Forever Forward Fridays

Davienne VS B3CCA - Limitless Wrestling 12/19/2020

JJZ: I'm going to Latter Day Your Saint with this match, CJD! So, in my mind, the Booker man or women told B3CCA and Davienne they only got seven minutes. So these ladies just said fuck it and decided to beat the piss out of each other. I mean, they really laid it in. I'm not familiar with Davienne at all, but she got local veteran wrestler written all over her. She did the little things very well. Facial expressions, selling, and just attitude. B3CCA was a good FFFriday Champion. We got to see both sides of the coin with her. Plucky underdog babyface and also a little shit. Very impressive she was this good so young. Enjoy homie!

CJD: I've talked about how hard it must've been for young indie wrestlers cutting their teeth through the pandemic years. This is also an example of a wrestler who looks like she was ready to blast off in Davienne, but unfortunately that window of opportunity totally changed for her. I'm glad to see she's still active even though it does seem she took a year or so off. She was a revelation here, like you said polished & spit shined compared to a young and hungry B3CCA before the Pop Star became a concert headliner! They had wonderful chemistry, using some awkward moments to highlight the difference in their experience. Great physicality and when I paused one time I couldn't believe how much they'd done in only a few minutes. And not how much "stuff," but how much the match accomplished. I absolutely loved the finish. This was exactly the kinda match I needed this Friday after my house has been dealing with sick season setting in all week! Thanks my friend.

Forever Forward Fridays

B3CCA VS Brooke Havok - Limitless Wrestling 7/17/2026

CJD: The Emo Queen VS the Pop Star, this is a natural rivalry if I ever heard one. Shout out to Limitless who put together a great production right down to the camera work. Maybe I've just been listening to too much What Went Wrong that it's got me thinking about everything below the line. John if we were staying up all night watching pro wrestling circa 2005. Which we did so so many times. And I could send this match through time. This would be such a good pick to open up my matches for the night. B3CCA popped for me just as much as Havok did in your last Friday match, maybe even a little more. Great chemistry between these two ladies and I'd love to see a rematch. I'm leaving this one wanting to see more from both wrestlers, which makes for a very fun Friday indeed.

JJZ: Nail on the head CJD! In our 2005 watching wrestling together deep into the night era, this would be a perfect opening round match. Limitless has become one of my favorite promotions that we play forward. They just seem to produce good shit with a classic independent wrestling vibe. Brooke and B3CCA have well developed gimmicks that make it so they can keep the wrestling pretty simple, but it is so effective to draw the crowd in. Now, the smartest thing about having a meat and potatoes offense is when you bust out something with a wow factor, it fucking pops. Well done ladies!

Young At Hart

Ross Hart/Owen Hart VS Fit Finlay/Rocky Moran - Joint Promotions 3/31/1984

CJD: I had a few different ideas where I wanted to go with Owen. None of them were to Britain in 1984 tagging against Fit Finlay! But that's the beauty of Play It Forward baby. This isn't quite the all-time super rookie performances we've seen from the likes of Akiyama or Hidaka, but you can clearly see how a green as grass Owen has something special from the start, even as far as the Harts go. Rocky Moran is totally new to me and he and Finlay did a perfectly fine job building heat on these blue eyes. But the reason this match stood out to me above the other Owen I watched is that it helped paint a more vivid portrait of his entire career, and the influence British wrestling clearly had on the Harts. This match is a bit more of a curiosity but I think you'll really enjoy it JJZ.

JJZ: What kinda magic did you find!? Anything World Of Sport is such a joyous experience these days. It is just so different from what we grew up on. Also different was Owen getting so much offense in with how green he was. I wasn't familiar with Ross. He was good. Got those tough nosed Hart family vibes. Moran worked a 50/50 match. I probably haven't seen enough WOS to know if the psychology was different for those situations, but I liked it! This was good babycakes. It felt like the young boys really wanted to put some stank on those uppies and bows. Is it just me, or could you watch these matches all day? They always end too quick.

You Can't Kid A 123 Kidder

Owen Hart VS 123 Kid - WWF 8/15/1994

JJZ: So I'd bet that we have watched this before. But who cares. Wrestling this good is meant to be consumed more than once. Man, do I wish this wasn't clipped. Kid and Owen came out of this match like they were shot out of a cannon. The flippy flop between these two is always great, but damn do these boys lay it in. Just cracking each other with no regard. Watching this match, you realize Owen and Kid take no moves off. Each punch kick and slam have meaning and purpose behind it. Like they wanted to steal the show and pop the crowd. This 1994 WWF run might be really underrated, brother. I know me, and you love it, but taking my nostalgia out of it, these guys really worked their asses off.

