Watching Puro for first time

**Duster** · 03-09-2012, 08:22 AM

I want to start watching Puro. Where would be a good place to start?

**EgoFantastico** · 03-09-2012, 08:44 AM

Don't start with widely regarded classics like Misawa/Kawada from June ''94. Such matches are only fully enjoyed if you're familiar with their history and have watched their prior matches, as a lot of the spots are built up from those prior bouts and won't 'get over' as well if you don't know why they're being done the way they are. Are you looking for single matches, DVD sets, etc?

**Big Papa** · 03-09-2012, 09:45 AM

Personally, I started out by watched the Joe vs Kobashi match, which is not truly puro but stiff enough to be close. That got me seeking out some Kobashi classics. I took the approach that Ego is advising against. He makes a key point, though.- a great aspect to many of the All Japan classics of the 90s is the way they build on each other. Watching them in some sequence definitely helps. That said, many are good enough to stand on their own, especially if you take the time to understand a bit of history of a given feud.

Some contemporary New Japan is easy enough to find and accessible enough. Not the best examples of what puro offers but not bad.

DragonGate is another way, as you can find full shows of Infinity streaming. Its not really "typical" puro but its fun to watch and the stable-based stories are very easy to follow.

**King Steventon** · 03-09-2012, 10:54 AM

Depends entirely on what you want to watch. Do you want to see something old or recent? What kind of style and match do you want to see?

**Phantom** · 03-09-2012, 06:43 PM

Yeah, don't kick things off with the really "big" All Japan matches like Misawa v Jumbo or something. AJ building on one another is true, but you can still enjoy any of the matches without the build-up. One of the first puro matches I watched was Misawa/Kobashi v Kawada/Taue 6/9/95, and no matter ho great it is, you want to be into puro a little before actually taking 45 minutes to get to it. Not because of thr "story" or anything (though it helps the appreciation of it), just really because...it's hard to...something. I can't really explain it.

Starting with early 90s New Japan juniors worked really well for me, though.

Michinoku Pro tags. Watch Michinoku Pro tags. Action rules and the crowd interaction can be beautiful. This is assuming you're into that kind of thing, though. If you really want heavy-hitters matches instead you need some Hashimoto or Vader. Or Hashimoto v Vader.

So yeah, depends what you're really into and where you want to start.