Sky's Good Matches Thread (formerly You Decide What Sky Watches)

[Chris]

Who tf suggested that

 

[Sky]

Okay, I promised this, to give it a bit of buildup. When Match 50 comes around, instead of reviewing 1 match, I'm going to review every match on a single show!

Which show? I leave that up to you. Could be a good show, could be a bad show, either one will be fun to review, and it'll help fill out the list. But this time, I ask you limit it to a maximum of 1 show per person. Maybe 2 if there's not a lot of responses. But to be safe, 1 show per person.

Your responses will be kept for the 100th, 150th, 200th... matches, so don't worry if you're not picked.

SUBMIT A SHOW HERE

Going to tag some of the regulars in this thread so they can add their ideas in the form above

@Chris @Jeff Valley Driver @Deth @Funky Charlie @Blaze @ThanksGriming @BayLooch @Rawhide @Tiger Princess @StormTrooper 85

 

[Chris]

Excellent, I submitted one of my favorites

 

[Chris]

Are you going to be adding to the performer match count for events?

 

[Sky]

Are you going to be adding to the performer match count for events?

Yes, all the matches go on the list individually

 

[Storm Trooper]

Match #45
The Rock vs. Erick Rowan
WWE WrestleMania 32 - April 3, 2016​

This is what I get for doing a match 3 tonight, huh? Guess, since it's short, I'm reviewing the entire buildup.

And that buildup starts as most of WrestleMania 32 was - with a spectacular bit of time-wasting. That show was SEVEN HOURS including the pre-show. So, instead of realising they have to cut some of the fat (most of Taker/Shane, most of HHH/Roman, all of New Day/League of Nations...) they decide to add more by throwing in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. You know Rebel from Impact/AEW? She's a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. That's the only wrestling thing I can think of that's related to this group of women dancing to something that samples Thunderstruck by AC/DC but isn't Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

And then the Rock comes out, remembers he's forgotten something, and goes back to the back to fetch a flamethrower. Which he shows off to the crowd for entirely too long and then sets alight the giant letters of his own name. The commentators are almost entirely silent for this, as if they're meant to let us soak in the moment. That is, the moment of nothing related to a wrestling storyline happening.

Rock then wastes EVEN MORE time not even starting his promo. He says a catchphrase, puts over the fire, the cheerleaders, and an exhausted crowd who I'm shocked aren't already beating the traffic knowing HHH/Roman is next. He then implies WWE fans are going to go home and have sex after this, which is very generous. One line from Rock strikes me as foreshadowing: "Records are made to be broken". That comes as he announces the very overinflated and even papered attendance for WM32. He celebrates with pyro and his entrance music.

His promo is interrupted by the Wyatt Family, who get the crowd to make more noise than the Rock has in this entire segment. Rock's really selling the atmosphere of the fireflies. Bray grabs a mic, and holy SHIT, old, non-spooky nonsense Bray was GREAT, and he controls that promo. Bray chose Rock... because he represents success, and greatness, and it's Bray's moment now. He challenges Rock, and then Rock immediately starts mocking and shitting on him. He mentions Cracker Barrel. Like, this is Billy Gunn in 1999-tier career ending. He does get Braun pretty good though, saying he looks like he's still breastfed. Rock then pretends to put Bray over as if he hasn't just turned him into a joke. When Bray retakes the mic, his heat's very much gone. Rock takes his shirt off and accepts the challenge, to which Bray just lets Erick Rowan do the match for him.

You know how it goes from here. Bell, Rock Bottom, 3-count, six seconds, Kane/Chavo (or Bundy/SD Jones if you believe a certain amount of kayfabe) have their blushes spared. The rest of the Family threaten to triple team Rock until Cena comes out and joins him to beat them all up.

Remember when I said the match was six seconds? That's six seconds out of the entire segment which went TWENTY EIGHT MINUTES. That's 28 minutes I'll never get back. Dumb from concept to execution, buried promising talent in favour of already established guys, and just felt like a complete waste. No redeeming value.

YES!

The wheel spun to my pick! Yeah I was in the building for this and took about 12 minutes longer than necessary. Honestly enjoyed it the moment Wyatt's got out there til the end. Took way too long to get to that point though.

I thought we'd get a review of just the match. Next add will make up for this.

