SECRET SANTO 2023~!

[Matt D]

As always, the deal.

Starting this Sunday (being the 3rd), if there's interest (at least 6 people, myself included, is pretty much what's necessary), we're continuing our holiday tradition. Research or ask your partner, give them a match, review the match they give you, one week to do it. Keep the matches under 30 mins if possible. Make an effort. Learn about your fellow board members. Watch good wrestling. Go out of your comfort zone or double down into it. If you're going to be unable to give your partner a match for a week, let me know before hand so I take you off the list for a week. Matches can always be reviewed later. Worst thing is not giving your partner something to watch though! My hope is that we could run through the end of the month into the first couple of weeks of January since January is mighty bleak, my friends.

No harsh and horrific side bets currently on the table, so we're all acting in good will and good faith but maybe one will pop up. Sign up by responding below. It's not a big lift and people tend to enjoy it.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Matt D

[porksweats]

I'll be much better about my reciprocal reviewing this go around 

[The Natural]

I'm in if you'll have me please and thank you.

[The Natural]

Only thing I'll ask for me please, YouTube only and no deathmatches more graphic than AEW's.

Edited November 29, 2023 by The Natural

[Zimbra]

I'm in.

I still owe Porksweats a review of the Most Depressing 6-Man he assigned me last time out.

[Sammo~!]

I'm in!

[onelegbrynn]

I’m down! Let’s do it!

Side note: End of December could potentially be a bit messy with my work schedule but if anything comes up, I’ll let you know!

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

Please no WWE or NXT.

WWWF or interesting semi-obscure WWF is OK, though.

If you want to make me happy gimme a wild brawl or something with a giant or an angry enormous person in it. Or a wild brawl featuring angry enormous giants.

But, really, I'm up to review anything. Other than WWE or NXT. 

I prefer interesting/unusual to "great."

Unless you specifically demand only *****+ epics, expect BMMSM or BML or violent Joshi or something more than 50 years old and/or a relatively obscure Tenryu or Funk match from me. Or an indie match with a now-famous wrestler in it, maybe. I like all of those things! Feel free to give me something along those lines. Or whatever. If you find it interesting, maybe I will as well.

(Edit: of course, if you'd prefer not to be given any of those things, particularly, just let me know. I'll try to find something else for you).

 

Looking forward to participating, after sitting out last time.

 

Edit: looking through previous editions of the Santo-verse, I found this, my request from winter 2022/23:

NO "GREAT" MATCHES FOR ME, PLEASE! No ***** Meltzer/Keith-style epics that go long, have tons of (empty) flash and multiple finisher kick-outs. I have seen too much of that. I am here for interesting/weird matches. I love Kenny. I love Okada. I loved Kenny vs Okada at Dominion. I DO NOT WANNA WATCH THAT KIND OF MATCH HERE. I wanna watch Kenny vs Little Girl. Gimme weird. Gimme crazy. Gimme violent. Please don't gimme self-consciously epic and flashy. Also do not give me Sports Entertainment. No WWE. WWWF is fine, if it's weird and/or involves Andre. Also, unless you specifically ask, I won't be giving out great matches, but rather weird or interesting or nostalgic ones. 

 

So my feelings haven't changed much in the last year. Also, I was given two WWWF Andre trios matches in the 2020/21 Holiday Santo and they were certainly fun enough but I almost edited that bit out because WWWF Andre trios matches definitely follow a formula, so I'd prefer to review something else this time. Maybe Andre in France or Japan? Or a non-obvious Hashimoto match?

Edited December 3, 2023 by Gordi the former AEW fan

[Curt McGirt]

On 11/29/2023 at 12:11 AM, The Natural said:

no deathmatches more graphic than AEW's

Phew. Considering the last one we saw, that covers not much ground. 

I'm in, of course.

[Casey]

Ah, fuck it, I’m in.

[Matt D]

Thanks everyone. If anyone else wants to get in for week 1, let us know. I'll roll the dice in the morning.

[Matt D]

Week 1!

@The Natural
@Casey
-------
@porksweats
Matt D
------
@Curt McGirt
@Gordi the former AEW fan
-------
@Sammo~! > @brynn9292 > @Zimbra ( > Sammo~!) So Sammo gives a match to Brynn. Brynn gives a match to Zimbra. Zimbra gives a match to Sammo. Got it?

Feel free to post what you'd want to see now. I'll take literally anything at this point. Anything you want, PS?

[porksweats]

35 minutes ago, Matt D said:

Week 1!

@The Natural
@Casey
-------
@porksweats
Matt D
------
@Curt McGirt
@Gordi the former AEW fan
-------
@Sammo~! > @brynn9292 > @Zimbra ( > Sammo~!) So Sammo gives a match to Brynn. Brynn gives a match to Zimbra. Zimbra gives a match to Sammo. Got it?

Feel free to post what you'd want to see now. I'll take literally anything at this point. Anything you want, PS?

Matt, an absolute pleasure to start the Santo off with you!

