Ryan Navigates '90 - #34 (5/13 - 5/18)
The One Where Misawa Unmasks
EDITOR’S NOTE: On February 15th, Hiroaki Hamada, otherwise known as Gran Hamada, passed away at the age of 74. I wrote about him in previous pieces, but it bears repeating that Hamada is one of the most influential wrestlers of all time.
Because he was smaller than the typical New Japan Dojo trainee, he was sent to Mexico for seasoning, and he brought the high-flying elements of the lucha libre style back to Japan with him. He wove acrobatics into the more hard-hitting Japanese style he was taught in the Dojo, thus helping to establish the lucharesu style.
One of the ways he spread this new style was through the Universal Lucha Libre promotion he helped found. It was the first promotion in Japan to be centered around lucha libre and would often include the stars of Mexico on their cards. Universal would essentially be a prototype for a much more successful promotion, Michinoku Pro. After Universal closed its doors, Hamada joined M-Pro in 1995.
Not only was Hamada a celebrated wrestler, but he was a legendary trainer. He passed along his knowledge and blend of styles to his pupils, including Ultimo Dragon, Great Sasuke, Dick Togo, MEN’S Teioh, TAKA Michinoku, Plum Mariko, Kaz Hayashi, Super Delfin, among others. Some of those guys, particularly Ultimo and TAKA, also became trainers and promoters. His daughters, Ayako Hamada and Xóchitl Hamada, were also trained in the way of the mat by their father.
Basically, if you enjoy the high-octane action of Michinoku Pro, Dragongate, peak CHIKARA, and others that use that style, you have Gran Hamada to thank. Even when he was in his 40s and 50s, he was still a high-level worker, keeping pace with his students in mat classics like the acclaimed ECW trios matches and the ten-man tag from Michinoku Pro’s ~These Days~ show. The latter bout is in my top 15-20 matches of all time.
I look forward to seeing more from Hamada and his UWF promotion during the course of the series.
Rest in peace, legend.
Good day!
After another Saturday special, we have a PACKED article this go-round, with tag action dominating things. We FINALLY get some more Joshi with a 2/3 falls tag title match, a tag match from AJPW that has massive ramifications on the main event scene, and a lucha trios rematch.
As well, we’ll have a DEBATE between Teddy Long and Rick Steiner, and we’ll take a brief look at Louisiana’s Five Star Wrestling promotion.
SUNDAY, MAY 13th
All Japan Women’s Wrestling
WWWA World Tag Team Championship, 2-out-of-3 Falls: The Marine Wolves (Akira Hokuto & Suzuka Minami) vs. Fire Jets (Yumiko Hotta & Mitsuko Nishiwaki) - It’s been far too long since our last Joshi match. In fact, it’s the first one we’ve seen since Part 1 of this series! In that one, Hokuto and Hotta were on the same side, but that’s not the case here.
Might I add that BOTH of those team names absolutely fucking rule?
I really can’t find a ton on Minami, but she did have two reigns as WWWA Tag Champion and three All Pacific Championships on her résumé. She retired in 1995 after nine years in AJW.
Nishiwaki had a fairly brief career, debuting in 1985 and retiring in 1990. However, she did squeeze in a couple of tag title reigns with Hotta during that time.
The ring is absolutely inundated with streamers, which makes for an awesome visual. I miss that in wrestling.
After the ring is cleaned up, you can hear the teenage girls in the crowd going crazy with chants.
FIRST FALL: The Wolves double-dropkick Hotta to start, but she retaliates by clotheslining both opponents down. Her and Hokuto exchange kicks, then Hotta drills Hokuto with a backdrop…but Akira holds on with a headlock! Minami comes in with a top rope elbow to the head and a piledriver on Hotta for a ONE count. Nishiwaki tags in and assaults Minami, but Minami wrestles out and swiftly takes over with some armdrags.
Hokuto checks in and works over both arms at the same time…until Hotta kicks her in the back to break it up. Undeterred, Hokuto bars Nishiwaki’s arm, then they exchange kidney punches. Nishiwaki rolls out of the hold, but she’s in the wrong corner. Minami tags in and resumes the abuse of the arm, soon getting a top wristlock/backbreaker hybrid.
Hokuto re-enters and blasts Nishiwaki with a dropkick, then Minami hits a flying armdrag…but they end up in the Fire Jets’ corner! Hotta tags in and kicks Minami’s leg into jelly before landing a duo of spinning heel kicks to the mush. Hotta applies the figure four…but Hokuto comes out of NOWHERE with a splash off the top! Excellent camera work there (and throughout the match, really).
