Superstar Sleeze Posted July 3, 2018 Report Share Posted July 3, 2018 Antonio Inoki/Riki Choshu/Kantaro Hoshino vs Dick Murdoch/Bob Orton/Scott Hall - NJPW 11/18/88 Elimination Important thing to note is that this contested under elimination rules. It was not until the second elimination that I knew what was going on. Scott Hall in New Japan is weird on paper but he actually fits in pretty good. Really good interactions with Hoshino (Hall looks like a giant) both manhandling the diminutive Hoshino and showing ass for the plucky spark plug. His elimination comes first and it is an awesome cross cross sequence with Choshu that really builds to the Lariat. They utilized Hoshino really well in the match. He is a great size mismatch for the Americans to exploit. But he desperately wants to contribute and comes in as a ball of energy to help even if that means he gets caught over his head. Eventually Orton & Murdoch double team him setting him up for the Murdoch brain buster and Hoshino elimination. In the beginning of the match it is established that Inoki & Choshu fucking hate Murdoch and want to kill him. The Americans try to cheat and double Team as much they can. Orton & Choshu pretty quickly do a spot that causes them both to tumble over the top rope. This sets up the grand finale of the two captains Inoki vs Murdoch. They went for a very epic, dramatic feel with extended spots and selling. There was a cute spot where Orton used his ass to prevent Murdoch from touching the floor. Inoki's big spot was a sleeper. Murdoch got an armbar and his knee surfboard spot as his big spots. Murdoch calls for Brainbuster. Inoki floats over and gets an abdominal stretch not an Octopus Stretch so Captain Redneck makes the ropes. The ref is distracted and Orton pulls Inoki over the top and the rest turns and calls for the bell. WOW! That's the best screw job ending I have seen in sometime. I love Inoki's pissed off reaction. Grabbing a chair from the audience and out for blood. Nothing super spectacular just the fundamentals executed at a high level. Hoshino size mismatch and the heat between Inoki/Choshu vs Murdoch. Loved that screwjob finish. ***3/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.