PROGRESS Chapter 71: F.E.L.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S
June 10th, 2018 | O2 Academy Sheffield in Sheffield, England
Following a wacky trip to the 70s for Chapter 70, PROGRESS was back to the company we all know and love for Chapter 71. The Thunderbastard Tag Team Series continues, the South Pacific Power Trip is back together, there’s a WWE employee on the card, and we’re on the road to Wembley.
Jim Smallman did his usual opening spiel, before introducing a guest. It was Steffanie Newell, formerly known as Nixon Newell and soon to be Tegan Nox in NXT. She came out to her “C’est La Vie” theme, which led to a sing-along from the crowd. She was scheduled to be on the card tonight, but was unfortunately injured the night before at Download Festival. Though she couldn’t compete, she was allowed to pick her replacement. The replacement? DAKOTA KAI! Dakota reminded the fans that she won the last time she was in the ring with Jinny (in a tag) and threatened to kick her FUC- but was interrupted by Newell, reminding her to be PG. Dakota vowed to kick Jinny’s freaking head off and win the title.
Number One Contender’s Match: Damien Corvin vs. Michael Dante
I believe this was my first look at either guy. Dante is a former PROGRESS Tag Champion, though. The winner gets a shot at Doug Williams’ Atlas Championship. They certainly fit the bill of BIG LADS WRESTLING. That was especially true when they did more than just beat on each other, but also showcase athleticism and other things that you expect from the versatile bigs of this division. It was surprisingly short, though. Just when it seemed to be picking up and getting good, Dante scored with a Spear to win in 5:28. A fine little opener, but one that ended just when it might’ve gotten better. Dante looked pretty good. [**½]
Thunderbastard Tag Team Series: The Anti-Fun Police [0] vs. Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Haskins [2] w/ Vicky Haskins
Flash, Mark, and Vicky came out to N.W.A’s “Fuck The Police” and dressed in jail jumpsuits. Incredible. If you’ve seen the Anti-Fun Police before, then you know how much of a blast Los Federales Santos Jr. is. He brought a strong comedy aspect to this match, even though Flash and Mark have been more serious lately. Though they’ve had a tumultuous relationship so far, Flash and Haskins worked well together. There was a great spot where Flash came in and moved Mark out of the way of taking a move and hit one of his own. Another good spot saw the Anti-Fun Police trapped in submissions, only for Santos to power up and drop Flash on Mark to break them. Vicky resorted to her old tricks late, distracting the referee so Flash could kick Santos low, allowing Haskins to roll him up and win in 8:58. This was fun, with personalities shining. [***]
Natural Progression Series V Semi-Finals: Danny Duggan vs. Mark Davis
The winner faces Chris Ridgeway in the finals. I always chuckle when Duggan gets, “HOOOO” chants from the crowd. Davis has been one of the breakout stars in all of wrestling this year, while I haven’t seen much of Duggan. One of the reasons Davis has stood out is his abundance of vicious strikes. He showed them off here, laying into Duggan with chops that left his chest beet red. Duggan fought hard to throw what he could at Davis, including a tope suicida into the crowd. He also scored a few close near falls, bringing the crowd to their feet even though Davis was the clear favorite. Duggan’s sitout powerbomb was a highlight. However, Davis just walloped him with a punch and that was all in 9:03. The finish was a bit too abrupt, but leading up to that was some very good action. Davis continues to shine. [***½]
Death Match: Jimmy Havoc vs. Spike Trivet
Will Ospreay challenged Jimmy Havoc to find the Jimmy Havoc of old, so here he is in another Death Match. Before the bell, Trivet talked trash, saying Ospreay told him some hard truths about Havoc being homeless, having his girl leave him, and being an alcoholic. He also told him to stop riding on the coattails of winning Tournament of Death a year ago and poked fun at how little money he made from it. Jimmy had enough and attacked him to start this. What we got was a brutal, barbaric match fitting of the stipulation. That included Jimmy stapling Spike’s tongue, Spike driving scissors into Jimmy’s arm, and the use of a lemon into some open wounds. One of the best moments saw Trivet get a canvas and hang Jimmy upside down, letting his blood cover it. He then got a paintbrush and painted in his blood. It was clear that Spike was as sick as Jimmy. Spike got on the mic and told Jimmy to give up because he may have built this scene, but it doesn’t need him anymore. Havoc kicked out at one on some of Spike’s biggest offense. But then Spike delivered a chair shot and won at 14:06. Surprising result but one that fit the story they were going for. It was one-sided and showed that Will Ospreay was correct. Jimmy is not the same guy who went to war with him and held the PROGRESS Title for over a year. He’ll need to rebound. [***½]
Angelico vs. Chris Brookes
It’s a battle of two lanky guys who competed in Super Strong Style 16. They’re lanky to the point of getting “tall lads wrestling” chants. Considering the guys involved, this was worked at a slower pace than expected. Around eight or so minutes in, it began to pick up. Angelico got going but missed a dive and the fight moved to the aisle. It led to a cool suplex spot involving a guardrail, though it felt out of place with the rest of the match. Angelico’s leg was too hurt for him to follow up after hitting a Buckle Bomb. That allowed Brookes to win with the Praying Mantis Bomb in 13:26. It was a good little match, but one that didn’t seem very focused at some points. I feel like that’s an issue with Brookes’ singles stuff. He works so much better in a tag. [***]
Speaking of tags, Brookes got on the microphone to address the Kid Lykos situation. Vicky Haskins came out and distracted him while Mark Haskins and Flash Morgan Webster jumped him from behind. They wanted to take Brookes out to remove a team from the Thunderbastard Series. Webster offered to hit the final blow for Mark and prove himself a bit. He clocked Brookes with his helmet, impressing Haskins who hugged him. The #CCK music hit and Lykos walked out with his arm in a sling. He removed it to a pop and revealed that the wolf was back. He hit the Brainbuster and sent Haskins and Flash packing, marking the official return of #CCK.
