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G. Badger

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Everything posted by G. Badger

  1. G. Badger
    On an ROH kick...Generation Next vs The Embassy...especially the tags Fun stuff esp Abyss vs Matt Sydal encounters... Classic junior vs heavyweight
  2. G. Badger
    This has totally got me back into ROH. I bought DVDs from Highspots and everything which I would recommend since they have a quite a few for 5-8 bucks.. Anyhow, I have really been into the feud with the Embassy esp. w/ Gen Next. It seems ROH started to turn down once the group fizzled out. Abyss was phenomenal in his appearances. Jimmy Rave and Alex Shelley were underutilized and underappreciated at the time IMO. Rave was a good hand who made everyone he worked with look great as well as brought heat and a nice offense to the table (vs Punk and vs Styles especially). Shelley had these skills as well the mic talent and versatility to hold a belt. With that said, switch he and Aries in '04 and '05...It makes more sense now...Aries is so one dimensional that begging for forgiveness and joining the Embassy gives his character something and Shelley stays the cocky innovative dickhead heel (which he played in the MCMG even as faces) that has the belt for Punk to win and to piss on the fans with thus preserving the Summer of Punk. Anyhow Prince Nana and his group may be a footnote in ROH history but, they had some great matches.
  3. G. Badger
    Strong style in the US means stiff wrestling style. This is an appropriation of its origin stemming back to Inoki championing pro wrestling as the strongest martial art. In essence- Catch wrestling with protected worked moves mixed in. Dory vs Inoki, Billy vs Inoki, Fujinami vs Maeda, Fujinami vs Inoki, Hashimoto vs Hase, and maybe Kobashi vs Hase in AJPW would be some examples of pure strong style's evolution throughout Japan's Golden era....Batt-batt is some Inoki strong style revival for sure as is Shibata vs Sakuraba 2015, which maybe Inoki's perfect example of Strong Style. Really, I think the closest to straight Strong Style in the States is what Danielson was doing in ROH. Its in the emphasis on matwork and an apparent legit finish. But, in the West its just a generic term for 'puroresu-like' wrestling now...maybe due to BJW's Strong BJW style..which is more like Choshu, Tenryu, Jumbo mid to late AJPW..hope this helps the OP
  4. G. Badger
    Not be someone who champions Jim Cornette in 2016 but, I think when there's a style that apparently makes wrestling look 'fake' that's bad for business. Wrestling in the fixed sense works when there is a modicum of disbelief. Like, "oh shit! He really slapped him!...not like those other times..." or "there is no way that sleeper isn't a half shoot, his eyes are rolling back!" That's not to say running shooting star presses and the like are excluded but, when someone doesn't sell the move or it is a blatantly fake move then, what fucking good is it!? We as viewers just shrug it off... If a burning hammer is done 30 seconds in and Joe 6 pack kicks out then it pisses on all burning hammers and any move taken as less traumatic, less final..So a PWG cluster fuck is BAD for business... PWG Cyanide, Steen nearly labotimizes Akira Tozawa the first five-ten minutes in..but continue to wrestle another ten..WTF man !? It's done there! He's done- pin him! Protect the move, protect the business...cause if a guy gets up after a move that looks like his brain stem was severed then anything less than that looks weak, son. It sounds like what's going on in WWE is a result..to a lesser extant...
  5. G. Badger
    Fantastic hardcore style match and probably my favorite LCO match. In a way it is a perfect late ECW match with chair shots and good wrestling...I mean that as a compliment too! The fact that it has the more experienced team of Aja and Kyoko helps as well. I think the LCO in '97 and on calls back to the Dump-Bull-Jungle Jack style joshi and less Toyota but, the influence of FMW and ECW played a part in their full blown garbage-heel style I'm thinkin'. Anyhow, I liked this better than the infamous cage match and it worth checking out.
  6. G. Badger
    I did not think it was as good a match mainly because it wasn't intense enough for my liking. This was Joe's chance to split the difference with Kobashi, this was Low Ki's chance to prove himself against the legend, and 'cide's opportunity to be a worthy partner to him. Those points were not really conveyed. Instead it was a 'one time only' stiff as shit exhibition match. This makes sense considering ROH's show the night previous. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend checking this match out since it gets overshadowed by the singles match and is a worthy follow-up. ****+ seems about right...
  7. G. Badger
    Super Delfin dressing up as Liger in the '94 super juniors (i think thats the right year) is pretty early for that type of thing but is more mockery...Men's Teioh as Terry Boy would be the earliest, I could think of straight up cosplay of Terry Funk. Not lifting a gimmick like people did with 'Nature Boy' but, his gimmick was that he was a mark for the Funker. Sakuraba dressing up during his Pride fight entrances and trying dropkicks is cosplay. Wrestlers doing Street Fighter and MK moves is coplay. I think doing moves a certain way is imitation, or homage though. Any bit of earlier ROH doing "cosplay" is the result of a lot if those guys working in Zero-1, Noah as well as the type of wrestlers they wanted to be. I think that is true of most folks on the Indys trying to find themselves. HHH coming out as the Terminator though! That's fucking hilarious!!!
