Not sure if it is me but I feel as if Smackdown is insignificant. I think I can just watch Raw and not miss a beat on what is going on in the WWE. But being the wrestling addict that I am there is always that chance I could miss a great Midcard match so here I sit for another two hours of Smackdown!
Shaemus is out to call out the Big Show. Shaemus is trying to get a shot at the championship and Show is doing everything in his power to not face Shaemus again. Show was absolutely right in that Shaemus cannot beat show when it matters. Bookers plan for the night includes a drawing to see who faces Show for the title in the main event. I had Shaemus winning but Santino won the drawing and I could see a scenario where he wins the title too. Show is way overconfident he will win and Santino has almost won the crown once before. This will be interesting.
Primo vs Brodus Clay
This was the very definition of a squash. Primo got one offensive move in...a kick. Brodus cleans up with the big ass splash. This was pointless, and didn't move anyone up. Brodus should be past these squashes and onto more competitive matches as he has been in the WWE close to a year. Maybe Primo pissed off someone up the ladder and this is his punishment. This one sided squash makes no sense to me.
Shaemus is trying to teach Santino the Brogue Kick and Santino pulls a major hamstring, great.
Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No vs Wade Barrett and Team Rhodes Scholars
There feels like there are a thousand tag team matches on Smackdown and RAW. This fell somewhere in the middle. It was all about Barrett and Kingston. Team Hell No literally did nothing of note. Kingston is going to be a world champion at some point maybe by the end of this year.
Because of Santino's injury he cannot compete and another name will be drawn out of the tumbler. We may see Shaemus winning the World Title tonight. After the break it turns out Ricardo's name was drawn from the hopper and Big Show is ecstatic. He doesn't like Ricardo's announcing and knocks him out.
Zack Ryder vs Antonio Cesaro
This was a squash a couple of steps above the Brodus squash. Ryder gets a big pop coming out and a USA chant to motivate him to get out of a hold but he doesn't even connect with the Broski Boot. Cesaro's neutralizer easily puts Ryder away.
The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler
Talk about phoning it in, this was rest hold after rest hold with little or no crowd involvement until the end. The most interesting stuff about this Ziggler win involved AJ (though Big E Langston catching Dolph in mid air was impressive). Miz blew AJ a kiss that pissed her off and after the match more or less called her a whore and that really pissed her off. The post match brawl was more energetic and entertaining than the match and ended with Langston destroying Miz. Langston is huge and garners great reactions every time I have seen him.
Brad Maddox shows up while Booker is trying to figure out if Ricardo will be ok. He drops a " Can you dig that sucka" on Booker and it is awesome. He gets a match next, then Alberto comes to console his friend and gets a championship match tonight with the Big Show. So much for drawing a random name I guess.
Brad Maddox vs Shaemus
Shaemus is the surprise opponent and I am hoping for a good match...and a Maddox win. Sadly it still isn't Maddox's time just yet. This is another squash and is Maddox's last chance to earn a contract on Smackdown.
Prime Time Players vs The Usos
The Usos so cheated to win! The PTP's should be challenging Team Hell No for the titles as they are better than any other challenging team save for Team Rhodes Scholars. This match was extremely quick and I bet the intros were longer. Cutting a squash match would have given this more time.
The Shield sent in a video. They claim they are just getting started and 2013 is going to be their year. I love The Shield they are 10000 times better than Aces & 8's.
Big Show is pissed ADR got the title shot but he is ready to knock him out.
Big Show © vs Alberto Del Rio - World Heavyweight Title
Del Rio gets a monster pop coming out. This match wasn't much since they didn't have much time to really develop a deep story. Alberto finally gets the upper hand and is about to turn Show over for the cross arm breaker then Show leaves. Shaemus stops him and gets ADR disqualified, while the entire locker room forces Show back to the ring for ADR and Shaemus to get a little revenge. Shaemus is extremely over and would not be surprised if he wins the Rumble and beats Show at Wrestlemania.
This was a down show tonight with a lot of short squash matches, hopefully things will pick up in the new year.
Monday, December 31, 2012
TNA Impact 12/27/12
I haven't watched TNA since they pissed me off by making Jeff Hardy the world champion. I try to be somewhat optimistic and positive while watching wrestling, but TNA has a reputation for a reason. Deep breathe, here we go...
It's Open Fight Night and Bully Ray is calling out Hulk Hogan......to talk. The Brookster responds, and apparently he knows Brooke and Bully are sleeping together. This was carried out very odd since they barely said anything over the mic but the cameras were close enough to hear what they were saying, the live crowd spent this time to make cat calls at Brooke. This may have worked better as a backstage thing and not in the live setting.
Austin Ares is out to talk and call out Bobby Roode, who screwed Ares out of the title at the last PPV. Match will be our main event.
Samoa Joe vs Masked Man from Aces & 8's
Joe calls this poor fool out and says he will take off the mask. The match was nothing more than a squash. Joe takes care of the A&8 member with the rear naked choke. A&8's runs to their fallen members side to keep the mask from coming off.
I am dumber for having watched Robbie E challenge another wrestler (no idea who it is) to a bro off....this is all.
Kenny King says he is going to beat RVD.
Robbie E vs Jesse Gotters - Bro off
As absolutely mind numbingly insane as this was at least it serves a purpose to turn Robbie T on Robbie E. Gotters was disqualified for finishing with dude instead of bro, and Robbie T steps in for the win leaving Robbie E speechless. This made me embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.
Rob Van Dam vs Christian York
RVD calling out York "out of thin air" pisses off Kenny King. York put up a little fight but this was little more than an extended squash. York going the limit with Jeff Hardy sounds like it could have been good. York got a couple move in but that was about it. Rolling Thunder and the 5-star Frog Splash gives RVD the win.
D-Von is apparently the face of A&8's and brought a new guy into the group, hell if I know who it is since his name wasn't mentioned.
Joseph Park was sent to OVW by the Hulkster to learn how to properly wrestle. The trainer Danny Davis said he sucks but Park thinks he is doing good. Parks gets a bloody nose and snaps destroying the wrestler with a Black Hole Slam. I like that they have kept this character going. Park's facial expressions might be second only to William Regal. He is that good at putting this character over. I wonder why Abyss stayed under a mask for so long when he has a lot more to offer. The Joseph Park character was one of my favorite things when I watched Impact back in the summer and he is still awesome.
Daniels and Kaz promise one last Christmas present. I still like Daniels a lot, wish he would make the switch to WWE but I doubt it will ever happen.
Apparently D-Von took Sting's bat and he created a promo saying he is going to take it back.
