What are you watching?

[Smack2k]

Parv's Learning to Love Dory thread sent me to these two matches:

 

Dory Funk Jr / Terry Funk vs. The Sheik / Great Mephisto - Dec 1980 Tag League - AJPW

 

This wasnt a 4 or 5 star match, but it was a fun brawl that saw Terry play FIP for a while as Mephisto and The Sheik took turns working on him. After the hot tag, match broke down into a huge brawl with all 4 in and out of the ring. Sheik ran in with what looked like a hook from a horror movie to attach, but got a few shots from Dory instead that saw the hook go flying,. End saw all 4 again outside with Terry / Sheik and Dory / Mephisto paired off into a brawl that ended up all over the arena, which was a blast to watch as I havent watched a lot of Sheik matches (and the ones I have seen were singles and he bored the piss out of me walking around and jabbing his opponent repeatedly) before reading a few reviews in Parv's thread. I still wanna know what the hell Sheik brought into the ring, it legitimately could have killed someone if connected!

 

The Sheik / Great Mephisto vs. Abdullah the Butcher / Tor Kamata - Dec 1980 Tag League - AJPW

 

Another fun all out fight that doesnt see a winner. Kamata takes most of the beating in this one, while the other 3 do take some beatings, but also get a lot of offense in. Babyface Abby is cool to see as the crowd eats up every shot or kick he deilvers. All 4 bleed good and Sheik has a decent sized stick that he uses to open up Abby and Kamata. Cool scene at the end seeing Abby and Kamata in the ring, with Abby raising his arms in victory, before Sheik and Mephisto return for more fighting..

 

These matches have made me want to see more Sheik and Abby in tag matches, especially in Japan I hadnt been fond of either guy before this as Sheik I mentioned earlier, and the most Abby I'd seen was from Texas vs. Brody and I really didnt enjoy it as it was hugely repetitive as well..

[dawho5]

The Von Erichs and Freebirds continue to feud after the 'birds lose the 6 man titles and Buddy loses his hair to Iceman.

 

King Tonga takes 10+ minutes to beat JTTS guys in 1985 and 86 in the WWF. The Moondog Spot match as a nice little brawl and the British jobber was a completely different match than anything else, not bad at all. And he slams Big John Studd, even if it doesn't count because he wasn't part of the challenge that week.

 

A young El Samurai is a complete dick to Liger in 92 and ends up wearing his mask like a collar for 2/3 of the match.

 

Brody and Abdullah take a few strolls around a stadium in PR between bloddying each other up.

 

Kendo Ka Shin and Ohtani put together one of the best (easily one of the most focused) finish runs in a 90s juniors match I have ever seen. It was half the length of the match but brilliantly done. Did I sleep on Ka Shin all these years or is this just a one off?

 

Santo and Psicosis battle in a (non-apuestas) AAA title match with some insane dives and only two caidas??

 

Chiggy and Dump see who is going to get a haircut!

[Graham Crackers]

Ka Shin isn't amazing but he was underrated, probably because he was more focused on schtick than workrate.

[dawho5]

Seems like he wasn't near as interested in dives and top rope shit, more just building towards his finisher as the match went on. I dug the wakigatame takedown, knowing that the defense to the move would likely be Ohtani flipping to his back, which opened up the armbar. Stuff like that gives the impression of an actual strategy being worked while looking for his finisher instead of just "big bombs" to wear the guy down.

[WingedEagle]

I was all over the place yesterday before heading out to see Spotlight and grab dinner:

 

Chad Gable & Jason Jordan vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (AKA NXT 10/28) -- For some reason I've only stuck to watching the big NXT shows rather than the weekly tv. Its under an hour and breezy so this must change. Anyways, I have no idea what Gable's celing is but it is high. Someone who could easily be working 12-15 matches on Raw and help recreate the in-ring buzz of the Shield/Bryan/Punk days, but better off in a tag role for now while the character and support develops. So smooth and the pairing with Jordan works well for both. Just a great, fun match.

 

Mistico vs. Black Warrior (9/19/2006) -- This was the mask match and while not at the level of the last couple, was a solid 4 stars and delivered exactly what I wanted without reaching epic levels . Your standard quick 2 opening falls with some vicious mask ripping by both and color from Mistico. Warrior was even working the crowd like a champ early on like a bastard heel. Third fall saw the dives and then a ton of basic near falls building the suspense that weren't exactly sophisticated, but had the crowd biting on every single one. Definitely curious why/when Warrior disappeared as he seemed to have a good look without the mask and could definitely work heel.

