Raw History: Episodes #109-111

Raw History
Episode #109
May 1st, 1995 | Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska

According to the opening recap, last week’s Raw featured a record number of viewers. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are on commentary.

The Allied Powers vs. George Anderson and Ron Hagan
Before the match, we get informed that Jeff Jarrett was stripped of the Intercontinental thanks to a controversial finish to his match with Bob Holly. They’ll have a rematch for the belt on the weekend. The Bulldog and Luger both get in pretty much all of the offense. Their opponents look like the definition of jobber. Anderson nearly gets in some stuff, but it looks awkward and he just ends up losing to the Bulldog’s powerslam.

Winners: The Allied Powers in 2:41
Fine enough squash match.

Now we get footage of the Jarrett/Holly controversy. Both guys won the match in odd ways. Jarrett had his feet on the ropes, then the match was restarted and Holly won but Jarrett’s foot was on the bottom rope.

Bob Holly vs. Butler Stevens
This dude has two last names. His shirt looks like a garbage bag to be honest. Holly obviously does most of the work here and the crowd seems somewhat into him. He hits the BEST DROPKICK IN THE BIZ before a flying cross body gets the win.

Winner: Bob Holly in 2:53
Not the best squash match. I’m supposed to believe Holly is a threat to a title?

Todd Pettengil brings us the In Your House Report! The 1-2-3 Kid is injured again and out of the PPV. Razor Ramon won’t get a new partner and is instead facing Jarrett and the Roadie in a handicap match. That’s the only new information we’re given.

Mantaur w/ Jim Cornette vs. Sonny Rogers
Why is the Mantaur experiment not over yet? He splashes Rogers quickly and then tosses him around. Rogers surprises me when he gets a rollup though it clearly doesn’t do the job. Mantaur ends up winning with a slam.

Winner: Mantaur in 2:23
Blah. I completely dislike Mantaur.

They show us a vignette that sees Man Mountain Rock in the NYPD Blue universe. Yes, it’s odd.

We’re supposed to get the advertised Sycho Sid/Razor Ramon marquee matchup now. As Razor’s in the ring and his pyro goes off, Sid steps through it long before Goldberg did stuff like that, and attacks Razor. Sid plants him with two powerbombs until Diesel runs out to make the save. Sid really doesn’t like the Kliq huh?

Adam Bomb vs. Dave Sigfrid
We didn’t hear about it during the In Your House Report, but Vince seems to say that Adam Bomb will face Mabel at the Pay-Per-View. This one is all Adam Bomb. He takes it home with a flying clothesline.

Winner: Adam Bomb in 3:41
Too many squash matches tonight. This one dragged a bit.

Time for our second Hunter Hearst-Helmsley vignette. He actually speaks this time. He doesn’t say much, but he’s clearly a smug bastard.

Men on a Mission vs. Bill Duke and Kevin Krueger
Who the hell booked tonight’s show? Krueger does a dropkick that stagger Mabel. He tags his Duke and they try a double dropkick but Mabel just swats them down like flies. This goes on for far too long. After some dull stuff, Mabel wins it with a belly to belly.

Winners: Men on a Mission in 4:37
Seriously, who the hell booked this show? Awful stuff.

Jerry Lawler has been talking trash about Bret Hart all night long. He has a contract for a match with Bret at In Your House, but says that Bret ducked the challenge and accepted the match with Hakushi instead. Vince says that Brer is coming but Lawler says he’s too scared. Once Bret’s theme plays, Lawler pretty much pisses his pants. Bret admits to taking the Hakushi match. Lawler interjects but Bret shouts for him to shut up and says that after he beats Hakushi, he’ll wrestle Lawler too.

Overall: 1.5/10. They’re hyping next week’s show as some sort of “Double Header”, but it will need to be more than that to make up for this atrocity. Nothing but boring squash matches, not really any interesting build for the Pay-Per-View and the one potential match doesn’t end up happening.

Raw History
Episode #110
May 8th, 1995 | Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska

The first ever In Your House is just six days away. Let’s see how the go home show goes. Our same commentary team handles things tonight.

WWF Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett w/ The Roadie vs. Doink w/ Dink
I thought their mini-feud was the last I’d see of this pairing. They even flash us back to it before the bell rings. Doink starts hot so the Roadie gets involved, only to get his hand stepped on. Doink stays in control for the most part and continues to do damage to the Roadie too. Jarrett swings the momentum and starts to work his generic offense through a commercial break. Doink hits a DDT and actually sells some of the leg work. He also hits a powerslam but only gets two. Doink is nearing the win until Roadie gets in a cheap shot behind the official’s back. Jarrett locks in the Figure Four, causing Doink to submit right as Vince said he would never do that.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett in 7:24
This was your typical house show match. There was nothing special about this at all. Ho-hum. At least the work was decent, though uninspired. *½

We get our first ever Bodydonnas vignette. Sunny and Skip look into the camera and diss fat people. 

