atlas hits a crossbody. Afa quickly comes in to save his kid. Atlas gets Samula into the face corner. Johnson tags in and holds him so Andre can chop him from the apron. Samula quickly recovers and we get a criss cross. Johnson stops and Samula keeps going! When he finally realizes he's been running for no reason he's slightly perturbed. Things stop as both teams reposition and posture. Samula gets Johnson in the heel corner, but Johnson ducks a chop and Afa takes it. Johnson then gives Afa and Samula double noggin knocker. Clearly Samula is young enough his thick Samoan skull hasn't developed yet as he goes down from that. Atlas takes some pity on the kid, giving him a clean rope break. Full nelson from Samula that Atlas easily powers out of. He whips Samula into another Andre shot. Andre tags in for the first time. He goes for a backdrop and Samula headbutts him. He finally tags out to Sika and Andre takes a double headbutt. More headbutts from Sika just annoy Andre. He gives Sika a headbutt right back and Sika goes down. Andre, the only guy with a skull big enough to hurt a Samoan coconut. Afa and Sika take an Andre double noggin knocker and actually get staggered. Andre big boot on Samula, butt splash and it's over. Combination training match for Samula and killing time until curfew, which was still a thing in NYC then. *

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- None of the wrestling is going to blow you away, but it's still a decent little MSG show to watch, topped off with arguably the single most important moment in WWF/E history. Hulkamania is the rocket the company will ride to going national and mainstream as we get further into the '80s, and it started right here.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C+ 

WCCW Christmas Star Wars 1982

Legacy Review- From The Vault

WCCW Christmas Star Wars 1982

Recorded Christmas Day, 1982 at Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX

 

Commentary: Bill Mercer

 

Welcome to the start of a new intermittent series I'll be doing on here- reviews from shows that have been uploaded to the WWE or WCW Vault on Youtube (an acceptable substitution for the old Hidden Gems section on the WWE Network, especially since that never made it to Peacock) and aren't generally considered major PPV level shows. To be clear this will be full or nearly full shows. Individual matches may eventually be a separate series down the line, one I'm also thinking of starting up to dust off my old wrestling DVD collection.

 

WCCW was one of the prime NWA territories in the '80s, based in Dallas and the home of the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds. In these days when the idea of the closed circuit TV/PPV supercard hadn't been invented yet (which it would be the next year by another NWA affiliate, Jim Crockett Promotions, with Starrcade), WCCW would have major cards 3-4 times a year under the "Wrestling Star Wars" name, with one always being on Christmas Day. These weren't broadcast on TV live, instead the major matches were chopped up and shown on their regular weekly TV program. These three matches were part of an eight match card on the night, but only these three were later shown on TV. Normally I like to review shows as they happened in the arena, but in this case it's more practical to stick with the broadcast order.

 

This Vault copy is actually two hour long episodes of WCCW TV edited together into one video. First up, crowning the inaugural champions of Texas edition of the NWA six man tag titles. You know I love my title histories, so buckle up for this one. The NWA had a six man title dating back to the '50s. However, it was deactivated in 1981 when the territory is was based in at the time, NWA Mid-America, folded. Seeing the void, WCCW decided to create their own version of the title, and there's a very specific story purpose behind it as we'll see. This title will always be known as the "Texas version", because in 1984 JCP's Mid-Atlantic territory revived the original NWA six man titles for their own territory. And then proceeded to never feature them on any major shows, but that's another story.

 

Inaugural NWA World Six Man Tag Team Championship (Texas Version): The Fabulous Freebirds & NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion David Von Erich def Ben Sharpe, Mike Sharpe & Tom Steele (c) in 17:59- Yes, the Freebirds were faces at this time. David of the Von Erich clan is substituting for Freebird Buddy Roberts despite the fact he defended his title earlier in the night in a non-televised match. They're all good friends so it's cool. He's teaming with Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy and THE Freebird, Michael PS Hayes. On the other side, the most familiar name is probably Mike Sharpe, who was a jobber in mid-late '80s WWF as "Iron" Mike Sharpe, Canada's Greatest Athlete (before Lance Storm). Tom Steele also had a WWF run where he was Cousin Luke in Hillbilly Jim's extended family. During intros Hayes takes the mic, wishes all the girls screaming at him a Merry Christmas, and says Buddy Roberts is stuck in Denver due to a snowstorm and can't make it tonight. While he's talking David walks in to a huge ovation as his replacement. David basically says it's his honor and they all hug it out because they're best friends FOREVER. Gordy and Mike start. Lockup and Gordy takes a swing. Mike hides in the ropes in the corner. More stalemate lockups. On a rope break Mike tries a cheap shot. That only sets Gordy off and Mike hides in the ropes again. I just realized there's two refs in the ring. Two refs in a tag match?! It's Gorilla Monsoon's wet dream. Hayes tags in and hits Mike in the back with a kneelift while Gordy is still locked up with him. Front facelock from Hayes that leads to a suplex leverage fight. They end up in the ropes by the face corner like that. David blind tags in and goes to work on Mike, hitting a dropkick and kneedrop for 2. Mike is able to muscle David into the heel corner. Ben tags in and gives David a hiptoss. David comes back with shots to the gut and an uppercut. Ben hits a slam but misses a kneedrop. David tags out to Gordy. Backdrop for Ben. Gordy walks around with Ben and hits a powerslam, followed by a kneedrop for 2. Delayed suplex from Gordy for 2. Double elbow on Ben from the Freebirds. Slam from Hayes and he struts to the second rope for an elbow drop for 2. Ben gets some shots in on Hayes, getting him in the wrong corner and tagging out to Steele. Hayes counters a Steele backdrop attempt and hits a running kick. David tags in and hits another dropkick. Piledriver! Or "atomic drop" according to Mercer. In '82 that would be an instant finisher in a lot of places. But they're too close to the ropes for a pin. Mike snaps David over the top rope and starts working him over. David sneaks under his legs and gets a tag out to Hayes. Hayes with a backdrop and elbow drop on Mike for 2. Mike gets cornered and can't decide who to run away from, then finally manages to get to the floor for a mental reset. Full reset in the ring and Hayes struts around a bit more for the crowd. Mike backs up and rolls out again. When he gets back in he continues to stall and offers a handshake. Hayes overacts off the offer as only he can, and I mean that in a good way. He grabs Mike and snap mares him across the ring, causing Mike to beg off again. The heel corner distracts Hayes, finally giving Mike an opening to hit him from behind. That puts Hayes officially In Peril. Ben hooks on a chinlock that Hayes does his damndest to fight, but he slowly starts to fade down. Kneedrop from Ben for 2. Steele traps Hayes in the corner, chokes him a bit, then snap mares him into another chinlock. David and Ben move toward each other on the apron. One ref keeps them separated, while the other keeps his eye on the legal men. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TWO REFS! Bear hug from Mike on Hayes that again Hayes tries to fight like crazy, but slowly gets worn down. Hayes literally dangles down in Mike's arms. Both refs do arm drops, one on each arm. Hayes powers up and hits an elbow to Mike's head to get free. Both heels try to come in without a tag. Gordy cuts one off, but the refs force David out when he tries. Hayes remains in peril. Steele puts him in a sleeper. Hayes manages to fight out, but Steele gives him an elbow and puts it back on. Hayes manages to reverse and pounds away on Steele! Again Gordy chases Ben off, but Steele got the sleeper back on in the meantime. Hayes bridges back up, snap mares Steele over, and mistakenly goes for an elbow drop that Steele dodges. Fistdrop from Steele. Corner whip. Hayes dodges and Steele knees the corner! Diving tag to Gordy! Steele quickly backs off. Gordy doesn't care. Steele dodges in the corner and Gordy goes shoulder first into the post! Both guys are very slow to get up. Steele gets a tag to Mike. Mike slams Gordy. Gordy dodges an elbow drop and tag to David! EVERYONE IN THE POOL! David hits Mike with a high knee, and that gets the pin to win the titles! The Freebirds celebrate by themselves in the corner while David looks on clearly left out, then Hayes realizes and goes over to hug David. Inadvertent heat of the moment stuff I'm sure. Very fun match. There's no belts though. ***1/2

 

In the postmatch interview David voluntarily relinquishes his third of the title to the absent Buddy Roberts to let all the Freebirds be the champions. The Von Erichs and the Freebirds, best friends forever. For some reason Hayes doesn't look very happy about it though.

