G-1 CLIMAX 1996 - Part 2

The first part was awesome, and the goodness is only going to continue.

Masahiro Chono . . . puts in another good showing with Keiji Mutoh.

Satoshi Kojima . . .finally gets on the scoreboard.

Riki Chosyu . . . goes all the way to the finals.

SATOSHI KOJIMA vs. KAZUO YAMAZAKI (2)

On the surface, this looks a lot like Tenzan vs. Hashimoto in terms of strategy and story. But when one looks further into it, it’s quite clear which one of them is the better match. Like Tenzan, with Hashimoto’s knee, Kojima has an easy avenue to get the win, by exploiting an injury. Unlike Tenzan, and unlike Koshinaka did in his match with Yamazaki. Kojima doesn’t use the injury as a simple tool to help obtain victory. He keeps on the hand injury as though it’s his only method of offense. Koshinaka used it as a way to keep Yamazaki at bay and to use his own offense, Tenzan was using his flying headbutt on Hashimoto’s knee to both get the win, as well as work the knee over. Kojima stomping the hand, biting the hand, and slamming it into the guardrail serves no such purpose. Even a simple arm bar, with pressure applied to the hand would have done something useful in terms of helping Kojima win.

Even a good eight and a half years before he finally “made it” as a singles wrestler when he won the Triple Crown, Kojima still has the issue of repetitive offense with the lariat. Had he done some other stuff in order to make the lariat more effective, it would have been one thing. But the lariat isn’t going to affect the injured hand, and Kojima is using his big move, without doing any proper work to wear him down. Kojima figures this out too late in the match, and when he starts dishing out a backdrop and powerbomb, it’s not enough because he still hasn’t worn him down properly. He’s done a great job of hurting his hand, and nothing else. Another recurring theme with Kojima, missing the moonsault, is the first step in his undoing. Yamazaki got next to nothing in terms of offense, but when Kojima misses the moonsault, Yamazaki seizes the moment. The Juji-gatame is more than adequate to finish him off. The easiest potential win of the tournament for Kojima, took away from him in a split second. Because he was unable to distinguish what would help him obtain victory, from what would make him win the match.

SHIRO KOSHINAKA (2) vs. MASAHIRO CHONO (2)

This is quite odd, it’s half of a wrestling match and half a brawl, not surprising since these two are old rivals. This is also the first match to be clipped, and it goes from the early feeling out to Koshinaka working a Dragon sleeper. Chono is fine in the brawling portions, but he obviously isn’t as up to snuff in the wrestling aspects, aside him his Yakuza Kick and the STF. Chono works the good cheap tactics into the match, like the low blow and exposing the turnbuckle. The heat for Chono and Koshinaka getting near falls of flash pins seems to say that it’s quite late in the match. It’s cool to see Chono use the Juji-gatame, after Yamazaki had worked hard to establish is as such a lethal finisher, even though Chono’s looks horrible. Koshinaka gives it some respect though, for selling it as the reason he can’t do his powerbomb. Although no-selling the Yakuza kick and doing the powerbomb anyway cancels that out.

MASAHIRO CHONO (2) vs. KAZUO YAMAZAKI (4)

This is quite the fun match, but overall is just falls flat when compared to the other three Yamazaki matches. Chono doesn’t have the big move to really build up to, like Mutoh had the Dragon screw, in his match with Yamazaki. He also doesn’t have a large offensive move set, like Koshinaka, or the inexperience factor to play off like Kojima. All Chono is able to bring to the table is his brawling and his ability to heel it up. Chono doesn’t stick with the hand like Kojima did, but he’s not above taking the occasional cheap shot at it, just because he can. Unlike Kojima, Chono does try to use the hand as a means to victory, by modifying various submissions in order to emphasize pressure on it.

