1) Bad Attitude v. Dustin Rhodes/ Arn Anderson- 6
2) Tex Slazenger v. Ricky Steamboat -3
3) Pretty Wonderful v. Stars & Stripes - 2
4) Ric Flair v. Sting - 4
The opener was one of those rare matches that wasn't long (maybe 6 minutes) but is too damn fun not to recommend. The team of BA is Bobby Eaton and Steve Keirn (who was sporting THE MOST HEINOUS MULLET OF ALL TIME) Rhodes and Eaton were piecing each other up in one hell of a brawl then Eaton (in some kind of Ric Flair parody) goes outside and takes a back body drop on the concrete! Eaton continues to punch like a manly god, this time schooling Arn, who was also his usual great self. Only thing Keirn did I liked was a flying knee to Arn's back which he sold by taking a bump outside- Millions of gold stars for this.
Dragon made short work of ol' Tex but not before giving us an armdrag display and letting Tex show off his Southern offense, most of which was illtimed. Dragon seemed to be happy in the ring even though Hogan was backstage politicking him into midcard. Tag match was real short, with the Sullivans coming out instigating Orndorff like they were Spike Lee whenever the Lakers come to town. Orndorff though gave Bagwell this sick running forearm like he was a bully in the high school hallways.
Sting and Flair were matched together by fans calling in, they had to choose 1 guy from a heel and face locker room (I would have love to seen Vader maul "Jungle" Jim Steele myself). This felt like they had nothing planned, just going off instinct from 1,000's of matches against each other. Flair was insane here though, taking numerous falls outside, fighting with as many redneck fans as he could and Flair flopping Hulkster right out of his seat. Sherri ruined a perfectly good clean finish by coming out dressed like a man while Hulk got slightly aroused. God must have loved 1994, he got Kurt Cobain's permanent company (probably not) and we got 2 weekly episodic WCW wrestling programs!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
ROH Final Battle '10 Co-Review
1.) Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole vs. The All Night Express - G:6 B:5
Geo: This match really showed how the team of Kenny King and Rhett Titus are really coming into their own. I believe Prazak said that Rhett Titus was the most improved ROH wrestler of 2010 -- no doubt. He's become more clean in the execution of his moves and his selling has improved by leaps and bounds. Kenny King has always been rather high on my list because of his athletic prowess, but this match didn't show much in his selling ability, which was disappointing. Now, the team of O'Reilly and Cole are absolutely tearing it up in ROH. Kudos to whoever thought of that team because these two guys play off one another so well and work a similar style. Kyle O'Reilly is everything I like about Davey Richards and nothing I dislike. Kid is going to go places. The sprint atmosphere in the match set the bar for the rest of the night, with both men busting out huge spots and great sequences.
Brian: This was a fun way to start their biggest show of the year, fast-paced, no lulls, good action throughout. I dug Titus' kneebreaker/back suplex combo. I nearly spilled my bowl of popcorn when King hit a flying DDT on the apron on Cole which was so ill. They kept the big spots coming. O'Reilly hit a beautiful flying missile dropkick out to the floor on King. They got a great nearfall off of King's shotgun knees in the corner. You can see why PWI ranked King #96 in the world in '10, although, he'd rank a bit higher on my ballot.
2.) Colt Cabana vs. TJP - B:4 G:4
Brian: The mileage you'll get out of this will vary on your ability to stomach each guy's respective shtick. It's a match that I took zero notes on because it amounted to a lot of countering, posturing, and jockeying for control and a roll-up finish that crept up out of nowhere. Still, these guys are damn good at what they do, seamless transitions, maestro mat work, etc. so if you're a fan of high-level actual wrestling you'll probably at least find this as an enjoyable diversion as I did.
Geo: Was happy to see that TJP hung in with Cabana's mat style. He worked with Colt really well and showed that he was indeed able to stay up with Cabana's comedy catch style. TJP went from being an indy slob to a legitimate worker in record breaking time, and watching him put uo with Cabana only spoke more to his versatility in the ring. Cabana was goofy as usual and tried his best to make TJP looked good tonight.
3.) Daizee Haze & Awesome Kong vs. Serena Deeb & Sara Del Rey - G:5 B:4
Geo: The team of Deeb and Del Rey is something I can definitely dig. Both have a presence in the ring that is unrivaled on the women's independent scene. Seeing Haze, Del Rey, and Kong mix it up earlier in the year in CHIKARA, I knew that I should expect some great stuff. This match served as a jumping off point for Deeb, making her return to the indy scene after a lackluster run in WWE. Serena looked good. She was stiff and wasn't timid to get in the ring with Kong. This might sound crazy, but I sensed a bit of laziness in the work of Kong. She really looked like she was phoning it in a bit. You can't pull that shit at FB! Del Rey and Haze, being the well-traveled and experienced American joshi stars they are, gave it their all and pulled out some nice maneuvers. Good match. Also, I'm going on record and saying this: Sara Del Rey is the best Shimmer wrestler today. There.
Brian: I liked this well enough but didn't find it particularly special or worthy of the lengthy build it received over the last few months on ROH on HDNet. I didn't feel the hate. I didn't feel like Serena showed enough to really get a sense of how she'd contribute positively to ROH. Kong's Implant Buster on Del Rey was fucking dope! I loved that shit. Geo, as far as Del Rey being the best in Shimmer? I don't buy it. I'd put her definitely behind Stock (Sarita), Hamada, and LuFisto, and I could see a case for Kurihara, Perez, and Martinez as being better, too.
4.) Eddie Edwards vs. Sonjay Dutt - B:5 G:4
Brian: Dutt busted out a very Sabu-like spot, draping Eddie across the guardrail, then busting out a flying legdrop. Dutt and Sabu are both bald, now they're borrowing each other's stuff? Edwards sat Dutt on the top rope and tried a flying hurricanrana that didn't come off real precise but I applaud the effort. I really loved the sequence where they were countering each other's signature submissions, Dutt's camel clutch and Edwards' Achilles lock respectively. Dutt did a great sell off of Edwards' Chin Checker (backpack stunner), very understated and nuanced but I've got a keen eye for that sort of detail. Dueling superkick spot was stupid. I liked this more than I'd anticipated.
Geo: About the match you'd expect these two to have. Sonjay doesn't look like he's missed a beat since being let go from TNA. His use of the ring as a weapon was great, especially using the ropes to assist him with his fancy footwork. Edwards looked a bit more "off" than he usually does. His speed wasn't there and his style looked very cooperative with Sonjay. Almost like he had an bowel issue. Thinking more about this, it was probably an attempt to get Sonjay over again with the ROH faithful. Edwards hit a sick powerbomb which folded Sonjay in half. Decent little match, but by no means the best these two can do.
5.) Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels - G:4 B:2
Geo: Homicide has packed it on like a plate of biscuits at Waffle House, but he still works great. The mat wrestling was a really great way to start the match, allowing ample build to a finish. Homicide still shows that recklessness and craziness with his tope con hilo, which he put a little extra oomph on. Daniels look crisp, clean, and professional by willing to sell and bump for 'Cide, making him look like a guy twice his size. There was an absolutely stupid ref bump in the match that wasn't necessary. I'm noticing something here: none of these guys are wrestling to their full potential. The past matches have been "good" at best, sans the opener. This is probably an effort not to overshadow the upper card.
Brian: I didn't care for this at all. Geo liked the opening matwork, in terms of it being a story cog, I guess it laid the foundation, but in terms of its execution it was perfunctory at best. It felt like two trainees in the gym warming up by taking turns doing side headlocks. Two guys that have been in this business this long should have used this as an opportunity to break some new ground but these guys rested on their laurels worse than George Lucas. This felt like an ROH on HDNet opener at best.
6.) Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, & Shane Hagedorn vs. Mark, Jay, and Mike "Papa" Briscoe - B:6 G:5
Brian: This was a lot of fun. It wasn't the best example of the rather solid KoW vs. Briscoes feud but was a nice change of pace in contrast to all of the straight-forward wrestling on the show. Papa Briscoe, my hats off, he really was the MVP in this. I was shocked and marked out when the Briscoes' old man busted out a spinning headscissors. The spot where he kissed the evil valet (in this case Sara Del Rey) was so '80's and was done a bunch (inc. an innumerable amount of times to Sherri Martel) but worked great here. Papa ate a Hero rolling knockout elbow with gusto and later, in the finish, with a son pulled off a devastating Doomsday Device that made Road Warrior Animal regret his last WWE run where he showed up 45lbs. overweight.
Geo: Papa looks more like grandpapa, more saggy than Ric Flair. Hero was trying his damnedest to make Papa look like a legitimate threat, but I didn't buy it. As a matter of fact, I really couldn't buy this guy A: being a Briscoe, and B: being able to function at any capacity in the ring at all. Claudio also bumped around for Papa, selling a Stunner like he was hit by a truck. Not buyin' it. Jay was the MVP of this match. His intensity and level of aggression was unrivaled by anyone thus far, and he looked like he was on a mission to have the KoW's heads. The novelty of having an old man and a piece of crap like Hagedorn in the match held it back. A lot.
7.) Davey Richards vs. Roderick Strong - G:7 B:6
Geo: I'm going into this with an open mind, seeing as how the rest of the card has been lackluster. Roderick having to need Truth Martini with him takes away from his ability to be the champ. Truth adds a sense of goofiness to Roderick that he just doesn't need. Match-wise, this was good. Davey was bringing it tonight, and Roderick wasn't letting up. Some great boots by Davey, along witha sickening tope to the outside that saw Davey hit his back on the top of the guardrail. Davey went for his handspring elbow, but Roderick counted with a dropkick to the abdomen, which Davey sold by clutching his stomach and writing in pain. Davey also had some great transitions, including a powerbomb into a cross arm breaker. Nearfalls were a bit overdone, but both guys brought it and looked great.
