I have failed you all. I lost the prestigious Brainbuster Championship to that no good, egg-sucking, jobber-loving co-host of mine on Tag Teams Back Again, Kelly Nelson on the second episode of Brainbuster! The fix was in, Sleeze Synod, you see the show is hosted by Titan of Wrestling, Johnny Sorrow and Kelly Nelson is a fellow Titan of Wrestling. They have always had it out for your Teen Titan (check me out on the Portland, Continental and Georgia episodes of Titans!). In the tiebreaker, Johnny had a question that only a true jobber lover could get correct and that is how many victories The Gambler had in his career. Rest assured, I am coming back stronger and sleezier than ever in a future episode of Brainbuster to reclaim my crown!
You can listen to the episode here: http://placetobenation.com/brainbuster-the-pro-wrestling-quiz-show-episode-2/
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| GO BLUE~! |
Before we get to this looooooooooong post, I just want to give my main man, John Cena a shoutout. I was in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Friday night for Hulk Hogan Appreciation night. I was crossing seeing wrestling at MSG off the bucket list. I could not help be a bit disappointed at the rote match routines. Then John Cena's music hit for his match with Rusev and I just leapt out of my seat and went bonkers. I really don't know what came over me, but I just felt that electricity. John Cena did not disappoint in the ring. While everyone else on the roster basically took the night off (shout out to Rollins for at least heeling up like a champ in the main), Cena proved why he was the top guy with a damn good match with Rusev. I have been a huge proponent of Cena/Rusev from Fast Lane, which I think is an early MOTYC. I did not think this was as good, but it was really fun and would have been a high-end RAW match. It just felt like a great old school pro wrestling match at the Garden with tons of chaos in the finish. Enough cannot be said about Cena, when so many people put it on autopilot, he puts out so much effort. He is definitely one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time.
Listing of all Post-Split All Japan Pro Wrestling Matches Reviewed from 2000-2004:
Toshiaki Kawada & Genichiro Tenryu vs Stan Hansen & Taiyo Kea - Budokan 7/23/00 ****1/4
#50 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html
Toshiaki Kawada vs Genichiro Tenryu - Budokan 10/28/00 Vacant Triple Crown ****1/4
#57 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2013/11/2-out-of-3-falls-toshiaki-kawada.html
Toshiaki Kawada vs Keiji Mutoh - AJPW Champions Carnival 4/14/01 ****1/2
#25 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/2001-shining-wizard-keiji-mutoh.html
Toshiaki Kawada vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 6/6/01
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Genichiro Tenryu vs Keiji Mutoh - 6/8/01 *****
#5 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/2001-shining-wizard-keiji-mutoh.html
Toshiaki Kawada & Nobutaka Araya vs Genichiro Tenryu & Masa Fuchi - 6/30/01 ****1/4
#63 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html
Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - 2/24/02
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html
Genichiro Tenryu vs Satoshi Kojima - 7/17/02 ****1/2
#44 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/01/all-japan-strikes-back-toshiaki-kawada.html
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Shinya Hashimoto - AJPW 2/22/04 ****
#67 of 100
http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2014/04/space-tornado-ogawa-vs-dangerous-kawada.html
Match Listing:
Genichiro Tenryu & Nobutaka Araya vs Taiyo Kea & Kazushi Miyamoto - AJPW 4/27/02 ****
#61 of 100
One of the best Prick Heels vs Main Event Face & Young Lion tag match. Miyamoto was incredible.
Genichiro Tenryu & Nobukazu Hirai vs. Satoshi Kojima & Kaza Hayashi - AJPW 10/06/02 ***
Good version of the previous which I am a sucker for, but did not hit the same levels.
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 6/13/03 ****1/4
#54 of 100
Hashimoto The Destroyer in all his glory. He punches the fuck out of Kojima's lariat, so awesome!
Satoshi Kojima vs Shinjiro Ohtani - Budokan 9/06/03
Good match but they go overkill on Ohtani only to have win the match. Never liked that.
Mitsuharu Misawa vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 7/18/04
Depressing match.
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Takao Omori - AJPW 7/18/04
Really great Kawada selling and offensive performance almost carries bland Omori to Top 100.
