Starting Road to Destruction Day 1 right now. Been needing my NJPW fix. 
Essential Japanese Wrestling Discussion/News
- Thread starter Honga Ciganesta
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Jmare007
pico pal q lee
Starts in December 1984 and runs through April of 1987
AJPW's run of hateful tags and 6 man tags from Jumbo/Choshu to Jumbo/Tenryu to Jumbo/Misawa to Misawa/Kawada is
I wish NJ booked like that instead of their tags and 6 mans being nights off
It's weird New Japan went away from that formula considering all the success they had in the 80's doing it with Maeda and then when Choshu returned.
Hashimoto was the only one that was able to follow that up but it needed to be in an interpromotional setting.
Post UWF(i) feud, New Japan began throwing tag matches to the bushes and by the mid 00's that shyt was dead and never cameback
It's another reason why I love Strong BJ so much too, them hateful 8-12 minutes tags are so fukking piff
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Beautiful Bobby Eatin
SWEEEEEEEEEETNESS!
Wait... what?! PLEASE tell me this is available to stream somewhereThere are so many truly baffling "wtf who booked that shyt" and "holy shyt this happened?" matches in AJPW over the years. It's unreal. Barry Horrowitz was out here teamed up with Abdullah the Butcher
I see The Ditch's entire archive is up on both XWT and XWT Classics as well , obviously a lot of crossover with the AJ archive, but there was a ton of NJ/UWF/Battlearts/randoms up to the 00s, and lots of NOAH/DragonGate/indies in the 00s.
The Rainmaker
Mr. Money in the Bank
Honga Ciganesta
Japanese Keyhole Porn Don
Speaking of Ishii, look how spiffy he looks in this deep cut
TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
Ishii needs to win at Destruction, man!
Then Tanahashi successfully defends his title shot against Okada, only to have Shibata turn on him.
Tanahashi loses his title shot to Shibata. Shibata vs Ishii becomes the main event of Wrestle Kingdom.
I know none of this shyt will happen but let a breh dream, brehs. Let a breh dream!
I'll just do some quick thoughts on these as I watch them, not really up for big write ups and hundreds of gifs anymore:
1972.12.11 - Abdullah The Butcher-Ciclon Negro vs. Masio Koma-Thunder Sugiyama (2 of 3 Falls)
Abby basically brutalizes these two dudes for most of the match, both are cut up and bleeding, and then they get fired up and beat up Negro to win the match. Young Abby is....interesting, I guess. I wouldn't say he was good or anything, but compared to the morbidly obese guy who would maybe take one bump the entire match that he was for the better part of 30 years, it's interesting to see him young, spry, and kind of athletic. Ish.
1972.12.19 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. The Destroyer (NWA International Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
I've seen a number of Baba/Destroyer matches and nothing touches the JWA match that's been available for years with the great finger work from Destroyer. That said, these two together is always a treat and I always enjoy seeing Baba doing technical wrestling like a normal wrestler who happens to be big. Baba focuses on the head and neck, Destroyer focuses on the knee. It's quintessential 70s AJPW style so if you can't get into this, 70s AJPW probably isn't for you.
1973.04.24 - Curtis Iaukea-Antonio Pugliese vs. Hiro Matsuda-Thunder Sugiyama (2 of 3 Falls)
This wasn't good at all, but I saw a lot of Cactus Jack in King Curtis. In movement, style, shrieks, and hardcore brawling. He's using chairs and tables, dragging dudes out into the crowd, taking some big (if comical) bumps, has a similar lumpy bag of shyt body and hair. Kind of interesting to see.
1973.04.24 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. The Sheik (PWF Heavyweight Title)
This is like most Sheik matches, which is to say barely a match at all. The pre and post match fukkery lasted longer than the match itself.
