[1980-02-01-NJPW-New Year Golden Series] Tatsumi Fujinami vs Steve Keirn (2/3 falls)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF Jr Heavyweight Champion Tatsumi Fujinami vs NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Steve Keirn - NJPW 2/1/80

 

Time to see if Fujinami is all he is cracked up to be. This is a double title match as the announcer points out a dozen times. Florida & WWF guys work NJPW so we get to see full head of hair Keirn. I remember loving Keirn vs Saito in Georgia. I thought Keirn was the worker I was more drawn to in this. The opening matwork was fine. There were a couple nice counters I liked Fujinami figure-4'ing the leg of Keirn while he in a toe hold to reverse into his own toehold for instance. Overall, it was not like the best matwork either. I really liked Keirn's reaction to Fujinami getting a one count by powdering and resetting the match. Keirn is tired of being in a Fujinami headlock and backs him in a corner and lays in some stiff shots. Keirn as a vicious prick heel was great. He worked over the midsection with huge kneelifts and a great double stomp. He threw Fujinami into the seats and into the post. He was DQ'd for excessive blows to the head on the apron after he opened up Fujinami. Fujinami got in some nice hope spots and showed some fire, but this was Keirn all the way in the first fall. Fujinami 1-0.

 

Keirn was on fire in this fall. Fujinami may have won the first fall, but Keirn is in command. He clubs away at Fujinami and throws him around at will. Piledriver! Lackadaisical covers by Keirn. He is throwing bombs. Goes for bulldog but slammed into corner. Gets into a firefight with Fujinami who is coming back. Fujinami nails a German Suplex to win the second fall and BOTH titles!

 

Loved Keirn as a heel in this and thought Fujinami was a good babyface. Great once Keirn went full heel. ****

[WingedEagle]

Fujinami & Rick Martel were the two names who benefited most from GWE watching. '80s New Japan was a blind spot for me and coming out of it, hell, even midway through, it was clear he was as good as anything in Baba-land and had he been working in that style rather than Inoki's nonsense (which he overcame better than anyone) would've placed even higher. Just a joy to watch every time out.

[SAMS]

1980-02-01
NJPW
Tatsumi Fujinami vs Steve Keirn
NWA International Junior Heavyweight Title / WWF Junior Heavyweight Title Two Out Of Three Falls Match
Card
★★

I think that both Fujinami’s WWF Light Heavyweight and Keirn’s NWA Junior Heavyweight belts are on the line here. Fought under NWA rules (hence the 2⁄3 falls stipulation)
The first half of the match is basically a write-off. Lots of dull matwork with Keirn mostly “working” the leg. Things only pick up once they get into some standing strikes. 
Fujinami ended up on the floor outside, then we went straight into Keirn working over an existing cut on Fujinami’s forehead, laying in a series of punches while Fujinami was in the ropes. The referee called for the bell and Keirn was DQ'd due to ignoring the ref’s count to break the hold
Fujinami does a solid job at selling the beating Keirn just gave him and he’s got a decent amount of blood pouring from his forehead now. The second fall is Keirn capitalising on his opponent’s weakened condition and going all-out, hitting all the bombs in his arsenal to put Fujinami away. However Fujinami will not be conquered and he pulls out a German Suplex into a pin to snatch the second fall and win the match 2-0. 
Presumably this positions Fujinami as the pre-eminent junior heavyweight in the world, holding both the WWF and NWA versions of the belt? Unless a Lucha or WoS titleholder is able to lay claim to that instead I think it would have to be the case.
This had a good second half but that first half was dull as ditchwater, dragging the whole thing down.

[tcg91]

It's nice to see the Junior Heavyweights main eventing a show, even if it's just a B event. This was solid and good most times, but Keirn controlled the pace with a dull legwork at the beginning and the match was clearly affected by the lack of excitement. There was nothing wrong with his offence or Fujinami's selling, it just never became too good or dramatic. Things got better when Keirn was getting outwrestled and started punching Fujinami to get blood from forehead stitches, causing a disqualification. However, it didn't last long because Fujinami had a quick comeback and won the second fall in a couple of minutes. Seeing a 2/3 falls with a 2-0 result it's also quite fresh, but it's too bad that the match ended when it was getting good
***1/4