ANTONIO INOKI vs. TIGER TOGUCHI

Antonio Inoki vs. Tiger Toguchi

IWGP preliminary match
Sept 23, 1981 Denen Colosseum (Tokyo)


The theme music of Inoki (The Fighter of Fire) sounded in the stadium, Antonio Inoki appeared.
In fact, this music was Ali's theme, and Inoki used it as his own theme in memory of the fight with Ali.

It was an official match of IWGP.
IWGP was proposed by Inoki. It was a big tournament which decide the real world champion. Probably that was a fantasy, but in those days, many good wrestlers joined NEW JAPAN, such as Bob Backlund, Andore The Giant, Stan Hansen, Hulk Hogan, that was an interesting plan.

Tiger Toguchi had fought with BABA. His former name was Kim Duk.
His height was 193cm, He was taller than Inoki.
Toguchi attacked Inoki hard. His Pile Driver, Brain Buster, and Side Suplex beat Inoki.

However, these were Inoki's favorite tactics.
When the attacks of Toguchi ended, Inoki made a counterattack harshly.
Inoki's Enzui Giri (high angle kick for the back of the head) hit Toguchi. The finishing hold was Manji Gatame (Octopus Hold).

Though Toguchi was a strong wrestler, he was not active in NEW JAPAN. I think this was the only good match for him.
May be Inoki didn't like a conservative wrestler.

A HAPPENING OF THE INTERMISSION

NEW JAPAN
Sept 23, 1981 Denen Colosseum (Tokyo)


Before the main event, a little affair happened. That was a very little, but an unforgettable thing for us.

Rusher Kimura and Animal Hamaguchi who belonged to KOKUSAI PRO-WRESTLING stood on the ring.

KOKUSAI had been a rival party of NEW JAPAN. But it had failed a month before, and the wrestlers were looking for their place of fight.

When they appeared, the fans of NEW JAPAN burst out laughing, because KOKUSAI was made a fool of. To tell the truth, NEW JAPAN and ALL JAPAN were first-class parties, but KOKUSAI was unpopular and uncouth.

However, KOKUSAI was a unique party. It had joined hands with AWA, and invited good wrestlers of Europe, such as Bill Robinson, Andore The Giant.

Well, Rusher Kimura took a mike. I thought he would say "Hey, Inoki, I'll kill you !"
But he said softly "Good evening, everyone."
My strength was gone. This was famous 'good evening affair'. (Nonsense !)

Now, Animal Hamaguchi is managing a wrestling school, and his daughter Kyoko is a famous amateur wrestler.

Kimura fought with Inoki as a heel, and joined ALL JAPAN afterwards. Surprisingly, he won popularity on account of his performance with a mike !!

STAN HANSEN VS. ANDRE THE GIANT

Stan Hansen vs. Andre The Giant

NEW JAPAN
Sept 23, 1981 Denen Colosseum (Tokyo)


Probably it was Inoki's idea that Andre should fight a single match with a star wrestler.
In fact, Inoki put the idea into practice, and in USA, Hulk Hogan did it, too.

And that night, an amazing match came true.
It was very impressive fight for us, what is called 'PURORESU' boys.

Hansen became the fifth man who threw Andre with Body Slam.
Incidentally, the four men were Harley Race, Roland Bock, Hulk Hogan, and Antonio Inoki.
Karl Gotch had thrown Andre with German Suplex, but at that time Andre had been comparatively thin. (may be)

The result of this match,
Both of them were out of the ring, and the referee (Mr. Takahashi) declared a draw on count-out.
(I don't know a wrestling term which express this situation, but in Japan, we call it simply 'double ring-out'.)

Hansen and Andre didn't consent this decision, and the match went into extra round.
After that, the highlight was a fighting spirit of Hansen.
Hansen's Western Lariat struck Andre harshly. Andre became frenzied, and attacked Mr.Takahashi.  (It was Takahashi's misfortune.)

Of course, Andre lost on a foul, he saved his honer narrowly, but we were deeply impressed by Hansen's power.

FUJINAMI VS. EL SOLITARIO

Tatsumi Fujinami (champion) vs. El Solitario (challenger)

NEW JAPAN
Sept 23, 1981 Denen Colosseum (Tokyo)

WWF Jr. heavy weight title match


Today I enjoyed this video after a long time, and I was surprised at Fujinami's youthfulness.
When Inoki founded NEW JAPAN, Fujinami was a thin young boy.
He was trained hard in Mexico. A series of fights with Canek made him famous.
He won WWWF Jr. heavy weight championship in MSG.

Fujinami opened up a new field, Jr. heavy weight in Japan. He was a pioneer of the Tiger Mask boom.

