Goody Bag 60: Big Van Vader in Japan

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament Final Match: Shinya Hashimoto v Big Van Vader: From NJPW Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Japan, April 24 1989. This is for the vacant title, and Lou Thesz is the special guest referee here. Vader grabs a headlock early, but Hashimoto counters to a wristlock, and he sinks his teeth into that for a bit. Vader powers into the ropes to get a break, and he pops Hashimoto with a spinning backfist, looking pretty stiff with it. Vader unloads in the corner, and he powers Hashimoto to the mat for a bit. Clothesline levels Hashimoto, and he wisely bails to regroup. Back in, Hashimoto recovers with a keylock, wrestling Vader to the mat in it for two. Hashimoto with a series of kicks, but one shot from Vader drops him, ending the rally. Hashimoto bails, but Vader is pretty battered, and has no follow up anyway. Both guys recover, and Vader avalanches him for two, but a second one misses, and Hashimoto cranks on the arm again. Back to the mat for another keylock, but Vader powers out, and throws a dropkick at him. Bodyslam sets up a dive, but Hashimoto gets to his feet ahead of it, and spinkicks Vader off the top. Hashimoto with a bodyslam of his own to set up a cross-armbreaker, and that's over huge as a finisher with this crowd. Vader escapes, so Hashimoto starts unloading with strikes, but again eats one big swing from Vader, and he's on his back again. Vader drills him with a clothesline for two, and a second one finishes at 9:39 - with Thesz doing a weird pause between two/three so long that Earl Hebner would be yelling at the TV. * ¾

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Big Van Vader v Salman Hashimikov: From NJPW Battle Satellite in Osaka, Osaka Japan, May 25 1989. They size each other up for a bit to start, and Hashimikov gets the first takedown for a headlock, but Vader won't let him trap his arm. Vader pounds him into the corner for an avalanche, and a press-slam gets him two. He violently dumps Hashimikov to the outside, but the challenger regroups, and beats the count in. Vader tries pounding him in the corner again, but Hashimikov manages to grab him with a belly-to-belly suplex this time, though Vader again avoids getting trapped in a submission. Hashimikov responds by knocking him to the outside to show him he won't be backed down, and Hashimikov uses an electric chair to put Vader in a leg hold, but the champion makes the ropes. Vader fights back with a vertical suplex, and he tries trapping him on the mat, but Hashimikov is in the ropes. Vader lets off, but then digs in with a fujiwara armbar, though Hashimikov gets the ropes once more. Both guys lock up again, and Hashimikov uses a takedown into a cross-armbreaker, but now Vader is in the ropes. Vader with a powerslam for two, but Hashimikov starts no-selling. Clothesline gets no-sold, so Vader tries taking him into the corner, but Hashimikov is just not having it. He manages to muscle Vader into a backdrop driver, and we have a new champion at 8:45. This was okay, though it felt more like the first section of a much longer match, skipping right past the second and third acts. **

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Riki Choshu v Big Van Vader: From NJPW TV, Tokyo Japan, August 10 1989. Vader pounds him into the corner early on, but Choshu holds his own as they slug it out. Vader dominates a test-of-strength, but Choshu manages a northern lights suplex to get out of it, and he takes the challenger down for a fujiwara armbar. Vader makes the ropes, and he takes Choshu down to choke, milking the referee's count. Vader puts him in a sharpshooter, but the champion makes the ropes, so Vader smacks him around a bit, and clobbers him with an avalanche. Clothesline gets him two, but another avalanche misses, and Choshu comes back with a dropkick. Enzuigiri follows, and Choshu goes for a cross-armbreaker, but Vader gets the ropes. Choshu keeps on him with a vertical suplex, so Vader swipes at his throat, and uses his own suplex for two. Vader goes upstairs, but Choshu superplexes him off before he can dive, and the champion adds a big clothesline for two. Vader bails, but Choshu is on him, sending him into the post, then clotheslining him into the first row! Vader beats the count, so Choshu welcomes him with another suplex, and he starts throwing clotheslines, but Vader fights him off with a dropkick, and hooks a sunset flip at 10:03. This was another one that didn't quite kick it into high gear, but was solid throughout. **

