ohtani's jacket

This was a pure spot fest, and a pretty stupid one given that both ROH and WWE have had good three way matches in 2002, but at least Mike Tenay came in his pants about a thousand times.

Gordon Solie Interviews Mike Graham (1978) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- Gordon Solie sits down with Mike Graham prior to his World's Heavyweight title shot against Race to discuss his preparation and strategy heading into the match. To Graham's credit, he gives thoughtful answers to Solie's questions and carries himself well. Good stuff. Haystacks Calhoun & Kevin Sullivan vs. Dick Slater & Stan Vachon (1974) -- I didn't know Haystacks Calhoun still wrestled in the 70s. Solie kept trying to put Haystacks over like he was Andre the Giant. Maybe in a past life. Nothing special. Gordon Solie Interviews Andre The Giant (1977) -- Solie sits down with Andre and has a very respectful, serious interview. Andre is very articulate here. Good stuff. 16 Man Battle Royal (December 25th, 1973) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) (CWF) -- Solie is a little too obsessed with Battle Royals. He would have loved commentating a Royal Rumble match, I suppose. Solie talks, and talks, and talks, and we never find out who won. Don't bother. Dusty Rhodes vs. Ali Bey (1978) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- This was a studio match during Dusty's Stardust period where he dressed up like Ric Flair a lot. I wonder if Goldust was a play on Stardust by any chance? Dusty was a different sort of worker around this period. You wouldn't recognize him if you only knew him from his Crockett days. OK footage. Florida Tag Team Title Match: Pak Song & Mr. Uganda (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes & Jos LeDuc (11-28-78) -- a bunch of pro-wrestling bullshit. Don't bother. Gary Hart's Army Attacks Bill Watts (January 7th, 1975) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- a bunch of pro-wrestling greatness. Do bother. Bill Watts sells this shit like a champ.

I liked this a lot. In a down year for Japanese wrestling this stood out more than it usually would. One thing I like about Japanese wrestling is that everyone accepts their limitations. Saito isn't a great athlete, so he wrestles as a perfectly scuzzy heel. Shiga has a small build and is undersized, so he wrestles from beneath. Kobashi has fucked knees, and isn't the same worker he was before his surgeries, but he lets it show. Even Akiyama wrestles with a chip on his shoulder that could be construed as being real. This was a classic Japanese tag match with the heels working over the weaker partner. We've seen it countless times, but there's something about it that's tried and true. Watching the match unfold, it was obvious that Akiyama was the best wrestler in the ring, and that Kobashi wasn't quick enough on his dodgy knees to save Shiga, but Shiga put up a hell of a fight and made Akiyama work for the victory. It looked as though Shiga bled hard way, and rather painfully at that, and his kick outs at the end were riveting. A fine match.

I burned through Y: The Last Man. It seems to be a series that a lot of people have a problem with due to politics, but I thought it was a ripping yarn. Briskly paced, easy to read, and a great cliffhanger at the end of each issue. I wound up binge reading it, by my own standards, which raises the question, did comics become like TV or did TV become like comics? When it came time for the big reveal, I was a little disappointed and thought it was gonna be another mystery that's so big it's impossible to pay off, but ultimately the story was bigger than the premise and the final run of issues was a fantastic finale. I wouldn't put it up there with the very best Vertigo stuff, but I liked it more than 100 Bullets.

This was nowhere near as good as their TV matches. It didn't help that they were working in front of a crowd that only popped for finishers, but you can only blame the crowd so much. The work wasn't very compelling, the character work was nonexistent, and it was a boring call from JR & Lawler. It was almost like they were striving for a main event level match without the guidance of an agent. The ending was lame with Angle refusing to have his head shaven and a backstage brawl that led to Angle passing out in the barber's chair. I'm pretty sure they dug Brutus' Barber Shop chair out of storage. but nothing about this segment compared to that Shawn Michaels heel turn. Hell, it wasn't as exciting as Beefcake making jobbers pass out and cutting their hair. Angle & Edge definitely improved on this.

I liked this a lot, and I usually hate NOAH matches. Kobashi's return match, and boy has Japanese wrestling missed him. He is clearly the best heavyweight wrestler in Japan at this time, and the ace of the entire industry the way that Jumbo and Misawa were before him. Every time he was in the ring with either Akiyama or Nagata it was compelling viewing. The match was booked perfectly with Akiyama and Nagata testing Kobashi's fitness, health and resolve, and Kobashi showing his fighting spirit and awesome ability. The result could have gone either way, but the champ deserved to go over after Kobashi's long absence, and Kobashi showed enough in the ring to remind the fans why they missed him so much. People mentioned that this was a big star tag, but I thought it was a heck of a lot better than the big name inter-promotional matches from this era, largely because of the dynamic between Kobashi and Akiyama. I was ready to roll my eyes at this one, but it was excellent.

