El-P

Back to the G1 after Day 6 almost killed my urge. Makabe vs. Tenzan Two old broken down fuckers beating teh hell out of each other, I can like that. Although it's not exactly Tenryu vs Choshu. Damn, this match is ugly, but the simplistic tone carried by Tenzan makes it the best Makabe has looked thus far, no need to kill time with useless nothing. They just do at it, it doesn't look good, it's not very stiff but they do sell well enough to make me buy it. So, that was good in a butt-ugly way. SANADA vs. Goto Goto is really the middle-road man, good, never bad, never great. SANADA seems to be as good as his opponent, so this was good in a very middle-of-the-road way. Like, nothing engaging, nothing repulsive. Not a productive pairing, that's all. Ishii vs. Marufuji Stiffness alert. I love MAru as a heavy veteran stiffing the shit out of everyone. Ishii is so much more than just stiff elbows and headbutts BTW, he does so many little things right, selling, reacting, even quick sequences demanding athleticism and crazy timing. Maru must be the most brutal chopper this side of Kobashi. I guess he figured "Ok, I can't fly like I used to, what can I do instead ? Oh yeah, this. *wham*". I pity his opponents. This match is the kind that builds a regular climb to excellence. Clap clap clap. Okada vs. Tonga Now that's I'm at the stage where the novelty wore off, I kinda know what to expect. So Tongo = Stalker facepaint + bad pants + boring match. This is actually the best he looked (along with the Tana match), thanks to a very giving Okada. Maybe a bit of lack of hierarchy sense in these matches, Okada, IWGP champ, should run over our favourite son-of jobber. Finishings stretch was not bad at all. Match was not exactly good. Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi Big Samoan brute vs Tanahashi palying underdog. That works on paper. And holy shit, Fale is an angry Samoan ! Those barricades shots are wicked. Tanahashi makes Fale look liek he never did before, but Fale does work his ass off, sweating a whole bunch and overworking himslef into what is probably his best single match ever. The one thing I don't care for is his finisher, but he's one big monster who knows how to use his body and also take offense (he bumped well for that frankensteiner, damn !). Tanahashi is probably still a top 5 worker in the world from what I've seen thus far, he's everything right about pro-wrestling. Really, really good stuff ! Fale with the right guy = garanteed fun. Plus he looks Abbyesque. Hey, Day 7 got me back on track. Tanahashi & Marufuji are awesome.

Ok teacher. Next time you'll give me a grade.

This requires a bit of mediation, it's not that "some things are natural" and "other things are cultural", it's always an interaction between the two. No. There are simple attitudes, body languages and postures that are shared among all humanity, without any bit of culture. Hell, some of it is even shared by the great monkeys with which we share 99% of our genetics.

Agreed. It's not a matter of "understanding the wink", which goes back to the idea of remote tribes never in contact with the outside world, like complete heterogeneity (and it's not completely true either, all of us humans share a common basis which has zilch to do with culture). Between US pro-wrestling, lucha, various forms or puroresu, UK World of sports, it's a matter of nuances, but it doesn't take anyone very long to get 90% of what's happening in any of these style unless you're totally dense. The only reason I never got into straight Lucha were : lack of canon back when I got into buying tapes / lack of availability for much of that already non-existing canon / annoyance with the tone of the announcers usually, which is an aesthetic judgement on my part where Japanese sounded cool to me hears (plus years of watching Japanese movies helped with the language familiarity although I didn't ger one word). But rudos/technicos, blade jobs and foul play with refs, I still got quite fast. Hell, Lucha Underground, which is a byproduct of lucha, very much americanized, but still, is my favourite promotion now in term of aesthetics.

