THE FEAR OF IRON CLAW

Giant Baba vs Fritz Von Erich
JAPAN PRO, International Championship Match
Dec. 3 1966 Nippon Budoukan (Tokyo)


In the 60's, since Rikidozan suddenly died, Giant Baba was the main prop of the wrestling world of Japan, and Baba fought against many great wrestlers as the strongest champion. Many impressive foreign wrestlers visited to Japan. The Destroyer showed us wonderful Figure Four Leg Lock. Terrible violent fighters, Bruiser and Risowski. Great champions, Sammartino, Kiniski, and Dory Funk Jr. Bobo Brazil was the only man who wrested International title from Baba. And another memorable wrestler is The Iron Claw, Fritz Von Erich.

Before the starting bell rang, Erich suddenly kicked Baba harshly. Erich's kick was very hard, and they say it was like a horse's. Baba was damaged by that, but his young power was splendid. Baba counterattacked skillfully, and he somehow took a fall with Karate Chop. But in the intermission, Erich kicked Baba terribly again.

At the second round, at last Erich used his special move Iron Claw. Baba twisted in agony, and he instantly gave up. Afterwards Baba told that Erich's Iron Claw was so hard that no one could escape from it. So that he surrendered at once, and he preserved his physical strength for the last round. That was a clever tactics.

Baba attacked Erich hard with kick and chop in the last round. Erich tried to use Iron Claw again, but Baba chopped Erich's forehead, and they fell from the ring. Baba struck his opponent on the hand with a chair. Erich got angry, and he took a chair, too. When Erich beat Baba harshly, the referee Shikina Oki declared Erich lost with a foul. Baba narrowly defended International Championship, but Erich was always superior in this match. I think Fritz Von Erich was one of the most terrible challenger for Baba.

CRUSHER ATTACKED BABA

Giant Baba vs. Crusher Risowski
JAPAN PRO, International Championship Match
Dec. 6 1967 Tokyo Taiikukan


They say this was one of the cruelest matches in the history of pro-wrestling of Japan. Rikidozan, the father of pro-wrestling in Japan suddenly died in 1963, and a new star Giant Baba became International Champion. Baba fought against many great wrestlers until he became independent in 1972, for example Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil, Gene Kiniski, Dick The Bruiser, etc. But in a sense Crusher was the most terrible challenger for Baba. Crusher did not have beautiful moves. He only kicked, and punched his opponent. Nevertheless he gave us very deep impression. I think Crusher was a great and strange wrestler.

At the first round, Crusher suddenly kicked Baba's vital spot, and he took a fall easily. In the intermission, Crusher kicked and kicked Baba violently. That was a shocking scene. But more shocking situation came true at the next round. Baba knocked the enemy's head against an iron post, and Crusher was bloodied harshly. The close-up of him was very cruel, and instantly many mothers in Japan turned off TV sets. Baba won the second round with a wonderful Drop Kick. And at the last round, they struggled bloodily, and they drew on a count-out.

This match is now regarded as a legend by wrestling fans in Japan. And in the next year, Jan. 3  1968, Baba fought against Crusher again. But in the same day, another legend was born in Tokyo. Kokusai Pro-Wrestling, a rival organization of Japan Pro, held a big event in Nichidai-Koudou (former sumo hall). Kokusai invited Lou Thesz, and they tried to make a young champion for themselves. But Lou Thez refused this selfish story. The expected young star, Great Kusatsu was fainted by Thesz with Back Drop at the first round. So that Kokusai failed to get a big chance, and Japan Pro won the business war.

THE STRONGEST TAG TEAM CAME TRUE

Antonio Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi vs. Lou Thesz, Karl Gotch
NEW JAPAN
Oct. 14 1973 Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)

Antonio Inoki established NEW JAPAN in 1971, but he could not invite famous American wrestlers. Inoki fought against his master Karl Gotch several times, and it was the only big card in the early days of NEW JAPAN. Though his company was facing financial difficulties, wrestling fans supported his hard fights. And Lou Thesz, who was a referee of the master and pupil's match, came back and formed the strongest tag team with Gotch. On one hand, a former judo champion Seiji Sakaguchi joined in Inoki's party. So that the marvelous tag match came true.

The team of 'The Ironman' Thesz and 'God' Gotch was a great wall for the young Japanese team. In the first round, Sakaguchi attacked Thesz with Bear Hag, but Thesz showed beautiful Back Drop and took a fall from Sakaguchi. Afterwards Thesz told that he had been injured on his shoulder and so that he could not use a perfect Back Drop. But I think that was very terrible move, and I can not believe he was 56 years old.

