Superstar Sleeze

WCW US Heavyweight Champion Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat - Beach Blast 1992 Ironman Match You know what always surprises me about this match is how it is never touted as the first Ironman match ever. It is, right? Like I cant think of anything before. That's a big deal and no one talks about that. This really shows the difference between WCW and WWF. WWF would be putting this new gimmick over huge. You listen to Jim Ross call this match you would think Ironman matches are a weekly occurrence. There is no discussion about how the strategy of this match differs from a routine one fall match. Honestly, I am starting to believe even Michael Cole is better than Jim Ross. First Fall: Tremendous textbook execution of elementary pro wrestling. I don't think doing the obvious things right is lauded enough. It could have been so easy for Steamboat to lose focus or Rude to blow off selling. This match is exemplary it is commitment to body part psychology. Rude tries to jump Steamboat at the bell and pays for it with a gutbuster. The way Rude sells his ribs you know this is not a register, but that he is seriously hurt. Steamboat zeroes in on them. We do not think of Steamboat as a great on top worker, but he was phenomenal here. Great creative moves that incorporate movement, charging shoulder, throwing Rude into a belly flop and holds like bearhug and Boston Crab. I loved the splash after the Boston Crab. It was a team effort as Rude was really giving one of the best sell jobs ever. It was never sympathetic either. You wanted to see Steamboat pour it on. That's tough for a heel. I loved the finish with the flash knee. You ram your head into someone's hard ass knee that sure as heel can knock you out for three. Great finish. Steamboat gets his shine, we have a thread to weave the falls together, but somehow by luck the heel gets a quick pin and the babyface is in an early hole. That's great pro wrestling. Second Fall: Jesse has a tremendous hockey analogy. Steamboat is like the team that has had ten shots on goal, but nothing to show for it. While Rude's first shot when in. I loved the balance between urgency and pain from Rude. Rude Awakening as he fights through the pain for the second fall. This is a lot better than I remembered and I already remembered it as a classic. Third Fall: Rude hits a backbreaker. Jesse says Rude should tie up Steamboat and run the clock out. Rude does the exact opposite and hits a flying knee drop. Perfect. He gets DQ'd but Jesse & JR knows what he is doing. Fourth Fall: Rude gets his fall back with an inside cradle. JR & Jesse think after that Bombs Away Knee Drop that the Dragon is toast. Fifth Fall: This match is a competition of who can sell the ribs better. This match should be shown to every aspiring wrestler because it really shows the nuanced differences between how a babyface and heel should sell a body part injury. It is hard to articulate, but watch how Steamboat sells the ribs how much more sympathy garners in you as a viewer and how much more you want him to make that comeback. We see some flickers of fire from the Dragon as he tries to attack the ribs of Rude, he hits some wicked chops and even gets the Electric Chair Drop (a Rude bump favorite), but at each turn Rude snuffs out the comeback whether with his favorite camel clutch or knees to the midsection on a splash. The finish to this fall is riveting. Rude gets a wicked piledriver, but only two. He goes for the tombstone, but they do that trademark WCW tombstone reversal spot and it is Steamboat who nails it to get his second decision. It is a nailbiter with 12 minutes to go! Sixth Fall: A superplex and a double clothesline are great spots to put over the grueling contest and the eveness around the ten minute mark. Steamboat gets a backslide for a three count. It is all knotted up with ten minutes to go. You gotta believe next fall wins! Seventh Fall: Steamboat goes for pinning combination barrage. It is hot and heavy! Rude slows him down with a jawbreaker. Taunting and posing with one arm because his left side hurts so bad. Rude is thinking Rude Awakening, but Steamboat steals his finish, foot on the ropes! Great nearfall. Steamboat builds momentum only for Rude grabs a sleeper. They milk this bad boy. Great selling by Steamboat and great job by Randy Pee Wee Anderson checking Steamboat's eyes. Steamboat hulks up and kicks off the buckles to get a pin! Eighth Fall: Rude is besides himself. Electric 30 seconds as Rude keeps bowling Steamboat over four times and each time Steamboat kicks out. No decision rendered as time expires. Steamboat wins 4-3! Small detail is I would have Rude get three of those nearfalls, but with about 10 seconds left have Steamboat get the last offensive move a chop and send Rude on his back as the bell rings. You want your babyface victor to be standing tall at the end of the match. Not on his back. It is a small detail, but I think the match a lost a little something because of that. I have seen this a bunch and already had my star rating in my head of ****3/4, but they really impressed me and I am going the full monty *****. I think it was a combination of tremendous selling from both men, great pacing throughout, and a ton of well-built drama. It is easy to lose your attention in 30 minutes but they had me the whole time. At worst, a top five WCW match of the 1990s. It could be the best, Sting vs Vader and Eddie vs Mysterio are the other contenders. I will have to mull this over.

This turned into an editing nightmare, but it is finally done! The best of the Orginial UWF aka how fucking awesome is the Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger series! https://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/10/pro-wrestling-love-vol-15-best-of.html

Super Tiger vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - UWF 9/11/85 The final match of the final show of the Original UWF features its greatest rivalry: Super Tiger vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Sayama is without his mask, which he stopped wearing in February of 1985. I agree with the general consensus that this match is more reminiscent of the first match in that it is more pro-style. Still there are no Irish Whips, moonsaults or Tombstones, but does not feel as shoot-y as the previous matches. It is more of a Greatest Hits sendoff match. Lots of great callbacks. Fujiwara catching Sayama's kicks into a kneebar which was the finish of the May or June match. Then there was Sayama catching Fujiwara with a lightning roundhouse to the midsection and then Sayama following up with a ton of jumping enziguiris. Those head rocking kicks were reminiscent of the December 1984 match. Sayama had more success on the mat here, but it was Fujiwara working his usual magic going for armbars, wristlocks and chokes. There was a very pro style sequence worked around headbutts. Sayama would get another riveting flurry of kicks before the match kicked into the finish run. Fujiwara is trying to wrestle him to the ground for his signature armbar when Sayama hits a mule kick to the head that rocks Fujiwara. Sayama looks for the German to finish but Fujiwara grabs the arm and applies his Fujiwara armbar for the submission victory. I was expecting Sayama to go over in the last show, but great flash submission finish. These two couldnt have a bad match against each other if they tried. ****1/4

