Japan TV 12-25-87 Finals of the World 6-man title tourney!
Jan 2, 2022 22:12:15 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Jan 2, 2022 22:12:15 GMT
World Wrestling Kingdom; Lou Thesz, Chairman
Airs on Saturday, December 25, 1987 on:
Taped: December 23 at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announcers: Kenji Wakabayashi and Takashi Yamada; Wakabayashi also performs ring announcer duties
Referees: Tiger Hattori, Joe Higuchi, and Kyohei Wada
KENJI WAKABAYASHI and TAKASHI YAMADA open the show.
They welcome us to this special Christmas Day edition of World Wrestling Kingdom!
This week, there are three big matches on tap. Yoshiaki Yatsu will meet Ashura Hara of the Revolution Army!
Stan Hansen makes his first defence of the World Heavyweight title, against former NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr!
And, the finals of the World 6-man tag team tournament! The People’s Army, consisting of Tatsumi Fujinami, Tiger Mask II and Antonio Inoki, will face the Revolution Army trio of Genichiro Tenryu, Riki Choshu and Masa Saito!
YOSHIAKI YATSU beats ASHURA HARA. After a back and forth match, Yatsu locks on the Prison Lock for the submission.
An ad airs for the upcoming “New Year All Star Wars!” tour, that will begin on January 2 and run until January 28! The tour will feature youngster Shinya Hashimoto wrestling a 5-match series!
January 2, 1988 the tour kicks off with a TV taping at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall!
January 3, 1988 we’re back at Korakuen Hall for another TV taping!
January 5, 1988 in Matsuyama, Ehime at the Ehime Prefectural Museum!
January 6, 1988 in Oita at the Town Gymnasium!
January 7, 1988 in Ako, Hyogo at the Citizen Gymnasium!
January 8, 1988 in Osaka at the Prefectural Gymnasium!
January 9, 1988 in Minokamo, Gifu at the City Gymnasium!
January 11, 1988 in Toyohashi, Aichi at the City Gymnasium for a TV taping!
January 13, 1988 in Numazu, Shizuoka at the City Gymnasium!
January 14, 1988 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall for another TV taping!
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
STAN HANSEN (champion, 1st defence) beats DORY FUNK JR. Prior to the opening bell, WWK Chairman Lou Thesz introduces the two men, and holds the World title belt up over his head, signifying that the title is on the line for this match. Both men are then presented with flowers by a pair of beautiful women wearing flowing furisode robes.
The bell sounds, and the two men tear into each other! Hansen gains the advantage to start, as he powers Dory back into the corner, and brings some clubbing forearms down across the chest of the challenger. Dory slips out of the way, then shoves Hansen into the corner, and delivers some vicious knife-edged chops, leaving red welts on the champion’s chest!
The early going continues like this, with neither man really getting a clear advantage. Hansen relies on his brawling style, while Dory tries to keep it a wrestling match, taking Hansen to the mat and working a particular body part. Dory focuses his attention on Hansen’s Lariat arm, hoping to take some of the power out of Hansen’s most lethal weapon.
Hansen soon turns the tables, and connects with a big boot that sends Dory through the ropes and to the floor. Hansen follows him out, and after pummeling Dory on the floor, he drives Funk back-first into the ringpost. With Dory leaning against the post, Hansen charges at him with a Lariat . . . but Dory ducks out of the way and Hansen clotheslines the ringpost instead! Hansen is in tremendous pain, and Dory takes full advantage, rolling Hansen back into the ring and immediately going after the arm and shoulder of the champion!
The next several minutes see Dory working on the arm. Hansen tries to fight him off, but he’s down on the mat, and Dory is like a shark that smells blood.
Hansen eventually turns the tables, when Dory whips him into the corner, then charges at him. Hansen gets his boot up, catching Dory right on the chin. This gives Hansen a chance to go on the offensive. He pummels Dory, though we don’t see him using his right arm much. He uses mainly stomps and kneedrops to wear Funk down on the mat.
With Funk in a weakened state, Hansen connects with the Lariat, but he isn’t able to get the power behind it that he usually does. Hansen decides to deliver a jumping kneedrop as well, just for good measure, but Funk rolls out of the way, and Hansen hits only mat. Funk immediately slaps on the famous Funk Spinning Toehold, but before he can get it cinched in, Hansen kicks him off, sending Funk into the turnbuckle!
