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G. Badger

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  1. G. Badger
    Fang Suzuki vs Sumie Sakai - Chain Rope, Chair pit & ladder match (12/29/2000 JD'): Not sure if that's the official name of the match...but, it presents a helluva visual, right? This was a great match. I'll just say that right off the Louisville. There were dives, blood, moves on the chairs...it was right there with ECW, FMW, or WWF at the time, in terms of inventive gimmick and actual execution. Even better, they didn't give us the fucking tour of the arena as was the fashion of the time. I liked that then, I won't lie but, only if it seemed organic. I've seen quite a few fights where there is pretty much zero reason to traipse amongst the ticket holders. Anyhow, this was Sumie kicking ass and Fang being an excellent foil. The real joy of the match is in the surprises. They had every right to milk the stips and stomp & headbutt their way into a couple highspots and bloodlettings. I don't want to spoil this for anyone. I will say the finish wasn't my favorite but, was an emphatic end to a war. Great stuff.
     
    Susumu Yokosuka vs Milano Collection vs Touru Owashi vs Dragon Kid - 4 Way Elimination Match (08/28/04): Fantastically fun 4 man match! Although it took me a minute to figure out the gimmick w/ the turnbuckle & the hidden golden tickets. What is this Willy Wonka Wrestling!? Really cool match that was pretty crazy once things got goin' and goofy in a good way at times. The stiff lariats from Mr. "Too Many U's in my Name" really helped make this a legit match & balanced the goof troop stuff...so it was real fun, dog
  2. G. Badger
    Mixed up indeed!
     
    Young Bucks & Paul London vs Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Karl Anderson (The Dynasty International) (Express Written Consent 2009): I would consider this to be in the golden era of PWG...Like 2007-2011. It wasn't hyped to hell, still had plenty of CA state talent, shows weren't supercars etc. It was kinda ROH level but, still with comedy.
     
    Bucks were feuding with the Dynasty team so, this 6 man was nice. Anderson was already in NJPW and London was coming back from his post World wrestling release. Paul entered the ring in his astronaut jumpsuit only to reveal he was wearing a WWF tee shirt!! Hahaha, that is to say a World Wildlife Foundation tee shirt
     
    His wrestling was off just a bit this match but, he certainly made up for it. The Bucks were phenomenal and any hiccups were quickly forgotten. Trust me. One note is that they hadn't begun the super kicks yet so, if that bugs you- don't worry! The Dynasty international were great foils for the face team and Scott Lost was particularly impressive. This was a blast main event for the card. I recommend checking it out if you want to like the Young Bucks but hate their overly self aware B.S. as of late.
     
    Dalton Castle vs Jushin Liger (ROH Reloaded Tour 2016): I'm not sure on the date. Its up on their Throwback Thursday playlist so, it should be easy to track down. This is a fun little comedy match with some nice moves thrown in as well. Its a 10 minute TV match but, gave me a couple chuckles. Most importantly, its a fantastic bout to show friends and family who are non-fans...especially if you're trying to coax them into going to a live show or something!
     
    OK now the real heavy duty shit...
     
    Jun Kasai vs Takashi Iikuza (01/28/18 TAKA production): I don't know if this match had a wacky deathmatch stipulation. It was just wild fight in the crowd then eventually in the ring with chairs and Kasai brought a ladder along with a razor saw board. I mean I hope those are not shaving razors because holy shit! The last 5 minutes would be utter bananas! I loved this match...just chaotic stuff and really dangerous. We watch wrestling because we want to feel something...well, I was afraid for the safety of both guys. That and a little squeamish. There was not really a lot of blood or gore per se but, the violence was there. Having been watching early 90's FMW, this was very similar in tone and taste. Awesome 13 minute hardcore bout. I really loved this!
  3. G. Badger
    Procrastination got the better of me regarding the final 2 matches of Day #2 of the 16 Carat Gold Tournament but, here are a few nice matches from the 2010's that are totally worth watching instead!
     
    Masato Tanaka vs Tetsuhiro Kuroda (01/28/11 Apache Army): I'm surprised that this FMW offshoot is still in operation in 2011. Here we get former partners & rivals squaring off again. Kuroda is a dude that doesn't get a ton of talk but, I think he's really damn solid. Really surprised he did not end up in Zero-1 or even NOAH after FMW folded. This match is probably just a nostalgia match but, damn it delivered! I'm not going to fool anyone and say it had any selling but, for 15 minutes, it was a blast. They ran through their moves with the best of today's star...elbows from Tanaka were my favorites. Fun ass match and recommended to fans of either.
     
    Kento Miyahara vs Super Tiger II (04/18/16 AJPW): A feeling out process with referee Wada getting involved when Miyahara won't release the hold in the corner which starts up the body of the match. This was a nice touch.
     
    Tiger is focused on Kento's arm with kicks and some great looking armbars. This was a short match so there was no drawn out selling intended, Tiger was just going for the kill. Kento fought back with his kicks and knees and this turned out to be a intense match with good strikes and suplexes in the end. Highly recommended match.
     
    Motor City Machine Guns vs The Briscoes - ROH Tag Team Championship (03/09/18 ROH): Tag team title match from the 16th Anniversary Show. Woo doggie! This was a mad rush. Holy moley the Guns still got it! The Briscoes eh..I'm not sure what their gimmick is anymore. They had a bunch of grease paint on and looked all crazy. I really don't remember too much of what they did. It was all spots and fun to watch. I wouldn't say this was the greatest match these teams have had but, damn its 2018 and these guys can still go.
  4. G. Badger
    AKINO & Ayako Hamada vs Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita (LCO) (06/09/01 Arsion): This match begins slowly and in a rather loose manner. I don't recall when it picks up but, its sometime when Mita starts bleeding! Yes, yes very good. Then more action, Shimoda's bleeding... Moving along swimmingly. AKINO's really standing out but, I'll skip to the highlights! There are chairs, tables, (aforementioned) blood, dives, double teams, and false finishes. This really picked yp into something special. If you're a fan of Yoshi, women's wrestling, and/or ECW, I highly recommend that you watch this!
     
    Lioness Asuka vs Mariko Yoshida (07/03/01): This is all good. Mariko wrestles, Lioness wrestles. Mariko strikes, Lioness strikes. I couldn't ask for anything more. A perfect mix of wrestling & gimmick spots with superb execution. A match with fantastic build that led to logical submission and pinfall attempts. This really looked like 2 champs battling. This was great!
     
    Hijo del Santo, Yoshihiro Asai & Gran Hamada vs Negro Casas, Blue Panther & Fuerza Guerrero (WWA 1990): If you're a fan of Michinoku Pro like me, I think you'd dig the beans outta this. Its a compact match with everyone pairing off evenly. Hamada & Fuerza leave me with the most lasting impression. Casas & Negro are great as always. Asai (Ultimo) was very good but, with Panther, seemed off their mark. Overall this was 2000 pounds of fun. If you're into M-Pro, I highly recommend the match for you. Its time well spent!
     
    Akira Hokuto vs Manami Toyota (08/21/93 AJW): This wasn't a perfect match BUT is a perfect way to be introduced to Joshi, Hokuto, and Toyota. This bout is full of stretches, stiff kicks, and maneuvers. I think their 08/19/90 match is better (which I reviewed a couple weeks ago) and their 09/02/95 encounter is worth going back to review as well. But! This is the place to start High recommendation!
  5. G. Badger

    The 2010's: wXw 2010

    By G. Badger,

    OK so, I've finished Day #1 of wXw's 16 Carat Gold tournament for 2010. Its been a pretty good day or evening for wrestling. Unlike PWG's BOLA the guys pace themselves and the card actually builds to the main event. I'm going to put everything for day #1 in this post.
     
    Ares vs Matt Jackson: Fun 8 minute match with a bit of comedy from Ares.
     
    Munenori Sawa vs Paul Tracey: I'm not familiar with Tracey. Sawa looked good and Tracey was OK. 7 minutes and better than the first bout.
     
    Yuji Okabayashi vs Martin Stone: Best match so far. Very good to see grappling here in this setting. Simple but, effective stuff. Stone gets the upset with a DDT. Recommended first round match.
     
    Claudio Castignoli vs Johnny Kidd: Slower & more cerebral than any match thus far. Wrestled the traditional British style. 13 minutes of light hearted fun.
     
    Kagetora vs Nick Jackson vs Tommy End: Kagetora looks the best to me. Nick did his thing which was exciting but, Tommy was still young here...more like Tommy Beginning. I would have been OK with a Nick vs Kagetora match. 9:30 time and worst match so far.
     
    WXW DAY 1, DISC 2
    Adam Polak vs Erick Stevens: Shazam! I haven't heard or seen of Erick Stevens in a while. I liked him as a really solid upper midcarder. Polak reminds me of Moby or perhaps Billy Corgan in a sparkly unitard...Yeah this was pretty fun. They're fighting on the outside. Stevens was charismatic as heck baby face here. Polak whom I've never seen before did well. Nice finishing stretch and probably the 2nd best match thus far in the night.
     
