Tamura is wildly outmatched but comes out all guns blazing out of defiance. Maeda is stunned but quickly counters with a leglock and brutal knees to the face. Tamura's selling is amazing. A 2 minute, 19 second match that almost hits the great mark. Tamura and shoot-style are the best. *** 3/4

This just might be the peak of wrestling bruality. As neat as punhes, chops, kicks, headbutts and so on can look, none of them really convey the sense of horror Maeda hitting Tamura with full force muy thai knees does. Tamura's desperate flurries ruled, but the best thing he did in the entire match was probably the down where he wasn't hit, but simply couldn't get up after getting a rope break. It is kind of insane to do this type of match, where a former yakuza beats up a young boy so bad he's out for a year, but it makes for an unmatchable spectacle of violence. ****

This was a little over two minutes and it ruled. Tamura isn't kidding around this time and barrages Maeda with open-hands in the corner. Maeda's able to trip him up and goes after the leg but Tamura is quick to the ropes. Then Maeda decides playtime is over and starts destroying Tamura's face with some Muay Thai knees. He nonchalantly blocks Tamura's desperation dropkick and continues kneeing him until the referee calls the match. Oh well...better luck next year.

When talking about Maeda's various in ring incidents, I'm surprised this isn't brought up more often, especially with how legendary Tamura would become. But then again, compared to the Andre and Chosyu stuff, roughing up a rookie with only a few matches under his belt seems relatively tame. Also, considering that Tamura would jump to RINGS in 1996, there must not have been hard feelings.