So I fucked up. "Five match series" came from the fact that DVDVR Men's Other Japan had five Fujiwara vs Super Tiger matches. I should have done my due diligence to see if there were only matches or not. The date "6/24/85" actually comes from indeedwrestling.com which hosts the results for the DVDVR series. I will do my best right now to figure out the correct date. My apologies. From a Phil Schneider review on Segunda Caida, I can confirm this is NOT 1/16/85. The finish I saw was a leglock and the finish he saw was an armlock. He describes it as a handheld and the finish as "The finishing submission is awesome, we get to see Fujiwara work through every step of the hold, before finally snapping the elbow which causes Tiger to very quickly tap, the submission was a great combo of fast and slow, much like the whole match" Segunda Caida lists the match as 6/24/85 in this review: http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2011/06/top-30-thursday-other-japan-30-super.html Prowrestlinghistory.com notes that Sayama stopped wearing the Tiger Mask in February of 1985. They list a loss to Fujiwara on May 31, 1985 in Korakuen Hall. If I had to guess thats the match I watched. But now I cant find the video anywhere to corroborate.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger - UWF 12/05/84 Perhaps the greatest and most influential match of all time. First Half: Fujiwara throws his flowers into the crowd. He is pissed he lost in September and came to play. They establish the story early. Tiger is going for knockout head shots and Fujiwara is looking to counterpunch with takedowns and grappling. The key for Tiger is not to overrotate on his kicks. The very first kick he does and misses. Fujiwara gobbles him up and applies a double wristlock. Tiger safely makes the ropes. You see Tiger rifle some kicks but he is much more control of his body does not leave himself as open to the counterattack. He goes for a headshot and clips the head. The crowd "Oooohs and Aaaaahs", but it was a glancing blow and Tiger overrotated and Fujiwara pounces. Sayama digs in his heels to block and actually gets a double wristlock of his own. This morphs into the second story of the match whenever Sayama starts with control on the mat he ends up losing control. After a couple instances of this, you believe he has to win by KO, Fujiwara is just too good on the mat. Tiger makes his first major in roads when a check kick to the leg crumples Fujiwara. He got him just right. Fujiwara goes into traditional pro wrestling selling as Tiger pounces on the leg with wicked kicks. After needing the ropes on several occasions to force a break, this is Tiger's first big break, but he cant capitalize on the mat. Fujiwara retaliates with a flurry of wicked body shots in the corner. Sayama desperate starts throwing knees and one catches Fujiwara pretty good in the head. Tiger unleashes one wicked kick to the head and then drops down with a knee drop. Wow what a sequence! Again, Sayama loses control on the mat. He just does not have the ground acumen of the crafty Fujiwara. Then comes my favorite sequence of the whole match. Fujiwara grabs a rear naked choke and YANKS Tiger into the middle of the ring. Tiger is coughing and struggling to breathe. It really builds the drama and tension. You can hear the coughing subtly at the beginning of the match, but he goes full bore here. I also love that when Fujiwara goes for the armbar how desperately Tiger scrambles for the ropes. It really puts over the danger of the hold. Then Sayama keeps selling the choke with more coughing! Fantastic! There needs to be more coughing in wrestling. Fujiwara wants to apply a Crossface Chickenwing the same hold he submitted to in September, but Tiger makes the ropes and as the first half closes Tiger is trying for the same hold on Fujiwara. Sayama settles for a side mount triangle choke, which Fujiwara alleviates the pressure by bearhugging his own knee. God Bless Fujiwara, he is a boss. Absolutely thrilling first half where they established the key offensive strategies of both wrestlers and completely hooked you into the fight. Second Half: In typical Tiger fashion, he loses control of the Triangle Choke and falls prey to a Triangle Choke, but gets to the ropes. Fujiwara is pissed and tries to keep attacking, but the ref points out Sayama is still under the rope. Fujiwara throws him with a butterfly suplex to restart the submission game. Tiger makes the ropes on a double wristlock and then throws a German suplex. He goes for a cross armbreaker, but again loses control on the ground. Then it happens when they stand back up. The roundhouse kick to the solarplexus that changes the match. Fujiwara has the wind knocked out of him by the lightning kick. From then it is a relentless barrage of kicks by Sayama to the head of the fallen Fujiwara. Fujiwara desperately tries to cling to the kicks of Super Tiger to create offense, but he is too weak. When he does stand, Tiger nearly kicks Fujiwara's head off to the great excitement of the crowd. Sayama then drops brutal knees using the top rope for added leverage on the prone head of Fujiwara. I love that one camera angle where it is on Fujiwara standing reeling and all of sudden Sayama with just flash onto the screen whacking Fujiwara. Fujiwara has one last flurry punctuated by a big headbutt, but knocks himself loopy. He is easy pickins' for Super Tiger that continues his brutal onslaught with furious kicks to the head. Eventually, Fujiwara is left in a heap knocked out by Super Tiger. No Irish Whips. No Moonsaults. No Tombstone Piledrivers. Just close contact grappling and swift kicks. On this day, Mixed Martial Arts was born to a man in a tiger mask. *****

