Boss Rock

The ending of Shingo-Jay seems pretty clear that the BC shenanigans are not going to stop. Which is a shame, because it was a really good match up until that point. Jay has proven he's good enough that he doesn't need those tropes in his match. We get it, he's a heel. He doesn't need to cheat in literally every match.

Good show to start the tournament. Agree that the last three matches were the best. Wouldn't be surprised if Okada-Ibushi is a briefcase match at KOPW and they'll put on something more akin to their WK match there. Not sure I agree with the sentiments that Okada has lost a step since the lockdown. His reliance on the Money Clip has been a bit much and he was absolutely phoning it in against Yujiro, but I thought he looked good here.

Okada-EVIL seems like the most predictable final, but I think Ibushi-Tanahashi would be a much better story. Not to mention I doubt they would run Okada-Naito in the Dome again if there's no telling what kind of restrictions will still be in place.

Oh yeah, today's match was a hoot. Thought the Junior Tag Title match was solid but it's a shame to see Hiromu go from getting such a strong push in the summer to losing the title, not getting a G1 spot, and taking the pin here. Like I know he'll continue to get a strong push down the line, just really wanted him in the G1. Based on the released schedule, A Block looks like it'll come down to Okada-Ospreay and B Block will be between EVIL and SANADA.

Caught the Chaos 8-man tag from yesterday and the Ishii-SHO interaction was something. I know it's only to fuel the NEVER 6-man match, but man would that be an awesome G1 match if it weren't for Yujiro.

It will definitely be nice to have pretty much the full roster again.

Only real disappointment is no Hiromu. Like seriously, why Yujiro? Even Makabe would've been better. Or give Kojima another shot. Or Dick Togo. I dont expect Ibushi to win as they typically dont do the same winner two years in a row, but Ibushi-Tanahashi would make sense as a final given their tension. Otherwise Okada vs. EVIL seems likely.

I didn't catch all of the show on Saturday so re-watched pretty much the entire thing (except Hardy-Guevara) and honestly I don't think it was a bad show. Not as good as the previous 3 which were all excellent, but not bad either.

From what I'm seeing folks say, neither test for a concussion. So this definitely looks like damage control.

Funny you mention that, Jericho talked about it being similar to FMW-style matches in this SI interview. https://www.si.com/wrestling/2020/09/04/aew-all-out-chris-jericho-orange-cassidy-mimosa-mayhem

I'll eat a bit of crow in admitting that MJF isn't quite main event-ready, but he'll get there in time. And the Wardlow stuff could be interesting (honestly kinda thought they dropped the angle). Don't think it was a bad show and there were some good matches, but definitely their worst (or at least their worst since making TV). Refusing to stop Hardy-Sammy and the J.R. garbage made things even worse.

Mimosa Mayhem was better than I expected but they took a bit too long. Still, happy for OC. I thought #FTR-Page/Omega was very good but the structure was a bit odd with the leg work thrown in near the end. From what I've seen it's been a solid show at least but the Hardy stuff and J.R. being J.R. has definitely hung over this show.

That's where I'm at. The feud just felt rushed and this honestly should've been part 1. Given how well he did in the Cody feud, I don't think it's an issue of him not being ready. I also don't really have any issue with his current gimmick and don't think he really needs to adjust anything. They just rushed a feud that could have had way more juice.

While I agree the build to MJF-Mox has been underwhelming due to the thrown-together nature, I'm not sure what you do with MJF afterwards or how to rebuild momentum with him if he loses. Might be worth just pulling the trigger on him now unless the plan is for Kingston or a major surprise win the battle royale. Rest of the card looks good, but Mimosa Mayhem still feels too WWE-gimmicky for me. I think OC needs the win more but wouldn't be surprised by a Jericho victory.

I thought this episode of Dynamite was pretty solid, although as a go-home for a ppv it could have been a lot better.

Naito's definitely past his prime but I don't think he's completely shot either. I think a lot of it was on EVIL and too many BC shenanigans. The G1 will be the real test though.

I knew he had been sick but 26 is way too young. RIP.

Yeah I liked this one more as it was shorter and got to the point quicker. The BC shenanigans are beyond stale though and are a great misuse of Togo. Put him in the G1 and let him wrestle.

I remember reading 30% capacity somewhere, but it seems like at least as recent as two weeks ago capacity for spectator events was being kept at 5,000. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/08/ebdfbed2164c-breaking-news-tokyo-reports-389-new-cases-of-novel-coronavirus.html

Really liked the show, almost felt like a "return to form" after a disappointing return. And although I wish the circumstances were better, I really like that they kept this show under 3 hours. They don't need to do so many undercard tags nor do the main events need to go 30+ every time. I also agree that Naito was always going to win it back. For at least the past few years, heel Heavyweight champions usually get just one or two title defenses before dropping it to a face. And faces almost always go over in the main event at big shows like these. Looks like the Golden Aces are done with the tag titles, but it's so nice to see how good the tag division can be without G.O.D. having a stranglehold on it.

Honestly, the only match I don't care for is Okada-Yujiro as Yujiro sucks and there's bound to be BC shenanigans regardless. SHO-SANADA will probably have a repeat of their NJ Cup match which should be fun. Kojima-Desperado could be fun if there are no finishers allowed. Could make for a more interesting finish. And Yano-BUSHI should be high comedy.

I like that these guys are given something to do and that SHO and Desperado are getting opportunities. The whole KOPW thing is still whatever to me, but I'm not against more singles matches.

Caught some of the NEVER tournament and there were a lot of fun matches, the Goto, Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI vs. Ibushi, Tanahashi, Wato match and the final in particular standing out. Great moment for YOSHI-HASHI. I watched a little bit of the U.S. #1 contender tourney and Fredericks-KENTA was an awesome sprint. Further proof that Fredericks is gonna be a big deal for them. King-Tonga was also pretty fun. King is a beast and Tonga looked better than he has in years.

Apart from the middle dragging a bit, I think this is a super underrated chapter in their rivalry if admittedly their "worst" championship match together. The desperation in Misawa's offense and elbows is off the charts and Kobashi's onslaught is excellent. I also love how Misawa can only get his foot on the rope to survive, proving that Kobashi is getting closer to besting him. The ending is also a great bit of "Chekov's gun" with Kobashi hurting his injured knee that Misawa targeted earlier on. ****3/4

https://www.njpw1972.com/77731 This looks interesting.