Top Ten New Japan Matches Of The 90s

[HEIDENREICH]

Eto edno hubavbo reviu.Az sum gledal ot tezi samo ma4a Benoit-El Samurai.Naistina mnogo silna kompilacia!

#10: Koji Kanemoto vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (6/3/98, Best Of Super Junior Final)

Wagner is a phenomenal junior heavyweight and if you have a chance to see any of his work, you should do so. They fight over a lockup, into the ropes, and Koji grabs a waistlock. Wagner fights out of it and goes to a headscissors. Koji escapes, and they go into a little slap fest. Koji takes Wagner down with some kicks and grabs a chinlock. Wagner slips out and re-applies rhe headscissors, though. Koji hits a monkey flip, but Wagner tackles him down and grabs a bow and arrow. He lays in some stiff chops and fires off a dropkick. A leg drop gets a 2 count. Wagner locks Koji in a bodyscissors and a step over surfboard. Koji fights out of it and hits some high knee strikes in the corner. Wagner no-sells a bunch of chops and slaps on a camel clutch, which he turns into a cross armbreaker. Koji JUST makes the ropes. A vertical suplex sets up the table top submission. Wagner gets a pumphandle slam for 1 and busts out a CRAZY lucha hold. Wagner hits a lariat in the corner and puts Koji in the PENDULUM OF PAIN. Ouch! Is all I have to say to that. Koji TRIES to get some offense going, but Wagner stays in control with a PAINFUL boston crab. Another slap fest ensues and Koji hits the overhead suplex, followed by the springboard senton. Another senton misses, however, and Wagner ties him up in la majestral for 2. A tiger driver scores 2 also. Wagner slaps on a figure four.

*SIDE NOTE* I don’t think my review can do justice to what an unholy ass whooping Koji has taken thus far. If this wasn’t taking place in a ring, Wagner would’ve been charged and convicted of attempted murder.

A splash off the top gets another 2. Wagner locks in the gory special and does the old Vader sitdown for 2. He CREAMS Koji with a lariat and a Black Tiger Bomb for 2. He suplexes Koji outside and beats him with a chair. Back in the ring, Koji hits a spinning heel kick and locks in a figure four of his own. Wagner quickly reverses it, though. Koji fires off a dropkick from the second rope and gets a rollup for 2, then the Moonsault for 2. So, there IS some life left in him. Another Moonsault misses and Wagner KILLS Koji with a Michinoku Driver for 2. Remember when I said there was some life left in Koji, well, I take it back after that. Koji rolls outside to re-group. Back in, Wagner hits a second KILLER Michinoku Driver for 2 and rolls through a rana for 2. Wagner continues to try and take Koji’s life with a SPLASH MOUNTAIN BOMB~! for 2. Wagner heads up top, but misses a diving headbutt and Koji snaps off a rana for 2. He hits the Moonsault and ends things with the Tiger Suplex. Awesome!!!! I love this match to death. Wagner looks like the fucking terminator through the whole thing, and it makes Koji look like superman for beating him. ****1/2

#9: Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki vs. Masahiro Chono & Keiji Muto © (11/1/90, IWGP Tag Titles)

The Hase mullet is in full effect here. Chono-Sasaki to start. Chono grabs a headlock and hits a shoulderblock. Sasaki snaps off the Powerslam, but gets hit with a lariat. Muto-Hase now. Muto hits an armdrag, and they go into a test of strength. Hase does a NICE flip of a wristlock. Sasaki back in with a dropkick. Chono-Hase, and Chono hammers away in the corner. A double chop sends Hase down. Chono slaps on an armbar, but Hase counters to his own. Muto comes in with the Power Elbow and a legbar. Hase makes the ropes, though. Chono re-enters, but gets caught in an cross armbreaker. He gets out of it and tags Muto, who slaps on the bridging indian deathlock. Sasaki breaks it up, however, and tags in. He slaps Chono down and gets a running powerslam, then an elbow drop for 2. Hase in with a side slam for 2. A double lariat takes Chono down. Sasaki misses another dropkick and Chono hits the YAKUZA KICK. Muto comes in with the handspring elbow. Chono hits a shoulderblock off the top and locks in the STF. Sasaki fights his way to the ropes, but gets put in a figure four by Muto. Sasaki fights off Chono in the corner and Hase hits the Uranage! Muto breaks up a sharpshooter. A superplex sets up a flying splash from Hase for 2. Muto breaks up another sharpshooter, but gets tossed outside. Sasaki hits a dropkick in the corner and a face crusher, followed by a german suplex for 2. Muto in with another handspring elbow and a dropkick. Hase comes in, and Muto greets him with back suplex and a face crusher. A dragon suplex and the Moonsault each get 2. Sasaki flattens Chono with a lariat and catches Muto in the powerslam, giving Hase the opportunity he needs to hit the Northen Lights Suplex for the win and the titles. By 1990 standards, this was fabulous! Hell, by todays standards it’s fabulous too!! ****1/2

