gordi

This is about as good as pro wrestling TV gets. Hot crowd, interesting character work, compelling story, a nice match that still leaves you wanting more... I know it would be impossible to book something this good week in and week out, but wouldn't it be nice if we could still get something along these lines once in a while?

I might be wrong, but I think this line of thinking is why this board was made Pro Wrestling *ONLY* What I mean is: When someone posts an opinion on politics or social issues that's opposed to my own, strongly held, opinions it's all too easy to respond by thinking "That person is an idiot/a jerk/etc. and ALL of their opinions on ALL subjects are therefore invalid." I do that, too. Like I said, it's all too easy. I'd prefer to be able to have spirited discussions about pro wrestling with as many people as possible. So, I'd frankly prefer not to know whose opinions on more sensitive subjects differ wildly from mine. There's a danger that it could take away from what I enjoy about these boards, which is: Discussing and learning about pro wrestling. It sure would be nice if everyone (regardless of which side you take) could keep from pushing buttons on sensitive subjects. There are a lot of other places to do so, if that's your bag.

Actually, there is a new promotion called Style Battle that launched late last year specializing in tournaments. All of their shows are what they call "Style Tournaments" It's on FloSlam I believe. That sounds crazy! It reminds me of the Chizza (pizza with a fried chicken base that KFC rolled ot her ein Japan in December), in that it's probably too much of a good thing. Speaking of which: New Japan Pro Wrestling is proud to announce the third-round match-ups for our International Festival of Tag Team Wrestling. The Quarter-Finals will take place on February 20th, in Sendai City. The Semi-finals and Finals will be held on the 25th and 27th in Tokyo. All match-ups will be contested in single elimination fashion. The winner of the Tournament will be crowned the first-ever IWGP Tag Team Champions. The Hart Foundation (WWF) vs The Cobras (NJPW) Aichi Blondes (NJPW) vs The Rock n Roll Express (Memphis) Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura (NJPW) vs Anoaro Atisanoe and Siva Afi (NJPW) The Freebirds (USWA) vs Canek and Dos Caras (NJPW) If you have any questions or comments about the Tag Festival, please contact NJPW Head Booker “Gordi” by telephone, by fax, by pm, or by replying to this thread.

There are also the Super J Cups, which El-P covers in marvelous detail here: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/35353-back-to-the-super-j-cups/

Not just how it was, but very much how a lot of Japanese Pro Wrestling still is: At least twice a year everything stops and they have a singles tournament or a tag tournament. NJPW has had a singles tournament since the 1970s: the World League from 19741977, the MSG League from 19781982 (at Madison Square Garden!), the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) League from 19831988, the World Cup Tournament in 1989, no tournament was held in 1990... and then the promotion established the G1 Climax tournament in 1991, which still runs today. The 2016 version of the G1 Climax tournament took place between July 18 and August 14 and Kenny Omega was the winner. NJPW ran annual Tag Leagues under various names from 1980 through 1987, and then the Super Grade Tag League from '91 through '98, the G1 Tag League from '99 through 2011, and the World Tag League from 2012 through present day. The 2016 edition of the World Tag League took place from November 18 through December 10 and was won by Makabe and Honma. AJPW has run The World's Strongest Tag Determination League AKA the Real World Tag League, since 1977, usually in December. The 2016 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League took place from December 3 through December 18, it was won by Takao Omori & Manabu Soya. AJPW has run The Champion Carnival annually since 1973. It is the longest-running singles tournament in professional wrestling. Daisuke Sekimoto won the 2016 version. AJPW has also run a Junior League on and off since 1983, A Junior Tag League on and off since 1984, and others. NJPW also runs The Best of the Super Juniors AKA BOSJ, usually in May or June. Will Ospreay won the 2016 version. They also run the New Japan Cup, Young Lions Cup, a Junior Tag Tournament, and more. NOAH also runs Heavyweight, Junior, Tag, and Junior Tag Tournaments. And it's not just the big companies. Even the smallest indies run tournaments over here. My beloved local indie, Osaka Pro, used to run the Tennozan singles tournament and Osaka Tag Festival, which my friends Zeus and Bodyguard won in 2013. My friend Asian Cooger's promotion, Dotonbori Pro, has held both the Doutonbori Saikyo (Strongest) Otoko (Man) Kettei-sen (Tournament) and the Doutonbori Tag King Kettei League-sen in recent years. So yeah, tournaments are a huge part of pro wrestling in Japan.