  8. G. Badger
    This still has some magic to it. The relatively intimate setting and cameras really play up the spectacle of Kobashi beating the tar out of Joe. They worked as roughly equals but, Joe in a NOAH setting would be more on the level of Low-ki, KENTA, maybe Morishima. I think the accomplishment of the match is Kobashi working in this setting and finding a niche for Joe to look like he could pull out a win. Really, it was about Joe taking Kobashi's best shots. People new to puro should go back and check this out!
  9. G. Badger
    The commentators noted that Bryan might leave ROH if he didnt win but i didnt get that sense of frustration or urgency from either. That's OK though it was a fantastic title match with two technicians going at it for the championship, plain & simple. Nice intensity and focus with Gibson being the best visiting WWE wrestler to ROH. I thought Gabe S. was distracting on commentary though...I muted it for about 70% of the match.
  10. G. Badger
    Yeah, I totally agree. This is not a blow away classic but, it is wrestling done right. Bull & Hokuto in '91 are really something to go back and watch. Almost a year later and have my actual notes: Really vicious sprint type match. For what is seemingly an exhibition type match this was stiff and full of head drops. Sakie is just a notch up from being an opener yet, for her to be so competitive was great. This was the beginning of her push and its a good one. She was really underrated. Highly recommended match
  11. G. Badger
    This is totally worth checking out if only for the spots. I have it on a comp and its something fun to watch or to show somebody joshi...I'll have to look back at their 4/92 match but, this might be my favorite meeting of the two in singles...this combo should have listened to the adage of "less is more."
  12. G. Badger
    This has Toyota before she went completely insane, running around trying complex moves she should have no business trying 20 minutes into a match. Therefore, it was economical and, surprising for that matter! Its tough to go wrong with AJW from 88-90.
  13. G. Badger
    Started watching TNA in '07 and probably stopped in 2010. Thanks for doing this topic because I didn't realize TNA was capable of great wrestling.
  14. G. Badger
    I think modern wrestling in the States forces the viewer to adhere to the story that is being told through commentary, interviews, back stage crap etc. It really removes the viewer's ability participate through use his or her imagination. It has been presented a "soap opera for men" for awhile now. Older wrestling in the US was obviously not a 'product' like it has been for the last 20+ years. The commentary was limited and story arcs simpler by comparison so, the match the is allowed to breathe. The narrative is allowed to unfold organically. The viewer is left to fill some of the dots. We can see this in the Indy's on occasion and is very true for puro or Lucha...at least for those who don't understand the languages very well. There is so much up to interpretation and invention and may be why many of us enjoy these styles/promotions. It gives us more to think about and more to discuss...
  15. G. Badger
    This match was a lesser re-do of the Tokyo Dome classic from '94. I the watched the two matches back to back a few years ago and this look liked it should have happened before that match chronologically. I was confused why it was given a decent rating then, as well as now. This match had historical importance but, lets be honest that's not important anymore. It was too sloppy for what it was trying to accomplish. This shouldn't have been the main event on this show...maybe third from the top...the rest of the show is pretty good to great stuff though.
  16. G. Badger
    This is one of the matches that made start to question the awesomeness of Joshi...this along with 3-26 Toyota vs Kong and the 8-30 tag showed that '95 AJW was not as stellar as some made it out to be. The obvious problem is that it just went on for too long. Not sure if the decision was influenced by AJPW's multiple time limit draws in '95 but, it wasn't worked properly. I am glad I saw it but, just not worth watching again. A word to the wise, Kyoko vs Toyota is not a good thing. With other opponents, they can be great but, with each other it tends to be overwrought goofiness.
  17. G. Badger
    I guess the veracity of these horror stories can be easily disputed especially by the WWE. Still, I can't believe a more concerted effort hasn't been made to address the sexism in that company. I say this considering the somewhat notable attention that they've receive regarding performance enhancement/wellness policy violations, in ring safety, and political aspirations. I know dribs and drabs come out every couple of years and they put those fires out but, it would be nice if the issue could gain some steam at least concerning the WWE. I think it might end up shedding a light on another seedy part of wrestling that most fans don't know is hanging around. Wishful thinking, I suppose...
