Impact Wrestling
Date: August 5, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Matt Striker

We’re still in the middle of the Kenny Omega Era and that means he needs a new #1 contender. That is what we get to find out next week, but for now we still have some more things to cover first. Since this is modern wrestling, the Bullet Club is involved, as Jay White and company are fighting against the Elite, including a six man tag this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Bey vs. Juice Robinson

Jay White and David Finlay are here too. Bey dropkicks him into the corner at the bell and Robinson gets stomped down in a hurry. Robinson gets sent outside and something like a 619 on the mat takes him down again. Back in and Robinson catches Bey’s kick to the ribs, only to get pulled into a sleeper. Robinson slips out so Bey hits a Fameasser for two. Robinson is back with a spinebuster for a breather and they’re both down for a bit. The Cannonball crushes Bey in the corner as Finlay beats up White on the ramp. Bey has had it with this and hits the Art of Finesse for the pin at 5:17.

Rating: C. This was a showcase win for Bey, who gets back on track after his surprising loss. Robinson in a pretty one sided match was quite weird to see but at least they had a point with Bey. I could go for more of White later in the night though as he is one of the few people to have gotten my attention around here as of late.

Post match, White officially gives Bey the Bullet Club shirt.

The Elite isn’t worried about tonight’s six man tag because they’re that much better. Violent By Design comes in to say they are enacting their rematch clause at Emergence. The Good Brothers aren’t scared.

Fire N Flava insist everything is fine and they’re prove it tonight.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Video on Homecoming, with the debuting Matthew Rehwoldt (Aiden English) and Deonna Purrazzo winning the tournament.

Here is Matthew Rehwoldt, in a crown (Fans: “YOU STILL SUCK!”), to introduce his queen, Deonna Purrazzo. Fans: “NO ONE LIKES YOU!” Purrazzo lists off her accolades and gets a “NO ONE CARES” chant. Cue Mickie James to interrupt, with Purrazzo being annoyed at her spotlight being stolen. Mickie wants to get the contract for Empower signed but Purrazzo wants to know her opponent first. Cue Melina of all people and both of them sign the contract. Purrazzo introduces herself as the Virtuosa but Melina says she’s looking forward to taking the title.

Taylor Wilde accuses Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With A K of reporting her as a suspicious person and tried to get her in trouble with immigration last week. She wants Dashwood next week.

Kimber Lee, now looking evil like Su Yung, sits next to Yung (who she refers to as “Mother”) and asks if she can take a soul.

Jake Something vs. Trey Miguel vs. Rohit Raju vs. Daivari

The winner gets an X-Division Title shot and Shera is here with Raju. It’s a brawl to start and Raju hits a dive onto something and Daivari. Miguel dives onto them as well, leaving everyone but Something to sit on the apron. Something hits a running crossbody against the ropes to all of them as we take a break.

Back with Daivari and Raju double teaming Something against the ropes until Something shrugs them off without much effort. Miguel is back in with some dropkicks, setting up a slugout with Raju. The Muta Lock has Raju in more trouble….and Miguel manages a swinging neckbreaker on Daivari at the same time without breaking the hold. Something comes back in to break it up but Daivari is back in with a missile dropkick. Not that it matters as Something is back with the swinging Boss Man Slam to finish Daivari at 8:09.

Rating: C. This is how you have a match like this as they didn’t spend a lot of time on crazy spots and just got to the point. What matters here is getting Something into the title picture, which is at least some….never mind. Josh Alexander has cleared out the division so bringing in someone fresh is the best thing that they can do at this point. I doubt he wins the title, but at least it’s a fresh match.

Post break, Rohit Raju and Shera yell at Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green.

Josh Alexander is ready for a match with Jake Something because Jake earned the shot. Daivari comes in and gets a non-title match next week for the chance at a future title shot.

Fire N Flava vs. Jordynne Grace/Rachael Ellering

Grace and Ellering have matching gear. Fire n Flava jump them to start to little avail as they get shouldered down in a hurry. The bell rings and Grace hits a spinebuster for two on Steelz as the fans are behind Grace and Ellering. A backsplash gives Ellering two but Steelz slips out of Grace’s MuscleBuster. That’s enough to get Grace down into the corner for some stomping from Hogan, setting up a chinlock from Steelz.

Grace is right back up with a double snap suplex and the hot tag brings Ellering back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and some running knees in the corner rock Hogan. Ellering gets two off a Vader Bomb but Hogan is back with a superkick for two of her own. Steelz gets sent back outside and it’s the assisted swinging Rock Bottom to finish Hogan at 5:22.

Rating: C-. Another loss for Fire N Flava here, but at least Grace and Ellering are starting to feel more like a team. It’s almost like putting these wrestlers together with no backstory or history and expecting them to instantly click isn’t a good idea. They’re getting better at this, but thankfully the division doesn’t have many teams to clear out at the moment.

Post match Hogan and Steelz stare each other down until Savannah Evans (rather tall woman) comes in to lay Hogan out. Steelz stands by and watches before leaving with Evans. So much for Fire N Flava.

Frankie Kazarian says he’ll come after the Elite no matter where they are and he’s coming for them tonight. He isn’t worried about Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards, because it’s about getting to the Elite.

Violent By Design tells Scott D’Amore about the Tag Team Title match at Emergence but Willie Mack and Rich Swann walk out of his office. We’ll make it a three way match at Emergence instead.

Steve Maclin vs. Jah-C

Maclin jumps Jah-C for turning his back on him and the beating is on in a hurry. Jah-C gets stomped down in the corner and then gets tied in the Tree of Woe. A spear gets two, with Maclin pulling him up. Maclin does it again for a bonus, setting up the reverse inverted sitout DDT driver (NAME THAT ALREADY) for the pin at 2:28.

Post match the beatdown stays on, with Maclin grabbing a chair. Petey Williams comes in for the save to continue Maclin’s first actual competition.

It’s time for All About Me, with Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With A K in a neck brace. This week’s guest is Dr. Ross Forman, Impact’s resident doctor. Forman asks Kaleb With A K about his injuries and then suggests a specialist. That’s it for Forman, so here is Scott D’Amore instead. We hear about the accusations from Taylor Wilde, but she’ll drop the investigations in exchange for a match with Dashwood. Date to be determined.

We look back at Moose vs. Chris Sabin from last week.

Chris Sabin says he has been in wrestling for 21 years but no one has ever made him as emotional as Moose. The difference is that Sabin is a former World Champion and he’s going to win the battle royal, meaning he can win the title again.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Elite vs. Sami Callihan/Eddie Edwards/Frankie Kazarian

Don Callis is here with the Elite and handles Kenny Omega’s introduction, as usual listing off all of the wrestlers beneath him. The brawl is on before the bell and everyone heads to the floor for the sake of violence. Callihan and Omega get inside to officially start but it’s off to Kazarian for a clothesline instead. The springboard legdrop gets two on Omega as Striker screws up by saying that Homecoming was last night. Omega gets in the Kitaro Crusher and we take a break.

Back with Gallows working on Kazarian, allowing Omega to choke on the ropes. Kazarian springboards his way to freedom though and the hot tag brings in Eddie to pick up the pace. Omega breaks up a middle rope hurricanrana though and an elbow drop gets two. It’s back to Gallows for the chinlock before the Good Brothers knock the other two off the apron. The triple splash gives Gallows two but Gallows charges into a boot in the corner.

A middle rope dropkick allows the tag to Callihan to start cleaning house. Everything breaks down and we hit the parade of secondary finishers, including the belly to back/neckbreaker combination for two on Callihan. There’s the spinebuster to plant Edwards but he’s back with a Blue Thunder Bomb to Anderson. Callihan piledrives Omega on the apron and it’s the Boston Knee Party to finish Anderson at 12:57.

Rating: B-. This was your standard main event six man, which is going to work most of the time. They are lining up a bunch of possible challengers for Omega and a battle royal is as good of a way to pull one out in a hurry as you are going to have. I can’t imagine Omega loses the Impact World Title before he loses the AEW World Title, but it is a good idea to get rid of one challenger.

Post match, everyone else leaves so W. Morrissey runs in to lay Edwards out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’ve been saying this for a few weeks now but Impact is doing a nice job of putting things together and then executing them. It wasn’t a blow away show but it advanced stories and helped boost things up for Emergence. Impact is in a groove now and I could go for that for a pretty long time to come.

Results
Chris Bey b. Juice Robinson – Art of Finesse
Jake Something b. Trey Miguel, Rohit Raju and Daivari – Swinging Boss Man Slam to Daivari
Jordynne Grace/Rachael Ellering b. Fire N Flava – Assisted swinging Rock Bottom to Hogan
Steve Maclin b. Jah-C – Lifting sitout implant reverse DDT
Sami Callihan/Frankie Kazarian/Eddie Edwards b. Elite – Boston Knee Party to Anderson

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two
Date: January 5, 2020
Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 30,063
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton, Gino Gambino

It’s the second of two nights here and that means we’re in for the real main events of the whole show. This time around it’s going to be about the World Title again as Tetsuya Naito tries to get back to the top against champion Kazuchika Okada. Other than that, it’s Jushin Thunder Liger’s retirement match and that’s going to be an emotional one. Let’s get to it.

Here are Night One’s results if you need a recap.

As usual, I don’t follow New Japan incredibly closely so there is a good chance I won’t know every storyline point of the show. Please bear with me as I’m mostly going off what commentary tells me.

Never Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles: Gauntlet Match

Five team gauntlet with the Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe/Toru Yano)/Ryusuke Taguchi defending and entering last. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale/Yujiro Takahashi/Chase Owens) is in at #1 and Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii/Yoshi-Hashi/Robbie Eagles) in at #2 to get things going. Chaos jumps them before the bell and the fight is on in a hurry. Fale loads up a Razor’s Edge but Hashi slips out and it’s time for the rapid fire superkicks on the monster.

A running clothesline puts Fale down and the rapid fire offense continues. The Club gets smart by focusing on Ishii but Eagles is right back to wreck things. Owens actually wins a slugout with Ishii off a clothesline and a jumping knee to the head but Eagles is back in for the save. The clothesline and brainbuster give Ishii the pin on Owens for the first elimination at 3:40.

Suzuki-Gun (Taichi/Yoshinobu Kanemaru/El Desperado) are in at #3 and the brawl is on in a hurry again. Ishii gets caught alone and tries as much as he can but eventually gets kicked down, setting up a spear from Desperado. Eagles and Hashi come back in for the save but it’s Taichi taking off his pants (no Garza, no all caps) to….well very little really.