Brian: This was pretty good, it lacked the emotional wallop of a lot of other big ROH main events from previous years, thanks to guys like Nigel sitting the bar so high. While there were a lot of nearfalls, as Geo mentioned, and is per normal when talking about '10 Richards, I admit I got pulled into the back-and-forth and found myself excited. My favorite moment in the match was in fact a sequence that I'd put up against anything from ROH this past year. Strong held Davey up in a back suplex position on the apron then just let him drop back-first through a nearby table. Instead of giving that moment time to absorb, like you usually would to milk it and let the crowd pop, he immediately hopped down, hoisted Richards up, and gave him a Gibson Driver on the floor. From there he threw Davey about three rows deep into the audience and dove into the ring asking the referee to count. I've never really seen that. A guy demolish his opponent then toss him into the audience and retreating back to the ring looking for a countout victory. The cherry on top was when the fans helped pick Davey up, dust him off, and toss his ass back over the rail where he made it back into the ring at the count of 19. Another cool Roderick moment during the finishing stretch was as Richards was kicking out of a pinfall in mid-kickout Strong was already transitioning into the Stong Hold. Its a match style that has its critics but I love seeing two guys just throwing everything in their arsenal at each other until one of them can't anymore.
8.) Kevin Steen vs. El Generico - Fight Without Honor - B:7 G:8
Brian: So it finally came down to this, after feuding all year, in what would win the Wrestling Observer Feud of the Year award, former partners Steen and Generico settled it once and for all in an unsanctioned post-show fight. It was said it was not recognized by ROH and yet an ROH referee (or in this case three of them) were used strangely. This had everything you'd want: blood, big dangerous bumps, boiling hatred, seething rage, and a rousing finale. There's so many big spots that it'd be dry to prattle off a list here. I will mention one I particularly liked: a ladder had been laid out bridging the ring apron and guardrail, a table was then opened and set atop it, Generico with a running start somehow dove between the two in a visual spectacle the likes of the best bits of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The amount of blood here was enough to stock and satiate even the hungriest of shirtless teenage glistening vampire gangs. Steen lapping up Generico's plasma like a kitten to milk was -- interesting. All in all I was satisfied with this blow-off and fan favorite Generico finally vanquishing the putrid Steen was as good a show ender as any they could have drummed up.
Geo: This was hatred in it's purest form. Both of these guys went all out and took some really nasty bumps. Steen got his ass handed to him the entire match, taking bumps that only a sadistic son-of-a-bitch would even dream about. Generico had this aggressive fire about him that was so unlike him. The hatred poured out of him through his emotions and stiffness. Steen made great connection with the fans by wiping both his and Generico's blood not only on his body but also in his mouth! Both guys were just laying everything in, taking all sorts of unnecessary risks, and bumping like crazy just to let everyone know that this feud was brutal. Great match. Can't imagine how awesome it must have been live. MOTYC for sure.
Geo: This match really showed how the team of Kenny King and Rhett Titus are really coming into their own. I believe Prazak said that Rhett Titus was the most improved ROH wrestler of 2010 -- no doubt. He's become more clean in the execution of his moves and his selling has improved by leaps and bounds. Kenny King has always been rather high on my list because of his athletic prowess, but this match didn't show much in his selling ability, which was disappointing. Now, the team of O'Reilly and Cole are absolutely tearing it up in ROH. Kudos to whoever thought of that team because these two guys play off one another so well and work a similar style. Kyle O'Reilly is everything I like about Davey Richards and nothing I dislike. Kid is going to go places. The sprint atmosphere in the match set the bar for the rest of the night, with both men busting out huge spots and great sequences.
Brian: This was a fun way to start their biggest show of the year, fast-paced, no lulls, good action throughout. I dug Titus' kneebreaker/back suplex combo. I nearly spilled my bowl of popcorn when King hit a flying DDT on the apron on Cole which was so ill. They kept the big spots coming. O'Reilly hit a beautiful flying missile dropkick out to the floor on King. They got a great nearfall off of King's shotgun knees in the corner. You can see why PWI ranked King #96 in the world in '10, although, he'd rank a bit higher on my ballot.
2.) Colt Cabana vs. TJP - B:4 G:4
Brian: The mileage you'll get out of this will vary on your ability to stomach each guy's respective shtick. It's a match that I took zero notes on because it amounted to a lot of countering, posturing, and jockeying for control and a roll-up finish that crept up out of nowhere. Still, these guys are damn good at what they do, seamless transitions, maestro mat work, etc. so if you're a fan of high-level actual wrestling you'll probably at least find this as an enjoyable diversion as I did.
Geo: Was happy to see that TJP hung in with Cabana's mat style. He worked with Colt really well and showed that he was indeed able to stay up with Cabana's comedy catch style. TJP went from being an indy slob to a legitimate worker in record breaking time, and watching him put uo with Cabana only spoke more to his versatility in the ring. Cabana was goofy as usual and tried his best to make TJP looked good tonight.
3.) Daizee Haze & Awesome Kong vs. Serena Deeb & Sara Del Rey - G:5 B:4
Geo: The team of Deeb and Del Rey is something I can definitely dig. Both have a presence in the ring that is unrivaled on the women's independent scene. Seeing Haze, Del Rey, and Kong mix it up earlier in the year in CHIKARA, I knew that I should expect some great stuff. This match served as a jumping off point for Deeb, making her return to the indy scene after a lackluster run in WWE. Serena looked good. She was stiff and wasn't timid to get in the ring with Kong. This might sound crazy, but I sensed a bit of laziness in the work of Kong. She really looked like she was phoning it in a bit. You can't pull that shit at FB! Del Rey and Haze, being the well-traveled and experienced American joshi stars they are, gave it their all and pulled out some nice maneuvers. Good match. Also, I'm going on record and saying this: Sara Del Rey is the best Shimmer wrestler today. There.
Brian: I liked this well enough but didn't find it particularly special or worthy of the lengthy build it received over the last few months on ROH on HDNet. I didn't feel the hate. I didn't feel like Serena showed enough to really get a sense of how she'd contribute positively to ROH. Kong's Implant Buster on Del Rey was fucking dope! I loved that shit. Geo, as far as Del Rey being the best in Shimmer? I don't buy it. I'd put her definitely behind Stock (Sarita), Hamada, and LuFisto, and I could see a case for Kurihara, Perez, and Martinez as being better, too.
4.) Eddie Edwards vs. Sonjay Dutt - B:5 G:4
Brian: Dutt busted out a very Sabu-like spot, draping Eddie across the guardrail, then busting out a flying legdrop. Dutt and Sabu are both bald, now they're borrowing each other's stuff? Edwards sat Dutt on the top rope and tried a flying hurricanrana that didn't come off real precise but I applaud the effort. I really loved the sequence where they were countering each other's signature submissions, Dutt's camel clutch and Edwards' Achilles lock respectively. Dutt did a great sell off of Edwards' Chin Checker (backpack stunner), very understated and nuanced but I've got a keen eye for that sort of detail. Dueling superkick spot was stupid. I liked this more than I'd anticipated.
Geo: About the match you'd expect these two to have. Sonjay doesn't look like he's missed a beat since being let go from TNA. His use of the ring as a weapon was great, especially using the ropes to assist him with his fancy footwork. Edwards looked a bit more "off" than he usually does. His speed wasn't there and his style looked very cooperative with Sonjay. Almost like he had an bowel issue. Thinking more about this, it was probably an attempt to get Sonjay over again with the ROH faithful. Edwards hit a sick powerbomb which folded Sonjay in half. Decent little match, but by no means the best these two can do.
5.) Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels - G:4 B:2
Geo: Homicide has packed it on like a plate of biscuits at Waffle House, but he still works great. The mat wrestling was a really great way to start the match, allowing ample build to a finish. Homicide still shows that recklessness and craziness with his tope con hilo, which he put a little extra oomph on. Daniels look crisp, clean, and professional by willing to sell and bump for 'Cide, making him look like a guy twice his size. There was an absolutely stupid ref bump in the match that wasn't necessary. I'm noticing something here: none of these guys are wrestling to their full potential. The past matches have been "good" at best, sans the opener. This is probably an effort not to overshadow the upper card.
Brian: I didn't care for this at all. Geo liked the opening matwork, in terms of it being a story cog, I guess it laid the foundation, but in terms of its execution it was perfunctory at best. It felt like two trainees in the gym warming up by taking turns doing side headlocks. Two guys that have been in this business this long should have used this as an opportunity to break some new ground but these guys rested on their laurels worse than George Lucas. This felt like an ROH on HDNet opener at best.
6.) Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, & Shane Hagedorn vs. Mark, Jay, and Mike "Papa" Briscoe - B:6 G:5
Brian: This was a lot of fun. It wasn't the best example of the rather solid KoW vs. Briscoes feud but was a nice change of pace in contrast to all of the straight-forward wrestling on the show. Papa Briscoe, my hats off, he really was the MVP in this. I was shocked and marked out when the Briscoes' old man busted out a spinning headscissors. The spot where he kissed the evil valet (in this case Sara Del Rey) was so '80's and was done a bunch (inc. an innumerable amount of times to Sherri Martel) but worked great here. Papa ate a Hero rolling knockout elbow with gusto and later, in the finish, with a son pulled off a devastating Doomsday Device that made Road Warrior Animal regret his last WWE run where he showed up 45lbs. overweight.
