WingedEagle

Boricua, thanks as always for the info. We're definitely talking Bobby Jaggers here after watching a bit more. He sounds like something straight out of a Grand Theft Auto game. Really enjoy them together on commentary. Finishing disc 2 today and will post some specific thoughts on the matches and the set more broadly then. After a slow start I am loving the set now.

1) Who's on English commentary with Hugo Savinovich? This guy is a riot and has the most hilarious heel laugh ever. 2) Why does Invader #1 wear a mask when teaming with #3 but not when working singles?

Finally watched this last night and was reminded again just how incredibly smooth and quick Tamura is on the mat. I'm sure I'd appreciate it more if some of the nuance on the mat came to me more easily, but he's still operating at a ridiculous skill level. I can't rate it much higher because outside of a few big strikes this never felt like much beyond a tremendous exhibition, but can totally see why fans of the style would love it. ***1/2

I'm just about done with the 2008 feud and concur. Forgot to mention it in my earlier post, but 2008 is a hell of year for Michaels. The Jericho matches & angles are all great, I think the Flair match it awesome and he pulls some good things together with Batista as well.

That's basically exactly what I had in mind when voting.

Let's hope she's able to clean up her act, if that's in fact what's needed. She's not looking well lately.

Great, now I need to rewatch that Kobashi-Akiyama match from 2000. I had it about ***3/4, so very curious why we might really be that far off. Very much in line on Mania 19. Hogan-Vince was an incredibly pleasant surprise that was well laid out and never dragged. This was also the show where it hit me that my thoughts on Michaels might need to be tempered. I'd remembered him as this GOAT worker who hit home runs on big shows every time out. Those matches are there as I still think the Angle and Undertakers matches are classics, but those are few and far between. The meat is comprised of 3-3.5 star matches that if anything leave you wanting more because the expectations are so high going into them.

Generally agree with this, as I simply want it to be active and look painful. Don't just lay there. The proponent should work to make it look like he's going out of his way to wear down his opponent and inflict real damage, while the man selling should actively put over the position he's in and work to escape. Don't just lie there.

From recent photos, Paige looks like she's on an unhealthy diet. Possibly one that's consumed nasally rather than orally.

You missed the good stuff. They also booked the main event before intermission.

Jack Swagger vs. Baron Corbin Niki Bella vs. Carmella The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss (Lynch is apparently a scratch) Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. The Usos Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose Smackdown TV is very fun of late and Backlash was a very good show so I'm looking forward to this. Interestingly, they just announced on Twitter that the main event will open the show. Afraid of debate competition even with it as Network programming or an angle to set up another title match later in the night?

Arguably. Its either this or the Tanahashi G1 win in 2013. That match and win really cemented him as a player who could be taken seriously at the level needed to get here, but this was the IWGP champion and head of his stable. Can't go wrong calling it for either.

Not a whole lot to add to Superkix's comments. Ishikawa is a tremendous world champion and his strengths along with excellent pacing and timing more than made up for Higuchi's limitations. Really good match. ****

Full speed brawl with all four punching away right from the start. Really odd with the play by play seemingly being called over the stadium loudspeakers. Weapon shots to Invader. Colon dumped over the top but he returns to save Invader from a 2 on 1. This feels like an ECW style brawl in a packed stadium. More good blood. Loved the cameraman climbing the turnbuckles to film from above as they brawl at ringside! Manager or cornerman for Colon & Invader throwing heart punches at one of the Sheepherders and he's damn near dead in the ring. Perhaps Ayala as the second? Prepping a stretcher for the Pastores as Colon & Invader are given the win and he'll be carried out in an ambulance. Hot, quick brawl. Fun while it lasted. ***1/4

This is a a few weeks after Starrcade. I'm a huge fan of Flair, Dusty and Flair vs. Dusty -- I think their Starrcade '85 match is a legit MOTYC and at a minimum always enjoy them working together. This was no exception, but definitely not higher end Flair/Dusty. The shine with Dusty throwing punches and elbows while hopping around and talking trash is great. Always. Textbook Flair with some solid work on the leg to set up the figure-four, and Dusty was always great at selling this. Really poor finish holds this back but it was a lot of fun to see them do their thing in a different setting for a pretty hot crowd. ***1/4

Lots of punching, which makes sense with the taped fist gimmick. Still a huge fan of Ayala's motion and pacing. Some odd production and camera changes here that make you think they're editing the match even if that probably wasn't the case. Still those weak transitions! Looking forward to hopefully a lot more Ayala as I get deeper into the set. **1/4