 

Mercer is with one of the refs to explain the rules for the upcoming battle royale. "16 or 18 men", you can be eliminated by pin, submission or over the top rope. When there's three wrestlers left they'll stop the match, put the $10K on the pole, and it will change to a pole match with all three guys vying to get the check down, but still have eliminations under the same rules.

 

$10,000 On a Pole Battle Royale- Some of the bigger names in here are David Von Erich (again), Bill Irwin, both Sharpes (again), Jose Lothario, King Kong Bundy and Bugsy McGraw. Most of this is your normal battle royale craziness so I'll mostly check out until we get down to the final three guys. We're reminded the money will be hung on the pole ONLY after the match gets down to three guys. The bell rings and it's a very slow start. Guys are locking up in a battle royale, which is hilarious to me. It's definitely slow moving for the first part. David is the first elimination after all the work he's already done tonight. There's a guy out there called the Magic Dragon. He does not look like a dragon, and I have no idea if he's really magic or not. David continues fighting with someone from the apron after his elimination. That doesn't seem sporting. About 5 guys try to stack on top of Bundy to pin him. He still pushes them all off, but then a jumping knee to the back from McGraw sends him over the top and out. The eliminations finally start coming more quickly after that. McGraw just about eliminates himself off a whip. We do a full stop and reset when it gets down to four, but we need it down to three to move on. Al Madril is the last eliminated, and we go to commercial as the check is put up. Back with the final three: Mike Sharpe, Brian Adias (not adidas) and Ken Mantell. The ref says go and everyone dives for the pole. There's lots of towers with one guy trying to climb and the other two pulling him down. Sharpe tosses Mantell over the top, but he lands on the apron so he's still legal. Adias sees the opening and speeds to the pole. Sharpe grabs him by the waist, pulls him down, runs him across the ring and tosses him over and out to eliminate him. But behind that Mantell gets up the pole! Sharpe tries to stop him. Mantell pushes him off and gets the check to win! Fine for what it was. **

 

Mantell kisses and gets sweat all over the check he's supposedly going to have to turn into a bank later. Hope the tellers have hand sanitizer. That closes out episode one.

 

Episode two is focused solely on the NWA World Championship match. Ric Flair won his first "test run" World title in September '81 over Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City. He's not fully RIC FLAIR as we know him yet, but he tends more that direction here because it was tradition in those days that the NWA World champ was a face in his home territory, but a heel when he went out on tour so the crowd could cheer for their local favorites. Remember all wrestling TV at this point was still regional, not national. Flair does drop "Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair" in his otherwise understated prematch promo. The episode opens with footage of their previous match, which took place at the last Star Wars in October. It was a two out of three falls match. Kerry thought he had the first fall won with a sleeper, but the decision was reversed to Flair by DQ because Kerry pushed the ref. Kerry won fall two by pinning Flair with the Iron Claw. Fall three ended with a double DQ because the match was too chaotic, meaning Flair kept the title. Due to that WCCW is calling Kerry the "uncrowned champion" to add some more juice to this rematch, and to get a definitive winner they're going inside the steel cage, which was a huge deal back then.

 

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) def Kerry Von Erich in 24:33- I know I've seen this match before, most likely by itself in the old Hidden Gems section of the Network. It's a smallish cage compared to what we're used to now, the top of it is only slightly taller than the wrestlers. Due to the results of their last encounter this match will have two referees in the ring/cage, a regular ref and Freebird Michael Hayes, who was supposedly voted in as the second ref by the fans. Commentary says Hayes "once refereed a world title match in Tokyo so he has experience". I have no idea if that's true or not but it's hilarious in a good way justification either way. Hayes takes the mic and says there's nothing more important than world title matches, and because of that he's brought along his Freebird brother Terry Gordy to make sure no one gets out the cage door. This is under normal pin/submission rules, only WWF did escape rules for cage matches. Hayes is the one to ring the bell to get us going. Kerry wants to go and Flair wants everyone to chill a bit. Lockup and Kerry gets a very quick leg takedown, then drops a couple of elbows on Flair's leg. Flair tries to muscle around into a hammerlock counter but Kerry gets another leg takedown (with Flair screaming all the way down). Another elbow to the leg and Kerry cranks on it again. Again Flair slowly works around and this time gets the hammerlock into an arm wringer. Kerry reverses and hits a standing dropkick! Flair can't get away quick enough but the cage is holding him in, as designed. Flair reverses Kerry in the corner, hits the first chop and some jabs and clubbing blows. Kerry pounds free with a bunch of punches to Flair's head. Flair Flop! Flair gets a couple of knees to the gut. Snap mare/kneedrop combo. Another big chop. Both refs force Flair to break when Kerry's against the ropes, cage match or no. Kerry hits some more punches to put Flair back down. Now Hayes forces Kerry out of the corner. The regular ref thought that was a bit too quick and he and Hayes get into it a bit. Flair tries a suplex. Kerry flips over into a sleeper! Flair back suplexes to get free. Kerry gingerly walks up the very loose ropes, using the cage, and just manages to come down with a kneedrop in Flairs' vicinity. Another straight kneedrop and I think Flair might be bleeding. Kerry goes nuts on Flair's forehead. He goes for the Claw but Flair blocks it. Back elbow from Flair. He picks Kerry up and drops him across the top rope. Both refs get on him for that. He chokes Kerry on the top rope and Hayes literally pulls him off to break it. Another snap mare with an elbow drop for 2. Both refs are counting falls at the same time. Kerry gets back up swinging again. Abdominal stretch attempt spin that Kerry wins. Flair hiptosses free. Kerry dodges an elbow drop. Flair's run into the cage! Now things are really heating up. Another one! Kerry rakes him across the cage! Flair's definitely bleeding now. Another hard cage shot! The crowd is really starting to believe now. Flair cuts off another Claw attempt. Flair's a bloody mess but fighting back again. He wraps Kerry's knee around the second rope and cranks it. Hayes physically pulls Flair back again. Flair leg takedown and he continues to get the knee work going. He goes for the figure four but Kerry pushes free. Twice. Kerry runs Flair into the cage again! Flair hits the knee again while he's down. Kerry shrugs it off and lays into Flair with more punches. Flair dodges a kneedrop! That's not going to help Kerry's knee. Flair gets the figure four on! He gets a couple of near falls off it. Kerry fights and slowly gets the reversal! Flair's in agony now and lets go. Kerry pops up and goes right back to work on Flair's knee. Flair tries to beg off. He even tries to climb the cage. Kerry pulls his trunks down and we get a Flair full moon. Even in '82. Hayes literally tosses Kerry across the ring forcing a rope break. Well, he's been consistent about that at least. More cage shots for Flair with Flair selling it all as only he can. He gets some separation with a chop, then slowly climbs up to the top rope. When he comes down Kerry gets him in the Claw! Flair goes all over the ring to try to get free but can't and fades down. Hayes and Gordy are discussing something as the other ref counts near falls. Flair just barely gets a foot on the bottom rope and Hayes very quickly calls for a break. The other ref disagrees but Hayes insists. He tries to pull Kerry off Flair! And does! HUGE boos for Hayes from the crowd after that. Kerry gets in his face, but Hayes insists Flair got a foot on the rope even if the regular ref disagrees. Flair comes in with a knee to Kerry's back while they're arguing. That also opened the cage door. Gordy closes it again. Now it's Flair Hayes is trying to force a corner break on again. Hayes turns Flair around and punches him! That's not referee decorum. He screams at Kerry to cover Flair. Kerry won't win it that way. Hayes grabs Kerry by the hair and pulls him onto Flair. Kerry gets right back up. Hayes shoves Kerry! He goes to walk out of the cage but Kerry tries to stop him. Another knee to the back from Flair off the distraction. Hayes falls out of the cage. GORDY SLAMS THE DOOR INTO KERRY'S FACE! Now Hayes gets back in and tosses the other ref away! Flair covers. Kerry kicks out at 2 but Hayes counts 3 anyway, then tries to raise Flair's head. The regular ref has had enough and tosses both Freebirds out. Flair ground and pound on Kerry as the ring clears out. Kerry takes a cage shot. More ground and pound from Flair as Kerry looks done. Snap mare into a cover for 2. Another cover for 2. Kerry won't die. He takes another cage shot. Kerry's bleeding a bit now and Flair attacks it. Kerry wildly tries to swing back. Discus punch! But he's too hurt to cover. The ref checks him, and calls for the bell because in his judgment Kerry can't continue. The doctor is called into the ring and Flair is handed back the belt to the boos of the crowd. Tremendous stuff, match and angle. ****1/4

 

Kevin and David Von Erich angrily get in the ring as doctors continue to check Kerry, arguing about how the Freebirds conducted themselves during the match. David takes a mic and says "TERRY GORDY! Now I know what you've gotten me and my family for Christmas!". This, ladies and gentlemen, was the very start of the legendary Freebirds/Von Erich war. Because that's what it was, feud doesn't even do it justice. Possibly the most well known and successful feud that was confined to one territory and never went national there ever was. Evidenced by the fact everyone knew about it despite it staying pretty much in Texas.

