smkelly

Umaga vs. John Cena Royal Rumble - Last Man Standing I've waited over two years before watching this match. I generally laugh at the over top praise certain matches get at DVDVR, because there's been times that matches are drooled over and end up being lamer then being grounded as a teenager. But much to my surprise, this match delivers. Cena pulled off one of the greatest carry jobs I have ever seen, and this is the greatest WWF gimmick match of all-time, and possibly greatest gimmick match of all-time, in any federation (I'll have to re watch some gimmick matches). Cena, the best main event wrestler in the business, and the biggest baby face the WWF has had since the Rock got destroyed by the unstoppable monster, bumping for Umaga's punches while Cena's huge haymakers didn't phase Umaga until the very end of the match. The bumping by Umaga was top notch, it's rare to see a three hundred plus man take the bumps Umaga did, like the announce table, ring step slam spot, etc. One of my favorite moments was when Cena "powered up" by slamming his own fist into his bloody face, I thought that was absolutely incredible. The ending sequence with the ring ropes is spectacular. It took the Hogan-esque Cena using the FU his finishing move, and the STFU his finishing submission move with a ring rope to put Umaga down. That's legendary booking. Instead of just laying out a monster like Hogan used to, big boot and leg drop was all it took, Cena went the direction, he won but made Umaga look even better then what he looked like before the match even started. The crowd heat was also superb, as was Cena's selling and bumping. To bad that Umaga lost all of his luster from losses to Lashley/Hardy/HHH, because Cena made him look like a million bucks. My match of the year for 2007, and a definite Match of the Decade candidate. *****

KENTA vs. Bryan Danielson 10/13/08 NOAH Fantastic match. My current match of the year for 2008. They build on their previous singles match in NOAH, which was back in December of 2006 (unless I am mistaken). It's your typical awesome Danielson match, now add in the usually awesome KENTA and his spine altering kicks. Danielson takes some major punishment including a double stomp from KENTA who was on the top rope to a prone Danielson on the floor. KENTA works over Danielson's mid section the entire match, and it's great body work, which Danielson sells perfectly. Unless something major happens, this will be my match of the year for 2008. I'm probably going to get ragged on for what I'm about to write, but I think it's a valid observation/opinion. Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid started the revolution of junior heavyweight wrestling in the 1980's, Liger and Benoit continued (down graded) the progress in the 1990's, I believe KENTA/Danielson are continuing the tradition. The Mask/Kid series is better than Liger/Benoit, but I think Danielson/KENTA has even surpassed Mask and Kid. Danielson's matches with KENTA in ROH and NOAH are all fantastic, and I believe are actually better than the Mask/Kid matches. I'm probably not alone in this train of thought. The Mask matches are just underwhelming, unless it's the junior matches you've ever seen, it just doesn't age well. It's like ladder matches from the '90s compared to now. A unrelated side note: I've watched a lot of Dynamite's matches lately, unless he's in the ring with Sayama, his matches are usually underwhelming, or disappointing like Mask II vs. Kid from 11-85.

That's what happened to me as well, I found a download link on I believe Ditch's website and downloaded purely because Ditch said the match was great. The rest is history.

Are the fans Canadian? I'm asking because of curiosity with their legal system. If they're non-American citizens, can they sue an American?

Wow, the two Bad News Brown matches I've seen are horrid. First is against Savage, who is champ, match is a street fight, Harlem style apparently. Savage gets beaten on for almost the entire match, has little offense, and looks like an enhancement talent instead of world champion. Brown is just horrible, he's sloppy, his strikes look weak and unconvincing, and apparently his head is like Bobo Brazil's. Then its Brown/Hogan. I don't know what's worse, Hogan's exaggerated overselling, or Brown's no selling. Brown gets in a ton of offense again, Hogan is actively taking a weak looking ass kicking. Brown punches the ring post like he did against Savage, and he channels Brazil once more. I don't see what all the fuss is about, Brown sucks. I liked the Andre/Killer Khan stretcher match. Although it was a glorified squash match, Khan got in a few stomps, ankle twists, and two kneedrops. I thought I'd be bored out of my mind with this match, but watching Andre decimate Khan was amusing. The ending sequence when Andre "snaps" and delivers seven butt splashes is cool. I can't rate this match high though, considering that it is practically a squash match.

Great read up on some of the matches. Have you written down your nominations from 83 to 89?

What's a good result website for AJPW? Hopefully there is a Stuart like site for AJPW. I've done a few google searches, but only seem to find a few shows here and there.

