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Post by elliott on Dec 3, 2017 17:12:24 GMT -5
Akira Hokuto vs Shinobu Kandori (AJW DreamSlam I – 4/2/1993) Top 5 contender for me. Akira Hokuto’s 1993 has the rep as one of the greatest years of all time for a wrestler, and this match is the backbone of that case. Incredible match with everything you could possibly want: Big Bombs, Stiff Strikes, Submissions, Dives, Brawling, Blood, Selling, Psychology, Heat, Emotion. Everything. This match is everything. The fact that it isn’t the obvious #1 is staggering.
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Post by Cap on Dec 3, 2017 21:36:56 GMT -5
Second
Yep, without having a list, this is probably defacto somewhere between #2-#6 for me. It is just un-fucking-real. Honestly, every time I watch this match I am tired. It is exacting to watch. I am not sure another match takes this kind of physical tole on me and I am not being hyperbolic. Kandori is my favorite female wrestler ever and Hokuto is at her grade A best here. They beat the ever loving hell out of each other. Its about as close to perfection as you can get and it is probably a lock top 10 for me.
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Post by fadu on Jan 4, 2018 17:38:18 GMT -5
Greatest match I've ever seen. A match that feels simple and straightforward yet runs through so many gripping narrative threads. The greatest finish to a match of all-time. I watch this match about 3 times a year and it seems to get even better each time.
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Post by microstatistics on May 2, 2018 1:54:29 GMT -5
The ultimate battle of attrition in wrestling history with the initial arm injury setup putting it over the top for me. It was a genius decision that really enhanced the drama as Kandori was simply able to apply/grab an arm hold out of nowhere at various points in the match and the crowd completely bought a submission finish. Could make my Top 10.
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Post by stunninggrover on May 7, 2018 10:50:48 GMT -5
1993-04-02 Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (AJW Dream Slam @ Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan) I have seen this match several times before and I’ve always considered it to be one of the greatest matches ever. I decided to re-watch it recently. This match is from Dream Slam. AJW vs. LLPW. Akira Hokuto represented AJW, the main joshi puroresu promotion at the time. Shinobu Kandori represented LLPW. Hokuto punches Kandori in the face and starts shouting at Kandori, who fights back and twists Hokuto’s shoulder in a way a shoulder shouldn’t be twisted. Hokuto sells it tremendously. The selling and facial expressions by both women are tremendous. It’s a great dramatic match. When Hokuto is back in the ring after some selling on the outside of the ring, both women fight aggressively with each other, showing the hatred for each other. It was a stiff match. Kandori hit a tombstone piledriver onto a table (those Japanese tables are hard, they rarely break). Wally Yamaguchi, the referee on the outside, executes what was possibly his first blade job ever and starts blading Hokuto. It was a massive blade job. Rumor has it that it wasn’t intended to be that heavy of a blade job. One of the biggest blade jobs in joshi puroresu history. Hokuto’s face was a crimson mask. It was a terrible sight, but it ended up adding more drama to the match. They start brawling in the crowd. Hokuto’s blood is being spread all over the building. Kandori started bleeding too. This was a wild match. Both women keep beating the crap out of each other. The selling is phenomenal, they are selling this as the brutal match that it is. I like how almost everything they did seemed to have a lot of intensity behind it. Neither women wanted to disappoint the promotion they were representing. It was a matter of pride. This match was almost like the joshi puroresu version of a lucha libre brawl. Big splash by Hokuto off the top rope. Big powerbomb by Kandori. This match was so interesting to watch that time seemed to fly by quickly. This was a war featuring blood and drama. Hokuto hit Kandori with the Northern Lights Bomb. Kandori hit Hokuto with the Northern Lights Bomb! Hokuto punched Kandori. Kandori punched Hokuto. Both women punched each other at the same time. Hokuto crawled over… covered Kandori and pinned her! Hokuto won the battle! The match lasted 30 minutes. I think this will be my pick for #1 Greatest Match Ever.
