Problematic Hall of Fame: Gerard Gordeau

Gerard Gordeau vs. Akira Maeda UWF 8/13/88

ER: Gordeau's pro wrestling debut, main eventing against the biggest shootstyle star in the large Ariake Coliseum, carrying on that Japanese Different Style Fight tradition. The Different Style allowed the match to stand out in a different way from the excellent Yamazaki/Takada match that came right before it. This match was less "clean" so felt more like a shoot, with Gordeau throwing high kicks and hard punches to Maeda. Gordeau would follow up with shots after knockdowns, but without being a real heel, leading to cool moments like him going down but landing an upkick to Maeda's eye that swung the advantage right back to Gordeau when he pounced for a rear naked choke. Gordeau has Maeda beat on reach, and Maeda gets that his best bet is to catch one of Gordeau's long limbs and start bending it, so when he finally drops to the mat and puts all his weight into down dogging it into a kneebar, it felt big. 

Gerard Gordeau vs. Brian Johnston UFO 10/24/98

ER: Johnson had a wrestling career similar to something you could picture Gordeau having if things had gone differently. Johnston was like a smothering if somewhat dull shootstyle Davey Boy Smith, but he got a strong 3 year run in New Japan during 1999-2001, an era that isn't really circulated much online. Gordeau feels like someone who could have had a similar midcard gaijin run in New Japan, and it would have yielded some great stuff. But I like his career as more of a high card special attraction, and it's got some insanely impressive milestones: Main event of the biggest show in reboot UWF's first year, main event of the biggest show in RINGS' first year, the first fight in UFC PPV history, a Tokyo Dome match against Inoki on a huge drawing show, Naoya Ogawa's BODYGUARD on the night Ogawa shot on Hashimoto, and now the semi main of the first show of Inoki's new UFO fed. There's a lot to be said about Gordeau's place in wrestling history, being used as a genuine special attraction draw as a major part of huge wrestling and fighting shows. He creates genuine buzz and looks like a guy who would have a really impressive heavy metal record collection and entirely unpleasant views on a lot of social issues. 

Johnston smothers him while Gordeau keeps distance when he can with high warning kicks, but Johnston is bigger and is able to pounce on him. Gordeau is patient and avoids damage, but Johnston does get a heavy armbar that leads to a nice Gordeau standing escape. Gordeau doesn't mess around once he's standing, and then his specific scumbag charm comes out as he starts throwing harder and more purposeful kicks at Johnston's head. He kicks Johnston right in the eye and sends him running out of the ring injured, and then there's a big scrum in the ring between cornermen, the kind of thing you would tell a ton of people about if it happened at any fighting show you'd attended. The cornermen keep going at it (Different Style Fight cornermen brawls are among the truest joys in pro wrestling), Gordeau gets on the mic and he's this incredible heel who has built up an old school 50s mythical heel character as a man known to permanently damage eyeballs and faces, as the cameras cut to Johnston holding his eye in the entrance way and a cornerman doing a double leg takedown in the ring. 

Gerard Gordeau vs. Naoya Ogawa UFO 12/30/98

ER: We get a cool Gordeau heel promo package, showing his unprofessional moments from other fights, showing his last UFO mic grab where he talks about when he fights there are no rules and makes threats about taking eyes. He says Ogawa might have a chance against him on the ground, but standing he is going to kill him. And as this match goes on we get more and more heel cheap shot character Gordeau, and it's great. Ogawa tries to tie him up, but Gordeau is a stronger striker and is able to keep knocking Ogawa to the ground. He starts acting incrementally unprofessional, and those incremental steps are key to the brilliance of Gordeau's heel character. He isn't out there doing some Nazi canned ham Sam Adonis bullshit, he's not out there seeking the glory for the heel heat. A heel who isn't showing any signs of enjoying his villainy is a colder, scarier, more intimidating heel. There needs to be a theatrical disconnect from your heels, that need to see them enjoying how bad they are being, that need to see them getting SOMEthing from their bad behavior. Instead, Gordeau always has the rushed unsmiling expression of a man who is trying to finish his cigarette outside while it's drizzling. 

Gordeau starts kicking at Ogawa's legs and sweeping them, and starts sneaking in shots that become more and more blatant, while his legal shots become more violent. After the legsweeps he hits some sicko punch combos to Ogawa's abs and kidneys, all legal but aggressive. But then Ogawa backs him into the corner and Gordeau starts throws a couple headbutts at Ogawa's eye, then actually gouges at it before punching Ogawa in that eye after gouging him down to a knee. But the face/heel dynamics are actually pretty funny, as Ogawa jumped up to his biggest level of stardom after shoot attacking Hashimoto, so them building up Gordeau as the cheapshotting asshole means that this is just a case of fan's cheering on *their* asshole. They are me, loving Jeff Kent as a Giant and hating Jeff Kent as a Dodger. Gordeau and Ogawa are like two internet trolls who can actually back up their words, and Ogawa will not be out-trolled. Ogawa does get Gordeau to the mat and does tap him with a rear naked choke that he holds a little bit too long, then he tries to bait Gordeau into starting a post-fight brawl. Ogawa was 100% the southern heel who was trying to bait the babyface into attacking him, knowing that there was a $5,000 per punch fine attached to each babyface punch until their big match. But again, Ogawa was *their* asshole. Ogawa is on his back trying to taunt Gordeau into getting tapped again, and the fans are into seeing their problematic guy rubbing it in. 

Gerard Gordeau vs. Enson Inoue BML 9/11/05

ER: This doesn't even go 3 minutes, but plays out as one of the hottest rounds in no holds barred fighting history. Gordeau doesn't once attempt to hide his cheating. No, now Gordeau is in his mid 40s, and is similar to how Abby did less bumping and more fork stabbing the older he got. Mid 40s Gordeau just throws high kicks and tries to thumb out eyeballs. He kicks Inoue to the floor then starts right in on thumbs to eyes, like Inoue was his Creator and Gordeau has now met his Creator and must kill him. Gordeau really goes after both eyes with both thumbs, even breaking up a potential choke by gouging at the eyes. Inoue gets his back in a great spot where Gordeau misses a high kick and Inoue takes him down while Gordeau's follow through has him turned around, and gets his back. Gordeau keeps cheating all the way to the finish, when we get this incredible fight over Inoue's match finishing armbar. Gordeau desperately looks like a man holding onto a cliffside root, and the ref completely ignores Gordeau's feet when they make the ropes multiple times, and you can see how disgustingly Inoue hyperextends Gordeau's elbow. Best of all, Gordeau - of ALL people - stands up and immediately demands answers, immediately demands Inoue explain what that unprofessionalism was all about. Where did this unprofessionalism come from Enson? No, we're not talking about the eye gouges Enson, what was that business with the armbar, hmmmmm? This was three of the wildest, unprofessional shootstyle pro wrestling minutes we have, pure lowbrow pit fighting, with the Japanese fans again getting to cheer for their problematic - but less so - homegrown jerk.