Microstatistics
Members
-
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by Microstatistics
-
Agreed, this is pretty tremendous. Tanahashi destroys Okada's rainmaker arm and Okada sells it beautifully. The rest of the series is pretty good too IMO but this is the match that by far stands out. **** -
This is surely Kerry's best match? I've seen a bunch of his acclaimed Texas matches and Flair stuff but nothing comes close to this. Don't want to call it a carryjob because Kerry's selling and timing were good but Jumbo's masterful performance drives this. Incredible relentlessness, intensity and offense from him combined with great psychology and strategy. Violent and dramatic match. ****3/8
-
Good match, very good even, but I'm surprised at how well acclaimed it is in general compared to other stuff from Memphis around this time, not to mention other territories. Still it's a good application of the Flair formula with the usual strong Flair performance and simple storytelling. Not too long either which is nice (overly long matches is my #1 issue with Flair). *** 1/2
-
I like Takada a ton but he was completely at fault for that spot because it did not make any sense. He blasts Fujiwara with a bunch of great kicks and instead of going for the kill, he grabs the leglock which was basically a resthold in that context. Fujiwara actually does a nice job selling by selling the after-effects of the kicks while in the hold instead of selling the weak hold itself. Takada was great in the rest of the match though. Wily veteran vs. younger, stronger opponent story presented really well. **** 1/4
-
-
Man I wish we had more technical Terry Funk, he was so great at it. This has snug work, great selling and great psychology. A hidden gem ****1/8
-
This starts off with some great, great pro style matwork and leads to a stalemate where Akiyama offers a great fake handshake to "congratulate" Osamu for hanging with him thus far. That is just one spot obviously but I don't see the general Akiyama is bland arguments at all. He is a super magnetic performer to me. I guess charisma is relative. My biggest problem with him is that he seems to have fewer singles matches around this level than some of the other elite and that's why I am hesitant to place him in the absolute top tier of greats. Anyways I digress, the match develops into dueling neck work on Nishmura and leg work on Akiyama (which he sells brilliantly). Nishimura presents himself as the underdog well to get the crowd behind him and the heat increases to crazy levels by the end. The finish is smartly done. Excellent match. **** 1/4
-
Glad he won, especially with WWE promoting the event as well. It would have been weird for him to get KO'ed within seconds and then return with everyone having to pretend nothing happened. It would have hurt his aura/image and he is by far the most compelling wrestler they have.
-
It's funny you say that but I have heard people say Han was self indulgent in that he was more about doing cool and fancy stuff in a vacuum instead of actually trying to work a match. I can see where both viewpoints are coming from even if I don't agree with them. Also I agree Han worked flashier but not bigger. Using the Tamura is Kenta Kobashi analogy, then Han is Mitsuharu Misawa: tons of flashy offense but more subtle and detailed oriented in nature.
-
The ideal wrestling is where the focus is on the big picture but the matches are filled with cool little touches and details that enhance the overall picture. That being said I think big wrestling is more significant. For example that's why I think Kiyoshi Tamura is better than Volk Han and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. The latter two can focus too much on detail work and small things (especially Fujiwara) and so matches are sometimes less than the sum of their parts. An average Tamura match might not contain many quirky spots or flashy details but the match as a whole is better.
-
One aspect of current wrestling that is definitely not as good as it used to be and might account for a decrease in match quality is the crowds, specifically in the US. I would much rather watch a match with absolutely zero crowd heat than one with "this is awesome" chants or where the crowd tries to assert itself instead of focusing on the match. The "this is awesome " chant may be the my least favorite thing in the history of wrestling. It's not a huge factor but it does influence my perception of modern matches and their quality. It kind of dilutes the impact of matches and makes them seem like a choreographed performance for entertainment rather than a legitimate contest. The whole point of pro wrestling is to give an illusion of a real fight when it's actually a performance/storytelling piece. You wouldn't chant "this is awesome" during a play would you.
-
Yep this kind of list is an eternal work in progress. Posted mine a few hours ago and would already make some big changes.
-
-
Agree with this. A draw would have actually worked too had they just flipped the dynamic with Ikeda dominating and Ishikawa trying to survive because that would have fit perfectly with how the match and story played out. Not a huge fan of the finish but that is the main thing preventing this from being the 2000-2009 MOTD for me because the rest of the match is downright amazing. ****5/8
-
I think that is the right approach. When I first watched many Lucha and WoS pimped classics, I didn't really get them. It was once I watched more and more from each style and then rewatched them, they clicked for me because I had a better understanding of the characteristics of each style and what made them different.
-
-
The simple answer is no. Most you can hope for is people look at wrestlers like Negro Casas at #22 or Yoshiaki Fujiwara at #40 and check them out based on the relatively high rank. Also the reactions to the list on places like reddit and others have been primarily negative anyways with criticisms you'd expect like "Jerry Lawler at 10?" or "Seriously El Dandy?" or "Angle and Taker so low and Cena at 30?".
-
I might be nuts but I think this is a legit MOTDC. Just classic character work and storytelling with tons of nifty moments. Structured and paced really well too. Not to mention insanely entertaining. A match that defines pro wrestling for me. ****5/8
-
Incredible match with a nearly unmatched level of violence, intensity and hatred. Also perfectly incorporates submission holds and limb work in with the wild brawling and the finish is iconic. ****5/8
-
It's funny I think this is better than any match Cena had with Punk. Just a great display of power vs. agility with nice leg selling by Cena and bread and butter bumping and spectacular spots from Rey.
-
-
-
-
I thought this was pretty great. The post-match was too over the top but the finish and everything else worked. Shawn not selling the back post-kip up didn't bother me too much either. There was actually a cool moment where he tried to land on his side while executing a superplex in order to minimize the impact on his back. ****
-
Only a notch below the 4 84 gauntlet. Individually, the Yamada vs. Takada segment was really great and the Fujinami vs. Fujiwara/Maeda segments were off the chart. Many people have already pointed this out but a Fujinami vs. Fujiwara singles match was maybe the biggest missed opportunity ever.