Jack Sexsmith and WALTER vs. The South Pacific Power Trip
If Jack or WALTER get the pin, they earn another shot at Travis Banks. If one of them gets pinned by Banks, they can’t get another shot while he’s champion. If TK pins someone, he gets an Atlas Title shot since he weighs a “heavy 206 pounds.” Big implications. This followed the story you’d probably expect. Banks and Cooper were more than happy to take on Sexsmith, but did their best to avoid WALTER. WALTER took whatever opportunity he could to level Banks, wanting revenge for their title match. Sexsmith and WALTER were fun together, with Sexsmith getting press slammed by his partner onto their opponents outside. It took some underhanded tactics, like using the PROGRESS Title as a weapon, for WALTER to find himself in trouble. He nearly got pinned by TK twice. Sexsmith eventually ended up as the face in peril. It set up a great spot where he was trapped in the Lion Clutch as TK held WALTER back. WALTER still managed to break it up and get the hot tag. They kind of messed up the finish, as Banks awkwardly stood there with the title so Sexsmith could kick it into his face. Jack picked it up and stared at it, before kissing WALTER on the forehead and basically telling him to go for it. WALTER clotheslined TK and won at 15:43. This was very good. I’m glad they didn’t go down the route of the overused arguing over who gets the pin trope. Everyone played their roles perfectly and it led to one hell of a fun match. [***¾]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship: Jinny [c] w/ Chakara vs. Dakota Kai w/ Steffanie Newell
How can you not love Dakota Kai? Jinny continued to nail her character, taking forever to get ready for the match. It started out as a mat based match, until Dakota no sold a headbutt and shouted, “I’M SAMOAN!” Jinny remained aggressive and was in control because of it. Everything she did had something extra on it. A highlight was her viciously pulling Dakota face first onto her knee. Combine that with hair pulling and hard dropkicks and Dakota was in a world of trouble. Dakota survived a submission and began her comeback. Lots of fire in it and some stiff kicks to rival what Jinny put behind her shots. Dakota kicked out of the Styles Clash and hit her new finisher, the Kai-ropractor. Chakara pulled out the referee to save Jinny and then hit Dakota with the title. Though Dakota survived that, she couldn’t after being hit with the Acid Rainmaker, losing in 15:42. I really enjoyed this main event. The interference wasn’t overdone like in the Toni Storm match and played off Jinny having a group around her to help protect her. Jinny’s heel mannerisms and style was such a good foil for Kai, who is an ultimate sympathetic babyface. [***½]
Post-match, a fuming Newell said that when her injury healed, she was coming for Jinny and the title. Anywhere in the world.
Overall: 7/10. This show felt indicative to what PROGRESS has been all year. It featured a lot of good and nothing great. There are several strong matches to check out (Women’s Title, Death Match, semi-main tag, and the Natural Progression Tourney match), but none are anything you definitely need to see. As a whole, the show was the good old fun I expect from PROGRESS.
PROGRESS Chapter 70: May 27th, 1978
May 27th, 2018 | Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London | Attendance: 700
Following Super Strong Style 16 and the big Victoria Warehouse show, PROGRESS kind of takes a cooldown for Chapter 70. They go retro, complete with outfits, graphics, and almost everything else you can imagine. This was done in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Electric Ballroom opening.
Jim Smallman, billed as Jimmy Barnett, started things off in a suit and had a microphone descend from the ceiling. Old school.
