Pro Wrestling Love vol. 45: Best Japanese Junior Heavyweight Matches 1989-1999 (Jushin Liger, Great Sasuke, Shinjiro Ohtani)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 44:

The Best of Japanese Juniors 1989-1999

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This forty-fourth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to feature the Japanese Junior Heavyweights (New Japan, WAR, Michinoku Pro and BattlArts) from 1989-1999. The rise of Japanese Junior Heavyweights coincided when Keiichi Yamada took on the mantle of his famous alter-ego, Jushin “Thunder” Liger in 1989. New Japan Pro Wrestling had the most prestigious and active junior heavyweight scene with Jushin Liger as the centerpiece. Throughout the 90s, Liger would be on an endless quest for his rival, the Lex Luthor to his Superman. In the early 90s, he would face Naoki Sano and Pegasus Kid. In parallel, Gran Hamada was developing the lucharesu (portmanteau of Puroresu & Lucha Libre) which would develop into the Michinoku Pro wrestling promotion. Also, Genichiro Tenryu’s WAR promotion would build his Junior Heavyweight division around Ultimo Dragon. During the New Japan vs WAR feud allowed Liger to look outside New Japan for his archrival and he would find a superstar equal in Ultimo Dragon (not an equal in workrate). In the mid-90s, Liger would take on New Japan’s attitude of collaboration working on Super J Cup and J-Crown tournament which afforded Great Sasuke the opportunity to rise to the level of Liger and Dragon. As the 90s kept progressing, the New Japan talent started to catch up with Liger in the form of Shinjiro Otani and Koji Kanemoto. No one ever reached the heights of Liger as a superstar or in-ring talent, but the gap was closed. I need to do more research but I believe due to a change to the TV programming of New Japan in the late 90s, the Japanese Juniors time was cut and the status dropped and by the year 2000 they became a non-factor in the Japanese Match of the Year picture. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

The Five Masked Marvels of the Puroresu Junior Heavyweight Scene of 1990s

#6. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Koji Kanemoto - NJPW 2/16/97

Besides the 2009 Hayato match, I'm hard pressed to think of a better Kanemoto match or performance. He came to play in this match. You really felt that he was out to assert himself as the man even as Ohtani failed just a week before to fell the Man, the Myth, Legend, Jushin The Thunder Liger. I love how when Kanemoto gets Liger up on the ropes right the beginning there are no mind games, he just chops the hell out of him. Liger tries to match Kanemoto's early and Kanemoto just overwhelms him. Kanemoto proceeds to beat the living shit out of Liger. He is just rifling every part of Liger's body with sick, deadly kicks. If you love kicks, this match is for you as Kanemoto is absolutely on fire here. I just love that intensity and energy he is bringing. He is mostly focusing on the legs of Liger. Liger tries powdering after a cross armbreaker (no setup needed for that move, it is a match ender if applied), but he is met with more kicks. This is a thrashing but in a really compelling way. It feels like a team that had been living in the shadow of a better team for years and was just breaking free here. It was not just the kicks, it was how he pounced on him and started hammering Liger with fists. It was a Merciless Onslaught. I love Kanemoto giving him the finger in the figure-4! After the figure-4, I was like I feel like this needs a hope spot or they run the risk of going overboarding. Right on cue, Kanemoto is punching Liger in the corner and Liger throws him down with a powerbomb. Kanemoto roars back, but he is starting to get cocky. Notice how his energy level comes down and wants to humiliate Liger. He pins him with one hand. He grabs him by the horn. He is letting that chip on his shoulder get the best of him. Liger is really great selling all this. You really feel like he has nothing to give in this match.

Kanemoto goes for the moonsault. Liger moves. Kanemoto lands on feet. SHOTEI~! That was the mutha of all palm strikes. You can feel the relief in Liger's body as he hits and sort of exhales with his entire body. Like FINALLY I can catch my breath. Now lets got to work. He starts smacking Kanemoto around, Kanemoto charges dropkick to the knee. FIGURE-4! Great idea gives him a chance to breathe and really hurt Kanemoto. Liger is pissed and starts slapping Kanemoto. Kanemoto was an asshole this whole time. Kanemoto has a lot left in the tank and makes the ropes. LIGER THROWS Kanemoto down. Kanemoto gives Liger some serious side eye as he realizes he is squandering his lead. This is how the Falcons must have felt. The GOAT is telling him, Daddy's Home! Kanemoto tries to get something going on outside, but eats a Kappo Kick to the head and then a BRAINBUSTER ON THE CEMENT!

Exactly what Liger needed, head shots. Kanemoto sells this beautifully falling before he gets into the ring. The first misstep in my opinion was the belly to belly by Kanemoto into his twisting senton. He is selling the damage well. I think a Liger mistake would have made more sense to set this pass up. Liger clotheslines out of the corner. Basically, Liger is taking command of the match. Kanemoto is getting flurries now, but Liger feels like a runaway freight train. SUPER BRAINBUSTER!!! 1-2-NO! Great first nearfall!!! Liger is beside himself asking the ref is that really two. Liger keeps working. Top Rope Frankensteiner. Insane German suplex bump by Kanemoto. Liger is pouring it on. La Magistral Cradle. Kanemoto pops out at two, exclaiming two with two fingers. He cant believe it himself that he kicked out. He is exasperated. Diving Headbutt, NO FEET TO THE FACE! Great transition! This feels like Kanemoto's last chance. Great powerbomb by him! He signals to the crowd for Tiger Suplex. He throws him too far. He cant hold him!!! Big mistake? He hits the moonsault! Gets two! He does what any smart person would do. He tries again, but crashes and burns. He hurt his knee. They get up and slap exchange and SHOTEI~! RUNNING LIGER BOMB!!!! RUNNING SHOTEI!!! Liger's selling is off the charts right now! SUPER BRAINBUSTER!!!!! 1-2-3!

Incredible match, one of the best Juniors matches ever. The opening onslaught by Kanemoto is ferocious and you have no idea how Liger will make his comeback. It really comes down to the moonsault in this match. Kanemoto was ready to put Liger away and even though he landed on his feet he left himself open to SHOTEI~! The real key of this match is Liger's selling and body language. You can feel that he felt he was on the brink of defeat throughout the match. That game-changing Shotei felt like a big deal because Liger sold it like a big deal. After that Kanemoto put up a fight, but you noticed he was having a lot of trouble sustaining offense. He was getting stuff in because Liger was weakened, but there is a reason Liger is the GOAT because he can turn defense into offense like that. (I snapped my fingers, but you reading this could not hear that). Kanemoto sold pretty well himself. I loved that two out of La Magistral. It felt like he was trying to convince himself he still had a chance. I loved how he did get one more chance by a missed move the diving headbutt to the feet. That's the key. Liger is making that comeback, but he still has to win and when he eats the feet. Oh shit, maybe it is too little too late. Tiger Suplex-Moonsault is such a money false finish. Going for the moonsault was the absolute right call, but Liger moved. It really became who could win that strike exchange. The Shotei took it home for Liger. Running Liger Bomb, Running Shotei (the way Liger was running trying to exhort himself to finish the job) and Super Brainbuster to finish. Just scintillating. I know that Ohtani match is considered the crown jewel (I have seen it before and loved it), but damn if this was not expertly laid out and executed.

#5. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Shinjiro Ohtani - NJPW 2/9/97

Jushin Liger's take on King's Road. Otani opens as characteristic with his overly dramatic handshake. Austin says you can predict how good a match will be based on the lock up. Well that's a ***** lock up. Great drive in the legs. I have seen this match twice before loved it both times. To call this Mitsuharu Liger vs Shinjiro Kobashi sounds insulting, but it feels that way. It is a bit inaccurate. Ohtani sort of combines the prickly wrestling style of Kawada with this histrionics of Kobashi. Ohtani challenges Liger to come off the ropes and hits a spin kick. He shows some high Wrestling IQ there, but applauds himself instead of following up. Liger dropkicks the knee and zeros in on the leg with his classic inverted deathlock. Another thing separates this match from King's Road is the commitment to double limb psychology and mat works for the first half of the match. The match is also nasty. Liger is repeatedly kneedropping the bad leg and putting boot on the face of Ohtani in the corner. Ohtani fires up in the corner and he bootscrapes Liger. There is definitely a lot of heat here. Liger tries to go back to the knee to quell this rally, but Ohtani fires back with some head rocking shots. Then much like Misawa's mythical elbow, Liger's Shotei bails him out of trouble as he unloads with palm strikes from both wings as Ohtani is trapped in the corner. With Ohtani reeling, Liger goes back to the knee. Ohtani escapes and rubs his forearm bone in the face and grabs a top wristlock then begins to zero in on the left arm of Liger. Why? That Shotei! A very similar strategy that many of Misawa's opponents would use to neutralize the vaunted Emerald Elbow.  

