G. Badger

Thank you for your patience! I'm going to conclude the singles portion of this project here so, read on!! (6/10) Yoshihashi vs Ryusuke Taguchi: This was OK. I liked the opening mat section but, this felt like a by-the-book junior match. I think there is some drama here as Yoshihashi was part of the NJ main crew but as in a Young Lion/Junior member capacity. I say that as I've seen him paired with Taguchi in some tag matches. So maybe there's something here along the lines of YH proving his worth yadda-yadda but, I'll be honest I might even say SKIP this one. It just wasn't worth the 10 minutes in my mind. Gedo vs Kota Ibushi: Gedo's swearing and trash talking has been a real treat with the project. I crack up every time he tells some one off This match was no exception. His smack talk also strenghtens his dislike for his opponents especially Ibushi. "Come on, Golden Boy!" as Gedo slugs the comely Kota in the jaw. Oh man! That's good stuff K.I. comes back like a technico by finding that opening and wow-ing the fans and his foe with spectacular offensive maneuvers. And dammit! It works here because there's a reason he's doing his flips and dives. He's gotta his skill and agility to best the tough, crass vet! GO KOTA GO!This was a really standout bout in the 2010 BOSJ. 10 minutes of very good stuff here, go see it! (06/11) Jushin Liger vs Davey Richards: A good match that featured a Davey going after Liger's arm. Richards played the young aggressive gaijin going after the never-say-die veteran Liger. If this was a larger show, they could certiainly have put on a great **** match with this story/layout. I really enjoyed this one even though it was only 9 minutes long. Ryusuke Taguchi vs AKIRA: A match of parity and dueling leg work. This was a neat little story as both guys decided they'd hobble each other. There was some good selling and neat transitions but, neither took it so far to delegitimize the previous portion of the match. That is to say, they didn't sell it like a torn ACL only to be running and diving a second or two later. I like this. It was a different match and told a story most people shy away from nowadays. Good match. (06/12) La Sombra vs Jushin Liger: Shades of Liger vs Hayabusa Super J Cup 94 baby! La Sombra was like 'Screw it! I came here to highspots!' JTL hits his backbreaker and shotei palm strike and is looking to make an opening but, the young luchador shuts him down. We get a countout win after he hits a springboard inward somersault facecrusher on Liger on the floor! Now I think it was supposed to be like AR Fox's inward somersault plancha but, how Liger caught Sombra and vice versa made it look like a face crusher/bulldog on the cement. Hells yeah! 5 minutes...sorry to spoil it but, you gotta see it for yourself. Davey Richards vs Kota Ibushi: This wasn't the most developed match and my favorite part was when they were hitting each other BUT dang it! It worked! This was an all action bout and other than an iffy frankensteiner this was spot on. Probably not as good as their ROH bout around the same time (I think) but, this was good to very good stuff. I mean if you're interested in this you'll want to spend the 11 minutes on this match. If you dislike either guy then, uh yeah...I can't say it's what you want Kenny Omega vs AKIRA: I really dug this bout - high level of energy and excellent laser focus from AKIRA on Omega's knee. The Canadian sold it very well. He let us know it was hurting him enough to throw his offensive momentum off but, when pushed he could pull it together. AKIRA kept on it though. Kenny was in real trouble and he needed to put that fact at the forefront of his mind for the rest of the contest if we was going to win. He gave a great performance in building up hope, showing fighting spirit, yet still impressing us with his maneuvers. Likewise, AKIRA put on one of the best outings of the BOSJ round robin in constructing a spirited, intense battle that was believable and interesting even though it focused on a submission based attack in 2010 AND was only 10-11 minutes long! Very good to perhaps great match. So, the MVP of this is totally Gedo! Maybe I'm biased from growing up seeing him in all the sleazies and ECW (check out Jado & Gedo vs Impact Players) but, dammit- he really brought a real sense of hate to his matches. Many of the others we're technically great but, lacked emotion. There were exceptions, notably AKIRA vs Omega and the Hayato matches. This has taken me longer than expected but, it's been fun and something neat to do during the middle of a snowy afternoon. And really, that's the real treat here, NJPW has a bounty of good to great 10 minute matched on Youtube for people to enjoy. So, yeah watch Fujita Hayato's, Gedo's, Omega vs AKIRA and a Davey and Ryusuke Taguchi match and you'll be all set! Thank you wrestling fans!! We'll take a slight detour to some recent NOAH You Might Have Missed and then hitting the 2010 Jr. Tags. There are some real bangers in there!

18 minutes of perfectly executed action. Ibushi was flashy here with a cartwheel move but, I'm OK with the rest of his offence. He made it look natural. However, the real talent of the match was Taguchi. He employed a strong abdomen focused attack on Ibushi from beginning to end. Unfortunately, Ibushi doesn't go very deep in selling this psychology. He lets you know how tired and hurt overall but, doesn't so much as clutch his ribs or chest to convey the strategy of Taguchi...Doing this may have put this into classic Jr. canon contention. Alas, we just get an excellent fireworks match. Plus this is free on the YouTube, so go watch it!

