Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS - 4/22/1997)

This was a really interesting match where it almost looked like a shoot at times with the matwork. I'm of the opinion that this was a work, but they were told to work a realistic Pancrase style. I believe Meltzer mentions several times in the Wrestling Observer that RINGS adapted their matches over time due to the popularity of Pancrase. The grappling was pretty high-level here, with both doing elite counterwork and defensive wrestling to try and position themselves favorably on the mat. Very few rope breaks here as they focused on getting into a position for the submission finish. Others might consider this type of match slow, but they were very effective in keeping the crowd's attention with the realistic approach. Down the stretch, they start throwing bombs at each other and Tamura manages to find Kohsaka's leg on the canvas for the flash submission. Really nice match overall. I personally enjoy the RINGS stuff where the high-level workers attempted to "work" the Pancrase style. ****1/2