[1995-05-19-PWFG] Minoru Tanaka vs TAKA Michinoku

[superkix]

This is my kind of junior heavyweight wrestling. It’s heated right out of the gate as Minoru immediately starts slapping at TAKA, and then they scramble fiercely around the mat, fighting over a leglock, getting pissy in front mounts with their strikes, including some well-placed palm thrusts from Minoru. Minoru delivers an awesome shoot package Gotch-style piledriver…I don’t even know how else to describe it…then transitions into the single leg. He may be without his glorious locks here but Minoru’s still swanky as all get out, with his smooth leg-trap counter into the kneebar. He’s either taking TAKA to the bottom rope or he’s stuffing him with kicks. They trade suplexes (love TAKA’s snap belly-to-belly) but when TAKA tries for the German, Minoru answers with the wakigatame takedown and when that doesn’t do the trick, he just stomps the back of TAKA's head. Loved this.