It’s been way too long since I reviewed my last IWA Japan show, and I really need to satisfy that itch for insane wrestling that only IWA Japan can fulfill.
This is from November 17, 1994, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium with 4,795 fans, or at least cagematch says.
We have Japanese, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Americans, and a Canadian, so let’s go!
After the ring announcer says something, the “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky plays, and each wrestler on the card makes an entrance and just stands in the ring with the others. The song ends and has to be repeated. This takes so long, and I am transfixed, waiting for something to happen. With Terry Funk, we get the other wrestlers cheering for him and chanting his name, and he handshakes all of them, so that’s something. The Headhunters whip chains with nails in them around the whole arena, causing a stir, and don’t get into the ring, as the song plays a third time! These two twin short monsters with chains and beauty pageant sashes are hilarious. For some reason, there is no Leatherface.
1. Super Astro vs Takashi Okano
If you have never seen Super Astro before, you are missing out. He’s kind of a short luchador with very broad shoulders and a little stout, but he is so fucking awesome at flying and really all parts of wrestling.
This is your typical cruiserweight type of match, although Okano can barely keep up with Astro, who is doing all the heavy lifting. The landing on his feet from a moonsault when Okano moves were impressive. Later, his fake dives to the floor are even better, and his somersault plancha onto Okano lying on the floor is the best. Astro hit a flying flip onto standing Okano for the win.
Rating: Good Enough/10
2. Aguila Negra vs Yoshihiro Tajiri
Tajiri and the future Zumbido have some nice potential. This match reminded me that Tajiri wasn’t doing kicks early in his career, and that is sad. This is pretty solid, though, with some fun back-and-forth action, although Negra’s top rope dive wasn’t a very exciting finish.
Rating: Solid/10
3. Miguel Perez Jr. & Super Astro vs El Texano & Silver King
I have no idea why Astro had to work double duty tonight, but he against proper good luchadors means he works at a way higher level in this match than the opener. This is a pretty good high speed tag. There is a moment in the middle that needs to be seen to be believed, as it’s Super Astro and Texano and Silver King all missing, faking, and hitting moves in spectacular fashion, ending with King being pushed off the top to the floor, taking out Texano. Those three are awesome in this, but Perez really adds a different element to push this even higher. Silver King and Texano being a regular tag team really shows here, too, and gives the match a lot more focus. Another great moment is Astro hitting these great spin kicks on Silver King and then Texano and then trying one on the referee for a good pop. The match drags like a JWP tag match. 16 minutes was too much. That said, they spaced out the cool moments well, and there were a lot of them. The finishing sequence was hot, with Perez almost killing Silver King with an Asai moonsault and Texano and Astro having a fun run of nearfalls in the ring until Texano hits a power bomb for the win.
Rating: So Close to Spreadsheetable/10
4. Hiroshi Ono vs Shoji Nakamaki
“Barbed Wire Chain Death Match”
These two are smart, with full slacks and thick shirts and arms all covered! This is your normal chain attached around the wrists match, but with the chain tightly wrapped with barbed wire!
At first, they try to work around the chains using DDTs, headbutts, and even a big tope by Nakamaki. On the outside, they start to use the barbed wire chain, and Nakamaki just carves Ono up. Nakamaki wraps up his arm and does a lariat while he’s near the post, and a second attempt, Ono moves, and that looks vicious, which leads to him carving Nakamaki up this time. They brawl and carve into the crowd and all over the floor. It’s bloody. Inside, Ono tries for some pins, but not much happens until they go back outside. The chain has disappeared, and Ono hits another vicious lariat, then rams Nakamaki into the post, who responds by headbutting the post a bunch, and then Ono takes over using a steel chair and hypes the crowd up with some weird gyrating. His DDT onto the cement floor was nasty. Back inside, they use the chain only as a weapon as Nakamaki power bombs Ono onto it and then does Jeff Jarret’s Stroke onto it. He tries another Stroke and gets weirdly reversed into a Russian Legsweep. Ono does a shitty back suplex and a HORRIBLE Rock Bottom and then wraps the chain around Nakamaki’s waist and suplexes him awkwardly for another two count. After a few more lame attempts by Ono, Nakamaki comes back with his awesome lariat and another power bomb onto the chain and then wraps himself all up in the chain and does a splash from the second rope for the biggest near fall of the match. One more Stroke gets the win to end this mess, an awkward, bloody, but fun match.
