Wrestling Dream Battles

Dory Funk Jr. passed away recently. I wanted to put together a guide for people interested in watching his matches. He is one of my favorite wrestlers so there's much more I could recommend. Some of these recommendations are pretty darn old...almost 20 years. Also I am leaving my old star ratings. Also I'm including some Terry singles matches as well since both are wrestling legends. Thank you Dory and Terry! Rest in Peace. Jack Brisco vs. Dory Funk Jr. (01/24/74) ***** This is possibly one of the top 5 greatest matches that I've seen. People talk about Kyoko/Toyota or Kobashi/Kawada doing hour draws well, my friends this is the dope right here. Excellent mat wrestling for an hour with each fall being a little bit different in style and in story. I can see people not liking this but, one has to appreciate "pro" wrestling and not necessarily a load of moves Dory Funk Jr. vs. Horst Hoffman (12/15/75) This match is another one of those ones where you can’t really rat...

Takeshi Morishima vs Samoa Joe (ROH) - They did an awesome job capturing intensity and building the spectacle without having a ton of matches. This was a grudge match without a big build up. Anyhow, they just beat each other up all match. Joe was vicious and Morishima is a rhino. His hip attacks and lariats were especially brutal. On top of this, these two slammed and suplexed each other all over the ring. Helluva ROH debut for  Takeshi Morishima. Great match! RECOMMENDED

AAA I found a great source for 2009 lucha libre and have been digging into that for a bit. I've been watching AAA since there's less available than CMLL and thus an easier project to devote time to. Also the energy & vibe is much more American style wrestling so it's a super easy thing to watch. It reminds me of ECW in a way with many of the story lines and segments intertwining. In general, I've liked the matches with Nicholas elements Millonario who most know as Psicosis. The dude still has it! He and Joe Lider do all kinds of hardcore spots like ECW/FMW never died. I've been digging the mini's too with Octagoncito being a standout amongst standouts. Super Fly is a guy that is impressive as well in terms of high flying average sized luchadores. AAA seems to focus on their heavyweights and although many don't do a lot for me from an in ring perspective, Mesias (Ricky Banderas) is really over with the crowds, he's got a great look & actually wres...

Tiger Mask & Kengo Kimura vs Dynamite Kid & Bret Hart (07/16/82 NJPW) : This was very exciting. It had great moves but they also kept it simple. Dynamite and Bret were great rough neck heels while still showing they were technically adept. I think this should be included in the list of Tiger vs Dynamite matches to see plus its another excellent Bret in Japan match. So a must see for any Hitman Hart fans. This is a great all action tag match. Easy recommendation! 👇👇👇Check the labels below for more good stuff!

Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki vs Yukihiro Kanemura & Hido (01/06/98): Oh yeah, this was just a blast! You kinda get everything you want here in one 14 minute match. It's like a Dean Malenko Nitro match from like '96 😋 It is just 4 pros having a very good wrestling match. It tells a little story (or continues one), has some drama with the heels hitting nut shots, using chairs and making blind tags, you've got your baby faces shining with their cool moves! Hayabusa vs. The Gladiator (Mike Awesome) (03/17/98): I wouldn't have laid it out this way but this was a very good battle between the two most flashy wrestlers. It did not disappoint one bit. There were some really great moments here and nice surprises. Really high impact stuff throughout. I thought the selling was pretty good as well. Nothing fantastic but both guys really sold the pain and struggle they were going through in this big stakes match. I think if you want to see a Gladiator vs Hayabusa match this is...

Antonio Inoki vs Tatsumi Fujinami (03/19/82 NJPW) : Roughly 15 minutes of grappling & more grappling. If you want to see technical wrestling, this is your ticket. A technical duel between master & student.  Definitely recommend this one! Fujinami has worked his way into my top 3 favorite wrestlers of all-time. Let's look at the other top matches of the month. NJPW Tiger Mask vs Villano III (06/24/81): Amazing technical encounter. Two greats engaged in a battle of wit & will. A classic bout - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Vader vs Riki Choshu (06/27/89): Vader gets his mask ripped and they are looking to destroy one another! THIS is what you want with these two. Awesome ending too. LOVED THIS!  =-=-=-=-= Jushin Liger vs Pegasus Kid (11/01/90) Oh yes! This was great stuff wrestled at an urgent pace. Each guy was going for the win whether it was from a big move or a quick pinning maneuver. LOVED THIS. Not overwrought or cliche. Solid RECOMMENDATION Hiroshi Tanahashi & TAJIR...