KAMAITACHI VS. DRAGON LEE

KAMAITACHI VS. DRAGON LEE

Ring of Honor All Star Extravaganza VIII (30^th September 2016)

I've heard nothing but good things about these two guys and their chemistry. It may become a match I double-dip depending how much I like this one. This just happened to be the first one I found in my collection when I was looking, I've not seen it before so it's going to be pot luck.

Ring of Honour matchmaker Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino handle commentary for this match.

Kamaitachi enters representing New Japan Pro Wrestling tonight, wearing his old mask that he lost in CMLL against Dragon Lee. They also had a match during January 2016's Fantasticamania tour available to New Japan Pro Wrestling fans and this is each man's Ring of Honor debut. Dragon Lee enters representing CMLL and he is the reigning CMLL World Lightweight champion. He won the championship in January 2016 and is still champion at the time of this writing. 368+ days. In fact, only these 2 men have held the championship since April 2015! We see a tale of the tape and Kamaitachi has 37lbs and 4-year experience advantage over Dragon Lee. That doesn't mean you can count Dragon Lee out, though, he may have been born in 1995 and debut in 2014, but he has skills beyond his years from what I've seen on youtube. Kevin Kelly says Kamaitachi's been in America for longer than Dragon Lee, and he's using his experience with American crowds to get in Dragon Lee's head. Kamaitachi refuses to follow the Code of Honour so the bell goes without.

Both men rush each other and trade strikes, overhand chop battle ended by Lee hitting a spin kick to the midsection. Dragon Lee tries to run the ropes but Kamaitachi grabs his tights and rolls him up, Dragon Lee rolls through and we get some mat wrestling. Kamaitachi gets the better of it bringing Dragon Lee back to his feet controlling his left arm. Lee rolls out but misses a standing dropkick. Kamaitachi misses a Penalty Kick, Dragon Lee misses a clothesline, Kamaitachi gets a running headscissors but Dragon Lee uses his athleticism to land on his feet! We reach a standoff, as both men know each other so well. I've just noticed Dragon Lee has his right shoulder taped up, and he uses the left one for a shoulder barge. Neither man moves. Kamaitachi hits an overhand chop close to Dragon Lee's shoulder, but he fires one back. Kamaitachi with another overhand strike and he catches Dragon Lee's kick. Dragon Lee ducks a clothesline and a flying headscissors takes Kamaitachi out to the floor. Dragon Lee hits a tope through the ropes at high speed, sending Kamaitachi into the barricade! Dragon Lee seems to have landed on his knee, but he gets in the ring to try again as Kevin Kelly tells us we can watch NJPW on AXS TV. (Depending on cable company and package in the USA.) with Jim Ross and Josh Barnett on commentary. Anyway, Dragon Lee slides out of the ring over Kamaitachi, Kamaitachi slides in and wants to fly! Dragon Lee gets on the apron but Kamaitachi flies over with a no-hands SUNSET FLIP SITOUT POWERBOMB!! What the actual fuck!?

Kamaitachi lifts Dragon Lee's deadweight and powerbombs him down on the floor and climbs back up on the apron as we get a replay of the sick sunset flip bomb to the floor. Kamaitachi runs along the apron and hits a running knee strike, knocking Dragon Lee back down before breaking the ring out count. Kamaitachi poses for the crowd before sending Dragon Lee into the barricade so hard he lands in the crowd. McGuinness mentions Dragon Lee's injured shoulder for the first time as it took the brunt of the impact. Kamaitachi follows and hits Lee with chops. Right hand follows before Kamaitachi launches Dragon Lee back to the ringside area. Dragon Lee gets to his feet and Kamaitachi speeds towards him. He clears the barricade and hits a front dropkick! We get an instant replay as Kamaitachi gets Dragon Lee back in the ring. McGuinness notes that the referee was lenient with his count as Kamaitachi gets the first nearfall of the match.

Kamaitachi didn't put his all into the cover and McGuinness wonders if that's because these men are so familiar with each other, Kamaitachi thinks he has Dragon Lee's number. Hard chop by Kamaitachi as both men get to their feet and Dragon Lee is sent across the ring. Kamaitachi tries to leap frog him but Dragon Lee hits him with a front dropkick in midair. A second dropkick sends Kamaitachi out of the ring and Dragon Lee hits a swan dive senton over the top rope to the floor! The ROH fans use the barrier to noise their support and urge Dragon Lee to capitalise. He does, picking up Kamaitachi and placing him on the outside of the apron. Knee to Kamaitachi's back, and he's in a tree of woe outside the ring. Dragon Lee climbs to the top turnbuckle and hits a double stomp! Kamaitachi sent back in the ring and Dragon Lee picks him up and hits what I think would be a fisherman suplex into a Michinoku driver for a 2 count. Kamaitachi kicked out aggressively, and Dragon Lee hypes up the fans. Dragon Lee seats Kamaitachi on the top turnbuckle and climbs out to the apron. Dragon Lee hits him with a forearm, another two put Kamaitachi in the traditional tree of woe now. Kamaitachi avoids a second double stomp and gets back to his feet. Kamaitachi catches Dragon Lee in an overhead belly to belly suplex, sending him into the corner! Dragon Lee takes a breather on the outside and Kamaitachi calls for the super senton. He climbs to the top rope and shoots himself at Dragon Lee. SUPER SENTON CONNECTS!

