[1997-12-08-NJPW] Jushin Liger & El Samurai vs Koji Kanemoto & Tatsuhito Takaiwa

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Fine match, but no heat and nothing really special about this. It was given time and I was hoping for a hidden gem in the feud. The moments where Liger shows his wonderful sarcasm are always great, but there isn't a whole lot to this other than that.

[Ditch]

Why was this on the set?

[Loss]

You were the one who said in the 1997 Recommendations thread that we should ignore AJ gems and focus on matches from this feud that haven't been talked up!

[Loss]

Post:

 

I think the '97 yearbook would be better served by paying attention to the Liger & Co vs Ohtani & Co feud, as opposed to sifting through AJ Samurai eps for three star matches.

[Ditch]

Yeah but I also gave specific recommendations (didn't I?)

[Loss]

Yes, and we included those, but you also suggested including others that may not have been talked up as much. At least that was my understanding.

[Ditch]

My apologies then.

[Loss]

No need to apologize, but just to confirm for 1998 and 1999, should we keep our eyes open for hidden gem Liger tags?

[Ditch]

I haven't gone as in-depth on those years. Still have a ton of '98-'99 DVDs to watch.

[Kevin Ridge]

This was just average. I do like Liger’s flexing taunt. Crowd loves Takaiwa’s multiple powerbombs combo. I worry what to expect from the major Japan feds on later yearbooks.

[soup23]

I am probably the high vote on this as I enjoyed it a good deal for the 13 minutes it lasted. Liger especially seemed in a more goofy but dickish move thrusting and flicking over Taikawa on the apron. Samurai predictably takes a beating from mainly Kanemoto and they are able to put him away with a moonsault.

[PeteF3]

I enjoyed seeing both teams invent new ways to put opponents in holds so their partner could level them with dropkicks, and Liger's general dickishness. After Takaiwa & Kanemoto get absolutely brutalized for 10 minutes in near-squash fashion I thought their comeback and victory came a little too easily, though on the other hand it's hard to argue with Samurai not being able to continue after taking three power bombs and a moonsault. Enjoyable but ultimately inconsequential.

[Zenjo]

A poor match. There were a few occasions when the move damage levels and selling were way off base. Some incorrect move selections as well. From a general perspective there were a couple of trends in the Junior division from this time period I'm not a fan of. Firstly the increased strike orientation made the style less aesthetically pleasing. Secondly the niggley rivalry psychology was being overdone. It made the Juniors less fun.