Superstar Sleeze

WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler - WWE No Mercy 2016 I am not surprised this match is considered better than Backlash but in my mind the Backlash match is the clearly superior match. But this match has the more pronounced leg work, more bells & whistles during the finish and Maryse in White WOAH oh and the babyface gets the big triumphant victory. However, it think the body of the Backlash match is far more interesting. They work with more urgency and the character work is better in Backlash. The Hair Spray finish is more tasteful as well, I thought the first ten minutes were fine but more in a routine Smackdown match way. I liked all the callback psychology. Ziggler lands on his feet on the catapult. He avoids the clothesline in the corner on the Danielson dropkicks. He avoids the Slingshot Powerbomb not once but twice. I thought the transition to heat was weird. I really liked Miz punting the ropes into Zigglers nuts but then Ziggler snaps off a dropkick. So then a Bret Bump in the corner settles us into heat. It was off. Miz is not as interesting in what and there are less hope spots. I thought the cutoffs and hope spots were all over the place. I liked how Miz had to earn the Slingshot Powerbomb using the exposed Buckle. Miz getting done by his own hubris with his shitty It Kicks resulting in the Zig Zag was a great spot. Strong Nearfall liked the tenacity on the Sleeper. The Hair Spray and Skull Crushing Finale hitting too close to the ropes was a little too cute. Though Miz going all Bockwinkel and attacking the leg that wronged him was cool. He rips off the boot and Superkick with da stinky feet! Here comes the Spirit Squad. I am all for extracurriculars but this was lame. Kenny never gets hit and they don’t do anything and the ref just throws them out. Why didn’t he just do that to begin with? He kicked out of Skull Crushing Finale for one last near fall. Superkick win. They give this the big main event treatment even though it was an IC match. But didnt really land. They really went for EPIC but their reach exceeded their grasp. it is safely great But what makes the September match a classic is they are present in the moment reacting to each other trying to win the by product is a classic match. When try for Classic the by product is usually falling short. ****

WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler - WWE Backlash 2016 Two boys from Cleveland proving they can do it just as well as anyone has ever done it. Holy fucking shit! I can’t believe how good this was! This was the most Crockett match I have seen in the 2010s. This is how you do a fast explosive upbeat match BUT it is not a spot fest or overly choreographed dance routine. The two minutes where Ziggler wrestles like Kent State Golden Flash Nick Nemeth was amazing. He was a tornado of violence. If he wrestled like that his entire career he would one of my favorites of all time. It was amazing amateur grappling with right touch of hate. Miz kept up so well. Miz played the traditional heel to a tee. Taking the those short cuts. He is not going to wrestle he is going to kick you in the knee, punch you in the face, side step you (great splash bump by Ziggler into the corner), throw over the top rope to the floor and from the Midnight Express School of Heeling a Fucking Slingshot Powerbomb. Nothing fancy, but oh so delightfully effective. Ziggler doesnt keep up the Kent State Golden Flash But instead morphs into best 1980s White Meat Babyface the 21st Century has ever seen throwing dropkicks like his life depended on it, wrapping sleeper holds in desperation, selling the leg for all its worth. I don’t think I have seen Miz work so well on top. Bow & Arrow, Surfboard with knee stomp. This was during the weird Talking Smack feud with inactive Daniel Bryan so he was stealing his shit for heat like running dropkicks in the corner. I love how all of Ziggler’s high spots miss at first but then he goes back and gets them all like Rocker Dropper and his version of DDT. They throw in some short But sweet leg work that Miz does really well and Ziggler sells well. Which plays into Miz using the Figure-4 which works as a strong “nearfall” late in the match. Ziggler has a shit super kick but he sells how badly he wants to hit it so well so even though it looks like shit Ziggler and Miz get it over with their selling. Miz trying to get counted out and Ziggler wrestling him back in so good. Then the cherry on top, the hottest woman in recorded human history besides my wife of course does the Precious Hair Spray gimmick into the Skull Crushing Finale for the win. Be still my beating heart. I knew this was fucking good because I remember it coming out of nowhere But I was not prepared how fucking good it would be. And this isnt even the one every one points to as good. I don’t know how they top this. This is like the best possible Jimmy Garvin w/ Precious vs Kevin Von Erich match. WOW just wow! **** 1/2

