[1996-04-29-NJPW-Battle Formation] Great Muta vs Jinsei Shinzaki

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

One of those matches that people tended to feel very strongly about when it happened ... in both directions. To me, between the spectacle of it all, the piledriver on the ringside table, the weapons, the blood and the Space Flying Tiger Drop (which isn't an ECW move, but it's the type of move ECW fans would love), this felt like an ECW match that happened to take place on a New Japan show. So I think ECW fans would love and probably did love this match, while people who aren't huge fans of ECW probably wouldn't care for this at all. I felt like this had to go on because it always seemed like a match people were pretty vocal about either way. I remember the RF Video highlight reel at the end of all of their videos having a clip of this, and seeing this show as a result of that, and loving the match at the time, then watching it a few years later and hating it, so I've been in both places. Today, I guess I'm too objective for my own good, which kinda sucks. But I do remember this having way more heat than it actually had, it turns out.

[rzombie1988]

I liked this match alot. The entrances werre great. I thought both guys were able to play to their strengths and I liked the hardcore style they worked. They really got the most out of both guys especially when it could have easily been a stinker.

[Childs]

This felt like a Wrestlemania match to me, with the two of them building to a handful of big, theatrical moments rather than cramming it full of stuff. I liked the goofy subplot of Muta stealing Shinzaki's stick, goring him with it and then painting it with Shinzaki's blood. Kudos to Shinzaki for that crazy fucking bump over the rail and for selling the shit out of Muta's beatdown before finally staging his rally. Nifty finish too, with Shinzaki ducking the first misting only to eat the second after lifting Muta for a power bomb. I wouldn't call the match a classic, but it absolutely worked on its own terms.

[Tim Evans]

This was a good match with Shinzaki hitting a gusher. It's a shame the camera man missed his bump over the guard rail pretty much. Muta just looked evil during this match.

[PeteF3]

I've been higher on '95-'96 ECW than others and I still didn't much care for this. There were a few cool moments that would have had more impact in another more familiar setting, like Muta writing on Shinzaki's stick on Jinsei's blood, and misting his way out of the power bomb. But this was mostly Shitty Muto and that tended to overshadow things even when Shinzaki was working hard.

[soup23]

Fun spectacle type match. It got a little long in the tooth but the visuals will stay with me for a long time as both Shinzaki and Muta delivered some stuff that really played well on a big stage like this. Good match and a memorable one making it a success for what they were trying to accomplish. ***1/ 4

[tim]

I was pretty bored by this outside of the big spots. Shinzaki's bump from the apron across the guardrail was awesome though. Muta writing on the board in Shinzaki's blood was a cool spot too, and judging by the crowd reaction it probably comes across even better if you can read it.

[Superstar Sleeze]

The Great Muta vs Jinsei Shinzaki - NJPW 4/29/96

The perfect big, dumb match to watch when youre jetlagged to fuck in Cologne. The less you think about this match the better it. Perfect rebound match from Muta after losing the IWGP Title to Takada at 1/4 Dome show, instead he is here in the Dream Match role. This has to be the high water mark of Shinzaki's career. 

The Railing Bump! Piledriver on the Table! Broken Wooden Stake! Hakushi Bleeding! Writing in Hakushi's Blood on Hakushi's Stake! Whatever Kanji he wrote got a big pop! Hakushi Flying Space Tiger Drop! MUTA MIST~! Moonsault! This is a WrestleMania match before that was really a thing. Big Moments that stick with you, no connective tissue. Just the stare down during Introductions, these two look cool as fuck. Muta spews Mist to let the crowd now the wrestling will begin. Muta hits a couple of famous spots early. Hakushi's Rope Walk looked awesome as did his Vaderbomb. He peters out. This actually feels like an extended Muta squash. The railing bump, Pildedriver on the table and Wooden stake all happen here. Hakushi taps a gusher. Looks great with the white pants. Muta lets him get in a hope spot of missing his Top Rope Headbutt. Muta hits a pretty sick Frankensteiner but cant get the Moonsault. Hakushi finally gets in a modicum of offense after Muta telegraphs the Mist and Hakushi ducks it. Hakushi goes crazy with the steel chair and Flying Space Tiger Drop! He hits he Top Rope Headbutt but Muta kicks out pretty easily. Hakushi Powerbomb...NOPE...MIST~! Moonsault! 1-2-3

I have watched so much Greta Muta this past year and it is not a tippy top performance but a pretty good one. He definitely nails the Horror Movie Villain here very menacing, but you could also tell he kinda thought Hakushi was behind him and his disinterest would occasionally spill over. Besides the Rope Walk at the beginning and the Flying Space Tiger Drop they really gave Hakushi nothing, but who cares? The high spots kick ass. This is perfect Dome/WrestleMania wrestling...Blood Kanji kicks this up a couple notches. *** 3/4