From my blog entry: This was a intense sprint battle. A fantastic Day 2 match for the Super Jrs. league. It was extremely stiff with great suplexes and I loved the heck outta of it. NJPW gatekeeps a lot of their stuff because of their 'network' but, this puppy is floating out there for free on their Youtube channel. If you're a cheap ass like me, and you're reading this becuase you're genuinely interested - watch this bout. It's around the 10-12 minute mark and, even if you don't care for the newer style, this is at the very least a very good popcorn - fireworks Jr. match that'll make you smile and/or cringe. Its not a classic but, dang it is a blast! -I don't get the anti Omega sentiment above. I'd say its more of a style battle than saying Hayato's style exposes Omega. I thought Fujita worked really well with Omega's pro style...it was similar to '87 NJ guys vs O.G. UWF guys. And let's be frank Hayayo is very good (probably a smidgen moreso than Omega in 2010) but, he is pretty one dimensional. Sort of a poor man's KENTA...while Omega is the top talent in wrestling, its hard to buy this as very good just because Hayato is blasting Kenny with potatoes...Its a wholly enjoyable match because of the style differences. Plus we have two puro Indy stars battling it out in a NJ ring and that's neat too!

Sorry for the delay! The weather has been a little bit better the past two weeks and I've been able to get some skating in. Plus I think I needed a little break from wrestling. Nevertheless, I'm ready to pick up where I left off and get back to NJPW's Junior scene circa 2010. We're still watching the Best of the Super Jrs. round robin matches. From June 2nd (06/02/10) Tama Tonga vs Yoshihashi: I missed this one on the previous post but, no biggie. It was an OK match. Nothing fancy but, it was not bad. Just a quick little match. (06/04) KUSHIDA vs Kota Ibushi: It was weird seeing KUSH in something other than his McFly get-up but, even weirder was seeing him in red & gold shorts with bleached blonde hair. Whoa! Anyhow, this was very much an offense oriented match and was quite impressive. The crowd was digging it but, for some reason it didn't "get to me." It was good though and others may like this more. Fujita "Jr." Hayato vs Tama Tonga: A fun match pitting Tonga's power against Jr.'s kicks. It's very simple yet quite satisfying. 9 minute match and I've read that Hayato injured his foot during the match and had to pull out of the rest of the shows. Watch this bout and see if you can figure out where/when it happened. This is a shame since I was very much enjoying his shoot style leanings. (06/05) La Sombra vs Davey Richards: So, we get the first appearance of the American Wolf Davey Richards. Yes! This time with NJ created some buzz back in the day as he used to appear with NOAH fairly often and now he was going to be working with New Japan. His hard hitting style is very puro influenced so, to see him working in NJ gave them impression that they were looking to mix things up in the 2010's. To be honest, the 2000's for NJPW had some high points but, overall it was pretty stale what with dabbling in MMA-centric bouts, tired match ups and uninspiring stables. So, for a big name in the US scene like Davey to align himself was exciting. But to the match at hand - it was a good bout with nice moves. For a small show round robin match, it delivered. Some folks on the YT said it sucked but, that's B.S. They probably thought they were going to go buck wild despite the circumstances. Well, this is a New Japan house show folks... (06/06) Kenny Omega vs Tama Tonga: Bullet Club battle right here! No but, it was a nice Junior power vs power type of match. Like many of these matches, there wasn't a ton of selling but, it was fun watching these guys toss each other. I gotta say the Hadouken and Croyt's Wrath are great here! Prince Devitt vs Gedo: Gedo jumps Devitt from the get-go and dominates him for a good portion of the match. Of course, the Irishman comes back and damn! does it feel good! This is the best match so far in the project. The in ring story is there, the selling is there, the action is there, and we get humor too! Like Gedo telling the ref to "Shut the Fuck up!" on a couple occasions and pretending he's not going to use the ring bell mallet as a weapon AGAIN. Hahaha! Not to be out done, during Devitt's comeback, the Prince advises Red Shoes, in an un-princely manner, "Get the fuck outta the way!" I dug the hell outta this match. - It becoming clear to me that NJPW was trying to rebuild their Junior division much like they did in the 90's Golden Era. Get those talented Gaijin! Thanks for reading! Comment below if you see when Hayato got injured and I hope to be much quicker with my next installment.