Kota Ibushi vs Brian Kendrick - WWE CWC 8/26/16 Another excellent 90s workrate match in 2016. I don’t know if they boys were putting these together or if there was a specific agent but man if every Penta match or AEW spot fest was this good I’d never complain. I thought of the big Ibushi matches in Thai tournament this really showcased him as an offensive dynamo. On three occasions his kicks made me audibly go wow. The Pele was killer! He was going off with moonsaults and missed Phoenix Splash. The German from the apron over the ropes into the Ring showed off his strength. Yet it never felt like overkill. They let the spots breathe. On the flip Side Kendrick added his salt & pepper took this match to the next level. He filled in the gaps with absolutely massive spots starting with the big transition the reverse neck breaker on the exposed buckle. Ibushi looked like he was running away with the match and now Kendrick was in it. He let Ibushi shine But he made sure he got his with well-timed high spots like Sliced Bread, ripping Ibushi by the neck into a Bulldog Choke and a NASTY BURNING HAMMER! The missed Phoenix Splash into a Bulldog Choke ruled so hard. I love Ibushi’s reaction on escape play time is over bitch HEAD KICK-> LAST RIDE POWERBOMB! These are like the best possible Nitro Cruiserweight matches but reaching heights they never reached! Another banger! **** 1/4

IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Naomichi Marufuji - NJPW 10/10/16 I LOVED their G1 Climax match this match is really hyped up. So I was pretty stoked for it but it fell flat for me. I thought G1 Climax was the far more interesting match. I don’t think this is bad I just think it is very good. Im a bit confused what makes this. MOTYC. There are some bigger high spots for this one I enjoyed most taking place on the outside. That Bulldog on the railing by Marufuji was nasty. He kept going for the head after that I thought we were going to get some nifty psychology but that was dropped. Okada just kinda took over with back elbows. Ok. Okada got this sick crossbody over the railing. Marufuji just kinda came back with kicks. Ok. Marufuji got this sick Piledriver on the apron and a sick springboard dropkick as Okada dove in the Ring. Okada Flapjack and runs through this normal comeback sequence. Ok. Marufuji grabs a crazy submission hold then it is Rainmaker Sliced Bread Heaven. The finish run is a lot of fun even if I hate the Sliced Bread. I did pop when he finally hit because it took like four tries across two matches to do it. Rainmaker out of Sliced Bread was cool. TOMBSTONE~! I do love me an Okada Tombstone. Okada hitting Emerald Flowsion on the NOAH guy was pretty sick and Rainmaker for the win. A match is a lot more than the finish run. Stellar finish run takes this up a notch But everything before was just good, solid, fine you get the drift. *** 3/4

Kazuchika Okada vs Naomichi Marufuji - NJPW G1 Climax 7/18/16 Will wonders ever cease? Marufuji is one of my least favorite wrestlers. Is he the one I have to blame for those terrible Question Mark Kicks? Okada is someone I think who can be carried to a great match but not someone I expect to have a great match when I think he is better wrestler. Well KO and behold this is a great match But the catch is my Okada Theory holds true Marufuji was the better wrestler on thsi night. Pretty standard Okada opening he goes to set Marufuji on the top rope for his dropkick but Marufuji kicks him off and like Ohtani/Samurai crashes down on Okada’s arm as he is holding the top rope. They never look back. Okada’s selling is pretty good and consistent throughout which is his contribution to the match but Marufuji runs this match like a pro through the arm. Really enjoyed the outside Arm work to establish Okada’s bad wing with the post and railing. Okada seems to get the advantage when he puts Marufuji in motion back body drop and Flapjack but it is never for long as Marufuji just keeps working that arm. There is a great slingshot over the top rope crashing down on the arm to the floor loved it. Marufuji wrestled this match weighty as a heavyweight and kept his annoying junior tendencies of the 2000s to a minimum. Even though the obligatory strike exchange is better because Okada crumples to the match because of his bad wing. Oh interesting note they