Welcome back to another Weekly Watchlist wrestling fans!
After a break from form last week with the Money in the Bank special review, we're back to our usual review format!
A note regarding some of the matches on my watchlist, just because a match appears on the spreadsheet as something I've watched that week, doesn't mean its the first time I'm watching the match. A prime example would be the Hangman/Danielson series I included last week. With the exception of their newest match in the Owen Cup Tournament, I've watched their previous encounters a while back. But because I only started this spreadsheet back in march, they never got added and subsequently, never received my official, undisputed star rating.
Its safe to assume some matches on the list are first time viewing, but rest assured dear reader, if a match shows up that you absolutely can't believe I'm watching for the very first time, its probably not my first.
Here's what I watched this week;
Vader v Sting - The Great American Bash 1992 - 07/12/1992
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| David vs Goliath. WCW |
As much as I'd like to follow my previous point by saying "and this match is one of them!" I have not seen this specific match between Vader and Sting. Cagematch led me to watch one of their other encounters, probably their '93 strap match at SuperBrawl 3, but this one has escaped me for a while now.
Sting and Vader were made to fight each other, its honestly such a perfect pairing of guys. Vader is the ultimate monster, the greatest big man in the sport. Period. He's next to impossible to take off his feet, he hits like a truck and has unbelievable grace when he decides to put on some speed in the ring. Sting, on the other hand, is the perfect babyface champion/challenger. His offence is fast and electric, the crowd will pop for a series of punches when Sting is firing them off. He can take an absolute beating and look like all hope is lost, until that exact right moment when he's able to turn things around and comeback with blistering, breathtaking offence. The stuff Sting is able to do to Vader, who is not afraid to bump and sell either I should add, making him all the better as an opponent, is out of this world. German's and back suplex's on someone who's nearly 500 pounds. Unreal.
Sting and Vader were already two of my favourite dudes before I sat down to watch their series, but they've elevated their stock ten fold after this week. What an insane pair of wrestlers.
Sting shows up tonight the WCW World Champion (the belt they had to use after Flair took off with Big Gold) and is defending his title against Vader in this match, who starts out just clubbing Sting. When Vader is on top, he's stalking Sting like a lion. He knows he doesn't need to move quick, Sting isn't going anywhere too quickly. He can take his time and lay into him whenever he pleases.
When Sting gets the advantage, he moves quick and tries to wear Vader down. Its unsuccessful early on, as he comes at Vader fast and heavy with punches but he's unfazed, eating his fists like they aren't even there. Sting rebounds off the ropes and flies at Vader with a crossbody, but he catches him with absolute ease and dumps him back onto the mat.
If Sting is going to want to get the better of Vader, he's gonna need to come at him with a lot more than that. Getting sent into the corner, Sting is able to duck out just in time to let Vader splash onto the open corner, stunning him for just long enough that Sting gets behind him and hoists the 450 pound monster up and over with a back suplex.
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| This should not be possible. WCW |
A pair of clotheslines sends Vader over and down to the floor and the crowd explodes. The second Vader's splash hit nothing, the Albany Civic Centre lost its roof. Everything Sting does in this match gets the same response Cena did when he returned at the '08 Rumble. This used to mean something to people, man.
Vader spends some time talking and regrouping with Harley Race, his manager, before getting back in and challenging Sting to a test of strength. Sting is slow, but starts to meet Vader's outstretched hand until he pulls it away. Vader challenges him again and Sting meets his grip, hesitant at first, taking a chance to regroup. When he finally meets Vaders paw, he's overpowered instantly, not even a moments hope for Sting.
He reacts quickly, thumbing Vader in the eye before cracking the monster with a series of right hands, with a spinning punch knocking Vader off his feet for just a moment. A dropkick sends Vader crashing down, rolling to the apron for respite. It doesn't last long as Sting meets him at the ropes, suplexing him back inside the ring and covering him, scoring a close 2.
Sting tries to keep the momentum going but Vader stops him, literally. Meeting a charging Sting by just standing like a brick wall, knocking the champion down hard. Sting keeps coming, trying to do enough to keep Vader down, going so far as to hold himself in the ropes after he's sent off and sunset flipping over a hunched over Vader. Bad idea Sting, 450 pounds doesn't like to go down that easily, unless they decide to, y'know, sit out on your chest.
