Kadaveri

Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. We're currently without a subforum to discuss matches from this month and it's left that section all quiet/a few people posting October matches in September. Thanks

I must assume you didn't watch the build to this match, because you're getting the story totally wrong. Of course Bayley is not some huge badass. That's why she lost immediately after doing that. Bayley got beat by Asuka in Dallas because she was too cautious and afraid of being caught by Asuka's offense. So she spent the whole build of this match saying that she was prepared for and ready to face Asuka this time and acting all badass about it. See the NXT episode where Asuka puts down a chair by the ring so Bayley can watch her match, and Bayley throws it away. Bayley was putting up a tough girl facade because she thought that's what she needed to do to win. But she was wrong. Her slapping Asuka in the face then immediately covering up when Asuka hits back was telling that story, coz Bayley is not some Shibata-style badass and can't fight on Asuka's terms. She was doomed to lose this match trying to win it like that. Bayley won the NXT title by being a force of genuineness as opposed to Sasha Banks' fake 'The Boss' persona, and now in an ironic twist Bayley succumbed to falling down the same path as Sasha did to lose to the title one year later in the same city. I'm with pol that that was the least stupid no-sell spot in years. Doesn't the 2 follow-up kicks killing her show the initial no-sell was fighting spirit and not a true no sell? Bayley's trying to act all badass thinking that's the way to win the match, wobbling to her feet after getting hit in the face and smacking Asuka back being all "Is that all ya got?" only to find no, Asuka's got plenty more where that came from. The 2nd kick Bayley's in shock, she thought she had this, but now she knows she's beat. And the 3rd kick is KO. ****1/4 for me. Big improvement on their previous match which in hindsight seems just a prelude to this. Mid-section felt a bit pondering but the ending was one of the best final 60 seconds of a match that year and bumps it up a lot.

I think the overbooking here worked in context. They'd backed out of making Bryan WWE Champion several times already and loads of people still weren't convinced they were actually going to go through with it, so all the over the top stuff to injure him felt like maybe they were giving him a super-protected loss to justify not putting the title on him again.

This is one my favourite PG Hell in a Cell matches (not that high a praise). I really loved how they build to the violent spots rather than just doing them so it makes them feel more effective. Like with the chair how they spend a good amount of time trying hard to avoid being put through the chair to establish that they really really don't want that to happen to them. The whole feel of the match is harsh and violent which I think is much preferable to the highly choreographed spotfest from KO-Rollins earlier on this show. The match (in fact all the Sasha-Charlotte 2016 matches do) has a story that follows up from their 2014-15 NXT feud rather than anything on the main roster. It's quite annoying how bad the writing on Raw was that their talking segments have no narrative thread at all when you watch through the weeks, just random nonsense that's probably written 1 hour before the show starts with no long-term plan. You need to have watched NXT to understand why Charlotte is pleading almost in tears at Sasha "you will respect me. Respect me!" Charlotte looks up to Sasha as a great wrestler from when they were stablemates in the BFFs and still does, but it pains her that Sasha treats her like she got all these advantages through being Ric Flair's daughter. She wants Sasha to respect her the same way back even if she has to brutalise her to get it out of her. Hate the stretcher spot. It's been so over done nobody buys that someone's genuinely injured when they bring the stretcher out anymore. Just harmed the flow of the match when it got a really hot start that it never really got back. ***3/4 I see where you're coming from but I think you're criticising the wrong people, It's not their fault that the KO-Seth match before them was a terrible display of excess. Within the prism of their own matches the escalations here were mostly logical.

Billy Robinson vs. Jumbo Tsuruta 05.03.1977. Early on this is looking a bit different to any AJPW match I've watched yet in this period. Robinson escapes a hammerlock with a sneaky heel trip to take Jumbo down, and then dodges him with a cartwheel. WoS stuff added to the old NWA style. Robinson is so cocky in everything he does. Just look at that smirk on his face after he got Jumbo into several pinning predicaments but had to break for the ropes. And again when he has Jumbo in a hammerlock, only to get that smirk wiped straight off as Jumbo elbows him to the outside. This is subtle stuff but I'm already totally behind Jumbo now, Robinson just getting under my skin with his smugness. There's an interesting battle in the Boston crab position that I don't remember anyone really doing. Robinson trying to roll out of it but Jumbo keeps stepping over to keep it on. Eventually Robinson escapes with a headstand motion (don't know what to call it). Maybe this stuff was common for the style but I don't see those reversals coming.But Jumbo doesn't relent on the offence, hits Robinson with a running bulldog and gets a 3 count! First fall to Jumbo. The 2nd fall is now really slow and I don't think this is good. Feels like a protracted resthold for ages and I don't understand why. But boy once they get out of it do things kick off when suddenly they're just throwing bombs. Robinson hits Jumbo with a dropkick and quick backbreaker to get the 3 count. Burst of energy after a mostly uneventful 2nd fall. Robinson is now pressing his advantage on the 3rd fall. Jumbo keeps trying to mount a comeback but just can't string two moves together before Robinson cuts him off. It's almost frustrating to watch. Jumbo finally hits Robinson with a back suplex and looks like he's turning things around. Goes for a dropkick but Robinson dodges and Jumbo's on the floor again. Ahh. Jumbo's back up though and shoulder checks Robinson down before he gets hit with anything, he rolls Robinson up only to countered and Robinson gets the 3 count! What a let down for Jumbo. Robinson has won the NWA UN title. ***3/4

