Bierschwale

Is it too easy to say that this match is kind of like Casas & Santo running a touring match in BattlARTS? Una caida. No blood or mask-ripping. Only one pinfall attempt that I can remember and far more countout spots. Only two dives, both from Santo. The focus of the match was always on the opponent and just beating his ass with any kind of strike. I thought that it was super off-putting on first viewing but it's a hell of a damned match. And now I'm sad that there wasn't some Bat-Bat version of the FMW match with Casas & Santo, but replace Onita/Tarzan/Leatherface/Horace with Ishikawa/Ikeda/Otsuka/Greco.

The one thing that I 100% cannot get behind is only having tag titles on one show. The three World titles (Heavyweight, Tag Team, and Women's) should be on both brands if you only have one of each. Two women's division titles might dilute things, yes, but it's anti-REVOLUTION if they aren't equal with the men. And then avoid the "Divas' title" problem by making one of them a tag division title.

Strong start. I assume that Storm's on Team Canada. PCO as his partner? England's a mystery. Brookside and Doug Williams? I also like Goldberg as a guy who bypasses the title because he's already done that shit. Now he's gonna take on the entirety of PRIDE.

Phenomenal match. Mesias's plancha onto Park & Hernandez is one of my favorites ever. I don't know what to call Park's "tribute" spot to his brother, but him topping the psychopathy he displayed in the Park-Parka match from TripleMania is really a hell of a thing. Dylan says it all the time, but one of the best things about lucha is that it can end after anything-- here it really ends after a low blow, sure, but Park still hitting some body shots to the downed Mesias with the chair is the best. What an asshole he truly is.

Brand split era signings are weird, but SmackDown has RAW beat. Tatanka & Animal as already mentioned. Juvy & Kid Kash. And of course the minis (and Porky, which I think is the most WCW signing ever made by the WWE). That's all just 2006! Something that they kept off of TV because it wouldn't have fit but might have been really fun had they: Kanyon working dark matches as SD's tryout guy with the Mortis gimmick in 2003. Del Rio keeping his Dos Caras, Jr. persona when he went around the horn working dark matches before his debut applies under the same logic. He just would have been really distinct.

That's actually why Anderson getting signed made sense to me once I thought about it. Albert is a HHH Guy, and Anderson is Albert's guy. Gallows seemed weirder just because it would be his fourth different gimmick with the company.

This is an awesome breathless spotfest, even accounting for the occasional moment of in-ring interior decorating. My favorite Young Bucks are the Scumbag Garbage Match Psycho Young Bucks, and without any of their Kliq schtick they just find new and both increasingly elaborate and brutal ways ways to hit people with chairs and ladders. And Sabin/Shelley are far from slouches in this environment, either. Only two table spots, neither of which is superlatively great but both very effective within the context of the match and are both as organic as such things can be, with both teams using the right strategy for a TLC match (you have to get the spots in, so make them seem like they have a point). I admittedly love two team ladder match tags but this felt particularly strong even for the genre. You might be surprised to learn that Mike Tenay & Taz are dogshit on commentary by late 2010, but oh well.

Really excellent match. Steen's commentary is horrible but this is an awesome display.

Jack Gallagher is the "World of Sport" guy if there is one from the second British Indie Invasion. Fantastic grappler and "small stuff" worker. Hopefully him being put in the Cruiserweight Classic equals EVOLVE bookings.

The near-endless Matt-MNM feud is kind of one of my favorite things ever, especially with his revolving door of tag partners (Tatanka, Animal, Lashley, Brent Albright) before Jeff came back. Especially because it transitioned almost perfectly into the near-endless Matt-MVP feud.

He did too much there, but his highlights (the Kroffat & Kikuchi title matches most easily come to mind) are great and so utterly distinct from the rest of the promotion that I think that he was clearly providing value.

On first watch, I felt that this lost a lot of steam when it started to go in Tanaka's direction with the table. But I loved the opening and remember really really wanting to like the match more than I did. Needs a second viewing.

~Maximo vs. Kamaitachi (CMLL, 1/1): YES. I'm not sure that there's a better babyface in wrestling than Maximo right now, and Kama is just magnificent. Best NJPW excursion since Mutoh. ~Isami Kodaka vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT, 1/3): YES. One of the most compelling matchup dynamics of the year with the experience/size differences. ~Los Panteras vs. Dinestia Navarro (IWRG, 1/17): YES. Best main event trios of the year. ~Chris Hero & Tommy End vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Sami Callihan (EVOLVE, 1/22): YES. Even if End's double-stomp was a whiff, that wasn't the finish anyway. An out-and-out electric in-ring atmosphere. ~Dragon Lee, Stuka Jr., Volador Jr. vs. Gran Guerrero, Kamaitachi, Negro Casas (CMLL, 2/19): YES. The platonic ideal of a trios sprint. ~Dragon Lee vs. Kamaitachi (CMLL, 3/4): YES. This is what every "epic main event" should be. ~Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW, 1/4): NO. It's not all of the legwork ending with a bunch of Okada dropkicks. It's all of the legwork ending with nice and tidy tombstones so Okada could set up the dosey-doe. I can't accept any match where I can't stop thinking about how limbwork could have helped the opponent-- like Okada getting rubbery-legged and Gansoing Tana on a tombstone attempt. ~Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata (NJPW, 1/4): NO. No. No. No no, Nanette. Take away both guys' best attribute (Ishii's selling and Shibata's explosiveness/unpredictability) and double down on it in the match and blech. NOMINATIONS ~Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kota Umeda (DDT DNA, 1/8): A really excellent "prove ourselves" match. I kind of like the now-foreign idea that a developmental show would be about development and its competitors trying to prove that they deserve to be the next company ace. ~Andy Wu vs. Hiroshi Yamato (WRESTLE-1, 1/10): Just a really nice juniors match that never really lagged or screwed around. A refreshingly straightforward and entertaining match. ~Silueta vs. Zeuxis (CMLL, 2/23): I kind of think that this might be the best women's match of the year. I need to rewatch it to be more specific why, but the luchadoras are always underrepresented.

