WWE Calgary: Round 2, Match 2: #16 Brian Pillman vs. #17 Antonio Inoki

[Shocky]

The following match takes place in the WWE Region under WWE Rules, From Calgary, AL.

#16. The Loose Cannon Brian Pillman

vs.

#17. Antonio Inoki

​

 

[klunderbunker]

Holy awesome matchup. I'm sure that the Canadian fans would know who Inoki is and would respect him, but Pillman is one of their own. He's a student of Stu Hart himself and I think that's enough here to become the winner. He's no slouch in the ring and while this would be a classic, Pillman's high flying is too much I think when you mix it in with the crowd. It'll be a rollup, but that's enough.

 

[Gelgarin]

You are kidding me right? I mean seriously... that's worse than me trying to put Sugi over Bruno Sammartino.

Would you care to remind me what Pillman actually did? Last I checked he was best remembered due to his association with Steve Austin. He certainly never won anything of merit. I'll cover the reason's Pillman does not deserve to win this match further down, but to be honest, the only reason you need is this;

He's against Antoni Inoki

Inoki was the first ever IWGP heavyweight champion, and held the belt for all most an entire year. He was only vacated the title after fracturing his ankle, succesfully defending the title against every challenger who came.

Inoki has stood toe to toe with, and in the majority of cases defeated, such names as Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair Giant Baba, Big Van Vader, El Canek (just for Irish) Jushin Liger (who I mention because Pillman stunk up the joint with him on the first episode of Nitro) and every major star Japan had to offer.
If somebody would like to produce a counter list for Pillman I'd be greatly entertained.

Want more infomation? Inoki was a WWF champion. He turned the belt down after defeating Backlund (one of Backlund's best matches ever incidentally) but then Inoki almost always turned down championships, the reason being that he was bigger than the belts.

Inoki is probably the biggest and most important wrestler ever to come out of Japan. He's defeated everyone that there was to beat, he's won the respect of the top names in the history of the business and he's drawn numbers comparable to names like Hulk Hogan and Lou Thesz.

I'm not even going to get into the list of stars he's created, or the fact that he basically invented pure wrestling in Japan. I'm going to ignore his extensive MMA history and the fact that people stand up when he enters room and beg his to slap them in the face. I'm keeping it short, and simply saying that Inoki was both the biggest, and the best, that Japan has ever had. Unless you're carrying some kind of outdated, pearl harbour related grudge, then I cannot understand how you could possibly vote Pillman over him.

A brief curry interval gave my the opportunity to do a little reading, and I am now more confident in saying that Pillman doesn't even deserve to be in the same ring as Inoki. As far as I can tell, he worked with a couple of guys "before they were famous", ran an edgy gimmick which doesn't help him win matches, and then died.

I'd rather hoped that the reactionary wave against Eddie would translate into people not voting for other undeserving wrestlers on account of them being dead. Lou Thesz is dead, go vote for him.

A vote for Pillman is like voting for Paul London over Hulk Hogan. Don't do it.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Holy awesome matchup. I'm sure that the Canadian fans would know who Inoki is and would respect him, but Pillman is one of their own. He's a student of Stu Hart himself and I think that's enough here to become the winner. He's no slouch in the ring and while this would be a classic, Pillman's high flying is too much I think when you mix it in with the crowd. It'll be a rollup, but that's enough.

Pillman = Very Good.

Inoki = Legend. If this were Inoki vs Bret Hart then I'd back you, but shit man, Antonio Inoki is one of the most venerable and well-respected legends in wrestling history. He's going to outwrestle Pillman and have him scouted everyway the Wonkavator goes. Inoki takes Flyin' Brian to school.

 

[Fizzy]

What can I say that Gel hasn't already said? Inoki is a legend and one of the best wrestlers EVER. He wins here. Don't get me wrong though I like Pillman and always have, but look at the people Inoki beat compared to who Pillman beat. It does not match up.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

er yea, Inoki is the end all be all of Japanese wrasslin. Itas tough for me to go with him over Pillman in his home territory, but Pillman just truly cant match up, not even close. Inoki is a legend, compared to Pillman, a carreer mid carder at best. Inoki ftw

 

[Tastycles]

Whatever Pillman gains from being faster than Inoki, is more than made up with Inoki's technical supremacy. Inoki is one of the most celebrated wrestlers ever to comeout of Japan, and Pillman isn't one of the most celebrated Canadian wrestlers, let alone from the entire North American wrestling framework.

Pillman's high flying career was cut short by injury, so if you take that as his prime, Anoki would outwit him and overpower him. If you take his later, slower career, then Inoki would beat him.

If you're going to vote on influence alone, you shouldn't evenhesitate in going for Inoki. Pillman did very little in his singles career except be a bit controversial and die. Inoki beat all of the big names, and while this was often in Japan, it wasn't uniquely there and as a result there is no real reason to go for Pillman here.