This is a good change of pace from the perfunctory matwork that usually fills time at the beginning of New Japan matches each man is working a limb with strong selling from both men. Liger is a really expressive seller both verbally and physically even though he is masked. There is one toehold that Ohtani applies with his knee across the ankle, my God you think Liger was having acid poured on it. Great stuff! This allows Ohtani take Liger back down with an armbar. Ohtani cross-armbreaker! Liger gets the ropes immediately but continues the verbal selling as Ohtani would relinquish the hold. Ohanti is standing on the face and throat of Liger. I like how chippy this is. Ohtani throws him in the corner. He crowds him and bullies him. He is just hitting him with these big open handed blows. He is trying to make a statement. Those nasty bootscrapes in the corner, but no running facewash instead of giving Liger one moment to breathe while running, he brings out and drops him with a Single Arm DDT. Wise move. He wants the Cross Armbreaker, but settles for snapping it over his shoulder and Liger sells this like a million bucks. 

I think my one criticism of this match as I am watching it for a second time today is the lack of escalation and big time transitions to make this feel really epic. Ohtani's arm work is really tight and fierce and he is adding in good prickly work, but there is not a sense that he is building to a big arm submission. Liger for his part sells wicked well and he goes back to the leg enough for his hope spots to tie back to the beginning. He wrenches in some toeholds as the man fighting underneath I think he does his job expertly.  When Ohtani applies the Crossface it does not feel like a nearfall, but just another hold even though it is tight same goes for the noogie to the arm. All great work, but does not feel huge. 

When I was watching earlier today, I knew around the 15 minute time call, they were going to start busting out the bombs. There were no highspots in the first 15 minutes. Liger starts nailing Shoteis in the corner (great fighting through the pain selling), Kappo Kick (instead of the Shotei he hits the Kappo Kick) and then the trademark Superman Dive from the top rope to the floor and then the powerbomb on the floor. The Powerbombs (Ohtani hits one too) on the floor and the whip to railing feels very All Japan. Liger swatting Ohtani out of the way of a springboard dropkick feels All Japan too, but the immediate La Magistral cradle feels more Juniorish and gives it a hybrid vibe. I like them trading nearfall cradles here.  Liger hits a Frankensteiner but Ohtani rolls through. Liger goes for the German, but Ohtani lands on his feet. Still too early and Ohtani immediately pounces with a spinning heel kick. The best sequence of the match so far. It feels sudden and unpredictable. I like how Ohtani hits a snap German suplex right afterwards. He didnt go for the release. He is not taking any chances. Here comes those Ohtani histrionics as he is psyching himself up and makes the cardinal mistake of Irish Whipping your opponent. He gave Liger free space and Liger NAILS a lariat, but with the bad arm. Great selling by Liger as he cant capitalize. Liger hits his first big bomb a Ligerbomb for two and Ohtani is definitely on Weird Street as Kal Rudman would say. Ohtani has a great sell of this on the apron as Liger pulls him in. Liger wants the brainbuster, but Ohtani struggles against. The Suplex Struggle is a trademark All Japan spot. Ohtani floats over and it is another snap German. Loving his take on the German. He is lying in wait. Liger makes it to his feet BANG! Springboard Dropkick to the back. Premature celebration. Ohtani thinks he has it in the bag. Dragon Suplex 1-2-NO! Here come the waterworks! Ohtani is beside himself. Ohtani still calling out to the crowd. He wants another Dragon Suplex, but Liger scrambles for the ropes. Ohtani trying to fight, but Liger breaks free. SHOTEI~! Ohtani takes a wicked bump for this! 1-2-NO! Big time nearfall! Liger hits two Fisherman Busters, would have liked to seen more struggle there as Ohtani is ragdolling. On the third bomb, a Brainbuster, Ohtani reverses his weight. Ohtani puts Liger on the top, which is dumb never give your opponent the high ground. He tries desperately to scale the ropes but three times Liger knocks him down. On the fourth try, he hits a barrage of headbutts and a Frankensteiner. Well fuck me, it worked out for the little bastard, but at what cost. SPRINGBOARD HEEL KICK! 1-2-NO! Ohtani had a weird reaction to this. He acted like he won, but he clearly didnt. He collapses. He just keeps covering Liger. He is in denial. Ohtani hit him with his best shots and he cant beat the Beast God. Liger collapses trying to get up. Ohtani goes for another Dragon Suplex, but Liger breaks free...SHOTEI~! Ohtani sticks his chin out. Now they are channeling Choshu/Hashimoto. Liger hits the MUTHA OF ALL SHOTEI! 1-2-3! Jushin Thunder Liger retains!

The finishing stretch is truly great one of the best Liger has ever crafted in his matches. Ohtani gets TWO big time runs late and both times you feel like he has a really strong shot to dethrone the Ace. Liger uses the Shotei twice to break free from the Dragon Suplex and turn it back to his favor. The first Ohtani transition landing on his feet on a release German followed by a spinning heel kick was genius. The second one did not feel earned or big. The beginning of the match I really liked and it made a lot of sense. Ohtani going after the arm to prevent the Shotei was smart and Liger going after the legs of Ohtani who uses two springboard moves also smart. Let's be honest if we JIP to Liger splashing off the top rope to the floor do we need to the know the beginning of the match. I say not really besides some arm wringing by Liger it is not that important. This is a small nitpicky complaint because I thought transitioned well between the two and the work was high end. I thought they do a strong narrative of the extremely talented, but immature upstart challenger against the veteran champion with the great equalizer (the Shotei) incredibly well. After much deliberation, I am going to say it falls just shy of ***** for me, ****3/4, still I think this will make my Top 100 matches of all time. 

#4.UWA Jr Light Heavyweight Champion El Samurai vs Shinjiro Ohtani - NJPW 1/21/96

Nasty little fucking match. There's a segment where Sammy is clawing at Ohtani's bloody nose to avoid a legbar and then minutes later Ohtani is biting Sammy's leg to avoid a cross-armbreaker. Nasty little fucking match. Mr. Ohtani is straight cash money in this. He would be the biggest meme in the wrestling world if he existed today. This disapproving look he gives when his son squanders his advantage and his arm dangling off the apron is so amazing. At the end of the match, just looks away at yet another loss for Shinjiro when he really had the match at multiple points.

The hook of the match is the incredible dueling limb psychology and the fierceness of the grappling.

The matwork in this is so intense and so detailed. Samurai crossfacing Ohtani to try to release a toehold, but when Ohtani starts to grind his elbow into the knee Sammy actually grabs his arm and tries to apply a cobra clutch to stop it. It really was magnificent. Ohtani was using his joints to create lots of pain in the ankle and knee of Samurai. When Samurai tries to counter, Ohtani gets really revved up. You can feel how bad he wants this. Samurai gets some hope spots here and there, but this Ohtani's match to lose. Samurai tries to go after the arm, but Ohtani is able to return back to leg. However, in the process of trying to submit Samurai is able to gain wrist control and yank Ohtani down hard into a double wristlock (kimura). He tries to convert this into a cross armbreaker, Ohtani flays so hard onto his stomach he gives himself a bloody nose. Nasty little fucking match. Samurai is relentless on the arm while it is dangling on the apron. Cue the first image of Mr. Ohtani shaking his head, "What are we going to do with you, Shinjiro".

Samurai creates some opportunities for himself to fly. I agree that the number one complaint of this match that the selling while on offense does lead something to be desired. Ohtani is able to avoid Samurai and hit a dropkick to outside. Samurai thinks he avoids the slingshot, but Ohtani hits a great dropkick from the apron that sends Samurai swinging on the steel gate. Nasty little fucking match.

Ohtani uses more typical pro wrestling attack on the knee (seat drop, driving knee into the mat). He applies a kneebar. Loved the struggle over Samurai hitting a piledriver and then immediately going for the cross armbreaker. He has a game plan and everything is working towards that goal. The struggle over every hold makes this match the classic that it is. I love rolling double wristlock takedowns and Samurai has a beauty in this one. Ohtani's comeback begins by grabbing Samurai's head and hitting repeated heabutts! Nasty little fucking match. There are some issues I have with transitions mostly from Samurai like hitting the powerbomb out of nowhere. I did love again the diving headbutt right into the cross armbreaker. Everything is about the coross armbreaker so I loved it.

I have watched this match before like five years ago and loved it. I remember the dueling limb psychology, but there was only spot that really stuck with me. Ohtani's German and Samurai's immediate counter from the bridge into a double wristlock in one fluid match. MARK OUT CITY! The tension on the that submission was unreal. I loved Ohtani's big succession of three springboard dropkicks to the knee. Before AJ Styles, there was Shinjiro Ohtani. Ohtani goes for legbar, but it is back to the ropes. Ohtani cant believer, he is selling his arm a little. He is trying to fire himself up. Tries to hoist him up in Dragon Suplex, but when Sammy reverses he rolls through into a legbar. Nice! I love the facewashes on the apron. Nasty little fucking match.

Now it is Samurai with the nasty headbutts. He totally WIPES OHTANI OUT with a springboard dropkick to the back. Ohtani's father disapproves greatly. The camera misses how Ohtani takes out Samurai's knee. Springboard dropkick to the back of the head! He doesn't cover! Is this a mistake? DRAGON SUPLEX! 1-2-NO!!!! OHTANI IS INCREDULOUS! Total exasperation. He lifts Samurai up on the top rope. Never give your opponent the high ground! Headbutts and a tornado DDT follow. Big mistake!