Thunderbastard Tag Team Series: Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Haskins [0] w/ Vicky Haskins vs. M&M [0]
I love how Flash Morgan Webster changed nothing about his look for this show, because it’s already so 70s. Mark wore an Andre the Giant style singlet and Vicky had on bellbottoms. For tonight, this team was known as “The Mod and The Rocker.” Meanwhile, M&M were dubbed “Greased Lightning,” complete with theme, jackets, and everything. Even the commentary was dedicated to being as old school as possible. One consistent was the issues between Flash and Mark, which cost them early. Lots of fast paced action in this one, with M&M having to fight from behind, as usual. It works for them and the crowd is getting more and more behind them. M&M nearly won it following some cool offense, but a timely distraction by the “Killer Hippie” Vicky Haskins, and a shot from Flash’s helmet by Mark, gave his duo the win in 9:32. I liked this. Good action, fun interactions, and continuing the existing angles. [***]
Chris Brookes vs. Chuck Mambo
Our referee was CLIVE ROBERTS! Awesome. Mambo had a banger against Zack Sabre Jr. during Super Strong Style 16. He was known as Catweazle Jr., while Brookes came out to “Human Fly” by the Cramps (released in 1978), and was known as Chris Only. This was one of those matches that worked better for the live crowd than on VOD. They ate up the comedy stuff and loved Catweazle Jr. They did a bit with Clive Roberts where he beat Only. The bell rang and everything. Brookes seemed to enjoy playing the heel. Mambo eventually picked up a relatively surprising win with the Praying Mantis Bomb in 14:12. A sold little match with some fun moments throughout. Mambo should stay at Catweazle Jr. going forward. He was a highlight. [**¾]
Natural Progression Series V Semi-Finals: Chris Ridgeway vs. Drew Parker
I forgot this tournament was going on. Drew Parker, lover of death matches, came out to John Lennon’s “Imagine” and played the role a peace loving hippie. Meanwhile, Ridgeway was introduced as a black belt and had a list read off of everything he had a black belt in, including being hard as fuck and origami. I love PROGRESS. Despite the fun and games, like the opener, stuff was on the line here. This was one of those styles clashes that worked. Ridgeway brought the martial arts stuff, while Parker played it wild and loose like you’d expect. Parker’s unorthodox offense helps him stand out in almost any match he has. He came close a few times on countering Ridgeway submissions. In the end, they went into a strike exchange that saw Ridgeway counter Parker and trap him in a rear naked choke. That got him the submission win in 11:39. Another good match. The styles made for a solid contest. [***]
El Phantasmo and Jordan Devlin vs. The South Pacific Power Trip
Yes, Travis Banks and TK Cooper teamed up again, but technically, they were the SheepWhackers as they parodied Luke and Butch. This was the biggest pop Travis Banks has received in months. Banks and Cooper looked to be having a blast out there. While they were having fun in their roles for the evening, Devlin was impressing again, and Phantasmo was making a case for sticking around in PROGRESS. Due to all those factors, this was the wildest match on the show and probably the most fun. I thought Devlin and Phantasmo worked very well as a team, especially for not being a consistent duo. Commentary’s reactions to everything remained great, acting like this was all new to them in 1978. The finish was another bit of a fun, as the SheepWhackers used a Battering Ram to secure it in 17:20. A zany match where everyone went all in and had a ton of fun. [***½]
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Thunderbastard Tag Team Series: Grizzled Young Vets [c] [0] vs. Aussie Open [2]
As noted, the champions must defend their titles in each match of this tournament. GYV went by the Kings of Europe here, playing off Liverpool having retained the European Cup in 1978. Aussie Open were the Billabong Boys. Gibson’s pre-match promo saw him call the GYV Godzilla, while the challengers were Japan. The champs got the early jump and did what they do best. Meanwhile, Aussie Open continued to show why they’re a force in the tag team division. The combination of Fletcher’s high flying skill and Davis’ sheer brutality is a great one. The champs would remain in control because of their experience together and willingness to do whatever it takes. Aussie Open came close a few times and just when it looked like they might pull it off with the Fidget Spinner, there was confusion on who the legal man was. Gibson took advantage with a rollup to steal it at 11:46. Aussie Open looked great at some points, but too much of this didn’t exactly click the way I wanted. [**¾]
Isla Dawn vs. Nina Samuels
So, these two ladies came out protesting the Greater London Wrestling Council for their ban on women’s wrestling. They decided to have their own match out of protest. Dawn, mostly known from “Live at the Dome” shows, was known as Bonnie Bolan, while Samuels went by Nina Sparkles. Wither neither woman being prominent on main chapter shows (Nina’s only worked a handful of shows and is mostly a Jinny henchwoman), the crowd wasn’t as into this as you’d hope. Still, they went out and had a competitive match. Samuels/Sparkles continued to do well as the heel. She seems to be learning from Jinny. Nina won with a modified GTS in 9:50. It was fine, but lacked some heat and not all the exchanges worked well. [**½]
Jack Sexsmith vs. Jimmy Havoc
Wow. Jack came out with giant peacock feathers and was called AJ Streetsmith. Havoc chugged a beer, ate the head off a chicken, and was known as Jizzy Jizzbourne (he came out to Black Sabbath). This match was a blast. Sexsmith got to play the heel, hitting low blows and jawing with the crowd, while Havoc stopped in the middle to share a beer. Jizzy finally fired up when he got his hands on some “fighting powder” he snorted. It was only a quick burst of energy and he needed more to continue. Havoc won with a piledriver in 7:42. Honestly, I don’t think I can rate that. It wasn’t really a match, as there was only one wrestling move done. However, it was one of the more fun segments on the show, so it gets points for that. [NR]
Adam Brooks vs. Matt Cross
What a strange choice for a main event. Sure, it ended up being 70’s stars Andrew Wilmot against “Double Meat” Popeye Mulligan, but these are still two guys who have barely appeared on any chapters. I don’t believe I’ve seen Brooks since a match with Will Ospreay early in the year and I’ve never seen Cross in PROGRESS. They went on to have a good match. However, it was one that felt kind of hollow. Maybe it was because I had nothing invested in either guy, but it certainly lacked something. I got a kick out of commentary losing their minds at the sight of a Destroyer, as well as things like a 450 splash. Cross got the victory with a rebound cutter in 18:33. It felt like it dragged on at points. It still did have a lot of action and was a strong match, it just didn’t feel right as a main event. [***¼]
Overall: 6/10. There were some good pieces to this show, there just wasn’t enough. It felt like there was a lack of stars (British Strong Style, Sabre, Storm, Jinny, WALTER, Andrews, etc.) and came across as more of a special show than a chapter. The retro stuff was fun, but too many of the matches still felt grounded in 2018 (other than Sexsmith/Havoc).
WWE United Kingdom Tournament Night Two
June 26th, 2018 | Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London
After a great night one, the United Kingdom Tournament returns for night two. It’s a little weird to call this show a tournament show, as the tournament ended on night one. Here, the winner, Zack Gibson, gets a UK Title shot, while Toni Storm and Mustache Mountain have shots at NXT Titles.
