[1994-07-14-RINGS] Akira Maeda vs Dick Vrij

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Not a long match. Vrij takes a cheapshot pretty early and then takes a dive when it becomes apparent that Maeda is about to fight back. This kills the main event in just three minutes. Maeda isn't happy after the match and stomps him. It's quickly broken up, as they look like they're about to get into it for real. Compelling stuff, and you couldn't book wrestling better than this if the goal was to set up a rematch.

[Kevin Ridge]

Very short match but I’m cool with that in this type of setting. It definitely had me tuned into what was going on. Maeda wins with an anke lock and then kicks Vrij in the back when the match is over. Not a whole lot of sportsmanship with everyone here.

[Exposer]

Very short but good match. Vrij gives some really nasty strikes and bloodies Maeda. There were some cheapshots taken and a near fight breaks out after the match. This was a sight to see and pretty entertaining.

[soup23]

These guys did not look like they liked each other and were not cooperating fully. Post match looked like a brawl might erupt. Seemed more heated and legit hatred than most stuff in UFC.

[PeteF3]

Pretty crazy spectacle that skirts the line between shoot and work, it seems. Vrij is such a bastard--even if he's not truly a great wrestler, he's such a dynamic personality that simply isn't seen out of anyone else working shootstyle.

 

Amidst the post-match chaos is a guy who looks to be about 6'6" and 135 pounds who looks astoundingly like Weird Al Yankovic, which is rather distracting and funny.

[GOTNW]

What an amazing brawl. This really was everything I could hope from a 3 minute brawl, just an insane level of violence with a molten crowd, a blurred line between work and shoot that gave the most a special hook and feel and a wonderfully chaotic ending. Between them throwing Bas Rutten level palm strikes, rope breaks serving as a means of saving one's wellbeing instead of just a really cool prop for a pop, Vrij sweeping Maeda with kicks (and Maeda's knees had surely taken their damage by that point in his career) and Maeda stomping Vrij after the match was over because "fuck you, you're not getting away" this really had the feeling of a uniquely flavoured match that is unlikely to repeat, especialy since a platform like RINGS is unlikely to ever appear, and was certainly one of the best trainwrecks wrestling's ever produced. ****1/4

[superkix]

Yeah, this ruled. It was wild and violent. Vrij keeps kicking out Maeda’s legs, which in turn, starts pissing off Maeda. Then Vrij really starts laying into him which causes Maeda to go after him in the corner and knock him down with a big barrage of strikes. There’s a little submission work here and there but it’s really just Vrij letting Maeda have it with nasty palm strikes to the face and knees to the head, busting his nose in the process. The finish was shit. Maeda grabs a leglock and Vrij taps before Maeda can even lock it in...but then he kicks Vrij afterward and that causes the Dutch mafia to get involved and it’s chaos. Terrific.

[JKWebb]

Man, I loved this.  The intensity is off the charts.  Awesome fight that feels longer than it really is (in a good way).  Two thumbs up.