Ishii clotheslines him down but can’t follow up as they actually bother to go with the tagging for a change. Granted it lasts all of ten seconds but it did in fact happen so we can call these Tag Titles. In the chaos (pun….yeah we’ll say intended), Eagles rolls up Kanemaru for the pin at 8:32.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Evil/Shingo Takagi/Bushi) are in at #4 and of course they brawl in a hurry again. Eagles spinwheel kicks Bushi but Bushi is back with a dropkick and a Spinarooni back up to take over. We settle down to Evil taking Eagles down into the corner for the Bronco Buster and a near fall. Shingo gets caught in a snapmare driver (cool) and it’s back to Hashi to pick up the pace.

A running dropkick to the back gets two on Shingo but he’s back up for the slugout with Hashi. Ishii and Evil come in for the slugout and Ishii’s bad night continues as Hashi has to make another save. Everything Is Evil is broken up and Ishii nails a headbutt. Instead it’s Darkness Falls to finish Ishii at 16:00 (with some confusion as to whether it was two or three).

Ishii keeps brawling with Evil as the champs are in at #5 to complete the field. Yano wastes no time in trying the rollups so Bushi kicks him in the head. Serves him right. Shingo gets two off a suplex and it’s Bushi coming back in to work on the nerve hold. That’s broken up and Makabe comes in to start the hard hitting.

Makabe and Shingo slug it out this time with Makabe getting the better of the clothesline off. Taguchi comes in for the rolling suplexes and a double chickenwing faceplant gets two on Shingo. The ankle lock is broken up and Bushi gets in a mist shot, setting up Made In Japan (pumphandle driver) to give Shingo the pin and the titles at 23:25.

Rating: C-. I’ve never been a fan of these matches but I get the point of them. I’d rather see these than the multiple eight man tags, which do little more than filling in time on a long show. These titles certainly don’t mean very much, but they’re something that exist and a way to get a bunch of people on the show. It’s a fun opening, though dropping a team might have been nice.

The opening video is the usual card rundown format and it does its usual good job of making me want to see the show.

Ryu Lee/Hiromu Takahashi vs. Jushin Thunder Liger/Naoki Sano

This is Liger’s retirement match, Sano is one of his oldest rivals, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara (yes THAT Fujiwara and Liger’s trainer) is here as well. Lee is better known as Dragon Lee and has the ROH TV Title with him. Takahashi looks near tears as Liger makes his big entrance. I’m not even the biggest Liger fan (respect him but he hasn’t had a big impact on me as a fan) but this is an incredible moment.

Liger and Takahashi lock up to start with the ropes giving us a break. It works so well that they do it again, followed by Liger pulling him into the surfboard (it’s nice to see him playing the hits one last time). Lee comes in but Tanahashi knocks Sano off the apron and Liger gets beaten down in a rather heelish act. We settle down to Lee cranking on both arms at once, setting up Tanahashi’s Fujiwara armbar.

Liger tries to come back with chops but gets chopped right back down, only to have Liger snap off the tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Sano comes in to kick away so Lee takes off his shirt and starts the slugout. Liger and Tanahashi take their places for their own slugout with Tanahashi getting the better of it. A powerbomb brings Tanahashi out of the corner though and it’s time to slap away at the back of Tanahashi’s head.

Lee’s big running flip dive hits Tanahashi by mistake and it’s Liger getting two off a powerbomb. A Shotei drops Tanahashi for two with Lee making the save and hitting a suicide dive on Sano. Tanahashi’s Falcon Arrow gets two on Liger and it’s a pair of running knees to the head for the same. The Time Bomb is countered into a sunset flip for two on Tanahashi, who is right back up with a running clothesline. Now the Time Bomb connects to retire Liger for good at 12:18.

Rating: C. Just like yesterday, this wasn’t about the wrestling at all and was all about the moment and the big feeling. That’s all it was supposed to be and there is something appropriate about Liger’s career ending with something involving time running out. Liger is a legend of the highest degree and there’s nothing I can say that will make this appropriate enough. I’m very glad he got this kind of a moment and him going out on his back to a young up and comer is as logical as it gets for him. Not even a bad match either.

The video cuts out a bit and we’re clipped to Liger and Sano walking up the aisle, posing with Fujiwara, and leaving like it’s any other match. That seems to fit him in a way.

Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Roppongi 3K vs. Bullet Club

The Club (El Phantasmo/Taiji Ishimori) are defending and Rocky Romero is with the challengers. 3K jumps them before the bell with a double dropkick to the floor, setting up the big flip dive to take the champs down again. Back in and the champs are beaten up again, meaning it’s already time for a breather on the floor. We settle down to Phantasmo kneeing Sho in the back to put 3K in trouble for a change.

Ishimori’s sliding German suplex drops Sho again and there’s a knee to the back to make it worse. Phantasmo walks the ropes for a moonsault back rake (that’s a new one), setting up a Lionsault on Sho and a suicide dive on Romero to really rub it in. Sho gets tied in the Tree of Woe and that means some sliding dropkicks to the face and a double standing on the crotch. Yoh gets tied in the same corner for a double crotch stomp but Sho gets in a spear for a breather.

The hot tag brings in Sho to send both champs to the floor for the dive onto both of them. Back in and Ishimori hits a springboard spinning kick to the face but Sho is right back up with rolling German suplexes, including one to both champs at once. Phantasmo is back up with a spinning torture rack neckbreaker to give Ishimori two more.

The champs try their own version of 3K (3D) but Sho reverses into a Canadian Destroyer to plant Phantasmo instead. Ishimori and Yoh are knocked outside, leaving Phantasmo to hit a Styles Clash for two on Sho. Romero breaks up a belt shot so Phantasmo hits Sho low….to no effect because there’s a cup in play. A piledriver into a dragon suplex drops Phantasmo and a spike arm trap piledriver gives us new champions at 14:10.

Rating: B-. It’s so weird as I couldn’t stand 3K when they were the Tempura Boyz in Ring of Honor and now they’re some of the most consistently entertaining guys in this company. They’re very smooth in the ring and feel like stars instead of coming off as annoying guys who just happen to be there because New Japan tells them to. Good match here and I had another good time, as I always do with 3K.

Post match Romero celebrates with them, seemingly as the mastermind behind the cup idea.

We recap Zack Sabre Jr. defending the British Heavyweight Title against Sanada. Sabre is a cocky yet incredibly talented champion but Sanada has beaten him a few times to set this up. Sanada has never won a singles title in NJPW and wants to prove himself, even though it’s the Rev Pro Title.

British Heavyweight Title: Sanada vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre is defending and starts in on the arm as he is known to do. Sanada keeps flipping out of the armbar so they head to the mat and wind up with a staredown, as seems appropriate. A quick pinfall reversal sequence barely gets a one apiece and it’s another standoff as they seem evenly matched, which doesn’t sit well with Sabre.

Sanada gets pulled down into a crossarm choke but reverses into one of his own as Sabre just can’t take over here. Sabre bails to the floor and needs a breather as Sanada is in his head here. Back in and Sabre can’t even keep an abdominal stretch as Sanada reverses into one of his own, only to have Sabre crank on both arms at once with the modified Rings of Saturn. That’s broken up with a boot on the ropes but Sabre has his confidence back. Sanada kicks the leg out and twists the knee around for a bonus.

Sabre bails to the floor so Sanada follows with a slingshot dive, setting up Skull End back inside. The moonsault misses so Sabre kicks him in the head, only to bang up the leg even more. They go back to the pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls until Sabre gets two off the European Clutch. That’s countered into the dragon sleeper but Sabre flips up again, this time into another European Clutch to retain at 12:33.

Rating: B. I wanted more from this one as their counters were getting awesome in there. Sabre continues to be one of the most entertaining people in all of wrestling as he can just do whatever he wants out there and make it look as smooth as anyone ever has. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have had Sanada take the title here, but I’m not going to argue watching Sabre do something like that because he’s just so awesome at what he does.

US Title: Juice Robinson vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley is defending and I’ll only mention him as a champion despite Juice being half of the Tag Team Champions. This is a pretty long time coming as Moxley initially targeted Robinson and won the title last year. This is the rematch after Moxley lost and regained the title thanks to weather and at the expense of Lance Archer. Robinson jumps him to start (a common theme tonight) and sends Moxley into the barricade before he can even get inside.

Moxley sets up a chair at ringside and gets sent face first into it because that’s how chairs work around the world. They get in for the first time with Moxley sending him over the top again, meaning the chairs can work this time. Back in and Moxley hammers away, bows to the referee for daring to suggest that’s not fair, and then puts on a camel clutch. That’s broken up so Moxley drops a running elbow for two but Robinson is back up with a powerbomb for his own near fall.

The Juice snap jabs are cut off in a hurry with Moxley slapping on a Figure Four. That’s broken up in the traditional way so Moxley wraps the leg around the post a few times. The Hart Breaker goes on for a few seconds (as it tends to do) but Moxley would rather put a chair around Juice’s neck.

A running shot with a chair is cut off by a left hand and Robinson gets two off a Jackhammer. Pulp Friction is countered into a release German suplex but the Death Rider is countered into a rollup to give Juice two. Moxley tells Juice to hit him and the slugout is on again. Moxley’s running knee just fires Juice up enough for some hard left hands. Pulp Friction is countered again though and it’s the Death Rider to retain the title at 12:49.

Rating: C+. These two hit each other rather hard and I’m still surprised by how much better Robinson is. I know I see that every year but I still see CJ Parker in him at times, which is cleared out as soon as I watch his matches. You can see how much more fun Moxley is having here though and that’s what matters most for him. He just wasn’t clicking in WWE at the end and Moxley seems a lot more appropriate for him than Dean Ambrose.

Post match here’s Minoru Suzuki to go after Moxley and the fight is on. Suzuki grabs the Gotch style piledriver and talks about how he’s the king of pro wrestling, plus the king of the United States. This would be your HOKEY SMOKE THEY’RE REALLY DOING THIS moment of the show and it’s working as usual.

We recap Kenta vs. Hirooki Goto. Kenta is the horrible jerk who has been needling Goto for not being tough enough. Goto wants to fight him for honor and the title.

Never Openweight Title: Hirooki Goto vs. Kenta

Kenta is defending and gets jumped before the bell as Goto is not playing around here. A bunch of shots to the back get two and we hit the chinlock early. Kenta is back up with a kick to the face and some whips into the barricade to put Goto in trouble for a change. A DDT on the ramp knocks Goto silly for a nineteen count so Kenta throws him outside again.

