All In 2023
Date: August 27, 2023
Location: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the biggest show in the history of AEW and there will be 80,000 fans there to see it happen. That is the kind of thing that AEW can and should brag about for a long time to come and now it is actually a reality. The main event will see MJF defend the World Title against Adam Cole in a match that has had a heck of a path to get here. Let’s get to it.

The stadium looks incredible and feels like a Wrestlemania crowd.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

The Aussies are defending and jump the challengers during the pre-match posing. Cole and MJF are sent outside and rammed into each other, which gives Davis two on MJF as the bell finally rings. MJF fights out of a chinlock but Fletcher pulls Cole off the apron. Davis drops him again and hits a backsplash for two before handing it off to Fletcher. That lets MJF get in a shot of his own and tease the Kangaroo Kick but Davis isn’t letting that happen.

MJF seems to kick Fletcher low and the rolling tag brings in Cole to clean house. A Backstabber gets two on Fletcher but it’s too early for the Panama Sunrise. It’s not too early for a superkick to Fletcher though and the Aussies are knocked outside. MJF takes too long setting up a dive and Cole is pulled outside for a double beating. Back in and the Aussie Arrow gets two on MJF but the stereo clotheslines hit each other. MJF actually hits the Kangaroo Kick (a one footed dropkick to both champs) and the double clothesline finishes Fletcher for the titles at 6:58.

Rating: C+. They started fast here and didn’t overstay their welcome, as you don’t want MJF and Cole to burn through too much energy before their big main event. There was no reason to keep the titles on the Aussies here as the belts have little value on their own. The fans went nuts for the Kangaroo Kick and the double clothesline though, as they got the fun part before the serious stuff from these two later.

Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) is in the crowd. I know she probably is, but can she just not come to AEW?

Zero Hour: FTW Title: Hook vs. Jack Perry

Perry is defending under FTW Rules, meaning anything goes and falls count anywhere. As a bonus, Perry gets a limo ride into the stadium, which does fit him rather well. Hook meets him in the aisle and throws him over/into the limo. Perry takes him onto the top of said limo for a brainbuster though and Hook is down (not out, as you should be after that, but down).

The RVD finger point sets up Rolling Thunder before Perry points at the windshield and says “it’s real glass, cry me a river.” Assuming that’s a reference to the CM Punk incident, grow up. Hook fisherman’s busters him onto the windshield and they head down to the ring for the first time. Perry manages a posting and grabs a hanging DDT off the barricade to make it worse.

A trashcan is thrown inside and Perry loads up Coast To Coast, only to drop down and flip off the fans instead. Hook slugs away but gets German suplexed for two. A superkick connects for Perry but Hook is right back with some rolling German suplexes. Perry knocks him down again and gets in some trashcan shots, only to miss a moonsault. Hook pounds him down and grabs Redrum to get the title back at 8:35.

Rating: C+. They didn’t do much with the rules here but Hook isn’t ready to have some big, long match, especially in front of a crowd like this one. Let him get in there and do his thing before getting the title back and leaving with his head held high. I’m not wild on having Perry lose so soon, but Hook winning the title back gives the fans something to cheer for and that’s a good thing.

And now, the real show.

Real World Title: CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe

Punk is defending. They take their time to start with Punk driving him into the corner and hitting a chop, which doesn’t sit well with Joe. It sits with him so unwell that Joe starts snapping off the jabs and tying him in the ropes (like a see saw, a Terry Funk spot) for the chops. Punk is back up and sends him to the floor, with Joe walking away from the slingshot dive (the fans REALLY like that one).

Joe hits the running boot against the barricade before swinging him through the base of the announcers’ table in a nasty crash. Back in and Joe plows through him with a shoulder and gives that casual look to the camera. Punk is busted open bad (I’m assuming from the table crash) and the corner enziguri makes it even worse. Another big boot sets up the backsplash for two and Joe is looking a bit frustrated.

The MuscleBuster is broken up though and Punk scores with a head kick for the double knockdown. Punk kicks him down again for one as Joe Hulks Up, followed by the powerslam for two. Punk’s running knee in the corner is countered into a powerbomb into the STF into the crossface but Punk rolls him up to escape.

Another kick to the head puts Joe down again, meaning it’s time for the spinning toehold (JR: “God bless Terry Funk.”). With that broken up, Punk charges into the release Rock Bottom out of the corner. A superplex is broken up with a bite to Joe’s head (the fans don’t like that) and it’s the Pepsi Plunge (middle rope Pedigree) to retain the title at 13:57.

Rating: B. You can tell that these two know each other inside and out and it makes their matches, including this one, that much better. They threw in a curve with the Pepsi Plunge instead of the GTS and I’m not sure it got the same kind of a reaction as the traditional route would have received. What matters here though was having a heck of an opener that started the show off hot, and these two were as good of an option as they had, with a rather good match as well.

Punk takes some time to soak in the crowd and even shows some respect to Joe on the way out.

We recap the Golden Elite (Kenny Omega/Hangman Page/Kota Ibushi) vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita. This is more about Kenny Omega vs. Don Callis, the latter of whom sent his goons to attack Omega. Now it’s about revenge as the numbers are even.

Golden Elite vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita

The Gunns are at ringside and Don Callis is on commentary. Page and Robinson start things off with a headlock not going very far. Omega comes in to chop away at Robinson before Ibushi and White come in to chop it out. Ibushi gets shouldered down but nips up and tells White to bring it. Omega comes in for the running Fameasser before it’s off to Takeshita, who sends Ibushi outside. A hurricanrana sends Takeshita outside and the Rise of the Terminator dive takes out Takeshita and White.

Back in and Omega misses a high crossbody and seems to have hurt his wrist. Ibushi makes the save and forearms it out with Takeshita as everything breaks down. JR: “You can disqualify someone you know!” We settle back down to White working on the leg before Robinson comes in to work on the (other) leg. A suplex sends Omega’s legs into the ropes for two (JR: “That was a weak a** cover.”) but Omega is back up for the slugout.

Omega plants Robinson and rolls over but the Gunns break up the tag attempt. Not that it matters as the hot tag brings Page in a few seconds later. White gets taken down and a slingshot dive hits Robinson on the floor. There’s the suicide dive to White but the Deadeye is broken up back inside. White flips forward and lands in front of Ibushi, who strikes him down and sets up the standing moonsault.

Omega and Ibushi hit moonsaults to the floor (with Ibushi slipping and having to settle for a bottom rope version). Back in and White gets triple teamed, setting up a half and half suplex. The big knee is blocked though and White manages the swinging Rock Bottom for a breather. We get the big Omega vs. Takeshita forearm off but Omega has to snapdragon Robinson.

The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two on Omega, who is right back with a piledriver for the same. Omega plants Robinson and Page adds a super flipping fall away slam for two on Takeshita. The Gunns break up the Buckshot Lariat so Page takes out the Gunns instead. Omega is back in to set up the Buckshot to Takeshita but Omega has to escape the Bladerunner. One heck of a V Trigger rocks Robinson but Takeshita rolls Omega up with tights for the pin at 20:36.

Rating: B+. The match was all action (with some JR complaining thrown in) and the point was to give Takeshita the first win over Omega after the two of them have bickered for so long. This will set up the big singles match, maybe at All Out, but for now there is no reason to have Omega win. The others were mostly good, with Ibushi looking better than he did at Blood & Guts, though still a bit slow. Very action packed match here though and the ending was the right way to go.

We recap FTR defending the Tag Team Titles against the Young Bucks. They’re both great teams, they’ve split the first two matches, it’s the rubber match for the titles and bragging rights.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are challenging. Harwood and Nick start things off, with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Wheeler comes in for a quickly broken headlock and Nick grabs a slam. That doesn’t last long as Wheeler takes him down, allowing Harwood to pick Wheeler up for a legdrop. Everything breaks down and it’s a double slugout until a double clothesline (not that kind) leaves everyone down.

The Bucks nip up and clothesline them to the floor, where a boot and spear put FTR down again. Back in and a superkick hits Wheeler, setting up the Swanton into the ropes for two. A middle rope elbow (ala Bret Hart) hits Wheeler but he manages a suplex to Matt for a needed breather. Wheeler fights them off again and dives over for the hot tag to Harwood. Nick is suplexed onto Matt, who has to escape some rolling German suplexes. That doesn’t work for Harwood, who hits another suplex but Matt reverses into the rolling northern lights suplexes.

Another northern lights suplex gives Matt two and the fans seem impressed. Nick comes back in with a knee to Harwood, who counters a springboard into a slingshot sitout powerbomb for two. The Sharpshooter goes on, with Wheeler adding his own to Matt on the apron. Both of those are broken up and we get a needed double breather. Nick superplexes Harwood but a pair of top rope splashes only hit raised knees.

Back up and a spike piledriver gets two on Nick and Harwood’s cradle gets the same. The Shatter Machine is broken up and Nick backslides Harwood for two. The Bucks hit their own spike piledriver for two but the Meltzer Driver is broken up. Instead Matt rolls Harwood up for two as Nick dives onto Wheeler. The BTE Trigger misses and Wheeler is back in to spear Matt to the floor.

FTR hits their own BTE Trigger into the Shatter Machine for two on Matt. Wheeler misses a springboard 450 and gets superkicked down for two. Now the BTE Trigger can connect for two, with Harwood possibly making the save. Harwood knows what’s coming and walks into the Shatter Machine, setting up another BTE Trigger for two more. The Meltzer Driver is broken up again though and it’s a Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 21:39.

Rating: B+. They surprised me here with FTR retaining and I’ll certainly take it. The exchange of finishers went well enough and the Bucks kicking out of the Shatter Machine is a lot more acceptable when they ultimately lost. It would have been a big stretch for the Bucks to win here so well done on giving FTR the big rub on the biggest stage. Very good match here too, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

We recap Stadium Stampede. The Blackpool Combat Club don’t like Eddie Kingston and the Best Friends so they’ve both gotten some backup for a ten man war all around the stadium.

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana

Kingston charges Castagnoli to start fast in the aisle and the fight is on. Everyone pairs off and Chuck hits a big running flip dive. Castagnoli and Kingston fight up towards the entrance as Moxley has a branding iron. The Street Sweeper is broken up by Penta, who swings a rather mean chair. Sling Blades take the two of them down as we go split screen to throw a backstage fight between Kingston and Castagnoli.

Moxley cutters Penta and gives him a Paradigm Shift, but Penta is back with some skewers to pound into Moxley’s head. Penta is right back up with Made In Japan for two before Cassidy adds the lazy kicks. That doesn’t work for Moxley, who takes Cassidy down and gouges him with the skewers. The brawling continues with Kingston (bleeding) and Castagnoli continue brawling in stadium, this time with Castagnoli being sent off some steps.

Trent gets planted for a top rope splash from Santana and there’s a powerbomb onto some chairs to Penta. A piledriver onto the chairs drops Penta again and cue the medics to check on him. Moxley grabs a fork (of course) and stabs Cassidy in the head, which he then bites for good measure. Trent comes back in and gets hit in the face with a barbed wire board as we see Chuck and Wheeler fighting in the back. They join up with Kingston and Castagnoli, with Santana and Ortiz joining in. Chuck makes the save with an umbrella (because England) as a ladder is set up in the ring.

Trent gets dropped onto said ladder as Taylor and Kingston are fighting in a box somewhere. A powerbomb puts Trent onto the ladder as Moxley gets a barbed wire board (because barbed wire). Ortiz stabs Cassidy some more and Trent gets piledriven onto the steps (he’s having a rough night).

The Club takes things up to the ramp but SUE is back in the minivan. Moxley steals a kiss from her, which cannot be the best idea. Trent is somehow still alive and Sue throws in some cookie sheets to start the comeback. Cue Penta, now all in red and evil as Penta Obscuro, to take over. They head back to the ring where Penta Canadian Destroys Santana through a table. Wheeler’s screwdriver gets stuck in the turnbuckle, allowing Chuck to hit Soul Food.

Chuck adds an Awful Waffle but Cassidy gets caught in the Giant Swing (21 revolutions). Cassidy is back up with three straight Orange Punches for two on Castagnoli before he finds some tape to wrap around his hand. Said hand is then put into a bucket of class, which sticks to the tape and this can’t go well. Moxley breaks that up and Castagnoli takes Cassidy down again. Cue Kingston with a barbed wire chair to go face to face with Moxley but Castagnoli rolls him up for two. Kingston cleans house and spears Moxley into the barbed wire board. Cassidy is back up with the Orange Punch to pin Castagnoli at 21:15.

Rating: B. This was the wild, bloody brawl that it needed to be, though they only did so much outside of the main arena (understandable). They were all over the place with one insane spot after another here and while there was a lot going on, it was a bit hard to follow at times. Still though, heck of a fight, though Cassidy pinning Castagnoli better lead somewhere.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Hikaru Shida defending against Toni Storm, Saraya and Britt Baker. Shida took the title from Storm so this is her rematch, while the other two won qualifying matches to get here.

Women’s Title: Saraya vs. Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida is defending and Saraya has her family here, complete with We Will Rock You as an entrance theme. It’s a brawl to start with Shida being sent outside, meaning the Outcasts get to beat up Baker. The running hip attack connects in the corner but Storm and Saraya argue over who should get to cover. Shida comes back in with a double noggin knocker before hammering away at Storm in the corner.

Saraya makes a save and Storm hip attacks Shida to the floor. Saraya’s mother holds Baker on the floor but Storm’s running forearm misses, with said mother having to be held back. Back in and Saraya forearms Storm a few times, with Storm chopping her back to even things up. The bottom turnbuckle pad is ripped off and Storm loads up another hip attack in said corner, only to have Ruby Soho run in for the save.

The Scorpion Crosslock goes on Storm but Baker adds a Stomp to get two. Shida is back in for the torture rack drop (that still doesn’t work) to Saraya. The top rope Meteora gets two, followed by the Katana for the same with Baker making the save. Lockjaw is blocked and Saraya comes in with the spray paint to Storm, setting up the Nightcap for the pin and the title at 8:49.

Rating: B-. There’s your feel good moment for England and thankfully Shida at least got the one big entrance as champion on the major stage. Saraya winning is a great moment for the show, though I’m not sure how long of a reign she is going to have. Baker was just kind of there, while Storm and Saraya having issues could go somewhere. They kept this short and that’s probably for the best, but what we got worked.

