1990 watching

[JerryvonKramer]

I've been trying to figure out why Yearbook watching as been so hard for me and I think it's because I find all the individual threads fiddly, the matches aren't in order, and I get distracted trying to find them. It doesn't really suit my posting style. Also, I tend to do long-ish reviews of matches, which is time consuming.

 

So I'm trying something new: mostly single-line reviews in the manner of Robert Christgau, all in one thread using the patented letter-grade system for ratings.

 

Picking up in March 1990, I'm going to try finally to finish this Yearbook (it's only been 2 years!) this way. Will try to do an hour or two a day.

 

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 2/27/90)

 

Excessively boring Emperor's New Clothes wrestling for the more discerning fan to pretend they like. Picks up when they do some kicks. C

 

Negro Casas vs. Yoshihiro Asai (H-UWF 3/2/90)

 

Spotfest with some botches from Asai and apparerent cooperation, despite stiff strike exchanges. Lacks cohesiveness. C+

 

Perro Aguayo vs. Gran Hamada (H-UWF 3/2/90)

 

Aguayo is just awesome, like a Mexican Stan Hansen. Lack of structure, woeful ref bump and disrespectful crowd hurt the match, but nonetheless enjoyable. B-

 

Steve Williams & Terry Gordy vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (JIP) (AJPW 3/2/90)

 

Yatsu is done. Some good action despite that. C+

 

Angel Azteca, El Dandy & El Texano vs. Fuerza Guerrera, Pierroth Jr & Jerry Estrada (EMLL 3/2/90)

 

Difficult to follow or care about. Match never seems to get going, even after restart. D+

 

Louisville Slugger: Kevin Sullivan, Buzz Sawyer & Cactus Jack (Power Hour 3/2/90)

 

Sullivan flubs a lot of lines, Cactus isn't insane enough. Sawyer shows them how it's done.

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Jimmy Valiant (USWA TX 3/2/90)

 

Can see why Valiant is Johnny Sorrow's hero. Mostly psychological duel with good character work but lacklustre action. Awful commentary. C+

 

Ultimate Warrior Promo/Hulk Hogan Promo (Superstars 3/3/90)

 

Warrior's promo is so batshit insane I don't know where to start, so I won't.

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Jimmy Valiant (MSC) (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Nice payoff, but I think Boogie Woogie devalues the title and makes the promotion into a joke.

 

Jerry Lawler Interview/Jimmy Valiant spot (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Lawler wants a new set, great segment. Great celebration promo from Valiant. "Only king for a week" and referencing past short-term champs is a nice touch by Lawler.

 

1 Jerry Lawler Interview/Jimmy Valiant spot (USWA 3/3/90)

 

KING FISH. GOLD FISH. When Valiant shouts "Jimmy", he sounds like Timmy off South Park.

 

2 Jerry Lawler + Furniture (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Can't believe they are showing the desk being installed. Awesome. Lawler has a big armchair, Dave only gets a stool, ha ha.

 

X2 Southern Rockers music video/Jimmy Valiant Promo (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Jimmy!

 

DISC 6

 

Jerry Lawler + Nate the Rat (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Like a kitsch-y, Memphis version of the Virgil angle, but with pie.

 

Jerry Lawler + Chris Champion (USWA 3/3/90)

 

Lawler is such a tremendous bully beef character this week. What a dastardly fellow he is. Champion deserves it for that track suit.

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Ken Raper (USWA 3/3/90)

 

This has been an excellent episode of USWA.

 

Ric Flair Interview/Lex Luger Interview (WCWSN 3/3/90)

 

[i'm skipping WCW stuff because I watched it in WTBBP prep, comments in threads]

 

Tony Atlas Promo (ICW 3/3/90)

 

Good-looking badass promo marred by VQ.

 

Tony Atlas Promo/Paul E. Dangerously Promo/Austin Idol music video (ICW 3/3/90)

 

Atlas is positioned very well to shine here, great promo.

 

Diamond District: Pink Assassin (ICW 3/3/90)

 

Ridiculous.

