Talk about it here.

What an action-packed match! Takayama rocks! Why does he have a rep of only being really good later on and for a short period of time? I realize the yearbook is highlights and that skews things, so I'm just curious, as I haven't even seen any of his AJ or NOAH stuff. This is a world class performance in every way, and works really well as a "spotfest" in the UWFI style, meaning it's a pretty non-stop barrage of cool counters and stiff shots. Lydick, who looks good himself, wins with a half crab. Really fun, really great match.

I don't think he was consistent in the '90s. Most people first saw him in All Japan, and he just wasn't on par with their top guys. That said, my opinion of '90s Takayama has soared over the last three years.

What a finish! I have to start at the end because it transformed a decent but forgettable midcard encounter into something memorable.

 

It did get off to a promising start and gave themselves the base to build a good match off. Neither man had the technical skills to take it to that level however, and it was starting to drift away. Then all of a sudden Takayama nails a brutal knee strike and Lydick barely makes the count. This was like two lion's had been unleashed. Both were infused with wild bestial instinct! Lydick came roaring back and swiftly downed his prey. A thrilling final minute.

Takayama is going to the same barber that cuts Otani’s hair. I don’t know who this Lydick guy is but he gets Takayama up for a German suplex. Takayama responds with multiple knees. Another dead lift suplex by Lydick. Quick pace during this. Lydick looks like a bigger AJ Styles. I thought both guys were kind of clumsy on the leg work compared to others in this style. But we end up getting a finish based around a leg submission.

This was awesome, just two guys suplexing the shit out of each other while also throwing in some cool mat counters. Lydick's Hulk-Up at the end is one of the most fun shootstyle moments ever, coming off one of the style's greatest false finishes.

Really fun match filled to the brim with action in 10 minutes. Takayama looked good and smooth with his strikes and Lydick has had some surprising performances throughout the years. Well done shootstyle action. ***1/2

I think the shorter time limit (fifteen mibutes as opposed to thirty) had a lot to do with how this bout was worked. There was no wasted time, no laying around in holds. These guys went for it right from the opening bell.

 

I thought that Lydick's suplexes would be what turned the tide up until the final minute, when Takayama coldcocked him with that knee. Was it my imagination or did it leave a welt underneath Lydick's eye? It certianly should have.

 

I was sure we were headed for a points decision until Lydick moved his final half-crab back to the center of the ring. It was at that point that Takayama couldn't take it anymore and tapped.

 

Both of these guys look like they could go far in this style, and I'll be eager to follow their careers through the rest of this set and in the years ahead.

This was a whole lot of fun, with cool throws, heavy striking from Takayama, and Lydick trying to find the golden ticket on the mat. It's funny because Lydick is definitely not a striker and he eats plate fulls of knees, slaps, and kicks trying to get in close enough to suplex Takayama. Loved the opening scramble as it seemed full of panic and intensity. The first suplex of the match is a German courtesy of Lydick and he follows that up with a second, looking confident early on. Later, he delivers what looks like a uranage before unsuccessfully attempting an armbar. Takayama's knees looked awesome and he kept kicking Lydick in the gut. He delivers his own German, holds on, then cradles him into some kind of leg crank? No clue but it looked clunky and effective. Lydick manages to send Takayam to the ropes a couple of times, at one point getting his nose cracked when Takayama tries booting his way out of a hold. Takayama's last gasp is a brutal combo of knees and kicks in the corner but it ain't enough to keep Lydick down for the count, and good ole Gene comes back with a belly-to-belly, slapping on the single leg and dragging Takayama back to the middle when he gets to the ropes to finally submit him.