[1998-05-19-FMW-Neo FMW] Hayabusa vs Masato Tanaka

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I thought this was a great match - the best FMW match of the year so far. Tanaka targets Hayabusa's leg in the early stages before Hayabusa does the same to Tanaka's arm and they start trading bombs. There's no rocket science there, but they executed that formula really well.

[Childs]

I hate to go to such a cliched criticism, but why build the body of a match around limb work and then act as if it never happened? I'm totally fine with early grappling as a contest of skill that slowly escalates into bomb throwing. This wasn't that. Tanaka tried to destroy Hayabusa's leg, then Hayabusa tried to destroy Tanaka's arm (after a nice transition counter). Then they abruptly went into trading big moves and kicking out for 10 minutes. I'm sorry, this sucked as bad as all the other Hayabusa singles matches I've disliked.

[soup23]

I am really conflicted on this one. I didn't think the blowing of the limb work and bomb throwing was as egregious and outrageous as their March match as Hayabusa did get his leg worked over some but not to an extent where I think he should have sold it the whole match. Tanaka not being able to utilitize the Sliding D played into the finish. However, with those positives, there was a lot of diminishing returns as they went through multiple bombs and nearfalls. Match was satisfactory, I just prefer spotfests with juniors and in a multi-man structure for a logic standpoint. Bahu has this as the #2 FMW match of all time which is telling as it was not in my upper FMW matches we have seen from 1998 so far. (***1/4)

[Zenjo]

I liked this enough to watch the whole thing. It's not like I'm tolerant of lengthy matches that aren't above average, so this had things going for it. The main issue was that it was too compartmentalised. Opening, leg work, arm work, big moves to finish. Like ticking a list. The segments being so disconnected took me out of it a little. All the trimmings later on and very 00's. It was so self consciously epic and trying to be a great match. It wasn't.

[Migs]

Yeah, I didn't think this was as good as some of the other FMW matches from this year. Little too self-conscious, and the bombs went on so long that I was a bit numb to it by the end.

[PeteF3]

Another disappointing FMW title match, this one even moreso because I had far more faith in Tanaka than just about anyone else on the roster. This just went way past the point of tedium with all the near-fall, counter, near-fall, repeat sequences at the end. To the point where I totally forgot about the blown-off limb work until Childs mentioned it. I'm about totally over Hayabusa unless he's in with a master-class worker like a Four Pillar.

[TravJ1979]

I enjoyed this, but count me in the group of hating the leg work going nowhere. If he would have briefly sold it leading up to the finish, I'd have let it slide. Still a fun match.

[ohtani's jacket]

#255

I could only find a clipped version of this. It was okay, but not something that really resonated with me. Loss' soft spot for Hayabusa continues to fascinate me, however.

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-300-251/2/

 

#255

 

This match wasn't for me. It seemed like they hit big moves or finishers and just took turns with that for about 15 minutes. Typically, I am not a complainer of excess to the extent of some, but it can deduct from my enjoyment of a match sometimes when it's out of place (or last for a lengthy period). I think this is the most "excess" I've ever seen.