    Switchblade Conspiracy (Jon Moxley & Sami Callihan) vs Up In Smoke: Mox & Sami are tag champs. I'm liking this as I'm watching. It's clear they've got chemistry and experience working together. High energy but Switchblades slow the pace and take control. Hot tag happens but the Knifeboys retake the reigns. Sam's heel work is very good. The babies do all kinds of fun moves which is a shit ton of fun. Highly recommended match. 10 minutes of well worked exciting stuff. Best match of the night so far!
     
    Big Van Walter vs Daisuke Sekimoto: Psyched for this one. 15 minutes of hard clubbering action. I got into this one, I'll be honest. Daisuke, as jacked as he is, is dwarfed by the Big One. It was hard not to get behind Sekimoto when Walter is challenging the Japanese star to give him his best shot and the Austrian isn't even phased. Highly recommended match right here.
     
    Chris Hero vs Bad Bones: Ok, here we are. The closer to night one. Bad Bones brings an axe to the ring. The fans are pumped for Hero. I am as well but, Bad Bones cannot match him in the energy department. So, in my view, it was clear that Hero was coming out on top. This got pretty good in the end and I certainly want to see more of Metropolis' own and perhaps Bad Bones in a tag scenario in the nights to come.
     
    Pretty good wrestling and I'm sure a blast for the live crowd. I'll say I was disappointed by the main event but, I'm liking the potential for Night 2. Those should be some really good match-ups. Not only the tourney matches but, the matches with the losers as well. I think Night #2 will be better than the first.
  6. G. Badger
    Finally got back to the 2010 16 Carat Gold Tournament:
     
    2010 16 Carat Gold Show: Day #2
     
    Big Van Walter vs Munenori Sawa: 10:30 run time. David and Goliath match here. It was fun but, nothing too deep or engaging but, good for the opening match. A little disappointing though.
     
    Erick Stevens vs KAGETORA: 8:30 match. Whoa!! This was quick energetic and really good. Lively as all hell. Stevens brings a star prescence that this venue demands. Otherwise the show feels smaller than it is. He & KAGETORA had some very nice sequences. Recommended match right here!
     
    Plus a bonus from 2011 that's free on wXw's YouTube channel:
     
    Zack Sabre Jr. vs Dick Togo (11/24/11 wXw 11th Anniv. Show): This kicked maximum butt! It was near perfect to me. Togo & Sabre scrambling on the mat- in & out of holds, pulling pinning combinations out, fighting for pro moves, and stiff as the day is long. Man, 30 seconds of a little more work and this would have been an all time classic. This was a classic match nonetheless. I could see people not digging this but, screw it if folks aren't digging this then, we're looking at this all different.
  7. G. Badger
    Continuation of day #2 of the 2010 16 Carat Gold show:
     
    Johnny Kidd vs Paul Tracey: This a non tournament match in the classic UK style. I wasn't really in the mood for this I hate to say. So, I skipped. Sorry but, it's not the style I'm geared up for when watching wXw.
     
    Oberhausen Terror Corps (Bad Bones & Carnage) vs Strong BJW (Sekimoto vs Okabayashi): This is what I'm watching for and exactly what I wanted especially at this point on the card. Highly recommended match BUT one thing needs to be said. The action was great yet, the character dynamics confused me. From an observational standpoint, OTC are heels. Bones comes out with an axe, their names are Bad Bones, Carnage, and collectively Oberhausen Terror Corps. That's heel as it gets. So, BJW are then de-facto faces, right? They are the lauded high profile guests coming in to work the tourney.
     
    The "thing" is that Strong BJ wrestled this like heels by controlling the Terror Corps with simple moves & quick tags. Carnage even made the hot tag to Bad Bones and they started busting out swanky moves and showing all kinds of gutz.
     
    I watched the first 2/3rd of the match one day and was nonplussed. It didn't quite sit well with me. It seemed OK but, again something seemed off. Now, this time around I noticed this quirk about the face/heel dynamics and it made much more sense.
     
    Treat the native OTC as babyfaces who just act like heels. Sure they're intimidating and look like they're going to jack some Fred Durst looking fan up but, they're just some tough dudes. They're the home team, the native team, and Sekimoto & Okabayashi probably told them to work like this (perhaps). So, the Japanese are not heels perse but, let's say they're the tough veteran team who are going to teach the youngsters a lesson. So, with this mindset, things run much smoother. This is one of the longer matches thus far but, with that narrative creation, this was totally sweet.
     
    Ares vs Claudio Castagnoli: Tournament match. Wikipedia will tell ya that these guys are friends, countrymen and old tag partners. Lots of history especially in wXw. They were the first tag team champs back in 2001. This begins with some lighthearted comedy wrestling...I tune in and out as I wrote the above tag match's notes in my notebook. However, this picks up into a pretty darn good match. Now, my DVD had a technical hiccup that froze the match but, I worked around to see the last few minutes. I think I only probably missed like 30 seconds but, I wanted to say that. Nonetheless, very good match that I'd recommend to fans of either guy. They are booking this tournament and individual shows really well.
     
    And I thought that was the end of Night #2 as it certainly felt like it could have been BUT there's a 3rd disc! Christopher J. Hero vs Martin Stone and Absolute Andy vs Steve Douglas (coming off his loss to Abe "the President" Lincoln) in a No DQ title match. Nice! Hopefully, I'll be able to watch those soon and share
  8. G. Badger
    Missed yesterday's post. I'm running out of suitable material for some of the odds and ends of days like Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Or I get distracted trying to find stuff for those days and miss the mark on my projects like today's wXw 2010 16 Carat tournament post.
     
    I came through today though! Before my laptop ran out of batteries
     
    Martin Stone vs Chris Hero (Day #2 tournament match): This was really evenly matched and probably one of the better tournament matches thus far. Starts out with both men trying for hammerlocks or wristlocks and then, the gates to stiff strike city are opened. Chops, elbows (from Hero, duh), and euro's & haymakers from Stone.
     
    Reversals & fake outs are the hallmark of 2010 wrestling and those were here but, not to the extent that they felt contrived. Stone is a fellow I'd like to see more of. 2010 Hero has been pretty darn good.
     
    This was 15 minutes of great stuff. I'd say around the 4 star range.
     
    Started watching Absolute Andy vs Steve Douglas No DQ & Falls Count Anywhere title match. My battery started dying but, this is what I've got written in my notebook:
     
    Starts up on the balcony, a trip through the restroom, up on some tables, Andy takes a tumble down the steps. This is a lot of fun so far! ECW or Attitude era brawl.
     
    Hope to watch the rest later and report it here
  9. G. Badger
    It took me a damn while but, here we are. The conclusion to 2010 16 Carat Gold Day 2.
     
    Main event:
     
    Steven Douglas vs Absolute Andy: I started out liking this match but, I'll cut to the chase. This was the worst match that I have seen in a long time. The main detraction was being so fucking long. I can handle a little bit of bad...I watched Baba & Rusher vs Kimala & Abby from '89 the other day for instance. That was relatively brief and knew what it was as a match.
     
    This thing...holy shit. It was amateurish and a poorly executed self conscious epic. I don't know who gave them over 15 minutes and the main event slot...considering how good the rest of the night was. I could sorta excuse their execution issues (Andy mostly) if the NO DQ stuff was a bit more brutal. Make this a deathmatch or something! Instead we got the same old tired chair stuff and sheets of particle board for tables!?
     
    I couldn't fucking watch anymore. If they would have cut the B.S. down to 15 minutes this would have been a fun match but, this was an overlong turd.
     
    I wish I would have known ahead of time and saved myself the trouble. Ah well, I guess that's why we take chance and watch these things.
     
    I will add insult to injury and say if this is the standard of most wXw matches then, this is not my type of wrestling company. The fact that this was a world title fight doesn't give me much confidence in wXw. The shows thus far have been above average but, most have been non roster match ups. The DVD set has been worth the purchase price. I'm just really surprised that they would put on something this "local armory/VFW hall Indy" when you've got Chris Hero & Martin Stone putting on a great match right before.
  10. G. Badger
    I got to see these matches up on ROH's site today. Its episode #344 , aired 04/20/18 for what its worth. All take place on the Supercard of Honor show from 'Mania weekend.
     
    Ok with that outta the way, we go to the fights!
     
    Kelly Klein vs Mayu Iwatami: This was pretty enjoyable. There were some flubs but, this wasn't meant to set the world on fire. I guess this was a semifinal to determine the Women of Honor champion. Kelly made a good first impression whereas I was hoping from more from Mayu. I've seen her in Stardom back in 2015 or 2016 and thought maybe she could have brought more to this. Nevertheless, this was hard hitting & competitve and A-OK in my book.
     
    Sumie Sakai vs Tenille Dashwood: Dashwood has a very good look and character. Turns out she was Emma from WWE. That means very little to me...other than I can see why her character-work is really polished. As with the previous match, this was good but, nothing amazing. The highlight was Sumie bringing some mat wrestling to the show. That's something the modern product (oh I fucking hate saying that but, I've been watching WWE Network for an hour and it gets burned into your soft brain)....Mat wrestling is something that is lacking from the modern ROH show. So, it was nice to see even a flash of it here.
     
