Sid Starr versus Shinji Hamada IJW, 08/17/98 CD:  Here, try this. [Justin is handed a glass of water by Diaz.] CD:  Try that while Becca introduces our next match, a sure-to-be spectacular encounter between Shinji Hamada and Sid Starr, two superb wrestlers, possibly some of the most gifted wrestlers in IJW... [The drunken crowd roars as Becky Gold, the ring announcer, saunters into the ring. The crowd hoots and hollers as she raises the mic to her pout, full, luscious lips.] BG:  This next match is scheduled for one fall. Now making his way to the ring, weighing in at 224 pounds, hailing from Los Angeles, California, SIIIDDD STAAARRRRRR!! [A big heel pop goes up. Then, a loud "MEEEEOOOOOWWWW echoes through the downtrodden arena. "Stray Cat Strut" by the Stray Cats begins playing as his manager, Terry James, steps out from behind the makeshift curtain into the aisle. He stands wide legged as he gestures with both hands to the entrance. Boos escalate to a new level, and a stray beer bottle slams into the floor before the curtain as Sid Starr steps out. He smiles and soaks up the boos with a grin. He turns to a nearby camera, adjusts his collar, and winks, then proceeds to the ring, Terry a few steps behind him. He finally gets top ringside and hops up on the apron, the cloth straining from the patches and shoddy stitching used to keep the scraps together. He then vaults over the spray-painted ropes onto the mat and lands lightly on his feet. Moving with extensive fluidity, he does an arrogant little strut, then waits for his opponent. Terry James disappears to the off-side of the ring.] BG:  And now, making his way to the ring, weighing in at 235 pounds, from Osaka, Japan, SHINJIIIIIIII HAMADAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! [Shinji Hamada bursts out from the curtain to a roaring applause for the Asian. He pumps his arms, psyching the crowd up. A few heel favored fans begin booing. He makes his way to the ring slapping the fans' hands, an exuberant smile plastered across his face. after passing the aisleway, he jogs to ringside. He stands at the base of the ring. He taunts Sid Starr, which is met with an enormous face pop. He then flies into the ring, leaping between the middle and top turnbuckle. He smiles, pumps his arm one time.] [DING DING DING!!!] CD:  Well amigos, the action's really roaring here. The fans are really into it as the two competitors circle each other. Eh, Justin, wake up. JD:  *Snort.* Wha?! Oooh......we back yet? CD:  Yeah. [Hamada and Starr circle each other. They seem to test out each other. Suddenly Starr stops and extends his hand in some form of a good luck handshake.] CD:  Well look at this, Starr is, OH NO!!!! [Sid yanks his hand back just as Shinji reaches out to shake it. He runs his hand through his hair, a big smirk spreading across his face. he begins strutting around the ring. Hamada stands there, puzzled. A big heel pop follows.] JD:  Shows you how stupid those big guys are... CD:  Well, I wouldn't be surprised if... [Carlos is cut short as Shinji roars out like a caged lion and nails Sid with a big running shoulder block. Sid is thrown into the turnbuckle which rattles. Shinji moves in and quickly locks up. He pulls Starr into a front facelock, which is quickly reversed into an armlock hammerlock submission. But Shinji, with an amazing maneuver, reverses it into a reverse armbar and holds it.] CD:  Amazing technical skill being displaying from both of these wrestlers. JD:  Eh, A good shot of tequila would down both of those two. [Hamada releases the hold. Akira Kawazuki, the ref, maneuvers his way around the wrestlers, checking Sid Starr's condition. Suddenly Star comes outta nowhere with a big right fist, causing Hamada to double over. He then rams a knee into his abdomen just as he pulls Hamada up for a reverse piledriver. But somehow Hamada pulls out of it and throws Starr into a rolling cradle.] 1........ 2........ JD:  Good, it's over. CD:  No it's not, he kicked out. [That Starr did. Now both men are gathering themselves and once again circling each other. Shinji lashes out with a one-two punch combination at Sid, which results in Starr gaining the upperhand. He quickly maneuvers his way behind Shinji and drives him into the mat with a German Suplex!] CD:  But that might take him out! What a reversal! ARIBA! He bridges..... 1.......... 