WWF World Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania XVII I watched this match last night not expecting it hold up even though I have watched many times of the year. I thought I had just got caught up in all the hoopla and the spectacle, but nope this is a badass match and definitely one of the greatest matches to take place in pro wrestling history. The year 2001 was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's reaffirmation that he was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever live. He burned out in a short amount of time, but by God did he burn bright. I am surprised in my previous reviews (I watched a lot of these matches two years ago) that I did use the term "Perpetual motion" because that to me sums up Stone Cold's 2001. He was perpetual motion. But it was not wasted motion or excessive motion. It was always motion with purpose and with urgency. The difference between urgency and desperation is a fine line and this match Stone Cold Steve Austin crossed the line into desperation. That in my mind is the difference between a babyface and a heel. To me, Austin's real value was always turning himself up to eleven. In 2001, I think this was something he was struggling with personally. Was he as good as he once was? Would he be as over? Did he take what he had to be The Man? Especially given how hot The Rock was. He was not coming back to a company that was hurtin'. He was not coming back to a company that desperately needed a top babyface they had The Rock. You bet your ass, Steve Austin the person had some doubts about himself. I think it was genius to turn this into a storyline because it was so believable. But do it in a way that is so pro wrestling. Take something thats a seven and dial it to an eleven by getting Mr. McMahon involved and that heinous attack at the end with a steel chair to really sell it. To me it was not just smart booking, it was smart in-ring storytelling. Thats what puts this match over the top. Every plot point in this match fuels Steve Austin's insecurities and self-doubt until it explodes into that fiery rage of the heinous steel chair attack on The Rock's prone, limp body. Honestly, no matter who is opponent was on this night would have taken a backseat to the drama of Stone Cold character, but I thought this was The Rock's best performance as a babyface and as a wrestler. I really enjoy the Rock. I dont think he is a great wrestler and I dont he is a bad wrestler. He is kind of strange because he feels so different and has become so successful at not being a wrestler, which is so odd. Here, Rock really shows that babyface fire. I love his reactions to Stone Cold's jaw jacking and flipping him off. He was matching Stone Cold's energy and thats what this match needed. I loved the jumpstart to the match. Austin jumps The Rock it is a borderline sneak attack because the Rock has barely taken off the championship belt. It is gamemanship. It is an unwritten rule that you sort of look your opponent in the eye and lock up. Austin is a desperate man and desperate men do desperate things. Austin proves that by picking up that championship belt and trying to nail The Rock. Austin is not a confident man. Also, I love the drama swirling around this match being changed to a No DQ match at the last second. Austin is perpetual motion in this match both on offense and bumping & selling. He wrestles this match huge remember this is at the Astrodome. The culmination of all his hard work. Taking WWF from almost going bankrupt to their first Dome show since 1992. Watch him go for that patented FU elbow. He is out of control but everyone wait at the top can see him throw his body around. I love those big Arena Rock motions. There is a part where he is taking Rock's offense and he is doing the best discombobulated selling you will ever see. Just flailing all over the place. Another moment that just dawned on me was he took a suplex he pops up to keep fighting because that's his nature, but then all the pain stuns him up against the ropes. I love that delayed register. More people need to use that. It makes sense when you first get hit, it is kinda rush and you wanna fight back. Then like a wave it crashes over you. Also, the transitions in this match are just money. They all happen because the wrestler in control takes their eye off the prize. Austin is fiddlefucking trying to get the turnbuckle pad off and Rock knocks his ass down. The Rock is jawjacking with the ref and Austin blasts him with the ring bell. They pull out all the stops here too. Double juice, lots of great throwbacks to Austin/Bret. I love the Sharpshooter sequence because they are both bleeding, but notice the little things. Austin needs to use the ropes to break the hold. Rock can break the hold with his strength. Thats the difference between a heel and babyface. People forget often that one of the main reasons a heel becomes a heel is becomes he realizes he is not good enough to best the babyface. Thats what is happening in this match. Austin was worried that he was not good enough but as the match progresses it is becoming more and more evident that this is not just a cause for concern, but actually the truth. Thus he has to resort low down, cheap tactics to win. Thats how you become a heel. The Rock hits the Stunner and this draws out Vince McMahon. It is clear that Austin at least wanted to try to win this fight on his own, but now the situation is getting too dire. McMahon who has a lot invested in Austin is out to insure that he wins. Austin is not too proud to beg. There are so many great moments in the finish stretch of this. McMahon's face after he pulled the Rock off Austin after Rock had Austin pinned from the People's Elbow and that famous McMahon gulp that leads to the chase scene that ends in a Austin steal of a Rock Bottom. The slow realization that Austin and McMahon have joined forces. Jim Ross was so crucial here because he is Steve's best friend. You can actually listen to him go through through five stages of grief as he is witnessing what is happening. You can see Austin become more and more unhinged with each kickout. The Stunner and kickout was especially good. The Rock is valiant here and comes close with a Rock Bottom, but the odds were too stacked against him. I think what makes this finish so good. It is one extra Stunner that does the Rock in or one extra chair shot. Austin goes ballistic in a way that you never see a wrestler go. Wrestlers usually one chair shot. If it is multiple, there is a pause in between swings. They need to line up make sure they hit the right spot, the opponent has to brace himself. There was none of that here. Austin was in a frenzy. He saw red. It is not singular climax we are so used to seeing wrestling. It is about the journey of the character, Stone Cold Steve Austin, as you can watch him lose all grip on his own sanity. So powerful. Then of course the moment none of us believe we would see, the anti-establishment asskicker shaking the hand of Corporate Satan. Desperate men do desperate things. *****

Thanks, brutha! Glad you like them! One of my favorite things is to be out dancing at the club in my Austin 3:16 shirt and a person come out to me and ask me what it means. Actually, I am gonna tell a little club story. Happened two weeks ago. I am in my Dolph ZIggler "Stealin The Show" shirt and hot pink & black zubaz! I am killing it. I have been dancing with this girl often and on for two hours. It was really looking good going into the home stretch. Lights come on. You know the drill. You gotta get the phone number at least. This dude walks up to me. I remembered from earlier in the night. Weird dude. He held his fist out to fist bump. I did. The fist was still out there. So I did it again. Still out there? I did a light fist tap. Nope? I held it. Then I realized he must be a wrestling fan and was doing the Shield thing. Now he is talking to me. He clearly sees that I am trying to talk to this girl. Everyone in society knows what I am trying to do. He gonna on about how he is some wrestling manager. I am trying to tell him thats great, but I am trying to talk to this girl. Then he is telling me that he is friends with Pete Rosenberg and he tweeted him a video of me dancing and that it got retweeted I yell at him, I am not a fucking mark, brutha, I am talking to her. Then out of the blue he tells me he's a Vince Russo guy. I am like this is just absurd. So you not only are you annoying, but you have shitty opinions. I ignored him and he finally went away. She actually asked me "Is that one of your fans?" "I was like you can say that." "Whats his name?" "Mark." One of those I popped myself moments. Good news, got the girl's number and we have a date next week. Man, I will never forget that. What a weird dude. Who says they are Vince Russo guy unprompted? What the flying fuck? Ol Stone Cold takes five out of the top six matches in this countdown! If you think Stone Cold Steve Austin is pretty good at this wrestling gimmick, gimme a Hell Yeah. HELL YEAH! But does he take the top spot? I guess you gotta just click and see. That's the bottom line because Marty Sleeze said so! http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/10/pro-wrestling-love-vol-14-best-wwf.html

