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I can vouch for the Akito match. One of the most insanely creative things I've seen in wrestling. I'd also add the Dick Togo match from the 1/1/2020 YMZ show to the list of recommendations.

Togo and Takemura jump-start the match by attacking our heroes at the bell. It leads to some brief but spirited brawling between Hayashi and Togo before the faces rally with a pair of suicide dives. Takemura, the competitor I’m least familiar with of the four, does enough endear himself to me here. His offense is nasty, as he grinds his boots into AmDrag’s face and claws at his eyes. CTU isolates Dragon, with Togo taking potshots behind the referee’s back. Hayashi’s look of disdain as he watches Togo and Takemura dismantle his partner is priceless. Togo hits a springboard senton and gets some incredible hangtime. It should come as no surprise Dragon’s an excellent face in peril. He sells until it’s time to make the hot tag to Hayashi. Hayashi cleans house and tags back out. AmDrag attempts a superplex on Takemura, and the latter loses his grip, causing Dragon to spill to the floor as the crowd shrieks in horror. Hayashi will Dragon on, and he rolls Takemura back into the ring for a superplex. Dragon gets overconfident, however, and misses a diving splash. The match feels like it peaks at the right time. Togo hits his signature diving senton as AmDrag has the Cattle Mutilation locked in, allowing Takemura to capitalize with an F5 for the win. Perhaps this match isn’t all it could be, given the names involved, but it’s an enjoyable junior heavyweight tag team romp.

What happens when one of the most evil wrestlers of her generation takes on arguably the best babyface in the world? Magic. Nothing Ozaki does in this match is defensible. She’s a deplorable veteran who nails Momono with the title immediately setting the tone. Trainees and ringside attendants run in fear as she carelessly throws Momono several rows deep into a pile of chairs. Ozaki stomps Momono’s hand and throws a chain at it. Ozaki knows her body can’t go like it used to, but her mind’s as sharp as a whip as she sticks with the weapon shots that have gotten her so far. Momono matches Ozaki’s brutality, delivering rapid-fire headbutts in the near double digits. She dodges a chain shot and snaps Ozaki’s arm across the ropes in a brief moment of respite. Ozaki quickly gets back to her dirty tricks, and she’s just as mean and dismissive as can be. She paint-brushes Momono, kneeing her in the head as blood pours from Mio’s head. Ozaki chokes her with a chain and hangs her over the ropes. The drama here is incredibly well-done, not only with the referee having to prevent Takumi Iroha from interfering, but with the rest of the Marvelous gang cheering on Momono from ringside. Momono is a fantastic bleeder, for her part. She really lets the plasma flow. Momono hits Ozaki with a piece of the broken chair and goes for her signature JK Bomb. The groundswell of support from her peers and the crowd is palpable, but Ozaki kicks out. Ozaki manages to nail a powerbomb, but it’s only good for a one count. Recognizing that Momono was gaining her second wind, a frustrated Ozaki returns to her trusty chain. The final pinfall is heartbreaking in all the right ways. Ozaki hits a half-and-half suplex, and referee Tommy reluctantly counts Momono down for three. As soon as the bell rings, Iroha rushes into the ring to check on Momono. The whole Marvelous crew, even the ring announcer, looked utterly defeated by the situation. Ozaki rips the certificate that comes with her title, standing over Momono’s lifeless body. She threw the belt down and stomped on it, causing Chigusa Nagayo to remove her headset and enter the ring, the trainees physically having to restrain her from going after Ozaki. She’d then challenge Ozaki to a death match on October 22: Team Marvelous of Nagayo, Momono & Tomoko Watanabe vs. Ozaki and two partners of her choosing. Bell to bell, Ozaki vs. Momono was phenomenal, but the post-match elevates this to another level.