1973.07.09 - Strong Kobayashi (c.) vs. Rusher Kimura (IWA Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
This is pretty interesting because A. It's 70s sleezy Japanese indies, and B. This feels a lot closer to a modern match than say, Baba vs Destroyer. The falls build from mat wrestling, to fighting spirit strike battles, up to big suplexes. The Ref and Kimura were definitely not on the same page. The final fall ends in a 6 count lol
1973.09.26 - Animal Hamaguchi vs. Mighty Inoue (IWE World Series B Block)
This is almost a precursor to the modern junior style, or at least Tiger Mask/Dynamite era junior style. A fast paced, athletic sprint with lots of arm drags and head scissory things. Both guys were GASSED at the end 
1973.10.09 - Terry Funk-Dory Funk Jr. (c.) vs. Giant Baba-Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA International Tag Team Titles)
Classic. Can't ask for more. Young Jumbo, Young Terry, still good Baba, middle aged Dory, stoogery, deadlift suplexes, backdrops, Baba getting stiff, great dropkicks
1973.10.09 - The Destroyer (c.) vs. Mil Mascaras (US Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
I've seen a few matches between these two. This might be the best of the bunch. Kind of typical exhibitiony match that both guys often had, but it had a much sharper edge to it due to the guys clearly testing each other's amateur credentials for most of the match, making it feel like a real struggle. Especially as it the match wore on and both started getting chippy with each other, and going into a mad dash to get a real win in the 3rd fall. Also Mil wears a dope ass mask in this.
1973.10.10 - Rusher Kimura vs. Blackjack Mulligan (IWE)
Double juice! Chair shots! Loaded gloves! Amazing how Barry Windham was so graceful and a natural in the ring, but his dad was a lumbering sack of shyt who could not be less graceful if he tried. He's less graceful than Stan Hansen somehow. Late stage Stan Hansen at that.
1973.11.24 - Giant Baba-Anton Geesink vs. Bruno Sammartino-Caripus Hurricane (Cyclone Negro)
This is kind of interesting because Bruno is about 3 weeks away from starting his second WWWF title run, but he's aggressive enough here to be considered a heel. Geesink was the first non-Japanese to win gold at the World Judo Championships, also a gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics. He had about a month of training from Dory Jr. and was then thrown in matches with stars like Bruno and Baba and actually held his own. I think this was actually his very first match, with a month of training, and while he seemed green at times, you'd never guess it was his first match. With a month of training. He even did a torture rack He retired before the end of the decade, spending the next few years as a part timer doing mostly tags with Baba or against other gaijin.
1973.11.24 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mickey Doyle
Mickey Doyle looks like 1986 Rick Rude after a 20 minute match mixed with Tonga Kid
He had some pretty good punches and elbows, though.
1972.12.11 - Abdullah The Butcher-Ciclon Negro vs. Masio Koma-Thunder Sugiyama (2 of 3 Falls)
Abby basically brutalizes these two dudes for most of the match, both are cut up and bleeding, and then they get fired up and beat up Negro to win the match. Young Abby is....interesting, I guess. I wouldn't say he was good or anything, but compared to the morbidly obese guy who would maybe take one bump the entire match that he was for the better part of 30 years, it's interesting to see him young, spry, and kind of athletic. Ish.
1972.12.19 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. The Destroyer (NWA International Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
I've seen a number of Baba/Destroyer matches and nothing touches the JWA match that's been available for years with the great finger work from Destroyer. That said, these two together is always a treat and I always enjoy seeing Baba doing technical wrestling like a normal wrestler who happens to be big. Baba focuses on the head and neck, Destroyer focuses on the knee. It's quintessential 70s AJPW style so if you can't get into this, 70s AJPW probably isn't for you.
1973.04.24 - Curtis Iaukea-Antonio Pugliese vs. Hiro Matsuda-Thunder Sugiyama (2 of 3 Falls)
This wasn't good at all, but I saw a lot of Cactus Jack in King Curtis. In movement, style, shrieks, and hardcore brawling. He's using chairs and tables, dragging dudes out into the crowd, taking some big (if comical) bumps, has a similar lumpy bag of shyt body and hair. Kind of interesting to see.
1973.04.24 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. The Sheik (PWF Heavyweight Title)
This is like most Sheik matches, which is to say barely a match at all. The pre and post match fukkery lasted longer than the match itself.
