Goodear's second puro!

[Guest Goodear]

Without any ado here comes Goodear's SECOND PURO!

 

Tonight, we'll be doing a review of Super J-Cup '94 Stage 1, which in case you didn't know, is the first round of a junior heavyweight tornement held by a number of different federations in Japan.  Winner gets a big trophey and unlike in the United States, no one is going to break it over the winner's head!  Isn't that special?  Anyway, this is just the first round, so don't get suckered into thinking everythings on this one tape... I didn't, in case you were wondering.  The 2nd Stage will be featured in Goodear's 3rd Puro, coming when i stop being lazy.

 

So to start off the show, the ring announcer (who's dressed like a circus ringmaster, and I don't mean Steve Austin) brings out all the competitors for tonight and the screen graphic gives a nice little bit of information of their weight, height, date of birth, home promotion, and name in both Japaneese and English.  They are...

 

Mayayoshi Motegi of SPWF

Hayabuse and Ricky Fuji of FMW

Scott Keith's Favorite Wrestler Gedou of WAR (which stands for Wrestling and Romance... which is oddly disturbing)

Super Delphin, TAKA Michinoku, and The Great Sasuki of "North Eastern Wrestling" which must have morphed into Michinoku Pro at some point

And from New Japan: Neguro Casa, Dean Malenko, Black Tiger (Eddy Guerrero), Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit), Shinjiro Ohtani, El Samuri, and Jyushin "Thunder" Lyger

 

Wild Pegasus and Sasaki recieve byes into the second round, so this will be all you see of them during this tape.  So if they are the reason you want this tape, don't bother.

 

Match #1:  Dean Malenko vs. Gedou

 

Anyway, this is like the second time I've seen Gedou due to a very breif stint in WCW and Dean Malenko is in my top fave favorite wrestler listing of all time.  We start out with a handshake before Dean starts off quickly with a dropkick, and a leapfrog, and another dropkick that sends Gedou scurrying out of the ring for a breather before Malenko can build some momentum.  Gedou reeneters the ring and quickly gets caught in a go behind from Dean but manages to counter with a arm wringer.  Dean quickly escapes with a cartwheel and locks on a legbar.  Gedou eventually escapes into a cross arm breaker and goes into a armbar.  Malenko counters again with a headsissors throw from the mat and forces a stand off.

 

Both men square off and Gedou takes Dean down with a single leg and puts on a leglock.  Gedou drives his knuckles into Dean's knee, but Dean pushes Gedou to the mat with a cross arm breaker but can't really extend the arm, and Gedou manages to manuver ontop of Dean for a two count.  Dean presses him off and manages to take a top key lock before Gedou can escape and we have another stand off.

 

Gedou seems ready to abandon the mat wrestling strategy now and goes to striking with a kick and a few chops.  This doesn't deter Dean one bit as he quickly sends Gedou to the mat and drops a forearm and takes a reverse chinlock.  From that position, Dean attempts a cross face chickenwing but opts for the dragon sleeper instead.  Gedou resorts to an eye rake to break the hold and quickly goes for some headbutts to gain an advantage for a moment before Dean gets control again and "drives" Gedou into the turnbuckle.  I use the quotes because I think Dean was going for his corner clothesline but Gedou didn't turn.  Dean hauls Gedou into position and slams him to the mat with a jackhammer for two.  Dean goes back to the mat game and locks on a headsissors which Gedou turns into a chinlock and a little slugfest leads to a head-to-head collision off the ropes.  Malenko goes for a tombstone piledriver but Gedou reverses and climbs to the top rope.  A swandive headbutt misses and Dean takes his head off with a clothesline for two.  Gedou reverses an Irish whip but misses a charge when Dean uses the momentum from the whip to get to the apron.  Dean comes off the top with a flying bodpress for two.  Dean hits the ropes and Gedou puts his head down for a bacdrop but gets kicked in the mush.  Dean hits the ropes again.... and gets caught in a powerslam for the 1..2..3!

 

Winner:  Gedou in 8 minutes... you guessed it, still no stopwatch.

