ShittyLittleBoots Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 A legit dream match that delivered. Great back & forth grappling throughout, with lots of little things to love, as I've come to expect by both guys. The slugfest portions of the thing rule big time too, and I especially loved Hideki's disrespectful little stomps & kicks. **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaeo_ Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 This was the highlight of the show for me. There's a great build up, the intensity and violence just keep increasing until it really boils over with the Billy Robinson backbreaker, and both Thatcher and Hideki's execution is flawless 99% of the time. I'd like to write more about it whenever I end up rewatching it. Instant classic, almost as good as Thatcher's match with Ishikawa last month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted April 8, 2019 Report Share Posted April 8, 2019 Absolutely wonderful match. If this had been the best or my favorite match on the card it could have been a lights out show. As it turned out it was my third favorite. It was still a banger. Really solid, old school build. The animosity and agresion builds as they go. The counters and submissions were slick. everything is put it with some fucking malice. This is just great wrestling. ****1/4 (high end 4.25 at that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted April 9, 2019 Report Share Posted April 9, 2019 Can't believe it took this long to get a match between these two but I'm not complaining as it more than delivered. Two excellent technicians working their craft and smacking the heck out of each other in between painful submission holds. Really gave off the feel of an urgent struggle. Technical wrestling isn't always my cup of tea but when it's good it's great, especially when both wrestlers are hitting each other with knockout blows on the feet. ****1/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted April 10, 2019 Report Share Posted April 10, 2019 What a beautiful treat of a pro wrestling match this was to watch live. Even with the Bloosaport format being dialed in/tightened up this year, every match was different, and this was probably the match that benefitted the most from them all being different. In a 48 hour period where I saw Fred Yehi-Daniel Makabe and a bunch of Johnathan Gresham, this was still a noticeable standout, existing at the perfect midpoint between a '70s style match and UWF style. I'm a low voter on some Thatcher stuff, like the Barnett match from Buffalo, usually preferring the more fired up stuff like his tag work or the delightfully weird Nick Gage match, but Suzuki was the perfect foil for him here. And then the finish, with Suzuki Billy Robinsoning Thatcher to death? Perfect, and possibly my favorite finish of every match I saw on a billion shows this week. That double arm suplex was so beautiful and so emphatic that it had to be the finish, especially coming right after the Robinson back breaker, and Thatcher did the most realistic "spasming unconscious guy" selling I've ever seen. One of the must-see matches of the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makai Club #1 Posted April 12, 2019 Report Share Posted April 12, 2019 Yet another great match on this show. Great mix of STIFF striking and top notch grappling. Hideki throw some unholy forearm strikes that were pinpoint dangerous. Thatcher was excellent on the mat, as expected. Loved Thatcher’s body shots he’d throw when transitioning between holds whether it’s with his head or knee. Hideki was awesome on the defensive too - he kept calm when in danger and made it a struggle for Thatcher where is some cases it’d have been a breeze. Loved the Robinson suplex being the cause for the KO, puts Hideki and the move over perfectly. ****1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin Posted April 12, 2019 Report Share Posted April 12, 2019 This was truly a great match. Thatcher has been a favorite of mine for a while now and I had only seen Suzuki a handful of times, but he's apparently a Billy Robinson student, so he has a background in Catch which was quite visible here. Thatcher also has a background in Catch as he's a student of Josh Barnett. The match is just great. Just two mean dudes with some gritty grappling exchanges. Those big bombs from Suzuki at the end were so well timed and perfectly executed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkix Posted December 13, 2019 Report Share Posted December 13, 2019 I've come down off my initial high but this is still a very good match. Hideki in control/fighting for control is the best part of it, as Thatcher works sell well underneath. Slow build but a hot finish. Suzuki's shitty boots and face kicks and elbows always look so insane and Thatcher can cut loose when he wants to - that Hideki sell off the European uppercut was great. Super strong finish for Hideki. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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