One of my favourite matches of the year. I preferred this to the May match because everything here is so intense, there's not quite hatred between the two but there's a lot of anger. The match opens with Io offering Mayu a handshake, which Mayu considers insincere after Io's refusing a handshake in their tag match previous to this and just being a total dick to her for months. So Mayu gives her a good hard smack in the face and attempts a rapid fire suplex but Io powers out and wins a strike exchange. Mayu then attempts a hurricanrana only for Io to land in a handstand position and flip onto her feet like it's easy and just has this super-cocky smirk on her face mocking Mayu like "Can't touch this, fool." Sets the scene for the match excellently. The psychology of the match is Io is way above Mayu's level in every way. In the previous trios match they were in there's this spot where Mayu throws like 4 different strikes at her and not a single one connects as Io just does these Matrix like dodges, gives a smirk and smacks Mayu down. Mayu's a quiet and shy character but there's this bottled up rage inside her building from every time these past months Io has patronised, demeaned and just straight out humiliated her. Is that rage going to be enough to defeat Io? Mayu attacks Io with more ferocity than ever including some sick suplexes, but Io still has an answer to most of her new found violent edge. Io gets increasingly angry too as the match goes on, that this mere mortal dare challenge her like this. Io's anger is self-righteous and disdainful whereas Mayu's is a justified reaction to being bullied. But the answer to the question is no. Io's just too good. Mayu's biggest attempt to win the match a dragon suplex off the top rope just ends with Io backflipping onto her feet and delivering rolling dead-lift German suplexes and her fantastic moonsault. Mayu kicks out AT 1! What an awesome fighting-spirit spot, not no-selling but where you still feel the wrestler is badly hurt but is running on pure adrenaline/emotion, and like most fighting-spirit bursts it's just a last act of defiance against the inevitable. Mayu attempts a tombstone but Io reverses it into one of her own. Hits her with a moonsault and stands on her belly in disdain and screams something before hitting a second moonsault to put an end to Mayu's little fairy tale. 1 2 3. There are a few minor flaws in the ring-work I do see Donsem's point with the transitions, but they're not that much of an issue to me and the story-telling is 5 stars worthy. ****3/4 and the best Stardom match I've seen to date.

What a rollercoaster ride of match. Just epic. Tsuruta's heelwork is so simple yet effectively, just constant aggressive beat downs of Tenryu throughout the match establishing himself as the obstacle for the underdog to overcome and boy do the crowd get massively behind Tenryu. His overness is infectious. The finishing stretch (which is like the last ten minutes) is amazing there must have been 6 or 7 moments where I could completely buy were the finish of the match, yet it never loses momentum or feels excessive. Tenyru turning Tsuruta's lariat attempt into a diving neck onto the ropes is such a nice callback to the Hansen/Tsuruta match. GOTNW's right to call this an incredible match for 'learned psychology'. ***** behind just Flair vs. Steamboat at Chi Town Rumble for me in 1989, and not by much.

This is the match to crown the first Triple Crown Champion. Hansen's entrance is awesome, whole section of the crowd flees from his path lest they get bullroped. Jumbo is on top for most of the open section of the match working holds and just generally having a slight wrestling edge over Hansen who seems to get a bit afraid of going toe to toe with him. This pisses Hansen off and he decides to turn this into a brawl. Jumbo fights back with some really good chop but is not coming out well most of the time. They end up with a brawl on the outside where Hansen wallops Jumbo with a chair busting him open. Hansen just turns into such a bully at this point taking advantage of Jumbo's situation to beat him down. Really good heat segment here with Hansen going through stomps, punches and even a punch from the top rope to Jumbo's already cut forehead. He eventually goes for the lariat but Jumbo dodges it and Hansen gets thrown neck first onto the rope that stuns him. Jumbo quickly pins him for the 3 count before Hansen can react and there you have it, the first Triple Crowd Champion! Hansen is absolutely livid with how he just lost and is berating the referee and then goes on a rampage attacking stewards and storms out of the building. Jumbo's win does seem a bit lucky so I assume this a feud that's gonna get rekindled soon. ***1/2

