CMLL/NJPW Fantastica Mania Night Seven Review

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2017 Night Seven
January 22nd, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

It’s the final night of the NJPW/CMLL joint series of events!

Barbaro Cavernario, Gedo and Jado def. Blue Panther Jr., Henare and Soberano Jr. in 7:45
Man, Jado just sucks. He did his shitty Shawn Michaels poses throughout this match and was never entertaining. Shit talking Gedo was around, so that helped. Henare took the heat for his guys, which was expected. When Soberano got the tag, the match finally got interesting. He’s been my favorite CMLL performer on this tour, along with Dragon Lee. It came down to Panther and Barbaro inside and Panther tapped out to a surfboard style submission. More dull stuff from Jado, fun antics from Gedo and great work by Soberano. **

Jushin Thunder Liger, Stuka Jr. and Tiger Mask IV def. Hechicero, Okumura and Raziel in 6:58
After some back and forth to start, Mima got involved again. She was quickly disposed of by Liger. Raziel went after Tiger Mask’s mask, so Liger went after his. That led to a train of guys trying to removing the mask of the guy in front of them. Tiger Mask and Raziel both had theirs come off, and they ending up swapping masks. In a funny moment, Liger thought his partner was Raziel and hit him with a backbreaker. Stuka continued to deliver his cool “I don’t give a fuck” dives outside. Tiger Mask won it with a tiger suplex. As decent as the opener, but I give it the slight edge for the funny mask swapping spot. **¼

BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi def. Dragon Lee and Titan in 9:04
This was the match I was most looking forward to today. Hell, possibly for the entire tour. I loved that instead of Los Ingobernables attacking before the bell, the babyfaces hit them with dives in a nice twist of fate. LIJ still took over and tried to remove Lee and Titan’s masks. There’s been a lot of that on these shows. There was only a bit of leg work on Titan today, so him still hitting his high spots was fine. He had some great interactions with BUSHI, while Takahashi and Lee did their expected awesomeness. Just as things truly got going, BUSHI used a low blow to score a backslide pin on Titan and win. About what I was hoping for, though it might have been better with a bit more time. Still, a fun tag match featuring four guys I enjoy. The hatred between Lee and Takahashi has been expertly handled on these shows. ***½

Dragon Lee and Hiromu Takahashi brawled and had to be separated after the bell. Takahashi stole his mask to gain the upper hand.

Ephesto, Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay def. Juice Robinson, Maximo Sexy and Ryusuke Taguchi in 8:17
Pharaoh Taguchi was back. Okada came out dressed as King from Tekken, complete with Tekken clips in his tron. It’s the most I’ve ever liked him. Ospreay and Juice started things before Sexy came in to have some fun. Sexy attempted to kiss Will but got Juice instead. Taguchi and Okada had fun as well. Sexy got a thrill when his three opponents took turn slapping his ass. He tried to kiss Will again only to get kicked. Sexy finally got him, leading to Juice kissing him again. Taguchi picked up a few near falls on Okada before falling to the Rainmaker. Good old fashioned fun. A match that wasn’t meant to be taken seriously and is enjoyable if you look at it that way. Plus, Okada as King is dope. **¾

Despite the loss, Maximo Sexy kissed a commentator and Okada after the match.

Los Ingobernables (EVIL, Rush, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito) def. Atlantis, David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA in 9:58
Tanahashi again had his half mask on (or paint, I couldn’t tell), while KUSHIDA entered in a mask of his own. As usual, an NJPW heel stable attacked before the bell. We got the standard brawl around the ring involving everyone before KUSHIDA got left alone with Naito inside. He took the heat and had work done on his shoulder throughout. Rush went after Atlantis’ mask. It’s officially overused on this tour. Tanahashi got the hot tag and did his thing before the match broke down. Nearly everyone got involved in the closing stretch, with KUSHIDA taking out SANADA and EVIL with a plancha. In the end, Finlay got left alone with EVIL and Naito, who hit a double team press slam that got the 1-2-3. Another strong effort from a multi-team match. Lots of action here and almost no dead spots. ***¼

After the match, Naito and Rush worked together to try and destroy KUSHIDA’s arm.

Mistico def. Euforia in 11:22
There was a quick opening exchange that ended with Mistico hitting an Asai moonsault. Euforia came back with a buckle bomb inside before Mistico got in a great springboard SSP. It’s as if he was making up for the tag match where he was mostly grounded yesterday. They continued to do a good job in the power against flight battle. Mistico climbed into the stands and jumped over a few rows to deliver a great flying head scissors. He added another by coming off the top rope and snapping it off outside. Mistico was on his game here. Both guys picked up near falls down the stretch. Euforia missed a big swanton, which allowed Mistico to slap on mistica and make him tap. They did a strong job of playing off previous matches on the tour. Mistico was on fire and the crowd was invested in everything done.***½

Volador Jr. def. Ultimo Guerrero in 15:50
These two had awesome exchanges in the tag match yesterday. On the past few shows, Guerrero has attacked Volador with his leather jacket, so Volador does it back to him here for revenge. Guerrero tossed Volador around outside for a while, but Volador came back with a rana. His next high risk attempt ended badly when Guerrero caught him with a powerbomb on the floor. I appreciate angry old man Guerrero. He hit a dive of his own, just to show he can. Volador knocked him outside and followed with a diving rana. The intensity picked up when the match moved back inside. Volador used several big ranas, while the Guerrero special wore him down. Volador captured the victory with a top rope Spanish Fly. They saved the best for last because that was the best match of the tour. They seemed to go all out, had some great spots and played off their previous matches on the tour. ***¾

Overall; 7.5/10. The best of the three shows that aired on NJPW World. Several matches came in at over three stars and the ones under were mostly enjoyable. Okada as King was awesome, as was the tag between BUSHI/Takahashi and Lee/Titan. The final two matches were a fitting end considering how they were built up. A strong end to a fun series of shows.

