PeteF3
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Everything posted by PeteF3
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Yeah, nothing much to add here. Wrestling has been on fire during the spring of '94. Kobashi wrestles a gutsy match but also a smart one, and the rib injury is the perfect booking move for this match since it gives Kenta realistic openings and naturally sets up the big moonsault. Kobashi earns a monumental singles win but what a ride to get there. To the point where I was second-guessing if this was really Kenta's big win or not--"Wait, is this a draw here and the win comes later? Oh, fuck, WESTERN LARIATO!", and so on. They even tease us one last time by having Hansen escape sure death on the first moonsault. And there's a terrific moment on the follow-up where for a split second it appears that Hansen is going to roll out of the way, but he can't escape in time. A three-count and now Kobashi, at least for the moment, truly comes across as the #2 native in the company. -
Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams, Champion Carnival, 4/10 Holy SHIT. Doc is just absurd at this point--it's one thing to start putting on great matches with the Four Corners, but to have a match THIS good and THIS well-worked with Jun (who's still not a Corner, despite his tremendous rookie credentials), after where Doc was just a couple years ago, would have been beyond my comprehension. This opens with some of the best matwork seen in an All-Japan ring in years--I daresay I'd put it up against almost any '80s Project match outside of Robinson vs. Bockwinkel. Then we progress, and it's another star-making performance from Jun in defeat, but this may be the most star-making of all. Some great hope spots and comebacks from Jun here, set up perfectly by Doc. I particularly liked Jun taking a page from Williams' book and ramming his back into the turnbuckle before hitting the Northern Lights. Williams fails to put Jun away with the Stampede and then Jun counters the Doctor Bomb, leaving Doc no choice but to bust out the backdrop driver for a tough, tough win. Williams is making a strong Wrestler of the Year push, and he's still got a lot of big matches to go! I enjoyed this as much as almost any match I've seen so far on this Yearbook--it was THAT good. And a very different style of match by '90s All-Japan standards. Easily the best of Jun's career to this point--he deserves to get a pin over somebody before the year is out. Riki Choshu & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono, 4/4 Outside of the Dome show and the Hash/Tenryu match it's been a quiet first quarter for New Japan. Choshu & Tenryu as partners is just weird. And we must be in the Sportatorium, as Tenryu WORKS THE STICK in the middle of the match, inciting Muto with something before dumping water on him just because he can. Muto bails and Chono decides to take on both opponents with a chair as equalizer. That doesn't last long, as Tenryu & Choshu are working better together as former enemies in the early going than Hokuto & Kandori did. Things take another left turn as MUTA emerges from the locker room. He destroys Tenryu on the apron but can't seem to tag in legally, as the opponents more or less keep Chono isolated in the ring. Muta eventually has enough and nails both guys with the mists and somehow Choshu pins an apparently comatose Chono anyway. Muta lays waste to everything that moves afterward, misting the opponents about 37 times each and beating the shit out of Tenryu with a stretcher from under the ring. This match pretty much defies a traditional star rating but it was entertaining bullshit.
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The face-to-face interview is AWESOME. Flair is such a cocky prick but the great thing is that he backs up everything he says, 100%. Shades of gray again. Steamboat to his credit holds his own--he's acquitted himself very nicely here when going by his past history, he could have let Flair suffocate him. Later in the show, Steamboat has taken up Ric's invitation and Ric comes out...in a suit. Somewhere Vince McMahon is blowing a gasket. Flair is not going to put a robe on to wrestle the likes of THAT, so he gives Schiavone the chance to hold something that's worth his entire house in one hand (until Heenan pockets the Rolex in a laugh-out-loud moment). Flair takes this guy down and figure fours him in 10 seconds, then trash talks toward Steamboat while continuing to apply the hold. Steamboat is about ready to get physical, but the suits keep them apart, even after Flair slaps Steamboat across the face! Two terrific segments. Flair's turn has been carried out in such a refreshingly organic manner, I no longer care whether or not he "should" have stayed babyface.
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Cactus pours his heart out about his severed ear while the crowd brays like trained jackasses. I hate Center Stage, I hate this production, and I hate this set. And we'll be stuck with it on WCWSN for the next two years. Cactus vows revenge on both Vader and the Nasty Boys, getting them in a match he's made a fine piece of art: falls count anywhere.
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With Flair in a business-casual suit and sunglasses, this looked and felt like an old Techwood Drive studio promo
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The babyfaces are celebrating the Rock 'n Rolls' victory, and a grateful Morton instantly moves on to hyping their upcoming program with Lee & Candido. Cut to a board meeting where Cornette has been appealing the decision in the LLT match. The decision will stand, and after 10 years the Cornette vs. Rock 'n Rolls feud is over--and, yes, as mentioned, this really is the effective end. I don't have much to add but this is absolutely chill-inducing, and probably a mortal lock for Best Promo of the Year. Dammit, I almost have a lump in my own throat as Cornette is almost near tears and the Bodies walk off, knowing this is it and that the Bodies are destined to be wasted as JTTSes in the WWF. That said, whatever led to the decision for the Bodies to go to the WWF full-time--a full-time guarantee they couldn't refuse or simply a Cornette booking decision--it's refreshing to see such a rivalry culminate like this instead of being dragged on and on and on through the mud. This really did feel like the right time to end this. Unfortunately, with the Bodies gone and Dutch Mantell apparently soon to follow, I fear we've seen the peak of SMW both financially and artistically. Looking forward to seeing what's to come, though--there still looks to be a lot of must-see material.
