G. Badger

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.

-Yoshiaki Fujiwara (69-year old self-inflicted 'Hardway') vs Shiro Koshinaka - Draditon Back To The New York -David Starr vs Joey Janela (No Rope, Barbed Wire Death Match) - Beyond Americanrana These sound pretty fun! Thanks for the recommendation I second that wish for Gargano vs Bryan too!

Took me a minute to think of some others because I went for Shinzaki/Hakushi right off the bat and then to Sabu & Hayabusa Akiyama in white is a good pick. It was slight change overall but, made a big difference in his shift in character in NOAH. The fact that he switched back to blue after he lost the belt in '06 was a nice touch. Mariko Yoshida I second as well. Like Jun, it clearly signified a change from her younger days. With Joshi in mind, I'm going to say Akira Hokuto's Kabuki mask, robes, & katana entrance attire always gave me goosebumps. Similarly, Bull Nakano in her robes and spiked long blue hair reminded me of an ice queen or someone of legend. Also, I'm going to say Taz with the beat up towel over his face, black singlet, and shooter boots. It was a simple look but, it really got his intense tough guy look over. That being said, I didn't care for the Team Taz era stuff though. That was corny to me. Finally, Papa Shango because that was the height of cool wrestling look to me as a kid. Skull face paint!

Here is my list of the best matches that I watched this year. Again, this isn't a MOTY list but, is more of a year in review for me AND a guide for folks looking for wresting to check out. So first is my January to May list: 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 Takeshi 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) June 1st to Dec 31st Naomichi Marufuji vs Jun Akiyama (AJ 04/25/18 CC) Sakuraba vs Nakamura (NJ 01/04/13 WK7) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Masato Tanaka (NJ 08/15/09 G1) Nakamura, M. Tanaka, Takahashi & Naito vs H. Tanahashi, Makabe, Nagata & W. Inoue (NJ 12/04/10) KENTA vs Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH 01/22/06) (I left off 10/29/06 because everyone already knows of that) KENTA vs Kenta Kobashi (NOAH 03/05/06) Misawa vs Takeshi Morishima (NOAH 03/05/06) Misawa vs Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH 12/02/06) Choshu, Koshinaka, Hoshino, Sasaki & Kobayashi vs Super Strong Machine, Hamaguchi, Kurisu, Tatsu Goto & Hiro Saito (NJ 06/26/90 2/3 Falls) Hase & Sasaki vs Koshinaka & Iizuka (NJ 12/13/90) BxB Hulk & YAMATO vs Ben-K & Big R Shimuzu (DG 07/22/18) BxB Hulk vs Shingo Takagi (DG 12/28/14) Shingo Takagi vs YAMATO (DG Kobe Wrestle Fest 2016) reDRagon vs The Briscoes (ROH 05/11/13 11th Anniv. Show) Eddie Edwards vs Matt Taven (ROH 06/01/13) Eddie Edwards vs Kyle O'Reilly (ROH 07/12/13) Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander vs Adam Cole, Matt Taven & reDRagon (ROH 10/26/13 Glory by Honor XII) see: https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/blogs/entry/693-enter-the-redragon-part-4/ Kevin Steen & the Young Bucks vs Michael Elgin & the Briscoes (ROH 03/07/14 Raising the Bar Nt. 1) * not yet reviewed* There's a month worth of classic wrestling right there. I'm really not sure what the Best Match I watched is...damn. I go through and think of different reasons I like one over another. OR there's some that I cannot recall as clearly as others. A few of these are known as great or classic matches already so, I won't pick those. I mean, hopefully many of these are matches you've only heard a little about...or maybe nothing at all. That's really what I want to do - expose people to different stuff and let them know that there is really awesome wrestling to be found where others may have said it does not exist. So with that I'm going to pick Eddie Edwards vs Kyle O'Reilly (ROH 07/12/13) as the Best Match Watched. Frankly, I'm pretty strong on that point even without those qualifiers. Some may not like it just because of the participants or the company. OK that's fine. Others may see it derivative or formulaic but, I disagree. I feel it builds off of classic styles and encounters while adding its own flair. Plus it tells a great story, is excellently performed, intense as hell, and I just love that finish. It's really quite perfect in my book Recency bias is totally acknowledged. Before I move on, I'm going to hype up Masato Tanaka here Shinjiro Otani vs Masato Tanaka (Z-1 07/31/02), Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Masato Tanaka (NJ 08/15/09 G1), Nakamura, M. Tanaka, Takahashi & Naito vs H. Tanahashi, Makabe, Nagata & W. Inoue (NJ 12/04/10), Masato Tanaka vs Yuji Nagata (NJ 03/19/11). DAMN SON! Now let's see who gets cheers and jeers: Standout Wrestler: Daisuke Sekimoto, Atsushi Onita, Masato Tanaka, Shingo Takagi, Naomichi Marufuji, Eddie Edwards, Jay Lethal, The Briscoes, reDRagon, Roderick Strong, The Young Bucks The Winner: Tanaka had the early part of the year for sure. Eddie Edwards has the very end with his re-invigoration of the GHC belt and 2013 ROH matches. The winner is Naomichi Marufuji though. The 09-10 NJ Jr. stuff was pretty great but, along with Shingo, he stole the show at the 2018 Champion Carnival. What put him over the top was his 2006 in NOAH. From his start with KENTA in the 01/22 to the amazing title fight vs Misawa, 2006 was Marufuji's. He may not have the quantity of classic matches that Tanaka accrued this year but, he had his share along with a bevy a great ones with a variety of opponents in different promotions and years. Probably not a popular pick again but, I know what I saw and the dude killed it. Surprise of the Year: Early FMW Onita, SHINGO & Marufuji and the 2018 Champion Carnival, 2010's ROH, Yoshi Yatsu in 87-89 AJPW, WWE 205 Live, digging WWE Women's division. Finding out the greatness of YAMATO, Matt Taven & Togi Makabe. Akira Taue still had it in 2006 as he knew how to play his older broken down/comedy character but still be aggressive and serious when called upon (similar to 1989 Giant Baba). Realizing that '89-90 JCP/NWA Muta was awesome especially when considering his 90's NJ stuff. Weekly ROH TV reminding me of WCW Worldwide in a good way. The Winner: The Maufuji pick is kind of the Surpise of the Year because I really did not think that going into this post. But, overall - I'm going to say Early FMW & Onita. Onita and FMW were some of my first experiences with Japanese wrestling but, to circle back around 20 years and find something really awesome was a heck of a surprise. Not only were the matches a blast (no pun intended) but, finding out about the history was really interesting as well. The late 80's and early 90's are a really neat time & place to visit in Japanese wrestling and FMW at that time should not be missed. Favorite Project: FMW 89-92, Post ECW Tanaka, Hayabusa in AJPW, NOAH 2006, reDRagon/2013-14 ROH, and NJ vs CHAOS in 2010 The WInner: CHAOS vs NJ because I never heard anyone talk about it despite it scratching that old school night in-night out feud itch. It was so much fun to watch these house show matches that felt like Jumbo vs Misawa, or M-Pro vs Kaientai DX.I gained a lot of respect for Tanahashi here and found something from the NJ 2010's that I could wholly dig! Disappointment of the Year: Munenori Sawa in wXw 2010 could have been better, Brock vs Roman at WM, Nakamura...Ballshot Expert, Kobashi vs Marufuji '06, American Wolves vs reDRagon not living up to its potential save Edwards vs O'Reilly The Loser: Wolves vs DRagon because it was THE reason the Wolves re-united and reDRagon was formed but, it felt too much like WWE or TNA than ROH. Or at least the ROH I was used to. It was inconsistent and did not feels as big & epic as ROH was making it out to be. ReDRagon would go on to be so much better without the Wolves feud. Never got around to: Getting deeper into FMW past 92- the two big Youtube channels that had a ton of FMW footy were removed so that was a big blow to that project. 2010's NJ Jr project- I wanted to look into the phenomena that got the NJ hype train going - Apollo 55 & Golden Lovers. This is something I do want to get around to soon. Looking forward to watching in 2019: David Starr, Jonathan Gresham, getting back to 2010's AJPW, 88-90 NJ/AJPW (my massive DVD set is still waiting), more ROH & PWG from 3-5 years ago Also, want to check out early 80's Gran Hamada pretty soon here. Thanks for reading! I hope I gave you some ideas! Happy New Year

