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SmartMark15

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Everything posted by SmartMark15

  1. SmartMark15
    Gonna show some more love for the Danielson mentions of 06 as well as his late career renaissance in '13. I think AJ Styles in 2016 definitely deserves a look as well. He had multiple high quality main event level matches against a wide variety of people and significantly elevated those who worked with him to good to great matches. His matches vs. Reigns, Ambrose, and Cena are the high points. But even something like getting a very good match out of Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin on TV is quite an accomplishment.
  2. SmartMark15
    Really enjoyed the story that they told in this match of both guys trying to outdo each other in each other's styles. Michaels was able to outwrestle Angle early on until Angle turned to a more brawling "WWE style" to try and get back the advantage. Some really great spots in this match like the Angle Slam into the post, the struggle for the German, and even the crossbody to the table. Loved how quick King was to kayfabe why the table didn't break. Good stuff. The finishing stretch was your typical WWE main event style drama. False finish justified by delayed pinfall and into one of the most brutal looking Ankle Locks ever. There's no selling and some dragging parts but I thought it stayed engaging for the most part. ****
  3. SmartMark15
    Loved this. Absolutely loved this. The opening struggle for the break, that's my five star moment. It set the tone that these two were finally equals and for the first time, Okada felt like a star showing some real personality. Tanahashi brilliantly switches his target to the arm instead of the leg and he almost successfully neutralizing the Rainmaker. Okada sticks to yhe strategy of going after the neck. The second half is insanely heated, smooth, and exciting. Brilliant. *****
  4. SmartMark15
    Opening ten, fifteen minutes are deathly boring. Just slow, uninspired offense without any sense of urgency or drama. Some good spots sprinkled in here and there. I liked the elbow exchange that heated up when they both grabbed hair. I thought the sequence on the ramp was incredibly tedious and killed what little heat they had built up. Ah, but when Tanahashi wants to kick it into gear, he sure can pull it off. Tanahashi starts to up the intensity and the pacing and work really does go into a pretty great place. The finishing stretch is hot but without the selling and drama that made the Dominion match great. But there's some real tension in some of the false finishes towards the end. ****
  5. SmartMark15
    I'd like in please.
  6. SmartMark15
    He was fired today from the new Cultaholics website.
  7. SmartMark15
    Much better than the first match and yet Okada actually manages to put in a slightly less impressive performance. Tanahashi was the glue that really carried this match into something great. The pacing was much tighter as Tanahashi actually came in with a lot more intensity as he didn't want to underestimate Okada again. As such he goes for the leg much earlier. But alas, Okada gonna be Okada. Always with the inconsistent leg selling from this guy. It REALLY draws attention to itself especially when he starts running at full speed and throwing dropkicks. Meanwhile, Tanahashi stayed consistent selling his neck and Okada targeted it relentlessly. A lot of fire from Tanahashi and the finishing stretch is fiery hot. ****1/2
  8. SmartMark15
    Really good match and a very good start to one of the most iconic (for better or worse) feuds in modern day wrestling. Slow start with Tanahashi acting very dismissive towards Okada and Okada's heat segments getting deathly silence. Things started picking up for me when Tanahashi started going for the knee and Okada is forced to start selling more and show some more urgency in his work. That all leads into a fairly hot finishing stretch and the glorious days when all it took was one Rainmaker to end a match. ****
  9. SmartMark15
    How great was the CWF Rumble, huh? Simple battle royale storytelling with an emphasis on continuity. Only see the highly pimped Lee title defenses but the backgrounds were very clear with all these guys. Never any stretches of guys just hanging by the ropes either. Well paced and really tense towards the end with some amazing storytelling moments.
  10. SmartMark15
    As someone who only watches the big pimped out matches from New Japan, this video was a fantastic way to learn about the character of one of its biggest draws today. Tranquilo, amigos. https://youtu.be/VZgZEgCkrs0
  11. SmartMark15
    Mike Quackenbush or Triple H? Austin Aries or Braun Strowman? Kazuchika Okada or Hulk Hogan? Trish Stratus or Tommy Dreamer?
  12. SmartMark15
    Nice... would be a fun undertaking here with enough people involved. I'd be in and willing to put together a list with someone else if interested. Even if we used the PWO Greatest Wrester List as a starting point. Definitely would be interested to try that again. It was a fun project when it first came out.