Analysis:  Well, that was a very out-of-nowhere finish, especially since the powerslam wasn't exactly stunning or anything.  The transitions from mat work to the higher impact stuff and back again just didn't work well in my estimation as Gedou just couldn't keep up with Dean's matwork.  *

 

 

Match #2: Super Delfin vs. Shinjiro Ohtani and his huge ears

 

Ohtani goes strait to the legs at the bell and drops Delfin to the mat with a single leg, and immediately drops a knee to the, well, knee.  Quickly pressing his advantage, Ohtani quickly steps over and applies a toe hold.  Delfin tries to brake the hold with an eye rake, but Ohtani quickly applies a single leg figure-four.  Delphin drags himself out to the ropes and forces a break, but Ohtani drags him away and locks on a halfcrab.  Delphin manages to get himself over to the ropes again, and forces anther break.  They hit a crisscoss and Delfin hits Ohtani with a dropkick and poses (I guess getting his ass kicked for such a long while is pose worthy).  Delfin hits a sloppy tilt-a-whirl backbreaker off the ropes but when he goes for it again, Ohtani lands on his feet and hits a spin kick to the chops and a spinheel kick off the ropes that sends Delfin to the outside.

 

Delfin takes a moment to recover, and Shinjiro holds the ropes open for him in a "get in here yah f'n puss" kind of way.  The referee forces Shinjiro away from the ropes, but when Delfin finally comes into the ring, Ohtani is right there to lay on the attack and hit Delfin with the Ric Flair ass drop to the legs.  Delfin slaps on a halfcrab but Delfin manages to drag himself to the ropes again.  Ohtani kicks Delfin in the thigh and slaps on a legbar.  Delfin manages to get himself vertical and stomp away to free himself and get and advantage.  Belly-to-back suplex for two!  Delayed brain buster!  Two again.  Delfin goes for another, but Ohtani slides down his back and dropkicks him to the outside.  Ohtani slingshots to the top rope and planchas to the outside onto Delfin.  Ohtani slides Delfin back in and hits a springboard dropkick from the apron for a two count.  Ohtani goes back to the knee with a dropkick and locks on a kneelock before Delfin gets to the ropes again.  Ohtani chucks Delfin into a corner, but is met with a boot to the face (not with the leg Ohtani had been working on, I checked) and a tornado DDT!  Delfin locks on a Delfin clutch for the 1...2...3!

 

Winner: Super Delfin in 9 minutes

Analysis: A good effort, but you know what pissed me off?  While on offence, and right after the match, Delfin didn't sell the knee one bit.  What is the matter with just a little limp here or there?  Thats all I'm asking.  Other than that, everything was groovy for a short match.  **

 

 

Match #3: TAKA Michinoku w/ a monk hat a sword?  vs. Black Tiger

 

During the prematch rituals, TAKA climbs up on the middle rope and unsheathes his samuri sword.  Doesn't that mean its got to taste blood or somesuch before he can put it away?  I'm really doubting this whole TAKA-is-a-Samuri thing now.

 

Anywhose, they start out and Tiger immediately goes behind and takes TAKA to the mat with a armdrag and lays on the Eddy boot eyerake.  Tiger quickly goes to the apron and uses his summersault centaun splash.  Eddy picks Taka off the canvas and drives him into the mat with a tremendus powerbomb for two.  Tiger hits TAKA with some chops and tosses him into the ropes for a leaping elbowsmash.  Tiger follows with a reverse neckbreaker for another 2 count before TAKA can kick away.  Black Tiger slaps on a abdominal strech and holds it until TAKA shows the slightest sign of preparing a defense and then clotheslines TAKA out of his boots.  Tiger uses an elbow and a European uppercut to knock TAKA to the canvas to set up a sharpshooter leglock.  TAKA tries to make his way to the ropes, but on the way, Tiger loses the lock a sort of falls out of the hold.  Both guys hit the ropes and meet head to head, in what looked to be a blown shoulderblock spot, because the double KO just doesn't work within this context, especially as quickly as both men recover.  TAKA hits the ropes immediatly afterwards for another shoulderblock but on the second attempt, Tiger takes him down with another clothesline.  Tiger Irish whips TAKA into a corner, but TAKA moonsaults over Tiger.  Tiger leapfrogs him, and TAKA takes Tiger down with a sattelite headsissors takedown that sends Tiger to the outside.  

 

TAKA fakes going for his handsfree plancha and backflips back to the center of the ring.  Tiger gets back in the ring, and drives TAKA into a corner with a clothesline.  Tiger goes for it again, but TAKA moonsaults over him again and hits a overhead belly-to-belly suplex.  A dropkick sends Black Tiger out of the ring again, and this time TAKA does hit the handsfree plancha to the outside!  TAKA slides back into the ring, and tries to suplex Tiger inside, but Tiger counters into a go behind, but TAKA counters again and hits a bridging German suplex, and then a hurricanrana.  TAKA goes off the ropes, but Eddy sends him high into the air and crushes him with a powerbomb.  Tiger goes to the top and hits his frog splash!  BUT TAKA KICKS AWAY!  Tiger lifts TAKA for a slam, but TAKA climbs onto his shoulders and brings him down for a sunset flip for two.  Firethunder powerbomb gets TAKA two!  A moonsault gets another two, but when TAKA goes for another one, Tiger gets the knees up!  A brainbuster gets Black Tiger two, and a tornado DDT seals the deal for a Black Tiger victory.

