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!

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!!!

He's The Tarzan Of LA

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1qcs3p

El Hijo Del Santo/Atsushi Onita/Tarzan Goto VS Negro Casas/Horace Boulder/Tim Patterson - FMW 5/16/1992

JJZ: Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect to be here but this is what Play It Forward is all about. This is an FMW show in Los Angeles. It's pretty much a fun FMW brawl with a heavy lucha influence and rules. The Casas/Santo interactions are seriously heated and you can feel the crowd through the broadcast when they touch. Because of the journey it took for me to get this match, I can say without question, it's one of my favorite matches I've shared with you.

CJD: I knew Goto would give you some trouble for a match to play forward but I never imagined you'd end up here! This on paper is everything that's awesome about pro wrestling. Hulk Hogan's nephew, two Japanese deathmatch legends, two Mexican legends... and Tim Patterson. A Japanese promotion running in LA broadcasting to a Latino audience. What is there not to love? The match is not surprisingly a little disjointed at times but Onita brings great charisma and energy, and as you mentioned Santo and Casas are pure magic every time they touch. I loved the big looping chairshots that Onita and Boulder were swinging. I have no idea where this match is going to take me next week but I can't wait to find out.

Wanted: Alive & Walking Unassisted

Tarzan Goto (c) VS Cactus Jack - IWA Japan World Heavyweight Championship 5/10/1995

CJD: I had an idea of where I wanted to go for my next match to play forward but I didn't expect such a gem to fall into my lap. Now this might be a great example of "one man's trash is another man's treasure." I remember the last time I played a Tarzan Goto match for you and our greater Philadelphia area pro wrestling peers, the room gave me the collective stink eye. Goto was no super worker but I do think he's under rated in the annals of pro wrestling history. Onita wasn't going to start a deathmatch revolution on his own, he needed the likes of Pogo and Goto to play off of. You mentioned Foley's mind boggling bumps and make no mistake you'll be boggled again a few times during this match. This isn't perfect by any means but it's a great example of the wild fun that was mid '90s deathmatch wrestling. And I'd be lying if part of me isn't getting sick pleasure in forcing you to pick a Goto match to play back.

JJZ: Well I in no way, ever ever thought you'd play a Tarzan Goto match this week. I was thinking maybe some ECW or early '90s WCW. But honestly this is probably better because I tend to forget how much Cactus worked in Japan and just how violent he was. Now you already stated that I am no fan of Mr Goto but he works very well with Mick in this match. It would be easy to say that Cactus made him look good since that is one of Foley's best qualities as a wrestler but Goto bumps his ass off and the crowd is white hot for him. Watching this match makes me think about wrestling fans today that complain about safety and would love their opinion about this match. No doubt Foley is the star here, he takes bumps that I feel in the pit of my stomach. It really is mind blowing that he isn't in a wheelchair. You pulled and Ace out of your ass with this one baby cakes.