Geo: Papa looks more like grandpapa, more saggy than Ric Flair. Hero was trying his damnedest to make Papa look like a legitimate threat, but I didn't buy it. As a matter of fact, I really couldn't buy this guy A: being a Briscoe, and B: being able to function at any capacity in the ring at all. Claudio also bumped around for Papa, selling a Stunner like he was hit by a truck. Not buyin' it. Jay was the MVP of this match. His intensity and level of aggression was unrivaled by anyone thus far, and he looked like he was on a mission to have the KoW's heads. The novelty of having an old man and a piece of crap like Hagedorn in the match held it back. A lot.
7.) Davey Richards vs. Roderick Strong - G:7 B:6
Geo: I'm going into this with an open mind, seeing as how the rest of the card has been lackluster. Roderick having to need Truth Martini with him takes away from his ability to be the champ. Truth adds a sense of goofiness to Roderick that he just doesn't need. Match-wise, this was good. Davey was bringing it tonight, and Roderick wasn't letting up. Some great boots by Davey, along witha sickening tope to the outside that saw Davey hit his back on the top of the guardrail. Davey went for his handspring elbow, but Roderick counted with a dropkick to the abdomen, which Davey sold by clutching his stomach and writing in pain. Davey also had some great transitions, including a powerbomb into a cross arm breaker. Nearfalls were a bit overdone, but both guys brought it and looked great.
Brian: This was pretty good, it lacked the emotional wallop of a lot of other big ROH main events from previous years, thanks to guys like Nigel sitting the bar so high. While there were a lot of nearfalls, as Geo mentioned, and is per normal when talking about '10 Richards, I admit I got pulled into the back-and-forth and found myself excited. My favorite moment in the match was in fact a sequence that I'd put up against anything from ROH this past year. Strong held Davey up in a back suplex position on the apron then just let him drop back-first through a nearby table. Instead of giving that moment time to absorb, like you usually would to milk it and let the crowd pop, he immediately hopped down, hoisted Richards up, and gave him a Gibson Driver on the floor. From there he threw Davey about three rows deep into the audience and dove into the ring asking the referee to count. I've never really seen that. A guy demolish his opponent then toss him into the audience and retreating back to the ring looking for a countout victory. The cherry on top was when the fans helped pick Davey up, dust him off, and toss his ass back over the rail where he made it back into the ring at the count of 19. Another cool Roderick moment during the finishing stretch was as Richards was kicking out of a pinfall in mid-kickout Strong was already transitioning into the Stong Hold. Its a match style that has its critics but I love seeing two guys just throwing everything in their arsenal at each other until one of them can't anymore.
8.) Kevin Steen vs. El Generico - Fight Without Honor - B:7 G:8
Brian: So it finally came down to this, after feuding all year, in what would win the Wrestling Observer Feud of the Year award, former partners Steen and Generico settled it once and for all in an unsanctioned post-show fight. It was said it was not recognized by ROH and yet an ROH referee (or in this case three of them) were used strangely. This had everything you'd want: blood, big dangerous bumps, boiling hatred, seething rage, and a rousing finale. There's so many big spots that it'd be dry to prattle off a list here. I will mention one I particularly liked: a ladder had been laid out bridging the ring apron and guardrail, a table was then opened and set atop it, Generico with a running start somehow dove between the two in a visual spectacle the likes of the best bits of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The amount of blood here was enough to stock and satiate even the hungriest of shirtless teenage glistening vampire gangs. Steen lapping up Generico's plasma like a kitten to milk was -- interesting. All in all I was satisfied with this blow-off and fan favorite Generico finally vanquishing the putrid Steen was as good a show ender as any they could have drummed up.
Geo: This was hatred in it's purest form. Both of these guys went all out and took some really nasty bumps. Steen got his ass handed to him the entire match, taking bumps that only a sadistic son-of-a-bitch would even dream about. Generico had this aggressive fire about him that was so unlike him. The hatred poured out of him through his emotions and stiffness. Steen made great connection with the fans by wiping both his and Generico's blood not only on his body but also in his mouth! Both guys were just laying everything in, taking all sorts of unnecessary risks, and bumping like crazy just to let everyone know that this feud was brutal. Great match. Can't imagine how awesome it must have been live. MOTYC for sure.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Best of IWA Deep South (Disc 1 of 2)
1) Shopping Cart Death Match: Insane Lane vs. Freakshow (12/3/05) – 3
Freakshow is wrestling in some baggy ass jeans and a long sleeve T and throws some terrible punches. Lane grabs an ax and delivers some blade first shots with them that wouldn’t even harm my grandmother with Alzheimers. Lane grabs a pizza cutter and slices Freakshow with it. The dumbass hillbilly announcer says “I work at Papa Johns and that doesn’t feel good when you slice your finger with it.” Stupid bastard. The three dozen people who bothered to attend scatter when the action spills to the floor. A splash off the top through a door that doesn’t break finishes Freakshow. Not the world’s best deathmatch but I’ve seen a lot worse.
2) Barbed Wire Ropes & 200 Light Tubes Match: Tank vs. Necro Butcher (12/3/05) – 4
I’m almost positive this is on one of Brian’s early BMD discs. These two were throwing some good hard punches. Tank is a giant dude that looks like he spends more time on the couch watching football and drinking beer than working out. In this match the ropes were wrapped in barbed wire and light tubes and thumbtack were scattered about. I enjoyed the part where they were sitting across from each other in chairs and trading haymakers. Tank did a sick double foot stomp through light tubes at the end of the bout. I really forgot how good of a deathmatch wrestler Necro was. Too bad that he’s been homogenized in ROH. Fun bout here.
3) 20 Minute Iron Man Death Match: J.C. Bailey vs. Necro Butcher (2/18/06) – 4
Wow, there are only like 30 people (and that’s being generous) in the building. This is your prototypical light tube deathmatch with just them scattered everywhere and taped together. Necro tried a hurracanrana from the top and failed with JC just doing a flip off the top to make it seem like the move worked. This resulted in JC acquiring a giant gash in the back of his head. JC was stabbing Necro with remains of tubes in his forehead and in the bottom of his foot. Necro got hit three times with a beer bottle before it actually broke. This was good up until they got tired.
4) Chuck Taylor vs. Mike Quackenbush (8/26/06) – 6
I can say this with absolute certainty, Mike Quackenbush is one of my favorite indy wrestlers to watch. His motions are very fluid and his transitions are very smooth. Quack just schooled Taylor in the first half by putting him in move after move after move. Taylor hits a couple nice dropkicks and the lead announcer splooges in his jeans. Selling by both guys was really good. I liked the spot at the end where Quack did some comedy when Taylor went for a top rope moonsault. Roll-up by Taylor to end it was nice for an upset victory. I thought Taylor really worked hard here, especially for someone who’s matches I haven’t really liked all that much.
5) Four Way Elimination Match: Sabian vs. Brevin Holt vs. Ricochet vs. Cabana Man Dan (8/26/06) – 5
The announcers spent the first five minutes of the match talking about WrestleMania celebrities and politics, which is highly annoying when you don’t know who the competitors are in the match as the graphic on the DVD only says “Four Way Elimination Match”. Sabian got some sick air on a flip and Ricochet hit a nice outside dive as well. Holt looks a bit like Kenny Dykstra, complete with Spirit Squad sweat band. Cabana Man Dan does some type of islander gimmick apparently since he chops people with flip-flops and has a Hawaiian design on his trunks. Sabian hit a sick DDT on Ricochet when it was down to just them. The air that Sabian gets on some of his aerial moves is just insane. Haven’t seen much of Ricochet but it seemed like he had some decent stuff. I wasn’t impressed by Holt or Cabana Man Dan.
6) Larry Sweeney vs. Brad Armstrong (8/26/06) – 5
Sweeney must’ve taken a page from the Larry Zbyszko book of stalling because that’s all he did during the first five minutes or so. Long time fans may recognize Armstrong from WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night but more recent fans may recognize him from his short lived stint as an ECW commentator in late 2006. Armstrong looked in really good shape for his age but really didn’t do much in the physical selling department. Sweeney is just so good as a cocky heel and probably could’ve been with TNA right now had he not had a mental breakdown a few years ago in ROH. Sweeney got a sudden victory by tripping up Armstrong and putting his feet on the ropes. Pretty good match, especially from Armstrong who can still go.
7) Homewrecker Death Match: Dysfunction vs. Freakshow (11/25/06) – 5
What a strange venue this match is in. Looks like an old barn with Buff Bagwell and Kevin Nash n.W.o. posters on the wall, banners sporting the phone numbers for the local used car lot and a place called Jailbusters Bail Bonds, and seating provided by metal folding chairs, wooden bleachers, and church pues. Dysfunction took a stiff shot with a VCR, a sidewalk slam through a board covered in light tubes, and a piledriver through another board covered in light tubes. Freakshow didn’t bump much here, mainly because he’s about 200 pounds heavier than Dysfunction. Actually, the biggest bump he took was through a door wrapped in barbed wire. The match didn’t go too long, but was really fun and Dysfunction took a hell of a beating.
