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Dave Meltzer’s top-rated matches of 2018: Takahashi vs. Ishimori

Posted on by Josh Nason

Throughout the week leading into December 31st, we’ll take you back to some of Dave Meltzer’s top-rated matches of the past year, starting with the five star matches and ending up with a seven star classic.

15 matches got the five star treatment while six matches garnered ratings above that level.

What follows is an edited version of Dave’s writeup from the match from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, available in full for subscribers. Also, we want to give a big shoutout to Cagematch.net who makes research for this list ridiculously easy. 

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Finals | June 4, 2018
*****1/2 

“Takahashi and Ishimori had what could be argued was the year’s best match, and definitely the greatest finale in the long history of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, on 6/4 at Korakuen Hall.

It was not only the best match of the tournament, but one of the best matches I’ve ever seen. Emotionally, physically and mentally, it would be in the handful of matches, five so far, that I’d give ****** to. The only negative is not wanting to reward too much dangerous activity as Takahashi has such a lack of looking at his future, which makes him incredible today, but pro wrestling is a marathon, not a sprint. Ironically, his opponent, the current IWGP jr. champion, is becoming the ultimate historical sprinter, compared to both the brilliance and self-destructive long-term performances of the Dynamite Kid.

Considering the performance Takahashi put on in the Ishimori match, and consider that was only the No. 2 match of his current run, and now he’s facing Ospreay at Dominion, who tore it up every night himself, and they’re facing each other on what is New Japan’s second biggest event of the year, the goal would be to have the greatest match of the year, or die trying. But they do not have the pressure on that Okada and Omega have. They can have the 10th or 15th best match of the year and people will rave about it.

So in the first big spot, Takahashi went for his sunset flip power bomb and Ishimori did a backflip out of it. They hit hard elbows on the foot back and forth. They ended up in the bleachers and Takahashi ran from one side of the arena to the other in the walkway and hit Ishimori with a dropkick on the floor. He then went to power bomb Ishimori down the stars, but Ishimori turned that into a huracanrana sending Takahashi rolling down an entire staircase. Ishimori threw him into the post and gave him an amazing sliding German suplex. Takahashi finally came back hitting the sunset flip power bomb to the floor.

After working his safest big match of his life with Kushida, Takahashi decided to make up for it here. Takahashi followed with a wheelbarrow pancake on the floor and then a dropkick off the apron. Ishimori came back with a dynamite plunger and a crossface and then the bloody cross. He had him in he submission and the ref was about to stop it and just then Takahashi made the ropes. The timing of reading the crowd and the ref and getting to the ropes at the peak point was perfect here. Takahashi’s selling her was fantastic. Takahashi did a belly to belly into the corner and hit the dynamite plunger for a near fall. Takahashi did a front rolling cradle bomb off the middle rope for a near fall. Ishimori did a reverse huracanrana and Takahashi got up and did a reverse huracanrana and both collapsed. Ishimori landed badly on the second one. They teased a double knockout but both got up before ten.

They did a big elbow exchange and Takahashi went down. Ishimori did a jumping knee and killer clothesline but Takahashi kicked out at one. Ishimori did a Woo dropkick and running double knees, followed by a tombstone into double knees for another near fall. Ishimori used a bloody cross and Takahashi reversed into an armbar and Ishimori power bombed him, and then Takahashi got the triangle on for the first time. Ishimori tried a power bomb but Takahashi blocked him. But Ishimori was able to power bomb him into the turnbuckles. Ishimori used a uranage and then went for the 450, but Takahashi got his knees up. Takahashi was then selling his knee. Ishimori went for a huracanrana but Takahashi reversed back into a triangle. Ishimori got out with a power bomb. Takahashi used a double arm piledriver and followed putting on the triangle again. Ishimori made the ropes. Ishimori came back with the bloody cross but Takahashi powered out and gave him a Death Valley bomb into the turnbuckles and followed with the time bomb for the pin.

