10 Wrestling Mistakes That Made Matches Better
1. The Great Sasuke Vs. Jushin Liger (NJPW Super J Cup 1994)
One of the most legendary single nights of wrestling in puroresu history, NJPW's first Super J Cup developed a near-mythical aura amongst '90s tape traders thanks, primarily, to its two epic closing matches.
Jushin Thunder Liger met The Great Sasuke in the second-to-last bout. Liger's one-sided mat wrestling clinic unravelled when Sasuke made it his kind of fight, turning the tide with strikes, speed, and high-flying, building to a breathtaking final act unhindered by a botch that should've seen it fly completely off the rails.
As seen in the above gif, Sasuke slipped on the ropes while trying to springboard onto the turning Liger. What followed was a masterclass in improvisation as the duo twisted the spot into the match's psychology.
With Sasuke decked, Liger mockingly applauded his fallen opponent as he sold the bump, his victory now a certainty. Liger assumed he had time. Thus, he got cocky, took his foot off the gas, and spent a second too long setting up for the end. This allowed Sasuke to leap to his feet and take advantage of an opponent who'd willingly disarmed himself, pinning him with a Hurricanarana roll-up. Immediate comeuppance for Liger's belittling.