2........... [Hamada fidgets then leaps with pure tenacity out of the pin.] CD:  An amazing display of athleticism by these men! JD:  Oy. Hombre, I need an aspirin. [Both men are up again and circling each other. They seem to be still testing each other out in the early parts of this. Suddenly Akira Kawazuki goes over to the ropes and is shouting at Terry James.] CD:  Look at this! While Terry James distracts the ref, Sid goes in and, omigod! [Sid Starr pounds Hamada's face into the turnbuckle. He then quickly whips him around, stands there, and delivers a hard slap to the face. He then begins strutting around the run. A large gash has appeared on Hamada's face, blood just now trickling out.] JD:  He's busted open, er, sorta. CD:  Akira is back in the ring, now paying attention. He seems mad at Terry James. JD:  Well, this hombre *burp*, Starr is known for cheatin' *burp* I wouldn't be surprised if.....if......if.......*thud* CD:  Well, my co-announcer has just fallen asleep, um, let's get back to the match. [Hamada and Starr are back in the grapple, wrestling for control. After about 20 seconds of this, Starr just pushes Hamada off of him. Starr shakes his tush then gives Hamada the middle finger. The crowd is stunned. Terry James cheers maniacally. Then, outta nowhere, Hamada rushes in and takes Starr down with a HUGE clothesline, sending Starr out of the ring.] CD:  My word! ARIBA! [Hamada bounds over the top rope and executes an elbowdrop off the apron. He then picks the stunned Starr up and pumps his arms. Big face pop. He drops Starr down into a DDT position, turns around, then rams his head into the guardrail. Suddenly, a fan from behind Hamada, maybe 16 years old at most, tall and wiry, leaps out from behind him and jumps on Hamada's back and begins beating on Sid Starr! Suddenly two security officers run down the aisle and begin tearing the kid off of him. The kid pulls a knife on the officers.] CD:  Umm, a juvenile has just leapt from the crowd onto the concrete inside the guardrail, and has drawn a knife on the officers. And, and WHOA! Hamada just took the kid out with a big backfist, sending the knife clattering. The officers are dragging the teenager away, and now the two wrestlers have re-entered the ring, Hamada in control. [Hamada Irish whips Starr into the corner. He comes charging in and nails him with a big flying bodyblock. He sets Starr up and drives him down with a big piledriver. Huge pop from the crowd. He then lifts Starr up and drops him down in an atomic drop. He claps his hands and the crowd roars. He runs in and delivers a perfectly executed Superkick. He moves in on Starr. He then suddenly trips and is pulled to the outside of the ring!] CD:  Terry James has just pulled Shinji Hamada to the outside! Kawazuki is yelling at James as Hamada gets back in the ring! And look at this, Starr has somehow gotten a baseball bat! [Starr now moves in Hamada, the ref not noticing, with a wooden bat given to him by one of the members of the crowd. He hauls off and...] CD:  He misses! Hamada ducked and Starr nailed Kawazuki in the back of the head! Kawazuki is out! JD:  *Snort* Huh? CD:  Oooh, you're back. Wake up. [With the ref out, Starr in disbelief, Hamada takes the advantage and nails Starr with a big right fist which throws Starr off a bit. They lock up again. For some reason, Hamada drops to the floor!] CD:  He kneed him in the groin! JD:  Pork loins? Pork loins? Who said anything about my stolen pork loins? [Starr struts around the ring, runs his hands through his hair as James leaps up onto the apron. He takes the bat from Starr as Starr lifts Hamada up and takes him down just as quickly with powerslam. He rolls Hamada over and gets him in a kneeling facelock. He digs into Hamada's face as he cries out in pain. He slams his hands against the floor, building momentum. He slowly makes his way to his feet, slowly, slowly, then runs his shoulder into Starr's kidney!] CD:  What a comeback by Hamada. These guys are amazing. They just don't stop. A showoff meets a no-nonsense contender in what some could call a mastery of technical skill and showmanship. It seems as if all the strategies have been thrown out the window. Each is almost equally matched, and whatever they throw at each other, the other can counter. JD:  Damnit, why the heck were you talking about pork loins? [Carlos's assessment couldn't be more on. The momentum seems to change minute by minute, with Hamada currently using mounted punches on Starr. Hamada brings Starr up and takes him down with a Brazilian armdrag. He then intertwines his legs with Starr's and pulls him into a Scorpion Deathlock!] CD:  Kawazuki seems to be stirring. [In the corner of the ring, Akira Kawazuki becomes coming back to life. He shakes out the cobwebs still there from a vicious shot to the back of the head. Hamada is really working Starr with the Deathlock but releases the hold. Hamada pulls Starr to his feet and slams him into the mat with a big fisherman's suplex!] CD:  Pins seem to be few and far between in this match. Each wrestler seems to just vie to get a move off before the other can. Both are extremely technically sound. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the top. JD:  The top of what? The food chain? CD:  Shutup. [Hamada now seems to be going from a different approach. He makes his way to the top rope and leaps off. Frog splash! He comes down right on Starr and rolls away. Kawazuki is now back up and working the match. Hamada recovers from the splash and runs over to Starr, and brings him up. Irish whip into the ropes and Hamada sets up for the ride. Starr comes out of the ropes with a flying spinwheel kick! Big heel pop as Hamada goes down. Without wasting anytime, Starr runs over and begins working on the legs. He executes two successive guillotine legdrops, then drops on elbow on Hamada's lower extremities. In pure disgust, he spits on Hamada!] JD:  THAT'S MY MAN! DID YOU SEE THAT! CD:  Errr, yes. The tables have quickly turned on Hamada, Starr now back in control. He may stay this way if he keeps working those legs of Hamada. He slams Hamada down into a Scorpion Deathlock, and Akira goes to work, checking on Hamada. [Akira is down, next to Hamada, talking to him. Starr doesn't release the hold as Terry James shouts. He keeps it on, applying more pressure. Hamada screams in pure agony! He slams his hands down once and pushes himself off the mat, then twists! He throws Starr down with his legs!] CD:  Hamada is pure muscle. His Japanese origin would lead some to believe he is a weak man. This is not so. This man is a mountain of muscle, the exact opposite of Sid Starr. [Hamada rolls himself over and leaps up, then throws himself down onto Starr with a standing elbow drop. He begins pouncing on him with some stomps. Shinji then hauls Starr up and throws him into the ropes, then catches him by the throat! Big choke slam! Big crowd pop! Hamada throws himself into the ropes and executes a running legdrop! Starr gets back on his feet and is thrown to the outside by Hamada. Hamada runs back into the ropes and flies _over_ the top rope in a suicide dive onto Starr. Both collide with the guardrail and are OUT!] JD:  Damn, that musta been like a Mac truck running over a fricken Miata. There was no comparison. CD:  Wow, you finally have said something intelligent. Both wrestlers are down and out, but wait, Starr seems to be stirring. [Akira Kawazuki's count has reached 6, and now Sid has gotten to his feet. Both wrestler's have taken a beating. He now pulls Hamada into the ring with him and sends Hamada into the ropes. With perfect execution, he pulls down Hamada for the pin!] 1........ 2........ CD:  No! He kicked out! [A huge face pop goes up as beer bottles fly everywhere, clashing against the concrete. The crowd goes nuts and begins chanting "SHINJI" "SHINJI" "SHINJI" with pure ferocity. Hamada leaps to his feet and signals for his finisher, the Tiger Driver 2000. Starr is still recovering from the kickout and has made it to his feet. Hamada moves in and takes Starr up in a Gorilla Press position.] JD:  *Snort* Hamada wants to...wants to....*hiccup* CD:  Hamada wants to end the match early. He's lifting Starr over his head, pressing him! [Hamada then leaps into the air and twists Starr around. The crowd hangs in utter silence. He wraps his knees around Starr's head. The second seems to take a minute. Then suddenly the reverberation of impact. Starr's head slams hard into the mat, the rickety makeshift ring rattles with the pure power of the move. The rebound from the maneuver causes both wrestlers to go in the air again. Hamada comes down on Starr in a pin. The crowd is motionless, yet on their feet as Akira Kawazuki begins to count. Suddenly, the explode in a cheer.] 1.......... 