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G. Badger

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  1. G. Badger
    I don't know about anyone else but, I want to try this just for the hell of it Go down in the basement, tie a string to the rafters, fake punch it for hours. Loved one comes home, and all of a sudden I'm in the psych ward for a week! Hahaha
  2. G. Badger
    I'm more with Jetlag on this match. It was a very good Indy match. Perfect for the venue and fans. I was getting into this as well. Walter is built like I dunno...a bank? Dude is big. Not fat, not muscular per se but, he's tall and thick. Anyhow, Dragunov is the physical underdog. Style wise they seem to be the same so, he doesn't have that advantage against a walking building either. It looks tough to top Walter in the hitting & throwing department. The match clicked with me because Mr. D is trying to stick it out but, doesn't have the experience or smarts to get crafty. He was all heart in this match. Taking chops and boots like a fool. I was rooting for him...not bad considering I've never heard of or seen this guy. Perhaps like Rocky in the first movie... Now my complaint: the structure or organization of the action. It didn't seem to have one until perhaps the end. Its rude to say it lacked structure but, it was one that I don't like. There was no apparent reason for the order of maneuvers. It was pretty Indy in the pejorative sense. BUT they kept shit simple with strikes, suplexes, and sleepers so, it could have been tremendously worse. This aspect is what I felt held it back from a 4 star type match. I don't have an issue saying 3.75 stars however. I don't actively watch wXw so, take this all with a grain of salt. Maybe after I see more, it'll make more sense. Nonetheless, I'd highly recommend it to the curious. It was a fun watch!
  3. G. Badger
    This is a pretty fun match and is perfect for Danielson's style at the time. Would have been awesome if it were longer and perhaps more mat based. We would have had a nice striker vs grappler dynamic going. Too short to consider it a classic but, well worth a watch.
  4. G. Badger
    The final three matches just meld together so well. Dragon and Generico are such true talents and this show really encapsulates that. Their performances during this time period helped PWG rise above mediocrity in my eyes. As far as buying this on a comp, I'd recommend getting the full show for $10 on Highspots. They have sales this time a year plus you get the pleasure of watching things unfold as they were meant to. There's good stuff in the undercard too Not shilling but, that's a fair deal for a supershow from 10 yrs. ago.
  5. G. Badger
    A very stiff yet frenetically paced match. I'm not sure that worked in these guys' favor...there never was too much of a simmering hate period. It was more warming up, face punch, lukewarm action, boiling potatoes, finish. The issue is that it lacked an internal story of note. This was made worse by having poor pacing. I feel like T., F. & K. wanted to take it back to 89-90 and have a fast paced action match with a straight forward story and scrub the Kings Road escalation of violence style. Or in simple terms, make it more WAR and less NOAH. It just didn't come off right. Moves weren't sold as they should be, drama wasn't built, and this was really counter to their objective. It was too simple...here we'll run around and hit each other. It seemed like they were trying for a updated classic approach but, it needed refinement. (Akiyama led AJ [2013-] may be this style that K. & T. were going for here and in their other bouts around this time). Nevertheless, it was pretty good and the stiff as a board shots were very respectable...for 15 minutes, its a good watch.
  6. G. Badger
    I came across this tonight looking for Fujiwara vs Tenryu '97. Thank you for uploading but, also thank you for the heads up on the crappiness of this match. I was really hyped for a 'wara vs Aoyagi under 10 minutes too
  7. G. Badger
    Fans were into this match from the get-go. Both guys have their own appeal...Bodyguard is a Big Poppa Pump type dude complete with bleached blonde hair and Miyahara is the fancy lad type guy with sparkle jacket and odd hair cut. This was a fun but, not too surprising match. The final act of the bout was pretty good with false finishes and not over doing it. Its worth a watch but, if you've got a list of other matches to see...this can wait.
  8. G. Badger
    Yeah, just watched him in PWG BOLA '12 and his face kicks are absolutely brutal. Really all of his strikes are on point because of how he puts his whole body into them...genuinely looks like he's trying for a KO. On another point, I always thought Jumbo's stomps were pretty great. And am a big fan of Nigel's throat thrust & SUWAMA's double hand chop. Those are something you don't see everyday.
