Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 4: Antonio Inoki vs. Stan Hansen (2/8/80)

I really hope these Inoki/Hansen matches are good. We’ve got four of them on this disk, all from 1980. This was apparently the main event feud of the year, Inoki as the native darling and Hansen as the rough heel foreigner. I saw some Inoki matches when I was a teen and didn’t really get into them. I’ve been told it’s not about the technical work, but the presence and story told in the match. We shall see.

Hansen is a big tough brute who stalks Inoki and tries to overpower him. Inoki tries to out speed Hansen and isolate him with holds, which they portray as working at times. Inoki isn’t as quite as quick as I’d like him to be, so I’m extra hard suspending disbelief. Also of note – Inoki was marketed as a “real” fighter, and on a third lock up during the feeling out process he sends a hard slap that gets the fans going. Both guys lock eyes. It’s definitely gonna be on. This does have a big match feel, and the way they break into strike fights lends a sort of passion to it. A half nelson from Hansen doesn’t grab me (not much effort), but Inoki actually pulls out a great leg lock he tries hard to get over. They do enough things to make it look less cooperative, in a good way, and place Inoki as being better than Hanson. Hanson uses subtle heel tactics, like kicks to the gut, to show his dominance.

Inoki uses a vicious cravat hold, and I immediately mark out and think of Chris Hero. Inoki’s whole control of Hansen’s head is worked believably and effective, but at the ten minute mark I’m really hoping they move forward with this one. Unless, of course, it plays into the finish. Hansen comes back with punches and chokes, the baddy that he is, and Inoki shows he’s ready to go toe to toe with him. The feeling out processes in early 80s New Japan I’m learning are a ten to twelve minute affair.

Inoki hasn’t shown me any dramatic reason to sympathize with him through selling. He ends up getting to Octopus submission, one of his big moves, and Hanson ends up sitting back and pan caking him a moment later. Hansen hits a lariat, one of his big moves, for a near fall. The fans buzz. Hansen gets drop kicked to the outside, and the fight there. They tease a Hanson brainbuster back into the ring, and Inoki reverses for a back drop driver for a near fall. Now this is really moving. Hansen lariats Inoki off the apron, The fans chant Inoki’s name, and Inoki is counted out. American workers crowd the ring to congratulate Hansen, who really hams up winning. Hanson is your champion. 3 ¼ and 6.3/10.