 

Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (July 1989 and September 1989) -- September was clipped though what we saw looked good, but tough to say if on the levels of July or August. The July encounter was a hot start to this feud. Loved how there was so much work on the mat and submissions even though they're juniors as it never felt out of place. They mixed in the dives and "small man" spots without a problem, but this was no spotfest. We even got a creative non-finish building towards the August match. I had this at about 4.25 stars and still want to rewatch August, which may feature the best arm work and selling you'll find in any match. That was out of this world and what prompted me to revisit this feud. Just a classic.

 

Hardys vs. MNM (December to Dismember) - Just about through 2006 on my PPV rewatch and this was 1 of 2 matches (along with the EC) I checked out on this show. Nothing special here other than Melina looking good and being more involved than I ever recall at ringside with her screeching. Also thought it hilarious that the ref (I think Charles Robinson but don't quote me) was wearing Pradas. Hilarious.

 

Bryan Danielson & Super Dragon vs. Excalibur & Johnny Storm (PWG January 2004) - Danielson's heel and tag work remain criminally underrated. Really surprised how solid Super Dragon looked on the mat and in some legit wrestling sequences here as well. Excalibur was a solid underdog babyface but this fell apart when it was time for him and particularly Storm to work on top. Will have to get around to writing up many more detailed thoughts on Danielson in the GWE or MDA sections but going back through his career confirms he's a top of the ballot guy.

[Wahoos Leg]

lately I've been alternating my viewing between the following:

 

--recent ROH TV and shows. After not really following their product for the last 2-3 years, been trying to get back into it. Dalton Castle I find greatly entertaining, and Cedric Alexander is a surprisingly good heel.

 

--World Tag League stuff

 

--The Mid-South shows recently posted as a treasure trove on YouTube

 

--PROGRESS Wrestling

 

I'll post more specific thoughts later

[WingedEagle]

Forgot to add one:

 

5 on 5 Gauntlet Match (New Japan 5/1/1986) - Definitely a case of expectations hurting things, as I expected a MOTDC and instead just got a really good match. Highlights were the opening Yamada-Takada match which was a really terrific big vs. small showcase. I'd never seen Liger this early or without the mask but will have to seek out as much of this as I can. It seems he's gone very much under the radar for someone who's a legit top GWE candidate and that will have to change. There were some moments and flashes where things picked up as we made our way through Sakaguchi, Kido, Kosh & co., but it didn't really pick up again until Fujiwara paired off with Kimura which was super hot and moved things into the left lane. That intensity and fury continued as Fujinami came in for the closing stretch and his sprints with Fujiwara and finally Maeda were a ton of fun. Some may say its a crutch, but a little blood used sparingly goes a long way.

[BruiserBrody]

3-30-84 Mid South on the Network!

This is all about heating up the Midnight Express vs Watts angle. We get lots of clips covering Watts/Corny's attacks on one another, Watts searching for a suspended JYD to use as a partner, and promos to set up the matches.

Mr. Wrestling 2 vs Mike Jackson - II looks OLD. Jackson was a world class jobber but he gets replaced by Magnum TA who tries to force himself into a match with his former mentor. II tries to talk his way out of it, then just walks off.

Hacksaw Duggan vs. Nikolai Volkoff - We see clips of Volkoff and Krusher Darsow trying to maul Duggan. The Rock and Roll Express and Terry Taylor make the save! Match only goes a minute before a Masked Commie and Krusher charge the ring. Taylor and the Express make the save again. Butch Reed comes down to mess with the babyfaces too.

Terry Taylor vs. "Hacksaw" Butch Reed- Reed got posted in the last segment and is injured. The Ref is future WCW ref Pee-Wee Anderson! Reed wants the match postponed since this is part of the TV tourney. Reed hits Taylor with a coal miner glove. Jim Ross sells each blow like it's a hammer being used. The Rock and Rolls make the save again.

Larry Santana vs. Masa Ito - The fans mock Ito by bowing at him. A fan has a Dr. X shirt on. What the HELL? That was an AWA gimmick for Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer 15 years before this aired. Match is a quick squash.

JR wraps things up.

Fast and fun 40 mins.

[victory]

That kid wears that Dr. X mask( don't remember a shirt) to a lot of shows. I haven't watched MSW tv in a while but it seems like every show he's there.

[BruiserBrody]

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/a-look-at-wcws-clash-of-the-champions-33/#.VmBfVfmrTIU

Clash 33 or more appropriately a glorified Nitro sees Hulk Hogan try and figure out how to play heel against Ric Flair, Rey Jr and Dean Malenko continue their excellent series, DDP tries to ground Eddie Guerrero, The Steiners collide with Harlem Heat and Sting/Lex Luger, plus Chris Benoit tries to match up with the Giant. Also included is some news and notes from the time period including the WWF's plan to start running weekly PPVs.