Sammy finally gets that armbreaker and then as Ohtani is reaching for the arm to picks himself up Sammy comes crashing down on the arm with a kneedrop!!! MARK OUT CITY!!! CROSS ARMBREAKER TAP OUT! Ohtani's Dad, "Whose child is that?"

Perhaps the greatest finish of all time! I loved that! From a layout, commitment to strategy, escalation, offensive psychology, and struggle perspectives, the match is absolutely perfect. I just cant give it the full monty too many selling issues on offense and the transitions should have been tighter. The struggle was just off the charts. Everything was contested and earned. Samurai's commitment to applying double wristlocks and cross armbreakers out of any situation was great. Ohtani's urgency down the stretch was awesome, you cant help but get invested in who is going to win. Both were great mixing in their bombs with their submission attempts. The finish stretch with Ohtani's combo of Sprinboard dropkick/dragon suplex failing. Only to have Ohtani reach out for the ropes for salvation to have Samurai crash down with all his weight on the exposed bad arm and in a flash Ohtani is tapping out to a cross armbreaker. Nasty little fucking match. 

#3. Great Sasuke, Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji vs 

Kaientai DX (Dick Togo, MENS Teioh, Shiryu, Taka Michinoku, Sho Funaki)

Michinoku Pro 12/16/96

Yakushiji is back! They sure saved the best for last. It is every awesome Michinoku Pro sequence done to perfection. I liked the addition of hate here. Taka and Hamada have a chippy exchange at the outset. Then Sasuke and Taka Michinoku just go at it. Sasuke ends up throwing Taka into the crowd and wiping out a bunch of chairs. Speaking of the crowd, they were electric popping for everything! I love things where earned this bout. Like Naniwa does his crabwalk and Taka dropkicks him out of the sky so Sasuke comes in and puts that Taka prick down and Naniwa hits his crabwalk. They earned that. The first half is just nothing fast-paced, full throttle action that does not let up. If you are going to do a spotfest then go balls to the wall like these guys! To me the match kicks into overdrive during the Sasuke heat segment. It is like all the other great Sasuke heat segment but they add in a CHAIRSHOT TO THE SKULL! It was bonkers! Spike Piledriver & Shieldbomb don't do it. Togo hits a massive German suplex on Yakushiji. Yakushiji tags out to Super Delphin who is a house of fire! Sasuke quebrada on Kaientai. It is breaking loose in Tulsa, BABY! They do that excellent chair throwing sequence from Inoki Festival. This time Yakushiji does not eat the pin but instead hits a dive to the outside. Crazy finish sees Gran Hamada winning the match with hurricanarana on Shiryu! MASSIVE POP! This crowd was raucous the whole time but they popped HUGE for the finish. It is the Greatest Hits of Michinoku Pro plus more hatred plus an insane crowd plus the babyfaces win = best Michinoku Pro match ever! 

#2. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano - NJPW 8/10/89

Jushin Liger's magnificent selling has been much discussed and raises this match to all time classic status. I loved the first match so much with Liger beating the shit out of Sano only for Sano to kick his head off then the double knockout finish. Here Sano rips off Liger's arm and beats him with it.

The beginning of the match with them just kicking each other in the head during lock ups outta nowhere was bitchin. Sano reverse thrust kick gives him his first opportunity at the left arm and Liger selling the hell out of it. Liger makes ropes. Liger is wearing shoulder pads...was he injured in an intervening tag match?

Liger hits a kappo kick but Sano makes it back to the arm. The heat segment is glorious. Love the fake out Irish whip into just snapping his arm down or Ligers prone selling with his dead arm limp by his side.

The match changes complexion when Sano hurls his body to the outside but smacks his head against the concrete busting himself open. Sano abandoned strategy and paid for it. Young dude in a championship match got to leave it out on the table.

Liger's broken wing selling is great his offense of kicking Sano straight in the Open wound. I don't think that gets discussed enough is that he matches violence with violence. Loved the pile drivers!

Liger makes the cardinal mistake of putting his opponent On the top rope. Never let your opponent have the high ground. Sano hits a missile drop kick and hits that splash to outside. Great transition. Finish is double hot. The struggle over the German duplex ending in a Fujiwara armbar. Ligers hope spots were great. Loved the trio of armbar, German and super back duplex (play off the double KO spot). Great finish!

Heated, energetic, violent, sublime selling blood from Sano and a raging climax. Maybe a hotter transition back to Sano is keeping this from the full Monty. Just doesn't feel that level but goddamn this is just insanely great pro wrestling.

#1. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Great Sasuke - NJPW 7/8/94

Absolute BANGER! Sasuke dropkicks Liger in the middle of Liger's introduction and the match never lets up from there. This is the best extended sprint of all time. Sasuke was just hurling his body at Liger with reckless abandon trying to prove that the Super J Cup was not a fluke. The dive over the top looks so out of control. Liger is totally overwhelmed. What makes this match so much better than Super J Cup is that this is not a squash-banana peel match. It is an organic match where both men are fighting back. Even though Sasuke is in control of the majority of the match, he has to earn his offense. Liger is still throwing out Shotei and Kappo Kicks. It is not a ragdoll match where Liger is just letting himself get thrown around. I really liked that they replaced the opening New Japan matwork with Sasuke trying pugnaciously to go for the cross armbreaker. I do wish they stuck with it a little longer because it was a good touchstone, but the match did not suffer. Liger sold the arm for a while and then it gradually got better. The Lucharesu sequences came off incredible in this match. A lot of the time they feel rote or artificial. Like it is stage blocking in a musical. Here things came out of nowhere. Sasuke was going for a fancy move and Liger would just nail him with a Kappo Kick and then follow it up with Somersault Plancha. Sasuke's back handspring elbow comes off as sudden because it was Liger that set it up and the Asai Moonsault looked great. If you define workrate as the spots per minute, then this match has a very high workrate. Normally, I would decrying that, but like I said what makes this match work is that the spots are sudden, set up organically and there a lot of counters and missed moves. Sasuke BIG classic dive to outside looked great and the missile dropkick was a great nearfall and the Crucifix Powerbomb was even better. Strong escalation from the mat to dives to the outside, to bombs in the ring. Sasuke misses the top rope reverse sidesault. It is important to me that there are missed moves. I really liked that Sasuke still initiated the next sequence going for the victory roll, but it was Liger that tossed him off and led to a massive Liger release German to reassert himself. I loved that sequence. Liger really felt like a power wrestler in this match against a flyer with the big strikes and throws. It is the Tiger Mask combo (Tombstone/Diving Headbutt), but thats only two. Top Rope Frankensteiner, but it is a cocky cover and that almost costs Liger again as Sasuke sunset flips him . It was hubris that cost him the Super J match. Will his ego be his downfall again? Liger eats knees on the splash and Sasuke gets an inside cradle. This is a great play off the Super J Cup finish with lots of roll ups that make Sasuke look like he can steal one as Liger as established himself on top. Sasuke wants to go upstairs, but Liger meets him and punches him in the gut. AVALANCHE BRAINBUSTER! Liger keeps both hands on Sasuke's arm during the lateral press and does not count along to get the 1-2-3! Notice in the two pinfall covers before Liger took one hand off to count along with the ref. That's ego. Liger was getting worried and he made sure to keep his hands down to take no chances. Details like that make Liger the Juniors GOAT. 

I said all I needed to right at the beginning. THIS IS A BANGER! It is full throttle, pedal to the metal pro wrestling. However, it has meaningful momentum shifts, the moves have consequence and there was a narrative. Yeah it was that damn good. 

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 44: Best of Japanese Junior Wrestling 1989-1999 (Jushin Liger, Ultimo Dragon, Great Sasuke)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 44:

The Best of Japanese Juniors 1989-1999

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This forty-fourth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to feature the Japanese Junior Heavyweights (New Japan, WAR, Michinoku Pro and BattlArts) from 1989-1999. The rise of Japanese Junior Heavyweights coincided when Keiichi Yamada took on the mantle of his famous alter-ego, Jushin “Thunder” Liger in 1989. New Japan Pro Wrestling had the most prestigious and active junior heavyweight scene with Jushin Liger as the centerpiece. Throughout the 90s, Liger would be on an endless quest for his rival, the Lex Luthor to his Superman. In the early 90s, he would face Naoki Sano and Pegasus Kid. In parallel, Gran Hamada was developing the lucharesu (portmanteau of Puroresu & Lucha Libre) which would develop into the Michinoku Pro wrestling promotion. Also, Genichiro Tenryu’s WAR promotion would build his Junior Heavyweight division around Ultimo Dragon. During the New Japan vs WAR feud allowed Liger to look outside New Japan for his archrival and he would find a superstar equal in Ultimo Dragon (not an equal in workrate). In the mid-90s, Liger would take on New Japan’s attitude of collaboration working on Super J Cup and J-Crown tournament which afforded Great Sasuke the opportunity to rise to the level of Liger and Dragon. As the 90s kept progressing, the New Japan talent started to catch up with Liger in the form of Shinjiro Otani and Koji Kanemoto. No one ever reached the heights of Liger as a superstar or in-ring talent, but the gap was closed. I need to do more research but I believe due to a change to the TV programming of New Japan in the late 90s, the Japanese Juniors time was cut and the status dropped and by the year 2000 they became a non-factor in the Japanese Match of the Year picture. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

BEAST GOD~!