Maybe YAMATO had not find himself yet. Didn't make a strong impression on me there. Intermezzo AKIRA & Jushin Thunder Liger & Kota Ibushi & Taichi vs Atsushi Aoki & Fujita Jr. Hayato & GENTARO & Jado Well, this match pretty much sums up what was wrong with this J Cup. All these guys were eliminated in the first round, but very clearly Oaki, Fujita, Ibushi and Liger were better than most of the guys of made it. Even Gentaro would have fit the bill way better than YAMATO from what he's showing. So here you get the would-be-great roster of the J Cup second round having a very good eight man, with the young guys shining again. Jado kinda looks there. He really didn't bring anything to the Cup. AKIRA does look a bit of his age despite teh good work. Or it's the other way around. Anyway, this was fun and showed the broken promises of this edition. Damn, Ibushi already. Final Naomichi Marufuji vs Prince Devitt Oh. Ok. So, MOTYC. And best final match since the original in 94. When Maru brings it, he does takes it to the next level, which I guess is the sign of a great worker. He's really a *creative* worker in the good sense (most of the time, not crazy about him using the spanish fly for instance), of the word. He actually may have been one of the first if not the first to use the ring space in different ways that had not been thought about before. Would be interesting to see when this kind of movements appeared (like following a guy running the rope). Swift matwork and crazy work. Seriously, this stuff where Maru jumps above the rope to the outside WITHOUT TOUCHING into a dropkick is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. And it's an offensive move, not just flippy-floppy wasted motion. Devitt is bringing it too, with that kind of Benoitesque kinda lack of charisma, although he's certainly way good looking. I totally feel that girl who wanted him to face-f/it's a really great match with a sense of escalation to a finish that looks like the finish and is the finish. Incredible, pre 2010's but totally 2010's junior match, state of the art. Devitt was on par, but Maru really was the star. Ok, so a fantastic first round because of a great cast, two disapointing rounds because of poor booking I thought and a fantastic final which easily was the best since 1994. With better booking, this one would have been the best J-Cup ever I believe. The fact it was at Korakuen and not a big building made it seem less important, but it also gave the matches good heat in an era where a big building would have been half empty, so it was the right setting. Liger and Kanemoto looked excellent despite their age. The young generation of Aoki, Ibushi, Fujita and to a much lesser extent Taichi and Taguchi looked very promosing to say the least. Devitt, well, there's a reason why he's in WWE now. And Maru was the right guy to win and looked like the Ace in the final. Overall, can't put down a card with such a main event and first half. I'm glad I did this because I had not cared about junior wrestling in almost fifteen years, and it made me love it again. Hey, there was a J Cup this year ? How convenient.

Semi finals Prince Devitt vs Yamato Finally, Yamato can play heel. Booking him with two other dickhead was a strange choice. He's also not that great. Not bad but kinda there. Oh, no selling galore. Not feeling this one. Turned into a decent match building up from nothing, but clearly Yamato has been mostly a bust to me. Devitt is such a typical 2010's worker, in both good and bad ways. Naomichi Marufuji vs Ryusuke Taguchi Battle of pants. Taguchi already won the hair fight. Ok, this is good. Really good actually and pretty much a modern, contemporary match. Maru is trolling Taguchi with the hip swivel. That's how you act on another promotion's show when you're an outsider ! Yuck, a bad fuck-up toward the end and Maru missed two kicks in a row. But it was still quite the good, all action, counters and counter-counters match. Never developped into epicness though. These matches do feel a bit rushed, but this was good. Kinda like the second round, the semis just weren't on par with previous editions. Yamato hasn't done much for me in the end, and Maru, as good as he is, can also screw up stuff which are already dubious to begin with sometimes. Taguchi is a good worker but not a great one. Kanemoto and Liger are badly missed by this point it seems.

