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Welcome to the first edition of “Sunday Night Showdown!”. This will be a weekly series that will highlight a selected match from any wrestling federation, past or present, to review and dissect for you great wrestling fans across the globe.
I am very proud to present this first episode. If you have been a wrestling fan for well over the past twenty years and studied wrestling rivalries and feuds that extended beyond the realm of WWE, WCW and ECW, then you will recognize the topic for today.
The first episode will cover a match that took place on January 4th, 1993. WCW and NJPW co-promoted a special event titled: “Tokyo Dome SuperShow”. One of the highlighted matches pitted the ongoing rivalry between two of the greatest Japanese wrestling legends of all-time. The Great Muta versus Masahiro Chono, and the match was for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
BACKGROUND
The origins of this feud began back in 1990, when Muta and Chono were once respected friends and tag team partners. The Great Muta and Masahiro Chono began teaming up during this timeframe, in which Muta and Chono would capture the IWGP Tag Team Titles in April 1990 by defeating Shinya Hashimoto and Masa Saito. The two men would hold on to the titles for the next six months before dropping the belts to Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki.
Muta would make his return to WCW and wrestle for the promotion through most of 1990, before returning to NJPW in 1991. Muta and Chono would cement their place as the true next generation of wrestling stars for the decade to come. The two men, along with Shinya Hashimoto surpassed and succeeded the likes of Japanese wrestling legends, Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami in the finals of the G1 Climax tournament on August 11, 1991.
During a match between Muta and Chono, which exceeded well over thirty minutes in length, Masa Chono defeated The Great Muta in their first encounter. The two men, along with Hashimoto, celebrated the match together as a show of unity and respect to each other.
Fast forward to late 1992, in between Muta’s run in WCW and NJPW respectively, Muta’s career highlights for 1992 included defeated Barry Windham, “Stunning” Steve Austin, but he was defeated Masa Chono in the semifinals of the G1 Climax.
Muta would defeat Riki Choshu for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career. He would successfully defend his title against Sting, followed by an infamous match against Hiroshi Hase. The latter of which was best known for Muta’s “blade job”.
As a result of the match, Hase defeated Muta with a “foreign object” to cut open Muta. However, Muta bladed too deep into his forehead and bled profusely. The cut was so deep, that to this day Muta still bears the scars of this encounter.
This would all lead to The Great Muta and Masahiro Chono engaging in a respectful rivalry. The two men would meet at WCW Starrcade 1992, in which Chono would defeat Muta in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Ironically, Muta would go on to win the 8-Man Over-The-Top-Rope Battle Royal to become the 1992 BattleBowl Winner. The result of the previous Muta and Chono encounter would lead into a rematch booked for January 4th, 1993 at the WCW/NJPW Tokyo SuperShow.
(CLICK HERE) - The Great Muta vs Masahiro Chono (1/4/1993)
The NWA World Heavyweight Championship (a.k.a. “The Big Gold Belt”) was at stake. Both men came out to a solid and respectful reception by the crowd. After the pre-match introductions, Muta blew Green Mist into the air as part of his pre-match ritual (and perhaps as intimidation) toward Masahiro Chono.
This was a slow-paced match throughout the first half of the match, as both men countered various headlocks and armbar attempts to psych each other out. Muta hit a nice headlock takedown to keep Chono at bay. Masa Chono would retaliate with a well delivered Samoan Drop.
As Muta regained the advantage, he took control over most of the offense in this contest, as he bounced off the ropes and connected with a Flashing Elbow Drop to the sternum of Masa Chono. This was followed up by a Juugatame Armbar (Cross Armbar) by The Great Muta. Chono regained the upper hand as he continues to work over the knee and leg area of Muta, followed up by an Inverted Side Indian Deathlock submission hold.
Both men would continue their match on the rampway. The Great Muta would regain the advantage and hit Chono with a solid Running Bulldog, driving Chono’s face into the hard ramp (which as most of you fans know has no give to it whatsoever). Muta would continue with the offense by running from one side of the ramp and back down to connect with a Running Clothesline from one end to the other, as the crowd popped for this maneuver.
Both wrestlers would go back into the ring, as Muta would connect with a well-placed Superplex from the top rope. “The Pearl of the Orient” (Muta) would connect with a Bridging German Suplex. Then, as Chono was tossed into the turnbuckle, The Great Muta would connect with his signature Handspring Elbow, driving the elbow to the heart of Chono.
This would setup up the Moonsault by Muta, but the move was countered as Chono got the knees up just in the nick of time.
Masahiro Chono would connect with the Yakuza Kick (Running Big Boot) flush right to the face of Muta. As the match progressed, Muta would counter a suplex attempt from the ring apron to send Masa Chono crashing down hard on the rampway. Masa Chono would regain the advantage and connect with a Belly-to-Back Suplex to Muta. Eventually, both wrestlers would reenter the ring. Chono climbed the top turnbuckle and hits a Diving Shoulderblock on Muta.
Chono would connect with a beautifully delivered Powerbomb Pin for the near fall, as this move would lead into a Samoan Drop that Chono would use to follow up for his patented STF submission hold. The Great Muta would fight out of the STF, as he would make a comeback and nail Chono with a Hurricanrana.
This move would lead Muta into the Side Backbreaker to setup for the Moonsault. This time, Muta would connect with the Moonsault to get the pin fall victory. The Great Muta was crowned the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion!
What did you think of the match? Let me know in the comments below
