Goody Bag 62: Whole Lotta Liger

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Naoki Sano: From NJPW Summer Fight Series, July 13 1989 in Tokyo Japan. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Liger. He gets his challenger in a muta-lock early on, but Sano counters to a chinlock, and they continue trading off on the mat. Sano gets a Boston crab on, but Liger makes the ropes, so Sano bodyslams him for two, and goes back to the chinlock. Liger escapes and forces a criss cross to allow him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and he takes Sano to the mat with a surfboard, but the challenger makes the ropes. Liger responds with a half-crab, but Sano makes the ropes again, so Liger suplexes him for two. Powerslam sets up a flying elbowdrop for two, and a corner whip is followed with a corner dropkick. Koppou kick connects as well, and a spinheel kick leads to Liger suplexing him out of the ring! Liger adds a tope out there, and a bodyslam on the floor sets up a flying somersault senton splash! Considering it's still 1989, Sano should be legally dead now. But his corpse still beats the count. Liger tries whipping him into the ropes, but Sano is so battered that he collapses half way. Undeterred, Liger puts him in a dragon sleeper to try and coax a submission, but Sano gets into the ropes to save his hopes. That triggers a reversal sequence that ends in Liger taking a cradle for two, and another reversal sequence ends in Sano landing a leg-feed kick. Dropkick knocks Liger to the outside, and Sano is on him with a baseball slide, followed by a plancha. Sano goes up for a flying dropkick on the floor, but Liger's corpse also beats the count. Sano welcomes him back with a bridging German suplex for two, and a trapping suplex is worth two. You don't see enough of that variation. Dragon suplex, but Liger counters to a victory cradle for two, so Sano bodyslams him to buy time. He goes up with a flying dropkick, but lands on the back of his head, so he's slow on the follow up. He still manages to land a dropkick on a recovering Liger, and a side superplex connects, but again, Sano takes some damage in the execution. That leaves both guys looking up at the lights, and the referee rules it a double knockout at 13:55. This was awesome once they got out of first gear, but the finish was a real bummer. ** ¾

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Naoki Sano v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW Bloody Fight Series, September 20 1989 in Osaka Japan. Feeling out process to start, fast and furious. Liger takes him down in a bow-and-arrow, but Sano counters to an anklelock, then shifts to a Mexican surfboard, but Liger topples him for a one count. Liger takes him down in a leglock, but Sano escapes, so they do a big criss cross - won by the champion with a spinkick. Another criss cross goes Liger's way with the koppou kick, so Sano bails, regrouping on the outside. He tries slowing things down by calling for a test-of-strength on the way back in, but Liger pops him with a spinkick for his troubles, and then unloads a series of palm strikes. Sano fights him off with a spinkick of his own, however, and he drills the challenger with a piledriver for two. Sano grounds him in a headscissors, but Liger escapes, so Sano puts the boots to him instead. Gutwrench suplex gets the champion two, so he tries a Boston crab, but Liger gets the ropes. Liger fights back with more palm strikes, allowing him a nasty tombstone for two. He just spiked him there. Liger immediately puts him in a choke, then shifts to a cross-armbreaker, but Sano counters to a leglock to fight him off. Liger fights to a vertical base and sets Sano on the top turnbuckle so he can have the pleasure of dropkicking him out of the ring, and Jushin barrels into him with a baseball slide from there. The challenger backs off so the champion can beat the count, but he loses the resulting criss cross, and ends up on the outside himself, via a dropkick. Sano adds a tope before whipping Jushin into the guardrail out there, and a trapping suplex is worth two on the way back in. Liger fights back with a nice side suplex for two, and another criss cross allows him a dropkick right to the gut. Liger decides to suplex him over the top, but Sano runs him into the buckles to block, so Liger tries springboarding at him, but slips, and lands right on his knee. Sano capitalizes by putting him in a figure four, and I have no idea whether or not that slip was a botch or not, but it really doesn't matter, since they incorporated it right into the match perfectly. Liger escapes and suplexes him over the top, then dives with a flying somersault senton on the floor! Sano fights up to the apron, so Liger spinheel kicks him off, but Sano recovers with a springboard flying dropkick when the challenger tries it a second time. Sano with a bridging German suplex for two, and he reverses a cradle on Liger for another two. Liger pulls out a victory cradle for two, and another tombstone sets up a flying headbutt drop, but Sano lifts his boots to block. That allows the champion a tombstone of his own for two, so he takes Liger up for a side superplex - only for Jushin to topple him for two on the way down! Liger dives with a flying moonsault press for two, but Sano blocks a superplex. He fakes a dive to rattle his challenger, then hops off the ropes to grab him in a bridging tiger suplex before Liger knows what's happening, and that's enough at 18:24. Really good stuff here, with both guys letting it hang out. *** ¾

