NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Five Review

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Five
May 22nd, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,250

The BOTSJ returns to Korakuen Hall for a B Block event. This wasn’t a house show style event and all the matches are available online. However, pressed for time, I’m still only reviewing the tournament matches.

B Block: Volador Jr. [2] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [2]
Neither man has lit the world on fire in the tournament thus far. Volador was his flippy self early on, so Kanemaru knocked him outside for some Suzuki-Gun style brawling. There was more fire and interest from Kanemaru here than against ACH. I’d chalk it up to this being a bigger show, but it was missing against Taguchi on night one. Volador came back with some fire and Kanemaru tried cheating a few times. When Kanemaru couldn’t get it done, TAKA Michinoku distracted the referee, allowing Kanemaru to hit Volador with a bottle of tequila. Was it tequila because Volador is Mexican? Anyway, Kanemaru hit a diving DDT to win at 9:41. Better than expected and the best match for either guy so far. It was on the way to being even better but I didn’t dig the finish. [**¾]

B Block: ACH [2] vs. Tiger Mask IV [2]
ACH has been a fun addition to the tournament, while Tiger Mask IV had a very good match with KUSHDIA on night three. Tiger Mask targeted the lower back of ACH, trying to slow him down. ACH sold well, but still threw as much of his flashy offense at the veteran as he could. ACH’s dives all got great reactions from the audience. Despite his best efforts, ACH couldn’t keep Tiger Mask down. Tiger Mask withstood a lot of offense and kept waiting for openings. If ACH’s back gave out on a move attempt, he’d kick away. If ACH climbed to the top, he’d bring him down. They traded kicks down the stretch and ACH got Tiger Mask on his shoulders. He wasn’t strong enough, so Tiger slipped out and caught him with a crucifix to win at 11:40. Where has this Tiger Mask IV been for the past few years? This was a well told story of the young gun giving the old guy all he could handle, but the veteran waiting him out. Tiger Mask’s game plan worked and he won. [***½]

B Block: El Desperado [4] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [4]
The block’s two undefeated men in a battel for first place. I saw something I never expected to see in this match. Desperado took a pen from commentary and proceeded to shove it up the funky weapon! For those unfamiliar, that’s Taguchi’s ass. Though weird, the attack made sense considering Taguchi’s penchant for ass based offense. Desperado went after Taguchi’s knee, but he retaliated with the ankle lock. They’ve done a great job making the ankle lock a legitimate finish in recent months. I liked that this kind of became a battle of submissions, since it wasn’t what I expected. After kicking out of Dodon, Desperado got trapped in the ankle lock again. He escaped, removed his mask, tossed it to Taguchi and told the referee Taguchi did it. TAKA handed him a new mask and he hit Taguchi with a low blow while he argued with the referee. He won with Guitarra de la Muerta and won in 12:38. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the submission work and the SG antics made sense here. The other Suzuki-Gun juniors need to take notes from Desperado. I’d be all for him winning his block or the whole thing. [***¼]

B Block: NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion BUSHI [0] vs. ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA [0]
These two met four times last year and they ranged from good to great (**** at New Beginning, ***½ at BOTSJ and Destruction, and *** at Power Struggle). Both men were desperate for their first points. Instantly, this had a sense of urgency from both men. Neither wanted to fall to 0-3. BUSHI was ready for KUSHIDA’s handspring elbow and knew not to dive off the apron at KUSHIDA, since KUSHIDA catches people in arm bars that way. KUSHIDA had the MX scouted, blocking it and trying for the Hoverboard Lock. They traded blows in the middle of the ring when nothing seemed to keep the other down. BUSHI used a Destroyer and MX, but KUSHIDA refused to stay down. KUSHIDA countered the next MX attempt into his own Codebreaker, before applying the Hoverboard Lock. BUSHI just wouldn’t tap, so KUSHIDA rolled over into God’s Last Gift! That got him the win at 15:51. This might’ve been my favorite match between them. They played off their past and brought a real sense of desperation to this. I love God’s Last Gift for KUSHIDA and how he had to try something new because his old stuff kept failing. I don’t want him to come back and win the whole thing because Dominion already has too many WK rematches, but this ruled. Also, I hate that BUSHI is 0-3 again this year. [****]

Overall: 7/10. The B Block rebounds after a dull night three with a strong showing. All four matches are good. Kanemaru/Volador and Taguchi/Desperado were both better than expected. Tiger Mask was awesome and his match with ACH blew away expectations. The main event is arguably the best BUSHI/KUSHIDA match and the whole thing just flies by.

