Last Wrestling Match Watched 2.0

[Kiffy Lube]

ROH Border Wars: Fight Without Honor for the Tag Team Titles- World's Greatest Tag Team v.s The Briscoes(c).

This is exactly how you take a fight an extra step too far. It was a good battle as it was but it's kind of hard to comment on it with the ending. It was a great way to continue the feud... I just thought this was going to be the finish of it. It's been going on for a while. Now they have to continue... So probably a future Ladder War. This was an out of control brawl from the start mixed with some good big maneuvers for nearfalls like you know a typical ROH tag team match. The pace was fast paced from the beginning, non-stop action. Some great spots that looked straight up devastating. It's just the finish really put over World's Greatest Tag Team as scumbags but within the rules of the match it was all legal. Hell it led to them winning the belts. Haas used some sort of adhesive apparently to put his opponent out with a towel. I've seen this thing done a couple times in wrestling but not in ROH. Of course, I've seen other dastardly acts from Homicide in ROH that equal rival this so I didn't buy the overreactions from the commentary table. It was good match and much better then the match that set up the All-Nights/Briscoes Ladder War... which is the way I was think they are heading.

***

 

[Crippler]

TNA Lockdown 2008 - TNA World Title: Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle

This is supposed to be some kind of quasi-UFC fight, but the UFC influence is purely cosmetic, Frank Trigg does color commentary (although he’s much better than Don West). Angle is in full I wish i was a UFC fighter by forgoes his usual singlet for a standard MMA shorts. Trigg calls Joe nervous so Tenay weighs in with his opinion, which basically rubbishes Trigg. I guess they fed Trigg lines because of his angle with Kurt after this to make him seem deliberately pro-Angle. Samoan fire-dance to bring Joe out. WWE tends to do better entrances at big shows but this is cool. Karen is at ringside even though she’s left Kurt so Kurt wants her ejected by security. He also goes totally MMA to start trying to wear Joe down with leg kicks. Angle leaves his leg in there and Joe has the ANKLELOCK. Angle has to use the ropes to break the hold. Angle with the double leg and he tries some ground and pound. Ropes break again. Should have taken the ropes down and just gone OCTAGON on their asses. Angle goes for more mounted strikes and the ropes break again. Angle gets caught coming in for another takedown and Joe decides to take advantage of Angle’s taped feet. No boots so Joe just stomps the feet. This is something Joe is awesome at; noticing opponents weaknesses. Joe keeps trying for judo stuff but Angle hauls him over for a back suplex. Interesting to hear Trigg analyse pro-wrestling moves like they’re legit. Trigg also thinks Joe isn’t in shape, presumably because he’s doughy. Trigg does give him credit for using the rules to his advantage; countering submission holds into pins and using the ropes. Angle pulls out a Figure Four, which he used on Nagata. Joe stays in the hold for AGES before finally turning it over. Trigg suggests spending that long in the hold means he’s lost all mobility. Angle goes after the knee but he’s open for strikes so he switches to a headlock. Joe slips out AND HITS A LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Fuck me, he channelled Kobashi with that son of a bitch. Joe brings the kicks but Angle escapes the Musclebuster into the ANKLELOCK. Joe turns it over and kicks him off. S.T.JOE!! POWERBOMB WITH SLIDE…FOR 2 INTO THE BOSTON CRAB WITH EXTREME CRANK!! Angle nearly gets the ropes so Joe switches to the STF. Joe has it across Angle’s eyes so he can’t see where the ropes are. Angle slips out RIGHT INTO THE ANKLELOCK! Joe COUNTERS IT BACK into a crossface. That ankle now helping to hold Kurt’s arm in place. Its an excellent counter and Joe has been careful to not move about too much thus giving his legs recovery time. Angle charges but that leaves him totally exposed. Joe’s mobility is reduced so Kurt played into Joe’s hands. OLYMPIC SLAM…FOR 2. Back to the Anklelock and its right in the middle negating the ropes. Joe tries to switch but Angle blocks back into the ANKLELOCK but he can’t tap because his career will be over. Joe counters again with a pull on the tights and gets the KOQUINA CLUTCH. Angle pulls himself into the ropes using the ref! Trigg puts him over and Tenay isn’t happy and yet Joe pulled the tights Tenay; hypocrisy to cheer one and boo the other. SUPERKICK! Holy shit! Joe just busted out the awesome there. MUSCLEBUSTAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! Joe wins the title. **** I know people didn’t like the MMA stuff but I felt it added to the big match feeling. Plus Joe & Angle have great chemistry.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: #1 Contendership 4-Way- Samurai Del Soul v.s Ricochet v.s Jigsaw v.s AR Fox.