Next, Bam Bam Bigelow speaks in a dark room. He talks about his rough start to 1995, but comes across as a babyface, putting over Lawrence Taylor and Diesel in the process.

Vince McMahon is in the ring and brings out Sycho Sid and Ted Dibiase for an interview. Dibiase admits that it was him who suggested to Shawn Michaels that he get Sid as a bodyguard. That’s the only real news he gives us. Other than that he just claims that Sid will end Diesel and his run as WWF Champion. Then Sid speaks and everything becomes amazing. He talks about a lion from Africa, while stumbling over his words. It’s Sid at his finest. The gist of it all is that he’s going to win Sunday.

Next Monday, newly face turned Bigelow takes on IRS.

Hakushi w/ Shinja vs. Gary Scott
Hakushi dominates Gary Scott and his stupid pants. Scott does get in a cross body for pretty much his only offense. Vince informs us that Hart/Hakushi will open the PPV this Sunday. Hakushi nails an impressive springboard splash, remaining undefeated.

Winner: Hakushi in 2:49
Better than your average squash.

In Your House Report! Diesel cuts a serious promo about Sid. He wants him to bring the fight and says that he’s not scared.

Bart Gunn w/ Billy Gunn vs. WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji
The Smoking Gunns get their rematch at the Tag Team Titles at the Pay-Per-View. Owen Hart stalls at the start before exchanging some WRESTLING with Bart. Bart gets in a fair amount of the early stuff. Owen speeds thing sup but runs into a sidewalk slam. Bart gets tripped up by Mr. Fuji, so Owen takes over. He rams Bart’s back into the ring post. Billy, being a complete doofus, is distracting the referee during this. Even so, Owen doesn’t stay in the driver’s seat for long. Bart wants a second rope suplex but Cornette grabs his leg and he falls. Billy then crotches Owen on top to even the score. Bart schoolboys Owen and steals it.

Winner: Bart Gunn in 6:30
A rather disappointing match. Owen Hart was great but Bart never seemed to click in singles matches. Plus, he was a charisma vacuum. *¾

Footage from WWF Mania airs. Todd Pettengill and Stephanie Waind check out the house you can win at In Your House. Todd is a dick, sitting and standing on the counter. Why would I want to live there?

Jerry Lawler announces that he will bring his mother to the PPV.

Overall: 3.5/10. Better than last week but not by much. The two actual matches were both pretty bad, though I like the Hakushi squash. Also, Sid’s promo was easily the highlight as it was just so damn insane.

In Your House Results
Bret Hart def. Hakushi
Razor Ramon def. Jeff Jarrett and the Roadie
KOTR Qualifier: Mabel def. Adam Bomb
Yokozuna and Owen Hart def. the Smoking Gunns to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles
Jerry Lawler def. Bret Hart
Diesel def. Sycho Sid via disqualification, retaining the WWF Championship

Raw History
Episode #111
May 15th, 1995 | Broome County Arena in Binghamton, New York

IRS and Bigelow get quick promos to open the show. IRS wants Bigelow to pay his taxes. Shocking right? Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler run things and we are live.

WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji vs. Bill Weaver and Nick Barberry
Yokozuna starts for his team and tosses the scrubs around. Cornette gets in some venomous disses shouting at Vince. Owen Hart comes in and does some actual work. As usual, Owen gives the jobbers something, though it isn’t much. Vince brags about Yokozuna being over 600 pounds like it’s a good thing. He hits the uranage for the victory.

Winners: Owen Hart and Yokozuna in 3:06
Your basic squash from the Tag Team Champions.

Still images are shown of the Lawler/Hart stuff from last night. Lawler is giddy about beating Bret.

An odd “WWF Saves the World” commercial runs, featuring aliens. 1995 was a strange time.

Man Mountain Rock vs. “Iron” Mike Sharpe
I’m actually writing this a day after the unfortunate passing of Mike Sharper. Rest in peace. He does his typical loud selling. It’s so great. Looking it up, this is his last ever match on Raw. It ends quickly with the whammy bar submission.

Winner: Man Mountain Rock in 1:25
Too short to really be anything.

They show the house giveaway from the Pay-Per-View last night. They tell us that the guy who won it is a big Shawn Michaels fan, leading to Vince saying that HBK returns next week against King Kong Bundy.

Now we get still images from the Jarrett and Roadie/Razor match, focusing on the debut of Savio Vega. We then hear from Savio, who cuts his promo in Spanish. He fixes it to English for a bit, saying that Razor is his friend, but then goes back to Spanish.