This time Goto is back in for a kick to the back and a Too Sweet sign, setting up a chinlock. Kenta calmly kicks away and shrugs a bit, only to walk into a discus clothesline. They trade forearms in the corner until a HARD forearm drops Kenta in a heap. Kenta is back up with a powerslam and the tornado DDT throat snap across the top. More kicks to the head fire Goto up so Kenta plants him with another DDT.

Goto comes back with the fireman’s carry backbreaker, only to get pulled into the LeBell Lock. A rope is reached so Kenta drops him with a hanging DDT (popular move in this match). The running knee connects for two but Kenta can’t hit Go To Sleep (this guy is a create a wrestler come to life) so Goto headbutts him down. They take turns screaming at each other after some clotheslines but it’s Goto reversing a slap into a failed GTR attempt. GTW connects for two on Kenta instead so now it’s the GTR to win the title at 16:14.

Rating: B-. This was a rather surprising one as Kenta was best known as the one with no personality in NXT but here he was a great heel and I wanted to see him get punched in the mouth. Goto has never been my favorite but it was nice to see him fight like this. Good match as Kenta impressed far more in one match than he did in almost his entire NXT run.

Here are the upcoming big shows, including the G1 Climax, which is being moved to October due to the Olympics.

Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi

Basically the third place match in the Double Gold Dash and White has Gedo with him. White heads to the floor to start, as is his custom, so Gedo can offer a distraction. That doesn’t work either as Ibushi catches the invading White with kicks tot he ribs and a standing moonsault for two. White scores with some forearms though and an ax handle knocks Ibushi off the apron and hard into the barricade.

Another whip sends Ibushi chest first into the barricade to make it even worse and it’s time to choke back inside. The chinlock makes it worse, as White gets in some trash talk for a bonus. Ibushi fights up though and snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor, meaning it’s a big slingshot dive for a bonus. Back in and a springboard missile dropkick connects as Ibushi starts getting more comfortable with the high flying.

White grabs a DDT and Death Valley Driver for two each but Ibushi is fine enough to hit a kneeling Tombstone to put them both down. Ibushi knocks him into the corner and gets that serious look on his face as this is about to get more violent. A forearm knocks White down so Ibushi pulls him up so White can get in his own forearm. White’s shot has no effect as Ibushi knocks him back down even harder.

Ibushi charges into a Downward Spiral though and a German suplex knocks him sillier. The Kiwi Crusher gets two and a snap Saito suplex puts Ibushi on his head again. With Ibushi half out of it, White completes the knock out with a super swinging Rock Bottom. Just being knocked cold doesn’t matter around here though as Ibushi is right back with a V Trigger for the double knockdown. A bridging German suplex gives Ibushi two and there’s Kinshasa for the same.

White pulls him into the referee though, because White matches have a lot of screwiness. Gedo’s chair shot has no effect on Ibushi and a single shot to the chest drops him. The sitout Last Ride knocks White silly for no count because the referee is still down. The big knee looks to finish but Gedo pulls the referee at two. Gedo tries to bring in some brass knuckles but it’s a ruse for White to hit Ibushi in the face with a chair. That and the brass knuckles shot have Ibushi down and it’s the Blade Runner to give White the pin at 24:58.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t feeling this one as much and seeing Ibushi lose again took something out of the show. Ibushi can go to a different level when he hits that point when he feels like a force of nature but then he just lost again, this time to a bunch of cheating that felt out of place in New Japan. I keep thinking Ibushi will get his chance but losing twice in a row at Wrestle Kingdom doesn’t give me the most confidence.

Post match White hits another Blade Runner just to be evil.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi. There isn’t much of a story here, as Jericho just showed up to challenge Tanahashi to the latest dream match. Tanahashi accepted, Jericho attacked him, and then offered Tanahashi an AEW World Title shot if Tanahashi could win.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chris Jericho

Non-title. Jericho’s not great physique is on full display here but with that kind of star power, what difference does it really make? They trade poses to start and circle each other a bit before it’s a trip to the mat. That means a staredown, so Tanahashi throws in some air guitar to mess with the rock star. Tanahashi works on an armbar and cranks away, setting up the middle rope spinning crossbody to put Jericho down. Tanahashi even does the ARROGANT COVER with a COME ON BABY!

Jericho doesn’t stand for gimmick infringement and throws Tanahashi outside for a whip into the barricade. A DDT onto an announcers’ table makes it even worse as Jericho is in full on brawling mode (which is quite the positive). Back in and Jericho drops a middle rope knee for two and a butterfly backbreaker messes with the back some more. Jericho goes up top, plays his own air guitar, and misses a frog splash. The comeback is on with a flying forearm to Jericho, but he pulls the referee in the way of a splash in the corner.

Jericho gets in a low blow and a whipping with the weightlifting belt as commentary is finally back after Jericho cleared them out earlier. Tanahashi avoids a charge in the corner and hits the middle rope flip splash for two. With Jericho down on the floor, Tanahashi hits a high crossbody and they’re both in need of a breather.

That’s only good for a nineteen on Jericho and it’s a dragon screw legwhip over the rope on the way back in. More legwhips have Jericho in big trouble but he gets the knee up to block the High Fly Flow. The Lionsault connects but the banged up knee means it’s only good for two. Jericho grabs the Walls and cranks back, only to have Tanahashi crawl through the legs to escape.

A Sling Blade looks to set up a high crossbody but Jericho pulls him into the Codebreaker for two more. The Judas Effect misses though and Tanahashi hits his own Codebreaker for his own two. Jericho gets the Walls again but this time it’s reversed into Twist and Shout. Another Sling Blade gives Tanahashi another two and the high crossbody connects, only to be reversed into the Walls to make Tanahashi tap at 22:27.

Rating: B+. I know Jericho is older and not in quite the shape that he used to be in but sweet goodness he can still have a heck of a match with the right opponent. Maybe that is due to the atmosphere or just the amount of star power that Jericho can bring but it works very well. These two beat each other up and I wanted to see if Tanahashi could pull it off. Jericho feels like a legend (which he is) and that shows very strongly on the big stage.

We recap the title for title main event. Tetsuya Naito has been World Champion before and is now back to prove he can do it again and claim his destiny as the star of the company. Kazuchika Okada is the greatest World Champion ever though and Naito has to overcome a lot of history (losing the title to Okada in his first defense, having his World Title match be voted as the main event) to reach the top again. It’s actually a heck of a story and commentary explains the whole thing rather well.

IWGP Heavyweight Title/Intercontinental Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito

Title for title and Naito is serious tonight with the white suit. They stare at each other for a good while and there is no contact for the first two minutes. A lockup goes into the corner and Okada taps him on the chest. Okada takes him down with a running elbow but they’re still firmly in first gear. A DDT gives Naito one and we hit a pretty quickly broken chinlock. Naito slugs away and hits a running dropkick to the back, setting up a slingshot dropkick in the corner.

A neckbreaker off the apron to the floor drops Okada again and a regular version gets two back inside. Naito wraps his legs around Okada’s shoulders to crank on the neck even more, followed by a cravate to stay on it. Okada boots him down and hits a flapjack, setting up White Noise onto the knee. A top rope elbow gives Okada two but it’s way too early for a Rainmaker.

Naito is back with a spinebuster but Okada is right back up with a running dropkick to put them both down. It’s Naito getting up first and heading to the top, meaning Okada dropkicks him right back out to the floor. Naito’s knee goes into the barricade and it’s banged up pretty badly, calling back to the injury it took last night. Naito drops him knee first onto the announcers’ table as well and Naito has to dive back in.

Okada is ready with a missile dropkick for two but Naito uses the good knee to hit a springboard tornado DDT. A super reverse hurricanrana gives Naito two more but Okada blocks Destino as things crank up a lot. Destino is blocked again and Okada hits a dropkick, only to have Naito grab Destino for two.

Another dropkick gives us a double knockdown and we have a chance to look at the title belt. They slug it out from their knees and then from their feet with Naito not backing down an inch. Okada hits a discus lariat for two and it’s the jumping Tombstone into the Rainmaker for two. The frustration is setting in so Okada starts ramming the knee into the mat.

Okada grabs the wrist and hits some clotheslines (Rainmakers, without the spin or the big step, because again, it’s a clothesline) but the big version is countered into Destino for two more. A corkscrew moonsault gets two on Okada and they’re both down again. Destino is countered so Naito drops him on his head, setting up Destino for the pin and the title at 35:40.

Rating: A. You might remember earlier when I said that I didn’t know a lot of the stories coming into this show. This match, with commentary helping, showed me exactly what they were going for and I wanted to see Naito pull it off. He seems more compelling than Okada, who is an incredible performer but we’ve seen him do this for so long now. It’s an outstanding match and I got into the drama though, which says a lot given how little I knew coming in. Outstanding storytelling here with some great action included.

Post match they both stagger up and Okada is helped to the back. Naito grabs the mic and offers a rematch, with Okada raising his fist up. Naito is presented with both belts and says he knows what he’ll do with them. I think he says a catchphrase before promising to move forward into the future. He puts over Los Ingobernables….and Kenta runs in to jump him and ruin his moment, sending commentary completely over the edge. Kenta lays him out and sits down on Naito’s chest to pose with the belts. Cue Bushi to chase Kenta off, sending Kenta up the aisle to taunt the fans as Naito is helped out to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. I’m not even surprised at this show being great anymore. I’ve gotten used to these guys tearing the house down when the lights are on bright and that’s what they did again here. There might not have been as many blow away matches as in previous years, but this show felt huge and that’s it lived up to its hype. Definitely see the main event as it’s the best storytelling I can remember seeing from New Japan and one of the only times I felt like I got the long, epic story they were going for (not their fault as it’s designed to be built over years, not with a single show a year).

This felt more like a Wrestle Kingdom and made me think that we didn’t need the two night structure. While there was some great wrestling on Night One, it felt like a show that didn’t need to exist to do Night Two, which is where the important stuff all paid off. They’re both outstanding shows and worth watching, but this is the only one that you need to watch. What mattered most was how big it felt though and that’s where Wrestle Kingdom tends to shine.

