Does Brett Like Anything?

[Brett]

Does Brett Like Anything?
The Intro:
Hi, I’m Brett. I love wrestling. I also love telling you why the wrestling you love is actually bad, why the thing everyone else is enjoying is “missing something,” and why I will absolutely die on hills no one asked me to stand on. I have opinions and I tend to double down out of pure spite.

This thread is me attempting a bold experiment: watching wrestling with an open mind, fewer soapboxes, and the radical idea that not everything exists in a way that should be overly-critiqued at all times. Will I still be stubborn? Yes. Will I still rant? Absolutely. But maybe, just maybe, I’ll also admit when something rules.

Consider this either a character arc or a public struggle session.

The Content:
I've watched a lot of wrestling. I have not rewatched a ton of wrestling. Meaning the majority of things I have watched have only really been consumed one time and perhaps could've been written off without a fair shake. AKA everything is on the table to be watched.

There will be two pieces of content being graded. The main focus will be matches; however, every week I will be reviewing an entire show.

I'd love for this to be a request-review thread. I am not going to go into this expecting a shit ton of participation, so I will have provisions if I catch up to any requests and need stuff to watch. To combat this though, I will have a google form (shoutout @Sky ) where you can fill out a short answer requesting any amount of matches and shows. So like genuinely feel free to load that sucker up. I'd also like to ask you to not request in here and either use the google form or DM me.

Feel free to request anything. From gutter shit to mediocre to iconic.

~REQUEST FORM~

You do not have to provide a link or a way to watch a show / match. I got my ways.

The Grading:
This is where I am truly attempting to deviate from the way I typically watch wrestling. This review thread will not be about sifting through each match, show, segment with a fine-toothed comb. Rather the focus will be on sheer entertainment. Now granted I obviously enjoy the more nuanced, critical aspects of wrestling and that does result in pure entertainment for me. But truly, deep down, I know when I'm being an absolute smug piece of shit being too critical on what should simply be seen as a fun and exciting product.

The system in which I will be grading will be an S-F tier scale.
S+ all the way down to F-

I also will provide Highlights and Lowlights from each match / show.

The Schedule:
Seeing as though I watch wrestling far more than I should, this does not really change anything for me. Honestly at times I spend more time trying to figure out what I want to watch vs. just actually watching something. The reviews will be very stream of consciousness and will be conducted after I complete a full watch of something, which includes shows. Shows will most likely be on a more once a week schedule. But realistically, there ain't a fuckin schedule. I'm a do this when I do this and you're gonna like it pal.


So..... yea start requesting I guess. Maybe we'll have our inaugural review tonight ??? ​

 

[Brett]

 

[Blazehausen]

Can you change the font color from a dark font to something that's friendly on more than just the light themes please? Thanks.

 

[Brett]

Can you change the font color from a dark font to something that's friendly on more than just the light themes please? Thanks.

Just fixed it little man

 

[Brett]

Match #1
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BJW @ Tokyo
Kengo Mashimo & Madoka (c) vs. Men's Teioh and Shinobu (BJW Tag Team Titles)
05.23.2008
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

I feel like it is very important to put all of my cards on the table and release any bit of negativity I may have for a particular wrestler, promotion, stipulation, whatever the fuck else prior to the match. This match, however, won't require too much of that. I am very much understudied on mid-2000s puro and especially hailing from the land of Big Japan where I virtually have no connection to. So just for the sake of piloting this segment, which will reoccur every review, let's judge some of these guys.

Kengo Mashimo looks like a discount Hirooki Goto, but heavier and shorter.
Madoka has that type of look of a puro wrestler that I just can never get behind. Think Jake Lee, Sanada. There's just some sort of smugness that lives in this dude's face that just makes me not a fan from the jump.
Men's Teioh, I have only really been exposed to his ECW and Kaientai stuff, so I'd imagine that's not at his best. I am aware that he was the longest reigning GAY World Anal Championship, fuck yea dude.
Lastly we have Shinobu. I'm rooting for Shinobu. In the early video package, it looks like Teioh has just been bullying the fuck out of him and idk he seems like a good guy.

Alright let's review.

The Match​

The TLDR on the match set-up if you're into that thing is basically: you have your two young gunners of Kengo and Madoka who are currently the tag champions of Big Japan. Then you have the dysfunctional team of Teioh and Shinobu. From the video package, it looks like Shinobu has been doing everything in his power to gain the respect from his "senpai" Men's Teioh and it has not been working particularly well. It seems like this match will be a final exam of sorts for Shinobu to win the support of Teioh.

Some Quick Fire Anecdotes
Shinobu has a helluva of dropkick

I came in wanting to hate Madoka, but his kicks are so fucking lethal and crisp and if there's anything you'll learn in this review experience. I fucking love kicks.

