Dan Severn Locks Your Daddy Out of Doors

Dan Severn vs. Tarzan Goto IWA Japan King of the Death Matches 8/20/95 - EPIC

ER: What a truly legendary, violent, badass match. The IWA Japan King of the Death Matches was one of the key shows most tape traders ever traded for (that and a 6 hour Sabu comp where the quality was so bad that half the thing was blue screen), and this was probably one of the most ignored matches on that show. We were allured by explosions and barbed wire and somehow missed two meaty guys beating the shit out of each other. This is a straight up fight. Part of the time it looks like they're legit trying to get the other to quit, just pummeling each other on the mat, choking each other, making us buy into this hatred. Goto throws a big lariat, gets busted open immediately (possibly from his own headbutt), spills to the floor and starts grabbing for chairs. Severn realizes what kind of fight this is going to be and doesn't seem all that hesitant to join him in weaponry. Goto finds a bottle and busts it on a ring post, swinging it at Severn who blocks it with a chair. They spill into the crowd over the railing, in a kind of way that looks like two men who weren't planning on spilling over the railing. By the time the cameras catch up to them they're in the middle of a packed Kawasaki Stadium, rolling on the floor and stiffing the hell out of each other. Goto beats Severn with chairs and buries him in them, and when the camera cuts back to Severn he's rising out of the chairs and goes insane, throwing chairs into the ring at Goto, and then they fight with chairs. Severn tosses him with throws, Goto drops him with a nasty lariat and pancake piledriver, and Severn starts throwing even more. This is so vicious, these two just kill each other. Finish is boss as all hell, with Severn dumping Goto with a German and  working for a choke. He sinks it in and Goto is gushing blood, covering his whole face while Severn's choke sinks in deeper. Goto passes out and it's not quite over, as Severn leaves victorious but Goto and his boys get in the ring and talk trash. You know his boys are legit too, because one looks like a hesher who got separated from his ride at an all day metal festival, and the other is wearing a tank top that is longer than his shorts. This is the greatest.

PAS: Yeah this was an absolute classic, I remember everyone thought this was a miracle match back in the day, because people thought Severn wasn't very good and Goto wasn't very good (I used to call him Tarzan Scroto) but of course everyone was wrong and both guys rule, so it isn't that shocking that this was awesome.  Goto has these amazing headbuts which he aims right at Severn's temple, they are probably pretty safe but they look very unsafe. Loved Goto trying to wrestle Severn, getting sliced open by Severn's elbows and reverting to the FMW in him. Severn blocking the broken bottle with a chair shot is one of my favorite weapon spots maybe ever. Severn losing it at the chair shots and furiously hurling chairs at the ring really feels like something you would see in an actual out of control bar fight. The final choke was so nasty and the visual of Goto spraying blood out of his head while he passed out was cinematic. Goto immediately getting up and rushing Severn was great too, too bad we never got a rematch because it felt like the start of an epic feud.


COMPLETE & ACCURATE DAN SEVERN