This was non-stop action and up until a certain point it felt like they were hitting moves to win then they started getting way too fancy. The stuff they did with minimal problems was pretty incredible, though. I don't care for Ricochet or Jigsaw but as of late Fox has been impressing me in EVOLVE and other random Indies. It was my first time seeing Samurai Del Soul and he was probably the most impressive here. He looked bigger than the rest of them and could do everything they could do just maybe a little bit better. I swear also Ricochet didn't care about winning this and just hit whatever he wanted. I guess it works for the match but everybody else looked at many times trying to secure a victory. It's for a title shot after all later in the show. He was on the apron along with Jigsaw when AR Fox almost tapped in the ring... I didn't get it they broke every pinfall they could yet the match was on the line... Fox looks like he's just about done but because it wasn't the finish he ended having to crawl to the ropes after his opponent was adjusting the hold to a weaker armbar. So yeah no wonder these guys just like to fly around all the time. That was about the worse thing here though and the action at times is pretty mind blowing. I enjoyed it so much more than I should have.

***3/4

 

[Crippler]

WWE Extreme Rules 2012 - Extreme Rules: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar is wearing MMA-inspired gear tonight. Cole actually does a good job of listing off all of Lesnar's accomplishments in the WWE and UFC. Cena charges on Lesnar but Brock takes him down and starts laying in NASTY stiff elbows on Cena, who's already bleeding legit from them now as Brock gives him a stiff clothesline. Well that's one hell of a way to start a match. The ref wants to check Cena's cut but he's right back up and grabs a waist-lock on Brock, determined to out-wrestle the former NCAA champion. Brock lays in some more punches and the ref finally gets a chance to check on the blood as here come's the doctor. For once stopping a match for blood actually works here though as it just gives Brock time to stew and milk the crowd some more like a total badass. Cena gets back up and tries to take Lesnar down, but Lesnar takes him down in his guard and lays in more punches. The doctor checks on the cut again but Cena fires right back up and gets Brock up in the AA position, but Brock counters out into a sick German suplex! He rolls through and delivers another German suplex for good measure. I'm a firm believer that one can never have enough German suplexes. Cena manages to take down Brock in a football tackle but also takes out the ref in the process, and Brock just turns around and tackles Cena back viciously to the mat. Brock takes it to the next level by smearing some of Cena's blood on his chest and even tasting it! Lesnar starts cranking away on a kimura lock on Cena before tossing him into the steel post. Brock grabs Cena's steel chain and wraps it around Cena's legs while he knees him in the gut. He tells Cena to get up and Cena barely does only for Lesnar to take his head off with another clothesline. Brock manages to tie Cena's legs and the chain up with the steel post so that he's hanging upside down now in the tree of woe position. Cena manages to escape the predicament and fire off a few shots at Lesnar, but Brock sends him into the steel steps. Lesnar tosses the ref back in the ring which gives Cena enough time to catch his breath and try for the AA again, but Lesnar counters into the F-5! He knocked the referee out again with Cena's legs in the delivery of the move though, so another referee has to sprint down to the ring and of course only gets a two count. Brock doesn't like that, so he nails the referee and then tosses the steel steps into the ring. He locks Cena back into the nasty kimura lock again on top of the steps now and Brock is really cranking away on the hold in almost shoot fashion. Cena manages to counter with a spinebuster onto the steel steps and he tries for the top rope leg drop, but Brock moves and Cena nearly kills himself bumping between the mat and the steps. Lesnar just stands on the steps running in place, taking it all in. Cena manages to get back up to the apron only for Brock to leap off the steel steps with a flying leg lariat over the top rope that takes both men nastily to the floor. There's that crazy reckless "Yeah I can do a shooting star press, want to see?" attitude we all loved about him. Brock looks like he might have tweaked his knee but he just gets right back up and laughs it off. Lesnar tries for the same leaping leg lariat move off the steps but this time Cena meets his face directly with his fist wrapped in his steel chain! Now Lesnar is busted open and Cena is going wild, beating his chest like a madman. Brock can barely get back to his feet and Cena gives him the Attitude Adjustment on top of the steel steps as the ref counts to three and CENA WINS.

