WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit

Legacy Review

WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit

April 13, 1990 from the Tokyo Dome (aired on tape delay in Japan in May)

Yes, this is a show that really happened. I'm honestly not sure what spurred on WWF's sudden desire to try to forge some links in Japan, you know Vince and his whims, but it's something they'd keep at over the next couple of years before giving up and basically ceding the territory to WCW. While WWF was freshly coming off of Wrestlemania 6 and the big changing of the guard at the top there, New Japan and All Japan had just held their successful first essentially joint show in the Dome (it was solely promoted by New Japan but featured several cross promotional matches) just a couple of months ago in February. All of the crossover matches are WWF vs All Japan and this is mostly their show, New Japan only sent a few guys over and they all only wrestled each other on dark matches.

Instead of a single broadcast, this was split into three parts to be shown on TV in Japan over three successive weeks. It was never fully aired in the US. Due to the conflicting rights issues this show is now the wrestling equivalent of abandonware. Officially it's not available on any streaming service and never got a home release beyond the original Japanese VHS, but there are copies of said VHS to be found online without having to look too hard. It's mostly only Japanese commentary with this, unless otherwise noted.

Preshow Bonus Match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger def Akira Nogami in 8:37- This was one of two preshow dark matches. It wasn't officially filmed in any way, but an enterprising fan recorded it on his 1990s camcorder from up in the upper deck of the Dome and that's since found its way onto Al Gore's interwebs. Good thing too, you can never have enough of Liger in the Tokyo Dome no matter what the quality. It's a shame he wasn't booked on the main card against a WWF guy like Mr. Perfect or Bret Hart. If I have my dates right I'm pretty sure this is Akira's sendoff match before going on excursion. Due to the nature of this recording I'll do the best I can, but it's really good quality considering the source. They do some mat wrestling headlock/headscissors tradeoffs at the start. Akira goes for the leg while Liger focuses on an arm. Akira takes a page out of Liger's book with a modified surfboard, almost a vertical bow and arrow. BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK bodydrop from Akira into a half crab. After a chop exchange Liger goes down and Akira puts the full Boston crab on. Corner running high knee from Akira. Liger reverses going the other way and hits a corner dropkick. Drop toe hold and it's surfing time. And he holds it FOREVER, even pumping Akira up and down in it a bit. Younger Liger, man. He then transitions into a camel clutch. Then he stretches Akira's arms out and lifts him up in a I don't even know what to call that. Liger tries to leverage Akira down for a pin. Akira dodges a Liger dropkick and he hits his own coming back the other way. Liger cinches up for a dragon suplex. Akira slips out and rolls Liger up for 2. Suplex counters and Akira gets a victory roll for 2. A dropkick sends Liger to the floor. Akira crossbody off the top to the floor! Back in Akira gets a German suplex for 2. He tries coming off the top but Liger dropkicks him in midair! Akira rolls out to the floor. Liger diving cannonball off the top to the floor! Back in Akira ducks a spinning heel kick but Liger recovers to hit a powerslam for 2. Liger standing moonsault! That gets the pin! Fine preshow match that was all it needed to be. **1/2

 

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana def Kenta Kobashi and AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion Masanobu Fuchi in 8:28- The WWF guys come out together to Santana's music. I like the way the ring setup is a mix. The ropes are colored WWF red white and blue, but are the covered cable ropes from Japan rather than ROPE ropes WWF has always used. Even to this day. The ring mat is a slightly darker shade of the usual WWF light blue, WWF turnbuckle pads are on, and the ring posts are mostly blue but one is red in deference to the "red corner/blue corner" system Japan uses. The ring steps are also the small ladder ones from Japan rather than the huge WWF corner stairs. Very young Shane McMahon is reffing this match. I think I have Kobashi and Fuchi straight but apologies if I don't. I'm sure you can tell from my other reviews I'm a New Japan guy, not All Japan. Kobashi and Santana start. After a lockup and break they try some waistlock grappling that ends in a standing stalemate. Fuchi seems to have his gander up about something. Kobashi powers out of a Santana headlock and we have a top wristlock leverage fight with another break. Now Snuka's worked up about something. Fuchi gets in the ring to tell him off. Snuka also starts to get in and Shane has to get some order restored. Speed/counter run and Santana hits a lariato for 2. After some shots he tosses Kobashi out to the floor and gets on the ropes to brag to the crowd. That gets a 50/50 reaction at best. Back in Santana hits the gut stomp and tosses Kobashi out the other side! He tells Fuchi to bring it while Snuka kicks Kobashi in the face from the apron. OK, the WWF guys, normally faces, have clearly decided to play heel for the Japanese crowd. Very nice. Kobashi comes back in with a springboard crossbody on Santana for 2! Fuchi tags in to a pretty big pop and lays into Santana with a ton of punches. He mixes in a couple of kicks to the face and slams Santana. Running enziguri! Kobashi hits a shotgun dropkick off the top. Snuka breaks the pin up and we're already DONNYBROOKING. Fuchi gives Snuka a missile dropkick. Santana blocks a Kobashi suplex, hits his own, and tags. Snuka chop on Kobashi. Kobashi gets a springboard reverse crossbody for 2. Crossbody off the top for 2. Fuchi comes in and slams Snuka. On a speed run Snuka drops down and Fuchi actually trips over him! I think that's the first time in the thousands of wrestling matches I've watched in my life I've ever seen that work! I also don't think it was intentional, everyone looks surprised for a second then Fuchi belatedly clutches his knee like he hurt it, which is almost immediately forgotten about. Snuka started to come back up early, I think that's what caused it. Another big chop from Snuka. Fuchi dodges a diving headbutt. Backdropeh suplex for 2. Fuchi backdrops, proper backdrops, Snuka but Snuka had his hand wrapped around Fuchi's head and drags him down too. I also don't think that was intentional. Snuka hits a headbutt and mercifully tags out. Santana has dropkicks all day for everyone. He calls for the flying jalapeno on Fuchi, and it hits! No cover, instead he tags Snuka in. Santana takes Kobashi out with the flying burrito. Superfly splash on Fuchi! That gets the pin. Pretty fun match with a nice role reversal from the WWF guys, but that ugly Snuka/Fuchi stretch drug it down. **1/4

 

Bret "Hitman" Hart and Tiger Mask go to a 20:00 Time Limit Draw- This match isn't as big as it would have been a couple of years later as Bret was still mostly seen as "just" a tag wrestler. This is only about a month before Misawa unmasked and abandoned the Tiger Mask gimmick, which only catapulted his career even further. Book a WWF Champion era Bret Hart against Misawa around '94-'96 and you'd have an epic dream match. This match actually was released in the US as part of the Bret Hart Dungeon Collection, a pre-WWE Network DVD/blu ray compilation of some of Bret's rare and unaired matches. The video I'm watching has put that copy of this match in. Which proves WWE has this show somewhere in their vaults and should put it up in full, especially in this new era where cross-company partnerships aren't looked down on anymore. The bell rings and Bret hops out. The crowd boos because they think he's stalling, but it's just to do the traditional giving the sunglasses to a ringside kid. There's no commentary for this match on this copy, which means we can hear everything happening in the ring super clearly. A couple of lockup stalemates to start. Speed run and TM gets a couple of armdrags. Bret tries to slam out of an armbar but TM rolls through and hangs on to it. Another speed run ends with Bret blocking a roll up but TM rolling through that and hitting a dropkick that sends Bret out to the floor to a big pop. TM loads up for a dive, but sees Bret moving out of the drop zone and flips over onto the apron instead. Back in TM gets back on Bret's arm. Apart from that one flurry the pace has been very pedestrian thus far, even for someone like me that likes all this groundwork mat wrestling stuff. TM ducks under a Bret lariato attempt and crucifixes him for 2. Another armdrag from TM and we're back on the arm. I'm starting to think I might need my Rotunda Time clock the match is moving so slow. Off a corner whip TM hits a springboard reverse crossbody, but Bret rolls through it for 2. And Bret quickly slaps on a chinlock right after. Not a good sign. They just sit there for a solid minute doing nothing. Now Bret works a headlock. Another basic speed sequence and TM dodges a Bret dropkick. He slingshots Bret into the corner. Flipover and, guess what, back on the arm. The ref asks Bret and he shouts "NO I said, are you deaf?!". That was funny at least. They have a bit of a fumble as TM tries to put on another crucifix. Bret blocks it and drops him down Samoan drop style. Bret elbow drop to the head. Slam and another elbow. And we're chinlocking again. TM hits a spin kick, then baseball slides Bret out to the floor. TM running plancha! The ref counts and suddenly I wonder, whose countout rules are we using tonight? WWF 10 count or a Japan 20 count since we're in the Tokyo Dome? Something to watch for later. Back in TM tries to stretch out a cross armbreaker but Bret gets a rope break. The arm work is clearly paying off as Bret is shaking it off. I think they had a plan, they just could have executed it a bit better. TM tries to kick the arm but Bret ducks in the ropes in the corner. Midring reset and TM grabs the arm again. Totally naff soulderblock. Bret leapfrogs and hurts his knee! Oh, we've seen this before. Yup, when TM's not looking Bret waffles him with a lariato! Classic Bret. That gets a lot of boos from the Dome crowd. Bret rolls through what would become usual Five Moves of Doom stuff. Gut stomp. Backbreaker for 2. He hits a couple of  European uppercuts. On the third TM grabs his arm and backslides him for 2. Headbutt from Bret. Back elbow. He tosses TM out to the floor and plays to the crowd for some boos. Russian leg sweep back in. Then, once again, to the chinlock. Now Bret's shouting "ASK HIM!". TM flips through another backbreaker attempt and slams Bret. Bret picks TM up by the legs and drops him spine first on his knee! OK, I don't think I've ever seen that one before. That was nasty looking. Snap suplex from Bret for 2, and again to the chinlock. The time limit stall is in full force. I haven't been hearing the minutes elapsed calls you normally get in Japan but I think we're down to about 5 minutes left. They're killing a solid two minutes right here in this hold. Bret lets go and switches to an abdominal stretch. Well, we're in Japan, cobra twist. TM reverses it and Bret quickly hiptosses him over. TM reverses a corner whip but Bret gets a boot up. TM dodges an elbow off the second rope. Crossbody off the top from TM for 2. Bret bump! TM covers for 2. While TM is running the ropes the bell rings for the time limit expiring to a decent sized boo from the crowd. As many others have commented over the years, it's not flat out horrible, but it is an extreme disappointment. They were clearly in time limit stall mode the entire match. There was also rumors that Bret didn't want to work with TM because he was "only" a junior heavyweight. **

 

The Great Kabuki def Greg Valentine in 7:18- Valentine is still in dyed black hair Rhythm and Blues mode, his very ill conceived tag pairing with Honky Tonk Man. Kabuki shows off the nunchuck skills and lets some red mist off during his entrance. Shane is reffing again. Looks like we're trading off as a New Japan ref worked the last match. Valentine gets a shoulderblock, drops a standing elbow and hits a chop. Kabuki dodges a charging elbow in the corner and we get a great camera shot from the apron of Valentine running into the corner. Kabuki slowly lays in a few shots. Valentine flop! Kabuki covers for 2. Valentine double underhook suplex for 2. More Valentine chops in the corner. Suplex for 2. Valentine dodges in the corner and Kabuki is in the tree of woe. Valentine kicks away on him until Shane stops him and gets Kabuki free. Classic Valentine diving heabutt to the gut. He does his awful Honky Tonk Man ripoff dancing to rile the crowd up. His tiny, thick arms don't bend enough to do that properly. Now Valentine starts going after the knee. He goes for the figure four. Kabuki blocks it and rolls Valentine up for 2. After a few shots Kabuki puts on a Boston crab. Valentine gets to the ropes and begs off. When Kabuki goes for a kick Valentine punches the knee he was working on. Kneebreaker. Valentine calls for the figure four, but then dances some more instead. Finally he goes for it. Kabuki Paul Smackage counter! That gets the pin. *1/4

 

