Raw History: Episodes #40-42

Raw History
Episode #40
November 15th, 1993 | Fernwood Resort in Bushkill, Pennsylvania

The show opens with a recap of Macho Man going nuts on Crush last Monday night. Vince McMahon informs us that Shawn Michaels has been reinstated and will replace Jerry Lawler at Survivor Series due to some “legal issues.” For those unaware, Jerry was accused of raping a teenage girl.

Non-Title Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon vs. The Brooklyn Brawler
For being such a famous jobber, I haven’t seen much of the Brooklyn Brawler. He attacks before the bell and puts a hurting on Razor. That obviously doesn’t last long as Razor hits a fallaway slam and gets in the driver’s seat. Surprisingly, Brawler gets in more offense but makes a crucial mistake by setting early and it leads to the Razor’s Edge.

Winner: Razor Ramon in 2:49
A surprisingly solid squash. It was fun to see the Brooklyn Brawler get in more offense than most guys and Razor still was able to win in short order while looking strong. *½ 

Crush cuts a promo backstage on Randy Savage, saying that he’s going to run into trouble for what he did last week. 

An ad runs to promote the “Survivor Series Showdown”, which is not on the WWE Network. Bret Hart gets a rematch at Yokozuna and the WWF Title.

The Headshrinkers w/ Afa vs. Mike Bucci and Mike Maraldo
The jobbers actually get a near fall when they dogpile on top of Fatu. He puts an end to that with a big savant kick. They can win the match fairly quickly but Fatu picks up his opponent before the three. The Headshrinkers put an end to this with a double leg sweep and big splash.

Winners: The Headshrinkers in 4:16
I feel like this lasted a bit too long to be considered an enjoyable squash. They weren’t in their usual jobber killing mode, so this doesn’t score high. ½*

We now get a clip from Superstars, where the “All-Americans” announced their replacement for Tatanka. Lex Luger and the Steiner Brothers reveal that it will be the Undertaker. That is a clear upgrade. Undertaker opening his trench coat to reveal the American flag was cool. Bobby Heenan steals the show with a line of “YOU CAN’T HAVE A PARTNER THAT’S DEAD! THAT’S UNFAIR!” Classic.

Lex Luger vs. Pierre w/ Johnny Polo
Lux Luger attacks at the bell, because he’s far more comfortable as a heel. He’s in charge for a bit with some of his signature SCREAMING CLOTHESLINES! They try a Polo distraction but it backfires when Luger backdrops Pierre on the outside. After a commercial break, it is a successful Polo distraction that turns the tide. Pierre gets two on a diet Vader splash. He moves into a rest hold for a bit since they’re giving them two commercial breaks to work through. Pierre gets two on a piledriver. They’re trying to build up how resilient Lex Luger is, since he continues to kick out. Luger begins to rally, slamming Pierre from the top and tossing Polo from the apron. He hits the LOADED FOREARM and wins.

Winner: Lex Luger in 13:24
Not the worst match but I think it was a bit too long for the quality of these two guys. They did the best I would expect these two to do with this amount of time. **

Pierre is basically dead and is now going to be out of Survivor Series.

Diesel vs. Sid Garrison
Hey, a Sid vs. Diesel match would end up headlining a few Pay-Per-Views in about a year and a half. As expected, Diesel just beats the stuffing out of Garrison. He runs through the few moves that he knows, like a side slam and big boot. Sid Garrison isn’t even worth the Jackknife as he finishes him with an elbow.

Winner: Diesel in 3:23
Your basic squash match. It was absolutely all Diesel and at the very least, it wasn’t really boring. ¾*

Todd Pettengil brings us the Survivor Series Report with no real news.

To close the show, another Jeff Jarrett vignette airs, featuring a cameo from Jacqueline.

Overall: 3/10; Poor. Another lackluster effort for Raw. The squash matches were not of the more entertaining variety and the marquee matchup was decent at best. Also, I feel like the marquee match should either open or close the show. At least the build for Survivor Series was somewhat good.

---

Raw History
Episode #41
November 29th, 1993 | Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York

Survivor Series has come and gone with Raw being off the air for a week. Side note, I’ve always liked the look of this venue. Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan are on commentary since Macho Man has been suspended from commentary for the attack on Crush. They run down the show, which sounds pretty good actually.

The Steiner Brothers vs. Mike Khoury and Reno Riggins
Scott Steiner takes down Khoury a few times before pulling out a dragon suplex. Reno gets tagged but wants no part of the Steiners. Scott dropkicks him and then does the damn screwdriver again. Seriously dude, you are killing these guys. He drags Riggins and makes Khoury tag in just so he can suplex him. He ends it with the Frankensteiner.

Winners: The Steiner Brothers in 3:44
I always love me a good Steiner jobber killing. Using a dragon suplex, screwdriver and Frankensteiner made this fun. *¾

Commentary discusses how Yokozuna was scared of the Undertaker during the main event of Survivor Series, building towards our next big WWF Title program.

Another Jeff Jarrett vignette is shown. He gets kicked out of a talent agency because he’s annoying.

Non-Title Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon vs. Diesel
Who would have thought in 1993 that these two guys would change the course of wrestling history just two and a half years later? As far as I know, this is their first one on one meeting. Razor tries to go after the arm for some reason but Diesel overpowers him a few times. Diesel goes into his offense like snake eyes, the side slam and a bearhug to wear down Razor. I’m surprised at how one sided this has been, showing that Vince was already into the idea of pushing Diesel. Razor rallies, hitting a bulldog that looks pretty bad. As he calls for the Razor’s Edge, the returning Shawn Michaels attacks him.

Winner via disqualification: Razor Ramon in 5:16
Nowhere near the level they were capable of as shown by their SummerSlam 1994 match. It was a good way of showing how tough Razor was, while showing how dominant Diesel could be.*½ 

Shawn Michaels calls for a piledriver on the Intercontinental Title but the 1-2-3 Kid makes the save. THE KLIQ IS EVERYWHERE! Diesel and Shawn Michaels retreat. These four would have a tag team match on WWF Action Zone in 1994 that was fantastic.

Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Luna Vachon vs. John Crystal
Bigelow dominates this from start to finish. He uses the neck vice, which I never liked. There is definitely some stalling from Bigelow since he doesn’t seem to know what to do to make this last the allotted time they were given. He finally wins with a kick to the skull.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow in 3:14
Another relatively dull Bigelow squash. ½*

We go to footage from Wrestling Challenge, where Santa Clause has a gift for Doink. He pulls Dink out of his bag. Hooray, now I get to see the Doink/Dink pairing for the next few months. That was sarcasm if you couldn’t tell.

Vince McMahon is in the ring to announce the 1993 Superstar of the Year. He brings out the runner-up, Lex Luger. This seems like another shining example of Lex Luger being a loser. He can’t win big matches or even an award like this. He thanks the fans and brings out the actual winner, Bret Hart. Bobby Heenan tries to play it off like he thought he’d win, which was odd. His speech is kind of just there and then Luger raises Bret’s arm in victory like the bitch he is.

A clip is shown from Survivor Series where Owen Hart accidentally knocked Bret Hart into the guardrail and it led to him getting pinned. He would be the only Hart eliminated in the match. He was pissed off and then got in Bret’s face after the bell. This would begin the excellent rivalry between him and Bret. Helen Hart sells this very well.

Owen Hart vs. Chris Duffy
Owen Hart is wearing his brother’s trademark glasses, showing off his cocky attitude. While Owen gets in some offense, we are told that Shawn Michaels has challenged the 1-2-3 Kid for next week. Some “we want Bret” chants start. Owen wins with the Sharpshooter in great fashion.

Winner: Owen Hart in 2:40
A fine squash match here. Owen Hart is always entertaining, especially now that he’s turned heel. *¾

Bobby Heenan tries to interview Owen hart about Bret winning Superstar of the Year and what happened at Survivor Series but Owen just walks off.

Ludvig Borga vs. Scott Taylor
Hey, Scotty 2 Hotty is back! Ludvig Borga misses an elbow but everything that Taylor tries is no sold. Borga then turns him inside out on a clothesline and wins with the torture rack.

Winner: Ludvig Borga in 2:21
Typical stuff from Ludvig Borga. He dominated and at least he didn’t kill time. ¾*

We then get 1-2-3 Kid accepting the challenge of Shawn Michaels. It’s hilarious that he calls him Mr. Michaels.

Overall: 4/10. Weak. While this wasn’t the best of episodes from an in-ring standpoint, I appreciated some of the Survivor Series fallout. The Steiners were fun and we got all of that Kliq action. Owen Hart was a fun addition too as his new heel character was about to become my favorite thing in the company.

---

Raw History
Episode #42
December 6th, 1993 | Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York

We start with a recap of Shawn Michaels’ attack on Razor Ramon last week before the 1-2-3 Kid made the save, setting the stage for tonight’s match. Bobby Heenan and Vince McMahon then argue about whether or not Shawn Michaels is actually the Intercontinental Champion. Also, Heenan has bene badmouthing Gorilla Monsoon for a few weeks and Monsoon may retaliate tonight.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels is carrying the Intercontinental Title as he never relinquished it when he was suspended. I’ll never understand why Michaels wore his tights so damn high. The action starts very fast with them only messing up on one awkward spot. Kid springboards out onto Shawn and Vince says he’s never seen that move before, even though I’ve seen Kid do it on Raw already this year. Kid slows things inside and Shawn has trouble breaking free of a headlock. He finally does and uses a head scissors to send Kid outside. Kid tries to dive off the apron but Shawn catches him with a powerslam on the outside. Shawn hits a backbreaker and Kid counters a superplex into a cross body for two. Shawn continue to play the stronger man, which is a nice change of pace for him. Kid hits a big moonsault for two, which is how he beat Razor back in May. He climbs up top and misses a big somersault as they go to another commercial. When we return, Shawn hits a superkick but I guess it still wasn’t his finisher. He signals for the end like Razor Ramon would and hits the Razor’s Edge. He could win, but Shawn instead picks him Kid up. For some reason, Vince thinks that could result in a DQ. He hits a second and out comes Razor in a ridiculous outfit. Shawn runs from Razor and both guys are outside, leading to a double countout.

Double countout in 11:02
Really good stuff here. Their chemistry probably stemmed from their close friendship and Shawn looked determined now that he’s back from suspension. A really fun match here. ***¼

Shawn Michaels runs from Razor Ramon until Diesel lays out Razor. This allows Shawn to hit a Razor’s Edge on the floor to Razor himself. Surprisingly, he even hits a second as officials try to stop him.

Non-Title Match
WWF Tag Team Champions The Quebecers vs. Bert Centano and Mike Walsh
Since Survivor Series has passed, Pierre is now ready to wrestle. I honestly don’t know how replaced him at Survivor Series. A quick look and it was Crush. Anyway I don’t know which jobber is which, but one of them actually hits a nice monkey flip on Pierre. The Quebecers obviously get right back in control and win with their cannonball finisher.

Winners: The Quebecers in 4:21
Not much to write about here. A standard squash with nothing special. It wasn’t dull, so that helped. *

Owen Hart cuts a promo about how everything is about Bret Hart, but he’s coming with a surprise that will make everything be about him.

Doink w/ Dink vs. Tony DeVito
I feel like Tony DeVito has set the jobber record for appearances this year. This is no longer Matt Borne playing Doink, instantly disappointing me. Basically, Doink is going through the motions of boring offense while Dink walks around pulling shenanigans out of his ass. Seriously, it’s dull as hell. He wins with the Whoopee Cushion.

Winner: Doink in 5:51
Who thought this should go nearly six minutes? It was an awful squash, made worse by Dink’s dumb ringside antics. DUD.

Time for yet another Jeff Jarrett vignette. That’s J-E-DOUBLE F. J-A-DOUBLE R-E-DOUBLE T.