On a strictly emotional level, there’s something immensely fulfilling about seeing Kingston live out his dreams in front of a raucous crowd. For the longest time, it felt like Kingston’s ambitions of paying tribute to his heroes by wrestling someone with a direct link to one of them wouldn’t come to pass. If seeing Eddie make his entrance at Korakuen draped in championship gold didn’t tug at the heartstrings, his performance here certainly will. Pride is a funny thing. It can deceive you and lead you down a dangerous path. For Eddie Kingston, pride means fighting through the pain despite his struggles. That was the central theme of this match. Early on, Kingston tweaked his lower back during a test of strength. Kingston’s initial response was to laugh off Ishii’s offense, but he soon realized his body was failing him. When these two weren’t playing on emotional story beats, they roughed each other up, the chops reverberating around the venue. Ishii, blistered chest and all, wouldn’t give an inch. He couldn’t give Kingston the satisfaction of beating him on his turf. When Kingston stood up after taking a German suplex, it was merely out of instinct. With each blow he landed, it appeared Kingston might have a chance. Feeding off the crowd, Kingston dodged a sliding lariat by simply sidestepping Ishii, summoning enough strength to land a backdrop suplex for a two count. Kingston’s exasperated look as Ishii continued to kick out was sublime. Even as his body began to shut down, Kingston relentlessly threw chops. Kingston kicked out of a lariat at one, but it was all for nought as he’d succumb to a vertical drop brainbuster in short order. Kingston and Ishii delivered an exceptional match and the best yet in their trilogy. A match worth going out of your way to see.

There’s so much to love about this match. Starks and Cage play the role of the bumbling goons who can’t seem to get on the same page early on, which leads to some fun stooging where they crash into each other. Punk has shown such a knack for tag-team wrestling since his return. The babyfaces tagging in and out as they deliver arm-wringers to their opponent is a classic spot, one I’m sad we don’t see more often. I was grinning from ear to ear as Cage forced Allin to fight for control over a roll-up. Cage also feigned a back body drop on Allin and switched directions while he was going up, which looked particularly painful. Allin always looks like he’s been shot out of a cannon when he hits a tope suicida. He’s superb at eating crap, which made it oh-so-sweet when he went for a second dive and bounced off Luchasaurus, hitting the floor. Starks running to the opposite corner and pulling Punk off the apron is textbook tag-team wrestling. He and Cage even double-teamed Allin behind the referee’s back as Punk, consumed with fury, desperately tried to enter the ring to assist Darby. Punk finally makes the hot tag and runs roughshod over his adversaries. Allin tags in and gets into it with Starks. Cage tries to intervene, and Punk goes for a GTS, but gets met with an eye gouge. Punk immediately pulling Cage to the floor and hitting a GTS regardly was an immensely satisfying slice of comeuppance. Allin goes for a Coffin Drop, but Luchasaurus interferes as he’s climbing. Allin manages to muster a roll-up, but Starks reverses and steals another win by holding the ropes. Not only did everyone get to shine, but they furthered the stories of every competitor involved. That they accomplished all of this without half the match being a “finishing stretch” filled with a deluge of nearfalls made it all the more impressive. Great television wrestling.

Every movement in the opening exchange felt purposeful. Take, for example, the moment where Togo had Urano down on the mat and drove his knee into the point of Yasu’s arm. That quick-witted thinking briefly allowed Togo to gain the upper hand. Togo remains one of the great punchers in wrestling, and he softens up Urano on the floor. When Togo tries to re-enter the ring, Urano trips him, and the tide changes. Urano’s attack is focused and spiteful. He ruthlessly hones in on Togo’s leg, pulling it down to the mat and bending it at unsightly angles. Urano takes his eye off the ball and goes for a splash from the top rope, but Togo gets the knees up. Togo’s selling is phenomenal. He hobbles around the ring, occasionally sneaking in a cheeky eye poke. Flip bumps can often feel over-the-top, but Togo’s body control ensured he always landed on his bad leg, making him even more sympathetic. Desperately, Togo attempts to climb the ropes and falls out of the ring due to his bad wheel. That spot serves as both a reminder of the injuries Togo has accumulated throughout the match and as a transition for Urano to regain control. Urano realizes Togo’s mistake and locks in a Figure Four on the floor, not letting go until the count of fifteen. Togo summons enough strength to hit a back body drop. He can barely stand as he clings onto the ropes for dear life. Togo conveys the feeling of someone with a mountain to climb as he ascends to the top for the match-winning senton. Togo stuck with what worked for him, but it all came down to a few crucial mistakes from Urano. If you enjoy thoughtful body part work that pays off, or want to see what Togo still has in the tank, give this a whirl. You won’t regret it.

