supremebve Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Last August on the DVDVR Message Board somebody posted a list of every single match Dave Meltzer rated 4 stars or better. I decided when I saw the list that I was going to watch as many of those matches as I could, and write a bit about them if I feel inspired. So it has been a year, I have 20 files on my computer, and I’ve watched as many of these matches as possible from 1983 through 1992. I’ve since decided that this list wasn’t nearly complete enough for me, and I’ve expanded to watch as many great matches as possible. I've posted most of this on another board, but I think this board will lead to more conversation about the matches. You can find the list here...http://deathvalleydriver.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2528-the-definitive-observer-star-ratings-list/ I've also created a spreadsheet with links to places you can find these matches here...https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mQEPDOO_SEkMjt1dwqVKrNh69cOXJXQJwYDcQJaKJF8/edit?usp=sharing If there is a match that you'd like to see me review let me know. I'm trying to do these in mostly chronological order so if you have a suggestion before my current position on the list I'll get to it as soon as I can, but if it is after my current position I'll get to it when I get to that point. I'll probably post one of these once a week or so, but this project is ever evolving so who knows where it will ultimately lead. 7/28/78 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ryuma Go I've posted 20 of these at the DVDVR Message Board, but just for you guys, I've given you a brand new review. I’ve seen exactly two Fujinami matches, and those were the two against Flair in 1990. Around WrestleMania I told myself I needed to watch a few, but I kind of got caught up reviewing matches on Meltzer’s 4+ Star list and never got around to it. So, since I’m going to be reviewing a much more comprehensive list of matches, I decided to give this one a shot. Also of note, this may very well be the oldest wrestling match I’ve ever watched. In general my wrestling fandom has been pretty contemporary, though I often check out the archives of some of my favorites. This match starts with some of the smoothest mat wrestling I’ve ever seen. Neither man really does anything I haven’t seen, but their execution is what is noteworthy. This is built on a foundation of rock solid chain wrestling, whether it be Go working a side headlock series or Fujinami working from an STF to a hammerlock. There is a really cool sequence where they trade snapmares. Fujinami hits a snapmare, and Go bridges up to hit one of his own. It is a fairly simple sequence, but it is an interesting spot in a match that is 75% matwork. The beauty of this match is in those type of sequence. This is a Jr. Heavyweight match that doesn’t have any dives, it has one flying head scissor, and one attempt at a top rope move. The fact that this match kept me engaged throughout is a testament to how good their work is. I’m not someone who needs a high spot a minute in my wrestling, but this is a match where no one even hits the ropes until the finishing sequence. This is kind of like the first time you eat sushi, and you really don’t know what to expect going in. I was watching this thinking, “Oh, this isn’t too bad.” Then I thought, “This isn’t what I was expecting at all.” Eventually I kind of just went with it and realized I kind of liked it, but don’t know if this is something I want to watch every day. Now I’m sitting here thinking, “Hmm, I wonder if that was a good 70s Jr. match or if that is just me liking something I’ve never encountered more than I thought I would.” I guess I’m going to have to eventually get some soy sauce and wasabi and give this another try. I can’t rate this, because I don’t have enough context to what was happening at the time. I could rate this against more modern wrestling, but I feel like that would also be inaccurate, because I don’t know if I really understand the nuances of what I just watched. I’ll just say I’m more than intrigued to watch more Fujinami from this era, and maybe I’ll look for more late 70s wrestling in general going forward. 4/21/83 - Dynamite vs. Tiger Mask (NJPW) ***** This is the first match I watched for this project. I started this mostly as a way to watch great wrestling matches in my free time. It quickly turned into something I took more seriously. I’ve enjoyed writing for years, and I’ve loved wrestling even longer, so I decided why not combine the two and use this as a writing exercise. Not knowing what this project was going to evolve into, I didn’t give some of these matches much of a review. So I’m going to rewatch some of these early matches and give more comprehensive thoughts. Any time you see italics it will be my first review of a match, that I’ve since revisited and/or had some other comments about. (From August 2014)This was a super fun match that would have been considered great in the Jr. Heavyweight heyday of the mid '90s. The fact that it happened in 1983 is amazing. You hear about people being before their time, but these guys were doing stuff in this match that didn't really become widespread until 10 years after. The ***** rating was well deserved. These two have experienced a bit of a backlash on the internet over the last few years, but this match still works in my eyes. It isn’t perfect by any means, but this match seems like I’m watching the foundation being set for the NJPW Jr. Division. There are a couple of things that seem to be out of place in 1983 for me. The first sequence of the match is a stalemate worked off of a wristlock, that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a mid-2000s Ring of Honor match. It was something you wouldn’t see in the States until the mid-90s with guys like Eddy Guerrero and Dean Malenko. Then there were the dives that took this mostly mat based match to another level. Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid would have fit in the glory days of the NJPW Jr. Division of the 90s with Liger, Benoit, and Ohtani, except I don’t know if any of those guys exist without these two guys to pave the way. Tiger Mask’s offense seems like a Jushin Liger starter kit. Tiger Mask doesn’t do any Ligerbombs or fisherman busters, but Liger’s matwork is essentially identical to Tiger Mask’s. It is well documented that Chris Benoit idolized Dynamite Kid and it is very apparent watching this match that Dynamite’s offense became the foundation for Benoit’s entire career. You can’t watch Dynamite’s clothesline or snap suplex and not think of Chris Benoit, they look almost identical. This match is really good, but I think the real story here is that these two are creating a style that influences wrestling for years to come. Think of this like the Mike D'Antoni Phoenix Suns. Those teams played a very fun, exciting, style of basketball that wasn’t unsuccessful, but never won a championship. This last year the Golden State Warriors played a very similar style that was influenced by the Phoenix Suns, and won the NBA championship. They took Phoenix’s system based on offensive versatility and expanded it to the defensive side of the ball. They built their team full of players who could shoot 3s and get to the basket, as well as players who could guard multiple positions. The Warriors probably don’t win a championship if those Phoenix Suns teams didn’t exist, just like the NJPW Jr. Division probably doesn’t reach their peak without Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask. Upon rewatch I wouldn’t give this match *****. I fully understand why it was rated that high in 1983, but it is kind of a strange match. The match has multiple false finishes, where the match has to be restarted, but somehow it still ends in a double count out. The finish just left me cold. I’m going to give this one ****1/4, it is really entertaining, but I can’t rate it any higher with all of the starts and stops. 12/5/84 - Takada vs. Yamazaki (UWF) ***** (From August 2014) This match is on YouTube, but it is clipped to shit and is a worked shoot. I didn't know there was any such thing as a worked shoot in 1984, so I guess that is something, but I've never been a fan of this style. For what I watched I can't say it is worth the *****, but I'm also the exact wrong person to ask to rate something like this. I really wanted to rewatch this to see if my thoughts had changed, but I couldn’t find a version that wasn’t just the last six minutes. I’ve watched a couple of worked shoots since I originally watched this one and I’ve liked them more than I expected. This one still falls flat to me. First of all I don’t know if this can even be described as a worked shoot, or if this is just a pro wrestling match that is worked in a style that is a precursor to the worked shoot style that would come later. I don’t know if the disconnect is because I can’t see the entire match, so I don’t really have any context for what is happening or if I just don’t like the match. The issue I’m having is that nothing seems to mean enough. The strikes don’t really do enough damage that I feel like they are a legit threat to end the match. They struggle and fight over every submission, but they don’t seem to have any consequence on what happens later in the match. They kind of go from working strikes and submissions and start hitting wrestling moves out of nowhere. Even those don’t feel like they’re doing nearly enough damage, especially when Takada hits two tombstone piledrivers only for Yamazaki to kick out. I can’t rate this, but if I ever come across a complete version I’ll give it another try. 12/8/84 - Brody/Hansen vs. Funks (AJPW) ***** This is my first exposure to Brody, and it is safe to say that I'm not overly impressed. He is clearly the worst guy in the match, but then again so would almost everyone else. Brody is one of the worst bumpers I've ever seen, he just plain sucks at it. He does come off as wild and crazy though. Dory is pretty good here, but this is the Terry Funk and Stan Hansen show. So Stan Hansen throws an insane running dropkick early in this match that would have looked great if he was 75 lbs. lighter, but I honestly was shocked when I saw him do it. He did it as casually as I tie my shoes. Terry takes a back body drop over the top rope to the floor harder than some guys take them in the ring. This eventually just breaks down into a brawl and Terry gets a chain and chases Brody and Hansen off. This was great, the Funks look like they are a total combined age of 756, but they are total pros (The fact that those two have wrestled fairly recently is absurd). Hansen is masterful, and Brody is just crazy enough to not drag this down. The ***** is so worth it, the only problem is there isn't a real finish. 12/8/84 - Tiger Mask II vs. Pirata (AJPW) ****1/2 I don't think I've ever seen Misawa as Tiger Mask, but I have to say he is a pretty fun Jr. Heavyweight. I've never seen Pirata Morgan, so I decided to google him…and apparently that eyepatch is not a gimmick. I really wish I didn't read what happened to his eye and I'll be forever thankful that I haven't seen it. My god that has to be the most horrific injury of all time. Oh, the match…Misawa wins with a tiger suplex. This was pretty short, but fun. I wouldn't give it **** 1/2, but that is only because it wasn't long enough to really build into anything. There is nothing wrong with it, but then again 30 years ago this had to be fucking revolutionary. 3/9/85 - Kobayashi vs. Tiger Mask II (AJPW) ***** Quick question before the match starts…When did the Freebirds start with their entrance music? I've always heard that they were the first, but these guys had entrance music in '85 all the way in Japan. Did it catch on immediately? OK, so this is the first time I've even heard of Kobayashi as far as I remember, and only my second Tiger Mask II match. This starts out pretty fast, and Kobayashi clearly hates Misawa's guts. Tiger Mask II hits what has to be the strangest looking piledriver I've ever seen, he jumps and instead of keeping his head between his thighs his head lands down by his feet. There is a pretty nifty rope running spot that ends with the two guys trading spin kicks. This is a pretty nifty little match, they trade holds, fly, hit some suplexes, and wrestle in a style that is more reminiscent of 1995 than 1985. The only problem is that it ends in a count out. I'm sure if I was watching this feud from week to week I'd appreciate it more, but watching a 30 year old match that doesn't really have an ending takes a little away for me. With that said, based on what was going on at the time ***** doesn't seem off at all. 2/14/86 - Flair vs. Windham (NWA) ***** This is Flair vs. Windham in 1986 if this was less than ****1/2 I'd be disappointed. The thing that I notice immediately is the style of this match compared to the two previous matches I watched. This is basically the best example of 1986 American heavyweight wrestling. There aren't going to be any planchas, topes or tiger suplexes, but then again I don't remember seeing stuff like that until the early to mid '90s(Those Misawa matches were insane for the time period). This is the most dated match I've watched so far, but it is also the best match I've watched so far. They fight over every single hold, bleed all over the place, and both guys fight like hell to overcome their opponent. The part that really sets this match apart though is the pace. They work at a pace where there is constant action, but they give everything a second or two to breathe. This also ends in a double countout, but it worked because they were fighting so hard to make it back in. They should make everyone at the performance center memorize this match and tell them to go home and pray that they can one day be this good. This is excellent. 11/27/86 - Andersons vs. RNR Express - Cage (NWA) ****1/4 Arn Anderson should teach a masters course in goofy stanky legged selling called, "Course Study on How to be a Bad Ass While Looking Like Your Drunken Uncle). This starts off with the Rock n Rolls beating the shit out of Arn and Ole. Arn staggers around like a drunken pirate and makes the RNR's offense look credible. Then The Andersons take over and put the beatdown on both guys and instead of us thinking Arn is a dope we think he is the baddest motherfucker on the planet. Ricky Morton is at his Ricky Mortonest in this match too, taking a beating and bleeding like the proverbial stuck pig. This is probably the worst match I've watched on this list so far, but it's still pretty good. ****1/4 sounds about right for 1986. 