[1979-11-08-NJPW] Antonio Inoki vs Dusty Rhodes

[paul sosnowski]

This is a rematch from their match a week earlier on November 1st. Dusty Rhodes comes to the ring looking gloriously splendous in his famous furry white robe and big floppy white hat. Nikolai Volkoff accompanies him down the aisle, wearing his purple tracksuit again. No national anthems this time, especially not with the possibility of Nikolai singing. The crowd is taunting Dusty and he bails out of the ring before the bell and starts heading up the aisle. Mr Saito, Greg Valentine and Pedro Morales are also with Dusty at ringside again

 

The bell rings, Inoki charges at Dusty, who then bails out of the ring. He gets back in, Inoki connects with a diving leg kick, he misses the second one, Dusty misses an elbowdrop and goes outside the ring again. Dusty tries for a bionic elbow in the corner, but misses, Inoki grabs a side headlock. Inoki trips him up and tries to get an STF, but Dusty grabs the rope for the quick break. Dusty grabs a standing wristlock and gets Inoki down to the mat. Inoki makes it to the ropes, but Dusty drops two big elbows down on Inoki's injured arm. Dusty gets the hammerlock on the mat again, but he is visibly flustered by the constant chants of "INOKI". They get to their feet, Inoki fires up, but gets hit with a shoulder tackle. He jumps up on Dusty's shoulders to attempt a flying headscissors, but both men tumble over the top rope. They quickly get back in the ring, Inoki is still selling his elbow an left arm, Dusty ties him arm up in the ropes and hits two big elbows on it. Dusty follows Inoki to the outside, lays Inoki's arm on the ringside table and drops an elbow on it, then he grabs a chair and slams that down on Inoki's arm. Inoki gets back in the ring, Dusty nails him with two sledgehammers to the back, and takes a standing armbar. Inoki escapes, gets a drop toehold and hooks an indian deathlock, dropping backwards against the mat to increase Dusty's pain. Inoki rolls Dusty up for a two count. Dusty gets back to his feet, stomps on Inoki's left leg and rakes his boots across Inoki's face. Then he suddenly picks Inoki up and piledrives him for a two count, Inoki gets his foot on the ropes.

 

Dusty hits an over the knee backbreaker, Inoki bounces up and hits two dropkicks, whips Dusty into the ropes and hooks on the Octopus Submission. Eventually, Dusty hiptosses out of it and hits the bionic elbow. Dusty drops a knee on Inoki's face and gets another two count. Dusty whips Inoki to the ropes and fires a running elbow into his face for another two. Dusty dances around Inoki, like a boxer light on his feet and swings a few punches at him. Another big elbow to the head, another two count. Inoki comes back with five big MMA kicks to Dusty's thigh, a big headbutt takes Dusty off his feet. Inoki hits him with a big punch to the head and another headbutt. He kicks Dusty out of the ring and chases him and nails another big headbutt. Dusty comes up bleeding severely, Inoki headbutts him two more times, Dusty gets up and sends Inoki into the ringpost. They both get up on the apron, the referee is putting a count on them, Dusty backdrops Inoki into the ring, but then he falls to the floor and is counted out at 13:52.

 

Inoki grabs Dusty and suplexes him into the ring and tries to cover him, but the bell is ringing and the match is over. He doesn't care and hits a brainbuster suplex on Dusty, he climbs to the top rope and hits the flying kneedrop. Inoki is bleeding now from the ringpost shot earlier, Morales, Volkoff and Saito get in the ring to protect Dusty from further harm. I really enjoyed this one also. 3 1/2***