This is a project that I've wanted to start for some time now but, I couldn't find the right way to get going. Here's how it starts: Bryan Danielson vs Fujita "Jr." Hayato (UWAI 12/03/06): I have to be honest, I've never heard of UWAI but, the person hosting it on the 'tube is the same person who has all of the Big Mouth Loud shows for viewing. So, I have to assume that it's an 'offshoot' (using that term loosely) of BML. Anyhow, I really recommend this match to anyone who's only seen 'Daniel Bryan.'He just stretches the hell out of Hayato here. 10 minutes of that is time well spent! OK so this match got me interested in Jr. Hayato. I'd heard some good things about him earlier this decade but, I never really was that interested at the time. But, this match showed me the type of bout he preferred despite being a Michinoku Pro guy. SO, it looks like he participated in the 2010 Best of the Super Jrs. league and welp! that's all I needed to pick up the project that I'd put off for months - early 2010's NJPW Jrs. Why not!? I figure I've been looking at ROH for a puro blog so, let's keep it real, like the kids say! This will probably be a multi-part thing despite my best efforts to keep things neat and tidy. I just keep finding more and more interesting little matches hosted by NJPW's Youtube channel. I am not going to be a complettionist so, if you end up digging these match-ups and find one that I missed, by all means share it in the comments! Just to give you a sample of who were talking about: Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, La Sombra (Andrade "Cien" Almas), Fujita "Jr." Hayato (duh!), Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Tama Tonga, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yoshi-hashi - Damn! From the 06/01/10 show: Yoshihashi (before YOSHI-HASHI) vs Fujita "Jr." Hayato: A very good, intense bout. Jr. looked like a leg kicking Terminator. Yoshihashi was good as well but, Jr.'s technique was superior. The finish really drove that home. Some might not love the finish but, I certainly did. It looked like a MMA finish where the ref has to call the guy off. Hells yeah! Koji Kanemoto vs Kenny Omega: A good match where Omega's job was about selling rather than acting all strong and shit. Koji went for the ankle lock here to shut down the Canadian. Ryusuke Taguchi vs Tama Tonga: Tonga is fully doing the Tongan thing here but, you know it works! He's like the powerhouse of the tournament and this match shows that versus Taguchi's technical prowess. If all you've seen is goofy Taguchi then, I implore you to check this version of the dude out. Sure, he's the Funky Weaopn but, the emphasis is on weapon. JIP match, 6 minutes. Jushin Thunder Liger vs Gedo: I love it when people get legitimately butt hurt about others putting Thunder in quotations. Who gives a shit at this point if people think its a nickname or part of some defunct anime from 30 years ago (holy crizza I'm old)? I digress! Gedo and JT Liger put on that "simple but good" match that you know they could (would?). And by gosh, it works! Nothing like seeing a babyface get back at a heel! 11 minutes. Kota Ibushi vs La Sombra: JIP (why? I have no idea!), but this is a blast of a spot match. Both guys were putting on a show for the live audience - springboard moves, dives, top rope flips, just a ton of fun! A very nice one camera-no commentary show! Like CHAOS vs NJ from 2010, this is looking to be highly enjoyable BUT...wait, what's that? We're not done yet! One more match... From 06/02/10: Kenny Omega vs Fujita "Jr." Hayato: This was a intense sprint battle. A fantastic Day 2 match for the Super Jrs. league. It was extremely stiff with great suplexes and I loved the heck outta of it. NJPW gatekeeps a lot of their stuff because of their 'network' but, this puppy is floating out there for free on their Youtube channel. If you're a cheap ass like me, and you're reading this becuase you're genuinely interested - watch this bout. It's around the 10-12 minute mark and, even if you don't care for the newer style, this is at the very least a very good popcorn - fireworks Jr. match that'll make you smile and/or cringe. Its not a classic but, dang it is a blast! So, I hope you enjoyed reading! More match ups from the 2010 Super Jrs. including a real winner in Devitt vs Gedo *Spoiler* Gedo drops some Engrish F-bombs Thanks!

Ha! That is pretty lame I'll give it to the writer for coming up with something. The trios and stable approach does make sense though. They don't really have that many strong individual performers on their roster so, they are really having those folks (Lethal, Taven, Scurll, and now Juice) carry the stories while the others wrestle the matches and hopefully grow. I actually like tag wrestling a lot so, I'm all in favor of it.

Welcome aboard to the PWO blogs!

I'm really interested to see how they use him. They keep pushing the Taven vs Lethal angle so, perhaps they throw Rush in there as well. Maybe because of his problems with Taven, we see a triple threat ROH title match??? and he wins? I can't believe for as much as they are paying as well as the CMLL/NJPW/ROH stuff, that they don't spotlight him as hard as can be for the year. Of course, it'd all be leading up to him losing the belt at Final Battle to I'll say Castle or Scurll. Totally just spit balling ideas...they very well could just upper mid card him with this version of the Kingdom all year. Like El-P said, his first TV match was a little too competitive.