[MikeCampbell]

I've been doing my duty and watching all the territory stuff on WWE Network, to keep the goodness coming. I was watching the AWA episode with the Rockers/Badd Company title change from The Showboat. Someone (I'm guessing in a balcony, even though there wasn't one visible that I could tell) had a sign that said "FAG" and it was hanging down and swinging all over the place.

[clintthecrippler]

Yeah, guessing that was meant for Adrian Adonis. There was an ESPN Classic airing a few years back where there was a GIANT one held up in the front row during one of his matches and ESPN didnt censor it either.

[Tim Evans]

Been watching more Memphis 1999 now that I finished the 99 yearbook. I'm up to the end of October 1999. Power Pro is being carried by the Doug Gilbert vs Brian Christopher feud. I think Brian was out of the WWF with a knee injury so he did his rehab in Memphis. Just a total prick heel to everyone between hitting Randy hales with a lighttube, bringing in his own cheering section and bringing back the Spellbinder to play Tommy Rich. Watching the feud continue, I can understand why Doug did what he did. Brian was so witty on the mic and Doug had nothing to say back. Other feuds include Jim Cornette and his group vs Brandon Baxter and his charge, Ali who is this big 6'6 black guy that had a great finisher. I"m surprised Vince didn't sign him really. Cornette ran out Vic Grimes as he left to go to ECW and Bradley beat Angle out of town who went to WWF.

 

Meanwhile in KAW, they were still running strip clubs and small flea markets. The big feud was Terry Golden and BIll Dundee. Dundee kept ducking Golden's challenges so Golden went to Dundee's "other job" which was a strip club/sex toy shop to confront him. This got Dundee pissed and he agreed to the match. They replayed this for weeks but it was hilarious. Dundee in his zubaz doing strip club DJ voice while yelling at Golden and the camera crew. The "wrestling" part of the show was pretty much non extant. The promotion would turn into WWF's Memphis Championship Wrestling in about 3 months and they only had a handful of guys. Looking forward to seeing when Lawler shows up after all the shit talking Terry Golden did. Best part of the show was Brickhouse Brown and Danny B coming out to a Kirk Franklin song.

[BruiserBrody]

Jan. 88 AWA on the Network

Alan West is listed as the 5th most popular AWA star. WOW.

Wahoo claims he recently won a million dollars in a battle royal. Billy Jack Strong is teased to be his new protege.

Kevin Kelly/Kelly Kiniski in a squash match. Nothing wrong with the match but the announcers have nothing to build on storyline wise, which doesn't help the pair out since they are pretty bland.

Ustinov works a squash and no potential opponents are even mentioned to perhaps defend America. These matches taking place in vacuum really hurt the viewers investment in these matches. The Showboat seems fairly full, which makes the total collapse of the promotion over the next few months even more unsettling.

They finish with a lengthy and entertaining Rockers vs Midnight Express match.

[DR Ackermann]

Watching NWA World Championship Wrestling on the network and the Barbarian is a pretty fun squash match wrestler. He's got some nice offense. Also going through bunch of AWA stuff and Bockwinkel looks like the greatest worker in the world. He's an awesome brawler too. Also for all the talk about Hennig dropping off in the WWF, he got really good really quick. By 84 he's pretty awesome and I believe he debuted in 80.

[DR Ackermann]

Also I just want to point out that Billy Jack Haynes wrestles his squash matches as a complete heel despite being a face. He shakes hands before the match and then just bullies his opponents. After they submit to the full Nelson he slams them to the ground in disgust.

[BruiserBrody]

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wcw-fall-brawl-96/#.Vmsj4vkrLIU

Fall Brawl sees a really fun WCW vs nWo War Games, Jericho and Benoit tearing one another apart, Macho Man trying to size up a Giant, plus other cruiserweight action, Ice Train and Scott Norton in a submission bout, backstage news including WWF stars who almost jumped to WCW, Ric Flair almost jumping to McMahonland, Hogan politicking and more!

[Memphis Mark]

I watching a whole lot of Dusty Rhodes and PWG from 2013 and 2015. Most of PWG stuff is pretty good. I do skip all of the Joey Ryan and Candice material , Not a fan of the WCTT , they are just brutal to watch. On the other hand Stardust can do no wrong in my book.

