Superstar Sleeze

Pro Wrestling Love returns with first half of a Top 12 countdown of the best matches of WWE from 2002-2004. Thank you to my Dad for supporting my pro wrestling fandom from taking me to pro wrestling matches starting in 1998 and always discussing pro wrestling with me even though he is not a fan. This is especially pertinent because one of the matches (Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio) that makes this list I was in attendance for thanks to my Dad taking me. How lucky am I to say I have seen Eddie vs Rey live in my lifetime! Thank you Dad! It is very eclectic bunch that make the first half of this Top 12 WWE matches to take place from 2002-2004! How awesome is Rey Mysterio? The Kliq revival is in full swing as Shawn Michaels makes his return! The Next Big Thing makes his debut BROCK ROCKS~! in this volume of Pro Wrestling Love! https://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/11/pro-wrestling-love-vol-19-best-of-wwe.html

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero - No Way Out 2004 The ultimate feel good moment in WWE History. I am so glad I was able to watch this live thanks to my Dad's cable box scrambler. Eddie Guerrero will always be one of my favorites. We all know the story, people like Eddie dont win the big one. He is just too small, but goddamn his personality is larger than life. His energy is infectious. His smile can light up an arena of 20,000 people. He is what a pro wrestler should be. Then on the other side of the ring, you got the Man! I love Brock! I am such a Brock mark. Shoot credentials, powerhouse with explosive quickness. It was all on display here. Two of the best ever just putting on a clinic that stayed true to their unique characters. There was no shine. Brock was just a dominant champion. He was throwing Eddie around at will, treating him like a ragdoll. Every Eddie comeback was met with a kneelift and then a violent throw. I loved that high knee into the corner. He basically made Eddie take his full weight. The announcers put over that the match was over before it even started. So many times they want to feed us that power vs speed story but Tazz outright says it Brock Lesnar is faster than Eddie. I love the brutal honesty. Brock Lesnar is a cocky shoot fighter and he is toying with Eddie. So what strategy does have Eddie at his disposal, well he goes the Mutoh/Tanahashi route. Mutoh/Tanahashi constantly fight wrestlers that are better them in a kayfabe sense Hashimoto/Nagata/Nakamura, but they negate their natural advantage by targeting the knee. Injure a body part you take away weapons and give yourself an opening. So Eddie drags Brock's leg over to the ringpost. Want to know why Brock is one of the greatest of all time watch how much he struggles to avoid this. Eddie gets his way wrapping the knee around the ringpost, but Brock is still a beast and uses pure leg strength to slam Eddie into the ring post. Thats the middle part of the match. Eddie trying to make use of this new opening and Brock cutting him off at the pass. I love that it takes so much for Eddie to EARN his advantage. Brock is a monster it is going to take a lot to keep him down. Brock is taunting Eddie & the fans by marching around with him in a musclebuster or going for a military press, but pride comes before the fall. Eddie wriggles free and hits the dropkick to the knee, but Brock lunges at him with a monster lariat. Brock just keeps coming with those suplexes. This is the original suplex city match. Brock goes for another crazy high knee, but Eddie moves and Brock takes a nasty tumble over the top rope all the way to the floor. As always we should take a moment to appreciate Brock the Bumper because goddamn if he is not one of the greatest bumpers of all time. I love he takes two hurricanranas from Eddie no problem and makes them look great. Eddie hits a plancha. Brock comes up limping, but Eddie still cant win total control as Brock is still ferocious. It was only as Brock mounted Eddie and told him he was nuthin that Eddie finally looked like he had a chance. He applies a VICIOUS heel hook. That was some RINGS shit right there. Then he applies an STF to a TREMENDOUS POP! Damn, I would never think the STF would be so over. You could tell in that moment the Cow Palace realized Eddie might have a chance. The rest of the match becomes about Brock trying to survive all these Eddie submissions. Brock was using kneelifts and throws to set up holds. The idea being to use the holds to sap energy and regain his own, but his leg was in a bad way. He was not as in control anymore. However, Eddie had injured Brock's knee, but he had not yet hit a home run to garner a pinfall. He crashed and burned on a missile dropkick attempt and a Frogsplash. Brock had a bloody nose from turnbuckle shot was clearly frustrated and was yelling at Eddie to "just die" (not exactly great in retrospect). He was rolling him into bridged pins but seemed to be running out of gas. Michael Cole does a great job putting over the heart of Eddie Guerrero. I am such a sucker for that story because it means we all got a chance in this world. Doesnt matter if you are the strongest, smartest, best looking, but if you believe enough and work hard enough, you can do it. Thats why this match seems so much to me and all wrestling fans. Brock Lesnar hits the F-5 but wipes out the ref. It looks like doomsday for our hero until Goldberg spears the hell out of Brock. They give Eddie enough offense after this that it does not feel too cheap. Eddie hits the tornado DDT on the belt and then Frogsplash to a MASSIVE POP! Has there ever been a better post-match celebration? Woooooooooo! This match always puts a huge smile on my face. If you ever feel blue, this is the match to watch it will make you feel like anything is possible. ****3/4

WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield - Judgment Day 2004 Well that's gotta be an 11 on the Muta Scale, it is one bloodier. It is a murder scene. If you think this match is just about buckets of blood, you would be dead wrong. A great throwback match to the hate-filled brawls that were the norm in 1980s US Wrestling. For me, this match represents where the divisions in wrestling fandom started. Scott Keith posted a lukewarm at best review of this match and was rightfully spit-roasted. Scott Keith had spent years espousing the virtues of 90s workrate and believed in those idols. He saw someone like JBL and dismissed him out of hand. I believe he went in with a star rating before he saw the match. Another example was an insane low ball rating of Brock vs Taker 2002 Hell In A Cell, three stars. It would be years again before I found those wrestling fans that saw great wrestling comes in all shapes and colors here at Pro Wrestling Only. Yes, workrate fans continue to dominate the internet, but I am so glad to found a place where brawling, traditional championship wrestling and shoot style are still revered. Eddie is red hot at Bradshaw after Bradshaw cuts a Donald Trump promo to huge heel heat. Can we go back to that America? Also according to the announcers, Bradshaw caused Eddie's mom to have a heart attack, but it is ok because Bradshaw is going to have her employed as his maid. What I love about this match is that is not a glorified weapons match that stands in for brawling. Today so many "brawls" is just an excuse to hit each other with weapons. Here Eddie just wants to keep punching JBL right in the face with a good 'ol fashion closed fist, throw him into some hard, metal objects and choke him with a cord. It is an asskicking that is personal. I love that JBL tries to leave it really puts over how major this asskicking is. Typically, you see a heel champion do that not a heel challenger. He rather foresake the championship than get beat up more now that's an asskicking. I thought the transitions were great. Eddie is concerned about the count and it breaks his focus and he ends up eating the steel steps. I thought Bradshaw was great in control of the match. He used his size advantage to control and dominate Eddie. Anyone who says JBL was slow or some other bullshit watch him run the ropes or feed those armdrag bumps. He was bumping huge for anyone but especially for his size. Eddie gets a plancha, but eats JBL's fallaway slam on the outside. The playing field is leveled. You feel that who over wins the next slugfest will be poised to win the match. Eddie is rocking JBL with chops, but JBL executes a desperation back body drop on Eddie who lands on the table. I like that move as a transition as JBL uses Eddie's own momentum to garner control of the match. It feels more like the babyface lost control of the match than the heel won control. You want an aggressive babyface and a reactionary heel. Bradshaw applies a bearhug to chagrin of workrate fans. Eddie begins his big comeback. He is just so damn charismatic. He runs over the ref by accident and here we go...Eddie throws JBL over the announce table and he approaches JBL to meter out more punishment...JBL CRACKS him with a steel chair. Blood is quite literally squirting out of Eddie's head. The blood was flowing for the next ten minutes. In my estimation, the most grizzly bladejob I have seen. He was wearing the literal crimson mask. The finish run is spectacular. One of the best of all time. JBL CRUSHES EDDIE WITH A CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! THEN HE THROWS HIM DOWN WITH A POWERBOMB! Both moves looked killer. Eddie's shimmy shaking with all that blood was so electric. I love how Eddie gets all his receipts in and then some. Yes he loses by DQ, but he draws blood from the championship belt, he cracks JBL in the head with the steel chair and then the cherry on top is the chest beating, blood-soaked Frogsplash. Thats how you put a babyface over. Eddie looked like a world-beating asskicker. How the hell would you not want to root for him? JBL did a great job selling all this cowering and crawling while Eddie was relentless in seeking revenge. A classic hate-filled brawl with great babyface/heel dynamics that is taken to the next level by insane, copious amounts of blood that make it instantly memorable. ****3/4

WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio - Smackdown 3/18/04 Up until 2016, this was probably the greatest match I had ever seen live. Thank you Dad for taking me! This was the Smackdown right after Wrestlemania XX and they had a gauntlet match the night of to determine who would face Eddie for the title. My brother always remembers this episode as the show where the APA broke up and the next week Bradshaw would debut the JBL character. Anyways, this match was a doozy in real time, but having grown up, I was only 14 when I saw this, I think actually even appreciate it more now. Eddie was over huge as a babyface at the time, but he works full heel here. It is great. Rey shows him up a little at the beginning. This is some really great chain wrestling and interesting takedowns but it is Eddie who has to powder. Eddie targets the bad shoulder of Mysterio who injured during the gauntlet. Eddie's arm work was great throughout the match. Intense. He was definitely channeling 1997 Eddie. I loved that Hammerlock/Gory Special combo. Mysterio was not just selling like a million bucks, he was also timing his hope spots perfectly. I still remember that top rope Asai Moonsault like yesterday. How cool was that! Throughout the match he was always coming up with interesting counters that made you believe there was hope. I loved the symmetry of each missing their finish. Eddie crashes & burns on Frogsplash and Rey gets up to dropkick Eddie into position for the 619. BANG! But when goes to drop the dime, he seatdrops the mat. Eddie gets the Hell out of Dodge with a La Magistral Cradle. Underrated match that has been forgotten about, but something I will never forget. I got to see Eddie vs Rey live how lucky am I! ****1/4

WWE Tag Tag Champions Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs Rey Mysterio & Edge - Smackdown 11/7/02 2 out of 3 Falls I have always thought the Smackdown Six era was a little overrated, but the first fall of this match held up great. First Fall: Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle have amazing chemistry. The use of the 619 to evade Angle and send him out the ring to embarrass him was the spot of the match. Benoit had a great reaction to this. The Edge parts were alright. Good transition to the heat segment with Angle pulling the hair from the apron and Benoit blindsiding him. It is the first fall so we dont get a full blown heat segment on Edge. I thought Edge actually hung with Benoit pretty well. He put a little mustard on his typically weak shots. The hot tag to Rey was phenomenal. Rey just rocked it. Benoit & Angle fed & bumped for him so well. Edge vaulting Rey into awesome offense was great. Super fun shine. Rey & Edge up 1-0. Second Fall: Angle bulldozes Rey right after the pinfall. He wants a Angle Slam, but Rey armdrags out. I love that it takes an extra move for Angle to take control. Rey gets caught in a bell-to-belly. It is short but Angle & Benoit hit two great high impact moves on Rey before Rey hits a top rope bulldog on Benoit. Edge is actually a great hot tag. Did Edge miss his calling as a babyface? He is a pretty terrible heel so maybe. He misses a spear and eats the tag belt. Instead of going for an Angle Slam and pin, Angle makes Edge submit to Anglelock which just seems like a weird choice. You never want to make a babyface tap unless you really have to. Tapping is a stronger form of losing than pinfall. Also it would make more sense to follow the tag belt shot up with an Angleslam than an Ankleock. Finally, because Edge is selling being knocked out the tap out is kinda weak and doesnt feel big. Still really good 90s workrate stuff thus far. Tied 1-1 Third Fall: Benoit & Angle are great at heat segments. I think tag matches hide a lot of Angle's psychology deficiencies allow him to focus on his athleticism. Benoit is good about selling the back of his head on superplex attempts, I love that about him. Rey & Angle's chemistry is off the charts you gotta check out the sequence they worked before the restart. Angle got his hand on the rope at the last second and the ref didnt see so they tease the Dusty Finish and restart the match. Another great heat segment on Rey Rey. Rey looked so damn good here. Ever want to understand why Rey is a GOAT contender check out this match. This is no fluke, Edge was legitimately great as an offensive babyface in this match. Great sequence that works in a 619, Spear and a Benoit diving headbutt on Angle before Edge & Mysterio win the tag belts. I know it is 2002, but this is some peak 90s workrate. I am going to try to write an essay one day on how 90s workrate is different than today's workrate. I think 90s workrate there is a lot of action but there is psychology and everything is at least snug and earned. Very enjoyable TV wrestling. ****

