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Shoe's 2017 4* matches


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Timothy Thatcher vs Joe Graves (PCW 1/20/17) 4*

 

Some back and forth early. Thatcher with surgical strikes. Some really fun counter wrestling. Thatcher with knees rocking Graves. Thatcher gets the leg. Thatcher now after the bad arm. Big time finger manipulation. Nasty stomp on Grave's wrist. Suplex by Thatcher.Russian Leg sweep into some pretzel submission. Butterfly suplex by Thatcher. Graves starts a comeback to only eat a German by Thatcher. Sleeper hold that gets turned into a suplex . Then locks on a Tazmission. 4*

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Penta Zero M y Daga vs L.A. Park y Rey Escorpión(AULL 3/8/17)

 

The Rudos are dominating from the start. This is a hate filled brawl. Rudos take the 1st caida. Rudos still kicking their ass. Pentagon's mask is getting ripped. Tons of weapons. Crowd is hot for all of this. Beers are flying. Escorpion is biting Pentagon while taking a selfie. A top rope power bomb by Park to Pentagon into a beer tub. Comeback time for the technicos. Brawling in the stands. Daga throws a 12 pk of bottled beer at Escorpion. Park's mask is ripped. Some great revenge spots in the comeback. The beer trough is totally ruined. The technicos even it up. The 3rd caida and the Rudos are putting a beatdown on Daga. They turn the tide. Pentagon kicks Escorpion right in the mush. Rudos use the numbers and are in control. Stereo dives from the faces. Great nearfall with the sling blade. Escorpion has been incredible this match. Daga looks out on his feet. Great punch by Park. Screwjob finish, great match. Though it did go too long. 4*

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​3/12/17 WXW Walter vs Dragunov 5*

 

This was an incredible match. Walter was the monster who just brought it. Dragunov was this babyface who just never would die. Showed incredible fire. Dragunov's chest was just a mess. Walter's was a a one man wrecking crew. Walter felt like a high end Terry Gordy here. Dragunov kept going to his finisher, finally he's able to topple the monster. Just an epic match with both guys playing their role to a tee.

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3/19/17 Progress Will Ospreay vs Mark Andrews 4 1/2*

 

I really liked this. First it did have a lot of big moves. Yet they all made sense. Both guys were focusing on each others neck. Ospreay as heel worked for me. HIs mannerisms really worked. I liked what he did here. Andrews is of course an incredible babyface.

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3/26/17 Inspire Pro ACH vs Terelle Tempo 4*




This was worked so differently that I couldn't believe they tried it. Yet it totally worked for me by the end of the match. This is something straight out of Memphis. This is with a 30 minute time limit. They had the scoreboard clock working this all night. It starts like a typical ACH match. The crowd was hot for both guys. Then it starts looking like it's a little uncooperative. A,rs swirling around ACH. Eventually it restarts and it's worked in a very stiff manner. Both guys did ground and pound. Stiff as hell chops. Slaps to the face, and wicked leg kicks. This totally morphed into a worked shoot and it was mesmerizing. The final 10 secs the crowd is hot. To put over they aren't cooperating it wasn't a nearfall, or a submission down the stretch. No they were fighting on the outside. On top of this ACH body language of being a pissed off child who wasn't getting his way was so incredible. It's ballsy to try to turn ACH heel in Austin. It really worked, because the crowd for the most part turned on him. Some more promo work and we get 5 more minutes. Eventually they build to a rematch. Overall this went 35 minutes and was one hell of a story. ACH really showed his chops and was a great heel.

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  • 1 month later...

4/26/17 CWF-Mid Atlantic Trevor Lee vs Chip Day 4 1/2*

 

Lee is in the middle of an all time title range. Just classic after classic. His next guy to match up with Chip Day. These guys have been around each other for a long time. They're pretty fresh off a 6 pack challenge. Another great match by the way. They open up with a feeling out process. They do a little mirror spots, counters of counters, and near misses. This transitions into some gritty mat work with great ring positioning. Day hits some wicked leg checks. Day is doing everything he can to avoid Lee's arm work. They get to a spot where they each get the leg. They each drop the leg. Day is the quickest and nails another kick. This spot could have turned him heel but it didn't. This pisses Lee off, and leads to a caveman slam and some G&P. Finally Lee gets the arm. He starts to work it and just wrecking it. Day sells it big. In a wonderful spot and a call back to Day's early work. Lee is attempting a Breaks special and Day hits another wonderful leg kick. Again Day hits the leg kick while is on the top rope and takes a header bump. Lee hits a lariat and Day with a spin bump. They have a strike exchange where both guys are selling big time. A great nearfall on the spin kick. Lee's STF looked stiff as hell. They did this brilliant one spot. Finally, they have a big time strike exchange. This was epic because it was built to and mattered. Finally we build to the finish. Just an incredible bout. 4 1/2*

