Dragon Gate Battle Station 2/24/06

1. Magnum TOKYO, Keni'chiro Arai, Jack Evans vs. Anthony W. Mori, BxB Hulk, Genki Horiguchi - 3
2. Shingo Takagi vs. Katsuo - 3
3. Open the Brave Gate League: Super Shisa vs. Tozawa - 4
4. Open the Brave Gate League: Naoki Tanisaki vs. Dragon Kid - 4
5. Open the Brave Gate League: Masato Yoshino vs. Naruki Doi - 6

We start with a comedy match more than anything pitting the gaijin Jack Evans teaming with two older Japanese wrestling stars against a younger, faster team. Evans ate some nice offesne from Hulk, getting twisted all about. Hulk shined throughout the match as he was a relative newcomer to the promotion. His agility and selling were on good display here. TOKYO kept resorting to a comedy shtick that got tiring quickly. Horiguchi was subject to an interesting hold that saw his face being dragged against the mat that looked more humorous than painful -- then again so did the entire match. Mori hardly had any time in the match at all, which was odd because everyone on the rest of the team got pretty much an equal amount of time in the ring. This match really saw two of the younger guys in the match, Evans and Hulk, shine through, both due to their selling abilities.

Shingo looked even better five years ago than he does today. He was put up against a guy who looked like he belonged modeling underwear and not in a wrestling ring. Shingo seemed to be taking liberties with the boy, dishing out shots both with his fists and chairs. Must be a dojo boy. The kid showed heart, dishing out his own beating to Shingo, but Shingo would prove to be too powerful for this youngster.

Everyone should have a little Tozawa in their life. He brings this reckless element to every match he's in. This was no different. Shisa showed some mat dominance over Tozawa through wrist control and overall power ability. Tozawa sold his arm nicely by shrieking like a banshee. Tozawa wasn't without his mat skills either -- he was able to transition nicely into a lot of holds and pins. The pin sequences were also very smooth and fluid. Nothing looked forced. This match was odd in that it had a very British catch style to it that I dug.

Tanisaki brought a garbage can with him to the ring and placed Kid inside of it and began pounding it with his foot in plain sight; this is ok, I guess? Match never really took off in the sense that you'd expect when Dragon Kid is involved. Tanisaki looked all right, but clearly this match wasn't made to make him shine. Kid took a sick bump on the outside onto a bunch of chairs that looked really sick. Think Jig-and-Tonic onto pile of chairs. Yeah. The last spot bumped them match rating up by one point.

This match has happened countless amount of times. I'm a bit burned out on both of these guys, particularly Yoshino as he doesn't emote very well in the ring, but I'm going to look at this match with an open mind. The match felt a bit rushed, but all in all it was good. Doi and Yoshino are ridiculously fast in the ring, which can be a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that it's fun to watch, bad in the sense that it gets repetitive. Yoshino surprised me in that fact that he slowed the match down in an attempt to get the best of Doi via wrist control. Yosh worked over Doi's arm well and Doi sold his arm great by yelling and grasping his elbow. Yoshino busted out the Triple H motor boat lips after receiving a cannon ball splash in the corner from Doi that made me laugh. Overall, a well-worked match that surprised me in how nicely paced it was.

In the end, the event was less than good and was definitely one of the weaker DG PPVs I have seen.

Match Average: 4

Recommendation Level: See the main event, skip the rest. Otherwise Not Recommended.

GAORA presents "SUPER FIGHT 2011"

It's March here on Never Hand Over and we've deemed it "Puro & Lucha Appreciation Month!" So, every review for the rest of the month will either be from Japan or Mexico. If you love the stuff like we do, then dig in, and if you're unfamiliar with many of the names, promotions, etc. use this as a guide to seek out some new stuff to enjoy on your own.

Jan., 24, 2011
Tokyo JCB Hall
3,200 Fans- Super No Vacancy Full House

#0: < GAORA 20th HISTORY > (The History of almost Japanese Indies Pro-Wrestling) - NA


#1: Dragon Kid [Dragon Gate], BUSHI [AJPW] & Power Pro Kamen III (Seiya Sanada?) vs. Minoru [Freelance], Susumu Yokosuka [Dragon Gate] & KAGETORA [Dragon Gate] - 4


#2: Mayumi Ozaki (w/m Police & Mika Nishio) [OZ Academy], Meiko Satomura [SENDAI GIRLS] & Aja Kong [OZ Academy] vs. Dynamite Kansai [OZ Academy], Carlos Amano [OZ Academy] & Chikayo Nagashima [OZ Academy] - 6