    *So it turns out (per Wikipedia) that the previous matches were prior to the main show.*
     
    Kelly Klein vs Sumie Sakai: This is for the WOH belt. This starts out pretty heated and does really well in topping the previous two fights. It was really good and building to something but, sorta just ends. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be longer but, I liked it nonetheless. I almost get the feeling that ROH management wanted all 3 matches to be less than 12 minutes so that they could put them on an episode of TV. As in, "Keep it short, we're gonna put all of these matches on the show. Wrestle for the TV show and not the PPV or live event".
     
    Here's my gripe with that idea sorta in mind. Colt Cabana and the other commentator go out of their way to make ROH seem pro-women or "pro-feminist" by changing words around and making apologies. For instance, it's a fisherwoman's suplex or it's her-story (instead of history). These things aren't said with tongue in cheek either. Then, Colt talks about how they're making things right by finally having a championship for the women & they have Daffney, an old school ROH and Shimmer wrestler sit ringside to promote some historical-gender connection or something. It was a cool blast from the past though.
     
    Initially, I felt that this was all some marketing/sales ploy to get a couple bucks from sympathetic viewers or attract female viewers by softly riding the wave of pop feminism. I was cynical of their intentions and well, I suppose I still am BUT, I genuinely think they are trying to be supportive. Sure, allowing more than 1 of the 3 matches to be on the PPV show, giving them more than 10 minutes per match, and putting the WOH title match above one of the FOUR other men's title matches that night MIGHT be MORE supportive but, it's something...I suppose.
     
    Really, it's not much is it? It's embarrassing actually but, the real positive is putting the strap on veteran 46 year old Sumie Sakai. Clearly she's not the same in-ring but, she's got loads of experience. And that is what this group of women need in terms of stepping up their game. These wrestlers are not Charlotte Flair, Asuka/Kana, etc. They need leadership and guidance in order to approach that level.
     
    It's a gutsy thing to have the face of your Women's division not be some young "hot chick" especially when your fan base is young men. I think everyone assumed Kelly was going to get the nod because of the youth factor. It was a good move to wait on that. ROH hopefully will keep the belt on Sumie for awhile and set the tone for their division as one of competition, athleticism, and progression.
     
    If so, I'll probably watch it more regularly than WWE's women's division.
  11. G. Badger
    Saw that Samoa Joe is on Smackdown now...nice! Even in 2018, I gotta say more Joe vs AJ & Danielson is always welcomed. It's a smart move too! I'm no WWE genius but, three future hall of famers working together seems like a no-brainer especially if they're gonna put Orton and Nakamura in the mix. Here's a little spotlight on Samoa Joe from 2005. If he can bring some of that magic to 2018, I might have to tune in.
     
    Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA Sacrifice 08/14/05): I thought this was a fantastic meeting of two of this generation's best wrestlers. It was really everything you could hope for in a match between AJ & Joe. Athletic, intense, and surprising. Also thought the ending was good for the match/story as well. A 100% clean finish or draw would have been preferred but, I think this match is still a classic.
     
    Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi (ROH 10/01/05): This match had legitimate instensity as Joe was facing, no testing himself against Kobashi. He had to bring barbarian like intensity lest he be mauled. This was really great! I found the execution to be a little off at times especially on Joe's submission attempts, they were a bit loose. Overall it was above average though much of the match was comprised of strikes. And maybe that's a complaint some of the ROH fans have. It was very much a AJPW style match. There weren't amazing sequences, chains of moves, or the usual flashy business...just hardhitting, believable Kings Road style wrestling. Surprisingly, that King's Road or maybe Ark style (with all the macho strike-offs) was there as Joe paid homage to Kobashi's greatest foes & even the Orange Crush himself. If I can remember correctly, he did Misawa's elbow suicida & step-over facelock, Kawada's step kicks, soccer kick, & stretch plum, and even Kobashi's turnbuckle bomb. I thought that this really elevated this match above all the rest of ROH's stuff. It was great for those who didn't notice these parallels/homages but truly inspiring to those who did. This shows great judgement on Samoa Joe's part by acknowledging Kobashi's history, AJPW's history, and infusing it with his own. Re-Watch: Joe versus Kobashi is probably one of the greatest matches that has taken place on American soil in the past decade and in the decades to come. It has everythingdrama, story, crowd energy, the moves, the stiffness. It all comes together this night in NYC. Just beautiful stuff! It hits on a different level than the other 5 star matches because it is like the ultimate puro fan taking on the King of Puro and damn near beating him. Its totally for the marks but, Kobashi still has a reputation to uphold. And sweet Jesus, does he deliver! Bumping it up a half star to perfect-o!
     
    Samoa Joe vs Jushin Liger (TNA Bound For Glory 10/23/05): Amazing cool entrance by Joe and Liger's wasn't too shabby with his NJ music, full shoulder pads, and streamers. Liger, sized wise, looked like a good match for Joe. Shorter but, thick as Joe. Crowd was amped.
     
    Joe pretty much did his 'standard' TNA act here but, Liger switched it up from his 2005 routine and played it like a younger junior taking on the heavyweight. So, we got a few moments of brilliance from Liger as well as him taking to the air.
     
    The only thing stopping this from being a great match was the time it was given. It reminded me of a Fire Pro Wrestling match where you get a Critical just as you're starting to amp things up. Highly recommended match and a successful dream match in my book.
     
    Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA Turning Point 12/11/05): AJ took it right to Joe and set the tone for this match. Intense and physical as hell. It was full of nice surprises,teases, hard way blood from both guys, and fantastic pacing. Plus, the post match kept the story going setting up Daniels vs Joe. This really is a classic match alongside anything they did in ROH. Its really a testament to how TNA was mismanaged. Styles, Joe, and Daniels could have been having classics like these for the Heavyweight belt for a few years instead we got 2000 era WCW redux and all kinds of other stupidity.
     
    Here's hoping that the writers don't blow it this time around..I mean they've got Danielson and Nakamura this go around. Don't screw this up fellas!
  12. G. Badger
    Okay, we're back from WWE to conclude Ring of Honor's Winter Warrior show in Atlanta.
     
    AJ Styles vs Bobby Fish: No belt on the line but, AJ is IWGP champion. This was a pretty good match. I researched it since I was a little groggy the first time around. It was not as awesome as it could have been. Technically nothing was wrong but, I guess I was expecting more. I'd still recommend it but, the singles match of the night honor goes to Strong vs Kyle.
     
    The Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) vs The Briscoes - 2/3 falls (normal match, table match, No DQ/Falls Anywhere): Well, holy crap this was awesome! Those chanting fans ARE right! The team's really beat each other up. I've never seen Bennett or Taven but, they truly impressed me. I was afraid the were going to be hokey especially with Maria as a valet but, I was wrong. They were really athletic & matched the Briscoe Boys in brawling and crazy shit. And believe you me, there was some crazy shit. It reminded me of 2006 Briscoes vs Joe & Homicide. If you dug that then, see this! Great match or perhaps a classic? A must see bout from Dem Boys in any case.
     
    As I've been on an ROH thing, I watched a couple less talked about fights from their Supercard of Honor from 04/07/18.
     
    Kota Ibushi vs Adam Page: So this is my 2nd Page match in as many weeks...and I was psyched to see what he could do with Ibushi. 14 minutes of fireworks. Perfectly executed dives, strikes, and slams. A great match that builds and concluded just at the right time. **** 1/4 star match, I'd say.
     
    The Briscoes vs Jay Lethal & Hiroshi Tanahashi: Everything looked really solid here. It was a basic smart tag match from vets. I even liked Takehashi which is saying something! The finish left something to be desired especially after their battle vs The Kingdom from above. I liked this regardless and would recommend it to fans.
     
    Edit: 04/16/18: While I like ROH's recent stuff their business leaves a bit to be desired. They've updated their website and links don't always go to where they are supposed to. I've mentioned their high shipping costs in an earlier post ($11 for 4-6 dvds). But now I can add poor customer service to the list...and I am saying this as a head online retail customer service agent for the past 5+ years. Its been 10 days since ordering 6 clearance shows. I received an order confirmation but, no updates. So, I check my status on there and and it shows "pending."
     
    Um...10 days is a little long to be pending. I'll send a nice email to their help/customer service address and they'll get me some info.
     
    I'm thinking - I ordered right before WM so maybe they got a ton of orders or Supercard of Honor maybe leaves them short staffed in someway. I don't know...I'm pretty understanding. However, instead of an email from a dedicated CS rep, warehouse staff, etc. I get an one sentence reply:
     
    "We are in the middle of relocating our warehouse therefore shipping is delayed
     
    Sent from my iPhone"
     
    Oh well, fucking thank you! 10 days after my order was placed. Of course there is no mention of this on their shop site, in the email confirmation, or social media. Any of these things would have been reassuring let alone a heads up before buying.
     