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Naoki Sano v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW New Spring Gold Series, January 31 1990 in Osaka Japan. Sano offers a handshake, but Liger responds with a ferocious slap, and we're off! Liger with a spinheel kick to knock him to the outside, and Jushin dives from the apron with a seated senton on the floor. Sano is good and pissed, and he comes in swinging, beating Liger down, and dumping him to the outside for a whip into the guardrail. Sano adds a piledriver on the floor, and a tombstone on the way in allows Sano to go for the mask, actually almost managing to tear it off. Liger blocks the effort, so Sano takes him back to the outside for a few shots into the posts, literally dragging him by the mask. Liger actually does a blade job underneath the mask to sell the beating, and Sano hits another piledriver on the way back in. Legdrop follows, and Sano is just taunting him now. Sano unloads with right hands on a staggered challenger, and Liger is so beat up that his bloody face is half out of his mask, and he can't even be bothered to cover up. Sano shows no mercy, exposing a turnbuckle, and ramming Jushin into it a few times for two, then taking him up with a vertical superplex for two. The referee calls him off and teases stopping the match, but Liger beats the count to prove himself responsive, so Sano just puts him right back on his ass with a spinkick. Note to self: don't piss off Naoki Sano. Big boot leads to a Boston crab, but Liger makes the ropes, so Sano suplexes him for two. Facebuster gets two, and Liger's mask is fully off now, just hanging off of his neck. Liger dodges him in the corner and uses a dropkick to knock the champion to the outside, and Liger dives after him - connecting, but also wiping out on the rail at the same time. Both guys beat the count, and Liger stays on him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to set up a surfboard. Sano goes to the eyes to escape, and he puts Jushin in an octopus hold. Liger is loopy, and the referee teases stopping the match again, but Liger beats the count again, though he's on fumes. Sano responds with a bridging fisherman suplex, but it only gets two. Bridging German suplex gets two, so he works another Boston crab, but Liger just refuses to give, and fights into the ropes. Sano drags him to his feet with a bridging dragon suplex for two, and he's starting to get frustrated here, no longer looking all powerful, even while still in control. Liger buys time by clotheslining him over the top, but he has no follow-up, and Sano takes his head off with a clothesline for two. Corner whip sets up a corner dropkick, so Liger tries a koppou kick, but Sano dodges. He drops his challenger with another spinkick, but a criss cross allows Liger a headscissors takedown. He charges, but Sano backdrops him over the top, and then dives with a flying bodypress on the floor! Liger beats the count, so Sano welcomes him with a butterfly suplex for two - only to have a superplex toppled for two! Liger tries for the powerbomb, but Sano counters with a rana into a cradle for two. Bridging tiger suplex looks to finish, but Liger is in the ropes at two to save his hopes. Sano stays focused with a saito suplex, but Liger topples him again for two. That allows Jushin to pull out a bridging German suplex, but Sano escapes at two. Liger is slow with a follow-up, and Sano blocks a backdrop. Reversal sequence ends in Liger landing the sitout powerbomb, but it only gets two. He adds a tombstone, and sprints to the top with a flying shooting star press before Sano can recover - winning the title at 20:00. This was really great. Just a total war, and very different than most junior heavyweight matches from this era. They also did some really interesting storytelling here, with Liger acting like a total punk at the bell with his disrespectful slap, and then getting absolutely demolished for it for such an extended period that he basically turned himself into a huge underdog babyface, just refusing to die no matter how much punishment an increasingly flustered Sano could muster. **** ¾

 

Different Style Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Masashi Aoyagi: From NJPW Battle Line Kyushu, June 12 1990 in Fukuoka, Japan. Three minute rounds.