Everyone knows why the discontinuation of the title was stupid and short-sighted. No need to explain that. But it obviously could have been saved-- the top rope ban was going to be gone soon and Watts had brought in an absurd collection of super-heavies to dominate the heavyweight title. Theoretically, that SHOULD make the LHW title the second most important in the promotion, and the other singles divisions had a good number of heavy workers to sustain the US/TV titles. So let's go from the first bump in the road-- the title reign of Scotty Flamingo. All dates listed are air dates. 1992 SATURDAY NIGHT (7/4): Brian Pillman defeats Scotty Flamingo in a 2/3 falls match when Flamingo gets himself disqualified in the third fall to retain the title (17:48). SATURDAY NIGHT (7/11): Johnny B. Badd defeats Tracy Smothers to earn a title shot the next night at the Great American Bash (4:35). GREAT AMERICAN BASH (7/12): Scotty Flamingo defeats Johnny B. Badd to retain the title after a small package roll-up (8:29). SATURDAY NIGHT (7/25): Brad Armstrong and Scotty Flamingo compete to a time-limit draw (10:00). MAIN EVENT (8/9): Brad Armstrong defeats Scotty Flamingo when Flamingo is disqualified (6:18). SATURDAY NIGHT (8/9): Scotty Flamingo defeats Marcus Bagwell to retain the title (7:09), and issues an open challenge for a match at the Clash of the Champions XX. WORLDWIDE (8/29): Scotty Flamingo defeats Tracy Smothers to retain the title (4:12), and mocks any other wrestler who will attempt a challenge. CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS (9/2): Ricky Steamboat defeats Scotty Flamingo to win the title (2:55) after answering Flamingo's challenge. After the match, Brian Pillman comes down to the ring and congratulates Steamboat, saying that he knows that Ricky will bring prestige back to the title, like when he had been champion.

Drew Galloway didn't even get nominated and I am 100% certain that he makes the top 100 in 2026 if he doesn't get severely hurt. That's the house money "biggest leap" pick.

Cutie/Oz-Dynamite/Hikari is basically the signature matchup of early post-split JWP. I think that their April match is definitely a better running of that match (a lot tighter, great tag-in/tag-out from the rudas, more Kansai in peril, and a very rare finisher actually getting the fall) and it's an all-alternate attire affair. too. Cutie in black, Ozaki in the Ninja Turtle green & pink, Kansai in orange(!), and Fukuoka in Plum-like abstract floral.

Blitzkrieg: the only person ever underpaid by WCW.

Robert Zemeckis is one of Satan's greatest minions.

Ishii was excellent in the Korakuen match against Roddy.

