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Superstar Sleeze

DVDVR 80s Project
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Everything posted by Superstar Sleeze

  1. Superstar Sleeze
    I preferred the Carnival match also. At times, I felt like it got a bit to into a Kobashi exhibition and just when I thought would become a sort of extended Kobashi squash they busted out a great apron sequence and one of the best extended sleeper sequences (4+ minutes). I hated the transition to the lengthy Kobashi control segment as it was just Kobashi being revived by an atomic drop and launching off a roundhouse kick to the gut. Taue eventually did make his comeback and the finish run was very well-done. The beginning was fun and given that I saw the video length I was excited for how fast pace the match would be. I think they delivered an exciting at times match that was sometimes marred by Kobashi just doing moves to a prone Taue. It was a fun, but flawed match at times and felt like a weird way to book your next TC challenger.
  2. Superstar Sleeze
    I did not watch the PPV, but had been noticing over the past couple of RAWs Sheamus had been having the match of the night (Sandow, two Barrett matches). I think between the ropes, I would argue Sheamus is a top 5 worker in WWE. He has an impressive offensive arsenal that builds well on itself. His matches have a uniquely stiff quality about them (especially the Barrett RAW match) that has been lacking in WWE since I can remember. His matches do not immediately start with him taking heat, which is the most annoying about current RAW matches is the Nitro Savage formula that a lot of guys follow. I have really grown to enjoy Sheamus as a worker ever since his match against Mark Henry at Summerslam 2011. It is too bad they are neutering him with this weird happy-go-lucky character. I dont think he needs to turn heel at all. I actually think he works better as a face in the ring. His finish run is more conducive to being a face because he has so many near-fall ready spots and crowd pleasing moves. What he needs are a pair of jeans, leather jacket, some sunglasses and a book of John McClane's best one-liners. EDIT: Didnt Maddox fuck over Punk in the match he reffed? Was this supposed to be some make good? Can Maddox wrestle? I am not familiar with WWE's developmental at all.
  3. Superstar Sleeze
    Sano delivers a beating on Liger that is usually reserved for the dude that bangs your girlfriend. I watched this back-to-back with their August 1989 match. I think that match has an incredible one-arm performance from Liger. His performance is on par with that match here and I think Sano has stepped up his game making this better of the two matches. Sano has a pretty spectacular arsenal of offense and this being the first time I have seen him I will definitely want to see more of him. Liger looks so good here between the selling of being a fucked-up mess and perfectly timing huge hope spots. I love the finish which climaxes beautifully. This is the type of hate-filled fight that I wish pervaded the juniors scene more later in the decade. I figure one of the Jumbo/Misawa matches is the pre-ordained favorite for Match of the Year this year, but I think this one has to be right up there with it.
  4. Superstar Sleeze
    Put me on board the "Entertaining match, but not a classic" bandwagon. I guess that is problem when you have the expectations of a Triple Crown title defense on your shoulders it is classic or bust. I was glad they started on the mat as it was nice change of pace. I am a sucker for a mean drop toe-hold and Dr. Death delivered a beauty. Doc did the best "fighting through the pain" selling I think I have ever seen. Having watched a lot of New Japan juniors concurrently with All-Japan heavies, it is clear they just turn the selling on and off. Dr. Death does a good job constantly reminding the audience that his knee is fucked, but he is a gamer and there is no quit in him. There were definitely some plodding sections and I think Doc relied on the punch too much especially since how a closed fist in All-Japan is treated. The backdrop driver was super over with this crowd. The booking of that move has been fabulous up to this point. It was lackluster given the expectations, but still fun. So I know Dr. Death/Ace hang around have some killer matches with Misawa/Akiyama in 1996, but how come it seems like Doc's singles push just ends. I feel one of the problems with All-Japan as the 90s progresses is the lack of credible gaijin heavyweight talent with Hansen waning and Doc stalling. When I watched Vader's run there in the late 90s, I remember enjoying it, but it wasnt quite the same. So why kill Doc's push? Drugs? Injuries?
