(Written by jom)
Mirror matches are usually pretty fun stuff. At their worst, they have the potential to be boring slogs where two guys just do the same moves to each other over and over again without many interesting developments, but at their best, they can highlights the minute differences between two wrestlers, helping to increase appreciation for both and their respective styles. They can also be really good if the two guys do the same moves but very stiff, because wrestling is just simple like that. Case in point, these three matches between Rocky-inspired boxer Shinjuku Same and Thai kickboxer Thanomsak Toba. While I'm excited to see if they play on the differences in offense between these two glove-wearing menaces, I also know that they'll punch each other in the face a lot during these matches, and that's all it takes to greatly entertain my dumb gorilla brain.
Shinjuku Same vs. Thanomsak Toba (WEW 05/03/2003)
Right when the match starts, that "minute difference" thing I mentioned is established as a focal point. Toba comes in with some belter leg kicks, kicks so hard that Same is forced outside the ring and spends about 40 seconds just walking around, reconsidering the life choices that led to this match. Eventually Toba opens the ropes up to let him back in, and Same takes that opportunity to stomp on Toba's foot and set his sites on the leg. Immediately, the match is set with Toba utilizing his non-punch arsenal to get control, and Same relying on asshole heel tactics and pro-wrestling style leg targeting to counteract Toba's wider range of striking.
Well, at least that's what seems to happen at first, with that story I described playing out for about the first two minutes. Toba uses some great stiff knees and kicks while Same attacks the leg and even pulled off a cool capture suplex. After Same counters a Toba middle knee with a punch though, this abruptly turns into the boxing glove bombfest you'd expect from these two. I'm not gonna complain about that too much though, because the bombs thrown were fucking immense. Toba is great here as a much faster fighter, throwing tons of peppering punches and kicks that add up in damage. Same meanwhile throws punches at a much slower rate, but each one has such a high level of power that it ends up leveling out.
The ending stretch featured some especially big bombs thrown, as both guys were nearly drained of all their energy and were just willing themselves forward to throw the hardest punches they could. I do think that the early portion of the match being completely abandoned kinda sucked, but the violence behind those punches in the latter half of the match cannot be denied. A very solid start to these two's match series.
Rating: B
Shinjuku Same vs. Thanomsak Toba (Apache Pro 12/30/2007)
Four years removed from their last match, Same and Toba once again meet in the ring. This is a boxer vs. boxer match right from the get-go, with both guys only needing to do a little feeling out until Same is able to catch Toba with a left jab that nearly sends him tumbling out of the ring. In a moment that could've been a smart callback or just a case of lucky coincidence, Toba leaves the ring after that punch and walks around a little to get his bearings, a near-perfect mirror of what Same did in their match from 2003.
After that point, this ascends into a pure and violent fight. Toba and Same throw some crazy punches, and Toba lays into Same with some extremely stiff kicks. Toba is especially great this time around, letting loose with some insane combinations like the one pictured below. There's tons of great knockdown moments, like when Same is able to pull off the same counter punches he did in 2003 and gets a knockdown on Toba, or when Toba is able to do the same on Same. Eventually, both guys just start taking turns teeing off on each other with punches straight to the face, which is maybe the easiest way to earn a place in my heart. The finishing stretch was absolutely phenomenal too, and really needs to be seen because there's no way I could do it justice.
While looking for any potential pictures taken featuring both men, I stumbled across a thread made on a Japanese forum, made the same day as this show's broadcast and solely focused on this match. One of the commenters on that forum said "It was a barroom brawl" and I have to agree. This was like if two pro fighters got into an argument at a bar, found some gloves, and just started throwing live rounds while a little tipsy. Rough, scrappy, violent, and a damn good viewing experience.
Rating: B+
Shinjuku Same vs. Thanomsak Toba (XWF 08/06/2008)
In a nice moment that pays off the last two matches they've had, neither man leaves the ring in the early portion. Both Same and Toba take some at least one stiff shot, but are able to just eat it without needing to get their bearings like before. They know each other entirely now, and are able to go to war without hesitation.
And go to war they do! Both guys throw some stiff shots as usual in this one, but this time Toba is the one with a clear-cut game plan. He starts throwing his usual belter leg kicks with even more force than before, and very quickly Same is grabbing the leg and actually taking downs from the leg kicks. Toba is a like a shark to blood (very ironic), and the noises of those leg kicks are truly horrifying stuff. In a good moment that once again is probably just a coincidence but still wraps up the overarching story nicely, Same takes one particularly gross leg kick and nearly ends up falling out of the ring, but he makes sure to stop himself and continues on without break. Eventually though, Same is forced to leave, not because he was overwhelmed though. For the first time in this series, Toba breaks the down count by throwing a hard kick at Same while he still wasn't up yet.
What follows next is the most dramatic fight they've had, as Same and Toba both seem to enter a new level of hate because of that violation of an honor-based rule. Same goes wild with his punches and even pulls out some big pro-wrestling type stuff like fucking dragon screws, meanwhile Toba throws punches, kicks, and knees with truly nuclear force. The final stretch of the match is the most face-punching ending they've done and my god is it phenomenal.
Overall, I truly believe this is their best match together, and it's honestly not even much of a contest. While the other two were chock-full with stiffness and cool moments, this match had all of that at some of the highest level, and a clearly cohesive and well-told story. One of the best martial artist matches of the 21st century.
Rating: A-