[dele]

Originally Posted by GP_Punk

While we're on the Sekimoto subject, i'd like to put this down as well

Masato Tanaka vs. Daisuke Sekimoto (ZERO 1-MAX 1-1-08) ****-****1/4

watched it a while ago but i don't think i ever got round to posting an opinion on it.

I got to see this match live too, freaking amazing. ****1/4 is just right.

[Andy3000]

Nice uploads, dele! I'm looking forward to those, especially the deathmatch as I wasn't sure which were the best ones from the year so far.

I'll also need to check out the Sekimoto/Tanaka match as I forgot that even happened. Last year's Fire Festival Final between the 2 was freakin' awesome.

Just watched this one:
Hiroshi Tanahashi v AJ Styles (New Japan, 2/17/08)

Great match! Tanahashi was probably my favourite wrestler on the planet before he got injured, and I was interested in seeing how good AJ was after not having saw him in almost a year; needless to say, it delivered.

I enjoyed AJ going all "Y2J in Japan", taunting the crowd and Tanahashi, while Tana is obviously the crowd favourite. Both guys pulled out some really good stuff too and since it's been so long since I last saw AJ his offence seemed fresh to me.

My favourite spot of the match was the brainbuster on the apron, which Tanahashi took like a trooper. My actual favourite thing in the match (as I'm sure it wasn't intentional) was when Tanahashi went to slide outside the ring so he could wrap AJ's leg around the ring-post, only to baseball slide a cameraman square in the face! It was beautiful - Tanahashi > cameramen.

I felt AJ could have sold the leg better than he did as, for pretty much all of it, he seemed to act like Tanahashi never went to town on it earlier in the match. Hell, when Tanahashi was in the middle of working over it he never really seemed to sell it then either. There were a couple of slightly sloppy parts as well, but nothing that would take away from the rating.

So, great match, 2 great wrestlers - top 5 for the year so far from what I've seen. ****

[Kawada55]

Originally Posted by -Mystery-

AJPW Champion's Carnival
Hiroshi Tanhashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada - **** - ****1/4

Where did you watch this at?

[watts63]

Andy, do you have the Tanahashi/Styles match?

Just seen Kawada/Tanahashi match & I gave it ***3/4. Why did Kawada had to miss those kicks?

[Andy3000]

DAISUKE SEKIMOTO IS YOUR FUCKING GOD!!! Here's why:

WEW Title Match - Mammoth Sasaki(c) v Daisuke Sekimoto (BJW, 2/9/08)

Holeee Shit! This was fucking AWESOME! Now I'm not the biggest fan of the "I'll chop you, you chop me; I'll lariat you, you lariat me" match dynamic, but these guys are so great at being 'immovable object' powerhouse workers, it's damn near impossible not to love this.

I'm not joking when I say I loved every freakin' second of this. Every one! Hell, I knew I was going to dig the hell out of it even before the bell rang with them both giving the whole "As soon as this bell rings, I'm gonna fuckin' MURDER you!" look as they stood in their corners, ready to just charge at each other. And they did that - from bell to bell - in an attempt to see who the real badass is while both trying everything they could to utterly fuck the other one up in the process.

The match was just a huge power struggle. A beautiful, stiff, lariating, head dropping power struggle. I loved how both guys would always end up standing in the middle of the ring together trying to knock the other the fuck out because everything else they did would only lead back to this situation anyway. The deuling chops (so damn stiff); the deuling lariats (also so damn stiff); and even the deuling vertical suplex attempts were all perfect with the story they were telling.

Speaking of deuling vertical suplexes, the first time it happened Sekimoto got one over, knocking the wind right out of the chunkier Sasaki. Then, the second time, Mammoth wins this particular struggle, but Sekimoto's not as chunky as Mammoth, so he drops him on his head instead - awesome payback spot.

What's even better than a perfectly timed payback spot though? Daisuke Sekimoto dropping Mammoth motherfucking Sasaki on his head after a HUGE Deadlift German. Twice! Seriously, The guy is a fucking machine!

Anyway, after 21 minutes, Mammoth finally gets the momentum to swing his way long enough to drop Sekimoto on his head AGAIN (after a killer lariat, by the way) and pick up the 3 count, keeping his title after seeing off his undoubted equal. Awesome, awesome stuff.

I'm still on the fence right now about this, and I'm pretty sure I'll be the only one, but I might even put this on a higher level than the Sasaki/Miyamoto v Sekimoto/Sasaki tag from 1/2. I really did love it that much. Swan Lake it ain't, but I sure as hell was mesmarised.

And just to add this, Mammoth looks incredibly like Jumbo in this match. From the all black ring attire (Jumbo elbow pads included), to the chunky build, he's like a 21st century Jumbo Tsuruta. And I also couldn't help but notice that if you squint real hard, Sekimoto looks like a 'roided up monkey version of Kobashi! So this was the 21st century version of Jumbo v Kobashi... just 'coz it fucking is. ****1/2

dele, thanks a shit load for upping this bad boy.

EDIT: Yeah, watts, I've got that one, d/ld it yesterday? You need an upload?

[M.W.]

I'd love to be able to sit through a BJW match but I just can't find the strength to do so. The language barrier (only with this foreign promotion) causes so many various problems for me. I can't find the attention spand to do it but I'm hoping to start off with that deathmatch you provided above, dele. Thanks for that.

Awesome review on the Tanahashi/Styles match, Andy. AJ not selling his leg as much as he could have was an excellent point that I hadn't even thought of. Still got it at ****1/4 but maybe that'll bring the rating down next time I view the match again.

[watts63]

Yeah Andy, I need to see that match.

[dele]

The really awesome thing about the Sasaki/Sekimoto fight is that, in person, Sasaki's chest was bleeding after about 10 minutes.

[-Blaskohiro Tenryu-]

Originally Posted by M.W.

I'd love to be able to sit through a BJW match but I just can't find the strength to do so. The language barrier (only with this foreign promotion) causes so many various problems for me. I can't find the attention spand to do it but I'm hoping to start off with that deathmatch you provided above, dele. Thanks for that.

I'd start off with Abby Jr. Vs Sasaki from, I think, 06. Really insane stuff.

[Andy3000]

Originally Posted by dele3344

The really awesome thing about the Sasaki/Sekimoto fight is that, in person, Sasaki's chest was bleeding after about 10 minutes.

You attended that show as well? Damn, I'd love to go to some Big Japan shows in person.

watts, I'll get on the Tana/Styles match right now.

EDIT: Checked the Other Media section to see if I could find a link for Tanahashi/Styles (to save me having to wait an hour before mine re-ups ), and found this:

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/other-...2-17-08-a.html

It's 200 something megs, so the quality should be pretty great, and the link still looks good. Hope this helps.