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Honorable Mentions

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano - NJPW 7/13/89

Great lead-in match to the Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano feud before the classic August 1989 match and is a must watch before that match.

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Norio Honaga - NJPW 3/14/91 Non-Title

Jushin Liger vs Norio Honaga - NJPW 4/30/91 Vacant IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Norio Honaga vs Jushin Liger - NJPW 5/31/91

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Norio Honaga vs Jushin Liger - NJPW 6/12/91

I LOVE this underrated feud! What makes this feud work is Honaga knows he is not on Liger’s level, Liger know he is not and most importantly the fans don’t. So Honaga does all he can to lie, cheat and steal a victory which he does as a total scuzzball heel. Of course, when it comes time Liger can dish out that ass whuppin’ that Honaga so richly deserves.

Wild Pegasus vs Great Sasuke (NJPW Super J Cup Finals 04/16/94)

Great Sasuke vs Jinsei Shinzaki - M-PRO 4/29/94

Great Sasuke & Black Tiger vs Wild Pegasus & Shinjiro Ohtani - NJPW 10/18/94

Ultimo Dragon vs Great Sasuke - J-Crown Tournament Finals 8/6/96

The Great Sasuke had an amazing 1994 as he made the Finals of the Super J Cup against Pegasus, but on the way he defeated Jushin Liger. He was transformed from indy darling to main event junior star overnight. The Super J Cup is one of the most influential events on current American pro wrestling and American wrestling fandom because how prevalent that show was among tape traders. Sasuke had great big time matches against Shinzaki and an amazing tag team spotfest with Eddie Guerrero against Pegasus and Otani. In 1996, Sasuke found himself in the Finals of a major tournament but this time tragedy struck when Sasuke went for his trademark swandive from the top rope to floor, but he ended up cracking his skull literally on the cement floor. He amazingly continued the match, but the match is more famous than it is great.

Koji Kanemoto vs El Samurai - NJPW 6/5/97 Best of the Super Juniors Finals

Koji Kanemoto vs Dr. Wagner Jr - NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals 6/3/98

Jushin Liger & Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Shinjiro Otani & Koji Kanemoto (NJPW 03/06/99)

Shinjiro Ohtani vs El Samurai - NJPW 6/3/99

As I said, in the late 90s Juniors wrestling became de-emphasized. These are the best matches from that era. Kanemoto had a pair of great BOSJ finals and I think he is an underrated wrestler because he is overshadowed by the greatness of Liger and Otani. I really loved the team of Otani & Kanemoto, great prick heels and Ohtani and Sammy reprised their classic from ’96 and almost reached that level.

Great Sasuke, Tiger Mask IV & Shiryu vs Super Delphin, Taka Michinoku, Gran Naniwa - M-Pro 3/16/96

Independent World Junior Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku vs Super Delphin - NJPW 6/17/96

Kaientai (Dick Togo, MENS Teioh, Shiryu) vs Great Sasuke & Super Delphin - Michinoku Pro 6/23/96

Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Tiger Mask IV, Masato Yakushiji vs Kaientai DX (Dick Togo, Taka Michinoku, Sho Funaki, MENS Teioh & Shiryu) - Michinoku Pro 10/10/96

Independent Junior Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku vs Minoru Tanaka - BattlArts 10/30/96

Great Sasuke, Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Naohiro Hoshikawa & Masato Yakushiji vs Kaientai DX - Inoki Festival 12/1/96

Great Sasuke, Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa & Tiger Mask IV vs Kaientai DX - Michinoku Pro 12/9/96 Elimination Rules

Great Sasuke & Super Delphin vs Mens Teoh & Shoichi Funaki (Michinoku Pro 11/09/97)

Do yourself a favor and watch as much Michinoku Pro from 1996 as you can. Kaientai was such an amazing heel team. They were like the Shield if the Shield also did amazing dives and comedy spots. Another way to put it is Kaientai is like a modernized Midnight Express for the 90s. They were going up against top flight talent all the time. I put off watching Michinoku Pro for years don’t make my mistake, watch it now!

Jushin Liger vs Norio Honaga (NJPW 02/08/92)

Jushin Liger vs El Samurai (NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Final 04/30/92)

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs Wild Pegasus - NJPW 8/12/92

This Liger vs Honaga match is a lot different than the previous Honaga/Liger matches. It is not built around Honaga’s heel cheating tactics. Instead, it s built around body part psychology with Honaga working over Liger’s midsection and Liger gives a ***** selling performance. The Liger vs Samurai match is highly polarizing and has a very interesting discussion around it. Great beginning with Samurai getting nasty and violent, but I thought it cooled off and falls short of being the classic that may call it. This is second best Liger/Pegasus match and a great offensive match.

Top 12 Japanese Junior Heavyweight Matches 1989-1999

#12. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Naoki Sano vs Jushin Liger – NJPW 1/31/90

How much a difference a couple years makes! I thought this would be a mortal lock for my top 100, but watching it back I dont think it has a chance. Their 1989 match trumps this one for me and will most likely make it. That is NOT an indictment on this match, but rather how many other AMAZING matches there are in the history of pro wrestling. 

Lets talk about the greatness of this match first and that this is a heroic match. Sano beats the holy hell out of Liger. A beating that is reserved only for the dude who bangs your girlfriend. There is a part in the match where Liger's mask is ripped and he is just a bloody pulp on the mat it is just so moving. The hero is totally down for the count. Sano is the exact man you want to deliver this beating. He has a wide, wide arsenal of moves. I thought Liger's first hope spot was really well done. The hurricanana into an insane somersault dive was crazy. He went all out in that dive. Sano hit that railing hard. I LOVED Sano raking Liger's eyes in the Surfboard to break. Then Liger cant really hit his hope spots anymore. He misses the Kappo Kick. That is ol reliable. Like Misawa's elbow that always gets Liger out of trouble. He gets a rana again, but this time he is sent sailing over the top rope high into the air on the floor. Then he gets smarter. He starts shifting his weight on suplexes. Sano has tuckered himself out. He hit a lot of moves, but couldnt put Liger away and now his energy is sapped. He is prone to Liger being able to make these reverses the superplex one was great.  Sano's last big nearfall is the Tiger Suplex and for this one is not a kickout, but Liger sticking his foot out. Sano calls for the ending and Liger looks destroyed thats when he reverses on the back suplex and hits his own German Suplex! Somehow someway Liger through his resilience has evened the playing field, but when looked dead in the water many times. Sano goes for a rana, but Liger plants him with a powerbomb. TOMBSTONE->SHOOTING STAR PRESS! AWESOME FINISH!

So what's my complaint, the heat segments(s) were way too long and had very little struggle. They went to it way too early in my opinion. Liger smacks the taste out of Sano's mouth and starts the match red hot. Sano BULLIES him to the outside. Nails a piledriver on the floor and whips him hard into the railing. I am totally fine with Sano kicking ass that early. But to do the mask ripping and bust him open within 5 minutes thats tough to recover from. It is going to require Liger to die a lot. I dont know how many resurrections I can believe in. Liger did the right thing in selling it like death. Sano brutalized him. I think there is time and place for that, they just did way too early. Pretty much every suplex, piledriver, and kick you can think of Sano hit on Liger. The moves were cool, but when you are doing Boston Crabs and just giving up on it thats no fun. It didnt feel like Sano was trying to finish the match nor do you believe he will because this is a fairy tale match and you know the hero has to make his comeback. I think if you put the mask ripping and blood at lets say 7 minutes to the finish this match really becomes a classic.  

Sano beats Liger to a bloody pulp but cant put away the Beast God. Liger looks like he has dead at times and has trouble hitting his trusty Kappo Kick, but through a couple timely suplex reversals and a lucky positioning on a Tiger Suplex, he is able to outlast Sano, who is exhausted from the punishment he dished out. Powerbomb->Tombstone->Shooting Star Press is up there for one of the best finish stretches of all time. Classic heroic comeback match, but falls short of being considered one of the greatest matches ever.

#11. Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs Great Sasuke – Super J Cup 4/16/94

I believe this is the first ever Jushin Liger and Japanese Junior match I ever watched. So it holds quite a bit of nostalgia value in addition to the offensive clinic and great story they tell. It is Jushin Liger, the Ace Junior against the hottest commodity on the "minor league" circuit. I think the best way to describe this match is a sports analogy. I went to the University of Michigan and my first year was the fall of 2007. That year we were ranked #5 in the preseason polls and a contender for the National Championship. As with most college football teams, the first game is schedule against a cupcake opponent as a way to work out any kinks before the bigger games later on the season. The "cupcake" team that year was multiple time Division I-AA champion Appalachian State Mountaineers. I remember the first week of school everyone was excited for their first game in the Big House and the actual outcome of the game was a distant second. Michigan much like Jushin Liger great overly estimated their talented "minor league" opponent and ended up in their humiliating loss. Now unlike Michigan, Liger was not humiliated and disgraced. Instead, Great Sasuke became a made man and insta-star. I have always loved that story this match tells.

