Exposer

Yokozuna & Ahmed Johnson vs. New Rockers (5/9/96 Kuwait) This is joined in progress but Yoko looked really good in this even as his weight problems were extremely evident. The video came in when Yoko got tagged into the match and Marty and Cassidy did this really fun sequence with trying to knock Yoko down. Yoko just stood there as Marty and Cassidy bounced off of him. He then gave them a double clothesline and sent both of them to the floor before slingshot them back into the ring. Ahmed got tagged in and he did a comedy spot with Marty before getting double teamed for a minute. He ended up making the hot tag to Yoko and Yoko cleaned house with big chops. Marty got sent to the floor and Ahmed gave Cassidy the Pearl River Plunge. Yoko won the match for his team with the Banzai drop on Cassidy. This was a fun five minutes and Yoko looked great in this setting as the big face that nobody get knock down. This just shows that Yoko could still bring the goods in certain settings even as his limitations grew more and more due to his weight problems.

Yokozuna vs. Mr. Perfect (WWF Coliseum Home Video 10/19/93) I was excited to see this because I was wondering if these two ever got to work a match together. After watching it I realized how athletic Yoko was because he was bumping all over the place, running the ropes, and changing up his offense too. This of course was much earlier into his WWF career but he was incredibly agile for his size. The match starts with Yoko trying to sneak attack Perfect with a splash but Curt moves out of the way and Yoko takes a big bump into the corner. They then do this tremendously fast paced sequence where Yoko keeps up remarkably well and he ends up missing a big elbow drop resulting in another big bump and then getting drop kicked to through the ropes in yet another huge bump. That was three massive bumps from Yoko in about fifteen seconds. That was a tremendous opening sequence. Yoko does “stumble” into the ring post long after the sequence had finished which I thought was silly but that was really the only mark I can take off for this match. Yoko is pissed and talks strategy with Fuji because he realizes he can’t keep up with that pace for too long. As he’s strategizing, Hennig lifts the second rope under Yoko and crotches him. Yoko sells is greatly by sort of hopping around and making a great facial expression. Curt throws some big punches and goes for another dropkick but Yoko stumbles back from the punches and Curt misses it. That was awesome as Yoko sold the punches but his stumbling ended up causing Curt to miss the dropkick. Yoko takes control now with a big chop and clothesline. Curt bumps big for him here too. Yoko goes for his nerve hold here. Curt ends up pulling his ponytail over his face so Yoko has to release the hold and ends up choking Hennig instead. Yoko changes up his offense here and relies on his strikes more. He hits a couple of really big chops and they have a really nice sequence with Curt on the apron. Yoko smashes his head on the turnbuckle but Curt counters the second attempt and smashes Yoko’s head into it. However, Yoko catches Curt with a big throat thrust in a perfectly timed cut off. That ruled. They take it back into the ring where Yoko pounds on Curt in the corner. He goes for another charge and misses again taking another big bump and Curt gets his big comeback. Curt hits Yoko with several punches then goes to the second rope and hits a flying clothesline which takes Yoko down. That was another awesome bump from Yoko. He’s been tremendous in this match. Curt is really getting on a role and goes to another corner to set something else up but Fuji grabs his leg and that distracts Curt for a big avalanche from Yoko to his back in the corner. Yoko then hits Curt with another throat thrust and nails the Banzai drop for the win. This was a fucking awesome Yoko performance. I think this match is a really great example of how Yoko could change up his offense and heat section and work some different sequences. It shows that Yoko didn't work the same match over and over again and that he could tweak his formula and works it in different ways. This is the best example that I've seen of that so far.