  5. Superstar Sleeze
    I dont know too much about the All-Japan booking politics, but just from a fan perspective it seems like Baba was building Kobashi as the next babyface ace, whereas Kawada was going to be a perpetual heel interim champion. You really get the feeling that Kawada and Kobashi are equals after this match even though a scant year ago Kawada was clearly the superior wrestler in the kayfabe world. On the Flair/Luger comparison, I think it is pretty apt especially with crowd so solidly behind Kobashi it was a sensible template to use. Flair/Luger is one of my favorite series ever and I would put Wrestlewar '90 definitely ahead of this and it is close with Starrcade '88. It is a pretty good story of Kobashi's power, fighting spirit and general manliness against Kawada's ruthlessness. The chop to the throat around the 22 minute mark is what finally woke me up to this match. I would say from there until just before the final stretch they has me ensnared. I used to think Savage was the undisputed King of Selling the Knee and Flair the King of Selling Fatigue, but after all this All-Japan gorging Kawada has totally closed the gap and may have overtaken the both of them. His selling was beautiful in this. Kobashi paced his offense really well in this match. Kawada avoided the trap of dick-waving that Dr. Death seems to always indulge Kobashi in. There is a lot of fun spots in the lead up that keep this entertaining like Kawada sudden burst of chops and kicks around 40 minutes while Kobashi is sitting down or the figure-four spot or the rolling cradle. I think they were kinda booked into a corned insofar no one was going to buy into a false finish if they did not start busting out the big bombs. I actually think they did that tastefully and did not have them kicking out of a million different finishes. Also, I think they were booked into a corner concerning who should be in the lead at the sound of the final bell. Common sense dictates it should have been Kobashi attempting a million different near-falls in a race against the clock. However that makes Kawada look weak in his title defense, which why I think they ended with the Kawada in control and Kobashi running the clock looking for a draw so he can have grounds for a rematch.
  6. Superstar Sleeze
    I think if this had a full finish I would rate it a lot more highly but I understand given that Sasuke basically powerbombed himself onto concrete that he couldnt go anymore. Still, it feels like Sasuke and Dragon feed into each other's worst behavior. The match feels like an exhibition of cool spots rather than a wrestling match. The dueling Asai Moonsaults were nifty. The story of the match seemed to be more about who can outdo each other rather than actually winning the belt. It is wrestling so I expect some level of dick waving, but this seemed excessive. It lacked that sort of competitive spirit a Liger or Ohtani bring to the table in their matches. That all being said there a lot worse things in this world than a Sasuke/Dragon exhibition because both are breath-taking on offense.
  7. Superstar Sleeze
    It always feels like Liger vs Dragon should be like the ultimate juniors match. Maybe they as wrestlers felt this pressure and it hindered them. I like how they did a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker sequence to wake up what seemed like a dead crowd at the beginning. I actually thought matwork at the beginning was surprisingly well-done for a junior match. It felt like they were really struggling and the chaining sequences were really well-executed. I love some good leg psychology as much as the next guy, but you just know it will be forgotten. The spot with hobbling only for Dragon to immediately do an extended tumbling pass has been mentioned. Dragon and Liger both bring plenty of high-flying offense and high-impact moves. I loved the super front suplex into La Magistral cradle. Thus Liger had it scouted the second time was able to quash it to get the pin. I would put it pretty high in a top juniors matches poll from the 90s, but it doesnt reach legendary status. Just a thought, the reasons they may not mesh is because both guys tend to want to get their own stuff in. Whereas against Samurai, they are clearly the bigger star and therefore they can control the match and it has a more linear flow. Since Liger is better at selling, maybe it would have been better for Liger to work underneath in this match. I have seen the Dome match from '93, but I just remember Dragon having an off-night and slipping it off the ropes, but I cant remember the layout. It was a pretty good match so I really shouldnt complain.
