SUMMER SECRET SANTO 2023~!

[Curt McGirt]

@Zimbra don't worry I can't tag either  

[Matt D]

On 8/26/2023 at 6:03 PM, Curt McGirt said:

Here's the first one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRHpI7TeMco&pp=ygURd3djIHRoZSBncmVhdCB3YXI%3D

Gran Guerra 87 first. I made it most of the way through the 80s set but didn't quite make it this far.

Right now we're covering Panama on SC and we'll keep doing that. Graham (Rah) is doing amazing research work on figuring out who these guys were and what their story is. I'm going to pick up another day a week at SC in September to work with El Boricua on Puerto Rico. There are really famous (in our circles) 80s Puerto Rico matches/feuds like Hansen vs Colon and Invader vs Kamala or Embry, but I don't think we have that same sort of canon for the 90s and certainly not for the 2000s and 2010s. So we're hoping to rectify that and really dig into those decades for great stuff. The way I see it, the style is so natural for great bloody brawls and there's no reason to think it fell off completely. Even in AAA we get great stuff now and again. Why wouldn't we in PR right? So we'll be starting that journey soon.

This is sort of like a reverse war games. Two rings, cage, two teams of five, but everyone starts at once and the idea is that you have to handcuff all 5 of your opponents to the cage. Once that happens, your team is freed and gets five minutes to just beat the holy hell out of the captive other team. I got confused early because i thought Dutch was a heel but he was a babyface (Grizzly Boone got handcuffed immediately and then Dutch shortly thereafter so I thought it was two heels down but it was just the sides evened up). They match up like you'd expect, Invader 1 and Chicky, Abby and Brody, TNT and Ayala, etc. There are a few great moments here, the first being TNT tearing handcuffs off the cage (he's captured almost immediately thereafter); also Invader getting Chicky in a ring by himself and opening him up. Once Brody gets caught, there's an Abby advantage on the other side and it ends up Chicky, Ayala, Abby vs Invader and Colon. They're able to shove forward and capture Chicky with lightning speed, however, and after that Colon does the cartwheel in the cage and everyone goes nuts. He gets too hyperfocused on giving Abby the figure four though and that lets the Sports Club capture Invader. All is not lost as Abby's hurt enough that Colon has time to get Ayala too. That just leaves Abby and Colon and a captured Dutch helps him lock him up for the win. The camera angles jump about making it all seem like a snuff film or something. It's a wild scene overall especially the post-match beating which the fans can't get enough of. Just real triumphant babyface stuff coming back from the 3 on 2 and then just leaving their opponents as battered messes. This didn't have to work but they figured out how to get just enough key moments to give it focus, order in the chaos.

I'll catch the other one soon.

[Curt McGirt]

I found my initial review of this from when I was laying in bed with a broken arm, knocking out the whole PR set right after -- guess what? -- Labor Day. So this is getting reposted seven years after it was initially posted. Woof. Feeling old yet?

Spoiler

La Gran Guerra I (12/12/87)

PUERTO RICAN WAR GAMES BABY~! Okay so the tecnico side (the Justice Army) is Colon/Brody/Invader I/TNT/Dutch Mantell and rudos (Chicky's Sports Club) are Abby/Ayala/Kareem Muhammad/Grizzly Boone/Chicky Starr. 22,000 fans here for The Great War and we have a handcuff stip where if the whole other team gets cuffed to the cage, they win and the other team gets five minutes to whoop up on them. Basically it's just chaos with everyone in the double cage and not even Hugo can keep up with the action. Brody lays into Abby with some of the biggest, fastest kicks I've ever seem him pull off; fittingly Invader I gets the first "low kick" of the match from a bloody Chicky. TNT actually breaks his damn handcuffs but he gets double-teamed and re-handcuffed. Brody is as animated as I've ever seen him and he is not happy about being cuffed. At some point a rope breaks and is used as plunder. It finally comes down to everyone handcuffed except for Carlos and Abby who gets monkey flipped (I always love seeing that) and finally Dutch helps Abby get cuffed so the faces win and get the keys given to them so for five minutes straight they can beat up the rudos. Grizzly Boone gets his head stuck through the middle of the cages and everyone bleeds and bleeds. Finally the five minutes are up and the Justice Army stop beating up their opponents. Chicky has some kind of gore or something hanging off of his head and Brody actually ascends a piece of scaffolding outside the cage in celebration. This is just pure mayhem and if you just stop thinking and let it wash over you it is Puerto Rican wrestling at its apex. 

