Terry Funk is arguably one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His selling, in-ring ability, and ability to put guys over is amazing.
Terry Funk vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (2/3 Falls) - AJPW 6/11/76 - 8
Two fucking awesome wrestlers going at in classic puro action. Jockeying for position has never been more interesting or fun to watch. Terry would try to tangle up Jumbo, but he would have none of it. The faces and grimaces on both men's sweaty faces told the story: this shit was legit. Terry's working over of the left arm of Jumbo was something kids nowadays should take notice of. The arm-work was to die for on both men's part. So much retching and hate in the way they'd pull each others arm, bend each others arms, and generally cause extreme amounts of discomfort in one another. This was delicious. Terry would try to come back from Jumbo's arm holds, only to be frustrated to be put back in them just when he least expected it, be it from an arm-drag or lariat. The finish to the first fall was just so clean you could eat food off of it. Fuck yes. Fuck. Yes. Purogasm. The second fall is when things would get heated. Some great open hand strikes and stiffness featuring Funk bumping over the top rope like the madman he is. Jumbo's sell of a back drop also featured some great head-grabs and body convulsions. This is just simply how it is done. This is pro wrestling. This is awesome.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
WCW Spring Stampede '97
1. Rey Mysterio, Jr. vs. Último Dragón - 9
2. Akira Hokuto vs. Madusa - 4
3. Prince Iaukea vs. Lord Steven Regal - 5
4. Public Enemy vs. Steve McMichael and Jeff Jarrett - 4
5. Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko - 6
6. Rick Steiner vs. Kevin Nash - 3
7. Lex Luger vs. The Giant vs. Booker T vs. Stevie Ray - 7
8. Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page - No DQ Match - 7
This is probably my favorite WCW pay-per-view of the second-half of the 1990's, it's a notch below some of the best offerings of theirs from that entire decade like Great American Bash '90 and Wrestle War '92, but that's good company. It's arguably the most underrated, overlooked, and unheralded WCW PPV; but, that's just one man's opinion.
This was Mysterio and Dragón's third PPV encounter and ended the trilogy splendidly. To me, this is the personification of this lightweight style these guys really helped to usher in to new audiences. Último is the aggressor, really beating Rey down, with Rey's offense often coming in spurts trying to rally back against his foe. They absolutely make everything matter, it's clear each motion in the ring has significance to the endgame, and with flawless execution, this is like a little time capsule I can recall at my leisure and be brought back to a phenomenal, exciting time for in-ring action. The rare perfect match.
Next is a match that was sort of a wasted opportunity. It's about as one-sided as it gets, as Hokuto just beats Madusa around the ring at will. It was nice seeing the joshi veteran looking strong. The finish was a massive failure, though; Luna runs down and kicks Madusa while she's powerbombing Akira, but instead of countering it, Hokuta stills lands right on her head then just sort of sits on Madusa's face in a bungled, overwrought finish.
Iaukea in retrospect was a lot of wasted potential, the guy could have really made an impact but didn't have a real memorable career. Back then, he never stuck out to me, but watching his stuff from this era now it's clear that he had the goods just no opportunities. He's channeling Ricky Steamboat here clearly, and while this may not quite be up to the level of previous Regal versus Steamboat battles, it's quite good. Regal has a way of working the crowd that's fantastic, riling up the Mississippi rubes pre-match, simply walking away casually dodging a flying Prince attack, etc. I loved the finish, too; you often see counter-wrestling, but here, we got a counter within a counter. We don't see that enough and it makes Iaukea come off looking smart and prepared.
The next match, on paper, is a bit of a mess and in execution is only slightly better than expected. The real problem is McMichael, who's terrible, just greener than one of my shits after drinking a blue slushee (that ever happen to anybody else?). Steve's timing is woeful as he's often several seconds early on spots which is totally business exposing. There's some fun elements, Grunge going through a table on the floor from off the top, Rocco getting tossed around the "Old West" set, into a wagon and fake cattle, etc. The finish looked weak, too; Jarrett had Grunge in the figure four leglock when Rock came off the second rope nailing Jeff with a briefcase, problem was the shot looked incredibly weak and Jarrett sold it like death.
Malenko was stolid as ever but he and Benoit, their respect for each other shining through in each and every sequence, gave us a nice, hard-fought battle. In delivery it was certainly different than anything else on the bill, or happening in the company period at the time, but while it moved at a rather languid pace the intensity and fierce focus of its combatants made for a revelatory watch. The finish was terrible as after nearly 18 minutes of work it all built up to nothing as Jacqueline, Kevin Sullivan, and Arn Anderson all made their presence felt. The following match was supposed to be a tag, Scott Hall didn't show up (no big surprise), so they did a bit backstage earlier in the program where Scott Steiner got maced and detained, giving us this little turd. It ended up being Nash manhandling Steiner, commendable only for the beating Rick suffered, but was mostly designed to further the tension in the New World Order storyline by having both Ted DiBiase and referee Nick Patrick feeling Nash was going too far.
I really liked the four corners match as it felt different and fresh, something the company wasn't exactly known for, and also, one of my favorite teams Harlem Heat really got a chance to shine in a semi-main event. Given the four guys involved, everyone squared off against each other at least once, making for some interesting showdowns and interactions. Booker was great, his vocality while just doing simple things like arm-work is so loud and terrific. Luger and Giant aren't known as workhorses but held up their end of the bargain. The finish where Giant stepped aside and allowed Luger to get the pin (and subsequently a title shot at Hogan) didn't really make sense to me seeing this show out of context.
The main event I'd mistaken for a different match, these guys had a wild brawl in a falls count anywhere match at Great American Bash '97 (which i reviewed here as part of the Savage DVD set) that I've always adored; but while this one isn't the spectacle the GAB '97 thriller is, it makes up for it in sheer physicality and sounder psychology. There's one sequence that goes out into the crowd highlighted by some garbage can shots where trash juice flies out everywhere seeing the guy's slipping on the concrete like hired help on the set of a bukkake shoot. Savage is certifiably nuts throughout, brutally beating the shit out of ring announcer David Penzer, stalking Page's wife Kimberly, etc. The finish really pops the house and feels like a big moment as DDP gets a major win and the show ends with the further dissolution of the nWo.
2. Akira Hokuto vs. Madusa - 4
3. Prince Iaukea vs. Lord Steven Regal - 5
4. Public Enemy vs. Steve McMichael and Jeff Jarrett - 4
5. Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko - 6
6. Rick Steiner vs. Kevin Nash - 3
7. Lex Luger vs. The Giant vs. Booker T vs. Stevie Ray - 7
8. Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page - No DQ Match - 7
This is probably my favorite WCW pay-per-view of the second-half of the 1990's, it's a notch below some of the best offerings of theirs from that entire decade like Great American Bash '90 and Wrestle War '92, but that's good company. It's arguably the most underrated, overlooked, and unheralded WCW PPV; but, that's just one man's opinion.