Yamazaki is very ho-hum in this match. He doesn’t seem to put much fire into anything other than putting the hand over when Chono assaults it. Yamazaki seemed to spend more time trying to help put Chono over as the sadistic scoundrel, rather than trying to help the match itself. It was nice that Yamazaki was trying to help a really limited worker like Chono, but being evil and conniving is an area where Chono needs no assistance. The STF finish looks rather nice though, Chono’s STF may be over being instant death, but it doesn’t really look like it. Not that it couldn’t look like a really painful and torturing submission, it just doesn’t. But when Chono hooks the STF on and adds in that finger clamp on Yamazaki’s bad hand, it looks like Yamazaki has no choice but to tap out.

RIKI CHOSYU (4) vs. KENSUKE SASAKI (4)

This is a let down, even compared to Chosyu’s match with Tenzan. As frustrating as Chosyu was in just blowing off Tenzan’s moves, at least Tenzan was doing some fun work, which Sasaki doesn’t. Sasaki controls the bulk of the match, and it’s based around his submission finisher, the Stranglehold Gamma. The SHG isn’t on par with Chono’s STF though and isn’t bought as an instant finisher, and Kensuke doesn’t do much of anything to build it up. So we get long periods of Chosyu sitting in the hold, and the fans sitting on their hands because they know it isn’t going to get the win.

You would think that with Chosyu and Sasaki having a father/son type relationship that Chosyu would sell hugely for Sasaki, and you’d be wrong. Chosyu is just sort of “there,” he didn’t even bring his unpleasant demeanor with him until the very end. Sasaki sells Chosyu’s simple moves such as kick to the gut, like one would sell Misawa’s Rolling Elbow. Not there is anything wrong with selling big to make Chosyu look unstoppable, but Chosyu isn’t doing anything to help Kensuke look any good, so the match is fundamentally an extended squash. The sleeper as a finish is odd, but it works as a method of Chosyu not getting in much offense and finding a hold that can legit render Kensuke unconscious (remember, this is NJPW and Inoki always was big on being legit). But aside from the way they apply the hold, with Chosyu countering the Ippon Seionage, and a few failed escape attempts like Sasaki, they don’t try to work the hold at all. Benoit and Guerrero had worked the sleeper perfectly into their Super Juniors Tournament semi final match, and it didn’t even really play into the finish at all, so there isn’t much reason why these two couldn’t do the same thing. Tiger Hatori stopping the match was a nice finish, although they waited far too long for that finish, and the bit with the Riki Lariat afterwards was funny, but would have been better for the actual finish, rather than some comic relief.

SHIRO KOSHINAKA (4) vs. KEIJI MUTOH (2)

This is quite good, although it did have some room for improvement. The early portion is a lot like a junior match, in the sense that they work some holds that will ultimately not play into their later work, and only serve as filler. There is some fun work around Mutoh’s ever present Dragon screw, and Koshinaka is able to exploit that to some extent and use Mutoh’s self-demand to use it, and gets himself quite the offensive run of his big moves. It’s strategy like that, which makes me think Koshinaka was really the “smart man” of the G-1. Both here, and in his match with Yamazaki, he found a perfectly acceptable way to work around the different variable that each one brought to the table, to tell a good story. The only thing that Koshinaka needed to do was to just slacken a little bit, it makes sense for him to go-go-go at Mutoh, but slow down a bit and let Mutoh do a better job at putting over what he’s being put through.

The finish run falls a bit flat compared to the stuff they do to set it up, Mutoh avenges the previous Dragon screw attempt being blocked by using the Dragon screw to counter the hip attack. It sounds fine on paper, but the execution could have used some work. It would have been much better looking if Mutoh had dodged it entirely, countered with a knee to the back, or caught him in a waist lock and dumped him with a German, and then took advantage of Koshinaka being in a stunned state and hit the Dragon screw proper. Mutoh also still does his inexplicable sequence of Dragon screw - moonsault - figure four, and it winds up costing him this time. As he applies the figure four, he gets rolled up for two. Mutoh has to pretty much no sell Koshinaka’s powerbomb in order to learn from his mistake of not pouncing when Koshinaka was hurt from the Dragon screw, and then follow up the Dragon screw with the figure four for the submission. It would have been interesting to see Mutoh counter the powerbomb with a rana and then run with the finish. As it is, the powerbomb no sell leaves a somewhat bad taste in the mouth, of what was an otherwise good match. ***1/4.

