[2001-12-09-Zero-One-Shingeki IV] Shinya Hashimoto & Naoya Ogawa vs Mark Kerr & Tom Howard

[Superstar Sleeze]

Shinya Hashimoto & Naoya Ogawa vs Mark Kerr & Tom Howard - Zero-One 12/9/01

Skipping Zero-One’s fifth I didn’t recognize the foreigners and it looks like it was a commercial flop (2000 in Budokan OUCH!). Watching the pre-match hype this is the first time Hashimoto & Ogawa team after their long, torturous rivalry. I am surprised they didn’t cash in on one more Hashimoto vs Ogawa match before going down the dream team route. They are continuing the UPW feud with Mark Kerr somehow continuing to be roped into this. Tom Howard is pretty good, very athletic, he was the big bumper and mover of the four. With the right gimmick, he could have been a solid mechanic. Kerr is the ultimate wrestle-fuck wrestler and it is a lot of fun. Ogawa and Kerr present such a cool match up. 
 

These matches tend not to be too narrative heavy so the work doesn’t really stick with me. Ogawa vs Kerr was a lot of fun. Kerr weathers an early Ogawa storm and shows he can take the big man down. Hashimoto & Howard present a very different alternative with Howard throwing wild high kicks and using eye takes while Hashimoto works the leg in conventional manner. I love Howard’s scramble arm crawl out of the ring to avoid Ogawa. Ogawa two pancakes on Kerr and then into a really nice Judo throw was cool. The next thing I remember was Ogawa in control of Howard and Kerr breaking it up. The Japanese end up on the heels. Then it looks like Hashimoto and Ogawa are going to break up right then and there about ten minutes into the match. I remember Hashimoto shoving Kerr head first into a post really hard. Hashimoto working some solid takedown defense including that knee when Kerr shoots for a takedown but succumbing to the belly to belly into a cross-armbreaker but Ogawa saves. Again the memory gets a little hazy here but the finish run is pretty awesome. Next thing I remember OGAWA SPACE TORNADO OGAWA ON KERR! Double leg takedown by Kerr, Triangle by Ogawa, wait now Kerr is trying to make Ogawa eat his knee. Hashimoto needs to save twice. Hashimoto DDTs Kerr twice. He goes for the Triangle/armbar but Howard hits a crazy top rope elbow. Howard should’ve gotten a run somewhere. Great three move finish combination. Ogawa/Hashimoto version of total elimination (STO with Hashimoto’s leg sweep) on Kerr, lariat into a German it looked like Kerr and Hashimoto might be out. Ogawa detains Howard and Hashimoto chokes Kerr out which is surprising I thought Howard would’ve taken the fall. 
 

Not the stickiest of matches (match sticks with you) but the finish run rocked and I loved Ogawa/Kerr’s interactions so this an easy thumbs up. ***1/2