NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING

4/22/95

1. Chris Benoit & Shinjiro Otani vs Koji Kanemoto & Gran Hamada

Benoit attempted a powerbomb but Hamada countered with an armdrag as footage began. Hamada dropkicked Benoit out of the ring and hit a tope. Otani followed with a magnificent, high springboard plancha on Hamada. Kanemoto then hit a tope on Otani. Benoit won an exchange of chops with Kanemoto and snap suplexed him. Kanemoto and Otani exchanged offense in a way that highlighted each man’s charisma. Hamada headbutted Otani but Otani fought back with a spinning mule kick. Benoit powerbombed Hamada for a near fall and also powerbombed Kanemoto for a near fall. Benoit superplexed Kanemoto, Kanemoto no-sold the move and got right up, and Otani hit a great springboard missile dropkick to the back of Kanemoto’s head in a super sequence. Benoit hit a top rope headbutt on Kanemoto for a near fall. Otani mule kicked Kanemoto and went for a dragon suplex. Kanemoto blocked it, but Otani then German suplexed him for a near fall. Hamada gave Otani a lariat but missed a corner splash. Otani missed a springboard dropkick and Hamada gave him a huracanrana for a near fall. Hamada lifted Otani on his shoulders and Kanemoto hit a top rope dropkick on the elevated Otani. Kanemoto moonsaulted Otani for a near fall but then missed a second rope corkscrew senton. Kanemoto German suplexed Benoit for a near fall and kicked him. Hamada back suplexed Benoit for a near fall. Otani spin kicked Kanemoto out of the ring and went for a tope but Kanemoto moved out of harm’s way. Hamada went for a huracanrana but Benoit countered with a hard powerbomb and pinned Hamada at 15:13 (6:23 aired). A super match with Hamada good as usual and the other three at their best. It seemed to slightly lack spot-to-spot momentum or psychology but every spot had super execution. Excellent match. ****

2. Scott Norton & Too Cold Scorpio vs Riki Choshu & Hiroshi Hase

My first thought: a bizarre match on paper. Scorpio dropkicked Hase out of the ring as footage began and Norton attacked Hase at ringside. Scorpio suplexed Hase for a near fall. Norton dominated Hase in his usual dull, slow fashion. Scorpio missed a top rope legdrop on Hase. Choshu suplexed Scorpio but Scorpio then tagged Norton, who then got the better of Choshu with moves such as a corner splash and a powerslam for a near fall. Norton powerslammed Choshu again but Hase then clotheslined Norton. Choshu hit a lariat on Norton and Hase gave him a top rope dropkick. Norton countered a urunage and gave Hase a Samoan drop for a near fall. Scorpio gained a near fall on Hase after a top rope clothesline and another with a powerbomb. Scorpio attempted a moonsault but crashed onto Hase’s outstretched knees. Hase gave Scorpio a swinging neckbreaker and a 14 revolution giant swing. Norton came in but Hase gave him an impressive urunage. Hase pinned Scorpio at 12:01 after a urunage (5:14 aired). What aired was better than one would expect because Hase carried things well and the others, even Norton, kept up enough to keep the match flowing along. **1/2

3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Manabu Nakanishi

Nakanishi hit a lariat at the bell and gave Tenzan somewhat of a swinging cobra clutch. Nakanishi hit a loose northern lights suplex for a near fall after which the match slowed down. Tenzan fought back but missed a spin kick. Nakanishi gained a near fall after an elbowsmash. Tenzan floored Nakanishi with a chop and some headbutts. Nakanishi fought back with some headbutts and chops. Nakanishi applied a sharpshooter briefly. Tenzan caught Nakanishi on the top rope and superplexed him. Tenzan threw a couple of his windmill chops and hit an enzu-lariat in the corner. Tenzan hit a weak powerbomb and a Samoan drop for the pin at 6:08. A fine match given their talent and experience levels, but nothing special. *3/4

4. Masa Chono & Hiro Saito vs Shinya Hashimoto & Yuji Nagata

Tempers flared before the bell as Nagata whipped Chono into the barricade. Nagata got the better of Chono as they brawled into the crowd and back to the ring. Nagata threw a bunch of solid kicks at Chono but missed a spin kick. Chono threw Nagata out of the ring and Saito whipped Nagata into the barricade. Saito dropped Nagata neck first on the barricade. Chono took the fight into the crowd as he dominated Nagata, including hitting him with a row of chairs. Nagata fought back against Saito and tagged Hashimoto. Chono got the better of Hashimoto but Hashimoto no-sold a yakuza kick. Chono and Saito got the better of Hashimoto. Hashimoto floored Saito with a pair of roundhouse kicks. Nagata attacked and worked over Saito’s left arm. Hashimoto also worked on Saito’s arm as tempers flared with Chono, Nagata and the seconds at ringside. Chono kicked Hashimoto but Nagata picked up the attack on Saito’s left arm with a cross armbreaker. Nagata then applied a Fujiwara armbar. Saito fought back by slamming Nagata. Hashimoto dropkicked Saito and Nagata threw some kicks at Saito before going back to the Fujiwara armbar. Chono intervened with a yakuza kick on Nagata and dominated Nagata at ringside. Saito DDTd Nagata and Chono gave Nagata an atomic drop. Chono elbowsmashed Nagata for a near fall and gained another with a neckbreaker. Saito gave Nagata a spinebuster and a senton for a near fall. Chono applied an STF on Nagata but Hashimoto intervened. Nagata went for a belly to belly superplex but Chono pushed him to the canvas. Chono hit a top rope shouldertackle but Nagata moved and Chono crashed into Tenzan. Hashimoto threw kicks at both opponents and DDTd Chono. Hashimoto spin kicked Chono and spiked Saito with a DDT. Nagata gave Chono a belly to belly suplex. Hashimoto caught Saito on the top rope and Nagata gave him a belly to belly superplex and a spin kick for a near fall. Nagata belly to belly suplexed Saito for a near fall. He went for a German suplex but Saito countered by kicking him low. Chono got into a fight with Hase, who was doing color commentary at ringside. Chono gave Nagata a yakuza kick as Tenzan held Hashimoto at bay on the apron. Saito gave Nagata a top rope senton and pinned Nagata at 16:23. The entire match aired, and it was a really good one. The period with the faces working on Saito’s arm seemed long at first, but wasn’t bad within the context of a 16 minute match. All four showed very good intensity. Chono was great with his charisma, Hashimoto with his stiff offense and Saito was good in a thug-like role. Nagata was arguably the star, showing great intensity and delivering very good work with his submissions, kicks and suplexes. Although he wasn’t “great” yet, you could tell that Nagata would become something special inside the ring in a few years. ***1/2

BACK TO MY TV REVIEWS MENU
HOME