-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
*Official* Pro-Wrestling Thread II
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
I remember Hall using the "bad times dont last, bad guys do" in his HoF speech. Was it ever used by him in character anywhere else though?
Red_Ink_Squid
Global Moderator
1. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue, AJPW June 1995
This match at #1 was the easiest pick of the countdown for me. I think it’s become a meme that Meltzer will occasionally give a match 6.75 stars out of 5 or something silly like that. This is the match that would break the scale for me.
I’ve already written about 3 of these guys: Misawa the ace, Kobashi the fiery young protégé, Kawada the former partner with a chip on his shoulder. Here also is Taue, Kawada’s right hand man. Prior to that he was Jumbo’s right hand man. He’s a really handy right hand man: big, loyal and unpretentious. Kawada (because his character is insecure and desperate to prove himself) would easily get drawn into strike exchanges with Misawa or tests of strength against Kobashi which he couldn’t win. Taue would sooner just poke them in the eye and drop them neck-first onto the ring ropes. He had nothing to prove; he was happy as a henchman doing whatever needed to be done.
Anyway, this rivalry had been going on for a couple of years now and these teams outright hated each other, with Misawa/Kawada still the main issue. The face team usually came out on top in this matchup and Kawada had still never pinned his direct rival even once. But this time both Misawa and Kobashi come in with injuries: Misawa was recovering from a broken orbital bone and Kobashi had an injured leg. Taue had no qualms about targeting an injury. Kawada would have kicked Misawa in the face regardless. This might be their best chance at an upset.
The match itself is the perfect storm of action and storytelling coming together at the highest level. I think you could cut out any random 5 minute stretch of the match and watch in isolation and find several awesome moments in it. But the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. I saw this for the first time around 15 years ago and thought it was the best match I’d ever seen. Every time I’ve rewatched it I’ve come away feeling the same.
This match at #1 was the easiest pick of the countdown for me. I think it’s become a meme that Meltzer will occasionally give a match 6.75 stars out of 5 or something silly like that. This is the match that would break the scale for me.
I’ve already written about 3 of these guys: Misawa the ace, Kobashi the fiery young protégé, Kawada the former partner with a chip on his shoulder. Here also is Taue, Kawada’s right hand man. Prior to that he was Jumbo’s right hand man. He’s a really handy right hand man: big, loyal and unpretentious. Kawada (because his character is insecure and desperate to prove himself) would easily get drawn into strike exchanges with Misawa or tests of strength against Kobashi which he couldn’t win. Taue would sooner just poke them in the eye and drop them neck-first onto the ring ropes. He had nothing to prove; he was happy as a henchman doing whatever needed to be done.
Anyway, this rivalry had been going on for a couple of years now and these teams outright hated each other, with Misawa/Kawada still the main issue. The face team usually came out on top in this matchup and Kawada had still never pinned his direct rival even once. But this time both Misawa and Kobashi come in with injuries: Misawa was recovering from a broken orbital bone and Kobashi had an injured leg. Taue had no qualms about targeting an injury. Kawada would have kicked Misawa in the face regardless. This might be their best chance at an upset.
The match itself is the perfect storm of action and storytelling coming together at the highest level. I think you could cut out any random 5 minute stretch of the match and watch in isolation and find several awesome moments in it. But the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. I saw this for the first time around 15 years ago and thought it was the best match I’d ever seen. Every time I’ve rewatched it I’ve come away feeling the same.
20. Genichiro Tenryu vs. Nobutaka Araya, WAR Jan '98
19. Ric Flair vs Ted DiBiase, Mid South Nov '85
18. Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu, NJPW Feb '94
17. Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta, AJPW May '84
16. Andre the Giant vs Stan Hansen, NJPW Sep '81
15. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama, NOAH Apr '04
14. Takada vs Vader, UWFi Aug '94
13. Combat Toyoda vs Megumi Kudo, FMW May '96
12. Tenryu & Kawada vs Hansen & Gordy, AJPW Dec '88
11. Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk, Apr '81
10. Ishikawa/Otsuka/Sawa vs Ikeda/Usuda/Super Tiger, Battlearts Jul '07
9. Hashimoto vs Ogawa, NJPW Apr '00
8. Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Mid South Mar '85
7. Kobashi & Akiyama vs Vader & Stan Hansen, AJPW Dec '98
6. Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo, AJW Aug '85
5. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada, AJPW Jun '94
4. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, AJPW Jan '97
3. El Hijo Del Santo vs Negro Casas, CMLL Sep '97
2. Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair, WCW Apr '89
1. Misawa & Kobashi vs Kawada & Taue, AJPW Jun '95
19. Ric Flair vs Ted DiBiase, Mid South Nov '85
18. Shinya Hashimoto vs Genichiro Tenryu, NJPW Feb '94
17. Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta, AJPW May '84
16. Andre the Giant vs Stan Hansen, NJPW Sep '81
15. Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama, NOAH Apr '04
14. Takada vs Vader, UWFi Aug '94
13. Combat Toyoda vs Megumi Kudo, FMW May '96
12. Tenryu & Kawada vs Hansen & Gordy, AJPW Dec '88
11. Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk, Apr '81
10. Ishikawa/Otsuka/Sawa vs Ikeda/Usuda/Super Tiger, Battlearts Jul '07
9. Hashimoto vs Ogawa, NJPW Apr '00
8. Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Mid South Mar '85
7. Kobashi & Akiyama vs Vader & Stan Hansen, AJPW Dec '98
6. Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo, AJW Aug '85
5. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada, AJPW Jun '94
4. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, AJPW Jan '97
3. El Hijo Del Santo vs Negro Casas, CMLL Sep '97
2. Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair, WCW Apr '89
1. Misawa & Kobashi vs Kawada & Taue, AJPW Jun '95
OverratedSanity
Request Your Custom Title Now!
That's a top choice
Aritro
International Regular
This is the most heartbreaking bit for me. Guy went through hell and re-made himself. Deserved more time to live his new life. For him to die of complications during hip surgery just feels so senseless as well, more senseless than other ways of dying for some reason.
One of the more memorable parts of my childhood gone. What a performer he was, both in the ring and with the mic. Turned a potentially terrible gimmick into an absolute winner through his sheer talent and presence and gave wrestling one of its most colourful and exciting characters. RIP Razor.
Aritro
International Regular
Yeah I'll love him forever, but he's a grumpy old man with diminishing faculties and it shows. Would not object at all to him being given his farewell tour.
On that note, I absolutely love the commentary on Rampage. They have real chemistry, and the bantz don't seem forced.
sledger
Spanish_Vicente
I don't think he actually is losing his faculties tbh, on his podcast with Conrad he sounds as switched on and engaged as ever, and frequently he gets really fired up (particularly in relation to people accusing him of phoning in his commentary, ironically).
It's weird. If he showed half the interest and passion in his commentary as he does on his podcast nobody would be accusing him of not giving a crap.
Edit: I mean his commentary on the Jericho heel turn the other night was really bad. Just really really pedestrian delivery e.g. "oh no....what is he doing?....this is...not very good"
Made all the more jarring by the way in which Schiavone and Excalibur are doing their best to sound outraged and get the whole thing over.
Aritro
International Regular
Dunno, he's gotten forgetful and gets names wrong and has developed a tendency to start sentences that finish untidily or run out of steam cos he can't summon the words as well any more IMO
sledger
Spanish_Vicente
Maybe to some extent, but tbf he has always got names wrong. E.g. even back in 2000 he would constantly get the Hardys mixed up, and Edge and Christian.