New Japan World Matches Reviews & Write-Ups
Jan 4, 2016 20:29:42 GMT -5
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Post by Phil Parent on Jan 4, 2016 20:29:42 GMT -5
I'll be making write-ups of New Japan matches, from 1983 on. If there's interest I'll do more! My idea is to go chronologically and give backstories and such as we go along, introducing the wrestlers as they appear.
First one is Tiger Mask VS Kuniaki Kobayashi for the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight title on January 6th, 1983
First one is Tiger Mask VS Kuniaki Kobayashi for the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight title on January 6th, 1983
January 6th, 1983
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Tiger Mask (C) VS Kuniaki Kobayashi
Tiger Mask is of course Satoru Sayama, one of wrestling's most influential figures without whom the Jushin Thunder Ligers & Ultimo Dragons of the world might not have been a thing. However, by 1983, Satoru Sayama hated the New Japan wrestling style, which he felt was antiquated, and he hated the backstage politics of the company, which he felt worked to hold him back.
Opposing him here is Kuniaki Kobayashi, a dependable wrestler who was the sworn rival of Tiger Mask, often trying to unmask him.
Early on, a surprising "Kobayashi" chant rises from the crowd. Perhaps not everybody took to the wrestling anime character. The opponents are studying each other early on, with Tiger getting the first takedown with an armbar. They exchange position often early, trading submissions. In a nice little spot, Tiger Mask holds KK in a keylock on the ground, and as Kobayashi makes his way back to his knees, he flattens him with a low-impact but effective cross body all the while holding the keylock. Eventually, Kobayashi gets out of it with a one-arm body slam and then wrestles TM on the ground, which is where things stand at the 5-minute mark.
Kobayashi has a seated crossface on TM as competing Tiger / Kobayashi chants erupt. Tiger shakes his fist in appeal to the crowd, which gets the Tiger chants a bit louder. After some more ground work, Kobayashi irish whips TM in the ropes and hits him with a rolling solebutt to the stomach. Kobayashi keeps the kicks going and takes him back down to an headscissor submission, which Tiger evades with a front flip. Tiger goes on the offense, running up to the top moonsault, followed by evading a shoulder block with a side flip (a la Ultimo Dragon) and then hitting the BACK FLIP DROPKICK! For a count of 2. And Kobayashi takes it back to the ground with a leglock, 10 minutes into the match.
A spinning wheel kick gets Tiger back in control, but Kobayashi puts the kibbosh on that and goes on the offense, which is stopped by a beautiful small package for 2 into a cross arm bar by Tiger Mask. Kobayashi slips out and takes TM's back before coming back to his feet and hitting many strikes. Kobayashi has a busted nose.
At the 15 minutes mark, the guys fight for every inch on the ground and get tangled up in this position...
...which they figure is as good a position as any to begin trading open hand strikes to each others' faces. Once KK's got Tiger on his back, he really peppers him with STIFF open hands before Tiger answers in kind (because of course he does, he's Satoru Sayama!) They keep trading advantage and the action rests with TM having a scissored armlock at 20.
Tiger Mask hits a BIG backdrop. ROLLING SOLEBUTT TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! PLANCHA!!! TIGER MASK HAS THE ADVANTAGE! TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! MOONSAULT.... missed. Leg Lariat by Kobayashi. SLINGSHOT PLANCHA BY KOBAYASHI! KOBAYASHI WITH THE BRAINBUSTER OUTSIDE THE RING! Tiger Mask barely beats the count back in! FISHERMAN SUPLEX BY KK FOR 2!
Both opponents are back outside. GERMAN SUPLEX OUTSIDE BY TIGER MASK! KOBAYASHI STRUGGLES TO GET BACK IN! KOBAYASHI IS ON THE APRON AT 19! KOBAYASHI GETS COUNTED OUT!
(Tiger Mask defeats Kuniaki Kobayashi by count-out at 24:24 to retain the NWA Jr. Heavyweight championship.)