2........... CD:  DIOS LOCO! HE KICKED OUT! HE KICKED OUT! SID STARR KICKED OUT! JD:  SHOW ME SOME BEANS TACO BOY! [Hamada is on his feet, stunned. His finisher failed, his tried and true last ditch move failed. With a look of defeat in his face, Starr is now doing his best to stay on his feet, strutting around the ring! The crowd has reached a deafening peek in a roar. Whether it is a cheer or a boo, it doesn't matter, because this match has reached another level!] CD:  Both men are back at each other! This crowd is raising the roof! [The two wrestlers have gone nuts. They begin to brawl, pounding on each other relentlessly. Mexican war cries boom from the audience, and people try to pour out onto the wrestling mat but are kept back by security. Cuts and bruises from various strikes have led to patches of blood encircling them. They tear at each other with eye rakes and chokes. Hamada takes Starr down and begins slamming fists into him, busting his nose up. Starr rolls over and does the same to Hamada.] CD:  Starr has got control after that fiesta of a brawl! He's placed Hamada on the top of the turnbuckle! [Starr picks Hamada up in a "Razor's Edge" style powerbomb position. He holds him up, facing the crowd! He then launches himself and Hamada into the air, flying towards the guardrail! They both clear it, and Starr brings Hamada down onto the concrete floor in the first row of seats! Chairs snap and crackle, and the crowd begins running away. Hamada skids across the floor from he impact and rolls to a stop 5 feet from ground zero. Starr is on the floor, draped over a chair. Blood has now cascaded onto the chairs and surrounding floor. Screams from women and young children now fill the flea market.] JD:  My god! These guys are nuts! CD:  The two wrestlers are now outside the ring, and Akira Kawazuki is coming over to check on their condition! [Akira vaults over the guardrail and looks at both wrestlers. Both have begun to get up.] CD:  Amazing perseverance from these two competitors. JD:  Their sanity isn't quite so amazing. [Starr is now fully up and comes from behind with a chair! He misses, however, as Hamada rolls away in time. Hamada is now up with a chair, holding it in front of him like an ancient medieval weapon. Both glare at each other, with cascading crimson fluid flowing like a river down their upper shoulders, neck, and faces. Each bare a look of pure hatred. Terry James, Starr's manager, looks on from the outside of the ring. Akira's refereeing has led to little or no opportunities for cheating. This match has truly been about who has been the better wrestler.] CD:  These two wrestlers are really going at it. The normally tenacious Starr has taken a technical approach to this match. Unfortunately any approach by these wrestlers has been countered by the either. This match truly may be a stalemate. It'll be to whoever gets luckiest, or is a better wrestler to win. JD:  I'd have to agree. CD:  Uhuh, right...go drink some tequila. You'll regain your own sanity. [The two wrestlers, now standing in a pool of blood and hatred, glare at each other. Suddenly, both rear back and _throw_ their chairs at one another! Both duck and the furniture goes flying! With further adieu, they lock up. Hamada quickly gains the advantage and runs full tilt at the guardrail, Starr's head in his hand. BOOM! Big crowd pop as Hamada slams Starr's cranium into the metal strut. Hamada leaps to the outside and DDT's Starr's neck into the guardrail. Reaching over, he brings Starr into a vertical suplex, then drives him down!] CD:  Each competitor has pushed each other to the limits. Whatever the outcome, both deserve an enormous applause. [Starr and Hamada are back into the ring. Starr takes away Hamada's momentum and delivers a side thrust kick to the throat of Hamada. Without wasting any precious seconds, he jogs over to the corner and sets Hamada up top. He then pounces up to the second turnbuckle and drapes his arm over Hamada's head. He pumps his off arm once, the prepares to execute the Seeing Stars DDT.] CD:  NO! He was rejected! [Hamada regained enough strength to push Starr away. Hamada is now facing the crowd which is still at a roar. He launches himself into the air and executes a flip, then comes down onto Starr in a perfect moonsault!] JD:  Whoa! Never knew the fat guy could fly. CD:  Yes folks, this technical genius can also fly with the best of them! He goes for the pin! 1.......... 2.......... CD:  ARIBA ARIBA! He kicked OUT! [Hamada is no completely stunned from the stamina of his opponent. Hamada drops down with Starr and goes for a chokehold. He wrenches into the throat of Starr. Akira is checking on Starr. Before Hamada finishes his chokehold, he rolls forward and slaps a figure-four on Starr. He yanks on Starr, causing the already beaten man to wince in agony and pain. More pulling and wrestling for control takes place before Starr finally grabs the ropes and gets outta a jam. Hamada and Starr now finally are back to their feet and slowly maneuvering their way around the ring. Blood splotches decorate the formally off-white canvas. The crimson fluid now intertwines their bodies, seemingly gushing from a river. Both move with such slowness, they barely