Octopus
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Posts
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Posts posted by Octopus
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Welp, I typed a nice thing but accidentally deleted it. So gonna try and re type this and find the links.
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Hey @gordi, I was researching a bit of comedy wrestling for you and stumbled across Les Kellett. Trying to find his matches, in the back of my head I knew his name sounded familiar. Of course, after watching on to see if I should send you it I realized why the name came to me so easily. You were already recommended him. D’oh! So I figure I’ll do what @Matt D did for you and give you three links to choose from. We should call it the Gordi Special.
1. Les Kellett vs Leon Arris
Good solid family friendly fun.
2. Brock Lesnar vs Ric Flair
Not exactly a comedy match, but whenever old man Flair takes on an athletic larger opponent, I smile. Especially when they’re willing to look silly and bump for him. Good. Solid. Family. Friendly. Fun.
3. Vader & Son vs The Matthews Brothers w/ Mr Feeney
Because you mentioned Vader. GOOD. SOLID. FAMILY. FRIENDLY. FUN.
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The world may be ending but I just had a swell night hanging out with my wife watching Netflix. She’s in bed now and I have YouTube on my tv watching Age of Empires 2 videos and on my 3rd glass of Laphroig. I have wings in the oven. I’ve been in my head for the past few days and out of work, but tonight I’m tipsy and happy with life. Had a headache all day but went away a few hours ago. Appreciate you guys on here that I’ve joked with and talked with recently. I have no wrestling friends outside of a kind indulgence of small talk. Sometimes the little things in life we don’t realize means quite a bit to people without realizing. I’m going to pour my next scotch and add disaronno.
Not sure if this post goes here. I’m just happy.
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@Matt D, whether you draw me or not would you be able to recommend me a few Nick Bockwinkel matches? If I recall you were the main Bockwinkel guy. I’ve seen his matches with Henning and Jumbo. I’d love to deep dive him.
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Watching the Dark Side of the Ring was tough. All the Eddie parts put me in a Black Tiger mood. Here is him vs Jushin Liger.
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I am pro Kevin Nash style top on Brodie Lee, in terms of form and shape. The design however was where the issue lies. Maybe white lining around the logo or a different shade of purple would do it justice. I like the idea of a lot of visible chest. Give it a week or two and they’ll pretty it up.
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Planet’s Champion! You’re the Forum Champion! Happy belated birthday, @The Natural!
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15 minutes ago, MORELOCK said:
89 - before Watts. I noticed JR calling Funk "Ric Flair" during the match, too - he really doesn't seem to have changed that much as an announcer at all. It's just that fans of newer stuff disagree with a lot of his opinions, which wasn't typically the case until maybe mid-2000s?I noticed the name mix up and forgot right after it happened. Now realizing it was Ross makes me chuckle.
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Terry Funk vs Ricky Santana
The way Terry Funk rolls Santana over the top turnbuckle is perfect. Funk is so unbelievably unorthodox that he just comes off rabid. Bending him over the rope, grabbing his other leg, bumping his own head with it and just heaving him over so he can sucker punch him. The odd ways he moves in and around the ring gets me excited. Ricky is on the outside against the apron, Funk climbs up the side of the ring in front of him, runs past him like he’s running the ropes, and returns just to stomp on the back of his head. Wild coot gonna coot.
Ricky Santana has the girls screaming too. When he had his comeback fiery punches sequence, the ladies sounded like they were getting into it. Nice hair and the guy can strut between punches. Irish whipping Terry into the corner, leading to this...
I don’t understand how Funk’s body works.
Santana punts him over the top! Just swinging away at Funk. Girls still screaming. Terry is begging for mercy? Does Ricky give in? Hell no! Smashed his head around the ring. Beats him so bad that Funk once again gets his body tied up into the ropes.
