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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 25, 2019 15:06:24 GMT -5
Best of All Japan 1997-1999 Part 1 Quick turnaround as I am going to wrestling tonight at the Gahden, kid! I am hoping we get a good crazed Ronda Rousey promo and an appearance by THE MAN BECKY LYNCH! Before Becky Lynch was The Man, there was Mitsuharu Misawa, the Ace, the GOAT. All Japan of the 1990s is the sacred era of pro wrestling, many consider it the pinnacle of the wrestling industry. There has been some backlash over the years, but for the most part it remains well-regarded and it is still the standard for the great pro wrestling. Its peak was roughly 1993-1996, but the entire decade is littered with classics. This blog looks at the end of this glorious run where the excesses of the style take their toll and the boss, Giant Baba passes away in 1999 leaving the promotion in turmoil and ultimately causing the All Japan/NOAH schism in 2000. However, 1997-1999 still has many, many great matches. It offers new tag team pairings such as the Ace Misawa & Rat Boy Ogawa and the ultra-macho team of Burning (Kobashi & Akiyama) to combat the old standard-bearers Holy Demon Army (Kawada & Taue). It also features when Kawada, the Wile E. Coyote to Misawa's Roadrunner finally gets his big win but probably four years too late to mean anything. It is also characterized by one of the most prolific feuds in history: Misawa vs Kobashi. All this and much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 42: Best of All Japan 1997-1999. ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-42-best-of-all.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 26, 2019 15:16:40 GMT -5
Best of All Japan 1997-1999 Part 2 Doing back-to-back nights at the Gahden, kid! As I am seeing the final KISS tour. Had two great experiences previously seeing KISS, Paul Stanley is a riot on the microphone, cant wait to hear what zany thing he says. Last night's RAW was pretty decent. A surprisingly funny Triple H, nice sendoff for Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, a big Yankees Suck chant and got to see Ronda & The Man Becky Lynch, a solid night of pro wrestling. We continue the Pro Wrestling Love with pinnacle of Pro Wrestling, All Japan in the 90s. I have teased that some of these blogs have greatest match ever contenders in them. I have whittled the short list for #1 down to six matches. One of those six matches is included in today's blog. Growing up in the late 90s/early 00s, American fans seemed obsessed with the Misawa/Kawada feud of All Japan. When would Kawada get that big win and stop choking? I think whats interesting is how the viewing prism has shifted over the years from Misawa/Kawada dominating the conversation to Misawa/Kobashi. I think it is part that Misawa/Kobashi had the more triumphant conclusion to their story in the form of 3/1/03 and the other part is people going back realizing that Misawa/Kobashi matches are really incredible and really only 6/3/94 can compare to the multiple high level Misawa/Kobashi matches. What makes the Misawa vs Kobashi matches so good is the attention to detail in the matches and from match to match. Kobashi was my pick for the greatest wrestler ever as he combines amazing offensive firepower and sympathetic selling better than any wrestler ever. You can see his growth and maturity between 1/20/97 and 10/31/98. He wrestles a much-more mistake free style AND he wrestles a more suffocating style, it is a true full court press to stymie any Misawa offense. Within a match, Misawa and Kobashi make do a better job than anyone else making mistakes and tactical error mean something. Everything has consequence in a Misawa/Kobashi match. You put together the characters, the history, the amazing offense and selling, the incredible crescendos to the finish and add that attention to detail you definitely have a contender for the greatest match ever. That's only two of the six matches discussed in this blog so check it out for much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 43! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-vol-43-best-of-all-japan.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 27, 2019 19:43:41 GMT -5
Best of Japanese Junior Heavyweights 1989-1999 I have rocked 'n' rolled all night and partied everyday too many days in a row! I am excited to get to bed early. KISS kicked ass definitely a top 5 live act I have ever seen. Much like KISS attracted eyeballs through elaborate costumes, Keiichi Yamada became a shooting star when he became Jushin "Thunder" Liger! Throughout on the 90s, Liger would be on an endless quest to find his equal, his rival. This blog captures the greatest matches of Japanese Junior Heavyweight Wrestling, Jushin Liger was the crown jewel of the division and he helped propelled the division into prominence with his feud against Naoki Sano and putting over Michinoku Pro's Great Sasuke. Michinoku Pro was a promotion completely devoted to junior heavyweight wrestling. Its best year was 1996 as Kaientai DX stable was running roughshod over the promotion and definitely worth watching. All this and much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 44! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-44-best-of.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 28, 2019 18:21:00 GMT -5
