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Favorite 3 -5 year peak from a worker?


Sean Liska

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Here's a question: Volk Han '96-'98 or... Kiyoshi Tamura '96-'98?

 

My answer for the whole thing was Tamura 94-99. He was as good in U-Style in 03-04 too. :)

 

 

Well, yeah, obviously if you compare their whole careers, Tamura takes it due to longevity (around 130 > around 75, lol)... but how about just looking at those three amazing years where they fought each other and Kohsaka...

 

In both cases it's obviously an amazing three-year peak period... but which one is more impressive over those three years specifically?

 

Personally, I'm inclined to give '96 - '98 to Volk Han (over anyone else during that time), though I may feel that way in part because I can turn around and say, "...but Tamura had the better career overall."

 

That way everyone gets a trophy :)

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How about Akiyama? What's the peak period for him?

Isn't it basically his whole career? He seriously started at the top of heap and just stayed there. If I had to choose, I'd say 93-98.

Oh come on. He was precocious but he did not start at the top of the heap. No way he was comparable to any of the pillars until at least '96. My favorite period for Akiyama would be later, maybe 2000-2004. But it's true that his calling card is more that he's been really good for a really long time.

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Here's a question: Volk Han '96-'98 or... Kiyoshi Tamura '96-'98?

 

My answer for the whole thing was Tamura 94-99. He was as good in U-Style in 03-04 too. :)

 

 

Well, yeah, obviously if you compare their whole careers, Tamura takes it due to longevity (around 130 > around 75, lol)... but how about just looking at those three amazing years where they fought each other and Kohsaka...

 

In both cases it's obviously an amazing three-year peak period... but which one is more impressive over those three years specifically?

 

Personally, I'm inclined to give '96 - '98 to Volk Han (over anyone else during that time), though I may feel that way in part because I can turn around and say, "...but Tamura had the better career overall."

 

That way everyone gets a trophy :)

 

 

I'll still take Tamura looking at 96-98. Volk has the advantage for the first 9months of 1996 before Tamura shows up to RINGS. Tamura has the 3 Sakuraba matches that rock, but feel sort of incomplete overall. Volk meanwhile was having great matches with Kohsaka. When Tamura showed up in RINGS and started working regularly again, I think he passes Volk and stays that way. Part of that is because Tamura works twice as many matches as Volk in 97 & 98. Volk had 7 or 8 matches in 1998 and two of them were against Akira Maeda. But I think Tamura's best non-Volk matches are better than Volk's best non-Tamura matches. And I'd need to look more carefully at it, but I feel like I would probably say I prefer Tamura's matches with common opponents more in that time period.

 

Tamura vs Han 94-96 has a much clearer path for Volk being better than Tamura, but I realize I'm already an outlier in thinking Tamura was already the best guy in the world by that time period. By the time 1998 rolls around and Tamura gets to work multiple times with all the RINGS guys, he becomes so solidified in my eyes as the best guy who had ever done this, that the better comparison is Tamura 96-98 or Michael Jordan 96-98? :)

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I think I'd also take Tamura, and Tamura '96-'98/'99 would be one of my answers for this.

 

Tenryu from '89-'93 would probably be my #1, even if the period in between the All Japan exodus and the WAR/New Japan feud was pretty low key. I mean, you still had things like the '91 Yatsu match where they leathered each other, but the SWS and early doors WAR roster was pretty sparse (in comparison to what he was working with in All Japan and then New Japan). His grumpy/grumpier old/older man run from '00-'02 is great as well, though. Starts with the Sasaki match at the Dome and then he goes on a tear after the All Japan return. In '02 he was the meanest old bastard walking and I could watch him be cantankerous all day.

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I neglected to mention the AJ crew with it being accepted a a given that their work during the 90s is at an all time level for all four.

 

How about Akiyama? What's the peak period for him?

I think the interesting thing with the big 4 or 5 of 90s AJ is that people hit their peaks at different times and for different durations. Obviously all these guys have had great matches before and after but, their peak years (best in the world level) IMO would be:

 

Kawada 92-96, Taue 95-97 (98?), Misawa 93-98, Kobashi due to injury is in a couple bursts 97-99, 03-05, Akiyama is tough because he's never had a amazing 3-5 yr run like the OP was getting at...and I'm a big Akiyama fan. I think from what I've seen, his 2013-2015 in AJ would be the closest as he's perhaps the grumpy old man Tenryu of this generation...even then I'm hesitant.

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He hasn't been mentioned, unless I missed it, but Buddy Rose 79-83 deserves a mention. This covers his feuds with Piper, Adonis, Rick Martel, Sheepherders, Jay Youngblood, Matt Borne, Curt Hennig, Bob Backlund, and Dynamite Kid. All of which are awesome with multiple great singles and tag matches. There are a ton of highpoints during this time period and very few lowpoints. Incredible week to week consistency.

 

Another no-brainer pick is Jerry Lawler 1981-1985. You get:

Jimmy Hart feud, Terry Funk Feud, Dutch Mantell Feud, Andy Kaufman Feud, Bockwinkel Feud, Savage Feud, Rude & Bundy Feud, multiple runs against Dundee that are the peak of the Lawler/Dundee matches.

Add in one off matches like vs Blackwell, the Flair studio apperance/match, some of the greatest promos, angles, and moments in wrestling history.

 

If I could add a 6th year, his 1986 just piles onto the magic with even more stuff with Dundee, Tommy Rich, the Bigelow match, the team with Dutch against Dundee & Landell.