Redoing my list, keeping what I haven't relogged with "official" ratings: ***** Rick Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat (30-minute ironman match, Beach Blast, 6/20/92). Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki vs. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada (2/3 falls, WWWA Tag Team Championship, Dream Rush, 11/26/92). Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (DreamSlam I, 4/2/93). Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki vs. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada (2/3 falls, WWWA Tag Team Championship, DreamSlam II, 4/11/93). Ric Flair vs. Vader (WCW Heavyweight Championship, Starrcade, 12/27/93). Nobuhiko Takada vs. Vader (Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship, UWF-I, 8/18/94). Megumi Kudo vs. Combat Toyoda (no rope explosive barbed wire death match, FMW Independent Women's Championship/WWA Women's Championship, FMW 7th Anniversary, 5/5/96). Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series, 11/17/96). Jun Akiyama/Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (Real World Tag League, 12/6/96). Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (submission match, WrestleMania 13, 3/23/97). Yoshiko Tamura vs. Toshie Uematsu (WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship, GAEA Junior All-Stars, 7/19/97). Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (WCW Cruiserweight Championship, Halloween Havoc, 10/26/97). Jeff Hardy vs. The Undertaker (ladder match, Undisputed WWE Championship, RAW, 7/1/02). Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell match, WWE Heavyweight Championship, No Mercy, 10/20/02). Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Heavyweight Championship, No Way Out, 2/15/04). John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield ("I Quit" match, WWE Heavyweight Championship, Judgment Day, 5/22/05). Black Warrior vs. Místico (2/3 falls, CMLL 73rd Aniversario, 9/29/06). John Cena vs. Umaga (Last Man Standing match, WWE Heavyweight Championship, Royal Rumble, 1/28/07). LA Par-K vs. El Mesias (Guerra de Titanes, 12/5/10). LA Par-K vs. El Mesias (TripleMania XIX, 6/18/11). Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena (WWE Heavyweight Championship, SummerSlam, 8/18/13). Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins vs. Luke Harper/Erick Rowan/Bray Wyatt (Elimination Chamber, 2/23/14). Don Kernodle/Sgt. Slaughter vs. Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood (JCP, 3/12/83). Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum T.A. (JCP, 11/28/85). Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (WCW, 2/20/89). Doug Furnas/Dan Kroffat vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi/Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 5/25/92). Antonio Honda vs. Dick Togo (DDT, 1/30/11). John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE, 4/29/12). Dean Ambrose/Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins vs. Daniel Bryan/Kane/Ryback (WWE, 12/16/12). Kota Ibushi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NJPW, 8/4/13). Hechicero vs. Charles Lucero (Poder y Honor, 8/4/13). Matt Jackson/Nick Jackson vs. Candice LeRae/Joey Ryan (PWG, 7/27/14). Atlantis vs. Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL, 9/19/14). Kairi Hojo vs. Meiko Satomura (Stardom, 6/14/15). Kamaitachi vs. Dragon Lee (CMLL, 8/30/15). Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles (WWE, 5/1/16). Canis Lupus vs. Trauma I (IWRG, 9/4/16). HARASHIMA vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT, 3/20/17). Chip Day vs. Trevor Lee (CWF Mid-Atlantic, 3/25/17). ****3/4 Shinya Hashimoto vs. Victor Zangiev (Battle Satellite, 4/24/89). Bobby Eaton/Stan Lane vs. Robert Gibson/Ricky Morton (WrestleWar, 2/25/90). Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (WCW Light Heavyweight Championship, SuperBrawl II, 2/29/92). Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (St. Battle's Final, 12/6/93). Arn Anderson vs. Lord Steven Regal (WCW Television Championship, SuperBrawl IV, 2/20/94). Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X, 3/20/94). Dynamite Kansai vs. Mayumi Ozaki (street fight, Jazz & Soul, 3/17/95). Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (ladder match, WWF Intercontinental Championship, SummerSlam, 8/27/95). Johnny B. Badd vs. Brian Pillman (Fall Brawl, 9/17/95). Diesel vs. Bret Hart (no disqualification match, WWF Heavyweight Championship, Survivor Series, 11/19/95). Shoichi Funaki/Men's Teioh/TAKA Michinoku/Shiryu/Dick Togo vs. Gran Hamada/Gran Naniwa/Super Delfin/Tiger Mask IV/Masato Yakushiji (These Days, 10/10/96). Keiji Mutoh vs. Genichiro Tenryu (Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, Super Power Series, 6/8/01). Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue (GHC Heavyweight Championship, Navigation Over the Dateline, 9/10/04). Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Heavyweight Championship, SmackDown, 3/16/04). Edge vs. Matt Hardy (cage match, Unforgiven, 9/18/05). Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs. Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro (December to Dismember, 12/3/06). Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer (no rope barbed wire match, April Bloodshowers, 4/12/08). Blue Panther vs. Villano V (2/3 falls, CMLL 75th Aniversario, 9/19/08). Guerrero Maya, Jr. vs. Virus (2/3 falls, CMLL World Lightweight Championship, Martes Arena México, 6/7/11). John Cena vs. CM Punk (WWE Heavyweight Championship, Money in the Bank, 7/17/11). Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns (Fastlane, 2/22/15). Tamon Honda vs. Kenta Kobashi (NOAH, 4/13/03). Goldust/Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins (WWE, 10/6/13). AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 8/1/14). Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Katsuyori Shibata (NJPW, 7/5/15). Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (WWE, 10/25/15). Sami Callihan/Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Tommy End/Chris Hero (EVOLVE, 1/22/16). Kamaitachi vs. Dragon Lee (CMLL, 3/4/16). Chris Hero vs. Fred Yehi (EVOLVE, 4/2/16). Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles (WWE, 5/22/16). Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher (EVOLVE, 8/19/16).

I'm thinking of guys who could be modified Eddie Gilberts: manage and work, but up and down the card including big main events. Punk is pretty obvious. It has to be someone who seems right as a manager at a fairly young age and doesn't seem bigger/like a better athlete than their charges.

And... is all that I'll say. Those who know know.

Byron gets teased for being the new guy, especially when Cole & JBL first worked together 10 years ago. It's dumb, but at the same time, does anything close to rookie-hazing involving Bradshaw surprise you?

We just need that magical Catanzaro vault to open up.

Isn't the old King's Road line "the ultimate form of WWF style wrestling"? Of course, it was more clearly the ultimate AWA in what we think of it.