Riki Choshu vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - NJPW 6/9/87 I wish I knew the context of many of these New Japan matches. Why do these two hate each other so much? Is New Japan vs UWF still in effect? How does Choshu's recent return play into this? I love how we fade into Fujiwara attacking Choshu during his entrance and drawing first blood by ramming Choshu into hard, metal objects. You gotta watch Fujiwara's face during this he has a sadistic, maniacal grin on his face. It is all Fujiwara early the usual headbutts to the wound, punches and stomps too. Piledriver, but he pulls him up so you know Choshu will start his comeback soon. I love how gradual it is. Kicks at first as he uses the ropes to get back up, but Fujiwara starts blatantly choking him. Choshu tries to punch Fujiwara in the head, bad strategy, brutha. Fujiwara keeps choking him to quell the rally, but from the choke, Choshu hurls Fujiwara over his shoulder with Saito Suplex. Choshu, bloody & battered, with his first advantage goes for Scorpion Deathlock, great idea saps Fujiwara's energy allows him to regain his wind. Great Scorpion Deathlock too look at the placement of his right hand for extra leverage. I am a mark for that shit. Fujiwara makes the ropes. Choshu is thinking suplex FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Wow! Fujiwara moves to a top wristlock, stand back up and punches/headbutts the arm. Fujiwara makes a rare, rookie mistake turning his back on Choshu to take off the turnbuckle pads. He hits Choshu with the pad but it is he for who is whipped into the exposed steel. Choshu hits a wicked lariat and wants another one FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Roof damn near comes off the place while I pop out of my seat over 30 years later. That was hot. Choshu makes the ropes. Outside the ring, Choshu slams Fujiwara's head into the post drawing blood and getting his receipt. Fujiwara is a tough muthafucka and is still throwing headbutts with a crimson mask, but is on jelly legs. Definitely watch Fujiwara sell from the post shot on, even though he is on offense you can tell he is not long for this match. The headbutts take too much out of him and Choshu hits two monster lariats and it is KO victory. The bell rings and Choshu add a little stomp for good measure. Stone cold bloody brawl classic. I love how the match does a great job transforming from all Fujiwara bloodying Choshu and dominating to gradually Choshu making in-roads then finally Choshu bloodies Fujiwara and Choshu wins with dominant Knockout victory. A strong contender for match of the year globally in 1987 in what is actually a rather weak year. ****3/4

Vader vs Riki Choshu - NJPW 6/27/1989 Vader had dropped the IWGP Championship to Salman Hashimikov who had not yet dropped it to Choshu so this is NOT for the IWGP Championship. Really awesome bloody brawl here that lives up to the hype of VADER VS CHOSHU! Vader dominates early doing Vader stuff and also busting out a dropkick. Choshu comes back with piss & vinegar pretty much hurls right everything back at Vader including a dropkick and a monster lariat. He sends the Mastodon into the railing, tears the mask and slams him into the post triggering lots of blood of course. Choshu then goes to town with chair shots. Everything I hoped for! Vader is so great as a wounded bear throwing those wild fists. Choshu goes for the Scorpion Deathlock but Vader is just too big. Choshu goes for the pin, but nothing doing. Vader hits him low, suspiciously low. Vader intimidates the ref and now we get classic Vader using his unique combination of girth and athleticism to control the match. He eats knees on a splash and here comes Choshu. Vader eats a Saito Suplex, a bodyslam and a monster truck lariat. Vader wisely powders. Choshu tries to stay on him, but Vader catches him on a plancha and THROWS HIM DOWN! Wow Choshu is not a small man. Vader hits his classic Vader body attack off the apron to win the match via countout. Great way to build to a rematch which would be a title match in August. Vader looked awesome in this.1989 was his breakout year. He does his best Stan Hansen intimidating the crowd as a crazed, bloody monster overturning chairs. Choshu is a great Vader opponent because he looks like an asskicker that can hang with Vader and not many can play that part. Just one of those great asskicking match that never drags and never a dull moment. ****1/2

It is interesting that you bring why this match is not discussed more and I was wondering the same thing. Inoki puts Choshu pretty clean as a sheet (Choshu does use a closed fist to take control, but Inoki also uses closed fists). I wonder if it is because there really was not much of a "Choshu Era". He wins the World Cup tournament at the end of the year, but he does not figure very prominently into the Big Famous Dome show. He does win the IWGP Championship but only holds it for a month before dropping it to Vader. In a lot of ways, he is sharing the spotlight with Fujinami & Vader from 89-91. By 92, Muta wins the IWGP Title and ushers in the Three Musketeers Era. It was almost too late for the torch passing to Choshu . The other thing is I think American fans prefer All Japan both due to the in-ring work and that the booking is done in a more traditional American style. New Japan booking can be haphazard and without an official guide and it can look aimless and capricious. So I think a lot of New Japan's history is unknown to American fans. Antonio Inoki vs Riki Choshu - NJPW 2/22/89 A perfect example of New Japan's veiled history as this turns out to be one of those rare Inoki clean jobs that almost feels like he is passing the torch to Riki Choshu, but is almost never discussed. Inoki puts Choshu pretty clean as a sheet (Choshu does use a closed fist to take control, but Inoki also uses closed fists). I wonder if it is because there really was not much of a "Choshu Era". He wins the World Cup tournament at the end of the year, but he does not figure very prominently into the Big Famous Dome show. He does win the IWGP Championship but only holds it for a month before dropping it to Vader. In a lot of ways, he is sharing the spotlight with Fujinami & Vader from 89-91. By 92, Muta wins the IWGP Title and ushers in the Three Musketeers Era. It was almost too late for the torch passing to Choshu . The other thing is I think American fans prefer All Japan both due to the in-ring work and that the booking is done in a more traditional American style. New Japan booking can be haphazard and without an official guide and it can look aimless and capricious. That's why I think a lot of New Japan's history is unknown to American fans. As for the match, I enjoyed this one. I watched it on a whim because it is the two biggest Japanese stars of all time in a pretty well-regarded match (#40 on DVDVR), little did I know I was going to watch Choshu repeatedly TRUCK Inoki with lariats onto what should be the biggest wins of his career. The beginning of the match is pretty pedestrian, but it picks up once they start throwing headbutts in a lock up and Choshu just chucks Inoki around. Inoki gives as good as he gets hitting enziguiris and some signature suplexes. However, it is a Choshu closed fist that at first Inoki no sells, but he is stunned enough for Choshu to clock him with another one. Inoki tries one of his fiery comebacks with fists but Choshu just chucks Inoki with big time Saito Suplexes and Inoki has no choice but to go flying in the air. It being Inoki it takes about 8 million Lariats to put him down but he finally succumbs. I will say some of those Lariats looked ferocious! Definitely a great Clash of Titans match made greater by the surprising, clean finish! ****

