--Hey True Believers! No specific reason for why I decided to review this ahead of anything else right now, other than I just wanted to review something and this happened to catch my eye yesterday while I was dubbing tapes for other people. I got this quite awhile ago, and I remembered that I had only watched the final match when I first got it and not the other two matches, so I figured I would give it a look. The three matches are only 45-50 minutes total, so this also had the advantage of being able to do a quick review.
--A little history I suppose, though only briefly. This tournament was set up by the original Tiger Mask's (Satoru Sayama) retirement, and needing a new champion, a tournament was held to decide who would take over the title. It was a nine-man tourney held from 1/1/84 until the last three matches on 2/7/84. The original participants were, to the best of my knowledge---Dynamite Kid, Black Tiger, Davey Boy Smith, Bret Hart, The Cobra, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Baby Face, Isamu Teranishi, and Nobuhiku Takada. I'm not certain on the last two, the Japanese announcer on my tape is hard to understand. The Finals left Dynamite, Davey Boy, and The Cobra still standing. I believe this tournament went by a point system, but how the points were dished out, I have no clue. Suffice it to say that the last match will give you the winner of the tourney. So, before we stall any longer, let's get to YOUR matchlist.....
Davey Boy Smith vs. The Cobra
Dynamite Kid vs. Davey Boy Smith
Dynamite Kid vs. The Cobra
--Short matchlists, no? Well what did you expect jackass, this is the finals we're talking about here!
--One more thing here I want to rave about.....for this being only a week short of 19 years old, this footage is in fuckin AWESOME condition. I've never seen footage this old look so good, not even on some of the better kept WWF footage. Incredible.
--We are on tape from 2/7/1984, from the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Davey Boy Smith vs. The Cobra
--For any that don't know, the Cobra is a guy by the name of George Takano at this point. A few others guys have held the gimmick, obviously. Davey is looking in awesome shape here, probably his top physical condition ever. This is about the biggest he should ever have been, which is saying something considering what he looked like from 1990 on......
--Anyway, to the match. I don't really know if any of the three guys would be considered the heel, but if I had to pick one, the Cobra would probably be the most heelish. Davey Boy is just crazy over here. We start off slow as they tip toe around. Cobra goes to the mat and works Davey's left arm for a bit. Davey counters by flipping out of that, but Cobra comes right back with a funky counter of his own into a monkey flip, but Davey lands on his feet, and just throws a smirk at Cobra. Nice sequence there. Say what you want about roided WWF Bulldog, but Davey Boy could WORK IT back in the fuckin day, no doubt. Crowd is pumped now. Davey whips Cobra and tries for a back body drop, but Cobra overturns while trying to land on his feet ala Davey....but Davey covers for the mistake by pointing to his head, like he planned for that to happen. Davey? Outsmarting the competition? Cobra is pissed now and goes right to the leg.. Some nice mat stuff ends with Cobra on the left arm again. Davey counters that and tries a crossbody off a whip attempt, but Cobra hits a SICILIAN ELBOW!!!! to put him down. Sicilian elbow, inside joke. Anyway....Cobra follows with a backbreaker, but that doesn't even get one as Davey throws him off. Big oohs for that. For some reason Cobra goes to the right arm and Davey knees out. Cobra gets a flying crossbody counter after a corner whip, for barely 1. Davey lands on his feet after a back body drop attempt, however, and throws Cobra that little smirk again....and this time Cobra is pissed off enough that he charges Davey with a dropkick attempt, but Davey just sidesteps and leaves Cobra on the mat looking like a fool. I LOVE IT!!!! The crowd loves it! Wrestling today needs more of little shit like that. Davey casually picks him up and tosses him outside, then poses to the crowd for big pops to complete the humiliation of that sequence. Awesome.