lockup.] JD:  Hamada with the advantage.... CD:  Sets Starr for the ride.... [Shinji throws Starr into the ropes. Hamada then launches himself from his shoulders onto Starr.] CD:  FRANKENSTEINER!!!! [Hamada takes Starr down with a big Frankensteiner. Both men literally go splat on the mat. Terry James has finally come back, and is pounding the canvas for Starr to get up. Akira's count has reached 5 before both are given a draw on their records.] CD:  Hamada is up first! No, he's down! He couldn't stay up. Now Starr is pulling himself up. He's at his feet. He's wobbly, and, NO! He's pulled down by Hamada. Both men are back to where they started, and Akira has restarted the count. [Starr crawls over to Hamada and grabs the ropes as he grabs the Asian. He brings both of the up and drapes Hamada's back over the ropes. He then delivers a round kick to the forehead of Hamada, sending the Asian tumbling over the top rope to the concrete below. He lies motionless as Starr goes to the top of the turnbuckle. Starr goes to the top and launches himself into a frog splash.] JD:  Whoa. That weird showoff guy missed. [Starr goes splat. Hamada rolls away. Sid Starr is out, but Shinji Hamada has gained a second wind. Big face pop as Sid Starr is pulled to his feet. Hamada goes in and begins pounding on Starr with some punches. Only seconds later they're both in the ring. Hamada is fully in control as hurls Starr down in a gutwrench suplex. With a legdrop and a face slap later, Hamada knocks Starr down with a short-arm clothesline.] CD:  Hamada in control, going to the top. [He launches himself into the air with another moonsault, except this with the Asai variant. He slams himself onto Starr, and the crowd goes nuts. Everyone knows what's coming next.] CD:  You can feel the anticipation. Everyone knows this is the end. Hamada is going with the Ichi-ban Drop! [The world stands still as Starr is thrown into the ropes. He moves from the rebound into the knowing hands of death. Hamada hurls Starr into the air, and everyone knows what's coming. Starr floats for a minute. Suddenly, that know-it-all grin, pure of wise ass, appears. As he comes down on Hamada, he is hardly in a fetal position. He wraps his legs around Hamada's head.] CD:  ARIBA! [And takes his opponent down in a flying headscissors. He rolls Hamada into an inside cradle. Akira Kawazuki drops down, wide eyed, as Hamada struggles feverishly to escape from the bonds which he has been entrapped within. Sweat and blood pour from the competitors as each competitor pushes and pulls against each other. Kawazuki's hand comes down.] 1........... [Hamada seems to gain some leverage. Seconds seem likes minutes as he pulls and pulls, pushing against Starr. For a split second it seems like he may break out. But Starr grits his teeth, winces, closes his eyes, and only holds harder on the inside cradle. Kawazuki's hand comes down for the second time.] 2........... [Time has seemingly stopped. Hamada now pushes harder, and harder. He can see the pure agony on Starr's face as he feels his lock against Hamada loosening. He almost begins to cry. The pain, the agony. All this time. He has to win. This wasn't about who cheated. This wasn't about who's luckier. This was about who was better. Hamada pulls harder, and harder. Then, Kawazuki's hand nears the canvas. He see Starr loosening the grip, further and further. He can't hold on much longer, the hand nears so close. Two inches, an inch, he can't hold on. The pain and blood roll off of him. We see the hold being released, but finally Kawazuki's hand reaches the mat.] 3...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Hamada busts out, but a moment to late. An insanely small moment to late. If fate had been on his side, he would have one. Only fate. Sid Starr's entrance music begins to play.] CD:  He did it. Sid Starr, with an amazing comeback, launched himself into the record books with that pin! [Terry James leaps onto the canvas, as a stunned crowd stands on their feet, unmoving. Hamada makes his way to his feet. Starr then struts around the ring as best he can. He's a broken man, but his overconfidence overruns him. He spits on Hamada as he exits with James. He makes his way down the aisle, using James as support. The crowd just stands there as Hamada follows. It then breaks out in a roar. A huge pop for the pure ferociousness of this bout.] CD:  Well folks, that was the closest pin I have ever seen. I doubt we'll ever see a closer, more hard fought match than this. These two competitors gave it all tonight. This is what will make the IJW great.