Hell yeah, now this is workrate. Now I gotta watch that Sasaki/Muto match (something I never thought I would say).
I'm still wrapping my mind around that Miyaguchi/Amano match. On one hand, there was some really good work. On the other, the thing was needlessly long and they could've been smarter about it. Atleast I know - they are both to be watched in 1998.
Some more thoughts now that viewing madness is about to go into its final stage:
- you know who the cool non-BattlARTS male indy workers in 1998 were? Tomoaki Honma and Minoru Fujita. Forget about deathmatch & junior stuff, they are really good at adapting to quasi-shootstyle. Honma sells extremely well and Fujita has all the stealworthy moves. FEAR THE REVERSE VIPER HOLD! Thank the BattlARTS crew, but both are likely to have 3 matches in my Top 25.
- Katsumi Usuda is probably the #2 BattlARTS dude after Ishikawa. Hell he'd rival Ishikawa if he got more showcase singles matches. He works insanely well with the BJW crew and his tag work is killer. It's all insanely under the radar too because it's either BJW midcard stuff or stuff that didn't make the Best of BattlARTS comp.
- Alexander Otsuka is weird as he's clearly really great at his style but will also try different things to varying outcomes. One match he looks great manhandling Orihara and then he works a generic bombfest against Honma.
- Naohiro Hoshikawa is fucking DULL. He may be even worse than Minoru Tanaka. The only thing he brings to the table is a stiff kick once in a blue moon and a cool finisher. Super Delfin could not drag him to a good match. Other than that it's all silky soft dull matwork and rope running that doesn't even lead to any cool spots.
- Ikuto Hidaka is the rookie of the year, because he dragged Hoshikawa to an acceptable match. His grappling+dropkicks style rules and he already had a really great moveset. He also meshes really well with indy dudes and his sleazy lucharesu work as PALOMINO is cool.
- speaking of rookies, I am surprised how much I am liking Mach Junji. His debut(?) match against Ryuji Hijikata had some shockingly good shootstyle exchanges. I also loved their mini-epic 3 minute finishing run that aired on the Indy World show and his studio match against Hidaka in MUGA.
- Great Kabuki's retirement run rules as he's crusty and old and carrying every IWA Japan main event with punches and superkicks.
- I can only find 2 somewhat complete Tomohiro Ishii matches, which annoys me greatly, because in 98 he is a wrecking ball of uncontained violence and it's great.
- there also needs to be more prime Nobutaka Araya.
- Jaguar Yokota is still a wrestling godess in 98 afaic. World class performance against Cooga. Her matches against Kanako Motoya and Asari are more spotty, but she always works cool uncooperative stuff in to keep things competitive.
- Masayoshi Motegi matches on BJW cards usually get clipped which is really annoying as he is still quite the good little worker carrying inexperienced indy juniors. He had a match against Fujita in BJW that was shown in full and better than any Benoit match I've seen so far.
- speaking of BJW, don't bother with their brawls and heavyweight matches. There are some dudes who can work like Jason or Shoji Nakamaki, but they are dragged down to unfathomable depths by Winger, various Mr. Pogo clones, decrepit Great Kojika etc. The heavyweight matches with lumpy guys like Arashi, Tachihikari etc. aren't as fun as you hope them to be.
- Once upon a time Mr. Niebla was a fucking workrate machine.