Yeah, I felt the same way about Rush's opponent. That spinebuster was pretty great but, the rest was so-so (felt a little too long & competitive to me as well). If this is their way to do Rush vs Taven then, I guess I'm OK with it. Taven is a guy I've come to like especially where he is in the pecking order. So, we'll see Bruiser vs Silas was a nice treat. I think ROH is booking these type of matches since they seem to be running a ton of their TV tapings in the ECW area. I think I even heard some EC Dub! EC Dub! chants during one of the spots. Beer City Bruiser totally seems like he would have fit in. I've come to like how they're using him and the other fat guy. Oh hahaha! I did forget about the opening match...oh man...that shouldn't have been on TV 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

I thought this was 'just' a great match (****) up until the last two minutes where the urgency to finish the fight was palpable. It felt like a big boxing or mma bout in the sense that they were swinging to the fences hoping to get a big shot in and wrap things up. Aries came through with ferocity especially with his running elbow and a head kick to a downed Joe that would make Hotta & Dynamite Kansai shutter. Classic stuff. Big ups to Joe for putting Aries over so well. That really made all of the difference in the end. I can't believe I hadn't seen it sooner...

No problemo! What did you think? Probably not the best episode as a whole but, I hope he's a good fit.

Check out Ohtani's Jacket 's blog here as well. That helped me tons in getting into and understanding the flow of lucha libre. You can spend hours reading it. It might give you a guide on who you might like or dislike as well. Also, look for luchadors in promotions that you already know and like. That way you can see them amongst guys/gals you're familiar with and can have a sample of their work but in a style/setting that you're more comfortable with. Michinoku Pro had Solar and Super Astro in them and TNA had Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero for instance and that helped me get started.

Sure, it is the current episode on rohwrestling.com, episode #383. Its about 18 minutes in

I actually prefer ROH's TV show to their PPVs/Big shows. It reminds me of WCW Saturday Night or early Thunder in that there's a loose storyline going on and the main event usually delivers. Some weeks do suck but, hey its free! It's good in that its low commitment. Similar feeling to how TNA was as well. Probably not their business model but, I buy the dvds and merch when they're on sale. Their new hires are pretty exciting compared to when Cody was brought on.

I agree with everything the previous folks said. This was a great title match with Dalton coming out the gate like Kobashi vs Misawa. Those suplexes were fierce!! Eventually, Lethal uses experience to slow things down and grind Castle down. Frankly, Jay Lethal feels like a legitimate champion in both in-ring ability and smarts. For instance, we see Lethal escape to the floor to break up momentum as well as remain inside the ring after knocking challenger to the outside. He just does a lot of bright little things while allowing Dalton to build some steam up. Along with the Villain Enterprises vs Briscoe/Young match, this was a fantastic way to close the show. I hope these two keep the good stuff coming.

I have clearly been on a Ring of Honor kick lately. Having a grip of clearance DVDs will do that to a fellow! Young Bucks vs reDRagon (05/17/14 - War of the Worlds 2014): These two teams work very well together and here is another damn fine example. MMA'er Tom Lawlor (Filthy to you!) is seconding Fish & O'Reilly. He adds credibility to the DRagons and plays a really fun role especially early on. The Bucks are their usual selves and never slow down more than they have to. It works very well here because the match has a real sense of urgency from the get-go. It may be a shorter match but, it completely works in their favor. The Hammerstein crowd was sedate but, even they into got into it at the end. A quintessential ROH tag match and a near classic tag title bout. Shoot, O'Reilly's combo at the end was worth the time and money alone...die Bucks die! ;P Its crazy to realize that Fish & O'Reilly are in NXT and the Bucks are doing AEW. Despite losing the talent, they will push on. That's something Jay Lethal made a point of to Sam Roberts in an interview. I thought that was a great point. Case in point, ROH episode #382 from 01/11/19. Zack Sabre Jr. vs Tracey Williams: 12 minutes of stiff hitting and snug grappling. There was only one or two throws/drops the entire match. There was a Death Valley Driver that would make Etsuko Mita proud. I could say that it probably didn't belong in the middle of the match but, this was more like a BattlARTS match than your standard bout. It was a move of desperation rather than going for a 'finisher.' Speaking of a finish, this one really felt great especially with the in ring story. It was all toe hold and arms in this heated, fast, physical bout. A great match! Briscoe Brothers vs So Cal Uncensored (Kaz & Scorpio Sky): Here we have a rematch from Final Battle and this was awesome. I would expect no less from these two veteran teams. I think I like Scorpio the best with Kaz at this point because he throws a little bit of 'believability' in there with his jumping knee strikes. Anyhow, this match really had everything including a fun ref bump with Tod Sinclair. I can't believe that we essentially got a PPV/Big show match on free TV. Cheers dudes! Great match. There was also a fair women's tag match but, I just wasn't feeling it especially since I did not care of the teams (watched Klein vs Rose Street fight at Honor Reigns Supreme instead). But other than that, this was an awesome show! Now, I believe that the entirety of SCU is heading to AEW but, hey it is all good. It's not like it's been the first time and I'm sure they'll be welcomed back if the time comes. Dem Boys remain along with Taven's Kingdom, Dalton Castle, and it would be fantastic to see Zack & Williams in a regular capacity mix it up with them, Jeff Cobb, Marty, Lethal et al. They could put on some really great feuds as well as elevate other guys like Silas Young & Gresham who I think ROH wants to get behind in a big way. And that doesn't even begin to tackle the new talent they've signed like PCO, Bandido, Lee and the like. Very excited to see what ROH does in 2019. It seems most people like to shit on it nowadays but, I think it's a really fun company. Sure it doesn't look like it did in 2014 or even 2018 but, history shows that it may be for the best! Thanks for your time!!!