SHIRO KOSHINAKA (4) vs. SATOSHI KOJIMA

All of Kojima’s previous losses had centered around him making a critical mistake, so it would have made sense to end this by Kojima learning from his mistake and scoring his only victory of the tournament. But the match never seems to go in that direction, despite the moonsault attempt being the big catalyst for his first two losses, he still tries it here, and he still misses it. His offensive focus is the same as it had been against Chono and Mutoh, just go-go-go and gets as much of his stuff as he can out. Kojima doesn’t appear to have any sort of game plan going into the match, he just tries to hit as much of his stuff as quick as he can, and hope that Koshinaka can’t take it, while at the same time hoping that he can take it, from Koshinaka.

Koshinaka and Kojima put together some nice near falls toward the end, but they aren’t based around Kojima getting closer and closer to that allusive victory, they’re based around Kojima kicking out of Koshinaka’s moves. They also looked to have blown their finishing spot, when Koshinaka’s powerbomb attempt goes down the drain. Kojima reversing the powerbomb with a rana for a surprise three-count would have worked with the mentality of him outsmarting Koshinaka for the surprise upset. Instead they go with a small package by Koshinaka, reversed by Kojima for the pin, which doesn’t make sense with how they were going. A shame Kojima’s only win had to end feeling a bit flat, but the pride aspect is what matters and Kojima won’t finish the G-1 with the big fat zero.

KENSUKE SASAKI (4) vs. SHINYA HASHIMOTO (2)

This is almost a complete squash, which isn’t surprising with Hashimoto’s knee playing a key part in his previous losses. It would have been nice to see Hashimoto at least get an early run of offense before Kensuke started tearing his knee apart. It makes sense for Sasaki to come right out the gate and attack the bad knee, but it doesn’t do much for any suspense or anticipation that Hashimoto can pull it off. Hashimoto’s selling also wasn’t as animated as it had been in his match with Tenzan.

Even though Hashimoto is on the neglectful side when it comes to his selling, Kensuke is more to blame for this turning out so disappointing, because he doesn’t seem to feel like doing that much that is interesting. Attacking the knee with stomps and kicks may be technically logical, but it’s also boring and repetitive after a while. The finish they went with, while nice for a bit of variety, also didn’t come off very well. It’s a bit of a play off the Hashimoto vs. Chosyu match with Sasaki trying to drain the life out of Hashimoto with the lariat, and Hashimoto slumps back against the ropes and rebounds right into the Ippon Seionage for the pin. The finish would have come off much better, if they’d tried to play off the previous match in other ways, such as Hashimoto having a big offensive run and then his knee being the prime cause for Kensuke being able to turn the tables. Another possibility would have been Hashimoto passing out while locked in Kensuke’s Scorpion Deathlock, in lieu of having to submit and lose his third consecutive match. Unfortunately for Hashimoto, his poor showing is one of the curses of being the IWGP Champion, having to convincingly put over other wrestlers, for possible future title matches.

MASAHIRO CHONO (4) vs. KEIJI MUTOH (4)

Considering the winner here wins the block, and will have to wrestle again that night, the fact that they spend the first half working various holds is forgivable. They both employ the same strategy, not just win the match, but win the match by expending as little energy as possible and to that end, they both turn in an above average performance. They both realize that they aren’t going to be able to just waltz right into the finals nice and fresh and energized, and that they will both have to expend energy, but they just try to do just enough to get by. One of the greatest and most heated moments of the match is toward the end with both of them on the floor, Mutoh had missed the handspring elbow and Chono locked in the STF hoping to sap enough strength to score the count out win. Not only were the fans going crazy, but the photographers were right in front of them taking pictures. Chono attempts another count out win, when one of Mutoh’s favorite sequences backfires on him. Mutoh’s famous running clothesline on the floor is met with a kick to the mid section and just barely makes it in by the count of nineteen.

