Superstar Sleeze

I just bought tickets for Evolve 75! Anybody else going?

#125 - Shawn vs Razor II, awesome match. I have this as a Top Five WWF match of the decade. Finish is only thing holding it back. That's the problem in a lot of Shawn matches #124 - I need to rewatch this. I thought this was outstanding dripping with all the emotion of Flair as a babyface in Charlotte recapturing the magic of 1983 one more time against the Mastadon, Vader. But some people don't like it. Hmmmmph. #123 - Misawa/Kobashi pose a great question "What if Misawa had no elbow to make a comeback?" Unfortunately they don't answer it as it is business as usual down the stretch. A classic, but could have been so much more. #122 - I known I have seen Liger vs Benoit but it was pre-2007, need to rewatch #121 - M-Pro seems lke fun #120 - Loved this match. Rewatched it and it lost some luster. The finish is still one of the best finishes of all time, but I thought the match lacked struggle overall. #119 - LOVE THIS MATCH! I am like crazy super high on Doc/Misawa. I think this would make my top ten 90s AJPW matches if not my top 5. Misawa trying to contain the explosiveness of peak Doc is so dramatic and is a losing proposition. #118 - An AJPW six man I need to revisit #117 - Watched this recently definitely better than Kawada's first title victory. Kawada wrestles the majority of the match with a broken freakin arm after a freak accident off a routine Tiger Driver of all things. GANSO BOMB is still fucking crazy #116 - Kong & Bison vs Bull & Grizzly. I don't know Joshi, but I think that's all you need to know. This is like Creature from the Black Lagoon &The Mummy taking on Dracula & Frankenstein. #115 - THUNDERCATS HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! #114 - Ishikawa vs Ikeda cant go wrong #113 - I wish Bischoff brought the RINGS guys to WCW. Dusty Rhodes calling this action I would have been a riot. Everything would be an "uncler". Human pretzel making. The first RINGS match I have ever seen and I want to see more! That figure-4 Han applies in the beginning is amazing, loved the counter to the rear naked choke and then Han gets Koshaka to tap in a pretzel of his own making. #112 - BatBat BayBay #111 - Carnival '95 is tremendous watch it #110 - So there is a good Hakushi match. I will need to check this out #109 - NJPW juniors prove they can still deliver classics late in the decade #108 - AJPW 1996 tag team action was so good. Need to revisit #107 - Han in 1992 is that beginning of his Reign of Terror? #106 - So close, yet so far! This would make my Top 100 greatest matches of all time and damn if it is not my favorite. Chicken soup for the Wrestling Fan's Soul. #105 - I saw this once. I don't remember much, should give it another chance #104 - I stopped my FMW exploration, need to give it another shot. #103 - Ooooooo I may be eating my words about Gannosuke & Tanaka as best use of heel ref because Vince McMahon in Austin/Dude Love is great. I have been watching all the RAWs and May was really the peak of Austin/McMahon. This might be the match that finally gets me to sit down and make a list because I don't think I would have it this high, but maybe I would. #102 - Atlantis vs Blue Panther in 91 didn't they just wrestle? Crazy. #101 - I was going to blow this match off, but now that you ranked it number 101 I gotta watch it!