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Post by Cap on Jun 5, 2018 8:20:27 GMT -5
I rewatched this recently along with three other matches as part of what I plan to be a semi-regular thing for me. I am grouping matches and comparing and contrasting them. For this session I watched: Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 (Hair vs Hair – 9/23/1983) Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (4/2/1993) Stan Hansen vs Carlos Colon (Texas Bullrope Match – 1/6/1987) John Cena vs Umaga (Last Man Standing – WWE Title – 1/28/2007) You can find my entire post on all four here: gweproject.freeforums.net/post/2387Most of my analysis is grouped by qualities of the matches, but here were my final thoughts on this match. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (4/2/1993)Current Rank: 2 Trending: Even-Up-ish Much like the other two top 5 matches here, I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw it. My wife and I used to set up an air matress in our living room when we were hung over on a Sunday and chill all day and watch movies. I got up before her one such Sunday, set up the mattress and pulled this up. From that slothful morning forward I have regarded this as a true masterpiece. I didn’t necessarily expect to come away from a rewatch with a higher opinion of it. Much like Sangre Chicana vs MS-1, we aren’t talking about a definitive move. I am not ready to take the eraser to the top of the list and make the switch, but I felt slightly more invested in the story Kandori and Hokuto were telling here. This match is violence and intensity personified. It is to me something singular and something really impossible to articulate in terms of its greatness. The bigger shift here might be my opinion of Hokuto. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is an incredible wrestler (top 100 of all time for sure), but Kandori is my favorite female wrestler ever (and would rank absurdly high on my GWE list), so she was always the star of the show to me. In this rewatch I found myself really captivated by Hokuto, moreso than ever before, bringing them a little closer and elevating the match every so slightly.
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Post by bossrock on Jun 8, 2018 8:43:46 GMT -5
I don't know why, but I still struggle with this match. It always manages to lose me somewhere around the middle. Length in a match usually doesn't bother me (I am a NJPW fan after all, heh) but for some reason I can't stay invested in this. The first 10-15 minutes are absolutely tremendous as Hokuto nearly knocks Kandori out in the beginning only for Kandori to come back and nearly break Hokuto's arm. Some great back-and-forth arm work before the infamous piledriver and blood loss and Hokuto dragging Kandori all the way into the crowd is great. But after that, I can't stay into it. That's not to say any of it is bad. It's great. But when it comes to the 100 greatest matches of all-time, I need to be invested through pretty much the entire match and for some reason I've always struggled in that regard when it comes to this match.
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Post by elliott on Jul 24, 2018 0:22:39 GMT -5
I watched this yet again and I have it pretty much locked into my #3 spot. I don't agree at all about this match dragging. I find it to be completely compelling from the pre-match introductions up until Hokuto's hands are raised in the air as the victor. The opening moments (The Hokuto Slap & shit talk and Kandori's death response) are so iconic that it seems silly to point out how perfect it is. But I can't imagine a better 1-2 opening act in a match.
I'm far less patient with long matches than at any point during my hardcore fandom. But as I said above, I don't think this drags at all. This is a huge match and I understand/agree with Cap's (and others) assessment that this leaves them physically drained after watching it, but not the "it dragged in the middle" criticism. The middle of this match has incredible selling, one of the bloodiest blade jobs ever, a hot crowd and two wrestlers throwing bombs at each other.
One thing I found interesting was Cap saying his most recent rewatch was the first time he really took notice of Hokuto in this match. I know he's a big Kandori fan, but I like can't fathom this reality. Old "smart fan" rhetoric surrounding this match was that it was a Hokuto carry job. Most of us now realize that Kandori was one of the great big match wrestlers in history and this is certainly not a carry job. Kandori is incredible in this and essential for the match being as great as it is. Not only her work in the match but her character, acting, career and existence are essential. But she was still the canvas for Hokuto's masterwork.
It's an old and tired opinion at this point, but Hokuto's performance in this match is by far the greatest maximalist performance in history. Her acting, selling, charisma and aura on display in this match are second to no one in history. But then she throws the fucking kitchen sink at Kandori here trying anything she can think of to stop the terminator. Hokuto shows one of the most diverse and quite frankly bad ass offensive moves you can find in a match noted for her selling, blade job and the beating she takes. She gives you everything you could possibly want from a wrestler. You want selling? Check. Character work? Check. Psychology? Check. Big time aura? Check. Blood? Check. Suplexes? Check. Submissions? Check. Stiff strikes? Check. Heart stopping nearfalls? Check. An all time memorable finish? Check.
