Microblogging #3
Some wrestling, some non-wrestling, but hopefully some things for you to enjoy
On My Screen This Week
Tully Blanchard vs. Don Kernodle (JCP; May 11, 1985)
I’ve been watching a lot of Crockett TV from 1985 recently, with the intriguing main angle of U.S. champion Magnum T.A trying to get to NWA champion Ric Flair, but occasionally finding himself more drawn to wanting to punch Television champion Tully Blanchard in the face.
That storyline doesn’t initially play too much into the above bout between Blanchard and Don Kernodle, but between a rabid audience and Kernodle’s characterisation throughout, this match is a real treat, with Blanchard selling like his life depended on it and the audience subsequently believing that they might see a surprise title change.
Indeed, the key to the bout is that the heel-presenting Kernodle (who was actually battling the “evil” Russians around this time) is doing heel things to the heel Blanchard - which of course makes Kernodle a babyface. To tell that story, at the outset Kernodle kicks and chokes the TV champion, and shows himself to be well aware of Blanchard’s ruthless tactics, refusing to allow him to escape the ring for a breather, for example.
With suplexes, atomic drops and powerslams thereafter, Kernodle goes for the victory at every opportunity, getting two-counts or near-falls on the champion, which only ramps up the intensity of the competition. When he goes to the top rope, however, you feel that this could be where his fate is sealed, and indeed it is, as Baby Doll pushes him off the top rope for a disqualification finish that is a disservice to a match that, with a dramatic, clean conclusion, could have been called a masterpiece.
As it is, the post-match angle makes up for things a litttle, with run-ins from both Magnum T.A and Dusty Rhodes, but the truth is that the magic was in the match itself. ***1/4
The backstory for this contest is intriguing, as it’s somewhat of an exhibition of the UWF, as its contingent of wrestlers - also including Nobuhiko Takada and Kazuo Yamazaki - had just returned to New Japan after their first breakaway to the shoot-style UWF.
The subsequent feud between New Japan and the UWF was molten, but we’re nowhere near that here, and really there’s no hint here that things could ever reach that level.
Don’t get me wrong, the grappling is excellent in this bout, especially compared to that which so often passes for amateur stylings in the pro ranks. This is more than just basic headlock and takedowns: there’s some great transitions into armbars and other holds, and you can easily suspend disbelief that the grizzled veteran and the young, bad-tempered upstart are in real competition.
Unfortunately, the bout fails to take off from this fine opening, preferring to ramp up the grappling in between restarts, including after both men are initially counted out. The match does build to a fine albeit confusing crescendo, but there’s simply not enough pro wrestling in this bout to take it to the next level.
In the end, Maeda’s strikes and Fujiwara’s selling make this more memorable than must-watch. **1/4
Vader & Stan Hansen vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa (AJPW; November 14, 1998)
Vader took about two weeks off after leaving the WWF in October 1998, and was thrown straight into the action in All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with the equally destructive Stan Hansen in the Real World Tag League tournament.
This period really showed how the WWF had broken Vader, as quickly he was back to his terrifying best, unleashing devastating strikes on anyone unfortunate enough to be across the ring from him.
Of course, this is the kind of thing that gets you on the edge of your seat at home.
These two sets of teams really show how putting singles competitors together for tag competition can, when done correctly, massively enhance the division. Established teams get the rub of being on an even keel with the singles stars, playing off the premise that a well-oiled team will perform better than a pair of individuals in such circumstances, and naturally there’s the opportunity to create interesting and previously unseen combinations.
This is certainly one of those, with Misawa adopting the smaller but no less skilled Yoshinari Ogawa as his partner.
As I alluded to, the key to this match is the feeling of fear and excitement you get for what Vader and Hansen might do - especially to Ogawa, who's clearly there to take most of the beating. The twist, however, comes in the conclusion, as it is not Ogawa who loses the fall, but rather Misawa, who is overwhelmed both in terms of physicality and presence by the American wrecking crew.
With no Mickey to pop his clogs, it’s a rather less dramatic version of Rocky Balboa losing to Clubber Lang in Rocky III, setting up Vader for a tear both through the Real World Tag League, and a run towards Misawa’s Triple Crown singles championship.
