Tremendous Tirades: The Best Of Big Van Vader

I continue my quest of classic style reviewing with a classic look at Big Van Vader in Japan! This fine DVD, along with hundreds of other titles can be found at IVPVideos.com. IVPvideos.com is where I am starting to build my Puro collection from; they have 80’s Japan TV all the way through recent events! Check them out, and tell them Larry from 411 sent you.

Now I watch a good bit, but besides the Super J Cup 1994 I haven’t reviewed much Puro at all. If you are a huge Puro mark (Mike, I’m looking at you) and I call a move or you think I didn’t rate something right…be polite when emailing me.

For the Vacant IWGP Title: Big Van Vader vs. Shinya Hashimoto (4/24/89)

This is the finals of an 8-man tournament held that evening with the winner receiving the IWGP Title. The title had been vacated by Tatsumi Fujinami on April 5th. Lou Thez is the special Referee for the match. Other info is that Vader is wearing a full mask here, not the “strap-like” version he is known for. He also has the bad ass ring entrance helmet with the smoke that always makes me mark out.

Very tentative to start, and they go for a test of strength. Vader into a side headlock, but Hashimoto escapes and gets a wristlock. Hashimoto twists the arm and Vader to one knee and finally to the ropes for a break. Spinning backhand by Vader drops Hashimoto. To his feet and a lock up, but Vader with knees to Hashimoto. Side headlock takedown by Vader now and Vader tries a cover and grinds his forearm into Hashimoto’s head. To their feet, rights by Vader, Hashimoto off the ropes and a lariat by Vader. Hashimoto rolls to the floor for a breather. Back in now and Hashimoto with a stiff kick to Vader. Rights and into a standing arm bar submission, variation on a hammerlock really. Hashimoto takes him to the mat as Vader screams! Hashimoto rolls him and gets a 2 count. Kicks again to Vader as the crowd comes alive. Stiff right by Vader drops Hashimoto. He rolls to the floor as Johnny Ace (Vader’s corner man) checks on Vader. Hashimoto back in now, boot by Vader and a corner whip followed by the Vader corner splash, covers and gets 2. Corner whip again, Hashimoto side steps him and gets a standing arm breaker! Crowd pops big as Hashimoto just yanks his arm out of his socket. To the mat with the hammer lock variation again and Hashimoto in control. Vader fights to his feet and slams Hashimoto. Off the ropes and a dropkick by Vader! Slam by Vader and he goes up top… Hashimoto up and nails Vader with a spin kick and he gets caught up in the ropes. Hashimoto with kicks now and a slam to Vader. Cross arm breaker now and Hashimoto pulls back big time! Vader escapes and Hashimoto kicks away at him. Rights by Vader now and Hashimoto is down. Vader picks him up, sends Hashimoto off the ropes and gets a vicious lariat on Hashimoto 1…2…NO! Hashimoto off the ropes again ANOTHER lariat! 1…2……3!

Vader shoves Thez away and spits on the fallen Hashimoto. Vader then chases and scares some fans and is awarded the title.

Winner and NEW IWGP Champion Big Van Vader @ 10:01 via pinfall ***1/2

Big Van Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Koji Kitao and Riki Choshu (4/27/90)