  8. Superstar Sleeze
    I have a love and hate relationship with Dragon. Growing up, I was always a big fan of the Dragon because of the costume and all the really cool spots (I always dug the hip swivel before his bridge). To this day, I love Dragon for his vast arsenal. He is a really well-rounded wrestler offensively. Needless, when Dragon is in the match you are almost always guaranteed a hot finish. This match is no different as it has a really thrilling go home segment However, his selling can be spotty and his psychology is just weird sometimes. I will get my quibbles out the way here. He does such a good job verbally selling the arm that I was annoyed when Dragon insisted on doing the skin-the-cat spot, when he could have worked it into the shine segment instead of doing a mat-based shine. Also the last transition from Ohtani's heat segment to the finish run seemed like "Ok now it is your turn to go on offense Dragon". I think being in the ring with 1996 Ohtani really helped him deliver a classic match. Ohtani was just on fire throughout this match and looked like the best wrestler in the world. The shit-eating grin he has at the beginning when he escapes La Magistral cradle is pitch perfect. The way he sells frustration after not being able to put Dragon away is great. I feel like I am missing another great Ohtani moment. His offense was crisp and so varied. Both these guys just have so much to give that it was a perfect confluence of styles. The super front suplex was a great highspot that I always pop for no matter how many times I see it. A great, great juniors match that I would definitely put in the top handful that I have seen.
  9. Superstar Sleeze
    This is a fun match, albeit not very efficient. I think it accomplished the goal of making Kobashi into a credible Triple Crown-Level contender and promoting his brand of testosterone-addled, hyper-masculine fighting spirit with him on offense the majority of the match. The match definitely felt developed around Kobashi and he was the mover of the match. Especially in the beginning, Doc relied on his power moreso than his explosiveness. In the beginning, he seemed to be fighting for respect and to prove himself with all that bravado. It seemed like Doc was baiting him until he was able to capture him with a brainbuster. After putting over Kobashi's resilience, they did the usual Kobashi bomb barrage, which helped cement him as a worthy opponent. Then finally Williams displays some of that lethal quickness and power and really kicks the match into high-gear. The final Kobashi control segment that begins with the basement dropkick is critical to the belief that Kobashi has an actual chance. He begins wrestling with intelligence and you believe that he might just have it. However, he just doesnt have that big weapon yet and Williams is able to outlast him and hit his KO punch. I actually did not think it felt long until the ending portion with Doc on the outside then I was like ok I think they ran out of stuff to do. It felt kind of like an old-school Flair touring defense without all the heel histrionics (Kobashi always brings the histrionics) and cheating. Williams really put over Kobashi huge in the loss and you really felt like Kobashi had a chance to win the match. I think there was a more efficient way to get to this end goal, but all in all it was a fun 41 minutes.
  10. Superstar Sleeze
    I love this match so much. Just a couple big uglies chuckin each other around and bruisin each other. Vader bleeds from the eye; Race takes a bump; The Boss looks killer. The match does not overstay its welcome. This is one of those matches, I could watch over and over again. Spring Stampede '94 just comes off as such a great PPV with a great variety of wrestling.
  11. Superstar Sleeze
    Had never seen this match until a couple days ago. Wow. This was really friggin good. This is type of down home, southern brawl that I just love. A great hate-filled sprint that never had a dull moment. I loved the opening of Dustin leaping at Bunkhouse Buck. It was totally unexpected and set the tone perfectly for the rest of the match. The only question I was wondering was why Dustin was so pissed at Buck? I know Parker managed Austin at the time. Was it an offshot of that feud?
