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+