Takahashi then did an interview and said he doesn’t want to be called the Best of the Super Juniors winner, and the goal is the title and challenged Ospreay. Ospreay came out and said, “Well done. We’re all so proud of you.” Then Ospreay showed his belt and said that this proves he’s the junior heavyweight champion of the world and noted he’s beaten Takahashi twice. He said he’d see him in Osaka for Dominion. Takahashi then said that this is our Super Junior tournament and the whole building was on its feet clapping for him including Liger and Milano Collection A.T. at ringside. He said that five years ago he was right here at Korakuen Hall and his dream was to win the IWGP jr. title and bring it back here to Korakuen Hall. Naito, Evil, Sanada and Bushi came out to congratulate him.

The trophy he got broke in the celebration.”

What you should know about the new ‘Tiger Mask W’ cartoon

Posted on by Chris Aiken

Images: Toei Animation/ TV Asahi

The new anime series Tiger Mask W featured the re-launch of an iconic character with a fresh take still rooted in the origins and history of the Tiger Mask story. Produced by TV Asahi and Toei Animation, the series reboots the franchise with a heavy influence from pro wrestling in doing so.

New Japan Pro Wrestling is a partner in the production which features several NJPW wrestlers in recurring roles on the show. The NJPW brand itself is also prominent throughout the series, and the role it plays in fighting an invading wrestling organization is a satire on actual current events within the wrestling industry.  

Here’s how the show is set up:

– The plot involves NJPW having to face the threat of a global wrestling conglomerate trying to monopolize the business.

The foreign conglomerate has yet to fully control the Japanese market and the struggle ensues as NJPW faces the competition. The evil corporation has even recruited a wrestler from Japan. Sound familiar?

– The newer reimagined character of Tiger Mask has links to the original.

The main protagonist in the series is named Naoto, which was the same name of the original character that became the first Tiger Mask. An old friend of Tiger Mask serves as Naoto’s mentor, teaching him to become the heir apparent. That mentor’s niece, Haruno, is the manager of the new Tiger Mask and knows his true identity. She is the granddaughter of a character that played a similar role alongside the first Tiger Mask in the origin story.

– Takuma is the main antagonist in the series as he transforms into Tiger the Dark, a heel rival to Tiger Mask.

Naoto and Takuma once trained together as the story goes. The role of Takuma shifts during the series as his motives for joining the villainous Tiger’s Den reveal his true quest. Tiger’s Den is the heel stable that secretly controls the Global Wrestling Monopoly (GWM).

– The Tiger’s Den has a female authority figure, Miss X, and a mysterious puppet master of a boss, Mr. X.

The heel authority figures send monster heels to fight Tiger Mask. Subplots and more layers related to the origin story become known as the episodes progress.

The first two episodes establish the characters and the setting. Storylines set up matches involving Tiger Mask attempting to vanquish the heels. As part of the backstory, Tiger Mask also valiantly fights for vengeance and seeks justice.

Scroll past the poster below for stories of Tiger Mask W. Be forewarned: SPOILERS from the first two episodes are ahead!

Episode 1: The Two Tigers

The story opens with the beginning of the end for the Jipang dojo during a match where Yellow Devil was raining down a slicing chop. His victim was the ace of Jipang, Daisuke Fujii. The chop slices his chest and he falls in a heap. At ringside, young Jipang students Naoto Azuma and Takuma Fujii watch in horror. Naoto is punched by Odin and told not to interfere. Takuma suffers a laceration across his face when tries to stop the attack. Naoto and Takuma then witness Daisuke being paralyzed and left near death.

Three years later, protagonist Naoto is meditating in the ruins of a dojo located somewhere in the wilderness. Suddenly, a bear emerges from the forest to attack Naoto, but he quickly dispatches the animal. Naoto’s mentor, Kentaro Takoaka, arrives to tell Naoto he should fight a tiger next time instead of bear.

