RevPro Wrestling/NJPW Global Wars UK Night Two
November 10th, 2017 | Walthamstow Assembly Hall in Walthamstow, Greater London
After a strong night one, RevPro and NJPW return with night two of Global Wars UK.
#CCK vs. Gedo, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
I really wish CCK got paired up with better opponents during these shows. Banks, Brooke and Lykos against Naito, BUSHI and SANADA would’ve been dope. If only more LIDJ members traveled on this tour. The chemistry of the best boys was great. They utilized quick tags and hit impressive tandem offense. The match built to a Hirooki Goto hot tag and he showed more fire than a lot of his recent work. His exchange with Banks was a highlight. Goto could benefit from being sent somewhere other than NJPW. If they still had their partnership with NOAH, that would’ve been ideal. Banks got saved from defeat by his partners, who then hit dives that took out Goto and Tacos. Banks drilled Gedo with the Kiwi Krusher to win at 9:18. I thought this was a fine opener. I liked it more than the CCK match on night one. Goto brought energy, it didn’t overstay its welcome and was quite fun. [***]
Toru Yano vs. Zack Gibson
Gibson’s pre-match promo got its usual heat. He made a crack about the fans, saying just because they listen to Dave Meltzer, doesn’t make them smart (it might’ve been slightly different but was hard to hear over the boos). Like he did against Yuji Nagata, Gibson went after the arm to set up the Shankly Gates. Yano responded with his usual bag of tricks, including several spots involving the exposed turnbuckle. Yano got a damn car stereo out from under the ring. The referee stopped him from using it, but the distraction allowed for two low blows and a rollup win in 5:38. Like Yano’s match on night one, this was good comedy. He did a bit of a compilations of his best stuff and it worked extra well because of Gibson’s heat. [**¼]
Josh Bodom vs. Rocky Romero
I haven’t seen Rocky work a singles match since last year’s BOTSJ. At least, that’s the last one I recall. He showed he could still go, working at a fast pace with Bodom. He nailed a tope suicida and took the fight outside, before eating a neckbreaker on the apron to stop his momentum. Bodom began disrespecting the veteran with slaps and trash talk. Bodom also learned from earlier mistakes. When Rocky did his latch onto the ropes spot a second time, Bodom was ready with a dropkick. Rocky rallied with the FOREVER clotheslines and picked up a few near falls. He ran into the Bodom Breaker and then Bliss Buster, but wisely rolled outside to avoid a pin. They fought to the top rope, where Rocky brought him off into an armbar, but Bodom rolled over into a pinning combination to take it in 14:00. That went longer than I expected, but was also better than I thought. Good back and forth, with some strong close calls late. [***]
Dave Mastiff vs. Tomohiro Ishii
THICC BOI BATTLE. They charged at each other as soon as the bell rang. After a hot start, Mastiff slowed the pace a little and wore down Ishii. Ishii’s not one to stay down, though. He fired up and returned with some stiff forearms and chops. He kicked out of the best stuff Mastiff could muster up and throw at it. At one point, Ishii began leaning into Mastiff’s forearms. In an awesome moment, Mastiff simply caught Ishii’s sliding lariat. Ishii fought free of his grip and still hit it, but it remained a cool spot. It was Mastiff’s turn to fire up, no selling a lariat, though again, a second attempt was successful. Ishii scored with a Brainbuster to pick up the victory in 11:02. They kind of worked this similarly to the Lee/Ishii match, with results that were nowhere near as effective. It was a good hoss battle that disappointed me because I always expect the best from Ishii matches. [***¼]
RPW British Cruiserweight Championship: Ryan Smile [c] vs. El Desperado
Thanks to Smile’s title win on night one, this was made a title match. Early on, it was clear that Smile had an advantage. In typical Desperado form, he began looking for any and all openings to use underhanded tactics. His eventual target became Smile’s leg, attempting to take away his aerial ability. I appreciated that the knee work felt a bit different from what Desperado used on Riddle the night before. It didn’t full work, because Smile managed a nice tope con hilo to get himself back into the match. Desperado had a good close call when he took Smile kicking out of a spinebuster and turned it into the Stretch Muffler. Smile made it to the ropes, leading to them fighting on the top rope. Smile knocked him to the mat and won with a frog splash in 14:03. That was fine, just nothing special. I liked Desperado’s leg work, though Smile could’ve sold it better. [**¾]
BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito vs. Keith Lee and Yuji Nagata
This should be a blast. As expected, we got early fun from BUSHI squaring up against Lee, only for Naito to attack from behind. It didn’t matter, because Lee was too big for them. Their cheap tricks eventually got Lee down. Naito did everything to antagonize Nagata on the apron, including spitting at him. Nagata’s hot tag didn’t get a huge pop, but he did light Naito up with kicks. BLUE JUSTICE! He slapped on his signature armbar, but Naito reached the ropes. Things broke down and I couldn’t help but get a kick out of seeing Lee completely run over BUSHI. While battling Naito, Lee did a goddamn slingshot cross body. My major gripe with this match came in the finish. BUSHI misted Lee, allowing Naito to hit two Destinos and win at 12:56. I don’t think Lee should’ve eaten the pin. I’d rather BUSHI take the loss if they wanted to keep Nagata unpinned in RevPro. Aside from that, this was a fun sprint. Even with Naito giving a t-shirt wearing effort, all four men brought something cool to the match and made the most of the time given. [***¼]
Matt Riddle vs. Minoru Suzuki w/ El Desperado
Two guys with MMA pasts. Neither man wanted to make the first mistake, so it was slow for a minute or so. Then, they just started trading vicious blows. Minoru caught one into a rope hung armbar, before the fight went outside. Unfortunately, it was there that Desperado got involved. He hit Riddle with a bunch of cheap shots because that’s what Suzuki-Gun does. Inside, Riddle started turning things around with bridging gutwrench suplexes. His comeback saw him work his own armbar and wrist, finding an opening. He kicked and slapped at the arm as often as possible, even with Suzuki screaming in his face. Desperate, Suzuki pulled the referee in the way of a Riddle shot, allowing Desperado to jump Riddle. Riddle fought him off, but it was enough to lead to a Gotch Style Piledriver that gave Suzuki the W at 14:57. There was potential for this to crack four stars. It was the kind of hard hitting match I wanted and it mostly played to their strengths. Of course, there was too much Suzuki-Gun nonsense and interference that held it back. [***½]
RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Will Ospreay
Though the shine has worn off considerably on Will Ospreay, the two matches I’ve seen these two have ruled. At Evolve 58 (****½), they stole WrestleMania 32 weekend, before having another high quality outing at the BOLA (***¾). They opened with some very fast paced exchanges. Ospreay was continually too quick and elusive to remain in Sabre’s grasp for long. I loved that Sabre didn’t let Will do his dumb flippy shit early. His first handspring attempt saw him get pulled outside and his second was greeted with a swift kick to the chest. From there, Sabre took over. Being the slimy Suzuki-Gun member, he was more than happy to try for a countout victory, though of course he didn’t get it. When Ospreay started his comeback, he still got to use aerial stuff and have it make sense because Sabre never targeted his leg or anything too specific. The continuing trend of the match saw Sabre turning a lot of Ospreay’s flying offense into some sort of submission. Down the stretch, Ospreay started daring Sabre to hit him harder, before bringing his own stiff shots. He found a great counter for the European clutch pin, turning it over into one of his own for a fantastic near fall. Ospreay hit the always incredible looking imploding 450 splash, yet Sabre managed to kick out. When Will hit the Oscutter and Sabre instinctively rolled outside to avoid getting pinned, the fans reacted perfectly. The finish was great, as Sabre caught a Red Arrow into a triangle choke. Ospreay fought out, only to end up in the Octopus Hold. He fought out of that into a pin that Sabre countered into his insanely painful looking shoulder submission to retain in 24:59. While not quite as good as their Evolve battle, it ranks as a close second for them. The work made sense and the fans were way into it. Sabre constantly had an answer for everything Ospreay did, while the challenger showed a lot of heart and fire. They told a great story, as Sabre was constantly just one step ahead. It was one of three standout Ospreay matches I saw in 2017. [****¼]
Overall: 7/10. About as good as night one. While that show had a higher ceiling (Lee/Ishii), this one still delivered a consistent barrage of quality matches. Everything is at least fun, with Yano/Gibson being the floor and that being kept short. Riddle/Suzuki and Mastiff/Ishii felt like disappointments, but both were good matches. Smile/Desperado was solid, while Bodom/Romero was a nice little surprise. The LIDJ tag was hella fun and the main event was up there with the best RPW Title matches I can recall.
WWE Survivor Series
November 19th, 2017 | Toyota Center in Houston, Texas | Attendance: 14,478
Elias vs. Matt Hardy
One positive thing came out of this match. We got to hear Elias sing about Houston. He’s great. Anyway, since the WWE insists on making their “big four” shows about six hours long, they threw two extra matches on the Kickoff show. Instead of opening the doors for fans earlier, they allowed this match to take place in front of near half empty arena. The match itself was basically exactly what you’d see on an episode of Raw. Elias won with the Drift Away in 9:12. Completely forgettable. [**]
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Enzo Amore [c] vs. Kalisto
This rivalry has gone on way too long. Nothing against either guy, but they’ve only had one solid match against each other, and that was on Raw. In the highlight, Kalisto botched his entrance and got stuck on the top rope. It was hilarious. The match started fine, with Kalisto hitting a sweet Code Red. Then, the commercial break came and it kind of halted the momentum. The rest of the match was dull and the crowd didn’t care at all. Enzo won with a shit looking Eat Defeat in 8:24. Move on from this. Kalisto already beat him and dropped the title right back, so why should we care at this point? Low point of the night. [*½]
Breezango vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
I saw a lot of people upset that this was a poor use of Owens and Zayn. Admittedly, I’d rather see them doing something more important. However, with Raw vs. Smackdown as the top angle right now, they’re kind of just killing time until the Shane feud reignites. Anyway, Breezango were a good choice here, because they remain very over. Tyler Breeze got isolated for most of the match. He made the hot tag to Fandango, which was solid, though probably not Fandango’s strongest trait. Owens planted him with a Popup Powerbomb for the finish at 8:31. Good tag team wrestling, with two over teams. Nothing special though, and about what you’d expect from a Kickoff Show. [**¾]
The New Day vs. The Shield
Finally, onto the main card. I came with high hopes for this. It’s the two best stables in recent memory and New Day were coming off some insane matches against the Usos. The early portions were typical multi-man tag stuff. We got the guys pairing off, with the most interesting being Big E against Roman Reigns. It was great seeing Big E shrug off Roman’s power offense. New Day showed off stronger cohesive work, while Shield won a lot of the individual battles, which made sense given the strengths of the teams. There was an odd feel to parts of the match. At times, each team would kind of stand around awkwardly for a moment or so before setting up their next move. Other than that, the closing stretch was a lot of fun and led to some quality near falls. New Day’s double Midnight Hour was particularly cool. The Shield won with a super triple powerbomb at 21:30. A very good way to start the show, but I was hoping for something better. Maybe my expectations were too high. [***½]
Team Raw (Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks) vs. Team Smackdown (Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Natalya and Tamina) w/ Lana