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| Is Georgia on a fault line? Just curious. WCW |
Sting is all but dead after Vader crushes him, elbow drop after elbow drop, a massive splash for a close 2 count. Vader could decisively win the match right here, but wants to toy with his food before he eats it. As confident now as he's ever been. He picks him up by the neck from prone and holds him up above his head, letting his body fall to the ground like a dead piece of meat.
Stepping through, Vader slowly ties Sting up for the Scorpion Death Lock and squats down over him, trapping Sting in his signature hold. He's able to slowly fight out, trying to push himself up and out of the hold, inching closer and closer to the ropes, but Vader stomps once and Sting falls back to his chest. Sting is able to fight out, sending Vader across the ring. If Sting didn't just have his legs tied up like a pretzel, he might have been able to capitalize on the opening, but he's too weak, too worn down as Vader lumbers his way back over to Sting, just able to get to his feet before Vader sends him flying back to the ground with a single grizzly bear punch.
Barely standing in the corner, Sting absorbs gut shot after gut shot from Vader, until he finally finds his second wind and takes it to him. Punch, chop, punch, chop, anything to send Vader off balance enough to press the advantage. He ducks a clothesline and flies into Vader with a rolling kick, sending the monster down.
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| Throw whatever works at the monster, something's gotta hurt him! WCW |
Barely on his feet again, Vader gets caught with a DDT from Sting. Climbing to the top rope to try and finish the champion off once and for all, Vader gets caught and strung up on the top turnbuckle stomach first. Sting tee's off, kicking Vader in the gut like he's trying to send a soccer ball into orbit. With one last gasp, Sting squats under the horizontal Vader and presses his up, 450 pounds now laying across his shoulders. Walking backwards now, each step more laboured than the last, Sting stands in the centre of the ring, his entire body shaking with exhaustion and pain, before he falls backwards, sending Vader crashing through the ring (ok not really, but imagine if he did?!)
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| How did Sting not get turned into an accordion here?! WCW |
Back on their feet, Sting and Vader try out-suplexing each other. Vader hoists up Sting for a back suplex but Sting's boot catches the referee, knocking him off his feet as Sting lands on his. Shooting in behind Vader, Sting is somehow, someway, able to lift Vader up and german fucking suplex the monster with a bridge for the pin!! What the fuck?! The referee isn't down for very long (thank god) and counts only 2.
Pressing the advantage, Sting kicks Vader into the corner and charges in with a Stinger Splash, connecting fully. Kicking Vader in the back to send him to the opposite corner, Vader stumbles and stops himself with his head against the top turnbuckle as Sting flies for another splash, landing high and cracking his head off the ringpost, knocking himself out cold (he clearly didn't hit at all, kayfabe brother).
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| Just when things seemed to be going his way... WCW |
Whatever advantage Sting had in the match has just come to a screeching halt. He's limp laying along the top turnbuckle, blood trickling down his face as he slowly works his way backwards just so he can fall back inside the ring for a waiting Vader to pin him. Only 2.
Back on their feet once again and Sting is swinging at ghosts, his last punch was delivered with so much power he sends himself flying back down to the mat.
Vader stalks his prey one final time, picking him up by his hair and positioning him for a powerbomb. The champion goes up with ease, and comes crashing down with disgusting speed and impact. Vader folds Sting in half for the cover as the referee counts 3.
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| I'd love to see what that camera captured. WCW |
Vader is your new WCW World Champion.
Good god do I love this match. How have I let this one pass me by for so long?! I mean it when I say that Vader and Sting were made to fight each other, this match is one of the greatest examples of the monster vs the hero, the underdog vs the destroyer. Sting may be the champion but Vader is next to impossible to overcome. Glimmers of hope are snuffed out without a moments notice, your heroes will die at the feet of Vader. Wrestling perfection. A story for the ages. Seek this match out immediately and thank me later.
Terry Funk v Stan Hansen - AJPW Grand Champion Carnival - 04/14/1983
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| Picture quality may not be great, but match quality makes up for it. AJPW |
The discussion of "greatest wrestler of all time" comes up pretty often and the same few names get thrown around each time. Most western fans will cite someone like Ric Flair, maybe even include Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels if they grew up in the 90's. Those who tape traded and watched more than just the american product may name Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, or any of All Japan's 4 pillars of heaven. Even outside of the 80's and 90's, dozens of names can get tossed around and all for very valid reasons.