ROUND ONE: Liger outsmarts him to get the first takedown, and he slaps on a cross-armbreaker, but Aoyagi makes the ropes. Aoyagi tries some strikes, but Liger shoots for the leg, taking him back down for a grapevine. Aoyagi counters to an anklelock, and they trade off on the mat, doing UFC style exchanges years before that became stylish. And that continues on until the round expires at 3:00

ROUND TWO: Liger tries coming at him with the koppou kick early on, but he misses, leaving him on defense from his back. Aoyagi tries a spinkick, but Liger dodges, and gets a takedown. That just pisses Aoyagi off, however, and he takes Jushin down - pounding him bloody on the mat. That allows him a series of strikes, and his own koppou kick puts Liger down, but Jushin beats the count. He's having trouble with the mask now that he's badly bleeding, so he tries grapevining the leg to buy time, holding that until the round expires at 6:00

ROUND THREE: Liger takes off his mask between rounds to help with visibility, and he takes Aoyagi down for a vicious pounding as a receipt from earlier, drawing blood as well. Liger capitalizes with a cross-armbreaker, but Aoyagi escapes. Liger responds by straight up choking the life out of him, testing the limits of the referee's count. It's so weird seeing Liger just totally unmasked here, not even trying to cover up. Aoyagi gets to his feet, and throws a few strikes, but Liger manages to take him down to buy more time. He goes for the kill with a chinlock/bodyscissors, but time expires before Aoyagi can quit at 9:00.

ROUND FOUR: Liger keeps the blitz going at the start of the round, pounding him down for another chinlock/bodyscissors, and this time he's got plenty of juice left on the clock. Aoyagi makes the ropes to save himself, but he's battered, needing the referee's aid to stay vertical. The doctor comes in to check his cut, but he's ruled able to continue, and he tries using the break to his advantage. He goes for a headlock, but Liger fights him off on the way down - pounding him into submission at 11:25. Well, this was certainly different, but not my style. *

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Top Of The Super Junior II Tournament Final Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Norio Honaga: From NJPW Explosion Tour, April 30 1991 in Tokyo. This is for the vacant title, and Liger was the previous champion. Honaga wins a reversal sequence to start, and they feel each other out. Honaga dominates, until Liger manages to catch him with a corner dropkick, and he uses a suplex to set up a flying somersault senton splash for two. Spinheel kick puts Honaga on the outside, but Jushin misses a plancha out there, and Honaga dives with a flying bodyblock. Honaga sends him into the post, and a suplex on the floor follows. Honaga adds a powerbomb on the timekeeper's table to really be a dick, but Liger beats the count, so Honaga starts going for the mask, tearing it. Honaga drops him front-first across the top rope, and a bridging German suplex gets him two. Legdrop gets two and a gutbuster is worth two. Liger reverses an Irish whip to allow him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, but Honaga blocks a dragon suplex, so Liger has to settle for a schoolboy for two instead. Honaga fights him off with a bodyslam to set up a dive, but Liger pops up, and dropkicks him down to the apron. Liger muscles him back to the top for a vertical superplex for two, but he wipes out while trying a flying dropkick, and both guys are left looking up at the lights. Honaga recovers first with an octopus hold, but Liger won't quit, and he comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Reversal sequence ends in Honaga getting dumped to the outside for a baseball slide, and Liger dives after him from the apron out there. Honaga gets control on the way back in, but a flying splash hits boot, and Liger hooks the leg for two. DDT gets him two, but a criss cross allows Honaga a sunset cradle for two. Nicely done. Victory roll, but Liger reverses for two, and he throws a clothesline for two. Sitout powerbomb gets him two, but Honaga counters a second one into a seated senton for two. Honaga goes upstairs, but Liger follows for a superplex, only for Honaga to hit him down low to block. That allows Honaga to dive with a flying hangman’s clothesline for two, and then a standard hangman’s clothesline gets another two. Back to the bridging German suplex for two, and then another one puts it away for real at 21:54. This took a little while to really get going, but it was really great stuff once they got all worked into a lather at the end. The finish felt a little underwhelming, though. ***

