best ever New Japan matches

[naturalbornmaster]

I would like to get opinions on what everyone thinks are the best heavyweight and jr. heavyweight matches in New Japan history. My personal favorite for heavyweight matches are the Chono vs. Muto G1 Climax 1991 final match and the G1 final with Muto vs. Hashimoto in 1995. These matches showed off the true greatness of the musketeers and the G1 tournament itself. Anyone agree? There were so many great jr. matches and i want even try to pick a favorite but maybe you guys can help.

[edgehead1984]

Good choices, naturalbornmaster...personally I like the Muta/Liger match from 1996, Liger/Sano from 1989, actually any Liger match is good in my book.

[Sliced Bread #2]

Any match between Liger vs. Ohtani. I personally loved the Muta/Chono/Tenzan (NWO Japan) vs. Fujinami/Sasaki/Iizuka from 97.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Many of the Fujinami-Choshu matches from the early 80s.

I like many of Inoki's matches from late 70s to early 80s as well.

After all, they were the core of New Japan.

[naterob2003]

benoit vs. liger ( the whole fued)
benoit vs. black tiger (i believe the date is 7-13-95)
benoit vs. otani (any)

I know this shows my benoit-markness but this is primarily the new japan that i have seen. Mainly jr weight stuff. I havent seen too much mutoh or chono stuff and the very early 80s and late 70 stuff is before my time.

[rzombie1988]

My pick is mutoh vs takada 1/4/96, its just my fav for some reason. Also pegasus vs sasuke super j cup finals

[BusaLiger Dragon]

Ill have to go with liger vs muta 1996 as one of the best. Any liger match is pretty good.

[Luds]

I love so many Chono vs. Mutoh & Mutoh vs. Hashimoto.

[MARTYEWR]

I still love Benoit-Sasuke from J Cup '94, even if it's a tribute to Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid. Still amazing, considering it was the first time the two wrestled together.

[naterob2003]

didn't know that but it was a hell of a match. I wish that sasuke would get the credit he deserves. He is a hell of a wrestler and truely loves puroresu.

[bannabop]

I still love Benoit-Sasuke from J Cup '94, even if it's a tribute to Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid. Still amazing, considering it was the first time the two wrestled together.

How was it a tribute to them?

[stunning_grover]

>the Muta/Liger match from 1996, Liger/Sano from 1989, actually any Liger match is good in my book.

Yes, almost any Liger match is good. But the Muta/Liger match is one of the worst Liger matches ever.

>Ill have to go with liger vs muta 1996 as one of the best. Any liger match is pretty good.

Yeah, I know almost every Liger match is good. But why do so many people like the Liger vs. Muta match!? Why not mention Liger vs. Owen Hart or Liger vs. Benoit?

>>I still love Benoit-Sasuke from J Cup '94, even if it's a tribute to Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid.
>How was it a tribute to them?

Because Benoit was playing the role of Dynamite Kid (as he always does) and Sasuke was playing the role of Tiger Mask. For Benoit it was even more special because in that same building 10 years before that match, Dynamite Kid won the WWF Junior Heavyweight Title by defeating Cobra. Near the finish of that match, Dynamite Kid used a gutwrench suplex off the top rope. Benoit used that move to defeat Sasuke. So in a way it was also a little tribute to the Dynamite Kid vs. Cobra match.

By the way, my favorite New Japan heavyweight match is Steve Austin vs. Keiji Muto from 1995 (don't laugh ).
My favorite New Japan junior heavyweight matches are:
-Owen Hart vs. Keiichi Yamada from 1987
-Owen Hart vs. Keiichi Yamada from 1988
-Jushin Liger vs. Chris Benoit from 1993
-Super Delfin vs. Chris Benoit from 1994
And I also like any Dynamite Kid match.

[bannabop]

Anyway the whole realm of matches from J Cup/90's Muta are my favourites.

[MARTYEWR]

How was it a tribute to them?

Benoit's idol is the Dynamite Kid, and Sasuke's is the original Tiger Mask. I meant to say the match was a tribute to the series of Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid matches, because both guys emulated their idols from time to time during the match. IIRC, Benoit talked about it and mentioned that on his new DVD.

Still a classic, though.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Liger Vs. Sasuke
Mutoh Vs. Chono
Nagata Vs. Takayama
Tenryu Vs. Sasaki