Tag Match Stuff
Feb 19, 2018 2:25:33 GMT -5
Post by elliott on Feb 19, 2018 2:25:33 GMT -5
I expect there are going to be a ton of candidates for this topic including a number of different matches people are going to either vote #1 or at least strongly consider them for that position. Perhaps I should have broken this up into multiple threads, and maybe we should if it starts to get too ridiculous. But I wanted to have a thread where we laid out the tag matches we're considering for our Top 100 Lists.
My stone cold absolute locks to make it:
Akira Hokuto & Shinobu Kandori vs Aja Kong & Bull Nakano 3/27/94 AJW - This is the only match I could ever see ranking above Chicana vs MS-1 for my #1 overall pick. The greatest story ever told in wrestling.
Terry & Dory Funk Jr vs Abdullah the Butcher & The Sheik (2/3 Falls) 7/15/79 AJPW - I think this is the best AJPW tag match and I'll rank it comfortably ahead of all of the 90s tag classics. Love this feud as the atmosphere always makes these matches feel like the most important life or death shit ever. Something I view as a top 10 contender
Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu 1/28/89 AJPW - Another AJPW tag match that I'll rank higher than all of the 90s matches. Something that will probably land in my top 25 but if this was strictly a favorites list, would be a top 5 candidate. Just the perfect amount of wrestling and brawling with an awesome story, emotion, and drama.
Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs Mayumi Ozaki & Dynamite Kansai 11/26/92 AJW - Legendary match that I'm interested to see how people place it. 15 years ago I think it would a darkhorse candidate to finish in the top 5 overall for a project like this. I'm under the impression that while it hasn't fallen out of favor among fans of it, it may have slipped off the radar overall. It only showed up on one person's early top 10 list and didn't get mentioned in the #1 candidates thread at all. It is something I'm extremely high on, but never quite looked at it as the GOAT. But surely something I could see in my top 25.
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue 6/9/95 AJPW - Honestly the match I'm expecting to finish first overall in the final results. Even as someone down on 90s All Japan and all of these guys, this will almost certainly be in my top 50.
Terry & Dory Funk Jr vs Abdullah the Butcher & The Sheik 12/15/77, 12/9/78, 12/13/79 - Figured I'd group the rest of these together. While the 7/79 match is my clear favorite, I think all of these belong on the list and view them all as potential top 50 contenders.
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas 5/25/92 AJPW - Easy lock for my list and a top 50 candidate. If this was a favorites based list, this would be a top 5 contender. The atmosphere takes this over the top, although the work is truly excellent and holds up 25 years later. The tags I'll have above this are more transcendent in nature, but this is one of the best wrestling matches ever.
My Non-Lock But Strong Contenders
Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura 11/29/89 AJPW - About the closest thing to a lock to make my list. If our lists was based purely on favorites, this would be a top 10 contender. I love the story of the old legends totally out gunned and having to fight back against insurmountable odds.
El Hijo del Santo & Octagon vs Art Barr & Eddy Guerrero 11/4/94 AAA - Super famous match that I could see ranking in my top 50 or not making it at all. Regardless, I think this is an all time great match. Barr's heel performance might push this over the top for me when it comes time to put together the final list.
Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu 12/6/89 AJPW - I adore this and hope I have room for it. Tenryu & Hansen were the most badass team ever for their short run and what they do to Yatsu in this match would make Yuki Ishikawa and Daisuke Ikeda wince. I think the finish is one of the most well crafted, exciting and spectacular in the history of company known for putting together well crafted, exciting and spectacular finishes.
Invader I & Invader II vs Chicky & Ron Starr 5/25/88 WWC - Super awesome wild brawl with 4 of the most underrated dudes ever. This is everything you want it to be. Wild out of control brawl with blood and an insane crowd. Fans of brawls need to start getting down on the Puerto Rico stuff if they haven't.
Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Nayoa Ogawa & Kazunari Murakami 1/4/00 NJPW - If this was a favorites list, this would be a top 10 contender. I LOOOOVE this. One of the greatest spectacles ever. I'm not sure if this is one of the 100 best matches ever, but I will give it a lot of thought.
Midnight Express vs Rock n Roll Express 2/25/90 WCW - I think this is clearly a great match and something that should be considered. But if I'm being honest, this hasn't made any rough drafts I've put together. It usually lands somewhere between 105-120. If it makes my list it may be because I wanted to include a Midnights vs R n R match. That said, I think this is clearly a strong contender for a top 100 and one of my favorite matches ever. My highest ranked match for either team, but I'm not sure it makes it.