CMLL/NJPW Fantastica Mania 2017 Night Six Review

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2017 Night Six
January 21st, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

So I made a mistake yesterday and listed my review as “night one.” It was the first night posted on NJPW World, but actually the fifth Fantastica Mania show of the year. I’ve fixed that for this show.

Ephesto, Gedo, Jado and Raziel def. Blue Panther Jr., Henare, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask IV in 6:49
I am just not a fan of Jado. I just wanted to throw that out there. The heels attempted to be sneaky at the start but Tiger Mask went on a hip tossing barrage. He seriously hit all opponents, teammates and the referee with one. It might have been the most fun I’ve ever had watching him work. The heels took over for a while, working heat on Henare. Liger got the hot tag and did his thing. Panther got the tag but didn’t do too hot and got rolled up by Ephesto to lose. Decent enough multi-man tag opener, but nothing special at all. **

Stuka Jr. def. Okumura in 7:55
These two met in a tag match yesterday and it wasn’t bad at all. They went right after one another aggressively before Stuka nailed two suicide dives. Okumura DID THE DEAL but only got a near fall and Stuka came back with more high flying offense. He moves rather well for his size. He looked to take to the skies as often as possible. A woman, who I found is known as Mima, ran in but got suplexed and splashed by Stuka. She also took an accidental senton from Okumura and Stuka splashed them both off the top for the win. More fun than I expected. I even enjoyed the Mima run-in since it was something different. **¾

Barbaro Cavernario, Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay def. KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi and Soberano Jr. in 9:42
Interesting that, as far as I can tell, everyone here is a babyface. KUSHIDA and Taguchi were dressed in ridiculous entrance attire, which I like since you can see how much fun these guys have on these shows. KUSHIDA had a giant watch on his head. Okada and Ospreay brought their belts with them today. Ospreay and Soberano got off to a quick start and showed their athleticism. Okada and Taguchi had fun together, with Okada being confused at his antics. Okada removing Taguchi’s pharaoh mask got a good pop. Barbaro didn’t do much since he banged up his shoulder yesterday. The amusing stuff continued, followed by high spots. We got some interaction between Okada and Soberano, which was appreciated. Barbaro won it by making Soberano submit. Exactly the kind of fun match I expect when watching a show like this. Nobody took it seriously, it’s the perfect environment for Taguchi, Okada looked to have a good time and I was impressed by Soberano again. Put him in the BOTSJ this year please. ***¼

Los Ingobernables (BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito) def. David Finlay, Dragon Lee, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson and Titan in 8:57
Instead of making his typical entrance, Naito snuck around and attacked Milano Collection AT on commentary. The heels attacked before the bell and it led to a big brawl. I enjoyed the back and forth between Lee and Takahashi, as well as the short stint between Naito and Tanahashi. They’re no strangers to each other and the chemistry between Takahashi and Lee wowed again. It was cool to see Finlay and SANADA, two personal favorites in NJPW, mix it up. We don’t get that often. We got the typical NJPW tag frantic finish, ending when EVIL hit Finlay with a chair, leading to him tapping to SANADA’s dragon sleeper. Probably my favorite match on this tour so far. Nonstop action with fun interactions and great previews for upcoming matches. ***½

Euforia and Ultimo Guerrero def. Mistico and Volador Jr. in 13:39
An interesting thing to note is the entire second half of this show is all CMLL guys. Euforia and Guerrero were quick to attack (a theme on this show) and they brawled outside. Some of the shots delivered were intense. I assumed Euforia and Guerrero were the heels judging by their attack and the crowd loving Volador. The heels took time to taunt while on offense. The match went along at a decent clip until we got, arguably, the spot of the tour. Volador launched Mistico over the ring post and he connected on a smooth rana, leading to the babyface comeback. The final stretch saw the heels continue to try and use their power advantage, but see it slowly slipping away. Guerrero countered a super rana into a powerbomb, but Volador’s second attempt at it worked for a near fall. Flippy Mistico offense failed when Euforia caught him and slammed him face first into a table by the entrance. Guerrero hit a reverse superplex to get the 1-2-3. Right on par, if not slightly better than the previous match. The powerful heels trying to murder the flippy guys was great. They told a good story and set up some singles matches for tomorrow. ***½

Rush def. Atlantis in 10:46
Rush came out with Atlantis’ mask on his hand, since he ripped it off yesterday. Rush attacked before the bell and why not, everyone else did it. He beat the hell out of Atlantis outside. Rush nailed the heel mannerisms like mocking Atlantis throughout and ripping at the mask again. Atlantis rallied with a suicide dive and they traded chair shots a bit. Atlantis ended up busted open under his mask. He hit a rana and more chair shots but ran into a trio of backbreakers. He slapped on a torture rack until the rest of Los Ingobernables ran in. That allowed Rush to hit the Rush Driver and win. Solid little match but I’m surprised Rush needed help to beat Atlantis. I know heels cheating is standard but I think a clean win would have been better. **½

CMLL Heavyweight Championship: Maximo Sexy (c) def. Hechicero in 15:59
Their interactions in yesterday’s tag were pretty good. There was some early stalling, involving some wacky Maximo antics. They fought outside for a bit, then Hechicero nailed a slingshot senton back inside. Each time it looked like Sexy would get going, Hechicero had an answer. I liked that he continually went for covers because it showed how much he wanted to win the title. It’s a little thing, but it added a fair amount for me. He got a close near fall on a muscle buster before Maximo fired up. They traded some shots before Maximo accidentally kissed the referee. To be fair, he was going after Hechicero. The referee’s sell job led to him missing a Hechicero pin. They fought to the top, where Maximo scored with a rana to retain. Like yesterday’s main event, I found this good but nowhere near great. The crowd was into it but it missed something. There was no drama down the stretch and I never believed the title would change hands. **¾

Overall: 6.5/10. Very similar to night five. The two main events were underwhelming, but there was a fair amount to like here. The tag match involving Okada was good fun, the Los Ingobernables tag was better and the Volador & Mistico vs. Guerrero & Euforia one was my favorite of the shows so far. The shows fly by and are rather enjoyable, which is all I can ask for.