Yokozuna vs. Razor Ramon (WWF Coliseum Home Video 5/24/94) We go back a few years here to when Yoko could go a little longer. This match is a fresh match up and something I was interested in seeing. Yoko attacks Razor from behind due to a Fuji distraction and takes him down with a clothesline. That seems to be a regular beginning to Yoko matches on Coliseum Video because that’s happened pretty much every CHV match I’ve watched of Yoko’s so far. Razor fights back quickly though and his Yoko with some big punches then nails him with a discus punch that sends Yoko through the ropes and to the floor. That bump was always one of him more impressive bumps because it’s a guy who’s well over 500 pounds taking a bump through the ropes like that. It probably isn’t as dangerous as it looks but it he definitely made it look dangerous. Yoko is frustrated a little bit and Razor follows after him on the floor. Cornette leaves his racket on the apron for Yoko and Yoko uses it on Razor with a couple of shots to the head and body. Yoko takes control and does his thing here. When Yoko’s on offense it’s all very basic because of his obvious limitations but it all works and makes sense. He puts in his signature nerve hold but it always looks believable because of Yoko’s weight. The stuff they work around it is really good. Yoko hits his big leg drop which always looks great and catches Razor on a comeback with a beautifully timed elbow. Yoko goes for a big splash but misses and takes a great bump off it. The crowd is really into it now and we get a great sequence where Razor nearly takes Yoko off his feet with some big punches and gets him to the corner with a big flurry but Yoko catches him with a throat thrust. That was awesome timing there. Yoko bites Razor’s head which was cool then goes for some punches but Razor blocks them and then we get the awesome wobble selling from Yoko. Razor hits three big clotheslines before knocking him down then signals for the Razor’s Edge. He actually tries for it and as he’s about to lift him, Crush comes out and attacks him from behind resulting in a disqualification. Luger comes out and saves Razor to even the odds. This was a really well worked match I thought. Yoko’s heat section was strong again and the last couple of minutes had some great exchanges and very well timed spots from Yoko. I think this match is another good example of Yoko excelling within his limitations. It’s not a great match but it’s a perfectly solid one and it fits Yoko really well.

Yokozuna vs. Vader (Raw 4/8/96) Yoko has clearly gained weight in the few years he’s been in the company. He looks enormous here. The two start with the face off. Vader then slaps the shit out of Yoko. Yoko retaliates with a really nasty slap himself. Then Yoko throws some big punches and catches Vader off the ropes with a Samoan drop. Vader gets back up and clotheslines Yoko to the mat. Vader pounds on Yoko in the corner for a minute but then Yoko regains the advantage with a variation of the rock bottom and hits a big leg drop. Yoko is still good at selling here as he continues to sell Vader’s beating. Yoko goes for a corner splash but Vader moves and Yoko crashes to the mat. Cornette ends up holding Yoko’s leg on the bottom rope and Vader gives the leg a Vader bomb then gets disqualified for it. Yoko screams in pain and Vader does it a few more times until he is run off by officials. Yoko is screaming in agony here and the medics have to take him out on a forklift. Vader attacks Yoko backstage by the ambulance and beats his leg up with a chair while it’s in a splint. Vader talks shit, taunts, and leaves then Yoko gets pissed and throws a giant piece of wood at the camera. This was not really a match that we can point to at all because it’s really just an angle. Yoko was clearly on the decline though and his weight was becoming a major problem. I’m not sure how many great Yoko performances we’re going to be able to find between 96 and 98. I don’t think very many. EDIT: Yoko didn't even make it past 96 in his WWF career because of his weight problems. He was still employed until 98 but didn't show up after late 96, early 97.

Yokozuna vs. 1-2-3 Kid (WWF Coliseum Home Video 5/25/94) Here is an interesting match-up as it’s a much smaller guy up against Yoko. I wondered how they were going to work this before it started. By the end of it I really liked how they did it. Kid tries to uses his speed to his advantage at the get go but is hesitant because he doesn’t want to get wiped out early. He makes a mistake by running the ropes and just gets falls right away from a shoulder tackle by Yoko. Kid recuperates and slides under Yoko then starts throwing kicks all over the place. He hits Yoko in the arms, chest, stomach, and eventually head. Yoko wobbles and can‘t keep up with the educated feet and tumbles through the ropes and to the floor for a big pop. Kid’s found his game plan now and keeps at it for the remainder of the match. Yoko is really frustrated and shocked. His reaction is great here and it creates doubt for Yoko throughout the match. Yoko stops Kid’s next flurry with a thrust and puts his knee into his back while on the ropes. Yoko then tosses him to the floor where Kid takes a great back bump. We actually have ourselves a nice little King of the Mountain spot here with Yoko keeping Kid at bay on the floor. Yoko lays in a nice club to Kid’s spine and sends him on the apron. Kid retaliates though and comes back with a shoulder to Yoko’s gut and returns to the ring with an assortment of kicks. Again, Yoko can’t figure out what to do with Kid and his quick feet and is in trouble again. He is able to get back on offense briefly before Kid uses his feet again to gain the advantage. Yoko does his teeter selling excellently here and Kid goes up tope for a high cross body but it turns out to be a grave mistake and Yoko catches and absolutely crushes him with a belly-to-belly slam for the win. That was a truly awesome finish and a really good match too. It exposed a weakness of Yoko’s and his opponent didn’t stick with it and took too many risks and it cost him.

