He Don't Give In, He's A Family Man

Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood VS Terry Funk/Dory Funk Jr - AJPW 2/12/1982

CJD: So not only do I have Steamboat matches I've been wanting to see for years just waiting at my fingertips these days, but I also have Dory Funk Jr as of just a few months ago uploading that straight fire! With your Steamboat/Vader match I talked about the deliberate pace. I didn't mean slow or boring, it was actually pretty action packed. They just spaced out and timed those comebacks with such purpose. Well this match, I could see getting knocked for being a little slow and boring. But I really liked the contrast of a match this week that just builds. And builds. And builds. And builds. Never really to a crescendo but to a very satisfying final few minutes. And a nice finish! I don't think this match flowed out of anyone like water this given night. It was a double they had to really run out to beat the throw at second. But all four guys put the work in and this ended up being something I really enjoyed. I know your tastes, I know you'll get pumped for this one on paper. But what will you think about the execution JJZ??

JJZ: Fuck man. Before the match even starts I'm like damn. Some matches on paper just make you say hell yeah brother, let's go! I know your absolute love of Terry, so I know finding this match for you was such a wonderful moment. What Terry adds to a match is priceless. Even him taking hip tosses from Ricky feels like a big spot. Dory is classic man. He is the steady hand that keeps everything calm for his team. Jay Youngblood. Gone way too soon. Had so much potential and brought  such energy to his matches. This was a fundamental classic tag match baby cakes. The crowd was fantastic and the build needs to be watched by young tag teams. I think basic is a negative word at times but this match had so many basic things executed to perfection. Great match baby!

Forever Forward Fridays

Kyoko Inoue VS H - FMW 3/27/2000

CJD: File under: matches I never knew happened, exhibit A. I know maskless Hayabusa is not something we seek out. And I know this match puts you in a really awkward position to stick with our Friday themes. But this was so in the spirit of Forever Forward, especially for 2000 Japan, that I couldn't pass this up. If we have to hold up the imaginary FFF Championship and start from scratch, so be it. Inoue controls a crowd so beautifully. Dare I say she carried H for sections of this. Hayabusa is trying to get revenge for a loss to Kyoko in a tag match so he's really bringing the stank. I would've liked just a little more at the end but considering I never dreamed this match happened, I'll take what I got. What a strange time the year 2000 was.

JJZ: This was a very unexpected surprise babycakes. My first thoughts about this match was that I was happy that H didn't entirely wrestle as Hyabusa. Obviously some moves yes. But it wasn't a carbon copy. Inoue seems so pissed off during this match. You could tell she had something to prove. This was a really heated battle. I loved the aggressive nature of the bout. I know this was a intergender match but it never felt like that. It had the feels of two people wanting to beat the hell out of each other. I don't think I knew that Hayabusa worked maskless! Love play it forward for times like this.

In The Bushes With The Mask Like Vader

Big Van Vader (c) VS Ricky Steamboat - WCW World Championship 5/29/1993

JJZ: Can't believe I haven't seen this before. And if I did and can't remember shame on me. I had to really lower my excitement because it was on a side show. I know it was for the WCW World title but I knew it was gonna be more of a great tv match and not a great World title match. I really liked this match a lot and the only downside is that I know they never took this anywhere. And boy o boy could they could've taken this somewhere. Steamboat might have been the only PUP better than Sting to work with Big Van Vader. Ricky really overdid the selling to make Leon look like a ruthless killer. The hope spots and come back were so well done. But the masterpiece was the finishing stretch baby cakes. Loved it. Side note. I was a WWF guy during this era and never watch WCW. Fuck man. WWF guys never bumped on a side show like this. Enjoy baby.

CJD: I seem to remember one of the Death Valley Driver guys claiming back when that Steamboat might have been Vader's low key best opponent. Maybe after Sting like you said. And I've seen some of their matches but even I didn't think to name him last week when talking about the top babyfaces Vader was working magic with. These two had so many sneaky great matches and this one is still new to me. I think I tried to hunt this down on custom comps but never found it. And of course in 2024 here it is at my fingertips in crystal clear VQ!! Talk about 70/30, this shit was more like 85/15. What a beating and what comebacks! I loved the deliberate pace and the way they timed Steamboat's offense. This was an absolute treat, thank you Jim Duggan for finding this little detour for us! God damn.

What You Gonna Do About It, Tough Guy??

Jim Duggan (c) VS Big Van Vader - WCW US Championship 12/10/1994

CJD: I feel like I've been serving you up a lot of "pleasant surprise" kind of matches up until you dropped that Bennett/Inoue gem on me. Nothing else that's cracking any real star ratings, but fun watches that will exceed expectations. And this... is another one of those matches. But Jim Duggan is a complicated case, a world class brawler for a short period in the '80s, turned to a super protected and well, boring top babyface in the early '90s. I'm sure if I dug deeper I could find some more '80s greatness like you did. But this one popped up and while I kind of knew what we'd get best case scenario, I thought about the boxes we were checking. WCW Saturday Night, you know that's buttering our bread. WCW Duggan, a period nobody ever thinks to look twice at. And an under the radar 1994 Vader hoss fight. How am I going to pass that up?? I'm not, and while this isn't on the level of Vader working the cast of great babyfaces on the WCW roster he worked magic with, it's still pretty fucking good given the circumstances. And even with a bullshit finish, they put a nice cherry on top to wrap up the post match shenanigans. It's also very interesting seeing Vader work this style match compared to his great chemistry with Sting or Dustin. So yes, another pleasant surprise, but given the circumstances I'll gladly take that from 1994 Jim Duggan!

JJZ: WCW Saturday Night might be the best weekly wrestling show ever. It produced so many amazing matches and moments. Man, this is hands down the best Dunggan match I've seen from this era of his career. And it's not from being carried at all. He totally held his own with Vader. Really dug down and brought his 1980s level shit. The fans were on the edge of their seats during this. I fucking loved Jimmy D leveling the playing field with the 2x4 and those comeback punches were straight fire son! Wish it was a clean finish but I get it. Both guys came out looking good and that's what you want.