worked the right arm which is Okada’s dominant Arm his Rainmaker arm. Great springboard dropkick to the arm. Really crashing into it. Marufuji goes for Sliced Bread twice and both times fails why because he deviated from his strategy gave his back to his opponent and gave Okada precious space. Loved that psychology. The first time Okada hit White Noise and Top Rope Elbow but the bad arm! Grits his teeth through a tough RAINMAKER POSE~! What a hero But Cant hit the Rainmaker and Marufuji goes back to Sliced Bread this time we do get the Dropkick to the Back on top rope. Nice how they worked that in there. Goes for the Tombstone, nope! DROPKICK~! Can The Champ pull out the Rainmaker Nope KNEE TO THE BAD ARM! Ugh question mark kick and knee to head! Crazy Emerald Flowsion thing for Marufuji the win! Shock upset to start the G1 Climax over the reigning Champion! Great finish! 2016 is all about heating up new challengers now obviously Thats Omega and Naito but they needed one challenger for October and who better than an outside invader with some name cache who wins one match at G1 Climax and bang you got yourself and October Title Defense Main Event! Great booking! Such a great first match. No Rainmaker. No Sliced Bread. So you leave yourself a lot to work with on the rematch. Arm psychology was great and the finish run was efficient and logical! Awesome match! **** 1/4

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn - WWE Battleground Remember really liking this in real-time felt like both guys needed this match. The feud seemed to have been going on forever and was growing long in the tooth. Owens had stalled out after the Cena feud and Zayn like Bayley couldn’t figure out how to translate the Heart & Soul of NXT gimmick to the main roster. So both needed a big time match. Owen’s would have his Kayfabe best year after this headlining the RAW brand as Universal Champ and having that killer angle with Jericho. I don’t feel like Zayn found his footing until many years after doing that Che conspiracy victim gimmick which is he tapping into now on Smackdown 2026 Main Event scene to great success. This match aged very well and they have a great story going although they don’t stick the landing. Every time Zayn tries a high risk maneuver it costs him. Rope walk he gets crotches and canonballed. Top rope Split Leg Asai Moonsault lands shoulder first on apron. Top rope dive super kick into Crossface. Dive through buckles for DDT, super kick -> Cannonball-> BullFrog Splash! The other thing this match had going for it was a really strong violent Owens performance. This was not the spot happy Owens of the Cena feud. He was working snug and tight. Trying to kick Zayn’s ass. One nitpick is that Brainbuster on the apron was absolutely meaningless. Given that the Powerbomb on the Apron is so iconic from the NXT turn and it was teased in the match. I thought the Brainbuster on the apron should have the turning point of the match that led to Helluva Kick win not some random spot in the middle. The other thing that bothered me was the Zayn comeback. All of sudden he is fired up and hitting all his spots. He didn’t really earn it. Just felt like my turn. I liked Owens getting the kick on the charging Zayn on the Helluva Kick into Pop Up Powerbomb helluva nearfall. Then it was just Super Sami no selling and kicking ass. The two Helluva Kicks was a great finish. Figure out a way to make Zayn’s come back be more organic this is a MOTYC but still a great match and terrific Owens performance. **** 1/4

Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE NXT 4/1/16 I actually watched this in real-time and remember being unimpressed. I stopped watching NXT after this show because I wanted to have a normal social life in my 20s. I can admit when I’m wrong and this match is definitely great. I don’t think it is a classic but I do think it is a lot better than I remember. It is pretty shocking the Nakamura-WWE relationship still exists after 10+ years. I didn’t think it would go well back in 2016 and sadly I was right and I don’t know why it still it exists. In 2018-19, after watching a lot of Nakamura in New Japan and watching a lot of Nakamura on Smackdown weekly that it just wasn’t going to work. Nakamura is not a high spot wrestler. The WWE house style actively works against him. My recollection was that New Japan presented him as the best wrestler but into a badass way like Hashimoto or Sasaki or a shoot-y way like Takayama or Fujita but as a counter wrestler. He was a problem Tanahashi and later Okada had to solve because he could change the complexion of a match on a dime. WWE house style doesnt really