Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Yoshinari Ogawa (01/09/1994, AJPW): Fulton and Rogers wrestled as "The Fantastics," a team I don't think I've ever seen before but, according to Wikipedia, wrestled extensively (with Jackie Fulton taking over for Rogers at times) for close to 30 years in multiple territories and even WCW and WWE (briefly) in the 90s. They're pretty generic but not bad or anything, which is kinda how I'd summarize this match overall. It is "joined in progress" but I'm not sure all that much was cut-off. Ogawa was clearly still developing as a worker and not yet the arrogant asshole character that made him one of my recent favorite "discoveries," while Kawada was the bad-ass who basically ended this match the minute he came in. (2/5)
Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue vs. Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa (05/21/1994, AJPW): Known collectively as The Four Pillars of Heaven, this was a showdown between the Holy Demon Army - Kawada and Taue - and the babyface unit of Kobashi and Misawa. There was already plenty of history to draw from in 94' and everyone was in the middle-of-or-close-to theiTr prime so it should come to no surprise that this match is held in super high regard by the wrestling intelligentsia. There is lots to love here and everyone is playing their role perfectly - Kawada is a prick, Akira Taue is a bully, Misawa is as valiant as ever, and Kobashi's ever-awesome emotional expressions are plentiful. The match goes 40+ minutes but never feels slow or even like they are pacing themselves or "holding off," though the final 10-15 minutes show that they did, in fact, have some serious aces up their sleeves in the form of false finishes and surprising shifts in momentum. This is the sort of match that does require some contextual knowledge, setting it apart from some of the other classics out of Japan that I've reviewed (and, honestly, enjoyed more), but in terms of match structure, performances, and storytelling, this is a very strong match that rewards your attention and engagement. (4/5)
Sami "El Generico" Zayn vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (01/30/2010, PWG): Going into this, it's hard to get too excited when you see that the match goes under 15 minutes, but that's not to say this is a total dud. Zayn is able to move and fly much better than Liger could at this point - he was 46 at the time of this match - and it helps considerably that he can bring that movement because Liger was seemingly only interested in doing just a handful of his signature moves and very little of it involved leaving the ground. Someone on Cagematch made a good point when they talked about how charismatic both Generico and Liger are considering they're both silent performers with their faces covered up. This is fun but not the all-timer that I'm sure these guys could've done had they both been at the peaks of their power. Good for what it was and certainly above-average, but this wouldn't make it on to either guy's list of even 50 best matches probably. (3/5)
Bull Nakano vs. Kyoko Inoue (09/07/1991, AJW): Like the other Inoue match I reviewed above, this might not be for everyone just because so much of Inoue's initial attack is submission-based. That being said, it is a sight to behold to see Nakano sporting a crimson mask from early on (that never seems to really stop bleeding) and getting punished by Inoue, who was challenging for the WWWA Championship. When Nakano does finally get some offense going, her power and toughness is enough to quickly even the score. I really loved Kyoko actually getting Nakano up towards the end of the match as it really showed how desperate she was at trying to finally put the champion down. Great stuff. Nakano's suplexes were nasty, but her selling throughout the match was what really made this work. This is what a Championship match should be. (3.5/5)
Sting and Barry Windham vs. Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (01/17/1988, NWA): I found this on YouTube and it features two cool commercials - one for the official NWA magazine and the other for Captain Lou Albano's 900 number - but the match itself is your run-of-the-mill TV main event with a weak, indecisive finish to sell tickets for the next time these two rival pairings will do battle. Good performances out of everyone, though I'm something of a Tully mark so it's his bumping and selling that is most impressive to me. Having JJ Dillon on commentary was fun too. Nowhere close to "must see," but solid enough. (2.5/5)
