[2001-10-27-APW-King of the Indies 2001] Low Ki vs American Dragon

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJVIjUWTdd8

[Superstar Sleeze]

Low Ki vs American Dragon - APW King of the Indies 2001

 

I am always impressed by how mat based the early 2000s indies can be. I really think it was a true smorgasbord of pro wrestling unliked the homogenized WWE product (I don't watch much of the indies anymore so I don't want to generalize). The first 15 minutes of this was an excellent mat work clinic that was just dripping with struggle. The highspots were all interesting escapes and holds. Very like in the way of throws and flips. I loved the symmetry of the blocked shots on the ropes and how each man was going for chokes, but the other found escapes. I loved Low-Ki's escape out of the Texas Cloverleaf with his feet and the way he broke down Bryan's bridge was incredible and drew Ooooohs and Aaaaaahs. Liked Dragon stealing the Tidal Wave only to piss off Ki, who hit with more tremendous force. Everything was earned like the test of struggle, which turned into a battle of headbutts. Everything was sold well. I really liked that upside down contortion that ended up in with them slapping each other. Or stuff like Ki holding onto a suplex after hitting it to go for the choke. They felt very evenly match and that first one to make a mistake would cost them. I thought both felt fully invested in the match. Even at the 15 minute mark, it still felt even, but it was not due to move trading, it was just that these were just two very equal wrestlers and both were wrestling hard to be King of the Indies.

 

As the time progressed, I realized what they were attempting to accomplish a match without a shine-heat-comeback. A departure from that formula is very rare and can be very rewarding but it can lead to a match that feels like it has no rising action and no build to climax that's how I felt here. Bryan gets an arm drag and then a deep double wristlock. Ki is able to get a Kappo Kick to the head, but no Phoenix Splash. A kick to the head on the break of the Full Nelson on the apron allows Ki to hit a Phoenix Splash (waits a little too long) on Bryan on the outside. Then Dragon is the first up doing moves, strange. He hits a super back suplex for two and then a Dragon Suplex, but cant cover because his knee is hurt when did that happen. He goes for a second one, but Ki shifts his weight and ends up with the Dragon Clutch (that's how he won the Super 8 against American Dragon in February). Even when Danielson makes the ropes, he is tenacious about putting it on. Nice counter into Cattle Mutilation, but back into the Dragon Clutch. KI KRUHER~! But his arm is messed up, Ki is selling that arm quite a bit. The selling and struggle has been how the charts. Just does not feel much in the way of progress.

 

Ki goes for the Tidal Wave and Danielson meets him with a baseball slide to the arm. SICK! Cattle Mutilation, Big time Low-Ki chants as the crowd gets into it. But Dragon is too exhausted to hold it. Another Dragon Suplex into a Cattle Mutilation. Cattle Mutilation is a visually impressive submission at first but the way Ki is selling it (not moving) is boring as fuck. Needs to be a quick tapout, no drama in that hold. Ki gets his one big hope spot a top rope Ki Krusher before on a Tidal Wave he gets Dragon Suplexed and then taps out to Cattle Mutilation.

 

Loved all the struggle and thought the first 15 minutes was excellent. They went for something unique with the competitive start and a finish run with no shine or heat. Never fault them for that. It just did not click for me. It felt pretty heatless (regardless of the crowd) because it did not have that sense of build. Cattle Mutilation is a bad, boring submission when it is not a quick submission. On the strength of the beginning, I give this a good rating and it should be checked out because of the novelty of the layout. ****

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Much more methodical than their Super 8 match, but just as good. Fantastic struggle, intensity & sense of urgency (as in all the matches Ki & Bryan had against each other, really) - the big spots ruled & brought great drama to the match. Terrific stuff. ****1/2

[SmartMark15]

Loved this. The struggle was just so great, all the little things that they hit each other with down on the mat. One of my favorite moments came early on with Ki fighting his way out of a vertical suplex with some stiff strikes. Then there's how Ki nearly bumps through the ropes when Dragon gives him a shoulder block. Then you've got how it just builds and builds to those bigger spots to the end that climax pretty much perfectly. I'm also a big fan of crumple selling of which there was much of in this match!

 

****1/2

[cactus]

A grueling watch, and I mean that in the best way possible. They make you feel everything that they're feeling. Seriously, the selling in this is sublime. This is worked in a similar way to how their match at the ROH Round Robin match, as the pace can be slow and it's heavily mat-based with a smattering of hard-to-watch strong strikes scattered throughout. It's the little things that makes this brilliant. The story of Dragon not being able to bridge on his Dragon Suplex made for compelling drama. My only gripe is they have Ki trapped in the Cattle Mutilation way too long, but it's a minor complaint. 

★★★★

[ohtani's jacket]

This was cool. They did a really good job of creating an intense, nervy atmosphere. There wasn't a single shot that wasn't laid in or sold heavily. They were on edge the entire match and it felt like one slip up would cost either man the match. Usually, you'd have a commentator ramming that home, but here the work spoke for itself. Whenever I see Danielson from this period, it always seems like he's going through an early Owen/Benoit phase (maybe it's the tights.) I might have been caught up in the moment, but it felt like he was coming into his own during this tournament.