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January, 1998
- A massive 65,000 packed into the Tokyo Dome on 1/4 to see the retirement of a legend, "Power Hall" Riki Choshu. Shinjiro Otani made the 5th defense of his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, holding back a strong challenge from Ultimo Dragon in an exceptional match. Yuji Nagata, returning from WCW for one match, defeated nWo Japan's Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Nagata will go back to WCW and return home later in the year. In the next match, Osamu Nishimura made his full-time return to New Japan, teaming with his mentor, Tatsumi Fujinami, to down Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima, Nishimura pinning Kojima. Then came Riki Choshu's "Riki Road Final Message", five consecutive matches. He downed Kazuyuki Fujita in just under 4 minutes, then made even shorter work of young lion, Yutaka Yoshie. Rising junior, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, lasted just 1:21 before submitting. Then came a big surprise, as Takashi Iizuka forced Choshu to submit to an achilles tendon hold. Power Hall dug down deep, winning his final match against junior ace, Jushin Thunder Liger, even doing a pescado (slingshot plancha) in the match! Following the show, Choshu had a parade in the ring, receiving a bouquet of flowers from his beloved daughters, then walking to the back one more time. Don Frye, who caused an incredible scene in the Tokyo Dome, having trash hurled at him from fans, defeated Naoya Ogawa. Frye was jeered heavily for his diabolical rulebreaking, and a rematch is planned. Shinya Hashimoto beat Dennis Lane by TKO in only 1:34 when Lane abruptly broke his leg. Shiro Koshinaka made his return from a lengthy injury, falling to Masahiro Chono's Yakuza kick. The main event saw a 25 minute battle over the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Fittingly, Riki Choshu's greatest student, Kensuke Sasaki, downed the third of the "Three Musketeers", Keiji Muto, pinning him after a Northern Light bomb to successfully defend the belt. Kensuke now has recent wins over Choshu, Muto, Chono and Hashimoto, establishing himself as the top man in New Japan. - After the 1/4 show, interesting comments were made. Chono declared that he wanted a specialized contract that let him move freely, saying that he planned to wrestle on All Japan's Tokyo Dome show later in the year. In another big statement, Fujinami appealed to All Japan legend, Jumbo Tsuruta, for a singles match this year. - On 1/5, it was announced that Michiyoshi Ohara would leave on a short excursion to WCW soon. There is the possibility of Ohara meeting up with freelancers, Hiromichi Fuyuki and Gedo, then bringing them into New Japan. - On 1/6, it was announced that former FMW junior star, Nanjyo Hayato, would work the "FIGHTING SPIRIT 1998" tour. Hayato wants to ascend the elite junior ladder in New Japan. The main matches for the card were announced, focal points being the returning Nishimura challenging Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, Nakanishi & Kojima challenging Muto & Chono for the IWGP Tag Team Title, and Liger challenging Otani for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, all on the 2/7 TV taping. - In preparation for his title match, Osamu Nishimura will train in America, leaving on 1/8, before heading over the Hannover, Germany, on 1/17 to compete in a wrestling event there. - On 1/7 in Shinjuku, Choshu had a retirement commemoration party. Along with Inoki and Sakaguchi, former New Japan graduate wrestlers, Nobuhiko Takada and Masakatsu Funaki, were in attendance. - Also on 1/7, Tenzan and Ohara left for America. Tenzan was nominated as an nWo representative by Eric Bischoff. Bischoff said that he is considering signing Tenzan to a 3-4 year contract that would keep him in America. - On 1/8, Tenzan faced Ohara on WCW's new "Thursday Thunder" program. Tenzan won the match with a diving headbutt, but they are expected to meet again. - On 1/9, it was revealed that Muhammed Ali, the famous boxer who's match with Inoki so many years ago arguably made Inoki a legend, would be invited to Inoki's retirement show on 4/4 at the Tokyo Dome. - Also on 1/9, Genichiro Tenryu nominated Naoya Ogawa as the first challenger for his J-1 Heavyweight Title, saying he wanted to fight Ogawa on the 4/4 show. This isn't the first challenge Tenryu has made to Ogawa. - On 1/10, Inoki invited heavyweight boxer, Yosuke Nishijima, to fight on the 4/4 show. - On 1/12, Inoki again announced plans for his world martial arts group, saying the axis would be Ogawa. He also said there was a possibility that young New Japan wrestlers could fight in the promotion. A dojo has been established near New Japan's own in Tokyo, with an interpromotional alliance expected. - Also on 1/12, Fujinami elaborated a little on his challenge to Jumbo Tsuruta. Fujinami said All Japan's 5/1 Tokyo Dome show would be a suitable setting and suggested a tag match, if not a singles match. - Still on 1/12, negotiations between New Japan and K-1 re-opened, with Shinya Hashimoto's name again the focus of things. Hashimoto may fight a K-1 fighter on 4/4. - On 1/13, New Japan undercard wrestler and dojo trainer, Black