Better start than their previous match as Choshu nailed Inoki with a lariat right away, followed with a running powerslam and went for the scorpion. Inoki sold the danger of the hold by fighting hard to escape. After the early blitz, he went to a defensive posture from his back, which was a cool thing he did in big matches. I don't know if it was a nod to the Ali match but I always like it when he does it. Inoki then rallied with a series of fierce punches and slaps. More matwork followed and though they didn't do as good a job of portraying struggle as Choshu and Fujinami, it was good enough. I also liked the finish. Choshu couldn't beat Inoki with the scorpion, so he tried for the countout with a lariat on the outside. Inoki got back to the apron, and Choshu tried to suplex him into the ring. But Inoki, realizing that he couldn't just overpower Choshu, countered into a backslide for the win. It was an effective match because it kept Inoki on top but showed Choshu gaining on him. Nomination.

Antonio Inoki vs. Riki Choshu (IWGP League '84) (5/18/84)

- I really love the way Choshu starts off with the lariat and powerslam in order to try and lock on the Sharpshooter. After Inoki prevents the Sharpshooter, Choshu drops down and applies the figure-4. Nice. Choshu’s non-stop attack was great and the spot to look for is when Inoki is trying to apply an armbar so Choshu deadlifts him and falls back. Awesome visual. After that, Choshu is finally able to apply the Sharpshooter. The ending was pretty great too. I had it pegged as a countout but Inoki gets the backslide pin which could only be called a fluke after getting his ass kicked the whole match. Nomination.

 

NJ Classics 166

Yeah this was really great, both guys are masters at the main event matches. Choshu comes right after Inoki and the intensity stays at 10 the whole match. Finish was pretty cool, as this wasn't Inoki shrugging off Choshu and beating him, it was Inoki pulling out a win at the last minutes.