A commercial informs us that next week, the Macho Man returns to the ring!

Crush w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Tony Roy
Bobby Heenan says that Mr. Fuji celebrates the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Damn. Macho Man calls in and it’s more interesting than anything Crush is doing. Vince says that Crush looks awesome, which is the opposite of how I’d say he looks. He seems to have fused his new heel attire with his neon face attire. The phone call connection sucks and it breaks up to the point where we can’t understand anything Savage says. Crush wins and nobody cares.

Winner: Crush in 3:53
As usual with Crush, this is not good. He was never any good. ½*

They get ready to go off the air but Gorilla Monsoon makes his way out to ringside. He gets his revenge on Heenan, dragging him by the collar and physically kicking him out of the arena. This would be the end of Heenan’s WWF run. He and Gorilla came up with this and, according to Heenan, spent an hour or so reminiscing in their hotel after.

Overall: 6/10; Average. Everything after the opener is pretty dreadful in the ring, as the three matches barely manage *½. However, it is memorable for Bobby Heenan’s exit and the marquee matchup delivers as Shawn Michaels and the 1-2-3 Kid have a really good encounter. Worth checking out for the opener and the closing segment.

NJPW G1 Climax 23 Night Four Review

G1 Climax 23 Day Four
August 4th, 2013 | Osaka, Japan

So far, we’ve had two good nights (one and three) and one damn near great one (two). I’ve seen one match from this show in the past and it is one of my all-time favorites, so I’m excited for the rest of the event.

Block B
Toru Yano (0) vs. Yujiro Takahashi (6)
The unbeaten Yujiro Takahashi attacks during Toru Yano’s entrance and follows with a suicide dive. Takahashi throws him around outside and nails him with a chair. Things move inside eventually, where Takahashi just stays in control. After a while of that, Yano avoids running into the exposed buckle and Takahashi eats it instead. Yano slams him down and does his signature taunt. Yano slingshots him into the exposed buckle as well. I don’t think it can even really be a Yano match without those corner spots. Despite allowing all of this, the referee stops Yano from doing a low blow. Takahashi shoves Yano into him and then brings out a steel chair. It backfires when Yano gets his hands on it and pulls an Eddie Guerrero. With the referee removing the chair, Yano does two low blows and pulls Yujiro into a cradle for three.

Winner: Toru Yano (2) in 7:04
Kind of an expected result given their stats entering the match. The early portions of Takahashi dominating were pretty uninteresting, though I found the match became more enjoyable after Yano got going. **

Block B
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) vs. Karl Anderson (4)
I saw these two have a match in the G1 a year later and it wasn’t very good. Hopefully this one is better. This gets off to your basic start, including Tenzan showing that he’s too strong for Anderson to shoulder block. Anderson responds with Mongolian chops, like a dick. Anderson stays in control for a bit, with Tenzan squeezing in Mongolian chops at every opening, albeit mostly small ones. Tenzan comes off the top with a headbutt but it’s not enough to keep Anderson down. He locks in the Anaconda Vice, but Anderson wiggles to the ropes and breaks it. Anderson ends up calling for the Gun Stun but Tenzan has a lovely counter ready, dropping him with a Uranage and putting the vice back on. Anderson fights to his feet, but is taken back down. He survives it and avoids the Tenzan moonsault before trying another Gun Stun. It too gets blocked and Tenzan is feeling it. He goes for another Uranage but this time it is Anderson who counters into the Stun Gun for the 1-2-3.

Winner: Karl Anderson (6) in 9:55
Much better than the effort they’d put forth a year later. Their exchange of counters was solid and most of what they did worked well. The crowd was hot and bought into most of the close calls. I thought the finish was perfect considering the earlier reversals. ***¼

Block B
Shelton X Benjamin (2) vs. Yuji Nagata (4)
Oh look, the undercard is filled with “B” Block matches again. Shelton doesn’t just attack before the bell, he leaps to the top and suplexes him off. He tries to steal it with an early pin but Nagata gets a shoulder up. Shelton is pretty damn good in this heel role. He is just in firm control, looks to be enjoying and has no problem allowing Taka Michinoku to get in cheap shots outside. He tries to win via countout as well, but Nagata rolls in and removes his shirt, firing up. He just starts kicking Shelton’s ass. A particular kick to the back of the head seems to knock Shelton silly. Nagata follows with a backdrop driver for two though. Shelton catches a kick and locks in the ankle lock. Nagata fights to stay alive, but when Shelton pulls an Angle and grapevines his legs to fully sink it in, he has to give up.

Winner: Shelton X Benjamin (4) in 8:17
This turned out to be a really good match. Shelton came off as desperate for some points with his strategy, while Nagata again played the badass old dude perfectly. Shelton’s early attacks, Nagata’s comebacks and the finishing stretch were all really well done. ***½

Block A
Davey Boy Smith Jr. (2) vs. Satoshi Kojima (4)
These two would have a pretty solid match the following year. This one begins with the expected back and forth. Kojima takes the first real advantage by clotheslining Smith over and outside. It’s that classic G1 ringside brawl. Kojima nails his trademark apron DDT but gets bitten in the ankle by Taka Michinoku, freeing up Smith to get on the offensive. Smith badmouths the fans and wears down Kojima. Kojima comes back, lighting up Smith with chops that the fans go nuts for. A strike exchange follows, which Kojima wins. He looks to be on the verge of a win until that damn Taka Michinoku distracts him. Smith hits a goddamn tiger suplex for two. The fans bite on a near fall following a lariat from Kojima as well. Smith survives some more attacks and wins with a sitout powerbomb.

Winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4) in 11:43
That was, like the last match, a pretty damn good back and forth battle. Kojima continued to show that he is one tough bastard, while Smith had to be cunning and use his power to hang out. This was a fun hard hitting bout. ***½

Block A
Katsuyori Shibata (4) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (2)
Right at the bell, these two just charge at each other and proceed to beat the fuck out of one another. I mean, they literally just destroy each other with forearms, lariats and running kicks. They don’t have your typical forearm exchange, instead seemingly challenging their opponent to hit them harder. Both men literally leave themselves open so the other one can strike. Ishii cracks first, unable to kick because he holds his chest in pain. Shibata pounces, relentlessly delivering forearms in the corner. Ishii screams through the pain, but too many cause him to fall. Shibata follows with a great basement dropkick. After gathering his wits, Ishii now goes on the offensive, just murdering Shibata with vicious shots. Shibata catches a kick from Ishii and hits a big lariat. He applies a Boston crab, but Ishii reaches the ropes, so he pulls him back and works the STF. Ishii survives and then lays out Shibata with a lariat, though he is also down. When they get up, it’s just more abuse from each guy. Shibata takes down Ishii but only gets a count of one! Ishii hits a lariat and also only gets one! They headbutt each other and both just fall out again. The fact that they’re still even able to do anything is nuts. They beat the count and Shibata locks in the sleeper. Ishii looks like he’s about to die in it. He survives that though and we get another series of kick outs at one before Ishii puts Shibata down with a Brainbuster.

Winner: Tomohiro Ishii (4) in 12:17
Holy shit. I said that more times than I could count while watching this. This is just a straight up fight in the best possible way. These are two of the very best at what they do and they work so well together. This had pretty much everything I could want in a match. It was stiff, there was a hot crowd, there was drama and it all just worked. I honestly don’t even have enough words to describe it. Watch it now. It is the best sub-fifteen minute match I have ever seen. *****

Block A
Hirooki Goto (4) vs. Lance Archer (4)
As usual with a Lance Archer match, the size advantage is played into. Goto fires away to start though it doesn’t have much impact. Things move outside, again as usual, where Archer just pounds away on Goto. Goto barely beats the count, entering the ring at nineteen. Archer stays in control for a bit until Goto ducks a shot and hits a big lariat, finally taking the big man down. Goto starts to do better and hits a backdrop suplex for two. Archer ends up hitting a sweeping reverse DDT for a near fall. They end up nailing each other with lariats with neither guy falling. Arches ducks one and hits a full nelson slam for two, growing frustrated that he can’t keep Goto down. Goto goes up top only for Archer to grab him for his finish. Goto slips free, hits a headbutt and spinning lariat before pulling him into a very odd pinning combination, earning the win.

Winner: Hirooki Goto (6) in 8:35
A come down after the previous match but that was to be expected. They did pretty well here, working the size game again. I’ve seen it from Archer often in the G1, but it works rather well so I get sticking to it. ***

Block B
Minoru Suzuki (2) vs. Tetsuya Naito (2)
Minoru Suzuki almost always works a smart match and it’s no different here. He immediately takes Naito to the mat, focusing on the arm, while also negating Naito’s high flying style. He slaps on the rope hung armbar, continuing the focused attack. Of course, there is some outside action where Suzuki kicks Naito’s leg into the guardrail. Minoru is a smart man. He’s simultaneously setting up for his armbar, while also making sure Naito can’t do his best work. He uses a figure four to further the damage. Naito starts a comeback and even puts Minoru in a submission of his own. Unlike his match on night three with Yuji Nagata, Naito is doing a pretty good job of selling the leg. Minoru continues to hone in on the knee, twisting and bending it in awkward ways. When he doesn’t have it in a hold, he’s kicking at it at every opening. Naito survives a sleeper and starts to rally. He does hit a missile dropkick but at least has the mind to limp after hitting it. He finally scores with the Stardust Press.

Winner: Tetsuya Naito (4) in 16:19
Probably the best performance from Naito so far in the tournament. Suzuki was his usual great self. The selling from Naito this time around helped add to it, making his desperate run at the end better. I do wish he found a different way to win instead of doing something that he needed his leg for. Still, a really good match. ***¾

Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) vs. Prince Devitt (4)
Prince Devitt comes out with a guitar, infringing on Jeff Jarrett’s gimmick. He nails Tanahashi with it during his entrance and then walks around posing with his jacket. Devitt and Fale work him over on the outside, giving us the classic G1 countout tease. Inside, Devitt hits a dropkick that rivals Okada’s. Most of Devitt’s other stuff isn’t too fascinating though. Tanahashi begins mounting his offense. They do the stupid spot where the heels stand there and patiently wait for the face to leap onto them. I literally see Fale and Devitt just calmly wait while Tanahashi does High Fly Flow onto them. Since it’s a Devitt match, we get a ref bump. Fale comes in and whacks Tanahashi with a chair. Captain New Japan runs in to try and make the save but fails. Fale not only levels Tanahashi but Devitt beats him up with a chair. He then hits a diving double stomp onto the chair onto Tanahashi, who just kicks out. Tanahashi gets up and goes into his stuff, coming incredibly close on a straightjacket German. He hits High Fly Flow but Fale is up and choking him before he can do a second. Captain New Japan is up and wails on him to no avail. However, it is distracting enough for Tanahashi to leap, but Devitt gets the knees up. Karl Anderson shows up while Fale has the official and nails Tanahashi with a Stun Gun. Devitt follows up with Bloody Sunday and that’s a wrap.

Winner: Prince Devitt (6) in 11:07
I’ll give the match props for having a ton of heat. The fans were totally into this and everything these guys did. However, like most Devitt and Bullet Club things, it was riddled with far too much overbooking and interference to make it great. ***½

Block A
Kazuchika Okada (2) vs. Togi Makabe (2)
Considering Devitt/Tanahashi and now this matchup, I feel like I’m watching Dominion 2013 all over again. Judging by their styles, you wouldn’t think these two would have great chemistry but they do. A feeling out process opens things with neither man gaining the upper hand. When the match moves outside, Okada takes control by ramming Makabe into the rail. Once back inside, Okada is confident because he’s in firm control. You can just see how smug he is by his face. Makabe slams him from the top rope and then snaps off a powerslam to stop Okada. Okada will not be denied though, withstanding a lariat and going back on the offensive. He hits the elbow and calls for the RAINMAKER! Makabe avoids it before hitting a lariat of his own. He scores a close call with a bridging German. Togi is rolling and hits a powerbomb for another near fall. He ends up hitting the Spider German but misses the King Kong Knee Drop. Once up, Okada strikes with that gorgeous dropkick to the back of the head. Makabe avoids a tombstone but runs into another dropkick. He still manages to block the Rainmaker and hits a DVD for two. In what had to be the closest near fall of the night and maybe even the whole tournament, Makabe ducks a Rainmaker and hits a dragon suplex for two. A lariat and King Kong Knee drop is enough to move Okada to 1-3.

