08/07/11

Ikuto Hidaka & Takafumi Ito vs Takuya Sugawara & Kaijin Habu Otoko: Fun, fun match! Suwa is out there as the guest official NWA referee looking like Joe Higuchi in his all red outfit & white belt. Unlike the venerable Joe, Suwa is a heel ref 😄 So he's making trouble for Hidaka & Ito (who is new to me). But it doesn't detract from the in ring action. Everyone looked great but Hidaka put on a show but I am partial. 14 minutes of enjoyment.

Shinjiro Otani & Yuichiro Jienotsu Nagashima & Daichi Hashimoto vs Ryoji Sai & Kamikaze & Munenori Sawa: OK 6-man match. Nagashima didn't do much for me but I looked him up & he's a kick boxer & cosplayer...and has some backstory with Hashimoto & Otani so...it makes sense. The team of Sai, Kamikaze & Sawa was much more entertaining. 

Masato Tanaka vs Daisuke Sekimoto: Great-Near Classic. Remember the phrase "subverting expectations?" It was that kind of bullshit that ruined the Game of Thrones TV show. But here it's not some ploy. Here they actively (and actually) surprised me for more than shock value. I can say that because they similarly did "what you expected" ... lots of beastly stiff chops, elbows & lariats... macho stuff and so forth. But they added twists and even when I thought I figured the twist out... those sneaky two would add something else. It's not a clever match though. This the equivalent of a gorilla fight...but that's what you want. Here in 2011, Tanaka is showing his age (I was watching '08 Zero One last) so Daisuke Sekimoto definitely seems at an advantage. It's up to Dangan to hang in there. As an old time Masato Tanaka fan there's a few moments that got me jazzed - pulling out old moves and/or reminding me of his battles with Mike Awesome. I'm going on, aren't I? Anyhow, RECOMMENDED stuff especially if you like these two. Glad I got this on DVD but it's on the web, I bet.

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Daisuke Sekimoto vs Kohei Sato: Fire Festival Finals. This was definitely hard fought as it was hard hitting AND the second match of the night for both. I didn't like the pacing on this...it's that deliberate strike trading where they just take too long between hits. It just feels like killing time. And a lot of the match felt like that...hit me then I hit you...we do that for 8 times then do a move or two then we reset to hitting each other. This would be OK for a lower match in the tournament but this couldn't hold a fucking candle to Sekimoto vs Tanaka earlier tonight. THAT match was the finale in my book. It felt epic like  a finale should. One other thought: Sekimoto doesn't have a ton on tricks up his sleeve so this match just felt "less" in simple comparison. Sato, I like as a tag wrestler but, he doesn't bring much to the table as a singles wrestler. This was his opportunity to instill some character, variation, intensity etc. but he did little... I think other people like Hidaka, Otani, Kamikaze & Munenori Sawa would have had more inspired & interesting matches...even if they would have been "underdogs." I just think this was a bland final.