By Justin Baisden

Personally, this is my second favourite Super Junior tournament. The 1997 tournament with the great semis and the stellar Samurai vs Kanemoto final match just edges this one out. The one thing that I really liked about this tournament was that Benoit was in his absolute prime (in my opinion at least). His moveset was the most expanded that it has ever been and he was rocking on all levels.

The participants are Brian Pillman, Alex Wright, El Samurai, Dean Malenko, Black Tiger, Wild Pegasus, Koji Kanemoto, El Gran Hamada and Shinjiro Ohtani. I'd like to make a note that at no point during this tape does it have a match with Hamada. It's too bad too because there is a relatively crappy match between Wright and Pillman that has no place on this tape.

ALEX WRIGHT vs BRIAN PILLMAN
Well I'll be damned; it's the match I was just talking about. It's really sad what Alex Wright has become. I was hoping beyond hope that WCW would push Berlin but I guess not. I always feel sad when I think of Pillman. He had so much potential. It's disturbing that people remember him not for his name but for a move used to break someone's leg. Hmm… this match is clipped. It starts right after the submission stage. Pillman hits a couple of knife edge chops, then hits a sloppy bulldog from the top. Wright takes control after a standing switch on a German suplex attempt by Pillman. Wright hits his own German Suplex and it's… OVER? What the hell? There was all of three minutes shown on this match and I can't figure out why it even made it on the tape. The match was a DUD, which is not the way you want to open a commercial tape. Let's hope the next match makes up for it.

SHINJIRO OHTANI vs WILD PEGASUS
YES!!! My prayers have been answered and I only asked about ten seconds ago. Benoit is disgustingly juiced up here (as in on steroids). His veins are all over the place. It reminds me of Don Muraco during the late eighties. It's interesting, if you look at 1993 Benoit and 1995 Benoit, it looks like he's aged ten years in the span of two. That's what steroids does to you boys and girls. The match starts with Ohtani working over the leg. Ohtani slaps on a crossface and treats Benoit like his bitch. Benoit eventually takes control and hits his snap suplex. Ohtani retakes control with his springboard dropkick and springboard swandive plancha. They re-enter the ring where Benoit rips off Ohtani's head with a lariat. Benoit goes for the Dragon Suplex, but it's reversed and Ohtani goes for his Dragon Suplex but Benoit runs to the ropes. So what does Ohtani do? He dropkicks Benoit in the back of the head. I LOVE THIS GUY! Ohtani hits the Dragon Suplex but Benoit is in the ropes. Benoit retakes control and hits a WICKED released German suplex. Benoit nails a WILDBOMB! And it gets a 2 9/10. Benoit hits the BUCKWILDBOMB! and you had better believe it's over. The match was just above solid. ***1/4

BLACK TIGER vs KOJI KANEMOTO
You know, Kanemoto could be infinitely better if he'd actually you know… SELL SOMETHING! I like to look at it like he's just a punk with no respect for anyone, but we all know he just doesn't like to sell for his opponents. JERK!!! Of course Eddie rules the planet in his Black Tiger persona. The only time I've seen Eddie any better is when he was teaming with the late Art Barr in AAA. This match is clipped. Ugh… We start with Kanemoto hitting a plancha from the top. Kanemoto goes for a pescado but Black Tiger moves all of a foot to the right. HA HA!!! YOU SELL THAT ONE BOY! Black Tiger hits a plancha of his own. Black Tiger tries to suplex Kanemoto into the ring but no dice and Kanemoto hits a hardcore suplex. We re-enter the ring and Kanemoto hits a German suplex for two. Kanemoto goes for the springboard senton but it misses by a mile. Eddie sells the move anyway. Kanemoto goes for his moonsault, lands on his feet and then hits Black Tiger with a Superkick. He places Tiger on the turnbuckle, points to him so as to say "You should feel privileged that I'm hurting you" and then hits the rana. It gets a two count. Black Tiger goes for a brainbuster but it's reversed so Eddie hits him with a low blow. HA HA! There are two things you have to sell in pro wrestling, the eye gouge/rake and the low blow. Now Black Tiger hits the Brainbuster. Black Tiger hits the Crucifix Power Bomb but it only gets two. Black Tiger places Kanemoto on the top turnbuckle and hits a TOP ROPE BRAINBUSTER! HEY KANEMOTO, NO SELL THAT ONE! I didn't like the fact that the beginning was clipped but the rest was really good. ***1/2

