BOTSJ night 3 5/25/15

[shoe]

Baretta vs Owens

 

The guys worked hard but didn't really tell a story. Baretta took most of the match. Owens looks like he's used to working in front of 200 people. He seems like he doesn't know how to get over. Nothing was really built to. The match wasn't bad, it just lacked direction. 2 1/4*

 

Dorada vs Finlay

 

This was a good match. It was very basic storytelling which is really what it needed to be. Finlay really impressed me here with his work on top. All of his stuff looked nasty. The headlock work and arm work had a real aggressive look to it. Dorada makes a comeback with a couple of highspots and an awesome dive to the outside. Finlay cuts him off again and really rag dogs in his headlock. He even uses his dads rolling slam. Dorada makes a comeback again and scores the victory. Both guys come out of this looking good. 3*

 

Bobby Fish vs Tiger Mask

 

 

This was a one man show in Fish doing everything he could to have a good match. He told a story on offense. Set up the heat . Sold his injury and did spots to himself. Tiger Mask was a total load here. 2*

 

Jushin Liger vs Kyle O'Reilly

 

This was a lot of fun. Both guys were great working the mat. They both worked on top . The highspots were well executed. They built to a fun finish. I really enjoyed this. 3 1/4*

[SomethingSavage]

Judging by your review, I can't tell if Fish had a solid showing for himself there or not. Sucks to hear he had to carry the workload himself though. I'll still be checking out the match to see how he performs anyhow. Ditto for Dorada's deal here.

 

Liger vs. Kyle is one of those pairings that will keep me dialed into the field until the finals, regardless. Definitely have that on my short-list for priority viewing this weekend.

 

On a side note, this weather's been a sadistic son of a bitch this week. Not sure exactly how nearby you are to my neck of the woods in Texas, Pete - but has it wrecked your neighborhood as badly as it has mine? Thankfully my house sits on a leveled hill, but the town's practically a flood zone just waiting for the rivers to rise. Ready for mother nature to body slam this madness & get back to my usual routines already.

[shoe]

Fish had a great showing, just nothing to work with.

 

 

 

I've been lucky with the weather. In Austin I'm fine. I was Houston from Saturday -Tuesday and besides trying to get home from the Rocket game I've been pretty clear of the really bad stuff. The rain has been the pits.

[CodySave]

Baretta is a guy that, on paper, I should really enjoy - awesome tights, really great babyface fire, does flashy stuff - but I just don't get pumped to watch him at all. I really don't understand it. I feel like I'm being the asshole in this siutation. Maybe if he faced off against a really heelish heel? It's not just in New Japan, it goes back to his WWE stuff, his ROH stuff, what I've seen of him in PWG, etc.

 

And the Roppongi Vice theme music is comically terrible.

 

Chase Owens continues to be that guy that would be 2nd or 3rd best on your local indy show....but somehow is getting booked in New Japan instead of any of the 400 2nd or 3rd best guys in the country. He recently wrestled a really, really talented young guy named Ricky Love - who is considerably more exciting to watch - in Minnesota and it blows my mind someone paid to bring him up to Minnesota from the South.

 

If anything, I'm honestly really impressed Owens is managing to get so many high profile bookings. He's young too, only mid 20s, so he may really develop nicely in the next couple years.

 

Dorada has looked really good, one of the standouts of the tournament thus far. I'm givng him quite a bit of leeway over the other entrants, but Finlay has certainly overachieved in my eyes.

 

Bobby Fish is another one that has really impressed me over the past year. He and O'Reilly are an awesome team and I love, love, love his match with TJ Perkins from the PWG BOLA. I think I'd take O'Reilly over Fish in singles, but the gap is closing.

 

Liger and O'Reilly is a lot of fun and Liger is really bringing it thus far in this tourny.

 

As someone who doesn't follow New Japan's booking super closely...I have no idea what to expect for the final four. I imagine Shelley figured into the mix, if not the winner, but him being out will really make things interesting. Gedo of all people is seemingly going on a run - maybe between thi and te ROH tour, he's making a legitimate comeback?

[shoe]

Shelley is injured and thus had to forfeit the rest of his matches.

[SomethingSavage]

Bobby Fish is another one that has really impressed me over the past year. He and O'Reilly are an awesome team and I love, love, love his match with TJ Perkins from the PWG BOLA. I think I'd take O'Reilly over Fish in singles, but the gap is closing.

 

 

I love the team, but I still don't think Fish comes close to touching O'Reilly as a polished singles performer right now. To be fair, Kyle's had more opportunities to shine in that area. But, to be perfectly honest, the times I've seen Fish in similar situations - he's been total hit or miss.

 

You are right though. That opener between Fish and Perkins from BOLA is fantastic. Straightforward storytelling of submission skills versus aerial offense. Fish sticks (ha) to what he does well there, and TJ does a fine job of fighting for survival. The finish is basic - but it's tremendous, and it honestly would work in any era of wrestling.

 

As for the booking, I went in with expectations of Kushida and Kyle lasting the long haul & moving into the final stretch. Wouldn't be shocked if Liger or Dorada were there.

 

Sucks to hear that Shelley's injured AGAIN. Same sort of situation went down last year, when everyone kind of predicted Alex & Kushida to square off at some point & have that play an integral part in things moving forward.