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cactus

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  1. cactus
    Fantastic mat-based match that builds up the tension nicely. Mascaras is the better athlete and you can slowly see The Destroyer's piss beginning to boil every time that he's bettered in an exchange. I think The Destroyer is a great guy to watch if you haven't seen much pre-80's footage and want to dip your toes into some vintage wrestling. He's got buckets of charisma, he's technically sound and he even works in some comedy spots that stopped the action from feeling too dry. They eventually start to brawl after they get hot-headed during the grappling. Destroyer is a pro at making every Figure 4 attempt feel dangerous and Mascaras sold his leg injury very convincingly. I didn't have a problem with the count-out finish, as it made Mascaras look strong in defeat. ★★★★½
  2. cactus
    This is the type of match that will grow hair on your balls. It's incredibly intense from bell to bell. Williams shows that he's actually got loads of charisma as acts like a total jock to Kobashi. Watching both guys hype themselves up during the chopping segments kicked all kinds of ass. I have no idea how Kobashi didn't break his neck on those three Backdrop Drivers. I didn't find this excessive at all. Everything felt earnt and it didn't feel like they were dropping each other on their heads for the sake of it. Kobashi isn't able to win the Triple Crown on this night, but he won the hearts of the AJPW fans. ★★★★¾
  3. cactus
    I'm not entirely convinced that these guys don't actually hate each, because this was unbelievably stiff! Some of the punches throw between Ishikawa and Ikeda were some of the most convincing punches I've ever seen. Otsuka hits a beautifully devastating Giant Swing on Ono and it doesn't look a hair out of place in a shoot-style match. Ono looked very young, but he came off as a right arrogant dickhead who is not afraid to bend the rules. The constant run-ins from the illegal man got annoying after a while, but this still had buckets load of heat and intensity to wash the stiff strikes down with. ★★★★½
  4. cactus
    Kohsaka's put on some size since he last battled Tamura, so he's able to throw him around with ease during the stand-up portion of the match. The mat game here was predictably brilliant. Tamura is a pro at putting across the smaller things, like how you could see that was starting to doubt himself when he's down to his last two points. Kohsaka acts quite cocky and you can't help but hope Tamura can pull off a miracle. The final few minutes are very heated, with Tamura locking in a deep single crab, before transitioning to an armbar to secure the victory. The sequel to my all-time favourite shoot-style match is well worth a watch, even if doesn't quite reach the same heights as their first encounter. ★★★★½
  5. cactus
    More of the same as their last match, but they dial the hate up to 11 and they get some nuclear heat from the Korakuen Hall crowd. Tamura slaps Yamamoto hard during the opening handshake and it damn near felt like the roof was going to come off the building. The mat-work here varied in speed. Sometimes it looked like they were going at it like two hyperactive rabbits, but other times it looked like they were taking their time and working a more methodical approach. Although he acts smug, I couldn't help but find myself rooting for Yamamoto during the final few minutes of the rough strike exchanges. Both men were down to their final point and the next knockdown would decide a winner. Super gripping stuff with a molten-hot crowd. ★★★★¾
  6. cactus
    There's a subtle arrogance about Yamamoto. He seems like he's getting a lot out of slapping Tamura in the face, and the crowd naturally starts rooting for Tamura. Yamamoto is dangerous on the mat and can hold for hold with Tamura. All the action on the mat was super smooth and fluid. Yamamoto even busts out Tamura's old rival Volk Han's calf slicer submission in an attempt to tap out the ace of RINGS. There were plenty of big strike exchanges to be found here and watching Tamura fire up and make his comeback had the fans going mental. I don't think this reaches the highs of Tamura/Kohsaka, but it's a damn fine match regardless. ★★★★½
  7. cactus