King of the Ring Qualifying Match
Bob Holly vs. Mantaur w/ Jim Cornette
Oh man, we’re coming up on the absolutely dreadful 1995 King of the Ring. The start of this match is totally one-sided. Mantaur just gets in everything. He hits a suplex but Holly continues to kick out of pretty much everything. Maybe it’s because he didn’t fully cover, instead choosing to just lay his hands on Holly. Holly starts making his rally, coring a few near falls. Finally, he gets the flying cross body and scores the three.

Winner: Bob Holly in 5:29
Why is Mantaur still a thing? How did it last so long? Bob Holly was fine as the babyface underdog but this wasn’t very entertaining. *

Vince McMahon is now in the ring to bring out Bob Backlund to make an announcement. Backlund uses a lot of big words as always. He shouts random historic moments but totally butchers all of the dates. I have no idea if he did that on purpose. This is drawn out far longer than it needs to be, just so he can announce that he’s running for president.

Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Diesel vs. IRS w/ Ted Dibiase
This is the debut of Bigelow’s new entrance gear and pyro. Diesel is brought out to be in Bigelow’s corner and he chases Dibiase away. They do some dull work before a commercial break. Returning, Bigelow misses a headbutt, so IRS comes back with shoulder blocks to take him down. The crowd doesn’t seem very into this. None of the stuff being done is interesting at all. That’s most likely because IRS is in control and he’s incredibly boring. He removes the turnbuckle pad, Bigelow charges and IRS moves, so he hits it. IRS tries a pin with his foot on the ropes but Diesel shoves it off. This turns it around for Bigelow, who wins with the diving headbutt.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow in 5:12
Someone needs to stop booking IRS. His run has to be coming to an end soon. This was painfully boring. ½*

A Shawn Michaels video package airs, set to his theme song. It turns ugly at the end when King Kong Bundy appears to say Shawn’s return will be short lived.

Overall: 2/10. What the hell happened? 1995 was going pretty well and then they put out these three Raws in a row. This one featured a shit main event, a lame KOTR qualifying match and an overdrawn Bob Backlund promo. Ugh.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #4 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #4
September 1st, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

It’s time for the final first round episode of the Mae Young Classic. The opening video package gave a rundown of the eight women competing on this episode.

Candice LeRae vs. Renee Michelle
I don’t know much about Michelle. LeRae is one of the biggest female names on the indies. She’s 31, is married to Johnny Gargano and has been working for over a decade. Speaking of Gargano, he was shown in the front row. “Candice Wrestling” chants. Candice brought fire, picking up several near falls and looking like an underdog, despite being the veteran. Michelle fired off some nice looking kicks, but ate a Code Breaker. I like how some of these girls just use other people’s finishers as regular offense. Michelle missed a moonsault, opening the door for a Candice dropkick. They went up top, where Candice hit a second rope neckbreaker to win in 5:36. Solid at best. Candice looked fine, but Michelle needs a ton of work. She looked slow in a lot of her stuff, especially when it came to running the ropes. Also, the fans loved LeRae, but were surprisingly quiet for the match. [**¼]

Alexa Bliss was shown in the audience.

Lacey Evans vs. Taynara Conti
Evans is signed to the WWE and is a former Marine. I saw her live at an NXT show in March. Conti is a 22 year old Brazilian with a judo background, also signed to WWE and has only had a handful of matches. She looks like a cross between Natalya and Renee Young. Conti bowed instead of giving the handshake. She showed heel tactics early, with Lacey retaliating by using her size. Conti busted out kicks and some impressive judo throws. She also delivered a swinging slam that showed some power of her own. Evans returned with a flurry, capped with Jig and Tonic to win in 4:42. That was better than I expected. I believe they’ve combined to wrestle less than 100 matches, but they worked well together and both showed potential. Conti looks to have a good heel in her, while Evans is quite the natural babyface. I’m intrigued by both. In the next round, Evans faces Toni Storm. [**¾]

Nicole Savoy vs. Reina Gonzalez
Gonzalez is signed to the WWE and has only worked a tiny amount of matches. Savoy is billed as the “Queen of Suplexes” and is a SHIMMER veteran. Reina took the heel route, not giving the handshake. There’s been too much of that. I was disappointed to see this follow a too familiar trope of this tournament. Since Gonzalez had a size advantage, she had to have control and she beat on Savoy. That’s not Savoy’s game. Underdog babyface doesn’t work for her. Reina hit a sidewalk slam and applied Billy Goat’s Curse to continue her dominance. Savoy eventually applied an armbar to win in 4:25. Whoever laid this out had no clue what they were doing. Savoy talked about suplexes in her vignette and then just got her ass kicked. This needed to be similar to the Shayna match to work. Savoy faces LeRae in the next round, which should be better. This was the 2nd worst first round match. [*¼]