#150 - One of the big finds of the Yearbook projects. Need to check out this Waltman match #149 - Once I get through the big AAA stuff, Im coming for you, El Dandy #148 - Mr. Gannosuke is awesome. He was great in one Hayabusa match, but Hayabusa was so-so. This is about a year after the one I saw, I'll check it out. #147- Volk Han gives us a badass match for a Christmas present against Mitsuya Nagai #146 - Ultimo Dragon is one of the rare wrestlers to have a Top 500 match in US, Japan and Mexico in the 90s #145 - It is the last hurrah in the RWTL for Jumbo as he and Taue take on Misawa and Kawada #144 - Hmmmmm maybe I should check out Santo before Dandy #143 - Great draw. I agree the '95 draw is a smidge better #142 - Lots of Luchadors. Hey Satanico in 1999! #141 - The greatest heavyweight vs junior heavyweight match in not a David vs Goliath sense, but in a real technical sense of the challenges Liger has to face against the much bigger Hashimoto. Love this match! #140 - Two luchadors I have never heard of. Need to educate myself #139 - Misawa/Kawada is known for 6/3/94, but there is a lot more meat to the rivalry. Kawada is laser focused on the injured eye and this a compelling action packed match. Tough to say, but I think this would be higher for me. #138 - Nice placement for Rumble '92. This is the only Rumble I have watched multiple times. A testament to Ric Flair's greatness and just how many wrestler's careers he has touched because with each entry, you are like oh shit that used to be Flair tag partner in Mid-Atlantic or Oh shit they sold out Dallas-Fort Worth area. Just a really cool match #137 - The only Misawa/Kobashi vs Holy Demon Army match I have not watched 10/15/95 #136 - Tamura's 98 and 99 I need to see #135 - Hey Octagon had a great match. Everybody seems to shit on him. Why? #134 - I saw this last week, but have not written a review. Probably the greatest use of a heel ref ever. Mr Gannosuke and Masato Tanaka tore it down in a really fun match #133 - WOAH! HOLY LOWBALL! Enforcers vs Steamboat/Dustin. What happened here? I would call this the perfect Southern tag. #132 - Oh Hell Yeah!!! DDP killed it in 1998 and 1999. People don't talk enough about it. This match with Sting was the perfect Clash of the Titans. Something I am very high. Happy with such a high ranking. # 131 - OH WHATTA DREAM RUSHHHHHHHHHHH!!! #130 - I found this online, should be able to get to it sometime this week #129 - MIDGET MADNESS! #128 - An all time great firework, summer blockbuster spotfest. I don't think I would go quite this high. Lacked that narrative and selling #127 - I honestly think the Sting/Vader trilogy would make my Top 100 of all time. #126 - Santo, Casas and Dandy!

I am confused in the run up to this Bart Gunn was working angles with Vader and Godfather. They seemed to be adapting to the idea Bart was going to win this tournament. The Bart/Godfather shoot fight was actually pretty good and Bart totally KO'd him. This match was fun to see Bradshaw humbled by Bart. Why did they not capitalize on Bart's victory? I mean even if it was not the person they wanted. He still had some momentum because at least he was KO'ing people so it was cooler than the other contests. I checked out his Cagematch and he was off to All Japan soon after. Weird.

Kane vs Mankind - WWF RAW 8/24/98 Hell In A Cell Match It has been a long, twisting, convoluted road to get here, but I will say destination was a good one so even if the journey could have been better handled it was worth it. Basically, Kane and Undertaker are aligned; Austin is fucked because now the Brothers of Destruction are together; Vince is happy to have these two monsters to finally vanquish Texas Rattlesnake. Mankind feels like he is twisting in the wind and completely betrayed. This is the catalyst for the super likeable Mankind character that trusts Vince and only Vince only to finally be betrayed by him at Survivor Series and finally launches Mankind into the feel good story of the Attitude Era. The match is actually really friggin good. Maybe this is the best singles Kane match ever??? It is a short list. Mankind is a man possessed and is pissed at being spiked Tombstone at the top of the show and being betrayed. He wants to start on top and has to deck some officials. He slams the cage door on Kane's face in a violent spot. He tries to get a chair up top but it keeps being rejected almost hits King. They do a smaller bump from the middle of the Cell with Taker chucking him off through a table. Damn! Kane has an excellent heat segment. Just really kicks Mankind's ass. I love the crazy SUICIDE DIVE OVER THE TOP BY KANE!!! Never seen that before. Totally wiped out Mankind. Some really strong hope spots from Mankind with chair, tacks and Claw and piledriver. Kane that really beats the shit out of Mankind with chairs, chokeslams and Tombstones. Now Austin comes from under the ring. The hook of the show is Austin promised to take out one of the Brothers of Destruction before the end of the show. He opens up a Can of Whoop Ass on Kane while Undertaker is forced to watch due to being locked out. So he does the reasonable thing and climbs the structure. He does manage to break through the ceiling OW! But Vince raises the Cell which is explained by him not wanting to hurt his Summerslam Main Event. Austin destroys Kane with Stunners and chair shots. After the commercial, Kane is bleeding at the hairline and Undertaker swears revenge before the night is over. Excellent segment. Best since about June. July and August has been overly convoluted and not much advancement and blurred motivations. This cemented the realignment and was great. I am excited going into Summerslam 1998. Kane and Mankind kicked ass just a violent hateful match between these and they are the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! ***1/2

