So the NHO offices received this stack of discs simply labeled "Portland 1970's", so we did what we always do and popped it in the old Digital Disc Player because these things won't watch themselves. What we found was mostly crappy quality stuff taped off of god knows what source and dubbed from generation to generation until arriving at this subpar product, but over the next few weeks I will do my duty and power through these hoping to find some worthy material to review.
1) Killer Tim Brooks v. Buddy Rose (Dog Collar Match)- 4
I really think this is one, or was one of the most brutal matches you could do. Blood leaked from both guys' heads like faulty spickets for most of this bout. Biggest impact move was a bodyslam, but they worked the chain into each other's foreheads like with the force and tenacity it takes to build an IKEA dresser. Both guys lost wind around 14 minutes but the real issue was how can this kind of match end in a DQ?
2) Buddy Rose v. Adrian Adonis- 6
This was a war, both men sold in different but great ways, Rose was exaggerated but his style was pretty physical, they worked a full nelson & headlock a few times like two men ready to break each other. Adonis showed so much fire, in his punches, his firing up the crowd and transitioning between moves. There was some cool Japanese sequences as well, one out of the full nelson then leading to the finish with a neat cradle by Adonis. Neither guy has a great physique but they threw each other into the pace and hard nosed style this match was fought with and I was digging it.
3) Buddy Rose/ New Zealand Sheephearders v. Red Bastien/ Roddy Piper/ Sam Oliver Bass (2/3 Falls match)- 5
The first round was by far the show here, watching more of these dvd's really makes me appreciate the work ethic of one Buddy Rose. He's got so much natural heel charisma, the guy bumps like no other, selling is top notch, he's just a joy to watch, here mostly on display was his talent for selling and taking one heck of a beating. Sheephearders are the Bushwhackers, with terrible long hair and they bump a lot bigger but it's those strange delayed bumping. Bastien looks like a grandpa in red sweatpants. Bass isn't allowed to do anything more than some brawling spots, as Piper is the workhorse here, and accentuates the match with all the normal Piper mannerisms. 2nd fall goes by like a current CMLL 90 second fall with a neat backbreaker variation. 3rd fall becomes a frackus but is explained as a time limit draw, to my chagrin. All hail the Playboy
4) Buddy Rose/ Ed Wakowski/ Killer Brooks/ Roddy Piper v. Hector Guerrero/ Adrian Adonis/ Ron Starr/ George Wells (Elimination Match)- 6
This match was pretty long but for the stipulation it had, it totally made sense. Wells and Hector were both pretty exciting components of this match, carried a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, if not somewhat green, but the hells all worked well enough around them where it didn't make too much of a difference. Starr was kidn of blase to me, not a lot of emotion in what he was doing whether in control or on the mat taking a beating. The pace of the eliminations was done well until the end which basically became an angle but one I wasn't expecting. Another enjoyable encounter.
5) Buddy Rose v. Roddy Piper (2/3 Falls)- 4
Big strength here was both guys selling, they worked a neat pace throughout where nothing spectacular was done but just little notches of work here and there to wear a guy out, made sense. Lot of angle going on in this match, Piper had a much meaner punch in these days and sold a lot for Rose, didn't get near the big comeback i would have thought. Terrible ending though and video quality made this a pain in the behind to view.
6) Buddy Rose/ Ed Wakowski v. Matt Borne/ Iceman Parsons- 3
Thought I'd review this with 2 World Class guys visiting. Rose let Wakowski do the legwork throughout here, except for some posturing with Iceman who was wearing some tights that Raggedy Andy wouldn't wear to his local Wal Mart. Borne was fun to watch here, some of the mannerisms we'd see years later under Doink makeup. Wakowski isn't near as animated with his selling, kind of reminds me of a guy going to his 9-5 job each day and keeping to himself and just getting the job done. Another screwy Portland finish.
7) Rick Martel v. Harley Race (2/3 falls) - 6
Finally a Rose reprieve, it's a task trying to find a match w/o him on here. This is such a cool match up that I wasn't aware ever happened. Martel is working the Tito armbar/headlock strategy, but when Race breaks free, he's ready with spectacular (for the times) arm drags and dropkicks. Race is always groaning, or wincing, just working the crowd, and uses his hard head to his advantage. Brilliant high knee. Someone was just paged to turn their car lights off in the parking lot, I shit you not. Race uses his piledriver like a master, for desperation at this point. Kept wondering why Martel went to hold to hold but finally got a win with one. Some nice measured suplexes by both men. Martel has to give Race a neck rub to wake up for the next fall, as ordered by the ref. If Race is horny does he have to give him a happy ending? Final fall kind of a joke, they've been fighting for near 30 minutes now but even in their winding down they keep dropping big moves. Wow time limit draw in this kind of match, saw the same crap in an Attitude era Rock v. HHH match, didn't go over well there either.
