# Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome

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

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.

## 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.

## 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

| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times |
| 1 | Naoki Sano defeated Hiro Saito | Singles match for the 1989 Young Lion Cup | 10:43 |
| 2 | Big Van Vader defeated Masahiro Chono | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match | 5:52 |
| 3 | Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Vladimir Berkovich by submission | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match | 4:51 |
| 4 | Victor Zangiev defeated Buzz Sawyer | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match | 3:56 |
| 5 | Shinya Hashimoto defeated Riki Choshu | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match | 3:41 |
| 6 | Benny Urquidez vs. Shinya Asuka ended in a draw after five rounds | Kickboxing match | 10:00 |
| 7 | Big Van Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament semifinal match | 14:37 |
| 8 | Shinya Hashimoto defeated Victor Zangiev by submission | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament semifinal match | 7:28 |
| 9 | Wahka Eveloev defeated Masa Saito by submission | Singles match | 5:28 |
| 10 | Big Van Vader defeated Shinya Hashimoto | IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament final match with Lou Thesz as the guest referee | 9:47 |
| 11 | George Takano & Super Strong Machine defeated Hiroshi Hase & Shiro Koshinaka | Tag team match with Lou Thesz as the guest referee | 17:10 |
| 12 | Jushin Liger defeated Kuniaki Kobayashi | Singles match | 9:55 |
| 13 | Salman Hashimikov defeated Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow | Singles match | 2:26 |
| 14 | Shota Chochishvili defeated Antonio Inoki (c) by knockout in five rounds | No rope martial arts match for the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship | 13:20 |
| (c) – the champion(s) heading into the match ||||

## IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| Big Van Vader | Big Van Vader | Pin | | | | | | |
| Masahiro Chono | Masahiro Chono | 5:52 | | | | | | |
| Masahiro Chono | Masahiro Chono | 5:52 | Big Van Vader | Big Van Vader | Pin | | | |
| | | | Tatsumi Fujinami | Tatsumi Fujinami | 14:37 | | | |
| Tatsumi Fujinami | Tatsumi Fujinami | Sub | Tatsumi Fujinami | Tatsumi Fujinami | 14:37 | | | |
| Vladimir Berkovich | Vladimir Berkovich | 4:51 | | | | | | |
| Vladimir Berkovich | Vladimir Berkovich | 4:51 | | | | Big Van Vader | Big Van Vader | Pin |
| | | | | | | Shinya Hashimoto | Shinya Hashimoto | 9:47 |
| Victor Zangiev | Victor Zangiev | Pin | | | | | | | Shinya Hashimoto | Shinya Hashimoto | 9:47 |
| Buzz Sawyer | Buzz Sawyer | 3:56 | | | | | | |
| Buzz Sawyer | Buzz Sawyer | 3:56 | Victor Zangiev | Victor Zangiev | 7:28 | | | |
| | | | Shinya Hashimoto | Shinya Hashimoto | Sub | | | |
| Shinya Hashimoto | Shinya Hashimoto | Pin | Shinya Hashimoto | Shinya Hashimoto | Sub | | | |
| Riki Choshu | Riki Choshu | 3:41 | | | | | | |