We recap the Coffin match, which is Sting/Darby Allin vs. the makeshift team of Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland. It’s kind of a preview for Allin vs. Luchasaurus next week, as the heel team isn’t the most logical pairing.

Sting/Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland

Coffin (casket) match, with Swerve getting rapped to the ring. Sting and Allin have an old British style entrance….before switching to Metallica’s Seek And Destroy (a song Sting used at times in WCW). It’s a brawl to start with Sting getting into a showdown with Christian. Sting finds a cricket bat to clean house and the good guys get the thumbtack jackets. With that broken up, Swerve chokes Sting with the cricket bat as Christian tapes Allin’s hands together behind his back.

Allin can still avoid a charge and hit a moonsault, followed by a dive with hands still tied up. The villains cut him off again but Allin’s hands get free and he slugs away. Sting is back in and takes Swerve outside for an apron splash through a table. Allin puts Christian in a chair and missile dropkicks him back out but it’s too early to close Christian in the coffin. Luchasaurus makes the save but here is Nick Wayne to go after him and they fight to the back.

That lets Allin load up a Coffin Drop onto Swerve onto the coffin. Allin only hits Coffin though and egads that’s a nasty landing. Back in and Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Christian but Swerve makes the save with a chair. That just fires Sting up and he fights back on Swerve. Cage breaks that up with the cricket bat and a Swerve Stomp knocks Sting silly. With Allin knocked down again, Sting is put in the coffin but finds a bat to keep the lid open. Allin is back with a TNT Title shot to Christian as Sting Death Drops Swerve. That’s not enough to finish, so Allin adds the Coffin Drop for the win at 15:31.

Rating: B-. There comes a point where you know what you’re getting with these Sting matches and we reached that point a long time ago. He is going to do his thing and he and Allin will likely win every time, but at least it’s fun on the way there. As usual I could have gone without Swerve losing, but you just kind of have to expect that with him these days.

We recap Will Osprey vs. Chris Jericho, which is more about Jericho vs. Don Callis. They had a heck of a promo battle on Dynamite so this should be good.

Here is Fozzy to perform Judas live. Cool moment and it must mean a lot for the band.

Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay

Sammy Guevara and Don Callis are the seconds. Ospreay starts fast by sending him outside for the sky twister to the floor (with Jericho looking to get a knee to the head). Back in and they slug it out until Jericho sends him to the floor for a baseball slide. Ospreay gets dropped hard onto the apron with a German suplex, followed by a regular suplex back inside.

Jericho flips off the crowd, which is probably a good idea given what Ospreay is going to be in a match like this. A super hurricanrana gives Jericho two but Ospreay drapes him over the top. The shooting star to the back gives Ospreay two but another springboard is Backstabbed out of the air.

A Codebreaker gets two on Ospreay, who is right back with the Oscutter for two of his own. Stormbreaker is countered into the Walls but Ospreay slips out and they slug away on the mat. A Spanish Fly gives Ospreay two and a collision makes him get all fired up. Stormbreaker into the Hidden Blade into another Stormbreaker finishes Jericho at 14:56.

Rating: B. Another solid match here as Ospreay gets the win, as he should have. There is likely going to be a lot more between Jericho and Callis, so having Jericho lose to start is the right way to go. Ospreay is on another level at the moment and while Jericho can hang with him, having Jericho win might have been a bit too much. Another PPV worthy match though, as Jericho can still bring it under the right circumstances.

Nigel McGuinness announces tonight’s attendance: 81,035.

We recap the Trios Titles match. The House Of Black beat the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, with the latter retiring. Then the House kept attacking the Acclaimed so the OLD Gunn is back for revenge.

Trios Titles: House Of Black vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

The Acclaimed/Gunn are challenging and anything goes, with Caster’s rap including a Harry Potter joke. The House one ups them though by bringing out a lantern for a Bray Wyatt tribute. It’s a brawl to start (of course) with Black busting out an early but possibly hurting his leg. More dives connect but Billy’s is cut off. Julia Hart comes in and is told to….well something, followed by Scissor Me Timbers.

King is back in to take Gunn outside but misses a charge into the barricade. Back in and Gunn clotheslines down Black and Matthews before the One And Only (cobra clutch slam for you younger fans out there) gets two. The Arrival looks to set up the Mic Drop but Matthews makes the save. Bowens elbows Matthews in the head over and over but gets sent into the corner.

A Cannonball/stereo running knees to the head get two, with Caster making the save. King busts out the chain, which accidentally hits Black in the head instead. Bowens is back up with the jumping Fameasser, setting up the real thing from Gunn but Hart pulls the referee. Black kicks Gunn in the head for two and can’t believe the kickout. Dante’s Inferno is broken up, leaving King alone with all three challengers. The Fameasser into the Arrival into the Mic Drop gives us new champions at 9:49.

Rating: C+. They had to change the titles here as it would have been quite the punch to the gut if Billy lost again. The Acclaimed have needed something to do since they lost the Tag Team Titles so this was a necessary title change. That being said, this is what, the fourth no rules/crazy tag match of the night? Cut down on those next time.

Post match the House hands over the titles, allowing Bowens to present Gunn with the title for the nice moment.

We recap the World Title match. Adam Cole and MJF went to a time limit draw in a non-title match, then became friends and now ROH Tag Team Champions. Now it’s about the World Title though, with the question of whether one will turn on the other.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Adam Cole

MJF is defending with the full Devil entrance, complete with a throne and worshippers. They’re both wearing shirts and go to the mat with neither being able to get very far. Back up and MJF sends him into the ropes for a strut and a Rick Rude style hip swivel. Cole takes him down as well and hits the catchphrase, but MJF wants a handshake. MJF: “SPORTSMANSHIP!” Then he gets in a cheap shot to Cole and gives that great evil grin of his.

Cole is back with the fireman’s carry onto the knee for two as things have gotten a lot more serious. MJF gets pulled into the corner so Cole can grab a chinlock as Taz and Nigel argue on commentary. Cole knocks him down again and shouts that he’s better than MJF before ripping off MJF’s shirt. MJF gets serious or a change and hammers away in the corner before biting Cole’s head. Cole is sent outside and MJF hits a dive of his own, giving us a great stunned face.

Back in and MJF hits a top rope double stomp on the arm, sending them into a pinfall reversal sequence. MJF counters a leapfrog into a powerbomb backbreaker for two and they’re both down. They head outside with Cole brainbustering him onto the steps for the big knockdown. That’s good for a close nine count but MJF collapses before the Panama Sunrise can launch. A Tombstone onto the announcers’ table gets two on MJF back inside in quite the near fall.

Cole hits a running Canadian Destroyer but MJF pops up for a low superkick to leave them both down. They both shout DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, clothesline each other, and go to a double pin at 19:00. Hold on though as Cole wants five more minutes, but MJF says they’re going until they have a winner. The referee gets bumped and they grab a chair, with both of them faking being hit by said chair (MJF even wraps it around his neck). The referee isn’t having this so MJF hits a Heatseeker for two.

Cole hits a straitjacket suplex on the apron and MJF crashes out to the floor. That’s not enough for Cole, who hits a Panama Sunrise on the floor to knock him sillier. Back in and Cole loads up another Panama Sunrise but MJF pulls the referee into the way again. MJF loads up the diamond ring but can’t do it. Cue Roderick Strong to kick MJF low (Cole didn’t see it), allowing Cole to look around and hit the Panama Sunrise. The Boom connects for an incredibly delayed near fall so Cole picks up the title….but throws it away. MJF grabs a small package to retain at 28:59.

Rating: A-. The action was very good here but the storytelling was better, with the teases of turning and Strong not being able to get Cole to go full evil. What matters here is having a result that could set up more than a few different results, as a rematch in Chicago next week wouldn’t shock me. Heck of a story here, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

Post match MJF tries to tell Cole that they’re still friends but Cole kicks him away. MJF shouts about how Cole was always all about the title and throws it to him, telling Cole to do it already and turning his back. Cole drops the title again, despite Strong getting on the apron to yell at him to do it. MJF and Cole hug, with the Kingdom holding Strong back to end the show.

Oh one more thing: they’re back in Wembley next year for All In 2024.

Overall Rating: A-. The show was certainly a hit and even the worst matches were good enough. This was a show where the atmosphere and look were what mattered, but then the wrestling lived up to the hype as well. It’s pretty much a home run for AEW and while they have to scramble for All Out in a week, they have more than earned a victory lap for this one. Awesome show, and worth checking out up and down.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole b. Aussie Open – Double clothesline to Fletcher
Hook b. Jack Perry – Redrum
CM Punk b. Samoa Joe – Pepsi Plunge
Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita b. Golden Elite – Rollup with tights to Omega
FTR b. Young Bucks – Shatter Machine to Matt
Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Cero Miedo b. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana – Orange Punch to Castagnoli
Saraya b. Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker and Toni Storm – Nightcap to Storm
Darby Allin/Sting b. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland – Strickland was put in the coffin
Will Ospreay b. Chris Jericho – Stormbreaker
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. House Of Black – Mic Drop to King
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Adam Cole – Small package

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We have finally arrived in London for the biggest show in AEW history and very likely the biggest event the company will ever run. There are going to be a bunch of big matches as the card is stacked, meaning we should be in for a great night if AEW’s history is anything to believe. In theory the main event will be Adam Cole challenging MJF for the World Title so let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: FTW Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Hook

This was made on Collision and as you might expect, it will be under FTW rules, meaning street fight. These two have more or less been feuding over the legacy of ECW, but thankfully the ECW legends have stopped showing up. The interesting thing here is that this could go either way, as Perry losing the title seems a bit soon but it seems like a perfect place to give Hook the title back.

I’ll go with Perry winning here, but the FTW Title needs to go away sooner than later. It’s nice to have Perry winning and holding onto something but at some point he has to get away from the ECW/Taz and Hook stuff. Losing the match here isn’t going to help him at all though so we’ll go with Perry retaining, likely through some shenanigans, but I’m hardly convinced that I’m right.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open(c) vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

There is a lot to unpack here and we’ll start with the fact that the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles are being used as a plot point in the AEW World Title feud. That isn’t a great way to make the titles look important, but then again what does look important in ROH? Anyway, MJF and Cole are still set or the main event of All In, and this match is likely going to play a big role in how that goes.

As I don’t think the MJF vs. Cole feud ends here, I’ll go with new champions. It’s not like the titles have any value otherwise so maybe they can get a temporary boost here. At the very last, I want to see the Kangaroo Kick and a double clothesline for the titles so there could be something to look forward to here. MJF vs. Cole is the biggest story in AEW at the moment and the Aussies can get the titles back later, as they should drop them here.

Golden Elite vs. Konosuke Takeshita/Bullet Club Gold

There is quite the variety of matches on the show and I’m not sure where else to start. This is one of two matches that are built around Don Callis, who has become pretty much the second biggest heel on the roster, depending on how you currently view MJF. The main feud here is going to be Kenny Omega vs. Takeshita, but the more I get of the Club these days, the better things go.

I’ll take Takeshita and the Club to win here, as Hangman Page or Kota Ibushi are both there to take the fall for the team. Omega vs. Callis N Pals feels like a feud that is going to keep going for a VERY long time and right now we are only kind of getting the fight between them. The villains have to win early so the hero can win later, meaning Takeshita and the Club go over here.

Darby Allin/Sting vs. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland

This is a Coffin Match, which doesn’t quite fit in with the heels, even though Cage had something similar to one earlier this year. The Coffin Match idea seems to favor Allin and Sting, in addition to the fact that they have interacted for more than about half an hour if you count a 21 minute tag match Strickland and Cage teamed in this week on Collision. That doesn’t exactly bode well going forward and makes me think this match might not be the most surprising.

I don’t see any reason to have Cage and Strickland here, as Allin and Sting have all of the advantages here. Outside of Luchasaurus interfering (which is certainly a possibility), there isn’t much of a way to get behind the villains. It should be the usual wacky all over the place match with Sting doing some big dive before winning in the end, which is the most logical way to go here.

Real World Title: CM Punk(c) vs. Samoa Joe

What we have here is a good example of going back to a classic feud that works rather than just trying to recreate the past. They have issues that are going on at the moment and it makes the match feel like another step after a long break rather than reheating something for the sake of a nostalgic reaction. It helps that both of them are awesome talkers and the hype has been pretty good throughout.

I’ll go with Punk here, as he is a bigger star in AEW and it isn’t like the ROH TV Champion getting pinned is going to hurt him very much. There isn’t much of a reason to give Joe two belts and again, I can’t imagine much of a way for the villain to win here without some kind of interference (Ricky Starks and/or Big Bill in this case). What matters here though is having a legendary rivalry renewed (and likely ended) on a huge stage. With Punk winning.

Trios Titles: House Of Black(c) vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

It’s another case where it really could go either way but there is one way that it needs to go. This is the fallout of Gunn retiring/possibly dying based on how the Acclaimed was reacting, but now he’s back for the big fight in his chance for one more run with his friends. That should tell you where this is going, but there is something to be said about the dominance of the champs.

As dominant as the House has been, there is little reason to not put the titles on Gunn and the Acclaimed here, as having them lose would feel very anti-climactic after everything that has gone on. At the same time, the House has already run through most of the believable challengers so changing the titles here makes the most sense. I could see the House retaining, but the good guys getting their moment is the better way to go.

Tag Team Titles: FTR(c) vs. Young Bucks

Here we have the big showdown that should have happened about a year ago but instead we were left standing around because….something about the Trios Titles being absolutely necessary. FTR has been back to doing what they do better than anyone else in the world over the last few months while the Bucks have wrestled two regular tag matches since February. But it’s a big feud so reheating it this fast isn’t that big of a stretch.

As much as I want to pick FTR to retain here, I have a bad feeling that the Bucks are going to get their big moment here and get to be the first three time champion. Throw in Cash Wheeler’s legal issues in the last few days and it would be hard to picture FTR retaining. FTR should win, and while I would certainly hope that I’m wrong, I think they’ll go with the “special” moment of the Bucks winning the titles. Again. At least it isn’t a ladder match.

