This disk has our first title match, as Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami challenge Yamazaki and Fujiwara for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. We also get Vader in a handicap match and more highlights from the Top of the Super Jr. League. This is part of the same tour as the last, so we have the same Americans participating. Here is what we will be watching today:

January 18th at Tokuyama City Gymnasium:
- 1988 Top of the Super Jr. League: Hiro Saito vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi
- 1988 Top of the Super Jr. League: Hiroshi Hase vs. Tony St. Clair
- 1988 Top of the Super Jr. League: Owen Hart vs. Shiro Koshinaka
- Big Van Vader and Masa Saito vs. Nobuhiko Takada and Antonio Inoki
- Steve Williams vs. Super Strong Machine
- IWGP Tag Championship: Kazuo Yamazaki and Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Kimura and Fujinami

January 25th at The Gifu Industrial Mansion:
- 1988 Top of the Super Jr. League: Shiro Koshinaka vs. Keiichi Yamada
- 1988 Top of the Super Jr. League: Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kazuo Yamazaki
- Big Van Vader vs. George Takano and Kantaro Hoshino
- Bob Orton vs. Tatsumi Fujinami
- Hiroshi Hase, Riki Choshu, and Masa Saito vs. Owen Hart, Buzz Sawyer, and Steve Williams

Again, some of the matches are clipped and some are extremely clipped, I will make a note when that is the case.

January 18th at Tokuyama City Gymnasium:

Hiro Saito vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi
This match is part of the Top of the Super Jr. League. JIP, Irish whip by Saito but Kobayashi applies a backslide for a two count. Saito picks up Kobayashi and does a backslide of his own, but he also gets a two count. Sunset flip by Saito, but Kobayashi reverses it and picks up the three count! Your winner: Kuniaki Kobayashi

Match Thoughts: Three pin attempts! How exciting! Score: N/A

Hiroshi Hase vs. Tony St. Clair
This match is part of the Top of the Super Jr. League. JIP with Hase chopping St. Clair in the corner. Irish whip, reversed, but Hase kicks St. Clair as he charges in. Hase goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, he picks up St. Clair and delivers a Northern Lights Suplex. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Hiroshi Hase

Match Thoughts: In 10 seconds St. Clair wasn't very impressive, which really doesn't say much for him. Although maybe I just caught him at a bad time. Score: N/A

Owen Hart vs. Shiro Koshinaka
This match is part of the Top of the Super Jr. League. Koshinaka charges Hart but Hart hits a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Hart picks up Koshinaka and delivers a tombstone piledriver, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the diving headbutt. Cover, but it gets a two count. Clip, as Hart is now on the apron, Koshinaka tries to suplex him back into the ring but Hart slides down his back and school boys him for the three count! Your winner: Owen Hart

Match Thoughts: Even though they aren't showing much, I am enjoying these little 20 second recap of the league matches. Now when we reach the finals at least we will know how they got there. Score: N/A

