Puro novice seeks help!

[Guest Nick the Pick]

Hey, guys

 

I'm interested in getting some puro tapes as I'been super-impressed with the puro guys who have wrestled in the US eg. Muta, Tanaka, Tajiri, TAKA, Sasuke, Dick Togo, Hamada etc. Can anyone help with a few queries I have?

 

First off, who are the greatest puro workers of all time? How would you rate the following:

 

Mitsaharu Misawa

Minoru Tanaka

Toshiaki Kawada

Kenta Kobashi

Koji Kanemoto

Shinya Hasimoto

Yuji Nagata

Lioness Asa

Jun Akiyama

Antonio Inoki

Tatsumi Fujinami

Taiyo Kea

Ultimo Dragon

Manami Toyota

Hiroyoshi Tenzan

 

Any other major names I'm missing and should know about?

 

Also, can you explain the following moves:

 

Nagata Lock I

Shining Wizard

Thunder Fire Bomb

Blue Thunder Bomb

Burning Hammer

Space Flying Tiger Drop

Miracle Ecstasy Bomb

 

And for the lucha fans, what's the difference between a tope suicida and a tope con hilo?

 

All help's appreciated. Cheers!

[Guest Carbon Tiger]

1)Mitsaharu Misawa- Founder of NOAH and perhaps the greatest Triple Crown Champion in All Japan history. Misawa has held a ton of titles and has produced tapeloads of 4* matches. His feud with Kawada is one of the greatest I've ever seen in wrestling history. His prime years seem to be behind him these days but he can still bring it when he needs to.

 

2)Minoru Tanaka- The future of New Japan's Cruiser divison. He's already a two time champion. Also a former Jr. Tag Champion. Tanaka is a pure technical wrestler and one of the best I've seen in a long time. Former Battle Arts wrestler.

 

3)Toshiaki Kawada- Dangerous K. Former 3x Triple Crown Champion can also claim an amazing 8 AJPW World Tag Team Titles. Has produced some of the greatest matches I've ever seen. Kawada is simply a joy to watch wrestle. I've never enjoyed one wrestlers matches more then Kawada. Breaks opponents down with stiff kicks brainbusters, The Stretch Plum, powerbombs and his bone crushing Dangerous Backdrop. His tag team with Taue was one of the best ever if ont THE best.

 

4)Kenta Kobashi- Orange Crush. Kenta is another great wrestler. He's produced many great matches himself. His fights with and against Misawa were great. Formed the team Burning with Jun Aikayama. Throws some of the stiffest Laraits ever and uses The Orange Bomb(Suplex/powerbomb) as a key finisher. And if that doesn't work The Burning Hammer will. Sadly he's been plauged with bad knees and affter a 14 month lay off and affter his first match back his Docs are saying take another 4 off or retire. A damn shame. If not for his knees Kobashi could be the best in the world.

 

 

5)Koji Kanemoto- Complete arrogant punk. But in a good way. He has a real attitude in the ring. Uses high flying striking and mat stuff to win his matches. Amazingly he used to be Tiger Mask III.

 

6)Shinya Hasimoto- Best stuff was in the 90s. Still rebuilding his image affter Ogawa destroyed it. Not the best by any stretch of the imaganation. But still very good, Current NWA Champion.

 

7)Yuji Nagata- I've only seen a handfull of his matches but he's an amazing wrestler. Sadly Inoki contues to fuck with his carrer. Mat based and very good at it.

 

8)Lioness Asa- Haven't seen enough to comment.

 

9)Jun Akiyama- Current NOAH GHC champion. A good wrestler from day one he keeps getting better. I really think he hasn't reached his peak yet.

 

10)Antonio Inoki- Great wrestler from the old days. I liked alot of Inoki's matches and he deserves his legend status. His booking however makes me ill.

 

11)Tatsumi Fujinami- The Dragon. 6x IWGP Champion. He's been in some GREAT matches.  Uses the Dragon Sleeper and Suplex as key moves. He's been around for 30 years and is a legendary figure. Nearing retirement.

 

12)Taiyo Kea- Mutoh desciple. A younger wrestler who I think has a real future. He's nowhere near his prime yet. Give him time he's a good wrestler already and is probally gonna be real good in the future. Good tag wrestler winning belts w/Smith and Mutoh. Firemen's Carry Stunner is called the Hawain Smasher.

 

13)Ultimo Dragon- Ultimo produced some of the greatest cruiser matches of the 90s. Won the J Crown. No need ot describe much here Dragon's matches all over the world showed that

 

14)Manami Toyota- Haven't seen enough.

 

15)Hiroyoshi Tenzan- Good old horn head. He's been around a good while and has had some good matches. Again not as good as some of the others on this list but very watchable. I think he's deserving of the IWGP title.

 

Others you missed: Mutoh, Liger, Satoshi Kojima, Genichiro Tenryu, Akira Taue, Kensuke Sasaki(when he's on) ,Masahiro Chono, and I'd throw in Takao Omori and Yoshihiro Takayama but I'm a No Fear mark.

 

Nagata Lock I- Naga's modified figure four

 

Shining Wizard- Mutoh's running spring knee lift move. Kawada got this one over.

 

Thunder Fire Bomb- Atushi Onita uses this one alot. It's an over the shoulder folding powerbomb.

 

Blue Thunder Bomb- A belly to bakc suplex swung into a powerbomb. Jun's pet move. (Along with his Exploder Suplexes)

 

Burning Hammer- Inverted DVD. This move still makes me shudder. Kobashi's ultra killer move.

 

Space Flying Tiger Drop- Cartwheel twisting no rope plancha backsplash.

 

Miracle Ecstasy Bomb- Chokeslam powerbomb combo.

 

Whew hope that helps.

[Guest HopeSpot]

Carbon Tiger brings the content! HopeSpot brings the incoherent rambling!

 

Genichiro Tenryu- Had an MOTYC with Mutoh last year now it's time to hang it up.

 

Satoshi Kojima- Anything I say is extremly bisaed since I'm the biggest Kojima mark in Western Canada, just look at my avatar. This guys going to go over huge in All Japan.

 

Oh yeah, I fucking hate Joshi so I don't know anything about the woman.

[Guest MRFTW]

Manami Toyota - Great wrestler but not as great as some would have you to believe, a bit overated if you ask me.

 

And what exactly do you hate about joshi HopeSpot?

[Guest HopeSpot]

I don't mean to sound sexist but there's just something about two chicks beating the shit out of each other that bothers me. It doesn't have the testerone rage factor that men's wrestling does, to me its just a couple of women rolling around while a bunch of teenage girls in the audience pretend to be wrestling fans for a brief period of their lives.

 

But then again maybe being exposed to years and years of American Joshi ruined me on it. And that chick with the goth face paint (she was in Torymoun briefly I think) is fucking hot.

[Guest CB2M]

First off, who are the greatest puro workers of all time?

Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada, Liger, and Toyota are the 5 best ever IMO.  Meltzer reported in 1999 that they were the Top 5 for the decade when it comes to ****+ matches in that order.

[Guest NineSpiral]

HopeSpot - if that's what you like from wrestling, and you haven't seen it in Joshi - watch Aja Kong. enough said. the "Female Vader" nickname is well deserved.

 

Jason