  9. G. Badger
    AJW is no way obscure nor an old Indy fed but, stumbling thru the 'tube I found a couple matches right there with the sleazies. The first is Bull Nakano vs Yumi Fukawa (Train Match). Yumi jumps the Ice Queen on a train with a referee in tow. This 5 minute clip makes no damn sense and is therefore brilliant. Mind you there are normal work a day people on the train with them... #2 is Yumi Fukawa vs Nobue Endo (Waterpark Match) which is hilarious. I don't want to spoil the opening segment especially. This is some goofy shit. Also around 5 minutes. Watch these while you're waiting for your spaghetti water to boil
  10. G. Badger
    Thanks for the tips! Yeah, I enjoyed the Inoki matches a lot from a matwork standpoint (and in general). The '88 match is divisive but, I thought it was pretty great. The version I have shows the back story to Strong style and Inoki's famous bouts and just plays up the schmaltz. I buy into the Inoki mythos as a fan even though as a rational human being, its his megalomania. Billy and Fujinami are what makes those awesome I've really wanted to see the Fujinami vs Go matches but, haven't unfortunately. I kept passing up the NJ Classics DVD on IVP. Now I wish I hadn't since I can't seem to find it on DM or the 'tube. Oddly, I saw one of the Rocco matches a couple years ago and want to track it down now! As far as UWF stuff I'll see what I can find... seems like much is YouTube but you gotta bust out Google translate once in awhile for titles and dates or the obscure ones aren't there. Desperately looked in vein for that Funaki vs Suzuki match last night... Edit: was able to track down Fujiwara vs Kido 9/6/85. Posted by a Japanese fellow as most of title is kanji. It's pretty good stuff. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9m2UognvM50 Anymore recommendations would be great!
  11. G. Badger
    Just finished the '12 Bola a few minutes ago so this, being the penultimate match on the card, is fresh in my brain. It was fun, it was a novelty, it let the finalists rest before the main event but, eh not much else. Knox getting a measure of revenge, Steenerico back together, seeing Knox do moves etc. It was pretty vanilla from an action or even story standpoint. Bucks and Cage were just kinda "there." Nonetheless, it did its job on the card. There were a bunch of singles matches from the two night event that were better and I honesty thought the comedy match of B-boy, Willie, and Drake vs Sleazy Davey, Sleazy Kyle, and regular Joey Ryan was a much better six man. Good action, funny in a juvenile way, and not as predictable. Overall: Very good show(s) if PWG is your thang but, this match was nothing too special.
  12. G. Badger
    Anyone have any recommended matwork gems from UWF version 1 or 2? I remember watching some v.1 matches with Takada and Maeda that were pretty slick...less kicks and more wrestling. I guess in a similar vein, any NJ 70-80s matwork classics? I guess it doesn't have to be the whole match but, even sections, segments, exchanges, that you thought were awesome...Fujinami and pre-Liger Yamada are favorites but, I haven't watched much recently so, I'm looking for places to pick back up again...
  13. G. Badger
    I have never sought out a Hogan in Japan match until your write up. Very psyched to see him work the mat! Plus Macho Man sounds like a good opponent for Tenryu. Is that a testament to Genichiro or Savage? Anyhow, I think I'm compelled to break my avoid-the-"superstars"-in-SWS vow
  14. G. Badger
    I was never much interested in the possibility of trying to get into post split AJPW save a couple Kawada matches right afterwards. Once, Muto took over and saw the cards, I'd written it off. For some reason, curiosity got the better of me a couple years ago as I'd heard stuff about Sekimoto and SUWAMA so, I figure it'd be worth a watch. This was my introduction with low expectations and wow, I was psyched! Gone was the American puro type stuff that Muto was doing. This was just pure beat the crap out of each other puro like Choshu, Tenryu, Kawada etc. Plus it's not a long epic or drawn out in any form, I can't recall any strike battles that weren't surprising or meaningful...adding even more to its appeal. Real no nonsense wrestling that I thought was gone from the world by the 2010's.
