Posted February 15, 20187 yr comment_5832440 Shinya Hashimoto vs Tony Halme - NJPW 9/23/91 Different Style Fight SWEEP THE LEG SHINYA! This feud was very instrumental into giving Hashimoto that legit badass credibility he needed to draw in New Japan. In no other promotion was it more important to be legit. Losing two in a row to Halme and getting KO'd in the second fight and missing four months was actually a big boon to Hashimoto because it gave him a mountain to climb. This is the revenge match! Tony Halme looks like Brock Lesnar and Brian Knobbs had a baby. He is wearing boxing gloves. Again I love his presence in the ring. Very imposing. Shinya Hashimoto looks like a sexy Bray Wyatt at the point in his career. He is all business. Halme's punches are a bit better. I don't left his left jab. It is not always straight. He kinda slaps with it in a poor backfist. When he threw it straight it was better. Hashimoto gets some nice single leg/back heel trip takedowns. But Halme always makes the ropes. Hashimoto makes good in roads by targeting the legs with kicks. This is less interesting in the first because it is all about Hashimoto winning and Halme does not land any really big shots in the first two rounds. At the end of the third round, he clubs Hashimoto in the back of the head which draws a chorus of boos to which Halme yells "Fuck you too!" I love it. Scorpio and Benoit are his cornermen! That's crazy. Fourth round is quick. Hashimoto rocks him with an elbow, Halme tries to show it does not phase him by taunting him by giving him his chin so Hashimoto SWEEPS THE LEG! Pro wrestling time Rainbow heel kick...picks him up...DDT...cross armbreaker, quick tap out. Hashimoto vanquishes the Finnish brute. As a vehicle to cement Hashimoto as a star this was fantastic. Not a terribly interesting match. But there needs to be more discussion around these type of important, star making matches in Japan even if they are not technically good, but they are important.
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