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Makai Club #1

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  1. Makai Club #1
    Last time I sat down to watch this, I actually really liked it. Thought it was a carry job that made Edge somewhat interesting to watch but good nonetheless. Even rated it ***1/2 but this was a total bore fest, imo. I put all my focus on this match. Turned everything off. Laptop. Phone. No distractions and what happened? I was bored off my tits. I get what they were going for Edge holding his own against Taker, actually looking like he was going to beat Taker. But a few problems. Edge is an awful, dull and uninteresting wrestler with nothing compelling to him including his offence. His work on Taker's leg was really dull. It was basic, unengaging. Taker didn't sell it down the stretch and it was basically filler. Edge kept on doing his shitty facial expressions as a bonus too. Taker's comebacks were decent but not awe-inspiring. Bad match overall. *3/4
  2. Makai Club #1
    Always been a fan of this sort of wrestling since I first discovered it a few years back. Now AMBITION isn't fully shoot style in the mould of the likes of UWF, UWFi, RINGS or PWFG but it's got that certain atmosphere. When Yuki Ishikawa was announced for AMBITION and was taking on Timothy Thatcher, I was instantly pumped. Ishikawa did some training with Thatcher back when he was EVOLVE champion so not only was it great that he was taking on one of the best grapplers today, it was also a student/mentor story that gives this match that little more depth. I watched Ishikawa in the Inner Circle match a few days before this so I knew what to expect from this from that match and his single encounters with Thatcher. But this...now this blew me away even more than that match did. Started off slow, but both were alert. Constantly wriggling and adjusting for the advantage, a few slaps and kicks for extra measure here and there. Then Ishikawa began getting more of a foothold in the match and began suckering in Thatcher into different holds which looked great. Everything Ishikawa did had a certain awkwardness to it, which I don't consider a bad thing. None of the holds looked comfortable to be in, and I sure they weren't, and that's the point. Thatcher equally as great at the grappling but mostly sold the holds superbly with his little grunts and gasps for air. Another thing I enjoyed about this match was the moments of pure instincts. For example, Ishikawa had a hold on Thatcher and Thatcher looked to reach for the ropes with his legs and Ishikawa latched onto the leg and adapted the hold along with it. Moments like that are what made this match for me. Sensational match. ****1/4
  3. Makai Club #1
    Good match. Naito did some really nasty work on Ibushi’s neck including a nasty reverse piledriver on the apron. Ibushi’s comebacks were really energetic and brought a lot to the match, even if his selling towards the end wasn’t great. Awesome bombfest towards the end too. ****
  4. Makai Club #1
    I loved this match. I’ve heard some people say it’s basically a spot fest and no story which is clearly not the case here. Angle works on the ribs for most of the match. Lesnar sells really well too. A lot of his offence is respected as a result and all he can do is hit the F-5 but he can’t capitalise almost every time. Sure at the end, both were just hitting moves but it came across as desperation to me. Angle is flawed as a wrestler but he was great here. Honestly I think Brock is the more weaker of the two in this match. ****
  5. Makai Club #1
    Fantastic match. There was some pretty awesome mat wrestling in the vain of amateur wrestling to start of the match. Lesnar quickly realises he can not out-wrestle an Olympic gold medal so begins using his weight to dominate the match. Whenever Angle began to get a foothold into the match, Brock would show off his power, whether that was by a overhead suplex (In one case where he didn't even arch his back or bend his legs. He launches Angle using his arms. FUCKING BEAST MODE Brock is a best) or just punching him. Lesnar then did some brutal work on Angle's back. Brock was in his element working over someone as the dominant bully. His speed, intensity and power just make this all the better. Lesnar makes too many mistakes and hurts his shoulder in the meantime, allowing Angle to capitalize and start getting back into this match and begins going for Brock's leg for the ankle lock. Brock? s selling off this is amazing. Even selling it during an one legged F5 on Angle. Angle does this amazing bit where he does a sort of lucha-esc (Pretty sure I've seen it in lucha matches before) submission hold to wear down Brock for the Ankle lock. The McMahon interference was fine, didn't harm the match and it lead to the awesome vicious off Lesnar TAPPING OUT (!!!) whilst scream for Vince. Fuck me what a match. ****3/4
  6. Makai Club #1
    What a last match to out on. There was some awesome old school AE style brawling in the beginning before they got in the ring and had a good old fashioned back and forth battle. Rock being uber heel, stealing Austin’s moves and his jackets, Austin doing it right back. The finisher kick outs, whilst in excess, perfectly acceptable here and it made the match all the more better. ****1/4
  7. Makai Club #1
    Everytime I watched this in recent years, I honestly didn't like it at all. Thought it was way too boring and dragged way too long, however it clicked for me this time - unsure what’s so different but I saw the entire match in a whole new light. I didn’t like the first part and I thought it would be the same as the other times but Jericho got a big foothold and the match took off from there. His heel work was awesome. Trash talking w/ smart counters to everything HBK did. Doing the little things like emulate HBK trying to prove he was better. A few flaws though. I wasn’t totally into HBK’s offence - a few times there were a few times I popped but it was generally just there. He looked like he took a backseat and hardly did anything interesting, this was all Jericho, imo. If this had a better HBK performance with a better start, this could’ve been a bonafide MOTYC. ***3/4
