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PeteF3

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  1. PeteF3
    Incorporating current events in wrestling can oftentimes be a disaster (see: Slaughter, Sergeant). But Cornette always did a great job of it, whether making references in promos or recreating events with angles. Reminders that there's a real world outside of wrestling are a good thing, when done well. Caudle's "What'll happen to me if Jesse sees this?" reactions anytime Cornette or Daryl Van Horn went over the line in a promo are always gold.
  2. PeteF3
    Lee is in tears backstage over the wound in Spot's head, so "SIC 'EM!" Two more guys are beaten to a bloody pulp.
  3. PeteF3
    Flair and Perfect are seething mad. Flair warns Savage that he knows something that Savage doesn't. Intrigue! Savage challenges Flair to say what he means instead of holding back on what he knows. Sid lays out some arguments regarding Hogan's jealousy of him, and they're pretty hard to argue with. Very good promo from Sid. So, wait, it was TUNNEY'S decision that Hogan had to come out of the WWF title match? That's kind of bullshit--I had always thought that Hogan had demanded a match with Sid after the events of SNME. Hogan cuts a whiny promo on Tunney and then tells Sid he couldn't lace up his boots. Way to put your opponent over, Hulk. Three good promos and a subpar performance from Hogan. Hogan has done lots of good work on these Yearbooks, and some bad--but I'm getting to the point where I'm not going to miss him once the WWF goes Hulk-less for the rest of the year.
  4. PeteF3
    Another point of difference between Hogan and the Warrior, as if this talking point needed repeating. No other major WWF babyface could have pulled this commercial off until Austin and the Rock came around.
  5. PeteF3
    The presence of the camera makes little sense and yes, it's definitely a very late-'90s segment. It was still fun though, thanks to Gilbert's subterfuge and Horowitz's excuse-making. Craig Johnson gallantly tries to explain that no one was able to get in touch with Beard between the weigh-in and the match. Match isn't on the level of the Lynn/Kid stuff but Horowitz is so good at the basics and has just enough high-end offense to enhance that, so we get a nice solid match. Horowitz is in the unusual role of dominating bully after Lynn misses a second-rope dropkick and takes a nasty bump right onto Horowitz's knees, which probably wasn't pleasant for either guy. Horowitz attempts to use brass knucks but can't keep Lynn down with them, leading to a sunset flip and Lynn victory.
  6. PeteF3
    There's a big rudo ref storyline encompassing this match. I bitched about some of the Gran Davis stuff earlier and I don't know if this led anywhere, but at least the heel ref here was consistent. He gives an incredibly slow count when Selvaje is pinned to end the first fall, and both submissions come across as Montreal finishes judging by the reactions of Sevilla and Norman Smiley. Plus he was constantly cutting Sevilla off whenever he was throwing a punch or trying to work over Salvaje in the corner. For two guys I don't really have any emotional connection to, the third fall was certainly full of drama, with some stupefying bumps to the floor and dives from Sevilla that were practically out of the overhead lights. I was a little torn on Sevilla's conduct...I mean, there was no doubt the referee was against him but at times he still comes off as a whiner. Sevilla loses his hair but absolutely nothing appears settled. This turned into a fine match, but I do hope this leads to a rematch that's wrestled straight-up.
  7. PeteF3
    This had a sllllooow start that had me ready to tune out, highlighted mainly by Hase delivering some really stiff shots to Armstrong. Right when the natives do the AJPW "knee drop onto the table" spot on Armstrong, this picks up in a hurry. The idea of Muto and Hase working as heels with Brad as sympathetic babyface in Japan and Norton acting all sportsmanlike in not making the save seems completely back-asswards and counterintuitive, but they make it work and Brad actually gets the crowd completely behind him. Great turning point as Hase gets all dizzy after doing the giant swing, and Norton finally asserts himself on the outside by leveling him with a clothesline to set up the hot tag. Norton as babyface house afire works just as surprisingly as everything else, and we get some great double-teams before the rather inevitable finish. Full credit to all these guys for digging themselves out of what was shaping up to be a disappointment.
  8. PeteF3
    Great match, probably the best in this particular series and a shade better than Liger/Honaga from a few days earlier. The ribs play another role in this bout--less of a focus than the Honaga match, but enough to give Benoit something to focus on and to heel it up a bit as well, as the crowd is not appreciative of his mode of offensive attack. Liger weathers Benoit's big moves and has to resort to a flash pin victory, and Benoit trashes him after the match just because. MOTYC to this point, though Jumbo/Kawada is still sitting at #1.
  9. PeteF3
    At the time, I hated Piper on commentary, at least once he became a typical babyface asskisser--the feisty Piper at SummerSlam '90 I enjoyed a great deal. As a worker, he was better than I remembered, though he wasn't working a full schedule and that probably was a factor. His strikes weren't that good-looking but his matches were full of energy with almost no downtime. His MSG match with Perfect was the best WWF match of 1990, and it wasn't a fluke because they had a killer match at a house show I saw at around the same time. I won't call myself a big Piper fan, but up until his 1992 departure he generally added to any segment he was in as an interview or a worker.
  10. PeteF3