    Even as a recent shoot-style convert, this match flew by and the 30 minutes felt like 15. Tamura looks a lot different since I last saw him during the Volk Han trilogy. He's no longer a pretty boy, but he's now more built up and looks like a total badass. This was two mat maestros putting on some of the most impressive matwork and submission wrestling that I'd ever seen in a pro-wrestling match. These two are so proud and headstrong that they refused to give up a rope break unless it's absolutely necessary and we don't see a rope break until 13 minutes into the match! The strikes that followed the first rope break are incredibly intense and you could tell that Tamura was ashamed and pissed off that he was the first fighter to have to use the ropes to break a hold. They mostly stick to grappling after this, but once it's announced that 20 minutes had expired and that there were 10 minutes left on the clock, they start wailing on each other again. They both look exhausted by this point, but they still have a lot of heart and the final few minutes were super tense. I didn't care who won, I just wanted a decisive winner. This was amazing stuff that every fan needs to see once they are accustomed to shoot-style. ★★★★★
  8. cactus
    Yamamoto's mat game is decent, but he's got a lot to learn and Han can totally out-class him. The crowd gets behind Yamamoto and it creates an incredible atmosphere. The fans just want to see their boy topple the submission magician that is Volk Han. The last few minutes of this were nail-bitingly tense, with Han hurting Yamamoto's arm by throwing him across the ring when he had a hammerlock locked on. The referee calls for a doctor to look at Yamamoto's arm and agree to let him fight, but Yamamoto can't be knocked down again as he's used up all his points so far. Yamamoto gets an incredible hope spot when he scores with a guillotine choke, but Han is able to escape and get the better of him. ★★★★½
  9. cactus
    I can totally see the Rocky comparisons here. Dick Vrij might not be a mat wizard, but he throws some devastating strikes and has one menacing look. Han carries him to a right barn-burner, in which I genuinely thought Vrij was going to beat Han by knocking him down multiple times and winning by points. The crowd was super into this and the place came unglued when Han was able to catch Vrij is a big submission for the victory. ★★★★¼
  10. cactus
    Don't expect to see many wrestling moves here, but this was a good babyface vs. foreign heel brawl that had plenty of heat. Markoff had every heel trick down. Attacking before the bell? Check. Giving the hero no room to breathe? Check. Concealing a weapon in your tights? You betcha. Inoki throws some great punches and Markoff sells them by bumping around in a stooge-like fashion. Inoki takes a beating and ends up bleeding, but he's able to get Markoff's weapon out of his hands and it takes no time for him to make his comeback and score a win with the Octopus Stretch. ★★★¾
  11. cactus
    I used to struggle with shoot-style as I thought it was too focused on hyper-realism and not the story-telling and character work that I love in my wrestling, but I was so wrong about shoot-style not having good story-telling after sitting down and watching all three of the Han/Tamura trilogy. You need to watch all three matches to get the whole picture and see how one Kiyoshi Tamura starts the series as a promising upstart and ends it as a RINGS legend who's able to tap out the iconic Volk Han. Han looked like a damn anaconda at times when he would wrap his body around Tamura in an effort to tap him out with many types of unique submissions. Tamura felt like the best fighter in the world when he tried to take out Han with his deadly strikes. Just perfect execution and body language. This was the perfect way to wrap up the trilogy. ★★★★★
  12. cactus
    Fuck this guy. He doesn't know shit! This was incredible. Tamura's slightly more polished since the last time they've met, but he still falls victim to Han's devastating wristlock throw minutes into this encounter, even if he is able to recover from it quicker and more efficiently than he did during the '96 match. Volk Han's a master seller. He's able to convey emotions without it making the hyper-realistic grappling look like a total work. He gets caught in an armbar early and he uses the first rope break of the match to escape and he has an ashamed look on his face as if he was a puppy who just shat on the rug. I don't need to tell how brilliant the matwork was or how every submission looked like it could have ended the match as I'm sure you already know that if you're aware of either Han or Tamura. ★★★★★
  13. cactus
    I'm not usually a shoot-style guy, but this was fantastic. Tamura looked like a god here. This is Mishima's first pro match and he might have just put in the best debut performance ever. From how he faked out Tamura with a strike as a way to get on a submission to how he tried to rise right back up to his feet after being knocked on his arse by a Tamura kick, he just gets pro-wrestling. The mat-work here is brilliant and every submission attempt had urgency behind it. Check this out if you fancy dipping your toes into some shoot-style. ★★★★½
