TAKA Michinoku vs Aguila at WRESTLEMANIA 14

[TheVampiro4000]

aguila bares uncanny similuarity to psicosis

[SoulcaliburSkiller7]

man, essa rios didn't make it to 20 years of age then, well that proves they do allow people in the wwf in the age of 18 or older

[jfizzay]

Lol lawyer musta been pissed that taka got the push

[jcwkings77]

that michinoku driver is an awesome move, and nobody does it like taka himself, his just looks more devastating than others who have tried it.

[Aguzman0077]

@CrashHolly1 gracias

[Aguzman0077]

what ever happened to that Aguila kid?

[MrEvilpanda69]

@Aguzman0077 He changed to Essa Rios than went back to wrestle in mexico.

[KaientaiINDEED]

these guys and many others did the most risk taking, athletic moves iv seen in wrestling, i remember seeing this type of action all the time but its been forever

[rufus566]

@maddkthomaschs

Obviously it was dubbed when you realize that the other competitor was not even announced on the audio of the clip but raised his hands as he was announced live.

[lawzy7]

Sounds like lawler was sour cos his son wasnt on the card and these two were haha, For a 6 minute match, that was awesome

[jonnysniperable]

@lawzy7 Lawlers son was on the card, he was in the 15 team battle royal with scotty 2 hotty, and did pretty well

[Mrur1pig]

this is when the wwf was good

[rustykeys178]

Thanks to guys like Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio its now possible for smaller guys to be successful, if Taka and Agulia were around now they'd probably be pushed better, for example if Sin Cara was around ten years ago theres no way he would be getting the push he has got now, but thanks to guys like Eddie and Mysterio paving the way if he can survive for around for a year or so i think hes got a good chance of being a genuine main eventer

[saibasabu]

INDEEEEED.

[GiJoePSX]

great match and both showed respect..wish they guys would come back...

[dchockeygoali07]

essa rios was suicidal. half of those moonsaults he pulls are bat shit crazy.

[krazyboyle1]

Aguila, aka Essa Rios

[Lunacyk]

Seems like Taka is the only one with decent overdubbed music LOL.

[kevinhardy]

good match

[dkupke]

The WWF never paid much attention the light-heavyweight division as a whole. Added to that, most of the talent that was worth having at that time was already in WCW. Taka and Rey Mysterio in his prime would have had fantastic matches.

[CanadianGuitarist]

@dkupke Spot on. It's especially interesting when you consider the success WCW had in 1996 and 1997 was largely due to the undercard, specifically the Cruiserweights. The WWF never could catch lightning in a bottle the same way, which really illustrates your point; look at the roster of cruiserweights who had a least some time in the WWF in 1997 as they tested the waters - it's an who's who.

[Freebleeper]

AH! I love Taka's original theme music!

[grate4life]

the crowd was fucking retarded, the company was fucking retarded.

[mrblob1012]

man why did i start watching wrestling in 2005 i missed all the good stuff

[terrorizerr1]

exelent match.

[mrblob1012]

indeed

[Jabbaro123]

Seriously WWE Mocks Asian performers and i hope that they don't try this crap with Yoshi Tatsu because he seem's to have a chance.

[detroituntilidie]

wtf....I hate it when WWE dubs the entrance music (taka)

[NeptuneNetwork]

@detroituntilidie At least they dubbed it with something awesome. I love that song!

[rufus566]

@NeptuneNetwork

Agree, I love Yamoto suit IV but this tune was awesome! I forgot it was an overdub when I last watched this because it fit the entrance so well. I wonder if the overdubbed tune was an actual piece used or composed for the DVD's?

[Burkose]

damn Aguila suceeded in all his spot right there !

[purelh]

thats pyschosis guess he didnt use that name in the wwf

[alansalt]

@purelh looks alot like him i know but its the man formally known as Essa Rios, also went under the names Aguila, Mr Aguila, Papi Chulo (who was on wwe as well) im thinking pyschosis was either wrestling in ECW WCW or Mexico at this time?

[tag1989]

@alansalt i thought this was pyschosis lol

[mrblob1012]

i think thats essa rios i looked it up once

[13charachters]

LOL, they've dubbed over TAKA's music and ring announcement. By the way, you totally don't understand anything if you think this is a good match

[Taurus5190]

I still watch WWE, but this is the matches I grew up with!

