WingedEagle

This was fantastic. At least I've got the '91 linked to look forward to.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDAQtwIwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBvTNyKIGXiI&ei=Js3YVK3aAYaoNpKIg6AB&usg=AFQjCNGu_0YnwmC9nElgbWshOdPsJYWSfA&sig2=ky3aqbDqSfq99epcK5tgQw&bvm=bv.85464276,d.eXY

Is it available online?

Bruno wasn't someone I planned on looking at but the Baba match is on deck at some point as I feel like he deserves a spot based on the Destroyer match, Hansen feud and his role in many great tags and six mans. Pretty amazing what he did late career given his limitations. Parv, I hope Kobashi makes his way up your list but am optimistic as only being through '92 you haven't yet touched his peak runs, let alone anything from last decade. Pretty soon you'll be shedding tears and pumping your fist before missing moonsaults.

If the product is good I'm not really concerned with the ethnic, religious, economic or other social backgrounds of the performers. Ditto if it sucks. Entertain me.

2013 is the gut reaction because you're going to have TV's that feature Bryan and the Shield on a weekly basis. The quantity there is pretty great.

Agree, and agree. Sometimes its best when you do know what will happen -- see last year's Mania as an example -- but still have to wait for and watch it. It works similarly if you're watching something from years ago you've never seen and managed to avoid reading about. That's been the case for me watching a lot of the Japan 2000s matches. Familiar with some and what follows, but blind to others. Going in live or absent spoilers can provide a big edge. It won't make an inferior match better, but you can get more invested in it when you don't know what's coming.

Its been a few months since this idea and project were launched. If you've watched a decent amount of wrestling in that time you might have some new thoughts about your rankings or confirmed some initial ones. Any surprises as you've been watching? Who's moving up or falling down your list? Who's solidified their position? Who are you on the fence about? I'd love to hear some general thoughts as your list develops. On my end: Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi -- Pretty confident these three have solidified themselves as #1-3. Right now the order is Kobashi, MIsawa, Kawada. There's a lot of Flair I want to watch but am not sure if he or anyone can break into this club. Takayama -- Might have been best in the world during first half of the aughts . Not sure where that puts him on an all timers list, but he's going higher than he would've a few months ago. Daniel Bryan Danielson -- Lock for top 15. Joshi -- I thought Toyota would be among the select few who place for me and do fairly well. Its not going to happen. Between wanting to mute most of her matches and seeming to have only only one speed and style (albeit one that can really stand out) she won't be there. Mayumi Ozaki absolutely will. Not sure I have seen or even can see enough to put her there, but Shinobu Kandori wants in as well. Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart-- penciled HBK in as a top 10er early on and Hart as top 20. Thinking that could fall to top 30-40 for Michaels and lower for Hart, at best. Enjoying them as I go through yearbooks and network footage, but there's a difference between good or standing out in WWF versus standing out all time. Tommy Rich -- if I remember to watch enough of him he'll make it. If not he'll be a casualty due to lack of exposure. This is the type of sleazeball I like from the territories. Hopefully can come up with more.

I could very well see Arn ranking higher than anyone who doesn't have a singles MOTY candidate. No clue where he'll place for me, but what's not to love?

Shame on all of us for "hard times" not appearing until now. I actually had the opportunity to meet Dusty a few months back and asked him about this one. He said he went out there without a script and nothing planned other than to talk about Flair and build Starrcade. He went backstage and said something to the effect of "let me know if there are any tickets left." That Bockwinkel/Heenan promo was also great. Looked like something straight out of SNL with Bockwinkel having trouble trying not to laugh.

Probably also important to go with something quick rather than anything epic or that features a long build. Try some of the countdown shows on WWE Network. The production is great, there's not much downtime and enough action that its tough to lose much attention. Maybe see where that takes things?

Really enjoyed listening to this. I'm a sucker for anything that captures great moments like this. I've also been meaning to watch the full Final Conflict package on youtube and this was a great reminder to try and get to it this weekend. One thing that occurred to me listening to this is that unlike sports where your teams may be mired in terrible or mediocre seasons for years on end, we're all on team wrestling and will have a number of moments every year where we can feel a part of the home crowd during something awesome.

I can't imagine there's any reason for it other than trying to capitalize on a hot news story to grab a little attention. Its also a great use of the network. Highlighting things like this (and not replaying every one of them on tv) will hopefully make it seem like a must for fans.