A Block	Points	B Block	Points
Marty Scurll	4 (2-1)	El Desperado	6 (3-0)
Will Ospreay	4 (2-1)	Ryusuke Taguchi	4 (2-1)
Ricochet	4 (2-1)	Tiger Mask IV	4 (2-1)
Taichi	4 (2-1)	Yoshinobu Kanemaru	4 (2-1)
Dragon Lee	4 (2-1)	Volador Jr.	2 (1-2)
Hiromu Takahashi	2 (1-2)	ACH	2 (1-2)
TAKA Michinoku	2 (1-2)	KUSHIDA	2 (1-2)
Jushin Thunder Liger	0 (0-3)	BUSHI	0 (0-3)

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Four Review

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Four
May 21st, 2017 | Kira Messe Yumatsu in Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan | Attendance: 1,470

We’re back to the mostly awesome A Block today, including what should be a fun meeting between Jushin Thunder Liger and Marty Scurll, as well as a rematch of the awesome Ricochet/Hiromu Takahashi match from 4/29.

A Block: TAKA Michinoku [2] vs. Will Ospreay [2]
TAKA beat Liger and lost to Taichi, while Ospreay lost to Scurll and beat Ricochet. I thought there were a few good moments in this. TAKA applying the crossface outside for a great countout tease, and then putting the hold right back on once Ospreay beat the count, was great. The tease was a bit phony though as Ospreay was down and then could suddenly run hard enough to beat the count at 19. My main concern with this match was that it was mostly TAKA on offense. I get the heel doing a heat segment, but this could’ve used more of Ospreay’s fun offense. Instead, he got beat up, then got his shit in and won with the Oscutter at 8:46. TAKA’s best work was still against Liger. This felt like an off night for Will following two tough matches to begin the tournament. That’s okay sometimes. [**½]

A Block: Jushin Thunder Liger [0] vs. Marty Scurll [2]
These two met at Global Wars UK last year (***¼), where Marty came out with his own version of Liger’s mask. This was literally a superhero against a villain. This was delightfully campy. Both guys brought fun antics and I got a kick out of Liger mocking the “WOOT WOOT” from Marty’s theme. With Liger in control, Marty got more aggressive. He targeted the arm, looking to set up the Chicken Wing. Liger retaliated with some hope spots, including a super rana and superplex, but it was never enough. He tried an O’Connor roll, but Marty turned it into the chicken wing and Liger had to tap at 12:16. Scurll is three for three in fun matches. This was another strong performance by both men. I’d like Liger to sweep his last four matches and win the block. [***½]

A Block: Dragon Lee [4] vs. Taichi [2]
This tournament is the rare case where a booker should’ve booked himself instead of another talent. He should be in this tournament instead of Taichi. Taichi has this ability to make even the most interesting wrestlers have shit matches. He did it with Ricochet on night one and he tried his hardest with Lee here. We got the typical Suzuki-Gun BS where Desperado jumped Lee while Taichi distracted the referee. Lee’s offense looked good, but everything Taichi did was a drag. Lee hit a corner exploder and a snap German, but then Desperado hit him with a chair. Taichi won shortly after with a powerbomb in 9:04. I wouldn’t be surprised if, at the end of this tournament, Taichi has the seven worst matches all by himself. This sucked and I’m already beyond tired of Taichi in this thing. [*½]

A Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi [2] vs. Ricochet [2]
Their match at Wrestling Toyonokuni ruled (****¼), but I came in expecting a bit less effort with this being a house show type deal. Their last match started insanely hot, but this had a more subdued Knowing the champion, Ricochet had a counter for his sunset flip bomb. Hiromu weathered that storm and took control, choosing to toy with Ricochet. It’s as if, because he beat him last month, Hiromu figured it would be a walk in the park this time. They kept yelling each other’s names before moves. “HIROMU!” “RICOCHET!” Ricochet rallied and the match kept a brisk pace throughout. There was a sense of urgency that neither man wanted to fall to 1-2. Both guys threw bombs down the stretch, before Ricochet dug deep and pulled out Vertigo. Or King’s Landing. I’m not sure what the name is. The match ended at 12:15. I wouldn’t put this on the level of their title match, but this was still a great main event that fit their styles. [***¾]

Overall: 6/10. As long as Taichi’s around, these A Block shows won’t be getting great scores. Hiromu, Ricochet, Liger and Scurll all brought it, producing two quality matches. Taichi sucked the life out of the show and Ospreay took a night off, which is understandable. Middling stuff. Check out Scurll/Liger and the main event, skip the rest.

