Phil Schneider

Here is my BattleCade review, final two matches will probably make our 2016 ongoing list when Eric gets around to reviewing them http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2017/01/cwf-mid-atlantic-battle-cade-123016.html

I am in on CWF too, I should be putting out a BattleCade review on Segunda Caida today or tomorrow, and then Eric and I are dumping 205 Live and doing weekly CWF reviews

If Dave Taylor was there, I see no reason for him not to put someone over in the first round. Have at least one guy someone might have heard of.

Why are you running from FUTEN? Ikeda v. Ono is 4 minutes long

I certainly had no plans to watch this, but I figure someone at SC should weigh in on the canonized best match in wrestling history before we go back to reviewing Black Terry Jr. HH's or Tamon Honda matches. I am really burned out on both long matches and 2010s style CrossFit wrestling, so two guys doing the ultimate CrossFit endurance match for 45 minutes wasn't going to do it for me. By CrossFit style, I mean a wrestling match where it seems like the goal is to pound out one more set of kettlebells to show how tough you are, rather then any sort of sensible progression or story, every match is a show of endurance. It is what Volador is doing in CMLL, Seth Rollins in the WWE, tons of people do in indies I don't watch and what a lot of NJ main events devolve into. Even taking away the problems I have with this style, I didn't think this match was particularly close to the apex of that style. For one thing I am really surprised at how bad both guys basic execution was. Big spots looked great for the most part, but Okada is throwing missed clotheslines that fly a foot over Omega's head, they exchange Ethan Pagian forearm smashes and wrestling school level kicks to the stomach, Okada's top rope elbow is a big move of his and he clearly takes all of the impact on his hip before gingerly placing his elbow in Omega's chest. The match is all wild drum solos, but the back beat is off. The match was also way too long, these guys don't have 40+ minutes of a match in them. They either can't or won't do matwork, so instead it was basically a 20 minute house show workrate match, followed by a 20 minute big show workrate match. It's like Finn Balor v. Seth Rollins on RAW, followed immediately by Finn Balor v. Seth Rollins at Payback. The match did have a couple of awesome huge spots, Omega's bump of the year into the table and the top rope Dragon suplex. That table bump was fucking lunatic, maybe the greatest table bump I can remember seeing, Omega got truly insane height and he landed like a V2 rocket on the table, I honestly don't know how he didn't lacerate his spleen. Still that move was 20 minutes into a 40 minute match and didn't play into the finish at all. Basically the next offensive move either guy executed was Omega hitting Okada with a super nasty top rope dragon suplex, which again didn't play into the finish at all or really get a compelling near fall. If either move led directly into a finish run it would have really made the match make more sense. Instead the finish run was a lot of dancy reversals around Okada's silly clothesline finisher. Omega is a guy with great athleticism, and big holy fuck spots. There was a moment during the finish run where he whips off a dragon suplex that looked like it was in x2 speed, and I really liked some of his desperation running knees. If someone could tone down some of his bad tendencies and and craft a match around what he does well it could be really awesome. Okada isn't that dude, and I don't think that guy is in NJ (or the WWE for that matter, I actually don't know who that guy is, maybe if Finlay gets fired again.) Our 2017 MOTY list will be filled with random small US indy matches, CMLL trios and Kurisu matches on Rutube, and honestly this match probably had enough good to make it objectively better than some of those. But I didn't enjoy it, and it was the poster boy of the type of wrestling I hate. Hard Pass.

OK you really need to watch FUTEN, so much better version of the super stiff style The first match is under 5 minutes

Parv should watch some FUTEN or WAR where this style is actually done well.

I thought both guys had shockingly bad basics. Omega looks great on big spots, but simple stuff like forearms, kicks to the stomach all looked pretty shitty. There was this one missed clothesline by Okada where he swung his arm way over Omega's head so Omega didn't even have to duck, shit like that wouldn't pass muster on a JAPW undercard, much less the dome show.

The best way to counter all of this six star nonsense is to drop a real classic.

Reviewed the main event over at Segunda Caida, I had thoughts http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2017/01/2017-doesnt-make-list-six-star-edition.html

Love the Kongo Kong v. Danny Cannon pick, don't think I would have it #1, but it is a great match

I was hoping one of my dudes would watch this so I wouldn't have to.

Fans bring the weapons Ian Rotten isn't the Ian Rotten that Ian Rotten fans love.