Kairi Sane vs. Tessa Blanchard
Tessa is 22 and the daughter of Tully. She’s made a name for herself around the world. Shane was formerly known as Kairi Hojo and is signed to the WWE. She’s 28 and was one of the best performers in STARDOM for a long time. Their early exchanges saw nobody get an advantage until Sane nailed a running blockbuster. Blanchard picked up the intensity and hit a sick looking lung blower in the corner. Sane cut off her momentum with a spear (she’s like, the third person to do that in the tournament). The crowd ate up everything Kairi did, including her taunts. She showed off a flying forearm that rivals AJ Styles’. Tessa slowed the pace and got two on a top rope senton. She got a gear near fall by catching a Sane forearm and pulling her into a pin. Sane came back with the Alabama Slam and pointed to her elbow pad. The fans went NUTS, knowing what was coming. Sane delivered her gorgeous elbow drop to advance at 8:38. Arguably the best match of the first round. They had great chemistry and wasted almost none of the time given. Great back and forth, evenly contested match. The fans were into this and treated Sane like a major star. Sane takes on Bianca Belair in the next round. [***½]

Sane and Blanchard hugged after the match.

Overall: 7/10. This was about on par with episode one for my favorite of the tournament so far. It was cool to see Candice LeRae, even if her match wasn’t great. Conti/Evans was much better than expected and a nice surprise. Savoy’s good, but the match she had gave her no chance to showcase herself and was the only real blemish on the episode. Sane/Blanchard was great and in contention for best match so far. This tournament is a lot like the CWC. The first round mostly separated the potential stars from the lesser known participants and things should improve in the following rounds.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #3 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #3
August 31st, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

Looking at the cards, episode #3 was my most anticipated one of the first round. It features three of my favorite girls on the independent scene.

The opening video package gave short introductions for the eight women competing tonight, voiced over by Mauro Ranallo.

Ayesha Raymond vs. Toni Storm
I’ve never seen Raymond before. She’s 27 and can apparently deadlift over 450 pounds. Storm has been KILLING it lately and is very popular. She’s just 21 and is the first PROGRESS Women’s Champion. Storm stood out and looked more like a star before even locking up than everyone else so far. Raymond didn’t shake hands, but Storm paid her back with some cockiness of her own. Storm got to bust out the ass attacks, which got a pop. Raymond took over a bit with her power, while Storm rallied behind the “Aussie” chants. The finish was VERY awkward, as Raymond faked out her finish, then missed a splash and got pulled into a lame looking cradle to lose in 4:27. It worked as a decent showcase for Storm. She didn’t show a ton of offense but she oozed charisma. [**½]

Charlotte and Sara Amato were shown in the crowd.

Dakota Kai vs. Kavita Devi
Devi is the first Indian woman in the WWE. Kai is my absolute favorite in the tournament, formerly known as Evie. She’s been great in SHIMMER, Shine and STARDOM in recent years. She’s signed to the WWE. Like Raymond in the previous match, Devi held the clear strength advantage. Her doing a slow motion lucha arm drag was not a good look. It looked bad and she should probably stick to power stuff for now. Kai got in some dropkicks that had no effect and then looked to die on a press slam. Kai quickened the pace and delivered a huge running kick, before scoring with a diving double stomp to win in 3:56. The double stomp looked more impactful than Balor’s, to be honest. Kai did her best to sell and bump for Devi, but Devi didn’t know enough to even work a four minute match. She was very repetitive. Still, kudos to Kai for selling during and after the match. Kai meets Rhea Ripley in round two. [**]

The Rock’s family was shown in the crowd. His mother, his daughter and his ex-wife, sitting with Nia Jax.

Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett
Both are signed to WWE. Beckett is 32 and was trained by the Dudley Boyz, while Belair is 28 and has been working for about a year. Again, we had someone with a clear size and strength advantage. Maybe they should’ve put these matches on separate episodes. Belair fired up but the crowd didn’t seem that into it. Beckett got a pop from me for busting out the old Bubba Bomb. She ended up missing the Vader Bomb and Belair whipped her with her braid. She followed with a spear to win in 5:33. Average outing, though the story of a bigger girl having control and making a mistake that costs her is redundant on this episode. With no familiar faces in this one, the crowd was less invested than the first two matches. [**]

Piper Nevin vs. Santana Garrett
It blows my mind that Garrett hasn’t been signed yet. She’s 29, worked with TNA and STARDOM and has won tons of titles. She also has the kind of look that the WWE would typically market. Nevin is signed and formerly known as Viper. She’s 26 and has worked for STARDOM, WCPW and other promotions. The crowd was split for this one. From the start, it was clear that this would be the best “speed vs. size” matchup. Santana used her quickness and athleticism to find ways to negate Piper’s size. Piper powered out of a submission and pulled out a cross body of her own. That led to Piper slowing the pace and wearing down Santana. Santana fought back with a tornado DDT and Eat Defeat (I wouldn’t have her do that, since it’s another girl’s finish). She survived another splash and pulled out the Trish handstand rana for two. The fans came to their feet just before Santana missed her finish. Piper hit a senton and weird looking Michinoku Driver to win in 7:09. Another quality main event. They told a tried and true story very well, but I was kind of burnt out by that tale on this episode. Santana and Piper are both great and it’s a shame one had to go out so early. The dynamic worked and the crowd was way invested. Piper faces Serena Deeb in the next round. [***½]