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[John E. Dynamite]

On 7/29/2023 at 5:06 PM, SirSmUgly said:

broke-ass tagging

ALL RIGHT. I tried to get way too cute with this one. Well aware of the ongoing Nitro product so I figured, hey, let's find a big showcase match for all those legendary luchadores WCW used as fall guys. Found a bunch of fun 95 AAA and 97 Promo Aztecta 6 and 8 man tags but nothing that was ever really hitting on that highest level, y'know? So after a few days of failing on that front, I threw my hands up and dug through the best big singles matches from the unsung. La Parka, Psychosis, Juvi, they're sung. And El Dandy is mentioned so often as the Punchline To Most, Hero To The Educated that I had to go just one level further and pick something even more achingly obvious + essential. So here it is, one of the greatest main events in Arena Mexico this millennium and the high point of Villano V's Hall of Fame career.

BLUE PANTHER (w/Mistico) vs. VILLANO V (w/ Perro Aguayo Jr.) - MASK VS. MASK CMLL 75th Anniversary - Arena Mexico, Mexico City 9/19/2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87q0hGgEz9c

• Two of the biggest masks anyone could ever dream of winning, in the main event slot of CMLL's biggest show of the year. And doesn't the sold-out crowd of 17,500 act like it.
• Be on the lookout for some GNARLY hardway
• It might not be super-obvious without being able to comprehend the announcers, but watch as one of the falls ends in an extra sneaky way
• Perrito Aguayo and Mistico were engaging in their own super-heated feud, which almost covers for Villano V not being seconded by a freaking Villano.
• Both men had won a lot of masks but Blue Panther was much more active and won the mask of Lizmark Jr. the year before at the 74th Anniversary Big Insane Long Ass Cage Match That Ruled.
• When Villano III lost his mask to Atlantis in 2000, he famously revealed one of the most shockingly mangled faces in wrestling history. Does the mask of Villano V hide the same horrors?

Edited August 30, 2023 by John E. Dynamite

[Curt McGirt]

11 hours ago, John E. Dynamite said:

the 74th Anniversary Big Insane Long Ass Cage Match That Ruled

 

[SirSmUgly]

18 hours ago, John E. Dynamite said:

ALL RIGHT. I tried to get way too cute with this one. Well aware of the ongoing Nitro product so I figured, hey, let's find a big showcase match for all those legendary luchadores WCW used as fall guys. Found a bunch of fun 95 AAA and 97 Promo Aztecta 6 and 8 man tags but nothing that was ever really hitting on that highest level, y'know? So after a few days of failing on that front, I threw my hands up and dug through the best big singles matches from the unsung. La Parka, Psychosis, Juvi, they're sung. And El Dandy is mentioned so often as the Punchline To Most, Hero To The Educated that I had to go just one level further and pick something even more achingly obvious + essential. So here it is, one of the greatest main events in Arena Mexico this millennium and the high point of Villano V's Hall of Fame career.

BLUE PANTHER (w/Mistico) vs. VILLANO V (w/ Perro Aguayo Jr.) - MASK VS. MASK CMLL 75th Anniversary - Arena Mexico, Mexico City 9/19/2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87q0hGgEz9c

• Two of the biggest masks anyone could ever dream of winning, in the main event slot of CMLL's biggest show of the year. And doesn't the sold-out crowd of 17,500 act like it.
• Be on the lookout for some GNARLY hardway
• It might not be super-obvious without being able to comprehend the announcers, but watch as one of the falls ends in an extra sneaky way
• Perrito Aguayo and Mistico were engaging in their own super-heated feud, which almost covers for Villano V not being seconded by a freaking Villano.
• Both men had won a lot of masks but Blue Panther was much more active and won the mask of Lizmark Jr. the year before at the 74th Anniversary Big Insane Long Ass Cage Match That Ruled.
• When Villano III lost his mask to Atlantis in 2000, he famously revealed one of the most shockingly mangled faces in wrestling history. Does the mask of Villano V hide the same horrors?

You strike me as one of the posters around these parts who has watched so much wrestling and enjoyed so many bouts that I'm not even trying to pick something based on your eclectic tastes. I'm just picking something that I liked quite a lot that I feel is a bit forgotten. Even with the funky finish, the hate is a big draw for me: Syxx vs. Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship at SuperBrawl VII - 23 February 1997. Sorry about the terrible video quality, though. 