 

I'm feeling like I'd like to have a nice lost to time/syndication match from the WWF this go around to start it off, just not during the late 80s! Pre-Hulkamania (or at the onset) is fine however.

 

Before I throw one your way, even though I see you'll take anything at this point, is there something you'd want to avoid?

[Sammo~!]

I don't have any restrictions on what I want to watch. I will gladly watch just about any genre and time period of wrestling. I'm more interested in watching matches you guys like and want to share. 

 

@brynn9292 is there anything in particular on your wishlist?

Edited December 3, 2023 by Sammo~!

[Curt McGirt]

I'll start. 

Here ya go Gordi. Somebody brought it up in the joshi thread where we were talking about our top five joshi matches, as an honorable mention or something. I still haven't finished the whole thing because I'm lazy and get wrapped up in other shit, but I've seen about a quarter of it and damn. That's intense. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWkzPJdSFK0&ab_channel=Kimurakyoko91

[Matt D]

17 minutes ago, porksweats said:

Matt, an absolute pleasure to start the Santo off with you!

 

I'm feeling like I'd like to have a nice lost to time/syndication match from the WWF this go around to start it off, just not during the late 80s! Pre-Hulkamania (or at the onset) is fine however.

 

Before I throw one your way, even though I see you'll take anything at this point, is there something you'd want to avoid?

There barely are any pre-84 WWF TV matches that are gems like this. I gave Gordi the Battle of Atlantic City three years ago from weirdo local WWWF TV and it's great but kind of too long.

This is a cheat since it's a Philly house show match but I don't think I've given it to anyone and the heat is off the charts. I did post it when Sheik died and wrote about it on SC though:

And if these weren't what you were thinking, I'm going to break your rule and just give you Tito vs Windham from 89 or something (Or the late 90s Texas vs Memphis WWF match maybe?)

I got nothing right now. We got too many sick kids and adults for me to think through what I'd like. Pick a match that you like a ton (or hate!) and want to see me write about. That's good enough for me.

[Curt McGirt]

I'm gonna change my rules this year. Give me anything. Just whatever you want to. It's cool.

Aw fuck... I forgot about the Network... and other pay services... lets just say that if you can find it on Youtube or Dailymotion or send me a file, it's cool.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[onelegbrynn]

1 hour ago, Sammo~! said:

@brynn9292 is there anything in particular on your wishlist?

Not particularly!

I’ve got access to Peacock/WWE, Impact Plus and ROH currently for streaming.

Anything outside of that, as long as it’s on YouTube, I’m good! My favorite things on YouTube right now are old WWF house shows (like Philly, MSG, Boston, etc). Deathmatches are also fun!

@Zimbra … I’ll dig through my personal playlists on YouTube and see what I can dig up on there that’s fun and interesting (and also cool).

Edited December 3, 2023 by brynn9292

[porksweats]

1 hour ago, Matt D said:

There barely are any pre-84 WWF TV matches that are gems like this. I gave Gordi the Battle of Atlantic City three years ago from weirdo local WWWF TV and it's great but kind of too long.

This is a cheat since it's a Philly house show match but I don't think I've given it to anyone and the heat is off the charts. I did post it when Sheik died and wrote about it on SC though:

And if these weren't what you were thinking, I'm going to break your rule and just give you Tito vs Windham from 89 or something (Or the late 90s Texas vs Memphis WWF match maybe?)

I got nothing right now. We got too many sick kids and adults for me to think through what I'd like. Pick a match that you like a ton (or hate!) and want to see me write about. That's good enough for me.

I appreciate the selection between the two, and yes both are 100% what I'm happy with!

 

For you since everyone is sick, I hope this raises the spirits. It was a really fun (to me) pre-AEW Orange Cassidy in GCW match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhSNL479DXk

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

4 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

I'll start. 

Here ya go Gordi. Somebody brought it up in the joshi thread where we were talking about our top five joshi matches, as an honorable mention or something. I still haven't finished the whole thing because I'm lazy and get wrapped up in other shit, but I've seen about a quarter of it and damn. That's intense. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWkzPJdSFK0&ab_channel=Kimurakyoko91

That looks GREAT, and I don't believe I have seen it before. The other three names are very familiar, but I don't think I have ever seen Grizzly Iwamoto fight before. I'm assuming it'll be senior member/junior member roles giving structure to the intense violence, but we'll see.

Hows about we do a straight up intense violent Joshi match exchange? I suppose this immediately violates my "I won't be giving out great matches" edict, but in my opinion this match also qualifies as unusual because I think it has TOO MUCH hatred. Which should be impossible, but you be the judge:

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Gordi the former AEW fan

[Curt McGirt]

So, I gotta watch THIS potato harvest, huh?  No problem man, it's been awhile. 

EDIT: Oooo, I actually thinking of Hotta vs. Lioness Asuka, I think. So this is brand new to me! Good deal!

