RYUMA GO’S LAST MATCH EVER + MORE

I’ve typed a bit about the anomaly known as Ryuma Go in the past for the blog, for all posts that include Ryuma Go check out this link but today I wanted to cover his last ever match that took place on a show promoted by Kazushi Miyamoto were he gets to face his old buddy Goro Tsurumi one last time. I’ve also included and reviewed two other matches including the main man, one contest from WAR and one from 80’s All Japan where he opposes Giant Baba! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

RYUMA GO & KAZUHIKO MATSUZAKI VS GORO TSURUMI & NAOSHI SANO – KAZUSHIGUMI 9/3/2009

So yes this is the last match in Ryuma Go’s life! He was 53 years old when he passed away, he had many of trials and tribulations throughout his lifetime to say the least. I thought I knew all there is to know about Ryuma but just in the description of this match I discovered Ryuma lost his parents at a very young age, he as a teenager had to work endless hours to put his sister through school. So yes of course Ryuma Go is more than flawed but he didn’t have it as easy as most of us, having a lot of things go against him which isn’t to excuse some of his lewd behaviour it’s just factual that he didn’t have the right up bringing with the proper people around him. It warms my heart at least that his final match was with his boys that he spent many of times with during the 90’s paving the sleazy indie scene. Even after all of the drama’s in Ryuma Go’s life his buddy Goro Tsurumi always stayed loyal and continued to book him for his small IWA Kokusai federation. After the ‘incidents’ the crowd didn’t particularly take to Ryuma Go around the turn of the century like they used to before hand, his matches were uncomfortable because it was eerily silent throughout.

Naoshi Sano is bumping around like the heartbreak kid for the immobile Ryuma Go. The old school indie crowd got excited when Goro and Go finally faced off against each other, Goro took a bump from a Ryuma Go headbutt. It’s amazing the longevity a wrestler can have as long as they look after their body and work out. Ryuma was 53 here but didn’t work out and was a chronic alcoholic so he looks absolutely atrocious but then you got guys like Maasaki Mochizuki and Masakatsu Funakai nowadays who are around the same age as Ryuma was at his passing yet have a more impressive physique/aura then most guys who are 25 years younger then them. This Shinkiba crowd necessarily isn’t forgiving as they are loudly laughing whenever Goro or Go do something cringe. I wish I was Naoshi Sano’s best friend holy shit that guy would have some stories.

Ryuma go with two lariats! Tsurumi comes in to break up the fall but Go doesn’t stop and hits two more big lariats before locking in the reverse dragon sleeper for the very last time in his lifetime. Go watch some Ryuma Go matches and tell me what you think!

WATCH

RYUMA GO VS SAMURAI MAX – WAR 12/13/1996

You can tell me who this MAX lad is if you know because personally I have no clue who this guy is. Three lariats within the first minute is always a good indication of how well planned the match actually is. Ryuma Go hit two wicked dropkicks and I mean they were seriously amazing dropkicks! A nice neck breaker from Go. MAX works over Ryuma for quite sometime but it’s good stuff, a real nice knee breaker MAX used. Go reversed a powerbomb with a hurricanrana for a good near fall. Another neck breaker and a couple cross body’s still can’t put the Samurai away so Ryuma Go goes old school with a back drop suplex followed by a Japanese leg roll clutch for the pin! Awesome finish to an enjoyable five minute match.

RATING – FUN
WATCH

GIANT BABA, TAKASHI ISHIKAWA & MIGHTY INOUE VS GORO TSURUMI, RYUMA GO & RUSHER KIMURA – AJPW 3/9/1985

What strikes me immediately is the amazing quality, it’s quite simply incredible to me that this is from 1985 yet is so pristine to watch. 100x better quality then the Nico Nico shows of the modern era. Ryuma’s hair is flowing looking like a completely different man as to what he would become in the 90’s, fairly unrecognisable for me as this is the first Ryuma Go match I’ve seen not from the 90’s or from the indies for that matter.

Go’s first move was a sweet dropkick for the top rope and from that point onwards things were full throttle for the next seven minutes. These six men wrestled at just an insane tempo I couldn’t believe some of the moves I was being executed so flawlessly, Ryuma let loose with about three dangerous back drop suplexes throughout the duration of the contest and by all means these back drop drivers were just transition moves. Zero rest holds even when Baba was tagged in he took a couple bumps for Kimura. I really loved this one and at under eight minutes it’s almost must-see considering it’s from 1985 and it’s in HD as well as being better than 99% of modern wrestling. Stellar performance by everyone.

RATING – VERY GOOD
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