Dazed, Dory stumbles out of the corner, and Hansen meets him with a LARIATOOOOOOO!!!! He might not get as much power behind it as usual due to his injured arm, but it’s enough to put Dory down for the 1, 2, 3!
Stan Hansen’s first defence of the WWK World Heavyweight title is a successful one!
Wakabayashi and Yamada hype next week’s big New Years Day show, originating from Osaka-Jo Hall!
We’ll see Tiger Mask II get his shot at Genichiro Tenryu and the All Asia Heavyweight title!
Antonio Inoki, Yoshiaki Yatsu and Mighty Inoue will meet Riki Choshu, Masa Saito and Ashura Hara in what will no doubt be a wild 6-man tag team match!
And, a HUGE main event . . . Stan Hansen will defend his World Heavyweight title again, this time against International Heavyweight champion Tatsumi Fujinami . . . IN A TITLE VS TITLE MATCH!!!! That’s right, BOTH the World Title and International titles will be on the line!
WORLD 6-MAN TAG TEAM TITLE TOURNAMENT:
FINAL:
THE PEOPLE’S ARMY: TATSUMI FUJINAMI & ANTONIO INOKI & TIGER MASK II defeat THE REVOLUTION ARMY: GENICHIRO TENRYU & RIKI CHOSHU & MASA SAITO. Chairman Lou Thesz is back out, and he presents the World 6-man tag team championship belts. He shows them to both teams, before introducing the participants in the match. The same women as before once again present flowers to all six men.
This is the match that the 15,000+ packed into Budokan Hall came to see!
Back on the first WWK show, Tenryu showed a lot of arrogance in his interactions with Fujinami and Inoki, and then after the match, he turned on his partner, Inoki’s longtime friend and tag team partner, Giant Baba! Then a few weeks back, the entire Revolution Army laid out Tiger Mask II in the middle of the ring. Since then, TMII, Inoki and Fujinami have stated that they will defeat the Revolution Army.
There’s a lot of jawing back and forth between the two teams before the bell sounds.
With start things off with Inoki and Tenryu. Tenryu does a lot of stalling, every time Inoki tries to lock up with him, Tenryu starts to, but then backs off, and when Inoki threatens him, Tenryu sticks his head through the ropes, telling the referee to force Inoki back! This goes on for a few minutes, until Inoki has had enough and tears into Tenryu, slapping him repeatedly, then delivering an Enziguri that drops a stunned Tenryu to the mat!
Inoki goes for the cover, but Tenryu kicks out at 2. Inoki then tags in Tiger Mask II, to the delight of the fans in attendance, but Tenryu immediately rushes to his corner and tags in Saito! Saito and TM2 lock up, with Saito using his strength to back Tiger into the corner, and then delivers some brutal shots, before tossing TM2 to the mat. Saito then repeatedly kicks Tiger Mask in the head, before going to work on Tiger’s leg. Saito keeps the masked man on the mat, bending and twisting his leg in ways that the human leg wasn’t meant to bend or twist!
As we pass the 5-minute mark of the match, Tenryu now wants to get in there with Tiger Mask, as he knows the masked man is in a bad way. Saito tags Tenryu back in, and the All Asia champion goes to work on the man that will challenge him for that title on next week’s show. Tenryu applies a rear chinlock, driving his knee into Tiger Masks’s back, while pulling on his head. Tenryu then wraps his legs around TM’s head, applying a Figure-4 headlock. Tiger Mask is able to break free, and makes the tag to Tatsumi Fujinami!
The International champ enters the ring, and Tenryu immediately tags out to Riki Choshu! Fujinami calls for Tenryu to stay in and fight him, it seems everyone wants a piece of the arrogant All Asia champion! Tenryu just gives a dismissive wave of his hand, and climbs out of the ring, leaving Fujinami to wrestle Choshu.
There’s a lot of history between Fuji and Choshu, going back to 1982 when Choshu turned on Fujinami and Inoki during a 6-man tag team match. That led to some classics between the Dragon and Choshu. They charge at each other, locking up, collar and elbow, both men jockeying for position. Fujinami slips out of Choshu’s grasp, and applies a side headlock, then quickly takes Choshu over and down to the mat. Fujinami keeps the headlock applied, now with both men on the mat.
