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PeteF3

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Everything posted by PeteF3

  1. PeteF3
    Han makes a great impression right off the bat, hitting a gorgeous takedown into a cross armbreaker. Then a bit that I LOVE where Maeda does the standard defense of grabbing his own hand, so Han simply reaches over and starts pulling on the other elbow, forcing a rope break. An instant sign that Han is simply on another level when it comes to submissions. I didn't think Maeda was doing a whole lot for most of this, but that spin kick was fucking awesome and the crowd let us know about it. I could have bought that as the finish easily, but instead they get tied up on the mat and Maeda wins the duel, which is a better way of keeping Volk looking strong since he lost a battle that could have gone either way instead of getting KTFO'd.
  2. PeteF3
    Man oh man, I don't get all the talk about Rick Rude's obsession with sitting in holds when we've got Doc and Gordy right here. They tend to change up the holds more than Rude but when it comes down to it, there's not much more excitement in seeing Doc or Gordy sit in a toe hold than there is Rude in a chinlock. Kawada can work underneath in holds better than Hansen did, so this match is better in the early going, but it's still not great. It gets a lot better the moment that Doc goes for a football tackle and Kawada levels him with a kick to the face. They re-do the story from earlier in the year where Misawa gets powerbombed on the floor and taken out, but unlike in that match there's a great deal of urgency on all sides when Kawada is down 2-on-1, with near-falls and hope spots and then a twist when Kawada levels Doc with an enzuilariatio and takes *him* out, leaving him 1-on-1 with Gordy. Both partners make returns and a few other hot near-falls follow before Kawada succumbs. Maybe the Steiners really were the ideal MVC opponent, because clearly their best stuff on this Yearbook, singles or tag, has involved throwing bombs at the opponent. Still, I left this match with a more positive impression thanks to the stretch run and to the work of the natives. In a way, even though he did the job this feels like as much of a coming-out party for Kawada as the singles bout with Jumbo did. Of all the members of the two native armies, he clearly seems to be next in line to get a big victory over one of the main Triple Crown contenders.
  3. PeteF3
    Based on last year this match-up had a lot to live up to, and it didn't quite get there. Perfunctory first two falls and more referee bullshit that annoys me--I simply don't like referees as characters unless it's for a specific angle. The third fall is still great, with great countermoves to stuff like Satanico's second attempt at a nudo and Dandy's second attempt at a figure four that leads to his downfall. Dandy also provides an incredible-looking counter that's sort of like a surfboard and an Indian deathlock with Satanico being lifted off the mat even while he's still got a leglock of his own applied to Dandy. It needs to be seen, is what I'm saying. Dandy loses that magnificent, spectacular hair but this rivalry feels like it could continue yet.
  4. PeteF3
    Not nearly as good as the Hansen/Spivey tag title win, but better than the suckfest rematch where the MVCs regained the belts. This still isn't very good, as Doc & Gordy simply aren't compelling when they're in control unless it's in the stretch run. There are other weird moments that take one out of the match, like Hansen & Spivey performing history's worst spike piledriver and various spots where Joe Higuchi has his head up his ass. The close is okay, with Hansen taking Doc out with a DDT onto a table/ramp and then finally catching Gordy with a Lariat. Doc lays out Hansen with a chair afterward and targets the Lariat arm--we'll see if that has any payoff as the tournament continues.
  5. PeteF3
    I agree this was not the direction Hogan's promo needed to go. I'd like to see him take the role of knight in shining armor trying to rescue not just Hulkamania but the WWF as a whole. It would have that Hogan self-aggrandizement but it would properly address all the chaos happening in the company. Instead the two big feuds stay in their own bubbles. Considering how much better the WWF had been at overlapping feuds lately and that Jake and Undertaker are still loosely aligned, that's an oversight. The match is better than Survivor Series with more sustained heat, and is laid out pretty well, but UT still just isn't compelling when he's in control outside of the ropewalking. The rest is just stalking, choking, and gesturing to the urn. There's a comical sequence where both guys get their signals crossed and then Undertaker trips and almost Tommy Youngs himself against the ring ropes. The finish is very out-of-the-box for a WWF Hogan match as Hulk has to cheat just to get Undertaker in position to lose, throwing the urn's ashes into his eyes and rolling him up. A primo camera shot sees Flair hoisting up the fallen Jack Tunney, who gets a view of what the referee doesn't see...