--On the outside, Cobra is less than impressed. Davey finally pulls away from the crowd to go after Cobra, only to recieve a shoulderblock and missile dropkick for his trouble. Davey smartly bails and collects himself, letting Cobra gnaw on his anger for a moment. That doesn't last long though, as Cobra finally has enough and charges to fly outside, but Davey meets him on the apron and chokes him down. Cobra rolls inside to escape, buying enough time to meet Davey with chops and a couple roundhouses to knock him down. Sharpshooter attempt (called THE SCORPION!!!!!, THE SCORPION!!!!!....just like that....by the Japanese announcers, so there goes that debate once and for fucking all). That's the funniest thing about Japanese commentary, hearing all the Japanese language, and then they just started screaming shit in English...it just sounds weird. Fun, though. Anyway, back to the wrestling....as I said, Sharpshooter attempt, but Davey quickly grabs the ropes to break. We slow down to catch a breath with Davey controlling Cobra's leg. Hiptoss by Cobra gets him out of that, allowing him to drive the knees into Davey's neck on the mat. Another hiptoss by Cobra ends DIRECTLY in a short arm scissors/head scissors combo that certainly looked sweeter than that description. This crowd is hot now. Cobra pulls back on that for the attempted submission, but Davey subtly works him around into a pinning combo (which the ref is asleep for and doesn't count), but Cobra holds on tenaciously, so Davey says "Fuck this," and gathers enough leverage to pick him up BY ONE FUCKING ARM AND SUPLEX COBRA!!!! Oh fuck, that was cool as hell. Obviously that's enough to break the submission hold....ONE....TWO.....2.9999!!!! Fuck, that was close. Cobra immediately bails after that, so Davey sends him into the rail, presumably because Cobra's being a coward. Davey presses Cobra over the top rope to the inside, but Cobra recovers quickly and dropkicks Davey off the apron into the rail. CRAZY FLYING MAN INSANE NO HANDS PLANCHA knocks both guys down for awhile, and they barely beat the Japan 20 count. Davey gets a clothesline inside and Cobra bails again, and Davey follows with a nice pescado that draws oooohs from the crowd. Remember, this is 1984...almost any aerial moves were revolutionary shit at that time. Both guys up at the same time, and Cobra busts out a less than impressive tombstone on the (obviously matted) floor to put Davey down. Cobra tries to quickly climb into the ring to beat the count, but Davey has JUST enough strength after the tombstone to grab an ankle and delay Cobra and save the loss by getting the double countout draw. ***1/2. Extracurricular activities sees Davey suplex Cobra on the outside and both guys visiting the railing a couple times.
--I would say shitty ending, but it actually plays into the tournament format, so I'll go easy on it. Very good match....just gorgeous transitional wrestling between these guys, much more than I expected. I know alot of people, especially Attitude-Era fans, remember Davey Boy as the roided lump, but he did have the skillz once upon a time and he shows it here.
Davey Boy Smith vs. Dynamite Kid
--WHEN BRITISH BULLDOGS COLLIDE!!!!! This match happens immediately after the first match. It's cool to note that despite playing the heel for Tiger Mask for 3 years at this point, Dynamite is also crazy over here. It's also important to note something else.....you might've heard people rave about Ric Flair in the late 80s or Shawn Michaels in the mid-90s, and how they could carry a broomstick to *** matches. Well, they were nothing compared to Dynamite. From between 1980-1985 or so, Dynamite made a regular practice of carrying (if necessary) anybody and everybody to ***+, including whole lists of both animate and inanimate objects from this universe and various other alternate dimensions. He was just that awesome. I'm not saying this to demean any of Dynamite's opponents, least of all Davey Boy in this match, who I mentioned last match still had the skillz in abundance back in the day. I merely state Dynamite's credentials as a matter of course, a thing to be stated just to get it out of the way lest I repeat myself continuously. It's a testiment to his greatness, not his opponents' weaknesses.
--Stalemate to start as both guys try to overpower each other with no success. Crowd digs that. Dynamite takes Davey down overpowers him with typical Dynamite stiff looking forearms, then crucifxes Davey for one. Headscissors, but Davey counters and Kid makes the ropes. Davey tries an armbar in an attempt to slow things down to recover himself some more, but Kid flips out of it with some weird (but cool) flippy floppy, but Davey just calmly overpowers Kid when he's done. Davey grabs a headlock, but Kid eyerakes out of it and tries to speed up the match. Great flippy stuff (sometimes it's better not to describe it) ends with Davey getting the armbar again and bearing down on it, holding it for awhile to buy as much time as possible. Normally I loathe extended armbars, but this is perfect psychology right now....Davey JUST HAD a high energy match, so he slows Kid down. Not to mention Kid is a highly offensive-minded wrestler anyway. You can just tell the crowd senses this from Kid's frustrated body language, and they respond with appropriate encouragment. Kid manages to counter and push Davey into the ropes. Davey wants a clean break on the ropes, but Kid crushes him with a forearm for THAT mistake and back drops Davey over the top to the outside, then follows up with a pescado to get the crowd buzzing again. Kid throws Davey hard into the rail and climbs back inside. Kid's just standing there waiting for Davey to recover, waiting to pounce as soon as Davey tries to get inside again.