I think the best way to tackle this post is to review both nights of the Raising the Bar event(s) from March 7th & 8th 2014. I'm going to give the major take-away points rather than my somewhat longer reviews of the matches in most cases. These were fantastic shows put on by Ring of Honor that haven't gotten much hype. Night #1 - Milwaukee, WI Silas Young vs Jay Lethal: These guys are well suited to work with one another. The size and athleticism is compatible. The crowd was into this especially with the hometown Silas support. A worthwhile opening contest and a very good match. Tyson Dux vs Michael Bennett: This was your simple tough muscle guy kinda match. It was the right length and in the right spot to keep the energy up. Good match. Outlaw Inc. (Homicide & Eddie Kingston) vs Adrenaline Rush (ACH & Tadarius Thomas) vs reDRagon: This match could have been great but, was hampered by an X-division-like stipulation where Outlaw and Rush need to pin the champs to win the titles, if they pin each other or DRagon pins them then the titles don't change hands. This is made very clear (too clear) by Nigel & Kevin Kelly. HOWEVER the wrestlers didn't seem to know this, didn't care, or forgot. They worked the match like a "normal" 3 way dance tag match- first fall eliminates the one team then, the remaining teams fight for a winner. For the sake of your enjoyment, mute this so you cannot hear Nigel talk about how much these guys are fucking up the logic of the match. Because, LOGICALLY, all Outlaw or Rush would need to do is pin reDRagon and the match would be over AND they'd be new tag champs. Again, this would be a much quicker and focused match if it was worked this way. So, there was major miscommunication between the announcers, the wrestlers, etc. and it is a head scratcher at times since they do a PWG free-for-all. It's fun but, kinda stupid and long. Cedric Alexander & Adam Page vs BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs: Fortunately, this simple match gets the show back on track. This match had a good story (this was early Decade stuff) and Roddy sitting in with Corino & Kelly was helpful. Roderick Strong vs Chris Hero: Metropolis' own is recently back from his first NXT stint to start his back to the Indies tour (which got him back to NXT with a giant gut). This is a great hard hitting match like you would expect. Solid **** stuff. Here again, I will criticize the commentary. Jimmy Jacobs and Corino are jaw jacking like it's a shoot interview. It's good information and certainly is part of the Decade's grizzles/jaded veteran gimmick but, it DETRACTS from the action inside the ring. Again, you'd be wise to mute or turn down the volume. Then, of you want to hear their inside baseball watch the match again with the volume turned up. -So, at this point I've decided to watch the Main Event with the sound off- Kevin Steen & the Young Bucks vs Michael Elgin & the Briscoes: The talent involved was going to produce a very good match with very little effort. I had expected this going in. However, I did not expect this to be a classic bell to bell action bout. Elgin's ability to catch & carry, the Buck's speed and bumping, Steen & the Briscoes historical chemistry and veteran smarts made this something special. Additionally, everything was masterfully executed with teases & fake-outs to keep you on your toes. They opted for smart interactions rather than trendy yet predicable ones. That really is what I need to see as a longtime fan. That and the fact that everyone was as tough as nails meant this wasn't over until it was OVER. Classic ROH 6 man match! -It was so awesome that I thought it was the end of the show! But, we have one more- Adam Cole vs Matt Taven: Cole defends the recently won ROH World title against Matt Taven who has impressed me here in the 2013-14s but also on the current ROH show. The dude is talented. BUT let me get this out of the way: He whiffed big time on a suicide dive. I don't know what happened but Cole was like a foot in the wrong direction and Taven ate floor. Like a professional he & Cole went on to have a very good match. Seriously, that little miss was the ONLY blemish on this otherwise wonderful underdog title fight. Taven was only in the TV champ position so, the goal was more to have the Panama City Playboy be a fighting champ and raise Taven's stock a little bit. After the match the true contenders [Hero, Elgin, Steen, Jay Briscoe? (I can't remember. In my notes I wrote Elgin twice for some reason)]. confront Adam to stake their claim on the belt. Night One summary: Pretty damn great show! I rarely watch a DVD from start to finish in a sitting but, this one had a great pace and kept me entertained. This is a must see or must buy as it's on sale or clearance. You've got two very good matches (Lethal/Young & Cole/Taven), a great hard hitting vet match (Hero/Strong) and a classic 6 man (Bucks & Steen/Briscoes & Elgin). Night #2 - Chicago Ridge, IL Tyson Dux vs Michael Elgin: Teacher vs pupil. Corino and Kevin Kelly are already having their own fucking show :/ but the in-ring action tops whatever they're blathering on about. A good match with an impressive finishing stretch. Everything looked organic and necessary. Elgin puts over Dux, nice! Good way to open the show. Adrenaline Rush vs BJ Whitmer & Roderick Strong: Those Decade shirts are pretty ill. Adam Page is now their quasi-young boy which is funny to see nowadays. I frankly like him better then. Anyhow, this is a good tag encounter. Rod is especially nasty. Wait til he spits at Tadarius Thomas and nearly hits the lady in the front row. She's like "What the Fuck!?" Good action match and a fine #2 bout. Jay Lethal vs Mike Bennett: Maria adds something to Bennett's aura...um...those aren't pants. Anyhow, this was a very good match where the solid wrestling cliches worked very well and kept the energy up. A bit of comedy, good wrestling, there's nothing to hate here Outlaw Inc. vs the Briscoes: Yeah, this lived up to its potential for greatness. It took me backto 2006 with 'cide & Jay locking up...man I got goosebumps! This is that throwing shit, face smashing wrestling that you want. Heck this took me back to '98 as it was like an ECW tag title fight. Great stuff! Matt Taven vs Silas Young: A short but effective match to follow up that maddness. Watch for Taven's kick to Silas' head! Fun! Kevin Steen vs Cedric Alexander: I felt Steen was leading Cedric through a "by-the-numbers good match." Very WWE style where technically its sound but, lacks that 'umph' in the intensity department. reDRagons vs the Young Bucks: Tag titles are on the line. Matt's arm is in a cast which Fish & O'Reilly focus on. This is appreciated! Also, there are some nice wrinkles to standard spots from each team and some truly believable false finishes. Again, I like wrestling to be surprising This match really was nothing to sneeze at and the Bucks had two amazing nights of wrestling. I tend to downplay them nowadays because they receive so much praise for what I think to be old hat schtick. But in 2014, they still put their all into the rings as did Fish and O'Reilly. Great **** level tag title match. Adam Cole vs Chris Hero: ROH World Championship on the line. There's backstory here which the announcers provide. Hero made Cole submit to the "Stretch Plum!!-Stretch Plum!!" ...sorry Kawada flashback...Hero made Cole submit at the Anniversary show but, the ref wasn't there to call it. So, match-maker Nigel McGuinness gave Chris a shot under the Ring Master's Challenge stipulation. This is a 2/3 falls match where it's pinfall only, then submission only, and finally a 15 minute iron man if needed. I'm sure this gimmick match has some logic but, I fail to see it. Have it be submission only OR 2/3 falls OR an Iron man- why all 3? It's OK, I don't have a problem with it per se but, it doesn't really benefit Hero. Cole can win by pinfall, he can make you tap with this Figure Four, and he's in great shape so an Iron Man is no problem. Same with Hero - elbows to KO, stretch plum, and proven wrestling machine. *sigh* Anyhow, the stipulations were worked really well by the two, the layout was nice, and they put on a very good match. Not amazing or ground breaking but, very good overall. Night Two summary: A very good night of wrestling with no low points unlike night #1's Tag Team bungle. Two Great tag matches in two different styles, a very good gimmick title match and everything else was very enjoyable. I'd say it is a notch below night #1 BUT, it felt like it ran smoother due to that weird reDRagon/Rush/Outlaws match. That being said, I have no regrets getting this show. Raising the Bar was a two night success in my book and with many of these guys being stars in NXT right now, it only makes sense to check these shows out if you weren't sure. Or like me, you want to see them beforehand Thanks for reading!

