Posted July 7, 200916 yr comment_5441652 Shiro Koshinaka vs. Hiroshi Hase (01/16/89) This match-up continues to leave me cold. It's like neither guy had any idea how to put a match together. I got no sense of a plan from either side. The moves didn't seem connected to one another. Neither guy showed distinctive character traits. Ick. Riki Choshu vs. Big Van Vader (01/16/89) Another good, but abbreviated match between these guys. Choshu ripped up Vader's mask and bloodied him. Vader did a good job of alternating between monster offense and selling-bumping. I always enjoy these guys together, but I'm sticking with their June match as the best example of the pairing. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (01/16/89) This match-up didn't quite click for whatever reason. They stuck too much to a flat formula of Bigelow beating on Fujinami until Fujinami pulled something out at the end to win it. In Fujinami's best matches with Vader, he did a lot more chopping at the legs and teasing rallies throughout. Big Van Vader/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Antonio Inoki/Tatsumi Fujinami (01/20/89) It was fun to watch the big guys maul the NJ old guard, but this was too one-sided to be a great match. Choshu came in for the save after a DQ ending, setting up the tag match that we already nominated.
