Ah, yes, Halloween. One of my favorite times of the year. When else are you allowed to dress like Alf in public and not be arrested or attacked? Halloween can be both rewarding and mischievously troubling, hence "Tricks or Treats". You never know what you're going to get. Just like when you have thousands of wrestling matches at your disposal and start randomly watching them...
From It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966):
Lucy Van Pelt: All you have to do is walk up to a house, ring the doorbell and say "Tricks or treats."
Sally Brown: Are you sure it's legal?
Lucy Van Pelt: Of course it's legal.
Sally Brown: I wouldn't want to be accused of taking part in a rumble.
1. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben - (UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber) - 5
Wait, who's that guy in the cage wearing a Goofy mask? Oh, that's just Wanderlei. We got exactly what we expected: two brawlers meeting head-on in the center of the octagon and just banging. 27 seconds later (thanks to some vicious left uppercuts) Silva was taking a premature nap dreaming of Tacacá back home in Brazil.
2. Etsuko Mita vs. Makoto - (12/31/08) - 3
Story here is Mita's the bully to young Makoto. Opening sees Makoto throw a bunch of offense at Etsuko that she sort of just "Undertakers" i.e. ignores and stares back vacuously. I used to get that look from women all the time. Mita didn't waste much time and ended it promptly with a Death Valley Driver.
3. Fujiwara vs Nagai - clipped - (3/2/01) - 4
This appears clipped unlike my friends Nick, Chris, and Steve's cocks (Hey guys!). Talk about frightening. Fujiwara controls on the mat early, back on the feet, Nagai slowly stalks Fujiwara into the corner, limping the whole way (good selling), then starts pummeling him with hard forearms. You feel empathy for Fujiwara sometimes when he's getting blasted with shots as he does these old man tight-faced grimaces that makes it look like your grandpa is getting roughed up. Then his mean streak will surface and you're worries will subside. Yoshiaki seems more comfortable in his guard than Jake Shields. The 30-min. time-limit expires during a rough corner exchange but the version I watched was only 12 min. but still enjoyable.
4. Paul & Katie Lea Burchill vs. Super Crazy - (WWE Raw 4/28/08) - 3
Both of the Burchill's are in the ring at the same time so Crazy says "Fuck it!" and tries to take them both down. Crazy got unreal float on a moonsault -- just so pretty. Katie Lea, not to be outdone, hit a pretty swank missile dropkick. I don't remember Paul using the Curb Stomp as a finisher.
5. Manami Toyota vs. Madison Eagles - (Chikara King of Trios 2011 - Night 3 4/17/11) - 5
Geo gave this a "7" when he reviewed it, and while I liked it, it doesn't compare to Toyota's best stuff and felt more like her running through her routine which while spectacular didn't stir a lot of drama. This was on a bloated card so they didn't give it a lot of extra time to stew. Too bad. Eagles got to kick out of a Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex and a Japanese Ocean Queen Bee Bomb so she wasn't entirely squashed but this was all about the Wrestling Observer "Most Outstanding Wrestler" of '95.
6. Roger Bowling vs. Bobby Voelker - (Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III) - 5
Their first two fights were really good so I was amped to see the trilogy finished off. Bowling, unlike Rich Franklin, also fights out of our hometown area but I endorse him while never being a big Rich fan. These guys always swing hard and with intent at each other which makes their battles so intriguing. No! Roger gets poked in the eye which is what prematurely ended their first war last year. The fight is back on. Round one ended with fireworks. Bowling's explosive and reminds me of Urijah Faber in some respects. Voelker hits a sickening knee to Bowling's face then hopped on him for the ground and pound finish in round two.
7. Kane vs. Randy Orton - Street Fight - (WWE SmackDown! 7/22/11) - 6
This was pretty good, got plenty of time (20+ min.), some nice shots (kendo stick shots were nasty), and good selling throughout (Orton in general and Kane's of the leg post-bump after having the steel stairs dropped on it). Randy getting his foot stuck in one of the emptied holes in the announce table that usually holds a monitor and awkwardly slipping (and subsequently bumping) to the floor was odd and made me laugh and strange they didn't edit it out of the broadcast as it seemed like the biggest aired goof in ages; especially humorous them even drawing attention to it in commentary and trying to play up Orton's "unpredictable" persona. The match-ending RKO on a steel chair looked much weaker than the regular RKO he'd hit earlier but still liked this overall, quite physical and the beefier duration makes it memorable.
8. CM Punk vs. Chuck Palumbo - (ECW 4/29/08) - 4
This match has the best non-finish ever. Palumbo puts on one of the greatest punching demos in WWE history. He's wailing away on Punk in the corner and when he won't back off at the ref's request he gets disqualified. You know what he does then? More punches. Post-match, Punk tries to fight back, using some of those shitty leg kicks he was doing at the time, only for Chuck to take his head off with a lariat.
9. The Fantastics vs. Chavo & Hector Guerrero - Mid South 10/12/84
Really great tag action, Guerrero's looked like the best team in the States here, move over Condrey and co., and really utilized the ring and their superior skill level to shone. Winner's got a shot at the Rock 'n' Roll Express and their gold. No "Sharp Dressed Man" on that night as the Guerrero's lied, cheated, and stole the victory.
10. Curry Man and Shark Boy vs. Motor City Machine Guns - (TNA iMPACT! 5/1/08) - 4
This was actually kind of fun until a "fuck finish". Surprisingly, thought Daniels sold better in the ridiculous get-up, and Sabin, who I never thought as a guy who expressed well in the ring, did an adequate job in the goofy superheroes' control segment, including making the best of a sloppily executed head scissors by Shark Boy. Shelley at one point tried to bite the plate of curry that resides on top of Curry Man's mask and sold the spicy flavor like he just ate a habanero. The Guns did a good contemporaneous dive to the outside. Scott Steiner, Petey Williams, and Rhaka Khan invaded at ringside, only to be bested by Kurt Angle, and then Samoa Joe. We didn't get a finish but just a first act of a match but I enjoyed what we saw; guess I'm taking the glass half-full theory on '08 TNA TV.
11. John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio - Last Man Standing Match - (WWE Vengeance '11) - 8
I really liked this. Harkened back to one of my favorite WWE matches of all-time (Cena vs. JBL - "I Quit" Match from '05) in that it was a chaotic scene to behold. The ring was destroyed in the previous match (by Show and Henry) so all the turnbuckles were imploded, the ropes slack, the ring lopsided, etc. These guys didn't need a proper ring, though, going right at each other. It really felt like two guys just throwing big bombs at each other until one fell. A whole slew of nutty bumps, all worth seeing and my prose unworthy of recreating, but a few of my favorites: Alberto getting chucked from the ring and flying 10ft. through the air into the barricade, the stuff backstage was a hoot, ADR getting launched at the catering table and holding onto it during the ride bringing it flipping over on-top of himself, knocking over the giant storage unit (or whatever the hell that was) then climbing up onto it to do a spot, out on the entrance area some choice moments, Cena getting chucked through the giant "V" and Del Rio getting pulled off a lighting grid onto a table that exploded (like Willie Mack's dick apparently). All awesome. I love that shit. Cena's had a hot streak on PPV this last-half the year especially and I'd rank this above the three-way Hell in the Cell bout from last month (versus ADR and CM Punk). The Attitude Adjustment off of the steps through the announce table looked hurty. I wasn't a big fan of the Awesome Truth interference, feel like these guys have ruined the endings of a handful of shows now, and feel like a mid-card act muddling up my proper main events. Felt like we were being sold a shitty angle in lieu of getting the great finish a match like this deserved.
