[1996-12-19-RINGS] Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto

[PeteF3]

I think Yamamoto is a much better Tamura opponent than TK. Yamamoto is better on his feet, and still high-end with RINGS-style matwork. More energy and excitement.

 

[Superstar Sleeze]

Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto - RINGS 12/19/96

 

In my estimation, this match was to determine who the baddest Japanese muthafucka on the RINGS roster. Maeda is over the hill and I feel like Kohsaka is treated a step below these two. Before Tamura arrived in the summer of 96, it looked like it was clearly going to be Yamamoto, who does have a victory over Volk Han in late 95, but Tamura has cleared out the non-Volk Han foreigners. Match has a huge fight feel. Yamamoto comes out of the gate fucking swinging. Even though he is the incumbent, he feels like he has something to prove. He is crowding Tamura in the ropes. Tamura has to go for a takedown not because he is in control just to stop his momentum. Even back on their feet, Tamura starts throwing insane knees to Yamamoto's side. RINGS has not been the place for great, electric stand up. This is the exception. They beat the ever loving shit out of each other and they were furious throwing crazy hands. Oddly, I thought the match dragged on the mat. It seemed like both were trying so hard not get put into submission that you didn't get as many eye-popping submissions. They more than made up for it by throwing hands like there was no tomorrow. Tamura was up early 2-0 on rope breaks. When Yamamoto just started bashing his face in with palm strikes. Tamura came off the mat with a bleeding cheek and busted lip, fucking hardway. That shit was intense. Yamamoto was able to get three strong submissions to put Tamura in the ropes. Tamura looked like hell. Then all of sudden he gest a flying cross armbreaker that legitimately looks like he hyperextended Yamamoto's elbow (looked how deep it was) and how fast that tap out was.

 

Insane amount of hate and anger. Best stand up ever in RINGS. Tamura's face and that finish are amazing. Matwork drags it down, but good God watch this. ****1/4

[superkix]

Yamamoto has a major chip on his shoulder. He was the golden boy of RINGS pre-Tamura but post-Tamura, he's been losing all his matches, he's fed up and he takes that frustration out on Tamura. I mean, Tamura is just trying to survive and not get choked out. The opening is intense, with Yamamoto palm striking the hell out of Tamura, pelting him in the corners, with Tamura trying to grab something to take him down but Yamamoto is way too aggro. Tamura manages a few cool takedowns, including a beautiful kneebar counter, while Yamamoto keeps trying to climb on with his backpack choke. I thought some of the grounded sections of the match were sluggish - maybe they were just resting in between all the striking. At one point, Tamura rocks Yamamoto with some nasty slaps and somewhere in the mix, Tamura's nose gets busted open. The finish, with Tamura looking battering but then pulling out the  beautiful flying armbar with that extension for the immediate tap out. Chef's kiss. Very good stuff overall.  

[Microstatistics]

Is this the correct date? It's listed as 12/21/1996 on Tabe's Tamura set.

Anyway, this might be the most gruesome shoot-style match I've seen. The reviewers above bring up an interesting narrative regarding Yamamoto's frustration at his lackluster transition to be the top native talent in RINGS and his anger at a seemingly new golden boy in Kiyoshi Tamura. The standup had an aura of reckless violence and while the matwork was a little stagnant, it was quite ferocious and led to Tamura pouring hardway blood and almost getting his face rearranged. He nearly spiked himself setting up the finish too. ***3/4