If Shinya Hashimoto Plays With Love it Can Bring Tears My Dear

Shinya Hashimoto vs. The Great Oz NJPW 5/17/92 - GREAT

ER: Hash is one of those guys I love so much, that I love seeing him against weird opponents as much or more than seeing him in legendary matches with legendary performers. Funk, Lawler, Hansen, they all have legendary feuds and opponents, but I love seeing those guys opposite weird guys. Hashimoto vs. early career Kevin Nash is weird, and I am here for it. Nash is a guy who got a bad rap from the Scott Keiths of the world, but time has been kind to him. Here he's raw and, well, green [*reminder to come up with funnier Oz joke before posting*], but brings big presence and an early career willingness to try new things. It's fun to see early career offense that gets abandoned, and the Great Oz of 1992 does a couple things that were already distant memories by the time 1993 Diesel rolled around. You get great stuff like two burly guys slamming into each other with shoulderblocks, but I also loved how Oz didn't let himself get picked apart too much by Hash. Oz obviously had size over him, but Hash was remarkably fast (look how quickly he gets to his feet or rolls to the floor) and hit harder. I've seen a lot of Green Giants get eaten alive on Japan tours, suddenly finding themselves in a place where they don't speak the language opposite a guy who smells blood, and they can wind up looking like real doofuses. Here, when Hash throws some hard chops and kicks, Oz responds with possibly the only high kick of his career. Not a big boot mind you, but Oz throws a sweeping high right kick to the left side of Hashimoto's head, total K-1 legend. We get great leaping elbow drops from both men, Oz breaks out a weird bulldog (not traditional style, done more like the way Kelly Kelly would do a bulldog, which is weird to see from a 7' guy), and I loved the double DDT finish. Hashimoto spikes DDTs like few, and the nearfall off the first DDT was a gem, didn't think Oz would kick out of that one. He does not kick out of the one that follows.


Shinya Hashimoto vs. Hubert Numrich NJPW 11/2/97 - FUN

Numrich is a German K1 guy and this was a mixed fight. Hashimoto is my favorite guy to watch in these kind of matches, as he can usually find something interesting to do with a big MMA lug. Numrich was no Gary Goodrich or Tony Halme though, he was really obviously pulling his shots, and it was tough for Hashimoto to go down to pitter pats. I did really like the nasty Judo throw into the stiff side headlock for the tap, but that barely kept it out of Skippable territory for me.


COMPLETE AND ACCURATE SHINYA HASHIMOTO