[1999-06-20-BJW-Excite Series] Ryuji Yamakawa vs Tomoaki Honma (Bed of Nails, Barbed Wire Board Death)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

It's the new generation death match. What makes it difference from the Onita stuff is that Onita implied violence and these two deliver it. This was a pretty daring match by just about any standard. This is wrestling for maximalists. There is no subtlety or nuance, and nothing is teased that isn't delivered. This is wrestling's answer to the mantra that you either go balls to the wall or go home. They pushed this a little farther than I could stand to watch, so I had a tough time with this one. I think I liked the Shadow WX match better the year before, but I'm glad I saw this once. I don't think I can watch it again.

[tim]

This didn't really get gruesome until the end and for a lot of the match felt more like a 'enhanced' garbage brawl rather than a death match -- which I'm saying in a good way. Eventually they do go all out with bigger bumps through the barbwire, falling on nails etc. But it doesn't feel really nasty until toward the end which gives the ending minutes more intensity. Lots of cool stuff here, they kept it moving and utilized a lot of different stuff to keep it entertaining for the whole match. "Maximalist" is definitely the right word. Highlight has to be Honma hitting a light tube shot while jumping off a railing and following it up with, of all things, a small package.

[soup23]

I kind of had a different take as the opening sequence looked great with Yamakawa coming out looking like Japanese John Wayne. The thing I appreciated in this match was the lack of tonal shifts overall in the match. Each person was on offense for a while in the middle portion and even the final sequence had few times where someone would perform one move and the other person would perform another one. I thought the brawling and teases in the early portion showed some good restraint that paid off in the brutal climax at the end. The brawling in the crowd is nice and violent and intense and sure Honma dives off the balcony but the weapons are organically used and not obtuse. Then the final sequence is almost like two warriors stumbling into a death arena where they can fulfill their most violent desires. I really really thought this was great and one of the better death matches of the 1990's. ****1/4

[Tim Evans]

Honma is just way too good to be doing matches like this. The thing I liked about this match was it was a wrestling match with weapons instead of "hit opponent with weapon, blade, rinse repeat". Honma was actually doing high flying moves and both guys were doing wrestling moves. The weapons shots looked painful and I liked the teasing of the bed of nails. i don't know if I would call it great but it was a entertaining match. Plus Yamakawa comes out to Separate ways by Journey for a death match. That's just bad ass.

[PeteF3]

I didn't think much of this, really. I won't say they lack guts but this was basically Itchy & Scratchy wrestling and far from being too gruesome for me to get into, they get me to a point where I just don't care what they do next. A tombstone off the apron through a light-tube board for an immediate 2-count? Pass. The best moment was the big face-off with the kendo sticks and the commentator yelling, "Star Wars!"

[GSR]

Only around a third of this nineteen minute bout airs on the footage I saw so we only get selected highlights.  A whip to the turnbuckles is reversed and reversed again as Honma is the first to go crashing into one of the barbed wire boards.  Yamakawa with a Tiger Suplex onto a pile of chairs on the floor.  They both break light tubes over each other before Honma teases taking a bump into the bed of nails which is laid out at ringside.  Ryuji charges at him and gets levelled with a ‘phenomenal forearm’.  Springboard light tube to the head at it looks like the shattered glass has shredded the top of Yamakawa’s back.  Top rope frankensteiner through another barbed wire board.  Tombstone piledriver from the apron through a light tube covered board to the outside!  That was fucking nuts!  Ridiculously Yamakawa then kicks out of the cover.  Honma takes the fall onto the bed of nails after a baseball slide and Yamakawa then picks up the pin following Christopher Daniels’ ‘Angel’s Wings’.

The only thing crazier than that tombstone piledriver from the ring apron to the floor was that Yamakawa kicked out of it!