Superstar Sleeze

Terry Funk & Mike Awesome vs Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka - FMW 9/24/96 A very good ECW tag garbage brawl that more suplexes and athleticism than a typical Public Enemy match. Awesome/Tanaka work their standard opening. Awesome's dives are amazing. Hayabusa is fine here. He has a cool outfit but he feels like a sanitized Sabu and he lacks that right hand that made Sabu awesome. Sabu just feels more violent. Funk needs to get in the Spinning Toehold of course. I liked the table spots. They really whacked each other with the table. Awesome came off the top hard with the table. It is amazing Tanaka still has a functioning brain after all these years of taking exposed shots to the head. Hayabusa gets control of the table smashes Awesome in the head. Tanaka's fighting spirit. Hayabusa gets his standard offense in. Funk throws a chair at him knocking him off the top rope. Awesome then just chucks humans around and it is well awesome. The finish is awesome: it is Top Rope Powerbomb from Awesome on Tanaka and it is just badass. It is the style of match that Awesome and Tanaka excel in and Hayabusa is fine. I didnt think Funk added much at all. ***1/2

FMW Double Champion Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka - FMW 9/28/97 The semi-main event for the big Kawasaki Stadium show headlined by Onita vs Kanemura. Awesome vs Tanaka is one of those feuds that just links these two together throughout history. You can totally see why Paul E made sure to get both of these guys in ECW sooner rather than later. This match is tailored made for ECW and is a step above the average ECW match. It is too bad no one ever taught Awesome psychology and gave him a push. He had all the raw talents. Seeing him with face pain here as The Gladiator, I am thinking a Road Warriors like tag team called The Gladiators in the late 90s with a strong heel manager could have been great in WWF. The Hardyz vs Awesome & Another Beefy Dude (maybe Bradshaw) would have crushed. Anyways enough fantasy booking if you have seen one Awesome vs Tanaka match you have pretty much seen them all. There is all the fixins: Tanaka getting brained, horse collared by chairs, table obliterated over his head, HUGE dives, Powerbombs galore, Tanaka's fighting spirit and roaring elbow. I like how economical they are. There is no bullshit. It is just we are going to just kick ass and hit all our highspots. I really liked the Awesome sitout powerbomb from the apron through the tables. The spot that puts this over their ECW matches is Masato Tanaka avoids being hurled over the top rope onto a table set up on the floor and instead he picks up the HUGE Mike Awesome and javelin throws him over the top rope onto the table on the floor! That was insane! It is an Awesome vs Tanaka spotfest. Dont think just enjoy it because they are highly enjoyable matches. ****

Vader vs Ken Shamrock - FMW 9/28/97 Steel Cage No Ropes UFC Rules What the fuck? Why are Vader & Shamrock wrestling in FMW in the middle of 1997? This is at FMW big Kawaski Stadium show that apparently drew 50k. Vader vs Shamrock have a great match at Cold Day In Hell, this match is a shade below, but I do recommend it for the novelty. It is amazing how Vader works so well in a shoot-style context. Shamrock has injured ribs which was very en vogue in 1997. Vader is controlling the center of the ring but is tentative. Shammy is equally cautious wary of Vader's size. Vader goes after the ribs to get the first knock down. Shamrock comes roaring back with punches to the face. Shamrock goes for submissions. Vader is second to only Flair in verbal selling. His howling during that kneebar is great. They treat the steel cage like ropes which kinda defeats the purpose. Shamrock bodyslams Vader at one point and Vader ditches the mask. He has a nice mouse forming under his eye and Shamrock is blasting him. Vader is giving as good as he got as Shamrock's face does not look that great. Vader back to the ribs and massive powerbomb! Shamrock back up and Vader hits the World's Strongest Slam to trigger internal bleeding and the TKO victory! WOw! I am shocked I figured Shamrock would go over with his shoot fight credentials. Great big match feel. ***1/2

Yuki Ishikawa & Takeshi Ono vs Daisuke Ikeda & Katsumi Usuda - BattlArts 1/21/97 How are the teams decided in BattlArts? In October, Ono and Ishikawa were on separate teams. Is the only rule that Ishikawa & Ikeda must be opposing sides? This is another Jetlag recommendation nominated in the Greatest Match Every project. Anytime, Ishikawa and Ikeda hook it up it is going to be good. I thought these were some of the best Ikeda kicks I have ever seen. They really played up the striker vs wrestler matchup in the first half of the match. Each of the heavy hitters had to save their junior partner in the opening exchange then they both came in and Ikeda LIT Ishikawa up, but Ishikawa always had the counterpuncher's chance and was able to lock in a deep kneebar. This enabled him to tag out to Ono with the advantage. Ono continued to work the leg, but Usuda saved him with a kick to Ono's back. I thought the Usuda/Ono stuff has been technically good, but is a step down in electricity from Ikeda and Ishikawa. Ono should have tagged out a couple times, but he waits to get the advantage to tag out. Usuda does a great job using his kicks to position Ishikawa into his team's corner and Ikeda & Usuda double team Ishikawa with ferocious kicks. Usuda wisely tags out. Ikeda is just rifling Ishikawa. They are right to the head and he gets a knockdown triggering the count. Ikeda tags out to Usuda, big mistake. He took his foot off the gas pedal. Ishikawa explodes with a backdrop driver and Usuda is OUT! He is easy pickins' for Ono who kicks him in the face for the knockdown. Usuda is able to get to Ikeda to tag him in. Remember how they were working on Ikeda's leg well that turns out to be a big deal. Ono escapes and as Ikeda is getting to his feet, Ono rifles him with a kick and it is ON! Ishikawa tries desperately to submit Ikeda with a variety of toeholds and legbars. A combination of Usuda & the ropes are the only things that saved Ikeda. Ono tries to KO Ikeda, but in the process does not keep himself between Ikeda and the corner. Bad tag wrestling. Ikeda tags out. Ishikawa comes in. I was wondering what the strategy would be. Ishikawa is going with the dump Usuda on his head strategy and then goes for the Fujiwara armbar, but Usuda is game on the mat and traps Ishikawa in a cross armbreaker, Ono quickly saves, but the damage has been done. Usuda's strategy is to go after Ishikawa's arm, but Ishikawa is guarding well. Usuda wrangles a rear naked choke, but Ishikawa makes the ropes. Ishikawa goes for the leg and gets a single leg crab. Ikeda smokes him in the face! Ono comes flying in with a superman knee and that blasts Ikeda in the face. Ishikawa locks in a kneebar, but Usuda desperately makes the ropes. Ishikawa smartly tags out to the fresh Ono who summarily knocks Usuda down with a kick to the face to trigger the count. Octopus Stretch by Ono...Ikeda cracks him in the back of the head. First wild swing by Ikeda misses, BEAR PAW SWIPE STRIKES ONO DOWN! Usuda hits a spinning back chop to Ono's neck and applies a rear naked choke. Why the fuck did Ishikawa just stand on the apron? Usuda taps Ono. BatBat tag matches are definitely one of my favorite genres of matches. They do a brilliant job integrating shoot-style and All Japan tag structure into a beautiful hybrid. I thought this was on the level of the October 96 tag and I would say I would like this a shade more just because I thought the psychology was a bit more pronounced Ikeda really going for the KO, they worked over Ikeda's leg creating a ton of drama, the Ishikawa/Usuda segment was some really tense grappling. Didnt love the finish, I didnt feel like it fit with the wildness of the match, but it was definitive. Another BatBat tag match that everyone should check out. ****1/2

I fucking loved this and cant believe people thought Tenryu was off his game, this is A-Grade Tenryu insanity! Thank you Jetlag for nominating this because I wouldnt have watched in a million years if you didnt nominate. Genichiro Tenryu vs Nobutaka Araya - WAR 1/14/98 J-1 Heavyweight Championship With WAR on death's doorstep, Tenryu says lets make a Heavyweight Championship. I have seen one other Araya match from All Japan in like 2002. He is a chubba wubba. CHAOS! MAYHEM! PANDEMONIUM! I LOVED THIS! Tenryu is picking out shards of the broken Singapore Cane from his arm! THIS IS WAR! This is a fucking street fight. Tenryu just comes out balls to the wall, I am going to decapitate you muthafucka and I am going to hurl my body as a weapon. He just beat the shit out of him. Then when Araya tries to powder, he becomes an Araya-seeking missile of destruction. I love the wipe out of the chairs spots so, so much. No matter who does that is always over with me. Tenryu climbs up on a raised part of the arena and just wipes Araya out. Tenryu has a chair and he is not afraid to use it. He tries to come off the top with it and Araya dropkicks it in his fucking face! Tenryu is bleeding. Araya just moonsaults him. None of this bullshit let me take a fucking minute to make sure Im in position to catch you bullshit, Araya just fucking moonsaults him. Then Araya gets a hold of the Singapore Cane that Tenryu brought. HE FUCKING WAILS ON TENRYU! I am mean WAILS ON HIM! Then he breaks the Cane over the post and WHACKS Tenryu with is and Tenryu is left picking out splinters as his arm is just bleeding. So how the hell can they top this? Well what else do I love...CHAIR THROWS! Tenryu mounts his comeback by throwing a chair at Araya when he is on the top rope about to do a moonsault to the floor! Tenryu just brains him with the chair. TENRYU DOES A SOMERSAULT SENTON FROM THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR! MARK OUT CITY! Back in the ring, there is kick that Tenryu does to Araya's face this is just digusting. As soon as he did I audibly said "Fuck!" Araya was bleeding from pretty much every part of his face. Then they kind of did a Choshu/Hashimoto finish mixed with a little All Japan. They were powerbombing each other and then no selling back drop drivers. Then it was just LARIAOTO CITY! They went full Chishu/Hashimoto and Tenryu hit big, meaty lariats. The final Lariat was a MONSTER TRUCK LARIAT! HE FUCKING SMOKED HIS ASS! Hate, violence and chaos! They beat the ever living shit out of each other. It never let up they just kept coming at each other. I cant believe people were giving this **...this is one of the best brawls ever! THIS WAS WAR! ****1/2

Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - RINGS 5/22/99 RINGS would go full shoot by the end of the year and this is one of the last great worked matches. It is funny if you watch enough RINGS you can actually call the spots beforehand. For instance, on the first rope break by Yamamoto I knew they were going to do the stand up portion next. This follows the usual formula of the wrestler who goes down early wins the match outright at the end. I agree that this is not quite as good as their '97 classic, but thought this was a fantastic Kohsaka performance. Was it just me or was Yamamoto kind of out of it at times. I couldnt tell if he was selling or selling the idea he was being overwhelmed or was just lost. At one point, he just gave up on the ground game and stood up, then as Kohsaka was standing threw a kick. When I first got into RINGS, I thought Yamamoto was better, but now I am second guessing myself as Kohsaka has really given some brilliant performances. I thought the opening matwork was great. Yamamoto is cat-like quick in trying to re-position himself, Kohsaka was great at not getting lost in the blur. He was letting Yamamoto do his thing, blocking and then at the right moment grabbing an ankle and cinching in an anklelock. On the second scrap, he forces the rope break. Yamamoto wants to turns this into a stand up fight after getting bested on the mat. He eventually overwhelms Koshaka sending him down for the count. Kohsaka roars back trapping Yamamoto in the corner and knocks him silly on his feet. Amazing selling by Yamamoto here as he is bouncing off the turnbuckles and the ropes just to stand up right as the ref is counting and then clenches his fists to let the ref know he is ready to return to action. They return to the ground and every action drips with struggle. It is at this point Yamamoto just gives up and stands up and throws a kick like a dick when Kohsaka is returning to his feet. I think Yamamoto is selling haveing his bell rung. Yamamoto catches Kohsaka good with a slap. Good crack. Kohsaka takes him down with a front facelock. Watch Kohsaka's right knee how he uses to create distance between him Yamamoto at all times even as Yamamoto is doing all his quick spins. Kohsaka feels like the ultimate counterwrestler. Yamamoto tries 8 millions ways to try to reposition himself and keeps finding himself in holds such as a triangle choke that forces a rope break. Yamamoto cant crack the code on the mat. Kohsaka rifles him with a kick in the midsection and then a flying knee! Holy shit! Yamamoto Hulks Up! He starts throwing slaps! RINGS is a great standup promotion! This is a fight! Kohsaka throws a knee in the clinch and goes for a flying cross armbreaker, but Yamamoto pancakes him on his head. Nice block by Yamamoto! Yamamoto is just riding him and Kohsaka is breathing heavy but Yamamoto cant do anything and another Kohsaka flash hold with a heel hook forces rope break. On points, Kohsaka is killing him on the mat. It is even on stand up. Yamamoto traps him in the corner and KOs him with a relentless flurry of strikes. Kohsaka was the ultimate counterwrestling genius. Yamamoto is a whole lot of show on the mat, but it was Kohsaka who was the go. Yamamoto was trying to reposition himself but reposition himself into another hold. The stand up was exhilarating and very even. I didnt think the KO was that convincing and didnt feel like Yamamoto earned the victory. I did think up until the finish that this was an incredible defensive wrestling performance coupled with amazing stand up making this one of the best RINGS matches I have seen. ****1/2

Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto - RINGS 9/21/98 In my opinion, the two most fluid pro wrestlers in history going on the match was just a joy to watch. Honestly not much progressed in the first ten minutes, but the lightning-quickness and the wizardy make up for the lack of plot development. In a way it was like watching a shoot-style spotfest. They were more Wowing you than advancing something. That all changed around the ten minute mark when Yamamoto came out swinging and knocked Tamura down. Yamamoto does his favorite celebration with the big windup after the knockdown. That lit a fire under Tamura's ass, but he was too overzealous and Yamamoto came catching him in deep toeholds and forcing rope breaks. Tamura sells these really well and you feel that they could be legitimate finishes. This is following the typical RINGS formula of the winner of the match falling behind in a hole. Yamamoto is up 5-0 and is pouring it on but finally Tamura catches Yamamoto with a kneelift and he does the double bicep flex. Ok, so I am changing my narrative on RINGS, it can be an excellent standup promotion. Tamura comes out with a kneebar forcing the rope break. It is now 5-3. Yamamoto seems unsure of himself on this stand up and Tamura is very pugnacious and offensive-minded. He takes Yamamoto down, but cant get the cross armbreaker or the triangle. Yamamoto counters into a kneebar and there is some laying there. I did think there was more laying there than typical and some holds felt given up on. Like Yamamoto gave up on his hold and Tamura took his turn. Yamamoto gets a choke and Tamura gets a toe on the ropes. On the next stand up, Tamura is RELENTLESS and a jumping high knee scores a knockdown. It is 6-5 Yamamoto is up by one. Yamamoto throws a bunch of hand strikes and one that catches Tamura in the breadbasket knocks him down. If Tamura is knocked down again then the match is over. Again another tedious mat exchange and honestly I am gobsmacked. I was expecting unparalleled mat wizardy the likes of the Yamamoto/Koshaka '97 classic, but left wanting a lot more. There was a lot of lying on one another. Back to stand up and it is rocking! Tamura Blitz! Yamamoto comeback! Tamura's kneebar totally got me as I thought for sure that was the finish but just a rope break. Tamura fucking KOs Yamamoto with a crack to the head and then applies the guillotine choke, but it is academic he was already knocked out. Typical RINGS formula, winner falls behind and then digs himself out. Totally unexpected match, I thought I was going to see the best mat-based match ever, but this was really great stand up and highly dramatic. I thought the front half matwork was very showy, but lacked substance and then second half was actually a chore, but the stand up and overall story more than made up for it. Great finish too! ****1/4

Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Mikhail Ilioukhine - RINGS 1/21/98 Mega-Battle Tournament Final A lot of people liked that Kohsaka vs Ilioukhine match but I thought it was just very good and again I feel like I am step below most other people on this match. There is something about Misha that does nothing for me. He is a stocky, powerful brute and he does not have much charm. He is actually able to impose his will on Tamura early and often. He forced at least three if not four rope breaks before Tamura scored a knockdown. It is not that Tamura looked lost, but he just couldnt get anything going. Misha was getting standing wristlocks and armbars and turning them into cross armbreakers. This fight was more about Tamura's stand up. In the RINGS, I have watched it seems more like a grappling promotion, but Tamura was committed to the stand up game. It almost cost him on a couple occasions. The first go around Miswa caught the foot and Tamura went for a wild back heel kick and lost his balance. Misha closed in with a deep guillotine choke. Tamura eventually did make in-roads. First with a Judy Martin like Kick of Fear, then a legsweep and then a finally a head kick that sent the stocky Russian down. That became the story of the match Tamura trying to avoid the submission and just knock the Russian off his feet. They do my least favorite spot in wrestling: the bundle of leglocks. At least these two apply it properly with the anklecrosses but still it feels like they are just hugging one and another's legs. Upon stand up, Tamura gets him in the clinch and just starts rocking him with the knees. The end feels nigh. Misha gets some token offense, but Tamura knocks him down again and submits him with a cross armbreaker to win the Mega Battle Tournament. Definitely a great standup vs wrestling match and showed how stand up could be effectively used to defend against the takedown and then be converted into offense. Tamura is a wizard of spinning around in submissions and because he only sells in certain moments when he does register pain or scramble for the ropes you know it is a big deal. Tamura just wore down the stocky Russian with a lot of kicks and it seemed like Misha blowed up on his own. Tamura took it. I saw a great match, but not an extraordinary one. ****