 

Since this isn't really a full, proper show I won't put a final grade on it, but it was very good viewing with two good to great title matches, and hugely important historically in kicking off one of the hottest angles there's ever been. 

Wrestle Kingdom 8

Legacy Review

Wrestle Kingdom 8

January 4, 2014 from the Tokyo Dome

 

This is the Wrestle Kingdom where the infamous fan vote took place to determine which of the top two matches would main event the show, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match between the still pretty young Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito, or the IWGP Intercontinental Championship bout featuring the in their prime legends Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura. The fans went with the more established stars over the top title, with the IC title match coming out the winner. Naito would take that result personally, using it as fuel for his coming major career transformation. This is also the first WK to take place since the formation of Bullet Club, and you'll be seeing their members all over the card tonight.

 

As usual this is from the New Japan World archives so Japanese commentary only. Like WK7, as of this writing no alternate English commentary has been recorded for any matches on this show.

 

Preshow: Captain New Japan, Bushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Tomoaki Honma def Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Super Strong Machine and Yohei Komatsu in 8:11- Your typical multi-man tag with one Young Lion representative preshow match. This time Komatsu is the Young Lion in question. Unlike previous years' Young Lions he's not about to go on excursion, he's still fairly new, only a little over a year removed from his in-ring debut. You know him today as YOH. Capt. NJ looks like he's wearing velour now. Dude's turning into Zapp Brannigan. And about as useful. Komatsu's teammates whip him across the ring at their opponents before the bell! That sets us off. Liger's team clears the ring as Komatsu hits Honma with a dropkick. Isolated Honma takes shots from everyone in the corner, topped off with a Liger shotei. Perfectplex from Komatsu for 2. Four way stomping on Honma as this is starting to look like a bad police beating. Honma fires back with a back elbow and lariato on Komatsu as things settle in. Short Kokeshi! Bushi tags in and goes full lucha dodges mode on Komatsu. Shotgun dropkick off the top rope. Setup slam and Bushi puts Komatsu in Young Lion Submission Hold 1A, the Boston crab. Komatsu's teammates quickly save him. Liger stomps on his own teammate Komatsu to try to get a fire under him! Tough love. Tenzan comes in and hits headbutts and a Mongolian chop for 2. Komatsu tries to chop back but Tenzan shows him how those work. Low spinning heel kick from Tenzan. Liger saves the pin and again yells at Komatsu to get his shit together. Here comes Capt. NJ. He hits a back elbow for 2. Forget Zapp Brannigan, that outfit looks like he's wrestling in full body pajamas. Cap hits a slam and goes up top. Komatsu dodges the big splash. Tag to Nakanishi. Big chops on Cap. Corner lariato. Cap dodges another one, but Nakanishi is too much meat for him to whip. Cap manages to hit a flying tackle and tags out to Tenzan. Mongolian chops on Nakanishi. Nakanishi responds with a very short and pretty ugly spear. He sets up and hits the big lariato but Tenzan kicks out. Nakanishi says that's it. He gets Tenzan in the torture rack! Cap tries to break it up, so Nakanishi tosses Tenzan into him. Honma comes in and back suplexes Nakanishi. Komatsu makes the mistake of coming back in, but manages to dodge around Tenzan and hits a running back elbow for 2. Tenzan tries a suplex but Komatsu counters with a small package for 2, then cradles Tenzan for 2. Tenzan's had enough and hits a massive lariato. DONNYBROOK! Komatsu tries to fight off both Cap and Tenzan. Cap with a goozle, pushing Komatsu down and setting him up for Honma, who's on the top rope. KOKESHI MAKE YOU HAPPY! It hit! Tenzan goes up top, hits the headbutt off the top, but everyone breaks the pin up. The rings clears out again and Tenzan is alone with Komatsu. He puts on a modified Boston crab and the kid has to give it up. Damn, if Honma had gotten the pin off the Kokeshi I would have given this five freaking stars. As it is, it's a fun preshow match and told a good Young Lion in his early days when his guts were way more than his brains or ability story. All part of the learning process in Japan. **1/2

 

As is tradition now here's the show's opening VTR since it's not on the World copy, though this one isn't quite as good as other years in my opinion.

 

 

Four Way Match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) (Bullet Club) def Time Splitters, Forever Hooligans (CHAOS) and Taka Michinoku & Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) in 10:35- The WK debut of the Bucks is the obvious big headline here. One of these four teams have been the junior tag champs dating back to mid-'12, with the Bucks defeating Taichi & Michinoku at Power Struggle in November for the most recent change and the first of their record seven title wins. Despite having the same last name Forever Hooligans' Alex Kozlov is not related to Vladimir Kozlov from WWE. Before the bell Kozlov channels his inner Nikolai Volkoff and takes the mic to sing the Russian national anthem. Taichi and Michinoku actually put their hands on their hearts! OK, that's funny. The Bucks double superkick Romero from behind. Kozlov sees him down, shouts "What the hell!" and turns around into a double superkick. And we're off. The Bucks get Time Splitters isolated in the ring, hitting double teams on both. Matt then takes a couple of double team shots from Time Splitters. Meanwhile, Taichi and Michinoku have taken up spots in commentary. Can't fault the strategery. Nick saves Matt from a double suplex and they take Time Splitters our again. KUSHIDA hits the handspring back elbow on both Bucks. Time Splitters go for a double dive but get cut off by Hooligans. Hooligans double baseball slide on the Bucks. They get KUSHIDA isolated and Romero hits a flying headscissors. Kozlov hits a springboard flying forearm. Shelley then takes some Hooligans double teams. Romero fires up the forever lariatos on Shelley. With it being a four way match no one is bothering to give lip service to tags and are constantly double teaming. Kozlov puts his furry hat on and hits some, er Russian dance kicks? And a double stomp. The SG team breaks the tag up. Michinoku has the hat and puts it on! Taichi then gives it a try. Kozlov takes some shots in the corner and Taichi hits a Greco Roman Nut Kneedrop. Michinoku had the ref distracted for that, then he gets down and fast counts 3 himself. This isn't WCW, no one's going to count that as a real pin. Michinoku calls for the "BRAIN BUSTER!". Romero comes in, and soon we have ALL EIGHT guys hooked up in a suplex fight! QUADRUPLE SUPLEX! Total mix of teams that took that too, but as usual the Bucks came out on top. Michinoku dodges in the corner and Matt runs into a kick from Nick! Nick low bridges Michinoku out, then hits a springboard faceplant on Taichi. Romero tope suicida on Nick! Kozlov grabs Matt and tries to suplex him over the top rope to the floor, but Matt hangs on and they both tumble over! Michinoku's turn. He milks the moment and hits an asai moonsault onto the group on the floor. Time Splitters then top it off with a double senton plancha onto everyone. Oh no, not everyone. Taichi's still left. But first, THE PANTS ARE OFF! He goes up top, but Matt cuts him off. Nick comes up to help. They superplex Taichi to the floor onto EVERYONE! Even the Young Lion attendants! The ref starts a count since literally everyone's on the floor. At 19 they ALL roll back into the ring! Michinoku gives KUSHIDA the old Roddy Piper two finger eye poke, absorbs a forearm and hits a kick. That goes into the rapid fire "everyone takes a shot" spot. Kozlov gets Nick up and Rocky hits him with a springboard Doomsday Device for 2. Time Splitters come in and hit some combination double teams on Hooligans. Shelly big splash off the top/KUSHIDA standing moonsault combo for 2. Time Splitters outmaneuver the Bucks in the corner and send them to the floor again. Double team neckbreaker/moonsault combo on Romero. Cover, but the ref is distracted by Michinoku trying to bring a chair in. Behind that Taichi gives KUSHIDA a Greco Roman Nut Punt and the SG team hit double team Black Mephisto for 2. The Bucks get back in, take Michinoku out, and set Taichi up. Indietaker! Michinoku just barely breaks the pin up! Double superkick on Michinoku! Taichi is set up again. MORE. BANG. FOR. YOUR. BUCK! And that gets the pin to retain! Fun junior tag spotfest, but kind of a "the whole was less than the sum of the parts" match. The Bucks already look like stars, though it's perfectly understandable their antics rubbed some people the wrong way. ***1/4

