Another 1986 New Japan entry

Dick Murdoch v Akira Maeda (New Japan, 4/25/86)

These two had a match in '87 that I remember not a thing about now but apparently was good based on what I wrote about it last year. This is the kind of thing you look at and go "I bet this is a fun styles clash." Sure enough it was. I thought it was pretty great, even. Murdoch's grappling convinces me that stylistically he'd have been an amazing touring NWA champ, just really tight, fought over matwork that pretty much ruled. Striking-wise you think he'll never hang with Maeda but he sure threw some bastard elbows and punches here. These were landing right on the button. Maeda can obviously swing the tide much quicker though and threw one wheel kick that could've decapitated Murdoch and a dropkick that I thought for a second had. The striking was top drawer, basically. Maybe Murdoch could've been a shoot style megastar? Maeda targets the leg a bit down the stretch and hits one of the nasties elbow drops across the knee I've seen. Murdoch's lower leg was flat on the mat while his upper leg was off the canvas, and luckily Maeda landed it more across the shin or that would've been ACL city. And what did they even do with a torn ACL in 1986? Rub a stick of butter on it? I guess Murdoch gets DQd for chucking Maeda over the top at the end, which is to satisfying finishes as sticks of butter are to viable ACL reconstruction procedures. It looked like both of them were trying to convince the ref to restart things and I would've been down for that, but it never happened. Murdoch was so, so good. 

Yoshiaki Fujiwara v Keiichi Yamada (New Japan, 9/23/86)

This was fantastic. I probably say it after every Liger match since it's so infrequently that I actually watch him nowadays, but I guess it's easy to forget how good he was. He wasn't even three years into his career here and looked every bit the superstar he'd become. Of course it didn't hurt being in there with the master (and one of his trainers to boot). This was more shoot style than pro style, at least a 70/30 split, and while I knew Yamada was good at many things I don't remember his matwork ever being better. He was relentless going after Fujiwara, getting rejected, regrouping and coming back from a different angle. Fujiwara was almost mocking at points, chilling in one of Yamada's kneebar attempts, smirking and pointing at him like "get a load of this kid, will you?" before grabbing one of his own and forcing Yamada immediately to the ropes. I guess you had the sense that Fujiwara could end it whenever he wanted and it almost felt like he was playing with his food. Yamada gets fired up and throws some strikes so Fujiwara turns it up in response and cracks his jaw. Yamada tries to behead him with a dropkick, it ends up only being a glancing blow and I like that Fujiwara sold it exactly as that. When Yamada grabs another kneebar later and properly sinks it in it feels almost like a victory in itself that he forces Fujiwara to the ropes. Last few minutes have Yamada charging in repeatedly, getting taken down into various armbars, but being too deep in the game to try anything else. Young man will go out on his shield. Fujiwara was the best wrestler on the planet in 1986.