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Post by chunkylover53 on Dec 28, 2009 12:57:35 GMT -5
Back in the late 80s/early 90s, the tag team division was thriving. So many awesome teams, you had Demolition, Hart Foundation, Rockers, British Bulldogs, Legion of Doom, Nasty Boys, Killer Bees, Brain Busters, I mean, check out for the first two Survivor Series that had 5 actual teams(not single guys put together) against 5 other teams. Case in point, it was too great to deny.
However, I rarely, if ever see people on these boards talk about The Orient Express. The team consist of Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato(later replaced by Kato). Even though the tag team was suppose to represent Japan, the only person on the three man team who was Japanese born was Sato, while Tanaka was Hawaiian of Japanese descent, and Kato was put under a mask to hide the fact he wasn't really Asian.
Managed by the devious Mr. Fuji, they went over no name jobbers without a problem, but when it came to main roster, they were jobbed out. Which is a shame because they had talent, and could've gave the tag team division a nice shot in the arm.
Instead, they job to the likes of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff, The Bushwhackers, and The New Foundation....AND THOSE WERE THE SUCKY TEAMS!!!
They had a brief feud with Legion of Doom, who overpowered them in size, and The Rockers, where they produced a great match at the 1991 Royal Rumble.
I understand back then, titles didn't change hands every months like they do now, but the WWF could've used the tag team much better than they did. Plus, they had an awesome theme song....
Wasted potential in my opinon.
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Post by DrizzlinShytes on Dec 28, 2009 13:23:39 GMT -5
I'd say you made the case against your conclusion. In a tag team division stacked as you mention, there was no reason to build the Orient Express beyond their jobber to the stars position. They couldn't talk and their gimmick was not going to light any fires in the crowd. They were a talented team of workers that could help get over the big talent.
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Post by chunkylover53 on Dec 28, 2009 13:49:31 GMT -5
They could've easily been pushed as an underdog tag team(Sato/Tanaka version especially) with Mr. Fuji as their mouth piece. Plus, we've had tag teams that were smaller in size, but held the titles, such as Too Cool and later London and Kendrick(I know I'm missing others).
And as far as them not being able to get over with the crowd is concerned. American Fans tend to get behind Japanese guys when used seriously, such as Tajiri and Taka Machinoku(both in the beginning of course). Its all in the booking.
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Post by mightydavidson on Dec 28, 2009 14:19:10 GMT -5
Underdog tag teams don't generally work as heels though and at that time period, the odds of the Orient Express being pushed as faces were slim and none.
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Post by johnnyk9 on Dec 29, 2009 6:58:43 GMT -5
Pat Tanaka I still say to this day is one of the sickest bumpers ever, how he is not in a wheel chair right now and still working indy's really impresses me, Sato was ok, but putting Diamond under the mask and using Bad Company was a good idea these guys could've had a tag team title run I think but they were to small
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repomark
Unicron
For Mash Get Smash
Posts: 3,043
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Post by repomark on Dec 29, 2009 8:17:00 GMT -5
I always liked the Orient Express. Loved their matches with the Rockers, but most of all I loved their entrance music.
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Post by I Like Your Poetry on Dec 29, 2009 11:23:06 GMT -5
Good, underappreciated tag team.
I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Pat Tanaka at a show my friend was running, and good lord he is one of the funniest people I have ever met. Just a riot.
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Post by FunkerCM on Dec 29, 2009 14:38:10 GMT -5
Sorely underrated.
It's actually a shame they didn't spend more time in WCW where they would really have shone I think.
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Dave at the Movies
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
VINTAGE D-DAY DAVE! Always cranking dat thing.
Posts: 18,224
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Post by Dave at the Movies on Dec 29, 2009 15:09:09 GMT -5
I liked when they put Paul Diamond under a mask although I think at that point they should have dropped the Orient Express gimmick and just went with Badd Company. I think it would have gotten real over in WWF at the time.
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Post by hajimenoippo on Dec 29, 2009 21:19:37 GMT -5
They could've easily been pushed as an underdog tag team(Sato/Tanaka version especially) with Mr. Fuji as their mouth piece. Plus, we've had tag teams that were smaller in size, but held the titles, such as Too Cool and later London and Kendrick(I know I'm missing others). And as far as them not being able to get over with the crowd is concerned. American Fans tend to get behind Japanese guys when used seriously, such as Tajiri and Taka Machinoku(both in the beginning of course). Its all in the booking. dude different eras. The OE were great job team because hey had awesome matches with everybody. I don't see them over Money Inc, Natural Disasters, Steiners, LOD, or the Nasty Boys as tag champs. TAKA and Tajiri were over, but again another era and different fans. Nobody would pick the Orient Express to main event, they were an over job team, and they rocked it. I hate these "was wasted" topics. You'd think guys like Orndorf, Piper, and DiBiase were wasted because they weren't WWF champ.
