Next up was Pride and Yamamoto, both out to a good welcome from the Southampton crowd. And it was a pretty even match to start until a backdrop over the top rope on Pride was followed up by a kick to the back on the apron. Yamamoto in control on the apron after about 2 minutes (sorry for the lack of the first minute and a half. It was basic feeling out stuff and I had to take a phone call, more on that later.). Pride now has control on the outside with chops and head-butts and he rolls Yamamoto back in the ring. Dropping head-butts. Stomp. Pride locks up the legs and gets some palm strikes to the gut of Yamamoto. Yamamoto trying to fight out and then reaches for the ropes, but Pride grabs his hand so he can’t! Nicely done. He gets it with the other hand and Jay breaks before 5.
Chops in the corner and a head-butt from Jay. Yamamoto puts on the brakes for an Irish whip attempt and gets a whip of his own. He runs into the boot of Jay, but he gets a spinning back kick of his own. He’s now going to town on the arm of Pride. Arm breakers on the shoulder and Yamamoto has the arm wrapped up. Jay tries to bridge up but can’t break it. Jay finally makes the ropes. More arm work followed by some kicks to the chest with Jay on his knees. Jay masterly baits Kenchi and gets a dragon screw leg whip. He sends him to the outside and gets a tope suicida! Back in the ring and Pride only gets 2. They trade some running kicks before Jay gets a DVD! Stretch Muffler!! Yamamoto gets to the ropes. Back up and Jay catches a kick by Yamamoto but he’s then taken over into an arm breaker! Jay makes the ropes. HUGE sequence of kicks from a comeback-mounting Yamamoto. He floors Pride for a near fall.
Just as Pride was recovering Ole McDonald made an appearance, making his way slowly to the ring. Yamamoto saw him coming and stood in wait, shouting down to him in broken English. Yamamoto saw this as a lack of respect and made it known he wasn’t happy about it. To be honest he should have been more concerned about Jay Pride, who was now back to his feet and stood behind Kenchi. Pride bounces off the ropes and just as Yamamoto turns around he is taken down with a massive rebound clothesline. Shades of Les Kellett in that one!
Kenchi managed to kick out at two and three quarters, but McDonald had made his point. He leaned in and called out to Yamamoto. “Rule One: Never take your eyes off your opponent!” He then walked up the aisle backwards, keeping an eye on Yamamoto and smiling widely. After the show I tried to ask Ole what he was doing, he muttered something about helping the new generation.
Yamamoto is fired up after that, he tells Pride to bring it on and he chops him hard. HUGE combo of open palm strikes and forearm clubs from Yamamoto and Jay looks out of it! A Grand Crash gets Yamamoto a two count. Pride gets fired up and nails a series of European uppercuts and an inverted facelock backbreaker gets him a two count of his own. Now Yamamoto is the one fired up. He whips Jay into the ropes and takes him down with a massive lariat. Pride pops back up again and Kenchi grabs him. He gets a Snapmare/Chop to the Neck/ Running Knee/ Seated Senton Combo that gets him another two count. Pride is dazed but still manages to get up again. The two men charge each other and both go for a flying cross body. Both men crash to the mat and the audience are on their feet, they love this match and truth be told so do I. Amazing action from both men.
As the two men get back to their feet, amid a duelling chant of “Let’s go Jay” and “Yamamoto”, they look at each other. Neither man sure whether to make the first move or not. Yamamoto eventually does, whipping Pride into the ropes and nailing a Lariat as he bounces back. Pride stumbles back into the ropes, almost falls through the ropes but rebounds and goes for a rebound lariat. Yamamoto ducks it, Pride turns around and Yamamoto nails a massive lariat that turns Pride inside out. Yamamoto went for the pin and he gets the all important 1-2-3.
Winner: Kenchi Yamamoto
These two tore the place down, an early contender for match of the year. The fans thanked both men heartily and the two competitors shook hands as a show of mutual respect. After the match was done and dusted Jay Pride remained in the ring. He was soon joined by his partner Leanne Evangelista. They claimed to be the greatest tag-team in British wrestling, but that FRONTIER wasn’t able to provide them with the opposition they need to prove it. So the pair put out an open call for any tag-team in the world to come to Oxford next month and face them.
