PeteF3
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Everything posted by PeteF3
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I'll be the relative downer on this. There were plenty of nice moments, from some incredible athletic spots from Super Astro to the dive train to the sumo showdown between Super Popi and Super Porky. Plus the World of Sport atmosphere with all the handshaking contributed to the unique vibe of this match. But there were also a lot of slow spots like Brazo sitting in a figure four for an eternity not doing much. This was another match that would have been far more effective at 2/3 or even half the length that it went. -
Whether it's intentional or not, Warrior comes off as not really wanting to talk about his experience before being prodded on the issue by McMahon (and Heenan). That actually adds to the effect, even as Warrior still babbles about the places he's been. Warrior comes off as a man who's been through hell but comes back to point out that Undertaker hasn't faced him eye-to-eye yet. Warrior is probed about his inability to fell the Undertaker with his clotheslines on SNME, and he goes back to his self-doubt at WM7 in a nice touch. Yep--this is the most human Warrior yet. He really comes off as someone who isn't really believing what he's saying, but he doesn't come off as cowardly, just relatable, moreso than he ever was as champion, or at least until the beginning of the Savage feud.. I don't think the toughest badass in the world would be eager to scream threats after almost being suffocated in a casket. Vince attempts a self-esteem boost involving the studio audience at the end which does come off as rather phony.
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Definitely a standout performance from Hase, who clearly seems to be a superior worker as an underneath heavyweight than as a junior. His offense was awesome and his selling as Fujinami & Choshu tore apart his lower body at the end was just as good. Fun clothesline-fest of a match, with Hase & Sasaki using teamwork to maintain advantages but just not being able to overcome the innate veteranness of their opponents.
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Some great callbacks to finishes we just saw, from Liger's attempted top-rope DDT to Honaga's neckbreaker drops. Great false finishes abound before Honaga gets his second upset on Liger in a month to take the IWGP Jr. title. This was outstanding, and it really felt like Honaga earned this victory.
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Loved Casas leveling Liger with a dropkick as he tries to vault into the ring and the resulting divefest that followed. The matwork portion was pretty perfunctory and disappointing and we ramped up the high flying again before an unexpected flash submission victory, something you'd see in Mexico before you saw it in Japan.
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Some of Honaga's offense--like his pescado--is fun, because he's possibly the least-athletic looking wrestler in history who isn't morbidly obese. But that was a weak-sauce finish and Honaga looked completely overmatched even though that wasn't the apparent story of the match. I can't believe I'm saying this about any match, much less one from Japan, but this could have used more outside interference. You could buy Honaga stealing a victory from Liger because he cheated and had Saito helping him, but here he knocks Benoit out with a neckbreaker lariat and that's it. But goddamn, what a crowd.
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More excellent stuff with a strong story backing up the big moves. Nothing much to add except that I loved Moreno's tap-dancing pin save late in the match--it's one of the most joyous, excited pin saves I've ever seen. That comes after basically out-Pillmaning Brian Pillman as the gutsy babyface-in-peril for most of the match. After a match built around both teams trying to isolate one of the opponents Jungle Jack isolates Toyota long enough to get a big second-rope powerbomb and victory, but it comes off as a real skin-of-the-teeth escape.
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Yeah, there are big moves and kickouts, but even after the opening matwork chunk, the big moves are all given time to breathe here. Even during Hokuto's closing flurry she's selling fatigue between every move she does. I'm waiting for Minami to do something to get me really emotionally invested in a match of hers instead of appreciating her bouts more than loving them, but this was really good stuff and a vast improvement over the majority of 1990 joshi.
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As fun as all the skits were, it's a breath of fresh air getting to watch SNME promos with no puns or overarching theme that has to be pushed. This is a really strong match, a true hidden gem that I've never heard about before in a land where hidden TV gems are very rare. This does come off as a coming-out party for Bret, even more than Survivor Series did. I'd actually have liked to have seen him get the COR victory outright, but they'd beaten DiBiase with that finish enough times during the Virgil feud that I can see why they wanted to skip it.
