DVD #1

 

1/1/82 Special - Last three matches also on Classics 116

 

Exhibition match: Karl Gotch vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara - It was kind of fun to watch Fujiwara trade holds with his mentor, but this wasn't much of an actual match. Gotch's German suplex still looked pretty decent.

 

Riki Choshu vs. Animal Hamaguchi - Solid match. They started out on the mat, where Hamaguchi had the advantage, but then Choshu introduced his higher impact stuff. It's weird to watch Choshu work as just another young native instead of as the badass revolutionary he'd become 10 months later. Nothing about the atmosphere or the work screamed nomination to me.

 

Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid - I'm sure some would argue that their entire series belongs on the set. But throw out the names and this was pretty ordinary. They both tried leg attacks, Dynamite with submissions and Tiger Mask with kicks. They could have built an interesting story out of that but didn't. Dynamite ultimately gained enough control to hit his piledriver, flying headbutt combo. But he missed a second butt and that gave Tiger Mask the opening he needed to win with a roll-up out of nowhere. Yes, they worked at a faster than normal pace for the era, but that doesn't absolve them of their inability to connect the segments of a match in any meaningful way. The whole thing went less than 10 minutes. I'm voting no as they still have three matches on the way in 1982, and we've already nominated two others from '81 and '83.

 

Bob Backlund vs. Tatsumi Fujinami - Fujinami actually controlled most of the way with armlocks. Bob hit a nice double underhook suplex. The ending came off weird. Fujinami's shoulders stayed down for three seconds, almost at random, as they rolled on the mat. Bob acted pissed at the victory and demanded a restart that never came. I could see these guys having an excellent match, but this wasn't it.

 

Antonio Inoki vs. Roland Bock - They fought in rounds as Inoki explored his fetish for what he thought MMA might look like. Let me say, if UFC fights unfolded like this, MMA would've died 10 years ago. Lots of stalking and feinting followed by weak-looking holds. The match continued onto the next episode. Inoki eventually chopped Bock down with leg kicks, hit the enzuigiri and won by countout as Bock tried to apply a sleeper from the apron. Bad match.

 

1/8/82

 

Rusher Kimura/Animal Hamaguchi vs. Kengo Kimura/Seiji Sakaguchi - JIP but not much of note anyway.

 

Tiger Toguchi vs. Wahoo McDaniel - It was entertaining to watch Wahoo batter Toguchi with probably the stiffest chops in the world at that time. Toguchi tried to go shot for shot but really didn't bring much to the table. I'd like to get a Wahoo match on the set, but this isn't worthy of a nomination.

 

Tiger Mask/Antonio Inoki/Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Baby Face/Dynamite Kid/Abdullah the Butcher - The Adbullah/Dynamite/Baby Face outfit had to be one of the weirdest trios teams ever assembled. Tiger Mask/Baby Face and Fujinami/Dynamite provided some fun exchanges early, but the match never built from there.

I think I liked the Abby six man and the Wahoo match more then Childs. Wahoo and Kim Duk both kill each other it really felt like Kim Duk had already ripped up the headdress, only borderline nom, so I am not going to the wall for it.

 

Tiger Mask/Antonio Inoki/Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Baby Face/Dynamite Kid/Abdullah the Butcher

 

I am nominating this, Childs you need to rewatch it. First fall had your traditional match ups with everyone looking good, Dynamite is fine as a guy in a trios stiffing someone, Babyface eats everything awesome, jumping into all of Tiger Masks spots. Abby was just a wrecking machine in this, I loved how the second fall mixed up the matchups and we got to see Fujinami work with Baby Face and Abby work with Tiger Mask. Finish was an awesome clusterfuck with S.D. Jones and Bad News jumping Inoki and Wahoo runs in to clean house. I thought this was a great match and kind of a slam dunk.