Assorted IWE Matches That Tickle My Fancy

                 (Written by jom)

     IWE back-to-back?? Yeah bitch!!! The thunk of Kintaro Oki headbutts call to me like a siren's song. I also genuinely cannot find it in myself to write about anything else because IWE is one of the only things in wrestling that interests me currently. I could power through an article written about a random schmuck working in basements, but I don't really want to. All I want to do is put more words to the page about why Rusher Kimura was one of the best top guys in the history of Japanese wrestling, or why Mighty Inoue should've gotten a top heavyweight run in AJPW regardless of his actual size. As always, here are five matches from the IWE archives, some of which I already adore while others I fully intend to adore. IWE is not a perfect place, but the shape of its spirit fits perfectly into my soul.

Gypsy Joe vs. Kintaro Oki (07/01/1980)

      A tragically clipped affair. The version we currently possess has nearly 10 minutes cut off from the start, which I can only assume mostly consisted of Gypsy Joe beating Oki's ass. We come in with Oki firmly in control and never see anything else, but this functions well as an Oki agenda piece. He's such a physical wrestler, an early template of the nasty stiff brawlers that would become more prevalent in the late 80s and early 90s. The influence on a guy like Fujiwara is blatantly apparent, down to the similar headbutt form, but to call him a prototype of Fujiwara would be an insult to both. Oki, for as talented at matworking as he was (just see the Bock match from the last post for proof of that), cared much more about the striking and bigger drama more often than not. He spends this whole match throwing chops at the throat and turning his own brain into mush with the nastiest headbutts of the era. Joe, for his part, is as receptive as he should be, taking said headbutts by wandering into the crowd like he's forgotten where he is, tumbling over tables and the like. It breaks my heart that we have none of his work on offense, but it's cool to see him doing everything he can to get over Oki's headbutt as a weapon of mass destruction. Nothing vital, but if you want to see Kintaro Oki beating ass, it's a good six minutes of that. 

2/3 Falls: Ashura Hara vs. Mile Zrno (05/06/1979)

    I've never seen Mile Zrno before. I know that close friends have pushed the agenda for him for years, but he's somehow stayed outside of my radar for the eight or so years I've been in this sphere. I can't believe it's taken that long because Mile Zrno is astounding. He's probably the closest anyone from this period of wrestling has ever come to feeling like the French Catch guys of the 40s & 50s. He's a total monster in this match, working the mat with excellent execution and beating Hara down with nasty uppercuts and dropkicks. His work constantly teeters the line between beautiful and vicious, at some points pulling off the most fascinating armbar transitions you've ever seen, and at others grinding Hara into the dust with grounded elbows to the head or kicks to the face. Hara, for his part, puts in his best juniors performance I've really ever seen, showing his strength in the bombs category while also proving himself equally capable in the grappling portions. He pulls off an incredible drop toe hold counter to a single leg early on and looks like a beast wrenching hammerlocks on the ground. More than anything else though, this match really finds itself in the smallest of moments just as it does in the biggest. The moments before the takedowns or suplexes feel almost more important, as these two masters square each other up and try to bait one another into making a mistake or giving the smallest opening needed to advance. It's a clinical affair, one that even gets a massive boost in the ending portion with one of the most ahead-of-its-time finishes I have ever seen. Once again, IWE blows me away with one of its more scientific matches, reminding me that there's a lot more to International than the blood-and-guts brawling (even if I love that stuff oh so much).

Kintaro Oki & Kim Kwang Sik vs. Alex Smirnoff & The USSR (10/08/1980)