In the second round, Thesz attacked Inoki with Back Drop again. Inoki twisted his body, and Thesz was damaged his back of head. Sakaguchi used his special move Atomic Drop !! And the Japanese team took a fall conversely. May be Inoki wanted to fight against his master Gotch, and Gotch thought same thing. In the last round, they showed hard fight and many wonderful moves. They tried to take a back each other, and when Inoki avoided skillfully, Gotch fell from the ring. As Gotch returned on the mat, Inoki used Drop Kick. Gotch tried German Suplex, but Inoki took this chance, and he defeated his master with Japanese Leg Roll Clutch Hold !!

Now, wrestling fans in Japan regard this match as one episode of a myth. Probably it was the only match that The Ironman and God formed a tag team. I think they didn't like tag match comparatively.

ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER WON THE TROPHY AGAIN

Abdullah The Butcher vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
ALL JAPAN, Champion Carnival '79 Final
Apr. 6 1979 Akita-Ken Taiikukan (Akita)

Jumbo Tsuruta went on the ring, and he waited his enemy with a stern expression. And then Abdullah The Butcher appeared in the hall. Abdullah's attitude was very arrogant as if he was saying that Tsuruta was a mere green hand. The referee Joe Higuchi searched The Butcher for a weapon carefully. Tsuruta was driven by youthful ardor, and he tried to attack his opponent before the starting bell. I liked his recklessness like that.

The Champion Carnival was the biggest event in ALL JAPAN. That was the seventh series, and Giant Baba had won the championship five times. But in 1976, Abdullah defeated Baba and won the trophy. In that year Baba fell to qualify, and his pupil Tsuruta advanced to the final. Everyone was thinking that Jumbo Tsuruta was a successor of Baba. So that Jumbo had to defeat The Butcher, and he had to win the championship at any cost.

The starting bell rang. Tsuruta attacked Abdullah very speedily. He used Brain Buster, and The Butcher fell from the ring. Jumbo followed his enemy. He showed Pile Driver on the floor. Giant Baba (TV commentator) said The Butcher was not damaged. That was right, and Abdullah knocked Jumbo's head against a table. Both of them were bloodied severely, and Joe Higuchi declared a draw on a double count-out.

The final match ran into an extra-round. Jumbo kicked The Butcher's forehead, and he went up to the top of a corner post. He tried Elbow Drop as a finishing move, but that was abdullah's skillful trap. As the same time of Jumbo's jump, The Butcher gave his opponent a karate thrust. Tsuruta was knocked out, and The Butcher took a fall finely. Abdullah was the cruelest heel but very tough and strong. He won the trophy twice, and that was certainly an inspiring deed.

BRUISER BRODY vs. JUMBO TSURUTA

Bruiser Brody vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
ALL JAPAN, International Championship Match
Aug. 31 1983 Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)

International Championship is the heirloom of the wrestling world of Japan. Rikidozan, the father of wrestling in Japan wrested the belt from Lou Thesz, and since then it was the flagship title of JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING. Rikidozan suddenly died in 1963, and his pupil Giant Baba succeeded to the championship. Baba defeated many great wrestlers, Bruno Summartino, Gene Kiniski, Crusher Risowski, Bobo Brazil, etc. and defended the most important title, but in 1972, when Baba went away from JAPAN PRO, he relinquished the belt.

Baba established ALL JAPAN, and the bereaved family of Rikidozan sent back the belt to Baba. And then the championship tournament was held in 1981. Of course we thought that Baba would win the championship again, but surprisingly Baba lost to a young foreign wrestler, Bruiser Brody at the semi-final. And in the final match, Dory Funk Jr. defeated Brody, and Dory won the re-established International Championship.

After that Dory and Brody contended the title hard, probably because there was no Japanese strong wrestler. The big boss Giant Baba was already too old, and his successor Jumbo Tsuruta was too young to take the belt. As a result, Brody wrested the championship from Dory, and he defended the belt for two years. In fact, at that time Brody was the ace of ALL JAPAN, and he defeated Japanese challengers, Baba, Tsuruta, and Tenryu one after another.

Most of wrestling fans regarded that Brody was one of the strongest wrestlers in the history of wrestling in Japan. We thought nobody could defeat Brody and nobody could become new champion. Just then, Lou Thesz was invited by Baba as a referee of The World Tag League '82. Thesz admired Tsuruta's talent, and he taught his special move Back Drop to Tsuruta. To be continued.

(I'm sorry, now The Sumo Autumn Tournament is being held in Tokyo. Because I am crazy about Sumo, I can hardly watch wrestling videos !!)