From the opening lockup, the energy between Sareee and Momono is unparalleled. The match quickly turns into a brawl, with Momono having the audacity to charge after Kong and getting thrown face-first into the barricade for her efforts. Back in the ring, Momono frantically tries to pin Sareee as if her life depends on it. There’s nothing quite like wrestlers getting chippy with each other, and this match has it in spades. Sareee & Kong are fueled by hatred. Momono is the consummate plucky underdog, whereas the usually cool, calm, and collected Iwata is up against two bitter adversaries and has to adjust her usual strategy. Kong draws Momono’s ire by going to her corner and kicking the life out of Iwata. Momono sneaks in a cheeky dropkick, only angering her opponents further. Momono gets the hot tag and tries to get fancy with her high-speed techniques, with Kong countering with a mere slap. Sareee comes in and attempts a dive to the outside, but Iwata sidesteps it, allowing Momono to land one of her own. Back inside, Sareee hits a dropkick with Momono hung up on the ropes, and Mio’s body folds. Often in matches, German Suplex exchanges can feel like the wrestlers in question checking things off a big match checklist. With Sareee and Momono, however, they felt defiant. Momono knew she faced two unstoppable forces, but she couldn’t let Iwata, and perhaps more importantly, the crowd, down. The Iwata and Sareee sequences that followed weren’t nearly as strong, but they still had plenty of the trademark pettiness that both bring to the table. Momono desperately clung to Kong’s body to keep her from breaking up a pin and predictably got bounced off. She finally landed a German Suplex on Kong, and it felt momentous, but it was sadly all for naught as Iwata would eat an Uraken in short order. Reviewers often discuss how legends “aren’t what they used to be.” In some ways, that’s true. However, Kong remains a force to be reckoned with and one of wrestling’s great mountains to overcome despite her limited mobility of late. This match succeeds on the strengths of quite possibly the best wrestler in the world in Momono. She’s lovable, fiery, and everything a babyface should be. It just so happens that she had three strong dance partners.

One of the ring trucks arrived late at the venue, so they were wrestling on exposed wooden boards with no mat or turnbuckle pads. Koroku and Okatani struggled over an Irish Whip, neither wanting to take the full brunt of the turnbuckles. That kind of adaptability to the situation bodes well for their future, and I’m excited to see them develop further. The match was wrestled smartly, with both teams taking extra precautions to avoid getting slammed onto the wooden boards. That’s not to say the action was light, as Higuchi and HARASHIMA battered each other with kicks and chops until the latter’s chest was beet red. You also had the dynamic between Higuchi and former stablemate Okatani, who refused to concede when he was backed into a corner. Every bit of sustained offense felt like it mattered, and the damage gradually built up across the course of the match. HARASHIMA and Koroku got into a scrap on the top rope, causing HARASHIMA to fall onto the exposed boards. Koroku took a risk by diving off the top rope but couldn’t get the cover because of the impact. HARASHIMA won with a running Somato. Not only was this excellently-paced, coming in at under thirteen minutes, it showcased the versatility of everyone involved. The match had a real sense of danger with the exposed boards and turnbuckles, making it feel momentous whenever someone bumped onto them. One of the year’s true hiddden gems. One of the ring trucks arrived late at the venue, so they were wrestling on exposed wooden boards with no mat or turnbuckle pads. Koroku and Okatani struggled over an Irish Whip, neither wanting to take the full brunt of the turnbuckles. That kind of adaptability to the situation bodes well for their future, and I’m excited to see them develop further. The match was wrestled smartly, with both teams taking extra precautions to avoid getting slammed onto the wooden boards. That’s not to say the action was light, as Higuchi and HARASHIMA battered each other with kicks and chops until the latter’s chest was beet red. You also had the dynamic between Higuchi and former stablemate Okatani, who refused to concede when he was backed into a corner. Every bit of sustained offense felt like it mattered, and the damage gradually built up across the course of the match. HARASHIMA and Koroku got into a scrap on the top rope, causing HARASHIMA to fall onto the exposed boards. Koroku took a risk by diving off the top rope but couldn’t get the cover because of the impact. HARASHIMA won with a running Somato. Not only was this excellently-paced, coming in at under thirteen minutes, it showcased the versatility of everyone involved. The match had a real sense of danger with the exposed boards and turnbuckles, making it feel like a momentous occasion whenever someone bumped onto them. One of the year’s true hidden gems and an exercise in getting the most out of a bad situation.

