Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

Makai Club #1

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    837

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Makai Club #1

  1. Makai Club #1
    Seeing Umaga brings back childhood memories. Used to have a figure of Umaga. My favourite too. I adored everything about him. His look most of all. I used to genuinely believe his face paint was a real tattoo. Oh, how naive was I. The match starts off pretty good. Cena adopts a stick and moves approach in the opening moments. Baiting Umaga in and getting a few shots in. I did like the “Umaga ate my sign” sign in the crowd. Umaga does a really great job of working over Cena. His unique offence looks so impactful. Something fresh and new to counter Cena’s simplistic babyface offence. The whole match reminds me of Hogan matches in the ’80s. There even is a spot where Cena picks up Umaga only to fall back under the weight which is a classic Hogan spot. And Umaga going for the classic monster role, working over the ribs, using his weight and speed of his moves to his advantage. Cena sells excellently too, getting the crowd on his side very easily which I was taken back by given Cena was hated. Another thing that is good about this match is the struggle Cena has. It’s not as simple as making a comeback and getting stuff it. He has to earn everything he can. He has to not only get out of what Umaga is doing but deal with his constant cutoffs too. The finish is really clever too. Umaga stops another FU attempt and looks to hit all his big moves but Cena sees it coming and does the only thing he can do, he rolls Umaga up. Doesn’t kick out of Umaga’s big moves. He doesn’t even use a ton of his own. He adapts as a champion should. It’s a great match and easily my Match of the night. Loved everything about it. Not as good as their Rumble match but most matches aren’t. ****
  2. Makai Club #1
    I remember watching this live. When I was a young one, I woke up in the middle of the fight and listened in on my Dad watching this show. I burst out in tears because I couldn’t watch it live but my Dad let me in the end and this was on. I used to love Triple H. Even over Shawn. I still prefer him over Shawn Michaels to this day actually. The match starts off heavy with DX meeting Rated RKO on the rampway and brawled for a little bit before transitioning into a normal match. The match gets a little dull for a few minutes but Triple H unleashes some punches on Orton which pops the crowd before Edge chop block the left leg (not the leg that’ll get injured btw) of Triple H and begin to work it over. Shawn comes in for a warm tag. Orton and Edge show some really good tag chemistry which does surprise me. It doesn’t come across as two single guys teaming as far as their work goes. Shawn gets split open seemingly out of nowhere (is HBK a Flair mark?), which is basically a big match obligation for 2007. Orton unleashes his awesome Garvin Stomp which always gets me to pop. Speaking of obligations, Rated RKO works over HBK’s back which is fine in theory but it seems aimless and doesn’t go anywhere. However, Shawn does have some nice chops as a defence at least. Triple H comes in with a great hot tag before it happens. You can actually see the muscle on the side of the knee at certain angles. They scramble and take HHH out of the match for the meanwhile. Then the chairs come in with Orton bleeding badly now. The match hits another level with Triple H hitting a goddamn pedigree with the torn quad on the table and Shawn hitting an elbow drop through the other table on Orton. The match sort of ends with no bell and seemingly no real signal the match is over. Now HHH did well to carry on given the injury, but it was still dumb to do so. The match is good but also has its flaws. Things like the aforementioned aimless back work and the structure of the match being brawl, normal match, brawl. No natural progression. However, the finish (if you can call it that) ruled and was easily the peak of the match. ***1/2
  3. Makai Club #1
    What a disappointment. This wasn't any good imo. Nothing about this match felt right. This wasn't very compelling with Edge on offence. Both were sloppy and botched a few things. They did stuff but it wasn't fun to watch. They just didn't click for whatever reason. I know this was a ladder match but there was too many spots close together. Cena went though a table one minute, Edge went through a table the next but got back in the ring and took another table spot not 2 minutes later (which was very obvious as it feel which meant Cena had to put it back up). The last spot is very memorable but watching it now, it's not nearly enough impactful because they didn't space them out far enough. Pretty bad ladder match imo. *
