NJPW Fighting Spirit 1997 - Day 16 (Liger vs Kanemoto Not So Classic, Muta vs Koshinaka & Yamazaki vs Hashimoto)

J-Crown Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger (c) vs. Koji Kanemoto - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1997 - Day 16 - 16/02/1997

This has a bigger reputation than the Otani match but I don’t think its nearly as good. The first half is more character work from Kanemoto’s side which is strong. He goes to kick Liger into submission. He dominates the first half with Liger finding ways to get back on top. Liger’s selling was strong in this portion of the bout. He made Kanemoto a strong threat. Then came the back half. This are full of great moments. Kanemoto flipping Liger off in the figure four, the tiger suplex into the moonsault, the running palm strikes. It’s a compelling match but I didn’t love it like I once did. ***3/4

Great Muta vs. Shiro Koshinaka - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1997 - Day 16 - 16/02/1997

Muta attacks Koshinaka and spts the mist on the Heisei Ishingun flag. Like classic Muta matches, the match flows from standard technical driven matches to brawling, changing like the wind. They’ll be in leg locks one minute and throwing each other through tables the next. Muta then hangs Koshinaka at one point and hits a rana onto a table. Another listless Muta effort. But the post match angle is where it shines. Chono and the NWO come out to the ringside. Are they here to attack Muta? No. Instead they offer him a shirt. Muta declines and leaves the ring. And when he does Koshinaka gets the brunt of their response to the decline. **1/2

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Shinya Hashimoto (c) vs. Kazuo Yamazaki - NJPW Fighting Spirit 1997 - Day 16 - 16/02/1997

It'll be easy to confuse this with the G1 Final between the two in 1998, but this is a nice table dressing for that match. Yamazaki is the ultimate unassuming wrestler. Doesn't look that much of a threat but proves it with his skill. Hashimoto's kicks are infamous but Yamazaki is able to thwart them early with a great heel hook counter. Yamazaki continues utilising his submission knowledge to control Hashimoto but nothing will stop Hashimoto from throwing the hardest kicks known to man. So Yamazaki transitions to the arm, going from defence to offence. He locks on the cross arm breaker and kicks the arm several times. Hashimoto tries to fight back with chops but gets caught with a Fujiwara for an awesome false finish. There was a great Fujiwara like sequence that followed actually, where Yamazaki headbutted the arm of Hash and Hash replied kindly with one of his own. From there it turns into Hashimoto going for the win which is all kinds of awesome. Maybe lacks the next level drama for a greater match but it's a wonderful example of the compact Hashimoto and New Japan style. ****