Written and Produced by Tony Richards
December in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Joe Dusek 1910
Tony Manousos 1932
Jose Lothario 1934
Buford Pusser 1937
Sabu 1963
Happy Birthday:
Jimmy Kent (79)
Gary Michael Capetta (73)
Jason Knight (62)
Royce Gracie (59)
Yoshihiro Asai\Ulitimo Dragon (59)
Andy Williams\The Butcher (48)
Eddie Moore\Eddie Kingston (44)
Travis Lopes\Flip Gordon (34)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
James Michael Guffey\Jimmy Rave 12-12-2021 at the age of 39
The Heated Rivalry Between All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in December 1985
Founded by legends Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki respectively, these organizations represented contrasting philosophies—AJPW emphasized “King’s Road” style with strong-style matches and international talent, while NJPW focused on martial arts-infused strong style and athleticism. This rivalry fueled innovation and fan loyalty, often manifesting in scheduling conflicts and talent raids. A prime example of this competitive tension occurred in late 1985, when both promotions held their prestigious year-end tag team tournaments, culminating on the same day, December 12. These events—the AJPW Real World Tag League and the NJPW IWGP Tag Team League—not only showcased top-tier wrestling but also underscored the fierce battle for dominance in the Japanese market.
The roots of this competition trace back to the promotions’ establishment in the early 1970s. AJPW, under Baba, built its reputation on epic, endurance-based matches and alliances with American wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). NJPW, led by Inoki, incorporated mixed martial arts elements and pursued global prestige through its International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) branding. By 1985, both had developed signature tag team tournaments to cap off the year, drawing massive crowds and television audiences. AJPW’s Real World Tag League, launched in 1977, featured a round-robin format with points-based standings, inviting a mix of homegrown stars and foreign “gaijin” talent. Similarly, NJPW’s IWGP Tag Team League, debuting that year, aimed to crown inaugural IWGP Tag Team Champions, blending league matches with a playoff structure. These tournaments overlapped significantly: AJPW ran from November 23 to December 12, while NJPW spanned November 15 to December 12. This scheduling overlap was no coincidence; it reflected a strategic push to outshine the other in a saturated market where fans had to choose allegiances.
The 1985 editions amplified this rivalry through their star power and cross-promotional intrigue. AJPW’s Real World Tag League featured eight teams in a single block, accumulating points over 20 shows. Standout pairs included Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW mainstays), Giant Baba & Dory Funk Jr. (veteran legends), and international duos like the British Bulldogs and Nick Bockwinkel & Curt Hennig. A notable entry was Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu, representing Japan Pro Wrestling (JPW), a splinter group from NJPW that had allied with AJPW after Choshu’s acrimonious 1984 departure from NJPW.
This “invasion” added layers of drama, as Choshu brought NJPW-style intensity to AJPW rings. The league concluded at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan on December 12, with Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase emerging victorious at 7 points, defeating Choshu & Yatsu in the finals—a brutal, high-impact clash that highlighted AJPW’s blend of American brawling and Japanese resilience. The event drew strong crowds, cementing AJPW’s appeal through storytelling and star imports.
Meanwhile, NJPW’s IWGP Tag Team League adopted a similar round-robin format with eight teams, but with a twist: the winners would claim the newly minted IWGP Tag Team Championship. Participants included Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi (NJPW icons), Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (rising stars), and international teams like Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka, Dick Murdoch & Masked Superstar, and Mexican luchadores Canek & Dos Caras. The league faced drama when Brody & Snuka boycotted the final due to disputes, but it proceeded undeterred. The climax unfolded on December 12 at the Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center in Sendai, where Fujinami & Kimura defeated Inoki & Sakaguchi in a 31-minute epic, blending technical prowess and hard-hitting strikes to become the first champions. With 5,420 fans in attendance, the show emphasized NJPW’s focus on athletic legitimacy and global ambition.