CMLL/NJPW Fantastica Mania Night Five Review

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2017 Night One
January 20th, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

These joint NJPW/CMLL shows were events I skipped (outside of one match) last year. I’m doing my best to watch even more wrestling in 2017, so I’m going to try and review all three nights. I’d like to give a fair warning that I’m not too familiar with CMLL and only know of a few guys, so I’m going in blind on many.

Blue Panther Jr. and Henare def. Ephesto and Will Ospreay in 6:36
I’m unfamiliar with the two CMLL guys here, but obviously know about Will Ospreay and Henare is one of the young lions. The CMLL guys worked quickly to start and when it became Ospreay against Henare, Ospreay showed him up. He went all TJ Perkins and stopped to dab. That angered Henare but he wasn’t able to do much about it. Ephesto and Panther had some more fun together. Ospreay yelling “OH MY GOD”, “WHAT THE HELL?” and “JESUS” at Panther’s power was rather amusing. Henare finally got going with some power and the Boston crab before Ospreay nailed a sweet dive outside. With them outside, Panther pulled Ephesto into a unique submission to win. I found this to be a fun opener with everyone out to have a good time. Nothing too serious and that’s a good thing. [**½]

Jushin Thunder Liger, Soberano Jr. and Tiger Mask IV def. Gedo, Jado and Raziel in 6:40
Again, the only guys I don’t know here are the CMLL folk. We were treated to my favorite kind of Gedo here. The one who shouts English curse words in his matches. It’s always fun. The CMLL guys mostly mixed it up with each other, while the veteran NJPW juniors worked one another. This Tiger Mask continues to be bland as was Jado, but Liger and Gedo did well. I wasn’t too impressed with Raziel but Soberano Jr. was cool. He won with a sweet sequence where he tripped Raziel into a seated position on the ropes and hit a springboard moonsault. Decent fun from most guys involved. [**]

Hechicero and Okumura def. Maxino Sexy and Stuka Jr. in 6:34
Whoa, an all CMLL match. I’m intrigued. Sexy seemed out to have a good time but got dropkicked almost instantly. It broke down quickly and his team hit stereo suicide dives. They kept moving at the typical frantic lucha pace. Stuka wowed me with a ballsy dive outside before Sexy walked the top rope for a splash leading to a near fall. Despite his size, Sexy snapped off a nice diving rana and headbutt through the middle rope. Okumura was left alone with Stuka and bested him with a reverse DDT. The stuff they did was fine, I just couldn’t quite connect with it and that was probably because I didn’t know much about the guys involved. I would like to see more though. [**¼]

There was a post-match promo and beat down to build the two singles matches (Hechicero vs. Sexy and Okumura vs. Stuka) tomorrow.

Los Ingobernables (BUSHI, EVIL, Rush, SANADA and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito) def. Atlantis, David Finlay, NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA and NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion Ryusuke Taguchi in 10:35
This was apparently a memorial match for former wrestler Black Cat. The babyface team paid respect to him as his wife was in the ring holding a photo of him. A bonus here because I am familiar with all ten participants, even the CMLL guys. Rush started things by beating up Atlantis. Taguchi was in a ridiculous pharaoh mask, which was only fitting since he’s Taguchi. Naito got done with Taguchi’s comedy shit quickly, leading to a big brawl involving everyone. BUSHI and Naito worked some awesome tandem offense on KUSHIDA a bit. KUSHIDA got the hot tag to Tanahashi, who did his thing before Atlantis tagged back in. Finlay showed great fire against the larger EVIL and I was all for that. Finlay has loads of potential. He fought hard but fell to EVIL’s STO. Best thing on the show so far. Everyone worked hard and Los Ingobernables continue to deliver in these settings. [***¼]

They continued the beat down after the bell, including Rush ripping off Atlantis’ mask, setting the stage for their singles match on this tour.

Euforia, IWGH Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and Ultimo Guerrero def. Juice Robinson, Mistico and Volador Jr. in 13:21
Juice is on the road to a NEVER Openweight Title match against Okada’s stablemate, Hirooki Goto. Okada looked like he was having the time of his life out there. Volador and Guerrero kicked things off and since both guys wear masks but have been unmasked for years, they dramatically remove each other’s masks. It’s rather funny and gets more comical when they put back on the wrong masks. Mistico and Euforia traded stuff but the real treat was Okada and Juice. I’m not an Okada fan, but there’s something joyous about watching him work this style so happily. Okada and friends worked well together but had a miscommunication that turned things around. Juice, Mistico and Volador all nailed planchas at the same time. I sweat Guerrero nearly killed Volador with a powerbomb outside. Euforia then made Mistico submit for the win. Another enjoyable match that was about as good as the previous match. Wacky Okada is more likable than normal Okada. [***¼]

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi def. Titan in 14:55
Titan was impressive in the Jr. Tag Tournament last year. We got a fast paced opening between the two, with Titan showing off his athleticism and flying ability. To combat that, Takahashi went after the knee. His work on it was focused and vicious. He also talked a fair amount of trash while doing it. I like this side of Takahashi. The heel in him attempted to remove Titan’s mask to loud boos. Titan shook off the leg work like nothing happened and connected on some aerial offense. Titan would limp a bit but then forgo it for his offense. He came close on a few occasions before a weak series of strikes. The final few minutes were strong with a sick looking rana and wheelbarrow driver off the middle rope. Takahashi hit a running corner DVD and time bomb to win. I wanted to like this more. Takahashi brought something good but I don’t see the point in doing early leg work just to forget it. Either have a match without that or have it matter. [***]

CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) def. Barbaro Cavernario in 20:21
I’ve seen Dragon Lee some and heard about Cavernario. He is a wild looking caveman luchador, so that stands out. Following a standard opening sequence, Lee snapped off a rana and hit a tope suicida that looked fantastic. Cavernario retaliated with a powerbomb on the apron and a nice corner Razor’s Edge. He also nailed a splash to the outside. I like that he isn’t just a wild man in looks, but in style too. Lee busted out the tree of Joey Lawrence double stomp spot that Del Rio used for a while when he returned to the WWE. He nailed it again in the closing stretch before both guys got near falls on suplex variation (Lee) and reverse rana (Barbaro). After trading chops, Lee retained with a cradle back suplex. Another match that I wanted to like more. I think they knew they had to go twenty, so they seemed to work at a deliberately slow pace that didn’t suit them. It got sloppier down the stretch and felt repetitive at times. Still, like the previous match, it was good though it never got near a great level. [***]

After the bell, Hiromu Takahashi ran out to attack Dragon Lee but got sent packing, helping to build their upcoming title match.

Overall: 6/10. A mostly enjoyable show but it lacked things. I thought the undercard performed at a level I expected. Some solid fun from the early multi-man tags before the ones involving Los Ingobernables and Kazuchika Okada delivered the best matches on the card. The two main events were good but disappointed me overall. If they were better, the show would have ranked higher. Either way, the card produced a fun event that’s not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Top 135 Matches of 2016: #35-26

35. NEVER Openweight Championship: Yuji Nagata (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata – NJPW Dominion 6/19/16

Shortly after Katsuyori Shibata won the NEVER Openweight Title, he embarked on a war with the old guard of New Japan. In the previous three years, Shibata lost to legends Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata and Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the G1 Climax. In 2016, Shibata put Kojima down on a Road to Invasion Attack show before beating Tenzan at Invasion Attack. He disrespectfully kicked Nagata, setting up a title match at Wrestling Dontaku. Nagata shocked the world when he beat Shibata and took the title. This was Shibata’s rematch and the buildup saw the two just go to war. Yuji brought the rest of the New Japan Dads with him to the ring. Shibata went after the arm early and often, but once this got past the early mat stages, this kicked into next gear. The rest of the 14:56 runtime saw these two beat the hell out of each other. Nagata sold his arm like it was going to fall off and Shibata kept attacking it. Nagata survived the sleeper, while Shibata did the same for the armbar. The battle waged on until Shibata’s next sleeper. Nagata fought and fought but couldn’t break it. Shibata reclaimed the gold after a PK. Not only was the match fantastic, but afterwards, Shibata shook hands with the old guard in a sign that he earned their respect. Even the commentator was in tears. Great storytelling and emotion. ****¼

34. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/3/16

Looking at the Cruiserweight Classic brackets, the most intriguing match of the first round was easily this one. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa had been having a really good year as a tag team in NXT and were on the road to a shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles. However, they were pitted against one another to close out the first round. They began with some wrestling exchanges until Ciampa hit a loud elbow and things got more physical. Gargano did his best but couldn’t match Ciampa in terms of hard strikes. To combat it, he went to quickness, reeling off move after move in succession. Ciampa came so very close to winning several times, including when he got a knee up on an incoming Gargano slingshot and on a brutal Project Ciampa. Despite being vicious at times, after removing his knee pad for a knee strike, Ciampa decided against it. He held back because Johnny is his friend. Ciampa couldn’t believe Johnny’s resilience. Gargano started demanding shots from Ciampa and caught one into a backslide. Ciampa countered into his armbar, only for Gargano to counter back into another pin to win it at 10:46. Just a tremendous blend of hard hitting action with great storytelling. Gargano is an awesome underdog babyface and played the role to perfection here. They embraced after the match, with their partnership strengthened, in the first of many emotional moments from the CWC. ****¼

33. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 10/10/16

On the first night of this year’s G1 Climax, Pro Wrestling NOAH standout Naomichi Marufuji beat NJPW’s top champion, Kazuchika Okada. He didn’t just beat him though. Marufuji dominated him. That didn’t sit well with the champ, so Okada challenged Marufuji to this match. Ace of NOAH vs. Ace of NJPW. At the start of this 28:00 match, Okada tried to use his size advantage but Marufuji was too quick. They continued to tell the story of Marufuji having his number and always being one step ahead. I loved Marufuji just kicking and striking the shit out of Okada. Okada is often a smug son of a gun, so him getting his ass kicked is always great. Then, in one of the sickest spots all year, Marufuji delivered a piledriver ON THE APRON! Though Okada beat the countout, he looked dead. I even thought Marufuji pulled off the upset after hitting Shiranui. Okada busted out the Rainmaker but his attempt at a second was countered into a small package for another near fall. Okada went into a desperate flurry, even stealing Marufuji’s Emerald Flowsion, before winning with another Rainmaker. Just great pro wrestling here. Marufuji having guys from NOAH in his corner added to the importance of this match. When Okada is placed with a guy that’s better than him (Tanahashi, Ishii, Styles, Naito, Marufuji, etc.) he delivers top notch matches and this was no exception. It was the second best IWGP Heavyweight Title match of the year and a must-see performance from both. ****¼

32. WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena – WWE No Mercy 10/9/16

It was a surprising call, but the WWE decided to have this match open their No Mercy Pay-Per-View. The build to this was awesome as all three men fired some pretty personal shot s at one another. Dean Ambrose and John Cena were especially insulting. You also had the intrigue of Cena going for World Title #16 and AJ being 2-0 against him. Unlike a lot of triple threat matches, this wasn’t just two guys competing while one rests outside. I mean, it happened a few times but for the most part, all three men were consistently involved. Due to that, there were plenty of great sequences, with the first being a double German suplex by Cena. They all knew each other so well that they were ready with counter after counter. There was a moment where Dean and Cena had a calf cutter and STF applied at the same time, causing AJ to tap out. Of course, that couldn’t end the match because there must be one winner in a triple threat match, so things continued. Cena would hit Ambrose with the AA but AJ laid him out with a steel chair and retained the title at 21:07. Cena doing the job on his way out to film a TV show was perfect and allowed for the Dean/AJ feud to continue. I also love that AJ isn’t they typical coward heel, but still resorts to low blows and chair shots when he gets desperate. Not only did this match make this list but I have it as the third best WWE PPV opener ever behind only Bret/Owen at WMX and Bryan/HHH at WMXXX. ****¼

31. Johnny Gargano, Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins vs. Marty Scurll, Tommy End and Will Ospreay – WWN Mercury Rising 4/2/16

On one side you have Team Europe, while the other side featured three guys who worked the first Evolve show. Those three would all go on to compete in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic. These are six of the biggest and hottest names in all of wrestling as evidenced by four of them working with the WWE, one over in NJPW and one holding various titles throughout the indy scene. The early exchanges were good, but everyone, including the wrestlers on the apron, went nuts for the interaction between Kota Ibushi and Will Ospreay. Two of the most athletically gifted wrestlers on the planet just going at it full tilt is great. The match really gets going and becomes great when things break down. The second half or so of this 22:47 encounter is just wall to wall action. These guys were pulling out tandem offense like they all team up on a regular basis. It spawned chants of “all these guys” and “they are awesome.” The battle moved into the crowd, where Ibushi and Ospreay fought up in the rafters. It led to them doing stereo moonsaults off them because they’re insane. After everything got back to the ring, Perkins sent Scurll outside, Gargano trapped End in the Gargano Escape and Ibushi pinned Ospreay with his last ride powerbomb. A fantastic capper to one hell of a weekend for Evolve. To top things off, Gargano would leave right after this and go across the street to work NXT tapings. ****¼

30. RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Chris Hero – RPW Global Wars UK 11/11/16

Less than 24 hours after winning the title, Katsuyori Shibata had a big defense of the RPW British Heavyweight Championship. Shibata dethroned Zack Sabre Jr. on night one of the Global Wars events and his scheduled match for night two with Chris Hero became a title bout. Now, if I had to choose two guys from NJPW for Hero to wrestle, it would be Tomohiro Ishii (who Hero wrestled on night one) and Shibata. Kudos to RPW for delivering. They worked the mat early but things quickly got to the strike exchange that I wanted from these two. Hero tried to do his usual bullying act but Shibata was having none of that shit, giving it right back to the challenger. For 13:18, this was just a war. Hero’s reactions to being hit as hard as he can dish out were perfect. Down the stretch, it felt like Hero would win the title with a piledriver. A lot of people expected it since he’s more of a Rev Pro regular than Shibata, but the new champion kicked out. He then applied the sleeper hold to wear down Hero before finishing him off with the penalty kick. They worked a Shibata style match so well. I winced several times at the vicious strikes, which is just what we needed from these two. ****¼

29. IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Michael Elgin (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – NJPW Destruction in Kobe 9/25/16

This was about more than the Intercontinental Title. It had to do with respect. Michael Elgin dreamt of working in Japan for years and has found success there. He loves it. Tetsuya Naito disrespects NJPW as often as possible, from attacking officials to badmouthing top stars to treating the Heavyweight Title like garbage when he held it earlier in the year. Elgin didn’t want that to happen to the Intercontinental Title and he was out to teach Naito some respect. There were some early mind games with Naito avoiding Elgin and taunting, only for Elgin to return the favor. Naito made Elgin’s leg his target, which made sense since it was attacked often during the buildup to this match. Elgin sold the leg well and struggled to hit some of his power moves because of it. Naito continually wore it down with his knee bar submission. When it looked like Elgin had things in control, out came LIDJ only for Elgin’s buddies KUSHIDA and Tanahashi to make the save. With things back to one on one, Elgin survived Destino and again was on the brink of a win. Naito would counter the Elgin Bomb into Destino and add a third to win the title at 30:36. The crowd ate this up. The match had twists, turns and was full of drama. The win made Naito the only man to win the IC, Heavyweight, NEVER, Tag and Jr. Tag Titles, as well as the New Japan Cup and G1 Climax tournaments. ****½

28. The Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi – WWE Cruiserweight Classic 8/31/16

File Brian Kendrick under the list of guys that I never thought I’d see on this list in 2016. Not because he isn’t good, but because I didn’t see him returning to the WWE. He did though and was a great addition to the CWC. Kendrick brought a different style to the show. While there were mat technicians, hard strikers, fun charismatic guys and high fliers, Kendrick was the wily veteran who did whatever it took to win. Kota Ibushi was a heavy favorite to win it all though. Knowing he was outmatched in a lot of ways, Kendrick played mind games, trying to get in Kota’s head. He did little things like trapping Kota’s foot in the guardrail to try and steal a countout win. He targeted Kota’s neck, hitting a neckbreaker on the ring post. I’ve never seen that before and it made sense considering Kota’s neck surgery. He hit Sliced Bread and a goddamn BURNING HAMMER for two very close near falls. You could just feel his desperation. The reaction when Kota missed a Phoenix Splash and Brian immediately applied the bully choke was perfect. Ibushi proved to be too much though, escaping that and winning with the sitout powerbomb at 13:57. An incredible match that got better on a second viewing. Not only was the action top notch but the story of Kendrick’s last stand and the neck work were excellent. Extra points to Daniel Bryan for trying to will his friend to victory on commentary. ****½

27. Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Evolve 60 5/6/16

Zack Sabre Jr. is almost always in control. In Evolve, he has beaten pretty much everyone there is to beat but Chris Hero remains a thorn in his side. Evolve billed this main event as “the rivalry comes to Maryland”. While the matches are great, it is a pretty lopsided rivalry. I’ve said it before but their styles come together so well. Hero bullied Sabre, who responded by trying to twist Hero up at every opening. No matter how hard he tried though, Sabre remained a step behind. Hero again nailed every interaction. His trash talk was in top form with both Sabre and the fans. “YOU MAY BE THEIR FAVORITE BUT YOU AIN’T SHIT TO ME!” Both guys worked the arm with Sabre being more technical and Hero being brutal. Sabre doesn’t always sell great but he did a good job here and you felt his desperation whenever he’d manage a hope spot. Sabre survived several piledrivers and his pinning combinations made you believe he’d finally get one over on Hero. Finally, a third piledriver kept Sabre down at 29:06. It was honestly one of the sickest I’ve ever seen and I thought Sabre broke his neck. This told a simple story of one man trying everything and showing a ton of heart but being unable to get past the man who has his number. My favorite match in their series and I can’t wait for more in 2017. ****½

26. PROGRESS Championship No Disqualifications Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Marty Scurll – PROGRESS Chat Shit Get Banged 1/24/16

The rivalry between Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay has spanned several promotions including Rev Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and PROGRESS. Considering the title on the line and the no DQ stipulation, this was their biggest and most heated altercation. Within the first few minutes of this 30:16 war, Ospreay was bloodied and Scurll had used his signature umbrella as a weapon. They did a wonderful job of blending their past battles of counter after counter with several hardcore aspects. Ospreay’s moonsault off a railing and the two men both taking powerbombs through tables were great. Their chemistry is always top notch and it showed during several fast paced moments of back and forth. After a referee bump, Ospreay applied a crossface with an umbrella for added leverage. Scurll tapped but of course no ref saw it. Scurll would retaliate with some barbaric shots with umbrellas. When Ospreay refused to stay down, Scurll retrieved handcuffs and trapped the champion. He proceeded to beat the hell out of him with umbrella after umbrella. Ospreay was defiant as ever and spat at Scurll. Even with more umbrella strikes, Ospreay still found a way to barely get his shoulder off the mat. Scurll finally used the chicken wing and the referee called the match, giving Scurll the title. This was a grand match with a lot going on. It felt like the kind of match I’d do with my action figures as a kid in the best possible way. ****½

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night Two Review

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night Two
January 15th, 2017 | Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, Lancashire, England

After a solid night of action on night one, the tournament returns for its conclusion with what looks like a better show on paper. Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Mark Andrews, Sam Gradwell, Jordan Devlin, Joseph Conners and Wolfgang all compete to determine the first WWE UK Champion.

The show opened with a video package recapping the first round. The focus at the end was completely on Pete Dunne.

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Pete Dunne def. Sam Gradwell in 4:49
Dunne is still way over. Dunne offered a sarcastic handshake to the man he attacked at the end of yesterday’s show. This was intense from the start. Gradwell came out with big clotheslines and a suicide dive before a suplex on the ramp. The ramp spot was a good callback to their issues on night one. Cole did a good job in mentioning that these guys were friends and roommates in the past. Gradwell was willing to risk all for revenge, including hurting his injured back on a missile dropkick. Dunne shoved Gradwell on the apron onto the bad back, nearly getting a countout before winning seconds later inside with a corner body slam. A great sprint with some top notch storytelling. This was intense like it needed to be and Gradwell looks miles better here than on night one. ***¼

After the match, Dunne delivered the Bitter End to Gradwell. 

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Mark Andrews def. Joseph Conners in 8:12
I hope they never call him “Mandrews”. It was such a dumb name. They kept having Cole hammer home the “ANDREWS LIKES TO HAVE FUN” stuff. Andrews failed some high flying stuff early and it cost him. Conners sent him into the steel steps and pounded on him. Conners missed a big boot outside and awkwardly ran into the steps. Andrews found an opening by tightrope walking the guardrail and somersaulting onto Conners. That led to a comeback of sorts and Andrews won with the Shooting Star Press. I get the idea of doing the underdog Andrews story again but I don’t believe in enough to what Conners does offensively for it to fully work here. **¾

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Wolfgang def. Trent Seven in 6:43
Cole continued to put Seven over as a favorite to win it all. We got treated to hard hitting stuff to start before Wolfgang wowed us with a moonsault off the guardrail. Unfortunately, he couldn’t capitalize because he hurt his knee on the move, allowing Seven to score with a suicide dive. They traded more inside before Wolfgang tried another moonsault and Seven got the knees up. Bad decision on his end. Seven delivered a big back fist and the seven star lariat, but only got a near fall. Wolfgang blocked a super piledriver and knocked Seven off the top. He followed with a swanton onto Seven’s back and got the three to pull off the biggest upset so far. Another strong match, with some great stiff work from both men. ***½

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Tyler Bate def. Jordan Devlin in 6:07
Bate is way over, especially after last night, while Devlin is the most hated guy in the tournament. The crowd was very into this because of that. Bate got the first big spot with a suicide dive. Devlin had answered to try and stop Bate’s offense. He made a mistake when a springboard cross body got caught and he was put into an airplane spin. The Tyler Driver 97 got countered into a rana for a near fall. Devlin nailed an enziguri but got caught with a clever right hand. The Tyler Driver 97 connected to a THUNDEROUS ovation and Bate advanced. Four for four in solid matches. Devlin was better here than in round one, but still doesn’t impress me much. Bate is awesome though. ***