[SomethingSavage]

I haven't gone back and watched it in awhile, but I remember REALLY digging the Candice & Joey versus Young Bucks Guerrilla Warfare match. I can completely understand why it isn't for everyone - or even why it'd turn some people away entirely - but I think it's a shining example of them playing to their strengths in that environment.

 

Candice's selling and sympathy seeking were on another level for a change. I get why her blading would have some people cringing, but the fact that she's getting dropped on her head and selling it like a fucking champ is (at least) worthwhile. Her hand's shaking, she's quivering and acting woozy... Even her offense feels almost entirely impulsive and reactionary from that point up until the finishing stretch.

 

Perhaps I'm overselling it. And if so, then I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. But hey. It's a case of me having a blast when I originally saw it, PLUS it managed to catch he attention of an entire room of friends - all of whom are casual fans (at best) and haven't followed anything "pro wrestling" regularly since WM25 or so. They catch the annual Manias with me, and I got them to check out a couple of PWG shows off the buzz Lucha Underground was getting at some point last year.

But yeah. I've successfully talked myself into going back and revisiting the match again. So there's that.

[pantherwagner]

I have watched a lot of the USWA on the WWE Network. The promotion is corny (even for 1990) and every wrestler seems to have ridiculous neon tights or trunks but the TV is fun and easy to watch if you do not take it too seriously.

 

Ronnie P. Gossett is a national treasure. It's tremendous that he got away with calling the crowd cocksuckers (on the mic, no less) even if bleeped. In one of the first episodes he does a running lariat on a stunned Billy Joe Travis then he trips and falls because he's a fat fuck but he laughs through it and it's awesome. Wrestling needs more greasy fat boy managers cowardly attacking downed wrestlers with a running splash. I don't know why it's not done nowadays. A guy like him would get ridiculous heat somewhere like NXT or ROH.

[khawk20]

Watched a ton of Brick's WWF 1987 set today. Great stuff. I may crank 88 up tonight if the Hawks-Canucks game ends up sucking.

[NotJayTabb]

I have watched a lot of the USWA on the WWE Network. The promotion is corny (even for 1990) and every wrestler seems to have ridiculous neon tights or trunks but the TV is fun and easy to watch if you do not take it too seriously.

 

Ronnie P. Gossett is a national treasure. It's tremendous that he got away with calling the crowd cocksuckers (on the mic, no less) even if bleeped. In one of the first episodes he does a running lariat on a stunned Billy Joe Travis then he trips and falls because he's a fat fuck but he laughs through it and it's awesome. Wrestling needs more greasy fat boy managers cowardly attacking downed wrestlers with a running splash. I don't know why it's not done nowadays. A guy like him would get ridiculous heat somewhere like NXT or ROH.

 

This show was the first time I've seen Gossett, and yeah he's great from the little I've seen. So utterly obnoxious, and even though he's a manager, a guy that fat hitting a splash would still hurt (and it's even more demeaning coming from an out of shape manager).

[Beast]

Watched the first half of the first episode of WWF Championship Wrestling from 1983 and holy crap, what a delightfully random show this was back then.

 

So far:

 

Ray Stevens vs. Curt Hennig - Nothing compared to what this may have been if Hennig was 10 years older and Stevens 10 years younger, but still really cool. Unusual ending too.

 

Jimmy Snuka in a squash at the height of his popularity. The screech let out by the audience when he explained that his hand sign meant he loved the fans was amazing.

 

Buddy Rose vs. Barry Horowitz in a really fun Rose spotlight match.

 

Tiger Mask vs. Mr. Saito - I was watching this episode purely because I knew this was on it, but I still wasn't expecting Tiger Mask to pull out such an impressive dive in 1983 WWF.

 

Still got a Billy Graham squash, Rogers Corner, Samoans squash and who knows what else, but I am so digging this stuff right now.

[pantherwagner]

The first time that I watched Tiger Mask vs Mr. Saito I thought it was JIP as it looked like a potentially amazing match... then I read this:

WWF Jr. Heavyweight Champion Tiger Mask pinned Mr. Saito in a non-title match at around 3:44 with a crossbody off the middle turnbuckle into a sunset flip

[Memphis Mark]

I am watching Baby Doll serving her 30 days as Dusty's valet. Dream had her cleaning out the horse stalls at Nelson Royal's ranch. Later Baby Doll escaped riding Floyd the horse . All of the fans were concerned about Floyd's safety . Dusty revealed on TV that he did get Floyd back to ranch. However the news on Floyd was not good.

 

 

Baby Doll put too much weight on Floyd. As a result Floyd has swayback . Floyd refused to eat and he could not sleep. In the end Floyd was put on to pasture. In my book this makes Baby Doll one of the biggest heels of all time.