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Post by GOTNW on Jan 18, 2018 18:28:40 GMT -5
Easy list maker here. Their 1985 match was more compact but this one may have peaked as high as whatever the greatest match of all time is. "I’m trying to put into words how much I liked this match but I don’t think I’ll be able to do this justice. If the match was about ten minutes shorter I think it could’ve rated it as a top ten match of all time. It’s still an absolutely incredible match, an the crowd never really dies but after a certain point they just aren’t buying the submissions as much as they did and it’s more of a “clap for rope breaks/escapes/general effort” thing. This was a perfect showcase for both wrestler’s abilities, the matwork was phenomenal and they managed to escape a perfect sense of one-upmanship. It is a match that manages to excel both at the little things and the big things, there’s a moment where Inoki does a bridge and Fujinami tries to drive him to that and I swear Inoki did the most beautiful bridge I’ve ever seen, the kind of thing that could only be possible because of stuff like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnHmKPSYxPoThe crowd was fucking insane, you get shots of people standing up and not leaving their feet for about ten minutes just mesmerized by the drama of the match, Inoki firing up while Fujinami had him in a Figure Four was one of the greatest spots I’ve ever seen and Fujinami responded appropriately by pushing himself up as far as he could and trying to rip apart Inoki’s leg, the struggle over everything was so well done here and the match also served as a great display for their character though I’d find it understable if people used to gigantic bumps for irish whips and WWF wrestling didn’t pick it up (not actually trying to call anyone out here fwiw), Fujinami has a chip on his shoulder and while being a great athlete in his own right doesn’t really possess Inoki’s strength and they play it up really well, Inoki goes for an illegal Sleeper in the beginning and Fujinami sells it like a huge threat, later on Fujinami uses the same maneuver several times but never manages to damage Inoki as much as Inoki had damaged him, I think that came off really well every time Fujinami would grab a hold for a longer period of time where, he’d just come off as the most tenacious wrestler ever, and later in the match when Inoki stars slapping the shit out of him and Fujinami sells it enough so it doesn’t come off as no selling (especially with his facial expression) but no sells it enough so the crowd can put his awesome facial expressions together with him refusing to go down to Inoki’s strikes and it’s this humongous amazing moment and everyone is losing their shit and pro wrestling fucking rules mate. I also find it amusing how Fujinami’s character seems to consistent both in his on air presentation and in scummy backstage videos and stories (him slapping Kevin Nash comes to mind, also there was a video where him and Inoki just yell at each other for five minutes and Fujinami responds to Inoki’s weak fifth grader bully slap by Bas Ruttening him). ****3/4"
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Post by gordi on Jan 20, 2018 11:43:31 GMT -5
I'll second this.
The key word here is: Struggle. Like the '89 Fujiwara vs Yamazaki match that I also plan to have on my list this is an epic DEFENSIVE battle. They struggle mightily over damn near every hold and transition. I can easily see how this match and the UWF epic could be misunderstood as boring by people who think that pro wrestling is all about exciting offence. I'll go so far as to say that this match is maybe going to appeal a bit more to people who like to find something a little outside of the ordinary in their pro wrestling viewing... and maybe also to people who are a little jaded about big fancy moves and such.
There's also the matter of "historical importance" and context and just who it is in this match. Coming into this blind, I don't know if the crowd reaction would completely make sense. When the absolute Ace of the promotion, a guy who many in the crowd legitimately believe is the World's Greatest Martial Artist, faces off against the unquestioned Number Two Guy in the promotion... with all that history behind it and so much riding on the outcome in that moment... Then it makes sense that people are losing it over one of the guys securing a wrist lock.
That being said... I'd imagine that anyone who is into pro wrestling as art and sport (as well as entertainment) should get a kick out of the epic f'n struggle, and out of Fujinami's sublimely subtle underdog performance, regardless of context.
THAT being said, I can absolutely see how for some people this (and Fujiwara vs Yamazaki) would just seem to drag on and on. More people are into Spielberg or Tarantino than are into Bela Tarr or Tarkovsky... and rightly so. Spielberg and Tarantino are awesome. Long takes are not everyone's cup of tea.
I'm not trying to pat myself on the back for digging this, nor am I trying to look down on anyone who prefers their pro wrestling to be straight up exciting or entertaining. I'm a huge Osaka Pro mark, for crying out loud. I love being entertained. I guess what I am trying to say is that, sometimes, an oddly-paced match with basically no huge moves, where the wrestlers are working in a dead-serious style... Well, sometimes that entertains the crap out of me, too.
tl/dr: If struggle and defence and subtle character work sound like your cup of tea, this match (and the 1989 Fujiwara vs Yamazaki match... Which is VERY different from this one other than its unusual pace and emphasis on defence and positioning) are so, so, so worth checking out.