    Again, I do this for a living so, I'm not being a prick. I've gotten yelled at, cussed at, been told I've ruined birthdays/Xmas/anniversaries, been called a liar etc. in my line of work. We sell fun gag items, tee shirts, and dvds. So, nothing where any of that behavior is called for especially when we're always very understanding and appreciative of the business. So, the type of flippant response I received is really sub par as fuck.
     
    No apology for the inconvenience or delay...let alone a time line of when I'm going to get the shit I paid for. I did ask for this but, eh they couldn't be bothered. It was some chick responding from her iPhone probably on her lunch break. There was no indication who or what she is/does. I'm lucky I even got a response, I suppose.
     
    I try to put in a good word for the places I get my tapes (DVDs) from but, shit ROH dropped the ball from a fan standpoint. I know streaming is the thing but, why even sell DVDs anymore if you're going to cop an attitude for people buying them? And at $11 S&H, a little apology would be expected since a partial refund would be way too much to ask. Cuz I know 6 Dvds don't cost $11 in shipping.
     
    I'm venting rather than blowing up on the employee. Another indicator that I do this for a living, I guess I'll say this, be forewarned of ordering anything (including tickets) from ROH. Get what you can for free online and buy tix & merch at the show. If you can't make it or don't want to then, they miss out on the sales. That's on them!
     
    Update: 04/20/18- Got my DVDs, woo-hoo! Everything was in good shape but, never got an update that they had shipped. I kinda figured that would happen. 14 days for delivery...I can deal with that. I would say that if you want stuff quick or have deadline, call first. It never came to that in my case but, I gotta think you'll get more help than email. Otherwise, you might be waiting in the dark.
  13. G. Badger
    Clearly, I'm on a modern wrestling kick as of late. I suppose I'm taking a little breather from FMW and AJ. Who knows I might even finish the wXw tournament!
     
    Fortunately, I have the WWE streaming service free for another month so, I thought I'd see what the hype was about concerning NXT. That's not to say I'd never seen NXT footage but, I wanted to see this current crop of guys. It's kinda like ROH & PWG from 2013-16 with Roderick Strong, Red Dragons, Adam Cole, 2 of the 3 Grapple Fuckers, is Hero still with the company? Oh and they finally got Ricochet too! Plus Tommy Chompers, Johnny Gargano (I remember him from his Pro Wrestling Ohio days...really cool to see him make it), and our wXw friend Tommy End. I'll just say Mr. End has come a long way since 2010.
     
    One thing that I don't like about the streaming business is that there's no way to skip ahead or back to the matches or chapters. I'm so used to watching DVDs that I really prefer it. I hear everyone enjoy all the different streaming services they have. That's cool but, I don't have the time, patience, or stomach to scan through (let alone watch) a three hour show.
     
    It's OK though. This non-skip obstacle forced me to watch a match that I might have missed from the NXT: New Orleans show. You'd better believe I skipped the ladder match and the three way tag team match. That's way too much gimmerickery.
     
    Ember Moon vs Shayna Baszler: NXT Women's title on the line. I liked this match which is less and less of a surprise to me. Women's wrestling in the States is catching up to the men...or at least the stuff shown on TV. It is equal to or better than most of the men's matches. That being said, this was the weaker of the 3 WWE Women's title matches fought during the weekend. I'd still recommend it though.
     
    Andrade Almas vs Aleister Black : NXT Title match. This was pretty darn good. I'd even say great however, it had superfluous moonsaults and "moves" when good old fashion hitting would have been better. That is to say, more intense and more logical. End oh *ahem* Black is a hell of a kicker so, why is he doing moonsaults? This reminds me of Kawada in Footloose. He was doing top rope moves and spins kicks. Sure, they looked really great but, when you can kick a guy straight in the face, why bother? Almas valet was really remarkable and the most memorable part of this match. I'm coming in never seeing them so, perhaps that's old hat but, I dug it.
     
    Johnny Gargano vs Tomasso Ciampa: Grudge match. For a guy that skips as much of the WWE packaging as possible, watch the intro video to this. Especially if you're ignorant of their backstory. I know them but, not as NXTers so, this really helped set the scene. If you're new to this story/feud then, I'd say it's required going forward. Coversely, I don't feel like I missed anything by not watching NXT on a even sporadic basis. I'd say it's like an update retelling of the Midnight Rockers split up...except Johnny and Tomasso really are friends.
     
    I was hesitant to watch this because it had gotten a lot of pimping on the Match Discussion Archive. That and I'm not the biggest fan of 2018 wrestling. I am so glad that I didn't let those things stop me. Not only was it a gruelling battle but, it had a weight to it that few matches have. This was all punctuated by a finish that wasn't fade to black hammers but, instead one that showed a depth of emotions. I thought it was a classic. Bravo guys!!
     
    I can't say I'm in love with NXT since I skipped two matches intentionally. In some regards, just don't like the WWE style of presentation. I didn't like TNA or WCW's main shows either. Saturday Night was good though. I guess I like a more bare bones approach. I don't really care for the gimmicks that the wrestlers have. It feels really focused on a 8-16 year old demographic. I mean I could see myself loving the characters as a pre-teen. I think I'd be an Aleister Black fan since he seems the most scuzzy/ECW like Nevertheless, I am really glad I watched what I did.
  14. G. Badger
    This was my first WrestleMania. No, not first time going...This was the first time I've ever sat down and watched the Show of Shows, Showcase of the Immortals, and whatever else they call it.
     
    To be honest, I never wanted to spend the time or money on it. Back when PPV was the only way to see it live on TV, I never remember thinking, "Wow I've gotta see that show!" It always seemed like a bunch of fireworks, lights, and fanfare. Not my thing...plus its super long. I have school the next day dammit!
     
    Well, I broke MY streak and watched it. I would say bought it but, I got it along with "the Network" free for a month. This was the #1 reason. I'm not going to lie. The #2 reason is that my fiancé is a Ronda Rousey fan and she was genuinely interested in how she would do.
     
    That was the real #1 reason I guess...that and it was free, hahaha! No, we watched the Raw lead-in stuff on Youtube clips and it reminded me of classic Attitude era stuff. I was pretty psyched and more importantly my fiance was psyched. Once, I told her that we could probably watch match for free, she was all in
     
    It is crazy to see someone who is not a wrestling fan be excited and emotionally invested in wrestling. It's even better that it's something we can share because outside of the Rousey/Angle vs HHH/Steph, I didn't know or care what was going on in WWE Universe (groan). I will say I was pumped to find out that AJ vs Nakamura was happening though...kinda like icing on the cake.
     
    Overall, it was a good show...a little long but, enjoyable. My significant other checked out after the Rousey match. I can't say that I blame her either. All of the entrances and video packages, it was like 9 o' clock! It was the 4th match! I, being the true blue wrestling idiot, watched the whole thing. She liked the Smackdown Women's title match a lot which was a pleasant surprise to me. I figured she was in it for the one match but, she dug the fight as much as I did. It's nice to see the "Diva" bullshit is gone...Barbie dolls prancing around doing terrible looking moves and getting hurt while they're at it. Uh...no thanks...forever. I'll have to show her the Nia Jax vs Alexa Bliss match. Reminded me a little of Aja Kong vs Toyota...eh sorta
     
    Ok well I'll get on to the match reviews in case you're interested or haven't seen the matches or maybe want a differnt take on them. They'll be brief:
     
    Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor vs The Miz: Tyler Black vs Prince Devitt sounds pretty good to me. Why they gotta throw the Miz in there? Hahaha...it's WWE, I guess. It's all good though. This was a really good opener. Just tons of well executed spots and a pretty nice finish. This is one that I want to rewatch.
     
    Asuka vs Charlotte Flair: I was very impressed with this. I've seen just a smidge of WWE Women's stuff and I thought it was better than Diva era crud. It wasn't AJW but, that's understandable. This might come off as dated but, it was comparable wrestling to when Jazz was in ECW or Awesome Kong, Gail Kim, Akayo Hamada and Cheeleader Melissa were in TNA. This was a great match with stakes on the line. The actual wrestling was intense and the in ring story was fantastic as the finish was that climax to that. Top 2 or 3 match of the night.
     
    OK I tuned some shit out because I needed to eat and walk the dog. So if this review section is missing stuff, it's intentional.
     
    Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs Triple H & Stephanie McMahon: This was the match of the night. We were emotionally invested. Hell, I haven't been this into a match since I was 16 years old. I don't know if it's just me but it felt like an Attitude era build and payoff. I think everyone was wondering if Rousey was going to be good. Plus I think everyone was worrying that shit was going to get botched or look weak. Well, everything came off perfectly with Rousey performing up to and exceeding expectations. It's fitting that Kurt is her mentor as she is a natural. I wonder if they're going to have her be a Women's division competitor or have her do attraction matches for the PPVs. Technically this isn't as tight as Charlotte/Asuka but, it's checks all the boxes for a 1998-2001 WWF PPV main event. Weird that it was the #4 match. I guess they didn't want Rousey fans tuning out.
     
    Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax: Totally surprised that another women's match was on the card. I was so thankful because whatever happened after the Rousey match until this was junk to me. It was a reminder of why I don't watch WWE. Let alone the Wrestlemania pageantry I suffered through. This was what I wanted though. I mean I would have been happy with Jax' destruction of Mickie James. That was some straight Jungle Jack vs Bull Nakano violence! Bliss is a little Diva-ish but, that's alright. She makes it work and she can wrestle. I highly recommend this match. Probably my #3 or 4 match.
     
    AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura: WWE title on the line. I've been reading stuff that people did't think this was a great match. All I can guess is that their expectations were way too high. The largest chunk of modern NJ is 2015 which was Nakamura and AJ's peak of popularity and performance so, I can say this was pretty damn comparable. This was a NJ title match on WrestleMania. That's crazy! Younger folks probably cannot appreciate that and that's alright but, it's the truth. AJ Styles in WWE seemed possible but, a top Japanese talent like Nakamura is bananas. They did the best NJ style match they could with the story they were given to work with. Yes, this could have gone on for another few minutes and had the "epic" kickouts but, WWE is going for a longer run with them. It was a great match. I will say that Styles' Springboard Elbow as a finisher is stupid...but, then Roman Reigns' big move is a Flying Punch that's what you get.
     
    Why the show kept going is beyond me...The tag match was stupid fun...Good for TV but, was a little tiresome at hour 56 of WM. And the main event...man that could have been something. 7-8 minutes of bombs with blood and tables. Instead, it was crap. It seemed like an intentional swerve to throw off the internet critics. I can't say I'd blame them. It's not like there's only a relatively small group of wrestling nuts like here on PWO. Everyone who's into wrestling has Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and all the other shit to use in order to bitch about wrestling and everything else. If I was part of the WWE higher ups, it would piss me off. I can't think they'd throw a middle finger up to their fans but, gosh, that's what the match felt like.
     
    One match that I didn't review was the Bryan Danielson match. It was OK. It's nice to see he's wrestling again. He kinda retired in my eyes once he went to the WWE though. So, eh...I'd much rather watch him beat the everloving shit out of someone in ROH or Japan than do a watered down version.
     
    Now that I've had a chance, this is how I'll rank the matches:
     
    1) Rousey & Angle vs Triple H & Stephanie
    2) AJ Styles vs Nakamura
    3) Charlotte vs Asuka
    4) Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax
    5) Miz vs Balor vs Rollins
     
    Overall, I'm glad I watched it. It certainly was something special. I can't say I'll actively try to follow WWE after this but, I'll use the rest of the free month to checkout Women's matches and perhaps some classics.
  15. G. Badger
    So, ROH has this show and a ton of shows on sale for like $2-3 on their website right now. Their shipping rates are a bit steep and antiquated. It's $11 for 4-6 items but, at two or three clams a show, that still is a great deal.
     
    They've got 2015-2017 shows, nearly the whole year for this low price. I'm not trying to make this an advertisement. I just wanna spread the word in case people are getting DVDs. That's probably why they're so low...streaming man...streaming...
     
    But, more importantly, I'm really digging this ROH show from 2015. So much so that I dropped a few coin and ordered a few from 2015 & 2016.
     
    Here is the latest batch of matches from Winter Warriors- Atlanta:
     
    ACH vs Moose: This is my first ACH or Moose match. Moose had a really good entrance and Stokely Hathaway looks like a fun manager/hype man. The fans are hyped for guys and I guess Moose played for the Falcons so, there you go! My favorite moves were Moose swinging ACH into the guardrails and ACH driving the big man Death Valley style. Very good match, a lotta fun.
     
    Six Man Mayhem: Jay Lethal vs Hanson vs Will Ferrara vs Michael Elgin vs Cedric Alexander vs Tommaso Ciampa: According to Kevin Kelly, Ferrara is filling in for Jimmy Jacobs. Its all good because Ferrara was really good here. As expected, this featured all kinds of wild spots but, had some character work as well. Elgin was doing some heel shit or something but, Lethal was the best. Best probably in all aspects. His athleticism, character, and experience are very appealing in 2018. Anyhow, perfect match for its type and I'm sure worth the ticket price to see it in person!
     
    The double main event is up next. AJ Styles vs Bobby Fish and The Kingdom vs The Briscoes in a 2/3 falls match.
  16. G. Badger
    Man, I was hoping to watch a few more matches but, I've got some business to take care of today & probably won't get the time. I did get to watch the 4th match on the card (I'm counting the Hollis/Gresham stuff as one match). I'm glad I made the time because this one is a doozy!
     
    Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Reilly (02/21/15): This was a very dynamic & competitive match, a classic style ROH bout. This wasn't a TV match plus a little more. No, this was the hard hitting wrestling you want.
     
    Kyle was like a shark going for the kill. He was going for kicks or combinations when standing and going for armbars when on the mat. Roderick was selling this damage really well...more than just shaking the arm or holding it. He adjusted his offense because of it and when he relied upon it to power his way to a pin, it collapsed on him. Nevertheless, he was practicing what commentator Kevin Kelly said was turning a good defense into a good offense. Or something to that effect
     
    I thought this was a great match and probably a classic in the style. If you're reading this then, you'll probably dig this fight. It is exactly what you would want from these two. And for the #4 spot on a show, it over delivers without being overkill. An aggressive, masterfully paced & technically proficient wrestling match. That's hard to do in the 2010's.
  17. G. Badger
    So, I bought this DVD during a Black Friday sale. I heard some very good stuff about it. I was also interested to get it because it was not a major event like Death Before Dishonor, Anniversary Show, Final Battle etc. They come to Pittsburgh every year...sometimes 2 times and I want to go but, never seem to remember, something else comes up etc. Kinda wanted to see how they're handling the smaller shows.
     
    Anyways, onto the show! ROH: Winter Warriors in Atlanta 02/21/15
     
    First and foremost, the arena in Atlanta is very reminiscent of mid 2000's ROH. Crowd seems amped. I'm digging this already.
     
    Caprice Coleman vs "P-Dog" Mike Posey: Fun open as Coleman squashes the cheap heat comedy/cringey P-Dog (think J-Roc from Trailer Park Boys). C. C. has some good moves.
     
    Corey Hollis vs Jonathan Gresham: A fun minute or two before BJ Whitmer & Adam Page come out to lay a beat down. Hollis is like, "Fuck that! Let's fight!"
     
    Corey Hollis & Johnathan Gresham vs BJ Whitmer & Adam Page: ECW PPV style impromptu tag match. The crowd is loving it! The faces look really good and shiny here. Page (as a heel) does a Shooting Star off the apron to Hollis...no fucking clue, man. It looked cool but, that was goofy. But, let's ignore that because this was a fun ass match. Gresham goes all Manami Toyota and we get a no tag legality action fest. It doesn't go into overkill either. I recommend this one!
     
    Delirious vs Matt Sydal: Kevin Kelly does a good history recap here by letting us know about these fellows' back story. I felt it went a little longer than needed because I sensed they were winging most of it. I say that affectionately! They know each other so well that they did a very good job filling the time between spots. I could have done for less Delirious schtick but, its the #3 match. Besides the closing stretch is nice as the D-man eats kicks and knees. I'm never goona turn this matchup down. Its like 2005 all over again!
     
    So far, so good! Certainly, an excellent vibe thus far. This will easier to watch and review the whole show compared to the wXw stuff as I don't need to bring out the laptop for the DVD+R discs. Huzzah!
  18. G. Badger
    Man, it has taken me a long damn time to get through this set. That's on me and not the quality of the wrestling. I've been distracted by the WWE network stuff and YouTube. I've clearly got the attention span of a 3 year old At this point, I don't know what's tournament and non tournament. Also if I skip something it's because I skipped the match intentionally. I'm just trying to get finished...It's like I'm trying for my 16 Carat GED at this point!
     
    Big Van Walter vs Erick Stevens: Tournament match. I've been buying Stevens as a baby face with a chance all tournament long so, I was not disappointed here. His comeback on Walter was fierce. Elbows, chops, slaps, and clotheslines to the Austrian's face. The arc of the narrative should have had Erick go over but, it wasn't to be. Highly Recommended match. Stevens had an awesome showing over all 3 nights.
     
    Oberhausen Terror Corps vs Up In Smoke: Again, OTC has a bitchin' name. Here they're looking to kill Cheech & Cloudy...who have a terrible tag name. Its not as bad as Special K but, are the spiritual successors to the thin highspot oriented drug referencing Indy group. Anyhow, Cloudy gets assaulted by the zee Germans. The Smokers' teamwork gives them a fighting chance and makes this a very, very fun match.
     
    Ares vs Chris Hero: Tournament match. Anything with Hero or Walter in them is a tournament match since they're in the finals. Those are the only fights that I know are part of the tourney. Anyhow, rather than rewrite my summary of this match, I'll say that I fast forward-ed the 2nd half of this. These two have history and probably thought a 22 minute match was a good idea. Fans probably loved it but, this went on too long and Ares just doesn't do it for me this far along in the brackets. Hero has been so-so thus far. The Martin Stone match was great though.
     
    Claudio Castagnoli vs Paul Tracey vs KAGETORA vs Tommy End: This was fun! Good action, exciting and just what was needed. 16 minutes but, sad we didn't get to see Claudio vs KAGETORA in singles competition.
     
