This was a match that went somewhat viral on Twitter about two weeks ago when one of those wrestling clips accounts posted parts of it and seemingly nobody outside of your most hardcore fans knew about it. I, personally, had no idea it existed, but it couldn't of come at a better time considering I've been trying my best in 2023-24 to explore more Japanese wrestling, and because I'm like 75% of a Foley mark.
The match was for the short-lived but infamous HUSTLE promotion in Japan, which was an experiment to bring more of a sports entertainment side of pro wrestling to the country as opposed to the professional sports feel popularized by NJPW and AJPW. And that's about the extent I know regarding the promotion as of now. I mean, you didn't expect to come to a wrestling blog and expect the writer to actually know anything about the subjects he's writing on, did you?
I think the obvious most interesting thing about this is the fact that this is just mere weeks after Foley's feud with Randy Orton in the WWE wrapping up, hence why it shocked a lot of people on Twitter to know it existed. It was Foley's last match for over a year, and the last match he's had in Japan (to date...hoping he doesn't really attempt this one match comeback he's been talking about).
The match itself starts with Cactus coming out with his barbed wire baseball bat and his WWF theme playing. He gets a sizable pop before grabbing the microphone and telling the Japanese fans that he intends to wrestle this match traditionally.
Kawada is out and we get right into it with some great strikes against Foley, and Foley feeding into everything. It's a little jarring because the arena is extremely quiet per usual for Japan, and I don't know if he was rusty or this was just his style in Japan, but Foley is EXTREMELY loud and obvious with his spot calling. He saves face a few times because it CAN be construed as him telling Kawada to "bring it on, give him more" but whatever.
One of my favorite aspects of this match was Foley doing his traditional WWE-style forearm shots, trying his damndest to look like he's laying them in super hard, only to get absolutely WRECKED by Kawada's strikes, namely his kicks.
Foley definitely still had his incredibly selling about him, I'll say that much.
The match goes on with Foley trying to keep it legitimate and work a straight match with Kawada, but he can't beat Kawada's strikes, and he grows increasingly frustrated. The match briefly goes to the floor and Cactus slowly begins to work a bit more "Extreme", if you will, including attacking one of the young-boys at ringside.
Cactus and Kawada battle back into the ring and Cactus finally goes to the barbed wire baseball bat and attempts to use it. Some other dude in street clothes, no idea who he is, comes out to distract the referee I'm assuming for Foley, and that's when Cactus gets behind Kawada and tries to pull the barbed wire bat into his face. Kawada fights like hell to stop it and eventually backs Foley off. Cactus charges at him and we get a super fun sequence where Cactus keeps charging at Kawada and then eats absolute shit on a kick.
Both men are down and as they get back up, Foley reaches into his tights to pull out Mr. Socko, and we all die a little bit more inside. I can't stand the Socko shit. I hated it when I was a kid, and I hate it now in my 30's. Hence the only being a 75% of a Foley mark -- I don't need your grandpa style comedy, dude. Just wreck people/get wrecked and cut killer promos.
Anyway, Kawada fights off Socko and they get into a pretty weak striking battle that I think was meant to sell exhaustion, but the match was only around 15+ minutes and it was probably actual exhaustion on Foley's part. Kawada wins the striking battle, goes for a cover but Foley kicks out almost immediately, so Kawada lines him up for one final brutal kick and covers to get the win.
Outside of the fact that this looks insane on paper to happen in 2004 and some of the brutal strikes by Kawada, this really doesn't live up to the hype. It's not a bad match by any stretch of the imagination, it's just above average. I would definitely watch it if you're a completionist or enjoy watching people get their heads kicked off. However, if you're expecting IWA or even ECW Cactus Jack, or hell even WCW Cactus Jack, I wouldn't get your hopes up.
MATCH RATING: ***1/4
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