Chicana vs MS-1 & Queendom 94 have been my 1 & 2 for well over a decade. Hokuto vs Kandori has always been in the top 5 conversation. It's locked in now as #3 at worst. But I'm going to have to think long and hard about it vs Queendom and Chicana/MS-1. I could absolutely talk myself into putting this #1. Timeless.
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Post by bossrock on Jul 25, 2018 23:41:02 GMT -5
Some matches I can watch once and immediately "get it". And there are other matches I come away from feeling underwhelmed or not quite understanding the hype upon first view. But if I keep telling myself that there has to be something there, I'll come back to it again and again until I can finally understand it. This is one of those matches. As you can see above, I used to think this was a great match that couldn't quite sustain the momentum of a super-hot start. That's pretty much what prevented me from granting it "GOAT" status. But upon what has to be my fourth or fifth viewing of this match, I think I finally get it. And it will make my list.
Perhaps the biggest thing I took away from this match is that very much felt like predator vs. wounded yet still dangerous prey. Yes, it has the violence and heat of a blood feud and that's established in the opening few seconds. But after Hokuto lays out Kandori with that first shot, Kandori damn near breaks Hokuto's arm and it's an uphill battle from there. Hokuto fights back and attempts to take Kandori out with the tombstone, but she can't quite fully regain that early momentum and pays for it. Hokuto is able to turn the tide and split Kandori open in retaliation, but she still hasn't quite recovered from the earlier onslaught and has to retreat to the ring. This gives Kandori ample time to recover and again go after the arm. What's interesting is that Kandori tries to attack at all angles but continues to hunt for that arm which puts Hokuto in desperation mode with each attempt. But no matter how beat up Hokuto is, she's still plenty dangerous and capable of at least buying herself some time with a big strike or bomb. Hokuto is finally able to gain a sustained advantage with a tope and missile dropkick to the outsideand that's ultimately what turns it into a "who can hit that big shot first" situation. And when it comes to the ending, I'm not quite sure if they hit each other at the same time and Hokuto simply had a little more left in the tank than Kandori, or if Hokuto actually made contact before Kandori could. I'm hoping it's the latter because that really boosts the match in my book.
Like I said, this took me a couple tries before I could finally appreciate what Hokuto and Kandori accomplished here. It's a wonderfully violent spectacle that really comes off as a shoot with the selling, blood loss, and shall I say "sloppiness" of some of the bigger offensive moves. It all came off as very authentic. While I probably still won't rank it as high as most folks, I really do love this match now and am glad I can appreciate it for what it is.
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Post by Cap on Jun 17, 2020 7:39:44 GMT -5
I rewatched this a few days ago. With all the talk of "greatest wrestling match ever" I thought I would pop on my #1 from last year. Spoiler alert: still awesome. I will probably watch my top 3-5 or so together before I submit my ballot, so no guarantees it makes #1 again, but it wont be far off
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Post by Cap on Aug 18, 2020 6:50:02 GMT -5
From my rewatch project on 8/17/2020 Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (4/2/1993) Current Rank: 1 Trending: Even I won’t say much here. This is the best single wrestling match I have ever seen and every time I watch it, I am more convinced of that fact. Last year it jumped Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 as my default #1 match and nothing has happened since to change my mind. Kandori provides a mountainous obstacle like no one else could. I don’t think Aja or Bull or Dump or anyone could provide the particular type of malice and danger that Kandori does here. Hokuto is the perfect hero to match it and I don’t think anyone could fire back in the pitch-perfect way that she does. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this match. It is the best ever. Full Post: gweproject.freeforums.net/post/8466
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Post by KB8 on Sept 25, 2020 5:26:18 GMT -5
Alright, so right now is probably the most I've enjoyed joshi as a style in close to fifteen years; maybe ever, honestly. I'm going a 90s joshi revisit on my stupid blog and it's basically all I've watched the last few weeks, and I'm finding something to enjoy in basically all of it. For a style I've sometimes struggled to immerse myself in, I feel pretty well immersed. I say all that because I've never *LOVED* loved this match - probably the most beloved match in all of joshi - and so if I was ever likely to properly GET IT it'd be now. I guess I largely buy into the notion that if you don't enjoy the hell out of something when it comes to a subjective medium like pro-wrestling then how great can it actually be? but this feels like a rare exception to that because I thought it was clearly great...and yet I still didn't love it. As daft as it might sound it's probably the best match I've ever seen that I have no real personal connection to.