Christopher Daniels is in complete Curry Man mode dancing to the ring. His present is an Open Fight challenge to AJ Styles which turns out to be Kaz in AJ's gear. Kaz busts out a promo that almost nails AJ's western Georgia accent and decide to go see Claire Lynch until Daniels stops him. These guys are fun and the blowoff with Styles maybe their legit last match together and be very very very good. The Tag Champs come out and lay down the challenge to Daniels and Kaz.
Chavo Guererro & Hernandez vs Christopher Daniels & Kaz
Hernandez & Guererro are a pretty good team for only being together a few months. This was a good tv match, though it is hard to have a bad match when you are facing Daniels and Kaz. If I were a wrestler I would prefer to employ Daniels and Kaz's strategy of being smart. They lose here but I wouldn't be surprised if the titles find their way to Daniels and Kaz before April.
Interesting A&8's are bringing in TNA wrestlers into the group. Mr Anderson is now considering membership. At least there are faces associated with this group.
Gail Kim vs Miss Tessmacher
I will be honest I don't care about most women's wrestling until they are willing to punch each other in the face like Aja Kong and Bull Nakano. This match might get more time than the main event.
Bobby Roode vs Austin Ares
Roode and Ares are one and the same and they challenged each other to find every trick in the book to cheat. They pulled out everything and it made for a fun match. Ares is such a master at slipping into holds and countering any situation he finds himself in. TNA still has problems (as all promotions do) but both Roode and Ares are bright spots for this promotion. I hope we get rematches in future weeks as this was a no contest. Both participants threw the red out of the ring and then Jeff Hardy came in to toss both out of the ring. I am so not a fan of Hardy, and hope his time as champion is rather brief.
It's Open Fight Night and Bully Ray is calling out Hulk Hogan......to talk. The Brookster responds, and apparently he knows Brooke and Bully are sleeping together. This was carried out very odd since they barely said anything over the mic but the cameras were close enough to hear what they were saying, the live crowd spent this time to make cat calls at Brooke. This may have worked better as a backstage thing and not in the live setting.
Austin Ares is out to talk and call out Bobby Roode, who screwed Ares out of the title at the last PPV. Match will be our main event.
Samoa Joe vs Masked Man from Aces & 8's
Joe calls this poor fool out and says he will take off the mask. The match was nothing more than a squash. Joe takes care of the A&8 member with the rear naked choke. A&8's runs to their fallen members side to keep the mask from coming off.
I am dumber for having watched Robbie E challenge another wrestler (no idea who it is) to a bro off....this is all.
Kenny King says he is going to beat RVD.
Robbie E vs Jesse Gotters - Bro off
As absolutely mind numbingly insane as this was at least it serves a purpose to turn Robbie T on Robbie E. Gotters was disqualified for finishing with dude instead of bro, and Robbie T steps in for the win leaving Robbie E speechless. This made me embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.
Rob Van Dam vs Christian York
RVD calling out York "out of thin air" pisses off Kenny King. York put up a little fight but this was little more than an extended squash. York going the limit with Jeff Hardy sounds like it could have been good. York got a couple move in but that was about it. Rolling Thunder and the 5-star Frog Splash gives RVD the win.
D-Von is apparently the face of A&8's and brought a new guy into the group, hell if I know who it is since his name wasn't mentioned.
Joseph Park was sent to OVW by the Hulkster to learn how to properly wrestle. The trainer Danny Davis said he sucks but Park thinks he is doing good. Parks gets a bloody nose and snaps destroying the wrestler with a Black Hole Slam. I like that they have kept this character going. Park's facial expressions might be second only to William Regal. He is that good at putting this character over. I wonder why Abyss stayed under a mask for so long when he has a lot more to offer. The Joseph Park character was one of my favorite things when I watched Impact back in the summer and he is still awesome.
Daniels and Kaz promise one last Christmas present. I still like Daniels a lot, wish he would make the switch to WWE but I doubt it will ever happen.
Apparently D-Von took Sting's bat and he created a promo saying he is going to take it back.
Christopher Daniels is in complete Curry Man mode dancing to the ring. His present is an Open Fight challenge to AJ Styles which turns out to be Kaz in AJ's gear. Kaz busts out a promo that almost nails AJ's western Georgia accent and decide to go see Claire Lynch until Daniels stops him. These guys are fun and the blowoff with Styles maybe their legit last match together and be very very very good. The Tag Champs come out and lay down the challenge to Daniels and Kaz.
Chavo Guererro & Hernandez vs Christopher Daniels & Kaz
Hernandez & Guererro are a pretty good team for only being together a few months. This was a good tv match, though it is hard to have a bad match when you are facing Daniels and Kaz. If I were a wrestler I would prefer to employ Daniels and Kaz's strategy of being smart. They lose here but I wouldn't be surprised if the titles find their way to Daniels and Kaz before April.
Interesting A&8's are bringing in TNA wrestlers into the group. Mr Anderson is now considering membership. At least there are faces associated with this group.
Gail Kim vs Miss Tessmacher
I will be honest I don't care about most women's wrestling until they are willing to punch each other in the face like Aja Kong and Bull Nakano. This match might get more time than the main event.
Bobby Roode vs Austin Ares
Roode and Ares are one and the same and they challenged each other to find every trick in the book to cheat. They pulled out everything and it made for a fun match. Ares is such a master at slipping into holds and countering any situation he finds himself in. TNA still has problems (as all promotions do) but both Roode and Ares are bright spots for this promotion. I hope we get rematches in future weeks as this was a no contest. Both participants threw the red out of the ring and then Jeff Hardy came in to toss both out of the ring. I am so not a fan of Hardy, and hope his time as champion is rather brief.
AJPW RWTL 2012 Tag 4 11/23/12
Kazushi Miyamoto vs MAZADA
This was a complete squash by Miyamoto. His offense wasn't anything exciting a few chops, brainbuster and he finished off MAZADA with a lariat. Miyamoto gave the championship sign after the match so I wonder if he has a title opportunity upcoming.
Bambikiller & Franz Dynamite vs SUSHI & Yasufumi Nakanoue
This went 9 minutes but no more than three or four were shown. All we see are the muscular Europeans destroying SUSHI. To be fair SUSHI did land a diving headbutt. Bambikiller gets the pin on SUSHI with twisting suplex (there are too many named variations of a suplex hard to know which this was). Wish Bambikiller would have used the Bambi Death Shot, it is a killer move. Nakanoue is in his third year and must be complete crap as he go no camera time whatsoever. The two Europeans have a good look and an apparent following wish we could have seen more here.
