TNA Legends Championship I Quit Match: AJ Styles [c] vs. Booker T – TNA Sacrifice 5/24/09; iMPACT! Zone

Booker T held the TNA Legends Title for 143 days, but was dethroned by AJ Styles at Destination X in March. That title change was when TNA officially recognized the title and it made Styles the company’s first ever Grand Slam Champion. This bothered Booker, as he introduced the title as a way to pay tribute to his legend status, not to add to someone else’s. This was the rematch and it was set under I Quit rules. Booker looking to get his title back, while AJ looked to solidify his status as a legend.

Mike Tenay noted that this series with Booker T led to the maturation of AJ Styles. He’d ride that to a TNA Heavyweight Title run in a few months. Thankfully, this didn’t follow the WWE I Quit match trope where the referee constantly stops the action to ask if someone quits. Remember how bad that was in the awful Rusev/Cena I Quit match? Anyway, Booker knew he was slower and didn’t try to play AJ’s game. When AJ tried a springboard, he simply ran into him to cut it off and send AJ crashing outside. With AJ having to sell, the pace slowed, which benefitted Booker. Booker worked the arm and they did a fair amount of rolling around in a submission that Booker wouldn’t let go. Not something I’ve seen often from the Booker man.

Just when things really picked up and seemed headed towards a great ending, Sharmell came to the ring. She shouted support for Booker after AJ hit a springboard 450 splash. I guess there was a miscue, because Booker ran straight into Sharmell and knocked her off the apron with almost no provocation. AJ trapped him in an armbar, but Booker refused to quit. He wouldn’t allow his legend status to potentially be ruined by saying those two words. Kevin Nash’s girlfriend and fellow Main Event Mafia member Jenna Morasca, ran out and threw in the towel for the finish at 16:48.

Man, that ending killed something that was on its way to being very good. I liked how smart Booker was, making this move at a pace that worked for him. AJ bumped and sold well, helping things out. I also thought there were a few MMA like elements (the Booker armbar spot and some of the mounted punches) that worked. That finish was awful, though. It shifted the focus from the guys in the ring to the dreadful Jenna/Sharmell feud, which culminated in a horrendous match two months later. With a better finish, this would’ve been one of Booker’s better matches ever. Instead, it’s just good, which is how a lot of his matches in his career went. [***¼]

You can vote on my next review at strawpoll.com/k5dgb7b9!

Evolve 91 Review

Evolve 91
August 12th, 2017 | Elmcor Center in New York City, New York

Due to the business of the end of the G1 Climax, I was unable to get to the Evolve shows on time. I did manage to catch Evolve 90, but didn’t have the time to review it. You can find my ratings for the matches on the giant spreadsheet located on my Twitter. Evolve 91 had a stronger card in my mind, and with the G1 finished, I have some time for it.

ACH vs. Ethan Page
The newly dubs the “Troll Boyz” faced off here, but came out together. Their theme song features them rapping to the “Bad Boys” theme. They met in a fun match at Evolve 89, where they trolled 2017 wrestling and were punished for it by Evolve. All sorts of banter in this one, including selling the shirt off ACH’s back to a fan. They mocked some of the popular spots in wrestling, like kicking out at one, chasing down your opponent as he runs to the opposite corner and the Rainmaker. In fact, it was a FINGERPOKE OF DOOM Rainmaker that got Page the win in 9:29. Not as good or fun as their match at Evolve 89, but still entertaining in spots. This feels like a step back for Page, though, as he seemed on the verge of the Evolve Title a few months ago. If they must compete together, it should be as a tag team. [**¼]

Grudge Match: Darby Allin vs. Timothy Thatcher w/ Stokely Hathaway
Another Evolve 89 rematch here. That one was solid, but unspectacular (**½). Thatcher doesn’t like Allin’s wild style of wrestling, calling him a glorified stuntman and saying he doesn’t belong in the ring with him. Allin quickly took out Hathaway with a tope con hilo, angering Thatcher. They told the expected story, where aggressive Thatcher took Allin to the mat and wore him down. Allin played the “never say die” babyface, which is a role he’s good in. His hope spots on Coffin Drops and a Code Red were great. He went into the Gibson Lock and scored a surprise three on Thatcher in 10:38. This was solid. They played their roles well and built off their previous match. The win for Allin was one of the biggest so far in his career. [***]

Post-match, WALTER came to the ring, unhappy that his Ringkampf buddy lost. A dejected Thatcher told Hathaway that he had to leave and they hugged. Apparently, that’s a wrap on Thatcher in Evolve. It started well but he had a ROUGH 500+ day reign as champion.

Evolve Tag Team Championship: The WorkHorsemen (c) vs. Fred Yehi and Jason Kincaid
This renews the Henry/Yehi rivalry that was born in Style Battle. They wrestled to a 30 minute draw and then Henry defeated Yehi. Both matches ruled. The Troll Boyz took over the commentary booth, making me think they’re coming for the titles. Yehi and Kincaid worked well together, showing off some double team offense. T hit a point where Drake literally dragged Henry to their corner and tagged himself in. Page got Drake confused with Takeshi Morishima, the most badass ROH Champion I recall along with Samoa Joe. There was a great spot where Kincaid caught a Henry suicide dive into a stunner. Some of the moves caused the Troll Boyz to legitimately go nuts, and for good reason. In the end, Henry hit a diving double stomp, followed by a Drake moonsault (which was beautiful) on Kincaid to retain in 11:12. Another chapter in the Henry/Yehi rivalry that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Tons of action and intensity. I’m loving the reign of the WorkHorsemen so far, while Kincaid and Yehi made for a fun oddball pairing. [***¾]

Henry and Yehi got in each other’s faces but nothing came of it. Yehi interrupted Kincaid’s meditation, leading to them nearly coming to blows, but they left in peace.

