WrestleMania XXVII
April 3rd, 2011 | Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia | Attendance: 71,617
Before the infamous CM Punk pipebomb, 2011 was a pretty odd year. It featured John Morrison, the Miz and R-Truth as main eventers which was different to say the least. Heading into WrestleMania, the Miz was the WWE Champion and a lot of people felt that he shouldn’t head into the show as the top champion. I was more than okay with this as he stole the show leading up to the event, being more entertaining than his opponent John Cena, and the Rock. Rock had just come back and was set for a program with the Rock, making Miz the unfortunate third wheel here. This WrestleMania usually gets bad reviews so let’s see how I feel about it.
Atlanta’s own Keri Hilson opens things with a rendition of America the Beautiful. Once she’s done, the Rock comes out as he’s the host of WrestleMania 27. This is typical Rock fare as he milks this time for all its worth. He makes fun of John Cena, has the crowd wrapped around his finger and gets the crowd pumped. I get it, but it took too long for my taste. Once he’s done, we go right into the yearly WrestleMania opening video package, which is almost always great. Commentary consists of Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Josh Matthews.
World Heavyweight Championship
Edge (c) w/ Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio w/ Ricardo Rodriguez and Brodus Clay
In a world with two World Titles, this was the first of two times one of them opened the show. Alberto Del Rio was fresh of winning the Royal Rumble and had a sweet entrance here. Coming into this, Edge has a kayfabe injured arm, which plays perfectly into Del Rio’s finisher. Edge wins an early exchange but Del Rio throws him into the guardrail shoulder first. I’ve said it before buy the best Del Rio matches involve arm targeting. Del Rio continues to work the arm until Edge gets an opening by dodging a move. Del Rio crashes outside hard, so Edge follows with a front flip dive outside. A rare high risk move for Edge, made all the more high risk knowing what came after this match. He goes up top but it doesn’t pay off as Del Rio arm drags him off. Edge goes old school with a spinning heel kick. Del Rio continues to have counters but when he tries the Cross Armbreaker, it’s Edge who has a counter ready with the Edge-o-Matic for two. Edge tries a rollup, but Del Rio manages to counter into the Armbreaker! Edge reaches the ropes to break it though. He goes up top again, but Del Rio knocks him off with a step up enziguri. Ricardo tries to cheat, leading to Christian and Brodus brawling. Brodus uses an assist from Del Rio to take out Christian. That does serve as a slight distraction to get Edge some momentum. He misses the Spear and Brodus pulls him arm into the post before Del Rio slaps on the Cross Armbreaker. Edge is able to turn it into a near fall, before applying the rarely seen Edgecator. Christian is up and he takes out Brodus with a tornado DDT. Del Rio breaks the submission but turns right into a Spear, allowing Edge to retain.
Winner and New World Heavyweight Champion: Edge in 11:10
When I originally saw this match, I didn’t remember it being this good. I really liked this though. The arm work was excellent and the use of outside parties was perfect. It wasn’t overdone and didn’t factor in too much. The drama was there with the Cross Armbreaker teases too. This would ultimately be Edge’s last match and he went out with a bang. ***½
Before Edge leaves, he stops to kick and elbow drop Alberto Del Rio’s sweet Rolls Royce. Christian brings out a pipe and tire iron, as they vandalize the car. Poor Del Rio watches in horror. He lost and had his car destroyed. Kind of a dick move guys.
Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
Every character that Cody Rhodes has had, he’s delivered in, but man “Undashing” Cody was money. For those who don’t know, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes needed “surgery” after a knee from Rey Mysterio and his knee brace, leading to the gimmick change. Rey is dressed like Captain America. He attacks before Cody can even take off his hoodie, snapping off a diving hurricanrana. Cody is able to disrobe following a forearm shot. As he had been doing in the buildup, Cody uses the mask as a weapon before hitting the Beautiful Disaster. Rhodes gets two on the Alabama Slam and we hear a smattering of “Let’s go Cody” chants. Rey’s comeback is thwarted by another headbutt. Cody shows off some strength with a sweet stalling second rope suplex. I know Rey is small, but that was still impressive. Rey counters Cross Rhodes by sending Cody outside. He follows with a baseball slide and sends Cody into the ring apron. He gets in some quick offense inside before trying to remove Cody’s mask. Cody busts out a wheelbarrow suplex for two. Rey tries the 619 but Cody catches his feet and slings him into the ropes for two. Cody removes Rey’s knee brace but he still hits a moonsault for two. Rey removes Cody’s mask and hits the 619. He leaps from the top but Cody gets the knees up, only to eat a kick for two. Rey applies Cody’s mask, hitting some diving headbutts. His splash only gets two though. Cody rolls outside, grabbing Rey’s knee brace and striking him with it as he tries to dive. Cody hits Cross Rhodes, wrapping this up.
