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Post by IWSfan4life on Aug 16, 2004 22:44:16 GMT -5
Good reviews coming in. I should love this show.
-jason burke
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 18, 2004 23:21:23 GMT -5
Alex Shelley vs. Petey Williams- 2/3 Falls-IWA MS- 7/31/04
This was a good match with solid work from both guys. That being said I just wasn't feeling it for some reason. I think it is because of my indifference towards Petey. Shelley did a nice job with the arm work and I liked how they did the quick tapouts in the first two falls so the wrestlers could save themselves from injury. Overall I just think it was missing something, that being said it was still a good match that you should check out. Overall, I definitely recommend this tape as you have solid matches all around even if nothing stands out as a MOTYC: Williams/Shelley, Danielson/Cannon, Styles/Delirous, and Punk/Sydal (even if Sabu vs. Kid Kash vs. Danny Daniels blew HUGE monkey balls).
Bobby Quance vs. Tigers' Mask-PWG-3/7/04
This was REALLY fun. Really solid work from both guys and they just jelled together to come up with a good little match. I wish I could see both of these guys more often (Quance on the East Coast and Tigers' outside of Osaka).
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Post by ohairefan4life on Aug 19, 2004 10:57:45 GMT -5
Quance is becoming a regular for CZW. So you could see more of him if u want to subject urself to "ultraviolence" but there PPV should be good wich will have a Quance match( the Cali 4-way).
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 20, 2004 21:28:45 GMT -5
Havana Pitbulls vs Nosawa & Masada-PWG-3/7/04
I like this a lot, it was short but moved very fluid. Everyone looked pretty good here but once again Rocky Romero was the MVP as he showed why he is one of the top 10 guys on the US indy scene right now. He did a beautiful victory roll into a standing ankle lock submission that has to be seen, of course he pulled out the "grab my hand" move and rolled thru into a crossface plus his strikes and kicks were right on and very stiff and realistic. Rocky Rules. Only down part of this match was that it was a tad short and the ending really came out of nowhere.
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Post by IWSfan4life on Aug 21, 2004 23:06:48 GMT -5
Gotta love the HP. The more I see of Rocky, the more I'm liking him so far.
-Jason Burke
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 22, 2004 22:04:21 GMT -5
Big Boss Ma-G-Ma & Daio Quallt & Goa & Jeremy Lopez vs Takehiro Murahama & Gamma & Tsubasa & Black Buffalo- 3/29/03- Osaka Pro
I have some tapes that are not labeled so I am going thru them to see what they are. So I pop this in and it cues up on this match (that I haven't seen before). This is not a **** match but it was very solid. There is just something that I really enjoy about independent wrestling where you are watching the workers perform their craft in front of maybe 100 people. For someone at this level you know that there is truely something that they love about wrestling and that's why they are in the ring, not just to make a quick buck. Anyway, back to the match...it was solid with everyone looking good. I really dig Tsubasa as he is the king of the headscizzors/ranas. Big Boss MA-G-MA looked great as well as he was able to use his power to his advantage and looked good in using his clotheslines, german suplexes, and a high-angle powerbomb. It's unfortunate that he is sidelined indefinitely with a heart problem. Takehiro Murahama was great as usual. I cannot figure out why New Japan or NOAH has not signed him to a full-time contract. He would be an asset in either fed. Good stuff and once again it reminds me why I LOVE watching indy wrestling whether it's in the US or in another country/culture.
NOAH GHC Jr. Tag-Title Match: MaruKENTA (KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji) (c) vs. Kotaro Suzuki/Ricky Marvin- 6/1/04
This was REAL fun. This is not one of my favorite MaruKENTA matches, in fact it's not even in the top 5, but it was extremely enjoyable in a super spotty fun sort of way that the 11/1/03 match versus Ricky and Juvi was.
Match opens up with a wickedly fun start with Kotaro and Ricky doing what they are best at and pull out the highflying spots to ground the champs early and take them out of their game. Match settles down with the challengers trying to work over Marufuji's leg to take away his high-flying capabilities as MISAWA calls the action on color~! KENTA breaks up the leg work with some bitch slaps but the challengers respond by taking to the air again to re-gain the advantage as they isolate KENTA and try to wear him down. Marvin goes for a 619 but KENTA grabs his legs during mid-swing and holds on until Marufuji delivers a dropkick to Marvin which sends him out to the floor.