Austin Theory w/ Priscilla Kelly vs. Mark Haskins
Our first influx of PROGRESS tonight. Haskins took to the mat early, before catching Theory with his signature suicide dive fake out spot. Mr. Theory did not do his homework. He managed to turn the tide and shift the focus to Haskins’ back. The Haskins comeback got a nice reaction, as he went for several submissions. The crowd popped for each, but Theory was always too close to the ropes and found an escape. It was clear that Haskins was superior on the mat. Interestingly, Priscilla Kelly got physically involved, nailing Haskins with a cutter. That’s the first time that’s happened. When that wasn’t enough, Haskins hit an apron DVD and they both fell outside. Kelly tried a springboard cross body, but missed and hit Theory. Haskins took him inside and made him to the Sharpshooter at 15:47. Good work from both guys, though I feel it went a bit too long. The Kelly stuff was interesting, but I don’t think they needed the springboard spot. Either way, Theory continues to show improvement. [***]

Chris Dickinson and Jaka vs. The South Pacific Power Trip w/ Dahlia Black
These teams met at the WWN Super Show this year and it was a lot of fun (***½). This is the first SPPT match since TK Cooper and Dahlia had their VISA issues. They offered handshakes, but got jumped for it. That led to a wild brawl which saw Banks take out both opponents with suicide dives. A super falcon arrow on Cooper led to him taking the heat segment. Banks’ hot tag run got cut short and it set up everyone kind of getting their stuff in. It was a battle of fun, athletic spots by SPPT and hard hitting offense from the Catch Point guys. Jaka fired up to survive a series of kicks and delivered a double chokeslam. Dahlia nearly got involved and we almost got a repeat of Dickinson murdering Kimber Lee. Luckily, TK made the save. Unfortunately for him, he got hit with a Total Elimination variation and fell to the Death Trap at 14:12. Wild stuff down the stretch and about on par with their Mania weekend outing. [***½]

In the aftermath, SPPT got the handshakes they wanted at the start.

WWN Championship: Matt Riddle (c) vs. Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams w/ Stokely Hathaway vs. PROGRESS Atlas Champion WALTER
Interesting situation for Riddle here, as WALTER took the Atlas Title from him and Lee nearly beat him back in June. Right from the start, they teased the HOSS BATTLE, but Riddle and Williams interrupted. When it finally went down, they traded suplexes and strikes. I enjoyed their exchanges, but I was also intrigued by Williams and Riddle joining forces. Their Catch Point past issues be damned when there are two BIG BOYS that need to be taken care of. They built to tons of great moments late and the barrage of chops throughout were brutal. Everyone’s chest looked to be destroyed. Riddle wisely raining elbows down on WALTER and Lee to try and knock them out was great. When Williams snuck in and hit him with a piledriver, I bought him stealing the title. Riddle kicked out though, and countered the crossface into the Bromission to retain in 15:49. Great main event and one of the best Evolve matches all year. The crowd was way into this and the interactions between WALTER and Lee felt like a big deal. The Riddle/Williams stuff was a nice underlying story as well. [****¼]

Overall: 8/10. A great showing by Evolve. I didn’t love Evolve 90, but this was a step up. Outside of the first match being decent, everything else was good to great. Both tag matches were high quality, while the main event was awesome. They also continued to build things like Kincaid’s struggles, Yehi/Henry, Lee getting closer to snapping, among other things. The show also clocks in at just under two hours, which made it fly by.

Lucha Underground "The Cup Runneth Over" Review

We're nearing the finals of the Cueto Cup!

Right to the goods, as Catrina met up with Cage backstage. She wants the gauntlet for her mother. Cage wouldn't give it up, saying it was his. She said he wouldn't be himself soon enough. He still refused and said he would do things the hard way, even though she claimed he'd hate it that way. He attempted to hit her with the gauntlet, but she disappeared.

Dario Cueto was in his office when Joey Ryan entered. He correctly suspects that Veneno is Cortez Castro. Dario was surprised by this news and booked Veneno vs. Sexy Star next week in a Mask vs. Mask match.

Cueto Cup Semi-Finals: Fenix vs. Prince Puma
I believe this match only happened once and that was way back in season one for the Lucha Underground Title. This is a much different Puma, though. They worked this at a quick pace and showed how evenly matched they are. It was a battle of the top two faces in LU history. Neither guy seemed to gain a clear advantage, until Fenix got a near fall on a kick to the back of the head. Vampiro and Melissa Santos were way into this at ringside, rooting their respective guy on. Marty Martinez arrived to stalk Melissa and Fenix took him out. That opened the door for the guy who isn't the clear good guy anymore, Puma, to strike. A Michinoku Driver wasn't enough but the 630 was, giving Puma a ticket to the finals at 10:27. Awesome stuff. The crowd was hot, the action was wild and even the Marty stuff was fine as it added to the story. [****]

Mil Muertes worked out backstage and was so violent he was shaking the Temple. Dario and Sexy Star felt the effects. Catrina told him to save it for Pentagon. Cage jumped Mil from behind, hitting him with the gauntlet and dropping a weight on him. After he left, Catrina made Mil rise with her weird rock thing and told him that Cage's time would come, but to focus on Pentagon.