Winner: Cody Rhodes in 11:59
I am pleasantly surprised that they got a good chunk of time. They had talked about stealing the show, which they didn’t do, but this was still very good. Both braces coming into play was smart and the finish made sense, while protecting both guys. Really solid match here. ***
Backstage, we see Snoop Dogg and Teddy Long. Snoop is looking for musical talent and Teddy lined some Superstars up to audition. First up is a rapping William Regal, stealing the show. The Great Khali and Beth Phoenix sing “Summer Loving” from Grease, Zack Ryder sings Rebecca Black’s “Friday” until Roddy Piper smashes a coconut on his head and then Yoshi Tatsu sings “We Will Rock You” while Chris Masters’ tits dance. Lastly, Hornswoggle comes up though he can’t even talk. Snoop and Teddy exit, leaving Hornswoggle to rap as the Bella Twins appear and dance randomly.
The Corre (Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson and Tag Team Champions Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel) vs. Big Show, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Santino Marella
Seriously, this is what Wade Barrett is reduced to after his fantastic 2010? Kofi Kingston is a last minute replacement for Vladimir Kozlov. I’m not upset. The faces get in their stuff quickly, though Ezekiel Jackson takes down Big Show impressively. This leads to everyone taking each other out in a finisher barrage. Kofi Kingston hits Trouble in Paradise on Wade Barrett before diving onto his other opponents. A Cobra/WMD combination on Heath Slater ends this.
Winners: Big Show, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Santino Marella in 1:33
That was just here to get guys on the card. Eight guys were involved and it got less than two minutes. That’s not a good thing. ½*
In the back, the Rock congratulates Eve Torres on becoming the Divas Champion. He says that when the next person turns the corner, he’ll create a WrestleMania moment with them. It turns out to be Mae Young who Rock calls a Divasaurus. She spanks Rock’s ass before leaving and we get a Rock/Steve Austin faceoff. They shake hands and show respect, which was rather cool.
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Considering CM Punk was kind of feuding with John Cena early in the year, this seemed thrown together. Kudos to them for putting in effort to try and give this a two plus year backstory. The fight goes outside, where Punk dropkicks the steel steps into Randy Orton’s injured leg. A lot of focus on injuries and body parts tonight. Orton is selling the leg well, as even when he gets in offense, he can’t do much after. Punk gets in some of his trademark stuff, while also targeting the knee. He calls for the GTS, but Orton elbows free only for Punk to kick him. Orton crotches Punk and hits a superplex, while still selling the knee. Punk goes 1997 Bret Hart with a variation of the ring post Figure Four, which is one of my favorite moves ever. He applies a submission that Orton breaks with some headbutts. He gets in the powerslam and Lou Thez, failing to sell until he’s done with the move. He even pulls out an Angle Slam for two. Punk does a dragon screw that looks fucking lethal. Anaconda Vise is applied but Orton makes it to the rope. He hits the rope hung DDT and begins to pound for the RKO. He changes his mind, wanting to Punt Punk, which is how he took out the rest of the New Nexus. However, his leg gives out and he collapses. Orton tries the RKO but it’s blocked. Punk’s facial expression for this is masterful as he realizes he’s in control. He makes the crucial mistake of springboarding in, as Orton is able to catch him with a brilliant RKO to win.
Winner: Randy Orton in 14:47
Another really strong match that often gets overlooked. The leg work was pretty stellar and Punk, for being a guy who was kind of checked out mentally, was on point. Some solid storytelling here. Also, we had no clue that CM Punk was about to set the wrestling world on fire. ***½
Backstage, we get a segment with the Rock, Mean Gene and Pee Wee Herman. I am not making this up. It’s actually kind of funny. This comes right before the 2011 Hall of Fame Class roundup. They all come to the stage to get recognized. This class consisted of Abdullah the Butcher, Sunny, the Road Warriors, Drew Carey, Bob Armstrong, Jim Duggan and headliner Shawn Michaels.
Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole w/ Jack Swagger
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is the special guest referee for this match. Booker T and Jim Ross join commentary. Michael Cole cuts a promo as he walks to the ring and it’s awful. His heel run wasn’t him being a good heel, it was him getting “GET OUT” heat. Cole wastes time in his little announcer box but Lawler beats his ass anyway. Jack Swagger gets in a cheap shot behind Austin’s back. Cole gets on offense for far too long and it’s dull as hell. He tries a Swagger Bomb but gets so scared that he goes to the bottom rope for it. Mimicking the King, Cole pulls one strap of his singlet down and applies the AnCOLE lock. Lawler gets free and stomps a mudhole in Cole so Swagger throws in the towel. Austin picks it up, wipes his head with it and throws it back. Swagger enters to argue and eats a Stunner. Lawler busts out a damn dropkick to my surprise. He has it won with a fist drop but pulls up Cole. This has gone on FAR too long. He applies an Ankle Lock and Cole taps instantly, but Austin takes forever to call for the bell. However, the Anonymous Raw General Manager chimes in to reverse the decision because Austin overstepped his authorities.
Winner via disqualification: Michael Cole in 13:46
How the hell did this get so much damn time? Michael Cole was on offense for too long, the match was terrible and probably the worst in WrestleMania history. The reversed decision made things even worse because it means we wasted a ton of time and still had to hear Cole spout nonsense for months. DUD.
Booker T gets in the ring to celebrate, busting out a SPINAROONIE! Austin shares a beer with him before taking him out with a Stunner. Then the GM makes the announcement, which pisses off the fans. Since Josh Matthews had to read the decision, he takes a Stunner too, leaving King and Lawler as commentary for the rest of the show. Well, at least there’s that.
Triple H vs. The Undertaker
Match two in their WrestleMania trilogy, though I’ve always liked their WrestleMania liked their Mania 17 match best. Triple H gets one of his best Mania entrances ever. They brawl right from the start, going outside. HHH tackles Undertaker though the “Cole Mine”, but he sits up quickly. Inside, Undertaker hits a clothesline and tries Old School but is launched from the top. The high impact stuff continues as they counter each other on the announce table, ending with Taker taking out HHH with a back body drop to the floor. Undertaker goes inside and nearly dies on his sick dive to the outside. Here he was at a point where he wasn’t able to fully do them. Taker charges at HHH, who catches him with a spinebuster through the announce table. Inside, Taker hits a chokeslam and they exchange counters until Taker hits snake eyes. HHH brings in a chair but eats a boot. Taker uses the chair but takes a Pedigree for two. HHH goes for ten punches in the corner but Taker counters into the Last Ride for two. Undertaker is pissed. He nails the Tombstone, but this is WrestleMania so that’s not enough. HHH comes back with a DDT on the steel chair and both men are down. There has been a ton of that in this match. They get up together and Trips hits a second Pedigree for two. He hits a THIRD PEDIGREE but again Undertaker kicks out. In a vicious showing, Triple H beats the hell out of the Undertaker with a steel chair, shouting for the Deadman to stay down. Undertaker slowly gets to his feet, only to take a chair to the skull, which was already outlawed by this point. You can bust it out when you’re these two though. HHH is pissed that he won’t stay down, so he does the throat cut signal and plants him with a Tombstone. That still somehow only gets two and the fans bite HARD on the near fall. Trips slowly backs away in shock and fear. Triple H gets the sledgehammer, but Undertaker catches him in the Hell’s Gates submission! Triple H fights hard, even grabbing the sledgehammer again before passing out.
Winner: The Undertaker in 29:23
Not the kind of match you’d see every day. It featured a fair amount of both guys being down but the storytelling here was spot on. They busted out some big spots, while Trips doing everything possible to finish Undertaker was great. The tombstone tease finish was phenomenal. I still prefer their match from ten years earlier and the Taker/Michaels series though. ****
To continue the storytelling and set up a third match between them next year, Undertaker has to be carted off, while Triple H walks away. Undertaker was pissed that he didn’t look like a winner and wanted redemption. Funny how he was hell bent on revenge for this but when he actually lost the Streak to Brock he was okay with it.
Dolph Ziggler and LayCool w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Snooki
I’ve always liked Dolph Ziggler, but man I was a huge LayCool mark at this time. A catfight breaks out before the bell even rings, so the boys separate them. Dolph yells at Snooki and gets slapped. LayCool argue about who is going to start, ending with us getting a short Trish/McCool exchange. I’d have liked a program between them. Trish does her Matrix move, but McCool has it scouted and stomps her. The Faith Breaker is countered into a facebuster. They fight up top and both crash to the floor, with McCool’s leg getting tangled up in an ugly way. Morrison takes out Dolph before Snooki gets the tag. She busts out a handspring elbow and cartwheel before a splash finishes this.
