[1992-03-09-NJPW-Big Fight Series] Big Van Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow vs Masa Chono & Shinya Hashimoto

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I love the strike battles with Vader and Chono. Chono starts getting a lot of fan support through Vader's mauling. Then it's Hashimoto's turn. His kicks look great. In fact, that's the biggest compliment I can give this match -- everything everyone does looks really crisp and connects well. Vader's dragon sleeper on Hash is tremendous. Doesn't really build to a hot finish in the way most matches did at the time, but it does sustain a pretty good pace all the way through. Worth seeing.

[shoe]

A pretty solid match. I think my favorite spot was Chono going for a back suplex on Vader, can't do it kicks Vader in the leg and then was able to do it.

[Kevin Ridge]

Nothing fancy but a good match. Chono flew off the top top at one point and Vader caught him so easy in mid air. Vader came off more of a monster in this match compared to previous matches. He was just pounding on Chono who ill advised tried to slug back and forth with him.

[MikeCampbell]

Vader and Hashimoto were the big strikers of the match, but it was cool to see Chono attempt to rise to the occasion and hang with Vader. If this happened ten years later, Chono would have probably just Yakuza kicked Vader about 20 times. I loved Chono saving Hashimoto from Bigelow's suplex and Hashimoto's DDT.

[Zenjo]

25m isn't the way to go with super heavyweights. Bigelow was a reasonable worker but I never felt he used his weight effectively or had the presence of a big man. Vader on the other hand was strong and stiff. Decent enough match that was threatening to get good before some poor move selection from Chono led to a flat finish.

[WingedEagle]

Great heeling from Vader in the pre-match and throughout, with his post-match standing out for character work in Japan. Chono & Hash both have pretty short runs as FIPs before Bigelow does some great selling for Hash's offense. Would've benefited from chopping about 8-10 minutes off.

 

***

[PeteF3]

Solid is the best way to describe this. All the basics are done well and the match is psychologically sound. Just never hits that second level. And maybe it wasn't really meant to, because this seemed to be booked to establish Vader & Bam Bam as nigh-unstoppable monsters. Hash and Chono get some good spots in but it seems more like they're fighting just to keep their heads above water rather than getting either guy in legitimate danger. Much less wanton suplexing and tossing around of the foreigners than in previous bouts. I do love Bam Bam's somersault senton--I don't think he ever busted that move out Stateside. He also debuts the double underhook backbreaker which gets a pop and which Chono sells like death. Bigelow scores the pinfall on Chono, which seems to be an indication that he's meant to be more than just the Spivey to Vader's Hansen.

[xlynwoodx]

I watched this match a week ago and have been struggling to comment on it since. There just wasn't much to be said. It was a fine match that lasted longer than needed and never got to the point where it grabbed my attention. Solid, but I don't need to watch again.

[garretta]

I didn't like this one as much as most of you. For whatever reason, they tried to sell Chono as Superman; he took at least five splashes and kicked out of them all before the double splash finally finished him, and he could still walk off, albeit with help. More importantly, this never really felt like a tag team match. There was little continuity or teamwork of any sort, and while it was fun seeing Vader in particular sell for the natives, he could have done just as easily if not more so in a singles bout. I thought they'd at least work in some "can he be trusted?" spots for Chono and Shinya, since they'd been opponents exactly a week before, but they never happened.

 

Maybe I'm just a little burned out by being in the middle of a run of truly epic bouts, but this one really seemed flat to me.

[dawho5]

I didn't think Vader was that much of a heel right away.  He offers Chono a handshake, which Chono refuses, and then decides against hitting Chono on a break when Chono had just hit him on the break.  Thought it was kind of strange.  I honestly thought the match would go a little shorter than it did when Chono hit an early backdrop.  Bam Bam and Hash had a really good, fast-paced exchange early.  I thought Hash looked great fighting back against Vader.  It looked like Chono had to be manhandled out of trying for more offense a few times.  Also looked like Vader and Bam Bam gave Hash a little more offense due to him being bigger.  I did think the Vader dragon sleeper was an attempt by Vader to give Chono something after he had been manhandled earlier that Chono missed.  Vader playing FIP in the late stretch of the match was better than you would expect it to be.  Good enough match, too long and at times didn't seem like the tag team aspect was used much.