Women’s Title: Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Britt Baker vs. Saraya vs. Toni Storm

If there is one thing that AEW does very well, it is give you a match where you could see multiple winners. Here you have Shida, who has not gotten the big moment as champion, Saraya as the home country girl, Storm doing some of the best work in his career, and Baker, who REALLY needs the boost but hasn’t been doing much of anything interesting in months now. Three out of four isn’t bad though and we have some real options to leave with the title.

I’ll go with Shida retaining here, as there is something to be said about her getting the big moment. She had a long title reign the first time around but never got to do anything special like retain the title here. It’s also hardly a stretch to keep the title on here and only Storm feels like someone who is ready to take it off of her, but her whole thing is being upset over NOT being the champion. So yeah, Shida wins here, just hopefully not beating Storm in the process.

Eddie Kingston/Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Penta El Zero Mideo vs. Blackpool Combat Club/Santana/Ortiz

This is Stadium Stampede, which we’re doing in theory a week before the already set up matches between Moxley/Cassidy and Castagnoli/Kingston. I’m not sure how they’re going to do one of these things with all of the people around but why go sane when you can go insane? The previous versions of this have been quite the spectacles, but their quality has been a bit up and down. Odds are we’re going to get some more totally out there stuff though and that can be fun.

This feels like the way to set up some rematches between the members of the team, which will hopefully include Moxley getting to take the International Title from Cassidy. Therefore, I’ll go with the villains winning as Moxley pins Cassidy to set up their match. The other option of Kingston beating Castagnoli is out there, but it wouldn’t shock me to see them wait for Final Battle in December to finally give Kingston the title. For now though, I’ll take the villains to win.

Will Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho

So here we have one of the most successful British wrestlers of all time and one of the most entertaining stars going today being presented as a heel (he’s with Callis so yes he’s a heel) on the biggest wrestling show in British wrestling history. I’m sure there’s a logic to that move, even if the face/heel dynamic could be all over the place here. That being said, the promo battle to set this up was one of the best I can remember in recent months so they’re certainly onto something.

As was the case earlier with the six man tag, the villains have to win early so they can lose in the end. Jericho losing here is the way to go as he can continue dealing with the fallout of initially wanting to join Callis’ family. Ospreay is probably coming to AEW full time sooner rather than later so it would make sense to give him the big win here. You can all but guarantee Callis’ interference, which isn’t likely to be enough to overcome the cheers Ospreay is going to get as he wins here.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman(c) vs. Adam Cole

This is the biggest story in AEW right now and my goodness it needs to keep going after this show. The good thing is that the story has all kinds of ways it can go and that’s not even factoring in the Roderick Strong side. The question becomes who turns on whom here, but the options of both or neither are strong possibilities. Having that many options is a great sign and now we get to figure out where it goes.

With all of the options available, I’ll go with…..Cole wins, but neither turns yet. It opens the doors for a rematch, likely at All Out, but what is going to matter is seeing where it goes from here. Cole has already failed to beat him once and having MJF be revealed as this big criminal mastermind would make Cole look like the biggest loser in the world. I might as well be flipping a coin here, but yeah I’ll take Cole to win and Strong to not get overly involved just yet.

Overall Thoughts

The best thing that I can say about any show is that I have almost no idea who is going to win most of these matches. There are different ways that you could go in almost every match and that makes for a rather interesting care. This show is going to be about the spectacle though and if AEW does it right, the place is going to look incredible. The wrestling has to back it up though, and the good thing is the potential to do so is absolutely there. Now just make it work.

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Dynamite
Date: July 19, 2023
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Taz, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s time to get violent, as this week’s show is all about Blood & Guts. That alone is going to be enough to carry things but we also have the FTW Title on the line as Hook defends against Jungle Boy, plus the tag team tournament finals. That should guarantee us a good show so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Jungle Boy

Jungle Boy is challenging and we get the old Tarzan Boy music…..but instead here’s a video of Jungle Boy burying someone in the desert, then getting in a car. That seems to leave us with this.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Jack Perry

Perry (formerly Jungle Boy) is challenging. Hook starts fast and slugs away in the corner, with Perry being knocked outside. The beating continues in the crowd and Hook hits a jumping shot to the face off the barricade. Back in and Perry rakes the eyes to take over, meaning the beating can be on as we take a break.

We come back with Perry not being able to hit a German suplex off the apron. Instead, Hook exploders him to the floor and Perry needs a breather. Perry is fine enough to hit a draping DDT onto the floor but Hook is right back with another suplex. A low blow cuts Hook down and the running elbow to the back of the head gets two. The referee gets bumped so Hook’s head and arms suplex gets no count. Perry gets up and hits a belt shot to win the title at 11:38.

Rating: B-. The ending was a bit flat as I was expecting someone to come in and help Perry, but the result is what matters most. Perry has had failure after failure as the good guy but wins something here after going evil. Above all else, Jungle Boy is no more and that should be enough to make a huge difference. Hook is going to want revenge too and that’s your rematch.

Chris Jericho and Don Callis had a meeting but security got the camera out.

Adam Cole went to a restaurant last night, where MJF got to face two of his biggest fears: Spicy food and poor people. They sit down and MJF tells a story about slamming the 600lb Big Bill in front of 95,000 Maxamaniacs, bu then the food is really spicy. They drink a lot to kill the spice and then realize they drank 100% alcohol. Later, Max tells the Bill story again and then think the waiter looks like Daniel Garcia…..or maybe Sammy Garcia. There is one thing left to do: and they seemingly double clothesline the waiter. Still hilarious, with the Hulk Hogan storytelling being a gem.

Don Callis and Chris Jericho arrive and call Alex Marvez an idiot.

Britt Baker vs. Kayla Sparks

Baker stars fast with the Sling Blade and a fisherman’s neckbreaker, setting up the Lockjaw for the win at 1:06.

MJF and Adam Cole are ready to win the Tag Team Titles and Plan A is the double clothesline. MJF: “Unlike Sammy Guevara’s wife, we don’t need Plan B.” They even have matching trunks and jackets, plus one more surprise from Cole. The two of them leave, but here is Roderick Strong in a neck brace to chase after Cole.

Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Finals: Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara vs. MJF/Adam Cole

Chris Jericho comes out to join commentary and we find out that Cole’s surprise is…..a theme music mash up! Garcia and MJF have a dance off before the bell, complete with music. After the lights and music end (and Jim Cornette dies), the villains jump MJF and Cole to start fast. Back to back eye pokes put Garcia in trouble though and MJF clears the ring, runs the ropes about eight times, and then stops to pose. Garcia gets in a cheap shot though and we take a break.

Back with MJF doing the staggering falling headbutt low blow to Guevara. MJF gets over to Cole, who ducks a double clothesline and superkicks Garcia. Guevara breaks up the Boom and a double Spanish Fly gets two. A half crab is broken up but MJF can’t bring himself to dive. Cole begs him to do it and MJF actually does hit a dive (leaving himself shocked). Back in and the Panama Sunrise sets up the DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE to finish Garcia at 10:42.

Rating: B. The heck do you say about this? It’s a match where you’re either having a good time with it or it’s not your thing whatsoever and that is completely understandable here. The friendship deal, as short term as it is going to be, is cracking me up more than once and it isn’t like this is going to be anything more than a bunch of fun. The match was inconsequential as MJF and Cole working together was so much fun. This was a blast overall and one of the funnier things I’ve seen in a good bit from AEW.

Post match Guevara and Garcia walk away from Jericho. With the villains gone, the referee hands Cole the World Title and MJF snaps. Cue FTR for the big staredown and everyone leaves.

Darby Allin, Nick Wayne, Orange Cassidy, Kris Statlander and the Best friends are ready for their respective matches. Allin owes AR Fox a favor and gets him an International Title shot next week. Wayne and Allin won’t put their hands in.

Chompy the dancing shark (Shark Week mascot) annoys commentary.

Here is what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Blood & Guts. The Blackpool Combat Club and Elite hate each other so let’s fight.

Here are the rules:

Two men enter for a five minute round.

The team who won the coin toss (Blackpool Combat Club) send in their second man for a three minute advantage.

The teams alternate entrances until all ten are in.

First submission wins.

Blackpool Combat Club/Pac/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Elite/Kota Ibushi

Claudio Castagnoli starts for the Club and Kenny Omega is in for the Elite. Castagnoli starts with the uppercuts before they fight over a suplex. Omega is sent into the space between the rings and sends Castagnoli into the corner. A high crossbody lets Omega hammer away but the fans want them in the other ring. Omega obliges and stomps away in the corner, setting up a standing hurricanrana. Pac comes in to make it 2-1 though and we take a break.

Back with Hangman Page coming in to even things up 2-2 and the fight is on again. House is cleaned and Page gives Pac a pop up powerbomb, setting up a top rope moonsault onto Castagnoli. Page German suplexes Pac and they split up into different rings. Castagnoli and Page take over their respective fights until Jon Moxley is in for the Club to make it 3-2. He comes complete with screwdriver (or maybe a fork) and gets to carve people up before grabbing some weapons. We get the broken glass but before anyone can get carved up, Nick Jackson is in to tie it up at 3-3.

Nick snaps off some hurricanranas to send people into the glass until Moxley drops Nick into it instead. Moxley even puts it on Nick’s chest and stomps away before Omega is slammed onto the glass. Wheeler Yuta is in to make it 4-3 with the villains taking over again. We take a break and come back again with Matt Jackson coming in to even things up at 4-4.

Matt faceplants Pac and hits an assisted Sliced Bread on Castagnoli. Moxley is back up for some suplexes to drop the Bucks as Castagnoli seems to have stolen Page’s vest. A Kitaro Crusher sends Yuta into the glass but here is Konosuke Takeshita to complete the evil team and make it 5-4.

Takeshita suplexes both Bucks at once (take that Moxley) and then punches a chair into Omega’s face. Don Callis is now on commentary as Omega has a freaking bed of nails. Moxley whips him into it and slams him onto them, with Castagnoli looking terrified. Kota Ibushi is in to finalize both teams at 5-5, so Yuta goes to meet him on the stage and gets dropped.

Moxley stands on Omega’s hand on the nails but Ibushi comes over to kick away at him. Ibushi puts him on the nails and hits a standing moonsault as Matt and Wheeler fight outside the cage. The Club gets in another quick advantage and we take a break. Back with Matt suplexing Yuta around the top of the cage until Yuta suplexes his way out of danger. Moxley piledrives Ibushi onto the glass and a bunch more piledrivers are loaded up.

Instead Matt drops thumbtacks from the roof and Castagnoli/Pac are backdropped onto the tacks. Nick fires off a bunch of superkicks to take over again. A toss powerbomb into two kicks in the corner drop Pac and a string of shots from the top rope have him in more trouble as we take another break. Back with the villains hitting a string of superplexes as Pac goes up top. A dropping double stomp puts Matt through a table in a crazy crash.

We get the big ten man brawl in the middle, with the Bucks (screw that falling stomp from the top of the cage) up for superkicks. The parade of strikes set up the dragon suplex to drop Takeshita onto the glass. A bunch of submissions have the Elite in trouble but Ibushi makes some rather slow motion saves. Hold on though as Castagnoli and Pac have issues, resulting in Pac flipping them off and leaving.

Omega uses the distraction to get up and clean house with a bunch of suplexes. The Buckshot Lariat drops Castagnoli and Wheeler gets hit in the head a lot. Moxley gets handcuffed to the ropes as Don Callis pulls Takeshita out of the match. Yuta is sent face first into a boot covered with thumbtacks before a chain around the throat makes him give up at 50:49.

Rating: B-. And that’s probably being generous. This was WAY too long (longer than the 1991/1992 editions combined) with far too much time spent standing around and not even trying to win the match. I still can’t stand all the weapons (like the BED OF NAILS that Omega was slammed onto, only to be up a few minutes later) being brought in as the cage and violence itself really should be good enough.

Other than that, Ibushi did just shy of nothing here and looked like he would have rather been anywhere else. The match was far from terrible as the violence was good in parts, but this needed to be at least twenty minutes shorter. The point of these matches is supposed to be hatred and violence, not stretching it out for as long as you can. Cut it down, sell more and stop with the ridiculous weapon spots. You’re in a double steel cage. That’s enough for the majority of the carnage, or at least it should be.

Overall Rating: B. This was the pay per view level TV show that you get to see at times and it worked rather well. You had a title change, a very fun tag match, and a main event that certainly felt big but didn’t exactly stick the landing. What mattered here was the big atmosphere though and they absolutely nailed it. Very entertaining show, but the main event needed some work.

Results
Jack Perry b. Hook – Belt shot
Britt Baker b. Kayla Sparks – Lockjaw
MJF/Adam Cole b. Daniel Garcia/Sammy Guevara – Double clothesline to Garcia
Elite/Kota Ibushi b. Blackpool Combat Club/Pac/Konosuke Takeshita when Yuta submitted

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

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Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7
Date: March 31, 2023
Location: Ukranian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Lenny Leonard, Veda Scott

This is the show where you just get to have fun and that is one of the best possible options. With this show, you’re going to see some insanity, some surprises and probably a lot of carnage, which should make for an entertaining night. It’s almost always a fun show and now we get the Los Angles version. Let’s get to it.

Gringo Loco vs. Shane Mercer vs. Tony Deppen vs. Cole Radrick vs. Komander vs. Billie Starkz vs. Blake Christian vs. Alec Price vs. Jack Cartwheel

It’s a Grab The Brass Ring DLC (Doors Ladders and Chairs, winner gets a future title shot of their choice) ladder match, which is at least a step above a scramble (I think). Christian comes out after the introductions and seems to be adding himself to the lineup. Then they call it a ladder match but also a scramble, as apparently the ceiling is too high to put up an actual brass ring so it will be pin or submission. That’s…..a way to go.

Deppen gets in the rather large Mercer’s face to start and the big brawl is on with most of them heading outside. Loco hits a springboard double armdrag on Deppen and Christian. Komander comes in and we get a showdown with Loco, who is hurricanranaed out to the floor. It’s Mercer taking Loco’s place with a backbreaker before Cartwheel is back in to pick up the pace. Cartwheel hits the big flip dive to the floor but Price comes in to clean a few rooms.

