Superstar Sleeze

Don Muraco sucks. Want proof? Muraco vs Santana 1/84 MSG I-C Title. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaapzd_ti...-ic-title_sport http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaaros_ti...raco-pt-2_sport My comments from the Muraco thread: Well now, I understand all the Muraco is lazy talk. I mulled this over the interminable Tito headlock and I dont think a more boring match has ever happened in wrestling history. At one point Gorilla asks, "Why should he change focus away from the head?" almost as a direct Fuck You to every fan thinking that this was a total, utter snoozefest. At least Tito showed some good fire during the finish run to the lamest Double DQ in history when both men were fighting in the ropes.

01/23/84 Don Muraco vs. Tito Santana (16:01) http://www.otherarena.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=10851#10851 "Horrible match. Staggering how bad it is, and it probably is the worst performance from Don that I've seen." This a million times! If only you warned me... Don Muraco vs Ricky Steamboat 11/9/85 On the Don Muraco sliding scale, this is a very good match, but I would say it is just average. Even at the beginning, which is supposed to be a hot start, Muraco just isnt throwing himself into the match in a way that feels violent. Coming off watching Valentine/Tito, Muraco barley seems to be grazing Steamboat, but that doesn't stop Steamboat from selling like a pro. I liked the work with the sash (for lack of a better term) it was a good way to incorporate the earlier angle. I dont why Steamboat decided (not his decision perhaps) to ground the match with a chinlock when he should be out for blood. In his defense, he did show some serious fire, which is a usual criticism of his. His chops looked very much on point. The transition to the heat segment with a Fuji cane shot was good. Muraco's heat segment, save for the shoulderbreaker (that moves needs to make a comeback) was a bore. The comeback matched the beginning in terms of energy and brought the match back to life. I feel that Muraco could have probably waited until Steamboat got the cane to blade to really sell the fury, but hey he was trying to add drama, I guess can't fault him. As John said, you definitely get the feeling of hate and heat in this match, but Muraco is still working at half-speed, but still the best Muraco match I have ever seen. Don Muraco vs Ricky Steamboat 2/6/86 - Martial Arts There is no sliding scale needed for this match. This is a very good match built around Steamboat's acumen in the ring and Muraco's charisma. Muraco undoubtedly possesses a lot of charisma, it is just we dont get to see when he is laying on the mat in a headlock. The beginning of the match establishes that this Ricky's domain and Muraco can mock it all he wants, but at the end of the say Steamboat is going to kick his ass. I dont understand why Muraco didnt rely more on gimmicks, schtick and general tomfoolery if he didnt feel like working. It would have been way more entertaining and just as untaxing as lying in a headlock. Eventually we do get a Steamboat headlock/facelock, but it doesnt last that long until Muraco takes over with a Samona drop and out on the floor he catapults Steamboat into a chair in a great spot. He then busts Steamboat wide open off a ring post shot. Muraco's heat segment is totally centered around him choking out Steamboat with his own sash and this builds to the piledriver, which he dedicated to The Body. He plays a bit too much with his food before Steamboat is able to break out of the piledriver. The Steamer is cookin and now seems way more comfortable in the martial arts gimmick as a series of chops punctuated by one of the top rope send Muraco to the mat. Muraco dumps him over, but Steamboat hangs on and kicks Fuji before coming back in reversing a suplex into a roll-up for the win. This is the best I have seen Steamboat look in the WWF since I have been rewatching his stuff (I presume the Savage stuff, which I love will soon top this). I liked the Bob Orton match, but it didnt really seem to go anywhere. This match is the type of match the WWF excels in. It is built around a handful of big spots and relies on the wrestler's ability to connect with the crowd to get the match over. Steamboat is one of the best babyfaces of all-time and Muraco seemed more game than ever to stooge to get the gimmick over. Steamboat seemed more comfortable on offense than previously in the WWF. All in all, this made for a very good match. My major quibble is the post-match beatdown by Muraco on Steamboat. What the hell was the point of Muraco getting his heat back. He had already had his series with Hogan. So he was on his way down, while ostensibly Steamboat was on his way up ready to feud with Jake The Snake and Macho Man. Don Muraco vs Ricky Steamboat 9/22/85 - Lumberjack Match Another good contest and I believe even better than the Martial Arts match because there was even less downtime, which is a feat for a Muraco match. Steamboat came out with guns blazing and Muraco did a pretty good job bumping around for him. They do the usual stuff to establish the nature of lumberjack match. Muraco is surprisingly game for doing some offense. He does the Mr. Perfect necksnap, atomic drop and a shoulderbreaker, which sets up his nerve hold on the shoulder. I am not a big fan of the nerve hold, but up until that point he was actually moving around and actually hitting stuff with a bit of panache. Steamboat is really working hard on the defensive to put over Muraco's offense. Even Muraco's Irish Whip at the end of the match looked vicious. Vicious is not a word I would use to describe pretty much anything Muraco has done. I would be remiss not to mention that ref is counting noticeably slow for Muraco's covers. Gorilla and Jess are besides themselves. Bob Orton is on the outside and plays the role of heel running buddy. Fuji runs distraction and Muraco is going to Irish whip Steamboat into Orton's cast, but nothing doing. Steamboat drives Muraco into Orton and rolls him up. Muraco tries to get his heat back, but the babyfaces run him off. It was an action-packed match where Muraco actually looked good on offense. Steamboat has been looking good in this feud. There is just something about him besides the fact that he missed huge chunks of time that has me ruling him out as GOATC. He lacks a big bomb. He relies too much on quick roll-ups and flash pins. There is nothing he has in his arsenal that screams put away. I actually he is plenty good at showing fire, but really his big weapon is just the chop. I like people to have a little bit more variety in their attack and outside of his chop to the chest, he works really light.

HAWAII EXPLODES~! A good angle involving Muraco! Muraco looked great in his 3 minute sprint with Steamboat before they did the hanging angle. The martial arts gimmick fucked Steamboat all up you can tell.

WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana 3/17/85 MSG Lumberjack Match This is definitely my favorite match of series so far as it fleshes the hard-hitting action of the earlier matches with some more time to build to a great climax. They do a great job to get over the lumberjack stip by having Tito have his most impressive babyface shine and Valentine constantly powdering. Valentine takes over after Tito is a bit overzealous charging into the corner. Valentine, aimless at first, settles into his bread and butter working over the leg. Most of Tito's hope spots induce great hard-hitting slugfests. Valentine's forearms are just gnarly and Tito's left jab is a thing of beauty. During Tito's comeback, all the drama is whether Tito can apply the figure-4 and gain a measure of revenge. When Santana applies the hold, the Garden erupts and even I am feeling it. However, it is all for naught because the dastardly Big John Studd pulls Valentine to the safety of the ropes. Santana gives him the business; Valentine recovers; they end up doing the double noggin-knocker and Valentine falls on top for the finish. I really liked this match and it was a ton of fun. However, I would not put it over Backlund/Valentine '84 or Backlund/Patera '80. I need to find the blowoff cage match, before I can call it quits on this feud.

Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine MSG 1984 I thought the '84 match was incredibly intelligent. I didnt think it started out that slow. There was the Albano stalling, but almost immediately you have Valentine doing meaningful arm work. Valentine works over the infamous '83-'84 Backlund shoulder injury in a way that really builds drama and Backlund for his part keeps it entertaining by doing awesome spots like bridging out of a top wristlock. When Valentine goes for a big bomb in the form of a second rope leg drop only to crash and burn causing Backlund to work over the leg in a refreshing change of pace. He was quite good at it and getting me involved in his own goofy Bob way especially when he just picks him up by the legs & tights and drops him. It just seems like such a Backlund move. He still wrings out his arm from time to time and it does prevent him doing a crossface. I like how the next transition has Valentine tripping Backlund up and slamming his knee against the apron. It gets them where they want to go Valentine working over Backlund's knee in a smart, organic way. I always enjoy Valentine's leg work. Valentine busts out a Boston Crab and they do all the usual Figure-4 preventive escapes. Valentine even rips Backlund's pick him up by the leg and tights and drop him. I love symmetry in wrestling. My favorite spot besides the setup for Valentine's leg work was when Backlund was so worn out that instead of hitting his patented atomic drop; he had to just drop back and deliver a back suplex. It takes so much out of Backlund that Valentine actually is able to lock in the figure-4, but gets greedy and uses the ropes in full view of the ref. Valentine thinks he wins (he likes these angles), but Backlund surprises him with a roll-up. Love, love everything about this match. It has Valentine and Backlund so everything is tough and gritty on the mat. The match is wicked smart with Valentine beginning with what he knows is hurt. He tries to put Backlund away early, but crashes so Backlund takes advantage of an opening. Valentine, in heel fashion, powders and suckers Bob in and is able to wrap the knee around the apron to set up his bread and butter. From there, it is just two of the best working a great heat segment with well-timed hope spots and a finish that makes everyone look good (Valentine was to be a Hogan challenge). Call me crazy, but I would put this up there with anything from the WWF in the 1980s.

Thanks for setting this up as Steamboat has been one of the guys I have been exploring in depth until he got tabled in favor of Valentine and Backlund. It all got kicked off by how utterly underwhelmed I was by the Final Conflict. I thought that was one of the most boring babyface shine segments I had ever seen. I am totally fine with going back to the headlock everytime, but Flair/Reed this was not. Once we got past that, I thought we were going to get all these bitchin Sgt Slaughter bumps, but alas it did not seem to come to fruition. I watched this previous Friday and have already managed to forget most of it. It was not a bad match by any stretch, but given that it was Steamboat & Slaughter; I came in with great expectations. That may have been unfair. I have watched the Steamboat & Youngblood vs Briscos match on numerous occasions and I finally figured out I feel is off about it. The heat segments are way too short and thus the hot tags aren't built to a fever pitch. It is a match that seems to purposefully restrain itself due to the hype around Flair/Race. It seems like they were just going for a feel-good match rather than all-time classic. Unlike Valentine/Piper, which was a totally unrestrained effort by two men and they stole the show in my estimation. So I am pretty sour on the Steamboat & Youngblood pairing, but a Funks match in All Japan. may just be the remedy I need to turn myself around on them.

John, I believe there was a Backlund title defense at MSG against Ivan Koloff from April 1983, did you see that? I saw there was a Koloff/Backlund match up on youtube, but it can't be from 1983 given Bob's hair length. I watched the '84 Backlund/Valentine match that went to a finish for the second time and holy shit it is good. I will do a better write up later, but I loved it. I watched Backlund/Patera Texas Death Match for probably 3rd or 4th time and I liked a lot, but not as much as usual, but it blows the '83 Texas Death Match w/Muraco out of the water. Backlund hits one of the prettiest lookin' piledrivers I have ever seen. He spiked him real good and it was none of this weak-ass sit down gently shit. I can't find any of the high-end Backlund stuff up in full with Valentine '79, Muraco '81, Adonis '82, or Rose '82 (will have to wait for the WWF set ). Plus I still have to watch Backlund/Harley from '80, but so far I have to say I enjoyed the '84 Valentine just a hair more than '80 Patera TDM, but it is essentially first among equals.

What year is that from? I like the weirdness of those teams. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Sgt Slaughter 5/23/1983 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmj2w_bob...rt#.URhP3x19KSp This is easily the best match of Backlund's 1983 campaign. It is not "drop everything you are doing and watch this" good, but if you got some time on your hands and you want to watch 80s WWF then this is a good match to watch. Amazingly, this is a very good match even though Backlund is on defense, which is not something I consider his strength so this match maybe more of a testament to Slaughter's ability. Apparently, Slaughter beat Backlund with his Swagger Stick according to Gorilla Monsoon prior to this match. There aint nothing wrong with that in my book, but apparently Backlund took exception to that. I guess Slaughter didn't say surprise first. So Backlund is all hot and bothered to start, which means we get what I love about Slaughter: bumping like a maniac for Bob. Slaughter's over the top turnbuckle bump is one of my favorites. Slaughter takes over off a clothesline. This was Backlund's best shine section yet. Transitions are very important to me and that one was kind of weak. Slaughter's control segment was way better than Superstar's or Muraco's. He had a good variety of moves and general roughhousing. I dont always need body part psychology, sometimes just a mean heel is good enough. I have always the double stomp to the gut, just a plain good heel move. Backlund timed his hope spots well. It really felt like a struggle rather than exhibition of moves. There was a swinging neckbreaker and it wasn't sold like death, though this pre-dated the Masked Superstar angle. I was a bit bummed. Is it just me or at 14:35 does someone scream "Howdy Doody, lets go!" ? Slaughter busts out a dropkick, which surprises me and Gorilla. My favorite spot of this match is when Backlund deadweights Slaughter on a suplex attempt and Slaughter still is able to pick him up and hang him to dry on the top rope. It was an excellent struggle spot. Having softened the mid-section, Sarge goes for the kill with a shoulder tackle into the corner only to eat the ringpost (excellent transition). Backlund zeroes in on the hurt shoulder with a Chickenwing Crossface, but as Slaughter makes it to the ropes, the dastardly Grand Wizard hands the Swagger Stick to Slaugher who hits in the head with it. The Swagger Stick turns out to be a riding crop, which makes way more sense, but I totally cribbing that as a new term in my friend circle. Backlund gets a hold of the Swagger Stick and the crowd is whipped into a frenzy and he chases Slaughter out of the ring. I remember not liking their 1981 cage match all that much, but this was pretty damn fun. I will definitely be looking up more Backlund/Slaughter confrontations.