Jake "The Snake" Roberts def The Big Boss Man in 10:25- An all WWF battle here. Boss Man had turned face earlier in the year but the Japanese crowd might not have been fully caught up on WWF events so I assume he's going to be the heel here. He has his heel sunglasses on and is definitely acting heelish on his entrance. Hebner gets the call to ref this match. It's kinda cool seeing these WWF entrances in the Dome with Japanese commentary. Worlds colliding. Boss Man shows the power advantage on the lockup. Roberts tries to crank on Boss Man's arm. Hiptoss from Boss Man. Roberts dodges an elbow drop and does the usual early DDT tease. Boss Man rolls out for a think. Back in he works Roberts' arm a bit while grabbing a handful of hair. A Roberts back elbow sends Boss Man tumbling back out to the floor. He shouts something something "asshole" at a ringside fan before getting back in. Shoulderblock standoff. Boss Man hits a spinebuster. He knocks Roberts around a bit, mostly focusing on the back. Backbreaker and stretch. The camera focuses on a group of (likely drunk) American fans chanting something at Boss Man. Corner avalanche from Boss Man. He slaps Roberts to try to get him going. Bear hug! Boss Man lets go pretty quickly but continues on the back. Lariato. All this Roberts in peril stuff is doing its job at getting the crowd right riled up at Boss Man. Boss Man spits on Roberts while he's down. Another shot to the back and Roberts signals like he's just about had enough. Body slam and Boss Man goes up top. Commentary sounds shocked which is really funny. Roberts dodges the big splash and Boss Man slides all the way out to the floor! Roberts snaps Boss Man's arm around the ring post! Classic Roberts comeback jabs back in. Arm wring up and short clothesline. He goes for the running kneelift, but Boss Man blocks and Roberts crashes into the corner with a great ugly looking fall. Boss Man scoops for another slam. Roberts slips out and hits the DDT outta nowhere! No one gets up from that. I think it was the most protected finisher of the era. After the bell Damien comes out to play. I'm certainly no expert but I think commentary called Damien a heavyweight. I hope so, that made me laugh. Nicely done all around. **3/4

 

Another untaped dark match took place here according to the rundowns, an IWGP tag title match with champions Shinya Hashimoto and Masa Saito successfully defending against Masahiro Chono and Riki Choshu in a straight New Japan battle. It's a shame it wasn't recorded, and even more of a shame none of these guys got booked in matches against WWF guys, particularly Hashimoto or Choshu. Saito worked in the US a fair amount and, frankly, is not on the level of the other three guys, while Chono did a lot with WCW after their partnership with New Japan got going. Though I'm not sure if there was anyone on the WWF roster at the time who could have gotten everything out of a Choshu or Hashimoto match, both very stiff workers even by New Japan standards.

 

Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Jumbo Tsuruta and Haku def Mr. Perfect and "The Model" Rick Martel in 10:53- One of the plusses of having an essentially "non-canon" show like this, at least on the WWF side, is you can have crazy pairings like this. Haku and Perfect were stablemates in the Heenan Family but are on opposite sides here. Heenan himself didn't make the trip. The best reason I can think of for Perfect and Martel teaming is they were both in AWA, in fact both former AWA World champions, and babyface champions at that, and that was the American promotion most known to Japanese audiences at the time, at least the one that interacted with promotions in Japan the most. Perfect is on also the verge of winning the Intercontinental title for the first time. It was currently vacant after Warrior won the WWF Title while IC champ, no double champions back then. This match is JIP'd with Haku hitting Perfect with a dropkick. Double lariato with a huge classic Perfect sell. Might have been trying to do the full 360 but he was running too fast. Tsuruta hooks on a cobra twist. Martel comes in and breaks it up. Big chops from Perfect and he pounds Tsuruta down. Snap mare/neck snap combo. Tsuruta blocks a punch and slams Perfect. Haku comes in with a superkick and chops. Gut stomp on Perfect. Standing dropkick from Haku! He goes for a senton but Perfect dodges. Tag to Martel. Martel slams Haku twice and drops elbows on his back. Commentary is talking about "AWA champion" so I'm thinking my theory on why Perfect and Martel are teaming is correct. Hiptoss from Martel. He hops on Haku's shoulders and hurricanranas him for 2! Damn, where has this Martel been in WWF? Perfect-assisted slingshot splash from Martel for 2. Martel hops up for another hurricanrana. Haku drops him down hot shot style in the corner! Martel is still up first and tags. Dropkick from Perfect on Haku for 2. Double slam from the Perfect/Martel team. Martel goes for the Boston crab. Haku fights but Martel slowly gets him over. Tsuruta comes in and breaks it up. Abdominal stretch from Perfect. The All Japan ref has to stop Tsuruta from coming in again and Haku eye rakes out, but again Perfect was up first and tags out. Suplex from Martel. Kneedrop for 2. Haku gives Perfect a shot in the throat, but Martel eye rakes him from the apron. Backbreaker from Martel. He goes for a splash off the second rope. Haku gets his knees up! Tag to Tsuruta! Backdrop on Martel. Slam. Another. Perfect comes in and gets slammed. Martel jumps Tsuruta from behind and it's DONNYBROOK time. Perfect and Martel get whipped into each other. A superkick from Haku sends Perfect flying over the top rope to the floor. Tsuruta high knee on Martel. Backdropeh suplex! Tsuruta gets the pin! Perfect managed to do one last 360 over the top rope too. It's a damn shame the first part of the match was clipped off, what we saw was pretty freaking good. ***1/4

Genichiro Tenryu def "Macho King" Randy Savage (w/Queen Sherri) in 10:49- Tenyru was originally scheduled to face Hogan in the main event, but reportedly Vince asked for an American wrestler in that slot for marketing purposes. I'd call this a very acceptable substitute for Tenryu, even though Savage had been mired in midcard hell and a hugely disappointing feud with Dusty Rhodes since losing the WWF Title a year earlier and hadn't really shown what he could do in the ring in full for a while. The Japanese ring announcer does intros for this match, which is 100% right for a match like this in the Dome. The atmosphere at the start is absolutely electric. Epic match feel in full. Shoving and Savage loses the top. The crowd's going bonkers for everything. Savage gets the first shots in. Tenryu reverses a whip and loads up an elbow, but Savage grabs the top rope and slides out. HUGE boos for that. Reset lockup. Suplex fight. Tenryu wins, but Savage flips over and lands on his feet. Tenryu was ready for him and pummels him with chops! Machine gun chops in the corner and Savage goes down! Sherri gets on the apron to distract and Savage runs Tenryu over from behind. Another whip reversal and Tenryu hits a lariato for 2. Savage counters a backdrop attempt. He charges. Tenryu backdrops him over the top rope all the way out to the floor! Huge Savage air on that. Tenryu crossbody off the apron to the floor. Sherri runs up and hits Tenryu from behind. Again Savage uses the distraction to ambush. He throws Tenryu onto a ringside table! Pretty sure that's commentary. The people ringside do not like that and Sherri gets into it with them. Savage gives Tenryu a few shots around the lighting support pillar before they get back in the ring. Tenryu gets a boot up in the corner. Enziguri! Phenomenal wobblelegged sell from Savage on that. Savage comes back up with a lariato for 2. Savage goes full heel with punches and chokes, then tosses the New Japan ref away when he tries to stop it. Another lariato for 2. They look like they're positioning for Savage to 360 Tenryu to the floor, but when Savage hits the lariato Tenryu goes down against the ropes instead. Savage then chokes him against the ropes. Sherri comes up and gets her shot in. Now Tenryu goes to the floor. Savage double ax handle off the top to the floor! Tenryu bounces off the guardrail off that. Savage gets back in and Sherri knocks Tenryu over the guardraul! Savage goes out with him and gives him some shots in the front row. Kick from Sherri to Tenryu's back. Double ax handle off the top back in from Savage for 2. Slam and kneedrop for 2. Savage goes up top to finish it. The flying elbow hits! Tenryu kicks out! Savage comes off the top again. Tenryu catches him with a shot in the gut! He hooks up for the powerbomb. Savage backdrops out. Savage crossbody off the top! He hurt his knee on the landing! HUGE enziguri from Tenryu! Powerbomb! Tenryu wins! HUGE pop for the win! Just a week after this show Tenryu would have his last match with All Japan before leaving to form his own promotion, SWS (Super World of Sports). You'll be hearing a lot more about them in connection with WWF later. There were some parts that didn't come off quite as well as they wanted and as usual for the time might have had a bit too much Sherri, but in the long run it hurt nothing as that was a fantastic match with two legends at the top of their game squeezing as much into 10 minutes as they possibly could. It's matches like this that shows like this are all about. ****

 

WWF Championship: The Ultimate Warrior (c) def "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in 6:12- The second of the two all WWF matches tonight, this is Warrior's first televised defense of the title he won at WM. Hey, Vince is on commentary! "We're at the Egg Dome in Tokyo, Japan!". Jesse Ventura is with him. I'm assuming that means this match was shown on WWF TV at some point with commentary that was recorded later, as was the norm then. Prime Time Wrestling is most likely. Tonight's Warrior belt strap color is white. He's wearing the same gear as WM 6. Good thing he didn't have to run the whole modern Tokyo Dome entrance ramp. DiBiase jumps Warrior from behind before the bell while Warrior still has the belt on! He pummels Warrior with chops in the corner as the belt comes off. Corner whip reversal and Warrior hits a backdrop. Slam. 360 clothesline and DiBiase goes to the floor. DiBiase does the usual stalling out there. Warrior tosses DiBiase out of a lockup. Vince wonders where Virgil is. I was asking the same thing. Vince says he got stuck in customs in Honolulu. DiBiase tries to work a headlock. Warrior lifts him up and flat tosses him across the ring. Knee to the gut from DiBiase and some more chops. Another headlock grind. Warrior kicks off a criss cross. Midring collision and DiBiase goes down! That was pretty full speed. Warrior goes for the flying tackle. DiBiase dodges and Warrior splats on the mat! Clothesline. Slow cover for 2. Kneelift. An eye rake cuts off Warrior comeback. More chops in the corner. Warrior ducks and gives DiBiase a buckle shot! Kick from DiBiase, followed by a snap mare. Fistdrop. Snap suplex with a big kickout at 2. Piledriver from DiBiase! Another 2 count, but Hebner also should have seen Warrior had a foot under the ropes. Would have really stood out if they were using a New Japan ring mat with the white out of bounds area. Warrior fires up and starts hitting the running clotheslines. He builds up lots of momentum and hits a flying clothesline. Big splash! Title defense one, check. V1 as they'd say in Japan. Perfectly solid with DiBiase controlling almost the whole match. **1/2

 

Andre the Giant and Giant Baba def WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition in 6:39- From the WWF perspective this is a bit of a revenge match, after Demolition defeated Andre and Haku at WM to win the titles for a then-record third time. Andre turned back face after that match, but there was no way he'd ever be booked as a heel in Japan anyway. He's hit the point he didn't need to be wrestling anymore and this would be one of his last matches under the WWF umbrella, but he would continue to wrestle in All Japan nearly full time almost right up to his death in January '93. Baba is a legend also getting toward the end of his career, and was the original co-founder of All Japan. As the name would suggest he's a pretty tall dude himself, almost as tall as Andre. The All Japan ref is in for this one. Baba starts out with Smash. Again the WWF guys are playing the heels and Smash gets into it with the crowd before getting going. Shots from Smash are pretty much no sold. I think. It's hard to tell with Baba at this stage. Whip reversal and Smash bounces off a Baba chop like he just ran into a rubber wall. He ends up in the wrong corner and Andre shouts in his face from the apron! Fantastic. Then Andre chops him. Baba and Smash go back and forth a bit more before Andre tags in to a huge pop. He does the usual late career Andre stuff to Smash. Smash dodges a butt splash and tags. Ax runs in and axes Andre down. Then Smash smashes him down. Demolition quick tag to keep Andre down. Ax drops an elbow on Andre but Andre grabs him after, drags him to his corner and tags. Baba walks all over Ax's gut. Ax hits some shots and tags. The Demos double pound on Baba with more barely any selling. Baba fights out of the Demos corner. Swinging neckbreaker on Smash. Ax breaks the pin up. Andre tags in and asks Smash to hit him. Smash does. Andre hits back harder. Ax tags in and gets choked and drug around by the straps on his gear. Smash comes in and the Demos double pound Andre down again. Smash hits a lariato that wobbles Andre. Baba comes in. EVERYONE IN THE POOL! The Demos get whipped into each other. Baba hits a big boot on Smash, Andre drops an elbow, and it's over. I get the spectacle and respect the legends, but the fact is both Andre and Baba were well past their in-ring sell by date at this point. Demolition tried their best to get something decent out of it. 3/4*

