Big Japan: 26th March 2009

The undercard was pretty vanilla. Abdullah Kobayashi and MASADA vs. Ryuji Ito and Shuji Ishikawa was totally the Abby show - I enjoyed his performance, and thought the match was OK.

The main event is the now-famous lighttube and double board death matches between the team of Miyamoto and Takeshi Sasaki and the team of Takeda and Kodaka. This is the second time watching it, and it is as much of a spectacle second time around as when I watched in it April. The crowd heat by the end is fantastic, and even with a more analytical eye, it is well-merited. First thing that struck me about this match is the precision. Deathmatches can be sloppy, with poor execution disguised behind the weapons and blood. Everything here is crisp and on target, and it adds so much to the overall brutality, especially in the non-weapon spots (Takeda and Kodaka's double drop kick, for instance).

Secondly, you can't underplay how physical this was, and how much Takeda and Kodaka took (especially the latter). Isami is borderline clinically insane - each of the two big bumps (somersault senton to a table on the outside, powerbomb to a ladder landing on his head) alone were crazy, but both together in a twenty minute match is another level entirely. That's his role, and his frame and stature make him perfect for it. He's the most sympathetic of the two and the best seller. Takeda, in contrast, is much more of a fighter - he is on the wrong end of lengthy heat section, but unlike his partner, is able to fight back. The spear into the lighttubes, for example, was a really nice lead in to the (short-lived) hot tag.

Sasaki is just dominant here. I could read excessively into his performance, but he seems like a kingmaker. There's a contempt to the way he regards the young pretenders made richer by his relationship with Miyamoto - someone from the same generation as Kodaka and Takeda who he hand-picked after Yuko proved himself. It is something to see someone draw actual heel heat in Big Japan, but Sasaki manages it here, by a combination of his meaness and their sympatheticness.

Miyamoto takes the most interesting role. As champion he's expected to be more dominant than his earlier days, but what he actually he brings to this match is an essential balancing act - great looking offence (his speed is notable, as are his lariats) but also enough vulnerability to allow the opposing team a credible path to victory. In truth, Sasaki looks too dominant throughout to achieve this. I don't think there is a junior heavyweight in Japan (outside of Battlarts) who is better than Yuko.

The key spots were used well. Aside from the big Isami bumps and Takeda's bumps (I jumped when he was thrown through the middle ropes, shattering four or five lighttubes), the biggest were used by the underdogs to turn the tide, and the match built really well to them. Firstly, the double suplex to Sasaki through the lighttube board was the logical way to stop Sasaki. Secondly, the suplex off the ladder onto Sasaki and the barbed wire board, which eliminated Sasaki and set up a weakened Miyamoto for the loss, came after a nice sequence of Takeda fighting back up the ladder, Sasaki ending the hope spot (drawing boos) and then Isami battling back in to finally set up the big spot. The right ending to a perfectly told underdog battle. Sasaki's disgust at the end is great.

Obviously, watch the main event if you don't watch anything else on this show. Possibly the best deathmatch in two years.

ECW: November 10th 2009

I have been watching ECW all the while, just not posting reviews. I've started several, but scrapped them after they proved dull. The shows are excellent, do not get me wrong, but haven't found anything worthwhile to say. Quite frankly, there's enough wasted words on the Internet (running by in the Blogosphere, just past the Twitterscape) and I don't need to join in. I've been enjoying the lengthy feud story arcs, particularly of Christian and Regal, but also of Burchill and Helms.

I nearly got tickets for this show, but it turned out that it was fortunate that I didn't, as I ended up with a work thing. I'll see Christian live one day, and I will go nuts for his entrance music. Opening Abraham Washington intro was kind of pointless, an entire segment built around a quick pop culture reference. The segment has a charm, albeit a special one.

Some has a Vote Jedward sign in the audience as Goldust comes to the ring, and already I wish this was not in Britain. The "Who are ya" chant during the last segment was tired enough. If they'd done that right after Washington's lengthy introduction, that would have been funny, but no. I'm so proud of my fellow countrymen. And while I'm complaining about people who use words, there is nothing ironic about Burchill "preparing to take on ECW's superhero next week" while this week he's facing ECW's most bizarre superstar. It's not even coincidence, let alone irony. It's just two occurences. Fine little TV match. Goldust is one of the best guys anywhere for four minute TV matches. Strong selling, well-timed comebacks and cutoffs, crisp offence; Goldust in incredibly watchable even with so little time.