[TimeSpliTT]

@Taurus5190 this match? i grew up watching wrestling and all i can remember is being repetitively punched in the face with Shawn Micheal dx stone cold undertaker the rock attitude nonesense and I completely became uninvolved in other matches like this one.

[fallriverallstar]

wat an awsome match one of the best wrestlemaina matches ever

[slickmove87]

this is when taka was a face, hes still young enough, why dont he come back

[StanKingston420]

This is fucking Stupid Of Redubing Taka's Theme!!!

[Romchikthelemon]

First ever WWF lightchamp? Wow

[dchockeygoali07]

4:17 is epic. this is a fucking amazing match, i can't believe i've never seen this.

[ewinais]

que pelea mas buena mejor que rey misterio

[crazyyungsta08]

i thought that was psychosis

[SimplyPhenomenal7]

on wwe vintage, they had this yamato suite song, im sure of it. phenomenal wrestler, def set standards

[Juzzer316]

4:14 AJ's Spiral Tap over the top rope!

[tutekki]

What's the name of this theme!?

[Kokushi666]

i cant belive people didnt know grand master was lawlers son he talked about him more than hogan said brother

[abayk47]

aguila is hayabusa

[Kokushi666]

no he's essa rios

[ThePerfectOne95]

@abayk47 WHAT???? I don't believe you!!!

[misterlaufeyson]

it's a shame both these great wrestlers are underrated by most english speaking fans

[terryfink]

I totally forgot about this match. Was it buried in the card somewhere?

[DarkSaber22]

Aguila was 19 in his first WM? wow

[terryfink]

@DarkSaber22 crazy eh!! so much potential. He's still wrestling but looks like he's a bit heavier now.. Plus he has a crazy new haircut

[Taurus5190]

Damm. Taka should come back for a reunion or something. He did like a Shelton Benjamin move on 2:29

[kratosisdaman]

omg aguila/essa rios is way beter than mysterio they should bring back the light-heavyweight title or the cruiserweight title!!!

[reyvillano1]

@kratosisdaman yeah he was out because he didn´t speak english

[GamingPalooza]

WWF had a weak lightweight division... it was so bad at one point that they brought in a bunch of midgets to compete against WCW's cruiserweights. Anyone remember Max Mini?

WCW had the best cruiser weight division during this time, and TNA is following their footsteps.

[bjjartist]

@GamingPalooza I agree the division was but the juniors(as we call over here) are great wrestlers themselves sadly they are used strictly in comical roles 95% of the time Max kicks ass. I say they unify all the brands again and unify the women's and divas titles. Then, bring back the cruiserweights AND the juniors as separate divisions. A juniors division would give them something to do with hornswoggle. S/N: does any1 else find it crazy that the divas title is bigger than the women's title?

[subfighter316]

Was that comment by JR really in good taste about dec 27th?

[KedrickBurton]

Michinoku Driver (Sit-Down Driver). 6:54

[808TROY]

@KedrickBurton scoop sit out piledriver

[jason8150xxx]

greatest lightheavyweight champion ever

[AlexShelleyMCMG]

aguila is essa rios

[Marumasa]

not the best match, but it's a nice little wrestling curio. excellent michnoku driver, got a decent crowd pop too.

also wtf @ JR's commentating... "asai moonsault", "riki choshu" -- it's almost like he's trying.

[FUCKULUKEFITZGERALD]

He's calling the moves, what would you have him do?

[Marumasa]

@FUCKULUKEFITZGERALD

exactly that. i just don't expect him to because he sucks now.

[SteakBeats]

it sad that this form of wrestling is so overlooked in the states

[thewrestlingfiend]

@SteakBeats it really is but there is something called chikara pro wrestling

[hugoxparkour24]

what a match , this is real action

[Channel1616]

at 4:19 its ring shows its wwf....but why it has wwe logo....i know its wwf momment.

[ozzmanhascameback]

This was probably part of the Wrestlemania anthology, released after WWF became WWE. WWE is the only logo used now, since they can't useWWF because of the damn World Wildlife Fund.