work with a counter wrestling defensive style because they present an high spot vs high spot narrative. This match is the exception that proves the rule because for one night before the producers and agents got a hold of him Nakamura presented a New Japan Nakamura match in a WWE ring against a game Zayn. It didn’t hurt that this was peak NXT and the crowd was rabid for this match before it even started and stayed molten throughout. One thing I need to get out of the way what others call charisma with Nakamura I just find weird and off-putting. For that reason I am not and never have really been a Nakamura guy BUT I have rated some of his matches very highly so I can look past it. I do think this match succeeds in spite of his weirdness. The opening is nothing too exciting but they do establish that Nakamura is the superior counter wrestler. Time and time again, Nakamura slips a kick or a knee to Zayn’s face when he least expects. They set it up in different ways but the result is always the same Nakamura foot ends up in Zayn‘S mush. Also both wrestlers are babyfaces and they handle it well. Working a very symmetrical match. Zayn gets a couple big dives to kick off the excitement. They work one of the best stand and bang segments of the 21st century because they dont wait to get hit and sell how tough they are. Instead, they hit through each others offense and go for maximum damage where Nakamura ends up with a bloody nose. The best part of the match is when Nakamura incensed wins the strike exchange STOMPS a mud hole in Zayn and walks it dry. That actually felt like an Inokiist spot! The crowd did chant King of Strong Style which while lame if you’re going to do it that was the time. From there they work a really smart babyface symmetry match. Sami’s Koji’s Clutch Vs Nakamura flash flying cross arm breaker. Each needs a counter to use their secondary moves…Blue Thunder vs Landslide. Great kick to counter the Sami DDT through the post I forgot about that Sami spot. I liked the last gasp of Zayn trying the exploder to set up the Helluva Kick but Nakamura beats him down. There finish is excellent Kinshasa to the back of the head and then one to the front. Great Nakamura match that felt like New Japan in a WWE ring. Unfortunately his WWE debut was the Peak of his WWE run. Mundane front half means I can’t go higher than **** but after the strike exchange this thing cooks.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - NJPW 8/12/16 G-1 Climax I have grown to really love this series. But after four year of fighting each other they needed some time apart. They had a terrific match this year at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show but New Japan wisely didnt book them in another singles match until 2018. I enjoyed this match as a really excellent greatest hits matches. It has all their usual stuff: Tanahashi’s knee work vs Okada’s crazy Lucha submissions; Okada Dropkick vs Sling Blade; Terrific outside work started with an Okada dropkick to an opponent perched on the top Rope and a beautiful High Fly Flow to the outside; Battle of the Tombstones (Okada won 2-1 by my count but the last one might not have counted); High Fly Flows from every direction and a lot of do-see-do on the Rainmakers. Their Greatest Hits are great in and of themselves but there were enough great sequences to take This above great. I thought opening flurry from Okada with White Noise Knee and Top Rope Elbow teased a sprint and threw you off the scent of the draw. I thought Outside Work with Tanahashi leg work on the railing the High fly Flow and the Okada Tombstone was tremendous. The work to get the Texas Cloverleaf was so good. Every variation of High Fly Flows belly flop, eats knees, to the outside, to the back, being dropkicked out of the sky, crossbody and normal was great. The finish run for a 30 minute draw was still high octane with all the finishers flying. I loved the dropkick to High Fly Flow kickstarted all the Rainmaker bullshit which was really well done so many good feints but ultimately Tanahashi pulled ahead and hit two High Fly Flows but it wasn’t enough as the clock expired! The thirty minutes really did fly by. The booking made sense as it paved the way for Omega, Naito and Goto to shine. Okada needed new challengers. Not essential viewing But very entertaining viewing. **** 1/4

