Superstar Sleeze Posted June 28, 2023 Report Share Posted June 28, 2023 AJPW Triple Crown Champion Keiji Muto vs Tatsumi Fujinami - NJPW 12/11/01 This is the type of match that is so underrated. It is that mid-tempo rocker that you can just vibe and cruise too. It is never gonna be a banger or a 5-star classic, but it so damn satisfying and you can just cruise with the match. It is a lost art to have a match this simple but so appetizing. Terrific mirror match between these two. If Hashimoto is the heir to Choshu, I always felt there was a connection between Fujinami and Muto. Both a little undersized and aerial. Fujinami obviously a much better technical wrestler and Muto had more theatrics. I really love their 1991 match where Muto was in the Great Muta role. Feels like perfect 90s New Japan match. I love how they organically build from the typical New Japan amateur wrestling into such a rousing finish run. It is cool how they just take what the match gives them rather ham-fisting highspots. Muto gets the power driver elbow. He was looking for the Back Handspring Elbow and Fujinami goes for a choke. Muto breaks free and goes to his 2001 formula. He executes a Dragon Leg Screw on the Dragon. Fujinami brutha I invented that game. Hits the Dragon Leg Screw back and Figure-4s Muto (Muto screaming fuck three times helps a lot). It was brilliant. I was hooked. The rest of the match is a terrific showcase of how to do a symmetrical match (read lots of mirrored leg work). Muto keeps trying to play Fujinami's game working the leg (dropkicks to the knee, Dragon Leg Screw) but it backfires on him (he goes for figure-4, but Fujinami counters beautifully into a leglock). Fujinami is wrestling a brilliant defensive match. He throws in a Kappou Kick after a dropkick to the knee and that seems to help. Then a dropkick to the knee from the middle rope, but he leaves his feet one too many times and Fujinami throws him off with a DRAGON LEG SCREW! Fujinami hit a top rope kneedrop! Fujinami back to the figure-4! MUTO FRANKENSTEINER OUT OF NOWHERE! Shining Wizard Blocked! FUJINAMI SHINING WIZARD! CROWD AND I LOSE OUR COLLECTIVE MINDS! Fujinami goes back up top...TOP ROPE SHINING WIZARD BY MUTO! Muto hits a barrage of Shining Wizards to win! Terrific Lo-Fi match! That builds out of their chain wrestling into dueling leg work and then finally into the insane Shining Wizard barrage! Love it! **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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