A Block	Points	B Block	Points
Marty Scurll	4 (2-1)	El Desperado	4 (2-0)
Will Ospreay	4 (2-1)	Ryusuke Taguchi	4 (2-0)
Ricochet	4 (2-1)	Volador Jr.	2 (1-1)
Taichi	4 (2-1)	Yoshinobu Kanemaru	2 (1-1)
Dragon Lee	4 (2-1)	Tiger Mask IV	2 (1-1)
Hiromu Takahashi	2 (1-2)	ACH	2 (1-1)
TAKA Michinoku	2 (1-2)	BUSHI	0 (0-2)
Jushin Thunder Liger	0 (0-3)	KUSHIDA	0 (0-2)

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Three Review

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Three
May 20th, 2017 | Matsusaka City Gymnasium in Matsusaka, Mie, Japan | Attendance: 1,063

The tournament continues with B Block action. Only the tournament matches are on NJPW World and they’re all shot in single camera format.

B Block: ACH [2] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [0]
I dig ACH but have never enjoyed much of Kanemaru. Bless ACH, he tried here. His offense won the crowd over and he’s done well in every NJPW appearance so far. Kanemaru worked the Suzuki-Gun style of brawling outside and trying for a cheap win, including via countout. ACH brought out some of his big offensive guns but couldn’t keep Kanemaru down. His suicide dive spot got the best reaction of the match. However, Kanemaru won following a low blow and some DDT variations at 10:26. I wanted to like this more. Kanemaru continues to bring little to no effort to his matches, so despite ACH’s efforts, this lacked a lot. [**¼]

B Block: ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA [0] vs. Tiger Mask IV [0]
The veteran Tiger Mask against the man who just had his position as the ace of the division ripped away from him. Tiger Mask had his elbow wrapped, which became a target for KUSHIDA. It made sense as KUSHIDA could apply the Hoverboard Lock at some point. When he did lock it in, Tiger Mask found a way to escape. From there, he turned things around. One of our resident junior dads got the crowd behind him despite KUSHIDA’s popularity. The Tiger Driver got a near fall and I expected KUSHIDA to put the submission back on and win. Instead, a tiger suplex was hit and KUSHIDA fell to 0-2 at 10:41. I thought this was a strong match. They told a good story and Tiger Mask overcame the arm injury to pick up the upset, while KUSHIDA’s struggles continue. [***¼]

B Block: BUSHI [0] vs. El Desperado [2]
Desperado is the best of the Suzuki-Gun juniors (with TAKA second) and BUSHI is the unfortunately overlooked member of LIDJ. BUSHI began hot until running into a chair shot from the dastardly Suzuki-Gun member. Desperado took over on offense and it was much better than what we got from his stablemate earlier. BUSHI did a good job selling the work before making a comeback. It was odd seeing him positioned like that, since it’s usually reserved for faces. It was a bit awkward here and the crowd didn’t know how to react. They did wake up when Desperado removed BUSHI’s mask and rolled him up to steal it at 9:47. Another solid match, but I think the dead crowd kind of hurt it. BUSHI is probably the most underrated guy in NJPW, while Desperado was solid for his second straight showing. [***]

B Block: Ryusuke Taguchi [2] vs. Volador Jr. [2]
I couldn’t figure out why this was the final tournament match. Maybe because they both have points or maybe because Taguchi has been heavily featured in recent months. This was an odd match. They mixed styles a few times and never really stuck with one. There was some back and forth, some comedy spots and some faster paced offense. Volador shined in the fast paced stuff, but didn’t get in enough offense for it to truly matter. I was surprised to see Taguchi kind of dominate this one. He won after hitting Dodon at 9:58, in a match that just never clicked with me. About on par with Taguchi’s first tournament match. It tried to be too many different things and none of them stuck around long enough to be very good. [**]

Overall: 5/10. A nothing set of matches that can be skipped. BUSHI/Desperado was fun and KUSHIDA/Tiger Mask was better than expected, but the other two matches don’t need to be seen at all. Watch them if you’re being a completist. If not, you can just see the middle two outings. 

