Shinya Hashimoto vs Jake Roberts (NJPW, 9-23-1993)

NJPW G1 Climax Special, Yokohama, Japan

Jake is in cobra phase here, and he’s full on taunting the bag with the snake in it when he arrives in the ring. He’s facing IWGP champion Hashimoto in a non-title match. Jake’s career was in a weird spot, as he’d left the WWF in 1992 for a failed stint in WCW, and 1993 was a get-around year for him. He did a tour in Australia wrestling Jim Neidhart, a tour in Germany wrestling Greg Valentine and Rick Martel, wound up down in Texas, then AAA in Mexico, then over for a New Japan tour in September, ending the year back in Mexico. He worked some spot shows in the U.S. here and there, too.

I noticed this looking at Jake’s Cagematch a while back, and then Segunda Caida posted about this match and linked to the video, which stuck out big to me reading Roberts’ match history. I’m a big Hashimoto fan and a big Roberts fan, but I wouldn’t call this a dream match or anything, because the styles, on paper, clash in a bad bad bad way. So let’s see what we get.

Jake is all smiles before the bell while his cobra writhes around in the bag in his corner. It’s genuinely intimidating. Roberts is a big guy, listed at 6’5″ and looking every actual inch of it, so he’s taller and in some ways bigger than Hashimoto, an asskicker hoss.

Jake starts with a wristlock, Hash reverses it and Jake scrambles for the ropes. Roberts smiles and puts one hand behind his back, showing his “good intentions.” Jake goes for a C&E, Hashimoto dips low with a single leg takedown. Roberts kicks him away from the mat.

C&E now, Roberts pushes Hash to the corner and delivers a couple back elbows, no clean break. Right hand from Roberts. Hash reverses a whip to the corner, and Jake climbs up to the second rope and shakes his finger to the crowd, only to turn around into a hiptoss and a front facelock, scrambling quickly for the ropes again.

Jake doesn’t speak the language, but he speaks body language and signals, and threatens to shove the cobra down Hashimoto’s pants, then gives him the ol’ F-U. Knuckle lock, they battle in that and Roberts uses his height to get the leverage. Hashimoto trying to power up, Roberts kicks him in the gut and throws a right hand, then goes for the DDT. Hashimoto is the one getting to the ropes this time, and from there he shakes his finger at Jake.

Roberts, frustrated, perhaps shown up a hair, kicks the bottom rope before getting back to action. Roberts squares up, Hashimoto ready to trade, Jake backs down. Hashimoto with kicks to the knee and Roberts goes down. Elbowdrop into the knee and Hashimoto holds onto the leg. Headscissors counter from Roberts, and he slams his calf down over Hashimoto’s nose.

Right hand from Jake, jab, jab, right hand, Hash goes down. Kneedrop from Roberts, a measured shot, and he grinds the knee over Hashimoto’s throat. Another kneedrop. Chinlock from Jake. Hashimoto pulls the hair trying to break the hold, and hits a stunner to counter out. Hashimoto with a kick to the back, but Jake gets the ropes and holds his ground as Hash tries to bring him back to his feet.

Roberts in the corner holding his jaw after the stunner. Hash squared up to fight, but they go to a C&E. Hammerlock from Hashimoto, Jake strikes out and goes for the DDT again, only for Hash to get the rope. Frustrated Jake shows his emotions. Roberts offers a handshake, but Hashimoto kicks it away. C&E, Jake to a side headlock, Hash sends him off the ropes, they collide and nobody budges. Roberts off the ropes, leapfrogs over Hashimoto, and goes down clutching his knee.

Hashimoto targets the knee for a moment but the referee steps in. Roberts still down, writhing in pain, Hashimoto stomps him to the back. Jake has the referee convinced, anyway. Hashimoto just doesn’t care. Roberts in the corner, begging for a timeout. The crowd reacts a little to that, then Jake pulls himself up with the ropes and attacks Hashimoto from behind.

Short-arm clothesline from Jake, then he hits the DDT! He does some jumping jacks to make clear to anyone still wondering that his knee is, in fact, just peachy fine. Roberts covers after a delay, but Hashimoto kicks out. Jake did a lazy cover, but he still can’t believe it, and part of the crowd reacts with some amazement, too.

Hashimoto rolled out to the floor. Roberts would be perfectly happy to take a countout win. Actually, instead he goes over to his corner and looks to take the snake out, but the referee catches him. Roberts stretches Hashimoto backwards over the top rope, then snaps the neck a little.

Roberts has him back inside and hits an inverted atomic drop. Cover, two. Hash sent off the ropes, Roberts clotheslines him down and plays to the crowd again. Roberts with another delayed cover and another two count. He’s trying to hold Hash down by the wrists, but Hashimoto powers up. Jake kicks him in the gut, then delivers another right hand.

Hash whipped to the corner, but moves on Jake’s charge. Hashimoto with a series of kicks to drop Roberts to the canvas. Roberts with a side headlock and a quick shot to the head, then a running bulldog. Hashimoto catches him with an enzuigiri, hits the ropes, and hits the spinning heel kick — 1, 2, 3!

After the match, Jake attacks Hash from behind and pulls the white cobra out of the bag, then basically tries to stab Hashimoto with it. Hash bails the fuck out of the ring leaving Roberts and the snake to play to the crowd. Jake feigns throwing the poor snake into the crowd. Then he kicks the fucking thing out of the ring and the commentators lose their minds with the snake on the floor for a moment until Jake picks it back up again.

Rating: 4/5. Please remember these are not star ratings of the traditional sort. That said, kind of a weak finish, because what was Jake gonna do, take a crazy bump on his skull or something? But otherwise a truly fascinating watch, a great novelty of both men’s careers, and I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of either of them. Roberts worked a grand total of seven matches in Japan in his career, counting one at the Wrestling Summit in 1990 where he just wrestled the Big Boss Man, so it’s a true rarity to see him in action over there. These styles could easily have made for a terrible match, but they worked it in a way that took advantage of Roberts’ strengths without totally sacrificing what makes Hashimoto effective, either. It’s certainly more a Jake match than a Hash match, but it rules either way. Total novelty but a good one.