[1990-11-01-NJPW-Dream Tour] Jushin Liger vs Pegasus Kid

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Very good spotfest. The match feels too similar to the August effort overall, but I do give them credit for upping their game on highspots. I doubt I'll remember anything about this, but it is something that like the August match I think could have gotten over really well in the U.S. at the time. Liger regains the title.

[PeteF3]

Much more highspot-oriented than the August match, as they go almost immediately to the dives and only use matwork as sort of a comedown period. Benoit tries the diving legdrop that won him the title again, but misses and gets shooting star pressed to drop the title. About as crisp of a spotfest as you'll ever see with a better ending, at least, than the August title change. Liger shows himself to be a master of waiting until the last second to kick out, turning a few routine rollup spots into hot near-falls.

[soup23]

Real good, crisp spotfest. I enjoyed the August match more because of the wrestling in the beginning and overall story but as a go, go, go match, this was done well and we see Liger busting out the shooting star press again.

[Childs]

I liked this better than the August match because they didn't go through the motions with a bunch of opening matwork. The soul of this particular rivalry was "Look at what we can do!" not "Watch us fight!" And in that spirit they really hit their shit. I also liked Liger's feisty little flurries of palm strikes, which he used to stave off Benoit a few times. Not my favorite type of wrestling at the moment, but very well done.

[Kevin Ridge]

Good match with them busting out the moves. Benoit misses the flying leg drop. Liger does not miss the shooting star splash. Think I preferred their previous match slightly over this one.

[Zenjo]

Got off to a good start and remained bright n' breezy. Benoit was improved from August and Liger was on his game. I was expecting a back and forth stretch but they went for a short and logical quick finish. It surprised me and worked well. Good contest.

[garretta]

The dives in this match were well-executed, and I liked the intricate submission work that Benoit busted out, though he didn't keep any of the holds on for too long. Liger brought just enough hatred to add a little heat to the proceedings with his rapid-fire slaps and occasional taunting when he had the advantage, and the pop when he regained the belt was huge. It's been good to see matches between guys like these that I've only heard about and never seen over any length of time.

[drew wardlaw]

Not sure where I stand on this match compared to the August match. Either way, Liger has had a strong year, and NJPW has had a solid year. Outside of the Liger/Sano match, I'm not remembering too much more super high end stuff, but I like the idea of a promotion just being steady.

[dawho5]

Good match, but even a well-executed spotfest is going to rank pretty low for me. For what it was, there in't going to be a much better match out there.

[ClassicsPuro1983]

This Liger vs. Pegasus is an exceptional and explosive sprint. Probably the best offensive match the junior division produced in 1990, delivering an exceptional mix of brutal power with big suplexes off the ropes and spectacular flying, capped by Liger's  breathtaking shooting star press. It was some of the greatest work of the year, but they didn't really develop any story, so as impressive as it was it seemed a bit empty compared to the last Liger/Sano match. Liger capture his third IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. (****1/2)