Kyoko Inoue vs. Akira Hokuto (01/04/1992, AJW): A good match that starts really hot and then slows down a bit as they get into the extended submission/ground-based stretch before picking things up a bit in the final 5-6 minutes with the head drops and nearfalls. Hokuto hits two big moves from the top to the floor but when she goes for one in the ring towards the end, it ends up costing the match by giving Inoue the opening to hit an airplane spin and then a powerbomb. It's not the most innovative or riveting conclusion, but this match was more a battle of wills than it was a game of human chess. They went at eachother with lots of stretches, dropkicks, powerbombs, etc. and it ended with one wrestler barely getting a pin on the other (Hokuto kicks out at 3.01). Somewhere in this 25+ minute match, there's a sharper, streamlined match, but this slows down a bit too much for my taste. (3/5)
Dusty Rhodes vs. Nick Bockwinkel (05/20/1983, Houston Wrestling): Not much to say about this sub-15 minute match as it was built around Rhodes challenging for the AWA World Championship in Houston (this was not an AWA show) and Ted DiBiase issuing a challenge to the winner before it even took place. This is really just a bunch of "ga-ga" with Bockwinkel bumping all over for Dusty, who alternates between throwing his signature punches and chops and strutting around. Dusty eventually applies the figure four but DiBiase comes in and bloodies him when the ref isn't looking, leading to Bockwinkel getting the cheap pin. Wrestling-wise, there's not much to this, but all the extra elemens, including the pre- and post-match promos, the hot crowd, and the "color" that Dusty help considerably. (2.5/5)
Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Jun Akiyama (07/08/1995, AJPW): A solid match with a straight-forward but effective story of Ogawa going after Akiyama's knee and doing enough damage to keep things close despite the size advantage that Akiyama has. This isn't groundbreaking in any way but there's always something I enjoy about watching Ogawa's expressions and heel work and this offers a concise, compact canvas for it. Akiyama is no slouch either, a good babyface that was on the rise at the time and had some very explosive offense. (3/5)
Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada (06/09/1995, AJPW): Hailed and hyped by many as one of the greatest matches of all time, the Four Pillars do battle in what I would consider, based on my admittedly limited viewership, to be the epitome of King's Road style. These four guys know each other well and that history and ability to withstand and counter each other's signature moves, from the very first minutes of the match, comes into play and then stretches out over the course of a 45+ minute match. Considering the duration, one would think this match would have some dull stretches, but it keeps an incredible pace (which isn't to say its non-stop action, but that it is consistently building and building towards the finish). Everyone's performance is top tier. Kawada is a bastard that has no issue attacking Kobashi's damaged leg (taped up before the match begins) or breaking up pin attempts at every opportunity. He is in "refuse to lose" mode, but because this is AJPW, its not like he's going to outright cheat the way an American heel would. Akira Taue is his usual bullying self, preventing pins and going after Misawa's eye (which is a key element of the match that I wasn't aware of prior to reading about it). The ever-stoic Misawa shows his grit and determination throughout with big forearm shots, suplexes, and dives. Kobashi, the most dramatic seller of the bunch, gets to not only show off that part of his game but also gets to have one of his famous and ultra-emotional comebacks. The near falls in the final third of the match are excellent and the audience bites on several. There are not as many "shocking" moments as one might expect in a match considered to be among the best ever wrestled, though there are definitely a few: Taue choke slamming Misawa from the apron to the floor, Kobashi draping himself over Misawa to try to save him from getting stomped on, the two-person chokeslam by the heels, the tremendous heel heat they get when they attack Kobashi's knee for the first time. If you look on PWO and Cagematch, you'll find nary a criticism...so what about this didn't hook me? Watching this match without full context