Elsewhere, antagonist Takuma is on a journey to the Tiger’s Den. He arrives and is met by his new manager, Miss X. She reveals to him a red and black mask, proclaiming he is now Tiger the Dark. Four henchmen join Tiger the Dark as Miss X says they are booked for debut matches in Japan.

Naoto is at home in Japan eating dinner with Kentaro and his niece, Haruna Takaoka. They see breaking news on the TV that the Global Wrestling Monopoly is running a show in Japan called Wrestle Max. The draw is the in-ring debut of Tiger the Dark and Odin defends his championship in the main event.

Kentaro explains how the GWM books wrestlers around the world and takes half of all their payoffs. He speculates the GWM is secretly controlled by Tiger’s Den, and the threat is they will soon invade Japan.

In the NJPW dressing room, Kazuchika Okada is preparing for a match when a young lion, Ryu Wakamatsu, asks him about not being booked on the Wrestle Max card. Okada dismisses the thought before saying, “We’ll do pro wrestling our way.”

Flying to the show on the GWM corporate jet, Miss X gives a speech to her Tiger’s Den roster about their policy of only running big shows, basically to make the most profit. She lamented them still not really being accepted in the Japanese market. She vows they will seize the market at Wrestle Max. Odin chimes in boasting he is the top draw while Takuma broods and clutches at his mask.

Headed to the wrestling card, Naoto and Haruna take a detour to visit Daisuke at the hospital. He angrily objects to their plan to confront Tiger’s Den. Naoto tells him to watch on TV, and vows to “show the spirit of a true man.”

Wrestle Max gets underway as Miss X plans to win over the Japanese crowd. In a locker room, Takuma asks Odin about the whereabouts of Yellow Devil. Odin throws a canned drink and cuts a promo on him for asking. Takuma puts on his mask and walks away as Tiger the Dark. In another room, Odin’s challenger awaits nervously when he is approached by Kentaro about an offer for a substitution.

Tiger the Dark debuts in the ring and soon squashes his opponent. As the main event is set to begin, the challenger is introduced. Just as Odin threatens the challenger, a caped figure wearing the mask of a tiger sprints down the aisle. The masked man jumps to the top rope as his manager, Haruna, introduces him as Tiger Mask!

Tiger Mask vs. Odin

Tiger Mask subs for the challenger that was so nervous he became sick, fleeing the ring. Miss X orders a reluctant Odin to fight Tiger Mask. Miss X receives orders on her cell phone from a mysterious caller.

The match begins, Odin applies a sleeper hold. Tiger Mask easily escapes to apply a crossface chicken wing. He demands to know the whereabouts of Yellow Devil. Odin refused to say, so Tiger Mask delivered a suplex that dislocated Odin’s shoulder. Miss X orders Odin to continue and told him execution awaits him if he failed.

Odin made one last charge and Tiger Mask knocked him out with a spinning roundhouse kick. Tiger Mask told the referee to make the call. With his task accomplished, Tiger Mask jumps out of the ring to grab his cape and sprint away. Miss X told the referee to ignore the TKO and count out Tiger Mask.

Watching on TV from the hospital, Daisuke told his nurse that Odin may have won the match, but Tiger Mask won the battle. The nurse said Tiger Mask was amazing. Daisuke agreed, adding he was “the spirit of a true man…”

Episode 2: Tiger and Lion

Okada is chilling and looking at the latest wrestling magazines, all of which had Tiger Mask on the cover. The young lion, Ryu, asks Okada about the response of NJPW to the invasion of the Global Wrestling Monopoly. Okada plays it cool, basically saying they will figure something out.

While Odin is hauled away to await his fate upon losing, Miss X tells Takuma about the original Tiger Mask taking down the Tiger’s Den almost fifty years ago. Takuma wants to fight the new Tiger Mask, but Miss X says not just yet. Her cell phone rings, a mysterious caller has news that management is sending Black Python from the United Kingdom to fight Tiger Mask.