Many consider this one of Ishii’s first great matches and for a good reason. Yamada comes to us from IWA Japan, whereas Ishii represents WAR. From the outset, Ishii and Yamada’s disdain for each other is palpable. It seeps through the screen as they potato their opposition with slaps to the face and crunchy strikes. The action spills to the outside, and Ishii flings Yamada five rows deep into a pile of chairs. They briefly return to the ring, but Yamada takes Ishii back outside and sends him into the post, seemingly busting open his mouth. Yamada continues his attack by placing a chair on the apron and DDTing Ishii onto it. Ishii just about knocks off Yamada’s head with a lariat as they move into the bomb-throwing portion of the match. But it feels earned, and when they’re laying in their offense this hard, it’s difficult to complain. Yamada gets overzealous by going to the top rope, and there’s a delightful sequence where Ishii gets knocked down a few times and frantically scrambles to land a superplex. After a few jumping Enziguris, Yamada is able to regain his composure and hit a gnarly guillotine knee drop off the top, landing on Ishii’s back. Yamada won with a wicked avalanche DDT shortly thereafter. The only real issue I have with the match is the clipping. Out of the thirteen-minute and nine-second runtime, about seven minutes airs. Still, what’s shown is remarkably violent and mean-spirited. If we had the whole match, I’m not sure it wouldn’t be a bona fide classic. Regardless, there’s a lot of value to be found in watching this, and plenty of that sweet, sweet interpromotional hatred.

This is a gritty fight. Both competitors pay every time they try to introduce a ladder into the ring, with Togo eating a baseball slide dropkick and Hero bouncing face-first off the metal when he tries to launch himself out of the ring. That leads to Hero getting busted open, and Togo takes advantage by hitting a diving senton through the ropes. Togo is a fantastic bully, punching and stomping the life out Hero with every bit of vigor and venom in his body. Hero matches Togo’s pettiness, slapping the taste out of his mouth and chopping him directly in the face, which gets a visceral reaction out of me. He also sells with a dazed look in his eye, stumbling around the ring. The big spots are memorable, clever, creative and never veer into the nonsensical. There aren’t many slow, uneventful climbing segments, making for a well-paced match. The finish is incredible. Hero springboards to the top of a ladder as Togo’s climbing his own and pushes it over, causing Togo to spill out of the ring and allowing him to grab the title. The match is a classic example of Togo adapting to any situation or opponent like a duck to water. Gross bumps, insane feats of athleticism, great punches, and blood. What more could you want?

This is from JWA, not AJPW.

Obviously a fascinating piece of historical footage, but the match itself is pretty good as well. While there's no real narrative hook, the mat work is competitive and they gradually ramp things up in the closing stretch. The highlight was Gotch busting out a sweet bridging German suplex to win the first fall.

The early going is a bit shaky. Sareee doesn't outright botch anything, but she's noticeably less crisp than she used to be, and nearly slips on a springboard arm drag attempt. The story of the match is how Sareee's confidence grows gradually. Her strikes become more impactful. She gets more spiteful with Hashimoto in their brief firefights, busting out wicked headbutts. Her movements become snappier, and traces of the old Sareee begin to show. Hashimoto is phenomenal as the mountain Sareee needs to overcome, dumping her on her head with German Suplexes. Sareee snags a sleeper after countering a suplex, with Hashimoto frantically trying to power out. She reaches the ropes and, in a spot that had me shrieking, Sareee hangs on with an armbar, dumping Chihiro out of the ring. Sareee takes the fight to Hashimoto on the outside, hitting a Double Footstomp off the upper barricades and attempting her signature Uranage on the ramp. Hashimoto thwarts her opponent's efforts, nailing a lariat, which Sareee sells like she was hit by a truck. Back inside the ring, both competitors fight for control. Sareee placing the point of her foot in the back of Chihiro's leg to prevent her from escaping an armbar is the kind of little detail I love. Sareee's previous limb work returns in a roundabout way, as she viciously stomps Hashimoto arm.The final act is oozing with a sense of struggle. Sareee scratches and claws to powerbomb Hashimoto off the top rope to the point that she's practically sitting down. Sareee manages one last gasp of hope with a ruthless-looking Uranage and tries to follow up with the wrist-clutch variation of the maneuver, but Hashimoto lands an Albright to secure the victory. Whether you consider yourself a fan of either, or you enjoy a good knockdown, drag-out fight, this is well worth a watch. It's not quite their best work together, but seeing Sareee gradually return to her old self and regaining confidence in real time made this one of the most emotionally satisfying matches of the year.