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Ultimo Dragon v Jushin Thunder Liger: NJPW Fantastic Story, January 4 1993 in Tokyo Japan. They get into a huge, fast reversal sequence to start, ending in a stalemate. That leads to a feeling out process, and Liger gets the better of it by dropkicking the leg, and taking him down to work the part. Dragon escapes and works a spinning toehold into a leglock, then into a muta-lock, then into a Mexican surfboard - putting Liger through his paces tonight. Dragon works a headscissors next, but Jushin counters to a surfboard, then drills him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Snapmare sets up a headscissors hold, but Dragon gets into the ropes, so Liger plants a koppou kick on him. Series of palm strikes follow, but another tilt-a-whirl gets countered with a headscissors, and Dragon wins the resulting criss cross. The champion with a gourdbuster to set up a dragon surfboard, then a camel clutch, as he fights for a submission. Liger won't give, so Dragon drops a pair of elbows, and uses a bodyslam to set up a flying dropkick. He slipped off the ropes, botching that one, but they did their best to save it. Dragon dumps him to the outside for a flying bodypress into a table to make up for the error, and a suplex on the way back in is worth two. Tombstone reversal sequence goes Dragon's way to set up another dive, with the champ again slipping off the ropes in another botch. Blockbuster slam gets him two, and you can see that he's a little thrown by the two big botches now. Liger hooks a double-underhook cradle for two, but Dragon cuts him off with a schoolboy for two. Bridging German suplex gets two when Liger is in the ropes, and Jushin uses a second koppou kick to put Dragon on the outside. Liger gives him a powerbomb on the floor to set up a flying somersault senton splash out there, but the champ beats the count. Liger welcomes him in with a suplex for two, and he works a half-crab, but Dragon makes the ropes. Liger responds with another powerbomb, and he goes to the top with a flying hangman’s clothesline - banging his head on the mat on the landing. He bails to avoid getting covered, but Dragon dives after him, and both guys wipe out against the rail. Both beat the count, and Dragon tries a victory roll, but Liger blocks. Liger tries a powerbomb, but Dragon counters with a rana into a cradle for two. Springboard moonsault press and a sitout powerbomb get the champion two, and a magistral cradle is worth two. Bodyslam sets up another dive, but Liger superplexes him off the top before Dragon can botch it again. That gets the challenger only two, so he plants him with a nice sitout powerbomb, and he takes Dragon upstairs for a rana off the top to win the title at 20:08. A couple of severe botches from Dragon, but a strong showing overall, with great stamina displayed by both men. *** ¼

 

Shinya Hashimoto v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW Thanks Wrestling Day Brush Up, March 5 1994 (taped February 24) in Tokyo, with Kotetsu Yamamoto as the special guest referee. Hashimoto is the IWGP Heavyweight champion, and Liger is the IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion, but this is non-title. Liger's got a weird look going tonight, with a different style mask, and no top. He's also looking much more like a heavyweight than a junior. After some posturing, Hashimoto sinks his teeth into a headlock to start. Liger escapes, and wants a test-of-strength, since apparently he's been putting in the time in the gym, and wants to show it off. But Hashimoto is strong fat, and wins that. Liger responds with kicks, so Hashimoto bodyslams him, but gets trapped in a hold on the mat, and Liger uses a koppou kick to rattle him. Hashimoto responds with a dropkick to knock Liger to the outside, but Jushin beats the count, so Hashimoto gives him a tilt-a-whirl stomachbreaker. He adds an elbowdrop for two, and traps Liger in a keylock from there. That goes nowhere, so Hashimoto starts simply pounding on the arm, but Liger manages to take him down in a guillotine to stop the effort. Hashimoto counters to a cross-armbreaker, but Liger escapes, only to foolishly try and powerbomb the big man. That... goes badly. Hashimoto with a bodyslam and a spinheel kick for two, so Liger locks on a grapevine to keep him grounded. Hashimoto gets the ropes, so Liger hops up to the top rope for a flying dropkick to the leg, and he slaps on a figure four. Liger stands him up and actually manages a sitout powerbomb for two, then takes him to the top rope for a superplex - kind of botching it, and dropping Hashimoto right on his head with it for two. Liger with a corner whip to set up a koppou kick, and then back upstairs with a rana off the top for two. Bridging German suplex gets two, and a flying dropkick leaves Hashimoto rattled, but he still manages an armdrag to buy time. That allows Hashimoto to comes back with a series of strikes, and he sweeps the leg to put Liger on his ass. Hashimoto scoops him up for a brainbuster from there, and that's it for Liger at 23:08. Everything I've seen of Hashimoto so far makes me wonder how this dude managed to lock up the IWGP title for such a long time in the 90s. * ¼

 

Jushin Thunder Liger v Naoki Sano: From NJPW New Japan Pro Wrestling V UWF International card, October 9 1995 in Tokyo. Liger tries attacking with a koppou kick before the bell, but Sano sidesteps him, and they size each other up. Liger hands the koppou on the second try, and he dumps him to the outside, but Sano is back in before Liger can dive. Liger takes him down, trying for the arm, but Sano keeps blocking, and they trade off for a bit. Liger throws palm strikes when he can't win otherwise, and he dumps Sano to the outside for a plancha, but Sano dodges again, and Jushin wipes out this time. That allows Sano to dive with a tope, and he goes for a cross-armbreaker on the way back inside, but Liger starts countering to a surfboard, so Sano hides in the ropes. Liger does a great job of selling his frustration there. He puts on a figure four, but Sano reverses, then shifts to an STF. Liger uses a saito suplex to escape, and he lands a koppou kick to set up a nasty piledriver. Flying headbutt drop looks to cap it off, but Sano dodges, and he puts the stunned Liger in a cross-armbreaker, but Jushin is in the ropes right away. Liger drops him with a DDT upon release, but Sano blocks a charge, and drops him with a dragon suplex. Back up for a bridging tiger suplex, and Liger is done at 10:18. This was nowhere near the level of the 1990 match. * ½

