Jun Akiyama vs. Suwama (AJPW 4/15/18)
Love me some wrestling that feels like it is breaking down in front of my very eyes. Akiyama and Suwama are two dudes who have been around the Block (Champion Carnival joke) and here they decide to toss all sense of decency out the window. When Suwama is on the apron it looks like both men are attempting to separate the other from consciousness through mean strikes or chokes on the rope. Let the rage run through your veins big boys!
Then Suwama takes Akiyama around the outside, throwing a whole guardrail at him. Sometimes I forget the size of Suwama and then he is hurtling steel barricades as if it was nothing. Akiyama gets all ticked and chucks a chair into the ropes from the outside. You don’t want to mess with a ticked off Uncle Jun. Sorry, Suwama.
Action on the inside turns when Akiyama counters Suwama with a flying knee. Now it is knee city time. Akiyama uses a knee off the apron to bash Suwama’s hulking frame into the steel barricade, then drops a knee on the apron. Apologies for delivering essentially a “move-for-move” recap. Every segment here feels vital and raw to the point that if I didn’t draw attention to it I would feel as though I am leaving out a core part of the experience.
Continuing the beatdown in the ring, Akiyama unloads the staples. I’m talking a guillotine choke, I’m talking suplexes, and I’m talking running knees. The Akiyama trifecta. Suwama shrugs off an exploder attempt and starts unloading the strong lad offense. You know it, chops, backdrop drivers, and lariats. The holy trinity. This is actually when the story snaps into place. Akiyama looks burnt as my grandmother’s toast. Sure, he isn’t laying down for Suwama but when he has the openings he has no gas left in the tank to mount something of his own. He gets off a powerbomb counter into a hurricanrana, which is truly legend material, but Suwama shrugs him off. Suwama throws bomb lariats at Akiyama and he while he weathers the storm, he makes zero attempts at firing back with anything. Suwama got Akiyama all sorts of hot and bothered and he spent himself. I feel dumb for mentioning the “Jun Akiyama didn’t even want to compete this year, feeling worn down” talking point but it brings a layer to this thing. Finish is actually brilliant and plays into Akiyama being zapped. What a war!
Spandex Are Still Cool 