Mercer isn’t having that and throws Price over the top to send him outside. Loco is in with some chairs to Mercer’s head, followed by a top rope Canadian Destroyer. The first ladder is brought in as Christian gets to take Deppen down so he can ride the ladder down onto him. Loco is back in with a piledriver to Christian before bringing in a giant ladder. Starkz is back in to kick Loco in the head before going up top with Price.

That goes badly for Starkz, who gets put on and driven through a table for two. Deppen climbs the big ladder but another big ladder is bridged into it. Everyone comes crashing down and Cartwheel dives over the top to put Radrick through another door. Mercer takes Cartwheel up a ladder and hits a moonsault World’s Strongest Slam for two, with Loco using a chair to make the save.

Another door breaks rather quickly and the fans are NOT pleased. Mercer is laid on a door and it’s Loco going up the ladder, with Price on the bridged ladder to meet him (while Komander chills on the top turnbuckle). Price opts to dive on some people, followed by Komander walking the ropes to take out more people. Loco’s flip dive takes out Mercer and Starkz clears out a bunch of the weapons. Radrick comes back in and gets caught with a running forearm in the corner. Starkz plants Radrick but Christian comes in with a Stomp to pin Starkz at 14:07.

Rating: B-. The rules and setup were a little weird but at least they had the more interesting person win. Christian was announced as one of the more controversial/hated stars in the company so giving him the title match is a good idea. It was a pretty wild match, though cutting out two or three people (at least) would have helped.

Video on the Motor City Machine Guns vs. the East West Connection for the Tag Team Titles.

Tag Team Titles: Motor City Machine Guns vs. East West Express

The Express (Jordan Oliver/Nick Wayne) is challenging and the Guns jump them to start with the fight heading outside. Sabin goes after Wayne’s face, which was cut open badly in a match earlier today. The Express gets back in and hits stereo dives though, even as Wayne’s face is bleeding again.

Back in and Sabin gets caught with running boots in the corner but Shelley comes in for the save. Shelly sends the Express into the corner for a hesitation dropkick. The Guns get violent by tying the Express together and pulling on both of them at once. Oliver fights up and hits a running clothesline to Sabin, allowing Wayne to come in off the tag. Sabin is back up with a running boot to cut Wayne off in the corner but he sticks the landing out of a sunset bomb.

Everything breaks down again and Shelly Shell Shocks Wayne for two. The Border City Stretch has Wayne in more trouble and Sabin grabs a Texas Cloverleaf on Oliver. Both of them are broken up so the Guns hit Oliver with the Dream Sequence. Sabin kicks Shelly by mistake to send him to the floor, leaving Sabin to get Stunned into a German suplex. The corner cutter gets two on Sabin and a double cutter out of the corner gets a double two. Another double cutter hits Sabin for the pin and the titles at 12:28.

Rating: B-. It was an energetic match and the title change felt like a big deal, but the ending was a little flat. They just kept hitting the same move until it got a pin, which isn’t exactly a hot ending to a match. The Express winning the titles is a big deal and it’s cool to see the Guns as heels, but this didn’t quite get to the next level.

Here is DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion (comedy 24/7 title from DDT in Japan) Yoshihiko (a female sex doll) for an interview. She is rather silent about being a champion and her title defense earlier today, but will be back in GCW. Cue Charles Mason, with Parrow, to interrupt. Mason jumps Yoshihiko and says she isn’t real before calling this whole thing dump. He whips out a knife and threatens to cut the throat, but Yoshihiko’s handler makes a save. It’s Jimmy Lloyd, who is going to be forced to watch the destruction….until Yoshihiko fights back and chases off the intelligen….er, heels.

Video on Mike Bailey vs. El Hijo del Vikingo.

Mike Bailey vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

Vikingo’s AAA Mega Title isn’t on the line. Believe it or not, they do trade flips around to start and shake hands once neither can get anywhere. An exchange of kicks doesn’t get anyone very far so Vikingo goes up top, loses his balance, jumps back up and mostly hits a super hurricanrana. Vikingo hits a dive to the floor but Bailey kicks him down and nails a middle rope moonsault to the floor.

Back in and a kick to the back gets two on Vikingo as this is already more grounded than anything I’ve seen Vikingo do. A dragon screw legwhip takes Vikingo down and Bailey does it again out of the corner (oh the irony). The leglock goes on so Vikingo crawls over to the rope for the break. Back up and they trade chops (Bailey’s aren’t as loud due to Vikingo’s chest being covered).

They take turns offering their backs to the other for chops….until Bailey kicks him instead. Vikingo is back with some running knees to send Bailey outside, where the shooting star from the apron connects. Back in and the middle rope Phoenix splash gives Vikingo two and Bailey is outside again. The slide takes too long though and Bailey is back up for a top rope moonsault.

Back in and Bailey kicks him down for two but the tornado kick misses. Vikingo’s imploding dragon rana only mostly works and they head to the apron for the exchange of kicks to the chest. Vikingo gets the better of things and climbs to the post, setting up a crazy Canadian Destroyer onto the apron to leave them both on the floor. Back up and Bailey blocks a shooting star with raised knees, setting up a floatover fisherman’s superplex for two (that was cool). Bailey’s Flamingo Driver is blocked though and Vikingo takes him up top for a super swinging Rock Bottom. That sets up the 630 to finish Bailey at 16:57.

Rating: B. This was what you would expect from these two as they were doing all of the crazy flips and dives, though in this case they did slow down a bit between some of the spots. Bailey going after the leg made sense, but ironically enough, Bailey’s opponent didn’t bother to sell the knee for once. It was entertaining, as Vikingo’s monster weekend continues.

Post match money is thrown into the ring and they put it into Vikingo’s helmet to split up later.

Bussy vs. Maki Death Kill

That would be Effy/Allie Katch vs. Nick Gage/Maki Itoh and….egads I have no idea what this is going to be like. As you might expect, the fans go nuts for Gage. The women start things off with a lot of posing and yell at each other a bit but then we have to stop for some Itoh posing. Allie isn’t having that and poses as well, though hers is a bit more suggestive compared to Itoh’s cute stuff.

That’s enough for Allie, who kicks her in the ribs but gets taken down. A falling headbutt is enough for Allie to bring Gage in to face Effy. They have some problems with a leapfrog so Effy drops to his knees. That means he has to slip out of a piledriver attempt so Gage slams him instead. A splash puts Gage down and it’s Allie coming back in to send Gage into the corner. Gage neckbreakers his way out of trouble and hits a suplex, allowing a somewhat reluctant tag to Itoh.

Some horrible right hands in the corner stagger Effy but a tornado DDT works a bit better. Gage whips out the pizza cutter so Allie, who has stolen his bandanna, wraps a chair around his head and sends it into the post. Effy uses the pizza cutter to carve up Itoh’s head and Allie gets in some carving of her own as the violence begins. Gage is back in with a DDT to Allie and a spinebuster to Effy. With Itoh safe…..Gage pulls out a SPECIAL pizza cutter, complete with a bow tie that matches Itoh’s gear.

Bussy both get cut at the same time (via split screen) and Effy is rather busted open. Back up and Allie and Gage hit stereo piledrivers to give us a bit showdown. The chokebreaker gives Gage two but Effy is back in. That earns him a chair shot from Itoh but Effy chairs both of them down. Itoh is so upset that she is about to cry, but flips Allie off for trying to kiss her better. That has Allie crying much harder until Gage is back up. Gage hits something like a One Winged Angel on Allie and Itoh’s diving DDT are good or double pins at 16:11.

Rating: C. It’s Nick Gage so this is only going to be so good in the first place. Save for the pizza cutter, they didn’t get too nuts with the violence, but it was still hard to sit through some of this stuff. Itoh’s gimmick is all around cuteness and that worked well enough, though it was nowhere near as over the top as she was in AEW. Bussy has been around all weekend and while Effy is hard to take at times, he was far less annoying here. Katch is always worth a look so this was a very weird mixture that could have been a lot worse.

Post match Gage and Itoh hit the catchphrase but Matt Cardona (in a Cody Rhodes jacket) and Steph De Lander run in with chairs to beat them down. Cardona calls it BS that they aren’t booked on this show or Wrestlemania. They both mock Gage and Itoh but here is World Champion Masha Slamovich to interrupt. Gage is up to take out Cardona and they fight to the back, so let’s do the impromptu World Title thing.

GCW World Title: Steph De Lander vs. Masha Slamovich

De Lander is in street clothes and challenging. Slamovich starts fast and hammers away but gets knocked hard into the corner. A suplex gives De Lander two but Slamovich gets in a kick to the head. It’s time for a really big door and some chairs, with Slamovich being dropped down onto the latter. Slamovich is fine enough to Air Raid Crash her through the door but here is Cardona to jump Slamovich. Gage and Itoh run in to break up a chair shot to Slamovich and Itoh hits some Reboots on Cardona in the corner. Slamovich chokes De Lander out to retain at 6:23.

Rating: C. This was rather quick and to the point, which is what something set up this way had to be. There is only do much that De Lander can do in street clothes and it more of a “hey we’re here too” deal than anything else. Slamovich hasn’t been champion long so getting her some title defenses piled up isn’t a bad idea. The match was a bit of a mess but it got out before it went too far.

Joey Janela vs. Kota Ibushi

This is Ibushi’s second match since 2021 due to an injury. Feeling out process to start and they go to the mat with Ibushi taking over. Janela grabs a headscissors but has to duck a big kick. Back up and Ibushi dropkicks him to the floor but won’t dive out there too. Janela chops away back inside, with Ibushi telling him to chop harder.

With that not working, Janela slaps on a figure four neck lock until the rope is reached. A hurricanrana sends Janela to the floor and now the springboard moonsault takes him down. Back in and a rolling suplex gives Ibushi two but Janela superplexes him down for a crash. They slug it out on the apron with Janela getting dropped hard to bust him open.

The slugout goes to Janela, who manages a DDT on the apron. Janela takes a good while bridging some doors over some chairs at ringside and Ibushi is back up. What looks to be a German superplex through the table is more a fall through them and Janela is mostly done. Back in and Janela snaps off a Death Valley Driver and then does it again for one.

Another slugout goes to Janela and the rather bloody Janela snaps off a German suplex. Then Ibushi gets his own German suplex, followed by the double clothesline for the double knockdown. Back up and they slap it out until Janela plants him with the package piledriver for two. A bunch of superkicks rock Ibushi but he’s back with a pair of running knees for the pin at 24:19.

Rating: B. This was a weird one as it went from just an ok match to a hard hitting bloodbath. Ibushi isn’t about to lose in his first regular match back (after his first was in Bloodsport) so this was more of a big homecoming. Janela still isn’t exactly great in the ring, but he knows how to put in a match like this and make it work well. Solid main event.

Respect is shown post match. Janela gets the mic and talks about the things that have been going on in recent years. He finally got his first contract with AEW but everything fell apart. He wasn’t sure what he was doing and he had to watch his ex-girlfriend be with someone else. After saying he’s cool with Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian, Janela talks about Kota Ibushi deciding to stay away from WWE and AEW. Janela calls him the embodiment of Japanese wrestling and hugs him to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I’m not sure what to think of this one as it was much more a regular show and a good one, but I was expecting something more in the way of over the top. There was a ladder match, a Nick Gage match (take that for what you will) and the rest is straight wrestling. It’s more or less a GCW show and while it’s good (very good actually), it’s not exactly what I was expecting. Heck of a show, though not in the show’s traditional sense.

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Evolve #1
Date: January 16, 2010
Location: Rahway Events Center, Rahway, New Jersey
Attendance: 500
Commentators: Leonard F. Chikarason, Lenny Leonard

So a good chunk of the Evolve library has been put up on the Network and since the whole thing is being blown up for the sake of Peacock sooner than later, I figured I would take a look at one of their shows. This is the promotion’s debut event so there is not likely to be much in the way of storylines. Let’s get to it.

Kyle O’Reilly is warming up when Davey Richards gets annoyed at the cameras. They’re here to film everything for a documentary but Davey and manager Tony Kozina throw them out anyway. Davey Richards being really serious? Stunning indeed.

Akira Tozawa and Kota Ibushi have a chat that I can’t understand.

Opening sequence, mainly featuring clips from Full Impact Pro.

Various people talk about why they wrestle, with one of them saying he would be dead if he didn’t.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Bobby Fish

O’Reilly has Tony Kozina with him. They trade kicks to the legs to start and then fight over the wrist, which the fans appreciate. Back up and Fish nails a dropkick and avoids a charge to send O’Reilly shoulder first into the rope. The big dive takes him down and it’s back inside for a t-bone suplex to send O’Reilly flying again. A top rope headbutt gives Fish two but O’Reilly knees his way to freedom. O’Reilly is back with the rolling butterfly suplexes for two of his own and it’s time to trade the hard kicks.

Fish kicks him down into a cross armbreaker, sending O’Reilly straight into the ropes. More big kicks rock O’Reilly but he counters one into a reverse fisherman’s suplex for two of his own. Fish hits a superkick but walks into a discus lariat for the double knockdown. O’Reilly is back up with a tornado DDT for no cover so Fish grabs a Falcon Arrow for his own two. Back up and O’Reilly hits another tornado DDT into a brainbuster for the pin at 6:35.

Rating: C+. This was a good way to start things off as it was all action and the kind of match that an audience like this would appreciate. If nothing else, it was bizarre to see these two looking so young but that’s the point of an opener like this. It was a hard hitting indy style match and that’s what it should have been in this spot.

Chuck Taylor vs. Cheech

No transition between the match and no entrances, which makes the show move a lot faster. Cheech was a regular on the independent scene around this time and Taylor would get more famous later on. This is an official qualifying match for the Evolve singles division. They start fast with Cheech hitting a shoulder but Taylor sidesteps a dropkick.

Cheech takes him down without much trouble and grabs something like a Sharpshooter where he sits down on the leg rather than pulling it back. That lets him get in some posing until Taylor makes the rope and comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. A headscissors has Cheech in trouble and an overhead belly to belly sends him flying. Cheech is right back up with a moonsault press for two but Taylor hits a dropkick for the same.

The Awful Waffle is broken up and Cheech grabs some rollups for two each. Cheech superkicks him into the corner and hits a running kick to the face, followed by a 619 from the floor. Back in and Chuck hits his own kicks to the face, only to get caught with a spear. A running elbow in the corner drops Cheech for two and the Awful Waffle finishes Cheech at 6:29.