Men's Teioh is more Masato Tanaka here than Danshoku Dino and that genuinely shocked me. Old boy can fucking go. He also has Sabu scars, so I am assuming he's mixed it up in the deathmatches of Big Japan ? That makes me respect him that much more.

Shinobu reminds me of Atsushi Kotoge, except if he were trained in the Dragon Gate dojo.

Every puro match should happen at Korakuen Hall.
​

The majority of the match is Kengo and Madoka working on Shinobu's banged up shoulder and this puts Shinobu in the position to fight from underneath. Most up-and-coming wrestlers would rather study acts like Joe Hendry and Luigi Primo in order to find ways to get over and booked, but if I were a wrestling trainer, I would have my students study this match for the perfect execution of the hot tag / working from underneath model that we always see in tag matches. It didn't feel overdone, it didn't feel over dramatic. It was two smart tag champions working over a weak body part on their opponent that limited his ability to get a tag to his wily veteran.

Upon loving kicks, I also love shoot strikes. Listen I don't need full Low-Ki, but if you hit some kicks, elbows, even punches snug, well you got me hooked. Madoka hits Shinobu with a vicious downward kick to the back of the head that made me legit cringe. You can kind of tell that Madoka is young and unpolished as he hits his strikes with that youthful ignorance that you'd see from early KENTA.

The final stretch of this match is also fucking beautifully executed. Near-falls and near-submissions that did not feel forced or hack. Men's Teioh had Madoka in an Octopus Hold only rivaled in torque by Zack Sabre Jr. I seriously had bit on that being it, but it was surely not. In fact we had about 5 minutes left to go.

Eventually Kengo would submit Shinobu with an arm-focused Rings of Saturn, that if Shinobu's shoulder was actually banged up, might have actually ripped the tendon off the bone.

The Finish: Kengo and Madoka defeat Men's Teioh and Shinobu to retain (24:25)

The Review​

An absolute pleasure of a watch and a great tone-setter for this review thread that I am starting. This is MKM (My Kinda Match). Despite not knowing the players or the story (aside from the non-translated video package), I was hook-line-and sinkered into the action here. Just reiterating the point from earlier, it was a masterclass in a babyface working from underneath while the heel team cut off the ring and attacked with precision.

In which to my next point, the wrong team won.... The only real sullied thing I can say about this match is that it absolutely should've culminated in Shinobu picking up the win for him and his senpai. Shinobu hit a gorgeous shooting star press that I was praying would be the pinfall victory for the duo, but unfortunately Kengo came in to break things up.

Despite being far shorter, I really got the same feel of my first, and I guess only, watch of FTR vs. the Bang Bang Gang. Like it wasn't over the top with combo maneuvers or high spots. It simply utilized the tag match formula in a way that was just so crisp, efficient, and whatever other good adjective words you would want to add.

The Grade
A-
While it probably sounded as if I was getting ready to give this match the highest marks, I am setting a precedent as to what my grade scale is going to look like. An A- implies that it was above good (B range) and is right below your highest marks of A/S+. I'll probably do a breakdown of each letter and what it means, once I get a solid base down. A- here means light great. It was great, but lightly. There was certainly an extra gear this match could've taken and a level of violence that was hinted at, but not fully explored. I would've loved some more offensive action from the team of Teioh and Shinobu, especially since they ended up losing. That was my only true gripe of the match was that I felt like the formula worked perfectly for a flash pin win for Shinobu (much prefer a clean victory though). I'd assume this match was sent by @Chris, but it's kind of fun not being able to see who's sending these in. Shout outs to whoever sent this shit, I fucking dug it. Keep sending stuff like this and I will continue to be as positive as I have been in this .

Oh and one last thing

 

[Brett]

Match #2
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WWE Hell in a Cell 2012
Sheamus (c) vs. Big Show (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
10.28.2012
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

Believe it or not, Sheamus and Big Show are particularly high on my list of wrestlers I genuinely have always enjoyed from the Federation. Calling things underrated feels super contrived at times, but I think underutilized is the best way to put the Celtic Warrior. He is excellent in really any spot that you put him. Paired with a flyer, technical wizard, another bruiser, or hell even a giant and odds are you are going to get some good shit.

I think if Sheamus was laid off similar to Mcintyre and was able to reinvent himself as a true main eventer outside of WWF, then I think he would see similar heights to what Mcintyre is now relishing in. Isn't that sad to think about though. I mean I don't empathize with many fed shills, but to think guys like Sheamus have not been given a true main event run in over 10 years having stayed with the company through thick and thin and they get passed over by guys like Mcintyre, Punk and Cody Rhodes, who went out of the company to reinvent themselves. Talk about incentive to leave a place.

