Akifumi Saito vs Nobuyuki Kurashima [1/2*]
Witchfinder on CAGEMATCH sums up my sentiments on Kurashima perfectly, "Wow! Taro Kurashima has 16 years of ring experience and has done absolutely nothing." There was a point where Kurashima kicks Saito runs to the corner only to run back and cover Saito without performing another offensive maneuver. It was an extreme waste of motion in the least, and certainly looked awkward. Saito ends this with a German Suplex Hold.
AKIRA & Gran Hamada vs Hiro Saito & Masashi Aoyagi [1/2*]
Someone needs to make a game like Darkness with Gran Hamada as Death. He certainly looks like he could play the part based on the prematch graphic. Poor guy is a legend and still able to get in the ring and mix it up. Sadly there really isn't much here, mainly Gran Hamada getting squashed by a fat Saito senton. This match is pushing it even for hardcore fans, good thing it is short.
Alexander Otsuka & Katsumi Usuda vs Super Tiger & Tiger Shark [**]
I see that Otsuka gets great reviews on CAGEMATCH but I am not blown away by his effort here. That isn't to say it was outright bad but nothing popped as amazing. Usuda had a fun kick exchange with Super Tiger and Tiger Shark delivers a fantastic moonsault. The match was competent enough but nothing to go out of your way for.
Akitoshi Saito & Tatsuhito Takaiwa vs Daisuke Sekimoto & Tomohiro Ishii [****]
This match is why I took on this project. Everyone knows about the MOTYC's but finding these little diamonds in the roughs are what makes this fun. This match is completely out of left field for me but is what happens when two freight trains collide. It is so much fun to see these four test each others strength and will with shoulder blocks, chops, forearms, and clotheslines. This is not a strong style match where suplexes are a dime a dozen but they become the highspots in a match based on striking. I almost popped huge for Sekimoto's Chaos Theory but sadly it was broken up. He did get the win with a German Suplex Hold. Also I am not sure of the genesis of the heat between Sekimoto and Ishii but their feuding tag partners story adds another dimension to the match. Just a steller effort from all four...go see this now!!
Bear Fukuda & Mitsuya Nagai vs Ikodu Hidaka & Shinjiro Otani [**1/2]
Who doesn't love some Otani. He is a big crowd favorite and they always chant along with his face wash spot. Near the end of the match he throws a killer top rope drop kick for a man entering his 40's. This match didn't win me over as the last one did. Otani gets the win with the cobra clutch.
Atsushi Onita & Ichiro Yaguchi vs First Tiger Mask & Kuniaki Kobayashi [**1/4]
First let me say that the video package on the history these four men have with each other is amazing. Onita and Yaguchi are aparently known as the Barbed Wire Bad Outlaws, which is yet another awesome Japanese tag team name. Onita attacked Tiger Mask with a barbed wire baseball bat and Yaguchi spit red mist in the face of 57 year old Kobayashi. BWBO train by hitting a poor guy in the crotch with a barbed wire baseball bat while the face team performs a double brainbuster on a training partner. I wish the match was as good as this video package, but sadly it was not. It is an odd combination of a good story surrounding a pedestrian match. One big problem I have is that Kobayashi gets beat and even double teamed with a barbed wire bat while his partner Sayama stands on the apron watching. He should at least try to get in the ring and do something. Sadly getting in the ring and doing stuff is not First Tiger Mask's strong suit. Kobayashi literally wrestles the entire match. The heels offense was okay. Yaguchi incorporates a barbed wire bat into every single maneuver he attempted. Tiger Mask & Kobayashi get the win with their double brainbuster, which Kobayashi holds onto as a fishermans buster for the win out of nowhere. I like the story, but do not think much of the match. The heels attack the faces after the match which means there will be a rematch down the road.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Thunder Liger & Masahiro Chono vs Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami & Yokio Sakaguchi [***]
There is a major issue between Liger and Sakaguchi. They were at each others throats before the opening bell and after the final bell. This was a solid wrestling match and nothing more. The ending looked to be screwed up. Tenzan hit Choshu with a moonsault and Choshu never had his shoulders on the mat and seemed to kick out before three, but the ref made the count anyway. Odd occurrence for seasoned vets in the main event.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This card is very much hit or miss. The hit (Saito/Takaigawa vs Sekimoto/Ishii) is a major hit that is well worth going out of your way for. The rest really depends on your taste in wresting. The Onita tag is a slight nod to FMW, while the main event is a solid six man in the mold of 80's New Japan.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
DDT: Sweet Dreams! (01/27/13)
Akito & Makato Oishi vs Daichi Kazato & Tetsuya Endo [*1/2]
The young boys were energetic enough but are only given 5 minutes and there is only so much anyone can do in that amount of time. Oishi slips on an attempted moonsault and lands on the back of his head. He recovered moderately as the crowd got a good laugh out of it. You could see by the look on his face he knew he screwed up badly. Akito picks up the win with an odd looking figure four. Instead of his foot being tucked under his opponents tailbone it was squarely in the poor guys nuts, talk about an easy submission!
Gota Ihashi vs Batten Tamagawa, DJ Nira, Hiroshi Fukuda, Hoshitango & Michael Nakazawa [*]
For a DDT comedy match there is a lot to explain here. This starts out as a 4 on 2 handicap match (despite being billed as 5 on 1). During the match Ihashi's partner turns on him and leaves. The wrestler I believe was DJ Nira congratulates the other three members as they attack Ihashi then leave. Nira attempts a fishermans suplex only to have Ihashi kickout.Ihashi gets the win with a crucifix after DJ Nira was upset his plan did not work. Total comedy match with very little substance therein.