8) Tiny Anderson v. Eric Embrey- 3
I love Embrey's slack eyed demeanor, guy can punch too. All his basic stuff is so smooth too, even his bump taking. Anderson's armbar looks even worse than Jay Leno's did if that's even believable. I'd rather watch Mark Fuerstein wrestle an Iron Man Match. Embrey kind of guides him through a rather simple formula of a match but manages to throw some spice in along the way, such as a standing dropkick that was simply tits. Finish was a terrible idea though
9) Coco Samoa v. Buddy Rose- 4
Fun to watch Rose methodically run this match, he took his arm being wrenched, selling enthusiastically, then went to town, slowly just picking Samoa apart. He knew every move he was going to make, it felt as if he was a puppeteer and Samoa was that weird Malkovich guy. Portland backbreaker gets the win. Rose seemingly carried this promotion for years, Hall of Fame worthy work for his run here.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
DVDVR New Japan 80s Set - Final part
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu (6/24/88) - 6
Another "FUCK YEAH!" match. Choshu has gotten so accustomed to Fuj's moves that he think he has his number, but the ever-clever Fuj has something up his sleeve when he wins this match with a roll-up. Every hold was cinched in so tight it was damn near impossible to see how both men were breathing. After seeing about four or five Chosh vs. Fuj matches, I'm convinced that you could watch them have a Sake drinking contest and it'd be awesome.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Vader (6/26/88) - 5
For such a big guy, Vader is such a great bumper to the outside -- but you know this already. He also had good vocal selling. Fuj was able to get the big man off his feet a couple of times, but had to have some help by Vader on a scoop slam. Still was a fun match with a couple good nearfalls. Vader threw a tantrum in the stands, throwing chairs. That's always fun to watch.
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Don Nakaya Nielsen (7/29/88)- 3
A boxing match. No, Piper and Mr. T are not involved. This match was weird -- something I'm not accustomed to stating when Fujiwara is involved. Nielson comes out in his goofy boxing gloves (don't get me wrong, I like boxing, but this is PRO WRESTLING!) and lands maybe 50% of his attempted shots. Fujiwara looked so out of place in a match that goes 5 rounds. He got a good size cut on his forehead, though.
EXTRA: Owen Hart vs. Keiichi Yamada (6/10/88) JIP - 5
Two of my faves going at it~! The match is joined with Hart in a leg lock by Yamada (boo JIP), Yamada hit a sick dive on Hart -- I actually made an audible "OH!" when it happened. I just love this style of wrestling. For a match that was JIP, this was nice.
EXTRA: Owen Hart vs. Shiro Koshinaka (6/24/88) - 5
Owen didn't go over in this match, but he looked awesome. In my opinion, Owen Hart was the definition of pro wrestling as an art. There was a point in the match where Kosh dropped Owen flat on his head... with a sidewalk slam! Yeah, imagine that visual. That garnered another "OH!" from me. Fun little match that went about 10 mins.
Another "FUCK YEAH!" match. Choshu has gotten so accustomed to Fuj's moves that he think he has his number, but the ever-clever Fuj has something up his sleeve when he wins this match with a roll-up. Every hold was cinched in so tight it was damn near impossible to see how both men were breathing. After seeing about four or five Chosh vs. Fuj matches, I'm convinced that you could watch them have a Sake drinking contest and it'd be awesome.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Vader (6/26/88) - 5
For such a big guy, Vader is such a great bumper to the outside -- but you know this already. He also had good vocal selling. Fuj was able to get the big man off his feet a couple of times, but had to have some help by Vader on a scoop slam. Still was a fun match with a couple good nearfalls. Vader threw a tantrum in the stands, throwing chairs. That's always fun to watch.
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Don Nakaya Nielsen (7/29/88)- 3
A boxing match. No, Piper and Mr. T are not involved. This match was weird -- something I'm not accustomed to stating when Fujiwara is involved. Nielson comes out in his goofy boxing gloves (don't get me wrong, I like boxing, but this is PRO WRESTLING!) and lands maybe 50% of his attempted shots. Fujiwara looked so out of place in a match that goes 5 rounds. He got a good size cut on his forehead, though.
EXTRA: Owen Hart vs. Keiichi Yamada (6/10/88) JIP - 5
Two of my faves going at it~! The match is joined with Hart in a leg lock by Yamada (boo JIP), Yamada hit a sick dive on Hart -- I actually made an audible "OH!" when it happened. I just love this style of wrestling. For a match that was JIP, this was nice.
EXTRA: Owen Hart vs. Shiro Koshinaka (6/24/88) - 5
Owen didn't go over in this match, but he looked awesome. In my opinion, Owen Hart was the definition of pro wrestling as an art. There was a point in the match where Kosh dropped Owen flat on his head... with a sidewalk slam! Yeah, imagine that visual. That garnered another "OH!" from me. Fun little match that went about 10 mins.