1973.07.09 - Strong Kobayashi (c.) vs. Rusher Kimura (IWA Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
This is pretty interesting because A. It's 70s sleezy Japanese indies, and B. This feels a lot closer to a modern match than say, Baba vs Destroyer. The falls build from mat wrestling, to fighting spirit strike battles, up to big suplexes. The Ref and Kimura were definitely not on the same page. The final fall ends in a 6 count lol
1973.09.26 - Animal Hamaguchi vs. Mighty Inoue (IWE World Series B Block)
This is almost a precursor to the modern junior style, or at least Tiger Mask/Dynamite era junior style. A fast paced, athletic sprint with lots of arm drags and head scissory things. Both guys were GASSED at the end 1973.10.09 - Terry Funk-Dory Funk Jr. (c.) vs. Giant Baba-Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA International Tag Team Titles)
Classic. Can't ask for more. Young Jumbo, Young Terry, still good Baba, middle aged Dory, stoogery, deadlift suplexes, backdrops, Baba getting stiff, great dropkicks 1973.10.09 - The Destroyer (c.) vs. Mil Mascaras (US Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
I've seen a few matches between these two. This might be the best of the bunch. Kind of typical exhibitiony match that both guys often had, but it had a much sharper edge to it due to the guys clearly testing each other's amateur credentials for most of the match, making it feel like a real struggle. Especially as it the match wore on and both started getting chippy with each other, and going into a mad dash to get a real win in the 3rd fall. Also Mil wears a dope ass mask in this.
1973.10.10 - Rusher Kimura vs. Blackjack Mulligan (IWE)
Double juice! Chair shots! Loaded gloves! Amazing how Barry Windham was so graceful and a natural in the ring, but his dad was a lumbering sack of shyt who could not be less graceful if he tried. He's less graceful than Stan Hansen somehow. Late stage Stan Hansen at that.
1973.11.24 - Giant Baba-Anton Geesink vs. Bruno Sammartino-Caripus Hurricane (Cyclone Negro)
This is kind of interesting because Bruno is about 3 weeks away from starting his second WWWF title run, but he's aggressive enough here to be considered a heel. Geesink was the first non-Japanese to win gold at the World Judo Championships, also a gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics. He had about a month of training from Dory Jr. and was then thrown in matches with stars like Bruno and Baba and actually held his own. I think this was actually his very first match, with a month of training, and while he seemed green at times, you'd never guess it was his first match. With a month of training. He even did a torture rack
He retired before the end of the decade, spending the next few years as a part timer doing mostly tags with Baba or against other gaijin. 1973.11.24 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mickey Doyle
Mickey Doyle looks like 1986 Rick Rude after a 20 minute match mixed with Tonga Kid
He had some pretty good punches and elbows, though.
TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
Part 2 of the documentary on Shibata and the LA Dojo.
No fukks given
Vic Damone. Jr
Don't support the phonies, support the real
Jmare007
pico pal q lee
No fukks given
I came here just to post that picture too
Reminds of Sugi going to the NOAH offices naked, only wearing the GHC belt
The Rainmaker
Mr. Money in the Bank
Taichi campaining for the NEVER championship saying all the previous champions have been shyt.
Wasn't Suzuki one of them?
Taichi must answer to the Don :suzuki:
Wasn't Suzuki one of them?
Taichi must answer to the Don :suzuki:
1974.01.29 - Jack Brisco (c.) vs. Dory Funk Jr. (NWA Heavyweight Title 2 Of 3 Falls)
The red fuzzy cloth belt
There's definitely not enough Jack footage out there, and most of what's readily available is past his prime nearing retirement and in TV matches for JCP or WWF. When you see prime Jack Brisco . Guy had such great technique, was such an athlete. It really shows when he's up against a former torch carrier like Dory how his look and physicality should have taken the NWA Championship to a new level, basically a new and improved Lou Thesz, but I guess it was Harley's time or something, and Harley's style was aped pretty hard by Flair so 
Classic 70s, classic NWA, classic AJPW.
1974.01.30 - Jack Brisco (c.) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA Heavyweight Title 2 Of 3 Falls)
This is definitely a disappointment. It's 2/3 falls, but about a half hour long instead of an hour like the Dory/Jack match the night before, so it feels very rushed and the falls end before they really get into anything meaty. Jumbo had better matches with a lot of other guys around this time (Baba, Dory/Terry, Harley, etc). I don't know why but they didn't click very much.
1974.04.27 - The Destroyer vs. Abdullah The Butcher
Destroyer comes in with his fist heavily taped and most of the match is seeing who can cheat more/better. Destroyer bleeds through his mask, Abby gets hit with his own spike repeatedly, and everyone had a good time.
1974.06.13 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. Pedro Morales (PWF Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
This is interesting to me mostly because I was thinking about making a thread about Pedro and if he and Vince had some secret falling out since his period as champion is NEVER mentioned outside of a 30 second clip during National Hispanic Heritage month. There's also not much footage of him out there from his prime, only his early to mid 80s comeback run where all he did was clap his hands and throw punches. This was fairly short for a 2/3 falls match (not even 20 minutes) but each fall had a strong, decisive ending and it was pretty impressive. I'd like to see more of this Pedro and less of 1986 Pedro. Once in a while Baba throws some stank on the falling lariat and you know shyt is a wrap.