Andy Wu vs Tomoaki Honma
Seeing that Andy Wu does not even have a profile on CAGEMATCH does not give me confidence in this match being steller. Andy Wu held his own and was a pretty even fight. He was fighting a numbers game and won by the only DQ I have ever seen in Puro. Honma and his tag team partner Miyamoto (forming the team Turmeric Storm) destroyed Wu and a man who came in to help Wu (whom I have yet to identify). Even if it is a throw away matchup it sets up a tag match on another show which works for me.
Stack of Arms (Koji Kanemoto, Masakatsu Funaki, Masayuki Kono & Minoru Tanaka) vs Team 246 (Kaz Hayashi & Shuji Kondo), Hiroshi, & KENSO
My problem with these 6 and 8-man tags is that I am still learning a lot of these Puro wrestlers and it is hard to figure out who I am watching in such a large scale. Also learning what one wrestler does best is harder in a match like this. This follows the typical 8-man match formula where everything spirals out of control as the match nears the end. Minoru Tanaka pins KENSO with a sweet tombstone piledriver variation (this may be his Minoru Special). Match was fun and action packed.
Get Wild (Manabu Soya & Takao Omori) vs Seiya Sanada & Taiyo Kea - Block A
These two have a competitive wrestling match that goes the full 30 minutes and ends in a draw. Sanada's knee got a good beating over the last half of the match. Sanada got a knee first slam through a table which was awesome. This match kinda lumbered on and the ending was not really a mystery looking at the file length. I have jumped into this tournament in the middle so no idea where any of these teams stand which hurts the drama of these matches.
Last Revolution (Joe Doering & Suwama) vs SMOP (Akebono & Ryota Hama - Block B
SMOP is always fun, even is there is so much you can do with them. They are far from technically proficient but they beat you with their size and strength and are not afraid to beat you into submission. The key to beating SMOP is to ground them so their size is not a factor and while Last Revolution tried they ultimately failed. Suwama nailed an awesome suplex on Hama but was not able to get Akebono all the way up and he landed right on Suwama. A big splash at the right time was all SMOP needed to win. Honestly that is all they should ever need as SMOP are huge and awesome!
This was a complete squash by Miyamoto. His offense wasn't anything exciting a few chops, brainbuster and he finished off MAZADA with a lariat. Miyamoto gave the championship sign after the match so I wonder if he has a title opportunity upcoming.
Bambikiller & Franz Dynamite vs SUSHI & Yasufumi Nakanoue
This went 9 minutes but no more than three or four were shown. All we see are the muscular Europeans destroying SUSHI. To be fair SUSHI did land a diving headbutt. Bambikiller gets the pin on SUSHI with twisting suplex (there are too many named variations of a suplex hard to know which this was). Wish Bambikiller would have used the Bambi Death Shot, it is a killer move. Nakanoue is in his third year and must be complete crap as he go no camera time whatsoever. The two Europeans have a good look and an apparent following wish we could have seen more here.
Andy Wu vs Tomoaki Honma
Seeing that Andy Wu does not even have a profile on CAGEMATCH does not give me confidence in this match being steller. Andy Wu held his own and was a pretty even fight. He was fighting a numbers game and won by the only DQ I have ever seen in Puro. Honma and his tag team partner Miyamoto (forming the team Turmeric Storm) destroyed Wu and a man who came in to help Wu (whom I have yet to identify). Even if it is a throw away matchup it sets up a tag match on another show which works for me.
Stack of Arms (Koji Kanemoto, Masakatsu Funaki, Masayuki Kono & Minoru Tanaka) vs Team 246 (Kaz Hayashi & Shuji Kondo), Hiroshi, & KENSO
My problem with these 6 and 8-man tags is that I am still learning a lot of these Puro wrestlers and it is hard to figure out who I am watching in such a large scale. Also learning what one wrestler does best is harder in a match like this. This follows the typical 8-man match formula where everything spirals out of control as the match nears the end. Minoru Tanaka pins KENSO with a sweet tombstone piledriver variation (this may be his Minoru Special). Match was fun and action packed.
Get Wild (Manabu Soya & Takao Omori) vs Seiya Sanada & Taiyo Kea - Block A
These two have a competitive wrestling match that goes the full 30 minutes and ends in a draw. Sanada's knee got a good beating over the last half of the match. Sanada got a knee first slam through a table which was awesome. This match kinda lumbered on and the ending was not really a mystery looking at the file length. I have jumped into this tournament in the middle so no idea where any of these teams stand which hurts the drama of these matches.
Last Revolution (Joe Doering & Suwama) vs SMOP (Akebono & Ryota Hama - Block B
SMOP is always fun, even is there is so much you can do with them. They are far from technically proficient but they beat you with their size and strength and are not afraid to beat you into submission. The key to beating SMOP is to ground them so their size is not a factor and while Last Revolution tried they ultimately failed. Suwama nailed an awesome suplex on Hama but was not able to get Akebono all the way up and he landed right on Suwama. A big splash at the right time was all SMOP needed to win. Honestly that is all they should ever need as SMOP are huge and awesome!
WWE Main Event 12/26/12
20 Man Battle Royal - #1 Contenders match for US Title
Battle Royals are a great unknown as they can be fun or atrocious, luckily this one was pretty good. It becomes apparent fast that The Great Khali is going to win to go on and face Antonio Caesaro. Beating Antonio will protect Caesaro's claim that an American will not beat him while moving up to a more prestigious title. There were some fun spots in this including Khali's thunderous chest chops and one amazing looking karate chop that eliminated Cody Rhodes. Santino double crosses Ryder which could setup something. Khali wins by eliminating Wade Barrett.
Antonio attempts to attack Khali in the back, which doesn't work out too well. Khali is so going to win next week.
3MB vs Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel
Jinder Mahal saying "You can't stop rock" is awesome. I have turned the corner on him. Match is a standard WWE formula tag match. Kidd and Gabriel are a good high flying tag team but are missing a little something to really get them over. It could be something as small as speed, which helped to get the Motor City Machine Guns over. Being the WWE, they probably need to develop deeper characters to ensure they stick around for years to come. They get the win on a riff on The Heart Foundation's Heart Attack clothesline. Kidd holds the opponent while Gabriel flips off of the top rope and delivering a hangman's neck breaker. Very cool finisher.
This was my first time watching Main Event and it isn't a bad show. It is very wrestling heavy which is good, and the Miz announcing is a much appreciated change. Miz has a real talent for announcing and will be able to retire with the WWE if he so chooses.
Battle Royals are a great unknown as they can be fun or atrocious, luckily this one was pretty good. It becomes apparent fast that The Great Khali is going to win to go on and face Antonio Caesaro. Beating Antonio will protect Caesaro's claim that an American will not beat him while moving up to a more prestigious title. There were some fun spots in this including Khali's thunderous chest chops and one amazing looking karate chop that eliminated Cody Rhodes. Santino double crosses Ryder which could setup something. Khali wins by eliminating Wade Barrett.
