Jushin 'Thunder' Liger vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup 1994) Review

Jushin 'Thunder' Liger vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup 1994)

Been in a Liger mood lately. He's one of my favourites and this match was one of the first matches of his I checked out years ago, think one of the Sano matches was the other one, and I was instantly hooked. This match is one of his best and one of the greatest of it's kind. It's been too long since I have last seen it, so decided to dig it out. This whole event is one of the greatest of all time. With a wonderful Sasuke/El Samurai match, then the utterly fantastic finals between Sasuke/Benoit.

They square off first as the ref gets the rules going.

You can already sense this is going to be great. It's one of those matches that you only have to look at the two and you already know you want to see it.

They start off slowly, as they square up to each other and Sasuke starts moving around and circling Liger. They finally lock up and they both fight to try and gain control, both trying to lock in submissions and takedowns. Eventually, they both escape and it's back to a stand off. Liger puts on a reverse surfboard but Sasuke grabs the arm to escape and keeps Liger in an armbar. They quickly both trade mat submissions as Liger tries to hook the leg and Sasuke tries to keep at the arm. Liger puts on a sort of half surfboard as Sasuke screams in agony as Liger attempts to get him fully in the move. Which after a brief struggle, he does.

I do love a surfboard

Liger hasn't only got a normal surfboard on though, he also cranks that up even more by keeping Sasuke in the hold and hooking a dragon sleeper on top of it.

OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH. It's fucking wonderful, though.

Liger then picks Sasuke up, whips him off the ropes and plants him with a viscous spinning backbreaker, goes for immediately the cover and gets the first two count of the match. Liger is already punishing Sasuke, as he puts him into a camel clutch to really crank the pressure up. Liger just yanks back at his neck and back and really sticks it to Sasuke. He releases the hold and just drops a big elbow, right onto the back of Sasuke. As soon as Sasuke stands back up, Liger hits him with a rolling Liger kick straight to the head.

Sasuke in real trouble already here as he's flat on his back on the mat as the ref is checking if he's still, well alive TBH. Sasuke is down for a bit here, either he is legit hurt or he's selling fantastically. Liger wastes no time in pounding him with a big right hand the second Sasuke is even half back to his feet.

Liger is starting to go into full on fucking dick heel mode, here.

Again, Sasuke is flat on the mat as the ref again checks if he's still on this planet. Sasuke is once again barely back to his damn feet and Liger just nails him with a jumping tombstone.

Does Liger go for a pin, here? No he does not, he puts Sasuke in a nasty cross face chicken wing. Liger is fucking bending Sasuke backwards here and really punishing him and not holding back as he cranks that fucker in further. He eventually releases the hold as Sasuke is left writhing in agony as his arm is torn to shreds. Liger though doesn't really give a shit, as he grabs that arm and starts working on it. He gives Sasuke TWO painful arm breakers. Liger just goes again straight for the arm and rolls Sasuke over into an armbar, and seemingly tries to RIP HIS FUCKING ARM OFF by the looks of it.

I'm surprised Sasuke's arm is still connected at this point. Liger just won't let go of that arm as he continues to punish poor Sasuke. Liger then plants both his legs over Sasuke's arm and just starts pulling at it, IT'S STILL IN IT'S SOCKET SOMEHOW. Sasuke's arm hanging off by a fucking shred here. Liger does let up...........for about one second, as he gets Sasuke up, twists him arm loose and delivers a heavy back suplex.

Sasuke is fucking dead here and Liger goes over and gives him a very sarcastic slap to the face. Jushin really is a dick, here.

He lifts Sasuke up and plants him back down with a powerslam, before climbing up to the top turnbuckle. He jumps off the ropes with a dropkick, but Sasuke somehow manages to get up, and also hits one at the exact same time.

Finally, some rest bite and relief for Sasuke.

Liger rolls out the ring as Sasuke gets on the apron, gives him a kick, and hits him with a

MASSIVE ASAI MOONSAULT

Crowd popped big for this.

After all the shit Liger has done to him so far, this may finally be the time Sssuke gets some of his own shit in.

Both on the floor in agony now, esp Sasuke, who is obviously still clutching at his arm. Sasuke gets back in the ring first, as Liger struggles to get back onto the ring apron. As he does, Sasuke goes straight over and attempts to suplex Liger back into the ring. But this is blocked and they both struggle to suplex each other. In the end, Sasuke says 'fuck this', and sends Liger's head into the ringpost. Sasuke follows this up with a

BEAUTIFUL SOMERSAULT PLANCHA

Now Liger is the one that is just flat dead on his face. Sasuke is also feeling the effects of this and starts grabbing his hip. Sasuke gets back into the ring first again, as Liger just about rolls back in himself. As he does, Sasuke starts hitting him with some big jumping knees. He sends Liger off the ropes and hits him with a spinning wheel kick. He covers Liger, but only gets a 2 count. He plants Liger back down with a piledriver for another 2 count. He picks Liger up and delivers a great 'Razors Edge' type powerbomb and gets a VERY CLOSE 2 COUNT NEARFALL.