#3: Kaz Hayashi [AJPW], TAKA Michinoku [KAIENTAI DOJO] & NOSAWA Rongai [Freelance] vs. Jinsei Shinzaki [Michinoku Pro], TAJIRI [SMASH] & BxB Hulk [Dragon Gate] - 6


#4: YAMATO [Dragon Gate] vs. Hiroshi Yamato [AJPW] - 5


#5: Shuji Kondo [AJPW] & KAI [AJPW] vs. Naruki Doi [Dragon Gate] & Naoki Tanizaki [Dragon Gate] - 6


#6: Masakatsu Funaki [AJPW], Minoru Suzuki [Pancrase Mission] & Masaaki Mochizuki [Dragon Gate] vs. Akebono [Freelance], Ryota Hama [AJPW] & Sumo Fuji [Dragon Gate] - 6


#7: Keiji Muto [AJPW], CIMA [Dragon Gate] & Jushin Thunder Liger [NJPW] vs. Suwama [AJPW], Masato Yoshino [Dragon Gate] & The Great Sasuke [Michinoku Pro] - 6


The opening video was cool showing highlights of a lot of the companies that aired on GAORA over the years inc. FMW, IWA Japan, AAA, Toryumon, etc. I've heard of shirts versus skins but the opener was masks versus sans masks. Kamen was targeted and got worked over until he commanded a stagehand to whip him up a protein shake which he guzzled and regained his fighting spirit. Susuma was bleeding from the nose or mouth. Pretty inoffensive yet unspectacular stuff. Dragon Kid completely no sold a "Muscle Buster" which angered me to no end. I love good joshi and that's definitely what we got. Two all-star teams with clearly defined roles: Kansai was the veteran and her team's firepower paired with the two spitfire spark-plugs Amano and Nagashima versus the mountainous Kong, sharpshooter Satomura, and despicable bitch heel Ozaki who blatantly uses a steel chain in her matches. They were able to get good heat working over the good girls. Meiko is truly the closest we'll ever get to another Bret Hart as her execution is flawless and is one of the best in the world. She busted out her trademark cartwheel into double knees spot which I always mark for. Really great showcase for the girls, good back-and-forth, momentum changes, etc. Kong's spinning backfist is still one of the best strikes in the industry.


Goofy pre-match video for the next one that saw, among other things, NOSAWA and Kaz on a teeter totter in a park together. Two very eclectic and intriguing teams. TAKA comes out in mock-Hakushi get-up and I ponder that NOSAWA and my friend Steve are invariably linked as both have ICP tattoos. Two-thirds of these guys worked for McMahon at some point. As par for the course with this sort of match it opened with the guys pairing off. TAKA and TAJIRI started and did all mat work. Usually in every US match a guy will immediately kick to the gut or throw a bunch but they didn't throw a single strike. TAJIRI's work on Michinoku's arm was particularly nasty looking. Kaz is one of the most protected (in terms of booking) guys in all of Japan right now (and thus all of the world) but BxB was able to get over him in a short exchange which was sort of a big deal. Next, NOSAWA disrespected Jinsei while he was doing his patented rope walk by shoving him off to the floor like a bully and generally being a prick, spitting, etc. TAKA did a great cutoff spot on Hulk by giving him a classic Roddy Piper eye poke. This was a lot of fun and actively good while it lasted -- had it gotten another ten minutes or so it could have been truly memorable but for what it was it was an enjoyable diversion. The battle of the Yamoto's was next and I like both guys so I was looking forward to it. They had a good bout, got enough time to develop without wearing out its welcome, and both were allowed to look good. At one point I noticed they were screaming "Yamoto!" during a strike exchange and it reminded me of Pokémon which repeat their own names relentlessly. I'm assuming YAMOTO could pull off a Blastoise impersonation effortlessly. Dragon Gate reigned victorious as YAMOTO put him down with the Gallaria.


More DG versus AJPW followed. Kondo looked so bored on the apron like he was sitting through a screening of Secretariat. I loved the spot with Shuji hitting a running bulldog on Doi while simultaneously lariating Naoki's head off. Kondo hit Tanazaki so hard with a lariat to finish I thought he was going to explode into coins a la the evil exes of Ramona Flowers' past. This was actually a hell of a tag heightened by the inter-promotional aspect of things.