After the match, Cena grabs a mic and sits on the steps in the middle of the ring. He says that he may get kicked out the door for what he's about to say, but he's probably going to get kicked out the door anyway. If he knows his boss, his boss is going to make him go away for a while, but he's going to do it on the air. This may be CM Punk's home town, but more than that it's a wrestling town. If he has to go away for a while, if he has to take a vacation for a while, then there's no other way that he'd want to go out. don't worry wrestling fans he turns up the next night on raw.

I've heard a lot of outrage on the web about Cena winning here, but Lesnar DESTROYED him for nearly twenty minutes before Cena got the fluke win and Lesnar isn't seen as infallible as he was during his first run/debut.. This was one of the most brutal flat out fights I've seen in a wrestling ring in a long time, and even had a longtime fan like myself questioning whether certain spots were "shoot" because they looked so damn real. This was like an old school fight where two guys would stiff each other so hard they'd break bones, and to see that kind of a match worked in a WWE ring in itself was incredible, nevermind all of the crazy heat, the hard work from both men, how great Lesnar looked, or how great some of the actual wrestling sequences themselves were. ****1/2 MOTYC

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: Adam Page v.s Silas Young.

This didn't last long but it was pretty brutal. Young destroyed Page from the get go. I really haven't seen much Page compared to Young, though so maybe I shouldn't be surprised how fast this lasted. Young has this awesome combo that leads to this devastating Full Nelson Crossface hold. That didn't finish of Page who still had a little fight left in him until Young nails him with about 15 stiff forearms to the head before the referee stopped the match.

*

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: Kyle Matthews v.s Caleb Konley.

Decent match here. Two guys trying to make it up the ranks in EVOLVE. It was back and forth with cheap advantages taken by Konley when he could and Matthews turning quick moves into nearfalls. Konley being more experienced eventually tied Matthews up like a pretzel and he tapped out shortly after. Konley has a pretty good heel gimmick going on in EVOLVE. He's going to be fun in the undercard here with his ringside bimbos and Jonny Fairplay. In the end a solid match with no major flaws and shows off the competitive level these guys should be at in EVOLVE.

**1/4

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: Jake Manning v.s Alex Reynolds.

I'm a big fan of Man Scout, he's just so entertaining. Reynolds looks like a generic, cocky Indy heel. This match went alright for the most part. Chuck Taylor was hilarious on commentary. It was back and forth pretty much the entire way. They had some poor transitions, they just weren't crisp at all and they were trying to adjust during these and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Reynolds has a dive in this match that looks he stumbled out of the ring like Ric Flair would. He seriously just falls out of the ring off the second rope going for a springboard dive out. He lands hard on the apron and glances Jake Manning. After that disappointment he actually wins the match leaving the colorful Jake Manning with his first loss in EVOLVE. Still a fun little match.

**

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: Jon Davis v.s Low Ki.

Damn right. This was stiff as hell and Low Ki seriously took a great beating for this match. Every time I see Davis I see a great big man for companies like this. The violence escalated well with the shots and moves getting more impactful. Low Ki suffered a lot of damage on his back from all the slams and clubbing blows he took from Davis constantly whenever Davis was in control. These two wouldn't let up for one second on the other. At point though... I didn't like what Low Ki was doing he started getting too one dimensional. I mean he kept going for the Ki Crusher and never got it. Three times in the row, the first time he ended him hitting an offense maneuver and the next two times he took huge slams. It didn't seem like something he'd end up doing but it ended up with more damage to his back and making it harder for him to fight for the win. Yeah, the finish was straight up tough and a good way for Ki to continue his streak here in EVOLVE.

***

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: Chuck Taylor v.s Mike Cruz.

Taylor pretty much made Cruz look like a fool. I always enjoy that but this lacked the competitive level entirely. Taylor should have better competition and well he usually does. This was a like a night off for him. So Taylor started the match humiliating Cruz with just about everything he did. Cruz eventually fights back with a couple moves including a springboard Blockbuster but it didn't take much for Taylor to get back control. Hell the finish just made Cruz look totally outclassed. It was just him hittin' Taylor's knees on a top rope attempt then ending up in Taylor's Awful Waffle.

