Random Matches

Jaguar Yokota vs. Monster Ripper (04/07/1982, AJW): This is for the WWWA Championship. Jaguar Yokota is a terrific babyface and Monster Ripper is a great heel and monster for her to work against. This didn't grab me initially, but as it went on it got better and better. I loved Yokota's selling and struggle and Monster Ripper's power moves, including a great press slam stun-gun. This is Technique vs. Brute Force done really well, the kind of match that you can go into 100% "cold" and thoroughly enjoy. Loved Monster Ripper busting Yokota open with her elbows. Great match, but maybe just short of "must see/should watch" territory. (3.5/5)

Jaguar Yokota vs. Devil Masami (07/19/1982, AJW): Another strong performance out of Jaguar Yokota here as she defends her WWA Championship against Devil Masami. Unlike the Monster Ripper match, Yokota and Masami are more evenly matched, so this one doesn't have as clear a story. Plus, Yokota dishes out punishment with just as much intensity as Masami, so this is not so much a classic heel/babyface match as much as it is two absolute pros trading their best shots. The first half is good, but not great, while the back half hits that "second gear" that JR is always talking about. Once Masami starts delivering headbutts, this match goes from one terrific spot to the next and blew my mind with some of the lucha-inspired action. Then, things end with both women just grabbing weapons - a chair and a kendo stick, respectively - and trying to kill each other. Its a bit disappointing, but kinda like the Taker/Shawn match from Ground Zero 97', I can dig a match ending like this when it is well-earned and doesn't feel "screwy" and this is another good example of it as both women had shown increasing frustration and desire to not only win the match, but truly hurt their opponent. I'm not as high on this as others - there are some who consider this one of the best women's matches of the 80s - because of how much better the second half is than the first half, but I can understand the argument that you don't get those thrilling final 6-7 minutes without laying the groundwork with some more slow-paced action in the opening dozen. (3/5)

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Super Tiger (Satoru Sayama) (01/20/1985, UWF): A "shoot-style" wrestling match with Satoru Sayama under the Tiger Mask, uh, mask, but going by Super Tiger. I don't know the history there. Some of the kicks in this match are brutal, but the "realness" of the match is a bit undercut when you also have Sayama performing a piledriver during a match that was mostly all about submissions and strikes. This didn't "hook" me. (2.5/5)

Norman Smiley vs. Kazuo Yamazaki (06/11/1988, UWF): Speaking of "hooking," this is another "shoot-style" match out of UWF with even greater emphasis on submissions and grappling. Smiley was an absolute beast with his technicality and, we'd later learn in WCW, he had charisma and showmanship, but its hard to picture him being successful in the WWF or even NWA/WCW at this time or in the early 90s despite the fact that a peak-Bret Hart vs. peak-Smiley match would've likely ruled. This is a very pure form of wrestling that I don't find myself loving despite my respect for what they are doing and the physicality. At the end of the day, I don't get lost in these matches because there is not an emotional through-line or story that I can follow and it isn't as fast-paced as RINGS, which makes the matches a bit boring (or at least the ones I've seen). (2/5)

Terry Funk and Dory Funk vs. Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen (04/22/1983, AJPW): Intense brawling, as would be expected, with these two teams of rivals fighting tooth-and-nail for every inch. This match is not as acclaimed as some of their other bouts, but everyone here looks good and even Brody was willing to do some selling. Hansen and Terry have the best interactions and were in the midst of a much bigger rivalry at the time. Not a bad match at all, but not particularly memorable and the DQ finish - coming when Brody attacks the referee for trying to maintain order - is a bit deflating. Not a match I'd really recommend. (2.5/5)

Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat (03/08/1986, WWE): As big a Bret Hart fan as I am, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I'd never seen this match before despite it being routinely mentioned as one of the best matches of the 80s and a personal favorite of Bret's and Steve Austin's. This isn't necessarily going to wow you with amazing, never-seen-before spots (especially 40 years later), but the efficiency, the heat, the build, the workrate, and the character work are all top notch. I love Steamboat's tumble through the ropes coming off a Bret Hart gut punch, I loved Bret heeling to the crowd, there's masterful cut-offs to all of the Dragon's hope spots, the way the Dragon fires up in the early minutes - just so many details that make this match work. Easy "must see" territory. My only gripe might be that the twist - whereby Bret gets the clean pinfall but the rest isn't there to see it - is arguably counterproductive to the story being told. For a match with such a pure babyface/heel dynamic, worked so incredibly well, its a somewhat disharmonious note to play. Then again, it is this sort of "outside the box" thinking that makes this match special too. (4/5)

Volk Han vs. Andrei Kopylov (03/05/1993, RINGS): The first time I saw a Volk Han match, I was really impressed and interested in seeing more because the style was so different than anything I'd seen before. Having now watched quite a few of these sorts of matches, I'm finding that it is a style I can respect but do not enjoy as much as others. This match goes under 10 minutes and is almost entirely wrestled on the ground with Han and Kopylov both trying their best to twist and pull their opponent's arms out of their sockets. It isn't the most thrilling thing to watch, but it does look as "real" as anything you'd see in MMA/UFC these days only with way fewer attempts to bust the other guy's face open. Kinda boring despite its brevity and the intensity of the submissions. (2/5)

Riki Choshu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (08/10/1991, NJPW): A really cool stalemate in the corner to start things off as Hashimoto shoves Choshu into the post but can't waffle him because Choshu has his hand on his throat. When the referee finally steps aside, the two monsters go at each other with super stiff chops and strikes and kicks and everything else they can throw. Hash with a nasty kick to the face and then some to the upper chest. Brutal stuff. A Hashimoto kick to the chest has to be up there as one of the most devastating-but-simple strikes in wrestling history. Choshu is a tough son-of-a-bitch, though, and gets up to continue the match only to get knocked back down with a kick to the lower leg. Every time Choshu gets to one knee, Hash kicks him down again. Choshu connects with a punch to the gut that Hash no sells and then he stomps the damaged leg again. Hash comes off the ropes and nails him with a kick to the arm before hitting a DDT and then applying a leglock. Choshu grabs the ropes out of desperation but the damage has been done and this is total slaughter. A wrestler - I'm not sure who - tries to stop it but is unable to and Hashimoto re-applies the leglock. I missed it, but I guess Choshu's corner men threw in the towel, but he defiantly threw it back out of the ring. Hashimoto goes back on the attack and, at this point, another dozen guys come in and try to end this, pulling Hashimoto off his opponent. This feels like more of an "angle" than an actual match, but what an impressive angle it is. Hashimoto looks like a total badass here, but Choshu also looks tough in defeat, even nailing Hashimoto with one big clothesline after the bell to show that he is not finished. Really easy-to-understand storytelling that makes a rematch a "must see," but as a stand-alone match, its hard to rate because it is essentially a squash match (albeit a very entertaining one). (3/5)

Riki Choshu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (06/15/1994, NJPW): I was shocked to learn that, what seemed like a surefire start to a huge rivalry between Choshu/Hashimoto in 91' did not lead to a series of immediate rematches and, instead, actually led to them tagging together? I'm sure a NJPW historian could fill in the blanks but anyway...here we go. Definite "big fight feel" as Hashimoto is IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Some collar-and-elbows to start before Choshu goes after Hash's knee and then its Hashimoto with the big knees to the chest and devastating kick that knocks Choshu to the mat. Hashimoto with an arm drag and another kick, then its back up for another collar-and-elbow and another series of knees that knock Choshu to the mat. Hash lays in some stiff kicks and this is looking like another one-sided affair. Choshu manages to get to his feet and almost has his head knocked off with a roundhouse. Hash hits a DDT and goes for the spinning heel, but Choshu blocks it! Riki puts him on the top turnbuckle and, after considerable struggle, he hits a superplex! The champion is rocked and the challenger hits some devastating strikes of his own including a big lariat off the ropes! He hits another but Hashimoto stays on his feet only to get knocked down with a third lariat! And then a fourth to the back of the head! A fifth to the back of the head, but Hashimoto kicks out at 2. This is Kicks vs. Clotheslines as Choshu hits yet another lariat for another nearfall. He goes for another and then yet another, but Choshu is also selling damage to his own arm because he's basically been throwing it at a brick wall. He hits yet another lariat for another 2 count. This is the epitome of "finisher spamming." Hashimoto gets to his feet and knocks Choshu with a series of stiff kicks to the chest, both guys selling the exhaustion that comes with all this bomb-throwing. Hashimoto off the ropes and he hits another big kick. Then its a few more to the chest and another DDT. Hash goes for the cover but only gets a 2. Choshu is clutching his neck in pain. Hash with an elbow drop for 2, the first "new" move in close to 10 minutes. Hashimoto hits the spinning heel kick and both guys collapse to the mat. Hash with another kick roundhouse kick, then another, and then a third DDT. Hashimoto goes to the top rope and hits a nasty elbow drop to the back of Choshu's head to win the match. This wasn't pretty, but it was violent as heck and, with a runtime well under 20 minutes, it doesn't waste any time or ever get boring (though I do wish they'd have maybe thrown in some other offense as, if you made a list of all the actual moves performed, you'd probably reach a grand total of 8). (3/5)