This also reminds me of Rey Rey/Malenko from GAB '96. There is no babyface shine for Great Sasuke and Liger just opens up a can of whoop ass. Sasuke is able to actually get a Liger move on Liger with the inverted Indian Deathlock into a headlock then double wristlock. He rolls through this double wristlock and tries to go for cross armbreaker. Liger is able to scissor the leg from this position as a counter. Liger chains beautifully into an upside down surfboard. From there Liger gives an absolute shit-kicking: Kappo Kick, Palm Strike and some of the best arm work ever (Brock should watch Liger to see how you work an effective double wristlock, CROSSFACE CHICKENWING!). The ref is trying to hold Liger back because Sasuke is knocked the fuck out. Liger is in fucking GO MODE and is just in total asskicker mode and is looking to make a statement. It is almost too easy for Liger and he gets cocky. He takes his time going to top and Sasuke nails a dropkick as Liger comes off the top. He powders and as Taka Michinoku is cheering on, Sasuke hits an Asai Moonsault. Sasuke was down, but not out. He needs to play some catch up ball so here come the dives. They struggle over a suplex on the apron and Sasuke rams Liger's head into the post. He then hits one of his beautiful swandives from the top rope to the floor. Sasuke now puts on his own offensive clinic: piledriver, Crucifix Powerbomb, Tombstone Piledriver. Sasuke goes for swandive, but Liger moves and he rolls through and Liger nails him with the PALM STRIKE~! WICKED LIGER BOMB!!! TOP ROPE FRANKENSTEINER! SUPLEX OUT OF THE RING! I still remember marking out for that shit way back when. Big dive by Liger from top rope to the floor! Liger is totally overconfident now and it only grows when Sasuke botches his springboard hurricanarana. Liger points and laughs and signals that he is going to finish him off. Sasuke nabs a quick hurricanarana to get the flash pin on the arrogant Liger.

I agree with everyone that the infamous finish plays really well into the story of the match. It feeds into Liger's overconfidence that Sasuke is a just a flashy, indy wrestler with no business in the ring with him. Sasuke is able to prove he has a never say die attitude. Sasuke did enough in the mid-match to ensure his place in the sun was cemented with his HUGE dives and kickass offense. I think this may be the best spotfest in history because it tells a clear overarching story, but there is no real struggle or transition. I was bit disappointed by that on rewatch. Sasuke and Liger just ragdolled for each other. They were just rattling off their spots until the transition and the next guy would rattle off his. It was an incredible, breath-taking offensive clinic. Plus on the macro they do tell a great story. It is just the match is missing the micro details. I cant go higher than ****1/2.

#10. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Jushin Liger vs Pegasus Kid – NJPW 2/10/92

Is Benoit wearing lipstick or is his lip busted? 

The Beast God takes this match on short rest as he has just won back the IWGP Jr Championship from Honaga two days prior, but it is also important to remember that he re-aggravated a rib/abdominal injury. I had visions of Benoit hanging Liger out to dry with his front suplex on the top rope before the match even started and I was not disappointed. This is basically the Honaga match but Benoit can actually carry his end of the work. Liger gives two of the best selling performances of all time in these two matches. It would be easy to say he did better in the Honaga match, but it just stood out more because Honaga is so bland. Here the subtly was the key. The way he comes up favoring the ribs after an innocuous bow and arrow.  Blink and you miss it. Hell, I am not even sure Benoit knew he had injured ribs for like five minutes. Another good one was on the first round of shoulder tackles. Liger wins, but at what cost. I was really enjoying this nuanced performance. Benoit hits a missile dropkick from the top rope to the outside and then whips him into the railing, gotta hurt those ribs. Benoit figure-4s the head and this is my one complaint. I dont mind a hold being used, but why not an abdominal stretch. Liger transition into a upside down surfboard, but his ribs give out. Now he is in a full sell! Benoit smells blood. He buries the knee deep into the midsection and then hangs him out to dry. Yes! Liger hits a desperation Kappo Kick, which is go to bail out move. Then he suplexes him from the ring to floor, which is a crazy spot, but he collapses in the ring and cant follow up. Liger needed that to catch his breath and inflict some damage to Benoit. That was his first real offense. Rapid fire Shotei to the face, Liger figure-4s the head, which I am a proponent of. Liger needs to sap Benoit's energy and regain his breath. This is excellent strategy by Liger to land big blows and then try to control Benoit. Benoit uses the Electric Chair Drop to finish and Liger is agony. Stuff like Benoit forearming Liger when he could kick in the midsection is kind of bumming me out. He gets a German and Belly-to-Belly to get a couple nearfalls. Then he goes back to figure-4 the head, which only seems to exist so that Liger can Man Up and get the surfboard to show he can fight through the pain, but ultimately Liger succumbs to the pain and releases the hold. Great selling by Benoit. Liger hits a shoulder tackle and again that sell after the tackle is so friggin' good. For all the shit I was giving Benoit he makes up for it with a gutwrench gutbuster that is just beautiful and then instead of a diving headbutt hits a BEAUTIFUL SPLASH on the ribs. I wish he kept doing the splash instead of the headbutt. He only gets two so he does the reasonable thing and tries it again, but wrestling is not reasonable and eats knees. He gets dumped on the outside and Liger hits his wicked baseball slide and Asai Moonsault. Ultimo Dragon would be jealous. That was a great sequence. Benoit looked like he had it won with the splash and it is Liger that ends up wowing with the Asai Moonsault. Benoit is committed to the aerial assault as he hits a beautiful top rope leg drop. He is getting very frustrated. Benoit makes the cardinal mistake of putting his head down and Liger hits a powerbomb for two. They do the tombstone reversal, Benoit nails it and Diving Headbutt...1-2-NO! Another great nearfall for Benoit. Liger gets that cool rollup for the win...the one Marc Mero would do. 

If Benoit had Honaga's commitment this would be an all-timer, still as is, this is their best match together and one of the best matches of each man's storied career. Liger's selling was ***** again, just exquisite. Benoit is a machine on offense. I loved Liger's hope spots and how they were timed. The finish run was perfect with Benoit pouring it on and Liger escaping with the victory. 

#9. Wild Pegasus vs Black Tiger – Best of the Super Juniors 6/11/96

Once upon a time, I had this match as the best match either man has had. At this point, I would say it is in the Top 5 for each man. Such an interesting piece of pro wrestling storytelling. There is nothing I enjoy more than breaking down kayfabe strategies. I thought this match was exemplary in showcasing contrasting styles. On the mat the tough and gritty Benoit can gain the advantage, but there are times when he loses it like Tiger's nifty trip at one point or the headscissors takeover. The real straw that breaks the camel's back is Eddie's back splashes over the top rope. Benoit takes exception to those and starts applying the chinlock. This is what this match is famous for. Black Tiger would escape the chinlock snap off one explosive move and Pegasus would promptly smother him with a chinlock. By the fourth or fifth time, the crowd was pissed and chanting for Tiger. It was really the perfect use of the chinlock to wrap up Black Tiger prevent him from hitting his high flying offense, but also set up his own moves. Notice Benoit would hit a chop and then go for something and Black Tiger would counter so back to the chinlock until that would not happen.

Benoit hits a MASSIVE POWERBOMB! HE THREW HIM DOWN! But he misses the diving headbutt! Tiger gets whipped into the guardrail and Pegasus comes flying out with a dive taking Guerrero over the top rope. He goes for the powerbomb again, but Tiger reverses into Brainbuster, weak transition. Black Tiger is a little foggy before he hits Frogsplash for two. Guerrero goes for the brainbuster, but Benoit drops down into sleeper! Excellent! I liked Benoit catching Eddie with the Dragon Suplex right after the break. Great struggle over the tombstone piledriver feels like the most important thing in the world. Benoit wins and sets him up top. Super Back Suplex! Great selling as always from Benoit on moves like that. He is one of the best as putting over the punishment his own body takes from his violent offense. SPLASH MOUNTAIN! Nice tease of Tombstone from top before Eddie reverses into Top Rope Frakensteiner and then SUPER BRAINBUSTER WINS THE MATCH!

I would say the biggest complaint I have with this match is they don't do a great job establishing why Pegasus needs to use the chinlock. A really hot shin would have made this a five star match. Because it would have added a lot of excitement and established the narrative for the rest of the match. The use of the chinlock was perfect as a means of getting Eddie over as explosive and Benoit needing to sap his energy. The weakest part of the match was Black Tiger hitting a brainbuster out of nowhere when he had been taking offense. I even thought Splash Mountain was set up better because Benoit was selling the after effects of landing on his head by his own move. I will admit that transitions to Eddie's offense could have been better. I thought it was nice three move finish Splash Mountain->Top Rope Frankensteiner->Super Brainbuster for the win.

#8. Great Sasuke & Super Delphin vs Shoichi Funaki & Mens Teioh – M-Pro 11/02/97

Is Super Delphin supposed to be a mosquito? Maybe he is a bird? I have always wondered. 