Last year’s women’s match was one of the better ones. This went back in the opposite direction. First, they had Becky Lynch get eliminated first. Why? She’s the best female the company has. It would’ve been awesome if they teased or gave us a small taste of what Asuka vs. Becky would be like. Instead, they saved the big “showdown” moment for Nia Jax and Tamina. Yes, that Tamina. The one who has been awful since the day she was signed. This came after Bayley was eliminated by a Tamina splash. Losing to Tamina is a career-low for anyone. Nia got eliminated after a barrage of offense on the outside. Alicia got sent home with a shit rollup by Naomi, who then immediately tapped out to Sasha Banks. Asuka came to the rescue, beating Carmella. Sasha tapped to a Sharpshooter and Asuka’s alone. The problem, is that you’ve now got Asuka working someone the fans don’t care about. She made both Tamina and Nattie tap, winning for her team in a strange 18:25. The action wasn’t terrible, but the structure was confusing. There were so many better ways to do this. At least Asuka got to shine a bit. [**¼]
WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz w/ The Miztourage
Maryse was in the front row. Though Miz and Corbin never interacted on TV, the build was good thanks to Twitter. Anyway, this match suffered from some of the same stuff the last match did. It was strangely laid out. Thanks to Miz being more popular and Corbin’s remarks about Miz’s wife, the IC Champ was positioned as the babyface. That would’ve been fine, but Miz had two goons at ringside who continually cheated on his behalf. The near falls down the stretch were solid, before Corbin won with End of Days in 9:32. This happened. It had good points, though nothing made it stand out from your average TV match. [**½]
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar vs. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Usos
With the Revival on the shelf, the Bar and the Usos (along with New Day and the Shield) have kept tag team wrestling as a highlight of WWE this year. The Usos’ pre-match promo was great and they’ve excelled there for most of 2017. Like the Shield/New Day match, this didn’t get off to a fast start, but once it picked up, it was great down the stretch. Sounds like an NJPW match. Unfortunately, the odd Houston crowd who popped for Nia/Tamina, was kind of quiet for this. I get that both teams are heel, but so are Nia and Tamina, and the Usos have kind of worked tweener the past month. The crowd did wake up for the false finishes, though. In the end, the Usos did a cool spot where they tagged out during a plancha and the legal man hit the big splash for the win in 15:54. Great stuff that would’ve been helped by a stronger opening sequence. Lots of fun. [***¾]
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte
THE IRRESISTIBLE FORCE MEETS THE IMMOVABLE OBJECT! Two women who run roughshod over their competition. It figures that the one singles match with a heel/face dynamic features one of the worst faces in the company. Charlotte just doesn’t work in that fashion. Alexa was a great heel here, as always. She continues to nail all the needed mannerisms. Charlotte sold rather well in the early stages, but she’s way too inconsistent with it. She’d completely forget about it so she could hit her offense. Charlotte got her knees up on a Sparkle Splash and went right into the Figure Eight, because why sell your ribs? Alexa tapped at 15:43. There were good parts to this match, though it left a lot to be desired. Charlotte’s selling hurts so many of her matches for me. [**¾]
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman
Smackdown just took a 3-2 lead and there’s two matches left. Plus, Brock Lesnar’s in this one, so the outcome was clear. I came into this without too much excitement, because Brock singles matches usually underwhelm (see: Strowman, Ambrose, Rollins, etc.). However, Brock decided to put in effort tonight. In the early stages, Brock dominated AJ like he was John Cena at SummerSlam 2014. AJ bumped like a madman and made Brock’s already brutal offense like incredible. When AJ finally kicks into his comeback, it feels earned. And not just that, but it’s realistic. He didn’t just start going into his offense. He kept selling the damage and whatever he did came out of desperation. The crowd totally bit on a Phenomenal Forearm near fall. AJ went for a second, but was caught in the F5 for the finish in 15:19. When I first watched this, I thought the early portion was dull. Rewatching it the following morning, I liked it a lot more. It wasn’t exciting, but it built up a lot of sympathy for AJ and made his comeback better. They did horribly botch a tornado DDT spot. Other than that, this ruled. AJ’s most likely dropping the title this week, but the switch to him for this match was masterful [****]
Team Raw (Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe and Triple H) vs. Team Smackdown (Bobby Roode, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon and Shinsuke Nakamura)
Last year’s Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown tag was unbelievably good. Top two or three ever. This didn’t live up to that. Looking at the people in the match, this looks like something only possible in a video game. Finn Balor looked incredibly small next to his team. Anyway, the start of this match was a lot of fun. We got some cool interactions, as you’d expect. Finn vs. Shin (seriously Cole, that’s a horrible nickname) was a blast, as was Triple H against his adopted Japanese son and HHH taking on his slightly younger self in Roode. Nakamura was the first man gone, at the hands of Braun, who then also got rid of Roode. With Team Raw winning, they decided to spend the next few minutes arguing. For no reason. Cena came in and treated Balor and Joe like cannon fodder. He eliminated Joe with an AA, before Angle pinned Cena with the Angle Slam. That left Orton and Shane against four guys. Why? Orton got tired of that new star Balor being around, so he ended him with an RKO. Then, Owens and Zayn showed up to attack Shane. Then, in one of the worst moments of the night, Super Shane fought them off BY HIMSELF and sent them scurrying to the back, with Orton also nailing an RKO on Owens. Braun then eliminated Orton. Shane was left alone and Braun wanted to kill him. Instead, HHH tagged himself in. Then Angle did the same, only for HHH to Pedigree him. He helped Shane pin him. BUT WHOSE SIDE IS HE ON? His own, as HHH dropped Shane with a Pedigree and took the win for himself at 33:19. What the hell happened to this match? It was fun at the start, but became kind of a disaster late. The only potential new star to do anything of real note was Braun. Every other elimination came from Cena, Orton, Angle and HHH. They shit on the closing stretch to further McMahon family drama. Not a good move. The more I think about this match, the less I like it, which is a shame because it started so well. [**½]
Post-match, Braun Strowman got in Triple H’s face and warned him to never do that again. Triple H sold the hell out of his fear. Then, he attacked Braun, only to get his ass handed to him. I can’t wait for Stephanie to emasculate Braun in retaliation.