Cat, made his WCW debut on Monday Nitro, losing by a narrow margin to Marty Jannetty. - Also on 1/13, back in America, anti-nWo member, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, had talks with Tenzan about possibly recruiting him out of the nWo. Of course, Tenzan disregarded the invitation. - Still on 1/13, an article in Weekly Gong said that New Japan would be running the Osaka Dome after the G1 Climax, which could mean the proposed National Stadium show could be called off or two major shows could be held in Autumn. - On 1/16, Fujinami announced that his next Muga show would be on 3/3. New Japan wrestlers involved will be Nishimura, Takaiwa and young lion, Shinya Makabe. - Also on 1/16, Chono said that since Inoki was retiring, the "IWGP" name was no longer needed for titles. Chono demanded an overhaul and renaming of New Japan's title belts. - On 1/17, Inoki's new world martial arts venture suffered a blow, as one of it's competitors, Dan Severn, signed a contract with the WWF in America. - Ohara teamed with Tenzan in America, fueling rumours that Ohara will join nWo Japan upon return. Ohara was seen associating with the nWo in WCW, which adds to the speculation. - Tenzan returned home on 1/17, saying that he had talks with Bischoff and Hollywood Hogan. Tenzan hinted that Bret Hart would compete on the 4/4 show. - On 1/18, Satoshi Kojima declared that he was starting his own army, which would be comprised of himself, Manabu Nakanishi and Osamu Nishimura. Kojima challenged Kensuke Sasaki to a generation war. - Since Takashi Iizuka had surgery on both elbows, he will miss the January tour and is expected to return in April. - On 1/20, news about contracts were revealed. IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kensuke Sasaki, re-signed with New Japan, gaining a steep wage rise. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Shinjiro Otani, also put pen to paper. The big news was that Hashimoto wouldn't sign, having a disagreement over money. The two sides will have another meeting, but Hashimoto was disappointed that they couldn't come to terms. Meanwhile, Tenzan is still unsure what to do. He briefly cut off contact with Chono, hinting that he would stay in WCW, but isn't certain. - On 1/21, Hashimoto came to terms with New Japan and formally signed a new contract. Hashimoto's top priority in 1998 is to win his first ever G1 Climax. Hashimoto also said he would continue to have Different Style Fight matches. - On 1/22, Naoya Ogawa pleaded with senpai, Inoki, to be his opponent on 4/4 for his final match. Inoki isn't sure how to reply, as he's reluctant to face his pupil. - Also on 1/22, New Japan and Chono had the longest negotiation meeting in New Japan history, which lasted for 4 1/2 hours. The difference of wanted/offered money was tens of millions of yen. Chono refuses to sign and may do a similar deal as last year, competing a lot in WCW. - On 1/23, nWo Japan's Keiji Muto re-signed with New Japan. Chono also got his way, New Japan breaking down and giving him a huge wage wise in exchange for his services. - nWo Japan and it's official baseball team, the Yokohama Baystars, had a joint training session on 1/24. Outfielder Naonori Suzuki and pitcher Daisuke Miura were in attendance. Chono gave a lecture on how to conduct yourself in a brawl. - On 1/26, it was announced that Riki Choshu's former tag partner, Masa Saito, and referee Pete Takahashi would retire in Autumn. Masa will concentrate on his Foreign Affairs role within the company, while Takahashi will be a training advisor. - Also on 1/26, Ogawa returned to the Rey Gance Dojo to train for his rematch with Frye on 2/15. - "FIGHTING SPIRIT 1998" opened on 1/26 at the place it all began, Ota Ward Gymnasium. The big news was that Tatsutoshi Goto & Michiyoshi Ohara backstabbed the nWo in the main event, returning to their opponents on the day, Heisei Ishingun. Goto & Ohara said they would go after Muto & Chono's tag belts. Chono introduced his new nWo bodyguard, Big Titan, who will soon begin competing in New Japan. - The war between nWo Japan and Heisei Ishingun heated up on the 1/27 show, when in the eight man tag main event, Goto pinned Muto after a backdrop suplex. - Also on 1/27, Genichiro Tenryu's WAR and Nobuhiko Takada's Kingdom collapsed consecutively, and are expected to cease operations soon. New Japan president, Seiji Sakaguchi, sent a love-call to both men and wants to use them as freelancers in New Japan. - BattlARTS leader, Yuki Ishikawa, said that he wanted to face Inoki on the 4/4 show. Ishikawa grew up idolizing Inoki and it is his dream to face his mentor. - On 1/28, Muto said that he wanted to resume Different Style Fight matches, possibly facing shoot fighters from outside of New Japan. - On 1/30, Sasaki sent out a grave warning to Nishimura, saying he would win their match by KO with a lariat, sending Nishimura to hospital as a result. - Big Titan debuted on 1/30, teaming with Muto & Chono to defeat Koshinaka, Goto & Ohara, when he used a high-angle chokeslam to finish off Ohara. - Having "gotten bored of exterminating the Freedom Dogs", Chono said that his next plan was to deprive Nishimura of his IWGP Heavyweight Title shot. Chono wants Tenzan or Titan to get the shot.