Rating: C-. It was energetic but this was every stereotype of an indy match you can find. They were doing everything they could all match with no selling and one spot after another. I know that’s the style that they want to have around here but it would be nice to see someone stop for a few seconds just to let something sink in for a change.

Post match Chuck is asked about his win and doesn’t like the idea of having to win a qualifying match. Vengeance is coming.

Ricochet vs. Arik Cannon

Cannon is an indy mainstay and RICOCHET HAS HAIR! LIKE SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR!!! Ricochet flips out of a wristlock to start so the bigger Cannon runs him over with a shoulder. A headscissors sends Cannon to the floor and Ricochet hits the cartwheel flip dive. Back in and Cannon nails a suplex into the corner but Ricochet takes him down for two off a quick rollup.

They trade strikes in the corner until Cannon drops him with a right hand into a brainbuster for two. Ricochet can’t hit a tornado DDT as Cannon reverses into a swinging brainbuster for another near fall. Back up and Ricochet kicks him in the face, setting up a 630 for the pin at 4:01.

Rating: C. Ricochet got to showcase himself a bit here but Cannon was dominating most of the match. That being said, Ricochet wasn’t exactly intimidating with the hair and not exactly filled out physique. Then again he was in his early 20s here and had a long way to go. Not a bad match, but they were flying through it so fast that it could only go so far.

Post match here’s Chuck Taylor to say that he’s from the south where they don’t believe in evolution. He’s into creationism so he’s here to create. The challenge is on, with Ricochet saying let’s do it now but Taylor walking off.

Silas Young is with Jimmy Jacobs and talks about what they want to do around here. Another wrestler (who might have been a very young Adam Cole) comes in to tell Jimmy that his match is coming up, which Jimmy does not seem to appreciate.

Brad Allen writes MOM on one set of wrist tape and MAC on the other, both with some crosses surrounding the names.

Dark City Fight Club vs. Aeroform

The Club is Jon Davis/Cory Chavis and were around the indies for years without ever making it to the big time. Aeroform is Louis Lyndon/Flip Kendrick, another team who would hang around for years. The smaller Aeroform starts fast and hits a double dropkick for two on Chavis. Back up and Chavis blasts Kendrick for two, setting up a modified Hart Attack (side kick instead of a clothesline, which Harlem Heat called the Big Apple Blast). Lyndon gets double teamed down as tags just seem to be a suggestion here.

Davis misses a charge in the corner and Lyndon gets over for the hot tag to Kendrick to clean house. Everything breaks down (Was it ever together in the first place?) and Lyndon has to avoid a brainbuster onto the apron. A springboard DDT Plants Davis and a 540 Spiral Tap gets two with Chavis making the save. Back up and Davis Pounces Kendrick, leaving Lyndon to take Project Mayhem (double hiptoss into a sitout powerbomb/neckbreaker combination) for the pin at 6:25.

Rating: C-. I really wasn’t feeling this one as it was just a mess with a bunch of flips vs. a bunch of power stuff. That isn’t quite thrilling stuff but it’s a basic formula that can work in most cases. I know tag team wrestling has basically devolved into two on two matches with tags just kind of being a detail but a little lip service to the idea that they still matter would be nice every now and then.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Niya

Mercedes is introduces as the WSU (Women Superstars Uncensored) World Champion but this seems to be non-title. Niya didn’t seem to wrestle very long and Martinez chops her into the corner to start. Some rolling suplexes set up a fisherman’s buster to finish Niya at 1:11. Yep Martinez is still awesome.

Post match, Martinez says she is here to fight men and women because she is here to evolve.

Brad Allen vs. Silas Young

Allen starts fast with a dropkick to knock Young into the ropes, setting up the big dive to the floor. Back in and Allen misses a high crossbody out of the corner and it’s time to chop it out. Allen gets the better of it and hits a springboard flip dive for two, followed by a gator roll to send Young outside. That means a DDT on the floor to drop Allen for a change, followed by a knee drop for two back inside.

A rolling elbow into a basement clothesline gives Young two more and frustration is setting in early. Allen uses the delay to grab a neckbreaker, followed by a slingshot Swanton for two more. Young gets flipped backwards onto the apron and then the floor, setting up a big moonsault from the top. That sounds good in theory, but Young dropkicking him out of the air made it a bit worse.

That’s good for a nineteen count and then two more for Young back inside. Young is even more frustrated and starts kicking Allen in the head. A hard clothesline gets two but Young misses a springboard moonsault, allowing Allen to hit a springboard spinning high crossbody for two of his own. Allen catches him in the corner and hits a swinging Downward Spiral for the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C+. I liked this a bit better as they had some more time and even sold a thing or two. This was a good deal slower than the previous matches and that’s a smart change after everything else has been so fast paced. It’s no classic or anything but Allen made a bit of an impression and you could see the potential in Young, even if he had to change a lot to become a star. Now why did Allen not have the writing on his wrist tape?

Post match, Allen says he has been fighting for this chance for his entire career and thanks Evolve for the chance. And his mom too. Allen goes to leave but comes back to say he wants Chris Hero at the next show.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Ken Doane

That would be Kenny from the Spirit Squad. The much bigger Doane shoves him down with ease to start and unloads in the corner but Jacobs is right back up with some stomping of his own. A small package gives Jacobs two but his guillotine choke is broken up in a hurry. Doane ties him up in the ring skirt and hammers away for two back inside. Jacobs’ shoulder being up earns him another beating and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Doane trips him down again with a slingshot elbow getting two.

The chinlock goes on again and the fans think this is awesome. As I try to figure out if that is sarcasm, Jacobs breaks out and hits a quick clothesline. Doane’s slam and running forearm can’t keep Jacobs down so he whips Doane hard into the corner. Some stomps to the ribs get two but Doane is back up with a heck of a spinebuster for two.

A hanging DDT out of the corner gives Jacobs two but the Contra Code is countered into a bridging German suplex to give Doane two more. Doane’s guillotine legdrop (that always looked good) is enough for the pin at 10:07. Hold on though as Jacobs’ foot was on the ropes and TOMMY DREAMER (HOW IS HE ON EVERY SINGLE SHOW EVER???) comes down to point out the referee’s mistake. The match is restarted and Jacobs grabs the guillotine choke for the fast tap at 10:51.

Rating: C+. Doane is someone who was crippled by a horrible gimmick but he was completely watchable once he got away from the nonsense of the Spirit Squad. I’ve never been a Jacobs fan but he was doing a nice underdog deal here, which is more than I would have bet on. Nice match and that’s nice to see.

Post match Dreamer gets in the ring to say he’s back (When did he ever leave?). He walked away from something that he loved but he would never walk away from being in the wrestling ring. He thanks everyone for trying to live their dream and letting him live his. It was his dream to have a midcard match on an indy show restated? Get better dreams. Dreamer goes to leave but Jacobs says hang on a second (it has been a full thirty seconds since Dreamer got some praise).

Jacobs thanks Dreamer for promoting the show but won’t thank him for helping him win his first Evolve match, because Jacobs doesn’t need it. He is choosing to stand alone in Evolve and wants to know why Dreamer is here. Is it because he needs that one more minute in the spotlight? Jacobs wants that look off of Dreamer’s face because he has seen it for the last fifteen years. Dreamer takes his jacket off but Jacobs doesn’t need approval from a washed up has been. Dreamer is just here to have fun though and isn’t even being paid, so he jumps Jacobs. The fight is on with Dreamer getting the better of it because reasons.

Davey Richards is still warming up.

Ken Doane leaves the rest room with his bag over his shoulder and rants about how he is tired of being treated like this everywhere he goes. He storms off.

Chris Dickinson vs. Johnny Gargano

Gargano has long hair for a weird look and has only been wrestling for about five years. Dickinson takes him into the corner to start but Gargano is back with an enziguri into a running clothesline. An Ace Crusher gives Gargano two and it’s time to start trading cradles for two each.

Gargano gets something like the Rings of Saturn but it’s broken up for an exchange of strikes to the face. They’re both knocked to their knees with Gargano blocking a big kick to the ribs. Dickinson is right back with a Falcon Arrow for two and an elbow to the face gets two more. The knee pad comes down but Gargano catches him with a running DDT. There’s the Lawn Dart into a full nelson spun into a faceplant to finish Dickinson at 6:04.

Rating: C. This is one of the best parts about watching a show like this: seeing future stars as absolute nothings who are mainly there to fill in a spot on the card. Gargano looked a little odd with his longer hair but managed to keep his calm against the bigger and more athletic Dickinson. Good enough match here but another short one.

Post match some people show up to the VIP area and Gargano is rather pleased to see them. Again: NAME THESE PEOPLE.

TJP vs. Muneori Sawa

They trade some kicks to start with Sawa taking him to the mat for a quick trip to the rope for a break. A snap German suplex sends TJP flying but he’s right back with a rollup into a standoff and applause. Sawa can’t get the arm so he takes TJP into the corner for a kick to the chest. More rapid fire strikes connect but Sawa misses a running boot. Not that it matters as he takes TJP down by the leg and headbutts away at the knee, followed by an elbow to the ribs.

TJP is right back with a cross armbreaker, sending Sawa straight into the ropes for the break. Some kicks to the arm keep Sawa down but he’s back up for an exchange of strikes to the face. They slug it out from their knees until Sawa pulls him into a kneebar. The rope is grabbed so it’s a dragon screw legwhip, only to have TJP pull him into a cross armbreaker for the break. Back up and TJP’s leg is fine enough to fire off kicks, setting up another cross armbreaker. That’s reversed into a rollup for two and Sawa nails a Shining Wizard for two more. The Octopus goes on and TJP taps at 9:18.

Rating: B-. I’ve always liked TJP and that was the case again here. They were tearing it up with the submissions and holds, which made for a heck of a showcase. That’s the kind of thing you can always go with and it was great to see here. I don’t think I have ever seen Sawa before so it was cool to have someone fresh but still fun to watch. Good stuff here.

Adam Cole narrates his talk with Tommy Dreamer and promises people will remember him. So yeah the guy who looked like Adam Cole earlier was in fact Adam Cole.

Team Frightening vs. Akuma’s Army

That would be Frightmare/Hallowicked/Mike Quackenbush vs. Brodie Lee/Gran Akuma/Icarus and these guys are from Chikara. Mike takes Icarus down by the arm to start and that goes nowhere as commentary tries to explain the story here, which is as much of a downward spiral as you can get. Icarus slips out of an Octopus attempt and it’s quickly off to Hallowicked vs. Lee for an exchange of shoulders.

Hallowicked snaps off a running hurricanrana and brings Akuma back in, with Hallowicked taking him down with a spinning armdrag. It’s back to Icarus so Akuma gets in a cheap shot from the apron but a series of kicks from the ring and apron rock Akuma in a hurry. A victory roll gets two on Icarus and it’s back to Lee for a heck of a powerbomb. Frightmare gets knocked off the top and Lee pulls him back over the top for two.

Akuma comes back in and Frightmare uses him as a launchpad to hurricanrana Lee. The hot tag brings in Hallowicked, who charges into Lee’s swinging Boss Man Slam. The pace picks up and Akuma hits some double knees to the chest for two on Frightmare. Mike comes in for a super hurricanrana into a Swanton with Frightmare adding a standing moonsault for two on Akuma. Frightmare snaps off a tornado DDT to Lee and the Rydeen Bomb (Sky High) finishes Icarus at 11:34.

Rating: C+. This was another fast paced and entertaining match, though egads trying to figure out what the backstories in a Chikara match is harder than something that is very complicated. It was a nice addition on the show from an energy perspective but the costumes and characters do feel completely out of left field here. Pretty high energy match though and that’s all you can ask for out of a showcase.

The documentary filmmaker consoles TJP but then runs away when she realizes she is on camera.

Davey Richards vs. Kota Ibushi

Kyle O’Reilly, Tony Kozina and Michael Nakazawa are here. They waste no time in going with the hard strikes to the face with Ibushi knocking Richards out to the floor. Back in and Ibushi strikes away in the corner until they head to the apron where Richards snaps him down onto the apron. Richards starts in on the arm with a hammerlock suplex into a flipping over hammerlock.

There’s a stomp to the arm, followed by a modified Tequila Sunrise. Richards goes up top but Ibushi is right up there, only to get taken down by a flying armbar. Ibushi fights up with forearms to the face, with Richards seeming to enjoy them as usual. More cranking to the arm ensues and they both go to the apron. A fight over a superplex to the floor is broken up with Ibushi knocking him outside. That means the big moonsault can connect, followed by more rapid fire strikes into a standing moonsault for two.

Richards shrugs them off and hits his own missile dropkick, followed by the handspring kick to the head for two more. A cross armbreaker is broken up in a hurry but Ibushi flips out of a superplex attempt. The rapid fire kicks just wake Ibushi up more and it’s the double moonsault for two. Ibushi goes up but Richards catches him with the release German superplex. Running kicks in the corner rock Ibushi again and a big kick to the face gets two.

Ibushi rolls out of a kimura and snaps off the poisonrana, only to get blasted with a running clothesline. More strikes set up another running clothesline and the DR Driver gets two on Ibushi. They head up top for the exchange of headbutts and Ibushi knocks him down. The Phoenix splash misses and Richards knocks him down for a shooting star press. The Kimura makes Ibushi tap at 18:13.

Rating: B. It was very hard hitting and a very strong style match, but my goodness I had forgotten how annoying Richards could be. The ultra serious and hard hitting/striking stuff gets old fast and it did here again. There is something that seems so ridiculous about being hit in the face and just screaming at someone but that is almost all Richards would do. Good match for the style they were wanting, but I wouldn’t be complaining that this was Richards’ only Evolve match for about three years because of his new deal with ROH.

Brad Allen talks about how he signed with WWE and his mom was killed in a car wreck the next day. Egads that’s rough.

Johnny Gargano, Jimmy Jacobs and the VIP people from earlier try to get Silas Young to go out on the town with them. Young agrees, but gets a phone call as they leave to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the definition of a promotion where if you like it you’ll like it and if you don’t like it you won’t. That might sound really simplified, but there is not going to be much of a middle ground on this stuff. It was a VERY similar style throughout with a good chunk of the roster using a bunch of kicks to the chest/head and submission holds. You know what you are getting here and if you like that style then you will enjoy it, but if that is not your thing, this is not likely to change your mind. The show is far from bad and nothing is overly terrible, but it very well might not be your style.

