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Post by tetsujin on Mar 25, 2024 12:01:25 GMT -5
Low-Ki vs KENTA (ROH - 12/17/2005)
Absolutely brutal twenty-something minutes sprint, which is crazy to think about, but naturally these two have the stamina, intensity and attitude to pull it off. It's not like they don't sell anything, because they do, but selling clearly was a secondary character in this movie because this was all about their explosive offence, their combos, their similarities and how well they take advantage of that. Two young guys already at elite level, moving inside the ring quicker than they can think, and you can feel their concentration while fighting. One minor mistake can cost them the match's momentum because the other one is always gonna be ready to counterattack if given the chance, and that's exactly what happens throughout the match.
In fact, it is so fast paced that sometimes you just wish you had more time to process what just happened, as the match is so cool so much time, that eventually some things in it didn't feel cool enough to me anymore. It's a small complain here, there are definitely hundreds of matches when that happens and it hurts it much more, but it's a con nonetheless, and we're discussing the GME so I gotta throw these things out.
Still, a wonderful match that I can see in a lot of peoples' lists. Won't be in mine, and it's crazy to think that this could be easily a MOTYC in almost any other year, but because it happened in 2005 and there's like.... a ridiculous amount of excellent stuff then, this match feels like "just" a great match. Anyway, I'm giving it the ranking of a MOTYC level match, because it honestly reaches that level: ****1/4
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Post by tetsujin on Mar 27, 2024 16:16:37 GMT -5
Meiko Satomura vs Shinobu Kandori (LLPW - 2/25/2007)
This was pretty neat. This match happened a bit too late for Kandori and a bit too early for Satomura, but they still give strong performances. I would have loved more matwork, as those false finishes on the mat were my favourite part of it, but the strikes were mostly cool as well, as expected. This match lacked ambition, and Kandori in particular seemed a bit lost, although maybe they're just selling the fatigue of this one night tournament they're having, with this being the grand finals and all that. Anyway, very good match but not something I would call great.
***3/4
Only three matches left!
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Post by tetsujin on Apr 2, 2024 8:49:00 GMT -5
Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda (DDT - 1/30/2011)
So many years later, this match and I meet again. I felt a lot of pressure going into this match, because I remembered it was excellent and I wanted it to be on my top 100. Maybe that hurted its case a bit, but I still enjoyed It more than I expected anyway. It's weird.
Everything was meaningful and looked great here. The match has a bit of everything and for a reason: it starts with Honda targeting Togo's arm (something that would help him regain the advantage or avoid defeat at some key moments later in the second half), and he does it with tons of concentration. Togo's verbal selling is great, his different kinds of screams help distinguish how crucial the hold feels at any specific moment and raise the stakes, because you can feel when he's truly in danger. Him fighting out of the armwork is greatly done, and soon after the match turns in his favour thanks to a ringpost shot and a bladejob from Honda. The match feels like It shouldn't have gone that far, but now's too late and Togo takes advantage of the cut, as he should. Honda's offense while coming back felt HUGE: the punches, the enzuigiris, the bombs... It's all so dynamic. Togo is also stellar at the attack, his punches are equally great, and you have to add a vicious lariat, an incredible superkick, the cutter, the senton... He also sells and bumps really well for Honda, and that combined with his facial expressions and the previously mentioned screams really put over how huge of a challenge Honda is being.
The match was so thrilling that I didn't want it to end yet, but sadly it did, and it was a bit anticlimatic to me. Other than that, this is pretty god damn great, it merges a lot of different wrestling aspects into this hybrid modern big epic kind of match: the limbwork, the punching, the long term psycology, the bombs, the stiffness, the blading... However,I don't feel any of those ingredients reached the maximum level (as I've seen in other similar "full package" kinda matches like Kairi/Meiko from june 2015 or Liger/Otani from february 1997). It's a match that's very good in a lot of things, but not awesome in any of them.
To me, that's stillm more than enough to call It -at least- a MOTYC, and yeah I can totally understand the top 100 talk it gets, but sadly, it didn't reach that level in my eyes. Still, pretty awesome match, I believe it wasn't in many lists last time and everyone should consider it!