Apparently, the classic is the following week, but I heard that match is predicated on what happens here so I wanted to watch this first. Damn if I didnt love this in its own right. If the next match is even better, I am in for a treat. Kaientai were always also in their double teaming and how they swarm their opponents. This is no different. Delphin looks like the hero of the M-Pro All-Star team right from jump. Whipping Teioh around to the point where he needs a low blow to tag out to Funaki. Delphin shakes it off and just keeps trucking. He has a very good lariat. I didnt love the no sell of the ball shot. Sasuke is in. People need to snapmare more. Kaientai gets some double teaming on Sasuke and trap him in a Octopus Stretch. They are doing these weird Lucha Rules where Delphin can interfere then become the legal man. I saw this once in BattlArts. Delphin is a house of fire and Teioh says fuck this noise and powders. Funaki and Sasuke in and this is where the match gets good. Funaki dropkicks Sasuke's knee and it is ON! Kaientai work over Sasuke's knee for the rest of the match. There are some selling issues here and there, but overall Sasuke does a much better job than Ultimo Dragon would have done. Delphin eventually gets tired of this and replaces Sasuke. Delphin looked great on offense, but he tags Sasuke back in, dumb move, bro. Funaki & Teioh put on a clinic working on Sasuke's leg. Figure-4 around the post ala Bret and a ton of cool holds (plenty of normal figure-4s too!). They pair off with Sasuke/Funaki and Teioh/Delphin. Delphin with DDTs gets the nearfalls for his team until Funaki interferes and becomes the legal man. Sasuke gets some hope spots. I actually liked the spinning heel kick with the exposed knee brace because it should cause extra damage. I liked that he went for a middle rope knee drop with the exposed knee brace, but missed. The risk:reward ratio was high miss and destroys his knee, hit it that could have been the end. I love that every Funaki move is looking for a submission finish and Delphin just keeps interfering so Teioh is left to run interference on that. There is a great Shotei by Delphin but Teioh wisely rolls out and eats the plancha because that means Funaki is the legal man again. So he sacrifices himself for the good of the team. Genius! I loved that he couldnt do the German because his knee gives out (he does this collapse in the best possible way). The issues with selling were mostly his running but also going for a powerbomb after he just couldnt do the German. That was dumb. Teioh gets the chop block. Funaki gets a heel hook and I thought that was the finish but Delphin saves for the umpteenth time. Teioh applies a hold on Delphin to restrain as Funaki applies a straight legbar to get the immediate tap out. 

This is part of some sort of tag league and the finals are next week. You cant believe Sasuke will be 100% next week so Delphin is going to have to even further step up! I really enjoyed this a lot. Kaientai just swarming their opponents and here working a body part is always great. Sasuke's selling is not perfect, but I give it an A- not Savage or Kawada but a shade below. 

#7. Ultimo Dragon vs Shinjiro Ohtani – J-Crown Semifinals 8/5/96

Shinjiro Ohtani's individual masterpiece as he drags a classic out of the man bereft of psychology, Ultimo Dragon. Ultimo Dragon is one of my all-time favorite offensive wrestlers, but the reason why so many of his matches are stuck at the sub-**** mark is due to his insistence to get his shit in at the expense of logic, escalation and the narrative. Ohtani made Dragon earn every single inch of this match, which is made this a classic. So few challenge Dragon, even the great Jushin Thunder Liger allows Dragon to hit all his spots at the expense of psychology.

From the outset, Ohtani is wrestling a full court press strategy. He is just suffocating Dragon with headlocks, chinlocks and always shortening the distance between him and Dragon. Dragon needs room to generate offense so this is an excellent strategy. You see Dragon forced to create takedowns. Twice he goes for La Magistral Cradle and both times he is thwarted by Ohtani. The second time, Ohtani even gives him the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag. Dragon is able to takedown Ohtani but he is having trouble holding Ohtani. Ohtani just seems to want it more. Dragon steps through on a hold and just stands on Ohtani's face. He is going to fight dirty too. I thought his leg work here complete with his hip swivel showed he was not going to be shown up by this punk. Ohtani gets an excellent knee lift when they stand up sends Dragon reeling. Ohtani is just so intense and explosive with his moves. Great dropkick and bodyslam. Basic, but in the hands of Ohtani powerful and impactful. You see Dragon is not even given a chance to think. Ohtani clamps on a chinlock and the transition into some really nasty armbreakers. Dragon's verbal selling is top notch. The way he is flailing in the hold really adds to the drama. Dragon is no slouch on the mat is able to counter into his own armbreaker. From there, Ohtani tries to avoid an attack in the corner but Dragon springboards off middle rope and nails him with dropkick. I am still not happy Dragon insists on doing his intricate outside the ring sequence which requires skinning the cat with his bad arm, but Ohtani does swat him away when he goes for the splash. Ohtani looks confident.

Springboard spinhweel kick gets two. His father looks on and gives the signal for one more. Ohtani goes for his Dragon Suplex, but Dragon breaks out and hits a tight Tiger Suplex for two. Ohtani cant believe. Ruh roh! Is it happening again! Ohtani MISSES the springboard dropkick! This is opening Dragon needed. Give him an inch and he will take the mile. LA MAGISTRAL CRADLE...1...2...NO! Great way to build to that cradle as a nearfall as a play off the earlier work. Dragon does not rest on his laurels. TOMBSTONE...SNAP MOONSAULT GETS TWO! Ohtani is hanging on by a thread. Dragon goes for a hurricanarana, but powerbomb. Ohtani, who is wrestling the match of his life, is AMPED to hit his springboard dropkick. NAILS IT! Hooks the Full Nelson...DRAGON SUPLEX...BRIDGE! 1...2...NO!!! Ohtnai flops over on his stomach in disbelief! You had a good run, kid. Dragon wins the top rope battle with a Super Front Suplex, which looks better in your head than in practice. RUNNING LIGER BOMB!!! Ultimo Dragon vanquishes the upstart.

Great Ace vs Upstart dynamic. The gulf between Dragon and Ohtani is not large at all, but this would have been the biggest win of Ohtani's career here. He wrestles like this is the biggest match of his life. He is just all over Dragon at the beginning and the way he shuts down La Magistral not once, but twice is great. The matwork was great. I loved how Dragon tried to turn into a flying contest and got bit. Nice run up by Ohtani and missing the Springboard dropkick was such a great "Oh shit not again" spot plus a great opening for Dragon and I loved that he pounced with LA MAGISTRAL! Dragon pouring it on in tight fashion only for Ohtani to have one last run, get his deadly combo and still come up short was fantastic, what a great reaction! I love that they are jockeying for position on the top rope and whoever wins this battle will win the match and Dragon is able to hit the front suplex enabling him to win with the Running Liger Bomb. I want to reward this match for being so damn tight and economical, but building such great drama and Ohtani giving one of the all-time character performances while Dragon provided his legendary status, big time offense and willingness to struggle to win. 

Rabbit Fighter: Shuji Kondo, Katsuhiko Nakajima, KENTA, Daniel Bryan (Japan Juniors 2007)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Adding to accolades such as 2000 Thompson Elementary School Geography Bee Champion, 2012 & 2014 Best Dressed in Cambridge, and 2006 Time Person of the Year, I am the first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show. What did I win? The honor and distinction of being the first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show.

Honey, my list of accolades goes on and on and on and on and on...

A couple men or should I say Ants that do not seem afraid of hard work are Fire & Silver Ant. Wait, Martin ain't this blog about the state of Japanese junior heavyweight scene in 2007. It is and it is, but first I want to discuss my first Beyond Wrestling show in Providence, RI. It was definitely a unique ambiance with a pro wrestling ring set up in the middle of a bar with fans surrounding the ring as if they were lumberjacks. Even me who is a pretty aware person was almost wiped out twice just from wrestlers falling out the ring. It was cool and different, but just speaking for me, I felt like some of the magic was removed by being that close. Walked in on a garbage tag team match that was all filler and no killer. The next two singles matches featured The Ants, who became two of my favorite wrestlers at the end of the night.

Fire & Silver Ant both excelled at the critical details of pro wrestling. Fire Ant literally guided his opponent (struck me as a Ricochet ripoff, adding a back handspring to every move) his chain wrestling sequence and made it look convincing. Silver Ant provided the best strikes in any match before the main event. By using strikes and wrestling, both Ants let their opponents spots breathe and made the spots more meaningful. Also, I witnessed for the first time the current hot indy trend of intergender matches which on paper I am 1000% against, but in practice they may have swayed me just for this one time.

