Evil Otto
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Posts posted by Evil Otto
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NJPW Windy City Riot:
SpoilerThis was a pretty damn great show. No doubt, the first spoiler you'll see is Mox taking the title from Naito. I'm totally fine with that. It creates intrigue going forward and Moxley instantly lined up some defenses against young challengers in the post-match promo and ensuing angle.
A few other thoughts:
-Stephanie Vaquer is astoundingly great at this moment in time. So crisp in her execution, and she's clearly more rudo than before, with a menacing aura. AZM was a terrific opponent and such a sympathetic character for the crowd to root for as well. It would be ridiculous to not further capitalize on Vaquer's momentum at this point...maybe something at Forbidden Door?
-The tag team 4-way was lots of fun, and the crowd really got into it. I was happy to see TMDK finally win some titles, although I do believe the West Coast Wrecking Crew came out of the match looking the best, they really won the crowd over.
-The Jack Perry-Umino match was truly something to behold. Words cannot do it justice. If you have any way to watch this match, I implore you to see it. It was quite the happening. The crowd was kind of unglued and chaotic at times, randomly chanting anti and pro Perry-related chants, but Perry himself should get the credit for really nailing this performance. Umino was the passenger in this dangerous vehicle and he played his part well. I'd say whatever this was, it worked. I was thoroughly entertained.
-ZSJ vs. Riddle was beautiful to watch, and while I don't know how I feel about Zack having the belt again...well, I mean, I'm glad he beat Riddle (or didn't lose, in other words). So, all is well. Another possible talking point will be the way Riddle just up and left after the match, smiling and being all bro-like despite the loss. Seemed like a "final match with the company" type of thing. Match was great, but I also won't miss him. Weird how that is.
-I enjoyed everything on this card, top to bottom.-
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Naito vs. Tsuji was tremendous. There are only two rational ways to book this match. Yota wins, or Naito wins but the match is fabulously good. At least it didn't disappoint in either case.
The junior tag 3-way was insane. Well worth a watch.
Kosei Fujita certainly seems like a star in the making.
Gabe vs. Shingo should be a nasty one. Looking forward to it.
Jack Perry threw out some allusions to the Jacksons, but I'm guessing that still may be a bit further down the line.
Overall, this was much more of a "feel good" show than recent events. It was sorely needed.
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On 3/31/2024 at 2:56 AM, Curt McGirt said:
24-year old Barry Windham vs. Dick Murdoch at the Philly Spectrum in '84
I watched Adonis & Murdoch vs. Windham & Rotundo go to a time limit draw at the Meadowlands in NJ in January 1985. To this day, it was the greatest match I've ever seen live.
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Very sad news to hear. I loved Coughlin. An absolute beast. I truly think he had limitless potential, and he was well on his way. That being said, being rational enough to realize how his debilitating injuries would impact his quality of life (or even worse, to be honest) and to make such an agonizing decision to finally let go of his dream is sad, yes, but far more than that, admirable.
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41 minutes ago, AxB said:
LIVE NOW: SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling!
I believe ZSJ and ELP are on this card!
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Spoiler
I applaud New Japan for realizing what they already have with Tsuji and for giving him something substantial to hang his hat on, being a NJ Cup winner. Considering how loud the crowd was chanting for Yota, I think they made the right choice at this point in time. I completely sympathize with those who supported Goto taking this, and I totally get why, but he once again does what he does best, and makes the other guy look truly great in an ultimately losing effort.
Years from now, I think we will all look back at Hirooki Goto's overall body of work pretty fondly, and that may perhaps be the greatest compliment I could ever give a pro wrestler. -
Well, here's some good news...Yota Tsuji vs. Jeff Cobb was a fabulous match! Best match of the tournament so far. More thoughts below:
SpoilerJeff Cobb should be going much further in tournaments in general , but if he's going to lose to someone at this stage, Tsuji is a perfect choice. This match felt epic and special. Despite not being at a major venue, I still felt similar vibes to Shingo vs. Cobb at the Dome in 2021, as Cobb is this incredible force of nature and by somehow defeating him, Shingo finally felt made to me. That's a gift that Cobb has and it makes him a special performer that I truly appreciate. Yota earned every bit of his victory. Undeniably a star.