Wrestle Kingdom XV Night Two
Date: January 5, 2021
Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 7,801
Commentators: Rocky Romero, Chris Charlton, Kevin Kelly

It’s the second half of the biggest New Japan show of the year and as usual, the card is stacked. The main event will see new IWGP Heavyweight/Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi defend against Jay White, along with pretty much everything else that wasn’t featured on Night One. They have a lot to live up to so let’s get to it.

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

Note that there were two Stardom dark matches which were not broadcast due to various rights issues.

The opening video runs down the card, in order.

King Of Pro Wrestling Provisional Title: Toru Yano vs. Chase Owens vs. Bad Luke Fale vs. Bushi

So this is a new thing that started last year, where you have to become the Provisional Champion and then defend it throughout the year, with whoever is the final champion at the end of the year winning a trophy. Then the whole thing starts over. Yano was the first champion and this is one fall to a finish. Bushi and Yano chill on the floor to start so Fale heads outside to hammer on Yano while Owens does the same thing to Bushi inside.

Everyone gets inside with Yano rolling Bushi up for two. Yano isn’t having this wrestling stuff and pulls off the turnbuckle pad to continue his tradition. Owens saves Bushi from getting hit in the face but Bushi rakes him in the eyes for offering an alliance. Fale and Owens start double teaming Yano but Bushi is back in to low bridge Fale to the floor.

A fisherman’s neckbreaker gives Bushi two on Owens as Yano slams Fale in the back of the head. Well he never has seemed like the smartest person. Owens blocks Bushi’s top rope Codebreaker but can’t hit the package piledriver. Fale comes back in to hit the Grenade Launcher on Bushi but Owens won’t let him have the pin. They go after the referee, allowing Yano to come in with the low blow and steal the pin on Bushi for the title at 7:34.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t supposed to be anything serious and was more or less a warmup match for the rest of the show. It was quick, it gave the fans a smile at the end and lets Yano do his thing. There was no reason to believe that this was going to be anything special and they had a perfectly acceptable match.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Suzuki-Gun vs. One of Eight

That would be El Desperado/Yoshinobu Kanemura (defending) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi/Master Wato after the challengers (with Hiroyoshi Tenzan) have beaten the champs twice. Wato and Desperado start fast with Wato knocking him to the floor for the big dive. It’s off to Taguchi who runs the ropes a lot until Kanemura takes him to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Kanemura takes advantage of a distracted referee to send Taguchi’s knee into a chair.

We settle down a bit with Desperado dropkicking Taguchi’s knee out and easily avoiding the hip attack. Taguchi gets over for the tag to Wato though and it’s a springboard uppercut to drop Kanemura. The referee is sent into Wato for a distraction, allowing Kanemura to hit an enziguri. Desperado comes back in and gets pulled face first into the back of Taguchi’s tights over and over (that’s his thing you see). The running hip attack puts Desperado down again and Three Amigos do it one more time.

Desperado and Taguchi counter a few things each until Taguchi grabs a cobra clutch suplex. That just earns him a Stretch Muffler but Taguchi reverses into an ankle lock. A double chickenwing gutbuster gets two on Desperado but he and Taguchi trade rollups for two each. With the other two being knocked outside, Desperado hits Angel’s Wings (which had a Spanish name I couldn’t make out) to finish Taguchi and retain the titles at 13:21.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that seems to come and go most years without having much long term meaning. The Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles offer some fun matches but they don’t exactly seem the most important. It’s nice to see the champs retain to let their reign grow a bit and seeing Taguchi lose always makes me smile just a little bit. Pretty nice match too, but it didn’t hit anything great.

Never Openweight Title: Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb

Shingo is defending and Cobb is part of the Empire. They shove each other around to start and then go to the forearm off, as is the custom for the title. Shingo hits a hiptoss and runs him over with a shoulder but Cobb is right back with a dropkick. That’s enough to send Shingo to the floor for some whips into the barricade, followed by a heck of an overhead belly to belly. Back in and an elbow to the face gives Cobb two and we hit the bearhug. That’s broken up in a hurry so Cobb suplexes him down again.

They slug it out until Shingo suplexes him out to the apron. Shingo joins him and has to slip out of a Razor’s Edge attempt (must fear a bad case of death) before knocking Cobb out to the floor. The big flip dive hits Cobb again and an elbow drop gets two back inside. It’s Cobb’s turn to hurt him, meaning it’s the rolling gutwrench suplexes into a sitout Razor’s Edge powerbomb for a big two. Shingo is right back with a Death Valley Driver as they’re trading bombs here.

A top rope superplex sends Cobb flying again and there’s a German suplex to make it worse. They trade t-bone suplexes and forearm it out until Shingo hits a clothesline but falls to the floor in exhaustion. Shingo dives back in, earning himself a quick piledriver for two more. Tour of the Islands is broken up so Shingo hits Made In Japan for his own near fall.

Cobb snaps off a rebound German suplex into Tour of the Islands but the knee gives out to delay the cover. They’re both down with Cobb’s knee still bothering him but he’s fine enough to hit a backflip fall away slam (Does that mean it’s still an away slam?). Tour of the Islands is blocked again and Shingo hits a kind of fall away suplex. A big lariat turns Cobb inside out and Last of the Dragon (kind of a reverse Samoan driver) retains the title at 21:13.

Rating: A. Oh yeah this was amazing as these two just beat the fire out of each other for twenty one minutes. There was nothing scientific about it and there wasn’t supposed to be. This was all about two big, strong guys hitting each other really hard and Cobb is born for that kind of match. Great stuff here and if you want one of those old school hoss fights with suplexes thrown in, check this one out, because it’s awesome.

Sanada vs. Evil

They’re former partners but Evil (with Dick Togo tonight) turned on him to become Heavyweight Champion. Feeling out process to start with Sanada being thrown outside but he jumps back in as Evil goes to the floor. Back in and Sanada loads up the Paradise Lock for the running kick, sending Evil outside again. This time Evil catches Sanada to drive him into the barricade and some chairs are brought out as well.

Evil and Togo set up a table and Sanada is taken back inside….only to be taken outside again for a whip into the barricade. That’s good for two back inside but Sanada gets in a shot to the knee to put Evil down for a change. A dropkick does it again so Sanada has the chance to dive onto Togo. Back in and Togo trips Sanada but Evil can’t put him through the ringside table. Instead, Sanada misses a springboard, having to settle for a hanging swinging suplex.

A tiger suplex gives Sanada two but Evil drives him hard into the corner. Evil gets him up top for a superplex into the Scorpion Deathlock, with Sanada diving for the rope. Darkness Falls gets two on Sanada but Evil misses a charge into an exposed (When did that happen?) corner. Sanada’s belly to back suplex gets two, only to have Evil swing Sanada’s leg into the referee. Togo comes in to beat on Sanada, who kicks Evil into the ropes to crotch Togo (Togo: “OH S***!”) out to the floor.

Sanada moonsaults over Evil into Skull End (dragon sleeper), which he lets so for a moonsault instead. He tries a second but this time Evil gets his knees up to put them both down. Skull End goes on again so Evil grabs the referee, allowing Togo to choke with a wire from the apron. That’s broken up though and Sanada dropkicks Evil into Togo through the table (There it goes!). Evil panics, kicks out of a rollup, and blasts Sanada with a clothesline for two of his own. Skull End is broken up again so Sanada hits his own Everything Is Evil (Evil’s finisher), setting up a pop up TKO. The moonsault finishes Evil for good at 23:45.

Rating: B+. This is as easy of a story as you can get, with the tag team splitting up and one of them needing to prove that he is the better man. That’s what we got here, with Sanada wrestling the clean match to overcome the villains, including using Evil’s own finisher. Rather good match here, and it’s easy to see why this was one of the featured showdowns.

We recap Hiromu Takahashi (Best of the Super Juniors) vs. Taiji Ishimori (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion) for the title. Takahashi won a #1 contenders match against El Phantasmo last night and now he has his title shot.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori

Ishimori is defending and they run the ropes to start, with Takahashi being sent outside. Ishimori’s dive is broken up on the apron as Takahashi cuts him off and hits a superkick. The sunset bomb is countered as well so Takahashi powerbombs him hard onto the apron. Takahashi goes WAY up the ramp and runs down but his dropkick is countered into a suplex to cut him down.

Ishimori nails a moonsault down to the floor and then sends Takahashi shoulder first into an exposed turnbuckle (Is that the same buckle from the Yano match? They never replaced it???). The shoulder is banged up but the legs are fine enough to snap off a running headscissors to put Ishimori down. A running dropkick off the apron sends Ishimori hard into the barricade for two back inside but he’s back up with the sliding German suplex.

The YES Lock stays on Takahashi’s bad arm until a foot on the rope is good for the break. Takahashi counters a charge into a belly to belly into the corner and they’re both down for a deserved breather. It’s Takahashi up first with a wheelbarrow into a Downward Spiral, followed by the running Death Valley Driver. Ishimori’s handspring is countered into a German suplex but he’s right back up with a Canadian Destroyer for another double knockdown.

They slug it out from their knees and then from their feet until Ishimori sends him shoulder first into the post. A shoulderbreaker sets up the YES Lock with Takahashi needing the ropes to keep him alive. Ishimori tries the YES Lock again but this time gets faceplanted down for a delayed two instead. They both try what looks to be a suplex until Ishimori takes him down into a Gargano Escape. With that almost broken, Ishimori lets it go and tries the YES Lock, only to be reversed into a suplex into a faceplant. That lets Takahashi get back up for the Time Bomb 2 for the pin and the title at 25:31.

Rating: A-. This was another slugout as both of them were barely able to hang in there until the end, with Takahashi’s shoulder nearly doing him in. Takahashi coming back from his injury and winning the title again was a great moment and a great story. Granted it wasn’t as spiffy again as the second time, but Takahashi has turned into a huge star around here and the win felt special and was made even better by an awesome match.

Takahashi takes his time getting the title.

We recap Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Titles. Ibushi won the titles last night but lost to White a few months ago. White is the most evil man in the company and it’s time to fight him off.

IWGP Heavyweight Title/IWGP Intercontinental Title: Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White

White is challenging and has Gedo with him. White bails to the floor to start but then gets back in for the trash talk. They lock up nearly two minutes after the bell and an early Gedo distraction lets White stomp away. The headlock goes on for a bit but the threat of a big kick to the head sends White bailing to the floor. Gedo offers another distraction on the way back in though, allowing Kota to grab a DDT. A suplex onto the apron bangs up Kota’s back and that means a rather long count on the floor.

Back in and a knee to the ribs gets two and the waistlock goes on. Rib stomping ensues and it’s a tranquilo pose to keep White’s cockiness high. A hard DDT plants Kota again and White yells at the referee as the champ pulls himself up. That’s enough for Kota to get in a shot of his own, followed by the standing moonsault for two. They head to the floor with Ibushi’s ribs going into the barricade to cut him off again.

Back in and Kota’s powerslam looks to set up the middle rope moonsault but White crotches him instead. That means it’s time to start working on the leg, followed by a swinging brainbuster for two. Kota manages to send him outside but the knee gives out on the springboard attempt. White shoves him out to the floor and then suplexes him into the corner for two more. Kota grabs a desperation half nelson suplex and they slug it out again. The kneeling Tombstone gives Kota two and they’re both down.

It’s White up first with a snap belly to back suplex into a Rock Bottom for his own two. Back up and Kota hits his own belly to back for two, followed by a kick to the head. Gedo’s distraction breaks up another moonsault though and it’s time to go up to tease a dragon superplex (geez). Thankfully that’s broken up and White goes after the knee instead. A leglock goes on to put Kota in trouble but he’s in the rope in a hurry. White kicks him in the face a few times and gets a “dude really” look from Kota, who gets back to his feet.

Ibushi strikes him down into the corner and tells White to come on. That’s fine with White, who is knocked right back down. They do the same thing again, with White getting knocked to the floor. Back in and Kota says hit him but White lays down, telling Ibushi to pin him. Instead, Ibushi unloads on him until the referee tries to intervene, allowing White to get in a low blow. They head outside again with Ibushi going ribs and back first into the barricade and apron.

White gets back inside and tells Ibushi to bring it, earning Kota some German suplexes. It’s back to the apron (Kelly: “Oh no.”) with Ibushi gets in a kick to the head to rock White for a change. A super German suplex brings White back in for two for a rather near fall but he grabs a sleeper suplex. White hits another one and a RegalPlex is good for two. Blade Runner is broken up but Kota reverses into the big knee to the face for two and the applause.

The phoenix splash connects but Gedo pulls the referee, sending Kelly into hysterics. Gedo’s brass knuckles shot is countered into a big knee to the face so Kota sends the referee back in. The delay lets White hit the Blade Runner for a very close two (first time anyone has ever kicked out) so he pulls Kota down into what looks like a reverse Figure Four.

Kota is nearly to the rope but White pulls him back into the middle. That’s not going to happen though as Kota makes it back to the rope again. Bloody Sunday looks to set up another Blade Runner but Kota nails a jumping knee to the face. Another jumping knee sets up a hard lariat into a pair of big knees to retain the titles at 48:05 (the longest match in Dome history).

Rating: A. It says a lot that you don’t feel a match running nearly fifty minutes but this felt like nothing close to that. Ibushi had a pair of great performances and it makes him look like an even bigger star. White is the kind of heel you want to see get destroyed and having him get kneed in the face works very well. This was a heck of a match and lived up to the main event spot, with the time being a great addition, especially fast the whole thing felt.

Post match here’s Sanada to issue the (very respectful) challenge for the titles. Kota talks about how he is more powerful than ever and agrees to the match. With Sanada gone, Kota gives his big speech to wrap it up. Commentary applauds him as he leaves.

The long wrapup ends the night.

Overall Rating: A+. This was an interesting one as I wasn’t feeling it as much as the first night but aside from the not exactly serious opener, this was one great match after another with nothing being close to bad and a bunch of classics. It’s the kind of show that you expect from Wrestle Kingdom and that is a very hard reputation to achieve. Absolutely awesome show though and somehow better than the very good Night One, which is hard to pull off. Yeah it’s annoying to have back to back shows this long, but it’s once a year so I can’t get mad, especially when it’s this. Check both nights out, because they’re worth the time.