Shinya Hashimoto vs Riki Choshu - NJPW 12/7/89 World Cup Finals New Japan had a one off World Cup tournament at the end of 1989 for what reason I do not know. We ended up with this big time final. Hashimoto was being pushed strong in 1989 making the finals the IWGP Tournament at the Dome in April and now here against the legendary Riki Choshu. I was pretty surprised how this match went down. Since this was 1989 and Hashimoto was on the rise, I expected him to be the one fighting from underneath and proving himself to the main eventer, top dog, Riki Chosu. One thing always is true about this matchup and that is that it is HUGE! Big time lock ups like two rams punctuated with headbutts and slaps. Choshu and Hashimoto always feels like Clash of the Titans whether is it 1989 or 1996. Hashimoto is the first one to score a knockdown with his big rainbow spinning heel kick. That sets the tone, Hashimoto is not an up and comer, he has arrived and is looking not just to win, but to dominate. Choshu wins the test of strength and putting Hashimoto on his back showing that he is not yet past his prime. Hashimoto makes it back up and throws him from the test of strength. Hahsimoto rules. It is amazing how a tubby dude in bellbottoms can be such a badass. Hashimoto is throwing Choshu around at will and Hashimoto really feels like he is at Choshu-level and is a true blue main eventer even in 1989. Choshu escape a cross armbreaker and kicks Hashimoto as he gets up, but that serves just to anger Hashimoto the Destroyer who chops him down with kicks. I am really quite shocked at this match has gone thus far it feels more like 1996 with Hashimoto definitively in the driver's seat. Choshu hits a backdrop driver out of a headlock his first big bomb and Hashimoto powders holding his head, first sign of vulnerability. As he is getting back in the ring, Choshu kicks him and then throws a suplex. Choshu knows he is in a fight and is willing to take any shortcut. He stomps away at Hashimoto before applying the Scorpion Deathlock. At the first opening, Choshu is going for the kill because he realizes how credible a threat Hashimoto is. Hashimoto starts hulking up and it is a barrage of headbutts and kicks. Hashimoto The Destroyer! He goes for a cross armbreaker, which Choshu works hard to escape and then stomps Hashimoto in the head. Everything is being directed at the head and I love that when you are behind in the match you gotta go for those headshots. He goes for the suplex, I am shaking my head. He deviated from the gameplan and Hashimoto is still too strong. He blocks and throws his own vicious suplex slam for 2. Hashimoto is looking great thus far. Here it comes...Hashimoto DDT! German Suplex! Series of two counts Hashimoto is trying to finish Choshu off with his kicks when Choshu chops Hashimoto down with a double axe handle as Hashimoto went for the rainbow spinning heel kick. They go full Choshu/Hashimoto with the series of Choshu lariats and Hashimoto doing his famous selling and it is a flying enziguiri that fells Hahsimoto the Destroyer. Choshu locks in the Dragon Sleeper on the first one Hahsimoto makes the opes, but he is not so lucky on the second one and Choshu releases just to pin him for the win. They would top themselves in 1996, but this is still a badass match. Hashimoto looks amazing in the loss and 1989 was such a breakout year for him. He looked like the asskicker from the 90s we all know and love. Choshu does a great job making him look good, but when it comes time to get his; he hulks up and delivers a fiery finish. It is Clash of the Titans at its finest from New Japan's biggest rockstars. ****1/4

Watched a lot of UWF and never noticed that stun->takedown->submit narrative but it makes sense and it is true retrospectively. Cool pickup.

IWGP Tag Team Champions Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki - NJPW 9/1/87 Sort of a swan song for the UWF boys as Maeda would be out of New Japan by November of '87 and Takada & Yamazaki would not be far behind. I always thought Maeda was a cheapshot artist, but I finally watched the Maeda/Choshu incident. He blasts Choshu with a kick that swells his eye shut while Choshu had his back turned and was applying the Scorpion Deathlock. Fuck Maeda. Not as good as the May tag, but few matches are, but this is still fun & fast paced. Maeda & Takada took quite the ass whupping in this. Yamazaki & Fujiwara were definitely the better tag team in negotiating their opponents into their corner and doing quick tags. Fujiwara was first bullying Maeda into the corner tagging out Yamazaki with a quicky flurry of kicks. While Maeda was able to tag out rather quickly, the song remained the same as Yamazaki blitzed Takada. Again it was all about getting that tag to Fujiwara before Takada could tag out. When Maeda was in the ring, Fujiwara was focusing on kneebars as he got submission victory over Maeda three days prior in a singles match via kneebar. It was Maeda who changed the complexion of the match first with a legsweep and deep double wristlock on Yamazaki and then with a human capture suplex that spiked Yamazaki on this head. This allowed for Takada to hit his own suplex and work in some submissions. Yamazaki tags out in a deep single leg crab, good selling from him. Fujiwara cracks Takada hard with a slap and then a stomp. Takada does a great job selling having his bell rung. He tags out and Maeda comes in bruising against Fujiwara and does a great job forcing him to tag out to Yamazaki which has to be seen as a victory for his team. Yamazaki gets an amazing flying cross amrbreaker on Maeda before Maeda hits a spinning heel kick to tag out. Takada and Yamazaki proceed to have an amazing stand up exchange centered around some of the best kicks to the head you will ever see. They were blasting each other. Takada looks poised to knockout Yamazaki as he has all the momentum scoring knockdown after knockdown. He goes for a big finishing kick but gets more of a glancing blow to the chest. Yamazaki is standing and Takada is off balance. GERMAN SUPLEX! 1-2-3! For the surprise pin everyone including Yamazaki is shocked that it was a three count. Fujiwara embraces him as they win the tag championships. This match does not feel as sticky as the first one in sense that I feel like I am going to forget what happened in this one after a while. The finish will stick with me and there is a lot of great work but there is almost too much action and not enough narrative. ****

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Akira Maeda - NJPW 8/29/87 I am a little surprised this was not ranked higher along side the other two Fujiwara vs Maeda matches. I thought this was a terrific standup contest. Maeda scored first with the spinning heel kick that caught Fujiwara in the corner. Again Maeda knocked Fujiwara down in the corner with kicks. Fujiwara held onto the foot and as he got, he really wanted to slap Maeda. Boy, did he ever when he got him on the ground. Fujiwara took over from there. Maeda made his comeback off a wild uppercut and then sent Fujiwara down. Maeda knows the playbook against Fujiwara and started working in on the body. Fujiwara has a notoriously hard head so you have to keep the body shots coming to set up your other offense. It worked as he scored a German suplex and then tried for the cross armbreaker but Fujiwara had that blocked. There are three awesome Fujiwara moments in the finish run. First, after he ducks the Maeda strike and he strikes Maeda down with the Hand of God and gets a knockdown. Second, Maeda tries to headbutt Fujiwara, dumb move, bro. Fujiwara wrecks Maeda with a brutal headbutt. It was that perfect delayed register from Maeda where it did not seem to phase him and then he crumpled into a heap. Then the piece de resistance, Fujiwara feigns an injury after a glancing blow from partially missed Maeda kick. Maeda is lured into kicking the midsection. Fujiwara catches the kick and brutally attacks the plant leg with a series of kicks. Maeda collapses. Fujiwara applies a kneebar, but the long Maeda makes the ropes, but is not so lucky a second time when Fujiwara takes him down with a legscissors and then a kneebar in the middle of the ring finishes. An excellent stand up match with great ebbs & flows and exciting transitions that finishes on the mat in dramatic fashion all the while Fujiwara gets to show off why he is so special. Another great match in this series. ****1/4

