The Crowd’s Reflection: Super J Cup 94’ Disc 1

Super J Cup 4.16.94

My match times are estimated and not exact. I decided to delve into my DVD collection this week and go into a DVD I got from Highspots a while ago. This is a 2-disc feature on the Super J Cup. The Super J Cup tournament spanned many wrestling promotions and the winner receives the defunct WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (yes, that WWF). The champions in this tournament are not putting their titles on the line. Also, I must admit that I’m not overly familiar with every participant, so I may not know the names of their signature moves.

Dean Malenko vs. Gedo
Gedo from what little knowledge I gathered is said to be inspired by the NWA and a current booker for NJPW. He is representing WAR in this tournament. We all should know Dean Malenko and he is representing NJPW. The crowd appreciates both men cheering the introduction for both. They shake hands before the match.

Both men circle and Dean hits a dropkick. Dean continues attacking quickly and Gedo decides to retreat. Gedo reenters the ring. Gedo avoids Dean’s attacks until they lock-up. They trade go behinds and Gedo gets an arm ringer. Malenko flips out and picks the leg. Malenko continues to wrench Gedo’s leg. Gedo smartly grabs a leg of his own and transitions into an armbar. Dean fights out, but Gedo won’t let go. Malenko gets his own arm ringer. They continue trading them until Dean headscissors Gedo down. The crowd claps that. Gedo charges Malenko and double legs him. Gedo wrenches the leg. Dean slowly fights out and counters with a cross armbreaker of his own. Gedo uses his own weight to pin him. 1..2..kickout. Malenko reapplies the pressure downing him. Gedo escapes. Both men slowly recover. Gedo starts attacking until Malenko punches back. Dean gets a snap suplex and pinfall. 1..2..kickout. Malenko grounds Gedo in a chinlock half nelson variation. Dean ends up pinning him with a front-face lock. 1..2..kickout. Gedo fights to his feet and headbutts Malenko. Dean gets a stalling jackhammer. 1..2..kickout. The crowd loves that one. Malenko continues fighting back with a triangle choke. Gedo reverses that into an STF. Dean makes the ropes to break the submission. They run the ropes and run into each other. Malenko kicks him in the midsection and goes for a Tombstone. Gedo counters it and connects on his own Tombstone. Gedo goes up top and misses the diving headbutt. Dean levels him with a clothesline. 1..2..kickout. The crowd thought that was it. Malenko hits a diving crossbody. 1..2..kickout. Dean is caught in a scoop powerslam. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Gedo: @ 8:00 via pin
RATING: ***1/4
MATCH THOUGHTS: I have read reviews where some really hate Gedo. I will admit I think Malenko is the better wrestler (Malenko is one of the best of all-time), yet Gedo held his own. The match was pretty entertaining and got enough time to tell a story. The ending was abrupt and made me want more. I think Dean should have won, but I understand having a Japanese wrestler win the opening match. This remains the perfect example of an opening match, because it got the crowd going.

Super Delfin vs. Shinjiro Otani
Super Delfin would become the founder of Osaka Pro Wrestling, and is representing Michinoku Pro in this tournament. Also, Delfin is the NWA World Welterweight Champion. His opponent Shinjiro Otani is a NJPW representative and IWC favorite. Super Delfin has awesome theme music that makes me feel like I’m watching a Rocky movie. Otani has even better theme music. Again, the Japanese crowd appreciates both men. Delfin seems to be especially over.

Otani dropkicks Delfin immediately. He works the leg viciously dropping his elbow against it. Otani seems to be playing the jerk well, twisting Delfin’s leg. Otani rolls and gets a leglock. He holds the submission before releasing. Otani pulls him away from the ropes and goes back to attacking the leg. Otani gets a nice half crab! Delfin crawls to the ropes quickly. Otani works the leg masterfully. Otani runs through Delfin who ducks and hits a dropkick. The crowd comes alive for that. Delfin gets a tilt-a-whirl slam. He goes for another but Otani counters with a spinning kick. Otani connects with a spinning wheel kick. Delfin ends up falling to the outside. Otani keeps taunting Delfin from the inside. Once he is in, the attack continues. Otani stomps Delfin’s leg. Otani wrenches the leg with a standing half crab before sitting on it. Delfin desperately goes for the ropes. Otani like a true heel never releases immediately. He always attacks the leg again after releasing. The referee has to restrain Otani. Delfin gets up only to be met by leg kicks. Otani transitions that into a leglock. Delfin finally gets out and hits a belly-to-back suplex. 1..2..kickout. Delfin then lifts him in a stalling brainbuster. 1..2..kickout. Delfin goes for another suplex, but Otani counters with a dropkick. Otani then follows him to the outside with a springboard plancha. Otani doesn’t want a countout and pulls Deflin into the ring. Otani hits a beautiful missile dropkick. 1..2..kickout. Otani connects on a dropkick to the knee and leglock. Delfin gets the ropes, but Otani pulls him back off and gets the leglock. Delfin desperately fights to the ropes. Delfin and Otani start slapping each other and Delfin hits a tornado DDT. Delfin then connects with the Delfin clutch pin. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Super Delfin: @ 8:00 via pin
RATING: ***1/4
MATCH THOUGHTS: The crowd absolutely loved Super Delfin. However, I was pulling for Shinjiro Otani as the match progressed. Delfin was the weak link in this match and should have sold the leg more. Otani was an awesome heel who worked the leg perfectly. I wish heels would do that today. I wish we would have seen Otani and Malenko go at it in the next round, but the world is imperfect.

