[2013-04-10-WWE-NXT] William Regal vs Kassius Ohno

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[BillThompson]

Just watched this match, and it's really great stuff. I'm came very close to giving this match the highest rating possible, it's that darn great. I still shake my head at the fact that Ohno never made it to the WWE.

[WingedEagle]

William Regal in 2013. Amazing. I don't want to take anything away from Hero here as his strikes were on point, he sold the hand very well and, perhaps most importantly, was always in the right position. But this was the Regal show. He paid tribute to Isamu Teranishi vs. Fujinami in the '84 Gauntlet by viciously working the hand with stomps and just tearing at his fingers. Not sure that Hero is an ideal sympathetic babyface, but he did his best to play the part there and you can't take anything away from him. After Ohno cut off that attack with a big knee he went to work with kicks and stomps to Regal's head, and the selling was just fantastic, glassy-eyed in the immediate aftermath and then firing up through Ohno's big onslaught at the end before a finish that while sudden, fit the match very well.

 

Really amazing work by Regal and yet another example of him having some of the very best ever facial expressions.

[Microstatistics]

This is a MOTDC for me. Regal's best performance ever which is really saying something. This had it all. Violence, character work, awesome facial expressions and selling and tremendous psychology. Extremely well structured and paced too, had no wasted moments. **** 1/2 - **** 3/4

[Superstar Sleeze]

William Regal vs Kassius Ohno - WWE NXT 4/10/13

What is amazing to me is Regal had his career match in the last year of his career, but on his terms. Regal could have went out there with Hero and done a 2010s epic and had all the stars showered upon him, but they didn't. They stayed true to William Regal and had the best William Regal match they could. That's what really impresses me about this match. It is a match that is built around grit, struggle, violence and of course awesome facial expressions. The build is basic. Young gun calling the veteran not just washed up but a "never was" and now it is time for Regal to show his mettle. 

As with most Regal matches, the devil is in the details. By "devil" I mean the way he dishes out the pain and punishment. The opening chain wrestling has a sneer and grit to it that most wrestlers forget. Of course, there are the cute moments like the mule kicks in the corner while the ref admonishes. "O my heavens, what do you mean, my good sir Im not mule kicking him in the testicles." It is a good spot in the shine because it is entertaining as it is violent. That's the match it is gritty. It is head shots, finger manipulation and chokes, not much in the way of highspots, but much in the way of high drama. The story of the match develops into Hero trying to disrupt Regal's equilibrium by kicking him in the ear a lot versus Regal trying to break every single one of Hero's finger. It is a brutal masterpiece of violence that is right up Regal's alley. Things that stood out to me. I loved how Regal got out of the full nelson...check that out. Hero is double jointed in one of his fingers and it is fucking gross. The only time they got me real bad was there. The number one thing stood out to me was Regal's glassy eyed look. It was so perfect. If I didnt know any better I really thought he was stone cold out. The finish run is great capper to the body of this match. Hero cant apply his cravat finish because his fingers are mangled. It becomes a stand up Knockout battle. Hero desperately tries to KO Regal gets one nearfall, but when he goes for the elbow, Regal pulls the trigger first and wipes him out. Regal Running Knee KO's KO! 

Regal has had brutally violent matches with Finlay and Benoit. He has had scientific classics with Larry Z and Arn. This match combines the science with the brutality to create his ultimate masterpiece and one that truly is Regal in every sense of the word. ****1/2