Best of Japanese Junior Heavyweights 1989-1999 Part 2 EAT EM UP TIGERS! Tigers win on opening day! March Madness continues tonight and I am looking for Oregon to make it to the Elite Eight! GO DUCKS! But honestly, I am less interested in Ducks and more interested in Ligers today. I think of all the different styles of pro wrestling the most influential on today's in-ring product is the Japanese Junior Heavyweight style of the 1990s which blended the workrate of Stampede, the Strong Style of Inokiism and lucha libre. Jushin Liger is one of the most accessible Japanese wrestlers to Western fans because of his Western influences and expressive selling even within a full mask and bodysuit. The opening matwork is typical of the New Japan style, but after that it has all the trademarks of today's style with high-powered offense and plenty of highspots. Crucial differences do remain as the 90s Juniors style still emphasized narrative-based storytelling, body part psychology and selling. Most importantly, it did rely on overly choreographed sequences, but rather organically developed highspots that felt earned. As expected Liger dominates the blog taking four out of the top six spots with the likes of Ohtani, Kanemoto, Great Sasuke and Sano. However, can he hold onto #1 or will Michinoku Pro and Kaientai DX take the top spot? Find out and check out all this and much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 45! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-45-best-japanese.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 30, 2019 19:09:45 GMT -5
Best of JCP/WCW 1988-1990 Did you miss me? I know I took off one day, but I am back with four, yes FOUR straight days of Pro Wrestling Love! If that does not make you say CALLOOH CALLAY I dont know what will! We are covering in my opinion the best three year stretch any American promotion has ever had (only All Japan in the mid-90s can compete) as Ric Flair was on another planet during this stretch. At 40 years old, Ric Flair had the best calendar year any pro wrestler has ever heard in 1989. Everyone points to the Steamboat and Funk series, which do dominate my Top 12, but he was getting it done on TV, on house shows and in tag team matches. He was so versatile at this time wrestling heel against Steamboat and babyface against Funk. His spot-calling was pitch perfect and his energy level was through the roof. In addition, the talent depth during this period was insane and it is incredible how they squandered it. There is a six man tag team match in 1988 with the babyface side comprising of Sting, Lex Luger and Barry Windham. Boy did the future look bright and blond on that day! Overshadowed by Flair's historic run was just how damn great the new incarnation of the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) who redefine what great tag team wrestling was in America with the Fantastics and the best match of the historic Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express happened during this period. All this and much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 46! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-46-best-of-world.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 31, 2019 16:48:01 GMT -5
Best of World Championship Wrestling 1988-1990 Part 2 I had a really good shot at a perfect Final Four until Kentucky blew it. Alas! Good news is if Duke wins tonight, my chances of winning good money go up astronomically! Lets Go Blue Devils! Ten year old Martin hates that I wrote that sentence, but ten year old Martin never had $800 either. You know what's worth more to me than $800 Pro Wrestling Love. You can't put a price on Love, baby! Honestly, the top five matches of this Pro Wrestling Love edition are my number one contenders for the top spot in Greatest Match Ever. Think about that. One promotion in a year produced five matches that could be considered the Greatest Match of All Time and who was in all of these matches, The Nature Boy Ric Flair of course! WOOOOOOOOOO! Growing up, I thought the brawls with Terry Funk were the best thing I have ever seen. The matches with Steamboat take my breathe away as they are cardio workouts par excellence and so psychical. To me my magnus opus of wrestling reviews, will be my breakdown of Ric Flair vs Lex Luger at Starrcade 1988. Not to toot my own horn, but toot! toot! I dont think I have ever done such a good job and I am not sure I ever will again. It is the review I am most proud of. So which of these five matches finish #1? What is the only non-Flair match to make my Top 6? Well you just have to click the link to find out! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-47-best-of-world.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 4, 2019 8:50:22 GMT -5
Best of Other Heavyweight Japan 1996-1999 Part 1 Got to see Masato Tanaka last night live in Worcester BABY! Guess what! He is featured prominently in the latest edition of Pro Wrestling Love! This article looks at the best heavyweight matches to take place in the non-major companies of Japan (so no New Japan or All Japan) between 1996-1999 and thus features a lot of shoot-style from RINGS, which was clicking on all cylinders with the magnificent foursome of Volk Han, Koyoshi Tamura, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka and Yoshihisa Yamamoto. Dying Days WAR also produced some greatness as the dream match of Takada vs Tenryu right before UWFi shut down and Takada would go to start PRIDE. FMW made the transition from a Deathmatch company to Attitude Era, America style company featuring Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and the amazing Mr. Gannosuke! Mr. Gannosuke does not get enough press in America for how awesome he is a perfect combination of heel sleaze, garbage brawling and strong mat fundamentals. This is the potpourri of Pro Wrestling Love with a little for everyone to love so check it out! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/04/pro-wrestling-love-vol-48-best-of-other.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 5, 2019 8:28:00 GMT -5
