These Days 10 Man Tag (MP - 10/10/1996)

My favourite spotfest of all-time and a match that blew my mind when I first saw it. What I love about it, is that people are still trying to win and not just set up cool spots. Of course, Kaientai was it their all time most dickish with the poses. Will make my list easily.

I really enjoyed watching M-Pro for the first time this year but I gotta admit this was a little disappointing. A great match just as great as their December match.

Super Delphin, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Tiger Mask IV, Masato Yakushiji vs Kaientai DX (Dick Togo, Taka Michinoku, Sho Funaki, MENS Teioh & Shiryu) - Michinoku Pro 10/10/096



Here it is the most famous Michinoku Pro match. It takes place on their 3rd Anniversary Show at the Sumo Hall which did 7000, awesome for a Northeastern independent. Notable by his absence is Great Sasuke, who was not out due to his skull fracture at J-Crown, but rather he put himself in the legend's six-man tag. The main event was a "dream" match as Michinoku Pro's Jinsei Shinzaki (Hakushi) took on FMW's Hayabusa.



First ten minutes: As customary in M-Pro, everyone pairs off. My favorite pairing was Gran Hamada vs Sho Funaki. Michinoku saves Funaki and they do this great bit where Hamada successfully fends off both and Taka hits Funaki. Good stuff. Also fun was Delphin doing the Rick Rude sell of an atomic drop and taking a huge bump into the second row. In the second round of match-ups, I thought Yakushiji really shined with some slick arm drags and ranas. TM IV vs Taka Michinoku is always great juniors shoot-style. Hamada vs Togo is great hard hitting action. The first ten minutes ends with Dick Togo hitting whisper in the wind on Naniwa. So far it has been very good. Waiting for them to kick it up a notch.



Second ten minutes: It is interesting that Shiryu (who I feel is a lower tier member of Kaientai) is the one who swings things in Kaientai's favor. He gets a double leg takedown on Naniwa and it is off to the races with all the Kaientai staples. It is interesting that there is clearly a divide between Togo, Teioh, and Shiryu vs Taka & Funaki. Each group has their own double teams. I really liked how Funaki & Taka dropkicked Naniwa in the face before the Kaientai flex. I also thought it was interesting they burned through a lot of their spots early in the first heat segment. Naniwa tags out to Yakushiji who has looked the best for the babyfaces, really slick. Shiryu again takes over but this time Hamada saves. Hamada eats a spike piledriver so that's a Kaientai spot they saved. Hamada gets out and Naniwa stomps the balls of Funaki. TM IV gets trapped in the corner. The mask ripping didn't do much for me. Not enough struggle and where is the help. Still good but waiting for them to really go into overdrive.



Final Minutes: I'll admit they lost me. Just a ton of spots. No real connective tissue. Things that I remember, row your boat lead to Delphin doing a rana pin in the middle. Triple stereo rana by Kaientai leading to triple stereo dives. Taka Michinoku's insane inside-out, springboard Asai moonsault. They do a bunch of pair offs for the finish run. It is a barrage of suplexes and flips that don't stick. I thought the finish was good with Delphin coming up short and Dick Togo powerbombing him & senton for the win.



This would not be out of place at all in 2018. I think it would heralded as a classic. The more Michinoku Pro I watch the more I think this was the breeding ground of what workrate was to become by hybridizing the Stampede style, NJ Juniors and lucha into one insane style. I have seen better M-Pro and I hate to be a killjoy, but this just did not stick with me at all. I recognize there is a type of fan that would really like this and I did not hate it, but it did not wow me either. Also it was very long and I feel they could have made this a lot leaner. ***3/4

Kas, try the December multi-man matches those are pretty universal praised and at least one will make my list.

First viewing: I may have been expecting more of this based on legend. On first viewing there were several different disjointed sections of the match and I think I will give it a second viewing before ranking to be fair to it.

Second viewing: As expected, a nap greatly helped with my enjoyment of this, as did having had a first viewing to acclimate to the style. Great build and phenomenal use of exchanges/tags in and out of the ring. One could argue that it should have ended closer to the dive sequence and that that was the peak but my second viewing convinced me that the closing stretch was worthy of existing. It’s hard to say if any one wrestler was the glue as several could make that claim. KDX come off as one of the all-time factions here.

Which one do you consider to be the December classic?
12/1, 12/9 or 12/16?