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Big Van Vader v Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow: From NJPW Bloody Fight Series, September 20 1989 in Osaka. Antonio Inoki is the special guest referee for this one. Bigelow's got some weird alternate gear here that looks like something out of his last WCW run. Lots of posturing to start, as they size each other up. Bigelow gets the first takedown with a drop-toehold, so Vader tries pounding him into the corner, but Bigelow fights him off with a leg-feed enzuigiri. Dropkick knocks the champion over the top, and Vader is frustrated. Bigelow doesn't lose focus, bringing him back in with a suplex for two, and the challenger gets a toehold on, but Vader makes the ropes. Vader comes back with an avalanche and a clothesline, then uses a dropkick to send his challenger over the top as payback for earlier. Bigelow stalls for a bit to frustrate Vader again, successfully getting him to lose his cool, and get into Inoki's face. Once back in, Vader takes him down in an armbar, and he uses a half-nelson to try and shift into a cradle, but Bigelow is in the ropes. Vader snapmares him back to center ring for a chinlock, but Bigelow fights out, so Vader hiptosses him, and throws another dropkick. Bigelow picks himself up and throws one of his own, and both guys charge for a double knockout spot. Vader recovers first with a vertical suplex for two, and a bodyslam gets two. They stagger up for a slugfest, won by Bigelow, and he punctuates it with an enzuigiri. Charge ends badly when Vader catches him in a hotshot, however, and the champion adds a splash for two. Clothesline gets two, but another one is enough at 11:31. * ¾

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Big Van Vader v Stan Hansen: From NJPW Super Fight, February 10 1990 in Tokyo. They don't even wait for the bell, slugging it out for an extended period. Each guy tries getting the advantage, but can't get in more than a few shots before the other returns fire. Vader finally gets a takedown and works a fujiwara armbar, but Hansen escapes, and accidentally catches Vader with a wipe to the eye, legit poking his eye out of the socket. Vader responds by ripping his mask off and PUTTING THE DAMN EYE BACK IN IT'S SOCKET, and he just goes right back to fighting. Hansen tries a chinlock, but Vader escapes, and starts unloading with punches. Avalanche misses, allowing Stan a side suplex, and a shoulderblock follows. The close-ups of Vader's swollen up eye are just terrifying. They spill to the outside, where Vader eats the post, but wins a brawl by dropping him across the guardrail. Inside, Vader works the body, and a powerslam gets two. Vader dives with a flying bodyblock for two, and he keeps working the ribs. Criss cross allows Vader to clothesline him to the outside, but a clothesline against the post misses, and they continue their messy brawl. Inside, Hansen throws a backelbow for two, but Vader avoids the lariat by throwing a dropkick. They slug it out again, and neither man will go down. That results in them spilling to the outside, and this time it's a double countout at 16:00. This is more of a historical oddity than a great match, though certainly not for the squeamish. I've actively avoided this match for years, and kind of wish I still did, since it's not even a good match. All the credit in the world to Vader, though, who displayed just unbelievable toughness and dedication to his craft. ½*

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Big Van Vader v Stan Hansen: From NJPW Battle Line Kyushu, Fukuoka Japan, June 12 1990. Vader throws chairs around before the bell, and he takes off his mask to show no fear. He also looks like he's put on some weight since the last match four months prior. Hansen bails to the outside to throw his own tantrum after the bell, and they slug it out once he comes back in, dominated by Vader. Avalanche misses, allowing Stan to try for a side suplex, but Vader grabs a headlock to block. The champ tries a clothesline, but Hansen ducks, and now he's able to deliver the side suplex for two. Hansen works a chinlock, but Vader fights him off with some stiff mounted punches. Criss cross ends in a clothesline from Vader, and the champ splashes him for two. Powerbomb, but Hansen keeps blocking, so Vader tries a sunset flip instead, but Stan drops an elbow to block that as well. He gets two, so he throws a short-clothesline, and now the champ bails. Back in, Vader pounds his challenger down, and now Stan bails. Vader chases for a brawl on the outside, continuing to dominate. He hits a headbutt on the way back in, but Hansen manages to shake him off long enough to shoot for the leg, holding the champion in a leglock. Vader escapes and bodyslams him to set up a chinlock, and it wears Hansen down enough that another avalanche attempt finds the mark. Vader unloads in the corner, but Stan catches a second wind, and they spill to the outside again. Hansen whacks him with a chair out there to draw a gory blade job from the champion, as clearly they're trying to live up to the standard set by the February match, though in a more controlled manner. Inside, Stan snap suplexes him for two, and it's back to the floor for another brawl. Add in a table spot, and this is an Attitude Era main event. In, Stan drops an elbow for two, but Vader fights back with a schoolboy for two. Stan tries a cross corner whip, but Vader rebounds with a bodyblock, and both guys are down. Vader is up first, and he knocks the challenger to the outside for yet another brawl on the floor. Inside, Vader uses a slam for two, and a splash is worth two. It's like video game move set here. Use your directional pad! Stan bails, so Vader follows to pound on him with mounted punches on the floor to draw blood, but an avalanche against the post gets blocked with a clothesline. Vader mostly no-sells it, however, so Hansen grabs his bull rope, and chokes him down as they head into the ring again, and that's a DQ at 22:13. I've seen matches between these two from different decades, promotions, continents... and I've yet to see one that I've actually liked. At least most of them were fairly short, this one went on forever, and didn't have anything going on to warrant that kind of extreme length. Not to mention yet another indecisive finish, and after twenty two minutes, to boot. ¾*

