Throughout my life as a wrestling fan I have long heard of the folklore of Puroresu and along my travels I've only ever checked out the odd current show or match here and there. That has mostly been Pro Wrestling NOAH or Dragon Gate but I've never really delved into the wealthy vault of classic Japanese wrestling. Whilst on my trip in Atlanta I came across a 5 disc set entitled "Top 20 Japanese Matches of the 90's" made by Highspots and figured I'd give it a go.
DISC 1
20. El Samurai vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (1/29/96 - UWA Title)
****1/2
Whoa what a way to start off the DVD set! This was a very stiff technical submission style match that contained some superb execution and told a fantastic story. Ohtani worked the leg whilst El Samurai worked the arm and back and forth they went trading submissions and counter submissions. But that's not all they have to give us though, oh no! There's the odd springboard move and some really tight false finishes. Ohtani's performance in particular is noteworthy. His selling of exhaustion, suffering during submission holds and his fighting spirit facial expressions are at times exemplary. The moment where he thinks he has El Samurai beaten but he kicks out is really what this match is all about - two top competitors going in there and giving it their all.
19. Vader vs. Stan Hansen (2/10/90 - Super Fight)
****1/4
This one is just so difficult to rate. Why? Because for me this style of match doesn't appeal too much but I could certainly appreciate it on its own merits. Why? Because it's everything it should be...two huge monsters battering each other...a lot! This is also the infamous match where there's a crossing of the wires so to speak as Hansen believes Vader to be working overly stiff so as retaliation he thumbs Vader right in the eye and his eye ball pops right out of the socket. Yes I'm being serious! Apparently if it wasn't for Vader’s eye being so swollen his eyelids would not have been able to stop the eye ball from popping right out of his skull! They really do batter each other and Vader shows some cool stuff I hadn't seen from him before (all I've seen is his WWF run and various WCW matches) such as a dropkicks and martial arts kicks etc. I was disappointed with the finish but then again even as an uneducated fan it seems both guys are so over that they both needed to be protected, especially if a rematch was already planned and the match was just so even nobody looked bad for it.
18. Hiroshi Hase vs. Great Muta (12/14/92)
****
Ah yes the infamous match where the Muta Scale is born! I was thinking for the first half of this match "people must treat this as a classic because of the hepatitis inducing mega blade job" but honestly once it happens it just takes the match beyond being just good. Everything just seems to mean more with the immense amount crimson going everywhere. Several times towards the end I thought it was over and they kept going. Now I have watched it, I understand.
17. Keiji Mutoh & Masa Chono vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (11/1/90 - IWGP Tag Titles)
****3/4
What a way to cap off Disc 1! A great tag match to be found here - no doubt! What I enjoyed a lot about this was the little exchanges all four of them had at one point or another and I honestly thought it was over when Chono had an STF locked onto Sasaki (which turned out to be only half way through the match) largely due to the crowd which is just RED HOT for this. Their loud reaction / rumble to the false finishes remind me a lot of present day ROH fans only they stomp their feet instead of bash a guard rail.
On a random note this is the first time I've ever seen Chono wrestle and my god is his little laugh sounding pant he does every 5 seconds irritating.
DISC 2
16. Vader vs. Antonio Inoki (1/4/96)
***1/2
Before the match even starts I'm sure Vader arses over on the ramp where it meets the ring apron. It's pretty amusing to see this behemoth of a man square up to Anoki then the camera changes and next time you see him, he's trying to pick himself up.
As for the match itself, it's quite clear from the get go Vader's taking no shit. I popped huge for the big right hand he gives Inoki right on the button and even more so for a sick looking high angle German suplex. Poor Inoki just doesn't need that shit at his age. As they go on Vader just batters Inoki and then Inoki makes a comeback. Sound familiar? What they gave us here was a good simple match that had loads of good atmosphere thanks to Inoki's mega star power and a returning Vader who was between WCW and WWF runs at the time.
