Posted October 4, 200817 yr comment_5435005 Disc 26 November 23rd & 30th 1984:Last three matches also on Classics 177 We learned at the beginning that Inoki had busted Hogan open pretty badly with an enziguiri at the end of the previous episode's match. Could be an extra in an Inoki-Hogan package, I suppose. 1. Hiro Saito/Strong Machines vs. Jerry Morrow/Kerry Brown/Andre the Giant - This was mostly about the Machines trying to swarm Andre. Kind of a clusterfuck. 2. Tatsumi Fujinami/Antonio Inoki vs. Adrian Adonis/Dick Murdoch - Thirty-minute draw that I gather was the league match before the league final between these teams, which appears on the next disc. They wrestled that match and this one very simialrly, so they don't both need to be on the set. I'll opt for the final, because it was more epic and because the end of this one was chopped up by the TV credits. 3. Kerry Brown/Andre the Giant vs. Ano Atisonae/Wild Samoan - The Samoans mauled Brown. Andre mauled the Samoans. 4. Kengo Kimura vs. Adrian Adonis - Simple but effective match. Adonis controlled most of it with his usual offense, but Kimura showed real fire in rallying with his leg lariat and a knee from the top. Adonis caught him before he could land another move from the top. But then Kimura caught Adonis as he went up for his flying elbow. At that point, Adrian did the heelish thing and took Kimura outside, where he slammed him and held on for the countout. I thought the match gave Kimura a nice boost, as the ferocity of his comeback forced Adonis to take the cheap way out instead of just pummeling a lower-ranked opponent. On the other hand, the match didn't have quite enough going for it to pull a nomination. 5. Tatsumi Fujinami/Antonio Inoki vs. Strong Machines - Well, at least this chapter in the crappy rivalry had a clean finish. The Machines couldn't get themselves over as real threats to Inoki and that robbed these matches of any dramatic tension.
