The Quarantine Files (Randomone Watches Stuff)

With WrestleMania this weekend, thought it'd be cool to check out the Undertaker before he became the Undertaker and when he was briefly in Japan.

Bam Bam Bigelow & Punisher Dice Morgan vs Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto

March 2, 1990
I needed to review this as young Taker teaming with Bigelow is something I never knew happened. Hashimoto & Bam Bam trade shoulder blocks until Bigelow gets sent to the floor with a big kick. Back inside here’s Taker, who throws right hands, but Hashimoto no sells & Taker spits at him and wants a test of strength. Taker wins that & slams Hashimoto down for 2. Hashimoto fires back with his signature spinning heel kick & DDT, then tags Saito, who chops away & hits a big back body drop. Boston Crab then applied to Taker, then in comes Hashimoto and they double team the legs as Taker is selling until he just throws a big boot to get free. Here comes Bigelow who hits Hashimoto with a stalling vertical suplex for 2! Rest hold by Bigelow already as Hashimoto quickly escapes & throws kicks, but Bammer backs away as Saito gets tagged, so he tags in Taker. Fucking VINTAGE UNDERTAKER as he connects with a leaping clothesline as he tags Bam Bam, who nails a dropkick for 2. Desperation Saito Suplex drops Bam Bam, but Saito follows with a super sloppy body slam that Bigelow didn’t go up for. Taker back in as he slams Saito & hits a leg drop for 2. Rest hold by Taker before tagging back in Bigelow, but that’s only briefly as Taker is back in & swinging with Saito. Bigelow trips Saito as Hashimoto & Taker brawl inside. Saito rolls back inside & Taker connects with a suplex & cover, but Hashimoto breaks it up. Bodyslam/Splash combo as Hashimoto takes Bigelow to the floor while Taker connects with a TOP ROPE ELBOW for the 1…2…3!!! Taker gets the pin and I tell you what, he looked fucking really good in this one, for being as young as he was in the business. Job well done Punisher Dice Morgan!

Punisher Dice Morgan, Mike (Corp) Kirschner & Nord The Barbarian vs Masa Saito, Kengo Kimura & Osamu Kido
March 5, 1990
The quality of the video I found was awful, so no screencap, but know that it's out there if you search for it. That said, the sheer randomness of the future Undertaker, future Berzerker & former Corporal Kirschner teaming is a match I couldn’t skip. Match begins with Nord fighting his way out of the babyface corner & tags in Morgan squares off with Saito. Morgan dares Saito for a test of strength, but Saito is too short so Morgan modifies & gets Saito down. Saito gets a tag to Kido, but Morgan tags in Kirschner, who just wears Kido down & chucks him outside so Nord & Morgan can beat him up. Nord is a mad man, who smacks Kido with chairs in the front row (he’s HUSSING like a son bitch) as Kirschner throws Kido back inside & suplexes him down. Back in comes Nord who hits a leg drop for just a 1 count. All Nord is doing is kicking away before hitting a back suplex for 2. Tag to Morgan as he & Nord hit the sloppiest double clotheslines you’ll ever see before Morgan hits his patented flying clothesline. Rocket Launcher using Kirschner misses as here comes Saito, who is a house of fire. Kimura brawls with Nord as Kido brawls with Morgan while Saito hits a Saito Suplex on Kirchner for the 3.

Shinya Hashimoto & Masa Saito (c) vs Punisher Dice Morgan & Big Scott Hall
IWGP Tag Team Championship
March 19, 1990
Flying shoulder tackle by Morgan on Hashimoto, who fires back with a kick sending Morgan to the floor. Back inside, Morgan clubs away at Hashimoto before tagging Hall, who gets a leg drop off a Morgan drop toe hold as they use fast tags until Hashimoto gets an arm breaker on Morgan. Here comes Saito, who headbutts & clotheslines the shit out of Morgan before bodyslamming him down. Quick tags by the champs as they’re really focusing on the left leg of Morgan. Out of nowhere Morgan locks in a Claw before tagging Hall, who hits a RAZOR’S EDGE ON HASHIMOTO for 2! Holy shit! Hall then sinks in a Scorpion Death Lock before Saito chops him in the head. Morgan in with a gut wrench suplex & leg drop for 2 before going back to the Claw. Hall back in as they hit a double big boot, but send Hashimoto right into his corner. Saito in & takes the fight to Hall with backdrops & clotheslines, then a Saito suplex. Hashimoto back in & hits a running bodyslam & elbow drop for 2 as Hall tags Morgan, who tries for the Claw a third time, but Hashimoto has it scouted & tags in Saito, who in turn gets hit with the Claw. Morgan is all about The Claw in this one as he tags in Hall, who beats on Saito long enough for Saito to Hulk up briefly before Hall slaps on an abdominal stretch then tags back in Morgan. Flying clothesline hits perfect as Morgan gets 2. Hall in & puts a Boston Crab on Saito before he gets the ropes, he ducks a Hall clothesline & hits a Saito suplex for 2. Hashimoto gets in & punts Morgan in the chest & hits a spinning leg kick on Hall for 2, then hits a Superkick on Morgan sending him to the apron. Hashimoto drops Hall with a DDT, then a spinwheel kick for 1…2…3!! A little sloppy towards the end, but Hall & Taker did a really solid job in this. All things considered, this was a pretty darn fun tag match.

Ric Flair vs Lord Steven Regal (w/Sir William)
The Marquis of Queensbury Cup
Before Hulk Hogan came to WCW & steamrolled him for months (years?), Ric Flair found himself competing in a rare months worth of matches against Lord Steven Regal. The Marquis of Queensbury was inspired by World of Sport in the UK and featured five 5 minute rounds, one each week. If there wasn’t a winner in those 5 minutes, we went to the judges who were WCW official Jimmy Jett, Sgt. Craig Pittman (why, I don’t know, but this was a year before he started wrestling) and then Grizzly Smith/Terry Taylor/Pee Wee Anderson traded the third slot.

