[MF83]

Definitely gonna need to rewatch the match with a few new observations in mind. However, I know Tanahashi performed the cobra stretch air guitar taunt before the Suzuki match, for heel heat, as he has been a tweener since regaining the belt. I still don't understand the controversy surrounding it.

[Nervosa]

I must have missed the tweener-ness of Tanahashi recently. If thats the case, then MF83 is right: no controversy here. I was just under the impression that he was still a complete, unadulterated babyface.

[Lane]

BEYOND Wrestling: Swamp Sessions
Drew Gulak vs Biff Busick
****
Great match done in a mat technician style with some deadly chops thrown in. Very fun and way better than I expected.

[Yeah1993]

Originally Posted by Seabs

TAKA Michinoku vs MENs Teioh - K-DOJO 08.07.2012
So enjoyable. Really simple and stripped back wrestling but with these two working a match like that, that's all they need to make it work. Loved Teioh blocking TAKA's eye poke and going on to destroy the fingers for TAKA having the audacity to poke him in the eye. Some seriously great near fall attempts of the series of roll ups and the finish itself pays off the entire story of the match so well. Always a good sign when you're praying the match goes longer than you expect it to. This is only 12 minutes so there's reason to neglect it.

****

Well fuck my face if anyone's going to make me want to watch 2012 wrestling it's TAKA Michinoku. Seabs do have a link for that or did you buy the DVD?

[Martyn]

Akira Tozawa, Kevin Steen & Super Dragon vs. El Generico, PAC & Masato Yoshino @ PWG Kurt Russelreunion 2012 - I'm not into US indy anymore, but this match was amazing. It has everything - good crowd, big names, comedy stuff, epic moves and awesome ending. One of the best 6 man tags in years. **** 1/4.

[Seabs]

Wouldn't say Tanahashi's working as a heel. He's still the top babyface guy in the company and he's still being booked against heels on the big shows - Okada/Tanaka/Suzuki/Yujiro. He's just edgier. I think the heel stuff is the more the crowd reacting differently to him and he's smart enough to adapt his game to how they react to him.

Originally Posted by Yeah1993

Well fuck my face if anyone's going to make me want to watch 2012 wrestling it's TAKA Michinoku. Seabs do have a link for that or did you buy the DVD?

Ripped the show earlier, I'll upload it later. TAKA's been of my favourite wrestlers this year actually. Him and Taichi are super fun as a goofy duo and I was hoping this would show him still excelling at non goofy stuff and it most certainly did. Really hope more K-DOJO stuff surfaces because he's been working some great looking 20th Anniversary matches.

Have you seen the TAKA/Taichi vs Liger/TM4 match from June 16th? It fucking rules and you'll almost surely like it for Liger/TAKA/Taichi. Him and Taichi have starting doing the best shtick ever in tags with Archer where they stand on the apron and fall down like an earthquake hit when Archer does a bodyslam. There was a SuzukiGun tag I was watching yesterday and Archer did like 3 of them in a row and everytime they got up they back up they fell back down again after the slam. It's the best.

[Rickey]

Originally Posted by Seabs

The Lockdown match bored me to tears. Wasn't bad but the crowd killed it. Probably would only have been good with a better crowd because Roode's still boring in control of a match and the finish was terrible.

I agree about the crowd, wish they were hype like BFG and Slammiversary this year. I enjoy Roode's heel work(control) though sometime it does go on pretty long. The ending felt like something JBL would do during his title run. Then again, I loved Roode's run in general. Great heel title run. He always found a way to sneak away with the title and he made title seem so important. Even going up to the match on impact with AJ, longest reigning champion vs. soon to be longest reigning champion.
---
Gotta remember to check out some more stuff from this thread. Just don't feel like watching long matches.

[Bruce L]

Yeah; Tanahashi seems to be a complete, unadulterated babyface in the sense that John Cena is a complete, unadulterated babyface. He's booked as one, and it's his default mode, but he receives a Cena-esque mixed reaction. Fortunately, unlike Cena, he's a savvy enough performer and (far more importantly) allowed by the company to play to that reaction and play the cocky tweener when called for.

[Bubz]

If WWE allowed Cena to act up to certain crowds like Tanahashi does it'd be so awesome.

[ADC]

Davey Richards vs. Jack Gallagher, Futureshock Wrestling, Manchester, August.