Nagoya not the first time gi have been used in an NJPW ring
On Sunday, New Beginning in Nagoya will see Great-O-Khan and Shingo Takagi face off in a mixed martial arts rules match. This KOPW bout, proposed by challenger O-Khan and voted for by fans will see both competitors in gi, with victory attained by KO, TKO or submission only. It’s a unique environment for modern NJPW, and one that likely strongly benefits the challenger. But it isn’t the first time traditional martial arts gi have been worn in an NJPW ring, nor is the implementation of MMA style rules to New Japan new either as the following examples testify.
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February 6, 1976- Nippon Budokan: Willem Ruska vs Antonio Inoki
Before he faced Muhammad Ali in the seminal boxer versus wrestler match of that summer, February 1976 saw Antonio Inoki battle Dutch judoka Willem Ruska. Ruska was a double gold medalist in the 1972 Olympics, making him a prime opponent for Inoki in his bid to show that pro-wrestling was the strongest combination of the martial arts. Ruska’s judo skills came to bear as he brought Inoki to the mat, but his gi would be leverage for takedowns from the icon as well. As Ruska went on the defensive and complained of elbow strikes from Inoki, the honorary chairman lost his cool to the delight of the crowd, opening up with a chop and heavy kicks before a backdrop suplex put Ruska down for a TKO.
This would be the beginning of a long journey with what would later be recognised as the WWWF Martial Arts title over the ensuing decade, with defences including a rematch with Ruska (again with the gi) in Korea three years later, and even Andre the Giant (sans gi, unfortunately).
April 24, 1989- Tokyo Dome: Antonio Inoki vs Shota Chochishvili
13 years after he faced Ruska in the Budokan, Antonio Inoki was the first headliner in a new iconic venue with the Martial Arts Championship on the line. The Tokyo Dome had opened in 1988, and staged its first ever pro-wrestling card on April 24 1989. Crowds flocked to the future home of Wrestle Kingdom, to see Jyushin Liger’s debut, a new IWGP Heavyweight Champion crowned in a one night tournament, and a no-ropes battle in the main event between Inoki and Shota Chochishvili.
Like Ruska, Georgian Chochsvili was an Olynpic gold medal winning judoka, picking up his merit in the same 1972 year in Munich that Ruska won double gold, coinicdentally on the year NJPW was founded. He would wear his judo gi to combat against Inoki in a 10 three minute round contest, one which in contrast to the Ruska match years earlier, saw Inoki go straight to a backdrop suplex in the first round. In response, Chochishvili quickly launched an uranage early in round two and controlled the champion on the mat. Stretching Inoki’s arm, he impeded the icon’s strength, and opened the door to another uranage later in the bout that brought a KO finish. The crowd would react in shock as Choschishvili ended an incredible 3780 day run at the top of the martial arts world for Inoki.
June 12, 1990- Fukuoka International Center: Jyushin Thunder Liger vs Masashi Aoyagi
From judo to karate, and a bloody battle between Jyushin Thunder Liger and Masashi Aoyagi in 1990. Aoyagi and Liger had a lot of similarities on the surface; both Fukuoka natives, they had each sought out a career in professional wrestling, but height had been an impediment. While Liger’s alternate route to NJPW saw him first head to Mexico to gain experience, Aoyagi would fall in love with karate, becoming a proficient karateka and carrying those achievements to a clash of home town heroes in the Fukuoka International Center.
This time, the rules saw an unlimited number of three minute rounds to a finish. Liger would start the bout trying to take down and neutralize the karate master in th estandup, but Aoyagi would respond with blistering strikes before tearing at the mask of the junior heavyweight legend in the making. Later admitting that he was in the palm of Aoyagi’s hand, Liger would finish the job, tearing his mask off and unleashing a fury that would be rarely seen from Liger until the birth of the Kishin Liger monster later in the decade. The ensuing bloodbath would end with Liger victorious, referee Tiger Hattori putting a stop to the bout in the fourth.
