ohtani's jacket

This was a match that promised much but delivered little. Not even my beloved pairing of Blue Panther and Villano III could prevent this from being middling. Their work was good but the match was a slow grind without a satisfying payoff.

Again they worked a short bout that favored intensity over length. The complete opposite of how IWRG matches were worked for the first eleven months of the year. The most notable thing about the bout was an altercation between Villano III and a fan. I'm not sure what happened but Villano was extremely upset and climbed over the guardrail to confront him. Suddenly, he grabbed the guy by the neck and began threatening him. There were a few tense moments until finally the pair were separated. I'm not sure what got into Villano but it was pretty unpleasant. The video ended with Deck the Halls played over the top of nut shots. Fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

This continued the trend of brisker IWRG trios matches, although for a match involving Felino, Pantera and Black Warrior they never really broke loose like you'd expect. Still, the action was steady and they tried to create a beef between Gigolo and Black Warrior to give the match a focus. Not bad, a couple of nice dives in the finish.

This was worked at a brisk pace with the tecnicos trying to raise the intensity throughout but it still wasn't that interesting. If you've watched IWRG all year then you'll know that the rudos aren't really up to snuff. Bombero is okay but it's a stretch asking him to be the lead guy. The only real upside to this was that it was short.

I guess this is one of the last times we'll see Los Infernales together as a trio. Their work wasn't as polished as usual but they've been one of the better acts of the year so it was nice to see them have one last hurrah. Satanico looked good in his brief exchange with Silver Star, who is not a local that gets a lot of rub from the CMLL workers. That's one of the things that sets Satanico apart as a worker. He's the type of guy who you want to see take on *everybody* not just the best matchup on the opposite side of the ring. And he's starting to hit his straps again after being cooled off for most of the summer. Can't wait for the new season and the fall out between the Infernales.

I was hoping to see some tricked out matwork from this but I guess they cut that part out. The match was competitive and had proper heat unlike a lot of luchador's matches in Japan but we only got 7 minutes of a 21 minute bout.

Parka vs. Wagner? Didn't see this coming. When they weren't stalling, dancing or playing to the crowd the match was decent. They didn't bother with a classic title match build and cut to the power moves straight away but Wagner did use a lot of castigos in the second fall to try to win the bout and they tried to milk as much drama as they could out of the tercera. It wasn't always smooth as Parka's not the greatest technician in the ring but the focus was interesting. The segunda caida was unusually long as Wagner tried to pile the pressure on Parka. Everything was going along fine -- albeit not great -- when the bullshit kicked in. I don't think I've seen a worse finish in a lucha libre title match in all my years watching them. I won't even begin to describe it. We've seem this type of crap before with Konnan'a booking but this is what I imagine it would be like if Konnan's booking got high. Historically poor finish that spawned years of crap between Wagner and Parka. Don't get your hopes up for this match. Smarter folks would have seen the crap coming from miles away. I'm interested to see how Parka evolves as a worker in 2001 as he hasn't been great in 2000 and failed to deliver in his singles bouts. We'll see if I hop on the Parka bandwagon in the coming months. Right now I'm still salty over that finish.

Another good match. What's gotten into Monterrey? It was the week before Christmas and the workers felt in a giving mood I suppose. Zumbido and Tarzan Boy were excellent again and Dandy continued his strong run of form. What was Dandy wearing? It looked like he borrowed someone else's outfit for the night or dug something up from the back of his closet from 1985. Parka and Porky being on the same side threatened to be an overdose of comedy but the rudos made it work. The match made me so happy I even enjoyed the sandwich spot and Porky's awesome bomb to finish it. Feliz Navidad. If Tarzan Boy didn't turn full rudo by turning on Parka at the end then I don't know what else he has to do. Throw someone's mother under a bus?