Round 1
April 30, 1994
Regal reluctantly gives Flair a handshake before getting a drop toe hold as Flair turns the tables with a takedown, a near fall, then applies a head scissors, which Regal escapes. Headlock takedown by Flair, Regal with a head scissors, but Flair headstands out of it & takes Regal down with another headlock. Flair works the arm as the crowd loudly chants USA as they trade small package attempts. Heenan & Tony on commentary don’t even know how to score this as Flair gets another near fall, then takes Regal down with yet another headlock. Rope break as Regal gets backed to the corner, clean break, we get a test of strength with a minute left, then Flair almost gets a cobra twist roll up for 2. Regal catches Flair with an uppercut, the ref puts a 10 count on Flair, which is nuts, as Regal hits a vertical suplex, they again tease a 10 count as Regal applies an abdominal stretch as time expires. Grizzly & Jett gave the round to Regal and Pittman gave it to Flair 10-9. WINNER OF ROUND 1: LORD STEVEN REGAL

Round 2
May 7, 1994
We start with another reluctant handshake as its Flair who gets the first takedown & Regal escaping into a WOOO as Flair takes him down with an arm triangle. Head scissors reversal by Regal, but Flair quickly escapes with a side headlock. Heenan demands someone smack the other with a chair as Regal gets an arm wringer, but Flair somersaults out & kicks Regal away. They tease a test of strength as Flair gets a drop toehold & works the ankle as Regal gets the ropes. Another takedown by Flair, but Regal rolls him up for 2. Side headlock & judo throw by Regal, but Flair rolls through into a 2 count. Regal picks the leg & goes to the arm, wrenching away. Snap mare gets a 2 count for Regal, who gets a headlock, only for Flair to get an atomic drop onto the knee, tries for a Figure Four, but can’t get it. Regal hits an uppercut, Flair with a chop, Regal desperately tries for another toehold as Flair gets up & chops away as they lock up, Regal with a takedown as time expires. WINNER OF ROUND 2: DRAW Very weird because Flair took nearly that whole round, but we also never heard how the judges scored this either.

Round 3
May 14, 1994
Ventura replaces Bobby on commentary this time, which sucks. Flair shoots a leg & gets a quick half crab before Regal gets the ropes. They pretty much repeat the spot as Flair again goes for the ankle pick, but Regal gets a small package for 2. Kimura by Regal, but Flair gets a fireman’s carry & places Regal on the apron. Back inside Regal again goes for the arm; Flair rolls through & again goes for the leg. Regal counters into an arm triangle almost as he wrenches the wrist simultaneously. They scatter quickly as Flair again gets the takedown with the leg (that Tony called a chin lock), but Regal counters into another kimura, as Flair shoots Regal off, shoulder tackle by Regal, only for Flair to hit a back suplex, then sinks in the Figure Four with 20 seconds left. Regal holds on as the round expires. Pittman, Taylor & Jett all give the round to Flair 10-9. WINNER OF ROUND 3: RIC FLAIR

Round 4
May 21, 1994
Crowd pops huge as Flair gets a side headlock takedown to start (think about that) as Regal gets a near fall counter. They continue to counter each other as Regal gets a cravat for another 2 count as they quickly pop up. Fireman’s carry takedown, wrenches the arm, as Regal pops him with a forearm. Big time uppercut drops Flair as the 10 count is applied, then again. Regal tries for a butterfly, but Flair backs to the corner. Bodyslam by Regal, who sinks in a bow & arrow, but Flair turns it into a pinning predicament for 2. Flair murders Regal with chops for 2, then sinks in a head scissors. Regal maneuvers his way out into a headlock, Flair with the atomic drop to the knee, snaps the hamstring, fires a chop, but Regal tries for a backslide 1…2…NO! Flair gets shoulder blocked over the top rope (not a DQ I guess since its different rules) as time expires in the round. All three judges score it 10-10 each man. WINNER OF ROUND 4: DRAW

Round 5
May 28, 1994
Regal is claiming Flair got a thumb to his eye early as Flair just WOOs, then tries for a Figure Four, but Regal escapes, rolls into a front face lock, but Flair reverses with a waist lock. Regal twists at the arm, but Flair somersaults out & picks the leg. Huge chop by Flair sends Regal back as Flair ends up on the apron & Regal suplexes him back inside. Flair takes his signature flip in the corner sends him outside as Sir William hits Flair with the umbrella. The ref didn’t see it, but all 3 judges did as Regal slams Flair down for a 2 count inside. Snap mare gets another 2 as Regal applies an abdominal stretch, but Flair hip tosses his way out at the 10 second mark as the round expires with Flair trying for a pin attempt. All 3 judges declare it a DRAW, which is dumb since they saw Regal cheat. Regardless they’re calling for 5 more minutes.

Flair gets a small package for 2 then sinks in a half crab. Tony tells Jessie the reason for the draw is Regal was winning, but the cheating cost him the round. Eh, at least it’s something, good on you Tony. Flair applies a leg lock, but Regal wrenches at the face to escape. Flair is relentless going for the leg as this allows Regal to throw forearms repeatedly, but Flair fires back with chops. Flair does his corner flip & HITS THE AXE HANDLE!! I never thought Flair hit that aside from his final match! Figure Four is applied as Regal quickly grabs the ropes. Flair punts Sir William in the back of the head before hitting a back suplex on Regal 1…2…NO! Big time chops by Flair as he goes for the Figure Four, but another rope break. I should point out there’s a large woman in the front row who is losing her damn mind at this match. Regal got an eye poke as the ref admonishes him; William gets another cheap shot (in front of the judges once more). Uppercut by Regal, chop by Flair who hits the ropes, tripped by Williams (the referee saw this) as Flair ducks a shot, backslide 1…2…3!! WINNER OF ROUND 5: RIC FLAIR

This was really unlike anything we’d seen in WCW and a really cool change of pace, even if some of the “judges” decisions were questionable. Seeing Regal & Flair paired up like this was great and I’d really take the 20-25 minutes to check this series of matches out. I added the playlist for all 5 of the matches in sequence up top.

Good of time as any, right?

Brawl For All
First Round

Steve Blackman vs Marc Mero
Bell sounds & Blackman gets a takedown 10 seconds in, then another 10 seconds later. Crowd already booing within 30 seconds, haha. Another takedown by Blackman, who throws an overhand right, then a 4th takedown as the round ends. Holy shit the crowd is booing badly. Round 2 starts with another takedown from Blackman, then another, then another. WE WANT WRESTLING!” chants break out as the round ends. Round 3 starts with the 7th takedown by Blackman, 8th takedown, 9th takedown, Mero throws some jabs because that’ll do it, but the bell sounds & Blackman wins this by a country mile. However, Blackman had to withdraw from the tournament due to “injury training”. So regardless of getting destroyed, Mero advances.

