SCHNEIDER COMP #23- THE RETURN

After a multi year hiatus the 90's tape sensation PHIL SCHNEIDER COMPS return. Here is #23 which is the random mix of new and old which people have come to expect, this time on DVD with good video quality and with transactions handled by a semi-professional. If you are interested in picking this up, e-mail Goodhelmet at goodhelmet@satx.rr.com. This is the extended version of the match list with cut and pasted reviews when available.



DISC 1

Freelance, Pegasso Xtreme & Rey Cometa vs. Los Oficiales (IWRG 10/17/08)

In an area where most lucha trios match feel clipped even when they aren’t, IWRG is still a place where they let things draw out a bit. This didn’t have the matwork you will occasionally see in IWRG, as this was worked more like a classic 90’s AAA match then a classic 90’s CMLL match. Oficiales have awesome masks, and are like a trio of 1994 Psicosi, crazy bumps to the floor, a sick tope, and incredible eating of all of the flyers spots. They basically keep the AAA guys out of this match, outside of their big dives, and give us plenty of Freelance. If you aren’t on the Freelance bandwagon, jump on, as he is the single most spectacular wrestler in the world. It isn’t even his dives (although he bust out an insane springboard tope con hilo into the seats), but his rope running, headscissors and armdrags are as fast and slick as Rey Mysterio at his greatest. I think this would even appeal to the lamers who don’t “get” lucha, as this doesn’t take much getting.

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu (SWS 10/29/91)
TKG: So Phil gets this SWS card with a disappointing Orient Express vs. Sano/Orihara match, disappointing Haku/Nakano vs. somebody and Fuyuki, disappointing Takano v. Barbarian, Bestia carrying Asai to a nice juniors match , and I guess a the Hara vs. Warlord match which exceeded expectations. And then there was the main event. And Fuck I need to see every time these two guys match up. What did Tenryu do to Yatsu to deserve this? What did Yatsu do to Tenryu? What in hell are these two guys doing to each other. This starts with Yatsu slapping the dogshit out of Tenryu's ear, and then Yatsu just looks to be going after the ear, forearm right to the ear, stiff enziguri right to ear, etc. Its like he wants to bust his eardrum. Yatsu is sick of the women being drawn to Tenryu on the dance floor and has decided to fuck Tenryu's balance up permanently. Tenryu crawls around the ring and sells. Damnit bitch its my jherri curl that draws the women not my dance steps you ugly fuck. Tenryu chops the fuck out of Yatsu chops him right on the throat, enziguri's him in the back of the head, etc. But this is really the Yatsu show as he goes on these huge runs of offense were you legit believe that Tenryu is concussed or at least been rendered near imobile. I think my favorite spot is the first rope flying battering ram headbutt that Yatsu throws. He follows this up with just a really nasty Terry Taylor type chinbreaker except he executes it with this kind of complete disregard. Like Steve Williams throwing a dangerous suplex, except its a chinbreaker. Chinbreaker 91~!

PAS: Yatsu had all the really great offense in this match, Tom didn't even mention the bulldog on the floor or the running shoulder block off the apron, but Tenryu was bringing some sick violence to the show. Laying in the Kawada kicks right to Yatsu's eye and face, there was a section where Tenryu kicks him directly in the kidney and Yatsu kinds of rolls on the mat clutching it in pain. Then Tenryu just starts kneeing and punching him right on the kidney, and you get the sense if Tenryu lost his equilibrium after this match, Yatsu wasn't able to drink coffee or liquor ever again. I think there were multiple parts in this match where you figured they would have to stop the match and get a doctor. I thought Tenryu was concussed by an early Yatsu lariat, thought Yatsu had lacerated his spleen. Just an epic amazing shockingly violent train wreck of a classic match.

Larry Zybysko, Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson v. Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes & Nikita Koloff (WCWSN 5/23/92)

This is yet another spectacular match from my favorite time in wrestling history, the first six months of 1992 WCW. This is 2/3 falls and has Ross and an ex-Raider on commentary so you had Ross in heaven as he gets to make dozens of football references. The opening couple minutes had a really nice Steamboat and Eaton match up for about 5 minutes, with Eaton working a headlock.