     I miss when wrestling had shit like "The USSR." I take pride in the fact that one of the bigger deal indie stars in my region is a dude named Vladimir Koloff, who spent years really milking that Cold War heel heat (even if nowadays he's more of just a generally very good worker). The USSR is actually longtime WWF jobber Charlie Fulton, dressed up in one of Smirnoff's spare singlets and wearing a black mask that just says "USSR" on the front. Not enough people talk about IWE's revolutionary and ahead-of-the-times approach to integrating political strife into wrestling storylines, because who else was booking Korean War revenge matches like this? This match is incredibly fun, and works as a pretty great display of all four men's talents. Smirnoff and USSR are great heaters for the babyface with Smirnoff doing most of the heavy-lifting. He's a wonderful scumbag, happy to interfere in the match and throw hidden closed fists or use a Foreign Object. USSR is clearly one of the least talented workers of this time period, but the bar for talent is so high at this point that he still shows an innate understanding of working that puts him head and shoulders above a lot of guys today. The Koreans are by far the stars of the show though. Kim Kwang Sik, who I didn't realize until after the match is Oki's shoot younger brother, comes off as Oki's personal Teranishi. He's an athletic specimen who flies around the ring so gracefully while also throwing headbutts with incredible viciousness. Seeing Kwang Sik work here just makes me yearn for the 80s Korean wrestling tapes that must exist in some Seoul uncle's basement. And of course my guy Oki delivers the Oki-ism in droves. Tons of headbutts, tons of personality, he's just the best. Wrap all of that together nicely with a "referee Lou Thesz antics"-colored bow and you have yourself one of the most enjoyable tags in all of my IWE viewing. It's not as serious or as climactic as some of the more flat-out great tags from the promotion, but seeing Kwang Sik use himself as a wheelbarrow to pull the Russians into Oki headbutts is an experience like no other. 

Rusher Kimura vs. Ron Bass (10/11/1980)

     I think one of the more interesting aspects of all this IWE watching has been figuring out what works best for Rusher Kimura. I've seen as many good Kimura singles matches as I've seen bad ones, and I think it has a lot to do with Kimura's status as one of the original Stoic Japanese Men. Kimura commands a presence entirely through muted emotions, chopping down opponents with a stone face and only really changing that expression in the rarest circumstances. As such, Kimura's best work in singles action almost always comes against wrestlers that pop out of the screen in big and borderline cartoonish ways, whether they be foreign monsters (the Ox Bakers of the world) or complete chickenshit heels. Ron Bass comfortably sits as one of the best of the latter category, as he puts into a wonderful cowardly performance here. His facial expressions are great, fluctuating between absolute fear of Kimura's chops and Grinch-like deviousness while plotting his fouling. He begs off like a madman and hunts for the ropes every single time Kimura puts on even the most basic hold. He is, in every single way, a coward, and his cowardice is his weapon against Kimura. Gimmick brother Don Bass (which I constantly pronounce in my head as Donbas) also does a good job of fouling it up, especially when Kimura goes outside and gets caught in a storm by the brothers. It all leads to a textbook Kimura comeback and a big finish, wrapping up nicely as an easy crowdpleaser. I have no interest in pretending that this is some life-changing piece of work, but it's a strong performance from both men that knew their roles very well. As feel-good as it ever was.

Cage Death: Animal Hamaguchi & Mighty Inoue vs. Yasu Fuji & Umanosuke Ueda (11/14/1979)

    I would say this is probably my fifth time watching this match. My feelings on it have fluctuated a lot over the last couple of months. The initial viewing in April mostly met my expectations, albeit I didn't think it went beyond being great. The second viewing a few weeks later left me feeling about the same, albeit I did find myself appreciating the heel heat portions more. The third viewing in July marked a major turning point, as my eyes opened and I came to love it as maybe my favorite IWE match. August came around and I finally watched the full version of this match (I had only watched the clipped IWE Chronicles edition up to this point), which further cemented my feelings on this being a strong contender for #1. Now, here I am, five months removed and five watches completed, telling you that I... don't love this as much as I did after the last watch. I think there are undeniable negatives to some of this work, even if it pains me to say that. The first half of this match is good, with points that go into the territory of "very good", but it's also a little bit of a slog at times. Most of it is heel fouling which is something Ueda and Fuji excel in, but the Ueda choking clinic can make the mind wander, especially compared to how chaotic and unrelenting the second half of the match is. The complete lack of Ueda crowdbrawling also does kind of hurt the soul, even if its absence is necessary because of the stipulation. The bits of Ueda crowdbrawling we get after the match mostly make up for it, but comparing this match to the other big Ueda matches of his IWE stint makes it clear that having some crowdbrawling probably would've made that first half a little bit more energized. Having said all of that, this is still one of the best IWE matches ever. For as long as the first half can feel, it's also jam-packed with great fouling and some of Ueda's best Foreign Object usage. Yasu Fuji bites and kicks at wounds and hits a nasty piledriver while also bumping huge for the babyface comesbacks. Hamaguchi and Inoue both get chances to show that viciousness beneath the surface that has been bleeding out in all of their tags against Ueda, and Inoue once again impresses more than anyone else in the second half when he gets his hand on a buckle and goes wild. All of my complaints pretty much exist to say that this isn't the best IWE match, but it's certainly still in contention for the top 10, let alone when we just focus on the IWE cage matches. An incredibly compelling and cathartic match, even if I no longer think it's the greatest thing IWE ever offered up.

