[1991-05-31-NJPW-Heavy Crush] Rick & Scott Steiner vs Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This was much better than the more heralded match than Starrcade in Tokyo, I think primarily because of Rick and Hase, who both looked great. This had all the crazy power spots of the Dome show match, and better structure. That's not to say it doesn't have some problems of its own, but it's better than similar matches the Steiners had that are more famous. I thought it smoked Superbrawl.

[Childs]

This was a straight spotfest but damn, those were some impressive spots. I agree with Loss that it was more impressive than the Steiners' more heralded matches from 3/21 and 5/19. Scott was lucky he didn't kill Hase with his shitty Frankensteiner at the end. Otherwise, everything looked great.

[PeteF3]

Not sure this was better than the Tokyo Dome match but it did have a tad more structure to it, with Hase & Sasaki getting to come off as closer to equals. Rick is still in an unusually giving mood and Scott turns in one of his better individual performances to date. Shitty Frankensteiner aside, this was a hell of a match.

[shoe]

I loved this match. This style is perfect for the Steiners. I think this is their best tag match on the set so far. I'm a huge mark for the ankle pick, and Scotty and Hase were busting out some cool ones.I also dug that low level elbow Scotty used . Rick's and Sasaki were great at inflicting punishment at one another . Hase really was the glue here in this match. The Frankensteiner finish sucked though.

[Kevin Ridge]

Plenty of powerslams in this match including an inverted type one where Rick almost dropped Sasaki on his head. Plenty of highspots that you would expect from these guys. I would have put the Super DDT as the finish. Scott hits the Frankensteiner and does a fist bump before going for the pin. Kind of anticlimactic. Better match than what we got a Superbrawl.

[soup23]

This may be one of my favorite Steiner Matches period. We had some sense of structure and the Steiners were able to hit all their power moves cleanly. I was tremendously entertained. My favorite spot was the superplex, elbow smash combo down by Hase/Sasaki. Hase has had a really strong year overall.

[garretta]

This match was a little better than the one at Starrcasde in Tokyo, but not much. Sasaki and Hase had a few moments early, but even when they were on offense, I didn't get the feeling that the Steiners were in any real trouble. In the end, Hase absorbed a frightful beating, taking several of the Steiners' top-rope power moves almost right in a row, with the Frankensteiner finishing him off for good. The Steiners didn't make him look stupid like I believe they did back in March, but he and Sasaki still didn't seem to be in the invaders' class as a team, and I don't know what New Japan was supposed to gain by having Rick and Scott be quite so dominant. What other teams could they have put together to challenge them if this is the best the promotion had to offer? What other team could have even stood a chance against the almighty Steiners?

 

I've only seen a few Road Warriors' matches from Japan, but as dominant as they were here in the States, they were less so over there; they still had their moments, of course, but their matches were a lot more back-and-forth and competitive. I have them on the All-Japan 80s set fighting (I think) Jumbo and Yatsu, and I was surprised at how much they gave and how good the match was as a result. Rick and Scott haven't learned that lesson, and I'm not sure they ever will. Maybe the natives are afraid that they'll beat up their opponents for real if they're not booked to their taste, or maybe New Japan's teams really aren't as good as they are, and this is the best match we can expect from them. Either way, they've been a disappointment, which is rare for an American worker in Japan. In few cases would I rather see a certain worker in the United States' sports entertainment environment than in the "pure sport" environment of Japan, but the Steiners are one of them.

[dawho5]

Great power spots and all, but aren't Sasaki/Hase supposed to be a big deal or something? Looked to me like a super-extended squash. Ricky was far better than Scott when it came to giving something back. Scott sure killed the hot tag to Hase after they beat down Sasaki for a while.

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers vs Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 5/31/91 Crash The Super Heavy!

 

The Steiners lifted the tag belts off Hase & Sasaki at the Dome in March. This is the rematch. The Steiners are in matching pinstripes, which is unusual for the Steiners. Hase is fired up. Crowd is behind Hase. Inoki is in attendance. Hase and Scotty are always a good pairing. Lots of great amateur sequences early. I love the heel pick ups and counters. Hase ahas the best when he nails an enziguiri sending Scotty out of the ring. Hase misses a dropkick. I love the urgency from Scotty with that quick elbow drop. Big Oklahoma Slam on Hase. He sets Hase on the top rope never give your opponent the high ground. Hase makes him pay. Hase rocks him with a punch. Nasty hotshot by Scott on Hase. This is an electric opening. Scott goes for multiple covers. Nice bridge by Hase. I love bridges. Hase gets a spinning heel kick, but Scott gets a throw tags in Rick. Rick barks at the moon! Sasaki in.

