JJZ: It's Sunday morning and I'm sitting in my basement drinking coffee and watching Battlearts. Yumma dum dum. Well Chris, this match is exactly what you think it would be and that makes me so happy. These four wrestlers really bring a stiff ass aggression but then all of the sudden someone busts out with a really slick transition. I don't watch this style enough so when I do it feels like such a treat. Hidaka's versatility to do this style of match but then also have a match like he did with Alex Shelley in the same era is special. Crowd was good not great but came on strong in the end. Now my absolute favorite thing about battlearts and UWF is the fact that the match can end whenever. There is no real final stretch just make sure you don't take your eyes off the TV.
CJD: So first of all I really liked this match. I love this era of Battlarts, not exactly their prime but some of the coolest shit was going on in the years leading up to this. Yuta Yoshikawa was probably the main homegrown talent they were trying to get over, but his career was cut short and this was actually his retirement match. He brought a lot to the table as he always did, taking a tremendous beating and helping give the match structure and purpose. I don't think I've ever seen this before and I wasn't the biggest fan of Yoshikawa so that'd make sense. But I'm so glad you played it forward to me. I haven't watched any shoot style since our last journey into it and for guys like Hidaka and Usuda these matches have to be like jazz. No need to know where you're going next or how you're getting there. Just feel it out and let it flow through you. They built to some great hot tags even though you weren't going to get huge pops from the reported crowd of 156. I'd say that's probably generous. Very interesting footnote in pro wrestling history here, the match is definitely stronger for the first 2/3rds, but overall it's a quality ass kicking and a hell of a way to go out on your sword.
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