PAT O'CONNER vs. MIGHTY INOUE

Pat O'Conner vs. Mighty Inoue
ALL JAPAN, The World Open League
Dec. 13 1975 Fukui-shi Taiikukan (Fukui)

Because Giant Baba joined hands with NWA (afterwards with AWA, too), he invited many various foreign wrestlers. And we were very happy to see great wrestlers, but there was one problem, we could see only wrestlers who visited to Japan. In those days there was no internet, and we had little information of wrestling in USA. We often said "a mystery strong man" about an unknown wrestler. When we saw the real, we were often disappointed in him and said "It's a fake !!". Of course, that's also a pleasure of wrestling.

On the other hand, I was born too late. I couldn't see Lou Thesz and Gene Kiniski in their best days. They visited to Japan in the 70's, too, but they were already over 50 years old. And Pat O'Conner was also a wrestler of legend, a former world champion. Somehow Baba invited him several times, and I thought he was a very old man. May be Baba wished to show his technique to young wrestlers.

Inoue's Sunset Flip (Deadly Full Course) !!

The nickname of Pat O'Conner was the magician on the ring. And Mighty Inoue was also the Japanese magician. He belonged to KOKUSAI (International) PRO-WRESTLING. He showed good fights with Verne Gagne and Bill Robinson as one of the main wrestlers of the small party. Afterwards Inoue joined in ALL JAPAN, and he became International Jr. champion after Atsushi Ohnita went away. At that time Inoue was young yet, and this match was the fight between a young magician and a veteran.

O'Conner took Inoue's leg and his back like amateur wrestling, and young Inoue attacked by Flying Cross Chop and Sunset Flip. They used Side Suplex each other. When Inoue tried to use Double Arm Suplex, O'Conner fixed Inoue's arms, quickly turned to Reverse Fall !! Though Inoue fought good, O'Conner progressed the fight very skillfully. That was a quiet match, but it was a strangely impressive card in my childhood.