12. Sid Vicious vs. Mike Rotunda - Submission Match - WCW Thunder 2/2/00
So, yes, this happened. I've seen it all but if you want surreality as a wrestling fan just pop in an episode of WCW Thunder. Rotunda looks like a buffoon wearing an orange Syracuse basketball jersey and your uncle's goofy hair. Mike actually gets some stuff in but Vicious locks in a Crippler Crossface for the victory. First clean finish I've seen on one of these Thunder shows in awhile.
13. Uso's vs. David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty - (WWE Superstars 7/14/11) - 5
I was pimping this match to the guys via some memories transcribed shorthand I could recall the day after watching it online. Here's what I had to say:
- Jey made Ortunga's opening shots look more devastating than DO has ever looked..
- the ringpost bump and subsequent bump from a dropkick off the top the floor were insane for an Internet show..
- Jimmy's slumping sell coming out of the DO corner clothesline..
- he also had some good facials in a chinlock (kudos to the prod. team for the extreme close-up)..
- loved the Samoan Drop counter.. -
- the hot tag sequence was good
- both the savate kicks were stiff as hell
- the "Superfly Splash" was on par with some of Snuka's
- cool booking cog seeing the Uso's beat the current champs.. felt meaningful in the big picture which a lot of SS doesn't get to
14. Magnum TA vs. Ted DiBiase - No DQ Match - Mid-South 5/27/84
Great brawl at ringside, some real nasty looking rams into a table, never knew Magnum had such great punches, and Ted took a big bodyslam on the concrete while the cow-folk went nuclear. Magnum starts bleeding all over Oklahoma. TA's famed belly-to-belly suplex didn't come off as a real plausible match-ender to me. One of the better under 10 min. bouts I've seen recently. I've got the re-match from Tulsa (later that same day!) so excuse me while I go watch that now.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
NJPW Tokyo Dome 01/04/98
1) Ultimo Dragon v. Shinjiro Ohtani- 8
These two had an epic match at the Super J Crown tournament I reviewed some time back and this was just as good. If you want to see Ultimo work stiff, tune in! Not just the kicks this time, he got aggressive with his big moves at one point giving Ohtani a powerbomb that probably made him forget his mother's name. Also later on couple straight punches to the face lightened the mood. Ohtani was the conduit through which the fans were channeling all their excitement; he has this energy where he shows you he's not giving up and just as well his frustration for not getting the win. Probably one of the more expressive puro guys of that era. Dragon mistimed a few spots but it didn't hurt the overall scheme of things, esp. when he course-corrected one of them into a wild moonsault outside. Near falls have never looked better.
2) Satoshi Kojima/ Manabu Nakanishi v. Tatsumi Fujinami/ Osamu Nishimura- 4
If that last match was excitement personified (sound like a Gorilla-ism) this was DOA. Osamu worked the bulk of this and wasn't particularly interesting. I've seen him work hard before but here he had this preppy college guy hairstyle and never seemed like he was in trouble, as his comeback after the hot tag, to me, negated all the damage done. Nakanishi still sported hair and was even more limited. Tats got a nice pop but was just a spot guy here and not sure the agent on this one but it was quite bland.
3) Shiro Koshinaka v. Masahiro Chono- 4
I won't say this is the most technically sound match, in fact I know it's not and it's also not the cleanest in terms of execution but the neverending series of powerbombs between these two at the end kind of stoked my fires a bit so i bumped this up. Started out fast, but hit a tack strip in the middle and really slowed down so up and down momentum but a solid entry in both mans' careers.
4) Riki Choshu Gauntlet Challenge v. Kazuyuki Fujita, Yutaka Yoshie, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Takayuki Iizuka, & Jushin Liger - 4
I know this is a nostalgia match but the premise just seems to be out of wack with Choshu wanting to play Superman for one last night. Sure, he's earned it and is hurting no one's status here (except maybe Liger, who had to go on last and still couldn't win) but the booking felt short sighted and very Connecticut. Choshu finishes off his first three opponents with relative ease, as they kicked him around like a tin can for a few minutes then Boom, lariat, capiche. Iizuka, a name not uttered on this blog in some time, is the only one to beat Choshu in a confusing submission leg hold. Then properly, it's played as if Liger v. Choshu was the only match that really mattered; or at least what the fans wanted to see, and it had some good moments, some lariat near falls after being booked so strong in this gauntlet, Liger going all Billy Badass on him, but in the end, this was wrought with problems, and I think the issue lies with the match idea as a whole.
5) Kendo KaShin v. Koji Kanemoto- 4
As the 2nd half of this show gets started, you'll def. be seeing a theme of MMA heavily inspired action. This had a completely different feel than the opening juniors match, which I enjoyed. But, the level of execution and pulling the audience in was far different. This was just a submission match, Koji being worked over on a leg injury with Kendo sort of being one above him at every turn. Had a few good twists and the finish was pretty logical but this didn't feel anywhere near a match I would tell people they need to find.
6) Yuji Nagata v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan- 4
Anyone remember that old N64 game, WCW/NWO Revenge? Yuji was on it and was rocking the same golden tights he is here. He's nowhere near the level of performer he is now, just a bad ass kicker. Tenzan brings as much intensity, and violence as necessary but I think this shows he never had the level of showmanship that most of the NJPW top guys have had over the years as this feels like it would fit perfectly in the middle of an ROH show.
7) Don Frye v. Naoya Ogawa- 3
Intense stuff and Ogawa's takedowns were literally works of art, and give Frye credit for offering to take those in a worked shoot, he was getting thrown around like a stretchy doll you'd get out of the quarter machines. All the punches sucked though, from both guys and it's a huge stretch for Frye to make his stuff look weak. Crowd was eating it up but even here, during the MMA frenzy it feels short sighted as to the direction. The finish was a complete 360, which is logical in MMA but this one seemed too worked.
8) Dennis Lane v. Shinya Hashimoto- 1
Hash walking down the aisle was just intense; guy would have been awesome with a bit part in the Expendables; would have made stars Stallone and Statham look like Woody Allen and Mel Brooks. This was over in less than 2 mins, not sure how worked or what this was but if it was, the finish was ridiculously dumb, reminded me of one of those boxing ppv's we'd get when I was a kid and the main event was over in 30 seconds. Hash gives him one tackle to the ground and he was injured.
9) Kensuke Sasaki v. Keiji Muto- 7
Muto is in another incarnation here, a thick 2 week beard on his face and sporting Hollywood Hogan's ring trunks. Sasaki is the man at this time and Muto knows that, what's great about watching him is he knows the exact right thing to do at every point in the match, whether it's how long to sell something, even when he hits a desperation move, he sells the damage he's taken and it makes that even more important. Again, huge MMA influence as they spend a good amount of time in the beginning working holds on each other, a high spot being Muto's figure four he builds up to.
This reminded me of the Cena-HHH bouts where everything is worked very simply, and it all works so well; Cena was a better performer at that point than Sasaki is here, as he gets lost a few times but Muto is leagues better at making this feel like the biggest match of all time than LeVesque ever was. A great big feel main event with two of the more well known puro guys so yeah, it's well worth a look.
