Michinoku Pro: August 24th 1993

Sasuke sings well (and my audio is out) or lip syncs really badly to open the show. Then, Wellington Wilkins debuts against Naohiro Hoshikawa in some form of time-limit multi-fall worked shoot match. This was a complete squash, and not really a fun one. Wilkins takes the match 8-0 or something similar. Next match is a trios, with TAKA, Terry Boy and Jiraiya against Shiryu, Leopardo Negro and Mercurio. This started with some typically enjoyable exchanges. TAKA and Leopardo started out with some pretty stiff strikes. I particularly liked when Jiraiya and Mercurio would matched up, where they started off with Mercurio easily overpowering Jiraiya, tossing him over the ropes and throwing him around,. Then Jiraiya demands Mercurio not tag out and match up again, before working some cool little guy overcomes bigger guy spots. Mercurio was really fun stooging for Jiraiya both times they matched up, the second time bumping all over the ring of a series of unlikely armdrags. This sort of starts to develop a heat section on TAKA, but that ends after he backflips off the turnbuckle and the finish is a little messy, with Terry Boy doing a rolling pin where he kept banging into the guys in the middle of the ring. Still, this was a nice little undercard match.

Jinsei Shinzaki has a handicap match designed to make Jinsei Shinzaki look all-powerful. The semi-main is SATO and Piloto Suicida vs. Super Boy and Gran Naniwa. SATO is Dick Togo and he is pretty spectacular in his stuff against Super Boy. They're two chunky guys doing some really cool speedy matwork exchanges and, second time they match up, SATO pulls out a couple of no-hands top rope moves. Then they do a nice series of dropkicks where Super Boy repeatedly ricochets off the ropes before taking a nutty backwards over the top rope bump. I got the impression that this was a match where Piloto was supposed to be the star, given all his posturing to the crowd, but by comparison, his actual work with Naniwa is a lot less impressive and basic. SATO's first exchange with Naniwa were much more exciting, a bunch of quick takedowns, and handstand into a headscissors and (because this is Dick Togo) just punches him in the face. Actually, this was quite a one-sided - the rudos had a few sections in control, but that mainly seemed to be filler. I am excited for all the future SATO/Togo.

The main event is a rematch for UWA Welterweight title between Sasuke and Super Delfin. This starts off a lot more technical and mat-based than the first match, and relies at lot less heavily on Delfin's rudo stuff. Delfin, as challenger rather than champion, is a lot more focused, postures less and is noticeably more aggressive. There's a lariat in the middle looks to hit really hard. Sasuke, I notice particularly in this match, is just an exceptional bumper - each little bump seems to be done in such a way to maximise how impactful moves look, even if it's just an armdrag or hiptoss. He has this great way of bumping off taking armdrags his arms and legs are spread wide so it looks completely really quick and reckless, and he goes over the top moreso that round to the side wherever possible, so to fall flatter on his back. A minute detail, but I appreciated it.

I mentioned in the first match how there was some odd structuring decisions, like how they'd go from picking up the pace to more feeling out matwork, which runs contrary to usual ideas about build. I'm not sure I dislike it per se, but it struck me as a little strange. There was a few similar things here, like how Sasuke's comebacks were often a submission hold or takedown, but overall that fit better because this was a very in-ring match, which led to a few nice moments of tussling for position on the submissions. These are two guys who just work well together - it's not a very deep match in terms of story or ideas, but all their interactions are just pleasingly well put together and it feels like they move naturally from one bit to the next. Shinzaki causes Sasuke to lose the title, and I am really looking forward to that match because while I permanently love Sasuke, I'm really into the 1993 Jinsei Shinzaki.