Big Van Vader & Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow vs. The Steiner Brothers (NJPW Masters of Wrestling) Match Review

On March 1^st 1992, Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow became IWGP Tag Team Champions. They did so by winning their most famous match alongside one another, going almost half an hour with Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto. In their few months as titleholders, Bigelow and Vader would officially etch their names in history as an iconic gaijin duo. They’d actually been teaming sporadically since 1989, coming together after three singles matches without a winner the year prior.

Here, they battle The Steiner Brothers, meeting for a memorable heavyweight clash at Budokan Hall. Rick and Scott had been IWGP Champions before, working a few dates in 1991 prior to their Tokyo Dome encounter with Great Muta and Sting. Not even a week prior to this shot at regaining tag gold, they’d defended their WCW belts against Steve Williams and Terry Gordy, the Miracle Violence Connection. That’s an absurd thought, considering the many political pieces at play there.

For anyone unaware, Gordy and Williams were All Japan stalwarts, making for an incredibly unique week within The Steiners’ catalogue. That match would close WCW Beach Blast, going to a thirty minute draw on PPV. In Tokyo, they’d have a slightly different experience. Before the bell, Bigelow and Vader crisscross one another, sharing a high five afterwards. The reaction for this is hysterical, earning an eruption that’d suggest some unfathomable physical feat.

Those were on their way in fairness, as Bigelow and Scott get things underway. The latter scores an early takedown, eating a beautiful enzuigiri in response only to rally with a massive lariat. Bigelow ultimately wins the exchange though, then cornering Scott as he and Vader stand tall, dispatching Rick to boot. As the big men admire their handywork, The Steiners head up top, flying with a clothesline each to clear the ring themselves.

Bigelow is greeted by Rick upon re-entering, swiftly being whacked back to the mat. He soon cuts Rick off with a boot however, then tagging in Vader. Those trademark punches follow in the corner, earning yet another clothesline in response. This is not a complicated formula folks, these fellas are just clobbering each other. On occasion, they chuck each other too, including an incredible belly to belly – back body drop combination from Rick, launching Vader through the air.

He follows up with a German suplex, earning rumbles from the crowd before bashing Vader over the top rope. This encourages Scott, who brings Vader back in via suplex, landing another clothesline only to fall from the top rope. Tokyo gasps in response, with Vader powering his way into control anyway. That allows them to take some super heavyweight heat, isolating Scott as Bigelow grabs a hold. Vader has a more dynamic approach to the segment, following Bigelow’s bruising supeplex by simply dumping Scott on his head.

In fairness, he then grabs a hold of his own. Bigelow busts out a backbreaker from there, channelling Roderick Strong before landing a DDT to boot. Scott survives though, then being dished to the floor only for Vader to show sportsmanship, throwing him back in to applause. Bigelow and Steiner then fall down, as the latter can’t quite manage the suplex that he was imagining. After a touch more heat, Scott rebounds regardless, nearly murdering Vader with a horrifying Frankensteiner.

Rick’s hot tag follows, running wild on a remarkable double feed from the big lads. Bigelow soon catches Rick however, dropping him on the top rope for a devastating momentum shift. Rick keeps the match alive though, soaking up a tremendous beating before being assisted by a downed referee. Frustrated by the lack of count, Bigelow turns into a suplex, with Rick scoring a sudden pinfall to become champs.

This is not a great match, or at least not in the traditional sense. It sure is fun though, basically serving as the ultimate meathead match. The Steiners’ work generally trends in that direction anyway but against these two fellas, there was no reason to expect anything else. It’s lariats, throws and anything violence that falls in-between, an outright hoot. Honestly, the attempts to do anything beyond that probably hurt this if anything, they could’ve achieved the same at twelve minutes or so.

Either way, it’s a great glance an all-time team in their prime and if nothing else, an iconic gaijin combination. Bigelow and Vader’s time together was coming to an end too, with the latter focusing on WCW, taking their World’s Title just weeks later. He’d stay stateside for much of the remaining decade, becoming a dominant force on US television. Bigelow would stick around in NJPW until October, rotating partners prior to his return to the WWF.