 

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (w/Toma Tonga) (Bullet Club) def Killer Elite Squad (c) (Suzuki-Gun) in 10:27- The future Good Brothers teamed up for the first time in the 2013 World Tag League, and clearly hit it off from the start because they won the tournament. This is the second straight WK that KES have come in as tag champs, but it's not the same reign. Tencozy had another run in the interim. Tama's shirt and the tron remind me, this is during the early time Bullet Club was using its original logo, before the iconic skull and guns logo was created. Gallows & Anderson come out in camo vests and facepaint. Gallows is carrying a super jumbo sized bazooka on his shoulder, the kind you'd probably go up against as a early or mid-game boss fight in a Final Fantasy game. Then he blows up the tron with it. KES ride motorcycles in for their entrance again. Gallows has a skull with two pistols graphic on his top. A precursor to the future BC logo? The big guys Archer and Gallows start. They shove, then big boot each other. Archer hits some forearms, shrugs off a big boot, and lariatos Gallows 360 to the floor. Anderson comes in but takes a DBS powerslam. KES hits a couple of double teams on Anderson, then double flip Tama in when he gets on the apron. They set Tama up for the Killer Bomb but G&A make the save. Gallows gives Archer a receipt 360 lariato, then big boots him off the apron. Anderson pounds on DBS in the ring while Gallows knocks Archer around on the floor. Tama gets a shot in on DBS too. Gallows lays in hard body shots on DBS in the corner, then hits an avalanche. He tosses DBS out to the floor and Tama gives him some more shots. DBS snaps Gallows over the top rope coming back in to try to get some space but Gallows is quickly back on him. Suplex for 2. Anderson gives DBS some ground and pound. DBS reverses and hits some shots, but Anderson cuts him off from making a tag. Tama goes full Buff Bagwell posing for the camera while G&A hit some more double teams. Gallows lariato/Anderson senton combo, then Gallows hits a splash and Anderson covers for 2. Anderson goes for Gun Stun. DBS blocks it and hits a backdropeh suplex! Both sides tag. Archer and Gallows charge into each other midring with lariatos, then start slugging it out. Archer ducks a lariato and hits a crossbody. Big lariato from Archer. Full nelson bomb for 2. He knucklelocks Gallows, goes up and goes for his version of old school. Tama knocks him off, drawing HUGE boos from the Tokyo Dome crowd. Anderson gives Archer some uppercuts. Archer grabs him by the throat and tosses him back. Avalanche from Archer and he sets Anderson up top. Anderson fights off a superplex. Archer big boots him and uses the position to get him up and hit Blackout! Tama pulls the ref out before 3! Yeah, in their early days Bullet Club was doing some of the crap House of Torture does now. Not as excessively though, and HOT has been doing it WAY longer without ever changing. I hate House of Torture matches so much. I won't even watch them anymore, they're an automatic skip. Anyway, Archer literally lifts Tama over the top rope into the ring with a full nelson, and KES succeed in hitting the Killer Bomb on him. KES set Anderson up for the Killer Bomb. Gallows breaks it up. Then Gallows gets set up and Anderson makes the save. DBS belly to belly suplex on Gallows. Anderson hits DBS with a kick but runs into an Archer big boot. Archer calls for a chokeslam and plants Anderson with it. Anderson kicks out! Archer goes for another one. Anderson counters midmove into a Gun Stun! Fantastic. DBS just breaks the pin up. Gallows comes in and drops DBS. Archer fights off a Gun Stun. Gallows pounds him downa and gets him set up. Magic killer! Gallows and Anderson win their first tag titles! Far from their last. They'll have a dominant run too, holding them for exactly one year. That's 2-0 for Bullet Club in the tag title matches tonight too. Solidly good match. ***

 

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Satoshi Kojima (w/Hiroyoshi Tenzan) def Rob Conway (w/Jax Dane) (c) in 8:27- The NWA World title returns to the Tokyo Dome for the first time since the early '90s. It's been on quite the ride since then. Most recently the NWA was aligned with TNA, but after they split in 2007 the NWA title has been barely staying afloat on the indy scene thanks to its history and name recognition. The whole Colt Cabana/Adam Pearce incident didn't help it any either. This is its most high profile spot in a very long time. Conway, who came up in the WWE system through OVW and was a former WWE tag champ in La Resistance, won the title in March '13. The great Harley Race is in the ring after entrances, nice touch having him there. He's having to use a cane now but doesn't look too bad for his age. A guy I assume is Conway's manager gets in Race's face and Race gives him as good a punch as he was capable of anymore. The crowd loves it. Conway's playing the full on arrogant foreigner heel for the crowd. This Jax Dane guy looks almost exactly like Bubba/Bully Ray. The bell rings and the crowd goes bonkers for Kojima. First lockup of the night and we get a rough but clean break. Conway hits a back elbow and gives Kojima some punches on the mat. He hits a couple of elbow drops, then telegraphs a third and Kojima dodges it. Punches and shoulderblock from Kojima and he lets the pecs talk a bit. Back suplex. Conway dodges a 360 lariato attempt and crotches Kojima on the ropes, then dropkicks him down. Kojima hits a DDT on the apron! Hardest part of the ring, even in Japan. Back in Conway recovers to hit forearms and chops in the corner, then does some strutting as if he could get the crowd any more against him. Kojima reverses in the corner. Machine gun chops! For. Ev. Er. A little extra for the Tokyo Dome. On the other side Kojima hits the corner forearm and goes up top for the elbow drop. Dane cuts him off. Kojima punches him back down and goes up again, but Conway knocks him down to the floor. Guardrail shot and lariato on the floor for Kojima. Back in Conway demands Kojima get up. Kojima tries to fight it but Conway hits a sit out uranage for 2. Conway hits some shots around Kojima's chest and a running boot to the face. Running elbow drop for 2. Mongolian chop from Conway! As if he could get the crowd any more against him. Again. Talk about playing with fire with Tenzan right there. It definitely pisses him off but he stays out of it. Kojima hits the Kojicutter! Brain buster! Conway kicks out! The elbow pad is....not off. Dane gets on the apron to distract before it can be torn off. He puts Kojima in a sleeper. Tenzan's had enough, pulling Dane down and giving him some Mongolian chops, then suplexes Dane on the floor. Now the elbow pad is off! Conway ducks the Cozy Lariato and hits a spear! Kojima fights off what looks like a rope assisted magic killer (I'm not familiar with Conway's moveset) and NAILS him with a lariato in the back of the head! COZY LARIATO! Kojima gets the pin to bring the NWA World title back to New Japan for the first time in over 20 years! Perfectly fine match. Conway did a superb job heeling it up for the Japanese audience. **1/2

 

The NWA World title would stay in New Japan's orbit for the next couple of years. Conway would win it back in the US in June, then Kojima's Tencozy partner Tenzan got a turn with it in the first half of '15. After he dropped it in August (to Jax Dane) the NWA ended their short New Japan partnership. By that time much more change was coming for the NWA. In May 2017 all of its assets were purchased by Billy Corgan in an attempt to fully revitalize the company. Like with everything else involving the NWA since around 1990, the results have been mixed at best. 

