Your Kiss Is On My List

Fit Finlay VS Johnny Saint - Joint Promotions 1/5/1988

JJZ:  I've watched several Fit Finlay matches that weren't bad but I was left disappointed. Matches against Jackie Turpin, Doink the Clown and Eddie Guerrero. All of them very different but each ended with me saying to myself I can play forward something better than this. After watching Johnny versus Fit I said, I can't wait to play this forward. Listen baby. This was pure entertainment. Saint and Finaly really play their roles to a level that needs to be studied. Fit and Paula have a tremendous little soap opera going on between rounds that actually had me laughing to myself. Johnny is so good man. I really never know what he is gonna do. Really hope you enjoy this one.

CJD: Man, that collection of Finlay matches you watched sounds like a trip. That's fun research even if you didn't unearth anything amazing. This match was actually one of the first Saint matches I ever saw, on a comp of his I got to better educate myself on 80s British wrestling. I was disappointed with this match at the time but I think it was because I didn't understand what a big deal catchweight matches were in the territory and what a disadvantage it was seen as. I also hadn't seen a lot of Finlay's more dastardly heel work and was hoping for more of the Bellfast Bruiser. Watching it again decades later I actually much prefer this version of Finlay's heel schtick to begging off, crossing his heart Dave Finlay. Princess Paula is fantastic here. This match accomplishes a lot without doing too too much. It endears Saint to the fans even more (when the one older woman helps pick him up is such classic British wrestling), it gets some of Finlay's offense over huge, and it really builds anticipation for what happens next for both guys. They didn't run a lot of angles or story driven feuds but this does leave you with a sense of "what now??" Really effective pro wrestling that I was just not quite ready for when I first watched. But I just might have some technical wizardry more along the lines of what I was expecting up the sleeve of my robe for you next week!

More Schumann Than Schumann

Fit Finlay VS Franz Schumann - CWA 1992?

CJD: I wasn't sure which way to go with all the options you laid out for me with that Hase tag. I started watching some Finlay tags, some good stuff, but they didn't feel like they covered any new ground after your dream match. Then I stumbled upon this bad boy. And I'll gladly hold up the MDTSOCWWKD Championship for a week and let you decide who's the better man between these two meat slappers. Because make no mistake this is clubberin' of the highest order. I've been impressed with Schumann in the past but I've never seen this level of babyface performance from him before. This was a match that I put on with no expectations and proceeded to go through all the Vince meme facial expressions while Stacey Kiebler danced on his desk. Also no matter how hard I tried I can't seem to nail down the date.

JJZ: Love love love that Vince/Kiebler visual. This was a tremendous match my friend. So entertaining to watch. Franz Schumann is a goddamn beast man. That over the top dive totally took me by surprise. Wish Fit sold it a little better but that doesn't take anything away from it. I enjoyed the working from under psychology for Franz. Finlay is such a fucking dick in the ring that is was a perfect idea to work the match this was. I loved the home stretch and the finish totally caught me off guard. The feel and venues for these last couple matches were so fucking cool. It made watching the matches so much more enjoyable.

Two Hearts

Fit Finlay/Franz Schumann VS Hiroshi Hase/Jushin Liger - NJPW 2/14/1991

JJZ: First off, I'm drunk. So this will be a fun review. This was such a unique match to watch. Is it the greatest match ever? No. But it's a fun little jawn to drink a lager to. This match has a lot of little one off spots that really pop. Getting to watch Liger and Finlay wrestle each other is a dream come true in my opinion. I think about what you would expect me to play back to you and I don't think you'd think about this match ever. And that's what I love about this story in our lives that we have created. This is a good match with solid psychology that I don't think we'd ever have seen if it wasn't for Play It Forward.

CJD: I wouldn't expect you to play this match back but boy howdy am I glad you did! This is the stuff that PIF is made of and man did I enjoy the heck out of it. Pro wrestling nirvana right here. So many different things coming together in a fairly straightforward, WCW Saturday Night style tag match, that doesn't overachieve but does everything you want it to. All 4 wrestlers shine at various points, both teams have good chemistry, and Liger throws in a surprise top rope elbow drop which is of course a thing of beauty. What a pair of tag matches for our MDTSOCWWKD Champion of the week Hiroshi Hase! And did you know he's a former Olympian?? I sure didn't until now! I really loved this match for its simple but extremely sound fundamentals, great execution, and once in a lifetime feel.