Lots of interesting things here. Akiyama calling back to his neck work against Misawa from earlier in the year. Great suplexes all over the place. Awesome teasing of big moves that this crew pulls off better than anybody because of their history executing and defending them. If you were to write out all of the awesome spots and variety of offense here it would read like one hell of a classic. But the whole here was not as great as the sum of its parts. They'd focus on a body part for a bit and then abandon it. The biggest drag for me was that this went so incredibly long, and there was really no reason for it. Eventually Akiyama keys in on the lariat arm and this is actually sold for a while as the bout picked up some focus. Even the sleeper suplex felt like they hit it perfectly in stride and at a great point for a Kobashi comeback. The finishing stretch was money, with things spilling to the floor, the big moves you expect and those you were trained to watch for from the early NOAH shows like the guillotine. Then we get a Burning Hammer to finally give someone a big win over Akiyama after his early run through the top of the card. I really enjoyed this, but thought if they took out maybe 8-10 minutes and tightened up the strategy you would likely have a MOTYC. That said, we're picking warts on Miss America candidates. Or Miss Japan. ****

About halfway through and really enjoying this. Conversation just breezes by. This was the first I heard that Garvin was scheduled for Flair at Starrcade '86 until the Magnum injury. Has that been widely reported or written about elsewhere?

Basically my thoughts on this as well. The bulk is right in that **** range but beginning with the extended Nagata/Kawada sequence through the finish this all out glory with hate, heeling from Fuchi and great work of submissions without ever devolving into stalling. Definitely one I'll want to rewatch at the end to confirm its overall ranking. ****1/2

Right, I don't think it would matter if they had Sam Muchnick rise from the grave and run Raw from the Chase with the audience all classed up. Its rasslin. The end.

Does that really have to do with PG or not? Sounds like more of a question of demographics and the audience's income rather than an issue with content.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/why-well-never-stop-rooting-for-daniel-bryan-wrestlemania/

Love some interpromotional juniors. Makabe didn't get much ring time here but made the most of it as the Goliath of the match. Loved the NJPW team working quick tags while the Osaka crew would look for a numbers edge and then working submissions late. Good stuff throughout here, but they weren't about to blow things out given the main event. Not enough Makabe, but would've liked to see more matches between these squads. ***1/4

Goddamn these guys mean business, getting in each other's faces right away. Murakami looks ready to commit murder. I've yet to see a match where I don't love what he brings to the table. Granted, my exposure to him is limited, but thus far I like it all. There's tight leg work, striking that results in a bloody mouth and my favorite spot of the match which saw Murakami deliver this *awesome* stabbing kick over the barricade. The brawling through the crowd is so wild and violent. Just love it. Only complaint is it felt so short. But really, it may have lost something going much longer anyways. ***3/4

There were so many great, near classic moments in this. The high kick sending Tenryu off the apron to the floor. Tenryu pulling a Gran Torino and telling Kawada to get off his lawn with a a KO punch that puts Kawada down and sets up the finish. Before that, for whatever reason, perhaps expectations of seeing these two collide it never seemed to click as the classic you want. Which just means it was great rather than a MOTYC. They probably had to put Tenryu over decisively here as if you crown Kawada at this point you really don't have a credible challenger. At least this way you can pencil him in that slot, though I don't know if Muto & co. were in the fold yet. Really great action here, but somehow as good as it was you're left thinking it could've been more. ****

Posted it in the Current WWE thread, but I really like what they did last night. It should heat up Reigns as either a babyface or heel and is at worst a smart way of trying to pass him some of Bryan's momentum while also featuring Bryan. You can team them up leading into or even coming out of Fast Lane, and now have the ability to book Reigns in segments and matches without worrying that people will crap on it because its not Bryan. I don't know if it'll work but it makes a ton of sense.

Not sure if I'm in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Raw and what they set up for Fast Lane and Mania. We got a great Bryan/Rollins match, which gives us a main event at the PPV of Reigns vs. Bryan. I wanted a Bryan win at the Rumble and then facing Brock at Mania, but if that was chicken shit then I was pretty pleased with the chicken salad they delivered last night. Reigns' mic time was limited, that spear to the old man on the floor during the main event looked *great* and a hopefully convincing win over Bryan in a great match at the PPV will either give solidly establish him as a face heading in to Mania, or as someone the crowd absolutely hates and forces their hand to go heel with him. Either way the next 2 months at the top of the card look a lot more interesting than they did 8 days ago and I dig this path a lot more than the other options that looked available.

If I had to guess, I would say the announcement of Triple H Vs. Sting? I'm not sure...but I'm confident it will be something that does not have anything to do with Daniel Bryan. Could be nothing at all, and one big dumb gag like addressing Axel never entering the Rumble. But I'm sure they won't "announce" anything RE Sting until at least Fast Lane as they're trying to sell that show around his appearance and confrontation with Hunter.