[2001-01-05-Revolution Pro-Dragon Returns] Super Dragon vs Rising Son

[GSR]

In what is announced as Super Dragon’s return to Revolution Pro, he and Rising Son have an embrace before the actions kicks off. Cool low spinning leg sweep to take Dragon off his feet, but he counters the ‘Magistral cradle’ with a roll up. Torture rack, however Son counters that one with a crucifix as both have now tried to catch the other off guard with early pin attempts. Son flips over on the belly to belly, dropkick to the back of Dragon who collapses over the middle rope, and a ‘619’ long before it was ever called that. Dragon back drops Son over the top rope but he lands on the apron. He catches a punch then springboards back inside, taking Dragon down with a headscissors in the process that sends him all the way across the apron and to the outside. Incredible springboard huracanrana to the floor by Son which they execute perfectly. That one justifiably gets the “Holy shit!” treatment. Slingshot senton to the back and Dragon is able to drape a foot over the bottom rope for the break. Indian deathlock with Son bridging back to hook the neck, as once again Dragon is forced to go to the ropes. The Irish whip is reversed and Dragon flips over the ropes and onto the apron. When he turns back around he’s met with a dropkick and takes a mother fucking nestea plunge to the hard wooden floor. Satellite headscissors and seconds after returning to the ring Dragon is back on the outside. Son with the Tajiri handspring, but Dragon grabs his hands and pulls him to the outside with him. He locks on a rocking horse submission on the floor, swinging Son’s head into the wall while doing so. It doesn’t look like the first time Dragon has done that one as there’s a head shaped hole already in the wall from a previous match! Backs suplex for a two count. Knife edge chop followed by an open handed slap, each resounding around the building and each taking Son off his feet. Rolling kick in the corner. Son tries to fire back with a flurry of kicks, but a stiff lariat stops him in his tracks. Whip to the turnbuckle, however Son avoids the charge and Dragon goes flying between the top two ropes into the wall and crashes to the arena floor. I had to re-watch that one a second time, a spectacular bump even crazier than that nestea plunge he took earlier. As he makes it to his feet and onto the apron, Son hits a Pele kick. Cross arm bar, but Dragon is able to get to the ropes. A couple of kicks to the head and he’s back at that arm bar, although the outcome is the same as last time. Son fails to connect on the handspring elbow and as he’s collapsed in the corner, Dragon with a basement dropkick to the chops. He calls for the ‘Psycho Driver’ but Son tees off with some elbows to the side of the head to free himself from his grasp. Reverse huracanrana contorting and spiking Dragon. There’s no chance of a breather on the floor as Son nails him with an Asai moonsault. Dragon blocks the top rope frankensteiner, it looks like he’s setting for a superbomb but Son then counters that with a belly to belly superplex. That takes it out of both men. Son lands the frankensteiner at the second attempt, although this time Dragon holds on and rolls through for the sunset flip. Dragon suplex with Son landing flush on his neck. Brainbuster followed by a jumping double armed DDT, only for Dragon to miss the corkscrew moonsault. Fisherman buster by Son and he’s persevering with that cross arm bar despite having no success so far. None here too! Dragon rolls out the way of the Shooting Star and the crowd start calling for the heart punch. He’s more than happy to oblige on that. Release German, inverted face first suplex and Dragon picks up the win on his return after a ‘Phoenix splash’.

 

Ultra Taro Jr. and Disco Machine head out to speak with Dragon after, handing him a T-shirt. He puts it on and it looks like he’ll be joining forces, only to double cross them and hit the ‘Psycho Driver’ on Taro. As they leave a tag match is announced for the next show pitting Dragon & Rising Son against Taro & Disco.

 

A real good bout with Super Dragon and Rising Son pulling out every move in their arsenal in an effort to try and put the other away. A long match with the physicality and effort taking its toll on both men. Dragon took two insane bumps with the nestea plunge and that dive into the wall, but the guy is ridiculously talented and creative. When someone pulls out something that you haven’t seen before, you know they’re a smart one. Rising Son is a shade below, a fearless springboard rana to the floor, although I can’t help but think he ran out of ideas with constantly going back to the cross arm bar. The lead up to the rocking horse spot was a tad contrived (the handspring made no sense) although the payoff was great. After a couple of non-events so far in 2001, nice to finally reach some good stuff!

[soup23]

So close to a great match. This viciousness that led to the transitions in this match particularly by Dragon showed more maturity than what we saw in the tag match earlier. There is some brutal bumps here including the throw into the wall that is just disgusting.  Rising Son is an interesting guy as he certainly has some potential.  I agree with GSR that he isn’t as refined as Dragon but stuff like his springboard rana where he just hangs on enough to execute it sort of added to the danger and excitement of the match as a whole. The crowd was pretty molten and they willed their way throughout this match to where it felt kind of urban legend-ey if Super Dragon would have become a world renowned star like Punk, Joe or Danielson.  The angle at the end set up what should be a pretty damn fun tag match too at the next show. Highly enjoyable and one of the 00’s at this point. ***3/4 (7.4)

[AstroBoy]

I thought this went too long and really lacked lots of connective tissue to make it very much, but they have some great moments.  Rising Son is a graceful flyer but it's Super Dragon here who shines.  He escalates things with a pendulum swing into the wall, takes a nutty bump into the wall after missing a corner charge.  They do space the spots out really well and that helped this along too.