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tcg91

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Everything posted by tcg91

  1. tcg91
    This was an enjoyable mix of the two Joint Promotion classic schemes: a respectful fight between 2 babyfaces or a rough heel (especially Break or Rocco) dominating the contest; it started as a clean and solid fight, then gaining heat along the way and turning into a snug bout when Rudge was getting frustrated about Singh's success. Singh didn't hold back either and they both got public warnings due to the lack of rules and sportsmanship, a huge contrast compared with the first 2 rounds. I really appreciated the pinfalls sequences, as some UK 80s finishes don't age that well, but it wasn't the case here ***1/2
  2. tcg91
    Pretty decent match with some horrible booking: not only a heel champion should never be the one to tease a countout with (shouldn't he just stay out of the ring and retain it?!), but the finish was very weak and it made both of them look quite bad. It was a shame, because the action itself was fun and Parsons brought a different dynamic to the typical NWA Title matches. Race was mean and violent, but Parsons got put over as a threat and even stopped Race's patented headbutts with some of his own. A bit of fresh air, because usually the von Erichs would be the ones to face the touring champions ***
  3. tcg91
    Very good bout, but the Portland crowd wasn't as loud as they used to be for the big matches, so this didn't feel like a big deal despite being a very important match. Dynamite was at his best at the beginning and Rose made him look great with impressive selling. They attempted to add some drama with the blood, but they kind of gave up at one point, which was a shame. I liked Rose's comeback, even though the last fall was too short for me, and the fact that Dynamite won "luckily, but smartly" like Flair would do, as at least the match got a true finish ***1/2
  4. tcg91
    This was an incredible brawl and such a fascinating bloodbath. MS-1 did prime heel work by blooding Chicana even before the bell rang and just punishing him without mercy, while the tecnico showed plenty of charisma and Ricky Morton level selling. Suddenly, he finally hit one single punch in the second fall and the crowd exploded like they couldn't wait for this to happen. There was such a dramatic spot where Chicana had to dive and risk his neck to get a countout decision, as just a few minutes before he looked doomed. They were both bloodied in the last caida, it was such a great brawl and some of the best exhaustion selling ever was displayed. I never understood the submission finish when no limb work was done at all, but it made sense for MS-1 to pay for trying to copy Chicana's dives ****1/2
  5. tcg91
    A solid and fine bout, but I wasn't mad about this or anything they did. MW2 did a fun dancing spots at the beginning, that looked quite silly, but it was clear that his crowd support wasn't as near the one given to other main eventers in town. Reed also looked a bit clumsy at times, but generally things got better when he was the one attacking MW2. Long chinlock with little heat, but I liked how they used a leg injury towards the end and how that caused the sudden finish **3/4
  6. tcg91
    Another good chapter of the von Erichs vs Freebirds feud, but this kind of paled in comparison with the six men from that July. Really nice control segment of the champions on Kerry and then also Kevin, who was awesome as the angry big brother, but then got isolated as well. The segments with Robert's protective helmets were also funny and made sense. The finish was a bit chaotic and not the best one, even the camera work wasn't done properly ***1/4
  7. tcg91
    Insane crowd reaction for Terry's original retirement match. This was not the best match ever, especially by All Japan standards, but the fans made this so much better. Hansen and Terry were great together, as usual, Terry got colour and sold everything big time. The parts with Dory and Gordy were fine, but the gap with the other pairing was quite noticeable, even though Dory played a good babyface in perils. Terry stole the show, whether he was punching the heels or selling for them. I am usually all for the person that is leaving to lose the bout, but Terry's roll on Gordy felt so good and the fans loved it ****
  8. tcg91
    Pretty good Junior Heavyweight match between 2 very capable and solid workers, surely different from what the division would go through the following decade or even towards the end of the 80s. It almost seemed like a showcase at times, but a satisfying one anyway; Fuchi got to look good and got plenty of offence, especially over the champions' shoulders, while Chavo looked resilient at all times. Very cool nearfall on a german suplex for Chavo, the flashy pinfall was a fine ending to confirm Fuchi's worth and growth within the company ***1/4
  9. tcg91
