Loss Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Talk about it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 This Fujinami performance feels like something is missing, like he's filling a role anyone competent could have filled. Vader feels like the more interesting wrestler. I wouldn't say he's carrying this match, but he is definitely the one making it something special. 90s Fujinami hasn't been terribly impressive on yearbooks so far, not that there's been a ton of it or anything. But I think he was just past his peak, and he didn't have Vader's charisma. I enjoyed this match a lot, but I enjoyed it because of Vader. He really got the crowd into this match in a big way and let Fujinami punch him in the eye until he started bleeding. The crowd really bought the nearfalls and seemed a little deflated when Vader won. Very good match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditch Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Fujinami suffered a really bad back injury that, I think, broke his spirit (and his athleticism). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Yep, after the injury Fuji was never the same. He's basically done after 1989. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Done is too strong a word, but he was certainly diminished. He cranked it up pretty well for some of the WAR matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 He also was just coming back at that point. He was out from I think July 1989 through Sep/Oct 1990. I don't think he had a lot of matches under his belt, and was still figuring out how he's have to work with the physical limitations. It's pro wrestling, so we'll probably never know the full truth of how bad the injury was similar to say an injury in MLB. But any injury that keeps a Japanese wrestler out for more than a year... that's something massively bad. One thing that I always thought was kind of interesting/cool is the complete transition Choshu made as a booker. I think I've mentioned before that there was a note in the WON in the middle of the 80s, either in the middle of his run in AJPW or just after his jump back to NJPW, where Dave tossed out something to the effect that Choshu was the least liked / most selfish man in Japanese wrestling. Just "hated". Think about happened since: * Choshu got on the Board and some shares for returning * Inoki and Fujinami had their war over control of New Japan * Choshu sat that out rather than picked sides * Inoki "won" * Fujinami did his own thing with the IWGP Title (i.e. trip to the US) * the belt was gently lifted from Fujinami for the Dome show Around this time, Choshu got an increasing amount of the book... * he personally put over Hash in the IWGP tourney at the Dome * he treated Fujinami gently in the tourney (losing to eventual winner Vader) * humored the fuck out of Inoki with the Russian stuff * let Vader have the long run with the title rather than take it himself * once he finally got the belt off Vader, it was Choshu who personally put over his old, out of power, physically weakened old rival Fujinami And... * set up Fujinami to be the one facing Flair at the 1991 Dome show for the NWA Title Selfish ego out the door, and instead putting over the top gaijin (Vader), his personal choice for the next generation (Hash), and his rival (Fujinami). Quite a contrast from the olden days. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 The early parts really didn't do anything for me. Though when Vader started bleeding from the eye it turned the match for me. Seeing Fujinami keep on punching Vader in the eye was great. It added a lot to the match. It was a match that really wasn't going anywhere, but the last 7 to 8 minutes really turned it around into a good bout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 This was a level down from their best matches on the '80s set but still plenty good. I agree that Vader was the guy who made it go, from the early asskicking he delivered to the blood. Fujinami at least delivered the requisite fire in going after Vader's cut. These guys had really good long-term chemistry, delivering strong matches when Vader was still quite green and after Fujinami had begun his fade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 This was rocking to. Basic start that takes a severe turn into awesome with the eye work. The kicks and punches to the eye were nasty and made Vader look like a huge bad ass when he won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Fujinami seems like he's aged quite a bit since we last saw him at the end of '89, and he's clearly not back in prime shape yet. Fujinami clearly isn't on the level of his '80s best but this is a pretty good fight that fits in well thematically with the Texas stuff we've just been watching. Vader gets a cut in the eye again but manages to come back with a lariat and splash to win the IWGP Heavyweight title. I can get on board with Fujinami maniacally throwing punches at a cut if he can't do the chain wrestling and dives he used to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Ridge Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Vader changed his mask but takes it off before match anyways. There is a super Fujinami fan in white jacket who goes crazy for every move Fujinami does. Wrestlers like going after Vader’s eye. A doctor comes in to check the eye but Vader kicks him away. Poor doctor got launched. Worked to his advantage as he is able to win the match. I was buying the splash more as the finish then the clothesline. I don’t know if that is an established finish for Vader in Japan though. I'm going through 80's New Japan set at this time and Fujinami does seem to not be the same physically at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted May 7, 2013 Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Really gritty match. I thought Fuji performance was a tad better on second watch but Vader still does so well here in toeing the line between being a monster and vulnerable vs. a big star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenjo Posted May 8, 2013 Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 90's Fujinami was a pale shadow of 80's Fujinami. Unfortunately he still got pushed as a main eventer for much of the decade and produced some real snoozefests. He did have occasional good matches though, mainly due to his opponents. This was one of them. Despite the size differential Doragon went toe to toe with Vader at times. What made the match was Vader blading right above his eye and playing off the injury angle from the 2 1990 Choshu matches. It made the monster look vulnerable, but it wasn't quite enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garretta Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 This one wasn't too bad. Fujinami knows he's an underdog going in, so he tries to even things up the only way he knows how: by attacking Vader's bad eye. I have to give Vader credit for guts in allowing guys to bust him open anywhere near that injury; one slip the wrong way and not only is his career over, but he's blind for life to boot. Not too many guys would take that chance with a legit injury, especially one as horrible as that. Speaking of guts, if Fujinami's back was still giving him trouble, hiptossing a four hundred pound man took a lot of them too. In fact, he deserves just as much credit for allowing Vader to work his back as Vader gets for allowing Fujinami to bust his eye open. Most guys in the States would never allow opponents to come near real injuries, and if they did, either the injured party would never work with them again or the promotion would fire them. They're a different breed over in Japan, that's for sure. After a win like this, you'd think that WCW would have wanted Vader to wrestle Flair on that big Japanese card coming up in March, especially since WCW fans were at least somewhat familiar with Vader by now. In an earlier post, John made it sound like Fujinami's time in WCW was almost something he booked himself, with the permission of Choshu (the head booker). Do I have this right? It's not making much sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKWebb Posted May 2, 2017 Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 I don't know, I loved how scrappy Fujinami was in this. Maybe he wasn't the man from the 80's, but he still put on a damn good show with lots of effort. Yeah, Vader was great, but I think Fujinami delivered as well. I really enjoyed this match. As others mentioned, when the eye gets busted it hits the next level. Also, I agree with garretta's points that it took a lot of guts from both guys to work it in that fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted October 1, 2017 Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 Fujinami brought the fire late. I thought early on Vader was a little too giving with the Fujinami slaps. Mostly well-executed if not overly inspiring up until Vader's eye started bleeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactus Posted April 12, 2020 Report Share Posted April 12, 2020 This has a nuclear hot crowd, but the action can't live up to the crowd response. Fujinami floors Vader with a series of slaps and roof of the building feels like it's about to come off. Fujinmai shows a lot of fire despite a horrific back injury drastically slowing down his performance. After being bloodied, Vader just manages to get the win after hitting a lariat and collapsing onto Fujinami, putting over both wrestlers. Not as good as you'd expect out of these two, but still enjoyable. ★★★ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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