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Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy - The text and the different ways to interpret it. - Jobs, theirs and ours. - But most of all? Caring. Caring is absolutely everything. segundacaida.blogspot.com/2026/10/moxl...

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Dare to live your life with the brazen confidence and pluck of Haruka Eigen. Just know that both you and the first row will likely pay for it in the end.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Liger was doing this dive in almost every match in 1990 and it is nuts.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

In case anyone wants to see the eventual big singles match between Riki Choshu and Animal Hamaguchi that was one of the bigger programs of 1990 NJPW, I was able to post it unlisted. It's a nice little bloody 9 minutes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb6d...

youtube.com

Riki Choshu vs Animal Hamaguchi

YouTube video by NJ PW

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The grand debut of Mr. Pain. This was during the point where Rick Steiner had broken from the Varsity Club and he was talking to his hand (Alex) and was super over as a babyface. Make sure to stick around for the post-match promo. It'll hopefully brighten your day.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Amazing series of strikes by one of the great workmanlike bad guys of 20th century French Catch, Pierre Bernaert and then the finish where Serge Francille (a judo guy we only have one match of) catches him with a unique pin.

061

Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Last minute of Jess Barr/Harley Race vs Hansen/Dibiase from the 1985 RWTL. It's probably the best, most iconic minute of pro wrestling you're going to see today too. When that flag gets waving, well, you'll see if you haven't already.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

In an era of weird themes (like the Malenkos coming out to Power of Love), Pegasus Kid coming out to this remix of Jump is pretty high up there.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Very fun last minute to a Sting vs Bobby Eaton match from 1996. It takes a couple of turns.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The thing you need to know about Big Van Vader is that he really liked to hold his partners hands as the smoke shot out.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I always wonder if Liger was actively taking from the Ultimate Warrior by this point. He would have probably seen him on the April 13, 1990 Tokyo Dome show that they were both on.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

5/28/90. Hoshino is awesome, an old dude at this point but full of energy and he had the crowd, great punches, and could play either serious or pissed off, heel or face. There was a misconception that AJPW had comedy and NJPW didn't at this point, but it's just that it didn't make TV.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This was from basically five months into the Giant's run. It's Luger's first match against him. He takes the Bret bumps in the corner, begs off, flops, sells huge, really doing what he can to stress the size difference and get Giant over. You rarely saw Lex tossed around like this so it stood out.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Big Daddy's finisher. Imagine being in England in the late 70s/early 80s, and you could just tune in or show up and see this larger than life presence dole out justice with this move, literally crushing bullies and cheats. It's public spectacle. Of course it held the imagination.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Week 4 of our journey through the catalogue of Big Daddy to figure out what made him tick in-ring. This week: Akira Maeda, "Banger" and "Crusher", the FA Cup, and a startling conclusion (it will startle you; it startled me). segundacaida.blogspot.com/2026/09/tues...

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Finish of Chono vs Hashimoto, the finals of the Kyushu Cup on 6/12/90. We hear about the 91 G-1 and we hear about 6/9/90 (Misawa), of course, just three days before this, but you watch the post-match here, really the first time the Musketeers were presented quite like this, and the future was there.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Carpentier. Thesz. Headlocks. Pretty much says it all.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Perhaps Uncle Fred's finest moment.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Here's the start to the Kyushu Cup final match between Hashimoto and Muto. Muto had just gone almost thirty with Chono and he knew he had to hit fast and hit hard.

061

Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

For a reason lost to time, WWF decided to start the 5/22/89 episode of Prime Time with Dusty Wolfe vs Barry Horowitz, but man, if someone today strung together the minute of stuff Barry put together here, they'd be my favorite 2026 wrestler. It's so good.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The great Koji Kitao experiment of 1990 continues in New Japan. I think by June, the fans were starting to warm to him a bit (even if his kicks were still crummy). But what makes this work so well is Vader hyping things up and demanding to face him. Just great work by Vader.

1120

Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The end of Onita vs Lee Gak Soo, and in some ways, the end of the great pro wrestling vs karate war of 89-90. You can see much of what made Onita a star here. It's how he gets knocked down but just charges in like a maniac to fight back, the insane power bombs, the overwrought theatrics post-match.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Finish to Chono vs Muto from 6/12/90. This was the semifinals of a 4 man tournament with the young NJPW stars for the Kyushu Cup. Muto and Chono were tag champions. Chono had started the match with a surprise enzuigiri. Now down the stretch, after Muto survived STF attempts, he tries it again.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Just listen to that crowd as Pez Whatley makes the save for Tommy Rich, battles back against Kabuki, and then finally gets the surprise win against him. Listen to them react to every shot and boil over multiple times. Incredible connection with the crowd.

