FUJIWARASMIRK

Before going into the reviews, I’d like to remind readers that I recently introduced a Ko-Fi link! I’ll continue to be focusing my writing primarily on the year project, but if you’d like to see me write about any match of your choosing, I currently charge $3 a review, or $5 for any match that goes longer than an hour. You can find the link right here at https://ko-fi.com/fujiwarasmirk. I appreciate the continued support, and I hope you continue reading!

Fuerza Guerrera vs. El Pantera (EMLL Super Viernes, 5/4/90)

It’s interesting to see Fuerza Guerrera in an element different from one I’m accustomed to.

In a big NWA World Welterweight title match the likes of this one against El Pantera, there’s little use for his usual rudo tricks in the context of the bout. Even more fascinating, then, that he still uses his natural gifts to craft one of the most compelling one on one bouts of EMLL’s year to this point. For example, Fuerza’s always been especially adept at making a fool of himself in service of the tecnico across from him, but instead of the stooging bumps he normally utilizes, we see him get outworked by Pantera during the first fall, a more even battle at the start gradually giving way to Pantera’s submissions, leading the champion to cede the first fall after an excellent cradle pin. But then, even though he’s not nearly as nefarious in this more traditional match scenario, he still infuses all of his offenses with the same rudeness and viciousness that’s always present in his work, like slamming Pantera’s head into the turnbuckle or the way he ends the second fall with an especially brutal looking submission, pinning the challenger’s right leg underneath his own and hooking the arms before pulling him up in a surfboard plancha position.

To his credit, Pantera is also very very good in this as well. While Fuerza does great work to sell the idea that Pantera might be superior to him on the mat in the first fall, the creativity with which Pantera brings with these submissions, using his legs to constantly put the champion in uncomfortable positions. Even better, though, might be his selling in the next two falls, as Fuerza’s irritation visibily grows and he attacks the challenger more aggressively. He’s constantly clutching at his face in pain, even after countering something Fuerza attempts while turning up the heat.

One thing both men excel in during the third fall, thoughm is conveying exhaustion. After Pantera’s tope, they both look absolutely spent, with Fuerza even collapsing in the corner after reversing a charging Pantera and sending him flying. It’s in these moments of fatigue where wrestlers tend to go for higher risks to get the win, and these risks are often ill-advised, such as Fuerza going to the top rope and tripping in a bit that I genuinely cannot tell whether or not was legitimate. Still, when he sees an opportunity to finally put it away at the end he doesn’t hesitate, wrenching on Pantera’s leg while driving his own into the challenger’s stomach until he’s forced to give up. If you’re looking for a match that showcases the diversity of a great like Fuerza Guerrera, look no further than him mixing it up in a title match like this.

Rating: ***3/4

Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Shiro Koshinaka (NJPW 3 DAYS BATTLE – Day 2, 5/5/90)

This caught me completely off-guard with how good it is. I know what the hyped up Liger stuff is, having gone through 1990 New Japan a while ago, but this is one that wasn’t on my list back then, and thus I was surprised how strongly I felt about it. This is slightly joined in progress, about 15 minutes of a 17 minute bout, a bit unfortunate but not nearly enough of a detractor from how much this rules. The early section is all about the two taking it to each other on the mat, and it’s some of the most impressive technical displays of the year outside of actual shoot-style like UWF. There’s of course a sense of struggle that makes these clashes so good, with Koshinaka in particular offering some great facial expressions while getting stretched, but also a natural progression between holds from both men as they fight for superior positions. The second half, while not doing away with the matwork, does shift into something more frantic on the feet. Liger throws a goddamner of a spinning kick that looks like it blasts Koshinaka directly in the face, and the match keep escalating from that point. It even sets a great moment where Liger sends him running to the ropes again, only for Koshinaka to duck, hit the opposite ropes and land his trademark flying hip attack instead. The crowd is alive for the whole match, but especially the finishing stretch, in which dives are busted out and the nearfalls get more and more desperate. Koshinaka dodges another spinning kick to hit a dragon suplex for the victory, assuredly surprising both the fans in attendance for the upset and myself for putting on such a damn good match.

Rating: ***3/4

Steve Williams & Terry Gordy vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba (AJPW Super Power Series 1990 – Day 1, 5/14/90)

Given stalwart Genichiro Tenryu’s recent departure from the company, All Japan had two goals in mind for the main event of its first show without him: firmly establish Jumbo Tsuruta as the ace of the company, and continue to put Steve Williams and Terry Gordy over as the next generation of prolific foreigners after Stan Hansen. The former goal is achieved before the bell even rings, as Tsuruta is introduced after his mentor, former regular tag team partner and company founder Giant Baba, a first that made it abundantly clear who the top dog of the company was. The second, less subtly, is achieved through Miracle Violence Connection’s pinfall victory over Baba himself, ironically his first pinfall lost to anyone since Tenryu half a year prior.

