[1996-02-03-NJPW-Fighting Spirit] Jushin Liger vs Black Tiger

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This is a good match, but not at the level you might expect from these two. There's not really much worth criticizing about it. They just worked a solid match. There is a really great fast-paced sequence early on that I don't even know to describe, but this is more like a good weekly TV match than an all-time classic.

[Tim Evans]

The thing I liked about this match was Tiger getting increasingly upset at the ref during the 2 counts. Like Loss said, it was a good match but nothing great.

[Kevin Ridge]

Felt very average with the guys involved. Just never got to the level you would expect. Even Liger’s top rope DDT is poor compared to the 90-91 version.

[Zenjo]

I was bored within the opening couple of minutes. It felt so stale. The dead crowd didn't help matters.

[PeteF3]

Another match that failed to get out of first gear. More solid than the 8-man tag and not a bad watch, but these guys aren't exactly going all-out for the Sapporo Dome crowd.

[soup23]

I agree this is a touring baseline match for these two but it was still damn good and had more cohesiveness than a lot of what we have seen so far this year which is a testament to Liger and Eddy. Solid but unspectacular. ***1/2

[tim]

Good, not great match. Nothing really too noteworthy here, just a very solid, competitive juniors style match that kept a good pace.

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger vs Black Tiger - NJPW 2/3/96

Me, My Wife and Two of my Friends played “Book It” a pro wrestling board game a couple weeks ago. As I always say wrestling fans make the worst promoters/bookers and I came in dead last. Most of the wrestlers were knock off of real wrestlers they had a wrestler named Justin Tiger Lightning with ridiculously low stats which popped me for some reason. Liger is so beloved like who be such hater to give Liger low stats. 
 

Anyways Liger is on his revenge tour as he was out for most 1995 due an ankle injury. He wins the Super J Cup at the end of 1995 and the IWGP Jr Hvywt Title in the Dome from Kanemoto. He is reasserting himself nationally in the division. Black Tiger aka Eddie Guerrero is a good first challenger. This is not a long match about 12-13 minutes. It is good not great. 
 

In my opinion, no style had a bigger impact on the American work rate style of the 21st Century than Japanese Juniors. So Japanese Juniors retrospectively can look pretty Indy-Riffic if they aren’t hitting on all cylinders. There’s a lot of that here. The transitions aren’t the smoothest. It is a lot of MOVEZ~! without a lot of rhyme or reason But they aren’t breath taking enough to get the work rate junkies to pimp this match either. The opening chaining feels Indy-riffic rather than a struggle. We do need more Snap Mares in wrestling. They do a take down tumbling sequence. The best part of the match Tiger takes Liger and rams him into the railing. Eddie splash. Then the match peters out. Couple high impact suplexes by Tiger in between some basic holds. Liger Kappou Kicks look cool But he doesn’t take it anywhere. Near fall exchange. Tiger hits his stock spots Brainbuster and Tornado DDT. Frogsplash knees up. They do a Lucha Arm Drag climb the ropes…like what? Liger polishes him off with a Superplex maybe it was supposed to be a Brainbuster. It is Liger and Eddie it is still good but nothing special ***