Then Dustin and Arn tag in and Arn runs off almost a comedy spotfest dive train. In the space of two minutes, he gets punched by Rhodes and does a knockout sell... complains to the ref about a closed fist ... throws his sweat at Steamboat ... does his asian stereotype bow then pops Dustin on the apron... he then avoids a chop by Steamboat by sliding outside, points to his head to show how smart he is, only to get drilled by Dustin ... he goes back into the ring and gets his boot caught, while Steamboat is holding his boot, Arn tries to call time, he then gets pinballed from corner to corner ... he then slides out and calls time, gets back into the ring and they tag in Nikita and Arn does his scared bug eyed Arn face .

10 great comedy spots, one after another, it was like watching 1995 Rey Mysterio Jr. .

First fall has some nice FIP work with Nikita. Nikita is a guy who most people think was useless, but during this period he was really effective as a power guy, sold well and timed his comebacks great. There is a Nikita v. Mr. Hughes WCWSN match from around this time which is also better then any Helmsley match ever. Sting was playing the same exact role in a bunch of other tags of this time period, and I think Nikita did it better.

Steamboat gets a quick bodypress on Larry for the first fall.

Dustin works some great sequences in the second fall, he pounds on Eaton with Eaton bouncing off the ropes back into more shots. Dustin then misses a lariat and clotheslines the post, and becomes face in peril. During the face in peril section Eaton hits one of the best top rope elbows I have ever seen. Zybysko throws in the phone and Dustin grabs in and smacks Larry for the DQ.

The third fall is based around working Steamboats broken nose, Anderson is just brutal here, as he just stomps directly on Steamboats face. I have written this before, but Arn is incredible at just shifting from a stooge to a killer. Moments before the broken nose section Arn does yet another amazing comedy spot, where he goes to the top to come off on Nikita ... Nikita cocks the sickle arm ... Arn sees that and stops his jump, but looses his balance and crotches himself. Total goofball stuff. Then moments later Ricky comes in and Arn transforms into a totally vicious mauler. Steamboat of course is masterful at selling, and you just buy the brutality of the shots to the face.

The finish is pretty great, as this sets up Zybysko leaving the Dangerous Alliance. Nikita makes the hot tag and cleans house. Arn grabs Nikita and Larry accidentally hits Arn with a forearm, Nikita then goes for the sickle and Larry ducks, so Arn gets drilled, and pinned. Watts comes in weeks later, and the party ends a bit as the Alliance breaks up, but man alive was this period of wrestling great.

El Hijo Del Santo v. Brazo De Oro (UWA 1/13/91)

PAS: This is a mask v. hair match, and is two guys working an amazing match in their secondary specialties. Santo is primarily known for classic lucha, either technical singles matches or formula trios match, the Brazos are primarily known as comedy wrestlers. However both guys are amazing brawlers, and this is a bloody violent amazing brawl. Oro has such force on everything he does, headbutts, kicks, stomps, he comes off as a total asskicker. He dominates the first round, busting open Santo so you can see a pulsating blood stain on the Silver mask. Santo comes back and hits his brawling flying moves, he is the best at making topes look like vicious attacks. Oro isn't about to be out bled and by the end of the match has a sickening amount of blood squirting out of his head.

TKG: Santo is a guy who works really great singles matches. I've written a bunch of times about the difference between how luchadors work a title match and how they work a hair/mask match. Both very different styles/genres of matches and both genres that Santo really is master of. And on some level here you have a formula Santo hair/mask match where they meet all the genre conventions/requirements that you need to get that off. This is of course not jut any Hair/Mask match its a Hijo del Santo hair/mask match which means really the finish is never in any doubt...nonetheless the two guys need to work up to a level where you loose track of that. There is normally an inherent drama in a hair/mask match that is going to be missing when you have a Santo hair/mask match. Instead the drama is about the guy who you know is going to loose having to make an actual fight out of it, so not just a hair/mask match its kind of hair/mask match with undercurrent of lower ranked guy challenging Jumbo or somesuch. And motherfuck does Brazo del Oro just step up to the plate. Oro isn't just an absolute bad ass in the opening fall which he dominates but he really comes off as guy fighting for the fall in the second Santo fall too.

Terry Funk vs. Homicide (JAPW 9/27/03)

There is no reason for old ass Terry Funk to take this level of asskicking. Crazy brawler Homicide is the best and Funk is Funk.