 

Hulk Hogan def Stan Hansen in 12:30- I mentioned earlier that originally this match was supposed to be Hogan vs Tenryu. After Vince asked for changes it became Hogan vs Terry Gordy. It had been agreed by everyone that Hogan would win this match clean since he'd just lost to Warrior at WM. Gordy reportedly didn't want to do the job because he thought it would hurt his credibility in Japan and bowed out. Option #3 became Stan Hansen, who was confident in his support in Japan and had no problem with taking the loss here. And he was right, he'd win the Triple Crown title for the first of four times soon after this show. We have post-show recorded WWF commentary again for this match, this time from Sean Mooney and Lord Alfred Hayes, so again this was likely shown on Prime Time Wrestling at some point. Hasnen knocks the WWF ring announcer down when he gets in the ring! Then the announcer dusts himself off and keeps going. Good man. Mooney goofs and calls Hogan the WWF Champion. Probably instinct, but you'd think they would have fixed that considering it's not live commentary. Commentary mentions Hogan is no stranger to Japan without getting into detail. In fact Hogan was a star in Japan, specifically in New Japan, before he hit it big in the US. Once again the crowd is eating everything up, but maybe not quite to the degree of the Savage/Tenryu match. Hebner is back in to ref this one. A couple of rough short lockups to start and Hogan maneuvers his way into a hammerlock. After a rope break Hogan gets a drop toe hold! Yup, this is the Japan version of Hogan that will actually wrestle. Another rope break and Hansen is angry. Er. Arm wringer/armbar combo from Hansen and Hogan takes a rope break. Another Hogan drop toe hold and he tries to grind Hansen over on the mat, getting a 2 count. Another reset and lots of caution from both guys. Slugfest! Both guys rake eyes! It's already a brawl. Hansen rakes Hogan's face against the top rope and tosses him out to the floor. Hogan blocks a post shot and posts Hansen. He runs Hansen into a large piece of tech that's ringside. Hansen's busted open! Back suplex back in from Hogan for 2. He punches away at Hansen's cut and covers again for 2. Hansen tumbles out to the floor again. Hogan kicks him in the head over and over from the ring. Back in Hogan wraps up a cobra twist. Hansen flips him over to get out but Hogan is right back on him. Big corner chops. Hansen tumbles out again and we're on the floor. A punch from Hogan sends Hansen falling back over one of the ringside tables! HOGAN SLAMS HANSEN ON A TABLE! And it's a Japanese table, that sumabitch isn't going to break. Another post shot for Hansen. Cover back in for 2. Corner clothesline. Hogan continues to pummel Hansen's cut forehead with shots. More chops. Another corner charge. Hansen gets his boot up! He pops out of the corner and tackles Hogan! Quick cradle from Hansen for 2. Hogan rolls out for some space and Hansen follows. Hansen tosses Hogan into the ringside table area, I'm pretty sure where Japanese commentary is. Chairshot to Hogan's head! Now Hogan's bleeding. Knee and then a boot right to Hogan's face to work the cut. Hansen leaps over the rail to tackle Hogan in the ringside area! Another table goes down. Back in Hansen drops a double ax handle and covers for 2. Now Hansen punches away on Hogan's split open forehead. They go outside again. Hogan grabs Hansen's rope and tries to choke him with it. Not a good move. Hansen grabs it and whips him with it. He continues the beatdown on Hogan in the ring. Hansen sets up for the big lariato. Hogan cuts it off with a running elbow! He goes for the legdrop! Hansen dodges and covers for 2! Hogan crossbody for 2! Hansen goes for a roll up but Hogan blocks. Hansen runs into a big boot! Hogan covers and gets the win! Damn good main event. They worked really well together in what was mainly a Hansen style brawl with Hogan seamlessly going back to his Japan playbook. ***3/4

 

Before getting to the overall show wrapup, a few words on where these companies went from here. New Japan, who only had tertiary involvement with this show, would form a long term partnership with WCW not long after. They held their first of three yearly joint shows in the Tokyo Dome the following March. The second of those was also the very first January 4th New Japan Dome show, the start of an annual tradition that would become Wrestle Kingdom. New Japan also continued to hold regular joint shows with All Japan until the Keiji Mutoh-led mass defection from New Japan to All Japan in 2002 that soured corporate relations and ended their partnership. For whatever reason WWF and All Japan wouldn't pursue any future partnerships. All Japan would choose to focus on the home front rather than try to forge any more American alliances. Meanwhile, WWF would continue to try to partner with a company in Japan, turning their attention to the newly formed SWS. The following March, less than two weeks after the first NJPW/WCW joint show, those two companies would hold their first joint show in the Tokyo Dome, the first of what would be three WWF/SWS joint shows in 1991.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A very solid crossover show that came off better than I was expecting. Savage/Tenryu and Hogan/Hansen in particular made this a worthwhile endeavor. We definitely need a show like this today, and with WWE opening up under the new regime it could happen.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B

NJPW Super Fight in Tokyo Dome

Legacy Review

NJPW Super Fight in Tokyo Dome

February 10, 1990 from the Tokyo Dome

Following on the success of the first ever Tokyo Dome wrestling show in April '89, New Japan is back less than a year later with what would be officially the third wrestling show in Dome history. The original Japan UWF, not to be confused with Herb Abrams' failed UWF in the US or the later and better known UWFi in Japan, had a show between the two, but that featured almost all shoot matches or "different style fights" rather than traditional wrestling matches. While Battle Satellite was a straight New Japan only event and this one was also solely promoted by New Japan, this show would begin a new tradition of joint shows in the Dome, with All Japan also taking part and even one dying US company holding a world title match on the card.

This is (mostly) from the New Japan World archives so Japanese commentary only.

Takayuki Iizuka def Osamu Matsuda in 10:49- Traditional early career almost Young Lion guys opener here. Iizuka would be a career midcarder/tag team guy most known much later in his career as the crazy guy with the leash and Iron Fingers in Suzuki-Gun. Matsuda put on a mask a couple of years later to become El Samurai and had a pretty successful career as a junior under that gimmick. Iizuka is in all red, which is weird as he was a straight black gear guy nearly his whole career. Slow feeling out start and they go back and forth on the mat. Iizuka takes the first rope break and Matsuda gives him a kick right on the spine after breaking just for the hell of it. Iizuka turns it on a bit after that with a sleeper, then goes into cranking on Matsuda's arm for a bit. Matsuda gets on a headscissors that Iikuza can't free himself from. Again Matsuda is the first one to go to strikes. Iizuka gives him one back with chop across the chest on a rope break. On the next break Matsuda returns the favor. Matsuda gets the first (relatively) high impact move, a body slam for 1. After a short strike exchange Iizuka slams Matsuda and hooks on a half crab. Backbreaker for 2, then back to the half crab. Matsuda saving himself with a rope break gets some applause. Iizuka with the BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK bodydrop. Little Vince for you there. He puts Matsuda into a camel clutch. Matsuda won't quit and Iizuka is getting frustrated. He lays in a bunch of kicks. Matsuda grabs one then swings an elbow in the general direction of Iizuka's chin. Iizuka sells it anyway. Dropkick from Matsuda. Another slam, legdrop, and a roll into a kneedrop for 2. He goes up top. Iizuka dropkicks him off to the floor! Now that woke the crowd up. After a couple of counters coming back in Matsuda hits a stunner! Rude Awakening style neckbreaker. Missile dropkick! Matsuda tries a Euro clutch but it only gets 2. Iizuka does an amateur style throw for 2. He rolls into a legbar. Matsuda sells the hell out of fighting to get to the ropes. Spinebuster from Masuda with a jackknife cover for 2. German suplex for 2. He gives Iizuka a much better elbow to the jaw. Another amateur style flip from Iizuka. Exploder suplex with a bridge! That gets the pin! Both guys' inexperience definitely showed but the stretch run wasn't bad. All part of the learning process in Japan. **

 

Pegasus Kid and Naoki Sano def IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger and Akira Nogami in 16:47- Sano and Liger had been having a big feud over the junior title, which is the basis for this match. Liger defeated Sano just 10 days prior to take the title back and start reign #2. Pegasus Kid is young Chris Benoit in a really small mask. Small as in too small for his head. He's got a ponytail going outside the mask too. Akira (as he would later be known solely as) is the young guy here, he'd be off on his excursion a couple of months after this, so pretty easy call on who's going to take the fall here. This match is clipped on NJPW World so I'm going elsewhere to get the full copy. Not the last match on this show I'll need to do that. Liger has a shield and sword! That's something that wouldn't last, but cool. Akira is in full (American) football gear. A red jersey with number 16, given the time likely a Joe Montana shoutout. One of the absolute greatest QBs ever. Put him in today's game and I have no doubt he'd be putting Patrick Mahomes like numbers up. Anyway, rivals Liger and Sano start us off with some nice flippy counterwrestling. Liger gets a shoulderblock and quick tiltawhirl backbreaker. Akira holds Sano on the floor for a Liger baseball slide. Kid nails Akira with a lariato and backdropeh suplex. Gutwrench suplex for 2. Akira manages to get a takedown on Kid and tags out. Liger with a double stomp off the top on Kid. After some back and forth Kid backdrops Liger. Sano comes back in with a back kick to Liger's face, then another spin kick into a Boston crab. Akira runs in with a dropkick to break it up! The enthusiasm of youth. Liger and Akira double dropkick Sano, then Akira puts Sano in a Boston crab. Then drags Sano back to the middle when he's close to the ropes. Sano goes to the power push up game to get free. Speed run and Sano hits a diving lariato for 2. Sano flips over a backdrop attempt and gets a victory roll, but Akira is barely in the out of bounds area. Liger drop toe holds Sano and we're going surfing. Kid stomps Liger to break it up. Young Liger, he could hold a guy up there forever. Another dropkick from Akira. He sets Sano up top. Superplex! Cover for 2. Akira goes for a backdropeh suplex but Sano rolls over him for 2. Straight suplex from Sano and he tags out. Backbreaker from Kid for 2. He puts Akira up top backwards, with difficulty. Kid with a back superplex! Akira rolled over on the landing too. Akira gets a flash small package for 2. Kid and Sano get Liger trapped in their corner and Sano pounds him down. Liger grabs Sano's leg on a kick and wraps up a legbar! Rolling kick! Spike piledriver on Sano! And Liger doesn't even try to cover him after that. Liger swings a kick that might have grazed the top of Sano's head. Whoops. Sano works Akira into another Boston crap. Liger quickly comes in to break it up with a chest kick. Kid and Akira slug it out. Dropkick from Kid. Kid snap suplex on Liger. Sano puts Liger up in a Canadian backbreaker and drops him down. Akira breaks the pin up. Leaping piledriver from Sano! Again Akira breaks the pin up. German from Sano and again Akira is there. Liger hits an enzuguri and tags. Akira hits a pair of dropkicks on Kid for 2, then puts on a half crab. Kid gets a sunset flip for 2. Tombstone for 2. Sano tags in, but Akira chops him all across the ring and tags out. Sano gets trapped in the corner. Running knee from Sano. Corner clothesline from Liger. Running double dropkick from both of them. Sano tries a flip off the top rope as a counter, but Liger sees it coming and German suplexes him for 2! Liger goes up top. Kid grabs his leg from the apron to hold him down. Sano dropkicks Liger down to the floor! TOPE SUICIDA! MAMA MIA! Sano puts Liger on his shoulders and Kid shotgun dropkicks him off! Setup slam. Kid headbutt off the top! Akira's in to make the save again and we're DONNYBROOKING! Sano suplexes Akira on the floor. Liger rolls Kid up, but Sano saves the pin. Akira running high knee on Kid. Liger assisted whip into a TOPE SUIDICA from Akira! Liger TOPE CON HILO on Sano! Akira crossbody off the top on Kid. Kid *just* kicks out! Kid ducks a clothesline. Belly to belly! Liger breaks up the pin. Sano tombstone on Akira. Kid cuts Liger off. Sano tiger suplex on Akira, and that gets the pin! Damn good stuff, though a bit more of a spotfest than you normally see from a New Japan junior match with a lot of popping right back up after big moves without much selling. ***1/2