That Super Card is shaping up nicely. If you add Hansen and Abby to that mix... Yikes!

Lutte Int. is really giving those smaller Ontario towns some great matches. They must love you out there.

Andre breaking the cuffs was a real mark-out moment for me. Hogan vs. Piper for the title is a great WrestleMania Main Event.

Wow! Bad News as Southern Champ! He should be able to draw a lot of heat in the Midwest, calling the fans "Beer-belly share-croppers."

The Hart Foundation (WWF) vs Shiro Koshinaka and Kantaro Hoshino (NJPW) In contrast to their almost playful series of matches with Tony Arce and Vulcano in the first round, Koshinaka and Hoshino worked a very intense and focused style against their much larger opponents in the second round. They used their speed and quickness to frustrate The Hart Foundation early in the first match, but eventually Bret managed to catch Hoshino and isolate him in the heel corner. Hoshino took a terrible beating before a Hart Attack put him down for the count. In the second match, The Hart Foundation went after Hoshino right away, but this time he was able to make the hot tag to Koshinaka, who put on a great fired-up performance. A Power Bomb into a Prawn Hold on Neidhart finished things cleanly, in the middle of the ring. Best Bout 1: The Japanese team appeared to be very well prepared for their opponents' tricks in the third and deciding match of their series. Again and again, Hoshino and Koshinaka were able to avoid or counter Hart and Neidhart's attacks. This led to a frustrated Bret crashing full speed chest-first into the turnbuckle, after a failed attempt at a double-team manoeuvre. Alone in the ring with Neidhart, Koshinaka fired up the crowd by winning a slugfest with the larger man. For the next three minutes, Kosh and Hosh used quick tags and teamwork to keep Neidhart off-balance. Once again, Koshinaka nailed Neidhart with a Power Bomb, but a freshly-recovered Bret flew into the ring and broke up the pin attempt. After that, the Harts kept the referee distracted as they punched, choked and bit Koshinaka, and knocked Hoshino off of the ring apron. With Koshinaka worn down and Hoshino unable to make the save, a Hart Attack was all it took to put an end to things. Aichi Blondes (NJPW) vs The Sheepherders (Lutte Int.) Unsurprisingly, these two teams just straight-up brawled through all three of their matches. Ueda and Goto had the size advantage and played a little dirtier, but the Sheepherders had more experience working together as a team. Their first match ended in a DCOR and their second in a DDQ, so as usual the third match would be the deciding one. Best Bout 2: Aichi Blondes put on a clinic in Dirty Fighting. They stalled and stooged and avoided locking up or even getting in the ring as long as possible, frustrating the Sheepherders to the point where it was easy to trick them into making mistakes. For the most part, Goto was tasked with keeping the referee distracted while Ueda attacked Luke and Butch with foreign objects, choked them out, bit them, and rammed their heads into the ring posts and guard rails. Eventually, both Sheepherders were busted open and furiously angry. They managed to catch Goto in their corner and put a nasty beating on him, but Ueda broke up the pin attempt. Then they finally managed to wrestler the foreign object out of Ueda's grasp, but as they went to work on Uedas forehead the ref saw what they were doing and threatened to disqualify them. As the angry Sheepherders argued with the ref, Ueda tagged in a rested and ready Tatsutoshi Goto, who nailed Butch with a High Angle Belly to Back Suplex while Ueda tossed Luke from the ring... and three counts later Aichi Blondes were on their way to the quarter finals. Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura (NJPW) vs The Bruise Brothers (USWA) An interesting match-up of technical wrestling vs punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Fujinami and Kimura just poured on the pressure, going full speed after Porkchop Cash and Dream Machine from the opening bell. Their aggression actually cost them the first match, as Kimura got frustrated with Dream Machine's interference and chased him outside, only to get tossed over the barricade into the crowd, where he was counted out. In the second match, though, the Japanese team simply overwhelmed the Americans, and Kimura got his revenge by finishing Dream Machine with a nasty-looking Piledriver. Best Bout 3: Angry after losing badly in the second match, The Bruise Brothers came out hot in the third bout. For several minutes, they forced Fujinami and Kimura out of their game plan and turned the match into a slug-fest. After barely beating the 20-count back into the ring, however, the Japanese wrestlers turned things around by focusing on attacking their opponents' limbs. Once the brawl morphed back into a wrestling match, momentum switched over to Fujinami and Kimura's side. Eventually, they isolated Porkchop Cash and worked over his legs until Fujinami was able to put him away with a Figure Four Leg Lock. The Rock n Roll Express (Memphis) vs The Killer Bees (WWF) In stark contrast to the previous match-ups, these teams worked a clean and athletic style. There was a real joy in watching them chain moves and sequences together, and there were plenty of smiles and high fives in the ring. All four men bumped and sold like crazy and they managed to keep the crowds involved with frequent appeals for applause, and by playing for sympathy while fighting from underneath. This was about as good, and as entertaining, as face vs face tag team wrestling gets. The Express won the first match with a Double Drop Kick on Blair, and the Bees won the second with a Double Hip Attack on Gibson. Best Bout 4: Before the match started, the Killer Bees gave their ring jackets to Morton and Gibson, and received t-shirts and bandanas in return. The match started out with a much-extended rope-running sequence, with drop-downs and leap-frogs galore. Attempts at Hip-Locks, Arm-Drags, and Drop-Kicks were all avoided or countered. Tags were quick and frequent. The first near-fall came when Blair got isolated in the Rock n Rolls corner. Morton and Gibson worked over his leg and eventually Gibson applied a spinning toe hold in the middle of the ring. Blair kicked Gibson off and Brunzell nailed a big elbow as Gibson fell into the Bees' corner. Gibson stumbled backward and Blair rolled him up but only got a 2.99. Tags were made and the rope-running was resumed. Morton whipped Brunzell into the ropes and ducked down for a Backdrop. Jumping Jim leaped high into the air and turned the Backdrop attempt into a Sunset Flip. As Morton was falling over, he managed to make a tag to Gibson, which the referee saw. The pin attempt was broken up, and as Brunzell got to his feet Robert came off the ropes with a Missile Dropkick and finished things off with a pin. The Cobras (NJPW) vs The Windhams (MACW) Brothers vs. brothers, so lots of great team-work in these matches. The Windhams dominated the first match, finishing George Takano off with a Superplex from Barry followed up by a bulldog from Kendall. In the second match, Kendall went for the Superplex early on, but George pushed him off the top turnbuckle, nailed a Top Rope Senton, and made the pin as Shunji kept Barry from breaking it up. Best Bout 5: Both teams came out swinging and the match twice turned into a brawl that spilled out of the ring. The second time, Kendall was whipped hard into the ring barrier and laid out with a Piledriver on the ringside floor. Barry was left to fend for himself against both Cobras and he held his own for a few minutes with powerful Uppercuts and Slams. He had each Takano brother slumped in an opposite corner, and was running back and forth delivering Forearms and Elbows. However, he went to the well once too often. As he rushed at George to clobber him with a Corner Lariat, The Cobra ducked out of the way and Barry ran out of control into the corner. He slammed his head on the ring post, and one Roll Up and one handful of tights later the Cobras were on their way to the quarter finals. The Freebirds (USWA) vs Double Daves (NJPW) A match-up of technique vs guile. The British team did