Tsuji vs. ELP in the second round sounds splendid to me. ELP-Nicholls from tonight was pretty fun as well; well-worked and easy to watch, if you're so inclined.-
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10 minutes ago, SovietShooter said:
Y'know, as I'm sitting here watching Rampage, I remembered that Jericho is set to work Titan on Collision tomorrow, and I wonder if we could possibly get a Jericho & Atlantis Jr team, with Atlantis Sr at ringside. Then when Jericho makes his return to Arena Mexico, they team as a trio....?
Yeah, something along those lines could work. I actually think Jericho in Arena Mexico would not be a bad idea at all at this particular moment in time. For example, his match with Atlantis Jr. would've gone over much better in Arena Mexico. Atlantis Jr is actually an incredible worker, but he's not super flashy and it takes a few matches (for more causal fans) to see how truly great he is. I get why they had the match due to the history and all that, but I felt a bit bad for the guy, as he came in really cold. That being said, there's at least a short-term storyline that they, both CMLL and AEW, could build on if they wanted to.
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19 minutes ago, SovietShooter said:
Averno can still go, especially when basing for high flyers, but Mephesto is starting to show his age... not sure I would bring them in. If it was still 2015, sure. Maybe if they get a match against a couple small guys they can toss around, but probably not anyone that would want to do complicated spots.
Atlantis Sr. just cannot go anymore, and I don't think he would translate well to US television because of that. Lucha fans have reverence for legends, and he can hide out in a tag match where he doesn't have to take any bumps, and can get pops for his classic spots. I don't see that working out in AEW, where the fans generally won't know his repertoire, and he will just look like a slow old man.
THE tag team to bring in would be the current CMLL Tag Champs, the Chavez brothers (Angel del Oro & Niebla Rojo). They're a blend between a classic basing rudo team (Like Averno & Mephesto back in their heyday) and a pretty boy shitheel like Hector Garza. They'd be like two smaller Claudios with nice hair, lol
100% agreed on all these points.
The first four guys that CMLL brought in, wearing the suits and stirring up trouble, was CMLL putting their best foot forward in this relationship. They need to stick to sending the luchadors who can truly impress. Titan, for example, certainly ticks that box.-
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Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher was King vs. Armor King in Tekken and I don't give a fuck what that implies because I loved it and the crowd did, too.
Stat is a wonderful base for Riho and the two of them really clicked. Great match.
Okada and the Bucks actually makes sense. I like Okada as a smug prick. Lots to work with there.
It's been so long now, but I thought Kyle O'Reilly was truly amazing right up until he was sidelined with those injuries. So happy to see him back.
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1 hour ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:
To tie this back around, I have tomorrow off work so I want to watch some wrestling. Does anyone have any recommendations on the CMLL guys who are appearing on Rampage?
Magnus and Rugido are a tag team in CMLL, or at least the last time I checked they were. Honestly speaking, they are not the top-tier workers like the ones everyone saw in the first two weeks or so of this partnership. In other words, good, but not great. As odessasteps has suggested, take a look at the lucha folder and follow the hints to a helpful site where you may find these two. Magnus/Rugido vs. Neon/Futuro from 10/13/2023 is absolutely worth a watch, but it's mainly for Neon and Futuro, who are both well on their way to much bigger things.
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My apologies in advance, but FantasticaMania by definition means I need to resort to crossposting to cover my bases, both in the Japan folder and this one:
For those of you with NJPW World (or perhaps Cubsfan can help you out) I would strongly recommend four matches from the final two Korakuen Hall nights of FantasticaMania:Soberano Jr vs Templario / Rocky Romero vs. Volador Jr. / Atlantis Jr vs. Hechicero / Stuka Jr vs. Mascara Dorada
All great, but in particular I thought the Hechicero match really stood out because he and Atlantis Jr have insane chemistry. I loved Atlantis Jr as a rudo, but here he was definitely a tecnico, and well, he's just great overall! Hechicero was the star here, though. The announcers mentioned Zack a bit during the match, which gives me hope that we'll see ZSJ vs. Hechicero sooner than later. Soberano Jr and Templario tried some incredibly difficult spots (with varying degrees of success) and had much more of New Japan style match than a CMLL one, which is why FantasticaMania can be so rewarding at times.