But for my money, there's no wrestler that will ever compare to Terry Funk. A career that spanned 50 years, the ability to change his style and persona before we knew we needed it, always on the razors edge of what was relevant or what was going to be popular. Not to mention his incredible skills in the ring and brilliant way of telling a story not just with his unbelievable promos. There will never, ever in history be another wrestler that will come close to Terry Funk.
Part of Funk's brilliance, as I just stated, is how he's able to tell a story in the ring, and while this match may not be one of Funk's mat classics that go along with being a former NWA Champion, I think this is one of Funk's absolute best performances in a professional wrestling ring.
Coming down through the horde of adoring Japanese fans is Funk, his song "Spinning Toe Hold" playing over the loudspeakers while fans cheer and scream for the Funker. Handmade signs and banners held high, a group of cheerleaders dance, the reception is unbelievable as Terry pushes through the swarm. The Funk's are deities in Japanese wrestling, and this crowd is ready to welcome him the only way they know how.
Stan Hansen is next out and is cutting his way through the crowd. Where Terry was all but impossible to find when making his entrance, Hansen is a whirlwind of chaos and violence. Swinging at ghosts or whoever dares get near the violent Texan, he charges into the ring, swatting away streamers and pacing back and forth like a hungry lion, eyes fixed on Funk.
Hansen charges Funk from the opening bell, backing him into the corner and forcing Funk to stay on the defensive. He tries to box with the much larger Hansen in the centre, but it doesn't have much effect. Hansen paintbrushes Funk across the face a few times, drawing out the anger of Funk as he locks up with Hansen, forcing him into the ropes and laying in some solid forearms, punctuated with a slap of his own.
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| Teeing off on the Funker, just hangin' out. AJPW |
The two lock horns again, this time its Hansen forcing Funk into the ropes, pushing him through the top and middle rope and laying bombs into the forehead of Funk, hanging above the floor. Hansen boots Funk as he rolls back inside and punches him along the ropes as Funk is finally able to break away and catch his breath. If Funk is going to get and maintain anything close to an advantage in this match, it won't be from squaring up with Hansen.
Keeping the pressure on Funk, Hansen continues to beat the snot out of him. Clubbing forearms across the back and a bodyslam followed by a heavy elbow drop for a 2 count. As Funk rolls back to his feet, Hansen grabs a fistfull of hair and drives his knee through Funk's skull. Chops and punches against the ropes punish Funk as his legs start to get weak, the fatigue setting in early. As long as Hansen can swing, he's on top, plain and simple.
Fighting his way to his knees after a Hansen knee drop, Funk drags them both through the ropes to the outside. He's able to get to his feet first and dropkicks Hansen, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the first few rows of seats. The streamers getting caught in Funk's feet were a nice touch, extra impact on the dropkick.
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| Either clear out or Hansen will do it for you. AJPW |
Hansen gets back in the ring and Funk is able to pick him up for a body slam of his own, dropping to his knees from the exertion and charging forward in a crawl with a JYD type headbutt. The one and only time that move has actually looked good, probably because Funk legitimately drove his skull into Hansen's. Because this shit means something to Funk.
A piledriver attempt on Hansen is countered with a back body drop, and Hansen is back on top, laying the boots into Funk as the crowd starts to chant "Terry Funk." Dropping the elbow and going for a cover, Funk kicks out at 2 but Hansen smothers him immediately with a side headlock. Still squeezing as Funk slowly rises to his feet, Hansen's lifted up and brought back down with a back suplex.
Funk seizes on the opportunity and drops the leg (brother?) across Hansen's right knee, softening the limb up as he locks in the spinning toe hold and the crowd screams. Hansen is able to boot Funk in the face as he starts the spin, but the pain gets to be too much as all he can do is hold on and try to find a way out. Hansen is able to punch Funk enough times that he breaks the hold for a minute, but he's quickly back in the hold, spinning his foot around and cranking it tight.
While Funk is hunched over a prone Hansen, who is still laying in punches each time Funk's head dips too low, blood starts to drip on the chest of Hansen, his head bleeding from the shotgun like punches. Dazed, Funk breaks the hold a second time, trying to collect himself as his own blood leaks into his eyes and down his face. Hansen grabs Funk by the hair again as he stands over him and launches more and more fists into Funk's wounded skull.
