rovert Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Obviously there has been a lot of issues, conflict and resentment by subscribers of MMA seeming to be his favourite son. I have certainly felt it so it warmed my heart and kind of shocked me when Dave said this week's New Japan show and their shows in general being better than the best UFC. I support his interest in Wrestling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I need to catch up on some New Japan from the last 1-2 years. Even if Dave is overrating it, I'll be happy if it's solid. As an indirect comment to this post even if you dislike Tanahashi you should watch the match as it is a great departure from his standard high spot and near fall driven match favouring more selling and such like. Minoru Suzuki puts on both a strong and amusing showing. His facials are great here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xu7mv8_hi...zuki-njpw_sport Thanks for the link. I enjoyed the match. In fact I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Having said that, at no point during the match did I think "this is an all time classic," nor did I think it was even close to the best match I've seen this year. That might change some if I saw it on a less choppy platform (DM is not ideal). I thought Suzuki was really great in the match for the most part, though you perhaps could argue his post-figure four selling was weaker than it should have been. Still his facial expressions were really incredible throughout and his arm attacks were really good as was the stuff built around the sleeper. Tanahashi was just a warm body from my perspective. I really don't think he added anything of note to the match at all. That's not to say he was bad because he wasn't. His selling of the arm early was okay, but he lacks the sort of big time emoting that you want out of a guy in his position. He hit his stuff well enough and was a good pin cushion for Suzuki's attacks, but I don't think he was uniquely good or interesting. The splash combo toward the end might have been his biggest contribution to the match. Anyhow it was a good match. Suzuki was great in it. But I don't think it's even close to an all time classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIK Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I have certainly felt it so it warmed my heart and kind of shocked me when Dave said this week's New Japan show and their shows in general being better than the best UFC. I support his interest in Wrestling! Yeah, it's been a long time since he's been this excited about pro wrestling. Course, it's not often these days whear a promotion seems to check all 3 boxes he wants out of a company beeing well booked, succeding financially and delivering high quality in ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Anyhow it was a good match. Suzuki was great in it. But I don't think it's even close to an all time classic.Yeah, this is how I feel. I think it's in my top five right now (this year) but that's more due to there not being a ton of great stuff this year & me still being a little behind in my watching. I liked Brock/Cena more than it, for example & definitely both Okada/Tanahashi & Okada/Naito. I do think I liked it more than Richards/Elgin though. No way that's a 5-star match but if it rejuvenates Dave's love of pro-wrestling again, great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Trying to figure out where I would peg it for the year is tough. I think it's fair to call it a MOTYC from Japan. I think I liked Finlay v. Tajiri better, but I'm a big mark for both of those guys. Funaki v. Akiyama was fucking awesome, but way too short to be a legit contender. I like the fat man v. muscleheads tag from early in the year, but that's more of a really well worked novelty than anything else. I still need to see Funaki v. Suwama and that Tanahashi v. Okada match I've been avoiding mainly because I want to get some distance from the hype. Over all? From Lucha you've got Casas v. Panther and Sombra, the two Terry v. Che matches, Blanco/Solitario v. Santo/Villano IV. I like both of the Calihan v. Finlay matches better, I thought Cena/Punk and Cena/Brock were easily better, I think Bryan/Punk and Sheamus/Punk are better matches, and there several others that are not noticeably ahead of or behind it one way or the other. I could see it making my top twenty at the top of the year if I were in the right mood, but the key difference between that match and everyone of the above matches is that all of the above matches feature very good or great performances by more than one party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovert Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 Dave will be working over time all this month: The 2012 Hall of Fame issue of the Observer will be coming out the first week of November. It is traditionally the most talked about issue of the year. There will be six new entrants announced at that time. Anyone who subscribes to the web site for a month starting now will have access to the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 I'm pumped that 6 inductees made it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricR Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 He found a way to get Edge inducted as both a wrestler and a non-performer for his promos and incredible acting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovert Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 He found a way to get Edge inducted as both a wrestler and a non-performer for his promos incredible acting. Can I possibly indulge your outrage/frustation further, Eric? Dave posted this on the forum a short while before the newsbit about about this year's class. Worth noting Dave lists exactly six candidates as far stronger candidates than Sting six being the exact number of inductees this year.: I really can't see any way Sting can go in ahead of Sasaki, Albano, Cena, Schmidt, Torres, Koloff (you could make an argument he's ahead of Torres and Koloff I guess) and at best he's even with Batista (Batista drew so much more it isn't even funny, way bigger worldwide star, etc., Sting only has longevity on him). You could argue with Sting and Edge but I'd put Edge ahead of him easily. Then you've got the super workers pack like Tamura, Bastien, Han, Tanahashi and on his good days, Murdoch, a genuine top draw in Morales, a big star in Slaughter, L.A. Park. Lesnar is ten times the star. Really deep ballot this year. So Edge is a better actor than Murdoch and Tanahashi is a more consistent super worker than Murdoch in his opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted October 