As usual, I won’t be watching the company full time but this has been must see wrestling for a long time now and I don’t see that changing. It could be interesting to see where Naito can take the company long term, though you can almost guarantee Okada will get the belt back as he has a long, long career ahead of him. Couple the great main event with the emotion of the Liger finale and this hits on multiple levels. Check it out, plus one or two matches from Night One.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Ring of Honor
Date: February 13, 2019
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, Caprice Coleman

We’re still down in Atlanta and this time around it’s an old school feeling with the NWA World Title on the line as champion Nick Aldis defending against PJ Black. Neither of them are exactly regulars around here, but that’s never stopped ROH when guest stars are involved. We should be getting ready for a big show around here, though it’s kind of hard to tell which one it is around here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

John Skyler, Corey Hollis and Josey Quinn (also not regulars) are in the ring and say they deserve the attention. No six man team can beat them, and I think you know where this is going.

John Skyler/Corey Hollis/Josey Quinn vs. Villain Enterprises

Before the match, Marty Scurll says he used to be like the three of them because they’re not a bit jaded. He’s sure the three of them are going to make a huge impact, but tonight they’re going to feel the wrath of Villain Enterprises. The fight is on in a hurry with Enterprises taking over with a grand total of no effort and standing tall in the ring.

We come back from a break for the opening bell with Quinn making the mistake of chopping someone who attaches himself to car batteries. PCO chops him right back in the corner, which amazingly enough works far better. A swinging slam draws in Skyler and Hollis, who get beaten up just as well. Skyler gets tossed into the corner and then chokeslammed for a bonus as PCO is doing this by himself.

A missed flip dive onto the apron just wakes PCO up even more and Hollis’ dive just earns himself a shove into the barricade. Scurll comes in for a chop of his own but Skyler takes him down with a slingshot spear. The villains (as opposed to the Villains) take over in the corner and Hollis grabs a chinlock. The comeback doesn’t take long as Scurll knocks Hollis away and brings in King for the house cleaning.

Skyler gets put in 619 position for a running cannonball to the back for a change of pace. A running backsplash crushes Skyler so it’s off to Hollis, who gets powerbombed into a Boston Crab. PCO adds a middle rope legdrop but his flip dive through the ropes sees his legs caught in the rope for a somewhat scary botch. King’s Gonzo Bomb (Dominator into a piledriver) sets up the chickenwing to make Hollis tap at 6:33.

Rating: C. The Villains were a lot of fun here and that’s what they were shooting for in a match like this. You set up three guys at the beginning of the show and have these guys destroy them, especially when it contains acts like Marty and company, who are going to be beloved around this place. Fun match here and a lot more entertaining than I was expecting.

Post break the Kingdom doesn’t think much of Villain Enterprises because the Kingdom is in control. He’s Matt Taven and this is his kingdom.

Jay Lethal says it’s getting hard to keep track of everyone in line for a title shot when Taven is running around with a fake title. Taven has his attention now.

Kelly Klein defended the title in a big match….which isn’t important enough to put on TV so you can see it on Honor Club.

NWA World Title: Nick Aldis vs. PJ Black

Aldis, with Kamilla Kaine is defending in the first title defense in Atlanta since 1993. They fight over arm control to start until Aldis gets backed into the ropes. A legsweep takes Aldis down but he pops up with a headlock takeover as they’re certainly sticking with the basics so far. Black bails away from the threat of a right hand and asks for a time out, though Colt doesn’t think that’s an option.

Another takeover puts Aldis down this time and Black gives him a clean break as well. Aldis gets two off a backslide and it’s another standoff. The next legsweep attempt works this time and Black stomps him in the back, only to get dropkicked for his efforts. A headscissors sends Aldis outside for a breather but he slides right back in and Black pokes him in the eye. You can’t be called the DAREWOLF and have your big spot so far be a Three Stooges move. Black loads up the dive but Kaine gets in his way, allowing Aldis to run him over as we take a break.

Back with Black fighting out of a chinlock so it’s off to a front facelock to keep him in trouble. That’s broken up as well so Black hits a spinwheel kick to set up a top rope elbow to the head. A top rope double stomp to a standing Aldis connects for two but he’s right back up with a powerbomb for two. It’s too early for the Kingsland Cloverleaf so Aldis crotches him on top instead. That means a release German superplex for a somewhat delayed two and we take another break.

Back again with Black hitting a super hurricanrana into a moonsault press for a rather weak cover. Black goes with something like a dragon sleeper, which Aldis countered into a Tombstone. A top rope elbow gives Aldis another near fall so he tells Kaine to throw in the title. With Kaine on the apron for a distraction, Black goes Eddie Guerrero by grabbing the title and throwing it to Aldis and dropping to the mat.

It’s enough of a distraction for Black to grab the Billy Goat’s Curse (Colt’s reverse Boston crab) but a rope is reached in a hurry. With Aldis on the floor, Black’s dropkick through the ropes hits Kaine by mistake, which is a huge deal because a wrestler taking a dropkick is something horrible. Back in and Aldis rolls through a high crossbody for two, followed by the Cloverleaf to make Black tap at 20:25.

Rating: B-. Well that was….long. It was a perfectly fine and even good at times match but it’s nothing that I needed to see and it just kind of came and went. Aldis is a nice choice for the title and certainly better than some of the losers that have held the NWA Title over the last few years. This worked well enough, though I really don’t need this title around ROH more than very infrequently. Again good, but it felt like a special attraction that no one was asking to see.

Clip of Bandido vs. Mark Haskins from last week.

Here’s Juice Robinson for a chat. He said you would be seeing more of him around here and he didn’t just mean for a tour here and there. Robinson knows this company stands for honor and he’s had something in the works for awhile now. Tonight the pieces come together right here in Atlanta. This place was founded by people like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. The lifeblood of Ring of Honor has been due to people like Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) because they cared about honor.

The Code of Honor was in effect and it was all about mutual respect. So what has happened around here over the last few years (An over-reliance on New Japan and WWE taking all the top guys?)? Tonight is a new beginning though and it starts right now. That brings up the heart rate monitor….and here are Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tenille Dashwood, Tracy Williams and David Finlay. They are Lifeblood and they’re bringing honor back to ROH. I have heard far worse ideas than this one.

Overall Rating: B+. When did this company get really good? The main event was a little more than it needed to be but the opener was fun and the ending segment makes me want to see more. Under the right circumstances, they could have a really interesting future and that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that in a LONG time. This worked quite well and for once, I want to see where things are going. Well done indeed, especially after some rather uninteresting months.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Ring of Honor
Date: January 30, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

As long as this show doesn’t include sixteen minutes of Beer City Bruiser vs. Silas Young, I think we’ll be fine. The major story at the moment is a tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the TV Title, which could allow for some fresh stars to get a chance to shine. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

PJ Black vs. Juice Robinson

NWA World Champion Nick Aldis (flanked by Kamilla Kaine) is on commentary in preparation for his future title match with Black. They slap away to start with Black sweeping the leg to take over. Juice’s snap jabs have Black in trouble and there’s a slingshot dive to the floor to take him down again. Black gets in a kick to the ribs back inside and we take a break.

Back with Robinson still in trouble and Black putting on a reverse Boston crab before rocking Robinson head first into the bottom buckle a few times (I believe Konnan used to call that the Rocking Horse). Black suplexes him down and bends the arm back, followed by a clothesline and some posing. A top rope right hand gives Black two more but Robinson grabs a suplex.

Black walks into a spinebuster and a fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two more. Pulp Friction is broken up and Black connects with a moonsault press for two more. Some left hands have Black in more trouble and there’s a Cannonball in the corner. Robinson goes up so Black throws the referee into the corner for the DQ at 12:31.

Rating: C+. You knew they weren’t going to job Black before a title match and Robinson is WAY too hot to take a loss so the DQ was pretty obvious. It took some time to get going but everything after the break picked up in a hurry. Robinson does have the charisma that so many wrestlers miss, so it was cool to see someone giving us a nice performance instead of just going from move to move.

Post match Black knocks Robinson down again and goes to glare at Aldis.

During the break, Robinson says he didn’t come here to lose via DQ. You’re going to see him around here a lot more in 2019 and there will be new life breathed into this place.

The Kingdom yells about beating Villain Enterprises later tonight.

Shane Taylor vs. Mike Law

Right hand, Greetings From 216 in 30 seconds.

Post match Shane says everyone has been asking who paid him to take out Christopher Daniels. That would be no one, because he wanted to beat Daniels up himself.

Colt Cabana brings out Flip Gordon for a chat. Cabana praises him for everything he did back at Final Battle, meaning he defeated Bully Ray once and for all. Gordon says he spent eight months fighting a bully and it’s mission accomplished. Now he wants the World Title, but here’s Kenny King to interrupt. Ian: “I’m just glad it’s not Matt Taven.” Amen brother.

King is tired of mediocre guys coming out here and demanding title shots. King was the last man to pin Jay Lethal and we see some rather doctored clips that ignore King putting his feet on the ropes. Gordon doesn’t have him fooled because King knows he’s the better man. If Gordon was a real warrior, he would have done more than join the reserves. Good promo, but Gordon vs. King doesn’t scream big match on any level.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Villain Enterprises vs. The Kingdom

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll/Brody King/PCO) is challenging. Before the match, Taven says they’re not just handing out a title shot to three guys who haven’t proven themselves. Therefore, we’ve got some replacements.

Villain Enterprises vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad

That would be Cheeseburger/Eli Isom/Ryan Nova, because we’re just lucky enough to get a “fun” main event. They’re undefeated on Future of Honor events so Enterprises jump them in the corner to take over. We take an early break and come back with Isom in trouble as PCO chops the heck out of him. Brody drops a backsplash for two as the slow beating continues.

A running cannonball against the ropes crushes Isom again but he gets in a quick suplex for a breather. Cheeseburger comes in and gets to forearm Scurll a few times, followed by a springboard Swanton. It’s off to PCO though and we hit a nerve hold slam to drop Cheeseburger. Somehow PCO gets sent into the corner and it’s Nova coming in to forearm PCO over and over. That goes completely nowhere as PCO takes his head off with a clothesline.

Double teaming doesn’t do much better to PCO and we take another break. Back again with King cleaning house, including the Villains catching triple dives. That means a Tombstone on the floor to Cheeseburger while the other two get chokeslammed onto the apron. PCO powerbombs Nova twice in a row and King hits a Gonzo Bomb (Dominator into a piledriver). PCO’s moonsault finally finishes Nova at 9:37.

Rating: C. It wasn’t much of a squash as it went on far too long, but at least Cheeseburger didn’t get to show all of the heart that he has and waste a bunch of time. At least Enterprises got to show off some offense and prove themselves as actual threats, but there’s only so much you can do against such nothing competition. At least Isom didn’t take the fall though, which is a nice positive.