Kawada is a better seller than Kobashi far and away from '89 til retirement. He's clearly got Kobashi beat until the 2000's where Kobashi hits his 2nd peak but then he's very limited in terms of variety. AJ has got Tana because The Ace took his in ring style from Muto. He picks and chooses when he dogs it and when he explodes. So there are really awesome bouts but real lackluster ones too for him. Early on AJ decided he was going to give great performances night in night out. Much like Kawada, he's giving ***3/4 matches on small show nights while others chill. He is a workhorse. I'll say Omega because he goes all out and seems to put his heart into his matches where Okada goes along for the ride in comparison. His moveset doesn't fit his frame and his gimmick doesn't seem to fit his personality but, he's not the first. He's athletic, willing and certainly has a ton of heart but, it can't match Omega's skills and abilities. Akiyama over Danielson if only because unlike the other comparisons, Akiyama has at least a decade on Bryan. This is a good one for 2028. Additionally, most haven't seen Akiyama's work in the past 8 years whereas most people are only familiar with Bryan 's last 8 years in a style that is different from his other years. So, there's a disconnect. Maybe a Akiyama vs Roderick Strong comparison is more apples to apples? Nagata over Taue because like Sasaki, Takayama, and Kobashi he defined 2000's puro. His work in the early 2010's is still pretty awesome as well. Taue was pretty great for different reasons throughout his career and definitely had it from '89-'06 but he never felt like he set the ring on fire. Hmm this is the closest one of all.