Brian's WCW Power Hour '90 ballot
Back in September of '09 myself, Jessie, and former NHO member Adam took on the massive project of compiling the top twenty five matches from WCW's show Power Hour in 1990 (the results are available here in the format of a three-part YouTube video countdown and text-based). I realized I still had sitting on my hard-drive my original ballot and comments and thought they'd provide an interesting read so prepare to get into my mind as I scribbled down notes in the middle of the night at my old apartment on good 'ol Westbrook Ave. and dig. We watched hundreds of matches but these are my favorites:
Brian's NWA/WCW Power Hour '90 ballot
1. Doom vs. Road Warriors - (2/23)
Awesome tag match -- tons of heat, fast-paced, everyone working hard, small, redneck-filled arena, this is why Doom is in HoF. Def. see it making my top 5.
2. Midnight Express vs. Tom Zenk and Brian Pillman - (4/20)
Wow.. the first match from this show that felt like an actual PPV match. Real hot stuff, with the faces just having the Express' number, loved it when Lane tried to retreat up the aisle and Cornette had to try to push him back, Eaton bumps to floor, great timing and energy by the faces - just terrfic
3. Sting, Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs. Great Muta, Buzz Sawyer & Dragon Master (1/26)
Just insane crowd heat -- really everybody shined saved for Dragon Master who offered as much charisma as Michael Jackson's corpse, which is to say, only slightly more than the average dead body. The energy here is palpable and its a joy to watch so many talented performers create something together
4. Steiner Bros vs. Doom - (3/30)
One of my last viewings and holy shit I couldn't deny this - crowd is just so unglued for the Frankensteiner and I love all of this
5. Arn Anderson vs. Great Muta - (1/12)
Easily the most significant match of the series with Arn winning the TV title. Muta was such a breath of fresh (green-misted) air with his style, body langauge, aura, etc.
6. Doom vs. Tom Zenk and Brian Pillman - (6/16)
Good match but at tailend of packed episode. Cool fin where Zenk was on Simmons' back and Reed came off top with clothesline. Good while it lasted with the speed vs. power being a great story
7. Freebirds vs. Southern Boys - (6/23)
Not too long before having a MotY candidate at GAB '90 those wild-eyed Southern Boys had a good match w/ the 'Birds. Everything flowed well, but a Jim Cornette distraction led to a rollup win for the heels. Good stuff but too short to be too memorable.
8. Ric Flair vs. Robert Gibson - (4/6)
Flair bleds a bit, a ton of good legwork by Gibson, hot crowd, surprise roll-up finish
9. Michael Hayes v. Tracey Smothers - (7/14)
Got time, got over, and got screwed by bad finish
10. Tom Zenk vs. Galaxian II - (1/5)
Interesting and given more time than I'd expected - While in a headlock Zenk taps the mat w/ tip of boot, etc. little details I liked - Galaxian does some wild lucha-by way-of Tennessee bumps
11. Bobby Eaton vs. Tracy Smothers - (9/28)
Eaton was running the gauntlet and this got some time, nice slow start, built up nicely, top rope snapped, Cornette interfered leading to the Bobby victory but this was a satisfying main
12. Brian Pillman vs. Tim Horner - (9/14)
First-ever Gauntlet match and most "technical" match to date
13. Tommy Rich & Johnny Ace vs. Samu & Cuban Assassin - (3/30)
A late entry but a great time-limit draw that didn't have a lot of bullshit like the Cactus/Gilbert one, just Ace and Samu clubbing the hell out of each other, way more fun than it needed to be
14. Ole & Arn Anderson vs. New Zealand Militia - (1/5)
Could have been from AJPW's Real World Tag League '90
15. Midnight Express vs. Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk (6/9)
Pretty good but something missing, typical convoluted finishes, memorable for Pillman's ballsy victory roll and second attempt blocked and dropped hard
16. Ric Flair vs. Tommy Rich - (3/9)
Flair selling a whip into the guardrail is one of the best things of this set
17. Rock and Roll Express vs. MOD Squad - (6/23)
Ross puts over the Squad on commentary and I was quite impressed. Not a ton facially or emotionally from them, but take the RNR armdrags well, and look competent enough to fit in as a lower-tier team in the division just lacking character.
18. Midnight Express vs. Tim Horner and Tommy Rich - (7/22)
ME are good players, Horner had athletic build but no look/charisma, ending kind of came apart with ME doing blind ref switcheroo on pinfall
19. Doom vs. Rock & Roll Express - (7/1)
Time-limit draw but worked as such, not much out of first gear
20. Lex Luger vs. Samu - (3/23)
Pretty physical/fast-paced, good heat, liked Lex's bump to floor
21. Rick Steiner vs. Butch Reed - (4/20)
Got decent time - Butch seemed real confident, relaxed - mostly Rick eating stuff, but he doesn't give much in the selling dept. - ending saw each guys' partner run out
22. Cactus Jack vs. Eddie Gilbert - (3/23)
Time-limit draw, nice suplex on floor, dangerous Foley bump over rail, but Eddie using lame rest holds bugged me
23. Tom Zenk vs. Ric Flair - (2/2)
Mostly a Flair carry job but he did make Zenk's chest bleed like that stain on Luke Wilson's wall in that Henry Poole Is Here flick. Flair still tugs on the trunks even though he's supposed to be "face".
24. Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan vs. Ranger Ross & Tommy Rich (3/16)
Goes quite awhile with a lot of it being Ross holding headlocks but Rich does have some spirited facials and selling, Jack gets slapped around by Sullivan on the floor, and there's a fun brawl afterward w/ Norman and Rotunda
25. Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk vs. Freebirds - (3/2)
Not their best match together, felt like a preview, Firebirds customary stalling, aftermatch brouhaha w/ multiple teams fun
--------------------------
26. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson vs. Italian Stallion and Joe Barrett - (11/10) - 3
Ric stands at ringside in robe letting Arn take care of things for awhile - Arn is real crisp, lots of nasty stomps, comments at camera towards Doom, etc. - Gets a few minutes of the Horsemen just being nasty
27. Freebirds vs. Tommy Rich and Ricky Morton - (12/1) - 3
Pretty good but given little time, so no classic stalling, rallying, etc. Morton gets tripped and DDT'd
28. Cactus Jack vs. Keith Hart - (3/2)
Crazy squash, Jack does nutty shit, including an insane elbow drop from the apron all the way over the guardrail to the concrete
29. Stan Lane vs. Steve Armstrong - (11/10)
Gauntlet match, some filler with Cornette, Lane running around, etc. but got more time than most although wish a more full story could have been told/realized
30. Barry Windham vs. Johnny Ace (6/16)
Opener w/ crazy crowd heat that results in the Horsemen and the Dudes coming out, but fun while it lasts, as Ace stands up to Windham, one great face-off where Windham's eyes looked crazy
31. Freebirds vs. Todd Brewer & Paul Lee - (12/8)
Someone must have pissed in Garvin's coffee as he doesn't like the flamboyant jobber and just beats the shit out of him, stiff clothesline, bodyslams, and neck crushing German suplex. Fun to see the Freebirds going strong style..
32. Paul Orndorff vs. Dutch Mantell - (7/29)
Mantell surprisingly works over Paul mostly, gets more time, more physical than expected
33. Freebirds vs. Rock 'N Roll Express - (6/16)
Real abbreviated version of their matches with no Firebirds stalling and lame ending where Gibson hit a real ugly crossbody on Hayes for flash pin
34. Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich vs. Dutch Mantell & Barry Horowitz - (11/3)
Barry and Dutch were good on offense, esp. a Barry stomp right in RIch's face - with Rich's selling good - Barry's selling sucked, esp. during the opening fistacuffs vs. Morton
35. Freebirds vs. Johnny Ace and Paul Drake - (6/9)
Classic Freebirds, Ace looked good, got more time than I'd imagined, Drake musclebound midget that Hayes beats the shit out of, fun semi-squash
36. Brian Pillman vs. Basher - (9/28)
More athletic and fast-paced than the general squash
Brian's NWA/WCW Power Hour '90 ballot
1. Doom vs. Road Warriors - (2/23)
Awesome tag match -- tons of heat, fast-paced, everyone working hard, small, redneck-filled arena, this is why Doom is in HoF. Def. see it making my top 5.
2. Midnight Express vs. Tom Zenk and Brian Pillman - (4/20)
Wow.. the first match from this show that felt like an actual PPV match. Real hot stuff, with the faces just having the Express' number, loved it when Lane tried to retreat up the aisle and Cornette had to try to push him back, Eaton bumps to floor, great timing and energy by the faces - just terrfic
3. Sting, Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs. Great Muta, Buzz Sawyer & Dragon Master (1/26)
Just insane crowd heat -- really everybody shined saved for Dragon Master who offered as much charisma as Michael Jackson's corpse, which is to say, only slightly more than the average dead body. The energy here is palpable and its a joy to watch so many talented performers create something together
4. Steiner Bros vs. Doom - (3/30)
One of my last viewings and holy shit I couldn't deny this - crowd is just so unglued for the Frankensteiner and I love all of this
5. Arn Anderson vs. Great Muta - (1/12)
Easily the most significant match of the series with Arn winning the TV title. Muta was such a breath of fresh (green-misted) air with his style, body langauge, aura, etc.
6. Doom vs. Tom Zenk and Brian Pillman - (6/16)
Good match but at tailend of packed episode. Cool fin where Zenk was on Simmons' back and Reed came off top with clothesline. Good while it lasted with the speed vs. power being a great story
7. Freebirds vs. Southern Boys - (6/23)
Not too long before having a MotY candidate at GAB '90 those wild-eyed Southern Boys had a good match w/ the 'Birds. Everything flowed well, but a Jim Cornette distraction led to a rollup win for the heels. Good stuff but too short to be too memorable.
