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Post by jetlag on Jan 27, 2018 7:25:04 GMT -5
tl;dr their most epic match, Hashimoto working a clean match with an intense desire to win while Tenryu is a nasty bastard cheapshotting him and kicking him in the eye a bunch
full review:
The WAR match was about Hashimoto taking Tenry out in his own house. This is in contrast about Hashimoto, the brave New Japan representative, putting on a wrestling match and Tenryu mauling him with cheapshots. He makes a pissed off rush at his adversary early on, but the rest of this is an almost US/Britain like babyface performance with how he refuses to stoop to Tenryu's level as he keeps getting kicked in the eye and chopped in the throat. Hash doing wrestling is almost as awesome as Hash unleashing his fury, and he is great here, softening up Tenryu with massive kicks, dumping him on his shoulder with awesome throws and almost snapping his arm with a lightning fast counter. Tenryu's selling was absolutely flawless and I echo everything Superstar Sleeze has said on Hashimoto selling his desire to win. He may be the greatest ever at portraying this kind of determination in the face of a loss and watching him going at Tenryu despite having nothing left was just magic. These two maybe the best matchup in puro history as their simplistic styles are just made for eachother. Tenryu should not be slept on as he may be the best ever at being a savvy bastard, almost KO'ing Hash with a bulldog, checking on his arm and kicking Hashimoto right between the eyes for his troubles.
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Post by microstatistics on Mar 16, 2018 17:32:59 GMT -5
tl;dr their most epic match, Hashimoto working a clean match with an intense desire to win while Tenryu is a nasty bastard cheapshotting him and kicking him in the eye a bunch This pretty much nails it, not sure what to add. This is probably my favorite of their singles bouts and a Top 5-10 match for 1993. All their matches deserve to be nominated. Second. |
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Post by superstarsleeze on Aug 2, 2018 9:31:07 GMT -5
Jetlag great review brutha! I did not notice that wrinkle of Hashimoto wrestling this match straight because he wants to make his home fans proud and Tenryu is being a nasty prick the entire match. Damn now I need to rewatch this. I have their 2/17/94 match ahead but maybe with fresh eyes this might overtake it.
Regardless both matches are making my list and easy third nomination.
Is this the only match on any Yearbook with no comments from Loss?
Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu - NJPW 8/8/93
The rematch takes place just days after the finish of the G-1 Climax and this time the match takes place on New Japan's turf so Hashimoto has home court advantage.
Hashimoto is much more in control here than at the beginning of the last match. He seems more confident that he can improve and get the win here. Tenryu seems more offensive-minded. He knows he eeked out a victory last time. Tenryu goes with Sumo Slaps to start and Hashimoto mostly blocks, they lock up and get tangled in the ropes. Reset. Each hits a shoulderblock knocking the other off their feet. Hashimoto favors his injured left shoulder. Is this the DDP injured ribs of Japan? Did it ever heal? Tenryu goes low though and gets a drop toehold looking to work the leg, but that goes nowhere. Upon standup, Hashimoto targets the leg he attacked in the first match with kicks and then a toehold. Rope break. Then they stare at each other for uncomfortably long period of time. Tenryu opens a can of whoop ass. Chops to the throat that are just wicked and when Hashimoto tucks his chin to block Tenryu CHOPS HIM IN THE FACE! WOW! Hashimoto opens a can in return and starts chopping the hell out of him and kicking him. Hashimoto ends up just smothering him. I didn't like Hashimoto going for a hold right after that. They should have kept rocking because they were finally letting loose. Tenryu makes the ropes. Wicked kick and then chops him repeatedly up high in the throat and face. Hashimoto goes down in a heap. Kawada kicks to the head. This is a great dick heel performance from Tenryu and a great Hashimoto selling performance. Top reverse elbow from Tenryu. He hits a big lariat for two. Goes for another and Hashimoto says DONT BE BRINGING THAT IN MY HOUSE when he throws him DOWN with an Urnage. Hashimoto wants the DDT, but cant get it so he settles for trying to pull Tenryu's shoulder out of its socket with an armdrag and works Tenryu's lariat arm. Great verbal selling and physical selling from Tenryu. Tenryu starts kneeing him in the head. Tenryu has been brutal in this match. Bodyslam by Tenryu and goes up for his top rope reverse elbow but you cant do the same move twice and Hashimoto gets the electric chair. Crawls desperately for the cover but only gets two. Cross armbeaker on the bad arm and Tenryu quickly gets the ropes. I will never get tired of watching Hashimoto kicking people. Those kicks to Tenryu's bad arm are ferocious.