Big Van Vader and Masa Saito vs. Nobuhiko Takada and Antonio Inoki
Vader and Takada start things off. Tie-up, and Vader clubs Takada in the back. Punch to the face by Vader and he slams Takada to the mat. Elbow drop by Vader but Takada gets back up, Vader backs him into the corner and clubs him in the chest. Irish whip by Vader and he hits the Vader Attack. Vader picks up Takada, Irish whip to his corner and he delivers a running body splash. Vader tags in Saito, Saito picks up Takada and throws him into the corner. Chops by Saito, Irish whip, but Takada hits a sunset flip for a two count. Kicks to the leg by Takada, Irish whip to the corner but Saito fires out of the corner with a lariat. Saito picks up Takada and goes for a suplex, but Takada lands on his feet and delivers a back kick followed by a rolling heel kick. This gives him time to tag in Inoki, and he wants Vader to come in the ring. Saito tags in Vader, kicks to the leg by Inoki onto Vader and he knocks Vader to the mat. Vader gets back up gingerly, tie-up, wristlock by Vader but Inoki reverses it and applies an armbreaker. Vader manages to tag in Saito while in the hold, takedown by Inoki onto Saito and he goes for the leg. Saito gets out of it and tags in Vader, and Vader kicks Inoki in the throat before hitting an elbow drop. Vader picks up Inoki, Irish whip, but Inoki avoids the Vader Attack. Punches by Inoki and he gets Vader against the ropes, but Vader fights back and knocks Inoki into the corner. Inoki tags in Takada, and Takada hits Vader with a pair of dropkicks. Vader fires back with a clubbing blow to the head, Irish whip by Vader and he nails a lariat. Cover, but he picks up Takada's head before the three count. Vader picks up Takada, Irish whip, and he connects with the Vader Attack. Vader tags in Saito, Saito picks up Takada, Irish whip, and Saito hits a back bodydrop. Stomps by Saito, he picks up Takada and body slams him to the mat. Another slam by Saito and he tags in Takada. Vader picks up Takada and kicks him in the ribs. Punch to the head by Vader, he picks up Takada and snapmares him to the mat. He goes for an elbow drop, but Takada rolls out of the way and tags in Inoki. Inoki hits a pair of enziguiris onto Vader and applies the Octopus Hold, but Vader muscles out of it. Inoki tags in Takada, high kicks by Takada but Vader absorbs the blows. Punches by Vader and he delivers the falling powerslam. Cover, but again he lifts Takada's head before the three count. Vader picks up Takada in a Press Slam and throws him over the top rope to the floor. Saito comes in the ring and Vader holds Inoki so that Saito can club him in the chest. The bell rings due to general carnage.

Post match: They continue attacking Inoki, but Fujinami comes in the ring and throws Saito out of it. Then with Inoki, they vertical suplex Vader to the mat and give him a double dropkick, sending Vader out of the ring.

Match Thoughts: So in the pecking order, in case you weren't sure, Vader is ahead of Takada. Man he just destroyed him. Inoki finally got in some good shots on Vader but it wasn't hardly enough, and Takada lying outside the ring on top of the dojo boys as the match ended showed he wasn't quite ready yet to hang with Vader and Saito. The match ended without a pin but it didn't matter, Vader had Takada pinned twice and just wanted to beat him up some more, and then disposed of him outside the ring which would have been a count out if the match wasn't thrown out. Good stuff. Score: 6.5

Steve Williams vs. Super Strong Machine
JIP, as Williams press slams Strong Machine back in the ring from the floor. Williams joins him in the ring and hits a vertical suplex, he picks up Strong Machine and goes for a neckbreaker but Strong Machine blocks it. Vertical suplex by Strong Machine, Irish whip and he hits a back elbow. Williams tackles Strong Machine and applies a crab hold but Strong Machine makes it to the ropes. Williams picks up Strong Machine, Irish whip from the corner, Williams picks up Strong Machine and delivers a running powerslam. Cover, but Strong Machine gets a foot on the ropes. Irish whip again by Williams to the corner but Strong Machine moves when Williams charges in. Punches by Strong Machine, but Williams kicks him low. Strong Machine rolls to the floor but returns after a moment, uppercuts by Strong Machine and he punches Williams into the corner. Headbutts by Strong Machine, snapmare, and he drops a knee onto Williams's head. Cover, but it gets a two count. Strong Machine applies a front facelock but Williams punches him low. Strong Machine rolls to the floor again but returns on his own, Williams kicks him in the corner, Irish whip, Williams goes for a back bodydrop but Strong Machine hits a sunset flip for a two count. Strong Machine throws Williams out of the ring and throws him into the ring post. They return to the ring, Irish whip by Strong Machine from the corner and he delivers a lariat. Vertical suplex by Strong Machine and he drops the elbow. Strong Machine then goes up to the top turnbuckle but Williams moves out of the way of the diving headbutt. Williams punches Strong Machine to the mat, he picks him up, Irish whip, and he hits a flying shoulderblock. Irish whip by Williams to the corner, reversed, but Williams ducks when Strong Machine charges in and delivers a German suplex hold for the three count! Your winner: Steve Williams

Match Thoughts: An odd little match. Not sure what Williams' fascination with low blows was for this match as that normally isn't a tactic he uses multiple times in one match. Strong Machine was allowed to look strong because of it, which might have been the point, but it also made the match seem like it had no concrete conclusion.... which again, might have been what the were going for. It wasn't very good though, neither one of their offenses looked convincing and they didn't seem to be too into the match. I don't expect much from Strong Machine, but I do expect more from Williams, so I was pretty disappointed. Score: 4.0