Regarding the talk of pay, it seems like a whole lot of talk until people start getting paid. Just because someone is told one thing doesn't mean another thing doesn't happen, right? Furthermore, does anyone expect to see any proof of this "equal" pay? In all honesty, it seems like a publicity tactic. No one of us are going to be working for them so, why advertise this business of pay equality?? This isn't Indeed, Monster or a classified ad. Its all hype but, certainly we can hope. However talk is cheap, as they say...or more succinctly put:

I'm with Boss Rock on this. The quick pace made this feel like a true athletic competition. We get a striker vs grappler dynamic but, the story is that ZSJ can strike but, can Ishii wrestle? The spots where Ishii escapes or counters are brilliant because we think he's just a one dimensional tank but, here he shows his depth. This pushes Zack to really do everything in order to win. A match like this will fair better over time- Much like Goto vs Suzuki from last year's WK. Great match and a fine example of true Strong Style.

I still use PWO I'm on YouTube but not much else so, if I see people on the board talking or maybe some hubbub on the match discussion archives, I'll watch a video or two. For instance, I wouldn't have checked out MLW if it wasn't for the topic here. I think with the availability of stuff, one really does have to stick to preexisting preferences. Or at least use that as a guide. I have no qualms about skipping around a MLW show to see how it feels 2/3rds of the way in for instance. Or just checking out highlight videos. I just couldn't muster the enthusiasm for WK13 but watched a few extended highlights and feel like I had fun and got the gist Same with WWE.

