-3/21/91 (Aired live in Japan and on tape in U.S. on 4/7/91)
-From Tokyo, Japan
-Hosts are JR & Tony Schiavone
-Damn, the Tokyo Dome looks HUGE.
-SUPER EXCITING video package show wrestlers signing contracts, eating at a buffet, and shopping with Flair & Arn Anderson.
-Match 1: Brian Pillman, The Z Man, & Tim Horner VS Takayuki Lizuka, Kuniaki Kobayashi, & Shiro Koshinaka
-Kobiyashi throws Zenk around, and locks in an abdominal stretch. Pillman gets in, and hits a flying clothesline for a one count. Horner drops Koshinaka on the back of his head with a side slam, and that gets two, plus a crowd reaction. Zenk holds Lizuka for a Pillman dropkick, then Pillman slingshots Zenk onto Lizuka, which the crowd appreciates. Pillman hits a dive to the outside on Lizuka. Horner hits Lizuka with a snap suplex for two. Horner & Pillman hits a Demolition Decapitation on Lizuka for two. Zenk hits Lizuka with a missile dropkick for two. Horner hits an awkward splash off the top, and it seems like the crowd is laughing at him.
Zenk hits Lizuka with a jumping piledriver for two. Pillman and Lizuka trade some NASTY chops before Lizuka takes control with a couple nice dropkicks. Pillman resonds with a spinwheel kick. Koshinika hits Zenk with a butt bump, and Kobayashi follows up with a fisherman's suplex for two. Lizuka finishes Horner with a full nelson suplex for the pin. Fun, fast-paced opener.
-JR & Tony preview the next match. Tony has no idea how to say "Jushin Thunder Liger", pronouncing Jushin almost like would say Justin, and Liger almost like one would say "licker".
-Match 2 for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Thunder Liger [c] VS Akira Nogami
-JR notes that this is Nogami's first match in Japan since losing the title to Liger a year prior. Someone must have clued Tony in, as he pronounces Liger's name properly now. Nogami shoots webs from his hands during the ring introductions.
Liger immediately kicks Nogami outside, and follows up with a somersault dive off the top. Liger tries another dive, but takes a kick in the process. Nogami goes for a victory roll, which Liger counters for two. Liger goes for a tombstone, but his ankle is messed up, so it doesn't work. Nogami goes right to work. Liger gets a small package out of nowhere for two. Liger avoids a cross body off the top, and almost drops Nogami right on his head with a powerbomb. Liger hits a sit-out powerbomb for two. Nogami fights off a piledriver, but Liger hits a big clothesline. Liger finishes with a DDT off the turnbuckles. I was expecting a lot more with the storyline of Nogami leaving Japan for a year after losing his last match against Liger, and Liger was never in any jeopardy whatsoever.
-Match 3: WCW Television Champion Arn Anderson & Barry Windham VS Masa Chono & Mr. Saito
-I remember really liking Chono during his tenure in nWo Japan. Neither team gains a distinct advantage for the first few minutes. Windham hits Chono with a belly-to-back suplex for two. Windham hits Chono with an awkward DDT. AA gets in, and Chono hits a flying shoulder block. Chono goes to lock in the STF on Arn, but Windham breaks it up, and the crowd is pissed. Chono hits a dive to the outside on Windham. Windham breaks up an abdominal stretch on AA, and the crowd lets him have it.
Saito gets in, and is immediately shut down by Arn. Saito hulks up and hits Saito (high angle) suplexes on both Horsemen, but Windham manages to catch Saito with a lariat, and AA gets the pin. Match was pretty crisp for the most part, and looked to be building to something before the sudden finish.
-Match 4: Big Cat VS El Gigante
-Crowd loves them some Gigante. BILL ALFONSO IS YOUR REFEREE DADDY! Gigante...shows charisma?! Crowd loves everything he does, laughing their asses off when he no-sells some Big Cat punches to the midsection. Crowd goes nuts when Gigante sets up a vertical suplex. Gigante finishes the squash with a claw to the head for the pin.
-Match 5 for the WCW World & IWGP International Tag Team Championships: The Steiner Brothers [WCW] VS Hiroshia Hase & Kensuke Sasaki [IWGP]
-Scott ties Hase's legs up right off the bat. Scott dumps Hase on his head. Hase ducks a Scott clothesline and hits a kick to the head in one motion. Sasake catches Rick in mid-leapfrog, and powerslams him. Sasake demolishes Rick with a huge clothesline before tagging Hase back in. Scott gets in, and hits a pump handle driver on Hase. Scott sets Hase on the top rope, and hits a Samoan Drop from that position. Rick gets in, and drives Hase upside down into the turnbuckles.
