>>19032407>>19032492>>19032609Didn't see this match posted last night, late to the party but... Hiroshi Hase is the man!
One of the all time greats that just never made it to the top. He's in the same category as guys like Mr. Perfect, Ricky Steamboat, or Owen Hart. Guys that were over with the crowd, put on amazing displays in ring, and had some midcard success but were never given the top title.
Part of the issue was size, he was initially presented as a junior (despite being 6' and 250 lbs) before graduating to the heavyweights. Part of it was timing, he made his debut two years after Muto, Chono and Hashimoto so they took off while Hase was still tied up in the tag division. Part of it was his self-imposed punishment, after his contemporary and co-trainer Sasaki killed a trainee in the dojo Hase took responsibility and resigned from NJPW. He went over to AJPW but had he stayed... who knows? Ironically, Sasaki didn't face any punishment and was awarded his first (of 5) IWGP title reign just a few months later. NJPW in 97 was looking for new blood in the title scene but AJPW... not so much. Hase had absolute 5 star classics with Kenta, Kawada, Akiyama, etc. but Baba didn't experiment in those days. He kept the belt on the pillars or a big gaijin hoss.
Hase wasn't just an excellent wrestler, he didn't just play heel or babyface with equal vigor he also pulled off little nuances that are still rarely seen today. The webm posted earlier where he tags in and enforces a clean break (rule following to a fault) being a small example. He would break pinning attempts in tag matches by hoping in and very nonchalantly sweeping a leg out from an opponent performing a bridging pin. Little stuff like that made his matches such a fun spectacle.