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Pete Dunne def. Mark Andrews in 10:39
I saw these two have a good outing in PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles last year. Andrews got thrown around a bit early before scoring with a big dive outside. He continued with the aerial stuff as this match went a different way than expected. I did like Mark’s Northern lights suplex into an insane standing reverse 450 splash for an insanely close near fall. The high risk style bit him in the ass when Dunne caught a dive outside and delivered a release suplex onto the apron. He followed with another onto the ramp and looked for the countout win. Now it was Pete who went to the well too often and had the suplex countered into a stunner for a close call. Dunne then got his knees up on the SSP for his first real close call. Dunne caught a leaping Andrews with a brutal forearm but then had another suplex reversed into a rana for two. Mark went back up but Dunne avoided the SSP and German suplexed Andrews into the corner. Another suplex slam and the Bitter End finished this. These two worked so well together and had the crowd on the edge of their seat. Some great near falls throughout and I was super invested. I liked how both guys kept running into trouble when trying their strengths and that Andrews’ body caused him to take a breather before the final SSP attempt and it cost him the match. ****

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Tyler Bate def. Wolfgang in 6:00
These guys have a tough act to follow. Despite both guys being popular, Bate had the louder backing. Wolfgang used his power advantage from the start. Cole mentioned that Wolfgang may have broken his nose in the last match, so Bate went after that. Bate also targeted the knee, which Wolfgang tweaked in the last round. He should stop trying the moonsault. Wolfgang took long between moves as if he was taking Bate lightly. Bate impressed the hell out of many by surviving some big offense before managing to hit the Tyler Driver 97 on the big man. A fun big man/little man dynamic, made better by the crowd’s consistently great reaction to everything Tyler does. ***

Pete Dunne ran out and attacked Tyler Bate with a forearm and then tossed him into the ring post. Bate was barely moving and they sold it like he might not be able to compete in the finals. William Regal had to physically escort Dunne backstage.

Neville came out next for a non-tournament match and grabbed a microphone. He was not happy about being left off yet another WWE Network Tournament that he qualifies for. Neville said he should be champion by default and called himself the greatest star in the history of the continent, saying no man deserved to stand across from him. An unfamiliar theme played and Tommy End made his debut.

Neville def. Tommy End in 8:42
Surprisingly, he kept the Tommy End name here. Cole and Nigel did a good job in putting him over despite Cole’s unenthused reaction to his arrival. After getting overwhelmed a bit early, Neville turned it around and wore him down. End showed off a moonsault to the outside and then a series of great strikes inside. He got to showcase his hard hitting ability throughout, which was appreciated. Neville utilized a super rana and then hit the Red Arrow for the victory. I thought this was solid but unspectacular. End got to strut his stuff and Neville stayed strong since his heel turn. **¾

Charly Caruso reported that despite a partially separated shoulder, Tyler Bate is cleared to compete.

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Finals: Tyler Bate def. Pete Dunne in 15:12
I love that someone extremely popular is going against Dunne to combat his popularity. Commentary noted that Dunne trained Bate. Smart work early as Bate avoided using the bad shoulder. I also liked him smiling after Dunne slapped him. Bate refused to back down, going blow for blow with Pete and knocking him on his ass outside. Pete kept going back to the shoulder when in trouble and Bate kept fighting through it. Bate then countered the Bitter End into a small package for two. He used just one arm (for the most part) on the longest airplane spin of the tournament. Dunne caught him in a triangle submission of shorts and the crowd went nuts for Bate countering by powering up for a powerbomb. Bate busted out a fosbury flop and then what seemed to be a 450 knee drop for an insanely close near fall. We got another one when Bate kicked out of the Bitter End (though Cole telegraphed it on commentary). Dunne slapped on an armbar that Bate had to power out of into a brainbuster for another two count. Bate fired up and hit some rolling kicks, leading to the Tyler Driver 97 to win the entire thing. A spectacular finals that proved to be the best match of the tournament. This was a star making performance for both men, as was the entire tournament and it was the perfect capper to their story. Outside of the two power up spots, Bate sold the arm expertly and Pete came off as a fantastic villain throughout. Up there with Tanahashi/Naito for my current MOTY. ****½

Post-match, William Regal, Triple H, Finlay and Finn Balor congratulated the champion.

Overall: 8.5/10. A big step up from night one. They built upon the first night and continued to make Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne into stars. There was not a bad match on the card and we were treated to some awesome storytelling. The Tommy End surprise was nice and I liked that nothing overstayed its welcome. They made this feel like a big deal and an important show. I came away caring about guys I never have before. Wolfgang, Andrews, Seven and several others stood out, but none more than Bate and Dunne. Bate became the super popular likable babyface, while Dunne was the villain this was built around. I’m ready for more UK graps.

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night One Review

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night One
January 14th, 2017 | Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, Lancashire, England

Triple H opened the show with a short promo to hype how special the night is. They setup and look of this venue is spectacular. Seriously, it’s one of the prettiest WWE shows ever.

Michael Cole welcomed the grapple fans and introduced Nigel McGuinness. Just seeing Nigel on WWE TV is mind blowing.