#8: Black Tiger vs. Wild Pegasus

Can’t EVER go wrong with these two. Benoit takes control early with a surfboard, a hammerlock and a front facelock. Tiger applies the gory special. They go into a pinfall reversal sequence and a test of strength. Tiger breaks that up with a headscissors takeover. Benoit regroups and puts Tiger in a bridging indian deathlock. Tiger makes the ropes and delivers a dragonscrew legwhip, then goes to a legbar. Benoit breaks the hold and slaps on a PAINFUL looking boston crab. Tiger responds with a poke to the eye and the slingshot hilo. He puts Benoit on the ramp and delivers another hilo. Back in, Benoit hits a back suplex for 2 and grabs a sleeper. Tiger fights to the ropes and snaps off a rana for 1. Benoit puts him right back in the sleeper, however. Tiger elbows out and hits a shoulderblock. Benoit knocks him down, though, and goes back to the sleeper right away. Tiger fires off a headscissors, but Benoit STILL keeps working the sleeper, this time with an added bodyscissors. Tiger gets a rollup for 2. Benoit re-applies the sleeper and hits the KILL DIE powerbomb, but not the flying headbutt. Tiger backdrops Benoit outside, but misses a planca. Benoit whips him into the railing and delivers a tope suicida. In the ring, Tiger slips out of another powerbomb and gets a brainbuster, followed by the Frog Splash for 2. Benoit turns another sleeper into the Dragon Suplex for 2. Benoit with a tombstone piledriver for 2 and a back superplex. Tiger gets the Black Tiger Bomb for 2 and a rana off the top for 2, then a brainbuster off the top for 3. Awesome match. The fact that half of it was spent in a sleeper and was STILL had the crowd on the edge of it’s seat shows just how good Benoit and Eddie were. ****1/2

#7: Chris Benoit & Shinjiro Ohtani vs. Great Sasuke & Black Tiger (10/16/94, Super Junior Tag League Final)

Whoever decided to put four of the best junior heavyweights ever in the same match should be given an award or something. Tiger throws his cape in Benoit’s face during the intros and triggers a HUGE brawl to start. Things settle down, and Sasuke and Tiger unload some SWEET double teams on Ohtani. (ex, Ohtani is up on Tiger’s shoulders and Sasuke comes off the top with a seated senton.) They both hit slingshot hilos and Sasuke slaps on a half crab. Tiger gets a delayed brainbuster for 2 and slaps on a sharpshooter, then delivers a BIG TIME lariat. Ohtani responds with a spin kick and a springboard planca. Back in the ring, Benoit comes in and hits a lariat, followed by a whirl backbreaker for 2. Tiger sneaks in a low blow and tags Sasuke, who grabs a short arm scissors. Benoit slips out and goes to a surfboard. Ohtani enters, and he and Sasuke go into a KILLER pinfall reversal sequence. Benoit in, and he gets a german suplex for 2 and a northern lights suplex for 2, then the KILL DIE powerbomb for 2. Ohtani re-emters with a missile dropkick and a german suplex for 2. Sasuke manages a few kicks and re-applies the short arms scissors. Ohtani counters into a cross armbreaker, though. Benoit and Sasuke trade chops in the corner. Ohtani hits a series of spin kicks and goes to a half crab. Sasuke hits a spin kick of his own, and Tiger tags in with the frog splash for 2 and a blockbuster slam for 2. A top rope rana scores 2 as well. Tiger applies the gory special. Sasuke tries a legbar, but Ohtani puts him in an ankle lock. Benoit comes back in and delivers a superplex for 2, followed by the dragon suplex for 2. Sasuke sends Benoit outside with a dropkick and hits a GIGANTIC planca off the top. He got some SERIOUS air on that one too. In the ring, Sasuke misses a corkscrew moonsault and Benoit gets another KILL DIE powerbomb for 2. Benoit tries a back superplex, but Sasuke counters it with a crossbody for 2. Tiger tags in and hits the SPRINGBOARD RANA for 2. I LOVE that move and Eddie NAILED it. Tiger fires off the brainbuster for 2. Benoit slips out of a german and gets another dragon suplex for 2. Ohtani tries his dragon suplex, but Tiger rolls him up for 2 and gets a Lygerbomb for 2, then the Black Tiger Bomb for 2. The tornado DDT gets 2 also. Sasuke misses a quebrada on Benoit as Tiger puts Ohtani up top. Benoit rushes back in and they try a guillotine rana double team (Sasuke is on Benoit’s shoulder and Ohtani comes off the top with a rana) but they BOTCH it, unfortuneately. Ohtani sinches Tiger up and hits a dragon suplex for 3. Fanstastic stuff. ****1/2

