[2000-08-13-NJPW-G1 Climax] Jushin Liger & El Samurai & Kendo Kashin vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Koji Kanemoto & Shinjiro Otani

[soup23]

Kanemoto/Otani/Takiawa are barely able to co exist before the match and the masked trio take the opportunity to gain a quick start with dives. Overall, the Otani/Kanemoto dynamic is intriguing in that they can come together for these six mans and tags but are such pricks and competitors that they like testing their meddle against each other too. It is a neat dynamic not emphasized as much as it should be. When the Otani trio works together, they were successful in this match but when they tried to do it on their own, they were taken over. Otani is presented as the weaker member which is an interesting caveat. I think all six men being in a prominent position as the bridge match from the G1 semis to the G1 finals were amped up. Liger looked happy to be back with the juniors and was really dishing it out. Samurai in the middle of the match hits a reverse DDT from the second rope and then a Liger assisted tope onto Kanemoto. Samurai follows that up with a rana but misses the diving headbutt and now Takaiwa and company gain the most substantial advantage in the match working over Samurai. Again Otaini is the one where a hope spot is given against him after he does the face wash kicks. Samurai is able to make the hot tag to Kashin. I have saved thoughts for Kashin to last but I think I’m ready to declare him a good worker which I know goes against any conventional thoughts on him. He may get worse and he certainly is in there with all timers but he is able to add some stuff of his own including some nice punches in this match. Finish has Otani in trouble again with a cross armbreaker from Kashin and samurai hitting a missile dropkick followed by a Liger palm strike for the pin. Very good match with some story elements to look for watching these guys throughout the year. ***1/2 (7.2)

[AstroBoy]

This is solid junior action. Good pairings and exchanges to start before settling into some nice control segments, including a great spot with Liger applying the surfboard and allowing Kashin and Samurai to rake their forearms across the face for good measure. Samurai and Otani stood out to me in a good way, working nice sequences with one another. Samurai really seizes a good moment to bust out the top rope reverse DDT and escalate this into another gear for the finishing run. Really solid match.

 

***1/2