Masa Saito vs Kengo Kimura - NJPW 6/10/87 Great little TV match built around Kimura's bum wheel. This reminds me of a great Arn Anderson Saturday Night performance. Kimura tries to out-heel Saito early pulling hair and using closed fists. The punches were in response to Saito making a go at that bad leg. Kimura does not finish the job and Saito hits his Saito Suplex. Saito goes for the arm at first but as he has a double wristlock he looks at the bandaged knee. He drops the arm and pulls on a very tight toehold. Obviously he is thinking Scorpion, but Kimura makes it out alive. Saito pulls out some Bockwinkel tricks from AWA playing King of the Mountain nice shoulderblock off the apron into the railing. Kimura does not really sell the knee on offense as he is running around hitting his finish (the running knee), but Saito RIPS him down with a dragon leg screw. Scorpion Deathlock not quite the finish as Kimura makes the ropes. Kimura misses a kneedrop and a deep toehold gets Saito the win. Just awesome watching Saito do his thing and pick someone apart. ***1/2

What's UWF? What are its three rules? I really liked your analysis of the finish so I am curious. IWGP Tag Team Champion Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki - NJPW 5/25/87 UWF EXPLODES IN NEW JAPAN~! I dont know if the UWF invasion had run out of steam, but it seems that the matches of late 86 and early 87 were not as well received. It also seems like they were wrestling the likes of young Mutoh & Koshinaka instead. Maeda first won the tag titles with Kido, but this is his second reign after Fujinami & Kimura split up (see the 1/2/87 match which is a barnburner). The UWF boys are defending against fellow UWF boys. Much more pro style match here. No Irish Whips or rope running but there are a lot more suplexes and picking your opponent up to do more damage. In that way it feels more like BattlArts (I feel like is a middle ground between pro & shoot style). The one that didnt change is they incorporated shoot style selling, which is heavy on register and not in long term selling, which made for some jarring moments in a tag match setting. This was very exciting and action packed. Takada has a bandage on his leg and Maeda has a bandage above his eye both would become targets in the match. Yamazaki's kicks looked fantastic and he was really honing on Takada's injured leg. Takada's kicks also looked brutal and was fending off Yamazaki's attack well. Yamazaki actually had Maeda's number it seemed as he was sending him reeling on two occasions. Fujiwara became force of nature as the match worn on coming in like a whirlwind slapping and headbutting the shit out of everyone. Takada's leg was so banged up on his second outing he had to tag out to Maeda. Fujiwara targeted Maeda's cut with some vicious headbutts. That one slap in the corner followed by the headbutt was really nasty and you could tell Maeda was re-opened there. But it was a Yamazaki spinning heel kick that knocked the bandage clean off and revealed a deep bloody wound. In shoot-style fashion, Maeda caught the next kick and turned it into a single leg crab, but you knew he was really hurt because he tagged out promptly to Takada. The finish run is insane and it is not worth recapping but if you like a smartly worked bombfest you will dig this. There are Dragon Suplexes, Tombstone Piledrivers and a ton of Crossface Chickenwing attempts. I like how everyone has a chance to shine Takada first on Yamazaki than Fujiwara on Takada then Yamazaki on Takada then Maeda on Yamazaki. Once Maeda's cut was open this was fantastic and before that it was still really, really good, but thats the moment where they kicked into overdrive. One of the best tag team matches of the 80s, no doubt! ****1/2

Tatsumi Fujinami vs Kengo Kimura - NJPW 1/2/87 Kimura punches Fujinami right in the face before the bell. Kimura goes for the cover, but the ref wont count because the match technically did not start. I did not expect this match at all. Fujinami & Kimura were long time tag partners and the current IWGP tag team champions. They were the cornerstones of the pure, technical strong style of 80s New Japan. I expected a clean, scientific match. Kimura proves that this attitude is no fluke as he continues to punch Fujinami and not give clean breaks. I wonder if it is out of respect for his long time tag partner that Fujinami tries to wrestle this match straight for so long. He is doing armdrags and trying leverage based counters against an opponent that is using a closed fist and chokes. I know I said Fujinami had the best Scorpion Deathlock but Kimura busts one out that I think is really the best I have ever seen. Fujinami is powdering but he is still coming back locking up and looking for leverage-based wrestling. Then all of sudden CRACK! There was really no straw that broke the camel's back. Fujinami just EXPLODES! Hurls him out of the ring and sends him right into the post busting Kimura wide open. Fujinami is great working as an asskicker, working the cut over. However, he is not really going for the kill. Kimura hits a back drop driver, but Fujinami catches his running knee (which I think is Kimura's finish) and turns it into a deep Scorpion Deathlock. New Japan loves the Scorpion Deathlock. Fujinami wants the flying the kneedrop after Kimura makes the ropes but he crashes and burns. High risk can come high reward or it can be your undoing. It was the latter here as Kimura sends him outside for payback. He whips Fujinami hard into the railing and then gets a chair. I love when chairs just randomly get added in puroresu. He jabs the chair into Fujinami and the PILEDRIVES him on top of the chair. Nice! Kimura hits that running knee he wanted earlier to win the match in a huge upset victory. Talk about flipping expectations upside down. Great heated brawl that really builds. The beginning of the match with Kimura being a dick and trying to step out of Fujinami's shadow all the while Fujinami trying his best to be respectful really set up the second half so well. Once Fujinami unleashes his fury, this becomes a must see match. ****1/2