MaruKENTA now takes the advantage and begins to wear down Marvin. An example of this is where Marufuji has Marvin in a camel clutch and KENTA just peppers Marvin's chest with stiff kicks. KENTA then taunts Kotaro by waving Marvin's lifeless hand towards the corner as if daring him to tag in but Kotaro is just far away enough where he can't. Marvin then forgets he has just got the sh*t beaten out of him and pops up for some super spotty fun offense as he ducks a kick from Marufuji (Matrix style duck) and then nails him with a shining wizard. He then repeats this sequence for KENTA's pleasure (or lack thereof). Hot tag to Kotaro and he is a house of fire. Marufuji settles him down and regains the advantage and cleans up Kotaro with some nice FACE WASHES in the corner. MaruKENTA then takes to the air as they deliver a back-to-back spring board frog splash and leg drop to the fallen Kotaro. KENTA then hits a Falcon Arrow and follows it up with a stiff looking KiKrusher99. Ricky Marvin back in and gains the advantage and hits a nice moonsault from up top for a close 2 count (this was delivered after Kotaro hit a nice Torture rack drop). KENTA regains the advantage shortly thereafter and nails a dragon suplex for a near fall.
The action is hot and heavy as Marufuji goes for a rana on Suzuki from the top rope but instead he is crotched. Marvin then leaps up and hits a springboard rana on Marufuji, who was still crotched on the top rope. Kotaro follows this up with a Frog Splash for a near fall. Kotaro and Marvin then hit stereo 619's on MaruKENTA (which worked since Marvin had teased but not connected on any 619's a couple of times earlier in the match), which is followed by a Kotaro german suplex for another near fall (this is where the crowd starts to perk up as it's really the first time that Kotaro and Marvin look like legit challengers). MaruKENTA quickly regains the momentum as they hit a doomsday device elbow smash. The momentum swing doesn't last long as Kotaro catches Marufuji in a unique sequence of pins that garners 3 near falls and pops the crowd with each one. Marufuji regains the advantage and hits the Shiranui (Sliced Bread #2) for a near fall. Marufuji then hits the Van Terminator (sans chair) for another near fall. Marufuji then goes for the Super Shiranui but Kotaro reverses it and SPIKES Marufuji with a reverse rana from the TOP ROPE (which gets huge pop from the crowd and me)! Kotaro then hits his T-265 (Spinal Shock) but KENTA breaks it up at 2 15/16. Both teams then battle and KENTA gains the advantage for his team with his lethal kicks. Marufuji recovers and hits Kotaro with the one-man Spanish Fly for the victory and another successful title defense from MaruKENTA.
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AndyKaid
NWA Champion
Member of Sweet & Sour International
Posts: 662
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Post by AndyKaid on Aug 22, 2004 23:27:38 GMT -5
You know, Kev, I totally agree with you on the Indy wrestling comment. I just saw my first Mexican Indy match last night, and I'll be damned if it wasn't awesome. It's easily up there with stuff CMLL or AAA are putting out.
If anyone knows how I can score some swank underground Tijuana shows, I'd appreciate it.
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 22, 2004 23:31:16 GMT -5
You know, Kev, I totally agree with you on the Indy wrestling comment. I just saw my first Mexican Indy match last night, and I'll be damned if it wasn't awesome. It's easily up there with stuff CMLL or AAA are putting out. If anyone knows how I can score some swank underground Tijuana shows, I'd appreciate it. Fredo has a ton of Lucha stuff so you should probably check his site first (his stuff is top notch vid quality): www.wrestleholicsvideos.comAlso, Bob Barnett has a ton of good lucha if you can stand ordering from the pompus ass.
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 23, 2004 22:10:51 GMT -5
American Best of Super Juniors - Round 1: American Dragon vs. X-Pac-NJPW USA-4/16/04
Decent but solid match that was pretty by-the-numbers. Pac looked decent although a little slow and was dressed in a robe. Dragon was well...Dragon and he took this one home with a double arm suplex with a bridge.
American Best of Super Juniors - Round 1: Chad Collyer vs. Bobby Quance-NJPW USA-4/16/04
Another solid match but this was a tad boring as I found myself wandering off mentally during the match. I really enjoyed the opening 3-4 minutes as they had some solid mat-work and arm reversals that played well. Malenko....er I mean Collyer took this one home when he reversed a rana into a Boston Crab for the T-A-P.