NXT Tag Team Championship: Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong [c] vs. Mustache Mountain
WWE spoiled the result of this all over social media during the tapings, but I’m still hyped for it. Especially after the six man tag on night one. Though Mustache Mountain got off to a strong start, Trent Seven saw his arm get targeted. It allowed the champions to take control and wear him down. The false hot tag setups were done so well, with fans buying into them and believing it was time for Tyler Bate to come in and do his STRONG BOI thing. When he finally did, the place came unglued. HE DID THE STRONG BOI THING AS HE HAD KYLE ON HIS BACK AND DEADLIFT GERMAN SUPLEXED STRONG AT THE SAME TIME. They teased the finish from night one, but Strong saved O’Reilly and the titles. Miscommunication by the champs opened the door for Mustache Mountain. Bate took out Roddy with a tope, Trent hit Kyle with the Seven Star Lariat and a combination knee drop/burning hammer gave us new champs after 11:35. Great opener. A slight notch below the six man tag, but still a banger. The tag formula worked well in the early stages, before it just got wild in the final few minutes. The UK guys winning the titles in this venue was a fantastic feel good moment. [****]
Backstage, Johnny Saint was asked about who he was impressed with from the tournament. He said everyone, but added a top contender’s match for the UK Title tonight featuring Mark Andrews, Travis Banks, and Flash Morgan Webster.
Charlie Morgan vs. Killer Kelly
I dig Morgan, so I’m all for her getting some singles shine. This was played to show that the women were pretty evenly matched. Some of their early exchanges came off awkwardly and led to some spots that looked super fake and planned out. If what you’re doing takes me out of the action, it’s not good. Things got better as the match went on, but it never really threatened to fully get me invested. Morgan countered a suplex into an inside cradle to win in 7:03. A clunky match that didn’t get the crowd too invested. [**]
CHRISTIAN was in the front row. ONE MORE MATCH!
Before the next match, Johnny Saint came out to change this to a “Four Man Fatal” match. He brought out the returning Noam Dar.
Number One Contender’s Match: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Mark Andrews vs. Noam Dar vs. Travis Banks
Dar’s been out for six months and has never been any good in my opinion. However, I’m more than open to give a guy like him another chance. Prove me wrong. Positive reaction for him here. Right from the start, this felt like a match that wouldn’t get a lot of time, but would be packed with action. From bell to bell, everyone got a bit of shine and showcased what works best for them. Dar had a sweet enziguri counter that led into a knee bar. Banks interrupted by adding a submission on top of it. Though I thought it would be a five or so minute sprint, it went longer and the pace still never slowed. Dar beat Banks with a running kick at 8:53 that felt like a lackluster finish to a fun bout. [***¼]
Post-match, Noam Dar watched as Joe and Mark Coffey hit the ring to jump Mark Andrews and Travis Banks. Dar decided against doing anything about it.
NXT North American Championship: Adam Cole [c] vs. Wolfgang
There’s some backstory here. According to Nigel (I don’t recall this), Wolfgang got attacked by Cole and co. after his UK Title shot last year. Cole was the clear crowd favorite, BAYBAY. This was an interesting match, because the babyface had the clear size upper hand. That meant that he wasn’t fighting from behind. Instead, Cole was getting his ass handed to him and it looked to be a rough night for the Undisputed Era. It kind of worked since the crowd was so pro-Cole. When it looked like Wolfgang might pull it off, Cole got his knees up on a swanton bomb. He followed with an impressive brainbuster and the Last Shot to retain in 10:15. This felt similar to most Wolfgang matches I’ve seen. It was good, just not great. I liked the change of seeing Cole work from beneath. [***]
The fans demanded we get “ADAM COLE BAYBAY” two more times, leading to a great shot of the crowd doing it.
Backstage, the new NXT Tag Team Champions were interviewed about how proud they were of the win.
NXT Champion Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. EC3 and The Velveteen Dream
A star studded NXT tag. The antics of Dream and EC3 at ringside during the entrances of their opponent were great and didn’t detract from it. We nearly got Ricochet/Dream to start, but Dream demanded Black to reignite their awesome 2017 feud. Unfortunately, Dream tagged out. We got a highlight shortly into the match as Ricochet and Black delivered stereo cross legged sitting spots. As expected, Ricochet eventually became the face in peril. You can’t really have your dominant champion in that role. Ricochet’s desperation spots to get free for the hot tag were tremendous. Dream seemed to bang up his knee late. The closing stretch was dynamite and some of the best stuff on either night. When EC3 was in trouble, Dream’s knee injury caused him to get off the apron and walk away. That left a furious EC3 alone to eat Black Mass at 15:51. That was a hell of a lot of fun. So many strong moments sprinkled in throughout and blended in with top notch character work. It also set up potential matches between EC3/Dream and Ricochet/Black. [***½]
Ricochet looked at the NXT Title for a few moments before handing it to Black.
NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler [c] vs. Toni Storm
I came in excited for this one and it delivered. Toni showed no fear of Shayna, standing right up to her before the bell. In the early stages, it was a case of her being even with the champion in terms of mat work. Sure, Shayna was an MMA star, but Toni more than held her own. When Shayna started in with the strikes and brutality she’s known for, Toni suffered. Shayna destroyed her leg. Toni sold it tremendously. There was only one spot where she used it more than she probably should have (for a German suplex), but even that could be brushed off as adrenaline. She fell on an Irish whip and could barely climb the turnbuckles. Her comeback spots were great. The fans bought into her pulling off the upset, especially with the European Clutch pin. Shayna slapped on the Kirifuda Clutch, which has ended everyone so far. Toni surprised many by fighting and making it to the ropes. A pissed Shayna took Toni outside and put the choke on there, before getting inside and winning via countout in 12:07. Fantastic. They told a wonderful story and both women played their roles expertly. Shayna was a vicious bully, Toni was the babyface with so much heart, and the finish was brilliant. It protected both women, made Toni look great, and set up a potential rematch. I’m all for that. [****]
After the match, Shayna choked out Toni again.
WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne [c] vs. Zack Gibson
This is what the entire tournament on night one led to. Crowd was obviously completely behind Dunne in this one. We got some awesome chants, such as, “IF YOU HATE GIBSON, SHOES OFF,” which led to most of the crowd removing their shoes. Awesome. Gibson remained his aggressive self, since it worked during the tournament. Dunne never backed down and even after taking a beating, threw his hands up for more of a fight. That was when the match really picked up, as they went into a headbutt battle. Gibson survived the Bitter End, which was surprising. Dunne survived an avalanche Helter Skelter, but got trapped in Shankly Gates. It’s been put over so well that the fans believed it as the finish. Though Dunne survived, he seemed way out of it. However, Gibson made a mistake and took too long to capitalize. Dunne snapped his fingers, hit a forearm and retained with the Bitter End in 17:45. Great main event. Dunne was awesome as the babyface (I’m still not used to that), while Gibson was an excellent heel. Dunne had to fight from behind and it made for some dramatic moments. Add in a hot crowd and you’ve got a winner. [****¼]
Overall: 8.5/10. Another UK show, another night of greatness. Three absolute bangers in the Tag, Women’s, and UK Title matches, with everything else on the show being at least pretty good. They set up things going forward (Toni/Shayna, a Tag Title change, Coffey brothers, and Gibson in general), while giving us an entertaining show.
WWE United Kingdom Tournament Night One
June 25th, 2018 | Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London
Following the success of last year’s tournament that crowned Tyler Bate as the first champion, the WWE gave us another tournament this year. The first round of matches is available on WWE’s YouTube channel. Nothing bad in there, but the best match got ***¼ from me. The tournament marks WWE’s return to one of my favorite venues ever, the Royal Albert Hall.
The show began with a video package featuring Johnny Saint. It showed highlights of the eight men in the tournament, from their work in places like PROGRESS. For those who don’t know, Saint is the WWE UK GM.
Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness were on commentary.
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Jack Gallagher vs. Zack Gibson
Though Gallagher has been a heel on WWE TV lately, Gibson is one of the most hated men in all of wrestling. He played into it by refusing to shake Gallagher’s hand. Lots of mat based grappling in this one. It’s a strength of both men, so it was a good idea. Gibson held serve and was aggressive at every turn. Gallagher really is better suited to play the lovable babyface. There was a lot of fire in his comeback and the fans were totally into him. The back and forth submission stuff down the stretch was electric, as was Gallagher coming close on several occasions. The arm work from earlier in the match came into play for the finish, as Gibson applied Shankly Gates and Jack tapped in 13:26. A hell of a way to start. There was a lot of intensity to this and it escalated to give us some great late drama. [***¾]
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey
Oh, baby. It’s a hoss fight. That’s exactly what I wanted coming in and that’s what they delivered. It was two big guys going toe to toe. They threw bombs at each other, giving their best shot to see who could take more punishment. Mastiff is the bigger man, but is the more mobile one. At least, until Coffey busted out a double jump springboard moonsault of sorts. He added the Black Coffey to secure the win after 7:31. I liked this. It was the kind of hoss battle I was hoping for. They hit hard, but also showcased an ability to be more than your prototypical big men. [***¼]
Post-match, the lovely Cathy Kelley interviewed Joe Coffey. He said he was going to win the tournament and beat Pete Dunne. Nothing special.
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Jordan Devlin
The pre-match video package noted how Devlin was fired up after losing in last year’s tournament to eventual winner Tyler Bate. Like Gibson, Devlin decided against a handshake. Devlin was the aggressor, clearly out to make up for last year. Like Gallagher, Flash has been working heel but is best as an underdog babyface. However, this was more even, as Flash gave as much as he took. His tope con hilo after two tope suicidas was a highlight. Devlin hit a Spanish Fly, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done. He missed a moonsault and Webster scored with the Eton Rifle to win in 7:02. A great sprint. They made the most of their time and had a fun match. Devlin was so obsessed with advancing that he made a clear mistake of trying something too high risk and it cost him. Simple, yet effective storytelling. [***½]
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: Ashton Smith vs. Travis Banks
No offense to Smith, but not a single person buys him as a winner here. Banks is a much bigger name and the current PROGRESS World Champion. Banks lived up to the “Kiwi Buzzsaw” nickname by lighting up Smith with kicks and strikes. Smith managed to get a few near falls that were kind of interesting, but he never really threatened. He came closest on a superkick. Banks nailed an impressive German and won out during a strike exchange. Slice of Heaven and Kiwi Krusher followed to put Smith away at 6:22. Good match with a fair amount of energy. It could’ve been better if they made us believe Smith had a shot. Since they didn’t it capped at good. [***]
Number One Contender’s Match: Isla Dawn vs. Killer Kelly vs. Toni Storm
Winner faces Shayna Baszler on night two for the NXT Women’s Championship. So, this was weird because it started as a four way with Jinny, but she injured herself on a dive during the match. However, it was edited to look like a Triple Threat match here. Charlie Morgan and Nina Samuels of the House of Couture in PROGRESS were shown in the front row. This was action right from the opening bell. I’ve only seen a limited amount of Dawn before and none of Kelly, but both impressed. Toni was tossed aside at the start, giving them an opportunity to shine. Toni got the win when she hit Dawn with Storm Zero (Air Raid Crash on the knee) at 4:13. It was short and strangely edited, but there was a fair amount of action. [**¾]
Shayna Baszler was shown watching in the crowd. She and Toni had a staredown. I’m so pumped for that.