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 When Edge and Vickie Guerrero had their toenails painted, I really felt my own toenails drying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Dave has flipped his gourd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted October 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 For the record, I think Edge's acting is pretty bad, even by the standards of pro wrestlers. If someone disagrees and thinks he's inoffensive, so be it. But it's laughable when his acting ability keeps getting referenced as this great strength of his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 So does great wrestling acting = being able to deliver crappy material in completely over the top fashion without cracking up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Can I possibly indulge your outrage/frustation further, Eric? Dave posted this on the forum a short while before the newsbit about about this year's class. Worth noting Dave lists exactly six candidates as far stronger candidates than Sting six being the exact number of inductees this year.: Well, there is one old timer going in via the Vet Committee and he wasn't listed, so I wouldn't read to much into "exactly six". John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 I loved Tanahashi/Suzuki. In fact, I thought it was the kind of match you'd have to go out of your way to find serious problems with. Suzuki may have been the main driver, but I never felt like Tanahashi was just along for the ride. The High Fly Flow onto Suzuki's leg in particular was awesome. I'm a huge mark for limb work that plays into the story of the match, and this match had it in spades. In fact, it's the best match centered around dueling arm/leg work I've ever seen. What sets it apart from Samurai/Ohtani and Hayabusa/Tanaka is that both guys sold consistently throughout and didn't magically heal when it was time for them to get their shit in. The only real problem I had with the match was Tanahashi being in the cross armbreaker for too long. Shoot-style submissions should result in either an instant tap-out or a frantic scramble for the ropes. I haven't seen Punk/Cena from NOC yet, and I want to watch all the top matches again to be sure, but this is my tentative MOTY. On the All Japan front, I'm pretty shocked that people are calling Funaki/Akiyama, which isn't even the best sub-five minute Akiyama title defense, a good match, let alone a great one. I have no real desire to watch a Suwama match of any length, but I'll check it out eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 So does great wrestling acting = being able to deliver crappy material in completely over the top fashion without cracking up? This is pretty much the reason why I think WWE thought Edge was a great actor. Because he would deliver their crappy material with enthusiasm and without seeming embarrassed to have to do it. Why anyone else would think Edge is a great actor, I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Would love to see all the money Batista and Edge would have drawn in early 90s WCW. I am not holding being in an easier environment to draw against them. But trying to act like that environment is not the only reason they drew more than Sting is ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 On the All Japan front, I'm pretty shocked that people are calling Funaki/Akiyama, which isn't even the best sub-five minute Akiyama title defense, a good match, let alone a great one. I have no real desire to watch a Suwama match of any length, but I'll check it out eventually. How was it less than good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 On the HoF John's talk leads me to believe Sonnenberg is getting in via fiat, and something Dave wrote in a previous update makes me think DeGlane might too. I don't think Edge gets in this year and hope he never does though it would give me an opportunity for a fun "Dylan does listzzzz" thread. I think Panther might get in this year, which is something I support, though in reading stuff and talking to people over the last month, he strikes me as the four or fifth best Luchadore on the ballot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 On the All Japan front, I'm pretty shocked that people are calling Funaki/Akiyama, which isn't even the best sub-five minute Akiyama title defense, a good match, let alone a great one. I have no real desire to watch a Suwama match of any length, but I'll check it out eventually. How was it less than good? It was too short to have any real meat to it, and the transition to Funaki on top was terrible. He does a heel hook, wins a strike exchange, and hits the Hybrid Blaster. The first time I saw the match, I felt like Krusty after watching Worker and Parasite: "What the hell was that?" Anyway, I watched Punk/Cena and Funaki/Suwama. I thought the former started out really well, but then it just plateaued for a while and ran out of steam toward the end. The latter was quite a bit better than I thought it would be, but it wasn't anything close to a MOTYC. Funaki isn't the kind of guy who should be in long matches, and Suwama isn't the kind of guy who can carry someone to a main event epic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIK Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Re-watched Suzuki/Tanahashi which is something I rarely do anymore for matches i've recently seen. Still not sure if i'd have it as my MOTY but I loved it even more this time around. The lack of near falls at the end didn't bother me now that I knew what type of match they were going for. I didn't even notice the first time and prob wouldn't have at all if I hadn't heard it pointed out on Alan4L's show that there weren't even any pin fall attempts period in the match until Tanahashi hit his splash to win. Brilliant match on both guys parts, I can see how it got the full 5* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Lack of near falls is a plus if anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIK Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Pft, 2.99 girl disagrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Yeah, I noticed that chick too. I was thinking "what the fuck is going on here?" then she got up & turned sideways to walk away & my immature man came out as I thought "holy shit!" cause that girl was stacked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted October 15, 2012 Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 Aces and .8's killed me. I may have to rethink Dave's sense of humor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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