[2013-08-18-DDT-Ryogoku Peter Pan] Shigehiro Irie vs HARASHIMA

[Makai Club #1]

KO-D Openweight Title Match: Shigehiro Irie (c) vs. HARASHIMA - DDT Ryogoku Peter Pan 2013 18/08/2013

I can’t help but love Irie’s entrance. Him crying just at the moment makes you automatically on his side. He was fantastic during the match as well as was HARASHIMA. I loved how everything built throughout with there being tons of great escalation in offence both guys. Really loved the early sections of the match. HARASHIMA trying to beatdown Irie with his strikes only for Irie to lay into him with a lariat or squish with his body by sitting down on HARASHIMA’s chest. There was a great sense of struggle in the match where momentum constantly shifted back and forth. Irie adopted some tremendous counter wrestling to match HARASHIMA’s direct assaults. Irie hit a sick powerbomb off the top rope followed by an over the shoulder driver. His elbows looked raw as hell, too. HARASHIMA was out right ruthless in the final stretch, hitting strike after strike before hitting a springboard elbow/type finish for the win. A great climax to a great match. ****1/2