[boomjustlikethat]

its a remake of the 1998 footage, they had to overwrite the entrance themes too

[kickersharp]

I have the original boc set before WWF went to WWE this is not Takas theme in the video

[mrblob1012]

Only time in this titles history was this title defended at wrestlemania

[tazzy786786]

wwe at its best , thats what wwe need

[rafa1234kid]

this was better than any matches jon cena has ever been in.this is great wrstling

[sortman94]

this match could have gone on for a half hour thats how good it was. i cant help but watch it over and over. the high flying moves were so entertaining. fuck wwe for dubbing the taka theme

[yonkeykong420]

do you know why they dubbed it??

[sortman94]

no clue. wwe owns the original theme. jim johnston (does most of the wwf/e music) composed it

[DavidSim1994WATP]

"If I were Aguila, I would head to the nearest Taco Bell and run to the border!"

Jerry Lawler was brilliant back then.

[cdryahoo]

...i'd make like taco bell, not i would head to the nearest taco bell. lol

[Fuckmeplease66666666]

Brian Christopher is Jerry Lawler's son.

[aeonlinear]

I fucking hate how the WWE overdub over half the original entrance themes on their dvd releases. You can still hear the intro of Yamato Suite #4 in the background after the pin. It wouldn't be so bad if they just dubbed an in-house cover/knockoff, but they go out of their way to give utter shit overdubbed music to former/non wwe wrestlers.

[MrDCWood]

I KNOW, mate! Yamao Suite #4 was one of Jim Johnston's best pieces of music EVER! Why they replaced that (which is a theme WWE has the RIGHTS to!) with some soulless generic theme is beyond me.

[sortman94]

yeah man it really brings down the value of all the dvds

[koolpandaskater]

This match should have been much longer.

[MrDCWood]

P.S. How awesome was Jerry Lawler on commentary back then?

"I'm not biased, I'm not predjudiced. I hate each and every one of them equally! I don't care if they fly through the air like Superman spinning around like a corkscrew! Brian Christopher could whip both of them at the same time!"

[MrDCWood]

Even though, Taka had a good run in the WWE, he deserved more. As Mick Foley has sai, Taka could easily have been the WWE Champion if Vince just allowed him to wrestle. The demotion to comical jobber was insulting frankly.

Still, at least Taka was allowed to compete on the greatest stage of them all and have a godlike match.

[mrblob1012]

to be fair he was a funny heel with funaki but it still wasnt right

[MrDCWood]

@mrblob1012

Both Taka and Funaki were funny indeed (no pun intended, I SWEAR!) as Kaientai, but they were endlessly squashed and jobbed out, which was completely unfair to them. After such a great singles run, Taka was reduced to comedy AND jobbing. Which wasn't on at all.

When Funaki got reinvented as Smackdown's number 1 announcer, that was a gimmick I approved of. Because it was funny, likeable and successful (the Cruiserweight title run).

Unlike the tedious 'Kung-Fu Naki' mess.

[TheSirMittens]

@MrDCWood Godlike match? This was nothing compared to the worst wcw cruiserweight matches that were occuring years before this. You tweakin'!

[MrDCWood]

WrestleMania 14 was one of my all-time favourite shows. It was the first WWE PPV i ever saw and I'll always love it because literally every match on the show was awesome. This was certainly no exception.

I became a fan of Taka instantly and he was truly one of the biggest stars of the Attitude era in my opinion, because of his ability, his Light-Heavyweight title run and this match at WrestleMania, which was the highpoint of his career, as it was Aguila's (Essa Rios).

Truly breathtaking.

[TKBOYZPRODUCTIONS]

wrestlemania 14, was the first one i saw too, it brings me back to childhood when i was younger, then wrestling was better and i had a crazy imagination thanks for your opinion and i agree with you, wrestlemania 14 was one of my favs

[MMADreamer]

I love this match

[LFirstbasema]

Trivia: Aguila would return 2 years later, but this time as Essa Rios with his valet who we all know now as Lita.

[VivaLaRaza360]

cool match

[sexmech27]

TAKA Michinoku is my hero!!!! Who dose he wrestle for now a days. If I was a wrestler, I would do different michinoku driver variations as my finishers! Thats how much I admire and respect him!!!