1974.06.13 - Gorilla Monsoon vs. Anton Geesink
This is contested under some weird mixed rules, as Gorilla is wearing a gigantic judogi top that he can't keep on straight or tied up and spends the entire match fukking with it and is full
the entire match, which is mostly him trying to stop Anton from actually throwing his ass. Both guys are completely gassed like half way in and Gorilla's reactions to his jacket and having to keep going are hilarious.
1974.06.13 - Jumbo Tsuruta-The Destroyer vs. Kevin Sullivan-Johnny Rodz
The WWWF/AJPW relationship didn't seem very equal. Baba showed up in MSG I think twice during the 70s, Jumbo/Destroyer/Funks never showed up (well the Funks did but not part of AJPW exchange), I don't even recall lower card AJ guys popping up on WWWF shows. Meanwhile, Vince Sr. is sending over Bruno/Pedro/Gorilla/bunch of mid carders. And you know what? This is surprisingly fun. The bar for mid carder in 1970s WWWF isn't very high, but this was good. Jumbo's relationship with Destroyer being 100% based around Destroyer teaching Jumbo how to cheat better is always
, Jumbo and Sullivan randomly beat the shyt out of each other with elbows, and there were a lot of fun spots in this. Instead of feeling like one company's match in the other promotion's area like most mixed company matches, this actually feels like a 50/50 split of WWWF and AJPW at this time, which is pretty neat.
1974.07.05 - Thunder Sugiyama vs. George Steele
Another example of this lopsided relationship. George Steele was a big star for the WWWF at the time, having good drawing programs with both Bruno and Pedro. Here, he jobs cleanly to a fukking snapmare and weak chop in 6 minutes to a decidedly mid carder.
Also it dawned on my that George Steele was basically the white Abdullah before the 80s comedy stuff, yet they never got booked against each other or as a team except once in the 60s before Steele even had the Animal gimmick.
1974.07.25 - Giant Baba-Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Bob Backlund-Bob Roop
Jumbo and Bob had a number of singles matches in 1974 and 1975, but none of them seem to exist online
Would have loved to see them have a match 5 years later when Bob was really embracing his weirdness and Jumbo had really come into his own as a top guy. This gets quite chippy, unsurprising since everyone hates Bob Roop. I know I said I didn't want to do gifs but then Bob tries to murder Jumbo and
1974.07.25 - The Destroyer (c.) vs. Mil Mascaras (PWF US Heavyweight Title 2 Of 3 Falls)
More exhibitiony than the match included from 1973, but frustration and tempers flare around the halfway point and they take it into a higher gear all the way up to the finish. Mil's reputation has been pretty poor for decades now, to the point where people seem to forget the reason he became a worldwide star in the first place. It's not just because he had cool masks.
1974.08.29 - Giant Baba-The Destroyer vs. dikk Slater-Karl Kox
This isn't quite dikk Murdoch/Terry Funk as a team, but it's pretty close. Killer Karl Kox
trained Murdoch, and Murdoch was basically a clone of him in the ring, and dikk Slater would go on to be one of the finest Terry Funk impersonators to ever live, although it wasn't quite as pronounced at this stage in his career. Destroyer is probably the guy who the "could have a good match against a broomstick" phrase was probably invented for, so this is pretty fun.
The red fuzzy cloth belt
There's definitely not enough Jack footage out there, and most of what's readily available is past his prime nearing retirement and in TV matches for JCP or WWF. When you see prime Jack Brisco . Guy had such great technique, was such an athlete. It really shows when he's up against a former torch carrier like Dory how his look and physicality should have taken the NWA Championship to a new level, basically a new and improved Lou Thesz, but I guess it was Harley's time or something, and Harley's style was aped pretty hard by Flair so Classic 70s, classic NWA, classic AJPW.1974.01.30 - Jack Brisco (c.) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA Heavyweight Title 2 Of 3 Falls)
This is definitely a disappointment. It's 2/3 falls, but about a half hour long instead of an hour like the Dory/Jack match the night before, so it feels very rushed and the falls end before they really get into anything meaty. Jumbo had better matches with a lot of other guys around this time (Baba, Dory/Terry, Harley, etc). I don't know why but they didn't click very much.