 

Blond Outlaws def Hiroshi Hase, Kuniaki Kobayashi and Kantaro Hoshino in 13:29- Blond Outlaws are a heel group with Norio Honaga, Hiro Saito, and Tatutoshi Goto, all of whom would join New Japan's biggest heel group of the '90s, Heisei Ishingun, when it formed not too long after this. This is fairly typical undercard trios stuff for the time so I'm not going to get too deep into it. In fact this match is clipped as well on World, but in this case it doesn't bother me. Hoshino is the face elder statesman here and he's cleaning house to the delight of the crowd where the video comes in. The Blond Outlaws guys are in matching black long tights, a forebear to Heisei Ishingun's purple pants the whole faction wore. They're also not all blonde which is a bit of a planning issue. Saito gets knocked around and Kobayashi superplexes him off the second rope. After that the Outlaws get control on Kobayashi. Hoshino again comes in to get his spots in to pop the crowd. Kind of weird seeing Hase not get much from the crowd considering how big he'd become in just the next year or two. Unintentionally funny moment when Goto completely whiffs on a lariato attempt but it's sold anyway. The faces to the rotating hits in the corner spot to Goto. Hoshino tries for a crucifix, but that only allows Goto to drop him with a Samoan drop and that gets the pin. *3/4 for what was shown

 

Brad Rheingans def Victor Zangiev in 6:13- This is the first of two US vs USSR matches. New Japan had held its show in Moscow by now so the bloom was off the rose for the Soviet guys, who were heavily featured in the last Dome show in attempt to drive ticket sales for the Moscow trip. Zangiev was one of the more successful, relatively speaking. The Street Fighter character Zangiev was loosely based on him. It's the hair. Rheingans was a longtime midcard babyface in the AWA. He was also the blonde guy seconding all the US wrestlers at the last Dome show that got into it with some of the Soviet guys, I'm only just now realizing that was him. He was a successful amateur as well, coming as close as you can to medaling in the '76 Olympics (4th) and he made the US Olympic team for 1980, only to be hit by the US/NATO boycott of the games being in Moscow. Rheingans has gotten the amateur singlet with the Olympics logo on it back out. They shove before the bell, then go nose to nose before setting off with amateur style grappling. Zangiev tries to stretch a cross armbreaker out. Rheingans gets a headscissors that Zangiev escapes from. Looooooooooooooooong sequence of both guys basically hugging each other trying to get a takedown. Rheingans gets a suplex style takedown that echoes all around the Dome. Crowd's got nothing for this one. Zangiev deadlifts Rheingans and flips him over, still to total silence. Rheingans tries to grind Zangiev over with a crossface. Finally Rheingans says screw this crap, gives Zangiev a couple of clubbing blows on the back, and backdropeh suplexes him for 2. Zangiev gets a German suplex for 2. Belly to belly for 2. Euro clutch for 2. Now it's Rheingans' turn for a German for 2. Sort of powerslam from Rheingans for 2. They straight up collide in the middle of the ring while Rheingans does a running cradle and that gets the pin. Competent amateur style work, but pretty dull with zero crowd investment. *1/4

 

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams def Salman Hashimikov in 9:00- Williams had been making occasional appearances for New Japan the past few years around his full time Mid-South and Jim Crockett/WCW work, and this is his first match since leaving WCW over disagreements with Jim Herd (sounds familiar). Long story short, Herd tried to make him an *actual* doctor, driving ambulances and saving lives. It would also be his last match with New Japan before hopping over to All Japan, where he would become one of their biggest foreign stars of all time. Hashimikov was another Soviet amateur wrestler that was featured at the last Dome show, and ridiculously enough he was actually IWGP Heavyweight Champion for a month later in '89 despite his complete lack of pro experience. Inoki really, really wanted that Moscow show to go well. This is another clipped match on World so I'll pull up the full version, only because it's Doc Death. Quick takedown from Williams that almost puts Hashimikov on his head. The ref has to force a break in the corner. Hashimikov grabs a quick fisherman's suplex. Williams responds with a belly to belly suplex. Hashimikov gets a takedown and puts Williams in a half crab. Williams cranks things up with a knee to the gut and starts pounding on Hashimikov's back. It looks like Hashimikov sandbags him on a slam but Williams still gets him up and down. Another Hashimikov takedown that really tries to plant Williams on his head. Williams reverses on the mat and puts on a half nelson. Test of strength knucklelock that ends in a stalemate. Williams gives us a little flex. Backdropeh suplex from Williams. Hashimikov lifts Williams up by the legs, carries him around a bit, then drops him down hard. Both guys tumble out of the ring to the floor and I think Williams has had enough. He lays in some STIFF chops on Hashimikov on the floor. Hashimikov responds with some shots on the back and tries to whip Williams on the floor. Williams says eff that and runs him into the barricade. He lifts Hashimikov up, carries him across the floor and runs him into the post. Back in Hashimikov can't or flat won't let Williams whip him into the ropes. Williams says fine and lariatos him instead. Another mat stalemate and reset. Williams gets another knee to the gut and tries to follow up with punches but Hashimikov was falling away from him. Hashimikov slugs back and chops Williams in the corner, all completely no sold. Hashimikov dodges a running elbow in the corner. He lifts Williams up and norther lights suplexes him for 2. Corner clothesline from Williams. Man Hashimikov looks horrible trying to get going on these Irish whips. Like watching a Pinto trying to drag race. Lariato from Williams. He lifts Hashimikov up, gives him the shortest Oklahoma Stampede ever, and it's over. Fugly as hell, but also amusing to watch Williams try to force this guy that clearly doesn't want to work a pro match right to do it. 3/4*

 

AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Masa Saito def Larry Zbyszko (c) in 14:29- All Japan had been the AWA's Japanese partner for many years, but after the Stan Hansen incident (see my AWA show reviews for full details, it's a long story) they broke off from All Japan and started a new partnership with New Japan. Saito had been working in both AWA and New Japan since the mid '80s so he was known on both sides. Code of Honorish hand slap and we're off with a rough lockup. Zbyszko ducks under into a waistlock and gets Saito down. He tries to get a half crab on but Saito has too much power. Armdrag from Saito and Zbyszko's flustered. Zbyszko gets a fireman's carry takedown into an ARMBAR. He transitions into a hammerlock and they stay there for a bit. Saito tries to power out but Zbyszko cranks the arm to get him back down. Finally Saito gets free and hits his own extra flippy armdrag. Zbyszko counters into a headscissors. Refreshing lack of stalling from the old stall master Zbyszko so far. It's Saito's turn to do some arm work. Another reset and things go backwards a bit with another lockup and rope break. Saito gets a takedown and puts on what's pretty much a cobra clutch. Zbyszko gets a rope break, then says enough of the playing nice and back kicks Saito against the ropes. He hits a delayed suplex for 2. Backbreaker for 2. Crucifix from Zbyszko but Saito keeps a shoulder up to keep from getting pinned. Saito blocks another suplex attempt and hits his own suplex. Lariato! Crowd's waking up now. Reverse figure four from Saito! Zbyszko just reaches out to grab a rope. Saito kicks at the hurt knee. Back to the reverse figure four. Saito pumps the crowd up while telling Zbyszko to give it up. Zbyszko tries a waistlock, but Saito easily breaks it and pushes him back down. Finally Zbyszko manages to twist one of Saito's legs to escape. More kicking Zbyszko's leg out of his leg as the crowd smells blood in the water. Another lariato for 2. Backdropeh suplex! Slow cover and Zbyszko kicks out! The crowd's going borderline ape shit now. Another backdropeh! Zbyszko kicks out again! Chops from Saito. More knee kicks. Zbyszko grabs Saito and gives him a low blow kick! HUGE heat from the crowd for that. Abdominal stretch from Zbyszko. Saito hiptosses out with little effort. Another delayed suplex from Zbyszko for 2. Punches only hulk Saito up. Big open hand slaps and Zbyszko falls out of the ring! Zbyszko snaps Saito's throat over the top rope. Saito grabs him coming back in into a small package for 2. Zbyszko small package for 2. Saito dodges a dropkick. Backdropeh! Paul Smackage and it's over! HUGE pop for Saito winning the title in his home country, the first and what would be the only singles world title win of his long career. Normally AWA World title matches and controversy go together like prostitutes and venereal diseases, so it's only fitting that even though this was literally the only clean AWA World title match I've ever seen it wouldn't be without controversy. Not for what happened in the match, for the booking. Saito winning was a hugely unpopular move outside Japan. The general consensus was Verne Gagne "sold out" because he was so desperate for money. Rumor is he might not have even gotten any money out of it strictly speaking, but just had debts forgiven by the Japanese companies. That's how desperate AWA was at this point. Zbyszko would win the title back at Superclash IV in April, the last change in the title's history before AWA closed up shop for good in early '91. The match itself was not too shabby. Getting them away from Gagne, and Mr. "I'm holding the title up" Stanley Blackburn, did it a world of good. The first half was a bit dull but they got going nicely the second half, and the home country crowd cheering Saito on was a plus. ***

 

Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu def Kengo Kimura and Osamu Kido in 15:06- The first of two AJPW vs NJPW tag matches, and for some reason both have been completely scrubbed from NJPW World. Fortunately that's not the only place to find things on Al Gore's interwebs. There's no commentary at all for these matches so maybe they were never intended to be broadcast but were taped anyway, who knows. Tsuruta was one of AJPW's two biggest legends from its early years, along with company founder Giant Baba. He's in his second of three reigns with All Japan's top title. Yatsu was a successful former amateur wrestler that was Tsuruta's regular tag partner in this period. They held AJPW's world tag titles five times. They're not exactly facing New Japan's best here. Both Kimura and Kido were career midcard/tag guys with Kimura being Tatusmi Fujinami's regular tag partner in the '80s and having several IWGP tag title reigns with him being either's biggest claim to fame. The crowd is very amped up for this interpromotional battle. Code of Honor handshakes all around before the bell. The bell rings and that's right out the window as we're DONNYBROOKING ALL OVER THE PLACE! The camera was out wide so I can't tell who jumped who. Things settle in with Tsuruta being trapped in the New Japan corner. He recovers to hit Kido with a high knee and tags. Bit of a reset with Yatsu and Kimura as they get into more grappling than striking. The ref keeps getting onto Kimura for closed fists or something. Yatsu pummels him with a series of headbutts. Tsuruta big boot on Kimura. Kido uses a test of strength to work Tsuruta down and tries to get a Fujiwara armbar on him. Tsuruta goes right back to the high impact offense. Yatsu hits Kido with a belly to belly suplex for 2. He goes for a Scorpion Death Lock but Kido reverses into a legbar. That leads to a mutual rope break. Kido works a crossface for a bit. Kimura comes in with some gut punches and a dropkick. Been really high impact this match so far. Very little of the mat wrestling you usually saw in this era. Yatsu plants Kimura with a backdropeh suplex and tags. Tsuruta/Kimura slugfest that Tsuruta wins. For a moment at least, then he gets caught in the wrong corner. Swinging neckbreaker from Kido for 2. Now Kido and Tsuruta slug it out, with Tsuruta again winning. Yatsu hits a brain buster on Kido and covers. Kimura comes in to break it up and Yatsu did not like that one little bit as the match devolves into an all out brawl. The ref steps in to try to get a bit of control back as Yatsu gets wailed on in the New Japan corner. Double lariato on Yatsu. Yatsu backdrops out of a piledriver attempt and tags. Tsuruta walks right into a back kick from Kimura. More kicks. Lariato. Double suplex on Tsuruta by the New Japan guys. Tsuruta comes back with a back suplex on Kimura and tags. Double chop on Kimura, followed by opposite end double high knees! Kneebreaker from Yatsu and he puts on a modified figure four. Kido runs in to break it up. Leg lariato from Kimura and he gets Yatsu in a half crab. Tsuruta breaks it up with a big boot. Another neckbreaker from Kido on Yatsu for 2. Yatsu hits a powerslam with the cover instantly broken up by Kimura. Tsuruta tags in and charges....right into a Kido Fujiwara armbar! In the wrong corner and all. Tsuruta manages to fight for a rope break. Kido gets him right back into it! After initially being cut off Yatsu manages to break it up. Everything breaks down again until Kido small packages Tsuruta for 2. Crossbody from Kido for 2. Hot shot from Tsuruta on Kido! While Yatsu and Kimura are fighting in the corner Tsuruta hits a Thesz press on Kido and that gets the pin. Good and intense cross promotional stuff, even with not being overly familiar with most of those involved. ***1/4