The intergender match was the only match until the main event, I watched that felt like I was watching pro wrestling. Everything before just had too much of a smattering of being too self-aware or a spotfest. Here I was watching a clear pro wrestling showcase. The male heel (Thank God, if the man was not the heel, I don't know what I would do), came out and let me know that his ex-girlfriend (Kimber Lee) sucks a ton of dicks and so does Tom Brady. We all booed. The babyface Kimber Lee came out and kicked his ass. To this dude's credit, he bumped, sold and stooged for this chick. To this chick's credit, she was a great fired up babyface. They were not great at executing the offense, but the layout was pitch perfect. Guess which match stuck with me better a match that told a great story or someone doing a bunch of back handsprings. There were some great spots like the dude (I am sorry, I really don't know his name) going to punch Kimber Lee and whacking his hand hard into the steel post. Also, him flopping around in the streamers was amusing. The heat segment on Kimber Lee with the chops made me wince, but a heel being a heel was refreshing. It was also the only match where the crowd solidly behind the babyface wrestler and did not worry about the quality of the wrestling. I think that is my biggest hang up with current wrestling is forget about the quality so to speak and invest the characters like you do real sports and more often than not the quality will take care of itself. It is also sad that only way it seems to have a conventional wrestling match is to have a man fight a woman because man on man action had become so passe. The guy tapped out clean to Kimber Lee and you have to give everyone credit, she was presented every bit his equal and everyone bought into it. Kimber Lee sticking out her hand to extend an olive branch was stupid. He did not earn her respect and he was a douche to her. So that was bullshit. I know it was to set up the kick to the back of her hand, but he should have extended the hand because she earned his respect and then he is an asshole about it. Anyways, JT Dunn, remember the Savior of Pro Wrestling, comes to her aid. A fan actually did a pretty good commentary job by stating things out loud like "That is his current girlfriend" and "Is this the end of the Juicy Product?". It sounds like we have a love triangle on our hands too bad it involves JT Dunn.

BIFF! BIFF! BIFF! BIFF! BIFF!

Chris Hero ran right by me to break up the fight because he couldn't afford to have his tag partner injured going up against Biff Busick and Drew Gulak. Unfortunately, due to standing,  it getting late and  becoming first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show, I was a little tired and had a hard time focusing on all the details. Much like AJ,  Hero's presence commanded such a respect that the self-awareness was effaced and I felt like I was watching pro wrestling. Overall, I thought the match had a real classic Japanese tag feel to it. Hero set himself much like a Misawa or a Kobashi would as a force of nature that could change the complexion of the match once he entered the ring with his skull-crushing blows to the head. He was also a great cheerleader from the apron and his investment in the match made it all worthwhile. JT Dunn was serviceable first taking heat and then nothing memorable in the finish. I have heard a lot of people talk up Gulak, but I didn't get a good feel for him. I liked the beginning of the match with Hero's cravat versus Gulak's toehold and they worked some great spots around it. Other than that, nothing sticks out. Biff Busick, on the other hand, is just plain awesome. His connection with the crowd for any indy wrestler is incredible, "Biff! Biff! Biff". His timing is impeccable. Everything he does looks like it is motivated by his desire to win. Drew Gulak played face in peril, which sets us up for what we all wanted the Biff Busick hot tag and then in a total shocker he forced Chris Hero to submit to a rear naked choke.

Unlike me, Chris Hero did not come out on top on January 31st, the day I became first, undisputed Champion of BRAINBUSTER!. the first ever pro wrestling podcast trivia game show.

I really don't have much to add to the hodgepodge of junior heavyweight match from 2007 in Japan as there is no real overarching theme. I would like to key in on two points. First, Nakajima vs Kondo was tremendous and a really interesting looking at evolving strategies within the context of a single match. Second, is a comparative analysis of Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin against KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi. Both are prototypical of the 2007 landscape in being athletic junior heavyweight spotfests, but are divergent in quality from my viewpoint. Watching them juxtaposed will show the difference between a fun spotfest and a bad one. 

Match Listing:

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champions Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin - NOAH 1/21/07

Worst Japanese match of the decade and one of the worst matches I have ever seen. 

All Japan Jr. Hvywt Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07 ****1/2

#48 out of 100 - Must Watch

Incredible strategical wrestling. Nakajima attacks arm, but injures his neck. Switches gears to use headshots to stay in the match. Kondo is the best junior powerhouse of the decade.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Ryusuke Taguchi - NJPW 07/06/07 ***1/4

Minoru Tanaka is  a great arrogant heel. The Funky Weapon is pretty bland. They drop arm psychology.

KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi - Budokan 7/15/07 ****

#91 out of 100

Great juniors spotfest. Better than most Dragon Gate/Toryumon matches. Great eye-candy

Bryan Danielson vs Go Shiozaki - ROH In Tokyo 7/16/07 ***1/2

Exhibition of what makes Danielson great offensively. Shiozaki is bland in this contest.

Great Sasuke vs Ultimo Dragon - M-Pro 8/30/07 ***3/4

Sasuke wrestling at a high level, but Dragon is too spotty in this great junior bout.

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GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champions Briscoes vs. Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin - NOAH 1/21/07

Nothing screamed 2007 more than a double 619 until they busted out the Springboard Shining Wizard Doomsday Device. If I see another dropsault it will be too damn soon. The excessive jumping into moves is incredibly annoying. Was the Briscoe basically doing a moonsault before the back drop driver even finished supposed to be a bad social commentary joke on the state of 2007 wrestling? I could have sworn the ring said NOAH, but why I am watching TNA. These four give clubbering a bad name. They treat every forearm, stomp, kick, slap as a perfunctory device to get them to their next inconsequential highspot. Watch Yoshihiro Takayama or Dragon Gate! Either make every move count or just commit to a spotfest don't try to pretend to be having a wrestling match when you want to have a gymnastics competition. The best spot of this match was when a Briscoe shoved Marvin out of the ring for breaking up a pinfall. It is the only time I thought I was watching an actual contest where someone wanted to win. It actually had heat to it. Instead they needed to get in every shitty move ever invented after 2000 instead of building heat. The match sucked as a spotfest and as a pro wrestling match.

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All Japan Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shuji Kondo vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - AJPW 2/17/07

Boy Wonder!

Strategy in pro wrestling is often reduced to being very one dimensional. You work a body part to set up your finishing move. You attack an opponents' strength to neutralize their finisher. I am not saying all good pro wrestling needs more advanced strategy or this specific strategy. What this match offered was a rare instance of a multi-faceted strategy. Nakajima established early that his intention was to neutralize Kondo's strength advantage and his lariats by knotting up his arm. However, Nakajima did not have a finishing hold to directly translate this strategy into a victory. In addition, Nakajima took a nasty spill onto the guardrail that severely fucked up his neck. In a nice touch, Hokuto checked on Nakajima. It can not be underestimated how much Sasaki and Hokuto added to the match by being on the outside cheering on Nakajima. It felt like parents cheering on their kid.

Nakajima pressed on by kicking the arm to keep Kondo at bay, but Kondo overwhelmed with brute power zeroing in on the injured neck. Nakajima realized that Kondo's arm was too strong and that point of attack would not turn the tide. So he began taking head shots. Finally, Nakajima stymied Kondo's onslaught and with a dive to the outside. He levelled the playing field to finally return to his attack on the arm. He utilized mentor Sasaki's arm drag, but could not get the cross armbreaker as Kondo slammed out on it dropping Nakajima right on the back of his head. As much as this match was about Nakajima, Kondo was amazing at selling the arm the right amount. He was not blowing off Nakajima's work, but at the same time Nakajima really had not done enough to damage the arm so that it was totally useless. Kondo was fighting through the pain in a believable way. Kondo's slams really target Nakajima's neck, who cant seem to get anything started. In a great sequence, Nakajima is deadweighting Kondo on a powerbomb so Kondo blasts him with a elbow. Nakajima's sell would make Kawada proud. Kondo then spikes Nakajima on his head with a piledriver, but Nakajima kicks out. I will say the placement of that move was too early. The big flaw of the match begins here as Nakajima starts selling like Kaz Hayashi meaning he sells after he does a move not as he is doing it, but it is not as egregious.

Nakajima at this point has no hope winning this match via arm work (no real submission game) so he goes for head shots to set up Emerald Flowsion and a flying bodypress. Kondo signals for a lariat and Nakajima kicks the arm reversing into a Human Capture Suplex only for 2. I liked how after all the kicks to the arm that Kondo could use his arm properly on his slam so that the full impact was not delivered. It was good selling. I loved the axe kick on lariat arm. Kondo finally gets lariat, but it is not enough. I totally bit on the Northern Lights Bomb finish with Sasaki right there.  Nakajima wins the match with a German Suplex.

This match had the potential to be a Match of the Decade Contender. The dueling body part psychology, the appropriate arm selling by Kondo, the amazing neck selling of Nakajima, the two-leveled Nakajima strategy all wove together to create a unique, dynamic match. The finish run did depart from this where Nakajima's comeback became a bit incredulous and his selling uneven and the moves excessive. I am not going to penalize the match too much because the base of the match was still there Nakajima defending against the lariat, working through his early match mishap (neck) and using headshots to create big offense. ****1/2

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IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Ryusuke Taguchi - NJPW 07/06/07

Five years later and at least the cross armbreaker is still over. I still contend that Minoru Tanaka should have been the biggest junior heavyweight star of the 2000s. I don't think this match is comparable in quality to his incredible 2000-2002 run, but we get to see an entirely different side to him. He was excellent at the cocky heel gimmick. He really gave off that aura that he thinks he is better than you in every shape and way. He was showboating, stalling and cheating better than pretty much every heel in the WWE in the last decade. The best part of this entire match was how red hot the crowd was for bell-bottom-wearing "Funky Weapon" Rysuke Taguchi. Japanese wrestling crowds in native vs. native matches tend to be very similar to tennis crowd insomuch they root for ever is losing to pull them through and continue the match. I don't want to take away anything from Taguchi because my sample size is limited, but to me it was all about Minoru Tanaka. You wanted to see that smug bastard get his ass kicked. People wonder why nobody gets booed nowadays. To me it is because nobody actually tries to get booed when they are wrestling. Sure on the mic they do, but in a match pretty much everybody wrestles it straight down the middle. Minoru Tanaka, once again, proves why he had huge star potential in the way he carried himself in this match and maintaining that heat throughout the match.