  15. G. Badger
    I felt this was a great match that came together as the thing went on. It was an accumulation of good pacing and layout. It was refreshing to see them returning to the mat for submissions and, when that didn't work, picking the pace back up. This was different from the AJW and even AJPW style where it just escalates and escalates until super killer moves are dropped. I was afraid that I was in for something like that...requiring a lot of mental/emotional commitment especially with the time of the video. It was an organic 35 minutes. Intense and no nonsense. I'm a fan of Bull & Devil so, I really enjoyed this match. I'd call it a great one..maybe like ****-****1/4 ish stuff and a must see for fellow Devil, Bull, or old joshi fans.
  16. G. Badger
    I hadn’t heard too much chatter about this match until the 1999 Yearbook. It’s certainly one of those matches an AJPW junkie wants to see just in case it’s an overlooked gem. Well, this is an overlooked gem for sure! Takayama is just about on par with the blonde haired bastard from the 2000s. Omori is just a beefier version of the ass kicker from 95-96 that was giving guys a run for their money. So, to give a summary- This was heated and intense. NO FEAR showed they belonged by handing Burning’s ass to them. Takayama was especially brutal. It’s as we’ve come to expect just, a few years earlier that he’s given credit for. It’s a quick match for AJ standards but, it delivers just how you want it to. Highly Recommended
  17. G. Badger
    Man, I love this feud! Below is my "mark" take on the match Filthy, dirty cheats!! Jumbo's team are a bunch of cheats! Misawa attacked Fuchi at the start but soon he was out of the action because they re-injured his nose. So this was a 2 on 3 match but, Kikuchi is one tough SOB and Kawada was really fighting as two men, especially later when you really need him too. He was hitting Jumbo with some of the stiffest elbows! They really had Jumbo & Co. on the ropes but they cheat, injuring body parts & taking turns at stomping & grinding them. I know why they do it too! They're beat! If Misawa was here they would've lost...the facelock would've been in play for sure. Classic match especially in generating heat...I was marking out for Kawada to kill the entire other team & some great saves/near falls too. ****1/2
  18. G. Badger
    Going back to when I was watching the Misawa- Jumbo feud on a weekly basis, here's my take: Another very, very good 6-man tag team match. They're really gearing up for the Kawada/Jumbo match and it's damn clear that Kawada & Misawa have arrived as real contenders. Taue & Jumbo don't take that much punishment here and I do agree that Taue has gotten worse. Not in the sense that he sucks to watch but, he doesn't have the varied offense as he did early on. He seems to be content doing the stomping game alot & only doing moves against Kikuchi like the Samoan drop. He does amp it up here though as I believe he chokslams Misawa on the floor. Kawada gets better with each match as I understand his character more & more. He is tired of the bullshit being run by Taue & Tsuruta- all of their double teaming, cheap shots, and the benefits that their status grants them.
  19. G. Badger
    Man, no idea why people interchange Shintani with Tomoe Araya...anyhow watched Cynthia and her first match at Duel of the Wilds, IWA Japan. Much better match than the above...surprising since you'd think they'd improve. Here they kept everything simple and spaced out the moves better and more logically. Sure, the 3/7 match had Moreno as death dealer at times but, this first match was actually fun for the right reasons! Then there's one where Cynthia is in a gold singlet rather than black. This one was shaping up to be good but then Tomoe lost her balance on her Yoshida run up turning cross body block move...so she jumped to the floor. Not sure where in this epic trilogy this match fits in but, hey, its been fun.
  20. G. Badger
    Really dug Cynthia Moreno in early 90's AJW so I was pleased to see that she made some appearances in the sleazies...IWA Japan specifically. Just watched her murderlize Tomoe Araya on the 3/7/95 show opener (not 100% on the date). People clapped for the usual "we admire your toughness" for Araya but man...Moreno brought the Zenjo level brutality here at times. Definitely encouraged to watch more Señorita Moreno in IWA. There's a couple vs Shintani that are readily available so, I'm hoping to view those today. Edit: started watching the "Shintani" matches...its just Tomoe Araya eh what the heck...I'll still watch 'em.
