[1974-10-10-NJPW] Antonio Inoki vs Kintaro Oki

[GOTNW]

This match is a master class in delayed gratification, working and getting over in professional wrestling. Before the bell even rings Inoki potatoes Oki with a punch. They seperate them, and the match starts. They don't just immediately start brawling-there's lots of lock-ups, some of them include hair-brawling, and pretty much all of them ending with the ref coming in between them. You can feel the tension-it legitimately looks like they hate each other but are also simultaneously not trying to lose their temper and get DQed-the wrestling is really good, nifty takedowns, pretty suplexes-but where the match really excells is when all hell breakes loose. Oki hits about Inoki with about a million headbutts-each sold gigantically, knocking Inoki down. Inoki goes down again and again and then fires up. daring Oki to headbutt him some more. His mannerisms are simple and primal which is precisely what makes them so cathartic. When he punches Oki in the comeback for the first time you feel ane explosion of all of the frustation that boiled in you during the FIP section and you remember why people watch so many movies that rely on cliches they're aware of. It's because they work. Inoki Bom-ba-ye. ****1/4

[Jetlag]

Kino opening here as Oki is busy with his coat (is that a damn mushroom cloud on his back?) and won't shake Inoki's hand, so Inoki floors him with a huge punch. Oki is down, covering his face and officials are swarming on Inoki. This match is ultra heated and really feels like a protoype for the kind of spectacles NJPW would run later on: there are no long headlocks or brainy 70s style hold exchanges here, they just go for broke. They lock up and immediately move into suplex and submission attempts. This is all really gritty hard fought stuff – when Inoki hits a suplex, he goes for another, but Oki reverses with all his might, then a mat scramble ensues with Oki breaking out of Inoki's grip. At one point Inoki just grounds Oki and grinds on his face with his forearm. Finally, Oki has had it and starts using his head as a battering ram and just wastes Inoki. Inoki is bloodied and beaten down and the crowd is roaring. When Inoki lands that punch you really feel why he is who he is. OJ compared this to a prehistoric Ishikawa/Ikeda match and that comparison is right on the money.

[KB8]

This was pretty wild. The uncooperative aspect obviously stands out, with the hair grabbing and rough lock-ups and both of them always being on the cusp of dropping any pretense of competition and punching the other guy in the mouth. There were a couple moments where you could see Oki about ready to put a boot in as Inoki's on the mat. Like, you could buy that he was truly itching to. Inoki grinding his forearm across Oki's face might honestly be the nastiest version of that spot I've seen. Then Oki throws the first headbutt and Inoki's sell of it is wonderful. You can tell it hurt him, but he wasn't giving Oki the satisfaction of taking a back step. He sold it like the unexpectedness of it wasn't really enough to jolt him out of his state of adrenaline, like you'd expect in a real fight when someone peppers you with a dirty shot like that. The second one he expected but that only made it sting even worse. The moment where he finally had enough and cracked Oki in the jaw was tremendous. Really cool, unique match.

[MikeCampbell]

For whatever it's worth, this is easily one of my favorite Inoki matches (and I've never really been a fan of his work). I can absolutely see the Ikeda/Ishikawa comparisions. This feels "legit" in a way that Inoki's 'different style' fights the faux MMA stuff he did in the 90's and 00's never did to me. The crowd was hot throughout and when Oki's headbutt busted him open, the phrase "unglued" doesn't even do it justice.

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWF Heavyweight Champion Antonio Inoki vs Kintaro Oki - NJPW 10/10/74

Jet lag is a bitch (no not that Jetlag, he’s a boss) I am in Japan lying awake after that bitchin’ Inoki/Kobayashi let’s do another. The other thing is I got a cold a couple days ago before I left and it has complicated things. My nose was like faucet on the plane today. Now I’m congested as fuck. 
 

Heard the name Oki, don’t think I have seen him wrestle. I knew he was Korean. I didn’t realize he was the same class as Inoki and Baba was basically their third wheel. I thought this was fantastic. 
 

Inoki fucking clocks Oki before the bell; dude still had his robe on. The real Jetlag pointed out Oki wouldn’t shake his hand, which I didn’t catch. I just thought Inoki was being a dick. Was this interpromotional? Was Oki IWE? The hate between these two is palpable. This is brutally uncooperative in the best way possible. They are just tussling but can’t land anything. Inoki is looking to end this early with two Octopus Stretch attempts both stymied by Oki.’When Inoki does take Oki down he just grinds his forearm into Oki’s jawbone. It is nasty shit like that. Each pops off a great Suplex into a pin. Then what makes the match unique Oki goes low into the breadbasket with a couple butts. Then he follows up with a headbutt that rocks Inoki. A curious thing happens…Inoki does not immediately go back on offense. He takes probably four or five more brutal headbutts before one of them knocks him Out of the ring to a BIG reaction and Oli celebrates like his victory is academic. Inoki is trying to fire himself up but Oki is pouring on the headbutts. For once Inoki looks in danger, Oki hits a headbutt for  two. He winds up and cracks Inoki with a headbutt which busts Inoki open. INOKI FIRES THE FUCK UP!!! Huge punch, Saito Suplex for the win! Awesome match really unique and entertaining. I am wondering if they were trying to open Inoki up hard way because he kept checking himself for blood (it also looked he was trying to blade himself a couple times). I think it was too perfect on the windup headbutt that was the one that drew blood so it was probably a blade. Anyways killer finish! Definitely give this match a spin. **** 

 

[KinchStalker]

3 hours ago, Superstar Sleeze said:

I just thought Inoki was being a dick. Was this interpromotional? Was Oki IWE? The hate between these two is palpable.

They were working with old heat from the JWA. Oki was never happy with his spot beneath Baba & Inoki, especially since the latter got to rejoin after Tokyo Pro without being penalized. Oki was the biggest name who had not gone along with the attempted coup, because he wanted to benefit from remaining loyal if the shit went south.

But really, it was Sakaguchi who had the most heat with Oki. Sakaguchi had originally made a deal for the JWA to merge with NJPW and create a "New JWA" with NET (TV Asahi) backing, but Oki rallied everyone against it, and only Sakaguchi and his boys signed with the network. Sakaguchi was under the impression that this would be Oki's one match in New Japan, and he wasn't happy about his second run in 1975.

Check out this post from my thread on early NJPW for more.