Throwback Match Reviews: Antonio Inoki vs Riki Choshu (NJPW) (08/02/1984)

Antonio Inoki vs Riki Choshu (NJPW) 08/02/1984

This is a match where both roles were played to perfection and the story was told through the actions of the wrestlers. Inoki at this point is undoubtedly the ace of the promotion and has had years of success at the top. Choshu comes in as the future of the company. He is the underdog looking to dethrone the king.

The opening stretches serve to put both wrestlers at the same level. The mat work is very good and very smooth. One negative here, and it’s one that affects the entire match, is that this portion lingered on for too much. I didn’t mind the mat work later on because it was crucial to the story of the match. There was a bit too much down time here and 5 or 6 minutes could have been cut down. Choshu’s first application of the Scorpion Death Lock garner’s a great response from the crowd. The build up to that first hold paid off in a big way. 

This was a major transition in the match. For most of the rest of the match there was a great back and forth struggle that told a great story. Choshu had some fiery comebacks and offensive stretches which included a couple of other applications of the Scorpion Death Lock and some great suplexes. Everything he did was explosive and intense. These moves exemplified Choshu’s character. He’s the enthusiastic underdog looking to get a major victory. Inoki responded to Choshu’s offense with some masterful technical wrestling. It was very interesting watching him try different ways to escape the Scorpion Death Lock and also wear Choshu down with his own submissions. This illustrated Inoki’s veteran status in this promotion. The mat work here, as opposed to the mat work earlier, weighed very heavily. It contrasted Choshu’s work emphasizing both men’s characters. 

The match ends with Inoki out wrestling Choshu. He puts him in the Octopus Stretch and converts it into a pin. It was a great way to end this match. It tells the story of Inoki being the veteran ace and it protects Choshu to an extent as he is sort of defeated by his own ambition. It leaves room for improvement for Choshu. Another aspect about that match that also added to the drama was the crowd. They were hot from the start. Whenever a big transition occurred, like when Choshu locked in the Scorpion Death Lock, they erupted with excitement. They loved both guys and would cheer one when the other had the advantage. Overall this match is an all-time classic although it had its faults.

Final Rating - ****¾