takes some of the emotional weight away from it. This is not necessarily a match you can put on "cold" and immediately enjoy as it isn't actually the stiffest or most violent or most action-packed match these men have had with each other or others. There are some big throws and suplexes, but this is not filled with guys landing on their heads or necks and getting nearly paralyzed. There are plenty of cool strikes, but this is not Kawada or Hashimoto caving their opponents' chest in with kicks. As noted above, everyone involved is playing their role well, but that almost means you have to understand those roles and not hope for anyone to start "coloring outside the lines," which is usually what moves a match from one gear to the next. As good as this match is, it doesn't beat you over the head with its "epicness" - though your mileage may vary when it comes to Kobashi's emotiing. This match might be the epitome of a certain style (King's Road) and a certain era of wrestling (90s AJPW), but if you're not enthralled by that particular style and time, this match is not the one I'd automatically send you to as a starting point. (4/5)
Tully Blanchard vs. Barry Windham (01/23/1988, NWA): This was for the Western States Championship, one of my many "regional" championships under the NWA banner at the time. Quick note: If you're wondering why Tony Khan doesn't shy away from adding title after title to his company, it could be because of his love for old school NWA. Anyway...Windham controls early, sending Tully to the outside to regroup. Windham goes for a pin early and Tully gets out of it by poking him in the eye (love the small details there). Windham hits a powerslam but Tully gets his foot on the rope and then strategizes with JJ Dillon on the outside. A knee to the midsection allows Tully to get some offense in and he applies a headlock, only for Windham to power out of it with a back suplex. After a commercial break, we come back to Tully grapevining Windham's leg. Windam fights out with a series of headbutts and body shots but the damage has been done and Windham is hopping on one leg and selling the knee heavy. Tully targets it with a single-leg takedown and then another grapevine, working the knee. Windham grabs holds of his head and turns it into a body scissors. Luger shows up in a picture-in-picture and says he thinks Windham will be able to win despite the leg damage. Thanks, Lex. In the ring, Windham continues to sell the leg injury but is fighting through the pain. Windham applies a tight headlock but Tully turns it into a knee breaker! They trade nearfalls, both guys exhausted and unable to hit much of anything. Windham goes for a suplex but Blanchard lands on him for another 2 count. When we come back from a second commercial break, Blanchard has a figure four applied. Windham gets to the ropes but Blanchard keeps the pressure applied. It is announced that 25 minutes have passed (meaning a good 10 minutes of this went unseen by the TV audience). With only 4 minutes remaining, Tully connects with a snap mare and a headlock takedown but Windham bridges out of the pin! Big suplex by Windham! 3 minutes left! Tully stomps on Windham's knee and then goes to the top, but Windham meets him in the corner and calls for the superplex! He can't pull it off and slips to the mat. Windham hits a running lariat and the bell rings at 1?!? JJ rang the bell! There's all sorts of confusion and referee Tommy Young is brought to the outside and told so by the commentators (and Luger). Young watches the monitor and the last 90 seconds of the match are replayed. Back in the ring, Tully attacks Windham from behind and rolls him up for 1...2...Luger stops the pin! Tully goes after Luger! Dillon nails Windham! In comes Flair and Anderson! Pandemonium! Anderson hits a DDT on Luger! A fan comes in the ring and is taken out by Anderson and security! In comes the Stinger! As a match this was good-not-great with a very good babyface-in-peril performance by Windham with his extended selling of the knee, but its the post-match that elevates this into slighty above-average territory. A solid TV match with a very hot ending in front of a crowd that was fully into it. (3/5)