This was Mysterio and Dragón's third PPV encounter and ended the trilogy splendidly. To me, this is the personification of this lightweight style these guys really helped to usher in to new audiences. Último is the aggressor, really beating Rey down, with Rey's offense often coming in spurts trying to rally back against his foe. They absolutely make everything matter, it's clear each motion in the ring has significance to the endgame, and with flawless execution, this is like a little time capsule I can recall at my leisure and be brought back to a phenomenal, exciting time for in-ring action. The rare perfect match.
Next is a match that was sort of a wasted opportunity. It's about as one-sided as it gets, as Hokuto just beats Madusa around the ring at will. It was nice seeing the joshi veteran looking strong. The finish was a massive failure, though; Luna runs down and kicks Madusa while she's powerbombing Akira, but instead of countering it, Hokuta stills lands right on her head then just sort of sits on Madusa's face in a bungled, overwrought finish.
Iaukea in retrospect was a lot of wasted potential, the guy could have really made an impact but didn't have a real memorable career. Back then, he never stuck out to me, but watching his stuff from this era now it's clear that he had the goods just no opportunities. He's channeling Ricky Steamboat here clearly, and while this may not quite be up to the level of previous Regal versus Steamboat battles, it's quite good. Regal has a way of working the crowd that's fantastic, riling up the Mississippi rubes pre-match, simply walking away casually dodging a flying Prince attack, etc. I loved the finish, too; you often see counter-wrestling, but here, we got a counter within a counter. We don't see that enough and it makes Iaukea come off looking smart and prepared.
The next match, on paper, is a bit of a mess and in execution is only slightly better than expected. The real problem is McMichael, who's terrible, just greener than one of my shits after drinking a blue slushee (that ever happen to anybody else?). Steve's timing is woeful as he's often several seconds early on spots which is totally business exposing. There's some fun elements, Grunge going through a table on the floor from off the top, Rocco getting tossed around the "Old West" set, into a wagon and fake cattle, etc. The finish looked weak, too; Jarrett had Grunge in the figure four leglock when Rock came off the second rope nailing Jeff with a briefcase, problem was the shot looked incredibly weak and Jarrett sold it like death.
Malenko was stolid as ever but he and Benoit, their respect for each other shining through in each and every sequence, gave us a nice, hard-fought battle. In delivery it was certainly different than anything else on the bill, or happening in the company period at the time, but while it moved at a rather languid pace the intensity and fierce focus of its combatants made for a revelatory watch. The finish was terrible as after nearly 18 minutes of work it all built up to nothing as Jacqueline, Kevin Sullivan, and Arn Anderson all made their presence felt. The following match was supposed to be a tag, Scott Hall didn't show up (no big surprise), so they did a bit backstage earlier in the program where Scott Steiner got maced and detained, giving us this little turd. It ended up being Nash manhandling Steiner, commendable only for the beating Rick suffered, but was mostly designed to further the tension in the New World Order storyline by having both Ted DiBiase and referee Nick Patrick feeling Nash was going too far.
I really liked the four corners match as it felt different and fresh, something the company wasn't exactly known for, and also, one of my favorite teams Harlem Heat really got a chance to shine in a semi-main event. Given the four guys involved, everyone squared off against each other at least once, making for some interesting showdowns and interactions. Booker was great, his vocality while just doing simple things like arm-work is so loud and terrific. Luger and Giant aren't known as workhorses but held up their end of the bargain. The finish where Giant stepped aside and allowed Luger to get the pin (and subsequently a title shot at Hogan) didn't really make sense to me seeing this show out of context.
The main event I'd mistaken for a different match, these guys had a wild brawl in a falls count anywhere match at Great American Bash '97 (which i reviewed here as part of the Savage DVD set) that I've always adored; but while this one isn't the spectacle the GAB '97 thriller is, it makes up for it in sheer physicality and sounder psychology. There's one sequence that goes out into the crowd highlighted by some garbage can shots where trash juice flies out everywhere seeing the guy's slipping on the concrete like hired help on the set of a bukkake shoot. Savage is certifiably nuts throughout, brutally beating the shit out of ring announcer David Penzer, stalking Page's wife Kimberly, etc. The finish really pops the house and feels like a big moment as DDP gets a major win and the show ends with the further dissolution of the nWo.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
WWE Raw (King of the Ring 2010) 11/29/10
1) Alberto Del Rio v. Daniel Bryan- 5
2) Cody Rhodes v. John Morrison- 3
3) Drew McIntyre v. Ezekiel Jackson- 2
4) Kofi Kingston v. Sheamus- 4
5) Heath Slater/ Justin Gabriel v. Mark Henry/ Yoshi Tatsu- 2
6) John Morrison v. Alberto Del Rio- 4
7) Maryse/ Tamina/ Alicia Fox v. Melina/ Natalya/ Gail Kim- 2
8) Sheamus v. John Morrison- 6
9) The Miz v. Jerry Lawler (Tables, Ladders, Chairs Match)- 5
This is the King of the Ring, 2010 version, the announcers were pushing it pretty hard, showing old clips, mentioning old winners such as Austin, Bret, Edge, and Brock, but failing to acknowledge Angle, Booker, Billy Gunn and others. 1st round had it's ups and downs, Del Rio is a godsend for this company, he's charismatic as hell, is a Spanish star, but also works a nice simple style. As we know, Danielson always has competitive matches, this one highlighted by trading Germans and a suicide dive where he channeled Benoit and hurt his arm. Cody and Morrison both need to go to punching school, wherever the hell that's located, I'm sure Chuck Palumbo's basement would be a good place to start. Cody's got a good gimmick, but his work hasn't caught up with, finish was also off target. Save for a few stiff half clotheslines from Drew, this was shorter than Gary Busey's last stint in rehab (the Conan blimp is still after you by the way) Finally, Sheamus and Kofi was fun only to watch Kofi bump for all his contract's worth. I'm not a fan of the current crop of youngsters on Smackdown, probably in the minority, but the endless combination of opponents with Kofi, Swagger, Rhodes, Ziggler, etc. I haven't seen too much that's left an impression, but not just resting on preconceived notions, I watched very closely and found Kofi was more game than Mario Party 7 here and made this pretty watchable.
This tag only served it's part in giving John Cena a cameo, how awkward would it be if you were fired from your job and kept going back to it hanging around, nonetheless attacked your former co-workers? haha, logic has no place here. Besides Henry's slam and Gabriel breaking a pinfall with a mushroom stomp, skip this. You thought the 250,000 documents released on the Wiki Leak was exposing, watch Slater work a few minutes. Del Rio continues to overachieve, really putting Morrison to task, his arm work feels so natural it's a breeze to watch. Loved Rey channeling Big Vis from back in the day laying on the horn and Morrison caught Alberto dead square in his pasta eater with that kick, nasty spot.
