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[2000-07-20-BattlARTS] Katsumi Usuda vs Yuki Ishikawa


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This was a 10 minute match and pretty much a highlight reel of their stuff. Meaning Ishikawa looks like a superstar on the mat, and Usuda attempts to turn him into a vegetable with rotten kicks and headbutts. Despite the short length and both guys being familiar I was impressed by how well worked and elaborate their exchanges were, and even while being very familiar with both workers I bit on a few of the submission nearfalls. Nifty little bout.

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  • 1 month later...

Good day for Yuki. This is a greatest hits type version of their match but they still bring quality work and intensity to it. The difference in strategies is really engaging with Ishikawa looking to work the mat and go after the leg of Usuda and Usuda wanting to kick the face off of Ishikawa. The submissions in the final moments were really dramatics with how much they were clinching in the holds. Usuda is also able to get off some near knockout blows with the kicks. Yuki is reeling off of the kicks and spinning back fists and ends up getting choked out in just over 10 minutes. *** (6.2)

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  • 2 months later...

They were really wrenching in the holds down the stretch, particularly Yuki with the ankle pick. Ishikawa's selling is so nuanced as he tries to wade through shots to find an opening for a takedown. So believable late in the match getting rocked by strikes and sort of coming in and out of consciousness to try to beat the count. It builds to real peril and inevitable outcome with Katsumi landing some finishing blows before choking him out. Good stuff.

 

***1/4

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  • 1 month later...

Its Ishikawa's ground game vs. Usuda's stand up and its fun. Ishikawa does a great at countering strikers kicks and ankle picking them and the case is no different here. Also everyone seems to step up the intensity of their strikes whenever they face Ishikawa and Usuda is no different as he blasts Ishikawa with some stiff kicks. The finish was neat and unexpected as Ishikawa puts Usuda over by getting choked out.

 

Good stuff.

 

***1/2

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I'm not a fan of Usuda but he brought more to this bout than Ishikawa. Ishikawa seemed to lack his usual spark. Maybe he was trying to give Usuda what little limelight there was but I would have liked to have seen a few more counters from him and a bit more attitude. He didn't really have an answer for Usuda's strikes and it was a bad day at the office in terms of the result but maybe that's what they set out to portray. Personally, I think Usuda's win would have meant more if there'd been more of a struggle but he did have some nice moments with his ground game so it was a strong outing for him.

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  • 1 month later...

I thought this was the best match on the show. Ishikawa's always compelling against strike-heavy spitfires, as he's able to weather the storm and catch them with a submission. Usuda was pretty nasty with his head kicks here, and I really liked his panicked selling when Ishikawa's got a hold of his leg. Ishikawa keeps going back to the leg but Usuda's able to grab the arm off another attempt, refusing to let go after the break. Even when he's still blasting Ishikawa with kicks, he sells Ishikawa's legwork and ends up finishing Ishikawa off with the spinning backfist>choke sleeper combo. It would've been nice to see Ishikawa a little more grumpy on offense but Usuda looked good and stiff. Fun stuff.

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  • GSR changed the title to [2000-07-20-BattlARTS] Katsumi Usuda vs Yuki Ishikawa

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