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Makai Club #1

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  1. Makai Club #1
    This was a joyous match for people who like hard strikes and people with violent, mean streaks. Not only do they work stiff, they wrestle the match at a Junior Heavyweight pace. There was some smart strategy implemented by Low Ki as well, who targeted KENTA mid section, utilising kicks as well as simple holds, such as a body scissors and a bear hug, effectively. KENTA guts (no pun intended) it all out to win the match and retain the GHC Jr Heavyweight Title in his ROH debut. ****1/4
  2. Makai Club #1
    El Gigante for Season 4, if that's the case.
  3. Makai Club #1
    Bret Hart is back!!! The highlight of this match which was very disappointing. So short, and not in the traditional Goldberg way. No room to build anything special before Bret come back to attack Goldberg. Then the Steiners come down and attack Sting, for reasons. The crowd is into what little we actually get between Goldberg and Sting. The Spear counter to the Stinger splash was a small glimpse of the greatest this could've produced. **1/4
  4. Makai Club #1
    The tag team division has been the best thing about WCW in 1999 and this naturally delivers the good again. It's a spotfest between three different kinds of teams so it's not exactly clean and it's messy at times but it's fun overall. It was neat seeing Arn Anderson interfere and hit a spinebuster but that plus Kanyon helping Raven and Saturn win was a bit much for one match. ***
  5. Makai Club #1
    Heatless match despite some good work from Rick Steiner. He definitely lacks the charisma and crowd connection he once had but his offence looks stiff and tight. I love a good punch to the ribs and Rick had many of that. Booker T did his usual spots that normally would liven up the crowd but they got silence here. Scott Steiner coming down causes a stir in the crowd as he helps his brother win the TV Title, hinting at the reuniting of th Steiners that'll come real soon. Booker T got protected in his loss but he didn't come out strongly. **3/4
  6. Makai Club #1
    DDT Universal Title Match: Yuki Ueno (c) vs. Yukio Sakaguchi The student defeats the master with his own specialty - submissions. Sakaguchi put Ueno through the ringer with his offence. Relentless strikes and submission attempts with Ueno hanging on by a thread at several points in the match. Ueno said in a press conference that his win wasn't necessarily because he was more skilled than Sakaguchi and the match showed that. He was out skilled but Ueno showed great heart and conviction in everything he did. And that's how he scored the victory. This was a pretty great title defence for Ueno. Yukio Sakaguchi was so good at the ripe age of 47. ***3/4.
  7. Makai Club #1
    KO-D Tag Team Title Match: Eruption (Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi) (c) vs DDT Sauna Club (Konosuke Takeshita & MAO) - DDT Effort, Friendship And Victory In Nagoya 2021 - 23/02/2021 I thought this was excellent. The rating on cagematch raised a few eyebrows, but I'm in no way disappointed with the outcome. Whether it was Higuchi pairing off with MAO or Eruption’s incredible teamwork, this was purely quality. MAO sold for Higuchi’s back based attacks really well, bumping around while using his charisma to shine as an underdog. Sakaguchi was the right partner to compliment Higuchi’s work too. Even outside of the wrestling itself, Sakaguchi made Higuchi step on the gas even more with a few words and a slap. And that he did - just when the match seemed to be peaking, Takeshita and Higuchi match up and ramp up the intensity ever so more with an outstanding, bombastic closing stretch that saw Higuchi pick up the win after plenty of hard suplexes and throws. ****1/4
  8. Makai Club #1

    Ric Flair

    Makai Club #1 replied to Grimmas's topic in Nominees

    From the looks of it, he was a popular midcarder for the southern territories. Brown had quite a few matches against the likes of Jack Brisco and Ricky Steamboat. Had a Mid South Tag Team Title reign with Ernie Ladd, who was a big name. He's probably not that much out of place compared to the other names.
  9. Makai Club #1
    Top 50 Contender for me as well. He had great chemistry with everyone (Hashimoto, Chono, Mutoh, Koshinaka). He helped Kensuke Sasaki grow as a wrestler in the tag team from green as grass to solid with potential. He had enough charisma to be champion and while that didn't happen for him, he was still in memorable spots constantly. I think his only disappointments were the Inoki match where he lost easily and the All Japan run that is either loved or hated by most. The match with Chono is one of the greatest G1 matches of all time. That alone really puts his case over for me.
