[2000-08-24-Toryumon] SUWA vs Dragon Kid

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

SUWA vs Dragon Kid - Toryumon 08/24/00 Hair Vs Mask

This was different thats for sure. It was like someone took ECW/Lucha/Japanese Juniors put in a blender and out came this oddly fun match. There was a lot leaving me scratching my head. Was it 2 out of 3 Falls or did Ultimo Dragon just restart the match? Maybe if I spoke Japanese that confusion could have been avoided but that was 2000 WCW at its worst there. Still maybe it is because I grew up in the late 90s, but there is something about gratuitous interference that does not bother me as much as other wrestling fans. It is entertaining its own way. Actually most of my problem with this match was with Dragon Kid. His offense was so Indy-riffic and pointless. I thought Kojima was bad with Ace Crusher variations, Dragon Kid was killing me with all these setup spots for his stunners. Then add that he will get his ass kicked and just pop up. You are the tiniest dude on the roster you can butter your bread selling. Like for instance SUWA makes a big deal that he is going to elbow Dragon Kid in the balls and he does. Immediately Dragon Kid avoids his next move and does a somersault off the top rope onto the floor. It was a ball shot, dude. Given the two other reviews I read for this match I agree that SUWA was very good and could have been something more if he ended up in a different promotion. Though my disagreement with the previous reviewers is I liked the first/fake fall (?) more. Dragon Kid leaping out onto SUWA during his entrance. Then SUWA as his only defense chucked a chair at Dragon Kid when he tried coming off the apron. I loved SUWA throwing him into the chair and punching young boys. Even though he is bigger than Dragon Kid he still rakes the eyes as a cut off and then goes and rips the mask. At that point, I was just thinking this maybe a fun lucha brawl. I was not buying Dragon Kid's hope spots at all. I was glad SUWA pinned him with a powerbomb, but I think Ultimo Dragon restarted the match because his feet were on the ropes. Dragon Kid tries the only strategy he seems to know and that is bullrushing, but SUWA just uses his momentum against him. I actually dug the dropkick spot where SUWA dropkicked him and Dragon Kid went halfway across the ring. It is worth checking out. Kid hits a rana off a splash mountain attempt. Ref bump. Melee ensues with what seems like the entire roster in the ring. I was digging the chaotic feel of this. I thought the ending was the weakest part, but others seemed to like it. Dragon Kid should stick with hurricanranas because he hits those a lot more wickedly than those awful Stunner variations in his comeback. They hit this convoluted powerbomb that looked like it should be an gymnastics routine where basically does a 360 front flip. I will say the Dragonrana was pretty fuckin bitchin'. Evil Dragon Kid beats up Dragon Kid, but Dragon kid still has the wherewithal to shave SUWA's head. SUWA extends the hand in respect. The audience applauds and then SUWA kicks a field goal right through the uprights. He fuckin destroys a chair around this young boy's head. SUWA is pretty awesome. I didn't hate this. I actually found it a breezy, entertaining 25 minutes. I would not want all wrestling like this but SUWA gave a pretty good heel performance and Dragon Kid was not too cumbersome a piece of luggage. ***1/4

[Ditch]

SUWA definitely carries this. Dragon Kid in a lot of ways shows how good Mysterio is, because Kid has a lot of talent and got a pretty good push for his size, but never came remotely close to Mysterio's level in the ring. This is the best Dragon Kid singles match, and that's based on SUWA. Even then it's on the outside of my bubble for making the final ballot.

[dawho5]

So Dragon Kid is 95% flippy shit. Some of it is impressive flippy shit, but come on, man. Develop some normal offense. How does the Toryumon ref have a job? Every Toryumon match I watch, the heels are pulling illegal shit right in front of his eyes, but they point the opposite direction at somebody over on the apron or at ringside and he SPRINGS INTO ACTION TO STOP THE DANGER OF THE MATCH BEING COMPROMISED BY INTERFERENCE! Glad he does such a good job of that. They really, really needed to find a better way of dealing with that than they did. SUWA as asskicker heel is pretty good. His late match offense that builds to his really big nearfall/finishers is pretty incredible. His 75% cheap heat act early is a little tired, but he brings it late. Also, very good at bumping around when he needs to be.

