PWTorch.com - FLASHBACK - WWF vs. NJPW 30 yrs. ago today: Antonio Inoki & 2015 WWE HOF'er vs. Andre & Snuka in Japan

Torch Flashbacks
FLASHBACK - WWF vs. NJPW 30 yrs. ago today: Antonio Inoki & 2015 WWE HOF'er vs. Andre & Snuka in Japan

May 10, 2015 - 2:00:55 AM

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Thirty years ago today, Andre the Giant and Antonio Inoki faced off in a tag team main event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling.

At the time of May 10, 1985, WWF/E and New Japan had a working relationship that led to the likes of Andre, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka, King Kong Bundy, and Bill Eadie (a/k/a Masked Superstar or Ax of Demolition) traveling to Japan for international match-ups.

In this particular main event, it was Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, against Andre and Jimmy Snuka.

Stateside, WWF had just promoted the first WrestleMania in March 1985. A few months later, Hogan traveled to Japan to defend the WWF World Title against Fujinami, which Vince McMahon attended in-person to oversee the match. Danny Hodge was special referee.

The same show featured Inoki vs. Andre in a singles match. Then, Hogan faced Inoki on June 13, 1985 in a battle of the WWF champion and IWGP World Hvt. champion.

New Japan's NJPW World streaming service has some of the big 1985 matches in their video library, including matches featuring Hogan, Andre, and Bruiser Brody.

[Torch photo credit Mike Lano (c) PWTorch.com]