 

That run is completely absurd.

 

Some oldies but goodies that I still love are:

Akira Hokuto 92-94

Shinjiro Ohtani 95-97

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Here's a question: Volk Han '96-'98 or... Kiyoshi Tamura '96-'98?

 

My answer for the whole thing was Tamura 94-99. He was as good in U-Style in 03-04 too. :)

 

 

Well, yeah, obviously if you compare their whole careers, Tamura takes it due to longevity (around 130 > around 75, lol)... but how about just looking at those three amazing years where they fought each other and Kohsaka...

 

In both cases it's obviously an amazing three-year peak period... but which one is more impressive over those three years specifically?

 

Personally, I'm inclined to give '96 - '98 to Volk Han (over anyone else during that time), though I may feel that way in part because I can turn around and say, "...but Tamura had the better career overall."

 

That way everyone gets a trophy :)

 

 

I'll still take Tamura looking at 96-98. Volk has the advantage for the first 9months of 1996 before Tamura shows up to RINGS. Tamura has the 3 Sakuraba matches that rock, but feel sort of incomplete overall. Volk meanwhile was having great matches with Kohsaka. When Tamura showed up in RINGS and started working regularly again, I think he passes Volk and stays that way. Part of that is because Tamura works twice as many matches as Volk in 97 & 98. Volk had 7 or 8 matches in 1998 and two of them were against Akira Maeda. But I think Tamura's best non-Volk matches are better than Volk's best non-Tamura matches. And I'd need to look more carefully at it, but I feel like I would probably say I prefer Tamura's matches with common opponents more in that time period.

 

Tamura vs Han 94-96 has a much clearer path for Volk being better than Tamura, but I realize I'm already an outlier in thinking Tamura was already the best guy in the world by that time period. By the time 1998 rolls around and Tamura gets to work multiple times with all the RINGS guys, he becomes so solidified in my eyes as the best guy who had ever done this, that the better comparison is Tamura 96-98 or Michael Jordan 96-98? :)

 

Tamura's matches with Sakuraba rock? Really? They were too short and mostly consisted of Tamura guzzling Sakuraba at every turn.

 

For 96-98, I'm taking Han. Heck, for any years he was active, I'd probably take Han.

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How about Akiyama? What's the peak period for him?

Isn't it basically his whole career? He seriously started at the top of heap and just stayed there. If I had to choose, I'd say 93-98.

Oh come on. He was precocious but he did not start at the top of the heap. No way he was comparable to any of the pillars until at least '96. My favorite period for Akiyama would be later, maybe 2000-2004. But it's true that his calling card is more that he's been really good for a really long time.

My point with saying that he started at the top and picking an arbitrary timeframe was that he WAS so good for so long that no matter what years you pick, you really aren't wrong. (I guess a case can be made that he was a weaker link early on. I disagree, but the case is there). I really enjoy Burning, and I always felt that his work more than kept up with all the other Pillars. (I'm trying to think of a great example of someone who was decent, then AMAZING for five years, then just decent again as a counterpoint, but nobody is leaping into my head at the moment.)

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A personal one is Nigel McGuinness between 2005 when he won the ROH Pure Title to 2009 when he lost the ROH World Title. In that time I thought he had some fantastic matches, and while I know some don't rate his title reign as highly, I thought he was an excellent champion. His 2009 continued nicely into the matches he had with Kurt Angle in TNA, unfortunately until injuries (in some way brought on by the very physical style he worked during his ROH time) curtailed his career. Not relevant to the topic of course but am really enjoying his work as a commentator on NXT and happy for him to get that success.

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Yeah, I was thinking McGuinness as well. His run as ROH champ from '07-'09 is as iconic for ROH as Joe or Dragon. Unfortunately, his career ended too soon plus going to TNA to become Desmond Wolfe didn't help so, I'm not sure he ever hit his true peak. His matches with Danielson are pretty classic though.

 

Another couple to throw out from Joshi:

 

Aja Kong '90 -'94- feud Bull Nakano (who had an epic few yrs. herself), Jungle Jack tags, feuds with Hotta, Dynamite Kansai, Toyota

 

Chigusa & Asuka 85-88...I know of around 10 great to classic matches in that period. Would love to hear others opinion of the Crush Gals in this context.

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I strongly second the Hase claim from my viewing experience: matches with Muta & the Steiners, his brilliant IWGP match with Hashimoto. I know there's a couple during the NJ-WAR feud worth tracking down and outside of the peak period, his AJ matches are pretty boss... Aw I'm just spreading the Hase love now :D

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  • 4 months later...

Mick Foley, '95-'98

This gives you his best promo work (including "Cane Dewey," my favorite of all-time, as well as the incredible sit downs with JR), the '95 KOTDM tourney that cemented his violent legacy, and his peak WWF matches with Taker/Shawn/Austin. I'd almost make a stretch to 2000 so we'd get the Rock feud of '99 and the HHH feud that he went out on, but most of '99 was carried by his promo work as he was broken down.

 

Kevin Steen, '07-'11

The Briscoes/Steenerico feud of '07 (what saved my love of wrestling after Benoit), an okay '08-'09, the incredible ROH feud with Generico of '10, and all his ace PWG work scattered throughout. By 2012 it's clear that he's more interested in having fun matches than really working his ass off (though he still brings it in PWG, but his ROH pairings were weak as the roster lacked depth), and he's been a victim of the WWE vanilla soft serve machine ever since despite delivering in character.

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