Blue Panther v. Villano V (CMLL 9/19/08)

For some reason in current lucha libre most masks are lost in multi person cage matches or four ways, I can’t remember the last time we have seen this kind of mano a mano mascara contra mascara. Luckily for us Panther wasn’t going out in some bullshit cage and we got a taste of how it is supposed to be done. __We start out with a fun brawl with Panther eating a nasty post shot and Villano throwing some nice looking chops and punches (including a sweet left hook). The first big spot of the match, ( and one of the spots of the year) has Panther nuking Villano with a tope into the seats, either Villano busts the back of his head legit, or the crazy fuck bladed the back of his head as he wrestles the rest of the match with a blood smear growing out of the back of his mask. The first fall ends with Panther getting his masked ripped off, and the second fall ends with Villano getting a receipt, really went with the crazy atmosphere of the whole thing. __Third fall was close to perfect, Panther hits three great looking topes, one after another, smashing Villano further into the seats on each of them. Panther pescadas his face into Villanos feet, and then Villano takes control, getting some big near falls with multiple superplexes. Finish was awesome, as first Panther counters with the Fujiwara armbar for a really insane near fall (at this point the roof is about to blow off Arena Mexico) and when he goes for it again, Villano counters with a crucifix and the place erupts. You had fans in Villano masks going berserk and fans in Panther masks crying. Really couldn’t ask for more from either guy, and a truly awesome way for Panther to lose his mask.

Golden Moose Cholak vs. Larry Sheen (Chicago 1950s)

Really fun match from the 50’s, which wouldn’t look out of place in any year. Cholak totally ruled as your Eisenhower era Vader.

Los Misioneros de la Muerte vs. Los Cadetes del Espacio (IWRG 2/10/05)

TKG: Ok DAMN. I was looking forward to this match to see what these old guys could still do; looking forward to this as nostalgia match and because Javier Llanes does commentary for IWRG and this is the kind of match that provides a lot of opportunities for him to go into historical digressions: Hector Guerrero worked solar in a face v face singles match in Arena Aficion? The inventor of the SuperAstro/Rayo reverse tope was a 1930s era Chinese luchador named Ah Choo? But instead of getting a nostalgia match I got a really great contemporary match. I mean, the slow burn two out of three falls format is one of my favorite ways to lay out a lucha match.

"First two falls worked as two veteran teams respecting each other keeping it on the mat. And it’s kept on the MAT. So first fall starts with Ultraman matching up against Signo, at one point Signo grecco pummels Ultraman into the heel corner and the heels don’t take the opportunity to beat on Ultraman, and at the end of their section the two slap hands. And its Texano and SuperAstro. Remember me talking about the formula where first guy takes it to the mat second does quick exchanges…well this is IWRG where they’ll let first pair take it to the mat and do slow matwork followed by second pair coming in and take it right back to the mat. Everyone takes it to the mat. Ultraman v. Signo on mat looked slow and like they weren’t that comfortable, Texano and Super Astro work at faster pace and do more complex mat stuff but still awkwardness to it and then its time for Solar I versus Navarro and -holy shit, these two are on just another level. As these two are super smooth doing lock ups and escapes and just a ton of sequences which you’ve never seen before. I mean you’ve seen most of the stuff that the other guys did on the mat but the Solar versus Navarro section has about 12 spots that US indy guys could steal for finishers. At the end of first caida, veteran technicos go over to congratulate the veteran rudos, hug and raise heels arms.

2nd fall is a little shorter. Texano and Ultraman match up this time. Again on the mat. And by second fall ring rust is off. Signo and SuperAstro work the actual fast exchange section. Super Astro is really good at hitting all his signature spots and Signo hits the best lariats of anyone in this match. Odd- as Texano is great brawler but any double clothesline you want to watch Signo’s half. Solar and Navarro lock up again and, fuck, you want to watch those two guys forever. Solar gets Navarro in submission and, shit, it was all well and good when the technicos lost to be all code of honor shaking hands but now heels are pissed and you can watch them slowly burning. The faces congratulate themselves and then come over to raise Navarro’s arm as despite losing still being great and the heels just stew at all the presumptuousness.