    1997 Hype

    PeteF3 replied to Loss's topic in Pro Wrestling

    Hogan/Earthquake is like half as long and 1990 WWF was not a strong-quality year.
  11. PeteF3

    1997 Hype

    PeteF3 replied to Loss's topic in Pro Wrestling

    Their One Night Only match will be on, right? Doesn't it kind of have to be? Honestly, I don't see any reason to include that and the full SummerSlam match, which is really, really long when you throw in entrances and the post-match (I think about 40 minutes total). The SummerSlam ending would be just fine. Comparing the two matches in full would be an interesting exercise but it's probably one to save for those who really want to do it. With such a loaded year it's a cut that can be easily made.
  12. PeteF3
    Not a MOTYC or anything but it says a lot for the WCW in-ring product that a match can be this good and heated and still not really stand out in the face of what else is on TV and PPV for this company. And hey, it's a high-quality 6-man with nary a Dangerous Alliance member in sight. The WCW roster has some depth again.
  13. PeteF3
    Arn with a sterling promo, what else is new.
  14. PeteF3
    Savage and Jake haven't lost their November magic, in terms of promos or work. This is a much, much better match than I remember, with a great climax of Savage eating a DDT but managing to come back for the victory. Jake crawls away from ringside afterward and is seen lurking behind the curtain as we fade out...
  15. PeteF3
    Sid cuts an awesomely insincere "apology" and puts on a fake plastic smile all throughout. Mooney cuts Sid off during the pre-match promo and Sid shakes his head and walks off. Hogan doesn't just come off as an egomaniac, he comes off as a complete idiot--of Sting-esque proportions. Hogan has Brutus Beefcake has a "special surprise" because God only knows the depths of Hogan's insecurity. The idea that Sid was in the wrong for eliminating Hogan "from behind" is one of the dumbest angle set-ups the WWF of this time period ever did. It may ask for more fan stupidity than the Slaughter babyface turn did. Vince's insistence that Hogan and Sid are now getting along also comes across as phony and desperate. Sid performed his role quite well, but this whole presentation was off. When Hogan drew boos at the Rumble and at subsequent live events, the WWF tried to double down and force-feed us the planned storyline. I know modern-day WWE draws similar criticisms but I think this is an area that they're far, far better at today. The match itself is better than I would have thought. Even the Beefcake save afterward is well-done.
  16. PeteF3
    Jarrett's a little better on the stick this week, making a comparison of Richard Lee to Edwin Rommel which has to be a first in wrestling history. Lawler is still miles ahead of him, though. Lee quickly brings the Moondogs out and the brawl is on. Just as Jarrett and Lawler are making their own save, the Big Black Dog with his big black plumber's crack makes his appearance and the babyfaces are left laying. A great interview setting up a great brawl, but man, this the most torn clothing-centered booking in the history of the business.
  17. PeteF3
    The USWA is attempting to recreate the sleazy magic of the DWG/Tessa feud. CJ isn't anywhere near as good, or good-looking, as either of the other two ladies but the work between Embry and Anthony is very strong.
  18. PeteF3
    I'm not sure that even Mid-South Koko was allowed to cut loose like this. He's still shaky at times but I do like this new side of him.
  19. PeteF3
    Flair keeps looking in the casket and I keep expecting the Undertaker to pop out, but it's just Flair and Perfect here.
  20. PeteF3
    There are some interesting perspectives here, with the majority of these '92 comments coming before anyone has seen the 1990 Yearbook. It's most pronounced in the Lightning Kid multi-man match for the UWF, where that was most people's first chronological glimpse of the Kid, unaware of the greatness of his PWA work. And it's seen here. This was very good with an incredible selling performance by Liger (actually a lot of it isn't really selling--the injured ribs that are the focus of the match were a legit injury). Honaga was almost a novelty for Loss and the others here but now I've seen him a bunch. So, I thought the '90 and '91 matches these two had smoked this. Still this was a very WCW television-style bout with intense, methodical focus on body part work and Liger making a babyface comeback to win. That's a compliment, since it's a fun contrast to the 2.9 bomb-fests that a lot of the big Japan matches were at the time. But it didn't keep me guessing the way the earlier matches did, where Honaga kept finding ways to steal victories--here, the great sympathy selling from Liger seemed almost designed to set up his big comeback instead of setting up a scenario where Honaga could pull off yet another shocker.
  21. PeteF3
    Ross was pretty plug-happy but I think this is relatively mild compared to some of his other calls (Submit or Surrender was the absolute fucking worst just because it came during a great match with two guys killing each other). Actually I thought his hotline plug was kinda clever. This has a great beginning with Steamboat going all-out and Austin doing a great job of keeping pace. Austin continues to improve--however, his offense is still pretty skimpy except for his great clothesline, which looks good and doubles as an excellent transition move. They don't do a really great job of building to the time limit but it's another solid TV match. The subtle build to the Rude/Steamboat full-blown war continues to be very good, one of the better long-term set-ups WCW has pulled off in awhile.
  22. PeteF3