(c) Kazuo Yamazaki and Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami
This match is for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Yamazaki and Kimura start things off. Tie-up, waistlock by Yamazaki, reversed by Kimura, Yamazaki hits a drop toehold but Kimura returns to his feet. Waistlock by Yamazaki, reversed into an armbar by Kimura but Yamazaki slams him to the mat. They tie-up and Kimura gets Yamazaki to the mat, but Yamazaki reverses positions with him and tags in Fujiwara. Kimura also makes the tag to Fujinami, Fujinami and Fujiwara tie-up, they trade holds with Fujinami applying a wristlock, Fujiwara goes for the Fujiwara Armbar but Fujinami rolls out of it. Fujiwara pushes Fujinami into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Takedown by Fujinami and he applies a reverse chinlock, Fujiwara returns to his feet however and hits a backdrop suplex. Fujinami tags in Kimura, Kimura pushes Fujiwara back into the corner and he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, Fujiwara now gets Kimura into the corner and he slaps him before backing off. Fujiwara gets Kimura into the corner again and this time kicks him down to the mat. Stomps by Fujiwara and he delivers a pair of headbutts. Kimura returns to his feet and he pushes Fujiwara into the corner before tagging in Fujinami. Kicks by Fujinami, he picks up Fujiwara and slams him to the mat. He goes for the Dragon Sleeper but Fujiwara repeatedly gets out of it, front facelock by Fujinami but Fujiwara pushes him into the corner. Fujiwara tags in Yamazaki, kicks by Yamazaki, Irish whip, but Fujinami ducks the high kick and delivers the lariat. Fujinami picks up Yamazaki and goes for the dragon suplex, but Yamazaki grabs the top rope. Yamazaki goes for the Fujiwara Armbar but Fujinami blocks it and tags in Kimura. Kimura gets Yamazaki in a piledriver position and with Fujinami he nails a spike piledriver. Back up, kicks by Kimura but Yamazaki catches one and applies a heel hold. Kimura gets to the ropes to get out of it and Yamazaki tags in Fujiwara. Fujiwara applies the heel hook but Kimura quickly gets to the ropes. Kimura returns to his feet and kicks back Fujiwara, but Fujiwara catches his next kick and kicks him in the leg.

Kimura grabs Fujiwara and tags in Fujinami, kick to the leg by Fujinami and he goes for a crab hold, but Fujiwara flips out of it and tags in Yamazaki. Yamazaki nails a pair of kicks to Fujinami and follows with an enzigieri, but Fujinami eventually catches one and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Scorpion Deathlock by Fujinami but Fujiwara kicks him until he lets go. Fujinami and Kimura switch places, butterfly suplex by Kimura onto Yamazaki but it gets a two count. Kimura applies the cross armbreaker but Yamazaki gets out of it and delivers a high kick. Knee drop by Yamazaki, he picks up Kimura and goes for the Fujiwara Armbar before tagging in Fujiwara. Fujiwara stomps Kimura while Yamazaki keeps the hold applied, but finally he lets go. Fujiwara picks up Kimura but Kimura fights him back. Kimura gets Fujiwara in the corner and makes the tag to Fujinami. Kicks by Fujinami, scoop slam, and he tags Kimura back in. Kimura comes in the ring with a diving knee drop, he picks up Fujiwara but Fujiwara hits a series of headbutts. Fujiwara tags in Yamazaki but Kimura catches him with a dropkick. Irish whip by Yamazaki but Kimura shoulderblocks him down. Kimura goes off the ropes but Yamazaki throws him out of the ring. Yamazaki then goes off the far ropes and delivers a baseball slide to Kimura. Yamazaki goes outside the ring and tries to throw Kimura into the guard rail, but Kimura reverses it. Kimura gets back in the ring with Yamazaki slowly following, but Kimura grabs him as he gets on the apron. Yamazaki lands on his feet when Kimura goes for a suplex and applies the small package for a two count. Irish whip by Yamazaki to the corner but he fires out with a Inazuma Leg Lariat. Kimura picks up Yamazaki and applies a waistlock, but Yamazaki reverses it and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Yamazaki goes for a suplex but Kimura gets out of it and delivers the school boy for the three count! Your winners and new champions: Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami

Match Thoughts: Seems like a rather anti-climatic way to have a title change, but what can ya do. I thought the selling in this was atrocious, and I don't mean in the "strong style" way, but just in the mind numbingly distracting way. For example, the biggest move of the match was the spike piledriver, but Yamazaki was in control again literally 10 seconds after the move happened. You have to give big moves more respect then that. And that was almost the theme of the match, neither team could get a real advantage on the other because no one was acting hurt. Which I guess makes the ending fitting, but it doesn't necessarily make for an entertaining match. The action was generally crisp and the crowd was into it, it just didn't give off the vibe of a title match. Score: 4.5

January 25th at The Gifu Industrial Mansion:

Shiro Koshinaka vs. Keiichi Yamada
This match is part of the Top of the Super Jr. League. JIP, Irish whip by Koshinaka but Yamada slides through his legs. Powerbomb by Yamada, but it gets a two count. Clip, as Yamada is beating Koshinaka outside the ring with a chair. Back in the ring, diving elbow drop by Yamada, cover, but it gets a two count. Another clip as Koshinaka throws Yamada into the corner, they trade waistlocks but Koshinaka delivers the German suplex hold for the three count! Your winner: Shiro Koshinaka

Match Thoughts: Seeing Yamada before he was Liger is fun. Score: N/A

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kazuo Yamazaki
This match is part of the Top of the Super Jr. League. JIP as Yamazaki delivers an armbreaker, Irish whip to the corner and he kicks Takada in the stomach before delivering a rolling heel kick. Clip as they are back standing in the middle of the ring, kicks by Takada and he knocks Yamazaki to the mat. Takada goes off the ropes and hits a heel kick. Clip as Yamazaki is going for the crossface chickenwing, but he lets it go and its a German suplex hold for a two count. Yamazaki slaps on the Fujiwara Armbar and Takada submits! Your winner: Kazuo Yamazaki

Match Thoughts: Yamazaki was apparently better then I remember him being. Score: N/A

Big Van Vader vs. George Takano and Kantaro Hoshino
Tag rules are in effect. Takano and Hoshino try to charge Vader as the bell rings but he hits a double lariat to knock them both to the mat. Both wrestlers try to slam Vader but he rams their heads together. Takano stays in the ring as the legal man, he kicks Vader in the stomach but Vader absorbs the blow. He tries it again but it still has no effect, tie-up, and Vader knees Takano in the stomach. Club to the back by Vader and he hits a vertical suplex. Vader picks up Takano, Irish whip to the corner and he hits the Vader Attack. Irish whip again by Vader and he nails a second one, and Takano falls out of the ring. He gets back on the apron but Vader lifts him over the top rope by the sides of the head and throws him into his corner so he can tag in Hoshino. He does, Hoshino charges Vader with a blow to the chest but Vader doesn't move. Hoshino goes off the ropes but Vader knocks him down with a chest bump. The same thing happens a second time, and the third time Hoshino goes off the ropes Vader picks him up and slams him to the mat. Headbutt by Vader, he picks up Hoshino, Irish whip, and he delivers a lariat. Vader picks up Hoshino and gives him a throat thrust. Headbutts by Vader in the corner and he clubs Hoshino in the chest. Another headbutt and he clubs him some more until Takano comes up from behind and elbows Vader. Hoshino and Takano give Vader a double Irish whip and a double dropkick. Sending the big man off his feet. They both cover Vader, but Vader kicks out with such velocity that both men fall out of the ring. Hoshino gets back in, snapmare by Vader but Hoshino rolls out of the way of the elbow drop. Hoshino makes the quick tag, Takano goes up on the top turnbuckle and jumps off but Vader catches him and rams him into the corner. Irish whip by Vader to the corner and he hits a Vader Attack. Vader picks up Takano and hits a body slam, cover, but he lifts Takano's head before the three count. Vader punches Takano against the ropes and clubs him in the chest, Irish whip, and he levels him with a lariat. Cover, but again he lifts his head up. Vader drags Takano to his feet, picks him up and hits a falling powerslam. Cover, but Hoshino breaks it up. Hoshino clubs Hoshino in the head, he picks him up and press slams him over the top rope to the floor. He then goes back to Takano and puts him in the Tree of Woe. He then hits a running shoulder tackle to the upside down Takano. Vader picks up Takano and delivers another falling powerslam, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Big Van Vader

