Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	April 24, 1989
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Tokyo Dome
Attendance	43,800[1]
Tagline(s)	Super Powers Clash

Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome (Japanese: '89格闘衛星☆闘強導夢, Hepburn: '89 Kakutō Eisei ☆ Tōkyōdōmu) 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[edit]

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.^[2]

Storylines[edit]

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.^[3]

Aftermath[edit]

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[edit]

IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament bracket[edit]

References[edit]