WingedEagle

Always a name that's intrigued me. I'm not referencing the list of who's in while posting this, but what's the case *against* Jarrett as opposed to other territorial promoters who are in?

It was a shoot. He was working to have a bunch of talent jump to WCW.

May have been better? Will absolutely be checking that out tomorrow afternoon. I assume I'll track them down on youtube and go chronologically unless there's something else you think I should mix in there. OJ, thanks for the heads up about the prior matches. Will def look into those as well.

While they're not as extensive as what you're looking for, I think Meltzer did a pretty good bio on Rikidozn around the turn of the century under the premise that he was the most important wrestler of the 20th century. He also did a nice, albeit brief, history of NJ in one of the issues around the time of I believe the '96 G1. Hopefully someone else can point us towards something more detailed, but you can't go wrong with those.

Don't worry, they wrestle each other all the time and have been teasing a mask match for the past decade. Another of their matches will pop up eventually. Any in particular you'd recommend? Definitely want to check them out if they're even close to this one.

That's a shame. Seemed to set up Wagner/Terry and then a rematch of this classic.

It is my current MOTY even after watching Summerslam and the Lucero title matches. I tend to prefer lucha brawls over title matches so it got the nod for me. I can definitely see it, it really was that out of this world. The Summerslam matches win out for me because I watch the TV so I came into & out of them with more of an interest in the stakes, but this was on the same level as far as not giving you a second to turn your eyes away. What was the deal with the finish and what it was building?

I thought Flair was demanding a first class ticket to have it reopened.

I like the way you put that. You watch some guys and it looks like its completely effortless and that they're putting their all into everything they do. Others, they're on the clock.

Its not for everyone. I'm a pretty big sucker for it as well. Sometimes I'd rather do without it as I might get more out of other matches which, absent the context, stakes and background that contribute to that "big match" thing, offer something special in their own right. But it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes I need to give a damn going into it. But I'm definitely a tad envious of not having it count.

Check out Okada in the recent G1 match where he sells the leg to the point that he doesn't even make it across the ring after being whipped into the ropes. Sure, maybe he'll pull something out like a dropkick or other offense for the transition, but he's got to take back control at some point. I haven't noticed him ignoring bodypart work, and if anything, like NintendoLogic pointed out, he'll sometimes go overboard to get such work across. Goodhelmet, I'll try to check in later or tomorrow with some more thoughts on Tanahashi -- work & holidays for the next couple days will likely tie me up more than I'd like and almost certainly prevent me from rewatching some matches I'd like to. A few points for now: *Tremendous world title main event style match. I like a heavyweight who can sell a body part (the arm for Suzuki) bump his tail off (for Kojima, Okada & Ishii) in an effort to make any challenger look like a powerhouse, while also making anyone (Devitt, Karl Anderson) look like a credible opponent. * Big Spots -- he has his like anyone else, but in no way prostitutes them and saves them for moments in a match where they'll either mean something or allow for a block/reversal to set up a run for his opponent. * Offensive Diversity -- He'll bust out a variety of spots at different points in a match, employing aerial strikes, flying moves in & out of the ring, a couple suplexes he'll break out to great effect in setting up his closing stretch. I don't know what a properly executed dragon screw feels like, but he does a damn good job using it to the leg and arm and continuing to hone in on that body part with kicks and dropkicks (to the leg) or elbows and slams to the arm. * Charisma -- Maybe I'm alone, but having watched him in this many title matches and how he sells and works the long match (and yeah, its partly booking, but only so many guys can be booked to have the time and liberties associated with the top spot), but I think his facials, athleticism and ability to work through a long match is spectacular. They've got spots but aren't spotty. They've sometimes got wrestling, sometimes have flying, but aren't stereotypical to those styles. He's able to mix in a variety of spots and styles around opponents mentioned above who have different strengths, all the while building them up as as likely to take him down and keeping things interesting around selling, near falls and a smooth, exciting, usually hot finish with a ton of big moves and near falls. I like hot finishing stretches with false finishes. Those are good things. His strikes? Nothing special. I don't cringe when I see them for good or bad. They just don't stand out. If they were open hand strikes that missed by 6 inches and were repeatedly thrown, it just doesn't bother me. I love a great puncher and appreciate it when there's something excellent on that level going on. If its not that, its part of the match and not something that will likely add to or take away from my ability to enjoy the match.

Even Coppola had to leave some scenes on the cutting room floor.

Which match was that? 04/21/93 Taue & Fuchi & Ogawa vs Kawada & Kobashi & Kikuchi. Aired 05/09/93 in JIP form. Full version is on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EiixzcHsQw Gotta watch is eyes and expression closely in the post match as he's quick with it and doesn't make a production number over it. Taue is does try to get across in the post match their coming partnership, and is less subtle. Thanks. I'll definitely make a note to check that out when I get to that part of the '93 yearbook. Which if I'm lucky will be before the end of the year

Which match was that?