Meanwhile, Naoto and crew also hear the news. Brief mention is made that Python is a catch wrestler and a submission specialist. Deciding she is more photogenic than her uncle, Haruna chooses to represent Tiger Mask at an upcoming press conference with Python.

At the NJPW office, Okada is reading a wrestling magazine when Nagata enters the room to tell him that he plans for NJPW to somehow capitalize on the return of Tiger Mask.

Black Python appears at the press conference to challenge Tiger Mask. Haruna agrees his behalf but has some demands. Watching on TV from home, Naoto and Kentaro are aghast at her demands. She wants them to promote their own show instead of Tiger Mask headlining another Wrestle Max card.

Miss X and Haruna argue about who will get to host the match. Representing NJPW, Nagata offers them a neutral ring and a semi-main event slot on a NJPW card. A deal is made and NJPW will host the match.

Later on, Nagata is determined to get a “prelude” match to build interest. Nagata books a tag team match. Miss X chooses Tiger the Dark as Python’s partner. Haruna is dumbstruck and caught off-guard by Nagata’s booking request. Nagata offers an up-and-coming NJPW young lion, Ryu, as a partner for Tiger Mask. Upon hearing the news, Naoto is somewhat worrisome having never been in a tag match himself.

In the NJPW dressing room before the match, Okada gives Ryu a pep talk. Tiger Mask enters to greet them. Later as they wait behind the curtain before their match, Tiger Mask asks about the rules of a tag match. Because of the pep talk with Okada, Ryu is confident he can help carry Tiger Mask if he gets lost out there.

In the heel locker room, Miss X tell her charges to steal the show so they can monopolize the Japanese market.

Tiger Mask & Ryu vs. Tiger the Dark & Black Python

Tiger Mask squares off with Tiger the Dark to start the tag match. After a stalemate, Ryu tags in to get pummeled by Black Python. Ryu fought to escape a bow and arrow submission hold, and he leaps over to tag out.

Tiger Mask ran wild off a hot tag, sending Python airborne on a flying mare. Pyton went for a release double underhook suplex only for Tiger Mask to flip into a springboard moonsault. Tiger Mask starts a chain of German suplexes, knocking out Python. Tiger the Dark jumps in to break it up. As Tiger Mask is tied up with his foe, he tells Ryu to tag in. Ryu does so and covers Python as referee Red Shoes makes the three count.

Watching from behind the curtain, Nagata wonders how the main event can follow that. Okada says “It’s a win for NJPW. It’s all good.”

Back in the ring, Tiger Mask cuts a promo telling Miss X that her challenger was weak. He asks for a stronger opponent. Miss X announces she is bringing in the mask of red death, revealing the next monster heel as Red Death Mask!

On the third episode of Tiger Mask W, a backstory explains the fall of the Jipang dojo as it relates to the cast of characters. The arrival of Red Death Mask also looms.

Is Reebok best for UFC’s business?

Posted on by Dan Velten

The UFC is in the business of selling fights, number one.  Anything earned elsewhere is gravy, but too much gravy smothers the turkey.  UFC has made a variety of branding decisions that will earn them a ton of money in the short term, but it may hurt the product in the long run.  I’m not the first person to point any of these things out, but it begs repeating.  Choosing the Reebok brand is bad for business.

Reebok is a weak brand.  The Reebok Company is most closely associated with basketball.  Their famous Reebok Pump sneaker put them on the map in the 80’s, but it’s a basketball shoe.  If UFC couldn’t sign Nike or Adidas, they shouldn’t have bothered with branding.  It’s third tier sports apparel at best.  Sure, Reebok paid the most, but Nike is number one, and so is UFC.  They sold themselves short.  Kids don’t want to buy Reebok stuff.  It’s not cool. 