Hashimoto runs the ropes and gets caught in a desperation powerbomb. Hashimoto charging in has cost him twice now (in the first match, missed jumping DDT was the beginning of the end). Tenryu goes for the powerbomb and Hashimoto backdrops out. The selling is off the charts here with Hashimoto really selling discombobulated. Hashimoto cements his advantage with the enziguiri and then the rainbow heel kick. Tenryu's selling is so good you can feel the match slipping from his grasp. Now here is Hashimoto's finish sequence. Tenryu almost blocks the jumping DDT in the same way but this time, Hashimoto gets an armbar takedown on the bad arm. Hashimoto hits his DDT. I loved the urgency on the cover but only gets two. Tenryu is grabbing his head as Hashimoto is frustrated. He grabs the hair of Tenryu and takes him over with a German suplex cover again and only two. The anguish on Hashimoto's face is great. He pulls on the hair again to pull him up this time for a powerbomb. Tenryu almost collapses, nice touch. He picks him up and Tenryu kicks him in the head. ENZIGUIRI! LOOK AT THAT SELL BY HASHIMOTO! WOW! Kappo Kick and Hashimoto is bowled over. In the last match that was the prelude to the powerbomb and the finish. Tenryu is selling his left arm but he grits his teeth and hits a lariat anyways. Tenryu is pissed. Big chops again from Tenryu, great offensive performance from Tenryu. Hashimoto powerslam! Hashimoto gnashing his teeth. Pulling Tenryu up by his hair, German? Tenryu goes wild with elbows and punches to the head. Total survival mode. Bulldog out of that position. Great enziguiri from Tenryu. Tenryu loads him up, powerbomb, 1-2-NO! HUGE POP! Here comes the Defiant Fighting Spirit last stand. Rainbow kick and then falling chops. Hashimoto can barely stand is just throwing chops. Powerbomb again for two. This time Hashimoto has nothing left and Tenryu hits the third and final powerbomb to put away the challenger to his throne.
I just want to get this out of the way early, I thought the beginning was too tepid to give this a full five. Now let me praise the match. The finish sequence would inspire generations to come. That defiant last stand by a young upstart is a common trope in 2000s puroresu. It is cinematographic but it works so well here. The way Hashimoto throws those chops after the first powerbomb is just great. In the first match, Hashimoto got caught with a kappo kick to the head in the middle of a fight. It was a flash loss. Here Hashimoto showed great resiliency but had a dug too much of a hole for himself. What makes this match so great is not the offense per se, but the selling. Not just selling of the offense, but the selling of the importance of the match. Hashimoto was selling how badly he wanted to win the match. So many wrestlers forget that is what pro wrestling is about, it is about winning. Hashimoto wanted to win this one so badly. It was completely engrossing watching him try so hard. The way he gnashed his teeth for every Tenryu kick out, how he pulled him up by the hair and how he threw those last chops, Hashimoto putting everything he had into the match. When a wrestler is invested in the outcome of the match, the fans will be invested. Hashimoto comes up short in the match, but in reality he was the true winner. ****3/4
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Post by lemming on May 19, 2023 8:56:00 GMT -5
Just rewatched the '93/'94 series between these two and it held up even better than I remembered. Hashimoto is so good here fighting for the pride of his home promotion against the jerk whose primary strategy is to chop him in the throat as often as possible.
Hash had been on top for much of their first encounter only to get rocked by some big shots and pinned. This match is more even and back and forth but again he ends up taking some shots to the head which he can't fully recover from. He is one of the best ever at 'going out on your shield' performances and this is a clinic, all stubbornness and pride and rage against the dying of the light. He hits a glorious desperation powerslam but his kick outs and attempted comebacks steadily lose steam until he has nothing left to give.
I already have their '94 match on my draft, I may need to make space for this one too. Honestly someone could have all 3 of this trilogy in their top ten and I wouldn't argue.
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