I probably had watched this match when it first took place as it was an era of wrestling I was watching everything and anything, but I do not remember it in the slightest bit. I love me some power battles. This match is being billed as weapon vs. weapon. The Brogue Kick vs. the WMD or K-O Punch.

The Match​

As I said this match's primary focus was on the two finishing moves of the combatants. I have always found it hilarious when a wrestler tries to get a simple strike over as a finisher. For Big Show it is really nothing more than a punch. Try to think of wrestling an entire wrestling match without being able to throw a punch. Like that genuinely seems incredibly hard to do, but a reality Show must live in as if he hits a rando punch than he buries his finish. So for some reason I hyperfocused on that aspect and watched what Show was doing as substitutes. He hit some headbutts and some well placed knee lifts, but you could almost tell that he was actively thinking of what to do next instead of going for some punches.

So I am going to be completely honest here. I watched this match last night and I really, really tried staying awake for it. All of my memories from this match are that of it being my paralysis demon where I continuously would wake up from that falling feeling to zoom back in to whatever the hell was happening in this match. Or should I just outright say what was not happening in this match. All joking aside, I did catch the majority of it despite my stupor and all-pun intended it was an absolute snooze fest. It kind of perfectly defines this era of WWF. Sanitized, boring, drab, easy, choreographed. Like there was just nothing to this match. There literally just weren't spots. Not to say matches should be littered in them, but it felt like that typical commercial break wrestling you unfortunately have to endure if you go to a live show. And this was a match for a World Heavyweight Championship. In the opening video package of this match, Sheamus took a fucking killer bump flipping over the ropes and smashing his head on the ground in a pretty fucked way. I don't need Sheamus to get concussed, but for fuck's sake add some sort of drama.

I thought the finish to the match was actually well done, but it literally was the only enjoyable part of this match and it was like 45 seconds long.

The Finish: Big Show defeats Sheamus with the WMD and wins the World Heavyweight Championship

The Review​

I really wanted to enjoy this match. I just don't even get the purpose here story-wise and wrestling-wise. Sheamus was pretty over at this point as the tough guy fighting Irishmen and he essentially got squashed here. He was bumping like crazy for Show, really only had a bit of offense and eventually had his fairly protected finisher kicked out of, then he lost seconds later. I am all for a Big Show title run, but not like this. Uninspiring. Boring. Bleh. Nothing. Cool finish though, the WMD counter to a charging Sheamus was pretty good. But yea just slop really.

The Grade
D​

Yea I don't know about this one. If it wasn't for a world championship and wasn't on a pay-per-view..... Yea I don't know, I think it would've sucked regardless of the expectations around it. It was not offensive though, which is why I give it a D. It is not rewatchable, but is watchable if that makes any sense. No need to go back to check this one out.

My guess for this one is @O-Blaze maybe ??

​

 

[Brett]

Match #3
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WWE SummerSlam 2025
John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (WWE Championship)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

​

 

[Brett]

Match #4
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Muga Dragon Soul Initiation
Shane Rigby vs. Katsushi Takemura
03.03.1998
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

I had genuinely no idea what I was getting into when seeing this in the request form. I have never heard of "Muga" and I had not heard of either Shane Rigby or Katsushi Takemura. Nonetheless, I was awfully pleased seeing 8:35 and what looked like two guys geared up for some catch-wrestling and I sure as shit was right about the latter point.

When it comes to the hybrid style of professional wrestling, I dig it when it's done well and I disdain it when it is done poorly. Well I guess that can basically apply to any form of media, but I think what I am more getting at is the margin for error is razor thin with catch wrestling. The most extreme example of it being done poorly is Wardlow vs. Jake Hager. The best example of it being done well is any of Nobuhiko Takada's MMA wins (niche zinger, hope someone gets it). All jokes aside, it is a style of wrestling that I think works; however it has never caught on with the mainstream and is certainly something not easily executed.

Anyone unfamiliar with this style of wrestling can be better informed by the more obvious examples of Josh Barnett's Bloodsport or the short-lived, but long-beloved (or hated) Raw Underground segments from Covid times.

The major problem with hybrid wrestling / catch wrestling is the unwillingness to lay shit in or the lack of technical ability to pull it off in a realistic way. If you are going to simulate an MMA fight / shoot grappling, you have to be able to do the real thing. Many do not have the facilities to do this, but it really looks like this will not be the case for these two lads in the ring in, you guessed it, Korakuen Hall.

The Match​

Imagine I just rambled on about catch wrestling and it turned out this was some like heavy lucha-infused puroresu. Nah, this is some straight simulated graps. From my research of this promotion, it is ran by New Japan stalwart Tatsumi Fujinami. Sort of as a side project from my estimation and also what would end up becoming Dradition, which I am familiar with.

On one side of the canvas we have Shane Rigby. Eleanor's son. He is a brit trained in catch wrestling and certainly looks the part of a European martial artist. And then we have Katsushi Takemura, kind of your every face Japanese young lion.

