Posted June 26, 200817 yr comment_5432463 New Japan Classics 157 Riki Choshu & Higo Hamaguchi vs. Abdullah the Butcher & Bad News Allen (1/6/84) - The match was ok until it spilled out of the ring and ended in a countout. After the match, Abdullah attacks Sakaguchi and Allen attacks Abby and they brawl. Dynamite Kid vs. Isamu Teranishi (WWF Junior Title League) (1/6/84) - This started off as a fairly uneventful Jr. match but it really picks up in the end. Late in the match, Teranishi takes control after a butterfly suplex so he starts to work the neck. DK regains control and attmepts the headbutt. It misses so Teranishi capitalizes and hits a sweet gutbuster followed by a backbreaker. DK looks to be out but Teranishi springs form the ropes only to be backdropped outside by DK in a pretty wild bump. DK brings him back in with a suplex and puts him out with a released back suplex. I have no problem nominating this thanks to the strong finish. The Cobra vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi (WWF Junior Title League) (1/6/84) - I love how these Cobra matches start off before the bell even sounds. Early on, it looks like they are not on the same page but once it goes back to the outside, the match takes off. Kobayashi gets posted and blood flows. Once he gains control with a Figure-4, Kobayashi brings the hate. He chokes Cobra on the ropes while Cobra tries in vain to kick him in the back to get him off. His bloody headbutts and a gut kick lead to Kobayashi tearing at Cobra's mask. They go back and forth and there are some really sweet looking spots such as Cobra's superkick and KObayashi's suicide dive where from the long camera angle, it looks like Kobayashi went splat on the rail but they sell it like he hit Cobra. There are a few awkward spots such as a possibly botched suplex to the inside and a dropkick that misses but Kobayashi sells anyway. Both men are counted out while outside on the apron. This is the tale of two matches. You have the hate-filled blood-filled, mask-tearing and crazy spots. Then you have the worst in Jr. style wrestling with overselling on no contact, botched spots and a lack of focus. I'll nominate it to see what you guys think. Antonio Inoki & Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Dusty Rhodes & Buddy Rose (1/6/84) - Buddy's at the top of his game here, bumping and stooging and playing up his cowardly persona. This felt like the first fall of a Portland match. I liked what they were building to but it ended abruptly after Inoki tossed Dusty out of the ring and hit the enziguiri on Buddy.