    General thoughts on 1991

    PeteF3 replied to Loss's topic in 1991

    Little late follow-up but recorded for posterity... WWF Match of the Year: 1. Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage (3/24/91) 2. Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter (Desert Storm Match, 6/3/91) 3. The Rockers vs. The Orient Express (1/19/91) 4. Ted DiBiase vs. Virgil (8/26/91) 5. Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair (10/28/91) WCW Match of the Year: 1. Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Submit or Surrender, 11/23/91) 2. WarGames (2/24/91) 3. Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes vs. The Enforcers (11/19/91) 4. Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (12/27/91) 5. Lex Luger vs. Dan Spivey (2/24/91) AJPW Match of the Year: 1. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi vs. Jumbo/Taue/Fuchi (4/20/91) 2. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue (1/15/91) 3. Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue (9/4/91) 4. Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen (9/4/91) 5. Misawa/Kawada/Kikuchi vs. Jumbo/Taue/Fuchi (10/15/91) 6. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Toshiaki Kawada (10/24/91) 7. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (4/18/91) 8. Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue (11/29/91) 9. Steve Williams/Terry Gordy vs. Stan Hansen/Dan Spivey (4/18/91) 10. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue (4/18/91) NJPW Match of the Year: 1. Masahiro Chono vs. Keiji Muto (8/11/91) 2. Masahiro Chono vs. Shinya Hashimoto (8/11/91) 3. Keiji Muto vs. Big Van Vader (8/10/91) 4. Keiji Muto/Hiroshi Hase vs. Rick Steiner/Scott Norton (11/5/91) 5. Jushin Liger vs. Norio Honaga (5/31/91) 6. Hiroshi Hase/Kensuke Sasaki vs. The Steiner Brothers (3/21/91) 7. Hiroshi Hase/Kensuke Sasaki vs. The Steiner Brothers (5/31/91) 8. Jushin Liger vs. Norio Honaga (4/30/91) 9. Keiji Muto/Masahiro Chono vs. Hiroshi Hase/Kensuke Sasaki (7/4/91) 10. Jushin Liger vs. Hiroshi Hase (5/6/91) Lucha Match of the Year: 1. Trio Fantasia vs. Los Thundercats (12/8/91) 2. El Hijo del Santo vs. Brazo de Oro (1/13/91) 3. El Hijo del Santo/Black Shadow, Jr. vs. Octagon/Fuerza Guerrera (revelos atomicos, 12/15/91) 4. El Dandy vs. El Satanico (hair vs. hair, 12/6/91) 5. El Dandy/Apolo Dantes/Black Magic vs. Blue Panther/Javier Cruz/Pierroth, Jr. (8/16/91) 6. Atlantis vs. Blue Panther (8/9/91) 7. Octagon vs. Fuerza Guerrera (11/1/91) 8. Konnan/El Dandy/Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. vs. El Satanico/MS-1/Pirata Morgan (11/29/91) 9. El Satanico/MS-1/Pirata Morgan vs. Los Brazos (11/22/91) 10. Pirata Morgan/Emilio Charles, Jr./MS-1 vs. Los Brazos (WWA 1991) Joshi Match of the Year: 1. The Scorpion vs. Cutie Suzuki (8/30/91) 2. Manami Toyota/Esther Moreno vs. Aja Kong/Bison Kimura (4/29/91) 3. Devil Masami vs. Itsuki Yamazaki (8/30/91) 4. Bull Nakano vs. Kyoko Inoue (9/7/91) 5. Manami Toyota vs. Akira Hokuto (1/11/91) 6. Akira Hokuto vs. Bull Nakano (1/4/91) 7. The Scorpion vs. Cutie Suzuki (10/10/91) 8. Manami Toyota vs. Toshiyo Yamada (9/7/91) 9. Dynamite Kansai vs. Harley Saito (11/2/91) 10. Bull Nakano/Akira Hokuto vs. Aja Kong/Bison Kimura (12/9/91) Shootstyle Match of the Year: 1. Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Masahito Kakihara (5/10/91) 2. Naoki Sano vs. Masakatsu Funaki (3/30/91) 3. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Wellington Wilkins, Jr. (5/19/91) 4. Naoki Sano vs. Minoru Suzuki (7/26/91) 5. Akira Maeda vs. Volk Han (12/7/91) Japan Indy Match of the Year: 1. Iceman/Akitoshi Saito vs. Mr. Pogo/TNT (cage match, 9/12/91) 2. Hulk Hogan/Genichiro Tenryu vs. The Road Warriors (3/30/91) 3. Hulk Hogan vs. Genichiro Tenryu (12/12/91) 4. Atsushi Onita vs. Tarzan Goto (2/26/91) 5. Atsushi Onita vs. Tarzan Goto (barbed wire cage bomb death match, 9/23/91) 6. Perro Aguayo/Villano I/III/IV vs. Los Brazos (3/9/91) 7. Genichiro Tenryu/Ricky Fuyuki vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu/Shinichi Nakano (6/26/91) 8. Robin Hood/Los Ninja Turtles vs. Feliciano/Shu el Guerrero/Texano/Black Terry/Ricky Boy (9/12/91) 9. Yoshihiro Asai vs. Bestia Salvaje (10/29/91) 10. Headhunter B/Danny Davis vs. Headhunter A/Dr. Tom Prichard (9/7/91) WWF Angle of the Year: 1. Jake Roberts DDTs Randy Savage three times and punches Elizabeth 2. Jake Roberts sics a king cobra on Randy Savage 3. The Undertaker locks the Ultimate Warrior in the casket WCW Angle of the Year: 1. Paul E. Dangerously brings in Ravishing Rick Rude as the inaugural member of the Dangerous Alliance 2. Cactus Jack comes out of a gift box to lay out Sting 3. Sting knee injury and U.S. title loss to Rick Rude USWA Angle of the Year: 1. Eddie Gilbert returns after the Lawler/Jarrett vs. Fabulous Ones match 2. Eric Embry assaults Michael St. John and Eddie Marlin 3. The Fabulous Ones split with Jim Cornette due to the presence of Jackie Fargo
  23. PeteF3
    Good match but mostly carried by Chono and Hase. Hase looked great, Chono looked quite good, Koshinaka and Fujinami ranged from mediocre to good in spots. Interesting story towards the end where Koshinaka seems to be attempting to call Fujinami in to make saves and Fujinami not doing it, despite Chono and Hase making saves for each other. Finally as Kosh is locked in the STF, Fujinami comes in, but Hase is in his way and Shiro has to tap. Camera focuses on Fujinami afterward. Is this what leads to Shiro forming the Skinheads?
  24. PeteF3
    Definite lucha MOTY (since Santo/Casas gets an incomplete) to this point. Another match I'd point to as being really accessible to lucha novices--the matwork is unique but also carries an air of legitimacy to it, and it's all very focused and body part-oriented on Caras' part, with Canek doing a fine job of selling the leg/knee throughout the contest. Also a very "big match" feel with the UWA title at stake between two legends. That adds weight to all the double-fall teases, but they go to a real finish anyway. Outstanding bout, one of the 5 best of the (very young) year.
  25. PeteF3
    Cornette shoots on the Big Two, in pretty effective fashion. Prince Kharis is a long, long way away.
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