The competitive nature of these simultaneous finals lay in their indirect but potent clash. While not in the same venue—AJPW in Tokyo and NJPW in Sendai, about 300 kilometers apart—the shared culmination date forced fans, media, and talent to divide attention. This was exacerbated by the era’s talent wars: Choshu’s defection and JPW’s AJPW alliance directly poached from NJPW’s roster, creating bad blood. NJPW responded by elevating its IWGP brand to rival AJPW’s NWA ties, while both promotions vied for American and international wrestlers like Hansen, DiBiase, and Brody. Overlapping tours meant wrestlers sometimes jumped ships or appeared in both, heightening the stakes. Television broadcasts further intensified the rivalry, as networks like TV Asahi (for AJPW) and Nippon TV (for NJPW) competed for viewership ratings. In a market where puroresu was cultural phenomenon, scheduling finals on the same day was a bold statement of supremacy, compelling fans to pick sides and boosting overall interest in the sport.
The impact of this 1985 duel resonated beyond the ring. It spurred innovation—AJPW refined its epic match style, while NJPW pushed for championship prestige—laying groundwork for puroresu’s golden era in the 1990s. Though not a direct head-to-head like later events, it exemplified how competition drove excellence, with both promotions drawing record crowds and inspiring future crossovers.
40 Year Flashback: Two Tag Team Tournaments Come to a Climax in Japan
12-12-1985: Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura win the IWGP Tag Team Tournament Finals over Anonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi at the Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) was at the forefront of professional wrestling’s global evolution, blending Japanese strong-style grappling with international talent to create compelling spectacles. The International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) brand, established to showcase NJPW’s prestige, expanded in 1985 with the introduction of the IWGP Tag Team Championship. This new title was not simply awarded but earned through a grueling tournament known as the IWGP Tag Team League, a round-robin competition that pitted eight teams against each other from November 15 to December 12, 1985. The league culminated in a high-stakes finals event on December 12 at the Miyagi Sports Center in Sendai, Japan, where Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura emerged victorious, etching their names as the inaugural champions in a match that symbolized generational shifts and unexpected drama.
The tournament’s format was straightforward yet demanding: a single-block round-robin where each team faced the others once, earning 2 points for a victory, 1 for a time-limit draw, and 0 for losses, no-contests, or double disqualifications. Participants included a mix of NJPW stalwarts and foreign gaijin wrestlers, creating a diverse field that highlighted cultural clashes in the ring. The teams were: Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka (American powerhouses known for their wild brawling), Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi (NJPW founders and veterans embodying the promotion’s martial arts roots), Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura (rising Japanese stars with technical prowess), Dick Murdoch and Masked Superstar (experienced American heels), Nord the Barbarian and Hacksaw Higgins (intimidating giants), El Canek and Dos Caras (lucha libre representatives from Mexico), Mr. Pogo and Kendo Nagasaki (hardcore Japanese brawlers), and the Kelly Twins (Mike and Pat Kelly, solid but undercard-level competitors). Over the course of the league, matches toured Japan, from Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall to regional gyms in places like Nagasaki and Kumamoto, building tension through a series of pins, submissions, count-outs, and draws.
Key highlights from the league phase underscored the dominance of certain teams. Brody and Snuka, with their aggressive style, racked up impressive wins, including a quick 8:29 pin over Inoki and Sakaguchi on November 29, and a 14:48 count-out victory against Murdoch and Superstar on December 6. Fujinami and Kimura, meanwhile, showcased resilience, securing pins over teams like Canek and Dos Caras (13:21 on November 19) and the Kelly Twins (November dates), while drawing 30:00 with Inoki and Sakaguchi on December 6—a testament to their competitive parity. Inoki and Sakaguchi, as elder statesmen, dominated lower-tier opponents, such as a swift 5:05 pin over the Kelly Twins on November 30 and a 9:46 disqualification win against Pogo and Nagasaki on December 4. The league was not without chaos; double count-outs and disqualifications were common, reflecting the heated rivalries, such as the 18:31 double count-out between Fujinami/Kimura and Murdoch/Superstar on November 29. By the end, Brody and Snuka led the standings, positioning them as favorites for the finals.