  12. Superstar Sleeze
    I just watched this again today and definitely felt that beginning of the match was flat. It seemed like they were going through the motions of what a Flair/Steamboat match should be rather than having a wrestling contest. It picked quite a bit towards as expected because Steamboat's nearfalls and Flair's desire to move matches along will just naturally generate that feeling. I agree with the feeling that was an anachronistic match, but I still think some of the same fire they had in 89 was missing. Did anyone feel that Flair was giving an uncharacteristically reserved performance? Dont get me wrong, I think he was definitely trying, but just lacking that panache. I am going to watch the Saturday Night rematch for the first time ever soon and am excited to see a better performance.
  13. Superstar Sleeze
    WCW World Tag Team Champions Nasty Boys vs Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne - WCW Spring Stampede 1994 Incredible! Violent, short but sweet. ECW was just getting in their groove but this was better than any ECW garbage match I can think of. Mayhem and organic. As good as having two refs was, they needed more cameras in place for the finish. I think the finish was hurt by the fact that Cactus's wicked "back of the head to the concrete" bump felt totally upstaged by Payne/Knobs (they were in the foreground) even though that was the bump that directly led to the finish. At Superbrawl IV, the central hook of the match was that exact bump and it really got played up to max effect. Probably my favorite weapons-laden, tour of the arena matches. I usually hate those type of matches because of the annoying guide your opponent to a spot transition. This one just felt organic and violent. American wrestling could use one of these right now. Saggs blasting everyone with chairs. The concession stand portion was great, but the finish was incredible. The shovel shot to Cactus head before he could cover was disgusting and that bump off the ramp on the back of his head to concrete always gets an oh my fucking God from me. Sags mercy killing shovel shot to Cactus head is excessive but fits the violence of the match. I do not think anyone has mentioned this so I think this definitely is one of the all time great Tony Schiavone quotes" "I dont think that shirt even fits him!" - when Payne grabs a Nasty Boys shirt from the merch stand and chokes Knobs with it. Total garbage spotfest! Loved every minute! ****1/2
  14. Superstar Sleeze
    I have been going through All Japan chronologically for the first time in about 4 years. This match really jumped out to me as something really special that I seemed to had forgotten. I love how the match is structured around Doc's explosiveness. The Backdrop Driver is of course the big KO punch in his arsenal, but I think the whole match really puts over how his deadly combination of speed and power is what will do Misawa in. Misawa successfully holds him at bay at the beginning with an assortment of facelocks. I think that is a great parrallel to Kobashi/Hansen '93. Where Kobashi chose combat the explosive Gaijin with big bombs rather trying to pick and choose his spot like a Misawa. Only for a quick belly-to-belly to put Doc in the driver the seat. I remember throughout the body of the match that was the story how could Misawa contend not with just the strength, but his quickness. It seemed like every transition was based around Williams' explosive moves. I think this lends this match a great deal of urgency. I think that's what I love about wrestling is urgency. You just get the feeling that Williams is going to bust out a big bomb any second and you want to know what Misawa has up his sleeve (elbows and lots of them). The same can be said of Kobashi/Hansen. Both matches blow-off all this pent-up anticpation with BIG finishes for the gaijins. Throughout that heat segment, I was totally taken aback by the acceleration of Doc and just how good he looked. I have not watched much UWF. Is this best Williams has ever looked? How did he decline so fast? I think jdw detailed Misawa's extended comeback better than I ever could. So what of course was the end to that segment, but an incredibly quick "blink your eyes and you'll miss it" Backdrop Driver. I actually bit on that as the finish. Even as Williams is selling (I think he sold fatigue and general battery very well), he still hits the Oklahoma Stampede and Backdrop Driver with such an explosiveness that it blows off all the steam that match has been building. I want to also, as this is my first post, to thank Loss, Goodhelmet and all others who contributed to the Yearbook project. I am a college student, so I do not have the money to buy the yearbooks. But this forum specifically has been such a huge guide in me wading through thousands upon thousands of wrestling matches and forcing me to think more critically about wrestling. I just knew somewhere I place like this must exist. I am glad to have finally found it.
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