Bob Backlund vs The Masked Superstar 1/21/83 Philadelphia So the MSG rematch is not up, unfortunately, but I figured I would watch this one. I like this match as the better of the two because of the dueling stories. They played up Backlund's injured shoulder (what caused his demise in the Sheik title defense) and Backlund's obsession with unmasking the Masked Superstar. Superstar did some good work, but a bit methodical. He did use the outside effectively. Backlund sure likes the headbutt to the gut as a transition move in his matches and it is as good as any. Superstar's flying headbutt (it is like a flying forearm) is something that should be ripped off. Backlund's obsession with unmasking the Masked Superstar played well into the finish of him getting carried away and losing by countout. Overall, this series was decent, but there is definitely better Backlund work out there. As I understand Backlund better, I bet that this is something I would consider Backlund by the numbers.

Besides Savage, Backlund is my favorite 80s WWF performer and it seems that jdw has already done a pretty good exploring him, which only makes my exploration of him that much more enjoyable. Even in my formative years as a fan, reading about the '94 Backlund angle intrigued me as it was the story of a man who snapped because he had hit rock bottom and there is nothing more dangerous than a man who just doesn't give a fuck anymore. However, it has only been recently that I have actually watched Backlund's work from his prime. I like grappling and chain wrestling a lot and that is what I figured I would get with Mr. Backlund, but I have found him to be pretty much in the mold of most territorial stars of the 80s. Yes, he works holds more than most, I would say, but he had just as many blood feuds and was really able to get violent when called upon. I like that too and have enjoyed many a Backlund match. Personally, my favorite aspect of Backlund's work is definitely his offense. In the beginning of the match, I dig his goofy headlock and think his arm work is usually well done. Then during his comeback, he brings the fire in a way that most WWF babyfaces lack. It felt like he was fighting through something rather than turning something off. I don't think I have all of Backlund mannerisms and tendencies down yet so that I can create a narrative for him, but I will say that I definitely think he is an very good pro wrestler. One last thing does anyone else think that Backlund's posture is wicked awkward. He leans way too far forward and sticks his ass way out as if he was doing a permanent Jeff Bagwell imitation. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs The Masked Superstar 10/1983 MSG So Eadie crippled poor Eddie Gilbert with a swinging neckbreaker on the floor and Bob is out for revenge! Superstar claims towards the beginning that Backlund pulled his mask on a head scissors, which makes me laugh. Backlund works the opening holds really well targeting the arm to setup for the crossface chickenwing. What I love about 80s wrestling is how much a punch to the head meant. One cheapshot from Superstar sends Backlund careening to the outside and is a real momentum changer. It is a perfect way for a heel to get heat because he couldnt compete fairly all he does ball up his fist and crack the guy. Backlund's selling is his weak point for me. It is decent and all. It is just not evocative. Superstar's torpedo, flying headbutt is a really nifty move. He misses it a second time due to fundamental laws of wrestling. Big roar from MSG for the crossface chickenwing attempt, but Superstar is too big. Superstar sneaks in a clothesline while the ref distracts Bob. Then he hits the dreaded swinging neckbreaker. He doesnt cover no, he wants to maim Backlund and delivers another one outside. Backlund messes up the angle by getting back up and chasing him off. That is a booking decision not a wrestler's I would guess so I dont hold it against him, but it dissipates a lot of the heat of the angle. This was the last major angle of Backlund era before the loss to Sheiky Baby. I have to say it felt pretty flat to me. It was pedestrian work, which there is nothing wrong about that, but it wasn't anything excellent. I would at least be more excited about the rematch if Backlund really sold the neck angle.

Thanks, Ricky! I watched the August MSG match in full. It is pretty pedesterian though Valnetine does bust out a shoulderbreaker and they were running an angle with Snuka in critical condition due to a beating from Piper. It is really more of an angle, but it is a really good angle. The ref bump -> Flying Burrito -> Santana gets pin, but Valentine's foot is on ropes unbeknowst to Tito/ref (Protecting the ref!) -> Valentine gets pissed, slaps on the figure-4 and breaks his leg. This leads to the clips I saw of the title where Valentine gets the victory where they do a great play on this finish. This time the ref sees Valentine's foot on the ropes and Tito is the one who thinks he wins only to have the rug taken out from underneath him in the form of a high-knee to the back and Valentine winning the title. Between breaking his leg and stealing his title, I would say Tito's Latin Temper was fully justified in the October rematch that I watched. I cant find the '85 Boston match (guess I am going to have to buy the revised 80s WWF set ) , so I am going to have to settle for the January '85 MSG match. Arriba! WWF I-C Champion Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana 1/21/85 MSG The Flair spot that always seemed the most nonsense to me was the fact that all of his opponents suddenly decided that the Figure-4 was in their repertoire. What I loved about this storyline was Tito was so pissed at Greg that he went out and learned the Figure-4 from Jack Brisco just so he could break Valentine's leg. The beginning was good with Tito's punches being sold well and his initial intent to go after the leg. The first Valentine control segment was well-worked, but nothing awesome. Starting with Tito's first fiery comeback that when this match really picked up, Tito is a great house afire and really brings the violence with his strikes. Valentine was great at putting over his fear of losing the title and possibly his leg as he was constantly powdering as Tito was zeroing in on his leg. My favorite transition to heel heat segment is when an overzealous babyface goes crashing to the outside and this time it happened to Tito on his flying burrito. Valentine's second control segment was much better performed and included the shoulderbreaker. I like the shouldbreaker a lot, but I feel like he should be using the shinbreaker instead. Also I didnt like how he marched around the ring with Tito after Tito going after his legs. They played lets try to get the Figure-4 on. A double clothesline levels the playing field and Tito sends Valentine careening to the outside with a Flying Burrito. The countout victory gets a big pop. I am liking this feud a lot and thought the October match really ratcheted up the heat. I still havent figured which match is the really all-time classic. With that said, bring on the gimmick matches! Reading over Dylan's review for the Boston match between the two, it is clear they duplicated the finish, but it seems like the body of the match is different enough (Valentine worked over the mid-section in NYC and used a lot of elbows) that could be the all-time classic match of the series.