I answer so many questions in this volume of Pro Wrestling Love showcasing the zenith of the WWF during its Attitude Era (1998-2001)! Peak childhood nostalgia for the MartMan! Does wearing Zubaz in your match guarantee a five star rating? What was the first WWF PPV I made my parents buy? How strange of a child was I? (HINT: My favorite character as a kid was Mr. McMahon, yep I was a weird one!). And the crucial question is the Three Stages of Hell match between Stone Cold vs HHH still going? All this and much, much more inside Pro Wrestling Love Volume 13! But seriously, Hunter and Steve it is time to go home, I need to finish the review. http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/10/pro-wrestling-love-vol-13-best-of-wwf.html

WWF World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Dude Love - Over The Edge 1998 One of those matches that was great before the bell even rung. There are too many funny lines from Pat Patterson as he was introducing Gerry Brisco, Vince McMahon, Dude Love and even his non-introduction of Stone Cold. For me, it was the advertising of Brisco Bros Body Shop in Tampa to a live audience in Milwaukee and a national audience on PPV with Pat punctuating that it was worth the drive. It was just so absurd. Austin is on trial in McMahon's trumped up kangaroo court. He has to deal with McMahon as the referee, the rules changing mid-match, Patterson & Brisco at ringside and eventually McMahon doing what we all expected: refusing to count. All the while, Foley and Austin are having the Attitude Era Brawl for the ages. Once, the Dude applies his Mandible Claw this match is kicked into overdrive and never looks back. Stone Cold is so cool isnt he. He just has so much energy. You cant your eyes off of him when he is making a comeback. There is so much vim & vigor behind it. What's surprising is he even kept up with Foley in the crazy bump scorecard. Foley had that nutty bump off the guardrail and then the Cactus Elbow from the car to the concrete, but Austin was bumping all over those cars especially the one where Foley shoves him off the Stunner was crazy. I think demolition derby with their bodies and the cars still holds up. It is the best use of a set ever. It feels organic. So many of the "toys" in other matches feel planted. This was just the set and they started taking bumps on the set. I loved McMahon during this section every two count, he was either pissed or relieved depending on who was kicking out. I cracked up seeing Brisco behind the action with the ring bell ready to ring it at a moment's notice. I loved Austin's mini-comeback after blading. Like he was so enraged that he was bleeding that he was really going to whoop ass only to have Foley back drop him out of a piledriver. The Cactus Elbow eats nothing but pure concrete. It was great that headed home soon after this. Patterson trips up Austin and this gives Dude Love a couple nearfalls based off the exposed top turnbuckle and a steel chair. However when Austin kicks a chair into Dude Love's face, McMahon is worried. Austin hits a home run swing on the cranium of Mrs Foley's Baby Boy. But McMahon refuses to count and then Foley accidentally cracks McMahon in the skull with the chair. Then the fireworks really go off. STUNNER! Mike Chioda 1-2-Patterson pulls him out and decks him! The fix is in! MANDIBLE CLAW! Patterson in 1-2-Taker pulls him out and Taker sends PAT PATTERSON STRAIGHT TO HELL Chokeslam through the announce table. Brisco tries his hand, but bad idea, Gerry. Taker takes the reincarnated Jim Thrope & our friend, Gerry Brisco and SENDS HIM STRAIGHT TO HELL! STUNNER! Austin pulls McMahon over and takes his hand and makes him count the three! Best overbooked finish ever! Before I forget, I gotta give a shoutout to this crowd. They ruled. They loved Stone Cold so much and were behind 100% from the beginning to the end of the match. The Stunner was so over. This is such an overbooked masterpiece and really shows what pro wrestling can do better than pretty much any other form of entertainment in terms of absurd drama. ****1/2

Rocktober begins today! I gotta make a music recommendation. Like so much of the heavy metal produced in the 90s, Mercyful Fate's Time album has been criminally overlooked. It is the perfect soundtrack to Halloween. HAIL SATAN! Terry Funk must have felt like he went to Hell to face Lucifer's most vicious guard dog in the form of the Bad Man from Borger, Stan Hansen! We also have Jumbo in big time NWA World Championship matches! All this and much, much more in this edition of Pro Wrestling Love! Best of All Japan Pro Wrestling from 1980-1984 http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/10/pro-wrestling-love-vol-12-best-of-all.html

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon - St. Valentine's Day Massacre 2/14/99 Well it certainly was aptly named because this was a massacre. One of the all-time great lopsided matches in wrestling history. It is the first blowoff to the original Austin vs McMahon feud before they added the Ministry in. It was expertly executed. No one wanted to see McMahon get in a lick of offense. No one came to see a competitive match. They came to see an ass-whuppin'. Thats one of the problems in today's wrestling everyone wants a good match. The Patriots put a hurtin' on the Fins yesterday and you know what my brother said this is his favorite type of games. You love the hero so much you just wanna see 'em kick ass. Goddamnit, I loved it! McMahon was great in the beginning, cowardly finding a way to draw Austin out of the cage so he could get in. He flips the switch from coward to asshole in a second. Taunting Austin "Get in here, you son of a bitch". Blocking Austin's way, Austin outfoxes the Chairman by feigning a knee injury. That's when he unleashes that can of whoop ass. Crowd brawling was perfect here. That table bump was insane! Austin hurling McMahon down the ramp on the stretcher! We get the guaranteed blood. We get the Stunner! What a pop! We get all the fixins'. My complaint is that they could have been more efficient about this. I thought they dragged things out a little and it got a little long in the tooth. Like he says the match aint over after the table bump because he has to deliver on some promises. It should have been right to blood and Stunners. Instead of all this, Austin is gonna walk out, but McMahon flipped him off so he came back for more bullshit. The finish was weird too. McMahon's Master Plan of The Giant beating up Austin backfires when he throws Austin through the cage. The Giant/Wight/Big Show looks like a massive fuck up. Austin was so dominant, but this kinda made him look lucky. It is very entertaining but I think it could have been even better. Still a great blowoff. ***3/4