Overall: 6/10. I wanted to like this episode more. With Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Santana Garrett and Piper Nevin, it could’ve been great. However, Storm and Kai were paired with women who weren’t anywhere near their level and put in short matches. They both looked good, though. Belair/Beckett was alright. The main event was very good and showed why Nevin and Garrett are so good. I just would’ve put some of these matches on different episodes due to how redundant they were.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #2 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #2
August 30th, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

After a solid debut episode, I dive back into the Mae Young Classic. I’m familiar with six of the eight women on this episode.

The opening video package showed highlights from episode one.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li
Li is signed to the WWE and has only worked a tiny amount of matches. Martinez is a 36-year old vet who has been in SHIMMER, Shine, ROH and many other promotions. I’ve been watching her for about ten years at this point. Martinez had fun with the opening handshake, intimidating Li and mocking her. Lie responded with a series of kicks that overwhelmed Martinez. Li made the mistake of running into a spinebuster and Martinez took her to school. Martinez turned a surfboard into a dragon sleeper for the submission victory in 3:06. I liked the potential that Li showed. In her first televised match, she was given a chance to show off and did well. Martinez made her look good. Martinez faces Princesa Sugehit next. [**½]

Marti Belle vs. Rachel Evers
Belle, 29, has been seen in TNA and Shine. Evers, 24, is the daughters of Paul Ellering, was trained by Lance Storm and has impressed me in some appearances for Shine. Early on, Belle went to stall tactics and called for timeout when Evers had control. Marti took over a bit, but the stronger Evers did the old school spot where she no sold turnbuckle smashes. Evers showed off a fisherman slam, which I don’t think I’ve seen before. Marti responded with a bad looking Stroke for a near fall. Rachel then rolled her up to win from out of nowhere at 6:10. That wasn’t any good. Marti looked horrible. She was sloppy as hell and, though I like Evers, she didn’t stand out either. Easily the worst match so far. Evers meets Laith in the next round. [¼*]

New signees Shadia Bsesio and Kacy Catanzaro were shown in the audience.

A video package was shown of Triple H giving the 32 participants a talk at the Performance Center.

Miranda Salinas vs. Rhea Ripley
Salinas, 23, was trained by Booker T, while Ripley is just 20 years old and signed to WWE. Ripley is way taller. After some basic grappling exchanges, Ripley busted out a sweet dropkick. Like, some of the top dropkick guys in the business would be a bit jealous. Salinas didn’t back down, regrouping and finding a way to take her larger opponent down. Ripley brought more dropkicks, including a hesitation one in the corner. A full nelson slam later and Ripley won at 3:51. In the short time, they told a fine David vs. Goliath story. The important thing here was Ripley looked like a star. Of the girls I’ve never seen before, she seems to have the most potential. [**]

Beth Phoenix and Natalya were shown in the crowd.

Mia Yim vs. Sarah Logan
Logan is the former Crazy Mary Dobson, is 23 and signed to WWE. Yim is 28 and has worked for TNA, SHIMMER and Shine in the past. They started with a quick pace and had the crowd giving split chants. Yim showed off an impressive array of kicks, with Logan conjuring up FIGHTING SPIRIT, only to keep getting kicked. As a side note, this was the most knowledgeable Lita sounded in the tournament, noting their past and Yim using the tarantula as a tribute to her old trainer, Tajiri. The women continued to hit each other hard with strikes, kicks and knees. They moved to suplexes, with Yim hitting some great looking ones. Logan was fired up and resilient, constantly fighting back and racking up near falls. Logan missed a weak looking strike and fell to Eat Defeat in 7:17. The best thing on this episode. There was some great looking moves throughout and Logan showed some great babyface fire. Yim was very impressive in her own right. I enjoyed the back and forth aspect, as it hasn’t been something we’ve seen a lot of in the tournament so far. Yim faces Baszler next round. [***¼]

Overall: 5.5/10. Not the best episode if you’re looking for great matches. Only Yim/Logan stuck out to me. However, what did work was how some girls got to showcase potential. Ripley has future star written all over her and a great presence, while Li and Logan looked to be good pieces for the Performance Center. Martinez being on WWE TV was quite cool, too. Avoid Evers/Belle, though. That didn’t work at all.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #1 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #1
August 28th, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

I’d love to pump out reviews of these episodes as quickly as possible, but I have quite the busy schedule for school (at Full Sail, no less) this week. Except for Tuesday. Therefore, I’m going to do my best to review at least one episode per day this week. I’ll be using the date I watch each episode as the date listed on the review.