11/27/86 - Flair vs. Koloff (NWA) **** Flair is out first, which I hate. Then there is a long ass video of Magnum T.A.'s chest hair, a seagull, and the back of some old woman's head. Magnum's running shorts make me extremely uncomfortable, not only are they tiny, they have about a 3" slit on each side so we can see even more of this dudes thighs. The 80s had no self awareness. Nikita's entrance looks really cool, and the fans love this big goofy, non-Russian. Say what you want about Nikita, but that dude looks like a wrestler, the huge shoulders , the bald head, and the look on his face make him look like a dude who could rip your arms of and beat you to death with them. Flair is pretty much masterful here, and Nikita holds up his end by just beating the shit out of him for the first half of the match. Nikita makes one mistake and Flair is on his leg like a great white shark. I have to say the ref bumps in the 80s were way more realistic than they are now. Tommy Young took a pretty good shot here, and the ref took a hard shot in the Flair Windham match as well. As I type this Nikita hits the replacement ref with a Russian Sickle and I'm surprised his head is still attached. He absolutely killed him with that clothesline. This match ends with a DQ, because the match turns into a brawl and they decide to kick the shit out of the referees for trying to break it up. This was damn good. **** may be a little low for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest si oem Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 The Takada/Yamazaki match is widely available in full, especially if you ask somebody known for having tons of shoot-style. Tabe, dude with tons of shoot-style Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted September 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I love that Flair/Nikita match so much, it is one of my favorites from that era. Nikita was just a crazy monster and had such a huge star for them; its too bad 86-87 was pretty much his peak as it looked like he was going to be enormously popular/hated and a tentpole for the company for another decade. Nikita should have been much bigger, he probably should have jumped to WWF at some point. He was working with a better crop of wrestlers in Crockett, but Vince would have made him a bigger star. A Hogan vs. Nikita program would have made huge money. His limitations as a worker would have been covered up more, and he just had a look that was perfect for 1980s WWF. My favorite thing about Nikita is that he legally changed his name to Nikita Koloff. Live the gimmick brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Andre the Giant vs. Stan Hansen (9/23/81) This is a match I’ve always heard was great, but I somehow never got around to watching. Stan Hansen is someone I’ve become a huge fan of, but the only Andre I’ve ever watched has been in the WWF. This Andre is a completely different person. The first thing that stands out to me is his mobility. The Andre I remember didn’t run the ropes, he kind of just hung onto the ropes, because he couldn’t really move. The Andre I remember damn sure didn’t work holds, like he is here. Andre the Giant, is working over Hansen’s arm like a long lost Anderson cousin. Hansen, who wouldn’t back down from a fight with a Minotaur, comes off as a huge bad ass in this match. Andre is bigger, Andre is stronger, but Andre does not want to let this match turn into a brawl. Hansen is in control whenever he can square up and tee off on Andre, but Andre can always go back to the arm to cut Hansen off. I really expected this match to be a wild and crazy brawl, which it does turn into, but it is a very smartly worked match. Hansen’s biggest strength as a wrestler is the fact that he is a rough, tough, brawler. His biggest weapon is the Western Lariat, so why not work over his left arm. If you were writing up a gameplan to beat Stan Hansen, working holds on his left arm would be the smartest strategy. It takes away his ability to brawl, while making his biggest weapon less potent. Hansen, on the other hand, has to keep hitting Andre with stiff punches, elbows, and chops, while always being aware of Andre’s massive strength. There is a false finish when Hansen body slams Andre, and Andre rolls out of the ring. Hansen goes after him, and they are both counted out. Hansen, Andre, and the crowd all want the match to continue, so the referee restarts the match. Hansen takes it to Andre to start, before Andre cuts him off and unties the turnbuckle pad. Hansen blocks and sends Andre’s head into the exposed turnbuckle. Hansen comes of the ropes to drop a big elbow, but Andre catches his arm and locks in a top wrist lock. Hansen fights free, ducks a big boot, and hits a Western Lariat that knocks Andre completely out of the ring. Andre, while on the outside puts on a Hansen style elbow pad and is ready to knock Hansen’s block off. The referee tries to stop him and Andre hits the ref with a lariat and gets disqualified. Andre and Hansen brawl for a bit before the young boys around ringside step in to break it up. This was a great match, and the only real flaw is that it had to end without either guy taking a pin. Andre is probably the most protected wrestler in the world at this time, and Hansen is probably the most protected wrestler in Japan, neither man was going to lose this match. I fully understand the finish, so I won’t really hold it against them I’m going to give this ****3/4. Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard (I Quit Cage, NWA 11/28/85) So either Dave Meltzer never gave this match a star rating, or the list I have is incomplete. With that said, if you are any type of wrestling fan no one should have to tell you that this is an all-time classic match. Magnum TA should teach a class at the performance center on ring presence. He might as well be the Marlboro Man, he just radiates masculinity. You know how people are talking about guys they wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley? You think of the meanest, biggest, toughest, scariest looking motherfucker on the planet and think I’d never want to run into him. Well that same big, mean, tough motherfucker has nightmares about running into Magnum TA in a dark alley. He is probably the best example of bad ass babyface, at least until Steve Austin comes around. The difference between Magnum and Austin is that there isn’t anything edgy about Magnum, he is a hell of a good guy, but you don’t want to cross him. Tully is almost the polar opposite of Magnum. Tully couldn’t play the hero if he tried, there are port-o-pottys that don’t radiate asshole as much as Tully Blanchard. So basically this is the story of the kid at school who everyone hates, picking a fight with the kid everyone likes. Except at this school they don’t just fight by the flag pole they erect a cage so kids can mutilate each other for the entertainment of the schoolyard. This is a bloody, viscous, fight that feels like it is going a little too far for it to be a work. The match starts with them just rolling on the ground trying to claw and choke at each other and ends when Magnum jabs a pointed shard of broken chair into Tully’s face. When people find out that you are a wrestling fan, they always ask the same stupid question, “You do know it’s fake right?” Yes dipshit, we all know it is fake. The beauty of the art form comes in matches like this, that allow you to suspend your disbelief for a bit and it feels like you are watching something real. This is probably the best cage match of all-time. This is also most likely the best I Quit match of all-time. Matter of fact, this is on the shortlist of best US matches of all-time. This is required watching for and all wrestling fans *****. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Dynamite Kid (WWF Junior Title) (2/5/80) Once again I’ve decided to delve into the career of Tatsumi Fujinami, and once again I’m impressed with his work. The thing that stands out in this match is how different it is from the Ryuma Go match. The Go match is fought on the mat for almost the entire match, but Dynamite is much more about high impact offense. Dynamite brings the punches, headbutts, and suplexes, and Fujinami counters with cat quick arm drags and a couple of the best looking sunset flips I’ve ever seen. There are some guys like Tenryu, who you watch and think that crisp execution is overrated, but then you watch Fujinami and realize how vital execution can be in a wrestling match. This is a match that is built around the fact that Dynamite can beat Fujinami if the match turns into a fight, but Fujinami’s quickness and execution can instantly turn the match to his favor. Dynamite takes 80% of the offense in this match, but everything Fujinami does leads to a near fall. It works, because Fujinami executes his moves in a way that makes the near fall reasonable. If those sunset flips didn’t snap Dynamite over so quickly, I don’t know if I would have bought them as legit pinning predicaments. If this were an MMA fight Dynamite would be the ground and pound specialist who keeps getting takedowns and dropping elbows until his opponent can’t defend himself any more. If he’s going to win he’s going to keep hitting you with high impact moves until you can’t take any more punishment. Fujinami on the other hand is like the slick submission grappler who will take advantage of your every mistake and can win a match instantly. The match ends with Fujinami hitting a drop toehold and turning it into a bridging roll up. It perfectly fit the story of the match and what would look like a fluke roll up 90% of the time, in this instance it felt totally earned. This is just super crisp, rock solid wrestling that is really hard to nitpick. If I had one complaint it would be that it didn’t really feel like they ever hit second gear. They started off fairly hot, stayed consistent, but didn’t really ever hit another level. If Fujinami would have had a comeback where he could have shown some of his babyface fire (it is there, I can see it), this match could have gone from very good to great. ****1/4 12/16/88 - Tenryu/Kawada vs. Hansen/Gordy (AJPW) ***** Young Kawada wearing the half leopard print pants is a little disconcerting, I was fine living in a world where Kawada was the baddest mother fucker alive. Gordy and Hansen are just big rough tough gaijin here, they have at least a 50 pound weight advantage on both guys and I'm probably low balling that. With that said, Kawada and Tenryu wouldn't give a fuck if it was a 500 pound difference because they're going to chop and kick the shit out of them any way. I was under the mistaken notion that Tenryu became grumpy as he became an old man, but he was that crazy brand of I'll slap the shit out of you grumpy here in 1988. This match is basically two big ass Americans came to destroy the Japanese heroes, but the Japanese heroes aren't going to go out without a fight. Hansen and Gordy take out Kawada's knee and leave him laying on the floor as they beat the living hell out of Tenryu. Every once in a while Tenryu will make a comeback only to have the Americans double team him to cut him off. After they put a sufficient ass whooping on Tenryu, Kawada will recover enough to make a save or distract one of the Americans. Either way Kawada's knee injury puts the Japanese team at a huge disadvantage. Tenryu makes one last comeback hitting an enziguri, a diving elbow, and a powerbomb on Hansen, but Gordy comes in and powerbombs Tenryu which sets him up for a Hansen lariat for the win. This was a damn good match that made Hansen and Gordy look unstoppable, but leaving the fans with enough hope that if their heroes can come back healthy maybe they can get the win. This is really good, but I don't know if it deserves the full *****. It is a good match with a hot crowd that keeps everything interesting, but it lacked that little bit of extra that separates a great match from an all-time classic. 3/27/88 - Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (NWA) ****1/4 This is from Clash of the Champions I and I think this project is about to get easier/harder because most of the American matches going forward are going to be on the Network. I should have thought about how many damn matches I'm going to have to watch…maybe I'll just write about matches I've either ever seen or want to revisit. That will narrow it down to about 5641984651891965108 matches. The Network really needs to add markers to a lot of these old NWA/WCW shows so I can skip right to the matches I want. This match is all types of fun and well worth the ****1/4, but I'm not going to talk about that, I'm going to talk about the biggest flaw in the southern tag team formula. The entire southern tag team formula relies 100% on the face team being either stupid or terrible at being a tag team. I've never watched the face team win one of these matches and thought that they were the best team. The heels know how to cut the ring off, how to distract the ref in order to use double team moves, and how to separate a wrestler from his partner in order to punish him for the win. All the face team knows how to do is be overly emotional and get their ass kicked. So from now on I think as a people we should rise up and root for the heels. Oh one thing to note about this match, they do a couple of spots on a table that is laying on the concrete floor, and they pan to the audience and people look like they fear for the Fantastic's lives...the table didn't even break. It is just a wooden table laying on a concrete floor. The table is a much better alternative than the floor right? Why are these people acting like poor Tommy Rodgers is dead? 3/27/88 - Flair vs. Sting (NWA) ****3/4 This is the match from the first Clash of the Champions, and from an era where Ric Flair could have wrestled a **** match with Hornswaggle or Kelly Kelly. Sting is the young lion getting his first shot at the gold and the crowd is all the way behind him. They have judges for this bout including such luminaries as the Pentouse Pet of the year, Eddie Haskell, and Jason Hervey…why are any of these people qualified to judge a professional sporting event? Flair is at his absolute peak here and Sting has the perfect combination of athleticism and strength that allows Flair to use his complete arsenal of heel tricks. He can bump around like a freak, beg off like a coward, and cheat like the scoundrel we all know he is. Sting spends the first 20 or so minutes of this match looking unbeatable, and the crowd is absolutely certain that they are going to see their hero crowned champion. Flair takes over destroys Sting's leg and locks on a figure four, Sting reverses the pressure and Flair goes into desperation mode. He gets some offense in and decides it is time to go to the top rope, and believe it or not, it is a huge mistake. Sting takes over and now we are in the home stretch, and Sting is doing everything he can to finish the champion off. Flair takes another pretty bad ass kicking until Sting misses a Stinger splash and Flair locks in a sleeper. The time keeper announces 2 minutes remain and Flair is begging off and trying to make this a race against the clock. Flair chops Sting, and Sting no sells and Flair is getting desperate. Sting hits the Stinger Splash and locks in the Scorpion Death Lock with 30 seconds to go. Flair refuses to give up and the 45 minute TV time limit expires, and the match goes to the judges. 