Both me and Eric go into pretty specific detail about what we liked about the match. If you want me to sit down with you and go through it together my tutoring rate is $100 an hour, I usually teach the LSAT but I am happy to work through wrestling with you

There are a bunch of reviews of that match, here is ours. http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2016/09/ongoing-2016-moty-list-lupus-v-trauma-1.html This board has folders full of people commenting on matches, here is the one on this match http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/35450-canis-lupus-vs-trauma-i-iwrg-942016/

We could really use a big match, seems like this month has been mostly undercard stuff, let's start the new year with something big!

Black Terry v. Wotan is the MOTY easily

Really great LA Park style arena brawl with Escorpion predictably fitting in great. Both guys really pound the crap out of each other, chucking chairs and cases of beer at heads and faces. Escorpion has some of the best punches in the world and he really cracks PARK. I loved Rey battling over the snack tray with the vendor, total asshole heel move to steal a guys popcorn just to whack PARK. Also really liked both of PARK's fatboy dives, he is approaching early 90's Super Porky level and is totally smushing people when he lands. Finish was kind of dumb, but perfectly within the kind of thing you get in your PARK brawls.

Here is the Segunda Caida review I did of that show http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2009/07/hybrid-wrestling-theory-of-evolution.html Here is a youtube clip video of the match

I was a little disappointed in this, some fun shtick, but it was pretty long and ground to a halt so they could do comedy spots with the ref. Kind of reminded me of all of the Monterey lucha in the early 2000s which would have awesome on paper matches but the actual match would be full of ref spots and guys mailing it in.

This was the final match of their awesome late 80s early 90s triology, and it is a hell of a finish. Liger starts out the disrespect by slapping Sano in the face, but Sano takes the early lead by piledriving Liger on the floor, ripping his mask and posting him. The rest of the match is this great visual of Liger with his mask ripped off, adding a bunch more red to the iconic red and white outfit. I loved all of Liger's comebacks in this match, he would squirm out of a Sano bomb attempt and hit a crazy dive or a desperation throw, but then get overwhelmed. This was Liger trying to ride a tidal wave, rather then a back and forth battle. Sano was great in this, such a vicious prick, there is a moment where he is just pounding on Ligers bloody head that you can see the joy in his face. I also loved his intelligence, there is a moment where he charges Liger in the corner, Liger moves, so Sano backflips out, Sano knows the kappo kick is coming so he just dives on his stomach to avoid it. Finish may have felt a little abrupt, with the level of punishment, but I dig the tombstone as a death move (Sano did a great post match sell of it) and Liger breaking out his first Liger SSP to close it out was pretty cool. I have a feeling that when I revisit NJ juniors for this project, the less juniory matches will stand out, and this was a great one.

I really enjoyed this, it felt like the worlds greatest Sabu v. Brian Lee match. If someone told you they found an awesome Sabu v. Brian Lee ECW HH on Youtube, you would want to go watch that right? Corbin was pretty great in this, I liked some of his early squashes, but I wasn't sure he had a actually match this good in him. Maybe my favorite spot of the match was him pinning Kalisto's head against the barricade and smashing it with forearms, it felt like the kind of thing Finlay or Ikeda might do. I also loved him stalking Kalisto around the ring trying to squash him with chair shots. Kalisto hit all of his big spots cleanly and they were high risk crazy stuff, it was almost too well executed, Sabu would awkwardly blow one or two of them which makes him finally hitting them even better. Loved that finish too, holy moly that was nasty.

Shockingly fun Texas Death Match (which appears to be just a No DQ match in WWF world) , Putski is a guy who I never liked before and is pretty much universally considered a turd. Putski has a weird overly muscled body and these tiny T-Rex arms, and can really barely move. Larry Z however puts on a heel masterclass, he is bumping all over the ring for Putski's stump arm punches, and flying into tables and chairs. He is also super nasty on offense, laying into Putski with lightning fast punches and at one point removing the turnbuckle and smashing the back of Ivan's head directly into the ring bolt. This kept moving, kept violent and I loved the cheap foot on the ropes pin to escape with a win. Zbyszko is a guy I really like, and while the Regal matches may be better matches, this would be on his superworker submission reel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6k5lbgs2aI Here is the match, I remember Vince seeming nervous on commentary

I am calling it now, everyone in that Black Excellence tweet is losing their belts tonight.