 

Genichiro Tenryu and Tiger Mask def Riki Choshu and George Takano by countout in 18:59- Three certified Japanese hall of famers, and Takano. Really no offense intended to him, he was fine, just not nearly on the same level as the other three. Tenryu was the ultimate journeyman, a Japanese legend that never called one place home for too long his whole career. Soon after this show he left All Japan to found SWS, the promotion that would have a full working relationship with WWF during its short run. This Tiger Mask is Tiger Mask II, AKA Mitsuharu Misawa, an All Japan legend of legends with and without the mask, and later he was the founder of Pro Wrestling NOAH. Choshu has yuge heat with the All Japan guys, especially Tenryu, because he once led a cross promotional invasion there as part of one of the biggest angles in Japanese wrestling in the '80s. Tiger Hattori is in to ref this one. Choshu and TM start things off much more cautiously than the last match. Huge Choshu shoulderblock. He tries a suplex but TM flips out, hits a roundhouse kick and tags. As soon as Tenryu steps in Choshu is all over him! Big lockup tussle in the corner Hattori has to break up. Crazy deadlift slam by Choshu. He snap mares Tenryu over and works a headscissors. Takano comes in with a standing elbow off the top rope. Dropkick on Tenryu. German for 2. Tenryu pushes Takano over to his corner and tags. TM dropkick on Takano. Crossbody collision won by TM. Takano comes back with a back kick and tags. Back elbow from Choshu on TM. Suplex. He goes for the Scorpion, and really takes his time turning TM over, starting at Tenryu the whole time like he's mocking him. Finally he turns TM over, then tags Takano in while still in the hold. Takano hits the defenseless TM with a kneedrop to the back of the head off the top rope. He then works TM over with kicks and a shiteload of stomps. Tiger suplex on TM from Takano! TM gets free at 2. Choshu gets caught in the wrong corner and Tenryu chops the crap out of him. He tries to fight back but Tenryu gets him back in his corner. These two constantly look like they're having a real fight. TM gutwrench suplex on Choshu for barely 1. Tenryu tags in and after a staredown pause has a reset lockup with Choshu. Choshu backdropeh suplex! He goes for the Scorpion. This time he stares down TM, but instead of turning all the way over tags Takano in instead. Takano hits some kicks, then some chops that only seem to annoy Tenryu. Tenryu fires back with his own. TM lays some kicks in on Takano. Takano hits an enzuguri, followed by a belly to belly and tags. Spike piledriver on TM! Cover but TM gets a foot on the rope. TM gets Choshu back in his corner. Tenryu tags in and really wobbles Choshu with a huge series of kicks and knees right in the face. Just brutal looking. More chops from Tenryu. Choshu fires back with a lariato. Double suplex on TM from the New Japan guys. Kneedrops from Takano get a 2 count. He looks like he's setting up another enzuguri but TM sees this one coming and kicks his plant leg to knock him down. Huge sunset flip from Tenryu on Takano for 2. Choshu tags in and Tenryu absolutely RUNS HIM OVER full speed while he's still stepping through the ropes! TM chops Choshu down with some kicks. More chops from Tenryu. Setup slam. Tenryu starts to climb the ropes backwards. Takano comes in and back suplexes him off! Small reset as things settle down. Choshu lariato on Tenryu! Takano kicks Tenryu to the floor. Plancha from Takano! He takes a wild kick swing in the ring that Tenryu ducks. Choshu runs in and tries for another lariato but Tenryu was ready for hiim too. Standing switches. Choshu goes for a backdropeh but Tenryu rolls on top of him. Takano breaks the pin up. Hattori tries to restore order. TM hits Choshu with a shotgun dropkick off the top. He goes up the other side and big splashes Choshu for 2. TM seemed to hurt his knee on the landing and Choshu is right on it. Double team back suplex on TM. After a short brain fart Takano continues work on the knee. Choshu tags in and puts the Scorpion on with zero hesitation this time. Tenryu runs in to break it up. Shotgun dropkick from Takano that sends TM to the floor. Another Takano plancha. I want to see Choshu do one! Wait, I probably don't. Takano holds TM on the apron, then Choshu charges across with a lariato, knocking TM back down to the floor. Tenryu comes in and suplexes Choshu and pounds away on him on the mat with wild fists flying. TM gets back in the ring, gets a head of steam, and goes for his own plancha but I think he misses. The camera was on a wide shot but he looks pretty splatted when they cut back to a ringside camera. Tenryu hits Choshu with an enzuguri. He goes for the powerbomb. Takano breaks it up with a spinning heel kick. Again Hattori tries to restore some order but I don't think anyone's listening. Takano crashes and burns in the corner. Tenryu knocks him off the apron to the floor with a lariato. Choshu backdropehs Tenryu and puts him in the Scorpion! But Takano and TM, somehow, are still legal and somehow Hattori knows this and is counting them on the floor. TM slides back in at 18. Takano leaps to get back in, but just after Hattori counted 20! He's counted out and the All Japan team get the win. Little bit of a flat finish as you'll often get in these big cross promotional matches to protect everyone but fantastic stuff otherwise. I would have loved to have seen a Choshu/Tenryu singles match. ****1/4

 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Big Van Vader (c) and Stan Hansen double countout in 15:47- Another cross promotion match as All Japan's Hansen is coming in to challenge for the title. Vader defeated Riki Choshu in August to win the title for the second time and is in the middle of a year long reign with it. At this point Hansen was a former AWA World champ but he hadn't won All Japan's big prize, the Triple Crown Championship, just yet. He'd also be the one to end Lex Luger's record reign with the NWA US title later in the year during a quickie run in WCW. This is the very first meeting between these two in what would become a legendary rivalry. Vader's still wearing his early career full size mask. The video starts up with Vader knocking Hansen's hat off before intros! That leads to a mutual agreement that screw your ceremony, WE'RE FIGHTING NOW. Hattori concedes and rings the bell, then the ring announcer does the short, short version of intros from the floor. Vader gets the first good shots in but Hansen chops right back. Vader lays in some straight right hands right on Hansen's jaw. Hansen open hand slaps Vader across the face. On a stiffness meter of 1-10 this is already at an 11. Maybe higher. Vader makes some attempts at wringing up Hansen's arm, and once he does he hits a short lariato. Hansen fires back with elbows to the face. Short jab exchange. They spend a long while grappling in the corner with not much visibly happening, but there's a good reason for that. One of Hansen's jabs caught Vader right on the eye and POPPED THE EYEBALL OUT. Yup, this is *that* match. While they're jostling in the corner Vader's literally trying to put his eye back in. Once that's accomplished Vader works Hansen down and cranks his arm some. While he's down there it's easy to see his right eye is completely swollen. At least nothing's dangling. He keeps his eye closed the rest of the match literally so it doesn't flop back out again. Pop it back in, finish the damn match, worry about it later. After they break Vader takes his mask off! I think this was the first time ever for that and gets a pretty good gasp from the crowd. He's still rubbing his eye, probably making sure it's still in there. Damn that is nasty looking. But we continue. Vader corner avalanche! He's still messing with the eye. We get a real close up look at it and I bet commentary is talking about it now. Hansen snap mares Vader and hooks on a chinlock. They're definitely taking it easier now. Vader headbutts Hansen and starts laying in the potato shots. He hits some jabs to Hansen's forehead. Hansen dodges another avalanche and back suplexes Vader! Vader tackle. Hansen pops up with a headbutt going straight up into Vader's jaw. A kick sends Vader out to the floor. Hansen runs him into the post. He whips Vader on the floor and Vader takes a cameraman out! Lariato from Vader on the floor. Vader sets Hansen over the barricade and tackles him into the crowd! Back in a gut punch really wobbles Hansen. Hansen falls out to the floor again. Vader follows and pounds him against the guardrail. Powerslam from Vader back in for 2. Vader goes up top, removing Hansen's rope on the way. Tackle off the top rope! Hansen kicks out! Vader drives a couple of elbows into Hansen's side. Full elbow drop and cover for 2. Hansen ducks a Vader back elbow, though of course they still hit each other in passing, then gets shellacked by a Vader lariato coming back and falls out of the ring again. Vader goes for a tackle on the floor, but Hansen dodges and Vader splats right into the post! You'd never know at this point that Vader had an eye literally punched out of the socket earlier, other than the giant welt it left. Not slowing down at all. Hansen is being careful not to hit that side of his face though. He gives Vader a bunch of kicks and knees to the left side. Back to the floor. Hansen charges and shoulderblocks Vader over the guardrail! Ground and pound in the ringside seats! He drops an elbow right in Vader's face. Another elbow drop back in for 2. Back elbow for 2. Vader reverses a whip and hits a dropkick! They start slugging it out again, a bit slower but no less stiff than the start of the match, and both tumble out to the floor again. They fight all the way into one of the entrance aisles! Hattori is out there counting. They crash through a guardrail into another section of seats! Hattori says that's it, counting both out. Both guys celebrate in the ring seperately before leaving, Vader getting some much deserved love from the crowd for that performance. This is legendarily one of the most violent, stiff wrestling matches anyone has ever seen. They never could have kept the pace up they set in the first few mintues when they were hitting each other full on like a real fight, but once Vader recovered from the eye pop the rest of the match was still very good, especially considering the circumstances. You can even excuse the finish given the interpromotional nature of the match. Vader, after almost losing an eye, would miss a whole three months before getting back in the ring. In fact his next title defense was a rematch with Hansen in June that is sadly not on World. Also in June Hansen would win the Triple Crown title for the first of his four reigns. ***3/4

 

Koji Kitao def Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow in 9:58- This is the second straight Dome show Bigelow is working with a newcomer in the semi-main slot. Kitao is making his New Japan debut (but not his true first wrestling match, he had two matches in the AWA under a mask as Monster Machine). He's a former sumo wrestler who became infamous in those circles. Long story slightly less long, he was promoted to yokozuna at a very young age and with some controversy because of that. Those fears proved to be founded as he failed to perform at the expected level. Things became worse when he was accused of striking and abusing younger sumo under his tutelage. Eventually, he was forced into retirement and expelled from sumo. After that, he decided to give wrestling a try. Men will reveal their character when given the chance over time, and it wouldn't be long before he became infamous in pro wrestling circles as well by turning heel on the entire industry. Bigelow's got his alternate sleeveless look tonight. He does some sumo moves during intros to mock Kitao. Kitao tears his shirt off when introduced. Trying to copy someone are we? He's even in yellow and red gear. He's a big boy too, easy to see why New Japan courted him despite his obvious character red flags. He's taller than Bigelow and much more muscled. Bigelow shoves Hattori across the ring when he tries to do prematch checks! So that's a no then? Hattori's shirt looks like he's gushing sweat after the matches he's already worked tonight. Both guys play to the crowd a bit after the bell. Kitao wants to go and Bigelow is in no rush at all. Lockup and quick Kitao armdrag. And again. Bigelow's much more cautious about getting in now. He uses that to get a kick in, then hits a headbutt. Shoulderblock standoff. They go again and collide with no one going down again. Headbutt exchange. Kitao slams Bigelow! Bigelow rolls out to have a full rethink of things. While Hattori is holding Kitao back Bigelow slides back in and lariatos him. More headbutts. Kitao definitely needs some work on his selling. It's barely a step up from El Gigante's. Bigelow tosses Kitao over the top to the floor! Every time Kitao gets on the apron Bigelow knocks him back down. Then he suplexes Kitao back in for 2. Bigelow grounds things for a bit with a chinlock. An eye rake cuts a comeback off. Kitao dodges an avalanche and lays in some chest kicks. Lariato from Kitao for 2. DDT from Bigelow for 2. Kitao fires back with more kicks and elbows to the back of Bigelo's head. He slowly gets Bigelow's girth up and puts him down with a very sloppy Samoan drop. Legdrop! And that gets the pin! Bloody hell. Tears shirt, wears red and yellow, wins with a legdrop. All that has to be deliberate. Unfortunatley for New Japan it wouldn't take long for Kitao's true character to show itself. He would be fired in July for making racist and dispariging comments to Riki Choshu, who was of Korean descent. Kitao would be picked up by Tenryu to work for SWS when they formed. Among other things that would get him a WWF PPV payday when he teamed with Tenryu in a match at Wrestlemania 7 to promote WWF's upcoming joint shows with SWS. It would be at one of those joint shows that his most high profile incident would take place. As for this match, Bigelow carried it to being halfway watchable, not unlike the amazing ring general job he'd later do with Lawrence Taylor, a much more capable partner. *1/2