Yokozuna vs. Jim Duggan (Global Warfare 4/8/93) This was Yoko’s first big feud in the WWF and I think it’s a really underrated one. The segment on Superstars where Duggan knocks him down is classic and the events afterwards are what really made Yoko come across as a dangerous threat. Duggan is pretty hyped to start this thing and Yoko is relaxed and calm as Heenan points out which I think is important to the match’s story. Duggan wins the opening exchange and then tries to use the 2X4 but the ref grabs it. However, this results in Yoko taking the advantage. Yoko’s timing is off the charts here as well and really puts on a great performance with it. Duggan’s big clubbing punches got over huge and Yoko does a tremendous job of selling each blow. His positioning is outstanding though and he’s able to get in a really awesome cut off with a jab to Duggan’s throat. It was one of the better timed cut offs I’ve ever seen. This same sequence happens again but in a different part of the ring and that allows Yoko to get his jab from a different angle which looked great. It’s important to remember that the key to Duggan’s strategy is getting Yoko off his feet and then going from there. He uses his enthusiasm and crowd support to try and get there. Yoko sort of has tunnel vision and is only there to simply get the job done. It’s almost as if Duggan only wants to knock Yoko off of his feet whereas Yoko wants to defeat and hurt Duggan. They position themselves in the center of the ring and we get a bear hug from Yoko but it has some really unique hope spots with it like Duggan just clubbing Yoko in the head to try and get out. I loved Duggan’s facial expressions throughout the bear hug. He was tremendous here. His recovery is awesome to watch and the moment he puts his thumb up the fans erupt. Duggan breaks the hold and starts wailing away at Yoko. Yoko starts to stumble and wobble. Duggan runs the ropes and hits a couple of big clotheslines. The last one is successful and Yoko does his phenomenal teeter selling and crashes to the mat. The fans go crazy and Duggan goes to the corner and sets up for his corner charge. That proved to be a mistake as Fuji grabbed his leg which distracted Duggan and Yoko literally crushes his comeback with a splash to the back in the corner. Duggan wobbles and Yoko throws another thrust to the throat which was cool as it goes back to his cut offs earlier in the match. Yoko hits the Bonzai drop and definitively wins this one. It was an awesome match of dynamics. Duggan was there to knock Yoko off his feet. He makes a mistake by not capitalizing when he finally did and going after him while he was already down. Yoko was there to simply beat Duggan. They both had confidence and both succeeded. Yoko was just the one who got the victory.

Yokozuna vs. Tatanka (WWF Coliseum Home Video 1/12/94) The previous match was non-title but this one was for the gold. This match is a few months earlier and might be the first encounter between these two since Yoko put Tatanka out of action with the Bonzai drop. Tatanka gets things started right off the bat by charging the ring and throwing his fists at Yoko. The crowd was hot for this as Tatanka started to throw his tomahawk chops. Yoko caught with a big clothesline though and took control from there. They ended up doing a similar sequence to the later match where both guys go for big moves on the mat but they each move out of the way. Tatanka decides to go with a headlock instead of a high impact move though which was questionable. Gorilla called him out on it too but it’s fucking Gorilla and he’s an asshole. Yoko is really great on timing cut offs and it shows here with his back elbow and later clothesline that both look really impactful too. Yoko gets on offense after the back elbow and does his usual nerve hold but makes things a little bit more interesting by punching the nerve a few times in between the hold. The hope spots surrounding this are nice and Yoko looks great timing all of them. Tatanka’s big comeback isn’t quite as good as the later match but he does get a huge pop when he takes Yoko down with the top rope tomahawk chop. Fuji gets involved though and distracts the ref long enough to allow Yoko to recover and whack Tatanka with the oaken bucket of salt which leads to a disqualification and win for Tatanka. Yoko tries to put Tatanka out of action again in the post-match but Savage makes the save and knocks Yoko on his ass and sends him packing. This wasn’t as good as the later much because it didn’t have quite as much time to develop. There were a few tweaks in it that made it different too but I think for the worse rather than the better. It was still a really solid match though and is great example of Yoko’s strengths in the ring.