  4. Makai Club #1
    Excellent match. Fantastic beatdown by Brock, fresh off his return from MMA, unleashing STIFF as fuck shots to Cena and throwing him around like he was nothing. Cena bumping and selling his butt off, not that he had a choice. The crowd was hot too. The blood added a lot and put over Brock as a killer, something different. But the ref stoppagez early on kinda disrupted the flow slightly. Although, that couldn't be helped. ****1/2
  5. Makai Club #1
    This was so disappointing on the re-watch. Compared to the last time I watched it where I have it ***3/4, this wasn't good, at least not at that extent. I wasn't into the early wrestling in the beginning at all. Angle is boring on offence and HBK isn't technically sound enough to make it work unlike Lesnar or Benoit. The ankle spots felt like it went on way too long. I understand milking it, but it made the ankle lock feel weak. Angle not continuing on with his back work was equally annoying too, but he usually does that in any match - work on the back for most of it then suddenly go for the ankle. Not awful, but not good either. **1/4
  6. Makai Club #1
    After a good start HHH taking on RVD, the match got a little boring for a long time until Shawn got in the match. Then the match got very good and Shawn/HHH had easily the best piece of wrestling they had in the entirety of their feud. The crowd was hot for it and so was I. It is a shame that the middle portion was a forgettable section because the start and end were great. ***3/4
  7. Makai Club #1
    Decent match. I thought it was on par with their No Mercy match which honestly isn't saying a lot. The falls were a little forgettable and the match just seemed to happened. **1/2
  8. Makai Club #1
    I was surprised by how easy it was to watch it. No adjustment period whatsoever. It honestly wouldn't be out of place if you put this on random show today. Loved Thesz being the classic NWA champion, being the subtle heel, doing the little things to get the crowd to turn against him and into Gagne. The grappling was exceptional too. Everything was tight as a vice, rough and gritty. The counters and cuts offs were done really well and the timing of everything was spot on. A few uninteresting bits here and there but generally really engaging. Great stuff
  9. Makai Club #1
    Simply fantastic. One of the best matches of the match type. Everything a Hell In A Cell Match should be. Didn't go out of the match in some cheap way. It was a bloody slugfest with some great storytelling. Awesome finish too. Brock was great all round here. Dishing out some big bombs or bumping for Taker - anything he was asked to do, he did it well. Taker was not far behind him and sure his selling of the hand wasn't the best but I can put that down to adrenaline. A shout out to Heyman and his great managerial performance too. ****3/4
  10. Makai Club #1
    A bit disappointed with this, if I'm honest. After all the praise it gets from almost everyone you ask about it, the match should really live up to expectations but it honestly doesn't for me. Not the first time I watches it but it's been a while so it was almost fresh in my eyes. So what did I like about the match; I loved the arrogance of the Benoit & Angle duo - they know they are better and with them being together, they are in stoppable. The start with Angle and Rey was pretty awesome with Angle bullying Rey but Rey opting to stay in and take it to Angle. That stuff was great but now on to the stuff that I didn't like. The FIP sections of the match felt really weak to me. I didn't think they built to the hot tags particularly well and the work they did wasn't all that great. It was fine for what it was, but nothing special. The finishing stretch was decent but wasn't outstandingly good. Kinda rushed. Certainly not worth the praise it gets, I don't believe. **1/2
  11. Makai Club #1
    Well this was ruled to the surprise of absolutely no one. Benoit did an excellent job working the back of Rey and Rey sold is to perfection. A really well worked match. A better finish makes this a MOTYC. ***3/4
  12. Makai Club #1
    This was much better than their Summerslam and Unforgiven matches. Edge pulled his weight more and Eddie was amazing, yet again. There was a pretty wild end too with Edge kicking out of a sunset flip off a ladder followed up by a ddt off the ladder. The fans going crazy for Eddie afterwards warms my heart. ***1/2
  13. Makai Club #1