WWF I-C Champ Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana 10/22/84 MSG You know how in the modern WWE product announcers will say "I have never seen Wrestler X so intense in my life." whenever they are trying to re-push someone. If there was ever a time that cliched statement was apropos it was this Tito Santana performance because Holy Shit! I have never seen him so intense in my life. There was no denying Tito Santana. He was pissed off and taking it out on Valentine's face. Questions: Do we have the title change? How did Tito's leg get hurt? I am so excited for the rematch because I am assuming Valentine is going to grab a hold of that leg and elevate the quality from there.

WWF I-C Champ Tito Santana vs Greg Valentine 6/16/84 MSG I expected just a good appetizer for the main feud given that this was the first match of the series and it was definitely a match that got me excited to see more. I am so glad they went with arm work rather than a headlock to open. The accidentally falling out of the ropes leading to a heated exchange outside piqued my interest early. I liked Valentine's transition onto offense by using a Tito Thesz Press and turning it into a reverse atomic drop. I like my heels to bump big, but what Valentine lacks in bumping he more than makes up with in killer offense. I need to watch more Tito because he is an excellent babyface at garnering heat based off his selling. That is only one part of the equation, Tito builds on that with a fantastic heated comeback. With the Tito onslaught bearing down on him, Valentine has no chance but to dump him over the top and follow up with a atomic drop on the floor. Valentine picks up a countout win and a rematch. They don't over do it in this match. Valentine didnt get the figure-four nor Santana get the Flying Burrito (did it actually have a name?), but at the same time it was never dull. It was well-worked and made you want to see the next match, where they can now build on this foundation add layers and spots and really elevate the drama. I am really looking forward to rest of the series now.

Yeah, I went with a horrible third option of picking Tito/Muraco. What a borefest, stay away from that. Been down on the Steamer recently, Im going with Tito/Valentine. Lets see what is online. I think I have one of their matches from a WWE DVD comp.

WWF I-C Champion The Magnificent Muraco vs Tito Santana - 1/23/84 MSG So I wanted to explore the Tito/Valentine feud, but I figured as a primer I'd watch Tito capture the title from Muraco, but I should have known this wasnt the title change since Hogan wins the big one on this show. Well now, I understand all the Muraco is lazy talk. I mulled this over the interminable Tito headlock and I dont think a more boring match has ever happened in wrestling history. At one point Gorilla asks, "Why should he change focus away from the head?" almost as a direct Fuck You to every fan thinking that that was a total, utter snoozefest. At least Tito showed some good fire during the finish run to the lamest Double DQ in history when both men were fighting in the ropes. So at the next MSG show, Tito is already champ, is the title change preserved for us?

Without even trying I keep watching the same matches as jdw, hey it makes the play-by-play reviewing easier that's for sure. WWF I-C Champion Greg Valentine vs Ricky Steamboat I had never seen this match before, but always meant to. I may start a Steamboat thread because I have watched about seven of his matches today. He is surprisingly more hit or miss than I expected, but this is the Valentine thread. I have always thought the Valentine/Piper dog collar match was one of the better blood feud matches I have seen. The Garvin series is pretty good and served as my first exposure to the awesomeness that is Ron Garvin. I have never gotten around to watching Valentine/Santana. I have seen the '84 Backlund match and liked it, but have never seen the '79 match everyone hypes. He seems like one tough hombre and a wrestler I would enjoy as long as he is opposed to someone colorful like a Roddy Piper. They were really trying to capitalize on Kung-Fu with Steamboat's character in the WWF because everyone needs a gimmick. Mean Gene drops the term Jiu-jitsu, I didnt think that was popular until the rise of the Gracies and UFC in the early 90s. The kung-fu shit makes this match really jarring as neither guy seems to understand how to work it into the match. I liked the sumo slaps though. Valentine looked great on offense and followed up logically on his transition onto offense. The nice thing about the Hammer when watching a copious amount of 80s WWF is his strikes stand out more than the relatively weak shots most WWF guys give each other. I knew what they going for with Steamboat on the outside, but it seemed like Steamboat was holding himself up against apron with a blank stare for way too long. The slugfest was the best part, but that was quick. The finish was decent. I expected a lot better, but thought Valentine was the better of the two. It never got out of first gear and I have seen a lot better offensive performances out of Steamboat. Valentine stands out in 80s WWF, but I am still waiting to find that all-time classic. I would hazard a guess that gem is either '79 Backlund or within the Tito series. Decisions, decisions, stick with Steamboat and watch Steamboat/Jake or go Valentine/Tito.

Watched the Texas Death Match from '83 with just the context from the Muraco promo. They seemed to be going for a Backlund snapping 10 years early. I liked the energy early from Backlund and I agree that headlock work was for the most part really well done. I thought it was a very good match, but didn't feel like a Texas Death match. It was like the bare minimum of violence was delivered. It felt more like a really good part of a feud rather than the blowoff. The best part was by far the finishing sequence. Everything after the gorilla press slam, felt so physical and tough that each guy was working so hard to win the match. The German suplex felt like Backlund was actually lifting up Muraco, mostly because I think Muraco fucked up his timing, and that made it seem all the more impressive. The 1981 stuff sounds way better now that I have read all about it. I will have to track it down at some point.