 

Rick Steiner has ONE OF THE BEST German Suplexes you will ever see! Sasaki sells this by teasing a countout loss on the outside. That German deserves all the selling in the world and Sasaki does it justice. Scotty throws Kensuke back in. Sasaki bullies Rick back into Hase's corner and they hit a double clothesline. Good tag strategy especially after eating that German. Hase grinds Rick's arm. Rick breaks free with punches and then a belly to belly. I really don't think Sasaki & Hase can win a bomb throwing game. SASAKI WITH A BULLDOG! Maybe I am wrong. He is going for a tombstone. The old tombstone reversal and Rick DRILLS Kensuke into the mat. Sasaki fires back with some great punches. He is teeing off and Rick does a great job making Kensuke earn the pop and that leads to a bigger pop. Scott comes in before the tag. There is a great scuffle here. Scott is worried about Rick. In the fracas, Rick and Kensuke clothesline each other. Rick tags in Scott. It is a pump handle slam. This had to be Sasaki & Hase's biggest worry a fresh Scotty Steiner. They do the hoist up and elbow drop for two as Hase saves. They have Sasaki firmly in their corner. Things get chippy between Scotty & Hase. Scott bowls Sasaki over with the POUNCE! Period. I liked Monty Brown. Scott applies a Dragon Sleeper. This has been great tag wrestling from Steiners. Really keeping Kensuke in their half. Over head belly to belly. Now it is Rick's turn and it is from the middle rope. Chinlock. I would say that this has been better than Dome due to more zip on the moves and more chippiness. It seems more like a struggle than the Dome. Kensuke gets a superplex and then Hase does his best Beautiful Bobby impression flying into the screen with a diving kneedrop on Scotty. Kensuke applies the Scorpion Deathlock. Bad idea. Should have tagged. Hase wipes out Rick from interfering. Lots of drama as they fight on the floor. Rick breaks free. Kensuke breaks hold to LARIAT RICK! Kensuke re-applies the hold! I love it! Big struggle over the ropes. That was well done. Scotty nails a Tiger Driver. Yep it is the Steiners and I love it! Tag to big brother Rick. Inverted Oklahoma Stampede. Rick drops Kensuke on his head with an inverted suplex. Kensuke responds with his own powerslam. Kensuke needs a tag in the worst way.

 

Double tag! Scotty hits a tilt-a-whirl slam. So much for a Hase hot tag. The crowd has been quenched. Uncle Slam from the top rope. Top rope over head belly to belly. Hase hits an urnage! Northern Lights! 1-2-no! Kensuke dropkick. Hase/Scotty dropkick at the same time. Rick puts Hase on his shoulders Top rope DDT! Sasaki saves! WHAT THE FUCK?!? FRANKENSTEINER! 1-2-3!

 

Some people say that this had better structure. I think I know what you all mean, but it is not the word I would use. I thought this had better energy. Everything had zip on it. Everything felt urgent. The chippiness between teams. The constant flesh on flesh, knockdown drag out fights gave this some extra heat. Definitely one of the better Steiner matches. Some really damn good power spots and I LOVE power wrestling. ****

[superkix]

A Steiners tag means little finesse but lots of discomfort for the opposition. To open, they’ve got Kensuke on the rocks, slamming and suplexing and clobbering away, slanging their meathooks in between fresh tags. When Kensuke’s finally able to turn it around, does he make the hot tag? Hell nah, dude, he puts Scott in the Scorpion Deathlock! And then he gets dropped with a tiger driver and one of Rick’s ugly slams. But when Hase does get that hot tag, oh baby, he runs straight into a tilt-a-whirl slam and a Samoan drop off the top rope. He’s able to deliver a uranage and the Northern Lights suplex hold but Rick breaks it up and it’s all downhill from there, as Scotty hits a Doomsday DDT and botches a frankensteiner for the win.