In this series, Austin Skinner will take over the books for New Japan Pro Wrestling, starting in January of 1995. With there being very little angle-driven pieces and matches alone being used to sell seats, how will he measure up to the challenge? Well, show number one is BATTLE 7 in Tokyo Dome… there’s only one way to find out!
NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING PRESENTS:
TOKYO DOME BATTLE 7
Date: January 04, 1995
Tokyo, JPN || Tokyo Dome
Attendance: 45,499
Broadcast: TV ASAHI [ 844,989 total viewers ]
Singles Match [Preshow]
[X] Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Último Dragón [O]
Singles Match
[O] Shinjiro Otani vs. El Samurai [X]
Tag Team Match
[X] Team No Respect (Jado & Gedo) vs. Heart & Soul (Ricky Fuji & Chris Jericho) [O]
Singles Match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
[O] (c) Norio Honaga vs. The Great Sasuke [X]
Six-Man Tag Team Match
[O] Heisei Ishingun (Akitoshi Saito, The Great Kabuki, & Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Akira Nogami, Osamu Kido, & Takashi Iizuka [X]
Singles Match
[O] Tiger Mask III vs. Yuji Nagata [X]
Final Countdown BVD Tournament Semifinal Singles Match
[O] Sting vs. Satoshi Kojima [X]
Final Countdown BVD Tournament Semifinal Singles Match
[O] Antonio Inoki vs. “Stunning” Steve Austin [X]
Tag Team Match
[O] Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Heisei Ishingun (Kengo Kimura & Tatsutoshi Goto) [X]
Tag Team Match
[O] Masahiro Chono & Gran Hamada vs. Junji Hirata & Tatsumi Fujinami [X]
Singles Match
[O] Hawk Warrior vs. Scott Norton [X]
Final Countdown BVD Tournament Final Singles Match
[X] Sting vs. Antonio Inoki [O]
Tag Team Match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
[O] (c) Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Muto vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner) [X]
Singles Match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
[O] (c) Shinya Hashimoto vs. Kensuke Sasaki [X]
01/01/1995 – 01/04/1995
- With the start of the New Year, NJPW and Michinoku Pro Wrestling have officially entered into a ‘parent company’ type agreement that will see M-Pro supply NJPW with talent, acting as a developmental of sorts. Accordingly, NJPW would have first chance on all talent coming through M-Pro. (01/01)
- NJPW has concluded their informal agreement with several talents, including El Gigante, Ron Simmons, Sabu, and Tatsuhito Takaiwa. It is said that the company is moving more toward exclusively written talent contracts. (01/01)
- It is rumored that NJPW and AJPW have entered a bidding war to sign Canadian-born talent, Chris Jericho, who is currently working for WAR (Wrestling Association-R). Where he will end up remains to be seen. (01/02)
- According to sources, both Mr. Gannosuke and The Gladiator (Mike Awesome) have rejected contract offers from NJPW. It appears loyalty to FMW may be the reasoning behind each decline. (01/03)
- The following talents have reportedly been signed to one-year written deals by NJPW:
- Último Dragón, Flying Scorpio (2 Cold Scorpio), Dean Malenko, Satoshi Kojima, Gedo, Jado, Eddy Guerrero, Ricky Fuji, Perry Saturn, John Kronus, Damián 666, Yoshihiro Tajiri (01/04)
- Mike Enos and NJPW have parted ways, the departure was said to be amicable. (01/04)
- Chris Jericho has decided to sign a written contract with NJPW, thus leaving WAR effective immediately. (01/04)