Mark Canterbury vs Bradshaw
Some heavy leather thrown out the gate, both connecting the same amount. Canterbury wearing sneakers and Bradshaw wearing his ring gear is hilarious. Mark tries for a takedown, but JBL avoids it and that’s literally the end of Round 1. Bell sounds & we’re scrapping again as JBL does windmill punches & Canterbury staggers to the ropes, eats an uppercut as they fall into the corner. It takes like 20 seconds to break it up & they finally get back to the center with 5 seconds left as the round ends. Boring chants as we start Round 3 with Canterbury getting a takedown, they’re up & Mark gets a single leg and JR says that doesn’t count as a takedown (the fuck it doesn’t, Jim). Round ends and they announce Bradshaw as the winner, I have zero idea why since they threw an even amount of punches & Canterbury got 2 takedowns. Eh, whatever.

Brakkus vs Savio Vega
Savio tries for a takedown right away, but Brakkus stuffs it, then gets a takedown of his own (JR is already confused). They’re both up & start throwing as Savio is connecting a lot more as Brakkus is staggered as the round ends. Brakkus starts round 2 by literally diving for a leg, but Savio backs away. Savio is absolutely destroying the German as he knocks Brakkus down & keeps clipping the big man as the round ends. Brakkus has a death stare as the former Kwang shoots a double leg at the start of Round 3 and gets the takedown. Brakkus is so gassed as Savio knocks him down yet again. Couple more jabs seals it for Savio.

Droz vs Hawk
Hawk connects with the early shots as Droz tries batting them away, but the LOD member keeps the jabs coming. King calls Droz a “Lunch Blower” as Hawk loses his mouth piece & Droz gets a double leg as the bell sounds, but not sure if they takedown counts. Hawk’s takedown stuffed to start Round 2 as Droz pops Hawk with some shots as Hawk stumbles into the corner. Droz clearly hurt his right hand during that, but he keeps throwing as that does it for the round. I think we’re tied heading into Round 3 as Droz hits some jabs as Hawk throws wildly, not connecting. Hawk’s mouthpiece falls out again, so Droz spits his out & we got a slugfest before we get a break in the corner. They throw more jabs as these two are gassed & hurt as they announce a DRAW. Droz actually advanced since Hawk was injured in the fight.

Bart Gunn vs Bob Holly
Bodacious Bart & Bombastic Bob go to WAR as jabs by Bart to start as Holly is trying to go for the body, but he’s getting clocked with shots in doing so. They’re both sticking & moving as we don’t get much the second part of the round as the crowd is getting rowdy already. Jabs by Bart start round 2 as Holly back to the body. Same story as Bart is connecting & Holly simply isn’t as the round ends. Bell sounds as Holly finally starts throwing some shots, but gets clipped as Bart just throwing the hell out of that left. Left hook, left uppercut, left jab, it’s all Bart Gunn, who wins this easily.

Godfather vs Dan Severn
Bell sounds and Severn tries for a takedown, but can’t get it. Godfather instead almost keeps him down, but Severn gets a single leg & full mount (Jack Doan says it isn’t a takedown, which baffles me). Severn tries for another single leg, but doesn’t get it. Bell sounds & Severn refuses to let go of the leg & gets scolded in doing so. Round 2 starts with Kama getting one shot, but Severn holds him on the ropes, takes him down & then stalls again. Kama stuffs a takedown, but Severn holds on yet again. Severn doing himself zero favors in this as “We Want Wrestling” chants break out again. Round 3 Godfather stuffs a takedown, clean break, uppercut by Kama, Severn shoots a single, but can’t get it (JR says it is, but c’mon). Severn does it again & mercifully this is over. Most boring fight of the tournament so far & it’s not the Godfather’s fault at all. Thankfully Severn pulled out of the tournament saying he had “nothing to prove” which was code for “not wanting to lose to a wrestler in a shoot fight”.

Pierre vs Steve Williams
Dr. Death gets a takedown within seconds, then starts hammer fisting Pierre, then another takedown. They try for takedown at the same time; butt heads, Pierre uses Doc’s momentum & gets a takedown at the end of the round. Doc clearly won that one as bell sounds for round 2 & Doc gets another takedown. He’s throwing lefts to Pierre’s bad eye as they scramble & break, Pierre is getting clocked with shots as he’s saved by the bell. Bell sounds & Doc unloads shots as Pierre is doing nothing but absorbing a ton of punches. He’s completely gassed as he’s standing there, hands down & turns his back as the ref calls it. Doc demolished PCO.

8-Ball vs Scorpio
We only get highlights as 8-Ball throws bombs early on, but he gassed himself out as Scorpio got a takedown in round 2, then threw body shots & more overall punches in the final round to win it. I have zero clue why they decided to not air this, the only fight in the tournament they didn’t air. Just strange as it’s not like we’re getting all time classics in this deal.

Second Round

Bart Gunn vs Steve Williams – July 27
Where it all fell apart in terms of booking as Doc gets a takedown out the gate. Bart throws some lefts as they tangle in the ropes. More lefts, Doc throws some of his own, they’re trading body shots, uppercut left by Bart as the bell sounds with them clinched. Round 2, Doc is seemingly just shoving Bart to the corner as Bart is throwing. This happens the entire round as Bart gets a takedown that almost knocks Doc out to the floor (this is where Bart says “sorry” as Doc said “whoa”). The “Unofficial Score Card” says Doc is winning, but I have zero clue why (then again, maybe I do). Bell sounds as Doc tries for a takedown while chants of BORING rain down. Doc gets taken down by Bart & this is where his leg is thrashed, with 25 seconds left. They both start THROWING as Bart connects with more, specifically the left as he hits a perfect left uppercut with 7 seconds left. JR goes pretty much silent as The King takes over for a bit before he gets back into it. I think this was both being concerned with his friend & also oh shit, he was supposed to win this thing kind of deal.

Godfather vs Scorpio – August 3
Scorpio is offered the Ho’s by The Godfather, but he declines. Pretty foolish in the long run as Kama is sticking & moving, connecting with more shots as its head shots, body shots, you name it, this was all Godfather. We hear “these guys are out of their element” for the 90th time on commentary. Round 2, Godfather connects with more heavy shots as Scorpio is just trying to survive, wishing he would’ve taken the ladies. Round 3, Scorpio tries a takedown, but gets stuffed and JR says Godfather gets points for the takedown despite it not being one. More jabs by Kama, who dares Scorpio to come at him & he simply doesn’t as Godfather easily wins this.