 

Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi def Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto in 15:43- After the cross country and cross promotional battles we've had tonight, an all New Japan true cross generational battle is the main event. Chono and Hashimoto are the young upstarts, two thirds of the group that would be known as the Three Musketeers, who would individually take New Japan over as we move further into the '90s. The third member, Keiji Mutoh AKA The Great Muta, was wrapping up his famous excursion to the NWA and would be back in March. Inoki and Sakaguchi are here to put these young'uns in their place. A PREMATCH PROMO ON A NEW JAPAN SHOW?! My whole world is askew. Cockeyed even. Sakaguchi plays nice, but Inoki clearly has nothing to say, slapping the mic out of the interviewer's hand. Inoki charges at Chono during intros while he still has his robe on! Damn he's fired up tonight. Things settle down as guest ref Lou Thesz, doing that job on the second straight Dome show, gives instructions. Thesz messed up the winning count in the IWGP Heavyweight title match on the last show, hopefully he does better tonight. Start proper with Chono and a slightly calmer Inoki. Inoki gets Chono down and goes to work on his arm. Sagaguchi seamlessly transitions in to the same arm. Hashimoto tags in and gives Sakaguchi a hammy kick. Sakaguchi takes him down and cranks on his arm. Hashimoto gets some stiff chest kicks in the corner. Inoki runs in to cut it off and takes a hammy kick. He wants to tag in with Hashimoto. He and Inoki go back and forth on the mat for a bit. Chono comes off the top rope with some shots on Inoki's back. Inoki hooks him up in an Indian Death Lock, then transitions into a bow and arrow. Sakaguchi puts Chono in a Boston crab. Hashimoto comes in to break it up. Chono works a cravat on Sakaguchi, twisting it into a hangman's neckbreaker. Hashimoto and Sakaguchi get into a chopfest. Hashimoto gives Inoki some more hammy kicks. Inoki actually retreats back to his corner to avoid them. He gets a hold of Hashimoto's arm in his "I'm gonna break this SOB" position. Hashimoto gets a break on the ropes and one more hammy kick before both sides swap. Now Chono kicks at Sakaguchi's leg and puts a half crab on. STF! This wasn't Chono's big submission finisher yet, at least the crowd doesn't react like it. Chono and Hashimoto continue work on Sakaguchi's leg. Huge elbow drop from Hashimoto. Sakaguchi fights out of the young team corner and hits Hashimoto with an atrocious running knee. Inoki tags in and hits Hashimoto with huge straight right hands. Hashimoto leaping DDT! Like the STF for Chono, that would be Hashimoto's big finisher in the future but not quite yet. Speaking of the STF, Chono hooks it on Inoki. Sakaguchi chops and hiptosses Chono. He tries to grind Chono down into a cover. Chono holds Sakaguchi for a Hashimoto spinning heel kick, but for some reason they step backwards and it barely connects. Chono tackle off the top rope on Sakaguchi. Running forearms wobble Sakaguchi, but he dodges a Chono dropkick. Inoki enziguri! Octopus! Hashimoto breaks it up. Chono enziguri on Inoki! He wraps Inoki up in his own octopus hold! Inoki hiptosses out. Chono backdropeh suplex on Inoki. He goes for a second but Inoki rolls over for 2. Another Inoki enziguri! Thesz counts 3! Completely opposite to the last show, he definitely sped up between 2 and 3. Everyone looks kind of put out and for a good reason- the wrong team won! Hashimoto and Chono were booked to win this match, but Thesz messed the count up and gave the win to the wrong team early. I'm starting to think he shouldn't be invited back. There's a little moment between Inoki and Hashimoto that almost looks like an apology from Inoki. Fortunately the mistake wouldn't hurt Chono and Hashimoto in the long run. The match was fine, not great. Definitely not Tokyo Dome main event worthy. Sakaguchi was pretty past it at this point and Inoki's main event days were also just about behind him. **1/2

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Another pretty solid Dome show, though more up and down than Battle Satellite and without the great backbone that one had with the Heavyweight title tournament. The All Japan vs New Japan matches delivered in full and that would lead to a lot more joint shows in the Dome before the companies fell out around the turn of the century. One of which will happen barely two months later in April, with a very large new addition to the mix: the WWF.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-

NJPW Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

Legacy Review

NJPW Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

April 24, 1989 from the Tokyo Dome

The Tokyo Dome opened on March 17, 1988 and almost immediately the scramble to get a wrestling show in the Big Egg was on. A little over a year later that race was won by New Japan. This is the first ever show to be held inside the Tokyo Dome by any company. This show can also be called "Fighting Satellite" depending on translation quirks. The centerpiece of the night is a one night, eight man tournament to determine a new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The title was voluntarily vacated by Tatsumi Fujimani so there could be a tournament for it on this major show, a callback to the days of the original IWGP Heavyweight Title that was awarded in a yearly tournament, the tournament that eventually evolved to become the G1 Climax.

This is from the archives of New Japan World so Japanese commentary only.

'89 Young Lion Cup Final: Naoki Sano def Hiro Saito in 10:43- The Young Lion Cup is an irregular tournament New Japan holds among the young boys. The last proper one was held in 2017, but there was also a combined Noge Dojo/LA Dojo Cup held in the US in 2019 during the buildup to the creation of New Japan Strong. Saito would be mostly known as a low level guy that bounced around various heel factions during his career, including Raging Staff and NWO Japan. If there was a large heel faction in Japan in the '90s, chances are he was in it. Sano had a major feud with Jushin Liger over the junior heavyweight title in 1990 that put both guys fully on the map, but afterward he jumped over to WWF-affiliated SWS and later spent time in UWFi before becoming a regular in NOAH. He returned to New Japan to wrestle alongside Liger in Liger's retirement matches at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in 2020, then quietly retired himself as well. Saito goes right on the attack after the bell. Sano responds with a dropkick that sends Saito to the floor. TOPE SUICIDA! MAMA MIA! Not wasting any time tonight. Slam and kneedrop from Sano back in for 2. Saito turns a chinlock into a top wristlock and works on Sano's arm a bit. Sano does a nice neck bridge, knucklelocks Saito to flip him up into the corner, backflips back and hits a diving lariato. Piledriver for 2. He wraps Saito up in a headscissors. Saito works out into an STF. Spinebuster from Saito for 2. Huge backbreaker for 2. Hot shot! Legdrop follow up and cover for 2. Speed run. Saito blocks a kick from one direction, so Sano hits him with a kick from another direction. Very Nakamura like. Suplex for 2. Tombstone! Saito it looks like uses an eye poke to break the pin up. Senton from Saito for 2. Fisherman's suplex for 2. Sano fights into a backslide for 2. Half crab from Sano. He stomps on Saito a bit more to wear him down and hooks on Young Lion Submission Hold 1A, the Boston crab. Saito still easily powers out. Missile dropkick from Saito! Sano falls out to the floor. Saito goes for a TOPE SUICIDA! SANO DODGES AND SAITO CRASHES INTO THE GUARDRAIL! Sano goes up to the top rope. CROSSBODY TO THE FLOOR! This is 1989, folks. Imagine showing this match to an American audience of the time. Saito gets on the apron. Sano doesn't like that and dropkicks him back off into the guardrail again. Back in Sano hits a German suplex! Saito kicks out! Saito counters a backdrop attempt into a backslide! He's got Sano down, but one of Sano's feet fell onto the ropes! Sano decides to leap up on Saito's shoulders. Saito says thank you and drops him right back down. German from Saito for a long 2. Powerbomb from Saito. Sano uses the cover to flip Saito into a cradle and gets the pin! Sano is presented with a very tiny trophy for his Cup win. Both guys still had some work to do as far as refining their styles and storytelling, but they pulled out all the stops to prove themselves and that was a hell of an opener. ***1/2

 

Quarterfinals: Big Van Vader def Masahiro Chono in 5:52- Vader burst onto the New Japan scene in December '87 when he pulled the upset of upsets, defeating the nearly undefeatable Antonio Inoki in his very first match with the company. He's been with them full time ever since and had solidified himself as a major star. Future legend Chono is barely out of Young Lion status at this point. The match video on World starts right up with Vader already trying to tear Chono apart while the ring announcer is still in the ring, seeing his whole life flash in front of his eyes. Chono's in all white tonight, a look he would not keep. Vader also has his early days full mask on. Chono gets free, puts a finger in Vader's face, and the bell rings to officially start while the crowd is going absolutely nuts over it all. The ring announcer gets through his announcements on the floor while the wrestlers circle each other, while also jotting down a note to the back for a fresh pair of underwear. Vader tosses Chono out of the lockup. Clean break on the ropes and Chono does a lot of jawing. Not sure how smart that is. Coming off the ropes Vader catches him with a kick. Classic Vader tackle. Vintage even. Just noticed Vader has a goatee or full beard going at this point too. Straight drop press slam from Vader and Chono powders. Back in the match stays all Vader as he keeps Chono grounded. Corner avalanche. Elbow drop after that for 2. Vader goes for a suplex. Chono flips around to try to turn it into a Destino style reverse DDT but Vader either didn't take it all, or just said fuck selling. Chono starts to get some shots in but a straight punch from Vader puts him back down. He lifts Chono up into a Canadian backbreaker. Chono flips back down and backdrops Vader! Chono tries for a German! Vader lands right on top of him and squashes him! Ooooof, not a good move, kid. Vader covers for 2. Lariato! Setup slam. Vader goes up top. Big splash! Get a spatula and scrape Chono off the mat. An extended squash showing the very clear pecking order at this point, but a Vader squash is always a fun squash. **

You know, this would probably explain why Chono didn't win a singles match in the Dome for like a decade. Trauma from this first one.