0133

Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This is going to be a niche one, but it's from a 1984 Maple Leaf Wrestling episode and it's Tito Santana sort of introducing the fans to Ricky Steamboat who says he came into the WWF to help him with Valentine. They have three minutes to talk. You'll know if this interests you almost immediately.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

6/12/90: Different Styles Fight: Liger vs Aoyagi In the January Sano match, Liger's mask got ripped. He responded by lashing out in fury. Here, it gets torn completely off and the demon that is Keiichi Yamada is unleashed upon the world and upon Aoyagi.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The greatest weapon the West had against the Soviet Threat in 1985? Babyface Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A Cliff Notes version of the great match/angle between Bam Bam Bigelow and Steve Williams in May 1990. Bigelow was over with the crowd. Even though he and Doc were pals, Doc got frustrated. An errant low blow sent him over the top. Bam Bam fought back, but things took a turn.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

AEW releasing The House Always Wins means that we get one last great Butcher Battle Royal elimination.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Eighth Wonder of the World and also the World's Most Unbiased Referee

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Darby Allin vs The Butcher (The House Always Wins) - A brand new (old) match, one last look at this beautiful pairing of a worthwhile mountain to climb and a man driven enough to climb it, and all the talent, structure, and commitment that went into it. segundacaida.blogspot.com/2026/09/aew-...

072

Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

One thing that makes Darby Allin stand out so much even relative to his peers is how his creative ways of taking offense, no matter how unique and singular they may be, don't simply feel somehow natural but also tragically inevitable.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Darby Allin/Steven Borden vs Josh Alexander/Mark Davis - Too much talk about 1990 New Japan - Some talk about 1984 GCW too because the crowd was making THAT noise and that noise is magic. - If you like typos, some of them too. - Hell of a debut though. segundacaida.blogspot.com/2026/09/aew-...

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I love how Shiro Koshinaka took this Hashimoto DDT.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The pathos of Andre the Giant. He's clearly in control. He's using Inoki's own pumphandle. He's the superior force. But the crowd chants for Inoki anyway. Why Inoki? Why not Andre?Inoki couldn't get Andre to break the hold, but nothing gets under a giant's skin more than a broken heart.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Stop what you're doing and watch Angelo Mosca Sr. cut this promo. Trust me on this one.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Funaki and Suzuki debuted a grounded, more fundamental grappling style against each other. They got Maeda and Takada on board. But then Funaki had to face Anjo, who came at him like a deranged warthog. It took 10 minutes, but eventually Funaki had enough.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The Dynamite Girls (Jumbo Hori/Yukari Omori) with their finishing sequence in the second fall of a 1983 title match. As definitive and dynamic a flurry of offense as anything you’d see in the world at the time. No one else was doing this.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Past a couple of matches in 87 when they were at the bottom of the card, here's the first real encounter between Hashimoto and Sasaki in 1990. Very unstoppable force vs immovable object with Liger cheerleading in the background. That powerslam feels like a very close thing.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

A rare minute of Shawn Michaels and Mr. Perfect interacting in 1991 from a Battle Royal. Its pretty great, especially the way Perfect takes Michaels' dropkick.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The trick to getting into shoot-style for a layperson isn't to focus on the technique (that can come later) but instead the characters. In that, it's just like any other form of wrestling. There's a reason this crowd is popping solely for the smirk on Fujiwara's face. They get it.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Do you want to see the connection Bill Dundee had with the crowd? Watch them here. He was taken out by a boot, bloodied up and sent to the back. Tommy Rich fought off the Bounty Hunters alone. But watch the crowd when a bandaged Dundee comes back hot.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Darby Allin vs Mark Davis - A little bit about the Butcher - A lot about Darby and Davis - A sentence or two about a Sid shoot - Overcoming structural issues (two commercial breaks) with structural solutions - That suspension of disbelief thing - Words segundacaida.blogspot.com/2026/09/aew-...

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

When Bill Dundee left USWA for WCW in 1993, they gave him a nice farewell video. It might be the only use of Barbara Streisand in pro wrestling history?

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Bill Dundee taking a bump for Dutch Mantell's Whip (Shoo Baby). It's clearly not something you're going to learn in wrestling school but he knew exactly what to do in the moment. He probably could have taken a bump off of a rubber chicken or a bazooka and made both work.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

People have been talking about the 2024 Darby vs Butcher Rampage match. The '22 Rampage match was great too. Look at the mood Butcher created here, throwing everything into it, knowing how much to give, snatching away hope, innovating, seething. You can't look away.

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Matt D - SC @mattd-sc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Blurry (but wonderful) footage from 1979 at MSG. One of the more unforgettable battle royal eliminations I've seen in a while as Gorilla Monsoon takes on Jimmy Valiant.

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