 

Great Muta v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW Super Grade Tag League VI, October 20 1996 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Muta stalls a bit to start, but ends up in a wristlock after finally engaging. Muta grabs the ropes to force a break, so Liger takes him down in a leglock, but Muta forces a criss cross. Liger wins that with a dropkick that puts Muta on the outside, and he throws a tantrum out there. Back in after some stalling, and Muta takes a cheap shot during a test-of-strength to put Liger down for an elbowdrop. Liger wisely bails, and manages to reverse a cross corner whip on the way back in, allowing him a koppou kick in the corner. Muta bails again to break the momentum, but still ends up trapped in a chinlock once coming back inside. He fights to a vertical base, so Liger suplexes him, but Muta pops up and knocks Jushin on his ass. He dumps Liger to the outside for a piledriver through a table, then chokes Jushin with some electrical cable until the referee intervenes. Muta continues the assault by beating Liger with the remnants of the table, but Liger beats the count in anyway. Muta responds by beating him with another weapon found underneath the ring, but Liger fights through to drop him with a piledriver - only for Muta to no-sell. He dumps Jushin onto the ramp for a suplex out there, followed by a lariat. Muta tosses him back inside to drill with a side suplex for two, and a cross corner whip sets up a handspring backelbow, but Liger dodges. That allows Liger a koppou kick and a flying dropkick, so Muta bails, but Jushin is right on him with a plancha. Muta slips underneath the ring to disorient Liger, but Jushin goes after him under there - only to get a broom jabbed in his face. Muta chokes him with the broom, but then makes the mistake of trying to rip Liger's mask off, and oh, he done fucked up now: unleashing Kishin Liger on the world! Jushin's alter ego roars to life, spewing mist in Muta's face, and stabbing him in the face with a screwdriver. Like, an actual screwdriver, not the Scott Steiner move. Liger keeps coming with a chair shot on a retreating Muta, and then he starts choking him with a shard of the table from earlier. Still not satisfied, Liger pulls up the mats to piledrive Muta on the floor, and then he dives with a flying chair shot out there! Liger still wants to destroy him some more, so he brings a table into the ring, but misses a charge. That allows Muta to blow his own mist to blind Liger, and he stabs him with a shard, then hits the handspring backelbow. Bulldog sets up the flying moonsault at 17:18. Weird booking there, as you'd think that the first appearance (of only four, ever) of Kishin Liger would warrant a victory. Especially since this wasn't setting up a rematch. Hell of a match though, with all the brawling and weapons used as part of the storytelling, not in place of it. *** ½

 

NJPW J-Crown Title Match: Ultimo Dragon v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW Wrestling World, January 4 1997 in Tokyo. Dragon has a bunch of women in bathing suits with him to him up all his title belts, in a nice touch. Big criss cross leads to an intricate reversal sequence, ending in Dragon hooking a magistral cradle for two, causing Liger to bail. Dragon stays right on him with kicks as he comes back inside, but Liger fights him off with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, setting up a surfboard. Liger adds a vicious powerbomb before cranking on a half-crab, but Dragon makes the ropes. Liger responds by putting him in a camel clutch, and Dragon's selling is really lacking here. I get that masks limit the facial expressions, but he's just dead fishing on him there. Dragon gets into the ropes again, so Liger works a mat-based abdominal stretch, but an attempt to turn it into a cradle results in Dragon countering to a leglock. Funny how Liger is much more evocative in his selling, despite having an even more constricting mask than the champion. Dragon keeps working the leg, so Liger tries a sunset flip for two. Dragon tries cutting him off with a cradle, but Liger reverses for two, so Dragon kicks at the bad leg to slow him down, and slaps on a grapevine. Liger escapes and starts cracking him with chops in the corner, and he lands the koppou kick. Cross corner whip, but Dragon reverses, and uses a monkeyflip. Dropkick knocks Liger back into the corner, and Dragon comes off the middle with a headscissors takedown, then dives with a springboard moonsault press for two. Handspring backelbow, but Liger catches him in a German suplex for two. Dropkick, but Dragon dodges, so Liger smacks him with a koppou kick instead. That puts Dragon on the outside, and Jushin is on him with a flying bodypress out there. I think that may be the first time I've seen an instant replay in a New Japan match. And it wasn't even such a crazy spot! Dragon beats the count, so Liger pokes him in the eye, and drills him with a musclebuster for two. Suplex, but Dragon counters with another magistral cradle for two. That triggers a criss cross, and both guys collide for a double knockout spot. Liger decks him for two as they both get to their feet, but Dragon blocks a rana off the top, then dives with one off the middle. Another one sends both men tumbling over the top, and Dragon pops back in to dive with a tope. Dragon goes up again with a flying somersault senton on the floor, and there's another replay. Were they really jealous of the WWF at this point, or something? Back in, Dragon uses a blockbuster slam to set up a flying moonsault, but the bridging tiger suplex only gets him two. Tombstone, but Liger reverses, and the challenger hustles to the top to punctuate it with a dive. Not fast enough, however, as Dragon is able to follow, and he brings Jushin down with a rana for two. Dragon adds a sitout powerbomb for two, and a slam sets up a springboard moonsault, but Liger dodges. He hooks Dragon in a magistral cradle for two (with the referee not even in a position where he can believably see the shoulders), so Dragon scrambles with another sitout powerbomb to keep in control, but Liger is ready with a rana this time. That allows him to take Dragon for a ride with a Steiner screwdriver, and that's enough to crown a new champion at 18:20. This was a really good war between two mature workers here. Dragon, especially, looked a lot better and more confident in himself than he did in the 1993 match. *** ¾

