CJD: If I have the date right, at the time of this match both of these women had only been wrestling for a handful of years. Although like you said, Miyaguchi (or Ran YuYu if you prefer) is definitely a bit more seasoned and playing the more veteran role. Still, the polish on this match from two wrestlers so inexperienced is remarkable. This was so fundamentally sound. I'm really glad you went in this direction too, I was in the mood for something that just played with the building blocks of pro wrestling without a ton of sizzle. Not that there wasn't a ton of fire and struggle here. I don't know the first thing about Kanako Motoya (or Kana Mizaki if you prefer!) but I'm very curious to see what she looked like a few years further into her career, considering she was this good this early!
Friday, September 22, 2023
Forever Forward Fridays
Friday, September 8, 2023
Forever Forward Fridays
JJZ: This was a fucking banger CJD! Holy hell, the screaming in this match was insane. Thiz was such an wild car crash of a bout that you couldn't blink. The German suplexes were so stiff. The neck droppies just kept on coming and making me gringe a little bit. Sorry that Tammy didn't bare that much fruit but I think you played forward a gem baby cakes. I know you mentioned that the crowd was dead but the energy and vocals of the wrestlers fully over came the dead ass fans. We've watched so many matches Chris, that I think you might agree sometimes while watching it's more like checking off boxes to determine if this is a good match, instead of just enjoying what's going on I front of you. These ladies totally took me out of that box checking mindset and I just enjoyed the ride.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
What It Takes, Who I Am, Where I've Been
CJD: What in the actual fuck. Only in Inoki Genome Federation. Fujiwara and Hansen at ringside watching this debacle?? Let's fucking GO!! I loved your comment on the phone to me that at first you expected this to be an upload of a video game match. Certainly felt like it. In my honest opinion, this was wayyyyyy better than it had any right being or needed to be. RVD and Necro were there to play and I'm much more receptive to Kashin's antics than I was when we attended Best Of The American Super Juniors live (a little PIF trivia for everyone there). The first 7 or so minutes things were clunky and they were finding the rhythm. When they locked into that groove though they rode it straight to the finish. RVD really played the hits in this one. Necro channeled Brody, Abby, and Kamala simultaneously. The perplexed crowd even came alive by the end. Also you said you wish it was a 3 way dance. But it was! Do you want me to edit that?
JJZ: There were two pin falls?
CJD: Yes!
JJZ: Holy fuck, I watched this on my phone while cooking my daughter dinner. I assumed with all the blood that Necro just got taken out of the match. Goddammit. I don't know how I missed that. You can include all of this in the review if you want.
CJD: I will, and it gave me a chance to jog my memory about one more amazing part of this match. That Dollar Store Hatebreed RVD entrance song! What a choice! I bet he's used it a bunch and I'm just out of the loop, but that was something else.
Friday, August 25, 2023
Forever Forward Fridays
CJD: I don't think I have ever seen a Tanny Mouse before. She strikes me as someone you wouldn't forget. This match seems like one you'd think about skipping on a DVD, but you give it a chance because you like one of the wrestlers, and you're really glad you did. You're absolutely right that Tanny's lighthearted antics make how tight some of those pinning combinations were, or how stiff some of those exchanges were, super surprising. I would have liked if they could have put a slightly better bow on top but this match still felt like an unexpected treat either way. No idea where Tanny's going to take me next!
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
I'm In Search Of The Lionheart
JJZ: First first first of all. I 100% played this match for you before. Either from my 20 something disc ECW comp or my Best of Jericho RF video comp. Either way I'm super fucking excited to review this since it's been at least 10 years since I watched it. Now you know, I'm a RVD mark. I'm not as much of a Jericho guy as some people, but his ECW run, that I do love. And this is fucking ECW grade A material. I don't know why but I just love the shit Van Dam does. He did a spring board flip off the guard rail and I loved it. It's so wild how some wrestlers you can just enjoy their moveset over others. Jericho is working his tail off in this one. Everything he does he has to earn. I could watch ECW all goddamn day. Recently I've only been watching current NJPW and I'll tell you what, I enjoyed this match more. Well done baby cakes.
Friday, August 18, 2023
Forever Forward Fridays
Kaori Yoneyama (c) VS Emi Sakura - JWP Openweight Championship Hair VS Hair Match 9/19/2010
CJD: Only in joshi. This is the kind of match you cannot sit and nitpick here or armchair quarterback there. Somewhere along the line you have to decide as a fan. Am I in? Or am I out? Because this is vibrant, passionate, essential pro wrestling. This needs to exist. So if it's not for you, that's fine. But from one fan to another, who isn't always the most receptive to joshi, I'm begging anyone reading this. Please open your heart and mind to this match. I'm a little familiar with Yoneyama (John I played you a great hidden gem title match between her and Azumi Hyuga many moons ago). Sakura I believe PIF made me aware of for the first time last week. And just like that this door is opened to me, a lifelong super nerd fan who sometimes can feel like he's seen it all. No matter how much pro wrestling you've watched, keep pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. You never know when a match like this is waiting for you around the corner.
JJZ: CJD, I've tried to sit down and watch this match like 4 times. And everytime something interrupted me. But finally I was able to watch it front to back. This was a beautiful display of pushing the limits to the edge but not going over. Stiff but not crazy stiff. Oh shit spots but not holy fucking shit is she OK spots. The falsies were about to go off the cliff then Bam! One two three! It was an epic journey my man. I know it was from 2010 but the gritty feel of filming and look of the crowd I would've thought 1991. Excited to watch more Joshi. Hoping I can watch the next match on my first try!
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
LWO 4-Life
CJD: Efficient is a good word to describe this match. I'd pick spontaneous. I agree it's obvious these two are just feeling it and didn't plan a single thing. With that in mind this is fascinating to watch. I honestly thought Jericho might have impressed me just as much as Eddie this time around, which is saying something. I thought this was a great big league companion piece to Papi/TAKA. Neither match will blow you away but both are great showcase pieces in their own right. Definitely the stuff that makes PIF so fun after all these years, matches that help you fully understand eras and what makes a wrestler tick.
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