[petesmart1983]

all japan pro wrestling he is on now, he was released after a serious injury in wwe

[grigorovich07]

He is in the KAIENTAI Dojo now.

[Poetguy98]

@petesmart1983 What type of serious injury ?, just out of curiosity.

[twoo57]

mann i hate wrestling now adays

[dennisking1978]

watta classic cruiserwieght i mean light heavywieght match

[boothylegend]

this was a great match

[addicted2supermodels]

I love TAKA's entrance music!!

[okipinoMokes]

so, does anyone know whether THESE type of moves or wrestlers are ever gonna be back in wrestling today?  i think not.

[ShootingStar540]

they still are...just not in WWE...

[BUSTAxCLIP89]

DIS WAS A GREAT MATCH...i have da vhs for dis wrestlmania!

[RantNRavinFection]

godamn, taka was so young....i haven't seen this match in almost 12 years.....

[mario6sic6]

is Aguila essa rios??

[jason8150xxx]

yes that is him

[dennisking1978]

i was wondering the same thing

[CaptainCrunchisma]

WWF was FINALLY trying to catch up with what WCW was showcasing since two years before...

[iwantaconfession]

lmao

at 1:22 JR made an interesting and ironic reference

Taka won the title in Dec 7, 1997

The Pearl Harbor attacks were also in Dec,7 but in 1941

the IRONY?

Taka is Japanese and the Pearl Harbor attackers were..... Japanese!!!

[BruiserDrop]

So stupid McMahon told the cruisers to not show up the main events like Cena.

[ozzmanhascameback]

Wow, first time I ever saw this match. Excellent. Just excellent.

[Dacryfilico368]

jaja Psicosis ("aguila")?

[929292matt929292]

TAKA Michinoku is sooooo sick !!!!!

i love him as a wrestler

[skeletonchrist1503]

aguila should be here today. lita started out with him when he was essa rios

[TheKusKus]

This is the match that made me get into wrestling, and here I am, 10 years later, and this match is still amazing!!!

[dennisking1978]

no doubt eh

[Th3Main3venter]

Why wasnt the crowd going mad?

[redbuick]

Becaseu they were still brainwashed to beliefe two 300lb guys beating each other up for 5 minutes then taking a headlock for 15 was what wrestling was about. highflyiers and mat technitions were still a mystery to wwf fans and not understood or appreciated.Great talent.

[Rice9999]

Um, dumbfuck ? Do you not know what "WRESTLING" Is ? These two weren't over with the crowd(or at least "that" crowd) at this time.

[redbuick]

Look smartass,watch your fucking mouth,cause if you were in my face right now you would have a keyborad shoved down your throat.Real tough talker on the net like most cowards. did i call you out a name?no .i have been watching wrestling for 20 years plus, and i can see you are just like the brainwashed twats that cannot appreciate athleticism over size to get you over. yeah i know what wrestling is, and as usual you average "smart"fan's cannot appreciate japan/mexican wrestlers.hohoho jerkwad.

[Rice9999]

Um, what ? I watch DDT, NOAH, HUSTLE, etc.

But when some dumbfuck says "300lb guys beating each other up for 5 minutes, and 15 headlocks" Is that not what wrestling is ?..

[Rice9999]

You infact have favorite'd matches from the "Golden Era" of WWE. -__-

[redbuick]

Glad you can read. But did i ever say Einstein, that i only like highflying type wrestling?NO. and i am glad you looked at my page and saw a total mix of wrestling and not just one type. IF you had half a brain you would see this type of wrestling and the more traditional type of wrestling had to mix to co exist. There is room for varied styles, brawlers,as well as high spot type stuff.YOUR a true smart mark, dick head.

[redbuick]

Dude you really are a piece of crap.Once you said hustle, i knew you were a fag , just like that razor ramone hard gay you probably idolize. lou thesz was not 300lbs know who he is?antonino rocca was not 300lbs, shall i go on? wrestling was and is entertainment. for it to continue to entertain they had to change.Dude you already showed your an arrogant punk kid with way too much attitude so quit while your behind. i never said anything to you bad, but i see your just a total asshole on the tube.