Awesome Matt. I'll watch the Duggan match later tonight and post my thoughts. Most definitely add your thoughts on his stuff from 94 here.

Yoko had limitations but he is someone who I have always wanted to explore in full. He was impressively agile for his size and weight. I’ve often thought he was one of the better big man sellers in wrestling and his teetering act was great every time. During the height of his career he had lots of interesting match-ups with guys like Bret, Taker, Savage, Duggan, Hogan, and was in a tag team with Owen for a long time. I’ve decided to go back and look at some of these matches and get a better look at Yoko’s work. He’s always struck me as someone who has had a decent body of work for what he could do. Yokozuna vs. Tatanka (March to WrestleMania X 2/23/94) I was expecting something watchable coming into this match. I came out seeing something more than that. There are problems with this but those problems come from everything around the match. The commentary is distracting at times. Johnny Polo is doing color with Vince and has a sound machine that he plays after every one of his terrible jokes. There is a commercial interruption in here too which hurts the flow a little bit. The match itself starts with Fuji stirring shit up on the outside and causing Tatanka to go over to the apron and deal with him. Yoko attacks him from behind and we get the match going from there. Cornette is in Yoko’s corner too so he’s out there getting into it with fans which helps build the heat up. Anyways, Yoko doesn’t have control for long as Tatanka gets a house of fire early and lays in his signature tomahawk chops. The crowd is off the charts for this and really hates Yoko by this point. That’s a testament to the booking of Yoko over the course of the previous year which was really brilliant. They go into this back and forth exchange where they both miss big mat moves and the sequence ends great with Yoko missing a standing splash and Tatanka hitting a tremendous top rope cross body for a near fall. The crowd exploded throughout this and really enhanced the sequence too. I thought that was a hell of a way to start this match. It exposes Yoko’s weaknesses early and gives the fans a reason to care even more about this one. Tatanka loses the control after the big opening sequence pretty quickly and Yoko sends him to the floor where Tatanka makes a nice thud on the ground. The commercial interruption happens it which is a shame because we have to miss the early moments of the heat segment but when we return Yoko give Tatanka an excellent body slam that was really impactful. Yoko goes to his normal base here which was the never hold but I think it fit him well considering his limitations and the fact that he weighs so much. That gives the illusion that all of his weight is pressed onto his opponent’s neck and upper back. They do some really nice work around the hold and most of it being hope spots. The crowd’s intensity helps this out a lot but each comeback is timed very well. Yoko ends the comebacks with a knee to the gut and an awesome clothesline. I do question the “U.S.A” chants for Tatanka as he’s a Native American and all of his ancestors were killed and relocated into segregated “reservations” in a massive invasive genocide by the United States of America but I digress. I suppose one could argue those chants are aimed towards Yoko and not for Tatanka. Tatanka’s eventually big comeback is excellent. His opening is a giant head smash into the top turnbuckle that was exposed earlier by Yoko. Yoko does his tremendous teetering sell and lands on his ass to an enormous eruption from the crowd. We get a ten count going and both guys get back up. Tatanka brings back his tomahawk chops to the mix and hits a big one from the top rope which allows us to see another incredible teeter sell by Yoko and his falls on his ass again. Tatanka gets an awesome near fall from that. However, he gets over confident and tries for his Samoan drop move but obviously Yoko’s too damn heavy for that so Tatanka changes his mind and goes to the ropes for something else. Yoko catches him off the ropes though and plants him with a nice belly-to-belly suplex. Yoko continues to sell the ass whooping he got a minute earlier which was great attention to detail and drags the prone Tatanka to the corner. Yoko hits the Bonzai drop and decisively gets the win. It was a really impressively worked match by both parties here I thought. Yoko looked especially good with some magnificent facial expressions and selling. The match was structurally strong and builds really nicely. I think it did what it was set out to do and that was to show Yoko had vulnerabilities but also make him look strong for Mania.

To be fair, I do think Ambrose can be over the top at times. It bothers me every now and then but not enough to really annoy me. I didn't even notice the hands thing until Matt brought it up actually. I had to think about it. I do think he's really awesome most of the time and he's my favorite guy to watch from the group. I like Reigns a lot too.