However, the tournament’s climax was marred by controversy. Brody and Snuka, who had boycotted the December 12 event after jumping to rival promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, no-showed the finals, forcing NJPW to improvise. As substitutes, the next-highest teams—Inoki/Sakaguchi and Fujinami/Kimura—were elevated to contest the inaugural titles in the main event. This unexpected twist added layers of intrigue, transforming the match into an intergenerational showdown: the established icons (Inoki, NJPW’s founder and a political figure, paired with the bruising Sakaguchi) against the up-and-coming technicians (Fujinami, a future IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and the fiery Kimura).
The finals event itself, attended by 5,420 fans, featured a full card that built anticipation. Undercard matches included Black Cat defeating Naoki Sano, Shinya Hashimoto over Masakatsu Funaki, the Kelly Twins besting Kim Su Hong and Shunji Kosugi, Hacksaw Higgins pinning Yang Seung-Hi, a no-contest double count-out between Dos Caras/El Canek and Kantaro Hoshino/Shiro Koshinaka, Nord the Barbarian defeating Tatsutoshi Goto, and Murdoch/Masked Superstar overcoming Mr. Pogo and Kendo Nagasaki.These bouts set a tone of international flavor and physicality, leading into the 31:53 main event.
Video: Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura vs Anonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi in the Finals of the IWGP Tag Team Tournament, Miyagi, Japan
The match was a masterclass in storytelling, rated highly by observers for its intensity and psychology. Inoki and Sakaguchi initially targeted Kimura, the “junior partner,” with prolonged heat segments, including Sakaguchi’s Demolition Decapitation and butterfly suplex. Kimura’s survival and comebacks, like chopping down Sakaguchi to break an Argentine Backbreaker on Fujinami, proved pivotal. The Inoki-Fujinami exchanges were respectful yet fierce, with stand-up strikes, enziguiris, and stalemates that highlighted their star power. A turning point came when Sakaguchi injured his knee on a running high knee, allowing Fujinami and Kimura to isolate the leg with double-teams, flying attacks, and Fujinami’s Scorpion Deathlock. Inoki rallied with kicks, suplexes, and closed fists, but Kimura kicked out of his enziguiri and backdrop driver. The finish saw Fujinami apply an Octopus Stretch, transition to a Full Nelson hoist, and secure a Dragon Suplex bridge for the clean pin on Inoki—a shocking moment that left the crowd stunned. This victory not only crowned Fujinami and Kimura as the first IWGP Tag Team Champions (officially recognized on January 5, 1986) but also signaled NJPW’s willingness to push younger talent over legends.
12-12-1985: Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase won the Finals of the Real World Tag League Tournament over Riki Choshu & Yaoshiaki Yatsu in a time limit draw by points in the tournament at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan
The Real World Tag League Tournament, now known as the World’s Strongest Tag Determination League, stands as one of the cornerstone events in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) history. Established in 1977, this annual round-robin tag team competition brings together top talent from Japan and abroad, showcasing grueling matches that emphasize stamina, strategy, and raw power. Held typically in late November through early December, the tournament serves as a platform for rivalries to intensify and new alliances to form, often setting the tone for AJPW’s storylines into the following year. The 1985 edition, running from November 23 to December 12, exemplified this tradition by featuring a mix of established stars, international imports, and rising native wrestlers, culminating in a dramatic finale at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall.
The 1985 tournament adopted a classic round-robin format with eight teams competing for supremacy. Each victory earned two points, a draw one point, and a loss none, with matches subject to a 30-minute time limit. The lineup included a blend of AJPW mainstays and invaders from other promotions, creating high-stakes encounters. Participating teams were: Stan Hansen and Ted DiBiase; Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu; Harley Race and Jesse Barr; Giant Baba and Dory Funk Jr.; Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu; the British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith); Nick Bockwinkel and Curt Hennig; and Rusher Kimura and Ashura Hara. This diverse field reflected AJPW founder Giant Baba’s vision of blending Japanese strong-style wrestling with American brawling and technical prowess, drawing large crowds throughout the tour. As the weeks progressed, the standings tightened, with multiple teams vying for the top spot through a series of hard-fought bouts, including notable clashes like Hansen and DiBiase against Bockwinkel and Hennig on December 7, which highlighted athletic exchanges and veteran savvy.