At this time, Triple H came out to a huge pop. The fans sang along to “King of Kings.” He put over the talent that has gone on to become bigger names from the UK, like Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne, Mark Andrews, etc. Triple H said that they were here to give the UK fans more. He brought out Johnny Saint, who announced the commencement of the NXT UK brand. They’ll be introducing divisions for tag teams and women. They have dates already scheduled. Are you ready?
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Zack Gibson
Gibson shook hands this time, but is still a dick while doing it. Flash came out of the gates with a dropkick that kicked off a flurry of offense. It stunned Gibson, who took a bit to recover and take over. Gibson continued to excel at drawing all the heat. The “If you hate Gibson stand up/sit down” chants were brilliant. Webster found openings for hope spots that the fans bit into. It included a corkscrew plancha and tope suicida. However, when he went for a second tope, Gibson caught him and delivered Helter Skelter onto the ramp. Though Flash beat the count back in, he tapped to Shankly Gates in 4:18. One of the better sprints you’ll find anywhere. Maybe this is the style Flash should work more often. The surprise start was great, the crowd was hot, and the finish was cool. [***½]
Aleister Black and Ricochet were together in the front row. Tomorrow, they face EC3 and Velveteen Dream.
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Joe Coffey vs. Travis Banks
Coffey was selling the ribs after his bruising match earlier. Despite that, he used his size to gain the upper hand. He worked a single leg crab, wearing down the explosive Kiwi. Banks got to join the list of guys working heel elsewhere and playing the face on this show. He had to fight from behind and showed a lot of the fire that made him work so well in his build to becoming PROGRESS Champion. The intensity picked up late, as did the near falls. You got the sense that both guys were desperate to make the finals, which is what you want from a tournament like this. It feels important. The double springboard that worked for Coffey earlier failed this time around. From out of nowhere, Banks caught Coffey with a wheelbarrow rollup to advance in 9:19. The string of good stuff continues. It wasn’t great, but you got the sense of urgency from it. Coffey’s rib selling was solid, Banks had a lot of fire, and the action was intense. [***¼]
Post-match, a frustrated Joe Coffey jumped Banks.
British Strong Style (WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate) vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT North American Champion Adam Cole and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong)
This wasn’t just WWE throwing two great stables against each other. There was actual build here, especially between Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong. That came into play early, as Strong was fighting Bate and tried to run when Dunne got tagged, but was held in place, allowing Dunne to get some revenge. The Undisputed Era took over when Seven became the face in peril. It built to a hot tag for Dunne to again kick Strong’s ass. Though he’s not a consistent tag guy, Dunne’s hot tag run was great. The Explex dropping Cole onto Strong was fantastic. However, it was nothing compared to STRONG BOI Tyler Bate. He got Cole in an airplane spin while giant swinging Strong AT THE SAME TIME. Cesaro would be proud. The final few minutes of this was pure insanity. Tons of big spots coming at a furious pace, making for one hell of a closing stretch. The finish itself was also great, as Bate and Seven combined for a springboard clothesline/dragon suplex combo that beat O’Reilly in 12:21. Incredible. One of the better six man tags you’ll find anywhere. A blast of a trios match that furthered existing stories, gave us some awesome interactions, and had no slow down through the entire duration. Awesome. [****¼]
For no real reason, Shawn Michaels came out to talk to the crowd. They sang his entire theme after it ended, which was very cool. The fans also chanted for “one more match.” Shawn just spoke about how cool it was to be part of history.
WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament Finals: Travis Banks vs. Zack Gibson
The PROGRESS World Champion against a PROGRESS Tag Team Champion. They worked this at a slower pace than other tournament matches to start. It made sense since that style suits Gibson and Banks, who is usually explosive, came in with his shoulder taped up from the Coffey attack. Like a shark smelling blood, that was Gibson’s target from bell to bell. He was vicious in every attack. Despite the injury, Banks still had fire, bringing intensity with his strikes and offense. The Shankly Gates was put over so well in the first two matches, so combined with Banks’ arm, the fans completely bit on that as a finish once it was applied. Banks survived and began throwing his desperation shots at Gibson. You could tell he was on his last legs, but he wasn’t giving up. Gibson stopped a Banks tope suicida and hit Helter Skelter. That wasn’t enough, so he locked in Shankly Gates. Banks fought his hardest, but was forced to tap out at 16:59. Great capper to the tournament and the best match of the entire thing. The arm work was fantastic, the crowd was hot, and the late drama ruled. [****]
Post-match, Gibson finally offered a handshake, but Banks didn’t accept. Triple H, Johnny Saint, and Shawn Michaels came out. They congratulated Banks on the ramp, before giving Gibson a bigger congratulations in the ring. Gibson attempted to cut a promo to a ton of heat, but Pete Dunne walked out and they had a faceoff to close things.
