SmartMark15

Again, a huge disclaimer that I saw this with a live crowd. But I'm going to go to bat for this WrestleMania. It was exciting, a spectacle, and thoroughly entertaining.

I may be biased by having watched with a live crowd but I thorougly enjoyed Mania.

Whoa, I did not see this coming at all. SLB and I are typically far more in tune, taste wise.

Honestly so much better than I was expecting. Not a big fan of Black but Almas x Vega is an absolutely exceptional act. I do appreciate how Black just went for it straight out of the gate. Shows that babyface shine isn't entirely dead yet. Vega gets involved early and consistently which beautifully plays into that wonderful finish. Just a simple, excellent title match from both guys. Even still, Almas gets my props here because he is just exceptionally silky smooth in the ring but still adds a lot of urgency and energy to his stuff. It's that urgency lacking from other high fliers his size. Great stuff. ****1/2

Great stuff. Everyone gets a chance to shine in some organized chaos that pretty much played to everyone's strengths. No one was exposed, everyone looked good, and it was fun as all hell all the way through. The triple ladder set up was miserable but outside of that, I thought they set things up pretty well and organically. One of the better crash matches recently. ****1/4

Wonderfully said. So many 30-40 minute epics (I'm looking at you Okada's 2018 title matches) feel like such a drag with several segments feeling like chores to get through. This was organic, brutal, and fantastic.

Johnny Gargano has put on two five star matches in a four month span. Unless Daniel Bryan gets booked in a high profile singles feud, I don't see anyone topping the emotional investment and sympathy that Johnny Gargano draws out from a crowd. Pairing him with Tomasso Ciampa, who transformed from fun indie superstar into one of the best most vicious heels in the world today, is just absolute magic. The feud has been built up to simmer and simmer until it came to its insane boiling point here. The match was worked with an immediate sense of hatred and brutality. Big punches, heated brawling, all of them building up to big spots. The incorporation of weapons was ridiculously good and organic all throughout. I mean, Ciampa stealing crutches from a fan?! That's some 80's heel heat right there and it was perfection. The addition of the knee brace to create some truly magical storytelling moments towards the finish. I mean, I don't know how much I can gush about this match. It was just so good on every level and by far the match of the year. It's crazy what a long term build and two incredibly talented workers dedicated to their story can pull off. Absolutely everything right with pro wrestling. *****

Gargano-Ciampa ended up becoming an updated, even better version of what Steen-Generico in 2011 ROH was. What a resounding success of a story with a match of the year to blow it all off. This is quite simply pro wrestling done right.

That was everything it needed to be and more. Match of the Year so far.

That was amazing. Vega and Almas might just be the best heel act in the world today.

The Unsanctioned Match gets to main event thank god.

As much as I'm not interested in Adam Cole or Roderick Strong, if this turn means that we get PWG Shitty Little Boots Roddy, then I'll be fine with it. And it was probably one of the only ways to wake the crowd back up.

They had to follow the ladder's match which is sad but the women worked hard and told a good in-ring story. I'm a big Shayna Baszler fan too so I enjoyed the result as well. Good stuff.

Really enjoyed this. Wonderful sense of struggle and the aesthetic of the no ropes set up mixes well with how these two worked the match. Lots of posturing, struggles for holds, and some stiff, stiff strikes. I'm not an expert on anything shoot style but I thought this was a fun offering for people to potentially get into it. ***3/4

I thought that ZSJ-Okada was about as disappointing as the WK main event. Just so stretched out, padded, and heatless. Really, really disappointed in that match.

Kenny Omega hesitates to harm The Bucks, even stopping Ibushi from going after Matt's back. Loved Matt's back selling throughout, making it the center for some of the match's biggest transitions. Particularly liked how it forced him to drop the Sharpshooter. Thought it was a nice little plot thread that ran through the match. Then they do crazy spots, and I'm sorry but I'm a sucker for crazy spots. And these didn't feel overkill, they transitioned from one to the other really well. We didn't get too many pinfall attempts til about the last 10 minutes or so. I like how the crazier spots that stick out at least had significant character moments. Ibushi forcing Omega to V Trigger Matt. Matt not taking Omega's mercy and initiating the One Winged Angel. Matt switching directions at the last minute during the One Winged Angel to put Kenny through the table instead of completing the More Bang For Your Buck on Ibushi. Lots of great stuff all over. ****3/4

Talk about getting a dead crowd into a great match. 205's historically dead crowd popped huge by the end of this match because Ali and Gulak worked a tight, stiff, simple babyface-heel match. Gulak brought the viciousness with crazy scary intensity (especially towards the finish) and Ali brought some crazy bumps. Bumping face first off the top rope? Check. Back bump off the table? Check. Face first into the turnbuckle followed by a body slam onto the concrete? Check. Hard not to root for the guy after what he put himself through. ****

I personally have been cringing at the posts for a while just because they're pretty much unreadable. The rape culture comments didn't help things either.

Have to agree that this is the best ROH World Title match in years (though I for one abhorred the Steenerico Ladder War). Castle played a fantastic babyface throwing excellent punches against the battle tough veteran in Jay Lethal. Thought they really took their time to build things up and establish the stories here especially with Castle experiencing his knee injury early on. Thought Lethal could have helped out by selling some things a little better like the German down onto the concrete (both spots were quite exciting). And yes, Bobby Cruise. That got a legitimate pop from me. This was really awesome and does harken back to the ROH World Title classics of yesteryear. ****1/2

ZSJ tops off a fantastic New Japan Cup run with this wonderful finals match that highlights all his strengths in the ring. Slick, beautiful submission exchanges that build their way up to exciting dramatic moments. Notice how Tanahashi's dragon screws came off as key transitioning points here. While Tana does like to go to that well in his other big-time matches, the way it was utilized here to punctuate tense exchanges made it pop even more. Tanahashi played a fantastic babyface for ZSJ, just selling and firing up at all the right times. Great selling performance from Tanahashi to make all off ZSJ's offense look like a million bucks. ****1/2

Wouldn't say it's the best NJPW match all year but ZSJ-Ibushi was quite fun. While Ibushi doesn't have that nice limb selling I enjoy, he does bring a lot of intensity to his matches that seem to be structured around moments meant to up the ante of the match. That much I enjoyed as well as his struggle to hit the V Trigger.

The main event was well on its way to being a great multiman spot fest car crash but that Kami/Shane drama just dragged it to a halt. Drove my rating down to a 3.75.

That match was more fun than it had any right to be.

Styles putting on a glorious performance being the glue holding this nothing match together.

The Castle-Lethal main event was fantastic as well despite some iffy moments. I mean, seriously, Jay Lethal, just sell the German Suplex off the apron. Is that so much to ask? That aside, Castle was a great house of fire babyface and the two really brought a real sense of aggression and urgency that I've found lacking in a lot of Ring of Honor stuff for a long time.