THE EARLY DAYS OF NEW JAPAN

Sakaguchi and Inoki, The Golden Tag Team

Because I am a believer of ALL JAPAN, I don't know so much about NEW JAPAN. I was only watching the TV program of NEW JAPAN, 'World Pro-Wrestling' on every Friday in my childhood. In a word, NEW JAPAN was short of wrestlers. The ace and the president of the organization was a star wrestler Antonio Inoki, and Seiji Sakaguchi, a former Judo champion joined in. They formed 'the golden tag team', but there were few foreign wrestlers, because Inoki could not joined hands with NWA.

The biggest match in the early days of NEW JAPAN was the fight between Inoki and Strong Kobayashi who had belonged to KOKUSAI (International) PRO-WRESTLING. Because a serious fight among Japanese had not been done for a long time, spectators got excited very much. In this match Inoki defeated Kobayashi with wonderful German Suplex Hold.

Inoki's German Suplex Hold !!

Except Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch, the special guests, the only famous wrestler was Johnny Powers. And talking about other wrestlers, Tiger Jeet Singh, Inoki's new rival was unknown in USA, and the ace of foreigner may have been Killer Karl Krupp. The McGuire brothers, the team of very fat men also appeared, and they offered us funny topics. In 1975, Brute Bernard and Hans Schmidt, old veterans took part in NEW JAPAN, and then famous wrestlers started to join in. Johnny Valentine, Andre The Giant went up to the ring, too. The end of that year Inoki fought with Bill Robinson. At that time, Inoki's party seemed to appear a clear form.

And then Inoki fought against Willem Ruska, a former Judo champion of Olympic games. Inoki began 'the fights with followers of another schools', and the biggest opponent of that was Muhammad Ali.