[Rice9999]

Razor Ramone is actually not gay, idiot. -_-

Even so, Lou whoeverthefuck and Antonino whogivesashit, wrestled in the simpler days of sports entertainment.

[redbuick]

Bro i know that, i also know he got married about a year ago.Your insults don't bother me as much as i don't understand the hostility. lou thesz and antonino rocca are the fathers of the wrestling you see now in all fashions.LEARN your history, and it is ok to know things existed before the year 2000 and the xbox360.

[Rice9999]

Ive been watching wrestling since 1997. -_-

[redbuick]

You missed alot.Great feuds like macho man vs steamboat, Bruiser brody vs abdulla the butcher. octagon and el hijo del santo hair vs mask against eddie guererro and love machine.oh and hiro hase vs the great muta. i am sure you can find them on the tube.

[RaldyV]

Wait, Which Razor Ramon are we talking about? Razor Ramon HG or Razor Ramon Scott Hall?

[redbuick]

Razor Ramon HG. i know he is not gay, his character is though.unlike my pal who thinks i know nothing about wrestling, i have looked into those other feds, and if he thinks this type of wrestling is garbage and that other nonsense is, he is nuts.

[929292matt929292]

TAKA Michinoku theme music is so sick in this

[grigorovich07]

redbuick is right you are just an idiot who doesn't appreciate true talent i am sure you and vince would get along great.

[Rice9999]

Yeah, that explains why I just watched this match, and favorite'd "Tajiri vs TAKA". -_-

And no this is not "true talent", you're a moron. High-flying bullshit is not what wrestling is all about.

[redbuick]

Typical tough talk on the tube. be safe behind your keyboard bitchboy. i would love to put you in an REAL sleeper hold, see if those fake counters work in real life, you know what that is?

[Rice9999]

Disregard my insults, dude. -_- And yes I am aware that those counters won't work in real life, but I'm sure 2 or 3 good elbows to the stomach would stop you.

[redbuick]

Bro if applied correctly you won't get in ONE elbow. And that is not me just talking, it's a fact.

[Rice9999]

Well, if thats the case it wouldn't be a sleep hold, it would be a chokehold. -_-

[redbuick]

no dude it would be a choke if i pulled it into your trachea. it would be on your jugular.

[dennisking1978]

good question

[RIPjones08]

dont forget about tajiri!

[rf9193]

i got the original VHS

Taka didnt use the shite music, he used the Attitude style ( Original Taka Music )

[thexfallenxangelx]

Batung Bakal A

[stephen181]

When did Aguila lose his mask?

[TheGreatRedDragon]

He lost it in September 1998 in a "mask vs. mask" match with Ultimo Dragon.

As for this match, it's absolutely amazing. Both of these guys were completely underappreciated by the WWF and their audience. They really know how to light the ring on fire.

[PrinceApocalypse]

"...If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you!"....lol...great match...

[felixuselegos]

The main one he uses is Yamato Suite, there have been 4 revisions of it I believe but thats only in the dubbing. The Wrestlemania theme has a name and I knew it at one time, but its been a while for me.

[RKPentecost]

I think TAKA should be in the hall of fame because he was the first L-H/cruiserweight champion and he won this match the first L-H held at Wrestlemania.

[felixuselegos]

Not to mention holding the title for almost a year and showing a great diversity of styles. Still, Vince never showed him much appreciation, the real talent shone in his ECW and Japanese matches. Togo and Teiho were wasted in the WWF as well.

[felixuselegos]

I've always said that Aguila and Taka were a great duo. This match was grand. Using such logic Taka and Aguila could have both been Tag Team Champions and gone much further. Essa Rios was okay for Aguila, but the more I think about it, the more I hate the Evil Gimmick. As well as Taka's overall talent waste.

[grigorovich07]

yeah i hate the way wwe did that to TAKA and funaki they could have easily been the tag champs and TAKA should have been the WWE Champion

[drnllbnks]

Do you remember the day TAKA beat HHH for the WWF Championship with a roll up on RAW and HHH beat the title out of him moments later?

[grigorovich07]

taka didnt win the title he lost he should have won and came so close too winning

[drnllbnks]

He did pin him for the title shot though the week before right?

[grigorovich07]

sorry he didnt

[felixuselegos]

He should have