Reactions to the List: 50-26

[ohtani's jacket]

 

 

28. Bobby Eaton

 

Bobby Eaton is another guy who I don't have any strong attachment to. Every time I see him, I think he's an excellent worker, and I get sucked into Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express any time I go down that particular viewing path. Loved the Enforcers and the Dangerous Alliance. Could quite happily watch random Bobby Eaton TV matches even on a sunny day. But I won't go to my grave telling the grand kids that I saw Bobby Eaton on a computer. This is a bit of a good worker vs. singles worker dilemma, and maybe it shouldn't matter, but I just don't think he was good enough at the singles stuff to rub shoulders with the folks he is. The same argument can be made about Ricky Morton and Arn for that matter. To me there's a clear dividing line between the likes of Eaton, Morton and Anderson and a guy like Tully, who was the architect of at least two all-time great singles matches. I suppose Eaton could come back swinging with all of his tag stuff, but it takes four to tag, two to tango and one to lead. Every guy in the top 30 should be a leading man, and Bobby wasn't the type to naturally lead. Still, he was an excellent worker so no harm, no foul.

 

 

 

27. Jun Akiyama

 

Haven't watched his veteran stuff, which is supposedly great. I'm skeptical that I'd personally enjoy it since I've never really enjoyed anything Akiyama's done. Didn't really enjoy him as rookie, didn't really enjoy him playing Robin to Misawa's Batman, and didn't really enjoy him as an overrated singles worker in the late 90s. That's the point where I jump off usually. The prospect of watching him in NOAH is something I turn my nose up at, and if I can't dig that scene I wonder how much I'd enjoy him in the later Japanese scene. Unfair? My loss? Probably. I do find the discussions about him interesting since there is rift between people who've left the tape watching scene (can I call it that any more?), folks who continued and others who started fresh with the NOAH stuff and beyond. Akiyama's never been as universally beloved as the All Japan Big 3, but I almost see it as a badge of honour for folks who have persevered with the Japanese scene that he finished this strongly. I should probably give him a fair shake and watch some of his '10s stuff, but I have such a prejudice against him. If I were to sum it up, I'd say he was more Hiroshi Hase than Kiyoshi Tamura and that's damning for no-one bar me.

 

 

 

26. Akira Taue

 

Lovable oaf. Everybody who gets into Taue ends up thinking they're the first person to recognise how great and underrated he is. I don't mean for that to sound snide. On the contrary, it's almost become a rite of passage. I went through it myself as did many others. Pompadour Taue is great! Taue was the best guy in XX/XX/XX tag! It's like a kid trying to prove he has better taste in music than his old man. It's fine, addictive, and a hell of a trip. But it also contributes to an endless cycle of Taue being underrated, overrated, and everything in between. Has there ever been another wrestler where the pendulum swung so wildly? I suppose it stems from the unique position he was put in, but here's the thing: there wouldn't be so much debate if there wasn't a kernel of truth to both sides. He's not so bad that another guy taking his place would have made his matches better, but he's not the best of the Fab Four just because he brought something different to the table. He's Taue. He somehow wandered into this debate over how good he is without even staking a claim. To me the debate over his merits is bigger than the things he accomplished. People are having these arguments over what's really important in wrestling while Taue's trying to co-ordinate that large frame of his and hit his spots cleanly. That shit seems miles apart. I would have had him on my list. Maybe a little lower since I have my doubts over how great he wanted to be. Maybe a little higher since it's easy to get on a Taue kick.

[El-P]

Don't let the French tell you he fell by the wayside in 1990. 1990 was one of the best years of his career.

 

I would agree with that, he had some of the best matches of his career in 1990. Having great matches with peer great workers. Maeada. And yes, Takada.

[El-P]

 

30. John Cena

 

I need to bite my tongue on Cena.

 

No. Just say that he's not a great wrestler by any stretch of the imagination, that his offense mostly looks bad, that his "great" matches are either pre-planned WWE formulaic self-conscious epics either overrated "selling clinic" against monsters who "played their role right". (and I like Cena)

[El-P]

OJ, I'm really enjoying these

 

Indeed.

[funkdoc]

yea, these posts have been sweet and i'm excited for you to tackle the top 25!