Loss

Good points on both sides, although it's not like they're going to pull a 6.0 if Miley Cyrus is the guest host. Any upside they will get from the celebrity appearance is gone as soon as the celebrity is gone.

For Liger/Samurai? It was the TV version, but it was complete. 25+ minutes clocked on the DVD player. For Panther/Machine? That one being JIP would explain a lot.

I watched Takada/Albright from the 5/8/92 UWFI show. I haven't really watched much UWFI at all, so this was pretty new to me. It really just feels like pro wrestling as much as anything, so it doesn't seem to require as much of a shift as I thought it might. I take it this isn't the best match available? It was really good and dramatic, and did allow me to get used to UWFI rules, but it was also a little abrupt, so I'm guessing there's much better stuff out there.

I don't disagree, but who exactly is it that's complaining about this? JR always describes this stuff he reads on the Internet that I've never seen anywhere on the Internet, and I wonder if he has even seen it on the Internet. JR isn't gutsy enough to name names and provide links I guess.

I was a little surprise to find Blue Panther/Love Machine from AAA 4/3 on a Best of '92 set. It was a fun match with great heat and a lively crowd, but it was pretty one-sided. Also, Liger/Samurai from Top of the Super Juniors is still just as awesome as it ever was.

I watched Pillman/Liger from SuperBrawl II. Excellent match, a little overhyped through the years, but because it was so different by the standards of 1992 WCW, you understand why it got the praise it got. I thought the surfboard teases early on in the matwork were going to lead somewhere later, but no dice. Liger's Flair tribute in the middle of the match (kneecrusher followed by figure four) was an awesome touch.

I watched Jumbo/Taue vs Kobashi/Kikuchi from 1/26/92. The final stretch was great, but I had trouble getting into the match beyond that as anything but just good. I feel like I'm missing context here. Before the bell, Taue was insistent on starting the match, and kept assuring Jumbo he could do it, or at least that's the impression I got. And Jumbo had to do more saves than I can count. I understand saves are sometimes part of a larger context in All Japan, but Jumbo made so many saves for Taue in this match that it really almost made the legal man seem irrelevant. After the first save, when Kobashi is attempting a giant swing on Taue, Kobashi walks over and slaps Jumbo after he breaks it up, and Jumbo just stands on the apron as if the slap never happened, which surprised me. There were also way too many "knock the guy standing on the apron to the floor" spots. But Jumbo was great when tagged in, with Kobashi and especially Kikuchi. Jumbo/Kikuchi would likely not have gotten over like Jumbo's matches did with Kawada and Kobashi, but they really have great chemistry when paired in tags and six-mans, and it makes me wish we had gotten at least one singles match with them. I like the dynamic of vet versus younger guy, which is made even better when the vet is a big guy and the younger guy is a small heavyweight, and I also liked Jumbo selling for Kikuchi, but still decisively putting him away in the end.

I watched Misterio/Eddy/Lizmark vs Metal/Parka/Psicosis from AAA 02/21/93. Fantastic match. At times, there was too much going on with all the pairings, so it was hard to catch everything happening. You kinda wish the others would lay low at times so some of the big twists could take center stage. But this still comes together as a great match and a MOTYC in a crowded 1993. La Parka and Lizmark are just beyond words in this match, and the mask switching is maybe the greatest thing I've ever seen in lucha libre. Psicosis continues to be really awesome at setting up spots, bumping, and putting together elaborate sequences that usually lead to payback spots for babyfaces. Eddy and Rey are Eddy and Rey, I love Eddy infusing the match with popular Japanese moves at the time like the German suplex while still working the style. I will say Rey seemed to be in the shadow of the other guys around him, so it was probably a little later before he began to stand out, but even still doing noticeable stuff in a match with this much talent is an accomplishment.