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2okuu

 

[porksweats]

On 8/29/2023 at 9:18 AM, Zimbra said:

Damn, guess I'm the only one who can't tag.

Anyway, Porksweats: Before he wrestled in front of 80000 people Kota Ibushi got his head and ass kicked in opening up the very first Fu-Ten show.  So I present to you: Katsumi Usuda vs Kota Ibushi

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bjf83

Excited to watch this, don't want to fall behind on giving my partners picks even if I myself have fallen behind!

Hope this is to your liking Zimbra.

 

https://archive.org/details/iwa-japan-2004.03.27

It's a link to an entire IWA Japan show from 2004, but the specific requested match starts at 35:02, 

Leatherface, Big Bossman & Keizo Matsuda vs. Ryo Miyake, Mike Rotundo & Steve Williams

[Matt D]

On 8/26/2023 at 6:03 PM, Curt McGirt said:

and the sequel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoKjjCi3uxM&ab_channel=WrestlingHomeMuseum-WrestlingClassics

 

This one's really all about the post-match where during the 5 minutes where the heels get to do the beatdown, Chicky lets Colon go free so Sheik can humble him in the middle of the ring and drape the flag over him. It absolutely made me want to see their singles match which I think is online (but only made the 80s set as clips). The match itself is interesting as they subbed in Sheik for Kareem Muhammad, Sheik, of course, being in exile as this is December 87. Colon matches up more with Abby and Brody with Sheik, which is just a bizarre pairing. There are less of what i'd consider big iconic moments in this one, but more of Chicky running around trying to escape people. It's so interesting they did the first one with the babyfaces winning and getting the heels and used the second one to set up a Sheik singles match. You can definitely do that, but you think it'd make sense to do it the other way around.  Maybe even do the singles match in the middle and run the babyface victory at the end? I don't know. There's a world where they brought Paul E to be Chicky's cousin (not Ron) and it would have been amazing. It's a chilling ending really.

[The Natural]

On 8/27/2023 at 1:25 AM, SirSmUgly said:

I figured that I'd just write up two matches since The Natural gave me two. Why pick one or the other?

THE NEW Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, 16 December 2018)

• I haven't watched WWE for years now and didn't fully realize that Bryan had turned heel at any point after I stopped watching.

 

• Bryan does some Larry Z.-style stalling early on, and I loved it.

 

• Then they collar-and-elbow their way into the corner, and there are six camera cuts. Six! I counted eighteen total overall on that simple lock-up and punch-fest that went into multiple corners. Boy, I can tell that I haven't watched WWE for a long time because I thought the match production made this thing actively worse.

 

• Besides that, the commentary got in the way of what was a decent match. And do they have to insistently call him THE NEW Daniel Bryan all the time? God, this company goes out of its way to have awful presentation. I've been watching 1992 Superstars, and between Vince and Perfect having bad pun-offs to start every show and going all out to over-emote on commentary (particularly Vince), it's been pretty shitty. This is about a million times worse, though. These commentators bickering and bickering and bickering some more when there's a match going on is unnecessary.

 

• What does work about this match is Bryan deliberately differentiating this THE NEW version of himself by doing stuff that babyface Bryan would never do. Stalling, wrestling slowly and deliberately, grabbing the nostrils and pulling upward when prepping a bow and arrow. He spends the first few minutes of this thing smothering short bursts of Styles's fiery offense.

 

• Now, the other thing I'd say is that, while this match is well-worked, it probably could have been either a) edited down by ten minutes, or b) spent a full first five minutes of the full twenty-four with Bryan bailing, stalling, wandering around, etc. There's a Styles comeback around ten minutes in that feels like, yeah, we should go into the finishing run here, but the match keeps going for another twelve or thirteen minutes. It gets stuffed, and that's fine, but this elongated, counter-filled finishing run feels pretty played out. I get, from the commentary, that the spot where Styles wraps Bryan's ankle around the post is a payoff from the build-up to this match, so stuff like that is fine. But that should have been closer to the end, I think. They could have run through the leg-specific spots mostly there instead of doing leg work for half of the lat ten minutes and kind of ignoring the leg work for the other half of the last ten minutes.

 

• One final note: This crowd is not helpful at all. They are dead for that callback/payoff spot and pretty much everything else outside of getting to chant NO! while Bryan kicks Styles in the chest. 

