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tcg91

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Everything posted by tcg91

  1. tcg91
    Unfortunately this match has been savagely clipped, because what we got absolutely rules. It's hard to judge a 60 minutes time draw when you only see 36 minutes. Race sold big time for Jumbo, but was also very aggressive when he targeted the challenger's neck and gets in control, they took their turns and wrestled a compelling match that never got boring. Tsuruta hit one of the best german suplex I have ever seen and almost won the match with a few bombs during the exciting finishing run; he didn't defeat Race, but the time limit helped the champion retaining and so they both ended up looking strong. I really wish we had the whole thing! ***3/4
  2. tcg91
    A solid and hard fought match, but not exciting enough to be a classic or anything. Of course, Rocco played the part of the heel, but the crowd was almost equally divided and this didn't let Rocco get as much heat as he was seeking. Which was a shame, because he was quite aggressive in his good legwork, also getting 2 official warnings from the referee for breaking the rules repeatedly. Roberts needed a way out and had to resort to repeated strikes (which is quite rare for Joint Promotion matches), but he clearly wasn't on Rocco's level; his selling wasn't bad, but his offense lacked quality and he didn't leave a great first impression on me. ***1/4
  3. tcg91
    Quite a fascinating concept, the top guys of New York and Florida meet in Japan. If you assume that this match had a political non-finish you would be correct, but they actually tried here. Backlund was good on the mat, focusing on Dusty's leg, the match was much better when Bob was in control. I liked the idea of Dusty growing frustrated and using heelish tactics to make Backlund bleed, which will led to the final DQ, but it's a shame that he forgot to sell the leg towards the end. Overall, finish aside, they still cared enough to have a decent main event, instead of wasting time and just relying on their starpower. ***
  4. tcg91
    This was incredible and the MSG crowd made it special. It's billed as a Texas Death Match, but it's "just" a No DQ Match, the pinfall rule is not enforced; while strange, it's a great thing because having a compelling match with that stipulation is so difficult. Keeping their previous match in mind, Backlund overcame the odds by going all out and bravely trying to knock Patera out, despite being outsized by the challenger. Yes, Backlund still tried to ground his opponent at times, but then he had to take bigger risks, which got both of them bleeding as a result. Such a nice touch for Backlund to unleash and finally use the chair that Patera tried to hit him, it got a great pop. We also get a clean finish after a crazy crossbody, thus ending the feud with a bang. ****1/2
  5. tcg91
    This ruled as predicted and I'm so disappointed that the title change wasn't aired anywhere. Once Again, the crowd was so hot that everything seemed so simple, Martel stole the show selling his injured back in a very dramatic and convincing way. It's incredible how the crowd was so much into a simple headlock sequence. While this was great, it failed to reach the height of the April match, maybe because the mask stunt was just too good (Rose wore it here as well, but it was yesterday's news apparently) or because the (non)finish was a bit cheaper here, lacking that bit of creativity that they showed the previous month. ***3/4
  6. tcg91
    This was better than their previous bout, as it was only 20 minutes long and Hogan didn't dictate the pace for the whole time. I liked the fact Hogan used the bearhug again, as it worked really well last time, he was also good at selling the leg that Backlund targeted with good consistency. The announcers were not great during this, but they pointed out how big Hogan was and you could tell that Backlund was doing his best to look like he was overpowered. There is another count-out finish, this time to Backlund's favour, but at least this time we got a more realistic conclusion and the loser doesn't look like an idiot (like Backlund did in the previous bout). ***1/2
  7. tcg91
    Another good match in their series, but for some reason all the Inoki/Hansen matches haven't been super and something was missing here too. The chemistry was there and Inoki bumped quite generously for the big Texan, but I feel like they were lacking of bit of structure and the story didn't evolve as much as I wanted. We get another count-out tease after the Hansrn lariat, which is fine, but they have wrestled a few times so far and none of them changed their strategy or approach to get a win. Plus, Inoki persisted with some time-wasting limbo work that went nowhere. It was good though, even the non-finish, but I hope they evolve their matches next time I see them go at it. ***
  8. tcg91
    This was a nice 15 minutes "shut up and wrestle" match, I'm sure that we would need way more of these today. Overbooking, BS, excessive nearfalls, "poses", "trending", attention to pointless details were not a thing here, it was just these two on the mat. Granted, it lacked in heat, because the crowd only got hot towards the end, but this was technically sound and you could see Fujinami wrestling a respectful and competitive match, compared to the wars he had against Hara or Kid a few months earlier. Again, this never became too exciting or dramatic enough to be a masterpiece, but it worked perfectly and never overstayed its welcome. ***1/4
  9. tcg91
    Good match, helped by a very hot crowd and so maybe everything seemed better than it actually was. Throughout the years, I was happy to find out the Sheepherders were actually a decent team, but here they made a couple of awkward mistakes, while Martel was again just too good to be believed. I found it bit weird for the babyfaces to benefit from a blind tag, rather than the heels but, it was a fun bout and the champions shined all along. The crowd was mad about Martel's final comeback. The finish was quite creative and well explained by the announcer, so kudos to them. ***