Antonio attempts to attack Khali in the back, which doesn't work out too well. Khali is so going to win next week.
3MB vs Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel
Jinder Mahal saying "You can't stop rock" is awesome. I have turned the corner on him. Match is a standard WWE formula tag match. Kidd and Gabriel are a good high flying tag team but are missing a little something to really get them over. It could be something as small as speed, which helped to get the Motor City Machine Guns over. Being the WWE, they probably need to develop deeper characters to ensure they stick around for years to come. They get the win on a riff on The Heart Foundation's Heart Attack clothesline. Kidd holds the opponent while Gabriel flips off of the top rope and delivering a hangman's neck breaker. Very cool finisher.
This was my first time watching Main Event and it isn't a bad show. It is very wrestling heavy which is good, and the Miz announcing is a much appreciated change. Miz has a real talent for announcing and will be able to retire with the WWE if he so chooses.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
K-Dojo: Club-K Super in Korakuen 2012 11/13/12
K-Dojo, short for Kaientai Dojo is owned by Taka Michinoku. According to Wikipedia their style combines high flying, technical wrestling and martial arts. It is heavy on presentation and is heavily influenced by American style of Pro Wrestling
Daigoro Kashiwa & Tank Nagai vs Boso Boy Raito & Ayumu Honda
Tank Nagai is fresh out of school in his second month as a pro wrestler and Honda is in his rookie year as well.. Tank gets busted open hard way from some Honda forearms. You can see some of Nagai's greenness show in this short match. He gets his second win over Honda (beat him the previous show for his first win ever) with a nice spear. The two veterans did nothing of note as it seems this match was all about the rookies gaining some experience. At least we got blood!
Shiori Asahi, HIROKI & Bambi vs Ricky Fuji, Saburo Inematsu & Kunio Toshima
Okay little six man by six veterans. Bambi seemed useless in this match save for the comedy spot of using her whip on one of her opponents. She was never a solid face in peril nor did she provide much offense. Ricky Fuji was my top performer of the match, his hanging vertical Suplex complete with knee bends was great. Shiori Asahi picks up the pin for his team on Toshima with a simple rolling cradle.
Yuki Sato (c) vs Hiro Tonai - UWA World Middleweight Title
This UWA title is originally from Mexico (1976-1995) then migrated to Michinoku Pro, Toryumon, and now resides in K-Dojo. It has been held by such names as Gran Hamada, Ultimo Dragon, and El Samurai (source: Wikipedia). I do like the idea of titles outliving their promotion and moving on as a secondary title for a younger promotion. I really liked this match, and if it is the style that K-Dojo offers then count me in. Tonai started working on the arm early in the match and absolutely did not stop. Sato sold and sold and sold the arm to the end, even was holding it during the after match interview in the back. Tonai hit a fabulous straight arm DDT, but Sato popped up (little too soon for my taste) and a German Suplex roll up later Sato retains.
Minoru Sizuki vs Taka Michinoku
Match was very one sided and mat based. Sizuki dominated the offense in this match with crevats, armbars and leg locks. His striking offense was pretty sweet. Taka seemed reserved to play the less experienced and overmatched role. He made a comeback but Sizuki put him down with a cradle piledriver.
Kengo Mashimo & Ryuichi Sekine (c) vs Akito & Taishi Takizawa - STRONGEST -K Tag Team Title
I didn't like this as much as UWA title match but it still had its moments. Akito was the top performer for his great attention to Sekine's leg, and his awesome leg lock. The champs hit a nice rocket launcher and won when Sekine hit a shining wizard on Akito with his injured leg for the win. At least he stayed down after using the bad leg, the selling was pretty good. I like the K-Dojo style, they seem to put an emphasis on selling your injury as long as possible.
Daisuke Sekimoto (c) vs Yuji Hino - STRONGEST -K Title
This was match of the night for sure. Sekimoto and Hino just delivered bomb after bomb after bomb. It was the definition of irresistible force meeting the immovable object. They hit chop after chop and clothesline after clothesline trying to knock the other out. Hino wins the title with a nice hanging German Suplex. Amazing how the crowd cheers the guy you would think to be the heel since he flips the crowd off at any available opportunity. Worth a look if you like seeing big guys beating the snot out of one another.
Daigoro Kashiwa & Tank Nagai vs Boso Boy Raito & Ayumu Honda
Tank Nagai is fresh out of school in his second month as a pro wrestler and Honda is in his rookie year as well.. Tank gets busted open hard way from some Honda forearms. You can see some of Nagai's greenness show in this short match. He gets his second win over Honda (beat him the previous show for his first win ever) with a nice spear. The two veterans did nothing of note as it seems this match was all about the rookies gaining some experience. At least we got blood!
Shiori Asahi, HIROKI & Bambi vs Ricky Fuji, Saburo Inematsu & Kunio Toshima
Okay little six man by six veterans. Bambi seemed useless in this match save for the comedy spot of using her whip on one of her opponents. She was never a solid face in peril nor did she provide much offense. Ricky Fuji was my top performer of the match, his hanging vertical Suplex complete with knee bends was great. Shiori Asahi picks up the pin for his team on Toshima with a simple rolling cradle.
Yuki Sato (c) vs Hiro Tonai - UWA World Middleweight Title
This UWA title is originally from Mexico (1976-1995) then migrated to Michinoku Pro, Toryumon, and now resides in K-Dojo. It has been held by such names as Gran Hamada, Ultimo Dragon, and El Samurai (source: Wikipedia). I do like the idea of titles outliving their promotion and moving on as a secondary title for a younger promotion. I really liked this match, and if it is the style that K-Dojo offers then count me in. Tonai started working on the arm early in the match and absolutely did not stop. Sato sold and sold and sold the arm to the end, even was holding it during the after match interview in the back. Tonai hit a fabulous straight arm DDT, but Sato popped up (little too soon for my taste) and a German Suplex roll up later Sato retains.
Minoru Sizuki vs Taka Michinoku
Match was very one sided and mat based. Sizuki dominated the offense in this match with crevats, armbars and leg locks. His striking offense was pretty sweet. Taka seemed reserved to play the less experienced and overmatched role. He made a comeback but Sizuki put him down with a cradle piledriver.
