[2015-11-16-VKF] GENTARO vs Osamu Nishimura

[Ma Stump Puller]

I originally got the match + full show from Jetlag (thanks again! ) but VKF's channel have also uploaded this to their Youtube as well following Nishimura's tragic passing. It's a pretty damn good celebration of everything Nishimura stood for as a worker; incredible, crisp technical wrestling with expertly done storytelling via said wrestling, GENTARO especially seems to be having the time of his life wrestling what probably was one of his idols as he sells his ass off for the guy. Nishimura around this time had mostly faded into the background as most of his time was occupied with his political career so when he did wrestle it was mostly for pretty nothing tag matches where he'd just go through his routine without much focus or effort really applied into it. He'd not ever be terrible or even bad in them, just kinda in the background clearly not giving it a whole lot of thought. Something like this existing was especially shocking that the guy was still THIS great and could put on legitimate classics when inclined.

The starting work is mostly the usual signature spots; the standing Nishimura arch, clean break etc etc. GENTARO gets pissed that he's getting upstaged starts working dirty in the headlock alongside throwing his signature Bret-style punches, which turns out only seems to piss off his opponent as he responds with nasty elbow smashes and a mean Cravat into headlock transition. The main gimmick is Nishimura simply having all of the cards when it comes to the technical game, consistently throwing out these wild counters to things that GENTARO tries to do, namely his big mistake being consistently going to the well of moves that Fujinami (who Nishimura knows very well for obvious reasons) also uses. He tries for a Bow and Arrow stretch at one point and immediately regrets it when he gets his foot bent into a toe-hold/kneebar, stuff like that. GENTARO sells like everything and adds in momentous struggle to the matwork; others recently may have done this kind of stuff faster but they don't get that ground work tends to be a grindy and rough struggle for the most part, especially when it's as detailed as it is here and covers about 98% of the match. Like GENTARO spending nearly a full minute just in a hold trying to comprehend a counter is much more engrossing than watching someone speedrun through multiple transitions at such a rushed pace that it looks like they're breakdancing, you know? They just get it in that regard.

Nishimura looks solid in the ground work but those little moments where his stoic shell breaks and he gets nasty are the real money moments. Like after they'd had a struggle over toe-holds and leg locks Nishimura tries to drag his foot for a submission, but his opponent sticks to the ropes to escape it happening. There's a couple of seconds where he processes it, stands over the guy and lets him limp closer to the corner, then stomps the shit out of his hind leg while he's not even looking. It's such a sudden/brutal spot that it almost snaps your attention right back by how subtly done it is, crazy good. If a guy like Finlay did that we'd probably still be ranting about it to this day lol

GENTARO also gets in some highlight moments where he's able to throw in counters like taking a Muta Lock and turning it into a Cravat choke but this is mostly just him selling and bumping big for the invading force which I think he does a awesome job at. He's even able to convincingly get over a potential count-out after Nishimura smashes his shin into a chair, even adding in theatrics by falling to the ground when he tries putting weight on the bad leg to step into the ring. You feel every bit of his struggle throughout the entire bit right up to the big shine comeback spot after Nishimura misses his second top rope knee drop, then his desperation to even the score creeps in.

I'd say his offence is lacking in a couple places (he doesn't get much height for his signature shin breaker on the turnbuckle post, for instance) however it does build up nicely as he lands a couple of impactful suplexes despite his leg preventing him from absolutely capitalising. It felt like a truly 70's AJPW finish build wherein both guys are fatigued and moreso battling that than each other. There's some heavy focus on GENTARO trying to put a statement with his victory as he frequently goes for the figure four (Fujinami) and Spinning Toe Hold (Dory) clearly to showcase his mastery over one of their biggest students. Nishimura rides out the holds and exactly like the 2006 MUGA match GENTARO goes for the figure four once too many times, allowing Nishimura to quickly reverse the leverage and tap him out in the end proving his experience over the youth.

This is a really well done match that basically plays to all of the pair's strengths and none of their weaknesses. Nishimura looked fantastic here for his age, really hammering in the control work to make him look like the big threat he is here. It's quite crazy since his best material is working as a crafty underdog: having the roles reversed here makes it clear that GENTARO by stature just isn't up to snuff despite some big close calls here. There's a sense of importance to the pair's work that you just barely see anywhere else wherein every big turn and twist in momentum feels like it could be the last. It's another cap in GENTARO's hat for him to come into a match like this and have such a lack of ego that he just happily went along getting his ass beat for most of this without complaint. Honestly? I think that mentality makes this match as great as it is - There's no pretensions of a "epic" or 50/50 bullshit, just a guy way over his head slowly realising it over the course of 25+ something minutes. Masterful craft by two of the best to probably do it.