Match Thoughts: Crowd was really reacting well as Vader has convinced them that he is the real deal. Hoshino and Takano were the perfect pair to beat around as they have some legitimateness but aren't going to hurt their stock any by losing to the monster. Vader destroyed them as he should have, but the undersized pair had a few bright moments so that the crowd could pop. Vader was still pretty green at this point but he knew how to be big and intimidating and that was all that was really needed in this match. Score: 7.0

Bob Orton vs. Tatsumi Fujinami
Cowboy Bob! JIP as Fujinami pushes Orton against the ropes, but he gives a clean break. Armdrag by Orton but Fujinami applies a headscissors. Orton gets out of the headscissors and gets on top of Fujinami, but Fujinami rolls out of it and applies a front facelock. Orton gets Fujinami into the corner but he gives a clean break. Tie-up, side headlock by Fujinami and he takes Orton to the mat. Fujinami keeps the hold applied, Orton struggles to his feet and pushes Fujinami into the ropes, but he punches Fujinami in the face instead of giving a clean break. Lariat by Orton and he drops the forearm across Fujinami's face. Elbow drop by Orton, Irish whip, and he delivers a dropkick. Orton picks up Fujinami and applies a neck crank but Fujinami pushes him into the ropes. Orton punches his way out of the corner and drives Fujinami's face into the mat with his knee. Cover, but it gets a two count. Back up, elbow by Fujinami and he punches Orton back, but Orton throws him out of the ring. Orton goes outside the ring as well and tries to Irish whip Fujinami into the guard rail, but Fujinami reverses it. Fujinami then rams Orton into the ring post before getting back into the ring. Orton follows him, side headlock by Fujinami but Orton gets out of it with a backbreaker. Knee drop to the head by Orton, he picks up Fujinami and goes for a piledriver, but Fujinami back bodydrops out of it. Kick to the back by Fujinami, he picks up Orton and bodyslams him to the mat. Cover, but it gets two. Irish whip by Fujinami and he applies the sleeperhold, but Orton gets into the ropes which forces a break. Fujinami stomps on Orton and Orton falls out of the ring to the floor. Orton returns after a moment but he shoulderblocks Fujinami through the ropes from the apron and goes for a suplex. Fujinami blocks it however and suplexes Orton back into the ring. Uppercuts by Fujinami, Irish whip, but Orton punches him in the face when he goes for the back bodydrop. Orton picks up Fujinami and rams his face into the mat. Orton picks up Fujinami and places him lying on the top turnbuckle, he then climbs up and clubs Fujinami in the chest. Abdominal stretch by Orton but Fujinami fights out of it and goes for one of his own. Orton punches out of it and the two trade blows, elbow by Orton and Fujinami falls back against the ropes. Knee by Orton, Irish whip by Fujinami and he delivers a dropkick. Enziguiri by Fujinami, cover, but it gets a two count. Fujinami grabs Orton and delivers the running bulldog, cover, but again it gets a two. Punches by Orton, he picks up Fujinami and the two trade blows. Eye rake by Orton, Irish whip from the corner, reversed, Fujinami goes for a second bulldog but Orton shoves him off, right into the referee. The referee goes flying out of the ring as in the ring Orton picks up Fujinami and hits a backbreaker. The referee slowly gets back into the ring but Orton elbows him back to the mat. Orton continues stomping on Fujinami as the referee calls for the bell. Your winner by Disqualification: Tatsumi Fujinami

Match Thoughts: Orton was in the twilight of his career at this point but could still bring it pretty well. Orton was wrestling Choshu the next week which is why this match ended in a non-ending, if Fujinami had won then it would have made his match against Choshu less compelling. I generally enjoyed the match, it was a solid back and forth encounter but unlike the tag title match they never really over-did not selling each others offense. Neither wrestler hit their big move so its understandable that neither was able to pick up the three count. I'd have preferred an ending, as always, but under the circumstances the ending still made sense. Perfectly acceptable match, although unspectacular. Score: 6.0