This was a really good three way. I liked the way they continually focused on the psychology of the triple threat match by having spots where all three men squared off, as well as the inevitable double teams and saves. They managed to deliver an outstanding main event while also setting up matches for the next show. The flow was extremely good as well. The match never dragged and it didn't outstay its welcome. The commentators went overboard about how good the match was, but the workers delivered on the pre-match hype. Good stuff.

Crazy, PPV quality ladder match on free TV. This ain't the WWE I grew up watching. Eddie takes a while to introduce the ladder, and you can hear JR and the King getting fidgety on commentary, but once the ladder gets involved, Eddie takes some crazy ass bumps. I always fear a bit for Eddie with that smaller frame of his taking vicious bumps. The ladder portion of the match is better than the Edge No DQ match, but unfortunately Van Dam blows his big ladder spot at the end, and Eddie has to call a a finish on the fly. Then, after all the punishment they took, the match was overshadowed by an Austin run-in and Benoit turning heel. Not sure why they turned Benoit heel in Edmonton. Despite all that, the match had to have given Eddie a major confidence boost after his return to the WWE in April. It's too bad we never got to see Eddie vs. Austin. That might have been one of the highlights of the year if it had gone down.

This was a good TV match that got better as it went along. Angle was doing the old Buddy Rose trick of wearing a wig after having his head shaved, and was using Rick Steiner style headgear to hold it down. Every time he'd get tossed around the ring, it looked like his hair was standing on end. He won the match halfway through after a hellacious angle slam from the top rope only for Hogan to appear and throw him back in the cage. Such a Hogan thing to do. This had everything you'd expect from a TV cage match -- blood, bodies lying everywhere, big spots off the top rope. Entertaining stuff pretty early on after the collapse of the Invasion angle.

We only get the tercera here, which is a bummer because I wanted to check in on these guys before the end of the year. Averno & Mephisto have almost been forgotten guys in 2002, which I guess is a consequence of Ultimo & Rey rising further and further to the top and the Infernales being de-emphasized even when Satanico was feuding with Damian 666. Averno is starting to pick up some wins, however, and we'll see if that momentum carries over into 2003. Even with the limited footage, Virus still shone. It's clear that he's one of the top workers in the company, but he's languishing in matches that seldom, if ever, make it on the show. That's too bad because I don't think there's anyone on the roster that's more talented. Bigger stars, sure, but better workers, no.

We only get the tercera here, which is a bummer because I wanted to check in on these guys before the end of the year. Averno & Mephisto have almost been forgotten guys in 2002, which I guess is a consequence of Ultimo & Rey rising further and further to the top and the Infernales being de-emphasized even when Satanico was feuding with Damian 666. Averno is starting to pick up some wins, however, and we'll see if that momentum carries over into 2003. Even with the limited footage, Virus still shone. It's clear that he's one of the top workers in the company, but he's languishing in matches that seldom, if ever, make it on the show. That's too bad because I don't think there's anyone on the roster that's more talented.

I can't remember if I saw any of Billy Kidman's WWE run. It's weird seeing him in trunks instead of jean shorts. This was a decent TV match, but it featured not one but two restarts. How did Smackdown refs become so powerful that they could over-rule DQs and count outs? I'm pretty sure I would have marked out for the ref ordering the bout to continue when I was a kid, but it happens every single week with Los Guerreros. The second half of the match is action packed, and I am delighted that Eddie is ending 2002 on a high, but it's exciting fodder for an A-Train run-in and another cheap Guerreros win, so ultimately this wasn't that essential.

Pepper Gomez vs. Abdullah The Butcher (July 22nd, 1975) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- this was a fun looking match. Abby is another guy who looks better in the 70s. Faster, more mobile, able to put more energy into his performances. He comes across as a fresh attraction and his matches have seemed genuinely exciting. Solie mentions that Abby is being managed by Buddy Colt, who is still recovering from the injuries he suffered in the plane crash. Good stuff. Stan Hansen vs. Tosh Togo (May 8th, 1973) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- it's weird seeing Hansen in such good shape. Tosh Togo was an awful worker. He really was the shittiest of all the stereotypical Japanese heels. Hansen is earnest, but Togo sucks. Nothing special. Brass Knuckles Title Match: Rocky Johnson (c) vs. Killer Karl Kox (Title Change!) (March 14th, 1978) -- I was kind of looking forward to this, but it was just the finish. Nothing special. N.W.A. World Tag Team Title Match: Ole & Gene Anderson (c) vs. Rocky Johnson & Tiger Conway Jr. -- It's fun watching Rock's dad do his thing. I swear you can see a bit of The Rock in him. The Andersons looked like absolute pros. Decent footage. 19 Man Battle Royal Highlights (March 27th, 1973) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- Scrappy battle royal that was based around an angle where Buddy Colt paid Dandy Jack and the Samoans to put Ron Fuller out of wrestling. It's crazy how tall and lanky Fuller was. Match was won by Gorgeous George Jr. Nothing special. Tony Charles vs. Jim Brooks (May 8th, 1973) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- Tony Charles looked sharp here. If we ever get access to the ITV faults, he's a guy who has a chance to shoot upwards in my estimation. Decent footage.