 

• Anyway, I thought that there was a good twelve or fourteen minute match in here that was a sort of over-worked, but still solid twenty-four minute match. The production being awful and the crowd being lethargic (I laughed at their weak "This is awesome" chant toward the end - it felt so obligatory for them) didn't necessarily help give this match the big match atmosphere I think it was meant to have. 

Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (ECW Television, 17 October 1995)

• Speaking of awful commentary, it's Joey Styles! That's probably going to be a muuuuuuuuuch less popular take than me shitting on Corey Graves or David Otunga, I know.

 

• However, I love these fellas! I've seen this match long ago, but I'm glad to see it again. I'm having a moment right now in which, upon my WCW rewatch, I'm finding myself to be a bigger fan of Psicosis than I've ever been. He is a fun TV match machine. So is Rey (who is injured again at my point in the watch), but Psicosis has been a bit of a revelation for me. I've always liked him, but yeah, I'm a big fan at this point. 

 

• This is best two-of-three, and the first fall ends quickly. They basically don't bother to pace themselves AT ALL for this first fall; both guys come out with the plan to throw bombs and get a quick 1-0 lead. This leads to three minutes of these guys diving on each other at top speed until Rey buries Psicosis with a rana at about three minutes in that nets him a quick pinfall.

 

• Poor Psicosis can't get on track. He got overrun and beaten quickly for a fall, and then when he gets back up for the second fall, he goes right back to trying to outrun Rey. Rey pretty easily rolls Psicosis, who I read as desperately wanting to show Rey up by out-high-risking him. Psicosis finally accepts that trying to run with Rey is a bad game plan; he slows things down a bit and uses his height and weight advantage to try and bully Rey. Psicosis hits a gross powerbomb, but a lackadaisical, celebratory cover only gets two. I love the work supporting a narrative that Psicosis a) wants to style on Rey and does a poor job of covering or following up sometimes because he wants to celebrate instead, and b) the animals in the crowd have him irritated and unnerved, so he occasionally stops to taunt them. 

 

• Psicosis is fine as long as he uses power moves or wraps Rey in a submission, and he smartly takes a chair to Rey's knee to try and slow him down. But what happens when he starts running again? Rey dodges a running corner attack and goes back on offense.

 

• Rey looks like he might be about to catch Psicosis with another bomb for a quick win, but Psicosis catches Rey on a springboard moonsault attempt and buries him with a Tombstone for three to even up the match. 

 

• Let me take some time to talk about the Philly crowd. These bloodthirsty scumbags, bless their hearts, are WHITE HOT for this thing. If you didn't know who either of these wrestlers were, you'd think they were a big deal just off the reaction. I can't help but compare them to the San Jose crowd, which mumbled chants in a half-asleep stupor in that previous match. 

 

• So, after a replay of the first two falls, we come back to Psicosis powerbombing Rey onto a table that doesn't break, then straight launching him into some chairs at ringside before hitting a plancha all the way from the ring over the railing. Psicosis is coming off as a real mean prick in this thing. He acts like a guy who just hates everyone, especially Rey, and who has such confidence in his ability to pull any wrestling move off that either he'll kill Rey or kill himself doing shit he shouldn't try to do to kill Rey.

 

• In what I would argue is the spot of the night, Rey makes a comeback and ends up hitting a springboard 360 seated plancha to the outside. But the actual BEST part of this spot is right after, as both hurt, tired dudes find the energy to kick one another from their prone positions on the floor. They bring the HATE. 

 

• Anyway, as I remembered, this match absolutely rules the world. Rey gets a chair and returns a few favors from earlier in the match. Rey hits a diving rana from the top rope for 2.9, then hits a headscissors and a second-rope springboard seated plancha to Psicosis on the outside. There's a sense that these guys can't possibly go on much longer at this pace and doing this type of damage to one another. 

 

• Psicosis lays Rey out on a table at ringside and drives him through it with a senton splash because why the fuck not. Back in the ring, Psicosis follows up with a powerbomb, hits a chair shot, puts the chair on Rey's chest, and hits one more senton onto the chair (and Rey) that finally keeps Rey down for three. That this match is still a classic even after "lots of pacey, high-risk bomb throwing" became a common match type is largely down to Psicosis being the biggest and cockiest asshole jock luchador in the world. 