8) Barefoot Thumbtack Death Match: Ian Rotten vs. Mickie Knuckles (11/25/06) - 6
Watching this match made me feel like I was watching a domestic dispute at a trailer park on an episode of Cops. These two just literally beat each other bloody. Mickie took a thumtack covered wiffle ball bat to the head so hard that it made her wobble and fall, another to the vaginal area, and got suplexed barefoot into a bed of thumbtacks. Ian on the other hand received a staple gun to the nutsack, a dollar bill stapled to his tongue, that was then yanked out a few minutes later, and a suplex into the same bed of thumbtacks. The best part of the match was when they where exchanging forearms and headbutts so hard that you could actually hear the smack of the bloodied flesh. By the time the match was over, Mickie had about a dozen thumbtacks stuck in her skull, Ian was walking very gingerly with tacks in his feet and both combatants were a bloody mess. The most enjoyable deathmatch I’ve seen on this disc so far.
9) Chrisjen Hayme vs. Cabana Man Dan (11/25/06) – 4
I saw Hayme a few months ago at a local HWA show and he looked decent. Dan tried a Sliced Bread #2 early on in the match which saw him mess up just a bit. Hayme did a pretty ballsy asai moonsault into the crowd which ended with him cracking his knees on some chairs at ringside. Dan looked decent here with a couple missteps in what was otherwise a good performance. I enjoyed watching Hayme’s hard kicks. The match itself didn’t go very long, maybe six or seven minutes but had a good fast pace to it.
10) Taipei Death Match: Freakshow vs. Necro Butcher (11/25/06) – 4
This match mainly consisted of Freakshow and Necro punching each other really, really hard with glass covered fists. Both guys bled a good amount, Necro especially, having blood literally pouring from his head at one point. Yes, there was a chair used and there was some barbed wire strung up on one side of the ropes that didn’t even come into play. I would grade Necro’s punches above Freakshow’s mainly because Necro’s punches look like they would knock you out. Probably one of the better Freakshow matches I’ve seen.
11) Home Run Debry Death Match: Bull Pain vs. Insane Lane (11/25/06) – 5
Another good death match here. They spent the entire match whacking each other with various sized items covered in either thumbtacks, light tubes, or carpet strips (those little boards with nails in them that are used to put down carpet with). Lane took a sick shot right at the beginning that left him with about two dozen tacks stuck in his dome and possibly some brain damage. There was a funny part where Bull yelled “Move!” at some decreped, toothless old lady with a hunting jacket on and got up in her face when she didn’t. This prompted the old lady to get up and she had to be held back by people. Right near the end, Lane messed up a spot where he was supposed to go face first into some light tube covered apparatus but either chickened out or slipped because he missed the thing entirely. Lane won with a schoolboy roll-up. Wait? What? Why the hell would you do a roll-up in a deathmatch?
Freakshow is wrestling in some baggy ass jeans and a long sleeve T and throws some terrible punches. Lane grabs an ax and delivers some blade first shots with them that wouldn’t even harm my grandmother with Alzheimers. Lane grabs a pizza cutter and slices Freakshow with it. The dumbass hillbilly announcer says “I work at Papa Johns and that doesn’t feel good when you slice your finger with it.” Stupid bastard. The three dozen people who bothered to attend scatter when the action spills to the floor. A splash off the top through a door that doesn’t break finishes Freakshow. Not the world’s best deathmatch but I’ve seen a lot worse.
2) Barbed Wire Ropes & 200 Light Tubes Match: Tank vs. Necro Butcher (12/3/05) – 4
I’m almost positive this is on one of Brian’s early BMD discs. These two were throwing some good hard punches. Tank is a giant dude that looks like he spends more time on the couch watching football and drinking beer than working out. In this match the ropes were wrapped in barbed wire and light tubes and thumbtack were scattered about. I enjoyed the part where they were sitting across from each other in chairs and trading haymakers. Tank did a sick double foot stomp through light tubes at the end of the bout. I really forgot how good of a deathmatch wrestler Necro was. Too bad that he’s been homogenized in ROH. Fun bout here.
3) 20 Minute Iron Man Death Match: J.C. Bailey vs. Necro Butcher (2/18/06) – 4
Wow, there are only like 30 people (and that’s being generous) in the building. This is your prototypical light tube deathmatch with just them scattered everywhere and taped together. Necro tried a hurracanrana from the top and failed with JC just doing a flip off the top to make it seem like the move worked. This resulted in JC acquiring a giant gash in the back of his head. JC was stabbing Necro with remains of tubes in his forehead and in the bottom of his foot. Necro got hit three times with a beer bottle before it actually broke. This was good up until they got tired.
4) Chuck Taylor vs. Mike Quackenbush (8/26/06) – 6
I can say this with absolute certainty, Mike Quackenbush is one of my favorite indy wrestlers to watch. His motions are very fluid and his transitions are very smooth. Quack just schooled Taylor in the first half by putting him in move after move after move. Taylor hits a couple nice dropkicks and the lead announcer splooges in his jeans. Selling by both guys was really good. I liked the spot at the end where Quack did some comedy when Taylor went for a top rope moonsault. Roll-up by Taylor to end it was nice for an upset victory. I thought Taylor really worked hard here, especially for someone who’s matches I haven’t really liked all that much.
5) Four Way Elimination Match: Sabian vs. Brevin Holt vs. Ricochet vs. Cabana Man Dan (8/26/06) – 5
The announcers spent the first five minutes of the match talking about WrestleMania celebrities and politics, which is highly annoying when you don’t know who the competitors are in the match as the graphic on the DVD only says “Four Way Elimination Match”. Sabian got some sick air on a flip and Ricochet hit a nice outside dive as well. Holt looks a bit like Kenny Dykstra, complete with Spirit Squad sweat band. Cabana Man Dan does some type of islander gimmick apparently since he chops people with flip-flops and has a Hawaiian design on his trunks. Sabian hit a sick DDT on Ricochet when it was down to just them. The air that Sabian gets on some of his aerial moves is just insane. Haven’t seen much of Ricochet but it seemed like he had some decent stuff. I wasn’t impressed by Holt or Cabana Man Dan.
6) Larry Sweeney vs. Brad Armstrong (8/26/06) – 5
Sweeney must’ve taken a page from the Larry Zbyszko book of stalling because that’s all he did during the first five minutes or so. Long time fans may recognize Armstrong from WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night but more recent fans may recognize him from his short lived stint as an ECW commentator in late 2006. Armstrong looked in really good shape for his age but really didn’t do much in the physical selling department. Sweeney is just so good as a cocky heel and probably could’ve been with TNA right now had he not had a mental breakdown a few years ago in ROH. Sweeney got a sudden victory by tripping up Armstrong and putting his feet on the ropes. Pretty good match, especially from Armstrong who can still go.
7) Homewrecker Death Match: Dysfunction vs. Freakshow (11/25/06) – 5
What a strange venue this match is in. Looks like an old barn with Buff Bagwell and Kevin Nash n.W.o. posters on the wall, banners sporting the phone numbers for the local used car lot and a place called Jailbusters Bail Bonds, and seating provided by metal folding chairs, wooden bleachers, and church pues. Dysfunction took a stiff shot with a VCR, a sidewalk slam through a board covered in light tubes, and a piledriver through another board covered in light tubes. Freakshow didn’t bump much here, mainly because he’s about 200 pounds heavier than Dysfunction. Actually, the biggest bump he took was through a door wrapped in barbed wire. The match didn’t go too long, but was really fun and Dysfunction took a hell of a beating.
8) Barefoot Thumbtack Death Match: Ian Rotten vs. Mickie Knuckles (11/25/06) - 6
Watching this match made me feel like I was watching a domestic dispute at a trailer park on an episode of Cops. These two just literally beat each other bloody. Mickie took a thumtack covered wiffle ball bat to the head so hard that it made her wobble and fall, another to the vaginal area, and got suplexed barefoot into a bed of thumbtacks. Ian on the other hand received a staple gun to the nutsack, a dollar bill stapled to his tongue, that was then yanked out a few minutes later, and a suplex into the same bed of thumbtacks. The best part of the match was when they where exchanging forearms and headbutts so hard that you could actually hear the smack of the bloodied flesh. By the time the match was over, Mickie had about a dozen thumbtacks stuck in her skull, Ian was walking very gingerly with tacks in his feet and both combatants were a bloody mess. The most enjoyable deathmatch I’ve seen on this disc so far.
9) Chrisjen Hayme vs. Cabana Man Dan (11/25/06) – 4
I saw Hayme a few months ago at a local HWA show and he looked decent. Dan tried a Sliced Bread #2 early on in the match which saw him mess up just a bit. Hayme did a pretty ballsy asai moonsault into the crowd which ended with him cracking his knees on some chairs at ringside. Dan looked decent here with a couple missteps in what was otherwise a good performance. I enjoyed watching Hayme’s hard kicks. The match itself didn’t go very long, maybe six or seven minutes but had a good fast pace to it.
10) Taipei Death Match: Freakshow vs. Necro Butcher (11/25/06) – 4
This match mainly consisted of Freakshow and Necro punching each other really, really hard with glass covered fists. Both guys bled a good amount, Necro especially, having blood literally pouring from his head at one point. Yes, there was a chair used and there was some barbed wire strung up on one side of the ropes that didn’t even come into play. I would grade Necro’s punches above Freakshow’s mainly because Necro’s punches look like they would knock you out. Probably one of the better Freakshow matches I’ve seen.
11) Home Run Debry Death Match: Bull Pain vs. Insane Lane (11/25/06) – 5
Another good death match here. They spent the entire match whacking each other with various sized items covered in either thumbtacks, light tubes, or carpet strips (those little boards with nails in them that are used to put down carpet with). Lane took a sick shot right at the beginning that left him with about two dozen tacks stuck in his dome and possibly some brain damage. There was a funny part where Bull yelled “Move!” at some decreped, toothless old lady with a hunting jacket on and got up in her face when she didn’t. This prompted the old lady to get up and she had to be held back by people. Right near the end, Lane messed up a spot where he was supposed to go face first into some light tube covered apparatus but either chickened out or slipped because he missed the thing entirely. Lane won with a schoolboy roll-up. Wait? What? Why the hell would you do a roll-up in a deathmatch?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Co-Review: WWE Wrestling's Highest Flyers (Disc 1 of 3)
Co-Review by Jessie & Adam.