These two had an epic match at the Super J Crown tournament I reviewed some time back and this was just as good. If you want to see Ultimo work stiff, tune in! Not just the kicks this time, he got aggressive with his big moves at one point giving Ohtani a powerbomb that probably made him forget his mother's name. Also later on couple straight punches to the face lightened the mood. Ohtani was the conduit through which the fans were channeling all their excitement; he has this energy where he shows you he's not giving up and just as well his frustration for not getting the win. Probably one of the more expressive puro guys of that era. Dragon mistimed a few spots but it didn't hurt the overall scheme of things, esp. when he course-corrected one of them into a wild moonsault outside. Near falls have never looked better.
2) Satoshi Kojima/ Manabu Nakanishi v. Tatsumi Fujinami/ Osamu Nishimura- 4
If that last match was excitement personified (sound like a Gorilla-ism) this was DOA. Osamu worked the bulk of this and wasn't particularly interesting. I've seen him work hard before but here he had this preppy college guy hairstyle and never seemed like he was in trouble, as his comeback after the hot tag, to me, negated all the damage done. Nakanishi still sported hair and was even more limited. Tats got a nice pop but was just a spot guy here and not sure the agent on this one but it was quite bland.
3) Shiro Koshinaka v. Masahiro Chono- 4
I won't say this is the most technically sound match, in fact I know it's not and it's also not the cleanest in terms of execution but the neverending series of powerbombs between these two at the end kind of stoked my fires a bit so i bumped this up. Started out fast, but hit a tack strip in the middle and really slowed down so up and down momentum but a solid entry in both mans' careers.
4) Riki Choshu Gauntlet Challenge v. Kazuyuki Fujita, Yutaka Yoshie, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Takayuki Iizuka, & Jushin Liger - 4
I know this is a nostalgia match but the premise just seems to be out of wack with Choshu wanting to play Superman for one last night. Sure, he's earned it and is hurting no one's status here (except maybe Liger, who had to go on last and still couldn't win) but the booking felt short sighted and very Connecticut. Choshu finishes off his first three opponents with relative ease, as they kicked him around like a tin can for a few minutes then Boom, lariat, capiche. Iizuka, a name not uttered on this blog in some time, is the only one to beat Choshu in a confusing submission leg hold. Then properly, it's played as if Liger v. Choshu was the only match that really mattered; or at least what the fans wanted to see, and it had some good moments, some lariat near falls after being booked so strong in this gauntlet, Liger going all Billy Badass on him, but in the end, this was wrought with problems, and I think the issue lies with the match idea as a whole.
5) Kendo KaShin v. Koji Kanemoto- 4
As the 2nd half of this show gets started, you'll def. be seeing a theme of MMA heavily inspired action. This had a completely different feel than the opening juniors match, which I enjoyed. But, the level of execution and pulling the audience in was far different. This was just a submission match, Koji being worked over on a leg injury with Kendo sort of being one above him at every turn. Had a few good twists and the finish was pretty logical but this didn't feel anywhere near a match I would tell people they need to find.
6) Yuji Nagata v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan- 4
Anyone remember that old N64 game, WCW/NWO Revenge? Yuji was on it and was rocking the same golden tights he is here. He's nowhere near the level of performer he is now, just a bad ass kicker. Tenzan brings as much intensity, and violence as necessary but I think this shows he never had the level of showmanship that most of the NJPW top guys have had over the years as this feels like it would fit perfectly in the middle of an ROH show.
7) Don Frye v. Naoya Ogawa- 3
Intense stuff and Ogawa's takedowns were literally works of art, and give Frye credit for offering to take those in a worked shoot, he was getting thrown around like a stretchy doll you'd get out of the quarter machines. All the punches sucked though, from both guys and it's a huge stretch for Frye to make his stuff look weak. Crowd was eating it up but even here, during the MMA frenzy it feels short sighted as to the direction. The finish was a complete 360, which is logical in MMA but this one seemed too worked.
8) Dennis Lane v. Shinya Hashimoto- 1
Hash walking down the aisle was just intense; guy would have been awesome with a bit part in the Expendables; would have made stars Stallone and Statham look like Woody Allen and Mel Brooks. This was over in less than 2 mins, not sure how worked or what this was but if it was, the finish was ridiculously dumb, reminded me of one of those boxing ppv's we'd get when I was a kid and the main event was over in 30 seconds. Hash gives him one tackle to the ground and he was injured.
9) Kensuke Sasaki v. Keiji Muto- 7
Muto is in another incarnation here, a thick 2 week beard on his face and sporting Hollywood Hogan's ring trunks. Sasaki is the man at this time and Muto knows that, what's great about watching him is he knows the exact right thing to do at every point in the match, whether it's how long to sell something, even when he hits a desperation move, he sells the damage he's taken and it makes that even more important. Again, huge MMA influence as they spend a good amount of time in the beginning working holds on each other, a high spot being Muto's figure four he builds up to.
This reminded me of the Cena-HHH bouts where everything is worked very simply, and it all works so well; Cena was a better performer at that point than Sasaki is here, as he gets lost a few times but Muto is leagues better at making this feel like the biggest match of all time than LeVesque ever was. A great big feel main event with two of the more well known puro guys so yeah, it's well worth a look.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Honor Among Thieves #2: Only The Strong Survive
Only The Strong Survive 1/15/11
Charlotte, NC
1. Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly vs. The Bravado Brothers - B: 3 J: 3
Brian: Not a real promising start to the show. Kept short, but little of note, Adam Cole's fighting spirit facials were a hoot. Bravado Bros. matches are what babies see when you can't figure out why they're crying.
J: The last thing i wanted was to see the shaggy haired Bravado to do a Chaos German Suplex and then do an elbow exchange with Adam Cole, who looks like the guy that designed Chris Sabin's alien trunks. Liked the superkick/ lariat combo but it didn't finish so boo
2. Rhett Titus vs. Caprice Coleman - J: 5 B: 3
Jess: These guys get mic work, Rhett even seems shocked Caprice did. Coleman was stumbling over his words like the guy he borrowed those awful tights does, but he pulled it back in towards the end with even more catch phrases than "Dwayne" ever used in a row. Nice to see Rhett not just a base for Caprice to show off, as I've seen Rhett in lately too much for my liking. I believe the Bible stated "there's nothing new created under the sun," and certainly not in this match but this has the feel of a match between two unknowns busting out all this stuff no one else is using and getting over with it. The logistics of Caprice's hurricanra from the ground on a guy on the buckle just doesn't work but i enjoyed myself watching this; especially Caprice's glad handing to get himself employed afterwards.
Brian: I found this pretty mundane. I never believed Coleman stood a chance of winning which lessened any drama and further took me out of the proceedings. Titus showed so much personality in '10 as one-half of the All-Night Express but was quite jejune here. The finish was bad too.
3. Colt Cabana vs. Grizzly Redwood - B: 3 J: 4
Brian: My wife asked me the other day what we should dress our toddler son up as for Halloween this year. I suggested Colt Cabana. A little bandana with the Star of David and a little shirt proclaiming "I'm a professional wrestler!" I'm sure if I sent a picture of that to CM Punk he'd tweet it and thousands of people would see it. Is Punk really petitioning for WWE to re-sign him? Does the world really need a Cabana and Tyson Kidd feud to play out on NXT? It's rare to see Colt playing the bigger or more physically imposing guy in a match but he seemed to relish cutting Grizzly off and laying some stuff in on the little guy. I felt pretty apathetic in the end.
J: Really though does Colt even want to be re-signed? he seems pretty happy with the comedy schtick he's doing here, plus being the senior member of the roster, I'm sure he's making good money. I don't really agree with Punk's idea that the best performers in the world should be in WWE, as they don't all fit. I enjoyed the goofiness of the opening stuff mainly because Colt pulls it off well. Also, he's toned down the end runs of his matches waaaaay back since 2005 when he was doing AJW '94 thing in 2nd matches on the card.
