90s New Japan Heavyweights (part 6)

Rick Rude v Kensuke Sasaki (New Japan, 8/11/92)

This was very much a Rick Rude match in 1992; the kind of thing you could easily see him work against Ron Simmons on a Clash of the Champions or Brad Armstrong on Saturday Night. It meant there was some stuff that didn't totally click -- it probably went too long, was a bit too methodical (or slow, if you like) for Sasaki's strengths, and because Rude was clearly leading the whole thing there were moments where Sasaki looked a wee bit lost, like he wasn't really sure how to follow up or what Rude wanted him to do so he'd just go to the stomps. It meant there was some real fun stuff too, though. Rude never toned down his act at all and the crowd tore into him for it, booing his flexing and any time he'd rake the eyes as a cutoff. He took two atomic drops - one inverted - and so we got a couple all-time atomic drop sells, which of course the crowd ate up because they're human after all and how could anybody not? Sasaki worked over the back and even if the back work itself was fairly bog standard, Rude sold it pretty well for the most part. Sasaki got to throw him around a little and the crowd dug that as Rude made the obvious point of being stronger earlier on. The whole thing probably would've come off better if it was worked exactly the same in front of a US crowd, but for what it was it was alright. If they upped the pace and cut a chunk of time it could've been super fun.