2 for Flair, 2 for Sting, and one for a draw. This would have got the full ***** from me, it is basically everything you'd want from a match with an established champion and an upstart babyface. Sting now looks like a future champion and Flair got his heat back by not giving up when locked in the Scorpion Death Lock. 12/26/88 - Flair vs. Luger (NWA) ****1/2 I have a feeling I'm going to be watching a shitload of Flair, and I have to say it's probably going to be pretty fun. Luger is apparently down to 262 from 275, because of his diet. He looks like he's on a juice diet. Flair is the man, and Luger gets thrown under the bus a lot, but Luger was fucking good in 1988 and I won't hear anything different. He was limited no doubt, but he was limited to looking like a monster who could beat the shit out of god himself. Flair is at his best working against guys that have the physical advantage. His entire character is that of the smarter, craftier, willing to do whatever it takes wrestler. He isn't going to lose to any average guy, he's too smart for that. It's going to take someone who is truly special, someone who can overcome all of his tricks and overcome his tactics with brute force. Flair uses his smarts and technical prowess to take control, but eventually, Luger's power allows him to take over. These guys have such a great chemistry because their roles are so perfectly defined. They are essentially evenly matched, and it's going to come down to who can take advantage when the other makes a mistake. Flair destroys Luger's knee and goes after his leg like a rabid dog. Luger fights back and eventually puts Flair in the torture rack, but his knee is so hurt he collapses and Flair uses the ropes to get the win. Once again Flair puts on a classic and gets a win that makes his opponent look better in a loss than they would have in a win. I honestly think some of these Flair matches get downgraded because there are so many great ones. Let's just say if you give 1988 Flair at least 20 minutes with a competent wrestler you'll get at least ****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted September 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 12/7/88 - Midnight Express vs. Flair/Windham (NWA) **** So in 1988 all but one match that Dave Meltzer ranked at **** or better featured Ric Flair or the Midnight Express, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say those guys were really good. After the introductions Jim Ross states that this is a match between the 2 best singles wrestlers and the best tag team in the world, and in 1988 that may very well be true. All of these dudes are at their peak and this has the potential to be spectacular. Flair and Windham are the heels here and the match starts off with the Midnights kicking some ass. Flair and Windham hold the two most prestigious titles in the company and they're getting the shit kicked out of them by a tag team, I can't imagine this happening in modern wrestling. They show a really good Paul E. promo during this match hyping the Starrcade match between his Original Midnight Express and Cornette's New Midnight Express. He was a damn good promo 25 years ago, and he's only gotten better. Flair and Windham take over and Windham puts the beatdown on Beautiful Bobby. Hot tag to Sweet Stan, and he's the proverbial house afire with the world's most ridiculous karate kicks. Stan Lane has special educated feet. The match breaks down and the Midnight Express are kicking the shit out of Flair and Windham. J.J. Dillon takes off his shoe to throw to Windham, but Cornette hits him with the racket. Eaton hits Windham with the Alabama Jam, but Flair grabs the shoe and hit's Bobby in the head for the tainted win. This was good, but it seemed more like an exhibition to set up Starrcade than a serious match with any real stakes. **** is about as good of a rating you can give this match, but these guys were capable of much more. 1/28/86 - Tenryu/Tsuruta vs. Choshu/Yatsu (AJPW) ***** So I couldn't find this on its own, but I found it on Toukon Retsuden - 6-23-2000 Jumbo Tsuruta Memorial Show on YouTube along with a couple other matches. The guys overdub the match with their own commentary that adds background, but kind of drowns out the crowd noise. This is my first exposure to Tsuruta, Choshu, and Yatsu, so I appreciate the extra information about the competitors, but these guys are clearly not professional broadcasters so I'll have to take the good with the bad. Tenryu and Tsuruta are the AJPW veterans, and Choshu and Yatsu are invaders from the land of NJPW. Tenryu and Tsuruta don't like these jerks thinking they can come in and take their spot so they decide they are going to give them a well deserved ass kicking. Choshu and Yatsu give no fucks about their feelings and take over early. Our commentators give some good background on Japanese wrestling where they rank the most important figures in Japanese wrestling. They rank Rikodozan, Giant Baba, and Antonio Inoki as the most important Japanese wrestlers ever. They then rank Tsuruta because of his AWA championship run, Tenryu for being the only guy who has a pinfall on both Baba and Inoki, and then Choshu and/or Fujinami. This was a pretty good match with everyone putting in really good work, but it ends in a time limit draw. Choshu and Yatsu had most of the offense, which I'm sure was to build up heat for the blow off, but that was 30 years ago, and I don't have access to the rematch so I can't justify this getting ***** despite the fact that it is really good. So since I started doing this with little or no thought on how I was actually going to analyze these matches they'll probably be different every single time. Some of these matches, such as the one above, I'm going to have very little background on and because of that I'll probably judge them differently than some of the American matches I remember from my childhood. The above match was a really good wrestling match that I didn't have any emotional connection with because of how little I knew about the workers in the match. If I'm going to call something *****, at some point I'm going to have to be pulling for someone to win, or lose, or feel some sort of investment. It doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with the match, the workers, or anything else. 6/5/89 - Tsuruta vs. Tenryu (AJPW) ***** This is on the same Toukon Retsuden episode as the above match. This starts off fast with Tsuruta going for the flying knee and Tenryu dodging and hitting a bridging German suplex. These guys seem not to like each other very much, and Tenryu looks like a fully formed grump. Jumbo is in control early working a cobra clutch and wearing Tenryu down. OK, so in a move that surprised the living shit out of me, Tenryu knocks Tsuruta out of the ring, cartwheels over the turnbuckle, runs down the apron and hits a plancha on Jumbo. I've seen a decent amount of Tenryu and I expect chops, punches, diving elbows, and brainbusters. I do NOT expect crazy planchas. Tenryu decides he's going to just kick the shit out of Jumbo with mounted forearms. He probably should have stuck with that strategy because as soon as they got back on their feet Jumbo hits a counter belly-to-belly. Jumbo's strategy is based on grounding Tenryu with wrestling holds, and Tenryu's strategy is based on big strikes. Tenryu's strategy proves ineffective because the bigger Jumbo decides he's not having any of Tenryu's shit and hits him with a nasty flying knee in the corner. Jumbo is killing Tenryu, but Jumbo keeps covering him too close to the ropes. Jumbo hits three knee drops from the second rope and Tenryu still gets a foot on the ropes. Jumbo hits a Theisz press for 2.999999 and Jumbo hits him with a knee drop to the back of Tenryu's head. Jumbo hits a backdrop and still can't hold down Tenryu. Jumbo goes for another Theisz press, but Tenryu catches him and hits him with a hot shot. Jumbo hits a dropkick and goes to the top rope and hits a kneedrop to a standing Tenryu. Jumbo charges with a high knee but misses, and Tenryu hits a lariat. Jumbo has pulled out all the stops, but can't put Tenryu out. Tenryu misses a diving elbow and Jumbo still can't get the pin. Tenryu hits an enziguri and two powerbombs, and gets the pinfall. This is great. This is kind of the opposite of the first match as far as emotion goes. I really got into this one, Tenryu took a hell of a beating, but kept fighting to stay in the match. Jumbo hit him with everything he had, but kept making mistakes like pinning him too close to the ropes and going to the well once too often with those high knees. Eventually Jumbo made one mistake too many and Tenryu was able to recover enough to get the win in a hard fought, great match. This was ***** in my mind, and right up there with the Flair/Steamboat matches. 1989 was a great year for wrestling. 11/15/89 - Flair vs. Funk (NWA) ***** I'm a huge fan of hip-hop, MMA, and pro wrestling, and all three things can be pretty alienating. People either love these things or tend to be extremely closed minded about them. They just assume that all hip-hop is violent and misogynistic, all MMA are violent blood baths being fought by bar room brawlers, and wrestling is nothing but muscled up rednecks fake fighting. Every now and then someone will show interest in one of them and I have to try to find an accessible, yet good example of one of these things to prove that when done right all of these things are great. This match is on the list. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from will be entertained by this match. It is a simple story of two guys fighting for the respect of the other and they are going to fight tooth and nail until they get it. Funk is at his middle-aged and crazy best here throwing that beautiful left hand straight to Flair's forehead and generally behaving like the world's drunkest uncle. Flair is at his babyface best here, selling every Funk left like a knockout blow, and showing great fire with has absolutely brutal looking (in a good way) chops. These guys beat the living shit out of each other, they lay in every strike, and bump like madmen to get the other guy over. These are two of the best who ever did it, doing it as good as they've ever done it. *****is absolutely warranted. 7/23/89 - Flair vs. Funk (NWA) ****1/2 I'm just going to copy and paste this from my review of Great American Bash '89 I did in the Network version of this thread for the next couple matches. Terry Funk is as good at acting like the craziest son of a bitch alive as anyone in the history of wrestling. Ric Flair was unable to have a bad match in 1989, he could have wrestled a bucket of water to something great at this point. Ric Flair comes out with four women and before the bell can ring Flair goes after Funk and this is going to be a fight. Funk was already calling himself middle-aged and crazy in 1989, and they are stiffing the shit out of each other from the start. Flair is working over Funk's neck, doing a couple of neck cranks followed by a couple of jumping knees and a couple of piledrivers. Funk is doing his writhing around like he is having a seizure selling, and eventually falls out of the ring. Flair is just taking it to Funk at this point, hitting him with slaps, punches, and a jumping elbow before locking in the figure four. Gary Hart distracts the referee and Funk hits Flair in the face with a branding iron, and Flair is busted wide open. Funk hits a piledriver on Flair's injured neck, that could have been the end but Flair gets his foot under the rope. Funk is exposing the concrete floor, and choking Flair with his wrist tape. Funk goes for a piledriver on the concrete, but Flair counters with a back body drop. Flair is really selling the neck, and is losing a lot of blood. Funk with a series of neckbreakers, and Funk is in the driver's seat. Funk is telling Flair to just say he quits, which is setting up something…oh just one of the best matches of all-time. Flair gets the branding iron and now Terry Funk is wearing a crimson mask, and Flair is done wrestling and he is just throwing lefts and rights. Flair charges in the corner and misses a jumping knee and Funk hooks in a spinning toe hold. Flair counters and tries to hook in a figure four, but Funk counters into a small package. Flair counters and gets the 1,2,3. Out comes Muta who spits the green mist in Flair's eyes and they lay a beatdown on Flair. Out comes Sting and there is a huge brawl that ends with Sting and Flair standing tall in the ring. Terry Funk is just wandering around the crowd like a crazy person and throws a chair at Flair. The brawl is back on and Sting and Flair chase Funk and Muta back down the aisle. This was awesome, and oh shit, they are brawling again after Jim Ross was trying to wrap the show up. Ross' voice is just about gone and Sting is choking Muta with a velvet rope. This is how you sell a blood feud, these guys just want to fight. Flair with Ross for an interview, and he isn't subdued this time. Flair tells Terry Funk that they are just getting started, and he has barely broken a sweat, and before they are done, Flair is going to wear his Texas ass out. This was outstanding, I need to find that I quit match, and a cigarette, that was insane. ****1/4 seems about right, but this was fucking insanely fun to watch. 