Bully Ray pours lighter fluid on a fire as we see clips of him losing the I Quit match at Final Battle. Ray says he never said I Quit. Oh good grief is this STILL GOING? If there’s one thing ROH doesn’t know how to do, it’s wrap up a story.

We see the heart rate monitor again and this time it says “A New Beginning From An Old Foundation. Ring of Honor Begins Anew.”

Overall Rating: C. Better show this week as they kept things moving and advanced a few stories. Villain Enterprises got off to a good (albeit long) start and the Robinson vs. Black match was entertaining. This was a show that looked at stuff other than the main event scene and those shows are very important in their own right. If you only have a good main event, the promotion itself isn’t strong and by having everything else work well, you can make it week to week at a far easier pace. Nice show here, which is perfectly fine.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Fighting Spirit Unleashed
Date: September 30, 2018
Location: Walter Pyramid, Long Beach, California
Attendance: 3,007
Commentators: Jim Ross, Kevin Kelly

New Japan is back in the USA and I’m not sure how special this one feels. It’s not something that comes off as a big deal anymore but at least the shows are still pretty entertaining. The main event here is a tag match with the Golden Lovers vs. Kazuchika Okada/Tomohiro Ishii, which should at least be a fun match. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick look at the March show (Why not the July show?) and a rundown of the card. I’m still not sure if I like having the match order announced in advance or not.

There are some LARGE sections of empty seats.

Taguchi Japan vs. Roppongi 3K

That would be Jushin Thunder Liger/Ryusuke Taguchi/ACH vs. Rocky Romero/Sho/Yoh. Taguchi is even sporting rugby gear because Japan is getting ready to host the Rugby World Cup. Liger and Yoh start things off with the latter putting Liger up against the ropes for a friendly/patronizing pat to the chest. Liger runs into a dropkick but comes right back with a backbreaker.

There’s the surfboard to fulfill Liger’s contractual obligations and it’s time for all three good guys to clothesline Yoh in the corner. Taguchi uses the back of his tights (a trademark of his) but Liger gets sent into it instead and it’s Liger in trouble with Sho hitting a sliding dropkick. Rocky comes in and dropkicks the knee but Sho knocks Rocky off the apron by mistake, allowing the hot tag to ACH.

Everything speeds up with a double stomp to Sho’s back and a rapid fire string of kicks. A German suplex gets two on Sho and the fans are very pleased with ACH. Sho hits his own German suplex and it’s off to Rocky for the Forever Clotheslines on Taguchi, until the flying hip attacks get him out of trouble. Taguchi even bends over to offer them a target but triple dropkicks miss. A triple atomic drop works a bit better but the 3K is broken up. ACH dropkicks Sho and Yoh to the floor for a suicide dive, leaving Taguchi to hit a faceplant that the camera partially missed for the pin on Rocky at 8:57.

Rating: C-. Not a great match here but a fun opener with the six guys moving fast enough to keep the fans entertained. It’s always cool to see Liger and while I’m not the biggest ACH fan in the world, he’s a great choice for something like this. I still can’t believe how much better Sho and Yoh are here than they were in Ring of Honor, as the improvement is staggering.

Addiction vs. Hangman Page/Chase Owens

I still don’t get the appeal of Owens. Kelly is smart enough to let the fans know that the Addiction are part of So Cal Uncensored, hence the SCU chants from the So Cal crowd. Page and Kazarian slug it out to start because that’s just what they do. Stereo clotheslines don’t get either of them anywhere so they knock each other into the corners for a double tag. Certainly an effective way to start.

Owens speeds things up with a knee to the face and a running neckbreaker to take Daniels down so it’s already back to Kazarian. That means another neckbreaker and it’s off to Page for a dropsault for two on Kazarian and a very positive reaction. The fans think this is awesome, which sounds like quite the overreaction.

Page gets two off a tabletop suplex and it’s Owens slapping on a front facelock to keep Kazarian in place. Kazarian’s Backstabber gets him out of trouble though and it’s off to Daniels for a Rock Bottom/reverse DDT combination. A release Rock Bottom to Owens only leaves Daniels open for the Buckshot Lariat but Page’s shooting star off the apron lands in Kazarian’s Codebreaker. Back inside and the Best Meltzer Ever finishes Owens at 8:41.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable match here as the fans were into Kazarian and Daniels and of course the Bullet Club is going to get a reaction no matter what they do. This was perfectly fine for this spot on the card as they’re still getting going and the fans are getting into the show. That’s a big part of how to build a card and a lot of companies don’t know how to pull that off.

Jeff Cobb/Flip Gordon/Chris Sabin vs. Chaos

That would be Hirooki Goto/Best Friends for Chaos. Cobb is the ROH TV Champion, which wouldn’t air on TV for over three weeks, because ROH’s TV schedule is annoying. Sabin and Chuckie trade rollups to start but everything breaks down in a hurry. Everyone crushes Chuckie in the corner and it’s la majistral to give Sabin two. Gordon comes in but gets launched into a cutter, leaving the Best Friends to load up the big hug.

Cobb isn’t having that though and runs them both over, onto to be blasted by Goto’s clothesline. Sabin takes him down with his apron kick though, leaving the Best Friends to have their hug. Now we can get to the stereo flip dives and some muscle posing, followed by the slingshot stomp to the face from Beretta. Chuckie adds the rolling slingshot splash and Sabin is in big trouble. Sabin manages to drop toehold Chuckie into Beretta’s crotch though and a tornado DDT is enough for the hot tag to Gordon.

That means it’s time to blow JR’s hat off with high flying as a springboard Sling Blade looks to set up a 450 but Beretta is out of the way. The double tag brings in Cobb and Goto and the slugout is on. Goto actually gets the better of it by avoiding a charge and hitting a Saito suplex. The GTR is countered and Cobb hits his own suplex but misses a standing moonsault. Chuckie can’t suplex Cobb but a Best Friends comboplex works a bit better. That’s cool with Cobb, who suplexes both of them right back. A piledriver gets two on Cobb but Chuckie misses the moonsault, setting up the Tour of the Islands to give Cobb the pin at 12:08.

Post match Goto and Cobb tease a fight but Goto leaves before anything happens.

Suzuki-Gun vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon

Zack Sabre Jr./Lance Archer/Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito/Sanada/Evil here. The announcers talk about Smith’s incredibly hard handshake and they’re right. I got to shake his hand last year and it’s the firmest I’ve ever seen by a mile. One of the stories here seems to be that Evil can’t beat Sabre no matter what he does. Fair enough. Suzuki-Gun jumps them from behind before the bell but Evil shoulders Sabre down to take over at the official start. Sanada comes in and makes the mistake of trying to trade holds with Sabre, meaning he’s quickly taken into the corner.

It’s off to Smith, whose knee gets dropkicked out in short order. A blind tag brings in Archer for a powerslam though and he runs into Sanada multiple times to knock him silly. Smith comes in again to work on Sanada’s knee with a reverse Figure Four but he can only get two of the three rolling German suplexes. A middle rope dropkick to Smith and a hurricanrana to Archer allow the hot tag to Naito so house can be cleaned.

Naito hits a neckbreaker on Smith and stops to pose but a belly to belly suplex cuts him off. The momentum isn’t exactly lasting in this one. A side slam/middle rope splash combination gets two on Naito but he’s right back with a springboard tornado DDT (See what I mean?). Sabre and Evil come in and slug it out with Sabre cranking on an armbar until Sanada makes the save.

Stereo dives take out Archer and Smith but Sabre reverses whatever Evil was setting up into something like an Octopus. That’s reversed into Darkness Falls (sitout Widowmaker) but what looked like an STO is reversed into a bridging cradle (with Sabre flipping off the crowd) for the pin on Evil at 9:31.

Rating: C+. I like most of the people in this match and this was another fun one with everyone moving at a very fast pace and showing off a little bit. Sabre’s submissions are hard enough to describe let alone keep track of what he’s doing. Archer and Smith are as dominant looking of a team as you’ll find outside of (maybe) the Guerrillas of Destiny and are always fun to watch so this one was rather entertaining.

Post match Smith powerslams Naito in the aisle. Evil is devastated by his loss and Naito looks down at him.

Jay White/Gedo vs. Taguchi Japan

It’s Kushida and Hiroshi Tanahashi for Taguchi here. Gedo has abandoned Kazuchika Okada for White, making him rather hated at the moment. White wants Tanahashi’s G1 Climax briefcase for the title shot at Wrestle Kingdom. Tanahashi wastes no time in slugging away at White, the only person who beat him in the G1 Climax, on the floor as they start in a hurry. They head inside with Tanahashi going after the knee but getting shoved off the ropes for a crash to the floor. White chops away as Gedo rips at Kushida’s face elsewhere. Back in and a Saito suplex gives White two and we settle down to an actual tag match.

An elbow drop gives White two but Gedo comes in and gets crossbodied. That’s enough to bring in Kushida to speed things up with the kicks to the face, including a seated dropkick. A rolling DDT sets up a cross armbreaker on Gedo and then the Hoverboard Lock but White makes a save. Kushida brings in Tanahashi for some running elbows and forearms, followed by Twist and Shout. Everything breaks down but Gedo uses some brass knuckles to break up the High Fly Flow. The Blade Runner finishes Tanahashi at 9:01.

Post match White says he wants his shot at the briefcase. New Japan is scared of White winning the briefcase because it doesn’t want two foreigners in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom. Tanahashi’s time is coming.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinals: Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay

The title is vacant due to Hiromu Takahashi’s neck injury so there is a tournament between the four most recent champions. The line about these two is “three things are inevitable: death, taxes and Scurll beats Ospreay”, though Ospreay did beat him earlier in the year. Bell, C4, two on Scurll, shooting star, two on Scurll, we’re now fifteen seconds in. The threat of an Oscutter sends Scurll outside so Ospreay hits a suicide dive.

Back in and a springboard clothesline drops Scurll again but he’s right back with some elbows to the face. Ospreay falls outside for the apron superkick and a stomp to the head makes things worse back inside. The cravate sets up some knees to the head and Ospreay is in even more trouble, mainly due to his eternally bad neck. Ospreay tells him to bring it so Scurll does, sending Ospreay down to the mat again.