Chigusa Nagayo vs. Dump Matsumoto (08/28/1985, AJW): Super-duper heat in this match. The actual "wrestling" isn't too impressive, but this is not about leglocks and suplexes - this is a violent fight between two arch-rivals with the loser having to have their head shaved. The atmosphere is electric and every strike, every blow gets a massive reaction. There's an awesome moment when Nagayo applies a Sharpshooter while she's sporting a crimson mask that feels like the reverse of the famous WrestleMania XIII spot with Austin and Bret and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't at least partially inspired by it. For the storytelling and the ridiculously dramatic post-match, I can see why this match is considered an all-time classic but I would've personally liked a smidgen more actual wrestling. (4/5)

Akira Maeda vs. Dick Vrij (05/11/1991, RINGS): Another RINGS match that blurs the line between shoot/MMA and a worked wrestling match with a clear heel and face. Vrij looked the part of a legit ass-kicker and I have no doubt that he one was. Maeda is less impressive in terms of physical appearance, but is supremely tough and was a huge crowd favorite with unparalleled stature in terms of spearheading the MMA/pro-wrestling hybrid style. As I've said before, though, this style isn't one that I'm often in the mood to watch. Its also not a style that I necessarily "understand." Sure, it feels realer than your typical pro-wrestling match, the strikes are super stiff, and there is very little "cooperation" occurring between the wrestler...but because this isn't an MMA fight, it still can end with a submission that doesn't look like it could really lead to someone having a broken leg, which seems to expose the fact that this is a work. (2.5/5)

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (06/17/1993, WAR): A bit of a "dream match" scenario happening in the promotion that Tenryu started. I really liked Hashimoto targeting Tenryu's knee and how consistent that strategy was over the course of the match. Tenryu showed great fighting spirit and the crowd was super into his various comebacks. That being said, it feels a bit disjointed with Tenryu selling so much damage throughout and Hashimoto controlling but then almost running out of steam and not being able to kickout of Tenryu's powerbombs despite delivering so much offense himself. Speaking of kickouts, there's one towards that end from Tenryu that might be one of the best I've ever seen. All in all, a good match but maybe a hair short of must-see. (3.5/5)