Rating: A Mess, but a Fun Mess/10
The two hug afterward, following the code of honour to the max! Some other bald dude shows up and takes out Nakami with a chair after insulting him, presumingly setting up the battle for the balds at the next show.
Backstage, Ono and Nakami are good old friends who talk as if they just had a fun game of pool, but they are covered in blood everywhere.
5. Leatherface vs Terry Funk
“Cage Match”
Nothing beats a Leatherface entrance with him dancing and waving the chainsaw around!
Funk sets the tone early by sneak attacking with a chair. After some more shots, he gets really confident, throws the chair away, punches him down, and immediately goes for the spinning toe hold like it’s an old NWA b-show squash match.
After that,t we get some good action, including shots into the cage, until most of the match is Leatherface in control as the heel. Hitting a nice series of power bombs and some awkward top-rope dives. Funk’s kickouts are very good, and he’s so good at fitting from underneath. When Leatherface misses the moonsault, that is when Funk is able to get control and goes for his own moonsault, which he also misses. As Leatherface is in control, there is a huge stir in the crowd, and ANOTHER LEATHERFACE appears with a chainsaw, causing a distraction. Funk backdrops him from the top rope for a huge near fall. He small packages him, and Funk wins.
Rating: 7/10
Post-match, the two Leatherfaces have a chainsaw off until they both dance away with their chainsaws and terrorize the crowd. I have to admit part of the rating is for that ridiculous double Leatherface!
Upon doing research, I found that the Leatherface in the match was Rick Patterson, and that’s the one in IWA Japan, so he’s the fake. The one that appeared was the original Leatherface, aka Cpl. Kirchner. No wonder the pop was so loud.
Terry Funk does a backstage promo to tease the King of the Deathmatch. If Funk loses one deathmatch, he will no longer be the King of the Deathmatch!
6. The Headhunters vs Dick Slater & Nobutaka Araya
“IWA World Tag Team Title Tag Team League Final”
After The Headhunters looked to just overpower their opponents, we get some nice shine by the Slater/Araya team with Araya hitting a moonsault to the floor onto both The Headhunters. Slater, of course, brawls with them on the floor, too. The advantage lasts longer than you would think as they double-team until a quick punch puts the twins in control. They really do have a nice array of double-team moves. Shockingly this match is pretty back and forth and worked like a very competitive normal tag team match. At least for the first half of the match, that is when The Headhunters take it to the floor and destroy Araya with a bottle. They then grab a fork and take out Slater as well after breaking up the pin with a fork! After all that shit on the outside, The Headhunters use the distract the referee to use the fork inside the ring behind his back. It’s kind of hilarious. I guess rules only apply inside the ring.
One of The Headhunters hits a huge moonsault for a near fall, but Slater breaks it up and tries JYD headbutt, only to hurt himself. The match really picked up here, as it was pretty plodding before. Tiger Driver onto Araya for another near fall! A giant Bull Nakano top rope leg drop wins the match, the titles, and the tournament for The Headhunters.
Rating: Solid/10
The first half was them trying to do a fancy tag league finale, which was a mistake. The brawling for the last 1/2 really saved things.
After, The Headhunters wanted to continue the beatdown, but Terry Funk made the save. Araya makes a show-closing rousing speech.
Conclusion
This show is not a must-watch, but the two hours had some good wrestling, a good match, and some fun angles to set up the future. You can’t really go wrong here, well, as long as you like this style.
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