Ditch

Considering that it's aired multiple times, seems seamless, is always missing exactly a minute, and a hypothetical missing minute being added would make Baba look better... they screwed up.

I liked Yoshida vs Fukawa 9/26 the most of all the '99 Yoshida.

http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/2011/07/0...with-joe-simon/

Ki's selling was as good as anyone on the NJ Invasion Tour FWIW.

I didn't like Hash/Sasaki so I'm not hosting it.

Joe turned down selling NJ the ROH belt. Not sure if it was supposed to be tied to him touring with them but I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I don't blame Joe, but everyone in Japan probably does.

I wouldn't be so sure of that after he had a bad match vs Misawa. And certainly, if NJ was interested they'd use him at Dome shows.

Even being vaguely associated with pro wrestling is enough to get you stuck with the 'die young' curse

That 'disappointing' comment does make a lot more sense coming before the 12/1 and 12/3 Kawada/Taue bouts.

"in the midst of a clearly disappointing tag team tournament" Context? Seems like a really good tournament to me even without the last match, and probably a step up from '92.

I wonder how much of Bossman being good was novelty factor and how much was ability. Would he have been interesting after an extended stay? He clearly had a lot more agility and hustle than his size would have you expect.

More Japan Liger vs Kanemoto, NJ 1/4: A spectacular squash. Tenryu & Koshinaka vs Sasaki & Kenzo Suzuki, NJ 2/4: A very different squash. Liger & Tanaka vs Ohtani & Kanemoto, NJ 4/30: Quasi-payoff to the Liger/Kanemoto squash. Ohtani vs Tanaka, NJ BOSJ Kanemoto vs Takaiwa, NJ BOSJ: Both are slightly clipped, both are on the short side, both are good. Hashimoto vs Fujinami, NJ 10/9: Weird. Boring first half, quasi-shoot second half. Again: on the short side. Kobashi vs Omori, NOAH 10/11: For some reason they clipped this after it got tons of build. But that clipping means it easily deserves a spot. Brutal beatdown by Kobashi. Kong vs Yoshida, Arsion 10/17: Good glimpse at Arsion and post-AJW Kong. And again: short! Shiga, Morishima & Kanemaru vs Inoue, Rikio & Sugiura, NOAH 12/23: Sugiura's debut, and he certainly looks good right away. Good match, especially considering that it lacks star power.

Purotopia: http://board.deathvalleydriver.com/index.php?showtopic=52920 Bonus nominations: Tanaka vs Kanemura, Zero-One July 30th: This would be ahead of all but maybe two or three FMW singles matches IMO, because it has plenty of hardcore action without getting stupid, and it blends the hardcore with good nearfalls. Togo vs Tiger Mask 4, MPro August 25th: Hey! A big juniors match that's under 20 minutes long! And it's not as though this is lacking for build in the slightest. Neat counters, big finishing run, and TM4 shows some hate! Kong & Toyota vs Satomura & Hamada, GAEA September 20th: In my top 5 joshi matches of the decade. It avoids the downtime and overkill of big joshi singles matches while keeping the intensity YOU want. Kobashi, Shiga & KENTA vs Akiyama, Saito & Kanemaru, NOAH November 20th: I love this feud so much, maybe the most of anything in the decade that went over 10 matches. This is the first 6 or 8-man of the feud to air reasonably complete, and you have the ever-progressing KENTA added to the already-good Kobashi/Shiga vs Akiyama/Saito matchup.

Purotopia vote results: http://board.deathvalleydriver.com/index.php?showtopic=50508 edit: There's a lot of fun/good/interesting matches from 2001 Japan. I'm having a really hard time figuring out what else to bring up from among what I'm hosting...

Purotopia Best of 2000 results: http://board.deathvalleydriver.com/index.php?showtopic=49302 By far the most consensus-driven of any purotopia vote. Some more puro nominations... Akiyama vs Shiga, March 11th: Strong performance from Shiga. A good preview of both of their NOAH roles. Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Tanaka, New Japan June 25th: Sadly the full version got out long after the 2000 vote. What got clipped out is EVERYONE HATING EACH OTHER TO DEATH. That is a good way to make me enjoy a juniors match. A lot of Kanemoto vs Ohtani matches have very limited bits of hate, but this one has real chunks of hate so you know it's good. It's the hate that eats like a meal. Liger, Samurai & Kashin vs Ohtani, Kanemoto & Takaiwa, New Japan July 11th: For one thing this is one of the last times around for the classic 'masks vs black trunks' 6-man. It's also one of the best, with Samurai getting tons of face heat from his hometown fans and a real big-match effort with a satisfying finish. Not an overwhelming match but solid enough, especially in a down year for NJ juniors.

