This is perhaps Akira Taue’s last great epic encounter and what a lovely match to bow out on as defending GHC Heavyweight Champion. Against Akiyama, he isn’t too proud to rake the eyes in order to gain control and he slowly wears Jun down the only way Taue can, coconut crushing and big booting. And it wouldn’t be an Akiyama match without knees everywhere – off the apron, onto the guardrail, front, back, top rope, you name it. He keeps putting the knees and elbows to the back of Taue’s head to set up the front necklock, but when Taue’s able to get to his feet, he destroys Akiyama with a backdrop counter. Taue’s offense isn’t always the most hard hitting but I loved that he really seemed to let loose here, chokeslamming Akiyama on the ramp, hacking away at him with his meat cleaver hands, and planting him with a sheer-drop powerbomb. He hits the Ore ga Taue for two but when he tries for a top rope version, Akiyama’s able to shove him off into a jumping knee > running knee > Exploder, going right back into the front necklock off the two count. In the final minutes, they’re both running on fumes, fighting over the chokeslams and the Exploders, before Akiyama starts again with the knees. It isn’t the epic finishing stretch of endless head drops but it’s the relentlessness of Jun and his knees that get the better of Taue, and in the end, the pillar crumbles. A simple but beautifully told story.
No comments:
Post a Comment