Vader and Riki to start. Stare down and Riki with some wild kicks. Lock up and Vader with a strong right takes Riki down. Another and more in the corner and Vader is going street on him. Riki tries to take the punishment but Vader keeps throwing stiff shots. Riki back with a right of his own and off the ropes and short arm clothesline flips Vader! Riki tries to rip off the mask and rips it in half! Vader is unmasked and he is pissed! Vader back in and rights to Riki. Head butts now and more rights as the crowd goes wild. Press slam by Vader! Rear headlock now by Vader and he rakes the eyes of Riki. Tag to BBB. Boots to Riki. Off the ropes and a reversal then backdrop by Riki! Tag to Kitao. Kicks to BBB. Off the ropes and a lariat to BBB. BBB with a single leg take down and he ties up the legs. Tag to Vader. Kick to the leg by Vader. They shove each other and talk smack. Vader is cut over the right eye. They exchange stiff as rights and then Vader with a head butt. Powerslam to Kitao gets 2. Rear headlock by Vader. More head butts to Kitao and Vader has him in the corner, which is bad news for Kitao. Boot to a charging Vader and stiff kicks. Elbow by Kitao and another. Cobra clutch into a Russian leg sweep and he holds on! BBB breaks it up by Kitao keeps the hold. Finally a break and they exchange rights. Tag to BBB, and a suplex to Kitao. Rear choke by BBB, into a sleeper now. Kitao to his feet, tag to Vader. Rights by Vader and Kitao is down. Front face lock by Vader, and Kitao tries for a tag but Vader takes him down and covers and only gets 2. Kitao off the ropes and the running charge by Vader drops him. Tag to BBB, and an Enziguri by BBB for 2. Rights by BBB and Kitao takes him to the ropes. Tag to Riki! Kicks and rights to BBB. Tag to Vader and shot to the kidneys by Kitao. Knees to Riki now and he is down. Arm bar out of nowhere by Riki and he has Vader down. Riki quickly changes to a sharpshooter attempt but BBB breaks it up. Tag to Kitao and he is in with kicks to Vader. Vader to the floor for a powder now. Kitao tries a baseball slide, but Vader catches him and tries to pull him out. BBB nails Kitao from behind and Vader back in. Short arm clothesline to Kitao. Corner whip and BBB in for the splash but misses! Tag to Riki who eats a dropkick from BBB. Shoulder charge to Riki and he flies to the floor. Suplex back in by BBB and a tag to Vader. Big elbow drop to Riki. Vader picks him up and elbows him back down. Rights by Vader now and a suplex is blocked, and Riki gets one of his own! Enziguri by Riki! Running lariat by Riki gets 2 as BBB breaks it up. Suplex try on Vader, but he reverses it into one of his own. Both men are down now. Vader to his feet and a tag to BBB. Knee to Riki and he is down. Head butts by BBB. Dropkick to Riki who tags Kitao on his way down! Vader in and head butts Kitao. Rights now and Riki grabs Vader and they work him over in their corner. Jumping knee strike by Kitao. He barely slams Vader and covers for 2. Off the ropes and a lariat to Vader. Riki in and finally levels him with another! BBB in to break things up and they work over Riki. Double suplex to Kitao. Double splash to Kitao. BBB tosses Riki out. Running splash by Vader to Kitao and that’s all!

Winners: Bam Bam Bigelow and Big Van Vader @ 18:02 via pinfall ***3/4

Big Van Vader vs. Tatsumi Fujinami © (1/17/91)

Vader is wearing the “strap-like” mask that most know him for here and takes it off before the match begins. He also comes to the ring with I believe the CWA World Title around his waist.

