July 2007

Talk about it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Tw2bLVA5I

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Murakami's first Fire Festival match for this year....and also his last, because this is the match that gave him legitimate brain damage, wish I was kidding. This goes exactly how you would imagine: immediate Korakuen Hall brawling by the pair, Mura doing Mura things with crazy stiff shots and the occasional throw into chairs. Otani tries to brave it out but he isn't really in control at all here. Mura throws shots and Otani eats them up Fujiwara-style until he's ready to jump on the guy with a stiff headbutt and running slap. We get a horrific spot as Otani brings out a chair and whacks Mura with it: the first shot is relatively safe despite it being a head-shot, Otani n…

This was pretty good but like a lot of BattlARTS matches, all over the fucking place and hard to keep track of. After a heated opening of slaps and kicks, Hayato throws a few suplexes, looking for his hanging guillotine. Meanwhile, Sawa spends much of the match trying to lock in the figure-four. Tons of strikes, with Sawa getting busted open at one point, but he's finally able to ground Hayato with the figure-four. Hayato tries slapping his way out of it but Sawa keeps applying the pressure until Hayato submits.

This was the quarter finals of the 2007 NWA World Title tournament, North Tonawanda, NY. Talk about it here

Talk about it here.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Umaga vs Jeff Hardy - Great American Bash 2007 Umaga is the king of the missed move! I love it he uses his own missed moves to set up his opponents' offense. In order for you to defeat him, he needs to make the mistake. So Umaga retains his credible, but the onus is still on the opponent to put him away. Love the psychology. The heat segment is set up by a great Samoan Drop when Jeff tries to take it to the Samoan Bulldozer early. Then there is a loooooooonnngggggg Vulcan nerve pinch which drags this down. Once Umaga starts missing moves business picks up. Umaga slamming his groin into Jeff's knees. Going flying over the top rope. Missing…

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At the start, Necro looks to be in trouble as Danielson grounds him with his superior submission & mat game, and then the match transitions into a full blown, bloody brawl - and it's just fantastic. One of my all-time favorite PWG matches. ****1/2

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