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Post by bossrock on Oct 6, 2018 16:26:23 GMT -5
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Jun Akiyama (WRESTLE-1 8/4/2005)
Tremendously violent match with a tried-and-true story: young hotshot blitzes the veteran; the veteran makes him pay. Even as a guy known for stiffness, Shibata takes it to a different level here. In response, Jun turns in one of his angriest performances ever as he tries to kill Shibata with anything that's not nailed down. There's also some really good submission work as Jun attacks Shibata's leg and Shibata tries to choke out Jun. Some of the fighting spirit and no-selling gets a bit excessive during the finishing stretch, but it's a match that never overstays its welcome.
Has a legitimate shot of making my list.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Nov 2, 2018 12:43:39 GMT -5
wont make my list just too much good wrestling, but BossRock is right this is a great sprint brawl that is very different from what Akiyama was doin in NOAH and a great showing for young Shibata. Second it!
Jun Akiyama vs Katsuyori Shibata - WRESTLE-1 08/04/05
To my understanding, WRESTLE-1 was just another strange manifestation of Keiji Mutoh's Pro-Wrestling Love Campaign, which involved more outsiders and some shoot fighters. Hey at least it brought us this badass match. What is with 00s Japanese starting off absolutely great and then just going off the rails. These had a really nasty street fight brawl goign and then they do a pretty standard finish run. They had something really special going for about 10 minutes there.
Shibata jumps Akiyama early and stuns him with a back drop driver. He nails him in the head twice with a pair of wicked kicks that busts Akiyama open hardway. Akiyama pissed off absolutely tears into Shibata and goes bezerk with non-foldable chairs. The way he was throwing those chairs just seemed vicious and dangerous. Akiyama loses control when Shibata holds onto a Back Drop Driver into a choke. Shibata works his ribs with kicks and knees sending him to the floor. I love how the ref really contested Shibatat going after him gave it that really uncontrol feel and that Akiyama was hurt. Shibata ends up kicking the post full on. Akiyama throws him onto the announce table where of course Takayama is announcing. Besides his own matches are there any matches in the 2000s he did not commentate on? Akiyama piledrives him on exposed concrete and hits pretty full on in the back of the head with a chair. Just a vicious street fight. When Shibata makes it into the ring, Akiyama is right on him with a knee and hits a back drop driver and applies his guillotine choke. I am absolutely loving this match. Shibata ina desperation bid for self-preservation just starts throwing his body parts (fists, elbows, knees and kicks)and is able to daze Akiyama in the corner for a pretty flush dropkick to the head. Shibata whiffs on a kick to the head and here comes the suplex->pop-up barrage that ends with a Shibata kick and both men are out. It really felt like at that moment it departed from that crazy street fight brawl into a standard 00s puro match. Akiyama hits an exploder and locks in a Crippler Crossface, which I have never seen him use. Shibata shows the usual fighting spirit at the end in midst of a barrage of knees before succumbing to a head-drop wrist-clutch exploder.
They had something really special in the first 10 minutes before they settled into a standard finishing pattern with pop-ups and young lion fighting spirit. I don't mind that fomrula, but did not think it fit the street fight they had in the beginning. Could have had something really special, but still a very strong match. ****
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Post by elliott on Sept 23, 2023 23:39:01 GMT -5
Parts of this I really liked and parts I really really didn't like. NOt something I'm interested in though I get why some might like it.
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