 

Paul E. Dangerously & Lethal Weapons Promo (ICW 3/3/90)

 

Hilariously bad promotion.

 

Diamond Dallas page vignette (ICW 3/3/90)

 

Nice ass on the lady on the right. God gawd. Enough ICW now.

 

Tiger Mask vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 3/6/90)

 

Retrospective significance and hot finishing stretch don't save this from ultimate mediocrity. B-

 

Steve Williams & Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen (Finish Only) (AJPW 3/6/90)

 

One wonders why full version of this was left off. Looks excellent. Destruction of Tenryu's leg. Hansen turn!!! Jumbo run in! Tenryu tells him to fuck off! Awesome. Based on what we saw: B+

 

Entertainment Tonight (3/8/90)

 

Look at that hair! Billy Graham is talking. I smell some shit going down.Hi Bruno!

 

Jeff Jarrett & Bill Dundee vs. Billy Travis & Terrence Garvin (USWA TX 3/9/90)

 

Better Garvin in the ring as a chickenshit than in the booth stinking up commentary. Bad tights on Dundee. C

 

Steve Austin vs. Chris Adams (USWA TX 3/9/90)

 

Nothing much to write home about. C-

[Childs]

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 2/27/90)

 

Excessively boring Emperor's New Clothes wrestling for the more discerning fan to pretend they like. Picks up when they do some kicks. C

 

 

 

 

Well, you sound like a dick in this one, so yeah, that's like Christgau without the erudition.

[soup23]

Seriously Parv, I thought you coming around on Dory Funk JR. of all people would open you up to enjoying shoot style. I adore that match.

[ohtani's jacket]

I imagine shoot style is excessively boring if you don't like it. Sounds like Parv was trying to get a nibble with the rest.

[Mr. Lacelle]

Suggesting anyone who says they like that match is lying is some serious bullshit. This ranks right up there with his insistence that Jesse Ventura is the best colour commentator of all time and anywho who says anyone else is wrong.

[Zenjo]

I've been trying to figure out why Yearbook watching as been so hard for me and I think it's because I find all the individual threads fiddly, the matches aren't in order, and I get distracted trying to find them. It doesn't really suit my posting style.

This has nothing to do with watching wrestling, unless you can't go onto the next chapter until you've typed something about it. You need to search deeper within your psyche. There is also a useful option where you can chronologically arrange the topics by clicking on Start Date. Or hope that Pete was the last one to watch that month.

 

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWF 2/27/90)

 

Excessively boring Emperor's New Clothes wrestling for the more discerning fan to pretend they like. Picks up when they do some kicks. C

I'd love to think this is wonderfully multi-levelled wit, yet I have my doubts.

[PeteF3]

Well, I feel dumb now: I seriously did not know about that "arrange by Start Date" feature. I've been doing Ctl+F "Gangstas" (or whatever) entirely too much.

 

And I don't care for the UWF or pre-'90s shootstyle either, and I didn't like that 2/27 match in particular. But ascribing ulterior motives to guys who do like it is a little over the top for me. Chalk it up as I did in the match thread to liking different flavors of ice cream.

[Johnny Sorrow]

 

Nice payoff, but I think Boogie Woogie devalues the title and makes the promotion into a joke.

 

 

Fuck all this boring shoot-work promotion shit "outrage", THIS is the reason to yell at Parv.

[PeteF3]

Parv hasn't seen the Unified title devalued yet. There are some beltholders in the mid-'90s who made Valiant look like Bruno Sammartino.

[funkdoc]

Parv hasn't seen the Unified title devalued yet. There are some beltholders in the mid-'90s who made Valiant look like Bruno Sammartino.

 

heck, even in 1990 itself we had king cobra...

[JerryvonKramer]

Ha ha. Well, I guess I asked for it and might have gone a bit far accusing everyone of bad faith. I do remain totally turned off by the UWF shoot style though. I strongly believe that real fights are boring and since pro wrestling is pretend fighting it has the luxury of being entertaining and fun. That means Irish whips and suplexes and badly coloured tights. "No, let's not do any of that, and pretend at having an actual real fight, and let's make it as boring as one too!"

