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Post by elliott on Nov 30, 2020 21:09:55 GMT -5
I love the iron woman match. Glad to see you liked it so much!
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Dec 1, 2020 1:59:29 GMT -5
I love the iron woman match. Glad to see you liked it so much! Thanks. I thought it had a nice, vicious streak running through it that set it apart from pretty much all of the other modern wrestling I've seen.
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Post by Cap on Dec 1, 2020 11:22:37 GMT -5
In 2015 I also preferred the Iron Woman Match. I need to go back and watch it again because I never got around to a rewatch of that, but did to some of the other hyped matches from the time.
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Post by tetsujin on Dec 1, 2020 17:49:24 GMT -5
The Ironwoman was also my inmediate favourite back in 2015. I prefer Brooklyn now, but Sasha making Izzy cry is still one of the greatest, baddest heel moments ever done. Unforgettable match.
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Post by elliott on Dec 1, 2020 18:01:12 GMT -5
I love the iron woman match. Glad to see you liked it so much! Thanks. I thought it had a nice, vicious streak running through it that set it apart from pretty much all of the other modern wrestling I've seen. Check out the Sasha vs Charlotte falls count anywhere match for a similar vicious streak. Greatest tug of war ever and a really great finish
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Post by elliott on Dec 1, 2020 18:01:57 GMT -5
The Ironwoman was also my inmediate favourite back in 2015. I prefer Brooklyn now, but Sasha making Izzy cry is still one of the greatest, baddest heel moments ever done. Unforgettable match. This. All the Izzy stuff is so great
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Dec 1, 2020 18:24:12 GMT -5
Thanks. I thought it had a nice, vicious streak running through it that set it apart from pretty much all of the other modern wrestling I've seen. Check out the Sasha vs Charlotte falls count anywhere match for a similar vicious streak. Greatest tug of war ever and a really great finish Added to the watch list, thanks.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Dec 12, 2020 17:54:27 GMT -5
On to UWF Reborn...
Akira Maeda vs. Kazuo Yamazaki (UWF, 05/12/88)
The main event from the debut show of UWF’s second incarnation. It was meant to introduce the audience to the new style, as while the matches from the original wouldn’t have looked massively out of place in New Japan, this is far closer to “pure” shoot-style.
And it’s a pretty good match as Yamazaki tries to make his name at the expense of Maeda. The mat work’s more technical and varied, and the kicks are less flashy (but harder-hitting) than you’d see in the original UWF. It’s a surprisingly even bout signaling Yamazaki’s rise in status.
Though it never manages to get much above interesting and feels a touch dry. But I enjoyed the mat work and some of the head kicks were brutal.
***¼
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Akira Maeda (UWF, 06/11/88)
A very good technical bout.
Though it got a touch repetitive as it went. And it felt more like a hard sparring session than a must-win match.
But it picked up for a great finishing run as both men threw whatever they had left at the other.
***¾
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kazuo Yamazaki (UWF, 08/13/88)
I was looking forward to this one, though it didn’t really connect with me.
Both men were aggressive but it felt a bit too lightweight with too little struggle. And the finish seemed to come out of nowhere.
***
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Akira Maeda (UWF, 11/10/88)
Now this is the shoot-style wrestling I’ve been waiting to see.
It feels like a big match. Both men respect each other and it’s clear from the start this is about elevating Takada to Maeda’s level. The kicks are hard and the mat work, while not all that technical, is intense. And the selling, especially from Maeda, is excellent.
What also helps take this to the next level is the new downs system. As now the wrestlers are penalised for getting knocked down or taking a rope break. This forces the mat work to be far more back and forth than before, preventing the repetition of using the ropes to break up almost every submission attempt.
And if a wrestler gets five downs they lose. This match takes advantage of that with Maeda building a big lead and then Takada slowly clawing his way back. It makes for an easy and effective way to create drama.
Quality, high-end shoot action. It just felt a little too clean, a little too dry, for me to give it the full five. I’d’ve liked to see them both show a bit more attitude.
****¾
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Bob Backlund (UWF, 12/22/88)
Amazing.
A tense, intense, dramatic struggle. Neither man’s willing to give an inch to the other. And while that could’ve made for an overly cautious borefest, the result is an incredibly compelling piece of wrestling as they fight over everything. Though they don’t really do anything with the downs system, it doesn’t matter as the drama is created through the struggle.
It wasn’t perfect. Backlund’s kick selling wasn’t great, Takada fully secured then simply let go of an arm compression lock, and the finish - though they built to it - still seemed to come out of nowhere (and it looked, to a degree, like the loser maybe didn’t realise that was the finish).
But those are minor points compared to the sheer quality of the work on offer here.
*****
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 9, 2022 10:38:07 GMT -5
Take a couple of weeks off to focus on work…
And it turns into a couple of years!
Easing myself back in with some Big Japan deathmatch fun.
Ryuji Yamakawa vs. Tomoaki Honma (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, 3 Way Board Deathmatch, 6/20/99)
I remember the DVDVR crew going crazy over this, selling it as an AJPW-style deathmatch.