Scott casually tosses Hase with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Scott spikes Hase with a DDT, and tags Rick. Rick sets Hase on the second rope, and hits an overhead throw, forcing Sasaki to make a save. Scott dumps Hase with a Tiger Driver for two, and Sasaki makes another save. Hase hits urinages on both Steiners, and tags in Sasaki. Sasaki hits a big powerslam on Rick. Scott makes the save, which the crowd doesn't like. Sasaki superplexes Hase on top of Rick. Hase hits Rick with a Northern Lights suplex for two.
Scott tosses Hase with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Sasaki hits a sloppy DDT/swining neckbreaker. Hase/Sasaki set up a Steiner bulldog, but the Steiners break it up, and hit one of their own. Scott hits Sasaki with the Frankensteiner for the win and the IWGP belts. Really good match despite some sloppiness. Surprised there was a definitive finish.
-Steiners get two big and two little trophies. Handshakes make the crowd happy.
-Match 6: The Great Muta VS Sting
-Muta starts fast, hitting a hand spring elbow. Sting avoids a moonsault, but gets kicked outside. Muta hits a dive, and spews red mist. Sting catches Muta with a kick during a dive, and tosses Muta over the top. Sting hits a moneky flip, which Muta can't rotate all the way over on, and ends up landing right on his face. Muta goes to the eyes to turn the tide, which the crowd doesn't appreciate.
Sting fights back, and hits a bulldog. Sting drops Muta onto the guardrail. Muta gets back in, and has to fight off a Scorpion Death lock attempt. Muta drops an elbow on Sting's nose, and gives the crowd the "up yours" gesture. Sting misses a Stinger Splash. Muta hits a back breaker, but moonsault hits Sting's knees. Sting kicks Muta in the ass as Muta tries to springboard to the top, but Sting then misses an elbow drop from the top.
Stings locks in the Scorpion Death lock, but Muta makes it to the ropes. Muta suddenly sprays green mist in Sting's eyes, then hits a cross body off the second rope for the pin. Sting immediately gains some retribution with a Stinger splash and the Scorpion Death lock. Sting has to be pulled off Muta. Another really good match. I was wondering how it would end, as I didn't think WCW would want to job Sting, and I didn't think Muta would want to job here.
-Match 7 for the WCW & IWGP World Championships: Ric Flair [WCW] VS Tatsumi Fujinami
-Rules are a mix of WCW and IWGP. There is a 20 count on the floor, a title can only change hands on a pin or submission, and a throw over the top is an automatic DQ. Fonzie is the ref here, and a close up shows he still has all of his teeth (or some decent false ones) at this point.
Fujinami gets the Dragon sleeper on almost right away, but Flair makes it to the ropes. Fujinami hits some chops and a dropkick sends Flair outside. Fujinami maintains control of the match until Flair counters a side headlock with a belly-to-back suplex. Flair finally goes to work on Fujinami's leg. Fujinami gets a drop toe hold and a Scorpion Death lock. Fujinami transitions that into a rear chin lock. Flair gets out of that, and stomps the shit out of Fujinami, drawing boos.
Fujinami wins a chop exchange. Flair hits a swinging neck breaker for two. Flair hits a butterfly suplex for two. Flair hits a delayed vertical suplex for two. Flair drops an elbow for two. Flair drops a knee for two. Match has really slowed down quite a bit during this section of Flair near-falls. Flair goes up and, of course, gets tossed. Fujinami sends Flair outside, and rams his head into the guardrail, busting Flair open. Fujinami pounds on the open wound.
Flair blocks a kick and "woo" 's, allowing Fujinami to hit an enziguiri for two. Fujinami hits a clothesline for two. Flair gets caught in the Tree of Woe, and Fujinami lands a couple stomps before Alfonso gets Flair down. Fujinami gets a roll up for two. Fujinami hits a belly-to-back suplex for two. Flair rolls outside. The two exchange strikes. Back in, Flair accidentally KO's Alfonso, who takes a beautiful bump.
Fujinami gets a couple visual falls. Fujinami throws Flair over the top, which would be a DQ if Alfonso saw it. Fujinami gets an abdominal stretch into a pin, and Tiger Hatori counts the pin. Really good main event. I was waiting for Alfonso to call for the DQ. I didn't think Flair would win the IWGP title, especially with the Steiners just winning the tag titles, but I wasn't sure if Fujinami won the WCW title.
-JR goes backstage in the press conference area.
-Video of Sting demanding a rematch with Muta airs.
-Press conference starts. JR talks about Fujinami throwing Flair over the top rope and Alfonso being the referee of record. Flair walks in and takes the WCW belt and leaves with it. JR gets a couple English comments from Fujinami, who reiterates that he pinned Flair.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Pretty interesting show. Nothing particularly special until the final three matches, which were all pretty good. I am assuming Sting & Flair get wins in return at SuperBrawl.
No comments:
Post a Comment