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| Funk, bleeding. Hansen, trapped. The fight rages on. AJPW |
Funk is able to take Hansen down one more time in the spinning toe hold, cranking over and over again until Hansen's shots are too much for Funk to take as he releases the hold and Hansen tries to stand. Pushing the brute into the ropes, Funk leans on the top rope as he drills Hansen over and over with punches of his own, unable to stand but still able to fight.
Laying across the top rope now as Hansen gets back to his feet, he shoots Funk off with an irish whip and loads up the elbow pad. As Funk rebounds, he fires off a lariat but Funk ducks the killshot, snatching Hansen in a single leg take down and spinning round and round with the toe hold. Hansen is able to shove Funk away with a kick as he falls back into the referee, who goes flying through the ropes to the floor.
Hansen picks Funk up in what looks to be an attempt at an atomic drop, but instead drops Funk crotch first across the top rope, sending him tumbling to the outside. Pissed off and ready to beat Funk even worse than he was before, Hansen goes to the corner and retrieves a piece of fabric (a leather belt? a strap of some kind?) he brought with him and stalks Funk who is being looked at by trainers and young boys (its a thing in Japan, don't write in)
When we are able to finally see Funk again as he emerges from the crowd and is brought to the apron, we see what Hansen has done. He's taken this strap, rope, whatever you want to call it, and tied what is effectively a fucking noose around Terry's neck and is dragging him by it.
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| One of the craziest, most violent visuals I've seen in wrestling. AJPW |
Funk is covered in blood, has streamers hanging off him like he's some sort of dancer at a circus as Hansen rolls back into the ring, dragging the near lifeless Funk behind him who gets caught against the bottom rope. Flailing and desperate to be free, Funk is being kicked in the head as Hansen pulls him in the ring with him and continues to boot Funk in the head, over and over again.
All Funk can do is try and survive, he's completely helpless at this point. He's done next to nothing against Hansen who is dragging a near lifeless Terry around and beating him however he pleases. This has gone from a competitive match, to a one sided fight, to what is almost equating assault.
Hansen rolls Funk back out to the apron and drops down to the ring, putting his boot against the top rope as he pushes with all his might against the rope, hanging Terry against the apron. Mercifully, Hansen lets Funk roll back in the ring and releases the noose from around his neck, but the beatings do not stop. Knee drop, punch after punch to the skull, and a shin across the throat as the referee is pleading with Hansen to let Terry up.
When suddenly, hope arrives in the form of Dory Funk, dressed like he just got out of a board meeting. Dory charges the ring and the crowd explodes, laying the boots to Hansen and throwing the referee out of the ring as he tries to restore order. It's little use, as Hansen body slams Dory who gets right back up and sends the master of the lariat into the ropes, cracking him with a forearm as he rolls to the outside, not wanting to deal with a much fresher Dory Funk.
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| Dory drops the lariat! AJPW |
By this point, the match has been called off as Dory tends to his brother. Terry is able to get to his feet but is helped out of the ring and to the back by trainers and doctors at ringside, the crowd subdued after the beating they've just witnessed.
Wow, what an absolute war this was. This may not match up to a 45 minute, 2 out of 3 falls NWA title match of Terry during his early years, but this is an absolutely brutal match that is basically all Stan Hansen. From the offset, Funk is on the backfoot, knowing he won't be able to wrestle Hansen into submission, knowing this was going to turn into a fight quick. Terry needed to change his style to keep himself safe while taking it to Hansen at the same time, but it was no use. No matter what Terry did, Hansen had an answer, and it was usually in the form of a punch to the face. None of this match was pretty, and like I said, it started to turn into full on assault at the very end, but it was beautiful all the same. Terry is able to look like a star even while he's getting his head caved in, and Hansen is a perfect monster to go up against a god-like figure to the Japanese audience.
It's not until I finished both reviews that I realized I picked 2 very similar matches this week. A monster vs the hero, working their way from underneath to try and valiantly overcome the odds but end up falling to the more powerful opponent. Its kinda funny how it worked out this week, what a wonderful coincidence. Probably won't happen like this again for a while, so don't get your hopes up.
If you've got more matches like this one you think I need to see, or have ideas for another serendipitous pair of matches I can watch, drop me a like at cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
Until next week folks, keep the dream alive.
Cliff Morgan
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