tdigle's Take Five: Puro Edition

[Cena's Little Helper]

In this thread, I'll be listing what I consider to be the five (in some cases, ten) greatest matches of the following Japanese wrestlers (I'll be covering ten matches for the ones in bold):

Mitsuharu Misawa/Tiger Mask II
Jushin Liger
The Great Muta
Kenta Kobashi
Toshiaki Kawada
Nobuhiko Takada
Shinya Hashimoto
Jun Akiyama
The Great Sasuke
Masahiro Chono
Hiroshi Hase
Kensuke Sasaki
Kōji Kanemoto/Tiger Mask III
Satoru Sayama/Tiger Mask I
Akira Taue
Shinjiro Ohtani
Hayabusa
Satoshi Kojima
El Samurai
Jumbo Tsuruta

I will discuss each match's context (that is to say, the match's storyline/buildup) and why I consider it to be one of the five greatest matches of the relevant wrestler. Also, if possible, I will either embed youtube or dailymotion videos of the match or provide a link to where one will be able to download the match. Finally, preceding my match analyses, I will do a brief write-up on the relevant wrestler. These write-ups will more than likely be a mixture of biographical information and discussions of the significance of each wrestler.

If anyone would like to request that I do one wrestler before another, please feel free to drop me a PM or post in this thread. Also, as always, my choices are open to discussion, so I encourage you to speak your mind if you disagree with any of my match choices or rankings.

Wrestler 1: The Great Sasuke

The Great Sasuke is to professional wrestling what M. Night Shyamalan is to film: while both men are competent and solid at what they do (this is at least true in Sasuke’s case), they are most known for brilliant early career moments that seemed to portend a level of greatness that they, unfortunately, were never able to reach. However, these aforementioned moments were more than sufficient to guarantee these men a small space in the hearts of, respectively, puro fanatics and film buffs. While Shyamalan’s moment of brilliance came in the form of The Sixth Sense, Sasuke’s came in the form of an awe-inspiring performance at The Super J Cup 1994.

In its inaugural year, the New Japan-hosted Super J Cup saw 14 of the best junior heavyweights in the world face off in a one-day, single-elimination tournament. Although a plurality of the wrestlers in this tournament represented New Japan Pro Wrestling (Jushin Liger, El Samurai, Shinjiro Otani, Dean Malenko, Black Tiger/Eddie Guerrero, and Wild Pegasus/Chris Benoit), four other companies sent at least one representative. Among these four companies was Michinoku Pro Wrestling, the relatively unknown promotion founded by The Great Sasuke a year earlier. Given the competition and the credibility Jushin Liger had almost single-handedly given to Japanese junior heavyweight wrestling with his work in New Japan, it seemed obvious to most that the non-NJPW wrestlers would be eliminated before the later rounds and that Jushin Liger would win the tournament after beating another prominent New Japan wrestler. But, after a first-round bye and a quarterfinal win over El Samurai, Sasuke shocked spectators by beating Liger. Interestingly enough, however, Sasuke’s major upset over Liger would prove to be only the second best highlight of the night, as he went on to have what many consider to be the greatest junior heavyweight match of all time with Wild Pegasus in the finals of the tournament.

Although Sasuke ultimately lost to Wild Pegasus, the wrestling world nonetheless had its sights set on the black-masked wrestler. With his frenetic pace, daredevil spots, stiff, lightning-quick kicks, and mat-based finesse, Sasuke became an instant star. Unfortunately, however, Sasuke’s performance at The Super J Cup 1994 may have set fan expectations too high; although those rapt with anticipation derived some satisfaction from his classic rematch with Liger on 8 July 1994, Sasuke never again wrestled a match as astounding as the ones associated with The Super J Cup 1994 and its aftermath.

Despite the disappointment that some may feel over Sasuke's career path, his legacy proves substantial. In Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Sasuke has what is arguably the world's premier independent junior heavyweight promotion; although Dragon Gate is undoubtedly the most recognizable independent junior heavyweight promotion in the world, Michinoku Pro's roster is just as, if not more, formidable as Dragon Gate's in terms of skill and talent. Furthermore, Jeff Hardy's high-risk antics and moveset are clearly inspired by The Great Sasuke. These considerations, along with his exceptional performance during The Super J Cup 1994, make The Great Sasuke a perfect candidate for tdigle's Take Five.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

As the heading should indicate, I’m doing things a bit differently. But, counting up rather than down isn’t where my unorthodoxy ends: I have chosen Sasuke’s 8 July 1994 match with Jushin Liger as his best ever. While I have nothing but great things to say about Sasuke’s match with Wild Pegasus/Chris Benoit at The Super J Cup 1994, I consider this match with Liger the better of the two because of how well it “tells a story.” Frankly, before I saw this match, I found the term “storytelling” to be, at best, extremely vague and pretentious. In fact, given how much it initially confused me, it might be the case that the meaning I now ascribe to it in no way accords with what other people mean by it. But, if you’ll indulge me, I’m confident that it will become clear to you exactly what I mean.