Volk Han vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto - RINGS 8/13/97 Coming off a decision loss to Kohsaka in an epic 30 minute match, Yamamoto takes on the Soviet Maestro of the Mat Volk Han, who is a on ten match winning streak and looking to extend his winning ways over Yamamoto. Early on, Han seems content to go to the ropes at will. I would imagine he thinks himself an expert finisher and that it does not matter how man rope breaks he uses as long as he gets Yamamoto to submit. Han had good looks on the mat like a double ankle cross and deep toeholds. Yamamoto looked smooth as silk. He was a regular Harry Houndini out their with his escapes. He looked like a total natural. Han came storming back to force three rope breaks. One he spiked Yamamoto's head on a cross amrbreaker attempt by picking him up and dropping him on his head. Han is so great at selling near-defeats. When a heel hook or a armbreaker is sunk in, he is immediately scrambling and will even make audible noises. He is putting over those holds and his opponent big time. In the scramble, he is dangerous. He keeps going to the ropes thinking he will get that big submission. He has some amazing takedowns where he will grab a single leg and as he is falling down kick out the plant leg to cause further destabilization, simply awesome. Then something funny happens. Yamamoto throws a kick. You know RINGS standup doesnt matter. Wrong! It catches Han in the midsection and he crumples. Thats negative two points. A Judy Martin-esque Kick Of Fear knocks Volk Han back down! One more knockdown and no matter what Han loses! The Japanese crowd loses their shit! Yamamoto furiously kicks Han's leg and just as it looks like he is going down, he grabs the leg and kicks out Yamamoto's plant leg. He has the hold cinched in, middle of the ring. Is it another Volk Han miracle, rabbit out of the hat finish? And...you should really watch the match to find out how it finished. Excellent use of the points system to create drama, amazing mat work, Yamamoto looks every bit the peer of Han & Tamura, Volk Han is the God King of this Style because his submissions look cool as fuck and he SELLS better than anyone else. ****1/4

Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka - 4/4/97 "That doesnt look good" - Some ignorant American fan hollering in the middle of the match First 15 minutes: Yamamoto is a wizard and coming out of all my 1996 watching I thought he was a solid 3rd behind Han & Tamura. It was demonstrated in the first half of this match as he was clearly dominating on the match. He was wearing the kick pads but no boots which would leave him open for my dreaded Greco-Roman Toelock. When my buddy comes home, we always wrestle (him being an actual wrestler from back in high school always beats me in the end), and my favorite finish is too grab his big toe and just wrench it. Anyways, the reason not to wear shoes is to evade heel hooks. As typical with RINGS, it is standup->takedown->scrap on the mat->rope break, rinse lather repeat. The interesting stuff is always the mat action. Kohsaka was usually the one taking Yamamoto down, but Yamamoto was the one who would win the scrap on the mat. Kohsaka was breathing heavy about ten minutes into this match. Yamamoto was countering at will. At one point, the crowd popped because they though Kohsaka had a toehold, but Yamamoto remained calm; wriggled free and won the day. It was mostly toeholds that Yamamoto was using, there was a great one he basically did a double wristlock but applied to the ankle. He also had a strong guillotine choke. The sequence of the match thus far was Kohsaka had a side-mount double top wristlock which Yamamoto beautifully turned into a DEEP headscissors and from there a bodyscissors, but left his feet dangling and Kohsaka crossed his ankles to force the break. Late into the 15 minutes, Kohsaka again was about to counter into a toehold that is hard to describe. In the resulting standup something interesting happened, Yamamoto actually connected with a vicious knee that drew blood from Kohsaka's face right above the eyebrow. RINGS in my experience is very much a mat-based promotion and the stand up is usually perfunctory. They take about a minute to check on him and that wraps up the first half. I would say Yamamoto won the first half, BUT Kohsaka looked strong in the last two scraps, however he just took a knee to the face. Will the knee change the complexion of the match and turn it into a stand up fight OR do they keep it on the mat? Fuck, I almost forgot, the coolest submission of the first half was Yamamoto using what can only be described as a Short Leg Scissors. Think of a Short Arm Scissors but applied to the knee instead of the elbow. He had it in their deep. I cant believe I almost forgot that. I marked out for that. Final 15 minutes: Wow I dont think they were selling exhaustion, I think they were exhausted. What a cardio workout that was amazing. Kohsaka comes out hot from the knee to the face. He throws some of his own knees and settles for a heel hook, but thats reversed, Kohsaka does force the rope break. He is off to hot start. The standup has definitely gotten more fierce. Kohsaka comes down from his high. Yamamoto cool & calm as ever takes him down with a guillotine choke and takes the next two rope breaks. Kohsaka takes the next one. By my count, they are even, but I may have missed one. I feel like this match was designed to be very symmetrical. To me the story was Yamamoto is the natural. Kohsaka is the workhorse. Yamamoto makes things look effortless. Kohsaka's strongest attribute is his willpower. It goes full stand up and wow it is amazing. So much desperation. So much exhaustion. Kohsaka throws a kick to Yamamoto's side that crumples him which is an automatic down. That takes me back to the old UWF days when a well-placed mid-section kick could really ruin someone's day. Kohsaka gives as good as he hot as he rips the side of the eye/eye lid of Yamamoto open. Nasty injury! I couldnt really tell how it happened. I bet they didnt plan for blood on either end but it worked into the symmetry story AND how desperately these men wanted the victory. Yamamoto finished the sequence out coming roaring back to knock Kohsaka down. Again the story is symmetry. They tussle on the mat. The end of the match is Yamamoto desperately trying to pry the clasp of Kohsaka's hands so that he can apply the cross-armbreaker. Honestly, when the bell rang, I thought it was a straight up draw, but I think there was one Yamamoto rope break I might have missed, but this was insane. Talk about wanting to win a match these two men make you believe that their entire worlds depend on the outcome of this match. The exhaustion, the nasty, hardway cuts, the desperation grappling, My God. The submission wizardy in the first half was engrossing and the grittiness in the second half had me on my seat. Generally, I am not a proponent of long shoot style matches. I think this is easily the best long shoot style match I have seen, BUT it still had some of the negatives that come with this type of length: there are only so many toeholds, wristlocks that you can do and there is a lot of jockeying. They should be applauded for having a classic match at this length in a genre that does not benefit in going long, but I still think the length was to the detriment of the match. Hate to criticize but I have to because I am always thinking Greatest Match Ever. Still these are two men who honestly I dont care about. I have seen 3-5 matches from each. I dont love or hate them, I just have no emotional connection to either. It is a feather in their cap that they made me care. I was on the ride with them and I wanted to know who the hell was going to win. Incredible gutsy performance from both men. ****3/4

Yuki Ishikawa & Alexander Otsuka vs Daisuke Ikeda & Takeshi Ono - BattlArts 10/30/96 Am I alone in thinking BatBat tags are superior to their singles matches? Everytime I watch a BatBat tag, I am blown away. Immediately, I reminded by this feeling when Ikeda positions Ishikawa towards to Ono who rifles him in the back from the apron. The ref has to keep Otsuka at bay while Ikeda and Ono kick ass on the outside with kicks. I love BatBat tags! You know who is who from the footwear. Ikeda & Ono are the kickboxing specialists with their shoot style boots with kickpads. While Ishikawa & Otsuka are the wrestlers with their short, high-ankle wrestling shoes. We see Ishikawa grab a kick at one point and try to turn it into a heel hook. When Ikeda gets sloppy in a rear naked choke, Ishikawa crosses his ankle to force the break. We see Ishikawa go for a lot of wristlocks as counterholds as he is getting his shit kicked in. A good wrestler can force a stand up specialist to play his game and thats what Ishikawa and Otsuka do early on by closing the gap and forcing a lot of the action on the mat. Dont get me wrong, Ikeda & Ono get their fair share of licks in but they are trying to finish on the mat and thats where Ishikawa & Otsuka can counterwrestle. Ishikawa and Otsuka can also throw a suplex with the best of them. Ishikawa used a Northern Lights Suplex to create enough separation to tag in Otsuka. Otsuka's first order of business drop Ikeda on his head with a suplex. This is very All Japan with liberal saves from their partners in holds. Your partner is in trouble just casually walk in and rifle your opponent with a kick. There was one time Ishikawa came in and kicked the clasp of I think Ikeda so that Otsuka would have a better arm triangle I thought that was cool. One weird thing is Ishikawa and Otsuka were not abiding by normal tagging rules. They basically would rule to their corner and the other would just come in. It didnt seem like Ikeda and Ono were doing the same thing. There was one point where Ono was legal but Ikeda had broken the hold so Ishikawa just treated Ikeda as legal. It was odd to say the least. The big highlights of the match in my eyes were Ishikawa got a series of three big arm-related submissions (two cross-armbreakers & 1 Fujiwara armbar) in very short order. That was quite dramatic. Another moment of high drama was Otsuka gave Ono the biggest, fastest Giant Swing ever and then hurled him. He launched his ass. He then looked to submission finish him but Ikeda saved. Then Ikeda & Ono had Otsuka on the ropes quite literally. Ikeda just BLASTED Otsuka with a wicked forearm. Finally, Ikeda & Ono were playing to their strength late in the match looking for KOs. Otsuka nails a desperation German to get out of the Hell out of Dodge. After Ishikawa was able to rotate in for Otsuka, Ikeda blasted him for a near KO with a wild forearm. Ishikawa gave as good as he got with a wicked straight right. WOW! Ikeda no sold it in the most beautiful way. Ishikawa catches a kick into a heel hook. Ono saves, but Otsuka tackles him and Germans him. Otsuka detains Ono in All Japan style as Ishikawa submits Ikeda with the Fujiwara armbar calling back to the fast & furious arm submissions in the middle. I thoroughly enjoyed this as an all-action match that dripped with struggle and urgency. The offense was what you expect from BattlArts ultra-violent strikes, head-dropping suplexes and snug submissions. I think tag match allows for more chaos and creates more intra-match stories. One of the best BatBat matches of the 90s I have seen. ****1/2

