elliott

I ranked Espanto Jr 88th in 2016 and I feel ok with that. I agree with the sentiment in this thread that there's not really enough footage to get as clear a picture as you'd like, but what we have he looks amazing. I don't agree that he's a better Santo opponent than Negro Casas...but I wouldn't like go crazy arguing it. Not many people (anybody?) had a 2nd best rivalry with matches as good as Espanto Jr. I want to dig my teeth in more to see as much out there as I can. Based on what I've seen I feel better including him than leaving him off.

The important takeaway isn't that Kansai isn't as good as Jaguar Yokota or Akira Hokuto. The important takeaway is that Dynamite Kansai was a fucking awesome wrestler.

Bull, Jaguar, Devil, Dump & Chigusa. I'd put Kandori & Ozaki below them and above Kansai. But it is hardly a criticism to not be as great as those wrestlers. And the fact is when she worked with Aja or Ozaki, Kansai doesn't look outclassed. Because she was awesome.

I ranked Dynamite Kansai 91st in 2016 and I feel pretty good about that .One of the things I learned from the 2016 project is that there are a ton of great wrestlers and ranking someone 63rd or 85th is actually a great compliment. There are 100s of wrestlers I don't have a problem calling great. So Kansai landing 91st is something I'm happy with and could see doing again. She's a fantastic performer in tag matches and has some terrific singles matches to her name, especially against Aja, Ozaki, & Toyota. I haven't loved her post peak as much, but I haven't dug in as deeply as I would like to. At her peak though she was one of the standout performers during one of the most loaded eras for high end wrestling in history. She's hurt by the fact that her direct peers are people like Akira Hokuto, Bull Nakano and Aja Kong and so she was never going to be able to breakthrough as the best Joshi performer of her generation. BUt she was awesome and worthy of being in the top 100.

I ranked Daisuke Ikeda 90th and I blew it with that one. I've never liked him as much as Ishikawa, Otsuka or Greco, but he still belongs in the top 50.

I ranked Atsushi Onita 89th and I blew it with that one too (I'm sensing a pattern). I love his sort of big spectacle driven wrestling. I really appreciate the drama of his insane death matches, but I enjoy the just straight up brawls even more. The Aoyagi series, the WAR tag match, the great 1990 Pogo match, the April 1990 tag match, shit the Concession stand brawl in Tupelo. I like the bit of his pre-injury AJPW work I've seen as well and would welcome recommendations from that era if anything new has popped up in the last 5 years. About the only time I don't enjoy Onita is when Mr Pogo is carving him up with the sickle.

I'd 2nd the call for 2000s recommendations, but I can point you to a few: vs Necro Butcher 8/17/08 IWA-MS vs Sami Callihan 9/27/08 IWA-MS vs CW Anderson 8/8/10 TNA vs ACH 2/2/13 I don't agree that Scorpio was the best in the world in 1996, but at the same time I don't think he's an unreasonable pick in one of the most top heavy years in history. I would also direct any skeptics to the 5/1/96 Shane Douglas match that is shockingly great considering its a Shane Douglas match.

Post 2005. Looking at cagematch there's lots of like 10-20+ minute long matches against a bunch of folks I've never heard of. Just pulling from 2013 from Wrestle New Classic, a promotion I've never heard of theres stuff against people I've never heard of like Yo-Hey, Koji Doi, Akira Shinose. His last 15 years is prolific from the looks of it so I'll take any and all recs. I could be swayed that he's actually like a top 50 guy.

I ranked Tajiri 92nd in 2016 and I'd be really surprised if he made it again. Looking at the 2016 results, Tajiri was 81st and I have to believe that's not gonna happen again, right? He's really consistent and dynamic but I don't think he hits the peaks I need to make a top 100. I'd welcome recommendations on post-WWE stuff though, because I'm definitely a fan of the guy.

I ranked Takada 94th in 2016. I agree with Loss in that I think the tide turned too strongly against Takada. I don't think he's a top 20 performer or anything like that, but I don't feel bad about ranking him 94th. He's not the mat wrestler that Tamura or Fujiwara is, but he's great in big huge spectacles and I love big huge spectacles. Matches against Vader, Hashimoto, Tenryu, Maeda, Fujiwara, Backlund, Albright, Hase, Yamazaki. Takada has more than enough output that I think he's a worthy contender for the list, but I don't consider him a lock. Might fall off but might stay on.