Kengo Mashimo & Ryuichi Sekine (c) vs Akito & Taishi Takizawa - STRONGEST -K Tag Team Title
I didn't like this as much as UWA title match but it still had its moments. Akito was the top performer for his great attention to Sekine's leg, and his awesome leg lock. The champs hit a nice rocket launcher and won when Sekine hit a shining wizard on Akito with his injured leg for the win. At least he stayed down after using the bad leg, the selling was pretty good. I like the K-Dojo style, they seem to put an emphasis on selling your injury as long as possible.
Daisuke Sekimoto (c) vs Yuji Hino - STRONGEST -K Title
This was match of the night for sure. Sekimoto and Hino just delivered bomb after bomb after bomb. It was the definition of irresistible force meeting the immovable object. They hit chop after chop and clothesline after clothesline trying to knock the other out. Hino wins the title with a nice hanging German Suplex. Amazing how the crowd cheers the guy you would think to be the heel since he flips the crowd off at any available opportunity. Worth a look if you like seeing big guys beating the snot out of one another.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Dragon Gate: The Gate of Destiny 10/21/12
Super Shisa, Shachihoko BOY & AR FOX vs Jimmy Kagetora, Kota, & Super Shinlong
Apparently not all of the match was shown as cagematch.net lists the match as running 7:04 and the file I watched was only 4:23 with at least a minute and a half to two minutes being non match related content. That being said everybody got some offense in and AR FOX gets the win with a half Spanish Fly. Not much can really be said for what was here. It is the quick opener to get the crowd pumped.
Kenichiro Arai (c) vs Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa - Open the Owarawi Gate Championship
Match is clipped but what is shown are comedy spots that don't really hit home with me. I guess I am more blood and guts wrestling. The title is an entertainment title only which is fine, but this match did not entertain me. Arai wins via pinfall and fan approval in 7:49
Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Genki Horiguchi & Mr Kyu Kyu Toyonaka Dolphin vs KZY, Mondai Ryu & Cyber Kong
For those that may not know Dragon Gate is made up of several units (or groups or gangs) and they are constantly fighting against each other every show. In this Trios match we have Jimmyz vs Mad Blankey. These Trios matches are fun when they get a little room to breathe as this one did. Dragon Gate is known for Fast action and fierce competition and this had both in spades. I really like the heel antics of Mad Blankey as they are both comical yet conniving. They are trying to destroy their opponents and have fun doing so. Sadly like much of the DG undercard it feels more like an exhibition than any real story being told. Please do not take that to mean I didn't enjoy the match, because I did, but wrestling excels in the stories they tell and storytelling will push a match into another stratosphere compared to exhibition matches you see on the Indys or on Japanese undercards. The match ended on a fantastic head droppingly brutal move by Dolphin on Cyber Kong.
Dragon Kid (c) vs Eita - Open the Brave Gate
The Brave Gate title is the light heavyweight title and considered the secondary singles title. Dragon Kid represents Team Veteran Returns while Eita is unaffiliated. Eita throws an awesome moonsault which wins me over. I was still cheering for the Dragon Kid and he ultimately pulls out a victory. Match was fun but there was a lot of stalling and crowd pandering which, as fast as these wrestlers are, slows down the pace of the match. I hope to see more of Eita as I think he has some great matches ready to be released into this world.
Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, & Naoki Tanisaki (c) vs Gamma, HUB & Magnitude Kishiwada - Open the Triangle Gate
MAD BLANKEY vs Team Veteran Returns. I will be honest I completely lost track of who was who in this match and the one nine resource I am using (Wikipedia) to distinguish face with wrestlers completely failed me. At least MAD BLANKEY dresses evil. Dragon Gate is interesting as this did not have any semblance of a story but the action is so fast and exciting. MB is not afraid to use chairs, Singapore Canes, salt and numbers to win the match. Heels are so interesting to me in pro wrestling as they can really shine very easily. I think it takes a lot more effort to get over as a face, though it may be easier to stay over as a face. Team Veteran Returns won the titles with some awesome headdropping moves. Very enjoyable match even if it is just move after move without any rest hold to clean your pallet with.
YAMATO & Shingo Takagi vs Naruki Doi & Johnny Gargano
-akatsuki- vs WORLD-1 International. Great match that had everyone working their styles perfectly. Johnny Gargano is the big discovery for me. He is an American and is technically proficient in every way and has a great look too. This match was full of the fast pacing and headdroppery you come to expect from DG matches, but the heel antics of Doi and Gargano added a little more to this. Takagi is the power man of the match and got the win on the lighter Doi with an awesome Suplex that dropped Doi on his head. Awesome!
Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii (c) vs Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kanda - Open the Twin Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs Jimmyz. What I saw of the match was good and action packed. They even did a little bit of brawling in the stands but got distracted by my wife which ruined the enjoyment of the match and has led me to not have much to saw. Team Veteran Returns wins!
CIMA (c) vs Masato Yoshino - Open the Dream Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs World-1 International. These two put together a slower paced match with bursts of speed and it turns out really well. Even though I was cheering for CIMA, I have a lot of respect for Yoshino. He is a speedster that gets huge air on his aerial maneuvers. His moonsault is right up there with Eita's from earlier in the night and his top rope dropkick is second to none. CIMA takes the match with what I believe is crossfire, which is a jumping kneedrop off the top rope. Great match to finish out a fun card.
Apparently not all of the match was shown as cagematch.net lists the match as running 7:04 and the file I watched was only 4:23 with at least a minute and a half to two minutes being non match related content. That being said everybody got some offense in and AR FOX gets the win with a half Spanish Fly. Not much can really be said for what was here. It is the quick opener to get the crowd pumped.
Kenichiro Arai (c) vs Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa - Open the Owarawi Gate Championship
Match is clipped but what is shown are comedy spots that don't really hit home with me. I guess I am more blood and guts wrestling. The title is an entertainment title only which is fine, but this match did not entertain me. Arai wins via pinfall and fan approval in 7:49
Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Genki Horiguchi & Mr Kyu Kyu Toyonaka Dolphin vs KZY, Mondai Ryu & Cyber Kong
For those that may not know Dragon Gate is made up of several units (or groups or gangs) and they are constantly fighting against each other every show. In this Trios match we have Jimmyz vs Mad Blankey. These Trios matches are fun when they get a little room to breathe as this one did. Dragon Gate is known for Fast action and fierce competition and this had both in spades. I really like the heel antics of Mad Blankey as they are both comical yet conniving. They are trying to destroy their opponents and have fun doing so. Sadly like much of the DG undercard it feels more like an exhibition than any real story being told. Please do not take that to mean I didn't enjoy the match, because I did, but wrestling excels in the stories they tell and storytelling will push a match into another stratosphere compared to exhibition matches you see on the Indys or on Japanese undercards. The match ended on a fantastic head droppingly brutal move by Dolphin on Cyber Kong.
