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tcg91

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Everything posted by tcg91

  1. tcg91
    I have never seen much of Duncum, but this was a really nice match, of course also thanks to the super reliable Robinson. While the beginning of the bout was solid and created a nice tension, things escalated quickly when Duncum started to work on Robinson's arm, after the most believable double collision spot I have seen in a ring (I usually hate those as they look phony). Duncum was amazing when he was on control and his knees were especially brutal. Crowd supported Robinson's final come back and struggle, the over the top rope DQ finish it's what it is, but the heat was slowly fading anyway after a bad executed sequence to get Duncun stuck in the ropes. Still, a very nice surprise ***1/2
  2. tcg91
    Real date is November 5th, according to cagematch. This was really really good and they showed great chemistry. At times, these kind of New Japan showdowns can feature a bit of stalling or dull matwork that goes nowhere, but this was not the case here. Hamada clearly showed Mask the right pace, their limb work meant something the also left plenty of space to the "fun stuff", especially towards the end. Mask didn't sell the leg at times, but Hamada never got a major heat segment on it, so that is not the end of the world. Not even the countout finish spoils this, as it makes sense in their dive psychology, it looked quite good and the fans were really into it. ***3/4
  3. tcg91
    A good showcase, also because it didn't last too long. Mask keeps being comfortable around luchadores (rather than Dynamite Kid) and Kimura as a junior heavyweight is always a pleasant addition. Maybe there wasn't enough heat during the match; the pace was always good and quite crisp, but they failed to build a proper story or heat segment. Anyway, kudos to them because the crowd still loved all the quick spots and bumps. It was almost a spotfest by 1981 standards, the final stretch was quite interesting and we got a satisfying finish on top of that ***
  4. tcg91
    This was actually better than I thought it would be. Valentine controlled most of the pace later on, after Backlund did a few bits and, as done with other rivals, managed to switch gear to go toe to toe with the challenger. Nice control segment from Valentine and legwork on Backlund, who sold his leg really well. There was a long figure four tease and the crowd was quite invested in it, especially when the two started a slugfest and Backlund shined once again with tons of charisma and fire. Too bad that the finish was stupid, there is no way around it, and once again Backlund looked silly for using the airplane spin. Really nice match and really stupid finish ***1/2
  5. tcg91
    This was a good match overall, but the first part was a but dull, almost like it was going to be clipped from the broadcast. It took 15 minutes (out of 30) for the match to actually get good, when Flair started working the leg after minutes of Jumbo being in the hot seat and not doing anything special. Lots of energy from the crowd, from the cheers for the first fall finish to the drama of Jumbo selling and eventually giving up in the second fall. Amazing heat segment from Flair and Jumbo selling from the second fall onwards, their chemistry was obvious. The finish was overbooked maybe, but it only made sense to protect the future Ace like this (and it will only get better between these two) ***1/2
  6. tcg91
    This was fine, I guess, and the crowd was into it... but it wasn't a good match. It was slightly clipped and it was probably for the best, as nothing interesting happened, until Dory bled and started semi-convincingly selling Brody's attacks. Their attacks and expressions also were a bit cartoonish at times, but they got their point across and the fans reaction testifies that. Overbooked finish, that at least got some fire out of Dory and hypes their personal issue, even though I am not a fan of a title changing hands by DQ. This was what it was, at the end of the day **1/2
  7. tcg91
    This was a good little match, a nice 10 minutes deal before a hot crowd during the New Japan vs IWE show. Fujinami's style as a junior heavyweight is definitely my favourite, as his quickness is accompanied by hard strikes and good matwork. Too bad that the matwork didn't really go anyhwere, but it's also true that they didn't have excessive time to tell their story. I liked the fact that Fujinami tried to wrestle a quiet match, but then got the upper hand when he finally reacted to Teranishi's strikes, the finish was really nice too ***
  8. tcg91
    The title presentation of this match, with the announcer hyping it and the anthem being played, is fantastic. And, shocker, the match was fantastic as well. This was clearly more gritty and physical then the average Joint Promotion match (let alone most of the scene at this point), also helped by the fact that two babyfaces were going at it and so they had a "pure" match (also refreshing, as Marc Rocco was the previous champion). Kilby looked great, had a good timing and called the match well, while Benn used his physique wisely and seemed comfortable in exchanging strikes with Kilby. Despite the sportsmanship, they were so intense that breaking the rules would have been less harsh on their bodies. Really cool reaction and moment once Kilby picks the victory ****
  9. tcg91
