Futen Card Rundown!
August 3, 2008
The finals of the Young Generation Battle are tonight. After 7 years of inactivity, the very prestigious tournament was brought back by Daisuke Ikeda, and promoted alongside BattlARTS. After three months, the finals are upon us, and it’s a big one, with a bit of history around it.
1. Shuji Ishikawa vs Kyosuke Sasaki
Ishikawa and Sasaki collided head on in the Rumble at the start of the year, and teased an on-going fued. The two also appeared against one another in BattlARTS in 2007. There is always a lot of passion when Sasaki and Ishikawa meet in the ring, and this is seen as the Decisive Battle between the two.
2. Munenori Sawa vs Yusaku Obata
With the cancellation of Hayato from the card, due to injury, Obata was brought in to change the card around. He is a young boy from Kaientai Dojo, who left the group and joined the Apache Army, then out of loyalty, joined the XWF with Kanemura. He is decent, and it will be interesting to see how he goes in the Punishment Style alongside Super Rookie, Sawa!
3. Koichiro Kimura v Takeshi Ono
This stems from last week, when the two met in a tag team match, and a challenge was made by Ono against Kimura. Both are veterans of wrestling, with Ono a near 15 year veteran, aswell as Kimura. Both fought in BattlARTS for quite a few years, so it is an even fight. Ono is known for his kickboxing skills, while Kimura is known for his brutal submissions, and just basic yet brutal style.
4. Mitsuya Nagai vs Manabu Hara
The original card had Hara facing Hayato, after last weeks tag team match where Hayato defeated Hara. Now Hara gets former RINGS main fighter, and veteran Mitsuya Nagai. The last time the two met, it was considered a very good match, so hopes are high going into this one.
5. YGB08 Final: Daisuke Ikeda vs Takahiro Oba
A short but extensive history around this one. Oba was a student of BattlARTS in 2001 and 2002, but due to the promotion closing, he never really got a chance to wrestle extensively. He made a shock return to the punishment style in Futen in mid 2007, entering their tag team league. He captured the league with Takeshi Ono, and then officially joined Futen. In early 2008, he won a Battle Royale that gave him a shot at Daisuke Ikeda upon his return at the third anniversary show. Oba would then go on to beat Ikeda, and continue his winning ways. He then entered the Young Generation Battle, and has made it to the finals, defeating Yuki Ishikawa, Ikeda’s eternal rival, in the process. Their second battle of the year, can Ikeda gain revenge and capture his second Young Generation Battle, or with the ‘Young Generation’ prevail!