Blizzard here in New England, which means a lot of time to watch wrestling! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5wI0a6Hmec I have always been a sucker for a good drop toe-hold and Bock had a bitchin' one! In all seriousness, before my big push to devour massive amounts of wrestling this past year, I always liked Bock/Hennig and wanted to explore more Bock, but never had the time. I have really liked his All Japan work against the likes of Jumbo, The Funks and Billy Robinson, where he works holds ferociously. I like a good brawl as much as anyone, dont get me wrong, but I do prefer grappling. Bock is great about chaining his stuff together in logical fashion. His singles match with Funk illustrates his ability to brutalize Funk's knee, which creates a great hook for the match. After seeing this more violent side of Bockwinkel, I was looking for more match where he roughhouses more and no better place to look than Memphis. Where I found him taking on my favorite, Randy Savage. Did this make the Memphis set? It was only 11 minutes, but I thought it ruled the school. Bockwinkel starts off hot and just really unloads with the offense, granted he is playing the babyface in this match, which at first really feels weird in Memphis. I know there were some complaints of him bumping way too much for "low-card" babyfaces in TV matches so being the babyface in this match; you are guaranteed to see him be on the attack and he is really violent about it. Bockwinkel feels like more of the de facto babyface (watching this match without context) as he is using dirty tactics as standing on Savage's throat and such, but being cheered for it. Even the announcer remarks that this is the first time in five years that he has heard Bockwinkel get cheered in Memphis. Savage is his usual great self and contains his inner Memphis heel enough to the match doesn't have much of that jarring start-stop Memphis feel and instead focuses on having a balls-to-the-wall sprint. What I have always loved about Savage as a heel is that his character is has absolutely no redeeming qualities. He is one of the most low-down, good for nothing, egg-sucking dogs there ever was. He cheats, chokes and peppers with his usual array of offense (wind-up punch, double axe-handle, high knee). Who is Newman? I am not as familiar with Memphis wrestling so I have never seen him before. Besides having possibly the best drop toehold (Rotundo's is pretty nifty), Bock has hands-down the best knee lift in wrestling that thing is sweet. I'd put it up against Flair's reverse elbow any day of the week. The finish is a fantastic one with the manager distracting Bock, only for Savage to get the always lethal ballshot/piledriver combo for the win. All in all, I was expecting a clipped up match with no finish and instead I got an action-packed, violent confrontation between two guys I regard as the best of all time.

Well there is definitely an argument to be made after this match that should have been named the Hase Scale, but I guess for whatever reason the '92 match is the more famous match. I didnt like that match as much. I thought the first 10 minutes was pretty pedestrian and they finally kicked it into second gear with the bladejob. This was a great match in terms of setting up a rematch. I watch most puro in vacuum. I try to do my best to learn the story concerning the match, but usually I am just watching matches without context. This match helped me understand the '92 match so much more. Without having seen this match, I felt Muta was more of a babyface trying to battle back against the blood-thirsty Hase ('92 match), but then I was having trouble reconciling the rest of the match with that segment. Now that I watched this match, I felt Hase was totally justified in wanting to fuck up Muta in the worst way. I guess this match is very similar to when people finally get to watch Savage/Steamboat from Toronto as it adds a lot of context that elevates the enjoyment of the rematch. I watched the '90 and '92 matches back to back and I definitely preferred the '92 match because the intensity and heat was ratcheted up due to how well the '90 match set the table. I do have some questions about the storyline in between this match and the rematch (since they are more than two years apart). I know that Muto/Chono fought Hase/Sasaki for the tag titles. I really liked that match the first time I saw it a couple months ago, but I dont remember Hase specifically targeting Muto any more so than he would Chono. My questions are did Hase/Muto(a) have matches in between the '90 and '92 matches that continued the feud? How separate are the Muto and Muta characters treated? Like is Hase just pissed Great Muta, but still respects Keiji Mutoh? Or does everyone just realize that Muto is a batshit dude and Muta/Muto are treated as one, where Muto busts Great Muta for special occasions?

Personally I am more interested in looking at genres of matches (NWA touring champ, David vs. Goliath, King's Road) rather than the styles of the individual, but since this is the topic du jour, I thought I add what I noticed. From the very basics of wrestling I figure there is really only 4 types of moves: -Strikes -Throws (suplexes, piledrivers, slams) -Holds (side headlock, wristlock, figure-4) -Dives (Splashes, planchas etc...) I feel like a technical wrestler in the purest sense would be a Volk Han/shoot-style performer. I have not watched much lucha, but from reviews and from a bit of watching the Championship matches in Lucha tend to very well-done hold/counter-hold grappling. They would be working holds and counter-holds routinely in each match and jockeying for a win by using the science of leverage. Out of the American wrestlers I have seen, Flair is the closest to perform in this style and he only would perform in this style for the first half of each of his matches. Even a Bret Hart is hardly a technical wrestler. Off-hand besides Bret/Owen I and Bret/Backlund SStars '94, what match does Bret work hold/counter-hold for any decent amount of time. Bret worked a lot of strikes and throws throughout his matches, but he worked a very spot-oriented style of wrestling (spots that when connected often told a very coherent story), but none of the less he had his spots and those spots didn't include a single leg/back heel trip into a side-mount for a top wristlock (something that I would think would be a very technical wrestler spot). It seems the only qualification in America would be to have a submission finisher and a very capable wrestler. DiBiase was a very graceful wrestler and wasn't a slam bang sort of street fighter like One Man Gang or Big Bossman, which is probably why he got slapped with that label. He was supposed to be a thinking man's wrestler and it was supposed to add another layer to his villanry. Is it ok if we open this up to anyone? No offense to DiBiase, but I think there are some more interesting cases such as the Four Corners of Heaven. Are the Corners considered technical wrestlers? I think they abscond that style very apparently in all their matches. Their NJPW counter-parts seem to be much more adept at the mat. Yes, King's Road is more entertaining than Strong Style in my mind. I think the 90's All Japan matches feature a stunning lack of matwork, which is pretty amazing given the clip they run at and the length of the matches. Strong Style requires the opening matwork sequences before strike/throw finishes. So in my mind Hashimoto is actually better technical wrestler than Misawa. I feel like I am both crazy and a dope for thinking this so I want to know what people think. To add genres just to throw it out there: -Strikes- Brawlers - Lawler, Hansen - Throws - Power wrestlers - Four Corners (Strikes were a crucial component)/American Wrestlers - Holds - Shoot-style/El Dandy/Ric Flair - Dives - Lucha/Indy/Crusierweight Hardly any artist fits neatly into any genre of music unless they innovated said genre. Every wrestler (save for some Lucha) incorporates some sort of strike. Strong Style focuses on strikes/holds, Kings Road on Strikes/Throws, NWA Touring is Strikes/Throws/Holds.