Hiroshi Hase, Riki Choshu, and Masa Saito vs. Owen Hart, Buzz Sawyer, and Steve Williams
Choshu and Sawyer start things off. Tie-up, and Sawyer bites Choshu in the face. Sawyer picks up Choshu, snapmare, and he bites Choshu some more. Sawyer throws Choshu into the corner and tags in Williams. Irish whip by Williams and he hits a lariat onto Choshu. Choshu manages to tag in Saito, Irish whip by Williams but Saito knocks him back with a lariat. Saito goes for a backdrop suplex but Williams blocks it, so Saito hits a side Russian leg sweep. Saito tags in Hase, who elbows Williams, but Williams hits a single leg takedown. Vertical suplex by Williams and he tags in Sawyer. Williams picks up Sawyer and slams him onto Hase, then Sawyer goes crazy and tags in Hart. Irish whip by Hart but Hase shoulderblocks him down. Scoop slam by Hase and he hits a senton, cover, but it gets a two count. Back up, fisherman suplex hold by Hart but it gets a two count. Hase hits Hart with an overhead belly to belly suplex and makes the tag to Choshu. Running elbow strike by Choshu and he scoop slams Hart to the mat. Choshu tags in Saito, and they slam Hart's legs into the mat. Saito goes for the Scorpion Deathlock and applies it, but Sawyer promptly breaks it up. Choshu comes in and brawls with Sawyer, while Saito tags in Hase. Irish whip by Hase to Hart but Hart avoids his attack and delivers a monkey flip. Tombstone piledriver by Hart, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving headbutt. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hart tags in Williams, Williams grabs Hase and hits a German suplex. Hase rolls to his corner and tags in Saito, tie-up, and Williams drops him a backdrop suplex for a two count. Back up, Irish whip by Williams and he delivers a lariat. Williams tags in Sawyer, and Sawyer kicks Saito in the stomach. Vertical suplex by Sawyer, cover, but it gets a two count. Sawyer tags in Hart, Irish whip by Hart and he goes for a dropkick, but Saito holds onto the ropes to avoid it. Backdrop suplex by Saito and he makes the tag to Choshu. Choshu applies the Scorpion Deathlock to Hart but Williams breaks it up. Hase comes in and they hit a double vertical suplex onto Hart, Hase picks up Hart and hits a gutbuster. Running double stomp by Hase, cover, but it barely gets two. Hart fires back with uppercuts and hits a belly to belly suplex, but it gets a two count. Dropkick by Hart and he hits a backbreaker. Hart tags in Sawyer, and Sawyer drops an elbow onto Hase. Sawyer picks up Hase, Irish whip, and Sawyer nails a jumping elbow drop. Sawyer picks up Hase, Irish whip, and Sawyer shoulderblocks Hase to the mat. Powerslam by Sawyer and he goes for a headbutt, but Hase moves and makes the hot tag to Choshu. Lariat by Choshu onto Sawyer and he slaps on the Scorpion Deathlock, but Williams breaks it up. Sawyer tags in Hart as Choshu tags in Hase, and Hase catches Hart with a dropkick. German suplex hold by Hase but Williams breaks it up. Everyone runs into the ring as Hase tags in Choshu, Choshu levels Hart with a lariat and he picks up the three count! Your winners: Hiroshi Hase, Riki Choshu, and Masa Saito

Match Thoughts: Funny seeing Saito teaming with his enemies, but that was to make the classic native vs. gaijin battle complete. Some things are more important then blood feuds. Sawyer is the most popular gaijin due to his antics, and his encounters with Choshu got the biggest pops of the match. A bit of a sprint as it was non-stop action for 10 minutes, but entertaining. All six wrestlers looked pretty good in hitting their spots and while there was too much going on to make any one aspect meaningful it was a fun match. Score: 6.5

Final Thoughts:

Best Match: Big Van Vader vs. George Takano and Kantaro Hoshino. The first match that the crowd really embraces Vader as a monster, and he didn't disappoint.

Worst Match: Steve Williams vs. Super Strong Machine. I like Williams, but this was just a really flat match with an ending that didn't look fluid at all. I expected more out of them.

Most Notable: Our first title change of the year and the appearance of "Cowboy" Bob Orton.

Back to 1988 New Japan Year in Review

review completed on 12/23/08