Taka Michinoku vs. Black Tiger (Eddy Guerrero)
Taka Michinoku still wrestles to this day and is barely over 40. He is representing his mentor Great Sasuke’s Michinoku Pro. Black Tiger or Eddy Guerrero as most know him is representing NJPW. This is a dream match for me, so I look forward to this one. Eddy gets a huge ovation even bigger than Taka.

Tiger and Taka lock-up. They do quick reversals and counters until Tiger gets a scoop bodyslam and tope atomico. He follows that up with a kneel-down powerbomb. 1..2..kickout. Tiger gets some stiff chops and a running back elbow. Tiger lifts Taka and hits a falling neckbreaker. 1..2..kickout. Taka is quickly caught in an abdominal stretch. Tiger gets stiff uppercuts that Cesaro would be proud of. Tiger then gets Taka in the Texas Cloverleaf!! Taka rolls out. Both men run into each other. Taka finally gets some offense with a headlock. Taka keeps the offense rolling until Tiger levels him with a clothesline. Tiger misses another and Taka gets a picture perfect springboard moonsault. Tiger avoids Taka once he lands outside. Taka shows off for the crowd with another beautiful springboard moonsault. Tiger bides his time. Tiger whips Taka into a corner and clotheslines him. His next misses as Taka catches him with a belly-to-belly suplex and dropkick. Taka gets high air on a springboard plancha to the outside. Taka goes for a suplex, and they trade go behinds leading to a bridging german suplex. 1..2..kickout. Tiger barely kicks out and is caught in another pin. 1..2..kickout. Taka goes for another and is caught in a powerbomb. 1..2..kickout. Tiger bodyslams Taka down and hits a frog splash. 1..2..kickout. Tiger lifts Taka who gets a pin counter. 1..2..kickout. Taka goes for a powerbomb of his own. 1..2..kickout. Taka goes up top hitting a beautiful moonsault. 1..2..kickout. Taka goes to the well again and is caught with knees. Tiger hits a brainbuster. 1..2..kickout. Tiger hits a tornado DDT. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Black Tiger @ 7:00 via pinfall
RATING: ***1/2
MATCH THOUGHTS: Black Tiger simply destroyed Taka for the majority of the match. Taka made all his offense count on the other hand. This match was incredibly entertaining as a spotfest. Taka has the best springboard of all time and some of the best moonsualts. This dream matchup may only be about 7 minutes, but it was certainly a worthwhile 7 minutes.

El Samurai vs. Motegi
Motegi is the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Champion and represents SPWF in this tournament. El Samurai is another NJPW representative. Both men receive applause but El Samurai seems to be the favorite in this one.