WWE Champion Sheamus vs Roman Reigns - WWE TLC 2015 TLC Match Man I remember being really pumped to go see this match live in Boston. Sheamus has been a favorite since 2012 and I was really excited he won the belt even though I kinda knew he didn’t have much in the way of heat. I was definitely on the Roman Reigns train since his badass match with Brock at that Mania. I think the match disappointed me and I tried to Will it to be good in my mind to my Dad and brother but looking back on it now ten years later they just didn’t have the juice. I think it is a very good match. I just don’t think it is great. It is a pretty heatless match. Any other crowd I would be pissed about a We Want Cena chant but in Boston as a Bostonian HELL YEAH WE WANT OUR HOMETOWN BOY! We want Cena should be as Boston as Yankees Suck. Did I hear we miss Rollins I am sure that pissed me off ten years ago. I will say as restless as the crowd was they didn’t need to chant pointless shit but the guys weren’t exactly whipping the crowd into a frenzy so I get it. The match peaked in the first two minutes which is not exactly high praise. Roman ABSOLUTELY CLOCKED Sheamus with a right who walked through it and PUMMELED ROMAN! It was giving me Roman/Brock Mania 31 vibes. Then it just downshifted into this war of attrition. I am not a huge war of attrition guy. It is a lot of melodramatic selling. A lot of staggering. A lot of selling fatigue. I felt like they went to that well too early and got kinda stuck there. I prefer uptempo matches but I can get behind a midtempo rocker. This was not a great grind out match. I appreciate they went for violence and stiffness over high spots. That high spots were well set up. I love a ladder throw and a chair throw. How Sheamus back body drop looked more brutal because there happened to be a table there. The White Noise through the table looked killer as did Roman’s Backlund style Powerbomb onto the ladder. I am sure my Dad lost his shit for the Samoan Drop ladder break but the only high spot he talks about from This show is the other Ladder Break with Kalisto and the USO. The Superman Punch Sheamus off the ladder through the table should have been the finish. The Whole League of Nations bullshit with Rusev and Del Rio was lame. He breaks free But eats a Brogue Kick. He is left looking like a bitch on the bottom rung looking up at Sheamus winning the match. Deflating. I said it before I will say it again the WWE took the wrong lesson from Daniel Bryan. Bryan didnt get over because he lost all the time and came up short. It was because we thought The McMan was holding him back. Those logic doesnt work for a Golden Boy, a Chosen One. Theres no grassroots Roman movement. No hard cores clamoring for Roman. We don’t think Vince is holding him down. In fact we know you want him to be the Man so damn bad so just dont it. All the losing was killing him because it was stopping the babyface fans from cheering him and the smart marks from really letting it rip. This was such a bad booking era for WWE. The finish blows. The match is a stiff match but it never really gets out of second gear. *** 1/2

Genichiro Tenryu vs Kazuchika Okada - Tenryu Produce 11/15/15 With all the glowing reviews and praise I read in the past ten years I somehow deluded myself into thinking this would be amazing traditional pro wrestling. It is so different than most pro wrestling. Tenryu wrestles exactly like a 65 year old man would wrestle old as shit. Father Time comes for all us. Perhaps this is the most human match of all time. We all have to face our own mortality and that we will not be able to do what we always could. My wife told me that her father came to realization this year at 74 he may never swim again because of how difficult it is for him and she told me how sad it made him. It broke my heart. Just like watching Tenryu do that enziguiri. He could never Powerbomb well so that was just par for the course. 😛 He could still chop like a bastard and fucking bear paw swipe that punk bastard Okada the one to get out of the Rainmaker was great. Those chops looked so gnarly. Okada played his part well bumping for the Old Man and letting him get his shit in. Some of those kicks and punches looked legit and Okada’s face had the marks to prove they were. That Elbow Drop on the Old Man made me cringe. Those Dropkicks just felt like Elder Abuse. Rainmaker Mercy Killing. Okada felt like a weird pick for the match but in some ways they are kindred spirits both are irreverent punks who hold the world in contempt they just come at it from two different angles. I hate for the cop out but a match like this defies rating. In some ways it is the greatest match I ever saw because I cried and felt real human empathy. In some ways it is the worst match I have ever seen elder abuse is not fun to watch. So I choose not to rate it Bur just experience it as a truly unique human experience and encourage everyone to watch it. Tenryu Forever!

Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto - NJPW G1 Climax Finals 8/14/16 They had me cheering hard for the One Winged Angel to end this borefest so they did get me to pop for the finish. I always thought the Naito match was the finals. Since I watched the Naito match I thought maybe I was too harsh on Omega but this match brought him back down to Earth. It is not necessarily his fault Goto is a poor man’s Kensuke Sasaki or Hashimoto. They try to present him as an asskicked but very rarely does he reach elite levels. So I knew Omega’s had his work cut out for him. Goto is very bland both selling the neck and his offense. At the same time, it is not like Omega put on this other worldly performance. His knee selling was all over the place. His control segment on the neck was uninspired. The Rick Rude hip swivel on the Rude Awakening was an unexpected surprise. I can usually pinpoint oh this why everyone else likes this match but this ain’t working for me brutha but that doesn’t really exist in this match. Theres actually not a lot of high flying. Theres plenty of high spots it is 2016 but it is not really a spot fest either. I am kinda surprised this is as hyped as it is as because the finish run is pretty tame. Goto’s offense doesnt really have the juice for those ultra hot finish runs. So Omega has to manufacture it by scaling the ropes and falling back to escape a sleeper. That raised the stakes. It is the usual Omega with the Snap Dragons and the V-Trigger threw in a Styles Clash before the One Winged Angel. I mean usually you can at least point to the finish run as that is exciting but it was just alright This far inferior to the Naito which is shockingly great. In a large part Naito match is expertly laid out. Every transition is very well-thought and fits the match. They take what the match gives them and there’s a constant sense of progression. This match the transitions were not emphatic and just felt like ok it is my turn. There was no fist pumping for a comeback. There was no oh that’s how he gets out of this hole. There was a lot of stuff but none of it emotionally moving. It was not very interesting. I will say unlike many matches from This era there was no point where I said “Fuck this, this is dumb”. I do think it was a good match mostly on Omega’s part I think he had enough good cocky heel moments and overcoming the knee to make this good. This felt like sub par All Japan for the most part. The Naito match is the one to watch. I would skip this as it is not very essential ***

Kota Ibushi vs TJ Perkins - WWE CWC SEMIFINALS 9/14/16 When I watched TJP in Korakeun Hall in 2024 dude was wicked over especially with the ladies. This match was definitely the high water mark of his career. I remember him debuting on RAW shortly after this and he was DOA. But no one can take this match from him I thought he wrestled the match of his life. The match ran through TJP and his counter offense. Ibushi was this offensive machine. Emphasis on machine. TJP was the human element the under dog story. The counter wrestler whose strategy was part takin a lickin but keep on tickin and part surprise offense. Ibushi wrestled perfectly as this offensive juggernaut who could kick TJP head in, take to the skies with aerial assault and THROW TJP DOWN! BUT TJP kept finding those counters. Loved the early wrestling. Good chaining. They establish TJP checking the lethal kicks and TJP looking knee bar. I like that the first kick came in a cross cross scramble. Just as Ibushi looks like he is going to pour it on with a moonsault he gets kicked in the ass. Ibushi comes roaring back but then we get Dragon Leg Screw on a kick catch but which works on multiple levels because TJP’s move of choice is the knee bar. Ibushi uses a dropkick to set up for his big dive. From there Ibushi rifles TJP with kicks. TJP starts a comeback but a Pele starts the finish run. Ibushi tries a Powerbomb but countered into a DDT. Another Pele Kick this time countered into a KNEEBAR! That high spot popped me! Ibushi stands up through it and wrangles him into a strike exchange. POWERBOMB! 