 

Winner:  Black Tiger in 8 minutes

Analysis:  You know, I think both guys were going for the whole, "young kid tries to upset the established star" match here.  But there was one little problem, I think Black Tiger failed to get that over, he never showed any real emotion during the match and went through everything a little too nonchalantly.  Other than that, and the wacky shoulderblockery, everything was very nicely done.  **1/2

 

 

Match #4: Masayoshi Motegi vs. El Samuri

 

Is it me or does "Motegi" sound like the noise that Jawa made just before it shot R2-D2?  Anyway, Motegi strikes quickly with a pair of dropkicks that sends Samuri out of the ring for a suicide dive.  Motegi springs off the middle rope to the top, but loses his balance and falls back into the ring.  Motegi waits for Samuri to get back into the ring and hits an arm wringer, but Samuri counters with a drop toehold and slaps on a crossface.  Samuri moves the crossface into a chinlock before releasing the hold and stomping away on Motegi.  Motegi gets to his feet and hits Samuri with a manly slap to the face before Samuri grabs him and hits a piledriver for a two count.  A belly-to-back suplex gets Samuri another two before he slaps on a Boston crab.  Motegi pushes up and flips Samuri underneath him.  Motegi takes Samuri down with a side headlock and Samuri counters with a headsissors.  Both men regain their feet and Samuri takes Motegi down with a tombstone piledriver for a two count.  Both men are up again and trade elbow strikes and Motegi gets the better of it, until Samuri gets behind him and takes him down with a reverse suplex.  The guys then manage to blow a missed dropkick spot and then in the cardinal sin of wrestling, redo the spot in order to get it right.  So in the end, Motegi misses a dropkick and then gets backdropped out of the ring, Samuri follows him outside with a suicide dive.  Samuri suplexes Motegi back inside the ring and hits a top rope dropkick for two.  Samuri tries to take Motegi down with a hurancanrana but gets caught in a powerbomb.  Trying to take advantage, Motegi puts on a nifty rolling bow and arrow hold.  Then when he's finished with the roll, Motegi pulls Samuri's head down and puts on a dragon sleeper.  Motegi releases the hold like a dimwit, and then blows a sattlelite headsissors take down and falls ontop of Samuri for two.   Motegi then  gets a pair of rolling German suplexes in before Samuri counters with a reverse victory roll.  Motegi then blows a baseball slide underneath Samuri's legs, but they press on and have a battle over German suplexs that Samuri eventually wins for a two count.  A powerbomb from Samuri finally sends us home.

 

Winner:  EL Samuri in 11 minutes

Analysis:  I counted four blown spots in there, thats pretty bad even for a Sabu match... okay, some Sabu matches.  Okay, okay, its about on average for a Sabu match, are you happy now?  Anyway, this match was bad.  1/2*

 

 

Match #5: Ricky Fuji vs. Neguro Casas

 

Fuji looks like the bastard Japaneese child on Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.  Seriously, a Canada leather jacket and Rocker tights are not a good mix.  Casas starts off like about half of these matches do, with a dropkick.  Casas goes into a chinlock and moves into a side headlock that Fuji counters with a headsissors.  Casas escapes to tie up Fuji with a toe hold, and Fuji is forced to get to the ropes.  They square off and Casas takes Fuji down with a headsissors and tries to put on an armbar but Fuji manages to fight off the armbar.  Fuji manages to kip himself out of the sissors and dives onto Casas with a headlock.  Casas counters with a headsissors again and hits the rising Fuji with a few chops and a clothesline.  Fuji takes Casas down with a legtrip and locks on a leglock, that Casas counters with a dragon sleeper.  Casas gets a body slam and a standing centaun.  A dropkick sends Fuji to the outside and Casas hits a middle rope bodypress to the outside.  Casas sends Fuji back in and hits a chop, but gets caught with a side backbreaker coming off the ropes.  A bodyslam allows Fuji time to go to the top rope and come off with a flying axehandle.  Fuji takes Casas down for a suplex, but when he goes for another, Casas counters and goes for a La Magistral cradle for two!  A slam sets Fuji up and Casas comes off the second rope with a centaun bomb for two!  Casas goes up for another, but Fuki dodges out of the way.  Fuji scores with a big lariat and finishes up with a tigerdriver for the pin.