In this match, Fujinami showed amazing jumps and kicks. I am glad to watch his special trick 'Dragon Rocket'.
After this match, Fujinami turned to a heavy weight wrestler, and he rarely used these acrobatic tricks.

Well, as the result of this title match, Fujinami won a signal victory with Dragon Rocket and Brain Buster.
El Solitario may have saved Fujinami's face.

Solitario was a strong rival of Fujinami with Chavo Guerrero, Dynamite Kid.
They say he died from malpractice several years after.

TIGER MASK vs. SOLAR

Tiger Mask vs. Solar

NEW JAPAN
Sept. 23 1981, Denen Colosseum (Tokyo)


The first match was very noteworthy fight of Jr. heavy weight.
To be exact, it was not the first match, but the first program on the TV show 'World Pro-wrestling'.
On every Friday, Tiger Mask used to appear first of all.

Tiger Mask had been a famous MANGA (and ANIME) character in the 60's.
In 1981, when this ANIME was remade, Satoru Sayama wore a mask and became the hero.
His fight-style and action were wonderful, and he instantly created a wrestling boom in Japan.

Solar was an able Mexican, and won a lot of titles afterwards.

Of course, we looked for an excellent match.

however !!
A few minutes after the starting bell, Solar dislocated his left arm, and lost his fighting spirit.
It is said that this was the most disappointing match in the history of Japanese wrestling.

In a MANGA 'The Biographies of Pro-wrestling Super Stars', this scene was expressed funnily.
They say that for Solar was telling Tiger Mask's real character, Tiger punished him and broke his arm !! Ha-ha.

THE PERFORMANCE IN DENEN COLOSSEUM

Denen Colosseum was an open air stadium, and it was in Denen-Choufu, Tokyo.

When I was a university student, I used to see the wall of the structure from a train.
In those days, Denen Colosseum was decrepit, any event was not opened, and it was only used by a tennis school.

In former days, various wrestling events had been held in that place.
If you are a fun of ALL JAPAN, you should remember the UN title match which was contested by Jumbo Tsuruta and Mil Mascaras in 1977.
And it was the memorial place where Tiger Mask 2 (Mitsuharu Misawa) made his debut.

Now, this is a topic of NEW JAPAN.
I am rather a fan of ALL JAPAN. (^_^;
In 1981, the performance of wrestling in Denen Colosseum was opened.
Many odd affairs happened there, and I can not forget that night yet.

To be continued.

THE FUNKS vs. THE BUTCHER, THE SHEIK

The Funks vs. Abdullah The Butcher, The Sheik

ALL JAPAN, The World Open Tag Tournament
1977, Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)


This was the final match, and the spectators were exciting very much.
As soon as the Funks entered, they attacked the heel team.
The Butcher and The Sheik bled before the starting bell.

The team of heels stabbed Terry's arm with a fork cruelly.
Terry was bloodied, and Dory had to fight alone.

After a while, Terry returned and punched his enemies recklessly.
Finally, the heel team assaulted the referee (Joe Higuchi), and lost on a foul.
The spectators were glad to hear the decision.
But if it had been in several years after, they might have started a riot.

At any rate, the Funk brothers won the championship !!

It is said that this match was the cruelest in the history of Japanese wrestling.
That was a lofty fight of good and evil.
I think this match was the last brilliance of the happy days.

BABA, TSURUTA vs. OOKI, KIM

Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kintaro Ooki, Kim Duk

ALL JAPAN, The World Open Tag Tournament
1977, Kuramae Kokugikan (Tokyo)


It was the last day of this big event. Kokugikan is the sacred place of SUMO. Kuramae Kokugikan was broken up in 1984. (Now it is in Ryogoku.) I went to Kuramae in 1985, of course, there was nothing at all.

Ooki and Kim were Korean. Ooki was a pupil of Rikidozan. His butt of head was very strong, and it was said that Baba let his hair grow long to ease its hurt.

Baba and Tsuruta had been wrested International Tag title by the Korean team.

The Korean team's relay play was very good.
Because of Ooki's butt of head, the Japanese team fought against heavy odds.
At last, Baba took a fall from Kim with the running neckbreaker's drop !!

As a result, three teams had a possibility of winning the championship, the Japanese team, the Funk brothers, and the team of heels.

MY VIDEO COLLECTION

The material for this site is my video collection.
I recorded these videos by SONY's betamax recorder.

You know, SONY stopped manufacturing betamax in 2002.
In short, it will be impossible for me to enjoy my videos !!

Therefore, I intent on encoding my collection into digital movies.
I am so busy with it, that I cannot do my principal work. orz

Well, in this site, I write wrestling terms and names of tricks in Japanese-style. Because of it, probably it is difficult for you to understand, but be lenient please.

And then, I write English with slapdash syntax, for I have learned it only in a high school !!
I want you to do your best and to decipher it !!