1-2-NO! I love the timing! Ibushi is the favorite wrestles as the favorite. That kneebar rang the alarm bells in Ibushi’s head! Time to stop fucking around and hit the damn Powerbomb only for a kick out! Love the psychology! What is the only way for Ibushi to one up the Powerbomb take to the air with a Phoenix Splash! Crash & Burn! Didnt love the crazy piledriver by Ibushi so soon after that. Crazy head kick by Ibushi! Powerbomb but reversed into knee bar with the a face lock for the SHOCK tap out! Ten years later still feels like a surprise upset! I knew TJP wins the Tourney but I thought this was the final. He beats Metallik in the Final. Still even though I knew he won it still felt surprising! Ibushi was presented as a real offensive juggernaut a real monster to overcome. When fighting a monster, you need to overcome a lot of pain & suffering and have a smart counter strategy and TJP had both. I didn’t love the head kick being no sold to get into knee bar. I think there was a better way to transition there. Great character work by both and a great story, makes this an easy thumbs up, excellent match **** 1/4

Kota Ibushi vs Cedric Alexander - WWE CWC 8/10/16 Crusierweight Classic along with Mae Young Classic and NXT UK Tournament were most brilliant use of the Network and really put over the idea of the WWE Super Indy. The CWC launched Ciampa and Gargano but the actual Cruiserweight Title was DOA. I think weight limits have a place in wrestling only in the hands of the most deft Booker. Anyways it looks like this is most heralded match of the tournament and it is only 15 minutes THANK GOD! 2016 is not kind with short classics. This is closest I have felt to watching 90s workrate wrestling since I have watched 90s workrate wrestling. lol. The high spots are high but they let them breathe. They don’t wrestle in fast forward. They sprinkle in hard hitting strikes. This would have been right at home in ECW or WCW. Ibushi in WWE seems weird. Could they not come to terms with a contract with him? He was clearly the one they wanted. I have always like Cedric Alexander and wish he got a better shake in WWE but this match got him a contract. They do some nice Stampede style chaining to start and a good tumbling pass to whet the audience appetite. The side headlock work is well-done. I love a good back elbow in a baby face vs babyface match to say NOW IT IS ON! Ibushi scores with a thunderous kick but it is too early to go for a dive and crashes and burns which allows Cedric to hit the first dive of the match. Terrific psychology. Alexander hits a springboard clothesline for two. Ibushi fires back with a dropkick to the head which feels like an emphatic transition and gets that dive to hit. They lose me a bit with Alexander pop up driver transition. You can argue the reason Alexander could land on his feet was because Ibushi didnt get the Frankensteiner right but that also looked bad. I didn’t care for the Brainbuster and head kick back to back near falls because Ibushi looked toast and next thing you know he rolls out the way and Kick -> Powerbomb win. Offensive execution was great and I liked the efficiency of the match but needed an editor down the stretch. A very good 90s workrate match in 2016 *** 3/4

Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito - NJPW g-1 Climax 8/13/16 Kenny Omega’s coming out party. I gotta watch Kenny Omega for the next ten years here goes nothing. I will say this Omega absolutely goes for it in this match. He knows this is his big opportunity that the rocket is getting strapped to his ass and he absolutely gives it his all. I will never disparage effort. Is he a total ham? Yes he is. But I rather you ham it up rather under sell or give me nothing like Naito. I have never been a huge Naito guy but again his total dispassionate take on wrestling is not for me. This was the Kenny Omega show through and through. In a way Naito’s total lack of fire made Omega pop even more. The other thing I noticed is Omega has to be the most staccato wrestler of all time. I love staccato riffing hello Judas Priest & Ratt and staccato singing. I would cite Bret Hart and moreso Chris Benoit both also PrairieCanadian as other staccato wrestlers who put a lot of snap in their movements. I think the biggest difference is Omega doesnt just do it on on a chop or high impact spot every movement has snap. The way he runs, the way he sells, executes offense. I have watched a lot of him in AEW but the way I watch week to week TV is totally different than how I write these reviews. So call this a working theory of Omega which I am totally willing to retract but it is almost like watching a video game character when you have to hit the d-pad to move him as opposed to holding down the button. It is so much stutter stepping. I have no idea if I like it or