Royal Rumble 1992 Royal Rumbles are great in the moment. You dont know who is going to come out next and who is going to get eliminated when. The unpredictability makes for a very fun live viewing experience and having been to the 2015 Royal Rumble (I got to boo The Rock in Philly!) I would say it is just as cool as going to WrestleMania. All the positives make it so Royal Rumbles arent all that exciting to re-watch. Except for the consensus best Royal Rumble of all time and that is of course Royal Rumble 1992. Royal Rumble 1992 is a culmination of the 1980s. It is Ric Flair, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, running the gauntlet against his fiercest rivals, his WWF dream match opponents and the stars of the 90s. In a lot of the long Rumble appearances, you will see guys disappear or take extended breaks, but not Flair. There are many times where he was looking for a fight. Bulldog and Barbarian are doing their thing well let go over and chop the shit out of Tito Santana while he is fighting with Michaels. He could have taken it easy but he didnt he sought the fight. He was incredible in this match as everyone always says. Out of the first ten entrants, the two cool moments for me where seeing Flair against Michaels (future) and Kerry Von Erich (the past). Do you think Michaels or Flair thought that 16 years later Michaels would retire him at Wrestlemania? There was no "Sorry, I love you" before the Superkick in this match, but there should have been "I'm sorry" because that superkick sucked! Flair vs Kerry was such a nice moment. Kerry would commit suicide the next year and it was so nice to see Flair vs Kerry one last time. To me Flair vs Kerry dominated the first half of the 1980s and produced more great matches than any US feud. You could tell Flair was excited to hook it up with Kerry and it was great to see him hit one last Discus punch on Flair. Great sell by Michaels on the Discus Punch. Lets see what else. Davey Boy vs DiBiase was a good opening, I wished DiBiase was later in the draw but I can see wanting to start with two name guys. I feel like Vince was ready to push Davey Boy as he gets an extended run and makes the first three eliminations: DiBiase, Saggs and Haku. Flair vs Davey Boy instantly have a good dynamic. Davey Boy loves to Press Slam and Flair loves to eat it. It was match made in heaven! I really should watch Flair vs Santana from late 91 as that is a dream match for me. Santana is such a great fired up babyface I would have loved to have seen Flair vs Santana in like 1984. I am a Barbarian mark, but he doesnt do much. Repo Man is such a weird gimmick. It has been fun seeing these ten guys come out so far. Here comes The Hammer...YES! YES! YES! Couple Carolina Crockett Boys about to hook it up! The Hammer vs The Nature Boy! It was fun while it lasted. Just some great flesh on flesh, man on man action. You could tell both especially Valentine were having a great time hooking it back up. Valentine's figure-4 popped me and the Albany crowd! Surprisingly of all people the fucking Repo Man eliminates two people Nikolai Volkoff and Greg Valentine. As a big Hammer mark sad to see him go. Bossman was a jolt of energy in the malaise. Bossman looked great and felt like a huge star. There was untapped potential in Bossman. Flair backdrops Davey Boy & Kerry out in short order. Shawn and Tito tackle each other over as they would fight at Mania VIII. I loved Flair high-fiving Barbie only to chop him and then eat the Press Slam. Bossman gets rid of Barbarian. At some point Hercules is in there but I forget when or how. Bossman does the finger wag to Flair. This feel epic. Bossman ends up hurling himself over the ropes and almost decapitates himself on the way put. Short of the finish that is the moment that has always stuck with me from this Rumble. Flair is by himself as we are half way through. He does a Flair Flop and it is his old running buddy and archrival, Roddy Piper! Piper was Flair's first feud in the WWF in late 1991 and this is a barnburner. This has been the best two minutes of the Rumble. Piper is on fire. The Three Stooges fingerpoke to the eyes out of the blocked inverted atomic drop popped everyone. Airplane spin! Sleeper! Here comes Jake. Jake says have at it. Then he joins the fray. Great triple threat actually break out. Flair almost takes the DDT. Here comes Duggan and Watts' Mid-South is being well-represented. When Flair was tearing through Mid-South in 1985 I would have loved a full-length Flair vs Duggan match. IRS is #18 man Rotundo was never really pushed, maybe in Florida. I dont think he ever got a shot at Flair. For being a NWA guy thats pretty impressive actually. Snuka! I dont know too much about Snuka's time in Mid-Atlantic, but I feel like Snuka vs Flair would have been a fun pairing. No Snuka vs Piper though. Undertaker is out at #20. How crazy is this? Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in the same match as all these stars from the 80s and they would be still be main eventing a fucking Stadium show in 2018. Nuts. Undertaker looks so different. He looks shorter but scary. He throws Snuka out in no time. Then goes after Flair. I thought there was an alliance there from the Tuesday in Texas show. Maybe Taker is pissed that he didnt end up with the Title. Taker has Flair goozled. Flair continues to look for action as when Taker goes away he attacks him again. Take has Duggan & Flair double goozled as the MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE RACES TO THE RING LOOKING FOR YOU KNOW WHO... Savage wants Jake! But Jake had slithered out and his ally the Undertaker attacks Macho Man. Eventually Savage gets his hands on The Snake and goes bezerk. Savage throws him out and follows him out, but Taker forcibly removes him and throws him back in. I cant believe how much of a ripoff Berzeker is of Brusier Brody. Why is Virgil in candy-striper tights? I never got that. Iron Sheik playing an Iraqi Colonel is so pro wrestling and apparently he is not a former WWF champion in this gimmick. There is so much star power and then theres Virgil and Berzerker. Flair is still the most active person in the ring, which is pretty insane. Savage has gone into sell mode and is pretty subdued the rest of the match. Flair lowblowing Undertaker and Taker no selling was pretty damn good. Ricky Martel! I am a huge Martel fan and yet another World Champion! Martel was actually pretty heavily pushed as The Model and he would start getting shunted down the card after Summerslam '92. At some point, Duggan eliminated Sheiky Baby, U-S-A! Here comes THE HULKSTER! No staredown with Flair just the 'ol double noggin knocker. Big elimination as Hogan takes out Taker and then back drops Berzerker out and then eliminates his own t-shirt! :p We actually get a lot of Hogan vs Flair for the remainder of the match. They always had good chemistry and while they never had an out and out classic they always had at least good match. I cant think of a stinker that I have seen (never saw that First Blood Match from 1999). They even do a suplex spot on the outside. I think they wanted to and liked working with each other. Very weird, Duggan and Virgil eliminate each other. Odd for two babyfaces with no storyline to do that. They could have been good fodder for Sid. Skinner! Holy shit! I forgot the "Fabulous One" Steve Keirn was in the WWF. Man, I got to watch more Steve Keirn one of the best kicks to the midsection and some really good shit with Mr. Saito and Tatsumi Fujinami. I think there are some hidden gems from Keirn. Martel dumps Keirn. Everytime, I watch this match even back in 2003 the first time I saw it, I was rooting for Rick Martel! I am always left disappointed. It is Sarge, Sid & Warlord to round out the field. I love big, bad Sid walks in takes on midcard fodder, IRS and cant even dump him! Lol! He looks like a chump. Sarge takes his NUTTY CORNER BUMP out courtesy of Sid. That and the Bossman elimination are the two best. Piper eliminates IRS via the tie and Sid & Hogan eliminate Warlord together. Warlord looked like fucking trash in there. We are down to the final six: Hogan, Flair, Savage, Sid, Piper & Martel. Savage has been hiding and Sid looks lost. The other four have been very active especially Flair and Hogan. Sid dumps Piper & Martel. It is the big four that would go onto headline Wrestlemania. Flair high knees Sid which knocks out Savage. Then we get the famous finish where Hogan cant get Flair out so Sid just dumps his ass. Hogan throws a temper tantrum and holds Sid's hand and Flair throws Sid out. Hogan and Sid staredown and then Hogan chases Flair out. Bad booking because it makes Hogan look like a sore loser. I think Sid turning heel in the match by working with Taker or Flair and two people eliminating Hogan would have been better. Incredibly fun way to spend an hour and a helluva performance from Flair! ****1/2

As much as I love to think about Pro Wrestling, the best Pro Wrestling makes you feel. I dissect and critically analyze Pro Wrestling to death. Pro Wrestling is not supposed to live in your mind; it should tug on the heartstrings and punch you in the gut. There is no better moment at this than WrestleMania VII. I have seen it a million times, but this past Saturday when Miss Elizabeth hopped the railing to save the Macho Man from a beating from Sherri, I was done and somehow the room became mighty dusty. When Savage held the ropes open for her, they had me crying like a baby. I think no moment better illustrates the power of pro wrestling than the tearful reunion of Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth. It is the pinnacle of Vince McMahon's creative vision for pro wrestling and Randy Savage's cinematic approach to pro wrestling. Say what you will about Vince, but he thought of pro wrestling as so much more than just two burly, half-naked men fighting in a fixed sport. He saw as a versatile entertainment genre that could provoke intense human emotion. In this Pro Wrestling Love volume, we explore the genius of Vince McMahon and Randy Savage in what could be argued as the most influential WrestleMania Main Event on main event style wrestling when Randy Savage meets Ultimate Warrior in a Career Match. This time period also features the Rockers, Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty, having a litany of amazing matches in the tag team scene with a diverse crop of teams and hell the miracles continue as Rick Rude also gets a great match out of Ultimate Warrior. All this & much, much more in Pro Wrestling Love vol. 31! https://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/01/pro-wrestling-love-vol-31-best-of-wwf.html

Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express - WrestleWar 1990 I need to watch this match more frequently than every six years thats for sure! What I think is so amazing about this match is its ability to seamlessly transition from comedy to dramatic wrestling. So many matches would have felt disjointed given this format, but that is why the Midnights and RnRs are the best of the all-time because of their deft execution of this layout. This has to be one of the best face shine segments in the history of wrestling. I have watched a lot of Midnights shining up babyface tag teams so thats really saying something now in 2019. It establishes the RnRs as clearly the best tag team, the Midnights bump & stooge in a way that keeps that million-watt smile on your face and it never feels like heel in peril. As the biggest "Sweet" Stan on the internet, is there a better Stan Lane performance? I dont think so. He is so on his game in this match. He takes the beginning of the match. He just makes Gibson look great. I love that spot where Lane goes for the monkey flip and Gibson fist drops him. It is just perfect fun wrestling. Then of course the Lane/Patrick confrontation that leads to great Cornette/Patrick confrontation that always puts an ear to ear smile on your face when you watch. Another great spot is Lane gets hit with an atomic drop and collides with Eaton. Then Lane shoves Eaton. It is so rare that there is dissension that does not lead to anything so that makes it stand out. Sometimes tempers flare it doesnt mean the team has to dissolve. I liked that touch. It is so good nobody has mentioned that cool spot where Morton climbs up on Eaton and delivers a fist drop onto Lane. That was a holy shit moment for me. They just jammed so many damn good spots in that opening segment. Honestly, it is not worth making an entire list. Really just watch it. It is just comedy gold and the Midnight Express cant buy a break. Morton looks so damn good in there. Next thing, you know Bobby Eaton and Ricky Morton slug it out and end up tumbling outside and Lane delivers a wicked slam and we enter Ricky Morton's bread and butter. The Midnights have so many MOVEZ~! but they never get lost in just tossing them out and everything is filled with great heelish behavior: the tennis racket shots, the eye-rakes and cutoffs. Again, like the the babyface shine, I dont think there is too much of a point of just listing move after move, but I think what makes that's this so good is how urgent the action is. They know that Morton is one of the greatest of all time so they are constantly tagging in and out. How many times did Morton have one member of the Midnight Express down, but the other cut him off. Stuff like ramming Eaton's head off the post, but Lane saves. Or Morton looks for an O'Connor Roll, but Lane had blind tagged Eaton and he hits a devastating neckbreaker. The spots looked great: Eaton's top rope elbow drop and Lane's powerslam, but it was the tension around the hot tag that makes this work. You really felt that agony of it being 2 on 1. Every time Morton would get the upper hand on one the other would save. It was exhilarating. Morton is in his element. The face in peril segment I believe is in excess of 10+ minutes. On second watch, I do think they go a little too long. The arm work at the end is strong but ultimately it is filler. The more Morton I watch the more I believe his penchant for really long face in peril segments is to the detriment of the match. I realized this time the finish is botched, but still the finish stretch was red hot and liked that Midnights had another nearfall with the racket shot before they went home. I am happy the Rock N Rolls go over because in such a feel-good match it was the perfect touch to have the Rock N Rolls pick up the duke. Is this considered the best RnR/Midnights match? I asked this back in 2013. I actually think I have now seen every major one now. I think some of the Condrey matches from 1986 on TBS are little underrated, but I dont think they match this level. Lane/Eaton are the ultimate workrate heel tag team and while I dont think workrate is everything, but when you add how selfless and how character-driven the Midnights are with this workrate you have a recipe for really amazing matches. To me, this match will leave smiling for days on end. ****3/4

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Sting - Clash of the Champions I First 15 minutes: Ric Flair in that bearhug is a great exhibition of why he is one of the greatest of all time. The pain expression, biting his thumb, clenching his fist and the wails of agony. God, he makes even the most boring holds very entertaining. I feel like this is a cross of the "musclehead" Flair match (Nikita/Hawk) and the Butch Reed style match. The first five minutes is tests of strength but also plenty of traditional shoot off into the ropes, criss cross movement Flair style. You feel like they are not telegraphing the draw. However, once they hit the Butch Reed headlock portion is when I felt that the telegraphing became evident. While I didnt care much for the Butch Reed matches, I thought these were better because they worked in and out of the headlocks more frequently and with more interesting, dynamic portions. I really liked the spot where Flair throws Sting out of the ring and he lands on his feet and he immediately leaps back into the ring. Watching a lot of Flair that is a typical Flair spot to buy himself some time and ultimately take over on the outside. This shows that those tricks would not work. He used this spot with Magnum when he was working that series in 1985. I really liked Sting catching Flair in the press slam on two occasions on the criss cross. Flair loves to use motion in a kayfabe sense to create offense and in a non-kayfabe sense to generate excitement, you see the early portion Sting winning all these battles usually with the press slam. You are generating excitement from the motion and the payoff is the babyface press slam is just smart pro wrestling psychology. Then on one drop down, Sting just jumps on him with and clamps down the headlock. This shows Sting is smart (which is a shocker) because he is not just blindly following routine he sees an opportunity goes for it. Flair's majority of offense is coming from non-clean breaks as one would expect. He lands a couple good shots to the ribs, but cant sustain any momentum. Again, this makes Sting look like a viable champion because he is not just ragdolling Flair, but overcoming his shortcuts. There was one awkward sequence when Sting misses a dropkick but Flair takes a Flair Flop. The first third of the match is that great bearhug that I opened with. I really think thats the best bearhug I have ever seen. This is way better than I remember. It is quite engaging and Flair is doing a great job leading in the match. Middle 15 minutes: Tremendous Ric Flair heat segment. I am actually a little disappointed they did so many Sting hope spots because I think they had so much in the tank. This middle section is is defined by the overeager Sting making rookie mistake after rookie mistake. As Ric Flair is hollering out "My back, my back", Sting lets go of the bearhug. I get it. He was frustrated and had grown impatient, but that was the start of the downfall. I love how gradual the transition is. First Sting misses an elbow drop but he can still whip Flair hard into the corner, but he goes charging in and Flair moves and Sting hits hard on the buckles and hurts his ribs. Still Sting perseveres and tries to mount for the ten punch in the corner but Flair comes out and hits the inverted atomic drop. Now it is Rolex Time, brutha. He throws Sting out and whips him hard into the steel railing repeatedly. Flair is targetting the back and great selling from Sting. I really, really liked the backrakes and then fishhook! Flair was getting nasty. Sting did a lot of No Selling to get back into the match. I like No Selling; it definitely beats just going back on offense. At least it signals to the offense something cool is happening. I also like that each time it looked like Sting would gain momentum he would get overeager and fuck up. First it was a flying lariat into the steel post and then a lariat over the top rope onto the floor. The side headlock and bearhug were serving Sting so well as soon as he started leaving his feet he started to dig himself in a hole. I love that these moves were being treated as high risk moves because they are! They are NOT gimmes! What I didnt like is that there were so many of them that they lost their luster. I think they could have built off the flying lariat to the post that they went back to Sting on offense too quickly. I did like the top rope Sting crossbody as a nearfall. Then as the second 15 minutes was ending Flair hits a kneecrusher. We had three different body parts and four major momentum swings to Flair in a 15 minute time period. As much as I enjoy Flairism and its chaotic nature, this was too much and things were not allowed to breathe. It is amazing that you can claim things are being rushed in a 45 minute match, but they were. Flair works the leg very well as expected. Kneecrushers, kicks, knees and chops to the knee. It only dawned on me recently but he really loved the back suplex as his setup move to the Figure-4. It makes sense you need to get your opponent flat on his back and it is cooler than a bodyslam. I thought they established a good foundation in the first 15 minutes. I liked the story of Sting making a ton of rookie mistakes in this 15 minutes but it is tempered by the fact that I thought it was a little rushed and the Flair heat segments did not feel fleshed out. Final 15 minutes: Ok it is official, this match is way, way better than I remember it. I loved this thread they weaved of Sting being able to ever hit a move when he leaves his feet. If Sting just works holds, he can stay in control, but he cant win the match either that way. So needs to take these chances but they never pay off. Until he finally hits the Stinger Splash with 30 seconds left and then applies the Scorpion Deathlock...I mean how fucking great is that! Lets take it from the top, Sting is in the Figure-4 at the start of this third. I really thought there was some exceptional selling from both men. I really thought Flair sold the turnover well. Stinger goes for a splash on the mat, but Flair gets the knees up. See Sting cant buy a big spot. But when it comes time to put on the abdominal stretch he can get that. If Sting can keep it basic, he can use his strength, but he cant put the match away that way. He grabs Flair by the feet and pulls him over into the corner and posts him! I love it! Sting uses the figure-4 see now this is a submission hold. Of course this does not get it done, but now we go into overdrive with Flair doing the Flair Flip right over the celebrity judges and Sting kicking ass on the outside. We get all the great Flair sunset flip spots; I really liked the Flair Flip->Crossbody roll through for nearfall for Sting. In this fracas, Sting absolutely crashes and burns on a Stinger Splash in the corner and ends up on the outside. Nasty bump. Great reinforcement that Sting has controlled the match, but cant hit the home run. Then with time dwindling and all the rapid nearfalls, we finally get that Stinger Splash that finally lands and the Scorpion Deathlock as time expires. It is ruled a draw. I thought I was going to like this match, but I ended up loving it! I had seen twice before, but I think once I picked up on the thread that Sting just couldnt buy a highspot and they really treated high risk moves as just that high risk moves that match was really enhanced. The first 15 minutes is very basic but establishes that Sting can do Pro Wrestling 101, but you cant beat the Nature Boy that way. The middle 15 minutes is Flair gaining his advantages because Sting is impatient and keeps making mistakes going for the home run. Flair is great on offense during this time. The last 15 minutes is just balls to the wall can Sting pull out a major upset. Whats amazing is half of Sting's offense was just fucking No Selling. Flair took a greenhorn and made him look like The Man. Flair was just on fire. I cant say enough about his selling in the holds. Just so damn good. Look how good he was when he going for those backrakes and fishhooks, he looked nasty. In that last 15 minutes when it is all cardio and it is a race against the clock thats Flair in his element. This is A-Grade Flair Spot Calling combined with a very compelling Flair performance and a game opponent, thats all the recipe for one of the best matches of all-time. You know whats crazy, is I think they needed more time! I think some of this match was rushed that they could have spread out some of those Sting mistakes that this match would be even better! Only Ric Flair could ever need more time than 45 minutes to take his match to next level. He rocks! I am saying it here this match has become so overrated that it is now underrated. Clash of Champions I with MX vs Fantastics at ***** for me and Luger/Windham vs AA/Tully at ****3/4 and with this at a whopping ****3/4, it is undeniable to me that Clash I is the greatest US card of all time!