6 Woman tag I was looking forward to, but alas, no one running the company seemed to care about them getting a workout as this barely scratched 3 minutes. Alicia took a cool bump on Melina's knees and provided a few moments of entertainment thus I tossed it a couple pity points. Santino singing pop songs from the 80's was mildly amusing but then i noticed a nickel on the ground and lost focus. The King of the Ring Finals was actually a decent little match and I would recommend it solely on the basis if you have tuned out of WWE programming of late (no shortage of reasons) then watch the work here. Morrison actually outbumps and outsells Kofi earlier and Sheamus provides all the punishment he needs to do it. Some great near falls highlight the latter portion, but I thought them doing 2 arm injuries in one night was overkill.
Before I comment on the main event, another reason to tune back into Raw, if this is a permanent move, is the commentary of CM Punk, he's a polarizing figure within the industry, but love him or hate him, it seems he's barely trying and is 10 times more entertaining and informative than Cole or Lawler have been since their last face lift. Inside references galore, from the Colt Cabana shirt, to the Cody-Pat Patterson reference, as he also put over William Regal on commentary which is always nice. Onto the main, they did a good job of building up the nostalgia for Lawler and not totally burying him as they do so many other legends. The slow pace actually catches your eye off the bat and they make every punch and bodyslam seem to mean more than they did the whole night. The table spots are perfunctory and Lawler knows how to milk a crowd of every last drop of excitement, the Cole thing was really predictable though. Also, ever since Jericho did the finish on the ladder where he throws the belt in the other guy's face, I've seen it repeatedly, same thing here. But I think this will have a different flavor than any other TLC match you see at the next ppv and I awarded it points accordingly.
2) Cody Rhodes v. John Morrison- 3
3) Drew McIntyre v. Ezekiel Jackson- 2
4) Kofi Kingston v. Sheamus- 4
5) Heath Slater/ Justin Gabriel v. Mark Henry/ Yoshi Tatsu- 2
6) John Morrison v. Alberto Del Rio- 4
7) Maryse/ Tamina/ Alicia Fox v. Melina/ Natalya/ Gail Kim- 2
8) Sheamus v. John Morrison- 6
9) The Miz v. Jerry Lawler (Tables, Ladders, Chairs Match)- 5
This is the King of the Ring, 2010 version, the announcers were pushing it pretty hard, showing old clips, mentioning old winners such as Austin, Bret, Edge, and Brock, but failing to acknowledge Angle, Booker, Billy Gunn and others. 1st round had it's ups and downs, Del Rio is a godsend for this company, he's charismatic as hell, is a Spanish star, but also works a nice simple style. As we know, Danielson always has competitive matches, this one highlighted by trading Germans and a suicide dive where he channeled Benoit and hurt his arm. Cody and Morrison both need to go to punching school, wherever the hell that's located, I'm sure Chuck Palumbo's basement would be a good place to start. Cody's got a good gimmick, but his work hasn't caught up with, finish was also off target. Save for a few stiff half clotheslines from Drew, this was shorter than Gary Busey's last stint in rehab (the Conan blimp is still after you by the way) Finally, Sheamus and Kofi was fun only to watch Kofi bump for all his contract's worth. I'm not a fan of the current crop of youngsters on Smackdown, probably in the minority, but the endless combination of opponents with Kofi, Swagger, Rhodes, Ziggler, etc. I haven't seen too much that's left an impression, but not just resting on preconceived notions, I watched very closely and found Kofi was more game than Mario Party 7 here and made this pretty watchable.
This tag only served it's part in giving John Cena a cameo, how awkward would it be if you were fired from your job and kept going back to it hanging around, nonetheless attacked your former co-workers? haha, logic has no place here. Besides Henry's slam and Gabriel breaking a pinfall with a mushroom stomp, skip this. You thought the 250,000 documents released on the Wiki Leak was exposing, watch Slater work a few minutes. Del Rio continues to overachieve, really putting Morrison to task, his arm work feels so natural it's a breeze to watch. Loved Rey channeling Big Vis from back in the day laying on the horn and Morrison caught Alberto dead square in his pasta eater with that kick, nasty spot.
6 Woman tag I was looking forward to, but alas, no one running the company seemed to care about them getting a workout as this barely scratched 3 minutes. Alicia took a cool bump on Melina's knees and provided a few moments of entertainment thus I tossed it a couple pity points. Santino singing pop songs from the 80's was mildly amusing but then i noticed a nickel on the ground and lost focus. The King of the Ring Finals was actually a decent little match and I would recommend it solely on the basis if you have tuned out of WWE programming of late (no shortage of reasons) then watch the work here. Morrison actually outbumps and outsells Kofi earlier and Sheamus provides all the punishment he needs to do it. Some great near falls highlight the latter portion, but I thought them doing 2 arm injuries in one night was overkill.
Before I comment on the main event, another reason to tune back into Raw, if this is a permanent move, is the commentary of CM Punk, he's a polarizing figure within the industry, but love him or hate him, it seems he's barely trying and is 10 times more entertaining and informative than Cole or Lawler have been since their last face lift. Inside references galore, from the Colt Cabana shirt, to the Cody-Pat Patterson reference, as he also put over William Regal on commentary which is always nice. Onto the main, they did a good job of building up the nostalgia for Lawler and not totally burying him as they do so many other legends. The slow pace actually catches your eye off the bat and they make every punch and bodyslam seem to mean more than they did the whole night. The table spots are perfunctory and Lawler knows how to milk a crowd of every last drop of excitement, the Cole thing was really predictable though. Also, ever since Jericho did the finish on the ladder where he throws the belt in the other guy's face, I've seen it repeatedly, same thing here. But I think this will have a different flavor than any other TLC match you see at the next ppv and I awarded it points accordingly.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Plentiful Potpourri of Provoking Puro Ponderings: Part Ichi
Shadow WX vs. Ryuji Yamakawa (Light-tubes and Barbed Wire DM) 12/4/99 - 9
Oh holy shit. This match had all the makings for a classic and to say it delivered would be an understatement. This match delivered more than the mother of a 20lb baby. Yamakawa was so willing to take any bump that WX could dish out. On the Daniel Bryan Manliness Meter, this was off the charts. Yamakawa took two fire bumps and some sick powerbombs. WX donned a t-shirt doused in lighter fluid, lit it, and splashed onto the awaiting Yamakawa in a fashion that rivaled Greg Louganis. Yamakawa gave the single greatest sell I have seen in deathmatch wrestling after taking an Irish whip into a board filled with tubes. You gotta see it to believe it. This was just everything clicking better than that piece of shit Adam Sandler flick a while back. Save the date 12/4/99 because some crazy shit went down at Korakuen that night. Highly recommended and maybe qualifying for my favorite deathmatch I've ever seen.