Winners: John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Snooki in 3:14
This was fine for what it was. The fans got a bit of a cool down, got to enjoy Trish and Snooki got to have a nice little moment. *¼
WWE Championship
The Miz (c) w/ Alex Riley vs. John Cena
The “Hate Me Now” Miz video package before the match is one of the best they’ve ever produced and that’s saying something. Their feeling out process sees John Cena utilize his power until Miz gets in a cheap shot to change things. Miz misses the Awesome clothesline and Cena gets two on the top rope Fameasser. Miz comes back and is in control for a bit until Cena goes into the FIVE MOVES OF DOOM! He pretty much whiffs on the Five Knuckle Shuffle though. Miz gets free of the Attitude Adjustment and nails a sweet snap DDT for two. After a turnbuckle is exposed, Cena locks in the STF. Miz is able to make the ropes and Riley sends Cena into the exposed buckle. Cena hits the AA but the referee was knocked down. Riley enters with his briefcase and waffles Cena. Miz covers but can only earn a near fall. Miz takes the briefcase and hits his boy by mistake. Cena nails the AA again but Miz shocks many by kicking out. He rolls outside and Cena charges him, taking both over the guardrail and into the crowd, resulting in a double countout. Miz’s head looked like it bounced on the concrete. The crowd rightfully destroys the double countout, until the Rock comes out. The GM tries to send a message but Rock is all “IT DOESN’T MATTER” and restarts the match. Cena tries the AA again, but eats a Rock Bottom, allowing the Miz to retain!
Winner and Still WWE Champion: The Miz in 15:21
A disappointing main event. While I liked Miz as champion, these two never really clicked, especially considering they were supposed to close the biggest show of the year. Regardless, it was literally only here to set up Rock/Cena “Twice in a Lifetime”. **
Of course, WrestleMania can’t end like that, so Rock beats up Miz too and stands tall over everyone.
Overall: 6/10; Average. I feel like this WrestleMania gets a bit more flak than it should. Granted, it’s not one of the best WrestleManias ever, but there have also been plenty worse. There are eight matches and I gave half of them three stars or more. The bad is really bad (Cole/Lawler and the eight man tag) and the mediocre is painfully mediocre (Miz/Cena and six person tag). However, I thought Cody/Rey, Del Rio/Edge, Punk/Orton and Taker/HHH were all good to really good. That makes this an acceptable show but disappointing overall for a Mania. I enjoyed the good more than I disliked the bad since, outside of Cole/Lawler, the bad didn’t overstay its welcome. According to my randomizer, the next “Random Network Review” is set to beMayhem 2000.
WWE Cruiserweight Classic
July 13th, 2016 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL
The highly anticipated debut of WWE's global cruiserweight tournament was finally upon us. Right off the bat, the presentation of the show was top notch. The opening video was like a video game and we also got a cool highlight video with Triple H's voiceover. Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo were on commentary and did a great job for the most part. This felt like a true competition. They broke down height, weight, strengths and weaknesses, while Corey Graves led us to see some really cool video packages and match graphics in the "bracket control room".
Gran Metalik def. Alejando Saez in 4:04
This was a good way to open things. Gran Metalik represented Mexico, while Alejandro Saez was there for Chile. Metalik is notable for his time as Mascara Dorada ove in NJPW. This was a short but fun spotfest and really got the crowd going. I have to commend commentary, for discussing the fact that Saez had to quickly drop 30 pounds to make the cut and how that could be a factor. Metalik got in some really good athletic moves, while Saez had a great apron shooting star press. Metalik won with Chris Sabin's Cradle Shock in a fast paced opener that was fun. I wouldn't mind seeing Saez get another shot down the line. ***
I love the little things they added. Before matches, competitors are told instructions by the referee and are told to shake hands. After the bell, the official holds both guys' arms before raising the one of the winner, similar to what UFC does.