This is one of the silliest matches I've ever seen. Match opens with a lockup and they exchange holds. Nothing particularly meaningful but it's ok. Hardy takes Angle down hard and goes to the top rope, but Angle is up lightning quick and jumps up top and belly to belly suplexes Hardy off the top rope. I remember him defeating Rikishi to win the King of the Ring finals with that move! Two count. Surprised to see that so early in the match. Hardy gets up. Hits Angle with a Twist of Fate. 2 count. Angle then dodges a swanton bomb to hit Jeff with the Angle slam. 2 count. Angle pulls down the straps and puts Jeff in the ankle lock but Jeff escapes only for Angle to hit 3 rolling German suplexes and go to the top rope for a moonsault but Jeff dodges and hits Kurt with a whisper in the wind. 2 count. Angle rolls to the outside but Jeff hits him with a Twist of Fate on the outside and then a swanton bomb to the outside. Jeff drags Kurt into the ring and hits him with another Twist of Fate. 2 count. Then hits him with a swanton bomb. 2 count. Then hits him with another swanton bomb. 2 count. Then hits him with another swanton bomb but Kurt gets the knees up. Kurt gets up and hits Jeff with an Angle slam. 2 count. Angle puts Jeff in the ankle lock but Jeff kicks him out the ring. What the hell even is this. This match has now been going on for 15 minutes and they're just hitting each other with their finishing moves over and over again. It's ridiculous. There's no drama because you can't have highs when the entire match is a huge high leaving the whole thing flat. So back to the match after a couple of minutes of fighting on the outside Kurt puts Jeff in the ankle lock for 53 seconds until Jeff kicks him off. Kurt then puts him back in the ankle lock for 1 minute and 58 seconds with the grapevine. How can anyone think this is a devastating submission move? Jeff's been in it for several minutes combined in this match. The bell then goes for a time limit draw. Eric Bischoff comes out and says we can't have a draw, 5 more minutes (why not just get rid of the time limit??) The match is restarted and Kurt puts Jeff in the ankle lock again for only 16 seconds this time until Jeff kicks him out the ring. Jeff goes to the top rope but Kurt jumps up with him and gives him an Angle slam from the top rope. 2 count. Some brawling on the outside until the 5 minutes elapses, and Bischoff says they're being given another 5 minutes to finish the match. The brawling continues until Kurt is busted open on the steps. Jeff puts him in a boston crab but Angle eventually escapes and puts Jeff in the ankle lock for 50 seconds until the time elapses. Bischoff then says that because of Angle's cut the match cannot be restarted so it's been ruled a no contest. There were no less than FIFTEEN finishing moves in this match that didn't even have a finish, including two on the outside and one a super-version from the top rope and a super-submission (the grapevined ankle lock). What we learned from his match is that these guys' finishing moves are totally ineffective, at least that's what I got from it. *1/2 Bad.

I've never watched any Terry Funk matches from this period before. The pacing is really different to what I'm used to. Rather than the match just slowly building over time it goes through flashes of excitement in between them struggling through holds and each time you think someone might be able to get a pin. So there isn't the issue I have with a lot of long matches nowadays of the first half being inconsequential padding. The pin on the first fall was so much fun I proper yelled for Jumbo getting the win. What a sunset flip. Funny how it's what would seem like a basic opening spot in most matches now. But it being positioned at the end of a build of tension and the crowd bought it as a potential finish just makes it feel so different. The second fall is so different to the first. Switches from a carefully paced technical match into a brawl. Funk even does a drop kick on the outside! Far more aggression from Funk, he really sells the embarrassment of getting pinned by Jumbo in the first fall, and this time he's not messing about. Funk gets a pin with a rolling cradle, I've seen that move get kicked out of so many times it never occured to me this would be a finish, but there you go! Funk slams Jumbo to open the first fall. He feels in control now, but before you know it Jumbo's caught him and spinned him into an abdominal stretch. Love the way Jumbo is rocking his head synching it in like he's trying to tear Funk's torso. Jumbo's got the crowd behind him in the final fall as he takes control and is suplexing Funk. It feels like Jumbo's got the upper hand until Funk jumps over Jumbo's head as he was charging at him (reminded me of Brock vs. Goldberg!), and when Jumbo comes back around off the ropes Funk drops him forward onto the ropes neck first which Jumbo sells like he's badly hurt at the neck, and Funk gets a three count. What a finish. Very enjoyable long match. My rating is ****1/4

Funny because I have very similar thoughts to what you've written on this match but my rating is ***3/4. I'm far less forgiving of that opening 15 minutes where it felt like almost nothing happened, I don't think you need anywhere near that long to tell the story of Juice's initial avoiding of the injury not paying dividends. In keeping with New Japan's current style the second half of the match really got great.