I heard about Okinawa Pro before. Sounds like the epitome of indy sleaze. GOA was really good from the short bit I've seen. Second round Gedo vs Yamato Again, Yamato gets out-heeled by his opponent. Gedo goes on working the leg and does it really well. One good thing about Japan is that you can shout "motherfucker !" like it's nothing. Solid match, but Gedo looks better than his opponent. Jury's still out on Yamato, I thought Gedo looked more solid and kept things together. Danshoku Dino vs Prince Devitt Damn, this is some crass comedy. Tons of dick grabbing and nipples fondling. Yet, I laughed because it's, you know, well done and seems to be in rather good spirit. Working this guy must be some experience. Has he ever faced Joey Ryan ? Dream match of sorts. Hey, Dino seems to be able tow ork too, so in five minutes they mix some pretty good stuff with comedy, but Devitt ain't having that and... HOLY SHIT FOOTSTOMP ON THE COCK !!! Sickest finish ever !!!! Seriously, how do you work that ??? Damn. Koji Kanemoto vs Ryusuke Taguchi Story here is Kanemoto always a step ahead of Taguchi. Kicking him unmercifully, reversing ankle locks (well, that I could do without, fuck you Kurt Angle), countering spots. So, Kanemoto fucks up Taguchi's knee until Taguchi decides he has enough and does the same : kick in the knees exchange ! Yeah, this is good. Doesn't get as hot as the previous Kanemoto match, but the story is well told and plays a role in the finish. I like how Taguchi seems to be a big Eddie Guerrero fan. Kanemoto looked really strong again. Naomichi Marufuji vs Tigers Masks Pretty big disappointment. On paper it looked like it could be one of the best match of the show and they barely go longer than six minutes, Maru going for finishers straight from the start. Tigers kinda kicks out of the finish too. Well, not sure what was that all about, but it looks like wasted potential. After a terrific first round, this second round had nothing on the previous issues. One really good match, a solid one with not the best result (Yamato doesn't do much for me thus far), some good comedy and a rush job. Odd booking. Hopefully the semi-finals will deliver.

It appears that there was pro-wrestling in Japan in 2009. And there even was another edition of the J Cup, hosted by New Japan again. I don't think I was even aware of that fact. So, that's the ultimate dive into the unknown for me. Korakuen Hall. Ok, that I recognize. Tiger Mask on announcing. So, he's not part of this one. No idea who was active at the time. And so we get a : First round Tigers Mask vs Taichi Tigers Mask is doing a hobbling pirate entrance. I LOVE this guy already. He seems a little bit heelish too now. Taichi has elvolved from a generic AJ rookie to a very glamorous look, complete with terrific bad japanese boy-host hairstyle. Hot sprint. You can see the difference in quickness with what was done ten years before. Spot-spot-spot, but damn good as Taichi is trying to outdo dick heel Tigers. The swipe of the hand was a nifty spot. Short, but quite hot and really good. Ryusuke Taguchi vs Gentaro Oh, so that why Taguchi got the Funky Weapon moniker. Feel the 'fro. Japanese guys always were the afro in a stylish way. He's not a comedy guy at all, although he does the hip swivel on occasion. No butt attack either, but some really crisp looking work. Gentaro I remember from K-Dojo. At first, looks like kinda generic indy guy, but the guy surely knows how to work, including beautiful flying spots. You can see the level of athleticism has raised quite a bit. Fifiteen years before, Gentaro would have been Motegi. Started ok, ended quite good. AKIRA vs Yamato Akira Nogami gets in the J Cup in 2009 ? WTF ? Yamato I've never heard of, but he's a young punk. That's a dynamic that can work. Old AKIRA can still go apparently, and although his flying spots look his age, this totally works in a veteran vs youngin way. That's a third good match in a row and an impressive performance from the veteran. Nice surprise. Jury's out on Yamato. Jado vs Danshoku Dino Ok, so, Dino is a pervert. And he's gay and wants to kiss guys in the audience. Comedy match, with Jado playing it straight (no pun intended) while delivering heavy looking chops to poor Dino. It last waaaaaaaay longer than it should, although I guess the payoff works better that way. Not sure I want to see another Dino match though. Only in Japan that could work. Jado looks ripped and quite the chopper. Decent for a change of pace I guess. Gedo vs Kota Ibushi And now we're getting to the next level with Ibushi. He was in DDT at the time. Gedo is ripped, works slow pace and straight heel. Plays base for Ibushi's great flying around work. Slow build to a really hot finishing stretch, with quite the perfectly put together finish. Ibushi looks terrific already, Gedo looks efficient as hell. Very good match. Prince Devitt vs Atsushi Aoki Ok, so Devitt was IWGP champ at the time. So I guess he's going long here. Aoki is a NOAH guy I remember having seen at some point. Holy hell, these guys are working fast and crisp ! This is clearly a 2010's match. Brutal arm work by Aoshi, which is sold quite well by Devitt, who isn't a Devil yet but quite a devilish worker. So much female screams too. I wonder if he face-fucked some of these Korakuen Hall girls. Super fast and intense work, extremely well executed. Totally different than the previous match in that they kicked in high gear almost immediately, but you can't deny the great action. Fujita Jr. Hayato vs Koji Kanemoto Girls are going insane for Hayato, who's a young punk it appears. Kanemoto is an old prick. Both kick hard. How can that not go along well ? And it does. Excellent match, where the young tries to upstage the veteran. Such a classic story, especially when both are shooty and shit. Kanemoto's execution still looks both flawless and safe. They also protect themselves from kick to the face while selling beautifully. This had it all, the work, the attitude, the hot finishing stretch. Beautiful. Jushin Liger vs Naomichi Marufuji The Super J Cups champs going at it. Liger takes it down and slower. Marufuji looks better than five years before, although I do understand the dislike for some of his offense. He's a definite acquired taste. Damn this is an "then ace" vs "now ace" match, and it developps into greatness. How was Liger doing to be this good still ? This is the opposite of the 2010's match earlier, totally less is more, and make the most out of every shoteis. Matwork, bombs and punishment from Liger and tricky stuff from Maru. Liger puts over the new ace in the first round and all is well in the world. Ok. This puts to shame every first round of past J Cups. Apart from the Dino match which was comedy, everything was at least good or better, mostly very good leaning on excellent, with one great match involving (doh !) Jushin Fucking Liger at 45 years old or something. Variety too, with straight sprint action, heelish slower pace, futuristic work, old vs young, legend vs ace, you name it. The veterans all delivered big time at their own level (obviously AKIRA is no Liger not Kanemoto). This was a fantastic first round and I didn't even know it existed. How peculiar.