A handspring enziguri takes Scurll down but the neck flares up again. Ospreay hits a 619 over the top (Why is that something you never see?) but Scurll kicks him outside. They strike it out on the apron but the C4 off the apron (which hurt Ospreay’s neck in the first place) is blocked. Instead Ospreay settles for a sunset bomb to the floor and they’re both down. Ospreay’s spinning kick to the back connects inside but the Oscutter is countered into a backslide for two.

Stormbreaker is broken up so Ospreay scores with a clothesline but has to grab his neck again. The super Oscutter is broken up with a good crotching and Scurll gets his own two off his own clothesline. Some chops fire Ospreay up (that’s an international one) and he hits an enziguri, only to have the Oscutter reversed into the chickenwing in a slick counter.

Ospreay flips out and hits a superkick to the back of the head for the double knockdown. Back up and the Cheeky Nandos kick hits Scurll but he’s able to break up a superplex. A super tiger suplex (Tiger superplex?) gets a crazy close two and a package piledriver sets up Graduation to finish Ospreay at 16:01.

Rating: A-. Now that was awesome stuff with both guys leaving it all in the ring and beating the heck out of each other with Scurll going serious because he was up against his archrival (the hero to his villain) in a match that mattered in the future. Ospreay of course has no problem risking death and all that jazz, leaving the two of them to tear the house down in a match that blows away anything else on the show so far. Well worth seeing, which is a first tonight (and makes sense as New Japan builds their cards higher as the show goes on).

You can tell we’re getting to the big stuff as we now have videos to build up the matches. Kenny Omega attacked AJ Styles over two years ago to take over the Bullet Club. Now the Guerrillas of Destiny have done the same thing and the Bullet Club is splitting all over again with the Guerrillas and company calling themselves the Firing Squad. The Club is now the Bullet Club Elite because the world makes my head hurt.

IWGP Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Guerrillas of Destiny

The Bucks are defending but the Guerrillas have Haku in their corner. The Guerrillas throw the belts over the top and we’re ready to go with Nick vs. Tama starting us off. They speed things up early on with neither actually hitting anything for a standoff. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Bucks make mistake of hitting Tongans in the head. Matt launches Nick into both of them for a double dropkick and the Guerrillas are actually in some trouble.

More dropkicks see Matt’s back go out though, allowing Tama to jump Nick from behind. Loa hammers on Matt on the floor and it’s table time, which seems a bit extreme for this place. Nick saves his brother from being suplexed through the table and starts fighting both Tongans on his own. This goes as well as you might have guessed until Matt tries to make a save, earning himself a slam off the top through the table.

Loa gets sent outside for a dropkick through the ropes and there’s the Sharpshooter on Tama, with Loa making a save in short order. A spear of all things drops Tama and it’s back to Nick for the fast paced comeback. The roll into the Backstabber takes Tama down and the double superkicks get two. More Bang For Your Buck (with a long delay before Matt can do the moonsault) is good for the same on Loa but the Meltzer Driver is broken up with a Gun Stun. Matt tries some superkicks but walks into a 3D for the pin and the titles at 19:22.

Rating: B. As usual, the Bucks are far better in Japan and that was the case again here. They were in over their heads against the Guerrillas though and the title change was absolutely the right idea. That being said, I don’t remember the last big Bucks match that didn’t involve Matt’s back. It’s effective, but can we mix it up a little?

We recap the US Title match. Juice Robinson won the title earlier this year when he finally won the big one. Cody on the other hand just wants to be champion. Juice wants to prove that he’s more than just a flash in the pan who got lucky.

IWGP US Title: Cody vs. Juice Robinson

Robinson is defending and Brandi Rhodes (yep) is here with Cody. The bell rings and Cody takes his sweet time ripping off the shirt. Juice’s wristlock doesn’t go anywhere so it’s off to a chinlock that lasts all of two seconds. Back up and they chop it out until Cody avoids a crossbody. Cody’s dive to the floor is countered with a belly to belly suplex but Juice accidentally shoves Brandi down.

Pain is screamed so Cody hits a DDT on the floor, bringing Brandi right back up for a kiss. Back in and Cody misses a springboard elbow but a Brandi distraction breaks up a Cannonball attempt. Juice goes after her again and Cody takes over with a single cheap shot. The rollup that made Juice champion gets two here and he kicks Cody into the corner for the Cannonball. The Disaster Kick misses and Juice hits a good looking high crossbody for no cover due to a hard landing.

That means a Figure Four on Juice until we get the old school turnover for the break. Hang on though as Cody needs some water to spit into Juice’s eyes, setting up the Disaster Kick for two. Juice is fine enough to hit Pulp Friction but Brandi pulls her husband to the floor. The knee keeps Juice from getting to him in a hurry though and it’s Cross Rhodes on the floor to knock the champ silly.

Back in and they trade the snap jabs with Juice getting the better of it until Cody pokes him in the eye. A superkick sets up a Vertebreaker (which Cody used to pin him in a tag match) for a close two on Robinson but he crotches Cody on top. Robinson grabs a superplex for the crash, with both guys laying down and raising their legs for the small package with Cody getting the pin and the title at 16:47.

Rating: B-. This could have been a lot worse as Cody’s matches tend to be crazy overbooked. Thankfully that wasn’t the case here and they just had a pretty solid match. I’m not sure why they needed to do the title change here as Juice had a great story to get to the title and Cody is just….well Cody. Does the NWA World Champion need the lowest NJPW singles title?

Chaos vs. Golden Lovers

That would be Tomohiro Ishii/Kazuchika Okada for Chaos here as Okada and Omega continue their long running rivalry. Okada and Ibushi start things off with an exchange of basic holds. A very early Rainmaker attempt misses (continuing the basic theme) and it’s off to Ishii, who wants Omega. For some reason Omega tries some shoulders and just hurts himself. Ishii spits at Ibushi so Omega slugs away to little avail. Ibushi breaks up the brainbuster attempt and no sells some forearms to the back.

Omega’s shot from the back takes Ishii down for a few seconds so it’s off to Ibushi for an ill advised strike off. A hard shoulder drops Ibushi again and Okada hits a slingshot hilo. Omega wants to save his partner and comes in to slug it out with Ishii, earning himself a beating. Back in and Okada snapmares Ibushi down but a dropkick takes Ishii down as we actually get some intelligence.

Omega comes back in and hits a running tornado DDT with an awkward landing. Ishii scores with a powerslam and everything breaks down with the Lovers hitting moonsaults to the floor to take over for the first time. Back in and a series of moonsaults get two on Okada but Ishii comes back in for a suplex. Everything breaks down and it’s Okada vs. Omega for the big showdown.

Neither can hit a finisher so Omega grabs the snapdragon instead. Ishii breaks up a V Trigger and Okada nails the dropkick. Ibushi takes Ishii outside and there’s the V Trigger to Okada. The One Winged Angel is broken up and Okada hits the Tombstone for two as Ibushi saves. It’s off to Ishii vs. Ibushi for a forearm off with Ibushi actually getting the better of it. A moonsault double knees to the chest gets two on Ishii but Okada breaks up the Golden Trigger.

Ishii drops Omega but gets kicked down by Ibushi and everyone needs a break. Ibushi and Ishii slap it out until Ibushi gets two off a clothesline. One heck of a clothesline gives Ishii two of his own and Okada dropkicks Ibushi into a heck of a powerbomb. Ibushi is back up with a German suplex for two on Ishii. Okada gets sent outside and it’s the Golden Trigger to finish Ishii at 23:03.

Rating: B. Good stuff here as expected but I like Ishii a lot so it was going to be hard to screw this up. The Lovers are a heck of a team and it makes sense to have Ishii take the fall instead of Okada, who isn’t losing on a glorified house show. This felt important and that’s what you should be going for at a show like this one. Good, though not great main event.

Post match the Bullet Club comes out for the celebration and Omega is glad to see all the happy faces. The singles match between Omega and Ibushi is teased but here’s Cody to grab the mic. Cody says the fans want to see the rematch and since he’s cool with Omega and getting there with Ibushi, let’s just make it a triple threat (a rarity in New Japan). Omega thinks it’s ingenious and the match seems to be on.

Highlights end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. The opening few matches aren’t the best but there’s an instant classic from Scurll vs. Ospreay and everything from then on is good to very good. This show set the table for the upcoming pay per views, which seems to be exactly the point. I had more fun watching this than I expected and it’s about as good as I’ve seen them do in America.

That being said, the empty seats in the crowd aren’t a good sign. For one thing, how many times have they been to southern California in the last few years? It’s fun, but you can overdo it and that seems to be the case. Couple that with this being a big house show instead of a major event and it’s not exactly must see. Going to a new area might help, or putting on a World Title match for a change. It’s not like the place was empty, but I’m not sure how many times you can do this and expect a strong crowd. This was their fourth show in about a year and a half and that’s pushing it.

Overall though, it’s a very good show and doesn’t run long (the intermission helps a lot) with good wrestling up and down. Kelly was a HUGE improvement over Josh Barnett as Kelly is much better at explaining stories to people like me, who only kind of pay attention. That’s a big upgrade and it made the show much easier to watch. Check out Ospreay vs. Scurll for sure and everything after that if you have time as it’s a good way to get to know some of these people if you’re net at this stuff.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

G1 Climax Special In San Francisco
Date: July 7, 2018
Location: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Jim Ross, Josh Barnett

We’re back stateside now and that means we should be in for a fun show. Last year’s version of this saw the crowning of the first ever United States Champion and the title is on the line again tonight. However, the main event is of course for the World Title with new champion Kenny Omega defending both the title and the leadership of the Bullet Club against Cody. Let’s get to it.

The announcers, in front of a mostly empty arena, welcome us to the show.

The opening video looks at the show a year ago and then tonight’s five title match. This has a very old school WCW feel to it and that’s not a bad thing. As expected, this mainly focuses on Cody vs. Kenny Omega in tonight’s main event.

Bullet Club vs. Chaos

Bullet Club: King Haku/Tama Tonga/Tonga Loa/Yujiro Takahashi/Chase Owens

Chaos: Yoshi-Hashi/Gedo/Rocky Romero/Sho/Yoh

Yes THAT Haku, the father of the Tongans (the Guerrillas of Destiny). Yujiro doesn’t have his ladies with him, making his existence far less important. Haku and Yujiro start things off and a running dropkick puts Haku down. The Tongans come in for a triple headbutt and it’s off to Romero vs. Loa. That’s it for the one on one as the Guerrillas splash the heck out of him in the corner.

