Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

[1991-08-10-NJPW-G1 Climax] Riki Choshu vs Shinya Hashimoto


jdw

Recommended Posts

This really should be watched in the context of the entire G1, which is all available now. One would then get the sense of Choshu being 0-2 coming in, and Hash with 3 points while Chono already in the clubhouse with 5 points. There's no way Choshu is going 0-3 in the G1, so Chono will face the winner of Vader-Mutoh (which followed this on the card) in the Final. I mean... there can't be a Block playoff rematch between Hash and Chono... right?

 

Short largely two movement match:

 

* Choshu jumps Hash at the gun with a wicked strike and kicks the shit out of Hash

* Hash hits a tremendous transition to turn things and then kicks the shit out of Choshu

 

It's theatrical, it's stiff, is simple, they sell their asses off for each other, Choshu is an old pro at theatrical spectacles and Hash is coming into his own as the future master.

 

The entire G1 is available now. With the exception of the Chono-Hash draw and the Final, none of the matches go 15+ minutes, and half of them don't go past 11 minutes. It doesn't take a lot of time to get through, and it's worth investing time in watching it. Six of the 13 matches made the Yearbook. I'd add this one as also Yearbook worthy, especially given the length. The rest, though, are worth watching as well even if they don't blow you away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

There were numerous video problems throughout the match, and my browser stopped working at least once, but I got through it. It was barely worth the trouble, as John had it pegged beautifully. Choshu got the first half, Hash the second, and each guy did nothing while the other was on offense. We had a weird sequence where a towel was clearly thrown in on Choshu's behalf; either that was the planned finish and the ref screwed up and allowed the match to continue or it was an accident which was no-sold by one and all. I don't know which, and frankly I don't care much.

 

If you're a completist who has to watch every match of the Climax tournament and can put up with the video issues for ten minutes, go ahead and take a look. If you're not, you're not missing much by passing on this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
  • 11 months later...

I can't stress how much I love the commentary from the crew who filmed this. People tend to put japanese crowds on pedestals and draw comparisons to theater and whatnot, but this is an excellent reminder what you hear is just the collective sum of all the noise and that many people in the crowd have small talks like "what the hell is that idiot doing taking so long to make his entrance", yelling "kill him" and what not. The match is pretty much perfectly laid out. So much is accomplished in so little time. Choshu's inital flurry is amazing and sets the manic pace of the match-his offence looks great as is, but him busting out a Dropkick when after taunting for a Lariat was both a great shocking moment and a nice way to put over how big of a threat Hashimoto was to him. The way Hashimoto came back was absolutely stellar-he pretty much bulldozed through Choshu after taking his best shots and kicked him out of the ring. This could've easily come off as Hashimoto just totally no-selling and then an that awkward period which follows after a wrestler gets sent outside the ring, but he smartly sold during and after the comeback in a way that still somewhat protected Choshu's offence and logically filled the "empty" time. Once Choshu got back into the ring Hashimoto had already recovered, and he started laying on one of the most memorable beatings in a wrestling match I've ever seen, completely dismantling Choshu with brutal kicks, Choshu sold it like an action movie star on death watch, and just as I'd start to think they're running out of ideas something incredible like Hashimoto's spin kick, brutal arm ddt or a Choshu comeback attempt would happen. Choshu throwing the towel out of the ring was a beautiful moment of machismo, pride and stubbornness, and it's hard to imagine a better puchline to such a great spot than immediately getting beaten out by a brutal spinning heel kick. While already marvelous, you do see Hashimoto isn't a *completely* formed worker by this point, as thoughts of repetition never even once entered my mind during some of his later matches which also have large control segments of him pretty much doing the same thing over and over again. some of it was probably how many variations of simple moves he came up with, and that's the only thing preventing me from labelling this as nearing perfection. ****3/4

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Shinya Hashimoto vs Riki Choshu - NJPW G-1 Climax '91

 

I need to watch more 80s puroresu but Riki Choshu seems like the guy who ushered in a more theatrical style of pro wrestling in Japan kinda like the Macho Man and his grandiose epics at WrestleMania did for America in a similar timeframe. Choshu throwing back the towel when someone (Saito?) threw the towel in for him is like the most badass thing ever. Choshu nearly takes Hashimoto's head off at the start of the match with a lariat. Scorpion Deathlock. Awesome dropkick from Choshu. He starts to go for more lariats. Kick stuns him and then Hashimoto pours the kicks on. Suplex slam and elbow drop. Hashimoto is firmly in command never lets go. I wish we saw this more in pro wrestling. It would make comebacks sweeter. Like still have comebacks on PPVs but not every single pro wrestling match on TV should have a comeback. Sometimes the heat segment should just be the finish. I thought their needed to be a real head kick. Something really emphatic. To drive the point home. We did get a good roundhose kick to the head, but Hashimoto didn't let it sink in because he kicked him in the chest again. Hashimoto was good, but Choshu was awesome in this. He was so in his element with the defiant, but weak punches, flopping selling, and of course throwing the towel back. Hashimoto hits his rainbow kick to win. Really unique match and perfect 10 minute explanation of the awesomeness of Riki Choshu. ****

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • GSR changed the title to [1991-08-10-NJPW-G1 Climax] Riki Choshu vs Shinya Hashimoto
  • 1 year later...

This is exactly what I want out of my Choshu matches. It's short, to-the-point and incredibly explosive. Choshu rushing Big Hash with a lariat was a cool way to start the match. Choshu sells his ass off for Hashimoto, but still looks like a total boss whilst doing so. I'm surprised this didn't make the yearbook.

★★★½

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...