-From Tokyo
-Hosts are JR & Tony
-Eric Bischoff runs down the card.
-Match 1: Masashi Aoyagi, Akira, & Jushin Thunder Liger VS Hiro Saito, Tanaga, & Super Strong Machine
-Match breaks down right away. Heels work on Aoyagi to start. Akira gets in, and is immediately dumped on his head by Machine. Akira and Saito exchange eye-rakes, and Liger gets in with a double stomp off the top on Saito. Saito turns the tide, and Machine gorilla presses Liger into a gutbuster. Liger hits a rolling Liger kick and tags Aoyagi.
Heels completely dominate the match for a good while, before Liger gets back in and gets the advantage for his team. I'm not into puro at all, so this just seems like a bunch of moves loosely strung together to me. Machine & Tanaga hit a spike piledriver on Akira for two. Liger and Akira quickly return the favor. Machine misses a move off the top, and Liger hits him with a splash in return. Akira manages to survive an assisted powerbomb from Saito & Tanaga, and he pins Saito with a dragon suplex. Not my thing at all.
-Match 2: Larry Zbyszko & Arn Anderson VS Michioshi Ohara & Shiro Kashinaka
-Larry stalls to start, drawing boos. Japanese team control the first few minutes. Larry is VERY verbal, which is more noticeable because of the quiet crowd. Pretty basic work, but a brisk pace. AA hits Kashinaka with a Rude Awakening, and Larry follows up with a suplex for two. Dangerous Alliance turn the match into tag formula, cheating and drawing in Ohara to allow themselves the chance to double-team Kashinaka.
Ohara gets the hot tag, and a couple near-falls on AA. Ohara fires up, drawing cheers from the crowd. Ohara drops an elbow off the top for two. Kashinaka gets in, and hits butt bumps on both DA members, and covers AA for two. Larry catches Ohara with a cheap knee to the back, and AA finishes with a spinebuster. Match was decent. Got better when they worked the tag formula a bit.
-Match 3: Dusty & Dustin Rhodes VS Kim Dok & Masa Saito
-Dustin almost blows a leap frog right away. Dustin hits a flying headscissors, and JR & Tony talk about the difference between Japanese and Americans in their respect for authority, including pro wrestling referees. Dok works Dustin over, and Saito refuses to tag in, drawing laughs from the crowd. Dusty gets in (drawing a nice cheer), and throws Dok into his corner, DEMANDING that Saito tag in. Saito does so, and the crowd is pumped to see this showdown.
Dusty tosses Saito to the rampway. Dusty slams Saito on the ramp and drops an elbow. Saito offers a handshake and a bow, drawing Dusty into bowing before kicking him to take control. Crowd pops for that, and JR & Tony spin that as the crowd cheering for Dusty's attempt at a bow. Saito wants to tag, and Dok takes his turn to refuse. Cute spot as Dusty tries a couple headbuts, and responds to the wooziness they cause by getting a little funky before falling on his ass.
Dok gets in, and chops Dusty in the throat. Miscommunication allows Dusty to make the tag. Dustin hits Saito with a lariat for two. Dustin gets caught in the wrong corner. Saito pounds on him, then Saito/Dok hit a double suplex. The ref refuses to count the pin, so Dok hits Dustin with a piledriver for two. Dustin misses a bodypress and rolls onto the ramp. Dusty hovers over Dustin to protect him. Dok hits Dustin with a suplex for two.
Dustin catches Dok as Dok goes up top, and slams him down. Dustin drops a leg for two and tags are made on both sides. The Rhodes' try to work on Saito's arm, but Saito catches Dustin with a pair of Saito suplexes for a couple near-falls. Dok gets in, and Dustin catches him with a series of chops and a dropkick for two. Dustin finishes Dok with a bulldog as Dusty stops Saito from making the save. Best match so far, with more American flair than the first two.
-Match 4: El Gigante VS Big Van Vader
-No mask for Vader. Babyface reactions for both. Fonzie is the ref. Vader gets the crowd to chant his name. Gigante hits some shitty punches in the corner, and Vader responds by showing him how it's done. Vader hits an avalanche, drawing a big reaction. Vader hits a big splash for two. JR & Tony put Vader over as a world title contender whenever he decides to go for it. Vader charges into a big boot. Gigante locks in the claw. Crowd chants for Vader to escape, and Vader makes it to the ropes.