8. Ric Flair vs. Robert Gibson - (4/6)
Flair bleds a bit, a ton of good legwork by Gibson, hot crowd, surprise roll-up finish
9. Michael Hayes v. Tracey Smothers - (7/14)
Got time, got over, and got screwed by bad finish
10. Tom Zenk vs. Galaxian II - (1/5)
Interesting and given more time than I'd expected - While in a headlock Zenk taps the mat w/ tip of boot, etc. little details I liked - Galaxian does some wild lucha-by way-of Tennessee bumps
11. Bobby Eaton vs. Tracy Smothers - (9/28)
Eaton was running the gauntlet and this got some time, nice slow start, built up nicely, top rope snapped, Cornette interfered leading to the Bobby victory but this was a satisfying main
12. Brian Pillman vs. Tim Horner - (9/14)
First-ever Gauntlet match and most "technical" match to date
13. Tommy Rich & Johnny Ace vs. Samu & Cuban Assassin - (3/30)
A late entry but a great time-limit draw that didn't have a lot of bullshit like the Cactus/Gilbert one, just Ace and Samu clubbing the hell out of each other, way more fun than it needed to be
14. Ole & Arn Anderson vs. New Zealand Militia - (1/5)
Could have been from AJPW's Real World Tag League '90
15. Midnight Express vs. Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk (6/9)
Pretty good but something missing, typical convoluted finishes, memorable for Pillman's ballsy victory roll and second attempt blocked and dropped hard
16. Ric Flair vs. Tommy Rich - (3/9)
Flair selling a whip into the guardrail is one of the best things of this set
17. Rock and Roll Express vs. MOD Squad - (6/23)
Ross puts over the Squad on commentary and I was quite impressed. Not a ton facially or emotionally from them, but take the RNR armdrags well, and look competent enough to fit in as a lower-tier team in the division just lacking character.
18. Midnight Express vs. Tim Horner and Tommy Rich - (7/22)
ME are good players, Horner had athletic build but no look/charisma, ending kind of came apart with ME doing blind ref switcheroo on pinfall
19. Doom vs. Rock & Roll Express - (7/1)
Time-limit draw but worked as such, not much out of first gear
20. Lex Luger vs. Samu - (3/23)
Pretty physical/fast-paced, good heat, liked Lex's bump to floor
21. Rick Steiner vs. Butch Reed - (4/20)
Got decent time - Butch seemed real confident, relaxed - mostly Rick eating stuff, but he doesn't give much in the selling dept. - ending saw each guys' partner run out
22. Cactus Jack vs. Eddie Gilbert - (3/23)
Time-limit draw, nice suplex on floor, dangerous Foley bump over rail, but Eddie using lame rest holds bugged me
23. Tom Zenk vs. Ric Flair - (2/2)
Mostly a Flair carry job but he did make Zenk's chest bleed like that stain on Luke Wilson's wall in that Henry Poole Is Here flick. Flair still tugs on the trunks even though he's supposed to be "face".
24. Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan vs. Ranger Ross & Tommy Rich (3/16)
Goes quite awhile with a lot of it being Ross holding headlocks but Rich does have some spirited facials and selling, Jack gets slapped around by Sullivan on the floor, and there's a fun brawl afterward w/ Norman and Rotunda
25. Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk vs. Freebirds - (3/2)
Not their best match together, felt like a preview, Firebirds customary stalling, aftermatch brouhaha w/ multiple teams fun
--------------------------
26. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson vs. Italian Stallion and Joe Barrett - (11/10) - 3
Ric stands at ringside in robe letting Arn take care of things for awhile - Arn is real crisp, lots of nasty stomps, comments at camera towards Doom, etc. - Gets a few minutes of the Horsemen just being nasty
27. Freebirds vs. Tommy Rich and Ricky Morton - (12/1) - 3
Pretty good but given little time, so no classic stalling, rallying, etc. Morton gets tripped and DDT'd
28. Cactus Jack vs. Keith Hart - (3/2)
Crazy squash, Jack does nutty shit, including an insane elbow drop from the apron all the way over the guardrail to the concrete
29. Stan Lane vs. Steve Armstrong - (11/10)
Gauntlet match, some filler with Cornette, Lane running around, etc. but got more time than most although wish a more full story could have been told/realized
30. Barry Windham vs. Johnny Ace (6/16)
Opener w/ crazy crowd heat that results in the Horsemen and the Dudes coming out, but fun while it lasts, as Ace stands up to Windham, one great face-off where Windham's eyes looked crazy
31. Freebirds vs. Todd Brewer & Paul Lee - (12/8)
Someone must have pissed in Garvin's coffee as he doesn't like the flamboyant jobber and just beats the shit out of him, stiff clothesline, bodyslams, and neck crushing German suplex. Fun to see the Freebirds going strong style..
