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supersonic

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Everything posted by supersonic

  1. supersonic
    The hottest match of the night for obvious reasons, and this probably should've just been the main event due to the heat. It started off with a feeling out process due to Punk being gone for a couple months, but his skill came through early when he worked on Jericho's left arm and shoulder. The pace just keep gradually picking up as the match progressed, much like a puro main event. The selling was top-notch too, with Punk selling the back after Jericho had gone to work on it. Punk managed to use his technique and experience to get out of the Boston Crab, then used Jericho's body to lift himself up and lock on the Anaconda Vise, even getting enough leverage to lock it on completely, planting Jericho's back to the mat, and paying off the earlier work on Jericho's left arm and shoulder. Jericho of course got to the ropes, and after some more work, Punk got the Go 2 Sleep on Jericho which was a great nearfall. The action kept going for several more minutes, leading to a phenomenal finish when Punk gave Jericho a Go 2 Sleep, Jericho fell back and bounced off the turnbuckle, and Punk gave him one more Go 2 Sleep for good measure, earning the bragging rights of the Best in the World moniker. ****
  2. supersonic
    More great storytelling here, and a somewhat karmic one to boot. Ziggler came into this just cleared from a concussion, and Del Rio went after his head over and over and over again. The crowd, already rooting for Ziggler, completely turned on Del Rio, but he didn't give a shit about their reaction or playing borderline dirty. Ziggler was great with his occasional hope spots, finally using his home run style moves at the appropriate times. Del Rio won and then came back out afterwards to say how happy he was to be the champion of the people just to troll the crowd. Perhaps this was karma for Ziggler, not because of his MITB cash-in, but because his girlfriend mentally fucked with the head of her opponent, and now he physically got his head fucked with by his opponent. ***1/2
  3. supersonic
    This was great storytelling, with Kaitlyn furious over Lee's manipulation of her with a fake secret admirer. The champ would use her strength and power, but Lee's intelligence, speed, and technique were too much. The key moment was with the ref fixing the apron, Lee smacked Kaitlyn with her shorts belt, and also Kaitlyn having Lee beat but not going for the finish, caring more about vengeance than retaining the title. That came back to bite her when Lee clamped down with the Widow's Peak. Another great pop for this title change. ***1/2
  4. supersonic
    This wasn't quite up to par with the very best of the Shield's trios matches, but it was still good stuff with a magical moment in WWE history. In this one, the Shield never got a true advantage, failing to catch their groove as they were accustomed to doing. D-Bry's intensity set the groundwork, not allowing himself to turn into Ricky Morton. The finish came when Reigns attempted a spear but Kane moved out of the way, having the Tag Champion ram through a barricade. Kane then chokeslammed Dean Ambrose on top of Reigns, taking both out of the equation. That left Orton to deliver an Ace Crusher to Rollins, who then found himself locked in the LeBell Lock, and almost immediately tapped out from the back-to-back punishment. This got a fantastic reaction from the crowd, and Lilian Garcia acknowledging this as the Shield's first trios loss when announcing the winners made this even more meaningful. It was time for the Shield to show vulnerability as a stable, especially with Kane getting a US Title shot while Orton & D-Bry would be challenging for the Tag Titles against the trio that weekend. ***1/2
  5. supersonic
    More good work between these two, picking up where they left off four years earlier in ROH. There were admittedly moments in which the crowd was noticeably quiet, mainly during the submission work. I believe that if D-Bry plans to keep using the surfboard as a signature move, he needs to do the "Woah" like he did on the indies. It'll cause the crowd to become more engaged, which is why they're always so happy when he throws strikes now, so that they can yell "YES~!" Rollins was great once again at being a troll, slapping the head of D-Bry when he locked the surfboard on first. He put forth such a competitive effort that it didn't decrease his stock whatsoever when he fell victim to the small package. I expect these two to feud over the WWE Title in the future. ***1/2
  6. supersonic
    This was booked when D-Bry, still upset over the trios match loss, ran into Ryback and challenged him to a match. Easily one of the best matches Ryback will ever have (shocking that's against Bryan Danielson, I know), this did a great job in showing off his power. But most importantly, it showed that D-Bry's technique, talent, and tenacity could go toe-to-toe with someone of great size and power. No matter what Ryback did through, he couldn't put down D-Bry. The former World Champion also did a great job of taking away the base, going after the legs, bringing back memories of his classic series against Takeshi Morishima. The finish came when Ryback, who was frustrated while also mainly concerned with sending a message to John Cena, brought a table into the ring and powerbombed D-Bry through it. ***