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Genichiro Tenryu & Nobutaka Araya vs Taiyo Kea & Kazushi Miyamoto - AJPW 4/27/02
Tenryu excels in these environments with three career midcarders and making a special and memorable match. Araya goes from taking a beat from Tenryu to joining him in dishing one out on poor rookie, Miyamoto. Cant beat him, join him. Kea is a potential next big star in the shallow All Japan roster and wrestles at an urgent pace to prove himself to Tenryu. Without a doubt, the star of the show is plucky underdog, Miyamoto, who takes a licking, but keeps on ticking. Miyamoto actually shows up Araya early for a hot second, before Tenryu comes in and chops him. Araya busts Miyamaoto's nose open with a wicked reverse elbow. The story just tells itself. Tenryu comes in immediately and kicks Miyamoto right in the nose to a big reaction. What a prick! To Miyamoto's credit, he is not just selling magnificently, he is putting one of the best underneath fights. Bringing it right to Tenryu. After all, sometimes you just got to punch the bully in the mouth or dropkick him in the knee. If that does not work, jump on the announce table and elbow smash him. The constant struggle between the hope spots and cutoffs builds great drama and add the bully/underdog dynamic you have molten heat that I just love. When Kea does come in, he works with a great sense of urgency and Tenryu is very giving. Unfortunately, it seems Kea cares more about proving that he is Tenryu's equal rather than winning the match or Miyamoto's health. Kea does get to hit the TKO on Tenryu, but Araya saves. To Miyamoto's credit, he does not just fold up shop when he gets tagged back in twice. Tenryu goes for a punch to the face and Miyamoto traps him in a Triangle in an awesome spot, but Araya saves. Tenryu slaps the fuck outta Miyamoto and he is just humiliating him. Finally Kea saves him in a Texas Cloverleaf, but God he should not being throwing kicks. Miyamoto looks like he is about to get the best of Araya, but Tenryu punches Kea right in the face and throws a chair at him ruining Miyamoto's chance of tagging out. Araya goes for the moonsault, but Miyamoto hits a wicked GERMAN!!! PIN HIM, KID! 1-2-NO!!!!! Araya drills him with a brainbuster to end the Cinderella story. Kea was supposed to look great against Tenryu, but Miyamoto stole the show with one of the greatest single match underdog performances. This performance was only enhanced by one of the best, mean-spirited bullies of all time, Genichiro Tenryu. It all combines for an easy top 100 match of the 2000s in Japan lock. ****
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Genichiro Tenryu & Nobukazu Hirai vs. Satoshi Kojima & Kaza Hayashi - AJPW 10/06/02
Tenryu was out of fucking control in this match. Tenryu lines up to hit Kojima with a chair, but instead decides to whip it into the audience and attack Kojima. Anybody care to explain what the hell that was about? Then Hayashi cheap shots Tenryu on the apron. So Tenryu gets another chair and flings it at him when he is in the corner. It goes flying off the ring post into the crowd. He could have really hurt Hayashi or somebody. It reminded me of the recent cinder block throw that almost hurt Lawler and you could see how displeases Lawler was at the segment. It adds to the chaotic nature, but is almost too dangerous. Tenryu killing Hayashi is fun, but I have seen better. Just like before the transition out sucked as it was just Hayashi doing a backspring elbow on Hirai. For as bad as the transitions were, Kojima looked great and the Kojima/Tenryu work was electric. It felt much bigger than Tenryu/Kea because how over Kojima is and how much effort he was putting forth. Kojima is able to hit the lariat, but has to tag out. By contrast, Hirai/Hayashi just seems so unimportant like RAW 10:30 segment unimportant. Kojima back in hits a lariat to win the match.
