[2018-10-28-DDT] HARASHIMA vs Shinya Aoki

[aaeo_]

I thought this was a really cool match. Aoki struggles with selling a bit but he's Shinya Aoki! It doesn't really matter that he's stonefaced most of the match. Aoki doesn't swallow up HARASHIMA either, they both look pretty good. HARASHIMA puts Aoki in a couple armbar attempts and a rear-naked choke attempt, and Aoki has to stand up and reset. He even gets him to use a rope break after reversing a leglock into an ankle lock. Aoki underselling a german suplex after that was the one moment where the match sort of disappointed me.

Aoki does some things that I haven't seen anyone else do in pro wrestling, even something simple like when he gets out of a waistlock by threatening a kimura. But then they do a very complex 50/50 guard dueling leglock monstrosity, which was very cool. Aoki also does a handful of very creative pinning combinations, but he doesn't get more than a one count. I was bothered that the ref, Daisuke Kiso, was really slow to start counting and he missed one or two pinfall attempts. He's usually good but in a very different type of match.

The ending sequence is good. After the aforementioned german suplex, HARASHIMA reverses a single leg takedown attempt into a piledriver (which is also very cool and not done enough). They trade a couple more submission attempts before Aoki gets the triangle choke.

This made me think that we're really missing out by Hard Hit and whichever produce shows that have this type of match mostly being recorded exclusively by hard cam, seeing everything up close was much more rewarding. Aoki is great in this setting, against an opponent who can keep up. I'd recommend checking out this match if you like technical wrestling at all. I also want to thank bitcoin and the turkish lira for making this possible by putting Aoki into debt, and wish Aoki a speedy financial recovery.