I wanted to give my opinion on the big topic of the new year: All Elite Wrestling. I'm not in the know in terms of facts and figures concerning the owners or the talent its centered around. I don't know what their income is or what they're worth or any of that financial stuff. Similarly, I don't have any scoop on which wrestlers or other performers are going to sign with the company. It doesn't seem worthwhile to post any of my opinions or suggestions in the AEW topic on the main forum. This is more about my take on the whole thing rather than news or debate. It feels that everyone is really excited about all of this because it's a pretty big shake up. Three pretty big wrestlers who worked for ROH and NJPW have branched out on their own and are getting even bigger friends (Omega & Jericho) to join them in their new company. Along with them are some more prominent Indy wrestlers as well a couple more friends from Japan (CIMA and I'm guessing Ibushi (who's Independent) will work with them). Oh how exciting!! It certainly is a bit of a shake up since everyone who's never listened to a shoot interview from the Bucks or Omega thought that they'd go to the WWE. Or at least that's what the YouTube channels wanted us to think. That seriously would have been a creative blunder on their parts so, it's neat to see them go it on their own. But, I don't know what people are expecting. That is to say, I don't know IF, from a match quality standpoint, they are expecting anything different than what PWG has been doing for about a decade. And I don't know if they are expecting angles, stables, arcs, and feuds either. At Jump, I have a couple rhetorical questions: OK you've tentatively got Kenny Omega, the #1 wrestler that everybody wants. But who are they going to have him go up against? Who's out there on the market that he could work a engaging program with? Is Penta and/or Fenix available? And for how long? Cody has more competition on his level but, is this really interesting anyone? What about the Bucks? They can work with anyone but, the problem is that they've already worked with EVERYONE. It seems to me they have one genuine superstar and then A-B level talent in Cody & the Bucks. Jericho is there but, for how long and in what capacity? Now ponder for a moment - what if WWE/NXT didn't buy Ricochet, Adam Cole, reDRagon, Roddy Strong, Keith Lee, and Walter like the 2nd coming of Eric Bischoff in WCW...then this AEW thing would have some teeth, no? It'd really have some fangs if they could get guys to jump ship from the 'E to AEW. Supposedly there's talk of the Revival going over? That might be something... what's Kevin Steen, Devitt, KENTA and the rest of the 205 Live Roster doing nowadays? PAC is a start, right? Truth be told, this really has similarities to old Japanese groups like UWF and SWS especially. I know AJPW at the turn of the 90's better than what happened in UWF but, I'll get back to them. SWS had a big money investor get a bunch of top talent from AJPW and a couple from NJPW to start a company. Tenryu and Yatsu were big F-ing deals in 89-90 AJ. You've got your #1 heel/rival to Jumbo (Omega to Okada) and then Jumbo's tag team partner leaving. In NJPW terms, perhaps its like an Ishii or Goto leaving. Then, Nakano & Takano who were the face "junior" tag team against Kawada/Fuyuki's Footloose. Even Fuyuki left too! They got Naoki Sano from NJPW. Cody, Young Bucks, PAC and Adam Page sounds similar to me. Then you had older guys like Ishikawa & Great Kabuki and other guys who were past their prime at the time like George Takano & Kendo Nagasaki. I won't say Jericho here but, CIMA seems like a decent fit (since read that Daniels, Kaz & Scorpio Sky are on board and I think they are applicable here). Then, you had up and coming juniors like Asai (Ultimo Dragon to be), Masao Orihara, Katayama et al. This sounds like your Joey Janela and other independent guys and girls. Of course the big difference, SWS had the support of the WWF and their stars from the get-go. It wouldn't last BUT, it helped them get a foothold. With AEW, they've burned some big bridges on BOTH sides of the world with this move. Now we come back to the UWF. The company had to fold within a couple years due to differences between Maeda & Sayama as well as the larger financial problems. SWS folded too but, WAR came out of that. We know how NJ worked with Tenryu and his company throughout the 90's and 2000's. Omega is Tenryu level here. So, NJPW has historically been forgiving if they can make money so that doesn't cut things off for them completely. So if the Elite boys are smart, they will try and be like WAR from the get go. They can do this by not going into business to directly compete with the big dogs AND by not focusing on the money. Seriously speaking, I see this as means to put on monthly shows that are PWG like dream cards but in much larger venues. Dream shows once a month, internet based everything (probably no DVDs or Blu-ray), and tee shirts. I could see them touring as well but, a relaxed schedule like ROH. The indy guys and girls make up most of the card and the "Elite" do 6 man matches to lead into the BIG shows. YouTube free matches/shows or streamed service TV shows of these matches is very likely to keep costs down. Perhaps if they book angles or story arcs, a studio show like TNA Asylum/Impact Zone could be there instead or if a TV deal is there. Honestly, I look at this AEW as a vanity project. They probably do too. I don't think they're looking to get richer but, just do WHAT they like-WHEN they like and pay the bills. I can certainly admire them for that. Now who knows what that means for the Adam Pages, Joey Janelas, and the younger folks of the company? The bleeding heart fans, like myself, are excited at the prospect of the performers receiving unbiased wages and health care. I think that those hopes are quickly being dashed against the rocks from what I've seen though. I do think it'll be more PWG-wrestler owned & operated than NJ, ROH, or WWE. So, beyond that, what does AEW hold for us fans? What can they offer us that's new & exciting? Are they going to fall back upon the allure of the Dream Match OR do wrestling with good stories and good booking? Honestly, I think AEW is taking the PWG mentality and product to a national (international?) level. Its not that it'll be anything new BUT, it will be more accessible and more visible than the insular PWG. I'd love to see genuine drama in wrestling and perhaps Jericho will be called upon to book (which would be the very best use of him). They have the resources to do it so, it is a possibility. And finally the larger implications of this company and it's possible success: If it's around for a few years, I wouldn't be surprised if they take ROH's spot as NJPW's US partner promotion. And like SWS/AJPW it may create a situation in NJPW, where they decide to elevate some guys and create a whole new generation of stars for the 2020's. Yeah, it is exciting. Guess we just have to wait and see... Thanks for reading!