 

NJPW J-Crown Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Shinjiro Otani: From NJPW Fighting Spirit, February 22 1997 (taped February 9) in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Otani. Liger responds by dropping him on his head with a side suplex, and a corkscrew legwhip leads to the champ working the leg. Otani's fiery attempts to shake him off are nicely done, though Liger tenaciously (and aggressively) stays on the part. Jushin unloads with palm strikes in the corner, but Otani takes them, and manages to force him down in a fujiwara armbar to turn the tide. He stomps the crap out of Liger for good measure, then tries a crippler crossface, but Jushin won't quit. Liger manages to get back in the game with a leglock, but Otani won't quit either, so Liger starts pounding him in the corner. Koppou kick knocks the challenger to the outside, so Liger dives after him with a flying bodyblock out there, and he adds a powerbomb on the floor for good measure. Whip into the rail, but Otani reverses, and he delivers his own powerbomb on the floor. Otani adds a somersault senton from the apron, but a slingshot on the way back in misses, and Jushin hooks a magistral cradle for two. He takes Otani upstairs for a rana off the top, but the challenger rolls through for two, so Liger tries a German suplex - only for Otani to land on his feet. Otani's counter game is top notch here. Otani fakes a dragon suplex into a bridging German suplex for two, and he uses a cross corner whip - only to have Liger rebound with a lariat for two. That allows the champion a running sitout powerbomb for two, but Otani reverses a suplex, and dives with a springboard missile dropkick. Bridging dragon suplex gets two, so he tries again, but Liger holds the ropes to block, and bashes him with a palm strike for two. Liger with a suplex and a musclebuster, but another suplex gets toppled by the challenger. Otani takes him up for a rana off the top, having to fight off four blocking attempts from the champion before successfully executing it. Springboard flying spinheel kick gets two, so he tries another dragon suplex, but Liger blocks. Liger throws strikes, but Otani absorbs them - not so much no-selling as just taking it like a man. A big palm strike puts him on his ass, however, and Liger retains at 27:14. The first fifteen minutes of this was little more than them just trading submissions. Which wasn't bad wrestling, just very slow, and worse, ultimately didn't go anywhere. The second half was all really strong stuff, but overall the match felt like it was too long for its own good, and could have stood to have about ten minutes of the submission stuff cut out. ** ½

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger v Koji Kanemoto: From NJPW Wrestling World, January 4 2000 in Tokyo. They size each other up a bit at the bell, until Kanemoto charges, and eats a big palm strike. That leads to a slugfest - won by Liger - and the referee wants to back him off, but Jushin ain't havin' it. He puts the boots to Kanemoto before slapping him around in the corner, then takes him upstairs for a German superplex - turning his challenger inside-out in the process. Sitout powerbomb follows, and a brainbuster finishes at 3:55. This somehow made #4 in the New Japan fan poll of greatest Liger matches. I didn't really get it. ½*

