Haste / Sekimoto

Shane Haste vs Daisuke Sekimoto, 10 November 2011 (Pro Wrestling NOAH)

Here he is almost five years ago, in his best shape ever: Shane Haste. I can make the case that Haste was at his best, performance-wise, with deadpan TMDK partner Mikey Nicholls for contrast, but he makes a terrific impression here in singles competition against scary strongman Daisuke Sekimoto. 

Besides a killer body and some amazing kamikaze tactics, Haste was a crowd-pleaser and comic actor. In fact, the first exposure I had to Haste (thanks to blog friend and visitor Gary) was a couple of years ago in a couple of skits set at the fictitious Dick Punch Academy. The guy was funnysexy for me before he was wrestlingsexy.

He and Mikey are now at WWE, renamed Shane Thorne and Nick Miller (TMDK is now TM-61). I haven't seen them in action yet. I hope WWE works for them. I hear they have been on a winning streak this past month. I won't say they'd be the first to benefit artistically from the company, but some of my favorite wrestlers of the past made their fame and fortune (WWE pays very well) doing shtick that makes me embarrassed to have ever liked them. But a lot of people like that stuff, and who am I to piss on their good time? For my Shane and Mikey fix, I'll always have Korakuen Hall.