WWF World Tag Team Champions Dudleyz vs Hardyz vs Edge & Christian - Wrestlemania X-7 TLC II I always thought this paled in comparison to the original and my thought have not changed. The spots are bigger in this match: Jeff's King-Sized Swanton from the HUGE Ladder, Edge's spear on Jeff as he is dangling in the air and then Bubba & Matt just absolutely exploding those tables. But there is a lot less strategy and intrigue than in TLC I. This one is just all about the spots. Before the big three spots, I actually thought Spike, Rhyno & Lita were the best part of the match. They were very entertaining and brought the energy. I thought the finish was wicked anti-climatic. I liked how Jeff, Matt and Bubba had been eliminated. But D-Von doing his slow climb while Christian was on Rhino's shoulders just fell flat for me. Watch it for the big three spots, but I dont think this is as good as the original. Still one helluva spectacle. ****

Edge & Christian vs Hardy Boyz - No Mercy 1999 Ladder Match The first of its kind, the car crash, stunt show, daredevil match. Call it what you want, it has gotten over as a staple of WWF/E TV. It is so strange to hear the Twist of Fate get no reaction or Fink call them "Christian & Edge". Undoubtedly, these four men went into this match as glorified nobodies and came out superstars. The first pop was Christina hitting a reverse DDT on Jeff Hardy from the ladder. Then they had them hook, line and sinker when Jeff Hardy vaulted a ladder and hit a legdrop. I liked all the ladder throws and even the Ladder teeter totter spot that would go on to destroy Joey Mercury's face in 2006 looked awesome. This match had a lot of the silly spots that I hate such as splashing the ladder to hurt your opponent. It just hurts you a lot. The finish also left a lot to be desired why are Jeff and Christian on that random ladder oh so Matt could ricochet and knock it in such a way to have Jeff get on the main ladder to win the match. One of those matches where it didnt matter who won or lost, it mattered the match happened and it happened the way it did to create four new stars that would major players in pro wrestling throughout the next decade and invent a new genre of pro wrestling matches. ***1/2

WWF World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker - Summerslam 1998 It is a clunker thats for sure but better than I remembered. I recollected the match was totally fucked once Austin got his bell rung when Undertaker whipped his head up on a telegraphed back body drop, but there was actually some good work afterwards. I am sure Austin appreciated all the head ramming, blows to his head immediately after that spot. Jeeze Taker, you couldnt work an arm at that point. They do the obvious thing and have Austin go after the legs, but that doesnt really go anywhere. I thought Austin totally outwrestled Taker here. He was really throwing himself into his bumps and supplying the energy. I did like Taker's chokeslam to bring Austin back into the ring. That was insane! Great cutoff of Austin's leg work too. Then when Austin goes for his stunner, Taker does a backflip out of the ring and catches Austin into a bearhug & rams him into the post. There were good spots like this, but not enough connective tissue. Some really weak crowd brawling. Also some really weak punches throughout the match from two of the better punchers in the WWF. The Big Table spot does not get a Holy Shit chant?!? I mean get he did not break the table, but cmon fucking Undertaker hit a legdrop from the top rope onto a table and wiped out Stone Cold that was insane. I thought the finish kinda petered out. Call me crazy, but a relatively clean finish was stupid as fuck. If there was ever a time for run-ins and overbooking it was this match. Two titanic babyfaces, I mean c'mon a clean finish is just not gonna satisfy under these circumstances. Taker is pretty much a heel the rest of the year. It makes a lot more sense for him to align with McMahon or Kane because he cant win. Imagine him getting frustrated and relenting to Kane's help. You can even have it so Kane accidentally whack the Undertaker to set up next month's triple threat. C'mon Russo you had one job no clean finishes and you fucked it up! Like I said after the legdrop table spot it petered out a bit. They had not really mastered the whole bomb throwing, finisher spamming style that would actually be befitting of this match at this point. Instead we get fucking Russian Legsweeps with two minutes to go. Never been a fan of Austin vs Taker as a matchup and it is sad to say this is probably their best match together.

Jetlag, when I was watching this I felt like so much of this match is engineered to get "This Is Awesome" chants even though those didnt exist at the time. It didnt occur to me until I read your review how much this was a harbinger of things to come. WWF Intercontinental Champion The Rock vs Triple H - Summerslam '98 I gotta commend them on winning over the crowd with hard work. The spot where HHH ricocheted off one ladder into knocking over the next ladder got them the respect applause. Nowadays that would trigger "This Is Awesome" chants. HHH went from getting pretty much zero heat on his way to the ring to getting one of the most massive pops ever when he wins the Intercontinental Championship. It is funny sometimes when I watch matches like this I feel like Im losing my grip on my grasp of pro wrestling psychology. The transitions in this match are piss poor. There is a lot of downtime. There is very little character work. Yet they get themselves over. I know different strokes for different folks yada yada, but still I am shocked how well this match worked for this crowd especially in the Attitude Era. I do think there is a lot to like in this match. I thought HHH gave one of his better "ring general" performances. He took most of the bumps and let himself get cutoff in compelling fashion. The match does pick up with the leg work. The pedestrian brawling beforehand was good for a clothesline or two, but otherwise was milquetoast. I thought HHH sold the knee well and Rock was good at using weapons to work it over. Like I said, HHH did a good job setting up both his hope spots and cutoffs. I liked the baseball slide the most. Since HHH had a bum wheel you really felt he needed that headshot to really put himself back in contention. The bladejob helped physically indicate the match was evened up. They play knock each other off the ladder. Run through their signature spots in between falling off the ladder. The finish was overbooked in a good way with Mark Henry throwing powder into HHH's eyes only for Chyna to low blow The Rock. I enjoy those shenanigans. You really felt like two new stars were born together thats rare ad I gotta commend them for that. Hell for a "knock each other off the ladder" match with little psychology it was actually pretty good. ***3/4