February, 1998 - On 2/2, Ogawa demanded a tournament that would determine Antonio Inoki's retirement opponent. - Also on 2/2, Chono continued to speak down at New Japan, saying the nWo would destroy the IWGP titles by winning them, then doing whatever they wanted with the belts. - During a six man tag on 2/3, Nishimura choked Sasaki out at ringside with a sleeper hold. He'd like to use the same technique in their title match. - On 2/4, the nWo demanded that Norton vs. Sasaki on the tour climax show be made into an IWGP Heavyweight Title match. They disregarded the possibility of Nishimura winning the belt, with Kensuke their target. - Also on 2/4, Muto expressed concern, as his left knee continued to bother him. Muto feels uneasy about defending the IWGP Tag Title on 2/7 with his knee in such a bad way. - On the 2/7 TV taping at Nakajima Sports Center, three titles were on the line. In an incredible match, Jushin Thunder Liger became the 32nd IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, brainbustering Shinjiro Otani after 23 minutes of war. Muto & Chono made their 1st defense of the IWGP Tag Team Title, fighting off a strong threat, former champions Nakanishi & Kojima, Chono forcing Kojima to submit in 21 1/2 minutes. Finally, Sasaki made the 3rd defense of his IWGP Heavyweight Title, lariating Nishimura for the 3 count. However, Nishimura left a good impression, as he lasted 25 minutes with the champion. - New Japan returned to Nakajima Sports Center on 2/8, drawing another sell out crowd. Tatsuhito Takaiwa brutalized outsider, Nanjyo Hayato, breaking his nose and dropping him on his neck with a Death Valley bomb, en route to a dominant victory. Just a day after dethroning Otani, Liger took out his other rival, Koji Kanemoto, the two having an exceptional 22 minute war. Meanwhile, Otani had opposite luck, again losing, this time to Kendo Kashin. The main event saw nWo Japan (Muto, Chono, Norton, Tenzan, nWo Sting & Titan) defeat New Japan (Sasaki, Hashimoto, Nakanishi, Kojima, Nishimura & Yasuda) in a 2/3 Falls Match, Norton powerbombing Hashimoto to win the decisive fall. Chono was unhappy with referee Takahashi and demanded New Japan let him bring his own referee to matches. - On 2/9, Nanjyo Hayato received news that he would miss three months of action after the beating Takaiwa gave him in Sapporo. - Also on 2/9, Inoki announced that he would hold a tournament to decide his retirement opponent, as many people wanted to face him. The tournament begins on 3/22 in Aichi, continuing and concluding on 4/4 at the Tokyo Dome. Hashimoto boycotted the tournament, saying he wanted no part of it. - On 2/10, Chono, aiming at destruction of the old organization and value, such as Inoki and the IWGP, categorically denied Inoki's retirement tournament, saying he wanted no part of the old man's nonsense. However, Genichiro Tenryu said at WAR's 2/10 convention that he would like to face Inoki, hinting at 4/4 participation again. - On the 2/11 Osaka show, "new generation vigor" was shown, as Nakanishi, Kojima & Nishimura defeated Sasaki, Hashimoto & Kazuo Yamazaki when Nakanishi forced Yamazaki to submit to an Argentine backbreaker. - Also on 2/11, Fujinami said that he would have loved to face Inoki in his retirement match, but doesn't believe he is in good enough condition to go through a tournament to get there. However, Fujinami is expected to meet Giant Baba and hold further talks about a possible match with Jumbo Tsuruta. - Cycling stars, Hirohito Yamada and Koji Yamaguchi, joined nWo Japan on 2/13, as Chono continues to expand the nWo franchise into other sports. - Also on 2/13, Keiji Muto declared to Inoki that he wanted to fight Mike Tyson. Muto said that if Inoki didn't agree, he'd probably go and wrestle in the WWF instead. - On 2/15, 3-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Norio Honaga, said that he would retire and become a referee in the near future. His retirement match is expected to be on the next tour. - 13,000 fans showed up at Tokyo Nippon Budokan for the "FIGHTING SPIRIT 1998" tour climax on 2/15. Naoya Ogawa gained revenge from 1/4, beating Don Frye in a Different Style Fight Match with a triangle choke hold. Inoki rushed in the ring and scuffled with Frye, who was again bending the rules. The main concept of the show was a seven match New Japan vs. nWo Japan confrontation. New Japan won the series 4-3, but the main event saw the nWo's Scott Norton pin IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kensuke Sasaki, in a non-title match. Curt Hennig, a member of the American nWo, also competed, downing Satoshi Kojima.
