Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda (Futen - 4/24/2005)

Yeah maybe their most vile match, which is really saying something. One of my favorite aspect of BattlARTS/Futen is how well they nail the traditional heel vs. face dynamic and that's on full display here. 4/15/1997 is clearly my #1 when it comes to their singles matches but this might be #2 so this has a very good shot at making my list.

Still the baddest fight ever. People are talking about how BRUTAL this is, and it is brutal, but as far as the psychology and WORK goes, this is one of the finest showdowns in wrestling history. I recommend everyone read Mike's review on WKO, because he has done a great job summarizing the story of the match.

I don't think this is the most violent match ever, you can find more brutal stuff on joshi cards, however, it is easily the finest match ever at creating a flair of violence. It is a testament to these two's ability to create a feeling of escalating violence throughout every exchange. I mean you watch the opening exchange and how the hell can this escalate even further? But they manage to work you into feeling that by telling the story. This was one of the first puro matches I watched online and re-watching it so many years later, it's almost mindblowing how much this is worked like a classic grudge match/brawl. Some of the greatest receipt/payback spots ever, and the match layout would work just aswell for a Lawler/Funk match. Even the mat stuff serves to further the story and is fueled by their personalities. Needless to say, both guys sold flawlessly and displayed tremendous instincts. An almost spent Ikeda trying to crush Ishikawa with everything he could think of, only to be caught repeatedly, leading to what may be the greatest 15th round exchanges ever is as good as pro wrestling gets. Hell, this whole match is pro wrestling done right. Take away the stiffness and it would still be an amazing battle.

Also, I should mention that with the quite crowd, this feels like an alley brawl at times. They did get a few great reactions for simple spots, proving that they had their audience by the balls all the way.

Brutal, violent as you all said. Maybe too disturbing? I prefer some of the 2008 BattlArts revitalization tags. This is on the outside looking in but it is a badass match.

Nothing like a sharp departure from Dragon Gate with some Shoot-Style.



Yuki Ishikawa vs Daisuke Ikeda - FUTEN 4/24/05

A Japanese Shoot-Style promotion that allows closed fists, my prayers have been answered! As soon as the ref breaks them, Ikeda punches Ishikawa right in the face to get an early knock down. Ikeda never really looks back earning 4 knockdowns and forcing 2 rope breaks to Ishikawa's one knockdown and 2 rope break forces. These punches are incredible how they are laying them in. I was watching Ishikawa punch Ikeda right in the face on the ground and could not believe the force. Ikeda seems better at take downs, striking and submissions. Ishikawa just has crazy resilience and even crazier hair. They work their double wirstlocks from odd angles sometimes. They are definitely better off standing up. I love that Ikeda would not break his leg lace, but once Ishikawa reversed it, he was desperately grabbing the ropes. Ikeda absolutely ripped up Ishikawa fact with boot lace kicks. Is Randy Orton secretly a huge Daisuke Ikeda mark? Ishikawa makes his big comeback with a pair of back drop drivers. Ikeda is definitely the better "pro wrestler" of the two based on how he sells and feeds Ishikawa. I love him climbing up the ropes trying to escape it. Ishikawa ends up closing the gap earning 5 knockdowns and forcing 3 rope breaks against Ikeda's six knockdowns and 3 rope break forces. FUTEN does not use a point system, but it is interesting way to keep tabs on the flow of the match. Ishikawa finally forces a submission with a crossface chickenwing. I preferred the drama of Tamura's U-Style matches with the point system, but this had the way better striking. I am going to put this somewhere around the Tamura/Ito match given it is hard for me to place shoot-style match still at this point even though I really enjoy them.

That one Ikeda six inch jab to Ishikawa's face coming out of a rope break followed by a wicked, wicked kick to the head was batshit incredible. I stand-by complaint that this was not the best when they took it to the mat. I have definitely seen Ishikawa have better mat-based performance. The stretch run with Ishikawa's face getting destroyed and bleeding profusely from the mouth was riveting. The suplexes and then crossface chickenwing submission was just the cherry on a sundae with extra bite. ****1/2 and a pretty solid lock for Top 20.

This is in my rewatch pile. The first few times I saw it, the violence was so much that it was hard to look past it and pick up on anything beyond it. When I rewatched it recently, I noticed a few details that I hadn't picked up on prior and then I found Mike's review that brought it all together and explained what's really going on in the match. Since it seems others are in the same boat as I was, gonna post the review here. Hope he doesn't mind as I think it adds a lot to the discussion.

Well. What we have here is very possibly the least monkeyish of all monkey shows. Honestly, what a ridiculous hellstorm of a thing. Obviously the violence of it jumps off the page, the brutality and stiffness a giant neon TWO FOR ONE 'TIL 2 sign that's impossible to miss. It's hard to divert your eyes from people wellying each other in the face like this. While all of that is shocking though, Ikeda v Ishikawa has never been purely about the shock value. The same through line that exists in every other Ikeda v Ishikawa match exists in this one. Ikeda is a walking thresher with wrecking balls for appendages. Ishikawa is an extraordinary grappler capable of pulling your arms and legs off. Those attributes become even more dangerous when you consider that they're both savage maniacs with little regard for their own basic motor functions. Ikeda is also kind of a prick who'll volley you in the face. He did that early on off a rope break, where he stood up and tried to punt Ishikawa's head through the far wall. This came AFTER he'd already cracked Ishikawa with a punch at the pre-match ref' checks. When Ikeda applies a legbar Ishikawa manages to grab the ropes without much trouble, but Ikeda doesn't release. That might've been when Ishikawa decided he wasn't playing anymore and quickly turned it into a legbar of his own, forcing Ikeda to the same rope immediately. As time goes on Ishikawa starts to lean into the violence, and even if none of it is below the belt his RAGE maybe does force him down a few corridors he might otherwise avoid. He'll get shot in the face and keep coming forward but that doesn't mean engaging in strike exchanges with Ikeda is smart. Sure enough he tries it a couple times and Ikeda vaporises him. There are several shots that could absolutely be the craziest version of those things ever done in a wrestling ring and the bit where Ishikawa breaks clean on an armbar and Ikeda tries to kick his head off is just about the wildest spot of the decade. I loved the part where Ikeda tried to grab one of Ishikawa's arms to apply a submission and when Ishikawa wouldn't give it up Ikeda just full on jumped on his head with his entire bodyweight. Some of the selling down the stretch is what separates this from two guys crowbarring each other for the hell of it. Ishikawa's glassy-eyed selling as he gets up after yet again having his brains scrambled, Ikeda staggering headlong into being backdropped on his neck, the latter a perfect encapsulation of who he is. The other perfect encapsulation being all those times he tried to cave Ishikawa's face in with his hands and feet.