Not content to smash their hero, Vader then gets himself amongst the ringside fans to destroy all around him, flinging chairs and causing spectators to run for their lives.
The match itself is secondary to the aura it aims to produce. If it was to be judged on that, it would be much closer to five stars than the following. **3/4
“Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. Tiger Ali Singh (WWF; taped March 30, 1999)
Perusing the wonderful Monsoon Classic YouTube channel, I found this nugget from April 1999. The match itself is fairly interesting, being surprisingly competitive and action-packed for a three-minute bout, but it had slipped my memory that Vince Russo was in the broadcast booth for these WWF New York shows that aired in the New York City/Long Island region on WLNY-TV NY 55. As you might expect, he adds little more than a dissenting voice to a Michael Cole who’s just trying to get on with his job.
Jim Ross is out at ringside to play cheerleader to his fellow Oklahoman, for what was just one of a couple of matches Williams had as a babyface following the disastrous Brawl For All tournament. Ross is about as useful a manager as Singh is a wrestler, but Singh is at least there for everything Dr. Death decides to throw into this beat-’em-up.
This is, in fact, Williams’ last WWF TV match, although interestingly, he did pop up on two house shows in 2003 against Lance Storm. Presumably he was living in the state of Louisiana, where the shows took place, and simply took the booking. In any case, this is three-minutes of big moves that rather overdelivers on expectations. **1/2
(By the way, if you don’t know what all the fuss is about with Williams, try this.)
Orson Welles interviews Andy Kaufman (1982)
I’m on a bit of an Orson Welles kick at the moment, as I’m devouring Peter Bogdanovich’s Q&A-style biography of his friend, entitled This Is Orson Welles. I guess that’s why this appeared in my YouTube recommendations, and as it happens it’s a fascinating insight into their distinct personalities.
Kaufman is still embroiled in his feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler at this time, and seems keen to talk about wrestling, although he so idolises Welles that he doesn’t push it. In fact, Kaufman is so awestruck that he lets slip that he is the man behind the Tony Clifton character - something which I have not otherwise heard him say.
But if you think the tide can only wash one way, we also get to see the genius of Kaufman here, as his unique brand of practiced awkwardness manages to put even the locquacious Welles on edge - which only makes the audience laugh a little harder.
BBC Archive: Nintendo and the Japanese software boom (1990)
The BBC Archive page on YouTube is a treasure, and this is a clip from The Money Programme that was recently uploaded there. I’ve included it not because I think you might be as intrigued by it as I was, but because at the 2:40 mark there’s a rare use of a term that is evidently shared between videogames and pro wrestling.
Let me know if you’ve heard it used around any other genres!
On My Podcast App This Week
There’s some typically thoughtful and entertaining chat from Rich and Joe here on AEW’s MJF angle, as well as what’s happening - or not happening - with the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. There’s also some good insight into Kota Ibushi’s falling out with New Japan, on which Voices of Wrestling have had some of the best coverage. I recommend supporting them on Patreon.
There’s an excellent discussion of the MJF angle here, in which Lance Storm quite correctly explains why it is illogical in the AEW canon, and why it may come to harm the company in the future.
The Fix is one of the better weekly wrestling podcasts, although the in-depth discussion can get a little dry on occasion. If you want thoughtful analysis, however, this is probably the podcast for you, and on this episode there’s a particularly good discussion about reviewing WWE television, and how it mustn’t be let off the hook for the things it does badly, just because it also does them consistently.
This is a point I’ve made, seemingly ad nauseum, when it comes to WWE TV production techniques.
A Little Bit Of Housekeeping
I am a professional writer, editor, and content strategist with over 15 years’ experience in newspapers, magazines, and as a freelance correspondent for various news agencies. I specialise in giving your publication a unique voice without sacrificing your ethics. If your organisation needs direction, please reach out to me at brian(at)hardcopy(dot)ie.
I’d love to know what you thought of anything noted in this edition, and/or if this helped you enjoy wrestling a little more. Please comment here or email brian(at)hardcopy(dot)ie.