This catch match-up was great and definitely fed into my earlier points about technical prowess being essential to making stuff like this good. You can tell Takemura and Rigby are both experienced grapplers. There's only a handful of transitions and moments where I was a bit like eh..... but that was just being a little nitpicky as I am a big fan of grappling and MMA.

Rigby hits Takemura with a WICKED german suplex in the middle of the match that was executed in such a beautiful way. It also is clear to me that there was either a prior agreement to no-striking or there simply is no striking in this promotion. That doesn't really deter me at all in my enjoyment of this. If anything striking can lead to cracks in realism with a match like this. As I mentioned, if you ain't laying that shit in, don't fucking do it.

Rigby ends up getting the victory with a tight ass heel hook bringing the match to a close.

The Finish: Shane Rigby defeats Katsushi Takemura with a heel hook

The Review​

Shit was tight, shit was short, shit was clean. If you are into catch wrestling or have never seen it and want to try it out, I definitely would recommend it. It's not going to blow you away or wow you, but it's a good dead-center of the pack representation of what that style of wrestling can look like. Some nice throws, tight suplexes, and good leglock fighting. Pretty much all you can ask for from a couple of gents rolling around fake fighting. Well at least I think they were. And with that, the blurred lines of the realism is chef's kiss.

The Grade
C​

Solid showing out of these two men, and I really fucked with it. Again not going to blow your socks off, but did what it needed to do.


Zero guess for this one. There's some shit in here that I am stunned as to who's sending this. Reveal Yourselfs !

 

[Brett]

Match #5
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WWC @ San Juan
Bullrope Match: Carlos Colon (c) vs. Stan Hansen
01.06.1987
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

Somebody in the requests fucking loves Puerto Rican wrestling, so I shall oblige and dip my toes into some Carlos Colon. Carlos is not a known quantity for me. While I am aware of the history of him being the Antonio Inoki of San Juan, I have yet to actually watch a match of his and I thought it apropos to do so in a match against someone I truly love.

Stan Hansen is the peak of super heavyweight wrestling in my eyes. Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow get a lot of praise for their super heavyweight prowess during the 80s and 90s. Stan Hansen was a guy who never pretended to be something he is not. He is not pulling off feats of tremendous athleticism for a guy his size. He is an old western cowboy, who beats the ever living fuck out of you. The way people hold Haku/Meng with reverence in the lens of "this guy could beat anyone's ass" is how I feel towards Stan Hansen. Just an absolute motherfucker. The other thing I love about "The Lariat" is he knew his worth. He saw what would happen with Terry Gordy, Dr. Death, Vader, and Bam Bam over stateside and said nah fuck that, I am not laying down for any of the domestic shmucks, I'm going to just do my thing and be the best foreign wrestler elsewhere.

Bullrope match feels awfully fitting as Stan Hansen walks out to the ring slinging his bullrope around and chasing after any onlooker with it.

Off first glance, I can't tell if it is the camera angle or if the ring is just comically small. I don't know if bullrope rules means they must touch four corners to win the match, but we shall see. Let's see what your best has to offer Puerto Rico

The Match​

This match is very Memphis-coded. It's a bullrope match, so naturally it is a chaotic brawl. If you are looking for workrate and big move spots, you are not getting it from this one. In-fact there isn't a single "wrestling move" hit until the closing stretch of the match, but we will get to that. The majority of the match is fighting over the use of the cowbell that is attached at the middle of the bullrope. Each man would trade shots with the cowbell, which would signify gaining momentum.

As mentioned earlier, bullrope matches are won by touching all four corners (turnbuckles) without having your attempts interrupted. It adds a tremendous amount of drama and is certainly a different take on a wrestling match where you are looking to subdue your opponent while also attempting to drag them along to secure the corners. It is in the same vein of escaping the cage in a WWE cage match, but it is way less pussy.

The atmosphere is fucking unreal as expected as I know Carlos Colon is a god amongst these folks. It's just so funny because he's not an overly attractive man, he's not a muscular man, he's not a tall man, he doesn't even really have any oddball features that would make him stand out. He's legit just your everyman Puerto Rican father and hey I can't hate. I'd assume Carlos has a similar connection as did Dusty Rhodes with the Georgian/Floridian faithful.

There's blood. Lots of it. And a ton of emotion from these two warriors.

Carlos would end up doing the trope of following the dominant Hansen as Hansen was touching the corners, only for Carlos to surprise him at the last moment hit the first wrestling move of the match (a back body drop) flipping Hansen over and sealing the victory by tapping the final turnbuckle.