Sasaki’s early attempts at takedowns were thwarted as Sato escaped a kneebar attempt with ease. He peppered Sasaki with body shots, but Hitamaru fired back with his own, and the two became entangled in dueling leg submissions. The mat work was competitive and scrappy, just the way I like it. This took a few minutes to get going, but there was always a purpose to Sato and Sasaki’s movements. So many wrestlers who try to emulate this style get that part wrong. Sato downed Sasaki with a slap, but soon found himself in a Triangle Choke. I dug Sato grinding his knuckles into Sasaki’s face to escape the hold. The slaps from earlier appear to have busted open Sasaki’s mouth, making for a great visual as he fought to regain control of Sato with a Sleeper Hold. Sato’s forced into the ropes, using his first escape. Back to a standing position, they trade kicks, and Sato gets caught in another submission. Sato tries to force his way out of the hold with his weight, and eventually catches Sasaki with a knee bar. Sasaki slapping Sato’s ribs to gain leverage on the armbar was a tremendous little detail, and it almost paid off. The final few minutes were frantic, with Sasaki weaving in and out of submissions, Sato barely escaping each time until the bell rang, signaling a draw. This was as engaging as any UWF rules match I’ve seen recently despite a tentative start. Sato does everything with intent, and Sasaki more than held his own as he was leaking from his mouth. The result also leaves room for a rematch, which I’d welcome with open arms. Give it a whirl if you have fifteen minutes to spare.

There’s no extended feeling-out process or wasteful mat work that ultimately leads nowhere, so this immediately has more going for it than 99% of Ospreay matches. Ospreay was alright here and probably delivered one of his better performances in recent memory, but Omega was an absolute tour de force. His explosive delivery of offense and Ospreay’s propensity for taking big bumps created a natural dynamic. Of course, being that this is Ospreay vs. Omega, some of their worst tendencies rear their ugly heads. Omega can’t help himself, making a goofy face after delivering a vicious double stomp through a table placed on Ospreay’s back. He’d later make another face after hitting the Terminator dive. What a zany guy, that Kenny. Ospreay’s also not the most naturally likable wrestler in the world for a multitude of reasons. The trope of Ospreay landing on his feet out of a top-rope maneuver, in this case, a Dragon Suplex, is played-out and more often than not is done as a checklist moment rather than being a meaningful part of the match. Still, what they get right here, they get right. For a big-move-laden epic, the action is reasonably paced. Ospreay gets busted open by a top-rope DDT, adding a little more natural drama than these two are typically prone to. Omega followed that up by bashing Ospreay’s head into the shattered bits of the table, which was shockingly violent for a big, dumb, self-conscious epic. The third act is where they started to lose me. Omega began to mutter to himself, which is the kind of exaggerated acting I feared from this match-up. The finisher spam got to be a bit much, as did the wrist-control spot, which screamed “I want to emulate Okada/Tanahashi but I don’t understand why that moment worked for them.” Omega eventually won with the One-Winged Angel. Omega’s aggression and the general spectacle of it all were positives. However, I have complicated feelings about this match. The expected heavy-handedness was present, and I don’t think anyone who doesn’t like Ospreay or Omega already will be swayed by this match. They also got a lot right in terms of the structure. A very good match as a whole, but some of Ospreay and Omega’s less–than-desirable mannerisms cropped up at times and prevented it from reaching the next level.

The first several minutes see Punch getting thwacked and Sato and Kawamura demolishing him with ruthless strikes. YAMATO tags in after the other three do sicko stuff, grabs a side headlock and immediately hits his pose. YAMATO may as well have not even been in the match, as he spent the bulk of it on the floor. Tominaga, to his credit, was an excellent face in peril, and he carried the brunt of the match for his team. Punch was both sympathetic and matched Kawamura and Sato strike-for-strike, even busting out a wicked headbutt. YAMATO comes in long enough to assist Tominaga with a Brainbuster on Sato but once again disappears into the ether. Kawamura goes to the well one too many times, attempting a slap and getting caught in an armbar. Kawamura and Tominaga engage in a hockey fight, throwing haymakers, but Punch ultimately succumbs to one final kick from Ryo. I would have liked to see one last flurry of offense from the team of Tominaga and YAMATO, but this was an absolute hoot. The Tominaga beatdown is one of the meanest heat segments I've seen all year. Give me Kawamura and Sato roughing up indie guys any day of the week.