Winner: Togi Makabe (4) in 13:55
Once again, the chemistry between these two just clicks in a way that it doesn’t for other guys. It took a bit to really get going but once it did, this ruled. Great drama, lots of close calls and very crisp work from both men. A great match added to an already great show. ****¼

Block B
Kota Ibushi (6) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (2)
This is a pretty big spot for Kota Ibushi. During the early feeling out process here, Nakamura is kind of toying with Ibushi. Like, he’s testing the waters but also showing him who’s in charge. He has Ibushi scouted, getting in the ring to avoid his trademark moonsault outside and kicking him off the top. Nakamura beats him up outside, complete with a running knee to the back of the head. Once back inside, Nakamura continues to mess with Ibushi, slapping him up. Ibushi isn’t scared though, firing back until Nakamura just destroys him with knee strikes. Ibushi comes back with a backflip kick. A standing shooting star press, followed by a second rope moonsault isn’t enough. With Nakamura outside, Ibushi decides to wow the fans with a corkscrew moonsault that is pretty breathtaking. Now they just move to the stiff stuff with a forearm exchange. Nakamura wins out so Ibushi goes to a combination of slaps and kicks, only for Nakamura to hit a knee and backstabber. This is turning into a war. Ibushi gets two after a dragon suplex and standing corkscrew moonsault. He scores on a vicious kick to the skull that seems to knock Nakamura out. A sitout Last Ride also isn’t enough. Nakamura gets his knees up on the Phoenix Splash and hits Boma Ye to the back to the head. He’s too hurt to pin but ends up stomping the fuck out of Ibushi in the corner. Like a man, Ibushi gets up and strikes the shit out of Shinsuke. After another near fall, Ibushi kicks away at Shinsuke’s head with some serious attitude. Nakamura kicks him away and hits a second rope knee. He nails another and then Boma Ye only for Ibushi to kick out at one! Another Boma Ye is the nail in the coffin, ending things.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (4) in 19:18
This was insane. Nakamura was a dick early on, putting Ibushi in his place. He hit some vicious shots that I thought would end Ibushi, but Ibushi fought back with a vengeance. He came out of this looking like a million bucks. The timing of Ibushi kicking out at one was masterful, bringing the electric crowd to their feet. I can’t say enough about this match. They would top it in the Tokyo Dome in 2015, but this was spectacular and easily the second best match of the tournament so far. ****¾

Overall: 9.5/10. A tremendous event from top to bottom. There is honestly nothing bad on the entire show. Even the opener, which is the worst part of the show, is decently fun. There are some truly incredible matches on this show. Makabe/Okada is great, while Nakamura/Ibushi and Ishii/Shibata are all-time classics. The crowd is molten throughout the evening and this is a must see event. One of, if not the best G1 Climax show I’ve ever watched.

A Block	Points	B Block	Points
Hirooki Goto	6 (3-1)	Kota Ibushi	6 (3-1)
Prince Devitt	6 (3-1)	Yujiro Takakashi	6 (3-1)
Togi Makabe	4 (2-2)	Karl Anderson	6 (3-1)
Davey Boy Smith Jr.	4 (2-2)	Tetsuya Naito	4 (2-2)
Satoshi Kojima	4 (2-2)	Shelton X Benjamin	4 (2-2)
Lance Archer	4 (2-2)	Yuji Nagata	4 (2-2)
Tomohiro Ishii	4 (2-2)	Shinsuke Nakamura	4 (2-2)
Katsuyori Shibata	4 (2-2)	Minoru Suzuki	2 (1-3)
Kazuchika Okada	2 (1-3)	Hiroyoshi Tenzan	2 (1-3)
Hiroshi Tanahashi	2 (1-3)	Toru Yano	2 (1-3)

Lucha Underground 6/8/16 Review

This comes a day late since I missed Lucha Underground to cover TakeOver: The End instead.

The show begins with Black Lotus entering Dario Cueto's office. She brings up Dragon Azteca Jr. knowing where Matanza is kept, which worries Dario. She warns him that if he lied to her about who killed her parents, he would have to answer to the Black Lotus tribe. He promises that he told the truth and announces the first match for Ultima Lucha Dos. Black Lotus vs. Dragon Azteca Jr. It's four weeks away by the way.

Killshot vs. Marty Martinez ended via double countout in 1:21
Marty Martinez creeped on Melissa Santos again, probably worse than usual. He had Killshot's dog tags still and called him out for another match. Killshot appeared behind him and the fight was on. They brawled outside and the referee gave them a chance to fight but it never reached the ring and they got counted out. NO RATING.

Their battle continued after the bell. After a big kick, Killshot reclaimed his dog tags but Marty got in and German suplexed him. He took back the dog tags and escaped while manically laughing.

We see Mr. Cisco in an interrogation room when Cortez Castro and Joey Ryan enter, as well as their boss, whatever her name is. He still feels betrayed by Castro. The boss lady wants him to wear a wire in her attempt to get Dario Cueto. She believes Dario is the linchpin to the "end of days". We never hear if he agrees to wear the wire.