CJD: My immediate reaction was that we had watched this match together before. But upon closer inspection.. I think this is totally new to me! And you're right John, matches this good should be revisited,in fact I enjoyed it so much I watched it twice since you've sent it over!! 1994 WWF didn't always feel big but these two men made it feel like Lowell MA was the most important place in the world that night. This might be the most I ever bought Owen as a main event singles wrestler, and as we've covered Waltman was just so damn good at this exact moment in time. I know we always reference Candido/Storm as the best shitcan vertical suplex to the outside but this one wasn't far off! And even with the clips and disappointing finish this was still such a satisfying 10 minute package. Besides another all time awful Vince commentary job. "Clear And Present Danger indeed!!" is especially funny in hindsight since we known he never watched any current movies. To end on something I loved about the wrestlers though and not that smacked ass, as my mom would say. The way Owen followed up his one big plancha with those nasty little paintbrushes, then posting Kid like that?? No notes!! Oh and the way both of these guys take a turnbuckle?! I might watch this one a third time at this rate.

Mr Backlund For President

Bob Backlund VS 123 Kid - WWF 11/7/1994

CJD: I wasn't planning on sticking with 90s Backlund, but this match caught my eye and I had to throw it on. It's shorter than its run time but so damn fun I couldn't say no. I don't think many share the same rose colored glasses for this feud with Bret that we do, when I see it mentioned online it's usually pretty dismissive. I thought everything about this run was brilliant right up until Vince wasted all that great work to try to establish Diesel as a the megastar that he was on his way to becoming regardless. Both Backlund and Waltman work this match so beautifully for what it is. Great TV wrestling that accomplishes so much with limited resources. I loved how real Bob felt to me as a kid in this era, and how it was clearly drawing from his actual history even if I wasn't familiar with it. I'd love a behind the scenes documentary about how this was all conceived, pitched, and his thoughts on it as it was happening. And so much credit to Bret for making him feel like such a real threat. I legitimately think Backlund is half nuts which makes his whitest meat babyface prime run that much more interesting. Hopefully we circle back to him sooner than later!

JJZ: I think it was equally entertaining to watch the match and hear the commentary. Vince was terrible! But at least it was in that so bad it's good territory. Yeah, that was fantastic! I bet Bob Backlund has a ton of these heel run matches that we would love to take a worm hole trip. The 123 Kid had such magic between the ropes during this time. His explosiveness paired with some really nice timing on his technical wrestling is what makes him stand out during this era of the WWE. Honestly, I would have loved it if they gave it more time, but the fact they told a story within a story in 5 minutes shows how good these guys were. I really think I'm going to explore some more Backlund stuff on my own. Son of a bitch always impresses me. Now on to my 123 Kid journey.

Forever Forward Fridays

Harleen Lopez (c) VS Brooke Havok - Power Pro Lucha Prodigy Cup 11/16/2025

JJZ: Power Pro Lucha is new to me, CJD. Are you familiar? Lopez and Havok, while they are both pretty young in the wrestling world, have some nice polish to them. Harleen and Brooke put on a nice 50/50 match that showcased both women's athleticism and quickness. They built to the big spots while trading holds and striking in the body of the match. I've done no research, but I think it's safe to assume the prodigy cup is for the younger female wrestlers, and I think prodigy is a great word for Brooke and Harleen.

CJD: I am not familiar with Power Pro Lucha or Brooke Havok! This was very new to me besides Todd Sinclair (always a pleasure to see him still working) and some traces of the CHIKARA roots this promotion seems to have. Havok was a joy, some young Alex Shelley energy and style. I really liked how they laid this match out and executed on it. Slick presentation from Power Pro too and this venue looks so fun. Just a great way to spend a little time doing dishes on a Friday night John. And then on the finish, I thought maybe they telegraphed something a little too much, but then it made perfect sense from a psychology standpoint why they would. Great choice my man!

Tuxedo Terry Terrorizes The Garden State

Terry Funk VS Bob Backlund - WWA 8/17/1991

JJZ: CJD! I really truly hope this is new to you. I sat and watched this like a little kid on Saturday morning. I need more of these matches. Bob was still in his white meat, baby face role at this time while Funk was in his scumbag heel run. I'm watching Backlund trying to wrestle his classic technique while Funk is just trying to turn the match in destruction and chaos. Going after the crowd and destroying the furniture. Wild ass match. The test of strength was one of the best I've ever seen. That really made the match for me. Bobby B is someone I honestly forget about, which makes no sense. He is unbelievable. Now Funk is just fucking god. Before finding this jewel, I got to watch a bunch of Terry Funk 2000s WCW matches. And you know what?  They were so much fun. You almost got a Kevin Nash vs Terry Funk hardcore title match!