Bull Nakano, Yumiko Hotta, and Suzuka Minami vs. Akira Hokuto, Etsuko Mita, and Mima Shimoda (08/30/1992, AJW): Before the match, we get a some words from the heels (The LCO) and their babyface opponents but because I don't speak Japanese, I have no idea what they're saying. As soon as the announcements cut away, its brawling time as the women fight it out outside the ring. The LCO work on Minami in the ring, but she tags out to Hotta, who hits a piledriver on Mita. Nakano comes in and nearly takes her head off with a clothesline before delivering another piledriver. The pin is cut off by Shimoda. The babyfaces continue to punh Mita with Minami hitting an impressive backbreaker for another 2 count. In comes Hokuto, though, who stiffs her with a pair of heel kicks off the ropes and then a dropkick from the top. Shimoda comes in and we get a really cool spot wheree they hang Minami in the ropes and Hokuto comes down on her with a cane (!). This only gets 2 and Hotta comes in, fighting back and hitting a series of snappy kicks to Mita and then a suplex. Nakano comes in with a clothesline off the top for 2. Nakano takes out all the heels and then hits a release atomic drop before applying a dragon sleeper on Mita. Nakano swithches it into a camel clutch and Hotta comes in and just kicks her straight in the face! The double-teaing on Mita continues but she manages to kick out of a pin attempt. Minami comes in and hits a release front suplex and then a legdrop for another 2.9. Piledriver by Minami and another nearfalls. We're less than 10 minutes into this and Mita has withstood a ton of punishment. Hotta hits a spinning heel kick from the top. To the outside we go for some crowd brawling - always a pleasure in these types of matches. Back in the ring, Nakano nails Shimoda with a huge clothesline and Shimoda's bump is incredible. She then applies a crazy submission but it gets broken up by Hokuto, who swiftly applies a Sharpshooter (only to get cracked by a Hotta kick). The heels take control until Hotta hits two reverse powerbombs on Hokuto! I'm not sure I've ever seen better ones. In fact, I had to check my playback speed just to make sure I was watching this in normal speed because Hokuto is moving so fast. Minami hits a pair of powerbombs but can't get a pin and tags in Nakano. Hokuto surprises her with a roll-up and then tags out. Nakano hits a clothesline and then a double suplex on Mita and Shimoda but pins the illegal woman. Nakano hits a bridging suplex but the pin is broken up. We get a series of tags and big moves and then a brilliant sequence of offense by the babyfaces that ends with a Hotta splash to the outside. Nakano calls for Minami to bring Hokuto in but Nakano misses the leg drop! Hokuto with a German suplex for 2.5! Mita goes for a dropkick but Nakano no sells it and powerbombs the heck out of her! In comes Hotta but Hokuto cuts her off with a crazy crossbody from the top. Hotta hits the underhook powerbomb she was going for but Shimoda breaks up the pin and gets the tag. Shimoda with a German suplex for 2 and then she goes to the top. Hotta meets her up there and hits her with a German suplex from the top rope! Holy cow. Minami tries another reverse powerbomb but Shimoda counters it into a pin attempt. Hokuto comes in. More chaos! More nearfalls! Minami with a straightjacket suplex for 2! Minami goes to the top but misses a dropkick and gets suplexed by Hokuto for 2. Hokuto with a front-flip senton for another nearfall! Scoop slam by Hokuto and a tag to Shimoda, who comes in for a big splash but Minami gets her feet up. Big German suplex by Minami to finish it! Wow. This was really, really good stuff and a ton of fun to watch. They squeezed every last bit of action possible into this match's 20-minute runtime. I wish I understood the meaning of the post-match scene as two women - I assume, AJW wrestlers - stood up from the front row and walked out as the crowd chanted something (and Nakano and Hokuto stared them down). (3.5/5)
Tom Zenk vs. Nick Bockwinkel (03/30/1986, AWA): This is a pre-"Z-Man" Tom Zenk. A slow start with lock-ups and the occasional slam but things pick up when Zenk hits a series of hip tosses and a slam. The commentator notes that there's a chunk cut-out due to "TV time constraints" so, when we come back, Zenk is in full control and working Bockwinkel on the mat. Zenk applies an arm bar but Bock gets back to his feet and things even up a bit until Zenk hits yet another slam and hiptoss and re-applies the armbar. Not a ton of variety here...Zenk applies a wristlock and Bock backs him up into the corner. Bockwinkel runs his knee into him and goes for a shoulder in the corner but Zenk evades it and applies another wristlock into an armbar on the mat. Bock again gets to his feet