J: Hey NHO fans, this is me and Adam's 1st Co Review together, and we've for the most part been apart of the blog since the beginning, so looking forward to this. He bestowed this little treasure onto for Xmas and I believe also got his copy for his birthday, so here we go!
A: Hey everyone, Jessie and I concocted this idea after I got the DVD for him for Christmas and my fiancee got it for me for my birthday. Can’t believe we’ve been doing the blog for over five years now and this is our first co-review together. Let’s get started!
1) Ricky Steamboat vs. Brian Pillman (WCW Halloween Havoc ’92, 10/25/92) A:4 J:6
A: Good chop exchange to start. Pillman wearing orange and black, perhaps he’s representing the Bengals? Not sure why. They were the laughing stock of the NFL during this time. Nice dropkick from Pillman hitting Steamboat in mid-air coming off the second rope. Haven’t really seen much high flying, so to speak, in this match. Things have been more mat based. Kinda sloppy roll-up sequence to end it. There were better matches than this that could’ve been chosen to showcase Steamboat’s abilities.
J: Cool match to start us off with. To answer your quandry Adam, Pillman donned those tights from around 1990 till he started in the Hollywood Blondes. To the match, def. wasn't all about high flying, match was sort of understated, the Philly fans sort of fickle and were cheering back and forth. One thing that makes me recommend it is both guys are great on the ground, Pillman being one of the more underrated mat work guys of the 90's. I like the smoothness of their sequences together too, feels less like a Young Bucks marathon and more like an older couple taking ballroom dancing classes and jazzing together. Some neat pin attempts too. I actually think the rollup worked to end it; esp, with Jim Ross on commentary making note of how Dragon used his legs to reverse Pillman's momentum for the pin.
2) Evan Bourne vs. Zack Ryder (WWE Superstars, 6/11/09) J:6 A:4
J: Here's another match I really enjoyed. They say every successful film is 3 acts, well this match employed that very philosophy. Beginning feeling out, Bourne looking dynamic, Ryder finding a weak spot and exploiting it, then the finale, both men fighting for the win with some good counters. Bourne was carrying that ROH work style with him, exploding with an open hand slap I'm sure Danielson gave him before, a cool legdrop that was a Jack Evans staple and the nasty enzugiri that busted Zack's ear open at the end. A few moments they looked like they were searching for the next move but not much. Nice job.
A: My thoughts are a little bit different than Jessie’s. I thought the match came across as pretty basic, especially with Ryder controlling it in the middle. The commentary on this is atrocious. Striker and Matthews trying to make sense of Ryder’s catchphrase and then Striker trying to be funny and a lot of dead air. Bourne hardly got in any offense, except for a few knee strikes and the shooting star press at the end.
3) Jimmy Snuka vs. Samu (WWF @ Madison Square Garden, 2/20/84) A:3 J:3
A: First exchange was very physical with Samu bouncing all over the place for Snuka. Then we get a front facelock hold from Snuka and a nerve hold from Samu that lasted longer than Nelson Mandela’s prison sentence, both of which sucked the life out of the crowd. Snuka’s facials while in the nerve hold were great. Not much else to talk about here besides Snuka hitting the obligatory top-rope splash.
J: Agreed on the nerve pinch and Jimmy's selling, it almost looked like he was trying to conduct Brahm's 4th Symphony, that or else trying to get the vendor to bring him down a chili dog. But this was rather obviously a young boy match, where they put a new comer (Sika's son Samu) in with a veteran, gives him a rub and gives the vet an easy night off, but there were some really quick sequences but the long rest hold in the middle felt slightly unnecessary.
4) Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, & Lizmark Jr. vs. Villano IV, La Parka, & Psychosis (WCW Bash at the Beach ’97, 7/13/97) J:5 A:5
J: One of the earliest sequences was between Garza and Villano and I thought it was one of the smoothest pieces of business in the match. There were some really inventive stuff though to feast your eyes on, the Triple suicide dive, everyone missing their dives later, followed by the Lucha stape of the succession of planchas. The ending was really bad booking and I find finishes to most Lucha matches like this are the least thought part which seemed to be the case here. Lizmark looked the worst here, with a general misdirection hanging over him like a stormcloud.
A: I remember renting the tape of this particular show from the local library as a kid and loving this match. Most of it was your typical lucha staple of outside dive sequences and what-not with loads of legal man issues. Juvi’s getting Michael Jordan-esque air on a springboard was quite tasty. Agreed with the comments about the ending. I’m guessing it probably popped in Bischoff’s head as he was popping a squat right before showtime.
5) Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Raw, 5/2/05) A:7 J:7
A: The beginning with the chain wrestling set the stage and allowed the suspense to build from there. Everything, I mean everything was executed with absolute perfection. Shawn looked better here than he did during the end of his last run last year. This was Benjamin at his peak. Shelton nearly took off Michaels’ head with a spinning head kick. The story early on was Shawn getting frustrated with himself about not being able to put away Shelton. The nearfalls were absolutely fantastic and got better as the match went on with the crowd hanging on every single one. The superkick at the end had never been done before but I did see Shawn bust it out during a match with Rey Mysterio last winter in Cincinnati. I toyed with an “8” here but I figured that a “7” would be a safe bet.
J: I wondered if this would hold up especially after the glowing praise you bestowed upon it Adam and it actually did. When I speak about Shawn's 2nd career being a success these are the kinds I like to see, him, with all his story telling ability, the selling, against a new younger gunslinger who can dish it out. Shelton, to his credit, has maybe never looked better. He didn't miss a beat throughout, nailing each and every spot, loved the double clothesline over the top to the outside. So good call, 7 is about right, 8 would be another level that I don't think they reached so good decision.
6) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Ultimo Dragon (WCW World War III ’96, 11/24/96) J:5 A:5
J: Even Rey circa '96 looked like a better Spider Man than Andrew Garfield. Dragon's green lipstick was way too Cyndi Lauper for me but guess he was cool with it. Dragon was such a Liger here, just bullying small Rey for long periods, with some really dynamic offense, incl. a sick powerbomb. Rey was pitch perfect in his role as the underdog only hitting stuff here and there but hanging in there whenever he can. Again, more like a Japanese style bout than anything high flying but still really fun. Of their 3 PPV matches during this time, I think this is probably the lesser but is still a great watch, especially if your a major fan of either guy.
A: The Japanese style was definitely on display here by Dragon. Jessie pretty much covered everything. Dragon’s kicks didn’t have a lot of force behind them from my perspective. Lil’ Rey (that sound like some rapper’s name) didn’t look to great either. Crowd seemed a bit flat and only responded to Rey’s comebacks. These two have definitely had better matches.
7) Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (ECW Hardcore TV, 7/21/95) – A:8 J:7
A: This wasn’t necessarily a high flying match but it was just awesome. The mat work and reversals here would make Frank Gotch stand up out of his grave and applaud. Everything meant something and led right into the next move. Big moves were executed only when they needed to be and it fit the context of the match. For example, Malenko hit a gutbuster and then immediately followed it up with an abdominal stretch. Guerrero used his aerial abilities to perfection and hit a perfect frogsplash. The big spot of the match was them taking a tumble over the top rope but they immediately got back in. The finishing sequence would end up becoming a staple of cruiserweight matches in years to come but here, unlike now where roll-up sequences are done to death (particularly in the RVD/Jerry Lynn series of ‘99), it still meant something (and was much crisper than the first match on this disc that used the same finish).
J: I'm not really sure where this particular bout fits into their storied rivalry but off hand it felt fresher, more succint and less pressure than their famed 2/3 falls bout. I agree with Adam that there wasn't much wasted movement here and some of the sequences actually caught me off guard with how fast they were moving and how damn well they came off. Def. some of both mens' career best. I did have issues with both guys during different points just casually moving onto the next spot, ala Ring of Honor since the beginning, especially Dean. He really could have added some facial expressions into his game, except his usual "Damn kids stole my newspaper again" grumpy old man face. Surprised you didn't like the ending of the Dragon-Pillman bout as they used the same one here.
Bonus Matches:
* Ultimo Dragon vs. Psychosis (WCW Uncensored ’97, 3/16/97) – J:5 A:5
J: This was a fun match, a nice mix of styles, Psychosis was trying almost damn near anything and was game for all kinds of nutty bumps and dives. Dragon played more of a straight man but looked as solid mechanically as in the Rey match. Loved the running Lyger bomb he killed Psych with later on. The mat stuff in the opening was every bit as smooth as Eddie-Dean earlier also. Guess why I wouldn't recommend it is some no-selling issues, and the match didn't really flow, felt like a nice collection of spots and I've seen more cohesive stuff from both guys.
A: Dragon looked better here overall than he did in the match with Mysterio. For me, the match felt in the same category as the 6-man lucha match from earlier. Lots of the typical stuff, including Dragon doing the Asai moonsaul. I dug the Tornado DDT and Tiger suplex that finished off Psychosis. Decent match.
* Chavo Guerrero vs. Jamie Noble (WWE Smackdown, 4/18/08) – A:4 J:3
A: Wait, Coach is on color commentary? Bam Neely is still employed? What is this, an alternate universe? Nothing really special here as it was your common, everyday five-minute TV cruiserweight match. Crowd seemed dead and the match was mainly all Chavo getting all his trademark stuff in on Noble. Not much else to talk about.