In 1983, there was an attempted coup within New Japan to oust Inoki from the company. Inoki had been syphoning New Japan's profits into a business venture in Brazil (an alternative energy source that was meant to solve the global food crisis), and was forced to resign after Tiger Mask's shock resignation. Sakaguchi also resigned, and Shinma was pushed out of the company under the guise of a three month suspension. No-one is sure how the UWF originated, but the most common theory is that Shinma created it as a promotion for Inoki to jump to after the coup. However, TV Asahi intervened and put an end to the coup. Inoki wound up staying in New Japan and Shinma couldn't get him to transfer. The original concept for UWF was basically New Japan under a new name, and the initial advertising promised stars like Inoki, Backlund and Andre. Shinma couldn't deliver the WWF guys because they were under contract with New Japan. He was able to use his ties with New York to send Maeda there, and his hope was to get Vince to supply foreign talent after the WWF's contract with New Japan expired, but he resigned from the UWF once it became obvious that Inoki wasn't going to jump.

This was a Fatal Fourway that set up Eddie vs. Benoit & Angle vs. Big Show at the December PPV. It's notable for a lengthy standoff between Kurt Angle and Edge, who had been attacked by Albert prior to the bout. It was equal parts exciting and excessive. Edge probably escaped the Ankle Lock too many times, but it was engrossing another star making turn for Edge. I doubt Edge is too many people's example of a perfect pro-wrestler, but he worked his butt off in this match. I am kind of sick of all of these guys matching up and even I was hooked.

This beef between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit is pretty boring. To be honest, I don't think they have the acting chops to pull it off. It's the kind of thing that looks all right when they splice it together for a music video, but as a weekly thing it's starting to drag. This had another false finish halfway through the bout, though in this case it was right before they cut to commercials, so I guess it was a hook for viewers to return. And I suppose, a way to have longer matches on TV. The match has some decent stuff, as you can imagine. Eddie is starting to display a vicious mean streak, which I think is the part of his game that's been missing all year. Chavo excels in the role that Cole defines as a jackal or a hyena, and spends most of his time saving his partner or knocking guys out with a title belt. Decent bout.

Paul London is extremely flippy. This match is pretty weak when it comes to projecting the hatred between the wrestlers, and it's not a great street fight in that respect, but Good Gawd Almighty, some of those spots! It's too bad the commentators can't put a match over to save their lives. They're forever going on about how ROH is professional wrestling not sports entertainment, but they could do with a dose of sports entertainment in their commentary. Match is more of a glorified stunt show than a grudge match but at least it's watchable.

In some respects, yes -- manga, anime, video games -- but they are hopelessly behind Korea when it comes to exporting entertainment products. Which is ironic because Japan has a huge impact on Korean pop culture. Admittedly, Korean TV and film is vastly superior to Japanese productions. K-pop has probably overtaken J-pop too, though K-pop stars still record songs in Japanese because of how important the market is.

Here's a match we never thought we'd see, and a match I never thought I'd want to see. It was the only TV match Shawn had in 2002. The rest of his matches were on pay-per-view. There are a lot of similarities between Michaels and Van Dam, and it feels like a natural matchup. Interesting choice to go with the back and leg psychology instead of being spot happy. The interference from Hunter is groan-inducing, but it shows how invested in the match I was. RVD deserves a ton of credit for becoming a made guy in the WWE. I wouldn't have given him a hope in hell after the Invasion debacle, but he became a fan favorite. I just wish JR would shut up about his educated feet. NB: I believe the date on this is 11/25.

This was entertaining while the three teams were involved, though it was a bit finisher happy. Unfortunately, the workers hitting multiple finishers on each other was the only time they got a reaction out of the shitty Madison Square Garden crowd. It didn't seem as though the crowd wanted Benoit and Angle to be eliminated, and the Garden was dead for the Guerreros' heat segment on Edge. Mysterio's high spots woke them up again, and the finishing stretch was decent, but it was definitely lacking something without Angle and Benoit. They would have been better off without the elimination stip, or putting a spin on the classic Survivor Series stip and having single eliminations. Wouldn't have helped with the crowd, but would have made for a better second half.