Cueto Cup Semi-Finals: Mil Muertes w/ Catrina vs. Pentagon Dark
During his entrance, Mil favored his ribs. Mil attacked quickly, but Pentagon went after the ribs. Vampiro noted how he showed improved wits by doing so. Pentagon was in control, but all it took was one chokeslam from Mil to stop his momentum. Mil avoided the Package Piledriver, only to have his momentum cut off. Pentagon kicked Catrina away and delivered a double stomp to the injured ribs to win in 7:29. Solid match, but not as good as I'm sure they could do without the injury angle. It did give Mil a reason to lose cleanly in under ten minutes, though. [***1/4]

Pentagon went to break Mil's arm after the match, but Catrina raised the rock and he overpowered Pentagon to escape.

Dario Cueto brought out Johnny Mundo and Rey Mysterio Jr. to, as he put it, talk shit to each other ahead of their title match. I love that Dario got so excited about his fighters talking shit. Mundo ran down Rey and said he'd crush his dreams. He had his security team with him to hide behind. Rey attacked him when he threw verbal jabs towards Rey's son. The Worldwide Underground came out to trip Rey and jump him. Rey took a curb stomp and the WU celebrated. It was cut short by the arrival of Dragon Azteca Jr., Sexy Star and the Mack. They all brawled around the Temple, leaving Rey and Mundo to do battle in the ring. Prince Puma arrived and stood between them. Pentagon Dark joined them and brawled with Puma, while Mundo and Rey went at it. Mil arrived and took out Pentagon and Puma, while Cage handled Rey and Mundo. That left Cage and Mil to come face to face and trade blows. Marty Martinez tried getting involved, but was cut off by Fenix. Mariposa came to help. Joey Ryan, Jeremiah Crane and others joined the riot. The Rabbit Tribe watched from above Dario's office with carrots. London seemed to be doing commentary. Dante Fox watched from above, when Killshot attacked him. Puma hit a 630 onto a crowd. Rey delivered the 619 on Mundo and celebrated with the title. Dario had a huge grin as he watched this. His violence boner was real and so was mine. This was everything I love about Lucha Underground. Violence, excitement and chaos.

Overall: 9/10. One of the best episodes all season long. This is the Lucha Underground I love. Puma/Fenix was excellent and Pentagon/Mil told a fine story. The extra stuff all delivered as well. From the seeds being planted for Cage/Mil to the brawl that ended the show, it was LU at its finest.

Want to watch Lucha Underground, Raw and Smackdown and don't have cable? Try signing up for Fubo.tv. Stream USA, El Rey, NBA TV, SyFy and many other channels by getting Fubo.tv right here!

Random Match Review: 8/16/17

PROGRESS Championship: Marty Scurll [c] vs. Mark Haskins vs. Tommy End – PROGRESS Chapter 36: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Room…Again 9/25/16; O2 Academy Brixton

It was the biggest event in PROGRESS history. They started from the bottom and sold a record 2,400 tickets for this event. At the start of the year, Marty Scurll captured the PROGRESS Champion in a phenomenal match against rival Will Ospreay. Over the next few months, he defeated some big names, including Chris Hero. However, he failed to get past Tommy End and had Mark Haskins hot on his trail. That led to this, which was billed as the biggest match in PROGRESS history. Could Scurll survive this challenge? Would Haskins finally win the big one? Could Tommy do the unthinkable and win the PROGRESS Title in his final independent wrestling match before joining WWE? Yea, that was another story coming into this one.

Their entrances told a story. End basked in his, knowing it was the end of the line for his indy run. Haskins was quick, wanting to get down to business. Scurll’s was extravagant, featuring several women cosplaying as him. The early stages of this weren’t too great. They didn’t resort to the overly done “one person out of the ring” spots in most Triple Threats, but a lot of the stuff didn’t fully click with me. There were some cool spots, particularly Haskins stopping a Marty Chicken Wing by pulling him and End into a double armbar. After Haskins took a table bump, the match really kicked up, bringing several near falls that made you question the outcome, even though most people felt it was obvious coming into this.

Unable to pick up the win, Scurll grew frustrated and attacked several referees with his umbrella. PROGRESS co-founder Jim Smallman even got in the ring to try and calm him down. It was a callback to an old PROGRESS Title match with Jimmy Havoc and Will Ospreay back at Chapter 20. And just like that, Havoc’s theme music hit to a thunderous ovation. It was the biggest in PROGRESS history to that point and remained that way until the South Pacific Power Trip edged it in 2017. It was Havoc’s first appearance in PROGRESS in over a year. He took out Scurll with an Acid Rainmaker and left. That left Haskins free to use the Sharpshooter to make Scurll submit and win the PROGRESS Championship after an emotional 29:32.

A big time main event that ran a bit too long. The early stages weren’t great and if this went closer to 20 minutes than 30, I think it would’ve worked better. The action was great and there were several creative spots that stood out. The moment of Havoc returning was huge and very memorable, though I feel that it took away from Haskins’ title win moment. The crowd popped big for it either way, though. I recommend this match, but it’s not in the upper echelon of PROGRESS main events. [***½]

Vote for my next review at strawpoll.com/5byxbaza!

Random Match Review: 8/15/17

GWF Light Heavyweight Championship Two Out of Three Falls: Lightning Kid [c] vs. Jerry Lynn – GWF TV Taping 12/27/91; Sportatorium

The WWE Network’s “Hidden Gems” section is quite the treasure trove of rare wrestling. Here, we have two pioneers of the cruiserweight wrestling style in the US. Jerry Lynn had a run as a cruiserweight division jobber in WCW, while the Lightning Kid rose to fame as the 1-2-3 Kid in the WWF. The WWF didn’t have a cruiserweight division, but Kid’s style gained him popularity, a Tag Team Title run and a shot at the WWF Title in one of the best matches on Raw ever.