 

• PSICOSIS FUCKIN' RULES

 

• (Rey's really good, too)

 

• I'm sort of glad I watched both matches because, whether Natural was trying to do this or not, I think they were a direct contrast of one another. One was over-produced in front of a dead-ish crowd and probably needed more editing to reach the heights it was going for. The other was simply shot in front of a blazing hot crowd and was EXACTLY the right length for the way these two worked it and the type of match it was. Interesting stuff, and I'm glad that I chose to watch both of them!

 

I'll be honest @SirSmUgly, I didn't set out to show the differences between the two but I'm glad it worked out as a happy little accident. Your critiques of Bryan/Styles makes me want to revisit it as I haven't since then. Your favourite spot from Misterio/Psicosis is my favourite as well with both prone but still kicking each other. I love when Psicosis starts doing a thrusting gesture while saying "Misterio, Misterio". Always cracks me up. Did the rabid fans in the ECW Arena, you can hear them laughing out loud. Thanks for my pick and for watching mine!

Edited August 31, 2023 by The Natural

[The Natural]

On 8/29/2023 at 2:16 PM, Casey said:

Oh, word. Whatcha want, Natural? I don’t really care this week to be honest. I’ve got a long weekend so I’m good. Speaking of which, I’ll get my review out for @Zimbra‘s pick out probably tonight. 

Hi, @Casey. I'm conscious of asking what for as I don't want to feel dismissive of whatever anyone picks/me and limiting their choice too. Care too much what others think as my councillor said. My Bull Nakano viewing is very limited, mostly from WWF but knowing you're a big Bull Nakano fan, best turn to you please. The biggie is on YouTube please. I use a tablet mainly and DailyMotion is behaving a twat on it.

You're up for anything? Don't want people thinking (again as my therapist says) I'm lazy regurgitating Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan matches. Terry Funk/Bray Wyatt too soon for you?

Cheers!

Edited August 31, 2023 by The Natural

[Curt McGirt]

EL IDOLO VS. EL EXTERMINADOR (CHAIN MATCH)

This starts off very tense, with both guys immediately using the chain to lock up with each other, and they remain that way for most of the match -- choking, wrapping their heads and necks with the chain, short little punches with the chain. It actually gets kind of boring after awhile. Eventually Exterminador's mask is ripped all the way up the middle so his hair sticks out like a mohawk and most of the yellow mask is soaked in blood. Finally they unwrap from each other's clutches and start going for the buckles (yes, it's a four-corners-to-win match, though there is a pin attempt at one point). After some failed attempts Exterminador boots Idolo out of the ring and they start bashing each other with chairs and one even gets tossed into the crowd. You can't see everything because they're fighting right below the camera's line of sight and that makes it feel a little wilder, dare I say even more like a PR match. They get back in the ring and Exterminador touches the buckles after screwing up and touching one of them twice with the ref having to remind him "wrong buckle, dumbass". He doesn't want this to be over with and keeps beating on Idolo, they yell on the mic and some things get signed and I don't know what's going on. This felt kind of inconsequential for a chain match, like the feud is just getting started, and needed some more action from both guys. Idolo did not come off like a face here either; instead Exterminador felt like the avenging angel beating up on somebody who wronged him. Dunno, this one just fell kinda flat. 

EDIT: Okay so I went and read the story where this is the second in a trio of matches and the next one is a mask match so it all makes perfect sense. Given that, it deserves some more respect. It's just that I should never be actively bored in a chain match and at one point I was. 

Edited August 31, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Casey]

On 8/22/2023 at 9:58 AM, Zimbra said:

For you: Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Minoru Tanaka from Battlarts: 

Let me start off by saying the finish to this, with Tajiri doing 12 to 6 elbows to the back of Tanaka's head into a german into a dragon suplex was just delightful. If you're like me, and your only exposure to Tajiri was ECW and WWF/E, then you expect a lot of kicks, and this had them for sure - but not a lot! But the ones that were dished out were gnarly, and I didn't see any thigh slapping either. Minoru Tanaka was the standout in this, though. I want to say he went on to be in All Japan in the 2000s, am I right? I'd be interested to see his stuff a few years removed from this and if his style is the same as it is here, because let me tell you, I fuckin' dig it. I thought for sure with all the armbars and kicks to the arm/shoulder that he was doing to Tajiri that it would be the finish, but I was wrong. The crowd popped for the tarantula spot - is this one of the first times Tajiri did it, or did they just think it was a super cool move? Because it is. It looks even more painful here, poor Tanaka's head is bent back and touching the apron for fucks sake! There was also a pretty cool submission from Tajiri early on that I initially thought was going to be a pin.