Hotta STILL has the figure four locked in, but she lets go and opts to charge into her opponent, but Minami hits a quebradora! She whips Hotta into the ropes, but Nishiwaki makes a blind tag and sneaks in with a back suplex. She whips Minami into what would be a diving back elbow from Hotta, but Minami ducks! The Wolves double-clothesline Nishiwaki and set up another tandem move…but Nishiwaki hurls Hokuto off the top and into Minami! Nishiwaki powerbombs Minami for two, but Minami comes back with a quebradora. Another one is escaped, and Nishiwaki hits a bridging back suplex (with the leg hooked) for three and the first fall!
SECOND FALL: The Jets continue their attack on Minami, with Hotta absolutely brutalizing her with kicks. Minami bridges out of a pin attempt, then after Nishiwaki tags back in, she IMMEDIATELY scurries to the corner to tag Hokuto! However, Nishiwaki hits her with a couple of flying clotheslines for two, but Hokuto comes back with a couple of double overhand slaps and a missile dropkick for a near-fall. A piledriver nets another two, then Minami comes in for a flying knee and a NICE German that’s broken up by Hotta.
Hotta tags in and gets immediately fisherman’s suplexed for two, then a piledriver gets another near-fall.
Hokuto comes in for a bridging German for two, then another one NEARLY gets three, but Hotta’s foot reached the ropes. Minami tags in and hits a bodypress, but Hotta rolls through for two. Hotta tries a whip, but Minami catches her with a spear, then the Marine Wolves hit dueling piledrivers. They attempt simultaneous second-rope elbows, but they both miss! The Fire Jets hit a missile dropkick into a pinning combo, but Minami gets her shoulder up. Minami catches a Hotta kick with a dragonscrew-type takedown and sets her up for a Hokuto splash…which hits knees!
However, Minami catches her with a bridging roll-up for three and the second fall!
THIRD FALL: Hotta quickly armbars Minami down, then grabs a headlock, but Minami eventually fights out of it and tags Hokuto in, who immediately clotheslines Hotta in the corner and hits a gutwrench takeover for two. Hokuto locks in an armbar and REALLY wrenches that sucker in. Seriously, it looks really painful. Nishiwaki’s on her hands and knees trying to will Hotta back into it.
Hokuto keeps working the arm, but Hotta makes the ropes and RUNS to the corner to tag Nishiwaki, who immediately gets beset by Akira. Minami comes in and works her way into a bow and arrow, then the Wolves soon hit a crossbody variant of the Doomsday Device for two. Nishiwaki catches Minami in a sleeper as the crowd is REALLY getting into it with the chants and rhythmic clapping. Hotta comes in and gets a sleeperhold of her own, which goes on for a fair bit until Minami gets the ropes.
Nishiwaki heads in and hits some back elbows, but Minami rolls her up, not for a pinning attempt, but to give herself an opportunity to make the tag to Hokuto, who hits a spinning hook kick and butterfly suplexes for some two-counts. Minami comes and backdrops Nishiwaki out, and it’s stereo planchas from the Wolves!
The ladies all brawl around ringside until the Wolves get the Jets back into the ring for a double scorpion deathlock!
After the Wolves release, the Jets counter Irish whips into simultaneous German suplexes, but can’t quite keep the shoulders down. Hotta goes for a top rope back elbow, but hits Nishiwaki in error! Minami holds Nishiwaki in place for a Hokuto somersault senton, but Nishiwaki dodges! After some back-and-forth, Hokuto shifts her weight on a Nishiwaki powerbomb attempt and keeps her down for the three! The Marine Wolves win the third fall and retain the titles.
****1/2 - Fantastic match here, with insane non-stop action throughout, compelling submission work, and a solid story. Nishiwaki and Minami acquitted themselves well, though Hotta and Hokuto were the true standouts. Hotta was vicious with her kicks and did a good job of selling, especially during that armbar sequence, while Hokuto impressed with her execution.
As with the prior Joshi match, the schoolgirls chanting and clapping really gives this one a fun vibe.
Luckily, we won’t need to wait another 30+ articles before more Joshi, as we’ll have some more coming in June, and we’ll continue to get semi-regular matches until the end of the year.
WWF Wrestling Challenge
“Mean” Gene Okerlund welcomes “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and Virgil to the interview platform. The fans are letting him have it, showering Tedward with boos.
