Tiger Mask 2 Versus Bret Hart & 7 Other Rare Wrestling Matches Fans Forgot Happened
The pro wrestling world was stunned when Tony Khan announced a partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Khan and NJPW President Takami Ohbari worked hard to bring the Forbidden Door pay-per-view event to Chicago on June 26, 2022. Fans were already excited about a series of crossovers matches and the event didn’t fail to deliver.
RELATED: After AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door, Should WWE Consider A Crossover Show?
Crossover matches are nothing new. They’ve been a major part of pro wrestling for a long time. Even Vince McMahon used to promote crossover events before WWE completely isolated itself from other pro wrestling promotions. Superstars like Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart all competed outside American soil and against opponents today’s generation of wrestling fans might not be aware of.
8 Tiger Mask II vs. Bret Hart (April 13, 1990)
Mitsuharu Misawa and Bret Hart are widely considered to be two of the greatest performers to step inside the squared circle. The two masters of their craft clashed in what was perhaps their only singles encounter at the Tokyo Dome on April 13, 1990.
Misawa was still competing as Tiger Mask II at the time. Hart, on the other hand, was years away from becoming the face of the WWE. The match, however, failed to live up to its standards as the two competitors spent most of the time on rest holds.
7 Genichiro Tenryu & Koji Kitao vs. Demolition (WrestleMania 7)
Vince McMahon used to invite international stars all the time during the earlier days of WrestleMania. The seventh iteration of the shows of shows was no different as McMahon brought Japanese sensations Genichiro Tenryu and Koji Kitao for a tag match against Demolition.
The match only lasted for about five minutes as Tenryu and Kitao squashed Smash and Crush. WrestleMania VII featured more than a dozen matches including the Hulk Hogan versus Sgt. Slaughter main event and Vince booking Tenryu and Kitao for a squash win seemed logical at the time.
6 Curt Hennig vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (April 12, 1985)
Curt Hennig is widely considered to be one of wrestling’s all-time greats. Hennig demonstrated great in-ring prowess that was complemented by his incredible character work. Hennig competed in various promotions including AJPW before finding himself in WWE.
RELATED: Curt Hennig's 10 Best Matches, According To Cagematch.Net
The future Mr. Perfect took on AJPW’s poster boy Jumbo Tsuruta as part of the AJPW Real World Tag League 1985. Much like Misawa’s match against Hart, this match comprised of basic wrestling maneuvers. Tsuruta won the match with a backdrop.
5 Randy Savage vs. Genichiro Tenryu (April 13, 1990)
Randy Savage was putting on classics after classics before he found himself out of action due to an injury. The Macho Man took on a very formidable opponent in Genichiro Tenryu at the WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit during the nineties.
RELATED: The Best Randy Savage Match Every Year Of The 1990s
Sherri Martel also did a tremendous job of drawing heat from the Japanese crowd who were all behind Mr. Pro Wrestling. Tenryu was arguably the biggest star in Japan at the time and who better to play the ultimate bad guy against him than Savage.
4 Ric Flair vs. Riki Choshu (April 23, 1985)
Ric Flair used to defend his title around the world during the territory days. The Nature Boy put the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the line against AJPW top star Riki Choshu. For those not in the know, Choshu was super over with the fans during the eighties and nineties.
The match wasn’t a masterpiece, per se, yet it managed to showcase Riki Choshu’s incredible mat work and Flair’s selling. Moreover, it built the hype for Ric Flair’s match against Jumbo Tsuruta that took place the very next day.
3 Chyna vs. Masahiro Chono (October 14, 2002)
Chyna was a trailblazer at the height of Monday Night Wars. The Ninth Wonder of the World went toe to toe with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, and Triple H to name a few. The former WWE Women’s Champion also worked a brief stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the early 2000s.
She was invited to work NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament and wrestled Masahiro Chono at The Spiral event, making her the only woman to ever do so in male-dominated New Japan. Chyna showed a lit bit of offense but ultimately lost to New Japan’s biggest bad guy.
2 Scott Hall vs. Keiji Mutoh (September 23, 2001)
The wrestling world mourned the loss of Scott Hall on March 14, 2022. Hall was an incredible worker and helped transformed the wrestling business during the nineties. The Bad Guy joined old friend and rival Keiji Mutoh aka The Great Muta in Japan following the demise of WCW in 2001.
Mutoh was on the run of a lifetime in 2001 and put his Triple Crown Championship on the line against Hall. Their match main evented the card at Namihaya Dome and was completely different from their last singles meeting in 1989.
1 Stan Hansen vs. Hulk Hogan (April 13, 1990)
Stan Hansen and Hulk Hogan collided in what was considered a massive dream match in the nineties. The bout was featured on the same card that had Randy Savage versus Genichiro Tenryu in singles action and main evented the WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit.
Hansen wasted no time getting violent as soon as the bell rang, forcing Hogan to change his strategy and adapt to Hansen’s vicious brawling style. Hansen wore crimson during the extremely physical bout and only lost after the Hulkster delivered a huge Axe Bomber.