Also from Twitter, this time from Rip Rogers' feed, he describing taking a dump as an "Ole", which got a big laugh out of me.

That'd actually be a cool concept if it was better organized & not on facebook Yeah, it's not perfect. Maybe we could adapt the idea for a thread here or something. Weirdly enough, Online Onslaught is running one as we speak, the two seemed unconnected. I have been voting, but there is a strong WWE bias. With many "knowledgeable" voters not knowing who Tenryu or Hashimoto were and Michaels & Angle heavy favorites to take the whole thing. My favorite thread so far was debating the merits of Sandman vs Tommy Dreamer. I thought it was Sandman in a walk, but Dreamer squashed him like 39-2, but it was a fun thread. Explaining to a bunch of indy wankers that KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji are not the end all be all of puroresu was not as fun. The best part of the first round is usually those paired have a connection and the guy usually tries to find a humorous connection. His masterpiece so far is Chris Benoit vs Brain Damage.

Match reminded me a whole lot of a Bigelow/Taz match from ECW. Really good atmosphere, with both guys feeding off of it to some extent and busting out really insane/impressive spots. The crowd brawling was so obviously being done to set up the big spot with the dropkick that it was kind of ridiculous, but it was such a nutty spot I didn't really mind it. I thought Sting put fourth a lot of effort, but to me Joe was clearly the better guy in the match as his offense looked a lot better and his mannerisms really carried the day at times. The spot where both guys blow off the execution of their own finish was pretty silly, but also in keeping with Taz/Bammer theme. Finish sucked, but was not as bad as I remembered to be honest. Very much worth watching. Thanks for the recommendations so far. To address some of them, there are actually 4 PPV AJ/Joe/Daniels triple threat matches. The Unbreakable one gets the most hype, but I think the Against All Odds one is a step above because of Daniels' performance as a sympathetic babyface due to the concussion angle. The Destination X Ultimate X match between the three is pretty good, but up to the level of the best two. What I liked the most about was the ability for Daniels to get his big win as per the storyline without having to sacrifice Joe's streak. Not to get into fantasy booking, but I think a Daniels singles victory over Joe at Slammiversary was the way to capitalize on the heat of that angle. I didnt know Abyss/Sabu barbed wire was considered a classic. I will have to track that one down. Joe/Daniels Final Resolution was a great angle that was ruined by the fans. The match up until the finish was pretty pedestrian stuff in terms of structure and storyline. Things got red hot once Joe attempted to basically end Daniels' career. Instead of emotional outcry of support from the fans for Daniels against this sadistic beast, they chant "One More Time!" after Joe hits a musclebuster on a chair. The Impact match was really well-done and felt like an old-school match with the typical X-Division moves. Thus everything had way more heat on it. I was wondering what Sting matches in TNA would be worth watching. I planned on just the Bound For Glory Ones: Jarrett, Angle, and Joe so if there are any others, let me know. I am definitely looking forward to Angle/Jarrett because I remember the hype, but I didn't bother seeking them out at the time because I was tired of both of them. Having watched all the AJ/Joe/Daniels stuff up to the point of April 2006, I am really excited about the AJ/Daniels tag team. I feel like Daniels suffers from Brian Pillman syndrome. Where as a character and on promos, he is more interesting as a heel, but he wrestles way better as a babyface. Is there anything from Christian that is really good? For some reason, I feel Christian/Abyss could be really good.