I don't think pushing Alexa like this even helps Asuka, because her winning clean all the time legitimises her reign so people aren't desperate for someone to take it off her. It's not like Honky Tonk Man relentlessly cheating for months to keep hold of the IC Title before finally getting squashed by Ultimate Warrior.

Zack Sabre Junior fits the New Japan main event style a lot better than so many of its homegrown talent. He actually can do a slow build match as he has such interesting and varied matwork and grappling skills that I don't feel like the first half of the match was just killing time. The match is 30 minutes and didn't feel that long at all. You can split the 'technical' section of this match in two. The first act is ZSJ imposing his technical superiority over Tanahashi, has the odd setback for overall everything Tanahashi does he has a counter for, the reversing Japanese chokeholds were nicely inventive. Then the second act is Zack moving to attack Tana's injured bicep which up to this point he'd left untouched. This is all excellent until Tana gets a comeback going, managing to cleverly reverse one of Zack's unique submissions into a Texas Cloverleath. And unfortunately we get more stupid Suzuki Gun interference that was totally out of place in this kind of match. Minoru Suzuki and Taka Michinoku storm the place with a totally implausible referee distraction before Michael Elgin fights then off with one of the most unconvincing brawls to the back I've ever seen. After that unwelcome interruption we get back to the match although I've lost track of what was happening with all that distraction, but the finishing streak was quite well done. **** was looking like a classic before Suzuki Gun had to turn up.

It was alright but pretty forgettable. I'm really not a fan of the WWE style of opening straight into long heel heat segments as has been discussed elsewhere the babyface getting no shine leaves you not that invested in his comeback. Things were competently executed so I'll give them that, but layout of the match turned quickly into rushed and meaningless finisher-spam. I found it quite egregious that Roman kicked out of the rolling double AA in his first meeting with Cena, considering Cena only invented the move last January as a new super-weapon to finally beat AJ Styles and nobody's kicked out of it since so it had an aura to it. That's a move that shouldn't be kicked out of until it's really earned. **1/2

Really poor main event. The opening minute was slow but promising, but it went nowhere. Lesnar puts Strowman in a kimura despite them being in the ropes for a hell of a long time but the ref doesn't force a break. Brock eventually pulls him away and then we get Strowman slowly reaching and struggling till he gets to the ropes to force a break. What. If that wasn't awkward enough we then later got Braun on the ground feeding Brock for a triangle choke or something but Brock just laid on his back doing nothing. Then we get the usual rolling German suplexes and F-5 to win for Brock after he kicked out of Strowman's super protected finisher multiple times. Bad. *3/4

That match felt designed to cool off Braun's overness. Don't think they have any plans for him except maybe giving Roman his win back as well.

Have to lol at putting Emma in the match only to have Bayley take the pin anyway.

He did actually have some good promos in The Shield feud in 2014. I know, a long way back. He actually had motivations then trying to expand a cult to take over WWE and get destroy rival groups. Now his promos are just gibberish trying to sound all spooky after he randomly attacks someone for no reason. His whole gimmick is one which has a 12-18 month life before it runs its course, if only there was other territories he could be repackaged and sent off too.

I have no doubt Reigns vs. Cena is going to be an excellent match even if I really don't like how they've built it. Nobody should be accusing someone of 'burying young talent' on a wrestling show.

This was pretty good. Thought the legvine submission Andre had Bundy in went on a bit too long although I'm aware it was part of the WWF style at the time. There's only so many minutes you can both lie on the floor before the crowd starts getting bored although Jimmy Hart on the outside does his best to keep people animated. Once Bundy's out of it though things kick up again, that headbutt sell when he goes flying out the ring was fantastic. Andre's selling of the sternum is good and the match seemed to just about get to another let when he counters Bundy with a big boot but then we get the interference. ***

What a bad final that's put a sour note on the whole tournament for me. Firstly the opening minute was pretty exciting so this isn't a total dud, Bito goes straight on the attack which is countered by Toni who throws her out the ring and follows up with a well executed suicide dive. Good. Some fighting on the outside until Bito hits Toni with her finisher on the outside, and then nonsensically sells on the floor for no reason until a 17 count. Then the match just fell apart I'm afraid. After a pretty dull exchange of submissions they take turns to hit each other with their finishers and kick out at 2 with no logic in the transitions until Toni hits 3 piledrivers in a row and wins. *3/4

Bit higher on this than you. Thought this match had a really good energy to it and I enjoyed the strike exchanges, Tam's emotional selling of being unable to match Kyona's physicality was very believable. I liked how she got increasingly heelish as the match went on realising that she just wasn't as strong as Kyona until eventually she's just stomping away at her in frustration. The powerbomb botch was awkward but I don't think the match fell apart as Kyona quickly sold it as her leg being in kayfabe pain and went for another move instead. ***1/2 for me.