...and we're back! reDRagons vs Michael Elgin & Jay Lethal (10/05/13): Titles are on the line against the super team of Elgin & Lethal. This was a very good match but, not tremendous. It was a little goofy when Elgin does his 2 on 1 stuff but, the final bit was great per usual. Champs vs All-Stars: Adam Cole, reDRagon & Matt Taven vs Michael Elgin, C & C WrestleFactory Jay Lethal (Glory by Honor XII 10/26/13): We get over an hour of wrestling action. It is very difficult to keep a person's interest over that period of time but, it did. In fact, not only was I interested, I was invested. The match told a series of stories over the course of its duration. It was physical and compelling and an overall great match. Heck, I'd even say it was a ROH classic. The wrestlers along with the Corino/Kelly announce team, Truth Martini & the Hotties, Homicide & Kingston, the 3 referees, and Nigel all played their parts perfectly. It felt like a play with a cast of 19. Now, this could have easily been overbooked and bungled yet, it always seemed to be aware of that possibility. The match, as if an organism, would step back from the brink of parody to deliver something unique and surprising. vs Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander (11/16/13): This starts out with C & C getting the jump on the DRagon which eventually leads to them focusing on Caprice's arm. This is a good face in peril bit. Somewhere along the way, the legal man situation gets mixed up but, heck! it's just a TV match. It's not as offensive as a big deal PPV match. But, it's a hell of a TV/ small show match! Its not a perfectly executed but, these guys have the right idea as opposed to the Wolves matches. This bout knew what it wanted to be and acheived that. It had flow and the fans genuinely gave a damn. Not a perfect follow up to the Glory by Honor match but, a very good match nonetheless. ...until next time wrestling fans!

Its cool that other folks thought this was a classic match but, I'm with Microstatistics. It was a good one. I appreciated the intensity early on, the finishers looked great including the one that sealed the deal. However, the rest of the match felt like every other "big" WWE ppv match. Big wear down with a couple hope spots including some horsing around on the floor, big comeback, a fake out or two, then the finisher shootout that never really pays off because everyone has to kickout once or twice, then the real finish that you & I can see from a mile away. It's a formula for a good ppv match, don't get me wrong. This match just happens to follow that formula. If they fought this with a bit more urgency, it would have been loads better. This big match formula starts things out well enough but, the pace crawls along with extended writhe in pain or exhaustion selling BUT moments later the guy pops back up like Mia Wallace ready to live another day. It gets old seeing it throughout these big matches...and this was sadly no different.

This is a Once in a Lifetime ©®™ dream match between the company's biggest stars of the 2000's. It was 30 minutes long and it was Wrestlemania so, you kinda know they were going for WM moments throughout. It was good though since skill wise they're similar. Simple moves, so-so punching, taunts, and then the signature moves that couldn't crack an egg. Seriously though, I enjoyed myself and it lived up to the hype and drama. If I was younger then, I probably would have been losing my marbles but, otherwise it was a good match & probably one you could show someone who doesn't know much about wrestling.

On the other hand, this was over-long and dependent upon the cameras and mics picking up dialog. It started out well enough but HAD to get it's plot points in. Really it was 3 matches long! Its a complete matter of taste here and while not awful, it was excessive and predictable. All of the things praised above are things I don't respect in the WWE style of wrestling/booking. I didn't 'get' the nuances mentioned due to my ignorance but, it seems more like actors following a carefully written script than, wrestlers telling a story in the ring. But its 2019 so, I'm sure no ones going back to check the reviews on it now. I just happened to get the dvd at the library today on a whim and thought I would chime in.