32. Paul Orndorff vs. Dutch Mantell - (7/29)
Mantell surprisingly works over Paul mostly, gets more time, more physical than expected
33. Freebirds vs. Rock 'N Roll Express - (6/16)
Real abbreviated version of their matches with no Firebirds stalling and lame ending where Gibson hit a real ugly crossbody on Hayes for flash pin
34. Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich vs. Dutch Mantell & Barry Horowitz - (11/3)
Barry and Dutch were good on offense, esp. a Barry stomp right in RIch's face - with Rich's selling good - Barry's selling sucked, esp. during the opening fistacuffs vs. Morton
35. Freebirds vs. Johnny Ace and Paul Drake - (6/9)
Classic Freebirds, Ace looked good, got more time than I'd imagined, Drake musclebound midget that Hayes beats the shit out of, fun semi-squash
36. Brian Pillman vs. Basher - (9/28)
More athletic and fast-paced than the general squash
Thursday, June 24, 2010
DVDVR New Japan 80s Disc 12 - Part Two of Three
Shiro Koshinaka & Antonio Inoki vs. Hiroshi Hase & Riki Choshu (4/11/88)- 6
Throwing ceremonial flowers at each other before the match begins? Ok, this is going to be good. Solid matwork throughout this match, which I dig. Hase is incredible. He's so technically sound, a selling master, and brings the hate.I dig all four of these guys, but Hase is the MVP here (sans balling). He took a sick german, and sold it great. Shiro gets busted open on the outside which adds to the heat. Shiro goes for his flying ass attack, Hase catches him into a german~! Mark out moment on my behalf. Enjoyed this matchup. Great selling by all, but especially Hase.
Akira Nogami, Tatsutoshi Goto, Keiichi Yamada, Kantaro Hoshino & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Hase, Hiroshi Saito, Norio Honaga & Kensuke Sasaki (4/27/88)- 7
This match was cool because it highlighted some of the guys previously not on the set, to which I got exposure to a couple of workers I've never seen before. There was a great energy in this match -- an energy focused around giving the younger guys some time in the spotlight, which they well-deserved. Mutoh hit a beautiful float-over bridge butterfly suplex (it'd be awesome to have a gif of this). Although a lot of the young guys got eliminated rather quickly, this was still a good match with Yamada hanging in there with both Sasaki and Kobayashi. Good pacing in the match -- I didn't feel burned out after viewing.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Vader (4/27/88)- 6
Vader and Tats take turns beating the shit out of each other... surprised? As the young lions look on at ringside, they witness the beat down of the man they watched in the the early part of the decade. I love the story here: Tats kept trying to make a comeback, but the leviathan known as Vader wouldn't have any of it, no matter how hard Tats tried. Tats made a comeback and once he got Vader to the mat, there was a huge pop. Had he finally done it? YES~~~! Vader ran into the post for a count-out. Good match, good story.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu (5/27/88) - 8
The reprise of their awesome match (from '85, I believe). More solid matwork to start. Choshu sells great in an armbar, reaching towards the ceiling in pain - I like it. Tats gets intense and rams Choshu's head into the exposed turnbuckle. I swear, he must know exactly what I want to see. Choshu sells it perfectly, too-- not too over-the-top, but not too little. Fujinami sold his knee so well I legit thought he blew it out. Like a shark smelling blood, Choshu was on the knee right when he sensed something happened to it. Match ended by ref stoppage, but Fuj wanted to kep going. Punishment is flying everywhere in this match. It was so intense. I loved every minute of it! Out of all the workers on this set, Fujinami is my #1.
Throwing ceremonial flowers at each other before the match begins? Ok, this is going to be good. Solid matwork throughout this match, which I dig. Hase is incredible. He's so technically sound, a selling master, and brings the hate.I dig all four of these guys, but Hase is the MVP here (sans balling). He took a sick german, and sold it great. Shiro gets busted open on the outside which adds to the heat. Shiro goes for his flying ass attack, Hase catches him into a german~! Mark out moment on my behalf. Enjoyed this matchup. Great selling by all, but especially Hase.
Akira Nogami, Tatsutoshi Goto, Keiichi Yamada, Kantaro Hoshino & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Hase, Hiroshi Saito, Norio Honaga & Kensuke Sasaki (4/27/88)- 7
This match was cool because it highlighted some of the guys previously not on the set, to which I got exposure to a couple of workers I've never seen before. There was a great energy in this match -- an energy focused around giving the younger guys some time in the spotlight, which they well-deserved. Mutoh hit a beautiful float-over bridge butterfly suplex (it'd be awesome to have a gif of this). Although a lot of the young guys got eliminated rather quickly, this was still a good match with Yamada hanging in there with both Sasaki and Kobayashi. Good pacing in the match -- I didn't feel burned out after viewing.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Vader (4/27/88)- 6
Vader and Tats take turns beating the shit out of each other... surprised? As the young lions look on at ringside, they witness the beat down of the man they watched in the the early part of the decade. I love the story here: Tats kept trying to make a comeback, but the leviathan known as Vader wouldn't have any of it, no matter how hard Tats tried. Tats made a comeback and once he got Vader to the mat, there was a huge pop. Had he finally done it? YES~~~! Vader ran into the post for a count-out. Good match, good story.
