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Gordi the former AEW fan

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Everything posted by Gordi the former AEW fan

  1. Somebody help me out here. Does anyone else remember when pro wrestling was a pleasant diversion from everything going to shit? It seems like it wasn't all that long ago, but it also seems like it was years and years ago.
  2. I think there is an interesting TV mini-series or movie to be made about Onita's life. Now, would you include that scene? I guess it would depend on the network and the director...
  3. I have been super lucky when it comes to meeting pro wrestlers. Through my friends on the Vancouver and Osaka indie scenes and through just plain crazy good luck,I have had the opportunity to collect little personal memories of people like Bryan Danielson, Tajiri, Jun Akiyama, Suwama, Chono, Razor Ramon RG, Dump Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi... and all of them went out of their way to be extra-nice to me or to someone I know. Even people with reputations for not being friendly to fans, like Akira Hokuto and Abdullah the Butcher, have been supremely friendly and kind to me. There are a lot of scumbags in pro wrestling, but there are also a lot of good people.One example: Atsushi Onita was a special guest on Osaka Pro's 14th Anniversary Show in April 2013. At intermission I got out into the lobby as fast as I could to take advantage of the opportunity tp pick up some Onita merch. I got to his table before he did, and snagged a pair of Onita sweat bands (you can see one of them on my wrist in the above picture). I didn't have a ton of cash on me, and that was an affordable memento. There was a kid, around 12 at the time, who was always friendly to me at the various Osaka Pro shows and events. He had an autograph book that had been signed by all kinds of wrestlers. He really wanted to add Onita's autograph to his collection, but Onita's manager (or whoever he was) was firm in insisting that the kid had to buy something first. The kid had less money on him than I did, and he was pretty clearly heartbroken. So, I handed him one of my new wristbands, which he put on and used to get into the autograph line. Then, I saw Onita staring me down and gesturing at me to come over. I figured that I was in for a bollocking, but instead Onita pulled up a chair, sat me down beside him, and threw his arm around me. I had just taken money out of his pocket, and he had seen me doing it, but because I'd done it to help a kid he apparently loved me for it. For the remainder of the intermission, everyone who took a picture with Onita took a picture with him and with me. Imagine a pro wrestler rewarding you for costing him merch money! It really happened.
  4. Word on the streets over here is that they are going to stream the semi-finals on July 3rd for free, no sign-up needed, on NJPW World
  5. Every iteration of Rose vs Piper or Rose vs Borne that I have seen (which, sadly, only amounts to a few matches) has been amazing. Those guys have great ring chemistry and they really know how to work that Portland Sports Arena crowd.
  6. Go read Matt D's first post in this thread, Ape. This project is not the same as the previous one.
  7. Stan Hansen. In a bunkhouse match. In Memphis. Figure there might be some clubbering in this one.
  8. JTTS vs JTTS matches are a special kind of niche treat. In my opinion, this match features four of the top five WWF JTTS vs JTTS guys (Koko being the other one - though I'm almost certainly forgetting somebody). Also in my opinion each guy has at least one moment that shows why they were one of the top jobbers of their time but also a moment where they show why they were never more than that in the WWF. (Check out the "elevation" that Casey gets on his cross-body, for one example, and the nice bump-and-sell that Lombardi takes on the follow-up hip-toss for another). Also, you get near-peak meandering Bruno on commentary.
  9. It might actually be very interesting if The Greatest Match is edited down to, say, 20 or so mins (from a reported 30 - 35) because that could give us some insight into what Vince and his yes-men consider to be "Great."
  10. Here is my all time, edge lord, what the hell? he must be trolling, ucey hot, galaxy brain take: It is likely that Bryan vs Styles will be a better pro wrestling match than the upcoming Greatest Wrestling Match of All Time. Yeah. That's right. I went there.
  11. That's a good take about the difference between the ladder match with guys doing crazy shit but taking care of each other and the Hardcore Championship match with guys just unprofessionally braining each other. Never thought about it quite like that before, but it's clearly accurate.
