Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

{{Infobox professional wrestling event

|name=Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

|image=Battle_Satellite.jpg

|date=April 24, 1989

|tagline=Super Powers Clash

|attendance=43,800{{Cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/newjapan/tokyodome.html#89|title=NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows|website=www.prowrestlinghistory.com}}

|event=Event

|lastevent2=

|nextevent2=Super Fight in Tokyo Dome (NJPW)

}}

{{nihongo|Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome|'89格闘衛星☆闘強導夢|'89 Kakutō Eisei ☆ Tōkyōdōmu|lead=yes}} was a major professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on April 24, 1989 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the first major professional wrestling event held in the Tokyo Dome, with wrestlers from the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union.

The event saw a one night single-elimination tournament for the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the debut of the Jushin Liger character in NJPW, and Antonio Inoki versus Shota Chochishvili in a no rope martial arts match for the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship.

Background

The Tokyo Dome opened on March 17, 1988. At the time, NJPW looked to use the Dome to hold the first major wrestling event of the Heisei period.{{Cite web|last=NJPW|title=The Story of the Tokyo Dome's First Pro Wrestling Match {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/41404|access-date=2020-06-17|website=NJPW|language=en}}

Storylines

The event featured fourteen professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.{{cite web|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|title=How Pro Wrestling Works|url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|archive-date=2013-11-29|access-date=2014-01-05|work=HowStuffWorks, Inc.|publisher=Discovery Communications}}

Aftermath

Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome was a great success for NJPW, and the Dome would be a home for many years to come for puroresu. Starting in 1992, NJPW returned to the Dome to hold the first of what has become an annual tradition and their biggest show of the year, the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.

Results

{{Professional wrestling results table|results=

|times=[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=3119 NJPW Battle Satellite In Tokyo Dome]{{Cite web|last=Ochoso|first=作成者|title=新日本プロレス「'89格闘衛星☆闘強導夢」1989年4月24日東京ドーム試合結果|url=https://prowrestlingdata.com/%e6%96%b0%e6%97%a5%e6%9c%ac%e3%83%97%e3%83%ad%e3%83%ac%e3%82%b9/%e6%96%b0%e6%97%a5%e6%9c%ac%e3%83%97%e3%83%ad%e3%83%ac%e3%82%b9%e3%80%8c89%e6%a0%bc%e9%97%98%e8%a1%9b%e6%98%9f%e2%98%86%e9%97%98%e5%bc%b7%e5%b0%8e%e5%a4%a2%e3%80%8d1989%e5%b9%b44%e6%9c%8824%e6%97%a5/|access-date=2020-06-26|website=プロレス試合結果データべース|language=ja}}

|match1=Naoki Sano defeated Hiro Saito

|stip1=Singles match for the 1989 Young Lion Cup

|time1=10:43

|match2=Big Van Vader defeated Masahiro Chono

|stip2=IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match

|time2=5:52

|match3=Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Vladimir Berkovich by submission

|stip3=IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match

|time3=4:51

|match4=Victor Zangiev defeated Buzz Sawyer

|stip4=IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match

|time4=3:56