[1996-04-29-NJPW-Battle Formation] Jushin Liger vs Great Sasuke

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Good match, but I was disappointed by this. I'm not sure why they worked such a mat-based match based around with all this subtlety and limb work on a dome show where juniors historically have trouble getting heat.

[Tim Evans]

I think the match peaked when Sasuke did the dive about 15 seconds into the match. It wasn't horrible but it also wasn't very exciting.

[Zenjo]

As Sasuke's leg was taking an extended pounding I knew exactly what was coming next.

 

Selling that would make Toyota blush.

 

Dreadful.

[PeteF3]

Cringe-worthy moment of the year: Liger attempts to do the Jumbo Tsuruta drop-the-guy's-knee-on-the-guardrail spot, misses, and instead drops Sasuke's groin on it. Yeeowch.

 

Yeah, this match-up is actually less interesting the more Sasuke is portrayed as an equal, as opposed to an underdog. Sasuke isn't as compelling working holds from the top as from the bottom, and then he blows off the cool legwork. Liger mostly holds this together, but at one point he drops Sasuke from the turnbuckle, levels him with a knee off the top that looks to knock him out, signals that he's going to drop Sasuke on his head again to put him away, and...puts on a crossface chicken wing. REALLY curious move there from one of the smarter workers around--were they seriously expecting people to buy that as a potential ending? Liger is no Mr. Backlund--he uses that hold as a matwork opener, not a finish. There was still good stuff here and the Sasuke victory took me by surprise, but the Super J-Cup match between these two is the one you want.

[soup23]

Agree that this isn't as good as the 94 stuff, but I still thought it was a really good match with some interesting intricate mat work and some insane dives to the floor. I guess the dome crowd being less than enthused doesn't have as much bearing on me. Felt like a big win too at the finish. ***1/2

[tim]

I didn't think much of this match. The very opening stuff was good and Sasuke's big dive as sweet, as was an asai moonsault he does later. They pick it up a bit toward the end, but a lot of this bored me.

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger vs Great Sasuke - NJPW 4/29/96

Disagree with the consensus I thought this was very good. Huge Dome match for the Juniors after the reset with Liger winning on 1/4. This was the biggest possible Junior Heavyweight match. I would say Liger, Sasuke and Dragon were the Big Three Natives. We get Liger/Sasuke here, then Sasuke/Dragon for J-Crown Final and again at a major WAR show and then we get the grand finale of Liger vs Dragon at 1/4. Thats strong main event booking. Liger was taking a major chance as neither of the other were New Japan guys so he was basically here’s our title, here’s the J-Crown let’s build to my win on 1/4/97. Gutsy booking. 
 

I have a soft spot for Sasuke and even though he egregiously blew off the leg selling I still think this was very good just kept it from being great. The opening was so hot, Liger misses Kappou Kick, Sasuke misses a Spinning Heel Kick. Sasuke Sawndive over the top rope onto Liger was FUCKING SICK! Total Wipeout! I thought Sasuke worked really well on top. I thought he was varying his holds well. Everything was tight and intense. Full court press; suffocating Liger. LIGER DRILLED HIS KNEE WITH A DROPKICK! He kicked through it. It is a shame Sasuke blew off the leg work because Liger was fantastic on top. Great holds love a Figure-4 and some more exotic ones. Great strikes to the leg. The Kneeceusher turned Ballcrusher on the guard rail was sick. Then after all that great work. Here comes the Asai Moonsault and Quebrada. Liger counters with a Fuck You Powerbomb. Kappou Kick. Nice Superman Splash to the floor! Up until this point I thought this match was killer. I thought it petered out as Liger ran through his Finish Run offense but nothing felt climatic. Then Sasuke hit a Frankensteiner and a Crucifix Powerbomb to win.
 

I really enjoyed the first 3/4ths the ending was a bit anticlimatic but also an OH SHIT Sasuke won in the Dome on NJPW soil for the Title against Liger. I mean Thats some Holy Shit booking! Worth watching for such a historical moment. *** 1/2