  21. G. Badger
    I used to pimp the shit out of both of them 18 years ago. Bison was always a cult favourite of mine, in more ways than one (hell, you want a big girl was had that attractiveness yet looked like a freak monster, that's her) and Sakie was one of those "What if she didn't get injured ?" case for all 90's joshi fans. Nice to see some Bison & Sakie love in 2017 ! Yeah, Quebrada Mike and (I believe) a Joshi year in review for '92 that you did for him were my guides to the greatness of early 90s joshi Maybe I'm being an old geezer about it but, as much as people seem to be into WWE's women's division nowadays there's little interest to go back into the vaults of the Great AJW to see the classics of modern women's wrestling. But maybe that's always been the case...screw the past, let's get on with the fancy new stuff! ...and yeah Bison was pretty foxy
  22. G. Badger
    I'd consider this an overlooked gem especially for 2005 Noah. So much hard chopping machismo fighting spirit stuff came from 2005 Mr. Kobashi that you wouldn't think he was capable of anything else. ...and you wouldn't be totally wrong but! his mini feud with Tenryu in 05-06 showed us that Chopbashi was capable of garnering different emotions from fans/viewers other than, "Chop him dammit! Chop him Kobashi!!" and "Oh he's dead..." I tagged WAR to this topic because you got Tenryu, Koshinaka, and Jun Izumida (not sure if he was in W-A-R but, he's built for it) and this was wrestled in this style. So, no head drops, apron moves, moves at all per say...this is all punches, chops (come on its Tenryu-Kobashi) and laid out so well that's it probably the most fun yet serious Noah match Kobashi had outside of his defense vs Ogawa in '03. Ass chops, Tenryu throwing shit, Izumida eating potatoes like its Thanksgiving, Koshinaka still ruling in '05, brawling after the bell...and Kobashi chopping people dead. Great match
  23. G. Badger
    Headhunters vs Nobutaka Araya/El Misterioso IWA Japan 5/23/94 Took me a minute to find the date but, here we are...Araya took on the big boys a few time in IWA so, they took his offense well. Misterioso had to work for it though...it paid off because when he hit his stuff it looked like it was throwing the twins for a loop. Best part of the thing were the reoccurring miscues...I don't want to spoil any of these it was funny plus the moves everyone did hit made up for it...plenty of laughs and "oh shit" moments...this was just fun fun stuff.
  24. G. Badger
    Checked out Haku vs Tenta from 2/14/93 as well since other matches on there were pretty good... Uh yeah this was OK. I guess they did well for their spot and Tenta sold his giant size in a couple simple yet effective ways...best part was still Haku chopping the shit out of his furry chest. Fast forward to 6/17/93 for Chono vs Kitahara. This match I was liking...I'm probably a bigger Chono fan than most folks. Its something about his deliberate, grinding the holds based offense that I like. I purposefully have stayed away from NWO era stuff so maybe that's where the crap resides... Anyhow, very evenly fought match. It was real back to basics and I appreciated the variety in the NJ-WAR stuff- brawls, wrestling, gimmick type matches with Muta. Here they wrestled to win the match and prove who was better. It of course sets up the Chono-Tenryu main event next show...
  25. G. Badger
    More basement joshi notes I didn't understand the early Sakie punishment section other than to obviously setup a hot a Debbie tag (interesting choice of words in retrospect ;P) Debbie & Sakie bring their skills to the mat. Mariko does a good job along with them. **can't read my writing now** Ah OK here we go: The only thing that keeps this from being a great match is Takako. She's not terrible but she's lazy in terms of follow thru. Also she always gives out punishment worse than she takes but that's just a general gripe on her. This is absolutely worth seeking out. Top notch wrestling from the mid card. Highly recommended
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