I'm thinking no on Lex/Flair drawing. They would have had to push the envelope, and have Lex turn full blown heel, decimating Flair, bloodying him, injuring him. Have him go on a mean streak that'd make fans absolutely hate him. But he'd need a mouth piece, because Luger has never been able to talk worth a damn. But it's certainly possible it'd fail due to the already overbooked turns. In 1990, it's doubtful that Sting/Luger would draw. I was 5 in April, and was always partial to Sting and Pillman. Luger always struck me as dull and boring, and although he was a genetic monster, that doesn't sell me. WCW would have to book it just right, which they wouldn't, the match would be a snoozer, cementing the failure even further.

I disagree with your post. Granted it's Benoit we are talking about, it seems that you believe that simply because two guys enjoy working together, that they'll have great matches. So in that mind set, imagine Spike Dudley and Viscera working together, being best friends, would their matches be considered a MOTYC? Highly, almost impossibly no. I also disagree with Benoit being better than Owen in 88. Granted I haven't seen a large amount of Owen in 88, but the matches I have seen were definitely great, like against Yamada/Hase. Benoit was no slouch, but he wasn't at the level he needed to be at to surpass Owen in terms of being better. You say Smith was capable in 97, which is 9 years after the year I said...what's your point here? I'm in the same boat, as is many people (regarding Benoit). Benoit was my favorite wrestler, and probably still is. Many people frown on that, but the man was a talented worker, I don't rate wrestlers on their personal lives. If we did that, no one would have a wrestler they cared about. I still stand behind my original statement, that you are levied to rate Benoit matches higher because of your bias fandom of Benoit. Same goes for Bret Hart, Johnny Smith, etc. Look at your blog, look at how many matches you have that outrank the 6/3/94 Misawa/Kawada match. Exactly my point.

This is a pretty Grouchy Hateful Vile human Being rant from his recent blog How do you figure? I guess when the man defends himself, obviously annoyed, he's a hateful person. I guess we all are hateful people then...

My question is, if everything goes down "according" to plan, and Jericho/Rourke happen, does Jericho job?

D'Lo is getting a "one night only" shot with ROH. Will he be booed out of the building like Jeff Hardy?

I didn't say it couldn't be any good, just not 5* good

9/1/84 - Orndorff vs. Santana - I loved this match. The inverted atomic drop of death. 7/20/85 - Steamboat has been generally disappointing in Disc 1, minus the WM3 match (which I think Savage carried). Orton was great in this match though. Has anyone else had problems with their discs? On disc two, Warrior/Rude from SummerSlam, the picture was green, the entire screen was green. Sorry for the ancient bump, I'm now just getting into the discs...

The match in question, 7/8/88, no. But, I have seen a few of their matches both before, and after said match either on youtube, daily motion, or any other internet media broswer site. I'm sure I've gotten some from DVDVR before as well. I've known WP for a couple of years, and he is an avid Benoit/Smith/Hart's fan, and will often say their matches are 5 stars. I'm not as easily duped into grading a match that high due to personal biases. Obviously you don't agree with my statement... you think Benoit/Smith was *****? The highest rated Benoit match you have listed is ****1/2, and that was in '06, against Finlay...

I'm a Benoit fan, even to this day, but in 88 and 89, it wasn't possible for him to have a match of that caliber. He didn't really hit his stride of being a fantastic worker until the early 90's. Also, Johnny Smith was never all that impressive.

Re-Trainees being assaulted and sodomized while at the Dojo: This isn't a line of defense for the trainers, but the trainees pursue this career. The wrestling business is, and always has been ugly, disgusting, wrong, and unkind (among more choice descriptions). I don't know what's worse, the trainers beating/sodomizing the trainees, or the trainees not leaving. It's not uncommon for trainers to do things like this (minus sodomization, of course) in "professional" wrestling, or even MMA. I've been to some MMA training sessions, and it wasn't pretty. Its not like they signed a contract (or do they?) and are being forced to remain in the Dojo. I was in the Marine Corps. and got brutalized daily while in boot camp, but I signed a contract and could not leave. I was naive to the Marines, and didn't realize what the Drill Instructors do to the recruits, I found out on the first day when my eyebrow was getting stitched shut after being opened up by a kick to the face.

Its been nearly two years since my initial viewing of this match. It's still my favorite NJ heavyweight tag of the 80's, and I still think it's the best of all of their heavyweight tags, even over the 11/90 match. Just great, great wrestling.

Would you agree with the following: AJPW in the '90s per match was harder on a body then the WWF from the same time frame, and the WWE today? Then, WWF/WWE kills AJPW in it's overall schedule. Thanks.