15. Great Sasuke vs. Ultimo Dragon (8/5/96 - J-Crown Finals)
****1/2
First of all I'd just like to say...fuck that's a LOT of title belts! This match is just everything I expected it to be - awesome 90's junior style with both guys pushing each other to the limit. Sasuke is clearly bananas as demonstrated by a couple of dives to the outside, one of which he basically nerfs the majority of his body of the floor and catches Ultimo with his legs. Turns out he broke his skull and yes you did read that right. As for Ultimo, he's really on his game here with his style complimenting Sasukes so well. This is a match I'd watch over and over and not stop enjoying. It's not perfect however, the finish just seems kind of odd - almost out of nowhere like maybe somebody was meant to kick out but didn't. Still an absolute classic!
14. Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (3/17/96 - IWGP Jr. Title)
****1/4
This match right here was a great showcase of the more technical NJPW junior style. Ohtani works Liger's arm mercilessly throughout this match with some consistent selling from Liger. Oddly though, Ligers work on Ohtani's leg seems to count for nothing as Ohtani neither sells it nor does it matter towards the finish. What's key about Ohtani's performance here is, much like his match vs. El Samurai on Disc 1, his facial expressions and mannerisms really add to the drama of every move and hold in the latter stages of the match. Whether its desperation or fighting spirit he's clearly giving us his all. Liger on the other hand is in fine form and it was good to see him without the flashy Highspots with him getting down and grappling with Ohtani serving a reminder why he's one of the best ever in any style.
13. Shinya Hashimoto vs. Genichiro Tenryu (8/1/98 - G1-Climax)
***3/4
All I can really say is this; it's two hard-hitting badass heavyweights having a 15 minute match which consists of about 4 or 5 actual moves. The rest of the match is just STIFFNESS!
12. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki vs. The Steiner Brothers (3/21/91 - IWGP Tag Titles)
*****
This match got Wrestling Observers Match of the Year for 1991 and was truly WAY ahead of its time back then. Of course watching it now doesn't quite have the same impact but you have to look at it for what it is - two of the worlds best tag teams colliding in a jam packed Tokyo Dome with an electric carnival like atmosphere. It's really bizarre for me because I have only been exposed to the Steiners odd classic WCW, WWF run and then later WCW stuff so whilst I've seen a few great matches from them (vs. Sting & Luger!) I'm most familiar with that later WCW run before they split into singles. Back then they weren't so good so it's a real treat to see them tear it up here. It's also strange to see Sasaki being so quick and mobile...these days he's more a brick shithouse.
DISC 3
11. Jushin Liger vs. Owen Hart (4/27/91 - TOSJ '91)
****1/2
All I can say is...OWEN HART USED TO BE AMAZING! This is the first non WWF match I've seen from Owen Hart and I was extremely impressed with how well the stuff I remember him doing in his WWF run worked so well with the New Japan junior style. There was a tonne of great action (too much to call!) in this one with several very close near falls and one of the sickest top rope finishes I have ever seen ANYWHERE. A must see match!
10. Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (2/9/97 - J-Crown Title)
****3/4
This was a real epic 25 min plus match. Ohtani is just merciless in his attack on Liger. He won't break when the ref wants him to, he's stiff as hell at times with Liger in the corners and he won't let Liger even get anywhere near his left knee, which Liger keeps trying to attack, for a lot of the match as he's concentrating on Ligers arm. Up until Ligers comeback it's all very solid technical wrestling and I was wondering if the drama of the previous encounter between these two on Disc 2 was not going to be repeated. I was right as well...it wasn't just repeated - it was annihilated! The last 10 minutes of this match are EVERYTHING pro wrestling is about. The desperation of Ohtani, the fighting spirit of Liger - this truly is an all time classic that holds up even today. So many dramatic near falls, sick moves and, as I now have been accustomed to, the Ohtani facial expressions. Another must see match!