Genichiro Tenryu & Takashi Ishikawa vs. Shinya Hashimoto and Riki Choshu (04/02/1993, WAR): Four badass dudes in one match here so you know this one is going to be stiff as all hell. Hashimoto and Tenryu start thing soff, much to the crowd's delight, with Hashimoto landing some kicks early but Tenryu fighting back with clubbing blows. Choshu tags in and then so does Ishikawa. Ishikawa applies a headlock on the mat and then tags Tenryu in, who hits some chops that sends Riki to the corner to tag in Hashimoto. We get a staredown between the two rivals. Hashimoto goes after Tenryu's knee, blasting him with kicks and then applying a leglock. Ishikawa tags in and breaks up the submission with a legdrop before applying a headscissors. Once they're back on their feet, though, Hashimoto takes over with more kicks and then applies a wristlock, which doesn't make for the most exciting couple minutes and the crowd goes quiet. Hashimoto tags in Choshu who hits a vertical suplex. Ishikawa fights back and sends Choshu to the outside. He misses a splash to the outside but Tenryu goes after Choshu on the floor and the ref loses control. Tenryu and Ishikawa brutalize Choshu, busting him open with kicks. Ishikawa hits a clothesline that looks like it catches Choshu in the jaw. Then Tenryu hits another in the corner and then kicks him repeatedly in the head. The ref tries to stop him but gets tossed aside. Ishikawa back in to deliver another stiff clothesline as Hashimoto is forced to watch from the apron. Choshu manages to hit a brilliant suplex (a bit like a Tazzplex) and, soon after, tags in Hashimoto, who comes in with a ton of fire and blasts both guys with kicks, including a huge spinning kick to Tenryu! Hashimoto is relentless with his strikes but Ishikawa breaks things up and stops his momentum. Choshu comes in to get some shots in. Ishikawa comes in and hits a DDT and then another stiff clothesline, but Hashimoto is too close to the ropes for him to get the pin. Ishikawa with a bodyslam and Tenryu hits an elbow from the top (and is now the legal man? I don't think I saw a tag). Tenryu with some kicks but Hash is back on his feet. Clothesline to the back of the head. Ishikawa comes in briefly before Tenryu returns to deliver a heel kick to the back of the head and then a powerbomb. Tenryu goes for the cover but Choshu breaks it up. Ishikawa comes in to deliver a chokeslam, but again Choshu breaks up the pin. Ishikawa goes for a piledriver but leaves himself vulnerable to a clothesline from Choshu. The match goes off the rails here, but Hashimoto manages to hit a huge DDT and cover Ishikawa, bloody mouth and all. Hashimoto isn't able to celebrate much as Tenryu attacks him and out come all the ring boys and trainers to separate the rivals. A very good match that felt extra intense and "real" wrestled in front of a hot, hot crowd. (3.5/5)

Takao Omori vs. Kenta Kobashi (04/15/2000, AJPW): Love Omori's heel work early, jawing at Misawa on the outside, slapping Kobashi in the face, his facial expressions - all great. Good strike exchange to start followed by an Omori dropkick and then a chinlock. Back on their feet, Kobashi hits some nasty chops to the side of Omori's head and then lands a stalling standing suplex. Kobashi brings Omori to the outside and launches him into the guardrail before blasting him with a chop that sends him all the way over it. Cool. Back in the ring, Kobashi applies an abdominal stretch. Omori makes something of a comeback with a shoulder tackle and then we get a stalemate as both guys try to suplex the other. Omori goes after Kobashi's knee with a low dropkick and then another kick as Kobashi sells the agony. Omori wraps Kobashi's leg around the post a couple times and then whips him into the guardrail. Omori lifts him up and drops him through a table on the other side of the guardrail! Omori goes a chair but the ref denies him. Omori applies a leglock on the floor, continuing to go after Kobashi's knee. Back in the ring, Omori continues his targeted attack. Omori applies a figure four and Kobashi sells the heck out of it. Back to the floor they go and Omori hooks Kobashi's leg over the guardrail before hitting a running stomp on it. In the ring, Omori applies a Sharpshooter! Kobashi struggles to power out, but manages to make it to the ropes. Omori's focus on Kobashi's knee is masterful. Kobashi comes back with some chops and forearms, but Omori counters with a swinging neckbreaker. Omori lands a dropkick from the top rope for 2. Kobashi goes for a big reverse chop, but Omori counters it into two dragon suplexes! Wow! Incredible! Omori is the clear heel but the crowd clearly loved that. Kobashi hits a big german suplex of his own and the crowd chants his name. Kobashi follows it up with a running clothesline and then a T-Bone Suplex for 2. Kobash hits a bodyslam and goes to the top but Omori brings him down with a sit-out powerbomb! Omori removes his knee pad and goes to the top, landing a huge knee drop from the top rope for 2. Omori signals for a lariat but Kobashi kicks his arm, this leads to another nifty sequence with Omori hitting a heel kick and then a pair of lariats, one to the back of Kobashi's head and the other to the front of his chest, for another nearfall. Omori tries for a lariat but Kobashi catches him in a sleeper! Kobashi with another suplex, dropping Omori on his head. Kobashi tries for a powerbomb but Omori escapes - only to get hit by a clothesline for 2! Kobashi manages to get Omori up, dropping him with a rather ugly powerbomb. I'm not sure what happened there but it looked painful. Kobashi picks up Omori again and powerbombs him into the top turnbuckle! He goes for the cover but Omori gets his foot under the bottom rope. Omori gets in some slaps but Kobashi chops him back and Omori looks completely spent. Kobashi hits another half-nelson suplex but doesn't go for the cover. Omori hits a clothesline but Kobashi no-sells it and then knocks him out with two absolutely brutal clothesline, the second one being strong enough to practically flip Omori out of his boots. The crowd erupts into a "Kobashi" chant following the match as the trainers look over Omori. I was not surprised to read that this is considered Omori's "career" match because he was excellent in this, but Kobashi was obviously no slouch either and also gave a top notch performance. This is almost a flawless match, but its maybe a bit too straight-forward and "simple" of a layout to be considered a masterpiece. (4/5)

