New Japan Pro Wrestling TV 5/24/1990 Crush the Super Heavy

New Japan Pro Wrestling TV 5/24/1990 Crush the Super Heavy

So, this is from 5/24/1990, though I don't know which date it aired on TV.

Masa Saito, Shinya Hashimoto and Koji Kitao vs Big Van Vader, Steve Williams and Bam Bam Bigelow

 

Hash = Hashimoto

We join this in progress. Vader headbutts Saito and hits strikes on him. Vader clubs his chest then Saito hits chest slaps. Vader hits another headbutt and slams him. Vader misses an elbow then Saito slams him. Hash gets in and Bam Bam headbutts him in the head and the lower back. Hash spinning heel kicks him and Bam Bam blocks his slam attempt.

Steve and Bam Bam double team Hash and Hash hits a crossbody.  Steve headscissors him then Vader comes in to slap him. Hash misses a spinning heel kick then Hash back body drops him. Hash hits chest kicks to a downed Vader and Vader kicks him in the inner leg. Vader hits a big lariat then Bam Bam misses a headbutt.

Koji gets in and hits kicks on Vader. Koji hits a lariat but Bam Bam kind of blocks it. Bam Bam headbutts him in the stomach then Steve gets in. Steve flexes and poses and they shoulder battle. Koji hits a stiff lariat that is no sold then Steve ducks a lariat, sending Koji flying. Steve suplexes him and floats over then they stand off.

Koji is thrown into the ropes and spins around then Steve splashes him. Vader armlocks Kitao then Kitao hits headbutts. Kitao hits a big slam then headlock takeovers him. Kitao throws over Bam Bam then Saito hits chest shots on him. Bam Bam hits a headbutt then Steve gets in. Masa lariats Steve out to the apron then Steve boots him in the corner. Vader beats up Saito outside and throws him back in.

Steve misses a corner charge and Hash gets in. Hash hits kicks on Steve's chest and they shove each other. Steve water wheel drops him and bangs Hash's head off Bam Bam's. Bam Bam suplexes him then drops headbutts. Vader splashes Hash for 2. then body blocks him. Hash gut kicks him in the corner then ddt's him. Saito gets in and backdrops Vader. Steve back body drops Saito then shoulders him over.

Hash hits kicks on Steve then spin kicks him in the gut. Steve suplexes him then the two lariat each other at the same time unexpectedly and go down. Saito hits chest slaps on Bam Bam then back body drops him. Bam Bam rakes the eyes and misses a corner splash before being backdropped. Vader splashes Saito in the corner then clubs Saito's chest. Saito hulks up and drops down. Vader jumps over him then lariats Koji hard on the apron. Vader then splashes Saito and gets the win.

There was some good stuff here with everyone clearly calling this on the fly and hitting stiff shots in front of hot crowd. Koji didn't know what he was doing and was turning this into a shoot by grabbing people and screwing up the flow of the match. I didn't like the one spot near the end where Vader had tagged himself in and the ref counted Steve's pin on Saito even though it wasn't legal. The finish was also really sudden and came out of nowhere. The match was good though otherwise. They kept a faster pace here minus a few sections which was impressive considering that most of this was chest slaps and basic strikes.

3 Musketeers Single 3 Match Series - Riki Choshu vs Keiji Mutoh 

The finish

Baby Mutoh. Gotta love it. Choshu backdrops him to start then plancha's him. Choshu suplexes him into the ring. Mutoh hits a spin kick and a dropkick then plancha's Choshu outside. Mutoh handspring back elbows him then does flashing elbows. Mutoh indian deathlocks him then figure fours him. Choshu boots Mutoh.

Choshu hits a back elbow then goes for the scorpion deathlock but Mutoh blocks it. Mutoh single leg crabs him out of it. Mutoh hits a bunch of rapid fire punches and Choshu lifts him in the air, hitting a water wheel drop. Choshu headscissors him.

Choshu headscissor takeovers him then Mutoh headlocks him. Choshu drops him on his knee and has his scorpion deathlock blocked again. Mutoh counters his backdrop then kicks and dropkicks him against the ropes. Mutoh misses a dropkick then hits one. Mutoh dives on him over the top and pretty much lands on the hard wood floor.

Mutoh suplexes him in. Mutoh hits a slam and a moonsault for 2. Mutoh then germans him for 2. Chono comes down to watch and Mutoh puts Choshu in an octopus. Choshu hits a big running lariat then scorpion deathlocks him. Mutoh goes to ropebreak and Choshu lets go. Choshu then puts him in it again. Choshu hits his first lariat then nails him with another for the win.

The first few minutes of this were great. It slowed down a lot during the middle and the last few minutes of this weren't great. Choshu had the sharpshooter on, let go, put it back on then hit two lariats and won it. It sounds herky jerky and it was. Mutoh was really good here. Everything he did had an extra spark to it and he had so much energy.

Overall thoughts: A good show here. Vader/Bigelow/Willims is a dream team if there ever was one and while simple, their match was hard hitting and fast paced in front of a hot crowd. Mutoh/Choshu started out great then slowed down. Mutoh was really good as the energetic and athletic face.