Masa Chono

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Timbo Slice]

Before injuries felled him, he was a great worker. The 91/92 G-1 matches were fantastic. I don't think he'll make my list, though. Just too much of his career bogged down by the nWo stuff.

[GOTNW]

If I were making a list of 100 coolest wrestlers he'd make it for sure. Don't think he was ever a good worker though, even before the neck injury.

[Loss]

The creepiest ringtone in history would be that awful breathing sound he makes. Seriously, it's distracting enough for me to have major issue with him.

[El-P]

I enjoy wrestlers with odd breating sounds, like Chono or Haku. Don't ask me why, I just always thought it was part of their aura.

 

Chono was one hell of a worker before the injury.

[Coffey]

I enjoy wrestlers with odd breating sounds, like Chono or Haku. Don't ask me why, I just always thought it was part of their aura.

 

One Man Gang/Akeem!

 

"WHOA-HAAA! WHOA-HAAA!"

 

Chono is the guy that I'm watching older stuff of today. My new process is selecting a nominee everyday & watching new (to me) stuff of theirs. I've seen some Chono stuff & don't remember him being very good. So I'm watching any older stuff I can find.

[El-P]

Two MOTYC :

 

G1 Climax final vs Mutoh in 91 (I think. Or was it 90 ?)

G1 Climax final vs Rude in 92. (what the hell was I thinking ?)

 

Chono in the very early 90's was a terrific worker. Didn't last, but hey, there's still a bunch of stuff to enjoy.

[DR Ackermann]

91. There wasn't a G1 in 1990.

[El-P]

Yeah that's what I thought. Thanks for correcting my failing memory (age… or alcohol. Or both).

[Makai Club #1]

I'm not sure where exactly I'll rank him but I will and it'll be shockingly high. Top 50s, I'll say. Maybe higher.

Chono is someone who just connects with me. I think he embodies everything great about wrestling. Charisamatic to the hills, not the most expansive wrestler - basic wrestler, basic brawler, not the most amazing signature moves either, but gets a ton of milage out of what he has, even before his neck injuries caught up to him (He won the G1 with a shoulder block, remember), has a very respectable match resume (top level singles matches, tags, gimmick matches, etc), and has links to a more classical era of wrestling, which doesn't matter to most people, but to me, the fact that Thesz helped trained him means the world. I think the Tenzan-Chono tag team run was really strong, more so than the Tenzan-Kojima team. I rate the fact that it elevated someone who was fresh off an excursion in Europe to someone for the future. Post peak Chono was still capable as well and still one of the hottest acts in the promotion all the way until the mid 00s.

Not a bad career for someone who's career could've ended in 1992. 

[EnviousStupid]

That's awesome. Even though I'm a fan, Chono's always been a case of what could've been had he not suffered that neck injury early in his career, as until that point he would've probably been my favourite of the Musketeers. I always remember how in those early G1 final matches, he worked the finishes as though he were capitalizing on opportune moments to barely come away with the victory, which was really distinct from how most other heavyweights would go about their matches.

[concrete1992]

I haven't watched a lot of Chono but the G1 Climax 1992 probably removes him from consideration. If that's the good stuff then I can't imagine ever buying in.

[Ma Stump Puller]

He had multiple stinkers with Nishimura during G1 stints so that's him mostly disqualified for me lol. Always felt better as a tag worker than a singles, especially post neck-explosion. Him alongside Hashimoto and Muto? No contest as to who is where on my list, Chono is definitely not getting far compared to those two.

 

 

 

 

 

[brockobama]

Actually prefer Chono after the injuries, when he taps into that charisma and learns to get the most out of big boots and so on. Even beyond the cool persona he's more expressive in general, with the emotion of his G1 finals against Takayama and Fujita blowing the flat workrate "classic" of '91 out of the water. That said he's not making my list either way. Like him plenty but not more than 100 other people.

[Ma Stump Puller]

1 hour ago, brockobama said:

Actually prefer Chono after the injuries, when he taps into that charisma and learns to get the most out of big boots and so on. Even beyond the cool persona he's more expressive in general, with the emotion of his G1 finals against Takayama and Fujita blowing the flat workrate "classic" of '91 out of the water. That said he's not making my list either way. Like him plenty but not more than 100 other people.

Yeah vice versa about Muto post knee destruction funnily enough. You get more of a focus on less workratey stuff, but far more engaging matches as a result because they have to focus on making the smaller stuff count. Their 2001 match together was basically that philosophy coming to a head, and as a result it's one of their better (if not the best) outing between the two as a result, despite it not having any crazy spots.