The match starts tentatively with a lock-up, but Virus quickly gains control. Blue Panther places his foot in the fold of Virus’ leg to get leverage on an arm wringer. Blue Panther is in his sixties. His bridging on his head and hitting a monkey flip would be an impressive spot for someone forty years younger. Virus hones in his arm, with Panther opting to target his opponent’s leg. Virus controlling the bulk of the match isn’t how you’d expect this to go on paper, but it works and is a way to subvert expectations. Blue Panther rallies the crowd, and the pace begins to quicken. Panther hits a hurricanrana from the top rope and goes for a topé , but Virus places his foot on the post, twisting in mid-air and hitting an arm drag. They keep upping the ante with Blue Panther hitting a no-hands hurricanrana off the apron. The final stretch is brilliant. Blue Panther goes for a bit of misdirection, but he gets too fancy, and it costs him the match. I could go on and on about this match. Every hold had a purpose. Yes, it largely consisted of Blue Panther & Virus trading llaves, but hey, they’re some pretty sweet llaves! Besides, there are far worse ways to spend time than watching these two trade holds. An exercise in efficiency from two maestros.

It is not, unfortunately.

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This is the kind of hidden gem I live for. The match transpires on a mat at Ikemoto's publication party somewhere in Japan. He's facing off against fellow professional MMA fighter Atsunori Suzuki. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the pop music blaring in the background the entire time. It makes for an incredibly unique atmosphere juxtaposed with the hard-hitting action of the match. Both start in a guarded stance, and Ikemoto immediately rocks Suzuki with a knee strike. Suzuki's grounded punches looked awesome, anf he immediately turned his advantage into a kneebar. He'd fit in well in Hard Hit or CAPTURE. The mat work was terrific, as you'd expect from two skilled MMA fighters. It was scrappy, and control weaved back and forth between the two. Ikemoto caught Suzuki flush with a knee strike, following up with a triangle choke. A scramble for position led to Ikemoto forcing an escape. One of the coolest transitions of the match - and there were many - came when Ikemoto flung his body over Suzuki with a pseudo-cartwheel into a full body mount. Suzuki took over with a side headlock, using a water bottle to his advantage. The sympathy Ikemoto garnered in the late stages of the match was made all the more impressive by his selling. He staggered around the mat, utilizing roll-ups to his advantage. Pins are also legal if you need more of a reminder of how weird and fascinating this match is. The match built up to a crescendo, as Ikemoto got suplexed on the outside of the mat. Suzuki's STOs looked gnarly, as Ikemoto's body folded on each one. The crowd roared to life as Ikemoto made his final comeback, hitting a rising knee strike and employing a flying armbar to seal the deal. What an experience. Words cannot do it enough justice. I strongly recommend taking ten minutes out of your day to watch this.

Nomura rushed Fudo but quickly got caught in a headlock, forcing him to use an escape early on. He would have to rely on his technique to gain small advantages throughout the match. Nomura delivered a dropkick and followed up with a sleeper to pressure Fudo into using an escape of his own. Fudo was unrelenting in his attack and downed Nomura with a forearm to the face. I especially liked how whenever Nomura was down, Fudo would get impatient and deliver an errant kick or elbow drop to maintain control. When people talk about wrestlers not wasting any motion, more often than not, it's a buzz phrase. Not with Rikiya Fudo, however. The way he applies his side headlocks is captivating. He really cranks on holds to make you feel for whoever's on the receiving end. Fudo was the perfect foil for Nomura, a towering giant for Naoya to overcome on his way to the title tournament finals. Nomura's spear looked fantastic, but Fudo's offensive onslaught was ruthless. He clobbered Nomura with lariats, Vader Hammers to the face, and stiff kicks. That made it all the more gratifying when Nomura, learning from his previous mistakes, caught Fudo off-guard and delivered a flash armbar for the win. A delightful slice of pro wrestling. One of the year's finest sub-ten-minute matches.