Reebok created the most boring fighter wear ever.  This most recent TUF episode showcased exactly why the Reebok deal is making the product lame duck.   The first fight of this show featured two average looking men, both from Team Europe, both sporting crew cuts, both wearing gray trunks, and both executing some pretty average fighting skills.  Not to harp on the fight, because fights can be boring, and TUF is essentially a training camp, but the fight was in no way helped by the drab gray trunks.  We all know personalities sell fights.  How are these guys supposed to display any uniqueness when dressed exactly the same?  Not only did the UFC upset almost everyone by eliminating their ability to get sponsors, but they also took away any individuality that a fighter may have displayed via their trunks. 

Reebok chose some horrible colors.  Black with white, or white with black are your only uniform options as a UFC fighter.  These things seriously look like the original “biker” short of the 80s.  They are unflattering and worse, the same for everyone.  I’m assuming they will start to expand with colors, but so far, six months into the rebranding, it’s terrible.  The fighters are generic and hard to tell apart for a casual fan.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the NASCAR style trunks prior to Reebok, but a fighter’s colors are important.  It’s part of the individual fighter’s brand.  Fans remember colors.  I loved Bret Hart because he wore pink and I thought that made him tough.  I hated Cheick Kongo because he wore blue Muay Thai trunks with the silly drawstring.   The point is that I remember the fighter because of the specificity of the outfit.  I couldn’t pick Marcin Wrzosek out of a line-up and I’ve watched every episode of TUF 22. 

The corner men are now wearing pajamas.  Have you seen these outfits up close?  They’re paper-thin.  Remember when Lulu Lemon made those see-through yoga pants?  I guess Reebok bought the template.  The corner men look like they’re getting ready to go to sleep in the 20’s.  All they need is one of those starched up long pointy hats.

Finally, the Reebok emblem looks like a vagina.  Am I the only person who has pointed this out?  I can’t be.  Maybe it’s because I live with a doctor that specializes in women’s health, and thus I have a model of a vagina in my house of which to compare, but it looks exactly like one of those models I’ve seen on my kitchen table.  For those of you who don’t know anatomy, it looks specifically like the uterus.  The vagina is technically the canal from the external to the internal reproductive organs.  

Bonus Bad Branding:  NOS Energy Drink.  NOS is terrible.  The term “nos” was first brought into the nomenclature of Americana with the prestigious Fast and Furious movies. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel spoke the word “nos” a combined total of 457 times in that first movie.  It is the energy drink most closely associated with supercharged douche bags.  A few episodes ago on TUF, we saw Team USA dousing each other with NOS drinks after a victory, like the KC Royals after winning the World Series.  NOS cans are displayed at every opportunity in the UFC.  Yes, the UFC and the Fast and Furious franchise have a lot of crossover audience, but again NOS is a bottom of the barrel energy drink behind Monster, Rock Star, and Red Bull (probably not in that order).  Not only does NOS taste terrible, but also the only people who actually drink NOS are guys who wear Axe Body Spray, and Danny Bonaduce.

UFC is trying to be the NFL with branding and selling its rights to everything.  The replays are brought to you by Harley Davidson, the round is brought to you buy Bud Light, etc.  Eventually, the UFC will lose its identity and instead of the NFL it will just be “football.”  That’s bad. 

The fight industry is based on creating stars with personality.  Dressing these guys all the same is counterproductive.  Even if the UFC is making big bucks on the fees, it’s not worth it.  Selling the naming rights to everything is literally the definition of selling out, and that’s bad for business. 

Devin Taylor’s fate decided on episode 2 of WWE Breaking Ground

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by Ryan Pike

Key Takeaway:

We open with Devin Taylor getting terminated and the episode closes with questions about Dana Brooke’s NXT future if she can’t keep improving. In-between, it’s another enthralling but unfocused edition of Breaking Ground, with the best part of the episode focusing on a three-day try-out for prospective NXT trainees.

Show Recap:

This week’s episode had three general focuses: the women’s division, a three-day try-out at the Performance Center, and Tough Enough finalist ZZ beginning his training.