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Trent Seven def. HC Dyer in 5:26
Both guys got short video packages beforehand. Seven was super over and got “Mustache Mountain” chants. He was even referred to as a PROGRESS Tag Team Champion. This was even for the most part until Dyer connected on a stiff right hand. He said in his promo stuff that he liked punching people. Dyer busted out a nice blue thunder bomb for two and Nigel expertly noted how he didn’t put enough pressure on the shoulders during the pin. Dyer missed a D-Lo like frog splash and fell to Trent’s seven star (take that Dave) lariat. Fun opener. The crowd was way into Seven, Dyer got to show some of his skill in a short time and the right guy went over. **½

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Jordan Devlin def. Danny Burch in 8:54
Devlin was trained by Finn Balor and his look seems to be inspired by him as well. Burch has appeared on NXT a bunch and is better known as Martin Stone. Burch brought a more aggressive and vicious style, while Devlin had to play the resilient underdog and I think those styles worked well for this match. Devlin survived some big blows and a crossface that I thought was going to finish the match. The finish seemed to get messed up because Burch got hurt. Devlin delivered a big kick and Burch kicked out, but the back of his head was busted open. Outside of the finish, I rather enjoyed the dynamic here. Brute Burch and underdog Devlin worked well, including his flash pins. I think it would have worked better if the crowd was more into Devlin. **¼

Wisely, Devlin turns heel with a cheap shot kick on Burch after the match. Interesting call with Finn in the front row, but at least the negative crowd response works now.

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Sam Gradwell def. Saxon Huxley in 6:05
Gradwell got the hometown pop for being from Blackpool. I’ve never seen either guy before. Gradwell looks like a shaven Sheamus, while Saxon looks like a better-groomed Luke Harper. Neither man gained a clear advantage until Gradwell hit a double underhook suplex and Huxley had to take a breather. Lots of “Jesus” related chants for Huxley. Gradwell eventually won with a diving headbutt in a match that I didn’t care for. The only thing I enjoyed here was the crowd. They were fun. *½

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Pete Dunne def. Roy Johnson in 7:44
I love Pete Dunne. I just wanted to point that out. He slapped away the hand of Roy “The Most Wavy Guy” Johnson. Nigel pointed out that Dunne wears the color gear that he does as a homage to Daniel Bryan. Roy had the power advantage but Dunne was vicious. Johnson countered a choke into an impressive suplex. Dunne came back by stomping on Roy’s hand while it was on the steel steps. I love people using the environment as a weapon. Dunne continued to pick apart and stretch Roy. Dunne seemed to toy with him, allowing Roy back into it because the power kept being too much for Dunne. Dunne won after a rebound German and the Bitter End. Dunne was the clear star of the show thus far. Roy was just there. Dunne showed what he was capable of and it worked as a strong preview of what he can do in later rounds. **¾

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Wolfgang def. Tyson T-Bone in 6:07
Tyson said he isn’t here to wrestle, he’s here to fight. He got pre-match promo time. Before the bell, he headbutted Wolfgang like a dirty heel. This was the hoss fight I wanted it to be. They wailed on each other, while showing off some other skills in between. Wolfgang pulled out the Wasteland, following by an awesome looking moonsault for two. Dude is agile. T-Bone looked for the countout after sending Wolfgang into the ring post, which I liked. Someone has to be willing to try for the easy advance. Wolfgang blocked a superplex and nailed a sweet swanton bomb to advance. My favorite match thus far. I’m a sucker for a good hoss battle and that was fun. Wolfgang is an impressive big fella. ***

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Joseph Conners def. James Drake in 7:16
Two more guys that I am unfamiliar with. Michael Cole put over both guys harder than most so far. He also noted that Conners was left for dead in a nightclub once and lost half an ear. Yikes. The guys started off with some solid back and forth, but for the first time tonight, the crowd seemed to quiet down. Conners The things they did were good but not great and though both guys looked good, it never got into second hear in my eyes. Conners did one of the most impressive moves of the night with an elbow into a backbreaker before winning via Flatliner. Good work from both parties. ***

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Mark Andrews def. Dan Maloney in 5:42
Mark Andrews is probably the biggest name in the tournament. Maloney looks like a British Andrade Almas judging by his haircut. They played up the obvious size difference when Maloney blocked some arm drags. Nigel made a good point when Andrews tried to work a ground game. He is the only true flier in the tournament and should play to his strengths. He was in trouble in the early goings but turned things around when he began to fly. Makes sense. Some fans bought into a near fall when Maloney hit a big kick. Andrews countered a suplex into a stunner and advanced following a shooting star press. About what I expected. Similar to the Dunne match, this was a showcase for Andrews. I’m still not sold on Andrews but he did what he does well here and it worked. **¼

WWE UK Championship Tournament First Round: Tyler Bate def. Tucker in 10:36 
Surprised to see this going on last. Tyler Bate is just 19 years old, while Tucker looks like TNA’s Eli Drake. They wrestled to a stalemate early and then Bate used the “bop and bang” (names of his fists) stuff he said in his vignette. Brilliant. The crowd was way into this as they continued to battle for the upper hand. Tucker snapped off a rana and sprung into the ring with Paydirt. He went for a suicide dive but was met with a great uppercut. Bate had a suplex countered outside and Tucker then jumped off the steel steps with a rana. Bate retaliated with a lengthy airplane spin spot inside for a near fall. Tucker kicked the hell out of Bate, nearly knocking him out. After Bate got his knees up on a swanton, they exchanged shots until Tyler hit a rolling kick. He won with a Tyler Driver to cap the best match of the first round. Great action from start to finish and it felt different from the rest of the show. Something about it just clicked and both men came off looking like stars. ***¾

Nigel McGuinness and William Regal stood on the stage with the UK Title and brought out the eight men who advanced. They all hade face offs with their opponents for tomorrow. Dunne attacked Gradwell, causing Regal to get in his face and shout him down for his actions. If Regal laces up the boots for a match with Dunne at some point, sign me up please.

Overall: 6.5/10. This was about what I expected from the first round. A lot of these guys were lesser known and because of that, some matches were obvious. Dunne, Andrews, Seven and others were locks to advance, which took out the drama of some matches. The Gradwell/Huxley match bored me and I didn’t care much for Devlin until his heel stuff. However, the show succeeded in terms of production (lighting, setup, vignettes and commentary were all great), setting up the rest of the tournament and making us care about some of these guys.