YOUNG DRAGONS CUP HIGHLIGHTS! All of your undercard favorites are here, ripping it up in Mexico and embracing lucha libre fun. The tournament package includes: first TV footage ever of a young Ryo Saito in action, Susumu and Kanda trying their hand at heel work for the first time and obscure IWRG dudes with sweet masks. Also: armdrags. A whole lot of armdrags.
Yasushi Kanda vs. Ryo Saito – Young Dragon Cup (Finals)
How wild is it that Ultimo got all of the local lucha guys to put his kids over in this tournament? As much as I admire the gutsiness of this approach, the lack of hometown guy made for a flat final with a pretty quiet crowd. Young Ryo had the crowd going with a couple of fun lucha high spots and a big dive, but the very Japanese and near-fall heavy structure they went for wasn’t exactly the best fit for a lucha libre crowd. That being said, Saito was already showing big time potential here, popping the C-MAX lads on commentary with his judo throw and monstrous overhead suplex. Kanda and Susumu officially went full heel after the match, rampaging through the tournament coronation and cutting an angsty promo afterwards. **1/4
El Hijo Del Santo, Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi vs. Blue Panther, Kenichiro Arai & Bombero Infernal
Can’t imagine how nerve-wracking it must’ve been for the Toryumon kids to go out there and mix it up with bonafide legends like Santo and Panther. Match took a while to get going despite only lasting 7 minutes, but once it did it was good stuff. Insane heat for the Santo/Panther interactions and ridiculously-great looking offense from Santo, what with the Manami Toyota-style rolling sunset-flip and fearless tope right in the front row. Dragon Kid got over huge for the finish, popping the crowd with all of his wild rana variants. **1/2
Magnum TOKYO vs. CIMA
And back to Japan we go – live from the claustrophobic yet extremely appetizing CHICKEN GEORGE in Kobe. Talk about puzzling card placement here: why are the two company aces going to a 15 minutes draw in the middle of this card? About two thirds of the match shown and it was pretty fascinating: total inversion of the earlier dynamic between these guys with CIMA getting insane babyface heat from the crowd and Magnum adapting by switching to a more heelish aggressor role and beating the hell out of the C-MAX leader. I suspect these two were still getting used to Chicken George’s smaller ring, because some of the execution wasn’t as sharp as usual, but they more than made up for that with intensity and drama. There was no turning back for Crazy MAX at this point: the crowd loved them way too much and they couldn’t operate as straight heels anymore. ***1/4
SAITO vs. Daiyu Kawauchi
If you know who Daiyu Kawauchi is, you are a true connoisseur of the Japanese indie sleaze. This dude hailed from Pro Wrestling KAGEKI, home of legendary Jushin Liger knockoff superstar Azteca. He would work various gimmicks throughout his illustrious career: namely Hideyoshi in Osaka Pro and most recently Genkai in Kyushu Pro. Kawauchi was a good foil for SAITO here, providing the hurty power offense for SAITO to bounce back from with his bland but efficient lucha babyface technique. Dug the new variation on the SAITO Special #5 for the finish. **1/2
Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Sumo Dandy Fuji
Not even the dumb ‘’Is MAKOTO with Crazy MAX!?’’ storyline could stop this match from delivering. Mochi’s wild hybrid of deadly kicks and high speed junior style was probably the coolest thing in wrestling at this point in time. So much quality offense from him in this match: the Tiger Feint into springboard enzuigiri, a springboard double stomp 15 years before the foot stomp craze hit the US indie scene and a sweet bridging underhook suplex. CIMA audibly recoiling from all the loud kick sounds on commentary was the icing on the cake. Some of Fuji’s cheating heel antics were a little flat back then, but the man was game enough to receive all of Mochi’s hardest shots and for that I must thank him. Things got a little screwy for the finish, but everything that led up to it was good stuff. Dandy’s 2nd-rope Nodowa Elbow looked freaking massive. ***
TARU vs. MAKOTO
There you have it, folks. The culimination of the MAKOTO/Crazy MAX saga. About half of the match was shown and it was fine, although a bit ‘’your move-my move’’. TARU’s 2nd-rope Moonsault was a thing of beauty and MAKOTO’s botched Vampire Scissors less so. This entire angle’s saving grace lied in the post-match promo. Sumo Fuji taking MAKOTO’s side due to his interference in the Mochi match and pleading for his inclusion in Crazy MAX was the first time this storyline felt actually compelling. TARU’s reluctant handshake and the CIMA announcement that MAKOTO would be on the C-MAX trio at the next Korakuen really sold this thing. Vampire boy still doesn’t feel like a good fid fit for the group, but at least now it seems like a story is being told. **1/4
Captain Lou’s 1999 Toryumon Japan Top 10
1. Magnum TOKYO vs. Great Sasuke – NWA Welterweight title (2/7/99)
2. Kenichiro Arai vs. Yasushi Kanda (9/14/99)
3. Magnum TOKYO vs. Shiima Nobunaga – IWRG IC Welterweight Title (2/5/99)
4. Genki Horiguchi vs. Susumu Mochizuki (9/14/99)
5. Magnum TOKYO vs. TARU (9/14/99)
6. Dragon Kid vs. Judo Suwa – NWA World Welterweight Title (4/25/99)
7. Magnum TOKYO, Dragon Kid & SAITO vs. Shiima Nobunaga, Sumo Fuji & Judo Suwa – Elimination Match (1/31/99)
8. Magnum TOKYO, Great Sasuke, Tiger Mask & Kenichiro Arai vs. Shiima Nobunaga, Sumo Fuji, TARU & Sasuke The Great (7/11/99)
9. Magnum TOKYO vs. Shiima Nobunaga (12/8/99)
10. Genki Horiguchi vs. Yasushi Kanda (7/4/99)