Pac vs. Shingo - Dragon Gate Live in LA - 6
Shingo is such a great base for light weight wrestlers. Pac was taking it to Shingo harder than a a chop to the pec from Kobashi. Shingo's monstrous stature and hard-ass persona took everything Pac dished out. Pac went for a shooting star press to a standing Shingo on the outside and nearly killed himself by falling off the rope, but he was able to balance himself like Shinzaki walking the top one. The nearfalls are what made this match. When Shingo would damn-near kill Pac after a high spot, the crowd thought that Pac was surely dead, only to kick out at the last possible millisecond. It wasn't over-done, either, so that really added to the match. Two huge power moves that I marked out for like an 11-year-old on Christmas: Shingo dished out a monster death valley driver from the top rope onto Pac. Pac legit looked like he landed on his neck, but still kicked out. He sold it incredibly and Shingo's obvious frustration that he kicked out only added to the match. Second, Shingo's finished "Made in Japan" (pumphandle slam with a twist of sickness) was incredible. Pac seriously landed on his neck. I legit grabbed my head in anguish for Pac. Really good match with great nearfalls.
Douglas Williams/Scorpio vs. Misawa/Ogawa - NOAH 1/23/05 - 5
Big Doug and Scorp taggin' against two ass-kicking old timers? I'll take it! Misawa looked more pissed off in this match than normal, so his elbows were extra stiff. Scorp took some sick Misawa elbows to the jawline, knocking him over like a Redwood tree be knocked down by... by a Japanese guy elbowing it... Williams and Ogawa were particularly good in this match, rolling around on the mat like babies learning to crawl and dislocating arms at the same time. Speaking of arms, Ogawa's selling of the arm was great. Scorp and Doug looked like they were legit about to pull Ogawa's arm out of his socket. William's Chaos Theory (roll-up into a German) is insanely awesome. I love it!
Kawada vs. Kojima - AJPW 2/16/05 - 7
Can you say "awesome?" Simply looking at the two dudes in this match, you'd better be expecting big things. So looking at this match-up, you'd need to expect at least two things: stiff shots and psych. Between bouts of forearms and kicks, Kawada stepped it up and took it too Koj, working over his arms. Koji would do the same to Kawada, but he would eat his forearms like a bitch. The crowd was really behind Kojima. They wanted to see him dethrone the then-Triple Crown title holder. I love Japan. They show so much respect to the other wrestler, even when they want the other one to win. In America, all we can seem to do is shout expletives. Fuck. The chop exchange was particularly awesome, because it seemed that no matter what Koji tried to do, he couldn't match up with Kawada. Koji ate everything that Kawada could dish (and sold it great), but it seemed like nothing could put Koji away. How's that for burning spirit? This match had a big match feel and gave a big match delivery. In conclusion, LARIATOOOOOOOOO~!~!~!~!~!~! AHHHHHH~!~
Kojima vs. Tenzan - NJPW~! 2/20/05 - 6
A damn-near hour long match that felt like 25 minutes maximum. This is how you accomplish an hour long match without losing your audience. The match would be slow, featuring mat-based submissions and legwork, then all of a sudden explode with awesome high spots featuring those strong style power moves that New Japan is so notable for. Kojima took some sick shit in this match, which he sold like a champ. As the match progressed, Tenzan looked to be wearing down with every strike and hold Kojima gave him. This played into the finish, with Tenzan not being able to answer the ten count after almost an hour into the match. I loved the foreshadowing in this match. Tenzan's cumulative wear-down played into the finish with him being just too exhausted to continue. I dug the creative ending to the match.
Oh holy shit. This match had all the makings for a classic and to say it delivered would be an understatement. This match delivered more than the mother of a 20lb baby. Yamakawa was so willing to take any bump that WX could dish out. On the Daniel Bryan Manliness Meter, this was off the charts. Yamakawa took two fire bumps and some sick powerbombs. WX donned a t-shirt doused in lighter fluid, lit it, and splashed onto the awaiting Yamakawa in a fashion that rivaled Greg Louganis. Yamakawa gave the single greatest sell I have seen in deathmatch wrestling after taking an Irish whip into a board filled with tubes. You gotta see it to believe it. This was just everything clicking better than that piece of shit Adam Sandler flick a while back. Save the date 12/4/99 because some crazy shit went down at Korakuen that night. Highly recommended and maybe qualifying for my favorite deathmatch I've ever seen.
Pac vs. Shingo - Dragon Gate Live in LA - 6
Shingo is such a great base for light weight wrestlers. Pac was taking it to Shingo harder than a a chop to the pec from Kobashi. Shingo's monstrous stature and hard-ass persona took everything Pac dished out. Pac went for a shooting star press to a standing Shingo on the outside and nearly killed himself by falling off the rope, but he was able to balance himself like Shinzaki walking the top one. The nearfalls are what made this match. When Shingo would damn-near kill Pac after a high spot, the crowd thought that Pac was surely dead, only to kick out at the last possible millisecond. It wasn't over-done, either, so that really added to the match. Two huge power moves that I marked out for like an 11-year-old on Christmas: Shingo dished out a monster death valley driver from the top rope onto Pac. Pac legit looked like he landed on his neck, but still kicked out. He sold it incredibly and Shingo's obvious frustration that he kicked out only added to the match. Second, Shingo's finished "Made in Japan" (pumphandle slam with a twist of sickness) was incredible. Pac seriously landed on his neck. I legit grabbed my head in anguish for Pac. Really good match with great nearfalls.
Douglas Williams/Scorpio vs. Misawa/Ogawa - NOAH 1/23/05 - 5
Big Doug and Scorp taggin' against two ass-kicking old timers? I'll take it! Misawa looked more pissed off in this match than normal, so his elbows were extra stiff. Scorp took some sick Misawa elbows to the jawline, knocking him over like a Redwood tree be knocked down by... by a Japanese guy elbowing it... Williams and Ogawa were particularly good in this match, rolling around on the mat like babies learning to crawl and dislocating arms at the same time. Speaking of arms, Ogawa's selling of the arm was great. Scorp and Doug looked like they were legit about to pull Ogawa's arm out of his socket. William's Chaos Theory (roll-up into a German) is insanely awesome. I love it!
