Posted June 21, 200817 yr comment_5432331 New Japan Classics 148 Rusher Kimura vs. Higo Hamaguchi (8/4/83) - The slap battle was fun. I would like to see a match built around nothing but slaps. This match is hard to rate because half of it is cool as hell with both guys just slapping, chopping and kicking each other. Fun stuff. Then you have the obligatory rest breaks where they just lay there in a headlock. Animal mixes it up by trying to rip Rusher's mouth apart. This was kind of a mess but I had fun watching it. Tiger Mask vs. Isamu Teranishi (NWA Junior Title) (8/4/83) - When Tiger Mask was in control, this was all over the place. Working the leg, working the arm, neither doing much good. When Isamu took over, it started coming together and it is much more enjoyable to see Tiger Mask making comesbacks than to have him in control of a match. THe end run was pretty hot with both guys dropping bombs and neither guy is able to put the match away. Tiger Mask finally gets it with a Tiger Suplex. There is more than enough good stuff here to give it a nomination. Riki Choshu vs. Tatsumi Fujinami (WWF International Title) (8/4/83) - The first half of this was a whole lotta nothing with each guy applying various holds but there was no real work on display. It felt like Fujinami was stuck in that damn headscissors forever. After about 12 minutes or so, it picked up but that first half was like a flashback to the 70s. I really have a problem with guys just laying around stuck in holds without any attempt by either party to really sell or work the hold. The 2nd half was really hot with both guys trading big moves and both even exchanging the Sharpshooter. Nice ending when Fujnimai's leg is tangled in the ropes and it looks like Choshu has it made. While on the outside, Fujinami rams Choshu into the riingpost and follws with an enziguiri. Fujinami beats the countout to win the match. I have nominated other matches with really hot endings so this is no different. However, if there are better Fujinami-Choshu matches out there (there has to be, right?), then I can see dropping this from the list.