Overall: 6/10. Like a lot of these long “big four” shows, this was a middle of the pack show. It was slightly above average thanks to how awesome AJ/Brock was and the high quality outings between Usos/Bar and Shield/New Day. The two Survivor Series tags were hampered by poor booking. The kickoff stuff was mostly fine and the two main card singles matches were average.
It's almost impossible to get excited for anything in the cruiserweight division since Neville left. Enzo Amore works in the role he's been given and it'll be fun to see him dethroned. However, we've already seen Kalisto beat him, only to lose it right back. The outcome of this match means nothing to me. Enzo retains and eventually drops it to someone more interesting.
Winner: Enzo Amore
This should be fantastic. The Shield was the best thing in WWE from 2013-2014. New Day was arguably the best thing in WWE in 2015-2016. For most of 2017, they didn't do anything of note. Then, the Usos feud happened and rejuvenated them. The returning Shield are probably looking to put on one hell of a performance, while New Day is on quite the roll. That should make for one of the more exciting matches in recent memory. It's going to be a magnificent battle, but a predictable result. The Shield will win because losing this quickly into their return is kind of damaging, while New Day won't be hurt by it.
Winner: The Shield
In a year with the Revival on the shelf, these have been the two best main roster tag teams. I'd even go as far to say the Usos have been the best tag team in all of wrestling this year (Authors of Pain and British Strong Style are in the conversation). These teams were the final two in the giant Survivor Series match last year and it was a lot of fun. With both units being heel, it could cause problems, but the Usos have kind of been rolling as tweeners and I think the fans will get behind them. This could honestly go either way, but I'm gonna pick the Usos for the Smackdown victory.
Winners: The Usos
Is the world going to implode? It's Alexa Bliss, who continually wins major feuds, where the babyfaces come off looking bad against LADY BIG DOG. It's tough to see either woman losing because of how they're typically booked. If anyone could run through Alexa and come out looking strong, it's Charlotte. I fully expect her to win for Smackdown here, being the only one allowed to come out on top against Alexa. At least, until Asuka.
Winner: LADY BIG DOG
This is one of those matches where I like both guys, but can't get excited about the pairing. They're just not ideal opponents for one another. Corbin is at his best when he's the bully heel, but Miz's one weaknessis playing some kind of sympathetic babyface. The promo stuff has been fun, at least. Normally, I'd pick Miz to win here, but I'm thinking Raw wins the entire show 4-3. I have them winning four matches in my head, so Smackdown will get this one.
Winner: Big Banter
With Smackdown's final spot open, I want to say they win. Maybe Paige makes her return and having her lose here wouldn't be ideal. Plus, I'm always gonna want to pick a team captained by the great Becky Lynch or one led by Alicia Fox. The difference is Asuka. Sure, last year the unbeaten Nia Jax tapped out in a Survivor Series match, but having both Asuka and Nia lose would be strange booking. For that reason, and the possibility that Natalya is the fifth member and not Paige, I'm gonna pick Raw. Asuka and Nia being the most likely survivors and Bayley being the most likely to get eliminated like a jobber.
Winners: Team Raw
Last year's Raw vs. Smackdown match was all kinds of awesome. This one probably won't be as good, but I'd be happy to be wrong. Team Cena vs. Team Authority back in 2014 had no right to be as good as it turned out to be, and this looks much better than that on paper. Shane is gonna try to kill himself, as always, while Triple H and Kurt Angle will put on their best efforts. Orton is usually at his best in Survivor Series matches, while guys like Cena, Finn, Joe and Braun are going to give us fun combinations. I'm thinking Raw wins because of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. With them not being booked, but being in a key storyline, I'm gonna say they interfere to cost Smackdown the match. Their selfishness will most likely set up some kind of tag against Shane and someone at the next PPV. Part of me could see Angle and HHH costing themselves the match, but I think there will be a slower burn for the expected Mania match.