Kawada vs. Kojima - AJPW 2/16/05 - 7
Can you say "awesome?" Simply looking at the two dudes in this match, you'd better be expecting big things. So looking at this match-up, you'd need to expect at least two things: stiff shots and psych. Between bouts of forearms and kicks, Kawada stepped it up and took it too Koj, working over his arms. Koji would do the same to Kawada, but he would eat his forearms like a bitch. The crowd was really behind Kojima. They wanted to see him dethrone the then-Triple Crown title holder. I love Japan. They show so much respect to the other wrestler, even when they want the other one to win. In America, all we can seem to do is shout expletives. Fuck. The chop exchange was particularly awesome, because it seemed that no matter what Koji tried to do, he couldn't match up with Kawada. Koji ate everything that Kawada could dish (and sold it great), but it seemed like nothing could put Koji away. How's that for burning spirit? This match had a big match feel and gave a big match delivery. In conclusion, LARIATOOOOOOOOO~!~!~!~!~!~! AHHHHHH~!~
Kojima vs. Tenzan - NJPW~! 2/20/05 - 6
A damn-near hour long match that felt like 25 minutes maximum. This is how you accomplish an hour long match without losing your audience. The match would be slow, featuring mat-based submissions and legwork, then all of a sudden explode with awesome high spots featuring those strong style power moves that New Japan is so notable for. Kojima took some sick shit in this match, which he sold like a champ. As the match progressed, Tenzan looked to be wearing down with every strike and hold Kojima gave him. This played into the finish, with Tenzan not being able to answer the ten count after almost an hour into the match. I loved the foreshadowing in this match. Tenzan's cumulative wear-down played into the finish with him being just too exhausted to continue. I dug the creative ending to the match.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Burger Kang #10: I Heart MMA
With the exception of the Emelianenko fights these are all unaired preliminary fights never before seen on either TV or PPV. I'll strictly be telling you whether I consider each fight recommendable or not, as well as why (I'm sure some tangential story about the latest episode of The Event may find it's why into the discourse).
WEC 51: Toner vs. Nunes
Nunes reminded me of a younger, less cocksure Gurgel and Toner appeared sleepier than an offseason Tim Duncan. Nunes' takedowns and roundhouses were great. I'd like to bump this into the "See It" category, and Toner rallying a bit in the third round after clearly losing the first two helped, but I couldn't do it as a guy as talented as Nunes (this fight put him at 15-1) should have been able to secure a definitive finish and not let this go to a decision.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 121: Camozzi vs. Yang
Close to worth seeing, both guys bled, landed some stuff, but after a big weight-cut and making his big stage debut Yang seemed a little shellshocked.
Recommendation: Skip It
PRIDE 23: Fedor vs Herring
About ten minutes of ground and pound but not top-shelf Fedor. Watching this is about as smart of an idea as sharing a needle with Francine.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 119: Lopez vs. Lowe
Not a lot to see here, prelim from the horrid Indianapolis event, took 8 minutes before either guy appeared like they knew they were in a fight. The last round gets juicer, in more ways than one, as Lopez's forehead gets gashed and he bleeds all over the place. Still, overall, not a lot of good technique on display or ferociousness.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 120: Patrick vs Wilks
The only difference between a Patrick fight and gay sex is gay sex sometimes finishes.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 123: Lentz vs. Griffin
I heard rumors that when Griffin trained with Randy Couture they filmed a porno with his now ex-wife Kim where Tyson played the pool boy. Griffin's on a disappointing losing streak and here, his fight for redemption, saw him fall even further as he lost a close split decision to Lentz. Good wrestling and grappling in the first round, not much of note in the second, third started with a bang, Tyson really letting the hands go, but Nick ended up on top of Griffin to end the round out and that evidently played heavy in the judges' eyes. Personally, I had Tyson winning all three rounds, as did one of the three judges.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 121: Stout vs. Taylor
I actually watched this fight inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken -- probably a planetary first watching an MMA fight at KFC but maybe some manager sneaks in a couple bouts in their office on slow nights, who knows? "Hey, man, we need more original recipe out here stat!" "Hold on -- I'm trying to finish this Dean Lister fight! I mean, checking these monthly figures, or, oh hell...". The first round was pretty scrappy, Taylor gets a bloody nose, think Stout had a bloody tampon. Taylor threw a great kick to the ribs and one inexplicably to the neck. This was a trade show, not like those seedy get-togethers of gun and boat fanatics in the midwest, but just two dudes trading shots and that's always a lot of fun to watch. Wait -- I need to interrupt this review. I just got my entire meal for free and I'm watching two guys pummel each other into early brain failure... my life fucking rocks. Offhand this was better than anything off that ballyhooed PPV save for Sanchez vs. Thiago maybe. Even though I disagreed with the outcome (Stout winning a split decision) you should really watch this.
Recommendation: See It
WEC 51: Johnson vs. Pace
Pace looked like David Schwimmer in Kissing A Fool, especially when he was backpedaling while Johnson threw flurries of kicks. Johnson looked great in the 2nd round -- just teeing off with combos. Will be fun seeing Johnson try to find his footing in the talent-heavy UFC now post-merger. I wouldn't take this over an episode of Transformers: Prime but it's still worth a glance as Demetrious was rocking it; his third round running slam was out of this world.
Recommendation: See It
UFC 122: Krauss vs. Scanion
Look at these two guys -- are they identical fucking twins or is this some sort of sick joke? Admitting you're a Scanion fan would be more embarrassing then being found dead with a belt around your neck while you hung in your closet masturbating. Two undefeated fighters, that can sometimes make for a blast, here it's like salt on a dead muskrat carcass, lightly seasoning a festering, tepid piece of death. German crowd heavy behind Krauss. Some nice moments but felt more like two novice meatheads than the world class fighters UFC needs. Fun for the foreign beer swillers but not something that holds up on repeat watches as anything more than a novelty (like the world's smallest stripper you saw in Vegas and your cousin tried to pay her $200 to sit on his dick).
Recommendation: Skip It
WEC 51: Toner vs. Nunes
Nunes reminded me of a younger, less cocksure Gurgel and Toner appeared sleepier than an offseason Tim Duncan. Nunes' takedowns and roundhouses were great. I'd like to bump this into the "See It" category, and Toner rallying a bit in the third round after clearly losing the first two helped, but I couldn't do it as a guy as talented as Nunes (this fight put him at 15-1) should have been able to secure a definitive finish and not let this go to a decision.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 121: Camozzi vs. Yang
Close to worth seeing, both guys bled, landed some stuff, but after a big weight-cut and making his big stage debut Yang seemed a little shellshocked.