WOW

I just love Liger's selling of this. He's flat on his face on the mat and looks to be having some sort of attack. Visually, it's something.

Sasuke is now caring even less as he plants Liger with a double leg drop right on the back of his head. He hits Liger with another piledriver and climbs up to the top turnbuckle. He misses with a Senton attempt, runs straight off the ropes, tries to hit Liger with a clothesline, who ducks and hits Sasuke with one of his own. A quite brilliant transition.

Liger goes straight for the cover but only gets a 2. He picks Sasuke up and hits with a

HUGE ASS LIGER BOMB

This gets another VERY CLOSE 2 COUNT NEARFALL. Crowd are really lapping this up.

Liger sits Sasuke on top of the turnbuckle and hits him with a Rana for a close 2 count but Sasuke immediately reverses this into a nearfall of his own. Just another wonderful transition spot.

Liger starts giving the ref some stick about his own pin count. The now pissed off Liger as he sends Sasuke across the ring with a release german suplex and goes for another cover.

1,2.....................................2.9/ Sasuke again finds the resiliency to kick out.

Liger throws Sasuke off the ropes, kicks him in the gut, and hits with a Fisherman's Buster.

1,2.......................................2.9 again!!!!!!! this gets a big pop from the crowd.

Liger then picks Sasuke up, drags him over to the ropes, and suplexes him straight onto the outside. He gets onto the top turnbuckle and follows it up with a cross body splash onto Sasuke. Liger gets back in the ring and as soon as Sasuke gets himself back on the apron, is hit with another rolling Liger kick. Liger then gives a hand signal to suggest “That is it”.

Sasuke then jumps onto the top rope........................but botches a springboard dropkick

But Liger's reaction to this is FUCKING PRICELESS

THAT IS IMPROVISATION AT IT'S BEST. Some may have just stood there and wondered 'duh, what do I do now' but he turned it into an awesome spot.

Liger starts showing off to the crowd but is suddenly hit with a Rana from Sasuke, straight into a pin.

1,2...................................3 SASUKE GETS THE WIN

Crowd go fucking NUTS.

A million :applause to Sasuke

Think I need a lie down after this. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Liger very graciously congratulates Sasuke on a monumental effort, survival and win. There's even a bloke in the crowd, crying :proud

As Taka Michinoku helps Sasuke down the isle.

No idea where to even start with this FUCKING MASTERPEICE OF WRESTLING. Liger was esp off the walls great. His targeting offense was perfect and he acted as a dickish heel throughout in taking Sasuke apart. Sasuke deserves so much credit too. He got the living shit beat out of him, but no matter what Liger hit him with, and he hit hi with almost everything, he kept kicking out and coming back and the crowd were right behind him.

The botch at the end was very unfortunate and was pretty much the only glitch of the match, but you know what? Liger turned that right around and into a positive with his wonderful Improvised mocking of Sasuke. I mean if it was more subtle, the botch could have been made into a deliberate act it was covered up that well by Liger and the finish was still a very satisfying one with Sasuke getting the win after all the shit he took in this match.

Sasuke came out of this looking like the epitome of an underdog and was put over so superbly by Liger and was a great way to for him to win and go onto the final. Liger just destroyed Sasuke's arm and went straight into heel mode, making sure to get Sasuke over as the biggest sympathetic babyface he could and it worked like a charm.

Seriously, I cannot recommend this match highly enough. It's as near of a perfect wrestling match as you are going to get. I don't give a shit about the botched finish TBH, as they made it work and didn't make the match any less great.

WATCH THIS SHIT NOW

Andre the Giant vs. Stan Hansen (NJPW 9/23/81) Review

Andre the Giant vs. Stan Hansen (NJPW 9/23/81)

Well this'll be fun. If you wished to show someone what Andre could do in a setting like this, then show them this match. It's him and a big, hard bastard in Mr. Stan Hansen, going balls to the wall to kick the living shit out of one another........and it's fucking GLORIOUS.

Hansen is the babyface here so it's pitted like the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. So here we go.

Andre barley gets in the ring when Hansen just goes straight after him lol, but Andre gives him a swift kick to the gut. He follows this up with a couple of strikes and a headbutt, before Stan takes charge with some big elbows. Crowd is hot for this and for Hansen, already. He whips Andre into the corner, but Andre gives him a big bot to the face, which topples Hansen right over. He's selling it like “What the fuck was that, where am i”

Andre then puts him in a bear hug, whilst Stan tries to break free with some clubbing blows to his back, but Andre has got those arms wrapped around tight and won't let go. Hansen then gives him a walloping right arm and it knocks them both onto the mat, together. Stan delivers a couple of more punches before Andre puts him in a armbar and takes it to the mat. Crowd is loud and chanting for Hansen, as Andre tells them to “Shut up”. He gets up off Hansen and stomps on his hand, before trash talking the crowd some more. This allows Stan to get back up and gives Andre one hell of a big chop

Andre gives him a headbutt, before going back to work on the arm. He whips Hansen into the corner and runs at him, shoulder first, but misses and topples onto the apron. This gives Stand the opportunity to start stomping the shit out of Andre. He tries to then lift Andre for a bodyslam, for which both the crowd and the commentators are going wild for, but Andre blocks it and goes back to Hansen's arm.