#6: El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto (6/5/97, Best Of Super Juniors Final)

You may have heard of this one because of an infamous move preformed in it. If you haven’t, well, you’ll just have to wait and find out what that move is.

*CUE OMINOUS MUSIC*

*NOTE* Before we come in, Koji has been destroying Samurai’s leg, setting up the main pysch element of the match.

JIP with Koji kicking Samurai in the corner. Samurai ties up Koji in a tree of woe and fires off a dropkick. Samurai tires another dropkick, but Koji catches him in an ankle lock. Now THAT’S innovation right there. Samurai makes the ropes and beats Koj around for 2. Koji snaps off the overhead suplex and goes after Samurai’s leg with a toe hold. Samurai avoids the Moonsault and delivers a HUGE lariat. He suplexes Koji outside and hits a suicide dive. Back in, Koji hits another overhead suplex and slaps on a kneebar, followed by a figure four. Samurai BARELY escapes both. More innovation from Koji as he ties Samurai up in the ropes and kicks at the injured leg. He slips out of the Samurai Bomb and applies the ankle lock. Samurai just makes the ropes. Koji misses the springboard senton and Samurai delivers a series of BRUTAL DDTs, then the diving headbutt for 2. Koji fights back with some slaps and a spinning heel kick. He hits the springboard senton on the second try and rips at Samurai’s mask, drawing MASSIVE boos from the crowd. And now, here is the *infamous* move I was talking about earlier. Koji sets Samurai up top and hits the POSIONED FRANKENSTEINER. OH.MY.GOD. I can ASSURE you that Samurai did not intend to land like that. He should have been paralyzed right then and there. Koji goes up for the Moonsault, but Samurai gets the knees up. A couple Samurai Bombs set up a cross armbreaker. Samurai heads up top, but Koji cuts him off and gets the SUPER POWERSLAM. That is SUCH a cool move. Koji hits the Moonsault and the Tiger Suplex…..for 2! Koji is shocked! The crowd is shocked! I’m shocked! Koji misses the Pheonix Senton and Samurai hits a SUPER reverse DDT, followed by an inverted suplex and a high angle reverse DDT for the 3. WOW!!! Super intense match. ****1/4. Now, why not 5 stars as others have given it? Because of one simple fact; the ridiciulous decision to no sell the posioned frankensteiner. It was unbelieveably stupid for Samurai to be hit with one of the most dangerous moves of all time and pop up literally seconds later and act like nothing happened. A big spot on an otherwise spotless match. Here’s the frankensteiner, if you haven’t seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbt85Wb1JKY

#5: Chris Benoit vs. El Samurai (6/13/93, Best Of Super Junior Final)