Winners: Team Raw
Putting the title on AJ Styles was one of the best moves WWE did all year. Even if AJ had a lackluster summer, he's still the best the company has. I'd love if AJ Styles were to win this match. But it's Brock Lesnar and Aj's name is not Roman Reigns. Nobody's beating Brock until Reigns eventually does it. So, I'm going into this hoping for AJ to get the best out of Brock. I enjoyed Brock/Joe, though it could've been better. Even if Brock is bringing minimal effort to this match, Styles is good enough to get greatness out of him. That's what I'm expecting.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
2017 Prediction Record: 68-36
2016 Prediction Record: 72-41
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35
I know a lot of people have been disappointed with the use of Kassius Ohno in NXT, but I like him in the mentor role he’s in. He’s been working a lot of the young, inexperienced guys, like Lars, on live events. This will be the first real test for Lars and there aren’t many better to be in there with than Ohno. I think the match will be solid, and Lars will surprise many by winning in rather convincing fashion. It won’t be a squash, but Lars will look very impressive.
Winner: Lars Sullivan
This has been my favorite male program NXT has put on all year. Gargano/Ciampa would’ve probably been higher, but Ciampa’s injury put that on hold. The Velveteen Dream is an absolute blast, who completely nails his character. Aleister Black is a very good wrestler, who should be able to put on the best match of Dream’s young career. I don’t expect Dream to win at all, but I’d be totally happy if he did. I’m gonna say Black gets the win, but it’ll be Dream’s next step into becoming a star.
Winner: Aleister Black
This is the hardest match to predict by a wide margin. Nikki Cross is a great choice, because I feel she’s the most complete package among the NXT women. However, if she wins, SAnitY will have multiple titles, which I see as more of a heel stable trope. Peyton Royce would be an excellent candidate, as I could see her sharing the title with Billie Kay and their segments would be golden. She deserves this recognition. Ember Moon makes a good pick after coming up just short against Asuka multiple times. But, a loss here could send her frustration into heel turn territory, which is an interesting route for her. Kairi Sane is the least interesting pick to me, but after winning the Mae Young Classic, I could see her getting a big push. However, unlike Asuka, I think Sane works better as an underdog chasing the title, than as a dominant champion. My heart says Peyton, but I’m gonna say Ember finally does it.
Winner: Ember Moon
Along with Johnny Gargano, Andrade Almas is my favorite NXT wrestler. The dude is fantastic and the addition of Zelina Vega as a mouthpiece was just what he needed to make it to the next level. If I were booking, he’d absolutely win the NXT Championship here. But I’m not booking. Drew McIntyre will retain the title here and most likely lose it to Adam Cole. Yawn. Maybe Almas gets called up after this match, though I’m not sure he’d get much of a push there. Ah, well. This should be a pretty good outing.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
It’s still wild that I’m going to watch a WWE produced War Games match. And even crazier to think that the first WWE War Games features Roderick Strong, reDRagon, Eric Young and Adam Cole. 2017 is strange. I’m excited for this match because it’s historic, it should be bananas and I really like most of the guys involved. I believe the Undisputed Era has to win here. SAnitY have the Tag Titles, so they’ll be fine coming out of this regardless of the outcome. The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong aren’t a usual team, so they won’t have the chemistry of the other trios and that could cost them. Plus, Cole/O’Reilly/Fish came in as big deals and a win in this kind of match would fully establish them.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
RevPro Wrestling/NJPW Global Wars UK Night One
November 9th, 2017 | York Hall in Bethnal Green, Greater London
Ah, the now annual RPW/NJPW joint shows. Last year’s shows were very fun and I expect more of the same here, even if I haven’t been able to follow RevPro as much as I wanted to.
RevPro British Cruiserweight Championship: Josh Bodom [c] vs. BUSHI vs. Ryan Smile
BUSHI is a NEVER Openweight Six Man Champion, while Smile impressed me in the handful of matches I’ve seen him in. From what I’ve seen, Bodom has been a good heel in RevPro. BUSHI stayed back early, allowing the others to wear themselves out. He and Bodom eventually formed a small alliance that didn’t last long. They moved to high risk stuff, with Smile showcasing his awesome dive ability. He got hit a wild flurry of Bodom offense, but BUSHI made the save. The trio took part in a sunset flip/German suplex combination for one of the cooler spots of the match. In the end, BUSHI went to mist Smile, but caught Bodom instead. Smile added a springboard cutter and frog splash to win the title at 10:09. Good way to start the show. It was fast paced, they didn’t stick to any kind of formula and it was flat out fun. [***¼]
Gedo and Toru Yano vs. Legion of Lords
The Legion of Lords are lord Gideon Grey and No Fun Dunne. Looking at the guys in this match, you expect comedy and that’s what they gave us. Yano tricked his opponents before the match, using his DVD to throw powder in their eyes. Along with the DVD, there was use of a megaphone and a blast of spray by Gideon. Yano got to do his “BREAK” and turnbuckle spots, which the crowd loved. He and Gedo used duel low blows and rollups to win in 6:39. It was short, inoffensive and exactly what it needed to be. [**]
El Desperado vs. Matt Riddle