--Davey barely beats the count and, indeed, Kid is right on him. Chops and forearms, Davey blocks a whip and gets a victory roll, but they're in the ropes. Kid pops right to his feet and hits the snap suplex for 2. Davey looks like he's breathing fairly heavy here, he might be blown up. Just as I think that, Kid slaps on a headscissors to grind him down. Resthold or psychology? Most likely both in this case. Kid fights to hold onto it for awhile, then abandons it when it appears Davey is about to escape and starts pounding with forearms again. Shoulderblock by Kid puts Davey down rather easily, a sharp contrast to the beginning of the match. Kid moves in like a vulture now, but a quick burst gives Davey a clothesline, piledriver, and suplex, all for 2, however only barely. Davey tries to hit the chinlock, but Kid has none of it and quickly counters with the TOMBSTONE!!!! and flying headbutt for a hot 2 count. Notice the Kid's Tombstone warrants the caps while Cobra's did not. That's what happens when one guy rules it with a certain move more than anyone else. Kid pounds Davey down again with the forearms, and a HARD corner whip collapses Davey. Kid goes for the arm, but Davey somehow counters to a surfboard.....but can only get Kid halfway in the air. Ouch, Kid is screaming here, I think he might have legitimately hurt his back on that. That spot didn't look good....well, in the wrestling sense it did, but in the health sense it looked nasty. Davey tries the surfboard again, but Kid crushes him with an enziguiri. Both guys down for awhile before Kid finally manages to crawl over Davey for 2. I really think Kid was hurt there. Kid picks Davey up, only to pound him down again. Whip and kitchen sink by Kid.....OUCH....eh, that kitchen sink hit a few inches south of the border. Kid mercifully applies a headlock for awhile to let Davey recover. Davey counters the headlock into position for Running Powerslam for a hot 2. Close again. Davey drags Kid to the ropes and suplexes him to the outside, but Kid HOLDS ON and pulls Davey out with him, causing Davey to get the worst of it!!! Awesome!!! Kid recovers and beats the count pretty easily, but Davey JUST MISSES getting in at 20 and Kid wins by countout. ***3/4. Great finish, and an appropriate finish....Dynamite just wore Davey Boy down. Kid and Davey hug postmatch, being that they're a tag team and everything.
Dynamite Kid vs. The Cobra
--Cobra is out immediately after the previous match....this time in black and white tights instead of the blue and white he was wearing before. Not that it matters...but why? Kid is noticeably wincing and brushing his back waiting for Cobra to get into the ring....great selling, or real pain? You make the call. I still think he got legit hurt on that surfboard, but who knows with the Kid? He's not confined to a wheelchair these days cause he played it safe, after all. Davey stays at ringside to see the Final Match.
We waist ZERO time as Cobra attacks Kid right after the bell, but Kid fires back right away. Dropkick, kip-up, and 2nd dropkick (all delivered in less than 5 seconds by Kid) send Cobra outside. The dropkick/kip-up has to be seen to be appreciated. Anybody whose seen lots of Kid knows what I mean, but I'll explain it anyway...Kid lands from his dropkick and then kips-up in essentially one motion. His shoulders are on the mat for less than 1/2 second. That sequence has the crowd even hotter than it was. Kid suplexes Cobra back inside for 2, but Cobra gets one of his own for a 2. Cobra hits the chinlock, but redeems it by kneeing Kid in the neck. That gets 2. Slam for 2, back to chinlock again, which is then turned into a sleeper. Kid slips out and they trade some stiff rights before Kid hits a running shoulderblock off the ropes. Again, but Cobra counters with a monkey flip that surprises Kid a bit. Cobra follows up with a kicks before Kid catches one, but Cobra backflips out. Same sequence, however Cobra hits an enziguiri to put Kid down. Cobra locks in the Sharpshooter and turns it halfway over, but Kid fights it. Crowd is definately behind Kid here. Cobra has him over now, but Kid holds out, then reaches back and yanks the tights and rolls Cobra up into the ropes to force the break. That's an awesome counter that I've only seen once or twice before.