My thoughts: This is the kind of excitement that Tiger Mask's generation brought to New Japan that was dearly missing from it in the 70's. This was a very-well worked match, both guys were great on the ground, and they innovated some with that spot I captionned. And the match was built right with the feeling out process leading to more meaningful offense and then finally, to the big spots. Finish would have been better had it been more definitive, but this let the door opened for a next match in this rivalry.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Tiger Mask (C) VS Kuniaki Kobayashi
Tiger Mask is of course Satoru Sayama, one of wrestling's most influential figures without whom the Jushin Thunder Ligers & Ultimo Dragons of the world might not have been a thing. However, by 1983, Satoru Sayama hated the New Japan wrestling style, which he felt was antiquated, and he hated the backstage politics of the company, which he felt worked to hold him back.
Opposing him here is Kuniaki Kobayashi, a dependable wrestler who was the sworn rival of Tiger Mask, often trying to unmask him.
Early on, a surprising "Kobayashi" chant rises from the crowd. Perhaps not everybody took to the wrestling anime character. The opponents are studying each other early on, with Tiger getting the first takedown with an armbar. They exchange position often early, trading submissions. In a nice little spot, Tiger Mask holds KK in a keylock on the ground, and as Kobayashi makes his way back to his knees, he flattens him with a low-impact but effective cross body all the while holding the keylock. Eventually, Kobayashi gets out of it with a one-arm body slam and then wrestles TM on the ground, which is where things stand at the 5-minute mark.
Kobayashi has a seated crossface on TM as competing Tiger / Kobayashi chants erupt. Tiger shakes his fist in appeal to the crowd, which gets the Tiger chants a bit louder. After some more ground work, Kobayashi irish whips TM in the ropes and hits him with a rolling solebutt to the stomach. Kobayashi keeps the kicks going and takes him back down to an headscissor submission, which Tiger evades with a front flip. Tiger goes on the offense, running up to the top moonsault, followed by evading a shoulder block with a side flip (a la Ultimo Dragon) and then hitting the BACK FLIP DROPKICK! For a count of 2. And Kobayashi takes it back to the ground with a leglock, 10 minutes into the match.
A spinning wheel kick gets Tiger back in control, but Kobayashi puts the kibbosh on that and goes on the offense, which is stopped by a beautiful small package for 2 into a cross arm bar by Tiger Mask. Kobayashi slips out and takes TM's back before coming back to his feet and hitting many strikes. Kobayashi has a busted nose.
At the 15 minutes mark, the guys fight for every inch on the ground and get tangled up in this position...
...which they figure is as good a position as any to begin trading open hand strikes to each others' faces. Once KK's got Tiger on his back, he really peppers him with STIFF open hands before Tiger answers in kind (because of course he does, he's Satoru Sayama!) They keep trading advantage and the action rests with TM having a scissored armlock at 20.
Tiger Mask hits a BIG backdrop. ROLLING SOLEBUTT TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! PLANCHA!!! TIGER MASK HAS THE ADVANTAGE! TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! MOONSAULT.... missed. Leg Lariat by Kobayashi. SLINGSHOT PLANCHA BY KOBAYASHI! KOBAYASHI WITH THE BRAINBUSTER OUTSIDE THE RING! Tiger Mask barely beats the count back in! FISHERMAN SUPLEX BY KK FOR 2!
Both opponents are back outside. GERMAN SUPLEX OUTSIDE BY TIGER MASK! KOBAYASHI STRUGGLES TO GET BACK IN! KOBAYASHI IS ON THE APRON AT 19! KOBAYASHI GETS COUNTED OUT!
(Tiger Mask defeats Kuniaki Kobayashi by count-out at 24:24 to retain the NWA Jr. Heavyweight championship.)
My thoughts: This is the kind of excitement that Tiger Mask's generation brought to New Japan that was dearly missing from it in the 70's. This was a very-well worked match, both guys were great on the ground, and they innovated some with that spot I captionned. And the match was built right with the feeling out process leading to more meaningful offense and then finally, to the big spots. Finish would have been better had it been more definitive, but this let the door opened for a next match in this rivalry.