[1996-11-12-Michinoku Pro] Great Sasuke & Gran Hamada & Super Delphin vs Dick Togo & Mens Teoh & Shiryu

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Super Delphin is just awesome. I think this is a guy who had a good singles run in him that never really happened to its full potential. Another awesome match in a long line of them for this group.

[Ditch]

Super Delphin is just awesome. I think this is a guy who had a good singles run in him that never really happened to its full potential.

MPro Mask League 1995 has a handful of good Delfin singles outings.

[Loss]

He's kind of a second rate Liger, but second rate Liger can still be great. He has a lot of charisma and seems able to switch gears to be more serious when the situation calls for it. I like him. Look forward to some of those matches coming up on the '95 yearbook.

[Tim Evans]

So did Togo/Hamada do the Headbutt thing in every match they had? It seems like it.

[Loss]

My first rewatch since I started going through these yearbooks. This was prompted by jdw asking if I purposely left off this match when ranking matches at the time, or if it was an oversight.

 

I had to rewatch to jog my memory. From a comments standpoint, I stand by what I said before. Delphin was the standout and my favorite performer. I'm not sure I'd call this "awesome", especially when next to the other MPro matches during this time. But it's an excellent match a few shades below most of the great matches at the time. It has a place on the list and it appears to have been an oversight. This should have been on my top 100 for the year. I have added a ranking for it in the Matches of the Month thread. Very good match.

[Zenjo]

It was decent enough for the first 10m and then like most Japanese 6 mans starts to outstay its welcome. Fortunately they cut to the finish quickly and the crowd briefly exploided. I mean it basically was just a hot finish. Still good enough for a top 100 spot. Super Dolfin isn't a guy that I have a strong opinion on either way. He does what he does well enough without being a standout performer. The Delfin Clutch makes me mark out because it looks so devastating.

[ohtani's jacket]

This was probably the weakest of the six mans from this era, but at minimum a good match. Things picked up in the stretch run and I found myself willing the technicos on since if they weren't winning in Hamada's anniversary match they were never gonna win. The way they put Kaientai away was badass, which is all you can hope for from faces.

[PeteF3]

This was fun and I really liked the closing stretch. Hamada and Delfin hold off the rest of Kaientai and Sasuke's urgency in throwing shit at Shiryu while they're incapacitated is just awesome. Hamada was spectacular here--we get bits of Grumpy Old Man Hamada, familiar shtick Hamada, face in peril Hamada, and Hamada the high-flyer at the end. In fact this is one of the first MPro multi-mans where the babyfaces really seemed to outshine the heels. Not really a top-of-the-line lucharesu 6-man but a very good match.

[soup23]

I had a lot of fun with this. KDX was stooging off and they even had their poses down. The face term was well represented and Delphin outshined Sasuke pretty heavily here IMO. I actually think Delphin is probably a better worker historically than Sasuke and at the very least more consistent. I don't think this was really trying to be a classic, just another chapter in the feud overall and they accomplished that initiative. ***3/4

[tim]

Super fun MPro match; not a lot to distinguish itself from many other super fun MPro matches, but that's no complaint, I enjoyed the heck out of this one. Hamada's tornado DDT on the floor was the highspot of the match.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I am surprised you guys didn't like this more. I have this as the best of the ones that are not the big three.

 

Kaientai (Dick Togo, MENS Teioh, Shiryu) vs Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, Super Delfin - Michinoku Pro 11/12/96

 

The World Famous Sportatorium is rocking for another rendition of Freebirds vs Von Erichs excuse me sorry, it is Michinoku Pro and this crowd is on fire for Kaientai vs The All Star Team of Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada & Super Delfin. Before the match, Hamada is honored. Ditch does not know why. I don't know why. This Japanese is absolutely electric. It reminds me of Freebirds vs Von Erichs. They actually BOO Kaientai. It is crazy. Any time someone takes a head shot at Sasuke they boo. Huge cheers for all three babyfaces as they are super over. Delfin is great at playing to the crowd. Lots of charisma. Hamada is in total asskicking mode, lots of hard chops and lariats. Sasuke is Sasuke, a sloppy nut. Kaientai is on point. Big FIP on Delfin working over his midsection after a MENs Teioh double stomp and gutbuster. Delfin makes it to the corner. They end up kicking Sasuke in the head. Crowd boos and Sasuke goes down in a heap. Just classic Kaientai here. All over Sasuke. Spike Piledriver was great. Shieldbomb from the top! They Shieldbomb Gran Hamada when he saves. Delphin makes a HOT AND I MEAN DOUBLE HOT TAG! Delphin was on fire here. Super over. He gets knocked out after trying for his special pin combo. Gran Hamada is on fire next. Sasuke helps out a little by crotching Togo on the top rope and hitting an Asai Moonsault on Shiryu to a huge pop. Gran Hamada's Tornado DDT and Top Rope Frankensteiner are super over! Hamada gets a huge pop for the rana out of the pop-up powerbomb. Sasuke & Delphin hit double missile dropkicks on Shiryu. Delphin wipes out Teioh, Hamada takes out Togo with a tornado DDT. Sasuke is left alone with Shiryu. Ballgame! Sasuke quebrada and then Crucifix Powerbomb 1-2-3 to a MASSIVE POP!

 

I am a sucker for really over babyfaces with badass offense. The crowd ate this up with a spoon. The babyfaces delivered in spades with big offense down the stretch. Kaientai are just superb heels. The first 2/3rds of the match is all about making you want to see Kaientai get their asses beat. Sasuke's head injury got big time heat and he had some really great verbal selling. Delphin, Hamada and Sasuke all shined big time down the stretch. Awesome match! ****1/4