9. Keiji Mutoh vs. Masa Chono (8/11/91 - G-1 Climax Finals)
****
Going into this I expected some great things and I feel this match, whilst very good didn't live to the hype I had bestowed upon it. It's a 30 minute knockdown, drag out affair and I honestly think the first 10 or 12 minutes are meaningless. They fight over a few submissions but ultimately none of it leads anywhere because after watching the whole match I kind of came to the conclusion nobody really sells anything. After the initial period though the match really picks up and before you know it Mutoh's pile driving Chono on the floor in the crowd somewhere and Chono's doing these highspots like he's a junior! They built really well to the finish which I felt kind of came out of nowhere, although that powerbomb looked pretty gnarly! I'm sure this is a top rated classic match purely because of the atmosphere from the fans in the audience. They literally make this match! They love Chono and at the end of the match they throw pillows into the ring, something I've never seen anywhere so I'm guessing that's some kind of ultimate respect from the fans.
DISC 4
8. El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto (6/5/97 - TOSJ '97 Finals)
*****
First of all...WHAT A JOURNEY!! This match took a twist I was not expecting! Kanemoto is one bad mother trucker whilst El Samurai is a crowd favourite and for a good portion of this match they have the very good typical NJPW 90's Junior style match. Kanemoto works over the leg of El Samurai for a while which leads to some exciting submissions attempts whilst El Samurais tactic after a while appears to try to be to try and just knock out Kanemoto out by kicking him in the face as a receipt for Kanemoto laying in some STIFF kicks. They seemingly build towards a finish whilst trading several high impact moves but The match transforms into a higher gear when Kanemoto rips off El Samurais mask. The crowd is hot as hell at the time anyway due to them being at what the crowd assumed would be the finish...BUT OH NO! The mask gets ripped and then shits REALLY on! As far as epic story telling goes, you're not going to find too much of that here nor will you find a tremendous amount of psychology however, take yourself out of that over analytical mood and you will find this highly satisfying. As back and forth action packed (almost spot fest like if you really want to call it that) matches go this is WAY WAY up there.
Editors note...this match also received ***** from Dave Meltzer.
7. Great Sasuke vs. Jushin Liger (4/16/94 - J-Cup Semi-Finals)
****
Whilst on paper this certainly appears to be a real clash of the titans between the top indy junior (Sasuke) and one of the top big league juniors (Liger) the actual match didn't quite live up to expectations. That really is down to the structure of the match for me. If we are to believe Sasuke is every bit as good as Liger then it's probably a good idea for him to get some strong offense in and unfortunately a lot of the match was just Liger squashing Sasuke. It was still entertaining as hell though and Sasukes comebacks were great. Of course there is a THAT moment where Sasuke botches a springboard move into the ring and Liger just claps to the crowd.
6. Great Sasuke & Black Tiger vs. Wild Pegasus & Shinjiro Ohtani (10/16/94 - Jr. Tag League Finals)
***3/4
Over the many matches I have seen on this set far I have come to appreciate a lot of the stars of the 90's and style they wrestled however this match came across to me as a total exhibition. There was no real emphasis on anything other than back and forth action with not much of a rhyme nor reason. Don't get wrong there's still some fun stuff here but it's just happenings for happenings sake. Perhaps there was some sort of epic back-story to this match and I'm unaware of it but as it stands this one has to be considered a step lower than my expectations given the names involved.
5. Pegasus Kid vs. El Samurai (6/15/93 - TOSJ 93 Finals)
****1/4
Despite my thought that these two generally didn't have that much chemistry, this was still a fantastic match! A lot of submission moves were fought over for about 2/3s of this one and it was quite clearly where each man felt at his best. It took a while for the crowd to get into the match also, which was surprising to me. Still there's plenty of good and exciting near fall action towards the end. A pretty good match but not quite as good as I thought it would have been.
DISC 5
4. Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (1/31/90 - IWGP Jr. Title)
****1/2
This was a completely different match to most in this set as this one was ALL about the apparent blood feud between these two. Liger attacks from the bell which is quite a different strategy compared to all his other appearances in this compilation and from there it's an intense ride. Sano is merciless as he rips Ligers mask basically off altogether and bloodies him which makes for some really good shots. The crowd are SO behind Liger in this one and every comeback he makes is so desperate it could be his last. What transpires after the match also adds to the whole thing as Liger is so mad he turns around and beats up everyone in the ring, throws the IWGP Jr title to the floor a few times and if anything kicks what I assume as already a hot feud into a higher gear.