7/23/89 - Luger vs. Steamboat (NWA) ****1/4 Ricky is being carried out to the ring carrying a Komodo dragon in a motorcycle jacket. I don't understand why he agreed to be carried out to the ring while standing on a 2x6 and carrying a wild animal, but he did it and somehow didn't get mauled or fall off, which is pretty impressive. 1989 was probably the best year for both of these guys, and I expect this to be good. Lex takes exception to this being a no DQ match for some reason, but it seems like a no DQ would be in his advantage. Steamboat's chops are about as stiff as they come here, he is just lighting Lex's chest on fire. Lex takes over and hits three big clotheslines, causing Ricky to blindly swing punches in the air just to try to defend himself. Luger flexes and heels it up before Steamboat lays in some more really hard chops. Lex cuts him off with a big right hand as the ref tries to stop Steamboat from pounding Lex in the corner. This is a really good old school big guy little guy match, except that the big guy is quicker than most and the little guy is stronger than most. Steamboat makes a comeback and charges Lex who is reeling on the ropes. Luger back body drops him from one ring to another, before going to ringside to get a chair. Steamboat counters with a slingshot into the turnbuckle. Steamboat takes the chair and beats Lex all the way down the aisle and backstage and Lex gets the DQ win. This was awesome, both guys were at their best, and they worked their asses off here. ****1/4 is about the right rating for this match. I can't help but think that this could have been better, but I have the Steamboat/Flair series fresh on my mind. Once again, don't believe the Luger was never good hype.(I need to watch this again, because I bet I'd rate this higher now.) 7/23/89 - Road Warriors/Midnight Express/Williams vs. Freebirds/Samoan Swat Team - War Games (NWA) **** The Road Warriors come out on motorcycles to IRONMAN, how they didn't overdub that with something inferior I don't know. I know this is probably going to get my wrestling fan card taken away, but I have never seen a War Games mtach. Bobby Eaton and Jimmy Garvin start, and they seem to be fighting for the right to have the world's worst haircut. Terry Gordy in next, and the battle for the worst hair continues. Dr. Death in next and him and Gordy square off. Dr. Death's military presses Gordy eight times into the roof of the cage in an absurd feat of strength. Samu in next, followed by Animal who comes in and cleans house on the heels. Animal hits a tope over the top rope of one ring into the second ring which was really impressive for a guy his size. Fatu in next, and he is about 200 lbs. lighter here than he was when he became Rikishi. Dr. Death and Terry Gordy seem to be having a singles match in one of the rings, while the rest of the guys brawl in the other. Stan Lane in next and he is a house of fire. Paul E. and Michael Hayes are outside strategizing, which concludes with Michael Hayes saying, "So I have to go in? Damn." Michale Hayes gets in and DDTs every single one of the faces before going into the other ring and strutting around like an idiot. He is one of the most ridiculous people in the history of the world, what would he do if he wasn't a wrestler? I honestly don't think Dr. Death and Terry Gordy realize they are allowed to hit other people. Hawk in and immediately hits a diving double clothesline before running from ring to ring kicking ass and taking names. Hawk then hits his own tope from one ring to the other and everyone is now in the double cage. The Road Warriors go for a Doomsday Device on Terry Gordy, but Garvin breaks it up, which gets him killed with a top rope lariat. Hawk then hits him with a series of neckbreakers before putting him in a hangman for the submission. This was just a wild brawl that was hard to recap here, but was fucking awesome. **** is right on the money here, just watch the '89 Bash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted January 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 2/20/89 - Flair vs. Steamboat (NWA) ***** Before I started this project, I was trying to figure out how I was going to take best advantage of the WWE Network. I initially was going to watch every show on the network in order, but I got bored with that almost immediately. So, I was just watching stuff randomly until August 2014 when a poster on the DVDVR Message Board named Mokujin Scott posted a list of every match Dave Meltzer rated **** or better. That post inspired me to start this project. Since then I’ve been going through the list and writing a little about every single match I can find on the WWE Network, NJPW World, YouTube, or elsewhere on the internet. Here’s the thing though, the last few matches I watched before I started this project was the 1989 Flair vs. Steamboat series. So, when I got to this part of the list, I didn’t really feel like watching them again. So it has been well over a year, and now I think I’m ready to go back and give my thoughts about one of the best rivalries in the history of wrestling. The first match is from Chi-Town Rumble, and sets the pace for the matches to come. One of the biggest criticisms of Flair’s work is that he is too go go go. People think that he’s doing so much that nothing he does really resonates, but I think that is a bit flawed as a criticism. Flair’s matches are worked at a very fast pace, but he doesn’t waste a lot of moves in that pace. His moveset works well with the pace, because most of his moves are designed to wear you out not knock you out. If he was throwing a bunch of suplexes and slams, I’d agree that his pace would hurt his matches. He doesn’t do that, he works holds, throws chops, and drops knees. When a big move is hit they do let it breathe, and something as simple as a vertical suplex feels like a credible near fall. This match is worked at a breakneck pace, but I never felt like they wasted a single move. It felt like each guy was trying to push the other to a point where they made a mistake, and they could take advantage. The finish to this match finds both guys working at a frenetic pace trying to hit the one move that will put his opponent away. Neither of these guys really have a bomb, and that helps with the match. If one guy had a move that was a guaranteed knockout blow, this match wouldn’t resonate. Since both guys have to win with an accumulation of punishment, the small package that Steamboat wins with feels satisfying. This felt like a match where one mistake could end the match not one move, and Ric Flair made that mistake. Both guys pushed were trying to get flash pins from the very first rope running sequence, and it only feels right that the match ends on a flash pin. This is easily *****. 3/18/89 - Flair vs. Steamboat (NWA) ***** This is the least known match in the series. I’m watching a handheld version from Landover, Maryland that I found on Dailymotion. Both the Audio and video quality is pretty bad, but I’m willing to make these sacrifices for my 2 or 3 readers. One of the biggest disadvantages the current area has compared to the past is that we don’t get to see matches like this on house shows. The last house show I went to was fine, but the most memorable thing on the entire show was Big Show doing comedy shtick. There was a time when the main events on house shows were what made the company money, and matches like this were far more prevalent. I don’t know what else is in the conversation, but this very well be the best house show match ever. This is outstanding, but I’m not going to rate it. The audio cuts out for most of the ending stretch and really distracted me from what was going on. I will say that this match is readily available and worth tracking down, but is probably more supplemental viewing than prerequisite viewing. 4/2/89 - Flair vs. Steamboat (NWA) ***** This is the 2 out of 3 falls match from Clash of the Champions VI. This has a one hour time limit for Ricky Steamboat’s World Heavyweight Championship. This match starts with a different dynamic than the first, as Steamboat seems to have gained confidence when he won the championship. Flair, who is used to being the champion, tries to intimidate Steamboat. Steamboat, with the championship confidence, slaps him right in the face. Steamboat also works in a much more methodical pace. It makes sense, because he’s defending his championship. He knows that if he can just outlast Flair, he goes home with the belt. So he controls Flair with a series of headlocks. Every rope running sequence, every chain wrestling sequence, and every mistake Flair makes leads to Steamboat grabbing another headlock and slowing the pace. If the first match in the series was a sprint, this one is a marathon. When Flair takes over he picks the pace up, and it is clear that the quicker pace has taken Steamboat out of his game. In a call back to the finish of the first match, Flair goes for a Figure Four and Steamboat counters into a small package. This time, Flair is ready and shifts his weight in order to pin Steamboat’s shoulders for the first fall. The second fall starts, and Steamboat starts to show a sense of urgency. Flair takes advantage, and the roles reverse from the first fall. Flair tries to ground Steamboat and drop some knees to Steamboat’s head. Steamboat, knowing what is coming, dodges the second kneedrop and then attacks Flairs knee like an Africanized, Brazilian bee. He drops about 150 elbows to his knee and locks in a Figure Four, but Flair gets to the ropes. Steamboat can feel the pressure of being down a fall, and is trying everything to even the score at a fall a piece. The problem is that he prepared to wrestle at a slower pace, and the fast pace leaves Steamboat prone to mistakes. Flair, is too good of a wrestler for Steamboat to get careless and he takes over. Flair trying to end this quickly and win back the title that he’s held multiple times takes Steamboat out to the floor, bodyslams him and whips him into the guardrail. Flair sees blood, and knows that he could be moments away from regaining his title. He goes to the top rope, but Steamboat cuts him off and hits a superplex. Steamboat then locks in a double chicken wing and Flair is forced to tap. The third fall starts and both men are exhausted and desperate, but both men can smell victory. Flair goes for the leg early, but Steamboat is able to cut him off. Steamboat is rolling until he tries to hit a high knee in the corner, and Flair dodges leaving Steamboat’s knee draped over the top rope. Having an injured knee in a fight with Ric Flair is like having a sexual secret in a fight with Amber Rose. He’s going to attack that injury with no regard for your life, career, or quality of life. He goes after that leg and everyone in the building believes it’s over. Flair goes to the Figure Four and locks it in. Steamboat withstands the hold for longer than anyone thought was possible, but is able to roll to the ropes. Steamboat and Flair then put on one of the best finishing sequences ever. They pull out all the stops, Flair even hits a top rope crossbody. The match ends when Flair presses his luck and goes back to the top rope, leading Steamboat to press slam him to the mat. Steamboat locks in the double chicken wing once more, but his knee gives away. Both men’s shoulders are on the mat, but Steamboat raises his just before the referee counts for three…but the referee doesn’t see Flair’s foot on the ropes. Winner and still champion Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. This is one of the best matches of all time and once again an easy *****. 5/7/89 - Flair vs. Steamboat (NWA) ***** If the first match was a sprint, and the Clash match was a marathon, this one is essentially both. The first two matches were two guys trying to outwrestle each other, this one feels more like a fight. The first couple matches they felt each other out with chain wrestling, but this one is chop exchanges. Both men are also taking more risks. They’ve tried to outlast each other, but this time they’re trying to take the other guy out. Steamboat has it in his mind that he was able to make Flair submit with the double chicken wing, and focuses his attack on Flair’s arms and upper back. Flair, a man desperate to regain the title, pulls out everything in his arsenal. Flair hits suplexes, knee drops, and every dirty trick he knows. Steamboat launches himself out of the ring multiple times going for high impact, running moves. Flair gets thrown off the top rope trying to hit a big move to put Steamboat away. The difference between this match and the previous matches in this trilogy is that these guys know that they can’t wait for the other guy to make a mistake. They can’t guarantee that they will be able to last that long. This is how to have a rubber match. The key to this match is that both guys doubt whether or not they have what it takes to beat the other, and they are doing everything to prove to themselves that they are the best. Flair and Steamboat take everything from the first two matches and turn it up to 11 for this one. If the first two matches taught us anything it is that Steamboat is at his best when he’s working at a more measured pace. When he gets caught up in emotions, and goes away from his gameplan that is when he makes mistakes. Steamboat gets Flair hurt, and goes to the top rope. Flair sees him and falls into the ropes causing Steamboat to fall from the top rope to the floor. The fall caused Steamboat to wrench his knee and Flair can smell the blood in the water. Flair works over the leg, and it is time for the Figure Four Leglock. Steamboat gets to the ropes, but the damage has been done. Flair continues to go for the leg, but Steamboat hits an enziguri. Steamboat goes for a bodyslam, but his leg buckles allowing Flair to pin Steamboat with an inside cradle. Once again this is an easy ***** it’s just a masterful match. This is the best series of matches in the history of American wrestling. All three matches work alone, but are even better as a series. The matches build upon each other in a way that makes the previous matches even better. I think the best of the three is the Clash of the Champion match from April 2, 1989. It kind of a microcosm of the entire series. It doesn’t really tell the entire story, but if you were stuck in some sort of ridiculous