Posted September 14, 200817 yr comment_5434564 Keichi Yamada vs. Shiro Koshinaka (Jr. Title, 12/09/88) This is JIP which is weird for these classics, we miss the first three minutes or so. Still we get plenty as this is really great. My favorite juniors match I have seen so far. Yamada has a ton of great looking offense which was different then what he did as Liger. Super slick powerslam, Savage flying elbow, dragon sleeper hammerlock. You had this cool story with Koshinaka using his aggression against him and catching him when he tries too hard. Finish run never over did it, and the crowd was going bezerk by the finish. Slam dunk stuff. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Kerry Von Erich (12/09/88) This is WCCW v. IWGP and is also JIP. They go a bout five minutes of action before finishing with a double count out. They do the same restart that Kerry did against Lawler with both guys agreeing to keep going. They lose their tempers and Fujinami ends up busting Kerry open with a chair. Cool finish with Kevin coming to ring side to check on a bloody Kerry and the ref stopping the match which is I assume how they got out of switching the WCCW title. Lots of stuff going on here, I think it is worth at least a look by other folks El Greco & Sergio El Hermoso vs. Naoki Sano & Osamu Matsuda? (01/06/89) Pretty sure that Sanos partner is the pre Samurai Matsuda, but I am not sure. This was a really fun tag match as the Exoticos do a really great mix of comedy and regular wrestling. Technicos looked good too, with Matsdua having some nice looking dives. I imagine I will like this more the most folks, but I am throwing up for nomination. Shiro Koshinaka & Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Super Strong Machine & George Takano (01/06/89) This was a fun tag with all four guys looking good but I don’t think anything really distinguishes it from the mass of similar solid heavyweight tags. Crowd was pretty hot though
April 30, 200916 yr comment_5438949 Keichi Yamada vs. Shiro Koshinaka (Jr. Title, 12/09/88) - Agree with Phil here. Early on, I noticed that Koshinaka had a really nice standing dropkick. Yamada sold it well enough that you thought to yourself when the dropkick was invented, that was how it was supposed to look. Using the tombstone so early as a trasnition move is smoething I am not used to though. Everything else loked silky smooth and the match built to the ending perfectly. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Kerry Von Erich (12/09/88) - I am going to reserve judgment on this one untilI see if I can locate a complete copy without commercial breaks. What I saw I was digging with the claw as the main focal point but Kerry ends up with all the blood. It would have been cool as shit if Kerry's claw made Fujinami bleed the way Fritz made Jumbo bleed. El Greco & Sergio El Hermoso vs. Naoki Sano & Osamu Matsuda? (01/06/89) - I think this is the kind of match this set needs. Japanese dudes doing crisp lucha arm drags, comedy from an effiminate Mexican tag team, back and forth action and a complete break from the "serious shoot" nature of the NJ vs. UWF feud. I don't know if it will make the final cut but it should definitely be in the conversation. Shiro Koshinaka & Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Super Strong Machine & George Takano (01/06/89) - The biggest thing this match had going against it was following the lucha match. I was watching this one while thinking about the last one. I don't know if that is because I like the last match that much or if this wasn't that outstanding. I may have to rewatch this but I don't feel the need to nominate it. Pretty damn great disc.