  12. IYH Canadian Stampede main event just dwarfs everything else for me, in terms of "I wish I could have been part of that crowd." Tigers Mask vs Black Buffalo mascaras contra mascaras took place before I moved to Japan. A lot of my Osaka Pro fanatic friends consider it their favourite match. Two guys who are really close friends "in real life" and at that time massive rivals in kayfabe... people I know were moved to tears by the match and its aftermath. I can only eat my heart out. Flair vs Funk I quit match would be pretty great, too... but I think the Terry Funk match I would most like to have seen live was the 1980 match to determine the winner of the RWTL tournament. Baba & Jumbo vs Terry & Dunk. That would allow me to live my impossible dream of seeing both Baba and Jumbo live and in person.
  13. Yeah, he is shockingly good in that match. It's a real eye-opener.
  14. For me, the joy of that '79 tag league match is twofold: First, just the fun of seeing genki young athletic pure babyface Jumbo. Such a nice contrast to the grumpy ass-kicker we are all so much more familiar with. And, it's kind of like watching young Bret in the WWF facing Savage (or that Boston Garden match he had with Steamboat).You can see the respect he's being given at this point in his career. Like they knew he would become something special. As @Beech27 put it, you want to see the trajectory of his career. It's like a backward glance at a future that we all know will actually come to pass. Second is the happy astonishment of that finish. Looking at it on paper you'd just naturally assume, in order of likelihood: A count-out, DQ, or other stereotypically 70s/80s Japanese wrestling non-finish; Mil pinning Jumbo; or Baba pinning Dos Caras. Jumbo getting the pin blew my mind the first time I saw this... and I suppose that ties in with the whole "Jumbo was bound for greatness" thing. Thanks to everyone who took the time to watch and review it! Munny vs Brookes is absolutely something I'd have enjoyed the hell out of if I'd been there live. Very fun match.
  15. Here's a nifty little bite-sized wrestling treat for you all And, in case you are more in the mood for a big meal as opposed to a tasty snack:
  16. Prince Nana and Prince Iaukea should come in to AEW as a kind of "consulting firm" for young wrestlers. They could use that Spin Doctors song as their theme. You know, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong"
  17. I have somehow never seen this before. What a tremendous match! Great use of "TV time remaining" to enhance the drama. I briefly thought "Wait a minute! Did Curt beat Hansen for the title? ... I'm pretty sure it was Bockwinkel..." But you know they've got you good, when you are thinking things like that.
  18. Adrian Adonis was a pretty good bumper. Edit: John Nord, too!
  19. I tend to prefer this kind of straight up squash to the "guys behaving unprofessionally" type. Regardless,I appreciate everyone who has participated in this thread. This, the clubbering thread, Secret Santo, Dean's wrestling machines thread... all of those helped me get through some pretty strange times over the last couple of months. I am sure I'm not the only one. Cheers!
  20. I'm going back to work full time starting Monday. I'm happy about that, but it means I won't be online so much anymore and likely won't be able to participate in this thread much, for a while, while I adjust to the extreme change in schedule. I appreciate everyone who posted in this thread. It genuinely helped me get through the last couple of months. I've been saving this one up to use as a kind of goodbye-for-now. It's not their famous dog collar match. It's a great brawl, almost pure uncut clubbering and stooging.
  21. If you would be so kind, please let me throw up a match this week as a farewell to the project. I've got a pretty good one.
  22. I'll be going back to work full time from Monday. I'm happy about that, but sadly it means I won't have time to keep participating in this project. Thanks to everyone and particular thanks to @Matt D for organizing this. It absolutely helped me get through the time of crisis over here. I have had a blast watching matches and writing and reading reviews with all of you.
  23. Make Your Own Simile Contest Using Ric Flair to hype up Edge vs Orton as The Greatest Match Ever is like... Having Martin Scorsese hype up Capone as the greatest gangster film ever made.
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