J: In this alternate universe, is gas still $3 a gallon? Is Eva Mendes single and living on my street? Has anyone "shanked" either of the Crist Brothers as Brian soundly suggested in 2006? Okay, enough hocus pocus, although I don't think a David Blaine magic act in the middle of this would freshen it up any. Chavo was on pure autopilot and I've seen a trash bag get thrown by the Rumpke guys in the morning have more float than Chavo's frog splash. Jamie was sound though, pulling off a couple nice sequences, but this had no time to develop whatsoever.
J: Hey NHO fans, this is me and Adam's 1st Co Review together, and we've for the most part been apart of the blog since the beginning, so looking forward to this. He bestowed this little treasure onto for Xmas and I believe also got his copy for his birthday, so here we go!
A: Hey everyone, Jessie and I concocted this idea after I got the DVD for him for Christmas and my fiancee got it for me for my birthday. Can’t believe we’ve been doing the blog for over five years now and this is our first co-review together. Let’s get started!
1) Ricky Steamboat vs. Brian Pillman (WCW Halloween Havoc ’92, 10/25/92) A:4 J:6
A: Good chop exchange to start. Pillman wearing orange and black, perhaps he’s representing the Bengals? Not sure why. They were the laughing stock of the NFL during this time. Nice dropkick from Pillman hitting Steamboat in mid-air coming off the second rope. Haven’t really seen much high flying, so to speak, in this match. Things have been more mat based. Kinda sloppy roll-up sequence to end it. There were better matches than this that could’ve been chosen to showcase Steamboat’s abilities.
J: Cool match to start us off with. To answer your quandry Adam, Pillman donned those tights from around 1990 till he started in the Hollywood Blondes. To the match, def. wasn't all about high flying, match was sort of understated, the Philly fans sort of fickle and were cheering back and forth. One thing that makes me recommend it is both guys are great on the ground, Pillman being one of the more underrated mat work guys of the 90's. I like the smoothness of their sequences together too, feels less like a Young Bucks marathon and more like an older couple taking ballroom dancing classes and jazzing together. Some neat pin attempts too. I actually think the rollup worked to end it; esp, with Jim Ross on commentary making note of how Dragon used his legs to reverse Pillman's momentum for the pin.
2) Evan Bourne vs. Zack Ryder (WWE Superstars, 6/11/09) J:6 A:4
J: Here's another match I really enjoyed. They say every successful film is 3 acts, well this match employed that very philosophy. Beginning feeling out, Bourne looking dynamic, Ryder finding a weak spot and exploiting it, then the finale, both men fighting for the win with some good counters. Bourne was carrying that ROH work style with him, exploding with an open hand slap I'm sure Danielson gave him before, a cool legdrop that was a Jack Evans staple and the nasty enzugiri that busted Zack's ear open at the end. A few moments they looked like they were searching for the next move but not much. Nice job.
A: My thoughts are a little bit different than Jessie’s. I thought the match came across as pretty basic, especially with Ryder controlling it in the middle. The commentary on this is atrocious. Striker and Matthews trying to make sense of Ryder’s catchphrase and then Striker trying to be funny and a lot of dead air. Bourne hardly got in any offense, except for a few knee strikes and the shooting star press at the end.
3) Jimmy Snuka vs. Samu (WWF @ Madison Square Garden, 2/20/84) A:3 J:3
A: First exchange was very physical with Samu bouncing all over the place for Snuka. Then we get a front facelock hold from Snuka and a nerve hold from Samu that lasted longer than Nelson Mandela’s prison sentence, both of which sucked the life out of the crowd. Snuka’s facials while in the nerve hold were great. Not much else to talk about here besides Snuka hitting the obligatory top-rope splash.
J: Agreed on the nerve pinch and Jimmy's selling, it almost looked like he was trying to conduct Brahm's 4th Symphony, that or else trying to get the vendor to bring him down a chili dog. But this was rather obviously a young boy match, where they put a new comer (Sika's son Samu) in with a veteran, gives him a rub and gives the vet an easy night off, but there were some really quick sequences but the long rest hold in the middle felt slightly unnecessary.
4) Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, & Lizmark Jr. vs. Villano IV, La Parka, & Psychosis (WCW Bash at the Beach ’97, 7/13/97) J:5 A:5
J: One of the earliest sequences was between Garza and Villano and I thought it was one of the smoothest pieces of business in the match. There were some really inventive stuff though to feast your eyes on, the Triple suicide dive, everyone missing their dives later, followed by the Lucha stape of the succession of planchas. The ending was really bad booking and I find finishes to most Lucha matches like this are the least thought part which seemed to be the case here. Lizmark looked the worst here, with a general misdirection hanging over him like a stormcloud.
A: I remember renting the tape of this particular show from the local library as a kid and loving this match. Most of it was your typical lucha staple of outside dive sequences and what-not with loads of legal man issues. Juvi’s getting Michael Jordan-esque air on a springboard was quite tasty. Agreed with the comments about the ending. I’m guessing it probably popped in Bischoff’s head as he was popping a squat right before showtime.
5) Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Raw, 5/2/05) A:7 J:7
A: The beginning with the chain wrestling set the stage and allowed the suspense to build from there. Everything, I mean everything was executed with absolute perfection. Shawn looked better here than he did during the end of his last run last year. This was Benjamin at his peak. Shelton nearly took off Michaels’ head with a spinning head kick. The story early on was Shawn getting frustrated with himself about not being able to put away Shelton. The nearfalls were absolutely fantastic and got better as the match went on with the crowd hanging on every single one. The superkick at the end had never been done before but I did see Shawn bust it out during a match with Rey Mysterio last winter in Cincinnati. I toyed with an “8” here but I figured that a “7” would be a safe bet.
J: I wondered if this would hold up especially after the glowing praise you bestowed upon it Adam and it actually did. When I speak about Shawn's 2nd career being a success these are the kinds I like to see, him, with all his story telling ability, the selling, against a new younger gunslinger who can dish it out. Shelton, to his credit, has maybe never looked better. He didn't miss a beat throughout, nailing each and every spot, loved the double clothesline over the top to the outside. So good call, 7 is about right, 8 would be another level that I don't think they reached so good decision.
6) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Ultimo Dragon (WCW World War III ’96, 11/24/96) J:5 A:5
J: Even Rey circa '96 looked like a better Spider Man than Andrew Garfield. Dragon's green lipstick was way too Cyndi Lauper for me but guess he was cool with it. Dragon was such a Liger here, just bullying small Rey for long periods, with some really dynamic offense, incl. a sick powerbomb. Rey was pitch perfect in his role as the underdog only hitting stuff here and there but hanging in there whenever he can. Again, more like a Japanese style bout than anything high flying but still really fun. Of their 3 PPV matches during this time, I think this is probably the lesser but is still a great watch, especially if your a major fan of either guy.
A: The Japanese style was definitely on display here by Dragon. Jessie pretty much covered everything. Dragon’s kicks didn’t have a lot of force behind them from my perspective. Lil’ Rey (that sound like some rapper’s name) didn’t look to great either. Crowd seemed a bit flat and only responded to Rey’s comebacks. These two have definitely had better matches.
7) Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (ECW Hardcore TV, 7/21/95) – A:8 J:7
A: This wasn’t necessarily a high flying match but it was just awesome. The mat work and reversals here would make Frank Gotch stand up out of his grave and applaud. Everything meant something and led right into the next move. Big moves were executed only when they needed to be and it fit the context of the match. For example, Malenko hit a gutbuster and then immediately followed it up with an abdominal stretch. Guerrero used his aerial abilities to perfection and hit a perfect frogsplash. The big spot of the match was them taking a tumble over the top rope but they immediately got back in. The finishing sequence would end up becoming a staple of cruiserweight matches in years to come but here, unlike now where roll-up sequences are done to death (particularly in the RVD/Jerry Lynn series of ‘99), it still meant something (and was much crisper than the first match on this disc that used the same finish).
J: I'm not really sure where this particular bout fits into their storied rivalry but off hand it felt fresher, more succint and less pressure than their famed 2/3 falls bout. I agree with Adam that there wasn't much wasted movement here and some of the sequences actually caught me off guard with how fast they were moving and how damn well they came off. Def. some of both mens' career best. I did have issues with both guys during different points just casually moving onto the next spot, ala Ring of Honor since the beginning, especially Dean. He really could have added some facial expressions into his game, except his usual "Damn kids stole my newspaper again" grumpy old man face. Surprised you didn't like the ending of the Dragon-Pillman bout as they used the same one here.
Bonus Matches:
* Ultimo Dragon vs. Psychosis (WCW Uncensored ’97, 3/16/97) – J:5 A:5
J: This was a fun match, a nice mix of styles, Psychosis was trying almost damn near anything and was game for all kinds of nutty bumps and dives. Dragon played more of a straight man but looked as solid mechanically as in the Rey match. Loved the running Lyger bomb he killed Psych with later on. The mat stuff in the opening was every bit as smooth as Eddie-Dean earlier also. Guess why I wouldn't recommend it is some no-selling issues, and the match didn't really flow, felt like a nice collection of spots and I've seen more cohesive stuff from both guys.
A: Dragon looked better here overall than he did in the match with Mysterio. For me, the match felt in the same category as the 6-man lucha match from earlier. Lots of the typical stuff, including Dragon doing the Asai moonsaul. I dug the Tornado DDT and Tiger suplex that finished off Psychosis. Decent match.