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Naomichi Marufuji v Jushin Thunder Liger: From NJPW New Dimension, April 4 2010 in Tokyo. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Liger. He dumps Marufuji to the outside and sends him over the rail, but Marufuji beats the count. Liger tries a corner charge, but Marufuji blocks, and puts him on his ass with a clothesline. Marufuji dumps him to the outside for a whip into the rail, and he chokes his challenger on the post, before suplexing him on the apron. Liger beats the count in, so Marufuji covers for two, then whips him into the ropes for a jumping backelbow. Marufuji uses an inverted surfboard, followed by a cravat, working the neck. Curbstomp gets him two, so he drapes Liger on the ropes to try a charge, but the challenger blocks with a palm strike. To the outside, Jushin powerbombs him on the floor, and he adds a brainbuster out there for good measure. Marufuji narrowly beats the count, so Liger welcomes him in with a corner clothesline, and delivers a running powerbomb for two. Flying splash gets two, but Marufuji blocks a brainbuster, so Liger goes to a victory cradle for two instead. Crucifix gets two, so Marufuji dropkicks him to the outside to buy time, and the champion dives with a dropkick suicida. Pretty cool spot there, almost like a violent Olympic high jumper. Liger beats the count, so Marufuji nails him with a strike for two, and a corner backelbow sets up a seated dropkick. Superkick gets the champion two, so he tries sliced bread, but Liger blocks. Jushin with a pair of brainbusters for two, and a Thesz press is worth two. Bridging German suplex gets two, so Liger takes him up for a superplex, but Marufuji counters with a sliced bread variation that leaves both men down. Marufuji is up first, but Liger blocks an attack with a koppou kick for two. Suplex, but Marufuji counters with a neckbreaker variation for two. Sliced bread gets two, and a tiger slam finishes at 19:34. ***

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask v Taka Michinoku and Taichi: From NJPW Dominion, June 16 2012 in Osaka. This is a tournament final for the vacant title, and Yoshihiro Yamazaki is playing Tiger Mask here. So weird to see Taka looking like an older guy after watching a bunch of his fresh faced 1997 stuff recently. He and Taichi stall on the outside, so Liger and Tiger drag them in, and we get Tiger unloading kicks on Taka to start. I'm not loving Liger's all white outfit tonight, it's off putting. He tags in to try a superplex on Taka, but Taichi comes in to block it, and he tries ripping off the mask, but can't get it, so he settles for bootchoking Jushin in the corner instead. They work Liger over, but he fights Taichi off with a suplex, and passes to Tiger. Tiger with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a sitout powerbomb for two, so Taka hustles in with a bicycle kick, before legally tagging in to throw a shining wizard for two. An attempt at a double team with Taichi ends in the referee getting bumped, and they continue doubling up until Liger comes in to assist. Jushin gets dumped to the outside, however, and Taichi beats him with a chair for his efforts. Inside, Taichi rips off bits of the mask again - only to go too far, and expose Kishin Liger! Liger bellows red mist into both of their heel faces, and with the beast awakened, it's time to get the tables! He whips Taichi into one in the corner, but misses an attempt to stab him in the face with a spike, so he settles for powerbombing his ass through the table instead. He then beats Taka with the remnants of the table, and Tiger dives with a missile dropkick to set up a standing moonsault. Bridging tiger suplex finishes at 9:20. It's always fun to see Kishin come out to play. * ½

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: KUSHIDA v Jushin Thunder Liger: NJPW Wrestling Dontaku, May 3 2016 in Fukuoka, Japan. They feel each other out to start, dominated by Liger. He gets the champ in the surfboard, but KUSHIDA escapes, and puts Jushin down with a series of strikes. Liger tries a tilt-a-whirl, which KUSHIDA blocks, but he jams his knee in the process. Jushin shows no mercy with a dropkick to the leg, and he dumps KUSHIDA to the outside to bash the part into the rail and post. Liger drags him into the aisle for a brainbuster on the exposed concrete, but KUSHIDA fights to beat the count, hobbling. Liger welcomes him in with a corner clothesline, and a running sitout powerbomb is worth two. Nonchalant cover by the challenger there. He takes KUSHIDA upstairs for a rana off the top, but the champ rolls through for two, and fights Liger off with strikes. Handspring backelbow sets up a standing moonsault for two, so he tries a flying version, but lands on Liger's knees. Liger immediately capitalizes with a keylock, but KUSHIDA manages a counter to a cross-armbreaker. Liger rolls it into the ropes, but KUSHIDA stays on the arm after the break, as I wonder if Liger ever washes that fake hair that's part of his mask. Because it looks like it's almost ready to dread at this point. Jushin fights off another submission by going to an anklelock, then down into a kneebar when KUSHIDA tries for the ropes. KUSHIDA still manages the ropes, and his corner man tries to check the leg, but Liger kicks him away. Liger with a kneebreaker and a koppou kick, followed by a Thesz press for two. Much more careful pin attempt there this time, as clearly Liger is taking this kid seriously now. Palm strike gets two, and a brainbuster is worth two. Reversal sequence allows KUSHIDA to hook a keylock, and Liger taps at 14:33. Liger playing the old gunslinger that slowly gains respect for the new hotshot kid was good storytelling, and even at age fifty one he could still go between the ropes. The finish felt a little flat, though. *** ¼