A Block	Points	B Block	Points
Dragon Lee	4 (2-0)	El Desperado	4 (2-0)
Hiromu Takahashi	2 (1-1)	Ryusuke Taguchi	4 (2-0)
Marty Scurll	2 (1-1)	Volador Jr.	2 (1-1)
Will Ospreay	2 (1-1)	Yoshinobu Kanemaru	2 (1-1)
Ricochet	2 (1-1)	Tiger Mask IV	2 (1-1)
Taichi	2 (1-1)	ACH	2 (1-1)
TAKA Michinoku	2 (1-1)	BUSHI	0 (0-2)
Jushin Thunder Liger	0 (0-2)	KUSHIDA	0 (0-2)

NXT TakeOver: Chicago Review

Eric Young w/ SAnitY vs. Roderick Strong

Well, Young is accompanied by Wolfe and Dane, no Nikki. Strong doesn’t come out, instead running in through the crowd. He sends Dane into the post and hits a backbreaker on the guardrail on Wolfe. Young is alone as Strong delivers chops to start the match. He hits a high arching back body drop and clotheslines Young outside. He follows with more chops. Back inside, Strong nails a dropkick to stop a small Young rally. Young catches a charging Roddy with an elbow, then hits a back suplex. Young hits a neckbreaker for two. He goes to a modified chinlock. Strong gets a boot up in the corner, hops over Young and nails a clothesline. Roddy weathers a storm of strikes and hits a forearm. He sends Young to the corner, who flips on the apron. Strong takes out Wolfe with a baseball slide and trips up Young. Dane runs Strong over with a cross body behind the referee’s back. Young’s in control now, choking Strong on top while Roddy’s feet dangle. Young wears him down before distracting the referee to allow Wolfe to get in a kick. That only gets two. Young goes back to wearing him down as the crowd tries rallying Roddy. He slaps Roddy in the corner. Strong finds an opening and hits a dropkick. EY runs into an elbow and Strong starts in with strikes. He catches a kick into a backbreaker and delivers a high knee in the corner. He hits a modified back suplex for two. Young rolls outside to avoid further damage. Young delivers the wheelbarrow neckbreaker on the outside out of desperation. Young only gets two once they’re finally inside. He goes up top, which is a mistake as Strong holds his foot in place. Young knocsk him down and hits the flying elbow, but Strong manages to kick out. He wants the wheelbarrow neckbreaker again but Strong counters into a rollup for two. He hits some boots and gives one to Dane too. He sends Young into Wolfe to knock him down. He gets Young on his shoulders but EY seems to rake him in the eyes. Strong follows Young to the top again and they fight for suplex positioning. Strong falls off before hitting a high knee that sends Young into SAnitY. Strong sends him in but walks into a boot. Young runs into a high knee and Strong hits the End of Heartache to win.

Winner: Roderick Strong in 13:42 [***1/2]

Jim Ross is brought out to commentate the next match.

WWE United Kingdom Championship: Tyler Bate (c) vs. Pete Dunne

I have their match from January at ****1/2 and would consider it the second or third best match under the WWE banner this year. Big “Bruiserweight” chants. They grapple to start and get dueling chants, but Pete has more. Pete works a head scissors, while grabbing the arm. Bate nearly escapes with a headstand before succeeding with a modified one. Dunne takes him back down and wrenches the arm. Bate gets free, nips up and twirls his mustache while Dunne takes a breather outside. Bate follows and eats a big forearm. Dunne manipulates the finger joints and tries kicking the steel steps into them, but Bate avoids it and slaps him. He hops off the steps with a back elbow. Dunne goads him into another huge forearm and then the explex on the apron. Dunne goes back to the arm and kicks away at Bate’s head. Bate fires up, no selling the effects. He pulls Dunne into a delayed exploder. He follows with some running European uppercuts in the corner but Dunne explodes out with a running kick. Bate escapes the explex and hits a standing SSP. He delivers an excellent deadlift gutwrench suplex for a close near fall. Bate tries another running SSP, but gets caught in a triangle choke! Bate powers up and powerbombs his way free. Bate does the airplane spin at a crazy fast pace. It gets him two. Both men struggle to their feet. Dunne lands on his feet on a German and then catches a springboarding Bate with a huge forearm. He delivers a sick explex into a powerbomb for a close near fall. The crowd is losing their minds. Both men fight from their seated positions. They hammer away like a hockey fight as they get to their feet. Bate hits the big left (bop and bang) and wants the Tyler Driver. Dunne avoids it and hits an enziguri. They’re forehead to forehead and start throwing huge chops. Dunne with a slap, Bate with the rolling kick. Bate does his sick rebound off the top rope spot into a lariat for two. Again, both men are down and we get “fight forever” chants. Dunne slips free of the Tyler Driver and wants the Bitter End. Bate counters into an incredible DDT! Dunne goes outside and Bate follows with a middle rope moonsault. He quickly rolls Dunne inside and comes off the top with a spiral tap/stardust press for two! Bate tries an Undertaker dive, but eats a forearm. Dunne rolls him inside. BITTER END! New Champion!

