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PeteF3

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  1. PeteF3
    Liger takes a page from Muta's book to put Benoit away. Dare I say it, this is the best of the Liger/Benoit matches of these Yearbooks. Great, crisp execution and a fast pace, with a little bit of classic babyface/heel stuff for the foreign audience.
  2. PeteF3
    That entrance...yeah. So this was slow going for awhile, much like that AJPW 6-man. But the intensity and heat shot up as the match went on--really great focus on Tenryu vs. Kido playing off the 10-man tag, and a great callback with Kido seemingly having Tenryu's number with the wakigatame. Kido gets in a few credible near-falls, but Ishikawa more or less sacrifices himself to keep Choshu occupied as Tenryu comes back to win. Tenryu seamlessly turning the wakigatame into a powerbomb was a great comeback spot to decisively establish Tenryu as the Man. Fantastic post-match--Tenryu takes more shots at Choshu, the WAR and NJPW young boys get into it, and the big inevitable Tenryu/Hashimoto showdown is teased again. A lesser addition to a tremendous feud, but still some quality stuff here.
  3. PeteF3
    Workmanlike for the most part, but very little of this was compelling until Taue got in towards the end and we got a pretty hot closing stretch. Kikuchi is great, Akiyama is promising, and Ogawa is there--but the difference in tone when those three are in and when the other three are in is palpable. Jumbo is still an elephant in the room looming over these matches, and the void is hard to ignore. This was perfectly okay but I'm ready for the Kawada turn. It's time to move on from this formula.
  4. PeteF3
    I swear that Meltzer reported this as being on the table at one point, as a possible main event option for WM7 before the decision to go with Slaughter.
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  6. PeteF3
    Crush is in good spirits, despite the lousy 75-degree Hawaii weather. I was hoping this was the promo where he talked about his grandfather being a successful children's clown and how Doink was ruining his family name, assuming I didn't just imagine that.
  7. PeteF3
    Very good closing stretch, but not only did this have to follow Kawada/Hansen, it's very similarly paced for most of it--very methodical trading of strikes. Except the strike exchanges aren't as stiff and compelling. They do change things up towards the end as this becomes a classic All-Japan bomb-and-nearfall-fest rather than Kawada playing cat and mouse with Stan, and to this match's benefit. Definitely a standout Misawa performance, as he does a fantastic job of feeding Taue and making countermoves.
  8. PeteF3
    Well, fuck. That's actually earlier than I expected, though. I would have guesstimated a tag match, maybe during the RWTL.
  9. PeteF3
    It should be noted that Murray did Ghostbusters for the specific purpose of getting The Razor's Edge greenlighted.
  10. PeteF3
    Well, that was certainly different. Like a longer, drawn-out version of the Kawada/Taue brawl. The teases and counters surrounding the Lariat at the end are fucking top-notch. Hansen is in position to hit the thing 2 or 3 times, but Kawada is ready for it. Then when Hansen does hit it, he flies out of the ring and can't capitalize. Kawada gets in that one final comeback that he didn't get in their TC match in '92, but Hansen still manages to hit him in the back of the head with one final Lariat for the win. But just like Misawa in the spring of '92, it seems to be a matter of when, not if, Kawada can finally beat Hansen. Definitely one of the 3 MOTYs at this point.
  11. PeteF3
    I don't know how long the Secret Service gimmick lasted with Flair, but I always found it hilarious and appropriate. Yes, there's no question that Flair's return eclipsed Hogan's, in terms of artistic quality and in terms of fan response. In the end, I'm really glad Flair did get a WWF run. We've all gone over how it could have been done better, but it also could have been done a whole lot worse. He fulfilled, to some degree, the dreams of every '80s wrestling fan, and he got to face new opponents in a new setting, to put on some tremendous matches, and to return home as fresh and revitalized as he'd been in years. Artistically, it ended up being like one of those sports trades that improved both teams.
