SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 22 Min.
Filmed at a Tokyo Dome house show in April 1990 (or possibly March 31, 1990), Bret “Hitman” Hart faces Tiger Mask II (Mitsuharu Misawa). The bout doesn’t have a commentary track. The match is included on the WWE’s 2013 Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection DVD and Blu-ray sets.
Note: Tragically, both Hart and Misawa suffered abrupt ends to their in-ring careers. While Hart suffered a career-ending concussion vs. Goldberg at Starrcade 2000, the 46-year old Misawa died in mid-2009 from fluke in-ring injuries suffered during a match earlier that night in Hiroshima, Japan.
REVIEW:
One can appreciate that, as flashy as the outfits of Bret Hart and Tiger Mask II (Mitsuharu Misawa) seemingly are, they stick to all substance in the ring. To their professional credit, neither of them – Misawa, in particular, relies on steroid-laden maneuvers to give fans a realistic, old school-style treat.
Including a few mildly heel tactics, Hart is in vintage form, though the match’s leisurely pace is unnecessarily slow considering the caliber of these two guys. The bottom line is that this rarely-seen bout is solid instead of spectacular entertainment. Had Jim Ross or even “Gorilla” Monsoon done a voice-over commentary track, it might have enhanced the fun factor. Either way, it’s doubtful that non-fans will find this match remotely interesting.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
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