Next the match that, at least on paper, I cared the least about going into it. I was pleasantly surprised as it was actually a lot of fun. Sumo Fuji was completely tormented and obliterated throughout, be it by being on the receiving hand of numerous wedgies, or being kicked and mauled, he took lots of punishment and most satisfying of all was his selling throughout was exceptional. The big boys Hama and Akebono came in a few times for spurts and were effective as the behemoths although bad ass Suzuki didn't backdown and slapped Ryota around like a stepchild he just found that just ate all of his deer jerky.

I feel like playing NBA 2K11 (the video game version of me just got drafted by Miami in the second round and I've got summer training camp to complete) but this main event demands my rigid attention so we march on. There's a lot to love about both of these amalgam teams just like a good superhero crossover. I don't know how many times Lyger and Mutoh have worked together but this seems rare. Mutoh is such a master, right off the bat, he makes one of Yoshino's super quick running the ropes into a lighting fast dropkick have more gravity than any of the guys' that eat it regularly in DG by rolling around in bewilderment and abject confusion as to what just hit him. CIMA struggling to make a dent on Suwama helped lend credibility to the breakout AJPW star of '10. Later Suwama massacred Lyger which at that point saw him stealing the show like Anne Hathaway at the Oscar's. CIMA and Yoshino have worked each other extensively but still made their segments shine with Masato looking pointedly better selling than many give him credit for, including making a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Lyger look positively brutal. One of the only badly botched spots of the show occurred when CIMA and Suwama mistimed a backcracker. Sasuke got less chances to shine than the rest and also was the recipient of a Shining Wizard and thus suffered the loss for his team. Mostly solid and fun for the sheer appeal of its inter-promotional nature.

Overall, as evidence by my scores, this show delivered consistently and lived up to its vast potential. While there's nothing here that'll likely make it on my MotY ballot come late-Dec. I actively enjoyed this unique event and many of the performances it contained.

CZW Cage of Death XII -- December 11, 2010

Cage of and Tournament of Death are always great mainstays in the world of deathmatch wrestling. Can't wait to see what this one has to offer with such a strong looking undercard.

CZW DVD December 11, 2010 "Cage Of Death XII" - Philadelphia, PA
1. Akuma vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Ruckus vs. Rich Swann vs. Ryan McBride vs. Alex Colon - 5
2. Adam Cole vs. A.R. Fox - 5
3. Robert "Ego" Anthony vs. Sami Callihan - 7
4. Philly's Most Wanted (Joker & Sabian) vs. Osirian Portal -6
5. Jon Moxley vs. Homicide -5
6. Yuko Miyamoto vs. Nick Gage - 7
7. Cage of Death: The Suicide Kings (Devon Moore, Dysfunction, Scotty Vortekz & Danny Havok) vs. Cult Fiction (Brain Damage, tHURTeen, Drake Younger & Masada) - 5

The event starts off with the typical CZW insane scramble match. In front of us we are greeted with a bevy of workers that I dig like Akuma, Gresham, and McBride. This match really saw a great performance out of Alex Colon. In every event that passes, his offense becomes more and more crisp. Colon hit this really great move in the corner on Gresham that I can't really find a way to describe. Basically Colon ran into Gresham in the corner. In an attempt to evade his oncoming, Gresham got his legs up, but was caught by Colon and nearly dumped on his neck. It was amazing. Colon did a good job protecting Gresham's neck from injury, so he's becoming better in the ring to work with, I would think. Akuma was stiff as hell, hitting some great power-bombs. Rukus hit his usual offense, McBride ate some nasty stuff, and Swann seems to be coming into his own style as well. Good way to open the show.

Cole and Fox are arguably two of the best junior heavyweights on the roster, which makes this match happening at the annual Cage of Death quite appropriate. Cole has really gotten comfortable with his character. We all knew he was great in the ring, but he never really had a chance to shine in any kind of creative way. He's secured a cocky, pretty-boy heel character and fits it well. I'm a little bit on the fence with Fox. He seems to be more concerned with doing cool moves rather than emoting and focusing more on working. I think it'd be cool to see some more selling and less flashiness out of him. The match itself didn't really have any flaws and Cole did an excellent job, but Fox's offense is become cumbersome and rather monotonic. Post-match, the Philadelphia Hillbilly Tyler Veritas came out and challenged Cole for the strap. The two battled around the ring in some solid action.