A piledriver gets two and it’s Loa staying in to beat on Romero even more. Owens comes in and gets two off a backbreaker before quickly leaving so the more interesting Tongans can take over again. JR mistakenly calls Takahashi a junior heavyweight, again showing the level of research he puts into these shows.

Romero hurricanranas both Owens and Loa down at the same time and it’s Yoh (not Hashi JR) coming in to clean house. A reverse DDT gets Yujiro out of trouble and it’s Tama running Sho and Yoh over again. Everything breaks down with an exchange of kicks to the face and Romero suicide dives Loa into the barricade. Back in and Haku Death Grips Gedo, leaving Tonga to Gun Stun him for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: C-. Perfectly acceptable opener here, JR’s issues with knowing what he was talking about aside. The Guerrillas are still one of the coolest teams around and Haku adds the legendary/HE’S GOING TO KILL ME vibe to the team. Chaos continues to be a thing that just kind of exists around here and that’s actually kind of an important role to play. Fine for an opener.

Tomohiro Ishii/Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki/Zack Sabre Jr.

Chaos vs. Suzuki-gun in a rematch from last month’s Dominion where Suzuki and Sabre won. Ishii and Suzuki hit each other in the face over and over to start, as they are required to do, likely by law. Suzuki actually gets knocked into the corner and tags out early on, giving us Sabre vs….Yano. Great. Ishii sends Suzuki into the post as Yano gets his hand cranked a bit.

The hiding in the ropes doesn’t work as Suzuki is right there to yell in his face. Sabre starts in on a modified Indian Deathlock as the eternal battle between Suzuki and Ishii continues on the floor. Suzuki comes back in and grabs a few double submissions on Yano. I enjoy seeing him in extreme pain far too often. Somehow that’s not enough or a submission so it’s back to Ishii to knock Suzuki into the corner.

This time it’s Suzuki getting the better of it and knocking Ishii off his feet, only to kick him in the face. You don’t do that to Ishii, who shrugs off the sleeper and suplexes Suzuki. Yano comes in and takes off the buckle pad again (Yano? Doing the same spots?), leaving Ishii and Suzuki to fight on the floor. The low blow is blocked but Ishii comes back in with a clothesline to knock Sabre into the cover to give Yano the pin at 9:42.

Rating: C. Ishii vs. Suzuki is always entertaining but egads I can’t stand Yano. It’s the same series of stuff over and over again and I really don’t need to see any of it ever again. Sabre didn’t get to do anything here and that’s a waste of someone with a very unique set of talents. Oh and he even got to eat the pin from Yano. How lucky he is.

Suzuki beats up a Young Lion to blow off some steam.

Quick video on a meet and greet yesterday.

Hangman Page/Marty Scurll vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi/Kushida

Bullet Club vs. Taguchi Japan because everyone is in a stable around here. Kushida and Scurll start things off as JR starts listing UK wrestlers. Scurll gets taken down without much effort but manages to grab a quickly broken Octopus Hold. Back up and Kushida spins around Marty to get on his nerves so it’s off to Tanahashi vs. Page.

Tanahashi starts cranking on the arm and scores with a middle rope crossbody. That means some air guitar, with JR saying he played his own earlier today. We’ll move on from that as fast as possible with the Club sending both guys to the floor with Scurll hitting an apron kick, followed by Page’s shooting star from the apron as well. They even beat up Ryusuke Taguchi for fun.

Back in and Kushida nails Marty with the handspring elbow, setting up the hot tag to Tanahashi. House is cleaned in a hurry but Tanahashi has to fight out of a crossface chickenwing. Instead Kushida comes back in and dropkicks Scurll down. A Sling Blade puts Page down as well and Kushida grabs the Hoverboard Lock on Scurll. Page sends Tanahashi to the floor though and comes in with the save off the Buckshot Lariat. The Rite of Passage ends Kushida at 9:52.

Rating: C. Perfectly fine tag match here and I can always go for more Kushida. Page continues to look like a star and that’s going to serve him well in the future. I’m not sure how far he’ll go in Japan, but the look alone should be enough to get him somewhere. Tanahashi continues to be the guy you can put into high profile spots and get something out of him even though his time on top is over, which is incredibly valuable.

Never Openweight Title: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb is challenging after asking for a title shot. Goto’s entrance always feels epic and it’s cool to see it in America for a change. Cobb powers him around to start so Goto pounds him in the back. That makes Cobb take his hair down and a hard shoulder rocks the champ. An overhead belly to belly shows off Cobb’s power so Goto gets smart by low bridging him to the floor.

A toss into the post has Cobb’s head bouncing off the steel (DING!) and it’s off to the neck crank back inside. JR of course starts comparing Cobb to Steve Williams, because Williams played football at Oklahoma. Cobb fights up and hits a spinning belly to back for two but misses the standing moonsault.

Goto muscles him up for a suplex of his own but Cobb is right back with an Oklahoma Stampede. Dang maybe JR isn’t as much of a rambling old man as I thought. The Tour of the Island (spinning powerslam) is countered into a sleeper from Goto as JR wants to know why Goto isn’t working on Cobb’s heavily taped shoulder. Instead it’s the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two and the GTR to retain the title at 12:17.

Rating: C-. There were some flashes of what could have been in there with Cobb looking like the monster (say an Aztec monster for example) he could and should be. Goto was his usual self, making this feel more like a wasted opportunity than anything else. Cobb can be a heck of a performer and while he was getting close in there, it didn’t feel like he was unleashed as he should have been.

Very quick video of the Young Bucks promising to retain their titles.

IWGP Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon

Los Ingobernables (Evil/Sanada) are challenging here after losing the titles to the Bucks last month. Sanada and Nick get things going and they knock the other’s partners off the apron before even going at it. Instead everyone runs in and misses something, setting up a triple headscissors with Matt Scorpion Deathlocking Evil and turning everyone ever for a near Human Centipede. A double dropkick has Sanada in trouble but Evil comes back in, allowing Sanada to superkick Matt in the hip.

It’s Matt in trouble and a backsplash gives Evil two. We hit the bow and arrow hold as the announcers talk about how much punishment the Bucks can take. Fair enough actually. Nick dropkicks his way to freedom but Sanada runs around and pulls Matt off the apron. Good idea, though the hot tag brings Matt in about ten seconds later. Matt wastes no time in going for the Deathlock but his back spasms flare up again.

Nick is back up though and hits the slingshot X Factor on Evil, but Sanada catches his moonsault in a dragon sleeper. I’d still love to see someone just step aside ala Samoa Joe. That’s broken up as well and Evil eats a pair of superkicks, only to have Sanada springboard in with a double dropkick. Back up and Sanada puts on a SWINGING DRAGON SLEEPER with Nick making a fast save.

The 450 gets two and Matt gets the Deathlock again. Sanada does a pretty awesome dramatic crawl for the ropes, which you wouldn’t expect from a heel. The Bucks are sent into each other and it’s Evil coming in with some German suplexes. Darkness Falls (sitout Samoan drop slam) gets two and there’s a Magic Killer for two on Nick.

Rating: B. I liked the match (as usual the Bucks are much better in Japan) but there were a lot of superkicks and that Tombstone onto the chair only getting two was a lot to take. Throw in Matt being up all of thirty seconds later and it’s a bit much to take. I wasn’t expecting a title change here or anything so I can easily settle for a nice match between teams with chemistry.

New Japan will be back in America in September and November (twice).

And now, a fifteen minute intervention, complete with an ad for the merch stands.

JR and Barnett preview Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee (JR: “I worry about their long term safety.” Oh my indeed.).

Video on Jay White vs. Juice Robinson for the US Title. White accuses Robinson of spending too much time focusing on the fans and not enough going for the big wins.

Yesterday at the press conference, Cody talked about being criticized for his in-ring abilities. Kenny Omega said let’s have a big match. Not exactly strong promos here but that’s not what New Japan does (not a bad thing).

Video on Cody vs. Omega, focusing on Cody wanting to take over Bullet Club and Omega defending the team. Omega says this has happened before, showing clips of AJ Styles becoming IWGP World Champion and then getting kicked out of the team. The Young Bucks are on Omega’s side but cost him the match against Cody at Supercard of Honor. Cody is obsessed with becoming champion so Kenny says bring it. Now this was very good and caught me up on the story while making me want to see the match.

The announcers recap the first half of the show.

Kazuchika Okada/Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito/Bushi

Chaos vs. Los Ingobernables and egads Okada looks strange without the title. Naito and Okada start things off and the fans are rather appreciative. Hang on though as Naito takes about a minute and a half before he’s willing to lock up. Apparently the delay suits him as he sends Okada outside and rolls into the pose. JR compares it to the People’s Elbow and….yeah I can actually get that one.

Bushi and Ospreay come in with a hurricanrana sending Bushi flying. Naito comes in with a dropkick as everything breaks down in a hurry. We settle down to Naito dropkicking Ospreay in the corner and Bushi coming back in for a choke with a shirt. Ospreay gets in an enziguri to set up the hot tag to Okada so things can slow down a bit. A high crossbody gets two on Naito but the Tombstone is escaped.

Okada misses the dropkick as well but Destino is countered. The Tombstone is countered again so it’s the over the shoulder neckbreaker onto the knee instead to put Naito down. Bushi comes in and suckers Ospreay into a kick in the corner and gets two off the running Codebreaker. Okada comes back in for a missed Rainmaker on Naito but does hit that perfect dropkick. The Stormbreaker is enough to put Bushi away at 11:59.

Rating: D+. This uh, wasn’t very good with neither team exactly seeming thrilled to be out there. It was a bunch of signature stuff and Ospreay finishing with his big move, which isn’t exactly what you would want on a major shot. Instead it came off like a post show dark match with the guys putting in no more than the minimum effort. That being said, Okada and Naito at low speed is still better than most anyone else in the world.

Very quick video on Hiromu Takahashi.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee

Lee is challenging and his CMLL World Light Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. These two are longtime rivals so the history is built in. Takahashi puts his Best of the Super Juniors trophy and Darryl (stuffed animal) on the announcers’ table so Lee hits a running hurricanrana over the apron to kick start things. You know it’s not slowing down already as a heck of a suicide dive sends Takahashi into the barricade.

Back in and Lee mocks Naito’s pose, instantly turning him into the heel for the match. Or at least for the next few seconds. A very long dropkick puts Takahashi down but he’s right up with a hurricanrana to send Lee outside. Takahashi followed with a top rope seated senton to take Lee down again. They head to the apron and then the top rope with Takahashi getting knocked backwards so his legs are tied in the ropes.