situation where you could only watch one, that is the one you should pick. I know everyone seems to have their personal favorite of these matches, but the Clash match is an hour long epic that doesn’t feel like a single second is wasted. If you are a wrestling fan and never watched these matches, do yourself a favor and dedicate an afternoon to them. If you haven’t seen them in a while, go ahead and give them another look. These matches are timeless, and like a great album or your favorite book, you find something new to like about them with every viewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 1/28/89 - Tenryu/Kawada/Fuyuki vs. Tsuruta/Fuchi/Yatsu (AJPW) ***** This was joined in progress and the crowd is already hot. I think I've seen everyone here at least once except Fuyuki, who is dressed just like Kawada, but has an afro. I don't know what these guys are fighting over, but apparently they are pissed about it. This is clearly about Tenryu and Jumbo, and their brief portion of this match is the best. It is obvious they know everything about each other as they run through a pretty complex sequence where they see the other's signature spots coming and try to counter them into their own signature spot. This is pretty great with the Kawada and Fuyuki being all energetic, Yatsu being a big mauler, Fuchi being the creepy old guy, and Tenryu and Tsuruta being the all-star bad ass dudes they are. This was clipped down to about 11 minutes so I can't say whether it deserves it's ***** rating, but what was here was really fucking good. 2/23/87 - Savage/Adonis/Race vs. Steamboat/Piper/JYD (WWF) **** This is elimination rules, and Gorilla and Slick are the commentators. This is a match made to set up three of the matches from Wrestlemania III and the heels are stooging it up for the faces. Adrian Adonis and the Junk Yard Dog were counted out for the first eliminations. Roddy Piper hit Adonis with a chair and as Slick brings up should have got him disqualified. Of course Gorilla doesn't agree despite it being 100% true. Slick was pretty good on commentary, and probably should have been used more in that role. Steamboat gets eliminated next after Savage comes in and reverses his small package so Race is on top. Race out next as Piper moves and Savage accidently hits Race with the top rope axe handle. Piper and Savage are the last two competitors and despite being the face all of Piper's offense is blatant cheating. Slick points this out to Gorilla, but he once again ignores him. Piper wins after moving out of the way of the elbow drop and getting a small package. This is OK, but this isn't a **** match. It is fun, especially with the Dr. of Style's commentary, but there isn't much of a match here. 12/13/89 - Flair vs. Sting (NWA) ****1/4 This is from the Ironman Tournament from Starrcade '89 so it's a 15 minute time limit. There are currently people in another thread who are saying they never liked Ric Flair so I'm going to try to wipe the tears from my eyes and power through this. I've been watching wrestling as long as I remember, and as far as I've seen no one was as consistently great as Ric Flair. He did everything, he could talk, he could wrestle, he could work face, he could work heel, and he never seemed to half ass anything. I honestly thought that he was undeniable. Now I don't know what to think any more, this is probably worse than when I found out there was no Santa Clause. This is 15 minutes of Sting vs. Flair in 1989 so it was damn good, but a 15 minute time limit took away from what it could be. 6/14/89 - Steamboat vs. Funk (NWA) ****1/4 This was so fucking fun. I don't know what was going on in 1989 between Flair, Funk, and Steamboat, but they were unbelievable. This is basically 20 minutes or so of Funk and Steamboat chopping the shit out of each other and trying to out crazy each other with their bumps to the floor. For the record, Funk's over the top bumps are crazier, but Steamboat taking a running piledriver (that's right a running piledriver)on the floor was the craziest. This was mostly a match to set up the Great American Bash, but they didn't make it seem like they were just working an angle like the six man tag above. ****1/4 is the most you could give this, but I also think it's the most you could ask for. The post-match angle with Luger is also pretty good. 9/12/89 - Luger vs. Rich (NWA) **** Tommy Rich is built like a guy who fixes cars in his front yard while smoking a cigarette with an impossibly long ash. I've seen some Tommy Rich, but it consists of 100% old, out of shape, WCW Tommy Rich. This is the very best I've ever seen him, and despite being built like a guy who lifts weights one beer at a time he has good babyface fire. As I typed that last sentence he tried to pick up Luger for a body slam but couldn't keep him up and damn near dropped Luger on his head. Luger was the worker here though, he hit the ropes like he was running a 40-yard-dash, and even goes for a tope rope splash. He bumps for all of Rich's offense and basically made this match work. If all you know about Luger is what you read about him on the internet, this match would make you think you were watching someone else. When I saw this match on the list I was ready to call Meltzer crazy, but this was deserving of its **** rating. 9/12/89 - Flair/Sting vs. Muta/Slater (NWA) ****1/4 Terry Funk was supposed to be in this match, but he suffered an injury at the Great American Bash and Dirty Dick Slater is approximately 5/16 Terry Funk so he was added as a replacement. The Great Muta was the coolest wrestler in the world to me as a kid. I was 8 years old the first time I seen him and I was probably an adult the next time I seen him, but I think I created him in every wrestling game that had allowed it in between. So I think it's safe to say he made an impression. I have to say, Dick Slater is much more fun than I remember. He sells like the bastard son of Terry Funk and Greg Valentine, and seemed like he was determined to not be the weak link in this match. Honestly Slater does most of the heavy lifting here. Muta does all his signature spots, Sting shows good fire, and Flair is in control for most of his portions of the match. The ref gets knocked out at some point and then shit gets real as Terry Funk runs in and puts a plastic bag over Flair's head. Flair is bleeding inside the bag so not only is he suffocating, you can see the bag is stained with blood. It is a really cool visual, and it being a TBS show they go to a commercial before he gets out. They come back and tell us that Flair needed to have mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and they go off the air with Flair laid out and bleeding on the ringside floor. This was great especially the closing angle with the plastic bag. ****1/4 is about right for a good match, but an all-time angle. 10/28/89 - Flair/Sting vs. Funk/Muta - Cage (NWA) **** This is the last 1989 match(There is a Rockers vs. Brainbusters match I couldn't find) and based on all of the above matches and angles I think it's fitting to end with this. The Great Muta and Terry Funk come out separately to their respective bad ass theme music, seriously two of the best themes for their respective characters of all time. Bruno Sammartino is the special referee for this Thunderdome Cage match. The cage is surrounds the ring like the Hell in the Cell except the top is slanted in and is "electrified" and the only way to win is if one of the designated terminators (Gary Hart for the heels, Ole Anderson for the faces) to throw in the towel to protect their friends. I'm sure the cage was not electrified, because that would be stupid, but they have fireworks shooting off the top to make it seem real. The fireworks start a small fire on some of the Halloween decorations and Muta puts it out with green mist. This match is…strange. The whole point of the match is that the cage is electrified so the wrestlers can't escape, but the heels constantly climb the cage which ruins the entire concept. Terry Funk and Sting spend about five minutes fighting at the top of the cage where they should supposedly be electrocuted. This is the first match that makes me think Dave Meltzer is on crack. 1989 was a great year for all of these guys, but this was just ridiculous. The crazy thing about it is I like the concept of a match in an electrified fence that can only end by submission or knockout, but if the wrestlers constantly climb the so called electric fence it doesn't make any sense at all. That last match wasn't anywhere close to ****, but there are two different Pillman vs. Luger matches that I'd rank at least **** (Great American Bash and Halloween Havoc) that you should probably seek out. Pillman and Luger have great chemistry and they work at a breakneck pace that makes their matches really fun. 1989 NWA(WCW) was probably the best single year main event run in wrestling history. Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Terry Funk with the occasional assist from Lex Luger and Sting were at the absolute top of their games. Flair, despite what you'll hear around here, was the best wrestler on earth and he went out to prove it every single night. This was the easiest year to watch so far since most of it was on either the WWE Network or YouTube, hopefully this continues, but if not I might need to get creative. This was written in 2014, before I watched through the 4+ star matches from 1900-92. You should understand that these were my opinions at the time that I wrote this, even though many of them have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Which ones have changed? Glad to see you review so many matches. Just to be clear, are the star ratings yours or Meltzers? Only one I disagree strongly on is Flair vs. Sting. I know Kris Z still defends that match, but for me it's the most rote and by the numbers Flair match ever. I don't genrally give out snowflakes for what a match did in history or what happened after. As an example, also low on Race vs. Flair Starrcade 83 and high on something like Hogan vs. Bock which is traditionally maligned because of the booking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Which ones have changed? Glad to see you review so many matches. Just to be clear, are the star ratings yours or Meltzers? Only one I disagree strongly on is Flair vs. Sting. I know Kris Z still defends that match, but for me it's the most rote and by the numbers Flair match ever. I don't genrally give out snowflakes for what a match did in history or what happened after. As an example, also low on Race vs. Flair Starrcade 83 and high on something like Hogan vs. Bock which is traditionally maligned because of the booking. The top stars are Meltzers, the bottom ones are mine. For the most part, my opinions on these matches probably aren't much different, but my perspective on the workers and their place in history is different. I said that 1989 is the best main event run any company ever had, but I think All Japan is better in 90,91, 92, and 93. 1989 could be the best main event run in American wrestling history, but even that is probably a little hyperbolic. When I started doing these, I was just saying how I felt about these matches as I wrote about them. The only real perspective I had was how I felt in that moment, but as I've wrote about more and more matches I realized calling something the best ever in 1989 is short sighted. It is 2016, and I have a list of every match Meltzer rated 4 stars or better to get through. There is no real way to know whether or not something is the best ever when there are over 20 years of matches to watch. I still really like all those WCW matches from 1989, but I think I overstated their historical value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 I just went through all the 80s matches on the list and I thought maybe I should give out some awards so here I go. Wrestler of the decade: Ric Flair, he was probably in 75% of the matches and was the best part of basically every single one of them(Steamboat and Funk gave him a run for his money). 1989 was his magnum opus, he was at his best and he reached levels that very few guys could even dream to reach. Match of the Decade: Either Flair vs. Steamboat from the Clash, Flair vs. Funk from a couple Clashes after, or Steamboat vs. Savage from Wrestlemania III(Meltzer rated this match****1/2…blasphemy). They were basically the best wrestlers of the decade working their asses off against each other, and they are still very entertaining 25 years after they happened. I'd probably pick Steamboat vs. Savage if I had to pick a favorite, but Savage is my all-time favorite wrestler. Tag Team of the Decade: The Midnight Express were about as good of a tag team as there has ever been, and if life was fair they'd have a DVD set out with all of their greatest matches. Revelation of the Decade: It has to be Jumbo Tsuruta, he was someone I've heard about countless times, but he lived up to the hype. He is basically the bridge between the 80s U.S. heavyweight style and the 90s All Japan style. His match with Tenryu was basically the equivalent of Flair vs. Steamboat with fighting spirit. It was the best Japanese match I watched on this adventure. Tiger Mask II was pretty awesome too, but I'd already seen a lot of Misawa. I just didn't realize how good he was as a masked Jr. Heavyweight. Most Overrated and/or Underrated: Lex Luger was great in every single match he was in on this list. I know he was wrestling the likes of Flair and Steamboat, but he absolutely pulled his weight. He also has two matches with Brian Pillman that should be on the list and he miraculously pulls a **** match out of a washed up Tommy Rich. 6/8/90 - Tsuruta vs. Misawa (AJPW) ***** Misawa is out first and he's accompanied by Kobashi and Kawada. The Misawa chants are already in full effect in what I understand is his first big match after losing the Tiger Mask. Jumbo looks to show his dominance early with a big boot to the face and a tooth rattling lariat. Misawa reverses a back drop and baseball slides Jumbo out to the floor. He then hits his trademark rope flip followed by a drop kick to the floor. Jumbo gets cut off coming back in and Misawa then hits a running pescado. Misawa is definitely the plucky underdog here trying to stick and move, and use his speed to counter Jumbo's power. While Misawa's strategy is to strike quick and avoid Jumbo's power moves, that doesn't mean he's scared. He is here to win and even slaps Jumbo a couple times to make sure he knows that he ain't no bitch. Misawa charges with a cross body, but Jumbo catches him and drops him into a stun gun and Jumbo brings the beatdown. Jumbo hits some nasty knees and a powerbomb before getting his double arm suplex reversed into a back slide. Misawa hits him with an elbow and baseball slides Jumbo back to the outside. Misawa hits a pretty swank plancha from the top before going back in and attempting a bridging roll up. Misawa goes to the top to hit his knee tap frog splash, but Jumbo gets the knees up. Jumbo hits a couple of nasty assed lariats before going for the back drop. Misawa kicks off the turnbuckle making Jumbo take most of the brunt of the backdrop on the back of his head and then hits a German suplex and goes for the Tiger Driver. Jumbo reverses it and hits his jumping knee right to Misawa's face. Jumbo sends him into the corner and Misawa tries a springboard crossbody, but Jumbo's ready and hits him with an elbow. Jumbo charges for another jumping knee but Misawa moves and Jumbo gets hung in the ropes. They fight over a vertical suplex, and Misawa drops behind and goes for a back drop. Jumbo reverses in mid air, but Misawa rolls through for the pinfall. This was a great match and the crowd popped huge for Misawa's win. They absolutely love him. Kobashi, and Kawada have to basically fight fans off to get him back to the locker room. This seemed like a changing of the guard and a really historic moment. This is very reminiscent of the Flair vs. Sting match from the first Clash where the young lion takes on the old vet, except the young lion wins here. This is just about perfect. The fans were behind Misawa in the beginning, but by the time he won, they damn near rioted. This is how you elevate a guy, well worth *****. 