Is Japan wrestling really any better

[Guest BionicRedneck]

Yep, same here.

 

Maybe getting 95 first wouldn't be a bad idea coz its easy to watch, but then move on to 94 coz its better.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Im sure it's different from person to person, but if you are used to sports entertainment all the time then the constant 'proper' wrestling of the 94 one has a higher chance of alienating you. The 95 version has a lot of 'proper' wrestling, but it also has some really, really well done sports entertainment style stuff, like the Gedo / Caras match.

 

Thing is, the 95 version has characters and other things the Americans do, as well as realy good puro style wrestling. It has a good mix of everything, which is why its the greatest show ever.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I don't know if it was the fact that it was in WAR, or the fact that it didnt have announcers, but the 1995 match didn't seem as 'Epic' as the 94 one. Plus, 95 didn't have the performance of a lifetime like 94 had with Sasuke..

 

I dunno, maybe I am just a bit biased cause Jcup 94 was the first Puro tape I bought.

 

As a suggestion for someone who wants to start to get into japanese wrestling... I say go with a "Best of" an American Wrestler (say Benoit) in Japan. So you at least know one familiar face (part of the problem when I first watched the Jcup was that I only knew about 5 guys - I didn't really care about Ohtani/Delphin until I discovered that Ohtani was my long lost god - so it really effected the matches. The great thing with J cup 94 is that you REALLY get introduced to Sasuke and by the finals you are rooting for him, and he is against a familiar face in Chris Benoit.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Im sure it's different from person to person, but if you are used to sports entertainment all the time then the constant 'proper' wrestling of the 94 one has a higher chance of alienating you. The 95 version has a lot of 'proper' wrestling, but it also has some really, really well done sports entertainment style stuff, like the Gedo / Caras match.

 

Thing is, the 95 version has characters and other things the Americans do, as well as realy good puro style wrestling. It has a good mix of everything, which is why its the greatest show ever.

I'd agree with you if it weren't for one thing: Gedo.

[Guest J*ingus]

Gedo's in both of them, so it's a moot point.

 

Either one would work fine, but '94 has more recognizable stars for newbies. Benoit, Malenko, Guerrero, TAKA, Liger, Hayabusa, Sasuke, so forth and so on.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Yeah, shame that Guerrero and TAKA put in such dull performances on the 94 J Cup really...

 

... and that Benoit exhibited NO CHARACTER WHATSOEVER!!

 

Sorry guys, I just prefer the 95 one, and I'm fairly passionate about that fact.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

Yeah, shame that Guerrero and TAKA put in such dull performances on the 94 J Cup really...

 

... and that Benoit exhibited NO CHARACTER WHATSOEVER!!

 

Guerrero & TAKA didn't put in dull performances. Their match was fun.

 

I just prefer the 95 one

 

Thats fine. but, it isn't a better quality show, because the matches on 94 are generally better.

[Guest deadbeater]

<Apocryphal>

 

Molly and Trish one night sat in a hotel room one night eating popcorn and watching a tape of a 1994 All-Japan women's match between Aja Kong and Manami Toyota. After that, they have a fun practive match in which Trish plays Kong and Molly plays Toyota.

 

The nexy day they ask Fit Findlay if they can do some of that during their live matches. Fit answers, "Sorry, I would love too. But you see, word from high up says that you girls have to practice more schoolgirl rollups. Oh by the way Trish, be sure to pack your short skirt tonight because you are going to do a run-in in the Bubba-Big Show match."

 

And that is why they look demoralized.

 

</Apocryphal>

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Yeah, shame that Guerrero and TAKA put in such dull performances on the 94 J Cup really...

 

... and that Benoit exhibited NO CHARACTER WHATSOEVER!!

 

Sorry guys, I just prefer the 95 one, and I'm fairly passionate about that fact.

Uhh, if Guererro and Taka were "dull" what do you call Gedo/Motegi? Jericho/Nakajima? Funaki/Ultimo? All thoroughly dull. Benoit/Guererro from '94 was better than any of those. Which brings me to my main question: Benoit was in both tourniments, and played the same character both times, so what does that have to do with anything?

 

Basically, '95 had too many matches that should have been on the levle of those in '94 (Ultimo/Liger, Ultimo/Ohtani), but weren't, and a total let-down of a final that ended the show with no drama at all. Twas a good show with lots of good matches, but too many that dissapointed when they should have delivered. '94 had stellar performances by pretty much everyone, and features one of the best Junior matches of the '90's.

[Guest Austin3164life]

Being a fan of North American wrestling, I have very little experience with Japanese style wrestling. I was just wondering, to the Puroresu marks out there, what kind of style exactly is Japanese wrestling? Are the rules of pro-wrestling different in Japan? I just want to know what it is, in contrast to North American wrestling. I've seen Michinoku vs. Sasuke on Canadian Stampede, but the match was a bit short and I probably saw only a taste of Puro style.