4. "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett vs. Cedric Alexander - J:3 B: 3
Jess: Bennett looks like he should be in WWE, he just has that cookie cutter training school look they’ve dug for so long. Alexander was all fired up which helped the cause of this a bit, had a nearfall I liked but he just felt like a strange amalgamation of several other top notch indy guys we all know. Bennett needs a new finish too.
Brian: Cedric seemed a bit aloof yet had a quality about him, a rawness I guess you could say, that made him more interesting than a lot of guys in ROH who seem on autopilot routine some nights. His staggering selling was good and he seemed like a guy intent on working on his game and craft. I would have liked to gave this more but it was too short, just like the FCW trainers will probably say to Bennett when he comes looking for a job.
5. Claudio Castognoli vs. Christopher Daniels - B: 4 J: 4
Brian: During the in-ring introductions Daniels did a little twirl when his name was called and tripped over his own feet like a drunken sophomore on ladies' night. In some respects, this deserved higher acclaim, but it had a few glaring problems that hurt it overall. First, the match needlessly went 22 min., and I only say that because a big chunk of it was Daniels doing arm work on Claudio that ended up going absolutely nowhere. They spent a major chunk of time on that story cog and it was quickly forgotten like Dane Cook. Also, the finish, we got some interference, a ref distraction, funny that the BME, or Best Moonsault Ever, was anything but. Daniels ended up repeating the BME but this isn't Muta in '89 NWA and I had difficultly buying big Claudio going down to it.
Jess: Daniels is a guy who is respected in the biz just for his time put in and hard work ethic; sometimes I think he tries too hard to live up to that. Both guys largely are stellar workings but whenever a match gets a “This is Wrestling” chant a few minutes in, I examine much closer. Hurricanara spot was kind of nutty that he pulled off the apron and was a good middle ground after the unnecessary limb work. I can’t explain it but the match felt in fast forward, like cutting through the manager interference, the top notch moves, the 1st BME was botch city but I thought the stuff after that was just in hopes of making up for it but it didn’t; match went too long for my tastes.
6. Steve Corino and Andy "Ridge Leg" Ridge vs. Alabama Attitude - J: 2 B: 2
Jess: A “2” on the NHO scale is pretty worthless, and even though nothing really struck me as horrible about the work, the whole match just felt limp. Felt similar in vein to the opener, younger team trying to snapping kicks and loud screams while Corino was in his own world working his nice guy gimmick. This was as tame as Simon Baker is handsome.
Brian: Attitude looked nervous and nosh and indeed they were a small snack for Corino and Ridge. Some people have a six-pack of abs but Corino's got an entire bottling plant. It's safe to say the halcyon days are over.
7. Chris Hero vs. Davey Richards - B: 7 J: 6
Brian: I thought these guys matched up pretty well, Richards' kicks versus Hero's elbows, knees, etc. I think this suits Davey better, a war of attrition, and against a guy physically bigger than him instead of Richards playing domineering bully. They maybe could have cut a bit out down the stretch but I was caught up unsure of who was going to win. After both guys delivered their best shots it only fueled Richards making him more irascible and choleric than usual. I liked the clean crucifix armbar finish, too. Nearly two shows down and this is the best thing we've seen from ROH so far.
Jess: Davey shined here as guy who’s fighting with a strategy. Early on, every time he takes a huge shot (elbow, shoulder tackle, etc.) he ducks out and re thinks what’s going on. The strikes here were phenomenal and easily became the story of this match; who was going to break, from the kicks, elbows and chops. Even Davey’s much maligned German from the top took a back seat to the punishment they were doleing out with strikes. I do think this could have shaved some time off and in my opinion, this should have ended in a KO, not a submission. Surprising yes, but feels like we veered off course at the end when you end with an armlock where as all those strikes weren’t good enough to finish. But overall, yep, best thing in 2011 so far (chronologically). And damn, can’t believe I forgot to mention one of the most boss piledrivers that’s been done since Memphis ’82 by Hero. See this match for that alone
8. Four Corner Survival Match: Homicide vs. El Generico vs. Kenny King vs. Mark Briscoe - B: 5
Brian: This thing was about as by the numbers as the instructions you get with IKEA furniture. I did start getting sucked into it near the melee near the end. Homicide hit the Facewash running kick on Generico and Briscoe and it looked like crap both times. I didn't like seeing my boy Kenny taking the pin.
9. ROH World Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Jay Briscoe - B: 7
Brian: If you would have told me 4-5 years ago these two would have been the main event I would have been surprised, as in years past, these guys paired off in a singles would typically have been on the lower-undercard (or if on an FIP show semi-main underneath a crummy DP Associates tag). After just watching the three-disc Best of the Indies in 2001 DVD set awhile ago and Jay being in arguably the two best matches on the whole thing I must say my expectations were high to see him perform here. This was a good match, then Briscoe started gushing blood from his head, upping the ante and entertainment. The story was simple enough, Briscoe was a wounded animal, how much damage could he endure before Roderick put him out of his misery? This had the gore, the big moves (and subsequent kickouts), and I could see someone liking it more, the reason I'm not going higher on my score is while this had the same amount of hemoglobin as the Jerry Lynn vs. Roderick Strong classic from Dayton (which I'd rate an "8") it didn't have the same drama or nail-biting excitement.
Charlotte, NC
1. Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly vs. The Bravado Brothers - B: 3 J: 3
Brian: Not a real promising start to the show. Kept short, but little of note, Adam Cole's fighting spirit facials were a hoot. Bravado Bros. matches are what babies see when you can't figure out why they're crying.
J: The last thing i wanted was to see the shaggy haired Bravado to do a Chaos German Suplex and then do an elbow exchange with Adam Cole, who looks like the guy that designed Chris Sabin's alien trunks. Liked the superkick/ lariat combo but it didn't finish so boo
2. Rhett Titus vs. Caprice Coleman - J: 5 B: 3
Jess: These guys get mic work, Rhett even seems shocked Caprice did. Coleman was stumbling over his words like the guy he borrowed those awful tights does, but he pulled it back in towards the end with even more catch phrases than "Dwayne" ever used in a row. Nice to see Rhett not just a base for Caprice to show off, as I've seen Rhett in lately too much for my liking. I believe the Bible stated "there's nothing new created under the sun," and certainly not in this match but this has the feel of a match between two unknowns busting out all this stuff no one else is using and getting over with it. The logistics of Caprice's hurricanra from the ground on a guy on the buckle just doesn't work but i enjoyed myself watching this; especially Caprice's glad handing to get himself employed afterwards.
Brian: I found this pretty mundane. I never believed Coleman stood a chance of winning which lessened any drama and further took me out of the proceedings. Titus showed so much personality in '10 as one-half of the All-Night Express but was quite jejune here. The finish was bad too.
3. Colt Cabana vs. Grizzly Redwood - B: 3 J: 4
Brian: My wife asked me the other day what we should dress our toddler son up as for Halloween this year. I suggested Colt Cabana. A little bandana with the Star of David and a little shirt proclaiming "I'm a professional wrestler!" I'm sure if I sent a picture of that to CM Punk he'd tweet it and thousands of people would see it. Is Punk really petitioning for WWE to re-sign him? Does the world really need a Cabana and Tyson Kidd feud to play out on NXT? It's rare to see Colt playing the bigger or more physically imposing guy in a match but he seemed to relish cutting Grizzly off and laying some stuff in on the little guy. I felt pretty apathetic in the end.