El Phantasmo vs. Konosuke Takeshita (05/03/2025, NJPW) - This is the first El Phantasmo match I've ever seen. Takeshita hits a crazy somersault dive to jump start the match before even taking his jacket off. He follows it up with a flying shoulder off the ropes before attempting a suplex. Some good back-and-forth follows with Phantasmo hitting a Lionsault a hurricanrana before Takeshita was able to regain control on the outside. Back in the ring, Takeshita maintained control with a nasty chop and then stomped on Phantasmo's gut before whipping him into the corner and then applying a chinlock. Not the most exciting "heat" segment ever, but things picked up once Phantasmo started flying to the outside, first with a dive that pushed Takeshita over the guardrail and then a huge splash from the top rope to the floor. Takeshita fought back with a forearm on the apron and then a running knee before getting shoved into the post and piledriven. Takeshita nearly got counted out, scrambling to get into the ring before the 20 count. I hate that even when somebody I generally enjoy does it. We got a strike exchange and then a really great series of big moves and counters and momentum shifts building to ELP calling for a superkick but ending up hit by Takeshita's signature cradle piledriver (which, I just learned, is not so much his signature as a move that was/is somewhat widely used in NJPW by Kenny Omega, Ibushi, and others). Up to the top they go and down ELP brings Takeshita with a powerbomb before hitting an insane pedigree-esque maneuver for a 2 count. Takeshita barely hits his Blue Thunder Bomb moments later but gets 2 with it. ELP executes  a reverse hurricanrana and then Takeshita hits one too! The two men clothesline each other and both hit the mat at the same time as the match nears the 20-minute mark. ELP hits a hurricanrana and we get a nifty series of nearfalls as the match ends via time limit. These two guys had obvious chemistry, but the lack of a clear finish prevents this from being something I'd strongly recommend. A good match, but not a great one, with some elements that I'm just not a fan of ever. (2.5/5)

Jaguar Yokota vs. La Galactica (05/07/1983, AJW): This one is all about Yokota's performance, which is rather incredible. Her agility is fully on display, as is her fighting spirit and technical skill. Unfortunately, Galactica isn't nearly as impressive and the fact that there is so much interference - from Yokota's longtime rival Monster Ripper - and the referee allowing it gets distracting. Obviously, in AJW, interference and weapons and whatnot were par for the course, but it gets tiresome. This was a Hair vs. Mask match that was also for Yokota's WWWA World Title so the stakes were very high, but it is booked the same as so many other joshi matches from this era and feels more like a chapter in the Yokota/Ripper feud more than any sort of achievement or victory for Galactica. Nothing really special here save for an awesome missed crossbody to the floor towards by the end by Yokota and the aforementioned athleticism on display (again, Yokota's and not Galactica's). I'm guessing the historic performance is why some people consider it "must see." (2.5/5)