This review was commissioned by Eric T. over on my Ko-fi account.
1997 in RINGS was the year of Han/Tamura. Those two made it to the finals of the 96 Mega Battle Tournament, and would later conclude their trilogy in September. Historically, it remains the most talked about rivalry in RINGS, and for good reason. Han and Tamura spend much of 96 and 97 reaching the peak of their abilities within this style, and delivering in multiple matches for the honor of being the best fighter in RINGS.
A side effect to the rise of Han and Tamura though is the other top players in RINGS falling to the wayside to make room for their ascent. Funnily enough, both the wrestlers in this match can attribute much of their failures directly to encounters with the two top dogs in promotion. For Yoshihisa Yamamoto, the story goes that him and Tamura were told to legitimately fight for a victory in the Mega Battle Tournament. In the end, it was Tamura that came out with the tap out victory in that bout.
Meanwhile, in one of my favorite trilogies of 1996, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka lost three straight matches to Volk Han. In the first, the doctors stop the fight due to a cut being opened up by Volk’s open palm strikes. In the second, Volk gets the clean win by tapping out Kohsaka. Then in the third, just as Kohsaka seemed to find a winning strategy by attacking Volk’s midsection, the Russian magician pulled another rabbit out of the hat to get a second submission win over Kohsaka.
Coming into this bout, both men have something to prove. They’re in a rebuilding phase of their careers, hoping to assert themselves once again at the top of the heap.
As far as RINGS matches go, this one takes it time. There’s a lot of early feeling out from both men, with Yamamoto especially sticking true to his regular strategy of probing for weakness with early striking whether it be with his palms or with kicks. Kohsaka’s bread and butter has always been on the mat and it’s a joy to watch him pick at limbs, roll through Yamamoto’s submission attempts, and generally make a great show of working the canvas. One early moment that can’t help but stand out sees Yamamoto attempt Kohsaka’s own TK Scissors maneuver, only for the man himself to have a counter ready to remain in control.
It’s not always the most intricate mat work one is bound to see in a RINGS match, and it takes on a more methodical pace which means the escalation is very steady. There’s a sense of repetition here as well since Yamamoto’s gameplan seems to center around shooting for a cross armbreaker. It does impress me just how much they get out of that consistent attempt though as Kohsaka keeps finding new ways to hold strong and avoid the submission. There’s a lot of great hand fighting involved here and counter work.
Another thing of note would be how these two pretty expertly work the points system in RINGS. For much of the runtime, it’s a very symmetrical back and forth such that no man maintains a distant lead. I enjoy this as a manifestation of their struggle to reassert themselves and how even footed both men are in this situation.
Where the match really ascends for me though is in how it breaks down. Kohsaka’s the first to get cut open here after a flurry of strikes from Yamamoto. The doctors coming to check on him plays on Kohsaka’s history from 96, and one can’t help but recall the loss to Volk Han as the ringside physicians try to determine whether to let Kohsaka continue. The payoff to this tension comes from that small, relieved breath Kohsaka takes before jumping back into the fray.
There’s a bitterness to how Kohsaka responds to the cut as well, he ups the aggression and is much more willing to stand and trade such that when he gets a down on Yamamoto, there’s such a simple elated celebration from him that can’t help but tug at the heartstrings. Kohsaka’s failures in 96 have endeared him to me, and seeing my guy struggle to stay relevant makes for some truly powerful pro wrestling here.
Keeping to the theme of symmetry and the back and forth rhythm though, Kohsaka also opens up Yamamoto. And at the same time, Yamamoto also has his moment of celebration after taking vengeance for that cut. There’s a subtlety at play here though that communicates some of the broader themes of the match. Much like how Kohsaka feels just a little more comfortable and steady on the mat, so too is his escalation just the slightest bit better than Yamamoto’s. Yamamoto may graze Tamura and give him a little cut, but Kohsaka practically busts open Yamamoto here. They may be even in many ways, but there are these small signals that Kohsaka may yet be the better of the two.
In a lovely show of cohesion and narrative unity, the finish plays on this theme as well. Yamamoto’s on the mat, still fighting for that cross armbreaker, but Kohsaka holds strong. He never lets the submission get in fully, and he just has to survive up to the time limit to win on points as he had forced just one extra rope escape than his opponent. Few matches in RINGS have felt so wholly dedicated to conveying a certain idea—this very tense confrontation that breaks down and gets more heated while still keeping both men on a mostly even playing field.
One of the most cohesive RINGS matches of all time.
IS IT BETTER THAN 6/3/94? While Kawada and Misawa open hot and cool off in the first and second act, Kohsaka and Yamamoto take a much more organic approach to how they escalate here. The mat work in the opening isn’t always the most gripping, and in hindsight, one might feel how they’re stretching towards the time limit draw, but the smoothness of how they build to the more explosive portions of the match win them day, as does the harmony of elements conveying the narrative. RINGS Road reigns supreme.
Rating: ****1/2