3rd fall is all Navarro pissed calling out Solar Solar goes right back to arm and the other heels come out and enough mat stuff its time to beat on each other. Crowds boos the heels for breaking the code of honor and its technico v rudo. The weirdest thing about the third fall is that the third fall is all about Texano v Ultraman sections. Ultraman has always been the least of the Space Cadetes but watching him throw combinations and Flair flopping when hit with combinations by Texano is really really good. Who knew? Match ends with 80s AJ brawling count out finish.

Terry Funk vs. Mr. Wrestling II (MSG 11/25/85)
If this was in the Omni it would have been a classic, in front of a MSG crowd who didn’t know II, it was more of a really cool oddity.

Riki Choshu v. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (NJ 6/9/87)
PAS: Pretty much a textbook example of a simple match performed by ridiculously charismatic performers, and how great something like that can be. Very few wrestling moves performed by either guy. Fujiwara does basically headbutts, punches and a Fujiwara arm bar. Choshu does kicks, one back suplex, a scorpion deathlock and Choshu lariats. It isn't about what they do, it is how and when they do it. Fujiwara jumps Choshu in the aisle and just destroys him for the opening five minutes. Choshu is bleeding and Fujiwara is smirking and strutting, Choshu gets control with a back suplex, and Fujiwara has an awesome "Oh Fuck" look on his face as he goes up. It gets a little more back and forth after that, but Fujiwara still controls most of it, until he makes the mistake of getting cocky and removing the ringpad. Choshu reverses the whip, Fujiwara takes a bump, they spill to the outside, and Choshu just smashes Fujiwara's head into the ringpost. Fujiwara has a traditional comedy spot, where he no-sells getting his head smashed into the ringpost, so Choshu really has to crack open his skull to make it work. Then it is all about a repulsively bloody Fujiwara trying to survive incredible looking Choshu lariats. Both guys come off as such superstars, it was like watching Hogan v. Rock with actually contact being made on the moves.

TKG: So Fujiwara attacks Choshu in the aisle busts him open and beats on him, and beats on him, and beats on him...and there is no comeback and it almost had a lucha fall feel as just completely one sided but you can tell everything by reading both guys eyes. Phil mentions Fujiwara's facial expressions and I don't care how long one studies mime with Decroux...Fujiwara can communicate more with a wrinkle of his nose. There is this point where Choshu is punching Fujiwara in the corner and Fujiwara goes from anger at being in the corner, to defiance , to struggling to maintain the defiance, to just a fuck you face that would make Murakami cower. The first lariat that Choshu hits Fujiwara with is just an absolute blast..like getting run over by a truck. the second and third ones are less impressive lariats but Fujiwara has these really awesome ways of selling/taking them. I mean they are still impressive lariats but its more about Fujiwara going into a flamingo stance and the flipping downward in what really looks like a boxer getting KOed and moving legs involuntarily on fall kind of deal. The lariat take that ends the match, I can't even come up with a way to describe it.

DISC 2

Mystico De La Juarez, Silver King & Rubi Gardenia vs. Cassandro, Magno & El Hijo Del Santo (London 12/9/08)

This was the main event of the final Lucha Libre London show, and is pretty much everything you could ask for in a lucha libre trios match. Santo is a guy who only shows up on tape once or twice a year, and you really have to search high and low for it. Santo is still Santo and hits all of his signature awesome stuff here, but this match was really made by the performances of everyone else. Cassandro was completely amazing here, crisp, spectacular and really charismatic, by the end of this match he was the most over guy on the show. Mystico De La Juarez and Magno are Juraez guys who clearly work each other a ton, and they have some very cool exchanges, Mystico is a total bump freak as he takes an awesome reverse rana and a nasty looking Code Red from Santo. This was really a traditional formula lucha match, mat work and quick exchanges in the first fall, violent rudo brawling in the second and wild dives and near falls in the third. It is a great formula, and much like the Southern tag formula, pretty rare in 2009. So when you see it done so well like this it is a real pleasure.