I mean there's an awful lot of really fucking good stuff in this. Hokuto's performance is great and I can see why it's often heralded as the best individual performance ever. Elliot describes it as maximalist and that feels about right. Everything she did was huge and no matter how far back in that back row you were you couldn't miss it. She's not my favourite seller in joshi even though she's often talked about as being the best, but this was probably the best sell job over the course of any match I've ever seen in the style (or the GENRE, if you're one of those). The arm injury she picks up early isn't always the main focus, at least in that she doesn't obviously sell it all the way through (she's no Kevin von Erich, I guess), but any time Kandori goes for an armbar Hokuto's absolutely frantic trying to reach the ropes. What's most impressive about her selling is the overall exhaustion and physical toll as the match goes on. She bleeds twelve buckets and by the end she can barely crawl across the ring. She'll stagger around and use the ropes to keep herself propped up. She'll fight back in bursts, but afterwards it'll look like she took as much out of herself as she did Kandori. Offensively she was scrappy and gritty and all those other adjectives you want to use and she would not be denied. Kandori would need to kill her to keep her down and pretty much every move Hokuto hit looked like she did it knowing it could be her last. Her two dives towards the end felt totally reckless and at the same time totally necessary given the opponent and circumstances. It was a stellar performance, and whether or not you subscribe to the idea that it's the best ever, I think if nothing else she deserves credit for the fact only she could pull it off like this. Kandori ruled as well, obviously. Man she's awesome. She was like the fucking terminator and for as much as you believed she'd need to kill Hokuto to keep her down, you believed the opposite to be an even truer prospect. Every time she grabbed hold of Hokuto's arm there was widespread panic and the bit where she turned an attempted Tiger Driver into a kimura then back into another Tiger Driver was amazing. At one point she just picked Hokuto up in a suplex and chucked her out the ring like a bag of rubbish. She was equally great when it came to selling, as she usually is (she'd be my own pick for best seller in joshi). It was much more subtle than Hokuto's, but her KO selling is Fujiwara-level and there were about five instances of it.
The pace being much slower than usual certainly helped this overall. Everything had a sense of gravity to it, and while talking about transitions and rhythm in joshi is beating a dead horse this clearly wouldn't have worked as well if it followed the standard AJW pattern of the time. It also has one of the best openings of any match ever, with Hokuto decking Kandori and shit-talking her on the house mic and Kandori responding by trying to rip her arm out the socket. It was Thunder Road or Gimme Shelter or the Mortal Kombat opening where Shang-Tsung steals Liu Kang's dweeb brother's soul. Just perfect. And of course there's the tombstone spot which is totally iconic. It's not just the spot itself looking crazy, it's the fact Hokuto was the one who took it there in the first place and learned the hard way not to fuck with Kandori like that (also the close-up of the dented table, and even if I'm pretty sure it was Kandori's knee that left it and not Hokuto's skull it doesn't take away from the visual).
So yeah, great match. Like, really great. But not one I love (I had it at #58 on my ballot this year, and it'd probably go up before it goes down, but I'd be kicking myself for putting it ahead of the stuff I just plain old enjoy more than it).
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Post by Kadaveri on Apr 5, 2021 14:37:05 GMT -5
I was watching the press conference for this show (I don't speak Japanese but I'm picking stuff up....) where Chigusa Nagayo and Devil Masami are hyping their match by talking about their "best bout" at Budokan Hall when it suddenly occured to me.... The finish of this match is a homage to Chigusa vs. Devil 08/22/85 isn't it? It's exactly the same sequence except this time the hero just about manages to make the cover.
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Post by Cap on Apr 5, 2021 15:53:36 GMT -5
Holy shit... I never put that together and these are two goat contender matches for me. I need to watch the finishes back soon.
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Post by elliott on Oct 24, 2021 13:46:53 GMT -5
Our own Kadaveri has done some amazing work getting all of the promo's for DreamSlam 1 subtitled. We're about to do a 2nd half of the show (all the great stuff) watch party cytu.be/r/GWE_WP
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