I watched Misterio/Winners/Calo vs Metal/Picudo/Psicosis from AAA 01/29/93. I don't feel like I'm the most qualified person to do a full review of this match, but I do feel like someone should do it. I was really blown away by this. I've watched it before, but for whatever reason I never got the big deal. I'm not sure why, because it's probably one of the better intros to lucha libre out there, with familiar faces and a pretty easy to follow match layout with lots of fun highspots and amazing build. This feels like a match that you don't think can get better that keeps getting better somehow. It's funny how so far watching the Rey comp, all the matches feel more like showcases for others involved in the match than they do Rey. I know that will change as I get further through this set, but right now, Psicosis is the one who keeps stealing the show. He was incredible here. I know I'm speaking in generalizations, which is why, like I said, I'm probably not the best person to actually do a full review of this match, but I hope someone does one, if it's not already out there somewhere.

I watched Los Destructores vs Misterio, Misterioso & Volador from AAA 10/02/92. Awesome stuff. I love Los Destructores being presented as such threatening heels, and thought the way they lost the match without anyone on the team taking a fall was great booking to protect them (second fall loss by countout, third fall loss by DQ for ripping Rey's mask off without even seeming to care about the DQ). This match seems to be the type that's building to something bigger. I need to know if there's a match where Los Destructores really got what was coming to them.

I watched Misterio/Winners/Calo vs Psicosis/Metal/Condor from AAA on 7/31/92. I had to check Wikipedia to see when Psicosis started wrestling. According to Wikipedia, he debuted in '89. By '92, and it's possible this would be the case for his stuff even sooner if it surfaces (or has already), he is wrestling like a veteran. Really, this match is the first match I'm watching on a Rey comp, but this is totally the Psicosis show. I wonder if he gets a lack of credit in comparison to Rey and Juvi, because I think he's every bit as good, and maybe just hasn't had quite the same opportunities. I'm sure that opinion will increase with time watching the Rey set, and if it doesn't I'll take it back. But this match has Psicosis being awesome. I love that he's a suicidal bumper, yet paces more like a Greg Valentine type to give his bumps added meaning when they happen. He does such a great job of putting over the other side, leading proto-Michinoku Pro triple posing submissions, having Super Calo throw a drink in his face from a fan at ringside and actually bumping for it, catching Calo's awesome dives, tying Calo in knots around the ringpost, showboating and taunting the crowd, and probably a dozen other things I'm forgetting to mention. This is a really good match. I've seen AAA slightly later that I like better, but it's a good primer of things to come, and a really strong case for Psicosis.

If you're going strictly on physical appearance: Adrian Adonis Buddy Rose Makhan Singh One Man Gang Big Bubba Rogers Although I've seen them all in long, competitive matches where they haven't blown up.

I also just don't get comparing Bull Nakano to Jumbo Tsuruta. I think Jaguar Yokota is a better womens' comparison to Jumbo Tsuruta.

Yeah, it really got buried in all the constant (and boring, might I add) BROCK LESNAR TALK.

From the Takashi Matsunaga bio in the WON: It seems weird to say a screaming, face-painted woman with hair that was two feet tall lacked charisma.

I should also add that I really like the DQ beltshot finish, and also that Douglas bled after being hit by the belt. I hate modern wrestling with belt shots being sold like slightly more powerful punches.

I watched Blonds vs Steamboat/Douglas from Clash XXII. Very good match, almost entirely due to Austin totally carrying things on the heel side. Pillman was just not a very good heel at all. He tried to do less flying and work a slower style, but he didn't kick up the aggression. He also didn't have much range, more that he sold babyface offense like it scared him more than it hurt him. Even looking back at the Steamboat match at Havoc, Steamboat lifts him for a choke, and instead of selling the choke, Pillman sells being afraid. He also seems disconnected at times from the rest of the match. I like Pillman a lot, but don't really care for him as a heel that much. Referee Mike Atkins is also out of position for so many pinfall attempts, not as part of the match layout, but just because he's out of position, which is a pattern I've noticed in a few matches he referees. Steamboat and Douglas were a very good team. The Blonds have been romanticized in some circles, and called overrated in others, so I'm going into future matches with an open mind. But Austin was so clearly ahead of Pillman at this point that it's no wonder the thought from Dusty was that Austin was being held back by being teamed with Pillman. This was around the time I think Austin really started to emerge as a good worker. I know I'm mostly criticizing something I called a very good match, but these are just the things that seemed to warrant the most comment, because it surprised me. Austin was in 90% of the time for his team, and had good chemistry with both Steamboat and Douglas, so the match was good.