J: Really though does Colt even want to be re-signed? he seems pretty happy with the comedy schtick he's doing here, plus being the senior member of the roster, I'm sure he's making good money. I don't really agree with Punk's idea that the best performers in the world should be in WWE, as they don't all fit. I enjoyed the goofiness of the opening stuff mainly because Colt pulls it off well. Also, he's toned down the end runs of his matches waaaaay back since 2005 when he was doing AJW '94 thing in 2nd matches on the card.
4. "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett vs. Cedric Alexander - J:3 B: 3
Jess: Bennett looks like he should be in WWE, he just has that cookie cutter training school look they’ve dug for so long. Alexander was all fired up which helped the cause of this a bit, had a nearfall I liked but he just felt like a strange amalgamation of several other top notch indy guys we all know. Bennett needs a new finish too.
Brian: Cedric seemed a bit aloof yet had a quality about him, a rawness I guess you could say, that made him more interesting than a lot of guys in ROH who seem on autopilot routine some nights. His staggering selling was good and he seemed like a guy intent on working on his game and craft. I would have liked to gave this more but it was too short, just like the FCW trainers will probably say to Bennett when he comes looking for a job.
5. Claudio Castognoli vs. Christopher Daniels - B: 4 J: 4
Brian: During the in-ring introductions Daniels did a little twirl when his name was called and tripped over his own feet like a drunken sophomore on ladies' night. In some respects, this deserved higher acclaim, but it had a few glaring problems that hurt it overall. First, the match needlessly went 22 min., and I only say that because a big chunk of it was Daniels doing arm work on Claudio that ended up going absolutely nowhere. They spent a major chunk of time on that story cog and it was quickly forgotten like Dane Cook. Also, the finish, we got some interference, a ref distraction, funny that the BME, or Best Moonsault Ever, was anything but. Daniels ended up repeating the BME but this isn't Muta in '89 NWA and I had difficultly buying big Claudio going down to it.
Jess: Daniels is a guy who is respected in the biz just for his time put in and hard work ethic; sometimes I think he tries too hard to live up to that. Both guys largely are stellar workings but whenever a match gets a “This is Wrestling” chant a few minutes in, I examine much closer. Hurricanara spot was kind of nutty that he pulled off the apron and was a good middle ground after the unnecessary limb work. I can’t explain it but the match felt in fast forward, like cutting through the manager interference, the top notch moves, the 1st BME was botch city but I thought the stuff after that was just in hopes of making up for it but it didn’t; match went too long for my tastes.
6. Steve Corino and Andy "Ridge Leg" Ridge vs. Alabama Attitude - J: 2 B: 2
Jess: A “2” on the NHO scale is pretty worthless, and even though nothing really struck me as horrible about the work, the whole match just felt limp. Felt similar in vein to the opener, younger team trying to snapping kicks and loud screams while Corino was in his own world working his nice guy gimmick. This was as tame as Simon Baker is handsome.
Brian: Attitude looked nervous and nosh and indeed they were a small snack for Corino and Ridge. Some people have a six-pack of abs but Corino's got an entire bottling plant. It's safe to say the halcyon days are over.
7. Chris Hero vs. Davey Richards - B: 7 J: 6
Brian: I thought these guys matched up pretty well, Richards' kicks versus Hero's elbows, knees, etc. I think this suits Davey better, a war of attrition, and against a guy physically bigger than him instead of Richards playing domineering bully. They maybe could have cut a bit out down the stretch but I was caught up unsure of who was going to win. After both guys delivered their best shots it only fueled Richards making him more irascible and choleric than usual. I liked the clean crucifix armbar finish, too. Nearly two shows down and this is the best thing we've seen from ROH so far.
Jess: Davey shined here as guy who’s fighting with a strategy. Early on, every time he takes a huge shot (elbow, shoulder tackle, etc.) he ducks out and re thinks what’s going on. The strikes here were phenomenal and easily became the story of this match; who was going to break, from the kicks, elbows and chops. Even Davey’s much maligned German from the top took a back seat to the punishment they were doleing out with strikes. I do think this could have shaved some time off and in my opinion, this should have ended in a KO, not a submission. Surprising yes, but feels like we veered off course at the end when you end with an armlock where as all those strikes weren’t good enough to finish. But overall, yep, best thing in 2011 so far (chronologically). And damn, can’t believe I forgot to mention one of the most boss piledrivers that’s been done since Memphis ’82 by Hero. See this match for that alone
8. Four Corner Survival Match: Homicide vs. El Generico vs. Kenny King vs. Mark Briscoe - B: 5
Brian: This thing was about as by the numbers as the instructions you get with IKEA furniture. I did start getting sucked into it near the melee near the end. Homicide hit the Facewash running kick on Generico and Briscoe and it looked like crap both times. I didn't like seeing my boy Kenny taking the pin.
9. ROH World Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Jay Briscoe - B: 7
Brian: If you would have told me 4-5 years ago these two would have been the main event I would have been surprised, as in years past, these guys paired off in a singles would typically have been on the lower-undercard (or if on an FIP show semi-main underneath a crummy DP Associates tag). After just watching the three-disc Best of the Indies in 2001 DVD set awhile ago and Jay being in arguably the two best matches on the whole thing I must say my expectations were high to see him perform here. This was a good match, then Briscoe started gushing blood from his head, upping the ante and entertainment. The story was simple enough, Briscoe was a wounded animal, how much damage could he endure before Roderick put him out of his misery? This had the gore, the big moves (and subsequent kickouts), and I could see someone liking it more, the reason I'm not going higher on my score is while this had the same amount of hemoglobin as the Jerry Lynn vs. Roderick Strong classic from Dayton (which I'd rate an "8") it didn't have the same drama or nail-biting excitement.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
WWE SmackDown! 4/21/11
Trying a different approach here: sort of a stream of consciousness live commentary, a mixture of observation and play-by-play, with analysis at the end of each bout.
John Morrison vs. Mark Henry
Morrison starts off with a kick to the mid-section and some strikes but Mark just shoves him away like an insect. Spills to the floor, then back in, where Henry delivers a cranium-crushing headbutt. Henry's chinlock looks like an offensive maneuver whereas Orton's just looks like a rest. John fights out but gets caught with a back elbow after springing off the ropes. Henry charges in the corner but eats some foot casserole, this gets Morrison cooking, and he gets the Flying Chuck and a Shining Wizard variant in. Starship Pain lands! 2 count. Mark tosses Morrison high in the air and catches him in a World's Strongest Slam in an impressive visual and physical feat.
Score - 3
Good opener, Henry's dominance continues, which is well deserved. Outcome was never in question but I liked that Morrison got a little offensive run there toward the end.
Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan
Thought these guys had a damn fine match together back at SummerSlam '11. Bryan's letting the beard grow back in. Some nice countering early. Barrett catches Daniel in a huge spinning sidewalk slam. Daniel was draped through the ropes on the apron and a running boot by Barrett sent him flying to the floor. Daniel firing back with some forearms. He catches Wade charging in with a boot then hits a tasty missile dropkick. Wade mounts Bryan and drops some punches, sure Daniel's been in that predicament before at Xtreme Couture once or twice. Nice crisscrossing rope sequence that ended with an explosive flying forearm/clothesline by Bryan. Pump-handle slam by WB gets 2. Barrett abuses him in the corner. Bryan gets caught coming off the top and splattered with Wasteland.
