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Zenjo

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  1. Zenjo
    Orange Crush went full out for the quick win, unloading a barrage of suplay. Whilst not succeeding totally, it brought him the early ascendancy. The champion gradually recovered and then took over for a while. Later on during the stretch it was Kenta first threatening the upset before Misawa came through to retain. Changes in momentum were a rarity. This was the first of their 5 Triple Crown battles and clearly established a template for long matches. Whilst this was G-VG it didn't succeed in becoming an epic. Lengthy and deliberately paced with some move repetition from Mitsy and dodgy Kobashi selling. The Tiger Driver '91 being the finish was fucking A. Not quite what they wanted, but a good effort and we all know what would follow.
  2. Zenjo
    If you're arguing your Kawada GOAT case then this is an essential stopping off point. His performance was off the charts. Judging by this there must have been a large crossover between AJ and UWFI fans. The atmosphere was incredible throughout with Allbright being super over. Tosh put over all the suplay like death with both his selling and the desperate urgency to avoid them in the first place. He fought back with an emphasis on strikes and submissions. Nobody else on the roster could've integrated into shoot style as well as this. Particularly without making it feel alien. He was also at his most theatrical and emotional, tapping into the crowds frenzy. Gary did what he did best and Dangerous K moulded it into a classic. The duration, structure and balancing were pretty much nailed on. And heatwave. One of the highlights of the year.
  3. Zenjo
    The 4th and thankfully final Broadway of the Yearbook. It was the best of the lot too. Exhausting to watch let alone compete in. Superb workrate, great execution, prime Kings Road action and a deep storyline. The only thing against it were the inevitable problems arising from the duration. The first half was MOTYC all the way. A surprisingly quick paced start with Kawada having his bell rung before Misawa gets destroyed by a ring apron nodawa. Kobashi then took a 20m FIP beatdown. It had no right not to drag and get boring at that length. Instead it completely ruled. They then moved into a false stretch. The 30m-40m period was a letdown with Kenta having his arm worked over. From 40m-50m it picked right up again. Some of the selling was divine. It was never realistically going to end in the final 10m. Like 6/9 every man was on fine form and played an integral role. Given that you're going an hour with no falls, this was about as good as you could ever hope for.
  4. Zenjo
    There was plenty of backstory to this rivalry. They did a great job of psyching each other out beforehand, really setting the scene. Previously their matches had an underdog dynamic. Now with Manami as champion it felt like a contest of equals. The start was superb and the continued intensity kept the fans on board for the duration. The build did it's job, although the middle stages of their previous two matches were more interesting. The stretch was awesomely constructed. Just the right length, very exciting and all the right moves. Excellent overall. Afterwards Dynamite Kansai issued a challenge to shin champion. Whatever you think about the booking, 1995 was the WWWA Title's best year from a match output perspective.
  5. Zenjo
    There were some nice move sequences, although they were overchoreographed. Their experience working together in other promotions was apparent. The pacing didn't feel right to me at all. Too fast at some stages and too slow at others. Still a decent TV bout.
  6. Zenjo
    Mano a Mano. This was more storyline development than an attempt to have a strong bout. The action was bitty and niggley. Casas bled and Santo had his mask torn. The finish was very screwy and settled nothing. It did a sound job of reigniting a dormant rivalry. CMLL had a terrible year from a match output perspective in 95. Yet they laid the building blocks for a new golden era in 96-97. So I'll describe their 1995 as a fallow year.
  7. Zenjo
    Not the most dynamic of builds, but it was solid enough on the deck. Obviously Super Strong Machine was never going to win, but he gave the champ a decent enough workout. A good example of a World Title 'B' Match.
  8. Zenjo
    Through two falls I wasn't a huge fan of this. Something that really bugged me was how these two would invent new moves just for the hell of it. Not to become a regular part of their moveset. Not to fit in with the flow and context of the bout. It was purely innovation for the sake of innovation, and that's counterproductive. The tercera was a big improvement. Some really spectacular high flying with a good pace to it. Brought it inside my top 100 for the year.
  9. Zenjo
    A strong start as Toyota lays in some vicious kicks. She would usually increase the stiffness level when facing the tough girls. However she'd been through 2 brutal matches during golden week and Hotta was soon able to establish control. The Assault Machine dished out no end of punishment, looking powerful and in command. Combined with Toyota's excellent selling the fans were as firmly behind the golden girl as they ever were. I should think most of the crowd at Korakuen had also been rocking the Ryogoku the previous night. Manami survived all that was thrown at her (and that was a lot) before coming back to win. Not everything was done right. The execution was generally good, but some of the near falls weren't great. Agree on there being a couple too many. Whilst the details weren't perfect, the match as a whole was very satisfying. A full out showcase as you'd expect from a big tournament final. The psychology and layout were sound. Toyota had established herself as the #1 contender and the woman to bring the title back home to AJW. So they accomplished the storyline objective and sent the fans home happy.
