Posted June 8, 200916 yr comment_5440401 Black Cat vs. Hirokazu Hata (8/5/89) This is better than your basic New Japan style opening match but still nothing special. Kengo Kimura & Osamu Matsuda vs. Norio Honaga & Osamu Kido (8/5/89) Matsuda is of course El Samurai and this is a nice little matchup. Matsuda works on Honaga’s left arm early using Anderson-style armwork before tagging in Kimura although Honaga would get away to tag in Kido. Honaga would tag in again and this time his opponents would work over his left leg but Kido would turn the tide in his side’s favor working over Matsuda’s left leg. Then we get more back and forth action with all four men getting some offense in and the fans were into Kido & Kimura of course. The finishing sequence was nice with Honaga springing around with dropkicks before Kimura dropped him with a powerbomb for the win. Fun little match. Shiro Koshinaka & Naoki Sano vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kuniaki Kobayashi (8/5/89) I dug the matwork with Hase & Sano early on with both men going in and out of holds fluidly. I love how Kobayashi would always use the tombstone piledriver as a transition spot then as he started pounding Sano on the floor, Koshinaka went over and slapped him. Sano then continued to get worked over by his opponents with Hase even hitting a jumping Northern Lights Suplex. Koshinaka would tag in and we got some fun stuff with him against Hase using his headbutts before Kobayashi & Hase would crotch him on the floor around the ringpost. They kept working over Koshinaka but Kobayashi would decide to start headbutting him big fucking mistake as Koshinaka started no selling and crushing him with his own. Sano would come in showing off his leaping ability on Kobayashi before nuking him with a diving dropkick through the ropes to the floor. Kobayashi then ate a serious spike piledriver right on his head but kicked out at two. This led to some fun back and forth action with Hase doing a good job working in peril before both teams started making quick tags and hitting big spots like Kobayashi with his Fisherman’s Suplex on Sano for a nearfall. Koshinaka then decided it was time for business and hit ASS BASED OFFENSE on Hase before tagging in Honaga who accidentally hit him with a diving dropkick on Koshinaka leading to him taking double spinning leg kicks and a sasorigatame by Hase but Sano would come in to break it up. Hase would then go for cradles for nearfalls until Koshinaka hit a German Suplex hold on him for the win. This was a really good house show match between four of the best workers in the company at this time and I think this should go on the block. Super Strong Machine & George Takano vs. Tatsutoshi Goto & Masa Saito (8/5/89) I loved the headbutt battle between Takano & Goto early in the match that Masa would win for his team. Masa was the highlight here as he no sold like a mother and dished out punishment while getting Goto to do his bidding. Machine & Takano were a pretty good team at this time and they used their solid teamwork to control Goto as much as possible. Goto would get some offense in being a fiery youngster but would fall to a neckbreaker drop by Machine. Okay match. Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Kantaro Hoshino (8/5/89) Hoshino attacks Liger as soon as he enters the ring and works this like a pissed off old guy against this cat in the stupid ass costume but the problem is Hoshino can’t even get Liger up for a suplex. Hoshino makes up for it with punches and chunking Liger to the floor and just working over Liger like he stole his geritol. Liger then tries to fight back with palm strikes but Hoshino just pops him with punches as the fans go nuts chanting for him. Liger would chunk Hoshino to the floor and eventually hit a running plancha through the ropes that would turn the tide in his favor but to Hoshino’s credit he would hit a snap suplex on the floor then hit a flying plancha off the top rope to the floor!!! Hoshino would then put Liger in an achilles tendon hold a couple of times before Liger wanted to turn this into a palm strike battle that again would go in Hoshino’s favor as he took Liger down and started to unmask him. I loved Hoshino’s fast jabs on Liger as he tried to get back up and it was great watching him control the pace even breaking out a Canadian Backbreaker. Liger then started kicking him but again Hoshino kept going hitting a neckbreaker drop for a very close nearfall. Liger would try for an avalanche-style brainbuster but Hoshino threw him off and hit a diving body press for another very close nearfall followed up by a sitout powerbomb for another very close nearfall. Liger would recover though and got a very quick schoolboy for the win which highly angered Hoshino who clobbered the ref and then started ripping off Liger’s mask before being pulled