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Post by elliott on Dec 7, 2017 20:54:17 GMT -5
Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu (NJPW - 2/17/94)
This is the blow off of the amazing NJPW vs WAR feud and is really the perfect final match with Hashimoto getting the big win. This starts slow with some basic, but well done, mat work but escalates beautifully. Hashimoto's enzugiri over the ref's head was amazing. This is a hugely underrated match considering how beloved these two have become in online circles and how it is worked. Stiffness, selling, and drama. Great shit.
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Post by childs on Jan 12, 2018 11:47:36 GMT -5
NJ-WAR might be my favorite promotional run from the '90s, and this was the big culmination. You really have to watch their singles matches and tag interactions from the previous year to get a full sense of what was on the line. You know Tenryu and Hash are going to be glorious assholes. But as Elliott said, they built this more as a big-match payoff than as a toe-to-toe fight (like their '98 G1 match). This is another of my all-time favorite match-ups, so I just have to decide which match to support in the end.
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Post by jetlag on Jan 27, 2018 7:18:35 GMT -5
2nd or 3rding this depending on what Childs decides. The first two matches were drawn out, tactical epics, this is the epic conclusion where everything goes haywire. In short, they beat the shit out of eachother and don't let up. Tenryu seemed to impose himself early on again, being more ruthless and coming at Hash like a train, but once Hashimoto hit that enzuigiri over Tiger Hattori it was clear he wouldn't let himself get blown away again. It was a great spot and may have made the whole match because it really served to escalate the situation. After that Hashimoto went all out and it was tough territory for Tenryu, folks sensing his downfall. While this wasn't as epic as the 1993 matches and I didn't love the weird "guy hurts himself doing a move" spots this is a great match in it's own right, one of the best blowoffs I've seen and one of the best "angry bears mauling eachother" matches for sure and a perfect conclusion to the trilogy.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Jul 29, 2018 15:12:19 GMT -5
To me their best match together and I like this even more than the Takada match as a Hashimoto The Destroyer defending the honor of New Japan match.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu - NJPW 2/17/94
Tenryu is coming off defeating Antonio Inoki at 1/4/94 in the Tokyo Dome, the last person to ever defeat Inoki. So to say the stakes are high in this match is an understatement. Hashimoto is 0-2 against Tenryu and Tenryu has defeated everyone on the New Japan roster. This is about pride.
If the first one is about psychology, the second one is about selling, this one is about sheer brutal offense. When you think of Hashimoto and Tenryu, you think of stiff, violent strikes, finally we get these two letting loose and ripping into each other on all their glory. Tenryu is chopping on rope breaks and Hashimoto is throwing wild kicks. Hashimoto takes him down to work the leg so Tenryu starts throwing nasty elbows into Hashimoto's side. Hashimoto throws the nastiest headbutt this side of Regal/Finlay totally out of nowhere. He just throws two more and a big kick. Then they just start firing into each other. Tenryu chops him in the throat and Hashimoto goes down in a heap. Tenryu goes for a rear naked choke. Hashimoto breaks loose and starts in on the arm. I loved how Tenryu got out by kneeing him in the head repeatedly. Tenryu is all about brutal strikes in this match. Knees and kicks to head. He constantly peppering these kicks to the head. Tenryu goes for the lariat and Hashimoto hits his armdrag and goes back to the arm and gets a cross armbreaker, but Tenryu's foot is on the ropes. Chop back to the throat. It is just violent watching this. Again, Jesus! Bodyslam and the top rope reverse elbow gets two. This has been a WAR!
Best part of the match: Hashimoto sick and tired of these chops to throat, kicks him low. Now Tenryu drops down in a heap as if he was kicked inthe fucking balls. The ref's reaction is great. He is so pissed Hashimoto did it. But there is a chance that Tenryu is faking but the ref is keeping Hashimoto back. Tenryu up on his feet and Sumo Slaps. Tenryu brutalizes Hashimoto in the corner. Now the ref is on Tenryu's case and Hashimoto LEAPS OVER THE REF AND NAILS AN ENZIGUIRI TO THE TENRYU'S HEAD!!! MARK OUT CITY! HASHIMOTO KICKS TENRYUS HEAD OFF! HASHIMOTO THE DESTROYER UNLEASHED!