I ranked Fuerza Guerrera 95th in 2016 and I completely blew it with that one. Fuerza is one of those people where I want to watch literally everything thats made tape. The famous Octagon match is one of the best matches I've ever seen. But beyond that he's just endlessly entertaining. Perhaps my tune will change on a proper deep dive, but his schtick has always really connected for me and even when he's the 4th or 5th most important guy in a trios match, he tends to stand out.

I ranked Mocho Cota 93rd in 2016. And I blew it with that one. I always kind of positioned myself more in the middle of the peak vs longevity argument, but I've really come to value peak. And at his best, few people were more interesting than Mocho Cota. Definitely need to see more of his 90s stuff, but I feel like if he doesn't make it its more a failure on me than it is on him hahahaha.

^ Thank you @BohsJohnny for this recommendation. I really liked this match. Its going along at first and they're having just a really nice little match and then about midway Fuchi hits that first low dropkick to the knee and then takes Misawa down to the torture chamber and stretches the fuck out of him. Terrific job selling the leg from Misawa who keeps it up through his comeback. Just an excellent match I'd recommend to anyone to watch if they want to check out Fuchi.

Bill Eadie too!

Its a shame we never got a proper WWF 80s set. It likely would've put to bed the myth that there wasn't good wrestling in 80s WWF. I've seen too many good matches with Hogan, Piper, Orton, Orndorff, Savage, Steamboat, Valentine, Tito, Slaughter, Bret, Garvin, the Rockers etc to go along with that line of thinking. We can point to matches like Rude vs Warrior or Bret vs Davey of guys in WWF carrying less than ideal opponents to memorable all time matches. Ted never did while he was there. But he was good. Its ok to be good like Ted was. No one is saying he's bad. We're just also not saying he's one of the 100 best wrestlers ever. But anyway, this is more thinking about Dibaise than I wanted to do.

Windham is way better than DIbiase. After 2016 there's some wrestlers that I've just sort of closed the book on and one of them is Ted. There's nothing wrong with Ted. He's very good overall and in a variety of settings. He's hampered by the fact that a lot of us first approached Ted with the idea that he was a super worker. He's always had that reputation. And the footage to really show that just never solidified in a satisfying way. He's good but he was never the top 10 guy in the world he was promoted as. Compare 1985 Ted Dibiase to 1985 Chigusa Nagayo or 1984 Satanico or 1983 Jerry Lawler or 1986 RIcky Morton and its just mean spirited. Compare him to Windham who has the reputation of a guy who never lived up to his potential and Windham is just a much better all around performer in the ring. Ted is polished and a 2nd generation star and so people tend to call him a natural, but I'm not sure that's true. Perhaps as an athlete and in terms of his execution but I never got the sense that he was a real deep thinker as a performer. He was going to execute his moves well and do all the things hes supposed to do, but he was never going to go outside the box or greatly exceed expectations. I dunno if I can't really put it into words. I guess it really comes down to it I feel like I'm more likely to be disappointed by a Dibiase match or performance than really blown away by it.

I ranked Bobby Heenan 96th in 2016 and I blew it with that one. I haven't figured out how high I'm going to go with Heenan on my list, but I don't think top 10 is out of the question for me. He might not have the great matches that Kenta Kobashi has, but Bobby Heenan had a complete understanding of pro-wrestling and performed it at the highest level just like Kenta Kobashi. It just looks a little different. Like Kobashi, Bobby Heenan was the star of every single match he was in. He would work his ass off and put his opponent over completely in every match and make everyone look like a million bucks, but you can't come away from a Kenta Kobashi match thinking anyone's the star other than him. The same rule applies to Bobby Heenan. Whether he's in the ring bumping around like a complete maniac or outside on the ring apron jawing with the fans, Bobby Heenan commands your complete attention at all times. He could be in there with Hulk Hogan and Nick BOckwinkel and the guy you can't take your eyes off is Heenan. He was a master at working the crowd like few others. And he combines that understanding with truly breathtaking spurts of athletic ability. He has that Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu, Randy Savage, Akira Maeda, Rock sort of charisma where everything he touches feels bigger and more special simply because he's part of it. Heenan was the best. Put any Heenan match in front of me and I'll watch it.

I ranked Dibiase 97th in 2016. I like him in bloody brawls in Mid South, but I can't see him staying on my list. I've watched too much stuff since then that I like way more. I don't think his run as a top worker is long enough nor does he burn bright enough to make it. The Million Dollar Man years might be above average in ring, but I don't see it as the building block or a strong supplement to a clear top 100 career. I'm not sure he was one of the 50 best wrestlers of his generation.