best when they were able to keep their tempers and stick to wrestling. The Americans fared better when they were able to drag things out of control. The Birds lost the first bout after a malfunction-at-the-junction spot, which led to an argument between Hayes and Garvin, but they managed to pull things back together for their second match and take the win with a Bombs Away Brainbuster on David Taylor. Best Bout 6: The Double Daves kept control of the match for almost ten minutes by sticking to a solid game plan. They tagged in and out frequently, kept their opponents isolated, and worked over their arms. However, every time the Freebirds had the slightest opportunity they preened and strutted around the ring. This clearly frustrated Dave Taylor and eventually it led to him making a fatal mistake. He chased a strutting Garvin outside the ring, only to be ambushed by a waiting Hayes. Taylor took a Bulldog on the floor and barely managed to make his way back into the ring before being counted out. On the ring apron, Garvin motioned for Hayes to tag him in so he could finish Taylor off. Instead, Hayes picked Taylor up, nailed a DDT, and ordered Garvin to watch out for Morgan. Gorgeous Jimmy stopped the veteran Brit from breaking up the pinfall, but he didn't seem all that happy about it. Anoaro Atisanoe and Siva Afi (NJPW) vs The Islanders (WWF) In contrast to the Rock n Rolls and the Killer Bees, these guys showed their mutual respect by just laying into each other without mercy. This was probably the stiffest and the hardest-fought series of the second round. In the first match, Atisanoe caught Haku with a Samoan Drop and Siva Afi finished him off with a High Flying Splash. In the second match, The Islanders got their revenge with a Double Diving Head-butt on Afi. Best Bout 7: This was just a festival of stiffness. For over ten minutes all four men just threw Chops, Forearms and Head-butts with 100 per cent intensity. Afi, the youngest and smallest of the competitors, took by far the worst of it. He was being brutally double-teamed in the Islanders corner when Atisanoe barreled across the ring and took Haku out through the ring ropes. Afi quickly climbed to the top and launched himself onto Haku on the outside. Soon, all four men were brawling at ringside. As the referees count neared 20, Atisanoe picked up his partner and threw him back into the ring, over the top rope. When the count reached 20, the New Japan team were declared the winners by count out. As they were celebrating in the ring, The Islanders approached them... and lifted Afi up onto their shoulders, parading him around the ring in a show of respect for the younger man. The Can-Am Express (AWA) vs Canek and Dos Caras (NJPW) This was a very entertaining match-up, as all four men seemed quite willing to sell and bounce around the ring. As a result, all of the big moves looked genuinely impressive. The first two matches went the full fifteen minutes, without any decision being reached. Best Bout 8: The final match is joined in progress, with three minutes remaining: The Can-Ams were clearly in control and throwing everything they had at Canek and Dos Caras. The Lucha Libre Legends, however, proved too resilient and just refused to stay down for a three-count. As the bell rang to signal that time had once again run out, Antonio Inoki made his way to ring-side. He explained to the crowd that due to the tournament there had to be a winner, and the match was re-started. Zenk, clearly exhausted, tagged in Lafon who was immediately slammed to the mat by Canek and then chopped repeatedly by Caras. Canek, tagged back in, lifted the Canadian up in a Gorilla Press and smashed him into the mat. Lafon managed to kick out before the three count, but the wind was knocked out of him and he had no choice but to tag Zenk back in. The Minnesota native's gas tank was empty, however, and he got tossed around by Canek before Dos Caras was got a tag and finished Zenk off with a Sit-out Powerbomb. All four men collapsed in the center of the ring and were tended to by the dojo boys as the crowd showed their appreciation.