  7. supersonic
    Not up to par with the usual greatness of the Shield, but this was still good and had a much different purpose in mind, which it accomplished incredibly well. The finish, which is what mattered most, came when the Shield had Orton and D-Bry collide, taking full advantage. D-Bry blamed himself to an irrational degree, whereas Orton said it was just an honest mistake. ***
  8. supersonic
    Much better than the PPV title change match, since this had about twice or triple the length of time. Once again, the Shield look like unstoppable, strategic bad-asses, preying on the cracking chemistry that was showing in Team Hell No due to D-Bry's insecurities. Those insecurities though were causing D-Bry to bring out a fiery side that was allowing the audience to genuinely connect with his work. Loved this match. ***3/4
  9. supersonic
    More good shit here of course. Cut the ring in half. Adhere to tag legalities, with even the wrestlers remembering. Intelligently worked and done in exciting fashion to boot. ***3/4
  10. supersonic
    Excellent trios match as one, a genuine contender for the Shield's best match. While I don't remember everything about this match because there are so many featuring these guys I've watched in the last day or so, this was some truly outstanding shit. Once again, the ring gets cut in half by the Shield, a trait I'm sure Arn Anderson has taught all of them as a producer. There were also two or three hot tags, all of them getting great reactions. Fantastic action of course as expected. This was about the time that the Shield carried themselves with unquestionable confidence, just stealing the show and walking around like they own every spot they walked into. Also important is that this is where Daniel Bryan REALLY started to get over both on offense and when selling. ****
  11. supersonic
    A great brawl and power matchup, as both men pummeled the fuck out of each both with weapons and power moves. I liked that both men pulled out the powerbomb successfully, with Ryback throwing Cena down beautifully and with such force that it looked believably painful. Ryback had a few selling issues of course to keep this from reaching greatness (I actually don't mind the finish so that didn't keep this from the greatness), as I wasn't fully convinced he'd have an adrenaline rush for 1-2 minutes after being Death Valley Driver'd through a table. This was some really good stuff, and probably the best match Ryback will ever have. ***1/2
  12. supersonic
    THIS is when I would've booked the title change. They got about 20 minutes, and Cesaro brought his fucking working boots in this one, showcasing what has made him one of the top grapplers of the 2010s decade so far. He went to work on Kingston, finally getting some damage on the champion's right knee when it got stuck in the ropes about halfway in the match. But Cesaro didn't make this great all by himself. Kingston put in enough hope spots and did a masterful job with his facial expressions to get babyface sympathy. Cesaro was just tenacious in going after that right knee, locking in a half-crab multiple times, whereas the champion had to dig down deep to overcome the adversity. Once Kingston got his chance, he hit the Trouble in Paradise with that bad leg, much like athletes in other sports do - you give them just one small crack, and they'll run through that door to the narrowest of victories. Excellent gem of a match here. ****
  13. supersonic
    Another good trios match for the Shield, although nowhere near their best. Just good, solid work with sound stroytelling, psychology, and cutting the ring in half. ***
  14. supersonic
    Not quite the epic many touted this afterwards, but a very good trios match nonetheless. Once again, the Shield did a phenomenal job of cutting the ring in half on Kane and D-Bry. They frequently managed to find a way to get the numbers in their favor. Rollins was also top-notch in this one, taking a moment to talk straight shit to Taker. Taker's facial reactions to that were excellent, fuming in such a way that CM Punk couldn't even get out of him the month before. Rollins is going to be a star in this federation. Of course, with the babyfaces being an iconic bad-ass, a HOF bad-ass, and one of the greatest in-ring technicians EVER, they managed to get enough advantage to keep this from being a complete squash. With the clout that Taker has, I don't think it's a coincidence that D-Bry's journey to singles stardom started shortly after this. ***1/2
  15. supersonic
    I'm shocked, but I was engaged by this match, and I wonder why the fuck these two don't show this kind of dedication to their craft this well on a consistent basis. The story was Del Rio's injured left knee and Swagger's injured left elbow. They went to work on each other, showing incredibly submission work. The psychology and storytelling in this was just outstanding. The match also had very good drama, although the pace was a bit too steady to keep it from reaching true greatness. But the work they unleashed on each other was like some good shit from the ROH golden age. ***3/4
  16. supersonic
    Not much here, just a showcase of what they could do together. I wouldn't have booked the title change here, but whatever.