 

[Alexa]

...this is going to hard as hell to decide on

 

[Alexa]

I have decided not to link a show, because I honestly have no real clue which one and what style I want to send in.

 

[Sky]

Match #46
Daisuke Ikeda vs. Tamon Honda
GHC Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender's Match
NOAH Departure 2001 - September 1, 2001​

Our first trip to NOAH on the wheel! You know it's NOAH because the ring is green. Not much else to say other than I'm excited.

This is in the KBS Hall so you get the views of that beautiful giant stained-glass window in this match. Both these guys are really over, but I feel Ikeda is slightly more over because of his big coat. Instant top star: just add coat. Honda is powerstancing in his singlet. It starts as all puro matches must: with a grounded scramble for control, which Honda ultimately comes out the better in. He gets a good long time working both of Ikeda's knees, tying his legs up. That eventually leads to a rope break. When they're back up, Ikeda goes for some sort of bear hug and gets himself easily slammed and grounded by Honda. Ikeda rolls over for what appears to be a pin attempt but Honda gets the rope. In response, Ikeda just... stays there, doesn't even get off.

Honda is a former Olympian, so I have no idea why Ikeda seems to be trying to match him in grappling. He gets put in a grounded headlock and already seems to be quite woozy when it's broken up by the ref and he comes to his feet. Finally, he finds a true counter to something Honda does, using his own legs to compress Honda's left leg hands-free! Ingenious stuff there. Ref has to physically break them up when Honda rolls for the rope break.

Ikeda switches to doing what he does best: KICKING DUDES REALLY HARD! Just a shame he's doing it in the corner so the ref stops him, and when he tries it on more even ground Honda catches his leg and suplexes him. Some forearms from Ikeda, but then Honda tackles him to the mat and continues to grapple. Eventually Ikeda can break out and get a cross-arm breaker! And I think he may be choking Honda a little with his leg too! Now Ikeda has somewhere to target. He kicks that left arm, stretches it with an Irish whip, and hits a lariat in the corner. He tries to set up the Death Valley Driver but Honda has to elbow his way out... with the bad arm, so it doesn't have much effect. Psychology!

Honda clotheslines Ikeda out of the ring, but with the bad arm again so he's selling it hard instead of following up. Ikeda milks the referee's 10-count, but Honda interrupts the ref multiple times so he can attack Ikeda more. Which is his undoing because that gets his left leg swept out! Ikeda heads to the top rope, possibly for a flying lariat, but Honda catches him and powerbombs him for two! Ikeda goes for a triangle choke, but Honda counters into a kneebar! I love how Ikeda thrashes for a rope break in this sequence. Honda almost completely deadlifts Ikeda and hits a German suplex! But Honda's selling his neck and it's a double down.

Ikeda hits a big lariat for a 2-count! He then tries to slam Honda but Honda lands right on top of him for a 2-count! Honda controls the neck for a bit, then goes for another German, but Ikeda elbows out! Honda misses a clothesline and Ikeda hits a back suplex! Ikeda has to crawl for the pin, and Honda gets his foot on the rope. Honda corners Ikeda and hits a back suplex of his own! One that Ikeda decides to just take on all of his neck, because it's classic NOAH. When Ikeda gets to his feet he goes for lariats, but Honda just tanks them and the crowd goes WILD! He's Honda-ing up! He takes Ikeda down by grabbing the leg and whipping him over himself, slaps on an STF, then transitions it into an arm triangle! Soon enough, the ref sees that Ikeda's out and calls the match for Honda!

Really cool match, nice showcase of Honda. Shame we didn't get to see as much of Ikeda's striking game but what we got was hot.

 

[Alexa]

Really solid match

 

[Sky]

Match #47
Pequeno Damian 666 (c) vs. Mascarita Dorada
2/3 Falls Match for the CMLL World Mini-Estrellas Championship
CMLL Super Viernes - January 11, 2008​

Our second minis match of the wheel! It's also a duplicate, someone wanted me to see this twice. And we've got a sneaky little returning wrestler because our Mascarita Dorada is the one who went to WWE as El Torito, who was in our first minis match. Is this better than WeeLC? Let's find out!