I have no clue why that bothers people. I think it's a distinct, neat part of his act I don't buy it. It comes off as him trying to come up with a distinct, neat part for his act instead of actually being a distinct, neat part of his act. Says the guy who thinks Bill Eadie somehow makes a headlock more interesting......

It was a great segment overall. The closing was really good. I thought the triple powerbomd looked brutal as hell. Taker bounced through the table instead of just going through it. Ambrose is awesome. He was great tonight.

Stemming from Matt's post. Let's categorize this if we want as well: Best varied offense? Best focused offense? Best offense that fits character? Offense that looks most believable? Most innovative offense? Discuss them all. I'll put up a list a little later.

Let's discuss all of it! But that is a great question.

I agree with Dylan. Let's have a "Best Offensive Wrestlers of All Time" thread. There's a lot of guys who've had great offense over the years: Vader, Yatsu, Kobashi, Eddie, etc. Let's bring that talk here.

I'm only posting anything just to get to my 1000th post and to finally realize what I've been doing for the last year.....

I think he may be referring to the TLC match with Edge on Raw in early 06. I also think he may be confusing Flair with Lawler as far as Miz goes.

I'm not defending the logic of the parking space match last night but WWE has also had matches occur due to disagreements in film and the proper pronunciation of a pronoun. It's been pretty silly before.

Jeff Hardy vs. Undertaker (Ladder Match WWE Raw 7/1/02) This is for Taker's Undisputed Title. It has a bit of a slow start to it but in the end it turns out to be a really good "Kid vs. Veteran" survival match. There are some tremendous moments in this including Hardy getting a brutal chair shot to Taker's skull and climbing to the top of the ladder with the crowd losing their shit and JR losing his voice. I liked Jeff starting the match out by playing mind games with Taker and using the ladder to his advantage. This ends up being a really methodically paced beat down on Jeff from Taker which includes Taker presumably having the match won but then continues the beating. The comebacks in this are strung together really well from Jeff and I thought the strike exchange he had with Taker in one of them was fucking awesome as the crowd suddenly started pumping their fist and going nuts at Jeff's comeback. The finish is definitive but great. The post-match might be cheesy for some but I liked the point it made. Jim Ross was outstanding in this putting over the match big time. Yeah, I really liked this a lot even on third or fourth watch. This match is also a great example of highlighting all of Jeff's strengths which is selling, comebacks, how he connects with the crowd, and high spots.

I think it's clearly a dangerous move. Running full speed and slamming your knees into someone seems a bit dangerous. I mean sure, there are moves that are more dangerous like head dropping suplexes and flying headbutts but I couldn't imagine doing that all the time wouldn't cause some risks. We should all try that move and see for ourselves if we're really going to argue over this.

Actually, I'll dial back and pretty much agree with this. It's a tool. Blood's a tool. Headdroppy offense is a tool. Legwork is a tool. Selling is a tool. Facial expressions are a tool. Jawing with the crowd is a tool. Wonky no-selling can be a tool. Stiffness is a tool. It's just not a tool I tend to care for relative to the other tools available. That's subjective. Objectively, it's a tool and like anything else, what really matters how it's used. It's just sure as hell not an end in and of itself. It's a means. Like any of the other tools listed. I think it's a terribly uninteresting tool. This clears up my bit from earlier. I thought that's what you've always been saying.

That's surprising. I wouldn't discount what he said there but that move just looks brutal every time and it seems like something that would hurt the guy doing the move over the long haul.