Undercard could be Don Muraco vs. Mr. Socko

I found a pretty good real-life one: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzgmh1_07-suwama-vs-ryota-hama-ajpw-04-24-13_sport

Mile Zrno vs Disco Inferno might be the best one yet!

I like how you give your fans a complete Roadies match on TV with post-match brawl and everything. I can remember the real-world mid-80s AWA TV shows teasing a Road Warriors match all show long, then at the end of the show you'd get to hear the very beginning of "Iron Man" and see them starting to run to the ring, then it would be "Sorry, fans! That's all the time we have this week. See you next week right here..."

Nice ones!

In a PWO2K thread discussing Takayama vs Akiyama, Loss posed the intriguing question: Is there a better match where the participants have rhyming names? After thinking about it for at least 20 minutes, I think I came up with a reasonable suggestion, but since then the idea has been rattling around in my brain non-stop. Did this one ever happen? ...because it could be right up there: Jack Brisco vs Larry Zbyszko Dick Togo vs Mr. Pogo I think the following might have happened at some point, but probably would not have been as good as Akiyama vs Takayama (or Jushin Liger vs Black Tiger): Porkchop Cash vs Kevin Nash Black Bart vs Bret Hart I think the following certainly never happened, but I'd like to see them: Asian Cooger & Freddy Krueger* vs Lex Luger and Bastion Booger *(Doug Gilbert's IWA Japan persona) Daniel Bryan vs Raja Lion Koko Ware & B. Brian Blair vs The Nature Boy Ric Flair & Terrible Ted the Wrestling Bear El Felino vs Sammartino The Garvins* vs The Marvins** *(Rugged Ron and Gorgeous Jimmy) **(Ricky and Rocky) Sangre Chicana vs Colt Cabana vs Tito* Santana *(or Ricky) These were the worst ones I came up with: Fabulous Moolah vs The Butcher, Abdullah Aja Kong vs Theodore R. Long What have you got?

It's almost like you've never seen an episode of WCW Saturday Night after the Nitro era began. That was pretty standard commentary for those shows, although it was always more fun with it was Tony & Dusty doing it than anyone else Yeah, I was living and working in post-communist Central Europe for most of the early 2000s, so I really haven't seen much of this stuff before. If this was the standard of that time... yikes... Hats off to Loss and Soup for presumably sitting through hours of this in order to pull out the occasional interesting tidbit for us to watch and discuss.

This may sound insane, but I am actually Quite tired of watching consensus ***** matches. This is particularly the case with recent many-snowflake bouts, as I am growing sick to death with what El-P calls "Self Concious Epic" match structure and in-ring work. I hated, hated, hated the man event of New Japan's recent Dome Show. It just felt like those guys were - very self-consciously - trying to earn a high ranking, whatever it took, rather than organically expressing themselves/telling the right story in the ring. I think of it as "HHH Syndrome" based on my (possibly false) impression that HHH was always trying to show everyone that he was "As Good As Flair" rather than just being HHH. The stuff I have enjoyed the most, by far, in the PWO2K project has been the stuff where guys (and ladies) have seemed content to go in there and work a good match in their particular style. The stuff that has bored or frustrated me has been the stuff where they seem to be trying to inflate things to Epic status. So, in a way, and particularly when it comes to matches wrestled after, say, 1995, a ***** rating is a useful red flag for me, letting me know that I probably will end up frustrated by the match in question. Three and a half stars matches often sound way more inviting to me, recently.

I also don't watch a whole lot of current WWE, but it really stood out to me watching the Elimination Chamber match: Dudes would get chucked through unbreakable bullet-proof space age plastic walls (or whatever), guys woul plummet from great heights to the floor far below, guys would get hurled bodily into hundreds of miles of chain link and their bodies would be shattered (or whatever)... but nobody got pinned due directly to any of that insane nonsense. They would have to get hit with a Sister Abegail or an Attitude Adjustment or an End of Days first. THEN they could get pinned. So... Has WWE started structuring things this way, too, in general?

It's my biggest problem with current New Japan. I don't really watch enough of it to be sure, but based on what I have seen recently: It seems like, no matter what insane nonsense happens in the body of a given match, they *ALWAYS* have to end things with guys struggling over hitting their finisher and *NOTHING* other than a finisher can ever lead to a clean pin. It seems messed up to structure so many matches that way, as it makes things weirdly predicable.

Using The Machines to torment The Brain, I love it!

Black Tiger vs. Jushin Liger?

Also *really* close. I guess you've got good booking instincts, too. Just like SerEdger.

That is *really* close!