I believe Cubsfan mentioned that Soberano Jr, Templario and Rocky may be going forward as a trio unit in CMLL (and elsewhere?), and I am very much in favor of that idea.It looked to me that there was particular interest in Dark Panther during this tour on the New Japan side. He's a guy with a lot of skills who just seems to lack a few things to bring him up to the next level, such as struggling a bit in longer singles matches and even his gear and overall appearance need more fine-tuning. He would be a great candidate for an excursion in Japan for a while, and I wonder if the powers that be might be thinking the same thing. I guess we'll see.
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Slight tangent alert! For those of you with NJPW World, if you're looking for a palate cleanser after last night, I would strongly recommend four matches from the final two Korakuen Hall nights of FantasticaMania:
Soberano Jr vs Templario / Rocky Romero vs. Volador Jr. / Atlantis Jr vs. Hechicero / Stuka Jr vs. Mascara Dorada
All great, but in particular I thought the Hechicero match really stood out because he and Atlantis Jr have insane chemistry. The announcers mentioned Zack a bit during the match, which gives me hope that we'll see ZSJ vs. Hechicero sooner than later. Soberano Jr and Templario tried some incredibly difficult spots (with varying degrees of success) and had much more of New Japan style match than a CMLL one, which is why FantasticaMania can be so rewarding at times.
It looked to me that there was particular interest in Dark Panther during this tour on the New Japan side. He's guy with a lot of skills who just seems to lack a few things to bring him up to the next level, such as struggling a bit in longer singles matches and even his gear and overall appearance need more fine-tuning. He would be a great candidate for an excursion in Japan for a while, and I wonder if the powers that be might be thinking the same thing. I guess we'll see.
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Spoiler
I actually thought Nemeth came across quite well in New Japan, as I had suspected for years that he would. I was reminded that the guy may be a top 10 all-time bump taker, too. I have to hand it to NJPW for realizing he looks like a bigger star...when he actually wins matches! It's a good start, at the very least.
I'm taking a "wait and see" approach to Riddle at this stage.
Poor Sapporo, though. They gave the crowd very little to feel happy about. Not a bad show, because at least lots of stuff happened. But a weird show for sure, and leaning towards not in a good way.
Dear New Japan: no, you are not booking geniuses because everybody hates House of Torture and wants them to go away and <pats on the back> "you see, that's good heel heat!" I mean, it's not like we secretly like or even appreciate them. They just suck. You're wasting all of our collective times. Regards, Everyone
The IWGP women's title match was pretty solid, and I have a hunch we'll see Mercedes back in New Japan for at least a few dates now that the AEW Boston event is officially happening.
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57 minutes ago, JLowe said:
I guess Daddy Magic being from French Canadia is why he didn’t recognize the Canadian radio legend.
A few years ago, The Evaporators were playing at South by Southwest and I went to one of their daytime shows. I was dancing so hard that eventually Nardwuar called me out and made me get up front and dance with/by them.
Daddy Magic: "I don't get it."
Excalibur: "You're Canadian and you don't know who Narduwar is?"
Excalibur covered all the (nerd) bases!
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6 hours ago, JLowe said:
I missed that, what did he say?
Tony for some reason pronounces Sonjay's last name like DOOT and my mind (and Excalibur's) immediately went to Narduwar's signature sign-off. He briefly mentions the name, and Tony and Daddy Magic unsurprisingly have no clue (nor would I expect them to).
Moments like that are why I cherish the fact that AEW exists.-
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Excalibur with a Narduwar reference and I totally geeked out. (Most likely because I am a geek.)
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The last two matches on this show were just unbelievable and for completely different reasons, and that's really all you can ask for.
I can't decide which ZSJ-Danielson encounter I've enjoyed more, but I know for sure that I've enjoyed both immensely. Having the match in New Japan really felt right, though. Just the overall sports feel of NJPW's presentation, I suppose. Wonderful.
SpoilerZack doing the belt motion at the end of the match and calling out Naito and/or Sanada is indeed quite promising.