FUMA, HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano vs Hikaru Sato, Masa Takanashi & MIKAMI [**3/4]
This match was a huge surprise for me as I was not expecting it to be this good. It has a lot of variety between comedy spots, fast junior spot and hardcore chops to the face. We do not get a technically perfect match by no means but this was a lot of fun to watch.
Danshoku Dino & Yoshiko vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yuzuki Aikawa [***1/2]
Yoshiko and Aikawa are from Stardom and this intergender tag match ruled. Aikawa is the star of the show with her partner and opponents all riffing or mocking her moveset. God bless Aikawa for getting her face shoved in Dino's ass. She is a trooper. I completely laughed my ass off at some of the stuff here. Dino and Yoshiko win after Dino piledrives Takagi and pins him with his nuts in Takagi's face. This is a whale of a comedy match, and worth checking out.
Konosuke Takeshita vs Kota Ibushi [***1/4]
Ibushi was great here and he throws one of the greatest suplexes I have ever seen. He lifts Takeshita into the powerbomb position but instead of dropping him on the mat he keep going back and Takeshita does a face plant into the canvas while Ibushi does a bridge. From there Ibushi rolls back into the tightest single leg crab I have ever seen for the submission victory. This match had a lot of stiff strikes, kicks and even a moonsault into a nasty knee drop. While there is some great action nothing really binds the match together except the will to win. Still this was very good.
Team Dream Futures© vs Monster Army - KO-D Six Man Tag Team Titles [**]
Crazy that DDT books one of their two title matches so short. Action here comes at you fast and furious. Monster Army has the most over gimmick of the two, that being they think they are a real army complete with belly crawling contest and a machine gun dropkick. Monster Army takes the titles after a nice suplex by Honda.
Kenny Omega© vs Isami Kodaka© - KO-D Openweight Title/DDT Extreme Title [***]
There are three Puro wrestlers I love; Liger, Tanahashi and Omega. Kenny Omega has charisma that goes on for miles and a great moveset to go with it. As much as I like Omega this match wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The middle portion was dragged down by Kodaka's slow brawling. If this match is any indication Kodaka wrestles a classic ECW style where he does the slow brawling to setup the big spot near the entrance. In this case it was a double knee drop to Omega's sternum. Omega was off a little here as well by not bringing his awesome doucheiness to the match. This isn't to say the match wasn't good but it was far from great. The match dragged a lot in the middle but the last third was good. Omega took the win and both titles with Aoi Shoudou.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Sweet Dreams is a good with 3 of the last 4 being worth seeing. The intergender tag would be a comedy MOTYC if a category actually existed. I recommend the event for those that keep up with Puro but isn't a completist, though this wouldn't be a waste of time for a fair weather Puro fan.
The young boys were energetic enough but are only given 5 minutes and there is only so much anyone can do in that amount of time. Oishi slips on an attempted moonsault and lands on the back of his head. He recovered moderately as the crowd got a good laugh out of it. You could see by the look on his face he knew he screwed up badly. Akito picks up the win with an odd looking figure four. Instead of his foot being tucked under his opponents tailbone it was squarely in the poor guys nuts, talk about an easy submission!
Gota Ihashi vs Batten Tamagawa, DJ Nira, Hiroshi Fukuda, Hoshitango & Michael Nakazawa [*]
For a DDT comedy match there is a lot to explain here. This starts out as a 4 on 2 handicap match (despite being billed as 5 on 1). During the match Ihashi's partner turns on him and leaves. The wrestler I believe was DJ Nira congratulates the other three members as they attack Ihashi then leave. Nira attempts a fishermans suplex only to have Ihashi kickout.Ihashi gets the win with a crucifix after DJ Nira was upset his plan did not work. Total comedy match with very little substance therein.
FUMA, HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano vs Hikaru Sato, Masa Takanashi & MIKAMI [**3/4]
This match was a huge surprise for me as I was not expecting it to be this good. It has a lot of variety between comedy spots, fast junior spot and hardcore chops to the face. We do not get a technically perfect match by no means but this was a lot of fun to watch.
Danshoku Dino & Yoshiko vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yuzuki Aikawa [***1/2]
Yoshiko and Aikawa are from Stardom and this intergender tag match ruled. Aikawa is the star of the show with her partner and opponents all riffing or mocking her moveset. God bless Aikawa for getting her face shoved in Dino's ass. She is a trooper. I completely laughed my ass off at some of the stuff here. Dino and Yoshiko win after Dino piledrives Takagi and pins him with his nuts in Takagi's face. This is a whale of a comedy match, and worth checking out.
Konosuke Takeshita vs Kota Ibushi [***1/4]
Ibushi was great here and he throws one of the greatest suplexes I have ever seen. He lifts Takeshita into the powerbomb position but instead of dropping him on the mat he keep going back and Takeshita does a face plant into the canvas while Ibushi does a bridge. From there Ibushi rolls back into the tightest single leg crab I have ever seen for the submission victory. This match had a lot of stiff strikes, kicks and even a moonsault into a nasty knee drop. While there is some great action nothing really binds the match together except the will to win. Still this was very good.
Team Dream Futures© vs Monster Army - KO-D Six Man Tag Team Titles [**]
Crazy that DDT books one of their two title matches so short. Action here comes at you fast and furious. Monster Army has the most over gimmick of the two, that being they think they are a real army complete with belly crawling contest and a machine gun dropkick. Monster Army takes the titles after a nice suplex by Honda.
