Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

[1995-08-11-NJPW-G1 Climax] Keiji Muto vs Shiro Koshinaka


Loss

Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...

Great way to start off the G1! Very good match between two guys who seem to always have good matches together, this one not being an exception. This is an interesting match in that I genuinely didn't know the results and figured Koshinaka's role was to make Muto look good. And that is how the match was laid out. Muto had the quick, flashy highspots, Muto dominated most of the matwork and even Koshinaka's late rally seemed like it was designed to show how much punishment Muto could take. But the end result was something different, and then looking back on it, it works to put Koshinaka over too. I don't know how much of a surprise result this was, but I do know I was genuinely surprised by the result. Koshinaka countering the top rope rana attempt into a powerbomb was a holy shit spot and was the turning point in Koshinaka winning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
  • 2 years later...

Big upset that really felt earned, as Koshinaka had Mutoh on the ropes for most of this. Mutoh looks tough and resourceful, but that power bomb off the turnbuckle was a holy shit moment and really felt like the finish. Smart move to have Mutoh escape via the ropes instead of kicking out--he really looked dead and they got a near-fall that was surprising but also made sense instead of just being a cheap excuse for a 2.9. I'm to the point now where I no longer hate Koshinaka.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

The opening night of the G1 with an eager crowd at the Ryogoku. Both participants looked sharp and energetic. The matwork was interspersed with quicker paced segments. They had the dynamic just right. The champion being on top and the underdog fighting from underneath. Mutoh always looked the likelier winner before one big move turned everything on its head. Literally. Kosh countered a top rope huracanrana and powerbombed Mutoh right on his noggin. A move of awesome brutality that made the upset make complete sense. Excellent storytelling. This wasn't a G1 classic, but would turn out to be the best bout of the tournament this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • GSR changed the title to [1995-08-11-NJPW-G1 Climax] Keiji Muto vs Shiro Koshinaka

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...