This is one of those matches I never knew I wanted, until it was announced. It was an overlooked match because Riddle faces Minoru Suzuki on night two. Riddle was in control for most of the match. He’d take Desperado down, hit his senton and deliver a variety of kicks and strikes. Desperado caught a strike and flipped Sabre off, only to get pulled into an armbar. Desperado went to work on Riddle’s leg, banging it off the ring post a bunch of times. There was a great spot where Desperado avoided one of Riddle’s signature kicks and locked him in the Stretch Muffler. Riddle made it to the ropes, but ate a big spear. Riddle came back with a brutal ripcord knee, Gotch Tombstone and the Bromission to pick up the win in 10:48. I enjoyed that a lot. Desperado did his job to soften Riddle up with a good game plan to take out his legs. Riddle was his awesome self and continues to shine in short matches. [***¼]
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Marty Scurll vs. Tetsuya Naito
The G1 Climax winner was wildly over. To be fair, so was Scurll. They were part of an awesome tag match at last year’s Global Wars UK. Naito mocked Marty early, as they both tried getting under the skin of the other. Scurll targeted Naito’s wrist. He had Naito’s number throughout, even countering Destino. Naito played the babyface here, even getting in some fire that reminded me of his pre-LIDJ days. Scurll started bringing out new offense to combat Naito’s rallies. Naito avoided the finger snap spot with an eye rake. We got a ref bump, giving Naito the visual win via dragon suplex. Marty attacked with the umbrella and used the Mouse Trap for a great near fall. BUSHI came out to distract Marty from using the Chicken Wing. He got taken out, but then the referee caught Marty’s feet on the ropes for a pin. Naito blocked an umbrella shot, hit a low blow and won with Destino in 15:22. I liked the battle of two rule breakers going at it. Naito played the early face, but went to what works late. Scurll had him well scouted, but couldn’t beat the master. [***½]
Yuji Nagata vs. Zack Gibson
Last year, BLUE JUSTICE wrestled Pete Dunne in a solid match. Gibson got to do one of his heat filled pre-match promos. Similar to the last match, we got arm work here. Gibson focused on Nagata’s arm, while Yuji responded by kicking at Zack’s taped shoulder. Gibson kept looking for the Shankly Gates at every turn. Nagata got to pop the crowd with an Exploder near fall and then his signature armbar, complete with eye roll. Gibson came close with the Helter Skelter. They traded strikes and Gibson finally got Shankly Gates, only for Nagata to slip out and win with the Backdrop Driver in 13:21. The fans added a lot here, as they loved Nagata. I liked both guys having similar plans of attack. Gibson’s obsession with the Shankly Gates ended up costing him, as the legend took advantage of his mistake to win. [***]
#CCK w/ Kid Lykos vs. Rocky Romero and YOSHI-HASHI
Romero and Tacos are an odd CHAOS pairing. They didn’t even come out together, as Rocky arrived to the Roppongi 3K theme. CCK against SHO and YOH sounds great. They had fun early, with Rocky trying to take on the much taller Chris Brookes. He used an eye poke to cut him down to size a bit. We got a lot of basic tag stuff to start, with everyone getting some shine. They all got to hit their usual stuff, like Brookes’ wet willy and Romero’s FOREVER clotheslines. Banks and Romero going at it was probably the best exchange of the match. Rocky got in trouble late, eating a flurry of offense for the finish. He took a Slice of Heaven, slingshot cutter and Kiwi Krusher at 11:27. This was solid, but nothing special. Romero was out there having fun, and I always enjoy some Travis Banks. [**¾]
Keith Lee vs. Tomohiro Ishii
From the moment I saw Keith Lee, this is the match I wanted most. The size difference was a sight to behold, but Ishii brought the fight to him with a slew of chops. It took just one from Lee to knock Ishii down. Lee would beat on Ishii, only for the “Stone Pitbull” to fire up. It clearly bewildered Lee that Ishii was this tough. Lee threw Ishii around like he weighed nothing. Things got wild from there, with Ishii countering a Spirit Bomb into a guillotine choke, then into a DDT and then eventually hitting the Brainbuster. It was an incredible thing to witness. Some of Lee’s offense was absolutely monstrous. He nearly threw Ishii through the roof on a chokeslam and Spirit Bomb. The near fall on the latter was nuts. Lee made the mistake of trying a moonsault and missed. He and Ishii both got big kickouts at one to huge reactions. Ishii picked up the win with a second Brainbuster after a hard fought 15:43. What a match. Dream matches don’t always live up to the hype, but this one did. It was hard hitting from start to finish and exactly the kind of match I want from these two. Ishii is one of the best underdogs in wrestling, while Lee is one of the best dominant bigs and it made for brilliance.[****½]
Hirooki Goto and Will Ospreay vs. Minoru Suzuki and RPW British Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. w/ El Desperado
I love that Sabre brought his best friend, El Desperado, with him. The Suzuki/Goto battles early were about as effective as their dull feud in NJPW this year. Ospreay and Sabre had better exchanges, though not at the level of their best work. Ospreay played the face in peril and got beaten badly. It was so one-sided that Desperado had time to give Suzuki a shoulder rub at ringside. Suzuki laughed as Ospreay responded with strikes, before hitting a flurry of his own. Goto got the hot tag, but is so lame, he and Ospreay ended up in stereo sleeper holds. It eventually came down to Sabre and Ospreay, who had counter after counter ready for one another. Sabre got the obligatory Oscutter into a submission counter. On Ospreay’s next attempt, he successfully hit it for the win in 22:20. This was a good main event, but it never sniffed greatness. It felt long and the Goto/Suzuki stuff never quite worked for me. Suzuki kicking Ospreay’s ass was great and Sabre/Ospreay was fun. [***]
Overall: 7.5/10. Night one of Global Wars was a very fun show. Nothing on the card is bad, with the worse thing being a short comedy match. The three tag matches were the weakest parts of the show, yet they’re all solid. You get very different and fun outings in Naito/Scurll, Nagata/Gibson and Riddle/Desperado, while the opening three-way was enjoyable. Lee/Ishii is where this show is made and is an absolute must-see match. It’s one of my favorite matches all year.