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4/29/17 IWRG Negro Navarro vs Zach Sabre Jr. 4*

 

My dream match is Blue Panther vs Jim Breaks. I'm not going get that so I was excited about this. It had an exhibitionary feel. We get a good fel of meshing Lucha with the British flair. I enjoyed all the wrestling. Both guys did well selling the submissions. This match won't be for everyone but worked for me. My favorite moments was Navarro having a swank Lucha submission on , and ZSJ wuld bust out some carny escape.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

5/5/17 Crash Lucha Bros vs Young Bucks 4 1/4*

 

I really enjoyed this. I like when the Bucks give me some structure. In Mexico I can buy them as heels. Also with the Lucha rules I won't get all out of whack when people are in and out without tags.

 

We open up with some feeling out process. A lot of counters of counters. A lot of back and forth.These guys have worked each other so I can buy into it. Eventually, the Bucks get the heat on the faces. This is a ton of fun, especially the flying stomp on Fenix's arm. I loved the Lucha Bros comeback. Some neat spots, and cool flying. Finally, the Young Bucks cut them off and it's all balls to the wall high spots. Both teams busting out killer moves, and token spots. A lot of momentum swings. The finish was awesome.

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  • 3 weeks later...

5/20/17 Evolve Matt Riddle vs Kyle O'Reilly 4 1/2*

 

This was just tremendous. I'm a fan of both guys and they really rocked it. I loved all the hard hitting action. Both guys shooting for submissions. They really built the drama, and all the near falls and submissions. The crowd was into it, and it felt like a big match. I wasn't a fan of Riddle looked like he got his timing off on his Pele' kick spot. O'Reilly covered it great and nothing was noticeable, except Riddle went right back into the spot. Still this an amazing match.

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5/21/17 Evolve Zach Sabre Jr. vs Lio Rush 4 1/2*

 

This was pretty awesome. Zach was great at destroying Lio's shoulder. Lio's selling was top notch. I loved how they sprinkled in Lio's comeback's and cut offs. They worked his high spots in organically. Just great story telling.

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5/20/17 Evolve Matt Riddle vs Kyle O'Reilly 4 1/2*

 

This was just tremendous. I'm a fan of both guys and they really rocked it. I loved all the hard hitting action. Both guys shooting for submissions. They really built the drama, and all the near falls and submissions. The crowd was into it, and it felt like a big match. I wasn't a fan of Riddle looked like he got his timing off on his Pele' kick spot. O'Reilly covered it great and nothing was noticeable, except Riddle went right back into the spot. Still this an amazing match.

 

Riddle needs to drop the Pele kick. Looks terrible almost every time. Actually, he's developed a lot of bad habits.

 

I agree about the match though. O'Reilly's return to EVOLVE has clicked for me in a way I didn't expect, given how hit and miss (more miss) he was in ROH and New Japan.

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5/20/17 Evolve Matt Riddle vs Kyle O'Reilly 4 1/2*

 

This was just tremendous. I'm a fan of both guys and they really rocked it. I loved all the hard hitting action. Both guys shooting for submissions. They really built the drama, and all the near falls and submissions. The crowd was into it, and it felt like a big match. I wasn't a fan of Riddle looked like he got his timing off on his Pele' kick spot. O'Reilly covered it great and nothing was noticeable, except Riddle went right back into the spot. Still this an amazing match.

 

Riddle needs to drop the Pele kick. Looks terrible almost every time. Actually, he's developed a lot of bad habits.

 

I agree about the match though. O'Reilly's return to EVOLVE has clicked for me in a way I didn't expect, given how hit and miss (more miss) he was in ROH and New Japan.

 

The more he's worked the more spotty and formula he's become. He's a guy I like, but usually his high end matches involve a guy who can coral the bad habits.