Savio Vega vs Droz – August 10
Hey did you know these guys are out of their element? Kwang with a takedown, but the ref says no points, which is ludicrous. These guys are getting knock downs & the ref keeps saying “Slip! No Points!” as the round expires. Jack Doan clearly has money on this fight. Bell sounds & they have a brief exchange before separating. Did you also know when you put gloves on a wrestler, it negates the offense they can do? Droz gets a big double leg takedown & the CROWD EXPLODES, not kidding. Savio throws some punches, but Droz tosses him down as the round expires. Round 3 as we get a touch of gloves, Droz gets a takedown & crowd pops again as they exchange some wild shots, Savio on spaghetti legs, but time expires before we get a KO. Droz wins it as they hug. Aside from Bart KO’ing Dr. Death, this was the biggest crowd reaction of the tournament.

Marc Mero vs Bradshaw – August 10
JBL rests on Mero in the corner to start. Mero tries a front face lock, but JBL charges forward & gets a takedown, something I don’t think he was even trying for. Mero backs him to the corner & the bell sounds. JBL rushes him, front face lock, but we get a break & Mero tries for a punch, but JBL gets a takedown. Mero tries throwing some punches, but gets hugged in the corner to end the round. Crowd booing this fight as JBL clearly is winning this, despite some rabbit punches. Unofficial scores say it’s even headed into the final round. Mero with some jabs, but JBL just powers him to the mat. Ref says that’s 5 points and Mero literally says “he didn’t fucking break!” as all JBL is doing is hooking Mero’s arms & falling down on top of him over & over. Mero is pretty annoyed, JBL is gassed and we get a DRAW, so one more round. That’s a mix of boos & cheers as JBL hasn’t turned around yet. Bell sounds & Mero backed to the corner, arm tangled in the ropes as JBL tries pulling him down again, but doesn’t work. They separate & JBL gets the CLEAN takedown finally as Mero tries to counter, but JBL is stalling & runs the clock. Winning because of that sole takedown.

Semi-Finals

Bart Gunn vs The Godfather – August 17
Jabs by both, but it’s Godfather who gets in the first hard shot with a left, so Bart shoots a double, but gets stuffed & we get a break. Bart avoids some hooks, starts throwing haymakers, but Godfather does a good job blocking them as Round 1 ends. Pretty even round, which I’d probably give to Godfather since he blocked a lot of Bart’s offense (judges give it to Bart, so the hell do I know?). Round 2 starts with Bart trying for a quick takedown, but Godfather avoids it and we get a break. Jabs by Bart, but Godfather backs him to the corner, unloading body shots before Bart throws a wild left & again & again & again, all connecting as he knocks down Godfather at the bell. Round 3 Godfather coming out with wobbly legs & Bart capitalizes with a picture perfect right hook to KO Godfather, almost falling out of the ring.

Bradshaw vs Droz – August 17
Droz hits 3 rights to start, but JBL answers with one of his own. JBL with a flurry as he keeps that jab going as well & clearly takes round 1. Round 2, Droz blocks some jabs, throws some shots of his own that are getting through, but a cheap shot in the back of the head by JBL, ref does nothing. Droz connects with some more shots, but JBL hugs him in the ropes. Droz gets a takedown with 5 seconds left & takes the round as the crowd cheers. They scramble early as Droz wants a leg to start the round, but can’t get it. JBL with an uppercut, Droz with one as well. JBL tries for a takedown, but Droz gets in the ropes. JBL hits one punch, then locks up. Pretty much nothing happened in that round. I have zero idea how Bradshaw won that. I’m glad he won though, because we all know what happens in the finals. Droz did get an ovation for the effort though.

Finals

Bradshaw vs Bart Gunn – August 24
Not gonna lie, out of all of these, I watched this one first for obvious reasons. Both guys are swinging for the fences immediately as Bart clocks JBL with a left hook, then another that plants Bradshaw down to the mat. He slowly stumbles to his feet, already out of it, but says he’s fine, despite having a serious case of the Jimmy Legs & Bart levels him with 2 more lefts. Bradshaw face plants to the mat & he’s done already.

You're a LEGEND, Bart Gunn!

Dynamite Kid vs Davey Boy Smith
February 3, 1984
I found this match by randomly clicking a show looking for something else entirely, so of course I had to watch this. I only thought these two fought in Canada growing up. Fast start with nearfalls & take downs aplenty as Davey got sunset flips & crucifixes before Dynamite got a kitchen sink knee. Dynamite slows the pace, but Davey gets the arm & wrenches away. Dynamite kips up & rakes the eyes, but Davey presses him high over his head down for 2. Running powerslam & a vertical suplex get Davey another near fall (hit signature moves this early was interesting to see in 84) as he goes back to a head lock. Dynamite gets back in control with a snap mare, chops & headbutts before sinking in a modified Octopus Stretch. Davey is screaming NO as Dynamite clubs him down. Dynamite crashes & burns off a missed top rope headbutt. Davey works the leg, but Dynamite hits an enzugiri flipping Davey over, as we have a slug fest until Dynamite gets a head scissors. Davey gets free, chucks Dynamite to the floor & hits a suicide dive! Back inside Davey gets a small package for 2 before going back to the head lock. Dynamite fights back with a dropkick & standing headbutt before he returns the favor & throws Davey outside. Davey to the top & hits a missile dropkick, charges and both tumble hard to the outside. The brawl continues out there until Dynamite hits a back suplex & beats the count. This was an odd match because while technically it was solid, Dynamite played heel early on, but the crowd was behind him, so Davey had to play heel the second half of the match. Post match Dynamite is calling out The Cobra, who he’d ultimately defeat for the WWF Junior Heavyweight Title.