 

Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba def Daniel & Rolles Gracie by DQ in 9:50- We've got another throwback here, and not a good throwback. A throwback to those "classic" Inokism era work/shoot hybrids that never managed to satisfy anyone. And, as tradition dictates, Nagata's been drug into it. Every damn time. Teaming with him is Sakuraba, a legit MMA legend who came into New Japan a bit over a year ago and had a phenomenal match with Nakamura for the IC title at WK 7 that brilliantly toed the line of being more shoot style but still clearly a proper wrestling match. He's stuck around since and proven himself pretty well versed in the pro wrestling game. I'm not unhappy to see him again. The Gracies are a couple of Brazilian MMAers, part of a large Brazilian MMA family that's almost as sprawling as a Samoan wrestling family. Too sprawling for me to bother to sort out just for this match. Sakuraba and one of the Gracies start. I have no idea which is which and frankly couldn't care less. After some jockeying they get into some grappling. Gracie 1 (beard) puts on some kind of reverse choke hold and Sakuraba takes a rope break. It might be my memory but he looks way smaller than when he wrestled Nakamura last year. Gracie 1 gets a leg takedown and wraps Sakuraba up in a triangle. Sakuraba gets free and swings some kicks while Gracie lays on the mat like a turtle. That gets him an opening for another takedown. Nagata's had enough and comes in to break it up. Wish he'd walk out and walk himself into a proper match somewhere else. Tags on both sides. Gracie 2 (no beard) again gets the first takedown. Nagata is able to reverse position on the mat. Another hookup and Nagata gets a straight takedown and tries for some kind of arm hold. Gracie 2 takes another rope break. Nagata cranks things up a notch with some stiff hammy kicks. He slaps Gracie 2 across the head and (I assume) shouts at him to fucking bring it. They get shoving. Gracie 2 ducks a swing and puts a choke on. Ref Marty Asami gives him a warning for something besides being in the ropes. Gracie 2 tags in and tries some ground and pound with Nagata covered up. Asami forces him off because he's using closed fists in a wrestling ring. Nagata gets trapped in the wrong corner and takes some knees. Nagata and Gracie 2 kind of hug in the middle of the ring and Nagata gets a takedown into an armbar attempt. Gracie 2 reverses and tries for the same. He gets it on, but Sakuraba comes in and rakes his eyes with his feet. Gracie 1 tags in and Nagata puts his ass down with one kick across the chest, then tags out. Sakuraba comes in fists flying and gets a fireman's carry takedown. Gracie 1 lifts tiny Sakuraba up and drags him across the ring to his corner. He takes some knees from Gracie 2 that are clearly worked, they're so soft. Sakuraba gets on top of Gracie 2 and hits some Mongolian style chops. Commentary agrees with me, I can make that much out. Sakuraba and Nagata give Gracie 2 some war drums across the back and pummel him with back and forth chest kicks. Nagata backdropeh suplex! That, somehow, only gets 2. Nagata Lock! The eyes roll back! Gracie 2 barely manages a foot on the rope. Nagata tries another backdropeh but Gracie 2 reverses it into a takedown. He takes his gi, wraps it around Nagata's throat and chokes him with it. Asami gives him a chance to break, then calls for the DQ when he doesn't. Weak ass finish. Were these posers too good to job in a worked wrestling match? It was amusing how Nagata was stiffing the shit out of them every chance he got, I'm curious if that was just him working normally or some kind of deliberate message. Regardless, this kind of shit should have stayed dead and buried with Inokism and had no place on a modern Wrestle Kingdom. DUD

 

The Great Muta & Toru Yano def Minoru Suzuki & Shelton X Benjamin (w/Taka Michinoku and Taichi) (Suzuki-Gun) in 12:04- Yano defeated Suzuki on the last block night of the G1 Climax to cost Suzuki a shot at a block win, and they've been butting heads ever since. Things intensified in World Tag League, when again Yano (and Iizuka) defeated Suzuki & Benjamin to again cost the Suzuki-Gun members a shot at advancing. Keiji Mutoh had been making semi-regular appearances at WK since WK 2, but this would be his last proper New Japan appearance for nearly a decade. He's also bringing the Great Muta back for this match as he fits in better to this craziness. As I mentioned in the WK 7 review Mutoh has left All Japan and is now running his own promotion called WRESTLE-1. Muta and Yano get an absolutely awesome special entrance. Lots of dragons. We're now in the period where Mutoh was using a mask for the Muta character instead of facepaint. I really like this one, there's an almost cyborg element to it. Muta and Suzuki start. A singles match I'd love to see. Muta fires off some green mist to get us going. Cautious leaning in leads to some great rapid fire counters and stalemate. Benjamin tags in for a go. WWE's Shelton Benjamin in the ring with these Japanese legends is so freaking cool. He works Muta down with a waistlock into a chinlock. Muta takes a rope break and goes all the way to the floor. He seems to be looking for something under the ring. It's....scaffolding of some kind. Asami cuts him off and gets him back in the ring before it's out any more. Yano tags in and unloads forearms on Benjamin. Suzuki knees him in the back from the apron, then puts on the draping armbar! Everything goes to the floor, where both Yano and Suzuki love to work. Benjamin and Muta are sort of going at it on the other side too but it's clear where the energy is. Benjamin takes Muta all the way behind the barricade near the ringside seating. Taichi works Yano over with a chair. Benjamin slams Yano on the floor. Back in Benjamin covers but Asami is still cleaning up the SG's seconds' mess and can't count. Double underhook suplex from Benjamin for 2. Suzuki hits a running kick in the corner. Snap mare/PK combo for 2. Benjamin cranks back a hammerlock on Yano. Yano gets in the ropes to escape. Taichi chokes him there while Asami is distracted some more. Muta tries to come in with Yano's red chair, which allows the SG team to torture Yano even more. Running knee on the apron from Benjamin for 2. Yano fires up and tries a suplex, but Benjamin reverses and hits it. Behind Benjamin's back Yano pops right back up and gets a corner pad off. Benjamin dives right into it! Muta tags in and whips Benjamin into the exposed corner. Dragon screw! He tosses Benjamin to the floor and hits him with the red chair, then Suzuki. Classic snap mare/elbow drop combo back in. Benjamin spins around, hits a kick to Muta's head, and tags out. Yano also tags in. Suzuki whips Yano into the corner he exposed. He charges. Yano moves out of the way, thinking Suzuki will run into the corner. But Suzuki hits the brakes, smiles, turns around, and kicks Yano right in the back. Fantastic. And then Yano falls for it a second time! Yano grabs Suzuki by the hair he's got sticking out on the back of his head and pulls him down. Benjamin comes in with a lariato on Yano. Stinger splash. Suzuki charges in, stops, and slaps Yano. Benjamin spinebuster into a Suzuki armbar. Muta comes in and breaks it up. Superkick from Benjamin on Muta. Suzuki does the misdirection slide under and hooks a sleeper on Yano. He tries for the Gotch style piledriver. Yano fights it, and Muta comes in with a shining wizardo! Dragon screw on Benjamin. Michinoku takes a dragon screw. Shining wizardo on Benjamin. Suzuki is trying to take a chair from Taichi but Asami is stopping him. Muta gets behind him. Suzuki ducks and Taichi takes the red mist! Sleeper on Muta! Yano comes behind with the red chair. Suzuki ducks under him and gets a sleeper on. Muta sees and contemplates the situation. Yano hits a classic low blow to get free, then shoves Muta! Yano ducks and Muta green mists Suzuki! Classic Yano cradle, and that gets the pin. It's OK, but kind of sloppy and pretty slow paced. If you can get Muta you get Muta, but a Yano/Suzuki singles match might have been better. Especially if they were allowed to go full on hardcore. **

 

King of Destroyer Match: Togi Makabe def Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) in 15:05- Fale's riding the wave of Bullet Club's initial push to what would be his only singles WK match. So what is a King of Destroyer match? Well, I'm honestly not sure, there's never been one before. Obviously commentary won't help me, so I guess we'll figure it out as we go. This is back when Fale was young and svelte and could actually move a bit. As usual with Makabe in the Dome it's chain off and right to it. He and Fale trade forearms. Makabe staggers Fale with shots across the top of his head and Fale tumbles out to the floor. Makabe follows. Fale reverses a whip and Makabe crashes into the guardrail. Poor Honma is out there with Makabe and takes a shot. Fale slams Makabe on the floor, then goes and gets Makabe's chain. He puts it around Makabe's neck and drags him across the floor with it! Back in Fale hits a Samoan (Tongan?) drop. Ref Kenta Santo starts a count, so I'm thinking this is the same as a Last Man Standing match. Big Fale elbow drops to Makabe's back, then Fale stands on him Andre the Giant style. Partial camel clutch from Fale. Santo asks for a submission so I guess those are legal in this match too. Fale gives Makabe some body shots in the corner. Makabe asks for more, and gets it. Makabe dodges a corner avalanche, but takes another body shot. He manages to put Fale down with a lariato. Now it's Makabe's turn to hit shots in the corner. Corner lariatos and mounted punches. Another lariato. Air raid crash from Makabe and he goes up top. Fale dodges the King Kong kneedrop. A Fale kick sends Makabe to the floor again. Fale again takes Makabe's chain, this time wrapping it around his fist. Makabe takes it away, wraps it around his fist and hits Fale with it. Then he wraps it around his arm and lariatos Fale with the chain. Makabe goes and gets one of the tables from the ringside area. He hits Fale with it, then sets it up and sets Fale on it. Makabe goes up top. Fale gets off the table onto the apron and tosses Makabe off the top into the ring. Corner avalanche from Makabe. Big splash. Santo starts a count but Makabe's up easily. Fale pulls the pin and hits the Grenade! Makabe drags himself up at 8. Fale gets Makabe up, literally walks around with him, and hits the Bad Luck Fall! Again Makabe uses the ropes to barely get up in time. Setup slam from Fale and he goes up top. He's getting desperate. He barely balances himself, then Makabe dodges a splash. 360 lariato from Makabe sending Fale to the floor. We still have an unbroken table out there. Fale fights back and puts Makabe on the table. He gets on the apron. Makabe grabs him and powerbombs him through the table! Back in Makabe pummels Fale with lariatos in the corner. Nice flop out from Fale. Makabe goes up top. King Kong kneedrop to the back of Fale's head! One more time. King Kong kneedrop! Fale can't answer the 10 count and it's over. Eh. As much as you'd expect from Fale and Makabe, really. Another match that would have benefited from New Japan getting outside their comfort zone a bit and embracing a little more hardcore. **1/4