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5/20/17 Evolve Matt Riddle vs Kyle O'Reilly 4 1/2*

 

This was just tremendous. I'm a fan of both guys and they really rocked it. I loved all the hard hitting action. Both guys shooting for submissions. They really built the drama, and all the near falls and submissions. The crowd was into it, and it felt like a big match. I wasn't a fan of Riddle looked like he got his timing off on his Pele' kick spot. O'Reilly covered it great and nothing was noticeable, except Riddle went right back into the spot. Still this an amazing match.

 

Riddle needs to drop the Pele kick. Looks terrible almost every time. Actually, he's developed a lot of bad habits.

 

I agree about the match though. O'Reilly's return to EVOLVE has clicked for me in a way I didn't expect, given how hit and miss (more miss) he was in ROH and New Japan.

 

 

Agree about the Pele kick and many of Riddle's strikes. As shoe noted he's become very formulaic and his matches will really turn on the type of opponent. I haven't been impressed against the KOR or Cobb types that can grind a match down. As I'm admittedly down on the style, I thought a whole lot less of this match than most and disappointed by the apparent need to prove they could go long.

 

Very much prefer him working near sprints with wrestlers who can cut a pace, but think he really shines when pushed by someone big like Elgin or Walter. They've been responsible for my favorite Riddle matches to date and do a great job taking him out of his apparent comfort zone, forcing him to sell and work from underneath while presenting a real challenge.

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6/3/17 NJPW Kushida vs Will Ospreay 4 3/4*

 

I thought this was just incredible, and If Will's adrenaline didn't get the best of him down the stretch could have gone the full 5*. I enjoyed the feeling out process between the 2. Of course we get a version of a square off which is a Will trope, but here it works, and it isn't as show offy. I enjoyed Cyrus questioning why they are just letting each other hit each other. Kushida moves to the arm. Now the leg, and goes back and forth on each. Ospreay on a comeback, and he's shaking the leg. He hooks on an octopus. Kushida escapes and gets the arm. Kushida is just destroying it. Ospreay is selling it big, and makes the work mean so much more. A big dive by Will. You totally feel the pain that Will is in. Will hits a nasty reverse rana on the skirt. Ospreay is working the neck. Ospreay signals for the cutter, but can't raise the arm. What a nice touch.Now the build to the finish is incredible, only hurt by Will's adrenaline of getting caught up in the moment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

6/16/17 Style Battle Fred Yehi vs Anthony Henry 4 1/2*

 

I like both of these guys and I might have Fred Yehi as the best wrestler of the year up to this point. They had a great match earlier in the year. I thought this one trumped it. In fact I thought this might have been the smartest worked match this year. Henry comes into the match selling the neck. Of course Yehi is licking his chops like he found another connect 4 victim. One of the main story points was Yehi working over Henry's neck. A great moment full of drama was when Yehi had the Koji Clutch on and Henry made the rope. Another really smart aspect of the match was Yehi stomping on Henry's hands. This caused Henry to use a more kick based offense. This also limited his grappling, and submission work. Finally, the stretch run was brilliant with Henry using revenge spots on Yehi aiming at fucking up Yehi's neck. Great stuff.

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  • 3 weeks later...

EVOLVE Zach Sabre Jr. vs Timothy Thatcher 4 1/2*

 

I really loved how this was worked. I'm glad they worked their style of match within the confines if the stip. It really made the work standout because you really saw it be different in how it was worked because of the stip. You saw them do it in places you thought they'd never do submission work. A real interesting match.

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  • 3 weeks later...

7/9/17 Progress Matt Riddle vs Walter 4 3/4*

 

This was epic. It kinda had a WCCW brawl with Terry Gordy. These guys beat crap out of each other. Both guys chests were red as hell. They even had blood blisters . Then it gets physical with high impact moves.What these guys did with leg kicks was nuts. I loved Walter slowly breaking down Riddle's neck. From Riddle no selling German Suplexes to Walter breaking him down. Eventually Walter targets that neck and Riddle slowly begins to show pain. Eventually Walter chokes him out. Such great stuff.

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  • 2 months later...

10/11/17 CWF-MA Arik Royal vs Snooty Fox brass knuckles on a poll 4 1/4*

 

This might be my favorite match of the year. This is just a hate filled brawl. They keep the weapons down to a minimum so it becomes about the competitors and not the weapons. The heat for this was nuts. It even go hotter at the finish. Hot enough where they had to get the police to clear people out. A territorial brawl in 2017.

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