Puroresu Nominees

[Dylan]

Voting YES:

Tamon Honda vs. Takahiro Oba, FUTEN 4/22/10

This was pretty much blowaway great. This went a hair less than ten minutes and yet that still managed to work a really effective narrative. I had not been terribly impressed with the Honda I had seen from this year up until this match where he really looked tremendous, cinching in everything deep and working well underneath. This gave me flashbacks to Hash v. Zangiev which for my money is one of the best sub-ten minute matches ever. I don't think this was far off.

Daisuke Ikeda/Brahman Shu/Brahman Kei vs. Takeshi Ono/Manabu Suruga/White Moriyama, FUTEN 4/22/10

I actually liked this even more than the Honda match. Elementally there was a lot more room for disaster here as shoot style tags have a tendency to fall apart pretty epically if the match ups aren't right and the Brahman's don't immediately strike me as the right match up for anyone. Still they were really great in this. I was pleasantly surprised to see a almost Southern stylesque heat section in this, and then the bomb throwing down the stretch was just insanely great. The Ikeda/Ono segment was nasty as fuck and one of the grittier flashes you will ever see in a match. Ikeda's explosiveness and selling were really the order of the day here but I thought every body looked good-to-great. Possible MOTY.

Makoto Hashi vs Rui Hiugaji, FUTEN 5/30/10

What stands out about this was the escalating nature. The slapfighting early was stiff and well done, but they settled into a rhythm and then just exploded for the final stretch. I am a huge fan of that sort of structure so this match was right down my alley.

Takahiro Oba/Takeshi Ono vs Kengo Mashimo/Manabu Suruga FUTEN 5/30/10

Another potential MOTY. I like Oba way more than most so I dug him a lot in this. Mashimo is a great bruiser and the ultimate "fuck you" cut off guy when he starts throwing big bombs. Still I thought this was Ono's match. Nasty shots and sick counters galore.

Daisuke Ikeda vs. White Moriyama, FUTEN 6/27/10

Loved this. I really don't even know how to write this sort of thing up other than to say that Ikeda is a bad motherfucker and Moriyama does not strike me as the kind of guy who could have a match of this quality with too many people. Also should note that I don't think anyone sells big shots as well as Ikeda.

Kengo Mashimo vs. Takahiro Oba, FUTEN 6/27/10

First of all Mashimo's punches look murderous. Second of all I really do like Oba way more than most. I actually like his comedic stuff as he sort of reminds me of a Japanese Jim Breaks, though the windmill punches are an odd sub for the fish hooking. The airplane spin spot was really great and I loved the stretch. Oba's charisma adds a flare to the matches he is in which is often missing in these settings.

Takeshi Ono vs. Mitsuya Nagai -FUTEN 7/25/10

I'll be god damned if I didn't love this too. Nagai just pummels Ono and this match is all about him selling, taking big shots and yet continuing to come forward. Loved all the two shots that knocked him to the floor. The leaping guillotine did not come off perfectly but that is a minor complaint. This also had a really awesome finish.

[Wrestling_KO Mike]

Nominate:

Daisuke Ikeda vs. Takeshi Ono, FUTEN 9/26/10

I've already watched this twice and as soon as I post this I'm going to watch it a third time. This was just an amazing, high intensity, dangerously stiff sprint that told a story. Both guys were great, especially Ono. He was relentless and continuously tried to break every bone in Ikeda's face. At one point, Ono kneed the back of Ikeda's head. This is why you watch the pro wrestling.

[Jetlag]

Daisuke Ikeda vs. Takeshi Ono, FUTEN 9/26/10 - YES

Really there isn't a lot to be said. A battle between two of the greatest maulers of our time, compressed to not even 5 minutes with just as much great stuff in it as a match ten times that length? One thing I have to get out of my head tough, it's scary how precisely and forcefully that lanky motherfucker Ono throws his punches.