This was really good. So good that not even Damian's shitty comedy could drag it down. It started off with an excellent exchange between Dandy and Rivera that really surprised me. Dandy has been on an upward swing over the past few months and is back to his world-class best. He's gotten into shape and looks the fittest he's been since I would say 1991. In retrospect, the renaissance he underwent with the Negro Navarro feud in 2001 was no surprise as he was simply outstanding against Rivera. Hot on the heels of Dandy and Rivera came Zumbido and Tarzan Boy. Now, these two blew me away. Who would have thought they'd be so good together? Zumbido has never looked this good against anybody else and while Tarzan Boy has blossomed into a good worker, I wasn't anticipating the speed and precision that they delivered. Knocked my socks off. Pimpi, Damian and Silver Star couldn't add much to the match but they didn't detract from it either. Pimpi and Damian did their comedy spots but they were quick and purposeful and didn't grind the match to a halt. So often these matches start well and then stall halfway through but Dandy & Co never let up. Mascara Sagrada was slow and out of shape but even he tried to work holds. You look at that tecnico side and you think this has no business being good but never judge a trios match by its cover. Or its participants, as the case may be. One of the better, more entertaining trios matches of the year.

It's December and Satanico is still trying to teach Tarzan Boy a lesson. I love it, This was a strong mano a mano bout due to Satanico's focus and bloody-minded determination. We're all familiar with Satanico the showman but he was locked in here and wanted a piece of Tarzan Boy. Few wrestlers can match Satanico's intensity when he's in this sort of mood. He can make a basic wrestling stance look like an invitation for pain. Tarzan Boy's job here was to take a beating while Ultimo Guerrero severed what was left of his frayed relationship with Satanico by interfering not once, not twice, but three times on Tarzan Boy's behalf. TB picked up a cheap win and Satanico went straight after Ultimo. Punches flew and the Infernales feud loomed as something glorious. I haven't been this excited about a Satanico face turn since the one in 1990. Bring on the new year!

Another match that failed to set the world on fire. It had all the ingredients -- excellent work between Blue Panther and the Villanos, the ultra-charismatic Wagner vs. Villano III and Black Warrior's willingness to bump like a madman -- but for some reason, it didn't come together. The match screeched to a halt in the segunda caida as the rudos engaged in some sluggish mask ripping and some shenanigans played out with Babe Richards, who was decked out like Shiro Abe from those old All Japan Women's matches. That woke the crowd up, though, and they popped for the retaliatory mask ripping and started up a "Vii-lla-nos!" chant during the third fall. The match ended on a high note with some pretty topes from Black Warrior and Panther but the bout wasn't remotely close to the type of MOTYC you'd expect from these teams on a pay-per-view show. In fact, it was barely above the level you'd see on a Friday night show. It was simply shown in full instead of being butchered. But then pay-per-view was a new concept for CMLL and the workers probably weren't thinking about it as a marquee event. Any way you slice it, it didn't live up to its potential which was a bummer given the talent involved.

Fun match. They kept things simple by having the rudos work like rudos and the tecnicos work like tecnicos, so we got a lot of double teaming from the rudo pair and spectacular highspots from the good guys. If you love lucha libre then that's all you really want from these undercard bouts. Marvin is being pushed as a young sensation but Sombra was equally good here and had a spectacular solo dive along with one stunning tandem effort. Nice work between the ropes with the standard lucha exchanges as well. Solid, all-round performance from both sides. Went out there and delivered the type of match they were asked to and ticked all the boxes for undercard performers. Good, positive showing, especially since these guys are more accustomed to working Arena Coliseo than the cathedral.

This was disappointing. It was difficult to imagine it being much better given how awkward lucha tags are, but still, they could have done a better job structurally by having clear rudo and tecnico falls and adopting more of a tag philosophy. Not necessarily having the rudos work over the tecnico in a FIP segment but incorporating more teamwork and not working the match like a series of individual match-ups. The work could have been better as well. There was none of the cutting edge, state-of-the art work I praised them for in their earlier trios matches. Santo and Rey had an extended mat sequence at the beginning that was strangely flat, and while Ultimo Guerrero and Casas tried to up the ante physically, their work fell apart in the deciding fall and some of their spots were awful. Hopefully, this is a dress rehearsal for something better.

