Shinya Hashimoto: Something Approaching an Appreciation

Shinya Hashimoto: IWGP Legend

I have a confession to make. As a young wrestling fan, I was not a huge fan of the heavyweights from Japan. Hashimoto, Chono, Hase, Muta never intrigued me. The juniors, on the other hand, changed what I wanted out of pro wrestling and in many ways changed how I watched it. (And trust me when I tell you this, there will be a huge appreciation post on the New Japan Juniors coming soon. Liger, Kanemoto, Ohtani, even................ Kendo Kashin, who i think no one likes.)

But when i was a young wrestling fan, I thought like a child. Not to say that there's not a place for the kind of junior pyrotechnics that i remember, and still love, but more that there's something more there, and there should be. And what did i discover as an adult? That the New Japan heavyweights were kind of awesome, and they were the reason why New Japan during Hash's prime was one of the most complete promotions ever.

If you needed excitement, top-level matwork, and some pretty bananas high-flying, the juniors were going to give it to you. If you needed pathos, stiffness, and the kind of "epics" so many people try to pursue but can't come close to, the heavyweights were going to give to you. While Hase was the technician, and Chono the hard-luck "almost" champion, Hashimoto was the king. He was the standard-bearer everyone pursued. And I will freely admit that I feel bad for not realizing how awesome he was earlier. And hopefully, his son Daichi can keep that legacy alive. It's not the legacy of the Von Erichs, the Harts, or even the Guerreros. But it is a legacy nonetheless.

What I'm Watching: Arn Anderson vs Lord Steven Regal

Arn Anderson Vs Steven Regal - WCW Superbrawl... by WrestlingElite Pt. 1


Arn Anderson Vs Steven Regal - WCW Superbrawl... by WrestlingElite Pt. 2

This is a match to watch if you want to see two serious professionals work the kind of old-fashioned match we don't see a whole lot of anymore. in an era of sanitized big box wrestling, where titles mean less than they maybe ever have, this match is the ultimate palate cleanser. From Michael Buffer announcing the combatants with gravitas and the kind of personal facts you would never have realized, to both men fighting like crazy for a title with a rich history, they clearly understand that this is a match that MEANS something.

And then the match actually begins. Watch how Arn Anderson works the arm. Watch how every chance he gets, he goes right back to the spot he knows he has weakened. And then watch a match from big-box wrestling today. People don't work weak spots as well as they used to anymore on the big-box wrestling. Is this because no one is allowed the time, or is that one of those things that have been scrubbed out of those shows due to over-reliance on skits? I'm not sure. And frankly, I don't much care. I just want you to watch this.