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mrjl
Fry's dog Seymour
Posts: 20,319
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Post by mrjl on Dec 29, 2009 23:10:19 GMT -5
I liked when they put Paul Diamond under a mask although I think at that point they should have dropped the Orient Express gimmick and just went with Badd Company. I think it would have gotten real over in WWF at the time. I seriously doubt it. Kids would have wondered why the Japanese martial artist was suddenly apparently some sort of wannabe cool guy. And with the wide variety of face teams at the time I really don't see them getting over over them. As I recall when they did a brief thing where Heenan had some issue with Fuji and them the fans chose to cheer for Haku and the Barbarian over the Orient Express.
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Zen411
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 3,744
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Post by Zen411 on Dec 29, 2009 23:29:08 GMT -5
When they first started out....they seemed to have potential. They seemed dangerous and Fuji was a good fit.
Then they replaced Sato with Kato. Really? Is it that hard to find an actual Japanese wrestler? I never took them seriously with that guy in a cheap mask.
Then Tanaka started getting fat and wearing a t shirt. The era when they were facing New Foundation was not the glory days of tag wrestling.
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Post by chunkylover53 on Dec 30, 2009 0:17:14 GMT -5
They could've easily been pushed as an underdog tag team(Sato/Tanaka version especially) with Mr. Fuji as their mouth piece. Plus, we've had tag teams that were smaller in size, but held the titles, such as Too Cool and later London and Kendrick(I know I'm missing others). And as far as them not being able to get over with the crowd is concerned. American Fans tend to get behind Japanese guys when used seriously, such as Tajiri and Taka Machinoku(both in the beginning of course). Its all in the booking. dude different eras. The OE were great job team because hey had awesome matches with everybody. I don't see them over Money Inc, Natural Disasters, Steiners, LOD, or the Nasty Boys as tag champs. TAKA and Tajiri were over, but again another era and different fans. Nobody would pick the Orient Express to main event, they were an over job team, and they rocked it. I hate these "was wasted" topics. You'd think guys like Orndorf, Piper, and DiBiase were wasted because they weren't WWF champ. They had potential, thats all. And no, I don't think the three you mentioned were wasted because they didn't win the WWF championship.
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Post by boomhauer20055 on Dec 30, 2009 6:40:19 GMT -5
They were best used at house shows. There matches were ususally one of the best on the card. Them along with Bret Hart were used to carry the house shows when Warrior was champ and Main eventing with 2 minute matches. They were too small for Vince to have made them champs plus at that time the belts weren't passed around like they are today. I liked the Kato version which was Bad Company from AWA
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2009 8:37:01 GMT -5
I can remember the duo of Sato and Tanaka and I actually kind of liked them as bad guys. Not that they were stellar mic men or had any storylines that completely absorbed me, but they held my attention. Let's break it down:
1.) Did they read as evil Japanese guys? Yes. 2.) Were they decent wrestlers? Yes. 3.) Were they managed by Mr. Fuji? Yes, and that alone should be enough.
I don't think they were ever destined to be 38 time world tag champs or nothing, but their time was not ill spent. They deserve some credit.
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Post by Fuj the Stooge on Dec 30, 2009 18:55:55 GMT -5
Good team, and as far as I know the only "Express" to wrestle for Vince. I liked Bad Company, but I'm glad they got the new characters they did. If they were just "heel rockers" I don't think they would have been as cool. As for Kato in the mask, I didn't care whether he was REALLY Japanese or not. The name Kato comes from Bruce Lee's character in The Green Hornet who wore a mask, anyway. Kato was a lot better IMO than Akio Sato, and had more experience teaming with Tanaka so he was a natural fit.
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mrjl
Fry's dog Seymour
Posts: 20,319
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Post by mrjl on Dec 30, 2009 19:40:16 GMT -5
Good team, and as far as I know the only "Express" to wrestle for Vince. I liked Bad Company, but I'm glad they got the new characters they did. If they were just "heel rockers" I don't think they would have been as cool. As for Kato in the mask, I didn't care whether he was REALLY Japanese or not. The name Kato comes from Bruce Lee's character in The Green Hornet who wore a mask, anyway. Kato was a lot better IMO than Akio Sato, and had more experience teaming with Tanaka so he was a natural fit. sometimes I think they were named that as something of a joke.
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Post by Mighty Mouth on Dec 30, 2009 23:15:07 GMT -5
Tanaka was/is one of the most underrated workers ever IMO. The guy was so flawless in the ring and could bump like a champ. I believe Paul Heyman had him as one of his top picks for the early days of ECW. I didn't realize he could still work. Book Tanaka and Steamboat NOW!
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