 

[NaturallyPricele$$]

First, I want to go on record and state I was a huge Pillman fan. From his days tagging with the Z-Man, to Flyin Brian, to the Hollywood Blondes, the Horsemen, ECW, and finally WWF and his tragic death. Pillman was one of my favorites. I had a chance to meet him just after his heel turn but right before the Blondes and he was definiately a class act.

Unfortuniately, Pillman doesn't hold a candle to Inoki. As mentioned before Pillman was good but Inoki was a legend. Inoki was one of the largest draws in his country, Pillman was just above mid card status.

If Pillman wouldn't have died, would he have ever won the WWF/E title? Who knows. Inoki was a World Champion that we do know.

Inoki over Pillman

 

[NSL]

I love Pillman, and I think he'll have an early advantage. But, his attitude will get in the way, he'll snap, and Inoki will go shoot on him to end the madness.

This is a match that could sell any show, and will live up to it's billing, but there's not much anyone can say (thanks Gelgarin) to say to change the outcome.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Antonio Inoki's beaten them all, folks. Just because he's in Canada doesn't mean he's forgotten how to fight. The man kicked the shit out of Muhammad Ali, has beaten Hogan, Flair, Hansen, and numerous others.

Pillman was a loose cannon, but only has a cult following similar to Kurt Cobain. Jaded, talented, but in the end, only had a few hits. Inoki's a legend. Pillman's not. Inoki frustrates the Loose Cannon with kicks and palm strikes and wins.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I might catch some flack for this but it needs to be said. Brian Pillman was an overrated Neverwas. It's just how I see it. He had tons of athletic ability but, with the exception of his part in the Hart Foundation/Steve Austin feud, in which Pillman was well past his prime due to injuries, I can't recall a single memorable storyline or angle he was involved with.

Antonio Inoki, with the possible exceptions of Giant Baba and Rikidozan, is possibly the most revered wrestler in Japanese wrestling history. He's taken them all on, he's beaten them all. Aside from wrestling, he had a respectable MMA record including a win against Andre the Giant. The man beat Andre the fucking Giant in a shoot match. Pillman will get his ass carried out of the arena inside of 3 minutes, I don't care how much the Stampede crowd loves him.

 

[Shadowmancer]

As much as I like Pillman and admire his work. I can't go past Inoki regardless of the match being in Calgary(dramatic pause) Alberta, Canada, Inoki has taken down some of the biggest names in the History of pro Wrestling including Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, Giant Baba, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, most of the Japanese legends that went through NJPW. Here is a little tidbit that people don't really know about except if it is mentioned in Wikipedia, technically speaking Inoki held what is now the WWE championship after beating Bob Backlund for it. Not seen as a real change over of the title for whatever reason.

 

[SK]

See here...

He's against Antoni Inoki

Inoki was the first ever IWGP heavyweight champion, and held the belt for all most an entire year. He was only vacated the title after fracturing his ankle, succesfully defending the title against every challenger who came.

Inoki has stood toe to toe with, and in the majority of cases defeated, such names as Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair Giant Baba, Big Van Vader, El Canek (just for Irish) Jushin Liger (who I mention because Pillman stunk up the joint with him on the first episode of Nitro) and every major star Japan had to offer.
If somebody would like to produce a counter list for Pillman I'd be greatly entertained.

Want more infomation? Inoki was a WWF champion. He turned the belt down after defeating Backlund (one of Backlund's best matches ever incidentally) but then Inoki almost always turned down championships, the reason being that he was bigger than the belts.

Inoki is probably the biggest and most important wrestler ever to come out of Japan. He's defeated everyone that there was to beat, he's won the respect of the top names in the history of the business and he's drawn numbers comparable to names like Hulk Hogan and Lou Thesz.

I'm not even going to get into the list of stars he's created, or the fact that he basically invented pure wrestling in Japan. I'm going to ignore his extensive MMA history and the fact that people stand up when he enters room and beg his to slap them in the face. I'm keeping it short, and simply saying that Inoki was both the biggest, and the best, that Japan has ever had. Unless you're carrying some kind of outdated, pearl harbour related grudge, then I cannot understand how you could possibly vote Pillman over him.

Have to agree, would be a disgrace to see Pillman go over a legend like this.

 

[Theo Mays]

I love Pillman, but he gets a bad draw here against the legend that is Antonio Inoki. Pillman puts up a good fight, but can't ware Inoki down, and Inoki capitalizes on the winded Pillman and gains the W.

 

[Shocky]

I voted for Pillman, even though Inoki would win. I just can't bring myself to vote against the Loose Cannon. It's a shame, because I honestly feel that if Pillman didn't die, and with Austin's rise to the top in the WWE, that Pillman would have either been a main eventer, or a WWE champion, but I digress.

I think that Gelgarin does a fine job at diminishing what Brian Pillman did here stateside for the Light Heavyweights. Brian Pillman was the reason, paired with Jushin Liger, why the WCW Cruiserweight division and the TNA X-Division became popular stateside. Without the gorund work laid out by those two, those two divisions never would have existed.

Yes Inoki would win, but you don' thave to devalue what the other wrestler has done int he process.