We roll on as DOA vs Farooq & Scorpio is on my screen. This is not making the Top 500 of the 90s #175 - Way overrated. Fun spotfest that Rey Rey, Psicosis, Dragon on the US Radar, but I did not think this was that super great. #174 - Aja Kong sounds like something Id like. #172 - NJPW vs M-Pro?!?!?! #172 - Surprisingly I don't think I have seen this #171 - Flair vs Bret 1 hour in Boston...how have I not seen this!!! #170 - Need to see SMW! #169 - You could argue this is the most important match ever. Misawa vs Jumbo. The match that started it all! #168 - Han/Tamura, definitely need to see this #167 - Atlantis vs Blue Panther sounds classic #166 - Was holding out for Hash/Tenryu to make Top 100, but 90s are just that deep #165 - Don't know who El Mariachi is #164 - Fujita vs Frye has to be the most overachieving match of the 90s based on paper expectations #163 - I have seen this Han/Tamura I, but didn't write up a review great match. #162 - Liked this (Misawa/Kobashi, 10/97) didn't love it. Thought it was lacking a strong narrative $161 - Boooooooo Joshi without a call Card Name #160 - Maeda in a great match as late as 1998 surprise me #159 - Have heard better Joshi card names. They are slipping #158 - Oooooooo love me some Minoru Tanaka and Taka Michino-clue (best Lawler 98 joke ever) in BatBat sounds interesting #157 - Rey Rey vs Juvy down in Mexico, def will be some of the first Lucha I check out. #156 - Good place probably me to start to see if Kanemoto is great #155 - More M-Pro. Kaientai is about to take on Val Venis is a gauntlet match. Wonder where that will land on the Top 500 countdown. #154 - Women I don't recognize #153 - Kobashi & Kikuchi vs Fuchi & Rat Boy, need to see this #152 - This is a work? #151 - Emilio Charles Jr is someone I have never watched, but I want to.

Top 200, BAYBAY!!! #200 - This sounds like the best ECW match ever! I want to see the angle that sets up Lawler/Dreamer #199 - One of two Volk Han matches I have seen. Great shoot-style selling from Volk Han. I will never forget that double wristlock RIP on Yamamoto by Han. Bart Gunn just KNOCKED Godfather THE FUCK OUT with some wicked shoot punches! Bart Gunn, greatest shoot-stylist ever? #198 - Never seen this. Definitely one of the first Lucha matches I would watch. #197 - Way overrated. Good, not even great. I don't see whats special about this. #196 - YES! Funk vs Sabu rules! Greatest ECW match ever, totally agree! #195 - Cool pick! Super underrated. Really liked this when I watched this. Havent seen it in a while. Austin/Bret, Revenge of Taker #194 - Bull in a chain match sounds good to me #193 - Was looking for this, cant find it #192 - Watching Gangrel's debut on RAW and damn that entrance is still cool as fuck. Toyota vs Kong sounds like a damn good match up to me. #191 - LOVE this match! My favorite of the Sting/Vader series. I would have this in my Top 100 Greatest matches of all time! Perfect layout and pacing #190 - Hyper Visual Fighting Tournament. Joshi promoters should name everything. I want to marry a Joshi wrestler just so she can name my child. Asuka, will you marry me? #189 - Midget mania!!! #188 - Never seen this AJPW six man that include my boy, Ogawa. Grandmaster Sexay in zebra print like Rat Boy just did the job to Gangrel. #187 - Love Mr. Gannosuke, will need to see this #186 - Like their WWF matches, I bet the matches in their home promotion would be even better. #185 - A great Gary Albright match? Takada is a miracle worker #184 - Ishikawa vs Greco was great in 2008 I would expect nothing less in 1998. #183 - Excellent crowd heat for Canadian Stampede. Don't know I would have this quite this high, but a great spectacle and feel good for the Hart Family. #182 - Fucking love this match. Kobashi's 1998 was amazing!!! Kobashi vs Taue crushed it this night. Not discussed enough. #181 - Johnny Ace is killing it #180 - Extreme J Night baby #179 - I have never seen a Koshinaka match. Don't even know what he looks like. #178 - Santo! #177 - JOHNNY ACE! He is like the Double J of this set #176- Never heard of these women.