The Result: Carlos Colon defeats Stan Hansen by slapping the fourth turnbuckle

The Review​

This was alright. They did a lot with a little, which I found commendable. But that was a choice to do little. Literally the only wrestling move hit was the back body drop. I can understand the psychology behind this as the move then becomes so impactful and results in the win, but yea I don't know. I prefer my wrestling matches having wrestling moves in them. The overusage of the cowbell was also a bit bland to me. Hansen also didn't even try for the lariat either, which I was thinking would be a phenomenal drama point where Carlos could be dodging the Lariat as he went for the turnbuckles. Really it was just your typical Memphis brawl in a white hot Puerto Rican venue. Punches in bunches and that's really about it. The atmosphere elevated the hell out of it.

The Grade
C+​

It was a fun watch, but truthfully just not my cup of tea. Would've loved some powerbombs, backdrops, suplexes, and actual wrestling moves within this match. I know it was meant to be a brawl, but 16 minutes of fighting over a cowbell and worked punches is just not my speed. Who is the Carlos Colon simp ?

 

[Brett]

Match #6
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CWA @ Memphis
Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Terry Funk (No Disqualification)
03.23.1981
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

So yes, we are back in black with this thread. I haven't stopped watching wrestling, just took a break from writing for a bit (especially during Mafia / BOTS and over all life responsibilities creeping up). I've decided to go down the Dave Meltzer 5 star match rabbit hole to really prestige out this list. I will be going in chronological order. Ol Davey and I definitely do not have completely aligned views on wrestling; however I think he is pretty on-point more often than not with his ratings. It's mainly the matches he leaves off his list that I deviate from him. It is rare that I've watched a match ranked as a 5 star where I felt differently.

Call me a bit more liberal with ratings, but the fact there was only 9 matches rated 5 stars or higher between November 1999 and October 2012 is insane. That includes the tail end of the Attitude Era, the era with inarguably the best in-ring action out of WWE (2001-2004), Kurt Angle's Peak, Aj Styles' Peak, Samoa Joe Peak, Peak ROH, Peak TNA, Peak NOAH, Peak Dragon Gate. Like just as reference, there were 8 matches in the 2018 G1 Climax given 5 stars. Again that does not mean I don't fuck with Meltzer's ratings, I just think he took a break from wrestling and didn't really care to watch following the fatigue of the Monday Night Wars. Like me, Meltzer watched the pipebomb and got super into NJPW around 2012 /s.

Thank you for whoever stormed my request form and still to this day is entering match requests, but holy fucking shit, I love ya but please stop.

I have not watched a lot of Memphis Wrestling nor have I watched a ton of prime Jerry Lawler (no surprise with the connection there). Terry Funk I am more familiar with his late 80s/90s runs, so it's nice to see him after his NWA World Title run and in his physical prime.

The Match​

Try to name two better worked punchers in wrestling history, both in selling and delivering. You can not. This match wasn't your typical Memphis brawl. It was No DQ, but the majority of the match took place in the confines of the squared circle. I don't often times get on my old head cap and preach how simpler in pro wrestling is better. But there is a simplicity to the structure of a match that works and will forever work. That does not mean one has to only used worked punches and maybe one or two shoulder tackles and that's it. No of course not, we are way past that. But following the structure and implementing the nuances of modern wrestling can work very well. That's where I think people like Cornette get things wrong. It's not the spots / moves that can bury the product, it's the placement and structure. No surprise, CM Punk and MJF are two big exhibitors of this style of psychology in modern wrestling.

But to the actual match. Lawler working from underneath as the white hot baby face, Funk doing anything and everything to gain an edge as the outsider heel. Funk also has shit eating Jimmy Hart with him pouncing in as often as he can to break pins up and attack Lawler. Lawler has insane aura in his white tights. I will say this though.... it's very similar to the Colon vs. Hansen match I watched. I just wish there were more wrestling moves. I get this kind of goes against my simplicity diatribe from earlier, but like can we get ONE wrestling move. Outside of the spinning toe hold and diving fist drop there is no wrestling moves. Just worked punches, irish whips, chair shots. If Lawler hit Funk with a piledriver on the outside to end the match that would have been fuego. Also the finish stunk.

The Finish: Jerry Lawler defeats Terry Funk by count-out.

The Review​

This is a match that is certainly a product of it's time and in retrospect may not be everyone's cup of tea. I get that completely. I can picture how hype it would be to be in that building watching your guy (Lawler) punch the shit out of Funk. That's something that a VLC media player rewatch is simply not going to capture. But for me, it's better to be open and honest both with my own bias and addressing perspective. If you are reading these reviews, understand my perspective is strictly within the match I am seeing on my laptop. I am not in the building, I am not living in that region the match is taking place. I am not immersed in the wrestling culture that surrounds that particular match. I hardly even know the story going into the match besides any subtext given by commentary.

