[1991-08-11-NJPW-G1 Climax] Masa Chono vs Shinya Hashimoto

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Not as good as the match two nights before, but still a very good match. They really do a good job of building toward a Hashimoto win in the last few minutes, with victory looking like all but his. So when Chono pulls out a miracle comeback, it's a great moment. Amazing job of getting over the STF. Never let it be said that Hashimoto doesn't go all out when he's doing a job. He's the master of making it count, as Chono now enters the final looking like someone who has gone through war to get there.

[Childs]

I agree that their draw two nights earlier felt bigger and more dramatic. That said, most of the work here was excellent, with Chono mounting a convincing attack on Hash's leg, Hash rallying savagely and Chono finding a way to apply the STF. Hash's selling of the initial leg attack could have been better. But this was a strong trial-by-fire performance from both guys. Chono was hugely and deservedly over by this stage.

[Zenjo]

Unsurprisingly not as strong as the group match but still a fulfilling battle that did a perfect job of setting up the grand finale. They had to hold back a little yet this was still a full length encounter. It was quite different to 2 nights earlier as Chono focused his offence on the leg. Hash came firing back with brutal kicks and the result was in the balance. Chono was able to maintain his plan of attack and just scraped through. It's amazing he had the stamina for the 30m final after the schedule of the last few days. It was the greatest week of his long career.

[PeteF3]

I admit--I'm liking this tournament, I really am. But this stretch of the Yearbook with all these big NJPW matches right after the other has not been the easiest portion of these two Yearbooks to get through. Aside from the Chono/Choshu match that I didn't care for the matches have all been good to fantastic, but with all the Climax action as well as a comparably long lucha title match I was nonetheless thrilled to see Dave Brown and Gene Okerlund and Lex Luger, among others, to provide a break. Throw in some long, horrible hours at work and there have been several days this week where planned Yearbook viewing got axed.

 

That's an incredibly roundabout way of saying that these matches may be bleeding together or the stop-start nature of my viewing may be clouding my judgment, because my first reaction is that Mutoh-Vader's run as the possible New Japan MOTY has run into a brick wall already. I liked this better than that match as well as the earlier draw. Chono comes off as the toughest motherfucker alive, getting kicked to death by Hash but having enough wits to work over Hash's leg to provide the opening when he needs it. Chono's dropkick that takes Hash's leg out is a great way to spur a comeback, and Choshu's earlier submission has made the STF into the deadliest submission in the country--and its legend grows with the finish here.

[Kevin Ridge]

Hash was kicking some ass there and Chono was barely hanging on. A well timed reversal gets Chono the momentum with a kick to the back of the knee. Hash fights off a couple STFs but Chono gets him to submit on third one. Strong win for Chono and a good match.

[soup23]

I enjoyed this a good deal but agree that the draw was better. Chono actually dominated more of the early going than I thought targeting the leg. He really seems to seems like a competitor up against Hash. Then Hash regroups on the outside and slams the mat in frustration and he takes over the match from that point forward. Really nice work by hash but they still were giving Chono snippets of hope. The tap and build to the STF was beautifully done and that move has really been elevated throughout this whole tournament. Really good match and props to hash for working overtime to put it over.

[garretta]

I decided to watch this match before the first one because I wasn't in the mood to see a thirty-plus minute epic. So I watched a nineteen-minute epic instead. Shinya uses his feet to knock Chono loopy, and all Chono can do in response is work on his legs. It doesn't seem to be enough..........until Chono takes out the bad wheel and uses it to help trap Shinya in the STF. Much like the Fujinami-Muto finish, having to apply the STF three times gets Chono over as not only tough as nails, but persistent and undaunted in his goals. Shinya looks good too, because he does everything he can to finish Chono, in fact, knocks him cold at least twice. There's nothing more he could have possibly done that didn't involve a felonious weapon. The crowd goes crazy at the end chanting Chono's name, and thus the Climax final is set.

 

I'm looking forward to watching the earlier draw soon; if it's as good as advertised and as good as this match is, it ought to be a real treat.

[dawho5]

Yeah, the draw was better as far as work. But this had better structure and really puts over Chono big time while not deflating Hash in any way. I wish Hash had sold more of the leg work (that Chono was doing all match) throughout. Chono does such a great job selling his shit I don't mind though. I also loved Chono's dedication to the gameplan. He knew he couldn't get Hash in 30 minutes the way he already tried, and it was risky at best anyways. So hit the leg early and often to set yourself up for the STF. Great match.