This already looks like a mismatch, as Dorada does actually have dwarfism but our mini Damian does not. This is probably why CMLL created a Micros division fairly recently - the Minis devision kept being dominated by guys who were just short-arses. Damian looks like he's about to lift Dorada up for a German suplex just doing the initial waistlock. We get the standard sequence of holds and counterholds that opens pretty much every CMLL match I've seen so far (twisting out of a hammerlock, etc) until Damian abuses his power advantage by just tossing Dorada around.

Dorada's able to recover and start working on Damian's arms. Damian does manage to get up and lift the 100 lbs of Dorada while it's clinging to his arm, but Dorada armdrags him! That's a great visual. Damian goes for it again and tries to put Dorada in an electric chair position, but Dorada gets out and armdrags him again! A third armdrag, and then Dorada charges the corner, but Damian dodges so he flies through the ropes, into the ring post, and clattering to the floor. And then Damian hits a splash on him from the apron! Back in the ring, Damian smashes Dorada into the corner, puts him in the Muscle Buster position, runs around with Dorada on his shoulders ( ) then lands a kneeling neckbreaker. And that's the first fall!

Second fall, and Damian's overpowering his opponent. But since it's Dorada, even his selling looks super acrobatic. Two extremely slow pin counts end with Dorada getting to the ropes. Dorada does manage to fight back by dodging a corner charge (like Damian did in the first fall!) and demonstrating his skill in armdragging larger men. He goes for a springboard moonsault, Damian catches him, but gets hit with a headscissors that flings him under the bottom rope! Then Dorada goes for a senton bomb from not the top rope, but the ring post itself! Only in mini wrestling. Slingshot crossbody gets two. Then Dorada does fuckin' NINJA FLIPS around Damian's body as if it's some sort of training pole, until he gets into a small package and takes fall number two!

Third fall, and Dorada's got the edge still, but I can't see exactly how because the camera is focusing on a ring girl. Dorada hits a Wasteland, which is actually impressive for once. He gets a moonsault, crowd asks for another, he tries another, but Damian gets the knees up. Damian hits the fastest-paced powerbomb I've seen for two. He then hits a shoulderbreaker and tries to untie Dorada's mask like the massive heel he is. He tries to go to the top rope but Dorada crotches him. Dorada drops Damian with a headscissors and brings him down with what is essentially a reverse backbreaker rack - he's in the position to be receiving a backbreaker but is the one applying pressure. Whatever, he just transitions it into a crucifix pin for 2 anyway.

Damian then tries a crucifix pin of his own, then just... tosses Dorada by the neck. That looks so dangerous. Dorada hits one of his ludicrously flippy headscissors, then goes to the top rope for another headscissors to the outside!! Pequeno Halloween (who doesn't look very pequeno either) interferes to kill Dorada's momentum. Damian whips off the mask (DISGUSTING) then gets him packed up for the three.

Nice match, I'm definitely being sold on Mascarita Dorada.

 

[Sky]

Match #48
Leon Fortuna vs. Jackie Robinson
World of Sport - April 12, 1975​

ugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

It's not even worth the Francis face because it's not going to be a bad match by any stretch. It's just going to be really dry, and really dull. There's like 20 of these old World of Sport matches on the wheel and none of them is going to be enjoyable. Let's get this over with.

Six five-minute rounds, one fall to a finish, and Fortuna is from Tonga. We do get an early attempt at a crucifix pin by Robinson, which is something. He at one point has Fortuna between his legs and I feel it's going to be the setup for a powerbomb or a Pedigree or something. No, he's just trying to establish control for a wristlock. A hammerlock, and Fortuna taps the mat... I wish tapping out were a thing in the 1970s. Fortuna now gets to lock the arm. Robinson gets his leg grapevined for a good while, does manage to take Fortuna down with a headscissors, but is hopping afterward.

You know how you call tell that wrestling's meant to be a serious sport without any entertainment in this era? The commentator is quieter than a golf commentator would be. Doesn't help the atmosphere any. Robinson claps Fortuna's ears with his legs in what's probably the closest thing to a strike we'll see. Robinson, in the Union Jack trunks, keeps working the left arm until Fortuna gets a leg whip. Robinson starts to work the knee a bit before the round bell rings for end of round one.

