Articles by Alex Podgorski

It has been a VERY long time since an AJPW match received the “coveted” 5-star treatment from Dave Meltzer…or in this case, 5-star PLUS.

The last time All Japan reached this supposed level of historic greatness was in October 1999 in a match involving two of the fabled Four Pillars, an Olympic-level grappler that is considered the unofficial “fifth pillar” and a guy who was known as “Rat Boy”. But not only is this the first AJPW match in 24 years reach such a level, but if Meltzer’s ratings are to be taken at face value and supposed biases taken out of the equation, then this is considered the best match in AJPW history. And considering how much wrestling that encompasses and how much the modern wrestling landscape has been influenced by AJPW’s 1990s golden decade, claiming that this is AJPW’s ultimate magnum opus is a bold statement, to say the least. Let’s see if such praise is deserved.

A few days ago we looked at a famous Undertaker match that had an amazing story and terrific build only for the final match to disappoint. So now it’s fitting that we look at the opposite: a match with an ordinary story that ended up exceeding pretty much everyone’s expectations.

This is the match that started The Undertaker’s secondary WrestleMania Streak. From WrestleMania 23 to WrestleMania XXIX he stole the show with legendary matches that more than made the price of a ticket/PPV/Network purchase worthy. And while many people still consider his ‘Mania matches with Shawn Michaels to be his best, it’s important to compare those performances to the new measuring stick that began here.

Once upon a time, Pro Wrestling NOAH was on its way to becoming a huge success story. It boasted a deep roster mixed with established legends and rising stars, had a strong fan base whose dedication kept the company afloat, and the company was getting more good publicity then bad. While it was never in a position to compete on a global stage, it did enjoy a comfortable two-year run as the #1 company in Japan.

Few wrestlers in WWE are as revered and fondly regarded as The Undertaker and Kane.

Those two had one of the most iconic feuds to ever take place under a WWE banner. Millions of fans from around the world remember the incredible, supernatural, larger-than-life story that these two were part of. Everyone remembers the characters. Most people remember the promos. Some even recall the few moments they did some wacky and over-the-top supernatural stuff.

But how good were the actual matches between these two famous “brothers”? For all the talk, hype, and build, did their biggest matches actually deliver on what was promised? Read on to find out.

“The two coolest female wrestlers on the planet try to murder each other in a cage…honestly, what’s not to love?” – Joseph Montecillo

There’s no arguing that statement. Few women have ever done a better job at convincing people they were terrifying monsters not to be messed with than Bull Nakano and Aja Kong. From their ringnames, to their outlandish attires, to the sheer lack of f**ks they gave in the ring, these two gave the sport a serious edge that help it move away (to some extent) from its eye candy and pop idol-inspired roots.

ECW wasn’t always known for putting on any great matches. Instead it was more about the environment, the aesthetic, the overall image the company wanted to cultivate: one of being an alternative. For several years they achieved that success, often by putting on the kinds of matches and showcasing the feuds bigger American companies shied away from. Eventually, ECW became an important piece of American wrestling history because it helped expose many wrestlers to a wider audience which would, in turn, help those wrestlers move on to larger stages.

No wrestler has done a better job of bridging the amateur/legit and professional wrestling worlds better than Kurt Angle. He entered a world of larger-than-life cartoon characters and absurdist storylines and not only did he blend into this world; he thrived in it. One could make a reasonable argument that in pro-wrestling Angle was jack of all trades and king of them too. He could wrestle, brawl, dive, use weapons like the best ECW wrestler, be funny, be wacky, be serious, be insane, and so much more. It was as if he shifted from role to role on a weekly basis and embraced whatever storyline and match requirement was presented to him with the same gusto.

Many people consider 1990s joshi wrestling the peak of the art form. It was a genre-defining era when the women of AJW (and later other smaller, satellite promotion) were pushing the envelope and reimagining what it meant to be a women’s wrestler. And central to this era – at least from a North American understanding – was a woman named Manami Toyota.

Most diehard wrestling fans remember Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi’s big tour to the United States that led to one of the greatest indy matches in modern times. What most people forget is that this famously hard-hitting wrestler also did a tour of the UK and had another great match. It didn’t lead to as much positive feedback as the legendary Kobashi vs Samoa Joe singles match, but it was still impressive on its own right. How good was it? Read on to find out.