[Guest J*ingus]

Well, the main thing is that there is no single "Japanese style". Michinoku Pro does high-flying, Toryumon does high-flying with a Luchadore flavor, All Japan and NOAH are slower and more physical with a lot of brutal strikes and power moves, Zero-One does a lot of worked-shoot matches, and New Japan is a mix all of the above. Although it must be said that a lot of the promotions are getting more and more Americanized over the years.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

After watching basically nothing but WWF/WCW my entire life, I checked out 94 J-cup and was blown away. 95 continued to get me hooked, then I moved into other styles from there. The Juniors are still my favorite by far, but I like AJPW's classic stuff for the most part as well. If you're a die hard WWF/WCW fan, prepare to be bored by AJPW, as it's TOTALLY different. I mean, Misawa/Kawada was the first AJPW match I ever saw, and to tell the truth, I didn't like it at all upon first viewing, but that was more because I had no idea about what the style was like or anything. Keep in mind I'd just watched the J-cups and north american stuff exclusively before that. Today, it's probably my favorite or at least second favorite match ever.

[Guest DragonflyKid]

If you're a die hard WWF/WCW fan, prepare to be bored by AJPW, as it's TOTALLY different. I mean, Misawa/Kawada was the first AJPW match I ever saw, and to tell the truth, I didn't like it at all upon first viewing, but that was more because I had no idea about what the style was like or anything.

 

The first match I ever saw was Kobashi vs. Misawa 1/20/97 and I thought some of the big moves were cool but overall I felt disappointed. After watching many of the classic matches and TV blocks I can watch the same Kobashi/Misawa match and appreciate it's greatness. To watch AJ one needs patience at first to get used to the style and then when one is used to the style with every match you can get hooked more and more.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

Well the first All Japan match I ever saw was Kobashi/Kawada 98 Triple Crown Match, and I loved it. I was blown away with how hard they worked, and how Kawada made every move look like it was impossible to pull off. I was bored to death with modern WWE, and was only watching classic NWA at the time I get into All Japan.

 

And I wouldn't really say that early 90s All Japan is that different from say classic WCW/NWA. If you love Flair/Steamboat than I don't see how you can be bored by early 90s All Japan since their faster and use more high impact moves.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

If you're a die hard WWF/WCW fan, prepare to be bored by AJPW, as it's TOTALLY different. I mean, Misawa/Kawada was the first AJPW match I ever saw, and to tell the truth, I didn't like it at all upon first viewing, but that was more because I had no idea about what the style was like or anything.

 

I thought some of the big moves were cool but overall I felt disappointed. After watching many of the classic matches and TV blocks I can watch the same Kobashi/Misawa match and appreciate it's greatness. To watch AJ one needs patience at first to get used to the style and then when one is used to the style with every match you can get hooked more and more.

I agree with that totally.

[Guest godthedog]

i'm not a HUGE puro fan by any means, but of what i've seen, i'd recommend hansen/kobashi as the best way to be introduced to the all-japan style. the physical intensity & gradual transitions are all there (i.e., a wrestler has to build his momentum with several moves, not just take over with the wwf ONE BIG REVERSAL[tm]), but the pace is a lot faster & it's pretty short for an 'epic' match (under half an hour). you don't need 4+ years of backstory to enjoy it, unlike 6/3/94, just watch them beat the shit out of each other. and it's one of the greatest matches ever, which is always a plus.

 

the only good staple of all-japan not in the match that i can think of is head-dropping.

 

If you love Flair/Steamboat than I don't see how you can be bored by early 90s All Japan since their faster and use more high impact moves.

the high-impact stuff is hard to argue with, but i don't see how the all-japan guys are faster. near the end of all the matches i've seen, everybody's selling each other's high impact moves & fatigue, & they tend to take their time between big moves. this isn't a bad thing, it's just slower than flair/steamboat. those 2 were ALWAYS moving.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

If you love Flair/Steamboat than I don't see how you can be bored by early 90s All Japan since their faster and use more high impact moves.

the high-impact stuff is hard to argue with, but i don't see how the all-japan guys are faster. near the end of all the matches i've seen, everybody's selling each other's high impact moves & fatigue, & they tend to take their time between big moves. this isn't a bad thing, it's just slower than flair/steamboat. those 2 were ALWAYS moving.

 

It sounds like you've been exposed to alot of the head dropping stuff, where they lay around most of the match.

 

You did mention Hansen/Kobashi from 93, but a great deal of the matches from say 89-93 was some of the fastest real heavyweight(235+ guys) matches worked(especially the tag stuff). Even the Misawa/Jumbo matches were worked alot faster and had more high flying than Flair/Steamboat. Misawa was hitting high spot after high spot, and without the rest breaks that guys like RVD and Sabu take nowadays, plus Misawa is a bigger man than both of them(at 240). His high flying wasn't as wild, but it was certainlty worked faster.

 

Alot of modern WWE guys is faster and bigger, but you have to take an account that they work much shorter matches.