  10. Makai Club #1
    Incredible title match. Clear forerunner for the company MOTY. This was laid out with a great DDP performance on top with Sting more than matching it with great underneath work. DDP was meticulous and methodical, not leaving much room for error while working over Sting’s lower body area. Sting would slowly get more and more in the match each time before DDP came up with a crafty counter and regained the advantage. And they eventually climaxed with Sting hitting the Scorpion Death Drop and winning the WCW title to a mega pop. This could've been another turning point for WCW but you know. ****1/4
  11. Makai Club #1
    Strong main event. Sakaguchi doesn't play around in this match, spending most of it lasting Sasaki in the face with running kicks. Sasaki tries to mess around with some low-key comedy spots but Sakaguchi forces him to wise up which he did, somewhat. ***1/2
  12. Makai Club #1
    After already going 17 minutes in a six man tag team title match in the match prior, they go another 19 minutes and have a real stand out match. Ueno got choked out by Sakachuchi in the other match so he was the weakest. This means Yoshimura had to step up for his teammate which he did. Then when Ueno recovered, their hope spots meant a whole lot more. Ueno’s selling was excellent but offensively, he was very compelling to watch as well. His dropkick counter to a Sakaguchi running knee attempt was spectacular. Higuchi looked great as the brute of the match and he sold his fatigue well. Good match. ****
  13. Makai Club #1
    Great, great match. There are so many teams in this match, tons of different feuds that overlap with each other but they take their time with them all and don't rush through the eliminations. My favourite story of the match is Los Conquistadors staying to the end. One first glance they are there to fill numbers but they have a strong performance, surviving everyone's big moves and doing anything they can to keep alive, quickly tagging out, throwing desperate Hail Marys and having a ton of luck. Tully stood out as well with his chickenshit routine, avoiding Warlord and immediately tagging out without touching him. Demolition were rocks as well for their team, always keeping up the standard and saving their team despite going one team down regularly. There are many elements in the match and all of them were very distinct and memorable. Most memorable is the double turn between the Powers of Pain and Demolition. I agree that it doesn't really make much sense to turn on the tag champions in the non title match but whatever. It was a strong angle to end an incredible match. ****1/4
  14. Makai Club #1
    You never quite know what you’re going to get with Sakuraba. But he was immense in this match. And I mean him, not him working on Shibata. Sakuraba’s wiseness allowed him to lock in some great submissions that were perfectly buyable as flash finishers. Sakuraba would cling onto Shibata’s back and lock in a double arm wringer - in which meant Shibata had to use his teeth to grab the ropes - and then later lock in a neck crank in desperation and had Shibata in trouble again. The best submission of the match was Sakuraba locking in an arm triangle but altering it in a way that put his foot up against Shiata’s windpipe. A dirty hold but the crowd went nuts when the camera did a close up on it. Shibata had to deal with that innate skill of his partner that doesn’t go away with age, unlike speed and other physical attributes, and had to rely on his striking and grit to see him to the end where he laid Sakuraba out with a PK. Great, great match. ****1/4
  15. Makai Club #1
    Working Top Ten: Genichiro Tenryu, Kazuchika Okada, Kenta Kobashi, Kiyoshi Tamura, Mitsuharu Misawa, Ric Flair, Shinya Hashimoto, Stan Hansen, Tatsumi Fujinami, Toshiaki Kawada Close candidates: Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, El Satanico, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Nick Bockwinkel, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Volk Han I'm very comfortable with this crew of wrestlers.
  16. Makai Club #1
    While the story doesn't end here, one arc of it does. Okada, the champion, finally beats his long rival for the Ace spot in the Tokyo Dome, redeeming a devastating setback in the year prior and setting a new path for himself in the process. The build to the finish was great. It had very smart work by Tanahashi on Okada's legs, utilising the Dragon Screws and all of their variations perfectly. Okada reveled in each moment, smiling in confidence when he outsmart Tanahashi on a counter, does a Rainmaker pose often and uses his charm and charisma to raise the crowd noise. Both bring great things individually to the match, like both can. The back end of the match had my heart racing like I was finishing up a marathon. It was one of the most nerve-wracking, and most importantly, exciting closing stretches that most people will ever see. The result didn't change that one bit. Okada seemingly had the match in hand, stealing the High Fly Flow and ready to hit the Rainmaker, but no, Tanahashi counted and hit one of his own, payback for the stolen HFF and made Okada almost rue his audacity and Okada fought and struggled to regain back the advantage with Tanahashi fighting against him along the way until Okada hit one Rainmaker and then another and then another to secure his crowd in a definitive and awe-inspiring way. This was a big finish to a big match. ****3/4
  17. Makai Club #1
    I truly love this match. Phenomenal execution on strikes, counters and storytelling. Okada's selling is sublime as well. He makes Marufuji's hard chops one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling and makes a potential upset seem very, very possible. And that closing sequence really solified its classic status with me as Okada hits an Emerald Flowsion to the ultimate Misawa protégé and hits a rainmaker to win. The ultimate big league move by the ace of the promotion. *****
  18. Makai Club #1
    For those who are thinking about Kota Ibushi, here are some of his DDT great matches. Obviously the bolded ones are the most highly recommended: I think very highly of Kota Ibushi. I think once Okada started to down tools more often post 2018, he turned into the best wrestler in the company by a big mile and Ibushi wasn't that far off the top spot anyway. He started out as a bit of a spectacle wrestler in DDT, doing many of their wacky gimmick matches on top of the straight matches and eventually became a big enough star to help DDT run Ryogoku and started doing New Japan. He was really good in New Japan and DDT, easily capable of great matches such as the Okada Anniversary match, the Omega Budokan Hall match and plenty smaller matches that you can easily find if you want that period enough. And then once he teased going to WWE and had that incredible run in the CWC, he went back to New Japan and turned into one of the best in the world imo. His flaws are his selling when it comes to someone attacking his knees as his offence is strike and aerial based. But, and this might just be me, I think it actually works for him. Ibushi is a self-trained (apparently) enigma who looks and thinks himself to be a mythical figure. That's a rare breed of confidence or delusion. Whatever you want to call it. I recently drew up a draft of a top 50 and he made it without me even thinking about it. It just seemed right. He's one of the modern candidates that should do better this time around.
