Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

The Greatest Wrestler Ever Project: Postscript


bradhindsight

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 101
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  On 2/18/2021 at 2:17 AM, Matt D said:

That was my just-in-case Reigns cut off. I’m tempted to not include anyone who has ever worked a five minute WWE finisher spam “good parts only” main event title match out of spite though. We’ll see how I feel in five years. 

Expand  

Don't think Sasha has ever done that. Strange as it might sound, I would like to see your thoughts on the Sasha-Bayley HitC and the recent Sasha-Carmella matches. Especially in terms of analysing Sasha's performance in terms of EPIC WWE MAIN EVENT style and in terms of carrying a lesser opponent to a good-to-great match while still adhering to the trappings of WWE main event playbook. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 5:37 AM, MoS said:

Don't think Sasha has ever done that. Strange as it might sound, I would like to see your thoughts on the Sasha-Bayley HitC and the recent Sasha-Carmella matches. Especially in terms of analysing Sasha's performance in terms of EPIC WWE MAIN EVENT style and in terms of carrying a lesser opponent to a good-to-great match while still adhering to the trappings of WWE main event playbook. 

Expand  

Might be disqualifying to Roman though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double post. Anyway, I forgot how fun GWE was.

I also saw the Toyota vs Inoue hour match for the first time recently as I was given it as part of a secret santo and was shocked that I was pretty ok with it. Not that Toyota's making my list or anything...

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 4:22 AM, elliott said:

 

Hokuto & Bull are my 1 and 2 also. I have Devil Masami right there with them at #3.They're all in my top 15ish probably at this point with Chigusa, Jaguar & Matsumoto not far behind. 

Expand  

#1 and #2 overall or just women, because I'm swaying towards overall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't quite get there because I struggle with the longevity aspect. If we're talking about peak and peak alone, then they are in the conversation for me no doubt. I went through a ton of JOshi on the GME forum you set up and came away thinking that Bull was the best wrestler in the world from 90-92 and was genuinely always good. Even when she was like 17 years old she was a good wrestler. At her peak as an ace, I'd argue not only that Bull was the best wrestler in the world, she was in competition with people like Michael Jordan and Snoop Doggy Dogg for coolest living human. But she was retired by 29. Effectively retired as a full time performer by 26 (while she was still at the top of her game). Hokuto was the same way. (Only with the awesome GAEA run as a bonus). 

Peak only, I think theyre really strong contenders for the top spot. But for an all encompassing list, I just can't rank them ahead of someone like Terry Funk or El Hijo del Santo when those guys combine the peak abilities and with decades of greatness. Hokuto was 35 in 2002 when she retired for good. Terry Funk turned 35 in 1979. I just can't get there. I can say for certain they're 2 of the best wrestlers I've ever seen and the only people I'd for sure rank above them are those Funk, Santo, Hansen types who were awesome for like 25 years. 

Have you watched much 80s AJW? I'd love to see more Yukari Ohmori. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 6:39 PM, elliott said:

I can't quite get there because I struggle with the longevity aspect. If we're talking about peak and peak alone, then they are in the conversation for me no doubt. I went through a ton of JOshi on the GME forum you set up and came away thinking that Bull was the best wrestler in the world from 90-92 and was genuinely always good. Even when she was like 17 years old she was a good wrestler. At her peak as an ace, I'd argue not only that Bull was the best wrestler in the world, she was in competition with people like Michael Jordan and Snoop Doggy Dogg for coolest living human. But she was retired by 29. Effectively retired as a full time performer by 26 (while she was still at the top of her game). Hokuto was the same way. (Only with the awesome GAEA run as a bonus). 

Peak only, I think theyre really strong contenders for the top spot. But for an all encompassing list, I just can't rank them ahead of someone like Terry Funk or El Hijo del Santo when those guys combine the peak abilities and with decades of greatness. Hokuto was 35 in 2002 when she retired for good. Terry Funk turned 35 in 1979. I just can't get there. I can say for certain they're 2 of the best wrestlers I've ever seen and the only people I'd for sure rank above them are those Funk, Santo, Hansen types who were awesome for like 25 years. 

Have you watched much 80s AJW? I'd love to see more Yukari Ohmori. 

