[1978-07-27-NJPW] Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ryuma Go

[superkix]

A slick hold-for-hold junior heavyweight exhibition, with Fujinami showboating on the mat and Go more or less keeping pace. This never really moved past the exposition but it had some cool moments. When Go tries to get out of a toehold via slapping, Fujinami responds by smacking the taste out of his mouth and wrenching the hold even harder. Fujinami continues working over the leg for a bit while Go tries to avoid getting trapped but it doesn’t go anywhere as they shift offensive gears. Fujinami’s offense is swanky, with his double wristlock suplex into the armbar, his sick piledriver, and the German suplex hold to finish off Go. An easy watch and something that wouldn’t look too out of place by today’s standards.

[Jetlag]

This was some ridiculously high end junior action. Not in terms of „moves“, but in how intense and physical this was. They mixed up the pro wrestling moves with tons of nearly shootstyle amateur/catch matwork, so that made the flying headscissors and dropkicks and so on even cooler. Go was damn good for a 22 year old but Fujinami was insane. What a stud that dude was. Even more ridiculous is that people in 1978 already knew about his signature moves (Dragon Screw + Suplex). And this is one of his earliest matches on tape! Talk about popping up right on top of your game.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF Jr Heavyweight Champion Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ryuma Go - NJPW 7/27/78

The only thing makes you 100% sure that this match takes place in 1978 is the ref's pastel green bell bottoms. If you told me this took place in 1998 I would believe you. This feels like the pinnacle of 90s workrate except it is 1978. They even do the headlock-headscissors-pop out-stare off-applause spot. We have been popping for that for over 40 years. There is the Stampede wristlock reversal sequence (though this may be the best version of it because there is a sense of struggle). Did Fujinami work Stampede? Or was it the Stampede guys working New Japan that caused this style to proliferate to America?  What makes this so high end is how much struggle there is. The grappling is so gripping and so compelling. It is fast paced but without feeling loose. I loved Fujinami upping the ante by slapping Go. It gets Go's dander and causes him to make a mistake and Fujinami takes him down with a spinning toehold. Go gets receipts with slaps to a vulnerable Fujinami but Fujinami maintains his toehold I love it. Fujinami has an answer for everything. This feels like the best possible blow out. Fujinami is taking Go down at will or quashing his offense at will. It is a clinic. Fujinami spikes a piledriver but only gets two. Fujinami gets greedy trying to go off the top rope. Fujinami takes a great bump off a flying karate kick. Go's big nearfall is a beautiful German Suplex Bridge but Fujinami is too close to the ropes. Go pours it on with more suplexes but it is Fujinami that finishes him with a German Suplex. Just beautiful intense pure pro wrestling. Fujinami looked world class here, Go was game but Fujinami was on another level. ****1/4

[Mr JMML]

Considering that Four Pillars is doing a Team Taco retrospective I think it would be a bad idea to persist in my Takeshi Ono retrospective so I’m going to do a best of Tatsumi Fujinami instead, I really enjoyed the Megumi Kudo project, doing the same thing with Fujinami sounds even better, a retrospective from his outstanding junior career to his fantastic run as a heavyweight all in NJPW with a few exceptions like his match against Vader in Bremen or against Ray Mendoza in Los Angeles. We have to start at the beginning with his first great series of matches, they were against Ryuma Go, they were short but great showings, as a Dynamite Kid fan (in the ring at least) I appreciate the early days of NJPW’s junior division, I love the match narrative of this one in particular, the limbwork is amazing, many wrestlers should watch this matches and learn from them, the match structure is solid and Fujinami came out of this match as the future of NJPW, this match is a star-making performance.

This match is for Fujinami’s WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship, Ryuma Go is the challenger, the match doesn’t look like a 1978 match it looks like something out of the 90’s, from Fujinami’s masterful work on Ryuma’s left leg, his struggle feels real, then Tatsumi Fujinami hit a piledriver on Ryuma Go for the two count, the nearfalls in this one are very impressive, after that and a double heel hook, they go outside the ring and Tatsumi stayed for a bit, Ryuma Go hit a running powerslam for a two count and the crowd popped with the kickout, Tatsumi Fujinami hit a german suplex with a pin combination for the three count and the win, the leg work in this match was awesome but it didn’t pay off, the finish didn’t have anything to do with that.

I’d recommend this match to everyone who likes the NJPW’s junior division from the 70’s and 80’s. Very innovative wrestling, I hope everyone of his matches are as great as this one. At least the ones I’ll review.