1. Manabu Nakanishi - On 2/16, the main event of the 3/3 Muga show was announced as Fujinami vs. Yuki Ishikawa, a battle of two master technicians. - On 2/17, it was announced that New Japan would send wrestlers to Umanosuke Ueda's retirement show on 4/16 at Kumamoto City Gymnasium. - On 2/18, Ric Flair and Yoshiaki Fujiwara's names were brought up as possible participants in the Inoki retirement tournament. - On 2/20, Inoki celebrated his 55th birthday, but said, "I am still 35 years old", proud of the good physical shape he is in. - On 2/22, five out of thirty-five people passed the New Japan dojo examination. One of them was the son of New Japan referee, Katsuhisa Shibata, named Katsuyori. - Also on 2/22, FMW's Hisakatsu Oya, a New Japan dojo graduate, challenged his mentor, Tatsumi Fujinami, to a match, possibly in Muga. - Still on 2/22, Chono remarked that Fujinami would be forced into retirement by the nWo. Chono wants Fujinami to follow Choshu and Inoki out of the ring. - On 2/23, Ogawa, Frye and Kazuyuki Fujita were announced as the first three participants in the Inoki countdown tournament. Genichiro Tenryu doesn't appear to be competing in this tournament, despite wanting to. - On 2/24, it was announced that Fujinami would have five tag matches against the nWo Japan on the "HYPER BATTLE 1998" tour, teaming with different New Japan army members. Fujinami is fighting to preserve New Japan history, against the faction that would overthrow the old system.
March, 1998 - On 3/2, first round matches for the Inoki Final Tournament were announced. Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Igor Meindert, Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Brian Johnston, Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Don Frye and Naoya Ogawa vs. David Beneteau are the four matches to take place on 3/22. - Also on 3/2, several matches for the 4/4 Tokyo Dome show were announced. Kendo Kashin challenges Jushin Thunder Liger for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, Hashimoto & Nishimura challenge Muto & Chono for the IWGP Tag Team Title, and Tatsumi Fujinami challenges Kensuke Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. - Muga held it's latest show on 3/3 in Tokyo. The main event saw Nishimura & Yuki Ishikawa beat Fujinami & Shinichi Nakano when Nishimura used a Northern Light suplex hold on Nakano. FMW's Hisakatsu Oya and former WAR wrestler, Koki Kitahara, appeared at the show and said they would wrestle for Muga in the future. The next Muga show is scheduled for June. - It was announced that Norio Honaga's retirement match wouldn't take place on the upcoming tour, but in April at Tokyo Korakuen Hall. After that, he will become a full-time referee. - Also on 3/6, it was announced that Genichiro Tenryu's mystery tag partner on the 3/10 WAR Korakuen Hall show would be Shiro Koshinaka. Koshinaka will most likely bring Tenryu to New Japan, where he will assist Heisei Ishingun. - Still on 3/6, the "HYPER BATTLE 1998" tour began at Niigata City Gymnasium. Kendo Kashin forced El Samurai to submit in the first of his "Single Match Series". Meanwhile, "Dragon vs. nWo Japan Tag Match Series" began with the main event, Fujinami & Hashimoto beating Chono & Michael Wallstreet when Fujinami surprisingly pinned Chono with a ground Cobra Twist. - In the 3/6 Weekly Gong, Choshu said that things would get interesting in summer, hinting that stars from other promotions would compete for New Japan. - On 3/7, Chono, perhaps getting concerned, sent a love-call to Fujinami, inviting him to join nWo Japan. - Also on 3/7, Inoki codenamed his new venture IMAF, which stands for International Martial Arts Federation. - On 3/9, a crowd of 8,000 turned out at Kyoto Prefectural Gymnasium. Kashin went 2-0, making Koji Kanemoto submit. Muto & Chono downed Fujinami & Nishimura in the main event, Nishimura submitting to a figure-four leglock. This made Dragon's series against the nWo 1-1. - On 3/10, it was announced that New Japan would run at the Osaka Dome on 8/8 and that the G1 Climax would run from 7/31 to 8/2. This announcement said nothing about the proposed National Stadium or Tokyo Dome show tentatively scheduled for later in the year. - Also on 3/10, it was announced that Genichiro Tenryu would participate on the "BATTLE LINE KYUSHU" series