CJD: Camden Community College. John Arezzi. Dennis Coralluzzo. Cactus Jack on the undercard and I don't recognize a single other name until the last three matches. Chi Chi Gomez doesn't even have a link on cagematch! A no-linker! Hat guy in the crowd if I'm not mistaken?? And Terry Funk vs god damn Bob Backlund in the main event. Is there a better example of the state of pro wrestling in the USA in 1991 than this insanity?? This match had some not great reviews as I was reading up on it and I'm not having any of it. Sure it was a little slow at times but what in the world would anyone expect. Backlund still works the hell out of that side headlock and little things like the bridges, leverage, kicks to the stomach, meat slapping goodness on some chops and open hand shots, this match makes a lot out of a basic structure. Then of course the crowd work and the once in a lifetime ambiance. I was talking to you as I started watching this about the craftsmanship that goes into two all timers delivering a match like this on this kind of stage. I found it funny when the commentary echoed the same exact thoughts three decades in the past as it played out. John I loved every minute of this, including a very nice piece of business to button up the finish, but I gotta say... I'm dying to see this Kevin Nash match!!

Becoming A Tarzan Goto Guy

Chainsaw Charlie VS Tarzan Goto - Indie World Vol 1 Fuck Dem Up! 5/21/1998

CJD: While not Dory Jr, clearly I've got the Funk family on my mind, and if you want to take us to a tribute match, I certainly won't turn down a few Amarillo European uppercuts. In the meantime, John do you like watching sick fucks do sick fuck things?? Then boy do I have the match for you!! I never knew this existed, and it turns out it's the last appearance of Chainsaw Charlie. There's some weird WWF overlap in this snuff film barbed wire board deathmatch, and I promise you you won't be able to guess where the finish is taking you. I don't want to oversell this match, I know how you feel about Goto, especially as we're getting later in his career. But suffice to say this match delivered everything I wanted and then some.

JJZ: Well holy fuck CJD. Barns have been burned. What a sloppy, wonderful piece of madness this was. I'm not even sure I understand the finish, but I was definitely entertained. The fact that this was the last appearance of Funk being Chainsaw Charlie and it being in Japan makes me really wonder if he has done more stuff in Japan as CSC that we don't know about? Is there a best of Chainsaw Charlie in Japan that we can order from IVP video for 2.99?  So am I becoming a Tarzan Goto guy? All four of his PIF matches have been bangers. I think he might be off my skip list! Super fun match babycakes!

Forever Forward Fridays

Brooke Valentine VS Harleen Lopez - Flying V Fights 6/1/2024

CJD: We've had a lot of powerhouse VS powerhouse on Fridays lately, so let's change the dynamic here with a technical showdown between the Queen Bee VS the Spiteful Brute. This match is the first round in what's essentially a pure rules tournament as far as I can tell. The commentators spend a lot of time talking about it and that's about my only criticism of the match. The women bring a great back and forth struggle with character, physicality, and skill that really impressed me. I thought both did a great job here, especially within the context of this tournament. And you know we got another test of strength baby cakes!! Excited to hear your thoughts on this one.

JJZ: I'm watching this match while folding clothes in my basement. Good match, man. Opening rounds of tournaments make for some really different style matches. I believe the wrestlers don't just want every match to have all the same moves, so they bring some tricks out of their bag. Now, not knowing these wrestlers that well I'm not sure if that actually happened. But still, this match felt unique to me. Brooke and Harleen really showed some technical wrestling skills. They had a great flow together, and the back and forth kept me on the edge of my seat. Valentine and Lopez both put on performances that proved they belonged in the big leagues in this one.

Mister Danger, You're Just A Stranger

Mitsuhiro Matsunaga VS Tarzan Goto - FMW 12/4/1989

JJZ: I ignored all the Tarzan Goto matches that kept coming up while I was searching for a Matsunaga match to play forward to you. Besides the Cactus Jack match we shared with each other here, I'm usually not a fan. But after not loving what I watched, I figured what the hell. Picking this match solely because of the VHS feels I got and I was so fucking happy. I never expected to stumble upon a  UWF/Battlearts style match with such fucking hate pouring through my screen. These cats were laying it in. That headbutt to the mouth made my teeth hurt. I tried to look up what promotion this was real quick and had no luck. Could've been BJPW? I didn't notice any logos on the mat. Felt like I found a rare gem but you tell me babycakes.

CJD: I think calling this a hidden gem is totally fair, this is FMW's fifth show and as far as I can tell one of the only pro wrestling events ever held at the Handa Municipal Hall. The couple thousand (maybe) people there certainly witnessed something they never saw before, or never would see again that night! Holy shit John, thank you so much for playing this forward, especially with your aversion to a) Tarzan Goto and b) stiff headbutts. This match is a CJD fever dream for certain and I loved every second of it!! Well maybe not the finish, but I don't know how much better I expected from a match that was such perfect absurdly chaotic violence up until that point. And such a late 80s vibe. I love it!! Karate man Matsunaga rules, svelt all yellow Goto in his swankiest tights ever rules even more, I can't wait to explore deeper in the jungle baby!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!