Ultimately, this match is about two wrestlers with two different, albeit related, problems. On one hand, there’s The Great Sasuke, the man who had brought both himself and his northeastern Honshū-based promotion, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, out of obscurity three months earlier with his exceptional performance at The Super J Cup. Unfortunately for Sasuke, a wrestler earns immortality through a high level of consistency, not through one moment of (admittedly) sheer brilliance. Thus, for Sasuke, this match is about proving that he is, in fact, the real deal.

On the other hand, there’s Jushin Liger, the man who had fallen to Sasuke in their Super J Cup semifinals match-up and, who, in 1994, was the world's most important junior heavyweight. Furthermore, all throughout Liger’s five-year tenure with New Japan, he had been the heart and soul of its junior heavyweight division. So, it goes without saying that New Japan’s sponsorship of The Super J Cup only added to his sense of disgrace over losing to Sasuke. Unlike Sasuke then, this match, for Liger, is about proving that his time as one of the best in the business is not over.

That these men believe their problems can only be solved through victory is evident throughout the course of this match. As the match progresses, it becomes apparent that they have both strategized according to what they perceive to be their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. As can be seen from Sasuke’s rapid attack on Liger in the first moments of this match, one part of his strategy involves sending Liger to the outside, where the small space between the ring apron and guardrails makes Liger less mobile and thus more susceptible to Sasuke’s aerial maneuvers. After his initial attack on Liger, another part of Sasuke’s strategy manifests itself as Sasuke puts Liger in a virtually continuous left armbar for the first-half of this 15-minute match. Although this seemingly unending rest hold may turn some viewers off, the more discerning ones will see that Sasuke’s armbar serves to make it too painful for Liger to execute his powerful “shotei” palm thrusts. The soundness of this strategy shows in the fact that Liger only uses his palm thrust two times throughout this match (and grabs his left elbow in pain every time afterwards).

Although Sasuke’s dominance in the first half of this match may make some doubt that Liger even had a preplanned strategy, his preparation ultimately shows in his calmness throughout Sasuke’s veritable blitzkrieg and his consistency in the match's latter half. While Liger goes to the ropes on a couple of occasions, he mainly chooses to slam and suplex Sasuke in order to keep him close and thus avoid his formidable speed. In the end though, it is Liger’s experience that earns him the win: as Sasuke attempts to go to the top rope, Liger rushes over to catch him off-guard and executes a beautiful avalanche fisherman brainbuster for the three count.

Oddly enough, both men came away from this match for the better, although it seemed to both of them that winning was the only path to success. While Sasuke’s offense in the first half of the match demonstrated how smart of a wrestler he was, Liger’s ability to overcome Sasuke in the end and exploit what was probably his only misstep demonstrated why he was, even after his loss to Sasuke at The Super J Cup, one of the greatest professional wrestlers that the world had to offer at this time. Such mutually beneficial outcomes are a rarity these days, and this fact alone would have made this an exceptional match for Sasuke. Additionally, however, Liger and Sasuke effectively translated the emotional conflict their characters had with each other into a technically flawless match. Thus, they told an excellent story that, in my opinion, ended up being the best Sasuke ever told.

Match Link: Liger vs. Sasuke, 8 July 1994

Edit: This match took place on 8 July 1994, not 23 July 1994. Thanks to xfearbefore for pointing that out.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Well, here it is folks, the match that many consider to be the Holy Grail of junior heavyweight professional wrestling: The Super J Cup 1994 Finals. If you are a fan of puro even in the slightest, then you will no doubt have heard about this match. While I think it is an excellent match, I feel that it is necessary here to give my reason for why I didn't choose it as Sasuke's best. However, please bear in mind that everything negative I say about it can easily be explained away or is outmatched by the positive things that could be said about it.

When I say that this is an excellent match, I must qualify my statement by saying that it was an excellent match for two wrestlers who had already wrestled twice before that night. Undoubtedly, there are some astounding segments throughout this match that are reminiscent of the acrobatics of the Tiger Mask I/Dynamite Kid matches. But, this match could have easily been cut by five or six minutes had these two obviously tired wrestlers not needed respites. However, as I hinted at before, I almost feel guilty for being so nit-picky about something that is so excusable. In the end though, this match would have been even more of a classic had these men fought fresh, and I'm positive that they would have set a standard that would have remained unsurpassed for years to come.

As I said before, there are so many positive things to say about this match. There are two things, however, that stand out most to me. One, the match's atmosphere is awesome; all of the other tournament participants surround the ring for this match and the crowd is unbelievably hot (this is more than likely due to the fact that it had just been witness to one of the greatest wrestling events of all time). Two, although Jushin Liger had a few matches better than this one, he never had as great of a match with Benoit. Given how important Liger had already become and how important Benoit would become, this is kind of a disappointment to Liger and Benoit fans alike. But, at least one thing was very certain following this match: Sasuke and Benoit's chemistry was undeniable. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only match they ever had; I'll be damned if it wasn't great though.