Still working my way through this #225 - I have seen this a couple times. Thought it was great, not a classic. Just watched their horribly boring 2 out of three falls match from Fully Loaded. Working my way through 1998 RAWs, currently watching the one right before Summerslam 1998 so I am about to rewatch this. #224 - 1996, Doc's last great year. Taue sounds like a great opponent for him. #223 - Murakami is fucking great. I need to watch more Murakami. #222 - Tenryu vs Takada feud needs to become a top priority for me. #221 - I don't like Jazz, but a Jazz & Soul Street Fight could be good. #220 - I need to get over my Johnny Ace-phobia #219 - Has Ikeda taken Double J's place #218 - M-Pro, I should watch their stuff #217 - This is a match, Charles & I have always disagreed on. I think it is a fun offensive exhibition for Ultimo Dragon, but doesn't feel like a match. #216 - Joshi is the best at naming things #215 - Awesome, heat-seeking performance by HBK. Nice to see this, this high! Shawn was a heel's heel around this time. #214 - Great vet vs rookie match, Akiyama had it from the get-go #213 - See #216, Kawaski Crimson Conflict, so good #212 - Hash vs Choshu sounds like a perfect 80s vs 90s match. Two rockstar badasses #211 - Ishikawa vs Ikeda was awesome in 2005, would love to see them in the 90s. #210 -See #214 & 216, The First & Last Dream #209 - One of those great Baba tag league matches #208 - Ishikawa & Ikeda on the same team!?!?!??! #207 - One of those really unique All Japan matches that feels more 80s. Kawada and Taue kill each other in a bloody 80s style brawl. #206 - Whats the story that set up this match? NJPW 1990 Ten Man Tag #205 - Santo & Casas on the same team!??!?! #204 - Just saw this and this is great. Akiyama targets the knee and Kobashi has to over come. I thought they did a great job transitioning from Akiyama's heat into a finish run and gradually leveling the playing field. Good use of draw to elevate Akiyama #203 - Casas and Santo on opposite sides that makes sense #202 Don't recognize these women #201 - Chono's heel run is something I need to watch

Charles is still ducking me! I might have to challenge him to a Dress Up Wild Fight Texas Bullrope match if he keeps this up! #250 - Toyota is good #249 - I really need to see Tenryu against the Holy Trinity (Hogan, Savage, and Flair) #248 - Awesome match. I like it a slight bit better than the 99 Final so I agree with is. #247 - I feel like I am the only one left who still prefers the Spring Stampede match, BUT this is an excellent brawl. #246 - I know a Top 500 is a gargantuan undertaking but I feel like I would have really tried to get a Hash/Tenryu match in my Top 100. Still one left to go! Fingers crossed! #245 - Seen quite a few of the 91 G-1 Climax matches have not seen this one. #244 - I gave this match ***** when I just saw it. Push it to the moon. Definitely better than Bret vs Perfect #243 - I agree this is better than SSlam '91 and it is a top 500, just weird seeing it above a Misawa/Akiyama vs Holy Demon Army match I love #242 - UWFi vs NJPW baby! Need to see this. #241 - Have not watched this in forever. I wonder if I watched all the Misawa/Akiyama vs Holy Demon Army that I would downgrade 11/28/97, but damn if I did not love that match. The one ranked here is 5/23/96 #240 - Bull vs Devil sounds good to me #239 - There's Santo! He is like the Double J of the 200s #238 - Fucking love this tag match. Mutoh/Chono vs Hase/Sasaki kill it. God if this is 238 really shows how deep the 90s are! #237 - WAR vs UWFi need to see it #236 - Regal vs Larry Z ruled! #235 - Need to see more 90s BatBat, really enjoyed the 2008 revival #234 - Bret vs Funk has been on the hitlist for years #233 - Never seen this...on the road to the first Misawa babyface vs heel Kawada title defense #232 - Dress Up Wild Fight Texas Death Match, Officially the greatest gimmick match name in history. It will never ever be topped. ***** and I have never seen a joshi match #231 - Was looking for this, couldn't find it #230 - Aja Kong is a King Legend #229 - Tenryu vs Takada Oh Hell Yeah! #228 - Toyota is killing it #227 - Love All Japan to death, never seen a Johnny Ace match that needs to change #226 - Brian Hildebrand tag match is what tag wrestling should be. Cowardly, dastardly heels and badass babyfaces.

As I am always 50/50 on going to Mania, this thread will be useful. Styles/Cena is always alluring because I thought their June match was terrific and I think AJ is the best wrestler in the world and Cena can be awesome. But if they just do INDY WORKRATE~! CENA and throw out a bunch of MOVEZ~! I will be sad. I kinda hope they don't do it at Mania so then I don't get suckered into going and being disappointed. On the other hand, if they have the capability of having a genius match see the June match worked around Cena's loopy match, I would be really bummed about missing it.

