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[2000-01-22-ECW-New Orleans, LA] Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Little Guido


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These are probably what I think are the two best ECW workers at this point so I was extremely excited to watch this. The opening action was really good. Basic stuff like Guido with a double leg takedown but he does it with such aggression and authority that it really resonates with the viewer. Even when they go outside this leads to a clever spot where Big Sal goes for a splash and ends up over the railing. One thing I appreciate about this match is Tajiri is a heel and hes not really changing his personality just because he is up against Guido but Guido is so much more of a sleazy character that he gets cheered by default. Guido keeps going for the fujiwara armbar and really cranks it immediately giving himself a chance throughout the match. In closing segment, Sal again gets on the apron and he gets dumped. Tajiri spits at him for good measure. A really great back spin kick from Tajiri leads to the brainbuster and the win. Really good match here. ***1/2

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Tajiri comes across as such a superstar in this. Guido does such a great job putting him over at the ultimate end of nearly every sequence. (Even Big Sal gets in on the fun.) He's wrestling with so much confidence, and all I can think about watching this is all the foreign talent WCW had that theoretically could match or exceed Tajiri in talent and charisma that could never get over like this. Part of that does come down to booking and presentation, yes, but part of it also is Tajiri knowing the audience, knowing how to carry himself and wrestling with so much confidence. Really fun match. ***

 

(I'll also note that this aired on the 1/28 TNN show but appeared to have been slightly clipped, so we went with the fancam version, which comes across better.)

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This match ruled and it's a nice blend of two styles. This really is what ECW should had built around (with Super Crazy) not the endless Justin Credible stuff, but Tajiri as their new star (well with RVD).

 

Tajiri should had been a mega awesome star in America, but sadly it was never meant to be.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It almost feels like Tajiri is the killer heel and Guido is the underdog trying desperately to fend off the unstoppable attack -- except the heel/face roles are reversed. So you have Tajiri killing Guido with shots and Guido grabbing desperation submissions, using the Sicilian Slice and other quick momentum-changers. . . but it only serves to delay the inevitable. Sal gets involved and takes a few fun bumps. Tajiri just oozes charisma here and captures this amazing blend of likability with killer instinct. I have not seen nearly enough Tajiri from this time-frame and cannot wait to see more ECW stuff. Very good match.

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Fun match, hurt a little bit by the way Guido doesn't come off quite on Tajiri's level (although his work is excellent). The dynamic worked better in the tag matches later in the year, I think, where the southern tag formula made Guido and Mamaluke come off better than in singles.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did these guys ever fail to have a good match against one another? This one lacked the extra kick in the pants that might have pushed it to great. But Tajiri was just in total command of what he was doing, from the way he moved around the ring to the way he interacted with Big Sal on the apron.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This was a fun match. I don't have time to watch all the Tajiri matches that were included but he definitely looks like one of the better US based wrestlers thus far. I have picked up on the thigh slapping, though. I can't remember who mentioned that in the thigh slapping thread but once you pick up on it forever dogs you. I was also a bit disheartened to see him reuse the same taunt from the Super Crazy match but those are only small gripes.

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  • 1 month later...

A nice bit of grappling and reversals to open up. Guido escapes out of an attempted powerbomb and those idiots in the crowd chant ‘You Fucked Up!’ thinking they’d botched it. Rude Awakening neckbreaker and Tajiri rolls to the floor. Guido follows him out and whips him into the guard rail. Big Sal runs at him to squash him against the rail, but Tajiri is able to get out the way and Sal goes careering over it and into the front row. Heaven help those poor folk who almost had Sal in their lap! Tajiri drives Guido’s head into the canvas with his knee off the top and he heads outside to try and recover. Sal goes over and tells him to ‘let’s get out of here’, but Tajiri with an Asai moonsault to both. Tajiri tries to suplex him back in the ring, however Guido flips over and grabs him in a waistlock. Tajiri with a back elbow and then the Tarantula. A kick to the head and he starts to mock Guido a la Super Crazy in the Mexican Death match. Guido escapes a brainbuster and reverses it into a Fujiwara armbar. Maritato attempt that Tajiri blocks with a kick to the balls. Full nelson, but Guido is able to free himself and again applies the Fujiwara armbar. Irish Whip and the handspring elbow. Guido with a famouser (leg drop to the back of the head) off the top for a two. He climbs up again but Tajiri shoves him and Guido crotches himself. Tajiri ties him in the ‘tree of woe’ and dropkicks him to the face. Sal is up on the apron complaining to Pee Wee Moore about something and Tajiri dropkicks him sending him tumbling to the floor. They exchange hard slaps, a cracking spinning back kick from Tajiri and a Brainbuster for the win.

 

Good match. I don’t know if it was the fact it was filmed on ‘Fancam’, but it was just slightly missing something for me. Feinstein’s camera work is not the best, although you can see and hear them laying those slaps in. Nothing wrong at all with the work between these two and I like the versatility and different ways Tajiri has to apply the Tarantula.

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  • 6 months later...
  • GSR changed the title to [2000-01-22-ECW-New Orleans, LA] Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Little Guido

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