  8. Makai Club #1
    Well what an amazing match this was. Heard conflicting stories on how good/bad the matches was, and I must say that it blew away the expectation I had for it. This wasn't the big move fest that usual NJ matches are, but it was filled with smart, great wrestling, along with fantastic selling from Ospreay (Yes. His selling made sense. He sold it with his facial expressions, he took time doing his offence due to his ribs. Sure he gradually stopped selling towards the end but that makes sense. Pain gradually wears off and it had been a while since Ospreay went on offence since then. People expect Ospreay to be on the floor writhing for 40 minutes when that's not realistic - which goes against the purpose of selling - but he sold it smartly, imo). Ospreay really shined in this match from all angles. So did White actually. I really wasn't impressed by White during the Tanahashi match at all. He was slow, plodding and ultimately uninteresting - big world of difference compared to here. His counter wrestling style was really compelling to watch. Any time Ospreay went for a big move, I was anticipating White to pull of some slick counter. Given that White and Ospreay are two of the most popularising wrestler in New Japan, stylistically, both worked extremely well together and had yet another awesome match despite being totally different from their ROH days. ****1/4
  9. Makai Club #1
    I think this far out does the match from the year before. The stunts are just as crazy and reach far more height than its predecessor. The spear off the ladder onto Jeff is rather legendary at this point. Not just that. The double table spot between Bubba and Matt. The interference was well done and it was done to maximum effect. Unbelievable match ****1/2
  10. Makai Club #1
    For one of the biggest drawing matches in WM history. One of the most remembered feuds of all time, this really didn’t have a lot of build. I even watched the Raw and SD’s coming up to this show and it’s mostly these two feuding with Angle and Rikishi. Oh well, we are here now. Unbelievable match. Some excellent, excellent storytelling. It’s not even subtle to the point of being annoying, Austin is clearly the aggressor throughout the match. He tries and does anything to get the win. There are clear face and heel roles in this match and it sets the tone for the finish. I liked that there was little hiding it because when it happens, it makes total sense in that regard. Perhaps not to the overarching feud with Vince going back to 1997 but still. Rock’s bumping was really good at times, in others you could argue it was silly but that’s just Rock and it doesn’t annoy me too much. The brawling was intense as you could get and the false finishes were done to near perfection. I don’t think the match peaked to the point where I was going absolutely crazy for everything for it to be that 5 Star classic level of classic but good god, is this a classic. ****3/4
  11. Makai Club #1
    These teams have been feuding for a while now. E & C and Hardyz had the ladder match at No Mercy. Hardyz and Dudleys had the tables match at the Rumble. Makes sense to put them all in this match. The match is really, really good from an entertaining standpoint. All the spot were crazy and popped both the crowd and myself huge. All the teams get times to shine in the match and stood out here. The big moments however did leave to lapses in logic at times but I really don’t care all that much. This was awesome to watch. ****
  12. Makai Club #1
    On paper this seemed like a great match. Sure I’m not a big fan of Angle (one of my more controversial opinions lol - well maybe not on here though) but he was a good wrestler at this point, coming into his own and the other two are Benoit and Jericho. BUT this just didn’t do it for me. It all felt clunky, the offence and the structure. It just didn’t work. They all have much better singles matches against each other, and I'm sure if this match would've been one fall, it also would've been better than this. **1/2
  13. Makai Club #1
    Really enjoyable match. great brawling in the early parts of the match. They took some nasty bumps which helped the match. It was overbooked though with the ref bumps but it did lead to Foley coming back which was a great moment. Good brawl with a great conclusion to a storyline... or so we though. ***1/2
  14. Makai Club #1
    This was more like Taker vs Vince but Vince can’t wrestle so he sends Bossman, which makes sense, however it doesn’t make for a great match. It was rather dull actually and very, very heatless. It’s just a match inside the cell really. And of course the post match angle. Sigh. The post match angle. The bossman hanging so silence. Russoooooooooo! DUD
  15. Makai Club #1
    Fantastic lucha~! Everything you want in Wrestling. Big spot. Great flow. Two awesome performances. Had it all. The caveman had another strong showing and Titán matches him all the way. Cavernario has an uncanny ability to make everything he does look impactful but graceful too. Titán was a neat underdog too. The urgency in his comebacks, the little tricks he has under his sleaves. The match worked between the falls really well. Even the first fall, which didn't last long built into the second fall superbly. The final fall was pretty epic too. Really loved everything that happened. The counters, the risks they took. Even Titán countering the splash that Cavernario used to pin him in the first fall. It all clicked for me - great stuff. ****1/2
  16. Makai Club #1
    The shoot stuff is beyond dumb. Ronda should know better and someone should say something, then again WWE basically tells you it's not real anyway. Becky is just obnoxious and doesn't help. WWE PR should control their accounts from now on.