Score - 5
Heels go over two in a row. Bryan's losing streak continues. My only grip is Bryan's built as a smart, logical wrestler, but makes common mistakes like the leap onto Barrett's shoulders that lead to the finish. Action was good but we've seen them produce much better.
Shaemus and Zack Ryder vs. Christian and Dolph Ziggler
Ryder and Dolph start, quick go-behind by Zack but he eats an elbow and Ziggler takes over. Christian in and he cuts off Ryder's momentum by tossing him to the floor. Nice neckbreaker by Dolph who's back in. DZ telegraphs two rights that are blocked and Zack fires back shots of his own so Dolph dropkicks him right in the face. I liked Dolph kicking out of a cover and immediately grabbing Zack's ankle so he couldn't leave their side of the ring. Shaemus comes in hot blowing through Dolph. Shaemus sidesteps a Fameasser attempt and hits a nasty backbreaker. Christian bails to the back. Shaemus turns Ziggler inside out with the Brogue Kick for the finish.
Score - 4
Hard to give this too much love as it was short. Ryder didn't do much with the time he was in, Shaemus just got that hot run at the end to continue his monstrous push, Christian played chickenshit, but it was Ziggler who stole the focus with his nutty bumping.
Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara - Mask Match
So it's Azul (blue/babyface) vs. Negro (black/heel) in Mexico. I saw a knockoff Mistico action figure at a dollar store yesterday -- didn't recognize any of the other nameless wrestlers but one looked like a non-dwarf Blixx. We get the mood lighting. Feels like we're in Applebee's. Negro stomps away and smacks a kick off of Azul's back. He needs to put some more stank on those, like, ODB's puss level of stank. Azul does his scale the ropes plancha to the floor on Negro. Weird thing about this feud is the lack of hate or physicality during their in-ring stuff together. They're doing the same head scissors, etc. they did against guys like Justin Gabriel with no added emphasis. Negro gets backdropped to the floor where he rolls down the aisle. Too bad there's not a sewer grate for him to get lost in like how it used to happen in my neighborhood all the time. Instead of mask I wish this was "loser leaves" and we got a double countout or something. Negro nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Negro utilizes a camel clutch for the second time now tugging at Azul's mask in the process. Negro does a running somersault in the corner but Azul escapes -- he did it at about quarter-speed. Azul rallying and we get a series of elaborate pin attempts that don't cut it. Negro does something resembling an Angle Slam/Death Valley Driver hybrid. Azul was scaling the corner, changed his mind, ran across the ring to the other side, then did a Swanton Bomb. Bad judgement call. Azul wins with La Mistica. Post-match Negro doesn't want to unmask, and even punks Azul, but a tussle leads to Azul removing the mask and hitting a suicide dive for the hell of it.
Score - 4
As stated above, given the nature of the feud, would have liked more velocity and intensity, lots of flash, but no hatred on display. Hell, even the flash was dull like a Greyhound bus window. Not sure where this leaves Negro.
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
Show's new "W.M.D." t-shirt looks like ass. He can't pull off pea green. I'm expecting some sort of screwy finish here. Show tosses Alberto early, clubs him on the back, gets a big chop in the corner, then slams him hard on the mat. Del Rio is grounded throwing "up kicks" like he's Nazareno Malegarie. Del Rio bails to the floor for a breather. Show tries to pull him back inside by the skull but Del Rio uses his weight to pull Show throat-first onto the top rope buying him some time to scale the ropes only to be caught with a big open hand chop by Show. Vengeance returns this weekend after taking a couple years off. Del Rio dropkicks the stairs into Show's legs which didn't really work. Back inside and ADR bumps for another body slam. Alberto goes after the base of Show targeting the legs which is good psychology. Then he switches to the arm trying to wear it down for his finisher. Show's back up and moving all around the ring, running ropes, etc. as if the limb work never happened. Del Rio slides out of a chokeslam attempt, drops down, clips the legs, then hops into a Cross Armbreaker. Show, just like at Golden Corral, won't tap out. Show eventually powers up to his feet and throws ADR. I don't think anyone else has lasted that long in Del Rio's patented hold. Ricardo Rodriguez interferes leading to ADR taking a KO shot and then Henry who ran down getting knocked out as well.
Score - 5
Even with the predictable "fuck finish" this was still a hoot with ADR looking really good, nice strategy, etc. and Show retains the heat from his recent return going into his World title match on Sunday. We saw them at Capitol Punishment '11 and in a cage match on Raw but maybe we'll get an extended program between the two of them down the road.
John Morrison vs. Mark Henry
Morrison starts off with a kick to the mid-section and some strikes but Mark just shoves him away like an insect. Spills to the floor, then back in, where Henry delivers a cranium-crushing headbutt. Henry's chinlock looks like an offensive maneuver whereas Orton's just looks like a rest. John fights out but gets caught with a back elbow after springing off the ropes. Henry charges in the corner but eats some foot casserole, this gets Morrison cooking, and he gets the Flying Chuck and a Shining Wizard variant in. Starship Pain lands! 2 count. Mark tosses Morrison high in the air and catches him in a World's Strongest Slam in an impressive visual and physical feat.
Score - 3
Good opener, Henry's dominance continues, which is well deserved. Outcome was never in question but I liked that Morrison got a little offensive run there toward the end.
Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan
Thought these guys had a damn fine match together back at SummerSlam '11. Bryan's letting the beard grow back in. Some nice countering early. Barrett catches Daniel in a huge spinning sidewalk slam. Daniel was draped through the ropes on the apron and a running boot by Barrett sent him flying to the floor. Daniel firing back with some forearms. He catches Wade charging in with a boot then hits a tasty missile dropkick. Wade mounts Bryan and drops some punches, sure Daniel's been in that predicament before at Xtreme Couture once or twice. Nice crisscrossing rope sequence that ended with an explosive flying forearm/clothesline by Bryan. Pump-handle slam by WB gets 2. Barrett abuses him in the corner. Bryan gets caught coming off the top and splattered with Wasteland.
Score - 5
Heels go over two in a row. Bryan's losing streak continues. My only grip is Bryan's built as a smart, logical wrestler, but makes common mistakes like the leap onto Barrett's shoulders that lead to the finish. Action was good but we've seen them produce much better.
Shaemus and Zack Ryder vs. Christian and Dolph Ziggler
Ryder and Dolph start, quick go-behind by Zack but he eats an elbow and Ziggler takes over. Christian in and he cuts off Ryder's momentum by tossing him to the floor. Nice neckbreaker by Dolph who's back in. DZ telegraphs two rights that are blocked and Zack fires back shots of his own so Dolph dropkicks him right in the face. I liked Dolph kicking out of a cover and immediately grabbing Zack's ankle so he couldn't leave their side of the ring. Shaemus comes in hot blowing through Dolph. Shaemus sidesteps a Fameasser attempt and hits a nasty backbreaker. Christian bails to the back. Shaemus turns Ziggler inside out with the Brogue Kick for the finish.
Score - 4
Hard to give this too much love as it was short. Ryder didn't do much with the time he was in, Shaemus just got that hot run at the end to continue his monstrous push, Christian played chickenshit, but it was Ziggler who stole the focus with his nutty bumping.
Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara - Mask Match
So it's Azul (blue/babyface) vs. Negro (black/heel) in Mexico. I saw a knockoff Mistico action figure at a dollar store yesterday -- didn't recognize any of the other nameless wrestlers but one looked like a non-dwarf Blixx. We get the mood lighting. Feels like we're in Applebee's. Negro stomps away and smacks a kick off of Azul's back. He needs to put some more stank on those, like, ODB's puss level of stank. Azul does his scale the ropes plancha to the floor on Negro. Weird thing about this feud is the lack of hate or physicality during their in-ring stuff together. They're doing the same head scissors, etc. they did against guys like Justin Gabriel with no added emphasis. Negro gets backdropped to the floor where he rolls down the aisle. Too bad there's not a sewer grate for him to get lost in like how it used to happen in my neighborhood all the time. Instead of mask I wish this was "loser leaves" and we got a double countout or something. Negro nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Negro utilizes a camel clutch for the second time now tugging at Azul's mask in the process. Negro does a running somersault in the corner but Azul escapes -- he did it at about quarter-speed. Azul rallying and we get a series of elaborate pin attempts that don't cut it. Negro does something resembling an Angle Slam/Death Valley Driver hybrid. Azul was scaling the corner, changed his mind, ran across the ring to the other side, then did a Swanton Bomb. Bad judgement call. Azul wins with La Mistica. Post-match Negro doesn't want to unmask, and even punks Azul, but a tussle leads to Azul removing the mask and hitting a suicide dive for the hell of it.
Score - 4
As stated above, given the nature of the feud, would have liked more velocity and intensity, lots of flash, but no hatred on display. Hell, even the flash was dull like a Greyhound bus window. Not sure where this leaves Negro.
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
Show's new "W.M.D." t-shirt looks like ass. He can't pull off pea green. I'm expecting some sort of screwy finish here. Show tosses Alberto early, clubs him on the back, gets a big chop in the corner, then slams him hard on the mat. Del Rio is grounded throwing "up kicks" like he's Nazareno Malegarie. Del Rio bails to the floor for a breather. Show tries to pull him back inside by the skull but Del Rio uses his weight to pull Show throat-first onto the top rope buying him some time to scale the ropes only to be caught with a big open hand chop by Show. Vengeance returns this weekend after taking a couple years off. Del Rio dropkicks the stairs into Show's legs which didn't really work. Back inside and ADR bumps for another body slam. Alberto goes after the base of Show targeting the legs which is good psychology. Then he switches to the arm trying to wear it down for his finisher. Show's back up and moving all around the ring, running ropes, etc. as if the limb work never happened. Del Rio slides out of a chokeslam attempt, drops down, clips the legs, then hops into a Cross Armbreaker. Show, just like at Golden Corral, won't tap out. Show eventually powers up to his feet and throws ADR. I don't think anyone else has lasted that long in Del Rio's patented hold. Ricardo Rodriguez interferes leading to ADR taking a KO shot and then Henry who ran down getting knocked out as well.
Score - 5
Even with the predictable "fuck finish" this was still a hoot with ADR looking really good, nice strategy, etc. and Show retains the heat from his recent return going into his World title match on Sunday. We saw them at Capitol Punishment '11 and in a cage match on Raw but maybe we'll get an extended program between the two of them down the road.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Ring of Honor Wrestling - 10/15/11
We were doing a TV show project lately where each guy on the team was going to review a TV ep but with Geo gone, that fell by the wayside; still, I wanted to give the new ROH show a go, so threw my hand in on this ep.
1) Briscoe Brothers v. All Night Express- 4
From clips and chatter on the 'net, these two teams have had some hellacious matches; this started to be one but ultimately didn't come through. One huge thing i noticed was Rhett Titus; dude bulked up considerably where as he has a completely different build and look now. I also really dug some of the innovative spots he was using. Kenny had a blazing hot fire comeback late in the match and while Briscoes can be great heels, they never got it to that level. Thought the ending was sort of sloppy as well.
2) Eddie Edwards v. Michael Elgin- 6
This is only my 2nd look at Elgin and i've recommended both matches now. When Frightmare takes a bunch of hellacious offense and still kicks out, it's pretty hard to swallow; when Elgin does, it makes sense; that's his gimmick "Unbreakable" so you can buy it. Edwards don't back down for shit in this either and seemed to assert himself as one of the top guys in ROH and I loved it. Nigel was good adding Edwards trained in the NOAH dojos to give a backstory why he's so tough and won't back down. They unleashed some crazy slap and strike exchanges here. And instead of the everyone kicking out of finishers, they simply teased executing it several times but it still worked once Eddie hit it; that's the way to turn in a match. Great stuff
This show is as talky as Impact or Raw, but they get more for their money; Impact's opening interview segment ran for 45 minutes this week, sure it setp up a lot of things but my god how can you expect true wrestling fans to wait that long. This one is very old school where people don't like each other and talk about it but it doesn't feel tongue in cheek like on Raw.
1) Briscoe Brothers v. All Night Express- 4
From clips and chatter on the 'net, these two teams have had some hellacious matches; this started to be one but ultimately didn't come through. One huge thing i noticed was Rhett Titus; dude bulked up considerably where as he has a completely different build and look now. I also really dug some of the innovative spots he was using. Kenny had a blazing hot fire comeback late in the match and while Briscoes can be great heels, they never got it to that level. Thought the ending was sort of sloppy as well.
2) Eddie Edwards v. Michael Elgin- 6
This is only my 2nd look at Elgin and i've recommended both matches now. When Frightmare takes a bunch of hellacious offense and still kicks out, it's pretty hard to swallow; when Elgin does, it makes sense; that's his gimmick "Unbreakable" so you can buy it. Edwards don't back down for shit in this either and seemed to assert himself as one of the top guys in ROH and I loved it. Nigel was good adding Edwards trained in the NOAH dojos to give a backstory why he's so tough and won't back down. They unleashed some crazy slap and strike exchanges here. And instead of the everyone kicking out of finishers, they simply teased executing it several times but it still worked once Eddie hit it; that's the way to turn in a match. Great stuff
This show is as talky as Impact or Raw, but they get more for their money; Impact's opening interview segment ran for 45 minutes this week, sure it setp up a lot of things but my god how can you expect true wrestling fans to wait that long. This one is very old school where people don't like each other and talk about it but it doesn't feel tongue in cheek like on Raw.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
RtW TV teaser trailer
Brian here, been promoting my new show everywhere I can, figured why not here, too? It also features NHO contributor Jessie. The show debuts on Nov. 2 over on my website Review the World or our YouTube:
CHIKARA "True Stories" 11/18/05
Carla Jean: "Sheriff, was that a true story about Charlie Walser?"
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell: "Who's Charlie Walser? Oh! Well...uh...a true story? I couldn't swear to every detail of it but it's true that it's a story."
Kelly McDonald (Carla Jean) and Tommy Lee Jones (Sheriff Ed) in No Country for Old Men (2007).
1. Lancelot & Dragon Dragon vs. Dr. Cheung, Darkness Crabtree, & Punisher – 1
2. The Prophet vs. Casanova – 3
The opener was bad, really bad. I gave it a point just for the comedy on the face team. Lancelot is a team consisting of two guys named Lance Steel dressed in goofy knight outfits that look like they came from a third grade King Arthur production. Crabtree moves slower than a glacier but I guess that’s supposed to be his character. Punisher seemed completely out of place. Only thing that really saved this for me was Dragon Dragon, who I think is a pretty cool character. Didn’t see a single thing that I liked here. Wasn’t expecting much out of this and it was suprisingly decent. Casanova has this pudgy, dirty porn-star vibe about him and spent time during the match grinding his hips a la Rick Rude and doing some “unnecessary hamstring stretching” as Bryce Remsburg called it on commentary. Prophet had a good handle on what he was doing and seemed to be the one controlling things. Pace was good and the in-ring was pretty basic but I enjoyed this for the most part.