Kenny Omega© vs Isami Kodaka© - KO-D Openweight Title/DDT Extreme Title [***]
There are three Puro wrestlers I love; Liger, Tanahashi and Omega. Kenny Omega has charisma that goes on for miles and a great moveset to go with it. As much as I like Omega this match wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The middle portion was dragged down by Kodaka's slow brawling. If this match is any indication Kodaka wrestles a classic ECW style where he does the slow brawling to setup the big spot near the entrance. In this case it was a double knee drop to Omega's sternum. Omega was off a little here as well by not bringing his awesome doucheiness to the match. This isn't to say the match wasn't good but it was far from great. The match dragged a lot in the middle but the last third was good. Omega took the win and both titles with Aoi Shoudou.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Sweet Dreams is a good with 3 of the last 4 being worth seeing. The intergender tag would be a comedy MOTYC if a category actually existed. I recommend the event for those that keep up with Puro but isn't a completist, though this wouldn't be a waste of time for a fair weather Puro fan.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Stardom Season 10 New Year Stars 2013 - Night 2 (01/14)
Hailey Hatred vs Yuhi [***]
Odd fact, Hailey Hatred is in the midst of a 3100+ day TLW Womens Title reign. I doubt it is a major title as it was defended once in 2012. Hailey towers over the tiny Yuhi which gives a great dynamic to this match. It is a lot of fun watching Hailey deliver huge power moves only to have Yuhi kick out. Double H gives a WTH OMG WTF look after a Yuhi escape which was awesome. This match made a good impression on me but is not without its flaws. The biggest is that at times the flow Yuhi needs for her moveset just isn't there. There is no doubt Yuhi could be one of the next big stars of Joshi but despite her natural ability she is still rough around the edges. Hailey destroys Yuhi with a powerbomb for the pin.
Miho Wakizawa, Tsukasa Fujimoto & Yui Yokoo vs Act Yasukawa, Natsuki Taiyo & Saki Kashima - Artist of Stardom Title Semi-Final [*3/4]
There was a lot of action here but the whole thing is hard to follow with the clipping not helping either. The team of Act/Natsuki/Saki win after an awesome suplex by Saki Kashima (I think).
Io Shirai, Mayu Iwatani & Natsumi Showzuki vs Kellie Skater, Portia Perez & Tomoka Nakagawa - Artist of Stardom Title Semi-Final [**]
This flowed a little better than the first semifinal, but was disjointed in places. The SHIMMER girls did not show anything out of the norm, Nakagawa gets the pin after a Lariat.
Hiroyo Matsumoto vs Yoshiko [**3/4]
These two ladies hate each other stemming from an indecent in 2011. Only about half of the match is shown of this stiff 15 minute draw. We get a lot of forearm shots, shoulderblocks and clotheslines. A pretty intense midcard match.
Yuzuki Aikawa© vs Kairi Hojo - Wonder of Stardom Title [**1/2]
I think my expectations for wrestling matches may be way too high. After the opening video package I was hoping for an epic encounter but we get nothing of the sort. It is a good match but it REALLY dies toward the end with Aikawa taking over and retaining the white belt with a couple of kicks to the head. This match would have been a lot better had they kept the pace they started with as they were really laying in some shots at the beginning.
Act Yasukawa, Natsuki Taiyo & Saki Kashima vs Kellie Skater, Portia Perez & Tomoka Nakagawa - Artist of Stardom Title [**1/4]
Stardom features some incredibly short matches where the wrestlers try to throw any and everything in within the time frame given. With only 9 minutes we get a flurry of spots and it feels like the old scramble matches from ROH. The team of Yasukawa, Taiyo and Kashima get the win to become the first Artist of Stardom champions after a rollup that came out of nowhere. The Stardom wiki says the three belts are each a different color but we do not get to see them here.
Nanae Takahashi© vs Kyoko Kimura - World of Stardom Title [***1/2]
This was by far the best match on the card. Kimura looks like a badass redneck girl who takes off her shirt to fight. She brought her A game injuring Takahashi's arm in the first 30 seconds and it was on. Takahashi sold the arm deep into the match like a champ. These two even exchanged some stiff hands free headbutts. This match was well built, well paced, and well executed. Takahashi retained her title after what I think was the Nana Rocker, but it was a side suplex from the body slam position with Kimura's arm chicken winged behind her. Great little match, well worth checking out.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: The main event is really really good and just a couple of steps from being really special. The Haley Hatred/Yuhi and World of Stardom matches are worth a look otherwise the event is just for the hardcores.
Odd fact, Hailey Hatred is in the midst of a 3100+ day TLW Womens Title reign. I doubt it is a major title as it was defended once in 2012. Hailey towers over the tiny Yuhi which gives a great dynamic to this match. It is a lot of fun watching Hailey deliver huge power moves only to have Yuhi kick out. Double H gives a WTH OMG WTF look after a Yuhi escape which was awesome. This match made a good impression on me but is not without its flaws. The biggest is that at times the flow Yuhi needs for her moveset just isn't there. There is no doubt Yuhi could be one of the next big stars of Joshi but despite her natural ability she is still rough around the edges. Hailey destroys Yuhi with a powerbomb for the pin.
Miho Wakizawa, Tsukasa Fujimoto & Yui Yokoo vs Act Yasukawa, Natsuki Taiyo & Saki Kashima - Artist of Stardom Title Semi-Final [*3/4]
There was a lot of action here but the whole thing is hard to follow with the clipping not helping either. The team of Act/Natsuki/Saki win after an awesome suplex by Saki Kashima (I think).
Io Shirai, Mayu Iwatani & Natsumi Showzuki vs Kellie Skater, Portia Perez & Tomoka Nakagawa - Artist of Stardom Title Semi-Final [**]
This flowed a little better than the first semifinal, but was disjointed in places. The SHIMMER girls did not show anything out of the norm, Nakagawa gets the pin after a Lariat.