In my earlier review of Punk/Raven, I said I liked Punk because it always seemed like he was in actual fight. The same can be applied here, but there's another layer that I love about pro wrestling too (when it looks like a fight): the struggle. I didn't know who was going to win, and both were struggling at times and it seemed - for lack of a better term - real. So I guess the question here is, was it? I assume this was one of the crossovers they did with Big Japan, since I believe Tajiri was a regular with BJPW at the time.

Under 10 minutes, stiff kicks, cool submissions, and Tajiri before most of us knew who he was and he's more precise and vicious here (when he gets the chance!). Minoru Tanaka is, like I said earlier, someone I'm now interested to see more of because of what he showed here. Great stuff, thanks for the pick!

7 hours ago, The Natural said:

Hi, @Casey. I'm conscious of asking what for as I don't want to feel dismissive of whatever anyone picks/me and limiting their choice too. Care too much what others think as my councillor said. My Bull Nakano viewing is very limited, mostly from WWF but knowing you're a big Bull Nakano fan, best turn to you please. The biggie is on YouTube please. I use a tablet mainly and DailyMotion is behaving a twat on it.

You're up for anything? Don't want people thinking (again as my therapist says) I'm lazy regurgitating Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan matches. Terry Funk/Bray Wyatt too soon for you?

Cheers!

I'll take some Wyatt Family era Bray, if that's okay! Just don't give me the SHIELD six man at Elimination Chamber, since I just watched that last night, or the Daniel Bryan matches. That cool?

And for you... okay, well, here's the thing. It's a good match! Four all time greats, one of which trained one of my current favorites (Mariko trained Hiroyo Matsumoto). You might wonder why I'm dumping all these compliments and whatnot before I give you the match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qElQOpA0L0

Because it's Collision In Korea Night 1. Yikes!

Entrances start at 30:51 for this. It's Nakano & Akira Hokuto versus Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida.

You'd think the crowd would be more silent than they are, given that it's North Korea and we've been told they've never seen pro wrestling before. But, hey, they aren't as quiet as your normal Japanese crowd. It's... weird. But interesting, and it helps that the match is pretty good too.

[Curt McGirt]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoru_Tanaka_(wrestler)

Man, Tanaka has been around.

Here's my review of the second Gran Guerra: 

Spoiler

La Gran Guerra II (12/13/87)

Okay this one is the same crew but with Sheiky Baby as a replacement for Kareem Muhammad. Unfortunately we have Rip Rogers to provide extra shitty commentary with Hugo. I think Chicky is the first person to bleed here. TNT acts like an angry animal every time he's handcuffed desperately pulling at the chain. This one comes down to Colon and Sheik and the latter is stabbing like a maniac with something he pulls out of his or Abby's boot. He finally cuffs Colon to Chicky's chain (there seem to be two sets of cuffs on each chain) and the rudos get their turn to wreck the "so-called good guys" (TM Rogers). Someone brings a belt in and Sheik goes nuts with it on Carlos. They get smart and let Carlos free just so Sheik put the Camel Clutch on him while Chicky boots him in the face. They even put the Iranian flag on Carlos! Shieky chokes him out with the flagpole and even though he doesn't bleed, he's clearly the MVP of this match and I think we only get our blowoff on the extras. After this I need to go try and rewatch that because they stretcher out Carlos and I can only imagine the bloodfeast we got after. 

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Casey]

I think I’m gonna have to track down some of his 2000s New Japan stuff. I definitely remember HEAT, had no idea that was Minoru Tanaka.

[Zimbra]

Tanaka's NJPW stuff never really clicked with me. It felt less creative and more running through a set of stock spots. The leg catch counter into the kneebar is cool but you don't need to do it every match.

Re: Tajiri I'm pretty sure the tarantula goes back to his time in Mexico. One of my white whale matches is Tajiri vs De Cerebro from either BJW or IWA. There were clips of it on the comp tape I had and it was just solid wacky llave submissions. But it doesn't seem to exist anywhere and isn't listed on Cagematch.

