2018 Ongoing MOTY List: Fuke vs. Fujiwara

77. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Takaku Fuke BJW 8/14

PAS: Fujiwara will be 70 next year and it is pretty amazing that he can work UWF style matches at this level at this age. Fuke is a Fujiwara trainee who worked UWF and PWFG before a long Osaka Pro run. This was total class stuff, outside of some wrinkles I could easily see this match on a PWFG show in 1993 (and it is really Fuke who looks older, Fujiwara looked 70 when he was 40). I really enjoyed the opening grappling, Fuke took Fujiwara's back and Fujiwara did a bunch of cool counters using Fuke's ankle. Really liked the standup too, Fuke was throwing sharp fast slaps, but you expose your arm to Fujiwara, bad things are going to happen, and we get a slick armbar counter for the win.

ER: Quick and breezy, and I'll echo Phil with how impressed I am with 70 year old Fujiwara still doing transitions and blocking armbars and getting slapped in the neck and ear like young Fujiwara. I'm a fan of any kind of wrestling that incorporates some kind of points deduction for rope breaks or knock downs; it adds extra wrinkles to the structure (not that we need to add too many more wrinkles to a match where the mean age is nearly 60). I even liked the ROH Pure Championship. As much as l enjoyed the stuff on the mat, I really perked up once they stood and Fuke got a flash knock down. Oh, it's *that* kind of match, is it? Fuke had these cool wind up slaps, like he was trying to pick someone off third, and he would wind up and unleash a long arm into Fujiwara's ear and neck, then rattle off some thigh kicks, and it's still fun seeing Fujiwara get pushed around standing, wavering, leg buckling, slapping back, looking for a limb to catch. They tease us with him quickly turning a dodged palm strike into an armbar, but Fuke wisely breaks. But right after Fujiwara catches a kick and begins lifting Fuke's leg, seemingly in standstill, giving Fuke the option of a hyperextended off balance leg, or wild card. Fuke opts for wild card and Fujiwara catches the arm in the middle. Satisfying.


COMPLETE AND ACCURATE FUJIWARA

2018 MOTY MASTER LIST