****1/4
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Post by tetsujin on Apr 7, 2024 20:17:18 GMT -5
Tatsumi Fujinami vs Osamu Nishimura (MUGA - 9/25/2006) Hope everybody's having fun with WrestleMania but I prefer this This was a really great minimalist chess match. After losing the first fall in less than a minute by being caught off guard because of agressiveness, Fujinami is forced to worked underdog, as we all love him, and carefully. Nishimura doesn't need to rush things, and him being patient and ready for a perfect opening will be his key to victory at the very end of the match, as it happened in the first thirty seconds as well. Here, in the second fall, he plays safe and works on Fuji's arm, which forces Fujinami to target Nishimura's leg in retaliation. I really LOVED the moment when, after minutes of Fujinami working à-la-Inoki against Ali with his kicks while seated, when the roles are reversed and Nishimura connects just one of them, Fuji quickly colapses. The contrast between the two is wonderful, and again, it reinforces the storytelling that Fujinami is fragile enough here and he needs to wrestle carefully. And so he does, he even plays a bit of a king of the mountain, but then Nishimura either headbutts him or even offers him the leg again! And just when Fujinami gets overconfident again, Nishimura simply reverses the Figure Four to get the win. Again, I loved that, after so many attempts, Fuji managed to lock the F4... only for Nishimura to subvert our expectations and counter it to get the win. He was ahead of Fujinami all the time, even if he was on the losing side for the later half of the match, he knew he just needed some openings against Fujinami. Just a great pro wrestling match, worked in a basic strong style... style, in which the big moments really felt big because of the minimalist approach. The opening sequence felt huge, each fall resolution felt huge, Nishimura's low kick that knocks Fujinami, the apron battle, the few strike exchanges, the failed top rope splash... It all mattered and was really well put together through compelling limbwork and selling. ****. I can't just feel it as a MOTYC type of match, but it's definitely great. So glad Fujinami had a match and a performance this good, this late in his career.
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Post by tetsujin on Apr 21, 2024 18:20:37 GMT -5
And so, after some holidays, this little project comes to an end. Mayumi Ozaki started it, so it seemed appropiate that Mayumi Ozaki ended it as well.
Mayumi Ozaki vs Dynamite Kansai (AJW - 3/17/1995)
This was a total war, as expected. They mostly use a chain as a weapon, with also a couple of chairshots and table spots here and there, but just like Kingston/Hero from earlier in this thread, they manage to do a lot with just a couple of weapons and their strikes... Although, in this particular match, is more about the chain and the bombs than the strikes. But the minimalist approach for a hardcore brawl is essentially the same.
Vicious Ozaki is one of my favourite wrestlers ever, and I was already familiar with her not holding back against bigger opponents like her matches vs Undertaker Devil Masami and the Chigusa match from earlier in this thread. Yet still, I believe this was the most vicious, sadistic Ozaki performance I've seen, going against a bloody Kansai's head with the chain and repeated chairshots while she's tied to the ringpost. The urgency from both women was incredibly sold, easily my favourite element of the match, as it made the struggle for the chain, the retaliations, the counters, everything, feel like a game changer. The crowd was eating everything.
This match wouldn't be out of place in the territories in the 80s, in the Attitude Era nor in CZW in the 00s, yet it happened in a joshi promotion in the 90s, and it still fits there. It's a timeless match, for sure: simple, yet brutal, pro wrestling violence.
****1/4. Undeniably great match, something's missing for me to go higher, maybe a stronger Kansai in control performance,maybe more polished selling from both girls... But when it comes to creative violence and hate, these two tell that story as good as anyone else in wrestling history.
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Post by tetsujin on Apr 22, 2024 15:51:26 GMT -5
And so, I've finally finished my "2023 GME other receiving votes" personal watching list! Everything was at least decent enough, and the vast majority of matches went from great to excellent stuff, with some new add to my current top 100. Also, I've moved a couple of matches a bit higher since the original rating, but nothing too different.
Here are the matches I saw, ranked from WORST to BEST:
"Meh" stuff, just solid enough to not suck (**3/4): Rey Hechicero vs Charles Lucero (Monterrey - 8/4/2013) The Destroyer vs Mil Mascaras (AJPW - 10/9/1973)
Decent matches (*** - ***1/4) Kevin Von Erich vs Harley Race (WCCW - 6/17/1983) Giant Baba vs Bruno Sammartino (NWA International Championship, 2/3 Falls match) - JWA, 7/03/1967