  17. supersonic
    The Miz and Wade Barrett have a ***1/4 IC Title match, with Barrett winning it back to a raucous crowd that is happy because of his British heritage and he comes across as far more of a man than Miz.
  18. supersonic
    Red-hot match from almost beginning to end, with Punk trying every tactic possible in order to pull off the impossible. This had the story of Taker going after Punk at the beginning, pissed over Punk's disrespect, only for Punk to use an arm-drag when Taker tried the vintage arm-twist ropewalk chop. Other top moments include both men countering each other's finishers, Taker turning a simple pinfall attempt by Punk into a Hell's Gate, and the nearfalls that had the crowd erupting. If this does indeed turn out to be Punk's last ever WrestleMania match, not a bad one to finish with and his best ever on the Granddaddy of 'Em All. ****1/4
  19. supersonic
  20. supersonic
    Nothing too special here, which was just fine for Raw. A good match though that only solidified what an outstanding unit the Shield is, and marking the only time [as of this review being initially posted] Jericho has mixed it up with any one of them. ***1/4
  21. supersonic
    Now this one holds up. The babyface juggernauts got a triple vertical suplex right at the beginning, almost equivalent to a football team getting a kickoff return touchdown. But from there, this was all about the Shield. They masterfully cut the ring in half, constantly getting the numbers advantage in their favor. It was non-stop domination, but what made this so compelling is that because of the strong booking of the babyfaces, especially for Cena after all of his years as the face of the industry, it still seemed like at some point they would find a way back in. Cena was tremendous playing the Ricky Morton face-in-peril here, and I laugh at anyone who questions this guy's wrestling ability. His selling both in body language and facial expressions was splendid. His hope spots were also great in making the audience believe that his team still had a chance. But the Shield were so focused, never once letting up, finding ways to bail each other out at the slightest hint of trouble. What a finish too to not only get this unit established as a force to be reckoned with, but to build up Roman Reigns. Oh yeah, since this is the big leagues, there weren't any of the stupid tag legalities I see in TNA and the indies. An instant classic. ****1/4
  22. supersonic
    A good Chamber match here, but lacked the exciting pace to make it truly memorable. It was truly laughable to see Swagger get such a strong push, especially considering the lineup for this match. ***1/4
  23. supersonic
    Excellent Rumble match, one of the best ever. This just had so much going for it to make it a classic. Most important is that the match was NEVER dull. That should be so easy to do for this gimmick match, but we've seen so many times that doesn't turn out to be the case (1999, I'm looking at you.) Chris Jericho's return after being fired several months before was a truly amazing moment, and probably the last time he could ever come back to a huge ovation. Jericho and Dolph Ziggler as the starting entrants were excellent lasting to almost the very end, but there were of course other splendid moments as well. Godfather was a great nostalgia entrant, walking down as the master pimp, stepping in the ring, and immediately being eliminated, landing safely on his feet and receiving a standing ovation as he departed from ringside. Not a bad way to cash them checks. There was also the surprise appearance of Goldust, which of course drew the attention of his brother Cody Rhodes (they were still not friendly at the time of this match.) In a nice piece of storytelling, Cody did the Goldust get-on-your-back-and-throw-an-uppercut to Ziggler, sending a message that only HE could bully his brother. What also made this match work so well is that the stars were spread out. Jericho to start the match, Sheamus about 10 entrants later, Cena about 10 after that, with other big names such as Rey Mysterio, Ryback, and Randy Orton spread out as well. In addition, Kofi Kingston had a cute spot when he jumped on Tensai's back and ended up on the Spanish announce table to avoid elimination. He then used JBL's chair as a pogo stick to get to the apron. However, being the nitpicker than I am, why didn't Kingston just use ONE foot to move the chair (which had rolling wheels on its legs) to the apron and then he could simply step back into the ring? The last six were quite stacked for its time, although over a year later, wouldn't be quite so epic right now. Jericho, Ziggler, Sheamus, Ryback, Cena, Orton. And when the finale became Cena vs. Ryback, it was fantastic storytelling, even with the winner being obvious. It was simply best for business for Cena to go on to headline WrestleMania XXIX. A genuine MOTYC. ****1/2
  24. supersonic
    'm not the biggest fan of LMS matches, because whereas the drama is in the ten-count, that means there can be a bit too much resting and lack of pacing for what I'm accustomed to. However, the story was very good here, and the finish was very, very well-done to get Del Rio over as a babyface while keeping Show strong. ***1/4
  25. supersonic
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