* Chavo Guerrero vs. Jamie Noble (WWE Smackdown, 4/18/08) – A:4 J:3
A: Wait, Coach is on color commentary? Bam Neely is still employed? What is this, an alternate universe? Nothing really special here as it was your common, everyday five-minute TV cruiserweight match. Crowd seemed dead and the match was mainly all Chavo getting all his trademark stuff in on Noble. Not much else to talk about.
J: In this alternate universe, is gas still $3 a gallon? Is Eva Mendes single and living on my street? Has anyone "shanked" either of the Crist Brothers as Brian soundly suggested in 2006? Okay, enough hocus pocus, although I don't think a David Blaine magic act in the middle of this would freshen it up any. Chavo was on pure autopilot and I've seen a trash bag get thrown by the Rumpke guys in the morning have more float than Chavo's frog splash. Jamie was sound though, pulling off a couple nice sequences, but this had no time to develop whatsoever.
CZW Deja Vu 5 - October 6, 2010
This venue looks like a Family Fun Center that's been curtained off to look smaller. There's probably about 35-40 people there and they look bored. Oh my, this HAS to be a good sign. There's so few people a microphone is not required. ... ... ...
Alex Colon vs. Scott Reed vs. Ryan Slater - 3
Scott Reed looks like Petey Williams after a run in with anadrol. His in-ring was solid, but his bulkiness added and odd element to a match involving two smaller guys. Slater's jawing with the crowd was quite humorous, garnering disrespect from the Massachusetts fans, including one female fan shouting, "you a fuckin gay." Colon brought this PR stiffness with his striking game that was acceptable. He was the one who looked the best in this match, while Ryan Slater only seemed to want to get heat from the Red Sox fans.
Johnny Calzone vs. Drew Gulak - 2
Take one part pizza chef gimmick and one part arrogant prick heel and you have a concoction that's bound to be explosively greatly interesting. Nothing really happened in this match. Aside from Calzone getting heat for Gulak, making sure the fans knowing he was a 'dickhead.' This match doesn't belong in CZW.
Sabian vs. Thomas Clappo - 4
Sabian hates humanity and I love him for it. He doesn't take shit from anybody and gets in any arrogant fans' face. Hell yeah. Cloppo really looked like he could hold his own in the ring. His ground work and power maneuvers were good, and working with a shorter guy like Sabian would've proved to have been more difficult when you're as tall as Cloppo, I would think. Sabian jawed with the crowd, making fun of the bean-lovers, especially the rotund ones. Cloppo made sure to connect with the audience as well, making eye contact with the fans and getting pumped up. Impressive showing.
Devon Moore vs. Niles Young - 3
Young brought a chubby midget with him to the ring that looked like she was Snookie's sister. I question the integrity of Young. Moore looks like he's dropped some weight and is now wearing tights and no shirt -- a step up from ripped jeans shorts and marijuana-endorsing t-shirts. Young lays in chops like a timid father spanking his child for the first time. Step up your game, dude. Young looked about as solid as nerve gas -- he offered the same side-effects as well. Moore's shooting star press to end the match looked nice.
Joe Gacy vs. Sami Callihan - 5
This was a feud in the making as two members of the SwichBlade Conspiracy were stiffing the fuck out of each other. This was arguably Gacy's best singles match. His intensity and hate were up there with Sami, which is hard to do. They brawled on the floor, where Sami wasn't afraid to bump on the astro turf. Sami also busted out a DDT on an upright plastic trash can. Yep. Gacy rubbed me the wrong way by not selling some of Sami's offense on the floor, like a chair shot to the back. Sami's bumping was hella fun to watch. He would get thrown into trash cans and bump like he was just shot out of a cannon.
The Osirian Portal vs. The Irish Drive-By - 4
Both teams are well ventured in the quick paced, lucharific style of wrestling. Swann vs. Orphidian is one match that I've wanted to see for a long time, and it was fun getting to see the two mix it up. Amasis and Swann showed their moves in the ring, being all funky and junk.
Crowd was really quiet throughout the match with only a few intermittent claps breaking up the deafening silence. I found myself wishing they'd lay in their strikes more. Swanns chops in the cvorner were weaker than a gerbil on a feeding tube. To their credit, both teams provided a fun atmosphere with their tomfoolery.
tHURTeen vs. Danny Havoc - Lighttube Bundles - 5
I will give it to both guys, there was some really great stuff in this match. While there wasn't a lot to work with inside this rec center, they made something out of nothing. Havoc looks more and more polished in the ring every time he steps foot in it. He connects with his strikes and is making more strides at aerial maneuvers. 'Teen looked solid is well, sporting a nasty gash under his arm that rivaled that of Nick Gage at last year's TOD. The guys battled on top of a pick up truck - yes, a pickup truck, which Havoc ultimately took a Schwein into the bed filled with tubes. That was nice.
Jon Moxley vs. Nick Gage - NRBW - 4
Gage being in his familiar old home environment was pretty evident here, as he was taking suplexes into the wire repeatedly. I was quite happy with his selling of each subsequent suplex, as well. Moxely, however, has no business doing these types of matches. Don't get me wrong, he's one of the best, but his career needs to move in another direction -- he doesn't need to be sacrificing himself so much with all of the companies he works for. It is, however, a testament to his fortitude in his willingness to work deathmatches. Moxley looks great with a crimson mask, so demented. Gage took a hook and ladder onto the barbwire which I commend him for seeing as it's very dangerous.
Match Average: 3.75
Recommendation Level: Not Recommended
Alex Colon vs. Scott Reed vs. Ryan Slater - 3
Scott Reed looks like Petey Williams after a run in with anadrol. His in-ring was solid, but his bulkiness added and odd element to a match involving two smaller guys. Slater's jawing with the crowd was quite humorous, garnering disrespect from the Massachusetts fans, including one female fan shouting, "you a fuckin gay." Colon brought this PR stiffness with his striking game that was acceptable. He was the one who looked the best in this match, while Ryan Slater only seemed to want to get heat from the Red Sox fans.
Johnny Calzone vs. Drew Gulak - 2
Take one part pizza chef gimmick and one part arrogant prick heel and you have a concoction that's bound to be explosively greatly interesting. Nothing really happened in this match. Aside from Calzone getting heat for Gulak, making sure the fans knowing he was a 'dickhead.' This match doesn't belong in CZW.
Sabian vs. Thomas Clappo - 4
Sabian hates humanity and I love him for it. He doesn't take shit from anybody and gets in any arrogant fans' face. Hell yeah. Cloppo really looked like he could hold his own in the ring. His ground work and power maneuvers were good, and working with a shorter guy like Sabian would've proved to have been more difficult when you're as tall as Cloppo, I would think. Sabian jawed with the crowd, making fun of the bean-lovers, especially the rotund ones. Cloppo made sure to connect with the audience as well, making eye contact with the fans and getting pumped up. Impressive showing.
Devon Moore vs. Niles Young - 3
Young brought a chubby midget with him to the ring that looked like she was Snookie's sister. I question the integrity of Young. Moore looks like he's dropped some weight and is now wearing tights and no shirt -- a step up from ripped jeans shorts and marijuana-endorsing t-shirts. Young lays in chops like a timid father spanking his child for the first time. Step up your game, dude. Young looked about as solid as nerve gas -- he offered the same side-effects as well. Moore's shooting star press to end the match looked nice.
Joe Gacy vs. Sami Callihan - 5
This was a feud in the making as two members of the SwichBlade Conspiracy were stiffing the fuck out of each other. This was arguably Gacy's best singles match. His intensity and hate were up there with Sami, which is hard to do. They brawled on the floor, where Sami wasn't afraid to bump on the astro turf. Sami also busted out a DDT on an upright plastic trash can. Yep. Gacy rubbed me the wrong way by not selling some of Sami's offense on the floor, like a chair shot to the back. Sami's bumping was hella fun to watch. He would get thrown into trash cans and bump like he was just shot out of a cannon.
The Osirian Portal vs. The Irish Drive-By - 4
Both teams are well ventured in the quick paced, lucharific style of wrestling. Swann vs. Orphidian is one match that I've wanted to see for a long time, and it was fun getting to see the two mix it up. Amasis and Swann showed their moves in the ring, being all funky and junk.
Crowd was really quiet throughout the match with only a few intermittent claps breaking up the deafening silence. I found myself wishing they'd lay in their strikes more. Swanns chops in the cvorner were weaker than a gerbil on a feeding tube. To their credit, both teams provided a fun atmosphere with their tomfoolery.
tHURTeen vs. Danny Havoc - Lighttube Bundles - 5
I will give it to both guys, there was some really great stuff in this match. While there wasn't a lot to work with inside this rec center, they made something out of nothing. Havoc looks more and more polished in the ring every time he steps foot in it. He connects with his strikes and is making more strides at aerial maneuvers. 'Teen looked solid is well, sporting a nasty gash under his arm that rivaled that of Nick Gage at last year's TOD. The guys battled on top of a pick up truck - yes, a pickup truck, which Havoc ultimately took a Schwein into the bed filled with tubes. That was nice.
Jon Moxley vs. Nick Gage - NRBW - 4
Gage being in his familiar old home environment was pretty evident here, as he was taking suplexes into the wire repeatedly. I was quite happy with his selling of each subsequent suplex, as well. Moxely, however, has no business doing these types of matches. Don't get me wrong, he's one of the best, but his career needs to move in another direction -- he doesn't need to be sacrificing himself so much with all of the companies he works for. It is, however, a testament to his fortitude in his willingness to work deathmatches. Moxley looks great with a crimson mask, so demented. Gage took a hook and ladder onto the barbwire which I commend him for seeing as it's very dangerous.