Expand  

Longevity is something I understand, but it's a difficult thing to think about and I am not sure. It's something I really need to debate as we move along.

I started in the early 1980s and I am half way through 1991 for joshi.

Ohmori seemed awesome, and the list of people I want to see more of it SUPER HIGH!

I want to note I think Hokuto's run is longer than people think. In 87 she was FUCKING INSANELY GREAT! By 1988 she could be considered the best in the world. People talk about her like she was only great in 92-94, but that's not true at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being amazing for a long time > Being amazing at times + Being great for a long time > Having a short but amazing career > Being great at times + Being good for a long time > Having a short but great career > Having a short but good career > Being amazing at times + Being mostly bad > Being great at times + Being mostly bad > Being good at times + Being mostly bad > Being bad for a long time + Being good at times > Never being any good

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

  On 2/18/2021 at 8:57 PM, Loss said:

Being amazing for a long time > Being amazing at times + Being great for a long time > Having a short but amazing career > Being great at times + Being good for a long time > Having a short but great career > Having a short but good career > Being amazing at times + Being mostly bad > Being great at times + Being mostly bad > Being good at times + Being mostly bad > Being bad for a long time + Being good at times > Never being any good

Expand  

Negro Casas it is!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 8:57 PM, Loss said:

Being amazing for a long time > Being amazing at times + Being great for a long time > Having a short but amazing career > Being great at times + Being good for a long time > Having a short but great career > Having a short but good career > Being amazing at times + Being mostly bad > Being great at times + Being mostly bad > Being good at times + Being mostly bad > Being bad for a long time + Being good at times > Never being any good

Expand  

I'll have to put that into a chart to see if I 100% agree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 8:57 PM, Loss said:

Being amazing for a long time > Being amazing at times + Being great for a long time > Having a short but amazing career > Being great at times + Being good for a long time > Having a short but great career > Having a short but good career > Being amazing at times + Being mostly bad > Being great at times + Being mostly bad > Being good at times + Being mostly bad > Being bad for a long time + Being good at times > Never being any good

Expand  

 

Hahahaha! This was great! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 8:02 PM, Grimmas said:

Longevity is something I understand, but it's a difficult thing to think about and I am not sure. It's something I really need to debate as we move along.

I started in the early 1980s and I am half way through 1991 for joshi.

Ohmori seemed awesome, and the list of people I want to see more of it SUPER HIGH!

I want to note I think Hokuto's run is longer than people think. In 87 she was FUCKING INSANELY GREAT! By 1988 she could be considered the best in the world. People talk about her like she was only great in 92-94, but that's not true at all.

Expand  

 

I really loved Ohmori when I went through all of the original AJW CLassics. The match against Matsumoto was like a mind melting experience and I thought she had one of the 2 or 3 best Lioness matches I've seen. 

I agree about Hokuto to a degree. The earliest match she was in that I really liked was 1986. I think she was awesome right away, but I'd need to see more to put her in the best wrestler in the world category in 88 & 89. I think the talent is there, I just want to see more production. I've probably seen less than 15 matches from Hokuto in from 87-89. And those years have some mountains to climb to get to Best in the World consideration.  But please point me in the direction of stuff! I'm happy to watch more 80s Joshi

I've seen a ton of her from 1990 on and she's definitely insanely great by then. I can't call her the best in the world from 90-92 though because I think Bull is the clear best in the world those years. But "not being as good as 1990-92 Bull Nakano" is hardly an insult. Practically nobody has ever been that good. People talk about 92-95 Hokuto though because its her GOAT run. I think people that are familiar with her entire career realize she was a prodigy who was awesome right away and still really great when she retired. I've been reading old WON's and Hokuto (and Toyota) are talked about as being better than everyone else as early as 1991 and I have a feeling if I read the 1990 WONs the writing would be similar. There was lots of talk about her return to form in 2001. The issue was always that she took time off or worked partial schedules or people just weren't watching or there's not a ton of footage of her from the 80s (there might be now, thats why I'm asking for recommendations).

