A Friend Loves at All Times Yoshiaki Fujiwara is Born for a Time of Adversity

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Sgt. Slaughter NJPW 5/8/81 - FUN

This is the second earliest Fujiwara match we have on tape and is a fun look at Fujiwara as a young boy (although he still looks 45). This is basically a squash, with Fujiwara getting very little offense in. Slaughter looks like a killer, nasty short punches to the temple, a huge top rope knee drop right to Fujiwara's gut (almost felt like he should have done the Invader 3 pigs blood and vodka move.) I did like how Fujiwara kept pressing the action even as he was getting smashed, but this was more of a window into the past, then a great match. Although I imagine four or so years later it would have been killer.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Minoru Suzuki BML 3/22/06 - EPIC

These two had some great matches a decade earlier in PWFG and it is really fun to watch them match up again with Suzuki as a grizzled veteran rather then a brash rookie. Opening is great with Fujiwara immediately catching a Suzuki shot with his leg grab Fujiwara armbar. The story of the match was Suzuki being arrogant, and paying for it. Suzuki sticks his tongue out at Fujiwara and Fujiwara sneak headbutts him. Suzuki smirks and Fujiwara smacks him. Finish was really exciting with Fujiwara hitting two great counters, countering Suzuki's sleeper into a Fujiwara armbar, and countering his piledriver into a second armbar, before Suzuki is able to grab an armbar of his own for the tap. Just excellent high level grappling, and it really makes me wish these guys didn't go a decade between matches.

FUJIWARA COMPLETE AND ACCURATE