  6. PeteF3
    "Please, I refuse to--Gorilla Monsoon let's get back to--GET OUT OF HERE! Get the hell out of here! I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU." Gene at his best. I could write about this whole setup for awhile, but it's early and I don't think I can do it real justice at this time. This, folks, is as dark and terrifying as professional wrestling gets. That it came during what was still the so-called "family entertainment" era of the WWF makes it even more mind-blowing. Jake is less of a wrestler and more of a horror movie mastermind, and not a Leatherface/Jason the Terrible-type either. He terrorizes Elizabeth and Savage with a bag that wasn't in the corner and didn't actually contain a snake, which gets his point across without violating Tunney's sanctions. He cuts two killer promos only to be topped by Savage who's in one of the most psychotic rages you'll ever see. I don't think any WWF babyface had ever gone through as much hell as Savage has the past few months.
  7. PeteF3
    Flair flirting with Mike McGuirk is so, so Flair. Michaels works very energetically and brings a lot of nice offense, though for Flair vs. a tag wrestler this is a tad one-sided in Michaels' favor. It's a really fun performance, though. More dissension in the Rockers as Jannetty "helps" an unconscious Michaels back into the ring so he can promptly be pinned. Flair gratuitously puts his feet on the ropes, just because.
  8. PeteF3
    That Survivor Series match was some all-time ammo for those who are anti-Monsoon. Inexplicable that Gorilla wouldn't have the finishes clued into him in advance or written down, or that someone wouldn't have screamed into his headset. Dissension in the ranks of the Rockers, but no signs of a heel turn on either one's part--Vince even defends Michaels' actions.
  9. PeteF3
    There's a reversal, but...Flair still gets a 1-2-3 on Hogan. That counts for a lot with me. I did always hate how inconsistent WWF officials were with pointing out screwjobs, just as they were inconsistent with trying to prevent interference. Both guys cut a quick pace and the crowd is pretty electric, but Hogan doesn't exactly bring it in terms of effective offense. The near-fall on Hogan's legdrop was about as perfectly timed as you can get. I give Hulk credit for limping his way all through his posedown.
  10. PeteF3
    Good low-key interview. Sting warns Rude that Rude hasn't seen him at 100% yet. Some nicely done subtle shots at the WWF--Sting knows where Rude came from, but here there's "no goofing off."
  11. PeteF3
    Richard Lee has had the Moondogs dominating "San Juan, Mexico" all the way down to Argentina--and as we all know, the Argentine Tag Titles are a stepping stone to the World Tag Titles. Spot quickly opens Fuller up with a can opener and pretty much completely dominate him before pinning him for the World Tag Titles. Jeff Jarrett attempts to save Fuller afterward and gets busted open himself. Inauspicious debut for Lee but this will certainly be a shot in the arm for the USWA.
  12. PeteF3
    Embry won't put up his Southern title unless Prichard agrees to leave town if he loses. I like this feud but with this going on while Lawler is defending the Unified title against a range of freak shows, it feels like a way for Lawler or Jarrett or someone to cut both guys off.
  13. PeteF3
    Sandman awkwardly cuts a promo under the guise of a California surfer dude. Fantastic.
  14. PeteF3
    Jake is as chilling as usual, expanding on the difference between the snake in the bag and the real dangerous snake. Savage responds and is more intense than even his usual standards. Bearer's falsetto is getting higher and higher and I feel the annoyance factor is going to rise with it. Still another strong promo from these two, who are on quite a hot interview streak of their own.
  15. PeteF3
    So, Missy being the Ugly Dog-Face's manager is supposed to be forgotten history now? This isn't hype for the Clash, it's hype for Luger/Rick rematches which were going around the horn at house shows. One could question the wisdom of booking that match but Sting was occupied, Simmons and Windham were hurt, it'd seem weird to stick Steamboat in there that quickly, and Scott may or may not have been ready for singles main events. Oh, Missy does get around to acknowledging her past managerial stint. All (most) is forgiven. Missy kind of plays her role well but yes, they need to decide if she's a babyface or a heel already.