  18. G. Badger
    I think the primary way we evaluate wrestling is by asking the question: Is it entertaining? From there we can dissect why it did or did not entertain us. And we can debate the weight of those measures, rate and rank performances, and so on. Its a yes or no question that we ask ourselves subconsciously before any critique, review, or writeup. I do feel that the more knowledgeable we are about the micro and macro level context, the more we can be entertained by a match, show, promotion, etc. This research can help us overcome historical and cultural barriers for instance. Whether it actually "does" is up to the viewer. We watch wrestling with our heads and our hearts and therein lies the problem ...or the pleasure
  19. G. Badger
    I just read through the 'Horror stories in women's wrestling history' topic. http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/33804-horror-stories-in-womens-wrestling-history/ I don't think we can truly discuss women having any sense of equality in pro wrestling until the behavior and mindsets discussed there are addressed. There is a culture of misogyny in pro wrestling that goes deeper than anything that is shown on TV or DVDs. Most fans are unaware but, I think deserve to know. I think the questions we should ask now are- what can we as fans do about it? Is there anything we can do to bring a larger social awareness to the issue? I think talking about this is is a step in the right direction but, is there more than can be done? Are there people or groups out there already? Genuinely curious...
  20. G. Badger
    ..watching Ito foot stomp people is always gnarly...sorry...typo
  21. G. Badger
    I've never been able to make anyone a full convert but, I have been able to get friends and family to watch a match or two once in a while. I enjoyed showing people Joe vs Kobashi for awhile. I think it helped teardown the WWE = pro wrestling ideology for a couple friends. The best luck I have had is to go back to a period of time when that person was originally into or aware of wrestling. Then, show them a match with someone they liked but, in a different setting or time period. Guys like Flair, Foley, even the Steiners have helped bridge the gap. For someone who wants to get into puro or joshi, I would recommend watching the Liger-Sano feud, Jumbo-Tenryu, and the Lioness Asuka vs Jaguar Yakota -Chigusa vs Devil Masami from'85. If that's too far back to start then, 2005 Noah, Michinoku Pro from '96, or umm maybe AJW from '97 would be good periods to dive into. I like '97 for LCO bringing brawling back into Joshi plus, watching Into foot stomp people is always gnarly. Maybe recent NJPW is an option as well... I don't know. I got tired of the requisite elbow exchanges. There was a Shibata vs Sakuraba match from a couple years back that I thought was amazing and felt like a perfect example of Inoki strong style. That might be a good new one to show people...probably a Nakumura vs Goto match for the IWGP IC title as well...
  22. G. Badger
    I think the issue is that some wrestlers get lazy as they get popular OR some try to go for moves that they can't physically pull off but no one has the heart/guts to tell them. With the guys mentioned above, I don't think anyone in the locker room is going to say to Tenryu, Maeda, Sabu etc., "hey man your big move looked like shit tonight." This is especially true if they are at the top of a promotion. From a business standpoint, I'm not going to pass up a big star just because a move or two looked awkward either. So why do wrestlers with less than stellar execution make it big? We as fans make those flubs or idiosyncrasies part of the character. I have consciously done it with Manami Toyota for instance. Or Marufuji is another one...attributing a gaff to his or her in-ring character OR out of the ring personality. All in all, we like these wrestlers. Their persona is so engaging and we can overlook or even incorporate their mistakes into who they are. Hell, we do this in our day to day lives. Think about stuff a loved one says or does and how you may brush it off because of 'who' they are and what they mean to you...
  23. G. Badger
    If using the internet to check out an unfamiliar person or promotion, I'll try to find a match with someone familiar in it. A known quantity or 'control' that I can use to compare against. One that keeps coming to mind is an Indy match with Cedric Alexander and AJ Styles. AJ is the control...how does the promotion frame him? How does Cedric (the person I want to learn about) work with AJ? What level of offense, selling, drama etc are they bringing? So on and so forth... But sometimes, its worth just jumping into the unknown as well. A lot of my enjoyment from wrestling anymore is just being surprised. If I can be surprised then, I'll give someone a second look. That's true of contemporary wrestlers/promos as well as those from the past.
  24. G. Badger
    I would want to travel back in time to be able to catch a great feud build or a notable string of shows... sort of to be a "regular" for a month or two. I would like to go back for any of the NJ vs UWF stuff in '86. Fujiwara or Maeda vs Fujinami in singles, tag, or elimination would be a must. In that same vein, I love to be able to have witnessed Riki Choshu & co. vs Jumbo & Tenryu from the mid 80s. Even the 01/86 match by itself would suffice! I remember being surprised by this match, which is odd since its considered a classic. I never thought much of Choshu so, my expectations were low. This match totally changed my views. My top pick would be to see the Jumbo vs Misawa feud. It would be great to see stuff from 06/90 up to the final tag league match of the year. That was just an great string of matches they put on. If I had to pick one, I'd go with their 10/19 6-man match. I was spellbound. I felt like I could have watched that match forever because the pacing and intensity was near perfect for the stage of the feud and the length of the contest.
  25. G. Badger
    The Sheik vs Abby match is from 12/1980 according to a comp that I have. As crazy and out of control as this match was, there is a follow up tag match that was pure pandemonium. Abby & Tor Kamata vs Sheik & Mephisto, I think during the RWTL, could be wrong on that though. Anyhow, it's a fantastic follow up to the singles match. The parts where they are brawling through the fans looks like a riot may break out. The fans are going absolutely nuts!
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