At the start of the second round something threatens to actually happen as Robinson hits a monkey flip, followed by both guys trying to roll into pins in short order. Robinson gets a series of snapmares before Fortuna trips him and he's left dangling close to the outside! Fortuna tries to grapevine a leg again but Robinson spreads his opponent's legs so the hold breaks. Fortuna trips, compresses the leg, and twists the ankle around as commentary suggests that he might go for a Figure Four. Yes please. Robinson grabs Fortuna's ankle, and there's a bit of laughter as the wrestlers seem to forget which foot belongs to which leg, causing the ref to break it up.

Robinson looks to have the opportunity to go for a half crab but instead wraps Fortuna's leg around the back of his neck for some reason. Three times in a row Robinson tangles Fortuna's legs, Fortuna kicks out, but Robinson cartwheels away. The third time, Fortuna trips Robinson. This gets a laugh too. Fortuna goes for a schoolboy but Robinson locks the outstretched arm. He then battles for control of the other arm but loses the first one. A bodyscissors (which Robinson can't break out of no matter how much he rolls) finishes round two. Crowd seems amused.

Third round time and Robinson's straight in with a jumping bodyscissors. He looks like he could go for a guillotine from here but instead just tries to twist Fortuna's chin. Fortuna gets him down and applies spiking elbows to try and fail to break the hold. He instead tries to go for a Boston crab but Robinson flips him against the ropes, where Fortuna looks to have tweaked his knee on the bottom rope. So, naturally, Robinson works that leg. Fortuna tries to apply a headlock but Robinson lifts him up for a kneeling... kneebreaker? Let's go with that. Robinson tries to cradle up so Fortuna can never get both shoulders down, to which Fortuna's response appears to be to elbow him in the arse. Like legitimately, the elbow looks like it's trying to go up him.

Robinson gets some sort of crossface hold in, and the facials of Fortuna trying to get out are actually pretty funny. "Do a somersault", says a granny in the crowd. In response, Robinson flips Fortuna and stretches both arms. He then slaps on a pretty long headscissors, which Fortuna slips out about a second after realising the TV cameras show that he's not putting it on fully. Fortuna sends Robinson flying across the ring with a hip toss just as round 3 ends.

The fourth round sees Fortuna keep going for a full nelson. Robinson manages to break out, though, bounce off the ropes, and get Fortuna in a really unique pinning combination. Fortuna gets a headscissors and Robinson tries to do the handstand counter to it, so Fortuna goes for the logical solution, grabs his opponent's torso, and drives Robinson's head to the mat. That amuses the crowd, and I'm actually not hating this match. Fortuna drags Robinson all around the ring while still in the headscissors. Robinson flips out and goes for a Boston crab, but this just leads to another series of rolling pin attempts that never gets a 1-count until it collides with the ropes.

Fortuna once again seems to be getting "over-familiar" with Robinson's backside. Robinson whips Fortuna to the ropes and then spears him against them! This is actually a match! He goes for it again but Fortuna dodges and Robinson just eats shit. Robinson goes for a Figure Four but puts his second foot in the wrong place, and there's an awkward moment as he realises he's just scissored his own legs between Fortuna's. Once again, the referee's forced to work out what the hell's going on with these feet. And then Robinson, from his crouched position, does that Russian kicking dance!



I had no idea this was going to be a match with actual comedy in it. Fortuna attempts a Boston crab several times but is ultimately unsuccessful, as fround 4 comes to a close.

Round 5 has a great moment. They're shoving each other against the ropes, the referee tries to separate them, so Fortuna pushes the referee. He just dusts himself off in a way that gets a Genuine Smile from me. Robinson gets a dropkick, but not all of it. He then runs the ropes, screams as he realises Fortuna's dodged him, then gets briefly rolled up. Fortuna does a strange move that reminds me of Eddy Steinblock's "Pedigree" attempt. He then gets a backslide for the surprise three-count! I really thought Robinson was going to win that one on flow alone.

You know what? I actually enjoyed watching this. Was the first World of Sport match I watched just really boring or something?

 

[Alexa]

WoS tends to be hit or miss, honestly

 

[Sky]

Also, now is your last call to send in picks for my 50th match celebration full show watch, because I'll be picking them after I've watched match number 49!

SUBMIT A SHOW HERE

 

[Alexa]

Sky don't you have IWTV?