Nunchucks Match: Aerostar and Drago def. Jack Evans and PJ Black in 7:53
This was set up back when these four were involved in a nunchuck battle in the bathroom. You read that right. There were nunchucks hanging around the Temple at random spots. The match was fought under tornado style rules. They did a lot of cool double team stuff early but once they went after the nunchucks, the match really got going. They hit each other with them and it was loud. Evans added in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reference for good measure too. The match went all around the Temple, including on Dario's office, before Drago pinned Evans with an interesting rollup. Really fun match as everyone brought it and it was a good time. ***1/2

A big six on six match is coming up. The winning team advances to a six person elimination match soon to determine Matanza's challenger at Ultima Lucha. Chavo Guerrero was going to be in the match but Pentagon Jr. showed up in his wheelchair. He said that Chavo always supported him and helped him, but he was there to destroy him now. Pentagon beat him up and broke his arm. Dario came out, with Black Lotus, and put Pentagon into the match to replace him.

Fenix, Ivelisse, King Cuerno, Johnny Mundo, Pentagon Jr. and Taya def.The Mack, Prince Puma, Rey Mysterio, Sexy Star, Son of Havoc and Texano Jr. in 12:52
We saw some new combinations, including Sexy Star and Taya, which was disappointing as it felt awkward. When Son of Havoc came in, Taya smacked Ivelisse, constituting a tag. They gave a small handshake and their exchange reminded you that they know each other well. Speaking of those fresh matchups, we got things like the Mack and Pentagon, as well as Cuerno and Mysterio. As the match progressed, we got high spots from everyone and it was glorious. Fenix, Puma and Son of Havoc had the highlights for sure. Rey was going to be the last one to dive, but Mundo tripped him up and tried his own, only to get dropkicked by Puma. Rey hit him with 619 and went to set up Puma for the 630. Mundo kicked him away right into Puma, crotching him. Mundo went up top and finally got a pin on Puma with a top rope Spanish Fly. Great main event that was a ton of fun. ***3/4

The final thing that we saw on the show was King Cuerno's cabin. Mil Muertes was still in the glass coffin but creepy ass Catrina was somehow there. She used to the stone to awaken him again. MIL MUERTES IS COMING BACK!

Overall: 8/10. Lucha Underground delivers again. Two really good matches, solid angle advancement and some forward movement for Ultima Lucha Dos. I can't ask for much more.

If you do want to check out Lucha Underground, which you absolutely should, and don't get El Rey Network (like me), you can sign up for the streaming service Fubo.TV. It's a great way to support the company and channel while streaming the show online. You can sign up and get Lucha Underground right here with Fubo.tv!

NXT TakeOver: The End Review

The opening video package focused on NXT’s history in Full Sail and the successes of former NXT stars, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Paige. It then turned the focus to Sami Zayn, Neville, Kevin Owens, Charlotte and Sasha Banks. It then showed a bunch of quick shots of everyone from NXT that has moved to the main roster. We then see the end of Bayley’s and Finn Balor’s title reigns. It now says “TakeOver: The End of the Beginning”.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Tye Dillinger

Tye is sporting a fancy new vest and the “10” stuff is super over. Almas comes out with a white hat and suspenders. There’s a giant feather in his hat as well. He removes the suspenders and pants to reveal some cool blue tights. “Let’s go Tye”/”Cien” dueling chants. They do quick mat work and Tye cartwheels away before doing the “10” stuff, which the fans eat up. Tye takes him to the mat and works the arm. A “He’s 100” chant beaks out. Almas drops down and leaps over Tye before Tye tries the same but Almas dropkicks him low. He snaps off a rana, sending Tye outside. He goes for a dive but Tye moves and Andrade does the Rocky Romero/TJP latch onto the ropes spot. Tom Phillips mentions Almas holding the IWGP IC Title in the past. Tye tries to back drop Almas over the top but he basically headstands on the turnbuckle to block it. Tye hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Almas tires a second rope moonsault but Tye rolls away, only for Almas to go right into a second moonsault instantly. He tries another headstand spot but Tye connects on a loud superkick for two. Tye drops the knee pad but Almas elbows out of the Tyebreaker. He hits an elbow in the corner but runs into one too. He then does a handspring double knee strike. He comes off the ropes and hits a lucha style bulldog. Cien hits big running knees in the corner for the win.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas in 5:21
A solid debut. Not as good as Kevin Owens’ but better than Apollo Crews’ to me. Tye is super under appreciated for the work he does for NXT, while also managing to be very over. The crowd being invested made this better. The finisher was weak though. ***

There is a Q&A with Triple H on Facebook after TakeOver.

NXT Tag Team Championship: American Alpha (c) vs. The Revival

These two tore it down in Dallas. Very pro Alpha crowd. Dawson begins with Gable, but a quick tag goes to Dash. Dash takes him to the mat with some arm work and pulls the hair to stay in control. Dawson is in and decides to just chop and beat up Gable. Gable fires back with his own shots. Gable snaps off a big arm drag and some headscissors before tagging Jordan who hits a huge dropkick. Dash runs in, Jordan ducks some shots and takes him out with a dropkick too. Dawson kicks out and rips at Jordan’s knee pad to get him in their corner. Everyone comes in and we have a standoff in the middle of the ring. They let loose and we get a slugfest. The Revival regroup outside and we almost get the stereo Germans spot from Dallas, but the Revival instead go for double back suplexes. American Alpha land on their feet and do stereo ankle locks, but the Revival escape to the outside. Tag to Gable as things calm down. Gable wears down Dash but we get a false tag spot that allows Dash to rake his eyes. Dawson legally comes in now but gets pulled into a backslide for two. Gable does another rollup for another near fall. Dawson connects on a vicious uppercut that sends Gable outside. With that, the Revival try to attack Jordan but he avoids them and allows Gable to come off the top with a cross body. Stereo dropkicks connect and they send the Revival packing before getting some barks from the crowd. Jordan does his best Rick Steiner around the ring. The Revival seemingly turn the tide on a cheap shot where they pulled out a variation of the Shatter Machine onto the top rope, like an assisted stun gun. Now the Revival are in their wheelhouse, clubbing away at Gable in their corner. “Save the Gable” chants as Dawson wears him down. Gable gets an opening and hits both opponents before rolling up Dawson for two. He nearly gets the hot tag but Dawson cuts him off and hits a big spinebuster for two. They continue to cut the ring in half on Gable until he’s up top and catches Dash in an armbar over the ropes. Again, behind the referee’s back, Dawson and Dash do an assisted leg drop off the second rope spot but Gable kicked out. I may have missed a nasty spill by Jordan. The announcers mentioned it but I looked down to correct a typo. My bad. Tag to Dash but Gable slips under both and tags Jordan. Double clothesline, big right hands and a dropkick. T Bone suplex, flapjack and THE STRAPS ARE DOWN! Running shoulder thrust in the corner and an exploder for two. Dawson drop toe holds Jordan into their second turnbuckle before they do a clothesline, sunset flip combo for a very close near fall. Now the Revival have Jordan in trouble and they’re loving it. Jordan tries a back slide and tags Gable. He flips Dawson over right into a German from Gable, for two. They look for the finish but Jordan gets pulled off the apron. Gable knocks Dash away and drops Dawson into the ankle lock. Dawson kicks him off into an uppercut from Dash. Dawson rolls him up with a handful of tights for another near fall. Now the Revival try a big powerbomb/clothesline off the top spot, but Gable catches Dawson with a huge belly to belly. Dash saves the pin and tries to roll up Gable but a blind tag was made to Jordan. He comes in with the shoulder thrust but they cut off Grand Amplitude by sending Gable outside. The Revival hit the Shatter Machine and regain the belts.