    Good TV match, but I had memories of this being great and it just wasn't the case. I liked the fact that this was nothing like a Flair formula match, the Naitch had to get his hands dirty and fight against an aggressive race, that was continuously aiming at the challenger's face. Race's headbutts were persistent and he always seemed to have the last word. Good piece of storytelling, as Flair couldn't get the figure four locked no matter what during the match, so Race had his lackeys interfering when Flair actually managed to apply his finisher. This made sense and led to Starrcade, so well done ***1/2
  10. tcg91
    This was a fun brawl. They definitely didn't hold back and, after just a bit of stalling at the beginning (Heenan was great), they started hitting each other in a very stiff way. Bock was always a master on the mat, so it was fun to see him having to compete against Wahoo on a physical standpoint, as he was trying to hit as hard as the challenger. The mayhem outside the ring was fun and realistic too, without going too far, but the lack of consistent selling and the clumsy finish didn't do this justice ***1/4
  11. tcg91
    Pretty great brawl right here. I liked the little touch of starting the match while the poor announcer was still trying to do things normally, as you could feel the hate and tension between the competitors. They managed to entertain and please the crowd with such a simple, but effective, story and the good use of the turnbuckle as a weapon (it wasn't that overdone, at that time). Even the finish was simple but great, the crowded exploded when Duggan knocked DiBiase out with a punch and pinned him. Very fun and easy to follow, with a nice crowd and a bloody slugfest ***1/2
  12. tcg91
    Very fun match, even though the non-finish kind of ruined it, as it was anticlimactic as hell (but the angle couldn't end there). Really great start, with the von Erichs on fire and a very angry Kevin getting a dose of violent revenge on Garvin, who at times had a Ric Flair-like courage that would then turn into fear. Plenty of hate and snugness, which made up for the lack of outstanding drama and for such a rushed third fall. Garvin fit in the von Erichs vs Freebirds war right away ***1/2
  13. tcg91
    A good match, but not the best that von Erichs and Freebirds have ever put together of course. This was very fun at the beginning and during the brothers' shine segment, but the Birds didn't manage to look that strong while dominating the match; maybe it was the lack of consistency or maybe just because this felt a bit rushed. Hayes caught a lot of heat, as usual, but the champions never felt in danger during the middle part. Fun and chaotic finishing stretch, with a creative little finish for the title change ***
  14. tcg91
    This was another little gem between these two. I liked the fact that they started this match in a different way, focusing on the arms, but then Choshu moved to the legs once again, as he started struggling; but, this time Fujinami was the one to imitate him and got a better leverage on the mat. They fought outside the ring, getting a bit of colour and lariatting each other hard, adding a ton of drama to the last 5 minutes of the match. Fujinami kept mastering the opponent's strategy and hit bombs on him on the floor, getting the title back by countout when he managed to return to the ring despite his bad leg ***3/4
  15. tcg91
    I didn't love this, but it was very fun nonetheless. No-nonsense approach, they brawled the whole time and, as this lasted less than 10 minutes, the action was very enjoyable throughout. Good crowd and they really never went too far with exaggerated spots or bumps, even when using weapons. The simplicity of this was outstanding, but the same basicness gave it a low ceiling to my eyes, plus some chair shots looked very weak with today's eyes. I might be meaner than I want to with the rating, because I did enjoy it actually ***1/2
  16. tcg91
    This was a very good match, enhanced by a good crowd, it seemed like the von Erichs could do no wrong in Texas. The stipulation helped the flow of the match, Kevin took charge and was very persistent with his bodyscissors. However, Garvin showed good ring presence and knew how to catch heat with his attitude, also indulging in limb work against the champion. The finish was dirty, but it kind of made sense, even though Kevin was a bit silly in wasting time on Sunshine; still, it didn't look like a total farce and Garvin, despite his cheap tactics, still looked like he could kind of hang with Kevin ***1/2
  17. tcg91
    This was a good match, even though you could smell the non-finish from a mile away and this kind of ruined it (including the comical ref bump). Solid bout, anyway, Bock never took a day off and his armwork was sweet (even though Jumbo forgot about it at times). I liked Jumbo's fire later in the match, when he wanted revenge from Bock trying to piledrive him on the floor and showed the best side of himself. Again, the Dusty finish wasn't that great, but this was a good title match thanks to Bock's presence and made fun by Jumbo's "limb revenge" in the last 10 minutes ***1/4
  18. tcg91
