Throwback Match Reviews: Antonio Inoki vs Billy Robinson

Antonio Inoki vs Billy Robinson (NJPW) 12/11/1975

This match was flawless in execution. Billy Robinson’s mat grappling is really fun to go back and look at. The finish was a time limit draw in a 2 out 3 falls match which saw both Inoki and Robinson each score a fall. Robinson out wrestling Inoki worked into building for Inoki’s comeback spots. Inoki was being bested on the mat and when he hit suplexes to escape the crowd fired up. Robinson’s mat work was something Inoki had to overcome. When Robinson scored the first fall with a basic roll up you see the frustration in Inoki’s face as he is disappointed with himself. In the second fall he begins to find answers to Robinson’s technical offence and it all built to the fall. Inoki makes Robinson tap out in the last minute of the match. The drama for that second finish, especially since it happened literally in the last minute, was outstanding. It also made the last 30 seconds of the match very exciting as both men just dropped their gameplans and desperately seeked to score the final fall. The moves in this match, although simplistic, were beautifully done. Although the execution was perfect and the story simple and logical, the match did go too long. The draw was perfect for the story but going an hour tends to have its problems. There were a few moments were nothing was really happening. It took me out of the match and ruined the flow. 

Final Rating - ****¼

Throwback Match Reviews: Dory Funk Jr vs Antonio Inoki

Dory Funk Jr vs Antonio Inoki (JPA) 12/02/1969

From the beginning the crowd is very hot. The match is 2 out of 3 falls and from the start you can tell they’re going long. Inoki and Funk trade holds for the first 20 minutes or so. Funk at first plays to Inoki but as the match progresses and Inoki shows his dominance on the mat, Funk begins to get frustrated. Funk begins to use some shortcuts and then is able to control Inoki. Inoki shows flashes of a comeback but is cut short by Funk. This gets the crowd strong behind Inoki, more than they were at the beginning of the match. About half an hour in the match is kind of boring. The hot crowd really saves this match. Wrestling before the 1980s to me can get really boring but this match is one of the better ones. Inoki gets in a boston crab and the match picks up the pace. This match is a good example of the era. It is a simple battle between a beloved underdog and a strong champion. The single camera captures the essence of the era perfectly. No flashy lights or production just a camera and two wrestlers fighting for supremacy. Dory Funk Sr throughout was great. He’d rile up the crowd whenever things were about to cool down. It helped Inoki garner a lot of sympathy from the crowd. The hot back-and-forths in the second half of the match were a great bridge to the finish. This match did a great job building anticipation. The work was pretty good. Most of the moves were executed perfectly with the exception of the dropkicks that both men threw. Predictably the result was a time limit draw (I did not know the result coming in). There was really no deeper story. It was simple and well-executed. It did go too long but it didn’t lose my attention as most 1 hour+ matches seem to do.

Final Rating - ***½