Stephanie McMahon, pioneer for all things women’s wrestling related, voiced over the opening video package that showcased women throughout history. It called this the “greatest era” for women’s wrestling.

Jim Ross and Lita were on commentary. They had to re-record their work due to some issues.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Princesa Sugehit
Like the CWC, we got a video package to highlight the competitors. Sugehit is a 37-year old Mexican luchador with over 680 matches under her belt. Ray is 25 and from Scotland. I’ve seen Ray in PROGRESS and SHIMMER in the past, but never any Sugehit. They did the handshake gimmick like the CWC. The setting was quite dark as the lights in the crowd were very dim. Fans were behind Ray. She was confident, but Sugehit used her quickness to combat it. Sugehit busted out an impressive Code Red that was probably the best spot. Another highlight was Ray turning a kickout into a Koji Clutch, but Sugehit countered. Ray’s high risk style cost her, as she missed a swanton and Sugehit made her tap to an armbar in 5:58. Good way to start the tournament. The cocky, younger, more popular girl made a few too many mistakes and the veteran made her pay. Good stuff. [***]

Naomi was shown in the crowd.

Serena Deeb vs. Vanessa Borne
The video package showed Borne is 28 and has a past as a broadcast announcer and cheerleader. She is signed to WWE. Deeb (31) obviously worked as Serena in the Straight Edge Society, but had alcohol issues that cost her the job. Deeb has had quite the body transformation and looks very different. Of note, this was the first match officiated by WWE’s first female referee. Deeb controlled early with her experience edge. Borne had some nice offense, including a sliding headbutt that I don’t think I’ve seen before. She wore Deeb down for a bit, before the comeback started. Borne took a great bump on a neckbreaker. Deeb missed a spear, and Borne tried a few moves that weren’t enough. The frustration was clear, opening the door for the Deeb rally and Spear to win in 6:05. I thought this was solid. Borne is clearly still learning, so pairing her with Deeb was wise. She led a smart match and Borne showed some flashes. I could see Deeb either getting a run with the WWE or as a trainer at the PC out of this. [**¼]

Charly Caruso gave us nothing of note in the control center. Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessmyn Duke were shown in the crowd to support Shayna Baszler.

Shayna Baszler vs. Zeda
Zeda is signed to WWE and has a short background in MMA. She represents China. Baszler is 37 and one of the “Four Horsewomen” of MMA. No handshake from Shayna and we got “Shayna’s gonna kill you” chants. She took Zeda down and disrespectfully slapped her. They grappled around on the mat, with Shayna having the upper hand. Zeda surprised many by picking up a near fall with a monkey flip. Shayna countered a hanging guillotine into a falcon arrow/rear naked choke combo. Zeda tapped at 2:19. Pretty much the perfect way for Shayna to start. You establish her as a killer and Zeda’s the kind of girl who can take a loss like this since she has no name value and will continue to work at the PC. [**¼, but **** booking]

Abbey Laith vs. Jazzy Gabert
Laith is better known as Kimber Lee. She’s 27 and currently signed to WWE, hence the name change. Gabert is 35, represents Germany and is one imposing looking woman. Gabert gave the handshake, but pulled Laith in hard. Laith came out of the blocks with fire, but her shots didn’t have much effect. The crowd ate everything up. Gabert began tossing her around. They did a cool spot where Gabert caught a kick and slammed Laith’s leg down, only for Abbey to go into a split and show it didn’t hurt. Gabert walloped her with strikes and Laith had to fight for her life to escape submissions. Laith made her comeback and hit the swanton bomb that Kay Lee Ray missed earlier. It wasn’t enough and Laith looked at a loss for what to do next. Gabert wrecked her with a lariat and some mounted punches. As Gabert went for the kill, Laith countered into the Alligator Clutch pin, which she learned her trainer who was taught it by Mae Young, to score the upset in 7:09. The best thing on the show. Great David vs. Goliath story and both women came out of this looking awesome. Laith showed strong fire, Gabert was a brilliant monster and everything they did made sense. The added touch of a Mae Young finish to the match was great. [***½]

Overall: 7/10. I found this to be a good way to kick off the tournament. Nothing on the show was bad and everything flowed nicely. The format is very much like the CWC, which is fine. The biggest issue was the commentary, as it came off clunky and awkward. Ray/Sugehit was good fun, Borne/Deeb was solid for what it was and Borne showed potential. Baszler was booked expertly and the main event was very good, getting both women over. I look forward to more.