Hiroyo Matsumoto vs Yoshiko [**3/4]
These two ladies hate each other stemming from an indecent in 2011. Only about half of the match is shown of this stiff 15 minute draw. We get a lot of forearm shots, shoulderblocks and clotheslines. A pretty intense midcard match.
Yuzuki Aikawa© vs Kairi Hojo - Wonder of Stardom Title [**1/2]
I think my expectations for wrestling matches may be way too high. After the opening video package I was hoping for an epic encounter but we get nothing of the sort. It is a good match but it REALLY dies toward the end with Aikawa taking over and retaining the white belt with a couple of kicks to the head. This match would have been a lot better had they kept the pace they started with as they were really laying in some shots at the beginning.
Act Yasukawa, Natsuki Taiyo & Saki Kashima vs Kellie Skater, Portia Perez & Tomoka Nakagawa - Artist of Stardom Title [**1/4]
Stardom features some incredibly short matches where the wrestlers try to throw any and everything in within the time frame given. With only 9 minutes we get a flurry of spots and it feels like the old scramble matches from ROH. The team of Yasukawa, Taiyo and Kashima get the win to become the first Artist of Stardom champions after a rollup that came out of nowhere. The Stardom wiki says the three belts are each a different color but we do not get to see them here.
Nanae Takahashi© vs Kyoko Kimura - World of Stardom Title [***1/2]
This was by far the best match on the card. Kimura looks like a badass redneck girl who takes off her shirt to fight. She brought her A game injuring Takahashi's arm in the first 30 seconds and it was on. Takahashi sold the arm deep into the match like a champ. These two even exchanged some stiff hands free headbutts. This match was well built, well paced, and well executed. Takahashi retained her title after what I think was the Nana Rocker, but it was a side suplex from the body slam position with Kimura's arm chicken winged behind her. Great little match, well worth checking out.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: The main event is really really good and just a couple of steps from being really special. The Haley Hatred/Yuhi and World of Stardom matches are worth a look otherwise the event is just for the hardcores.
NJPW/CMLL Fantasica Mania 2013 - Night 3 (01/20/13)
Maximo vs Taichi [*1/2]
This was not as good as the tag match the previous night. Maximo's gimmick worked so well with more people involved in the match. Maximo does a great job at putting over his kiss as a move that will make the recipient faint for three seconds. The ending is so epic where Taichi turns the gimmick around on Maximo with great success and ends up winning the match. Apparently Taichi has taken a liking toward men as he chases his partner TAKA to the back. Odd is the only way to sum up this match.
BUSHI, Diamante, Jushin Thunder Liger, Mascara Dorada, Tiger Mask & Titan vs CHAOS, Misterioso Jr & OKUMURA - 12 Man Elimination Torneo Cibernetico Match [***]
The heels/rudos have won more than I expected during this weekend. We got a fun Cibernetico with tons of action. The eliminations were super fast and included Liger getting a pin with a Thez Press. Tomohiro Inishi of CHAOS picked up the win in a super fun, super fast match.
Rey Escorpion vs Rush [**1/2]
I wasn't as big a fan of this match as I had hoped I would be. Rush is a wrestler with a dynamite look and a killer finisher but showed very little in between to me. His Rush Driver is boss and another finisher (like Escorpion's Aguijon Mortal) that can end a match in an instant. In a great show of continuity from the previous night's tag match where Escorpion flattened Rush with the Aguijon Mortal, this time Rush countered into his Rush Driver for the pin.
Dragon Rojo Jr© vs La Sombra - NWA World Middleweight Title [***]
This was a good title match with both guys working hard and laying in all of their spots. La Sombra is a crowd favorite and gets the win and the title here after the Brillante Driver. This was pure Lucha with the combatants fighting all over the ringside area and dives aplenty. These two are fun to watch.
La Mascara© vs Volador Jr - Mexican National Light Heavyweight Title [**1/4]
I was not a huge fan of this match. They went with a breakneck pace for a couple of minutes and then rest then repeat. A gradual build or a consistent pace would have done this match a lot of good. Their moves were very good, including a moonsault suicida which is a favorite of mine. La Mascara takes the match with La Campana submission.
Euforia, Kazuchika Okada & Mephisto vs Atlantis, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt [***]
We get a very short main event that provides good action but a finish I hate. Mephisto hits the Demon Driller on Atlantis and only gets two. Atlantis immediately gets up and applies La Atlantida for the submission win. There was no setup for Atlantis's finisher just kick out and apply the hold and its over. Okada and Tanahashi get a very nice exchange near the end with Okada striking out on two Rainmaker attempts and getting High Fly Flowed on the floor. They have such great chemistry together I would love to see another rematch, though I may be in the minority on that front.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Night 3 was very good and might even top Night 2 in quality. I like the Cibernetico match which was all action and the Middleweight Title match was the match of the night. Nothing special here just a good solid night of wrestling.
This was not as good as the tag match the previous night. Maximo's gimmick worked so well with more people involved in the match. Maximo does a great job at putting over his kiss as a move that will make the recipient faint for three seconds. The ending is so epic where Taichi turns the gimmick around on Maximo with great success and ends up winning the match. Apparently Taichi has taken a liking toward men as he chases his partner TAKA to the back. Odd is the only way to sum up this match.
BUSHI, Diamante, Jushin Thunder Liger, Mascara Dorada, Tiger Mask & Titan vs CHAOS, Misterioso Jr & OKUMURA - 12 Man Elimination Torneo Cibernetico Match [***]
The heels/rudos have won more than I expected during this weekend. We got a fun Cibernetico with tons of action. The eliminations were super fast and included Liger getting a pin with a Thez Press. Tomohiro Inishi of CHAOS picked up the win in a super fun, super fast match.