Necro Butcher v. Sami Callihan (IWA-MS 10/4/08)
In most of your famous Necro matches he is a guy working from below, the crazy lunatic who takes a huge beating but is impossible to kill, and always has a punchers chance. Kind of dirty barefoot hillbilly Arturo Gatti. So it’s a cool reversal to see Necro as the unstoppable force and Callahan in the Necro Butcher role as the crazy brawler coming out like a buzzsaw and taking a huge beating. This is the equivalent of a short toe to toe boxing brawl, as both guys just go at each other with nasty shots, neither taking a backwards step. Callihan also did some cool counter wrestling, as he was working as almost a protégé v. mentor thing, guy who studied the master and knew his every move. Finish was perfect, as Callihan survived a lot, avoided a lot, but fell to the KO punch. Shockingly awesome match, and IWA-MS has delivered some great great stuff this year._

Gypsy Joe vs. Mighty Inoue (4/27/77)

Grim seedy disgusting little match. Both guys beat the crap out of each other and the grittiness of it makes it look like Mean Streets.


Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett vs. The Moondogs (Concession Stand Brawl) (USWA 1992)
More out of control violence. Lawler, Jarrett and the Moondogs recklessly throw chairs, garbage cans and bottles at each other heads.


Wayne Shamrock v. Naoki Sano (PWFG 5/19/91)

PAS: I was pretty much in shock during this match, I couldn't believe what I was watching. I have never particularly cared for a thing Ken Shamrock has ever done, so I expected nothing out of this match, and it turned out to be as good as anything on the 80's Other Japan set. So much to love about this match, as they pretty much went back and forth from spectacular mat exchanges into awesome slugfest strike exchanges, great takedowns, into more spectacular mat exchanges. __The pacing of this was great, I especially loved how they paced their mat highspots. One guy would get in position and struggle a bit, and their would be a lull, and then super fast move into a choke or a kneebar. The crowd would pop huge for all of the mat spots, and it was the pacing of them which would really do it. Then after the mat near falls they would stand and just lay into each other with big shots, Shamrock's strikes looked way better here then in the previous match, and Sano was drilling him too. This was before Sano went to UWFI so I would guess this was his first shootstyle match ever, and he was a master of it. This was Sano's match, and while Shamrock was game, you could tell Sano was leading him. I also loved how Sano mixed in pro moves, as I actually bought an STF as a shoot submission, and a DDT as a shoot throw.

TKG: Shamrock comes into this with preposterous Saturday Night Fever hair. He's one headband away from being the Dingo Warrior. This had a ton of crowd heat and first half is really made by that crowd heat. Phil covers really the early pacing of this as its two guys jockeying for position, conservatively moving toward a big move...moving moving...then they hit it and crowd pops. Both guys are conservative. They don't want to leave anything open for opponent. So its all about fight for position.__As the match goes on you get the sense that both guys get more desperate. Shamrock throws his hands more often and all the big moves go from being hit cleanly to being almost video game style "make or miss" moves. So first half of the match is all about guys getting into position for throws or submissions and then hitting them cleanly, second half is about their health power bars wearing down and so they struggle to get into position for stuff and then can't hit it cleanly. Shamrock moves into position to hook Sano's legs with leg scissors and can't do it...opening himself up for Sano. Sano moves into position for throws but can no longer deal with Shamrocks weight advantage and so can't hit the throws cleanly...leaving himself open for Shamrock. __It's not the traditional body of match/finish of match split. Its two conservative fighters sticking to their gameplan with the fight taking its tole. It's that layout that really made this for me. Well that and the shoot DDT_

Buddy Rose vs. Rick Martel (Portland 4/26/80)

Rose comes in after losing a hair match, so he is wearing a wig held on by a mask. Classic Rose bumping and comedy.


Hayato Jr. Fujita vs. Yoshitune (M-PRO 12/12/08)

Yoshitune is a guy with a bunch of nutty spots, but I had no expectation that he had a real singles match in him. This pretty much ruled though, Fujita is a Battlartsy junior, lots of nasty kicks and triangle chokes, I hadn’t seen a ton of him before but he looked good here, especially his selling. Most of the match is built around Yoshitune finding crazy ways to rupture Fujita’s abdomen, lots of nasty looking kicks and double stomps, including one off a balcony, and Fujita spent the entire match about to puke. Fujita meanwhile is just trying to knock Yoshitune out, and kicks him really hard in a bunch of ways. You had a big puro juniors finish, but their wasn’t any kick outs which made me scoff, and there was some really awesome looking spots, including a couple of variations of Yoshitune’s rope running. Match kind of came out nowhere, which is kind of the theme of 2008 wrestling for me.