Edited December 4, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Curt McGirt]

YUMIKO HOTTA (AJW) VS. SHINOBU KANDORI (LLPW) 

This is a fight between the two meanest dogs in the joshi prison yard, so to speak. I've always thought of Kandori as one of the toughest looking and wrestling wrestlers anyway, but Hotta also had that "UFC Rules" match with Lioness where she kicked her so hard in the head she should have been criminally liable. And there's a LOT of that here. Hotta rushes Kandori before she even gets her robe off like "how dare you come into my fed" and Kandori is all "I haven't even got my robe off, bitch!" and they just start soccer-kicking each other, particularly Hotta. In fact about 90% of her offense is kicking Kandori in the face. It's withering, but Kandori is tough as nails and has not only her powerbombs and Tiger Driver but the Fujiwara armbar that everyone freaks out over every time she goes for it. Hotta just treats her like trash and they go back and forth for a bit, Hotta loses a bandage and does a minor blade job (I caught the handing of the blade back to the second but it was sly, so, points). Hotta really lays in some kappo kicks in the corner that are more like brutal rolling leg lariats where the heel catches you right in the face instead of the shin -- that's kinda how it looks, anyway. She even does two off the top! But Kandori finally starts going for the Tiger, which Hotta has the nerve to steal at one point. The finish is a bunch of powerbombs and suplexes and a couple rollups and extremely narrow pinfalls. At one point the ref even hesitates, looking away at someone outside the ring almost as if to confirm "really"? But there's a kickout and you can hear the crowd rumble like something was up. Hotta tries a final desperation pin but Kandori twists it into a full-on MMA heel hook for the ref call. But SHE DOESN'T LET GO, and of course then there's a whole mess with AJW gals kicking her until she lets go then she gets up and slaps the piss out of someone and leaves. Real good stuff, Hotta didn't look like a... lets say, varied wrestler, but certainly a brutal one. 

[Casey]

On 11/29/2023 at 12:11 AM, The Natural said:

Only thing I'll ask for me please, YouTube only and no deathmatches more graphic than AEW's.

This your only prerequisite, or you have anything specific in mind?

Let’s see… give me a good early to mid 90s WWF main event. That doesn’t feature Bret Hart. Make it a little challenging for ya!

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

17 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

I'll start. 

Here ya go Gordi. Somebody brought it up in the joshi thread where we were talking about our top five joshi matches, as an honorable mention or something. I still haven't finished the whole thing because I'm lazy and get wrapped up in other shit, but I've seen about a quarter of it and damn. That's intense. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWkzPJdSFK0&ab_channel=Kimurakyoko91

Oh man. That is a GREAT pro wrestling match. 

It tells three stories, really well.

The first is the story of the match itself. As I suspected, there is a CLEAR senpai/kouhai structure here. Bison is Aja's right hand, and Grizzly is Bull's. Aja beats on Grizzly, Bull beats on Bison, and for a major chunk of the match Grizzly and Bison just beat the absolute crap out of each other. Right near the end, Grizzly finally gets to lay it in on Aja for a bit, after Bull has softened Aja up for her. Then Bison gets to save Aja's ass for a change, after Aja had been bailing her out all match long. Then, finally, the end of the match comes down to the two junior partners battling in the ring while Bull and Aja brawl on the outside. 

The match gets out of control IMMEDIATELY when the bell rings. Bison gets busted open right away. Grizzly gets busted open about half way through. They tease Aja vs Bull at the ten-minute mark but they don't actually fight for another five minutes. It's super-effective and very dramatic. 

But at first Bull pretty much dominates Aja. More on that, later.

The actual ending of the match might seem anticlimactic after the INSANE violence that made up the body of the match. But the in-ring ending isn't actually the end of the story being told here. Aja and Bull keep on fighting after the bell, and then there is a long emotional confrontation between them, with tears and screaming, as real as any Eddie Kingston promo. And this, the setting up of a future match/rivalry, is the second story being told.

But. It is the third story, the one maybe being told between the lines, that to me makes this match GREAT. Probably the most memorable section of the match is when Kong and Kimura are hitting Nakano with kendo sticks, and Bull just stands there no-selling, then rips the sticks away and absolutely hammers everyone, including the ref, with furious blows that break the kendo sticks into pieces and drop Aja to her knees. Then, and only then, Aja unleashes her rage and is able to finally gain the upper hand. 

I really get the sense that Aja Kong was still pretty green here while Bull Nakano was firmly established as THE top monster heel. And the third, perhaps most important, story being told (so well) in this match is Bull being all "Good. Let the hatred flow through you" with Aja. "Your hate will make you powerful. Now fulfil your destiny."

So this is a damned good match in and of itself that also set up a huge singles match/rivalry, but it's probably also the birth of Aja Kong as the next great monster heel.

Damn, Curt. Pretty good way to start this one off. Thanks for this!

[Zimbra]

20 hours ago, Sammo~! said:

I don't have any restrictions on what I want to watch. I will gladly watch just about any genre and time period of wrestling. I'm more interested in watching matches you guys like and want to share. 

 

@brynn9292 is there anything in particular on your wishlist?

I've been watching a lot of Bock lately so here's Bockwinkel vs Ricky Morton from 1982:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3EWGglxlNQ

This is pushing the 20 minute limit so if you want something shorter let me know.