I don't think there's anyone anywhere in the world having as much fun with his life than Zack Ryder, and I'm glad we get to share in his dorky glory. He'll probably take my no. 100 place on my WKO ballot, just for a year's worth of entertaining television.

New commentator annoys for a second time at the beginning of the Regal-Christian match with his lack of English speaking ability, saying how Christian had problems checking in last night, and that you don't want to allude to anything, but Regal has connections. You see, the thing about Regal is, well, I ain't saying he a golddigga. But he ain't...erm, let's focus on the match rather than soil this blog's near perfect reputation for not using racial slurs. I liked this match a lot. What I particularly liked is how both men have enough confidence in themselves and each other to stray away from the formula match which Christian has used so well this year with less experienced opponents. There was no particular bump which switched the match from early Christian control to heel opponent body part work, which is the biggest structured element of most Christian matches. Instead, the match feels a lot more organic and contested. They work lots of struggle spots, especially Regal, whose had this short section of pinfall attempts where each looked like it required a huge effort. Christian displayed hints of heeling, in the face of strong support for Regal. I liked the Killswitch being used as a nearfall, in desperation, and the push off the turnbuckle bump being used by Regal on defence rather than on attack. Christian's elbows to escape the Regal Stretch were awesome. Working with Regal this summer and autumn really seems to have improved Christian's striking.

I don't think this was better than their two matches in August and September, for all the things I liked about it. I think the crowd may have diminished my enjoyment - maybe it was the pace or the style (a match bereft of rope running or excessive reversal spots lacks the immediacy of, say, a John Morrison match) or the split allegiances, but their reactions were all over the place. I would suspect this had an impact of Regal and Christian's performances - both men are experienced enough to work off the crowd, so when a crowd is as confused as this one was, it must throw them. Something felt slightly off throughout the match. Objectively though, this was excellent.

I will say this though. Don't you think it's sort of ironic that I just watched an episode of ECW, while tomorrow I'll probably watch something from Japan? Don't you?

A Bunch Of: Yoshihiro Takayama

Been catching up on All Japan. Takayama is a guy I really like. If you read this blog a lot, you'll notice I often talk more about things like selling and facials more than moves and spots. The essence of enjoying Takayama is in his facials. He has a fairly gnarly face to start with, but he conveys a an awful lot of discomfort and hurting with just the curl of a lip. Also, I like that he's lumbering. He's one of the biggest guys in Japanese pro-wrestling, so I find it credible that a physically limited guy is still such a threat.

The story of a good Takayama match is all about how his oppenents combat the size. The Takayama-Muto match from April is a great example of this. Muto has his established, repetitive moveset, which targets the legs of his opponent. Against Takayama, such a moveset makes a lot of sense, and with really great selling, you get a simple match based around Muto's relentlessly targetting the legs whilst Takayama, perversely, fights from below before his legs finally give out. You could argue that the match lacks a certain drama, and I wouldn't outright disagree. It still remains a well executed and coherent story.

First thing I watched was the Suzuki and Takayama vs. Suwama and Kono from 26th of July. This tag was part of the build towards Suwama's title shot in August. I didn't really like this. Firstly, the opening half is predominantly Suzuki and Kono trading leg locks in the ring, whilst Takayama and Suwama brawl a little lethargically around Korakuen. I wasn't really feeling the animosity that the build to a showdown should generate. In the latter stages it almost felt like Suzuki and Takayama were doing all they could to make Suwama's strikes and lariats look deadly, which is commendable. Suwama could just hit harder though.

This led to the title match from August 30th. The start to this is slow, and not in a good way (feeling out, looking for an opening) but like they were going at two thirds speed. There's some sloppy work early on as well - the back body drop looked awful. It got better when Takayama took control - his knee strikes, low drop kicks and apron strike combos looked good. I don't like how Takayama's selling was almost too much for the relative weakness of much of Suwama's early stuff, while Suwama does by Takayama's significantly stiffer offence. The last six or seven minutes were great, however, filled with some nice spots (the suplex off the the top that almost landed Takayama on his head) and of course the massively violent final exchange - both guys punching each other in the face, and a headbutt that sounded like two concrete blocks slamming together. A little disturbing, given the hardway bleeding and Takayama's own medical history, but for sheer violence, it was quite amazing. At the same time, the finish felt like they went 'right, now we go', which while great self-contained, actually serves to emphasise how underwhelming the first twenty minutes are. The biggest problem with the middle was that Suwama was working as an equal in terms of power and impact, without the moveset or the epic heavyweight fatigue selling a twenty five minute match of that style should involve,