and whips Zenk into the ropes, decking him in the gut with a big right hand. Zenk spills to the floor. When Bock tries to capitalize, Zenk connects with blows across the chest and then slams Bock's head into the buckle repeatedly. Zenk hits a dropkick and gets 2. Zenk follows it with an atomic drop and Bockwinkel lands neck-first on the bottom rope. Zenk hits some stomps and then another scoop slam for 2. Back on their feet, they ended up bumping heads off the ropes. Bock attempts a bodyslam but Zenk turns it into a pin attempt for 2 and then hits a legdrop for 1...2...nope. Zenk tries an Irish whip but the bell sounds and the time limit - a mere 20 minutes - has has expired. What a shit ending to an okay-but-not-great match. I'm guessing this was designed to make Zenk look good, but he didn't come off all that interesting or great or charismatic and Bockwinkel was fine, but clearly taking something of a "night off" compared to his bigger, more remarkable outings. The lack of a finish didn't help this at all. (2.5/5)
Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Eddie Guerrero (10/01/1995, WCW): This one starts off really hot, but then slows down a bit too much for me. It doesn't help that we're missing a chunk of action due to a commercial break. It feels a bit "exhibitiony" because there's not a storyline or championship on the line. I wouldn't call this a "hidden gem" because it's hard to recommend or even fairly rate a "clipped" match, plus the energy of the opening minutes isn't sustained. Good, not great stuff. (2.5/5)
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Kurt Angle (06/12/2016, RevPro): The entrances and ring introductions go longer than the actual match, but it's hard - and unfair - to be too negative on a "match" that was designed to be more like a "Thank You" ceremony to Kurt Angle from his fans across the pond. From bell-to-bell this goes 9 minutes, which should tell you all you would need to know about the level of wrestling and competition in this match. In those 9 minutes you get Angle's "Greatest Hits" and a few glimmers of Sabre doing his thing but that's all there is to it. This match carried by the atmosphere and hot crowd, not any of the ring work. Knowing how limited Angle was by this point - it is unbelievable that he continued to wrestle for 3 years after this (though, that 3 years featured a whopping 28 matches and most of them were very short or multi-mans) - I was surprised they didn't stretch things out with Sabre's joint manipulations or heel shtick, neither of which would've been too taxing on the Olympic Gold Medalist. (2/5)
Kyoko Inoue vs. Akira Hokuto (11/26/1992, AJW): The entrance design for this show were excellent. Hokuto hits an awesome german suplex early that sends that Inoue to the outside to regroup. Inoue fires back with a super-lengthy airplane spin and then a fireman's throw, which is a move that more folks should be doing in 2025. A really cool pinning sequence follows with Hokuto getting smashed front-first into the hard mat and then Inoue applies a picture surfboard. This is awesome stuff. Inoue applies a nasty camel clutch and then hits two stiff kicks off the ropes but Hokuto catches her third time and nails her with a clothesline and then a bonkers jumping piledriver. Holy cow. Another great pin attempt and now its Hokuto's turn to apply a clutch. She even fish-hooks her mouth! She hits another jumping piledriver for 2 and then applies a Sharpshooter. Inoue reaches the ropes to break the hold but Hokuto reapplies it and leans all the way back. Inoue gets close to the ropes but Hokuto pulls her by the hair to keep her from reaching it. Cruel. She eventually gets a hold of it so Hokuto whips her into the ropes and she hits a springboard dropkick off the second rope and then another! Inoue locks Hokuto up with a nifty leglock and then a half-crab, really wrenching on the knee. Inoue shifts gears again into another couple submisisions, really showing off her arsenal. She goes for an atomic drop but Hokuto rolls out of it and hits her with a bunch of big knees and then a standing spinning heel kick to the head and another that's even nastier for 2. Hokuto applies a tight headlock on the mat and then a dragon sleeper. Inoue reaches the ropes and Hokuto goes to the top, only to get brought down with a press slam. Hokuto springs up and they tease a superplex but Inoue spills to the floor. Huge splash to the floor by Hokuto! Perfect execution on that. Inoue is dazed on