Motegi does not wait for the bell dropkicking Samurai outside of the ring. Motegi connects on a suicide dive soon after. He goes up top again and nearly falls off allowing Samurai to recover and come back in. Motegi takes him down with an arm drag and wrenches the arm. Samurai reverses with a drop toe hold into an STF. Samurai and Motegi start trading blows and Samurai lays him out with a hard punch. Samurai follows it up with a piledriver. 1..2..kickout. After that, he continues attacking and hits a belly-to-back suplex. 1..2..kickout. Motegi keeps fighting back, but is caught in a boston crab. Motegi counters that into a pinfall. 1..2..kickout. Motegi grabs a headlock and takes Samurai down. Samurai turns that into a pin. 1..2..kickout. A headscissors follows, and Motegi is trapped. Samurai also wrenches the arm during the headscissors. Samurai quickly lifts Motegi afterwards hitting a tombstone. 1..2..kickout. They trade blows again until Motegi gets the advantage. Samurai quickly turns the tide with a reverse suplex!! 1..2..kickout. Samurai completely botches a dropkick. Motegi decides to show him how it is done. Samurai then hits a suicide dive. Samurai brings him in and hits a snap suplex. That suplex leads into a front dropkick. 1..2..kickout. Samurai leaps into the arms of Motegi who hits a kneeling powerbomb. 1..2..kickout. Motegi starts connecting on multiple surfboard stretches in an innovative technique. He transitions that into a reverse guillotine submission. Samurai fights out and Motegi hits an odd pin reversal of a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. 1..2..kickout. Motegi then goes for multiple german suplexes that Samurai counters into a victory roll. 1..2..kickout. They trade go behinds again and Samurai hits a bridging german suplex. 1..2..kickout. Samurai then lifts him again and hits a samurai bomb. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT: El Samurai @ 8:00 via pinfall
RATING: **1/2
MATCH THOUGHTS: This was very disjointed and difficult to recap. They messed up a few times hurting the match, but the ending stretch was pretty awesome. I hope El Samurai has a better performance in the next round. I actually think Motegi performed better in the match. Nonetheless, it may be the worst match of the night thus far but it was fun nonetheless. I would certainly say it is leagues better than the worst matches we might see today. It also got time, which probably helped.

Negro Casas vs. Ricky Fuji
Negro Casas is representing NJPW in this one. Negro Casas is a lucha libre wrestler. Ricky Fuji on the other hand is representing FMW. Both men get the respect of the crowd in this one.

Casas and Fuji circle and Casas nails him with a dropkick. They go to the ground and fight over the arm until Casas gets a headlock takeover. Fuji headscissors out and regains the advantage. Casas fights out and counters into an STF. He quickly turns the STF into a modified Indian death lock. Fuji crawls to the ropes. Both men trade go behinds and Casas rolls into a leglock. He transitions that into a headscissors. They stay grounded for a bit and Fuji gets a headlock. Casas opens up with some kicks and palm strikes. Casas sends him down on a running forearm. 1..2..kickout. Casas’ leg is grabbed by Fuji who takes him down. Fuji starts working the leg. They fight over a headlock and Casas hits a bodyslam. Casas quickly hits a senton soon after. 1..2..kickout. Casas seems to be coming alive with a dropkick and a springboard over the post body press! Casas hits a few chops on the inside but is met with a backbreaker. Fuji slams him down and hits a diving axe handle. 1..2..kickout. Fuji hits a snap suplex. 1..2..kickout. Fuji goes for a brainbuster, and Casas slams him down. Fuji counters into La Magistral. 1..2..kickout. Then, Casas goes for a diving senton. 1..2..kickout. Fuji fights back with some clotheslines and hits a tiger driver. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Ricky Fuji: @ 6:00 via pin
RATING: **
MATCH THOUGHTS: This match was technically sound, but the least entertaining of the night. These two didn’t grasp my attention like everyone else so far. I would not say either of them sucks or anything…they were a little bland in this match. It reminded me of a Curtis Axel match due to the blandness.

Jushin Liger vs. Hayabusa
Jushin Liger or should I say Beast God Thunder Liger is one of the greatest if not the greatest Junior Heavyweight of all-time. Jushin Liger is the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in this tournament. He is obviously representing NJPW. Jushin Liger is the man and nothing can change that. Hayabusa on the other hand is one of the best Junior Heavyweights people forget. Hayabusa made a career of the hardcore style, so people forget how skilled he was as a wrestler. Hayabusa represented FMW in this one and is one of my personal favorites. This one is a dream match as well. Jushin Liger gets the biggest pop of the night thus far and has one of the greatest themes ever. Hayabusa is not using his fight with dream theme which is one of the best unfortunately.

