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Post by microstatistics on Jul 23, 2018 15:50:40 GMT -5
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Akira Maeda (UWF, 8/13/1989)
Another one of those "shootstyle for people who don't like shootstyle" matches because Fujiwara just puts on a clinic on how to express a narrative through simple body language and mannerisms, something that's universal across all wrestling styles. Also not many people play the relentless terminator role as well as Maeda.
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Post by microstatistics on Jul 23, 2018 20:25:45 GMT -5
El Satanico vs. Sangre Chicana (EMLL, 5/26/1989)
This should be rated alongside Lawler vs. Snowman when people talk about uncooperative/borderline shoot exchanges, to be honest. The build up to the (non) finish drags a bit. Overall, this is unlike almost any match I've ever seen, the true epitome of a wrestling brawl.
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Post by microstatistics on Jul 25, 2018 0:40:34 GMT -5
Hiroshi Hase vs. The Great Muta (NJPW, 12/14/1992)
Hase's career performance and a really, really cool story "While fighting monsters, beware you don't become a monster yourself". The build is a bit slow but Hase's descent into savagery rules as does the blood and drama. Muta plays his character transformation well too though, in characteristic fashion, his selling is sort of spotty.
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Post by microstatistics on Jul 29, 2018 21:57:17 GMT -5
Ric Flair vs. Ricky Morton (NWA, 7/5/1986)
Really liked Morton consistently targeting Flair's face to pay him back for the nose. Flair gives what is probably the classic insecure, resentful bully performance. Intense, violent brawling but the character work sets it apart from the rest.
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Post by microstatistics on Jul 30, 2018 21:08:28 GMT -5
El Satanico vs. Shiro Koshinaka (EMLL, 7/30/1984)
Very deliberate pace. Doesn't have the usual structure of a hair match but has all the elements that make those matches work (high end relentless brawling, hate, fatigue selling), done at the highest level. Some cool defensive grappling and harsh cut offs in the first fall. I like how they portrayed Koshinaka as both vicious and cunning. Satanico was retribution personified here. I still really like the storytelling of the finish but they could have executed it more convincingly. Great postmatch.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 1, 2018 21:01:11 GMT -5
Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (NJPW, 1/31/1990)
Build to the finish is really cool here as Sano is one step ahead and cuts off Liger at every turn but just can't put him away. Liger's selling is sublime. I can understand the criticisms that Sano's control segments are too long but they are super compelling so no complaints from me.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 2, 2018 14:01:16 GMT -5
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Nobuhiko Takada (UWF, 10/25/1990)
Not quite the intricate chess match I remember but a really effective strategy based battle. Takada's selling reminds me of prime Misawa. Fujiwara trying to continue the mind games even as he was worn out was pretty cool. The finish is one of the best displays of learned psychology ever.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 2, 2018 15:32:37 GMT -5
Yuki Ishikawa vs. Daisuke Ikeda (Futen, 4/24/2005)
The balance they struck between a brutal scrap and a tactical fight is really impressive. It gets uglier and uglier as they approach the finish as the match takes its toll. A ton of cool little details. And, wow this is on a different level when it comes to stiffness. This was likely gonna be on my list anyways but now has a chance of finishing really, really high.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 3, 2018 14:19:18 GMT -5
Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki (AJW, 11/26/1992)
Disappointing, this fell quite a long way for me. Still great enough to make the list but not top tier. The body of the match is not as compelling as I remember. Still, everyone plays their role to perfection, the crowd is red hot and the drama is great.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 3, 2018 17:29:40 GMT -5
El Hijo del Santo vs. El Dandy vs. Negro Casas (CMLL, 12/6/1996)
This loses quite a lot of steam in the third fall, which hurts this badly and takes it out of top tier contention. The finish is a cool visual though. Still really like the early involvement of Casas and the story/character driven setup. The Santo-Dandy brawling is vicious, Santo's heel antics and Dandy's selling are great.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 3, 2018 17:41:22 GMT -5
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Volk Han (RINGS, 1/22/1997)
My favorite thing about this series is the progression. Tamura's is way more confidence and threatening and Han is visibly struggling here. It's really impressive how they manage to convey that while busting out ridiculous sequences. This is the flashiest of their matches, I think.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 3, 2018 17:44:38 GMT -5
Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (NOAH, 7/10/2004)
What a smartly laid out match. Nuance and clever spots in between all the huge bomb throwing. There are even two cool struggle on the mat spots. They go all out which fits because it's the biggest match in the company's history and the history between these two. Selling is not quite as good as the best of 90s All Japan but (almost) everything is given room to breathe so this comes off as a heavyweight epic rather than a spotfest. Postmatch handshake is nice too and pays off years of storytelling.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 3, 2018 17:44:56 GMT -5
Aja Kong vs. Yumiko Hotta (AJW, 1/24/1994)
What a horror show. This feels like a borderline squash at times actually. Aja delivers an all time level beating and Yumiko Hotta, of all people, works wonderfully as a sympathetic underdog. Great crowd too, not necessarily super loud but one that is invested in the action and plays along.
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Post by bossrock on Aug 3, 2018 18:53:00 GMT -5
Hotta-Kong was a great discovery. No hyperbole, one of the most violent matches ever.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 4, 2018 22:54:59 GMT -5
That and Ikeda-Ishikawa 4/2005 are quite the 1-2 punch with regards to stiffness
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