Overall: 8.5/10. Such a great show. Much better than the tournament we got last year. Every match in the tournament ranged from good to great and got at least three stars. The women’s match was still solid despite being edited for issues. The tournament ended on a very high note, we got the NXT UK announcement, and BSS/Undisputed was all kinds of rad. A winner of a show.
This week's episode opened with Catrina in King Cuerno's lair. She looked for the Gauntlet of the Gods, but it's not in a trophy case. Cuerno appeared in his dope cowboy hat to say he couldn't let her get it. She wants it to get her life force back. Cuerno said he gave it to someone for safe keeping and doesn't know where or when they hid it. Sounds like Aerostar put it somewhere.
Trios Championship: Killshot, The Mack and Son of Havoc [c] vs. Big Bad Steve, Jake Strong and Sammy Guevara
It was supposed to be Famous B, Dr. Wagner Jr. and Texano as the challengers. However, Famous B came out and said Wagner and Texano were off making money for him elsewhere. So, Famous B introduced three new clients. First was Big Bad Steve, who was his mechanic. Next was Sammy Guevara, who uses that name all over the indies. Last up was Jake Strong, the former Jack Swagger. He's playing "The Savage" and commentary put over his size. This was a good opener that showcased all the characters involved. The champions are uneasy because Havoc isn't supposed to be a member. Guevara is an athletic high flyer, while Strong played the silent badass. Steve was kind of just there. Strong had it won with an ankle lock, but Famous B was distracting the referee. The mistake cost them, and Havoc hit an SSP on Steve to retain in 5:28. [***]
Post-match, Strong attacked his partners. Famous B tried to stop him, but got put in the ankle lock. Strong snapped it, complete with sound, to break his ankle. We got the leg version of Pentagon. I actually would've liked more of Strong with Famous B. He could've been the wild, over the top manager for the silent tough guy.
Antonio Cueto came out and mentioned that the Gift of the Gods Title was a great Dario idea, so he's bringing it back.
Gift of the Gods Medallion: Drago w/ Kobra Moon vs. Dragon Azteca Jr.
I appreciate how Lucha Underground still manages to give us fresh matchups in season four. These guys are very good, but have never met except for maybe in an Aztec Warfare or Trios tag and I'm not even certain of that off the top of my head. However, it possibly was an issue here, as parts of this were disjointed. Drago still seems to be settling into his new heel role. He did some of the little things right, like going after Azteca's mask and slowing the pace, but it doesn't feel natural yet. The finish came from out of nowhere a bit, as Azteca hit a wheelbarrow driver off the top at 6:07. Fine little match, but nothing more. [**3/4]
After the match, Johnny Mundo came out and talked smack to Kobra. Kobra sent Vibora to attack him during Aztec Warfare. Taya snuck in and beat up Kobra Moon. The couple kissed to head into break.
Backstage, Catrina appeared in Antonio Cueto's office. She's glitchy and is stuck between the real world and the spirit world. She wants Cueto to book Fenix vs. Mil Muertes in Grave Consequences (season one callback!), so that when Fenix is buried, she can have his life force. Antonio agreed because it sounded violent.
Lucha Underground Championship: Pentagon Dark [c] vs. Matanza Cueto
Commentary noted that Matanza was 2-0 against Pentagon. Vampiro said he wanted Pentagon to stay dark and forget about the fans. Antonio watched this from near his office. These guys had the kind of match you want from them. They brawled around the Temple for the first few minutes before finally taking things inside. It's always interesting to watch Pentagon fight from behind. He got dominated at points in the ring, before surprising everyone with a Mexican Destroyer. He added a second and hit the Package Piledriver to retain in 7:42. It was the first singles loss for Matanza. Really good match with all srots of intensity for the time it was given. [***1/2]
Not content, Pentagon grabbed Matanza in an attempt to break his arm. He snapped back and went for it, but Antonio appeared with the key and Matanza overpowered him. He got free. Antonio slapped his son, who cowered for the first time ever. Antonio said that Dario spoiled him. Matanza followed him to the back.
To end the show, Jeremiah Crane entered Antonio's office. Antonio told him it was a bad time. Crane said he wanted to bury Mil and Fenix, because he's willing to put his life on the line to get Catrina. Antonio made it a Three Way to the Grave match.
Overall: 7/10. Another good episode of Lucha Underground. Nothing great this week, but some strong story advancement. Matanza got his first loss, Catrina is moving things forward, the debut of Jake Strong, and the return of the Gift of the Gods. Fun stuff.
NJPW Kizuna Road Night Three: Super Strong Machine Retirement Ceremony
June 19th, 2018 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,569
The final night of the Kizuna Road trilogy of events is here. It doubles as a special retirement ceremony for Super Strong Machine, who spawned the group of Machines you saw in the WWF in 1980s.
