Ishikawa/Otsuka/Sawa vs Ikeda/Usuda/Tiger (BA - 7/26/2008)

I dislike the finishing stretch enough to not consider it for the top 50 but it should make my overall list. The usual BattlArts greatness (heel-face dynamic, strikes, submissions) combined with a neat numbers game/teamwork narrative. Probably the GOAT trios.

I do not mean this to be a slight to this match, but rather praise to the overall level of BattlArts quality in 2008 when I say that Ishikawa & Sawa vs Tiger & Hara was even better than this. This match was a tour de force and representative of how on fire the promotion was from a quality standpoint. I think only one of the two will make my list.



Yuki Ishikawa, Alexander Otsuka, Muneori Sawa vs Daisuke Ikeda, Super Tiger II, Katsui Usuda - BattlArts 7/26/08 Elimination Match



Anytime, you see Ishikawa stand across the ring from Ikeda you know shit is going to get real. I loved how organic, but yet thoughtful the match was. When they did a Northern Lights Suplex or a figure-4 or a Sharpshooter, it felt like legitimate, believable ways to apply the hold while still never losing a sense of authenticity. I have never seen a Sharpshooter or Figure-4 in an MMA fight even though it would obviously hurt if wrenched in because the setup would be intricate, but here you see demonstrations of how it could be done without excessive cooperation and it was really neat. This is in addition to just fucking brutal all those strikes were.



My favorite part of the match was the buildup to the first elimination. The very first thing established is that Sawa has a chip on his shoulder and wants to take out the big dog, Ikeda. He is obsessed with him to point of costing himself the match attacking when he is on the apron and not even in the match (Ishikawa bails him out). Ikeda shows he is a level above Sawa keeping him at bay with relative ease. Usuda has a deep, deep toehold on Sawa that causes some serious knee pain for Sawa going forward. There is great selling and sense of desperation from Sawa for self-preservation from Usuda's relentless onslaught and the fact that Sawa basically dug this hole for himself by disrespecting the opponent in the ring by going after an opponent on the apron. Usuda eventually gets Sawa to tap to a heel hook after a great sense of struggle. If the match ends, it would be a MOTYC, but we get even more goodness that pushes it is into MOTDC territory.

From here, the match does really well is showcase how much being a man down really puts you in a hole. Too often in the WWE do we see one man overcome two men on a regular basis that we lose that sense of a real disadvantage. Here the opposing team has an extra man to save his partner from a submission. Thus the that puts more onus on the disadvantaged team to win by knockout. Well good thing the other team is suplex machine Otsuka and punches really hard Ishikawa. Otsuka applies the most vicious snapmare you will ever see on Super Tiger, When snapmares are looking vicious you know you are in rare air. Ikeda and Tiger target Otsuka's leg, but he gets a throw to bring Ishikawa in. The first Ishikawa/Ikeda encounter underwhelms actually because I did not think there was much struggle it was just Ishikawa kicking the shit out of him. Eventually we get some struggle with Ikeda landing some big strikes and Ishikawa having to fire up to trap him in the corner and tags out to Otsuka. Otsuka applies an arm triangle to Usuda, Ishikawa detains Super Tiger, but Ikeda strolls over to break it up. That is the 3-2 advantage right there. Otsuka hits his German/Dragon Suplex combo to KO Usuda and even the score.

Otsuka goes for the Boston Crab and almost does a bit of a Giant Swing. Ikeda backs Otsuka into his corner where Tiger kicks him in the head. Ikeda hits a brainbuster and punts him in the head for the knockout elimination. Genius booking, you get faces back to full strength only to have the heels use a numbers game and knock one out leaving Ishikawa back in the hole. Ishikawa is at his best fighting from underneath. There will be no one to save him from submissions and his submissions will be broken up at will. Ishikawa keeps getting those holds and Ikeda keeps kicking him in the head. Damn that must be annoying as fuck. In the spot of the match, Ishikawa has Super Tiger in a Standing Deathlock so everytime Ikeda kicks Ishikawa down it wrenches the hold in more. Maybe the greatest spot in history. Eventually Tiger's knee is so fucked it is an instant tap out and Ikeda cant save.



Well the whole match has been building to this and here we go ISHIKAWA VS IKEDA, BABY!!!! I didn't think this standalone portion was as good as their 2005 match, but it was a good ending to an excellent match. Ishikawa comes out hot, but may have punched himself out. Ishikawa starts going for heel hooks with Ikeda likes the kick to the head as his primary weapon both are stiff and violent looking. Ishikawa gets a choke and then without warning the bell rings and it is a draw. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!



So why do I think this draw sucks? I like draws and I think they are a useful took. For instance, I think the NJPW/AJPW Dec 2000 is the perfect use of the draw and I will probably rate that match over this because I think it uses the draw better. That felt like a war where both teams earned the draw because they had kicked the shit out of each other so bad that it just needed to be stopped because they would go forever. This match I thought Ishikawa earned the draw, but Ikeda did not . Was he really in the match that long overall? He had plenty time to recover since outing with Otsuka. It was not an even match. Ikeda's team had the advantage the majority of the time. Since the match was uneven, I think we deserved a winner. Ikeda winning because Ishikawa falls short at the finish line or Ishikawa pulling out a miracle either finish takes it to ***** and a top 3 match of the decade, but the finish puts it in the Top 10. Overall though Sawa's elimination was incredible and then how they worked the uneveness was so entertaining. Just thought that finish stretch and finish left a little sumthin sumthin to be desired. ****3/4