We get clips of Saturday Night’s Main Event, where DiBiase and Virgil attacked Big Boss Man during his match with Akeem. DiBiase reminds us that Boss Man declined his request to retrieve the Million Dollar Belt for enough money to retire on. Okerlund tells Ted that Boss Man doesn’t have a price, but DiBiase reminds us that EVERYBODY’S GOT A PRICE FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN! He says that Boss Man will be groveling for his money, and Ted will deliver a whipping never before seen before shoving the cash down his throat!
Fairly amped-up promo from Ted here to put some more heat on the Boss Man feud for the house show circuit. You’d think this would be ramping up to a SummerSlam payoff, but nope.
Five Star Wrestling TV
Another new territory graces the Navigation, as the short-lived Five Star Wrestling makes an appearance. Founded in Baker, Louisiana by Grizzly Smith, one of the biggest pieces of shit to ever inhabit the business (and think of the ground THAT covers), Five Star (or “5 Star”) was an attempt at reviving the style and feel of Bill Watts’ Mid-South territory. Two of Smith’s non-Jake Roberts offspring, Rockin’ Robin and Sam Houston, were prominently featured, with Robin even defending the WWF Women’s Championship that was all but abandoned by The Fed at that point.
Other alumni include Cowboy Bob Orton, “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel, Junkyard Dog, Billy Joe Travis, Kamala, The Rock N’ Roll Express, The Fantastics, Terry Gordy, et cetera, et cetera. Bob Holly and Louie Spicolli also made appearances early on in their careers.
Now, when I say that this promotion was short-lived, I mean it. The company was only active for six months, taping television from April until October 1990 before closing its doors by year’s end.
For the segment we’re looking at, announcer Johnny Cascio conducts a special sitdown interview with Rockin’ Robin, Sam Houston, and their mother, Marsha.
Marsha says she’s proud of Robin and Sam, even though she worries about them. Robin says her mother is her inspiration, and she shouts out all the moms out there on Mother’s Day. Sam grabs the stick and expresses his appreciation for his momma for a few moments.
Marsha says that she was lucky enough to be in Paris when Robin won the Women’s title, but she often watched her kids get hurt. All she can do is say a little prayer and hope they’re OK.
This was a pretty nice, warm and fuzzy little segment, as long as you forget the general dysfunction of the family or how much of a monster Grizzly was. It’s not going to change your life or anything, but I really do like seeing this kind of stuff from all these different smaller promotions.
MONDAY, MAY 14th
AJPW Super Power Series 1990, Night 1
Tiger Mask II & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu & Samson Fuyuki - This is a pretty important night for AJPW as this was the first show in the post-Genichiro Tenryu era. Revolution pretty much fell apart as Tenryu was exiting AJPW, which is why you see the former members of Footloose on opposite sides.
Fuyuki and Kawada start off, with wristlocks being rapidly exchanged and Fuyuki hitting a Russian legsweep. Yatsu tags in and manages to stay upright despite Kawada’s grappling attempts and a stiff shoulderblock. Kawada wrests him down, though, and Tiger Mask tags in and tussles a bit with Yatsu. After some teased TMII kicks, Yatsu tags Fuyuki back in for some headlockery. Samson dodges a dropkick and drops an elbow for two, but he doesn’t dodge a second dropkick. Kawada tags in, and it’s a double dropkick on Fuyuki!
Yatsu tags back in and works over Kawada with a side slam for two. Fuyuki checks back in and takes over on his ex-teammate with a grounded abdominal stretch. Yatsu returns and suplexes Kawada, but Dangerous K fights back with some kicks to the leg and chest that seem to rattle the bigger man. Fuyuki comes back in and endures kicks and stomps from Kawada, but Samson catches one and lariats Kawada down for two. Kawada gets in a kick and tags Tiger back in, and TMII immediately gets assaulted by Yatsu with stomps and headbutts. Fuyuki lands his own headbutts and yanks Tiger Mask around by his titular mask.
Yatsu and Fuyuki keep using the mask for more abuse for the next several minutes until Kawada comes and breaks it up. Him and Yatsu trade slaps until Tiger Mask hits a spinning heel kick from behind. TMII and Kawada hit a double-team back suplex, then Kawada undoes Tiger’s mask! OH MY GOD, IT’S MITSUHARU MISAWA!
He goes apeshit on both opponents on the floor while the crowd chants “MISAWA! MISAWA!”.
Back in, Kawada hits a missile dropkick for two on Yatsu, then Misawa comes in for a couple of spinkicks. Misawa and Kawada continue beating on Yatsu, with Kawada hitting a powerbomb for a near-fall. Fuyuki tags in, only to immediately fall victim to a Misawa DDT for two. Fuyuki and Kawada exchange slaps and kicks, with Samson coming out on top. Kawada rolls through a crossbody for another close call, then hits a spinning heel kick. Misawa flies in for a missile dropkick from halfway across the ring!