10/19/90 - Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi vs. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi (AJPW) ***** This is one of those matches where you can just feel that something special is about to happen. The last match made Misawa look like an absolute stud, and the crowd here is chanting his name from the very start. Watching Misawa, Kawada, and Kobashi at this age is strange, because they all wrestle with a youthful exuberance that is just plain missing from the matches I've watched over the years. They see the mountaintop, and they're running to the peak. They see the veteran's time waning, and they are looking to take their spots. I don't speak any Japanese, but the story of this match is clear as day. The young guys are looking across the ring, staring down the veterans and telling them, "It's our time now." The veterans are staring back saying "If you want my spot, you're going to have to pry it from my cold dead hands." It works so well because of how both teams work. The young'ns are all enthusiastic hitting their diving clotheslines and running around like lethal chickens with their heads cut off. The vets are just surly assholes who are going to take their time and make this ass whooping count. In the end the old school ass kickers get the win, but it is very apparent that the fans see Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi as the future. This is the best six man tag I've ever seen, ***** is well deserved . It is essentially perfect. 7/7/90 - Midnight Express vs. Southern Boys (NWA) ****3/4 The Southern Boys are out first dressed like confederate soldiers, and in 1990 I'm surprised that shit like that would fly especially in Baltimore. The Southern Boys control Eaton to start, and are basically the most racist white bread babyfaces ever. Sweet Stan comes in and has a karate standoff with Tracy Smothers…Stan Lane's karate is both the best(in a douchebag heel way) and worst(in a this shit looks terrible) example of karate that I've ever seen. What was the last heel tag team that had the always effective gimmick of knowing every trick in the tag team book? The Midnight Express' entire hook was that they knew every single dirty trick ever invented and used them all every chance they had. Seriously, they would just need to have a lot of double team moves, and maybe have a douchebag manager, it would work right now. Oh the match is great, the Midnight Express may be the best tag team of all time, and the Southern Boys ate their Wheaties that morning. ****3/4 may be a little high, but I just watched the above six-man and this just doesn't really compare. This was fun, but don't watch it after one of the best matches you've ever seen and think it's going to compare. 9/1/90 - Fantastics vs. Kikuchi/Joe Malenko (AJPW) ****3/4 I could only find a version that was joined in progress, and was about 10 minutes long. It was really good, but there were some pretty big flaws for a match someone would rate at ****3/4. First there was a spot where Kikuchi was body slammed from the apron to the floor, and he pops up like nothing happened. He took one of the most ridiculous bumps I've ever seen, and didn't sell it at all. Then Kikuchi botches a springboard, and the victory roll setup that leads to a doomsday device. Everything else is pretty stellar, but it is just too flawed to rate that high. I'd probably have it around **** 9/1/90 - Tsuruta vs. Misawa (AJPW) ****1/2 Before I started this project I had never watched a single Jumbo Tsuruta match, but he is basically neck and neck with Flair as far as who is the MVP of this list so far. He is everything I hoped he would be and more, and Misawa at this point was coming into his peak. At this point in their careers the only thing these two couldn't do was suck. These matches are outstanding, but they are becoming increasingly harder to describe interestingly. So don't be surprised if I skip a couple of these every now again to keep this interesting. For now, I think I have to address the absolute nuclear hot crowd here. There are good crowds, great crowds, outstanding crowds, and then there is this shit. I don't remember the last time an American wrestling match had a crowd that cared even half this much. This shit is absolutely insane. There is a point where Jumbo mounts(pause) Misawa and rains down punches before throwing him into the crowd and hitting him with a chair. The crowd reacts like they are watching someone murder their dog. They care about these two wrestlers more than most people care about their children. When Misawa kicks out of a backdrop, I'm surprised the building didn't collapse. Misawa and Jumbo are insanely good here, but this crowd is the star of the match. ****1/2 seems more than reasonable for the match, but this is a ***** crowd. 8/19/90 - Liger vs. Pegasus (NJPW) ****1/2 The 1990s were a golden age for Jr. Heavyweight wrestling and Liger and Benoit are two of the best of the era. I understand a lot of people have well deserved problems with Benoit and how his life played out, but I've always been one who can talk about someone's work without taking into consideration their personal character. So while watching his matches are problematic for some, I can still watch them and enjoy them despite who he was and his personal choices. After all the Nazis basically invented the highway system, and none of us are taking all back roads next time we go to grandma's house. He was a scumbag, but he was also a damn good wrestler. This is 9:00 and I believe the beginning is clipped, but even if it was complete I think it would be overrated at ****1/2. It was a really good, fast paced match, but it lacked that little something extra that takes a match from good to great. With that said, I need to stop watching matches like this directly after a Jumbo/Misawa match. Those matches are so damn good with such an amazing atmosphere, and they all seem like the most important match of all time. I have a feeling that Misawa/Jumbo is going to be to 1990 what Flair/Steamboat was to 1989. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 08/18/90 - Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi vs. Misawa/Kawada/Kikuchi(AJPW) ****1/2 This is on the list as 10/19/90, but that is the date of the previous six-man tag on the list, which remains the best six-man tag I've ever seen. That isn't a slight on this match at all. That match is Halle Berry in Boomerang, this match is Halle Berry in The Program. Both are damn good, but one kind of has a funny haircut. Kikuchi is switched in for Kobashi in this one, but it honestly isn't that big of a drop off. Kikuchi if nothing else takes a lariat like he's trying to get decapitated for our entertainment. He's the smallest guy in the match, but that doesn't stop him from trying to take it to the much bigger guys in the match. He's like Steve Smith Sr. you might be bigger than him, but you do not want those problems. The thing that makes these matches great is that these guys hit every single move like they are trying to win the match. Jumbo's bodyslams look like he is trying to throw his opponent through the mat, they aren't just there to put a guy in position to do another move. This is something that I think is missing from most current wrestling. They spend so much time setting up their spots, that everything in between those spots loses meaning. Everything here means something, they aren't just trying to get their moves in, they are trying to win the match. They aren't posing and gesturing to let the crowd know what move is coming next, they are punishing their opponent. This is a great match that starts off hot as an oven, and ends roughly the same temperature as a supernova. Everybody gets a chance to shine here, except maybe Fuchi, but that could be because I think he looks like someone's wimpy grandpa. 5/26/90 - Tsuruta/Kabuki/Fuchi vs. Misawa/Taue/Kobashi (AJPW) ****1/2 Fuchi and Taue start this match with a competition to see who has the worst physique. For the record Fuchi clearly has the worse physique, because at least Taue looks like he was put together by a mad scientist. Either way, both guys have the ability to bring it, and that is what really matters. As far as Kabuki goes, this is only the second time I've watched him and the first time his offense was repeated claw holds…he probably did six or seven extended claw holds in an 8 minute match. It is safe to say, that I'm not a fan. I don't know who or what caused this Misawa/Jumbo beef, but it is very clear in this match that these two just plain hate each other's guts. Smack dab in the middle of this match the two of them basically have a brawl that gets so out of hand everyone else has to come in to break it up. It was a pretty cool segment that really put over that this is not just a couple of guys competing to see who is the best. These are two guys willing to end the other's career if that is what it takes to prove they are the better man. It really raises the stakes of the match. It really shows, because I can watch this match commentated in a different language and understand who is who, and what is what based on nothing but how these guys work in the ring. After the brawl it is pretty apparent that Jumbo is pissed, and he takes it out on the young bucks. He really knows how to turn on the viciousness, and he throws the best bodyslams I've ever seen. I love how he plays his role as company ace. He isn't just the face of the company, he is the best in the world, and he will defend his spot tooth and nail. It isn't enough for him to know he's the best, he's going to make sure his opponent knows he is the best. Misawa is right there with him going blow for blow and not backing down from Jumbo's legend. He truly believes it is his turn and he is going to take his spot whether Jumbo likes it or not. These matches are great on their own, but watching them play out over a series of matches really illustrates how incredible of a story they are telling. Jumbo's time on top is coming to an end, yet he isn't dead yet. Misawa's time has come, but he might not quite be ready. These guys are heading to a showdown, and both are 100% confident that they'll be the one to walk out, but one of them is going to be wrong. This is a great match, and my only regret is that I didn't watch these matches sequentially so I could watch this story play out as it happened at the time, but it is still damn good. 2/25/90 - Luger vs. Flair (NWA) ****1/2 (I wrote this for the Wrestlewar '90 review in the WWE Network Thread.) Luger is out first and the crowd absolutely loves him. Flair gets a good reaction too, but Luger is clearly the fan favorite here. 1990 Ric Flair is basically everything you could ask for in a wrestler, he is just a master of every little thing. With that said, Luger is probably at his peak here, and Flair makes his power moves look like a million bucks. The basic story of this match is that Lex is a super human force of nature, but a rookie. Flair on the other hand is a wily veteran who is also the dirtiest player in the game. It is basically a contest to see if Lex can overcome all of Flair's dirty tricks to gain the World Championship. Flair bumps around like a pinball for all of Luger's offense, but when he gets Luger hurt he is focused like a laser. Any chance Flair can get he uses the ropes for leverage, goes to the eyes, or distracts the ref so Woman can get a cheap shot in, because he knows that he can't match Lex strength to strength. So Flair smartly tries to take out an arm first to stop all the power moves and then goes to the leg to set up the figure four. Everything Flair does makes sense, but Lex is essentially superhuman and his strength eventually overwhelms Flair. Woman interferes again and distracts Lex and the ref allowing Flair to ram Luger into the ref and Nick Patrick is out cold. Lex hits about 78 power moves including a powerslam and a superplex before putting Flair into the torture rack, but the ref is still out. The ref recovers just in time to see the Horseman come out to attack the injured Sting, and Lex comes out to make the save. The ref counts Luger out and Flair is still World Champion. This was awesome, Flair was so fucking good at this point, and Luger was no slouch. Everything just clicked, and the only real fault I have with it was the count out finish. 