Here, in late 1991 (the match aired on TV in early 1992), they weren’t big stars just yet. Lightning Kid won the Light Heavyweight Title in a tournament final over Lynn, with this being the rematch. This wasn’t just your typical Two Out of Three Falls match either. It was based around finishers, as Kid had to get his pinfalls off the Lightning Strike and Lynn could only get points via sleeper.

Kid was the heel and it showed early. The early exchanges were either even or saw Lynn gain the advantage. To turn the tide, Kid suckered him in and got a cheap shot. I always felt Kid was underrated as a heel. Not many people can play a good underdog babyface and unlikable heel. Lynn got the first fall in just under seven minutes with a sleeper that got a big pop. The finisher stipulation was both a positive and negative. Good because when those moves were used, the crowd reacted, but bad because not much else got a great reaction. The fans knew it could only end with two specific moves, so the other stuff was an afterthought. The score was evened with the Lightning Strike tombstone around ten minutes. Just as Lynn was nearing a win in the third fall, Scott Anthony attempted to interfere, but was thwarted. With him out of the way, Lynn used the sleeper to win the title in 13:02.

I enjoyed this match and thought it was good, but it certainly had some issues. For one, the 2 Out of 3 Falls stipulation is one that doesn’t work in short bursts. The interference didn’t feel like it was needed and the finisher stipulation was a slight hindrance. That being said, there was a fair amount to like here. Kid was a strong heel and did so without compromising his high octane offense. The action was good and the exchanges were crisp. All in all, recommended, but not required viewing. [***]

You can vote on my next single match review at strawpoll.com/85x93af6

Random Match Review: 8/15/17

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ricky Steamboat [c] vs. Ric Flair – WrestleWar 5/7/89; Nashville Municipal Auditorium

It’s widely considered the greatest trilogy in wrestling history. At Chi-Town Rumble in February, Ricky Steamboat won the NWA World Title from Ric Flair in an absolute classic. However, there was a ref bump, so it was controversial. Steamboat retained against Flair at Clash of the Champions VI in an amazing 55 minute 2 Out of 3 Falls match, but again, there was controversy since the referee missed Flair’s foot on the bottom rope.

This was the rematch to end all rematches. There were three judges to determine a winner if there’s a draw. Lou Thez, Pat O’Connor and Terry Funk. I loved the details of their entrances. Flair came out with a bunch of women by his side, while Steamboat was with his family. Very telling of both men.

In the opening minutes, there were some brutal chops thrown, with neither man backing down. Ricky went to work on an armbar and I marveled. Something so simple was used in perfect fashion and it completely engaged me. Their struggle on the mat and the exchanges all mattered. It was clear I was watching two masters. Since something as small as that worked so well, the crowd pops even bigger when they go for even the slightest of bigger moves. Ricky attempted the cross body a few times, but failed. Flair had it scouted and maybe Ricky was too married to it. With that, Flair took control and did the little things. He’d argue with the referee about a count, all the while leaning on Steamboat’s throat for added damage. I liked that the judges gave score tally updates throughout this. It made for a real sport feel, like this was boxing or something. Steamboat used an O’Connor roll, right in front of PAT O’ CONNOR. Not a bad way to sway votes.

More callbacks came when Steamboat tried the double chicken wing, which was how he won at COTC. He was, to that point, the only man to make Flair submit. Flair reached the ropes and then came back with some leg work. He locked in the Figure Four as the thirty minute mark was reached. It was Ricky’s turn to use the ropes for a desperate escape. Ric pounded on the leg, but he stopped to “WOO” and ate an enziguri for it. From out of nowhere, Flair reversed a slam into a pinning combination to win his sixth World Title at 31:31.

This worked as an epic conclusion to an all-time great rivalry. It had a big fight feel that is hard to duplicate. This had lots of energy, a wild crowd and everything they did mattered. No stone was left unturned. The things you may overlook at first had attention to detail paid to them. I think I prefer their COTC match and even may slightly like the Chi-Town Rumble outing better, but you can’t go wrong with any. [****¾]

Voting is now open for tomorrow’s match at strawpoll.com/9ay7fsz5

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Finals Review

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Finals
August 13th, 2017 | Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 10,280

One year ago today, Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito met for the first time ever, to determine the B Block winner. Omega won a classic, leaving me bitter. I’m a massive Naito fan who wasn’t sold on Omega (he’s since won me over). I was so upset that I skipped last year’s finals, except for a badass NOAH vs. NJPW tag. However, I’m here this year for the Omega/Naito rematch, this time to determine the winner of the whole thing. Both won excellent matches over the past two nights to get here. Would the trend continue?

Hirai Kawato, Jushin Thunder Liger, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight & ROH Television Champion KUSHIDA and Tiger Mask IV vs. El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Desperado stole KUSHIDA’s Jr. Heavyweight Title yesterday and wore it around his neck here. Taichi’s girl mounted Liger in the corner, so he spanked her while everyone brawled. Luckily, the main exchange saw Desperado and KUSHIDA go at it. I enjoyed their BOTSJ match and am looking forward to a Jr. Heavyweight Title bout. Kawato begged to get in the ring and got a big pop once he did. I love that little dude. His near falls all got great reactions. The day he gets one is gonna be nuts. Sadly, Kanemaru and Taichi put him away with Deep Impact at 6:06. Solid fun in this one. They kept the usual Suzuki-Gun BS to a minimum, the Desperado/KUSHIDA stuff delivered and Kawato is a wild man. [***]

The brawling continued, mainly between KUSHIDA and Desperado, who took things through the crowd.