Ah….the days when Benoit was the best wrestler on the planet. I miss those days. Samurai is trying to avenge his loss to Lyger in the 92 final. Shoving match to start, and Samurai gets a rollup for 2. Some NICE chain wrestling ensues. Benoit gets a rollup out of a test of strength for 2. Samurai takes him down with a drop toehold and locks in an STF, which he turns into a camel clutch. Benoit slips out and puts Samurai in a camel clutch of his own. Samurai grabs a wristlock and works a hammerlock, then an armbar and a crossface. Samurai yanks at the arm for a bit and goes back to the crossface. Benoit fights out of another armbar and hits a back elbow, followed by a back suplex for 2. A scoop slam sets up a sharpshooter and a half crab. Benoit puts Samurai in a backbreaker submission and gets a snap suplex. Samurai surprises Benoit with an inside cradle for 2. They head outside and Benoit WHIPS Samurai into the railing. Back inside, Benoit gets a german suplex and the KILL DIE powerbomb for 2. A second rope leg drop gets 2 as well. Samurai hits a tombstone piledriver for 2 and slaps on Mr. Salty, but Benoit doesn’t give. Both guys miss diving headbutts off the top and Samurai snaps off an overhead suplex. Benoit rolls outside and Samurai hits him with a baseball slide, then a sumersault planca. In the ring, Benoit gets a SWANK headscissors out of the corner. Right back out they go, and Benoit delivers a planca off the top. Back in, Samurai snaps off a german suplex for 2. Benoit gets the dragon suplex for 2 and a northern lights suplex for 2. Samurai counters another dragon suplex with a rollup for 2. Another rollup gets 2 also. Samurai gets a top rope rana for 2 and the Samurai Bomb, followed by a back superplex for 2. Up top again, and Benoit finishes Samurai off with the SUPERBOMB~! Oh man, what a match! *****

#4: Keiji Muto vs. Masahiro Chono (8/11/91, G-1 Climax Final)

The crowd is BONKERS for Chono. They fight over a lockup, into the ropes, and Muto delivers a shoulderblock. They go into a test of strength and Muto floatovers onto Chono for 2. Muto takes Chono down with a headlock, but gets caught in a headscissors. Muto slips free, though, and locks in a toe hold. Chono fights out of the hold and goes to a short armscissors, then a front facelock. Muto counters that with a top wristlock and hits the POWER ELBOW~!. He misses the handspring elbow, however, and Chono gets a back suplex. Chono locks in a cross armscissors, and a slugfest ensues. Muto slaps on a legbar and the bridging indian deathlock, as well as a cross armbreaker. Chono fights free and nails a YAKUZA KICK~! Another YAKUZA KICK sends Muto outside. Chono hits him with a suicide dive and a planca off the top. Back inside, Chono gets a series of piledrivers and looks for the STF, but Muto rushes to the ropes. Back outside, Muto piledrives Chono on the concrete. In the ring, Muto gets a missile dropkick for 2 and a back suplex for 2, followed by a german suplex for 2, a cradle piledriver for 2 and a dragon suplex for 2. The Moonsault misses, however, and Chono slaps on the STF. The crowd is LOSING IT!!!! Muto JUST makes the ropes. Chono hits a diving shoulderblock off the top and grabs an octopus hold. The crowd is LOSING IT again!!!! Chono with a back suplex for 2. Muto slaps on an octopus hold of his own, but Chono doesn’t give. Muto delivers another missile dropkick, and both guys are down. Chono gets the STF again, but too close to the ropes. Muto no-sells a YAZUKA KICK and hits a forearm smash. He puts Chono down with a backbreaker, but misses the Moonsault and Chono gets a BIG TIME powerbomb for the 3. The BEST New Japan heavyweight match ever and on par with anything the All Japan heavyweights were doing at the time. That wouldn’t last, though. *****

#3: Jushin Lyger vs. El Samurai (4/30/92, Best Of Super Junior Final)

This is Samurai’s first big match. Lyger lost in the finals the previous year to Norio Honaga. Samurai starts things off with the traditional and sportsman like SPIT IN THE FACE. He rips at Lyger’s mask, drawing HUGE boos. They head outside and Samurai hits a tombstone piledriver. Back inside, Samurai slaps on a camel clutch.and chokes Lyger in the ropes. A running kick to the stomach sets up a step over surfboard. Samurai hits a jawbreaker and goes back after the mask, then applies an inverted surfboard. Samurai delivers some BRUTAL forearm smashes in the corner. Lyger reponds with a SHOETI~! He suplexes Samurai to the floor and hits a powerbomb. Inside, Lyger gets a capo kick and rips Samurai’s mask clean off. He sets Samurai up on the floor and hits a senton bomb off the top!!! NICE!!!. Inside the ring, Lyger gets a powerbomb and a missile dropkick, followed by a kneedrop off the top. Lyger slaps on a sleeper and gets a STIFF back suplex. In the corner, Lyger hits the most PAINFUL looking capo kick ever and a series of SHOETIS!~ Back outside, Lyger comes off the ropes with a moonsault. In the ring, Lyger ties Samurai up in a keylock and a cross armbreaker. Samurai hits a forearm smash and a missile dropkick of his own. He knocks Lyger to the floor and delivers a sumersault planca. Inside the ring, Samurai gets an inverted DDT for 2. A russian legsweep sets up a Mr. Salty, but Lyger doesn’t give. Samurai locks in a bodyscissors sleeper as well. Lyger comes off the top with a twisting splash for 2 and gets a powerbomb for 2, followed by a super electric chair drop for 2. Samurai sumersaults into a rana for 2 and hits a german suplex for 2. Lyger avoids another missile dropkick and hits the SUPER DDT, followed by a back superplex and a top rope rana for the win. Amazing!!!! You could feel the hatered oozing from both guys and talk about stiff!!! *****

