February '88 - 28/02 - 29/02 (Koko vs Rude, Rockers vs Orton/Adonis & Hase/Saito/Choshu vs Inoki/Murdoch & Koshinaka)

WWF Wrestling Challenge - 28/02/1988

Rick Rude vs Koko B.Ware

I think these two had a better match in them on a MSG or Boston Garden show, but this was decent. They started off hot and settled into a more cruise control match. Decent enough for TV. **1/2

AWA Superstars - 28/02/1988

AWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Curt Hennig (c) vs. Kevin Kelly (w/Madusa Miceli)

Kevin Kelly is better known as Nailz, but here he’s a bodybuilder Hogan imitation. He is put over as a threat by Hennig’s chickenshit character work. However, there is a lot of posing and posturing and not much wrestling from the guy. The match is short thankfully. Kelly throws Hening over the top rope following his defeat. **1/4

AWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels) (c) vs. Adrian Adonis & Bob Orton

The AWA was dying, and its clear to see, but these still had some talent to speak of. They would leave by the end of the year though (Hening and The Rockers). Adonis and Orton are veterans and now how to work with this hot team. They bumped big, they begged off, cheated and did all the tricks needed for the Rockers to sell and get the shine in the end. Cool little match. ***1/4

NJPW Big Fight Series 1988 - Day 1 - 29/02/1988

Hiroshi Hase, Masa Saito & Riki Choshu vs. Antonio Inoki, Dick Murdoch & Shiro Koshinaka

This was an excellent match, done at a high pace, combining a few differing feuds that overlap, offering potential new ones and then climaxing with a great post match brawl that was almost as entertaining as the match itself. Koshinaka shined as the ultimate FIP that the other wrestlers bullied and beat up. Hase was particularly vicious towards his foe, bringing brutal hammer blows down onto his already bloody face. Murdoch shined once more, throwing terrific punches and wowing the Korakuen crowd with his high spots. Inoki likes to simmer on the outside in these matches but I think he did well along with Saito when the situation called for it too. Koshinaka took the fall, via a lariat, but he was the biggest star in the match in terms of crowd involvement. They were begging for him to win. It didn’t happen but he still got a lot out of it, even among the giants of the industry. The brawl afterwards rocked. Exactly what is missing today. ***3/4

February Awards

Wrestler(s) of the Month: Shiro Koshinaka & Hiroshi Hase

Promotion of the Month: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Matches of the Month:

Nobuhiko Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - NJPW New Year Golden Series 1988 - Day 23 - 04/02/1988

Hiroshi Hase vs Keiichi Yamada - NJPW New Year Golden Series 1988 - Day 23 - 04/02/1988

Hiroshi Hase vs Shiro Koshinaka - NJPW New Year Golden Series 1988 - Day 22 - 01/02/1988

Hiroshi Hase, Masa Saito & Riki Choshu vs. Antonio Inoki, Dick Murdoch & Shiro Koshinaka - NJPW Big Fight Series 1988 - Day 1 - 29/02/1988

Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu & Super Strong Machine - NJPW New Year Golden Series 1988 - Day 26 - 07/02/1988