Winner and New WWE United Kingdom Champion: Pete Dunne in 15:27 [****3/4]

NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riot

Ruby and Nikki are in each other’s face before Asuka even arrives. Nikki starts by throwing her jacket at Ruby and knocking her outside. She sends Asuka to the ropes, who knocks Ruby off the apron with her hass. She does the same to Nikki inside, but taunts and gets taken down. Asuka dumps Nikki outside. Ruby kicks her back and enters to face Asuka. There are “Ruby” chants which get replaced by “Asuka’s gonna kill you.” They do a quick exchange and neither fall on shoulder blocks. Ruby avoids one and gets one on a rollup. She sends Asuka to the apron and slaps her off. Ruby wants to dive but Nikki cuts her off with the POUNCE! Nikki beats them up outside, while Ember watches from the rafters like she’s Sting in 1997. Nikki grinds her forearm into Ruby’s face in the corner and then hits a straight jacket neck breaker. Asuka comes off the top with a missile dropkick and splashes Ruby at the same time. She starts in with kicks to Nikki’s chest. Nikki ducks the big one and hits another neck breaker. Ruby returns and kicks away at Asuka. Asuka catches one into a powerbomb and rolls into an ankle lock. Nikki struggles to make her break it and gets taken down. Ruby rolls Asuka up and gets shoved into a NIkki forearm. Nikki pulls the middle rope down to send Asuka outside. Nikki toys with Ruby and shoves her. Ruby hits a clothesline and dropkick to fire up. Asuka interrupts but eats an elbow. Ruby hits a diving rana that comes off ugly. She drives Nikki face first into the middle buckle with her knees. She taunts, allowing Asuka to level her. Nikki sends Asuka to the floor and dives out into a knee. It came off like a GTS. Ruby now takes Asuka out with the heat seeking missile. Ruby hits Nikki with a BIG GIRL SENTON off the top but Asuka breaks the pin. She hits a straight jacket German for two of her own. Nikki fights one off, blocks the back fist and takes Asuka down with a weird move for two. Asuka pulls Nikki off Ruby’s back . Ruby kicks Nikki, who Asuka German suplexes. Ruby kicks Asuka in the face and goes up top. She comes off with another senton but Asuka moves and applies the Asuka Lock. Before Ruby can tap, Nikki splashes them to break the hold. Nikki hits Ruby with a reverse DDT on the apron. Asuka tries a baseball slide but Nikki pulls the apron and gets Asuka trapped. She fires off a lengthy series of strikes onto Asuka as the crowd goes wild. She drags Asuka in, laughing while doing it. She nails a hanging neckbreaker from the Tower of London position but Ruby breaks the pin. All three women are down. As they get up, Asuka screams. Ruby and Nikki work together to clothesline her out. Nikki rolls up Ruby for two. Ruby does it back for her own near fall. Nikki with a knee strike but has her finisher countered. Ruby hits a Pele, but Asuka breaks it up with a vicious knee. Asuka pins both to retain.

Winner and Still NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka in 12:26 [***3/4]

The Velveteen Dream comes to NXT this Wednesday.