That's why I say these are match reviews. I try to watch things as black and white as I can. I go in with bias as addressed at the start of my reviews, but I try to leave the match with an open-minded perspective. Not grading individuals (oh Funk's one of my favs so he's gotta get an S here), but instead grading what I have seen. Almost as if you could black out the individuals and crowd noise and just capture the feeling that I feel within watching the match and what was done. I feel like too many reviewers / reviewing commenters get worked up about like "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RANK A TERRY FUNK MATCH LOWER THAN A MEN'S TEIOH MATCH?". And to that question, does Justin Verlander pitch a perfect game every game? Do athletes get outplayed by far inferior players? It's a law of averages thing, and not to mention, me grading a match is comparable to grading someone's three point game. Strictly one part of professional wrestling; however it is my FAVORITE part. You may see this as stupid. I see it as making my reviews as objective as possible.

The Grade
B​

Absolutely solid match. I much preferred it over the Colon vs. Hansen man that was of the same ilk. I completely bought the finish on the Spinning Toe Hold. Rarely do you see the top guy of the region take an L, but Jimmy Hart's interference and Funk's usage of the chair very much made me bite that could be enough to take down the hometown hero. I think much more could have been done in this heated brawl. Some piledrivers, some impact moves (clotheslines, slams, etc.), but hey it got the people hype and packed 7k in the Mid-South Coliseum. I started this review by saying "Dave rarely has a 5 star match that I don't agree with", yea nah this would not be a 5 star and get's a solid B from me.

 

[Brett]

Match #7
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NJPW Big Fight Series II - Day 19
Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid
04.21.1983
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

I think I watched this match forever ago, but of course in this new venture with this review thread, I'll be visiting all 5 and 5+ star matches from Dave Meltzer and Wrestling Observer. Safe-to-say though, I do not remember this match in the slightest bit. If you aren't familiar with these two wrestlers or their series of matches, well you have seen their moves plastered around modern wrestling. The collar and elbow tie-up routine was completely transformed by these two and practically every deviation / reversal that you see in todays wrestling, came from them.

Something I am realizing pulling up to this match is that these two had incredibly short primes / careers in general. Sayama, the original Tiger Mask, would retire in 1985 at age 28 and Dynamite Kid was relatively cooked by 1990 due to drug use, injuries, and everything in between. I'm sure this is documented, but it's interesting that the Dynamite Kid spirit has been one that has tremendously cursed ties to it. Benoit and Owen Hart being fairly close links to spiritual proteges to the Dynamite Kid, but even into the 2000s with Davey Richards and all the weird shit that eventually went down with him. There's something about the weird facial structure, strong tricep muscles, and the diving headbutt that fucks a dude up. Fortunately while it is certainly a tribute, I don't see the new Tommy Billington as a true spiritual predecessor, more of an homage.

Okay we got very off-topic, when you hear about wrestlers studying from tape-trading, you are almost always going to hear about this match being in the rotation. Let's get into this.

The Match​

I know I led with the idea of having seen this match, but I certainly do not remember a single thing as the match get's started. As I spoke on earlier, it is amazing what these dudes were pulling off at this stage in the game. There really wasn't much to "junior heavyweight" wrestling prior to these two men, at least from what I have seen. It may not stand out when compared to what we see today on any given Sunday, but you watch 15 matches from this year and then come back to watch this one and it's like seeing Giannis play in the 1960s. The innovation, the power, and the athleticism we're just unmatched for this time.

What I absolutely loved about this match was the storytelling within it. I am unaware if they we're already beefing / feuding prior to this match. As most of you may know, puroresu isn't shrouded in melodramatic feuding, yet watching this match it slowly delved into a very violent and dramatic showcase where you could see both men hated each other. The first act of the match was the competitive back and forth athletic competition you would expect from this two, but it was when Tiger Mask dove off the apron and hit a crossbody that knocked both men violently over the guard rail that turned the tide. This would result in a stoppage orchestrated by the ref as both men looked to be injured or just generally unable to continue.

Yet the two men sprung up after some time and both marched towards the ring either without being aware the match stopped or not giving a shit and wanting to scrap regardless if it were sanctioned or not. One wrinkle that I loved from this purgatory period of the match being suspended, is both wrestlers actually going for wrestling holds / pins while the match was still in limbo. They were blinded for the want to beat their opponent and just like any physical altercation they weren't processing what needed to happen. So we have 5 to 6 minutes of them just going back and forth while the ref incessantly tries stopping the two men. Even by pulling Kid's hair to get him off Tiger Mask.

Of course, we end up getting our match resume and now all of a sudden it's like a genuine death feud. This ref was INCREDIBLY lenient as Dynamite Kid would viciously attack Tiger Mask in the ropes and when he would try to break it up, Dynamite Kid would push, shove, and at one point headbutt the ref that the ref hilariously popped right back up from and completely no sold. At one point Dynamite Kid starts grabbing glass bottles from under the ring, breaking them and then trying to stab Tiger Mask. Again going back onto what I said earlier, this match does such a great match of manufacturing hatred throughout. Doesn't start off this way, but we end in a place where Kid is literally trying to kill both the ref and Tiger Mask. Kid turns into Abdullah the Butcher, which is just so funny to see.