hate it. But it is unique. I believe this is nominally heel Vs heel Bullet Club vs LFI. Naito hits Tranquilo. They take turns spitting on each other. Naito dropkicks Omega’s knee and Omega sells like his knee just exploded. I was very wary of two workrate guys going so early to the leg selling well but I have to admit until the very end they made it work. Naito worked the leg pretty well and Omega was very over the top with his selling but he incorporated it well into the match. I like how he had an early break to hit a slingshot Plancha and landed on his feet which jammed his knee. What really makes this match work is how shockingly well thought out each transition is until the very end (it does devolve into a mess at the end). Like Omega using his weight to drive Naito into the railing and Bodyslam on the apron was really good way to transition onto offense. Omega worked the neck well but when he went for the moonsault his knee acted up and Naito dropkicked it. Naito worked a great submission here. Omega’s dropkicking Naito off the apron worked even if it sounds like it didnt. I loved the Powerbomb tease on the apron only to do it through announce table which always looks a thousand times better than an apron bomb. Omega out of control crazy springboard cannonball sea dive to floor wiping out Naito looked great and showed an Omega that was willing to go for broke. Transition back to Naito is well done again with head rocking DDTs. We get a terrible New Japan Strike Exchange breakdown which I won’t hold against them because everyone sucks as these. The two best spots of the match besides the crazy swandive canon all center around Omega not being able to hoist Naito properly for the One Winged Angel due to the bum wheel. First while I hate the Destino BUT Here as a counter to the One Winged Angel it looked nifty. Then they top it off with a anklelock roll through. Honestly if Omega tapped I think I would have called this match a classic but after that spot the match just unravels. The match goes off the rails after the Dragonrana by Naito onto Omega. That was the first egregious case of nope my turn as Omega counters the next Destino with a piledriver. Omega eventually gets him up only drop him into a German Suplex which totally under cuts all the awesome Omega Cant hoist him up work they did. UGH! They were wrestling such an interesting and controlled match but they couldn’t help themselves they had to get their shit in. One Winged Angel wins it. At pretty close to 30minutes it is very breezy. Each control segment is well-worked it never drags. Transitions are interesting and well-worked. There are enough crazy high spots worked into the dueling body part psychology. Two things hold this match back from all-time classic: the finish run felt like it was shoehorned on and didn’t fit with the body of the match and second I was not emotionally moved by the match. Still this was far better than I expected. **** 1/2

WWE Tag Team Champions New Day vs USOs vs Lucha Dragons - WWE TLC 2015 I was at this show live with my Dad and brother. This is my Dad’s favorite match he ever saw live and still brings it up multiple times a year. He LOVES the Destino from Kalisto onto Jey USO through the ladder. He can’t get over them breaking the ladder. I don’t have the heart to tell him it is a fiberglass ladder. That spot still hits big and there are enough other fun high spots like the monkey flip 450 onto a ladder, Jimmy’s splash to the outside. The finish is fun with Woods throwing the trombone at Kalisto and Kingston ripping him off the ladder for the win. Theres really not much more to this match. There’s nothing bad or blown but outside the ONE spot theres also nothing Thats spectacular. It is a fun car crash match especially live but leave the memories alone. My brother and I were at this show and Royal Rumble 2015. It is crazy how over the New Day got in a year. Philly innovated New Day Sucks which morphed into New Day Rocks. They had such GO AWAY heat at the beginning of 2015 and by the end of 2015 you could say they were the most over act in the company. This match is peak New Day in terms of their gear, their act they did their stand up comedy routine before the match and they are in the middle Of their year plus tag title reign. This is the most remembered match of that reign I reckon but to me it is just a good solid ladder match that lives and dies by that ONE spot but it is a helluva spot just ask my Dad. *** 1/4