Shoulderblock sends Vader over the top to the ramp. They fight on the outside. Vader works Gigante over, and both are counted out. Crowd really doesn't like that decision. Vader uses his entrance helmet to blast steam into Gigante's eyes. Match was pretty good before the crap finish.
-Eric Bischoff cuts in to pimp Wrestle War '92 and announce that Vader's attack caused a huge international stir.
-Match 5 for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Lex Luger [c] VS Masahiro Chono
-Streamers for Chono, boos for Luger. Luger hits a massive gorilla press and flexes. Chono almost gets Luger into the STF, but Luger makes it to the ropes. Luger controls a test of strength, but Chono turns it into a suplex. They exchange holds and counters while JR wonder what Luger did to get kicked out of Miami University. Liger cheap shots during a break, but Chono regains control with an armbar.
Luger catches Chono with a big clothesline to take control. Luger works Chono over with basic offense, with Chono only hitting a Saito suplex in the interim. Chono slides out of a torture rack, and gets a backslide for two. Chono locks in the STF, but Luger makes it to the ropes. Luger low-bridges Chono to send him flying outside, but Chono gets right back in, and gets a school boy for two. Luger gets his own for two, Chono comes back with a small package for two, and the crowd is really starting to react to this.
Chono misses a move off the top. Luger gets Chono in the torture rack, but they spill outside. Luger sends Chono into the guardrail and puts him in the rack. Chono gets in at 18, and the crowd erupts. Luger catches Chono with a low blow, and finishes with an axe handle off the top. Match started out pretty slow, but really picked up at the end.
-Match 6: Greatest 18 Club Champion Riki Choshu VS IWGP Champion Tatsumi Fujinami [Title VS Title]
-JR & Tony explain that the "Greatest 18 Club" is essentially what a WWE Legends title would be (not in those words, obviously). Slow start. They exchange holds for about ten minutes. Choshu locks in the scorpion deathlock, but he ends up simply letting go of the hold when Fujinami doesn't submit. Fujinami locks in his own scorpion deathlock, but Choshu makes it to the ropes. Fujinami starts working on Choshu's leg, and drops a knee to the back of Choshu's head off the top.
Fujinami switches it up, hitting a piledriver and locking in a dragon sleeper, but Choshu makes it to the ropes. Fujinami locks the hold on again, but opts to let go when he can't get the submission. JR & Tony put Wally Yamaguchi over as someone they couldn't survive in Japan without. About 6 1/2 years later, he'd become known for trying to cut Val Venis' dick off. They keep a pretty good pace and the match on the mat. Choshu counters a headlock with a Saito suplex, then adds a second one.
Choshu hits a lariat from the front, then from behind, then again from the front for the pin. Really good match. Worth checking out if you're not well-versed in Puro like me.
-Match 7: Steiner Brothers VS Sting & The Great Muta
-Fonzie is once again your referee (daddy!). Crowd loves them some Sting. Rick hits Sting with a bulldog right off the bat for two, but then Sting hits Rick with a clothesline, which knocks Rick for a loop. Rick avoids a Stinger splash, and tags Scott. Scott hits a Pearl River Plunge, but doesn't go for the cover. Scott does hit Sting with a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Sting comes back with a tombstone, and drops a leg for two.
Muta gets in, and hits a powerdrive elbow on Scott. Steiners turn the tide, and Rick hits Muta with an overhead throw off the second rope. Rick folds Muta up with a release German for two. Scott gets in, and throws Muta with a pump handle slam. Scott hits a Samoan drop off the top. Scott locks Muta in a dragon sleeper. Rick gets in, and hits an elbow drop off the top for two.
Rick drives Muta upside down in a neutral corner. Steiners throw Muta outside, and Rick hits him with a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. Muta hits Scott with a Saito suplex, and tags are made on both sides. Sting hits Rick with a Stinger splash, and tags Muta. Muta goes for the handspring elbow, but Rick catches him in mid-air and dumps him. Match breaks down, and Sting & Muta hit a double-team bulldog, which draws a big pop. Sting & Muta hit dives onto the floor. Sting and Muta stop to celebrate a little, and the Steiners hit simultaneous bulldogs from the top. Sting rolls up Rick while Scott rolls up Muta, and they both get pins. Fonzie declares Sting & Muta the winners. The two teams shake hands after the bell. Good main event that was pretty much all action bell-to-bell.
-Video package shows highlights from some of the matches. Eric closes the show by pimping Wrestle War '92, which will include a War Games match.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Show was pretty good. Didn't care much for the opener, but even that wasn't bad by any stretch.
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