Best of Other Heavyweight Puroresu 1996-1999 Part II THE MANIA CONTINUES! The Pro Wrestling Love Will Always Continue! However, I will be taking a sabbatical to recharge my batteries so I want to thank everyone who took time to read these (FORTY-NINE Holy Shit, my original intention was 64, but I am proud to complete 75% of the goal). If you got any sort of pleasure out of them or found a new match you liked than I did my job and I spread the Pro Wrestling Love! I watched & reviewed 1,934 matches so far and here's to another 1,934 matches! The last blog completes the countdown started yesterday as the best of Japanese Heavyweight wrestling not to take place in All Japan or New Japan. But it might as well be called the Best of RINGS, only a crazy Genichiro Tenryu brawl stops them from sweeping the Top 6, click to find out which one! Pro Wrestling loves its Trilogies and there may be no better than the Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura trilogy so click the link and savor all the Pro Wrestling Love! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/04/pro-wrestling-love-vol-49-best-of-other.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 6, 2019 11:45:18 GMT -5
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Post by wrestlingfan on Apr 6, 2019 18:43:22 GMT -5
I hope you're going to reveal your ballot.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 9, 2020 10:35:21 GMT -5
Pro Wrestling Love Vol. 50: Top 100 WWF/E Matches of 1978-2014 With all this COVID-19 going around, never has Pro Wrestling Love been more needed! So I present my 100 Greatest WWF/WWE Matches of All Time! Big shoutout to the boys at Place To Be Nation for hosting the voting for this project last year. I will definitely participate in their WCW edition for this year. This was the impetus I needed to finally put this list together. So I hope you enjoy and maybe you discover a match or two to watch while you are in isolation. Hope you & yours stay safe & heathy during this pandemic! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2020/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-50-greatest-100.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 13, 2020 8:29:46 GMT -5
Pro Wrestling Love vol. 51 is coming at you with the Best WWE has to offer from 2005-2009 part 1! This era sees Cena & Batista winning their first World Titles at 2005's edition of WrestleMania. I can consider this the First Wave of Cena Era. I think in 2010 he really became the Man. In 2005-2009, he had a lot of support from Attitude Era stars like HHH, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Kurt Angle (until 2006), Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio. In addition, he had his contemporaries like Batista, Randy Orton and Edge to shoulder the burden. What I love about this era is that no real canon has ever been established! So there are a ton of what I believe head-turners and shockers on this list! So check it out! This era is a treasure trove of hidden gems! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2020/03/pro-wrestling-love-vol-51-best-of-wwe.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 14, 2020 16:58:19 GMT -5
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 15, 2020 21:46:44 GMT -5
Best of WWE 2010-2014 Part 1...#24-#19 I became a fan in August of 1997. I have two favorite times of being a fan from 1997-2001 (when I was a kid, everything is better when you are a kid) and from 2012-2014. For me my favorite time from WWE was 2012-2014. From an in-ring perspective the WWE was never and has never been as good as it was from 2012-2014. It was so good that normally I do a Top 12, but I could contain my excitement for this time period so we are doing a Four-Part, Top 24 to represent how glorious this period was. Shoutout to Jimmy Redman for her love of WWE and exposing to me to so much great wrestling. Her Top 100 List of the Best WWE Matches to take place in 2013 alone is the greatest list ever put together and is an invaluable resource in exploring this treasure trove of great matches. Also I would be remiss not to mention to not sleep on the honorable mentions. A lot of these honorable mentions are rated at ****1/2 and are excellent matches in their own right they just happen to occur in the most stacked time period in WWE history. ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2020/04/pro-wrestling-love-vol-53-best-of-wwe.html
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Post by superstarsleeze on Apr 17, 2020 19:22:52 GMT -5
Best of WWE 2010-2014 Part 2...#18-#13 WWE was so damn good between 2010-2014 that we are breaking this down in 4 parts! This part is chock full of NXT as a whopping 4 out of 6 matches come from the "development" league, lets be real, its WWE's take on a "Super Indy". Sami Zayn was the heart & soul of NXT and was on a babyface run of life time. Find out what NXT matches made it and what two main show matches made it by clicking below. We are at the halfway point! ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2020/04/pro-wrestling-love-vol-54-best-of-wwe.html
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