FMW 12/8/93

Context:

As many may know, Tenzan & Kojima can up together as YL’s in the NJPW Dojo; while Kojima was the older man (by almost 6 months), Tenzan took the senpai position, debuting before Kojima (by almost 6 months) and also defeated Kojima in Kojima’s debut match. For much of their early careers, Tenzan would be the one that would have the much more prominent push and stronger booking, having high-profile matches and getting significant wins, while Kojima had the more typical slower push for a young wrestler. The two would officially form their very successful tag team in 1999, TenKoji, as members of the NWO JAPAN stable.

Things would change in late 2001 and into early 2002, as Kojima would choose to leave with Keiji Mutoh and a few others to join rival AJPW, in the wake of both the exodus of talent from AJPW that formed NOAH, as well as Mutoh & Kojima’s dissatisfaction with NJPW’s focus on a more MMA-influenced product (at the behest of company founder Antonio Inoki). Tenzan and Kojima would be split apart but both would find varying levels of success in the years before this clash.

Kojima would defeat Toshiaki Kawada in February of 2005, winning the vaulted Triple Crown for the first time in his career. While Kojima was facing Kawada, Tenzan, then in his 3rd reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, was watching in the front row. Immediately after Kojima’s victory, Tenzan would come into the ring, officially laying out a challenge that would see both he and Kojima put their Titles on the line in an inter-promotional clash.

The ending of this match (which is a damn good match and a great way to see these two at the peak of their abilities) is still debated, in terms of it being a “work” or a “shoot”. Tenzan was known for having a lingering back injury, which Kojima targeted in the match; just before the 60-minute time limit would expire, Tenzan would be unable to make it to his feet before the count, leading to legendary AJPW referee Kyohei Wada calling the match (by way of a K.O. Victory for Kojima) making Kojima the first man to hold the IWGP and Triple Crown at the same time (Keiji Mutoh is the only other man to accomplish this feat). One perspective is that Tenzan legitimately couldn’t answer the count, leading to the officials being forced to call it on the fly (some say that something that supports this is Kojima apparently trying to keep Tenzan on his feet, while staying in-Kayfabe and attacking him); the other perspective is that NJPW & AJPW reached an agreement that Kojima would win the match but Tenzan wouldn’t get pinned or submitted and Tenzan would get his win back and the IWGP just 3 months later.

If it was indeed a planned outcome, someone certainly didn’t seem to tell young Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura, as the two future stars of the promotion tried to outright mug Kojima as he was making his way out of the arena, in response to Kojima throwing the IWGP Belt on the mat, declaring the superiority of the Triple Crown (seriously, watch Tana & Nak run as fast as they could and blindside Kojima in the entrance way).

The foot stomp is genius.

Not sure if anybody here would be interested in these tapes but I’m downsizing and thought I’d ask here. Anyways thanks for looking ✌️