Best "style" of puroresu?

[greenman]

Iv only just got into puroruse and the one thing that really suprized me is how different each style is, much more so than any of the feds iv seen in the us. Iv not really had enough experience to form any strong opions(so dont get mad if i say some dumb stuff ) yet but heres my inital impressions.

Heavyweight style - Most people seem to rate the style of the AJPW legends as the peak of wrestling. So far iv only seen a Misawa vs. Kawada and a bit of NYPW stuff but iv been very impressed. Very realistic and I love the way moves are sold by how effective they look rather than whether they are that persons finisher .They seem to the masters of crowd heat as they dont seem to get it purly for how they are as all 6 Misawa vs. Kawada matches were relatively heatless in the early stages and ended up sounding liek a stock exchange 2 mins before closing time However from the stuff iv seen id say the one thinsg thats missing is stuff that really suprizes you like fast pinfall reversals and higher impact moves.

Lightweight style - First tape i watched was the super J 94 and sasuke flying over the top rope like a madman had be leaping up out of my chair. So far id rate this as my fav style as every match iv seen sofar iv seen somthign totaly new to me(just what is the delfin clutch sposed to do tho?). Plus there seems to be very great strenght in depth in the lightweight division as iv seen 6-7 people so far who have really impressed me(sasuke,liger,taka,el samurai,beniot and eddy). If id say one thing its that most of the submission stuff does not really generate much heat.

High numbers tag style - By this I mean Mpro and torymon style 3 vs 3 or more tag matches. I like the way thehigh number of people means everyone gets to do there mest stuff meaning that it never gets boring and some of the comidey stuff is quite entertaining. One thing id say is that the selling is not really that good on alot of the stuff iv seen and theres no real pacing in matches. theres so much high flying stuff going on right from the go that when it comes to finishing the match nothing that speical happens.

Hardcore - Iv not seen any yet as iv never been into mass bloodletting. the thought of watching 6 people chase eachother tho a town hitting eachother with fish while being followed bya brass band is strangely appealing tho.

[The Great Gouki]

lol brass band?!?!?



I love all puro...but I'v been kinda showing a fondness to "Lucha-resu" like Michinoku Pro and Toryumon...YAY DICK TOGO!!!

[Tradewynd]

I like seeing a style executed well. I'm not sure that I have a favorite, although it's been a long time since I've seen a good garbage match. The styles that are currently used are all so different it's nearly impossible to compare them and say that one is "better" than the other. Just try picking a favorite between Strong Style and King's Road and see how far that gets you. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't decide.

[Pete Sambrano]

Personally my favorite is All Japan.In there heyday they were the most pure of pro wrestling on the planet.Ever since Tenryu left in the late 80's they 've had a policy of clean finishes and no dq's or count outs.Also I would have to diagree with you greenman on the there's never any surprises like fast pinfall reversals and high impact stuff.First of all Misawa got his first big win over Jumbo Tsuruta in a reversal of a reversal of a pinfall.Second if the Tigerdriver '91,'94,Ganso Bomb of '99 anytime Kobashi went for a moonsault and Stan Hansen making Vader's eye pop out not high impact I don't know what is.The moves are more than realistic they ARE REAL!!!I don't know how you can fake the Tigerdriver,or Ganso bomb.Plus for a while they were the only company not to have angles that had nothing to do with wrestling as a matter of fact some of the quote rival wrestlers were on TV shows together.Which was actually surprising to me I never wanted to see Kawada and Misawa in the same room smiling.(this is just a joke)I have other reasons too,but I don't have time to list them all.Zen Nihon o Aishiteru!!

[Peru-Yakuza]

Ever since Tenryu left in the late 80's they 've had a policy of clean finishes and no dq's or count outs.

Actually they had started that policy in 1989 when Tsuruta and Tenryu were feuding over the Triple Crown. Tenryu left in 1990.

[greenman]

Dont get me wrong I didnt not enjoy the AJPW stuff iv seen so far. With the juniors stuff I just enjoyed it for the stunning moves they did, where as with kawada vs misawa it was the first time since about 92 that iv watched wrestling and really didnt know whow as gona win till the reffs hand came down for the 3rd time.

[emlyn]

I think the best thing is that each style can be appreciated as its own without trying to compare it with another.
Ive never understood the appeal of garbage matches though.....

[BurningSpirit]

Originally posted by greenman

Heavyweight style - Most people seem to rate the style of the AJPW legends as the peak of wrestling. So far iv only seen a Misawa vs. Kawada and a bit of NYPW stuff but iv been very impressed.

NJPW and AJPW have different styles greenman. All Japans is known as Kings road, and New japans is known as Strong style. Strong style focuses on groundwork more than kings. The way I have always looked at it (others may disagree tho) is that New Japan is a sport, and All Japan is old school wrestling.

Originally posted by greenman

If id say one thing its that most of the submission stuff does not really generate much heat.

The american concept of "heat" doesnt really aply to Puroresu. When two guys are working on the ground, the crowd sit silently, not because they dont like what they see, but because they really appreciate whats happening and they want to take it all in.

Originally posted by greenman

High numbers tag style - By this I mean Mpro and torymon style 3 vs 3 or more tag matches.

Six man tag matches are traditionally a big part of the Lucha Libre style. In mexico during these matches they have two refs, usually a heel ref and a face ref.

How long have you been into puro? you seem to know quite a lot about it.

As for my favourite style. Well, I really enjoy all styles, but I most enjoy watching NJPW junior heavyweights. They sorta have a hybrid of lucharesu and uwfi style shootfighting goin on that I really enjoy

[greenman]

Iv only been into puroresu for about a month. I know what you mean about heat, but I feel that a loud audience adds alot to a match

[Pete Sambrano]

Originally posted by BurningSpirit


NJPW and AJPW have different styles greenman. All Japans is known as Kings road, and New japans is known as Strong style. Strong style focuses on groundwork more than kings. The way I have always looked at it (others may disagree tho) is that New Japan is a sport, and All Japan is old school wrestling.

Whats the different between wrestling and a sport?To be honest All Japan seems to be more sport anyway.All Japan is not old school unless old school wrestling started in 1990.

To Peru Yakuza they started that policy in 1990 so Misawa could look great against Jumbo Tsuruta.Because they had no new stars when Tenryu left

[Peru-Yakuza]

The policy DOES date back to the formation of the Triple Crown, when Tsuruta and Tenryu were around.
It was patterned after the second UWF, where clean finishes were the rule.
Before this all attempts to unify the three titles were futile because Baba was still using DCORs. Re Bruiser Brody vs. Tenryu in 1988 and Tsuruta-Hansen later in the year.

The necessity you mention is correct, but the policy started earlier. If it hadn't the Triple Crown wouldn't exist!

[El Negro Magnifico]

What does DCOR stand for again?

[Peru-Yakuza]

DCOR = Double Count Out of the Ring

[Sean Kassai]

I enjoy watching Strong Style the most. But I still every style there is.... except garbage wrestling.

[BurningSpirit]

Garbage has its moments. If the match is well worked and not just frequent over the top violence it can be quite spectacular.
I wasnt overly fond of it til a few weeks ago when I had the pleasure of watching John Zandig and Justice Pain in a barbed wire board light tube match at an Indy show. (got to meet them both too, in the mens room no less )