Winners and New NXT Tag Team Champions: The Revival in 15:51
Another excellent tag match between the teams. It was better from an in-ring perspective than the Dallas match, but was missing some of the magic that the crowd on that night had. Still, they possibly had my two favorite tag matches all year. Will need to rewatch it but for now, I’ll go ****

As American Alpha are left in the ring and the fans cheer, two large men run in and attack them. They throw Gable into Jordan and squash Jordan with two big splashes in the corner.They hit a side slam/running big boot combination on Gable before a big clothesline/leg sweep one on Jordan. Legendary manager Paul Ellering appears on the stage and is apparently their manager. Interesting.

As Asuka is shown working out, a loud “HEY WE WANT SOME BAYLEY” chant is heard.

Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Austin Aries is doing his best DDP as his ribs are taped up. Commentary says they have no clue why the ribs are taped since there was no injury reported. The crowd sings Nakamura’s theme during his entrance and as the match starts. VERY pro Nakamura crowd with only small Aries chants. They go into the feeling out process where Nakamura takes Aries down and they jockey for position.and neither man gains a real advantage. Nakamura creatively gets out of a wristlock and goes to one of his own. Aries gets out and they go to the mat. Nakamura him in a head scissors and Aries nearly hits the trademark dropkick but Nakamura dodges. He goes for a big kick but Aries dodges. Nakamura goes for the cocky rope break but Aries shoves him away before running into a knee. ARies dodges more feet offense, does an arm drag and a dropkick. Aries goes for Last Chancery but Nakamura escapes to the ropes. Aries dares him to come forward. Nakamura fights him with big knee strikes and drops one on Aries. Nakamura does the foot choke/shake spot in the corner.He tries it again but Aries catches the foot and delivers a shin breaker. His focus is now on the leg, looking to take away the kicks of Nakamura. Aries hangs it on the second rope and dropkicks it. Aries hits a diving elbow to the back off the second rope for two. Aries chooses to wear down Nakamura now. Aries comes off the top with an elbow for another near fall. He also hit the old Eddie Guerrero slingshot splash. More rest holds from Aries. Nakamura finally gets in a kick to kind of turn the tide. Time for some strikes and kicks by Nakamura, as if the leg work was never really done. He hits the running knee in the corner for a near fall. Aries comes back with shots but Nakamura stops the rolling elbow with a knee strike. Aries rolls him up for two and goes right into Last Chancery. He can’t fully apply it though. Nakamura ends up outside and Aries hits the head seeking missile. He rolls Nakamura inside for two. Nakamura just catches him in a triangle choke from out of nowhere! He lets go and hits some big knees before a front suplex. Nakamura calls for Kinshasa but Aries catches it and hits a shinbreaker right into a back suplex. Last Chancery is locked in but Nakamura refuses to tap out. He reaches the ropes with his feet to break it. Aries comes off the second rope with a rana. He hits the big running corner dropkick and goes up top. He misses the 450 and Nakamura looks to capitalize. Aries dodges him and hits an ear clap to mess with him. He pulls Nakamura onto the apron, where they trade blows. Aries catches a kick, but eats an enziguri. Nakamura seps back and charges but Aries gets him on his shoulders and scores with a death valley driver onto the apron! As Nakamura gets up, Aries tries another heat seeking missile but misses and crashes into the guardrail. Nakamura rolls him in and hits a knee off of the second rope. Reverse exploder and Kinshasa end it.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura in 17:03
Much slower than Zayn/Nakamura, though that was fine. It didn’t feel like the major Nakamura performance he gives and came off like something we’d see from him on a B show in NJPW. I thought Aries played his role perfectly, working a slow offense and throwing in subtle hints. ***1/2

NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax

Asuka gets grabbed early and goes after the leg of Nia Jax. She goes behind and Nia tries to throw her off. She takes big back swings but Asuka ducks. Nia dodges a spin kick. Neither girl is showing any fear. Pentagon Jr. would be proud. Headbutt from Nia sends Asuka back and then she viciously tosses her across the ring. Asuka gets up and fights away but is put in the corner and Nia hits some thrusts. Forearm across the face by Nia. Asuka manages to apply an octopus hold, but Nia breaks free, followed by a big backbreaker for two. Nia is the first person to reall yhav eAsuka in trouble as she just aggressively rubs the paint off of Asuka’s face. She works a bow and arrow type move but Asuka fights off with kicks and locks in a guillotine. Nia reverses into a suplex for a near fall. Asuka again slips from her grasp and applies a triangle. Again, she can’t fully apply it and Nia powerbombs her into the corner to break it. She then takes Asuka and bends her across the ring post. Nia lifts her and applies the DREADED bearhug. Asuka gets free and tries a pin, but Nia pulls her up. Asuka counters into a kneebar but again doesn’t have a full grip. Nia reaches the ropes before planting Asuka with a vicious spinebuster. She goes for a leg drop after running off of both ropes, like the People’s Elbow, but misses. Asuka hits a running knee and both are down. Nia actually gets up first and shouts “IM THE CHAMP” Asuka kicks her arm and tries a whip but it fails. Asuka goes to the second rope and hits a missile dropkick. Strike and hip attack get the champion a near fall. Asuka goes for a big kick to the head, but Nia catches it and powerbombs her. Asuka kicks out right into an armbar. Nia gets to her feet but Asuka hits two kicks to get Nia to her knees. Nia lets out a loud roar before Asuka hits two more big kicks and wins.