Yatsu, who had been recovering on the floor after taking that powerbomb, finally makes it back to his corner for the tag, but Misawa immediately dropkicks him back for a tag to Fuyuki. Misawa lands some kicks, then him and Kawada hit a double suplex for two. Moments later, Fuyuki gets a backslide on Misawa for two and fends off Kawada with a big boot, but ends up running into a Kawada lariat for two after Yatsu barely breaks up the pin.
Misawa comes off the top with a splash, but stops the count to intercept a still-ailing Yatsu. Seconds later, Misawa rolls Fuyuki up and hits a bridging German suplex for three.
**1/2 - Much of this match was shockingly lackluster, with sluggish pacing and uninspired, listless performances. However, the match still earns points just for the sheer history of Misawa’s unmasking and that brief period where he goes nuts afterwards.
The unmasking seemed kind of random in terms of execution and placement, but Fuyuki and Yatsu were using the mask to bully and beleaguer Misawa, so him getting pissed off enough to take it off makes complete sense. Plus, the fans were happy to see it, wasting no time with the “MISAWA” chants. It’s not like Tiger Mask’s identity was all that closely-guarded a secret, anyway.
On the first show since Tenryu’s exit, AJPW wasted no time getting the ball rolling on a new main-event player. We’ll see MUCH more of the Misawa Coming Out Party as the series rolls on.
FRIDAY, MAY 18th
NWA Power Hour
This week on the Louisville Slugger, ahead of the tag title match between the Steiner Brothers and Doom at Capital Combat, we get Rick Steiner and Teddy Long. However, it’s not just any ordinary tête-à-tête. You see, it’s the GREAT DEBATE.
What is with the Steiners and debates?
Jim Cornette explains that each speaker has 30 seconds to make their point, and the other guy gets 30 seconds for rebuttal. The coin flip dictates that Theodore R. “Sugar Ray” Long goes first.
Cornette asks Long to explain the Steiner’s strength’s and weaknesses, with Teddy stating that the Steiners are big, tough, and strong, but they’re stupid and illiterate. Teddy explains that he’s eating the dogs you can put Rick’s brain in a bird and it’ll fly backwards.
For rebuttal, Steiner doesn’t get more than a couple of words before Cornette stops the timer. Considering Rick’s performance on “Family Feud”, Jim’s probably doing him a kindness. Methinks this debate is not on the up-and-up.
Cornette asks Long what he’ll do with the extra money he’ll get for managing the next tag champs, to which Long says he’ll buy a new yacht, a Cadillac with “real-life fishtails”, and a couple more penthouses.
Jimbo gives Steiner a chance at rebuttal, but again stops the timer before much of anything can fall out of Rick’s mouth. Rick’s had enough and snatches Cornette, but Doom come out to assault the Dog-Faced Gremlin. Scott Steiner finally comes out to even the odds and chase Simmons and Reed away.
This was a fun little segment, as Long’s always been entertaining on the mic, Cornette cutting off Rick was pretty funny, Rick didn’t get to talk much, and the physicality between the Steiners and Doom was great. I like seeing those four guys throw each other around.
EMLL Super Viernes
Atlantis, Angel Azteca & Javier Cruz vs. El Dandy, El Satanico & Emilio Charles Jr - To close out Part 34, we have a rematch of one of the great lucha bouts this year.
After a bit of hostility before the ring introductions, things settle down a bit.
PRIMERA CAIDA: Satanico and Azteca kick things off, with some rough grappling that is mostly dominated by Satanico. Dandy tags in and lands a dropkick, then works the arm until Atlantis tags in for his own dropkick and a quebradora. Dandy sells it like Curly from the Three Stooges, then Atlantis tags Cruz in for more punishment, but not before ripping off Dandy’s shoulder tape. Cruz continues to work the compromised shoulder until Charles tags in.
After absorbing a dropkick, Charles hits a quebradora on Cruz, then Cruz responds with one of his own. Shortly after, Charles absolutely TRUCKS Cruz with a kneelift, but Cruz counters a back body drop with a kick, forcing Charles to seek refuge in the corner. Atlantis and Dandy re-enter the match, exchanging armdrags and athletics until Atlantis dropkicks the injured shoulder.