Andre continues to twist the arm in a sort of Kimura type lock. Hansen starts to try and break out of it by clubbing Andre's legs with some big right hands. There is a slight break, but Andre goes right back to the arm. Stan is in agony as Andre is literally twisting his arm and his wrist, but he gets a hold of Andre's hair, who screams like a wild beast

Andre gets up and once again, targets the arm, but Stan keeps punching the stomach of Andre with big fists to try and finally break free. Andre delivers a great Suplex-Slam onto Stan, and then goes for a big Headbutt, but Hansen moves out of the way, so Andre suddenly has to put the brakes on.

Andre gives him a big right hook to the back, before applying a chinlock, with a really aggressive expression on his face I have to say. Hansen tries to grab a piece of Andre;'s hair again to break the hold, but Andre swats him away and gives him a big club to the midriff, before using his big legs to apply a big squat on Hansen's back. He whips Stan against the ropes, but Hansen kicks him in the face and delivers a BIG ASS BODY SLAM HEARD AROUND THE WORLD

Crowd and commentators alike are fucking loving this. Stan then gets to work on Andre's back with some kicks and big forearms. He then puts on the Camel-Clutch to try and inflict more pain to the back area. Andre gets out of it, but Hansen just gives him a stiff arm to the back of the head and starts stomping the back of his head with some big knee strikes. They both eventually roll onto the outside and just start beating the shit out of each other. Just big fucking clubs, they both takes turns in ramming each other's heads into the post and apron respectively. Then the bell suddenly rings, can't be a count out yet, so I think the ref has had enough of them wailing on each other?

Hansen gets in the ring and is like “What the fuck happened”, and signals, asking the cord if they want more of this. Yes we fucking do, please. Andre gets back in the ring and starts politely asking the ref for an explanation

DRAMA

Both of these two big bastards just want to continue and fight. Stan is like “Let's fucking get this thing on again”, and is more than ready to carry on trying to beat the shit out of Andre. Andre is grabbing the ref and an official and seems to tell the ref  to 'Get this other fucker to get this match started again'. Eventually it is announced that the match would be restarted, for which the crowd go fucking NUTS for. Andre waives the officials to gets out the ring, and Hansen takes this opening to go right after him with big forearms and a bloody HIP TOSS!!! Which rather hilariously knocks the ref down for a moment

Hansen just keeps giving Andre big strikes and knees and one of these sends Andre into the ropes, which he ends up getting caught in. Stan is overjoyed by this and knows he's got him right where he wants him. He just starts to punch the shit out of him, before Andre breaks free and reveres it, putting Hansen in the ropes and giving him one hell of a big chop to the chest. It was that fucking big, it even knocked Andre off his feet. Andre gives a great bad guy “HA, HA HA HA”, before giving Hansen a headbutt. Andre then seems to remove the turn-buckle and tries to ram Stan's head into, but he reverses it and it's Andre's head that connects.

This knocks Andre half way across the ring. Stan then goes for a drop elbow, but Andre moves and quite ingeniously, puts him straight into an armbar. I'm sure Hansen is probably saying at this point “Not that fucking arm again”. He then grabs Stan's arms from behind and starts stretching him and giving him a big headbutt. He eventually picks him into a bodyslam and throws Hansen across the ring. He goes for a big splash, but misses, and Hansen tries for a flying elbow, but also ends up missing.

FUCK THIS HAS BEEN A BATTLE

Andre whips Hansen into the ropes, but Hansen ducks and delivers a LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which sends Andre flying out of the ring. Andre gets back in the ring and the ref tries to then separate them both and tell Andre to back off

What the hell are you doing, you got a fucking death wish, Son? Andre is obviously having none of this shit, and swats the ref away before giving him a big clothesline. As the ref lies dead on the floor, they both just continue to beat the crap out one another. A bunch of trainers end up helping the ref out, but Stan and Andre couldn't give a fuck, they just want to kill each other by now. The bell then rings, again, is this the end?? The trainers then try and again keep this two BIG HARD BASTARDS
apart, yeah wise move, lads.

One of them ends up with a big clump by Hansen

The bell ringer is going mad ringing that bell lol, but these two just won't stop, and the trainers continue to try and keep them apart. Leave them alone you insane people. Hansen then just goes 'Fuck this shit' and throws a chair in the ring, before the both finally leave the ring amid utter chaos.

Well, where does one start even trying to sum this up? Two big bastards beating the living daylights out of each other. Andre is great with his bumping here too and has some great expressions and mannerisms throughout the match. Just a wonderful spectacle that everyone who hasn't seen it, should watch it.