Anoushka Shankar. Sitar. Raaaah lovely ! It's fucking pro-wrestling. It's pretty self-explanatory. The most "alien" style (alien compared to what BTW ?) doesn't take much to be understood and appreciated for what it is. After a bunch of matches, you quickly get a feel of what's happening and the indiosyncrasies of the style.

Holy shit.

Indeed. I'm amazed. What has Chyna done apart from being a truly efficient gimmicky valet for a year or two before becoming an atrocious in-ring worker ? Did she move any kind of needle like Sable did during the Attitude Era, which would be the *only* semi-valid criteria to event have her approach the ballot ?

Pat yourself on the back, man, Horowitz' style.

All I've got to go on is what you write, as you've pointed out I can't mind read. That post suggested to me that you didn't connect the dots and it also strongly suggested that you weren't entirely aware how influential that idea of the aliens and the winks has been. If you were aware of it, fine, you made it seem like you were not. I still think it is super relevant to the thread. I think my post was pretty clear : "I have no fucking idea how that's relevant to what I just said". If I didn't understand the thing or disagreed with this idea (which would be bold of me), I would have expressed it in a different way. I always bet on the intelligence of whom I speak to. Doesn't change the fact that you use a patronizing tone. Fair enough. Point taken. That makes about less than ten women in your top 100 musical acts. Ok. Wonder whom they are (although I can see at least one coming, I would guess Patti Smith). Well, I think it's another pretty telling fact that your list really isn't eclectic, which was where this whole debacle started from. Oh, well.

You're the one namedropping all the time. You're well red, we know that. We got it. And yes, you *assume* that I didn't get the wink thing. The whole "it's on you/connect the dot" shit, that's patronizing. Again, stop doing that. You may think it's relevant. I don't. I get your point. I don't see it as relevant. Sorry. As far as "writing off Bob Dylan", it's pretty funny you'd take my post *literally*. I posted the video in hopes anyone who would listen to it would maybe enjoy (or hell, love) it while doing a stupid little jab at Bob Dylan like I would Flair, just to tease your sense of über seriousness. Well, I overreached I guess. That being said Aşık Mahzuni Şerif is a fucking giant that I'm glad I discovered. Anyway, wanna talk about the fact there are barely any women on your music list now ?