Keiichi Yamada (Jushin Liger) vs Yuosamu Funaki
Year End In Kokugikan
December 27, 1987
So I really wanted to watch a match with Jushin Liger before he was masked & Jushin Liger, so there’s zero reason I chose this match out of the handful of Yamada matches available on NJPWWorld. They trade & duck kicks to start at a fast pace as Yamada grounds Funaki with a bow & arrow, then a spinning toe hold. Yamada with a leg lock that Funaki tries slapping out of, but Yamada grounds him back down. Back up, Funaki hits a leaping spin kick & a leg sweep that plants Yamada on his face, then plants Funaki with a piledriver for 2. Funaki isn’t down very long as he gets a leg lock, then tries for a triangle head scissors & gets it. Yamada powers up & connects with a powerbomb, but can’t follow up with a dropkick. Funaki with a lightning quick kick combo then dropkicks Yamada in the corner. He tries again, but Yamada hits a flying forearm & takes it to the top rope and hits a superplex for 2. Jumping Tombstone plants Funaki on his head for another 2 count as Yamada locks in a single leg crab. Funaki fights & gets the ropes as Yamada hits a wild wheel kick, hooks a headlock & Funaki tries for a back suplex, but Yamada floats over for 2. Yamada chucked off the top as Funaki dropkicks him to the outside, then hits a suicide dive! Funaki tries for a suplex back in the ring & we get a standing switch spot before Yamada gets a European Clutch for the 1…2…3!

Liger’s Debut Match!
Jushin Thunder Liger vs Kuniaki Kobayashi
April 24, 1989
I needed to see this match because of Liger retiring & the fact that Kobayashi will be cornering a team against Liger come Wrestle Kingdom 14 is pretty cool. Liger immediately sends his opponent to the floor & nails a top rope dive as he plants Kobayashi with a snap suplex, somersault senton & splash. Kobayashi briefly gains control, but Liger sinks in the Romero Special, only for Kobayashi to escape & lock in almost a Lion Tamer. Liger gets free & gets a head scissors, but Kobayashi wiggles out & gets a heel hook before Liger rolls into the ropes. Kobayashi tries to take the mask off, but instead settles for a sleeper as they both tumble outside. Weird spot as Liger tried to clothesline Kobayashi over the railing, but he didn’t go over fully & they were just stuck momentarily. Back inside Kobayashi gets a mule kick low & I have no clue how the ref missed that. Liger fires back with a Koppo Kick, then an abdominatl stretch, but Kobayashi falls in the ropes. Kobayashi with a Fisherman’s Suplex, but Liger gets a rope break. Kobayashi complains too long & Liger hits a Brainbuster, then Tombstone as he goes up top & hits a somersault senton, then German suplex for 3. Welp, this match was pretty dang sloppy, but considering this was Liger’s debut, I’m just very thankful he became friggin awesome super quick. Highly recommend watching this match, not for the match quality, but to see the character and skills of Jushin Liger & how they both evolved over time.

El Gigante vs Big Cat
April 27, 1991
Before he was Mr. Hughes in WCW, he was Big Cat as here we are, Bill Alfonso the referee as Gigante is hopping around the ring as the bell sounds. He slams Big Cat down, who rakes the big man’s eyes & throws shots that Gigante doesn’t sell one bit. Clubbing blows repeatedly by Gigante, who hits a massive vertical suplex (after asking the crowd for about 30 seconds), then a big boot before getting a Claw Slam for the 1…2…3. That was literally it & it’s probably for the best. Like I’m going to pass up watching a Giant Gonzalez vs Mr. Hughes match? To think, these two would be feuding with Undertaker just 2 years later.

El Gigante vs Nailz
G1 Climax
August 3, 1994
Yes this was thankfully a non-tournament match, but I really wanted you to see that Gigante, Nailz and G1 were in the same sentence. One of the more notorious matches in New Japan history as we get a slugfest to start, but quickly change to a chokefest as Nailz bites Gigante & rakes his eyes before going back to the bread & butter, choking. More eye raking as Gigante starts choking Nailz in the corner. You can hear a pin drop as they trade punches before we go back to choking each other & more eye raking. Gigante whips Nailz to the corner then hits a lariat before locking on the Claw as he lays Nailz down carefully for the 3 count. Yup, that does it, literally 2 moves in the match that weren’t a choke or eye rake.

Shinya Hashimoto & Kensuke Sasaki vs Meng & The Barbarian
Hyper Battle 97
March 8, 1997
Talk about a battle of the hosses, eh? Meng & Sasaki start as Sasaki gets shoulder tackled & clotheslined down, but answers with a snap powerslam as Meng tags Barb and here comes Hashimoto. Shoving match before Barb just throws his opponent down like a ton of bricks. Hashimoto drops Barb with a shoulder tackle, but Barb answers with a big boot & body slam. Elbow drop & nonchalant cover gets a 2 as Hashimoto throws a series of kicks that Barb welcomes, but Hashimoto throws everything behind the last one & drops him. He & Sasaki trade tags as they’ve isolated Barbarian, only for Meng to come in without a tag and punt Hashimoto in the head. Meng officially tags in and we have two of the scariest men in all wrestling squaring off. They’re putting everything behind their shots until Sasaki gets in & levels Meng with a lariat. Backdrop suplex countered as the Faces of Fear hit their awesome back drop/powerbomb combo for a 2 count. Barbarian hits the sloppiest top rope overhead belly to belly you’ll ever see as he gets a 2 count out of it. Meng in as he chops away at Sasaki in the corner, shoots him out, hits a lariat, Sasaki no sells & murders Meng with a lariat. Hashimoto in & lights up Meng with a spinning heel kick for 2. Snap belly to belly gets him another 2 as Hashimoto signals for the end, but Meng backdrops him out of a DDT attempt. The match breaks down into a brawl before Hashimoto hits his DDT on the second try for the 3 count! Only complaint, not enough Meng vs Hashimoto, we got it at the end when they were both tired. I wish we had a 1 on 1 match with those two.

This round involves some future legends in their Young Lion days, as well as some names I never knew wrestled in New Japan. Also we get a El Gigante special against a future NJPW legend and finally Flair vs Inoki.