What is weird about this match is that it feels like it is building to a major Tenryu/Kojima singles match except Kojima/Tenryu already happened twice. Kojima/Tenryu is great and I will go back and watch their singles series. Hayashi/Hirai is not. Tenryu is crazy dangerous in this match. In about a month from now, I guarantee the only thing I will remember is Tenryu throwing chairs in the audience. It is a good match with plenty of energy, but not great. ***
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AJPW Triple Crown Champion Shinya Hashimoto vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 6/13/03
I don't know if I am so burnt out on the NOAH style or because I got a wicked hot chick's number last night (toot! toot!), but this was damn entertaining. That was one of the most exciting finish stretches I have seen in some time. I was hanging on every move as Hashimoto The Destroyer looked to put down Crowd Favorite Kojima. The "STOP HITTING ME WITH THAT LARIAT" punches had me going bezerk and you did not know when Kojima was going to strike next with his lariat.
The beginning was so refreshing with two wrestlers just struggling over basic holds and working a classic championship style build. A spot like the early cross armbreaker, which Kojima sold well by immediately getting to the ropes and powdering, gives the crowd a quick highspot and demonstrates how important is not to make a mistake. From a kayfabe perspective, I feel like Hashimoto was not really trying to win the match just sort of playing defense then he dropkicked Kojima to the outside and the match really picked up. Hashimoto starts to kick ass on the outside with a DDT on the outside. Kojima hits a desperation lariat to the knees. Hashimoto hits a Fuck You knee lift and then a HUGE double stomp from the top rope. SWEET! Kojima hits a bad bad looking back drop driver. Then PRO WRESTLING LOVE Shining Wizard, but kick out! Kojima gets the figure-4 and signals for the LARIATO! HASHIMOTO THE DESTROYER CHOPS AWAY THE LARIAT ARM! KICKS TO THE ARM! Hammerlock DDT, STO and Inverse triangle choke, but Kojima makes it to the ropes. HASHIMOTO IS PISSED AND IS GOING TO DRILL KOJIMA WITH A BRAINBUSTER! Kojima slips out and LARIAT! Kojima has his lariat, but Hashimoto knows it is coming so you get these great Hashimoto destroys arm, but Kojima just sucks it up and nails lariats because he nothing else. Then Hashimoto just starts punching the fuck out of his arm to set up THE BRAINBUSTER~! Hashimoto The Destroyer wins, but Kojima shows he can compete with the big boys.
A more interesting thread or hook earlier in the match would make this a MOTYC, but it falls just short. I need to rewatch the Tenryu matches, but as it stands this is my favorite Kojima match. He unquestionably always brings the crowd to his matches, but here he was focused and worked hard as an underdog.. This was Hashimoto's best pure singles performance from the 00s where he just looked like a world beater, but still gave Kojima enough to make the match competitive. Most importantly, they peaked with a super hot finish. ****1/4
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Satoshi Kojima vs Shinjiro Ohtani - Budokan 9/06/03
Another good Kojima match will wonders ever cease! I should let this girl know the effect she has had on me. Making me like Kojima, craziness! I was totally shocked by the finish, but I should not have been given the layout. This was the first time since Kojima joined All Japan he was not the underdog (Mutoh, Kawada, Tenryu and Hashimoto) and I was intrigued what he would do. I actually thought he worked an energetic and hot match from on top. I would liked to seen more dickishness and heeling from Ohtani since this is part of the AJPW vs Z1 feud. I liked the opening with them hitting finishers early to kick off the match with a bang. They reset to a more standard opening with Kojima dominating Ohtani for the most part except when Ohtani was able to rake the eyes and get his facewash. Kojima teases doing the Ohtani facewash and he really should have! I liked how they had each other scouted Ohtani dropkicked Kojima going for his elbow drop and Kojima returned the favor when Ohtai went for the springboard dropkick. Kojima nearly kills himself with a wicked suicide dive into the railing. Kojima is really throwing himself into his spots. Kojima destroys Ohtani with an elbow and he does the lifeless sell. I should have realized once Kojima was destroying Ohtani with Ace Crushers, but was not finishing him off that Ohtani would win because that is Japanese Match Layout 101, but I presume this was when Kojima gets his victory over a veteran and bring his ascent. I didn't like the finish because I thought Kojima killed Ohtani too much. Thus it made Kojima look weak and the Ohtani comeback look unbelieveable. I really bit on Ohtani getting two Dragon Suplexes to counter the Lariat and then Kojima nailing him with a Lariat. If that was the finish, this match would have finished a bit better, but it would have been more of an extended squash. Ohtani mounts his comeback with a spinwheel kick and springboard dropkick to the back of his head. He cant get the powerbomb and Kojima knocks him out of his boots and again a perfectly good finish for a Kojima victory. Ohtani powerbomb and then a Dragon suplex brings it home for Ohtani.