And it’s easy to see why.
It’s wrestled as more of a proper match than your typical deathmatch. They build to the highspots, struggle over taking the big bumps, and there’s little wandering around and downtime.
Though it’s hampered by feeling a little too casual and Honma messing up the big spot of the match.
But other than that it made for a compelling watch. Not a classic, but plenty of fun.
***¾
Ryuji Yamakawa vs. Tomoaki Honma (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Spike Nail & Barbed Wire Double Board Deathmatch, 1/2/00)
Similar to their previous match.
The wrestling’s better and the deathmatch spots are bigger. But there was less struggle and they wandered around outside the ring for too long.
So all in all, it’s about the same, maybe a touch better.
***¾
Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Ryuji Ito (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Ring Of Death Fluorescent Light Tubes Barbed Wire Board & Glass Board Deathmatch, 12/24/03)
Kobayashi looks like a generic anime comedy villain.
But he comes out with a cactus decorated as a Christmas tree, so that helps make up for it.
This is a notable step up from the Yamakawa/Honma matches. They pack a lot more deathmatch spots and casual violence in. And there’s far more blood.
Plus there’s more variety. To the point it becomes a case of wondering what they’re going to do to each other next.
I really enjoyed this one.
****¼
Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Ryuji Ito (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Scaffold Deathmatch, 12/21/05)
Bonus points for Kobayashi as he comes out to the New Battles Without Honor and Humanity Theme.
And this is more of the same.
Only this time there are fewer gimmicks but a scaffold across the ring. And they both take multiple bumps off it.
Fun stuff.
****¼
Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Takashi Sasaki (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Fluorescent Light Tubes & Kenzan Deathmatch, 03/31/06)
A refinement of the Kobayashi/Ito matches.
The violence, drama, and blood are all upped. With one particularly brutal-looking spot getting both commentators to shout in shock. This ends up as a war of attrition, a case of whose body is going to give out first.
Not sure how much further the deathmatch can be taken.
****½
Takashi Sasaki vs. Yuko Miyamoto (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Scaffold Deathmatch, 03/14/07)
Nowhere near as violent as the previous few matches.
And that’s probably a good thing, given much more escalation of the style seems guaranteed to result in death.
That said, there’s no shortage of blood. And both men take dumb bumps off the rather high scaffold.
But there’s a lot more “proper” wrestling here than in any of the above matches. And it works because they both have technical skills and Miyamoto demonstrates some sound high-flying work.
It could’ve been structured better, especially the end, but still an entertaining match.
****
Takashi Sasaki & Yuko Miyamoto vs. Isami Kodaka & Masashi Takeda (BJW, Maximum Tag League Block B, Fluorescent Light Tubes & Double Board Deathmatch, 03/26/09)
At first I wasn’t sure this was going to work.
It seemed a bit too chaotic with too little structure, but once it settles down it does a great job of telling the story of the underdogs Kodaka and Takeda refusing to stay down.
There’s plenty of action with a good mix of wrestling and deathmatch spots. It gets dramatic towards the end when it becomes clear the upset’s on. And the crowd helps as they’re vocal in their support of the underdogs.
Another highly enjoyable watch.
****
Takashi Sasaki & Yuko Miyamoto vs. Isami Kodaka & Masashi Takeda (BJW, BJW Tag Team Title, Maximum Tag League Final, Fluorescent Light Tubes Tower Deathmatch, 05/28/09)
More of the same but better.
This has a greater focus on the wrestling rather than the deathmatch elements. And now Sasaki and Miyamoto are taking their opponents seriously, resulting in the match becoming a downward spiral for the underdogs.
Hard-hitting fun where the deathmatch spot enhanced rather than replaced the wrestling.
****½
Jun Kasai vs. Ryuji Ito (BJW, Razor Cross Board Alpha Deathmatch, 11/20/09)
This one didn’t click for me.
The razor board’s not as interesting as light tubes. And other than a good opening exchange there’s little decent wrestling here. Though Kasai does a balcony dive.
Didn’t seem anything special compared to pretty much all of the above matches.
***
Isami Kodaka vs. Masashi Takeda (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, Light Tubes, Giga Ladder & Glass Board Deathmatch, 06/20/18)
This is pretty much an Ishii/Shibata deathmatch as Kodaka and Takeda attempt to prove who’s the toughest.
The action continually escalates. They go from strikes to light tubes to panes of glass to jumping off an insanely high ladder. And everything works. It makes for a great spectacle.
I didn’t expect to find a deathmatch I’d be giving the full five to, but here we are.
*****
Jun Kasai vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, King Of FREEDOM World Title, No Canvas & Glass Board Deathmatch, 08/28/18)
This was almost on the same level as the above match.
It wasn’t quite as good between the big spots, but it was still an amazing spectacle that by the end I was fully invested in.
****¾
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 12, 2022 14:19:42 GMT -5
Back to my journey through the second iteration of the UWF...
Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda (UWF, 01/10/89)
This built on their previous match.
And while not at that level it’s still top quality wrestling.
Both men are initially cautious to engage, but as the match goes on Maeda becomes increasingly aggressive and increasingly desperate to finish Takada. Towards the end he even starts throwing pro style suplexes to try to put him away.
What stops this from being top-tier shoot-style is that it got repetitive and I felt I was seeing similar sequences over and over again.
Though other than that this was a great match.
****¼
Yoji Anjoh vs Masakatsu Funaki (UWF, 06/14/89)
A vicious affair.
Funaki slaps Anjoh before the bell. When the ref tries to force the first clean break, Anjoh pays Funaki back with a headbutt to the face. And that sets the tone for the rest of the match.
As well as the hate, there’s plenty of great technical work on show here too.
The only thing holding it back is it seems as if they can’t decide whether to go for an intense brawl or an epic. And it ends up falling in between the two. Not dramatic enough to feel like an epic, but also not violent enough to work as a brawl.
Thankfully the quality of the work means it’s still an excellent match.
****¼
Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano (UWF, 07/24/89)
This has a great reputation.
But for me it didn’t live up to it. As for a sub ten minute match it wasn’t intense or fiery enough.
Sure, what violence there was, was great. But it needed to be non-stop, they shouldn’t have been lying on the mat in submissions. They could have cut it to sub five minutes if needed.
***
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki (UWF, 07/24/89)
Another match with a big reputation.
And another match that failed to live up to it.
It does feature some great sequences. And they make the most of the downs system for a dramatic final stretch.
But it’s a defensive bout. Fujiwara seems to spend most of the match standing in a corner. And it just doesn’t appeal to me.
I prefer a more aggressive fight.
***¾
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 22, 2022 0:50:17 GMT -5
Now it’s time for another detour with Sting vs. Vader.
When I first started watching wrestling all that was available was WCW Worldwide and the focus at the time was on this feud. Though I never got to see any of the PPV matches. And I’m not sure if I’ve seen them since.
Sting vs. Big Van Vader (WCW, WCW World Heavyweight Title, 07/12/92)
Great match.
It did a good job of presenting Vader as a monster while still giving Sting the possibility of a win against him.
Though it did feel like more of a match to progress the story between them than them going all out. And the ending was bad.
But I enjoyed it. Both men played their roles to perfection - and other than the ending - it all worked.
****
Sting vs. Big Van Vader (WCW, King Of Cable Tournament Final, 12/28/92)
A better version of the above match.
More moves, more action, and overall a step up from their previous encounter.
****¼
Sting vs. Big Van Vader (WCW, Leather Strap Match, 02/21/93)
I went into this expecting it to hit 5 stars or get close.
But I left disappointed.
It was slow and repetitive. It almost felt like they’d cut the first half of the match out as both men started repeatedly going to the top almost straight away.
That said, Sting whipping Vader until he bled made for quite a spectacle.
***
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Post by nintendologic on Aug 22, 2022 19:05:23 GMT -5
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Post by [Darren] on Aug 22, 2022 21:07:13 GMT -5
One of the greatest finishes I’ve ever seen.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 22, 2022 21:44:44 GMT -5
The turnbuckle spot looked terrible.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 31, 2022 16:20:22 GMT -5
Finishing off my run through the second UWF...
Akira Maeda vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF, 08/13/89)
This started off great with some nasty headbutts from Fujiwara.
And the work was good throughout.
Though disappointingly, instead of taking off, it faded as it went. Which seems to be a common issue with this style. And the ending felt flat.
Solid wrestling, but needed the structure reversing.
***¾
Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF, 10/25/89)
Though hampered by a bad crowd (or at least a poorly mic’d crowd), this was excellent.
The technical work from both was the best I’ve seen to this point in the UWF. And everything was a struggle.
Plus it told a great story as Takada started off looking to grapple, but as the match went on he threw more and more leg kicks until they were a real problem for Fujiwara who hadn’t taken the early few seriously.
The only things that stop me from rating this higher are the crowd and that it felt a little too dry.
****¼
Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF, 02/27/90)
This built on the previous match.
Though it was slower and more tense. And felt like there was more respect between both men.
Quality wise it’s in the same ballpark, maybe a little better.
****¼
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Kazuo Yamazaki (UWF, 04/15/90)
A great action-packed match.
It does an effective job of telling a simple story:
Yamazaki’s determined to show he can hang with Fujiwara on the mat and submit it. But he can’t. Though it takes until he’s about out of rope breaks for him to change his strategy.
Really fun match with a vicious finish.
****
Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF, 10/25/90)
This takes the best elements from their previous two matches and pretty much perfects them.
The work’s compelling throughout and there’s a sense of danger here. It feels like either man could end it quickly if the other makes the slightest mistake.
And it builds to a tense finish with both men one down away from losing.
Not as good as Takada’s match with Backlund, but this was still top-notch shoot-style I couldn’t look away from.
*****
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