Enter the Dragons
"Smash Mouth" Chris Ridgeway (26, 5'9", 189#) enters to the Stones' "Paint It Black." If his entry music and byname aren't clear enough, his sneer and body ink announce his badassness. Konosuke (pronounced conchsgay) Takeshita (24, 6'2", 218#) enters to what sounds like a standard-issue anime soundtrack. The music's lush pretty-prettiness is deceptive since Takeshita is well known for playing hard and rough. He is also a bodybuilder, but his opponent is unfazed by the man's herculean stature and build.
As the commentators tell us, both men are traditionalists in the art of professional wrestling. A handshake before the bell shows respect - a rarity in the pro world today. Ridgeway even has a couple of cornermen, overseeing the proceedings outside the ring at their fighter's corner. Once the bell sounds, the wrestlers engage with the usual collar and elbow hold and the usual trading of armbars and side headlocks. The two then run the ropes, and Ridgeway catches Takeshita midair in the gut with a dropkick, signaling the drama that's about to unfold within the 20-minute time limit.
Above all, professional wrestling is drama. It is about agony, retribution, honor, desire, athleticism, bonding, betrayal, and endurance. At its best it is tragedy - that's how I feel about it anyway. It can also be played as farce, parody, horror, romance, porn, agitprop, sci-fi, ballet, and possibly even musical. For me its essence is agony, from which its other qualities unfold. The English word agony derives from the Greek word agon, meaning wrestle, ordeal, struggle. It is central to ancient Greek warfare, sport, and drama. Agony took on its present meaning (suffering, pain) shortly after Shakespeare's lifetime.
Takeshita vs Ridgeway (16 March 2019, Nottingham) is about agony in both its senses. Both men are incredibly skilled sellers of each other's punishments. I'm familiar with both from previous matches. Their athleticism and intensity are what made me curious about how they would interact in this contest. I am not disappointed. It's a grueling battle almost from the start, and neither man seems assured of victory, even to the last second. Their strikes are vicious, stiff as MMA attacks, at times painful to watch. The grappling is topnotch: prolonged, personal, and furious. They fight in the ring, on the ring apron, at ringside, and among the fans.
The match lasts through its full time limit, but it ends with a definite victory. One man's arm is raised in victory, but the wrestlers' mutual respect after a hard fight remains evident.
Visit Wrestle Gate Pro here.
As the commentators tell us, both men are traditionalists in the art of professional wrestling. A handshake before the bell shows respect - a rarity in the pro world today. Ridgeway even has a couple of cornermen, overseeing the proceedings outside the ring at their fighter's corner. Once the bell sounds, the wrestlers engage with the usual collar and elbow hold and the usual trading of armbars and side headlocks. The two then run the ropes, and Ridgeway catches Takeshita midair in the gut with a dropkick, signaling the drama that's about to unfold within the 20-minute time limit.
Above all, professional wrestling is drama. It is about agony, retribution, honor, desire, athleticism, bonding, betrayal, and endurance. At its best it is tragedy - that's how I feel about it anyway. It can also be played as farce, parody, horror, romance, porn, agitprop, sci-fi, ballet, and possibly even musical. For me its essence is agony, from which its other qualities unfold. The English word agony derives from the Greek word agon, meaning wrestle, ordeal, struggle. It is central to ancient Greek warfare, sport, and drama. Agony took on its present meaning (suffering, pain) shortly after Shakespeare's lifetime.
Takeshita vs Ridgeway (16 March 2019, Nottingham) is about agony in both its senses. Both men are incredibly skilled sellers of each other's punishments. I'm familiar with both from previous matches. Their athleticism and intensity are what made me curious about how they would interact in this contest. I am not disappointed. It's a grueling battle almost from the start, and neither man seems assured of victory, even to the last second. Their strikes are vicious, stiff as MMA attacks, at times painful to watch. The grappling is topnotch: prolonged, personal, and furious. They fight in the ring, on the ring apron, at ringside, and among the fans.
The match lasts through its full time limit, but it ends with a definite victory. One man's arm is raised in victory, but the wrestlers' mutual respect after a hard fight remains evident.
Visit Wrestle Gate Pro here.
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