January 19th 2003
All Japan Pro Wrestling
AJPW 2nd Wrestle-1
Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan
How fitting that only a few hours before Wrestle Kingdom 18, we get a match that occurred in the Tokyo Dome – a very bad match. It just stinks. Not really news to anyone familiar with this show, as it's readily available all over the internet and has been written about a few times in different spaces (here's one more, I'm so sorry). The 2nd Wrestle-1 branded show from All Japan, which of course, Wrestle-1 would become its own promotion in the summer of 2013 and then shut its doors in the spring of 2020.
The match we have today was originally announced as Goldberg and Mutoh against a mystery team only a few days prior to the event. According to the January 20th and 27th, 2003 Wrestling Observer Newsletter, W-1 management had the idea of the mystery team being Hulk Hogan and Yoshihiro Takayama. Hogan didn't like the idea of two babyface teams facing off and apparently was willing to do a clean job against Takayama or Naoya Ogawa.
Hang on a sec, pal. First off (and Dave also notes this), did Hogan really mention or have any idea who Ogawa was? Was the Hulkster locked into Ogawa's NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign in 1999? Was Brother HH sitting on his couch, munching on some popcorn, and getting into some Different Style Fight comps? Beyond that is Hogan claiming to do a clean job to one of those guys. My friends, you'd have to go all the way back to 1981 to see Hogan doing a clean job in Japan. As for Takayama's involvement, he caught wind that W-1 management declined Hogan losing to him so that's when he backed out of it altogether.
Another thing the Observer mentions throughout this is that all of these negotiations with Hogan, Goldberg, and Takayama were happening with a little over a week left until the show. What a mess. Oh yeah, one more thing just to kick this show while it's down – an attendance of 20,000 with 6,000 paid, and the rest were papered.
Lest we forget about KroniK! Two-time WCW World Tag Champions. Demolition Crush. Adam Bomb. In fact, let's forget it. They were AJPW Tag Team champions for a month in 2002 before they vacated the titles when Brian Adams decided to retire and transition into boxing. I'm just imagining one guy psyched for these guys coming back at this show. "Alright! Let's get back in the mix, baby! They were never beaten for those belts!"
Being inspired by Monday Night Raw at the time before the show, they said that Goldberg wasn't there, and before the match, they played his music but still no sign of him. Finally, a ridiculously long video plays of Goldberg getting out of a train station and then entering the building, stripping down to his gear, and being escorted to the ring by military guys. If you haven't seen it, it's pretty funny just by how long you're watching this guy walk around, but the video makes the rounds every so often so perhaps you're familiar with this entrance.
As for the match, what can I say? Just dull as dirt. Mutoh's 2001 run was only two years behind him, but it might as well have been 20. When Goldberg first gets in there, he's slowly walking around shaking out his limbs, yelling "Bring it, boy!", and fake out kicks to Clark standing on the apron. A low level "hell yeah" if I'm being honest. There's a brawl on the outside, and a monkey wrench is scraped on Goldberg's forehead. There are two pretty annoying segments that seemingly happen back to back where Goldberg gets Clark in an armbar and he gets out with a rope break, and moments later Goldberg gets him back in the armbar, which is broken up by Adams. AND THEN Mutoh hits a dragon screw on Adams and locks on a figure four. Broken up by Clark. ANOTHER dragon screw to Adams into a figure four. Rope break. Folks, all four of these submission attempts were as cold as snow cones in Siberia and felt like they lasted four times longer than they actually did.
There's a ref bump somewhere in this junk, and a table gets brought into the ring. Said table does not get set up for now and lays flat in a corner of the ring while a third of it is hanging out of the ring over the floor. KroniK attempts to double choke slam (High Times, baby) Goldberg onto the not set up table, but Mutoh gets in there to save his partner. Mutoh and Adams go to the outside, Goldberg attempts a jackhammer on Clark, but Adams returns for the save. KroniK whips Goldberg to the ropes, Goldberg dodges and bounces off the ropes to deliver a double spear. Mutoh hits a Shining Wizard on Adams. The table gets set up leaning on one of the ring corners. Clark suplexes Goldberg, but Bill pops back up and spears Clark through the table. And by spearing Clark through the table, I mean Goldberg holds onto Clark as they both run backward and diagonally until they get to the table and plop down into it. Goldberg hits a jackhammer on Clark and gets the pin. As Goldberg hits the jackhammer, the screen above the ring says "JACKHAMMER" in a graphic you'd see at a bowling alley.
Jeez, this match stinks. But you take a look around the ring and see who's involved, I mean, there's only so much you can do. And the final reveal – I've actually seen this show before, but it's been a long time. If I remember correctly (and I suppose the Observer ratings back this up), the Royal Brothers vs. Italian Connection and Hayashi & Ultimo Dragon vs. Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero tags are actually quite enjoyable if you haven't watched this here show.
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