Dragon Kid (c) vs Eita - Open the Brave Gate
The Brave Gate title is the light heavyweight title and considered the secondary singles title. Dragon Kid represents Team Veteran Returns while Eita is unaffiliated. Eita throws an awesome moonsault which wins me over. I was still cheering for the Dragon Kid and he ultimately pulls out a victory. Match was fun but there was a lot of stalling and crowd pandering which, as fast as these wrestlers are, slows down the pace of the match. I hope to see more of Eita as I think he has some great matches ready to be released into this world.
Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, & Naoki Tanisaki (c) vs Gamma, HUB & Magnitude Kishiwada - Open the Triangle Gate
MAD BLANKEY vs Team Veteran Returns. I will be honest I completely lost track of who was who in this match and the one nine resource I am using (Wikipedia) to distinguish face with wrestlers completely failed me. At least MAD BLANKEY dresses evil. Dragon Gate is interesting as this did not have any semblance of a story but the action is so fast and exciting. MB is not afraid to use chairs, Singapore Canes, salt and numbers to win the match. Heels are so interesting to me in pro wrestling as they can really shine very easily. I think it takes a lot more effort to get over as a face, though it may be easier to stay over as a face. Team Veteran Returns won the titles with some awesome headdropping moves. Very enjoyable match even if it is just move after move without any rest hold to clean your pallet with.
YAMATO & Shingo Takagi vs Naruki Doi & Johnny Gargano
-akatsuki- vs WORLD-1 International. Great match that had everyone working their styles perfectly. Johnny Gargano is the big discovery for me. He is an American and is technically proficient in every way and has a great look too. This match was full of the fast pacing and headdroppery you come to expect from DG matches, but the heel antics of Doi and Gargano added a little more to this. Takagi is the power man of the match and got the win on the lighter Doi with an awesome Suplex that dropped Doi on his head. Awesome!
Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii (c) vs Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kanda - Open the Twin Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs Jimmyz. What I saw of the match was good and action packed. They even did a little bit of brawling in the stands but got distracted by my wife which ruined the enjoyment of the match and has led me to not have much to saw. Team Veteran Returns wins!
CIMA (c) vs Masato Yoshino - Open the Dream Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs World-1 International. These two put together a slower paced match with bursts of speed and it turns out really well. Even though I was cheering for CIMA, I have a lot of respect for Yoshino. He is a speedster that gets huge air on his aerial maneuvers. His moonsault is right up there with Eita's from earlier in the night and his top rope dropkick is second to none. CIMA takes the match with what I believe is crossfire, which is a jumping kneedrop off the top rope. Great match to finish out a fun card.
Monday, December 24, 2012
WWE RAW 12/24/12
Singing?? Really?? I know wrestlers singing Christmas songs are still pro wrestling, just not the part of pro wrestling I particularly enjoy.
Santa is out and walking around the aisle handing out gifts. ADR comes out and mows Santa down with his car. Santa doing a stretcher job is the side of pro wrestling I like. "You killed Santa" chants were a nice touch. We now have a crime scene, while I contemplate whether the BMW ADR was driving was the cheapest ride he has had in the WWE.
I don't understand why the PTP's are concerned about Santa. This entire angle is to set up a "Miracle on 34th Street Fight" between ADR and John Cena. That was odd to say the least.
Cody Rhodes vs Kane
Cody's arm work in the middle portion of the match is all the offense he got, otherwise it was the power of Kane that dominated this match. Cody tried to use an exposed turnbuckle to no avail. Rhodes never had a shot in this one.
Santa Helpers Diva Match
I will be honest I care nothing for this match, I bet at least half won't be employed in May. On a positive note the gut buster Katlyn used to beat Eve was nice.
AJ cuddled up with Ziggler watching her revenge on Cena, I have no idea what they plan to do with her. They seem unsure where to go next so they just turned her heel.
They really phoned it in for the show. Santa is the top story of the show. Glad we get a Show/Shaemus match.
Big Show vs Shaemus - Lumberjack Frost Match
This feud is a Vince McMahon's wet dream. It is two big guys who deliver giant bombs and when they kick out it is believable because they are so big. Shaemus pulls off amazing feats of strength like the electric chair and white noise. We are treated with power move after power move after power move and it is fun to watch. Shaemus wins with the Brogue kick. This is an important win for the Celtic Warrior and hopefully will catapult him into a title victory sooner rather than later. Shaemus has proven he can have great matches with pretty much anyone and deserves to be back on top.
David Otunga is out to defend ADR, which is weird because ADR is supposed to be a face now. This brings out Zack Ryder.
David Otunga vs Zack Ryder
this is the problem with three hour RAWs. You get pointless time filler matches that won't matter next week. With the exception of Ryder's fan interaction stuff the crowd is silent for the match. It is great that Ryder gets a win and TV time just wish they would find more to do with him, and Otunga for that matter.
I like that Beef Wellington himself, Brad Maddox, gets another chance for a contract. I hope he gets one soon as he is has a great shady look about him that could help make him a great heel.
Antonio Caesaro & Wade Barrett vs The Miz & Kofi Kingston
These teams had a good little TV match, and Miz/Kofi is a good tag team. They really should team up more often, and maybe it is because they had the fierce rivalry earlier in the fall. Even though I considered this match to be good it also felt like they phoned it in a little. They are all very talented and had a lot more in them. The trouble in paradise into the skull crushing finale might be one of the better tag team finishers around today. There is no way anyone could kick out from that.
Brad Maddox vs The Great Khali
I know why Brad looks so sleazy, it is his resemblance to Eric Bischoff. I take it back I may not want Maddox to win a contract because he is so entertaining in these squash matches. Khali slapped Maddox around the ring until Brad's chest was beet red. Just a lot of fun, and of course Khali easily won this and followed it up with horrible Christmas singing. Khalil's appeal has skyrocketed in my eyes after he broke away from the Indian stereotypes, same with the Indian in 3MB whose name escapes me,
I love seeing CM Punk running down a crowd. He even ran down the Chicago Cubs which I thought he was a fan of. It's Punk and Ryback TLC in two weeks!
Daniel Bryan vs Damien Sandow
I love all things Daniel Bryan from the first time I discovered him in 2004. I am happy to see him finally get over with then entire WWE fanbase. Bryan pretty much dominates this match and wins with the No Lock. A lot of short virtual one sided matches tonight.
12 man tag match
Not worth listing the members since it will be over by the time I finish. It was shorter than it really should have been but it was actually a lot of fun. The heels didn't get much offense and were punching bags for the high powered face team. The Usos got the pin on Heath Slater after most of the team hit him with their finisher. These guys have talent but sadly the WWE has so many wrestlers on contract they are trying to stuff in this show that you get short matches that once again have no baring on anything happening within the WWE in January.
