Somebody got a haircut! In addition to that big news, this is Choshu's return from a nasty injury. I don't think he was 100% yet but I guess he didn't want to miss the big Dome show (or lose any power with a prolonged absence...) This isn't a high-end match in the rivalry, nor was it consequential enough to go on a Yearbook when so much other, bigger stuff from this show made it. But it's a fun stiff-fest between two guys who know how to get the most out of the least. At the very least you have the compelling contrast of Choshu's lariat vs. Fujiwara's finisher which is basically an ideal counter to the Lariat. Finish is something I feel like I've seen between these two before, with Choshu just repeatedly Lariating Fujiwara until he drops.

Choshu’s Super Cena finish aside, I don’t see much wrong with this. Almost every review and Dave’s DUD rating would suggest that this is a bad match. It’s not in any shape or form. Choshu is clearly still hurting from previous injuries but Fujiwara is so slick, so fluid and just a joy to watch that it didn’t matter. The quick takedowns and the toying was pretty fun to watch. They got the most out of very little and that’s what was so good about this. If you wanted a 5 star classic, watch something else but this was a super fun match that anyone *should* enjoy but I guess not. ***1/4