Talk about it here.

Takayama is starting to look a little old. He comes through big in a couple of spots, but he's here for name recognition mostly it seems. Sugiura gets a few "strength" spots against the big guys early and it's cool. But they pile on with this and it becomes a little tired by the time it's done. The Takeshi's seem most at home working heat segments on smaller guys. The thing that gets me about this match is the one guy who has been in great matches with good finishing runs wasn't heavily involved in the last ten minutes. Finish is just a collection of impressive-looking stuff that doesn't ever coalesce. Somebody is gonna have to explain to me how guys with lariat finishers don't take a berak on the lariats for the majority of the match. Makes their finishers seem less effective and...the finishing version lacks that "cut above the rest of the moves" feeling to it.

I don't think this makes the cut either, but it is a fitting lead-in to the April '07 match with Akiyama in Morishima's place.