Funk does what any heel will do. Get the ref between ‘em. Headbutt gets Terry the advantage. Followed by a series of rights and a near knock out left. Ref counts to 8, Santana gets up. Same sequence but now to 9. Funk goes for another series of punches but Ricky won’t have it and returns with a series of his own punches. Funk flails around swinging. Disoriented, Santana charges only for Funk to catapult him over the ropes.
Piledriver time. Dunks tries to get dirty with a second one, pulling away the outside mat, but the ref won’t have it. Funk gets Ricky in the ring and it’s over. Post match beatdown is stopped by the ref sticking his neck out for Ricky again. Funk slaps the ref out and continues with his stops on Santana. One by one, good guys come in the ring only to be piledrived. Two guys in the front row give each other a very big high five. In this Coronavirus world we live in, that put a smile on my face. No touching! Steiner Brothers make the save.
This is my new fun. Let me know if I’m doing too much.
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Let’s fight the virus...with Virus! What’s everyone’s favorite Virus match? He’s on my watch list and I’ve seen nothing. I have a lot of time coming and a desire to ingest lots of wrestling this coming week. Learning more about lucha has been very rewarding for me. Thanks guys.
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Vader vs Shinya HASHIMOTO - 4/28/1989
The pre-match antics says it all. Vader’s abrasive showmanship as he’s swinging his arms and calling out the steam of his large, over the top mask. This spectacle coincides with Hashimoto staring him down with his arms folded. Loud and large vs stoically contemplative. A true representation of the old tale of the Mongoose vs the Cobra.
Vader is the bigger and stronger of the two. His punches pack a hell of a wallop. When he connects, Hashimoto goes down. But Hashimoto’s precision is dangerous. after being pushed around, he is given the opportunity to strike hard with a series of kicks to his shoulder. When Vader is hurt, he is HURT. Great an over the top selling. Shinya looks like a total killer. But it just take one Donkey Kong style smash to swing the advantage.
Back and forth this match goes. Vader is stronger and knocking Hashimoto down, Hashimoto focuses on the shoulder and Vader screams in pain. At times Vader even comes across desperate by throwing a drop kick. Hashimoto appears to have advantage coming into the end game with a very smooth looking bodyslam and an arm submission, but Vader muscles and powers his way out. Vader’s girth and raw power is what gives him the clothesline victory.
Hash Money, Homie. Thanks @Curt McGirt !
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Terry Funk vs Eddie Guerrero - 5/20/1989
This was a very fun tv match that I never knew happened. Terry Funk, who I have top 5 on a GOAT list I’m having fun with, going up against a young yellow-trunked Eddie Guerrero. Based on the date of the match and the commentators references to Ric Flair being in the hospital, I think it is safe to assume this is soon after Funk attacked Flair after his big Steamboat match. Also, they state that this is Eddie’s debut.
It’s safe to say that going in this is going to be a squash. Terry is in a big storyline with the champ and we got what someone at the time would assume is just an enhancement talent. But we get multiple moments to actually let Eddie shine here. Big moment for him is mid match jumping off the top rope onto Funk outside of the ring. He also has a pretty backflip reversal to escape a charging Terry.
It’s interesting to see Eddie Guerrero at this time. Looking back the earliest match of his I’ve seen is probably around 92, which would have been 3 years after this. The clear object of this match is to put over Terry Funk. But I always have fun watching the other guy and how they react. Eddie did a good job selling. A moment I enjoyed is when Terry does a fist drop onto Eddie and he grabs his head, gets up, to re-fall down. Writing that sounds clumsy but it was actually a very fluid motion. I’d be interested to see more of him at this younger age.
This match is a great example of crazy Funk. Running back and forth when Eddie’s to the outside and early getting himself caught up in the ropes on a missed move. Such a wild card. Seeing him in the ring you never know what he’s going to do. Comes off as such a prick when he briefly mocks Guerrero rolling around. You just want to see him get smacked and I love him for it.