Takayama vs. Kojima from September 26th was so much better. Takayama's got a cockiness early on - the bit where he carefully lines up the chest slap so he could pull back on the armbreaker was great. His face said 'I can hit you whenever I'm ready'. Simple psychology with Koji targetting the head, either because of the historic injury, or the end of the Suwama match. The finish isn't brutal like the Suwama match, nor is it the most creative thing you've ever seen, but it works well enough, with Kojima sticking with his lariat until it gets three. Kojima selling an self-inflicted injured arm as a result was a nice touch. I loved Takayama's facial reaction of disbelief to the kickout of the German. Sense of cumulative damage was well done here, and the crowd, especially after the German kickout, were really into the idea of a title change and made this feel like an Event. Much shorter, more consistently impactful, and a well told story make this a success.

Big Japan: 1st February 2009

Aww, Big Japan in the littlest venue in Japan. Probably. I don't watch Ice Ribbon. Watching the pre-show footage, I'm kind of fascinated with Big Japan audiences. In the US, hardcore wrestling feds are almost entirely male, and a certain sort of male at that. The amount of Japanese couples that seem to be at these shows, like its a place to go for a date, blows me away. And then there's groups of respectable looking girls there together,. How has that happened? (and how can we make it happen everywhere?). I should say that I got this DVD (and all of these 2009 Big Japan DVDs) from Ultimo the Great. I won't link his site, because officially he doesn't sell the DVDs on it, and I don't want to ruin his elaborate ruse.

Kasai and Numazawa on double duty tonight, for some reason. The opening six man is fun silliness. Abby seemed to be being particularly absurd here, lots of hammy overacting and ridiculous facials. I'm not sure at what point the continual assault with a broom to (and indeed in) a man's posterior stops being pro wrestling, but I suspect the middle section of this match certainly flirted with that boundary. Funniest moment was between Abby and MEN's, with Abby on the top wanting MEN's to come closer for his mongolian chop, and the two of them arguing about it back and forth. Fine for what it wanted to be.

The middle two tags were clipped, but I didn't get anything in particular out of what was shown. The show was really about the main event six man match. This was a barbed wire match. I can't remember the last time I saw a good barbed wire match. (Wait, yes I can, Big Japan had one nearer the end of last year. That may have been an eight-man or more). This managed the (presumably simple) task of feeling quite brutal. There was plenty of skin stuck to wire to get the point across - MASADA's arm seemed quite cut up. They through in some other stuff as well with tubes and ladders. Kasai's reaction to the punted lighttube in his back was great. It may have lost it's way a little in the middle, after they'd already broken half of the wire from various bumps, but it finished strong, with MASADA destroying Kodaka. The powerbomb was really nasty and unprotected for a bump onto glass, and the texas cloverleaf sat right on the wire was suitably evil.

MASADA was really great in this throughout - he must have gone through the wire at least four times, and his sections on attack were exciting - I've spoken before how he works at a quick pace in this sorts of matches, really piling the offence on. The best example here was wear he downed all three opponents with chair shots, did his wooden needle thing, cut some wire off with clippers, and piledrove Miyamoto into it, all in quick succession. No sense dragging these things out.

Am I the only guy on the internet who sings the praises of MASADA of all people? Should that be telling me something? Answers to these question and more besides on the next exciting installment of "MASADA and me".

Big Japan: 12th March 2009

I watched the outdoor show from the previous month, but was quite uninspired by it. The main event did an old school Big Japan (pre-2003) style deathmatch, with glass, bricks, boards, barbed wire and eventually a bunch of fire spots. This was fitting, giving the participants were Abby, WX Winger and (less relevantly) MASADA, who fitted right in as the main aggressor role. Not a good match by any means, as a lot of it was sloppily executed, the big spots (especially the Emerald Froison to the outside burning table) took a long time to set up and in the end, the whole things just felt like an exhibition of nasty bumps rather than a wrestling match. The final fire spot (blown right into Abby's face, like the old days) is really quite insane, but then even managed the less the drama of that with some weak WX lariats before the pin. I did appreciate Winger's heel act though - biting a bleeding man's head and spitting into the crowd should get so much more of a reaction than crowd laughter. Let's move back indoors.