  12. PeteF3
    "ROCK AND ROLL! ROCK AND ROLL!" Absolutely deafening crowd here. What a fun little footnote, as I had no idea there was more SMW-in-WCW stuff after SuperBrawl. Good action, but Ventura's shitting all over Cornette and Smoky Mountain, having suddenly changed his tune from SuperBrawl, sure is annoying. I have a feeling that Jesse's best days are now past, and whether he agrees or not that he was at his WCW best under Watts' watch. Gibson does fine work in the Ricky Morton role, and Steamboat is a maniac upon getting the hot tag. Everyone gets involved and the match is thrown out. MORE OF THIS, PLEASE. Sadly this is nothing more than an afterword at the tail end of the Watts Era. Goddamn, now I'm depressed that we never got the Rock 'n Rolls vs. the Blonds or Steamboat & Douglas vs. the Bodies.
  13. PeteF3
    Cornette shits on the Rock 'n Roll Express' mystery partner. Cornette's trash talk leads to the R'nRs coming out and eventually to an impromptu one-on-one match. Good knee-focused attack from Bobby, and I actually have to think that leapfrog spot was intentional. Eaton even busts out a figure four, and Cornette holding the tennis racket for Eaton to grab is about the most fucking brilliant thing ever. Another cheap DQ, but these studio DQs at least serve a larger purpose. The Heavenly Bodies and Killer Kyle follow, and in an exquisite little moment Eaton picks off some jobber with the racket, then in one motion tosses it back out to Cornette on the floor so he can beat on him some more. Cornette even decks Rip Rogers! The whole locker room empties out and we go off the air with Bob Armstrong vainly attempting to restore order.
  14. PeteF3
    "For some folks, the Rebel flag brings back a lot of bad memories." Understatement of the Decade. "But for me, it brings back a lot of good memories." Well, I guess that's what's important. This promo is effective for the audience it's directed towards, I guess.
  15. PeteF3
    Gilbert manages to be funny, entertaining and poignant all at the same time. Oh, and he sells us on a match, too. One of the most outstanding promos on any Yearbook, definitely the best to have "I'm Too Sexy" as the backing theme for the end of it. Classic Memphis heeling shtick in the studio match to follow, the kind that can only take place in the WMC studio. That turns into some pretty decent action. Gilbert is about to get the pin after the Hotshot, but Doug Gilbert (in his Dark Patriot tights) breaks the count. Christopher beats on Eddie in the ropes while Doug gloats on the mic, until Jeff Jarrett evens the odds and Eddie and Doug have a cool, intense fight at the desk. Two great segments bookend a solid TV match. One of the best USWA clips of the year so far.
  16. PeteF3
    I would assume these are Jason Campbell's newsletter scans. He has a shit-ton of them at www.prowrestlinghistory.com.
  17. PeteF3
    Now I'm dreaming of some alternate universe where they decide to give the No Holds Barred push to Stan Hansen instead of Tiny Lister.
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  19. PeteF3
    I don't know if anyone in history has ever gotten laid by dropping the "I just watched the entire final two years of WCW" line. But if anybody deserves to, you do, Jerome. I just beg you, for your own sanity, that if you must watch any other wrestling at all that you pick an '80s set, or a Yearbook, or a high-quality Japanese TV season.
  20. PeteF3
    Hogan makes sure to milk fan reactions before getting to the near-murder of his best friend. Hogan's promo once he gets to brass tacks is very good, though. VERY tepid reaction for Beefcake--Hogan is still over, but Beefcake had been away for way too long and the Manhattan Center simply wasn't buying his story. Beefcake regurgitates Hogan's promo, and I'm wondering if "big man upstairs" is some designated, forced "medical facility"-esque euphemism. Jimmy Hart's babyface turn is cemented as he's introduced as a red-and-yellow-clad manager for Hogan. God knows why Jimmy was so gung-ho about ending Hogan's career in 1990 but is now so concerned over Beefcake and shamelessly kissing up to Hogan. "TODAY IS THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!" That's a line designed to draw heel heat in the Memphis studio, dammit. So sad that Jimmy's first chance to cut loose on the stick in the WWF after 8 years of work is for this. Bringing Hogan back and immediately sticking him in a feud over the tag titles seems to be almost a tacit admission that the glory days of Hulkamania were past--a hedging of bets.