It’s a testament to Baba’s greatness, then, that his performance transcends this self-imposed push to de-emphasize his role from here on out. Sure, Jumbo still looks like one of the best wrestlers in the world, and MVC can deliver when they want to, but it’s Baba that makes this match for me. I love watching him whack these two foreigners with his gigantic hands, and how they stooge for him in a way that’s very giving. There’s a particular moment where Gordy attempts a submission on Jumbo, and Baba just stares at him with his body halfway out the ring, and Gordy just abandons the hold, and it’s such a great thing to watch.

Of course, this isn’t exactly the same level of quality as the aforementioned Tenryu tag from 6 months ago. MVC’s win doesn’t exactly feel unearned, especially considering how long they spend in control over Jumbo and Baba’s age and condition, but it’s still deflating nonetheless for a crowd that really needed some inspiration from the promotion after such an impactful departure from one of their biggest stars. Still, damn good match with a wonderful old man Baba performance that makes it well worth watching.

Rating: ***1/2

Flyin’ Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk vs. Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane (NWA Capital Combat ’90, 5/19/90)

Conceptually, the start of this US Tag Title match makes a lot of sense, as with manager Jim Cornette locked up in a cage outside the ring, the Midnight Express are all out of sorts and thus give way to an extended heat segment from the young babyface champions. Of course, though, wrestling doesn’t take place on paper, and the whole thing kind of gives way to the kind of heel-in-peril structure that I don’t thinnk maximizes the talents of these four (really three and a half, sorry Zenk) workers. It’s just hard to get invested in this when the challengers are constantly thwarted althroughout the first half of this thing, often fallen victim to the dreaded armdrag. It’s almost enough to call this a disappointment, knowing how well MX can craft a hell of a compelling control section, but fortunately this is saved tremendously by the second half in which they get the chance to showcase their skills, picking apart Pillman. They zero in on the stalwart babyface’s neck, and his selling is great, zeroing in on the sympathetic body language that turned him into a crowd favorite. Eaton continues to be arguably the most impressive worker in America, expertly combining his tradesmark smoothness with intensity to great effect. Zenk is Zenk, he’s far from lighting the world on fire out there in comparison to his more gifted partner, but his work is never enough to completely let the match down. Overall, good case builder for Midnight Express’s tag team of the year campaign, but certainly not their best material of the year.

Rating: ***1/2

Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (NWA Capital Combat ’90, 5/19/90)

I don’t know why, but somehow I forgot that Flair got color in this match. I mean, it is a world title match in a cage, after all, but I guess I didn’t see it coming given how bloodless his year has been up to this point. Anyway, it’s fascinating that this is as good as it is, given that not only is Luger coming into this legitimately under the weather, and not only is he once again not getting the torch passed to him, but there’s a big clusterfuck at the end with the Horsemen interfering. It’s a real unfortunate ending to what was shaping up to be something really great; that it ended up at “pretty damn good” regardless is a testament to both competitors, I think. Luger brings the kind of high-powered energy to this that’s historically made him such a good Flair opponent, as evidenced by their match at WrestleWar 3 months prior. All of his offense looks good, especially his clotheslines, further illustrating the idea that Flair’s met his match in a new decade. A lot of this feels like a greatest hits album version of this matchup, but when Flair’s stilll in orbit of his peak, it’s hard to really go wrong with that, especially when the man’s willing to gig and have his face dragged across the steel. He taps into the same crazed desperation that’s served him so well in the past, taking advantage of Luger blowing out his already hurt knee on a superplex and zeroing in on the limb with his hair streaked with red. Again, the finish definitely hampers this some, as there’s a goddamn DQ finish to a steel cage match, of all stipulations as the Horsemen get the cage off the ground and Windham attacks the doomed challenger. It’s remarkably stupid booking, which tries to protect Luger but only serves to make him look like more of a joke and a clear indication that Flair doesn’t want to drop the title to him. I’m not here to tell you whether or not Flair should’ve put Luger over instead of waiting for Sting, but it sucks when something legitimately great and natural gives way to ego and stupidity.