*1/4

 

[Kiffy Lube]

EVOLVE 13: El Generico v.s Sami Callahan.

Jesus Christ this was a battle. Sami was taking pleasure early just dominating Generico in very good fashion. Both men were desperate for the win but I felt Callahan looked much more determined. Generico looked like a babyface in peril for the majority of the match but kept coming back. This is his usual role but sometimes he would hit random moves not gain control again but just to give the crowd something. Callahan hitting a body slam on the cement on Generico and throwing him into the timer keepers table just to try to get a countout were great moments for me. Also The knee work late by Callahan look pretty painful and Generico had already got a dive in the match so he actually was able to sell the injury properly. Sami was going to do anything in his power to win. These two getting near the end were just hitting each other with everything. Sami locking in the Stretch Muffler a couple times and almost getting Generico to tap helped a lot here. The pressure applied by Callahan was just perfect for it. However, Generico was able at one point to catch Callahan off guard with a Dragon Suplex followed by his Brainbuster on ONE LEG. If it wasn't for Generico selling the injury going into his finish I think I would have took off a lot from my rating but it was very well done. So the Generic Luchadore picks up his first victory in EVOLVE in an incredible match.

****1/4

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Pro Wrestling Superstars WrestleReunion VI: Adam Page v.s Arik Royal.

Not much of a match. Page got in a Running Shooting Star Press off the apron that was alright. This was my second Page match of the day too. He isn't too bad but this match was an after thought. It was all about Vader's interference. It was great to see him again and he took his sweet time beating these two jobbers. I think Adam Page won by DQ because he was the first one attacked but they may have just thrown the match out. It doesn't matter though because it's Vader Time.

3/4*

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Pro Wrestling Superstars: Referee Mick Foley- New Age Outlaws v.s The Steiners.

This was billed as their first ever meeting and I can't remember another match between the two so I'll go with that. However maybe they should have just let this match stay a "dream." It's 2012 and these guys just don't have it anymore. Scott being the only active one did a decent job himself but all his Brother did was closelines and bite his opponent's asses. The stalling didn't lead to anything special. It just showed they were old. Road Dogg did his punching combo followed by the Shake, Rattle and Roll. After he did so he got a "You Still Got It" chant. It's all he did in the entire match really. This was just awful, none of them still have it. Billy Gunn really only did his Famer-Ass-Er to end the match when Mick Foley counts quickly because he doesn't want to deal with Scott Steiner anymore.

1/4*-1/2*

 

[Crippler]

ROH Proving Ground 2009 Night 2 - El Generico vs. Bryan Danielson

[video=youtube;lBCh-9WEU2k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBCh-9WEU2k[/video]

Funny start as Generico doesn't understand the fans' "You're gonna get your fuckin' head kicked in" chant because it's in English and then he freaks out when he gets the translation from Todd Sinclair. Generico starts the match with a hug. Generico wants another one, and Dragon gets boos for not immediately obliging. The fans then chant for him to say that he's sorry. He responds, a Lo sientoâ and gets a huge embrace for his troubles. They do some more comedy in the early going, particularly Generico. Danielson takes the advantage and starts working the legs. Generico almost makes the comeback, but Danielson takes him down with a monkey flip and goes right back to the legs. When the pace quickens Generico takes advantage, and he goes for the surfboard, but Danielson blocks it. Danielson then shows him how the hold is done. Generico once again makes the comeback by quickening the pace. Danielson comes back and slaps Generico across the face a few times. He then goes to work on the wrist, abandoning the legs for some reason. Generico pops up to the top rope and hits a cross body block for two. He hits a back body drop and clotheslines Danielson to the floor. Generico follows him out with a suicide dive over the top rope to the floor. Back in the ring Generico hits a Superfly Splash for two. A reversal sequence ends with Danielson landing a release German suplex for two. They do the fish out of water spot and Generico lands on top for a two-count. Danielson is able to lock on the triangle choke but Generico counters to a rollup for two. Generico comes back with the running Yakuza in the corner, and then another one! He sets Danielson up for the Super Brainbuster but Danielson avoids it and traps Generico in the Tree of Woe. Danielson follows up with the belly-to-back superplex but Generico kicks out at two! He hits the elbows to the face, and then locks on Cattle Mutilation. Generico makes it to the ropes, and Bison Smith makes his way out and jumps on the apron. Danielson attacks first, and takes Bison out with a dive through the ropes. Back in the ring Danielson goes to the top rope but Generico counters with a Yakuza kick and this time hits the Super Brainbuster to score a huge pin. After the match Bison attacks Danielson and has to be restrained by a whole herd of students and jobbers. Great characterizations in this one with the two starting off as friends before Generico got progressively angrier with Danielson's smugness. The Bison Smith interference was a great way to build that feud while still giving Generico a much-needed singles win. But it could of been so much better. ***1/2