Good I have time to catch up. I am still stunned by the Vader/Takada ranking. I want answers!

Watched it in full. Super fun! Way better than expected. Great Austin clothesline. Outlaws work a compelling heat segment on the freaking Undertaker!!! Will wonders ever cease? Short go home but a Stunner is always appetizing. *** Love this megastar main events!

Damnit didn't see the thread here

Election & personal life drama has distracted me from what matters in life, professional wrestling! #275: I feel like Ive seen this, but don't remember it. #274 - First sighting of Casas??? #273 - Toyota vs Kong seems like a good idea #272 - Lots of Joshi #271 - Been on the fence of OMEGA...sell me on it #270 - Weirdly enough, Ive never seen this. #269 - WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! You aint sneaking this one by me! This is a Top 100 match of the 90s brutha. Whats going on, here, brutha? Are you a part of this crazy Takada backlash?!?!?!? Say it aint so! #268 - Heavy Metal is good at wrestling? #267 - Love Machine is such a great wrestling name. So is Madonna's Boyfriend. #266 - Along with the Roadies match, this is a Hogan match I really need to see #265 - Really wanted to see this... but cant find it #264 - Great match, haven't seen it in a couple years, but you cant go wrong with the 95 Carnival #263 - Love the Steiners vs Mutoh & Hase great Dome fun. #262 - Santo is popular in this set. #261 - Toyota vs Dynamite sounds like a fun pairing. #260 - More and more All Japan as we move up the rankings. #259 - More Santo #258 - Kong vs Bull sounds like a fun pairing #257 - OH HELL YEAH!!! RWTL 99 Finals gets slept on but it was a badass match. Second to last great Stan Hansen match #256 - OH HELL YEAH!!! Hashimoto vs Yamazaki have an amazing G-1 finals with Hashimoto selling magnificently but fighting like only he can. #255 - Just watched this. Unimpressed. This is better than Vader/Takada?!?!?!? #254 - Santo is the king of 275-250 #253 - Chiggy is a fun nickname #252 - Need to see this. #251 - OMEGA intrigues me

Dr. Death vs Bodacious Bart - WWF RAW 7/27/98 Your winner Bodacious Bart! Lol! As far as toughman contests go this, it was pretty good. JR didn't seem too shocked or disappointed that his boy went down. He did do damage control in the aftermath. Bart did look a lot more comfortable in this than Doc. Bart was a big, athletic boy but had zero charisma. Good knockout.

Just watched this. Late 90s were so lame.

Totally disagree, thought Hogan was on fire here. Some of the best looking offense from him and I thought the chops were hard and everything looked good!

Nope watched that match. Very good match. Didn't have that ending. Had Tanaka celebrating at the end. Awesome throwing Spike into the crowd from the ring was insane!

Yes, it happened in ECW of all places. Sometime in 1996. Ill check. 8/24/96, finished seventh on Smarkschoice ECW poll. Weird to think the Can-Ams had two of the greatest RVD matches in two radically different promotions.

What Loss votes 287th as the best match of the 90s matters more than my Presidential Vote. That's a shoot, bruthas! #300 - Not the famous match. Even the famous When Worlds Collide match always seemed like a very good match rather than a classic, but I need to watch lucha more closely. #299 - Speaking of things I need to watch more closely...Joshi! #298 - Sabu & 1-2-3 Kid die for our pleasure #297 - Never seen this match surprisingly. I guess when I think about it I have really only seen the really, really famous juniors matches. 296 - Joshi with not very cool names boooooooooooo #295 - I need to see more Kanemoto. Some people really like him, others seem indifferent. #294 - Love this one! Been ten years though. #293 - Toyota vs Hokuto sounds like a dream match #292 - Toryumon Oh Lord I thought that was just something that plagues the 00s. #291 - Always wanted to see this match cant find it. #290 - Never seen Anjo should remedy that #289 - This sounds juicy and brutal. Ikeda vs Otsuka #288 - I was wondering how high you could go on this. I fucking loved this based on your review. Best Dudleys in ECW match ever. Really nice escalation, urgent and violent. Sucker for a flaming table. #287 - This Superbowl of Wrestling sounds like a good show #286 - This will probably one of the first Lucha matches I will watch. $285 - Don't remember if I have seen this one...hmmmmm #284 - I expected this to be higher, but actually seems about right. #283 - First of the Tenryu/Hashimoto matches from 93/94 cant remember which one I liked the most. Hope one makes the Top 100. #282 - Takada vs Fujiwara sounds excellent #281 - Would have went lower. Very ballyhooed but does not do much for me. Austin runs out of ideas mid-match. Great beginning and end, so-so middle I would see this more in the 400s. Definitely great, not that great. #280 - Need to see early Ogawa & Akiyama totally overlooked this. #279 - Liked the two Volk Han matches I saw need to make time for more #278 - Angel Azetca is a great name for a wrestler #277 - On paper seemed right up my alley, I don't want to call it boring, but lacked a spark to make it truly memorable. Again something that I would have in my 400s. I gave it **** and that sounds right. #276 - Dipping my toe in FMW waters, want to like Hayabusa because he looks cool but has not impressed

