Dr. Death Question

[Guest Retro Rob]

I'm reviewing a puro tape and I know absolutely nothing about this stuff. Steve Williams is fighting Toshiaki Kawada. Steve keeps trying to pick him up for a belly-to-back suplex, but Kawada keeps fighting out as if he is avoiding the plague. Did Williams' have a finisher that was similar to the belly-to-back, or is the belly-to-back just a big deal in Japan like the lariat is?

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Williams was going for the Homicidal Backdrop/Backdrop Driver/Murder Backdrop which is essentially the belly-to back but dropping the guy right on his noggin instead of on his neck or back. That was his big finish at the time.

[Guest Retro Rob]

Thanks. Kawada actually hit that move during the match and the crowd was going crazy, but I had no idea what it was called.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Thanks. Kawada actually hit that move during the match and the crowd was going crazy, but I had no idea what it was called.

Actually, I think Kawada's Dangerious Backdrop is different. It hits more of the neck/rear-head region, and is done in more of a "snap suplex" motion, where as Williams seems to lift his apponent to the highest point of the belly to back and just drop him right on the top of his skull.

[Guest Retro Rob]

Yeah, looking back at it I think you're right. Thanks again.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

Is this the 4/16/94 match? I love that match, I do think Dr. Death hits the Backdrop Driver as well at one point and even a nasty Tiger Suplex. I haven't watched it in a while.

 

This is a question for Dace59, where ever he is. But I think Kawada's Dangerous Backdrop is different from Williams. Kawada's has more of the twisting motion where the victim lands sideways, while Williams falls straight back. Both I believe are supposed to drop the victim on top of their head though. I guess it just depends on the setup and who's taking the bump. Both I think are called Backdrop Drivers or Dangerous Backdrops.

 

Jumbo's more traditional Backdrop usually dropped the victim on their neck and shoulders though. While the Dangerous one that Kawada and Dr. Death uses differs in that it supposed to drop them on their head, I think.

 

Dace, please enlighten us.

[Guest wolverine]

I too enjoy the 4/16/94 match. It's far better than the Williams-Kobashi 9/3/94 TC match that went WAY too long. I tend to rate Kawada-Williams in the ****1/4-****1/2 range.

[Guest Retro Rob]

The match I saw wasn't from 4/16/94. I think it was from 4/2/94. If this helps, it was on the first AJPW TV show cut down to 30 minutes.

[Guest wolverine]

So that's their Carny league match then. I'm sure the finals are better.

[Guest Retro Rob]

Yeah, it was good. I rated it around ***1/2 IIRC. It was JIP and ended in a draw, so that was kind of a downer.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

Yeah, it was good. I rated it around ***1/2 IIRC. It was JIP and ended in a draw, so that was kind of a downer.

No than that isn't 4/16/94, which didn't go to a bull draw. Draws suck except I like the Kawada/Kobashi 95 match, I just pretend that Kawada hits the Powerbomb at the end.

 

I would give 4/16/94, about ****1/2. and yes I think it's way better than Kobashi/Williams which tends to get way more acclaimed for some reason.

[Guest wolverine]

CS, what do you think of Kawada-Albright 10/25/95? I personally like that match even more than Kawada-Williams, mostly because of Kawada's awesome performance in carrying Gary through it. I think that may just be the best UWFI style match I've seen outside of Takada-Vader 8/18/94. Definite ****1/2 match.

[Guest Jubuki]

Part of the mystique around Williams' BDD is that it was still looked at as "his specialty" - it didn't matter if Kawada did a similar one or not, because he just wasn't Steve Williams. Watch the 9/94 TC defense (if you can get through it) and you'll hear Steve say, "Everyone tries to copy it, but there's only one Dangerous Backdrop." So that's how it was treated, much like Misawa throwing elbows or Hansen throwing a Lariat.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

CS, what do you think of Kawada-Albright 10/25/95?  I personally like that match even more than Kawada-Williams, mostly because of Kawada's awesome performance in carrying Gary through it.  I think that may just be the best UWFI style match I've seen outside of Takada-Vader 8/18/94.  Definite ****1/2 match.

Now that is a great match ****1/2 indeed. Kawada was so on that night it was scary. I also feel it was better than Kawada/Williams because it was far more focused, and the fact that Albright managed to come off as a bigger threat than Williams ever did, simply by the way he worked over and teased all of Kawada's weakness like the German Suplex and Left Leg submissions. Plus Kawada's selling was amazing, he is only the person than can do the "out on their feet" sell without coming off cheesy.

 

And I also like Takada-Vadar though it was a bit limited by the UWFI rules ****1/2 as well. The very realistic Powerbomb spot is one of my all time favoriates. The Punches looked great as well.