Choshu slips out of Fujinami’s grasp, and goes after his leg, before tagging Saito in. Saito continues to work on Tatsumi’s leg, repeatedly dropping elbows on his knee. Fujinami keeps looking for a way to turn the tables, and finds it when Saito sets him up for a Figure-4 Leglock. As Saito goes to apply the hold, Fuji sits up, grabs him by the head, and rolls Saito up in a small package for a VERY close nearfall!
Fujinami whips Saito into the ropes, and takes him back down to the mat with a drop toehold. Fujinami tags Antonio Inoki back in, and Inoki goes to work on the leg of Saito. The next few minutes see Inoki working on Saito’s leg on the mat, with Saito trying desperately to get free. Eventually, Saito is able to drag himself close enough that he can reach out and tag in Riki Choshu! Saito holds Inoki on the mat, as Choshu comes in and puts the boots to Inoki!
Inoki quickly rolls out to the ring apron, with the referee then forcing Choshu back while Inoki climbs back into the ring. Inoki then unleashes some vicious kicks to the legs of Choshu, before taking Riki down to the mat. Inoki then tags in Tiger Mask II. Tiger Mask goes to work on Choshu, taking him down to the mat, and going to work on Choshu’s arm. Choshu shows his strength, with Tiger Mask still holding onto his arm, Choshu stands up, hoists the masked man into the air, and delivers a suplex! As Tiger Mask slowly gets to his feet, Choshu nearly takes his head off with a vicious Lariat, but when he covers Tiger Mask II, the masked man is close enough to drape a leg over the bottom rope.
Choshu then tags Tenryu in, and the All Asia champion comes in, and puts the boots to TM2! Tiger gets a second wind though, and starts hitting Tenryu with chops, but Tenryu turns the tables, hitting some vicious chops of his own, then whipping the masked man into the corner, and charging in after him with a big clothesline! Tenryu then tags Saito in, and Saito continues where Tenryu left off, stomping away at TM2, then whipping him into the corner, and hitting a big clothesline of his own!
The next few minutes see Saito wear down Tiger Mask II on the mat, focusing on the leg of the masked man. One has to think that Genichiro Tenryu is loving this, watching the man that will challenge him next week, being methodically taken apart by Masa Saito!
As we near the 20-minute mark of the match, Tiger Mask is able to turn the tables, he fights his way back to his feet, and hits Saito with a standing dropkick, before tagging Fujinami in. Fujinami pummels Saito, but when he whips Saito into the ropes and goes for a drop toehold, Saito is able to stay upright, and delivers a vicious low blow to Fujinami that leaves the International champion rolling around on the mat in agony!
Saito tags Tenryu in, and Genichiro spends the next minute or two working over Tatsumi’s leg, before tagging in Choshu, who picks up where Tenryu left off. Choshu looks to soften Fujinami up, then applies the Scorpion lock! Fujnami is able to reach the ropes to force a break. Tenryu, Choshu and Saito then tag in and out, keeping Fujinami in their half of the ring, working him over.
Fujinami eventually fights back, hitting a Lariat of his own on Choshu, and making the tag to Tiger Mask II. The masked man goes to work on Choshu, but when he hits the Tiger Suplex, Tenryu comes in and puts the boots to him, breaking up the pin. Choshu and Fujinami double-team Tiger Mask until the referee is able to get Choshu out of the ring, leaving Tenryu with the man that will challenge him for the All Asia title next week.
Tenryu wears Tiger Mask down, but when he sets TM up for the Powerbomb, Tiger Mask reverses it into a Huracanrana! Tiger Mask then hooks both of Tenryu’s legs, and gets the 1, 2, 3!
Tiger Mask II has pinned Genichiro Tenryu! This not only gives TM, Inoki and Fujinami the World 6-man tag team titles, but it also gives Tiger Mask II the momentum going into his All Asia title match with Tenryu next week!
Wakabayashi and Yamada wrap things up, and hype next week’s show, where we’ll see Tiger Mask II challenge Genichiro Tenryu for the All Asia title, and International Heavyweight champion Tatsumi Fujinami will meet WWK World Heavyweight champion Stan Hansen in a title vs title match!
Credits Roll
© 1987, World Wrestling Kingdom
Working on it now.