More Jeff Hardy match reviews!!!! If anyone cares..... Jeff Hardy vs. Mark Henry – (WWF Jakked??? 1998???) This was a fine little squash match. Mark is even good in 1998. I’d really like to explore his late 90s stuff. He trash talks during Jeff’s selling, has great offense, and does a solid job of knowing when to give and when to take. As an aside, D-Lo is an amusing second for Mark. Anyways, this is supposed to be Jeff Hardy talk so I will say he did a strong selling job and took D-Lo’s punches on the floor really well. Of course, his bumping was pretty rad too. I enjoyed this a good bit for a squash match. Jeff Hardy vs. Rock – (WWE Raw 4/7/03) I thought Jeff was pretty bad in this. Rock was outstanding. Jeff’s crossbody and follow up punches sucked. Rock’s heeling was tremendous in this. I liked the idea of Jeff mocking Rock with the his version of the People’s Elbow and then landing the Swanton Bomb for a near fall but it was too sloppy in execution for me to really enjoy it. Rock laid waste to Jeff with a DDT and Rock Bottom after the teased Jeff win then tossed him to the floor where Jeff took the most “I don’t give a shit anymore” bump. Yeah, Jeff was pretty terrible in this for the most part. This was during one of those periods where he was upset about his value in the company and what not. He couldn’t care less. Jeff Hardy vs. Finlay – (SD! 11/16/07) Jeff has a much different attitude here and he’s working against Finlay. That equals a good match. Finlay fucking ruled in this. I loved him selling his face after Jeff got him on a body press on the floor. The transition into the heat segment was nasty as Jeff seemed to legit hurt his shoulder after ramming it into the ring post on a missed charge. Finlay was awesome as hell on offense here. His base was a rear chinlock but motherfucker can Fit Finlay put in a good rear chinlock. All his offense around it was incredibly brutal. He hit a couple of clotheslines that were full force with as much impact as possible. Jeff is good at selling so the crowd was naturally into it and of course this was during the period where Jeff was becoming one of the biggest stars in wrestling so there’s that too. The finish of this sucked but I liked Finlay’s obscure way of taking Jeff’s obscure offense in the comeback section. It fit perfectly actually. I enjoyed Fit’s bump to the floor as well in the post-match. This was all good fun and a nice little match to boot but too bad it had a shitty finish because it could have been a really good one if given five more minutes.

The ECW Originals (RVD, Sabu, Sandman, & Tommy Dreamer) vs. The New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Matt Striker, & Marcus Cor Von) (Extreme Rules Match 4/3/07) This is the re-match right after Mania 23. The entrances are funny because when the New Breed comes out Elijah Burke is first and then is followed by a vampire, a school teacher, and an alpha male from the Serengeti. Dreamer always seems too big for his pants. It's like he never goes to the fitting room. The entrances followed by the commercial interruption and the show returning with the match joined in progress was frustrating. I really don't like when that's done. It always leaves me wondering how the match started. I laughed that they were working this like a tag match for twenty seconds then just decided to break loose and brawl with weapons for the remainder of the match. I guess that means I didn't miss much at all during the break. Sandman's dive was appropriately shitty. It looked like he gave Striker a slow motion flying hug. Sabu's dive was appropriately reckless with chair assistance and all. After the dive sequence the weapons came out. I liked the mini-face-in-peril section with the New Breed all just wailing away at Tommy. Some of the shots looked bad, others looked good. I just liked the idea of having a mini-face-in-peril section during a chaotic brawl. Cor Von's mannerisms in this were tremendous. At one point he gives Dreamer a spinning back suplex onto a chair which looked really nasty. He then vigorously gyrated before being attacked by some form of weaponry. Later, he pounced Sandman in a tremendous visual as it's Monty Brown pouncing Sandman for God's sake. He once again gave an enthusiastic jig with a hilarious facial expression before getting whacked hard by too chair shots. RVD and Thorn's exchange wasn't particularly good. It wasn't awful but it was a countering exchange in a brawl that felt more appropriate for a standard match. It was sloppy too but it's a brawl and I can live with that. I just wasn't too fond of the idea of that type of exchange between those two guys in this type of match. The double top rope splash/leg drop combo onto Thorn threw a table was nice. Table breaking is always fun in these kinds of settings. For the finale, we have Burke doing a full speed track sprint knee first into Sabu threw a table set up in the corner. Now that was idiotic and incredibly brutal. I forget that Burke did the Elijah Express in every match and it's bad enough doing it that much and leading to higher risk of knee damage but my God that was innately stupid. Of course, at the same time it's an awesome finish to a match. Overall, this was a little disappointing on the second or third viewing or how ever many times I've watched this. It's definitely a fun match and worth taking a look at but I'm not sure how well it would hold up to all the other great matches this program produced.

http://www.dailymotion.com/user/theunderta.../9#video=x72vhc If this is the right match, here it is JIP. This is minus the opening minute or so before a commercial interruption. This is the October match. I'm thinking it's the right one because I know they had a little feud going on.