Posted July 13, 200916 yr comment_5441921 #143 June 2, 1983, Tokyo - Sumo Hall Tiger Mask vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi (NWA Junior Title Decision) - Started off really hot but slowed down in the middle. This kind of meandered for awhile with Kobayashi in control. It picked up towards the end as junior matches tend to do but I did not enjoy this nearly as much as the mask ripping matches. No vote. I would rather see 12 minutes of Yamada-Hase than 20 of this. Probabaly the weakest of the matches between the two I have seen. No vote. Hulk Hogan vs. Antonio Inoki (IWGP League '83 - Final) - This is about as big a main event feel as I have ever seen in New Japan. They both work the mat and while I don’t know if I would call it good matwork, it was always moving. I almost give Hogan bonus points for the amount of effort he put into the match. Neither guy really controlled the first ten minutes except for the half enziguiri that forced Hogan to go outside for a breather. Shit, this crowd is jacked. Inoki transitions a Hogan headlock into an ab stretch and the huge Ooooohhhhhhhh comes out. Oh man, I was feeling the good vibes until the phantom leap outside off the missed dropkick. However, the Inoki fall over the top with hOgan on his shoulders made up for it. The famous ending with Inoki getting knocked out was appropriate and I want to see this move forward. Then again, it is such a famous match, it may have to go on for that reason alone.
