[Fignuts]

October 14, 1973
Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi vs Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch.

Gotch's amateur wrestling and submission based style was incredibly influential to Inoki and establishing the overall style of NJPW. Sakaguchi is a former world class Judoka who joined the JWA, and followed Inoki when he formed NJPW.

I'm not expecting much from this. Always found Sakaguchi to be a complete snore, and Gtch and Thesz are pretty old at this point.

Tesz and Gotch moving faster than I thought they would. Must be taking their One-A-Day.

Gotch has such a unique, gentlemanly way of moving and applying holds.

Inoki wearing shit brown trunks. So that's where HBK got the idea.

Working the angle of Thesz unable to get around Sakaguchi's size.

Inoki and Gotch work really well together.

Tempers starting to flare

Backdrop outta nowhere by Thesz on Sakaguchi for the first fall.

Sakaguchi selling it like it killed him. Inoki whipping water on his back, and young lions, rubbing it with towels.

Thesz pissing Inoki off with the unclean breaks

Nice leg scissor counter to thesz takedown by Inoki.

Inoki with Ahmed Johnson levels of trunks wedgie

Second fall an a Sakaguchi atomic drop.

Thesz throwing out some heel stuff

Nice bridging clutch pin by inoki to get the win.

Better than expected. Gotch and Thesz still move around the ring really well despite their age, and even Seiji put in work. Definitely need a taste for old school mat wrestling to appreciate this though. Not for everybody.

First time seeing Gotch. Seems way ahead of his time.

Handshakes all around at the end. Boy these young kids thesz and inoki are spitting on the biz by doing that sort of thing, right Jim?