[1994-08-03-NJPW-G1 Climax] Keiji Muto vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Solid match, but that's about it.

[Kevin Ridge]

Very mat based for a while before Mutoh hits repeated suplexes. Fujiwara is all over Mutoh's cartwheel elbow and makes him tap out. Take that Mutoh! Two matches in a row from G1 with complete random victories out of nowhere.

[Exposer]

I thought this was pretty good. Muto works Fujiwara on the mat for most of the match and gives him some suplexes. Fujiwara catches Muto on his backflip elbow with his signature armbar for the victory.

[soup23]

Was not as into the mat work in this match. Muto really has lost a lot of luster in my eyes over the years. The finish was awesome with Fuji grabbing the arm and getting the submission.

[PeteF3]

This was okay, when I was half-expecting a train wreck. These two do not match up well at all stylistically but they managed to work through that and put on a solid match. Good teases of the wakigatame before Fujiwara finally applies it in a pretty great finish.

[Zenjo]

Slow paced matwork with Mutoh in economy mode ahead of the frantic schedule. There was a house show kind of vibe to it, despite on paper being a dream match. The finisher was the best part as the wily veteran countered a handspring elbow into the waki. This was as underwhelming an opening day of a G1 as you could not hope to see.