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A great final that really was trending towards a MOTYC for me until it stopped. What these two did in twelve minutes were really craft a great story and intense action. CIMA and Liger are the two stars of the tournament so it is refreshing to see them in the final. CIMA using the palm strike which is such a Liger staple against him was an awesome visual and again the young up and comer certainly looks like he belongs and that he is very very close to Liger’s equal. In the end, this was Liger’s tournament to win. This whole tournament makes the Sasaki match even more maddening because how great would this have been for Liger’s momentum if he was coming off a win vs. a top heavyweight and then he grits his way to this victory. As of April 2000, I feel confident in saying CIMA and Liger are two of the 10 best workers in the world. ****

Two grizzled guys going in there and having a tough fought contest where they can see the end of the rainbow. The story here was told perfectly in that there may not be too many more opportunities for these guys when watching this in real time. They were stiff with each other and some of the tricks that Liger had used to gain advantage in earlier rounds certainly didn’t work on Hamada who has seen and done it all too. Liger is able to finally take advantage and advance to the finals. ***1/2

Sano goes into this match with the same strategy that worked vs Sasuke and why not. I really like how CIMA is being presented in the 1994 Great Sasuke role for this tournament as the up and comer stepping up on the big stage but he is a rudo so for instance he will break a submission attempt by Sano by raking the eyes. He will go for not necessarily cheating tactics but rough tactics like drilling multiple strikes into the corner. CIMA also sold his leg damage that was conducted in the early going in a wonderful way throughout the match. It wasn’t emphasized enough by Sano that it should have been completely neutralized but it was bothering CIMA’s mobility and he made sure you knew that. Sano amps things up as he realizes the match is slipping away so he hits a German, missile dropkick and nip up which is a bunch of flash for him in this tournament. He then goes back to breaking CIMA down utilizing a Boston Crab, surfboard, and Indian deathlock. The big bombs then come from Sano with a double stomp, splash mountain bomb and working towards a tiger suplex. CIMA was able to find an opening and run through his finishing repertoire although he is unable to hit the Iconoclasm. After a struggle he pops it off, hits the frog splash and advances to the final. I really appreciated the tonal shifts in this match as they were really assertive. This was a match that really paid off watching the tournament as a whole. ****

Another great showcase, this time for the ladies. Joshi in 2000 has been interesting but overall it has me optimistic for the decade ahead. There is a lot of positioning and multiple promotions going on that seems to be a big restraint from where the 80’s and 90’s had AJW as the center of the joshi scene that someone could parachute into and latch on. Asari in particular between this match and the Apache affair has shown an ability to work an insanely paced match but also mix in some violent and reckless moves that are executed near flawlessly. That is a dangerous clip to keep up with but I am exciting to see if she is able to maintain it as the decade progresses. ***1/2

What a great showcase match for everyone. The Toryumon guys were able to shine particular Mochi and SUWA as they were the ringleaders for a lot of the action and kept things moving along. Tanaka felt more spirited here and was able to bust out his flash submissions in a believable and exciting way. The big standout however was Ricky Marvin who flew around like a crazy person and did state of the art highspots for 2017 standards much less 17 years ago. A wonderful way to show the talent that got eliminated in the first round in the best light. ***3/4

Really strong short match. This match had a lot of hate and I really appreciated Teioh not being punked around by Liger. Aggressive striking and it really felt like Liger was brought to the brink in the seven minutes the match took place. Perfect for a second round match showing Liger that this won’t be an easy process. ***1/4

This was a weird match for me in that I thought I would like it tremendously based on the competitors and the structure and while what they did here was fine for the most part, something didn’t click. Sano is really established strongly utilizing a basic but effective ground game to neutralize Sasuke and his flash. Sasuke is able to get glimpses of that momentum, but they are not sustained. The ending plays into this when he can’t answer the bell at last. A big win for Sano. **3/4

Ok this doesn’t look as depressing as the first round of the J Cup at least. Onryo attacks before the bell and really takes it to CIMA. This kind of reminded me of the first round matches and was a fun sprint. CIMA has went from someone that probably was an underdog coming in to now being a favorite in this particular match and having to hang on from being upset. CIMA survives the onslaught and is able to advance with the frog splash. Fun start. **1/2

WCW C shows have provided a lot of great content in the year but this was a disappointment and I didn’t think these four ever got on the same page. We didn’t get any of the fun Villano bumps we can count on usually and Lenny and Lodi really don’t mesh too well as a team given they have been together for almost a year now. *1/2

Wolfie and Ali have been the two most prominent members of the PPW roster so it was good to see them lock up here. Pretty good garbage brawl that goes backstage and returns back inside the studio. Then the interference starts coming and the lights go out. You can hear the bumps in the ring with the lights out and they return with Ali laid out and Wolfie d wins the title and ending Ali’s winning streak. **1/2

