Aside from Super J '94 and '95...

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

I was looking through some Japanese tapes because I got lucky this month and ended up with a $60 surplus I have nothing to spend on (usually I'm broke). So I figured this would be a good time to buy a few puro tapes and get into it a little bit.

 

I'm looking mostly for tapes that would have guys who I'd know (Beniot, Malenko etc) so I could take them to my dad and convince him to watch it (I think he'd be more receptive if it had guys he knew) so in the future he'd buy some tapes for himself and I could watch the puro action for free. Any other solid shows I could buy that would have that sort of cross-over appeal would be great.

 

I'm not looking for independant matches; don't want to pay for a comp.

 

All help is appreciated, thanks in advance... I'm sure this is asked alot.

[Guest wolverine]

Mark,

 

The best shows that meet your criteria are the ones you mentioned ('94 and '95 Super J Cup).  But there's always the Best of the Super Junior '93-'96 tapes, as well as the Jr. Tag League '94 tape (really good Benoit/Ohtani vs. Sasuke/Guerrero matches), and the J-Crown '96 tape.  After you've seen some of that stuff, I'd recommend getting All Japan tapes from 1990-1997.  It's an acquired taste, but it's awesome once you're used to it.

[Guest J*ingus]

For heavyweight stuff, '95 was probably the best year.  All Japan's Champions Carneval and New Japan's G1 Tournament were both very good that year.  (And the G1 tournament has Ric Flair in it, which would help convince your dad to watch.)

[Guest thefrenchargel]

If your dad was an old WWF fan, he'd probably recognize Dynamite Kid. Grab a tape of his stuff vs. Tiger Mask I, It definitely will not dissapoint.

[Guest Black Tiger]

If you get the J* Crown also get the Sky Diving J. It leads up the the J* Crown and has several great matches, (Lyger vs Togo, TAKA vs Delfin, Ohtani vs Sakuraba)

 

The New Japan 5/3/97 Evolution in Osaka Dome show has some familar faces like Syxx (X Pac), Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Buff Bagwell, Lex Luger, The Steiners, The Giant (The Big Show).

 

The 1992 G-1 Climax has some familar names like Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Ric Rude, Barry Windham, Chris Benoit, and maybe Bobby Eaton I don't remember.

 

I'm not as knoweldgeable in All Japan but good intro to that would be the Misawa vs Kawada history. Their feud was the top thing in All Japan from 1993-2000 when Misawa left and formed NOAH.

[Guest wolverine]

"The New Japan 5/3/97 Evolution in Osaka Dome show has some familar faces like Syxx (X Pac), Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Buff Bagwell, Lex Luger, The Steiners, The Giant (The Big Show)."

 

Yeah, familiar faces that suck.  Like I'm going to buy a Japanese tape with those guys on there.

 

"I'm not as knoweldgeable in All Japan but good intro to that would be the Misawa vs Kawada history."

 

No, it's not.  No sense in buying a tape with all of their great matches clipped, and one of their "worst" matches in full.  If you want their 5/1/98 match, get the Tokyo Dome comm tape.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

Well I was digging around tape sites looking for recommended stuff... For $30 bucks I am figuing I'll buy:

 

Super J Cup '94

Super J Cup '95

Jr. Tag League '94

 

For the juniors...

 

And I don't really want highlights of matches so that's about all I think I'll get. I couldn't find the '92 G1 Climax but oh well. Now I was looking through reviews on sites and it was suggested here. Wouldall three parts of the Champion's Carnival Tournament be worth picking up as my intorduction to the AJ Heavyweights? If so then I have my money spent...

[Guest PlatypusFool]

"Would all three parts of the Champion's Carnival Tournament be worth picking up as my intorduction to the AJ Heavyweights?"

 

They run the Champions Carnival every year, and they vary in quality, so it depends which year you are talking about. I'm going to assume you mean the 1995 tournament, since that is the one most talked about and reviewed. If it is the 1995 one, then yes, I think it is a VERY good introduction to AJPW, just pay special attension to the famous guys (Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada, Taue, Akiyama) while watching it and you have your intro.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

Yeah, I meant '95... I thought I might have forgotten to put the year on there.

 

If that's good; it looks like I'm set... Thanks for all the help everyone.

[Guest wolverine]

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the CC '95, especially the finals (which is a separate tape) but the first three parts have "spot show" production and that horrible announcer that doesn't even call the matches.

 

Keep in mind that this is NOT what All Japan is usually like in terms of production.  Usually we have Fukuzawa screaming at the top of his lungs, and much better production values.  Just not with certain spot shows like the CC '95 tapes.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Wolverine, I only mentioned the 5/3/97 show because he asked about familar faces. The Chono/Outsiders vs Mutoh/Steiners match is actully pretty good. The Syxx/nWo Sting vs Yasuda/Izuka is decent because Syxx bumps like a maniac (This is pre neck surgery) The only real standout match is a ten man 2/3 falls tag match Ohtani/Kanemoto/Togo/Teioh/Hanzoh vs Sasuke/Delfin/Hamada/Samarui/Honaga.

 

Mark, Try wrestleholics video (link is in Read and Don't forget thread) they should have the 1992 G-1. Another good All Japan tape is The All Japan vs New Japan New Century Battle. It has seven matches. 4 are okay, two are great and one is a stinker

[Guest wolverine]

"Another good All Japan tape is The All Japan vs New Japan New Century Battle. It has seven matches. 4 are okay, two are great and one is a stinker"

 

That tape is really bad compared to All Japan '90s.  There are no "great" matches on there, just one very good one (Mutoh-Tenryu).  The rest I could go a lifetime without seeing again.

[Guest]

Wolverine, sometimes I wonder what you spend more time doing: watching wrestling, or telling everyone why their tastes and opinions are wrong...

[Guest wolverine]

"Wolverine, sometimes I wonder what you spend more time doing: watching wrestling, or telling everyone why their tastes and opinions are wrong..."

 

Watching wrestling by far.  As a matter of fact, I've got Takada vs. Koshinaka on right now that ROCKS!