 

Ultimate Warrior + Hulk Hogan Promo (Superstars 3/10/90)

 

Hogan buries the first five Wrestlemanias. Things are getting Bibical. Was bored by Warrior.

 

Hulk Hogan vs. Dino Bravo (Superstars 3/10/90)

 

Bravo sucks. Earthquake squashes. I hate Warrior. D

 

Midnight Express vs. Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk (WCWSN 3/10/90)

 

[skip]

 

Texas NAWA Wrestling Commercial (USWA TX 3/10/90)

 

...

 

Jerry Lawler Promo (USWA TX 3/10/90)

 

I didn't think this was a very good promo, despite some good lines. He fumled a lot of lines.

 

Kerry Von Erich + Billy Travis & Terrence Garvin (USWA TX 3/10/90)

 

Like a better looking Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Painful segment and some evidence for why Travis never main evented.

 

Tony Atlas Promo (ICW 3/10/90)

 

Nice curtains Tony. He continues to be surprisingly good on the mic. Effective in this role.

 

Roddy Piper Interview (Challenge 3/11/90)

 

I genuinely hate Piper in the 90s, one of my least favourite guys period. This is shit.

 

Atlantis, Villano III & El Satanico vs. Pirata Morgan, Jerry Estrada & Emilio Charles Jr (EMLL 3/16/90)

 

Prematch profiles are helpful. Find these trios matches hard to follow and seen a fair few of them now. Falls feel anti-climactic. C

 

Louisville Slugger: Ole Anderson (Power Hour 3/16/90)

 

[skip]

 

Steve Austin vs. Chris Adams (Finish Only) (3/16/90)

 

Repeated match?

 

Jesse Ventura Opening (Superstars 3/17/90)

 

Bizarro world Jesse!

 

Ultimate Warrior Promo/Hulk Hogan Promo (Superstars 3/17/90)

 

These keeping getting more and more warped, to the point where you wonder how this went out. It's surreal, but not in a good way.

 

Brother Love: Heenan Family (Superstars 3/17/90)

 

Better than all the Hogan-Warrior promos so far combined. "It could be a giant problem" is great foreshadowing by Vince.

 

Tony Atlas Interview (ICW 3/17/90)

 

We get to see more of those curtains. Atlas was a better promo than both Warrior and Kerry von Erich in 1990.

 

Tony Atlas vs. Atsushi Onita (ICW 3/17/90)

 

Glad we got to see a match! "Hottest promotion of the 1990s" ha ha ha. Onita channels the Great Kubuki circa 1983 with the nerve holds. Thought Atlas acually looked decent. D

 

Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri Interview (Challenge 3/18/90)

 

Sherri's bullying of Saphirre is one of the my favourite things ever. "Peasantsville", ha ha ha.

 

The Trooper, DJ Peterson & Paul Diamond vs. Tully Blanchard & The Destruction Crew (Elimination Match) (AWA 3/18/90)

 

Tully! In an alternative universe where he's one of the Beverley Brothers! Interesting. So weird that he was completely done after this. Stand out head and shoulders here. B-

 

Bret Hart vs. Rick Martel (MSG 3/19/90)

 

*Highlight of this entire disc right here* No, not the match, this:

 

Hillbilly Jim: Say, Lord Alfred, you travelled all around the world, especially in Europe. Where's a good ol' country place for Hillbilly Jim to go over there?

 

Lord Alfred: [after a pause] Well ... er ... to be quite honest, Hillbilly, I don't think there's anywhere you'd fit in.

 

Ha ha ha ha. Love random and unlikely inconsequential exchanges like that. Hillbilly Jim just decides to strike up a bit of small talk.

 

Match:

 

Old MSG ref! NY state commission employee? Vlad in front row. Even by 1990 expectations of both guys, this is disappointing. B-

 

Ultimate Warrior vs. Mr. Perfect (MSG 3/19/90)

 

Old "manager not at ringside" rules for MSG? Nice legsweep by Perfect, who does is best but Warrior is fucking awful. C-

 

March 1990 has not been a very good month for matches so far.

