[1980-04-03-NJPW-Big Fight Series] Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWF Heavyweight Champion Stan Hansen vs Antonio Inoki - NJPW 4/30/80

 

Huge improvement over their first match! It was not worked at a Hansen pace, but he was allowed to be more of himself by kicking more ass and taking more of the match. He was clubbing Inoki very hard in the arm on each tie up and then just start blasting him in the back of the head, neck and back. Inoki was trying to go for the Lariat arm, but the barrage from Hansen proved too much and he had to roll out of the ring twice. Not often, we see Inoki fight from underneath. Hansen goes for the Lariat, but misses. Inoki hits an Enziguiri which feels like a huge game changer as Hansen has to powder. Hansen is wounded and Inoki is fired up. Inoki goes to the mat, but Hansen just starts drilling with elbows and knees to the head. Hansen regains control. Inoki does get a cross armbreaker on the Lariat arm, which may have saved him as soon after...Hansen clobbers him with a Lariat, but Inoki falls on the apron and Hansen is in pain. He suplexes Inoki on the apron! Impressive spot! I thought Inoki was going to lose by countout, but instead Hansen goes flying out the ropes when Inoki dodges him. Inoki hits a FLYING KNEE FROM THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR ON HANSEN!!! Wow! I totally would have bought into a countout finish and been just fine. Inoki pins him in the ring and ref starts the count early and counts fast. He knows where his bread is buttered.

 

Much better with Inoki working underneath and Hansen looking huge here. Hansen was kicking so much ass and Inoki really felt he was facing a grave challenge. The Lariat miss was great and the Enziguiri felt huge. The finish stretch was awesome. Cross armbreaker setting up that Hansen could not get all of his Lariat. Setting up the countout finish tease only to have Inoki hit a top rope flying knee to the floor. Really cool stuff. ****1/4

[SAMS]

1980-04-03
NJPW
Stan Hansen (c) vs. Antonio Inoki
NWF World Heavyweight Title Match
Kuramae Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
Card
★★★

This is the rematch after Hansen won the NWF Title from Inoki in February. Back then Inoki’s strategy was to keep Hansen grounded, whilst here it was to work over the arm. He went for a number of different arm breaker attacks and whenever he was able he’d throw a kick or two at that left arm of Hansen. Hansen’s approach? Be a beast and maul Inoki until he can no longer fight back.
They kept the pace pretty high and kept the sitting in holds to a minimum. Inoki can’t resist a leg lock or two, but I think the strategy of working on the arm pulled him away from his usual formula and to the match's benefit.
Obviously everything in a Hansen match works towards a Lariat, and here he once again was able to nail Inoki. It sent him to the outside where Hansen followed. Unlike their previous encounter Inoki was able to get the upper hand and he went to the top and nailed him with a pretty sweet looking knee drop which absolutely stunned the big man. Climbing back into the ring he was set upon by Inoki, who hit a suplex and was able to get his shoulders to the mat long enough to seal the pin and regain his title.
Decent match, but this was probably the upper limit of what these two could do together, mostly due to the limitations Inoki brings to the table (edit: it wasn't).

[tcg91]

This wasn't a masterpiece, but a perfectly enjoyable main event and also a bit better than their previous bout. Inoki wants to block the lariat this time and immediately goes for Hansen's arm, especially because it's taped; the gaijin is overwhelmed by this attack, but dishes some violent shots to Inoki's neck to keep some control. Hansen gets to look good once again, because this time Inoki is saved by the ropes when he eats the lariat. We get another count-out tease, before Inoki's impressive brainbuster from the apron for the 3.1 pinfall, once again Hansen looks strong even in defeat, as Inoki also had to resort to a rare top rope dive to desperately put him down. Quite impressive how this match had like 1 big move and a couple of bumps only and yet everything made complete sense.
***1/2