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Finally we get a look at Prince Kharis on this Yearbook, and it's obviously absurd. They're at least attempting to push the idea that Van Horn is a nut rather than a guy who actually resurrected a 3000-year old pharaoh. Van Horn tries to convince us by cutting off Kharis' thumb and pouring sand out of it. White Boy is out to rebut and shits all over the gimmick, and justifiably so. He picks on Van Horn and gets the upper hand on Kharis until Van Horn tosses the "sand of the Nile" in DWB's eyes. This is about as good of a segment involving Prince Kharis can possibly be. I'm honestly surprised the WWF didn't try this gimmick around this time, with a bigger budget.
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Eddie is out with a skeptical Dave Brown, wearing an Elvis shirt apparently for asskissing purposes. He calls Doug out, and Doug's still hot (ha!). Eddie offends Doug further by agreeing to team up with Brian Christopher. All Eddie wants is for Doug to guest-ref, since Scott Bowden and Frank Morrell got laid out on Monday. Doug begrudgingly agrees, but seems to me like he has another trick up his sleeve. Yep, color me intrigued as to where this is going. It could be a trick from Eddie, it could be a trick from Doug, it could be a trick from both Gilberts working together, or both Gilberts could end up as babyfaces. I like the set-up. And why the hell *should* the announcers or fans trust Eddie? I don't know how long it will last--probably not very--but this was a glimpse of the early '90s Eddie again, a compelling talker and great angle man. Doug isn't as good but he's better than he has been, though that "burn" did look like pink facepaint.
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Doug Gilbert's in a 6-man tag match, and we're supposed to be SURPRISED that Eddie shows up? The stip here is that each man put up $1,000 in an I Quit Match, and by Eddie's botched interference and Doug's submission, Rich and Dream Machine are out a grand apiece. So they take their frustrations out on Eddie. ADAM BOMB shows up, so I guess the WWF alliance is back on 100%. Long heel beatdown follows.
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Shawn is a good talker and a star, so on some level it makes sense to give him his own interview segment. But I wonder if he has the capability of getting other guys and programs over besides his own. The Lowell Auditorium is one of my favorite mini-venues in wrestling, like a slightly bigger Manhattan Center, but MAN is it illustrative of where the WWF was at this point to have Superstars in this setting. Hey, this is the color-changing outfit interview!
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Rooms by the hour, I'm sure. This also appears to be the birth of the "Big Daddy Cool" moniker.
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I always thought rushing to turn Ric heel again was a mistake, and that in a perfect world they could have had the money match without the turn. But watching this stuff now, there really didn't seem to be anywhere else for Flair to go after the Vader issue was settled. There were no other legitimate heels for him to wrestle (Rude wasn't fresh and had been refusing to put Flair over). Sort of says something that they had to drag Barry Windham out of the mothballs to tide things over until Hogan was ready. So this turn doesn't seem as bad now. It helps that Flair is kicking ass on the mic--it doesn't get more dickish than cutting a promo on a 4-year old. I also like how they're pushing a Flair match on TV as a special event.
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Good way to establish instant contenders for the Rock 'n Rolls for after they regain the tag belts. The match is good, and Dutch & Bob are fantastic. Morton kisses Tammy when she tries to interfere, and Dutch rightfully screams out "THAT'S SEXUAL ASSAULT!" Candido whacks Morton with Tammy's purse for the win.
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White Girl must have an all-time record for running headstrong into a situation and getting her ass kicked. This time Tammy tricks her into accepting a "one-on-one singles match" but doesn't specify with whom. Peggy Lee Leather is the opponent, and she establishes herself by bodyslamming Dutch!
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Joe Pedicino and Boni Blackstone are in Marietta to award a big trophy to Bob Armstrong. Incredibly no one comes out and smashes it. Bob talks up Cornette's newest mystery man, who I believe is Bruiser Bedlam. Bob points out that jackasses can't run with racehorses--even a Bullet Bob-by-numbers promo will drop several killer new lines on you.
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The sarcasm from Jericho is palpable here, talking of the "natural progression" from hockey to wrestling, then giving Lance a hard time about talking up his "jumping ability" from volleyball. Water polo players are legitimate badasses, though. I think Storm *was* already married at this point, which pretty much killed his gimmick. Jericho sets his high standards for what he's looking for in a woman. This is pretty hilariously lame, and Lance actually comes off as more likable than Jericho. Their pitiful attempts to kiss up to the local fans are just icing on the cake.
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Gene O's gotten Hogan *and* Flair mad at him. Not a bad promo from Hogan, even if his arms are so not the "largest in the world" at this point.
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What a random-ass return this was, not that I'm complaining. Graham had seemingly been out of the wrestling business entirely for years--I wonder if this got sparked by bringing back so many guys for the Memphis Memories show. Great, intense brawling that recalls the Lawler-Snowman days. The Moondogs are STILL around??
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