The Guerillas of Destiny vs. Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata
THE NEW JAPAN DADS! Nagata still had on his ripped shirt. Things spilled outside early, keeping to the G1 formula even in our tags. Once back inside, Nagata took a heat segment until applying a crossface on Loa. He’s probably still pissed at having to work Loa in the New Japan Cup. Man, that match sucked. Nakanishi got a mild tag and wasn’t moving at his best. It was a slow night for him. He and Nagata worked stereo submissions that weren’t enough to get the job done. In the end, Nakanishi got isolated and Loa beat him with a modified tombstone in 7:40. Apparently, that move is called Apeshit. Nothing special here. Just gave Nagata one last chance to bow out, while giving the Guerrillas a win. [**]

David Finlay and Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
Goto and HASHI feel like the step kids of CHAOS, don’t they? I know Goto had a NEVER Title reign this year, but he’s kind of just there at this point. Finlay and HASHI had some solid back and forth, before Goto and Makabe did their thing. Like their G1 match, it wasn’t bad, it just didn’t do much. Surprisingly, they worked a hot tag spot to Finlay, who did quite well. Could he be moving towards the heavyweight division? Even if it’s just for tags, he could be an interesting replacement for Honma if he can’t go anymore. Finlay got put in the Butterfly Lock, but Makabe made the save. Finlay got a near fall with a cradle, but HASHI bested him with Karma in 6:33. Solid, but unspectacular. [**¼]

Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Juice Robinson and TenKoji
This might’ve been my favorite Mao entrance ever. Yujiro should just always have her with him. The Bullet Club did the expected pre-match attack, but had it turned around on them rather quickly. Tenzan ended up taking the heat segment. His tag to Kojima led to the rapid-fire chops and some of Kojima’s usual spots. Fale cut him off, but Kojima fought back and gave Juice a legitimate hot tag. The crowd loved everything he did to Yujiro and Owens. Things broke down as TenKoji hit their 3D on Yujiro. Owens got left alone with Juice, who blocked a gut buster and rocked him with a left hand. Pulp Friction connected for the win in 7:18. That was quite fun. Juice and TenKoji are a team I’d love to see face BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA for the NEVER Tag Titles. [**¾]

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi
Commentary fawned over the Young Bucks, calling them the best team alive (I have the Revival, South Pacific Power Trip and several other teams ahead) and going as far to say possibly the best ever. Ha. Poor Ricochet can’t find a steady partner. Matt Sydal couldn’t STAY OFF THE WEED, while his short-lived (but hella fun) team with David Finlay ended out of nowhere. This Taguchi Japan tandem has potential, though. Lots of quick work to start, playing to the strengths of the Bucks and Ricochet. Ricochet missed a kick, hitting the post and the Bucks powerbombed Taguchi on the apron to take full control. They isolated Taguchi and even when Ricochet got his hot tag, he didn’t do his usual springboard stuff. He sold the knee. When he tagged Taguchi back in, we got FOREVER ass attacks. The Bucks built to setting up the Sharpshooter and did a cool spot where Ricochet reached the ropes, only for Nick to hit a swanton on his back to break his grip. The challengers escaped stereo Sharpshooters and Ricochet got his knees up on More Bang For Your Buck (while still selling). They cut off the Meltzer Driver and Taguchi hit Dodon. Ricochet gingerly hit the SSP and we got new champs at 15:13. Better than I expected. I appreciate the Bucks’ recent efforts to change their style. This and their matches at WK & Dominion showed an ability to work more than their typical style. Good focus on a body part and selling, with some good hope spots. It’s just hard to get fully into in Jr. Tag Title matches due to the constant swapping, so there wasn’t much emotional investment. [***½]

During intermission, a commercial ran for Wrestle Kingdom 12. Then, the place erupted as Katsuyori Shibata’s music played. For the first time since his epic IWGP Heavyweight Title match with Kazuchika Okada on April 9th, “THE GOD, I MEAN THE WRESTLER” came out. He even took a back bump in the ring! He told the crowd, “I’m alive, that is all.” Very emotional stuff, fitting of Shibata’s persona. AND THAT TAKEOVER SHIRT! I absolutely love Shibata, but he’s in the Daniel Bryan boat for me. I’d rather they never wrestle again and live healthy lives (like Edge, for example) than get back in the ring and really mess themselves up.

A strange video aired before returning, showing an unidentified man with a knife. Interesting. Last year we got something similar and it led to Hiromu Takahashi. If this gives us something half as good, it’ll be awesome.

IWGP Tag Team Championship: War Machine (c) vs. ROH World Champion Cody and Hangman Page
Well, this is quite the ROH match. Though Cody has only lost one match in NJPW (to Okada, no less), it felt like they didn’t have a real chance. War Machine have gained a lot of popularity since Japanese fans love their monster gaijins, while Page hasn’t been presented as anything worthwhile. The heels took control early, but War Machine’s combination of size and athleticism proved to be too much. Page impressed with two vicious German suplexes on Rowe, while Cody fought with Hanson outside. Page nearly killed himself with the apron SSP at one point. Hanson eventually nearly won with the moonsault, but Cody snuck Page’s foot on the bottom rope. It didn’t last much longer, as Fallout ended things in 16:19. This went a bit too long and with nobody buying Cody and Page as possible winners, it lacked a lot of drama. War Machine are fun enough to make up for that somewhat, though. [***]

Post-match, the Guerrillas of Destiny showed up. Tama Tonga took FOREVER to basically say they wanted their titles back. This division has no variety. Can they just book War Machine vs. TenKoji on every show? To potentially save us, THE KILLER ELITE SQUAD returned and took out both teams, before holding up the titles. KES vs. War Machine ruled in ROH and NOAH two years ago, and should do the same again.

IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi and Michael Elgin vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka and Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki-Gun has been wildly disappointing in 2017, but Minoru and Sabre are the best they have. DBS and Desperado, too. The Suzuki-Gun guys jumped the faces before the bell. How are more faces not expecting that by now? There was brawling outside, focused on Minoru using a chair on Elgin, while Tanahashi and Sabre did battle. Other than Iizuka, the in-ring competition was strong, it just didn’t happen often enough. Lots of SG BS, which was mostly absent in the fun opener. TAKA, Taichi and Kanemaru all got involved, sending this into shenanigans overdrive. There was a solid Ibushi/Suzuki interaction that was arguably the highlight. Eventually, it all led to Sabre making Tanahashi tap out for the second time on this tour at 13:42. Sabre’s attack on the arm throughout was cool, as was Ibushi/Suzuki. They did alright to set up Elgin/Suzuki down the line, too. Too much Suzuki-Gun trash ruined something that had potential. Go figure. [**¼]

After the match, Elgin and Suzuki brawled, while Sabre held the IC Title. I’m guessing Sabre/Tanahashi and Suzuki/Elgin at the Destruction shows next month.

Gedo, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano vs. Hiromu Takahashi and NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA
OH MY GOD! DARYL IS BACK! SHIBATA AND DARYL IN ONE NIGHT! MY EMOTIONS! Now that I’ve collected myself, onto the match. Okada wanted revenge on EVIL for beating him in the G1, so he called him out to start. It continued to be costly for Okada, who just went to war less than 24 hours ago. He still couldn’t nip up and EVIL targeted the neck. I don’t like that Okada is going to be the longest reining IWGP Champion ever, but I do like the story being told with the reign. LIJ took turns on him until he tagged in Yano. Eventually, everyone got some shine and it made for great interactions. The CHAOS/LIDJ tags in 2016 were a highlight and this was no different. We got the big move barrage late, leading to EVIL and Okada fighting outside. Hiromu locked Gedo in a triangle to make him tap in 10:32. Glad Hiromu got the win, regaining some momentum after suffering some losses since Dominion. Daryl’s back and so is he. Good fun, though not on the level of some of their stuff last year. [***¼]

To add to everything, EVIL planted Okada with Darkness Falls onto a pile of chairs. IT GOT “EVIL” CHANTS! I love you LIDJ!

G1 Climax Finals: IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega [14] vs. Tetsuya Naito [14]
Their G1 match last year was the MOTY for a lot of people. I have it at a sexy ****½. Coming into this, Naito’s average rating in this tournament is 3.52 stars, while Omega is at 3.25. The crowd was pumped from the start. Naito was tranquilo to start, avoiding a grapple. Kenny returned the favor, but grew frustrated when Naito was a step ahead. Naito targeted the neck, which is something he’s done lately to set up Destino. I loved Naito faking Omega out by seemingly going for his tranquilo taunt, only to hit a suicide dive. Like he learned from last year. It led to a wild PILEDRIVER ON A TABLE spot. Usually, I’d be against something like that coming so early in a match, but with the table not breaking and Omega only hitting the edge, it made sense that he’d be able to beat the countout. Inside, Omega had Naito scouted and focused on the injured shoulder. Thankfully, he continued to sell the neck, even when on offense. Both men took an absurd amount of damage. The slow motion replays on some of the bumps were sickening. Naito took a rough bump when dropped on the turnbuckle, but kicked out of a V-Trigger. Omega delivered a DDT into the ring post that legitimately made me concerned for Naito’s health. It looked nasty. Then, Naito fucking countered a super bomb with a super rana in midair. I lost my mind. He followed with a super reverse rana for a near fall. Turning back the clock, Naito went for the Stardust Press, but missed. Naito’s kickout timing is unreal, evidenced by the Jay Driller near fall. Omega hit the best V-Trigger he ever has, but it still wasn’t enough. The first One Winged Angel attempt got countered to a reverse rana and Naito hit Destino from out of nowhere. Omega survived, tried the One Winged Angel and had that countered into an awesome Destino! Both men were down and traded exhausted slaps until Naito hit a spinning Destino. That still wasn’t enough. Another one finally kept Omega down at 36:35. Incredible. Better than the Okada/Omega series. Better than Naito/Tanahashi. They went long, but the pace was absurd and everything mattered. No fluff. There was a sense of urgency that you want from a match as important as this. The neck and shoulder work was brutal, smart and the crowd was crazy hot throughout. If I had one issue, it was how many Destinos it took to win. I’d have ended it on the spinning one. It usually takes Naito two or three though, so I guess four in a match like this wasn’t too bad. Does that mean it’s gonna take 12 to beat Okada? Either way, this is my new MOTY and I’m probably bumping Ibushi/Naito down since it wasn’t on this level. [*****]

Post-match, Naito was handed the trophy and teased throwing it outside, but decided against it. Chono handed him the G1 flag and fist bumped Naito, which got a pop out of me. The rest of LIDJ joined him in the celebration, which was a big deal to me. Usually guys celebrate alone, but Naito’s few friends are too important to him.

