NJPW Fighting Spirit Legend 1995

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Sabu (c) vs. Black Tiger - NJPW Fighting Spirit Legend - Day 14 - 12/06/1995

Thghis was your basic junior match that really isn’t over until Sabu does what Sabu is famous for. They go nuts for Sabu throwing himself at a table. Eddie loses all his charisma under the mask. He seriously does. Sabu wins quickly enough in what I suspect was a match that was cut for time. **1/2

IWGP Tag Team Title Match (vacant): Junji Hirata & Shinya Hashimoto vs. Ookami Gundan (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masahiro Chono) - NJPW Fighting Spirit Legend - Day 14 - 12/06/1995

Terrific match with tons of heat mongering of the best kind by Chono and Tenzan. Tenzan was awesome here and definitely had the best performance of the match, just by effort alone. Hirata was stuck with a bum leg which left Hashimoto alone which didn't deter him from being his usual badass self. Chono was good at being a mean bastard though. He busted Hashimoto's mouth open and seemed to enjoy the idea of Hashimoto bleeding on him while in the STF. TenCho win the vacant tag team titles (for 20ish days before they were vacated again due to Chono's dad dying, causing him to miss a defence). ****

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title / UWA World Welterweight Title Match: Sabu (c) vs. Koji Kanemoto (c) - NJPW Fighting Spirit Legend - Day 16: Super Power Group Declaration VI - 14/06/1995

I love watching Sabu vs Kanemoto matches because of the added tidbit, provided by Sabu’s book, that Kanemoto no-sold everything he was doing. Typical Kanemoto (and we love him for it). Sabu was over with the Budokan crowd who was more than favourable to his style than Kanemoto’s kick and submissions offence but that just allowed Kanemoto to step up the aggression and antsts. Kanemoto kicked Sabu in both thighs and soundly picked Sabu apart while Sabu sold and waited for his moments. Sabu sells more than his reputation lets on but his reputation for taking insane bumps IS deserved. Sabu hit a tope con hil through a table on the outside, on a slant, after Kanemoto moved out of the way. The high risk doesn’t pay off in the end as Kanemoto doesn’t go for the ride and Sabu lands on his head and that’s pretty much it for this match. Kanemoto against the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. ***3/4

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Keiji Muto (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan - NJPW Fighting Spirit Legend - Day 16: Super Power Group Declaration VI - 14/06/1995

It took me an age to find so anything less than good, would’ve been unacceptable. Luckily, this was a well delivered match. It flowed and went many ways. Mutoh looked super strong in his first title defence, leading most of the match’s direction, whether it was the grappling or the brawling portions, and staying uncut which is a rarity when a Mutoh match has blood. Tenzan still looked great as a challenger, having some awesome hope spots, building up-to some real moments where the upset looked possible. Teznan was able to pull off the moonsault first out of the two which gained a big two count. Tenzan works clean despite being in the most villainous stable in Japan since Gokuaku Domei, showing his range and promise as a future main eventer. All in all, I thought this was a really good match. ***3/4