Assorted Japan Indy Wrestling

 

GENTARO vs. Takaku Fuke, VKF 3/12/2009

GENTARO was on a roll doing weirdo lengthy Bret Hart infused MUGA matches during this time period. Fuke has looked pretty weak post U-STYLE, but he was good here. This was a smartly laid out 2/3 falls match. The first fall had some cool scrambling with GENTARO grappling the shooter in a very pro style manner but doing everything in a snug fashion before Fuke casually taps him with an achilles hold. That hold has to be the most basic of all but GENTARO does a great job putting it over like death. The rest of the match is built around GENTARO trying to take out Fukes leg – including hitting some great chop blocks and the obligatory Turnbuckle Figure 4 with Fuke trying to grab shootstyle holds which GENTARO sells like death. There is a great build to the figure 4 including Fuke busting out some killer reversals. Last couple minutes were pretty great with Fuke trying to KO him and GENTARO desperately trying to grab the leg. The match reminded me a bit of those recent NJPW big matches built around limb work except this was about 40 minutes shorter so less bloated and neither guy looked silly at any point

Billy Scott vs. Daijiro Matsui (KINGDOM 6/20/1997)

Matsui could have had a pretty decent run as a shootstylist judging on his performance here. This was a total grappling sprint, both guys doing some high end slick mat wrestling getting in and out of holds. There was one moment where Scott landed a punch that bloodied Matsuis eye in nasty fashion, but other than that it was all grappling. Scott hit a pretty great belly to belly at one point. Loved Matsui selling the finish, too.

Masao Orihara vs. Original Tiger Mask (RJPW 9/26/2005)

Pretty great match which has to go down as one of Oriharas finest performances ever. The match went 30 minutes, but it was laid out in such a way that Tiger wasn’t required to do any selling, and Tiger didn’t gas out (or at least not in a way that hurt the match), so it worked. So you have Tiger doing all his cool fatman flying and spin kicks and Orihara making scuzzy comebacks, using chairs and taking a big beating. The last 10 minutes ruled as Orihara got his shoulder demolished with kicks and joint popping armlocks but refused to quit and made all these awesome comebacks while getting further demolished by Tigers kicks. When the time limit runs out it feels like a victory for Orihara for gutting it out and lasting against a technically superior opponent. It was a really cool piece of pro wrestling storytelling that felt closer to a real sport than any workratefest and way better than any braindead nearfallfest that usually caps off long matches like these.

KINGDOM EHRGEIZ No Name Hero II 9/2/2000

Hidetada Irie vs. Tomoharu Fuse

Tomoharu Fuse has 2 matches listed on genickbruch, and somehow he has his own gym and was part of another hyper obscure promotion called FWF. This was straight shootstyle and acceptable. They worked stiff and I liked fuses cartwheel into a leglock. Fuse seemed kind of disinterested in the match, maybe because he was losing in 5 minutes. Camera angle on the last submission hold was bad. After the match, Irie (who is running this show) cuts a crying promo. First match on the card and you’re already this emotional, buddy? Maybe it was because few people came to the event.

Kendo Nagasaki vs. Tsunehito Naito

I love Kendo Nagasaki doing shootstyle matwork. Unfortunately, putting him against sleaze shooter Naito was a major size mismatch. This ended up being a 30 second squash as basically Nagasaki does a slow set up to a single leg crab to get the tap. It was a really cool set up but Tsunehito Naito deserved better.

Osamu Tachihikari vs. Billy Scott

OSAMU~! This show brings out all the cool kids. This was surprisingly good as Osamu works like an invincible badass that is hard to take down. He throws Scott around some and hits some cool open palm strikes before Scott is able to sink in a flash submission for the tap. Quite possibly the best Tachihikari singles I’ve seen.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Hiroyoshi Kotsubo

Fujiwara tools Kotsubo a bunch. So, pretty much what you expect, right? Another squash? But Kotsubo is able to get a leglock. Fujiwara breaks, but comes up limping. Kotsubo gets another leglock and hangs onto it for dear life. Fujiwara is able to get out, but has to quit due to his leg being finished. Kotsubo going over his boss feels like the most unlikely thing to happen, so the ending here ended up being a little surreal although it was well done.

Tatsuo Nakano vs. Shinichi Takada

This Takada is also known as Bungee Takada. He would also show up in illustrious promotions like CROWN and Guts World. That is more information than this match contains, because Nakano Kos Takada in under 10 seconds with a high kick.

Osamu Arai vs. Hidetada Irie

For unknown reasons Nagasaki doesn’t show up again and instead we get Arai, a blue haired tubby guy rocking the kickpads. I liked the stiff blows both guys threw but this was sleep inducingly boring otherwise.

Billy Scott vs. Hiroyoshi Kotsubo

Kotsubo just got the biggest win of his career taking Fujiwara out of the tournament. Will he use this momentum and establish himself as the new shootstyle hotness? No. No he will not. This was good old Kotsubo just hitting ankle pick takedowns that go nowhere. Scott is really good though does some cool grappling. Stay classy, Kotsubo.

Tanomusaku Toba vs. Takehiro Murahama - GREAT  

Toba actually doesn't wear gloves in this, but he does fine without them. This was basically two guys with great looking strikes tagging each other. Toba even does some grappling and throws some great looking knees but Murahama was on the heels of his Osaka Pro megapush and just overwhelms him with kicks and suplexes including including a pretty great spinkick that almost shattered Tobas face. Gnarly finish.

Billy Scott vs. Hidetada Irie

Irie has been kind of useless so far, but Scott is really good and gets a strong match out of him. Quality grappling exchanges and a sense that something was at stake here. Both guys were wearing gloves here which always makes things a little more frantic. The highlight was easily the desperation rolling kicks as well as Scott dropping Irie on his head and then almost ripping him in half with a nasty leg split. Irie came across as a giant mark booking himself to win the “UWF Heavyweight Title” and being overly dramatic in this match.

 

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