Watching a good apuestas match is like eating a good soup. It's comfort food, easily digestible and hard to get wrong. Stuka and Atlantis Jr. aren't exactly reinventing the wheel here, but they didn't need to. Atlantis Jr. comes out of the gates hot, running up the stage and diving onto Stuka. Atlantis Jr. comes up favoring his knee after a topé suicida. It's a small detail, but one that adds heft to crucial moments of the match. Stuka dumps Atlantis Jr. into the crowd with an Irish whip, and the latter hits the barricades with the momentum of a runaway train. When Atlantis Jr. goes to the top rope for a dive, he takes a moment too long, and Stuka capitalizes with a superplex. Another thing I love about apuestas matches is the crowd shots. From the camraderie of fans cheering on their favorites to people crying as the stakes set in, it all carries a certain emotional weight. Atlantis Jr. heads to the stage for a another running dive, but Stuka has him scouted. Stuka connects with a Stuka Splash on the stage shortly thereafter. Both competitors threw caution to the wind, their desperation to maintain their family's legacy seeping through the screen. Atlantis Jr. takes one of the nuttiest bumps I've seen all year, diving head-first into the barricade. At this point, the match begins to reach its apex. Hopelessness begins to set in for Stuka, with Atlantis Jr. kicking out of his signature Stuka Splash. Stuka heads to the well once too many times, and Atlantis Jr. reverses it into a pin. Atlantis Jr. locks in La Atlantida and gets rolled up for one final near-fall, but he applies the submission again and steals the win. What a joyful experience. Lucha is rich in emotion, colorful characters and tradition, and this match is no exception. Set aside twenty minutes or so, maybe grab a snack, and soak it all in.

Real simple, straightforward tag team match, the likes of which are becoming increasingly scarce. Drake and Henry attempt to jump their opponents at the bell, but Sydal thwarts them, allowing Martin to hit springboard tornillo. Sydal then spends the bulk of the match fending off a two-on-one attack. It’s during the heat segment where The Workhorsemen shine, as they cut off the ring with stiff chops and hard kicks. I particularly liked Drake grabbing Sydal’s hair to pull him back into the corner. Martin got taken out with a piledriver on the floor. The WorkHorsemen even busted out one of my personal favorite tag tropes, as Henry went to the opposing corner and mocked Sydal for being unable to make a tag. Sydal eventually fought off Drake with a tornado DDT. Martin’s hot tag was spectacular, as all of his offense was crisp and he was in there with two pros who knew how to bump and feed for him. The Workhorsemen got overzealous and went for one too many tag-team maneuvers, allowing Sydal to hit a Meteora on Henry. He then pushed Martin put of the way of Drake’s moonsault. A roundhouse kick from Sydal and the Nosedive from Martin would get the job done. Well worth ten minutes of your time.

Fun, breezy six-man tag on an outdoor show. They hit all of their moves cleanly and everything moved along at a steady pace. The opening grappling exchange between Kojima and Ishida was buttery smooth. I continue to be impressed by Ishida and how he’s set himself apart from his contemporaries with his sumo-based offense. Katsumata played the face in peril for a bit until he made the tag and The 37KAMIINA rallied. Higuchi ran wild, but Ueno and Katsumata wiped out the two senior members of Harimao with a pair of dives. It would eventually come down to Ishida and Ueno, with the latter hitting the Best Moonsault Ever for the win. I appreciated the fact that when things broke down, it was brief and often served the purpose of setting up a double/triple-team move rather than everyone staying in the ring for extended periods.

This was one of those matches where everything clicked. Bandido got to show off his inhuman feats of strength, including an impressive, one-handed press slam onto Watanabe. Hayashi and Watanabe played the de-facto heels, cutting off the energetic high-flyers at every turn. They double-teamed Komander and roughed him up for a bit. The tides turned when he sent Hayashi out to the apron and hit a hurricanrana on Watanabe. It all culminated in a wild dive train, followed by Komander’s signature rope-walk topé. Komander dazzled the crowd with rope tricks, as well as an elevated double DDT on Watanabe and Hayashi, thanks to some assistance from Bandido. Komander would score the pinfall on Watanabe with a rope-walking 450 splash shortly after Bandido neutralized Hayashi with a moonsault to the outside. Hayashi assumed the role of the surly veteran, allowing the youngsters to shine, and everyone hit their offense cleanly. Not only was this a lesson in getting someone over in their debut, it was a spectacular little fireworks show to boot.