On the debut episode of Fighting Network FRIENDS, Andy and I gushed over this violent little gem between Masahito Kakihara and Tatsuo Nakano. Having been gone through much of the 1980's UWF, Nakano bulldogged his way into my heart with his mullet headbutts and knee strikes. He usually finds himself getting busted open but never stops the fight. This time around, Kakihara splatters Nakano's nose with his classic gambit of E. Honda-style open hands and the blood is gushing. Through the gore, he's able to slow Kaki down on the ground with a leglock and I like the combo of the knee > front neck chancery takeover, throwing some salt in the wound with a cheap shot kick. The blood really adds something to the match, with Kaki's grip slipping during a takedown attempt. As usual, Kakihara sets himself up for the big spinning heel kick but misses, which leads to the brutal finish from Nakano: smack, stomp, submit via single leg crab. One of the best sub-five minute matches I've seen and a terrific job of blurring the line between what's real and what's worked.
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