[Graham Crackers]

Daisuke Ikeda vs. Takeshi Ono, FUTEN 9/26/10

YES-Merciful mother of fuck. I don't need to mention how nasty those strikes are. On one hand it's a disappointment that the match isn't longer but it's all so logical. The ending really feels like Ono got caught. I don't know if I'm ready to rank this as high as Mike but I totally see why he did.

[ScToTeE]

Daisuke Ikeda vs. Takeshi Ono - FUTEN 09.26.2010 (YES)

Forget those hard-hitting five minute Regal/Bryan and Regal/Goldust matches. The standard for short stiff sprints has now been raised. There was so much sick violence packed in these four minutes: Ono's forceful punches, Ikeda's headbutts, Ikeda's harsh kicks to Ono's legs, Ono KNEEING Ikeda in the back of the skull and more. This made for an intense showdown between FUTEN's best, where Ono was trying to KO Ikeda with strike flurries whilst Ikeda attempted to catch his opponent and bring the match down to the mat. Both end up having to play each other's game a bit, with Ikeda winning a few strike exchanges whilst Ono managed to remain competitive on the mat (didn't mind the quick submission counters). Ono submitting quickly to the armbar felt like an ending from a MMA bout. And to think I was disappointed when I noticed the length in the FUTEN match listings thread.

[Jetlag]

NOMINATING:
Makoto Hashi & Kengo Mashimo vs. Daisuke Ikeda & Takahiro Oba, FUTEN 10/24

Really there are no words to describe how incredibly violent this got near the end between Ikeda and Hashi. I was messing around with various phrases to come up with an accurate description, including "metric amounts of cocobutting" and "unloading Chris Benoit after Chris Benoit on eachother", and none of them seem to even come close to what an absolute warfare this was. Let's say it like this - this thing right there is more like a piece of surrealist art than an actual wrestling match. It's kind of like Akira Taue, unorthodox, absurd and thus cool, and it has the Futen touch which means there's dozens and dozens and DOZENS of real fucking nasty hits. So besides the fact that this match has Daisuke Ikeda and Makoto Hashi trying to headbutt eachother TO DEATH for what seems like 20 minutes straight, there is also Takahiro Oba who is always a joy to watch, even with all his antics his selling and facial expressions rule and we get a nice taste of that in a neat mat section against Hashi, and of course there's Mashimo as well and he's always bringing the eye-poking, palm striking, face kneeing pain when given the opportunity. Early on we get a ton of fun stuff, such as Ikeda and Mashimo doing one of the nastiest lock-up scramble in the ropes ever or the Ikeda/Oba team stubbornly going for pro-style maneuvers such as a double Muscle Buster or a 619 by Ikeda (which is the single most surreal thing I've ever seen in wrestling). Combine all that and you have quite the outstanding match.

[ScToTeE]

Makoto Hashi / Kengo Mashimo vs. Daisuke Ikeda / Takahiro Ohba - FUTEN 10.24.2010 (YES)

I just loved how Mashimo and Ohba were relegated to the sidelines as Hashi and Ikeda took centre stage. And they beat the holy fuck out of each other for an age. At one point Hashi charges at Ikeda and headbutts him. The camera angle is behind Ikeda so Hashi's face is obscured when they collide but as Ikeda falls immediately noticeable is a bright red smear covering Hashi's entire forehead. Ikeda's blood. Fuck, those Hashi/Ikeda wars ruled. Their disregard for safety was disgustingly awesome. Honestly Mashimo and Ohba could've worked flippy junior-style and I wouldn't have cared because the other two murdered each other for a very long time. I finished this wanting more FUTEN. Badly.

[Craig]

Dick Togo vs. Billy Ken Kid, Osaka Pro 2/11/10 - NO

Tremendous Togo performance. Last year, I thought some of his face-in-peril work was the best in Japan, this year it's a rudo performance that impresses. The match is divided into a series of heat sections with brief comebacks, and Togo finds new and interesting things to do each time, whilst letting BKK to bring a few highspots. The mask theft stuff was great: not a DQ in Japan, but completely disabling as he tries to obscure his face. My biggest problem is that BKK's final comeback - the one where he got his mask back - was disappointing and lacklustre. It really should have been "OK, I've taken 30 minutes of this crap, ENOUGH", but amounted to some weak strikes and the feeling like he almost didn't know what to do next, leaving Togo to take the offence back right where it should have built to the satisfying payoff. Frustrating finish to a great solo performance.