Anyway I'm just rambling because we agree on the main point. Hokuto was always awesome. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely agree with this. I went through the original AJW CLassics on Samurai run a couple of years ago and have some other commercial tapes from the 80s but theres more out there I haven't gotten yet. Just watching the Classics run though, I love 80s AJW and between the Dump spectacles clean matches involving Crush Gals, Angels, Jaguar, Devil, Ohmori, and those mid card women I think people wouldve been shocked at how good 80s Joshi was. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my list of insanely great Hokuto matches in order (up to my current watch): 

vs Bull (91-1-4)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Yumiko Hotta & Mitsuko Nishiwaki (90-5-13)

vs Manami Toyota (90-8-19)

vs Manami Toyota (91-1-11)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota (90-11-14)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Crush Gals (89-4-27)

vs Suzuka Minami (91-4-29)

Here is the thing with Hokuto too, it's not all about great matches. Put on ANY SINGLE Hokuto match and she's stand out great in it. The match can be fine or amazing, doesn't matter, she's fucking great in it.

I don't want to rehash great match theory again, already, but fuck great match theory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 10:50 PM, elliott said:

I completely agree with this. I went through the original AJW CLassics on Samurai run a couple of years ago and have some other commercial tapes from the 80s but theres more out there I haven't gotten yet. Just watching the Classics run though, I love 80s AJW and between the Dump spectacles clean matches involving Crush Gals, Angels, Jaguar, Devil, Ohmori, and those mid card women I think people wouldve been shocked at how good 80s Joshi was. 

Expand  

THIS! It would had ruled and been way more varied then people think. Probably would had been the best set altogether.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 11:15 PM, Grimmas said:

Here is my list of insanely great Hokuto matches in order (up to my current watch): 

vs Bull (91-1-4)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Yumiko Hotta & Mitsuko Nishiwaki (90-5-13)

vs Manami Toyota (90-8-19)

vs Manami Toyota (91-1-11)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota (90-11-14)

w/ Suzuka Minami vs Crush Gals (89-4-27)

vs Suzuka Minami (91-4-29)

Here is the thing with Hokuto too, it's not all about great matches. Put on ANY SINGLE Hokuto match and she's stand out great in it. The match can be fine or amazing, doesn't matter, she's fucking great in it.

I don't want to rehash great match theory again, already, but fuck great match theory.

Expand  

 

Oooh, maybe I can recommend you some matches!? I have these additional matches noted as recommendation worthy 80s Hokuto. Definitely worth checking out! 

w/ Yukari Ohmori vs Chigusa & Hotta 10/10/86

w/ Yumiko Hotta vs Glamour Girls 4/15/87

w/ Yumiko Hotta vs Yumi Ogura & Kazue Nagahori 4/27/87

vs Chigusa 3/19/89

w/ Minami vs Bison Kimura & Grizzly Iwamoto 6/18/89 (My quick note says this is like Doom vs The Rockers 2/3 Falls No DQ for 30 minutes and I specifically note Hokuto's performance, I gotta rewatch that hahaha!)

I actually only have Kandori vs Masami JWP as a recommended 1988 Joshi match. So I'd like to see anything from that year honestly! 

I agree with the point about her being great and always standing out even in average matches. Thats why I welcome recommendations. There are certain wrestlers where I wanna watch everything they ever did no matter the length, setting or even quality of the match. Like I'll watch a 3 minute Terry Funk match from 2000 WCW or a 25minute Geriatric Satanico match because I wanna see it all. Hokuto is on that list. If theres a match she had, I wanna see it whether its a rookie year match or a 3 minute 1997 Nitro match. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 11:39 PM, elliott said:

 

Oooh, maybe I can recommend you some matches!? I have these additional matches noted as recommendation worthy 80s Hokuto. Definitely worth checking out! 

w/ Yukari Ohmori vs Chigusa & Hotta 10/10/86

w/ Yumiko Hotta vs Glamour Girls 4/15/87

w/ Yumiko Hotta vs Yumi Ogura & Kazue Nagahori 4/27/87

vs Chigusa 3/19/89

w/ Minami vs Bison Kimura & Grizzly Iwamoto 6/18/89 (My quick note says this is like Doom vs The Rockers 2/3 Falls No DQ for 30 minutes and I specifically note Hokuto's performance, I gotta rewatch that hahaha!)

