|
|
Post by elliott on Dec 10, 2017 23:36:30 GMT -5
Mima Shimoda & Etsuka Mita vs Kaoru Ito & Tomoko Watanabe (AJW - 9/21/1997)
Classic match. One of the best cage matches ever. Watanabe wearing the shoulder pads and just wrecking people is a cool addition to what is an awesome brawl with great psychology and some amazing spots. LCO was one of the most underrated tag teams ever and this is their peak.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cap on Dec 11, 2017 8:27:48 GMT -5
Second
I almost nominated this one on my last round of nominations and then I got tired. I love this match so much. This has the chaos and psychology that I really love. For some reason this always struck me as an ideal that ECW labored toward so often. That might just work in my brain, but it was so violent and hectic. Absolutely incredible.
|
|
|
|
Post by microstatistics on Jan 4, 2018 14:14:49 GMT -5
Incredible match with a nearly unmatched level of violence, intensity and hatred. Also perfectly incorporates submission holds and limb work in with the wild brawling and nutty bumps and the finish is iconic.
|
|
|
|
Post by bossrock on Aug 14, 2018 20:43:50 GMT -5
For a match that I had no background knowledge on going in, it really says something that I was sucked in and invested the entire time. Easily one of if not the greatest cage match of all time. Proof that escape-only cage matches can be both violent spectacles and entirely logical in execution. Easy lock.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cap on Aug 14, 2018 21:19:24 GMT -5
I can't wait to rewatch this match. I was just thinking about it the other day.
|
|
|
|
Post by elliott on Oct 8, 2018 18:13:21 GMT -5
Sigh. This might have fallen flatter for me than anything I was expecting to love on a rewatch than anything else in this project thus far. This is in theory a tailor-made match for me. I love LCO and their style. I love wild bloody brawls. But this just didn't do it for me overall. Honestly the crowd was so dead for the first 3/4ths of the match that it was jarring, especially given the way this is mic'd and not having commentators. There are moments where you could hear a pin drop. I know some people are of the belief that crowd noise shouldn't matter, but matches like this really need heat. This is a wild, chaotic, bloody blow off match. Without heat everything they do really loses its impact. The crowd is there at the end, but it really wasn't for most of the match. I really enjoyed the action and what they're actually doing in there. But the crowd not giving a fuck for the majority of the match really hurts a match like this. I was going into this almost expecting a top 50 sort of match based on my memories and general preferences, but after rewatching it there is no way it has a shot to make my list. This all bums me the fuck out.
I think the AKINO & Hamada match against LCO will probably make my list. I was stoked to have 2 LCO matches on there. But alas.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2020 4:16:30 GMT -5
Great. Googly. Moogly.
I earmarked this after seeing microstatistics' review in his ballot post. I usually read the nomination threads before I watch a match for the first time, and noted what elliot said about the crowd.
Whenever I know a match has a duff crowd/shit commentary, I watch with the sound off and some music in the background (in this case, I went with techno).
What a sublime bit of violence. Nasty and brutish, but with smart limbwork and excellent selling.
I absolutely lost it at the finish. Cuckoo bananas batshit crazy.
Must check out AKINO/Hamada v LCO now.
|
|
|
|
Post by mrjmml on May 19, 2023 20:40:48 GMT -5
It surprised me, I didn't expect this match to go the way it did. It's awesome.
|
|
