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NJPW New Year Special 1996
Kensuke Sasaki vs. Yuji Nagata - NJPW New Year Special 1996 - 21/02/1996
This was a fun match between an upper midcarder and a low midcarder on the rise. Nagata had some training off Sasaki as well, thus making the match a little more interesting. Plus these two would have some classics down the line. Nagata is a bit of a punk that is willing to slap Sasaki, who just retaliates, and isn’t afraid to throw kicks either. Nagata gets a lot considering his placement on the card but Sasaki does get the win via an armbar, to the surprise of no one. ***1/4
UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Title Match: El Samurai (c) vs. Shinjiro Otani - NJPW New Year Special 1996 - 21/02/1996
A quality match that is unfortunately not on New Japan World. But don’t worry, all the mediocre ones are on there. There was a strong lock up to begin the match. And I do love a good lock up. Otani aggressively targets Samurai’s knee after scoring an ankle pick in an amazing way. It came across as very brutal and focused. Otani truly wanted to tear his knee ligaments right then. That carried over throughout the match opposed to just the first few minutes, followed up by perfunctory grappling like his a lot of the famed Junior Heavyweight contests. Otani gets busted open by the nose but it doesn’t deter him from fighting on, especially in-front of his father. Samurai fights back with double wrist lock attempts of his own that seem to cause niggling issues for Otani and the match becomes a battle of who’s limb will give out first. The nearfalls were really good and had the crowd rocking. Ontai’s expressiveness made it so compelling. Although Otani lost the match, which seemed like a mistake, it’s not the main Junior title, so who cares? ****
NJPW Fighting Spirit 1996
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger (c) vs. Black Tiger - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1996 - Day 2 - 03/02/1996
Underwhelming match and not Eddie’s first one under the gimmick. Solid enough submission chain wrestling but it didn’t progress well enough, nor did it really excite me. **
Black Tiger & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Koji Kanemoto & Shinjiro Otani - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1996 - Day 11 - 15/02/1996
The crowd, unlike the Sapporo crowd, is pretty hot for the match and the wrestlers are hot for the match. Otani and Kanemoto are quick to throw a few nasty kicks before working the leg of Liger, who responds kindly when he and Black Tiger have Otani and Kanemoto in their corner. This is a classic, kick ass match with high energy that makes the Jrs so great, unlike what is usually on offer (boring, listless grappling). Fun match. ***1/4
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Junji Hirata & Shinya Hashimoto vs. Golden Cups (Yoji Anjo & Yoshihiro Takayama) - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1996 - Day 18 - 25/02/1996
Golden Cups wearing Super Strong Machine masks was a great bit with Hirata in the ring (former Strong Machine himself). However I did think the 200% paint on the forehead was a bit too indie. Hashimoto was a little more fun in the match, the crowd had a fun time with it as well. Hashimoto hit a double footstomp and posed, which he usually doesn’t do. Golden Cups are UWFI guys but they didn’t adhere to that style at all, basically becoming fully formed pro wrestlers doing flying drop kicks, brawling, and it actually works to their benefit somewhat. While they lose this match, they are given much more than they usually are and it makes me think that they could’ve integrated the UWFi guys much more in a different universe. The match comes when Hashimoto saves Hirata from a kneebar and applies a triangle on Takayama to retain the titles. Good tag match. ***1/2
Jushin Thunder Liger & Keiji Muto vs. Naoki Sano & Nobuhiko Takada - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1996 - Day 18 - 25/02/1996
Damn this is a sick match to have. The peak of Takada and Muto as stars, Liger too. If only Sano was his 1988 self. But they packed the house and are in the main event. Muto and Takada start the match and that’s awesome but I really dug Liger and Takada grappling. Takada used to be the Jr Heavyweight king and Liger basically took his place once he left (and Hase and Koshinaka graduated to Heavyweights) so it was interesting from that standpoint. There are no great high spots but there is a lot of cool grappling heavy action that is constantly moving, utilising the interesting pairings that could be had in the match. This had another quick finish with Muto dragon screwing Takada and locking him in the figure four, taking him out of the equation, leaving Liger free to end Sano with a brutal Liger Bomb for the win. ***1/2
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