Thanks to you know who for the hookup! Dick Murdoch vs Ted DiBiase - Houston 12/29/85 Thanks to NWA Classics we have the full match. Not to be a downer, this is a classic and should be watched, but I dont think it is that terribly different from the Oklahoma City on New Years Eve and I think both matches are great. Murdoch with his jacket still on tries to jumpstart the match as DiBiase enters the ring. DiBiase roars back and hits a powerslam. Cap'n Redneck retreats. In something I cant believe I missed in the Oklahoma City match, Murdoch starts to work the neck and DiBiase immediately crumples. I thought this was to soften up DiBiase for the Brainbuster, but it is obvious that it is because of the Brainbuster that already happened back in November from the Flair angle. DiBiase's neck is an easy target. Again DiBiase is able to punch his way out of trouble and Murdoch has to retreat. DiBiase's selling is so great in this match that I think he may have been wasted being a heel a majority of his career. He really could have been something special as a lead babyface. The complexion of the match changes when Murdoch rams DiBiase into the turnbuckle (no real pad...more of just plastic tape) and then violently smashes the back of DiBiase's head into the turnbuckle! Amazing selling here from Ted. In a match with Dick Murdoch, it can be hard to stand out for facial expressions just because Dicky is so good, but DiBiase is really selling well. Murdoch busts DiBiase open. Lots of elbows and punches. DiBiase begins throwing bombs of his own. Murdoch is so good at selling. I love Murdoch's purposely whiffed punches to get over that he has taken a lot of damage. DiBiase fist drop busts Murdoch open. DiBiase looks to finish by loading his glove his infamous glove but misses the fist drop. He is in a great deal of pain and this enables Murdoch to kick some serious ass. He drops DiBiase over the railing neck first and then jabs him with a steel chair. One thing that is helpful from NWA Classics is the vastly improved video quality, which I think is enhancing DiBiase's selling. Murdoch rides him down like a surfboard driving his knee into the back of his neck but can only get two. He wants the Brainbuster, but DiBiase floats over and BANG! Nails him with the loaded glove for the win! Great satisfying finish. The Masked Superstar hits the ring and beats down DiBiase and Murdoch hits his brainbuster. My guess is they are continuing the feud in Houston as a tag team feud. Great slugfest, hate-filled grudge match. Definitely the war of attrition type, double juice, big time punches with a great finish stretch. Like I said I think this is just as good as the OKC match. They are so similar that I probably would not include both on a list and reading my review of the OKC match, there a couple transition touches that I think I liked better, BUT what this match has in spade is far superior video quality. I think the better video quality greatly enhances the experience and Ted DiBiase's phenomenal selling so I would recommend this match over the other. I would love to hear others' thoughts because I think both matches are very similar and very great. ****1/2

WWF Intercontinental Champion Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior - Summerslam 1989 Every heel in the wrestling business should watch how Rick Rude sells. Heel selling is rapidly becoming a lost art. I should NOT feel sympathy for a heel. I should either be pointing & laughing OR wanting to see the babyface kick more ass. Rick Rude is the master of this. Every cringe and expression of pain, I get a little bit of joy and I want to see the Warrior pour more on. Warrior is pissed because Rude & The Brain stole the Intercontinental Title from him at WrestleMania V and this is his revenge match. He is full controlled anger, stalking King of the Jungle mode. Lots of Warrior no selling to establish he feels NO PAIN! There is a crucial difference from no selling & not selling. "No selling" is a form of selling. It signals to the audience "I am a badass muthafucka and I am here to kick ass" or it is to announce the comeback. Not selling is when some tool takes a shot then just keeps moving to finish out the sequence. "No selling" is a powerful tool in the arsenal of a babyface and should NOT be decried. I LOVE the first highspot of this match. Warrior literally chucks Rude out of the ring. Warrior from a Military Press THREW Rude out to the floor. It was insane! Warrior throws Rude into the apron face-first. This is that heel selling I was talking about earlier. Belt shot by Warrior on the back of Rude again great Rude selling. Warrior is a man possessed. The Irish Whips into the corner, then the reverse atomic drop and then Warrior making Rude do a seat drop, these are all spots that in Rude's wheelhouse for selling. Rude really put on a heel selling clinic. Warrior had scored one move from the top, a double axehandle so he goes back for more, but Rude knocks him off the top. We get the reverse chinlock as is customary in Rude's matches. This is the only low point of the match. One thing, I should note is I liked Warrior's selling. He was just going down to one knee and NEVER bumping. He is looking to fight back. He is down not out. Kudos to Tony Schiavone pointing this out. This is actually a great match to point out the difference between babyface and heel selling. Also, I like the feeling that Rude's control is tenuous. We know that Warrior is an overwhelming force of nature. You know that Rude is just hanging on by a thread. Warrior starts to show life when he pries the hands of Rude open to avoid the Rude Awakening, which would have curtains. But Rude wraps him up in a sleeper. Warrior breaks free, but in the fracas the referee gets run over. Warrior unleashes a badass onslaught of offense: clotheslines, powerslams and even a piledriver! However, the ref being knocked out means he could not get the pinfall. On the piledriver, Rude got his foot on the rope once the ref awoke from his slumber. Running powerslam...WARRIOR SPLASH EATS KNEES! Wow! Rude goes for a piledriver...WAIT...is that a...GANSO BOMB?!?! Rude hits a safer version that but it was really not that safe. Warrior could have easily been spiked on his head! WOW! Now Rude unleashes a badass assault of offense, fist drop and a conventional piledriver. Now Roddy Piper is here. I have seen their steel cage from later in 1989 and I highly recommend it. I dont know what the beef was and Tony was pretty vague. It seems a way to protect Rude who they saw as a top flight heel still and didnt want to lose clean to Warrior, which is surprising as Warrior would be the Man in less a year. I dont think Hogan would have needed help to win his match. Rude hip swivels at Piper. So Piper lifts up his skirt to reveal a pair of his bare ass cheeks! Woah I didnt need to see that! Rude gets up on the turnbuckles in anger and Warrior comes gives him a German suplex! Nice! Warrior Shouldertackle! He really launches himself! PRESS SLAM! WARRIOR SPLASH! 1-2-3! Very fun, popcorn action blockbuster. In a era bereft of great matches, this match stands out as something really great special. Rude looked phenomenal here both on offense and selling. Hell even Warrior looked way better than usual, some great offense and selling when necessary. The bomb throwing at the end was awesome and riveting. It felt like I was watching All Japan at the end. I would still say Rockers vs Rougeaus is my WWF Match of the Year for 1989, but this is a close, close second. Highly recommended. ****1/2