Keiji Mutoh vs Tony St. Claire
Challenge Spirit 85
September 18, 1985
Young lion Mutoh well before he was The Great Muta! Tony works the arm out the gate, but Mutoh dropkicks his way out of it, but Tony with a side headlock takedown. Mutoh up, shoulder tackle, knee drop, elbow drop, but St. Claire pops up, only for Mutoh to get the headlock takedown. Reversal into a sleeper by Tony, but he lets go to hit uppercuts & a high knee. Head scissors applied, but Mutoh escapes into a face lock, then leaping elbow & snap dropkick. Half crab, but Tony gets the ropes, so Mutoh gets him up, hits a dropkick sending Tony to the floor & Mutoh with a slingshot plancha! St. Claire suckers him to the floor & tosses him into the railing, then suplexes Mutoh back in for 2. Mutoh ducks a back elbow, hits a cross body for 2 of his own, then sinks in a head scissors. St. Claire escapes like Mutoh did earlier with a leg lock. He drags Mutoh up, hits a hard clothesline for 2, uppercuts, another high knee, bodyslam for just 1. Reversal of an Irish whip to the corner as Mutoh hits what’d become his signature springboard handspring elbow, then moonsault 1…2...NO! St. Claire up, hits a back elbow, avoids a back drop attempt, school boys Mutoh 1…2…3! Your standard slow paced match that had its moments. Pretty cool to see Mutoh before he became the legend we would know.

Shinya Makabe vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Fall In Black 99
November 1, 1999
Young lions Makabe & Tanahashi here as they lock up with Makabe working the arm to take Tana down. He tries for a kimura, but Tana holds on, so Makabe transitions, but Tana bridges out & gets a head lock. Makabe escapes into one of his own; Tana shoots him off, but eats a shoulder tackle. Makabe with a Half Crab, but Tana fights to the ropes. They trade stiff slaps as Makabe wins that exchange as he keeps slapping Tana to the corner, then switches to kicks. Tana shows fighting spirit, dropkicking Makabe down & puts the boots to him. Big bodyslam as he sinks in a full Boston Crab, but Makabe uses his leg strength to flip Tana over. They trade forearms & slaps with Makabe again winning. Multiple bodyslams, but Tana fires back with forearms, only for Makabe to hit a Spear 1…2…NO! Kimura applied by Makabe as Tanahashi taps! I dig these young lion matches with future legends & top guys of New Japan. They’re short, but seeing how far they’ve come in their NJPW journey is really cool.

Shinsuke Nakamura & Michiyoshi Ohara vs Tadao Yasuda & Kazunari Murakami
Wrestling World 2003
January 4, 2003
This is the first match of Nakamura’s on the site (the second overall listed on ProFightDB) as Nakamura with a double leg immediately on Yasuda, who pops up & stomps away at the bandaged head & Nakamura is already bleeding 30 seconds into the match! It’s just boots & punches by Yasuda, who tags Murakami, who throws some punches, toying with Nakamura, who fights back only to be smacked down. They take turns just wearing Nakamura down & all Ohara can do is break up submissions & ground & pound long enough for Nakamura to fight back. Finally he tags in & hits a flying clothesline on Murakami. They trade chops & kicks before Ohara with a chokeslam for 2. Yasuda in with a front face lock, but Ohara escapes, tags Nakamura in, who spears Yasuda down, but he gets a low blow to take control. Butterfly suplex & a Tiger suplex 1…2…NO! Ohara trips up Murakami as Nakamura sinks in a cross arm breaker on Yasuda, who is so tall he gets the ropes. Nakamura with a corner dropkick as Ohara nails a vertical suplex, Nakamura with a release German 1…2…NO! Guillotine is sunk in as Yasuda fades & he passes out! Nakmaura, rocking the crimson mask, is victorious in his earliest NJPW match.

Hirooki Goto vs Hisashi Yamamoto
Wrestling World 2004
January 4, 2004
Next up in the Young Lion matches here is Goto, who eats a shoulder tackle, but he gets full mount, arm breaker as Yamamoto gets the ropes. Goto gets caught in a leg lock, but counters into one of his own, that Yamamoto kicks out of, but has to grab a rope when Goto gets a half crab. Headlock takedown by Goto, who traps the arm, but Yamamoto gets up and starts throwing forearms as both men take bumps, Yamamoto gets the last one & a 2 count. Hip toss into an arm breaker by Yamamoto, but Goto gets the ropes. Brutal dropkick gets Yamamoto 2 as he gets a Boston Crab, but Goto again gets the rope break. We get a chop battle, but Goto hits a dropkick off of it, then one in the corner for good measure. Overhead belly to belly before locking in a Boston Crab of his own, which Goto has deep & won’t let Yamamoto get the ropes, so he taps! For what it was, this was a pretty fun back & forth of young lions.

Jushin Liger vs Dave Finlay
February 5, 1991
Liger does a somersault flippy deal to get out of an arm bar early as Finlay dishes out uppercuts & a dropkick to take control early. We go outside fast as it’s all the Bruiser, who just repeatedly chucks Liger into the railing. Liger barely beats the count as Finlay hits a wonky back drop, then just drives the elbow into the face over & over. Liger reverses & Irish whip, hits a spin kick sending Finlay outside, tries for a baseball slide, but misses & crashes and burns. Finlay sends him face first into the post & heads back inside. Slingshot stomp to the head as the Bruiser mocks the crowd. Big time superplex by Finlay borders on a super brainbuster for a 1…2…NO! Bodyslam & a Vader Bomb out of the corner gets another close 2 as he sinks in a half crab before letting go, grabs a headlock, only for Liger to hit a back drop suplex & a corner dropkick. Liger tries for a corner cross body, but misses & Finaly goes up top, but gets cut off. Liger with a Superplex of his own 1…2…NO! Top rope cross body, but Finlay rolls through it 1…2…Liger kicks out. He wallops Liger with a clothesline for another 2, connecting with his Tombstone piledriver 1…2…KICK OUT! Finlay to the top, but misses a diving headbutt badly. Liger gets a reverse waistlock & Finlay mule kicks him right in front of the official, tries it again, but Liger avoids it & hits a Koppo Kick to the back. German Suplex with a bridge 1…2…3!! In no shape a blow away match, but a fun 10 minute match between two guys I’ve never seen wrestle before.

