NJPW Fighting Spirit ’94, Tokyo, Japan
This is a special non-title feature attraction at Ryogoku Kokugikan, with IWGP champion Hashimoto facing the great Tenryu.
There’s a good buzz here, as you’d imagine there would be. Tenryu is stoic in the corner for introductions, Hashimoto pumps his fist once and bows toward the veteran, but is all business himself.
Both are tentative to start, very cautious about getting into range with the other man, each shooting a leg kick from distance before locking up the first time. The first real shot thrown is a chop in the corner from Tenryu, and it’s just a single blow. It definitely registers for Hashimoto, but he stares Tenryu down, too, and comes back with a couple kicks to the leg that Tenryu stares at. These men love to stare.
Hashimoto starts an exchange but Tenryu finishes it with one right hand and a chop that floors the big guy. But Hash will not be deterred, drilling Tenryu with a series of kicks. I shit you not I seen a fella on the intranet say Hashimoto did not throw good kicks because he lacked mobility. You can just get on here and say anything, as I have repeatedly proven.
Tenryu is also first throwing the first real shot that isn’t just a strike, hitting a vertical suplay, which leads to a run of offense for Tenryu after a moment on the mat, including a flying elbow from the second rope and a clothesline, which Hashimoto shrugs off before absolutely RIPPING him to the breadbasket with a kick, and Tenryu is hurt bad, folded up on the mat. The referee tries to hold Hash back from assaulting the downed man, but then Tenryu springs up and unloads on Hashimoto, bloodying his nose with palm strikes and kicks.
And then when Tiger Hattori tries to hold Tenryu back, Hashimoto springs to life and enzuigiris over Tiger into the side of Tenryu’s head. We’re now getting into this breaking down into a true war, a lot of fierce anger coming from both men and Hattori trying to keep them sportsmanlike.
Hashimoto just destroys Tenryu with kicks until Genichiro slumps down in the corner. When he comes out, Hash catches him with the spinning heel kick. If only he had more MOBILITY!
After a DDT both are down, Tenryu from the assault, and Hashimoto from the energy expended delivering the assault, plus the effects from earlier. They get up slowly and trade kicks, both down again but Tenryu with the chance to take over once more, and he does with an enzuigiri, trying to also slap himself back awake before a power bomb, but his neck and head are bothering him, clearly.
Crowd chanting big for Hashimoto as Tenryu continues laying on the pressure. Hash blocks a DDT attempt by just throwing Tenryu down hard, then hitting a DDT of his own. Tenryu comes back with another power bomb for a two count and the crowd is really into it now, just fired up.
Tenryu with slaps and a missed left, then Hash throws him over with a belly-to-belly, following up with a high kick to the skull and a running DDT for the win.
There are zero frills with this match, it’s just a good old fashioned slugfest between two guys who did “good old fashioned slugfest” about as well as anyone. The increasing crowd reaction is a testament to them building the drama without resorting to really any melodrama whatsoever. Might not be as great for a younger viewer — which I’m not saying in a shitty way, we all have what we grew up on with wrestling and that tends to be what we lean into — but I loved it.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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