  13. SmartMark15
    He separated it into divisions: heavyweights, light heavyweights (or juniors/cruisers), tag teams, and personalities/non-workers. There was a set number for each division as well. You could pick any wrestler in history and specify which era of theirs you wanted too. https://youtu.be/Vachogbq2w8
  14. SmartMark15
    Love games/exercises like this. One of my favorite versions of it was YouTuber mickeybabylon's Who Ya Got? project. It would be interesting to see people's choices for that template. 88-94 (US) 1. Hogan 2. Flair 3. Vader 88-94 (World) 1. Hogan 2. Hansen 3. Flair Present (US) 1. Styles (Original, right?) 2. Strowman 3. Reigns Present (World) 1. Styles 2. Ishikawa 3. Naito
  15. SmartMark15
    Nobody works the turnbuckles like Bret Hart. He just rams right into them like crazy. Diesel puts on a performance of lifetime with his knee selling here and man, he doesn't let it up at all once Bret starts laying into his leg. Great stuff from him. Structurally, I had some issues with the match. I get that the opening was meant to be a kind of opening shine but it came off a little too slow with Diesel at the helm. Perhaps that plays into how the finish turned out but it was a bit of a drag. This match only really picks up once Bret gets onto offense and starts working the leg. Bret is just fantastic on offense and all the little things like raking at Diesel's face to try and get into position was wonderful. Great high spot and finish to end the match. ****1/2
  16. SmartMark15
    Slaughter comes out decked in the red, white, and blue and boots the shit our of Sheiky baby. Sheik comes off like a real asshole with his spitting. He looks great here too. Good babyface shine for Slaughter interrupted by a catapult into the ringpost. Then shit gets real. Slaughter gets busted open like crazy and bleeds all over the garden. Sheik wails on him with the loaded boot. Loved the double DQ finish as Slaughter tries to get the boot off. Slaughter puts on a crazy good selling performance here and Sheik was a great heel. ****1/4
  17. SmartMark15
    Yeah, this was WWE ridiculous storytelling at its most insane. I loved it. Big bumps, big dramatic moments, Kurt Angle doing Suplex City and then coming out to a huge pop. I really don't have much to say other than this was awesome. It was overblown and overdone but that's what you do when you have a guy whose neck is barely holding up. You hide him behind smoke and mirrors and make things go boom to distract everyone. It WORKS. Crazy stuff. Great moment for Angle. Just...fun. It was just so much FUN! ****1/4
  18. SmartMark15
    Yeah, this was just fantastic. Both men trying very hard to outbump each other in a back and forth show of athleticism. There were also some great displays of sudden desperation like AJ driving Balor into the announce table. They didn't go overboard with the false finishes either. Lots to enjoy here. ****1/4
  19. SmartMark15
    Very good women's match that got the crowd steaming hot. Nakano was fantastic as the monster on offense knocking down Blayze and tying her up into knots. Blayze makes some great comebacks being interrupted by Vachon. Hot and fun finishing stretch with some big moves and a satisfying end. Great stuff. ****
  20. SmartMark15
    Rude bumping around Warrior might be one of the best things ever. Rude really went out of his way to make Warrior look like a million bucks. Fair play to Warrior, other than his bear hugs, he really lays in his offense. Good clothesline, hard throws, and big power spots. Simple clever finish that makes both guys look great. ***3/4
  21. SmartMark15
    Gonna play devil's advocate here and defend the TLC main event. I'm actually really interested in the match. The Shield as a unit is one of the hottest acts in this decade of the WWE and I think their team unity against overwhelming odds makes for a compelling match. Kane isn't setting the world on fire (hehe) but he's a harmless addition who could also take the pin to protect the younger heels. Honestly, this 3-on-5 main event is the kind of freak show booking that I happen to enjoy on B PPVs. They're hit and miss, sure, but they're at least interesting. I mean Owens-Shane put on a good freak show bumpfest and this has all the fixings to do the same.
  22. SmartMark15
    They're so great together and this is a wonderful match. Loved them trading holds on the mat early only for Austin to just overwhelm him with punches and going into the throat work after the Stun Gun. I loved how big the transitions felt like all the brawls on the floor meant something. The visuals of Austin spilling over the guard rail or Hart being tossed over the announcers table were great and really helped up the intensity of the match. The finishing stretch was high stakes. Loved the Stunner false finish and how they sold it as one simple mistake costing Austin. The finish is iconic. ****1/2
  23. SmartMark15
    Hot opening lead into an exciting series of heat segments where Evolution use some basic heel tag tactics to try and ground the energetic and powerful youngsters. Shield had only just started veering towards being babyface but they do it well Rollins plays a fun FIP and Ambrose as a manic hot tag are an interesting way to open the match and you feel real sympathy and heat watching Evolution pick them apart. Triple H and Orton's worst habits are hidden by the tag format and Batista with a decent feather in his cap putting in another great performance for his comeback and keeping up with the young kids. Once things start breaking down, we see Reigns as a fantastic hot tag. Get some superfluous crowd brawling but it pays off with a great spot. Great stuff all around from all involved. ****1/4
  24. SmartMark15
    A fittingly brutal introduction to the Elimination Chamber concept. Rob Van Dam is the star of the opening half. With a great babyface shine really taking it to Triple H and then bumping around like crazy with great spots like the Spiderman dive and the Five Star off the pod. Jericho plays a fun chickenshit and his alliance with Triple H is a nice dimension that adds a nice wrinkle to the match. It also pays off nicely. Kane was a fun monster but he looked dumb not going for a pin after Chokeslam City. Shawn commands the last half of the match as a great underdog babyface bumping around for Y2J and HHH. He actually pulls off one of his best and most tense comebacks here as HHH tries to cut him off at every turn. Satisfying feel good finish for everybody! ****3/4
  25. SmartMark15
    Really great match. Lots of creative spots and big moments. It has some of the typical New Day wackiness but as it goes on, the intensity goes up and up and doesn't ever slow down. You have some crazy bumps into the Cell and a whole lot of energy from all four guys. Thought that Xavier Woods put in what might be the performance of his life as one of the most sympathetic babyface bumpers in the business today. Taking the chair from the top, getting battered with the kendo sticks, then eating the finish at the end. Big E, on the other hand, came off as a wonderfully intense hot tag who really gave importance and personality to this match. He seemed legitimately pissed at The Usos for trashing his friend up. The Usos were also great cocky heels just battering their way through the Tag Champs. Sure, there was no such thing as long term selling in here but it was a fun garbage match with a powerful ending. Another great match from these two teams. ****1/2
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