  14. cactus
    This was like watching two pissed-off octopuses going head to head. The matwork here is so quick I had to check to make sure my video wasn't sped up! Volk Han locks in a hammerlock in seconds and then decides to scoop Tamura up with it and drop him on his damn head! Tamura is outmatched here. Both guys are able to lock on a submission within seconds and the tide of the match can change with one wrong move. Tamura is eventually able to keep up and this pisses Han right off, so he decides to start laying in the strikes. Han lays in the palm strikes and kicks with a lot of ferocity. Not only was the matwork here god-tier, but the narrative of Tamura having to prove himself against a more seasoned opponent gave me something to really get my teeth into. Think this I'm finally starting to get shoot-style, lads. ★★★★¾
  15. cactus
    Pro-wrestling shouldn't make you think. Instead, it should make you feel and this match is the perfect example of that theory. Kobashi's returning from cancer and he wants to prove to the fans that he can still go. They start things off slow and steady, with most of the action consisting of their signature strikes and chin locks. The fans are predictably going crazy for Kobashi and I'll even admit I had a lump in my throat when Kobashi hits his famous corner chops on Akiyama. I completely forgot about how physical the finishing stretch of this match was. From Tiger Drivers to Moonsaults to the Avalanche Emerald Flowsion that finally finishes Kobashi off, they brought out the big guns even if they really should have been looking after their bodies and work a more simplistic match given the health of two of the wrestlers. Kobashi put in a corker of a performance here. He kicked cancer's ass and now he's coming for Akiyama's and Misawa's! There are so many little things I love about this. From that shot of guest commentator Tamon Honda crying his eyes out to the fans chanting Kobashi's name over Misawa's music, this was beautiful stuff. ★★★★★
  16. cactus
    You would think the two styles of Minoru Suzuki and AJ Styles would be too much of a clash, but these two pros made it work. Suzuki is known for his great facials, but his ones here were next-level brilliant. The interference from Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club made sense and didn't detract from the match. Suzuki goes to town on Styles' arm and it plays into finishing stretch. Styles Styles Clashing Suzuki while still being locked in an armbar was a thing of beauty. This was a total war that went the right length and was full of intensity and grit from bell to bell. ★★★★¾
  17. cactus
    The first half of this left me cold. It was technically sound, but nothing of note happens with the exception of some finisher teases. Total Crossfit wrestling, indeed. Omega's kicks looked like shit and his bad bug-eyed facials reminded me of Edge. The match starts to pick up once Omega hits a subtle tribute to Kota Ibushi when he executed a picture-perfect springboard moonsault into the crowd. All of the big spots here looked incredible. I thought they did a good job teasing the table spot before Omega takes a gnarly backdrop from the ring to the outside and through the table. Although the finishing stretch went on for way too long and they got a little too cute with the counters for my tastes, the crowd was clearly into this. Omega not being able to land a One-Winged Angel was a small touch that'll come into play during their rematches. This certainly doesn't hold up on a rewatch, but there are still some genuinely impressive moments here, even if you do have to sit through a lot of mediocre stuff to get to it. ★★★¼
  18. cactus
    This starts the same way that all Naito matches start, with Naito trying to psych out Omega. This works and the two end up spitting at each other. I might be down on Omega's work in AEW, but he was magnificent here. Naito works over his knee and Omega does a masterful job at selling it. He'd attempt to make a comeback and only for his knee to give out on him and Naito would take back control. Even during the work-rate heavy home-stretch, he'd never stop selling and he even changes his V-Trigger up so that he uses his good knee to deliver the devastating blow. Everything they did had a purpose and this never felt like a spotfest, even though all the big highspots here were spectacular. That One-Winged Angel to Destino counter caught me off-guard and they couldn't have pulled that off anymore smoother. They tease this going to a time-limit draw, but Omega is finally able to land his One-Winged Angel and advance to the G1 finals. ★★★★★
  19. cactus