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Tiger Mask I, RJPW 3/18/10 - YES

One of my matches of the year. There are two great things about Tenryu in wrestling: his offence and his defence (yes, that's everything). Absolutely demolishes Sayama before his comeback, looking as awesome as ever, then his selling is just something to behold - dropping deadweight after a low TM kick completely sold the comeback and finish.

Vader/2 Cold Scorpio/Jesse White vs. Makoto Hashi/Tamon Honda/Tatsumi Fujinami, VADER TIME 4/29/10 - YES

Really fun match. Vader being Vader is still a treat. I love a smaller guys vs. huge gajin tussle, and the Fujinami-Vader interactions showed a Fujinami more amped than I remember in years, especially the outside brawling. Hashi pulled out some epic selling down the straight, leading to a satisfying finish.

[Phil Schneider]

Daisuke Ikeda vs Takeshi Ono 9/26-YES

Pretty much the wrestling version of Hagler v. Hearns round 1. The bell rings and Ikeda runs right into an Ono right hand and it goes from there. The story of this match is that Ono is the lower ranked member of their tag team (Apparently called Team Taco, Japan is weird) and he is going to throw the kitchen sink to take out Ikeda. Ono is a buzzsaw, throwing vicious punches in bunches square into Ikeda face and body. Ikeda absorbs these shots and fires back with big punches and kicks of his own. The finish is amazing wrestling, they both quickly counte multiple submission attempts, with Ono slipping out and landing a hellacious knee to the back of Ikeda's head, I expected cerebral fluid to fly out of his nostrils. Ono gets mount and starts pounding out Ikeda but gets caught in an awesome armbar from the bottom and is forced to tap. The best under five minute match I have ever seen, even though it was short it was a complete satisfying. Everything I love about FUTEN in one intense blast, the wrestling equivalent of a Bad Brains song.

NOMINATING

Takahiro Oba vs Ryuichi Sekine FUTEN 9/26

Oba is basically the 2010s FUTEN Alexander Otsuka. He isn't going to get into a slugfest if he can avoid it, he will grapple the ever living fuck out of you, and he is maybe a little goofy. This was the most serious I have seen Oba, as this match was basically shenanigansless. Sekine plays the role of the firery rookie and while he may be a bit bland, he brought the goods here. Oba dominates early throwing Sekine around and twisting his limbs in painfully looking ways. Sekine gets a great comeback as he is able to get to his feet and throw some nasty kicks which Oba sold great. They have a really exciting end run to the match which ends with Oba escaping a near KO and grabbing a takedown and putting on a vicious kneebar. Excellent match, and a really great performance by Oba who is really becoming a favorite of mine.

[Graham Crackers]

Makoto Hashi & Kengo Mashimo vs. Daisuke Ikeda & Takahiro Oba, FUTEN 10/24

YES- I'm glad Phil talked this up in the chat last night or else I wouldn't have watched this today. Now it's going straight to the top of my Purotopia top 20 poll. The violence is ungodly and I don't think I can really add anything to that. This is also my favorite Oba performance so far. He's really great as an outmatched idiot. His comedy stuff was actually really funny here and some of his goofy mannerisms being used as feints really adds to Phil's comment that he wants to grapple but avoids most of the striking thrown his way. But he's the best supporting actor while Ikeda and Hashi are the stars. This might actually be fucking with Demus/Pierrothito on my overall MOTY list.