#2: Ultimo Dragon vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (8/4/96, J-Crown Semi Final)

This match holds a special place in my heart as it was the first puroresu match I ever saw. Dragon takes Ohtani down with a headlock to start. Ohtani catches him in a headscissors, though. Dragon tries La Majestral, but Ohtani escapes it and hits a dropkick. Dragon tries Majestral a second time, but Ohtani escapes it again. Dragon slaps on a chinlock. Ohtani counters into a facelock, and they end up in the corner. Ohtani slips out of a short armscissors and grabs a kneebar. Dragon stomps his way out of it and gets an elbow drop for 1, then goes to a half crab and the bridging indian deathlock. Ohtani sneaks in a low blow and fires off a dropkick. A rolling thunder garners 2, and he applies a headscissors. A seated dropkick sets up a cross armbreaker. Dragon BARELY makes the ropes. Ohtani goes back to arm with a fujiwara armbar. Dragon escapes and locks in a cross armbreaker of his own. Ohtani gets to the ropes. Dragon knocks Ohtani off the apron with a springboard dropkick. Ohtani avoids a planca, however, and suplexes Dragon on the floor, then hits a sumersault off the apron. Back inside, Ohtani gets the springboard spin kick for 2 and a tiger suplex for 2. He misses the springboard dropkick and Dragon slaps on La Majestral for 2. Dragon gets a tombstone piledriver and a moonsault off the top for 2. Ohtani rolls through a rana for 2. Dragon hits a dragon suplex for 2 and the quebrada press for 2. Ohtani counters a rana with a powerbomb and gets the springboard dropkick, followed by THE DRAGON SUPLEX~!.....FOR 2!!! WOW! I thought that was the finish. Ohtani tries something off the top, but Dragon takes him down with a SUPER front suplex and gets a running lygerbomb for the win. Just as good as the first time I saw it. *****

#1: Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke (4/16/94, Super J Cup Final)

Benoit puts Sasuke in a hammerlock and headlock. They trade wristlocks and Benoit tries a snapmare, but Sasuke lands on his feet. More flipping from Sasuke, and a takedown. Benoit grounds Sasuke with an armbar and hits him with a chops in the corner. Sasuke delivers a tiger wall flip and flips his way out of a boston crab. The man likes to flip, no doubt about that. Benoit ends up outside the ring. Back in, Benoit slaps on a headscissors. Sasuke counters with a bow and arrow and a surfboard. They run some near misses and Benoit hits a MONSTER lariat, followed by a german suplex for 2. Sasuke responds with a spinning heel kick and a leg drop for 2. He goes to a cross ambreaker and counters a powerbomb with an armdrag. Benoit drops him with another lariat and dumps him on the apron. Benoit knocks Sasuke to the floor with a springboard clothesline. In the ring, Benoit connects with a dragon suplex for 2, the swandive headbutt for 2 and the KILL DIE powerbomb for 2. Benoit slaps on the sharpshooter and gets a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker for 2, but misses a dropkick. Sasuke hits his own lariat, but runs into another german suplex, which gives Benoit a 2 count. Sasuke tries a rollup, but Benoit stays on top of him for 2. Sasuke hits a crossbody off the second rope, sends Benoit outside with a back kick and follows with the FUCKING SPACE FLYING TIGER DROP~! There is NO better highspot than that. Back in, Sasuke gets a german suplex for 2 and a perfectplex for 2. Sasuke dumps Benoit back to the floor with a MONSTER suplex and hits a missile dropkick!!! The man is INSANE. Back inside, Sasuke gets a corkscrew moonsault off the top for 2. He heads back up top, but Benoit catches him with a gutwretch superplex for 3. They don't get much better then this. See it NOW. *****

The 411: The matches speak for themselves. All i can say is to go see them if you haven' t already.

Final Score: 10.0 [ Virtually Perfect ] legend