Recommendation: Skip It
PRIDE 23: Fedor vs Herring
About ten minutes of ground and pound but not top-shelf Fedor. Watching this is about as smart of an idea as sharing a needle with Francine.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 119: Lopez vs. Lowe
Not a lot to see here, prelim from the horrid Indianapolis event, took 8 minutes before either guy appeared like they knew they were in a fight. The last round gets juicer, in more ways than one, as Lopez's forehead gets gashed and he bleeds all over the place. Still, overall, not a lot of good technique on display or ferociousness.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 120: Patrick vs Wilks
The only difference between a Patrick fight and gay sex is gay sex sometimes finishes.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 123: Lentz vs. Griffin
I heard rumors that when Griffin trained with Randy Couture they filmed a porno with his now ex-wife Kim where Tyson played the pool boy. Griffin's on a disappointing losing streak and here, his fight for redemption, saw him fall even further as he lost a close split decision to Lentz. Good wrestling and grappling in the first round, not much of note in the second, third started with a bang, Tyson really letting the hands go, but Nick ended up on top of Griffin to end the round out and that evidently played heavy in the judges' eyes. Personally, I had Tyson winning all three rounds, as did one of the three judges.
Recommendation: Skip It
UFC 121: Stout vs. Taylor
I actually watched this fight inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken -- probably a planetary first watching an MMA fight at KFC but maybe some manager sneaks in a couple bouts in their office on slow nights, who knows? "Hey, man, we need more original recipe out here stat!" "Hold on -- I'm trying to finish this Dean Lister fight! I mean, checking these monthly figures, or, oh hell...". The first round was pretty scrappy, Taylor gets a bloody nose, think Stout had a bloody tampon. Taylor threw a great kick to the ribs and one inexplicably to the neck. This was a trade show, not like those seedy get-togethers of gun and boat fanatics in the midwest, but just two dudes trading shots and that's always a lot of fun to watch. Wait -- I need to interrupt this review. I just got my entire meal for free and I'm watching two guys pummel each other into early brain failure... my life fucking rocks. Offhand this was better than anything off that ballyhooed PPV save for Sanchez vs. Thiago maybe. Even though I disagreed with the outcome (Stout winning a split decision) you should really watch this.
Recommendation: See It
WEC 51: Johnson vs. Pace
Pace looked like David Schwimmer in Kissing A Fool, especially when he was backpedaling while Johnson threw flurries of kicks. Johnson looked great in the 2nd round -- just teeing off with combos. Will be fun seeing Johnson try to find his footing in the talent-heavy UFC now post-merger. I wouldn't take this over an episode of Transformers: Prime but it's still worth a glance as Demetrious was rocking it; his third round running slam was out of this world.
Recommendation: See It
UFC 122: Krauss vs. Scanion
Look at these two guys -- are they identical fucking twins or is this some sort of sick joke? Admitting you're a Scanion fan would be more embarrassing then being found dead with a belt around your neck while you hung in your closet masturbating. Two undefeated fighters, that can sometimes make for a blast, here it's like salt on a dead muskrat carcass, lightly seasoning a festering, tepid piece of death. German crowd heavy behind Krauss. Some nice moments but felt more like two novice meatheads than the world class fighters UFC needs. Fun for the foreign beer swillers but not something that holds up on repeat watches as anything more than a novelty (like the world's smallest stripper you saw in Vegas and your cousin tried to pay her $200 to sit on his dick).
Recommendation: Skip It
Friday, December 3, 2010
WWE Tables, Ladders, Chairs 2009
I missed last year's event but was intrigued by it's concepts, especially the novelty of seeing a "chair" match. this year's event is rapidly approaching so before it passes me by, wanted to catch up with the inaugral one, no better way to watch indepth than to review, so here we go
1) Christian v. Shelton Benjamin (Ladder Match)- 5
2) John Morrison v. Drew McIntyre- 5
3) Michelle McCool v. Mickie James - 5
4) John Cena v. Sheamus (Tables Match)- 4
5) Undertaker v. Batista (Chair Match...haha)- 3
6) Randy Orton v. Kofi Kingston -6
7) Chris Jericho & Big Show v. Degeneration X (TLC Match)- 4
First off, I must comment on the set they built for this. It has a giant towering video screen but hanging from it, from wires are actual tables, ladders and chairs (all unfolded) looks like Home Depot took a designing lesson from the Cracker Barrel. Unreal.
so the opener i've heard conflicting opinions on, i can only say after watching it I was sort of indifferent to it. I'm a big Christian fan, have been for years, and I thought he put forth a good performance. Some stuff really didn't work, such as the doctor trying to close Christian's cut, you're in a ladder match for god's sake, where paralysis is a very real concern and a guy is worried about a small cut? The hanging from the belt spots were dumb, but i dug Shelton's clothesline with the ladder and Christian took several big bumps, incl. the one that cut him open. Thought he did a good job of selling damage as it went on, he looked completely famished by the time it was over.
this match overachieved, I didn't have high hopes, especially after Morrison started the match blowing a hurricanrana and generally bouncing around like Tigger (excuse the reference, i have a 2 year old daughter) but Drew reeled it in. He was in full Finlay mode, not doing much but doing it all very brutally. Boots, forearms, some real nasty grinding holds on the ground that reminded me of Doc in All Japan. They did some stuff outside that was pretty exciting as well, would like to see more out of him of this caliber. The tilt a whirl DDT spot was leagues better than any the Rock pulled off during his run, and that's honest.
So far, nothing's been supreme but everything's been really good. Mickie was a fun watch, lots of her offense looks real smooth, a frankensteiner that looked better than Christian or Morrisons, a nasty bump into the guard rail and a Siver-like back kick to Layla's plump midsection. Michelle was more suited for good heel screaming, this was during the popular "Piggie" James storyline, and Michelle was using it for all it's worth. Loved the end too, just a straight kick to the face, that would beat a lot of people, wonder how many Mean Mark has taken during alcohol binges from McCool.
Not the usual Cena masterpiece, but this was one of Sheamus 1st outings in the big picture. Cena was doing a real good job showing the pain on his back while being subtle, but not being able to do certain things, like a superplex or even having a hard time lifting a table. The first 10 minutes were pretty action packed, with thrills and spills aplenty as Cena just ran roughshod over Cena all over the arena. Sheamus in control was a bit more uninteresting, the table teases were as good as you can do, especially for a 20 minute match. The ending, was one of those dumb moments that don't really make sense but i guess in the context of having un upset it was fine.
Taker and Big Dave have had some historic wars in the past, this felt more akin to someone putting the car on cruise control and just chatting about your girlfriend's weird sexual habits or how much Serj Tanakian's new solo album is the worst thing your ears have ever heard. Batista especially, damn man, you should know better, just being out of position for stuff a lot. The opening 10 minutes with it's constant confusion and tired brawling spots was bordering on a 2 for me, but they did both do some cool punches and Taker started taking bumps on chairs with his head so it wasn't all a loss but look up any Raaaaaaaandy videos online instead of watching this.