My two knocks against this match is that if you want Ohtani to win the whole match ought to be restructed or at the very least not have Kojima totally annihilate him and that finish run did not fit the rest of the match. They were working a fun upper midcard match to establish Kojima on top then they all of sudden tacked on this "epic" finish run. It is still a good match, but did not think the complete package will make my top 100. ***
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Mitsuharu Misawa vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 7/18/04
Is Kojima sponsored by a Japanese furniture company called Cozy World? Thats badass. Misawa's age really, really showed in this match. By the end, he finally broke the match open, but the first 20 minutes or so was painful to watch one of the greatest wrestlers of all time sleepwalk through his style of match. Kojima, who is usually rover like over with crowd, could not seen to get them behind him until the latter half of the match making for a dead crowd and overall boring match that is probably more famous for a hilarious blunder.
The beginning was the match was well-worked with good basic work involving top wristlock and headlock with you few highspots. Then they just sat this chinlock forever. Kojima looked to pick it up by doing a Tiger Driver (O NO HE DIDNT) and then kicking some ass on the outside. In the spot of the match, Kojima went for a powerbomb on Misawa, but you cant powerbomb Misawa and took a wicked bump into the railing. Misawa ran through basic mid-match offense, but was just going through the motions. Then in one of the funniest botches, Misawa goes for his pump fake diving elbow and basically flips into the ropes and falls back on his ass. Kojima, way more professional than me, continues on as I would have been laughing my ass off. After that match finally gets going with them trading bombs, the Tiger Driver to the floor was a good highspot and actually believed Kojima had a chance once he kicked out of Emerald Flowsion and hit a couple big lariats. It was not to be because a spinning back elbow and a Tiger Driver '91 polished him off.
Was Kojima supposed to the Kawada of the 00s? Just never could win the big one. The guy could not buy a victory before his February '05 Triple Crown victory, but hey he was still over. Misawa sadly looked old and washed up. Kojima did not know how to bring him out of a funk. The finish pulls the match into the good territory, but nowhere near a top 100 match. ***
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AJPW Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada vs Takao Omori - AJPW 7/18/04
Omori rocking a trendy 2014 hipster haircut in 2004. Who knew all hipsters were ripping off Takao Omori.
In two marquee matches (Tenryu and Hashimoto), Kawada just blows off knee selling and then here he just starts randomly selling the knee, but who I am to complain Kawada selling the knee is always badass. In fairness, Omori did hit one dragon leg screw, but it did not seem like it would be followed up on. Then Kawada after hitting his back heel kick and axe kick started selling the knee and the match got real interesting. Omori did an admirable job working the knee, but this was the Kawada show and I was loving it. Kawada mounts comeback on the outside with a yakuza kick over the railing. He retreats to the high ground of the ring. Omori tries to get back in and Kawada yakuza kick again. Then they work a mini-scaffold match out on the apron that is really great drama, which ends with a Kawada enziguiri. The difference between Kawada in this and the aforementioned matches is night and day. You can really feel the struggle to overcome the pain to hit his basic offense. Kawada nails two back drop drivers and goes for a third, but Omori holds onto ropes for dear life. Omori goes back to knee and drills Kawada with a wicked piledriver. Knee drop gets two. Omori overcomes a barrage of enziguiris with lariats. After this match, falls apart into a bomb throwing fest, but not as fun as Kobashi/Omori. Kawada is awfully small to be hitting a powerbomb against someone like Omori. Kawada wins after elbows, back drop driver and a Shining Wizard. Tack on a hotter finish and this is a mortal lock for the Top 100. Kawada's great selling keeps thing interesting early, the mini-scaffold match was fun and Omori false run were great, but then they were just missing that extra gear. It will probably make the Top 100, but not sure. ***3/4
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