  19. Makai Club #1
    Yet again, they have a tremendous match that is relentless in action and drama. When they are on the ground, they are always moving around and working towards something whether it’s the chicken wing or the Fujiwara armbar. But they mix it up as well, with petter slaps and kicks being thrown as well which increased the heated atmosphere more so. I think their spells of no-selling really work. Like anything else, there is a time to do it and times where anything can help a match and this does. Takada would take a suplex and get right back on Koshinaka and vice-versa, and that just speaks to how this match was. It was two stubborn wrestlers fighting to a finish. And the struggle to lock on the Fujiwara armbar was awesome as Koshinaka kept on ripping into Takada’s hands and fingers to weaken the defensive resistance. Koshinaka finally gets the tap out win and retains the Junior Heavyweight title. Takada is pissed and wants to continue though. More! ****1/4
  20. Makai Club #1
    The early portion of the match was mostly all Saint and his tight wrist lock/arm bar variation. Grey has some nifty counters, which come more and more frequent as the match progresses, for the wrist lock before inevitably being locked back in the hold. In Round Three, the match really turns from a Saint showcase to Grey proving he can step toe to toe with Saint by not only locking him in a few holds of his own but setting traps and telegraphing what Saint does after he hits the ropes and locking on a hold. And by the end of the Third Round, Saint turns around and handshakes Grey in a sign of respect. Saint ups the intensity of his holds by getting more aggressive and being rewarded with a pin. Grey responded by wrenching on the arm and picks Saint up using the singular arm before slamming him down which looked great. Saint brings out much more complex moves such as the boston crab, crossbow surfboard and a neat looking tortcher rack variation with Saint also holding the knee joints in Grey’s leg. Grey starts throwing out big drop kicks and then a backslide to get a pin over Saint making it 1-1!!! Grey beat Saint, which stuns me, after a beautiful exchange of pin/reversal/pin in Round Seven and Saint responds by offering Grey a title match for the British Lightweight Title. Great way to finish off a really fun match. I really enjoyed everything they did. Some of the counters were unworldly and I always enjoy a match built around attacking the arm. I thought Grey getting more and more comfortable in the match was very well done and it added a great sense of struggle in the last half of the match. Great stuff. ****1/2
  21. Makai Club #1
    Insufferable commentary aside, I thought this was tremendous. Rogers was great as a slimey heel though, using any cheap tactic he could including punches, cheap spots, stepping on Thesz’s head while he's on the ground. Thesz is feisty in return, but he doesn’t lose his cool and instead uses his frustration with Rogers to his advantage with violent knee lifts and tighter mat-work. The finish to the final fall was great as well with Thesz side stepping Rogers, causing him to tie himself in the ropes. Payback for all he did in the match. ****
  22. Makai Club #1
    This was a really good TV main event. Jericho works from beneath with HHH dominating but HHH sells and bumps for Jericho well enough to keep it competitive. Jericho looks like he’s about to win when he locks on the wall of Jericho before Stephanie and Regal interred. A hard chair shot to the head didn’t do it, but a Pedigree did. And we have a new IC champion. ***1/4
  23. Makai Club #1
    This is a follow-up to the Jericho Handicap match where Benoit helped Jericho from a post-match attack. His punishment was this. Benoit was much more successful than Jericho, actually capable of going against the two with his suplexes. The finish was great. Regal and Angle locked on their summissions at the same time causing enoit to tap. Jericho makes the save, returning the favour. **3/4
  24. Makai Club #1
    I think the restart was brilliant. The crowd buys the false finish big time and everyone sells it well. SUWA sells the win like he broke the Undertaker’s streak and Dragon Kid’s seconds were going ballistic at the injustice (SUWA putting his legs on the ropes). The restart from then on was terrific. It captured the exact spirit and urgency that’s required in an apuestas match. SUWA was a bully which makes DK the perfect opposite. DK hits all the pinning moes and ranas that he could think of at hyper speed and precision in order to score the win and it paid off greatly. ****1/4
  25. Makai Club #1
    That's on tomorrows show.
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