in April, forming a tag team with Koshinaka. - On 3/11, Inoki visited America, promising a raid on ultimate fighter promotions. Inoki wants to recruit some for IMAF. - On 3/12, nWo Japan sent a love-call to Tenryu, doing an in-ring interview and inviting him to join their elite group. - On 3/13, K-1 superintendent Ishii requested New Japan let Hashimoto compete in the K-1 Grand Prix '98. - On 3/14, Hashimoto refused to compete in K-1's Grand Prix. Hashimoto said that his strength can't be demonstrated in kickboxing, saying that professional wrestling is the strongest style and he wants to fight that style. He said he would continue to do more Different Style Fight matches on New Japan shows. - On 3/15 at Miyagi Sports Center, Kashin went 3-0, forcing the referee to stop his match with Liger, who he will challenge for the IWGP Jr. Title on 4/4. In the main event, Fujinami & Yamazaki beat Muto & Tenzan, Fujinami using a figure-four leglock on Muto to go 2-1 in his series. - Also in 3/15, after some talk last year, Wrestle Yume Factory's young star, Masakazu Fukuda, announced he would be wrestling in the 1998 Best of the Super Jr. Tournament. - On 3/18, Fujinami made the startling announcement that if he couldn't beat Sasaki and win the IWGP Heavyweight Title on 4/4, he would retire from wrestling. This would mean he'd be retiring on the same day as his mentor, Inoki. - On 3/20, former UWF-I matchmaker, Yoji Anjo, announced he is interested in joining Inoki's IMAF. - On 3/21 at Amagasaki Memorial Park Gymnasium, Kashin went 4-0 in his single match series, choking out Tatsuhito Takaiwa. Fujinami went 2-2 in his tag challenge against the nWo, he and Satoshi Kojima losing to Chono & Tenzan when Chono used an STF to finish off Kojima. - 3/22 saw 9,500 fans turn out for the big Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium TV taping. The first four matches were Inoki Final Tournament round one contests, each going under 8 minutes. Igor Meindert beat Kazuyuki Fujita by TKO, Brian Johnston beat Yoshiaki Fujiwara by TKO, Don Frye beat Kazuo Yamazaki by KO, and Naoya Ogawa beat David Beneteau with a cross armbreaker. Kashin finished his single match challenge with a perfect 5-0 record, forcing Shinjiro Otani to submit to a reverse cross armbreaker. The main event saw Fujinami finish his own series 3-2, he and Kensuke Sasaki beating Chono & Big Titan when Sasaki made Titan submit. - On 3/23, Tenryu said he would bring the J-1 Heavyweight Title to New Japan and also challenge for the IWGP titles. - On 3/24, Sponichi broke a story that K-1 fighter, Nobuaki Kakuda, might face IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kensuke Sasaki, at the Osaka Dome on 8/8. - On the 3/24 tour climax, tension between Muto and Chono arose, when Chono called Muto selfish. Chono isn't happy with their teamwork, even though they teamed with Tenzan and Hiro to convincingly defeat Fujinami, Hashimoto, Hirata & Nishimura in today's main event. - Still on 3/24, it was announced that Bob Backlund and William Ruska, a former rival of Inoki, would be special guests along with Muhammed Ali at the Tokyo Dome on 4/4. - On 3/25, Koshinaka said that he wanted to team with Tenryu at the Tokyo Dome. - On 3/26, "Fighting Spirit 3" for the Sony Playstation was put on shelves, with a retail price of 6,800 yen. In addition to over forty wrestlers, an editing system has been implemented into the game, along with some data relating to Inoki's retirement. - Also on 3/26, Yamazaki, Hirata & Yasuda vs. Koshinaka, Goto & Ohara and Nakanishi & Kojima vs. Tenzan & Hiro were added to the 4/4 show, so Koshinaka didn't get his wish of teaming with Tenryu on the show. - Still on 3/26, New Japan announced it would begin airing PPV versions of it's TV tapings on the PPV system, DirecTV, a different show airing every Tuesday in April. The unedited 1/4/98 Tokyo Dome show will be broadcasted first, with a 500 yen cost. - After his tag title defense on 4/4, Muto is to undergo knee surgery. Surgery is expected to be on 4/13, with Muto returning after summer. - On 3/31, Inoki gained permanent residency in the USA. Inoki said he wants to live in New York, but run his martial arts league out of Los Angeles. Inoki resigned from his role as New Japan chairman, wanting to fully concentrate on IMAF.