The cliffhanger from last week – which NXT talent would be fired – is dealt with immediately, with Devin Taylor getting the heave-ho from Canyon Ceman, who complemented her for how she added to the “culture of the building” before having her escorted out by security. Sara Amato refers to the competitiveness and depth of the NXT women’s group as a “shark tank.” After singling out Bayley as someone who’s excellent and works really hard, the rest of the episode is spent focusing on Dana Brooke. It’s obvious she’s really focused, as she walks us through her daily routine and it’s a lot of working out and training.

She also goes to the salon with her friend to get her eyebrows and eyelashes done, as she notes talent may be contacted by Triple H at any moment for a photo shoot or another opportunity. Sarah Stock teaches the girls a specific kind of front-bump, using Nia Jax as a base – basically Jax spins them around and they do a front-bump. Dana’s tentative, and Sara Amato mentions that she’s talented but she’s worried she’s plateaued, and if she stalls out in her development she might not have much of a future.

The arguable center-piece of the episode is a three-day try-out at the Performance Center, which largely gives us a show-long glimpse at how head coach Matt Bloom and William Regal run things. The first day is mostly testing cardio with stuff like Hindu squats, drop-downs and stuff like that, trying to blow people up. The second day is a lot of basic bumps and more cardio testing, and the third day is doing forward rolls and backward rolls in the ring and landing in a fighting ready position. The rolling session led to an amazing William Regal tirade. He began criticizing some individuals for hopping to their feet rather than landing and stepping into a fighting stance. Then, after correcting a handful of individuals, he announces to the entire gym his expectations.

After watching several more individuals screw it up, he stops the entire session and goes on a tirade, singling out the person in the ring for screwing it up. Of course, this person does it again and does it correctly, and both Bloom and Regal praise him for being “coachable.” Finally, Regal leads the promo try-outs, noting that “If you have the personality of a cabbage, you won’t be here.”

Highlights include a heavy-set man doing “the worm” and a female delivering a heart-felt promo about her troubled up-bringing which earns praise from Regal for her vulnerability. After the try-outs are over, Canyon Ceman leads a meeting where he and the coaches decide which applicants will be offered contracts – pending background checks and Triple H’s approval.

Former alligator wrestler and Tough Enough male finalist ZZ arrives at the Performance Center, along with his parents – who want to make sure he’s training somewhere safe. They meet with Bloom, who’s told by ZZ that he’s been “training outside” and hasn’t been to the gym much. Tough Enough winner Josh doesn’t think ZZ has a good enough work ethic to make it, and ZZ himself admits that his cardio’s not that great. In drills, ZZ struggles. He also struggles in the gym, getting blown up, and Mojo Rawley gives him a nice pep talk about getting blown up in the gym and in the ring is how he’s going to get better.

Robbie Brookside has a chat with ZZ, saying he wants to see some commitment from him and if he sees that, he’ll do whatever it takes to help him improve. He emphasizes to ZZ that it’s a lifestyle, not a job. Later on, Brookside leads the rookie orientation. Bayley, Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn give introductions to the Performance Center to the rookies (and Asuka, who’s there for some reasons). Zayn admits that he was scared about giving up his independent character, but learned to adapt and encourages everyone to be flexible. ZZ notes that he wants to remain a kid, and then gets scolded by Brookside for screwing around, ending with Brookside saying “Get out of my ring.” ZZ skulks out of the ring.

Final Thoughts:

I’m not a big fan of how the program skips around from story to story without following up on much. Granted, many of these stories could be compelling if told in full, but the editing of the show is too scattershot to really have much impact or to establish much of a pace to the narrative. Case in point: unless they were going to really focus on Bayley, I’m not sure what the point was of spending time with her in this episode. Similarly, they spent so little time on Brooke that the “cliffhanger” they left on doesn’t have much of an impact. That said, they really spent a lot of time burying poor ZZ and his lack of focus, maturity and fitness.