Fantasy booking here, but this is what I’d do if Omega stuck around. Naito dethrones Okada at WK 12, holds the title for a year and loses it to Omega at WK 13. Hold off on the Omega/Naito tiebreaker until then. It could be truly special, would allow Naito a lengthy reign and give Omega another year of quality performances under his belt.

Overall: 8/10. Like a lot of NJPW shows, this had a bit too underwhelming of an undercard to be a show of the year contender. That being said, it was still a strong four hour show, which you don’t often get. They used it to setup a lot going forward. Tanahashi/Sabre, Elgin/Suzuki, Desperado/KUSHIDA and EVIL/Okada were all built towards, while we got the return of KES to help out the tag division. The emotion of Shibata’s appearance added a lot to make this show memorable. The Tag Title matches were good, but it’s too hard to fully care about those divisions. As always, though, the last G1 show is about the finals and this one delivered. I may have gone a bit high because of my love for Naito, but it was excellent. Both are in the conversation for best in the world.

Random Match Review: 8/12/17

Prince Devitt vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 13: Unbelievable Jeff; 5/18/14; Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London

PROGRESS has been a company since 2012. They run their shows as chapters, which is a cool concept. This was Chapter 13 and there were production issues. The good people of PROGRESS didn’t feel right charging viewers due to that, so it’s available for free on YouTube. The match starts around 1:33:15. As of 2017, they are my favorite wrestling company in the world.

In April 2014, Prince Devitt said goodbye to NJPW on his way to the WWE. Along that road, he made a stop in PROGRESS for a battle with European wrestling standout, Zack Sabre Jr. Devitt did a ton as a junior in NJPW, while Sabre was one half of the Jr. Tag Champions in NOAH.

Instantly, it stood out that Devitt came out with Dark Knight Joker paint, adding a card and Joker’s coat for full effect. He came out with a dropkick and the double stomp, getting a near fall early. It’s the kind of finisher kickout I don’t mind, because Devitt tried for the surprise win and Sabre wasn’t worn down enough to make kicking out seem like a bad move. Sabre stalled his momentum by attacking the left arm in that Sabre way we’re used to. Devitt continued to be aggressive, bringing a chair into play for a vicious dropkick outside. Sabre was aggressive in his own way, transitioning from one painful hold to the next, keeping the focus on the battered arm. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of Sabre kicking out of another double stomp. Devitt won shortly after, via Bloody Sunday in 12:51.

Very good work from both men. Two highly entertaining wrestlers working to their strengths in front of a great crowd. Though I enjoyed Devitt’s style in this, it did feel like he might’ve been holding something back to preserve himself for his WWE run. I also wasn’t a big fan of Sabre kicking out of two double stomps, though now that I think about it, it might not have been his official finish at this point. Devitt sold the arm well, but Sabre’s selling left something to be desired. Since it’s free, this is certainly worth checking out. [***¾]

Voting is now open for tomorrow’s match at strawpoll.com/g8b69sfz

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night Eighteen Review

NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night Eighteen
August 12th, 2017 | Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 7,591 

After the A Block closed with a great main event yesterday (won by Tetsuya Naito in an A Block Sumo Hall sellout that AJ Styles or Kazuchika Okada couldn’t get against Tanahashi the last two years), it’s time to see how the B Block plays out. Like the A Block, only one match matters and it’s between Okada and Omega. You know, the guys who have wrestled for 107 minutes in two matches this year and racked up 12.75 stars from a certain reviewer.

El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. Hirai Kawato, Jushin Thunder Liger, KUSHIDA and Tiger Mask IV in 7:04
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI def. Chase Owens, Tanga Loa and Yujiro Takahashi in 7:20
Takashi Iizuka and Zack Sabre Jr. def. Togi Makabe and Yuji Nagata in 6:16
Cody, Hangman Page and The Young Bucks def. Ricochet, Ryusuke Taguchi and War Machine in 8:41
David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi def. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito in 6:57 [***¼]

B Block: Juice Robinson [6] vs. Michael Elgin [8]
The two guys who beat Kenny Omega so far, so both are technically in line for a shot at the US Title. The Taguchi Japan brothers shook hands before the bell. Elgin’s power and size was too much for the battered Juice early. He used big strikes and a cannonball off the apron to his advantage. Juice is the “never say die” babyface though, so he kept going right at Elgin. There was a great spot where Elgin caught Juice’s corner cannonball into a Buckle Bomb, only for Juice to counter the Elgin Bomb with a cradle for two. It played off Elgin’s power and Juice’s resiliency well. Elgin wanted Burning Hammer, but Juice got free. Elgin blocked Pulp Friction twice and ate big left hands for it. Juice then connected on Pulp Friction to win at 11:48. Very good match. Though both were eliminated, there was an added element of this meaning something with a look towards the US Title and Juice ending with three straight wins. I hope we get Juice/Omega at a Destruction show, while Elgin goes for the NEVER Title since he pinned Suzuki. With less interference, their match could rule. [***½]

Post-match, Elgin raised Juice’s hand. Juice went to commentary and said, “It’s time to drink some Sapporo and go balls deep in some Japanese women.” HE’S AN ABSOLUTE WILDMAN!