Winner and Still NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka in 9:10
That was heading towards being really good but ended rather abruptly. I loved that it felt like a real struggle for Asuka as she could just never fully lock in a submission. ***1/4

An interview from earlier today is shown. Andrea interviews William Regal and Bobby Roode walks by in the background. Regal stops the interview and enters the room that Roode went into.

NXT Championship Steel Cage Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Finn Balor

Finn’s paint is seemingly mostly black and white. Joe goes for some early strikes but Finn backs away from each. It’s a surprisingly slow start for two guys that hate each other. Joe tries to exit through the door early but Balor stops him. Finn gets in some shots that I missed fixing another typo. Chops and strikes from Joe n the corner. Balor gets his feet up on a charging Joe and comes off the ropes with a flying forearm. Running chops from Finn. Joe goes up top but Finn hits a leaping kick to take him down. Joe then viciously tosses him into the steel. He does it again on the other side. Enziguri from Joe in the corner. Joe delivers forearms and facewashes in the corner, finishing with the big running one. Finn fights back from his knees but Joe just launches him into the cage again. Joe tries to leave through the door but Finn stops him and hits an enziguri. Joe grabs him to prevent him from leaving. joe takes Finn down and goes to climb out but Finn grabs the leg and chops it. He goes up with him but Joe leaps up and kicks him in the back, sending both men to the mat. Joe gets stuck between the cage and ropes, opening the door for Finn to fire off chops. Finn hits a dropkick there as well and Joe is barely standing. Finn uses Joe’s back to climb up but Joe stops him again. Finn kicks him right in the face, but Joe falls on the ropes, causing Finn to get crotched. Finn runs right into the STJoe and Joe quickly tries the Muscle Buster. Finn counters into a rollup for two. Forearm exchange in the middle of the ring until Finn hits the Pele. They go back up an Finn hits a slingblade off the top! He covers for two. Joe avoids the corner dropkick and hits a senton. He hits the Muscle Buster for a near fall. Joe says that he’s going to end Finn and delivers some loud kicks. He tries a Razor’s Edge into the cage but Finn slips free and sends Joe into the cage twice. Slingblade connects as does the corner dropkick. Finn hits another and Joe is down. He goes up and nails Coup de Grace for two. Finn looks for 1916 but Joe fights out and applies the Coquina Clutch. Finn runs up the ropes to counter and nails a double stomp. Both men are down again. Finn looks to escape and kicks Joee off. He climbs the cage and reaches the top, but Joe stops him. He grabs Finn and destroys him with a second rope Muscle Buster to retain.

Winner and Still NXT Champion: Samoa Joe in 16:08
Another good but not great match between these two. At first glance I’d rank it between their other two matches. The escape rule kind of turned me off at times though it made for a cool finish. ***1/4

Overall: 7/10. 

NXT TakeOver: The End Predictions

One of, if not the easiest results to pick. Tye Dillinger has carved out a nice role as a guy that wins sometimes, but mostly loses to the top stars of NXT. He was there to take the debut loss to Apollo Crews and to take an early loss to Shinsuke Nakamura. Andrade Almas, formerly known as La Sombra, has been getting rave reviews for his work ethic and performances on live events. I suspect he'll be a big part of NXT once some of the roster clears out for the brand split. Almas wins his debut.

Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas

When considering dream matches and such for the past few years, this one never came to mind. I'm a big fan of both guys yet I never thought of it. This should be the best match on the card. There's a certain formula to Shinsuke Nakamura's big matches that works. It did against AJ Styles at Wrestle Kingdom, it did against Sami Zayn in Dallas and I assume it will here too. He's probably been itching for a legit match considering his last two months have been squash matches. If both guys are to stick around in NXT, I fully expect Aries to turn heel. NXT is in DIRE need new top heels and Aries fits the mold. He loses here, furthering the fans' decision to choose Nakamura over him and sending him over the edge.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

The more I think about their match in Dallas, the more I realize how great it was. It was actually the best tag match I've seen in WWE and probably anywhere period this year so far. While I don't believe they'll be able to recapture the magic of the Dallas crowd and things like that, this should still be a very worthy sequel. Both teams are among the best going anywhere, each with their own unique personalities, and I'm very much looking forward to this. The champs need to retain here though.

Winners: American Alpha

I'll admit this one is a bit of a tough situation. I can't see Asuka being built up this well since her debut only to lost the title in her first defense. However, considering the way Nia Jax has been built up twice, it would be strange for her to lose here. Last time, she destroyed Bayley only to tap out. I don't think she destroys Asuka. Instead, it's gonna be two women going at it in a bit of a war. I'm gonna say that NXT does the right thing and keeps the strap on Asuka. The only way I see a title change is if Asuka is main roster bound.

Winner: Asuka

I like Finn Balor. I like Samoa Joe. I'm tired of this feud though. Their match in London was solid at best, while the Dallas one nearly reached great potential but had a lot of stoppages for Joe's blood, which hurt it for me. This could possibly be the best of their series and the outcome should be obvious. Like the other champions, I think Samoa Joe has to retain. He lost twice to Balor on TakeOvers already and a third would kill him. It's about time Balor goes to the main roster and joins the Club angle.

Winner: Samoa Joe