Akira Maeda vs Tatsumi Fujinami - NJPW 6/12/86 Hey an Akira Maeda classic that finally delivers! Of course it is in pro style with a true pro that brings the heat and excitement from the normally boring Maeda. Fujinami rules so hard in this match. The beginning of the match follows a pretty simple formula of Maeda grabs a hold, Fujinami counters and Maeda counters again before the ropes. It demonstrates Maeda' shoot-style credibility and that Fujinami does have a chance. Fujinami gets his biggest pop when the match goes pro style for a minute with a criss cross spot where Maeda misses a spinning heel kick then Fujinami nails a clothesline and gets a single leg crab. The shoot-style crowd will kill me but this match would be even better if they went full pro style. Basically, Fujinami gives up a deathlock to get Maeda's back loses control to a toehold and then ends up in a kneebar. This fucks up his leg. He tries valiantly to fight from his knees but Maeda does have awesome kicks that target the knee. Maeda goes from low to high as the kicks start flying up to the head of Fujinami knocking him down. The reason why this match is so good is two Fujinami's selling and how he peppers in hope spots. His first is a Scorpion Deathlock attempt but Maeda is too close to the ropes. Again Maeda is beating the hell out of Fujinami. Maeda is so frustrating we are sitting in a armbar/headscissors combo with no heat and some of that is on Fujinami for not selling in the hold. The drama should be applying in the hold not in he hold. Fujinami gets a Bow & Arrow and then lunges in with some kicks before a PILEDRIVER! The crowd wanted a pro style match, great leg selling throughout the piledriver and the aftermath. Maeda wants the Dragon Suplex before he loses control of this match, but Fujinami blocks. Maeda is relentless kicking the bad leg of Fujinami and then catching him with a knee to the face as Fujinami is doubled over. Fujinami is selling like a champ. In what should have been the finish of the match, Maeda hits three RIDICULOUS KICKS to the face of Fujinami! I popped huge for that! I know it is the 80s but instead we get a lame cross armbreaker that is not properly sold and has not dramatic tension. Fujinami kicks out the plant leg of Maeda! Pop! Maeda kicks him in the face! Suplex struggle->Maeda Fujiwara armbar takedown that was exciting, but again they sit in this hold way too long. Fujinami catches and diverts the kick for a GERMAN, 1-2-NO! Cant hold due to the bad leg. Fujinami gets a knockdown on some kicks that I didnt really buy as knockdown worthy kicks. Maeda Capture suplex, kicks to the leg and a kneebar well at least this hold makes sense but again we are just in the hold. Maeda drags from the ropes and reapplies the hold until the ref makes him break on five was a pretty good spot. They tumble over the top rope, I for sure thought we were getting the double countout at this point. Fujinami catches the kick, back heel trip, SCORPION DEATHLOCK! This hold is worked a lot better than the others a lot for demonstrative action. Maeda kicks the bad leg and then what should definitely been the finish...MAEDA BUSTS FUJINAMI OPEN HARDWAY WITH A HEEL KICK! German 1-2-NO! Suplex 1-2-no! At least Maeda is pouring it on. They both hit spinning heel kicks and it is a double knockout. I feel like I did a fair amount of criticizing in the review, I honestly did think it was great. I am not anti-holds in the least bit, but the way they were being worked was dragging down the really hot stand up portion of this match. Maeda is as dry as the Sahara Desert, but here at least they played to his strengths which is kicking. Whether it was targeting the leg of Fujinami or just blasting him in the face with kicks until drawing blood, Maeda looked like the most proficient striker in pro wrestling. To me it was all about Fujinami, his selling of the leg was awesome, but more importantly it was his dogged determination and hope spots that kept this match alive. Going for the Deathlock, hitting the piledriver, kicking out the plant leg, hitting a German, scoring a knockdown. All those hope spots spaced out over the course of a dominating Maeda offensive performance meant there was always drama in the match because you could never count Fujinami no matter how injured he may be. Take out some of those superfluous holds, make this Maeda literally kicking Fujinami's ass versus Fujinami's desperation hope spots and this is a damn near five star classic. As is, it is still a New Japan classic and one that shows how to put over a compelling asskicking without dying. ****1/4

Antonio Inoki vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - NJPW 6/12/1986 Call me crazy but I preferred the rematch to the original. This was the brutal, violent spectacle that I expected the first one to be. So let me get out of the way why I suspect this match did not do too well the constant rear naked choke/sleeper, I can see how the repetition could make the match drag for some people. For me, it hooked me. Fujiwara was pissed he got choked out in February and was out for blood. This was Fujiwara unleashed and what I was clamoring for. He bumrushes Inoki and just snapmares him to death before applying a choke. When Inoki gets out of that, it judo throw after judo throw and apply the choke. Thats the match folks Fujiwara would come up with new ways to take Inoki down and choke him. Inoki for his part was great in making comebacks. His Indian Deathlock got a big pop, but for me it was when he transitioned into a choke when Fujiwara was in the ropes that drove home that Inoki was out for blood too. Inoki is great at getting his receipts in. My favorite part was when Fujiwara simply went for the old fashioned hand around the throat choke and Inoki gave him a "Fuck you" punch to the back of the head. Fujiwara was a supreme dick in this and Inoki was giving us those mini-payoffs. Fujiwara was his typically great self at selling the chokes on his end with the foaming at the mouth sell. Choking is such a visceral and violent thing. You have crossed the line from trying to win the match to depriving a man of air, our life force. That's intense shit. The finish is great with Inoki trying to escape the choke by throwing himself over the top rope, but Fujiwara follows and keeps the choke on Inoki with dogged determination. Inoki finally shakes him by lunging into the post and bucking Fujiwara head first into the post cutting him real good. Fujiwara is a bloody mess but in typical Fujiwara fashion when it is a head injury he does not sell shit. Inoki really tees off on the cut. Those were some great punches. Eniziguiri! Fujiwara no sells and dodges the second. This shit is intense. Fujiwara hooks the rope on a whip and Inoki kicks him in the midsection this is enough to hoist him over for a German suplex pin bridge. Really fantastic match, I can see why this is not for everyone, but to me this is letting Fujiwara be Fujiwara. A nasty, violent muthafucka that is trying to choke out the Ace of the company. Inoki is the fiery babyface that is not afraid to punch and claw for the win. The finish stretch is incredible the amount of effort it takes Inoki to finally injure Fujiwara enough to relinquish the choke is impressive and the aftermath is wicked dramatic. Dont stop at the original watch the rematch, decide for yourself which one is better. ****1/4

We will get there eventually! So much wrestling!!!

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kengo Kimura - NJPW 5/16/86 I was immediately happy I watched this match. Remember how I complained in the Inoki/Fujiwara match that they didnt really let Fujiwara be Fujiwara. Well in this match they let Fujiwara be Fujiwara and it fucking ruled so hard. Fujiwara bumrushes Kimura as he is entering the ring. He summarily throws him out of the ring. Then just slams his head into as many hard metal objects as he can. Kimura is gushing blood and Fujiwara is just headbutting him at will. This is glorious! Fujiwara armbar takedown, but Kimura makes the ropes. Kimura is able to mount Fujiwara and hold him by the throat as he punches him. Now this is hate! Kimura goes for a sleeper but is still pretty banged up. So Fujiwara just starts full on choking him. Kimura gets some kicks in and even cracks Fujiwara with a chair and then into the metal turnbuckle, but to no avail as Fujiwara's head is too hard. Fujiwara decimates Kimura with headbutts and chokes. This is just heel Fujiwara at his finest. The kneebars work here because the way they are sold. Kimura makes one last comeback with a butterfly suplex and a PILEDRIVER! But Fujiwara kicks out and throws him out of the ring. He throws him over the railing into the fans as the match ends in a double countout. Really cool, short match that puts over how interesting Fujiwara is as a performer. There are some strange points where Fujiwara is almost uncooperative in how he is refusing to sell and they lose that hate-filled brawl vibe but then pick it back up. The parts that are good are really good and like I said an excellent individual showcase of the Man, Fujiwara! ****