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Taiji Ishimori v Jushin Thunder Liger: From the NJPW 47th Anniversary Show, March 6 2019 in Tokyo. Liger gets him down for a Mexican surfboard very quickly, but Ishimori topples him for two, and both guys back off. Liger gets him in a keylock during the next exchange, and it's so weird seeing people in the crowd wearing face masks a year early. And even then half of the people are wearing them on their chins, like idiots. Liger keeps putting him through the wringer with various submissions, but Ishimori hangs on, and whips his challenger into the rail when they spill to the outside. Inside, Ishimori works a cravat, but Liger escapes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, so Ishimori bails. Liger is on him with a baseball slide and a somersault senton from the apron, followed by a brainbuster in the aisle that leaves Ishimori on dream street. He beats the count, so Liger welcomes him in with a clothesline, and takes him upstairs with a rana for two. Powerbomb, but Ishimori counters with a DDT on the way down, and he uses a springboard flying seated senton to knock Jushin to the outside. Ishimori dives with a springboard moonsault press, and he takes Liger in with a faceblower for two. Liger fights back with a musclebuster, but Ishimori blocks the palm strike, so Jushin uses a sitout powerbomb for two instead. Brainbuster, but Ishimori blocks, so Liger has to settle for a suplex instead. Koppou kick, but Ishimori blocks that as well, and traps his challenger in a crippler crossface! Liger makes the ropes, so Ishimori drills him with a clothesline for two, but a big charge is met with a cradle from Liger for two. Thesz press gets two, but an attempt at a tilt-a-whirl backfires when Ishimori counters to another crippler crossface - Liger tapping at 15:40. Good action here, and I especially liked how close they were able to time the near falls. Some of them were real 2.9999 perfection. ***

 

Jushin Thunder Liger v Minoru Suzuki: From NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling, October 14 2019 in Tokyo. Liger gives him a free shot to start, but it backfires when Suzuki gets him in a keylock. Liger makes the ropes, so now Suzuki offers him a free shot, and nearly manages to get the better of Jushin anyway, before ending up trapped in a triangle choke, and needing the ropes to escape. Liger quickly stays on him with a dropkick to put him on the outside, and Suzuki takes a whip into the rail out there - fuming all the while. Liger adds a second one, and he grabs a chair, but while he's wrestling the referee over it, Suzuki is able to recover with a big boot. He sends Jushin into the rail before beating him with said chair, and he goes for the mask, taunting Liger. Liger fights him off long enough to save the mask, but still ends up getting pounded down, and Suzuki goes for the arm as they head back inside. Suzuki with a corner whip to set up a corner big boot, but another big boot ends in him getting his leg caught, and Liger clotheslines him down. Suzuki no-sells, so Liger nails him with a koppou kick, but the brainbuster gets countered into a sleeper. Liger drops like a sack of potatoes, so Suzuki releases to go for the pin, but Liger is ready with a submission when he does. Jushin wrenches the rings of saturn on him, but Suzuki makes the ropes to escape, so Liger starts abusing the arm. He does some damage, but goes to the well once too often, and Suzuki is able to trap him in a sleeper. He uses it as a wear down to set up a package piledriver, but Liger backdrops his way out of trouble, and lands a Thesz press for two. Brainbuster gets two, so he goes for the big palm strike, but Suzuki blocks with a dropkick. Suzuki slaps him around for good measure, but that just fires Liger up, and he responds in kinds - Suzuki welcoming the assault. Liger runs out of gas, but Suzuki encourages him to find a second wind. Liger readies more blows, but Suzuki just keeps taking them, until finally returning fire with a forearm - dropping the spent Jushin with just one. Liger gets back to his feet to try chops, but Suzuki absorbs those as well, and this time lands the package piledriver at 17:19. Afterwards, Suzuki grabs a chair to finish the job, but instead drops to his knees in a deep bow, showing Liger major respect. This was a really interesting match, as you've got two guys over the age of fifty, and while maybe they can't go in the ring quite as they once could, they made such great use of psychology and storytelling that their age wasn't even noticeable. ** ¾