I actually only have Kandori vs Masami JWP as a recommended 1988 Joshi match. So I'd like to see anything from that year honestly! 

I agree with the point about her being great and always standing out even in average matches. Thats why I welcome recommendations. There are certain wrestlers where I wanna watch everything they ever did no matter the length, setting or even quality of the match. Like I'll watch a 3 minute Terry Funk match from 2000 WCW or a 25minute Geriatric Satanico match because I wanna see it all. Hokuto is on that list. If theres a match she had, I wanna see it whether its a rookie year match or a 3 minute 1997 Nitro match. 

Expand  

My issue is, as always, I only put things on a list if it's great, so matches that are just good I can often not remember if I've seen them or not. I will watch EVERY SINGLE Hokuto match I can, so thanks for the list and I will either watch those or start to watch them only to realize I saw them once before ;)

Like you said, any match from Hokuto that is available is worth watching!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 11:16 PM, Grimmas said:

THIS! It would had ruled and been way more varied then people think. Probably would had been the best set altogether.

Expand  

 

I honestly think it would have been the best set. When I watched the AJW Classics stuff I organized everything and watched it all in chronological order and just pretended it was the DVDVR 80s set and it was so satisfying. THere'd be these crazy awesome workrate tag matches then an insane Dump Matsumoto brawl and then heres Lioness & Chigusa doing like UWF style on fast forward. 80s AJW was just the best. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How do people rank Jackie Sato among the joshi girls?  I ask because by some happy accident I come across her vs Chabela Romero (?) in a great bloodbath match recently. Having not paid any attention to her I was pretty blown away by Sato. She looked like a beast.

If I was to make a list today I would certainly consider Roman Reigns for a spot. He's had too many great big time matches to ignore at this point and the heel run so far has only solidified him. He should be a shoe-in in five years. Sasha Banks I have thought about. She isn't there yet but I definitely think she has the best case of the WWE women. A lot of it hinges on WWE's hot-and-cold booking unfortunately - there's always the danger once she drops the belt that she sinks back into nothingness again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll take part of the responsibility for the '80s Joshi set breaking down. I found the footage amazing to watch in bursts but difficult to plow through week after week. I'm not sure why; perhaps I'd feel differently now. But I can attest to everything Steven is saying about Hokuto; her work jumped out almost as soon as she appeared on tape. It's still a shortish run for an all-time great, but it's not like you're left with a lot of questions about what she could do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 2/18/2021 at 1:02 AM, Matt D said:

Kind of, sort of? Like, that's half the battle. The other half would be how Hennig then translated that into his in-ring work. You could argue that all of the big bumping and stooging for guys like Tornado or Warrior in 90 was a sign that he wasn't actually the guy throwing the football and he got heat that way. "If he was Perfect, why would he be flipping around the ring when he got clotheslined," etc. But that feels a little like a stretch to me. You could make the argument, but it's not an incredibly compelling argument to me. I think he could lean into that more, and I think he did so, a little bit in his 00s WWE run when they played up that he was a fraud or washed up a bit more and that carried through a bit more in his ringwork since he was lower on the card and losing a lot more?

Miz isn't necessarily a guy I'd push for this, but there were periods where he was cutting promos about how he was a star and then going way out of his way to avoid punches since he was afraid of losing his moneymaker and that became a narrative device within his matches. That'd be a bit more of what we're talking about here.

Expand  

The poster boy for this argument would be someone like Sean O'Haire, who had those promos that people loved, but couldn't convey that into his in-ring stuff and was just another big guy. If I vote for someone like Dusty Rhodes, then his charisma will be a big part of it, not due to promos but because of how much personality he showed in the ring. Similar to a Negro Casas, it's a universal type of charisma.

I'm personally very excited by the prospect of GWE 2026. A combination of no crowds and the Speaking Out movement showing that I'd been cheering for a bunch of scumbags has really done a number on my wrestling watching in the past 6 months, so the idea of having a project to get me back in excites me. My 2016 list didn't feature any women, I just didn't get round to joshi and I didn't think any US workers deserved a place, which is a big oversight that I'm looking forward to rectifying, and I want to give WoS a bigger look. Suspect I'll still be the high voter on Jeff Jarrett and Tom Zenk in 2026 though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...