MICHINOKU PRO CHAMP FORUM
5/12/97- Taped 5/3/97
1. Solar & Akihito Ichihara vs Masato Yakushiji & Yone Genjin
Solar armdragged Yakushiji early. Yakushiji held his own as he traded armbars and armdrags with solar. Yakushiji and Solar had a fast exchange of moves but Solar wasn’t very smooth. Ichihara took down Genjin and attacked his left leg. Yakushiji gave Solar a tilt a whirl headscissors and a baseball slide into a headscissors takedown on the floor. Ichihara gained a near fall on Genjin with a top rope moonsault bodyblock. Ichihara and Solar did simultaneous monkey flips and armdrags on their opponents. Genjin gave Solar a lariat but Solar fought back with armdrags and dropkicks. Ichihara gained a near fall on Genjin with a somersault splash. Solar gave Genjin a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Yakushiji hit a tope suicida on Solar. Genjin gained a near fall on Ichihara with a northern lights suplex and another with a short powerbomb. Ichihara dropkicked Genjin out of the ring and hit an Asai moonsault. Yakushiji gained a near fall on Solar with a top rope dropkick and another with a second rope moonsault. Yakushiji missed a moonsault and Solar gave him a lariat. Solar made Yakushiji submit at 12:14 to some submission hold that was neat but hard to describe. Not a bad match but not good as these guys lacked heat, continuity and chemistry with each other. *1/2
2. Jinsei Shinzaki vs Bobby Blaze
Blaze worked on Shinzaki’s left arm early. Blaze dropkicked Shinzaki out of the ring. Shinzaki fought back and did his ropewalk into a flying chop. Shinzaki gained a near fall with a Vader bomb after which he applied a nerve hold. Shinzaki gained a near fall with a top rope splash. Blaze fought back and hit a lariat in the corner. Blaze gained a near fall with a northern lights suplex and another with a flying forearm. Blaze missed an elbowsmash and Shinzaki gave him a top rope shouldertackle for a near fall. Shinzaki hit a prayer powerbomb and made Blaze submit at 9:57 to his cross-arms choke. This match choked, too. 3/4*
3. Hayabusa, Tiger Mask IV & Gran Naniwa vs Taka Michinoku, Super Boy & Shoichi Funaki
A wild 6 way brawl erupted all over the building at the start. Taka got the better of Hayabusa early. Taka & co. triple teamed Hayabusa in impressive fashion. Super Boy and Naniwa had an impressive quick exchange, especially given Boy’s fat frame. Naniwa gave Boy a bulldog. Funaki got the better of Tiger but Tiger fought back with some of his signature kicks. Hayabusa dropkicked Taka out of the ring and did a springboard elbow strike on Taka. Naniwa hit Funaki with a lariat and Tiger gave Funaki several kicks. Hayabusa hit a slingshot legdrop on Funaki. Taka dominated Hayabusa briefly and Boy gave Hayabusa a springboard somersault senton followed by a standing senton for a near fall. Tiger was triple teamed in entertaining fashion. Boy hit a senton on Tiger and Funaki gained a near fall. Funaki and Taka spike piledrove Tiger and Funaki gained a near fall. Funaki gained a near fall on Tiger with a back suplex. Boy gained a near fall on Tiger with a second rope moonsault. Funaki attacked Naniwa’s left knee and applied a figure 4 leglock. Boy gained a near fall on Naniwa with a big splash. Taka countered a German suplex attempt with a rolling leglock on Hayabusa. Hayabusa was triple teamed again. Tiger dropkicked Taka out of the ring. Tiger hit a tope suicida on Funaki and Hayabusa a tope con hilo on Taka. Boy gained a near fall on Naniwa with a powerbomb and another with a top rope moonsault. Funaki gained a near fall on Tiger with a brainbuster. Funaki countered a tiger suplex with a low blow on Tiger. Tiger atomic dropped Funaki on the top rope. Hayabusa hit a springboard spin kick and a standing moonsault on Taka for a near fall. Hayabusa gave Taka a fisherman buster. Hayabusa backdropped Taka out of the ring and hit an Asai moonsault on both Taka and Funaki. Taka hit a springboard missile dropkick on Hayabusa. Taka gained a near fall on Tiger with a Michinoku driver. Naniwa gave Taka a doctor bomb and Hayabusa gave Taka a falcon arrow for a near fall. Hayabusa gave Taka a tornado DDT and Naniwa gave Taka a spinning doctor bomb for a near fall. Hayabusa gained a near fall on Taka with a firebird splash. Hayabusa dove off the top rope but Taka dropkicked him in mid-air. Hayabusa pinned Taka at 16:32 after a falcon arrow. Not excellent, but a very good match, especially the final few minutes. ***1/2
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