[1992-10-29-RINGS] Akira Maeda vs Volk Han

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I liked a lot about this match, but it seemed like it was never going to end. Maeda brings out a fun side of Han, and we get lots of great strikes mixed in with the cool matwork. But this was a 15 minute match stretched out to 30.

[Tim Evans]

Weird to see Han not really get any advantage.

[shoe]

What they did was good, by god it got old.

[Zenjo]

24m was too long and Han was struggling to last the course. Had moments of promise but the length hurt it big time. Disappointing.

[PeteF3]

Han clobbers Maeda before the bell in an unexpected move and this has you thinking it's going to be a balls-to-the-wall, desperation sprint. But no, after that Maeda gets up and they have a typical match. Han does some great takedowns and the finish is a clever way to keep Han strong--Maeda unleashes a huge high kick that Han takes a tree-falling-in-the-woods bump for (with a great camera angle on it) and the ref instantly stops the match. But Han pops right back up, suggesting the referee may have called it early. Still...pre-match attack plus controversial early-stoppage finish adds up to a match that would have been much more effective as a brisk 10-minute bout instead of the marathon we got.

[WingedEagle]

Han with a nice spinning backfist knockdown before they can even ring the bell, but the pace didn't hold up as they went long here. Even though this was stretched too long, there's something about Han where you just can't take your eyes off of him, no matter how simply what he's doing is in theory. Whether its footwork on defense, or creative dropkicks or submissions, the guy is as compelling as they come. This felt like a total fluke finish. Is there more to this I'm not aware of?

 

***1/4

[...TG]

In the minority here - loved this, and I didn't think this was too long at all. Han's selling of Maeda's strikes was tremendous. The finish did feel like it came out of nowhere, but it fit with the story that Han couldn't handle Maeda's striking.

[garretta]

This was surprisingly even at first, but eventually Maeda's superior striking and kicking told the tale. Han looked like he knocked himself down trying for a kick one, and the last kick that led to the TKO was a thing of beauty by Maeda which Han also sold beautifully.

 

What was the article of clothing Han took off in the middle of the match? I thought at first that it was a kneepad, but it wasn't, as he had both kneepads on a minute or so later.

 

With all of the ankle and leg-based submissions these guys use, it has to be murder on their legs, just like regular pro wrestling bumps are tough on other guys' necks and backs,

[superkix]

This match is a lesson in why you don’t piss off Han. He opens with the spinning backhand and you know he’s about to get to work on the mat. Maeda continues to show off his own improved mat skills. When he’s not defending against the relentless Han with his flying legscissors, he’ll get fancy with an arm drag into a head scissors or grab a single leg crab, in which the crowd collectively lose their shit. When Maeda starts in with the kicks, Han mostly weathers the storm trying to play catch…but Maeda keeps kick kick kicking at Han’s leg. All those kicks to the leg finally piss off Han, who says “cut it out” by smacking the shit out of Maeda. With Han spent and pissy, the match becomes a sluggish war of attrition but the finish was something else. Maeda shakes Volk’s hand just before he high kicks him in the head for the TKO. What a dick. Not quite at the level of their second match but a strong way to cap off their series.