More IWE Matches That Make Me Say "Hooray!"

                (Written by jom)

     I'm starting to notice a pattern with the last few blog posts. Apologies to anyone with a natural aversion to Tarzan Goto or Rusher Kimura, but this is an itch I can't help but scratch. I swear to move onto different subjects going forward on the blog... at least regarding Goto Ippa. The IWE mind virus has completely taken over my thought process, and I can no longer go more than three days without a Rusher Kimura bloodletting performance or a Kintaro Oki headbutt festival. Expect to continue to see IWE posts until the sun dies (or until I can finally move on from IWE addiction to something more reasonable, like heroin). Once again, I've gathered together a handful of matches that I've either already seen and love, or never seen and expect to love. Because love is all you need, really. And brother, I love IWE. I hope by the end of all this, you learn to love IWE too.

Mighty Inoue & Animal Hamaguchi vs. Red Devil & Ray Candy (02/28/1981)

      Another Hamaguchi & Inoue Korakuen brawl to soothe the soul. My most pressing thought coming out of this match is that punching is a dead art form and I miss it dearly. For a lot of workers around this time, punching seemed to be a marker for whether or not you were worth a damn. Red Devil and Ray Candy throw amazing punches here, with Devil having snappier headlock punches and Candy throwing massive haymakers. Inoue and Hamaguchi tend to utilize chest chops and kicks, but I've seen both throw great punches in the past too. This isn't even much of a punch-heavy match either. I think I just needed to see punches, and this match has punches, and my thirst for fist-to-face violence has been quenched. Everything else about this match is awesome too. Ray Candy is one of the most striking big men of his era, feeling more akin to the big guys of the 90s with a great balance of hoss offense and genuinely interesting athletic moments. Candy never spends any time trying to do lucha sequences at underwater speed, but he does get a few points to showcase his capabilities as a big bumper. His bodyslams are also insane, so insane that commentary really has no idea what to call them and flips between "bodyslam" and "deadly drive" the whole match. Red Devil is fine too. He's more of a fall guy for the faces than any actual threat but he's clearly a competent worker. His main ring name is also Bill White and I definitely have two distant uncles with that same name so I felt a bit of kinship with him. Inoue and Hamaguchi almost need no explanation, as they deliver the goods as usual. Inoue is more prone to grabbing chairs and bludgeoning than ever before though, which is a really awesome trait for a babyface like him to have. Definitely not as great as the previously discussed Korakuen brawls, but a very fun match nonetheless. 

Rusher Kimura & Great Kusatsu vs. Masa Saito & Umanosuke Ueda (04/18/1979)

    It feels weird to call a match like this "another day in the office" for Ueda and co., but it really is. Ueda and Saito are here to cause trouble as usual, and trouble entails lots of fouling and weapon usage. This kind of shameless cheating is kind of a lost art in modern wrestling, at least over in Japan, and for as much as you could accuse it of being "stupid" or anything like that, it also totally ruled. Kimura and Kusatsu are very serviceable as home group heroes, working Ueda and Saito over on the mat and bringing the fight to them on occasion, but Kusatsu basically exists for Ueda to use random objects on, ranging from choking him with power cables to cracking a beer bottle over his head. Saito also partakes in the weapons fun, but his best moments actually come from his bare-handed work, throwing mean chops and choking Kusatsu and Kimura while they're down. As always, this builds to a chaotic finish, complete with interference and numerous ref bumps. If you're allergic to cool shit like that then don't tune in I guess, more for the rest of us.

Rusher Kimura vs. Gypsy Joe (12/03/1976)

     Apologies to the people I offended by claiming that Ox Baker is the best foreigner in IWE history without even mentioning Gypsy Joe. I'm still correct, but I apologize regardless. Gypsy Joe really is one of the all time greats though, and most likely does sit as the 2nd best foreigner in the company's history, especially considering his cage matches. This is Joe only a few years away from his IWE peak, facing off against Rusher Kimura in an environment both of them love, and it plays out exactly how you'd expect, with tons of violence and hatred exactly as the doctor ordered. Joe, here in a singlet that looks more like a grandmother's swimsuit, is a complete bastard, bloodying Kimura up by trying to eat his face and smashing his skull into a million little pieces using the cage. He still "fouls" even in a no disqualification match, hiding his punches and keeping the ref from seeing his Foreign Object probably more out of instinct than anything. It's a textbook performance from Joe, which always makes me pretty happy. Kimura delivers a pretty spectacular performance of his own, though. This is a contender for Kimura's best work from beneath, as he stumbles around and cries out in pain at all of Joe's brutalizing. At one point, he even does the Funk-style wild swings, throwing reckless punches at Joe's general direction, doing anything he can to find escape the onslaught. His big comeback is full of headbutts, punches, and slams into the cage, the exact kind of comeback this type of match deserves. Would I say it's either man's best cage match? Probably not. I think it certainly sits in the upper echelon for both, though. Expectations absolutely met for one of IWE's most promising matchups. 