KUSHIDA and Ren Narita vs. Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi
It’s not a major show, so Yujiro had a non-Tokyo Latina girl with him. She’s his equivalent to “suit Naito” or “black pants Kenny.” This match went exactly the way you’d expect. Ishimori and Yujiro continued to grow as a team, showing off some solid tandem offense. KUSHIDA was great when he came in, while Narita was there to take the brunt of the beating. KUSHIDA’s hot tag led to a battle with Ishimori, which is a match I want. I haven’t seen it since the Super J-Cup in 2016. Narita against Ishimori was fun, too. Yujiro put Narita down with Pimp Juice in 8:35. That was kind of fun. Ishimori against both guys was great, while Yujiro wasn’t bad either. [**½]
Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, and Togi Makabe vs. Shota Umino, Toa Henare, and Tomoyuki Oka
Is Makabe a New Japan Dad yet? This reminded me that Henare spent a short time as a Young Lion. Umino went after Tiger Mask at the bell, continuing to look to prove himself. It’ll never be wild man Kawato going after guys, but it’s still fun. The best part of this match involved Henare, as his battle with Liger was really good. It came down to Oka against Makabe. Oka threw everything he had at Makabe, even scoring a near fall with a lariat. But, the King Kong Knee Drop got Togi a win heading into the G1 at 7:57. Fine enough for an undercard tag, with fire from the Lions. [**½]
Rocky Romero and Roppongi 3K vs. TAKA Michinoku and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Surprisingly, Suzuki-Gun didn’t attack before the bell. Instead, they waited to jump SHO as soon as the bell hit. VARIETY. I don’t want to spend too much time on this match. It was your usual Suzuki-Gun thing. They used underhanded tactics and Desperado cradled SHO for the win in 6:50. It happened. [*¾]
Time for some G1 Climax match announcements. Here’s the highlights..
7/14 in Tokyo: Okada vs. White/Tanahashi vs. Suzuki (Nice)
7/15 in Tokyo: Ibushi vs. Sabre/Omega vs. Naito (Wow)
7/16 in Hokkaido: Makabe vs. Suzuki/Tanahashi vs. White (Not bad)
7/19 in Tokyo: Ishii vs. Naito/Goto vs. Omega (Sounds good)
7/20 in Tokyo: EVIL vs. Makabe/Page vs. Okada (Intriguing)
7/21 in Tokyo: Omega vs. Tonga/Goto vs. Ishii (Meh)
7/22 in Tokyo: EVIL vs. Fale/Makabe vs. Okada (Okay)
7/26 in Niigata: Omega vs. Robinson/Ibushi vs. SANADA (Hype)
7/27 in Shizuoka: Makabe vs. Tanahashi/Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI (Meh)
7/28 in Aichi: Omega vs. SANADA/Ibushi vs. Ishii (Awesome)
7/30 in Kagawa: EVIL vs. Suzuki/Elgin vs. Okada (Okay)
8/1 in Kagoshima: Omega vs. Sabre/Goto vs. Ibushi (Sexy)
8/2 in Fukuoka: EVIL vs. Tanahashi/Okada vs. Suzuki (Cool)
8/4 in Osaka: Ibushi vs. Naito/Ishii vs. Omega (Incredible)
8/5 in Osaka: Elgin vs. Tanahashi/EVIL vs. Okada (Not bad)
8/8 in Kanagawa: Omega vs. Yano/Naito vs. SANADA (LIDJ match is great)
8/9 in Tokyo: EVIL vs. White/Okada vs. Tanahashi (Nice)
8/10 in Tokyo: Naito vs. Sabre/Ibushi vs. Omega (Sweet)
Taichi and Takashi Iizuka vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
This match happened in the New Japan Cup and it was one of the worst of the year, getting a DUD rating from me. This was better, but not by much. It involved the usual Suzuki-Gun antics and again, I’m not going to waste time on much of it. Yano hit a low blow and beat Taichi with a rollup in 9:35. Moving on. [¾*]
David Finlay, Jeff Cobb, Juice Robinson, and Michael Elgin vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Jay White, Kazuchika Okada, and YOSHI-HASHI
We got some build for Cobb/Goto and White/Juice in this one. Plus, there was the extended story of sad Okada since he lost his title. Cobb and Goto had a nice back and forth to start, while the personal feud between Juice and White continued as they brawled outside for a while. Juice was competing with a broken hand, by the way. Other than the focal point on those rivalries, I got a kick out of Okada’s exchanges with Cobb. Cobb threw him around like a rag doll and it was great. Juice’s hand kept coming into play, with the referee stopping him from using it and Jay attacking it. Surprisingly, that led to Jay pinning Juice with Blade Runner in 14:51. I didn’t expect that result as Finlay is the kind of guy to take pins, especially with Juice/Jay coming up. Good match with energy that had further built stuff.[***¼]
BUSHI, EVIL, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito vs. Super Strong Machine Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi), Super Strong Machine Buffalo (Hiroyoshi Tenzan), Super Strong Machine Justice (Yuji Nagata), Super Strong Machine Don (Manabu Nakanishi), and Super Strong Machine 69 (Ryusuke Taguchi)
The Super Strong Machine stuff done to honor the man himself. This was meant to be a lighthearted main event to pay tribute. Getting to see Tanahashi in Super Strong Machine gear going at it with Hiromu Takahashi was a lot of fun. LIDJ have mostly portrayed babyfaces lately, but they worked heel here as they attempted to unmask all the Machines. For the most part, there were several comedy spots that kept this at the light tone you’d expect. This ended when 69 (Taguchi) hit the Majin Fusha Gatame (bridging hammerlock suplex) at 15:33 to honor the Machine. Good old fashioned fun. [***]
The show ended with the retirement ceremony.
Overall: 5/10. A middle of the pack ending to Kizuna Road. Without a major title match at the top of the card, it lacked the big match feel that the first two shows had. However, I understand why as it was meant to honor a legend. Nothing wrong with that. Now, get me ready for that G1 Climax.