    A good match overall, even if this was JIP and the first 11 minutes were not shown. It was the first big match for Tenryu and he clearly passed the Flair test: he was focused, solid on the mat and got the crowd behind him with good charisma. Interestingly, he was the one working on Flair's legs, which got a pretty good reaction when he "stole" the figure four from the Naitch. The crowd was hot when Tenryu seemed having a good shot of winning the match, which added some good drama, but I was disappointed on how quickly he gave up to the figure four, considering that Flair didn't do much damage to his legs during the match. ***1/4
  10. tcg91
    This was a pretty great match and their styles matched perfectly. Very solid matwork approach since the start, of course Rocco was the one to take over and his armwork on Adams was commendable. This also led to a leg injury for Adams but, as much as the psychology was quite cool, he stopped selling the arm on his comeback and that was a shame. As usual, Rocco bumped big time to make his opponent look like a million bucks, taking a nasty looking turnbuckle hit as well. Not a big fan of the knockout finish, but at least it made sense, as Adams damaged his neck too and was too banged to get up on time. A great match that could have been a classic ***3/4
  11. tcg91
    Date is September 26th 1981 I watched it twice, but this was quite boring and didn't work for me. Colon dictating the pace at the beginning was the best part of it, with a focus on Abdullah's ear and some nice punches. Butcher taking control was nothing special but okay, they both started bleeding all over the place really quickly, but the crowd wasn't crazy about it and they seemed more interested with a fight between two fans at ringside. What I disliked the most was the refereeing, there were basically no rules during the match despite DQs being in place. Bad finish, as the ref stops the match for excessive blood and the announcer rightfully wonders why this wasn't done 10 minutes earlier **1/2
  12. tcg91
    This was really fun. The Duo was there to be destroyed and man, JYD was so over and looked like a star. I generally dislike stalling (especially in 15 minutes matches), but it worked here as the fans got really frustrated about the heel's antics, which only made the finish more satisfying. Nuclear heat and plenty objects got thrown in the ring during the heat segment on Conway, then a bloody JYD got the hot tag and it all went smoothly. Loved the multiple bodyslams on both Gino and Blanchard from JYD, we also got the babyface winning and the crowd loved it. Not a masterpiece by any means, but such a smart and well done piece of business, everything made sense (like keeping JYD away from the action and teasing the hot tag for so long) ***1/2
  13. tcg91
    I have never loved this as many people seem to do, but this was great and a unique spectacle. Of course, the crowd helped quite a lot here and Andre made Hansen look like a million bucks, a real monster that can hang with him. Godzilla vs Kong fits so well as a comparison. I liked Andre working on Hansen's arm from the very start, getting the Texan to violently fight from underneath. Good move, because the fans got into it and loved the bodyslam and lariat spots from Hansen, as again Andre sold them like a star. I don't mind non-finishes, especially in the 80s, but I hate when matches restart and still that doesn't lead to a finish. However, anything they did was so hot that it wasn't much of a problem here ****1/4
  14. tcg91
    The crowd was very hot and the announcer told them a couple times not to throw objects in the ring, that is the kind of heat the Duo had at the time. The action was pretty good, but the atmosphere made the match special. Once again, Gino was the man: cheap shots and goofy celebrations, before hiding behind the referees or escaping the ring to avoid the babyfaces. Mascaras left most of the action to Fernandez, who made the match better and got a really hot tag, but this was more about getting heat than wrestling itself (especially if compared to Southern tag team action). The crowd almost riots when the Duo gets a super dirty (and rare) pin on Mascaras and it felt pretty cool ***1/4
  15. tcg91
    This was a pretty good showcase. I liked the double gear concept, as Fujinami/Roberts was a rugged confrontation on the mat, while Mask and Solitario had a more mobile and quick series of exchanges. Even the other pairings were not bad and there I say Mask and Robert did well then the first Dynamite Kid match with their chemistry. However, this had "B-show match" written all over it and nothing was too captivating, I was disappointed because Mask and Fujinami is a really badass team on paper. Clean finish at least, albeit a bit flat, but this was a solid 12/13 minutes contest **3/4
  16. tcg91
    Much like the Lawler/Funk empty arena deal, it's an angle and not really a match, even though this one actually takes place after a ring bell at least. This kind of brawls are not my things, plus it's JIP and it doesn't even have a finish, but it's somewhat historic. I can see while some people love this and why this was quite unique in 1981
  17. tcg91
    This was JIP, we got 11 minutes out of 18. That is shame, because the von Erichs in St. Louis keep being tons of fun and this looked really good. Race relied a lot on headbutts as his main point of offense, hitting David everywhere and making him bump left and right with it. It was established that Race was dominating thanks to his experience, but David was always a threat. The crowd was fully behind David's comeback and his lethal claw, as David finally managed to apply it after a few teases. Race sold the claw really well until the non-finish, as Race managed to save himself. Can't go higher as almost half of the match wasn't shown ***