Ox Baker vs. Alex Smirnoff (07/10/1979)

     This is kind of a weird one. Both on paper and in practice, this match is incredibly raw. Baker and Smirnoff are two of the most brutal foreigners in late 70s IWE, and here they are taking chunks out of each other in a gory chain match. The problem is that this show has the quietest IWE crowd I have ever seen. This match is contested in near-silence. I'm not sure if the crowd pops even once. The most vocalization from the audience comes from random coughs or the rare "ooooo" from a single person. I'd go so far as to say it borders on COVID-level silence, except even those crowds were allowed to clap a few months in. Now, does that even matter? Kinda, and I think anyone who would say otherwise is a crook and a liar. Especially with a big brawl like this one, there's an expectation for vocal crowd involvement. I'm used to old ladies gasping in horror at the blood, or half-drunk salarymen yelling and punching the air during the big babyface comeback. The fact that none of that happens here is, well, bizarre. And I get it, Japanese crowds are quiet. Trust me, I need nobody to tell me that after spending years way too deep in this bullshit, and I especially don't need any rubes to tell me about how "crowds get loud when they care! just look at 90s AJPW!". It's just a fact of life that Japanese crowds are much quieter on average and basically always have been. Clearly the people here are invested, and it's more the culmination of this kind of environment being faced with a match so antithetical in spirit. It certainly does its damndest to overtake my thoughts on the match, though. Once again, the match itself is great. Obviously so. I really enjoyed my time watching Ox Baker make really old guy threats ("You need a chain upside the head Smirnoff!!") as both men punched, clawed, and bit each other's wounds, all while wildly swinging chains into each other's bodies. It's exactly what I wanted in terms of the action itself. You just need to know that there are moments of silence that truly break the brain. At the very least, it broke mine.

2/3 Falls: Kintaro Oki vs. Nick Bockwinkel (03/31/1980)

    Just for a little bit of context, I've seen this match only once before. About six months back I finally decided to start going through the "IWE Chronicles" releases, and this match was placed near the start of the very first tape. At the time, I wasn't the most engaged in watching it, and I mostly walked away thinking "that was pretty great" before moving onto other IWE work. Now, here I am six months later, firmly entrenched in the IWE mindset, and I am here to tell you that the jom of March 2025 was a FOOL. This match is outstanding, a masterful piece of work put on by two of the very best of the era. Oki and Bockwinkel play the game of inches, telling a story more focused on the little details as it builds towards the bigger conclusions. The entire first falls of this match is grappling, and excellent grappling at that; there's full effort put into the full nelson struggles and keylock maintaining to make all of it really mean something. Oki isn't someone particularly known for his grappling abilities, but he plays his part as the fortress wonderfully, putting in tight and deep holds that Bockwinkel has to find his way around. Bock is such a master when it comes to spacing out these grappling portions, slowly climbing through submissions in a way that really milks it for all it's worth while never going so slow as to lose the viewer. Both guys also counter holds with such great quickness and snappiness, making the slower building periods feel more like both men playing mind games, waiting for the exact right moment to strike. This trend continues into the second fall, albeit with a Bock more willing to push the limits of acceptability, countering holds with eye rakes and chokes which draws the ire of referee Lou Thesz. Oki, as stoic as the man always was, really does a great job of getting more emotional here, going from stone-faced to legitimately frustrated by Bock. All of this builds to the final fall, where everything explodes in the most beautiful way possible. For as extreme as all of my praise here has been, I don't truly think that I've exaggerated much if at all. This is a monumental piece of work, a strong contender for IWE's best singles match ever, and quite possibly one of the greatest matches ever flat-out. For all the Mutoha/Mumeijuku/80s NJPW/general slow-burn grappling fans out there, please do yourself a favor and watch this match. Excellent Pro Wrestling.