This was a lightweight title match that got decent amount of time. I was looking forward to Virus being given a showcase match at Arena Coliseo and it didn't disappoint. It was worked in more of an up tempo "lightening match" style than classic title match fashion but that fit Marvin's style and produced enough exciting moments to make it worthwhile. They fubbed a few things, most notably the finish to the opening fall, but for the most part, the action was crisp and Virus added some neat touches to the transitions. They kept their eyes on the prize in terms of building to a satisfying conclusion and even though I'm a Virus fan I felt that Marvin going over was the right call. The crowd was happy, Marvin's stock rose a bit, and Virus once again excelled at the age-old art of making your opponent look good. Worth watching for all of Virus' small touches and the bigger arc of Marvin's dives and daredevil appeal. It doesn't really compare to Virus' title match work as a mini or his maestro run from a decade later. Consider it a bridge in between and marvel at how good Virus is on a minute level. That's what I did.

Satanico still hates Tarzan Boy. Tarzan Boy still hates Satanico. Santo and Casas hate Tarzan Boy. Tarzan Boy likes Ultimo Guerrero. Ultimo Guerrero likes Tarzan Boy. So does Ray Bucanero. Got all that? This wasn't as good as their previous match but it did have an awesome of visual of Satanico and Tarzan Boy sprawled all over the mat brawling with each other. The Infernales want to be friends with Tarzan Boy but Satanico isn't about to forget the humiliation of losing his hair to TB twice in the same year. The Infernales don't get quite as upset with Satanico as they did in the first match and Santo isn't anywhere near as pissed despite being caught in a Tree of Woe and having the crap stomped out of him. Tarzan Boy gets kicked off the tecnico team (metaphorically at least) but there's not a strong progression in the storyline and the holding pattern continues on the heel/face turns.

This started off well with a solid opening fall that saw Villano IV and Scorpio reprise some of the matwork from their IWRG title matches and Villano III and Panther work another brief but masterful exchange. Fuerza did an amazing sell of a Porky slap that was by far the best thing he's done all year and proceeded to pinball for him in the most entertaining fashion possible. Then the match cut to commercials and when it returned the rudos were in complete control. Without seeing the momentum shift, the bout fizzled badly and stayed that way for the remainder of the bout. BIt of a lame duck considering how good the beginning was.

Kitano is a famous TV host and comedian. It's not an entirely accurate analogy since Kitano is also a filmmaker, writer, and outspoken media pundit but the comparison that Dave is going for his late night TV host.

All right, let's see if they can make a believer out of me... General impressions: I didn't find it excessive nor did I have a hard time getting through it. I didn't love it but I did have plenty of respect for it. It was an absolute war and from the point of view of a big match between rivals they delivered in spades. Kobashi vs. Akiyama is never going to be a match-up I like as much as the other big feuds from 2000 but they laid it all on the line and I think they deserve MOTY consideration. I liked how they tried to work a different style from their All Japan days. The digit manipulation was particularly appreciated and immediately seared into the memory banks as a match where fingers get worked over. There may have been too many suplexes but the selling was good and there was a constant focus on damage, If anything it was the early build that was too long and could have been shortened. Kobashi continued to hobble about and it was clear he was in pain but he did his best to block it out and deliver a match that lived up to his standards. The black eye was a hell of a visual and put this over the top. Any match where you work that hard and get a swollen eye for your pains has to be worthy of praise. The first NOAH classic?

This was an excellent match but I didn't think it was a classic or a MOTYC. The to and fro between Kawada and Nagata was extremely exciting but the match stalled every time Fuchi or Iizuka were involved. With this and the RWTL Final fresh in mind, I can safely say that Kawada and Fuchi had very little chemistry together. In fact, Kawada more or less ignores him as a partner. After some standard matwork, Fuchi opted to work as a heel. It seemed like the right thing to do in foreign territory but the heel work was weak by Fuchi's own standards. Kawada worked stiff but didn't follow suit with the heel work so it felt like Fuchi was going out on a limb. He couldn't hang with the American big men and he can't deal with the New Japan workers without cheating. It makes you wonder why Kawada is tagging with him if he's such a liability. Shoddy teamwork aside, the exchanges between Kawada and Nagata were worthy of their own match. Nagata is one of those guys who is never as good as I want him to be but he was excellent in this. The crowd seemed warm to the idea of a singles match and embraced their one-on-one battles as though they were one. The finish was the best part of the bout. Time limit draws are notoriously hard to execute. This was about as good as it gets. The final minute was one of the most exciting things we've seen all year. Nagata was pissed at the end. He kept complaining about All Japan's "strange" tactics. That was on top of the commentator describing the bout as Strong Style vs. old-style pro-wrestling and, of course, Kawada's big win over Sasaki that had embarrassed the promotion. New Japan always wins these interpromotional feuds but it's nice to see Kawada getting the same type of treatment that Tenryu got several years earlier. It really has turned Kawada's year around and probably made him the #1 guy in Japan in my eyes.

