Yuki Ishikawa
Aug 28, 2019 3:21:01 GMT -5
Post by elliott on Aug 28, 2019 3:21:01 GMT -5
If Ikeda gets a thread, Ishikawa gets one too. I was trying to respond in the Ikeda thread, but I kept talking about Ishikawa instead so I figured I'd just create a thread for him as well.
I lean towards preferring Ishikawa over Ikeda, but I consider them both all time great wrestlers. I find them somehow harder to separate than the other great rivalries like Flair/Steamboat, Lawler/Dundee, Santo/Casas, or Misawa/Kawada, even though they probably weren't as similar as some of those other guys. I guess I would say I see Ikeda as a more universally versatile wrestler. I could really see him working, getting over & excelling in a pro-style environment just as well as he did in the more shooty promotions. Ishikawa I think is more versatile within a shooty world. I think Ishikawa is better & more engaging on the mat, as can be seen in something like the amazing Carl Greco match from 08 (I think). I can't recall a mat based performance from Ikeda that is as impressive as that particular match.
In the Ikeda thread, Micro mentioned he was an all time great seller and I actually want to think about that more the next time I watch a bunch of their matches. I was going to put over Ishikawa as someone who I thought was incredible at selling. This can be the case for both of them of course.
I can't remember Ishikawa ever doing anything as annoying as the space flying tiger drop Ikeda would use. I can't remember a time where Ikeda did that move and it looked good. Maybe it happened.
Other than the space flying tiger drop, I would say I prefer Ikeda offensively, although I do like Ishikawa's back drop suplex, enzugiri, octopus hold Inoki tribute offense. Obviously these two hit people (and mostly each other) as hard as anyone in wrestling ever did, but Ikeda has more versatility in his striking. Ikeda isn't as fast, explosive, sharp, or technically proficient as Kiyoshi Tamura when it comes to striking, but Tamura's striking isn't as Stan Hansen, 98 Hash/Tenryu, Brian Knobbs as Ikeda's where its incredibly stiff and on the verge of being recklessly violent. Which counts for something.
Their matches against different regular opponents is tough
vs Otsuka - toss up
vs Ono - Ikeda
vs Greco - Ishikawa
Ishikawa has the Murakami match. Ikeda has the Ono match. Both are great in tags. Both were great early on.
I lean towards preferring Ishikawa over Ikeda, but I consider them both all time great wrestlers. I find them somehow harder to separate than the other great rivalries like Flair/Steamboat, Lawler/Dundee, Santo/Casas, or Misawa/Kawada, even though they probably weren't as similar as some of those other guys. I guess I would say I see Ikeda as a more universally versatile wrestler. I could really see him working, getting over & excelling in a pro-style environment just as well as he did in the more shooty promotions. Ishikawa I think is more versatile within a shooty world. I think Ishikawa is better & more engaging on the mat, as can be seen in something like the amazing Carl Greco match from 08 (I think). I can't recall a mat based performance from Ikeda that is as impressive as that particular match.
In the Ikeda thread, Micro mentioned he was an all time great seller and I actually want to think about that more the next time I watch a bunch of their matches. I was going to put over Ishikawa as someone who I thought was incredible at selling. This can be the case for both of them of course.
I can't remember Ishikawa ever doing anything as annoying as the space flying tiger drop Ikeda would use. I can't remember a time where Ikeda did that move and it looked good. Maybe it happened.
Other than the space flying tiger drop, I would say I prefer Ikeda offensively, although I do like Ishikawa's back drop suplex, enzugiri, octopus hold Inoki tribute offense. Obviously these two hit people (and mostly each other) as hard as anyone in wrestling ever did, but Ikeda has more versatility in his striking. Ikeda isn't as fast, explosive, sharp, or technically proficient as Kiyoshi Tamura when it comes to striking, but Tamura's striking isn't as Stan Hansen, 98 Hash/Tenryu, Brian Knobbs as Ikeda's where its incredibly stiff and on the verge of being recklessly violent. Which counts for something.
Their matches against different regular opponents is tough
vs Otsuka - toss up
vs Ono - Ikeda
vs Greco - Ishikawa
Ishikawa has the Murakami match. Ikeda has the Ono match. Both are great in tags. Both were great early on.