Random Match Review #14

Austin Aries and Kota Ibushi vs. The Briscoes – ROH Tag Wars 2008 4/18/08; Michigan State Fairgrounds & Expo Center


ROH had a banner year in 2007. 2008 got off to a great start as well, but was bolstered by the arrival of Kota Ibushi. Ibushi was still a bit of a baby in the industry, having debuted about four years prior. His short stint with ROH in the Spring of 2008 marked his first appearances in the United States. He suffered losses to Davey Richards and Claudio Castagnoli before this match. Not much else of a backstory here, as it was just the best tag team in ROH at the time against a singles ace in Austin Aries and an international star.

The early portion of this match felt rather pedestrian. Not that they were bad, but it felt like the fans, and myself, were just waiting for things to get out of hand. The Briscoes picked up the pace, working a heat segment on Ibushi and reminding everyone why they were the best team in the world at the time. That heat segment was great. It was perfect for the Briscoes, because they got to show off their skills and do it at a crazy quick pace that wowed the audience. With Kota struggling early, you could sense some fans wondered if Aries would remain a loyal partner. He was in the midst of a storyline where he may or may not join the villainous Age of the Fall.

When Aries got the hot tag, it got even better. He had a rather lengthy history with the Briscoes and it showed. Kota got to bust out his double moonsault, which is honestly a contrived spot, but worked here because the fans weren’t used to it and popped big time. The traditional tag formula went out the window by that point, with no more tagging and guys coming in and out for spots. Yet, it doesn’t fully become a spot fest. There’s a reason behind stuff and the underlying stories of Aries being the strong link against the Briscoes and Kota desperately wanting to return home with a win, remained evident. The Briscoes managed to finally hit Aries with the Doomsday Device, leaving Kota alone. He fought valiantly, but fell victim to a spike Jay Driller to lose in 17:36.

Great tag team acting. Ibushi got to shine and showcase his stuff in his first trip to the States, while the Briscoes were allowed to be the great team that they are. The inclusion of Aries could’ve felt like an afterthought, but his history with the Briscoes and past as an ROH World Tag Team Champion were key factors. They weaved that into the story of the match brilliantly. The desperation of Kota, the upper hand of Aries (and his AOTF questions) and the overall excellence of the Briscoes. It made for quality TV. [****]

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History

#1) Stretcher Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy - WWE Smackdown 4/10/09 [***½]

#2) Steve Austin vs. Val Venis – WWF Smackdown 10/21/99 [**¾]

#3) Prince Devitt vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 13: Unbelievable Jeff 5/18/14 [***¾]

#4) NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ricky Steamboat [c] vs. Ric Flair – WrestleWar 5/7/89 [****¾]

#5) GWF Light Heavyweight Championship 2 Out of 3 Falls: Lightning Kid [c] vs. Jerry Lynn – GWF 12/27/91 [***]

#6) 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 [***½]

#7) TNA Legends Championship I Quit Match: AJ Styles [c] vs. Booker T – TNA Sacrifice 5/24/09 [***¼]

#8) AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Nick Bockwinkel [c] vs. Hulk Hogan – AWA Super Sunday 4/24/83 [***]

#9) GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KENTA [c] vs. Low Ki – ROH Final Battle 12/17/05 [****½]

#10) NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: The Miracle Violence Connection vs. The Steiner Brothers – Clash of the Champions XIX 6/16/92 [****]

#11) NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Power Struggle 11/8/14 [****½]

#12) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naomichi Marufuji [c] vs. Prince Devitt – NJPW Dominion 6/19/10 [****}

#13) PROGRESS Championship: El Ligero [c] vs. Ricochet – PROGRESS Chapter 6: We <3 Violence 3/31/13 [***¼]

Random Match Review: 8/25/17

PROGRESS Championship: El Ligero [c] vs. Ricochet – PROGRESS Chapter 6: We <3 Violence 3/31/13; The Garage


I’d like to thank everyone who voted, as this got the most total votes of any poll I’ve posted so far. 

There’s not much of a backstory to this one. This was the early days of PROGRESS and El Ligero was only the second champion in company history. We’re so far back that there wasn’t even a belt yet. The title was a staff. Ricochet was the first American to appear in PROGRESS since Chapter 1 and got a title shot in his debut.

It was weird seeing Ricochet here, as he looked considerably smaller and had a mohawk. It was pretty clear that he was very good, getting the upper hand on El Ligero at almost every turn. As if Ligero wasn’t ready for his level of skill. The champion finally got an opening with a dropkick. With him in control, we got to see more of a guy who was a top champion. For the early portions, he certainly didn’t feel like he was in Ricochet’s league. As he slowed the pace, things worked in his favor. Of course, Ricochet would find ways to regain some of the control, but the match moved into a more back and forth affair.

Though the match was more even in the later stages, it still felt like Ricochet was the star. His offense is always impressive, so the fans gobbled up everything he did. However, some of Ricochet’s aerial stuff came back to bit him in the ass. He missed a Phoenix Splash and Ligero got his knees up on a Shooting Star Press attempt. Ligero delivered a great looking reverse rana and springboard tornado DDT to remain champion after 18:09.

