NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING
5/26/94
They began with clips of previous Super Junior Tournament finals.
1. Super Delfin vs Taka Michinoku
Delfin scored with a lariat early in the footage and gave Taka a tilt a whirl headscissors. Taka gave a charging Delfin a belly to belly suplex. He atomic dropped Delfin and dropkicked him out of the ring. After the match footage jumped ahead, Delfin gave Taka a delayed brainbuster for a near fall. Delfin applied a camel clutch. Taka fought back but Delfin dropkicked him out of the ring and hit a tope. Back in the ring Taka kicked a charging Delfin and sunset-flipped him for a near fall. Taka gained a near fall with a victory roll. He dropkicked Delfin out of the ring and hit a great springboard plancha. After a series of counters Taka German suplexed Delfin for a near fall and gained another near fall with a huracanrana. Delfin met a charging Taka with a kick and gave him a cool spinning enzuguiri for a near fall. Taka went for a corner splash but ran into a kick. Delfin gave Taka a tornado DDT out of the corner. He gave Taka two German suplexes and rolled him up for the pin at 11:31 (5:30 aired). Neither man had peaked yet as a worker, and both were still in their “growing” stages in the complexity of their work and psychology. Still, this was a fine match with very good action, albeit spotty heat. ***1/4
2. Dean Malenko vs El Samurai
Samurai powerslammed Malenko for a near fall as footage began. Samurai missed a top rope senton and Malenko gave him a tiger driver for the pin at 16:24. Only the last minute aired, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to give this a rating. NR
3. Chris Benoit vs Shinjiro Otani
Benoit gave Otani a backbreaker for a near fall as footage began. Otani fought back and dropkicked Benoit. Otani hit a great springboard missile dropkick for a near fall. Otani hit a spin kick and a German suplex for a near fall as heat picked up. Benoit countered a dragon suplex attempt with one of his own for a near fall. Benoit whipped Otani into the corner, Otani did a Flair-like flip and came off the top rope with a dropkick but Benoit sidestepped him. Benoit gained a near fall on Otani. Otani fought back with a tilt a whirl armdrag but Benoit gave him a lariat for a near fall. Benoit powerbombed Otani for a heated near fall. Otani gained a near fall with a reverse victory roll (almost a frankentoyota). Otani attempted a tombstone but Benoit countered with one of his own. Benoit missed a top rope headbutt but recovered, although Otani sunset flipped him out of the corner for the huge upset at 10:36 (3:53 aired). Not enough aired to give a fair rating, but it looked like it was in the ***1/2-***3/4 range. Definitely a great match and fans popped for the youngster Otani winning.
4. Jushin Liger vs Dave Finlay
Liger gave Finlay a somersault senton for a near fall as footage began. Liger used a headscissors but Finlay escaped and worked on Liger’s legs. Finlay also applied an armbar as he held Liger’s legs. Finlay gained a near fall after a jumping tackle. Finlay missed a shouldertackle in the corner and Liger German suplexed him for a near fall. Liger went to the top rope but Finlay dropkicked him to the floor and whipped him into the barricade. Finlay suplexed Liger back into the ring but missed a top rope splash and Liger stood up a bit too quickly in terms of selling. Liger then gave Finlay a Liger bomb for a near fall. Liger kicked Finlay and gave him a fisherman buster for a near fall. Liger went for a German suplex but Finlay kicked him low. Finlay gave Liger a tombstone and a doctor bomb for the pin at 10:15 (5:01 aired). A good match, although it lacked the excitement and flow of the previous matches because Finlay’s style is more heavyweight-like than the others. **3/4
5. Shinya Hashimoto, Masa Chono & Keiji Muto vs Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Yoshiaki Fujiwara
Muto started hot, attacking Fujinami before the bell and giving him a dropkick and a power elbow. Muto back suplexed Fujinami but Fujinami fought back with a backbreaker. Fujiwara got the better of Hashimoto with some punches but Hashimoto fought back with a legsweep. Fujinami got the better of Chono with a headlock. Chono and Fujinami traded hiptosses after which Fujinami kicked Chono. Muto got the better of Choshu with a headlock. Choshu gave Muto a kneebreaker and Fujinami applied a figure 4 leglock. Fujiwara also attacked Muto’s left leg. Choshu repeatedly kicked Muto and then Hashimoto and suplexed Hashimoto for a near fall. Hashimoto fought back and gave Choshu several roundhouse kicks. Fujinami threw a bunch of kicks at Hashimoto but Hashimoto fought back with a backbreaker. Fujinami and co. got the better of Hashimoto in their corner. Choshu applied a sharpshooter on Hashimoto as Fujinami came off the top rope with a kneedrop on Hashimoto. Fujinami came in and applied a half crab on Hashimoto and turned the hold into an STF but Chono intervened. Chono attacked Fujinami and went to applied an STF but the hold was quickly broken. Hashimoto suplexed Fujinami. Muto missed a dropkick against Fujinami but hit a dropkick on Chono. Muto gave Chono a handspring elbow and a top rope dropkick. Fujinami came in and dropkicked Muto and Choshu applied a sharpshooter on Muto but Chono intervened. Choshu reapplied the sharpshooter but Hashimoto gave him a roundhouse kick. Chono went for a yakuza kick but Choshu moved and Chono hit Hashimoto. Fujiwara applied his armbar on Hashimoto as Choshu gave Chono a pair of lariats for the pin at 12:22. Not a bad match given those involved, but it never reached its potential nor did Chono’s team step up to carry the match action-wise like they should have. Decent intensity and heat added to the match. **1/4
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