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Post by microstatistics on Aug 4, 2018 23:04:45 GMT -5
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WWE, 3/28/2010)
Great action and great storytelling. Some neat continuity with the past spots. Feels like a gritty fight too, something lacking in their WM25 match which was too exhibition like. Some of the selling during the kickout transitions wasn't the best. But Taker's knee selling is excellent and very consistent and ends up being crucial to the match. Also, I talked about this on PWO but I don't see how you can like Hashimoto bellowing "CHOSHU" but think this finish is corny or whatever. Both are equivalent and work really well.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 4, 2018 23:06:08 GMT -5
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WWF, 3/20/1994)
Beautifully wrestled match with a really unique story. No downtime and everything flows really nicely from one segment to another. One of the all time great US crowds too.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 8, 2018 22:04:49 GMT -5
William Regal vs. Kassius Ohno (WWE, 3/21/2013)
A facial expressions clinic from Regal. He nailed everything ranging from disgust to malice to selling his disrupted equilibrium. Cool story of the old master trying to knock his protégé down a notch as well as cool body part psychology. It's a little slow to get going but everything is hard and rough.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 8, 2018 22:05:05 GMT -5
LCO vs. Kaoru Ito/Tomoko Watanabe (AJW, 9/21/1997)
Grisly brawling, big bombs and high end arm psychology of all things. More back and forth than the usual LCO brawl with the babyfaces mounting routine fightbacks. The sequence before the finish and the finish itself are remarkable. The selling after some of the spots is a little inconsistent but I guess that's inherent in joshi.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 9, 2018 0:59:13 GMT -5
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Volk Han (RINGS, 9/26/1997)
I forgot how insane the grappling and counters are in this. A lot of struggle as well. The continuity with the past is off the charts great. This is 100% pro wrestling with dramatic facial expressions and body language. I also liked how decisive the finish is.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 11, 2018 0:40:38 GMT -5
Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (CWA, 12/30/1985)
The best version of the Memphis style: Built of 90% punches but they have little details, heel-face dynamic, hate, a compact layout and great selling. The eye psychology is still really cool. The clipping is really annoying though, especially after Lawler's first comeback. Also I would have liked a few more comeback and cutoffs spots during Dundee's initial control segment, since it was pretty long.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 11, 2018 16:14:26 GMT -5
Yoji Anjoh vs. Naoki Sano (UWFi, 8/13/1993)
Gripping bout with Anjoh's unorthodox attacks vs. Sano's defensive grappling. Anjoh's character work gets the attention, as it should, but technique wise he is as good as anyone. Slows down a bit near the end but I guess that fits with the mounting fatigue.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 17, 2018 22:29:20 GMT -5
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 1/20/1997)
The stuff before the arm injury is shockingly pedestrian. But then the middle is good and the last 10-15 minutes are simply outstanding. Kobashi's attention to detail and commitment to selling are truly remarkable. I forgot how much Kobashi selling those Misawa lariat blocks like death added to this. Misawa's late match arm selling is so great. Misawa's roar before the finish is such a great character moment. Excellent but falls out of top tier because it might peak higher than the matches above it but is not consistently compelling.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 18, 2018 19:53:34 GMT -5
Midnight Rockers vs. Buddy Rose/Doug Somers (AWA, 8/30/1986)
Probably the top US tag match. Slowish start but escalates really well as the hatred and intensity build up. High end selling, little details and a crazy hot crowd.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 18, 2018 21:10:18 GMT -5
Chigusa Nagayo vs. Devil Masami (AJW, 8/22/1985)
Quite the epic marathon with a nutty crowd. It's heel vs face but Devil doesn't really do anything heelish and it is generally worked like a classic title match, which is pretty interesting.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 20, 2018 19:46:54 GMT -5
Black Tiger II vs. Wild Pegasus (NJPW, 6/11/1996)
Really great Benoit performance actually. Brought his usually intensity and snugness but also focus and way more personality than usual. Eddie's selling is a thing of beauty and makes the match in many ways. Another great crowd that wasn't super loud (though they were popping like crazy near the end) but played its role to perfection.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 22, 2018 22:09:48 GMT -5
Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper (NWA, 11/24/1983)
So many clever chain spots and the ear psychology is supreme. Even the sort of anticlimactic finish is pretty good since Piper wraps the chain around Valentine's legs during the pin so beats him using smarts, not brutality. Blood, hate, intensity.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 22, 2018 22:19:15 GMT -5
Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 7/12/1992)
A lot more deliberately paced than I remember, punctured only by bursts of action from Sting's comebacks. Great selling by Sting, putting over all the damage Vader inflicts. Not many people threw better and more violent looking strikes than Vader and he did a great job illustrating the fact that Sting had pushed him further than anybody.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 25, 2018 18:49:02 GMT -5
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue (AJPW, 4/15/1995)
It's amazing how much focus body part work adds to a match. Almost all of Taue's offense targets the eye and upper back/neck, which is pretty cool. His acting and facial expressions are also completely on point. They also illustrate the power of Misawa's elbow here. The comeback and final eye claws remain epic. Neat postmatch that plays into 6/9/1995.
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Post by microstatistics on Aug 25, 2018 20:11:52 GMT -5
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 6/3/1994)
They lost me for the while after Misawa's work over the leg segment and it actually took me some time to get back into the match. Other than that, they remain incredibly focused. The smart layout, attention to detail and extra stiffness behind everything sets this apart. Throw in Kawada's laser focus on the neck and his clever knee selling plus the crowd and commentary. That second koppu kick looked like it broke Misawa's jaw. Also who says wrestling isn't an artform: Envy, determination, pride, frustration, disdain all on display here.
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