    Strong BJW vs Switchblade Conspiracy: wXw Tag belts on the line. They kept it simple and worked their story well. BJW are strong & tough but, if Sami and Moxley could last the punishment and isolate an opponent then, MAYBE they could beat the Japanese team. 20 minutes was perfect timing here...its a highly recommended or perhaps great match. The tag team bouts haven't disappointed all super-show.
     
    This is the end of Day # 3, disc #2. I'm going to get the final disc up and do a run down off all three days since it took me forever to get these watched and the reviews are all over the blog. We're looking at ZSJ vs Sawa, Nick vs Matt Jackson, Hero vs Walter for the final installment.
     
    Addendum: Watched Johnny Kidd vs Terry Frazier as it was listed in the Match Discussion Archives and figured I was missing something. It is a definite change of pace from the entire rest of the card, I'll say that. It goes to 5 rounds, Frazier jaw jacks with the crowd like Larry Z, they do a traditional British match. It was fun but, I would recommend watching it separate from the other matches. It takes you outta the right mind set. Otherwise, well done entertaining stuff but, nothing more.
  19. G. Badger
    Earlier this week my fiance saw Kurt Angle while driving at the mall. I didn't believe her at first since we had just watched some special about him on the WWE network. But, with that fact in mind, I figure his face is going to be fresh in her mind. Most of what little doubt I had was in the fact that I didn't get to see him!
     
    So, that by itself is pretty great but, then today we were telling her uncle about this and end up with the gift of a half hour of old wrestling stories! I had no freaking idea that he was into wrestling let alone have stories! I will not do these justice but, I'll try to tell the best.
     
    The first is about he and some buddies going to a bar by the airport sometime in the 1980's. They're sitting there and his one friend tells him, 'Hey take a look over there.' The uncle thinks its a buxom babe but, it's Andre the fucking Giant surrounded by women downing bottles of beer! Turns out he's there with Jimmy Snuka, Blackjack Mulligan, and Mr. Fuji! Talk about luck, you go into your local suds station and bam you're shoulder to shoulder with grappling greats.
     
    The second story is about a match he saw with George "The Animal" Steele and Bruno Sammartino. It sounded really wild with Bruno juicing a gusher and the fans losing their shit. The match ended in a draw and people are tossing popcorn and God knows what else at The Animal. George is leaving the ring area to the locker rooms and the police are escorting him because it's so bonkers in the Civic Arena. Then, a little old man gets past the railing and police.
    The geezer proceeds to punch Steele in the back of the head! Reflexively, George swats back with a clubbed fist and was likely to kill the old man if it wasn't for the cop pushing gramps out of the way of George's hairy fist!
     
    Again, I'm not doing these justice as I'm probably missing all kinds of details. Plus there were other good stories like two drunk women getting in a full on drunken brawl in the stands that stoped a match and more. I just had to document these great stories!
  20. G. Badger
    Everyone seems to pick Match of the Year contenders. Unfortunately, I tend not to watch too much current stuff. I always dig these lists though...especially when going back to find stuff to watch/buy. They're a great resource.
     
    So, last year when MOTYC talk was really ramping up, I made my own Best Of list to get in on the fun. So, instead of the best match performed this year, went through and figured out what was the best match I watched this year. Pretty simple right? It could be 70's tag match up against a joshi match from 2000 and a deathmatch from last week's BJW show. Its just the best match that I have watched between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st. Best Match Watched, BMW.
     
    I also had made a couple other lists with the usual stuff like best wrestler & best promotion but, also do a list for most surprising wrestler, promotion, match, angle etc. Since, I mainly watch footage from the past, I'm looking for those that stood out despite their booking place and past discussions (or lack thereof). Also, I like to tally the biggest viewing disappointments. We cannot have good without the bad, right?
     
    Finally, I also do a list of the things I am looking forward to. These can be PPVs, DVDs, a promotion, a spotlight project etc.
     
    Since its June, I wanted to do a half year summary post. It will sorta be a culmination of the past 6 months new viewing and posting here in the Puro + More blog. So let's go for it!
     
    Best Match Watched Contenders (Jan 1st - May 31st)
     
    -Inoki/Sakaguchi vs Thesz/Gotch (NJ 1973)
    -Strong BJW vs SUWAMA/T. Soya (AJ 11/26/11)
    -Onita/Tarzan Goto vs M. Kurisu/Dragon Master [Kendo Nagasaki] (FMW 04/01/90)
    -Jun Kasai vs Takeki Iizuka (TAKA Prod. 01/28/18)
    -Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Reilly (ROH 02/21/15)
    -Briscoe Bros. vs Mike Bennett/Matt Taven (ROH 02/21/15)
    -Tomasso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano (NXT: New Orleans)
    -Kurt Angle/Ronda Rousey vs Triple H/Stephanie McMahon (WWE WrestleMania)
    -Shinjiro Otani vs Masato Tanaka (Z-1 07/31/02)
    -Masato Tanaka vs Yuji Nagata (NJ 03/19/11)
    -Chris Hero vs Big Van Walter (wXw 2010 16 Carat Gold Final)
    -Masato Tanaka vs Daisuke Sekimoto (Z-1 08/02/15)
    -Shuji Ishikawa vs SHINGO (AJ 04/29/18)
     
    Standout Wrestler: Daisuke Sekimoto, Atsushi Onita, Masato Tanaka
     
    Surprise of the Year: Early FMW Onita, SHINGO, Marufuji, and the 2018 Champion Carnival, 2015 ROH, Yoshi Yatsu in 87-89 AJPW, WWE 205 Live, digging WWE Women's division
     
    Favorite Project: FMW 89-92, Post ECW Tanaka, Hayabusa in AJPW
     
    Disappointment of the Year: Munenori Sawa in wXw 2010 could have been better, Brock vs Roman at WM, Nakamura...Ballshot Expert
     
    I'm Looking Forward To: Getting back on track with early 2010's AJ & AJPW Classics ('89-90), some Dragon Gate USA exploration, watching more DVDs and less YouTube
     
    It's been a good 6 months so far!
  21. G. Badger
    I watched this because it's still covered under my free month of the Network from Wrestlemania. Not bad...got 3 PPV shows for free. So tonight, I watched Backlash sorta in passing. It was really clear from seeing the card some of the matches could be good and some sucked at "go."
     
    Anyone that had hopes that this was going to be awesome was delusional to some degree. Here's the card and my brief takes.
     
    Seth Rollins vs The Miz: IC belt. Liked these guys in WM, Saudi Rumble, and liked Tyler Black in the past. Looked good on paper, delivered and then some. Finish could have been less choreographed but, a banger.
     
    Nia Jax vs Alexa Bliss: Raw Women's belt. Dug their WM match. Fuck people who want more "moves", this was really well done. Baby Bliss looked smart & Jax looked vulnerable but tough.
     
    Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton: Hate Orton, skipped this.
     
    Skipped Elias & Rusev bullshit. I'm too old for that middle school fuckery.
     
    Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass: Was excited to see Danielson in a singles match. Didn't know who Cass was before the Saudi Rumble. Saw that and knew this was a lead turd waiting to drop. Caught the last 5+ minutes for proof of death.
     
    Carmella vs Charlotte: Smackdown Women's belt. Saw Charlotte and thought this had potential. Carmella annoyed the hell outta me and is a step back for the division. Juvenile character. Would have been good if Charlotte won but, finish was flat. Transition champ to give C. Flair time off (fake leg injury?) because of the kayfabe finish?
     
    AJ Styles vs Nakamura: Why they gotta make Nakamura the "nut shot" guy? Stupid and sophomoric at best. Had some moments though especially the chair bits.
     
    Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens: Skipped this. Strowman is alright in my book. What's Lashley doing back? I don't care about Steen & Generico anymore. Great in PWG and 2008 ROH though.
     
    Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe: Looking forward to this match and it delivered. Anyone who left during this or was bored with it, that's fine but, I suggest you look elsewhere for wrestling. Seriously, if you didn't think this was just going to be a *** affair then, you're kidding yourself. Reigns at WM was one of the worst main events I've ever seen. This was at least pretty good with Joe using his brain to work a smart match. Reigns is on autopilot on the Airship Bland Meathead... that's to be expected though. It's more about how Joe can work within the predictable booking and approved spots than have a great match with the well meaning Reigns. Truth be told Joe's been booked like shit after 2006. He doesn't have "the look" and probably would be best in ROH or AJPW now. I doubt people would chant Rusev Day during his match there...lame as fuck...children.
     
    I'd probably say the top matches are:
    1) Rollins vs Miz
    2) Jax vs Bliss
    3) Joe vs Roman
    4) AJ vs Ballshot Nakamura
  22. G. Badger
    Masato Tanaka was pretty much responsible for me getting into puroresu. His matches in the States with ECW were eye opening to me. He was tough, intense, and innovative. I would say he, Mike Awesome, and Tajiri were the 3 guys that convinced me that wrestling in Japan was something worth seeking out. After ECW folded, so did my interest in newer wrestling at the time. It was another 5 years before I got back into it. I've never really looked at what "Dangan" Tanaka was doing in that time when I was away.
     