  10. Zenjo
    It got off to a bit of a rough start and would go on to have other problems. Yet this was ultimately a rewarding experience and well worth seeing through. The dynamic was face vs face and naturally begun in a technical manner. After a while Pillman became more heelish and tempers flared. This aspect was particularly well done over time. At nearly half an hour it was a long 'un and some of the resets into rest holds were jarring. The pacing was generally quick-slow-quick. Initially they went to a 20m draw but the match must continue! Which makes it pointless having a time limit in the first place. The stretch featured some excellent 2.9ers, as good as you'll see from a WCW match. The overtime period did need to be a whole lot tighter though. Unwieldy and inconsistent, I'll take the highs.
  11. Zenjo
    Let's start with the finish, which was absolutely dreadful with no redeeming feature. Having got that out of the way, the rest of the contest was a real treat. There was the rarity value of seeing these two longtime friends go at it. The dynamic between them was so multi-layered and possibly even unique. The wrestling was good as well with the shifts in momentum being particularly well done. Some body part work from both. Everything was building up and coming together nicely before Pillman interferes and costs Flair the match. That cost it some spots in the global year end ranking, but it's still my favourite US bout of 1995.
  12. Zenjo
    Describing this as a total spotfest wouldn't be unfair. A well executed one mind you with spectacular high flying. For the fans at the time it must have been jaw dropping to see all these new moves. The Luchadores gave a taster of what the could do and it was lapped up.
  13. Zenjo
    Years ago I had this down as a MOTYC. I can see why, but it was actually quite flawed. There were times when I thought the match was turning in one direction before abruptly changing course. The wrestlers weren't always on the same wavelength. Normally that comment would relate to execution lapses, yet that wasn't the case here. Misawa was selling the leg, but Taue didn't seem interested in working on it. He had to do so reluctantly at one point because the selling was so heavy. Instead he preferred to attack the face, but Misawa wasn't going that way. So the psychology was weird. Taue inflicted more punishment by volume. The champions blows were more damaging. The challenger couldn't land the ring apron nodawa this time. The pacing was good and they kept it comparatively concise at 20m. Mitsy retained with the roaring elbow of death, sold hugely.
  14. Zenjo
    Having struggled through the two AJ broadways from January I wasn't particularly looking forward to this or expecting it to hold up. So against expectations I ended up really enjoying it, despite its undoubted flaws. Okay it's not MOTY, but it ended up being my favourite match of May. They didn't attempt to sprint for an hour or anything like it. There was lots of exhaustion selling, which is always more effective when they're legit worn out. How could anyone not be after that? They could not have given more. They initially paced it like a 20m bout with some terrific action and execution early on. They could've ended it there. For better or worse they took it on and produced a true epic. Kyoko had a clear strategy to ground Manami down. This was not only to soften her up, but also as a defensive measure to halt momentum. Some move repetition was inevitable, but never got bad. Neither could put the other away with the kitchen sink. It really wasn't until 45m that a draw felt inevitable. The final 15m was undoubtedly the weakest phase. The 45-50m period was tough before Toyota managed to bust out some unseen moves. Whilst the climax wasn't strong, there was much to appreciate before it. The fans were on board throughout with Kyoko drawing more of the support. Had it ended after 45m I'd have rated it higher. Yet being the hour made it more special. The sheer ambition and absence of fear was admirable. A match that certainly stood out from the crowd.
  15. Zenjo
    Of course this is never a problem in the WWE... Great post. It's super rare to see any Booker/Promoter go into that level of detail about their philosophies and methods.
  16. Zenjo
    I missed this. Not unexpected, but like many fans here Bobby Heenan was an integral part of my wrestling fandom back in the day. Even in the darkest days in WCW he'd still make at least one comment a show that would crack me up. He was probably the greatest manager of all time, enhancing all around him. Always playing the fool, ever the true heel. And being a former wrestler he could also take bumps. The Survivor Series 1989 match was to me the crowning glory of his time in front of the camera. Pure comedy gold. And a great commentator too, particularly when teamed with Gorilla. They were the perfect comedy double act who also knew what was going on in the ring and how to get it over. The epic Royal Rumble 1992 commentary was the Brain's high point behind the mic. With his sharp wit he could've been a stand up comic. But thankfully Heenan found his way to the crazy world of pro wrestling and left an indelible mark on it.
  17. Zenjo
    He is the Master of the Master Lock, The Masterpiece Chris Masters He may have gone on to an underwhelming career. 15 years and counting of it. Forget about world titles, not holding any titles all the time he was in WWE was quite an accomplishment. I don't recall him ever being popular. He sure isn't talented. But to me he'll always be that green young boy. Roided to the gills, looking like his muscles were about to burst through his skin and explode. Vince must have been master something else in the back. Crushing other wrestlers and plants alike for the Master Lock challenge. He was the eventual end point of the talentless bodybuilder wrestler and one of the most ludicrous examples of it. He'd have probably had a more successful career in the 90's, but the Wellness Policy basically killed him. The move away from steroids has been a huge positive in the wrestling industry. Yet seeing Masters come back as a mini-me actually made me feel sad about it for a short while.