Dandy manages a tag to Satanico, who hiptosses and back elbows Atlantis. They then have a snappy little sequence that ends in a stalemate and tags to Azteca and Charles. Azteca dispatches Dandy and Satanico with shoulderblocks while Atlantis dropkicks Charles, then Cruz hits a big missile dropkick on Charles. Everyone covers him for the pin and the first fall.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: Dandy kicks Angel’s leg out of his, uh, leg before hitting a butterfly suplex for two. Dandy soon gets a backslide, but Azteca ensnares him in a mousetrap for two. Charles comes in and hits a powerslam on Angel, forcing a tag to Atlantis. The fellas do an athletic counter sequence where they dodge each others’ attacks, ending with Atlantis landing on his feet out of a monkey flip. Charles falls victim to a flapjack, then squirms his way into a tag to Satanico. Like, he literally crawled like a caterpillar to his corner.
Satanico and Cruz resume their little war, with Satanico working the arm with an extended hammerlock, awesomely holding onto that thing after multiple escape attempts. That ends when Satanico hits a gourdbuster, then Atlantis and Dandy tag in to continue THEIR beef. Atlantis sidesteps a teased tope from Dandy, but ends up eating an apron La Silla from Satanico. Dandy launches Charles into a leg lariat on Cruz and dodges an Azteca crossbody. Charles pins Cruz to take the second fall.
TERCERA CAIDA: Atlantis and Cruz get triple-teamed on the floor, then Charles puts Cruz in the ring for some further punishment. Charles hits a spinebuster and hurls Cruz into the turnbuckle, then Dandy comes in with a stiff lariat and a figure-four headscissors. Cruz escapes and applies a Lasso from El Paso, but Satanico and Charles break that up and hit him with a big double-clothesline. Azteca comes in and gets assaulted on the apron by Satanico and Charles, ending with Azteca eating the ringpost.
Dandy hits a crossbody on Atlantis, who retaliates with a quebradora. Another one is escaped, and Dandy lays in the kicks. Moments later, Atlantis DRILLS Dandy with a DDT off the second rope! Dandy is understandably dead after that one, so Satanico asks for a timeout and, in a wrestling rarity, actually GETS IT.
After some respite, Dandy manages to tag Satanico in, who immediately DDTs Atlantis, then drives him again into the mat with a bulldog. Atlantis thwarts another DDT and hits a quebradora, but Satanico soon drives Atlantis’ arm into the mat. Charles and Cruz tag in, with Emilio hitting a dropkick. Cruz counters a back body drop into a small package, then they continue countering each other’s pin attempts. Cruz hits a crossbody off the ropes, but Charles dispatches him with a flying knee. The two masked competitors dropkick Charles out, then try to whip Satanico and Dandy into each other, only to get punched out instead.
Dandy hits a Northern Lights suplex on Atlantis for three, then Satanico gets a Gory special/backbreaker combo for the submission on Azteca. Dandy, Satanico, and Charles win the third fall and the match!
Post-match, Charles and Cruz get into a pretty heated skirmish, making me want to see a singles match between the two.
**** - I’d say that I prefer the previous trios matches, but this was still excellent. The stuff with Satanico and Cruz was again great, Charles’ execution and selling were fun, that DDT off the second rope was an awesome bump, the substory with Satanico dumping Atlantis on HIS head to avenge his partner was neat, and there was some impressive athleticism sprinkled in there. I remain impressed by the consistent quality of these matches.
THE TUGBOAT TRIBUNE
As always, the news comes courtesy of Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The NWA finally has a new head booker! Ole Anderson has been given the pencil after initial favorite Bill Watts wasn’t able to come to an agreement with Jim Herd and the NWA.
Bill was likely wanting more booking autonomy than Herd was willing to give.
Off the jump, Ole brought in Stan Hansen for a future program with Lex Luger. That’s a good pickup, but many questionable decisions will follow as we’ll soon see.
The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering are done with the NWA after the Capital Combat show, FOR REALS this time! Hawk and Animal will be heading to the WWF shortly.
Dick Slater is set to work as a stunt double for “Rocky VI”, which wasn’t really a thing.
Dave was likely referring to the much-maligned “Rocky V”, which came out later in the year. Slater and Terry Funk ended up doing stuntwork and boxing choreography for that one.
The Memphis branch of the USWA has enlisted a magician wearing a gorilla suit who does magic tricks. This was meant to appeal to the children in the audience.
Wrestling really could use more mystical monkeys.
NEXT TIME: CAPITAL COMBAT ‘90: RETURN OF ROBOCOP! Plus, tons of USWA Memphis and Dallas.
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