That was my number six match on the Best in Japan list, but without a doubt my favorite match. Kobashi in all his manly glory against Ogawa in all his zebra-print, Rat Boy dickishness. One of those matches that shows pro wrestling can transcend culture and place.

FMW World & Brass Knuckles Champion Mr. Gannosuke vs Hayabusa - FMW 4/30/98 I just met you and this is crazy...but I love Mr. Gannosuke! All-star performance by the bleach blond badass from Japan as he carries Hayabusa to a great match. I very seldom call a match a carry job, but Hayabusa just is not doing it for me, but luckily he has the magnificent Mr. Gannosuke in there with him. Hayabusa has literally zero fire and no panache, which is crazy to say because he is almost all high flying. His highspots just feel there for me. Good beginning of the match as Gannosuke makes Hayabusa pay for his high risk offense early. Hayabusa gets a quick dropkick to the knee. Hayabusa's leg work is solid, but it is Gannosuke's awesome committed sell of this leg work throughout the match that makes this work. All the way to his last nearfall on a Northern Lights Suplex with a bridge, Gannosuke sells the leg by bridging on one leg. Gannosuke gets an armbar takedown when Hayabusa tries to take this uptempo and goes to work on the arm. He does a terrific job even though Hayabusa will blow it off, which is fine because it is the arm. Hayabusa uses a springboard dropkick to the knee as his transition, well done but the Asai Moonsault does not hit. Gannosuke tries to put him away but his knee keeps flaring up and this allows Hayabusa to hit some of the laziest superkicks you will ever see to transition to a nice dive to the outside. He does have a very pretty 450 splash that climaxes his first finish run. Gannosuke has a lot of trouble hitting any move because of his knee especially the Gannosuke Driver (I assume that's the name). He eventually catches these really slow kicks to hit a dragon leg screw and Gannosuke Driver. They blow something off the top rope badly so Gannosuke just starts selling the knee...smart man. HEY! A nice Hayabusa superkick and ballshot, wicked Tiger Suplex by Hayabusa! Falcon Arrow...boooooooo! Hayabusa wants the Phoenix Splash, but Gannosuke has too much life. Hayabusa tries something springboard and gets swatted out of the sky. Go Gannosuke Go! Gannosuke ballshot and powerbomb!!! 1-2-NO! Psychology seemed a little backwards there, but liked the symmetry though the ballshot should have been better respected. This is the point of the awesome Northern Lights sell. Hayabusa hits a NASTY headrop Dragon Suplex and then the very cool Phoenix Splash. Definitely the best of the finish stretches as it progressed very nicely and Gannosuke's selling added a lot and you could not tell who was going to win. I liked Hayabusa needing a little extra to get that Phoenix Splash. Gannosuke looked great here. Hayabusa was all over the place in this match and his lack of fire really brings the match down. Gannosuke's performance and strong dramatic finish stretch is enough to call this great. ****