5/4/90 - Pantera vs. Fuerza (CMLL) ****1/4 OK, so as a disclaimer I think I need to say that I haven't watched a lot of lucha, and the little that I have watched I've found confusing. I just don't understand how they build their matches. For instance the first fall of this match was a lot of mat work that didn't really lead to anything. They started off with a lot of holds that were a variation of a groin stretch, but it seemed to be in the match as an excuse to do some crazy matwork. After a couple armdrags, Pantera pins Fuerza Guerrera with a Majistral cradle. The second fall starts with a long sequence of complicated armdrags, and some cool rope running spots from Pantera. He is really good at being the quick, flippy technico. Fuerza on the other hand is basically a surly bastard who would rather stretch this asshole with crazy, overly complex submissions, and takes the second fall with a kind of chickenwing, deathlock. The third fall starts and Guererra is taking it to Pantera. He is hitting a bunch of bulldogs and slams and just generally kicking ass. There is a cool sequence where Pantera kicks Fuerza's leg as he's running the ropes and he does the Chris Hamrick bump, and Pantera follows him to the floor with a tope con hilo…in 19 fucking 90. They then trade Gory Guerrero specials and I really thought Fuerza was going to tap when Panteral rolled through and had him in sort of a rolling boston crab. They trade a few more submissions, that would take a paragraph in a half to describe, before Fuerza goes to the top and goes for what looked like a swanton, but Pantera moves and goes for a Romero Special. Fuerza blocks a hurricarana with a powerbomb and locks in what I'm going to call a Tequila Sunrise(half crab with armhooked, except not turned all the way over like Konnan used to do it). This was pretty fun, and I think I followed it better than most of the lucha I've watched. I can't in good conscious say whether it is worth its rating, because it is a style that still doesn't really click in my mind for some reason. So I'll say that I liked it, and hopefully I'll start to understand it better with this project. 2/25/90 - Midnight Express vs. RNR Express (NWA) ****1/4 (I wrote this for the Wrestlewar '90 review in the WWE Network Thread.) One of my biggest shames as a wrestling fan is my almost complete ignorance of this feud. I mean just look at the mullets, how can I not love these guys. Jim Cornette is wearing the same suit Michael P.S. Hayes wore at the Hall of Fame. The Rock N Roll control early, and Cornette comically tries to help the Midnights and almost gets his ass kicked by Nick Patrick. Cornette is such a stooge, he just knows how to get the crowd to hate his guts. The Midnights take over and Ricky Morton is getting his ass kicked. This is perfect old school tag team wrestling. The faces are full of fire, and the heels are absolute technicians. WWE needs to have a heel tag team like the Midnights who win with just pure execution with their quick tags and double teams. Seriously, if they found two guys who could work that style, and put them with Heyman the tag division would take a huge step up. All their best teams are faces, (The Wyatts excluded) especially with the Real American break up, an old school, technical heel team could really get the division over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 1/31/90 - Liger vs. Sano (NJPW) ***** I somehow couldn't find this on YouTube when I was going through these matches in order, but now there seem to be 10 different videos of it. It is kind a gift to have misplaced because it breaks up the All Japan matches that have dominated 1990. Liger is on the short list of greatest of all time, and this is one of his greatest matches. He takes an ass whooping for the record books early in this match with his mask being ripped off and a pretty nasty blade job on top of it. Sano tries to knock him the fuck out hitting big moves and backing off so the referee can make his 10 count. Liger sells all of Sano's offense like absolute death and at one point has to use the referee's leg to pull himself up before he can complete the count. Sano's throws every suplex in the encyclopedia in this match, and every single one of them is executed perfectly. I'm a huge mark for suplexes so this is right up my alley. Liger makes his comeback after reversing a back drop and they go into the finishing run. Liger hits a stiff Ligerbomb and finishes Sano off with a Shooting Star Press. If you haven't seen this match go to YouTube and give it a look. It is probably 5 years ahead of its time and a pretty strong peek into what is to come during the NJPW Jr. division's incredible run in the 1990s. This match deserves the 5 stars, it is one of the best examples of one of my favorite types of matches. The NJPW Jr. division was what got me into Japanese pro wrestling and the run they had in the 90s was comparable to any run in history in my opinion. This is basically the egg that hatched and gave birth to that run. 9/29/90 - Misawa/Kawada vs. Kobashi/Ace (AJPW) **** How bad of a wrestler would the fourth guy in a match with Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi for it to be a bad match? I'm typing this as Johnny Ace, his mullet, and his absurd mannerisms and I have to say I'm not impressed. My only Johnny Ace experience is his WCW run as a Dynamic Douche and as the Raw general manager, so forgive me for not coming into this with a positive opinion of him. Business picks up as Kobashi and Kawada brawl, and Kawada decides he's going to murder Kobashi with a powerslam on the floor. Not satisfied that Kobashi is still drawing breath Kawada then decides to suplex him from the apron to the floor. Johnny gets a hot tag and takes over for a second before getting elbowed into oblivion by Misawa, and tagging in Kobashi. Kobashi hits a series of slaps before getting kicked in the back by Kawada while running the ropes and eating a brainbuster. As far as faces in peril go, you don't get much better than Kenta Kobashi, he is about as sympathetic a character as there has ever been in wrestling and this match takes full advantage. Kobashi counters a Kawada powerbomb and tags in Johnny. Kawada cuts him off on the top rope only to have Kobashi come in leading to Kobashi and Ace hitting a Doomsday Device. Before too long Misawa and Kawada continue murderizing Kobashi before the match ends abruptly. I think that this was a time limit draw, but I don't speak Japanese so I can't confirm. This was essentially everyone doing what they do best, Kobashi being sympathetic, Misawa being the ace, and Kawada kicking ass…oh and Johnny being a big goof. This was a **** match that seemed like they were going through the motions. I want you to understand that there is nothing at all wrong with this match, they do a lot of really fun sequences and Kobashi takes a couple insane bumps. The only issue with this match is that in 1990 three of these guys are in at least 10 better matches that make this look average. Seriously, if you don't pay attention to anything else I say here, know that the feud between Jumbo and Misawa is one of the greatest feuds ever and you should watch all of it. 12/16/90 - Doom vs. Anderson/Windham (NWA) **** This is a street fight for the titles and it is just a flat out brawl. There really isn't much to say about this match other than that you probably don't want any problems with any of these dudes in real life. All four guys beat the hell out of each other. All four guys blade and bleed all over the place. All of these dudes have been pretty good for most of their careers, and this is a pretty good performance from all four of them. I don't think this is a **** match, but I also don't think that is the point. This was a mid feud match that was designed to make the audience think that these are the four toughest motherfuckers on the planet, and set up a blow off to the feud. It was a fun brawl between four absolute pros and it accomplished everything it set out to do. 7/28/90 - Perfect vs. Santana (WWF) **** Tito Santana is a wrestler I remember loving as a kid, but this is probably the first Tito Santana match I've even thought about in 20 years. These guys have a really good chemistry. Tito's simple babyface fire offense and Perfect's crazy bumping fit together seamlessly. Tito has the match won about 75 time, except Mr. Perfect fell into Earl Hebner's knee making him unable to make a count. We get a new ref, and Perfect takes control. They battle back in forth in a really fun match that ends when Perfect reverses the small package, that Tito reversed the Perfectplex with. I don't think this is a **** match, but this is a really good television match that I probably watched 75 times as a child. I used to tape the Saturday Night's Main Events and watch them over and over, and this would have been right up my alley. This is everything that a 9-year-old me could have wanted, but 33-year-old me found it to be a little less than ****. 7/12/90 - Tsuruta/Inoue/Kabuki vs. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi (AJPW) **** Guess who 's back in the mother fucking house with a **** match for your motherfucking mouth. There are very few things in this world that are certain, but I think it is safe to say that 1990 All Japan is one of the best single year runs in the history of pro wrestling. I started this project hoping to see some good matches and discover some wrestlers I may have missed over the years. Before I started I had never watched one second of Jumbo Tsuruta, and now I feel like I missed the boat on one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. I've been watching wrestling as long as I can remember, and in a couple of months Jumbo has climbed into a echelon of my fandom held by the likes of Flair, Savage, Foley, and Austin. He is on the shortlist of guys that mere sight of their name on a YouTube clip piques my interest. It doesn't matter who he's wrestling, because if Jumbo's in the ring I know I'm in good hands. The YouTube version of this match is only 12 minutes, and it starts with Misawa, Kawada, and Kobashi doing their standard spots against Inoue and Kabuki. I really thought this was going to be a bit of a letdown, but Jumbo wouldn't let it happen. He let his partners shine, as much as they could, during their segments, but there was no mistake who the star was when he stepped into the ring. I don't think there is an active wrestler in the world right now who has 5% of the presence that Jumbo had in the ring. Everything about him just screamed, "THE MAN." 5/26/90 - Fuyuki/Kikuchi vs. Kawada/Nakano (AJPW) **** This one starts with Kikuchi taking it to Kawada and really laying in the kicks…bad fucking idea. Kawada counters a snapmare and returns fire with a barrage of kicks that eventually became uncomfortable to watch. I took the opportunity during the last match to write a fanboy love letter to Jumbo, and before this list is over I foresee myself writing one to Kawada as well. He is just about everything I want from a wrestler. This is clipped down to 8 minutes and while I wish I could watch and rate the entire match it doesn't seem to lessen the emotion of the match. Both teams are working their asses off, the crowd is invested, and it feels like a big match. Based on the I minutes I saw I'm going to go ahead and assume that this earned its **** rating, I'd like to see the whole thing though. Well that wraps up 1990 and now let's give out some awards. Wrestler of the year: This is simultaneously the hardest and easiest award to give, because there are only two people in contention, but I don't think it is possible to separate Mitsuharu Misawa and Jumbo Tsuruta. This is the ultimate changing of the guard feud. Jumbo is the epitome of old school surliness. He doesn't tell kids to get off his lawn, he goes outside and kicks their ass until they leave and never come back. Misawa is the one kid who wouldn't leave. Sure, he took his beatings, but deep down in his heart he knew he had what it took to take his place. Thankfully I'm an academy of one, and I get to make up these awards as I go along. Both guys get the award, and 1990 for Misawa and Jumbo is every bit as good as 1989 was for Ric Flair. Match of the year: 10/19/90 - Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi vs. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi (AJPW) ***** Feud of the year Jumbo’s Army vs. Misawa’s Army The Jumbo/Misawa match from June is a close second, but while that is a great match this is the best six-man tag match I've ever seen. The Jumbo/Misawa feud defined the year, and while the singles matches were great, the tag matches are what really told the story. Jumbo and his crew of vets are defending their place in the world and Misawa's crew of young guns are coming to knock them off their perch. Most wrestling feuds are told as simple man vs. man stories, but this one works better as army vs. army. Jumbo and Misawa are unquestionably the generals of the armies, but Taue, Fuchi, Kawada, and Kobashi bring another layer of storytelling that pushes this feud over the edge of greatness into the realm of legendary. Those are the only awards I'm giving this year based on the fact that no matter what other award I'd think of it would go to these guys for the exact same reasons I've stated above. I'm not really one to tell people that they have to do anything, but if you are a wrestling fan you have to watch the Misawa/Jumbo feud and the tag matches that go with it. Trying to talk about great wrestling without these matches is like trying to talk about the history of black music without mentioning James Brown. The conversations would just be incomplete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted March 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 2/24/91 - Sting/Pillman/Steiners vs. Sid/Flair/Zbyszko/Windham - War Games (WCW) ***** This is great from the very first second. Pillman and Windham start and I would have been satisfied if it was just 20 minutes of these guys brawling. Pillman is a house afire and Windham sells his ass off. Windham blades maybe 30 seconds into this match and is wearin the crimson mask before Flair comes in and they commence to put the beatdown on Pillman. Sting comes in next and this match has so far been structured perfectly. Zbyszko comes in next and the heels once again get the advantage while they have the numbers advantage. Rick Steiner is in next, and I honestly wonder if anyone has ever told him that he doesn't have to try to kill people with those Steinerlines. Seriously he hit a couple of clotheslines where he launched himself in the air and put all of his strength into them. I love the War Games concept, but there are a couple of reasons that I can see why they don't do them anymore. The first thing is that the distance between the rings is problematic. There are a couple of times where a guy would throw someone from one ring of the other only for them to realize in midair that their legs weren't going to make it over the second set of ropes. The second thing, and I don't have any idea how they didn't realize this back then is that the ceiling of that cage is ridiculously low. The end of this match is basically Sid's almost seven foot tall ass almost killing Brian Pillman with a powerbomb because his feet hit the roof on the way up. To add insult to injury El Gigante comes out to drag Brian Pillman out of the ring and we don't really a satisfying ending. Other than the last minute and a half, this was outstanding. There was not a single dull second of this match. The heels were vicious, the faces were full of fire, and everyone…OK, maybe not Sid…had on their working boots. For an added bonus you should look up the bad ass poster for Wrestle War '91 with Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, and Sid in camo. That is worth almost the full ***** all by itself. 