ANTONIO INOKI vs. JOHNNY POWERS

Antonio Inoki vs. Johnny Powers
NEW JAPAN, NWF World Championship Match
Dec. 10 1973 Tokyo Taiikukan (Tokyo)

Antonio Inoki established NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING in 1971. But he could not join hands with NWA, so that he could not invite famous foreign wrestlers. In the early days of NEW JAPAN, the ace of foreign wrestlers was Killer Karl Krupp, and the shortage of talented person was a major concern. Inoki wanted good foreign wrestlers and a champion belt. And he aimed at NWF. I think this fact shows Inoki's genius as a story teller. Though NWF was a local organization, it was recognizing the 'world' champion. Inoki invited Johnny Powers, in short, he got a famous wrestler and the world title match at a time.

Johnny Powers was one of my favorite wrestlers, but he had a bad reputation. Because he was a friend of notorious Pedro Martinez, and he was a miser. At that time NWF was in financial difficulties, and they say Powers sold the champion belt to Inoki. I don't know the truth of the matter, but it was sure that Powers was a good rival of Inoki. Powers was a tall and handsome guy, and his cruel fight-style was very cool. Inoki fought Powers in 1966 for the first time, their friendship (?) began since then. Inoki rather may have hated Powers because Johnny always wished to become a hero.

At the first round, Inoki used Cobra Twist and Powers surrendered. Afterwards Inoki fought many rivals, for example Singh, Hansen, Hogan, Vader, but I think Powers was the best victim of Inoki's Cobra Twist. And in the second round, Powers attacked Inoki's leg persistently. That was his fight-style. Or he had nothing any more. (^^; When Inoki failed Knee Drop from the top of a corner post, Johnny used his special move Powers Lock !! Inoki could not but give up. Though the last round started, Inoki could not move, and Powers attacked Inoki's leg again and again. Inoki avoided it skillfully, and he caught Powers with Octopus Hold !! As a result, Inoki became the 'world' champion at a bound.

After all, Powers sold all titles of NWF to Inoki and NEW JAPAN. NWF World Championship (Inoki), North American Tag (Inoki and Sakaguchi), North American Single (Sakaguchi). Probably NWF nearly failed at that time, but these were very foolish acts. It was natural that Powers had a bad reputation. Johnny fought in Japan until 1980, and his fights in his last days were pitiful. However, at any rate, Powers was the first famous foreign wrestler of NEW JAPAN, and he showed a memorable good fight with Inoki. In this meaning we have to admire him forever.

BABA, TSURUTA vs. BOCKWINKLE, LANZA

Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Nick Bockwinkle, Black Jack Lanza
ALL JAPAN, The World Tag League '78
Dec 9 1978 Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)

This league series started in 1977 as The World Open Tag League, and The Funks won the championship of the first series. Baba and Tsuruta, the team of the master and the pupil, strongly wished to win the league in this year, but they drew with the cruelest team (The Butcher and The Sheik) on a count-out, so that it was very difficult for them to outstrip the Funk brothers. However, surprisingly The Funks lost to the cruelest team on a foul at the semi-final, and now conditions were favorable to Baba and Tsuruta.

Though the Funk brothers were fighting against the cruelest team bloodily as ever, the feature of this series was an appearance of Nick Bockwinkle, AWA world champion. Baba joined hands with NWA and AWA, and NEW JAPAN (Antonio Inoki) succeeded in cooperation with WWF. At that time pro-wrestling of Japan was running into the marvelous best days. Well, the hard fights between Jumbo and Nick began in this match. Tsuruta would wrest the AWA belt from Nick in 1984, but it may have been a Gagne's strategy to push into Japan.

In this match Lanza showed a good fight. He had a wonderful build which was a match for big wrestlers like Baba or Tsuruta, but he had few effective moves except for a good old Brain Claw. Lanza attacked Jumbo with it persistently, and when Tsuruta was outside of the ring, he caught Tsuruta's head and pulled him up to the apron. Or Jumbo may have gone up by himself. (^^; Just then Baba kicked Lanza, so that Lanza released his opponent, and Tsuruta used wonderful Rolling Clutch Hold over the rope !!

In those days I was thinking Tsuruta would become the NWA world champion before long. But if Tsuruta had done it, he couldn't have passed his master Baba. Tsuruta became the first AWA champion as a Japanese, in the same way Baba took the NWA belt for the first time as a Japanese. In this sense, probably Baba's tactics was right. In the early 80's, Baba mainly fought Race and Hansen, and Tsuruta contended for AWA belt with Nick. I think that was the best days of ALL JAPAN and we pro-wrestling boys.