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SmartMark15

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  1. SmartMark15
    A fun match with an absurd start. Zeus from No Holds Barred is out to hype his SummerSlam main event and knocks Hogan down to start the match. Boss Man drags Hogan back in and starts a working a simple but decent heat segment on him. The drama picks up quite nicely once Hogan Superplexes Boss Man off the top of the cage and both men are down. Loved Hebner coming in and not knowing how to call the match from there. Then you get Boss Man using a chain to try and get Hogan down and I really enjoyed Hogan's selling in this portion. Shenanigans ensue when Slick gets into the cage to try and help Hogan but Hogan ends up handcuffing Boss Man. The finish is kind of ridiculous. You can tell Boss Man could definitely get both feet out if he just pulled his hand a little closer so there is that. Still, it's a fun enough match with some cool twists in it to lend it some drama. ***1/2
  2. SmartMark15
    I fall on the side of people who still rather enjoy this match. Loved how Triple H worked over the back and pre-comeback, Shawn does sell it incredibly well. All the little touches to like how Triple H still has eternal beef with Earl Hebner is a nice bit of continuity. Then you have the great spots like the backbreaker through the chair. Shawn's kip up and comeback are nuclear hot and the crowd is with him the whole way through. I also loved Shawn landing on his side for the Superplex and his highspots off the ladder and also off the top through the table were incredibly satisfying. The finish kept both guys looking strong and the post-match kept the feud going. Great stuff, and probably some of heel Triple H's best work post-2000. ****1/2
  3. SmartMark15
    Piper starts out the match by hanging some posters of football players. No idea what the context for that is, I went into this match totally cold. Bruno comes in and is still incredibly over. The crowd were incredibly hot for Bruno and everything that he did. He comes in and tosses Piper into all four walls of the cage and busts Piper up early. Bruno rips up the posters and shoves them down Piper's throat and trunks which I thought was kind of funny. Then you have the attempts to escape the cage and it plays off a little more naturally than usual in this match. I thought the struggles to get out the door were actually quite fun. It's fun to see Piper ragdoll and sell for Bruno, literally showing ass for the guy. Thought the little things Piper did like low blowing Bruno to keep him from getting out or thumbing Bruno's eyes as he came back in were really good heel tactics. Ended on a great finish with Bruno low blowing Hot Rod off the cage and then nailing him with a chair as he struggled to get out. Fun stuff all around! ***3/4
  4. SmartMark15
    The date is wrong on this one, so if anyone can change that please do! But otherwise, I gotta agree with Sleaze on this. I thought this match was awesome. I was expecting your standard Hogan formula brawl match but then he just WALLOPS Race with a chair and BREAKS THE SEAT OFF IT. From that point, I was completely hooked by this match. Harley bumps like crazy and anyone who says that Hogan can't sell are clearly only thinking about his comebacks. I've always been a fan of Hogan's Funk-esque seizure selling and it looks particularly great after taking a piledriver from Race. Harley taking a splat on the concrete with the headbutt was an incredibly good spot and a great way for Hogan to mount his first comeback. But then you got some brawling up the ramp and a piledriver on the floor! Holy crap, this is awesome! Big finish using the belt and you've got a great Hogan title defense and probably one of the best Hogan matches out there. ****1/2
  5. SmartMark15
    A bit of a hidden gem here! Savage puts on an absolute masterclass of leg selling. Talk about getting sympathy from the crowd. Shawn ane Sherri going old school heel on Savage and destroying his leg is great too of course. I completely marked our for Savage's struggle to get the elbow. Great selling, good heel tactics. ***3/4
  6. SmartMark15
    Amazing. Simple heel/face dynamic and the fans actually bought into it. This crowd was rabid for Danielson to finally get his big win over Morishima after a year and a half. Bryan starts off hot by attacking Morishima while the Final Countdown plays. Few things are as fucking awesome as Bryan Danielson hitting a crowd dive and still having the time to sing "It's the Final Countdown!" I love how the hardcore elements were just minimal enough to keep it realistic and urgent and brutal. The uses of the chain were great and varies and made relevant through the whole match. Bryan as a bleeding underdog bumping for the monster Morishima is just one of the best combos in wrestling. Amazing, amazing match. Probably the best they ever had together. *****
  7. SmartMark15
    So so so so good. Just effortless to watch. Entertaining from bell to bell whether it's Cornette's shenanigans or Morton's amazing selling. That extended FIP segment is the reason that FIP is called Playing Morton. Every single person in this match was amazing (Cornette and Patrick included) and it just moved with such simple organic progressions. Even simple stuff like accidental knocking off heads to cut off Morton's comeback came off so well. A belter of a finishing stretch too with a tense nearfall from Cornette's racket shot. ****1/2
  8. SmartMark15
    Insanity. Just pure storytelling and WWF-style drama. Savage stooging and heeling it up with Sherri at his side. Warrior being an absolute brute force of nature, calling to the heavens for strength. The two nearfalls in the middle were HISTORIC. Insanity. That extended finishing stretch was so tense that it was great. Then, an iconic moment to end the match. Pure WWF storytelling drama at its finest. Savage put on an amazing bump performance for Warrior. ****1/2
  9. SmartMark15
    I loved this match. Thought that both guys were just absolutely on top of their game during this match. Owen looked wonderful on offense, really laying it into Shawn's back. Meanwhile, Shawn was on full-on bump monkey mode. The twisting crossbody off the top to the floor, the powerslam off the apron to the floor, both really fantastic spots and actually quite surprising to me as a viewer. I loved how threatening they made the concussion story so that when Owen finally hit that brutal enzuigiri, you could really feel the shock and importance of it and Shawn's selling of it was pretty much picture perfect too. I don't know what Shawn's formula for the nip up comeback was at the time but I do like that he waited out enough of the ten count so that he could still somewhat sell the damage that Owen had been laying in. The comeback was just quick enough that it didn't ever feel like Shawn was outright no selling Owen's offense. My only gripe as many have pointed out are Shawn's mannerisms to open the match. I mean, this is our underdog babyface going into Mania? The guy acts like a total dick. But once all that goes out the window and they focus on the action, you can see why he's one of the all time greats. ****1/4
  10. SmartMark15
    I believe my earliest truly great match would be the 2/3 falls Funks-Butcher/Abby matches. Wasn't a fan of the Baba-Robinson classics on first viewing so that needs some revisiting for me.