4/20/91 - Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi vs. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi (AJPW) ***** This is a rematch of my 1990 match of the year, and I have to say, I'm pretty much pumped to see what these guys give me. The first thing that strikes me in this match is that the vets have stepped up their viciousness and are done fucking around with these punk kids. Taue and Jumbo seem to have decided that these young bucks have gotten a little too big for their britches and it is time for them to pay for the last year of transgressions. The main feud in 1990 was between Jumbo and Misawa, but it is very apparent that Kawada and Taue have grown to hate each other's guts. Taue knocks Kawada off the apron a couple times early, leaving him unavailable for the first 5 minutes or so of the match. When Kawada comes in to break up a submission he pays him back with about 9651658965165891653 thousand stiff ass kicks and that is before he mounting him (pause) and dropping a bunch of punches and elbows. Kawada is absolutely everything I could ever want out of a wrestler, he sells his ass off, and hits some of the nastiest strikes of all time, and even does a brainbuster. The first half of this match is basically a showcase for everything great about Kawada. Another great thing about these matches is that there really isn't a face team and a heel team. The vets work more like heels, but their work comes off more like wily veterans who know how to take a man apart than bad guys trying to injure their opponent(I typed this sentence before the systematic destruction of Kobashi's knee). This dynamic allows both teams to have long heat segments, for there to be face in peril segments for both teams, and for the crowd to cheer loudly for both teams at different throughout the match. Once again Kobashi is the world's most sympathetic babyface as the vets decide that they want to see if they can rip his leg off and beat him to death with it. After about 15 minutes of some of the most vicious leg work you'll ever see, Kobashi gets the hot tag to Kawada and he elbows Fuchi about 75 times before hitting him with about 25 short arm clotheslines. Kawada tags Misawa and a loud Misawa chant breaks out. Fuchi turns the tide and a loud Fuchi chant breaks out. Jumbo comes in and destroys Misawa with a lariat four a 2 count and the crowd chants for Misawa again. The last 10 minutes of this match are fucking masterful. So many two counts, so many momentum swings, and an ending that calls back to the very beginning of the match. I am trying to decide whether or not I like this match than the one from 1990, and I think I like the 1990 one better. With that said, this is fucking excellent. In the 1990 match there was a bigger gulf between the vets and the young guns, and that is the only reason I'm rating it higher. I prefer that dynamic just a tad more than this one…but this is an almost unbelievably good wrestling match. 8/3/91 - Cactus vs. Gilbert (TWA) ***** This is a difficult match for me to actually rate, because it is a fairly crappy handheld video and all of the big spots seemed to happen on the exact opposite side of the ring from where the camera was set up. They are not only taking crazy bumps in front of about 200 people, a good portion of the crowd can't even see what is going on. This is billed as a 2 out of 3 falls match, but it is more like a best of three series of matches. The first match is falls count anywhere, the next match is a stretcher match, and the third is a cage match. I think it would be unfair for me to try to rate this match as a 33-year-old, who has been watching wrestling as long as I can remember, so I'm going to turn this over to 10-year-old Supremebve…Cactus Jack is a crazy person who is mad at "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, because he thinks he's so cool. In the first match Cactus Jack beat up "Hot Stuff" and won the match. In the second match "Hot Stuff" hit Cactus Jack in the head with a bottle and then stabbed him in the face with it. He told Cactus Jack he was going to kill him and then gave him a piledriver and a DDT on the concrete floor. I thought that Cactus Jack was dead. The referees save Cactus Jack's life, by putting him on a stretcher and taking him away. The third match was a cage match, and I didn't think Cactus Jack was going to be able to wrestle. They played his music and he didn't come out, and Eddie Gilbert got on the microphone and called him gutless. They played Cactus Jack's music again, and he still didn't come out. The doctor said that Cactus can't wrestle, because he is too hurt. People in the crowd started cussing. Cactus Jack came out with his head wrapped up like a mummy, and said that he doesn't want any matches he wanted Eddie Gilbert's a-word. He got in the cage and started kicking "Hot Stuff's" butt. Cactus Jack climbed to the top of the cage and "Hot Stuff" drop kicked him out of the ring all the way to the floor. Then they fought outside the ring, look I know wrestling is not real, but these guys are really fighting. "Hot Stuff" clotheslines the referee and then Cactus Jack punches him in the face with some brass knuckles. "Hot Stuff's" brother jumps in and beats up Cactus Jack, and starts choking him. "Hot Stuff" then tells Cactus Jack he's going to kill him again, and then starts kneeing him in the nuggets. Doug Gilbert takes off his boot and starts hitting Cactus Jack in the face with it. Bam Bam Bigelow jumps in and then him and Cactus Jack beat up the Gilbert brothers. I really liked this match, because they did some stuff that I never seen anyone ever do before. Cactus Jack did a lot of crazy stuff like doing a top rope elbow drop outside of the ring, and Eddie Gilbert hit him in the head with a bottle. 33-year-old me is coming back, and later he said he'd tell me what a boobie feels like…OK, he wasn't supposed to share that last part. I turned this over to 10-year-old me because it is important to look at some of these matches the way they were watched at the time. This is the earliest version of the brawling style that ECW made famous later in the decade. There were table spots, big bumps to the floor, and all types of other nonsense. The bottle spot was insane, only Foley would let a guy break a bottle over his head in a worked match. With that said, this doesn't hold up very well. The match itself isn't bad, but there is absolutely no selling despite putting each other through tables, hitting each other with chairs, and breaking a fucking bottle over Cactus Jack's head. It told a decent story, and it was innovative, but those two things can't justify a ***** rating. 1/23/91 - Nakano vs. Hotta - Cage (AJW) ***** I've been watching wrestling for as long as I can remember, and I have very few blind spots when it comes to watching the squared circle. Joshi is essentially the dark side of the moon in my universe of wrestling. It is completely uncharted territory, that said the Joshi wrestler I've seen the most of is Bull Nakano. I remember her brief runs in both WWF and WCW, but she isn't exactly a woman you forget. This is an escape rules cage match against Yumiko Hotta, and not only is this the first Joshi match I've ever watched, I think it is the first Japanese cage match I've ever seen as well. Bull comes into the match with a heavily taped left knee and Hotta targets it with kicks from the opening bell. Bull uses her superior size and strength to take over and put a beat down on Hotta. Hotta makes a comeback and hits a top rope back elbow that buckles Bull's knee and tries to make an escape. Bull pulls her off the cage and hits a nasty backdrop followed by a series of jumping kicks that all look brutal. Someone throws some nunchucks in the ring and Nakano proceeds to beat Hotta half to death with them. This building needs better security, because every time one of the women tries to climb out, a bunch of fans runs up to the side of the cage so they can't make it to the ground. This match ends with one of the most absolutely insane, why the fuck did Hotta agree to do that, spots I've ever seen. Nakano, who is at least 200 lbs. hits Hotta with a flipping guillotine leg drop from the top rope, only to climb to the top of the cage and hit her with another guillotine leg drop. There are a lot of women I'd like to sit on my face, but I don't think I'd let any of them sit on my face like that. Seriously it has to be seen to be believed. This probably isn't a ***** match, but it is pretty damn good and that finish really puts this in a whole different stratosphere. There are a lot worse ways you can spend 20 minutes. 1/4/91 - Nakano vs. Hokuto (AJW) ***** Bull Nakano is back and this time she looks pissed…OK, she always looks pissed, but that isn't really the point. Akira Hokuto looks to be on the losing end of about a 110 lb. weight disadvantage, but she is game and rushes Bull to start. Nakano clearly doesn't like that so she proceeds to kick the shit out of Hokuto before taking her outside and hitting her in the face with the mallet from the ring bell. Hokuto fires back with some forearms, and goes for a rollup only to have it countered into an oma plata…who knew that Bull had a jiu jitsu background? Hokuto reverses into a liontamer and takes over for a bit with submissions before Nakano reverses into a liontamer of her own. It turns out that the smaller Hokuto is the better submission wrestler and she once again takes control leading to a couple of picture perfect dropkicks. Bull sells the dropkicks in a pretty unique but effective way. She doesn't just take a snapback bump, she kind of leans back like she is doing everything she can to stay up, but the impact was just too much and she finally falls over. It basically puts over her strength as the monster heel and the strength of Hokuto's drop kick. Hokuto goes to the submission well once too often, and Nakano counters and hits her with a couple of nasty backdrops that drop Hokuto directly on her head. Bull hits her top rope leg drop for two, and goes for another only for Hokuto to move and hit her with a tiger suplex. Hokuto hits a series of top rope moves, until once again she goes for one too many and Bull takes over. Bull Nakano then hits Hokuto with a tombstone piledriver from the second rope followed by a powerbomb. Hokuto kicks out at two and Bull can't believe it. Hokuto takes over once again and hits a fucking northern lights bomb and Bull just barely kicks out. Just as Hokuto looks like she is about to win, Bull counters into another devastating backdrop and gets the one, the two, and the three. This was outstanding, and I can see why Meltzer gave it the full ***** rating. It was Bull dominating with her overwhelming power, and Hokuto countering with her superior speed and technical ability. Every time it looked like Bull was going to just run Hokuto over, Hokuto would do something that would turn the tables. When Hokuto took control she emptied her entire arsenal and tried to take Bull out as quickly as possible. The strategy would work until she would get caught with her hand in the cookie jar and Bull would just cut her off and kill her dead with power moves. I haven't seen many better examples of monster heels vs. fiery babyfaces, you should track this down if you are even remotely interested in Joshi. 5/24/91 - Tsuruta vs. Kobashi (AJPW) ****3/4 If I had to rank the AJPW heavyweights, at least the ones that matter, from favorite to least favorite Kobashi would be near the bottom, and that is saying something because I think he is fucking awesome. He's undeniably great, but he is clearly number four when compared to Kawada, Misawa, and Jumbo with me. That said, this is pretty damn good, and highlights what is great about both guys. Jumbo is "The Man," and Kobashi is the fiery youngster who will give everything he has and never quit. Kobashi hits him with everything he has, but Jumbo is still Jumbo and he doesn't lay down for young punks like Kobashi. Kobashi takes Jumbo to the limit, and Jumbo kills him dead with a back drop to get the win. The only version of this match I could find was clipped, so I can't say whether this is properly rated, but what I watched was outstanding. 3/21/91 - Hase/Sasaki vs. Steiners (NJPW) ****1/2 So this is my first NJPWworld.com watch, and let me tell you I couldn't have picked a more fun match. I've seen this match probably 15 times over the years, and while I don't think it holds up as a ****1/2 match, it is basically the best heavyweight tag spotfest ever. There isn't much of a story, there isn't much psychology, and there isn't really much selling, but there are suplexes on top of suplexes on top of suplexes. Scott does that one suplex where he basically just double legs Hase and turns it into a backdrop. Rick does his top rope belly to belly. Scott does his spinning belly to belly. Hase hits a couple of those beautiful uranages. Sasake hits a couple of those powerslams where he catches the guy in mid air and then turns him over. There are probably 10 other big bombs that I don't remember. If you like suplexes, and have 15 minutes to kill, there isn't much more fun you can have with a wrestling match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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