[2005-08-04-WRESTLE-1] Jun Akiyama vs Katsuyori Shibata

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Graham Crackers]

I'd seen clips of this before and I was pleasantly surprised this lived up to the promise of those clips. I like Akiyama against lower ranking opponents and this is one of the best of those matches because Akiyama seems more pissed off than usual after Shibata busts him open with a kick. This has more of a fight atmosphere than most of Akiyama's matches against similar opponents.

[Edwin]

This was great. This match cements Shibata as the GOAT soccer kicker or second best behind Kazuyuki Fujita. He just full blown blasts Akiyama early in the match and that visually pisses off Akiyama to the point where he goes all out stiffing Shibata back and that pretty much sets the pace for the remainder of the match as they just blasts each other endlessly. Just a great, hate filled brawl all over the place.

[dawho5]

Really fun brawl. Akiyama tossing chairs at Shibata several times is all kinds of great. Not sure if Akiyama was legit pissed or just acting it very, very well. Then again, I don't think Akiyama has the acting chops to pull it off, so he was pissed. Some of those running knees were just vicious. Finishing run wasn't exactly gold, but I have this sneaking suspicion that there was not 100% cooperation going on in this match. I'll give it points for being a chaotic brawl that you just have no idea what's coming next, and you have to wonder if the wrestlers in the ring might have felt the same way at times.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Jun Akiyama vs Katsuyori Shibata - WRESTLE-1 08/04/05

 

To my understanding, WRESTLE-1 was just another strange manifestation of Keiji Mutoh's Pro-Wrestling Love Campaign, which involved more outsiders and some shoot fighters. Hey at least it brought us this badass match. What is with 00s Japanese starting off absolutely great and then just going off the rails. These had a really nasty street fight brawl goign and then they do a pretty standard finish run. They had something really special going for about 10 minutes there.

 

Shibata jumps Akiyama early and stuns him with a back drop driver. He nails him in the head twice with a pair of wicked kicks that busts Akiyama open hardway. Akiyama pissed off absolutely tears into Shibata and goes bezerk with non-foldable chairs. The way he was throwing those chairs just seemed vicious and dangerous. Akiyama loses control when Shibata holds onto a Back Drop Driver into a choke. Shibata works his ribs with kicks and knees sending him to the floor. I love how the ref really contested Shibatat going after him gave it that really uncontrol feel and that Akiyama was hurt. Shibata ends up kicking the post full on. Akiyama throws him onto the announce table where of course Takayama is announcing. Besides his own matches are there any matches in the 2000s he did not commentate on? Akiyama piledrives him on exposed concrete and hits pretty full on in the back of the head with a chair. Just a vicious street fight. When Shibata makes it into the ring, Akiyama is right on him with a knee and hits a back drop driver and applies his guillotine choke. I am absolutely loving this match. Shibata ina desperation bid for self-preservation just starts throwing his body parts (fists, elbows, knees and kicks)and is able to daze Akiyama in the corner for a pretty flush dropkick to the head. Shibata whiffs on a kick to the head and here comes the suplex->pop-up barrage that ends with a Shibata kick and both men are out. It really felt like at that moment it departed from that crazy street fight brawl into a standard 00s puro match. Akiyama hits an exploder and locks in a Crippler Crossface, which I have never seen him use. Shibata shows the usual fighting spirit at the end in midst of a barrage of knees before succumbing to a head-drop wrist-clutch exploder.

They had something really special in the first 10 minutes before they settled into a standard finishing pattern with pop-ups and young lion fighting spirit. I don't mind that fomrula, but did not think it fit the street fight they had in the beginning. Could have had something really special, but still a very strong match. ***3/4

[superkix]

Forgot the date on this. In short, this is an awesome pissing contest. Shibata's one of the best brawlers in Japan today and a pissed off Akiyama is always a joy tow atch. I loved the ref trying to do everything he can to stop Shibata from going after Jun. Akiyama's desperate strikes were really good, literraly throwing himself at Shibata, and I liked the neck stuff building to the finish. I didn't have a problem with the toukon rush. I thought it fit well here and I liked that Shibata was working in such an adrenaline-frenzied way that it takes a couple of head-drop Exploders to really faze him.

[ShittyLittleBoots]

This match is incredible. Starts off super hot with Shibata busting Akiyama open w/ a couple of brutal looking (& sounding) kicks - that pisses Akiyama off greatly, and he proceeds to beat the crap out of young Shibata for that, including throwing a dozen chairs on top of him. GREAT GODDAMN STUFF. The match remains intense & brutal till the end, and it's such a joy to watch. ****1/2

[BigVanCrush]

I love this match. Akiyama hands Shibata maybe the single worst ass kicking of his career after Shibata busts him open with a kick. They really don't let up from the opening bell and I honestly can't think of how someone could look at the names involved and come away from this match disappointed. These two really brought the goods. ****

[Edwin]

Almost 13 years since this took place and it's still awesome. Shibata dropping Akiyama on his head and then punting him into oblivion and busting his head in the process only to piss Akiyama off and have him go crazy on Shibata was the perfect way to start this match. Akiyama continues to reck havoc with a chair, brutal looking knees and Shibata continues punting Akiyama whenever given a chance. Honestly this is great. Just a hate filed, brutal brawl.

[G. Badger]

This was Aja Kong vs Hotta level of uncooperative stiffness. Shibata kicks Akiyama in the face twice within the first minute which busts the former NOAH champ's forehead open.

I can't believe that this attack was planned because Jun attempts to kill Shibata on the outside. Seriously...he's pissed and recklessly is driving down chairs upon the shoot stylist. 

Heck maybe they said, let's just go out there and hit each other very hard. But shit got real there for a while.

I can't say they tone it back but, both guys get to working a match...a very stiff BattlARTS type of match. It was great although its no surprise that Shibata, who based his career on these types of bouts, is now retired.

This is up on YouTube so, if you're a fan of either guy - check it out!

[Chess Knight]

Really, really awesome start that set the tone for the whole match. Shibata, the young'un, tries steam-rolling the legend and actually busts Akiyama open on a few kicks to the head. Akiyama gets absolutely furious and they wind up outside, with Akiyama chucking chairs down at Shibata like a madman. Not folding chairs either; like, Shibata was eating LEG. He was even more violent later after more Shibata offense. Shibata swings a kick and hits pole instead, but doesn't allow himself to fall over so to not leave Akiyama any oxygen. The damage, unfortunately for him, is already done, and Akiyama sees the opening. I actually loved that Akiyama didn't just predictably target the leg from that point in a major way (other than one chair swing), instead dropping him on the announce table, giving him a piledriver on the concrete, and brutalising his upper area with chair shots. He really appeared to just be too angry to go with the obvious "limb work" strategy and let his emotions fight for him for a bit. Even when Shibata tries getting back in the ring, Akiyama just sprints at him with some sort of ballistic, uncouth knee smash that looked like it almost made Akiyama himself fly out of the ring. Shibata doesn't get any less rowdy because of all this; fighting out of a front facelock with blows to the mid-section, and persisting with the kicks. Speaking of the facelock, the crowd were sadly pretty heatless for all submission moves; I feel like, with the blood, they should have been taken seriously as moves that could have knocked the opponent out. I wish some of those exploders were sold a bit more, too. Though Shibata at least does the "surprise get up from big move" better than almost anybody in the 21st Century because of his in-between selling, but I've spoken on that before. And those little negatives didn't stop it being a really, really good match.

[ohtani's jacket]

This wasn't the match I was expecting from these two, but it was a damn good brawl that turned into an exciting fight. I wouldn't bat an eyelid at anyone who had this as their Japan MOTY.