Garbage thread

[GARBAGE]

Stan Hansen vs. Akira Taue (AJPW Champion's Carnival 4/11/94)
Very good match and an excellent Stan Hansen performance, who's tasked almost with being the babyface working from the bottom (Stan Hansen!), but some of Taue's offense being pretty soft dragged this down a little. Hansen has busted ribs from a prior match in the Carnival, so I couldn't say Taue dominating came too easy, it's just, yeah, he looked a little loose here. He gets Hansen in a corner pretty quickly to go for the ribs, and it was a bit flat that Hansen's clubs and knees - that were supposed to fail him fighting out of there - looked better than anything Taue did that early. To be honest Taue almost looked like he was waiting for Hansen to come out of the corner, and Hansen almost looked like he was waiting for Taue to go apeshit on him. Taue at least does basically (maybe literally) nothing but target those ribs, and switches his offense up a lot when the advantage isn't in question, including getting pissed enough to use the ropes or guardrail. Hansen had a few really neat tricks to create distance, but it takes Taue missing an elbow drop for Hansen to get his chance. Awesome transition spot where he just launches himself at Taue like a bull, before touring him on the outside. One of his best bits of selling came there where he tried to suplex Taue on the concrete only to just yell in pain from overexertion. I don't think Hansen's really got a rep a great seller, but that's only because he's more known for reigning blows on people himself and normally not having to sell very long. He's a great, great seller, and it's basically the driving force behind this match being as good as it is. There is not a moment, not a single span of three seconds where he allows you to forget he's a wounded animal. Who holds their arm towards their ribs during a knee drop? I loved every moment he had to hunch over and rest his arms on his thighs because even being upright properly hurt. The injury also made a really interesting Hansen finish stretch where he was struggling to pull of the kind of moves that would normally lay somebody waste and give him all the time in the world. Even when the one throwing pins down, it almost felt like luck that he was even with Taue by then. The wrestler that man was.


Bret Hart/The British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart/Bob Backlund (WWF Action Zone 2/26/95)
Had this on the backlog forever and finally decided to check it out. I'd have to say that wiithout TWO damn ad breaks, and with a slightly longer end stretch and this could have been legit great. What we get is very close though. Owen Hart isn't an all time great worker to me but he's actually a little underrated for how many tag partners he could mesh with. I really dig him with Yoko, with Koko, and with Davey, and here he is with middle aged and crazy Bob Backlund and they both kill it. Maybe worth noting that "middle aged and crazy" Bob Backlund is merely half a year older than Brock Lesnar is now in December 2021, by the way. But anyway the heel team has some fun as hell stooging, and it's not often you get to see Ace Bret just decking any guy who runs in like he's Dusty. An early sharpshooter attempt on Backlund gets Owen to run in and create the Bret FIP with both guys zoning in on Bret's leg. A bit strange they went for the leg considering they teased how powerful the crossface chickenwing was, but who cares? The FIP itself was actually super awesome thanks to how focused the heels were on the leg (those wishbones!), and Bret barely standing the whole time, which did wonders to put it over. Shout out to Bret trying to club his way out of a hold, but Owen only getting go once Bret gets a roll up out of it, showing THA SCIENTIFIC WRESTLER he is. The heels get the faces a phantom tag, and later, in a classic heel team fashion start to hit a downward spiral on a failed double team move. Which was especially cool since it told a little story of how they were doomed the minute they stopped going for the leg. I'm not a Bulldog fan but his power man offense makes a great hot tag and I was actually more excited for him to get in than I would be most. Again the match ended too quickly while it was still hot, but Bret getting some revenge on Backlund for Survivor Series and refusing to let go of the sharpshooter on the outside was worth it.


Josh Barnett vs. Tiger Ruas (GCW Bloodsport 10/22/21)
I think I've seen enough Daniel Makabe matches to tell me he's not really for me. The promise is there, but he comes off, too much of the time, as a guy grapples to be countered, so that there can be "back and forth action." I watched one of his matches from a few months ago right before this, and felt that as much as ever. Barnett vs. Ruas is not that. This is two muscular athletes finding advantages, grittily struggling, and reacting to holds like they're in danger. Even some of the small additions like Ruas throwing in some crossface forearms or palm strikes to throw Barnett off felt significant in getting a good hold on. Told a neat sub-story about Barnett trying to get on top to use his weight too, which eventually worked well for him, forcing Ruas to switch up strats and strike at the head. Ruas was apparently a WWE guy for years but to be frank I'm not sure I've ever heard of him. No way he got to work anything like this over there but if he's up against Drew Gulak I bet it was a goody. This wasn't exactly ground-breaking shoot style or anything new, but a real good ten minutes.


Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts (WWF This Tuesday in Texas 12/3/91)
If this had been even 10 or 12 minutes instead of 6 I'd be convinced it'd be up there with the best of WWF matches around this time. Roberts was just brilliant levels of scum by this point and that Hellwig jackoff can suck all the dicks he was too homophobic to suck for killing Jake's title run. His pre-match promo is outstanding, and Savage of all people can't even follow up, but stops bothering when he hears Jake's music, so he can run off and blindside Jake down the entrance way. Remember how WWE could actually feel like non-synthetic humans making natural decisions? Again, the match is 6 1/2 minutes but it's scrappy and mean-spirited and Roberts goes for the arm that the cobra had chewed on. Roberts tearing at the tape on the arm while Savage tries to pull at his face was a great highlight. This is just one of those matches where the execution isn't especially unique or interesting, but every move picked and placed just almost could not be better. The post-match is absolutely amazing with Roberts, after *promising* Jack Tunney he won't have the snake at ringside, in fact has it under the ring, and goes to pull it out on Savage again. Elizabeth comes sprinting down the entrance way and Jake's reaction before he notices who it is is like a spider jumping from mortal danger. Once he realises, he gets that smarmy little smile and begins taunting them both, with Elizabeth putting in probably her most outwardly vocal performance. Then *the* moment happens that I won't spoil just in case but let me say it does not even at all involve the cobra in the bag. A real good six minute match, but combine that with the pre-match promos (seriously, I have to say again, especially Roberts'), the post-match having all time heel work, the also excellent post-match promo from Jake ("IT FELT SO GOOD I SHOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THAT!"), the overall snake bite angle, and this, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the best things ever aired by WWE.

 

[Chris]

Ruas barely had any matches in WWE btw, was basically an extra on NXT for most of his run

 

[GARBAGE]

Yeah I'm reading that he got trained at the performance centre 2015 and made his actual NXT debut in 2018 and then basically did crap all before they released him six months ago. How unfortunate and wasteful. Still, might check him out against Hero and Riddle sometime.

 

[Chris]

Yeah I'm reading that he got trained at the performance centre 2015 and made his actual NXT debut in 2018 and then basically did crap all before they released him six months ago. How unfortunate and wasteful. Still, might check him out against Hero and Riddle sometime.

He has a couple AEW Dark matches that were fairly good too, showed more than I thought he had from the WWE run. Also has one match there where he KOs the dude in like 4 seconds so you should watch that bc it's hilarious. That Bloodsport match was def the best shit I've seen from him tho, I loved it

 

[GARBAGE]

The Iron Sheik thread being made made me realise I never posted these here, and more people need to know about them.

Sgt. Slaughter/Junkyard Dog vs. Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (WWF at the Spectrum 10/13/84)
I only watched this because I remember being blown away by the Texas tornado rematch with a fiery crowd a decade ago on a WWE Legends DVD, but it's fun as hell and has a fiery crowd itself so I think people should see it too. WWF tags could have a habit of doing heel in peril but I think what opens the match here is more of a traditional (was it traditional in 1984? Hell) babyface shine, because it was more Sheik and Volkoff stooging and getting tossed around than it was rest holds and reaching for an out. Once that's over though they get right into Slaughter reaching for an out, and there's maybe the closet non-tag I've ever seen in this. They got Slaughter nice and bloody after a few of his classic ring post bumps and a shot on Sheik's shoe, which was immediately after Sheik gained control. Don't see a face in peril start that quickly too often. Then they get a JYD face in peril even quicker. I don't mind spoiling this in saying it ends in a double dq, because like I said I only actually watched it as a lead in for the Texas tornado, and, well, the double dq causes the Texas tornado. The break down is awesome, with a bloody Slaughter reaching to tag in and getting fed up of Sheik blasting him off of the apron, so he just runs in during a camel clutch attempt and causes chaos. We get a preview of the tornado tag before a downed ref (and that was not accidental) calls for the bell. It really does feel like it almost comes close to breaking down throughout as well, with enough biting (and not just from JYD) and entering the ring illegally and no regard for the dreaded CLOSED FIST, REFEREE! Unsurprising given the lack of "feeling out process" at all from the get-go; the heels get the jump, the faces turn the tables, and no one has any respect for their opponent for a second.

Sgt. Slaughter/Junkyard Dog vs. Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (WWF at the Spectrum 11/10/84)
This is the Texas tornado, and what it lacks in blood (seriously, wtf), it makes up for in TRASH. As in having the most amount of garbage thrown in and around a WWE ring I can ever remember. Sheik and Volkoff even get soda thrown at them early match. The match absolutely rules. It starts similar to the October match with shine but with no rules Slaughter and JYD can use all the helmets and nightsticks and loaded boot (whatever that actually is) they want while both being in the same ring. There are a ton of momentum shifts in this and it's easy to miss where some of this shit even comes from. I didn't see whether Sheik was wearing the strap he used, but I did see he and Volkoff had it tangled around Slaughter's face and throat at the same time. JYD at one point does his signature headbutt straight into Sheik's balls. There's a DOUBLE CAMEL CLUTCH and I don't mean they had one on apiece. I mean both Volkoff was pulling on Sheik to give him extra leverage for the hold. I don't want to list off all of the fun craziness this match offers but yeah I love it and I don't really understand how I never hear about it.