    The match is great. Truly is. Choshu puts on a master class clinic. Choshu like he really does plays up the subtle heel role almost to perfection. His work over Inoki was so great, he can make the simplest moves look like the utmost difficult to execute, like his Sasori-Gatame submission hold. He spent 30 seconds trying to lock it in before it was fully on and when he did, it got a huge reaction. Which is what you want from a move like that. His cut offs are great too, he'll have you in a hold but whenever Inoki looks to be getting a foothold, he switches gears and regains control like that. Inoki can be lazy at times, and given he gets a big response doing nothing, you can get it but he earned his popularity here. His selling was exceptionally strong which put over Choshu big time and his comebacks were quick and effective. What else do you need? ****3/4
  14. Makai Club #1
    Great main event. Brock had his first legitimately great match and got put over huge as a main eventer by The Rock no less. Brock's work on the ribs ruled. Probably the only guy who could work on the ribs in the way he did and make it compelling. You can buy it just looking at his arms. Rock solds it really well I thought. The match had some good brawling on the outside with Heyman getting took out but the bread and butter was when they were in the ring. The atmosphere was great too. Loved Brock and hated Rock. Made for an awesome dynamic and made Brock look even more of a star. ****1/4
  15. Makai Club #1
    One of those matches that the majority of the fans praise but I don't. At least not to that extent. I didn't hate the match, quite the opposite as I enjoyed a chunk of it. I thought the early sections of the match with HHH beating down Shawn Michaels, working his injured back and heeling it up big time were pretty damn awesome. I love HHH but I hate HHH too as his matches can be so bad, but I really enjoyed what he brought to the table in the first part of the match. The match falls through after Shawn Michaels makes his comeback. Totally get why they structured the match in this way - HHH getting all the heat on HBK before HBK makes his comeback and hits all of his biggest moves - but it just felt so jarring to me. It never felt like Shawn was trying to win the match. Just show off, which, again, is understandable but it didn't connect with me. Michaels’ didn't sell the back at all once he did a kip up. The pacing was pretty bad in parts too and the match dragged as a result. Really tried to enjoy it but I didn't. Another thing I want to point out is that this is yet another HHH vs HBK match where HHH was the better of the two. Funny that. **1/2
  16. Makai Club #1
    Pretty wild match. Angle was on top level here with his speed and intensity. Angle really suits these short sprints (which is basically what this was) that hide his flaws. Rey pulled out some of his best offence and was an excellent babyface. Bumped and sold excellently. ***3/4
  17. Makai Club #1
    Yet another great match on this show. Great mix of STIFF striking and top notch grappling. Hideki throw some unholy forearm strikes that were pinpoint dangerous. Thatcher was excellent on the mat, as expected. Loved Thatcher’s body shots he’d throw when transitioning between holds whether it’s with his head or knee. Hideki was awesome on the defensive too - he kept calm when in danger and made it a struggle for Thatcher where is some cases it’d have been a breeze. Loved the Robinson suplex being the cause for the KO, puts Hideki and the move over perfectly. ****1/2
  18. Makai Club #1
    I think this match is a perfect example of WWE big matches failing. The first two falls were so forgettable and mediocre. Small things like Gargano going down to the first Last Shot, but not the second. It just common sense really that would've helped the first parts of the match along the way, but nope, it didn't happen. Then the third fall happened, and the match turned from mediocre to awful at an alarming rate. I know that people will praise anything that has a long series of kick outs, even if the entire match is very mediocre. Just the way it is nowadays, people only care about a closing stretch without taking in account the build up to that spot. Even then, the finishing stretch was nothing but kick outs on an absolutely ridiculous scale. It was laughable at how many kick outs there actually was in the match. There was more than 10 kick outs, at least including, Gargano kicking out of chasing the dragon, a Panama Sunrise, tons of superkicks, a fairy tale ending on the table, absolutely EVERYTHING Cole has and he kicked out of all of it. A huge burial of Cole's offence, and I don't use burial lightly. This is the stuff people, rightly, criticised Roman vs Brock at WM 34 for. It's certainly way worse than what Cena did to the Nexus because at least it didn't have this amount of unnecessary excess that this match haf. Their selling was so awful too - both guys have no clue on when to no sell moves and when to sell. The no sell superkick into another superkick is one of the worst sequences in Wrestling and people should stop using it. This wouldn't be out of place in the worst of PWG which is saying a ton. There is literally nothing I thought that was enjoyable about this match barring a pretty nice spear on the apron. The rest was a true masterpiece of pure garbage. DUD