    This was great. Exactly what you can expect from these two. Shawn tones down the melodramatic fluff and puts on a world title classic with Benoit. This was technically sound, with bucket loads of intensity. Shawn has to bust out the big guns for this one, with him getting a nearfall with a Teardrop Suplex and damn near wiping out Benoit with his standing moonsault to the outside. I didn't mind the screwy finish, which saw Triple H lays out Shawn with a Pedigree when the referee was down. Trips looked like the smuggest asshole ever during his run-in. ★★★★½
  20. cactus
    This was better than it had any right to be. They worked this like a shoot-style match initially, before they started to smash each other into the hard Dungeon walls and using the overhead water pipe to bust out hurricanranas. The grappling is good, with Owen being able to keep up with Shamrock. We got a fun finish, with Owen knocking out Shamrock with a dumbell. ★★★½
  21. cactus
    This is the last time that WWE would willingly use blood in a match for a while and they make it count. Michaels is incredible at putting across how vulnerable he is once he's cut open. It never veers into melodrama and he sells the damage well by acting punch-drunk and being unable to stand up straight. Jericho is absolutely despicable here. I usually struggle buying into Jericho's character 100%, but he was a downright asshole here. His strikes were good for a guy who's not exactly known as a decent striker. After restraining HBK's arms and laying in a few more unrestricted shots to the head, the referee calls this one off. I had no problem with the non-finish, as it gave the fans a reason to care about the rematch. Not everything has to end cleanly. ★★★★
  22. cactus
    If the male ego wasn't so fragile, The Jumping Bomb Angels could have been one of WWF's top attractions. The fans give all four women zero reaction during the introductions, but the crowd is soon won over by the sheer workrate of the JBAs. They rush their opponents with such energy and they were fighting at a pace not seen in the WWF at this point (with the exception of Steamboat/Savage). The Glamour Girls weren't the most interesting wrestlers when they were working over the JBAs, but all the big transitional spots look good. The finishing stretch is action-packed but has a few flaws. Firstly, the referee is kicked by one of the heels and he decides to not disqualify, even though you could have gotten DQ'd in 1987 WWF by just looking at the referee funny. There's also way too much time where all four women were in the ring and it takes me out of the match when they buried the referee like that. The Glamour Girls managed to steal this one after a nasty powerbomb. ★★★★
  23. cactus
    KENTA's performance here as an undersized yet scrappy babyface was great, but Takayama being the much bigger bully was even better! Takayama looked like he was having the time of his life bullying KENTA around the place with his nasty strikes. That slap that KENTA took in the corner sounded like a goddamn shotgun blast. KENTA gets in a few decent hope spots as he's able to outsmart Takayama and is even able to German suplex him for a near fall. Takayama teases going for the Everest, but instead decides this little runt isn't worth it and he just knees KENTA hard in the face to get the pinfall, ★★★★¼
  24. cactus
    After an early sleeper doesn't go anywhere, Shibata tries to neutralize Hero's arm in an attempt to disable his strikes. This ends up failing and Hero is soon striking Shibata all around the ring area. These two aren't holding anything back and the strikes here are disgustingly brutal. Shibata sold Hero's Piledrivers like death. This reminded me of a big Ishii bombfest, but with more story and meaning. Ishii also wishes he was as charismatic as Shibata was when he made his comeback, the guy looked like a fucking rockstar.★★★★¾
  25. cactus
    We got a brilliant dickhead heel performance from Hero here. He mocks Ishii for being short and showboats in the ring while Ishii was laid out on the stage. Ishii brings the fire back as to be expected. Ishii popping up to his feet after taking a stiff Piledriver looked like something out of you would see in a zombie movie. Hero might have been piling on the pounds during this period, but he as agile as ever and I wasn't expecting to see kip ups and the Misawa flip through the ropes from him, which popped both me and the crowd big time. My only complaint about this match is I wished they wrapped it up after the Rolling Elbow, instead of going for a few more minutes before Ishii is finally put to bed. They redo the no-selling Piledriver spot again, but it felt less impressive this time. Minor overkill aside, this was cracking stuff. ★★★★½
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