[1992-05-01-NJPW-Explosion Tour] Masashi Aoyagi vs Shiro Koshinaka

[Jetlag]

This actually got **** from Meltzer. This had the kind of bell to bell action you expect from a Meltzer approved match, as there's no feeling out process, it opens with Aoyagi landing a huge punch to the sternum and then pretty much just putting a major ass stomping on Koshinaka. Koshinaka when challenged can bring the asskicking when it counts and he does here, he is probably the only guy who can make a butt attack feel violent, and really dug his desperation sweeping lariats, dropkicks etc. a lot. Match was a lot like Lawler/Mantell as both guys just exchange back and forth and it builds into guys trading punches on their knees, trading punches while standing, one guy throwing punches from his knees and the other kicking him in the face etc. There is some fun stuff built around Koshinaka trying submissions and Aoyagi finding violent ways to fight out of them, and the match has really good pacing. I thought Koshinaka seemed to be no selling Aoyagi a little, but Aoyagi's selling was strong. I'm not sure how much part he played in it but the neck dumping suplexes were spectacular aswell. Great match, Aoyagi rules so much at this kind of nasty streetfight.