This is the type of match I would usually skip but since it was the final of the Real World Tag League I felt obliged to watch it. And yes, there was an actual final in 2000. Kawada spent a large chunk of the opening 10 minutes working with Dr. Death and Mike Rotunda. He spent such a long time in the ring that when the Americans took over he was worn down from being on offense for so long. I'm not sure what the logic was in not tagging Fuchi. Perhaps he was trying to soften up the big foreign dudes so that Fuchi stood a chance, but you've got to trust your partner. The team had made it this far so I didn't see the point of hiding Fuchi on the apron. In the end, the Varsity Club's power moves were too much for Fuch, but the key moment was a huge spike piledriver on the outside that left Kawada incapacitated. The match was decent considering how washed up Williams and Rotunda were. Williams, in particular, was a battered war horse and struggled to get in and out of the ring, But the booking was odd. It wasn't a match-up that anybody wanted to see at Budokan and Wiliams and Rotunda winning didn't have much upside. The original plan was for Tenryu to tag with Onita and I guess that would have made a better final. Kawada looked pretty good in the ring continuing his second-half surge up the worker leaderboard. He's now approaching the likes of Delfin, Togo, and Ishikawa for Japanese worker of the year and there's still the big tag match to come. Stay tuned folks!

This was the type of no-frills action we've come to expect from the new All Japan. Kawada and Fuchi spent most of the bout working over Araya with punches and kicks to the face while Tenryu grew increasingly frustrated on the apron. Tenryu had a couple of good flurries and some exciting exchanges with Kawada but he couldn't turn the tide and the All Japan pair continued to pick Araya apart. Even a couple of slaps from Tenryu couldn't give Araya the strength he needed to overcome the orchestrated beatdown. This was a tournament match so it had its limitations but the action was face crushingly solid and I guaran-damn-tee that it was better than any NOAH tag from the year.

It pains me to say this but this wasn't very good. It was fine when they were striking each other but otherwise flat. Omori's comeback was crowd-pleasing but weak offensively and Hashimoto didn't put him away with anywhere near the authority you'd expect. This was meant to be the start of some huge Zero-One vs. NOAH feud and Hashimoto vs. Misawa dream match that never materialized but we've seen these "invasion" angles done so much better in the past. Hashimoto looked like he was still shaking off the cobwebs from all his downtime this year and his aura still seemed damaged to me. I love Hashimoto -- everything about his presence and his aura give me the chills -- but this was a terrible year for him.

Looks like this is the only time we'll see the Osaka Pro guys in December which is a bummer. It's a bit boring watching them plug into a New Japan juniors match. I'd rather watch them in their own setting. The action was okay but watching my boys fed to the new Golden Boy was hard to swallow. And he's not even a homegrown Golden Boy either. Liger has been painfully average all year. He did some decent things here but was straddling that fine line between taking a back seat and being the Ace of the entire division. Delfin also took a backseat and they seemed to deliberately avoid any sort of serious throwdown between the two. Murahama was feisty. Match could have used some Kanemoto, or Ohtani if he were still a junior. The juniors division hasn't been the same since Ohtani left. The finishing sequence between Tanaka and designated jobber Tsubasa was fun. Not bad but not really Osaka Pro-ish either.

What a Christmas present from Saitama Pro. Thank you, thank you, thank you!