[2023-06-16-DDT-What Are You Doing Tour in Hakodate] HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku

[corwo]

One of the ring trucks arrived late at the venue, so they were wrestling on exposed wooden boards with no mat or turnbuckle pads. Koroku and Okatani struggled over an Irish Whip, neither wanting to take the full brunt of the turnbuckles. That kind of adaptability to the situation bodes well for their future, and I’m excited to see them develop further.

The match was wrestled smartly, with both teams taking extra precautions to avoid getting slammed onto the wooden boards. That’s not to say the action was light, as Higuchi and HARASHIMA battered each other with kicks and chops until the latter’s chest was beet red. You also had the dynamic between Higuchi and former stablemate Okatani, who refused to concede when he was backed into a corner.

Every bit of sustained offense felt like it mattered, and the damage gradually built up across the course of the match. HARASHIMA and Koroku got into a scrap on the top rope, causing HARASHIMA to fall onto the exposed boards. Koroku took a risk by diving off the top rope but couldn’t get the cover because of the impact. HARASHIMA won with a running Somato.

Not only was this excellently-paced, coming in at under thirteen minutes, it showcased the versatility of everyone involved. The match had a real sense of danger with the exposed boards and turnbuckles, making it feel momentous whenever someone bumped onto them. One of the year’s true hiddden gems.

One of the ring trucks arrived late at the venue, so they were wrestling on exposed wooden boards with no mat or turnbuckle pads. Koroku and Okatani struggled over an Irish Whip, neither wanting to take the full brunt of the turnbuckles. That kind of adaptability to the situation bodes well for their future, and I’m excited to see them develop further.

The match was wrestled smartly, with both teams taking extra precautions to avoid getting slammed onto the wooden boards. That’s not to say the action was light, as Higuchi and HARASHIMA battered each other with kicks and chops until the latter’s chest was beet red. You also had the dynamic between Higuchi and former stablemate Okatani, who refused to concede when he was backed into a corner.

Every bit of sustained offense felt like it mattered, and the damage gradually built up across the course of the match. HARASHIMA and Koroku got into a scrap on the top rope, causing HARASHIMA to fall onto the exposed boards. Koroku took a risk by diving off the top rope but couldn’t get the cover because of the impact. HARASHIMA won with a running Somato.

Not only was this excellently-paced, coming in at under thirteen minutes, it showcased the versatility of everyone involved. The match had a real sense of danger with the exposed boards and turnbuckles, making it feel like a momentous occasion whenever someone bumped onto them. One of the year’s true hidden gems and an exercise in getting the most out of a bad situation.