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Zenjo

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  1. Zenjo
    I always enjoy a good title bout and this one had no less than half an hour of wrestling. Fuerza is always a favourite amongst Lucha smarks and Pantera was no slouch either. The quality level was quite consistent throughout. There was never a phase of the match where the work blew me away. On the flip side there weren't times when it dragged either. The action was always decent at a minimum. It felt important, involved the viewer and came together nicely at the end.
  2. Zenjo
    After a very successful Stateside excursion Keiji Mutoh is now back in Japan and looking to rise to the top of the New Japan ranks. It's such fun seeing his fellow Musketeers Chono and Hash also levelling up around this time. They all had so much potential, which was realised to varying extents. The barrel chested Masa Saito had his strengths and limitations due to his physique. The powerhouses dominated the opening 5m, the challengers the next 5m is an even contest. The hot crowd were going wild for an exciting climax and wholeheartedly approved of the result. There was a rematch on 6/26 which is skippable.
  3. Zenjo
    All of the wrestlers were tecnicos, and believe me it was all technical. The primera lasted the best part of 15m and it was divine. Lashings of matwork on offer with wonderful flow, leverage and technique. El Texano vs IV (I think) also added a rough edge, making it the best of the matchups. They then took to the air with aplomb. The next two falls were unsurprisingly shorter. Not at the same level but still good quality action. They actually teased a 2-0 Villano victory as Sagrada got pinned before the comeback. The tercera was highlighted by a long spot where they were fighting over a surfboard. I'm guessing the previous sentence wouldn't have been written often.
  4. Zenjo
    If you want to see a textbook example of a good traditional title bout then look right here. They didn't need to do anything overly ambitious. Just utilize a wonderful basic match format. If you didn't know Emilio Charles was a boss then where have you been? Azteca has also proven himself as a strong worker from the era. All the parts were there. They could maybe had done with a bit more time on the mat had the duration been longer. I liked how the momentum carried over between the falls. Often the worm turns sharply. A satisfying tercera as EMLL picks right up where it left off in 1989.
  5. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  6. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  7. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  8. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  9. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  10. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  11. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  12. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  13. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  14. Zenjo
    Talk about it here.
  15. Zenjo
    Transformer was unintentional comedy gold in this one. I was in stitches laughing at his terrible bumping and selling. The guy under the mask was Kendo, who appeared on the 1990 Yearbook in Hamada's UWF. He seemed to be a cult hero over there for some reason. I thought he was complete shit. His day is cut short when Psicosis does an amazing top rope senton onto the floor and takes him out. Transformer does a stretcher job and the fun is over. The match ended up as a complete mess like normal in AAA.
  16. Zenjo
    Two hour long draws in January alone is why 1995 was chosen for my 10th and final Yearbook. There's still two more to go later this year. It's not like they aren't good matches, it just really slows my progress through the set. I'm not appreciating the Kawada vs Kobashi redux to start as I've seen plenty of that matchup recently. Still the opening 15m was generally positive. There wasn't any indication that it was going abnormally long. The second quarter was the weakest phase. It felt like they were treading water with no progression. I was counting down until my halftime break. From the halfway mark a very long Kobashi FIP segment began with the dodgy knee being attacked. That flowed into the stretch. Again there was a decided lack of near falls, and not until the final quarter. The fan response was very enthusiastic once more. At times it was better, at times worse than 1/19. I enjoyed them the same amount and they'll be close together on my year end list. They had much the same flaws with the unfavourable format, too few near falls and periods of meandering. Taue was the clear #4 performer with moveset issues arising. Kobashi's crawling selling annoyed me at times so I'll put him at 3, Kawada 2 and Misawa the best wrestler on the day. He didn't hold the title anymore, but was clearly still the man.
  17. Zenjo
    The best bout from January. Had it been only one fall it would've been a MOTYC. The character work early on was such fun. Takako's facial expressions and heelish mannerisms are priceless. She may not have had quite the natural ability of the others but was a smart worker with plenty of ring craft. Some outstanding action ensued, everyone was killing it. Manami gets all sorts of shit for slipping on the ropes, but it's awesome when she nails the moves. The hot near falls would've been just right for a normal match. In this context they should've held back ahead of the 3rd. A shortish segunda kept things rolling nicely. At that stage I was thinking it could be something quite special. As it was the tercera proved a let down. They slowed down a bit before launching into the grand finale, which wasn't. The table spot was horrible and the final move weak. Though it ended on a downer this was a potentially great match with flaws.
