Abdullah The Butcher vs Yoshinari Ogawa (8/18/1991)

This will always be the perfect introduction match for Abby.

It’s so good, isn’t it? Abdullah murders Ogawa, he doesn’t even stand the slightest hint of a chance. It’s obvious he knows that, rushing Abdullah before the bell. This doesn’t work and Abby thrashes him in the crowd, resulting in a great blade job from Ogawa, but it’s the heart that counts. That’s what makes this match, sure, it’s just an extended squash but Ogawa tries for every single second of it to come back and win. In theory, Abby would steal the show here. He is the dominant force moving this match forward, without him, it doesn’t function, but that just isn’t true. The first thing I think of when this match is brought up is the image of Ogawa bleeding out in the crowd. His selling is so good and only helps put over Abdullah’s already brutal violence. After the first barrage of Abby’s attacks, his attempts to stand are only met with his legs wobbling and falling to the ground. It’s something so small but so beautiful that is lost in a lot of wrestling today. Hell, I don’t think a match like this could be done in modern wrestling.

I don’t mean to undervalue Abby’s performance, because it’s also excellent. He surgically brutalizes Ogawa; you can tell by the way he wastes no time moving from place to place that he knows what he is going to do to break Ogawa down. One thing that is always undervalued with Abduallah is his facial expressions. He sells being a psychopath so well (to the point where I believe he might actually be.) His bug-eyed look in the corner, as he lays elbow after elbow onto Ogawa, is really great and fun.

It’s hard for me to talk about this match without it seeming like I’m just gushing about how much I love Abdullah. He’s my favorite wrestler of all time and this is the perfect example of why I love him. It’s brutal, it’s bloody, and most importantly of all, it’s incredibly captivating. The crowd viciously cheers on Ogawa even though they all know he stands no chance against The Butcher. His minuscule comeback is crushed instantly with a backdrop and a Sudanese Meat Cleaver. Ogawa tries so hard, but even then, he can’t overcome Abduallah. This would be my favorite squash match of all time if it wasn’t for one Goldberg vs La Parka.

Beautiful, love you, Abdullah. ****

Image: AJPW