However; we get another pretty shoddy finish. A tombstone piledriver to the outside as the count hits twenty ends this match in a double count out.

The Finish: Double Countout

The Review​

I left this match longing for more and that is what actually makes me grade this match so highly. If you are going to do a cheap or inconclusive finish, you at least have to sell the rematch. This did that in droves. I don't know exactly what the rest of their match series looks like, but I'd assume the athletic exhibition style this match started as, has now turned into quite the blood feud any time these men match up. One wrinkle I just loved in this match, was the way Tiger Mask flopped out of a tombstone attempt at one point. He landed flat on his back or on his chest and it was one of the more realistic escapes from a wrestling move I've seen. If you are turned over in a tombstone position, it shouldn't be automatic that the person holding you is going to let you change momentum and reverse the tombstone into one of your own. Nah if someone's got me like that, I'm flopping like a fuckin fish and getting out of there. Realistic counters are such an undersung touch to pro wrestling and I just love when I see it.

This match was great, but I wish I could've seen it change levels in a way that I'm sure came from the rematch or in eventual match-ups. Unfortunately as I mentioned earlier, both men (despite being fairly young at the time of this match) we're either out of the sport or cooked by the turn of the decade. This doesn't change the impact this match had on modern wrestling and junior matches in general. Without this blueprint, you don't have Benoit, Liger, Danielson, Owen Hart, Aj Styles, all guys who credited a lot of their work to these matches and these wrestlers.

The Grade
A​

I give it an A as any match that I feel is leaving stuff on the plate will not hit that S-tier for me. This match was very much akin to "The Two Towers" or "Empire Strikes Back" where they are good standalone, don't get me wrong, but their purpose was to set up something bigger. And it certainly achieved that goal, which is why I give it a resounding A. Fucking Dynamite Kid breaking bottles and wanting to kill Tiger Mask was so awesome.

 

[King Kong Booty]

Only 772 matches left

 

[Brett]

Match #8
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
UWF Year End Special - Day 10
Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kazuo Yamazaki
12.05.1984
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

Let's start this off hot. I think Nobuhiko Takada is a hoe. There's not a dude in pro-wrestling who tried to pay their way into appearing tough more than this dude. While there are plenty of instances where guys like Minoru Suzuki, Masakatsu Funaki, and others participated in worked shoots billed as real fights, no one did it more egregiously than Takada. Even in losses, there have been reports that fighters got bonuses for allowing the fight to go longer or working in more of a technical manner vs. violent manner to preserve Takada's image. I love shoot-fighting, I love worked shoots. When they're done well..... Takada may be more unathletic and look worse in an MMA ring than Phil Brooks.

Alright enough bad manners here, let's get into this.

The Match​

This match is your typical shoot-style wrestling match. I'd assume it was fairly ahead of it's time for showcasing different jiu-jitsu technique that may have been foreign to most audiences. Yamazaki is more of a slippery striker, whereas Nobuhiko Takada is well a pro wrestler ! Takada spams arm-bar attempts the first stretch of the match and really we just get some very average mat-wrestling.

The match starts to pick up the pace when Yamazaki starts throwing some heavy kicks to the legs of Takada. And then to everywhere else. What started as a fairly typical "roll-around" session transforms into more conventional wrestling maneuvers we are used to seeing. This presents a bit of an issue for me. If you are working this style, you have established with the audience that nothing is easy. Submissions don't come easy, takedowns don't, everything you typically see from a real grappling session, things just do not come easy. If you start to sell moves and introduce things like single leg Boston crabs, tombstones, back drops, etc. Well you have to at least sell exhaustion and appear dazed (a built in excuse as to why after vehemently evading an arm bar for 10 minutes you are now getting turned over for a Boston Crab). They didn't really do that in the match. Takada sold Yamazaki's strikes, but neither man appear exhausted or dazed in a way that could devolve the match to conventional pro-wrestling moves.

One hilarious moment is out of nowhere, Takada starts to bridge for truly no real reason. He's flat on the mat, but to break a pin he just has to lift his shoulder a bit. Like anyone would do in reality, Yamazaki punts the shit out of Takada's exposed liver and I straight geeked the fuck out.

Spoiler: Pic

I know I am being incredibly harsh and it might seem a little unhinged, but there is nothing I hate more in this world than posers. Pretending to be something you are not is just so fucking lame to me and it actively annoys me. Be yourself, be true to you, for that's all we really got in this world.