Ho Ho Lun def. Ariya Daivari in 5:04
Since he was representing Iran, Daivari got the generic "evil foreigner" music. Ho Ho Lun represented China. Daivari pulled a 2002 Christopher Daniels and refused to shake hands. Lun is really smal and had to wrestle as the underdog, while Daivari was the bigger, more aggressive heel. For me, neither guy really impressed. Daivari seemed a bit more polished, but Lun feels like he has a higher ceiling. He got to make the babyface rally before winning with a bridging German suplex. Fine match but nowhere near as fun as the opener. **
Cedric Alexander def. Clement Petiot in 5:59
So far, Cedric Alexander was the most popular guy. Mostly due to his name on the indies, but being American probably helped. Clement Petiot was in for France. I loved Petiot's pre-match video as he said he does no flips or moonsaults. I like a cruiserweight that works grounded. Petiot played into the heel role, shaking hands but pulling Alexander close and talking shit. They worked a really solid match with multiple counters. Petiot nearly decapitated Cedric on a lariat but got taken out with the lumbar check. I'd definitely love to see more from Petiot but it was clear that Alexander was the star. I'm really glad he's getting a chance after ROH dropped the ball with him. ***
Kota Ibushi def. Sean Maluta in 9:40
Sean Maluta is from American Samoa and is part of the never-ending Samoan wrestling family. Stop me if you've heard that story before. Kota Ibushi reps Japan and I honestly believe that he's the best Japanese wrestler under the WWE umbrella. Yes, better than Shinsuke Nakamura. Anyway, these two started out slowly and built to something bigger. Ibushi sold a leaping Codebreaker like death. Maluta also nearly killed himself on an insane somersault dive outside. Kudos to him for also coming close on a big superkick. The story was Ibushi though. He showed that, despite being a cruiserweight, he hits very hard. He got in an impressive pele kick and won with a sitout version of the Last Ride powerbomb. Best match of the night. Maluta looked good, Ibushi was what you expected and this now sets up our first second round match as Ibushi will go one on one with Alexander. ***1/4
Overall: 8/10. If I was rating this just on a presentation and coolness factor, this easily gets a perfect score. WWE presents itself as entertainment before wrestling and I understand that. This didn't feel like that. They know who this is catered towards and it was presented as a wrestling competition, which was so refreshing. Outside of the second match, all three were good and moved at a quick pace. They showcased some strong competitors and I cannot wait for more.
Part two of the huge Ultima Lucha season finale!
Gift of the Gods Championship: Sexy Star def. Daga, Killshot, Mariposa, Marty Martinez, Night Claw and Siniestro de la Muerte in 26:08
Unlike last year, this is elimination. Night Claw is the only guy to get an entrance, as he is making his debut. The interpersonal rivals are an early focal point as Sexy Star and Mariposa go at it while Killshot and Martinez fight outside. As you would expect, this had a ton of fast paced action and so much going on. Night Claw eliminated Siniestro at 2:55, which was surprising. Kobra Moon watched her boo Daga from the rafters. Daga got a big match after the break as did Sexy Star and Marty on dives. Marty is pretty agile for his size. Daga and Marty had great back and forth at one point. Night Claw got another elimination, sending Daga home at 10:55. He also climbed atop Dario's office and hit a goddamn moonsault off of it onto everyone else! By the way, I believe Night Claw is the legit brother of Fenix and Pentagon Jr. Killshot took out Mariposa with a DVD on the apron before hitting an impressive cutter on Marty. Night Claw missed a phoenix splash so Killshot eliminated him with a storm cradle driver at 14:33. Sexy and Killshot teamed up against the butterfly siblings. Marty and Mariposa took out Sexy before Mariposa ended Killshot with the vertebreaker at 16:41. Down 2 on 1, Sexy was in trouble. There is a storm here so I lost connection to my Fubo.tv app for a while. I missed Mariposa's elimination but it came back on in time to see Sexy Star make Marty tap out to an armbar and win. Really fun match and a great bookend to the Sexy/Marty angle that began last year. ***3/4
We got some angle advancement where Joey Ryan and Cortez Castro are setting up Mr. Cisco with a wire. He's got to get info on Dario Cueto to clear himself of all charges.
