Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 7: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Chavo Guerrero (5/9/80)

I fell in love with Chavo Guerrero’s work on the Mid South set, and Fujinami has been the darling/revelation so far in the New Japan set. Now they meet up in a WWWF Juniors title match. Consider me hopeful.

The technical, – almost mechanical – way these guys grab and wrench holds is beautiful to watch. It flows and transitions well to other things. A minute or so in Chavo has an awesome judo throw that had me rewinding to see again. Even when Chavo goers for a crazy head scissors and misses, it makes sense and doesn’t stop the stream of the match. The entire holds and counter section made me happy, especially we they started with quick counters. Fujinami finds a way to fight back in the very even match and get advantages, but it almost feels like babyface vs babyface – it may be.
Chavo manages to pull off a Inverted surf board, and they tease he’ll go for a brain buster (that seems to be the hot big move in 1980, though theirs is more of a suplex then what is used today).
Fujinami comes back with a bow-and-arrow. I like that they always seem to reset in a face off in the middle of the ring. It’s almost like having short rounds that they trade. This becomes knock-down-drag-out between the two, and an American crowd would be going crazy right now. Chavo is subtly and slowly adding more strikes in between the holds. This is a very even match up, in a good way. The only awkward movement is generational, in that I’m not used to the way they progressed in those days. Fujinami’s the one having to take the walk on the outside here. He can’t quite figure out Chavo. Chavo hit a pile driver for a near fall. It seemed to no effect on Fujinami. Chavo hits a jumping butt and finishes off with a summersault senton. Fujinami is in trouble.

The only thing I don’t like about the match is that Fujinami comes off as superman at times, not having to sell. The home stretch is fast as hell for the time period, and exciting back and forth stuff. Fujinami teases a dive, Chavo is running around hitting drop kicks, they have several reversals, and then Fujinami hits the German suplex for the pin in 18 minutes. A perfect length and a scary good competitive match. 4 and 8/10.