The next match may be my CZW MOTY. The former Egotisico Fantastico, Robert Anthony, is great. Going against one of the best guys on the indy scene today, Sami Callihan, you'd have to expect a great match... and that's what we received. As we all know, Callihan has that sadistic madman way about him that leads to feelings of reckless abandon and oftentimes insanity in his matches. As Ego's character matured, Anthony came out from under the mask to become a serious heel in the company, which complimented the style of Callihan perfectly. Anthony went from a goofy wrestler to a legitimate contender for the title, and I believe this match pushed him to the next level. Anthony hit this sickening power-bomb on Callihan in to the crowd which parted like the Red Sea. It was just great. Pair that with great, stiff in-ring work and you've got a hell of a match. Well done.

The next tag was for the straps, and it was a lot of fun. The team of Sabian and Joker really resonates with me as a great team that can carry the belts for a long time because they both seem like legitimate bad-asses. The Portal was great in this match, and one of my favorite comedy spots occurred when the Portal did the hypnotizing spot, causing all four men to dance like MC Hammer. I feel, though, that there was no way that The Portal could have the belts because they're not seen as a serious team. They are great in CHIKARA, don't get me wrong, but this company doesn't seem appropriate for their type of wrestling. The nearfalls were great in this match, especially after the Portal hit their signature double top rope manuever on Joker who kicked out at the last possible second. Really fun, well-worked match that went a perfect amount of time.

The next match was good. I love Moxley (we all do), and Homicide is undeniably one of the best on the indys. His return post-Orlando has been rather lackluster, but this match was quite good. The sprint atmosphere worked really well with hardly any down time on the mat. Both guys brought a stiff element to the match. Mox got his nose busted open early on which added a really great element of realism to the match. Mox took a nice looking Cop Killa on the top of his back and sold it by folding in half like a deflating balloon.

The next match was fucking awesome. Now, normally it be damn-near impossible for me to give anything this high to a Nick Gage singles, but this was unlike anything I've seen out of him before. The BJW star Miyamoto was tearing it up hardcore in the Asylum. I fucking loved this so much it's beyond words. Gage took a back bump into a fence of barbwire and shortly after ate a Miyamoto back senton from the top rope onto said fence. Miyamoto was willing to go all out in this match as was more than evident of the next spot: a balcony fall. That's right, Korakuen style. Miyamoto crashed through the table below perfectly -- you couldn't have asked for a better bump. The final spot that has to be mentioned in Miyamoto's amazing moonsault from the top of the ladder. He seriously was to the ceiling of the building and just fell backwards, rotating ever-so precariously in the air, crashing onto Gage's ribs with his knees. This was just amazing. The flow of the match and the brawling aspect combined with great spots makes for an amazing hardcore match. I love it!~

The CoD match itself is where things get interesting. While this was by no means the best one in company history, it wasn't without it's good points. Thurteen really showed his ability here at performing. His vocal selling during all the barbwire madness was great, and his initial bump off the top of the cage was sick. His dedication really came through during the match. The eliminations in this match also were done well, but the thing that really knocked points off for this match is what usually knocks points off: the incoherency of the match. There's just too much going on inside of a small space at one time. Combine too many men with too many weapons in the ring and you don't have a good outcome. The middle of the match dragged up until Brain Damages elimination. BD was thrown onto a table of barbwire and got his bicep caught in a barb - -a sickening visual. The elims off the top of the cage were a nice call back to the old school CZW CoD matches, especially Zandig and Lobo. MASADA nearly died in his elimination by (almost?) hitting his head flush on the guardrail from the top of the cage. A good match pardon the lackluster middle, but in the end it was memorable for Masada's elimination and the surprise return at the end.

Overall, a really great event -- maybe the strongest the company has had all year. Well worth the money.

Match Average: 5.7
Recomendation Level: Highly Recommended.

Watts Is It #2

Ok, well I already hit a problem. The disc labeled UWF 86 #2 had no audio, period. The only sound I heard was the DVD player switching between chapters while I tried to see if it was an issue with only part of the disc. Well, it wasn’t so I’m moving on to the disc labeled UWF 86 #3. Luckily, this one has audio. Let’s press on …

1) Ken Massey vs. Chavo Guerrero – 2
Massey is probably one of the most awful jobbers I’ve seen in a while. It’s almost like they just picked some local athlete to be cannon fodder for Chavo. Massey hit the ropes very loosely, sort of like a plastic shopping bag floating in the wind. Chavo just worked him over with a nice Northern Lights suplex and a rolling leg lock.

2) Sting vs. Brett Wayne Sawyer – 2
This is Sting in his early days, a far cry from the broken down old warhorse seen currently in TNA. At this point, he was still pretty rough around the edges, even messing up with a simple lateral press. Sawyer got in a few good dropkicks that Sting sold by taking flat back bumps and then popping up again within a few seconds. Not much to this one.