I connected the dots the first time I read your post. Stop patronizing. No one here is a student of yours. You're truly unbearable.

I'm not shocked. It's simply not relevant to anything I said. And don't talk to me like I'm the guy running the ferris wheel at the county fair, thank you very much. I could drop some Gille Deleuze's take on Spinoza in the debate too, relative to "affinities", although I wouldn't be able to express myself with clarity enough in a foreign language (yeah, I'm good enough to talk about wrestling, but I do have my limitations in English) The fact is, you don't even try to understand what *I* am saying, while I totally understand what *you* say. Because much like you always do, you simply refuse to even listen and just like to pontify. How the fuck do you know what I see in Sait Faik, Pessoa, Beckett (who wrote in French a lot, so I guess he's allright) or Thomas Bernhard and why it resonnates with me ? You have no idea.

Honestly, I have no fucking idea how that's relevant to what I just said. Remote tribes ? Wink ? Really ? Whatever.

I don't get where you come from. It's like you think everything has to be some kind of big study and having to make assessments about everything. Doesn't work like that. You don't need to understand everything about everything. You won't be able to. But you can discover you have affinities for some things. I would rather read Turkish novelist Saif Faik and Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa than good old Zola or any other french writer who are "my" historical culture but with whom I don't have affinities with. Sait Faik, yes, there's something that resonnate, despte the translation, despite the fact he's talking about a world I'm not really familiar with. And it's not a matter of "exotism" (which is an awful thing). It's a matter of having affinities with ideas, musics, words. You only pick what works for you.

Well, to each his own I guess. Damn, if I grew up speaking two languages, which is an amazing start in life, I would totally be exploring the two cultures. That's such a great thing to have. A friend of mine is actually an Iranian music lover despite not speaking Farsi. He learned to play the sêtar and I believe is working on a book about Iranian music. So there. As far as "making a list", well, I've been writing about music for years now. But it's in French only, so…. There you have it. Taxi Teheran by Jafar Panahi is a great movie. Golshifteh Farahani, well, I'm in love with, and she's a terrific actress to boot.

In other words, learn to love it, Bob Dylan ain't shit compared to the mighty Aşık Mahzuni Şerif :

I don't understand that way of thinking *at all*. I find it pretty self-centered around a culturally dominating culture and quite lazy to be honest, coming from someone who's not exactly the type to be satisfied with just whatever comes off the radio. Doesn't show a lot of curiosity. Plus, there's so much music "without words", to begin with. And then again, with not understanding the words, surely something is lost in translation (although not always, really, it's much better to not understand words with tons of english speaking stuff too, really, depth my ass), but there's so much more than just the meaning of said words. Listening to Turkish folk, I can get shivers just because of the expressivity, not to mention the amazing baglama music. A lot of the french singers I like the most are the ones who are a bit cryptic and not too litteral. The sound of the words meaning more than the words themselves. And like I said, the amazing amount of actual instrumental music makes it easy to listen to something other than the good ol' US & UK rock & pop stuff. As Björk would have put out "There's more to life than this." (do you also not read anything that's not English or American because of the translations issues ? I mean, whenever there's a translation, you can't get the pure poetry of the actual words)

Ordered 20 pizzas ?

Oh fuck yeah ! His punches look terrific most of the times.

That's the Lemmy theorem about music And Lemmy is God, ya know.

As far as style goes ? Never got into straight lucha, but never quite made the effort to. And yeah, I admit I may don't get the style entirely, but then again, I would never say lucha libre is a bad pro-wrestling style. It would be ridiculous. Maybe it's just not for me. I dunno. I loved numbers of luchadors working elsewhere. I loved some lucha matches I checked for the GWE poll in 2006. As far as what I don't like. Well, I don't like shitty pro-wrestling. But there's shitty pro-wrestling all over. Hell, most pro-wrestling is shitty.