This was a fun main event, just not a great one. It worked as a great showcase for Ricochet, though I feel Ligero didn’t come off looking too great. It seemed like the outsider was way above the top PROGRESS guy in terms of skill. Ligero did manage to show some resourcefulness and resiliency, though. A good outing with a clean finish, just not dramatic enough to take it to the next level. [***¼]

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Random Match Review: 8/24/17

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naomichi Marufuji [c] vs. Prince Devitt – NJPW Dominion 6/19/10; Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium


At Wrestle Kingdom earlier in the year, Naomichi Marufuji won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, despite being a Pro Wrestling NOAH regular. On that same night, Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi successfully defended their Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. In the time between then and Dominion, Devitt’s team was stripped of the titles for not defending them and he entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors Tournament. Devitt bested Kota Ibushi in the finals to earn this title shot.

Though the men were close in age (Devitt was 28 and Marufuji was 30), Marufuji would be considered the veteran. He was accomplished, having won the Super J Cup twice, a Heavyweight Title in NOAH and Jr. Titles in NJPW, NOAH and AJPW. Devitt’s BOTSJ win was the biggest singles accomplishment for him so far. Marufuji beat Devitt in their first match in the Super J Cup Finals a year prior, and again at a show earlier in 2010. Devitt needed to finally beat Marufuji to bring the title back to NJPW.

The veteran instinct of Marufuji came into play early. Devitt was amped and busted out a dive in the opening minutes, but Marufuji had a game plan and took the attack to his challenger’s leg. He slammed it on the apron and applied submissions like a modified stretch muffler and figure four. Devitt refused to quit, surviving it all. He began his rally, which the crowd was firmly behind. Some of his stuff involved the use of his leg a bit too much, with no time taken to sell it. IF you’re going to use a body part that’s been worked on, at least stop to sell the pain or shake it out or something. To be fair, he was better about it in the later stages. 

They had a brilliant exchange of kick attempts, where they each dodged a bunch. Marufuji would win out, catching Devitt with stiff kick after stiff kick. As the match reached its final point, they called back to previous outings. Marufuji needed to reach deep to beat Devitt this time, because he wouldn’t stay down. He went for high risk offense, taking Devitt to the top rope. That mistake proved costly when Devitt countered and hit Bloody Sunday off the top to take the championship away from NOAH and earn his first Jr. Heavyweight Title at 20:20.

Great match, with the added bonus of the almost always excellent Osaka crowd. I had some issues with the leg selling at times, but other than that, this ruled. They had great exchanges and reversals from knowing so much about each other in their past battles. A lot of the time, it looked like Marufuji was the better wrestler. He was almost always a step ahead. But Devitt wouldn’t quit and survived a lot to finally take home the title. [****]

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Random Match Review: 8/22/17

NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Power Struggle 11/8/14; Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium


At King of Pro Wrestling a month earlier, Tomohiro Ishii regained the NEVER Openweight Title and now came face to face with Hirooki Goto. The NEVER Title sort of became the de facto championship for matches where dudes just stiff one another and go to war. Considering Ishii and Goto, that’s what I expected coming into this. I’ve seen them meet in later years and it’s always fun. All three meetings were in the G1, coming in 2015 (****½), 2016 (***½) and 2017 (****).

People wanted them to go to war and that’s just what they did. There were brutal strikes from the opening bell. That’s Ishii’s domain and, though Goto can hold his own there, he got outmatched early. A chop exchange led to him crumpling to the mat in pain. Goto manned up and returned the favor to Ishii in the next few minutes, setting the tone that he would dish out as good as he took. The sheer brutality in this never wavered. Strike after strike. Chop after chop. Lariat after lariat. It seemed to become about more than the title, it was a test of who was manlier. A great exchange saw Goto finally send Ishii down with a lariat, only for him to pop up and return the favor. Goto got up instantly and they took each other out with simultaneous lariats.

With each move someone survived, the crowd got louder and more invested. They continued to stiff each other and I honestly have no idea how they kept the pace they did. Goto nearly decapitated Ishii with a lariat, only for Ishii to kick out at one. That really took the crowd to the next level. Goto put the focus on Ishii’s neck and head, hitting several neckbreakers and USHIGOROSHI (shoutout to Mauro). Ishii had blood in his mouth and I’m not sure if it was something internal or a busted lip. After surviving the very best they could throw at each other, Ishii put Goto down and retained in 17:15.

This is what the NEVER Openweight Title was built on. Two warriors doing battle to not just win, but outlast the other. They worked the crowd into a frenzy and never stopped. It’s the Tomohiro Ishii special. 12-20 minutes of non-stop, hard hitting action and a never say die attitude. Goto gave him everything in his arsenal, but Ishii weathered the storm and retained the gold. A must-see match that’s probably their second best encounter ever. [****½]

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