where to start on the heavies

[Guest dr deaf]

I've picked up a lot of super junior stuff lately, but now I want to move up to the heavy weights.  Is there any one card that would be a good place to start at?

 

I've read everyone pimping early 90's AJPW and what not but I don't want a TV block or a comp, but an actual card.  Give me a good ppv to break my teeth on so I can see up and down what it has to offer.  Any help would be extremely appreciated.

[Guest wolverine]

I've read everyone pimping early 90's AJPW and what not but I don't want a TV block or a comp, but an actual card.  Give me a good ppv to break my teeth on so I can see up and down what it has to offer.  Any help would be extremely appreciated.

 

Japanese PPV's have only been around for about 2 years--a long, long time after AJPW's best days.

 

Basically, if you want to see what AJPW has to offer in the early-mid 90's, you'll either have to buy TV blocks or the commercial tapes.  My absolute highest recommendation goes to their 1993 TV tapes.  It's the best stuff I've ever seen from any promotion, period.  Up and down the card you had great matches, not just the main events.  Later on during the decade, AJPW's mid card began to suffer, but their main events reached unreal heights.  Those are the matches that you'll want to get the commercial tapes of.

 

But if you don't want to buy the TV yet, I'd suggest picking up the 6/9/95 commercial tape (Misawa/Kobashi vs. Kawada/Taue).  I think ANYBODY would enjoy that match, no matter if they've never seen AJPW.

[Guest dr deaf]

I'll take your advise.  I've seen the tv blocks spoken of highly often, but I suffer this severe abuse issue with the WWF now, that I don't trust wrestling shown on TV.  

 

Sigh... I'll get over it though and dive in.  Looking at the blocks on highspots.com there's a AJPW Tag League that's dec92' to feb93'.  Go with that would you say?

[Guest wolverine]

I recommend all of 1993, but in particular, Feb.-Apr. and Jul.-Aug.

 

Also, I want to mention that the 1995 Champion Carnival set is a MUST-SEE as well.

[Guest dr deaf]

the NJ/AJ stuff?

[Guest]

When I first started to get into Japan's heavyweight scene, I bought a video featuring Masato Tanaka that had some really smooth matches with Hayabusa and Mike Awesome.  The matches are not as technicaly sound as say Kawada and Misawa matches, but I enjoyed them none the less.  I bought a Kobashi compalation shortly after and found it to be excellent.

[Guest dr deaf]

I saw a couple DVD's by FMW, the best of tanaka and the best of hayabusa.  Both are really good, short, but good.  I just want some good wrestling though, not a bunch of punch kick garbage matches.  Even if they do pull out some good spots and have better psychology than your modern day wwf match.

[Guest Vyce]

the NJ/AJ stuff?

 

It's hit or miss.

 

The stuff with Kawada, understandably, is usually good to great.  His first match with Kensuke Sasaki was great (the rematch not-so).  As for the other NJ / AJ stars....eh, it's hard to say.  Some matches in their 2000 / 2001 feud are pretty solid, others stink up the joint.  

 

If you're looking for some NJ vs. AJ action, though, pick up the 12/14/00 "2nd Judgement" PPV.  It has the Kawada / Fuchi v. Nagata / Iizuka match which was MOTY in my book (for a great review, search for Dean Rasmussen's review over at the DVD).  The rest of the card isn't too bad either.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Get the AJPW Champions Carnival 1995, all three parts of the league matches (and the finals as well, but the league matches are great enough to get you into the heavyweights).

 

Also, a couple of choices others here might find odd... AJPW vs. NJPW New Century Battle... it's all really nice and watchable stuff, a good introduction into recent heavyweight stuff IMO. Also, I used AJPW Super Power Series 1999 to break into that promotion. Alright, it wasn't as stellar as the early 90's stuff, but every match on that tape is really entertaining.

[Guest Jubuki]

I'd go with the 1995 NJPW TV that covers the G1 - 8/15 to 9/16, or something like that.  A few familiar faces in Norton, Flair, Chono, and Mutoh having good matches (yes, Norton too) against one another, buckets of blood, and a kickass final that's easy to get into.

[Guest wolverine]

"Also, I used AJPW Super Power Series 1999 to break into that promotion."

 

Yeah, me too.  That Misawa-Kobashi match left me numb for a while after seeing all of the ridiculous stuff they did.  After watching the tape, I didn't come out of it wanting more.  Then a year later I said what the fuck and ordered 6/9/95, and the rest is history.

[Guest dr deaf]

thank you all for your responses, I really appreciated it.

 

I'm going to start with the tag match and then check out the '93 tv blocks.  A little half ass-ward I know, but it should be fun.  Looking forward to it.  Thank god there's more than wwf....

[Guest wolverine]

Great choice.  Even though I like the 12/3/93 and 12/6/96 tags more, 6/9/95 is probably the easiest to get into for a new viewer of AJ.  You'll love it, I'm sure.