NXT Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs. Hideo Itami

I guess the Tag Titles go on last. Hideo’s attack in the parking lot was two years ago to the day. Roode gives an early break and goes for the GLORIOUS taunt. Hideo hoists him for the GTS to a huge pop, but Roode escapes to the outside. Shoulder block by Roode but he runs into an elbow. Hideo hits some hard chops, sending Roode reeling. Hideo hits some knee drops and jumps over Roode before whiffing on a back kick. He hits it the second go around and does the GLORIOUS taunt. Roode charges but runs into a knee. Roode fights back and nails a blockbuster. He drives the middle rope into Hideo’s throat. He follows with a chinlock and talks some trash. Hideo answers with a brutal slap. Some kicks and the shotgun dropkick connect. Clothesline by Hideo before he fires off kicks and a suplex. Itami hits his tornado DDT onto the top rope and picks up a near fall. Roode delivers elbows to avoid the GTS but gets sent shoulder first into the ring post. Itami kicks the shit out of Roode but misses one. Roode tries a rollup but Itami catches the arm and tries a Fujiwara armbar. He can’t lock it in, so Roode escapes. Itami blocks the implant DDT and sends him to the corner. More kicks. Roode fights off and misses the blockbuster a second time. Hideo DOES THE DEAL for two. More kicks in the corner. Itami runs into a spinebuster for a near fall. Roode can’t hit his finsh and escapes the GTS again. He hits a jawbreaker on the apron to buy time. He throws Itami into the guardrail but gets thrown into the steel steps. On the shoulder that’s been worked on. Itami misses a dropkick into the steps. Both men are hurt and struggle to beat the count. They do and Roode hits a right hand. Itami fights back with strikes and hits the hesitation dropkick. He holds his ankle to sell the steps spot. He’s too hurt to hit the GTS, so Roode hits the Glorious DDT but Itami kicks out! Roode goes in and eats the GTS, but falls outside to avoid the pin. Hideo slides Roode back in and covers for two. Itami wants the GTS again, but Roode slips free. He tries a pin but HIdeo counters into his own for two. Itami counters the DDT and slaps the shit out of Roode about seven times. Bobby escapes the GTS again and hits the DDT. he holds onto it, picks him up and hits a second, much more impactful DDT to retain.

Winner and Still NXT Champion: Bobby Roode in 17:43 [****]

Kevin Owens and Eric Thames (of the Brewers) are shown in the crowd. Elsewhere, Kassius Ohno, Pat Patterson and Sami Zayn are in the front row.

NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: The Authors of Pain (c) w/ Paul Ellering vs. #DIY

DIY attacks instantly but get overwhelmed. AOP runs into shots and Gargano hits an enziguri. He sends Akam to the apron and Ciampa knocks him out with a knee. They send Rezar packing and go for ladders. AOP attack and both DIY guys get thrown into the guardrail. Gargano comes back with a somersault off the apron. DIY choose to go for the big ladder by the entrance. Ciampa holds the ladder open and pulls down the middle rope so Gargano can hit a suicide dive through the openings. THAT’S BAD LUCK! Akam stops them from climbing but has the ladder thrown into his face. They beat up Rezar in the corner, with Ciampa hitting a high knee. Gargano tries an attack but gets slammed onto Ciampa’s back. DIY cuts off AOP climbing and drop a ladder onto their backs. Akam holds a ladder up and Ciampa runs up it, nearly reaching the belts. Akam shoves him off. AOP both climb but DIY pull them down. AOP go for stereo powerbombs, but DIY end up on the ladder. They climb but get knocked over. Ciampa clutches his knee after the spot. AOP trap him in the corner behind a ladder that they drive into his midsection. Akam holds the ladder so Rezar can climb. They seem to be stalling. They stop because DIY is stirring, and beat them down. They wipe them out with a ladder and go out for a bigger ladder. They set two up across the ring apron and guardrail. They want powerbombs onto them. Ciampa gets free and saves Gargano. DIY each hit AOP with a knee/superkick and they end up laid on the ladders. DIY climb the standing ladder in the middle and hit stereo splashes! Ciampa puts his guy through the ladder, but Gargano nad his dude kind of bounce off. Replays show both DIY members almost landed on their heads. Akam and Ciampa climb, while Gargano sets up another ladder near them. Rezar joins Gargano on his ladder and all four men go at it. Ciampa’s knocked off but bumps into the other ladder. Rezar falls but Gargano lands on the ladder in the middle. Akam falls off. Gargano’s alone but Ellering pulls him down and knocks over the ladder. Gargano kicks Ellering but eats a boot from Akam. Ciampa’s left alone and bashed into a ladder set up in the corner. They use the ladder to prop up his head and go to hit him with the ladder. Gargano shoves Ciampa aside and takes the shot for his buddy. AOP climb again but Ciampa’s up. He gets behind Rezar and wants to German him off the ladder through the one in the corner. HE DOES IT! OH MY FUCKING GOD! Gargano somehow fights enough to grab Akam and stop him from climbing. Akam kicks at him but both DIY members kick him while he has a ladder over his head. It falls onto his shoulders and they hit MEETING IN THE MIDDLE INTO THE LADDER ON AKAM’S FACE! Ciamps tries helping Gargano up but he’s out of it. They set a ladder up in the middle and both climb up. They grab the titles but AOP kick the ladder out. DIY hang onto the titles and AOP powerbomb them from those spots. They do the Super Collider and another powerbomb! AOP grab the titles.

