Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

Have any of these guys ever had good matches?


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 82
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The Kamala/Danielson match makes me FURIOUS. I near yelled at my screen when I saw it. The first half of the magic is just great. Exactly what it should be, and then all the ref bs happens and it just kills it deader than I've ever seen a match killed in my life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really you are not going to find anybody who had a run with a national promotion longer than a year and not find something good.

The Godfather?

 

Also, Kimala had a really good match with Bret Hart in WWF, as well as plenty of fun matches elsewhere during the 80s I liked his Tenryu match in All Japan. LOVED the tag with he and Botswana Beast.

 

As for Nathan Jones, not only did he have the Benoit match, but he had the miracle Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner matches in Australia, and towards the end of his WWE run he was in a bunch of stuff I really like. He looked like an honest to god awesome wrestler in a Smackdown match that (I think) was Angle/Benoit vs. Jones/Brock/Morgan. He took two massive bumps over the top and his offense looked good. Arguably best guy in the match. I don't think he was around much after that though, sadly.

 

And I never got too into Virgil stuff, but REALLY thought Vincent/Curly Bill had some awesome stuff on WCW syndie TV in '98-'00.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not the campiness but the racial and political implications. I'm not some sort of PC nut, but you've got to draw the line somewhere, and, for me, Kamala crosses that line.

My line involves things like what Ian Rotten and co. did to Mike Levy (it did feel like a snuff film), or women being treated similarly, but if it involves the things that typically draws outrage and protest from most people, like religion, politics, racial, etc - I could care less. Basically, I only care when it actually effects someone physically. Sticks and stones, man, sticks and stones.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Godfather?

This counting just his run as Godfather or all incarnations?

 

I was just accepting your challenge to find someone in a national program for more than a year that didn't have a good match. I haven't seen every Soul Taker match, and Papa Shango matches are nothing more than a relic from my childhood, and I missed a lot of the Kama: Extreme Fighting Machine run....

 

But I saw the whole Godfather run, and cannot think of a good match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You learn a hell of a lot more from PTW and House Show matches than you do from SNME's and PPVs when it comes to 80s WWF. I took one for the team and watched....

 

Steamboat vs Beefcake no DQ

Tito vs Beefcake

DK vs Beefcake

Ron Bass vs Beefcake Philly

Jacques Rougeau vs Beefcake

and

Model Rick Martel vs Beefcake

 

Of these I'd suggest as pretty good matches:

Steamboat vs Beefcake http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ybe4_ri...-vs-brutu_sport

This match actually has nuclear heat for some reason. The No DQ mainly comes into play early on with Brutus using the Gi to choke and blind Steamboat. The story of the second quarter is Steamboat being unable to outpower Brutus but Brutus getting nailed hard when he tries to outstrike him. The finish is weird since it almost seems like an audible. Really slow-counting ref. Beefcake kicks out of the flying body press. Johnny V holds down the foot and Beefcake gets the pin. The Fans Go NUTS. Riot nuts, and the ref quickly restarts the match and Steamboat rolls him up.

 

and

 

Tito vs Beefcake 5/18/85 Boston:

p1: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xahq8p_ti...efcake-pt_sport

p2: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xahqc2_ti...efcake-pt_sport

Hey, it's your standard Tito match. Nothing wrong with that. Beefcake actually does a GREAT job selling all of Titos armdrags and holds, including one of the best "armbar held on after the bodyslam" spots I'd ever seen. When he takes over his offense is surprisingly good. Tito's comebacks are fiery and the ending has the usual Johnny V shmozz.

 

 

Beefcake pros:

-A few really nice looking, effective moves: Falling forearm, really nice second rope single clubbering axe-handle, second rope stomp, amazingly great jab he sort of stopped using after he turned face. 10-count Double chops to the traps on the top rope.

-Bumping(as a heel and in flashes as a face): Mainly, he's really good at taking mid 80s WWF face offense. He made Tito look great for the opening shine period. Occasionally he'd sell a kick or hit in a stylized way but it worked. He also bumped for heel Jacques' dropkick by flipping heel over head. He ate a Bass clothesline like it took his head off(and maybe it did).

-Crowd interaction: It was hokey. It sometimes took away from the match, but he was over and the fans wanted to cheer him or boo him and he at least didn't ignore them.

-Timing as a heel: I have to assume that he was at least partially calling his heel matches and they were structured well enough. Less meaningless rest holds than you'd think, for instance.

 

Cons:

-Face Offense: Not so good. Lots of clearing the ring so he can ham and atomic drops and a lot of stuff that didn't mean a whole lot in the context of the match. He definitely never "set anyone up" for the sleeper.

-Face Hamming: As a face, he was over but a lot of it was style over substance. It's fine in places. The match vs Martel was a good place for it(though not necessarily a good match because of it) because it's in part a comedy match where Martel's vanity is on the line. In the match vs Bass which was a grudge match, he showed a ton of intensity in the beginning but then quickly started clowning it up again. It was groanworthy.

-Clunkiness: Again, this was something I saw more as a face. He just wasn't so smooth in the ring. He'd stumble. He'd have timing issues. Little things.

 

Verdict: Perfectly carry-able in his heel run. Effective but sort of dreadful as a face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has there ever been a good Stevie Ray singles match? I know he had plenty of good tag matches in Harlem Heat, but I can't think of a good singles match he had.

There are limits to what I'm going to do for you guys.

 

BUT, there are Rick Martel, Booker, Jericho, Hall, Jarrett, Steiner, DDP and Luger matches.

 

Not a ton to work with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...