Taka Michinoku makes his way out first for this special Junior Heavyweights match, with WWF trying to compete with WCW’s success with the cruiserweights. Great Sasuke follows, and The Fink is our ring announcer.
Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on
commentary for this match.
Before the bell can ring we see Mankind and Hunter Hearst-Helmsley still brawling after their match, with Helmsley busted open. Referees try to separate them but they move towards the back so we can get to this match.
THE GREAT SASUKE
VS. TAKA MICHINOKU
WWF In Your House: Canadian Stampede (6th July 1997)
Taka Michinoku checks some kicks early and they lock up, he forces Sasuke back to the ropes and they break. Great Sasuke puts Taka in an arm wringer, but he rolls out and takes Sasuke down. Taka drives his elbow into Sasuke’s knee but is caught in an armbar attempt, his shoulders are down for 2 and he rolls through, trying to alleviate the pressure.
Great Sasuke’s shoulders go down for the 2 and he kicks out, breaking the hold. Great Sasuke connects with a spinning kick and snapmares Michinoku down for a chinlock. He transitions to a headscissors and Taka escapes, wrenching on Great Sasuke’s shoulders, Great Sasuke tries to get to his feet so Taka Michinoku transitions to an arm wringer, keeping his weight above Sasuke. Taka Michinoku drives his elbow into Sasuke’s arm and snaps it over his own shoulder, he attempts it a second time but Great Sasuke puts him in a sleeper hold momentarily. Taka Michinoku escapes and hits the ropes, running into another kick from Sasuke. Great Sasuke puts him in a painful looking single-leg boston crab and Taka Michinoku scrambles to the ropes, Sasuke with great shithousery, releasing the hold and sitting on Taka’s back. Sasuke connects with kicks but Taka Michinoku catches one and slaps him across the face. Taka brings him over with a snapmare and dropkicks the back of Sasuke’s head, then hits a running dropkick for good measure, so King makes notes to “add them back” to his moveset. Taka Michinoku hits Sasuke with a forearm near the ropes and sets off across the ring, but he’s sent over to the floor. Great Sasuke hits a diving kick from the top turnbuckle. Crash mats or not, that can’t be a fun landing.
Back in the ring, Great Sasuke connects with a barrage of roundhouse kicks as Michinoku tries to cover up, before a sick spinning kick to the face. Taka Michinoku stumbles out of the corner asking for more and gets it as JR considers stopping the match as Taka looks loopy. Lawler says to only stop it if it goes down like Tyson vs. Holyfield as Taka Michinoku takes Sasuke down with a dragon screw. He hits a dropkick to the knee and Sasuke rolls to the floor, Taka Michinoku takes flight, jumping to the top rope and onto Sasuke with a crossbody. Great Sasuke is slow to get back on the apron, there’s a slight miscommunication and Taka tries to bring him in the ring with a suplex, Great Sasuke lands on his feet and Taka does the same to escape a german suplex before hitting a standing hurricanrana for a nearfall. He rolls Sasuke up for another one, then hits the ropes and runs into a back elbow from Sasuke. Great Sasuke tries to kick Taka from the apron, but he’s just out of reach, but not out of reach for a beautiful Asai moonsault on the floor. Back in the ring, Taka Michinoku is sent off the ropes but he stops his momentum and hits a belly to belly suplex on Sasuke for 2. Great Sasuke is sent from corner to corner, Taka Michinoku follows with a running knee strike and follows with a springboard dropkick sending Sasuke across the ring.
He calls for the end and hits the Michinoku driver 1, 2, no! Sasuke still kicks out. Taka Michinoku goes to the top rope but is caught on the way down with a dropkick. Great Sasuke knocks him back with a shoulder block and another Asai moonsault in the ring for a nearfall, he hits a modified Razor’s Edge and a tiger suplex with a bridge for the win.
WINNER: GREAT SASUKE
This was a solid match between these light heavyweight stars, they kept a decent pace and the crowd was into it, but nothing in the match seemed to mean much. It was exciting to watch (especially at the time, where it wasn’t as common) and was a decent showcase for these guys. [**½] 5/10
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