Unfortunately, I was not in the Korakuen Hall on July 6, 2007, but instead was in my living room in United States of America, BABY! on August 26, 2014 so crowd heat alone was not make this match an elite level match it was going to take work. The match started off great like I said with Minoru Tanaka showboating like a champion and getting shown up early. He is able to take control with an eye-rake and then out on the floor targets the arm and a pretty girl to impress. This is a clinic on heel wrestling. Of course, everyone knows that Minoru has the cross armbreaker in his back pocket so targeting the arm increases the crowd tension. There is a really nice exchange where Minoru avoids a dropkick and makes a point to let everyone know how smart he is only to eat a dropkick. This is just classic shit. Taguchi goes the "arm for an arm" route, but unlike the Minoru/AKIRA matches I didn't think they really focused enough time on each other's arm to really build the same drama. Unfortunately, the match goes off the rails at this point as they both pretty much drop the arm selling to suplex each other a lot. It was exciting, but not a lot of glue. Minoru, occasionally reminds you of the beginning of the match, by applying a flash cross armbreaker out of a human capture suplex. The crowd heat and Taguchi's selling were really on point making this a very dramatic spot, but before you knew it they were back suplexing each other. The best spot of the whole match was Minoru goes for the flash cross armbreaker and Taguchi converts into La Magistral cradle. The crowd goes wild! That should have been the finish, no doubt! NOOOOOOOOOO! An elbow exchange??? Et tu, Minoru? Taguchi hits what I believe to be The Funky Weapon twice to finally pick up the victory for his first and only IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

The hook of the match was twofold: Minoru is an arrogant asshole and the credibility of his flash cross-armbreaker. They did not build the double arm psychology and they just sort of dropped it, with each touching on it here and there. Taguchi, for all his "funkiness", was a pretty bland Japanese, 00-style babyface. I hate to base that off one match, but given he only has one title reign to his name, it looks like New Japan feels similarly. At the day, the crowd was hot for Taguchi so he was doing something right even if he didn't set my world afire. The match started off promising and ended pretty well, but the body was a mess. I recommend this match based solely on seeing Minoru Tanaka work as a heel and how he was badass at doing that too. ***1/4

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KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji & Kota Ibushi - Budokan 7/15/07

Briscoes, Marvin and Suzuki, take notes, bruthas, this is how you do a fucking spotfest, baby! Ishimori and Ibushi are the next generation of Japanese junior heavyweight that care even less about strikes and building a strong match. They only care how they can add an extra rotation to any simple move. Standing elbow drop that is so passe. I can do a back handspring, full back flip elbow drop, BABY! If you going to execute those matches, then commit to them and they were committed to having this elaborate gymnastics competition, which made for a great spectacle. It is good eyecandy like a Michael Bay action movie. I don't want to watch a card full of these, but these exhibitions do serve a purpose because they are fun to watch. To me at least, however, they are not very satisfying in the same way a match where opponents are struggling to win a contest. The nice thing about this match is that they laid everything in. They did not treat strikes as givens like in the Briscoe/Marvin&Suzuki. Their transitions still suck like KENTA blowing off leg work to hit a flying knee drop or Ibushi's lame spinwheel kick to exit his heat segment. There was literally no move to move selling. People would take moves, sell, then fly like nothing happened. Even within these segments, they were flying with great highspots. After Ibushi tagged out, it was spots galore with flips and spins on everything. It was like R-Truth, but on steroids. Ibushi's double moonsault gets me everytime because I go years without seeing him, I always forget he has that. I actually enjoyed Ibushi ducking the KENTA strike, kip up and kick KENTA only for KENTA to be wary of it the second time. KENTA went into crazy Ceasro like beast mode to awkwardly catch Ibushi and hit Go 2 Sleep. The past two NOAH juniors tags were what expected all NOAH's juniors match to be like, but really that has not been case. I am curious if this newfound spotfest style is influenced by the rise of Dragon Gate. I will be curious to see Dragon Gate from 2005-2006 and see how similar it is to this. Usually, when something is mimicked the copiers steal the most glaring obvious traits without the subtle details that make the original so good. Ergo, NOAH guys were like people like flips lets give them flips. Dragon Gate may have done a better job building to the spots. I do not know, but we will see. Overall, I did enjoy this spotfest, but I will be sad if this is the way the NOAH's juniors division goes because it was quite good from 2003-2006. Spotfests have a ceiling in my book because of how much emphasis I put on transitions, selling and struggling. I would say this is one of the better ones I have ever seen though. ****

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Bryan Danielson vs Go Shiozaki - ROH In Tokyo 7/16/07

The poll is Best In Japan in the 00s, thus any match that took place in Japan qualifies not necessarily taking place on a puroresu card. That being said, Ring Of Honor had a very similar style to Pro Wrestling NOAH. Occasionally this happens to me, I acknowledge I am watching an interesting, well-worked match and it just does not hold my attention. Unfortunately for this bout, I felt that way. I loved Danielson's pacing in this match. He was not flying around and blowing off selling. The beginning of the match showcases Danielson at his best making submission holds look innovative and like they hurt. It is something that is bereft in both WWE and Japan in the 00s. They establish they are equal babyfaces even ending a dropkick simultaneously. Shiozaki takes over with chops and general power, but Danielson catches a break when Shiozaki goes flying into the railing. Again, I loved Danielson's arm work, which effectively used strikes and holds to destroy the arm. When Shiozaki starts to mount his comeback and is still selling might be when I realize what is wrong. Shiozaki is just really bland. He is just a generic, cookie-cutter NOAH wrestler. He is not bringing anything to the table. He is doing the right things, but is nothing special or unique.

Danielson goes flying into the crowd on top of Shiozaki and this triggers Danielson's big spots ending with a crossface chickenwing that ends up in the ropes. Shiozaki was able to crotch Danielson on the top rope and hits a weird slam. Here comes the BOOM! Bombs galore. Shiozaki goes for the kill with a moonsault misses and Danielson immediately applies Cattle Mutilation. Shiozaki is able to fight out, but then end is nigh and Shiozaki succumbs to a second Cattle Mutilation.

Danielson was really demonstrating why he was one of the best in the world at the time. He paced himself well. He is an amazing offensive wrestler (ground, working body part, bombs) and this really showcased his talents. Shiozaki just feels so mediocre in this match and I just could not bring myself to care. Thus I felt like I was watching a Danielson exhibition. ***1/2

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Great Sasuke vs Ultimo Dragon - M-Pro 8/30/07

Is it 1994 or 2007?

Sasuke was wrestling like it was 1994 and giving a MOTYC-level performance. Unfortunately, Dragon was wrestling like it was 1996 WCW and indulging everyone of his bad tendencies. Ultimo Dragon is one of the most infuriating wrestlers. He is such a great offensive dynamo, but I can't think of any wrestler pre-2000 that so egregiously blows off selling. It is too point that when he is in that mood that you should almost just let him be on offense because he drags the match so far down when he randomly decides to stop selling. The negative of that was Sasuke was so amazing on offense. He was violent and breath-taking, which is such a rare combination to see in a match. I loved how he attacked Dragon while he held the ropes open for him with headbutts and nasty body shots. Then when he goes for Asai Moonsault, Dragon violently yanks him down only for that to happen to Dragon when he tries. Based on the first two minutes, I really thought I was going to see something special, before Dragon went back in and did a high-speed tumbling pass. i remembered why Dragon annoys me so much. On the other hand, for as badass as Sasuke is on offense, he was selling for all its worth and bumping like a maniac. Sasuke tried a convoluted reversal out of a Dragon hold, but ended spiking himself on his own head and the way he sold it and the way Dragon sold surprise was really cool. It seemed like a real organic moment. So rarely do you seem someone "fuck up" a reversal and sell it. It was cool feature. Sasuke picked his moments and when Dragon missed a plancha out came the dives. Sasuke starts to go work on the arm, but Dragon blows it off to hit an Asai Moonsault and a gnarly suplex on chairs. That is a crazy bump. Sasuke reverses Dragon into the post and hits two beautiful dives from the top rope to the floor. Dragon ended up whiffing on a dropkick when Sasuke went for a quebrada. Sasuke was able to reverse the Dragon DDT twice, but ended up taking it three times to lose.

I missed a juniors match with spectacular dives and Sasuke is so good at incorporating that into his match. I loved his body punches and general roughhouse style. He took crazy bumps and built his offense convincingly. Dragon looked great on offense and took some hellacious bumps himself, but he killed the flow of the match repeatedly. If Dragon was on point and not just focused on his offense, this is a 2007 MOTYC. As is it is a highly entertaining bout and proof that Sasuke could still go. ***3/4