 

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Big Van Vader v Riki Choshu: From NJPW TV, September 1 1990 (taped August 19) in Tokyo. Choshu tries getting some shots in early, but Vader wrecks him to put a stop to that silliness, and a short-clothesline gets the champion two. Vader unloads some mounted punches, and he works the leg, but Choshu makes the ropes to escape a modified figure four. Riki bails to regroup, but he still gets thumped by Vader while trying to climb back in, so he starts taking shots at the bad eye. That manages to put Vader down for the first time, and Choshu stays on him with boots until the champion bails. Vader gets fired up out there, and pulls Choshu to the floor with him for a trip into the guardrail, then the post. That allows him to take his mask off so the referee can check the eye, and holy shit, it's actually all messed up. Jesus, how stiff were they working in Japan in those days? No wonder Vader was stiffing the crap out of everyone in the States, too. Vader suplexes him back inside, and a big clothesline knocks Choshu silly. Bodyslam sets up a splash for two, and a short-clothesline is worth two. Vader goes upstairs, but Choshu superplexes him off before he can dive, and then throws an enzuigiri. Choshu just drills him with a lariat, and a second one puts the champion down - Choshu selling the damage to his own arm nicely. Choshu with a sharpshooter, but Vader is in the ropes, and the champ bails. Vader manages to punch him down on the way back in, and an avalanche puts him back in control of things again. Another one, but Choshu punches him right in the eye to block, and he starts throwing lariats again. It takes a series of them just to put Vader on his knees, and Choshu quickly adds a big one to put him down for three at 11:51. This was a fun brawl, with interesting psychology, and good storytelling - even if the actual move set was super basic. ** ¾

 

Big Van Vader v Scott Norton: NJPW Memorial Battle, Yokohama Kanagawa Japan, September 23 1991. Norton pounds him into the corner to start, getting some good shots in before Vader returns fire. Vader puts him down with a short-clothesline, and quickly adds an avalanche as Scott gets to his feet. Cross corner whip sets up another avalanche, but Norton sidesteps, and side suplexes the big(ger) man. Scott with a short-clothesline of his own, and a shoulderblock puts Vader down again. Bodyslam allows Norton to start working the arm, but Vader reverses an armbar on him, then bodyblocks him. Vader with a pair of short-headbutts, but Norton absorbs another bodyblock, and drops him with a neckbreaker for two. Clothesline gets two, and another one sends Vader over the top. Norton follows for a brawl, but Vader gets the better of it, and he slams Scott on the way back in, then barrels into him with a clothesline. Splash gets two, and a sunset flip is worth two. Vader starts working the kidney area, until Norton bails, looking to recover a bit. Unfortunately for him, Vader is on his tail with an axehandle from the apron, and he swipes at the kidney again before sending Scott into the post. Back in, Vader stays on the kidney, and a side suplex gets him two. Splash gets two, but Norton blocks another avalanche with a clothesline, and he starts firing up a comeback. Collision results in both men looking up at the nights, and Norton manages a powerslam as they recover, hooking the leg for the pin at 13:00. I thought the finish was a little flat, but a fun power match here. ** ½

 

IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow v Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto: From NJPW Explosion Your, Chiba Japan, May 1 1992. I still can't get used to Muto with bright orange gear. He looks more like 1988 Randy Savage than the guy who jobbed three times at Starrcade '89. Though, maybe that's the point. On the flip side, was there ever a more appropriate team than Vader and Bigelow? Too bad they never got a run in the States. Crusher starts with Muto, and Muto uses speed to avoid strikes, so Bigelow goes to the eyes. That allows him a corner whip, but the charge misses, and Muto slows things down. He uses a spinkick to allow him a snapmare, and he adds an elbowdrop before tagging out. Bigelow does the same, and Vader is quick to try his intimidation tactics, but Hase holds his own in a slugfest, and takes the big man down in an armbar. Vader powers to a vertical base so he can unload in the corner, but again, Hase won't be backed down. He literally slaps Vader around, and a pair of clotheslines puts him down. Hase with an overhead suplex for two, and it's over to Muto for a flying elbowsmash, followed by a handspring backelbow. He fails to cut the ring in half, however, and Bigelow tags in. Muto is ready for him with a backdrop, however, and a pair of dropkick send Crusher over the top. Tag to Hase, so Bigelow tries an enzuigiri on the way in, but Hase ducks, and throws a koppou kick for two. Bam Bam comes back with a DDT for two, but Hase quickly grabs an armbar to try and keep control, wrenching back with it until Vader makes the save. Bigelow tags out, but the challengers manage to get Vader in their home corner to double up on, and Muto saito suplexes him. Dropkick and a bridging German suplex get him two, and it's back to Hase to crank on the arm again. Vader manages to get away long enough to tag, and a quick bit of double teaming leaves Hase a bloody mess. Well, you can't say they weren't efficient. The champs go to work on Hase, and Vader powerbombs him to set up a splash, but Muto saves at two. Hase can't tag, however, so Vader just brutalizes him with a second powerbomb for two, and Bigelow dives in with a flying headbutt drop. They go back to working Hase over, and Hase is getting so bloody that he almost needs a scale of his own. Hase manages to fight back long enough to get a flurry of offense in, and Muto is quick to back him up. Hase with a suplex on Vader for two, and he helps Muto drop Bigelow across the rail on the outside to keep him out of things. Back in, Hase dives at Vader with a flying elbowdrop, and Muto adds one of his own. Hase with a bodyslam to set up a flying kneedrop, and a uranage follows. Tag to Muto for a flying moonsault, but Bigelow saves at two! The challengers dump him to the outside to try and get rid of again, but Crusher fights them off this time by countering a tandem suplex with a double DDT on the floor. Muto beats the count, but Vader has recovered, and he clotheslines him. Powerslam sets up a flying headbutt drop from Crusher, and Bigelow press-drops Muto out of the ring. They bring Hase in, since he's legal, and a series of splashes look to finish, but only get two. Vader responds by drilling him with a uranage, so Muto tries to save, but Bigelow cuts him off, and the champs retain at 20:40. This was a total war, with all four guys going really hard, and Hase tapping a gusher. ****

 

Big Van Vader v Tony Halme: From NJPW Crush The Super Heavy III, May 17 1992 in Osaka Japan. Halme is working in jeans here, which is a weird thing to see in 1992. He tries slugging Vader into the corner early on, but that goes badly. Halme keeps coming with stiff shots, however, and he gets more traction this time. Corner splash connects, but Vader rebounds at him with a clothesline, and hits an avalanche. Vader with a vertical suplex, so Halme bails, but Vader is on him with an axehandle from the apron. He feeds Tony the rail out there, but Halme easily beats the count, so Vader tees off on him a bit. Short-clothesline and a bodyslam work, but Halme blocks a sunset flip, and he dives with a flying clothesline. He continues blitzing Vader, but the big man fights him off long enough to recover, and then bodyblocks him down. Vader with a series of clotheslines, but Halme keeps getting back up after each one, refusing to stay down. That's a bad game to play with Vader, of course, and Halme learns that the hard way. Once down, Vader punctuates it with a pair of splashes, but Halme gets a shoulder up at two. Vader responds with a sit-down splash, but Halme dodges, and cradles at 9:17. This was a different, shoot-ish kind of fight, and it was definitely interesting if not especially 'good.' * ¾