Rey Escorpion vs Rush [**1/2]
I wasn't as big a fan of this match as I had hoped I would be. Rush is a wrestler with a dynamite look and a killer finisher but showed very little in between to me. His Rush Driver is boss and another finisher (like Escorpion's Aguijon Mortal) that can end a match in an instant. In a great show of continuity from the previous night's tag match where Escorpion flattened Rush with the Aguijon Mortal, this time Rush countered into his Rush Driver for the pin.
Dragon Rojo Jr© vs La Sombra - NWA World Middleweight Title [***]
This was a good title match with both guys working hard and laying in all of their spots. La Sombra is a crowd favorite and gets the win and the title here after the Brillante Driver. This was pure Lucha with the combatants fighting all over the ringside area and dives aplenty. These two are fun to watch.
La Mascara© vs Volador Jr - Mexican National Light Heavyweight Title [**1/4]
I was not a huge fan of this match. They went with a breakneck pace for a couple of minutes and then rest then repeat. A gradual build or a consistent pace would have done this match a lot of good. Their moves were very good, including a moonsault suicida which is a favorite of mine. La Mascara takes the match with La Campana submission.
Euforia, Kazuchika Okada & Mephisto vs Atlantis, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt [***]
We get a very short main event that provides good action but a finish I hate. Mephisto hits the Demon Driller on Atlantis and only gets two. Atlantis immediately gets up and applies La Atlantida for the submission win. There was no setup for Atlantis's finisher just kick out and apply the hold and its over. Okada and Tanahashi get a very nice exchange near the end with Okada striking out on two Rainmaker attempts and getting High Fly Flowed on the floor. They have such great chemistry together I would love to see another rematch, though I may be in the minority on that front.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Night 3 was very good and might even top Night 2 in quality. I like the Cibernetico match which was all action and the Middleweight Title match was the match of the night. Nothing special here just a good solid night of wrestling.
Friday, February 8, 2013
NJPW/CMLL Fantasica Mania 2013 - Night 2 (01/19/13)
Maximo & Toma Tonga vs Suzuki-Gun [**1/2]
My first thought in watching this was how do I rate it. We get an awesome comedy match but it is just that a comedy match. Maximo is more than just the star of the match, he is the match. Everything here revolves around his gay gimmick from his offense, the offense of his competitors, Toma Tonga playing the lead in their salsa pair, and even putting an announcer out of action with a kiss to the forehead. Maximo has his gimmick down and goes all over the place with it, which makes the match so much fun to watch. Toma Tonga looked a lot better in this than he did the previous night. He got some good moves in and looked to be having a lot of fun. Maximo got the pin after a kiss on Taichi.
Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & Titan vs World Class Tag Team & Misterioso Jr [**3/4]
Whatever funk the workers were in last night (jet lag?) they are wrestling at a higher level tonight. Titan is fun to watch and his handstand is an amazing feat. The NJPW wrestlers seem to be there to keep a Japanese structure while the CMLL workers pull off the awesome Lucha spots. Misterioso Jr gets the pin after a crazy La Rosa Driver. Fun match.
Diamante & Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto & OKUMURA [**1/4]
My rating and feelings on this match are very much skewed by my view of Lucha. There is a lot I cannot wrap my head around. Its stuff like Diamante jumping off the second rope straight up in the air, obviously not attempting to hit OKUMURA and is jumping solely to be dropkicked. I understand this form of wrestling takes a lot of skill to pull off (like the stereo sequences) but like I have been bitching these past couple of reviews I don't get it. Mephisto has the coolest finisher, the Demon Driller. It is very simple yet is such an impressive visual especially when he holds his opponent in position before dropping him face fist to the mat. All four wrestlers worked very hard here and the fans appreciated everything, even chanting for Mephisto after the match. Diamante has this amazing ability to pull any areal maneuver out of his rear at any moment. Mephisto and OKUMURA win after the Demon Driller on Dorada.
Apollo 55 & BUSHI vs CHAOS & Dragon Rojo Jr [**3/4]
I like Apollo 55, especially Devitt. These six work hard and have an entertaining match. I love the stereo plancha by Apollo 55 & BUSHI. I hated the ending as it came out of nowhere without any buildup whatsoever. One move and boom Rojo Jr has BUSHI down for the count.
Atlantis vs Euforia [***]
This was a good match with an ending that made a lot of sense. Atlantis worked on the back of Euforia leading up to his La Atlantida submission finisher. These two older heavyweights went all out and had a pretty good match. Amazing that at 50 years old Atlantis will still dive to the outside. Very few his age are still willing or able to pull off that move. Match of the night thus far.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, La Mascara & Rush vs Kazuchika Okada, Rey Escorpion & Volador Jr [***1/4]
Coming into this match I was looking for a big Tanahashi/Okada showdown but it didn't happen. They were in the ring together here and there but nothing of significance happened. What we get is a fantastically worked match between six pros. I have no idea how La Mascara wrestles a long match in his ring attire that literally covers him from head to toe, especially in some of the sweat boxes south of the border. Rey Escorpion gets the win with an awesome package piledriver (Aguijon Mortal?) that gets a massive pop from the crowd. It is such an impressive finisher that looks like a match ender even lacking any setup. Great stuff here.