April, 1998 - On 4/1, after deciding never to use it again around a decade before, Fujinami removed the ban on his Dragon suplex hold at last, saying he would probably have to use it on 4/4. - On 4/3, Hiroyoshi Tenzan gave his thoughts on legend, Genichiro Tenryu. Tenzan said he would grab Tenryu and throw him off the edge of a high cliff. - On 4/4, Yoshihiro Tajiri (Big Japan), Yuji Yasuraoka (WAR), Shiryu (Kaz Hayashi of WCW) and Masakazu Fukuda (Wrestle Yume Factory) were officially announced as participants in the 1998 Best of the Super Jr. Tournament, along with the New Japan regulars and a couple of undecided outsiders. - After a glorious 38-year career, the creator of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Strong Style itself, Antonio Inoki, retired. A record-breaking crowd of 70,000 people sold out the Tokyo Dome to witness the final match of not just a pro wrestling icon, but a cultural icon. The show began with the two Inoki Final Tournament semi finals, Naoya Ogawa beating Brian Johnston and Don Frye downing Igor Meindert. The final saw Frye and Ogawa meet for the third time, Frye going 2-1 up in their series and preventing Ogawa from facing his mentor in the final, when he TKO'd Ogawa. Despite a flawless singles record on the last tour, Kendo Kashin was unable to take the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title from Jushin Thunder Liger, falling to an avalanche-style brainbuster. Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono made the 2nd defense of their IWGP Tag Team Title, beating Shinya Hashimoto & Osamu Nishimura, when Chono forced Nishimura to submit. In what many consider to be a huge upset, Tatsumi Fujinami dethroned Kensuke Sasaki to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title, hitting a German suplex hold to begin his sixth overall and first reign since 1994. Fujinami was able to avoid retirement, doing so in style. The main event, which 70,000 people paid to see, saw Inoki wrestle one last time, using a ground Cobra Twist to defeat ultimate fighter, Don Frye. Muhammed Ali and others farewelled Inoki from pro wrestling, but his influence will remain. Revenue from this mammoth show was estimated at over 1 billion yen. - On 4/5, Antonio Inoki gave his mixed martial arts venture an official name. Called Universal Fighting Arts Organization (UFO), the promotion will launch later in the year. - On 4/6, Tenzan demanded he be Fujinami's first challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. - On 4/8, former WAR wrestler, Koki Kitahara, said he wants to fight in Inoki's UFO. - Also on 4/8, with Muto getting knee surgery, Chono rejected New Japan's demand that they vacate the IWGP Tag Team Title, saying the belts were staying in the nWo. - On 4/9, Inoki and Ogawa attended K-1's Yokohama convention, where handshakes were exchanged. There is talk of K-1 and UFO working together. - On 4/10, Muto let his future plans be known. He said he is uninterested in the IWGP Tag Title, as he can win those any time, but targetted Fujinami's IWGP Heavyweight Title. Muto brightly said that he would again become the symbol of New Japan, only now as an nWo Japan member. - On 4/11, it was announced that a tournament would be held to determine new IWGP Tag Team Champions. 6/3 and 6/5 are leading location candidates for the final(s) to take place at. - On 4/13, it was announced that Liger would be Norio Honaga's retirement opponent. - Also on 4/13, Chono still refused to hand over the IWGP Tag Team Title, saying he would defend them himself if he had to. - On 4/15, Chono announced that Muto, after having both knees operated on, would miss at least three months of action. - On 4/16, it was decided that Hashimoto would be Fujinami's first challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. The match was set for 6/5 at Tokyo Nippon Budokan. Hashimoto said that although his main aim is to win the G1 Climax this year, he'd take the title with him. - On 4/20, Muto & Chono returned the IWGP Tag Team Title to New Japan, after much stalling. Six teams were announced to compete in the tournament to determine new champions, those being Chono & Tenzan, Titan & Wallstreet, Sasaki & Yamazaki, Nakanishi & Kojima, Tenryu & Koshinaka and Goto & Ohara. - On 4/21, it was announced that Nanjyo Hayato, returning from the injury caused by Takaiwa, would compete in the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament. - On 4/25, Nikkan Sports broke a story that both Tiger Jeet Singh and Gran Hamada might appear in UFO when it launches. Yoji Anjo is expected to compete in the promotion as well. - On 4/26, the "BATTLE LINE KYUSHU 1998" tour concluded. Tenryu finished the series with a 9-1 record, having a strong start to his New Japan stay. - On 4/30 at Tokyo Korakuen Hall, 3-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Norio Honaga, called it a day, retiring as a pro wrestler. Honaga fell to Jushin Thunder Liger's shotei, losing the match. However, a special match was added with Honaga, Liger & El Samurai facing Kanemoto, Otani & Takaiwa. Honaga hit a beautiful huracanrana, pinning Takaiwa to retire a winner. Honaga will now begin duties as a referee for New Japan.