1999 Assumptions that aren't mentioned by smkelly: Vader vs Kobashi, 1/15 Burning vs Untouchables, AJ 3/6 Guerrera vs Blitzkrieg, WCW Spring Stampede Vader vs Kobashi, CC final DDP vs Sting, Nitro 4/26 Vader vs Misawa, 5/2 RVD vs Lynn, Living Dangerously RVD vs Lynn, Hardcore Heaven Untouchables vs Burning, AJ 10/23 Misawa vs Vader, AJ 10/30 CIMA, Curry & Super Boy vs Fleisch, Fujita & Shiryu 2, MPro 12/21 Recommendations RVD vs Lynn, ECW on TNN 8/28 (aired 9/17): I liked the story they told, as Lynn tried to overcome being banged-up. More dramatic than the straightforward 'good athletes in a workrate match' stuff they did earlier in the year. Other Japan CIMA, SUWA & Fuji vs Hoshikawa, Yakushiji & Seno, MPro 1/10: The first couple Toryumon shows made a big splash, but this is WAY better than anything going on in Toryumon that year. Solid first half, and an absolutely stellar second. Seno, who went on to become the uber mediocre Daio Quallt, shines as the young whipping boy. CMAX show that they've got the goods despite their inexperience. Hoshikawa & Yakushiji vs Delfin & Naniwa, MPro 1/13: A mix of comedy and lucharesu action. Might be a marginal selection, but IMO '99 is a weak-ish year for matches. SUWA vs Dragon Kid, Toryumon 2/7: A brief introduction to both of them. SUWA really was the ideal opponent for Kid, who never quite became the star it was hoped he'd be. Great Sasuke vs Magnum Tokyo, Toryumon 2/7: Hugely important match, as Tokyo gets to hang with Sasuke and thus makes Toryumon seem like a peer to MPro. Battlarts vs FMW, 5 vs 5 elimination match, FMW 5/5: The Battlarts crew are hated by the FMW fans. This is not on par with WAR vs NJ, but it's the closest you'll get in 1999. Kanemoto vs Mochizuki, NJ BOSJ '99: As I said in my '98 nominations, Kanemoto being a dick is good times. Well, he's a dick here. Tenryu vs Hashimoto, NJ 6/8: Hashimoto returns from injury, and because this is Japan that means it's a decidedly different match from what they did at other times. In some ways it's a lesser match, but I think the story and their ability as performers overcomes the 'smallness'. Stiff (duh). Ishikawa & Ikeda vs Joe Malenko & Carl Malenko (Carl Greco), Battlarts 6/9: Ishikawa and Ikeda doing heel tag work in Battlarts and reveling in it is such fun. This is (I think) Joe's last match in Japan until 2010, and man he is just SO GOOD. He doesn't even remember it, sadly. Tamura vs Yamamoto, RINGS 6/24: Okay, this match. There are so many times where I nominate the same 2000s matches, the same early 1990s matches, and it kills me that a year like 1999 is always a total also-ran. I do think it's "weak" in comparison to 2000, but it has its moments. This one right here is one of the first matches I think of when the term "hidden gem" comes up. RINGS was on its last legs as a worked promotion, and they have to lower themselves to using Korakuen. But that means a packed, super-hot crowd for a super-hot match. This might be the best RINGS match, and it's certainly a MOTYC. Liger & Sasuke vs Ohtani & Takaiwa, junior tag titles, 7/13: Not complete, so one can't say just how good it is, but what we get is lots and lots of ACTION. Masato Tanaka vs Mr. Gannosuke, FMW 8/20: In a year where Russo-ism ran wild, this is as good as US-style booking gets. Fuyuki is the guest ref and his heel status is used in just the right amount to make this work. By '99, FMW was in a bit of a rut. These guys aren't good enough workers to do the same matches and have them stay fresh like the AJ crew (mostly) was able to do. This is the standout singles match from '99 FMW. SUWA, Curry Man & Super Boy vs Taka, Magnum Tokyo & Minoru Fujita, MPro 8/22: In the same vein as the 1/10 tag, with Fujita in the loss post role. Lots of fun with the Curry gimmick, SUWA and Super Boy do their thing; this is an easy addition. Survival Tobita vs Ken the Box, Saitama Pro 8/23: This is must-have and shouldn't need any more explanation. Horiguchi vs Susumu (Yokosuka), Toryumon 9/14: Tricky tactics, and a breakout performance for two then-undercard workers. Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Tanaka, junior tag titles, NJ 10/11: BAM, finally the NJ junior crew delivers a MOTYC. Cool spots, hate, attitude, and it feels big enough to deserve its spot on a Tokyo Dome card. All Japan Kawada/Taue vs Burning, 1/7: Oddly enough, the last time we get the matchup. Honda & Izumida vs Team FMW, 1/16 Honda & Izumida vs Team FMW, 2/13: I've got a soft spot for this one. Honda and Izu finally become relevant; Team FMW are very good babyfaces; Shinzaki bleeds buckets; the second match pays off the first. Vader vs Taue, 3/6: Compact match with two big dudes hucking bombs. Kobashi vs Akiyama, CC: Another year, another good match between them. Kawada vs Hase, 5/2: Man does Kawada ever bump for Hase. Lordy. Misawa & Taue vs Kawada & Kobashi, 6/4: This was the first iteration of the match I ever saw. So you can imagine how much THAT screwed me up. "Okay, so this Taue guy is Misawa's sidekick". Kawada/Kobashi is a really interesting team. Burning vs Ace & Barton, 6/9: Bart Gunn... is good?! No Fear vs Kobashi & Shiga, 7/4: Short, intense, and a much better intro for No Fear than their two big wins in June. Kawada vs Takayama, 7/17: Also short, also intense. Misawa vs Takayama, 9/4: This is an excellent preview of 2000s Takayama, and Misawa does a superb job of switching to a strike-focused style in this. No Fear & Fuchi vs Burning, 10/9: Hey look! Fuchi! And he's... still really good in 6-mans! A more fleshed-out version of the July tag, setting up... Burning vs No Fear, 10/30: Kobashi is SO PISSED that if this were anime his hair would go blonde. Untouchables vs Vader & Smith, RWTL: A nifty hidden gem as Ogawa takes the bump of a lifetime and Smith manages to hold up his end despite being an eternal loss post. Burning vs Hansen & Taue, RWTL final: Aw yiss. Hansen and Kobashi switch roles from the early '90s and Taue is Best Possible Giant Baba. This feels like it's Hansen's last big match, and it probably would have been had the split not happened. Crowd luvs them some babyface Hansen.

