Sunday, September 4, 2011

DDT - Dick Togo Retirement Series~ Togo vs. Antonio Honda (KO-D Decision Match) January 30, 2011

So Togo is retiring. Quite sad, yet good at the same time. What a career. I picked out this match to review here, so I hope you like it. If this is tl;dr, you suck. :D

Dick Togo vs. Antonio Honda - 10

I had been watching some lucha prior to this match, so I was really excited when we got some really solid mat wrestling. Honda maintained great control of Togo's arm in the beginning, even going as far as rolling through with his holds as Togo tried his hardest to squirm his way out of Honda's grip. I was watching this match in the study at the university I attend with headphones on, and nearly yelled "YES!" when Togo went for a butterfly suplex, but couldn't get Honda up because his arm had been worked over. Very nice touch. Like a shark to chum, Honda picked at Togo's arm like a two year old picks his nose. Honda stayed on the arm, and Togo's face conveyed a message of both terror and agony as he was locked in the cross arm breaker. His pain was my pleasure, I suppose. Honda was going balls-out with a dive to the floor on Togo that could have ended up very bad as his feet nearly got tangled in the ropes. I swear to God, watch this match and tell me that Honda's selling is not great here. At the 13.5 minute mark, Togo lays a fist to the forehead of Honda and by God if Honda didn't sell it like a champion. So simple, yet so essential to the flow of the match. Honda whiffed on a right hand as Togo weaved out of the way, leading to Honda stumbling due to his own momentum. Sweet crap this is great. Togo rammed Honda's face into the turnbuckle, leading to an Ultimate Warrior-esque yelling session from Honda -- kind of like saying "bring it, bitch." With a tear in my eye, I gasped as I witnessed Honda rear back and give Togo an uppercut, who LEGIT flipped backward and landed on his stomach! It was great! Both men struggled for the pinning combos, putting their full body weight into each press to the mat. Capping all of the aforementioned off with a slug-fest to die for, and you've got something to marvel at. You've got fans that are really into work-rate, story-telling, and psychology? Well this was like an orgy of all three, which makes me feel simply great. I adored this match, and it is MOTY for me at this point. A modern-day classic.

3 comments:

Jessie said...

I'm crazy interested to see this match....some guys who've received a 10 in NHO....Kobashi....Bret Hart....Flair....Antonio Honda?....well written though....how long was this bout?

Jessie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Geo said...

Haha - exactly. Thanks, it was around the 20 minute mark.