Posted December 8, 200816 yr comment_5436280 DVD #22 10/22/82 Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu - This carries historic weight as the first singles match in their long feud. It was also good, though on the low end of their series. They set the template for a lot of what they would do in the future. They started with a methodical, evenly contested mat section. Choshu upped the intensity by fighting out of a leglock with elbows to a bandaged cut on Fujinami's forehead. They got up and traded hard slaps mid ring. Fujinami gained a brief advantage, but Choshu countered with his back suplex-lariat combo. Choshu went up top and Fujinami regained the advantage by dropkicking him off. They spilled outside for the double countout and brawled for a long time after the bell. I'll nominate it but wouldn't have a problem with it dropping off and becoming an extra. Obviously, we'll have a ton of Choshu-Fujinami to choose from, and I'd take their match from two weeks later and at least three or four of their 1983 matches over this one. Tiger Mask vs. Les Thornton - Another match where Tiger Mask took a bunch of punishment, staged a sudden transition to offense and won after about three moves. At least Kobayashi jumped him before the bell, signaling the start of their excellent series. Inoki/Sakaguchi vs. Bad News Allen/Abby - Short and focused as much on extracurricular warring between Inoki and the Kimura faction as on the match itself. Inoki didn't do much of interest in 1982. 10/29/82 - Matches also appear on Classics 133 Tiger Mask vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi - Really good kickoff to their series. They did a nice job of establishing Kobayashi as a big threat to Sayama. First, he showed he could outwrestle him on the mat. Then, he showed he had counters for the high-flying stuff. And he did it all with an extra bit of violence, which caused Tiger Mask to throw stiffer shots in response. Good finish too. Sayama entered what would have been his finishing sequence against most guys, but Kobayashi knocked him off the top turnbuckle and hit him with a plancha. It ended in countout and they brawled post-bell with Kobayashi trying to rip the mask. Definite nomination, though the match from the following week was even better. Inoki/Fujinami vs. Rusher Kimura/Hamaguchi - Inoki and Fujinami dominated the action before it blew up into a chaotic brawl.