Hayabusa wastes no time dropkicking Liger out and he follows that up with a diving senton to the outside without taking off his cape. Hayabusa finally takes his cape off and hits Liger in the back of the head with a dropkick. The crowd is really alive now. Hayabusa grabs Liger’s arms and wrenches them behind his back in a surfboard. Hayabusa continues to wrench Liger’s arms and lifts him by the hair. Hayabusa hits a stalling scoop slam and leg drop. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa then works into a reverse half crab of sorts. Hayabusa starts working the leg with some dropped knees. Liger finally avoids and gets to his feet. Liger kicks Hayabusa’s legs out from underneath him and catches Hayabusa in a figure four. Hayabusa slowly crawls to the ropes and reaches them causing Liger to break the submission. Liger starts striking him down with palm thrusts. Liger collects his breath for a moment before lifting Hayabusa. Liger drops him with a powerbomb. 1..2..kickout. Liger than gets both legs in a reverse modified Indian death lock. Hayabusa tries to chop his way out. Liger knocks him back with a palm thrust. Liger lets go afterwards. They run the ropes and Liger levels him with a running clothesline. Liger trips the leg and drops down into a leglock. Hayabusa slowly kicks out with the opposite leg. He recovers slowly and gets a headlock. Liger hits a belly-to-back suplex. Liger gets a chance to catch his breath. Liger throws Hayabusa into a corner and hits the rolling koppou kick!! Liger suplexs Hayabusa to the top apron and the crowd goes crazy. Liger hits a top rope superplex. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa is woozy but Liger shows no mercy kicking his midsection. Liger goes Ric Flair on his ass with some wicked chops. Hayabusa starts avoiding Liger and hits a spinning back kick. He follows with a picture perfect dropkick. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa may have the best dropkicks ever. Hayabusa lifts him and hits a beautiful spinning wheel kick followed by a senton. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa goes up top hitting another spinning wheel kick. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa lifts Liger and drops him with a scoop slam. Hayabusa goes up top and hits a moonsault. 1..2..kickout. Hayabusa climbs up top again and hits a sloppy reverse hurricanrana while Liger’s back is turned. 1..2..kickout. That spot was a little too ambitious I think. Hayabusa lifts Liger in a ribbreaker. The crowd goes wild expecting a shooting star press. Hayabusa ascends and misses the shooting star press. Liger recovers quickly and plants him with a Liger Bomb. 1..2..kickout. Liger places Hayabusa on top. Hayabusa fights off and goes for a Dragon Rana. Liger says no to that and drops him with a stiff powerbomb. Liger follows with a brainbuster. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Jushin Liger: @ 11:00 via pin
RATING: ****
MATCH THOUGHTS: They botched two spots, but I don’t care. This match was awesome anyway and both men brought it. Hayabusa attacking Liger before the bell set the tone. Liger even shows good sportsmanship after the match giving Hayabusa some water. Hayabusa’s miss on the shooting star press actually looked natural because of Liger’s improvisation. I think Hayabusa messed up, but Liger disguised it so well you could barely tell if that was the case. I’m not sure how many could have hit the reverse wrestler turned away diving hurricanrana, so that was a bold spot. Nevertheless, this match is the best of the night even with the botches. Though, I would have rated this a little higher if not for the botches.

Quarter-finals: Gedo vs. Super Delfin
Delfin takes him down with an arm takedown. Gedo kicks out of it hitting Delfin in the head. Deflin trips Gedo’s leg and rubs his boot in his face to taunt him. Gedo gets angry and takes him down and mocks Delfin’s move. Gedo keeps the hold on longer until Delfin enzuigiris out. Delfin grounds Gedo in a chinlock with hooked arms. Delfin hits some stiff strikes until Gedo fights back with stiff chops. Delfin hits Gedo in the balls and the crowd actually seems to boo that. Delfin then chokes Gedo with his boot from the ropes. They run the ropes until Delfin hits a headscissors takedown. They run and Gedo hits an ugly dropkick. Delfin hits his own dropkick and plays to the crowd. Gedo bides his time and slowly gets back in. Delfin attacks him when he reenters. Gedo regains the momentum with an inverted atomic drop. Gedo uses a snapmare and stiff kick. Gedo continues to attack with the snapmare and kick combination. Gedo keeps things grounded on a chinlock. Delfin ducks a charge and hits an ugly snap suplex (Gedo got no air on the bump). 1..2..kickout. Delfin hits a falling neckbreaker. 1..2..kickout. They start trading strikes again. Delfin hits a dropkick. Delfin follows him to the outside with a diving body press. Gedo hits a falling clothesline. 1..2..kickout. Gedo lifts Delfin who connects with a victory roll counter. 1..2..kickout. Gedo hits the scoop powerslam of doom. 1..2..kickout. Gedo gets him down with a scoop slam and misses the moonsault, but covers anyway. 1..2..kickout. Delfin gets a crucifix pin. 1..2..kickout. Gedo barely escapes that one. Delfin hits a bridging belly-to-back suplex. 1..2..kickout. Delfin scoop slams Gedo and goes up top. Delfin hits a diving elbow drop. 1..2..kickout. Delfin goes up top again and slaps Gedo. Delfin hits a tornado DDT. Delfin calls for the Delfin clutch. Gedo reverses it into a pinfall of his own. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Gedo: @ 8:00 via pin
RATING: **1/4
MATCH THOUGHTS: My praise of Gedo has suddenly vanished. Gedo put on a disjointed performance and seemed to mess up a good deal in this one. Delfin wasn’t that much better. This wasn’t the worst match ever and certainly better than Fuji and Casas, but it wasn’t that fantastic either. I’m not sure why Gedo won. The crowd liked Delfin more it seemed. It was the second worst match of the night.