Team Hell No continues to be awesome. From the Slammy to the gift of a dog to the line from Finding Nemo, whoever writes this stuff is a genius. A year ago if you told me these two would make the most entertaining team in the WWE I would have said Hell No.
Dolph and AJ are starting to get on my nerves, enough with the horrible skits and innuendos.
John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio - Miracle on 34th Street Fight
As much as I hate to admit it, I liked this match. This is a guilty pleasure and is the type of match John Cena loves. He likes hardcore matches where he can hit opponents with silly objects. Cena pulls out a chair, then Alberto pulls out a pie than backfires on Ricardo. Cena using the Christmas Tree because the fans chanted for it was a nice touch. The bowling ball to the balls sucked for ADR though. I almost lost it on the match when Santa came out, but when it turns out it is Mick Foley I am cool with it. If that isn't pro wrestling nothing is.
Santa is out and walking around the aisle handing out gifts. ADR comes out and mows Santa down with his car. Santa doing a stretcher job is the side of pro wrestling I like. "You killed Santa" chants were a nice touch. We now have a crime scene, while I contemplate whether the BMW ADR was driving was the cheapest ride he has had in the WWE.
I don't understand why the PTP's are concerned about Santa. This entire angle is to set up a "Miracle on 34th Street Fight" between ADR and John Cena. That was odd to say the least.
Cody Rhodes vs Kane
Cody's arm work in the middle portion of the match is all the offense he got, otherwise it was the power of Kane that dominated this match. Cody tried to use an exposed turnbuckle to no avail. Rhodes never had a shot in this one.
Santa Helpers Diva Match
I will be honest I care nothing for this match, I bet at least half won't be employed in May. On a positive note the gut buster Katlyn used to beat Eve was nice.
AJ cuddled up with Ziggler watching her revenge on Cena, I have no idea what they plan to do with her. They seem unsure where to go next so they just turned her heel.
They really phoned it in for the show. Santa is the top story of the show. Glad we get a Show/Shaemus match.
Big Show vs Shaemus - Lumberjack Frost Match
This feud is a Vince McMahon's wet dream. It is two big guys who deliver giant bombs and when they kick out it is believable because they are so big. Shaemus pulls off amazing feats of strength like the electric chair and white noise. We are treated with power move after power move after power move and it is fun to watch. Shaemus wins with the Brogue kick. This is an important win for the Celtic Warrior and hopefully will catapult him into a title victory sooner rather than later. Shaemus has proven he can have great matches with pretty much anyone and deserves to be back on top.
David Otunga is out to defend ADR, which is weird because ADR is supposed to be a face now. This brings out Zack Ryder.
David Otunga vs Zack Ryder
this is the problem with three hour RAWs. You get pointless time filler matches that won't matter next week. With the exception of Ryder's fan interaction stuff the crowd is silent for the match. It is great that Ryder gets a win and TV time just wish they would find more to do with him, and Otunga for that matter.
I like that Beef Wellington himself, Brad Maddox, gets another chance for a contract. I hope he gets one soon as he is has a great shady look about him that could help make him a great heel.
Antonio Caesaro & Wade Barrett vs The Miz & Kofi Kingston
These teams had a good little TV match, and Miz/Kofi is a good tag team. They really should team up more often, and maybe it is because they had the fierce rivalry earlier in the fall. Even though I considered this match to be good it also felt like they phoned it in a little. They are all very talented and had a lot more in them. The trouble in paradise into the skull crushing finale might be one of the better tag team finishers around today. There is no way anyone could kick out from that.
Brad Maddox vs The Great Khali
I know why Brad looks so sleazy, it is his resemblance to Eric Bischoff. I take it back I may not want Maddox to win a contract because he is so entertaining in these squash matches. Khali slapped Maddox around the ring until Brad's chest was beet red. Just a lot of fun, and of course Khali easily won this and followed it up with horrible Christmas singing. Khalil's appeal has skyrocketed in my eyes after he broke away from the Indian stereotypes, same with the Indian in 3MB whose name escapes me,
I love seeing CM Punk running down a crowd. He even ran down the Chicago Cubs which I thought he was a fan of. It's Punk and Ryback TLC in two weeks!
Daniel Bryan vs Damien Sandow
I love all things Daniel Bryan from the first time I discovered him in 2004. I am happy to see him finally get over with then entire WWE fanbase. Bryan pretty much dominates this match and wins with the No Lock. A lot of short virtual one sided matches tonight.
12 man tag match
Not worth listing the members since it will be over by the time I finish. It was shorter than it really should have been but it was actually a lot of fun. The heels didn't get much offense and were punching bags for the high powered face team. The Usos got the pin on Heath Slater after most of the team hit him with their finisher. These guys have talent but sadly the WWE has so many wrestlers on contract they are trying to stuff in this show that you get short matches that once again have no baring on anything happening within the WWE in January.
Team Hell No continues to be awesome. From the Slammy to the gift of a dog to the line from Finding Nemo, whoever writes this stuff is a genius. A year ago if you told me these two would make the most entertaining team in the WWE I would have said Hell No.
Dolph and AJ are starting to get on my nerves, enough with the horrible skits and innuendos.
John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio - Miracle on 34th Street Fight
As much as I hate to admit it, I liked this match. This is a guilty pleasure and is the type of match John Cena loves. He likes hardcore matches where he can hit opponents with silly objects. Cena pulls out a chair, then Alberto pulls out a pie than backfires on Ricardo. Cena using the Christmas Tree because the fans chanted for it was a nice touch. The bowling ball to the balls sucked for ADR though. I almost lost it on the match when Santa came out, but when it turns out it is Mick Foley I am cool with it. If that isn't pro wrestling nothing is.
The Year That Was 1996 Pt 1
Starting work on the epic set that is 1996. It is 30 4-hour discs that showcase not necessarily the best matches but the most important events that happened throughout the year in chronological order. This is such a huge set once again will just be publishing whatever I watch in a day and not as I finish a disc. Please note that most matches are whole but if a match was not the greatest quality it is joined in progress to show the last 3rd while saving the viewer from the calamity that was the first 2/3rds.
1996 is a very very important year in wrestling. We get to see the close of the New Generation as the Attitude Era slowly starts to materialize in the WWF, WCW's rise to prominence with the NWO storyline, as well as the years highlights in ECW, USWA, Mexico and Japan.
