Posted June 21, 200817 yr comment_5432333 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. (NJC 148)
August 29, 200817 yr comment_5434282 I don't know, I thought they worked the holds pretty hard in the first half of the match. They tended to open their singles matches on the mat and fight from hold to hold in slightly varied sequences. One thing I like about the rivalry is their ability to convey intensity when struggling over basic holds. Regardless, I agree that the second half of the match was really hot, perhaps even more so if viewed after the previous three singles matches. The scorpion/sharpshooter was a big move for Choshu when he seized the advantage in the rivalry, and Fujinami used it to turn the tables on him in their July match. So when he slapped it on here, it felt fairly epic and popped the crowd big time. They traded more big moves and near falls than in their previous matches. And I loved the actual ending. Choshu had been content to win by countout earlier in the feud. And he was obviously content to win that way here. But when Fujinami nailed him with the enziguiri and the suplex on the floor to get his own countout, he refused to accept the title. It was a really nice piece of one-upsmanship in the feud. I thought this was a tremendous match and not one we should consider dropping from the set. In fact, I think the Choshu-Fujinami series from '83 will be best appreciated if we throw the lot of them on. It was the best thing going in NJ that year.
August 23, 200916 yr comment_5443275 Yeah this has to go on, this had more heat and intensity then any of their previous meetings. I think you appreciate the craziness of this match when you watch the rest of the matches. We watched them all tonight and was my favorite. I had no problems with the opening matwork either. Huge thumbs up.
August 24, 200916 yr Author comment_5443279 Really? My least favorite is your favorite? Get outta here!!! I have no prob putting all the Fujinami-Choshu matches on. Best rivalry on the set by far.