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu (5/27/88) - 8
The reprise of their awesome match (from '85, I believe). More solid matwork to start. Choshu sells great in an armbar, reaching towards the ceiling in pain - I like it. Tats gets intense and rams Choshu's head into the exposed turnbuckle. I swear, he must know exactly what I want to see. Choshu sells it perfectly, too-- not too over-the-top, but not too little. Fujinami sold his knee so well I legit thought he blew it out. Like a shark smelling blood, Choshu was on the knee right when he sensed something happened to it. Match ended by ref stoppage, but Fuj wanted to kep going. Punishment is flying everywhere in this match. It was so intense. I loved every minute of it! Out of all the workers on this set, Fujinami is my #1.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
WWE NXT- 06/22/10
1) Alex Riley & The Miz v. Percy Watson & MVP- 3
2) Titus O'Neil v. Michael Mcguillicutty- 2
3) Eli Cottonwood v. Kaval- 3
4) Lucky Cannon v. Cody Rhodes- 2
I'm so burnt on MVP's offense run; it's the same schtick over and over again. That belly to belly toss- by now, it simply looks like all he's doing is trying a behind the head basketball shot. He even nearly botched his own facebuster and he's the Pro? Thought the Miz looked the best, one really nasty shot to the back of Percy's head got a chuckle from me.
O'Neil is still in development period, he was off on a couple markers especially one where he tried a press slam then dropped McGillicutty on the ground like he picked up the morning paper and found some dog stool on it. The neckbreaker Curt Jr. did was fucking A for awesome though; I totally bought that as a finish. Am I the only one that keeps expecting some kind of infidelity angle where Mr. Perfect used Beulah as a sperm disposal and now we have Mike?
Kaval's cross armbar across the ropes and the springboard Warriors Way were both more advanced moves than Cottonwood could even perform on the latest iteration of Raw v. Smackdown for PS3. Hated to see him have to sell a face first slam as a finish, but even aftersold that bitch while putting on Laycool's rad t shirt.
Cody didn't look that hot here either, Cannon kind of hit a few spots but nothing out of the ordinary from a day under FCW training camp lights. Why did Cody used the same springboard kick Kaval did earlier? Some awkward transitions here too, notably the finish.
2) Titus O'Neil v. Michael Mcguillicutty- 2
3) Eli Cottonwood v. Kaval- 3
4) Lucky Cannon v. Cody Rhodes- 2
I'm so burnt on MVP's offense run; it's the same schtick over and over again. That belly to belly toss- by now, it simply looks like all he's doing is trying a behind the head basketball shot. He even nearly botched his own facebuster and he's the Pro? Thought the Miz looked the best, one really nasty shot to the back of Percy's head got a chuckle from me.
O'Neil is still in development period, he was off on a couple markers especially one where he tried a press slam then dropped McGillicutty on the ground like he picked up the morning paper and found some dog stool on it. The neckbreaker Curt Jr. did was fucking A for awesome though; I totally bought that as a finish. Am I the only one that keeps expecting some kind of infidelity angle where Mr. Perfect used Beulah as a sperm disposal and now we have Mike?
Kaval's cross armbar across the ropes and the springboard Warriors Way were both more advanced moves than Cottonwood could even perform on the latest iteration of Raw v. Smackdown for PS3. Hated to see him have to sell a face first slam as a finish, but even aftersold that bitch while putting on Laycool's rad t shirt.
Cody didn't look that hot here either, Cannon kind of hit a few spots but nothing out of the ordinary from a day under FCW training camp lights. Why did Cody used the same springboard kick Kaval did earlier? Some awkward transitions here too, notably the finish.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Championship Wrestling from Florida
First off, Happy Father's day to any Dads reading, this is Brian's 1st as a dad and I hope he enjoys some quality time with his adorable son. Now, onto this review; it's basically a WWE 24/7 feature of Gordon Solie announcing old matches that have been restored to a pristine quality from the heyday of Florida Wrestling. This is the Mike Graham episode, so grab some crackers of the same name and turn off your Skype for just a sec to read over this review of such rare footage.
1) Mike Graham (his pro debut) v. Bobby Shane- 2
You have to love the no frills style Shane uses here just clubbing Graham like Solomon Grundy born on a Monday. Graham is greener than what Toxie shat out this morning, just sort of bending over whenever taking a shot as if that constitues a sell. Match ended in a strange DQ quickly.
2) Mike Graham v. Dick Slater (Florida TV Title Match)- 3
Graham has a better opponent here to mask his obvious shortcomings, that being how undynamic a performer he is. His selling is very confusing; he still labors around like he's having chest pains with every shot, but during a serious brawl between the two that looked like it could have taken place at any juke joint in Mobile on the weekend, Graham flies across the mat from an eye rake. I think all this stuff is clipped heavily. Everything Slater tries from the ropes is uglier than Madonna's soul. Really ugly looking figure four, you could see Flair cutting a great promo on Graham's dumbass over it.
3) Prof. Tanaka & Dick Slater v. Mike & Eddie Graham- 4
Liked all the opening transitions between Graham Sr & the Prof. Tanaka's cutoffs are really nice boring heel stuff , and helps set up the false hope tag to Eddie later on. Mike is painfully mediocre, can't believe he got his own special here. Eddie though is tenacious, throwing fists and feet with a real credible meanness. When Eddie takes a turnbuckle bump, I believe he may have lost a tooth; when Mike takes one, I think he ate too much raw oysters before the match. Both the heels took this beating like men and gave the father-son team tons of heat; Slater was bleeding showers of money.