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Post by jetlag on Mar 15, 2018 3:02:06 GMT -5
3rd. Best 1 hour draw I've seen. It's certainly the best job at going 60 minutes without making it obvious.
If it weren't for a few minor nitpicks, this match would head straight into GOAT territory. Hell, even with the nitpicks, this might be the GOAT as far as a certain vision of wrestling is concerned. The 1985 match was a tribute to the old style with an underdog story, here, they set out to wrestle straight into olymp with modernized high end grappling contest built around the traditional holds. At no point did they go through the motions; at no point (atleast in the first 30 minutes) did they make it obvious that they were going to go the full 60 minutes. Every sequence was worked in such a way that it could plausibly lead to a finish, which is exactly why they had the crowd by the balls the whole time. The holds they used were grinding and tight as it gets, and the suplexes were used in awesome ways. Too many great sequences to list them all, but Fujinami getting fired up when slapped only to get punched in the face and be nearly KO'd and put away may be the best I've ever seen. To be fair, some of Fujinami's transitions were poor, and Inoki may have looked better than him. Inoki looked like a world class grappler (check out that smooth armbreaker/suplex transition) and his selling was pretty cool – he seemed invincible, but was limping, going for desperation moves and clearly spent by the last few minutes. That was fascinating to watch for sure. They lose direction a little and run out of ideas by the last third, but they stuck to what works for them. It could have been better, but that's not a huge knock on what already was cemented as one of the greatest wrestling contests ever anyways. The #2 guy vs. #1 guy story was there too, but for me not as important as the grappling here.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Oct 29, 2018 20:37:01 GMT -5
Did this make DVDVR New Japan 80s set? I dont think it did. It seems like this is definitely something I should watch. Should I watch their 85 match too first?
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Post by jetlag on Oct 30, 2018 9:32:03 GMT -5
Did this make DVDVR New Japan 80s set? I dont think it did. It seems like this is definitely something I should watch. Should I watch their 85 match too first?
No it didn't and yes you should watch it as well as th 1985 match (if you can stomach long 70s style work) and the 1984 Inoki/Choshu
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Post by superstarsleeze on Nov 1, 2018 21:38:59 GMT -5
I dont just stomach it; I feast on it. I will add this to pile. Hopefully, I get to it.
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Post by microstatistics on May 18, 2019 13:50:28 GMT -5
Finally watched this and it was not what I thought it would be. I expected a lot of sitting around in holds and extended periods of struggle over basic stuff (considering the length and, well, Inoki). But instead, there were a ton of slick counters and jockeying for position here, interspersed with lightning bursts of strikes, flash pins and suplex exchanges.
Story wise, I thought this far more about Fujinami than Inoki. Despite being champion, he was determined to finally topple the best and you could feel the fire and urgency of his attack. The prideful no selling attempts were pretty great too. The last 10-15 minutes are interesting. The pace slows, the crowd heat dies down and Inoki is suddenly in control. The way I interpreted it was that Fujinami had spent nearly 50 minutes throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Inoki and still couldn't beat him. The final stretch was like purgatory for him where he was still desperately trying to win but everyone knew he couldn't do it (watch the crowd barely react to Inoki escaping an extended dragon sleeper). On top of that, he now had to avoid losing. The defeated look of disappointment in the post-match pretty much said it all.
Not perfect but I'd consider it a classic. 1988 MOTY and the best 60 minute draw I've seen.
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Post by mvz on Oct 27, 2021 20:28:35 GMT -5
Finally got around to this this morning and boy am I glad I did. it ebbed and flowed but there was always technique and intensity no matter what part of the story they were telling. They also had a knack for meaningful details like the way Fujinami applies the figure four, the bursts of strikes from Inoki, and indicators of exhaustion toward the conclusion. I feel like I am describing a satisfying novel, but this was ambitious and compelling every step of the way.
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Post by mvz on Dec 18, 2021 6:57:52 GMT -5
This didn't finish in the top 100 overall, but I ranked this 20th and thought I would share the comments I included with my 2021 ballot:
I think I may be more open to a 60-minute draw than some, and this is an ambitious match between two legends that keeps on adding wrinkles and drama. They use some unique pacing to maintain a high level of energy and competitiveness, so rather than thinking they are going long you are in suspense because it feels like it can end at any point. Masterful.