Raw History
Episode #127
September 18th, 1995 | Canton Civic Center in Canton, Ohio
Still going pre-taped from Canton. Just like the weird “NEXT WEEK ON RAW” clips we got last time, this starts with a guy saying “LAST WEEK ON RAW” leading to clips from the Bulldog/Razor match. The emphasis is on the Kid/Razor angle.
The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon
Of course, during Kid’s entrance they take us back to Kid’s career making win over Razor Ramon two years ago. Fast start as Kid shows heel tendencies by attacking before Razor removes his jacket. It backfires because Razor ends up hitting him with a second rope fallaway slam for two. Razor just tosses Kid around and Kid is all about bumping big for him. He gets two on a Chokeslam as well. Kid comes back with a tope to the outside that earns him a near fall. He works a sleeper heading into the commercial and Razor breaks out of it as they return. That’s how you utilize a commercial break. As Razor makes the babyface comeback, they collide and it leads to a ref bump. These poor fans see Déjà vu when Dean Douglas runs out, splashes Razor off the top and sprints to the back. Kid enters the ring, drapes an arm over Razor and gets the three.
Winner: The 1-2-3 Kid in 7:11
Fine little match here that advanced two angles. One, Douglas/Razor and two, the tension between Kid and Razor. They worked at a good pace and it was an enjoyable match. **¾
An out of breath Dean Douglas takes us to his classroom for the Report Card. He gives Kid, himself and Razor grades that end up spelling out DEAN. He’s so clever.
Bob Holly and Savio Vega vs. Kama and Tatanka w/ Ted Dibiase
We see that Ted Dibiase got slopped by Henry O. Godwin on Superstars. Why is Tatanka still around? He and Kama struggle with the faces early on, unable to withstand their quick offense. Commentary really pushes the idea that Bob Holly is a hothead. Vega ends up as the face in peril. Holly does get agitated several times on the apron. It allows the heel to double team while the referee has to send Holly back. Hothead Holly gets the tag and scores on a missile dropkick. He tries a diving cross body but Kama catches him in an awkward powerslam spot. Unfortunately, Holly lands on his neck. It looks bad but it does the trick.
Winners: Kama and Tatanka in 5:50
Boring match, as expected from the Million Dollar Corporation. At least they made sure to build the “hothead” Holly stuff, so it worked in that sense. *¼
Razor Ramon responds to Dean Douglas and says that he’s going to “carve him up”.
Jean-Pierre Lafitte vs. Brian Walsh
Footage is shown of Lafitte stealing Bret Hart’s glasses and jacket over the past few weeks. Speaking of Bret, he’s on the set of Lonesome Dove and calls in to say that he didn’t know pirates really existed. He sounds so unenthused about the program. Pierre gets in almost all of the offense, winning with Le Cannonball.
Winner: Jean-Pierre Lafitte in 3:19
Decent enough squash match to promote the upcoming Hart/Lafitte match.
Non-Title Match
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji vs. Men on a Mission
Vince McMahon nearly creams himself at the sight of Yokozuna going face to face with Mabel. They even had the ring “reinforced” beforehand. As usual, Owen does most of the work for his guys. He has the advantage against Mo, since Mo is the worst. Mabel uses his size to pound away. Even though both teams are heels, Owen ends up playing the face in peril. Lawler tries to hype Men on a Mission as former Tag Champions even though they held them for a very short time. He makes the tag and we almost get the Mabel/Yokozuna battle. Yokozuna kicks Mo’s round ass for a while. Oddly enough, Vince calls this a Thursday edition of Raw, but the airdate is listed at 9/18, which was a Monday. Anyway, now Yokozuna and Mabel slug it out. Mabel wins out with a hideous leaping clothesline. I’m being very generous by saying he leaped. Following a distraction from Jim Cornette, Yokozuna hits the leg drop on Mo and Owen gets the cover.
Winners: Owen Hart and Yokozuna in 9:06
For the time it was given and the competitors involved (sans Owen Hart), I expected this to be terrible. It was much better than I thought it would be though. Still, that’s not saying a ton. **
Backstage, Diesel and Shawn Michaels guarantee that they’ll be Tag Team Champions again. When that’s done, the heels get promo time in the ring. Wisely, Jim Cornette handles the mic work. As you would expect from Jim, he is pretty great here at hyping the main event for this Sunday.
Overall: 5/10. A middle of the pack show. The main event was a spirited effort that over delivered and the opener was a fun sprint that advanced multiple angles. I wasn’t a fan of the Million Dollar Corporation tag, but at least the Lafitte squash built towards the PPV. Not a bad way to spend 45 minutes.
WCW Fall Brawl 1995 Results
I reviewed this show a while back so I’ll give results and my star ratings.
