El-P

I don't get the appeal of Tommy Rich at all. I've seen some of him in Memphis, and he wasn't particulary good. I'm currently watching lots of him in WCW in the early 90's, and he's not good there. Thus far the only time I enjoyed Tommy Rich was as a manager for the FBI in ECW.

Giving the Fabulous Freebirds, two guys whose strong point was talking, not one but two managers (DDP and Humperdink disguised as a roadie) who weren't nearly as good on the mic is one of the baffling decision of the year.

Some think I'm preaching to the Nise Kami no UWF, Nobuhiko Takada. Damn Fujiwaraesque heretics... They can twist it any way they can, Takada turned Gary Allbright into fine wine, and forgave Vader. And he sacrified himself in the Tokyo Dome for the good of Pride and japanese MMA...

You can argue Sullivan booked the über succesful Monday Nitro during his peak years. Knew how to put heat on heels at the very least. Of course Sully run his course and got burned out, but that would happen with anyone.

Wasn't that called the Jumbo Suplex ?

Corrected.

Damnit, we don't have the same source !

Well, I thought Yamazaki was the best worker in the second UWF (and probably in UWF-I too until Tamura matured), and I would point at Tamura's peak as being definitively during his RING years. It's not a big knock against Fujiwara, I thought he was still excellent then, and had several great matches.

To me Ross was pretty bad during the UWF days. I don't know if Watts put pressure on him at that time, but he was overselling everything, screaming like a madman like he would by the 00's in the WWF. Just bad stuff. Ross was at his best during Mid-South before it turned into UWF, then WCW, then the WWF stint from 96 to 98. I thought he stunk in the 2000's.

Seriously, I'm watching an excellent Brian Pillman vs Barry Windham match. And there we go, Ross go on a tangeant about Pillman never being the biggest guy on any athletic team he was part of. And he drops the line "He was the smallest kid on his little league team." For fuck's sake Ross. And then he goes on and on with the *entire* Pillman athletic credentials, complete with coach name and awards he recieved, while there's a wrestling match taking place. That kind of stuff is what annoy the shit out of me. It's not good announcing, plain and simple. It's not fun, it's not interesting. Ross is noticably worse when he's alone, because there's no Missy or Paul E. to distract him from college sports. Also, I realized it's a lot worse when you actually pay attention to it, which means this thread hasn't helped my watching lately. EDIT : and then later on the same show, during a Dan Spivey squash, from nowhere he talks about how the Atlanta Hawks could use a guy like this and goes on another tangeant... This on the same show. I mean... And then talks about yet another damn football team, during the same match !! Jeeez...

Oh, this explains that then. Like I said, I dunno what matches are the set, but since UWF wasn't running lot of shows anyway, I guess most of his biggest ones are there. I never thought Fujiwara was anything special as long as I stumbled onto his 90's stuff (save for PWFG which I haven't seen), but getting into UWF stuff and that was it, I was sold on him being great in his prime.

I'have been watching WCW 89, 90 and doing 91 these days, well, it has really annoyed me at point. Just a few minutes ago, during a freaking JYD match, Dog does a tackle, and here we go, Ross is talking about Dog's football credentials. Paul E. "It's wrestling Ross, it's not football." Ross "I know...".

PWFG is a void to me that I need to fill eventually. But I'm not convinced since I thought Fujiwara already wasn't as great in 1989 as he was before. The greatest Fujiwara matches happened in the first UWF to me. I agree the second UWF was a far more developped style.

There's a middle ground between the über goofy WWF stuff from that time and Ross obsessive ways of talking about real sports.

I'd say Fujiwara peaked in 84-86/87. I dunno, he seemed not as great in the second UWF as he was in the first. Still excellent, but just not as great to me.

Well, the issue is that people who watch pro-wrestling to begin with aren't skeptics. If Ross is trying to pray to the already converted, it's a waste of time. Wrestling fans don't watch wrestling to be told about college sports and reminded that pro-wrestler are "real athletes you know". We're wrestling fans, we know what the deal is. The skeptics probably don't watch to begin with, and they aren't your audience, why are you trying to convince people who aren't watching anyway ? But you're right, it came off that way, and that's why I say it sounded like there was some insecurity somewhere. "Hey skeptic people, I know you think it sucks because it's pro-wrestling, but these guys were real athletes in college you know, some even play for the NFL.". Yesterday I watched that Main Event episode with a Dan Spivey squash match, and Ross dropped the football reference about Dan Spivey, that he used to be one hell of a (whatever, don't ask me for any football term) back then for this team. What the hell Ross, this is psycho Dan Spivey killing a jobber, really, I actually find it kinda counterproductive to always get back at freaking "real" sports. Tell me that "Dan Spivey is a psycho monster who likes to hurt people, look at his face". Don't tell me that he was a pro-football player, it only makes him look like just another ex-football guy turned wrestler.

Well, if that didn't happen during Fujiwara's peak in the first UWF, or even during his comeback to NJ and then the second UWF when he was already past his prime but still excellent, I don't see how it would happen. I'm not sure what was on the 80's project, but I would guess most of his big matches were there. Really, basically, if the first UWF stuff didn't do it, well, don't hold your breath.

That would be pretty awesome. But only hardcore fans would get it.

Since I have less WCW TV for 1992 (only Saturday Nights), I may do WCW and SMW TV at the same time once I get there.

Well, I don't give a shit about "soccer" either. Actually I can't stand it.

I'm fairly indifferent to his inring work but I will forever love him for that episode of SMW where he did squats for the entire show. Sounds great. SMW TV is piling up on my hard drive, so, whenever I'm burning out on WCW...

That's easy. They're both overrated.

Yep, pretty much. At one point I'm like "Okay, I get the point, but he's a wrestler now. GET OVER IT ROSS."

I dunno, Fuchi stretching people is awlays welcome to me.

It was a lot worse with Steve Williams. Well, both Steve Williams I should say.