Tim Cooke

That's all on the Destroyer/Matsuda disc, isn't it? Crap, I haven't watched either and will do so tonight. Incredible!!!

12/15/75 Have you seen Destroyer/Baba yet from 3/5/69? The amazing thing about the Matsuda match is that he really doesn't do a lot so it is Destroyer controlling everything. Post more thoughts, need something to read at work!

I agree that pre 90's lucha should be combined probably with "other Japan 1960-1989" or something.

Once the lucha 80's section starts at DVDVR, I suspect their will be plenty more.

"12/05/84 - Nobuhiko Takada v Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF)" This is actually vs. Kazuo Yamazaki.

I think we should definetly do MMA. Vernon White v Frank Shamrock from 1995 Pancrase as good as almost every UWF/UWFI mat work match I have seen. Tim

Are we talking from 1993 - present (start of UFC/Pancrase)?

Destroyer vs. Giant Baba (3/5/69 - JWA) As an aside, Frank Jewett has started to run down the recent "Puroresu Digest DVD's" that he has made at tOA (otherarena.com). Good resource material for this section.

Rey Misterio Jr./Billy Kidman vs. Kid Romeo/Elix Skipper (3/18/01 - WCW) Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide (4/24/04 - ROH) CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe (10/16/04 - ROH)

Rock n Roll Express vs. I. Koloff/Kruschev (aired 7/9/85 NWA Worldwide) Midnight Express vs. Rock n Roll Express (4/12/86, air date unknown from Japan TV) Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (taped 3/12, aired 3/26/88 NWA Pro) Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (aired 3/27/88 NWA Clash) Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (taped 4/26, aired 5/14/88 NWA Worldwide)

Actually, Vol-1 I believe. Vol-2 is *probably* the 3/16/96 Rey v Juve match from Tijuana (not Barnett's version) but the other guy whose name is escaping me that taped this stuff back in the day. The Torch had a review for 1. The guy put up screen caps and the caps he put up were from the 12/10/95 match.

Loss- have you seen the 6/84 Boot Camp Match between Sheik and Slaughter? I'm still waiting for my Best of the WWF 80's DVD set from Bix, but this has been getting high praise and I have never seen it.

Definetly come back and check out 10/21/92 after watching their series. If you watch the 1990-1992 TV in order, it stands out easily as one of the best AJPW singles matches of the time (if not the best). AJPW was still using some "throw it out there mat work to kill time" though I thought this match used it smarter than usual. Easily behind 7/93, 6/94, and 7/95, but it's basic nature really connected with me.

For TV, they had the following matches: 11/30/94 (aired 1/21/95) - their first TV match that has no finish (like you described). They also semi botch a spot in the corner with a cradle if I remember correctly. 4/21/95 (aired 5/95) - this is the Rey/Juve match after they had just got done watching loads and loads of AJPW, UWFI, NJPW, and AJW. Juve breaks out Otani's springboard spin kick, Rey uses the ocean cyclone suplex for a finisher, and the finish of the third fall is an insane dive by Rey into the crowd, leading to a double countout. 6/16/95 (aired in July) - haven't seen this in years. 2/96 - cage match, not so hot. 3/16/96 - handheld from Barnett from Tijuana. 8/96 - not so hot again. They also have a match from 1994 on a comml release. Their 12/10/95 handheld match is now available on those comml DVD's that Konan recently released. They had a 2/96 match air on Galavision UK but that is probably lost forever Tim

Fans v Malenkos is an interesting match that isn't good, but still needs to be watched to see Rogers and Fulton in an environment outside of southern tag work. Rogers flipping out, using a northern lights and german suplex, and Fulton being really good are awesome. I would suggest tracking down Fan v Fuchi/Kobashi from 7/89 which is the Fans debut in Japan. Total sprint, very AJW'ish 1990-1991 opening matches in that it is a total sprint through with no regard to short or long term selling, but a fun 12 minutes. Fans v Akiyama/Omori from 9/10/95 is also worth tracking down. By this point, the ever expanding Rogers, willing to update his move set even more with a moonsault (which is botches here but I have seen him hit it great in their earlier match that year-which is short). Fans are actually put at Akiyama's level in the booking which is really neat.

Did the new issue arrive to you today?

Those matches I mentioned will def clear up the problems you listed above. My big peeves with lucha when I first started were: - too much brawling - rudo takeover segments with no rhyme or reason - why "random thing" made the crowd pop Tim

Only thing about the Gringos Locos comp is that there is lots of crap in between the good stuff. Plus, it is really the height of "AAA Sports Entertainment Lucha" which isn't pure lucha. I don't know how to describe it.

Ki/Homicide did suck. I thought the other 2 Ki "squash" matches were entertaining TV fodder at worst.

Look out for these matches: Santo/Octagon/Rey Jr. vs. Fuerza/Panther/Psicosis (7/15/94 & 3/16/95 - AAA) - the first is not on Barnett's comps but Lynch has it and I have it and still need to send to Will for conversion. The second is on Barnett's comps. Rey Jr./Winners/Calo vs. Psicosis/Heavy Metal/Picudo (2/7/93 - AAA) - I have this on the same tape as 7/15/94. All three of these matches focus on straight first falls where they pair off for 2-3 segments (segment 1 usually mat work/comedy spots, sgement two rope running, segment 3 finishes). The second fall usually starts the same until the rudos take over. Remember that one ref is usually a face and one is a heel. They are in charge of the opposite team (ala Tirantes, the rudo ref, is in charge of the face team). So he will let rudo stuff go. Watch those three matches, write about them with thoughts, comments, questions, and we will move on from there. Tim

Loss- instead of starting with the more recent matches, I know a handfull of matches that do a great job providing the overall flavor of lucha with guys you already know and it will help you grasp the rules better. Do you still need this? Tim

Watched Morton v Flair from Pro last night. Great find Loss. I skimmed through those discs at the beach when I had time and somehow missed it. Absolute GOLD. Flair's heel work on Morton's face was top notch. I have no idea how to rate this but I am easily nominating this on the DVDVR 80's project for the Crockett section.

Aside from Austin/Rock from WrestleMania 17, Eddy/JBL from Judgement Day stands out head over heals. I think it knocks the socks off of Eddy/Lesnar (which is an awesome Eddy performance but Lesnar is no where near Vader like). The Eddy/Show match is freakin outstanding. Eddy/Rey from 3/04 is Eddy working a fucking hammerlock as the "veteran" wrestler because that is all he has to do because he is that good. In turn, Rey's highspots stand out EVEN more than usual. The Eddy/JBL matches are just another notch in Eddy's greatness for being able to adapt to a different style but not seem out of place at all. As for years: 1990 - Benoit 1991 - Benoit 1992 - Benoit 1993 - Null as I haven't seen enough of either to judge 1994 - Benoit 1995 - Benoit 1996 - tie, too close 1997 - Benoit, but Eddy had the best overall match that year while Benoit rolled out great matches with Finlay, etc. 1998 - Guerrero 1999 - Benoit 2000 - Benoit 2001 - Benoit 2002 - Benoit 2003 - thought they were both very lackluster 2004 - Guerrero 2005 - Guerrero Tim