Jump to content

The perfect wrestling match


Maikeru

Recommended Posts

He gave it to Misawa vs. Kawada in All Japan '94 from the Budokan, as well as a Flair/Steamboat house show match (though the latter may be unofficial).

It does mock his whole system though, especially considering how protective he is over his 'five star' rating. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Paid Members
5 hours ago, Daaaaaad! said:

It does mock his whole system though, especially considering how protective he is over his 'five star' rating. 

I don't think he's that protective at all. At the time I listened to a few audio shows to hear him justify the 6 stars and he instantly fobbed it all off, saying its subjective and he never wastes time arguing about star ratings, matches are different for each person etc. Its not his system either, he's mentioned before that he nicked the snowflake system from another guys newsletter/fanzine years before.

I think some people vaguely familiar with Meltzer see him as some obnoxious twat handing down ratings from his high horse and demanding people accept them as fact, but he's just a bloke giving his opinion for his newsletter (who often adds an additional star if the match is held in Japan. ;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well we may have to agree to disagree; I listen to Meltzer pretty much every day and he doesn't really ever do himself any favours with this star rating nonsense. What is the point of there being such a thing as four and three quarter stars if he isn't being overprotective of his much vaunted five star rating? Quarter stars are a nonsense. That's what makes me call him overprotective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone needs to start a Metacritic like aggregate site for wrestling matches, gathering all the review scores from the dirt sheet guys. Although, there's bound to be one guy giving a NJPW match a low score and gets death threats for it Ă  la Jim Sterling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
12 hours ago, Daaaaaad! said:

What is the point of there being such a thing as four and three quarter stars if he isn't being overprotective of his much vaunted five star rating? Quarter stars are a nonsense. That's what makes me call him overprotective.

Quarter stars just make me think he's watched so many matches that he needs a way to separate them further. It is silly though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I disagree. Millions of matches have taken place, the notion that they should be lumped into one of 5 or 6 classes (including duds) doesn't work for me. I use halves & quarters to refine & then further refine within those categories. More like an 'out of 100' score. I do it mentally, while the match is in progress, as opposed to just winging it at final bell. Obviously, it's subjective and my own mood or whatever may sometimes have a bearing (try to avoid that, but I'm human). I take loads of things into account. The age of a match for example. Clearly, as with most sports, the bar tends to rise. So, I'm not necessarily expecting a match form the 80's to contain the; movesets and athleticism etc of today. So a ***** from 1988, wouldn't necessarily be a ***** now, but I try to base my review on the standard of that time / era.

Personally, I think DK / Tiger Mask matches are very over-rated. Really good for the time, but generally short. Too short and too lacking in variety to even come close to *****. Additionally, I suspect that most Americans at that time had literally never seen anything like them before, especially in terms of speed, whereas to me, Dynamite was just upping his game a little from U.K & Stampede. I appreciate that it was massive at the time, super-over, with great work-rate and innovation & has gone down as one of the classic feuds, but essentially, when you've seen that pairing two or three times, you've seen it period.

As it's currently relevant, Okada vs Shibata (9/4) would be a match I'd describe as great. I didn't give it a 5, but to be fair, I really don't see how much more they could've done.

 - edit -

On the subject of Ospreay v Ricochet - On first appraisal, whilst in the moment, so to speak, I gave it a high mark. Watched it a second time, being far more critical and reduced that substantially. It took a third viewing, some weeks later, to arrive at the conclusion that it was neither as good or as bad as my previous reviews. If only for the level of entertainment and all smarkyness aside, I gave it a 'very good' ranking, but some way short of 'recommended'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members
On 07/04/2017 at 10:37 PM, Maikeru said:

In my view Ospreay's the best in the world right now and Ricochet not far behind; I loved their performance at BOSJ that jealous types dismissed as an acrobatics show.

You forgot the ludicrous no selling, where Ospreay takes a DVD on the apron but it affects him about as much as a hiptoss and he's executing a rana mere seconds later.

I like fast paced stuff if its believable and not over-choreographed, and I love aerials, but that match was just fucking stupid. I'm trying to pretend it's a contest, don't just sprint on to the next spot making it fucking obvious that nobody's really hurt.

Not everything that CAN be done in a wrestling ring SHOULD be done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Add me to the list of those distinctly underwhelmed by Ospreay/Riccochet matches.

I've also dabbled in some of the Omega/Shibata/Naito stuff that keeps being mentioned around and about, and again, not entirely a fan.

I think for me, good wrestling is when both participants pretend to hurt each other but don't.  Life-shortening matches should be done once or twice a career, if at all.

My favourite match of the last few years was Roode v Nakamura from the last Takeover.  Really a fantastic, well-paced story being told with an admirable lack of weapons or dangerous high spots.  Bobby Roode can work his style for another decade without issue I suspect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These'd be some of the things that contribute to a great singles match, for me anyway. As many of the following as possible. I've probably missed loads out, but off the top of my head:

Back-story / angle / reason for the match
‘Pro-wrestling' stuff: entrance / theme music / costumes
Atmosphere / good crowd reaction
Bell to bell time well occupied
Technical ability & ringcraft
Transitions
Chain wrestling - not hokey, exhibition style nonsense (Budokan popped like crazy for ZSJ's British wrestling holds - rightly so, the sign on the marquee says wrestling)
Throws / Suplexes
Legit or at least legit looking & sounding kicks and strikes
Good selling, as opposed to zero or equally as bad, half-baked.
Submissions and escapes
New or rarely seen manoeuvres
Lack of interference, with very few exceptions
Highflying / spots (appropriate usage of)
Anything that makes you draw breath or wince (in a good way)
Increasing tension / excitement & good finishing straight

- edit -

I left out rule #1 psychology. Ironic in a way, as a lot of workers do too. Is that irony or something else? I dunno.

No-no's:

Probably generational (or 'just me'), but I loathe the current 'fan-interaction' as witnessed in NXT and doubtless many others. Soppy, almost childish chanting, singing entrance themes half-way through a match & all the other shit they seem to find highly amusing. I'm not a total killjoy, you paid your money, I get it, but please just fuck off.

&

Intrusive or poor commentary - another pet hate. To a point where I'll just switch your ass off... Don West...Josh Matthews..the list goes on & on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

Don't know about perfect, but I can't think of a match with a better combination of athleticism/moves/execution and story (within both the match and long-term) than Sami Zayn winning the NXT title from Neville.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...