Death Match: Mil Muertes w/ Catrina def. King Cuerno in 13:48
Like any good rivalry like this, these two just came out of the gates fighting. This was just a war exactly how it needed to be. They brought chairs into play and went to battled in the crowd. Hell, they even fought up where the band always plays and beat each other up with instruments. Things moved back to the ring but not for long. They climbed the stairs, where Cuerno put Muertes' head through the window. Mil no sold it and did it back to him. I love how, two seasons in, they still find new, innovative ways to do things around the Temple. Cuerno made the mistake of going after Catrina, leading to a powerbomb through a table. Mil really seemed pissed, so he did a second and then a third! Not done, Muertes leveled Cuerno with a crowbar and then used a sick looking tombstone to win. Muertes was awesome throughout all of season two and this was another good performance. They didn't quite reach the levels of Muertes/Fenix but this was a lot of fun and really well done. ***1/2
Matt Striker spoke about Pentagon Jr. beating Vampiro in Cero Miedo last week. He mentioned that Vampiro has distanced himself from being Pnetagon's master at times. Vamp poured out all of his pills into the garbage and said it was time to go get his student ready for next week before walking off.
Dario Cueto was shown in his office when Mr. Cisco came in. He wanted in on whatever it is that the boss was doing. Dario was suspicious and quickly figured out that he was wearing a wire. Dario took the wire and shouted into it that the cops could come get him if they wanted. Ryan and Castro were shown listening. Dario broke the microphone before saying that the cops are gonna want him for murder and then proceeds to MURDER MR. CISCO WITH A THE BULL STATUS THAT MATANZA KILLED THEIR MOM WITH! I fucking love Dario. He got on the phone afterwards and all we heard was "it's time."
Overall: 8/10. Neither match tonight was MOTY level, though I really enjoyed the entire program. The Gift of the Gods match took up a big chunk of the time, moved along quickly and was a very fun match. The main event was strong and then the Dario angle was great. Add in Vampiro being great as the show closed was also a highlight.
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.
G1 Climax 25 Nights Five and Six
Night Five (Block A)
July 26th, 2015 | Hiroshima, Japan | Attendance: 3,360
Night Six (Block B)
July 28th, 2015 | Oita, Japan | Attendance: 1,580
Things get a bit shaken up heading into this set of shows. Shinsuke Nakamura, a heavy favorite to win the whole thing, injured his elbow and would be forced to forfeit his night six match against Michael Elgin. His status for the rest of the G1 Climax was up in the air.
Block A
Bad Luck Fale (2) vs. Doc Gallows (0)
These two guys also met in the G1 Climax 24 and it was a similar match. Honestly, that’s kind of what you have to expect from Fale and Gallows. You get a plodding brawl because that’s what they’re good at. This was never going to be Tanahashi vs. Ibushi or Nakamura vs. Okada. They fought in the crowd, did the trademark big man spot of trying to out-clothesline the other and not much athleticism. I liked their match from a year before better, though I guess that isn’t saying much. Fale won with a shitty grenade, most likely because Gallows taking the Bad Luck Fall could have had issues.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale (4) in 8:43
This was about what you’d expect from Fale and Gallows. A plodding hoss battle between two big fellas. Though just because it’s what I figured I’d see, doesn’t make it any good. *½
Block B
Yujiro Takahashi (0) vs. Yuji Nagata (2)
Anybody that has seen enough Yujiro Takahashi matches knows that he works best in small doses. Not because he’s much better in that setting but because he’s plain awful when his matches go long. Unfortunately, this one passed the ten minute mark. It felt like it went for about 25. It just dragged as neither guy seemed to bring their best. Like most Takahashi matches, it was just there. I like Nagata but this was about as bad as the previous match. Takahashi got his first win via Miami Shine.
Winner: Yujiro Takahashi (2) in 12:02
Watching lengthy Takahashi matches is the worst. Like getting a root canal bad. He brings it all down. This sucked ass. *½
Block A
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) vs. Toru Yano (0)
This was the third G1 Climax meeting between the two in three years. The first two weren’t anything special and I came in expecting more of the same. I came away pleasantly surprised. Yano had some different tricks, including taping Tenzan to the guardrail outside to try and steal a countout victory. After some back and forth, we got a very scary moment. Tenzan connected on a headbutt off the top, instantly busting Yano open. I mean, the blood was everywhere immediately. The true trooper that he is, Yano kept going and won after a low blow and backslide.
Winner: Toru Yano (2) in 6:38
The best match I’ve seen between these two. They didn’t do anything crazy, but it was fun for the most part. It’ll be memorable for the blood and I’ll give it an extra ¼ for Yano being badass. **¾
Block B
Hirooki Goto (2) vs. Tomoaki Honma (0)
The Intercontinental Champion against the guy that never wins but manages to stay super over. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Honma was born for the G1. They worked this match at a great pace and delivered some great hard hitting stuff. Honma relentlessly went for Kokeshi and the crowd bit on it every single time. It’s great because the fans knew Honma won’t win but they believed hard as the match progressed. He countered Shouten Kai into a small package and I actually thought he had it and I knew the result going in. That tells you something about underdog Honma’s ability. Despite the valiant effort, as always, Goto put him down with Shouten Kai. Honma sold the loss like it killed him.
