I think I'd only seen a clipped version of this a few years ago but having been able to see it in its entirety, this was pretty great. Tatsumi Fujinami's the weathered champion and a bit hesitant against the unpredictability of Shinya Hashimoto. He mostly plays defense in the early going, which only works for so long before Hash plants him with a DDT and Fujinami's like...whoa, okay, let's figure something else out. Hashimoto hones in on Fujinami's leg and destroys it with kicks, wearing Fujinami down almost on repeat. Really good old man selling from Fujinami, as he tries to avoid Hashimoto's crosshairs. When he's had enough leg bullying, Fujinami lays into him with some nasty slaps but that's like poking the hornet's nest and Hashimoto overwhelms him with a barrage of strikes. Awesome. Fujinami's finally able to fight in some of his dragon screw legwhips and tries a new strategy of taking out Hashimoto's kicking leg...but that doesn't work, as Hash backchops the hell out of him and hits a couple DDTs, looking a little more frustrated and rash. The finish was terrific, with Fujinami really tapping into the fluidity of the sleeper hold, transitioning into the dragon and grounded variations depending on Hashimoto's position or attempts to break free. The final look in Hashimoto's eyes before the referee calls the match cherry-topped it.
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