For something completely different, I offer you a review of some fairly recent Japanese pro wrestling. I’ll get back to women’s wrestling in a bit, but I’ve been looking forward to this match since I heard it announced.
Tanahashi and Morishima appear to be having a contest to see who could find the most flamboyant jacket. As expected, Morishima wins, but only barely. The match starts out with Kanemoto and Ibushi having a rather tentative strike exchange that reminds of when my friends and I try to use regular strikes in Fire Pro but keep just barely missing each other because the game has no real sense of depth. This quickly transitions into some hyper junior-style flipping around, which Ibushi looks way more comfortable doing.
And then, they tag out and it’s time for the heavies. So yeah, just when the match was warming up, we’re back to a feeling out process with the other two guys. Collar and elbow tie-up, Tanahashi works an arm twist, and then settles into a headlock that he just won’t let go of. I’m going to avoid doing play by play, since you could just watch the match for that. Morishima is throwing some heavy-ass lariats in this match…the kind that make me remember why I had been looking forward to his GHC title reign, and was then so bitterly disappointed at the kinder, gentler fatboy that was Takeshi Morishima, GHC Heavyweight Champ.
This being a New Japan match, Morishima and Ibushi and clearly the “heels”, and it falls to Kanemoto to play the face in peril during this match. He takes a lot of punishment in this match, but his fighting spirit is incredible, and his offense never loses its ferocity. Kanemoto’s exchanges with Morishima are particularly awesome, with Kanemoto making quick, fierce attacks only to be beaten down by Morishima’s sheer mass. His exchanges with Ibushi are more even, with a lot of strike exchanges. Oddly enough, this match had me wishing for a Kanemoto/Morishima singles match.
Anyway, getting back to this match, there are some funny moments wherein Tanahashi loses all common sense and attempts to hit moves on Morishima that clearly violate the laws of physics (dragon suplex, body slam), but does manage a german suplex that looks less like a suplex and more like he decided to roll a 290lb. man onto his face for the lulz. Morishima no sells, attacks, then falls victim to another german. There are also some great nearfalls, including an ankle lock on Ibushi that appears to have even fooled the timekeeper, as I distinctly heard a bell chime once before he realized his mistake.
If you like most of the guys in this match (and really, you should), then you already know that you want to watch this. By mid-match, Ibushi is all fired up and bouncing around, Morishima is clubbering mofos like a chubby Japanese Terry Gordy, Kanemoto is just being fucking awesome, and Tanahashi has very pretty hair. Haha, just kidding, he’s great in this match as well, though I honestly think Kanemoto outworked him here. The finish is just brutal, with Morishima absolutely murdering Kanemoto with lariats, the last one apparently resulting in a legit K.O. (the ref literally just stops counting at 2, realizes that Kanemoto is out, and calls the match).
Good times all around.
