[1992-12-11-NJPW-Final Battle] Jushin Liger & Koji Kanemoto vs Ultimo Dragon & Masao Orihara

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I'll just C & P my comments from last time I watched this, since I don't really have anything to add:

 

I don't really have anything to say about it other than I liked it. Fun, fast-paced tag match with some great stuff toward the end especially.

[Tim Evans]

Dragon looked real good in this and some of the dives were crazy.

[shoe]

This is a high energy fun tag with some great dives. Also the finish stretch was pretty well done. On top of that Kanemoto is such a prick.

[BackToBionic]

I thought it was a really fun match. Those moonsaults onto the floor weren't perfect but they sure did look impressive!

[Zenjo]

Years ago I used to think that Orihara sucked. I still do. Kanemoto dicking it up was fun and there were some good moves, yet this was a sloppy match.

[PeteF3]

This isn't as good or as heated as the previous WAR/NJPW matches, and Kanemoto is still finding himself for most of this. But the closing stretch is great with all four guys looking good. That dive train was the biggest highlight--it's about time we saw the 1991 WON Move of the Year as busted out by Orihara.

[WingedEagle]

I thought Orihara was great here, showing good fire and hitting all the right notes in his role in the WAR/NJ feud. This made me want to see him have a greater role in the division. His time with Kanemoto here really stood out -- stiff, hateful and feels like a junior match with a purpose rather than a spotfest. I notice Samurai is in Liger & Kanemoto's corner -- did he turn face here for WAR feud? Then comes the dive train with Orihara's moonsault to floor, followed by a Liger dive on him & power bomb to the floor, before Dragon pins Kanemoto. Great match. Loved the announcer next to Saito wearing a Harvard sweatshirt.

 

****

[DR Ackermann]

I give it a thumbs up, but the lack of selling down the stretch hurts it a bit for me. Pretty fun instead of pretty good.

[garretta]

I thought that this was very good. I have no idea what the rest of you thought was so sloppy about it; these four brought their best for sure, and each nearfall really felt important with the honor of the respective promotions at stake.

 

I'd love to see more Kanemoto and Orihara. These two really impressed me, and would have stolen the show if they hadn't been in with veterans like Liger and Dragon. Hopefully we see more of them representing their respective sides in the '93 Yearbook.

 

The fans were a bit slow to respond to this at first, but were on their feet at the end even though the WAR ream got the win. WAR's off to a flying start so far in this interpromotional feud, as they've taken both matches so far this year with one more (which is actually the November six-man that introduces the feud on this set) to go. I'm sort of surprised to see them booked so strong early on in New Japan; then again, most "invading" promotions are booked like monsters at the start of a feud like this. Just ask the NWO.

 

I noticed the announcer wearing the Harvard sweatshirt too. What happened, was hos University of Tokyo sweatshirt late coming back from the cleaners?

[Makai Club #1]

The Juniors get in on the New Japan vs WAR action. Young Punk Kanemoto and nearing prime Liger against Ultimo Dragon and Orihara sounds very exciting. Liger and Ultimo keep it clean with some fun mat wrestling with the shoulder tackle, kip-up into arm wringer spots while Orihara and Kanemoto are more feisty with their offence. Kanemoto and Orihara kick out at each other and show general disrespect to each other. There were times where they went a little long to get to the next gear but the action was never boring. Orihara takes a tremendous asswhipping and sells excellently. The dives to the outside looked outstanding as did most of the fast paced closing stretch. The match ended on a real dramatic note as well with the crowd biting on all the nearfalls before Ultimo finally pinned Kanemoto with the powerbomb. Awesome match that had two great parts. The assbeating and the bombs-away finishing stretch. ****