So far my fave match of the night, not without a few missteps, Kofi's Paradise kick was flubbed and so was Orton's KO soccer punt, but Orton's selling is on another stratosphere, like the writing of Larry Hama in the 80's, and fuck, the 90's too. Even when he's taking lifeless bumps his eyes are dazed and he's still selling. Turn this on for the dropkick he uses to counter a plancha from Kofi outside, so many people have tried and died on that one. Both guys just killed themselves on the other's big moves and that's what it's bloody all about.
Pretty embarrassing to call this a TLC match, one table was broken (by two guys in a lazy spot) and one almost (by a crazy spot from Jericho that looked completely ridiculous) A meandering brawl that that meandered way too much and even AS Byatt would call "sprawling." Show was just the drizzling, chocolate shits all over this one, at one point, he literally took a shove from Michaels and was missing for 3 minutes, to show up with all this energy. Trips and Shawn both took one painful, visually dull bump each and Shawn and Jericho had some brisk exchanges near the beginning but besides the fun babyface finish this was pretty lousy. I've now seen most of DX's 2009 tag run and can safely say those were paychecks collected but not earned.
1) Christian v. Shelton Benjamin (Ladder Match)- 5
2) John Morrison v. Drew McIntyre- 5
3) Michelle McCool v. Mickie James - 5
4) John Cena v. Sheamus (Tables Match)- 4
5) Undertaker v. Batista (Chair Match...haha)- 3
6) Randy Orton v. Kofi Kingston -6
7) Chris Jericho & Big Show v. Degeneration X (TLC Match)- 4
First off, I must comment on the set they built for this. It has a giant towering video screen but hanging from it, from wires are actual tables, ladders and chairs (all unfolded) looks like Home Depot took a designing lesson from the Cracker Barrel. Unreal.
so the opener i've heard conflicting opinions on, i can only say after watching it I was sort of indifferent to it. I'm a big Christian fan, have been for years, and I thought he put forth a good performance. Some stuff really didn't work, such as the doctor trying to close Christian's cut, you're in a ladder match for god's sake, where paralysis is a very real concern and a guy is worried about a small cut? The hanging from the belt spots were dumb, but i dug Shelton's clothesline with the ladder and Christian took several big bumps, incl. the one that cut him open. Thought he did a good job of selling damage as it went on, he looked completely famished by the time it was over.
this match overachieved, I didn't have high hopes, especially after Morrison started the match blowing a hurricanrana and generally bouncing around like Tigger (excuse the reference, i have a 2 year old daughter) but Drew reeled it in. He was in full Finlay mode, not doing much but doing it all very brutally. Boots, forearms, some real nasty grinding holds on the ground that reminded me of Doc in All Japan. They did some stuff outside that was pretty exciting as well, would like to see more out of him of this caliber. The tilt a whirl DDT spot was leagues better than any the Rock pulled off during his run, and that's honest.
So far, nothing's been supreme but everything's been really good. Mickie was a fun watch, lots of her offense looks real smooth, a frankensteiner that looked better than Christian or Morrisons, a nasty bump into the guard rail and a Siver-like back kick to Layla's plump midsection. Michelle was more suited for good heel screaming, this was during the popular "Piggie" James storyline, and Michelle was using it for all it's worth. Loved the end too, just a straight kick to the face, that would beat a lot of people, wonder how many Mean Mark has taken during alcohol binges from McCool.
Not the usual Cena masterpiece, but this was one of Sheamus 1st outings in the big picture. Cena was doing a real good job showing the pain on his back while being subtle, but not being able to do certain things, like a superplex or even having a hard time lifting a table. The first 10 minutes were pretty action packed, with thrills and spills aplenty as Cena just ran roughshod over Cena all over the arena. Sheamus in control was a bit more uninteresting, the table teases were as good as you can do, especially for a 20 minute match. The ending, was one of those dumb moments that don't really make sense but i guess in the context of having un upset it was fine.
Taker and Big Dave have had some historic wars in the past, this felt more akin to someone putting the car on cruise control and just chatting about your girlfriend's weird sexual habits or how much Serj Tanakian's new solo album is the worst thing your ears have ever heard. Batista especially, damn man, you should know better, just being out of position for stuff a lot. The opening 10 minutes with it's constant confusion and tired brawling spots was bordering on a 2 for me, but they did both do some cool punches and Taker started taking bumps on chairs with his head so it wasn't all a loss but look up any Raaaaaaaandy videos online instead of watching this.
So far my fave match of the night, not without a few missteps, Kofi's Paradise kick was flubbed and so was Orton's KO soccer punt, but Orton's selling is on another stratosphere, like the writing of Larry Hama in the 80's, and fuck, the 90's too. Even when he's taking lifeless bumps his eyes are dazed and he's still selling. Turn this on for the dropkick he uses to counter a plancha from Kofi outside, so many people have tried and died on that one. Both guys just killed themselves on the other's big moves and that's what it's bloody all about.
Pretty embarrassing to call this a TLC match, one table was broken (by two guys in a lazy spot) and one almost (by a crazy spot from Jericho that looked completely ridiculous) A meandering brawl that that meandered way too much and even AS Byatt would call "sprawling." Show was just the drizzling, chocolate shits all over this one, at one point, he literally took a shove from Michaels and was missing for 3 minutes, to show up with all this energy. Trips and Shawn both took one painful, visually dull bump each and Shawn and Jericho had some brisk exchanges near the beginning but besides the fun babyface finish this was pretty lousy. I've now seen most of DX's 2009 tag run and can safely say those were paychecks collected but not earned.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Evolve 1
1/16/2010 - Rahway, NJ
1) Bobby Fish vs. Kyle O'Reilly - 4
2) Chuck Taylor vs. Cheech - 4
3) Arik Cannon vs. Ricochet - 3
4) Dark City Fight Club vs. Aeroform - 3
5) Mercedes Martinez vs. Niya - 1
6) Silas Young vs. Brad Allen - 5
7) Jimmy Jacobs vs. Kenn Doane - 4
8) Johnny Gargano vs. Chris Dickinson - 3
9) Munenori Sawa vs. TJP - 5
10) Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked & Frightmare vs. Gran Akuma, Icarus & Brodie Lee - 3
11) Kota Ibushi vs. Davey Richards - 5
Evolve, conceptually, I don't have a lot of problems with. I wish, though, that if they wanted to go the route of say, I don't know, BattlArts, that they'd stick by their guns and really try to pull off "shoot style" in America. Instead, it's this hybrid amalgam watered down by remnants of bad, '10 American independent stuff, in-front of vapid, bored crowds and a year-deep now and none of the records, etc. really translate to additional interest in the product.
