[2011-06-19 AJPW Pro Wrestling LOVE in Ryogoku Vol. 12] Kyotaro vs Masakatsu Funaki

[BigVanCrush]

Alright, I swear this is my last topic for a match from this show. This was a very neat match. Kyotaro is a K1 heavyweight champion, and near as I can figure, this is his only wrestling match. It's a real shame, because he's AWESOME here. Funaki is, as well, but you probably already guessed that. There's some obvious shoot style flavor here, playing up Kyotaro's striking ability and Funaki's grappling and striking. They don't go super long, everything here looks good and lands, the finish rules. If you're gonna bring a real fighter in and showcase them on a big show, this is how you do it. One of the real hidden gems of 2011. It's a real shame Funaki didn't come back to wrestling sooner, but almost everything he does from his return in 2010 through the Wrestle-1 split rocks. ***1/2