"Macho Man" Randy Savage w/Sherri vs Ultimate Warrior - Wrestlemania VII Career Match Even though, I have seen it a zillion times and I knew it was coming, they still got me. It was right when Liz hopped over the barricade, it was like I was in the dustiest room imaginable. It wasnt the embrace or putting her on the shoulder because I knew all that was coming. I had forgotten about the rope holding spot. I just had a good cry. Greatest moment in pro wrestling history. I am not even sure it is close. For a moment to consistently make me cry just shows the incredible power. I have reviewed over 1800 matches at this point. I breakdown these matches logically really going into the minutia of what works and why it works. To me, the best matches are not for critical thinking. They are not the matches that appease the mind. They are the matches that make you feel. That move you. That hit you in the gut and tug on the heartstrings. Thats why this match is ***** all the way and I honestly think any rating less than that is severely underrating the match. As so many others have pointed out the Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth story arc from Wrestlemania II to Wrestlemania VIII is incredible. What makes it so good you dont even have to see the intervening moments. You can just watch those seven matches and you get the complete story of a man that is loaded with character development, action, twists & turns and ultimately the feel good ending of him winning the WWF Title from Ric Flair. The climax of that story is right here at Wrestlemania VII. After the jealous explosion at Wrestlemania V and Elizabeth getting a modicum of revenge with the help of the American Dream at Wrestlemania VI, this is where it all comes to a head. The Macho Man vs The Ultimate Warrior where one man's career will be over. I think you can assert that this is the most influential match of all time, at the very least the most influential WrestleMania match on other WrestleMania main events. "I'm sorry, I love you" comes right from this playbook. Now, it is not even WrestleMania main events but many WWE matches and indy matches that incorporate this style of cinematic storytelling. This is not an original thought many have picked up on the fact that Shawn Michaels popularized the style, BUT it was the Macho Man Randy Savage who innovated it. This is the pinnacle of Randy Savage's vision as a storytelling. To me this is the biggest reason, Vince McMahon loved Randy Savage so much is that they shared the very same vision of what pro wrestling could be. It could be a entertainment platform that truly captures every aspect of humanity. Vince loves moments. Pro wrestling even though it is a dynamic sport, Vince saw the value in distilling it into static images. I dont think there is a more powerful image than Randy hoisting Elizabeth on his shoulder. To me that is the pinnacle of Vince McMahon's vision of pro wrestling. Love is the most human experience. It is often sorely lacking in pro wrestling and even all these years later there is no greater love story. Am I ever going to talk about this match? The match sees Randy Savage in full Memphis heel mode and Ultimate Warrior is in stalking avenging angel mode. Warrior was very careful not to blow up during this match. His movements were all measured and never wasted. He understood the moment and it could be explained in kayfabe that he was cautious given the stakes of the match. Normally, I dont include the managers in the title of the match, but this was effectively a handicap match and Sherri worked OVERTIME in this match. She was every bit a part of this match as Savage and Warrior. They established pretty early on that Savage was outgunned by the bigger & stronger Warrior so it would take a team effort to take him down. Savage loves the spot where his opponent chokes him and lifts him high up in the air, but this time he is thrown into Sherri. They tried many distraction tactics but they all failed against Warrior who was laser-focused in this match. Warrior was absorbing the punishment and returning it tenfold. Warrior was basically playing King of the Jungle carved out the center of the ring while Savage and Sherri were two hyenas trying to dislodge him. Try as they might, they were always thwarted. Warrior was very static. Savage and Sherri were supplying the energy: bumping 'n' running. One really impressive spot that I had forgotten about was when Warrior caught the Macho Man in his arms on a top rope crossbody. Then set him down and slapped him, the ultimate sign of disrespect. I loved that both transitions to Macho Man offense were because of Warrior leaving his feet. Warrior had the game plan of letting Savage come to him and then counterattacking, but twice Warrior went for big shouldertackles and missed. He deviated from the gameplan and had to pay for it. Sherri was brutal on the outside. You could argue that Sherri actually got more offense on Warrior than Savage did! Neither heat segment lasted all that long as the Warrior was simply too strong. Eventually one Sherri's distraction tactics paid off and Savage dropped Warrior throat first on the ropes. Some really good selling from the Warrior choking. Savage did his famous snap his opponent's head over top rope as he jumps to the floor. Savage was so damn good in this match and so was Sherri. At this point, Savage drops the FIVE Top Rope Elbows and this is when it kicks into cinematic territory. That is such an insane number especially since one usually gets the job done. Then Warrior KICKS OUT! What I love about his match is that it is not just about Savage/Sherri/Elizabeth they give some room for Warrior to have character development. Remember, Warrior defeated Hogan at the previous WrestleMania, yes Savage cost him the WWF title at Royal Rumble, BUT the Warrior had NOT faced real adversity in match before. So when Warrior runs this his usual comeback complete with the Press Slam/Warrior Splash AND The Macho Man kicks out, that became a moment when we could learn a lot about the Warrior. Warrior showed vulnerability unaccustomed to a WWF babyface at the time. He looked up to the Heavens and wondered what he needed to do. He started talking to his hands and he realized that he might not have what it takes to get it done. Warrior was going to walk out on the WWF downtrodden if it was not for Savage's hubris attacking the Warrior. Sherri held Warrior for Savage to come crashing down on Warrior as he was on the railing. Warrior shoved Sherri and Savage took that bump chin-first on the steel railing. That was a nasty, nasty bump. He really threw himself into it. Macho Man had pretty much knocked himself out and was a victim of his own pride & greed. Warrior hits three King-Sized Shouldertackles that Savage sold beautifully. Then in emphatic fashion, Warrior, King of the Jungle, but one foot on the chest of the Macho Man and won the match 1-2-3! I love it all! All the gaga with Macho Man & Sherri trying every nefarious trick in the book to beat the Warrior. I loved Warrior's controlled anger. He was focused and here to win. Then the finish run starting with the FIVE Elbow Drops, Warrior Splash->Kickout->Warrior Self-Doubt, Savage eating the steel, Warrior's one foot cover is one of the most perfect endings to a pro wrestling match. Is it a technical marvel? Of course not! Thats missing the point. The match itself is an amazing roller coaster ride and then add in the greatest post-match in the history of pro wrestling, it is an iconic match that is the pinnacle of Vince McMahon's & Randy Savage's story telling and continues to influence pro wrestling to this day. *****

WWF Women's Tag Team Champions Jumping Bomb Angels vs Glamour Girls - Boston 3/5/88 So I may have gone a tad bit overboard in my praise for this match on Tag Teams Back Again (Whoomp There It Is!), but this match still rocks and I think at the very least it is as good as the famous MSG match. It is a little bit shorter than I remember. I loved the babyface shine of this match. The Angels just overwhelm the Girls attacking from all angles at high-speed. That short arm scissors sent me back into Mark Out City! You gotta see this Short Arm Scissors! The Girls were great stooges and bumpers for the all-out assault of the Jumping Bomb Angels. I liked the double Abdominal Stretch and Gorilla was very impressed by the proficiency of the Angels. I thought where this match really stood out was the heat segment. One Angel missed a senton and immediately tagged out, but this left the other Angel in the danger of a double team. Earl Hebner was BARKING at all the women during this chaotic heat segment but he could not be everywhere at once and he totally lost control. The Girls were awesome with tons of double teaming, choking and hair pulling. The other Angel desperately contested this but Hebner was being a blockhead. I really liked her apron work. We get that classic strong bridge from the Angel in Peril. The best part of the match was that the Glamour Girls used the tag rope liberally to choke out the Bomb Angel. I was marking out. Then there was just great stuff. Like the false hot tag and all that great gaga. Martin misses an elbow drop. HOT TAG! HIGH KNEES GALORE! She just starts throwing her ass at them like Asuka would. Leliani Kai thinks she is really smart for avoiding a crossbody but eats a missile dropkick! Big pop! 1-2-Judy Martin saves. Backslide in the fracas gets three! Move over Rockers vs Demolition, this is the WWF Match of the year for 1988! Great high-energy tag team wrestling with an awesome heat segment. ****1/2

WWF Womens Tag Team Champions Glamour Girls vs Jumping Bomb Angels - WWF Royal Rumble 1988 Two Out of Three Falls First Fall: Workrate galore! Fast & furious! I like that Kai actually started off hot throwing the Angels around only for the Angels to use their speed to overwhelm the Glamour Girls. It really just felt like a hot workrate sprint from the Angels and the Glamour Girls were bumping all around for them. They do the double figure-4 and then work over Kai's legs. I really liked when Judy Martin hit her Kick of Fear on Kai while Kai was in an Octopus Stretch. When Judy Martin tags in the the complexion of the match changes. Kai hits a knee from the apron on a criss cross and then a reverse powerbomb (instead of throwing her down back first she fell back and threw the Angle down face first). Incredible, red-hot workrate fall. Jimmy Hart's Glamour Girls up 1-0! Second Fall: As is customary, the second fall is about two minutes. Really nice sustained bridge by one of the Angels. I am as bad as McMahon though in the second fall he does attempt to give names to the Angels. The Angels start kicking ass. One of them runs into the wall that is Leliani Kai, but a sunset flip on Kai gives the Angels the decision and knot it up at 1 apiece. Third Fall: Begins with a double high knee by the Angels, but Kai uses the Kick of Fear to bully one of the Angels into their corner. Lots of hair pulling, choking and double teaming. Solid heat segment. The hot tag was great, Bombs Away Kneedrop, Bridging Butterfly Suplex, and a missed senton. I liked the missed Senton it put the finish in doubt. The Jumping Bomb Angels hits a Double Missile Dropkick for the win and NEW WOMEN'S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! Huge pop! Definitely a step down from the terrific MSG match. It is a bit sloppier and more rushed than the fleshed out the MSG match, but still this is very fun & breezy. ***3/4