Shinya Hashimoto vs Mike Enos
Fighting Spirit 95
February 3, 1995
Another name I had zero clue wrestled in New Japan. Blake Beverly attacks before the bell with double axe handles & corner splash, tossing Hashimoto outside & hits a leaping kick off the apron! Holy shit he’s taking it to Hashimoto with a bodyslam on the concrete & whips him into the railing. Back inside the momentum stops though as he slaps on a rest hold. That was fun while it lasted as Hashimoto gets up & attacks the arm. They brawl into the corner as we get a trading of kicks from Enos & punches by Hashimoto before Enos goes back to the dreaded chinlock. Enos nails a clothesline & big legdrop for 2 as he slams Hashimoto down, tries for a slingshot senton, but misses. Superkick by Hashimoto, who starts punting Enos in the chest & hits a spin wheel kick 1…2…NO! Enos hits a suplex out of nowhere, then a powerslam for 2. OVERHEAD BELLY TO BELLY by Enos gets him another 2 as he follows that up with a Fall Away Slam on the big man! Enos poses before diving off the top & Hashimoto hits a enzugiri, then hits a super sloppy DDT, then hits a proper one (that the camera misses) for the 3. Aside from the last move being botched, this was virtually all Mike Enos, which baffled me, but delightfully surprised me. Shout out to the Shaker Heights, Ohio native. I’m sure Beau would be proud.

El Gigante vs Yuji Nagata & Tadao Yasuda
February 4, 1995
Another one of those weird matches I never knew existed. Straight up comedy to start with Nagata bailing immediately as Yasuda took the early punishment. Gigante teased a test of strength with Nagata, who is bumping all over the place for Gigante. Nagata & Yasuda fight back and hit a double dropkick knocking the big man down for 2 as Gigante gets up & gets the Claw on Nagata for the 3 count. This was a quick squash handicap, but seeing a legend like Yuji Nagata in his early days in there with someone the size of Gigante, I couldn’t skip this one.

Ric Flair vs Antonio Inoki
April 29, 1995
Both men very hesitant to start as Flair gets a headlock takedown, but Inoki with a head scissors escapes & gets a kimura, but Flair to the ropes. Flair gets a cross arm breaker, but Inoki kicks him in the head to get free & we have a stalemate. Inoki puts the boots to Naitch in the corner as Flair bails outside to get a breather. Back inside Flair gets a boot & dishes out some corner chops, then boots Inoki to the floor. He hangs Inoki throat first on the top rope as we spill outside where Flair posts Inoki. Big time suplex brings Inoki back in as Flair gets 2. Atomic drop to the knee as Naitch gets a modified Regal Stretch, but he lets go to chop block Inoki to the mat. Flair locks in the Figure Four as Inoki is screaming in pain in the center of the ring. Inoki finally gets the ropes, so Flair tries again, gets rolled up for 2, then Inoki battles & gets a backslide 1…2…NO! We need more backslides in current wrestling. They start unloading punches with Inoki winning that battle & Flair bumping all over as the crowd cheers for Inoki. Flair takes his corner bump to the outside as he slowly gets back inside & begs Inoki to stop, but boots him. Flair goes to the top, you know what happens next, he gets caught & tossed. Dropkick by Inoki gets 2 as they continue exchanging rights & lefts as Flair slams him down, hitting a big elbow for 2 of his own. Picture perfect back suplex, but Flair sells it too for some reason as it took him forever to get a cover for 2. Flair tries a bodyslam, but Inoki escapes, hits a Koppo Kick & a top rope knee drop, then enzugiri clips Naitch 1…2…3!! Very slow start, but once it got going, it wasn't a blow away classic or anything, but seeing these two mat wrestle was entertaining.

To say that I'm addicted to WCW lower level shows is a massive understatement. If you don't like these reviews, might want to come back in a week or two, because you're going to get an ass load of Prime, Pro, Worldwide, Main Event & Saturday Night coming at ya in the distant future. I love squash matches & I love squash matches that make absolutely zero sense, which these shows deliver in droves. That said, let's go back to WCW Prime (there's still 10 more matches after this post too, so one more post of these before we switch to a different show). Time for some more MOOOOO Matches of the Week and time to hear Dusty say it, "MoooooOOOOOOOooooo!!"

Stunning Steve Austin (w/Col Parker) vs Scott Armstrong
June 26, 1995
“Prime Cut means beef & beef means cows & cows mean Moo’ing!!” They trade mat wrestling with Armstrong getting the advantage early, firing rights, tries for a backdrop, but gets clocked with an Austin right of his own. Paint brush & boot laces rakes the face, but Austin misses a double axe off the top & Armstrong nails a dropkick. Austin gets a boot up in the corner & chokes him in the ropes as the Colonel chokes him with his handkerchief “in Texas we call it a BAN…DAN...AAAA” as Austin hits a Stun Gun, then a front face suplex (which is apparently his finisher?) for the win.

Jim Duggan vs Big Bubba Rogers
July 3, 1995
Dream is getting revved up practicing his Moos, saying he heard this noise come from Tony’s house & didn’t know if it came from Lois, hahaha. These two literally circle each other for minutes as Bubba with a full arm dragon twist, but Duggan doesn’t sell it, so he reverses it & Bubba sells like a champ. Duggan snaps his suspenders as Bubba suckers him in with a test of strength & he throws right hands, but Duggan does the same. Bubba tumbles outside, pulls Duggan outside & we have a fight on the floor. Bubba eats the post & Duggan creams him with a right hand, rolls back in the ring and it’s a 10 count??? The world’s fastest 10 count, it went 90 seconds and it was a double countout.

Diamond Dallas Page (w/Kimberly & Maxx) vs Scott Armstrong
July 10, 1995
Our Prime Cut Match of the Week Moooooo! DDP works the arm & trash talks Scott, getting a kiss from the Diamond Doll in the process as he eats a dropkick by Armstrong that sends him outside. Scott dives off the top, but Maxx catches him in mid air & drops him on the knee of DDP. Maxx tosses him back inside as Tony calls Maxx & DDP a gang “a gang isn’t 2 guys, its 50 guys, kickin yo bootay!” says Dream as DDP hits the Diamond Cutter for the win. “One woman beating you up Tony isn’t a gang!”

Kevin Sullivan (w/Shark) vs Mark Starr
August 14, 1995
“Are ya’ll ready for the Taskmaster Moo?” Sullivan attacks before the bell, but Starr fights back with a back body drop & arm drag; dropkick sends Sullivan to the floor. He tried to jump through the ropes & stumbled as he throws Taskmaster back inside & Sullivan gets a drop toe hold (seriously) as Starr tries wrestling him down for a 1 count. Starr works the arm for literally minutes, but gets dumped outside where Shark stands on him & posts him as well. They get to the apron & Starr tries for a sunset flip back inside & gets a 2 count. Shark clocks Starr from behind & Sullivan gets a standard suplex for the 3 count. It baffles me how Taskmaster was actually in the main event picture in 95.

Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater vs Los Especialitos
August 21, 1995
Dusty is calling this the Prime Match of the Century. He’s talking in Dusty Spanish as he keeps mispronouncing Los Especialitos. The Barrio Brothers (Ricky Santana & Fidel Sierra) are the masked Especialistos as they say this is for the Tag Titles, but Buck & Slater didn’t walk out with titles, so this was clearly taped prior to them winning the titles. Dusty can’t say the word Especialisto and it’s fucking hysterical. He does get a little racist calling them jumping beans & says Slater did a little “flamingo dancing on his noggin”. He says Col. Parker is in love just like one of his bulls as Slater drops one of the masked men with a neckbreaker & elbow drop. Buck in & the tag champs hit a double right hand for the win. That’s it, they won with a punch. Came up a little short on being Match of the Century, eh Dream?

Cobra vs Dino Cassanova
August 28, 1995
“I don’t know if Cassanova can win if he’s full of tamales & tacos” says Tony Schiavone. Cobra works the arm as you can hear a pin drop in this arena. Cassanova has my dad’s haircut from 1990 as he applies a headlock, but Cobra hits a back suplex. I think 4 people cheered. Front chancery applied & a butterfly suplex, before hitting a throat chop & Cobra Clutch Slam (Tony called it “The Cobra Manuever!”) for the win.

Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman vs Todd Morton & Scott Sandlin
December 4, 1995
Dusty makes Cruise corpse as he talks about chewin cud & lets out a big ol moooooo as Morton & Pillman work each other’s arms until Morton hits an armdrag & dropkick for a firey babyface start. Sandlin tags in, so does Double A and Arn immediately drops him. Dusty convinced his name is Stretch Armstrong; he says he’s been playing with that toy recently “Cody’s got one of them”. Pillman in & he’s choking & beating the crap out of Sandlin as the Horsemen take turns picking this dude apart. He plants him with a spinebuster, tags Pillman, who hits a big splash off the top for the 3.

Johnny B. Badd vs Scott D’Amore
January 1, 1996
Even with the bad video quality, Kimberly is a knockout. She was always one of my favorites. Anyways, hip toss on D’Amore & drop toe hold as Dusty criticizes Cruise for saying how pretty Kimberly’s teeth are. “Her TEETH?? Her teeth ain’t what I’m lookin at, man.” D’Amore eats a back elbow & Badd hits a slingshot leg drop, then dropkick sends the former Team Canada captain to the outside. Somersault senton, then a slingshot splash back inside for the victory. My goodness is Kimberly a smoke show.

Craig Pittman vs The Gambler
March 18, 1996
Another person I had no clue was managed by Teddy Long, but he’s there as Pittman hits a big time back suplex. They talk Booty Man vs DDP from the PPV and Dusty says “well, I don’t want to call The Diamond Doll loose, but…” as The Gambler takes control of the match, working the leg for like 20 seconds before Pittman takes back over. The Gambler cuts Pittman off before he gets clocked in the belly welly by a flying headbutt, as the Pitbull locks in the Code Red for the submission win. “I see a lot of Teddy Long in this guy, not physically of course.” Bahaha, Dusty is a gem.

Barrio Brothers vs Mike Winner & Ric Garcia
April 1, 1996
Dusty yells “GLORIA ESTEFAN!” as Ricky Santana & Fidel Sierra as the match starts with Winner & Sierra trading pin attempts & Santana quickly in & taken down with an arm drag. Garcia in & works the arm, but Santana takes over. Garcia with a springboard off the ropes & Garcia does a slingshot plancha wiping out both Barrios. He says Garcia has a mustache like Gilbert Roland, “looking clean as a safeway chicken” as the Barrios take control of Winner back inside. Dusty is talking about how these guys can wrestle Harlem Heat, Road Warriors, Sting & Luger (ok, Dust) as the Barrios trade rest holds while Dusty talks about Barry Bonds. Cruise says Sierra is “near 300 pounds” as Dusty says “yeah, well I’m near 250, not telling you how far though”. Sierra gets rolled up by Garcia, but Santana hits a bulldog & the Barrios get the win.

Chris Kanyon vs Devon Storm
April 29, 1996
Kanyon is in his Men at Work heel tag team days as he says we’re all in a No Parking Zone, alright then. He attacks Storm before the bell & Storm hits a head scissors to the floor, then hits a top rope somersault dive. Back inside Storm with a second rope head scissors, then a hurricanrana out of the corner for 2. Kanyon gets backdropped to the outside & Storm does a MOONSAULT and smacks his face on the floor in the process. Dusty & Cruise are shocked as they turn into Vince and say “what a maneuver!” as Storm hits a side suplex, then a split legged moonsault 1…2…foot on the ropes by Kanyon. Storm goes to the top & hits a Blockbuster for the 3 count. This match was all Devon Storm, but it ruled, especially considering the turds we’ve seen on this show that’s saving grace is only Dusty.

Lifeguard Steve Collins vs Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker
May 27, 1996
“Lifeguard got them Hooter drawers on” is how Dusty describes Collins. Dream talks about the Funk family for the start of this match, including Mother Funk as we’re bored to tears by the match taking place. Parker hits a double axe handle off the top rope (not the corner, but the middle of the ropes) down on the floor as he throws Collins back inside for a rest hold. Flying knee drop for a 2 count as Parker goes back to the rest hold, holy shit this is a snoozer. Not even Dusty can save this match as randomly Collins gets a small package for 3, then Parker pops up & they brawl to the back. The referee grabbed his lifeguard saver thing that David Hasselhoff always ran with on Baywatch, as he tried to separate them.

Sting & Lex Luger vs The American Males
Tag Team Titles
May 27, 1996
What in the hell are Sting & Luger slumming it on this show for? Riggs hits a hip toss & some dropkicks and Luger oversells it like a mad man. Lex with a cheap shot & he destroys Riggs with offense in the corner, but Riggs fights back, only to get flattened with a lariat. We get tags by both partners as Bagwell gets an arm drag, bodyslam & 2 count, then goes back to the arm, tries for a slam, but Sting hits one instead, then deep arm drags of his own. Bagwell hits a Fisherman’s Suplex, but Lex punts Bagwell in the ribs to break it up, Sting with an Oklahoma Roll for the 3. That’s it. Sting did his face paint for that. Unfortunately Dusty was talking about Slamboree & didn’t throw in any funny lines in this one.