Shinsuke Nakamura© vs La Sombra - IWGP Intercontinental Title [***3/4]
I am officially a Nakamura mark, as he has had one hell of a start to 2013. These two went back in forth in an incredible title match. There were a couple of rollups where I thought La Sombra could have taken the match but Nakamura got out just in the nick of time. La Sombra broke out some awesome areal maneuvers, anything twisty I am a mark for, as well as an incredible moonsault. Nakamura retained his title with the Bomba Ye. We are getting to the point where I will mark out when I see a Nakamura title defense on the card. Hope he keeps delivering these great matches for the rest of his title reign.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Night 2 was worlds better than Night 1. This is what you expect when two major companies get together for a night of wrestling. Even though I don't completely understand Lucha, I know wrestling and when guys are working hard, as well as when I am entertained. There was plenty of entertainment to be had on this night. This is not required viewing but you will not be wasting your time if you decide to do so.
My first thought in watching this was how do I rate it. We get an awesome comedy match but it is just that a comedy match. Maximo is more than just the star of the match, he is the match. Everything here revolves around his gay gimmick from his offense, the offense of his competitors, Toma Tonga playing the lead in their salsa pair, and even putting an announcer out of action with a kiss to the forehead. Maximo has his gimmick down and goes all over the place with it, which makes the match so much fun to watch. Toma Tonga looked a lot better in this than he did the previous night. He got some good moves in and looked to be having a lot of fun. Maximo got the pin after a kiss on Taichi.
Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & Titan vs World Class Tag Team & Misterioso Jr [**3/4]
Whatever funk the workers were in last night (jet lag?) they are wrestling at a higher level tonight. Titan is fun to watch and his handstand is an amazing feat. The NJPW wrestlers seem to be there to keep a Japanese structure while the CMLL workers pull off the awesome Lucha spots. Misterioso Jr gets the pin after a crazy La Rosa Driver. Fun match.
Diamante & Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto & OKUMURA [**1/4]
My rating and feelings on this match are very much skewed by my view of Lucha. There is a lot I cannot wrap my head around. Its stuff like Diamante jumping off the second rope straight up in the air, obviously not attempting to hit OKUMURA and is jumping solely to be dropkicked. I understand this form of wrestling takes a lot of skill to pull off (like the stereo sequences) but like I have been bitching these past couple of reviews I don't get it. Mephisto has the coolest finisher, the Demon Driller. It is very simple yet is such an impressive visual especially when he holds his opponent in position before dropping him face fist to the mat. All four wrestlers worked very hard here and the fans appreciated everything, even chanting for Mephisto after the match. Diamante has this amazing ability to pull any areal maneuver out of his rear at any moment. Mephisto and OKUMURA win after the Demon Driller on Dorada.
Apollo 55 & BUSHI vs CHAOS & Dragon Rojo Jr [**3/4]
I like Apollo 55, especially Devitt. These six work hard and have an entertaining match. I love the stereo plancha by Apollo 55 & BUSHI. I hated the ending as it came out of nowhere without any buildup whatsoever. One move and boom Rojo Jr has BUSHI down for the count.
Atlantis vs Euforia [***]
This was a good match with an ending that made a lot of sense. Atlantis worked on the back of Euforia leading up to his La Atlantida submission finisher. These two older heavyweights went all out and had a pretty good match. Amazing that at 50 years old Atlantis will still dive to the outside. Very few his age are still willing or able to pull off that move. Match of the night thus far.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, La Mascara & Rush vs Kazuchika Okada, Rey Escorpion & Volador Jr [***1/4]
Coming into this match I was looking for a big Tanahashi/Okada showdown but it didn't happen. They were in the ring together here and there but nothing of significance happened. What we get is a fantastically worked match between six pros. I have no idea how La Mascara wrestles a long match in his ring attire that literally covers him from head to toe, especially in some of the sweat boxes south of the border. Rey Escorpion gets the win with an awesome package piledriver (Aguijon Mortal?) that gets a massive pop from the crowd. It is such an impressive finisher that looks like a match ender even lacking any setup. Great stuff here.
Shinsuke Nakamura© vs La Sombra - IWGP Intercontinental Title [***3/4]
I am officially a Nakamura mark, as he has had one hell of a start to 2013. These two went back in forth in an incredible title match. There were a couple of rollups where I thought La Sombra could have taken the match but Nakamura got out just in the nick of time. La Sombra broke out some awesome areal maneuvers, anything twisty I am a mark for, as well as an incredible moonsault. Nakamura retained his title with the Bomba Ye. We are getting to the point where I will mark out when I see a Nakamura title defense on the card. Hope he keeps delivering these great matches for the rest of his title reign.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Night 2 was worlds better than Night 1. This is what you expect when two major companies get together for a night of wrestling. Even though I don't completely understand Lucha, I know wrestling and when guys are working hard, as well as when I am entertained. There was plenty of entertainment to be had on this night. This is not required viewing but you will not be wasting your time if you decide to do so.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
NJPW/CMLL Fantasica Mania 2013 - Night 1 (01/18/13)
Euforia & OKUMURA vs Tama Tonga & Titan [*]
Tama Tonga is half of the CMLL Tag Champs and does not impress me here. This was one of those matches which was kinda there. Nothing about it wowed me yet nothing made me throw my hands up in disgust. I guess this was okay for what it was, the curtain jerker. Tama Tonga gets the pin with what I think was the Headshrinker (Hanging DDT).
BUSHI, Diamante & Ryusuke Taguchi vs CHAOS & Ray Escorpion [*]
We get nothing here to get me invested into the match, and nothing really sets this apart from the opener. Diamanté has a cool dive a d Escorpion has a sweet finisher Aguijon Mortal.
Rush vs YOSI-HASHI [*1/4]
I haven't been real enthused with this show so far. These matches feel like straight exhibitions lacking emotion. Rush has a great look and some nice moves. He finishes YOSHI-HASHI off with a Rush Driver.