The backstage comments by Zack and Bryan were truly heartfelt and as real as pro wrestling promos could possibly get.
The main event promised craziness, and actually overdelivered on the insanity. I myself downed a tall can of Sapporo beer as the violence wafted over me, and that certainly worked well! Sure, maybe 10-15 minutes too long, but then again, this was match of attrition and survival, so I just laughed at the absurdity of it all and rolled with it. The War Dogs are lunatics in terms of their characters and they certainly didn't disappoint when presented an opportunity like this to fully prove it. Lots of storylines weaving in and out, everyone gets an entrance and a chance to shine, Ospreay goes out on his sword. The ending with Ospreay and UE was truly a legendary sendoff, perhaps one of the most emotional I've ever seen.On to FantasticaMania! Osaka is the place to be! Good luck, Akira!
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The first match on the video is Hechicero vs. Euforia, who were partners at the time (2022) in the trio Los Infernales alongside Mephisto. Euforia is Soberano Jr.'s father, by the way. Strongly recommended.
Hechicero and El Desperado vs. Templario and Douki from summer 2023. Super fun match.
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On 2/6/2024 at 9:37 AM, Thomas Bugg said:
I'm hearing that Mascara Dorada vs Templario was really, really good. Anyone know where I can see the full match? I subscribed to the CMLL channel on YouTube, but it seems like they only offer clips of their shows.
Yeah, I think subscribing only amounts to getting updates to your email account but not much else. If you pay to become a member, you get some live streams and Friday shows on a delay. They've also just recently added a tiered system, which bypasses the non-live aspect but the borderline outrageous charges are not enticing to me at all.
Cubsfan is your friend, as others have also said. Of course I agree, but I actually bit the bullet and became a member a month or so ago. Now they've added tiers, but I won't be upgrading for reasons I have already mentioned. I'm actually really happy just to have access to full shows again. So many terrific matches in 2023 to go back and watch now.
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You know, it's satisfying to have a hunch about a young prospect and be proven right as a wrestling fan. Sure, that's great.
But I have to say, it is somehow even better to admit that you've been proven wrong. I can honestly say that I didn't have high hopes for Henare nor Gabe Kidd 2-3 years ago. Henare was good, but never great, for example.Since Gabe has made his "comeback", he's been nothing short of amazing. With the emergence of The War Dogs, Tsuji, Umino and the rest of the promising returnees, I think Henare was put in a bit of a sink or swim position. He decided to swim. Good for him.
Glorious violence ensued. Beyond my expectations. Hooray for that!
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2 hours ago, lostinube said:
Henare and Kidd were just blasting each other last night. The Korakuen crowd was fully behind them. Good match.
Haven’t seen it yet, but definitely looking forward to it. Heard the second half of the card was really solid overall.
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I'm so happy everyone is finally getting a chance to see just how great Hechicero is. That was the type of match I watch where I felt butterflies beforehand because I wanted the performers to succeed so much. I have nothing but admiration for Danielson for recognizing and highlighting the greatness of others. The beautiful art of wrestling on full display.
The first two matches bleeding into one another and being so top-notch, I could've easily stopped there. But damn, Deeb, Aminata, Swerve getting deep on us, Daniel Garcia's continued ascent, what a show.
So much more I want to see now, too. Claudio vs. Hechicero? Yes, please. Garcia vs. Christian, of course, but Garcia vs. Wayne sounds equally fabulous.
Awesome crowd.
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8 hours ago, Hector said:
Just got back from the show. We had a fucking blast and it seemed like TK was genuinely appreciative of the response. Danielson/Hechicero was everything I hoped for and that's even with the janky finish.
That was a hell of a crowd! Kudos to everyone there!
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NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024.
in JAPAN
Posted · Edited by Evil Otto
The good thing about Shingo vs. Gabe going on (apparently) right before Moxley vs. Narita, is that is will be nasty and brutal and Mox will surely be inspired to match or even top it. Welcome to the deep end, Ren.
Of course, some HoT fuckery is potentially on the menu as well, but I hope this match is more about providing proof that Narita can convincingly be in a main event. (I still need convincing, honestly.) So, hoping it's significantly less of the former, and much more of the latter.