This was a great main event to close what was otherwise a pretty mediocre show. The storyline going in is mainly revolving around the rivalry between Mayu Iwatani and Io Shirai. Mayu is on a losing streak against her and Io recently dumped her as a tag-team partner and started her own faction Queens Quest who she's tagging with here. Match starts hot as Mayu dropkicks Io straight after she does her post-announcer pose and the match breaks down into a brawl on the outside with Mayu pretty decisively getting the worse of it getting thrown into the fans. HZK (Io's new 18 year old sidekick) has probably her best performance to date in this match showing real meanness in her submission holds as QQ are bullying their rival team, there's a very good HZK/Kairi segment which has a AJPW babyface/heel feel to it stylistically (not saying it's that level quality wise). After much cycling through various combinations we're finally back to Io and Mayu squaring off for the final third of the match as Kyona and Kairi are brawling on the outside with HZK/Watanabe and stopping them interfering. Io is so cocky in everything she does against Mayu. She throws a moonsault against Mayu which Mayu rolls out of the way only to find Io landing on her feet and giving her that look of "that aint gonna work against me dear". Io goes to german suplex Mayu to oblivion but gets stopped by Kyona holding onto Mayu from the outside but HZK takes her out and Mayu gets dropped. 1, 2, kickout! Io stands on Mayu's belly as she walks to the top rope but Mayu holds onto her ankle defiantly, only for Io to stomp the hell out of her with a look of derision. Io goes back to the top rope but gets caught by Kyona and Kairi who've dispatched with Io's partners, Kyona holds Io in the tree of woe for Kairi to hit a double foot stomp (for once this move doesn't look contrived!) and as Io hits the floor Mayu walks over her (standing on Io's belly!) to hit her own double foot stomp. 1, 2, kickout... very weak kickout by Io there, just about got the shoulder up. HZK/Watanabe are back in the ring to save their leader but Kairi/Kyona fight them off, Kairi gives Io a sick backhand strike in while she's at it before another Mayu dropkick just like how the match opens. Io tries to counter a roll up only for Mayu to counter-the-counter, 1, 2, 3!! Io is outraged that she got beat and starts remonstrating with the ref before storming off. She probably isn't happy that things got near 3 against 1 on her in the finishing stretch even if her team started the non-legal interference. Mayu grabs the mic and screams "IO SHIRAI!!! I got the 3 count how about that!? Exciting match with a great narrative throughout, just a few bits of sub-standard work here and there from the younger wrestlers drag it down a bit from being a really great match. ****

My favourite lumberjack match is the Ambrose vs. Rollins one at Summerslam 2014. Though in this case they cheated the format a bit as half the match actually occurs outside the ring and through the crowd anyway. There's like a cat and mouse game Ambrose is playing with the lumberjacks as his entire goal is to beat the hell out of Rollins not win a wrestling match.

Feel like I'm stealing Aguakun's thunder a bit here, just watched this today and it's probably my 2nd favourite match of the tournament so far. At the start of the tournament Oedo Tai played rock paper scissors to decide who of them would win the tournament and Hana Kimura won, so Kagetsu announces that this will be a 10 second match as she's going to let Hana get 2 easy points. So don't anyone go crying and complaining, you were warned! She starts the match by lying down and lets Hana pin her, 1, 2 .... kickout! And goes flying into offense onto a bedazzled Hana, as if Kagetsu was ever going to just lie down for you. Kris Wolf on the outside doesn't know who to take sides with, so spits water in both their faces! It escalates into a brawl on the floor with Kimura being thrown into the crowd and a chair fight breaks out. Hana is playing babyface in this match and when the match gets back into the ring sells in peril very well, her strikes are way better from when I last watched a load of Stardom at the start of the year. Kagetsu at the end has to pull out a 450 splash to put her naive protege away. They then have a microphone segment where Kagetsu explains that one day Hana will beat her, but she's going to have to earn it. Always love a match with a solid narrative throughout, and the ring-work was all very good not quite enough to make me lose my mind at any point. ****