HIGHKICK Talks

 ABDULLAH KOBAYASHI VS 9/19      In 2010 and 2011, Abdullah Kobayashi had 2 deathmatches on 9/19, one with Shuji Ishikawa in a 261 Lighttubes Deathmatch, and one with Kankuro Hoshino in a 300 Lighttubes Deathmatch. In both of these matches, he almost died of blood loss. SHUJI ISHIKAWA VS ABDULLAH KOBAYASHI (9/19/2010)      It's borderline gore, incredibly sloppy, feels like nothing goes to plan, fairly slow, and yet, it's one of the greatest works of art to ever grace the wrestling world. Abdullah Kobayashi vs Shuji Ishikawa is not a match; it is an experience. It is a match you have to watch alone; it is a match you cannot show any new wrestling fan trying to get them into the sport, it is almost like a guilty pleasure. Because yeah, it's disgusting, but it is also the most real and raw wrestling has ever felt to me.      The amount of blood Abdullah Kobayashi sheds in this match is inhumane, 99% of people would pass out at minute 14 in...

  Jun Kasai is the greatest deathmatch wrestler ever. Period. I don't care who else is in the running. No one has been able to match the creativity, dangerousness, violence, bloodshed, charisma and wrestling ability in a deathmatch setting of Jun Kasai. And he is still going strong today. "The Crazy Monkey" is insane, there is never a match of his I have watched without thinking of a few disgusting bumps he did. Please, if you're trying to get into deathmatch wrestling, watch this guy. MY TOP 10 MATCHES: vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2018 8/28/2018) vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS Blood X'Mas 2015 12/25/2015) with Mitsuhiro Matsunaga vs Nick Gage/Zandig (BJW BJ Summer Jumbo Series 8/6/2000) vs. Daisuke Masaoka (FREEDOMS Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2024 8/29/2024) vs. Masashi Takeda (Jun Kasai Produce 8/29/2013) vs. Yuko Miyamoto (FREEDOMS Blood X'Mas 2013 12/25/2013) vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS Nutsville XMas Again 12/25/2009) vs. Toru S...

      Watching a Mad Dog Connelly match is unlike any other wrestler you will ever see, because they are not matches. See, when you put one of the most unhinged, dangerous, and stiff people to ever exist, make them earn 3 stripes in BJJ, wrestle all over the U.S.A., putting some of the most BRUTAL and REAL matches and fights that we've ever seen, you get Mad Dog Connelly. "The Master of the Chain" is not a wrestler; he is an out-of-body experience. Be warned, there will be blood and violence.  MY TOP 10 MATCHES: vs. Dominic Garrini (DPW Beast Coast 2025, 8/10/2025) vs. Daniel Garcia (PPW Midnight City, 7/9/2021) vs. SLADE (PRODUCE 6: Hell Comes to Dogstown 10/22/2026) vs. SLADE (ACTION Death Valley Days, 2/28/2026) vs. Erick Stevens (DPW 4th Anniversary 12/12/2025) vs. 1 Called Manders (SLA Gateway to Anarchy 1/26/2024) vs. Ric Caurdiea (MidDeath Pro Can't Kill a Good Thing 2/17/2023) vs. SLADE (ACTION/PRODUCE DEAN~!!! Sunday School 9/13/2026) vs.  Thomas Shire ...

  WRESTLER GUIDES I'll put all my wrestler guides here, they include: - my top 10 favorite matches - why I love them as a worker Mad Dog Connelly Jun Kasai

  ILJA DRAGUNOV VS "SPEEDBALL" MIKE BAILEY (10/21)     Ilja Dragunov has debuted in AEW. It still feels kind of surreal, but he has debuted, and it is an amazing fit for him. Originally, I did not consider Speedball to be an opponent (I don't know how) but looking back it is a perfect first opponent for Ilja.     The match had a neat segment at the start where Speedball would dodge all of Dragunov's chops attempts, it prolonged the inevitable fiery chop (the first question I had when I heard Ilja was AEW-bound was how hard that first chop he hits is going to be). It was really great psychology.     It's really freaking hard-hitting throughout. The damn chops and kicks were just gorgeous, I always say with thigh-slaps I can excuse them if they actually are hitting them super hard, so I don't have a problem with Speedball's thigh slaps.      Oddly enough, this match was not about Ilja for me. It was about Speedball Mike Bailey. Not on...

      DAISUKE SEKIMOTO VS YOSHIHITO SASAKI (3/26/2012)       This match embodies the BJW Strong Division in so many ways, without including some of the main faults of said division. This isn't a match where its one person with an all-timer performance carrying the other, both Sekimoto and Sasaki put on arguably the best singular performance of their careers, and it's beautiful.     The match starts pretty hot with an awesome-looking tope from Sekimoto, but after it leads into something that usually is an instant turn-off, a slow burn. Sekimoto locks in a rest hold, and instantly some may think "Oh, the next 8 minutes or so aren't going to matter". I thought so too. They do matter, because Sekimoto and Sasaki make it matter. It isn't the usual 2010s NJPW main event stuff, the segment feels like it has strategy and purpose. Sekimoto targets the neck of Sasaki with a few different submissions, they are very snug, Sasaki sells them beautifully, a...

JON MOXLEY VS MARK DAVIS (10/17/2026)              This match was as real as wrestling gets. Moxley, battling 2 previous losses, grief from the passing of his friend and stablemate, and a now-wavering self-confidence, has to go up against the man who represents all of that to him. The goliath, "Dunkzilla" Mark Davis. The match is under Continental rules, so no Death Riders ringside for Mox, he has to battle his own demons himself.     And there is only one way to do that. You can't go around it, you can't go over it, you have to go through.     Throughout the match, Davis is absolutely brilliant at just completely killing Moxley's momentum. There is this one sequence where Moxley batters him with numerous great strikes, forearms, punches, slaps to the ribs, then once Mox goes off the ropes Davis just KILLS him with a lariat. Davis this whole match was fantastic, he stood for everything Jon had to overcome, not just another oppo...