I am going to be the dissenting vote on this one and its a shame I like both. I may need to rewatch this at some point. I like a lot of parts of it but it didnt fully click with me. Still thought it was very good. Antonio Inoki vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - NJPW 2/6/86 I had very high expectations for this one. Two of the all-time greats clashing in what is considered a classic by many. Fujiwara throws the flowers in the stands. Maeda, Takada and Yamazaki are in UWF track suits. Like most Inoki matches this has the big fight feel, but has been amplified by the invasion aspect. Fujiwara slaps Inoki in the corner. Inoki returns in kind with some brutal punches in the corner and there is no break. The UWF guys are hollering at the ref. The match was uneven for me. I thought there were too many kneebar/leglock attempts that really went nowhere. It seemed to be Fujiwara's main strategy. I dont think they fully let Fujiwara be Fujiwara. Yes those great tenacious facial expressions were there along with a couple smirks, but Fujiwara is at his best when he is taking shortcuts and being entertaining. I would dare say this was a dry performance. I thought Inoki was quite fiery. I really liked him pressing the match during stand up with lots of big shots. That was kind of my issue those headbutts were gnarly but it was back to the kneebar. The butterfly suplex and get again only for Fujiwara to use a trip was great, but again back to the kneebar. There were things to like. I guess I didnt feel like the match really broke open the way I was hoping. I think it could benefit from a rewatch down the line (theres just too much to get too for the Greatest Match Ever Project so you gotta impress me on the first try). I thought the finish was great with Inoki hitting a controversial kick in the midsection. Fujiwara sold it low so the UWF guys flipped out while Fujinami is freaking out saying it was in the midsection. Great shit. Surprisingly it was not a Fujiwara trap as Inoki gets in the next blow. Fujiwara comes back with a series of headbutts so maybe was playing possum (but why take more punishment) and then Inoki hits with a MASSIVE FOREARM! Fujiwara sells like a champ. Inoki chokes him out for the win. To the surprise of nobody, Maeda cheapshots Inoki. Fujinami and Maeda brawl and a melee ensues. AMAZING POST-MATCH BRAWL! To set up all the NJPW vs UWF fun down the line. Did this one live up to my lofty expectations? No it didnt and that happens. It was still a very good match. I thought Inoki looked great on offense with lots of fire and zing behind everything. Finish was spectacular still looking forward to more UWF vs NJPW. ***3/4

Now I am really confused did you watch the same match twice? Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Akira Maeda - NJPW 2/5/86 So the disparity between this match and January is not as great as I thought going into this. This match finished #24 and the January match finished #29. For me, the January match is clearly the better complete match. This match has the better finish. I was reminded a lot of the heralded Maeda vs Takada match from UWF REBORN 1988. In the way that the front half of the match is filled with inconsequential shoot-style filler before they kick off the hot finish run. There is a lot of great hold/counterhold, some great takedowns, strikes and even misses, but nothing feels like it matters until they roll out of the ring both locked in my least favorite hold the "bundle of legs" lock. After the restart, this match is wrestled at a ***** clip. Thats what makes rating this and that Takada/Maeda match so difficult. JIP to the restart and you could be fooled this is a Greatest Match Ever contender. Fujiwara tries to close the gap on Maeda to avoid the kicks and work the body. Maeda is able to create separation and land some wicked kicks. Fujiwara powders. Fujiwara tries a takedown but Maeda reverses into a deep double wristlock forcing Fujiwara to powder. I love when you see different aspects of strategy only to be thwarted. It is very Ric Flair. Maeda is poised to dominate and looks for his German suplex, BUT ARMBAR TAKEDOWN! SHADES OF JANUARY! The crowd pops! I love 80s Japanese crowds. Fujiwara cant cinch it in fully and Maeda rolls, but Fujiwara gets a deep double wristlock. Maeda has huge legs and is able to get a rope break. This is what would do Fujiwara in as he would get another Fujiwara armbar takedown, but Maeda's long legs saved him. So Fujiwara goes for a toehold to eliminate this advantage and then the mother of all finishes happens. As Fujiwara is wrenching on this toehold, Maeda applies a choke, Fujiwara is trying to rip Maeda's leg off, but it is just too big. He is foaming at the mouth and almost as if rigor mortis sets in he is frozen yanking on the toehold only to pass out drooling. Maeda lets go knowing what he has done and the ref calls the match. I love the last half of the match: Fujiwara constantly changing strategies to adapt to Maeda only to succumb to a choke hold in the most epic fashion possible, but just like that Maeda/Takada match I cant give wicked high marks to something where the front half is so inconsequential. CHECK OUT THIS FINISH! ****1/4

Superkix, brutha, I think you watched the February 86 match. According to my records the January '86 match finished with Fujiwara elbowing out of a German->armbar takedown->Fujiwara armbar for flash submission. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Akira Maeda - NJPW 1/10/86 UWF INVADES NEW JAPAN! The announcers are constantly saying "UWF" at the beginning of the match. With Sayama not joining them due to starting Shooto, these two are the biggest stars of the UWF. I like how Inoki actually pits them against each other before doing dream matches like Inoki vs Fujiwara or Maeda vs Fujinami. These two wrestle a straight, badass shoot-style match. It will be interesting to see how they end up playing with Inoki & Fujinami in traditional pro style matches. I am a pretty vocal critic of Akira Maeda, but he may be growing on me. He was a lot better in this match: more energetic and more expressive. I really like the opening jockeying for position on the mat. Some great double wristlock rip takedowns. Maeda is the first to really lock a hold in with a single leg crab. Fujiwara responds in kind with some kneebars/toeholds. The complexion of the match change when Maeda scores the first knockdown via kicks to the legs of Fujiwara. Maeda is relentless throughout the match really dominating it with big kicks to set up the submission game on the mat. Maeda was really rifling in some of those kicks the memorable ones was one to the midsection that Fujiwara kinda caught but then just crumpled and when Fujiwara was prone and Maeda just layed them in. Maeda got a German suplex pinning combination as the only pinfall attempt. I think even 80s New Japan fans were a little taken aback by this new style. Fujiwara did get his licks in including one massive headbutt that seemed to rock Maeda (good selling by Maeda!), but never enough to string anything together. My upset alert senses were tingling when Maeda started hitting massive combinations and did not score the victory including returning the favor with a violent headbutt that felled Fujiwara. Maeda's inability to put Fujiwara away proved to be his undoing as the finish is fucking perfect. He goes for another German, Fujiwara hits a wicked back elbow to the head. BANG! Armbar takedown->Fujiwara armbar and immediate submission. Blink and you will miss it. Perfect way to put over the new style and how any opponent is always in it because a flash submission can happen out of nowhere. ****1/2