May, 1998 - On 5/4, the Best of the Super Jr. schedule was announced. The other participant, in addition to those ones previously announced, is luchadore, Felino. - On 5/6, it was announced that Don Frye vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara and a junior Elimination Match would take place on the 6/5 Tokyo Nippon Budokan show. - On 5/10, Tenzan sent notice to Tenryu and Fujinami that he would destroy both of them with a new move called a "Buffalo sleeper". The technique sees him apply a sleeper hold with one arm, while twisting the victim's left arm from behind. - On 5/11, Ogawa concluded fasting, succeeding in losing 7kg in just three days. - Also on 5/11, Chono revealed the economic effect of the nWo in the last fiscal year was about 4,300 million yen. - Still on 5/11, Muto's return from surgery and rehabilitation was set for 7/14 in Sapporo. - On 5/12, Hashimoto said he would inspect Fujinami's 5/15 Muga show for strategies on how to beat Fujinami in their upcoming title match. - On 5/13, Koji Kanemoto and Shinjiro Otani repeated their 1997 vow, saying they'd meet each other in the BOSJ final. - On 5/14, WCW's Kaz Hayashi announced he was no longer Shiryu from Michinoku Pro, but now Hayashi. - On 5/15, Sasaki said he wasn't interested in the New Japan vs. nWo Japan vs. Heisei Ishingun situation right now, and that he was more interested in facing Genichiro Tenryu in a singles match. - As promised, Hashimoto showed up at Muga's 5/15 show. He said that he would crush Muga when he beat Fujinami for the title. - On 5/16, the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament opened in Matsuda, with a surprise result seeing Takaiwa defeat Liger. - On 5/20, President Sakaguchi went to America for meetings with WCW. The possibility of a WCW Asia venture appeared, as did speculation that Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman would compete on the 8/8 Osaka Dome show. - On 5/22, it was announced that Tadao Yasuda, Liger and Kashin would appear on WAR's 5/31 Gunma and 6/1 Korakuen Hall shows. - On the 5/22 show, Hashimoto got into an argument with Nakanishi, after Hashimoto made no effort to save Nakanishi from a pinfall, which Kojima ended up breaking anyway. - On 5/26, Naoya Ogawa declared "I am not Naoya Ogawa of New Japan, I am Naoya Ogawa of UFO!", splitting with New Japan completely it seems. - On 5/26 in the BOSJ, Masakazu Fukuda scored a big upset, pinning Tatsuhito Takaiwa after an STO. - On 5/27, two enemies, Ogawa and Don Frye, united at Inoki's wish. Both are affiliated with UFO now and the possibility arose of Ogawa seconding Frye on New Japan's 6/5 Nippon Budokan show. - On 5/27, it was announced by Weekly Fight that Yuji Nagata would return full-time to New Japan from WCW on the "SUMMER STRUGGLE 1998" tour. - On 5/31, Chono cancelled his appearances on the next tour, saying he was going to America to inspect the U.S. nWo.
