(NOAH) Dai-chan has fallen out of step with the flow, so where is he going to jump into?

Weekly Pro 3rd October 2000

(Issue No. 997)

EXCEEDING OUR DREAMS 2000

Ikeda's style has always been described as explosive, and that was especially the case in the early days of BattleArts. His fights may look rough on the surface, but they don't end there; they convey painful emotions. However, I couldn't help but feel that Daisuke Ikeda had lost his sharp edges and become more mellow, and that he was erasing the charm of the professional wrestler he was. Aside from his friendly, easy-going personality...However, this was entirely a result of one-sided assumptions. My rigid, rigid image seemed to block my ability to see things honestly. In the first place, Ikeda's fighting style is steadily evolving, and if that weren't the case, there would be no point in moving somewhere else.

Dai-chan was clearly conveying the message from the ring, "Pro wrestling isn't just about physical combat," but we, the viewers, were unable to catch it due to our lack of ability and enthusiasm. I'm so sorry! And so pathetic...

The same could be said for the singles that day. Taue was not only strong, but also had a lot of fun to show. If he had only performed at standard levels, it would not have been such a fulfilling performance. However, Dai-chan still sees himself as in the growth phase, so he has not taken any action yet. It seems that he will only take action when he has sufficiently improved himself.

Picture notes

Taue said, "Ikeda could have attacked a little more ruthlessly. Isn't that so?" However, Taue did have to admit that Ikeda had "amazing power, which is unlike how he looks". This surprised Taue not once, but twice. He also felt that Ikeda had "been studying me quite a bit".