A short, but sweet match review here, as we take a look at the Kakiride fundraiser show – with Minoru Suzuki making short work of things.
This was another show produced in association with Big Japan as a fundraiser for Masahito Kakihara – who you may remember won this year’s New Japan Rumble. Longer-term fans will recall his in-ring career from the mid 90s through to the mid 00s, before he was forced into retirement through cancer… which he’s beaten.
The second annual (?) Kakiride show was headlined then by this first-time match – and the first time these two had been on opposite sides of the ring. They’d tagged together during the Best of the Super Junior 6 tour, all the way back in 2004. Anyone else feeling old?
Minoru Suzuki vs. Masahito Kakihara
We’re in Korakuen Hall for this, and my advice is… don’t look away.
After a card mixed with comedy, UWF rules and all sorts, this is under normal wrestling rules, with the crowd solidly on Kakihara’s side. He rushes in early with some shots for Suzuki, who has to block head kicks… before he snuck in with a rear naked choke, dragging Kakihara down to the mat as the crowd chanted his name… but in the end there would be no fight back, and with Kakihara tapping, we’ve a sub two-minute main event!
Post-match, Suzuki addresses Kakihara… my Japanese is non-existant, but Suzuki continues the fight after the match, chasing Kakihara to the outside before grabbing a chair. There’s a brief fightback, but instead Kakihara’s dragged across the venue and thrown into the ring apron, before we go back to the ring for a rear naked choke… but Suzuki aborts a Gotch style piledriver, sparing him as he walks to the back instead.
As a match, it was what it was. Suzuki is still active and holds gold, while this was more a celebration for Kakihara given what he’s come back from.