Winner: Hirooki Goto (4) in 12:20
Tomoaki Honma does it again. The guy just clicks in this setting. He and Goto had a really strong, hard hitting battle that worked the crowd into a frenzy. This was just shy of being great and easily the best thing on the two nights up to this point. ***¾
Block A
Katsuyori Shibata (2) vs. Togi Makabe (2)
Two of the toughest, hardest hitting dudes in all of New Japan. They came out of the gates charging and Makabe laid out Shibata with a big lariat. That set the tone for the kind of match it would be. Both guys played to their strengths and waged war for the duration of the match. There were some cool close calls, like Makabe getting a near fall on a powerbomb. They exchanged forearm shots and did the “kick out at one” tough man thing that is a staple of Shibata matches against other badass dudes. It works in these situations because it is just two guys trying to prove who is tougher. Shibata won this won after the sleeper hold/penalty kick combination.
Winner: Katsuyori Shibata (4) in 9:35
If I asked you to tell me what you’d expect from a ten minute Shibata/Makabe match, this would be it. That’s not a bad thing at all. It’s what you want, need and get from them. This was a tidy ten minute battle and another strong outing from Shibata. ***¾
Block B
Karl Anderson (4) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (4)
Two guys that have started this tournament 2-0 collided here. Both guys game out of the blocks firing, looking to have a great match. I have to admit, Anderson, who I usually like, seemed to be coasting through the first two nights. He’s had two solid matches but they weren’t anything special. He picked up the pace here, trying to match Ishii’s intensity. Having to make up for the lost Elgin/Nakamura match, they were given a good chunk of time and did well with it. As Anderson talked smack, Ishii fired up and just took some heavy forearms like they were nothing. Anderson learned that Ishii is like a Samoan. He tried to headbutt him but it went very poorly. Ishii hit a headbutt of his own before scoring with the Brainbuster, remaining unbeaten.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii (6) in 16:31
Despite the slow start, this really picked up near the end. The final five or so minutes are pretty great. Ishii staying undefeated is certainly interesting. Best Anderson match of this G1 so far. ***½
Block A
AJ Styles (4) vs. Kota Ibushi (2)
Back in April, AJ Styles successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Kota Ibushi. This match ranked tenth in my “Top 100 Matches of 2015” list, putting it third among G1 Climax matches. There was so much to like about this. They played off of their previous match, countering each other early and often. Ibushi is a freak athlete and has the high flying skills that Styles used to possess. No longer in that stage of his career, Styles changed his game up and continued to show why he is among the smartest workers in wrestling. He did show that he still has it as he responded to an Ibushi backflip kick with his signature Pele. Styles survived some of Ibushi’s biggest offense. Knowing the damage it does, Ibushi did everything in his power to avoid the Styles Clash, which was the move that he lost to at Invasion Attack. After some incredible back and forth, Ibushi nailed the Phoenix Splash and won. He joined Tanahashi, Okada, Naito (and eventually Nakamura) as the only men to pin Styles in NJPW.