Bumping this...

1998 Assumptions (that aren't mentioned above) Bigelow vs RVD, ECW 4/4 Hayabusa vs Gannosuke, FMW 4/30 Kanemoto vs Wagner, NJ 6/3 Hashimoto vs Tenryu, NJ 8/1 Ohtani & Takaiwa vs Kanemoto & Wagner, NJ 8/8 Kobashi & Omori vs Misawa & Shinzaki, AJ 10/24 (clipped comm. version; Burning Hammer debut) Goldberg vs DDP, WCW Halloween Havoc 10/25 Recommendations AJ Kawada vs Akiyama, CC: Their only singles match to be taped after the CC '95 bout. So there's historical significance, and it's a good match, but the crowd is kinda bad and it isn't a MOTYC. Kobashi vs Akiyama, CC: This one is very straightforward and action-packed. Akiyama vs Hase, 5/1: There are some flaws, for instance a suplex exchange, but at least at this point the spot was fresh. Meanwhile you get two world-class athletes having a Tokyo Dome-sized match, and Akiyama really looks ready for primetime. Kawada & Taue vs Kobashi & Ace, 6/5: The last big bout for Kobashi & Ace. Sometimes lacks energy, and isn't on par with the mid-90s stuff, but the finish is good enough for this to deserve a spot. Kawada & Taue vs Takayama & Kakihara, 7/19: Somewhat marginal, but it's hard-hitting and compact, and you get the UWFi/Kingdom-vs-AJ aspect. Akiyama & Hase vs Kobashi & Kea, 7/19: Great setup to Kobashi vs Akiyama, and a great preview of their NOAH feud. Albright & Takayama vs Taue & Izumida, 7/24 (TV version): They JIP it in exactly the right place, because the full version drags. Izumida is a really compelling underdog and the crowd gets behind him. Kobashi vs Akiyama, 7/24: Akiyama does the best job attacking a limb I think I've ever seen, and Kobashi sells it pretty much the maximum amount. Akiyama looks much more like an All Japan main eventer than he did vs Misawa. Misawa, Akiyama & Asako vs Kawada, Ogawa & Omori, 8/23: This isn't so much a Misawa vs Kawada 6-man, as it is about Akiyama and Ogawa. This in many ways is a breakout match for Ogawa, who just a few months later was shifted into his career-making role as Misawa's partner. Akiyama vs Ogawa, 9/11: Continuing from the 6-man, and a VERY fun, smartly-worked bout. Kobashi vs Taue, 9/11: Lots o' bombs, but not too many. Kawada & Taue vs Kobashi & Akiyama, 10/11: The first big tag for the new Burning unit. And, um, it's these four in a match. Kobashi & Akiyama vs Vader & Hansen, RWTL final: Burning faces what on paper is just about the toughest team in wrestling history. Hansen is well over the hill at this point but he's still got some fight in him. Other Japan Ohtani vs Ultimo Dragon, NJ 1/4: The first half is forgettable, but they produce a Dome-level finish. Masato Tanaka vs Mr. Gannosuke, Double Titles, FMW 1/6: Huge match for Gannosuke. He looks really good, with a unique control segment and he's able to more than hang with Tanaka during the big finish. Teioh vs Funaki, UWF welterweight title, MPro 1/14: It's a shame that technical wrestling has largely fallen by the wayside in Japan. Teioh *loves* old-school matwork, and Funaki was IMO at his peak here. Hidden gem. Sasuke, Hamada & Tiger Mask 4 vs Togo, Funaki & Super Boy, MPro 1/16: Somewhat of a last hurrah for the KDX storyline before it dissolved as a result of WWF and Osaka Pro. Tamura vs Ilioukhine, RINGS 1/21: Wow, quite the January. Ili is one of the "other Russians" who would