Looks like Im the high vote on this match. I loved it! FMW World & Brass Knuckles Champion Masato Tanaka vs Mr. Gannosuke - FMW 1/6/98 If you ever played the original Doom, Masato Tanaka makes the same sounds as the demons being killed in this match. It is brutal! Never even heard of Mr. Gannosuke before this match and I think he may be my new favorite wrestler. He friggin' rocked it. I am a total sucker for bleach blonds too! First ten minutes was just awesome brawling and hard-hitting action. Totally wiped the floor with the Hayabusa match. They were just going to balls to the wall with stiff shots for each other. I loved the energy! Really liked the reverse atomic drop counter on the Tornado DDT attempt by Gannosuke. Tanaka's selling of it as a ballshot really made it. The crowd brawling was exceptional some of the best ever. Love a great chair throw! That powerbomb off the riser through a table below was insane! Then the violence of snapping that stick in half and then ripping open his arm. Masato Tanaka is unleashing some of the loudest cries of agony I have ever heard. Brutal! Tanaka's comeback is insanely fiery and glorious! I love him using that half of table to destroy Gannosuke and then using his elbows to set up Tornado DDT. The counter to the elbow into an armbar on the bad arm was sick! I will admit what does take the match down is that they go for an All Japan style finish run, which does not fit this style of match PLUS nobody really does that as well as the Pillars so trying to do their style is a losing proposition. Still there is plenty of heat, drama and powerbombs down the finish stretch. The finish is really damn good with Gannosuke countering by hooking the arm and then rolling through into a pinning combination to win the titles. Awesome brawling, great initial Tanaka comeback, solid finish stretch and great finish. Check this match out! There is hope for FMW and his name is Mr. Gannosuke! ****1/4

Hayabusa vs Masato Tanaka - FMW 3/13/98 Never seen a Hayabusa match or an FMW match. I recognize this is not the prototypical FMW Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match, but having seen a bunch of Masato Tanaka in ECW, thought it was a good as time as any to try to dip my toe in the FMW waters. I really want to like Hayabusa because I think he looks really fucking cool and I love the 450 splash. Pretty underwhelmed by this. This felt like the New Japan Juniors had a baby with the modern WWE style. The beginning 15 minutes or so was fine. Tanaka sold the arm really well when Hayabusa was working the arm. Tanaka worked the leg really well, loved those figure-4s on the kneecrusher before doing a really figure-4. It was rally cool seeing Tanaka wrestle in a non-Mike Awesome match. He looked really good doing pro wrestling. I thought the match was slow at times. Like the way they went through that chaining sequence was positively sluggish and the way Hayabusa threw himself into those corner bumps was pathetic. Still, they were off to a fine start and laid the ground work for any interesting finish stretch. If you JIP'd to the Tornado DDT, you would have never even known the first 15 minutes of the match existed! I hate when that happens. So now lets talk the modern WWE main event style. This would have been so over today. They would have gotten at least two "This is awesome!" chants. Lots of MOVEZ~!, no progression and lots of kickouts. Kickouts have taken the place of actual struggle in wrestling. I will say this is a bit better than modern WWE style because wrestlers did at least string a combination of moves together before switching to the opponent and there were real transitions so I will give them credit for that. When it becomes a match that is about the spots instead of the psychology well then your spots better be fucking cool. The Falcon Arrow just isn't cool. Three of them isn't better. Hayabusa has some impressive flips but there was just no sense of urgency. The 450 splash was by far the coolest move. Masato Tanaka did take some nasty head drops. It is a good match because there is enough good in here. There was just no sense of intra-segment struggle. When a wrestler was in control the other wrestler just played ragdoll for him. The good was the dueling limb work and selling was good. There were good spots at then and there was some drama with Tanaka's elbows. It was just a match about moves that forgot about energy, urgency and struggle. ***

ECW World Heavyweight Champion Masato Tanaka vs Mike Awesome - ECW 12/31/99 What the hell match was I thinking of? I swear there is a match or post-match where Mike Awesome Awesomebombs someone from the ring through a table that is by where the entrance ramp meets the ringside area. I have this memory seared into my brain and I could have sworn it was this match. Anyways my faulty memory aside, best match of the series. It finally did not feel like an exhibition. A lot of it had to do with Awesome coming out of the gate red hot steamrolling Masato Tanaka. Awesome was pissed and wanted the title back. That gave the match a sense of urgency on his part that was lacking. Also he felt like an unlikeable brute for the first time in this series. In doing so, this gave Masato Tanaka something to overcome increasing the struggle of the match and made him feel like an underdog. So better face/heel dynamics. Still very spotty, but the spots are always really good in this series now they have the heat to match. I really don't have much else to add. It is a lot of the same spots but down with more vim & vigor and better transitions. The finish is fucking mind-blowing! A sitout, REVERSE, SUPERBOMB~! Marked out huge! Great match! **** The post-match angle to set up the Guilty As Charged 2000 main event sees Spike's girlfriend give Judge Jeff Jones the Acid Drop only to be WIPED OUT by an Awesome Clothesline. She has worked internal bleeding ala Ken Shamrock. Horrible. Im just so glad man on woman violence has ended in pro wrestling. Just stupid.