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

Wrestle Kingdom XV Night One
Date: January 4, 2021
Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 12,689
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton, Rocky Romero

It’s time for the biggest non-American show of the year and like last year it’s going to take place over the course of two nights. The main event is for the still unified IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles, which have been together for a year now for some reason. This show almost always delivers and hopefully it does so again. Let’s get to it.

Note that I have barely followed any New Japan over the last year so I’m coming in virtually blind.

Pre-Show: New Japan Rambo

This is the 21 man Royal Rumble style match with pin/submission or over the top eliminations and a special twist this year: the final four advance to a four way for the Provisional King Of Pro Wrestling Trophy tomorrow night. Chase Owens is in at #1 (as he wanted) and Tomohiro Ishii is in at #2 with neither being able to hit an early finisher attempt. That means a standoff and with the one minute interval up, Minoru Suzuki is in at #3.

Owens needs a breather on the floor before coming back in to get beaten up by the monsters. Ishii and Suzuki forearm it out and it’s Yuji Nagata in at #4. Owens and Ishii pair off in the corner as Suzuki beats Nagata down at the same time. Toa Henare (a young monster) is in at #5 to miss a bunch of shots to Ishii. Henare manages to muscle Ishii up with a suplex and it’s Hirooki Goto in at #6.

Ishii sends Nagata and Suzuki to the apron and Henare gets rid of both of them (that’s a surprise). Goto elbows Owens down for two and it’s Yujiro Takahashi in at #7. Ishii dumps Henare as they’re keeping the eliminations moving (I wonder if that’s a Coronavirus thing). Yoshi-Hashi is in at #8 to help clean house with Goto (his partner) until Togi Makabe is in at #9. Makabe gets rid of Goto and Yoshi-Hashi in a hurry, meaning we’re down to Makabe, Owens, Ishii and Takahashi at the moment. Eliminations are teased Tomoaki Honma is in at #10.

Forearms and chops abound until Hiroyoshi Tenzan is in at #11. Honma and Tenzan get rid of Makabe (Honma’s regular partner) and Rocky Romero (who is supposed to be on commentary) is in at #12. Owens saves himself from elimination and it’s Douki in at #13. The pace picks up a bit with Romero hitting the forever clotheslines but Douki hits him with a pipe…..for a DQ elimination. Fair enough and makes sense here.

Sho is in at #14 and seems to be a female favorite, though he can’t get rid of Owens. Bushi is in at #15 as the ring is getting a little full. Takahashi is out to clear things up a bit and Bushi is sent through the ropes, meaning no elimination. Tiger Mask is in at #16 and gets kneed in the ribs by Romero. Bad Luck Fale is in at #17 and, with the help of Bullet Club stablemate Owens, gets rid of Ishii. Honma is out as well as Gabriel Kidd is in at #18.

There goes Tenzan as well but Owens saves Fale from the same thing. Yuya Uemura is in at #19 as Fale gets rid of Romero and Sho. Tiger Mask is out as well, leaving us with Fale, Owens, Kidd and Uemura at the moment. Yota Tsu is in at #20 as Bushi, still in apparently, pulls Owens underneath the bottom rope to beat him up on the floor.

Fale is having none of this getting dumped out by three people and it’s Toru Yano (the KOPW Champion) to complete the field at #21. That leaves us with Owens, Fale, Kidd, Uemura, Tsu, Bushi and Yano, the latter of whom takes so long to get in that it’s just Bushi, Fale and Owens waiting on him….meaning they’re the final four at 34:40. Yano never even got in the ring.

Rating: C. This wasn’t as crazy entertaining as some of the matches, but Yano’s gag at the end was funny. As usual, this was nothing more than a way to get people out there for the sake of getting them in there and it worked out just fine. It’s a nice way to get a feeling for the show and not do anything serious at the same time. Fun match, and that’s all it was supposed to be.

A ring announcer with a Don King wig introduces Riki Choshu, with his grandson, to get things going. They hype up the show and shout a lot.

We get the opening video, showing the card in order (still not sure if I like that or not but it works here).

A quick Brodie Lee intro serves as a nice dedication.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo

This is the Best of the Super Juniors winner vs. the Best of the Super J Cup winner (twice in a row for Phantasmo) with the winner getting an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title match tomorrow night. Phantasmo is not the nicest person in the world and throw down the jacket he received for winning the tournament. He even mocks Takahashi for trying to pick it up. What a jerk.

Phantasmo bails to the floor at the bell and throws Takahashi’s trophy down. The jacket is picked up but Takahashi dropkicks him down and hits a top rope backsplash to a standing Phantasmo. It’s way too early for the Time Bomb though and Phantasmo bails to the floor. Instead Phantasmo hits a running sunset bomb to plant Takahashi on the floor as they’re starting fast here. Takahashi is down so Phantasmo walks the ropes for a moonsault to drop him again.

Phantasmo comes up favoring his ankle (apparently a recurring injury) but he’s fine enough to mock the Rise of the Terminator. That’s enough of a delay for Takahashi to come back in with a dropkick to the back of the head but Phantasmo goes after Takahashi’s foot. There’s a rake to the back and Phantasmo lays him on the top rope for a top rope backsplash (that’s a new one). A very multiple springboard rope walk….something is broken up with a crotching to put Phantasmo down on top.

Phantasmo is back up but can’t hit the Styles Clash, allowing Takahashi to hit some kind of a powerslam for two. A superkick into a suplex faceplant gets two more on Phantasmo. Back up and Time Bomb 2 (starts in a reverse suplex whatever it is) is countered into a kneeling belly to back piledriver for two on Takahashi. Phantasmo’s top rope superplex is broken up but the referee gets bumped, allowing Phantasmo to hit a super hurricanrana.

The top rope splash gives Phantasmo two more, followed by the Styles Clash for the same. Phantasmo tries the One Winged Angel but gets reversed into a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Back up and Phantasmo tries what looks like a powerbomb (CR2) but gets reversed into a hurricanrana for the pin at 17:49.

Rating: B+. That’s the kind of way to open up a big time show like this as they had the time and got to build things up rather well. Takahashi is a consistent star and Phantasmo looks like one of the most dislikeable names in all of the promotion. The counters and big moves here, tied in with Phantasmo going through the history of the Bullet Club finishers, made for a good match and it pulled me into the show as it was supposed to do.

IWGP Tag Team Titles: Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Dangerous Tekkers

The Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr./Taichi) are defending against the World Tag League winners (Tama Tonga/Tonga Loa, who I will get confused at least 17 times today. Jado is with them too for a bonus.). Tama is taken into the corner for a running elbow and it’s time to choke away a lot. Sabre’s cross armbreaker doesn’t last long so it’s a running boot in the corner to set up more choking from Taichi.

A Jado distraction lets the Guerrillas take over though and Tama unloads on Taichi with right hands. Loa gets two off a belly to back suplex and we hit the chinlock. Taichi fights up and hits a boot in the corner, allowing the tag back to Sabre. That means some running elbows in the corner, setting up the European Clutch for two on Tama. The Octopus goes on to send Tama to the rope but Loa is back in with a double clothesline to the champs. A jumping neckbreaker gets two on Sabre, whose sleeper is broken up in a hurry.

Tama powerbombs Sabre for two and Guerrilla Warfare (a reverse Magic Killer) drops Taichi. Sabre counters the superbomb into a guillotine choke on Tama while Taichi chokes Loa as well. Taichi lets go and then powerbombs Sabre to superplex Tama for a close two (that was cool, though maybe not the most brilliant move). A kick to the head gets two more on Tama but he’s right back up for a failed Magic Killer attempt.

An exchange of shots to the head puts everyone down and we get a breather. Taichi and Loa slug it out until Sabre is back up to kick Loa in the face. Tama is back up with the Gun Stun to Sabre but Taichi plants him for two more. Taichi removes his pants (Garza wannabe) but Jado gets in to slip Tama a glove. That means Taichi is knocked out and an over the shoulder sitout piledriver gives Loa the pin and the titles at 19:22.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t feeling this one as much and the interference didn’t help. The Guerrillas are still one of the best teams in the world but it was kind of a messy match. You have Sabre as the most heelish guy in the world and the Guerrillas cheating to win, so who was I supposed to boo here? It was a good match with both teams working hard, but not exactly must see stuff.

We get a video about death riding on a pale horse….and it’s IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley, saying that he’s coming for whoever wins the next match because he’s the Boogeyman of New Japan.

Kenta vs. Satoshi Kojima

Kenta’s IWGP United States Title shot is on the line and Kojima, with Hiroyoshi Tenzan, is replacing an injured Juice Robinson. Kenta hits the stall button to start by hiding in the ropes and then going to the floor. Back in and Kojima grabs the headlock to grind him down before knocking Kenta outside again. This time Kenta goes after Tenzan so Kojima follows, only to get caught in a DDT on the floor.

They head inside again with Kenta’s regular DDT getting two and a kick to the back rocking Kojima. We hit the figure four necklock so Kojima goes with the simple escape by putting a foot on the rope. The cocky kicks just annoy Kojima but a big kick to the chest puts him down. Back up and some chops have Kenta in trouble, including the machine gun chops in the corner. A superplex brings Kojima down though and the top rope clothesline gets two.

They fight to the apron with Kojima hitting a DDT but Kenta is back with his own DDT for the double knockdown. It’s Kenta up first with a top rope double stomp for two but Kojima blocks the GTS. Kojima’s lariat is countered into a powerslam so Kenta goes outside for the briefcase (#1 contendership). That’s knocked away with the lariat and another lariat gives Kojima two. Kenta hits his running knee but Kojima slugs away with forearms of his own. That just earns Kojima another running knee for two and it’s the Go To Sleep to retain the title at 14:09.

Rating: B-. Like the previous match, they hit each other rather hard for a good while but there was no drama to this one. I didn’t but Kojima as a threat to win the title shot as it seems that Kenta vs. Moxley is already locked into stone. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it was just a match that came and went with Kenta surviving Kojima without much effort.

We get a video of IWGP World Champion Tetsuya Naito talking to a man in a suit in a restaurant. Naito says something about Los Ingobernables and the man seems to be trying to calm him down. Apparently this is an ad for a video game. Cool enough.

We pause for a bit for some cleaning of the ringside for Coronavirus’ sake. That means an intermission, with commentary previewing the rest of the show.

We get some ads as well, meaning it’s a nice breather in a long show.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great-O-Khan

Khan is formerly known as Tomoyuki Oka, who recently returned from excursion to Rev Pro in the United Kingdom. Now he’s part of the Empire with Bea Priestley and Will Ospreay and attacked Tanahashi to set this up. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get anywhere until Tanahashi takes him to the mat. A headlock has Khan in trouble but he’s back up with a chop to the chest.

Tanahashi tries to skin the cat but gets his hands chopped down to put him on the floor. A slam drops Tanahashi on the ramp and he has to dive back in to beat the count. Back in and Khan grabs a kneebar but Tanahashi is able to grab a dragon screw legwhip. Some forearms have Khan down and a middle rope Swanton gets two. Khan is fine enough to reverse a Sling Blade attempt into a belly to back faceplant and it’s time to slug it out. A Downward Spiral gives Khan two and he bends Tanahashi’s knee around his neck.

That’s broken up with a rope break so Khan sends him over the top, but this time skinning the cat works. Twist and Shout into the Sling Blade gets two on Khan and Tanahashi blocks his claw slam (the Eliminator). A belly to back flipping suplex gets two on Tanahashi and a reverse suplex puts him down again. Khan brings in a chair but Tanahashi hits another Twist and Shout. The chair is thrown away and a dragon suplex gets two. Back to back High Fly Flow’s finish Khan at 17:26.

Rating: C-. What was that??? Khan feels like he stepped into a time machine on his way to being a Hogan knockoff Monster of the Month in 1986 and wound up in an entirely wrong time. Tanahashi was doing his thing as well as he could but Khan was in the old pound away and squeeze on the hero mold and that was boring almost thirty years ago. Khan felt so completely out of place here and I get the bad reports I’ve seen of him. Maybe he can do something outside of this gimmick, but this was REALLY bad for a Wrestle Kingdom match.

We recap Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada. Ospreay is the leader of the Empire and attacked Okada to get attention on the team. Now it’s time for revenge. Ospreay saying he is going to stop the rain so the sun can shine on the Empire is a great line.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay’s British Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. Bea Priestley is here with Ospreay, who gets the big entrance video, featuring him breaking televisions with a bat. They stare at each other for a good while to start before locking up to a standoff. The rapid exchange of forearms is on until Okada scores with a running elbow to the face. Ospreay gets knocked to the floor to start the chop off, with Okada getting the better of things. The big running flip dive takes Ospreay down again but it feels like they have a lot of time here.

Priestley offers a distraction though and Ospreay gets in a cheap shot from behind. The floor mats are pulled back but Ospreay can’t hit a piledriver. He can hit a neckbreaker onto the pads but the referee won’t count it because of the illegalness. That’s a new/cool one. A backbreaker connects and we hit a chinlock with a knee in Okada’s back but he isn’t sitting in that for very long. One heck of a backdrop sets up the White Noise onto the knee for two but it’s too early for the Money Clip (cobra clutch) as Ospreay drives him into the corner.

A German suplex gives Ospreay two but Stormbreaker is broken up as well. Heavy Rain puts Ospreay down again and we get a bit of a breather. Ospreay gets a boot up in the corner but gets dropkicked out to the floor for a big crash. A big whip into the barricade doesn’t do much to Ospreay, who is back with a boot to the face. The Oscutter on the floor is broken up though and they’re both down on the outside. Back in and Okada hits a missile dropkick but Ospreay grabs a reverse Bloody Sunday for two more.

Ospreay superkicks him in the back of the head so Okada hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Okada’s dropkick is countered into a sitout powerbomb (nice) for another near fall and they have to pull themselves up. Another collision puts them on the floor again but this time Ospreay suplexes him onto (not through) the announcers’ table. Ospreay doesn’t want the countout though and throws Okada back in for two off a powerbomb.