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Post by makaiclub on Dec 21, 2021 20:12:28 GMT -5
Let's get the flaws out of the way first, the match lost steam around the 50 minute mark before picking back up in the last 2-3. Understandable but when the rest of the match is so exciting and so energetic, it's noticeable. It's very minor though because 50+ minutes of a 60 match being some of the most fun you can have watching wrestling negates it all. This was pretty fantastic. It's the epitome of the style. It has superb, snug mat work with great counters and most of all strategy with Fujinami mostly working on the leg of Inoki. There was a ton of emphasis on takedowns too. And heavy strikes that popped me big - Fujinami no selling the hard punches had me jumping around in shock and excitement. That's goddamn stubbornness right there, and then his sell of the following enziguri was also great. The sporadic strike exchanges all came at the perfect time and added to the ever rising drama. The high spots were all great. The struggle for the suplex on the top rope, Fujinami barrage of moves (that drop kick early on~! ), etc, etc. Going back to the aforementioned leg work, Inoki's selling was excellent - he in general was brilliant in everything he did from his transitions from hold to hold, his strikes, mat wrestling and selling was all up-to standard. He's limping was a constant presence. You don't need to be writhing in agony on the floor, although Fujinami's figure four which was still locked on when both fell out of the ring probably warranted it that level of selling (ouch). Fujinami was a king with his facial expressions, his fiery spurts of offence, his technique, everything. Inoki is a near god in New Japan and Fujinami didn't look out of place against him. Both brought it big time. The finishing run with Fujinami taking Inoki to his limit, refusing to lose to Inoki once again and thus keeping the title was great storytelling, and made for great significance for the promotion and Fujinami himself. *****
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Post by triviaturner on Apr 30, 2022 0:59:37 GMT -5
Can someone point me in the direction of where I might be able to watch this? Besides NJPW World, of course!
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Post by silverwidow on Apr 30, 2022 13:56:37 GMT -5
Can someone point me in the direction of where I might be able to watch this? Besides NJPW World, of course! Just do a google search for it and you'll see a link under the videos section.
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Post by puropotsy on Jun 4, 2023 19:16:20 GMT -5
This match crawled by for me but in the best way. It was grueling and every move and hold by both guys was meant to push the limits of the opponent. With a history of Inoki being the ace of NJPW this really made Fujinami feel like his equal. They also had one of the best figure four spots I’ve ever seen with Fujinami arching himself up to wrench on Inoki’s legs while Inoki drew strength from the crowd. The pace didn’t need to pick up at the end really as they just worked that hard pace on each other throughout. This is in my Top 20 for now.
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Post by mrjmml on Aug 2, 2023 14:24:28 GMT -5
I promised that I was going to review this match a few days ago, I finally got enough energy to watch it and it didn’t disappoint, it was as great as I remembered it being, before going into the match you have to know the stipulation, if Inoki doesn’t win he can’t challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Title again, that’s why the crowd is so invested in the match, every pinfall and submission attempt felt like a big deal because this match can end at any moment, this match isn’t a sprint if entered this match expecting that you’d be disappointed, it’s a technical battle between two of the greatest wrestlers in New Japan Pro Wrestling history if that doesn’t sound appealing to you don’t watch this match if not you won’t regret giving this match a watch, I personally always end up forgetting this is a time limit draw, I keep falling for the nearfalls, a completely irrational reaction by my part but the crowd is just so energetic that you let yourself go, they are so focused on the action that it’s impossible for me to look away, they’re always chanting for Inoki and their chants get louder in submission attempts, the crowd wasn’t as loud during the last five minutes, by that time they knew it was going to be a time limit draw but it doesn’t matter having a crowd hooked on a match for 55 out of 60 minutes is still very impressive, Inoki not winning it’s the definitive passing of the torch moment and a very special moment for Tatsumi Fujinami, his selling performance added so much to the experience I can’t think of a better opponent for Inoki’s last chance to get the title, he didn’t want to lose, not even in a match that’s supposed to be a passing of the torch moment,Inoki will always be Inoki.
I recommend this one to everyone who enjoys great american epics from the 1950’s if you like Lou Thesz vs Verne Gagne you’ll like this match.
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Post by makaiclub on Aug 4, 2023 17:30:23 GMT -5
This match crawled by for me but in the best way. It was grueling and every move and hold by both guys was meant to push the limits of the opponent. With a history of Inoki being the ace of NJPW this really made Fujinami feel like his equal. They also had one of the best figure four spots I’ve ever seen with Fujinami arching himself up to wrench on Inoki’s legs while Inoki drew strength from the crowd. The pace didn’t need to pick up at the end really as they just worked that hard pace on each other throughout. This is in my Top 20 for now. I think there is something to a slow pace and a slow time not automatically being a bad thing. In this instance, the match is so rich and fill of detailed wrestling that the slow pace makes it easier to digest and take in what is actually happening. We've all seen matches that go 20 or 30 minutes and the first 10 minutes goes quickly but hardly anything was worth taking away. A quick pace is often preferable when there is lot to see but I enjoy a match where I can sit down and watch a match that does take its time, offering the best of what they can other. This is one and there is a great Backlund vs Valentine match in 1984 that also comes to mind as a great SLOW match.
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