3) Kamala vs. The Missing Link – 1
I was thoroughly disappointed in this. I was expecting a wild brawl but they mainly just stalled for time until Hollywood John Tatum, Missy Hyatt, and Jack Victory interfered. The lone highlight was Kamala taking a hard headbutt from Link.

4) Gustavo Mendoza & The Libyan vs. The Fantastics – 2
This was pretty much a showcase match for the Fantastics. They hit all of their top moves as J.R. and Frank Dusek put over what may happen when The Sheepherders challenge for the UWF tag team titles. The Libyan was just there merely for decoration as he never got tagged into the match and only took a few moves when the match broke loose. I have to agree with J.R., I would like to see the Fantastics and the Sheepherders lock it up.

5) Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy, & Michael Hayes vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Terry Taylor, & Ted DiBiase – NR
Again the show goes off the air in mid-match so I can’t give this a proper rating. I liked what I saw though. The beginning was wild with everyone brawling in the ring and the crowd just going crazy. Hayes never was a great wrestler but he knew how to get a crowd riled up. I would definitely want to see this whole match.

WWE WrestleMania 25th Anniversary

1) Money in the Bank Match (featuring CM Punk, Mark Henry, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Kofi Kingston, Christian and Kane)- 5
This was probably the most physical one of these since the first one. Guys were really going for it, Kofi was doing stuff Shelton just can't pull off anymore and looked damn good doing it. Henry and Kane played their monster roles pretty well. As it wound down, some huge boners were taking place left and right, Christian really bonering his Unprettier, Shelton somehow doing a powerbomb off the top of the ladder onto MVP where MVP landed behind him? Still overall, a fun train wreck.

2) 25 Diva Battle Royal- 1
I give it a point because of the nasty tumble Mickie and Michelle took over the top rope, other than that, this was a mess. The DVD cut out all the divas grinding on Kid Rock's KFC skinned leather pants. Women were just bailing ship like they had stock in GM. Saw Molly Holly working some women, but her time was up quickly. Hated the ending, I mean, the women here get enough disrespect then to have to lose Santino in drag, that's a new low.

3) Chris Jericho v. Jimmy Snuka/ Roddy Piper/ Ricky Steamboat- 6
Call it nostalgia, but the ending sequence when Jericho squared off against the Dragon but these two guys were just doing simple wrestling and the crowd was digging it. Snuka looked scary droopy, Piper tried, but is just a shell of the passionate fighter he used to be, but Steamboat, male pattern baldness and grey haired, but still had most of his instincts, and these guys worked really well together. After match hijinx were fun and I don't think anyone else but Jericho could have made it work.

4) Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy - Extreme Rules- 6
I love how the Hardys operate. I've heard they said with more time they would have stolen the show and this did feel a bit truncated in some parts but was physical and everything fit well into the story of the match. Jeff taking so many gnarly spots here, the missing legdrop was instant spinal crackage, and the finish i've been in love with since i've seen it like Eva Mendes. I actually think their Stretcher match may be better though.


5) Rey Mysterio v. JBL- 1
JBL's brilliant idea of a 30 second title change, he sounded like a talking mule coming down the aisle. Have to dig Rey's Nolan Joker outfit, he polishes off the Texan for good on my tv screen so there's a point there.

6) Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels- 7
Okay going to break this down as I know it gets tons of pub as being one of the greatest of all time. Started off fine, but I can't figure out why they broke out all the submission stuff in the first 10 minutes with no build and no one in the building thinking it would end there. The dive sequence, dear god, Shawn's moonsault would have made Bam Bam upset, and Taker nearly killed himself with his. At this point in the match, this thing's a stinker. But, with Shawn improvising the countout near fall then onto the whole ending part, this ranks up there with some of the most crowd involved stuff in history. I think the crowd here tops Hogan-Rock and that's saying something. But you have to understand; it took 20 years for the fans to love both of these guys, pop for their finishers and for them to be as good emotionally to sell this. The run of nearfalls and close finishes here is quite amazing; Taker's nearfall with theTombstone and his face after Shawn kicks out, to me, one of the most iconic moments in any WrestleMania ever. It will stand the test of time. Physically, there's been oodles of better matches, but emotionally on this big a stage, it def. earns a legacy.

