Talk about it here.

I was pretty surprised at how great I found this. I have never seen a Kanemoto match that touched this, and for Otani, aside from the Dragon and Samurai matches, I can't think of anything else I'd put above it. While the stuff they tried in the tag a few days before this fell flat because Benoit and Hamada weren't really in sync with the storyline Otani and Kanemoto were working, this was more fleshed out and was pretty awesome. Because of all the hate and the way the big moves were built up, this resembled a big All Japan match in some ways more than a New Japan juniors match. Stuff like applying a figure four while spitting in Kanemoto's face played well. There aren't a ton of big highspots in this -- most of it is spent playing up the showmanship and matwork mixed in with some old fashioned punches to the face. It's funny watching this after '96, because getting overly emotional and pulling his opponent up when he has him beaten is an Otani staple in '96, and here, it's a Kanemoto thing. Also, it costs Otani matches in '96 while Kanemoto still wins this handily. But that messed up context made me think Otani's comeback and dragon suplex had the match won for him. The idea of ranking the best NJ juniors matches not involving Liger is an intriguing one, and I could see this near the top. Even with Liger in the mix, this may knock on the door of a Top 20 New Japan matches of the 90s list for me at this point. Just a really fantastic match.

This was a good intense match. I've never thought much of Otani but he's impressed me on this set. Loved the slaps after the match that seemed to be a sign of respect.

I miss Liger and desperately want to see him mix it up with these guys, but this was pretty good. Lots of hate and personal animosity and personality on display here, which separates it from the more indie-riffic juniors wrestling we've seen earlier in the year.

#295

 

I could only find the television version of this. It cuts straight to the chase, but the match looks pretty good. Maybe the rest of the bout will find its way online someday.

The general outline of this was in keeping with the standard Junior structure. The composition of the matwork wasn't particularly captivating in itself. Yet the key difference here was how they interspersed the holds with strikes and touches of rivalry psychology. So they always held my interest. The theme was very much a battle of equals and contemporaries. Ohtani's big match nerves and choking tendencies proving the only difference. The stretch was nice and compact. The finish itself could've been better. Comfortably the best I've seen from Kanemoto this year.