    Masato Tanaka vs Samoa Joe (Zero-1 2001 or 2002): There was no date on this from the Youtube video but, based on the size of Joe and his attire (cut off tee & track pants), this was pre-ROH Joe. I believe per Quebrada.net that it's from BURNING HEART League 09/15/01. All that being said, this was 8 minutes of spots but, I'll be darned if this wasn't a blast! Joe was pulling out all kinds of stuff like a Fosberry Flop dive and Pedigree type move. Obviously Tanaka was going over but, you'd be surprised. Cool finish too!
     
    vs Shinjiro Otani (Zero-1 07/31/02): A classic 16 minute tournament match. It's like in that **** 1/4 - **** 1/2 range to me. It's best described as NJPW Jrs. style with 2000 era hard hits, a hot Korakuen krowd, and tourney match urgency. Tanaka & Otani don't go for epic, they go for the win. Dangan gets busted open from a Tree of Woe baseball slide if that's any indicator. Plus, Otani's facial expressions are as top shelf as ever. He takes the drama to another level with his emoting. Totally surprised by this match since no one really talks about Zero One especially in 2018...if you're a fan of either guy, see it. It'll be one of the best bouts you'll watch this week.
     
    Tanaka & Shinjiro Otani vs Steve Corino & Low Ki (ROH 11/09/02): This was the main event to the inaugural All Star Extravaganza. Otani & Tanaka kept this a lean mean contest. Otani damn near put Ki's face into the back of his head with a kick. Not to be outdone, Dangan hit a brutal lariat and shotgun stunner. Sure, it was Philly but, no chairshots needed. Corino & Ki were excellent as well. Highly recommend checking this out.
     
    vs Mike Awesome (Zero-1 02/29/04): Holy shit...wow. For an Awesome vs Tanaka match this might be the most dangerous one. I don't know if the match quality is the tops since they really do just run through the spots but, what spots they are! Highly recommended match for those missing this rivalry. I had no clue this existed especially since their One Night Stand match from 2005 was touted as their most recent battle since ECW. But that's WWE history for ya! Go see this Zero One match and witness the brutal spots for yourself!
     
    vs CM Punk (Wrestling-1 04/09/04): I'm not 100% on the promotion title as it appears to be a US indy with affiliation to Zero-1 or a US offshoot when they were trying to do a global wrestling thing. I read in the comments online that Punk was sick at the time but, this was a very good hotel banquet hall level match. Punk focused on Masato's arm amd gave the match a good sound body. It was really solid when they could have just winged a bunch of moves. It felt good because they eventually got into a nice little finishing run. Some big moves were hit and some were countered but, they never gave it all away. These two worked really well together.
     
    vs Samoa Joe (1PW 2005?): Again, the poster didnt' put a date but, this looks around the time Joe had the bleached brown/red bit in his hair while in TNA. This was a 10 minute sprint of wonderful stiffness. If the above match was about moves, this was about hitting each other. They go bat shit with it. This pairing is really, really good and I wish there was more available. Match goes to a double DQ but then we get...
     
    vs Steve Corino: ECW rules type of match. They're in the crowd and being a little cute for the people that loved ECW back in the day. I'm sure I would have dug this at the time but, the let's take a tour without actually fighting isn't as interesting anymore BUT it's not all of that. It's brutal at times too. So, this is a 2 in 1 or Gauntlet match for Tanaka and a must-see. Dangan all the way man!
     
    Tanaka to my knowledge only wrestled in ROH the one time but, he seemed like a perfect fit for early ROH from his performances above. 2002-2004 Tanaka in ROH would have been great and is certainly fodder for fantasy bookers out there. These matches are a hint of what could have been.
     
    Next time, I want to tackle what I'll call the Tanaka revival- from my estimates late 2000s to early 2010s. I'll see what I can find on the web.
  23. G. Badger
    Eddie Guerrero was one of my favorite wrestlers that I never really saw enough of. I caught him sporadically in WCW and tuned out the WWF very shortly after the Radicalz stuff. I always wanted to see his ECW and Japan work. Even more appealing about his time in Japan was that he wrestled in costume as Black Tiger! I was and still am a big fan of the NJ Jr. Style. It really was comparable in match quality to what the AJ guys were doing at the time albeit shorter in duration. It doesn't get the love too much anymore but, Eddie was one of the masters. Here I take a look at 1996 versus his fellow masters.
     
    vs Jushin Liger - 2/3/96 **** innovative holds & moves but should have been longer with more of a build. Eddy used his finishers and Liger busts out a few moves including the fisherman buster & a top rope move. But the end felt flat. At least one more sequence would have warranted a win. I think Yamada's tumor kept it limited perhaps? (Note: I think finish sets up their Best of the Super Jr. Finals match & the Benoit match)
     
    vs Shinjiro Ohtani - 6/5/96 ****1/4 strong psychology focusing on Ohtani's leg w/ Eddy getting creative & heelish and a nice build. Similar ending as above in that it was a bit quick to get the win. The intensity was good so the extra 1/4 star was awarded...
     
    vs Chris Benoit - 6/11/96 ****3/4 Need to rewatch this one but, it was pretty good but Benoit locked that sleeper on way too many times. Also after having seen many Black Tiger/Eddie matches, the moves that caught my attention at first glanced seemed to have been standard spots for Eddie at the time like the slingshot somersault senton & alley-oop frankensteiner whip...which diminishes the value really. Rewatch: I'd give it ****1/4 because Eddie uses the ramp to his advantage and there are some good counters but, still Benoit (who I think was in full WCW mode) locked the sleeper on 4 or 5 times and I can never remember him or anyone winning with a sleeper...the other problem being it's difficult to counter or parry. So we had to watch Eddie crawl to the ropes each time and to be honest it loses it effect and diminishes believability. Re-re-watch: I totally get the greatness of this match. If you're watching too much of one style or one person, your standards start getting way too high. Stuff that took place over years, one will place side by side and make unfair comparisons. The reason that doesn't happen w/ my AJPW watching is that I have quite a bit that tells the story.(Note: Oh no it happens there too!) Alot of other promotions don't tell the long story but, it helps to break up your veiwing to compensate...to simulate the passage of time.
     
    Saying that I "get" this one was due to reading the 1996 yearbook on PWO.com. Benoit slaps the sleeper hold on because anytime he lets Eddy get loose he'll counter his offense. It's almost like Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid. Eddy does a fantastic job selling here...in the league of Kawada or Liger. Staggering, waiting to catch his breath, losing balance etc. Also the genius of this match was the fake-out pacing. I mean this match was always memorable but, I thought in a bad way. I realize now that this pacing and inclusion of sleepers that killed the exceitement & momentum of the match were what makes it stand out. They provided a false build, a dive sequence that usually shows the start of the finish was killed here. It was really something fresh & different. Everything else was perfect too- execution, stiffness (what few chops there were), etc. I have a hard-time giving 5 stars to the junior style matches when compared to other men's matches like AJPW or Jr. style like AJW...I'm gonna get real close here though. Eddy was probably never better than here.
     
    vs Jushin Liger - 6/12/96 ****1/2 This match had solid psychology with the opening mat wrestling. The holds locked on not only led way to interesting spots early on but also provided depth to the match later. Nothing spectacular but certainly enriching to the match overall. The most surprising moment was when in towards the end when Liger went after Black Tiger's arm with a flying knee and followed up with a jujuigatame. Nice touch. I was also impressed that top shelf finishers were brought out. The match showed their equality, versitility, & tenacity. I must say that the first "Ooh!" of the match came from a very stiff Liger shotei. It's nice to see sitffness in the Jr. matches...and all of those things made this a must see match. Maybe one of Eddie's most solid matches with the help of Liger to keep him from getting into a routine that he can slip into with Benoit & Malenko. Re-Watch: Just a flawless bit of wrestling & everything stated earlier is true. The only thing keeping this from being perfect is the story wasn't that compelling & Eddy didn't necessarily sell the arm as well as he should of until the end where Liger gave a last ditch shot after it. He was like, "Oh right, the arm's hurtin'." Otherwise pretty killer stuff.
     
    vs Great Sasuke - 6/17/96 ***1/4: I've seen this given 2 stars and in light of Eddie & Sasuke's body of work this would be understandable. However, after seeing 10 Black Tiger matches, I found this one to be a breath of fresh air as it relied little on Eddie's spots and sequences. Due to illness, he wasn't going to be doing any flying or in honestly any bumps so they had to compensate with matwork and the notion of him dominating (ala Super J-Cup Liger v. Sasuke). In fact, the ratio of offensive moves was 3 to 1 in terms of Eddie. He did a good job on the ground as did Sasuke but, there was little follow-up later in the match & Sasuke probably isn't familiar with the concept of selling an injury other than shaking the limb after he gets up. All that said, it was an interesting change of pace but not required viewing.
     