DEAN MALENKO vs BLACK TIGER
Malenko was a perfect fit for New Japan. He used to be such a wicked, no bullshit, submission machine. I don't think he should have left. His career went nowhere in ECW and WCW only let him kick ass for about six months. Don't even get me started about the WWF wasting Malenko and the LHW division. The match is clipped right into the middle. They fight over a bunch of reversals and Black Tiger hits the brainbuster. Man he really likes that move. Black Tiger goes for the frog splash but that wasn't his finisher back then so it gets no respect. In fact it gets knees in the gut. Black Tiger goes for a roll up but its reversed for two. Malenko looks tired so you can tell the clipping is deep into the match. Malenko hits a belly to back suplex. He goes for something off of the top but Black Tiger stops that cold and hits a top rope rana. Black Tiger goes for the Gory special (submission version). No one in the crowd seems to care. I don't really blame them. They exchange the old sunset flip reversal sequence. Malenko hits a powerbomb and then slaps on the cloverleaf. Black Tiger tries for the ropes but Malenko pulls him back. Black Tiger goes for the ropes a second time, and now the crowd is into it. Malenko pulls him back yet again and this time it's over. I HATE CLIPPING! **1/2 Post match has Black Tiger offering a handshake. The idiot Malenko takes it and Black Tiger rewards his stupidity with a short clothesline. The moral of the story is; never trust the heel.

WILD PEGASUS vs EL SAMURAI
YES!!! Benoit brings the ass kicking with a vengeance! He hits the kitchen sink. Samurai sells the move like someone jabbed a knife in his gut. HA HA! KNIVES ARE FUN! The match is clipped a second time. Benoit hits a super belly to back suplex but hurts his head. Figures… Benoit never does that right. Benoit goes for another super belly to back but it's reversed in mid air and it gets a two count. Samurai hits a top rope rana for two, La Majistral cradle for two, and another rana for two. Benoit takes control with a German suplex, a butterfly suplex, a super overhead belly to belly suplex and then a regular overhead belly to belly. Samurai re-assumes control and hits The Thunderfire Powerbomb for two. Benoit hits the WILDBOMB! for two. They enter a roll up sequence and the time runs out. I really hate that ending but what they showed here was pretty damn good. The match was ***1/2 from what I saw. Had it been non-clipped with a definitive winner, I'd say it would have been better than their 1993 Super Junior Final Match.

That's the end of the "round robin." I'd like to have words with the person that made this commercial release. Instead of putting more super junior matches on this tape and keeping the clipped stuff complete, they elected to put some NJPW vs UWF crap at the end of it instead. GARBAGE! BTW I did not review the NJPW vs UWF stuff.

Semi Finals

Black Tiger vs Wild Pegasus
NO MORE CLIPPING! WOO HOO! You really can't go wrong with these two. Match starts out with a REALLY LONG feel out process. Black Tiger goes for the Gory Special and then drops Benoit on his head. He hits a powerbomb and then hits a pump handle backbreaker. NICE!!! Benoit finally takes control. He hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker for two. Benoit hits a triangle lock that seems to go on forever. Black Tiger escapes and suplexes Benoit to the outside. Black Tiger hits a nice plancha from the top. Benoit returns the favour with a tope suicida. Back in the ring and Black Tiger hits a rana. He nails Benoit with a NASTY waistlock suplex. Benoit landed hard on his neck. Eddie continues bringing the pain. He hits the crucifix power bomb for two. Irish whip into the turnbuckle but its reversed and Eddy hits chest first. Benoit hits him with a belly to back suplex and then lays down a BUCKWILDBOMB! God damn that was just vicious. It gets two? WHAT? Benoit can't believe it. Benoit hits him with the Dragon Suplex for two. This match ROCKS! Benoit Irish whips him in, it's reversed and Eddie gets a roll up. Benoit goes for yet another WILDBOMB! but Black Tiger reverses and hits a great looking Brainbuster. It only gets two because Benoit rules the planet. Black Tiger sets up Benoit for Splash Mountain but he rolls out of it. Black Tiger kicks him in the head and hits a really nice looking Tornado DDT. He goes for the cover and it gets 2 99/100. THIS MATCH IS AMAZING! Eddie puts Benoit puts Benoit on the turnbuckle and looks like its going to be a top rope rana but Benoit is fighting it. Benoit repositions Black Tiger into a SECOND ROPE TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER! HOLY SHIT!!! You better believe that this match is over. The match was ****1/2 and Black Tiger even does the stretcher job.