It feels each promotion has a canon of all-time great matches that feels almost mandatory to see in order for you to truly understand the promotion. WWE has Hart/Austin, Michaels/Foley, Savage/Steamboat etc... NWA/WCW has Flair/Steamboat, Flair/Funk and Sting/Vader etc... All Japan has 6/3/94, 6/9/95, 1/20/97 among others. Throughout the history of TNA, it seems much like their fanbase and booking, their canon of great matches is in flux or ethereal. Some would chock this up to their nascent nature, but even promotions like ROH have developed a canon that fans can readily discover from sort survey of the internet (your Punk/Joe's and such). The reasons TNA doesn't have a canon is twofold. To the shock of no one, one of the reasons is that TNA is the drizzling shits of a promotions and cant develop any meaningful angles mostly due to the fact that TNA always feels like it is in reset mode until recently (the Hogan Era has at least given TNA a sense of stability). The other is that I dont feel like TNA fans don't have much of an internet presence to pimp their work. I could be wrong even though I am a long time wrestling fan, I have usually stuck to the "mainstream" wrestling sites like 411 and Online Onslaught so I dont know how well TNA is represented on the rest of the internet, but doesnt do too well on those platforms. I watch a lot of wrestling a day, but I have a hard time sticking with one promotion and while looking for something to spice things up. I was watching an episode of Impact and I was marveling and how well AJ Styles was selling the current "Im distraught because Im not getting a title shot for a year" angle during his match. Everytime I watch Impact (which is probably once a month), I always feel like I should make a point to watch more because AJ is just that good. So I went on to watch some "classic" TNA (like that even exists ), but I really couldn't find a good list of what people thought was the best. Then it dawned on me, I could do that. I could be the TNA guy that has to be a step up from being the XPW guy. For the most part, I watched all these matches when they first came out, but havent watched them since, but my tastes have changed significantly. I am not going to watch every TNA match ever because I am going to have some semblance of a life, but if it was recommended here, on 411, by Meltzer or pretty much anywhere. I will at least give it a shot if it is on youtube or in my collection. I am not about to spend money on TNA. Just for the sake of Transparency, I opened the same thread up at Online Onslaught as Firebreaker Chip (ask 14 year old me why I thought that was a good username), but they thought it was "hipster" of me to use terms such as "heat segment", "powder", "Southern" and "All Japan" when describing the matches. To paraphrase the great David Lee Roth, "I dont feel hipster." I know you guys dont like TNA much around these parts, but I think you would appreciate the analysis and effort I put into these. In addition, you all seem pretty open to revisionism so think of this same way you would think "Barbarian: Lost Worker", but instead "TNA: Lost Promotion" Matches Turning Point 2004: Tag Champions America's Most Wanted vs Triple X I first watched this in 2006 and remember thinking it was a very good match. The first half of the match is worked excellently and fuckin love how they artificially created a heat segement in tornado tag settings by using the handcuffs. That was the true genius of the match. Then they got all fuckin dumb started hitting stupid shit off the top. For no other reason, then because they probably thought that was the only way to pop the crowd. I don't mind doing stuff off the top of the cage. Flair/Dusty did stuff off the top of the cage in 1986, but it was sensible because Flair was trying to escape Dusty, which is totally in character for Flair, who powdered in all of his matches. In this context, no one was trying to escape or hit one big bomb they were going up top for the express purpose of hitting spots. I hate when wrestling becomes an exhibition. That being said Skipper's iconic spot is still BATSHIT~! But the Tower of Doom spot blows. If they just finished the match they were working towards with the handcuffs this could have been an all-time classic. Instead, it was a disjointed match that couldnt decide if it wanted to be a Southern bloodbath or spot exhibition. Final Resolution 2005: X-Division Champion Petey Williams vs Chris Sabin vs AJ Styles in an Ultimate X Match I watched this match because it made someone's Top Ten TNA matches and I have to say I am pretty sure can write for 411 if this made your Top Ten. This is a fun spot exhibition, but it is nowhere near the best match of a promotion. What I like about above average matches is that certain things become pronounced. One of those things is how much better is AJ is at everything than your standard X-Division wrestler. He sells better, he punches better, he bumps better, he makes everything you watch count. From the iconic flip bump off the turnbuckle to actually selling his hand during the match, AJ totally outclassed these guys. Against All Odds 2005: X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels Wow, way better than I remembered and a true joy to go back and watch. The opening is really well done and makes AJ looks like a million bucks. Daniels sells the arm so well even during his heat segment and puts on a clinic working over AJ's mid-section. AJ, for what is worth, not holds his ribs, but actually sells it like he is sucking air. The only time I have seen that is in Japan. AJ is fuckin good. The finish to the first fall may be one of my favorite finishes ever. AJ goes for a big bomb to polish off Daniels, but on the 450 he eats knees, which plays right into the mid-section work and Angel Wings (AJ with a full layout because he is ALL MAN~!) sees Daniels goes up 1-0 in sublime fashion. The rest of the match is well-worked and AJ times his hopes spots so well and keeps the crowd constantly heated. Im ok with AJ getting the pin in a quick rollup, but I would have liked it better done Steamboat style with a ton of desperation cradles rather than kinda out of nowhere. My main critique is that match is structured weirdly down the stretch because you have Daniels in desperation to get the last pin and AJ just trying to hang on (emphasized by his bladejob). They do the Koji Clutch and AJ is saved by the bell. I hate this because I think the babyface should be the guy doing this down the finishing stretch. Daniels needed to really heel this portion up to save it. Then of course AJ pulls it out in OT in really weird booking. It was like they wanted to protect AJ due to weak as finish in regulation, but then they cut off Daniels' balls. Classic match until last 5 minutes, which leads to believe there will be better matches. Lockdown 2005: AJ Styles vs Abyss - Number One Contender's Match HOLY FUCK, WHERE HAS THIS MATCH BEEN ALL MY LIFE??? I will be shocked if this doesnt end up in my Top 5 TNA matches of all time. This is the match that caused me to worship at the Altar of AJ in earnest. So in a card full of cage matches, what do AJ and Abyss do to ensure differentiation they spend the first half brawling outside. GENIUS! The spots AJ hits during the babyface shine are ridiculously awesome and breath-taking. It was the perfect way to establish AJ's speed as a threat to Abyss' unmitgated power. When Abyss took over with those vicious cage door shots on AJ, AJ went into Ricky Morton mode and I knew we were entering classic match territory. Once in the cage, Abyss did some great power offense and a classic Southern-style, bloodbath cage match developed with AJ timing each hope spot for maximum effect. I even liked the inclusion of thumbtacks because it played into the sadism of the match. The finish has everyone on their feet cheering for AJ. One of the better David vs Goliath type matches because AJ never tried to out power Abyss or force Abyss to look weak. AJ shined through his speed offense and wrestling a smart match. Of all the matches, I have seen so far, seek this one out! Sacrifice 2005: Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles Finals of the Super X Cup This is what I am talking in terms of non-memorable. I totally forgot this match and its circumstances. Basically, the winner gets a shot at Daniels' X-Division Title. I forgot how good 2005 Joe was. Joe was so explosive in a way that very few were. I would say on the level of a Dr. Death. Those two men are the very few who wrestle with such a lethal combination of quickness and power. This match does not touch Williams' best work because Joe doesnt always work with urgency in the match. AJ is a great pinball for Joe (an absolutely sick bump onto the floor off a kick and then slides into the announce table). Joe, for his part goes overboard much like Vader, goes a little overboard in bumping for AJ (a German suplex would have been perfect in a latter bout to pop the crowd instead it is thrown out in the first match). Also since I am in full All Japan mode, I loved the