Neither man moves whilst the replay airs, and slowly make some distance after. The referee is counting them out and it appears this match is a 20 count after all. Both men slide in at 19 but that burst of energy took more out of them. They get to their knees and an overhand chop battle pursues. Dragon Lee's the first to his feet, Kamaitachi gets one last chop in, though. Dragon Lee runs and Kamaitachi follows, Dragon Lee stops and gets a sneaky roll-up for a nearfall. Dragon Lee gets a hurricanrana but Kamaitachi rolls through, holding his shoulders down. Kamaitachi only gets a nearfall and urges Dragon Lee up. Dragon Lee ducks a clothesline and hits a running knee to the gut. Another running strike hits a seated Kamaitachi and Dragon Lee gets a bridging back suplex, but still only gets 2. Dragon Lee rips off the medical tape and hits Kamaitachi with another overhand chop in the corner. Kamaitachi sent across the ring, but he catches the double knee strike. Dragon Lee gets placed on the top turnbuckle. Kamaitachi climbs up but Dragon Lee gets him on his shoulders. Kamaitachi elbows his way out and hits a sunset flip powerbomb, rolling Lee up! 1, 2, NO!

I have no idea how Dragon Lee kicked out of that move. The crowd will the two athletes to their feet and Dragon Lee pushes Kamaitachi into the ropes before catching him in a sick german suplex! Kamaitachi replies with one of his own. Neither man moves on a double clothesline spot, and Dragon Lee kinda catches Kamaitachi with a Spanish Fly on a second attempt. Dragon Lee covers for a 2. Both men slow to get back to their feet, any move could finish it here. Dragon Lee tries the wheelbarrow again but Kamaitachi catches him and suplexes him over, Kamaitachi rolls through but they can't keep the cover. Kamaitachi immediately hits a german suplex and bridges for another nearfall. Both men are taking each others' best shots here, and still, they keep going. Kamaitachi runs at Dragon Lee but gets caught in an arm bar in the middle of the ring! Kamaitachi tries to roll out of it but Dragon Lee holds on, but Kamaitachi is inches from the ropes. Dragon Lee grabs his other arm, applying a Rings of Saturn like move. Kamaitachi kicks away and gets the rope, breaking it. Kamaitachi slides out to the apron, but his shoulder is weakened. Both men get to their feet and Dragon Lee sprints at Kamaitachi, and clears the top rope hitting a hurricanrana to the floor! I can't even do that move justice with typed words!!!

Dragon Lee brings Kamaitachi back in the ring and looks for the end. He hits a Northern Lights suplex and rolls through for a second. Dragon Lee rolls through again, not releasing his opponent at all and hits a stalling brainbuster! Dragon Lee weakly covers, 1, 2, 2.9, Kamaitachi kicks out! Nigel McGuinness calls this a one move match. You only have the energy to think of your next move and just hope it's the end. Nigel suggests going for the Fujiwara armbar after damaging Kamaitachi's shoulders not long ago, but Dragon Lee does an impression of The Ultimate Warrior instead. Dragon Lee irish whips Kamaitachi across the ring and throws him in the air, REVERSED INTO A DESTROYER!! 1! 2! 2.99999! Dragon Lee STILL kicks out! Dragon Lee smartly going back out to the apron. Kamaitachi tries to drive his head into the top turnbuckle but it's blocked. Dragon Lee hits a right hand and sends Kamaitachi into it instead. Lee climbs to the top but Kamaitachi meets him up there. Forearms by Kamaitachi get followed by a reply from Dragon Lee. Headbutt sends Kamaitachi into the tree of woe. Double stomp finds it's mark on Kamaitachi's head! Dragon Lee picks Kamaitachi up for a powerbomb and lifts him overhead. ANOTHER DESTROYER! Kamaitachi slides out of cover range and rolls onto his front. Kamaitachi crawls to Dragon Lee and covers. 1, 2, NO! Lee kicks out again.

All this does is fire Kamaitachi up and he picks up Lee. Death Valley Driver into the corner squashes Lee! “now he's gonna try and kill him” - Steve Corino. Kamaitachi lifts Lee onto his shoulders again, but Dragon Lee slips out. Knee strike connects from Dragon Lee! Kamaitachi drops to his knees and Dragon Lee finishes him off with the Phoenixplex.

WINNER: DRAGON LEE

This match started out strong, didn't let up and still upped the intensity throughout the duration. These two men have become very familiar with each other in front of different crowds, and that is why their chemistry works so well they can keep a match at this blistering pace without fucking it completely. The Ring of Honour crowd loved the match and it kept their interest throughout the duration. Each big move seemed to mean something and any move in the last 5 minutes or so could have believably been the finish. Nothing but praise for this match. – Rating: 8.7/10

Dragon Lee celebrates with his championship to a standing ovation. Steve Corino compares these two guys to Super Crazy and Yoshihiro Tajiri in ECW, which from what I've seen is quite the compliment.