Match Link: The Great Sasuke vs. Wild Pegasus/Chris Benoit

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I've mentioned this Super J Cup 1994 semi-finals match in every post I've made so far, and, now, I'm finally here to give you my thoughts on it. In all honesty, had Sasuke not botched both what looked to be a springboard shoulder block and a hurricanrana at the end of this match, then I would have deemed it to be the greatest junior heavyweight match I had ever seen. But, its greatness and near-perfection have more to do with Liger than with Sasuke. Ultimately, I mainly consider this one of Sasuke's greatest matches because it was such a big upset and because Sasuke played the part given to him by Liger very well.

Most of the high spots in this match are reserved for Sasuke, and this is primarily for the sake of garnering sympathy for him and heat for Liger. At this point in time, as I have already mentioned, Liger was considered the premier high-flier in Japan, and the best junior heavyweight in the world. Instead of relying on the lucharesu moveset that he was renowned for, Liger instead adopts a more powerful, mat-based style that's heavy on submission moves and slams. By switching up his arsenal, Liger essentially tells the fans that, because he's so good and because Sasuke is nowhere near his league, he can use moves that are seemingly new for him and still beat Sasuke. Unfortunately for Sasuke, it turns out that Liger's still pretty darn good even without going to the ropes. Thus, the first half of this match sees Liger dominating Sasuke with various innovative and impressive submission maneuvers (ironically, Liger would break his leg later this year, and this, along with a brain tumor a few years later, would force him to permanently take on this type of wrestling style). However, Sasuke's heart and spirit shine bright as he refuses to submit to any of Liger's maneuvers.

Finally, in the second half of the match, Sasuke manages to get Liger outside of the ring and this allows him to pull off some of his signature suicidal spots. Flustered, Liger mixes up his slams with some moves from the top rope, but Sasuke kicks out of everything Liger gives him. By this time, Liger's franticness and Sasuke's determination to not lose bring the crowd to a frenzied state. And, although the crowd erupts when Sasuke upsets Liger, had Sasuke not botched the suprise attack on Liger that ultimately earned him his victory, something tells me that the crowd would have blown the roof off of the venue.

Match:

​

Edit: Sasuke's last two matches are hard to come by at the moment. I will add them at a later date. I will begin on Kobashi shortly.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Wrestler 2: Kenta Kobashi

Well, folks, I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but, I've honestly been thinking long and hard about how my words would be able to do justice to the man I will now discuss, Kenta Kobashi. Although he is undoubtedly one of the most athletically gifted and impressive wrestlers to ever step inside the squared circle, Kobashi's career is so much more than the sum of his matches. In order to elaborate on the claim I have just made, it will be necessary for me to cover Kobashi's ten best bouts in a chronological, rather than a rated, fashion. And, I will do just that, but, beforehand, I would first like to outline the rather bold claim that I intend to support in my coverage of Kobashi.

As a young man in my mid-20s, I consider Kobashi to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Now, I mention my age here because this definitely would not have been the case during my childhood, or even my adolescence. As English-speaking fans, we are accustomed to wrestling as sports entertainment, where, for the most part, there are wrestlers that are either clearly good or clearly evil. And, while the villains of professional wrestling may sometimes thwart the efforts of their heroic counterparts to bring everlasting happiness, order, and peace to kayfabe land, it is almost always the case that, in the end, the good guys prevail.

As kids, sports entertainment is more than likely great for us. We're both impressionable and unsure about the world. So, what would be better for us than the likes of a Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, or John Cena, all wrestlers that can save the world, serve as moral compasses, and whom we can idolize and hope to be one day? Unfortunately for us, the world is so much more complicated than what we believe it to be when we're younger. Unlike our wrestling heroes, not only do we not have unwavering integrity, but we also are not invincible (unfortunately, sometimes, no amount of hulking up or overcoming the odds will save us from a loss or a straight-up ass whoopin').

For most of us English-speaking fans then, we become disillusioned with and resentful of professional wrestling because our wrestling idols turn out to be so much better than us. But, as fans who can't quit the product, where does this leave us? It leaves us with Kenta Kobashi, a man who gives hope to us fans who have had a rough slide down the razor blade of life.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have titled this particular post, "Santiago Balboa, The Japanese Boxer Fisherman." Ultimately, I can think of no better way to describe Kenta Kobashi than as a combination of Santiago, the old, Cuban fisherman from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea, and Sylvester Stallone's iconic boxing character, Rocky Balboa. Like Balboa, an inextinguishable flame of fighting spirit roars within Kobashi. To Kobashi, it's not so much about being the best as doing the best that you can and giving all the effort that is humanly possible. Furthermore, Kobashi has never been about decimating and embarrassing his opponents. Unlike most other professional wrestlers, Kobashi has genuine respect for those he faces, because, just like him, they have an equally strong desire to excel. Thus, just as Santiago commends the efforts of and sympathizes with the marlin that he finally catches after a seemingly interminable battle, so Kobashi realizes that his opponents deserve to be treated with dignity.

Ultimately, fellow forums members, here's the point I hope to get across to you: we, unfortunately, can't all be Hulk Hogans, Bret Harts, or John Cenas, but, fortunately, we can all be Kenta Kobashis.