SEGUNDA CAIDA DECLARES WAR!! NJPW 3/23/93

PAS: Here is so more of the New Japan section of the all time great WAR v. NJ feud.

Shinya Hashimoto v. Kodo Fuyuki

PAS: Not a lot happens in this match, but these are two guys who are such masters at working a crowd, and who deliver such violence when they land, that I don't need a ton of things to happen. Fuyuki is such a hateable prick, he just has this look on his face that you desperately want to wipe off. They start out rolling around a bit and go into the ropes, Fuyuki takes his sweet time unraveling his legs and Hashimoto responds by straight kicking him in the chest, and it is on. Fuyuki gets some big shots of his own including bloodying Hash's nose, but it mostly Fuyuki absorbing a righteous ass kicking, including a bunch of those classic Hashimoto wheel kicks which sound like a firefighter breaking down a steel door with a sledgehammer. Finish has Hash dump Fuyuki on his head a bunch of times, pin him, then go to DDT him again. This starts a WAR v. NJ brawl which Hash just sits back and watches like a king on his throne. Such a great piece of wrestling theatre.

ER: Man, the looks these two men give each other throughout this fight are more terrifying than most things I've seen. Two giant, rigid, angry dudes both representing a side they believe in is a scary thing, and here it's exactly what you want to watch. Nobody has been able to replace the Hash shaped hole in my heart, and watching him is still an exercise in watching perfect wrestling. Fuyuki is meaty and surly and goads Hash by almost taking things not seriously. Both men have almost have an air about them, with neither wanting to show what this match means to them, but you can see how much it matters as things ramp up and lead to the inevitable postmatch windbreaker suit squall. I dug the mat stuff with Hash crucifying an arm while looking for an opening, going for a crossface, twisting a leg, any sort of advantage. The whole time Fuyuki is acting like he couldn't be bothered and Hash is the first to flinch and react, and from there we get the fight, with both man battering the other in the face (and Hash getting a bloody nose), both doing cool spinkick variations (loved Fuyuki's standing spinkick, like a Booker T kick that actually lands on the chin) and of course you already knew the gorgeous Hash kicks. Crowd gets in a lather when Hash punts Fuyuki in the chin and stomps his throat and it's only a matter of time before Hash plants him with a couple of DDTs for the end. After is perfect as Hash aims to hit another and then the windbreakers charge in, Hash standing in the center of the madness, purposely getting his hand raised while standing over Fuyuki.

Genichiro Tenryu/Takashi Ishikawa v. Tatsumi Fujinami/Riki Choshu

PAS: Sort of a RAW sprint which builds up to the bigger PPV tag matches in this feud, but a hell of sprint. Big moment for my main man Takashi Ishikawa, as he is the face in peril fighting against the pair of NJ legends, and then gets some huge moments including pinning Fujinami after a decapitating lariat, it takes balls to throw out a lariat that nasty with Choshu opposite you, but he made it work. Tenryu was more of a bit player in this, but he was pretty great, cutting off Fujinami's tope with a huge jumping kick to the face, getting in Choshu's grill, and doing some of his patented kick you in your eye submission and pin breaks. Finish of the match was pretty electric, it almost felt the end of a WWE Shield six man, with big move after big move and great saves. Heck of way to spend 13 minutes

ER: Heck yeah it was a great way to spend 13 minutes. This match might be the most I've ever enjoyed Fujinami. That is not an insult to Fujinami. Obviously he's been a part of some classic matches, but he's always felt like a guy that other people love more than I do. Here he's this emotional aggressive ballsy asskicker. His clubbing forearms stand out as especially brutal in a match filled with guys who always hit hard. The way he flies after Tenryu was nasty and Tenryu has some incredible facials, like a guy who was not at all expecting to get steamrolled. I loved Tenryu finally getting the upper hand and immediately going for those cocky Tenryu condescending toe kicks to the face, and Fujinami catches one and whips him into a nasty dragon screw. Chosyu/Tenryu is one of the greatest all time match-ups and here they just man into each other. Tenryu's chops look like the most violent possible thing and Chosyu somehow barely flinches as he takes them to the throat. Chosyu does the all time greatest Scorpion Deathlock here on Tenryu as he somehow makes it look like a violent, quickly applied shoot submission; something I didn't ever think possible with that sub. The staredown as Chosyu is fighting Tenryu to put it on, Ishikawa leaning into the ropes waiting to break it up, and Fujinami climbing the top rope waiting to stop Ishikawa is pro fucking wrestling. All four men look great and all the builds to saves and false finishes is awesome. Phil mentions Tenryu's enziguiri to cut off a Fujinami tope and damn if it isn't just flawless. Nobody sees it coming (least of all Fujinami) and it's just a perfect out of nowhere cut off spot. At one point towards the end of the match Tenryu and Chosyu lock up in a corner while Fujinami locks a dragon sleeper on Ishikawa, and  you instantly think you know the finish....except you don't. Awesome match.