7) Edge v. Big Show v. John Cena- 4
Remember hearing Cena being ticked about having to follow the last match but they did alright. All of the spots that were supposed to put Big Show down were, for lack of a better word, shitty. They just looked bad and him waiting in position for each one was pretty laughable. Sad thing was, he's a great point to build a match around, which they tried to do. Grabbing someone by the waist now constitutes a spear? Get the fuck out of here. Cool moment when Cena had both guys on his shoulders, he's a freak in this business. So-so finish, def. not Mania material though.

8)HHH . Randy Orton-4
Flatter than a week old can of soda. The highlight video really made this feel like a huge match even though i'm sure when all that weekly McMahon shit was going on, i was tunig out for Kitchen Nightmares. Hitting their fins within 1 minute sapped all kinds of heat out of the building; actually I think Houston nearly suffered an ice blizzard after that stupid idea. They did such a good job of building up Trip's hate, it almost felt like everything he did couldn't have made up for Orton violating his wife. Liked the nasty knees to Orton's neck and that little segment, but it didn't lead anywhere, and the ending was as stupid a concept as HHH's entrance and putting R Truth on the cover of the DVD even though he didn't wrestle on the card.

NHO Poll #5

Scaly Dragon Bacchanalia

I've been plowing through '10 DGUSA and thought I'd share some musings on some of the DVD extra bonus matches they're wont to include.

1. Arik Cannon vs. Kyle O’Reilly - (Dragon Gate USA "Untouchable" 9/25/10) - 3
2. Aeroform vs. Zero Gravity - (Dragon Gate USA "Way of the Ronin" 9/26/10) - 2
3. The Prophet, Derrick Niekirk & Irish Airborne vs. Chimera, The Cutler Bros. & Malachi Jackson (Dragon Gate USA "Mercury Rising" 3/27/10) - 2
4. Homicide vs. Shingo (FIP "Heatstroke 2006 Night One" 7/7/06 from DG USA "Mercury Rising") - 4

Battle built around strikes but those are harder to get into when there's no thunderous Kensuke Sasuke chops or devastating Yuki Ishikawa open hand shots, etc. Cannon has been around long enough to have been able to afford better gear than the trunks he sports that look like a black trash bag. Kyle's done some work on the leg -- will it lead anywhere? Close-up of both men on their knees exchanging hard shots felt like borderline Iranian smut. O'Reilly ducks a Shining Wizard and locks in a nasty looking half-crab and I'm starting to think, "Okay, this is sort of starting to work -- I mean, it's better than that shitty film Salt I watched last night, so, it's got that going for it, right?" Arik hits "Total Anarchy" and I weep for the punks that got day jobs like Gary Baker and gave up their three-chord dreams. "Oi! Oi! Oi!" indeed.

This match was exclusive for "golden ticket holders". Now wait -- in Wonka's universe you got a fascinating day in the world's most insane candy factory for being a recipient of said ticket; in our meager world it's good for a few minutes of Flip Kendick painfully trying to cull the acting ability to make us believe this isn't all a big con and he's in real pain. Zero Gravity? More like zero talent. To think my friends and I almost drove to Wisconsin for this show. They would have found me dead in the closet hung with a noose fashioned by those old RF Video catalogues I used to keep copies of crumbled up in my bookbag in high school where I'd spend study hall scouring over the latest ECW fan cams and FMW shit. I'm sure Guido and Ballz changed up their undercard singles enough in the half-dozen towns they ran it in that to not have all of those fan cams is a real disservice. Kendrick did something they dubbed a "Shooting Star 450" which, while I'm not sure is entirely accurate, whatever the hell it was it blew my mind like the unearthing of an hour-long Jessica Alba sex tape conceivably would.

Eight-man tag was all sizzle no steak minus the sizzle (maybe the restauranteur piped in sizzle sounds over hidden speakers in the flora above diners' tables). Cutler brothers' double-teams were crisper and more innovative than those of the Crist brothers'. Malachi was the best part with some good facial performing including feigning fear of Niekirk's raging intensity. Dave Crist took the loss for his team and that made me happy. Homicide versus Shingo sounds like a tasty treat on paper but paper lies. Paper's also recyclable as I hope this disc is as I pitched it in the orange bin curbside promptly after screening. Just kidding, your disc is safe, Adam, as well as those top-secret plans for your forthcoming bachelor party that Tim Chestnut cooked up. This was fine, Shingo lacked the dynamism that makes him a big player in today's scene, he mostly got heat on Homicide and then there was some lame run-in leading to the finish with BJ Whitmer scurrying down with ratty long hair and just fuck off.