I just watched a match against Masa Chono from 9/2/00 and it is very good and an excellent Fuchi performance specifically. Whether its his offense or his selling, Fuchi really over delivers. I probably enjoy Chono more than most, but its not like he's a great opponent for anybody by this point. Fuchi really does a great job of making it an interesting match.

The no rope submission match against Kylie Rae is a spectacular must see match. I have never watched Mercedes before but I really liked the little bit I saw today and definitely want to watch a whole lot more.

In 2016 I ranked Fuchi 98th. Fuchi is someone I've always liked and thought was great but always felt like I needed to see more of him. He's awesome in those early 90s Jumbo & Co vs Misawa & Co matches and made it on the strength of that and the few matches that made the 80s set. In those 90s matches he's everything I could want out of an angry veteran motherfucker of a wrestler. I don't have as clear a picture in my head of his 80s stuff and would want to revisit it. HIs 90s run is hurt by AJPW's lack of interest in its midcard. Fuchi had a style that seems like he couldve done forever. I would love recommendations outside of the famous tags & 6 men matches and the one Kikuchi match from the 90s (excluding that one 12/00 tag taht everyone knows about already).

I had him at #99 in 2016 and totally blew it with that one. I knew he belonged on, I just didn't make the time to watch enough. There aren't many people better than Carl Greco.

I'm going to blatantly rip off @dkookypunk43's idea here https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/52775-danny-kuchler-2016-list-re-evaluation-paragraph-wrestlers-to-watch-for-2021-2026/ but I'm gonna do it in the threads for each specific wrestler. I ranked Mad Dog #100 in 2016 as a nod to a favorite. I first really watched him in 80s AWA and really dug him as the old man ass kicker in these huge spectacles. He's washed up, but insanely charismatic and knows how to fight. As a famous tough guy, Mad Dog was able to play the veteran enforcer role but as an aging veteran he was able to garner sympathy as well. I really liked him in the 80s and wanted to see more and fortunately someone made that super easy. As someone who was trading tapes as a teenager back in the late 90s/early 00s, I've watched a ton of wrestler compilations over the last 25 years and the single greatest one by far I've ever seen is @khawk20's Mad Dog Vachon set. It is a masterpiece that is closer to a Ken Burns Documentary with matches interspersed throughout than merely a Best of Wrestler X set. Mad Dog didn't just have a few great matches in the 80s. He is one of the most unique characters and interesting people in the history of the business. He's hampered by lack of footage from his athletic prime, but I could easily see myself finding a spot for him again even if its #100 again. Check out: Mad Dog & Baron Von Raschke vs Crusher Blackwell & Sheik Adnan Kaissey (Taped Fist Match 3/13/83) Mad Dog Vachon & Verne Gagne vs Crusher Blackwell & Sheik Adnan Kaissey (AWA - 4/24/83) Mad Dog Vachon vs Jerry Blackwell (Algerian Death Match - AWA - 5/22/1983)

I ranked Chris Adams 77th in 2016 and feel great about that. Adams will probably end up my lowest ranked guy who I still see as a complete lock for my list. By that I mean I can't imagine putting him in the top 50, but I also wouldn't feel good about a top 100 without him. He has plenty of good - very good - great match we can point to either as a face or a heel, a youngster or a veteran, in singles matches or in tag matches, brawls or technical matches . So he has the matches, the versatility and the in ring ability over a decent stretch of time that you want to see out of a top 100 candidate. He really stood out in the US territories as a dynamic offensive wrestler. He was doing topes regularly in the mid 80s when no one was doing that. Greatest super kick ever. So hes got little things like that push him over the top. He finished 213th last time around. If he can stay in that top 200 +/- 15 range I'd be happy with that. Anyone not super familiar with him I'd encourage to give him a shot. Check him out against Terry Taylor, Terry Gordy, Buddy ROse, Steve Austin, Jimmy Garvin, Buzz Sawyer, the Von Erichs, Flair, Gino Hernandez, Jake Roberts.

Jaggers is someone who really opened my eyes when I watched the Puerto Rico set. He looks like a really good all around worker who knew how to work heel schtick comedy and could bring the brutal offense when it was time to take over. His candidacy is hurt by lack of opportunity in more glamorous territories, but he strikes me as someone worth investigating. He might not be a top 100 candidate, but just a really good forgotten wrestler.