[Graham Crackers]

It's weird how many of these Toryumon matches rely so heavily on outside interference but at this point it was still kind of novel. They hadn't gone so overboard as to make me hate every bit of interference like I did in the Dragon Kid vs Darkness Dragon match. It may not sink the match completely but I still think it's way too much. It made me sad when watching matches for this project that SUWA, while still good, was not as awesome as I remember him being. At least in NOAH he didn't have to rely this much on his stablemates. Like ditch was saying, Dragon Kid does have some neat spots but he lacks that special underdog charisma that made Rey so special. Mechanically he does a lot of things the same way but his timing isn't as good and his selling isn't as believable. This is fun but it isn't exactly good.

[WingedEagle]

The SUWA show. He basically dominates the entire match while Dragon Kid has a few moments to show off his flippy stuff. Nothing wrong with that, but not exactly top shelf. Can't wait to see SUWA against more game opposition.

 

***

[soup23]

I'm going to be way higher on this than the other commentators. I thought this told a great story of SUWA being the ultimate prick bully and Dragon Kid selling his ass off and having to use his spotty spots to overtake the advantage. The false finish and overbooking were polarizing but I am not adverse to those if done sparingly. I thought DK execution was well done and the culminating Dragon Rana felt like like the first brutal move that could have obtained victory for him. The after match with Darkness Dragon debuting was great. **** (8)

[Childs]

I also really liked this when I watched it for Ditch's 2000s project, Chad. I believe it made my top 100 for the decade.

[AstroBoy]

I am in the camp that thought this was near-brilliant. The overbooking worked in this scenario and it worked really well, actually, to specifically shove the intensity of the match into a next level. It also pulled a greater sense of peril and involvement out of the crowd, so job done. I don't care how many flips Dragon Kid does, all his offense was executed well and he didn't come off like some floaty, showy, flippy guy. He was really selling and really scrapping and throwing himself into his offense (the running spin kick in the corner comes to mind). SUWA obviously was awesome bullying him, playing up his power over the smaller guy, trying to keep him down, cutting him off at opportune times and then getting caught with a flashy move and just letting him survive and survive. Big moves did have build to them and reversals and counters weren't egregious at all. It all added up to the desperation of each to put the other away. This was fabulous.

 

****1/4

[ohtani's jacket]

This was pretty good. I liked how it was worked as an apuesta match in the beginning and not some watered down shit but I did have a few complaints. First of all, it should have been a 2/3 falls match. That would have eliminated the need to have a restart. SUWA could have simply won the first fall and Dragon Kid could have battled his way back. Secondly, in this sort of match Dragon Kid needs to be pinpoint accurate with his offense. And he wasn't. Not by a longshot. Thirdly, there was no need for Crazy Max to interfere. SUWA was kicking ass and looked like The Man. He didn't need anyone interfering. Lastly, when it was all said and done did Black Dragon (or whoever it was) need to attack Dragon Kid? That was pretty stupid especially since GAORA cut to Dragon Kid cuting SUWA's hair as though nothing had happened. The GAORA commentary was terrible but at least SUWA pulled a Fuerza Guerrera-level cheapshot at the end. That was class personified. SUWA was great in this but it was poorly booked compared to the Arai bout. 

[Makai Club #1]

I think the restart was brilliant. The crowd buys the false finish big time and everyone sells it well. SUWA sells the win like he broke the Undertaker’s streak and Dragon Kid’s seconds were going ballistic at the injustice (SUWA putting his legs on the ropes). The restart from then on was terrific. It captured the exact spirit and urgency that’s required in an apuestas match. SUWA was a bully which makes DK the perfect opposite. DK hits all the pinning moes and ranas that he could think of at hyper speed and precision in order to score the win and it paid off greatly. ****1/4