So, this is the WWE's take on War Games, huh? The early going is pretty good with RVD making the most of the time he's given. After he's eliminated, the match loses its way, and takes everything Jericho can do to hold things together. The booking was pretty weak by WWE standards. These type of matches are its forte, but the eliminations were weak and there wasn't a lot of excitement when the next wrestler entered. To be fair, it was a pretty shitty crowd, but this was still noticeably weaker than other match layouts we've seen in 2002. Hunter was solid enough doing the ironman act. I don't think the blame can be laid at his feet. Shawn had a terrible haircut and awful tights. I don't know if it was because of his back, but he moved and bumped in a straight way that seemed like a broomstick was stuck up his ass. They spend a lot of money on confetti for his big moment, but I don't think it went over as intended, which is probably why it's not a legendary moment. JR tried to sell the hell out of it, but I'm not sure folks were buying it.

This was a treat. They got 20 minutes to go out there and have a classic trios match. The una caida was a mat fall that saw Zumbido square off with Magica, Ricky Marvin take on Juventud, and Apolo Dantes duking it out with Takemura. Ricky Marvin vs. Juventud was especially interesting as Juvie seemed to be on a mission to remind everyone that he used to be a hot shot himself. The second fall saw them branch out into classic lucha exchanges before the rudos took control of the bout. The tecnicos made their comeback in the tercera, and we got a hotly contested third fall that was extremely competitive for a midcard bout. It's amazing the difference it makes when it feels like the outcome is at stake. Apolo Dantes' tecnico turn is quietly awesome. I have no idea why they decided to turn him face, but we get to see these awesome matchups between Dantes and rudo opponents. Juvie was great in this as well. Easily his best performance since joining CMLL.

You are describing Japan in general not just New Japan.

Good match that was marred somewhat by interference from Edge and Chavo. Fortunately, the booking mandate at the time was to have that type of shit happen during the middle of a match so they gave us a proper finish. Eddie vs. Rey is an all-time great match up. In my opinion, they match up as well as anyone in the history of professional wrestling. They don't dig too deep into their bag of tricks here, but it's an entertaining bout, and I thought the work was better than the Benoit/Mysterio match. Eddie is starting to look more like Eddie.

Florida Tag Team Title Match: Mike Graham & Kevin Sullivan (c) vs. Dale Lewis & Gene Lewis (8-7-73) -- young Kevin Sullivan continues to fascinate me, but this cuts off right as he's cleaning house. Nothing special. Florida Heavyweight Title Match: Dusty Rhodes (c) vs. Killer Karl Kox (February 7th, 1978) -- Dusty is angry because Bobby Duncum and Killer Karl Kox stole his hat. At some point, in the late 70s, Dusty lost a considerable amount of weight and became much quicker and athletic. I prefer the heavier set Dusty from the mid-70s myself, but this was definitely Dusty's peak as an athlete. Decent footage. Florida Title vs Southern Title: Dusty Rhodes vs. The Spoiler (August 2nd, 1978) -- Dusty cuts a great promo about being screwed out of the Southern Title. Then we get some NWA edited footage of the incident. Promo was good. Buddy Colt vs. Man Mountain Mike (October 24th, 1972) (Championship Wrestling From Florida) -- fun Buddy Colt performance against the 600 pounder. Decent footage. Billy Robinson & Tony Charles vs. The Masked Superstars (October 21st, 1975) @Ft. Hesterly Armory -- man, I'd give my left nut to see Billy Robinson vs. Jack Brisco in Florida. Instead, we get pro-wrestling shenanigans, which Robinson is still pretty good at. One of the Superstars was Jerry Lawler. OK footage. Florida Tag Team Title Match: The Spoilers (c) vs. Mike Graham & Steve Keirn (Title Change!) (1978) -- Graham and Keirn look pretty good here. This is generic pro-wrestling, but it's well executed. Decent footage. Dusty Rhodes & Bill Watts vs. Dick Murdoch & Buddy Colt (February 18th, 1975) @Ft. Hesterly Armory -- Dick Murdoch & Buddy Colt! What a team. Cowboy Bill Watts has a moustache. This is great! Dusty gets cut, and the heels work him over in a number of nasty ways. Bill Watts is a stuttering hot tag, but it's still kind of fun. All hell breaks loose, and Dick Murdoch does a fantastic bump from an atomic drop. Great footage!