Fish and O'Reily was the prototypical Evolve match, at least on paper, two dudes throwing hard kicks, jockeying for stuff, etc. I dug it as UWFi-lite but won't make me forget about guys like Otsuka. Taylor and Cheech follows in its footsteps, but gone are the more serious exchanges, sugarcoated by Chikara-lite touches -- which, maybe that's this company's problem, it's not so much a well-defined group but just shades of other peoples' identities. Taylor's "Awful Waffle" landed solidly and boosted their score one point.
Cannon and Ricochet was fairly good, but little man vs. big man has been done infinitely better, give me Myserio vs. Gallows instead, please. I'm a DCFC fan, but, damn guys, that match was the drizzling shits. Everybody looks lost and disinterested, like sorority girls mistakenly dragged to a first-person shooter house party. What's the deal with the legal man issues, too? I don't think both members of DCFC were ever not in the ring at the same time.
Almost gave the women's match another point, because it was as good as a short squash could be, but honestly, I'd have rather saw Niya work for a few more minutes to earn a higher grade. Allen and Young was my favorite match of the show. Allen looks, well, not unremarkably like Young, and other independent stiffs with beards and long hair, but for a muscular guy he tries some pretty ballsy flying stuff including here a somersault from the top to the floor that looked painful. I don't think anything else matched what was delivered here in terms of over-delivering.
Jacobs and Doane could have earned a "5", but they did a re-start after Tommy Dreamer came down to protest, and I mean, seriously? Instead of relishing the fact Doane still works the WWE generic style, they clearly didn't have enough confidence in him to allow him to do that (and play up his strengths, an extended, dull headlock sequence got a "This is awesome!" chant and they should have ran with that), and the restart and Jacobs' guillotine choke were both unnecessary and unsightly. Gargano and Dickinson, probably least memorable thing all night, but seeing Johnny cop Darren Young's finisher was worth a mild chuckle.
I liked TJP vs. Sawa, interested in seeing Sawa vs. Danielson from Evolve 5, but this was a nice appetizer. TJP was clearly over his head as Sawa just looked so much more confident and composed, leading them through each chapter of their in-ring novella. TJP is insanely fast, though, my biggest complaint here is he didn't get to do more of his stuff, make this more competitive, etc.
The Chikara six-man was, well, more flaccid than reactions to the forthcoming Green Lantern film. I've grown to generally like Chikara throughout most of '10, but whenever they show up elsewhere, like JAPW, etc. it never has that same appeal. The main event, well, we all got what we expected: lots of crazy, intense offense, with little to no reactionary or sustained selling or psychology to speak of. Still, it was a fun romp, Ibushi especially demanded my attention, pulling off some spectacular stuff like a giant moonsault to the floor, etc. The strikes were mostly crisp, not unlike the $20 bill many fans mistakenly handed over for a ticket or DVD to/of this event.
1) Bobby Fish vs. Kyle O'Reilly - 4
2) Chuck Taylor vs. Cheech - 4
3) Arik Cannon vs. Ricochet - 3
4) Dark City Fight Club vs. Aeroform - 3
5) Mercedes Martinez vs. Niya - 1
6) Silas Young vs. Brad Allen - 5
7) Jimmy Jacobs vs. Kenn Doane - 4
8) Johnny Gargano vs. Chris Dickinson - 3
9) Munenori Sawa vs. TJP - 5
10) Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked & Frightmare vs. Gran Akuma, Icarus & Brodie Lee - 3
11) Kota Ibushi vs. Davey Richards - 5
Evolve, conceptually, I don't have a lot of problems with. I wish, though, that if they wanted to go the route of say, I don't know, BattlArts, that they'd stick by their guns and really try to pull off "shoot style" in America. Instead, it's this hybrid amalgam watered down by remnants of bad, '10 American independent stuff, in-front of vapid, bored crowds and a year-deep now and none of the records, etc. really translate to additional interest in the product.
Fish and O'Reily was the prototypical Evolve match, at least on paper, two dudes throwing hard kicks, jockeying for stuff, etc. I dug it as UWFi-lite but won't make me forget about guys like Otsuka. Taylor and Cheech follows in its footsteps, but gone are the more serious exchanges, sugarcoated by Chikara-lite touches -- which, maybe that's this company's problem, it's not so much a well-defined group but just shades of other peoples' identities. Taylor's "Awful Waffle" landed solidly and boosted their score one point.
Cannon and Ricochet was fairly good, but little man vs. big man has been done infinitely better, give me Myserio vs. Gallows instead, please. I'm a DCFC fan, but, damn guys, that match was the drizzling shits. Everybody looks lost and disinterested, like sorority girls mistakenly dragged to a first-person shooter house party. What's the deal with the legal man issues, too? I don't think both members of DCFC were ever not in the ring at the same time.
Almost gave the women's match another point, because it was as good as a short squash could be, but honestly, I'd have rather saw Niya work for a few more minutes to earn a higher grade. Allen and Young was my favorite match of the show. Allen looks, well, not unremarkably like Young, and other independent stiffs with beards and long hair, but for a muscular guy he tries some pretty ballsy flying stuff including here a somersault from the top to the floor that looked painful. I don't think anything else matched what was delivered here in terms of over-delivering.
Jacobs and Doane could have earned a "5", but they did a re-start after Tommy Dreamer came down to protest, and I mean, seriously? Instead of relishing the fact Doane still works the WWE generic style, they clearly didn't have enough confidence in him to allow him to do that (and play up his strengths, an extended, dull headlock sequence got a "This is awesome!" chant and they should have ran with that), and the restart and Jacobs' guillotine choke were both unnecessary and unsightly. Gargano and Dickinson, probably least memorable thing all night, but seeing Johnny cop Darren Young's finisher was worth a mild chuckle.
I liked TJP vs. Sawa, interested in seeing Sawa vs. Danielson from Evolve 5, but this was a nice appetizer. TJP was clearly over his head as Sawa just looked so much more confident and composed, leading them through each chapter of their in-ring novella. TJP is insanely fast, though, my biggest complaint here is he didn't get to do more of his stuff, make this more competitive, etc.
The Chikara six-man was, well, more flaccid than reactions to the forthcoming Green Lantern film. I've grown to generally like Chikara throughout most of '10, but whenever they show up elsewhere, like JAPW, etc. it never has that same appeal. The main event, well, we all got what we expected: lots of crazy, intense offense, with little to no reactionary or sustained selling or psychology to speak of. Still, it was a fun romp, Ibushi especially demanded my attention, pulling off some spectacular stuff like a giant moonsault to the floor, etc. The strikes were mostly crisp, not unlike the $20 bill many fans mistakenly handed over for a ticket or DVD to/of this event.
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