ANTONIO INOKI vs. HULK HOGAN (2)

Antonio Inoki vs. Hulk Hogan
NEW JAPAN, IWGP Final
Jun. 2 1983 Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)

It was sure that the condition of Antonio Inoki was very bad at that day. His big project IWGP became smaller than the original plan. His pupil Riki Chosyu declared to withdraw from NEW JAPAN. And Inoki continued to fight 28 matches being suffered from sickness and injury. Inoki lacked vividness in this match. He attacked Hogan with several moves, but he could not damaged Hogan effectively. Conversely speaking, Hogan had become a good technician, and now he was a terrible monster having a good power and a good skill.

When Hogan used the first Ax Bomber, Inoki shook his head several times. At that time Inoki was damaged on his head and neck. Inoki tried Airplane Spin recklessly. They dropped from the ring together, and Hogan attacked Inoki's back of the head with Ax Bomber. Inoki knocked his forehead on a iron post cruelly. Hogan was waiting on the ring. He used the third Ax Bomber to Inoki on the apron. Inioki was fainted, and Hogan won the championship of IWGP.

Inoki was carried into a hospital. This affair was reported on the TV news program, and all Japanese people were shocked at that news. Hogan may have been bewildered. Probably there was a scenario that Inoki would win the championship. It seemed that Inoki would escape the last Ax bomber and he would take a fall from Hogan with Reverse Fall or something like it. Even now, the result of this match is a mystery in the history of the wrestling of Japan. Some people say Inoki pretended to be fainted, and he escaped into a hospital from creditors.

I don't understand what the truth was, but it is true that the result of this match was very shocking, and we enjoyed that great entertainment. In this meaning, Inoki showed his genius as a wonderful story teller. And I have to say that Inoki fulfilled his duty with his whole heart. But may be this performance was his limitation. In the next year, Inoki couldn't defeat Hogan, but he wrested the championship from Hogan on a strange decision. And spectators started a riot.