[1993-12-03-NJPW] Shinya Hashimoto vs Michiyoshi Ohara

[KB8]

Well, it's official. Michiyoshi Ohara has more great matches in 1993 than Bret Hart. This isn't New Japan v WAR, but it IS New Japan v Heisei Ishingun, which seems to make things only slightly less nuclear. Ohara had been teaming here and there with Hashimoto throughout the year, usually against the WAR invaders, and usually he got stomped into the floor by Tenryu as Hashimoto would come to his aid. But now Ohara's thrown his lot in with Koshinaka and his HI brethren and thus turned his back on Hashimoto. Maybe Hash wanted to give Ohara a chance to see the light early on because the first few minutes were pretty tentative. Well, maybe not tentative. Hashimoto's not necessarily someone I'd think of as a GREAT mat worker, but all of his matwork does tend to feel gritty and contested. He rarely goes through the motions so there's always an edge to it, and this had an edge to it. Then Ohara slapped him and that was that. Hash breaking his skull open in response with a headbutt and two closed fist punches was nuts. Our person with the handheld cam was directly behind Ohara when it happened, and as soon as he turned around after the headbutt the blood was trickling. Hash pretty much mauled him for the remainder while Ohara did what he was apparently really good at and that's try in vain to not get slaughtered. Some of the kicks Hash threw were ungodly, a few that would've sent a lesser man's lungs through the sky roof, others that landed right under the jaw and nose. The spin kicks, the overhand chops, the regular chops. Why would you ever want to step to this guy? The last DDT was sickening and who knows how Ohara never got carted out of there on a fork lift. That he just waited for Ohara to stand back up before casually choking him out was such a great finish. Come at the king you best not miss.
 

[Jetlag]

Hashimoto is the IWGP champion. Ohara is about the lowest ranked guy in Heisei Ishingun. There is some cautious grappling early on which works surprisingly well, but we all know what is in store for young Ohara... he slaps Hashimoto, and about 30 seconds later he is bleeding and getting punched in the face. It won't shock you to hear that Hashimoto was just a vicious beast here, pummeling Ohara on the ground before trying to rip his arm out, braining a bloody Ohara with massive kicks and DDTs... this kind of match is all about what the outmatched lower ranked guy brings to the table, and Ohara does fine. He is able to power out of a DDT in an impressive spot and gets some good shots in and overall is able to just not get destroyed in the span of 2 minutes so this is a little more than a mere squash. Last DDT was just disgusting.