A big moment was first having Terry Funk throw Eddie over the top rope the way he did. JR (I think) was going off about wondering why that wasn’t a DQ. For anyone that watches AEW you’ll know that’s a pretty regular thing from him. Funny to see him doing that in 1989. But they do a good job stating that Funk is so wild that the ref is intimidated by him.
The other big moment is the piledriver to the outside. A reference to when he piledrived Flair through the Table on the outside. I wonder how many outside the ring piledrivers he does between then and the match. Does that become his thing?
Of course, video ends with a great Funk promo. Fun match, thanks @Goodear !
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@Goodear, you’re crazy! Haha, I’m gonna have to try the same time viewing. Good observation about the faces not being overt suckers. Anyone stand out for you, performer wise? I fell in love with the heels in this. The sneaky sucker punches in the corner got me.
Min excited to watch your rec. My work is going to limited hours so I’ll potentially have a lot of time off for the next week or so. If I don’t get to it tonight than for sure tomorrow.
Also, I may need more Hashimoto madness from @Curt McGirt.
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@Goodear, here’s your match. It was posted by the Segunda Caida crew recently so if you watched it already I can get you another one.
Eddy Wiecz/Eddy Koparanian vs. Georges Gueret/Andre Bollet 2/23/56 (part 1&2)
I chose this one for you because in your AEW posts I remembered you liked Sammy Guerrera. So I was trying to think of fun arrogant heels. Gueret and Bollet play the heel roles really well here. Excited to read what you think.
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@Curt McGirt, that Tenryu vs Hashimoto was a war! Dear lord, they beat each other up.
Side Note: I now know it’s Hash and not Hosh. D’oh!
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Shinya Hoshimoto vs Kensuke Sasaki - 8/31/1997
And it all started with a stare down. A moment so simple, that when right, nothing is better to start out a big bout. I may be unfamiliar with both these gentlemen’s work. But for this moment I know the aura I can feel. The idea of competitors. I forget about Kyle being a rude jackass in front of customers at work. I forget about my light headache. I forget about biting my tongue a minute ago. I only know one thing. A strong dude with a mullet and another strong dude with hair my mom has in pictures before I was born are looking into each other’s eyes, ready to compete for an absolutely gorgeous looking IWGP Championship.
Kensuke Sasaki and Shinya Hashimoto lock fingers twice. Both times Sakaki establishes his strength. The first time he is able to move Hashimoto to the ropes. The second he bends his body downward so Hoshimoto is lower than him with his wrists bend back. Being a wise champion, Hashimoto uses his body positioning to push Sasaki to the ropes, leveraging his head against his shoulders to drive him.
These moments are barely a few minutes, yet are handled with such grace and pacing that they’re bodies seamlessly struggled together as a smooth Bela Tarr camera shot. These are truly competitors that will inch against for the grand prize and I have a feeling each moment of pushing against each other will matter for the victory.
Kensuke Sasaki seemed to have the advantage early with lock ups. How about early strikes? That’s going to The Champ. Shinya Hoshimoto’s open hand strikes for the time being is moving Kensuke Sasaki’s chops in the early minutes. Very good play by Hoshimoto to abort the lockup’s for raw swinging physicality. After a few strikes and moving Sasaki around, grounding Sasaki with a rebounding shoulder tackle is his play. Just as Sasaki was standing over Hoshimoto on his knees a minute ago, Sasaki separates, holding his chest and the roles are now completely reversed. This is merely all within the first few minutes.
I usually don’t like writing reviews as play by plays, but at times this showdown comes across so grand and larger than life that I seem to revert it. These sequences seemed well placed for how I’m interpreting these athletes to be. I don’t know the story of Shinya. I saw in the description of the YouTube page that this was a part of his long title run. I only know Kensuke Sasaki from his 2005 chop off with Kenta Kobashi. So seeing him as the one losing a strike exchange makes me see this Shinya Hoshimoto as a mythic open hand slapping beast. All who hear Shinya Hoshimoto should Fear him. All who hear Shinya Hoshimoto should respect him. I know I do.