[soup23]

Besides two WCW matches (Morton vs. Flair which you liked on WTBBP and Zenk/Pillman vs. MX which you were less high on) the only two matches I had from March in my top 100 was Azteca vs. Dandy (interested in your thoughts as I don't know what you will think) and Estrada vs. Satanico (can see this being up your alley).

[Loss]

I liked Gilbert-Cactus from March 1990 too, but I was the outlier there.

[ohtani's jacket]

I've watched wrestling almost my entire life and have no attachment to the irish whip. And I hate badly coloured tights. That's some kitsch nonsense, Parv.

[JerryvonKramer]

DISC 7

 

Robert Fuller Interview (USWA 3/21/90)

 

Okay promo

 

Eddie Gilbert vs. Cactus Jack (Power Hour 3/23/90)

 

The opposite of economic wrestling. C

 

Ric Flair Interview (Power Hour 3/23/90)

 

Get your opponent over, get yourself over, get the belt over.

 

Steve Austin vs. Chris Adams (No Referee) (USWA TX 3/23/90)

 

These two seem stuck in a time loop. Young Austin's not bad. C+

 

Angel Azteca vs. El Dandy (EMLL 3/23/90)

 

Who am I to doubt March 1990? B

 

Jerry Estrada vs. El Satanico (Hair Match) (EMLL 3/23/90)

 

Work seemed to lack urgency and brutality to me, not to mention crispness in execution. Some big bumps and bombs but nothing special. Some spots were completely senseless without rhyme or reason (e.g. at one point Estrada just jumps off the top rope face first onto the mat for no apparent purpose). Rather disappointing all-in-all, expected more. Even the post-match was disappointing. B

 

Jesse Ventura Opening (Superstars 3/24/90)

 

This is positively ridiculous.

 

Ultimate Warrior + Hulk Hogan Promos (Superstars 3/24/90)

 

God, how many more of these?

 

Ole Anderson & Minnesota Wrecking Crew II Interview (WWW 3/24/90)

 

[skip]

 

Ric Flair vs. Ricky Morton (WWW 3/24/90)

 

[skip]

 

Sting Interview (WCWSN 3/24/90)

 

[skip]

 

Midnight Express vs. Zan Panzer & Bob Cook (WCWSN 3/24/90)

 

[skip]

 

Eric Embry + Devastation Inc (USWA TX 3/24/90)

 

Love watching heel beatdowns. Wish Pringle had been Oliver Humperdink here, he needs to be pummelled like this.

 

------------

 

At this time, I have to make an executive decision and it is this: in light of the GOAT project, I need to bee-line to the best matches and to workers who are of particular interest. I think it's going to take me much too long to watch everything given that I have the whole decade to come. I'll use the top 100s of Chad and Charles as general guidelines, but will also check out stuff that seems of interest.

 

As a result I'm going to have to skip around a bit more -- bit painful because I'm a completist, but time is a real factor. Since this thread has revealed the "sort by start date" function, which I didn't know about, I'm going to abandon it and go back to posting in individual threads.

 

I guess people could reccommend some more under-the-radar stuff from after March that didn't make either Chad or Charles's top 25s.

[PeteF3]

It only marginally has to do with the GOAT thread (though I think the matches bolster Lawler's case at least a little), but I'd love, love, love to get your thoughts on the Lawler/Snowman angle(s), Parv.

 

I'd also watch the 5/26/90 AJPW 6-man tag before diving into the rest of the All-Japan stuff, as it fully establishes the Misawa-Jumbo feud that would fuel the promotion for the subsequent 2 and a half years.

[Vinnie B]

If it helps, I'm through to the end of May 1991 in Yearbook chronology, and I'd say March 1990 was the 'worst' (or least awesome) of all the months. I think everything from May really picked up (actually I think May had the most enjoyable run of angles of any part of the yearbooks so far), and October/November has a really tremendous string of matches.

 

Whilst I don't think I've watched enough wrestling for me to vote on the GOAT thing, I think watching the Yearbooks really gives you an insight into how good a wrestler is - it shows how the functioned week to week, and surely their consistency counts for something?