June, 1998 - On 6/1, it was announced that Kengo Kimura would run for the Upper House election in July, as part of the Democratic Party. - 8,000 fans sold out Osaka Central Gymnasium on 6/3 to see the climax of the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament. Matches from the IWGP Tag Tournament also took place. First round matches saw Nakanishi & Kojima beat Goto & Ohara and Sasaki & Yamazaki beat Wallstreet & Titan. Semi final matches also took place, with Tenryu & Koshinaka downing Nakanishi & Kojima and Chono & Tenzan defeating Sasaki & Yamazaki, Chono pinning Sasaki in that match. An outstanding BOSJ final saw Koji Kanemoto defeat luchadore, Dr. Wagner Jr., in a near-half hour epic. - The tour concluded on 6/5, with 13,000 fans selling out Tokyo Nippon Budokan. A Super Jr. Elimination Match highlighted the undercard, with Kendo Kashin getting consecutive cross armbreaker submissions out of Hayashi and Takaiwa within one minute to win it for his team. Don Frye destroyed Yoshiaki Fujiwara in a Different Style Fight Match, the referee having to stop the match. Chono & Tenzan captured the vacant IWGP Tag Team Title and took them straight back to the nWo, beating Tenryu & Koshinaka when Chono pinned Koshinaka. The main event saw Fujinami successfully defend the IWGP Heavyweight Title for the first time, putting away Shinya Hashimoto in over 20 minutes with a sleeper hold. Backstage at the show, Naoya Ogawa got into a scuffle with Seiji Sakaguchi, the two struggling for 30 seconds. Sakaguchi, like Ogawa a former judo star, called the Inoki disciple "deplorable" and bid farewell to him from New Japan. - On 6/8, matches for "SUMMER STRUGGLE 1998" were announced. A double header at Nakajima Sports Center on 7/14 and 7/15 was the focal point. On 7/14, Tenzan finally gets his shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Title, challenging Fujinami. On 7/15, Liger defends the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against Kanemoto, while the main event sees Chono & Tenzan defend their newly won IWGP Tag Team Title against the team they defeated in the tournament final, Tenryu & Koshinaka. Despite reports, Yuji Nagata was not listed on lineups. - On 6/10, Chono rejected Tenryu & Koshinaka's challenge, despite the match already being set. Chono said he and Tenzan had already defeated this team, so why should they do it again? He continued by saying Goto & Ohara would get a shot at the belts instead. - On 6/14, Chono and Tenzan left for America and WCW. Chono wants to inspect the nWo crisis over there, which has seen Kevin Nash form an nWo "red" breakaway group to oppose Hollywood Hogan's nWo "white" faction. - On 6/15, IWGP Tag Team Champions, Chono and Tenzan, competed on WCW Monday Nitro. They carried the belts to the ring and destroyed High Voltage, before assisting Hollywood Hogan's group against Kevin Nash's. Chono still isn't 100% sure what side he will align with. - On 6/18, after losing a match by DQ, Chono and Tenzan officially joined up with Hogan's crew. - On 6/19, it was announced that a new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title would be formed later in the year, with a round-robin tournament to be held during the G1 Climax. The two most successful teams will then meet at the Osaka Dome on 8/8 to determine the first champions. Speaking of the G1 Climax, it will be a 16-man elimination tournament, featuring Muto vs. Tenryu in the first round. - On 6/22, Sakaguchi was re-elected as New Japan president. In addition, Antonio Inoki, who retreated from his role as chairman, will remain as an advisor. - On 6/25, Fujinami made an astonishing statement. He said that he wouldn't care if his defense against Tenzan became a Lumberjack Match, with nWo members surrounding the ring. - On the 6/27 show, as nWo Japan watched in confusion, the New Japan army exploded into warfare, after Sasaki slapped Fujinami. - On 6/30, Sakaguchi banished Ogawa from the New Japan ring, saying he was no longer welcome. Sakaguchi said that if Ogawa wanted to appear on the 7/14-15 Sapporo shows, which has been hinted, he'd have to buy a ticket at full admission costs. - Also on 6/30, it was determined that nWo Japan's own CD, titled "BLACK SYMPHONY", would hit shelves on 7/25. It features twelve tracks, including the entrance themes of Chono, Tenzan and Hiro. - Chono said on 6/30 that after Tenzan won the IWGP Heavyweight Title from Fujinami, they would go to America and defend the belt there. - The main card for the 8/8 Osaka Dome super-show was also announced on 6/30. Chono faces the winner of Fujinami vs. Tenzan for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. In a dream match, Shinya Hashimoto faces Genichiro Tenryu. Kensuke Sasaki faces a tough challenge, going against UFO's Don Frye. The alledged parent-and-child team of Great Kabuki & Great Muta team up. And after so long away from Japan, Yuji Nagata finally returns, teaming with Kazuyuki Fujita to face Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima.
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beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan 
(11:14) with an Argentine backbreaker.