 

Winner: Ricky Fuji in 6 minutes

Analysis:  Everything was solid and all, but it was also pretty nondescript and quick so a *1/2 we will go.

 

 

Match #6: Hayabusa vs. Jyushin "Thunder" Lyger

 

Crowds love them some Lyger, but Hayabusa gets off the gates quick and hits Lyger with a, you guessed it, dropkick to start.  A spinkick sends Lyger to the outside, and Hybusa follows him outside with a manly tope con hilo.  A sidekick to the chest perpares Lyger to be sent back into the ring, and Hayabusa follows him back inside with a missle dropkick to the back of the head!  Now, to me, it looks like Hayabusa is trying to catch Lyger off guard, which is why him taking a surfboard next doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.  Anyway, Hyabusa releases the move and covers Lyger but the referee doesn't go down for a count.  Hyabusa drops a big legdrop and locks on a reverse halfcrab, which I don't think I've ever seen before.  Hyabusa then drops a knee on Lyger's knee, but when he goes for a second, Lyger pulls his out of the way and Hyabusa manages to injure himself.  Lyger bounces off the ropes and dropkicks Hyabusa in the knee and quickly capitalizes with a figure-four leglock.  Hyabusa forces a break and Lyger immediately puts him back down with a series of palm thrusts to the face.  A powerbomb nets Lyger a two count before Hyabusa can gut his way out.  Lyger puts on a Indian deathlock and streaches out Hyabusa's knees for a bit.  Hyabusa tries to fight his way out but Lyger just slaps him right back down.  Lyger releases the deathlock and nails Hyabusa coming off the ropes with a big clothesline for two.  Lyger slaps on a legbar, and Hyabusa is forced to kick Lyger in the jaw to break himself free.  More annoyed then hurt, Lyger takes Hyabusa down with a belly-to-back suplex and then tosses Hyabusa into a corner for a rolling koppo kick.  Lyger puts Hyabusa on the top rope and follows him up for a top rope superplex for two.  Hyabusa takes this opportunity to sell the knee work and I applaud him for it.

 

Lyger hits a few chops but misses a charge into a corner, allowing Hyabusa to get himself a clothesline and a momentary rest from the Lyger onsault.  Hyabusa hits a spinkick and a dropkick, and amazingly, Lyger stays in the ring!  Hyabusa hits the ropes and nails Lyger with a spinheel kick and nails a summersault centaun for a two count.  Hyabusa quickly scales the ropes and hits a top rope spinkick!  But it only gets a 2 count before Lyger escapes.  I'm starting to get the impression that the fans aren't buying into these nearfalls, but thats their problem.  Hyabusa slams Lyger to the mat and hits a top rope moonsault for two.  Hyabusa goes to the top rope and hits Lyger in the back of the head with his .... BUTT?  The hell was that supposed to be?  Anyway, it gets Hyabusa a two count.  Hyabusa hits a backbreaker and goes to the top one more time for the SHOOTING STAR PRESS which doesn't work... now Lyger got the knees up and Hyabusa totally missed with it and I'm pretty sure only one of those things was supposed to happen, but what the heck?  LygerBOMB gets a two, before Hyabusa throws a shoulder into the air.  Lyger puts Hyabusa on the top for another superplex attempt but Hyabusa headbutts him down.  Hyabusa tries for a huracanrana off the top, but gets caught with a powerbomb.  Lyger decides its time to go home and absolutely murders Hyabusa with a fisherman's buster for the uno... dos... tres.

 

Winner: Jyushin "Thunder" Lyger in 11 minutes

Anaylsis:  The best macth of the first round was only marred by the the shooting star press confusion and the flying BUTT attack thing, whatever that was supposed to be.  Lyger worked Hyabusa over like a champ, and Hyabusa sold it pretty well, especially selling the fisherman's buster like near death. ***

 

Final Thoughts:  Well, if you can get the second stage seperately, and have to pay for this also, don't really bother.  The later rounds are far superior and these matches are really kind of TV match-ish, and you aren't really missing anything worthwhile.  See you when I'm not so lazy, for J-Cup 94 Second Stage... or Goodear's third puro!

[Guest Captian Linger]

"these matches are really kind of TV match-ish, and you aren't really missing anything worthwhile."

 

I know that WWF television has more or less trained most fans to except this concept. Believe it or not, some of New Japan's best matches were on free TV. Free TV isn't a "dirty word" in Japan.

[Guest J*ingus]

Well, they also don't run nearly as many pay per views.  If the WWF does indeed go through with the split and starts doing two per month, they'll have more PPVs a year than all the Japanese feds combined.