We are traveling back to the greatest decade in human history, the 1980s! This time we are looking back at the best matches to happen in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 1980-1984! Stan Hansen wreaks havoc! Can Jumbo Tsuruta win the Big One against Ric Flair or Nick Bockwinkel? Find out inside Volume 11 of Pro Wrestling Love! http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/09/pro-wrestling-love-vol-11-best-of-all.html

WCW World Tag Team Champions The Enforcers vs Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes - WCW Clash of the Champions XVII "He's just a man. He's just a man" - Arn Anderson after taking a Ricky Steamboat ass-kicking One of the all-time great Southern tags and returns in pro wrestling history. After Flair's departure in July of 1991, it looked like WCW was on death's doorstep. It is amazing that just four months later, WCW was completely revitalized by the returns of Ricky Steamboat & Rick Rude. Here, The Enforcers had crushed Barry Windham's hand at Halloween Havoc and he was unable to compete. Thus Dustin got Steamboat as a replacement. The reaction of Arn Anderson is something to behold. His character work was amazing throughout this match. His freak out at the beginning, selling for the shine, the aforementioned quote and then asking for a timeout, all great shit. I loved the babyface shine. Thats how you capitalize on a return. Steamboat came out breathing fire. I loved how Arn and Larry Z were still attacking, but Steamboat was fighting through it all. The bumping & stooging by the Enforcers was top notch. I love how they finally gain the advantage. Larry Z runs his mouth and gets Steamboat back into the match. Then he slaps Steamboat and Larry Z heads for the hills. It was all a well-laid trap. In this game of cat and mouse, Steamboat gets caught exiting with a knee from Arm. Tony does a great job explaining how that may have looked helter skelter, but it was actually a well-thought out plan. As the ref is detain Dustin, the Enforcers consolidate their advantage with a double team. Anderson goes from coward to confident in a blink of the eye. Signaling that Dragon is done. Did I mention I love Arn Anderson. Great heat segment on Steamboat. Loved the ab stretch and Boston crab where they get that extra leverage. Good false tag before the real one. Real quick finish, Dustin cleans house and tags Steamboat back in crossbody for the win. They follow the Southern tag formula to a tee and it is great. Really inspired heel performance here and Dragon looked great on his return. Im a smidge lower on this than most. I thought they went home too fast. Dustin is barely in the match. I thought the front half was real next level whereas the back half was just textbook. Really great execution of the textbook, but still textbook. It just doesnt quite get to that tippy top level for me. I am thinking about Greatest Match Ever when I am writing this so thats why I am nitpicking. Regardless, this is a classic and something anybody who loves tag team wrestling should watch. The Dragon has returned to WCW let us rejoice and be glad! ****1/2

September has been a wet, wild & wooly month! We are going to keep the Earth, Wind & Fire going straight into Rocktober! It is high time we get back to American wrestling and finish out the greatest matches of WWF in 1993-1997. It is Brother vs Brother! The Heartbreak Kid is trapped in Hell with the Grim Reaper! It is Bret Hart's Five Act Masterpiece! All this and much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love volume 10! http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/09/pro-wrestling-love-vol-10-greatest-wwf.html

Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania XIII Submission Match I tried to get all artsy with my review, but I didnt like it so lets re-do this. Watching it again. First Half: Bret is such a great grinder. He has a great ring presence. I have said it before and I will say it again: theres nobody I rather watch work a control segment. He is so deliberate yet so engaging. Austin is such an underrater seller. He sells so big. The flailing and the energy. He is always coming back forcing Bret to cut him off. I loved how the knee was set up by Austin wanting to hit Bret with the steel steps, but when Bret defends himself Austin wrenches his knee against the other steps. It is such a organic way to come out of an injury from a chaotic brawl. Also, starting the five minutes outside the ring was genius it really set the tone that this was going to be brawl. Back the knee work, I LOVED THE STUNNER AS A HOPE SPOT! Austin could feel the match slipping away and just grabs Bret's head and stuns him. But it is a submission match so he cant get a pin. Great work. Everyone always talks about the double turn, but Bret was still over! The two biggest pops in the first half of the match were Bret's ring-post figure-4 and Bret attempting to Pillmanize Austin's ankle. Both great spots and I love how that leads to Austin hitting the home run swing with the chair on one leg while Bret is on the top rope. Great iconic moment. Second Half: Austin goes on a mini-tear. I always liked the part where Austin tries different submissions (moss-covered three-handled family gradunza and Boston Crab). It shows Austin was trying to win the match even if he was out of his element. I love how demonstrative he is when he is applying the Sharpshooter. He is really inviting the crowd to get involved. Bret rakes the eyes. Then we go outside. The match kicks into high gear when Austin takes his bump into the timekeeper's table and is busted wide open. Bret just rocks this segment working the cut and then then attacking the knee with the chair. He is outdone and yes I said OUTDONE by Austin who sells this all like a million bucks. Austin hits a total home run here. Just when Austin looks completely out of it, he hits a field goal through the uprights and Bret crumples into a heap. My God that Austin come back is just full of piss & vinegar. Stomp a mudhole and the middle fingers! Wow they dont make like wrestling like they used to! Love the electrical cord choke as a possible finish for Austin only for Bret to ring his bell with the bell. Then it is the most iconic finish in wrestling history. We all know it. This is Bret Hart's Five Act Masterpiece. Act One: Brawl Outside sets the mood, establishes this a fight. Act Two: Bret works the knee. We get the rhythm of the match and its a submission match and the Sharpshooter is always looming. Act Three: Austin's first desperation comeback with the steel chair. He tries to win the match with conventional submissions. Act Four: Austin is busted wide open. Bret beats the shit out of him and is almost taunting him in the way he is not putting Austin away and is instead dishing out excessive punishment like he is running up the score. Act Five: Austin, bleeding profusely, makes a furious comeback that includes nutshots, middle fingers and trying to choke out Bret with with an electrical cord, but Bret hits Austin with the ring bell. Then it all climaxes in that amazing moment that is seared in all wrestling fans' minds with Austin fighting through the Sharpshooter, blood squirting from his head, passing out from the pain. It is a boring selection, but there's a reason it is boring, this is the Greatest WWF Match of All Time. *****