  10. tcg91
    This was an enjoyable Carnival fallout. Slater's eye is not taped anymore, which doesn't make much sense (it's only been 24 hours since the final), plus it makes me sad that they are not hitting him there anymore. The more I see Slater and the more I think he's trying to be a little version of Terry, they have good chemistry and Jumbo bumps around for them, as they are smart enough not to overexpose Baba. Baba and Jumbo's work on Terry was a bit lazy, but Funk is so over that the crowd keeps the match alive anyway. The finish is also a bit abrupt, but consistent with the Carnival final, so thumps up. ***1/4
  11. tcg91
    Slater is wearing an eye patch and Jumbo is respectfully staying away from it, instead of taking advantage of it. It's refreshing to see a complete All Japan match, no clipping at all, even though the initial matwork drags at times. I liked the idea of Slater hitting Jumbo in the legs to limit his ability to use power moves. It also makes sense because Slater can win the Carnival with a time limit draw and so he tries to ground Tsuruta as much as he can. The end is really tight and we get a few nearfalls, by 1980 standards this is almost a spotfest. Jumbo gets desperate and stops a submission with brutal kicks on Slater's bad eye, making him bleed, which ruled. Now Slater is desperate, because he can't see properly, so he hits the post furiously and Jumbo finishes him with a belly to back, keeping the bridge despite his bad leg. Man, this ruled on so many levels. Too bad that the first part of the match was so cold. ***3/4
  12. tcg91
    This was great and the best thing of 1980 so far. Rose is wearing a ridiculous mask with a wig, as Roddy Piper shaved him bald, and Martel can't wait to expose him. However, this costs Martel some distractions and Rose just rules when working on his opponent's leg. Martel could be the best seller in the USA in 1980, he's so good and the fans are dying to see a comeback. Martel keeps being a talent in the rough, he still makes a few key mistakes that cost him a lot, like refusing a count-out win and hitting an atomic drop on his comeback, ending up hurting his leg again. This way, the experienced Rose still manages to control the match, despite constantly worrying about his mask and fixing it on his face several times. The finish is great too, Martel finally manages to expose Rose's bald head after a long tease, so Rose quickly covers up and run away to lose by count-out. This surely sets up a title match down the road and I'm looking forward to it. ****1/4
  13. tcg91
    A few minutes are clipped, but this was a blast and I really enjoyed it. Same can be said for the MSG, they were on fire for this. Patterson is not at his best at the beginning when he has to dictate the pace, but he gradually makes Patera look like a million bucks, like when he jumps over the top rope for him or sells the bearhug in a very dramatic way. Patera is another one I was never really too high on, but he looks the part and has good ring presence; everything he does makes sense. We get an actual finish, it might be tainted but it was well done and it's good enough for me. I can't go higher than this because the match wasn't complete. ***1/2
  14. tcg91
    Terry was so great in this. Even before the match, as he wanted to jump on Abdullah and the referee had to desperately restrain him. His forehead was taped and, of course, this quickly led to him bleeding all over the place after just a few minutes. No offence to Abdullah, but this was pretty much a broomstick match, Abdullah couldn't or didn't want to move too much and Terry had to do it all for him. The crowd got excited when the heel started bleeding as well, Funk had a great comeback and some of his ideas were ahead of their time. I liked way Terry worked on his opponent's legs, but it went nowhere because of the usual non-finish. This was better than it had any right to be. ***
  15. tcg91
    This was really fun to watch, but it had a couple of weird moments (like Sayama's timing at the end of the first fall). Sayama throws kicks like there is no tomorrow and it mostly rules, but then he predictably plays the part of the young boy and the rudos beat him down, showing a lot of chemistry between each other. The major focus of the match is Hamada vs Perro and Perro has a clear advantage, as Babe Face continuously interferes and they end up busting Hamada's forehead open. Cool non-finish when Perro kicks Hamada low just to stop his comeback and momentum right when the tecnicos got the upper hand, it fits the story. A fun spectacle. ***1/2
  16. tcg91
    Didn't really enjoy this. This was decent, but you can clearly see the difference between a match with good matwork and a match with stalling rest holds, they milked some of them for sooooooo long and all those submissions didn't go anywhere at the end. Probably Hogan was too green to lead a 30 minutes match and things only got better when he started focusing on Backlund's back, which fits the story because he's so much bigger than the champion. To their credit, the crowd is into the match all along and Backlund's selling was good, he also managed to lift Hogan with one arm only and that is impressive. It's the 80s, non-finishes are very common if a rematch is on the way, but that finish makes Backlund look really dumb **1/2 - **3/4
  17. tcg91
    This is slightly clipped, we get 24 minutes out of 30. I was disappointed with the match and so I had to watch it twice, but sadly I still am. I think Jumbo is the one to blame here; Terry is so much over than him and the crowd doesn't buy his matwork, especially because he doesn't do anything to effective or special. Funk sells, but nothing really good happens until they start throwing bombs in the last 10 minutes, which is understandable but all the limbo work goes out of the window in an instant. Funk is saving the match with his selling and the way he kicks out from Tsuruta's near falls, we get a predictable time limit draw before Terry can come back and bring his experience to the table. ***