  19. Makai Club #1
    Pretty good match. Both not as definited offensively but character wise, they got it down pat. Shiima will do anything to his body to hurt you, if that doesn't work, cheating is the way too go. Magnum is a fan favourite with his dance routines and loves to shake his hips. That with the constant struggle back and forth made for a good dynamic. ***3/4
  20. Makai Club #1
    An awesome match, perfect main event to encapsulated the style and what direction they are going with. Magnum TOKYO with a great performance along with SHIIMA. I did think the match had some pacing flaws due to the length which may take away somewhat, but this was still a riot. ****
  21. Makai Club #1
    I think we found a winner for the best match that ended in a DQ. This was nothing short than a mauling by Hansen. It really seems more like a segment than an actual match. Started out normal enough, then Funk got busted open and Hansen smells it like a shark and begun unleashing a barrage of stiff punches and nasty knee drops. The match really highlighted the strengths of both men. Funk sold his butt off for Hansen by bumping all over the place like only he could, making Hansen look like a beast in the match. Excellent babyface performance by Funk only matched by Hansen being the aggressor, a role which Hansen excells in. I loved the hope spots Funk had in the match too. Funk going for the knee and desperately trying to end the match with the spinning toe hold whilst dripping with blood, giving us an awesome visual in the process. Crowd was going mental from the entrances to the finish. The aftermath with Dory Jr coming out to save his brother was really good, and of course, Funk still crawling around the ring, selling the damage Hansen inflicted on him perfectly. It all connected really well to make it what it was. Great match. ****3/4
  22. Makai Club #1
    This was an awesome match. And I'm watching this whilst falling asleep. Gonna rewatch this when I'm not knackered to give this a proper analysis because this was awesome and it deserves much more.
  23. Makai Club #1
    But this is Roman's first singles match back since returning, you would think that Roman should get the win here. McIntyre wouldn't be harmed by a loss to Roman.
  24. Makai Club #1
    Probably one of the more weaker additions to the feud but still a great match. The start is fine enough. The limb work is a bit paint by numbers and it's not all that interesting early on but the strikes and bombs are where their bread & butter lies so it's not a big surprise, and it doesn't lead to much. Kawada is in control for most of the match and does a hell of a job doing it. He is vicious and nasty with his strikes, constantly using the gamengiri to cut off a Misawa comeback. There are a few no sells spots that are very well done by Misawa (and Kawada - nice of him to show off his pearly white teeth; all two of them). The finishing stretch was really good but it was sort of hard to buy into the Tiger Drives and powerbombs until the end. Like I said. Great match but lacking somewhat. ****1/4
  25. Makai Club #1
    Do I consider this match to be better than their previous match? Nah, I don't think it's better. I think the match was really good but lacked some of the drama and big fight atmosphere that the other match had. But that's not to take anything away from the match. I think the match is quite good. Loved the quick start with Devlin going right for WALTER with his punches, him being a bit overzealous with his offence and WALTER taking advantage, gaining control and working on the hand of Devlin. The selling of the hand wasn't great throughout the match. It wasn't bad but could have been much better. Loved Walter beating down Devlin and getting all the heat as it also meant the crowd got more behind Devlin as a result, if that was possible, allowing for a bigget reaction when he made his comebacks. And Devlin made some damn good ones too. The spot where he was relentlessly locking on the rare naked choke was fantastic. The finishing stretch was a bit of a disappointment which is the only major flaw I would have with the match. Really dislike the heel champion walking out of the ring spot as it's usually done in a clunky and awkward way; as it was done in this match. Sure it allowed Devlin to get his second wind for the finish but I feel that it could've been done much better. Nevertheless, this was great. ****1/4
×
×
  • Create New...