WCW World Tag Team Champions Steiners vs Sting & Lex Luger - WCW SuperBrawl I I am really glad I went back and re-watched this match as this is a barrel of fun. Just four big muthafuckas throwing each other around. Is it a spotfest? Hell fucking yeah! The best kind, just raw bone power! Luger vs Rick at the beginning reminds me why I always wanted to watch their Clash match at the end of '91. So much power and struggle. The way Rick bounces off Luger is crazy. The German suplex by Rick is HUGE! I love the mirror clotheslines! This is such a cool way to do babyface vs babyface. It feels like the whole match is just babyface shine. STING'S SPLASH! I forgot how awesome that was. Sting wrestles king-size in this match. Scotty Steiner is fucking hyped bro! I loved mirror spots of the blind tag Steiner Bulldog and blind tag Sting missile dropkick. I was marking out for that. Luger tackling Rick at the end was crazy. Sting with the Stinger Splash only for Nikita to run interference was lame, but also good booking as no way in hell do you want a clean finish in a face vs face tag. I am surprised we even got a pin. DQ seemed more likely. Just a badass, king sized power spotfest that does not overstay its welcome and is super fun. ****

WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana - WWF MSG 11/26/84 Is this the best of the Valentine vs Santana matches? I really love the June 84 MSG one and the title switch in the Cage in 85, but this is one is a doozy for sure. We were one Tito revenge figure-4 away from me marking out like nuts. Valentine has won the IC Championship after injuring Tito's leg in his vaunted figure-4. Tito is sporting a brace. I dont know if we are at the point in the story where Tito has learned the figure-4 to exact pay back from the Hammer. I would describe Tito as cautiously aggressive at the beginning of the match. Anybody who has watched a lot of Tito knows about his furious temper and that he has a hair trigger and will really let those fists fly. Here, I think due to the bum wheel he is a little more tentative. All his offense are still fists to the face or driving the Hammer's head into hard objects but he is doing so a slower tempo to make sure he does not leave him self open to the Hammer's counterattack. Valentine is definitely playing up the chickenshit. Lots of stalling, bumping and stooging. He is hitting hard, clubbering blows on Tito, but Tito is fighting through those to earn his offense. Ultimately, Valentine has to resort to raking the eyes to get the advantage. How I missed Greg Valentine! Excellent heat segment! Just brutal. Everything looks like to it totally evacuates the air out of Tito's lungs. Good string chinlocks to sap Tito's energy and set up Valentine's clubbing offense. I love that swift kick to the bad knee to open up that part of the heat segment. Everyone knows about the figure-4 and Tito's bad knee so MSG is on the edges of their seats. I love how Tito kicks out of the figure-4 and his follow up is the Flyin Burrito! It just condenses so much drama into one moment. We go from almost having Valentine apply his finisher to Tito hitting his finish in a matter of seconds! It is really jarring and hypes you up. The momentum of the blow sends Valentine to the ropes so Tito cant follow up with a pinning combination. Protecting the finish! Instead Tito attacks the knee of Valentine! Here we go! Great leg work from Tito very vigorous. He attempts the figure-4, but Valentine yanks him down by the trunks and re-establishes control. Valentine is such a beast on top. What the match does really well is let Tito shine especially through transitions. The Mexican Hammer/Flying Burrito was a great one and then he gets a sort of monkey flip/catapult that sends Valentine hard over the top turnbuckle into the post and he comes out bleeding! Tito is tenacious! He hits another Mexican Hammer! 1-2-NO! Huge false finish! They never did that in 80s and it was insane. I really thought we would get a revenge figure-4 spot, but alas we didnt. Just a great brawl to the end match. Tito punching the hell out of the cut forehead, grabbing hair, trying to wrangle a cover anyway he can. Valentine trying to escape, but always being thwarted either by atomic drop (Tito yanked the trunks into an atomic drop), suplex (outside/inside always a great spot), and just by pulling him back in by the hair. Eventually the bell rings signifying a draw! One of those great physical wars of attrition that these two are known for, I think what elevates this from their usual great match to something extra special are very memorable spots like two Mexican Hammers and the blood. So you get all that brutal physicality you expect from these two and on top of that some real high drama! ****1/2