A little hesitation, and then the lock up and Vader shoves him off. Lock up again and Fujinami takes him to the corner and breaks clean. A stiff right by Vader and Fujinami is down. More rights by Vader as Fujinami is on the mat. Picks him up and drops him yet again and he goes to the floor. Fujinami back in and they lock up, and Fujinami with chops and rights to Vader and Vader is down! More shots by Fujinami and Vader is up, grabs a side headlock by Fujinami with a back suplex to Vader! Fujinami off the ropes, charges Vader but goes down. Big hip toss by Fujinami. Drop toehold by Fujinami, and he locks in the sharpshooter to a pop of the crowd! Vader fights and finally grabs the ropes. Vader to the floor for a breather. Fujinami waits on him, but Vader pulls him to the floor. Wild shots by both men, and head butts by Vader. He slams Fujinami off of the steel railing, and then picks him up and rams him to the steel ring post. Vader back in the ring now as Fujinami tries to get to his feet on the floor. Fujinami in and meets a short arm clothesline by Vader. Off the ropes and a running charge by Vader and Fujinami is down again. Arm bar by Vader now and Fujinami is in trouble. Vader pull shim up and throws those wild rights. Corner whip followed by the HUGE splash by Vader! Slam by Vader and off the ropes with the running splash for 2. Fujinami rolls to the floor and tries to recover. Back in and Vader with rights again, suplex float over by Fujinami and a flying right hand by Fujinami. Another one and Vader is in trouble. Enziguri to the face of Vader and he rolls to the floor. Fujinami rams him to the steel railing now and then into the steel post. Fujinami is relentless now and continues his attack. Vader is BUSTED OPEN over the right eye and the blood is flowing! Back in the ring now and Fujinami follows up with boots to the head of Vader. Fujinami has him in the corner and punches away at him. Abdominal stretch or Octopus type hold by Fujinami but Vader breaks. Rights by Vader, off the ropes and Fujinami gets a sunset flip, but Vader sits down. Off the ropes, running splash gets 2! Small package by Fujinami gets 2! Vader has him, off the ropes, Fujinami blocks the lariat, Vader blocks his and then nails him with a short clothesline. Vader off the ropes and LEVELS him with the lariat! 1…2…3!

A bloody Vader celebrates his 3rd IWGP title.

Winner and NEW IWGP Champion Big Van Vader @ 13:08 via pinfall ****

Big Van Vader vs. Antonio Inoki (1/4/96)

This match took place a bit after his dismissal from WCW, which was around September of 1995, and right before his WWF debut in the January of 1996. This event was the 5th Inoki Final Countdown Show

As the referee checks both men, Vader slaps Inoki down and he rolls to the floor. Inoki rolls back in as the bell rings and here we go. Lock up and a slam by Vader. Inoki tries to be slow and methodical, but no go as Vader takes him down with stiff rights. Inoki gets a few shots, but Vader shrugs them off and just beats on him. Some reversals now, and Inoki with a go behind, Vader reverses it and Inoki tries to elbow out but Vader with a SICK German Suplex that would have killed a normal man, but this is INOKI so he is only slightly maimed but plays DEAD…I mean not moving as the crowd is silenced. Vader picks Inoki up and jacks him with a right. Vader tosses him to the ramp way and yells at him, “COMEON INOKI! COME ON!!!” Vader sets Inoki on the ropes, charges but is back dropped into the ring. Inoki up top…knee drop to Vader! Stiff kicks by Inoki and then an Enziguri takes Vader to the floor. Inoki chases and boots Vader in the head. They go over the steel railing and Inoki with a chair shot to Vader. Vader is down as Inoki goes back to the ring. Vader tosses a chair and table as he is pissed about being busted open. Inoki mockingly claps for him to get back in the ring. Rights by Inoki and Vader bleeds more. Enziguri again! Arm bar submission by Inoki but Vader escapes to the ropes. Rights by Inoki, but Vader with rights of his own and Inoki is busted open. Vader picks him up and gets a sleeper, and then drops down and gets the body scissors as well! Vader releases him and delivers some head butts. Rights by Vader and Inoki is down again. Slam by Vader gets a CLOSE 2. NASTY chokeslam by Vader gets another CLOSE 2! Inoki should be dead. Inoki escapes the powerbomb attempt, but Vader levels him and follows with an elbow drop. Dragon sleeper by Vader now, Inoki escapes but Vader nails him with a stiff right. Slam on Inoki, and Vader up top…VADER SPLASH 1…2…NO! Vader can’t believe it. Corner whip and corner splash by Vader! Slam to Inoki, Vader up top…MOONSAULT 1…2…NO!!! Vader tries to finish him, but Inoki gets the ARM BAR! Vader fights…but taps!

Winner: Antonio Inoki @ 16:09 via submission ****

The 411: As always with IVPvideos you get a great quality DVD. This was a most excellent DVD. It is such a treat especially if you only saw Vader in the WWF. The Fujinami, Inoki and Hashimoto matches were wars to say the least. Every match was great, and this gets a BIG thumbs up from me.
Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]