Rating: ***1/2

Riki Choshu vs. Keiji Muto (NJPW Crush The Super Heavy 1990 – Day 1, 5/24/90)

Again, for as good as New Japan has been in the first half of the year, the promotion just feels different with Keiji Muto back in the fold, and this match is as good an example as any as to how. He moves unlike anyone else in the world at this point, a ball of frenetic energy waiting to explode at any given moment. His electricity pairs well with Choshu’s more hard-nosed, minimalistic aesthetic, and sparks immediately fly from their direct contact as Choshu immediately hits a backdrop suplex that sends Muto reeling outside, then hits a motherfucking dive to the outside which is just insane to watch. It’s not long, however, until Muto’s throwing his own athleticism around, hitting a dive of his own to the outside as well as his tradmeark flying cartwheel elbow in the corner.

One of my biggest gripes with Muto, which is admittedly later in his career, is his willingness to completely kill a match dead with his matwork, completely content to sit in a hold for long stretches with no real expression of intensity or progression. As such, I dreaded when he started working the mat with Choshu here after that molten-hot start; however, I think he keeps his worst instincts largely at bay in this, providing all the engaging transitions and mannerisms that accompany the best of this kind of pro-style grappling in the promotion. When Choshu traps Muto’s head with his legs, there’s a constant sense that the wheels are turning in order for him to escape the hold, and it’s that kind of thing that makes the quick navigation away from the more thrilling stuff on the feet worth it to build to the climax, which is packed full of the bombast that the first minute of the match promised.

Of course, Choshu himself is no slouch here either. I’ve always respected Choshu as one of the most honest-to-self pro wrestlers in history; the flowchart of his plan of attack is remarkably straightforward and likely involves A. a lariat and B. a Scorpion Deathlock. He utilizes both of these to his advantage here, and both served to make the returning Muto look like a serious player moving forward when he kicked out of the former or found a way to get himself out of the latter. It actually takes him a couple attempts of the lariat to finally get the win, a result that of course serves Choshu’s ends as a potential challenger to Vader’s title, but also reinforces the idea that the next generation is right on the heels of the greats of the 80s.

Rating: ***1/2

Mitsuharu Misawa, Akira Taue & Kenta Kobashi & vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masanobu Fuchi & The Great Kabuki (AJPW Super Power Series 1990 – Day 10, 5/26/90)

It can be somewhat hard to parse the story beats of wrestling companies in different countries and continents, especially when the shows are commmentated specifically and exclusively in their native languages. It’s no wonder, then, that modern New Japan fans in America often watch with English commentary; however, that isn’t a luxury afforded to 1990 All Japan, so I have to make due with my own guesswork based on what I see in front of me and my contextual knowledge of what’s happening backstage at this point in time.

While the former is more immediately obvious as the match quickly progresses and escalates, it’s the latter that helps me better understand one wrestler in particular here: Jumbo Tsuruta. With Genichiro Tenryu’s departure, and Baba’s recent deference to him as #1 in the company, the newly crowned Triple Crown champion should be happy and unfettered as the uncontested king of the company…but he isn’t. Of course, he doesn’t let this slip immediately, or even intentionally, but it falls all the same when he cheapshots Misawa off the apron early on in the match, a startlingly rude gesture for two men with no real friction up to this point.

Misawa’s by this point has recently shed the Tiger Mask gimmick, ditching the mask and adopting his soon-to-be signature green trunks. The fans, who’ve been waiting for this for a while now, are all-in on the guy, an immediate bright spark in a promotion that could have been in serious turmoil after the loss of Tenryu. Jumbo, of course, seems slightly baffled by this response, when the fans should be focused on him, the ace, world champion and company man for almost fifteen years by this point. It’s hard not to read a slight sense of jealousy and spite in Jumbo’s actions when he knocks Misawa off the apron umprompted, or when he unleashes a hellacious lariat on the upstart when they’re squaring off in the ring, or when he grabs at Misawa’s back from the apron to distract him.

And it’s here where Misawa unleashes the elbow heard around the world.

Misawa cracks Jumbo Tsuruta with what would soon become his trademark elbow, knocking him off the apron and leaving him out of action…for minutes at a time. It’s not just Jumbo’s selling on the floor that makes this moment so special, it’s Masa Fuchi’s seeming bewilderment at his abscence from the apron as he goes to tag the big guy in.

Of course, when Jumbo does come back to life, all hell breaks loose.

He launches himself at Misawa, a raging bull seeing green, and the crowd is losing their minds. Even when Jumbo gets restrained to his corner by his teammates, he can’t help himself and charges back at Misawa in another fit of rage. It’s an angle unlike anything seen from both Jumbo Tsuruta this year so far and really anything from All Japan in general, a flickering of a lightbulb that will only shine brighter over the coming months.

