Questions

[Souder]

1. Can anybody tell me how good the Inoki vs Hogan match was back in '83 for the first ever IWGP Title?

2. Can somebody give me some info on the Maeda/Andre Shoot? Like when did it happen? Who won the match?

[Ganso]

The match between Hulk Hogan and Antonio Inoki was the finals of the IWGP tournament, but it was not for the title. The IWGP Heavyweight title was not created until 1987. Before then the IWGP was a round-robin tournament similar to the G-1 Climax.

On the subject of Akira Maeda vs. Andre match, I pretty sure it took place in 1986 as well as the match going to a no-contest.

[CrimsonMask]

Inoki actually came out from the dressing room TWICE during Andre-Maeda. The second time he threw out the match.

So long from the Sunshine State!

[SpirituXBomba]

you are right Ganso. i had always thought that it was for a title belt, but looking @ the IWGP title history it states that Inoki was the 1st ever Champion. It's a shame they don't do the Tournaments like that anymore.

[Rubio MHS]

They do them every year at King of the Ring.

[Luds]

KOTR is WWE thrash. That doesn't count.

We're talking about a real tournament, with the best wrestlers in it.

[SpirituXBomba]

Hey Rubio: I wish that they would do the IWGP tournaments all over again. but for now, they do The G1-Climax's , to determine the # 1 challenger to the IWGP & they have a Tag-team version of the tournament as well.

[Rubio MHS]

I think that the original IWGP was a great way to bring interest to New Japan 20 years ago. With world reknown stars like Hulk Hogan, El Canek, and Andre the Giant to put over the tournament, it gained a lot of prestige. By the late 80s, New Japan could no longer rely on the NWA and the NWF to sanction titles for them, and needed its own set of titles.

The IWGP has come to symbolize the New Japan title structure, and it wouldn't make sense to set up a series of tournaments every year under the IWGP banner.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Originally posted by Rubio MHS
By the late 80s, New Japan could no longer rely on the NWA and the NWF to sanction titles for them, and needed its own set of titles.

NWF closed in the mid-70s. New Japan didn't really rely on the NWA except on Florida and Los Angeles. Baba was a poweful man in the NWA and didn't let his buddies help New Japan much.

New Japan's main gaijin resources before the late 80s were WWWF/WWF, UWA (Mexico), CWA (Europe), Florida, and Los Angeles (closed in 82). Hogan was an AWA star, but AWA mainly sent wrestlers to All Japan around this time.

In mid to late 80s, New Japan brought the talents from an alliance of Memphis, World Class, and PNW.

[Rubio MHS]

Didn't New Japan use the NWF Heavyweight Championship into the 80s, about five years after the NWF went under? And didn't the NWA sanction their junior heavyweight division until the mid 80s, when JCP started promoting the title?

[Souder]

Thanks for the history of the titles, but can anybody tell me how good the Inoki/Hogan match was?

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

I didn't mean to disagree with your comments but just wanted to give additional info.

Originally posted by Rubio MHS
And didn't the NWA sanction their junior heavyweight division until the mid 80s, when JCP started promoting the title?

I'm not really sure how long the NWA, as an organization of the promoters, actually sanctioned the junior heavyweight title. After McGuirk's promotion closed, it looked like the control of the title was just a mess. The Cobra held the title in New Japan while Les Thornton was billed as the champ in JCP at the same time.

I typed an explanation of the junior heavyweight title mess on a message board of another website in the past. If I can find it, I'll post it on the title history board.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

I already had it there. Click <a href='http://www.puroresu.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=820' target='_blank'>here</a>

[Rex Idol]

Back to the original questions;

1 - I guess it was ok, but it wasn't a standout great match. I liked the Killer Khan matches more. I think there are probably other people that liked Hogan/Inoki more than I did, though.

2 - I'm not sure of the date, but like somebody else said, no contest. What is going on is a little confusing because I don't understand much Japanese, but it's definitely something to see. I don't know who got [bad word] first or why, but I think Maeda was trying to break Andre's leg. Pretty wild scene.

[SpirituXBomba]

True, the KOR's within the last few years did pretty bad, with the few execption as far as matches go. But only if they did the Structure (Bracketing etc....) like The G-1's the KOR's would be goood & the proper worker would get the push.