 

Hirooki Goto def Katsuyori Shibata in 15:33- Goto is making his return from a broken jaw that he suffered during the G1 and forced him to be pulled from the tournament. There's some serious personal history here, as these two were actually high school classmates. Goto gets a special live performance entrance. The drums are fine on their own, but they keep going during all of Goto's entrance. Perfect highlight of a major modern problem in film/TV music- take an awesome old piece of music, add some percussion lines under it and call it "modernized". Hate it so much. Sorry, another passion of mine bleeding through there. And Goto's music absolutely counts as awesome. Cauious feeling out into a lockup. Shibata chops Goto across the jaw and chest in lieu of breaking clean. On another rope break Goto tries to hit a shot but Shibata beats him to it! Goto ducks a PK swing. More cautious leaning in and Shibata works around into a full nelson, then snap mares Goto and hits a PK to his back. He wraps Goto up in a quick figure four. Perfect example of no frills Shibata, just hook a figure four on out of nowhere. Goto tries to slap free then takes a rope break. Big forearms from Shibata in the corner. He goes to the other side, but Goto chases and hits a heel kick. Shibata is barely fazed, stomping on Goto again when he's down. HUGE PK to Goto's jaw! More corner forearms that fire Goto up. That leads to a full on forearm exchange. A big uppercut puts Goto down again and Shibata lays into him with more forearms. Hard hitting barely does this match justice so far. I'm almost hurting. Shibata hits the leaping corner dropkick. Goto tries to escape to the floor for some space, but Shibata says "fuck that", chasing him and throwing him right back in! Chest kicks from Shibata. Another one across Goto's jaw. I hope it healed fully. Goto does a misdirection rope hit and hits a lariato. Chest kicks on Shibata. Corner lariato. Elbow off the top rope for 2. Another forearm exchange. Lariatos from Goto, big boots from Shibata, and both guys refuse to go down. Goto suckers Shibata in by going to his knees, blocks a kick and hits a discus lariato for 2. Backdropeh from Goto for 2. He tries for a German. Shibata blocks it, standing switch, and Shibata puts on a cobra twist. When Goto gets a rope break Shibata Germans him! Another Goto backdropeh! Shibata backdropeh! Goto pops right back up and hits another backdropeh! So does Shibata! Goto leans back and hits a lariato to the back of Shibata's head. Another German attempt. Shibata fights free and hits a pele kick. Shibata charges into another lariato. Cover for ONE. Big Shibata chest kick. Another barely one count. Shibata lariato and another one. Goto PK for one. Both guys collapse in opposite corners! Absolutely fantastic sequence. Goto gets Shibata up for the ushigiroshi. Shibata slips free and puts on a sleeper. Goto fades down. Shibata gets Goto up and hits an ushigiroshi. Full running PK for 2. Shibata tosses his mouthguard away! Shit's serious now. He tries to lift Goto again but Goto fights it. He gutwrenches Shibata up into a reverse ushigiroshi! Regular ushigiroshi. Neckbreaker for 2. Reverse blue thunder bomb for 2. Goto hooks Shibata up. Shibata reverses and hits his own shoten! Shibata gets up and says he's going to snap something. He gets Goto up for Go2Sleep. Goto fights and fights and finally gets free. Goto headbutt! Shibata response headbutt! Both guys need time after that. When they get to their knees the forearms start flying again. Goto blocks a PK and hits a lariato for another one count. More lariatos wobble Shibata but he refuses to go down. One more lariato gives him no choice, turning him inside out. Goto hits shoten, and gets the pin! What beautiful violence. Strong style is the freaking best, man. Unquestionably my favorite wrestling style. After the bell both guys share a moment, clearly very emotional about what they just did in there in all the best ways. Shibata even goes back for Goto after starting to leave and they walk out arm in arm. ****1/4

 

To set up the next match, the most high profile junior title match ever in the Tokyo Dome to this point: Over the past year Prince Devitt has had the most dominant junior division run since the heyday of Jushin Thunder Liger. He won the title in November '12 and has held it since, now at 419 days, the second longest junior title reign ever. If that wasn't enough, he also tore through the '13 edition of Best of the Super Juniors, winning it as champion with a clean sheet undefeated record. Now I'm sure Bullet Club interference can be thanked for a good portion of that but still, no one has been able to touch him, at least in the junior ranks. His old foe Ibushi is here one more time to try. Ibushi actually signed his first ever contract with New Japan in the fall of '13, which was a joint contract with both New Japan and DDT. Both these guys have also been dabbling with a move up to heavyweight. Both were entrants in the '13 G1 Climax, and both did very well as official juniors (10 points for Devitt and 8 for Ibushi). 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kota Ibushi def Prince Devitt (c) (Bullet Club) in 16:22- Another awesome special entrance here, as a coffin is carried out to start Devitt's entrance and he comes out of it. In full Demon paint! The Demon is here! This is actually the Demon's debut, first appearance ever, and it really is creepy as hell with his crooked walk and dead eyes stare. A totally different character. All of Bullet Club is out with Devitt for this major match. Cautious lean in and Ibushi swings a kick that's easily dodged. Lockup and Devitt initially breaks clean, but then kicks Ibushi down. Speed run and Ibushi catches Devitt with a kick across the chest. Nick Jackson gets on the ropes and yells at Ibushi, letting Devitt catch him from behind. Ibushi puts him back down with a dropkick and Devitt rolls out. Now Gallows distracts. Devitt tries to take advantage but Ibushi pushes him into Gallows. Another speed run and Gallows trips Ibushi, pulls him out and the BC guys go nuts on him with stomps to huge boos from the crowd. Back in Devitt stays in control. He hits a baseball slide to Ibushi's gut in the corner. He puts Ibushi in the tree of woe, then distracts Red Shoes so the other BC guys can stretch him out. Devitt pulls him down and covers. Red Shoes refuses to count! He's consistent about that, he won't DQ but he won't reward bad behavior with a pin attempt. Devitt puts Ibushi in a cobra twst. Well, it's really a proper abdominal stretch but we're in Japan. Gutbuster from Devitt for 2. Big chop in the corner. Ibushi gets a boot up in the corner and goes to the second rope, but Devitt hits another chop that sends him tumbling to the floor! And again into the waiting boots of the other BC guys. Anderson lifts Ibushi up and drops him on the ring apron. Holy FUCK Ibushi hit horrible, back of the head right on the damn edge. This is why people thought for years as great as he was he was going to kill himself in a match at some point. Setup slam back in from Devitt and he goes up top. Ibushi dodges the double stomp and hits another dropkick that sends Devitt out. He goes for a dive. The Bucks come in to cut it off and Ibushi takes them out. Ibushi top rope asai corkscrew moonsault onto all the other BC guys! Springboard missile dropkick back in for 2. Rapid fire strike combo that puts Devitt down. Standing moonsault/second rope moonsault combo for 2. Devitt ducks a kick swing and hooks up for Bloody Sunday. Ibushi fights that off and rolls Devitt up for 2. The kickout sends Ibushi into the ropes and one of the BC guys throws a chair into his head! Roll up from Devitt for 2. Ibushi hits a spear and freaking deadlifts Devitt into a German with a bridge for 2. Ibushi setup slam and he goes up top. Gallows grabs his foot and Devitt pushes him off all the way down into the barricade. The BC guys lay into him again on the floor, but for some reason it's all off camera, all we see is Devitt laying in the ring. Whatever happened, Red Shoes finally has enough and gets all the other refs out to kick them out! Devitt picks Ibushi's carcass up and drapes him across the barricade. Running dropkick on Ibushi against the barricade! Back in Devitt goes up top and hits a double stomp to the back of Ibushi's head for 2. Ibushi's comeback is cut off with another dropkick. Another corner chop from Devitt. Ibushi runs into a chop. Devitt hops up top but Ibushi hits him with an enzuguri! Ibushi sets up for some crazy springboard move. Devitt grabs him on the top rope! He's set up for an avalanche Bloody Sunday, which is what finished Ibushi off in the three way match last year. Ibushi fights it off. Hurricanrana! Devitt kicks out! Ibushi goes up top again. Devitt dodges the phoenix splash, Ibushi sees and lands on his feet, but Devitt hits him with a lariato. Bloody Sunday! Ibushi just kicks out! Devitt goes up top again. Coupe de Gracie! Even if it wasn't called that yet. Ibushi kicks out again! Devitt sets up for another Bloody Sunday as the crowd is really going nuts for Ibushi now. Ibushi flips free midmove and hits a pele kick. Counters and Ibushi hits a kick to Devitt's head. Snap German! Lariato! Last Ride powerbomb! Devitt just kicks out! Ibushi goes up again. The phoenix splash hits, and Ibushi has done it! Devitt's historic title reign is over. It's Ibushi's third junior title win, and would be his last one. After this reign he'd go back to freelancing for a while, including dipping his toes in WWE/NXT for the Cruiserweight Classic and that year's Dusty Classic tag team tournament, and when he went back to New Japan full time he moved up to heavyweight. After the bell a masked man interrupts Ibushi's celebration and gives him some black flowers. No one knew at the time, but it's El Desperado, coming back from excursion. The match was very good, but before the home stretch not quite up to the usual Ibushi/Devitt level. All the BC interference didn't help, though I understand the long term story being told there. ***1/2