Ok, Im going to stop now but I could definitely keep going because there are tons of options I could bring up. I'll come back with some more later if they don't get mentioned by others. In the meantime, what are the tag matches you're going to rank and are thinking about ranking?
My stone cold absolute locks to make it:
Akira Hokuto & Shinobu Kandori vs Aja Kong & Bull Nakano 3/27/94 AJW - This is the only match I could ever see ranking above Chicana vs MS-1 for my #1 overall pick. The greatest story ever told in wrestling.
Terry & Dory Funk Jr vs Abdullah the Butcher & The Sheik (2/3 Falls) 7/15/79 AJPW - I think this is the best AJPW tag match and I'll rank it comfortably ahead of all of the 90s tag classics. Love this feud as the atmosphere always makes these matches feel like the most important life or death shit ever. Something I view as a top 10 contender
Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu 1/28/89 AJPW - Another AJPW tag match that I'll rank higher than all of the 90s matches. Something that will probably land in my top 25 but if this was strictly a favorites list, would be a top 5 candidate. Just the perfect amount of wrestling and brawling with an awesome story, emotion, and drama.
Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs Mayumi Ozaki & Dynamite Kansai 11/26/92 AJW - Legendary match that I'm interested to see how people place it. 15 years ago I think it would a darkhorse candidate to finish in the top 5 overall for a project like this. I'm under the impression that while it hasn't fallen out of favor among fans of it, it may have slipped off the radar overall. It only showed up on one person's early top 10 list and didn't get mentioned in the #1 candidates thread at all. It is something I'm extremely high on, but never quite looked at it as the GOAT. But surely something I could see in my top 25.
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue 6/9/95 AJPW - Honestly the match I'm expecting to finish first overall in the final results. Even as someone down on 90s All Japan and all of these guys, this will almost certainly be in my top 50.
Terry & Dory Funk Jr vs Abdullah the Butcher & The Sheik 12/15/77, 12/9/78, 12/13/79 - Figured I'd group the rest of these together. While the 7/79 match is my clear favorite, I think all of these belong on the list and view them all as potential top 50 contenders.
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas 5/25/92 AJPW - Easy lock for my list and a top 50 candidate. If this was a favorites based list, this would be a top 5 contender. The atmosphere takes this over the top, although the work is truly excellent and holds up 25 years later. The tags I'll have above this are more transcendent in nature, but this is one of the best wrestling matches ever.
My Non-Lock But Strong Contenders
Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Giant Baba & Rusher Kimura 11/29/89 AJPW - About the closest thing to a lock to make my list. If our lists was based purely on favorites, this would be a top 10 contender. I love the story of the old legends totally out gunned and having to fight back against insurmountable odds.
El Hijo del Santo & Octagon vs Art Barr & Eddy Guerrero 11/4/94 AAA - Super famous match that I could see ranking in my top 50 or not making it at all. Regardless, I think this is an all time great match. Barr's heel performance might push this over the top for me when it comes time to put together the final list.
Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu 12/6/89 AJPW - I adore this and hope I have room for it. Tenryu & Hansen were the most badass team ever for their short run and what they do to Yatsu in this match would make Yuki Ishikawa and Daisuke Ikeda wince. I think the finish is one of the most well crafted, exciting and spectacular in the history of company known for putting together well crafted, exciting and spectacular finishes.
Invader I & Invader II vs Chicky & Ron Starr 5/25/88 WWC - Super awesome wild brawl with 4 of the most underrated dudes ever. This is everything you want it to be. Wild out of control brawl with blood and an insane crowd. Fans of brawls need to start getting down on the Puerto Rico stuff if they haven't.
Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka vs Nayoa Ogawa & Kazunari Murakami 1/4/00 NJPW - If this was a favorites list, this would be a top 10 contender. I LOOOOVE this. One of the greatest spectacles ever. I'm not sure if this is one of the 100 best matches ever, but I will give it a lot of thought.
Midnight Express vs Rock n Roll Express 2/25/90 WCW - I think this is clearly a great match and something that should be considered. But if I'm being honest, this hasn't made any rough drafts I've put together. It usually lands somewhere between 105-120. If it makes my list it may be because I wanted to include a Midnights vs R n R match. That said, I think this is clearly a strong contender for a top 100 and one of my favorite matches ever. My highest ranked match for either team, but I'm not sure it makes it.
Ok, Im going to stop now but I could definitely keep going because there are tons of options I could bring up. I'll come back with some more later if they don't get mentioned by others. In the meantime, what are the tag matches you're going to rank and are thinking about ranking?