B Block: SANADA [8] vs. Tama Tonga [6]
They met in Osaka during last year’s G1 (***¼). I know it isn’t Fale or Hiromu, but SANADA better get some revenge for Daryl. Unfortunately, he didn’t go for that. They worked some fast paced crisscross stuff, before shaking hands and both getting in cheap shots. Hilariously, Tonga tried to put SANADA in the Paradise Lock but couldn’t figure it out. SANADA showed him how it was done, nearly getting a countout, but Bullet Club guys came out to unlock him. The rest of the match saw some quality back and forth, with a finishing stretch that featured lots of counters and even SANADA hitting a Gun Stung. Tonga’s Gun Stun won out, giving him the win at 11:59. Good match, but like a lot of Tonga’s stuff, it never got to the next level. SANADA shined at times in this tournament (against EVIL and Minoru for sure), while Tonga disappointed for the most part again. [***]

Side note, it was hilarious to hear Kevin Kelly say that finishers in NJPW are one and done and put people away. The only moves protected are the Rainmaker, Bad Luck Fall and One Winged Angel.

B Block: NEVER Openweight Championship Minoru Suzuki [9] vs. Toru Yano [6]
No. Not this again. They had a feud that lasted WAY too long a few years ago. They met at KOPW 2013 (**), the G1 24 (*¼), the G1 23 (***) and more than a few other shows. Yano has won most, which irks Suzuki. Minoru jumped him before the bell and Taichi got in a ton of cheap shots. Rocky complained that Yano had no CHAOS members out to help him. Yano got his feet tied together and Minoru looked to be enjoying himself. He knew he couldn’t win the block, so he was at least out to get revenge on a consistent thorn in his side. Taichi got in with a chair, so Rocky left the booth and kicked his ass to send him packing. He exchanged shots with Minoru (how is that not a DQ but the Elgin/Yano stuff was?) before Yano hit Minoru with a chair. He tied him up with duct tape and stole the win in 6:56. Typical Yano stuff, though I liked Rocky getting involved. Minoru’s desire to be a sadist cost him. [**]

B Block: EVIL [10] vs. Satoshi Kojima [2]
Don Callis called this a “trap” match that could ruin a hot finish for EVIL. It would feel like more of a trap if it could cost EVIL something. They fought outside for a bit, where EVIL used chairs. He jawed with Hiroyoshi Tenzan outside, opening the door for Kojima to turn the tide. That led to some great back and forth and big spots. Kojima hit a big DDT on the apron and Brainbuster, playing off EVIL nearly being knocked out a few matches ago. EVIL survived a bunch, but Kojima caught him with a lariat to the back of the head. Kojima went for another, but EVIL used a headbutt to block and planted him with the STO for the victory at 14:23. Lots of good action, with Kojima using a smart strategy and putting up one hell of a fight. I just wasn’t emotionally invested enough to put it over the top. I hope they do something with EVIL going forward. [***½]

B Block: IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada [13] vs. IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega [12]
Kenny must win, but Okada can let time expire and win the block. They both went for bombs early, looking for their finishers. Guardrail cross body, elbow and Rainmaker pose within the opening minutes. I liked how Omega didn’t waste time on his tope with the Terminator taunt. He knew time was valuable. He worked the neck and back, which Okada had taped up. There was a great moment where Okada hit a DDT and tried his usual kip up, but he physically couldn’t. With Omega in control, he got too cocky with the Terminator dive and Okada cut him off. Omega’s reverse rana on the outside had extra “oomph” on it because of Okada’s neck, who sold it like death. Kenny stopped the doctor from checking on him and hit a snapdragon suplex on the apron, followed by Aoi Shoudou for a great near fall. Okada countered the One Winged Angel into a tombstone, but instantly fell out. Okada started the comeback, but unlike the Minoru match in February, it felt like it was out of desperation. He couldn’t sustain anything or fully capitalize. He delivered three Rainmakers as we got close to the time limit. The next one got countered (as always) and Okada kept blocking the One Winged Angel. Okada kicked out of a few more big blows, until Omega finally hit the One Winged Angel to win in 24:40. Their best match so far. Unlike the others, this didn’t feel like it was going long for the sake of it. Everything mattered. The pace was wild and Kenny’s focus on the neck was awesome. Okada finally sold at an incredible level. He didn’t wave it off to get his stuff in, it hurt him throughout. There was a bit of V-Trigger spam, but not too much and some of the near falls late were a bit much. I like that Okada’s style has finally caught up to him with a loss, draw and loss to close the G1. [****¾]

Overall: 7.5/10. Like the A Block show yesterday, this was a very good event with one stellar match. Again, I must say that if the other matches mattered, it would’ve been better. Still, they managed to get me invested in Juice/Elgin and EVIL/Kojima. Yano/Suzuki was their usual nonsense, while SANADA/Tonga was solid. I loved Okada/Omega and felt it was the best match of their series by a wide margin. Finally, something deserving of the praise and hype they’ve been getting. Omega/Naito has potential to be even better than last year if Naito’s shoulder holds up.

A BLOCK	POINTS	B BLOCK	POINTS
Tetsuya Naito	14 (7-2)	Kenny Omega	14 (7-2)
Hiroshi Tanahashi	12 (6-3)	Kazuchika Okada	13 (6-2-1)
Bad Luck Fale	12 (6-3)	EVIL	12 (6-3)
Hirooki Goto	10 (5-4)	Minoru Suzuki	9 (4-4-1)
Kota Ibushi	10 (5-4)	SANADA	8 (4-5)
Zack Sabre Jr.	10 (5-4)	Juice Robinson	8 (4-5)
Tomohiro Ishii	8 (4-5)	Tama Tonga	8 (4-5)
Togi Makabe	8 (4-5)	Toru Yano	8 (4-5)
YOSHI-HASHI	4 (2-7)	Michael Elgin	8 (4-5)
Yuji Nagata	2 (1-8)	Satoshi Kojima	2 (1-8)