 

The next night at the first ever New Year Dash, Devitt was attacked by a returning from injury Ryuske Taguchi, Devitt's former Apollo 55 partner that he turned on to kick off the formation of Bullet Club. The two finally had their one on one blowoff match at Invasion Attack in April, the one year anniversary of Devitt's turn. Taguchi won the match, then afterward Devitt was attacked by the Young Bucks, kicking him out of Bullet Club. That was done because it was Devitt's last New Japan match. A few months later he would become one of the first major signings by WWE for the NXT brand that was suddenly getting much more prominence thanks to the new WWE Network and was being transformed by showrunner Triple H into a kind of "super-indy" under the WWE umbrella. When arriving in NXT Devitt changed his name to Finn Balor. That same Invasion Attack show also saw the debut of AJ Styles in New Japan following his TNA departure. He quickly assumed the mantle of Bullet Club leader.

 

Tetsuya Naito suffered one of his many career knee injuries during the '12 G1 Climax but, being Naito, he tried to push through it and kept on wrestling, finishing the tournament and keeping up his regular schedule afterward. A couple of months later it was determined he medically couldn't continue, so an injury angle was done during a loss to his former No Limit partner Yujiro Takahashi to write him off. He'd miss the next 8 months after reconstructive knee surgery, including WK 7. When he came back in June '13 he got the full on returning from injury babyface push. First he got his win back from Yujiro, tried to win the NEVER Openweight championship but failed, but then took the win in the '13 G1 Climax for his first of three career G1 wins, which also extended the streak of first time G1 winners to seven straight years, by far the record. As was the new tradition set by Okada the previous year, that got him a shot at the Heavyweight title at the next Wrestle Kingdom. In the interim he continued the other end of the new tradition by successfully defending the title shot briefcase against guys he lost to in the G1. He also succeeded in his goal of winning the NEVER title, taking it from Masato Tanaka in a title vs briefcase match. Unfortunately there was a downside to all this. The fans still weren't sure about Naito in his Stardust Genius persona, and this mega push only caused them to turn against him even more. That's part of the reason this match lost the fan vote and will only be the semi-main tonight instead of the main event. As I said earlier, Naito took it personally and it's one reason big changes will be coming for him before long. As for Okada, after several tries he finally wrested the title back from Tanahashi in April '13 for his second reign. 

 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) (w/Gedo) (CHAOS) def NEVER Openweight Champion Tetsuya Naito in 30:58- Okada's walking into the Tokyo Dome as champion for the first time, but definitely not for the last. This is also the first of several WK main events, or close to, for these two against each other. They go nose to nose for a moment after Okada makes his entrance and before he hands the belt over. The bell rings and neither guy is in a hurry. Lockup and Naito starts in on some basic arm work. Headlock/headscissors exchange and stalemate. Naito eases into an arm wringer. Okada rolls over and reverses into a hammerlock. Naito takes a rope break and Okada does his clean break tease, but then grabs Naito for a whip. Long speed run and Naito gets a deep armdrag, then a dropkick. Snap mare into a chinlock, then Naito puts on a headscissors. Another snap mare and Naito hits a senton for 2. Neckbreaker and Naito wraps up Okada's arms with his legs in a unique looking hold. Okada fights over for a rope break. Naito goes for his classic sweep kick/springboard dropkick combo in the corner. Okada cuts off the dropkick and dropkicks him out to the floor! He takes Naito up the aisle and stretches him out a bit. Okada goes up the ramp more, gets a head of steam and hits a basement dropkick to Naito's back. Back in Okada hits a hangman's neckbreaker for 2. Naito tries to fire back with chops. Okada gets him back down and hits a slingshot senton. Snap mare and Okada wraps Naito up in his Mr. Salty, that hold he should have bought back later instead of that stupid Money Clip. Naito leans back and gets a foot on the rope. Naito dodges a running elbow in the corner, then hits the corner kick combo. Running forearm from Naito. Hiptoss into a sliding dropkick. He dropkicks Okada into the corner, then pounds him down in the corner, ignoring Red Shoes and drawing some boos. That's the Naito we'll get to know better in a couple of years. They go to the floor. Okada scoops for a tombstone out there! Naito fights free and hits a tornado DDT! Got so much distance he planted Okada past the floor mats on the bottom of the ramp. Back in Naito hits a top rope shotgun dropkick to Okada's back. He rolls Okada around into Pluma Blanca, his submission hold at the time. Okada uses his long legs to get a rope break. Naito hits forearms and Okada demands more, firing up. Wild headbutts from Naito! Looks just like an angry Klingon after too much blood wine. Okada spins Naito around onto the top rope and dropkicks him down! Nice job by Naito dangling himself off before falling. I'm assuming it was intentional. He's holding the leg that caught the turnbuckle on the floor after and Red Shoes checks on him. Naito takes his time so Okada goes out and attacks him. Draping DDT off the apron to the floor from Okada! So that's one floor DDT each in this match. Okada gets back in the ring and lets the count happen. He pulls off his elbow pad and angrily tosses it down onto Naito! He'll take the countout, but he's not done with the fight if Naito's got the testes. Naito slowly rolls back in at 18 but looks done. Setup slam from Okada and he hits the elbow off the top rope. GIVE ME MY WIDE SHOT! Naito back elbows free of a Rainmaker attempt. Okada grabs a kick and lifts Naito up for his neckbreaker, but Naito uses that to hit another DDT! Getting into deep water now as both guys are slow to get up. Naito hits his rolling kick. He tries for a dragon or German suplex with Okada fighting off both. Okada tries his usual dropkick counter but Naito sees it coming, hits the brakes, and rolls Okada around into Pluma Blanca again! Okada heavily teases tapping, then starts to go out, and gets one last burst for a foot on the ropes. Enzuguri from Naito. German suplex for 2. Setup slam and Naito goes up top to finish it. Okada gets up, grabs his leg and drags him down. Flapjack from Okada. DDT and Okada goes for some kind of STF style submission hold. Naito tries to fight it but Okada gets it on. They stay in there a while, then Naito gets a burst for a rope break. Okada goes for the tombstone. Naito refuses to be turned over, fights free and hits another headbutt. Flying forearm from Naito. He puts Okada up top and hits a hurricanrana. Dragon suplex! Okada kicks out! Naito hits Gloria for 2. As soon as Okada kicks out he goes up top. The Stardust Press misses! As it always will in the Tokyo Dome. Okada lifts Naito up in the corner and hits the neckbreaker. Heavy Rain hits for 2. Okada goes for the Rainmaker. Naito ducks it and rolls up a cradle for a LONG 2! Uranage from Naito. On knees forearm exchange that turns into a stand up forearm exchange. Another headbutt from Naito. Uppercuts in response from Okada. Naito tries another flying forearm. Okada ducks that and hooks up for the Rainmaker. Naito ducks again and straight up slaps Okada! Okada hits the dropkick. Another Rainmaker dodges into a cradle for 2. Dropkick to the back of Naito's head! Tombstone! ANOTHER Rainmaker counter! Okada hits another tombstone. RAINMAKER! Naito couldn't dodge that one. Okada gets the pin to retain. Very good match, though nowhere near what they'd do in the future. I loved how Naito kept dodging the Rainmaker, and how it pissed off Okada more and more, but he still stuck to his gameplan. I do have some criticisms. Naito's lack of big match experience showed, and that plus Okada's usual penchant for slow starts meant the first half drug a bit. Then, as good as that closing stretch was, it really felt like the match fully peaked at the 25 minute call (when the Stardust Press missed), but they kept going for 6 more minutes after and it just didn't feel fully necessary. Naito's really missing not having Destino in his arsenal yet too. ***3/4 