American Best of Super Juniors - Round 1: Rocky Romero vs. Iceman-NJPW USA-4/16/04
This was worked in what I would describe as a worked shoot style and I thought it was really solid. I think it worked so well because it was totally different than the 2 matches that came previous to it. This was more about striking and about quick submission holds than about your usual indy matwork and arm/leg work. Rocky does a fantastic job selling Iceman's armbar and leglock as killers by yelling and immediately going for the ropes in a desperate fashion. Rocky also does a great job selling in this match as he sold an Iceman kick like it knocked him out cold. Rocky rules the roost in this one as he wins via chokeout and moves on to round 2. Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
American Best of Super Juniors - Round 1: Ricky Reyes vs. Teddy Hart-NJPW USA-4/16/04
This was probably my least favorite of the first round matches. That being said, it wasn't bad at all I just wasn't feeling the flow of the match. It picked up in the last several minutes with Teddy breaking out some of his offense and some aerial moves before being KILLED by a fisherman's buster for the pin.
Tommy Williams (Funky Billy Kim) & Frankie Kazarian vs. Joey Ryan & Eric Matlock- NJPW USA-4/16/04
I just wasn't digging this at all. The overall work in this match was good but there was just no story and I just didn't feel the passion in this match.
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Post by IWSfan4life on Aug 24, 2004 19:51:30 GMT -5
Sounds like a fun first round with alot of guys I like in this tourney. Interested in hearing how the rest of it goes.
-Jason Burke
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AndyKaid
NWA Champion
Member of Sweet & Sour International
Posts: 662
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Post by AndyKaid on Aug 24, 2004 23:54:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the link, Kev. I was just thinking today that Barnett probably has some good stuff, then I felt ill at the thought of giving him any money. ;D
You know, that isn't technically an error since he's working as Chad Malenko for NJPW.
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 29, 2004 0:43:56 GMT -5
Mitsuharu Misawa vs Satoshi Kojima-7/18/04-All-Japan
Holy disappointment Batman! This was a good match but NOWHERE near the MOTYC that it has been hyped as. This was basically just two guys throwing out huge moves on each other until one guys drops the other guy on his head and pins him. Overall, there was a good story here with Kojima trying to break thru with a big win on Misawa and with Koji showing tremendous fighting spirit and hitting Misawa with clothesline after clothesline for near falls until Misawa dropped him on his head and pinned him to negate the story. There were some nice spots and I'm sure if you go into this match with no expectations then you will enjoy it. There was one AWESOMELY funny botch from Misawa: Koji is outside the ring and Misawa runs the ropes and tries to flip over the ropes but instead as he tries to flip over the ropes the ropes push him back and he is dumped on his ass. God it was embarassing and funny all in one. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
I would highly recommend these Satoshi Kojima matches WAY over the one with Misawa:
7/17/02: vs. Genichiro Tenryu- All-Japan 12/15/02: vs. Shinjiro Ohtani- Zero-One 9/6/03: vs. Shinjiro Ohtani- All-Japan
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Post by IWSfan4life on Aug 29, 2004 22:26:51 GMT -5
Kojima rules. I still wanna see his match with Cide from Final Battle. Should say this also. "OHTANI, OHTANI OHTANI".
-Jason Burke
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 29, 2004 22:33:15 GMT -5
Kojima rules. I still wanna see his match with Cide from Final Battle. Should say this also. "OHTANI, OHTANI OHTANI". -Jason Burke Koji's match with Cide from Final Battle sucked due to Cide getting a concusion about 5 minutes in (However the rest of the tape kicks ass).
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Post by Agent Kev on Aug 29, 2004 23:00:12 GMT -5
Kaz Hayashi vs Katsushi Takemura- 7/18/04-All-Japan
I liked this a lot. Kaz looks real good in this match and Takemura looks worlds better in this match then he has in his New Japan stuff, although he is still VERY green. The only thing that took away from this was the goofy interference at the end of the match (didn't mind the interference during the middle with Liger/Jedo/Gedo as that made some sense to me before they were kicked out). Overall I think I liked this better than Koji/Misawa, I don't think it was a better match but my expectations going in were a lot less for this one.
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