Antonio Inoki vs Masa Saito - NJPW 4/27/87 The year 1987 saw the return of New Japan's Original Cool Heels, Masa Saito & Riki Choshu. Choshu is in the crowd for this match while Fujinami is Inoki's second. This is towards the beginning of the Inoki/Saito feud that would lead to the infamous Island Death Match. Long before the Final Deletion, Inoki had the idea to shoot a feature-length Death Match on a remote island. For someone who worshiped legitimacy, Inoki was the master of the spectacle and this match is a testament to that. It us a simple match but it builds to an incredible crescendo. It begins as a strong fundamentals-based wrestling match. Saito being an Olympic wrestler contends well with Inoki on the mat. He gets a leg whip and leads to the best Scorpion Deathlock I have ever seen. Saito just mauls him. Three Saito Suplexes, two clotheslines and another Scorpion Deathlock. This is a squash match. Inoki has some moments of good selling like deadweighting after the first Saito Suplex. Or how he stumbles on the outside when he tries to get up. These little things mean a lot because Inoki is such a Superman. I think the match would have been more enhanced with a better more traditional seller, but then we wouldnt have gotten the insane ending. Saito after third Saito Suplex decides he is going to drop Inoki throat first across the top rope a bunch and then decides hey lets have real fun and drop him balls first on the top rope. Inoki is now pissed and hits a Kappo Kick that stuns Saito. He immediately tries to dismantle the top rope. Great psychology! I would be like "Fuck the top rope" too. So the ref rules the rest of the match to be a no ropes match. Instantaneously this match is special and wicked memorable. Inoki is keyed up wins the stand up battle and then busts Saito wide open with repeated slams into the metal post. Inoki is targetting that cut with punches and kicks. This is one of those bladejobs where it is so grizzly that Inoki ends up totally covered in Saito's blood. Saito gets some handcuffs and starts punching Inoki with those and then punts him in the balls to cuff him. Inoki fires back! Then in one of the most dramatic and gripping stand up battles Inoki vacillates between punches and headbutts to the cut to finally knock Saito down. It was the perfect blend of fire from Inoki and staggered selling by Saito. Inoki beats Saito literally to bloody pulp so that Hiroshi Hase has to throw in the towel. Then the drama kicks into overdrive. Inoki is mad with bloodlust and is attacking Hase. Fujinami is trying to pull Inoki off. Choshu is trying to storm the ring to save his mentor, Saito, but is being held back. In the fracas, Choshu takes a swing at Fujiami and connects. Everybody is laying the badmouth on each other in Japanese and it is mayhem. Just one of those great Inoki spectacle matches, Saito kicks ass and Inoki makes a helluva comeback and the no ropes element makes this an instantly memorable classic. ****1/2

Antonio Inoki vs Dick Murdoch - NJPW 6/19/86 I believe this was the final of the 1986 IWGP League. The match feels JIP because right out the gate Murdoch hits three slams and goes to work on the arm. It feels like they just fast forwarded to the heat segment and it was not earned. However, they more than make up for it with some really amazing work. We all know Murdoch is a pro at torturing the arm with both holds and strikes. He is always great facial expressions and attitude. I thought Inoki sold the arm like a million bucks. Murdoch went out after Inoki during every rope break or powder with showed his tenacity but also his willingness to bend the rules. I liked Inoki showing this much vulnerability and little things like not being able to lock up fully and also trying to play keep away with his arm. The match really picked up for me with that desperation enziguiri from Inoki. Murdoch took it like a champ. I love how Inoki used nothing but head shots to rally in the match. With his arm dangling at his side, he forsook wrestling and just punched and kicked Murdoch in the head. He lets out a roar at one point and the crowd rallied behind him. Murdoch looked great as always. Murdoch had one amazing punch that hit Inoki right on the button but Inoki kicked him in the face. Inoki missed a kneedrop and Murdoch went back to work on the arm. Does anyone make a reverse elbow or a simple standing elbow drop look better than Dick Murdoch? He is the man. Murdoch gets a piledriver, but keeps pressing his advantage on the arm. I dont like the cross armbreaker being disrespected as just another hold, but it is 1986 so the shoot style revolution has not taken complete hold yet even if they are in the midst of the UWF invasion. Again how does Inoki begin his comeback but a shot to the head via a dropkick. I love how he is using headshots to rock Murdoch and get himself back in it. The match kind of devolves into a spotfest for a lack of a better term. It is just a really big grand finale. Murdoch rams Inoki's head into the post and he is bleeding. You have Inoki doing top rope kneedrops. Murdoch hitting a brainbuster. Fighting on the outside, multiple countout teases. Inoki hits an enziguiri and Murdoch does a delayed somersault. Murdoch is entertainment personified you cant help but smile when he is wrestling. The finish is fucked up. Inoki hits an enziguiri and then a German suplex with a bridge for a huge pop. The ref pulls up at three for some reason, Murodch did not really kick out. The crowd thought he won and threw in streamers, but the wrestlers act like it is still going. Inoki hits another enziguiri for three, but again it is weird. There is a delayed reaction. The ref does not call for the bell immediately or raise Inoki's hand, but the announcer announces Inoki as the winner. The finish took a lot of wind out of the sails of otherwise superb match. Murdoch was on fire here both on offense and bumping & stooging. He was putting on a clinic. Credit to Inoki great vulnerability and some really fiery comebacks. The strange finish and the haphazard finish stretch keep this from classic status, but I do recommend to watch it for the great arm psychology and Inoki working the first comeback. ****1/4

Thanks brutha! My Wargames list is 1. 1994 2. 1991 3. 1992. I watched 1987 a long time ago and need to rewatch. I really love the Sting vs Vader series. Alleluia! Alleluia! LOVE HAS RETURNED! LeBron James' campaign begins anew and while the colors have changed the message remains the same: A Victory For LeBron Is A Victory for Love! Speaking of Love, is there anything I LOVE more than Pro Wrestling? Maybe myself...;) Tonight, we cover the UWF REBORN~! Like the Phoenix risen from the ashes, our favorite shoot-style boys Fujiwara, Takada and even boring ass Maeda are back at! Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask) does not join them this go around as he had founded the first ever Japanese mixed martial arts promotion in 1985 aptly named Shooto. Inside this volume, you will find all out about the hell raising Masakatsu Funaki (future founder of Pancrase), why Yoshaiki Fujiwara is a contender for Greatest of All Time, is Fujiwara vs Takada the greatest match of all time and hell even Bob Fucking Backlund pops in for a second! IT IS THE UWF REBORN AND IT IS COMING YOUR WAY FROM PRO WRESTLING LOVE! BEST OF UWF REBORN 1988-1990 https://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/10/pro-wrestling-love-vol-18-best-of-uwf.html