4) Ric Flair v. Mike Graham- 4
Flair's timing is impeccable, he always puts on a show with less than comparable face opponents. They do some spirited college wrestling stuff then back to holds and all the way to brawling and each section feels like it progressed naturally to the next. Oh Shit, Fonzie is refing this old ass match. Flair does a lot more leg work to set up the figure four here, including a weakly held jiu jitsu anklelock move. Whoa, seriously? Flair gives up to his own hold from this hairy fuck? It built up well that's for sure
5) Tatsumi Fujinami v. Mike Graham (02/15/80)- 2
Tats is a wrestler; he gives you the scream you expect when he takes a shot to the throat. Awesome suplex on Tats, Eddie Graham hauls off on Tats like he did to Mrs. Graham when she forgot to seperate the green beans from the mashed potatoes. Not much to this, but apparently the figure four was his hold, Tats sold his submission tremendously.
1) Mike Graham (his pro debut) v. Bobby Shane- 2
You have to love the no frills style Shane uses here just clubbing Graham like Solomon Grundy born on a Monday. Graham is greener than what Toxie shat out this morning, just sort of bending over whenever taking a shot as if that constitues a sell. Match ended in a strange DQ quickly.
2) Mike Graham v. Dick Slater (Florida TV Title Match)- 3
Graham has a better opponent here to mask his obvious shortcomings, that being how undynamic a performer he is. His selling is very confusing; he still labors around like he's having chest pains with every shot, but during a serious brawl between the two that looked like it could have taken place at any juke joint in Mobile on the weekend, Graham flies across the mat from an eye rake. I think all this stuff is clipped heavily. Everything Slater tries from the ropes is uglier than Madonna's soul. Really ugly looking figure four, you could see Flair cutting a great promo on Graham's dumbass over it.
3) Prof. Tanaka & Dick Slater v. Mike & Eddie Graham- 4
Liked all the opening transitions between Graham Sr & the Prof. Tanaka's cutoffs are really nice boring heel stuff , and helps set up the false hope tag to Eddie later on. Mike is painfully mediocre, can't believe he got his own special here. Eddie though is tenacious, throwing fists and feet with a real credible meanness. When Eddie takes a turnbuckle bump, I believe he may have lost a tooth; when Mike takes one, I think he ate too much raw oysters before the match. Both the heels took this beating like men and gave the father-son team tons of heat; Slater was bleeding showers of money.
4) Ric Flair v. Mike Graham- 4
Flair's timing is impeccable, he always puts on a show with less than comparable face opponents. They do some spirited college wrestling stuff then back to holds and all the way to brawling and each section feels like it progressed naturally to the next. Oh Shit, Fonzie is refing this old ass match. Flair does a lot more leg work to set up the figure four here, including a weakly held jiu jitsu anklelock move. Whoa, seriously? Flair gives up to his own hold from this hairy fuck? It built up well that's for sure
5) Tatsumi Fujinami v. Mike Graham (02/15/80)- 2
Tats is a wrestler; he gives you the scream you expect when he takes a shot to the throat. Awesome suplex on Tats, Eddie Graham hauls off on Tats like he did to Mrs. Graham when she forgot to seperate the green beans from the mashed potatoes. Not much to this, but apparently the figure four was his hold, Tats sold his submission tremendously.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Bye Bye Davey
So, a new article came out and ROH mainstay Davey Richards has announced he'll be retiring at the end of the calendar year. His intensity will be missed by some, his moronic fetishizing of Benoit and Dynaimte will be pleasantly forgotten by others. He's leaving the business in attempt to become a fireman. I was discussing this via a series of e-mails with some constituents and I wrote a couple jokey dialogues that they thought I should share with our readers. Enjoy:
I wonder if he'll be as over the top as a fireman as he was a worker...
Firemen #1: "Uh, Davey? There was no need to do a somersault out of that 2nd floor window? This was just a basic procedure."
Davey: spits on him
Firemen #2: "What an asshole!"
Fireman #1: "Wait, hold up--who's that guy over there watching us on the other side of that chain-link fence?"
Fireman #2: "Oh, oh fuck... is he touching himself? The one with the disheveled hair, pasty skin, and potbelly?"
Davey: "God damnit. Is that? Gabe. Gabe Spalosky, what the fuck are you doing here!? I told you to leave me alone!"
I wonder if he'll be as over the top as a fireman as he was a worker...
Firemen #1: "Uh, Davey? There was no need to do a somersault out of that 2nd floor window? This was just a basic procedure."
Davey: spits on him
Firemen #2: "What an asshole!"
Fireman #1: "Wait, hold up--who's that guy over there watching us on the other side of that chain-link fence?"
Fireman #2: "Oh, oh fuck... is he touching himself? The one with the disheveled hair, pasty skin, and potbelly?"
Davey: "God damnit. Is that? Gabe. Gabe Spalosky, what the fuck are you doing here!? I told you to leave me alone!"
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