 

Quarterfinals: Tatsumi Fujinami def Vladmir Berkovich in 4:51- Fujinami has been one of the pillars of New Japan since the company's founding in 1972, and as I mentioned was champion before giving the title up so it could be up for grabs in this tournament. Berkovich is the first of several Soviet or Soviet satellite wrestlers with a strong amateur background but little pro experience to appear on this show. This is only his second ever pro match. The reason for so many Soviet wrestlers on this show is New Japan was building up to holding the first ever wrestling show in Moscow later in the year. Just before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Code of Honor handshake to start, followed by some cautious feeling out. Berkovich gets an amateur waistlock takedown. Reset and Fujinami gets an arm takedown. He rides Berkovich on the mat a bit, then introduces him to the pros by hitting a suplex. Double leg takedown from Fujinami. Think there might be a little agreed upon shooting happening on the mat there. Off a rope break Berkovich grabs a headlock and flips Fujimani down. Fujinami lands a kick to the hammy with a nice contact pop and bigger pop from the crowd. Another one. Fujinami tries to attack but Berkovich grabs him and gives him a fisherman's suplex. Straight punch to the gut from Fujinami. Snap mare into a dropkick. Backdropeh suplex into an cross armbreaker! Berkovich taps! They have another respect handshake after the bell. Fujinami did the best he could, and it was good they kept this short. 3/4*

 

Quarterfinals: Victor Zangiev def Buzz Sawyer in 3:56- First things first, yes Zangiev is the inspiration for the character of the same name in the Street Fighter series through his work in New Japan over the next year. He's another Soviet guy super early in his career. Sawyer was a well known upper midcarder, mostly in southern territories, during the '80s and also a generally not very good person in real life by all accounts. Sawyer's wearing a blue singlet. Never seen him in a singlet before. Might be mocking the blue singlets all the Soviet guys are wearing. Zangiev has the body hair you'd expect from how his namesake Street Fighter character looked. Not half as big though. Young Tiger Hattori is reffing this one. Chest to chest bumping after the bell into some amateur stuff that the very onery Sawyer has the edge on. Zangiev responds with an arm takedown. They continue mostly amateur style. Sawyer gets a roll up but Zangiev is in the ropes. Zangiev continues the focus on the arm. He has Sawyer's arms wrapped up and flips him over in a suplex almost straight on his head. Sawyer gets a fireman's carry takedown but Zangiev gets back on the arm. Sawyer tries a takedown but something goes wrong leverage wise and they both flop down. Zangiev accomplishes his own supelex takedown. Sawyer powders for some advice from his seconds. German suplex from Sawyer! Zangiev kicks out but Sawyer celebrates like he won. Zangiev comes from behind with his own German, and that gets the pin! That'd be a major upset in the US, it's got to be at least a minor one in Japan. Afterward one of Sawyer's seconds, a blonde guy I can't place, gets chest bumpy with Zangiev for a second before things settle down. I generally appreciate this style but this didn't do much for me. 1/2*

 

Quarterfinals: Shinya Hashimoto def Riki Choshu in 3:41- True generational battle right here. Choshu, like Fujinami, has been one of the company's top stars for over a decade. Hashimoto, fresh back from excursion here, was in Chono's generation, one of the trio with Chono and Keiji "Great Muta" Mutoh that would later be called the Three Musketeers. Muta at this time was off on his famous NWA excursion that made him a star in the US before he became one in Japan. Despite their generational separation both these guys have very similar styles: straightforward, full speed hitting as hard as you can from bell to bell. Hashimoto's sporting a beard, which wouldn't last when he hit his peak years. Hashimoto gives Choshu a little what for slap on the first rope break. On the next one Choshu breaks clean and that seems to annoy Hashimoto more than anything. Test of strength, which Choshu gets the edge on thanks to his tree trunk legs. Hashimoto uses some fancy technical maneuvering to turn it around. Another break and another Hashimoto slap. Choshu gets Hashimoto stuck in the corner, wraps his leg around the rope and gives it a couple of shots, then lays in some back elbows to the head. Hashimoto headbutts out! That's followed by some stiff chest kicks. Choshu kicks Hashimoto down and calls for the lariato, which was his go to impact finisher. You think Bradshaw's clothesline from hell was stiff? That's only about a .7 or .8 on the Choshu lariato scale. Hashimoto cuts it off with a spinning heel kick. Leaping DDT from Hashimoto! That gets 2. He comes off the ropes into a Choshu knee to the gut. Suplex from Choshu. Again he warms up the arm. Lariato! Hashimoto kicks out! That gets a good crowd reaction. Backdropeh suplex. Choshu goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, his submission finisher. Hashimoto small packages him! That gets a 3 count! Choshu argues, thinking Hashimoto's foot was on a rope. It was close, but it was indeed a clean pin. Massive upset here, one of the early wins that got Hashimoto on the path to becoming the most dominant IWGP Heavyweight Champion pretty much ever at the point he mostly finished up with New Japan (a very strange tale I get into in my January 4th Tokyo Dome show review series). Good match for the time they got. **1/2

 

Kickboxing Match: Benny Urquidez and Shinya Asuka draw in 10:00- It was common for companies in Japan, not just New Japan, to put shoot fights on pro wrestling cards in this period. Variety, I suppose. I'm not getting deep into this. It's kickboxing, which I have zero interest in, I don't know either guy (though apparently Urquidez was in movies) and worst of all it's a draw. Moving on. NR

 

Semifinals: Big Van Vader def Tatsumi Fujinami in 14:37- A bit weird that what's clearly the bigger of the two semifinal matches is going first. In a contrast to his last match, Vader offers the senior Fujinami a Code of Honor handshake before intros. Vader does look like an absolute monster next to Fujinami. Fujinami grabs a headlock, which Vader quickly uses to drop him with a back suplex. Fujinami hit hard and rolls out for a think, taking all the way up to 19. Vader is all over him as soon as he's back in. Lariato! Huge Fujinami sell on that too. Vader cranks a headlock and Fujinami tries to suplex him. After a couple of attempts he gets Vader over! Fujinami lays in some hammy kicks until Vader cuts him off with a shot across the face. Vader puts Fujinami in a hammerlock to let things settle in a bit. Here come the famous Vader potato shots. He hooks in for a suplex. Fujinami blocks it and suplexes Vader instead! A dropkick sends Vader 360 over the top to the floor. Fujinami teases a dive but thinks better of it. A test of strength knucklelock leads to a Vader drop toe hold. He wraps Fujinami up in a modified cloverleaf. Vader decides to grab a handful of hair, which forces the ref to break the hold. He shouts "Don't pull hair!" at Vader which makes me chuckle a bit. Vader hits a couple more potato shots in the corner. Fujinami fights back with some open hand slaps. Now it's his turn to work on Vader's arm a bit. Vader straight body slams Fujinami to get free. Shoulderblock. He gets down into a 3 point stance (Vader did play football) and charges. Fujinami hiptosses him! He tries to stretch out an armbreaker. Vader fights it, then rolls over to get a foot on the rope. Vader goes for a suplex. Fujinami flips out. Backdropeh suplex on Vader! That gets a 2 count and Vader powders. Back in Fujinami gets back on the arm, and it's clear it's starting to become a problem for Vader. Vader works free, flips Fujinami over by the arm, and pops him with another potato shot. A lariato makes Fujinami seriously wobblelegged. Amazing sell. Vader goes for another one. Fujinami grabs the rope to stop himself from running into it, then dumps Vader over the top to the floor. The fight goes to the floor. Vader gives Fujinami a stiff open hand slap then whips him into the lighting rig support post. Good thing that was secure. Back in Fujinami gets some kicks on Vader's hurt arm, including an enzuguri, then drops him with a regular enzuguri to the head. He hooks in another armbar but Vader gets a rope break. Corner avalanche. Fujinami dodges a second. Armdrag. Dropkick. Fujinami slams Vader! He goes up top. Vader catches him coming off and gives him a hot shot! They go to the floor again. Fujinami dodges and Vader lariatos the ring post with his bad arm! Fujinami gives the arm another post shot then whips Vader into the guardrail. Back in Fujinami blocks a lariato and hooks another armbar in. He's clearly got his submission target but Vader will not quit while the arm is still attached. Sunset flip from Fujinami. Vader squashes him! Big splash! Vader gets the pin! Both Choshu and Fujinami are out of the tournament before the final. I'm sure that busted a ton of brackets. Tremendous match between two legends from two different generations, but it didn't quite have enough to hit the upper echelon. ***3/4

 

Semifinals: Shinya Hashimoto def Victor Zangiev in 7:28- Gotta figure this match is a foregone conclusion if they want any drama in the final. Again, it would have made a lot of sense to swap the order of the semis matches. Lots of intensity from Zangiev at the start. He gets Hashimoto down in an STF before a rope break. Both guys fight for leverage in the middle of the ring. Hashimoto twists around for a takedown, again showing quite a bit of technical acumen. Zangiev hits a belly to belly suplex! Hashimoto takes some time on the floor to think things over. Back in Zangiev works a headscissors and tries to stretch Hashimoto's arm out. Hashimoto lands a couple of kicks to the chest. Zangiev grabs him and flips him over in another suplex. He goes for Hashimoto's arm again. Hashimoto slowly fights and manages to twist Zangiev into a headscissors. Zangiev rolls around and gets himself free relatively quickly to an appreciative pop from the crowd. He's earning some cred with them the work he's done tonight. Hashimoto tries to ride Zangiev on the mat. Zangiev deadlifts him up on his shoulders. Dude is strong, deceptively so given his small frame, I'll give him that. Hashimoto spits at Zangiev! Dipping into the Naito playbook here. But where Naito uses that as an almost playful mind games taunt, Hashimoto is clearly getting frustrated. He tries to elbow out of a Zangiev waistlock but Zangiev tosses him again. A switch seems to flip in Hashimoto and he goes into enough is enough mode. He pulls Zangiev backward hard into the corner and gives him a couple of shots. Standing spinning heel kick! Hashimoto hooks in a figure four! Zangiev has a long fight, but can't get free and has to submit! They handshake it out after. Pretty good match, especially considering Hashimoto was just out of excursion and Zangiev was a converted pro. ***

 

Wahka Eveloev def Masa Saito in 5:28- Another low experience Soviet amateur here in Eveloev. More than low for him, this is his first ever pro match. Saito was around forever in both Japan and the US, making an appearance in every major American company at some point or another, usually as Mr. Saito. He's generally credited with the creation of the Saito/backdropeh suplex. Eveloev is in the alternate red singlet, all the Soviet guys had been in blue to this point. Not too much happening here. Takedown, put on an arm hold, rope break, reset, rinse and repeat. Given his amateur background Eveloev is allowed to get most of the takedowns. Eventually Saito says screw this shit and whacks Eveloev with a lariato. A second one. Backdropeh suplex. Now he's having to sell Eveloev looks completely lost. Still, I've seen worse. He's selling the clotheslines better than Reggie White did. They both stand and awkwardly paw at each other for a bit. Eveloev gets another takedown into a cross armbreaker. Saito submits! Very questionable booking call. After the bell Eveloev looks like he seems to be questioning his life choices. His experiment with the pros wouldn't last very long. 1/4*

 

Tournament Final for the Vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Big Van Vader def Shinya Hashimoto in 9:47- They've got this really low on the card. I'm sure there's a reason that was logical to them at the time but I don't get it. Inoki was always going to main event, but this should have at least been the semi-main. Lou Thesz has come over to be the special guest referee in this one. Nice touch. After intros Vader sets his headgear in the middle of the ring. He does a little ceremony, then the steam goes off from it! Hashimoto stands in the other corner watching and giving exactly zero fucks. Fantastic from both sides. Very cautious start. They slowly knucklelock with one hand. Hashimoto tries to jump but Vader wraps him up in a headlock. Hashimoto uses that to crank Vader's hurt arm from the Fujinami match. Smart. Vader senses trouble and gets in the ropes. BOOM! Spinning backfist from Vader! That wobbled Hashimoto good. Both guys standing grapple for leverage near the ropes. Vader gets a takedown and tries to grind Hashimoto down. He nails Hashimoto with a bit of a combo lariato/Vader tackle and Hashimoto slides out to the floor. Back in Hashimoto gets a kick on the bad arm! A few more shots with Vader selling like Ric Flair, shouting up to the cheap seats, and Hashimoto hooks on a hammerlock. He slowly stretches Vader's arm out on the mat and tries a pin for 2. More kicks to the arm with more fantastic Vader selling. Vader scruntches up like he's steeling himself and absolutely waffles Hashimoto with a fist straight down onto the top of his head. Corner avalanche. Cover for 2. Hashimoto dodges another avalanche and gets right back on the arm, snapping it over his shoulder. Vader slams Hashimoto out of a hammerlock. VADER DROPKICK! At the time that was pretty mind blowing, and still just the start for him. Just wait until he starts doing the Vadersault. Setup slam. Vader goes up top to finish it. Hashimoto is back up! He spinning heel kicks Vader off the top rope! Slam on Vader! Cross armbreaker! It's got to be over. No, Vader powers out! More Hashimoto kicks to the arm. Vader shrugs them off and wobbles Hashimoto with a straight right punch! Lariato! With a nice like Choshu like arm spin before. Hashimoto kicks out! Another lariato that almost decapitates Hashimoto! There's a weird hitch in Thesz's count, but that gets the pin! Vader wins the IWGP Heavyweight Title for the first time! The first of his many major title wins in both Japan and the US. Afterward Vader shows a bit of disrespect standing over Hashimoto's corpse and celebrating. Then he goes out and has some words with commentary! You think Minoru Suzuki is scary, imagine Vader coming after you like that. Vader gets back in the ring for the ceremony to present the belt and a medium sized trophy for winning the tournament. I may be overrating this a bit, but that was a fantastic match that fit a ton into not a ton of time, especially with both guys working their third match of the night, and with a nuclear hot crowd eating up every drop of it. It's a shame they never had another singles match on a major show. By the time Hashimoto hit his dominant peak Vader was back in the US full time. What a collision that would have been. ****