JJ Dillon is managing Abby, but the real highlight here is an incredible entrance for Colon to "We Are the World," running to the ring surrounded by kids. Moments before before he's about to bleed. They're throwing punches right away and Colon quickly puts Abby down. Quick shine and bailing by the heel. Still trying to make sense of this layout that seems common in PR where there's a seemingly never-ending shine where the heel taking over is routinely cut off. Finally we get to the heat with Abby biting & using taped fists to draw blood, but it feels like we move to the comeback incredibly quickly. JJ Dillon gets involved and bleeds as well before the double countout. The action again here is solid and to some extent sounds better than it plays out, as the lack of transitions and flow held this back from levels that the effort and stuff they actually did should produce. **1/2

Sheepherders! Lots of flag waving and heeling to work the crowd before they even enter the ring, and it is all great. They really take great advantage of the large ringside areas at many WWC shows to brawl all over the place. It looks like we even get some Bushwhacker comedy bits here. It takes a while for the blood to spill but we get it eventually. Shortly thereafter this becomes pretty out of control with everyone brawling all over the place. Transitions here are again generally non-existent but the intensity is strong. Fun, chaotic brawl that is definitely helped by the blood. ***1/4

Baseball stadium show. These always look like great, incredible atmospheres in Puerto Rico. Lots of brawling in close quarters as everyone wants to avoid the wire. Finally we get blood, but then also the absence of any meaningful transitions. The Sheepherders are bleeding a ton, and that is a good thing in a barbed wire match. Points for the blood here, but not a whole lot else to speak of the finish wasn't what you'd expect from this type of match. **1/4

We start with an awesome Savage promo. The voice, the attitude, the cadence. Great stuff. So this match was the biggest surprise to me on the opening disc. I knew the name Hercules Ayala but had never really seen him. Really big fan of how he carries himself, working as a legit powerhouse with the press slams and tossing Savage around like a good home court babyface. The pacing here was great as nothing was rushed yet there were never spots where they were standing around simply waiting to jump into the next spot. Everything flowed and built well. Meanwhile, Savage delivered a textbook heel performance with the selling, stooging and bumping. Just putting Ayala over as a force of nature. Blood, psychology, storytelling and a logical finish. This was a really good match that probably would've been my favorite on the disc had it gone a bit longer, but what we got was really god. ***1/2

I'm not religious, but Boricua, you are doing the lord's work here. An incredibly enriching read that has me stoked to cue up disc 2 this weekend. The context and history is beyond invaluable. Keep it up!

I actually loved Brody promo before the match. If he was regularly doing that I can totally see why he was over everywhere. Nice start with brawling before the chain can be attached. Shine. Punches. Shots on the floor. Back to the ring. Colon chain shot running ropes for transition. Brody wrapping the chain around Colon's neck and face! Stiff chain shots outside. Choking. Carlos selling the choking and struggle. Back to the ring. Crowd is into it but those are really weak transitions, which is a thought that came to mind more often than usual on this disc. No idea why that would be commonplace from the territory. Lot of stalling and dead time as they build and work the finish. Post-match is very heated with Brody & another heel jumping Colon's second until Carlos makes the save. More blood & violence, less stalling! **1/2

Another Puerto Rican outing that left you wanting more. Andre looks even more monstrous towering over Abby. Andre's offense and strikes look so violent here. He goes down surprisingly easy from a jab to the throat -- don't let anyone say he didn't sell. That continues with Abby controlling with chokes and more throat shots. Andre eventually blocks one and fires back with shots that look like absolute death blows. They disappear in a chase to the back but this was super fun while it lasted. ***

Landell plays a great heel here, bumping & stooging to put Apollo over strongly, even as the bigger man. Crowd already much hotter than the Steinborn match. Nice work around a side headlock on the mat. Apollo's comeback gets the crowd fired up and he seems pretty capable of working the local crowds. Nonsense finish, but much better than the Steinborn match and it may have been a little too quick, but always a fan of a match that doesn't overstay its welcome. **1/2

Steinborn almost looks like a young Dick Stockton. Some quick mat action revolving around trading headscissors. Really basic but fast action. Apollo comes out ahead on most exchanges. Steinborn armbar but Apollo throws a few dropkicks to send him outside. Steinborn throws punch from headlock that sets up a nice chinlock. Apollo wins with a jumping forearm. This was a solid few minutes with sound action, but absolutely nothing that stood out in any way and a finish out of nowhere that didn't feel like a finish. **