Posted December 15, 200915 yr comment_5446407 DVD #24 10/19/85 Tenryu/Tiger Mask vs. Mascaras/Chavo Guerrero - JIP. Tenryu was a weird fit in this. He beat Chavo kind of casually after the other guys hit a few nice spots. Riki Choshu vs. Rick Martel - They did a good job of making the early trading of holds seem more than perfunctory. Martel sold the hell out of Choshu's signature offense and had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he kept escaping down the stretch. With a 15-minute time limit, a draw seemed the obvious conclusion. But it never felt like they were working to that mark. It felt like both guys were trying to win and simply ran out of time. Not a high-end match but something you guys should take a look at. Jumbo vs. Ric Flair - This was the house show version of their typical match. They kept the action moving and packed a buch of signature spots into 15 minutes. But they didn't produce any indelible moments or strike any new ground. The crowd seemed engaged but never reacted as if the match was important (in contrast to Choshu-Martel just before it.) It was probably a better match, move for move, than some other stuff that will make the set. But it never struck me as essential viewing in the context of their series, so I'm leaning no. Funks vs. Road Warriors - Not much of a match. 10/26/85 Jumbo/Tenryu vs. Road Warriors - This match-up continues to frustrate. If they were going eight minutes with no finish, they needed to work with all-out intensity. But the Warriors, despite the appearance and the power offense, never worked crazy. Ric Flair vs. Rick Martel - Already seconded the nomination.