off by the dojo boys. This match was fucking awesome as Hoshino dominated the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion here and demanded a shot after the match which Liger got on the mic and said something to him that riled the fans up. Hoshino again was fucking choice here and this match is a slam dunk nomination. Next we get the intros for the USA vs. USSR series featuring Buzz Sawyer wearing a singlet and wrestling shoes carrying the US flag. What a fucking team here as you have Manny Fernandez, Dick Murdoch, Buzz Sawyer, Mike Haff, & BIG VAN VADER!! Timur Zarasov vs. “Ragin Bull” Manny Fernandez (8/5/89) Lots of armwork early but Manny hit a nice backdrop suplex for a takedown that Zarasov would turn into a German Suplex hold for a nearfall. Zarasov would get another nearfall on Manny with a schoolboy takedown that Manny would answer back with a belly to belly takedown. Zarasov would eventually lock on the Dragon Sleeper that Manny would turn around and get yet again another takedown. Zarasov again countering would flip Manny with his own belly to belly to get the win. Interesting to watch but nothing special. Both men shook hands and embraced after the match. “Capt. Redneck” Dick Murdoch vs. Vladimir Berkovich (8/5/89) Now this is quite the matchup. Berkovich would take the early advantage getting Dickie in a jujigatame but he would break free going to the floor where he would talk shit to the other Russians. Berkovich would continue to work over Dickie’s right arm but Dickie would counter by dropping on Berkovich’s left leg before working it over and playing to the crowd. Berkovich would nearly drop Dickie on his head doing a single leg overhead takedown before going back to the jujigatame. Dickie would soon remember how to work his style and started throwing punches and elbows before taking Berkovich down with the wakigatame that he would tap Berkovich out with. Dickie then helped him up and they shook hands. Dickie was great here but this wasn’t nomination material. Salman Hashimikov vs. Mike Haff (8/5/89) Hashimikov is really great here and was right there with Zangiev as the best of the Russian bunch here but credit to Haff for holding his own as well. Hashimikov using just brute strength to manhandle Haff to win was great then Haff decided to walk away from the handshake. Big Van Vader vs. Wakha Eveloev (8/5/89) Vader starts mauling Wakha prompting Hashimikov to come in the ring where we have a standoff between the teams before cooler heads would prevail. Wakha would show his strength though by giving Vader a belly to belly but Vader would again throw some stiff punches prompting Salman to come in again so Vader decided to fuck it all and just dropped his weight with a splash on Wakha to win. “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer vs. Victor Zangiev (8/5/89) I like this matchup a lot so I hope it pans out. Zangiev would hit a swank belly to belly throw on Buzz early for a nearfall forcing Murdoch to massage his lower back in the corner. Both men were fluid here getting out of holds and both men were throwing each other around like it was nothing so this was really competitive. Zangiev locking on the sasorigatame then posing was awesome as the fans popped. Then we would get a great suplex exchange with Buzz hitting a jumping vertical suplex and Zangiev following with a high-angle backdrop suplex for nearfalls. Buzz then hit a great belly to belly on Zangiev for the win as the crowd went nuts chanting SAWYER and this was the best match of the series. This goes on the block as both men were great here especially Zangiev. IWGP Tag Titles: Takayuki Iizuka & Riki Choshu © vs. Shinya Hashimoto & Akira Nogami (8/5/89) Hashimoto has gotten over quickly since his return from the United States and the fans of course are nuts for Choshu. Iizuka & Nogami the future JJ Jacks are youngsters here getting their chance to shine. The action early was good and competitive with all four men getting a good bit of offense in. Nogami looked good here on offense and defense hitting a really great jumping sunset flip type powerbomb on Choshu for a nearfall before tagging in Hashimoto who would just kick Choshu to the floor allowing Nogami to hit a diving dropkick from the apron to the floor. Choshu had this great look of anger on his face as he nailed Hashimoto with a front and back Riki Rariato for a nearfall. Nogami was throwing dropkicks here like the Japanese Tommy Rogers but Choshu would nuke him with a backdrop suplex. Iizuka & Nogami had a great suplex exchange before Choshu would destroy Nogami with a Riki Rariato setting up a spike piledriver. Iizuka would then nail Nogami with the Blizzard Suplex hold for the win. This was fun and was picking up at the end but could’ve went about 5 minutes longer thus hurting it a little for me. Not a nomination but was on the edge.