Johnny B. Badd def. Brian Pillman in 29:59 (****)
Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Cobra in 1:33 (DUD)
WCW Television Championship: Diamond Dallas Page def. Renegade (c) in 8:07 (*¼)
WCW World Tag Team Championship: Harlem Heat def. Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater (c) in 16:51 (DUD)
Arn Anderson def. Ric Flair in 23:05 (****)
War Games: Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Randy Savage and Sting def. the Dungeon of Doom in 18:48 (¼*)
Reliving Nitro
Episode #3
September 18th, 1995 | Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tennessee
We are just 24 hours removed from Fall Brawl, which was a mixed bag. Some horrible stuff but also two great matches. There are new Television and Tag Team Champions. Side note, at this point, in September of 1995, Hulk Hogan has been WCW Champion since July of 1994. Commentary is the usual Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and Mongo combination.
To close out Fall Brawl, the Giant debuted and sent Hulk Hogan away in an ambulance. They go backstage where the Giant and the Taskmaster show up in an ambulance. Were they driving it all night? Giant cuts a promo but it’s so over the top and campy because he was still so very new to the business. They were billing him as Andre the Giant’s son at this point.
It’s supposed to be the Blue Bloods vs. the American Males in a number one contender’s match. During the Blue Bloods’ entrance, Harlem Heat attack them and decide they want to just put the titles on the line against the American Males because they are the best tag team around.
WCW World Tag Team Championship
Harlem Heat (c) w/ Sister Sherri vs. The American Males
They never fully specify if the titles are on the line because the commissioner isn’t in the building. It seems like they are, so I’ll just go with that. This starts like a brawl but quickly calms down. Nothing really happens until Booker nearly decapitates Riggs with a spin kick. During the match, Col. Robert Parker comes down. He made out with Sister Sherri last night. Sherri does a terrible job in falling off the apron right into his arms. Bagwell counters a slam and lands on top of Booker, upsetting them and stealing the win.
Winners and New WCW World Tag Team Champions: The American Males in 4:43
If you want proof that anything could and would happen on Nitro, this is an early place to look. Harlem Heat was an established team but they drop the titles less than a night after winning them back. Not the best team to take the belts and not the best match. This was more about shock value. *
Mean BAH GAWD Gene is in the ring to introduce Ric Flair. He interviews him about facing Brian Pillman later tonight. Pillman cost Flair the match against Arn Anderson last night. Flair is unhappy that Arn brought an outsider into their feud. He promises to chop Pillman so hard that other former NFL players feel it.
Johnny B. Badd vs. Paul Orndorff
Orndorff has a new gimmick where he carries around a mirror and has awful theme music. Johnny B. Badd is apparently the number one contender for the US Title after a grueling half hour contest with Brian Pillman at Fall Brawl. The fans chant “Paula” at Mr. Wonderful. They don’t do much of interest outside of a Badd pescado. Orndorff counters a backdrop into a pin and somehow wins.
Winner: Paul Orndorff in 3:45
Why? Johnny B. Badd just became the top contender for the number two belt in the company. I get that Orndorff had a new gimmick but if they really wanted to get it over, there were others he could have gone over. *½
On the set of Baywatch, Randy Savage was working out when the Taskmaster attacked him and choked him with the barbell. Ric Flair randomly appears to save him. Everything about this was absurd. The fact that it was on Baywatch, the Taskmaster being on the beach and the Flair run in. It all leads to Randy Savage being interviewed by Mean Gene. Gene is earning those checks tonight. Savage says that he didn’t ask for Flair’s help, so thanks but no thanks. He focuses on Hogan, saying he’s a bad judge of character because he got hit with a cheap shot from Luger during Wargames. He predicts that Luger, Sting and Jimmy Hart will join the Dungeon of Doom. Luger comes out to confront him. Luger claims that Savage has a personal agenda of his own, leading them to almost coming to blows.
Footage airs from right before Fall Brawl last night. Hulk Hogan was being interviewed on his motorcycle when the Giant showed up in a monster truck and ran it over. Hogan beats on the car door while Giant laughs maniacally. They then show the end of the show, where the Giant snapped Hogan’s neck. How is he alive? Also, Mongo claims that he’s seen that neck snapping spot on the football field. Sure you did Mongo.
Brian Pillman vs. Ric Flair
Both men exchange chops at the start before spilling outside. Flair is showing an aggression that fits the angle. Pillman, who was only starting to show heel tendencies in that match last night, is full on heel here. He uses the ropes for leverage and viciously attacks Flair’s arm. He even slams it on the guardrail a few times. Back inside, they trade stuff and Flair tries for the Figure Four. Pillman pulls him into an inside cradle for two. Flair finally manages to lock in the Figure Four and Pillman gives up.
Winner: Ric Flair in 5:24
I wish this got an unclean finish for a Pillman win. It would have helped Brian while also furthering the existing angle. Still, the match was solid for the time given. **½
Ric Flair gets on the microphone and says that next week, Arn Anderson will get his ass kicked.
As the show is about to go off of the air, Heenan says that something is going on in the back. Bischoff agrees, but instead of cutting to it, they promote Disco Inferno’s Nitro debut next week. Why?
Overall: 6/10. Even on weeks when the matches are disappointing, the show still manages to be entertaining. Outside of the terrible decision to have Orndorff beat Johnny B. Badd, everything moved quickly and had a purpose. They did the Tag Title switch was a cool surprise and I’m enjoying the Flair/Anderson/Pillman angle.
