Wrestling History Message Forum

[El Negro Magnifico]

Kuniaki Kobayashi was Liger's first opponent, am I right?

[Luds]

I'm pretty sure it was!

[edgehead1984]

you guys are right, from SSS:

NJPW "SUPER POWERS CLASH", 4/24/89 (WPW)
Tokyo Dome
53,600 Fans

1. Young Lions Cup - Final: Naoki Sano beat Hiro Saito (10:43) with a powerbomb cutback.
2. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Round 1: Big Van Vader beat Masahiro Chono (5:52) with a diving body press.
3. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Round 1: Tatsumi Fujinami beat Vladimir Berkovich (4:51) with a triangle choke hold.
4. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Round 1: Victor Zangiev beat Buzz Sawyer (3:56) with a German suplex.
5. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Round 1: Shinya Hashimoto beat Riki Choshu (3:41) with an inside cradle.
6. Benny Urquidez vs. Shinya Asuka went to a draw (R5 3:00) when the time limit expired.
7. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final: Big Van Vader beat Tatsumi Fujinami (14:37) with a body press.
8. IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final: Shinya Hashimoto beat Victor Zangiev (7:28) with a figure-four leglock.
9. Wakha Eveleov beat Masa Saito (5:28) with a cross armbreaker.
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Big Van Vader beat Shinya Hashimoto (9:47) with an inside cradle to become the 4th champion.
11. Super Strong Machine & George Takano beat Hiroshi Hase & Shiro Koshinaka (17:10) when Machine used a Devil Windmill suplex hold on Hase.
12. Jushin Liger (debut) beat Kuniaki Kobayashi (9:55) with a Liger suplex.
13. Salman Hashimikov beat Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow (2:26) with a waterwheel drop.
14. NJPW Martial Arts Heavyweight Title - Different Style Fight: Shota Chochyshvili beat Antonio Inoki © (R5 1:20) by KO to become the 2nd champion.

[Luds]

Now that was a solid card!

[El Negro Magnifico]

Yup, it looks pretty stacked.

[Mco543]

I have a US commercial tape (i found at an indoor flea market in florida when i was like 7) of it and its not as good as you would be lead to believe i watched it a few weeks ago and it hasnt aged well and i didnt enjoy it. But maybe its just me but thats just my honest opinion.