Original Midnight Express v. Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee (AWA 10/30/87)
PAS: This is for the AWA tag belts and is a match which on paper looks really awesome, but especially in the 80’s on paper matches were often pretty disappointing. This however was even better then it looked on paper. Lawler and Dundee are a great tag team, we all know what great individual wrestlers they are, and how well they match up against each other, but they also have great face tag team shtick. Their opening babyface in control section was just full of great stuff. I especially loved the variations on the partner blocks the Irish whip into the corner, also this was a punch marks dream match with both Lawler and Dundee breaking out tons of different combos. I especially loved the running left hook by Dundee. OMX were a lot fun in this too, especially Randy Rose who looked Eaton great in this, he takes a huge high backdrop, and has a bunch of fun offense. Slim Paul E. with his sport coat with rolled up sleeves throws in the phone and the OMX win the belts. I liked this more then any of the Rose/Somers v. Midnight Rockers matches and this was fucking with the high end Rock and Rolls v. Midnights matches.

TKG: Man this was fun. A lot of faces do stuff effectively, heels try same spots only to have the backfire. If you’ve seen the Memphis doc on youtube, you may remember the Hector Guerrero vs. Lawler spot where Hector puts Lawler across top rope and then kicks at him…Lawler tries same spot and Hector gets out of way. Lawler does same spot with Rose but with Lawler working face this time out. Lawler is caught with knee in corner and ends up face in peril eating a punch with a big bump to floor and then taking body slam on the floor running powerslam from Rose, etc. Dundee is all over the place as guy on apron…running after Heyman on the floor. Holding back heel from making tag while waiting for Lawler’s attempt to make hot tag etc. But really this match is about the early face in control section with the two faces just laying in punches and clotheslines..with Randy Rose just running head first into the fists and lariats. Dundee does a top rope knee drop with refs back turned. I don’t know what the top rope rule was at the time but ref turns around and really can’t figure out what’s going on as Lawler and Dundee switch off going for two counts on Rose before ref can figure out who is the legal man. I don’t know if it was a stunt granny but there is also a nun in the front row who punches at the air with every face punch and gets absolutely irate at all the heel cheating.

Yuki Ishikawa, Alexander Otsuka & Munenori Sawa vs. Daisuke Ikeda, Katsumi Usuda & Super Tiger II (BattlArts 7/26/08)
This isn’t just the best match of this year, it is right up there with the best things ever done in this style. This is an elimination match which goes 40+ minutes and was even more brutal and awesome then it looked on paper. Everyone in this was on their games, Ikeda’s team was working heel, and they spent the early part of the match abusing and cheap shotting the faces, especially Sawa who was really great in the role of spunky young guy eating an asswhooping and showing stones. Because this was a tag, you had a lot of submissions being put on and saves being made, and man the saves were just horrific, stomps directly to the head, kicks square in the face, I mean you start cringing as soon as anyone comes into the ring. I hadn’t seen much Super Tiger II before, but he ruled here, really capturing the kind of awkward recklessness of Sayama’s UWF kicks. Your BattlArts big four were as great as they have ever been, Otsuka just brutalizing people with suplexes, and ripping out awesome mat counters, Usuda both taking and dishing out ungodly stiff shots, and Ishikawa and Ikeda being Ishikawa and Ikeda. Their interactions with each other are all you could possibly hope for, and there are parts near the end that almost feel like the last rounds of the Rumble in the Jungle with two guys punishing each other past the point of human tolerance. I don’t want to talk about any of the eliminations specifically, this is a match I don’t want to spoil, but when you have such brutality dished out during a match, you can fall into the trap of everything looking like a finish, and when everything looks like a finish, nothing looks like a finish. Here every elimination felt like exactly the point at which the guy should have been eliminated. This is a match I can’t imagine anyone who likes wrestling not loving, get your hands on it ASAP.

Booker T vs. Joey Matthews (NEW 5/3/08)
Fun little hidden gem. Booker and Matthews have a great Smackdown match in front of a bunch of little kids enjoying themselves tremendously.