    vs Shinjiro Ohtani - 9/16/96 ***1/2 Pretty good for while it lasted. Ohtani came blasting out of the gate like he was Stan Hansen. Unfortunately he injured his shoulder as if he'd been fighting against Hansen. The match had it's cool spots and Ohtani kicked as much ass as he could and Eddie was pretty good as well. But they had to go home early...it may have been for the IWGP Jr. belt too but, Shinjiro didn't stick around to find out. He scored the win and headed toward the back to get checked out. Their 1st meeting on this tape was pretty great and this one was looking to be just as good or better but, thems the breaks.
  24. G. Badger
    You may be in for a bit of a surprise if you haven't seen Tanaka in awhile. He's like 50 lbs. lighter and tan as river clay. Nevertheless, he still kicks ass and is still the Dangan!
     
    vs Yuji Nagata (03/19/11 NJPW): NJPW Cup 2011. This be a badass bout without a doubt. There's no commentary so, you can hear every strike land. This was as brutal as Electric Wizard. Knees, elbows, lariats all hit with with precision and intensity. The few suplexes and brainbusters were just bonuses. The strike battles felt authentic and were quickly resolved. They didn't need to buy time in order to figure out their next step. Clocking in around 15 minutes, this is an all time classic to me. This is in the top 5-10 matches that I've seen this year.
     
    vs Tomoaki Honma (12/23/11 NJPW): It's noteworthy that we have 2 deathmatch bred wrestlers wrestling a straight match for the IWGP IC belt in NJ. A lot can happen in 10 years! They paid homage to their hardcore roots and so, it was pretty enjoyable. I did feel the pacing and no-sell bits kind of took me out of the match at times though.
     
    vs Tomohiro Ishii (11/19/12 NJPW): Never Belt contest. Well, if you wanr 12 minutes of jaw bruising, chest welting, vertabrae shifting action then, this is the bout for you! Seriously, all jokes aside...this is essentially two guys hitting each other back and forth. There are some throws but, this IS the macho strike battle. It gets repetitive but, if you need to release some aggression or get psyched up for something. This is the match for you!
     
    Masato Tanaka & KENTA vs Naomichi Marufuji & Tetsuya Naito (03/08/14 NOAH): I've seen some self indulgent NOAH matches in the 2010's but 'Fuji's great showing at the 2018 Champion Carnival convinced me to give this a try. So, glad that I did! I could have done without a couple elbow battles but, overall this was too sweet. It is exactly the match you want it to be. Naito is cheeky yet tough, Marufuji is crafty without being cute, KENTA is badass but, not having to be spunky/plucky, and Tanaka is the old time killer. I would have liked a definitive finish but, this was a fiercely competitive battle. Great match!
     
    vs Daisuke Sekimoto (08/02/15 Zero-1): I think this is a semi final for the annual Zero One Fire Festival. These foes delivered 12+ minutes of intense combat perfection. They may as well have stopped the show and burned the ring after this match...it was a thing of beauty. All of the small twists, variations, surprises, all while knowing when to bring it down only to bring it back even hotter later. Another all time classic match that's in the top 5 matches I've viewed in 2018.
     
    Masato Tanaka is lining up to be the best wrestler for the matches viewed in 2018. If you're a Dangan fan, check some of these out. You will be so glad you did
     
    Be sure to check out my other Tanaka entry a few posts back as well. If you think Masato Tanaka was done after ECW then, you will be gladly be mistaken.
  25. G. Badger
    Booyah! 2010 16 Carat Gold Tournament is a wrap! Let's jump in to the matches for Day 3, Disc # 3 'cause this entry is gonna be a doozy.
     
    Zack Sabre Jr. vs Munenori Sawa: Light Heavyweight strap on the line. A bit of a letdown to get started with. I suppose they were going for a shoot style-ish match but, it came across as winging it. It was fun but, not particularly memorable. Diez minutos.
     
    Matt Jackson vs Nick Jackson - Battle of the Bucks: I have never heard of this happening elsewhere but, second to last match on the final night seems like a fine place to try it out! No worries though. Its 16 minutes of crazy Jackson action...heh you like what I did there? I'm a goofy ass, sorry. This is a great match and one of the best of all 3 nights. The reason it was great was because they didn't have to worry about tournament booking. They could essentially do a PWG match or more fairly a Young Bucks match. Its a quarter hour of moves and counter moves and totally delivers when it needs to.
     
    Chris Hero vs Big Van Walter - Tournament Final: 21 minutes and the match of the weekend. It seems like they saved up all weekend (?) to have a match that told a story. Or at least, a story I could get behind. Hero is looking his best ever, he's got his KO Kid persona in full swing but, Walter is this young, tank who's rolling over his opponents. Hero is the first to show weakness as he injured his hand/arm from hitting Walter in the head. Walter composes himself and methodically clobbers Hero. We're rooting for the golden locked grappler now. It was all fighting spirit chops but, now he's got a Austrian gorilla pummeling him. Of course, it ebbs and flows but, does so in a believable and logical manner. That cannot be said for many of the shows matches...and that's OK. But this is the Finals so, we better see something smart and genuinely dramatic. And we do! It's a
    near classic match to me. Maybe like ****1/4+ or ****1/2. It was different and not one of those move heavy, oh-shit type of matches. It was closer to something Tenryu vs Jumbo so it's weird trying to measure it against the Bucks match that happened previously. Great finish, great post match...what a final match! Well done wXw!!
     
    So now, I want to do a recap or summary since all of my other blog posts are all over the place. This match list is from Highspots.
     
    DAY ONE - FIRST ROUND MATCHES
     
    Ares vs. Matt Jackson
    Munenori Sawa vs. Paul Tracey
    *Martin Stone vs. Yuji Okabayashi- Recommended!
    Claudio Castagnoli vs. Johnny Kidd
    KAGETORA vs. Nick Jackson vs Tommy End
    *Erick Stevens vs. Adam Polak - Recommended!
    *The Switchblade Conspiracy vs. Up In Smoke -Highly recommended!!
    *Big Van Walter vs. Daisuke Sekimoto - Highly recommended!!
    Chris Hero vs. Bad Bones
     
    DAY TWO
     
    Quarter Final Match: Big Van Walter vs. Munenori Sawa
    *Quarter Final Match: KAGETORA vs. Erick Stevens - Recommended!
    *The Young Bucks vs. Up In Smoke vs. The Crimson City Saga - Recommended!
    *Winner faces Switchblade Conspiracy - Highly recommended!!
    Paul Tracey vs. Johnny Kidd
    *Strong BJ vs. Oberhausen Terror Corps - Highly recommended to Great!!!
    *Quarter Final Match: Ares vs. Claudio Castagnoli - Recommended!
    *Quarter Final Match: Chris Hero vs. Martin Stone - Great!!!
    WXW World Heavyweight Title Match - Falls Count Anywhere: Steve Douglas © vs. Absolute Andy - ~Avoid~
     
    (As a rule, the tag matches kick ass. They delivered every outing. Going through this I realized I left off two reviews from Day #2
     
    The Young Bucks vs. Up In Smoke vs. The Crimson City Saga. Crimson City is ZSJ and Tommy End. The Bucks win and face Switchblade Conspiracy in a 10 minute Highly recommended match.)
     
    DAY THREE
     
    *Semi-Final Match: Big Van Walter w/Terry Frazier vs. Erick Stevens - Highly Recommended!!
    Oberhausen Terror Corps vs. Up In Smoke
    Semi-Final Match: Ares vs. Chris Hero
    Johnny Kidd vs. Terry Frazier
    Claudio Castagnoli vs. KAGETORA vs. Paul Tracey vs. Tommy End
    *WXW World Tag Team Title Match: The Switchblade Conspiracy © vs. Strong BJ - Great!!!
    Zack Sabre, Jr. © vs. Munenori Sawa
    *Nick Jackson vs. Matt Jackson- Great!!!
    *2010 Finals Match: Chris Hero vs. Big Van Walter w/Terry Frazier - Classic!!!!
     
    Overall, its a great DVD set. Its not a purposeful "cream your jeans PWG BOLA" stuff circa now. Its more like 2010 PWG. Its spaced out yet, it's Indy in terms of structure and pacing for the most part. The highlighted matches are obviously better and each night is booked with longevity and endurance in mind. I like this much better.
     
    Impressions:
    Good: Erick Stevens, KAGETORA, Young Bucks and the tag matches in general, and Hero vs Stone & Walter.
    Bad: Tommy End, Ares, doing traditional British matches in this setting, the camera angles and black Glad bag canvas take some getting used to.
    Ugly: Absolute Andy vs Steven Douglas
    Meh: Claudio, Sawa
     
    Um what else? These are DVD+R so if you're interested in buying from Highspots or wherever, triple check your DVD or computer. This might be downloaded on there too, I guess. This was a really international show and totally worth a purchase especially if there's a sale. It'd be a good weekend viewing...or 5 fucking months in my case Click the wXw tags to get back my older posts if you've not read those.
     
    I've got the 2011 Tournament as well! So, that's on the horizon. In the meantime, I should have Masato Tanaka in the 2010's in a couple days. Fantasy booking moment: Tanaka vs Walter
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