I Jump Into the Bed, Tony Halme's There Already Waiting for Me

Tony Halme vs. Shinya Hashimoto  NJPW 9/23/91 - VERY GOOD

ER: This was not as great as their other Different Style Fight that we have (and not many are), and Halme comes into this fight more bloated than I've ever seen him. It had been several months since his last New Japan appearance and he looked bigger than ever but not in a way that would necessarily benefit him. The gifts in this match definitely come the longer this match goes, as it's a round system and so the early parts have a lot of feeling out, getting distance, nobody overshooting in the first few minutes. We establish fairly early that Hash is going to wear him down with leg kicks, absorb some punches to get in close, and take him to the mat to work submissions. Halme is in boxing gloves and the KO blow is his only shot, but it's an impressive shot. Hash keeps at those leg kicks, throwing short shots to the inside of Halme's lead leg, and I love the way Halme sells them and how they start affecting him the longer the match goes. Distance is not his friend. Halme lands a couple of big shots in the 3rd, a nasty hook to the back of Hash's head, and a cool short jab that Hash didn't see coming. That jab might've been my favorite Halme shot of the match. We get a couple great rope break moments, with it not looking like Halme was guaranteed to get to the ropes either time, especially when Hashimoto sinks in a choke. Hashimoto's leg sweeps were a real highlight, each low kick getting a bit more of a reaction from Halme, with Hash putting him down hard with a short leg kick followed by an immediate sweep. When Hash lands that combo a second time he locks in what I thought was the for sure finish, sinking an Americana with Halme's toe barely finding the bottom rope. But that rope break was Halme's last gasp, as Hash comes up throwing high kicks, nails his spin kick, and then spikes Halme with a DDT, rolling his limp body over for the easy armbar finish. Halme wasn't as active in this one as in their prior fights, but it allowed the match to play out in different ways, making it a worthy entry in their feud.


COMPLETE AND ACCURATE TONY HALME