Posted June 9, 200916 yr comment_5440457 Early beatdown section by Choshu and Saito was a little boring, but this turned into a hell of a match. SSM staged an initial rally by headbutting his way out of trouble. Then, he and Takano reeled off a fun stretch of fast, underdog offense (they were actually a terrific workrate team as mentioned in other nominations.) This seemed to irritate Saito and Choshu, who regained control and unleashed a hell of a beating on Takano. He just bled and bled for the rest of the match. Eventually, he made a desperate tag to kick off a hot finishing stretch. You had surprise near-falls on Saito and Choshu. You had desperate pin break-ups by the blood-soaked Takano. You had chaos on the outside, leading to a surprise finish. All in all, they produced a top-notch outing with tons of blood, action and a classic story of older, stronger team vs. younger, weaker upstarts. Slam dunk nomination. NJ Classics 336
August 11, 200916 yr comment_5442714 Yeah this started a bit slow, although I did dig the amateur stuff with Saito and Choshu v. SSM, but holy fuck what a great last run. Takano looks like he got shot in the face, and all the dives to the floor ruled. Choshu is the king here too. I second the Slam Dunk
August 21, 200916 yr comment_5443136 Agreed that the beginning was a little headlock heavy but at least you could see Choshu and Saito softening up Takano's neck for a future lariat. I have no problem with that. NOtice the shift in strategy when Machine is in there. They try to keep him grounded on the mat at all costs knowing he has the power to inflict real damage. It may be a little dead but at least it is sound wrestling. Takano's second run was much more spirited as he stomps Choshu into the mat and kicks the shit out of Saito in the corner. Takano and MAchine have some great double team moves and Choshu?Saito break out the double team to let the young guys know... "We invented double team moves, motherfucker". This match kicks into an entirely different gear once they bloody Takano up. Seriously. There is no better way to gain points with me than attacking a cut after someone is busted open. There was one scene that reminded me of the blood pouring down Austin's face at WM 13. Add one of the best countout endings I have seen and I agree with the slam dunk. One of the best tags I have seen on the set. Top Ten Tag... maybe Top Five.