The finish comes fairly quickly as Yamazaki hits Takada with a smooth German suplex for the 1...2...3. Of course Takada immediately pops up as soon as the pin goes through and kicked out pretty close to 3 if not before. You think Takada is going to sell for you ? Even when he's a rook, nah bro. Dude's a fucking clown.

The Result: Kazuo Yamazaki defeats Nobuhiko Takada by pinfall with a German suplex.

The Review​

It may come as no surprise by my tone that I did not particularly care for it. I mean it just stunk. I reviewed a random shoot fight earlier in this thread that far exceeded this match. And sure it is absolutely a product of it's time, but if you are to be a 5 star match, you should be ahead of your time (see the literal last match review). Takada stinks, not much else to say. While he was a pioneer for the shoot-fighting movement, guys like Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Minoru Suzuki, Akira Shoji, Masakatsu Funaki, are guys who truly embodied what it meant to blend MMA with Pro-Wrestling. Takada is like the Subway of that category.

The Grade
D-​

This shit blew. Watch any Pancrase card and you'll get 7 matches better than it. I personally would rather watch something like Big Show vs Sheamus then this match, which is why it gets a D- from me.

 

[Brett]

Match #9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
AJPW Real World Tag League 1984 - Day 15
Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk
12.08.1984
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-Match Prejudice​

Just a few days following the Takada vs. Yamazaki match would be this epic showdown of four men who defined toughness within a squared circle throughout the 70s and 80s. I've already waxed poetic on Stan Hansen in a previous thread, so let me get on my Bruiser Brody shit. The definition of a monster heel. I think one of the most unsung skills to hone and perfect within wrestling is physical storytelling. Some of the best characters of this era did not even need to use a mic to garner interest or hatred, rather their aura alone dictated such emotion from the fans.

That is Bruiser Brody. A fucking mad-man with scars cutting up his forehead and a far-away look in his eyes only duplicated by the craziest of men walking this Earth. Watching him clear out sections of Japanese fans as he charges at them with a chain is so peak. You have to just see it for yourself.

Dory Funk, I have only ever seen him in matches where he is just uselessly old. I've also been so confused by the spinning toe hold as a finish as well. All I am saying is that there is one person that I am not the biggest fan of it's surely Dory. Do I feel like that will impede on this match. Hell nah, this is the fuckin' Funk Brothers vs. The Lariat and King Kong, this shit should rock.

The Match​

This match is part of the Real World Tag League, the preeminent tag tournament of Japan since God knows how long. This I believe was a semi-final match deep into the trenches of the round robin tournament. Hansen and Brody make the Funks look like junior heavyweights, always love a super heavyweight tag team.

Unsurprisingly this match was very brawl heavy. Unlike the matches I've criticized in this threads past, we actually have wrestling moves, which of course bumps this match up a notch than just your typical 1980s' brawl in my eyes. The Funks would work from underneath, Dory Funk being the victim of Brody and Hansen's aggression. Terry's punch-drunk boxing and selling is so fucking good in this match. The physical desperation that he exudes lunging into these two mountain of men was both endearing and sold the dangers of Brody and Hansen.

This match devolves into a wild brawl after the ref goes down. During this time, Brody and Hansen target Dory Funk Jr. and go to the extent of smashing the wickedly stubborn Japanese tables directly on the spine and hip of Funk. The match has yet to be thrown out, but Terry Funk will do his damndest to ensure it does. He is incensed at this perceived low-blow from the two giants and goes fucking bananas with Brody's chain in hand. He goes as far as to headbutt and punch the shit out of the ref to ensure a clear victor will not be crowned today. While Dory Funk is out for the count, Funk manages to successfully take the fight to Hansen and Brody with the chain being the great equalizer. However, as you can imagine, the match would be thrown out due to Funk's enraged actions.

The Result: Match Thrown Out due to Referee Beating

The Review​

By far my favorite of the couple of 80s brawls that I have watched in this review section. Great tag team psychology and had two made men putting over two budding gaijin superstars. Nonetheless it hit the second gear, but never reached that third gear. When it comes to grading a match, I am always going to be a bit partial against thrown out / DQ finishes. However, the aftermath of the DQ was fucking great. Sold the shit out of this match-up and made Terry look like a god damn superhero towards the end.

The Grade
B+​

Really wanted this match to hit a third gear here, but it just just missed out on that. Had Terry not directed his violence towards the ref I would've loved to see a genuine finish between these two teams, even if one side had to use weapons or dirty tactics to get the job done. Solid tag team brawl all around and I feel very confident giving it a B+ as it was certainly a step above the Funk / Lawler match in my eyes.

 

[Sky]

I personally would rather watch something like Big Show vs Sheamus then this match, which is why it gets a D- from me. ​

You're taking a shot here but Sheamus vs. Big Show at HiaC 2012 is a damn fine match