I found this interesting that they billed this as the last time Lawler and Dundee would team up. I was certain that would result in them feuding with each other at the end of this match but they stayed together surprisingly. The action overall was good here and Bull/Morton work well as a team here just like what I remember when they team up later in IWA-MS. MCW is continuing to have decent action each week centered around Lawler and the former KAW guys. **3/4

Really fun tv match. Reckless looks like a spry up and comer but Regal really is in peak form here mixing in that blend of brutality and speed that makes him so engaging and amazing to watch when he is on. They did some unique mat work here that is foreign for the Memphis territory and the finish was unconventional as Charles touched on. A lot of fun overall. ***

Yeah, this was a big let down. FMW as one of the better promotions in 1999 but they have stalled out a good bit starting in 2000. This felt like a collection of odd talent going through the motions based on what we saw and it didn't have me wanting to seek it out in full. NR

This was worked at an intense pace and featured that brutal table piledriver spot. Perfect for an opener to kick off the whole weekend for EVOLVE. ***

Agree that this was a nice compact match which was not the norm for Thatcher during the title reign. Dickinson looked more competent on the mat and taking the offense of Thatcher than I expected. Strong second match on the card stuff. ***1/4

Good match. Severn looked excited to have a spry Riddle on the mat and they didn't draw this out too long which was a necessity for a match with 58 year old Severn and a match going on at 2:30 AM. Riddle took a good bit of this match which was nice to see considering I expected him to be solely in the underdog role. ***1/4

You are correct Jetlag, habit punching in LCO in there automatically.

This was a weird match. First, Pearce has long hair which really throws me off. Second, this was worked in much more of a garbage style brawl than I expected with crowd brawling and tables. Pearce does have some moments of strong execution like a gutwrench powerbomb but overall this left me a bit confused and was lackluster. **

Punk is really over here even though it appears he is a heel doing his Im better than you pre match routine. The match was a lot more ambitious than Punk’s match vs. Cabana in January. This led to some hits and interesting bits but also a few moments that looked awful execution wise. The finish was also weak with the chair in the opponents hand and you playing dead gag actually working. Eric Priest had a good look to him and I am surprised that I don’t recall his name popping up much of anywhere. **1/4

This is the blow off to this feud and besides this and the HBK vs Venom match, this is essentially all we will see of TWA. Dragon has really looked like he has improved a bit just in the first two months as he is running the ropes and going through his progressions in a crisper and confident manner. Air Spanky also still looks great and Spanky/Dragon have formed a great Rockers esque unit in TWA. The match was 90% all Spanky/Dragon as they run through all their offense and look great doing so. Then Spanky is too cocky dancing in front of the referee while Dragon has the pinfall and one finisher from Board of Education is enough for them to steal the win. Dragon unmasks in disgust and goes nuts on Spanky giving him two Cop Killers on the chair. ***

A grand match that worked as Kobashi giving an homage to World of Sport. This match really gave me pause to whether Kobashi is the GOAT because he is able to work a Johnny Smith style of match that 100% plays to his strengths (that we haven’t seen much of so far mind you) and yet Kobashi looks completely comfortable and competent. The arm wringers and reversal in the first half of the match were amazing and really played into the big bombs and throws in the second half. A fabulous match overall and one I think everyone should seek out to show how versatile Kobashi really is. ****

Mossman will be very interesting to track throughout the decade. I really enjoyed this match. Ogawa/Misawa got overwhelmed in the early going and had to play catchup for most of the match. The arm work done to Ogawa was especially inspiring with frequent tags between Akiyama and Mossman. Eventurally the finishing run occurs and it is also exciting with nearfalls and Ogawa having to result to some of his nefarious tactics out of necessity instead of just for the hell of it. ***1/2

Fantastic lucha that harkened me back to January/February glory days. Panther is awesome and twists and stretches everyone in such a dickish way. Casas also really shined here as the tecnico and everything was moving along really smoothly sans a terrible botch by Tarzan Boy. This rudo trio in particular was really meancing. The submission Panther lays on Casas to win the second fall looked like it hurt like hell. ***1/2

In the absence of Satanico lately, Shocker has become the big rudo in the whole promotion. This had the fire and energy of the pre 3/17 stuff. I love Perro but its pretty clear that he is on the downswing of his career and is only really good for brawling around the ring. Him and Bestia in particular have an off sequence inside the ring. Shoker and Niebla in particular have a fun pairing in this one. Niebla is an interesting guy in CMLL at the time that has looked good in all the stuff we have seen but hasn’t been showcased to be the guy in anything either. One day I will learn the name of the mini here that always adds a little interest to the proceedings. Perro gets busted open and the rudos reign supreme as the segment ends. ***

A really fun three way match that sets the template for other indy variations we will see throughout the decade. Reil clowns the Sabu entrance giving him extra heat as he and Ki square off. Sabu has some aura on the indy scene and looked to be motivated here. The three way spots are fine and never got too cute for me. Reil is eliminated and we get 5-6 minutes of Ki vs Sabu which felt like an app to a longer form match down the road. Sabu ends up winning but Ki gets the respect reaction from the boys and the crowd for his efforts. ***1/4