1974.04.27 - The Destroyer vs. Abdullah The Butcher
Destroyer comes in with his fist heavily taped and most of the match is seeing who can cheat more/better. Destroyer bleeds through his mask, Abby gets hit with his own spike repeatedly, and everyone had a good time.
1974.06.13 - Giant Baba (c.) vs. Pedro Morales (PWF Heavyweight Title 2 of 3 Falls)
This is interesting to me mostly because I was thinking about making a thread about Pedro and if he and Vince had some secret falling out since his period as champion is NEVER mentioned outside of a 30 second clip during National Hispanic Heritage month. There's also not much footage of him out there from his prime, only his early to mid 80s comeback run where all he did was clap his hands and throw punches. This was fairly short for a 2/3 falls match (not even 20 minutes) but each fall had a strong, decisive ending and it was pretty impressive. I'd like to see more of this Pedro and less of 1986 Pedro. Once in a while Baba throws some stank on the falling lariat and you know shyt is a wrap.
1974.06.13 - Gorilla Monsoon vs. Anton Geesink
This is contested under some weird mixed rules, as Gorilla is wearing a gigantic judogi top that he can't keep on straight or tied up and spends the entire match fukking with it and is full
the entire match, which is mostly him trying to stop Anton from actually throwing his ass. Both guys are completely gassed like half way in and Gorilla's reactions to his jacket and having to keep going are hilarious.1974.06.13 - Jumbo Tsuruta-The Destroyer vs. Kevin Sullivan-Johnny Rodz
The WWWF/AJPW relationship didn't seem very equal. Baba showed up in MSG I think twice during the 70s, Jumbo/Destroyer/Funks never showed up (well the Funks did but not part of AJPW exchange), I don't even recall lower card AJ guys popping up on WWWF shows. Meanwhile, Vince Sr. is sending over Bruno/Pedro/Gorilla/bunch of mid carders. And you know what? This is surprisingly fun. The bar for mid carder in 1970s WWWF isn't very high, but this was good. Jumbo's relationship with Destroyer being 100% based around Destroyer teaching Jumbo how to cheat better is always
, Jumbo and Sullivan randomly beat the shyt out of each other with elbows, and there were a lot of fun spots in this. Instead of feeling like one company's match in the other promotion's area like most mixed company matches, this actually feels like a 50/50 split of WWWF and AJPW at this time, which is pretty neat.1974.07.05 - Thunder Sugiyama vs. George Steele
Another example of this lopsided relationship. George Steele was a big star for the WWWF at the time, having good drawing programs with both Bruno and Pedro. Here, he jobs cleanly to a fukking snapmare and weak chop in 6 minutes to a decidedly mid carder.
Also it dawned on my that George Steele was basically the white Abdullah before the 80s comedy stuff, yet they never got booked against each other or as a team except once in the 60s before Steele even had the Animal gimmick.1974.07.25 - Giant Baba-Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Bob Backlund-Bob Roop
Jumbo and Bob had a number of singles matches in 1974 and 1975, but none of them seem to exist online
Would have loved to see them have a match 5 years later when Bob was really embracing his weirdness and Jumbo had really come into his own as a top guy. This gets quite chippy, unsurprising since everyone hates Bob Roop. I know I said I didn't want to do gifs but then Bob tries to murder Jumbo and
1974.07.25 - The Destroyer (c.) vs. Mil Mascaras (PWF US Heavyweight Title 2 Of 3 Falls)
More exhibitiony than the match included from 1973, but frustration and tempers flare around the halfway point and they take it into a higher gear all the way up to the finish. Mil's reputation has been pretty poor for decades now, to the point where people seem to forget the reason he became a worldwide star in the first place. It's not just because he had cool masks.
1974.08.29 - Giant Baba-The Destroyer vs. dikk Slater-Karl Kox
This isn't quite dikk Murdoch/Terry Funk as a team, but it's pretty close. Killer Karl Kox
trained Murdoch, and Murdoch was basically a clone of him in the ring, and dikk Slater would go on to be one of the finest Terry Funk impersonators to ever live, although it wasn't quite as pronounced at this stage in his career. Destroyer is probably the guy who the "could have a good match against a broomstick" phrase was probably invented for, so this is pretty fun.