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[2000-04-09-Michinoku Pro-Super J Cup] CIMA vs Jushin Liger


soup23

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A great final that really was trending towards a MOTYC for me until it stopped. What these two did in twelve minutes were really craft a great story and intense action. CIMA and Liger are the two stars of the tournament so it is refreshing to see them in the final. CIMA using the palm strike which is such a Liger staple against him was an awesome visual and again the young up and comer certainly looks like he belongs and that he is very very close to Liger’s equal. In the end, this was Liger’s tournament to win. This whole tournament makes the Sasaki match even more maddening because how great would this have been for Liger’s momentum if he was coming off a win vs. a top heavyweight and then he grits his way to this victory. As of April 2000, I feel confident in saying CIMA and Liger are two of the 10 best workers in the world. ****

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Very good final. I was a bit disappointed in the match, not because it wasn't good, but just because it would have been great to see a bonafide classic since this is the last singles match they have until 2007. As it stands, I don't like CIMA as a underdog babyface nearly as much I like him as an overconfident heel who wrestles wise beyond his years, and I think a final should get way more time than this got. The two do have great chemistry though, and the implication of how the match is worked is that it's not a matter of if CIMA will be the king junior, but a matter of when. (I have to also mention that I popped for hearing 90210 in the background when Liger was being interviewed in the locker room.) ***1/2

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  • 1 month later...

I think CIMA, like in the Sano match, makes a fine fiery babyface here. I loved his stubborn palm-strike led offensive attack and his overexuberance to try to put Liger away with the big splash. From there it was pretty academic and it felt sort of inevitable that there was nothing CIMA could do to avoid the loss but it was still a fun ride. Fun final match and CIMA does comes out of it looking like only bright things are in store for him.

 

***1/2

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  • 4 weeks later...

A good way to cap off the tournament, but it does leave you wanting to see these guys have another match with more time. This was another fine performance by CIMA as a fiery babyface taking the brunt of the punishment and coming back. I particularly enjoyed CIMA going for two iconoclasms here before attempting the mad splash. This serves to show that realizes that Liger is one of the best and he will need to throw everything at him if he is going to pick up the win.

 

Overall this tournament did a great job of establishing CIMA as a top level junior heavyweight. He didn't win the tournament, but going to the finals and being displayed as a threat to Liger is all that he needed. Liger didn't gain anything from winning this tournament, but he legitimized the tournament and made a new junior heavyweight star.

 

***3/4

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  • 1 month later...

Liger and CIMA showed such great intensity as they tried to wear each other down. They both fought off each other's big moves without it going overboard, so it not being overly long didn't bother me. CIMA wanting to get up without Liger's help as Liger tried to show good sportsmanship made for a good post-match. I had forgotten 90210 was still on the air in 2000. It seems like it was over earlier than that.

 

****

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  • 3 months later...

I didn't like this as much as you guys did, but I thought it was good still.

 

This is worked much simpler than it was to be expected and is basically the vet looking to maintain his spot against the up and coming star trying to make his mark. CIMA throwing his own palm strikes at Liger was great. Making the finals pretty much cements CIMA's rise even in defeat.

 

The finish was fantastic as it was kept pretty simple and to the point. The biggest knock on this was the abrupt finish as the match was somewhat short for a final.

 

Good stuff.

 

***1/4

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  • GSR changed the title to [2000-04-09-Michinoku Pro-Super J Cup] CIMA vs Jushin Liger

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