La Mascara, Mascara Dorada & Maximo vs Suzuki-Gun, & Volador Jr
Match not uploaded to Daily Motion
Atlantis, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs World Class Tag Team & Mephisto [**]
We mostly get Liger against Gedo and Jado which consisted of attempting to rip the mask off Liger. Mephisto looks awesome and has an awesome finisher too. He hits Atlantis with the Demon Driller (think Angels Wings from the second rope) for the win.
Dragon Rojo Jr vs Prince Devitt [**1/2]
Prince Devitt using the song from Karate Kid wins a lot of points from me. I have to blame unfamiliarity between the NJPW and CMLL wrestlers because everything on this show is sub par to both companies normal shows. This has been the best match of the night thus far but was still a little disjointed in spots. This is still a decent mat based junior match though both are capable of a lot more.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & La Sombra vs Misterioso Jr & Shinsuke Nakamura [**3/4]
This was the most entertaining match of the night. All four work well enough together but once again we get nothing that sticks out as memorable which seems to be the theme for the night. La Sombra messed up his Brillante Driver finisher yet still manages to get the winning pin on Misterioso Jr.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: If this night is any indication on how the next two nights of Fantastica Mania will go then it will be a rough getting through those shows. Matches here feel like wrestling exhibitions and miss hatred, intensity and story that are the heart and soul of pro wrestling. This show is only for hardcores who must see everything, otherwise spend your time elsewhere.
Tama Tonga is half of the CMLL Tag Champs and does not impress me here. This was one of those matches which was kinda there. Nothing about it wowed me yet nothing made me throw my hands up in disgust. I guess this was okay for what it was, the curtain jerker. Tama Tonga gets the pin with what I think was the Headshrinker (Hanging DDT).
BUSHI, Diamante & Ryusuke Taguchi vs CHAOS & Ray Escorpion [*]
We get nothing here to get me invested into the match, and nothing really sets this apart from the opener. Diamanté has a cool dive a d Escorpion has a sweet finisher Aguijon Mortal.
Rush vs YOSI-HASHI [*1/4]
I haven't been real enthused with this show so far. These matches feel like straight exhibitions lacking emotion. Rush has a great look and some nice moves. He finishes YOSHI-HASHI off with a Rush Driver.
La Mascara, Mascara Dorada & Maximo vs Suzuki-Gun, & Volador Jr
Match not uploaded to Daily Motion
Atlantis, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs World Class Tag Team & Mephisto [**]
We mostly get Liger against Gedo and Jado which consisted of attempting to rip the mask off Liger. Mephisto looks awesome and has an awesome finisher too. He hits Atlantis with the Demon Driller (think Angels Wings from the second rope) for the win.
Dragon Rojo Jr vs Prince Devitt [**1/2]
Prince Devitt using the song from Karate Kid wins a lot of points from me. I have to blame unfamiliarity between the NJPW and CMLL wrestlers because everything on this show is sub par to both companies normal shows. This has been the best match of the night thus far but was still a little disjointed in spots. This is still a decent mat based junior match though both are capable of a lot more.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & La Sombra vs Misterioso Jr & Shinsuke Nakamura [**3/4]
This was the most entertaining match of the night. All four work well enough together but once again we get nothing that sticks out as memorable which seems to be the theme for the night. La Sombra messed up his Brillante Driver finisher yet still manages to get the winning pin on Misterioso Jr.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: If this night is any indication on how the next two nights of Fantastica Mania will go then it will be a rough getting through those shows. Matches here feel like wrestling exhibitions and miss hatred, intensity and story that are the heart and soul of pro wrestling. This show is only for hardcores who must see everything, otherwise spend your time elsewhere.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
AJPW New Year Shining Series 2013 - Night 2 (01/03)
The Japanese Wrestling 2013 Match Rankings
http://briscoiswrestling.blogspot.com/2013/01/puro-2013-match-rankings.html
Osamu Nishimura vs Yasufumi Nakanoue [3/4*]
Not too much here, granted my feed freezes halfway through the match. Nothing interesting was going on when it went out and that didn't change when it came back in just in time for the finish. Nishimura wins with a backslide.
KENSO & MAZADA vs Andy Wu & SUSHI [*]
We get a comedy match which is right up SUSHI's alley but KENSO is the star. Before a dive he wins me over by doing many of Hulk Hogan's mannerisms, and not the normal poses you would think of. KENSO gets the pin after an elbow off the top rope.
Kazushi Miyamoto vs Masayuki Kono [*3/4]
We get a pretty standard AJPW mid card match. Neither competitor does anything to really draw me in. The highspot was a quick knee from Kono followed by a top rope knee drop to the throat for the win.
Get Wild, Hiroshi Yamato, Ryota Hama & Suwama vs Keji Muto, Masakatsu Funaki, Masanobu Fuchi, Taiyo Kea & TAKA Michinoku [**]
We get another tag in the Taiyo Kea retirement tour. The ending was never in doubt as you had to know Kea was going over with the TKO, even the man on the losing end of the fall (Yamato) was never in doubt. There would be no reason to put Kea over the tag champs and Hama is too big to take the TKO. Suwama is the only opponent other than Yamato who could have taken the loss. The action was interesting, especially if you know the strengths of the wrestlers involved. This would have garnered a higher rating if there wasn't so much dead weight in this match. Michinoku, Funaki, Hama, Suwama and Yamato all did little more than a spot or two and did little to make the match more entertaining. Like I said I enjoyed this match just was hoping for a little more with those involved.
