Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome

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Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome
Final Power Hall.jpg
Promotional poster featuring Riki Choshu
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateJanuary 4, 1998 [1]
City Tokyo, Japan
Venue Tokyo Dome
Attendance55,000 [1]
January 4 Tokyo Dome Show chronology
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Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on January 4, 1998 in the Tokyo Dome. Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome was the seventh January 4 Tokyo Dome Show held by NJPW. The show drew 55,000 spectators and $6,000,000 in ticket sales. [1]

Contents

One of the focal points of the show was the retirement of wrestling legend Riki Choshu, who would wrestle five times that night against select opponents in what was billed as the Riki Road Final Message 5, the completion of a months-long "retirement tour" for Choshu. The show also featured successful defenses of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which made Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome the first January 4 Tokyo Dome show to not have a single championship change hands. Besides the five Riki Road Final Message 5 matches the show featured eight additional matches.

Production

Background

The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is NJPW's biggest annual event and has been called "the largest professional wrestling show in the world outside of the United States" and the "Japanese equivalent to the Super Bowl". [2] [3]

Storylines

Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. [4]

Results

No.ResultsStipulationsTimes [1]
1 Kendo Kashin defeated Koji Kanemoto Singles match 12:01
2 Shinjiro Otani (c) defeated Último Dragón Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 17:06
3 Yuji Nagata defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan Singles match11:33
4 Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Satoshi Kojima Tag team match12:39
5 Riki Choshu defeated Kazuyuki Fujita Singles match: Riki Road Final Message 503:57
6Riki Choshu defeated Yutaka Yoshie Singles match: Riki Road Final Message 501:42
7Riki Choshu defeated Tatsuhito Takaiwa Singles match: Riki Road Final Message 501:21
8 Takashi Iizuka defeated Riki ChoshuSingles match: Riki Road Final Message 502:02
9Riki Choshu defeated Jushin Thunder Liger Singles match: Riki Road Final Message 505:09
10 Don Frye defeated Naoya Ogawa via referee stoppageSingles match08:47
11 Shinya Hashimoto defeated Dennis Lane via referee stoppageSingles match01:34
12 Masahiro Chono defeated Shiro Koshinaka Singles match15:05
13 Kensuke Sasaki (c) defeated Keiji Mutoh (with Hiro Saito and Hiroyoshi Tenzan)Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship 25:18
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Power Hall in Tokyo Dome". ProWrestlingHistory.com. January 4, 1998. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  2. "GFW News: New Japan Pro Wrestling "Wrestle Kingdom 9" press conference details". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. December 23, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  3. Keller, Wade (December 13, 2016). "New Japan's WrestleKingdom 11 to air on AXS TV starting Jan. 13 in four weekly special episodes with Ross & Barnett on commentary". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  4. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications . Retrieved October 9, 2017.