be considered a shoot-style king if it weren't for Han. This is RINGS at its best. Tanaka vs Tajiri, Big Japan junior tournament, 2/3 Gedo vs Tajiri, Big Japan junior tournament final, 2/3. These two matches *must* go together. You have Tanaka, who was pretty much the ace of indy juniors, against BJPW's all-time best junior product. That's followed by Gedo delivering a vastly superior performance to anything in the J Cups, as he heels it up while also furthering the psych established in the Tanaka match. This was really the last thing of significance from Tajiri before he came stateside, and you can see why he became a star in the US. Gannosuke vs Shinzaki, FMW 4/21: Death From Above covered this in his short-lived PWO blog. Kanemoto vs Yasuroka, NJ BOSJ: Kanemoto being a jerk to a lesser opponent can be really fun. Case in point: this. Liger vs Fukuda, NJ BOSJ Ohtani vs Fukuda, NJ BOSJ: Fukuda died two years later. He was ugly as sin, but he tried hard. These are his highlight matches. One is clipped and the other is JIP so it won't take much space. Chono vs Koshinaka, New Japan G-1: I think Chono is generally overrated, and Koshinaka was spotty, but they just mesh so well as opponents. And NJ knew it too, because they faced off a ton in the '90s. Hashimoto vs Kojima, New Japan G-1: Spunky Kojima against surly Hashimoto. I love that Hash seems legit pissed at Kojima being too much of a Choshu-ism no-seller, and accordingly Hash beats him up harder for it. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto, RINGS 9/21: I'm not alone in rating this ahead of Tamura vs TK. Great action, the usual high-end matwork, and lots of drama down the stretch thanks to the point system. Backlund vs Ikeda, Battlarts 10/5: Backlund had one last moment of greatness in Battlarts. He could still go! Tenryu & Koshinaka vs Mutoh & Tenzan, tag titles, NJ 10/18: This one came out of nowhere on a TV block. Man alive! Drama, action, heat, it's all there.

How complete is the version on the set?

It probably was on the books for a while without being used.

It's not *that* bad in terms of botches, but it just goes on forever. I'm pretty sure they did a pointless angle mid-match to try and create drama, which mean we got a Special K control segment...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka

Thanks. Mike did a very good job on that.

"Savage was considered an intense, short-tempered guy, some say high strung in that era because he was so heavily into steroids, which he and the others in the promotion who used them reportedly got from University of Kentucky football players. Wrestling and the university’s football team had a long sordid history. In another era, when Jim Barnett lived in town, he would spend big money for lavish parties for the players, he and his partners would use those parties to get homosexual favors from the players, as described in the book, “The Thin Thirty,” about the football program of the early 60s." Do I even want to know the details of that last part?

They absolutely had better matches after this. No doubt that there are some flaws; I thought there were problems with both the length and some of the last transitions. But there's lots of intensity and a "Kobashi never says die but Kawada keeps plugging away" story, capped off by a unique finish.