Akebono vs Joe Doering - Triple Crown #1 Contenders match [*1/4]
Being that this is for a shot at the famed Triple Crown Heavyweight titles I was expecting loads more than what this match delivered. First off it only goes 5 minutes and even super workers cannot deliver an impressive match in only 5 minutes. Sadly they do not even tease a Revolution Bomb spot, a move Doering has hit Akebono with in the weeks leading up to this match. This match is not loaded with strategy but it is power vs power and the former sumo wrestler wins after three splashes on Doering.
Junior Stars © vs Team 246 - All Asia Tag Team Titles [***3/4]
The tag title match starts slow but is molten hot by the end. This match was so good and included a couple of near falls that I completely marked out for, though I knew the Junior Stars retained. The last ten minutes are just pure action and this is a must see match. The Junior Stars retain with Tanaka's cross armbreaker. Definite recommendation.
Seiya Sanada© vs Tomoaki Honma - GAORA TV Title [**3/4]
While this wasn't atrocious it was a far cry from the greatness that preceded it. Honma made this a brawl during the first portion, even going so far as to brawl into the stands and hit Sanada with chairs in full view of the ref, which did not draw a DQ. Homna's Tumeric Storm partner Miyamoto interferes only to be weakly carted off by Sanada's second. The match gets a lot better down the stretch with Sanada hitting an awesome RKO on a diving Honma and finishes the match with THIS IS IT to retain.
8-Man Battle Royal including Andy Wu, Hiroshi Yamato, Kaz Hayashi, Koji Kanemoto, Masanobu Fuchi, MAZADA, Shuji Kondo, SUSHI & TAKA Michinoku [*1/2]
The battle royal was okay, nothing great. There were some fun spots like the Fuchi elimination, but all in all it was very underwhelming. Yamato picks up the underdog win by pinning Kanemoto.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This is a one or two match show (depending on your thoughts of the TV Title match). There isn't much out side of the two title matches. Go out of your way to see the AA Tag Title match.
http://briscoiswrestling.blogspot.com/2013/01/puro-2013-match-rankings.html
Osamu Nishimura vs Yasufumi Nakanoue [3/4*]
Not too much here, granted my feed freezes halfway through the match. Nothing interesting was going on when it went out and that didn't change when it came back in just in time for the finish. Nishimura wins with a backslide.
KENSO & MAZADA vs Andy Wu & SUSHI [*]
We get a comedy match which is right up SUSHI's alley but KENSO is the star. Before a dive he wins me over by doing many of Hulk Hogan's mannerisms, and not the normal poses you would think of. KENSO gets the pin after an elbow off the top rope.
Kazushi Miyamoto vs Masayuki Kono [*3/4]
We get a pretty standard AJPW mid card match. Neither competitor does anything to really draw me in. The highspot was a quick knee from Kono followed by a top rope knee drop to the throat for the win.
Get Wild, Hiroshi Yamato, Ryota Hama & Suwama vs Keji Muto, Masakatsu Funaki, Masanobu Fuchi, Taiyo Kea & TAKA Michinoku [**]
We get another tag in the Taiyo Kea retirement tour. The ending was never in doubt as you had to know Kea was going over with the TKO, even the man on the losing end of the fall (Yamato) was never in doubt. There would be no reason to put Kea over the tag champs and Hama is too big to take the TKO. Suwama is the only opponent other than Yamato who could have taken the loss. The action was interesting, especially if you know the strengths of the wrestlers involved. This would have garnered a higher rating if there wasn't so much dead weight in this match. Michinoku, Funaki, Hama, Suwama and Yamato all did little more than a spot or two and did little to make the match more entertaining. Like I said I enjoyed this match just was hoping for a little more with those involved.
Akebono vs Joe Doering - Triple Crown #1 Contenders match [*1/4]
Being that this is for a shot at the famed Triple Crown Heavyweight titles I was expecting loads more than what this match delivered. First off it only goes 5 minutes and even super workers cannot deliver an impressive match in only 5 minutes. Sadly they do not even tease a Revolution Bomb spot, a move Doering has hit Akebono with in the weeks leading up to this match. This match is not loaded with strategy but it is power vs power and the former sumo wrestler wins after three splashes on Doering.
Junior Stars © vs Team 246 - All Asia Tag Team Titles [***3/4]
The tag title match starts slow but is molten hot by the end. This match was so good and included a couple of near falls that I completely marked out for, though I knew the Junior Stars retained. The last ten minutes are just pure action and this is a must see match. The Junior Stars retain with Tanaka's cross armbreaker. Definite recommendation.
Seiya Sanada© vs Tomoaki Honma - GAORA TV Title [**3/4]
While this wasn't atrocious it was a far cry from the greatness that preceded it. Honma made this a brawl during the first portion, even going so far as to brawl into the stands and hit Sanada with chairs in full view of the ref, which did not draw a DQ. Homna's Tumeric Storm partner Miyamoto interferes only to be weakly carted off by Sanada's second. The match gets a lot better down the stretch with Sanada hitting an awesome RKO on a diving Honma and finishes the match with THIS IS IT to retain.
8-Man Battle Royal including Andy Wu, Hiroshi Yamato, Kaz Hayashi, Koji Kanemoto, Masanobu Fuchi, MAZADA, Shuji Kondo, SUSHI & TAKA Michinoku [*1/2]
The battle royal was okay, nothing great. There were some fun spots like the Fuchi elimination, but all in all it was very underwhelming. Yamato picks up the underdog win by pinning Kanemoto.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This is a one or two match show (depending on your thoughts of the TV Title match). There isn't much out side of the two title matches. Go out of your way to see the AA Tag Title match.
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