[The Natural]

On 8/31/2023 at 3:30 PM, The Natural said:

Hi, @Casey. I'm conscious of asking what for as I don't want to feel dismissive of whatever anyone picks/me and limiting their choice too. Care too much what others think as my councillor said. My Bull Nakano viewing is very limited, mostly from WWF but knowing you're a big Bull Nakano fan, best turn to you please. The biggie is on YouTube please. I use a tablet mainly and DailyMotion is behaving a twat on it.

You're up for anything? Don't want people thinking (again as my therapist says) I'm lazy regurgitating Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan matches. Terry Funk/Bray Wyatt too soon for you?

Cheers!

 

16 hours ago, Casey said:

I'll take some Wyatt Family era Bray, if that's okay! Just don't give me the SHIELD six man at Elimination Chamber, since I just watched that last night, or the Daniel Bryan matches. That cool?

And for you... okay, well, here's the thing. It's a good match! Four all time greats, one of which trained one of my current favorites (Mariko trained Hiroyo Matsumoto). You might wonder why I'm dumping all these compliments and whatnot before I give you the match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qElQOpA0L0

Because it's Collision In Korea Night 1. Yikes!

Entrances start at 30:51 for this. It's Nakano & Akira Hokuto versus Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida.

You'd think the crowd would be more silent than they are, given that it's North Korea and we've been told they've never seen pro wrestling before. But, hey, they aren't as quiet as your normal Japanese crowd. It's... weird. But interesting, and it helps that the match is pretty good too.

Thank you for my match, Casey. Will watch ASAP.

Of course Wyatt Family era Bray is okay by me. I've given everyone two matches to watch one or both.

The first is Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena from Payback 2014. I rate this as Bray's second best singles match behind his match with Daniel Bryan at the 2014 Royal Rumble:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UbZSY0b6yEo&pp=ygUXYnJheSB3eWF0dCB2cyBqb2huIGNlbmE%3D

As you've seen The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield from Elimination Chamber 2014, this was the best of the rematches from RAW, 3rd March 2014:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r9QkwDMTlGs&pp=ygUWc2hpZWxkIHZzIHd5YXR0IGZhbWlseQ%3D%3D

Paul xxx.

[Matt D]

23 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

EL IDOLO VS. EL EXTERMINADOR (CHAIN MATCH)

This starts off very tense, with both guys immediately using the chain to lock up with each other, and they remain that way for most of the match -- choking, wrapping their heads and necks with the chain, short little punches with the chain. It actually gets kind of boring after awhile. Eventually Exterminador's mask is ripped all the way up the middle so his hair sticks out like a mohawk and most of the yellow mask is soaked in blood. Finally they unwrap from each other's clutches and start going for the buckles (yes, it's a four-corners-to-win match, though there is a pin attempt at one point). After some failed attempts Exterminador boots Idolo out of the ring and they start bashing each other with chairs and one even gets tossed into the crowd. You can't see everything because they're fighting right below the camera's line of sight and that makes it feel a little wilder, dare I say even more like a PR match. They get back in the ring and Exterminador touches the buckles after screwing up and touching one of them twice with the ref having to remind him "wrong buckle, dumbass". He doesn't want this to be over with and keeps beating on Idolo, they yell on the mic and some things get signed and I don't know what's going on. This felt kind of inconsequential for a chain match, like the feud is just getting started, and needed some more action from both guys. Idolo did not come off like a face here either; instead Exterminador felt like the avenging angel beating up on somebody who wronged him. Dunno, this one just fell kinda flat. 

EDIT: Okay so I went and read the story where this is the second in a trio of matches and the next one is a mask match so it all makes perfect sense. Given that, it deserves some more respect. It's just that I should never be actively bored in a chain match and at one point I was. 

I totally get it. I thought the way that they started with the choking was actually kind of cool and novel and grisly, but it certainly wasn't action packed and dynamic. And it went on a little too long. It's definitely interesting to see how different cultures do some of the same things we're used to. It was really surprised when it turned into a four corners tagging deal at the end.

If you have the time, I'd give you some bonus matches since you didn't love that! I just watched these two new Monterrey Casas vs Panterita trios and they are pretty awesome bits of Casas violence, let me tell you. No obligation but it'll be another week before I tackle them on SC. Just a gift to you, my friend.