    Slightly clipped, as the first couple of minutes were missing. This was a blast, we got two of the best ever in a mat wrestling showdown, both working on the other man's leg. It felt more like an exhibition, as they seemed to go through the motions at times, but everything was good and crisp to be fair. It's just a shame that this never became a slugfest or a more snug bout, because they could have put on a classic with a bit of drama. Funk was so good I can't tell if he was a better seller or a better controller. Typical political non-finish, but it wasn't that bad this time ***1/2
  19. tcg91
    A nice match and the crowd was very good in here too. After the fun shine segment, the formula was easy to follow, as the Briscos stretched the youngsters and got heat in the process. Youngblood was mostly good in his selling, but Steamboat was the star of the match: great ring presence, even on the apron while he was cheering for his partner, and a lot of energy when he finally got the hot tag. I wasn't a big fan of the finishing stretch, it felt quite flat due to the lack of drama, even the finish was weak (not the idea, but the execution) ***1/4
  20. tcg91
    This was a great match and a perfect way to build the feud towards the famous Dog Collar Match. Just like he did in Portland, Piper proved that he could be a great babyface and this was an amazing slugfest. Lots of blood, which definitely suited this match, especially towards the end. Valentine was bigger and furious, his attacks on Piper's ear were incredible and tough to watch at times, but they triggered the incredible comeback by Piper. Great punches and I am afraid Vince booked him against Mr. T after watching this, the choke finish was also so credible and a very nice piece of story telling ***3/4
  21. tcg91
    Slightly JIP, 5 minutes or so are missing. This was a good match, but not the easiest one to follow due to bad visibility during the frequent ringside confrontations (the announcer talked non-stop at one point). Good brawl, Wanz was very over and Slaughter knew how to irritate the fans. We got an abundant amount of stalling, but it led to Slaughter gaining control of the bout and things got only better at that point. Wanz looked like superman, bloody and tired, but still able to make his powerful comeback. Not the best finish, but at least it was clean and the crowd loved the result ***1/2
  22. tcg91
    Another good match between them, but it wasn't their best stuff so far. Tight limb work, they both targeted each other's leg, as Fujinami was the better man on the mat, but Choshu wouldn't admit it at all. Fujinami then fought from underneath, which suited him very well, despite the crowd being more on the champion's side. They picked this up in the story, as Fujinami became more frustrated and aggressive as he couldn't submit Choshu. Hot finishing sequence and, again, good finish because Fujinami refused to break a hold due to his aggression. Solid action and good storyline progression here ***1/4
  23. tcg91
    Amazing match and one of the hottest crowds ever, not just in Texas or the 80s alone. The reason I didn't go higher is because the falls mechanic kind of disrupted the momentum at times (a referee promo? really?), but everything they did ruled; this is textbook ring presence and awareness of their own characters. This got very dramatic when the brothers were losing 1-0 and all the hot tags were cut by the Birds, both David and then Kerry got isolated and the blind tag also added to the tension, until finally Kevin got to become the legal man and all hell broke loose. While the first fall was quite balanced and the Birds dominated the second one, the third was pure chaos and it led to an all out war. Kevin gets the clean pin on Hayes for an incredible pop ****1/4
  24. tcg91
    This was a very good match, it was incredibly simple and yet everything they did got tons of cheers and heat. Chavo was on form, really over in Houston, he managed to bump around convincingly and sold a simple chinlock like it was crushing his face, which helped maintaining a good momentum throughout the bout. The middle lacked something, and drama peaks like Chavo aiming for the heel's mask were only teased, but it's hard to suggest better idea when all they did was so over. The clean finish also made this very enjoyable all around, this was an intense and well fought 15 minutes ***1/2
  25. tcg91
    This was a solid title defence and also a bit of fresh air from the von Erichs challenging Flair. Very solid bout, with an almost maniacal attention to small details, things like pulling and taking bumps on a shoulder to trigger an injury. The first part was quite slow at times, mostly focused on Kevin trying to use the claw from all positions and to put over the over the top throws (that were legal here). Then the match got really good when Race started working on Kevin's arm, also thanks to the challengers' one arm comeback. Unfortunately, the non-finish was around the corner, it was so lazy (and silly) to get another von Erich to interfere and cost his brother the match ***1/4
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