Winners and Still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Authors of Pain in 20:08 [****1/2]

DIY get to their feet to a standing ovation from the crowd. Ciampa hugs Gargano and they leave the ring. They pose on the stage to more DIY chants as the copyright sign comes up. Ciampa then grabs Gargano and tosses him into the stage. He beats the hell out of Gargano. Officials try to stop im, but Ciampa removes the knee pad and hits a running knee. Ciampa sits with Gargano’s head in his lap while fans are stunned and nearly in tears. Ciampa picks him up and gets atop the announce table. Ciampa picks him up and hits an air raid crash off the table and stage through two other tables!

Overall: 10/10. The best show in wrestling all year. Yes, more than Wrestle Kingdom, the UK Tournament, etc. Top to bottom, everything delivered. Three of the five matches are at least four stars and the other two are at ***1/2 and ***3/4. Dunne/Bate is a MOTY contender, we got Roode's best match in NXT, Hideo's best match in NXT, another fun Asuka defense, a strong (pun intended) opener and a sick main event with an excellently done heel turn to end things.

WWE Backlash Review

WWE Backlash
May 21st, 2017 | Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois

Aiden English vs. Tye Dillinger
This was the Kickoff match. I loved Aiden English’s singing gimmick from his pre-Vaudevillains days in NXT, so I’m glad it’s back. His starry night attire is tremendous as well. This is about the spot I see Tye keeping on Smackdown. A solid babyface midcarder. The match itself was fine, but very forgettable outside of Aiden’s tights. English looked better than when he lost to Tye on Smackdown and his frustration grew when he couldn’t keep Tye down. He missed the swanton and fell to the Tye Breaker at 8:22. Like I said, this was fine and what I expected. Solid work and Tye got the crowd going. He’s a great guy to open shows. [**¼]

Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
The big in-ring debut for Shinsuke Nakamura. He got a great reaction during his entrance, so that’s a positive. This reminded me of a lot of Nakamura’s NXT matches. He wrestled an even match with Ziggler at times, but also had to fight from behind. I don’t know if that’s the best spot for Nakamura. He was great in NJPW when he was the one in control. His best WWE match (with Zayn) was about him showcasing his stuff and being awesome. We didn’t get that here. This felt like it was more about Ziggler and then Nakamura made a comeback that lacked some fire. Also, they’ve hyped him as the king of strong style, and I didn’t see him do much of that here. He won with Kinshasa (just one, thankfully) at 15:41. A solid match, but nowhere near the ideal way to debut Nakamura. Consider this a disappointment because it could’ve been handled so much better. [**¾]

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Breezango
Why does the Breezango team work so well? They’re two guys who have good chemistry and are fully committed to the gimmick. Breeze played a master of disguise here, dressing up as a janitor with a mop and everything. He used it to comically trip up the Usos and once Jimmy or Jey broke it, the crowd reacted. Breeze disappeared for a bit and returned dressed as an old woman, garnering “Let’s go grandma” chants. Grandma Breeze busted out a bronco buster but was taken out shortly after. Fandango nailed a great dive outside following that. He then jumped into a superkick to take the loss at 9:18. A different kind of tag team match, reminding me of the old Damien Mizdow hijinks. Would I like to see Breezango as more serious challengers? Sure. But I can appreciate something as entertaining as this.[***¼]

Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn
These two are great opponents for one another. Corbin can throw around smaller guys and Zayn bumps like a madman most of the time. That’s what we got for the most part here. Corbin dominated at times and Zayn drew the sympathy he needed to from the crowd. There is no better babyface on Earth than Sami Zayn. He sold the hell out of Deep Six for the best near fall of the match. Corbin made a mistake and his momentum sent him outside. Once back in, Sami connected with a Helluva Kick from out of nowhere to win in 14:35. I was surprised with the outcome, since Corbin has been booked strongly. Sami’s win is good and hopefully sets up more down the line. A good David vs. Goliath story, with the underdog taking advantage of a mistake. [***¼]

