B.A. #2 Shinzaki vs. Gannosuke, Vader vs. Zenk, Piper
Entry posted by Death From Above
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Big bomb throwing. This is a week all about big bomb throwing.
Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Mr. Gannosuke (FMW, 4/21/1998)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlcOdRRml8U
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADY6cZJ-U4Q
This is just a great bomb throwing festival between two guys with a long standing blood feud, who aren’t interested in dancing around, but instead a match where both guys are just playing for a KO from pretty much moment #1.
Shinzaki is a guy that a lot of the time does a pretty stoic, very methodical gimmick, but Gannosuke is a guy where he pitches that out the window. Right off the bat he tries to jump Gannosuke in the aisle, which is a mistake as our good friend Kintaro Kanemura hammers him with a chair, then Gannosuke jumps him while he’s distracted. Team No Respect decide to go right for the kill, set up a table at ringside, and the two of them powerbomb Shinzaki off the apron through the table on the floor. Shinzaki juices, and Gannosuke spends the next little while working over the cut, smashing at it with part of the table, and attacking it with various strikes, trying to really bust him up.
Eventually Shinzaki gets some control and tries to suplex Gannosuke right from in the ring out to the floor, which comes off looking sort of half botched, but it really still works for the story. I mean in a blood feud with two guys throwing bombs, trying to kill the guy by throwing him to the floor really shouldn’t always look that pretty anyway. Gannosuke gets back in the ring and when Shinzaki looks set to inflict more heavy damage, so how does Gannosuke respond? Punt him straight in the balls. This is a really simple match to understand and enjoy. Gannosuke then does one of his favourites, ripping off the Shinzaki praying power bomb for lots of booing, and a 2 count.
Shinzaki is in a lot of trouble, so he says “fuck it” and fights fire with fire, and ends up punting Gannosuke in the sac right back, then hits that really cool standing backflip kick that no one else makes look as good, and then a really really nasty looking second rope double stomp. That shit had to hurt.
Back and forth we go. Powerbombs. Knocked off the apron through a table. Big top rope move attempts, more powerbombs, big clubbing clotheslines, a crazy choke hold, more attempts to kick each other in the nuts. There’s really no matwork to be found in this at all, just two guys trying to knock each other out. The finish requires Shinzaki to dig deep into the well for an enhanced version of his powerbomb for a pin. This is not super long (though not really short either), but it’s just great. A really fun scrap with two guys looking for the KO at every single turn makes for an easy to enjoy ride.
Tom “Z-Man” Zenk vs. Vader (World Championship Wrestling, Great American Bash 1990)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIZCmpWZmTc
This was Vader’s WCW debut and is he ever a guy that is capable of making an impression in a big hurry. Z-Man is about as white meat babyface as you get, then you get Vader’s really out there entrance when he still had the giant headgear (with smoke), and you really have the impression where this is going but you want to see it anyway. The bell rings… and it’s just total carnage in there. I love a really good squash match, you can really tell the difference between one that worked and one that just filled time. This is one that worked. Vader walks in as a new guy in WCW, and walks out as a really scary motherfucker.
Vader just destroys him with killer punches and forearms, the big splash in the corner, and a big clothesline. Zenk ends up on the entrance ramp and Vader just grabs him by the head with both hands and pulls him in over the top rope hanging him a few feet in the air. Zenk gets in a dropkick, but other than that it is all one way traffic and is over in a flash, he takes a military press, a huge elbow drop and the crowd has a buzz about them like “this guy isn’t here just to make up the numbers”. Vader gets in a couple more moves, then the big splash for the kill. The commentary does a good job selling this as an event worth paying attention to as well, so props to good ole’ JR.
An amazing squash. You’ll see one thing like this a year, if you’re lucky. I love this match.
Promo: Roddy Piper is ready to rumble. Just a little.
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