KOJI KANEMOTO vs SHINJIRO OHTANI
Let me get this straight. You've got "No Seller" vs "Super Seller?" Uh huh… this should prove interesting. They start out quick as Ohtani goes for a dropkick but Kanemoto holds on to the ropes. Kanemoto goes for a spin wheel kick, it misses and then both guys go for a dropkick. After that, this match settles into submissions. A LOT of submissions. TEN - TWELVE MINUTES of submissions. Really funny part as Ohtani breaks a submission up, gets kicked in the chest which he no sells but then Kanemoto spits on him and Ohtani SELLS THE SPIT like he's been shot in the head. Finally we get the moveset. Ohtani attempts a top rope rana but Kanemoto has none of it. So Kanemoto puts Ohtani on the top. He points to Ohtani, lays down some verbal smack, and then hits the rana. This guy is a pompous jerk. Ohtani takes control with a spin wheel kick. He hits a top rope rana, and Ohtani hits his springboard dropkick. To the outside we go as Ohtani hits a great looking springboard plancha. They roll back into the ring. Kanemoto gains control and dropkicks Ohtani out. He hits a tope con hilo but it didn't look right. I don't think Ohtani was in the right position to catch him. Back in the ring and Kanemoto hits a tombstone piledriver and a sweet looking moonsault for two. Kanemoto goes for the springboard senton and then another moonsault. He lands on his feet but Ohtani is there to meet him with The Dragon Suplex and it's over. This match was solid but the overly long submission portion made me wish they were still using clipping. ***

Finals
WILD PEGASUS vs SHINJIRO OHTANI
I'm always torn when I watch these two wrestle. Both of them rule, but in different ways. Benoit is the world's greatest ass kicker but Ohtani is THE BITCHMASTER and brings all sorts of fun pompous stuff to his matches. Feel out process to start. Benoit goes for and early WILDBOMB! but Ohtani reverses into an arm drag. Ohtani dropkicks Benoit to the outside and then hits the springboard swandive plancha. Benoit re-enters the ring and Ohtani a triangle lock. Benoit escapes and nails Ohtani with a belly to back. Benoit hits a snap suplex for two. Benoit attempts a German suplex but it's reversed and Ohtani hits a released German suplex. Ohtani attempts a triangle + cross arm breaker combination hold but Benoit escapes hits the WILDBOMB! for two. Why you ask? Because the referee is an idiot. He didn't pace the count and you could tell he was hesitating on the three. That's really sloppy work. Benoit attempts another WILDBOMB! but it's reversed into a sunset flip for two. Benoit remains in control and hits Ohtani with a bodyslam. He goes up to the top for the Swandive Headbutt but it misses. Ohtani hulks up while Benoit slowly dies. Ohtani goes for the Dragon Suplex but it's blocked so he has to settle for a German suplex. Obviously that's not enough. Irish whip is reversed by Benoit and Ohtani pulls a flair flip and then a springboard huracanrana. Ohtani hits a nice springboard dropkick to the back of the neck. Benoit's not looking so good. Ohtani goes for The Dragon Suplex and Benoit lands on his head. Benoit kicks out at 2 ¾. Ohtani raises his hand in victory. I almost feel bad for him. ALMOST! Ohtani Irish whips Benoit into the ropes, it's reversed and Benoit hits a very crisp spinebuster. He stands over Ohtani, pulls off his elbowpad and… NAH! That'd be a disgrace to wrestling. Benoit gets a double leg cradle out of the spinebuster for a two count. Benoit gets back up and sets up Ohtani with a Dragon Suplex. Stupid crappy ref screws up the count again. No pacing at all from this idiot. Benoit places Ohtani on the top rope facing the crowd. It looks like a super belly to back suplex. Ohtani elbows him off and then hits a top rope dropkick. Ohtani goes back up to the top but Benoit gets up and cinches him up for the second rope tombstone piledriver. What do you think? Ohtani's not kicking out of that move. NO ONE KICKS OUT OF THAT MOVE! ****

Post match has the gaijin hoist Benoit up on their shoulders. I'm glad Pillman got such good use in this tournament. Being ½ of the shoulder holding guys is a pretty big responsibility.

Final Analysis: With the exception of the 2000 tournament, this is the only one that Lyger didn't participate in and it really shows. If they had replaced Wright with Lyger, this tournament probably would have gone a very different route, and a better one at that. However, as it stands, the tape was solid. Benoit vs Tiger is easily the best match on the tape. It would be another year before Benoit and Ohtani had their best match; that being in the finals of the WCW Cruiserweight Title Tournament. It kind of hurts watching this without Lyger but you can't have it all. Recommended.