  11. SmartMark15
    Revisited this after their incredible Hell in a Cell and this holds up just as well. Just smooth, crisp, exciting tag work all throughout. Hell of a hot finishing stretch to cap one of the best tag matches of the year. ****1/2
  12. SmartMark15
    Gotta love how hot these two got the crowd in London to open the show. This match took an incredibly simple heel/face dynamic template and worked it to absolute perfection. Every single fan in the crowd was on their feet by the time the finishing stretch was coming around and they created a whole lot of tension around the various heel tactics that both Emma and Dana Brooke were throwing Asuka's way. The crowd got incredibly hot over the ref bump, the belt being tossed in, and Dana distracting good ole Drake. Great stuff here. ****
  13. SmartMark15
    The New Day © vs. The Usos 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 Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon Yeah, I'm on the side that enjoyed this one. It was a compelling bumpfest and they filled up the time much, much better than the past few Hell in a Cell matches like the Taker-Shane or even the Brock-Taker one. That's my own personal opinion at least. I liked Owens' character work. A lot of people think the yelling and screaming are annoying, I get a kick out of it myself. I thought it lent a nice energy to his ringwork and even helped keep things pretty hot. I was tense for every move on the top of the Cell and I even enjoyed the fact that Owens couldn't bring himself to jump. Helps develop the idea that the guy really is just a grown schoolyard bully and that he has limits when it comes to trying to back up his talk. All the big spots paid off and we got the fantastic reveal of Sami Zayn turning heel(?). Thought it was really entertaining the whole way through. Entirely unnecessary and ridiculous but fun. ****
  14. SmartMark15
    YES to Shuji Ishikawa vs. Kento Miyahara (AJPW 8/27) Went into this totally cold as I knew very little about both men and by the end of it, they had me completely marking out. Loved Ishikawa as just a badass hoss knocking down Miyahara at every turn with brutal strikes and big throws. The Fire Thunder on the apron got me completely marking out and the match gets incredibly intense and high stakes from there. I enjoyed Miyahara's fiery comebacks but I especially loved that Ishikawa was more than capable of stopping him in his tracks when necessary. Both guys sold really well for what was needed in the match. Going to agree with others who thought the finish seemed a bit abrupt but it still came at the end of an incredibly hot stretch of action so I'm willing to forgive it. ****1/2
  15. SmartMark15
    Went into this totally cold as I knew very little about both men and by the end of it, they had me completely marking out. Loved Ishikawa as just a badass hoss knocking down Miyahara at every turn with brutal strikes and big throws. The Fire Thunder on the apron got me completely marking out and the match gets incredibly intense and high stakes from there. I enjoyed Miyahara's fiery comebacks but I especially loved that Ishikawa was more than capable of stopping him in his tracks when necessary. Both guys sold really well for what was needed in the match. Going to agree with others who thought the finish seemed a bit abrupt but it still came at the end of an incredibly hot stretch of action so I'm willing to forgive it. ****1/2
  16. SmartMark15
    I've come to be a fan of what is commonly termed "overbooking" in recent months especially when done right. In introducing my girlfriend to wrestling, she's had just as much fun watching if not more fun watching a well done chaotic finish than something straightforward. Austin-Love has been mentioned as a masterpiece of overbooking. I'd throw in some other WWE matches that followed the same template in HHH-Rock and Bryan-Orton-Batista. The "stack the odds against the hot babyface" formula has worked and continues to work extremely well under the WWE formula. Then there's other examples like Rush vs. LA Park from just this year. I saw some people knock off some points from it for its (admittedly) ridiculous finish. But the finish was so insane and absurd in such an entertaining way, that I actually found myself entirely endeared to it and loving it on some ironic (and eventually unironic) level.