Smoking Gunns vs. Psycho Sid & 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon & Savio Vega vs. Owen Hart & Yokozuna (RAW Bowl) (RAW 1/1/96)
This is an interesting concept the WWF came up with, not to say it was a good idea, but it is interesting. This is the Raw Bowl where the wrestlers come out to cut off T-shirts with numbers as if they were a jersey. There is a marching band in the stands and cheerleaders lining the aisles. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler throw every football term imaginable into this match. This is a regular four corners tag team match, which was an newer idea at the time, the only wrinkle is that each team has a timeout they can use. The Smoking Gunns are the tag team champions and Razor Ramon is the Intercontinental champion. Goldust's usher gives Ramon flowers which naturally upsets the bad guy. The match itself is pretty good. The anyone can tag anyone rule is used early on when both Smoking Gunns are tagged in, they in turn tag Yokozuna and his partner Owen Hart. Match comes down to the tag champions against Sid and The Kid. Razor Ramon runs interference that gives the Gunns the win. I am on board with the recent Billy Gunn love. He is a good midcarder that is very athletic and sells well enough. The right team went over here.
Billionaire Ted Skit (RAW 1/1/96)
I will go on record and say that I indeed hate these skits. They are the product of the end of the New Generation of the WWF and are supposed to put over that the WWE's younger talent are far superior to the aging stars of WCW. They start tame and by Wrestlemania are well over the top. Being 12 at the time they never influenced my loyalties. I was always split between the WWF and WCW liking parts about both. Here we get Billionaire Ted asking the Huckster and Nacho Man whether they can pull off moves like the Pearl River Plunge, Razors Edge or the Jackknife which of course they cannot because they are too old and broken down or set in their ways to try new moves.
Ric Flair (c) vs. Hulk Hogan - World Title (Nitro 1/1/96)
The fans were into this one and deservedly so. You have the two icons of the sport going at it on free TV. I agree with others about giving away big matches on free TV, however they had already had a big money match or two on PPV and this match was never going to have a decisive winner anyhow. By the time Jimmy Hart runs to ringside you know Hogan is going to get screwed somehow. Flair and Hogan wrestle a good TV match where Flair destroys Hogans leg but Hogan makes the big comeback until the Four Horsemen and Dungeon of Doom come in to ruin thing for The Hulk. The ref turns around in time to see Hogan with Arn Anderson's brass knuckles and that is enough for the DQ. The fans were very much into Hogan and Savage destroying the two groups and sending them back to the dressing room. I was actually surprised at just how big the pop was. Listening to some talk about the era you would think the masses despised Hogan and WCW kept shoving him down the fans throats anyway. Good match as WCW is building towards the Hogan and Savage vs The Forces To End Hulkamania match that is ridiculous on many levels.
Koji Kanemoto (c) vs. Jushin Liger - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title (NJ 1/4/96)
What a match these two have in the Egg Dome. Liger is a wrestling machine and Koji is the smarter of the two coming up with great counters when Liger is about to hit a move that will turn the tide. Kanemoto works Ligers leg in the early going, but that is quickly forgotten. Kanemoto will never be known for lack of heart as he kicks out of three successive powerbombs from Liger. Liger finishes Koji off for the title after a move off the top rope which is not caught on camera that I believe it was a twisting moonsault.
1996 is a very very important year in wrestling. We get to see the close of the New Generation as the Attitude Era slowly starts to materialize in the WWF, WCW's rise to prominence with the NWO storyline, as well as the years highlights in ECW, USWA, Mexico and Japan.
Smoking Gunns vs. Psycho Sid & 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon & Savio Vega vs. Owen Hart & Yokozuna (RAW Bowl) (RAW 1/1/96)
This is an interesting concept the WWF came up with, not to say it was a good idea, but it is interesting. This is the Raw Bowl where the wrestlers come out to cut off T-shirts with numbers as if they were a jersey. There is a marching band in the stands and cheerleaders lining the aisles. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler throw every football term imaginable into this match. This is a regular four corners tag team match, which was an newer idea at the time, the only wrinkle is that each team has a timeout they can use. The Smoking Gunns are the tag team champions and Razor Ramon is the Intercontinental champion. Goldust's usher gives Ramon flowers which naturally upsets the bad guy. The match itself is pretty good. The anyone can tag anyone rule is used early on when both Smoking Gunns are tagged in, they in turn tag Yokozuna and his partner Owen Hart. Match comes down to the tag champions against Sid and The Kid. Razor Ramon runs interference that gives the Gunns the win. I am on board with the recent Billy Gunn love. He is a good midcarder that is very athletic and sells well enough. The right team went over here.
Billionaire Ted Skit (RAW 1/1/96)
I will go on record and say that I indeed hate these skits. They are the product of the end of the New Generation of the WWF and are supposed to put over that the WWE's younger talent are far superior to the aging stars of WCW. They start tame and by Wrestlemania are well over the top. Being 12 at the time they never influenced my loyalties. I was always split between the WWF and WCW liking parts about both. Here we get Billionaire Ted asking the Huckster and Nacho Man whether they can pull off moves like the Pearl River Plunge, Razors Edge or the Jackknife which of course they cannot because they are too old and broken down or set in their ways to try new moves.
Ric Flair (c) vs. Hulk Hogan - World Title (Nitro 1/1/96)
The fans were into this one and deservedly so. You have the two icons of the sport going at it on free TV. I agree with others about giving away big matches on free TV, however they had already had a big money match or two on PPV and this match was never going to have a decisive winner anyhow. By the time Jimmy Hart runs to ringside you know Hogan is going to get screwed somehow. Flair and Hogan wrestle a good TV match where Flair destroys Hogans leg but Hogan makes the big comeback until the Four Horsemen and Dungeon of Doom come in to ruin thing for The Hulk. The ref turns around in time to see Hogan with Arn Anderson's brass knuckles and that is enough for the DQ. The fans were very much into Hogan and Savage destroying the two groups and sending them back to the dressing room. I was actually surprised at just how big the pop was. Listening to some talk about the era you would think the masses despised Hogan and WCW kept shoving him down the fans throats anyway. Good match as WCW is building towards the Hogan and Savage vs The Forces To End Hulkamania match that is ridiculous on many levels.
Koji Kanemoto (c) vs. Jushin Liger - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title (NJ 1/4/96)
What a match these two have in the Egg Dome. Liger is a wrestling machine and Koji is the smarter of the two coming up with great counters when Liger is about to hit a move that will turn the tide. Kanemoto works Ligers leg in the early going, but that is quickly forgotten. Kanemoto will never be known for lack of heart as he kicks out of three successive powerbombs from Liger. Liger finishes Koji off for the title after a move off the top rope which is not caught on camera that I believe it was a twisting moonsault.
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