Good and very good stuff (***1/2 - ***3/4) Carlos Colon vs Hercules Ayala (Fire Match - WWC - 9/10/1988) Bull Nakano vs Yumiko Hotta (Steel Cage match, AJW 23/1/1991) Hijo del Santo & Eddie Guerrero vs Negro Casas & Blue Panther (Juárez - 1987) Lola Gonzalez vs Pantera Sureña (Hair vs Hair EMLL - 12/9/1988) Meiko Satomura vs Shinobu Kandori (LLPW - 2/25/2007) Arn & Ole Anderson vs Rock N Roll Express (JCP - 7/17/1986) Kyoko Inoue vs Akira Hokuto (All Pacific Title, AJW DreamRush 1992) Buzz Sawyer vs Jim Duggan (Mid South - 11/11/1985) Great Muta vs Shinya Hashimoto (AJPW - 2/23/2003) LA Park vs El Mesias (Hair vs. Mask - AAA - 6/18/2011) Jimmy Snuka vs Roddy Piper (WWE, 15/07/1984) Minoru Suzuki vs Kazushi Sakuraba (NJPW - 1/4/2015)
Great matches (****): Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW - 1/4/2004) Akira Hokuto and Manami Toyota vs Toshiyo Yamada and Kyoko Inoue (AJW - 12/10/1993) LA Park vs Dr Wagner Jr (TxT, 11/5/2013) Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS, 22/05/1999) KENTA/Taiji Ishimori vs Naomichi Marufuji/Kota Ibushi (NOAH, 15/07/2007) Larry Zbyszko vs Nick Bockwinkel (AWA - 7/11/1987) Vader vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW - 4/24/1989) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Osamu Nishimura (MUGA - 9/25/2006)
Worthy of top 100 discussion, just not quite there (****1/4): LA Park vs el Mesias (AAA - 12/5/2010) Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine (WWF - 2/19/1979) Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda (DDT - 1/30/2011) Aja Kong vs Meiko Satomura (AAAW Single Championship, GAEA - 9/15/1999) Mayumi Ozaki vs Chigusa Nagayo (JWP - 5/22/1994) Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH - 2/23/2008) Mayumi Ozaki vs Dynamite Kansai (AJW - 3/17/1995) Genichiro Tenryu and Koki Kitahara vs Kengo Kimura and Shiro Koshinaka (NJPW - 10/23/1992) Low-Ki vs KENTA (ROH - 12/17/2005) Austin Aries vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH - 12/29/2007) Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kazushi Sakuraba (NJPW - 1/4/2013) Hijo del Santo vs La Parka (Monterrey - 12/23/2001)
Excellent bouts, quite possibly on the list (****1/2): Negro Casas vs Blue Panther (Hair vs Hair - CMLL - 3/2/2012) Eddie Kingston vs Chris Hero (Last Man Standing - IWA-MS - 9/29/2007 Akira Hokuto vs KAORU (GAEA, 12/04/1997) Samoa Joe vs Bryan Danielson (ROH - 10/2/2004)
Locks for my list, all time great level matches (****3/4): -
#1 contenders (*****): Bryan Danielson vs Low-Ki (ROH - 3/30/2002)
If you've read some reviews along the way, thank you so much! Next, I wanna have a look at the 2016 GWE recommended matches from each top 100 entry, and cherrypick which ones I would like to have a look. Might drop the list tomorrow or so.
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Post by tetsujin on Apr 23, 2024 8:50:26 GMT -5
So, after having a look at the 2016 GWE, these are the matches I'm gonna be watching here. There were more that I would've included, but I have them very recent on my mind (Rude/Warrior from SummerSlam or Punk/Taker from WM, for example).
I'll watch them radomly, as usual. Don't like to follow an order because it starts to feel like homework and I don't want that from my hobbie.
El Generico vs Dick Togo (PWG, 12/10/2011) Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta (AJW, 9/3/1995) Brian Pillman vs Jushin Liger (WCW SuperBrawl II, 2/29/1992) Kaientai Deluxe vs Gran Hamada, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delphin, Gran Naniwa, Tiger Mask IV (M-Pro, 10/10/1996) Dick Togo vs Chris Hero (IWA-EC, 4/5/2006) Yuki Ishikawa vs Alexander Otsuka (Big Mouth Loud, 9/11/2005) Great Muta vs Sting (NWA Great American Bash, 7/23/1989) Shinjiro Ohtani vs Ultimo Dragon (NJPW, 8/4/1996) Kiyoshi Tamura vs Nobuhiko Takada (UWFI, 2/14/1993) Jim Breaks vs Johnny Saint (Joint Promotions, 3/14/1974) Jim Breaks vs Steve Grey (Joint Promotions, 4/19/1978) Monster Roussimoff vs Strong Kobayashi (IWE, 5/6/1972) Harley Race vs Rick Martel (AWA, 4/20/1986) Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton (Cage, NWA Great American Bash) Goldust vs William Regal (WWE Superstars, 5/17/2010) Goldust vs Randy Orton (WWE Raw, 9/9/2013) The Midnight Express vs The Southern Boys (WCW Great American Bash, 7/7/1990) Jun Akiyama vs Yuji Nagata (NJPW, 1/4/2002) Jun Akiyama vs Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH, 9/9/2006) Barry Windham vs Arn Anderson (WCW, 6/6/1992) Steve Austin vs Dustin Rhodes (WCW Halloween Havoc, 10/27/1991) Shinya Hashimoto vs Masahiro Chono (NJPW, G1 1991 + 1/4/1994) Steven Regal vs Arn Anderson (WCW SuperBrawl, 2/20/1994) Eddie Guerrero vs Too Cold Scorpio (ECW, 4/8/1995) Toshiaki Kawada vs Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW, 10/9/2000) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Psicosis (WAR, 12/13/1995) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Ultimo Dragon (WCW World War III, 11/24/1996) Jushin Liger & Wataru Inoue vs Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (NOAH, 2/17/2002) Daisuke Ikeda vs Tamon Honda (NAOH, 1/9/2001) Damiancito el Guerrero vs Ciclonicot Ramirez (CMLL, 1/7/1997) Virus vs Guerrero Maya Jr. (CMLL, 6/7/2011) Virus vs Guerrero Maya Jr. (CMLL, 10/6/2013) Kerry Von Erich vs Jerry Lawler (Cage Match, WCCW, 11/25/1988) Kerry Von Erich vs Terry Gordy (WCCW, 5/7/1984) L.A. Park vs El Hijo del Santo (Juster Promotions, 4/28/2004)
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