Winner: Kota Ibushi (4) in 19:10
The best match of the tournament up to this point. They played off of and bested their first encounter. Both guys worked very hard and this just had a big fight feel. Both guys are among the best in the world and showed why here. Unfortunately, we never got a rubber match between them. ****½
Block B
Kazuchika Okada (4) vs. Satoshi Kojima (2)
With no Nakamura/Elgin match, we’re already up to the B Block main event. Kojima is only behind Nagata as my favorite of the older generation of NJPW stars. The crowd loved him and were into him from the start. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm died down as the match wore on. They were actually mostly dead for the entire night. Kojima and Okada worked hard to get them invested. It was good at times but never reached great territory. Kojima nearly took off Okada’s head with a lariat before Okada made his big comeback that we’re all used to. They built towards a good finish that saw Kojima try for a lariat, only to get nailed with the Rainmaker.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada (6) in 18:22
This was good, just nowhere near great. The crowd’s lack of energy contributed to that for sure, but neither guy seemed to take it to the next level. Solid performances, though I wish we got more. The big main events so far, outside of night one, have failed to outperform some of the undercard stuff. This was another example. ***¼
Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) vs. Tetsuya Naito (2)
This match came in at #84 on my “Top 100 Matches of 2015” list. Two years prior, these two men faced off in the finals of the G1 Climax, which proved to be disappointing. This match wasn’t. Naito was fresh into his heel turn and just starting to turn on the persona. I feel like this was the match where he really solidified it. His mannerisms during the match were spot on. They brought a table into play, which was a nice change of pace since we don’t see much of that in the G1 Climax. Tanahashi continued to step his game up in the G1, but the real story was Naito. He really seemed rejuvenated in this role. Naito worked the neck throughout, setting up Destino, which earned him the victory.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (4) in 24:14
A fitting way to close things out with one of the better main events so far. There are certainly better matches in the tournament from a pure in-ring perspective, but there weren’t many others that solidified a character the way this one did for Naito. He rode that wave all the way to the Heavyweight Title less than a year later. ****
Overall: 7.5/10. After a very sluggish start for both nights, the shows combined to put on a very good series of matches. Block A was the better half again, with a really strong Shibata/Makabe match and two great main events. Ibushi/Styles was the best thing the tournament has delivered so far. The four B Block matches were pretty good. None of them were must see and only one was flat out bad.
| Block A | Points | Block B | Points |
| AJ Styles | 4 | Kazuchika Okada | 6 |
| Bad Luck Fale | 4 | Tomohiro Ishii | 6 |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 4 | Karl Anderson | 4 |
| Katsuyori Shibata | 4 | Hirooki Goto | 4 |
| Kota Ibushi | 4 | Michael Elgin | 2 |
| Tetsuya Naito | 4 | Satoshi Kojima | 2 |
| Togi Makabe | 2 | Shinsuke Nakamura | 2 |
| Toru Yano | 2 | Yujiro Takahashi | 2 |
| Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 2 | Yuji Nagata | 2 |
| Doc Gallows | 0 | Tomoaki Honma | 0 |
1) The Revival: The best match of the week was easily the 2 out of 3 falls NXT Tag Team Title main event. The Revival and American Alpha are two of the best tag teams in the world and they have showed why this year. After a really good match at TakeOver: Dallas, they bested it with an awesome one at TakeOver: The End, trading the titles. This week, they finished off their series with a tiebreaking two out of three falls match. The Revival won and remained the champions in what was the second best match of the trilogy. I love how, in a world where everyone is talking about wrestling evolving and getting with the times, two tag teams went out and had excellent matches by going 80's tag style.
2) Broken Matt Hardy: There was absolutely no reason for TNA's Final Deletion to entertain us the way it did. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy are two guys that are WAY past their primes and two guys that I'm not interested in seeing in high profile matches or returning to the WWE. However, what they did this week was all kinds of awesome. This storyline was so incredibly over the top and TNA did the right thing with it. They realized that for it to work, you had to go all the way. This was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen and I was massively entertained by every second. Matt's win wasn't even why I really put him here. His delivery on each line, facial expression and mannerism was spot on. Give me the Final Deletion over food fights and shit like the ROH Global Wars ending every day of the week.
3) Son of Havoc: Ultima Lucha Dos began this week and the first installment focused on Dario Cueto's "4 A Unique Opportunity" Tournament. While the best match of the evening saw Cage and the Mack in a Falls Count Anywhere rematch from the original Ultima Lucha, Son of Havoc was the star of the night. He beat and bloodied Texano in a Boyle Heights Bar Fight to advance to a finals against the Mack. The match with the Mack was short and disappointing but Havoc pulled out the win to win the tournament. It was a defining moment for a guy that lost a ton of singles matches early on before finding his place in Trios matches. Dario's opportunity was a choice between $250,000 or a Lucha Underground Title shot at Ultima Lucha Tres. Havoc picked the latter but then lost the opportunity when he lost to the debuting Dr. Wagner Jr. Still, it was a strong showing for Havoc.
4) American Alpha: I realize that they didn't win back the NXT Tag Team Titles but that's okay in this situation. They main evented NXT TV this week and once again took part in an awesome tag team match against the Revival. They deserve a ton of credit for participating in tag team excellence. These guys are incredibly good and, along with the Revival, are among my picks for the five best tag teams in wrestling (reDRagon is first if you wondered). Give me these 80's style tag matches any and every day of the week.
5) Zack Ryder: Won as part of the Raw main event before beating former World Champion Sheamus on Smackdown.