Match Average: 3.75
Recommendation Level: Not Recommended
Saturday, January 22, 2011
ROH on HDNet- 05/24/2010
1) Joey Ryan v. Eddie Kingston- 2
2) Necro Butcher/ Eddie Kingston v. Shawn Daivari/ Joey Ryan (Butcher's Rules)- 2
3) Eddie Edwards v. Colt Cabana (TV Title) - 4
1st 2 bouts were lousy; I liked Eddie doing some frustrating selling as if he had no way to come back and hated himself for it, but it was all from Joey Ryan's punches? I'd think an ant bite would hurt worse and they were totally from the Lance Storm school, which I've never been a fan of. Kingston threw a few suplexes but I'd rather see Tazz throw them and I'd rather not see Tazz do much of anything. The "impromptou" hardcore match after was tame by the standards set by Steve Blackman in the late 90's which is saying something. Daivari was wearing some kind of a body suit like in Tron, but it was only the lower half, like he left the top half drying on a clothesline or something.
Main got a little better, Edwards was wrestling with confidence, like a salesman that just sold his first car. Cabana does somethings well and some not; loved the zeal he threw his body into different spots, such as a mised butt butt in the corner. But I think this match marks the first time i've ever seen a top rope superplex used as a desperation move? Colt even kind of "hulked up" after doing it, negating the last 6 minutes Edwards worked hard during. An interesting finishing sequence came about too, incl. tubby Steve Corino, a knee breaker on a title belt and yet another Storm trope, the half crab (which also has never looked good.)
2) Necro Butcher/ Eddie Kingston v. Shawn Daivari/ Joey Ryan (Butcher's Rules)- 2
3) Eddie Edwards v. Colt Cabana (TV Title) - 4
1st 2 bouts were lousy; I liked Eddie doing some frustrating selling as if he had no way to come back and hated himself for it, but it was all from Joey Ryan's punches? I'd think an ant bite would hurt worse and they were totally from the Lance Storm school, which I've never been a fan of. Kingston threw a few suplexes but I'd rather see Tazz throw them and I'd rather not see Tazz do much of anything. The "impromptou" hardcore match after was tame by the standards set by Steve Blackman in the late 90's which is saying something. Daivari was wearing some kind of a body suit like in Tron, but it was only the lower half, like he left the top half drying on a clothesline or something.
Main got a little better, Edwards was wrestling with confidence, like a salesman that just sold his first car. Cabana does somethings well and some not; loved the zeal he threw his body into different spots, such as a mised butt butt in the corner. But I think this match marks the first time i've ever seen a top rope superplex used as a desperation move? Colt even kind of "hulked up" after doing it, negating the last 6 minutes Edwards worked hard during. An interesting finishing sequence came about too, incl. tubby Steve Corino, a knee breaker on a title belt and yet another Storm trope, the half crab (which also has never looked good.)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
WCW Monday Nitro 3/15/99
I attended this Nitro live on basically a whim. Friend and (at that time) fellow backyard wrestler Tim, or as I dubbed him, Jerry Cherry, and I ventured towards Cincinnati with no real plan but to get into the arena. Tim's now independent wrestler Pompano Joe for you trivia buffs. Anyway, we commandeered a ride from his mother, made some crude signs (his were pro-WWF and confiscated) and got dropped off. Our seats were on the floor and not bad at all. We didn't have an arranged ride home. After the show, wearing my new Monday Night Jericho t-shirt, we walked down the dark, dangerous streets of the nasty 'Nati awaiting my dad who I'd called to bail us out.
1. Meng vs. Jerry Flynn - 4
2. Rick Steiner vs. Chris Adams - 6
3. Billy Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio - 6
4. Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko vs. Barbarian and Hugh Morrus - 5
5. Stevie Ray vs. Horace Hogan - 3
6. Konnan vs. Disco Inferno - 3
7. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho - 5
8. Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash vs. Ric Flair and Goldberg - 5
The opener was quite physical, just two big beasts throwing everything at each other, with Meng being the tougher of the two, withstanding Flynn's kick-based arsenal, etc. The next match just completley caught me by surprise. I've always been a big proponent of going back and watching old, misc. TV episodes because you'll never know what gems might be hiding and this is definitely the case of that. I don't know why, maybe something happened backstage, but these guys, especially Steiner, were out to kill each other. It wasn't a wrestling storyline, though, but a viewer with a sharp eye to detail can see Rick's potatoes, trying to smash in Adams' face, and Chris' desperate attempts at fighting back against the bigger, stronger guy out to maim him. There's a strike exchange in the corner that is as violent as any street fight you'll likely to witness.
Kidman and Mysterio was a lot of fun, the title ended up changing hands, which, being there live, was real exciting to see firsthand. With the time given they kept it fast-paced with back-and-forth action. You wish that this could have been longer, more fleshed out, to be more meaningful but for what it was you can't complain. I liked the following tag match a lot. It's the sort of tag action sorely missing from today's TV wrestling landscape. Benoit's savagery was on full display and Malenko played a good face in peril to the heels.
The next two matches were a step in the wrong direction. Ray and Hogan were involved in in-fighting in their stable and did a short brawl that was marred by laziness. The next match was longer and more competitive than I'd expected, but I'm continually embarrassed by Konan every time I see him work, his shtick is translucent, running through his rote string of clunky offense that never feels polished or believable.
I liked Jericho vs. Booker, don't really remember these guys working each other much and either company, but they clicked and this was a pleasent surprise. Jericho pulled the ref in-front of an oncoming kick to garner a disqualification but the bulk of the match was made up of solid in-ring work. If I had any say little gems like that would have been included in Jericho's recent multi-disc DVD career retrospective.
The main event I'd remembered just being insane for the crowd heat and sheer magnitude of it. My friend and I left out seats and made our way as close to the ring as possible, ending up near ringside, and I'll never forget being that close and seeing those four megastars under the lights like that. It was really a cool moment. I recalled the match being a mere throwaway but upon revisiting it it's actually a damn good tag match. I only shaved off a point due to its lack of a finish as the show basically just ended. Still, for ten minutes or so, these guys went at it, Hogan and Nash mainly ran the match, but it was never dull, and the crowd was fanatic throughout. Any fan of this period or someone interested in seeing it for the first time should seek this match out.
Overall the show was a lot better then I remembered. At the time I was more caught up in everything and didn't have a lot of strong memories of the in-ring itself. Out of eight matches there were only two I'd really suggest avoiding. I've got one more Cincinnati Nitro I attended live to review so look for that in the weeks to come.
1. Meng vs. Jerry Flynn - 4
2. Rick Steiner vs. Chris Adams - 6
3. Billy Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio - 6
4. Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko vs. Barbarian and Hugh Morrus - 5
5. Stevie Ray vs. Horace Hogan - 3
6. Konnan vs. Disco Inferno - 3
7. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho - 5
8. Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash vs. Ric Flair and Goldberg - 5
The opener was quite physical, just two big beasts throwing everything at each other, with Meng being the tougher of the two, withstanding Flynn's kick-based arsenal, etc. The next match just completley caught me by surprise. I've always been a big proponent of going back and watching old, misc. TV episodes because you'll never know what gems might be hiding and this is definitely the case of that. I don't know why, maybe something happened backstage, but these guys, especially Steiner, were out to kill each other. It wasn't a wrestling storyline, though, but a viewer with a sharp eye to detail can see Rick's potatoes, trying to smash in Adams' face, and Chris' desperate attempts at fighting back against the bigger, stronger guy out to maim him. There's a strike exchange in the corner that is as violent as any street fight you'll likely to witness.
Kidman and Mysterio was a lot of fun, the title ended up changing hands, which, being there live, was real exciting to see firsthand. With the time given they kept it fast-paced with back-and-forth action. You wish that this could have been longer, more fleshed out, to be more meaningful but for what it was you can't complain. I liked the following tag match a lot. It's the sort of tag action sorely missing from today's TV wrestling landscape. Benoit's savagery was on full display and Malenko played a good face in peril to the heels.
The next two matches were a step in the wrong direction. Ray and Hogan were involved in in-fighting in their stable and did a short brawl that was marred by laziness. The next match was longer and more competitive than I'd expected, but I'm continually embarrassed by Konan every time I see him work, his shtick is translucent, running through his rote string of clunky offense that never feels polished or believable.
I liked Jericho vs. Booker, don't really remember these guys working each other much and either company, but they clicked and this was a pleasent surprise. Jericho pulled the ref in-front of an oncoming kick to garner a disqualification but the bulk of the match was made up of solid in-ring work. If I had any say little gems like that would have been included in Jericho's recent multi-disc DVD career retrospective.
The main event I'd remembered just being insane for the crowd heat and sheer magnitude of it. My friend and I left out seats and made our way as close to the ring as possible, ending up near ringside, and I'll never forget being that close and seeing those four megastars under the lights like that. It was really a cool moment. I recalled the match being a mere throwaway but upon revisiting it it's actually a damn good tag match. I only shaved off a point due to its lack of a finish as the show basically just ended. Still, for ten minutes or so, these guys went at it, Hogan and Nash mainly ran the match, but it was never dull, and the crowd was fanatic throughout. Any fan of this period or someone interested in seeing it for the first time should seek this match out.
Overall the show was a lot better then I remembered. At the time I was more caught up in everything and didn't have a lot of strong memories of the in-ring itself. Out of eight matches there were only two I'd really suggest avoiding. I've got one more Cincinnati Nitro I attended live to review so look for that in the weeks to come.
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