3. Jushin Liger vs. El Samurai (4/30/92 - TOSJ '92 Finals)
***3/4
I'm willing to bet there's a fair few Puro fans out there that think I'm underrating this one but for me this match was quite good at best, not great and most definitely not worthy of its high place on this list of matches. I think what really put this one into context for me was the previous bout (Liger vs. Sano) which had a very similar story to this match only it was told much better plus the action was more exciting and the hate really came across. There may be a great back-story that I'm unaware of so I'm only reviewing this as a standalone match. Don't let what I just wrote put you off checking this match out though. To begin with El Samurai really brings the hate brawling all over the place with Liger and even hitting him over the head with a bottle after tombstoning him on the floor! It's just a shame that the intense level brought in the first 5 minutes wasn't kept up! They do tell a nice story though with Samurai going for Ligers mask which in turn makes Liger MAD. So much so that he tears Samurai's mask clean off and hands him a serious beating! It's a fun match that started off great but ultimately lost steam during the middle portion and as exciting as the finish was its still not enough to really raise the match back to its starting level. In short, to me it came across as a poor twist on the previous match.
2. Ultimo Dragon vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (8/4/96 J-Crown Semi-Finals)
****1/2
Even if these two just phoned it in you know it would still be a very good match and I'm pleased to say in this one they each brought something big to the table. You know it's going to be good when right from the start they tease Ohtani knowing how to escape the La Magistral cradle from Dragon and from there it becomes a tale of the stiff high flyer versus the technical submissions expert. The match is a very back and forth affair until out of nowhere the crowd become unglued and then it's homeward bound down the finishing stretch. The last 5 minutes or so it just pure GOLD 90's NJPW Jnr goodness with Ohtani doing what he's done throughout this compilation - showing the desperation and fighting spirit of wanting to win and it's something that really connects well with the fans. A really great little gem that's really only hindered by the fact that you know this match could have gone 5 more minutes and really been an all time classic!
1. Great Sasuke vs. Wild Pegasus (4/16/94 J-Cup Finals)
*****
Probably the most famous match of the whole top 20 and really no surprise that it's number 1, it's an all time classic after all! I had previously seen this on the Chris Benoit Hard Knocks DVD that WWE produced way back in 2004 and therefore it's been years since I last saw this. It surprised me how much this match holds up after my first impression of it 7 years ago and that's an example of just how good this match is. It's Jnr wrestling at its finest and it's literally mesmerising from bell to bell. There's just no wasted motion from either man and it's a complete showcase of each person’s style so you know you're getting the best performance they could put on. So much good action to talk about that it's easier if you go out and just watch this match. Must see stuff right here!
BONUS MATCH: Great Sasuke vs. Jushin Liger (7/8/94)
****1/2
This was very much a similar match as number 7 in the 20 only this time it's Sasuke that gets the bulk of the match in control as opposed to Liger. But this time round something clicked really well between these two and it's that magic that was missing in their previous encounter. This match has more pace and is crammed with more intense action plus the finishing 5 minutes or so are just full of edge of your seat near falls. How this was only a bonus match yet the match from disc 4 made the top 20 is beyond me. In my opinion they should have been the other way round!
To cap off the review all I can really say is this: if you're even slightly tempted by anything on this DVD set GO AND BUY IT! It's an incredible set of matches and varies well enough that nothing’s tedious or boring. Each disc clocked in at around 90 - 105 minutes and none of the matches are super long so if you’re a fan who gets a little bit of time to watch DVDs here and there this is perfect for you! I gave 17 of the 21 matches **** or above and even the lowest scoring match still clocked in at a cool ***1/2 meaning as a set it ranges from quite good to freaking' amazing. Enough of the hype though, just get on over to Highspots right now and buy it. YOU WONT REGRET IT!
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