Tenryu slumped down in the corner and Hashimoto seems very pleased with his corner. I loved Hashimoto finally letting loose and just letting the kicks fly and with most of them being aimed at the head. He hits an ugly version of his leaping DDT. After trying in previous matches, he finally gets it, but cant capitalize. Seems like he had his bell rung. Tenryu Kappo Kick! RUH! ROH! Tenryu hits an enziguiri. Tenryu slaps himself to shake out the cobwebs. POWERBOMB! But Tenryu is knocked silly. He cant capitalize due to all the shots to his head. Hashimoto is back up but Tenryu chops and kappo kick. Again his head is all messed up. Tenryu goes for a DDT, but Hashimoto throws him THE FUCK DOWN with an Urnage. DONT BE BRINGIN THAT IN MY HOUSE! HASHIMOTO DDT! 1-2-NO! CMON! FINISH HIM! Tenryu starts slapping the shit out of Hashimoto, he falls into a powerbomb. 1-2-NO! WOOOOO!!! Tenryu is slapping the shit out of Hashimoto. Duck. BELLY TO BELLY! HASHIMOTO ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE HEAD! DDT! YAAAAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!! Chono & Hase in to celebrate with Hashimoto.
One of the best feel-good victories of all time, love these torch passing moments. They finally had the stiff, brutal war we wanted out of them. They beat the piss out of each other. Tenryu just ripped into Hashimoto with those chops. Hashimoto with the headbutts early and then those head kicks. Great Tenryu selling of the head kicks down the stretch. Amazing dramatic finish run. Hashimoto just would not be denied and Shinya Hashimoto is officially the Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling! ****3/4
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2021 7:34:12 GMT -5
Quite possibly my favourite Hash-Tenryu encounter, more physical than the 93 matches which I'm a big fan of. I haven't watched their 98 match (or at least can't remember watching it) so I'm curious to see how that stacks up as well.
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Post by elliott on Feb 8, 2021 20:15:58 GMT -5
Just rewatched it and I just love this match. Hashimoto has like 3 separate contenders for greatest kick of all time in one match.
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Post by bossrock on Feb 9, 2021 17:29:07 GMT -5
The 1998 match is still probably my favorite, but this is a very close second. Like all of the matches in this series, it's a very physical slugfest. However, there are two distinct parts to it. The first part of the match sees Tenyru and Hashimoto throwing stiff, yet tentative strikes. There's then a submission follow-up when someone is knocked down. The second part is much more explosive with tensions really boiling over. Both guys take turns throwing big offensive onslaughts until the other can land a counter. It's basically a war of attrition where Hashimoto has just a bit more gas in the tank.
Great stuff as always by these two. I love this series.
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Post by elliott on Feb 9, 2021 17:39:53 GMT -5
Which was your favorite kick?
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Post by tetsujin on Feb 9, 2021 18:53:00 GMT -5
This is my favourite Tenryu/Hash match, althought the WAR one is pretty close and both G1 singles matches at 1993 and 1998 are also pretty good. They had insane chemistry and I wish current big matches learned from their dynamic instead of the generic imitation of king's road and/or fighting spirit we often see everywhere.
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Post by mvz on Mar 12, 2021 2:29:26 GMT -5
Agree with tetsujin, the pacing of this match was welcome and gave it a big match feel. Then about half way through the pace picks up. We are off to the races but everything is meaningful and impactful. Great kicks by Hashimoto and great sells by Tenryu.
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Post by lemming on Nov 28, 2023 5:54:09 GMT -5
I voted this #28 this year.
My favourite kicks were:
1) Hash's enzuigiri over the ref's head. Awesome high spot.
2) His kick to the midsection right after Tenryu hits him with a lariat. Hash does an incredible "staggering but gritting teeth through it" sell of the lariat and somehow hits this awesome kick in a way that looks badass and natural. It's very different from a pop up delayed selling spot, he's selling the whole time even as he delivers his kick. Hard to do justice in words. But it's a very good kick.
3) The kick to the head immediately before the final DDT, hits flush and absolutely feels like part of a finishing sequence.
Honourable mentions:
-Hash's running spin kick. High difficulty kick and he lands it perfectly.
-One of the roundhouse kicks in the corner that Tenryu does a great slumped sell from. He hits one shortly before in a different corner and you think "That's and excellent roundhouse kick" and then he hits this one and you think "Man, that's an even better roundhouse kick."
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