The top rope double stomp absolutely crushes Tanahashi but they get back inside at the same time. Back in and they trade a series of hard German suplexes to drop each other on their heads. They’re nice enough to mix it up a bit with some kicks to the head and a double clothesline to put both guys down. They pull themselves to their feet and chop it out so hard that we pause for the sake of regaining feeling in their chests. Those loud chops never get old.

Lee charges into an overhead suplex into the corner and Takahashi has a scary look on his face. One heck of a C4 plants Takahashi but he reverses a suplex into a triangle choke. Lee can’t powerbomb his way to freedom so he pulls Tanahashi up and throws him backwards in a suplex, dropping Tanahashi on his head. That would result in a neck injury that would put him on the injured list for about a year. Lee isn’t done as he suplexes him into a powerbomb for two. Another powerbomb is countered into a Canadian Destroyer though and a very week Time Bomb (understandable) finishes Lee at 16:20.

Rating: B+. Well that worked, save for the whole nearly broken neck and all that jazz. These guys were going nuts with the high spots and obviously have some serious chemistry together. Takahashi has found his groove and Lee is a heck of a luchador, making this about as good of a matchup as you can get. You could see the life go out of Takahashi at the end though and that’s pretty understandable given how horrible the injury was.

We recap Juice Robinson vs. Jay White. Robinson is on a quest for his first title and White is trying to prove that he’s the best around. White has also broken Robinson’s hand to make this much more personal. Robinson on the other hand has promised to win the American title clad in red white and blue with stars on his nipples.

US Title: Jay White vs. Juice Robinson

Robinson is challenging and does indeed wear red, white and blue, along with a rather feathery hat. During the introductions, it’s made clear that Robinson can be disqualified for using the cast on his left hand. They go straight for the brawling to start with Robinson sending him outside for a flip dive from the apron. White gets thrown into and then through a barricade before being taken back inside for the snap right hands. A belly to back suplex drops Robinson right back over the top and White whips him hard into the barricade, knocking it off again.

After a little mocking of/flipping off the crowd, it’s time to start in on that bad hand. Robinson gets suplexed down again and we hit the Muta Lock. After a rope grab, Robinson is tied in the same ropes for some chops and a running shot to the head. Robinson gets the better of a chop off and hits some running corner clotheslines. A German suplex cuts Robinson off and it’s time to crank on that bad left hand. A trip to the floor goes badly for Robinson, who is sent into the barricade again.

This time though it goes HARD into JR’s ribs (Josh to White: “You done f***** up now.”) and Josh gets up and into White’s face. JR is wondering where his hat is and complains about the producers as White misses a chair shot to the hand. Robinson hits a good looking spinebuster to drive White into the apron but he trips Robinson face first onto the apron.

Back up and White can’t hit the German suplex off the apron (because we’ve already had one horrible neck injury tonight) so he settles for a Russian legsweep instead. That’s good for a nineteen count with the announcer getting anxious as he gets closer to the twenty count. Robinson is fine enough to hit a superplex for two but White punches him in the head over and over.

The Blade Runner is broken up but Robinson nearly runs over the referee. That’s enough of a distraction for White to hit a low blow and since wrestling referees are very fragile, he’s down long enough for Robinson to get in a cast shot. The jumping Unprettier gives Robinson two and White’s back to back half nelson suplexes get the same. Another Blade Runner attempt is loaded up but Robinson reverses into a rollup for the pin and the title at 23:22.

Rating: B. There was a great story here with both guys being willing to go as far as they could to leave with the title and hitting one big move after another to get there. The ending though as the hard gear shift, which is one of my favorite things to see in wrestling. They both used every big thing they could but couldn’t put the other away, so Robinson used a surprise wrestling move to win. That’s very cool and I always love seeing it.

Robinson is thrilled to win, even though JR thinks his name is Jay White.

We recap Omega vs. Cody. Omega has done everything he could to get here and says it represents pro wrestling. Cody though has been a thorn in his side though and is even trying to take over the Bullet Club. They fought earlier this year at Supercard of Honor where Cody won with an accidental assist from the Young Bucks. That was on Cody’s turf though and now it’s Omega’s turn to have a home court advantage.

IWGP World Title: Kenny Omega vs. Cody

Omega is defending and I do love the way they show every champion before the match. It doesn’t take long and is a nice nod to history. Cody has Brandi with him, but hang on as he needs to sit on a throne which is carried to the ring. Sounds like an homage to King Haku to me. Omega on the other hand has the Bucks in his corner. You can debate the importance of the IWGP World Title vs. the WWE Championship but sweet goodness that is a great looking belt.

The fans are behind Omega and they stare each other down at the bell. There’s no contact in the first minute as Cody is too busy glaring down at the Bucks. We get a hard lockup to start with Cody going to the eyes to take over early on. Cody doesn’t follow up though, instead pausing and then going for another lockup. Omega hits a hard shoulder but Cody’s actually knocks the champ down. A hard chop stuns Cody but he’s fine enough to uppercut Omega out to the floor. The brawl heads outside with the fans all over Cody with some very un-PG language.

Back in and the snap powerslam (Cody has been watching Goldust matches) gets two as they’re starting to get out of first gear. Omega’s running jumping Fameasser sends Cody outside again, only to have him hide behind Brandi. They change places and Cody hits a big springboard dive (without any twisting and instead just crashing down onto Omega, which suits someone of Cody’s size and style) but Omega sends him over the barricade and onto a table.

The double stomp through the table crushes Cody and let’s set up a second table at ringside. Cody can get away before Omega tries the big dive and a table shot to the ribs doubles Omega over. Back in and Cody kicks at the leg before grabbing a cravate. A hurricanrana gets Omega out of trouble and sends Cody to the floor where he turns over the table in frustration. Apparently a wood lover, Omega takes him down with a big flip dive, followed by a springboard missile dropkick back inside.

The first (of many) V Trigger connects and there’s the Snapdragon, only to have Cody come back with one of his own. The Figure Four goes on and Cody is quite a bit better at it than his daddy. Omega however is just as good as any Flair opponent and turns it over without much effort. Since we’re out of things to do, it’s time to bring in a ladder, which feels completely out of place here. Cody drops him ribs first onto the ladder, drawing the Bucks over to check on Omega.

With Omega on the table, Cody goes up the ladder in the ring (as JR rants about the guy who set up the barricades tonight) but Omega is right back up. The superplex through the table is teased but Cody doesn’t feel like going through traction so he superplexes Omega back down. Cody grabs the belt but gets caught in a reverse hurricanrana. The ref gets bumped (of course) and it’s time for Cody to pick the belt up again. He drops it and hits a messy Cross Rhodes for two (from a second referee) instead.

There’s another V Trigger and a second connects in the corner. Make it four in about a minute but Cody blocks the fifth, showing that the first four weren’t exactly impressive. Omega can’t get him up for the One Winged Angel so he switches to a running powerbomb over the top onto the table…..which doesn’t break. That was good for some solid cringing. Cody is DONE so Brandi comes in to cover him up, allowing Cody to blast Omega with a clothesline. Two more knees have Cody in trouble and a Jay Driller gets two. The One Winged Angel retains the title at 34:16.

Rating: B. It’s good, but there’s a far cry here than so much of what Omega is capable of doing. The tables were one thing but that ladder felt like an unnecessary crutch that was used for a single spot. Cody just doesn’t seem capable of doing these bigger matches (save for one with Okada) and that hurts things when he’s in this kind of a match. Omega was doing his thing here but it’s not like the title ever felt like it was in any real danger. The first match going to Cody made this one obvious and it wasn’t bad, but nothing great.

Post match everyone comes in to check on Cody and Omega with Cody leaving him to pose. Omega says he’s proud of having his first title defense in front of these people in this historic building. We’re all people though and we all deserve a second chance, including Cody. Omega does the goodnight and goodbye and goes up the ramp, where Haku and the Guerrillas of Destiny come out to celebrate. Massive posing and too sweeting ensue…..and the Tongans jump Omega and the Bucks!

Tama Tonga pulls off his Bullet Club shirt to reveal a Firing Squad (new stable name) shirt. Tonga Loa and Haku have them as well as the destruction continues. Adam Page and Marty Scurll run in but get beaten down too as Tonga shouts that Omega did this. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi come in and get taken out as well. The bell keeps ringing, which JR thinks is just annoying the Tongans even more.

Cody staggers back out and gets handed a chair, which he uses on the Tongans. That lasts all of five seconds before he gets beaten down, including a spike piledriver on a chair. The Tongans leave, saying there is no leader of Bullet Club. In the ring, Cody helps Omega to his feet for the big hug. In other words, Bullet Club is fine. At least this part of it. The Club poses on the stage and the announcers wrap up the night. It’s kind of odd to see the team get beaten down and then stand up for the focus like that. Really good closing angle here, which helped make up for a main event that didn’t live up to its hype.

A quick highlight package closes things out.

Overall Rating: B-. The show was trying hard and it had its strong points, but there were several points that didn’t work so well. The first few matches were completely skippable and the big tag match was disappointing. There are some very good points though, with Lee vs. Takahashi being entertaining, the main event/post match angle, the Bucks’ match and the US Title match all being strong.

It’s a good show that is nowhere near the level of their big pay per views, though it’s not supposed to be that kind of a show. New Japan’s expansion is taking its time, but having a good show like this is going to be a strong starting point. Things are going to start picking up in the next few months with the G1 Climax and that’s going to be a lot of fun. Omega as the World Champion is the right call and if they keep things going in the right direction, I’m curious to see where things are going, especially in America.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|kfkyf|var|u0026u|referrer|hdbrh||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) of Honor
Date: February 1, 2017
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentator: Kevin Kelly

^{We open with Adam Cole bragging about winning the World Title for an unprecedented third time. Not much to see here other than “Cole is awesome.”}

Tempura Boyz vs. Coast to Coast vs. Cheeseburger/Will Ferrara

Coast to Coast is Leon St. Giovanni and Shahim Ali. The Tempura Boyz (Yo and Cho) send Coast to Coast outside to start but get kicked in the face for their efforts. Leon gets back in and fires off some elbows to the face so here are the Boyz again to clean house for the first time. Cheeseburger dives on a bunch of people and Cho does the same for an even bigger crash.

Video on Juice Robinson.

TV Title: Marty Scurll vs. Juice Robinson

Jay Lethal and Jay Briscoe are ready to fight in the tournament.

Decade of Excellence Tournament Semifinals: Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6