the floor, staring at the lights, in yet another excellent visual. Hokuto hits her with a missile dropkick when she tries to get back into the ring that sends her into the rail and then hits a front-flip splash! Inoue is barely able to crawl into the ring and Hokuto perches herself on the top rope as she rolls in and then hits her with yet another dropkick for 2. Hokuto goes to the top again and goes for a splash, but Inoue rolls through and gets a nearfall of her own. Hokuto goes for a German, Inoue counters, and Hokuto counters it into a victory roll for another near fall. Inoue with a bridging german suplex for 2! The champion hits a bodyslam and then hits a running springboard back senton/"Coffin Drop"! Holy shit. She goes for a powerbomb but Hokuto counters it into a pin attempt for another nearfall. Inoue goes for another springboard back senton off the middle rope but Hokuto counters it with a dropkick! Hokuto goes for a scoop slam but Inoue cradles her for a 1...2....2.7! Hokuto manages to hit another bridging German Suplex for 2! Hokuto climbs to the top and goes for a splash but Inoue gets her knees up! Inoue can't capitalize, though, as both women sell damage and exhaustion on the mat. Inoue is up first and goes for another springboard back senton but Hokuto gets her feet up and Inoue's head hits her feet dead-on! Oh my. That was awesome. Hokuto only gets 2, though, so she hits the Northern Lights Suplex, dropping Inoue on her head, and this one is over. Wow. This hit every mark. No notes. This match blew my mind, beginning to end. The psychology was there. Multiple insane sequences and spots and brilliant counters and cut-offs. Not a single "slow" moment. Perfect camera work. Not too long, not too short. Even an emotional and satisfying post-match. It is incredibly rare to see a "perfect match," but this is it. (5/5)
Super Crazy vs. Tajiri (01/21/2000, ECW): This is a Mexican Death Match but, in ECW, that doesn't necessarily mean anything because matches rarely (never?) ended in a DQ and using weapons was commonplace. Regardless, this match is terrific. We miss a minute or two in the beginning because of a commercial break, unfortunately, but what we do get is wonderful. Highlights included Tajiri dropkicking a 3-chair stack into Super Crazy's face and busting him open, a double stomp through a table, a great moment when Tajiri mocks Crazy's anguish, Crazy hitting a moonsault off the bleachers and through a table, and the ECW crowd counting his punches in the corner in Spanish (and then chanting "Uno Mas!" to encourage him to do it again). This is all killer-no filler stuff and worth seeking out. (4/5)
Jerry Lawler vs. Randy Savage (12/12/1983, CWA): This is an interesting watch if you stumble upon the same video I found on YouTube as, instead of commentary, its Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer basically just talking over the match and helping to provide context as to how this match and rivalry came to be. Unfortunately, that also means you can't hear the crowd. Anyway...very classic cage match with only one crazy spot (Savage flying off the top of the cage) or extra "gimmicks" and a surprising lack of blood. It works, though, because Savage is such an electric performer and Lawler had expert timing and pacing (to go with his signature punches). Throughout the match, Savage shows off his bumping and theatrical ability, all of his movements big and loud. Lawler teases the illegal piledriver at one point, but the match ends with a crappy run-in from Joe LeDuc. (3/5)
Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada vs. Aja Kong and Bull Nakano (01/24/1993, AJW): A very good tag team match loaded with all the things that have made me a huge fan of joshi wrestling this year: super stiff kicks by Yamada and Kong, Manami Toyota's high-flying, an errant Uranake, Bull Nakano's leg drop from the top, Stretch Mufflers and fireman's throws and straight-jacket suplexes and nasty powerbombs and Nakano casually whipping Yamada into a sea of chairs...it's all here. This isn't a transcendent match like some of the others I've reviewed this year, but it's not far from it. Unfortunately, some of the typical pitfalls of this genre are apparent here - a lack of following even the most basic of tag wrestling rules, some noticeably sloppy spots, blatant use of weapons (in this case, nunchuks) getting used without a DQ - but the good outweighs the bad. (3/5)
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