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Warrior with a decent interview. Col. Mustafa is now in Slaughter's entourage. Hot start with more crazy bumping from Sarge, who incidentally appears to be in the best shape of his post-'84 career. Unfortunately he's not nearly as interesting when he's in control despite the focus on the back. This isn't a great match but I did get into the post-match quite a bit, with Undertaker joining with the Triangle of Terror for a 4-on-1 before Hogan makes the save. UT no-sells a belt shot and that's the extent of their interaction--good way to tease something for the future without giving anything else away. Warrior manages to come back against UT after the Triangle has run off, but can't hurt him with clotheslines and just sort of knocks him off balance with the flying shoulder tackle. This is about as hard as Undertaker has been pushed to this point, or indeed any WWF heel since Andre. Hogan and Warrior both took their best shots at him and couldn't hurt him, and both babyfaces expressed fear and confusion. It's really, really well done, but you also understand why fans started cheering for Undertaker, in fact already had at this point.
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Love Pillman eschewing the ten-count punches in the corner just to slap Windham in the face instead. Lots of other great touches throughout, like Windham's bump off the turnbuckle to the floor and a really sick brainbuster. Another shit finish, but the crowd is NWO levels of rabid over the post-match attack, littering the ring with crap until and after Bobby Eaton makes the save.
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Meadowlands highlights--Nikita wraps a chain around his arm to deliver the Russian Sickle, but mistakes Bill Alfonso's crawling for a three-count--this apparently, if I'm interpreting Nikita correctly, results in a held-up U.S. title. Nikita promises to break Luger's back, his neck, and then his spirit. I wish they would decide if Missy was a babyface or a heel already.
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Steve "Gator" Keirn--in fairness to the WWF, every indication is that the real-life Keirn is closer to Skinner than he is to a Fabulous One. The crowd seems to be able to keep track of who is whom despite the fact that this match involves two blond guys named Steve--incredible. This is short and basic and mostly well-done for a studio match--I dug Keirn trying to pry at Austin's fingers to escape the chinlock. Keirn eats a spike piledriver on the floor from Austin and the Texas Hangmen. Fuller makes a rather tardy save and eats a loaded boot enzuigiri from Dr. Tom Prichard. Even with Lawler out the USWA roster seems to be as deep as it's been since the early '80s, and almost all of them can talk you into the building.
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Embry talks about the imminent unveiling of Miss Texas, a Texas Death Match with Eddie Gilbert, and a Texas Brawl (bunkhouse stampede) all in one magnificent promo. Embry is such an arrogant, sleazy jackass. His best overall promo was the one shortly before the Cage Match to Decide Everything against PY Chu-Hi, but this is not far behind--and easily his best heel promo. Chain match highlights from the Pipkin Building follow. Embry becomes the first wrestler in recorded history to actually attempt to RUN to touch all four corners as quickly as he can--a daring strategem that does not pay off, but the effort was there. After some really good action, Paul Neighbors gets bumped and misses Gilbert touching all four corners. Embry then unleashes GREEN MIST (??!!!) and that gets him the victory. I guess this is part of the Tojo Yamamoto connection but that's the most hilariously incongruous green mist gimmick in the history of wrestling--they may as well follow up by bringing in Kendo Nagasaki and have him wear loud suits and carry a tennis racket. Gilbert covered with blood and mist is a pretty disgusting sight. Gilbert sticks up for some of the few good apples in Texas but declares that the ugliest girl in Tennessee looks a lot better than the prettiest girl in Texas--and then he gets into a DEAD-ON impersonation of Embry which is fantastic even if I'm not sure the studio audience grasps the genius of it. Gilbert as the babyface with an edge is so much better than Gilbert as WCW babyface that it's absurd.
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I'm stunned that the brains/dynamite/nose thing is thought to be that complicated. Calgarians don't have enough brains to generate the force necessary to blow their noses, even if brains were dynamite. I don't think it's a line that DiBiase invented.
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Although we did not see the senseless and deplorable act just committed by the Earthquake, we can surmise its outcome. Mooney promises that we will not return to the arena until the Walking Natural Disaster's destruction has ceased, but we will return to the Event Center if the carnage continues. This was a pretty hokey premise and even hokier in actual execution, but...Damian was in his own way an on-air character for 5 years, so this does come off as a fairly major deal. The angle is also helped by some fantastic performances from Jake, Vince, and Piper. As annoying as Vince is calling matches, he's been outstanding when calling angles on these two Yearbooks. Vince laments how a pet loss can affect a person while Jake psychotically tears the bag open with his teeth, "having to put himself through that" as Vince puts it.
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