The match isn’t just about them trying to play it smart though, it contains several instances of them trying to get into each other’s heads. Which they do by using each other’s famous submissions, and Chono even uses a Nagata Lock, back before it had a name. There are a few plays off previous matches as well, the first one coming to mind is when Chono countered Mutoh’s rana into a big powerbomb, which beat Mutoh in the first G-1. They also play off their match in the second one (the winner of their match back then would also go to the finals), when Mutoh no-sells Chono’s Yakuza kick for his dropkick.

The ending is where Chono’s genius really shines, a common problem Mutoh had been having, was his finisher sequence, where he’d do the Dragon screw, Moonsault, and figure four to attempt a submission, out of the previous times he’d tried it, it only worked for him once. Mutoh’s match with Yamazaki showed that he wasn’t afraid to play dirty to get the win, even though it backfired on him. Chono is definitely not afraid to play dirty if the need or opportunity arises, and it does arise when Mutoh hasn’t learned from his previous failures with his three finishers sequence. Mutoh begins to apply the figure four when Chono does his own dirty tactic with the low blow, and then causally cradles up Mutoh for the pin. It was a great effort by both of them, and in the end it came down to the brains, and Chono showed exactly why he’s the smarter of the two of them. ***

RIKI CHOSYU vs. MASAHIRO CHONO (1996 G-1 Climax Finals)

Even though it was an outstanding tournament, apparently the storybook ending was too much to ask for. They lay the groundwork for a nice story, but Chosyu has to go and muck it up. Considering he’d already wrestled earlier a decently long match earlier in the night, Chono attacking immediately isn’t much surprise. Chono focusing on Chosyu’s knee was a nice way to try to come to a full circle with the story of Chosyu in the G-1, having made it to the finals, Chosyu has to do what the IWGP Champion, and the man Chosyu beat on the first night, Hashimoto, couldn’t do. He has to withstand his knee taking a beating, and fight through the pain to win. Chono does a nice job carrying the match with the knee work, Chono isn’t the master of offense, but he brings a nice crotchetiness with him as he works over Chosyu’s leg. Especially when he teases going for the STF, but locks in a modified half crab.

The Fujinami slap was the beginning of the end, not just of the match, but of any semblance of a good final match. Fujinami must be in the wrong line of work, because his slap allows Chosyu to suddenly feel zero pain in his knee and start firing back on Chono. It’s amazing that Fujinami is only a wrestler. He’d be better suited as a miracle healer. In all seriousness, it wouldn’t have been beneath Chosyu to establish a quick run of offense to hold off Chono, and then not be able to go for the kill due to his knee. The Riki Lariat is the perfect example, it’s not out of the realm of believability that Chosyu could suck up the pain to level Chono with the lariat and then not be able to make the cover right away. But Chosyu dishing out several of them, and then hooking the Scorpion is a bit much. Just sitting in the Scorpion should be causing Chosyu great pain, a hurt knee coupled with a submission that forces you to bend at the knees, isn’t a good combination. It was an injury to his knee that prevented Pedro Morales from using his Boston Crab to beat Don Muraco back in ‘83.

Maybe if Chono had given in once the Scorpion had been hooked in, it wouldn’t have been such a detriment to the previous work. It doesn’t really say much for Chono, but it’s a fresh Chosyu vs. A tired Chono, who had already worked a twenty-four minute match with Keiji Mutoh, so it would be explainable. Not that there is anything wrong with the concept of Chosyu winning, because after his first match, he was pretty much made. His victory here sadly isn’t the climax that such an outstanding tournament deserved.

Conclusion: Although it didn’t have anything as standout as Hashimoto vs. Chosyu on the first tape. It’s still a solid tape with a nice amount of good matches. High recommendation for this one as well.