Love Is A BattlART

Daisuke Ikeda/Takeshi Ono VS Yuki Ishikawa/Alexander Otsuka - BattlARTS 10/30/1996

JJZ: So, if someone asked me what Battle Arts are, I would just show them this match. Totally blurring the lines between real and "fake." This looked like all four guys were shooting on each other for twenty two minutes. It was really well executed violence. I'm totally expecting you to say you've shown this to me before, but if you haven't, it gives me hope to bring joy to your eyes. I think I might show it to our real life friends that enjoy wrestling also. The crowd was eating everything up with a spoon and I was feeling every kick, slap and suplex through my TV screen. I'm hoping me and you go down a long rabbit hole of the fine Arts of Battle!

CJD: John I had the pleasure of sitting down and watching this with you and said IRL friends and one of the first things I said was, what was that,like 13 minutes?  The fact it's almost twice that is amazing because this match just flies by. When I saw the names I thought I'd seen this before but I actually hadn't! And man oh man am I grateful to have watched it now. One of the greatest tags in the history of BattlArts which is really saying something. I don't think any two wrestlers enjoyed kicking the shit out of each other more than Ishikawa and Ikeda. If you had to introduce someone to Otsuka this is such a great summary of everything that makes him awesome. And maybe the best Ono match I've ever seen?? He's such a tremendous dickhead all match long. This match rules!!!

Justice For Hidaka

Minoru Tanaka/Ikuto Hidaka VS Masao Orihara/Takeshi Ono - BattlARTS 10/19/1997

CJD: When I decided to play a tag match for our 2x MDTSOCWWKD to show how great he was at both sides of the coin, I didn't expect to stumble onto the most young boy lookin Hidaka I ever damn seen!! Add in some classic BattlArts action, swanky ass Ishikawa setting the table in vintage 90s puro TV fashion, and three excellent shootstyle/junior heavyweight hybrid dance partners... and what a stew this is John. These recent Tuesday matches are the stuff PIF dreams are made of man. So many different directions and flavors of what we love about pro wrestling (yes I'm a very culinary motivated individual). Speaking of food, the only slice of pizza in this match is courtesy of young Ikuto, but I love love the way he recovers. He's channeling some serious Kikuchi/Otani energy in this one. The heels bring it, Tanaka looks like he's about to blast off to the moon, I could watch matches like this all day every day.

JJZ: ThIs was fantastic, CJD! To be honest, I didn't realize which wrestler was young Hidaka until he was in the camel clutch. Ikuto took a bunch of licks during this match, but when his opportunity came, he layed it back in for sure. Also, big time appreciation for his bumping and selling. He made Ono and Orihara look like monsters. Hidaka sold a low blow like I've never seen before. I think he might have actually eaten it straight to the duck. All four wrestlers brought such fight and energy to the ring that day. I was also pleasantly surprised for the outside the ring action that took place. I don't recall too many Battle Arts matches where guys are being slung into the chairs. Maybe I just haven't watched enough. This made me a wonderous Sunday afternoon delight for us to share with everyone this Tuesday.

CJD: One last footnote, Hidaka just landed in something like the 500s in the Greatest Wrestler Ever poll, and that's a travesty of justice. I feel somewhat responsible as I said on pro wrestling only I'd help build his case but never got back to him. And now I can't figure out how to get back into my damn account but that's neither here nor there. All I'm saying is, this is I think the fourth Hidaka match we've shared at PIF over 8 years. Expect a hell of a lot more than that in the next decade as we try to right this wrong by the time GWE36 rolls out!!!