 

IWGP Tag Team Champions Super Strong Machine and George Takano def IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Hase and Shiro Koshinaka in 17:10- And now for the rest of the card. SSM (Junji Hirata) was a longtime masked heel. Takano is a mixed American/Japanese military kid that was born in Japan, then left there with his Japanese mother by his American father. He worked in Stampede for a while under a mask as The Cobra, and is another one of the guys that moved to SWS when it was formed. Hase is early in a run that would see him become one of the most popular wrestlers in New Japan during the first half of the '90s, especially after a move up to heavyweight. He's in his second junior title reign here. Koshinaka, the very first IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, would be one of New Japan's top heels throughout the '90s as the leader of Heisei Ishingun. Lou Thesz stays in to ref this one. Takano and Koshinaka start. They do some basic, but good, back and forth grappling. Hase comes off the top rope with a standing elbow drop on Takano, then shoves him back into his corner and DEMANDS SSM tag in. SSM does and gets the edge on Hase with some mat grappling. Even though Hase was a junior at this point he doesn't look much smaller than SSM, if at all. Hase hits a shoulderblock but SSM quickly twists around into some leg work. He's playing with fire a bit holding Hase down so close to Hase's corner. SSM realizes this and armdrags Hase across to his corner. Takano tags in and hits a missile dropkick, but that also allows Hase to tag out. Koshinaka and Takano do a reset lockup. On a rope break Koshinaka slaps Takano! Takano slaps back and he have an open hand exchange, then they start headbutting each other like a couple of drunk Klingons in Quark's. Koshinaka flips the script with a standing dropkick, then dodges a Takano spinning heel kick attempt. SSM hits a back elbow. Koshinaka tries to block an SSM suplex so SSM flips him over the other way instead. He goes for an armbreaker that Koshinaka fights out of. After a small double team Hase tags in and stomps the snot out of SSM, then gives him a Russian leg sweep. SSM gets a double leg takedown and puts on a Boston crab. Hase gets to the ropes. Side suplex from SSM for 2. Takano hits a tiltawhirl backbreaker. For some reason Thesz refuses to count. Hase and Takano go into full slugfest mode. Takano double underhooks, but Hase manages to block, fight, and then flips Takano over. Double suplex on Takano from Hase and Koshinaka. Now Koshinaka hooks on a Boston crab. Takano does push ups in it! That breaks the hold. Hase tries a Scorpion Death Lock on Takano. Hase dodges an SSM elbow drop off the second rope. He goes up top but SSM meets him. SSM superplex! Lariato! Hase wraps SSM's arm to fight back and hits a belly to belly suplex. Takano quickly tags in and stomps Hase about 100 times to keep him down. Belly to belly from Takano for 2. Double back elbow from the champs. Hase tries a sunset flip on SSM but I don't think SSM was expecting it and he doesn't react at all. Kind of ugly looking. SSM recovers by planting Hase with a piledriver that Hase decided to spread his legs all the way out during for some reason. SSM goes up top. Hase dodges the headbutt off the top and tags. Koshinaka hits his signature hip attack. Double missile dropkick on SSM! Takano breaks the pin up. Backdropeh from Koshinaka on SSM. He goes for a German. Takano comes in and gives him an enzuguri! SSM German for 2. Koshinaka small package for 2. Hase hits a suplex, then dropkicks Takano as he comes in after a tag. Powerslam from Hase for 2. Northern lights suplex! SSM breaks the pin up. Takano dodges a dropkick and goes up top. Missile dropkick. Spinning heel kick. DONNYBROOK! The champs clear the ring, then isolate Hase. Takano gives him a tombstone. Double headbutt off the top from the champs. Another pin breakup. Hase gets his boots up in the corner on SSM and hits a diving lariato for 2. Koshinaka dragon suplex on SSM for 2. Powerbomb on Takano for 2. Missile dropkick. Tags on both sides. Hase fallaway slam on SSM for 2. SSM fights off a northern lights, turns Hase, and hits his own northern lights suplex to win. Solidly fun but the second half was pretty much a spotfest. Tag wrestling was one area where New Japan has almost always lagged behind most American companies. **3/4

 

Jushin Liger def Kuniaki Kobayashi in 9:55- You can't talk about big New Japan shows in the Tokyo Dome without talking about Jushin Thunder effing Liger. Though this is before the Thunder. Or the effing. In fact, this is the debut match of the Liger character. Very appropriate at the first Dome show. Kobayashi was a former junior champion. He would move up to heavyweight soon after this show and would later co-found Heisei Ishingun with Koshinaka. Even though he had a long New Japan career that one junior title win would be his only career title here and last one anywhere. Liger's gear is completely different to what he'd be famous in. His bodysuit is similar, in red and gold but a slightly different design. The biggest difference is the mask. No horns, and it covers his whole face with three mesh slits down each side. The conception from the start was "an anime character come to life" and a prominent anime artist had his hand in this inital design. After the inital lockups Liger turns the flippy on early countering a headlock counter, then hits a lariato that sends Kobayashi to the floor. Liger hits a baseball slide. I like how they stuck with hard camera that whole sequence. Crossbody from Liger off the top to the floor! The crowd is already behind him. Suplex from Liger back in, followed by a senton. Kobayashi comes back with some knees to the gut and a spin kick. He tries for a cross armbreaker. Liger blocks it, rolls over and we're going surfing! Kobayashi rolls over into a Boston crab. He tosses Liger out to the floor. Back in Liger leapfrogs and hits a kind of hiptoss. Crossbody off the top. Sunset flip for 2. Liger makes it all look so effortless. After a mat leverage battle both guys roll into the ropes. Kobayashi goes full dick and tries to take Liger's mask off. Liger lays in some open hand slaps. Kobayashi responds with a double leg takedown. Sleeper from Kobayashi. Liger gets a rope break. They go to the floor and Liger gets whipped into the guardrail. It looks like Liger tries to hiptoss Koyabashi over the rail into the crowd but Kobayashi blocks it. They're both kind of weirdly laying over the top of the guardrail. Back in Kobayashi hits a running high knee in the corner. Liger reverses and hits a dropkick, then some head kicks in the corner. He goes for another suplex. Kobayashi flips out and tries for a German. Liger standing switch and he goes for a German. Kobayashi low blows him! Total dick move. In more ways than one. Kobayashi tries another spin kick. Liger blocks it and tosses him down. Rolling kick! That's one that will become a signature Liger move. He wraps Kobayashi up in an octopus hold. Kobayashi falls into the ropes. Setup slam and Liger goes up top. He goes for a splash but Kobayashi gets his knees up. Fisherman's suplex! Liger just gets a foot on the rope before 3! Kobayashi goes for a suplex but Liger rolls over and falls on top of him. Tombstone from Liger in a clear setup move, not intending to be a finisher. Liger gets on the second rope and comes off with a kind of standing diving headbutt. Looked like a battering ram. A German suplex gets the pin. After the bell a pissed Koayashi tries to get the mask off again and has to be held back by the Young Lion gaggle. Solid debut for the Liger character. The fan response was positive and he'd massage the moveset over the coming months. New Japan knew what they had and Liger would defeat Hase to win the first of his record eleven junior titles the very next month. **1/2

 

Salman Hashimikov def Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow in 2:26- Bigelow is doing one of his New Japan runs between US, primarily WWF, stints. Yes, Hashimikov is another Soviet just getting started in the pros. Back to the blue Soviet singlet. Bigelow to Hattori trying to do prematch checks: "You ain't gotta check me!". Nice. Hattori wants a handshake before the bell. Hashimikov offers. Bigelow ponders....then dropkicks Hashimikov right in the mush! Message sent and the bell rings to start. Hashimikov tries a leg takedown. Bigelow says eff that and clubs him right in the back. Another one. "He's easy!". Hashimikov manages to lift a boot, but that only allows Bigelow to enziguri him! Finally Hashimikov gets a takedown and Bigelow immediately gets to the ropes. "Get him back!". Eye rake from Bigelow and he pounds away in the corner. Hahimikov lifts Bigelow up, carries him around the ring, northern lights suplexes him, hooks a leg and gets the shock pin! Well, that's interesting. After the bell Hahimikov tries to say "nice match" but Bigelow shoves him away and leaves the ring not a happy man. He's more angry here than when he lost to Lawrence Taylor. 1/2*

 

From the "so crazy it's true" files, Hashimikov would go on to defeat Vader for the Heavyweight title about a month after this show in one of Inoki's infamous title win brain farts. He'd drop it a month later to Choshu and we'd be spared any more really bad title reign decisions, at least with the top belt, until the infamous Inokism period hit around the turn of the century.

 

No Ropes Martial Arts Match for the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship: Shota Chochishivili def Antonio Inoki (c) in 13:20- Speaking of Inokism, this was one of the first attempts by him to do that blended work/shoot style. The Martial Arts Title was a belt specifically created for Inoki by Vince McMahon Senior and given to him in December 1978. He's held it ever since. Chochi (as I'm going to call him for the sake of my fingers and my sanity) was from Georgia (the Soviet controlled Baltic country, not the state), won an Olympic gold medal in judo and this is the first of only three recorded professional matches for him, all of which involved Inoki. The ring ropes have been removed for this match to give it more of a shoot feel. Chochi is working this match in full judo gear. Inoki's in his usual wrestling trunks, but is wearing blue shooter shoes with it. Seeing a mostly properly dressed professional wrestler and a guy that looks like he should be training kids on a Saturday afternoon in the ring at the same time is weird to say the least. This is using the rounds system. Like most of this Inoki worked appearing shoot stuff I'm not getting deep into it. After a minute or so of pawing at each other Inoki spices things up by planting Chochi with a backdropeh suplex. At the start of round 2 Chochi gets a takedown and tries for an armbreaker. Apparently there's a rule that they can only be on the mat so long, I don't know, because the ref counts and he breaks before the count gets to 20. Then they do the same thing again. I'll give it to Inoki, he sells the hell out of the arm, letting it hang limp on his side and not using it at all the rest of the match. Early in round 3 Inoki goes for a rolling kick that somewhat hits. He gets some strikes with his good arm after thant then hooks on a legbar. An enziguri lays Chochi out! Chochi gets what looks like a full choke hold on but the bell rings to end round 3. Things seem to regress in round 4 as we're back to mostly pawing at each other. At the start of round 5 Chochi gets a suplex-like takedown that puts Inoki down for a bit. When he gets back up Inoki hits another rolling kick. Chochi puts him down again. Inoki is clearly wobblelegged. Another takedown. 10 count! DOWN GOES INOKI! DOWN GOES INOKI! The decade long title reign is over! Word is Inoki wanted to lose here to have a memorable moment at the very first Dome show. During the victory ceremony Chochi is presented with....a giant gold key. Well that's nice. Inoki then shakes his hand and hands him the belt, still selling the hurt arm the whole time. Inoki would end up winning it back barely a month later, at the same Osaka show that had the other big title changes I've mentioned from a month later. The Martial Arts Title would then be quietly retired at the end of the year to keep full focus on the IWGP Heavyweight Title. The match was what you'd expect from one of these things. Call it *

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- All in all I'd call this a fantastic introduction to wrestling in the Tokyo Dome. The card order is a bit weird and there's some typical of the era shoot or workyshoot duds, but the proper wrestling matches delivered. The tournament for the Heavyweight title was a resounding success, with quality matches, making Vader a legit top guy, and giving Hashimoto a much needed boost to get him on his way. Wrestling in the Tokyo Dome was here to stay.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B+