[Phil Schneider]

Daisuke Ikeda/Takahiro Oba vs Kengo Mashimo/Makoto Hashi - YES

A truly transcendent piece of wrestling violence. This match was as good anything done in this style since the 2008 BattlArts elimination match, and right up there with PARK v. Mesias and Gringos v. Terry/Cerebro/Che for the best thing done this year. The match starts with a little jiving and taunting, especially by Ikeda and Obo, although in true FUTEN fashion that includes a teeth loosening Ikeda kick to Mashimo's face. I also really liked how Oba used his taunt as a way to feint out Hashi and get a takedown. The middle section of this match was pretty damn great too, with each pairing getting a chance to stretch out a bit and show some things. Oba had some truly impressive grappling exchanges with Hashi as they were grabbing limbs and throats and twisting and cracking. We also got to see Ikeda and Mashimo kick each other in the face, thighs and ribs, Mashimo and Oba do their thing and some teases of the Ikeda v. Hashi hellstorm yet to come.

Then like most of these matches, it comes down to two guys battling it out, and sweet Christ on the Cross dying for our sins, do they battle it out. Hashi and Ikeda just rip into each other with about the most brutal exchanges I have ever seen. The final showdown is basically Lawler v. Dutch with withering headbutts instead of punches. It was truly vile. They have a very cool mini story here, unlike most back and forth strike exchanges in Puro, this wasn't a battle of equals. Ikeda is the big bad killer, he has been for a long time, still when he is cracking skulls with Hashi he is being outpunched. He is like a boxer who has finally run into someone with heavier hands. He can't go toe to toe, but never learned to do anything else. Early in this showdown he takes a sickening headbutt and stumbles to his corner, Oba slaps him hard in the face to say "Your are Daisuke By God Ikeda, this is your house, there no tagging out, go beat that motherfuckers ass." By the end of the showdown, we see Oba in the corner cringing, you can see him thinking "He is going to die in that ring, I should have let him tag out." The FUTEN camerawork was great here, we get some amazing closeups of the bruised and bloody foreheads of both guys, it was pretty spectacular. When Chris Nowitski autopsies their brains, they are going to look like spoiled bananas. The ending of this was epic, Hashi hits a big slap, and one final headbutt dropping Ikeda. They go for a ten count, and as Ikeda raises at 9, you get this great shot of an exhausted Hashi. He has this terrified look on his face, he unloaded it all and the monster didn't stay down. It didn't matter what followed, Ikeda walked through hell and mentally broke him. Professional wrestling at it's absolute best.

[Phil Schneider]

NOMINATE

Daisuke Ikeda v. Manabu Suruga FUTEN 11/24

Just a brutal mauling, Ikeda is a threshing machine in this match, by the end of it Suruga's face looked like domestic abuse victim. Surgura was great in this, he was completely overwhelmed and brutalized, but he wanted to go out on his sword. He was winging bombs but in a really desperate frantic way. He hits about a third of them, although he lands some thudders including a couple of square hooks right to Ikeda's jaw, and a Reggie Roby punt which has Ikeda checking his jaw. Still it just temporarily slowed down Ikeda who was Vorheesian, the final beating was uncomfortable to watch. Ikeda is on top of Manabu landing square right hands right to his forehead and nose. At one point Suruga is lying on the mat clawing at Ikeda's leg like Connie Corleone when Carlo got mad. I am not sure if it is an EPIC match, but it is an EPIC spectacle.

Takeshi Ono v. Katsumi Usuda FUTEN 11/24


Ono's amazing 2010 just keeps on rolling. This is our first taste of BattlArts guys returning to FUTEN, it has been a while, but this certainly not the first time Usuda and Ono have tangled and it is great to watch them do a dance. Really awesome workrate match, which had the intensity and pace of a Bantamweight MMA fight. Both guys knew the counters to each guys counter, and they were scrambling for holds and winging shots. It is hard to pull off this kind of back and forth shootstyle without it seeming like some bullshit NOAH juniors match, but these guys did it. The matwork was awesome, feeling like Benzedrine Fujiwara. Usuda was pulling out some sick counters, including a crazy reverse figure four, and Ono wasn't as slick, but in more of a frenzy. Finish was awesome with Ono missing a kick, Usuda grabbing a wastelock, and Ono just spinning around into an Octopus which he took to the ground and pulled Usuda apart like a crab leg. Total blast, everything you would want from this match, maybe the FUTEN singles of the year.