  18. tcg91
    This wasn't a masterpiece, but a perfectly enjoyable main event and also a bit better than their previous bout. Inoki wants to block the lariat this time and immediately goes for Hansen's arm, especially because it's taped; the gaijin is overwhelmed by this attack, but dishes some violent shots to Inoki's neck to keep some control. Hansen gets to look good once again, because this time Inoki is saved by the ropes when he eats the lariat. We get another count-out tease, before Inoki's impressive brainbuster from the apron for the 3.1 pinfall, once again Hansen looks strong even in defeat, as Inoki also had to resort to a rare top rope dive to desperately put him down. Quite impressive how this match had like 1 big move and a couple of bumps only and yet everything made complete sense. ***1/2
  19. tcg91
    Another really good Fujinami match, he was so versatile in 1980 and could adapt to any opponent. Here the matwork takes a step back, as Hara hits hard and Fujinami is not afraid to change his strategy and do the same. Once again, they go back to Fujinami's forehead wound, so by the end of the match he's bleeding a ton, but he dishes a lot of punishment as well and is not afraid to push a boundaries a little bit, like kicking Hara while the opponent is at the ropes. This only lasted 12/13 minutes, so there is zero downtime and everything looks so solid. Hara is a big threat and so Fujinami goes back to what he knows best, submitting his opponent to win the match. This was different than what the New Japan Junior Heavyweights were and would become, but it worked really well ***1/2
  20. tcg91
    This has a decent reputation, but it doesn't age that well. It wasn't bad by any means, but the (solid) matwork didn't have enough energy and the crowd seemed to agree, as they only popped when the action became quicker. Hamada was definitely more motivated and took better bumps, while Baby Face didn't impress me that much. The finish was botched as well, as Hamada got a 2.5 count and was declared the winner anyway. I don't know who messed it up, but it didn't look good at all. **1/2
  21. tcg91
    Boy, the MSG was really hot for this. I love storyline progression and here you can see Zbyszko regretting his betrayal, because this time Bruno is not holding back at all and he can't wait to punish his former student. A simple bearhug gets a lot of cheers and Zbyszko sold it like a star. Zbyszko hits and runs, getting momentum in a cheap way at every turn, even trying to prevent Bruno from entering the ring as a whole. Contrarily to what happened in their first match, this time Bruno is the one to snap and he beats the hell out of Zbyszko causing a DQ. This was a notch above the Allentown match and I like the fact that there is more to come from these two. ***1/2
  22. tcg91
    This was a total blast. It's such a natural pairing, because McMichael is an experienced veteran with limited stamina, while Faulkner loves to bump around the ring for him. This also works because it has a bit of everything: solid matwork, good pace, counters and just a little bit of comedy this time around; it's all savvily mixed and it gives us 15 good minutes that are as good as anything else you could see today. McMichael is almost tempted to cheat because Faulkner is too unpredictable at times, but then decides not to and the stalemate gives us a double pinfall at the end ***1/2
  23. tcg91
    Once again, an All Japan match gets clipped and we get only 20 minutes of a match that actually lasted 30 minutes. But, to be fair, this was solid and never became anything special, so this is not a tragedy. The crowd didn't help much, as they sat back for most of it. Murdoch looked good when he got to dictate the pace of the match, while Jumbo seemed to be a bit off at the beginning, before changing gear in the last few minutes of the match and also managing to wake up part of the crowd. It's still a solid match and the best part of it is Murdoch trying to break Jumbo's neck, before Tsuruta finally gets a reaction. I liked the small package from Jumbo at the end, fighting from underneath to make Murdoch look good in defeat ***1/4
  24. tcg91
    Man, Davey Boy was so slim and athletic... it's so sad. This was really good, Breaks is a great heel (the other JP matches I have seen so far had no real heels, so this is refreshing) and keeps messing with the crowd, using all the dirty tactics he knows and always cheap shotting David at the end of each round, until David finally fires back for a great pop from the crowd. What stops this match from being an all time great is how long it takes them to get the focus on David's arm, but when they do it's great stuff because he sells it well and also wears some bandage to get more drama. We get a nice non-decisive finish, as David finally gets a pinfall but he just gets a draw and so the title doesn't change hands ***3/4
  25. tcg91
    This was simple and easy for them, yet still good and what you would expect from these two in just 15 minutes of action. Inoki tries to ground the gaijin, who bumps around for the Ace and can't wait to beat the crap out of the champion as soon as he has a chance to do it. You can tell that they have more matches ahead of them, as the finishing stretch leaves space to future opportunities (the lariat kickout and the double count-out these being two features that they will probably revisit later). Inoki gets protected because the lariat only beats him by count-out, even though this causes a title change anyway. Not a bad finish. ***1/4
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