  18. Zenjo
    It isn't my least favourite gimmick match, but it's right down there. The gimmick engulfs the entire psychology of the match whatever the participants do. If they're in the ring then the viewer is just waiting for a wrestler to be thrown to the floor. If they're on the floor then there's a limited amount of things that can happen. The only variation you see is in the extent to which the deck is stacked against the faces. And the format lessens the rivalry because the participants are fighting against lots of random people rather than focusing on each other.
  19. Zenjo
    A bit of a hidden gem and new discovery for me. Under 10m and action packed with very stiff shots. Taka was fundamentally well trained with his ground game. That meant he could fit in well with the style, although it wasn't typical PWFG. I was always a bit concerned about how Fujiwara was going to violate the young man. The underdog dynamic was expertly worked and it ran just as long as it needed to.
  20. Zenjo
    A tournament that involved such legends of the squared circle as Bandit, Golden Cross, Mongolian Yuga and Jerry Lynn. There's some fun matwork from the Luchador with holds you'd rarely see in Japan. His gesturing to the crowd was grating however. Sasuke seldom does anything interesting himself on the deck. It always picks up on his end once the aerial spots begin. In the end Caras went over with surprising conviction considering Sasuke was the top dog of the promotion. A curiosity.
  21. Zenjo
    The first time I ever watched this I felt like I'd seen it vicariously through the book. Many years later and I can't remember either that well so let's see... For a while this was a decent enough Death Match. They had a strong rivalry and Foley did bleed a disgusting amount. All of the skin on his face had been covered in red. Then there's this WTF run-in from Tiger Jeet Singh. Followed by a big countdown before the ring spectacularly does not explode. To round things off a horrendously botched finish. A match for its time and place.
  22. Zenjo
    16m was shown. They also seemed to clip out a fair amount with shoddy editing. That made it feel a bit disjointed and hurt the viewing experience. From a technical standpoint there's some nice wrestling here. It would require a more clearly defined structure or something in the way of psychology to make this into anything meaningful. The vibe was 'We're trying to have a good match' rather than 'I don't like this guy' or 'I really want to win'. Every face vs heel match has a baseline level of psychology that this dips below. They're trying to import the Puro-esque athletic contest feel, yet it doesn't quite come across like that either.
  23. Zenjo
    More traditional in structure than the previous Taue vs Kobashi contest, and far better for it. After quickly establishing familiarity Kawada went straight for the orbital bone. A dick move and so, so cool. He went on to have most of the offence and after the win on 6/9 this could be his night right? Misawa soaked up punishment and launched comebacks. Some of Tosh's selling was divine. They built up so well through the phases and delivered another excellent battle. It looks like the only reason Kawada pinned his nemesis in the tag bout was the damage done by Taue's chokeslam. At 24m it was full length without any fat. The only minor downsides were a bit of repetition on Misawa's offence and that the finish was a little underwhelming after what had come before. Overall a fine addition to this legendary rivalry.
  24. Zenjo
    Those time limits keep on expiring. Because it wasn't a tournament or title bout you don't really think about the possibility of it being a draw until announcements near the end. They certainly didn't pace it conservatively, starting out very quick. Too quick for something of this length. It felt more like a 2000's 'big match' with its attempt at continual action and excitement during every moment. More light and shade would've been highly beneficial. And a more classical beginning, middle and ending structure. There was also a lack of narrative besides two big dawgs fighting it out. Although I wasn't keen on some elements of the layout and pacing this was still a good match. The execution was strong on both ends. The technical content of the wrestling was also impressive. I'd take their Carny bout over this but not by a lot.
  25. Zenjo
    A 'Dress Up Wild Fight', or Street Fight in translation. It was naturally a wild and crazy arena brawl. A chain was heavily involved as Oz put Kansai on a leash and made her her bitch. There were also chairs and piledrivers through tables. The ring was even dismantled and used as a weapon. Blood again flowed out foreheads, although not as gratuitously as last time out. They kept the energy level high and the 37m seemed to fly by. Weird to say given the excesses of the match format but it had a slow burning, art house type of appeal at times. The first pinfall attempt didn't arrive until 20m in. Dyno had a total of one pin attempt the entire bout. For a lengthy battle I really liked how they paced it. And this environment allows Ozaki's charisma to shine through. It's such a great personality dynamic she has against the straight laced Dyno. It's surprising how dominant the underdog wrestler was here. Kansai took no end of punishment before eventually falling. Ozaki had now beaten her twice and was indeed Queen of the Street Fight. Whilst not as strong as the original this wasn't a rehash like some people are saying. There were several key differences with how they played out and this had plenty of its own merits.
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