The following sequence involves Kensuke Sasaki taking what he learned early on was his advantage and running with it. Hand lockup transitioned into grounding towards an arm bar. And under utilized way of making an arm bar, or in this case maybe struggling to maintain a near arm bar is how it is sold. I’ll see a lot of workers get it put in, lay on their belly, and wildly wave their arms and head. Shinya Hoshimoto does one better. Wincing in pain, he doesn’t drop down fully and stoically keeps trying to push himself up out of it. The most important part of his body visually to the viewers is his fingers. He keeps moving them and pumping his fingers to keep circulation.
After grinding him down, Kensuke Sasaki let’s go and begins working over Hoshimoto’s shoulder with stomps. Lifting him up and finally showing he isn’t to be messed around with strikes, delivers a series of chops to down the groggy champ. Shinya Hoshimoto appears to not be one to be put down at his own game, after a few seconds to snap himself back into the match, slaps the heck out of Sasaki. Downing him to the point of holding his chest in pain.
The rest of the match is the battle of positioning. Shinya maintains striking dominance throughout with fiery moments of Kensuke Sasaki knocking Hoshimoto over with stiff chops or slaps to the face. But Hoshimoto’s strikes are just too strong to maintain any comeback advantage. Back and forth they go with Sasaki’s power moves being blocked. After Sasaki reverses a duplex we seem to be in End game. Sasaki brings us home with head chops and lariats. A stiff power bomb and then his finishing move that I don’t know the name of ends the day. The selling that Kensuke Sasaki did after being knocked over each time pays off in the end with such a rewarding feeling that he is the one holding his hands up.
I enjoy matches like this. Where there is a visible struggle to get a move accomplished. When a lockup can be intriguing, I’m interested. Thanks @Six String Orchestra for the recommendation. Any other of either of these guys’ match you’d recommend me checking out?
Sadly, now that the match is over, I bumped that damn same spot on my tongue I bit.
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Glad you liked the match, @NikoBaltimore. I thought it would be a breezy enough match with enough popping off back and forth between all three guys that it would be a good way to start. I highly recommend the match with Vikingo vs Laredo Kid that my dude @Curt McGirt posted. It’s cool seeing him in a one on one match after the craziness of the triple threat.
I think in terms of American work he’s had a few matches with Impact this year. I’m not sure what any contract situation is.
Edit: ITS HASHIMOTO, damn it!
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*The WWE Universe has Fiend Fever!
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22 minutes ago, Goodear said:
I still need a match to review.
I can come up with something for you in case something happened with @Ace . And if he does message you then you can just ignore mine. What’s your bind spots?
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Bless your six stringed heart, @Six String Orchestra! Excited to check this out. Thanks.
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Hey @NikoBaltimore, I usually see you in the AEW threads and you mentioned a blind spot being lucha. Some people can be on the fence with lucha so I wanted to find something not epically long and having someone from AEW. Dip your toes in to see if you want to expand with any of the people in this match.
El Hijo Del Vikingo vs Taurus vs Jack Evans:
This is a match that intrigued me enough to keep digging through AAA stuff from the past year or two. Hope you enjoy!
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Yaaaaay!
Boooooo!
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30 minutes ago, Craig H said:
Fucking GROSS.
I died reading this. Dude. I’m still cracking up.
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New Matt Hardy YouTube video might have a clue or two
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If this leads to more friendship, then I’m in!
I don’t have the long tenure posting here that most of you guys have so hopefully my involvement doesn’t make things too difficult.
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(Also Not March Madness): SECRET SANTO March 2020
in The PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
Posted · Edited by OctopusCinema
Thanks @The Man Known as Dan. I apologize for being late with my review. Crazy week and needed some time.
