J-CROWN Championship: Jushin Liger (champion) vs Shinjiro Otani (challenger) 2/9/97
Only 12 minutes aired on TV, but that didn't hide the fact that this was a classic, textbook New Japan juniors match. Not as much high flying, but good, fast action with very sound pacing and psychology. Liger did not do much flying, but delivered a textbook effort otherwise. Footage began with Liger on offense. Liger knocked Otani senseless with a koppo kick in the corner and followed up with a plancha and a powerbomb on the arena floor. Crowd heat was actually fairly weak for that move. Otani whipped Liger into the ringside barricade and then gave Liger a powerbomb of his own on the arena floor. Otani missed a springboard dive in the ring and Liger gained a near fall using la magistral. Liger hit a tope rope huracanrana but Otani rolled through and gained a dramatic near fall. Otani German suplexed Liger for a near fall. Liger gained a near fall on Otani with a Liger bomb. Liger attempted a fisherman buster but Otani escaped and German suplexed him. Otani gave Liger his springboard missile dropkick and gained a near fall with a dragon suplex. Liger missed a shoda but hit a second one for a near fall. Crowd heat was very strong by this point. Liger gave Otani a fisherman buster but Otani countered a second one. Otani went for a top rope huracanrana but Liger kept knocking him back to the mat. Otani finally hit the move and then gave Liger his springboard swan dive for a super near fall. Otani attempted a dragon suplex but Liger countered with several shodas. Otani tried to fight back but Liger then used a shoda that knocked Otani for a loop. Liger then scored the pin at 27:14 to retain the J-Crown title. ****1/2