  18. tcg91
    Not a dream match, but quite a suggestive pairing at the very least. Unfortunately, they seemed to be in spot show mode and some of the action was quite lethargic. However, they started this strong and the matwork in the first fall was solid, it's just too bad that all the good armwork didn't have a relevant follow up later in the match. This is yet another bout that had a promising start and then died in the later falls, despite the first two having decent endings. They actually brough the arm stuff back at the very last minute of the match, with an abdominal stretch battle, but it was followed by a non-finish by interference. This could have been so much better **3/4
  19. tcg91
    This was absolutely tremendous. Cortez was probably having the best performance of his career here, starting this as a babyface match and gradually getting more and more heelish to keep controlling the pace. Grey is a good hand himself and, as seen in previous matches, loves to fight from underneath. I liked the growing tension and battle for supremacy, Cortez finally found a weakness in Grey's arm and started working on it without mercy. The last two rounds were all about Grey's reaction, with some rare vicious strikes and and a good comeback. The finish, although creative, was a bit of a let-down as I really wanted to see somebody get the victory here. Especially with no funny characters and both wearing basic black trunks, this is the best example of how great and simple Joint Promotions was ****1/4
  20. tcg91
    This was a fun little match and I am happy I saw it. I really enjoyed the quick pace they used, while also relying on their physical skills and presenting a very solid battle for supremacy. This was somewhat similar to a Memphis 10 minutes TV match, straight to the point and with a "less is more" attitude when it comes to big spots and bombs. Even the crowd seemed quite impressed by this lowcard match being so smooth, but the fans never got into it as they should have. It was also interesting to see both guys so early in their careers ***
  21. tcg91
    I really liked this, especially considering that 60 minute matches are never easy to do (or watch). Brunzell stepped up big time and went toe to toe with Bock, they used a slower pace to build this very well from the beginning, by possibly using the longest hammerlock sequence ever. As usual, Bock was a master at making his opponent look really good, he gave him plenty of rope and sold his attacks accordingly. The growing fatigue was also very credible, but the best part was Bock's legwork on the challenger, that lasted for most of the bout and got the best nearfall of the match from a Brunzell's sick dropkick. With a more dramatic finishing stretch and a bit less of stalling in the first 20 minutes, this could have been an all time classic ****
  22. tcg91
    Thanks for recommending this! This was a great match and what one should expect from a Joint Promotions bout. I liked the idea of a slower pace, with a great set of counters and an impeccable matwork, then picking up when Myers tries to hit his opponent with a few strikes. They also mastered the idea of creating a stalemate and an equal match, without getting to the predictable "my turn, your turn" sequences. It's a shame that Haward doesn't have a lick of charisma, because Myers does and this was just missing a bit of spice here and there. This was starting to die towards the end anyway, I really wanted to see a finish but we got a draw and no resolution for the constant stalemate ***3/4
  23. tcg91
    This didn't do anything for me and it seemed like they had a night off with a lazy performance. Joyce keeps giving me "post ROH Colt Cabana C-shows" vibes: he knows how to wrestle, but he's just teasing it and relies too much on unfunny skits between a hold and the next one. I don't mind babyface matches (if rare) and I like comedy, but something's wrong when fans and the announcer giggle after an armdrag and hammerlock sequence. At least this didn't go more than 15 minutes, it was unoffensive and I guess decent for the live crowd, but I wasn't into it. **
  24. tcg91
    This is slightly clipped, 11 minutes out of 15 are shown. It's a really nice bout, solid and very tight on the mat. All the focus was around arms in the early part of the match, they both worked on each other's arms and Brunzell actually managed to go toe to toe against a master like Bock. However, Bock soon took over and of course most of the match was him taming poor Brunzell with hammerlocks and wristlocks; Brunzell's selling skills are seriously underrated, his name never really comes up. The fans loved his reaction too, he capitalized on a Bock's mistake and started beating him down furiously over his legs. A great dropkick ends the match and Brunzell gets a rare victory on the current champion ***1/2
  25. tcg91
    What a beautiful match, one of the best from Joint Promotions. Breaks stole the show once again, trying to behave and even shaking Grey's hand, before changing his attitude towards the end when the match wasn't going his way. 5 minutes rounds are so much better, especially for their style, they got all the time they needed. Great armwork from Breaks, as usual that sets up his finisher, while Grey was sympathethic in his selling, but not on his opponent's level when controlling the match. I liked the drama of the last fall, Breaks was one warning away from getting the DQ, but Grey was pretty much fighting with one arm only at the moment and that led to Break's victory ****
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