Takeshi Morishima vs Bryan Danielson
My match of 07. It’s been a long time since revisited, so I’m very happy this is my pick. Takeshi Morishima is probably the greatest wrestler I’ve seen live (or at least top 3) and Bryan Danielson has become my favorite all time and arguably in top 5 of my off the top GOAT list. What a match up. What a crowd. I miss seeing these pumped up intimate crowds you’d see at these ROH shows. The roar that’s let out when they say Danielson’s name. Dude was an absolute stud.
Match starts out, good guy Danielson extends his hand. Honor is in the name of the company, you gotta so respect. Not when you’re a tough guy monster. Not when you’re the mad man Morishima.
Big match feel as the bell rings. The classic beginning of circling each other. At this point in time Bryan is looked at as the best Matt wrestler in the world. But how is he going to lock up with big guy here? He starts with targeted strikes to the leg. The announcers do a great job with the real sports feel of proper explanation of the motivations. After a few kicks, Takeshi locks up and pushes him into the corner, but Danielson slips out and kicks his leg again. Stand off. Takeshi gets close enough for a Greco-Roman knuckle-lock and gets Danielson hurting, follows up with a series of clubs to the head and back. Danielson kicks again. This will be the heart of the match; Beast-like Power vs strategic viscousness.
After the story is established with a few back and forth moments, we enter the Morishima control segment. With the right seller, Takeshi Morishima swinging his fist around, stomping someone in the corner, and bully shoves around the corner is so fun to watch. Danielson ‘s face as he’s Irish Whipped to the corner shows so much anguish. Selling isn’t just in how your body reacts to moves but how every part of you expresses what’s happening. Danielson not giving up at one point on his back still tries to kick away at Morishima’s legs, to no avail. Takeshi Morishima manhandles him.
Now there’s a moment here I need clarity on. They’re on the outside and a running Morishima kicks Bryan in the head. They hype up Danielson grabbing his eye. Was his retina detached or was that a separate memory I have? Or a different eye injury? Either way, Danielson lifts Takeshi over the guardrail and uses that as a moment to jump from the top ropes and shoulder tackle him in the crowd. Again, grabbing his eye afterwards. Now we enter a Danielson control segment. Very few people can use a chairshot to the leg and still look like a face.
Control segment looks over when fiery strikes is reversed into a huge Morishima lariat. However a Backdrop driver is revered and we’re entering back and forth swings. Danielson repeatedly goes after the leg, while Morishima has a Target with the eye. But Danielson’s gameplan all along starts to look successful with a leg lock. Morishima eventually powers out. Suplex City.
Danielson’s early leg work proves too much and Morishima eventually falls. Bryan Danielson takes advantage and is now targeting the head of the monster. Reminds me of how in video games you’d have to shoot at a certain body part to shoot to open up where you’d actually hurt his hit points. After a German suplex, Danielson goes through all his ROH greatest hits. Elbows to the forehead, Cattle Mutilation, and the classic head stomp that would later damage the almighty Bork Lesnar!
Match ends with a backdrop superplex reversed with Morishima’s big Bobby Hill body landing on Bryan’s head. Back Drop Driver ends it all. The monster wins. My favorite match of the year.
A few random thoughts:
- One thing I always read is that Takeshi Morishima is a charisma-less blob. I don’t see that. He’s a stoic bully. People see someone acting like a bully and they think of smugness and unearned cockiness of a meaty-meaty man. He’s not like that. Morishima’s confident and cerebral. He’s just gonna hurt you because that’s what he does. When he’s pained he’s pained. When he’s exhausted he’s exhausted.
- I also hear this as a David vs Goliath mast has. Very fitting, but to be fun I’ll label it as something different. David vs Goliath implies a small no-way he can win challenger taking on a larger conquerer. This isn’t a young David, but King David. Bryan Danielson is the legend to the ROH faithful. Toppling him would legitimize the Champion-beast. I look at the match almost like a Batman vs Bane.
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edit: @Matt D, I’m excited to get my Bockwinkel on!
Hey @supremebve, I’m gonna do some research and hit you up with a match tonight.