  17. Makai Club #1
    SD last night was actually pretty fun. The opening segment sit all the notes. Kofi l's entrance, Bryan's facials, KO being added. It all hit superbly. The Hardys return was neat. Matt looks in great shape. The triple threat was wild. Really fast paced. Truth's promo before was hilarious - he definitely made John Cena proud. Almas vs Rey looks like the program going into WM. Charlotte's promo was forgettable but eh. The main event was pretty good. Was expected KO to attack Kofi at the end but they can do that some other time.
  18. Makai Club #1
    Awesome match. I haven't watched an older Okada match in a long time and I'm glad I chose this match to watch. Perfect showcase for Ibushi. Okada sells his arse off for him, really puts him over as on his level as well as doing some excellent work himself. Love Ibushi's work from underneath as well. Nothing gets me more pumped than an Okada match. Ibushi was incredible too. ****1/4
  19. Makai Club #1
    The problem with that is that Bryan is on SD. Unless they do a speical inter brand match.
  20. Makai Club #1
    Awesome to see Roman make that announcement. Glad I watched it live opposed to the day after, like I usually do. Buzzing for his eventual return to th and ring too! Really got my emotional, which doesn't happen ever.
  21. Makai Club #1
    Very good match bolstered by a great performance by Suwama. Everything he did seemed to have that extra bit of impact behind it. Loved his work on Kento's neck. Loved his variation of throws and suplexes. Suwama's offence was crips and pinpoint loved what he brought to the match. However Kento didn't really do it for me. His comeback felt really underwhelming to me, and I was never really pulling for him during the match. His selling was decent I'd say although he could've done better in the high-end parts of the match. The closing stretch was really good, loved Suwama kicking out of everything Kento did and and loved the struggle to lock on the delayed german suplexes BUT I didn't buy it as a finish because Kento used it quite a few times through the match so when he pinned Suwama with it, it didn't feel climatic to me. Now I'm not for one to complain about spamming moves but not when it was done like it was in this match. Shame really because I really did like the match but it certain things didn't allow it to reach its full potential. ***1/2
  22. Makai Club #1
    Man. I can hear people’s excuses now. “It’s all old school you wouldn’t like it”. Well since when is Shawn Michaels “old school”. Ha! And there are far more technically proficient matches then, and before 1996, so do away with that crap. When the first twenty minutes consists of nothing, but an extremely weak looking arm bar, with no sense of struggle or pain, and a superkick to an announcer that was telegraphed a mile away, you know you’re watching a bad match. Now that’s not to say that they couldn’t turn it around but they didn’t. HBK continued on with his awful work on the arm that was unimpressed and didn’t look even remotely painful. It was just there to pad out the time which I get but you have to try and make it look like you’re wrestling, and I blame Bret for this two. He was a dead fish in this match as far as being in the holds are concerned. His selling was also really, really bad. The rest of the match had a few chin locks and the occasional big move like the piledriver and the moonsault to the outside, so it’s not without its positives. The crowd was dead for obvious reasons and it really meant this math had zero energy or drama until the end. Bad match made even worse by awful limb work and bad selling. *1/4
  23. Makai Club #1
    Basically yeah. Him returning to the ring would be amazing but just good news that he is getting better is more than good enough for me.
  24. Makai Club #1
    This was a one man show, if I'm honest. The match was all Trev. Trevor Lee dominated the match. Trevor Lee lead the grappling. Trevor Lee had the best moments in the match. Everything he did looked brutal yet majestic at the same time. It's hard to explain really. Everything he did in this match stood out to me as something special. This match made him look like a world beater going into the fed, now I don't know if that's the best choice as far as the company and the idea of putting over someone on your way out but it's a good send off for Trev nonetheless. Now onto the bad parts of the match. I really didn't like Cain Justice in this match a whole lot. Everything he did looked so amateur compared to Trev, so much that it was very jarring and took me out of the match whenever he was in control. I liked how much fight he showed and the overall story but he didn't do a lot for me. Also the ending I found pretty laughable and if they really wanted it that way, Cain should've won. Oh well - still a great match, largely thanks to Trev. The pacing of the match was fantastic. The length was very daunting but it really didn't seem that long. The story was well told, except for the ending. And the drama was, well, dramatic. ****
  25. Makai Club #1
    I was worried coming into this match. PAC can be a bore when he plays up his slow, methodical heel character and Ospreay in the main event can be over the top. That could've very easily been the case here but it surprisingly wasn't. Was it a classic? probably not. I'm sure some will like this a lot better than I did. The start of the match was pretty good. They did a few flips, showed off being all cute with it. PAC was aggressive with his offence and was super good with his facial expressions and mannerisms. There was a few cool spots where Ospreay jumped the guardrail after PAC attempted to throw him into it (which was a nice call back to a similar spot earlier in the match where Ospreay went rib first into the barricade). The middle was pretty forgettable though. And the closing stretch was a bit overbooked. CCK interfering, ref bumps low blow and time limit draw. It wasn't terrible but it didn't leave me wanting more honestly . So it didn't do its job in that sense it still was a good enough end part of the match to make up for the middle part which was look at your phone territory. ***
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