  16. PeteF3
    Holy shit, it's rare footage of the Gravedigger! Working in Mexico! Aw, fuck, it's just Los Infernales coming out to the same music. This is even more disappointing than Dragon Master not being Dustin Rhodes' partner at the Clash. Dandy has to shoulder the burden for the first two falls, looking as great as he ever did in 1990 and not missing a beat with Satanico. Konnan looks bad and Rayo...I've seen two Rayo matches in my life, the Cien Caras mask match and a match against Steel, and both were really good. This is a chance to finally see why people were so annoyed with him. He shows some fire but Infernales bumping and stooging for his dance moves and phantom punches was just about the height of lameness. However, the rudos and Dandy are so good and the opening brawl so heated that the match holds up into the third fall, when Konnan and Rayo step up their games. Konnan participates in some nice double-teams and even shows some good flying skills, Rayo hits a cool dive, and Dandy and Satanico get a little one-on-one mini-match. Big controversy at the finish as Satanico uppercuts Dandy in the groin and locks in a nudo. One ref wants to call a DQ but the ersatz Gran Davis ref calls a submission. A long quarrel results and it appears the decision is eventually overturned. That can't be the end of things. I mean, it's not like I needed to be sold on another Dandy/Satanico match, but this match did it for even the most ardent skeptic should one exist.
  17. PeteF3
    Misawa's gone from having a busted shoulder to a busted nose to a busted eye. He had one messed-up second half of the year, storyline or not. All four guys cut an incredible pace through this that never drags once, which is very tough to do in a 30-minute RWTL draw. Taue targets Kawada's ribs (a STOMACH CLAW makes an appearance in a '90s All-Japan match, which is all kinds of awesome) while both men work over Misawa's eye in as dickish a manner as possible. It also leads to some great counters like Jumbo eye gouging Misawa to get out of the facelock. One thing that I'd say about 1989-92 All-Japan crowds is that they're very prone to booing tactics that they don't like, like saves and dirty fighting like the eye work. They're not nearly as quick to boo wrestlers themselves--Jumbo can get booed for mercilessly brutalizing Kikuchi but one "OH!" and the crowd is back to responding favorably. Most of their antipathy was reserved for Fuyuki in '89 and Taue in these two years, for whatever reason.
  18. PeteF3
    The only way that can be topped is with a Bob Brown-suke vs. Harley Race poster.
  19. PeteF3
    Barber Shop-era Brutus Beefcake's mullet is as ghastly and ugly as Young's perm is spectacular. He gets my vote for the worst.
  20. PeteF3
    Holy crap, I thought this was INCREDIBLE. Flair psychotically gloats over the fate of all of the Little Hulksters, their parents who are wondering what's going to happen next, takes a shot at Jack Tunney about how the video-distorting is what led to this, and declares that the WWF title will be buried with the corpse of Hulkamania, leaving only the Real World Title. This is the "outsider" Flair I've been wanting to see, a legitimate threat capable of sending an entire company into upheaval--it's Ric at the most evil that he's been on these two Yearbooks. One of the best interviews of the year.
  21. PeteF3
    A true "holy shit" moment, in what we'd soon learn was another Hail Mary pass to sell us on another PPV six days later. I recall the full match being pretty awful but the closing stretch is okay, even if the timing of Flair's interference is off. Heenan goes off on one of his best rants ever. The WWF feels like a promotion that's completely plunged into darkness and chaos, to a degree unseen in a major promotion and wouldn't be seen again until the rise of the NWO.
  22. PeteF3
    "You're trying to cast me as the Original Sinner. Well, I spoke to God this morning, and He said He doesn't like YOU." Jake really is incredible. That line is pilfered from Ozzy Osbourne but Roberts was a master at swiping lyrics or lines of poetry and incorporating them organically into promos, providing twisted logic for why he does what he does. Savage has been reinstated so he can get a match at Jake...Tuesday in Texas, in what was truly a bullshit bait-and-switch tactic.
  23. PeteF3
    As well-done as the set is, the Barber Shop is such a horrible environment to try to perform a serious (so to speak) wrestling interview. That said, I think this is the best Bearer & Undertaker promo yet.
  24. PeteF3
    I don't get why the WWF needed Repo Man *and* IRS characters at the same time. We do get Repo's catchphrase that I've always loved. "What's mine is mine...and what's yours is mine, too!" I doubt there's a single good Repo match in existence but Darsow can't be accused of not getting into the gimmick.
  25. PeteF3
    And the Dangerous Alliance is fully formed. A clever touch to have Arn & Zbyszko join the group because they sought legal advice in the wake of their controversial tag title loss. To get back at WCW for swapping out Windham for Steamboat on the Enforcers, "BattleStars '91" will see the Dangerous Alliance do a switch of their own: Zbyszko is out of the tag title match, tag specialist Bobby Eaton is in. Rhodes and Steamboat are not impressed. A brawl is teased, but the babyfaces walk away without incident. There had to be more full-team DA interviews, right? There's the "Paulie Awards" angle and a promo that saw Paul E. introduce everyone before screaming last rites in Latin that I remember, that I could have sworn had all the members involved.
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