By the tournament’s climax on December 12, the points race had narrowed dramatically. Hansen and DiBiase led with seven points, edging out Tsuruta and Tenryu, Race and Barr, Baba and Funk Jr., and Choshu and Yatsu, each tied at six points. The British Bulldogs, Bockwinkel and Hennig, and Kimura and Hara rounded out the field with five points apiece. The final day at Budokan featured pivotal league matches that decided the winners, with the spotlight on what was billed as the de facto finals: Stan Hansen and Ted DiBiase versus Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu. This matchup pitted the rough-and-tumble American duo—Hansen, a notorious brawler known for his lariat, and DiBiase, a technical master with a millionaire flair—against the Japanese invaders Choshu and Yatsu, representatives of rival promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The inter-promotional tension added layers of intrigue, as Choshu was a key figure in the ongoing AJPW-NJPW feud.
he finals match itself was a brutal, high-intensity affair that captured the essence of 1980s puroresu. Joined in progress on television broadcasts (aired December 14), the available footage showed relentless action, with all four men trading stiff strikes, suplexes, and power moves. Hansen’s aggressive style dominated early exchanges, while DiBiase’s precision complemented his partner’s chaos. Choshu and Yatsu, positioned as AJPW’s top native challengers for the coming year, fought back fiercely, aiming to dethrone the foreigners. The bout’s boldness in booking was evident: it avoided clean resolutions to ongoing rivalries, such as Choshu’s feud with Tsuruta and Tenryu, while cementing Hansen and DiBiase as a dominant force. Despite missing the opening minutes, the visible portion earned praise for its energy and storytelling, rating it as a “great” encounter that highlighted the tournament’s quality.
The early exchanges saw DiBiase struggling to find his rhythm in the AJPW ring, resorting to prolonged chinlocks and mat work that left him vulnerable, often flat on his back after botched advantages, while Yatsu countered with awkward but crowd-pleasing maneuvers like a backdrop sunset flip that drew chuckles from the Budokan faithful. Hansen, ever the savior, exploded into the fray with electric lock-ups against Choshu, fending off double-teams and even yanking Yatsu off the ropes mid-sequence to disrupt their momentum.
As the match wore on, the violence escalated into pure pandemonium. Hansen, in a bizarre and unforgettable spot, cracked Yatsu’s skull with a rotary phone from ringside, sending the crowd into a frenzy of gasps and cheers. Choshu and Yatsu retaliated with a vicious spike piledriver on Hansen, nearly securing a countout victory as the Texan brawler clawed his way back into the ring.The Japanese invaders targeted Hansen’s lariat arm relentlessly, turning the hulking foreigner into an unlikely sympathetic figure as the audience chanted his name, their roars echoing through the hall amid the sweat-soaked chaos. Hansen swung wildly but missed a Western Lariat, eating a massive dropkick from Yatsu in return, while Choshu unleashed a barrage of his signature lariats, steamrolling both opponents in a whirlwind of stiff strikes and power moves.
Video: Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu in the Finals of the Real World League Tag Tournament in Tokyo, Japan
The final minutes devolved into quintessential AJPW bedlam: Hansen absorbed another spike piledriver but sold his exhaustion masterfully, his arm dangling limp as he half-collapsed into a desperate half-Lariat on Choshu while DiBiase writhed in Yatsu’s Scorpion Deathlock. The bell tolled at the 30-minute limit just as Hansen elbowed Yatsu during a frantic pin attempt on DiBiase, resulting in a time-limit draw that awarded the tournament victory to Hansen and DiBiase by virtue of their points lead. Post-match, the frustration boiled over with Choshu and Yatsu pressing the attack on the gaijin victors, who defended their hard-earned triumph in a sea of chairs and fists.
Thank You for Reading
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
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