direct All Japan cosplay as Joe plays Kawada and AJ plays a great version of Misawa with a flurry of elbows. While they outright steal All Japan spots it doesn't feel like an All Japan match instead a weird mish-mash of America and Japan. This match never reaches that level, but it is a very good first installment. The finish was smart as it protected AJ and made Joe still look like a beast. The musclebuster was so fuckin sick. I would say this one the level of the Against All Odds match in that is a very good match, but not something I would put in the Top 10 of a decade (with TNA we are looking at a decade). Unbreakable 2005: X-Division Champion Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe I would hazard to say this is the most famous match in TNA history and is very much a product of its time period. There is a lot of excellent stuff in this match, but there is a lot of weird booking issues in this match. For my money, AJ vs Abyss is still a level above this match. Joe could be a better wrestler than AJ, but his instincts are awful. He lets people get way too much shit on him and he kills his unqiueness. You can defend letting AJ getting him into a Torture Rack because he is letting the babyface shine, but I think there are plenty ways of letting AJ shine without that. Indefensibly, he lets Daniels Death Valley Driver him. Why would you ever let a heel shine like that? In Joe's defense, he had the hardest role in the match, he had to be a heel for AJ and a babyface for Daniels. He was clearly more comfortable working with AJ. Which brings me to my next point, Daniels is a horrible heel. This match proves in my mind pretty definitively that Daniels is a step below both AJ and Joe. It isnt that much of a knock because AJ and Joe were probably the two best wrestlers in 2005 in North America. It is just Daniels is pretty good at everything, but excellent at nothing. He cant fly or bump as well as AJ and he cant be as violent as Joe. Instead of differentiating himself in an obvious fashion by cheating like a muthafucker doing anything it takes to keep his belt, he just wrestles this poor man's AJ/Joe hybrid style that does nobody any favors. He gets a heat segment that should have been Joe's. Daniels looked way too strong in this match and it was a detriment to the story. Some people turn off selling, well Daniels turns off heeling. Of course, there were some incredible sequences. The opening was pitch perfect and set up for Daniels to play a bitch boy that has to cheat (ala Flair) to keep his title, but he dropped that. I LOVE AJ's quick rollups it was a perfect way to show how AJ could be a threat to Joe. The springboard Shooting Star by AJ was sublime. The All Japan sequence from Joe/AJ ending with an amazing German by Joe was the best sequence in the match. Pretty much everything from Joe/AJ was fucking amazing. Joe had some pretty fun combinations back in the day. I miss Joe. I would say the first 20 minutes or so, I would said this was an easy Top 5 match for TNA, but the last 5 or so kinda soured me when Daniels took over the match. Why was Joe doing desperation cover? Ugh that should have been Daniels. The finish was booked so fuckin weird. I would still say it has an outside shot at Top 5 right now because how well the action was packed. AJ has the prettiest right hand of someone who debuted post-Attitude Era. Why the guy uses shivers at all is beyond me because his right hand looks great! What I liked was even though they didnt really use a heat segment in a conventional sense, it never felt like "your turn, my turn", which irks me to end when I see that. What I meant by a product of the time period is that it was very en vogue to have shades of grey wrestling matches where everyone looks good and everyone is kept strong usually at the expense of the babyface (though in this case it was Joe). I think it was the best possible match of that type and was really well-executed. I am really looking forward to the next AJ/Joe singles match from 2005! Bound For Glory 2005 - X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels I like how they knew they werent going to top their previous efforts so they tried to do a totally different match by using the classic build with the side-headlocks to start. I liked how Styles kiboshed Daniels on his Stampede roll-through on an armdrag back into the headlock and how Styles punted Daniels in the ribs on a drop down. However, things never really got off the ground floor even though the first ten minutes were well-worked. The next ten or so really felt like "Let me hit my modified slam, now you hit your modified slam" there was no sense of struggle and thus zero heat. The best sequence of this period of a great fired-up AJ and Daniels' selling of it. Daniels is wrestling 8 million times better in this match and makes AJ look a lot better. I actually think this was an off night for AJ as he wasnt showing his usual level of charisma. In the last ten minutes, they start hitting their dives and everyone wakes up. They go through a nice exchange of rollups and AJ even does an All Japan no-sell off a German into a wicked lariat to really get the place rocking. The finish is a tame one as it is just the Styles Clash at the buzzer. No sense of struggle or urgency throughout this match killed the heat for me. I thought the beginning was going to go somewhere interesting, but nada. This was AJ's weakest performance all year by far. Daniels worked hard in this match, but it was not enough to get this match over the hump, a good match, but in a lot ways disappointing. Turning Point 2005 - X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe Greatest AJ Styles Performance Ever? I am willing to hear arguments against, but I dont think I can be convinced. When Styles does a float-over off a Joe suplex attempt onto the apron instead of doing it fluidly he lands on the ropes to sell the exhaustion. I was in awe. Consequently instead of immediately following his forearm on the apron he sold more exhaustion before finally to trying to hit a springboard and ate a Joe powerbomb. Sublime. What I think stands out the most about this match compared to so many X-Division matches is the physicality. My biggest issue with a lot of the flippy guys is how light they work (Kofi, Morrison). This match was a fuckin war and AJ got a nice busted up lip for it. AJ did that sick bump off the apron onto the floor again and took Joe's offense like a champ. Unlike the previous match, AJ seemed game throughout the match and still made Joe work for all his moves. I loved the transition to AJ's comeback as it was Joe being overzealous and AJ having the presence of mind to back body drop outside the ring. Then he capitalized with a beautiful shooting star press dive. I love how after each move AJ was going after pins because he knew he was weak and this was his shot. It really sold the urgency, you could feel that his time was fleeting and if he didnt capitalize now everything was lost. I loved the cat and mouse game they did late in the match with AJ duckin and diving before Joe caught him in the corner with a couple bear paws. The busted lip happens here and it really had a big fight feel and that moment epitomized it. AJ follows that up with early kicks out off a wicked lariat and wicked Tiger Driver. FIGHTING SPIRIT~! The one flaw is the fact that AJ tried twice to setup Joe for moves on the top turnbuckle. The second time it led to an awkward sequence and a lame AJ powerbomb, which only existed to give AJ a way to hit the Styles Clash. It was a minor flaw. AJ goes for a victory roll, but Joe traps him in the clutch and it is Goodnight Irene for AJ. After the match, Joe beats up AJ and tries to give him a musclebuster on a chair, but Daniels saves. I liked this match a whole lot, but I think I liked AJ/Abyss a hair more, but both are neck and neck for Best TNA match ever at this point. I have no idea why the Unbreakable match is the more famous match. This match blows that match outta the water. Tremendous effort by both men, this is definitely one to watch. Maybe this would be better done in a blog because it looks clunky this way. I look forward to some feedback and of course recommendations on anything I should go see. I will be starting 2006 tomorrow.

On the match, my favorite thing was the ref admonishing Hash using a closed fist midway through the match only for Hash to respond by chopping Yamazaki in thr throat, which both put over his desperation and the hatred in the match. I had never heard of Yamazaki before this and he seemed pretty good, but Hash looked like a total boss badass throughout match. Between this and his short contests in '89 against Zangiev and Vader, Hashimoto seems like the King of the Stiff Sprint. I am still learning about the New Japan heavies as they are definitely a dark spot, but I will say that I do like the fact they incorporate a lot of matwork. Watching a lot of All Japan, makes the heart grow fond for some chain wrestling and mat work, which is why I usually add some NWA and New Japan interspersed with my All Japan viewing.