Becky Lynch, Charlotte and WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi vs. Carmella, Natalya and Tamina w/ James Ellsworth
Coming into this match, I expected one of two finishes. Either Charlotte wins because BIG DOG GOTTA EAT or Carmella wins since she seems to be on the road to a title match. I’m a fan of Carmella and Becky but a lot of this match fell flat. It felt like the stuff we got when the #DIVASREVOLUTIONMAGGLE started and it was just a bunch of clusterfuck tags. Nobody stood out or shined and it felt like a time filler. The in-ring stuff was fine, but nothing you need to see. Becky brought fire, but in the end, she tapped to Natalya’s Sharpshooter at 10:05. Why? What was the point of that finish? That made no sense with anything that has happened recently. Whatever. [**]

WWE United States Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs. AJ Styles
On paper, this should be the best match on the show by a wide margin. Early on, this was a tough match to pinpoint. It didn’t seem to have a focus, but was just two of the best having some solid exchanges. It was when Owens went after the leg, which he also attacked on Smackdown, that things really got going. Owens avoiding a ridiculous Styles Clash off the apron by slipping out and slamming Styles’ leg into the ring post was great. He used various submissions to wear it down inside and I bought into some of the false finishes from it. Styles sold the leg very well and it came into play when he couldn’t hit the Phenomenal Forearm. The bump he took on slipping there was dangerously great. They built to bigger stuff before bringing out a creative finish. Styles went for the Styles Clash on the announce table, but his foot got caught in the hold where the monitor goes, leading to him getting counted out at 21:10. I’d rather the finish have been Owens getting DQed out of desperation, but this was different. The match was the best thing on the show and was a clear first match in a series judging by the finish. If you want to know how good AJ is, this was his worst PPV match of 2017 in my eyes. [***¾]

Erick Rowan vs. Luke Harper
I’m still mad this feud isn’t a bigger deal. If handled right, it absolutely could’ve been. Not main event material, but still. This only went 9:00, but felt like 20. I love Harper but there was never a sense of urgency or anything resembling that here. Like the women’s tag, it felt like they were just here to fill time. I never felt anything for this. Harper should’ve brought fire in seeking revenge for a loss, while Rowan should’ve been aggressive since he’s mad at Harper for betraying the Wyatts. That didn’t happen. Harper won with the discus lariat, gaining some momentum before what I’m hoping is a MITB appearance.[*¾]

WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers
I’ve made my opinions on Jinder clear. I don’t think he belongs in this spot. Anyway, they had a surprisingly hot crowd and got off to a hot start as Orton jumped Jinder. Then, they just screeched the pace to a halt. Any chance this had of being fun went out the window. Orton didn’t completely phone it in like he did with Bray, but he didn’t bring his best. Jinder should’ve worked his ass off in the biggest match of his career, but if he did, it certainly didn’t show. The best part was Orton dumping the former Bollywood Boys violently onto tables. Speaking of that team, I hate that they took one of the few cruiserweights with personality and made them into bland, faceless henchmen. Orton focused on them, allowing Jinder to hit his finish and win the title at 15:46. Neither guy brought it and the match was oddly laid out. It’s crazy how wrestling companies will do anything for the Indian market. From the Great Khali to Mahabali Shera to Jinder Mahal, it doesn’t matter how shitty you are, you’ll get a push. On the positive, it ends a pointless and dull Orton reign. On the negative, this screamed situations like Sheamus, Swagger, Del Rio and Ziggler, who all got title reigns WAY before they were ready. And they all had higher upsides than Jinder. It’s the era of the Maharaja. Let’s see how it goes. [**¼]

Overall: 6/10. An average showing from the blue brand. None of the matches are anything I’d consider “must see”, but most of the show is solid. The Kickoff match was solid, as was the women’s match and the main event. Nakamura/Ziggler was pretty good, but a disappointment. I thought Harper/Ziggler was a time filler at best. If pressed for time, check out Zayn/Corbin for a good underdog story, the Tag Team Title match for fun antics and AJ/Owens for the best match of the night.