Posted September 10, 200817 yr comment_5434485 January 1 1984: 1. The Cobra vs. Black Tiger - I like both these guys, but it felt like they tossed a bunch of moves in their wrestling I-Pod and hit randomize. 2. Kuniaki Kobayashi/Isamu Teranishi vs. British Bulldogs - Damn, Dynamite had roided up big time since his last NJ appearance eight months earlier. It really cut down the athleticism that distinguished him. He and Davey didn't look like much of a team at this point -- no fluidity, few double-team moves, just no sense of familiarity. I remember Bowdren writing that the Bulldogs were the best team in the history of wrestling as of 1984 but that just seems ludicrous, considering how badly Choshu and Yatsu outclass them on this same disc. Anyway, this match went on for awhile and featured lots of stiffness, but there was no build, no sense of how the teams were trying to attack one another. When Dynamite won with his flying headbutt, it felt like he decided arbitrarily that he was ready to take it home. Not good considering the talent involved. 3. Seiji Sakaguchi vs. Abdullah The Butcher - Good, short brawl. Abdullah started with his usual head butts and thumb shots to the eyes and throat. Sakaguchi really brought the violence in return, drilling him with forearms and trying to bust his ear open with about 20 straight chops. He was a good brawler. I wish they'd used him that way more often. This lacked that epic feel that would make it a nomination, but it was a hell of a lot better than the flashier stuff before it on this show. 4. Tatsumi Fujinami/Akira Maeda vs. Riki Choshu/Yoshiaki Yatsu - Another excellent match in the promotion's biggest feud. Choshu and Fujinami had a hot stretch early. Maeda got to look strong, taking the hot tag from Fujinami and beating the hell out of Yatsu. Of course, he ended up stuck in the Ishingun corner and boy did Choshu and Yatsu lay a whipping on him. Every blow seemed stiff as could be as Fujinami looked on helplessly. Eventually, he laid waste to Yatsu on the outside, but Choshu simultaneously nailed Maeda with a lariat to set up the countout. I wouldn't say it added anything new. It was just a really good tag match that got the crowd fired up. So, nomination. Great extra here as they showed footage from Hogan's wedding of all things. Inoki was in attendance, talking about "what a beautiful ceremony" it was. Then, you had a red-faced Linda shouting "Ichiban!" at the end. Given the recent divorce mess, this is fucking priceless. 5. Antonio Inoki vs. Dusty Rhodes - This never got out of second gear. They traded a lot of armholds and Dusty got in some elbows along with some stalling. Inoki hit the enziguiri but Dusty rolled outside right away. They went to a double countout. No surprise there.