 

[GARBAGE]

been rewatchin classics recently.

Yuki Ishikawa/Alexander Otsuka vs. Daisuke Ikeda/Takeshi Ono (Battlarts 10/30/96)
Ten years ago I would have told you this was a great match with too many tag partner run ins. I'd now call it one of the greatest matches of all time with the run ins adding to the already unpredictable and scornfully badass aura of the match. It's like the best ever violent inter-promotional tag match that isn't inter-promotional. It's cheap shot city and the amount of different reactions that came out of it, from anger to defiant ignorance (especially when refusing to let go of a hold like some invisible middle finger) made me totally bug eyed in captivation. That's obviously not mentioning the crazy stiffness, oddly enough one of the more memorable moments to me being Ishikawa accidentally whiffing a punch entirely, and it getting rightfully ignored because screw that monkey show shit we actually hit each other here. Otsuka added a different flavour by keeping close toward the opponent's waist, plus hitting his suplexes, but eventually got wiped out with suplexes himself and then later had the best ten count tease of the match. Ono's constant run ins coming in while Ikeda kept getting laid out made for an amazing escalation toward the final moments, and the finish appropriately had all four guys in the ring. I have to mention Otsuka sprinting a dropkick into an interfering Ikeda, then taking over from Ishikawa to deliver the giant swing on Ono.


Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (NOAH 4/25/04)
I think a couple things hold this back a little, but that finishing stretch is one of the best, most dramatic there's ever been which shoots this into being one of the greats. It's first dozen minutes set things up well but didn't have any marks of a great match, and it wasn't until Kobashi riskily tries a suplex that Takayama gets to squeeze the life out of him and things sky rocket up. Kobashi's arm selling is god-tier, especially when he was on the outside after it was first hit. The lariat off of the guard rail whip was a great come back spot, but at the same time I think Takayama was overselling a little by collapsing after he delivered the apron German; it felt like they were just baiting the double count out. Maybe nit-picking but it's a big, pivotal moment that I do think was dampened a bit. Like I said the finish stretch is unreal, and one thing that stood out to me is that Kobashi actually manages to deliberately use an injured limb and have it not come off as totally silly. He tries his left arm for chops, headbutts, even a jumping clothesline thing, but he looks bugged about it all and starts throwing chops with the right hand anyway which totally dazes Takayama, while he himself hurdles in a corner screaming again. Made it feel actually worth it but also up in the air as to whether it would still be worth it down the road. Each big moment being an act of panicked opportunity-grabbing helped the match being back-and-forth actually work, like that one punch barrage from Takayama, which was maybe my favourite thing in the whole match. He actually started sticking to blows after the Everest failed like he was trying to weaken Kobashi for a big move he never got to pull off.

Riki Choshu vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (NJPW 6/9/87)
Simultaneously feels like a match everybody's written about, but not enough people have seen, though still a bit of legend in the online wrestling sphere. Choshu is bloodied basically as soon as Fujiwara gets his hands on him, and you don't see too many wrestlers focus on chokes after their opponent is in that state. Fujiwara was grinning like some sociopathic school kid squeezing the life out of a mouse. Best smile of the match came when Fujiwara countered the first lariat into a Fujiwara armbar. It's like he was just taking Choshu's shit just to humour himself, baiting Choshu into the lariat, for which he knowingly had a swift counter. Contrast to that, he looks much more determined to keep the second armbar on because Choshu actually gets in a lariat before it, and Choshu manages to rush toward the ropes during the hold because Fujiwara's actually finally been worn down a bit. Bloody Fujiwara changes the tone of the whole match (or at least reverses the roles) and his rigid selling of things is a sight. This one stumble after one of his own headbutts was just impossibly good. You couldn't teach kind of sell. You could show someone the first minute of the match, then last minute, and then tell them there's only about ten minutes in between and probably have them go "what the fuck how?" There are matches of a similar description but I can't get the same thing out of any other match.

Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher (IWA-MS 6/11/05)
Naturally seen this many times, and even though I usually reject the "what's left to say about _X_?" way of thinking, I doubt I can add much to fifteen years of talk about this thing. I will say that despite having seen it enough times, I hadn't seen it for a while, so I forgot exactly how many times Necro was slammed directly on his forehead. Every awesome, desperate rain of blows he threw at Joe I half-wondered (and half-worried) he'd eat another one. The powerbomb on the guardrail, while it was set up on the ropes, was grosser than I remembered too; Necro's neck looked to snap back because Joe kind of aimed it so his shoulders hit it while his back hit air. Necro started to bleed early from shoot headbutts and probably just bladed twice more anyway to get the visuals. Small shout out to Joe actually getting a concerned look on his face after a couple kick outs. The stars aligned for this one.
I remember thinking the tag match Necro had the same night was the best CZW match I've seen, and considering this is most certainly the best IWA-MS match I've seen (I've argued for Necro/Klein as better before, but probably wouldn't now), that's an all timer of a night for one guy.