Japan TV 2-19-88 Fujinami/Misawa vs Allen/Neidhart!
Feb 18, 2022 18:02:16 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Feb 18, 2022 18:02:16 GMT
World Wrestling Kingdom; Lou Thesz, Chairman
Airs on Saturday, February 19, 1988 on:
Taped: January 29 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announcers: Kenji Wakabayashi and Kotetsu Yamamoto
Ring Announcer: Takashi Yamada
Referees: Tiger Hattori, Joe Higuchi, and Kyohei Wada
KENJI WAKABAYASHI and KOTETSU YAMAMOTO open the show.
They welcome us to this week’s edition of World Wrestling Kingdom!
This week, we’ll see a big junior heavyweight showdown, as Super Tiger has gone back to his original Tiger Mask persona, and he’ll face his long-time rival Dynamite Kid! They’ve met several times in tag team matches over the past several weeks, but today, they’ll go one on one!
Antonio Inoki and Dory Funk Jr face Brad Armstrong and Bob Orton Jr!
The Revolution Army team of Genichiro Tenryu and Riki Choshu face young lions Shinya Hashimoto and Keiji Mutoh!
And, the feature bout will see Tatsumi Fujinami and Mitsuharu Misawa square off with the rugged gaijin duo of Bad News Allen and Jim Neidhart!
ORIGINAL TIGER MASK (Sayama) defeats DYNAMITE KID. Although he’s appeared as Super Tiger recently, Sayama’s gone back to his original Tiger Mask gimmick for this match! These two have had many classic battles over the years, and this one is no different. They seem to bring out the best in each other, and we’re treated to a lightning-quick, action-packed battle between these two junior heavyweight legends!
The vicious side of DK comes out, as he really lays in some shots, but when he starts ripping at Tiger’s mask, that fires the masked man up, and he battles back! Tiger Mask shows off his martial arts skills, hitting some brutal looking kicks, including the jumping spin kick that puts DK flat on the mat.
Late in the match, Dynamite has the upper hand, he hits a crisp snap suplex, then heads to the top rope. DK has won many matches with the diving headbutt, but this time, Tiger Mask rolls out of the way at the last second, and Dynamite crashes to the mat! Tiger Mask recovers, stuns DK with some stiff kicks, and then hits the Tiger Suplex for the 1, 2, 3!
After the match, Tiger offers his hand to his opponent. Dynamite hesitates for a moment, but then finally shakes his rival’s hand, and raises his arm.
Tiger Mask then takes the house mic and says that he’s been fortunate to have a great career, he’s wrestled all over the world, and held some of the most prestigious championships in the history of the sport.
However, he’s decided it’s time to step away from the ring, and he wants to take this opportunity to announce that he will have his retirement match on March 11 at Tokyo’s Sumo Hall!
He says that he’s had two rivals above all others, one is Dynamite Kid, and he thanks DK for giving him a tough challenge today, and the other is Black Tiger! He says that he wants to face Black Tiger for his final match on March 11!
ANTONIO INOKI & DORY FUNK JR defeat BRAD ARMSTRONG & BOB ORTON JR. Inoki and Funk lost a hard-fought match to Tenryu and Choshu last week, but today, they rebound as they defeat the tough American duo of Brad Armstrong and Bob Orton Jr. After an action-packed back and forth match, Inoki hits Armstrong with an Enziguri and covers him for the 1, 2, 3!
An ad airs for the next WWK tour, the “Hyper Battle!” series, which will kick off on February 20 and run until March 11! Live WWK action can be seen in the following cities as part of that tour:
February 20, 1988 the tour begins with a TV taping tomorrow night at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo!
February 21, 1988 at the City Gymnasium in Mooka, Tochigi!
February 22, 1988 in Fukaya, Saitama at the Civic Gymnasium!
February 24, 1988 at the City General Gymnasium in Matsusaka, Mie!
February 25, 1988 in Minokamo, Gifu at the City Gymnasium!
February 26, 1988 in Ritto, Shiga at the Townsman Gymnasium!
February 27, 1988 in Okazaki, Aichi at the City Gymnasium for a TV taping!
February 28, 1988 in Shingu, Wakayama at the City General Gymnasium!
Wakabayashi and Yamamoto discuss the “Hyper Battle!” series starting in February, and talk about some of the foreign wrestlers that will appear on the tour! We’ll see Jacques and Raymond Rougeau! Former multiple time World Jr. Heavyweight champion Les Thornton! Kelly Kiniski, son of former NWA World heavyweight champ Gene Kiniski! “Soulman” Rocky Johnson!
And, this man . . .
BRUISER BRODY will make his return to Japan for the tour!
THE REVOLUTION ARMY: GENICHIRO TENRYU & RIKI CHOSHU defeat SHINYA HASHIMOTO & KEIJI MUTOH. Hashimoto just wrapped up his 5-match trial series last week, and he ended on a high note, defeating Brad Armstrong! However, things don’t go as well today for Hash and Keiji Mutoh, as they fall in defeat to the Revolution Army!
Hashimoto has shown his skill when it comes to strikes and high impact moves, like his DDT or the even more dangerous Brainbuster Suplex. Mutoh is no slouch when it comes to striking, but he likes to throw in some high-flying as well! On the other side, Tenryu and Choshu are able to hold their own with anyone in the world when it comes to technical wrestling, and they aren’t afraid to mix it up in a brawl either!
Early on, Choshu and Tenryu try to avoid Hashimoto’s striking, and constantly double-team both young lions, trying to keep them in their corner, where they can work them over. As the match progresses, both Hashimoto and Mutoh show a lot of heart, as they’re willing to stand go toe to toe with their veteran opponents. However, in the end, Choshu hits Mutoh with a Lariat, then locks on the Scorpion Lock right in the middle of the ring! Mutoh tries to fight it, but he can’t escape, and finally has no choice but to submit.
We see a video package of Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody together as a team. We see them in the late 70s in the southwestern United States, in the early 80s in Puerto Rico, and in All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1982. We see them destroying a variety of opponents.
The video then cuts to Hansen and Brody in a hallway outside a locker room. Hansen says that there isn’t a team in wrestling that can stand up to him and Brody, they’ve dominated every promotion they’ve ever teamed in! He warns all the other wrestlers in the World Wrestling Kingdom that their worst nightmare is about to become a reality!
TATSUMI FUJINAMI & MITSUHARU MISAWA defeat BAD NEWS ALLEN & JIM NEIDHART. The ace and his young tag team partner, Misawa, look to stop Allen and Neidhart, who have been on a roll the past few weeks. Fujinami and Misawa find themselves at a disadvantage when Allen and Neidhart turn the match into a brawl, and come close to losing on several occasions in the early going. However, as the match progresses, Fujinami and Misawa take control, and in the end, Misawa hits Neidhart with the Tiger Driver for the 1, 2, 3!
Wakabayashi and Yamamoto wrap things up, and hype next week’s show.
Credits Roll
© 1988, World Wrestling Kingdom
Working on it now.