Yoshiaki Fujiwara Comes Around the Bend

Yoshiaki Fujiwara v. Yusuke Fuke PWFG 2/24/92 - EPIC

TKG: WOW. Ok this here is the match. Fujiwara goes with an early kick to the shin that just takes Fuke down in the first moments. Fuke clutches his ankle. Fujiwara makes a couple attempts at throws with Fuke reversing to the mat, and here you have this match all about Fuke being a guy with multiple cool ways to sprawl for stuff on the ground. When they stand back up Fujiwara is going to go right back at the ankle. Just a ton of different things going on in this. Fujiwara is caught in a triangle that has to be broken because they''re in the ropes... but post triangle Fujiwara just sells grogginess that leaves him open for one thing after another. This match just rules.

PAS: This was really great, and may have been the best Fujiwara, Fujiwara-Gumi match. The matwork was super here, as both guys were breaking out multiple counters to counters. My favorite is when Fuke was attempting a Boston Crab, Fujiwara tries to break out his signature crab counter, and Fuke counters it, then he tries it again and Fuke goes right for a cross armbreaker. I also loved all the fighting for holds, Fujiwara was going for the ankle and Fuke is just laying in bodyshots and headbutts, but Fujiwara refuses to let go. The shots to the knee were brutal, and I loved Fujiwara's viciousness.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara/Shinya Hashimoto v. Steve Corino/C.W. Anderson Zero-One 4/29/02 - SKIPPABLE

Lots of horseshit in and around this match, you have Corino and Anderson mostly stooging and goofing around and most of the match was based around Mr. Fred as the heel ref. Hashimoto laid in a nasty beating, and I always dig Fujiwara doing comedy, but I can imagine this would have been pretty good in a straight match, and this wasn't that.

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