--Cobra doesn't sweat the break though and heads up top. Missile dropkick puts Kid down, and an (rather lazy looking) elbow drop nets 2. Yeah right, like Kid is gonna job to a standing elbow drop. Kid apparently agrees with me as he no-sells that and nails the TOMBSTONE!!! Kid calls for the headbutt and goes upstairs, but Cobra no-sells the tombstone (blasphemous) and catches Kid with a jumping roundhouse kick that knocks Kid off the top to the floor in a sick bump. Cobra is measuring, measuring....but Kid is up on the apron, so Cobra has to knock him down with a rolling elbow. Cobra is measuring, measuring....but Kid is on the apron again, so Cobra snapmares back inside, then changes his mind and tosses Kid outside again. Cobra is measuring, measuring.....SPACE FLYING TIGER DROP!!!!!! YES!!!!!! It was the twisty SFTD version, and not the totally rockin back flip one, but Sasuke uses four different ones and they're all called the same thing. Either way, it rocks Feb. 1984 only slightly less than Thriller and the crowd is SUPER HOT, BA-BEE!!!!! Despite its awesomeness, Cobra took as much from that as he gave; consequently both guys barely beat the count back inside. Kid's all "Fuck you Cobra, there's no way you're gonna rock da house more than me" and nails Cobra with the TOMBSTONE.....FOR 3 OH NO IT WAS ONLY 2!!!! FUCK!!!!! Kid doesn't like that and unwisely turns his back to Cobra to get in the ref's face and let him know about it....letting Cobra hit a bridged German...for 2¾!!!! Mr. Miyagi says "LOOK EYE DYNAMITE KID SAN!!!!! ALWAYS LOOK EYE!!!!!! Cobra up top to capitalize, but Kid meets him! SUPER GUTWRENCH!!!! IT ONLY GETS 2!!!!! HOLY FUCK, how is that possible?!?! Everyone is in shock right now. Kid off the ropes, Cobra goes for that monkey flip again, but THIS TIME Kid counters for the 3.....wait, the ref fucked up. Kid is celebrating and Cobra is already in moody loss mode, but the ref says only 2. Kid and Cobra improvise a rather anti-climactic belly to back cradle suplex for the 3 and the vacant WWF Jr. Title. ****1/4.
--Kick ass match, even though I thought the Super Gutwrench should have finished it. I understand the monkey flip spot though....Cobra had surprised both Davey and Kid earlier in the night with it, so this time Kid countered it....it's not their fault the ref fucked up the count. The only real drawback was the length of the match....it was only about 7 minutes long. With another 3-4 minutes, this was knockin on ***** territory. We can only dream about what this could have been with 15-20 minutes. Aside from Owen/1-2-3 Kid at KOTR '94, this is the shortest match I've ever seen worthy of ****, so there's something else for ya if you're interested.
--Davey Boy immediately runs in to congratulate the Kid, and we get the obligatory shows of respect between the 3 guys. Dynamite gets a trophy, and then the WWF Jr. Belt. He holds it up for the world to see. Davey doesn't get a trophy, but I'm almost certain he got an award of some kind, since he finished the tournament with the most points. It didn't win him the belt, but I guess an unknown award IS something. End of show.
--Post rant wrap up. This was almost the last hurrah for the WWF Jr. Title, you might say. Sayama was retired and Kid would only hold this title for about 6 months before vacating and heading to All Japan (with Davey Boy) to put on the awesome tag matches for which the Bulldogs gained their considerable reputation and fame. When Kid came back to North America (Stampede, then WWF) he wasn't even a Jr. Heavy anymore. Cobra and Black Tiger and a few others were still around, and they put on some great matches (Cobra and BT have a clipped, but still near **** match, on Best of WWF Vol. 1), but the division was definately not the same after Kid and Tiger Mask were gone.
Official Grade-- B+. Three excellent matches, a little history, a hot crowd, and just plain beautiful wrestling. You'll see some great spots, but I'll warn ya right now you won't find a spotfest here. If that's what you want, look for WCW Cruiser footage. What you will find is this----every move here is crisp and smooth...gorgeous transitions abound, psychology, impeccable timing, great movesets even by today's standards, which were revolutionary at the time; in short, the kind of wrestling you don't see today in the high-spot driven matches of today. And the great (and simultaneously sad) part is this--after 19 years, these matches haven't "aged", like so many matches have done from the 80s and early 90s.....you could put these exact matches out there today in any arena in the world and they would get the same ratings and reaction, they're THAT good. Definately recommended.