[1995-09-25-NJPW-G1 Climax Special] Keiji Muto vs Junji Hirata

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Hirata looks really good here. I enjoyed the opening matwork with him grinding his knee into Muto's face, and he also has some nice headbutts and kicks. This is built around him pushing Muto further than expected. His nearfalls aren't getting much heat at first, and as the match progresses, the audience is more convinced of his chances, which is always great to see. One of those matches that isn't GREATGREATGREAT, but is exactly as good as it should be considering their card placement at this point in time. Really good.

[jdw]

Yeah... all of that. Enjoyed this match, without pimping it as a MOTYC. Just a good point here where Mutoh is on his career run, and Hirata is a fun addition to the mix rather than just IWGP defenses against the Usual Suspects.

 

John

[Tim Evans]

This was good but wasn't special. Kinda felt like a match you would see main eventing Raw at the moment.

[PeteF3]

I don't know what the hell Hirata did to earn a title shot, but it's nice to see some fresh blood in the mix. Hirata slows the match down because kayfabe-wise it's his only chance of keeping up with Mutoh, but he brings the goods when the pace picks up as well. Good matwork building organically to some hot near-falls. Hirata didn't feel like he had a real chance until he hit that power bomb for a 2.9--that got the crowd going and they popped for the tease of him hitting his Devil Windmill suplex. But Mutoh escapes that and soon has an answer for everything else he tries. Not "special," no, but perfectly fun and a good glimpse at a longtime NJPW midcarder.

[Zenjo]

Not the most dynamic of builds, but it was solid enough on the deck. Obviously Super Strong Machine was never going to win, but he gave the champ a decent enough workout. A good example of a World Title 'B' Match.

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Champion Keiji Mutoh vs Junji Hirata - NJPW 9/25/95

I have definitely never seen a Hirata match and have only seen one or two Super Strong Machine matches. Mutoh is two weeks out from defending against invading Nobuhiko Takada at Tokyo Dome. This is very much wrestled as a tune-up match. 
 

Traditionally New Japan matches open with about 5 minutes of chain wrestling usually similar to NWA style championship wrestling. I thought this was more shoot-oriented to show Mutoh is preparing for Takada’s challenge and get the crowd oriented for that. We see Mutoh trying to work a double wrist lock from a side mount and working an arm bar from full guard. After the classic Mutoh elbow, it is a short arm scissors. There’s a Mutoh dragon leg screw, leg lace, scramble for the ropes. This being Mutoh, the psychology is all over the place. It is a lot of random transitions. He eats a DDT, powders and comes back in and takes over. He still sprinkles in his high spots like the Elbow, Back Handspring, the Frankensteiner and Springboard Dropkick. Hirata gets some headbutts and a German Suplex but after missed Top Rope Headbutt I thought that Mutoh would cruise to victory but they gave him two big near falls a sick sitout powerbomb and top rope Headbutt. A second powerbomb attempt but Misawa-Rama. Springboard Dropkick. Top Rope Mutoh Frankensteiner and Moonsault finishes for the Champ easily. 
 

I didn’t see anything out of Hirata that makes him special. Typical 20th Century Japanese midcarder. Mutoh was on autopilot in this match. ***