If I only knew in March 2017, what I know now, might have been able to salvage my project. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that jazz. What's truly beautiful is when you look back in time and it still looks as good today as it did then. Thats what Pro Wrestling Love vol. 30 looks at the six best matches from Mid-South Wrestling 1983-1987. Fun fact all six matches come from 1985. Mid-South in 1985 maybe the single best year an American wrestling promotion ever experienced. Jim Duggan, Butch Reed and Terry Taylor leading the babyface side while Ted DiBiase, Dick Murdoch, Dick Slater and Buzz Sawyer opposed them on the villainous side with frequent pop-ins by the World Champion Ric Flair make for one of the most stacked pro wrestling rosters of all time. Update on my previous claim that the recently unearthed NWA Classics footage would invalidate my list, it turns out most of those gems are pre-1983. I watched four additional matches from 1984 that could have affected my list, while they were great, they were not top 12 material. So the list remains intact! Who wins #1? The bloody Loser Leaves Town Cage match pitting DiBiase vs Duggan or the classic championship bout with Ric Flair defending his title in the Superdome against Terry Taylor. It depends if you read this as the best Mid-South Wrestling Match or the Best Match in Mid-South Wrestling. Prepositions make all the difference, folks! https://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2019/01/pro-wrestling-vol-30-best-of-mid-south.html

Midnight Express vs Fantastics - Houston 8/31/84 Booty-Shakin Bobby Fulton in all his reigning glory! Tremendous shine here as they do an abridged version from the one against Rock N Rolls at 5/11 but make up for the time with Jim Cornette faking heart attacks and threatening to get in on the action. It is classic Midnight Express tomfoolery with Bobby Fulton instigating and mocking Corny & MX. Yes, there is rump-shaking involved! Hell at one point Houston was chanting "We Want Cornette" to get some action in the ring. I am not holding this against the match but I think they should have paid this off with Cornette taking a bump for Fulton. They get a little heat on Fulton before he punches his way out of trouble and tags in Rogers. Condrey yanks Rogers down by the hair from the apron on a criss cross and it is on! I liked this heat segment a lot. It is much more efficient than those Ricky Morton ones that can drag. Anytime, Rogers shows life it is go for the eyes or out over the top he goes. At one point, Condrey holds Rogers for Eaton who just crushes him with rights. Rogers is great at selling by still showing signs of life. Lots of dump him to the outside and let Corny get his licks in. Fulton is all fired up. Fulton is the best damn cheerleader. I think I have said it in the best past but I really think you can make the argument that the Fantastics were better than the Rock n Rolls. Morton is better than both Rogers and Fulton mostly because he can do everything they can do in one person but Rogers and Fulton really complement each other. Rogers is the technically proficient straight man and Fulton is the wise-crackin' firecracker. HOUSTON ERUPTS FOR THE HOT TAG! Rogers his a beautiful dropkick and Eaton sells this like a million bucks. My God how damn good is Bobby Eaton that sell job with the spit coming out and then the way he grabs his jaw. Fulton is a house on fire baby! He decks everything that moves. Rogers gets thrown into the ref. Condrey sets up Fulton for the double team, Eaton nails Condrey! Fulton covers! 1-2-3! Houston loses its mind like the Oilers won the Super Bowl! The Midnights were the Mid-South Tag Team Champions so I guess this is non-title. I liked this just as much as the match from OKC on 8/9/84. This one is more Cornette-centric, but still a lot of fun. Just the MX and Fans giving you that fun, popcorn match. ****1/4

Pete, I totally echo your comments about Bobby Fulton, he is criminally underrated, this is a great showcase for him. Mid-South Tag Team Champion The Fantastics vs The Sheepherders - Houston 6/27/86 New Zealand Bootcamp Match One of my favorite genres of pro wrestling, pretty boy babyface tag team proving their mettle in a bloody brawl against the bloodthirsty lunatic heels. Bobby Fulton was on fire in this match. Rogers is an offensive dynamo and a great traditional seller, but when you need character call on Bobby Fulton. He was the perfect character to get over his brawl. Whether, it was his right hands to counter the Herders or his great selling (I loved when he slumped himself over the apron upside down while his foot was hooked on the bottom rope). The Herders jumped Fantastics while they were getting smooches from all the girls in the front row. The blood was flowing within a minute when Fulton bit Butch's head right open. The Herders used everything to their advantage: chairs, screwdriver (it looked like some sharp metal object), the flag pole and ropes to kick the Fantastics ass. They hung Fulton over the ropes and he was just drenched in blood. The camera was mostly on Bobby Fulton as this is a Texas Tornado street fight. Rogers was good, but this was Bobby Fulton at his best. When it came time to make that comeback, boy did he comeback. He threw a wicked chairshot especially for 1986. Fulton got control of the metal stake (it kinda looked like a flat head screwdriver to me) and just dug it into Luke's head ala Magnum/Tully. It was brutal. There was one spot near the aprob where you could actually see it cause the blood to pour from Luke's head even more. Rogers atomic drops Butch on the top rope. It is a Fargo Strut! Johnny Ace ends up nailing one of the Herders with the pole. I disliked the finish the Fantastics were just pouring it on when the ref called the match. No white towel from Johnny Ace...no screaming of surrender...just an anti-climatic...welp it is over now. Too bad. I liked Fulton do a blood mist spit at the end of the match as if he was The Great Muta but it was his own blood as the mist. Bobby Fulton rules! I would have loved to see Fulton force a submission with the screwdriver to the head of Luke. Great blood brawl that showed the range of the Fantastics that they can do workrate classics with Midnights or brawl with the Sheepherders. I have always been a big fan of booty-shaking Bobby Fulton but here he is fists-fury, bloodlusting Bobby Fulton and that is just as badass, tons of charisma. ***3/4

Mid-South Tag Team Champions Rock N Roll Express vs Midnight Express - Houston 5/11/84 Rock N Roll is King! Some of the best hair pulling psychology you will ever see. I marked out for Bobby Eaton crossing his heart that he was telling the truth that Gibson had been pulling his hair even though he was obviously lying. The crowd and I were eating this all up with a spoon. This is the Midnight Express at their best doing elaborate comedy routines that no one else could ever pull off nor ever have the thought process to flesh out so well. I liked the two second highspot after all this hair pulling where Morton kept kicking Eaton's hand away from tagging in. So Eaton gets fed up and charges in and Morton does his headscissors/headlock takeover. Eaton says "Fuck you" and nails him with the racquet as he is running the ropes. I really liked the beginning of the heat segment. Lots of work on the back and then they throw Morton over the top rope behind the ref's back. I love all this playing to the crowd saying he they did or did not do it throughout the match. Then they settle into working the hammerlock and the arm. I find that many Ricky Morton heat segments go longer than they need to. Again, I thought this got a little long in the tooth. The MX did a great job with frequent tags and either keeping Morton away or knocking Gibson off the ring. Gibson gets fed up and nails both MX and then hiptoses Morton into their corner. Well thats one way to get the hot tag! The crowd POPS HUGE! Gibson decks everything, Typical to the RNR formula the hot tag is ended abruptly when the MX throws Gibson out. I thought for sure they were going to have Morton tag back in. So many times Morton ends up being his own hot tag. Instead Eaton comes crashing down on Morton as he is checking on Gibson. The MX try to use a chain, but Morton trips them both up and Gibson hits a cross body. 1-2-3! RNRs retain but wait the MX claim that Gibson had used the chain! Wow I love it! Messing with the ref's mind to end. I think it is very important and great that RNRs came back cleared the MX and had their hands raised in victory. It shows without a doubt they won the match. Today, too many times no one holds the heels accountable for their lies so it is good there is no ambiguity that the good guys won and overcame the cheating. I think the highlight of this match that makes it very different from so many other pro wrestling matches is how involved the ref is and how the psychology is really about messing with the ref's mind. I wouldnt want to see it in every match, but it makes this match standout and unique so I dug it. Like I said Morton's heat segment lasted a little too long, but thats my only complaint, this is another great Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express match! ****

Fabulous Ones vs Midnight Express - Memphis 12/21/85 I watched the clipped version from the 12/21/85 TV show, but this was during the Crockett/Memphis show from 11/18/85 which is famous for the Flair title defense against Koko Ware. The Fabs vs the Midnights is of course a DREAM MATCH! It does not live up to the lofty expectations that this match will have. There are two really great comedy spots, but thats pretty much the only things that stand out. I will let those who want to watch the match check out those comedy spots. Then Condrey trips Keirn from the outside. Eaton hits a kneedrop and then it is choke city on Keirn. Lots of choking, jab with the tennis racquet. Eaton misses the top rope elbow drop! Lane is in and he is a house of fire. Cornette hits the ring and Lane puts him in a sleeper. Triggers the DQ and the Fabs send the MX packing. We are missing five minutes of a fifteen match. Two comedy spots early on gold other than that it is just the Fabulous Ones and Midnight Express on cruise control. ***1/4