Forever Forward Fridays

Tam Nakano (c) VS Megan Bayne - World of Stardom Championship Stardom 8/13/2023

JJZ: So I was curious to see how this speed VS size and power match up would be. We get a few minutes into the match between Megan and Tam and I'm considering turning it off because it is starting a little slow. Then the big oh fuck spot happens out of nowhere. I was like yeah we're good. Loved that real early big spot. Watching Nakano work from under and building to hope spots made for a edge of my seat watch. Bayne came through looking pretty comfortable in this monster role. I liked her moveset and thought she did a great job hitting harder when the time was right. Tam is a beast. Love her engery and plucky underdog mentality in this one.

CJD: This is why I love the different perspectives of our reviews. I thought the first 5 minutes of this match were the strongest! Bayne established herself perfectly. The rest was good too but man did they hook me big time early on. Both women had a really good sense of how to build suspense before delivering the big moments. Kind of a weird side note, why was the pretty hot crowd 100% dead after the great finish? Was that just a weird audio edit? That felt really surreal. Anyway, great match!! I'm totally green on Megan Bayne but can't wait to learn more. Tam was a treat these past few weeks!

Look High, It's My Last Hope

Chavo Guerrero VS Steve Keirn - Houston Wrestling Loser Painted Yellow Match 1/31/1986

JJZ: Love me an 80s gimmick match. As soon as I read loser gets painted yellow I said, I'm in! So the match itself is really just a bar fight in the ring. Steve and Chavo throwing potatoes and kicking the shit out of each other for 15 minutes was entertaining enough but the aftermath was wild. I thought they'd paint a couple stripes down the losers back but I was dead ass wrong. They were slinging the paint around the ring with no regard for the fans. Felt like I found a hidden gem on a VHS best of tape. Enjoy homie.

CJD: I'm going to admit baby. I'm a little hot. Because when I played the Mexican Death Match that follows this match up for you and the gang at one of our all night wrestling sessions... I got laughed out of the living room! And it's become an inside joke for years!! Tsk tsk. Tut tut. This match is a good grinding brawl. Not as good as the MDM (and the results of the DVDVR 80s set agrees!), but a really great heel performance from Keirn in particular. Like you mentioned some of those little shots they were throwing in between transitions were nasty as hell. And the post match angle is maybe even better than the match itself. I love this choice in all seriousness, because the Guerreros VS Fabulous Ones feud deserves its day in the sun! Well played JJZ.

RIP Sabu

Here are four Sabu matches we've shared over the years. They're all pretty great in different ways. There's a lot of feelings that I'm sure we're all going through as fans that I don't know how to put into words. RIP to as legendary of a performer as our generation ever had.

RIP Sa Fuckin Bu

I'm Your National Anthem, God, You're So Handsome

Gino Hernandez (c) VS Chavo Guerrero - Houston Wrestling NWA International Jr Heavyweight Championship 5/22/1981

CJD: John. This match right here. What a find. I wish I was sitting next to you discovering this match together. It's maybe not a MOTYC or what have you. Or maybe it is?? I don't know anymore. All I know is there's so much to love here. Before the match, in each fall, after the match. I'll say it right now. I was wrong about Gino. In these two matches I saw everything I ever heard about his insane potential and then some. He shined brighter than Chavo Classsic in this, and you know I love me some Chavo Guerrero! Houston in the late 70s and early 80s seems like a truly special territory based on the run we've been on lately my partner in crime!

JJZ: Right from the start of this match the feel of it was big. Bringing in the special ref is always a nice little twist. Wish he worked on his counts, come on Lou! Most wrestlers have a hard time slapping the mat for some reason. Im'ma start calling Gino the Furnace because he is a heat producer. He was born to be a heel. The front headlock work in the first fall was brilliant. It focused on the neck to lead up to the leg sweep. Classic second fall with Chavo getting a big burst of offense for a quick explosive pin. Beautiful back and forth leading to the third fall. Hot crowd with everything hitting on point and with purpose. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze in this one!

Forever Forward Fridays

Mayu Iwatani VS Tam Nakano - Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 8/15/2023

CJD: I didn't know what direction I wanted to go with Mayu, except that I've seen her in a good amount of big title matches. And I wanted something different. Now I'm highly sleep deprived with a sick kid at home, so this shotgun style slamjam of a match was just what the doctor ordered! I've seen a little of Tam but I know I'm way more ignorant than I should be of her work. These ladies went for broke with this one and the crowd ate it up. They had me with a real rooting interest by the end which is a credit to the little touches they added. Everything wasn't perfect but that wasn't what this match was about. And I wouldn't change a thing!

JJZ: Watched this match on a park bench at the playground! Wow, this was so much more stiff than I was expecting. It felt like all the strikes landed with such force. The trading of blows and high intensity spots really made this feel like a slamjam of a match for certain.  My favorite spot of the match was the rolling German suplexes. The high angle drop point made me turn my head a little and say ooooooo. Tam and Mayu really impressed me in this match. Getting to dive deeper into Nakano's match bank is getting me pumped CJD!