Spoiler

 

 

[Curt McGirt]

Negro Casas/Emilio Charles Jr./Medico Asesino Jr. vs Panterita del Ring/Volador/Angel Azteca (Monterrey '91)

Here's a quick code if you aren't familiar with the gimmicks: Panterita = yellow, Volador = blue/mask with tassels, AA = white. The rudos should be easy enough to figure out -- the doctors are always in white in lucha, if that's an issue. Anyway it's cool seeing some UWA! There was a serious dearth of it on the '80s set due to issues. This is a pretty standard tercera. Rudos take the open with Casas being a total dick to Panterita's dick, running in and kneeing him right in the balls and a little later running him crotch-first into the ringpost, which gives some mustachioed fans with Big Gulp-sized cervezas in the crowd a kick. Segunda Caida is "blink-and-you-miss-it" with Emilio doing some nice stooging (he is a great performer you should go out of your way to watch more of). Tecnicos take the finish with Casas eating a huge pop-up powerbomb that was rather ahead of its time and couldn't have been fun on a rock-hard Monterrey ring. Ton of fun here. Oh yeah, and Casas tries to turn the tables back around towards the end by pretending his own junk has been the victim of Panterita but the ref doesn't buy it for a second. How great is he? 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Curt McGirt

[Octopus]

Ooooof. I wil Kawada Hashimoto this weekend. Got so caught up in Terry Funk matches and zingering in other threads. 
My partner this week I don’t think posted anything for me, so I’ll sneak by like nothing happened and I was here the whole time. If I missed it, I’ll recommend a thing. 
Don’t tell teacher.

[Matt D]

Ok, Week 5. I think whoever came up with the "take out the "s" in https if you want to tag people" might be on to something. This is about when we peter out and I'll take a heat test at the end of the week if we want to call it after this, but I think we have one more in us. Remember, get your partner a match even if you can't watch yours and you have til December to watch  anyway.

@Octopus
@John E. Dynamite
---
Matt D
@Casey
---
@Zimbra
@Chaos
---
@The Natural
@porksweats
---
@SirSmUgly
@Curt McGirt

This is when doubles start to creep in but I think I avoided them.

Casey, I will try to give you a nice match. Per the arrangement of All In, you can give me whatever you want, but just one match, as it was a * due to Fenix' visa situation. And the usual rules apply so sub 30 mins. I await my fate.

 

[Casey]

4 hours ago, Matt D said:

Casey, I will try to give you a nice match. Per the arrangement of All In, you can give me whatever you want, but just one match, as it was a * due to Fenix' visa situation. And the usual rules apply so sub 30 mins. I await my fate.

 

Did you think I forgot about March Madness 2015? Huh? EMMA, REALLY?!

Take your punishment, sir.

 

 

(@The Natural I’ll watch your pick(s) tonight or tomorrow, I’m off work. I can’t remember those matches so I’m excited to dig into ‘em!)

[The Natural]

17 minutes ago, Casey said:

Did you think I forgot about March Madness 2015? Huh? EMMA, REALLY?!

Take your punishment, sir.

 

 

(@The Natural I’ll watch your pick(s) tonight or tomorrow, I’m off work. I can’t remember those matches so I’m excited to dig into ‘em!)

Cheers, @Casey. I'll do the same for you too.

Edited September 2, 2023 by The Natural

[The Natural]

5 hours ago, Matt D said:

Ok, Week 5. I think whoever came up with the "take out the "s" in https if you want to tag people" might be on to something. This is about when we peter out and I'll take a heat test at the end of the week if we want to call it after this, but I think we have one more in us. Remember, get your partner a match even if you can't watch yours and you have til December to watch  anyway.

@Octopus
@John E. Dynamite
---
Matt D
@Casey
---
@Zimbra
@Chaos
---
@The Natural
@porksweats
---
@SirSmUgly
@Curt McGirt

This is when doubles start to creep in but I think I avoided them.

Casey, I will try to give you a nice match. Per the arrangement of All In, you can give me whatever you want, but just one match, as it was a * due to Fenix' visa situation. And the usual rules apply so sub 30 mins. I await my fate.

 

Anything in particular, @porksweats? Rather ask for preferences than pick something you unintentionally wouldn't like.

[Matt D]

@Casey How do you feel about this?

I was going to give you an Aoyagi vs Kurisu match but I don't see it online. This is ten minutes and Phil has described it as a "hurricane of violence."

 

[porksweats]

3 hours ago, The Natural said:

Anything in particular, @porksweats? Rather ask for preferences than pick something you unintentionally wouldn't like.

Mind throwing me a good brawl? It can be be blood and guts heavy. Anything specific for you?