  21. PeteF3
    Better action than one might expect, though Tatanka is really only good for short bursts. Good, well-done finish to continue the story of Tatanka having Michaels' number.
  22. PeteF3
    I normally love the rare glimpses of Quiet Hogan, but like those Beefcake interviews there's an air of phoniness permeating this--even considering that this is wrestling we're talking about. I don't know if even the densest mark could buy how exciting the future of Hulkamania was. Hogan's semi-apology is EERILY similar to the shit Ryan Braun was saying after his suspension came down. Especially the mock-surprise "Turns out I'm human" part. It's truly uncanny--if Hogan starts accusing these tabloid terrorists of anti-Semitism, I'm outta here. Hogan wants to be the leader of the '90s, and the "do as I say" part of Hogan is gone. BELIEVE IN HULK HOGAN. I didn't outright turn on Hulk just yet at this point, but as I said...the excitement over seeing him come back simply wasn't there. The shark-jumping moment hasn't arrived, but Fonz Hogan is on the waterskis and off the ramp.
  23. PeteF3
    Lights out, not sanctioned by WCW--truly a Bill Watts show to the end, even weeks after his departure. A great gimmick to make Sting the biggest underdog in the world, having to drag Vader around the ring to win. This is an absolute fucking war, with both guys doing a terrific job of putting this stip over as Vader's "home." Sting hits some big offense but every bit of it feels earned--the build to and execution on the big German suplex is tremendous, and I too loved Sting's koppo kick. That and a whole lot of other stuff is set up beautifully, as spots build on each other and there are callbacks to earlier sequences in the match. Not to mention both guys beat the absolute shit out of each other. This is Sting at his absolute most vicious, in a manner that I don't think we'll ever see again. Honestly, this may eclipse the Regal/Finlay wars for total brutality--I don't know if that blood gushing out of Vader's ear was a blade job or Sting being just that ferocious. MOTY anywhere in the world through the first two months. This was the first WCW PPV I ever ordered and even with Watts gone this show couldn't have been clearer in spelling out the points of difference between it and the WWF. We had two southern tags, a Japan-style cruisers match with a dash of American influence, guys from multiple promotions, a garbage brawl between Cactus and Orndorff, and a brilliantly worked gimmick match all on one show. Pity that Muta and Maxx Payne had to kill the pace or we'd be discussing one of the all-time perfect PPVs.
  24. PeteF3
    Flair is another in a long series of great talkers who didn't translate into great commentary. The closing stetch of this isn't great but it's a bit better than I remembered--my memories were of a terrific show absolutely slowed to a fucking crawl by the deadly combo of Muta and Maxx Payne. Cutting to the finish doesn't make it quite as bad. Muta hits the handspring, very slowly follows up with a backbreaker, then very slowly follows up with a moonsault attempt that misses. A second attempt hits the knees, and Windham implants him with the DDT for the NWA World title. Big heat for the staredown with Windham and Flair afterward--Ric shoots Windham a great, subtle grin and struts away.
  25. PeteF3
    Schiavone is positively frothing at the mouth getting to call a Rock 'n Rolls match again. Another beautiful match, with more great counters and classic southern tags spots in front of a very appreciative audience. The ending picks up with a brilliant sequence where Gibson counters a Bodies double-team, he and Morton try to double-clothesline Prichard who ducks so they nail Lane, Prichard is gloating and pointing to his head, and turns around into the double dropkick. And that's not even the finish, as we get another hot sequence immediately after involving Cornette. This is another standout performance by Lane, who may honestly be at his peak as a worker here, mere months before his retirement. He simply wasn't this consistent in 1990. Great tag and this whole storyline, whatever the plans were, should have continued. These guys fit right into where WCW was at the time.
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