HARASHIMA vs. KUDO (DDT, 5/13/18)

These two had one of my favorite DDT matches of 2017 and once again, these two proved that their in-ring chemistry is a key to success. I've always had a soft spot for HARASHIMA's matwork, which usually doesn't go anywhere but when it's happening, I dig it. His leg trip to KUDO from the ground was especially neat. HARASHIMA is also one of the more frustrating sellers but when he's on, he's on, and here, he was on. He eats a spinning back kick to the face and I loved him immediately bailing to the outside after making it to his feet before the ten count...only for KUDO to take him out with a big dive! KUDO kicks hard and he kicked a lot in this match. His head kick toward the end of the match looked real nasty. In fact, there were quite a few strike exchanges throughout, from elbows to kicks to slaps, but everything was snug. KUDO is able to hit the hanging double knees, HARASHIMA hits the reverse frankensteiner. I really liked pulling a page from Yuko Miyamoto's playbook and spiking KUDO with the Fire Thunder Driver before finishing him off with the Somato. One of my favorite DDT matches of 2018.

HARASHIMA vs. KUDO (DDT, 9/24/17)

This ruled, reminding me a lot of HARASHIMA’s 2010 match against Hikaru Sato. There was a blatant and endearing familiarity between these two that pervaded the match from the initial lock-up to the grinning snug exchanges. HARASHIMA was being quite nasty here, especially with his stompy legwork, which is never fancy, but always looks excruciating, whether it's uppercutting into a leg crank or just wrenching the ankle into precarious angles. When KUDO resists the suplex lift, HARASHIMA slapping that bad leg in order to hit the Falcon Arrow -- very cool touch. I guess if I had one minor quibble, it's that KUDO's selling could've been a little more profound but his in-the-moment stuff is pretty great and at times, he would just throw himself at HARASHIMA.

The legwork didn't do enough to deter KUDO from using his stiff kick-and-knee-based offense, and they soon unload on each other with a ton of kicks and dueling high kicks. HARASHIMA's able to pull off the reverse frankesteiner to set-up the corner Somato but when he tries to drive the nail home, KUDO counters with the knee press. Loved KUDO's duck>slap>smile strategy against HARASHIMA and HARASHIMA's lunging headbutt to answer. The escalation into the finishing stretch was terrific, with both guys bumping like crazy. HARASHIMA smiles big after he spikes KUDO with the over-the-shoulder piledriver and KUDO follows that up with a rope hung double knee drop onto the apron (and a slingshot one to the floor for good measure). By the end of it, they're smacking each other silly, HARASHIMA especially, but after a couple of spin kicks and a buzzsaw to the side of the head, KUDO puts HARASHIMA away with the diving double knees. Hell of a performance from both guys (who are both in their 40s, mind you), and they managed to do a lot with the time allowed, creating an "epic" in under 20:00 -- KUDOS!

Hikaru Sato vs. HARASHIMA (DDT, 11/14/10)

Dueling limbwork, anyone? You know I'm all about it when it's pulled off in a smart way. This match manages to do just that, with Sato priming the arm for the jujigatame and HARASHIMA trying to alleviate Sato's kicks by working the leg. This follows the traditional DDT "Main Event" template, with scrambled matwork to start, bouts of snug slap and kick exchanges, and the sudden escalation into bigger offense. The slaps are especially stiff, as Sato's lip gets busted, and HARASHIMA's legwork gets nasty at times with some of those targeted kicks. When HARASHIMA's got him on the ground in a leglock, Sato grabs the hair and HARASHIMA returns the favor just because he can. Sato's able to go back to the armbar, transitioning into a triangle and as HARASHIMA begins to power out, Sato uses the ropes for a rope-hung armbar, choking HARASHIMA to the point of foaming. Sato's outside running PK takes a lot out of him, which allows HARASHIMA to dropkick the leg out from underneath him on the apron to regain control. They start exchanging signatures and counters, go back-and-forth with the strikes, with Sato at one point straight punching HARASHIMA, and in the end, when HARASHIMA springboards in, Sato catches him in the armbar. The final struggle is terrific, with HARASHIMA trying to boot his way out, then grabbing onto the referee, before finally giving up. Niiiice.

HARASHIMA vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT, 3/20/17)

On first viewing, HARASHIMA vs. Takeshita was a pretty awesome match, with a good mix of psychology, selling, and high-impact offense. I'm a big fan of Takeshita, no doubt, but I thought he looked like the total package here, working with a little more 'tude against the old "ace of DDT" and building to his German suplex finish via his focused attacks on HARASHIMA. Some of the execution was off -- leave Croyt's Wrath to Kenny Omega (ditto Ishii). He seems to be the only one who can pull it off seamlessly. And while I'm nitpicking, some of the selling gets shelved on both sides for the sake of high spots...but Takeshita does a good job of bringing it full circle, especially in the final minutes. While he excels at the physical sell, HARASHIMA's facials were terrific as always. Alright, let's dig in.

Love Takeshita pursing his lips and shaking his head at HARASHIMA's handshake offer like a brat, After the initial touch-and-go, Takeshita pops HARASHIMA with an elbow, DDTs him onto the apron, then brainbusters him on the floor. He starts tenderizing the back of the head, neck, and back of the champ to prime his finisher. Likewise, HARASHIMA starts working the leg like usual to set-up the...Somato? Whatever his motive, it looked vicious, the way he stomps, kicks, and cranks away. When Takeshita tries to retaliate with a leg lariat, HARASHIMA slickly catches the leg and drops down into a kneebar. But after an overhead suplex counter, Takeshita dumps him right back onto his neck with a snap dragon suplex. The match picks up offensively from here on out, as the two start trading offense, working in some cool counter sequences here and there. There were some brutal spots from HARASHIMA, including a top rope reverse frankensteiner and a Canadian backbreaker-style reverse piledriver, but he ends up eating Takeshita's boots in a great counter spot to the swandive Somato.

After winning another round of reversals, a frustrated HARASHIMA stomps away at the "never say die"-attitude of Takeshita. Takeshita's selling of the exhaustion and desperation at this point in the match is so good. He collapses during the heated slap-a-thon only to be re-invigorated with punches and channeling the spirit of Dusty Rhodes via Antonio Honda with a Bionic Elbow! Awesome finish, with Takeshita catching HARASHIMA in a tilt-a-whirl into a Dudebuster into a German suplex hold! Shit! And as HARASHIMA, the champ, reaches in vain for the ropes, Takeshita traps the arm and finishes him off with the shutdown German. A strong victory for Takeshita in what I could be the promotion's answer to Omega/Okada, with Takeshita re-taking his rightful place as crown prince of DDT. Can't wait to re-watch this later in the year.