Thankfully, the match is pretty damn good too!

As far as the two most important workers go, Misawa and Jumbo are excelllent here, with the former showing off a more rebellious and indignant side than usual while the latter is crueler and meaner. Tsuruta, along with his teammates, targets the weakest link in Kobashi, and he makes him pay for Misawa’s sins, driving his knee multiple times straight into Kobashi’s face like he owed him money. Kobashi’s already pretty good in this face-in-peril role; he’s not what he would become only a few years later (for better or worse, depending on who you ask), but I like his selling when they work over his knee and the fire that would define his career is already there in spades, standing up to Jumbo’s abuse. There’s not as much to say for Taue and Kabuki, as they aren’t the focus here, but they’re still good and bring enough energy to keep this moving along like it should.

Fuchi, though.

I swear, there’s something about Masanobu Fuchi in a six-man tag. It’s not the best, or cruelest, work he’ll do all year, but the way he shows obvious enjoyment out of torturing young wrestlers is an constant thrill to the eyes. He’s a legitimate demon in control; the way he’ll just casually punch Taue in the head, or wrench on Kobashi’s arm on the mat, is the stuff that always makes him stick out to me in these big tags. It’s as though every opportunity for him to inflict harm on two or three wrestlers a generation below him is a game 7 for him, and I love watching that thought process play out in real time.

Misawa gets the win off a tiger suplex on Fuchi, and just like that, the first shot in one of the greatest feuds in wrestling history has been fired.

Rating: ****

Bull Nakano & Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota & Yumiko Hotta (AJW, 5/27/90)

It’s not the superteam it’ll become in due time, but Bull and Aja are already a fearsome duo in their own right. Bull continues to tower over her peers, so demonstrably above them that it feels a little unfair whenever she cracks Toyota with a thunderous lariat so far above the young daredevil’s ability to withstand. It feels genuinely cruel and unneccesary when Bull’s crew gangs up and attacks Toyota, as opposed to a necessity for the babyfaces when their crew follows in kind. Aja is still a clear work in progress as a worker, as her propensity to crack her opponents over the head with her trademark can as opposed to dishing out a more visceral form of violence shows, but she’s plenty domineering in her own right as well. During Toyota’s face-in-peril sequence, she even gets in a moment of spite when she mockingly tags Hotta on the apron. Neither of the young babyfces give particularly great performances here, though Toyota does showcase her innate talent for getting ragdolled, but it’s through their more team-driven style in this match as opposed to the monster heel duo’s more individualistic approach that helps this tag get more drama out of the proceeding than it otherwise would have, before Bull finishes it with her trademark diving guillotine leg drop.

Rating: ***1/2

Riki Choshu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW Crush The Super Heavy 1990 – Day 3, 5/28/90)

Simplistic both in scope and execution, but it’s hard to fault the basics in the hands of guys like this. Given Choshu’s influence on Hashimoto’s style, it’s no surprise that these two opted for a straightforward slugest as opoosed to a more ambitious layout as seen in the Muto match earlier in the month. Hard kicks from Hash, wicked lariats from both, and beautifully kinetic headbutts all tell the story of two hard-nosed asskickers, one at the tail-end of his peak and another on the cusp of his own, dueling in a struggle that will help define the promotion in the decade to come. Given that, it’s not as epic and bombastic as their matches will evolve into down the line, but it’s well worth watching to see the past and future of New Japan collide in sparks of violence.

Yoji Anjo vs. Masakatsu Funaki (UWF Fighting F, 5/28/90)

An ideal sort of UWF 2.0 show opener. These two go at it for over 20 minutes, and it is rarely, if ever, not a thrill to watch. When the match even threatens to approach dullness, something cool or interesting immediately happens, like an athletic and creative mat transition from Funaki or a vicious kneelift to the head from Anjo. The strikes are all cracking, from Anjo’s nagging leg kicks to Funaki’s wicked palm strikes, but the matwork is just as engaging, with the two constantly struggling for position on the mat or in the clinch. The selling in the holds fucking rule too, watch an obviously pained Funaki try to pry Anjo’s arms away from his leg before slapping him across the face to escape the hold, and then limp on the leg once he gets up for good measure. There’s not as much to chew on as far as narrative in the vein of the similar golden boy vs. reliable veteran clash of Suzuki/Nakano three months prior, but damned if this isn’t one of the most consistently engaging matches in UWF all year regardless.

Rating: ***3/4