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels vs Mankind - WWF Mind Games It is such a shame this match has such a lame finish. It would probably be the greatest WWF match of all time if it just had a half-way decent finish. First 15 minutes: What separates this match from the usual WWF fare is how much of this match feels raw and organic. It is chippy and everything is earned. Shawn earns his shine after being dumped on his ass by the Cactus clothesline. It is only because Cactus was indulging his sadistic tendencies by removing the mat that Shawn had an opening. The mat blocked Cactus' vision and Shawn was able to hit a dropkick. Vince must love this match because there are so many iconic moments. Shawn jumping up and down on Mankind was great. Again it was only because Mankind was emerging from the mat and his vision was obscured that Shawn was able to hit the reverse crossbody. Then Foley indulges his masochistic tendencies when Michaels forces him to take the Nestea Plunge. It really was a great violent babyface shine. Shawn got to throw some incredibly stiff punches. He even threw some stiff elbows in the corner. I am such a mark for finisher teases early in a match it really makes you feel like both men are trying to win and that anything can happen. Top rope elbow connects in this first five minutes when does that ever happen, but Foley bails on the impending Sweet Chin Music. When they do a worked shoot Shawn Michaels temper tantrum I thought that was the best two minute stretch in a WWF match. It was so heated. Some really stiff shots. The way Mankind really yanked Shawn down into the claw was intense and uncomfortable. Not to be outdone, those back elbows by Shawn to Foley's head were fucking brutal. It felt like a real fight in these moments. Shawn really hauled off and punched the hell out of Foley. Was he able to throw live rounds because of the mask? Even Foley is not known for stiff offense, throws a stiff elbow that makes you pop out of your seat. I loved Shawn jumping over the table to tackle Mankind. This is a great example of a "Think shoot, but work" match. then we get the classic Foley hits his leg on the steps on a suplex spot. Has Shawn ever looked this good on top? Shawn absolutely knocked this control segment out of the park. It was logical and compelling. Shawn Michaels even throws in a dragon leg screw. The Figure-4 complete with Wooos was classic. I love when Shawn had Mankind in the half crab that Bearer positioned the Urn at the rope to give Mankind that extra incentive to make the ropes. Great little character touch. The transition out of this segment was so good with Michaels going for a reverse victory roll, but Mankind falls back (knee gives out???) and Michaels gets clothesline on the the top rope. The next classic moment when Paul Bearer gives Mankind that pen to punch his own knee. Great deranged, psycho moment. Mankind works a great heel heat segment most it is targeted at Shawn's head as one of the announcers points out that Michaels has a history of concussion. The running knee into the head in the corner and diving onto Michaels into the Tree of Woe are great examples of this. Shawn never dies in this heat segment he gets in his hope spots, but is too foggy to ever fully capitalize. The first half is just as terrific as I remember and I know that the second half will totally rule too. Second half: Shawn wrestled out of his mind. He made every right decision. He was selling great. The way he falls ass first into the ropes at one point is Kawada-esque. I am a mark for really good transitions and I think thats why I love this match so much. Shawn moves out of the way of a Mankind knee (remember hit one earlier in the corner) and Foley rams his bad knee into the steps and goes ass over tea kettle. What I really love is that this does not immediately give Shawn the advantage. He needs a drop toehold into the steps and another duck & dodge on the apron with Foley nailing the steel post with his head. Shawn needed big three moves involving hard metal objects to even start working in some offense. It really puts over the challenge that Shawn is facing. Back to iconic moments, Foley gets his head caught in the ropes that is such a great spot. I cant believe i forgot it. That goes to show how many iconic spots are in this match. MANIDBLE CLAW WITH HIS HEAD STUCK IN THE ROPES! Foley is God. That spot is unbelievably great. Mankind feels like the World's Most Dangerous Man even when you have him trapped he can still hurt you. As Michaels tries to escape on the outside, Mankind tenaciously pursues him and tries to apply again so Michaels just throws him off into the Spanish announce team. I love how chaotic this match is. I didnt notice before but the metal chair Michaels grabs is mangled and he actually has to hold it together to hit Foley in the MANIDBLE CLAW HAND! I LOVE THIS MATCH! Hand psychology! Yeah I would be totally pissed if some dude kept putting his hand down my gullet. Shawn goes to town on Foley's hand rendering it useless for the rest of match. Even late in the match, Michaels takes a hellacious bump from the ring to the outside and a couple hard bumps on the concrete. Mankind gets his big nearfalls in the form of a Double Arm DDT and a piledriver since his hand is busted. Mankind has the best mid-match freak out when he cant win. Pulling out his hair and just ramming his head into the turnbuckle. He decides he will shove Michaels into a casket. Hey he is a psychopath it kinda makes sense. Michaels starts throwing haymakers and that Flying Burrito man he just clobbers him! Foley crotches him on the top rope to avoid the Elbow Drop, you cant hit the same move twice in a match, Shawn! This leads to the crazy table bump again iconic. I love how quickly it is done. No teetering. JUST EXPLOSION! They do a great job milking it. Foley grabs a chair and heads to the top. Shawn Van Dam hits a Sweet Chin Daminator! 1-2-3! Shawn Michaels retains the WWF Championship in a barnburner of a brawl and the greatest WWF match of all time. Wait! What do you mean Vader came out then Sid then Undertaker. Can we just pretend like that didnt happen? The finish did happen, but that just means instead of being the greatest WWF match of all time, it is like tenth, it is still an amazing way to spend 30 minutes. I think what this match does really well is mix brawling and psychology exceedingly well. Everything is smart & logical without feeling planned. Everything feels intense & chaotic without feeling aimless. It never drags, but it never throws too much at you. It is a very sticky match in that everything sticks with you. To me that is a sign of great pro wrestling storytelling. ****3/4 (The best ****3/4 match. To me this is the dividing line match).

We finish out the first decade of the 21st century by looking at the best Puroresu matches to take between 2005-2009 NOT in Pro Wrestling NOAH. My man, Fujita Jr Hayato revitalizes junior heavyweight wrestling, Shoot-Style is back with a vengeance as Ishikawa and Ikeda resume their age-old rivalry in FUTEN & BattlArts, and Hiroshi Tanahashi has the first of his many masterpieces! All this and much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 9! http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/09/pro-wrestling-vol-9-best-of-puroresu.html

This was not part of Ditch's project glad people brought this to my attention. This is badass. Genichiro Tenryu vs KENTA - NOAH 10/8/05 This is legalized murder. KENTA bumrushes at the outset of the match and just runs into a closed fist. Tenryu lays one of the most hellacious beatings you will ever seen. Fists, chops, lariats, punts to the head, chairs and even casually dropping the timekeeper table on KENTA. Ever the gentleman, he returns the table to the timekeeper only to take his hammer and hit KENTA with that. Those chops were insane. He was hitting through KENTA. KENTA gives a great "selling" performance, but I dont know how much he is selling or is just plain shoot hurt. Loved Tenryu's cutoff. That one flurry stopped by a well-placed right was great. There could have been a better transition to KENTA's big offensive comeback. His offense looked great I loved him relying on springboard dropkicks. Great kicks and hits his big Exploding knee, but when Tenryu kicks out you know it is just a matter of time. Big right jabs and then Tenryu just trucks him with a left lariat. Great veteran heavyweight vs young junior heavyweight match that was stiff and just an asskicker. ****

In this volume of Pro Wrestling Love, we look at the best matches from Pro Wrestling NOAH from 2005-2009 as it begins its decline with Kenta Kobashi being sidelined with cancer and then the total freefall from the tragic, in-ring death of Mitsuharu Misawa. Rest in peace, Misawa. The matches include Kenta Kobashi triumphant in-ring return from cancer, the rise of KENTA The Junior Heavyweight Destroyer and the Last of the Great King's Road matches! http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2018/09/pro-wrestling-love-vol-8-best-of-pro.html