 

[Crippler]

ROH The Omega Effect 11/14/09 - El Generico vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

Nakajima neglects to follow the Code of Honor, and the crowd rightfully boos. He takes Generico down to the mat early on with an armbar. Generico makes a brief comeback and sends Nakajima to the floor. He goes for a dive but Nakajima cuts him off with a missile dropkick. Generico rolls to the floor but Nakajima shows him no surcease, hitting him with hard kicks to the chest. Back in the ring Nakajima unleashes more kicks, and then wears the masked man down with a chinlock. Generico tries to escape but Nakajima cuts him off with a dropkick. Nakajima backs Generico into the corner and absolutely unloads with kicks to the chest. He's just mean. Generico avoids a charge and dumps Nakajima to the floor, and then hits him with a moonsault over the top rope and to the floor. That man can fly. Back in the ring Generico hits a cross body off the top rope for two. Moments later Generico lives up to his reputation of almost killing Japanese wrestlers with his Michinoku Driver with a particularly nasty looking one for just a two-count. Generico misses the running Yakuza Kick, and then gets hit with an enziguiri. Nakajima follows up with a running forearm, a suplex, and a vicious kick to the chest for two. He hits another missile dropkick for another two-count. He sets Generico up top and hits a superkick, and both men fall to the floor. Generico recovers and hits that awesome through-the-turnbuckle DDT. Back in the ring Generico hits a T-bone suplex into the turnbuckle and then finally lands the running Yakuza Kick. He follows up with a half-nelson suplex, and then goes for a Brainbuster. Nakajima reverses it out of nowhere and gets a two-count. Both men are down now. They get up and trade running boots in the corner, and Generico wins that battle. Generico then hits the Brainbuster but it only gets two! Nakajima responds with a Saito Suplex, and both men are down. The first to rise is Nakajima, and he goes up top. Generico meets him up there and they battle over who#s going to Brainbuster the other. The answer is neither, and Nakajima settles for a diving knee drop. Nakajima hits a couple of kicks for a very close near-fall. He then lands a series of superkicks but still only gets two. Nakajima finally finishes Generico off with a bridging German Suplex. Awesome match, but the ending was a bit tame considering everything they did. It was like those Misawa-Kobashi matches where Kobashi kicks out of everything and then an elbow finishes the match. ***3/4

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Pro Wrestling Superstars: World of Sports Rules- Colt Cabana v.s Finlay.

If you don't know the rules of this they consist of five minute rounds and this match would have three. From the opening bell it was rough and tough as to be expected. Everything looked meaningful and effective. The first round ended with Cabana holding onto a headlock way too long. In the second round Finlay repaid the favor by holding onto a keylock way too long. Some good mat wrestling and stiff blows throughout each but most of the last round was Finlay capitalizing on his arm work that finished the second round. He had a deep Fujiwara arm bar on Cabana for quite a bit of time. He was just tearing away at it. It was after a mistake by Cabana he was making a comeback. Cabana fought for his Dusty elbow as Finlay refused to take it. You have to work for everything against Finlay. Cabana tried to be funny several times during this and Finlay was never amused. Hell, the way the third round started he just ran at Cabana while he had his back turned as he was making small talk with his corner man. Yeah, they both had corner men. Cabana made his long like a joke and Finlay ignored his. It's these little things and how the pace that made this match stand out a bit but it was still rather slow and a couple transitions weren't very crisp. This is just a good, solid match to make us forget how awful the last one was.

***