I really need to watch the entire Great American Bash '92 pay-per-view. Every match I've seen from that show has just been really good. I had never seen Steamboat/Nikita vs Liger/Pillman until now. Now this is not a perfect match. There are a few times when Liger gets his signals crossed with the referee, Pillman, and the other team. There are also times where Steamboat and Pillman mess up a few sequences when they're in together. But the dynamic here is really awesome, and this match is mostly great. I really thought Steamboat and Liger had strong chemistry, and surprisingly, so did Liger and Nikita Koloff. Nikita held his own in this match, he may have even been the best of the four, which would probably surprise most people. Liger and Pillman wrestled like The Rockers early on with all the arm work and quick in and out tags, and I liked all the contrasts in style going on here. I think the best moment of the match is both Steamboat and Liger getting the hot tag and Steamboat going for a dropkick and Liger rolling under and then getting one of his own, followed by a good nearfall. Anyway, this is a match that is at times nearing brilliance, but it's laid out in an odd way, in some ways similar to the Windham/Rhodes vs Williams/Austin match at Havoc.

I watched Austin/Steamboat from Worldwide on 01/18/92. Austin had a few things he did well, but he was still pretty green. Steamboat totally carried this match, and he was excellent. The early back-to-back typical Steamboat pinfalls were great, things dropped quite a bit when Austin took over, but they pulled back in toward the end. Pretty good.

Steamboat/Dustin/Simmons vs Arn/Austin/Eaton from Worldwide in early '92 is an interesting match. This is a match of uncommonly used tag team staples, like Arn ramming Dustin's head into Eaton's head, sacrificing his partner to get in a good shot, and also Steamboat covering Dustin at points so he wouldn't get attacked. It was really interesting watching this after the other stuff, because wrestling is so obviously in a decline in the early 90s, which wouldn't be so evident if I hadn't watched so much 80s footage before this. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend checking this out. I could do without Paul E.'s stupid fake phone conversations with Madusa, but I give Steamboat credit for doing everything in his power to get the match over to a crowd that keeps wanting to lose interest. Arn was really good too, and was in most of the time for his team. His conversation with Paul E. after Simmons went on offense is awesome. "He's just too strong!"

Steamboat/DiBiase from the King of the Ring house show in '91 is a nice little match. Nothing worth going out of your way to see, but some nice wrestling from two veterans. The crowd was chanting "Boring" at the beginning, but was into it by the end ... sort of.

Yeah, probably.

This subject reminds me of Jim Ross being very annoying with his hoarse nonstop screaming during Benoit/Guerrero WM XX post-match. I think in sek's defense, he is thinking more of early 70s Vince, like that June '73 show from MSG that is on 24/7. He may not say the same about late 70s/early 80s WWF announcing. Or he might, I'm not sure, but I think he's mentioned the June '73 MSG show before as being such long periods of time with no talking. To tie this into modern conversation, I really think Vince should start announcing on Raw. It *might* have an indirect affect on ratings, and he tends to be so angry with the announcers all the time that it would allow him the chance to just announce the way he thinks it should be done and not give poor announcers near heart attacks by screaming in their ears for two hours every week. Pair him with Lawler, who he likes, and ditch Michael Cole. Even if Vince has deteriorated greatly, which I imagine he has, it would probably still be an improvement. I also think there's the added benefit of him having to justify or explain all of his storylines, which could *possibly* make him care more about continuity when he's put in the position of having to sell things that don't make sense. WWE's old strengths of building to the big moment, first-rate hype, and nice easy to follow storylines built around maybe one or two twists maximum seem to have fallen by the wayside. Part of that is Vince going crazy, and I think part of that is him either acting as an on-screen character or producing constantly for the last decade, to a point where he probably hasn't just watched one of his own shows in a long time.