3. Larry Sweeney vs. Sabian – 3
4. Ryan Cruz, Darin Corbin, Equinox, & Angel de Fuego vs. Hallowicked, Ultramantis Black, Rorschach, & Crossbones - 4
Sweeney’s matches are usually pretty fun but this really felt like a chore to get through. Once they got through all the schtick and got down to some business, it was okay but nothing to set the world on fire or anything. Felt like a typical Sweeney match with him doing his thing, you know the strutting, the playing to the crowd, etc. The only things I actually liked here were Sabian’s nearfalls. The piledrive at the end by Sweeney was pretty rad as well. It’s weird seeing Ultramantis without all of the tattoos he has now. Roschach looked nothing like the awesome character from the Watchmen graphic novel and more like a generic masked guy in a t-shirt. I’m still waiting for everyone to get the memo that nothing good has ever come from wrestling in a t-shirt. Equinox brought some levity, whacking Ultramantis with a fly swatter that was quickly disposed of and then a bigger version of the same fly swatter. I can honestly say that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone use one of those in a match. Either Hallowicked is really tall or the ceiling in the venue is really low because when he climbed the buckles, he almost went through the ceiling. Some fun stuff here but nothing to get overly excited about.
5. Claudio Castagnoli & Arik Cannon vs. Reckless Youth & Mike Quackenbush – 4
Started off pretty good with Reckless Youth jumping Claudio and Cannon from behind and all four doing a brawl on the floor. The story of this match was Cannon didn’t want to cheat to beat his idols on the opposing team and that was touched upon pretty heavily during the match in numerous spots where you would normally see a heel cheating (ie: choking the opponent on the outside, double teaming, etc.). The double dives by the face team were pretty neat. Reckless and Cannon tried a Japanese strong style exchange by trading suplexes but the crowd had no clue what they were doing.
6. Allison Danger vs. Sumie Sakai – 3
Pretty much standard indy women’s match and not a lot to get excited about. Danger really didn’t show much at all as Sumie controlled the better part of the match. I dug her working the crowd and the hair pull where she would switch off with each hand once the ref reached a four-count. Larry Sweeney on commentary talked about Danger doing a 20-country tour of Asia. I didn’t know there were 20 countries in Asia. Big splash from Sumie off the top rope missed which led to Danger hitting her finisher for the win.
7. Chris Hero, Icarus, & Gran Akuma vs. Mr. Zero, Shane Storm, & Milano Collection AT – 3
Very lackluster main event. I wonder what Milano’s first thought was when he arrived at the building and saw it was a bar/VFW hall? Better yet, I wonder what he thought when he saw the ring was only a foot off the ground? Shane Storm looked ridiculous with his jorts, goofy t-shirt, and mask that made him look like he should be an extra in Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Heel team was on complete auto-pilot and nothing they did even stood out in the slightest. If Akuma was supposed to be pissed about losing his mask, shouldn’t he be kicking the shit out of the other team? Icarus looked like a total goof just standing around while his partners got tied up in the ropes. Milano’s enziguri on Hero was about the only good move of the match. Finish was bad with Akuma leaning on Zero like an idiot while waiting for his partners to help him flip the dude over.
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell: "Who's Charlie Walser? Oh! Well...uh...a true story? I couldn't swear to every detail of it but it's true that it's a story."
Kelly McDonald (Carla Jean) and Tommy Lee Jones (Sheriff Ed) in No Country for Old Men (2007).
1. Lancelot & Dragon Dragon vs. Dr. Cheung, Darkness Crabtree, & Punisher – 1
2. The Prophet vs. Casanova – 3
The opener was bad, really bad. I gave it a point just for the comedy on the face team. Lancelot is a team consisting of two guys named Lance Steel dressed in goofy knight outfits that look like they came from a third grade King Arthur production. Crabtree moves slower than a glacier but I guess that’s supposed to be his character. Punisher seemed completely out of place. Only thing that really saved this for me was Dragon Dragon, who I think is a pretty cool character. Didn’t see a single thing that I liked here. Wasn’t expecting much out of this and it was suprisingly decent. Casanova has this pudgy, dirty porn-star vibe about him and spent time during the match grinding his hips a la Rick Rude and doing some “unnecessary hamstring stretching” as Bryce Remsburg called it on commentary. Prophet had a good handle on what he was doing and seemed to be the one controlling things. Pace was good and the in-ring was pretty basic but I enjoyed this for the most part.
3. Larry Sweeney vs. Sabian – 3
4. Ryan Cruz, Darin Corbin, Equinox, & Angel de Fuego vs. Hallowicked, Ultramantis Black, Rorschach, & Crossbones - 4
Sweeney’s matches are usually pretty fun but this really felt like a chore to get through. Once they got through all the schtick and got down to some business, it was okay but nothing to set the world on fire or anything. Felt like a typical Sweeney match with him doing his thing, you know the strutting, the playing to the crowd, etc. The only things I actually liked here were Sabian’s nearfalls. The piledrive at the end by Sweeney was pretty rad as well. It’s weird seeing Ultramantis without all of the tattoos he has now. Roschach looked nothing like the awesome character from the Watchmen graphic novel and more like a generic masked guy in a t-shirt. I’m still waiting for everyone to get the memo that nothing good has ever come from wrestling in a t-shirt. Equinox brought some levity, whacking Ultramantis with a fly swatter that was quickly disposed of and then a bigger version of the same fly swatter. I can honestly say that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone use one of those in a match. Either Hallowicked is really tall or the ceiling in the venue is really low because when he climbed the buckles, he almost went through the ceiling. Some fun stuff here but nothing to get overly excited about.
5. Claudio Castagnoli & Arik Cannon vs. Reckless Youth & Mike Quackenbush – 4
Started off pretty good with Reckless Youth jumping Claudio and Cannon from behind and all four doing a brawl on the floor. The story of this match was Cannon didn’t want to cheat to beat his idols on the opposing team and that was touched upon pretty heavily during the match in numerous spots where you would normally see a heel cheating (ie: choking the opponent on the outside, double teaming, etc.). The double dives by the face team were pretty neat. Reckless and Cannon tried a Japanese strong style exchange by trading suplexes but the crowd had no clue what they were doing.
6. Allison Danger vs. Sumie Sakai – 3
Pretty much standard indy women’s match and not a lot to get excited about. Danger really didn’t show much at all as Sumie controlled the better part of the match. I dug her working the crowd and the hair pull where she would switch off with each hand once the ref reached a four-count. Larry Sweeney on commentary talked about Danger doing a 20-country tour of Asia. I didn’t know there were 20 countries in Asia. Big splash from Sumie off the top rope missed which led to Danger hitting her finisher for the win.
7. Chris Hero, Icarus, & Gran Akuma vs. Mr. Zero, Shane Storm, & Milano Collection AT – 3
Very lackluster main event. I wonder what Milano’s first thought was when he arrived at the building and saw it was a bar/VFW hall? Better yet, I wonder what he thought when he saw the ring was only a foot off the ground? Shane Storm looked ridiculous with his jorts, goofy t-shirt, and mask that made him look like he should be an extra in Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Heel team was on complete auto-pilot and nothing they did even stood out in the slightest. If Akuma was supposed to be pissed about losing his mask, shouldn’t he be kicking the shit out of the other team? Icarus looked like a total goof just standing around while his partners got tied up in the ropes. Milano’s enziguri on Hero was about the only good move of the match. Finish was bad with Akuma leaning on Zero like an idiot while waiting for his partners to help him flip the dude over.
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