MOTW 152: Oiywa vs Takeshita
"M.O.T.W. #152: Ryohei Oiywa vs. Konosuke Takeshita" - ink & digital illustration
Today brings us to the 152nd of our Chris Things Art 'Match of the Week' illustration series. And today we continue on the slightly belated G1 Climax 36 train for another TREMENDOUS match in what has been easily my favourite G1 in many years!
This delightful bout took place as the main event of Day 16 & proved to be a key match of the A Block playoffs, on August 12 at Act City Hamamatsu in Shizuoka.
So as we get towards the end of the tournament, it was another tough call between a bunch of great matches this week. Another close contender was the totally fantastic Shingo vs Yuto Ice match from a few days prior. I also very much enjoyed Uemura vs Gabe Kidd. This really took the cake however as another of those matches that just feels so fresh & different & gives me renewed faith in contemporary Pro Wrestling in general. HEADLOCKS BABY!
I thought this was just so well done in many ways. This really felt like a key match of Oiywa really re-educating a lot of folks on just how enthralling & satisfying a well worked back & forth struggle over a headlock can be. The fact that this seemingly 'basic' hold was capable of neutralising all of Takeshita's flashy offence was so key in this whole thing. And clearly made me very happy to see! Every time he countered & got it back on, the Hamamatsu crowd became more & more invested & reacted bigger & bigger. I can't properly exclaim how excited I am about what Oiywa is doing with this in 2026!
I also loved seeing Takeshita, as a result being forced to actually wrestle a bit more than his usual more flashy fair. Overall I thought this whole thing was incredibly clever, & just GREAT Professional Wrestling! Excellent booking too.
HIGHLY recommended!!
ENJOY!
Fancy, high quality art prints are now available to purchase for as little as 25 clams, FREE worldwide postage!
HQ Basic Art Prints: Printed on 189gsm, museum-quality matte paper stock, printed with high-quality multicolour, water-based inkjet printing technique. (Printing & delivery arranged by Printful).
'Premium' Art Prints: Voluptuously extra thick, textured & hand-signed! Printed on 320gsm 'Sihl Masterclass Textured Cotton Rag', French made, Cold Press style textured art paper. High archival rating, printed with 12 colour Canon Lucia EX pigment Inks, expected life over 100 years if displayed correctly. Since I send these out myself, I'll also include a little bonus 'surprise' for you!
Pre-Framed Art Prints (HQ Basic): For those who don't want to worry about the hassles of framing! Printed on 189gsm, museum-quality matte paper stock, printed with high-quality multicolour, water-based inkjet printing technique. Ayous wood .75″ (1.9 cm) thick, light-weight wooden frame from renewable forests. (Printing, framing & delivery arranged by Printful).
Pre-Framed Art Prints (Premium): Printed on 320gsm 'Sihl Masterclass Textured Cotton Rag', French made, Cold Press style textured art paper. High archival rating, printed with 12 colour Canon Lucia EX pigment Inks, expected life over 100 years if displayed correctly. Black or Oak-finish frame (Medium-density fibreboard) w/ double-mat border. 8 x 8" print size / 10 x 10" total frame size. Since I send these out myself, I'll also include a little bonus 'surprise' for you!
Original Pen Illustration: The one & only original black & white pen sketch (pictured) that spawned this illustration can be yours & yours alone! Hand-drawn on thick, slightly textured, recycled stock (7 x 4.75") - straight out of my little sketch book.. I'll also include a bonus 6x6" full-colour premium print of the illustration in question for you. Available until it's not!
Please don't hesitate to send me a message if you require a different size - all prints made to order.