  18. Zenjo
    It starts off with a horrific opening exchange between Ultimo and Negro. I doubt that Casas has had a worse exchange against anyone in his career. Then Felino and Bestia tag in, blow a crucifix and then there's a countout. What is going on? After a couple of eliminations the commentator mentioned that it was a Cibernetico. Okay that makes some sense. Jericho stands on the apron for an eternity as the match grinds to a standstill. Then he finally gets in and has no idea what he's doing. And fuck me they're pushing him! He's going to be around for 10 minutes and can't work the style so let's give him a huge push. Dear God. It's the earliest Cibernetico I've seen and also the worst. Some terrible wrestling, awful layout and mind boggling booking. Diabolical.
  19. Zenjo
    You're understating things brother. He said it 23 times in under 3 minutes brother. Had there been no commentary I'd have done a Jimmy Hart "baby" count as well. I suppose this was a good match by Hogan in WCW standards. That's damning it with faint praise. This cartoon superhero vs villain stuff is way past its sell by date in 1995.
  20. Zenjo
    Both units walked the honourable path and fought in a technical manner throughout. It only went two falls, although they were both long. The absence of a beatdown is no bad thing in my book. The level was always decent at a minimum, with the quality rising whenever Dandy and Azteca squared off. A couple too many resets perhaps. The best part was the two leaders working a 1 on 1 closing stretch. A real bonus. Great buildup to Dandy vs Azteca and a satisfying trios in its own right. Ideal.
  21. Zenjo
    I liked the buildup to this as Kobashi got busted open by his adversary in a ringside brawl. So that had established a rivalry and you had two big stars going at it. Because of his powerful moveset Kobashi could go head on with Vader like few others. They battled back and forth in an exciting encounter. It would've been effective if Kenta had bled again. At 17m the length was about right and the stretch well worked. Not an A+ bout, but it delivered. A new gaijin main eventer was just what All Japan needed to spice up the Triple Crown scene.
  22. Zenjo
    This was something quite different. It didn't feel like a match out of 1996, being more reminiscent of an 80's NWA title bout. The pacing was very deliberate for CMLL. Plenty of psychology and character work. Dantes had a great range of facial expressions. I haven't seen him this charismatic before. Jalisco also has personality under the mask. Early on it didn't follow the traditional structure, although it would do in the latter stages. At times a little on the slow side, but it built up nicely by the end. Needed a better finish.
  23. Zenjo
    A traditional Lucha title bout, bringing all the boons of the format. An outstanding mat segment to start. They were obviously experienced at working together. Wonderful technique, execution and flow. Then there was a bizarre moment as Damiancito went flying out the ring and accidently broke the ice cream vendors box! Guerrero is such a great talent. Magica may not have been on his level, but was no slouch and performed very well. All the dives and near falls you could hope for in the tercera. And a satisfying moment as Damian wins the CMLL Minis title, his biggest triumph to date.
  24. Zenjo
    An undiscovered gem for me. A really fresh and lively feel to proceedings. The crowd were responding like 'I can't believe I'm seeing a big star like the Macho Man on a free show'. Savage could still go and Arn also impressed. They combined well together. Good action throughout with a purposeful approach. A little outside interference, but it wasn't a problem. The 15m draw was telegraphed before Savage pinned him at 15:20. I know Americans hate draws, but that's a bizarre stipulation.
  25. Zenjo
    The first Broadway of the year, and it did feel like an hour. They set out their stall with a sensibly paced opening. Credit to the fans who were with them from start to finish. It would've been tough going without them. The lack of matwork in the Kings Road style was a definite drawback when going this length. Both did a fair bit of damage to the others knee, but it's never going to lead to a submission. There were surprisingly few near falls. The first close call wasn't until the final quarter. I felt like it needed a more sharply focused theme and segmentation, a clearer plan of what was going to happen when. It drifted a fair bit. I appreciated the physical effort and it was a good match. Were it a one off idea I'd probably be more positive towards it. I've never been able to make it through the rematch in '96.
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