Shinya Hashimoto is the Prettiest Thing I've Seen, But He Treats Me So Doggone Mean

Shogun/Samurai/PY Chu Hi vs. Jed Grundy/Brian Lee/Jim McPherson CWA 3/4/89 - FUN

PAS: Since it's a SC project we have to open up with something a little goofy. This has Hash managed by Tojo Yammamoto in Memphis teaming up with Phil Hickerson in yellow face and guy who instead of returning to New Japan stayed in Tennessee and opened a restaurant. They are teaming agains Jungle Jim McPhearson a black guy in loincloth with one nice dropkick and a couple of bad ones, Jed Grundy who is one of your lesser known 80s hillbilly gimmicks and a bleached blond blowjob babyface Brian Lee. Match is a classic Memphis TV expiration of time main event. Babyfaces bump around the heels a bit until Tojo clips Brian Lee with the Kendo stick. Then Hickerson and Hashimoto do a pretty nice job of banging on Lee's knee, including a nasty full weight Hashimoto smash on the ropes. Hot tag and ref distraction leads to Hashimoto smacking Jungle Jim with a spin kick for the finish. I really wish we had arena Shogun and Samurai matches because they are fun team.

ER: I love Memphis. Here you have Shinya Hashimoto - one month away from having an all time great match with Victor Zangiev - stooging around for Mike Shaw as a hillbilly and Brian Lee at his most Danny Spivey. But Shogun/Samurai are a simple, quality team, and I actually like Hickerson as PY, liked the low kicks to Lee's knee. Grundy disappears most of the match and McPherson pretty much does a leapfrog and three dropkicks (almost dumping himself on his head on the first one). Hashimoto takes a great bump into the corner, like a chubby guy Psicosis bump, hitting the top buckle with his butt while his legs were higher than the ropes, flipping himself over. The spinkick finish was big, and I loved the heels putting the boots to the faces post-match, and I love the sight of the heels fleeing when Tracy Smothers and John Paul storm the ring. This whole thing was pretty inconsequential, but I love this kind of stuff.

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Rick Rude NJPW 8/10/92 - GREAT

PAS: This was a G1 climax match and a fun chance to see Hashimoto work a Rick Rude match during the peak of Rude's powers. Early on Rude takes a big back drop and does his great clenched ass cheek sell. Hashimoto works over Rudes back with some spine kicks and backbreakers, which Rude sells awesomely. Rude fights back and actually bloodies Hashimoto's nose with a knee lift. Finish run was pretty great with Rude getting plastered with a DDT, but he gets his foot on the bottom rope. We get a Madusa ref distraction which lets Rude catch Hashimoto on the top rope and absolutely spike Hash with a top rope DDT, he then hits a big top rope knee for pin. Really neat to see Rude throw his big bombs and Hash throw big chops and kicks. Really nice chemistry between two guys matching up for the first time

ER: This is neat and kind of weird, as it's worked like a Rude WWF match, but he never had an opponent quite like Hashimoto to work off. I was expecting Rude adapting to a Hash match, but this felt more like a match called by Rude with Hash along for the ride. And Hash is a good guy to have along for a ride. Rude always took the best backdrops, and I think it's consensus opinion among wrestling fans that his buckled knees clenched cheeks atomic drop sell is the best in wrestling history.  Here he puts that selling style to good use selling his lower back while Hash kicks it, plants him with backbreakers, and drops knees on it. Rude transitions back to offense when Hash misses a huge spinkick in the corner, and it looks great with Rude ducking at the last minute and Hash bouncing off the buckles right above him. It's odd seeing Hash working American spots in Japan, like getting the boots up when Rude comes off the buckles, but Rude's back selling is convincing throughout. It really looks like Hash muscles a dead weight opponent over on a back suplex, and we get a great false finish when Rude gets his leg draped over the ropes at the last minute after a Hash spike DDT. The finish has probably the two wildest parts of the match, with Hashimoto taking a DDT off the top, which is a crazy spot for anyone, like taking a superplex but instead deciding to just drop straight down on your head. Insanity. And I always love Rude's top rope kneedrop. He always gets such great height and distance, it always looks majestic.


COMPLETE & ACCURATE SHINYA HASHIMOTO