Quarter-finals: Black Tiger (Eddy Guerrero) vs. Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit)
This one should be good. There is no way this match is worse than the last. Wild Pegasus gets a pretty big ovation. Wild Pegasus is Chris Benoit’s Japanese wrestling name for anyone that does not know. Both men start shoving each other before the bell rings. The referee separates the two of them.

Pegasus gets a go behind only for Tiger to turn it into an arm ringer. Pegasus flips out of it and grounds Tiger with a leglock. Tiger trips him into a leglock of his own. Tiger keeps attacking the leg and gets a deeper leglock. Pegasus tries to fight out to no avail. Tiger stomps and rakes his face with a boot. I always loved that one. Tiger pulls out the tope atomico and follows it up with a belly-to-back suplex. 1..2..kickout. Tiger quickly keeps the pressure mounting with a headscissors. Tiger kicks Pegasus in the midsection. Tiger keeps attacking the legs and goes for a brainbuster. Pegasus counters that with a reverse suplex!! Pegasus starts stomping Tiger down and Pegasus escapes a tilt-a-whirl. Pegasus hits his patented clothesline. They run the ropes and Pegasus hits a flapjack. Pegasus lifts him and throws the kitchen sink knee. He hits a chop and suplexs Tiger midsection first onto the ropes!!!! Awesome move. Pegasus keeps attacking with a bridging german suplex!! 1..2..kickout. Pegasus lifts Tiger and drops him with a kneeling powerbomb. 1..2..kickout. Pegasus hits a snap suplex. 1..2..rope break. Pegasus keeps Tiger down with a headscissors of his own. An impressive sequence leads to Tiger rolling underneath Pegasus into a roll-up 1..2..kickout. They run the ropes and the action picks up. Tiger hits a bridging german suplex of his own! 1..2..kickout. Tiger clamps down with a camel clutch. He lets go after Pegasus struggles. Tiger then hits a fallaway slam and goes up top. Tiger misses a dropkick. Pegasus hits a belly-to-back suplex. Pegasus and Tiger lock hands and run the ropes lucha style. Tiger almost falls but doesn’t hitting the arm drag. 1..2..kickout. Tiger places Pegasus on the ropes and hits a top rope hurricanrana. 1..2..kickout. The crowd loves this now. Tiger plants Pegasus with a brainbuster. Tiger goes for the dreaded tornado DDT only for Pegasus to throw him off. Pegasus places Tiger on the tope rope. Tiger headbutts out and his cross body is caught in a bad scoop powerslam of doom. 1..2..3.

OFFICIAL RESULT Wild Pegasus: @ 10:00 via pin
RATING: ****
MATCH THOUGHTS: This match was pretty good, but it ended as it got interesting. These two never seem to meet expectations! The ending does hurt this match a little, because the powerslam looked really bad. These two put on great work regardless. Anytime, you give these two 10 minutes expect good things. It is not the dream match everyone expected. However, it is good and worth watching.

10.0

The final score: review Virtually Perfect

The 411

We’re not even to the best matches yet, and this set already is worthwhile. Disc 1 is a set of decent to good matches with nothing horrible. Both Black Tiger matches on disc 1 are great. Jushin Liger and Hayabusa were fantastic, botches aside. Dean Malenko got a decent match out of Gedo. El Samurai and Motegi is one of the worst matches and I still find it enjoyable. The Negro Casas and Ricky Fuji match is boring and probably the lone lowspot. The crowd is into everything, and the set only gets better from here. Disc 2 is where the Super J Cup really heats up. Also, you can find nearly every match in this tournament on NJPWWorld if you’re interested in seeing it and cannot find the DVD. Super J Cup 1994 is obviously as good as it gets especially as we get into the semi-final matches. Disc 2 is coming next with more Wild Pegasus, Jushin Liger, El Samurai, and The Great Sasuke!