 

Okada's reign would end up lasting 391 days. It wouldn't be his last to go over a full year. I mentioned earlier AJ Styles making his New Japan debut at Invasion Attack in April. When he came into the company Okada and the Heavyweight title were his #1 target, and he would be the one to take Okada down in May at Wrestling Dontaku for his first Heavyweight title win and the first foreigner to win the title since Brock Lesnar in 2005, raising Bullet Club's profile even higher.

 

When Tanahashi lost the Heavyweight title to Okada it ended his sixth reign, which had tied the record for most ever held by Tatsumi Fujinami. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Tanahashi got #7 to set a new record. But in the meantime, when he failed to win the G1 to get another Heavyweight title shot, he turned his attention to his old foe and fellow New Three Musketeer Nakamura and his Intercontinental title. Tanahashi/Okada is the feud that really solidified New Japan's return to being the clear #1 company in Japan and set them up for the coming international explosion, but it was Tanahashi/Nakamura that was the feud that pulled the company out of life support following the failures of the Inokism era and got it back on solid ground again. Their main event at WK 2 can be thanked more than anything else for making sure the tradition of January 4th Tokyo Dome shows survived. This is actually their third main event in the Dome, they also main evented in 2005 under the old Wrestling World name. So far Nakamura is 2-0 in those encounters. This would end up being their final match in the Tokyo Dome. 

 

IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi def Shinsuke Nakamura (c) (CHAOS) in 23:24- Nakamura has some, er, lovely ladies pole dancing during his entrance. I'm not joking. 100% pure Swagske. Somehow it's still only Nakamura's second best WK entrance ever. Stan Hansen is here again for the belt presentation. Very cautious start while someone in the crowd loudly shouts "SHINSUKE!". I promise it wasn't me, though I would be that guy. Lockup and Nakamura gives us a clean break. Some literal feeling out and Nakamura gets a leg takedown, kicking off some mat grappling that Nakamura keeps the edge on and Tanahashi takes a rope break. On that Nakamura does the head waggle, tells Tanahashi to bring it and hits a kick. Tanahashi dodges a kneedrop, Nakamura dodges a basement dropkick, Tanahashi escapes a leg grab and another stalemate. Next lockup Nakamura hits a couple of knees to the gut and puts on a front facelock. Tanahashi escapes with a kneebreaker, then starts targeting Nakamura's knee. It is his most dangerous weapon. Tanahashi tries the springboard reverse crossbody but Nakamura drops him into a gutbuster! Snap mare and the kneedrop hits for 2. Another knee to the gut and Nakamura tosses Tanahashi to the floor. Rock style guardrail drop for Tanahashi. Back in Nakamura draps his leg over Tanhashi's midsection for an arrogant cover. Then he starts kicking at Tanahashi in a "get your shit together and fight back" way. Tanahashi does, and is put back down with another knee to the gut. Tanahashi gets his boots up in the corner but a chest kick puts him down again. Good vibrations! No, Tanahashi blocks it! He grabs a Nakamura kick and hits a dragon screw! Flying forearm. Setup slam and the second rope senton hits for 2. He continues targeting Nakamura's knee. Chop block! Tanahashi goes for the cloverleaf but Nakamura grabs the ropes before it's on. Nakamura tries the misdirection kicks but Tanahashi dodges both of them and kicks the bad knee again. Nakamura tries again and this time catches Tanahashi with a misdirection kick. Quick knee to the gut to put Tanahashi down again. Nakamura puts on a guillotine, then lets go and lays in his classic knees on the mat. Front drop suplex for 2. Hard knee to Tanahashi's gut. Good vibrations pulled off in full this time. Nakamura struts away and charges. Tanahashi dodges, but then Nakamura dodges his charge and Tanahashi ends up draped over the top rope, right in position. Running kneelift! A second! Tanahashi dodges a third. He goes for a dragon screw in the ropes but Nakamura hits a leaping kick to get free. On the floor Tanahashi gets whipped into the guardrail then takes a knee in the back. The running apron knee hits. Tanahashi dodges an apron kneedrop and Nakamura lands knee first on the floor! Tanahashi goes up top. Aces High to the floor! Again, Tanahashi hits that perfectly every damn time. Tanahashi hits the dragon screw in the ropes! That never, ever looks anything but incredibly nasty. But when Tanahashi gets close Nakamura is able to get him in a triangle choke! Tanhashi reverses onto the cloverleaf! Nakamura gets to the ropes. Tanahashi tries for both a dragon suplex and a straitjacket German, with Nakamura fighting out of both. Another go and the straitjacket German hits for 2. Setup slam and Tanahashi goes up top. Nakamura gets up and kicks him down. Tanahashi hangs on and skins the cat! When he lands Nakamura gives him a vertebreaker! Forearm slugfest. Tanahashi kicks the knee and hits an uppercut. Nakamura responds with a strike combo. Tanahashi paintbrushes him across the face! Twice! That sets Nakamura off, kicking Tanahashi into the ropes and laying in stomps like crazy. Short Bomaye to the back of Tanahashi's head! Ushigiroshi from Nakamura. Reverse exploder suplex! Nakamura sets up in the corner to finish it. Tanahashi dodges, but Nakamura gets him up on his shoulders, maybe for Landslide. Tanahashi does a short slingblade to get free. Tanahashi drags himself up top. Nakamura catches him and goes up too. Nakamura looks like he's going for an avalanche landslide, but Tanahashi fights it off. He goes for a sunset bomb. Nakamura blocks that, so Tanahashi pulls him off the ropes into powerbomb position. Nakamura grabs the ropes again and hits a codebreaker! Tanahashi ducks a swing and hits a dragon suplex! That gets a 2 count. Tanahashi quickly goes up top. High Fly Flow! Nakamura just kicks out! Nakamura cuts off a slingblade with a high knee. Second rope Bomaye! Full BOMAYE! Tanahashi kicks out! Nakamura sets up for one more. Tanahashi dropkicks the knee. Back and forth strikes. Tanahashi ducks another Bomaye and hits a mat dragon screw. The cloverleaf is on again! Tanahashi pulls Nakamura back in and cranks back! Nakamura slides under to escape, but Tanahashi gets it back on and slams Nakamura's legs into the mat. Aces High with Nakamura on his knees! Another spring up. HIGH FLY FLOWWWWW! Tanahashi gets the pin to win the title! Great match, but not quite on the level of their WK2 match. One fair criticism of Nakamura is he could be spotty about limb selling. ****1/4

 

You know, it's a good thing so many people just happend to come to these shows with their air guitars. Hope they don't mind Tanahashi breaking them all though. Maybe they get an autographed towel or something as compensation. 

 

Tanahashi's reign was short as Nakamura would win the title back at Invasion Attack in April, but that wouldn't bother Tanahashi in the slightest. At King of Pro Wrestling in October, he defeated Styles to win his record seventh IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A bit of a comedown after last year's stellar show. After a pretty bumpy undercard the last four matches finally delivered, but still not quite as highly as last year's did. Other than the fan vote controversy this show will pretty quickly be somewhat forgotten and lost in the sea of consistent awesomeness that came after it for many years.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B