There was a bunch of stuff from this show that others had recommended, and I didn't go for any of it. In particular, the Kasai vs. Numazawa was the big deathmatch main event, playing off their very bloody history of matches with a lot of gimmickry. The opening segment has the two of them sat around a table with a sketch of what they wanted for the match, as if you didn't know it was going to be an exhibition anyway. No mistake, I enjoyed the lunacy of this, but its a badly put together match. I mean, the first emerald froison off the scaffold through the table was a massive spot, but a minute later they are up doing more stuff. The second dive was even crazier, the height of that dive was bordering on that where you have to think that even with precautions, there's a real chance of serious injury. I'm writing this up two days later, and I can't remember the finish. I have no memory of it. That how much this was just a stunt show.

Takeda and Kodaka vs. Inoue and Hoshino was the worthwhile match from this show. Firstly, its nice to have a deathmatch with guys who are more than capable of starting off with mat exchanges and simple feeling out, without it looking forced, weak or like when Tommy Dreamer tries to wrestle. Hoshino's roaring elbow was nice. All four guys are underdog guys usually, so when put together its interesting to see them looking to assert dominance from a roughly equal footing, no-one backing down in strike exchanges. The first barbed wire board spot is used by Inoue to achieve the first definite period of control, the second one used by Isami to make the tag, both of which are smart uses of the gimmick. Takeda's exploider on Hoshino looked great as a small guy throwing a larger guy on his head - Hoshino takes a great bump here.

What makes this match is the final stretch. You have Inoue taking just piles of violence. The chair shots into the barbed wire board was pretty crazy and, with the increase in intensity at that moment, one of the most exciting things I've seen this year. I loved the recklessness with which the board was later used, thrown back and forth between Inoue and Takeda. This is Inoue's best performance in forever - really top-notch selling all the way down the stretch. Takeda's scrambling legs during the winning pin was a nice touch - this is the first stage of them becoming the underdog team who pulls out wins, and the sense that they need to fight hard for every victory is made clear with little things like that.

How Great is Sasuke? (part four of recurring)

Minoru Suzuki and Super Tiger II vs. Great Sasuke and Mitsuya Nagai, Real Japan, September 11th 2009

Found this looking for Otsuka matches on Lenny's site. This is a weird mixture of guys. This starts with a fun section where Sasuke is overly confident with Super Tiger, hopping around like Sayama, and then freaks out a little when the headkicks start getting close. After a short mat section, Sasuke demands Suzuki comes in, who proceeds to stomp on his chest and chop him. At this point, I thought they were going to do a fun fish-out-of-water story, but Sasuke isn't in this much afterwards. Nagai and Super Tiger have a uninspiring kick and forearm exchange, with Super Tiger throwing some weak looking forearms and me screaming inside my head for him to just start kicking harder. I don't know what's happened to Super Tiger this year - he was never a guy to hold a match together, but he'd had some great kicks and wild strikes. He's not even good for that at the moment. Neither guy does much to sell or build on these strikes and I stop caring. Sasuke and Suzuki have another section in the middle which is pretty much the high point, Sasuke misses a somersault senton, Suzuki kicks him right in the spine. Tiger and Nagai finish off together as Suzuki and Sasuke have brief exchanges around the ring and crowd. I felt quite disappointed by this overall. I was hoping for a heroic beating, but Tiger looked unimpressive and Suzuki only got serious near the end.

Tiger Mask IV and Great Sasuke vs. Jado and Gedo, New Japan, August 19th 2001

I enjoyed this - I didn't think it was ground breaking, but was still perfectly entertaining. I have been told that TMIV, a punchline in 2009, was decent around this time, but I didn't see much evidence of that here. His selling during the heel beatdown was perfunctory at best, and his transition after that section was landing on his feet out of a german, and hitting a tope which, ironically for two athletic spots, is very lazy. Sasuke's section features a lunatic high spot, somersaulting towards Jado on a table, but barely touching him and hitting the floor, which is a shame because it would have been a great high spot. At least he sells the back injury after that point, because that looked painful. The finish stretch is typical, with plenty of action, and the finish comes after Sasuke it hit with a thrown chair whilst on the top and falls into a flatliner, thus breaking up his series of finishers.