  17. SmartMark15
    My lovely girlfriend, Ica, has recently joined the viewing world of pro wrestling and I've been helping her sample some of the best stuff around. She's mostly seen WWF/E but has also dipped her toes in some other styles. Here's her current ***** and ****3/4 list ranked from her most favorite downwards. ***** 1. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE SummerSlam 2013) 2. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 6/9/95) 3. #DIY vs. The Revival (NXT TakeOver: Toronto) 4. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (NXT TakeOver: Respect) 5. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (WWE Great Balls of Fire) 6. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (WWF WrestleMania 13) 7. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (WWE Extreme Rules 2012) ****3/4 8. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (ROH 6th Anniversary Show) 9. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (vs. Seth Rollins) (WWE WrestleMania 31) 10. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Batista (WWE WrestleMania XXX) 11. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE WrestleMania 33) 12. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (WWF In Your House: Mind Games) 13. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WWF Badd Blood 1997) 14. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman (WWE SummerSlam 2017) 15. Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk (WWE Over the Limit 2012) 16. Danie Bryan vs. John Cena (WWE SummerSlam 2013) 17. Steve Austin vs. Dude Love (WWF Over the Edge 1998) 18. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Survivor Series 2016) 19. Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA (ROH Glory By Honor V, Night 2)
  18. SmartMark15
    YES to: LA Park vs. Rush (Baracal Entertainment 3/11) Great stuff. The brawling was a little iffy for me to start but when it picks up, it picks up. As soon as Park tossed the box of beers at Rush though, I was in all the way. Stabbing Rush with the broken bottle, the attempts at a chair shot, and even all the interference goodness. I thought they upped the stakes on and on with the match and then the pure ridiculousness of the finish. Now, I'm not a fan of lucha and apparently this is a normal thing, but that ridiculous finish actually added to the match for me just for pure entertainment's sake. Loved this. ****1/2
  19. SmartMark15
    Great stuff. The brawling was a little iffy for me to start but when it picks up, it picks up. As soon as Park tossed the box of beers at Rush though, I was in all the way. Stabbing Rush with the broken bottle, the attempts at a chair shot, and even all the interference goodness. I thought they upped the stakes on and on with the match and then the pure ridiculousness of the finish. Now, I'm not a fan of lucha and apparently this is a normal thing, but that ridiculous finish actually added to the match for me just for pure entertainment's sake. Loved this. ****1/2
  20. SmartMark15
    Amazing stuff. Danielson comes in looking like an absolute boss who's come to just throw around some indy boys. He's great as a douche veteran stretching and torturing Jigsaw. Jigsaw puts in a fantastic face in peril performance and consistently sells his leg. His strikes are a bit iffy but his flying and selling makes up for it. Quack plays a great veteran sticking up for his student. Castagnoli was fun too of course with his fantastic power moves. A real gem of a match that just took some basics and strung together something fantastic. ****1/2
  21. SmartMark15
    The whole shutdown angle completely killed a lot of the momentum and good will he had built up with CHIKARA's entry into iPPV.
  22. SmartMark15
    Agreed. That kind of heel heat has been rarely replicated since consistently since that point. More recent examples of this that I can recall include Quack in his hot period when the BDK were absolutely reviled, the genuine heat that Gabe captured during the ROH vs. CZW feud, and maybe even Adam Cole's heel run in PWG (although that inevitably got ironically over as a babyface).
  23. SmartMark15
    On the argument of Vince's highs vs. Vince's lows, I can't help but think about how different the consequences of his lows are as compared to another booker. Let's compare it to someone like Heyman for example. Heyman's lows towards the end of his ECW run meant that ECW might have gotten a bit stale with its product and didn't have the same roster depth. When Vince McMahon fucks up, he ruins an angle that could have easily sent the company up for years of success moving forward (The Invasion), He sabotages his own company's and workers' chances at success (I love Roman Reigns but it'll be years before he's accepted as a babyface again). He mishandles talent that's gaining steam both critically and financially (Punk). Not to mention all the dogshit on the undercard that's too inconsequential to mention but doesn't help his case either. It's why I have such a hard time granting this to him. The complete dissonance between his highs and his lows make it seem like a lot of luck. And of course I'm not trying to say that Vince McMahon isn't creative or talented at making good wrestling or moments happen but he seems to do it so inconsistently that one wonders how good he can be. I have enjoyed this discussion so far by the way, I love learning about bookers who I've not been too familiar with.
  24. SmartMark15
    While certainly not the greatest booker of all time, I believe Gedo deserves some credit for getting New Japan out of a huge commercial and critical slump and elevating them to one of their most successful periods yet. He's clearly tapped into something that has captured the imaginations of a large sector of pro wrestling fans.
  25. SmartMark15
    You seem to be the outlier on Reigns/Cena. I won't be able to see it for a few days at least and really, given my time constraints right now, wasn't going to watch it at all given the feedback. Care to go into more detail? As someone who also enjoyed Reigns/Cena, I gotta tell you that I'm generally fan of the WWE "Big Match John" formula. As such, I really enjoyed the AJ Styles match at the start of the year. If you didn't enjoy that, this will probably not be for you. It's on the lower end of his big matches but I thought what was there worked really well. I enjoyed how it progressed and the spots they were able to get in and I thought it paced itself quite well. I seem to be in the minority so there you go.
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