Stormbreaker and the Oscutter on the apron are blocked so Okada hits a Tombstone on the apron instead. They both beat the count so Okada hits a Rainmaker into the dropkick into the Money Clip. With that broken up, Okada hits the Tombstone but has to send Ospreay into Priestley onto the apron. The Money Clip goes on again but a foot on the rope is good enough for the break. Ospreay catches him on top with a running big boot and there’s the super Spanish Fly for two (applause).

The Oscutter drops Okada for a slightly delayed two so it’s time to stomp Okada in the head. Ospreay even shoves the referee down but this is too big of a match for a DQ. A discus elbow is countered with a dropkick and the Money Clip goes on again. That’s broken up so Ospreay hits his own Tombstone into the Rainmaker for two. Okada is ticked so it’s a sitout Tombstone into the Rainmaker for the pin at 35:29.

Rating: A. These are two of the best in-ring performers in the world and they got over half an hour on one of the biggest shows of the year. Like this could be anything else. There was a story here of Ospreay trying to step up and mess with the biggest dog but he took it one step too far by stealing the Rainmaker and Okada had to teach him a lesson. Okada really is one of the smoothest wrestlers I’ve ever seen and as great as high flying Ospreay is, the heel version has a different edge to him and it’s awesome. This was great and worth seeing for the last few minutes alone.

We recap the main event. Tetsuya Naito became a double (IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental) Champion last year at Wrestle Kingdom, then lost the belts and won them back. Kota Ibushi won the G1 but lost the rights to challenge for the title to Jay White. However, White wanted to challenge on Night Two so Ibushi gets to challenge here instead. I’m sure there’s more to it than that but the language barrier strikes again.

IWGP Heavyweight Title/IWGP Intercontinental Title: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

Naito is defending both titles and absolutely he has the white suit. Feeling out process to start and they go to the mat, as you might have expected. Naito goes for a choke but gets reversed into a hammerlock. That doesn’t go anywhere either and the grappling continues until it’s a standoff, with Naito landing in the tranquillo pose. Back up and they run the ropes with Kota snapping off a hurricanrana to the floor.

Kota joins him and gets German suplexed onto the ramp to put them both down for a bit. Naito stomps away back inside and it’s off to a headscissors on the mat. A cravate stays on the neck but the tornado DDT is broken up, allowing Kota to snap off a dropkick. Kota hits a running kick to the face into a standing moonsault for two and they need a quick breather. It’s Naito up first with an elbow to the face and a running dropkick, only to have Kota send him to the floor.

Naito grabs a swinging neckbreaker outside though and they’re both down again. Back in and something like a full nelson with the legs stays on Kota’s neck until he gets a foot on the rope. Naito tries to slide between his legs and gets double stomped in the ribs to put them both down again at the fifteen minute time call. The middle rope moonsault missed for Kota and he gets pulled into a reverse Koji Clutch (the consistent neck work has been really good so far, if nothing else because Naito isn’t doing the same thing over and over).

The rope gets Kota out of trouble again so Naito elbows him in the neck to put him back down. They go to the apron again with Naito backdropping his way out of a powerbomb attempt. That’s fine with Kota, who snaps off a good looking hurricanrana to the floor. Naito has to dive back in to beat the count (with commentary begging him to make it because they want to see more rather than insulting each other and making it about themselves) and catches Kota on top for a super poisonrana.

Destino is broken up though and Kota kicks him in the head. Another Destino attempt is countered into a kneeling Tombstone but Kota can’t cover. They’re both down so the fans applaud, even as the two of them slug it out from their knees to their feet, with Kota nailing a running elbow. The big knee to the face gets two on Naito and Kota can’t believe it was a near fall.

The Phoenix splash misses and Destino (not a great one) connects for two on Kota, sending Kelly into a rather awesome call about what this all means. Kota hits another kick to the head into another knee to the face for a very near fall, meaning it’s time to take the kneepad down. Naito isn’t having that and hits an enziguri, looking to set up Destino. That’s countered as well and it’s a jumping knee into the face, setting up another knee to the face to finish Naito for the pin and both titles at 31:22.

Rating: A. Yeah this was great too with Naito working on the neck throughout but surviving because he wouldn’t give up no matter what. This one was more built around who was going to be the last man standing and it worked perfectly, with Kota looking like he survived rather than won. Naito didn’t quite have the heart to hold onto the titles and Kota looks like the better man. It says a lot when the match ran over half an hour at the end of a 5+ hour show and I wanted it to go longer, so well done.

Post match Kota doesn’t even realize he won until the referee spells it out for him. Naito gets up and hands him the titles in the respect moment. With Naito gone, here’s Jay White to say that Kota isn’t the real champion, because tomorrow White is winning both titles to fulfill his own destino. White leaves and Kota says that that he’ll prove everything tomorrow. You know what he’s going to say here and he thanks the fans to wrap things up.

Commentary talks about how we need some good things going on and in the end, good will triumph over evil. They spend about ten minutes wrapping up the evening.

Overall Rating: A-. The show does run a little long and the Khan/Tanahashi match brings things down a lot, but that’s as good of a one two punch of a main event as I’ve seen in a long time. NJPW still has some quite probably the best wrestling going today and while the two nights thing is a lot, it’s not a lot every few weeks so it’s acceptable. Great show overall here, and the second night has a lot to top.

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 17, 2020
Host: Tom Phillips

So now things have really changed around here and I’m not entirely sure why. Some of it might have to do with both regular commentators being released on Wednesday but it’s not like you need to be the best commentator around to call a show like this. Instead, we have a show about the wrestlers themselves, but not in the way you might expect. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tom Phillips says that while the Interim Cruiserweight Title tournament is going on, we’ll be looking at the matches that inspired some of the best cruiserweights. Tonight, we start with Brian Kendrick, with a match that inspired him and a match that he was in.

Kendrick talks about going over to a friend’s house but seeing them watching the end of a wrestling tape. This is what he saw and it made him want to be a wrestler.

From Wrestlemania VI:

WWF World Title/Intercontinental Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior

Title for title. The fans are WAY into this one as they come to life more than they have all night long. Warrior comes out first and stands on the corner as Hogan makes his entrance for an awesome visual. The crowd is totally split here. I don’t mean the WWE definition of totally split where it’s 70/30 at best. I mean it’s dead even here with both guys being equally loved.

They lock up to start and both guys are shoved into the corner. We get the iconic test of strength with Hogan going down first, only to fight back up and take Warrior down. They trade slams but it’s Warrior getting the better of it and clotheslining Hogan to the floor. Hulk comes up holding his knee and says he’s blown it out. He gets back in and Warrior kicks away at the knee but Hulk stops selling it about ten seconds later and it’s never mentioned again.

Hulk comes back with right hands and a clothesline in the corner as the fans are losing their minds over every single move. Off to a front facelock on Warrior (Jesse: “Ask Richard Belzer!” Belzer was a talk show host that Hogan put in a front facelock and knocked him unconscious, leading to a lawsuit. That’s quite the edgy reference.) before going back to just punching Warrior in the head. We hit the chinlock on Warrior and the fans are even into this.

A belly to back suplex gets two on Warrior and it’s back to the chinlock. Back up again and it’s a double clothesline to drop both guys. Jesse gets it right again by saying Hogan should be in better shape because he’s been in control for so long. Warrior gets up and starts shaking the ropes, setting up the running clotheslines. A suplex gets two on Hulk and we hit the bearhug. Two arm drops mean it’s time for Hogan’s comeback, only to have Warrior run over the referee. Warrior hits a pair of top rope ax handles but misses a shoulder and gets driven face first into the mat.

There’s no one to count so Warrior belly to back suplexes him for the same result. Hogan gets a VERY slow two off a rollup as the referee is only halfway back into it. Warrior is knocked to the floor but comes back in for the gorilla press. The splash connects but Hogan kicks out at two and it’s Hulk Up time. Warrior takes the big boot but the legdrop only hits mat, setting up the second splash to give Warrior the pin and the title at 22:50.

Rating: A. It’s still a classic. This is a match I’ve seen probably two dozen times over the years and I never get tired of it. The crowd carries it up to a higher level but it’s still a great battle of the titans on its own. Hogan losing clean is still a huge deal and felt like it was going to be a new era. We’ll get to that later but the match more than holds up and is one of the biggest matches in wrestling history.

Hogan is stunned and dejected at his first ever clean loss in the company. The referee brings Warrior both titles and the camera focuses on just Warrior so the WWF World Title can be returned to ringside, allowing Hogan to go get it. He hands it to Warrior and endorses the new champion before riding away in the card, leaving Warrior to celebrate to end the show.

Kendrick talks about being proud of his title reigns, but there is a match that made him think he might be done after it was over.

From the Cruiserweight Classic on August 31, 2016.

Quarterfinals: Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi

USA vs. Japan. Kendrick invites him to the floor which isn’t a common strategy in this tournament. Ibushi doesn’t bite but he does kick Kendrick in the head and hits a big dive to take over. Kota misses a kick though and gets his foot caught in the barricade so Kendrick dives in to try for a countout. They’re doing a good job here of having Kendrick win any way he can against the younger and more talented Ibushi.

More kicks have Kendrick in trouble so he grabs a neckbreaker across the turnbuckle rod for a unique counter. Brian grabs a cravate to stay on the bad (and surgically repaired) neck, only to eat a dropkick to put both guys down. A middle rope moonsault gets two for Ibushi but Kendrick superkicks his head off to get them back to even. Sliced Bread #2 gets another near fall for Kendrick so Ibushi gives him a release German superplex from just off the corner to knock Brian silly.

Kendrick tries the Bully Choke but Ibushi turns to the side to make it a regular chinlock. A Burning Hammer of all things makes Ibushi’s neck even worse, though not enough to put him away. Ibushi misses a middle rope Phoenix splash and another Bully Choke has Ibushi in trouble. He breaks the hold with a rollup though and the Golden Star Bomb finally ends Brian’s run at 13:57.

Rating: B. I thought the first match was more entertaining but this one told a better story. This was all about Kendrick throwing everything he had at Ibushi but not being able to put him away and eventually falling to the better man. The neck injury was a good bonus to the story and gave Brian enough of an opening to make this interesting. The storytelling was carrying this and it was very entertaining as a result. Good stuff here and Kendrick continues to surprise me in this thing.

Daniel cries as he talks about Brian’s run being over.

Tom wraps it up.

Overall Rating: A. It’s not often that you throw on 205 Live and see a Hulk Hogan match. If the last three and a half years of this show haven’t yet taught you how little it means to WWE, this one probably won’t get it through your head either. We are currently holding a Cruiserweight Title tournament and the cruiserweight show was a Best Of edition that probably took fifteen minutes to assemble. It’s good because of what was included, but why I’m supposed to care about the division when WWE clearly doesn’t is beyond me.

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

IMG Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling

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

IMG Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day One
Date: January 4, 2020
Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 40,008
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Rocky Romero, Chris Charlton, Gino Gambino

Here we go. It’s time for the biggest non-Wrestlemania show of the year and this time around it’s being split over two nights. There are several major draws this time around, with the first being Jushin Thunder Liger’s final two matches. He’s been around for a mind blowing thirty five years and is still performing at a high enough level but what better place to go out than the biggest stage of them all? Other than that we have the Double Gold Dash, which sees both major singles titles defended Saturday and then the winners and losers facing off on Sunday. Let’s get to it.

As usual: I don’t follow New Japan all that closely so I’ll know a few things but not every detail. If I miss a major plot point or historical point, I apologize in advance. I’m mainly going off of what commentary tells me and nothing more, save for maybe a quick Wikipedia search.

There was a Stardom tag match before the show started, though it was not filmed due to broadcasting rights issues.

Pre-Show: Toa Henare/Karl Fredericks/Clark Connors/Alex Coughlin vs. Togi Makabe/Tomoaki Honma/Yota Tsuji/Yuya Uemura

It’s a battle of the dojos with Henare’s team from Los Angeles and Makabe/Honma’s teams from Japan. Connors headlocks Uemura to start and it’s off to Coughlin to chop him down into the corner. They chop it out again with Coughlin getting the better of things and Fredericks slams him down. Uemura gets in a dropkick and the hot tag brings in Makabe to get a breather.

Everything breaks down with Honma and Makabe hammering away in the corner until Fredericks grabs a spinebuster. Henare and Tsuji come in to slug it out and it’s Henare getting beaten up by all four at once. A falling headbutt gives Honma two and it’s the other three diving in for the save. Tsuji gets a Boston crab on Henare and Coughlin’s chops have no effect in breaking it up. A spear takes Coughlin down but Henare is back up with a kick to the face and the Toa Bottom (exactly what you think it is) finishes Tsuji at 7:38.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable eight man tag as the Young Lions are a concept that takes some getting used to but it serves a good purpose. That’s what we had here and the fans seemed rather pleased with what they were getting. It helps to have the Lions get to hang in there with the veterans, which is exactly the point. Perfectly fine opener and it didn’t overstay its welcome.

Nanaba Nakanishi/Yuji Nagata vs. Tencozy

It’s a brawl to start with Nakanishi getting double teamed, only to suplex both of them down at the same time. You know, because a guy who turns 53 later this month can do that. A splash gets two on Kojima and it’s off to Nagata for the kicks to the chest. Kojima’s DDT gets him a breather and Tenzan comes in for two off a brainbuster.

Nagata shrugs off a rake to the eyes and suplexes Tenzan down, setting up the next double tag. Everything breaks down and Nakanishi beats up both of them with a clothesline getting two on Kojima. A 3D gets two on Nakanishi and he’s right back up, only to have Kojima hit a running clothesline for the pin at 5:48.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one and it just kind of ended in a hurry instead of having much else being set up. This felt like another instance of getting the legends on the card and there’s nothing wrong with that. The match certainly wasn’t terrible and all four could probably have a passable match in their sleep, but it wasn’t much to see aside fro Nakanishi looking like an old monster.

Post match respect is shown.

The announcers run down the card to send us to the regular show.

The opening video hypes up the Double Gold Dash and everything else, including Liger’s retirement. As usual, we get the matches in order and as usual, I’m not sure if I like that or not.

Naoki Sano/Shinjiro Otani/Tatsuhito Takaiwa/Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jushin Thunder Liger/Tatsumi Fujinami/Great Sasuke/Tiger Mask

Kuniaki Kobayashi and El Samurai (legends) are the seconds and this is much more about the pageantry than anything else. The fans sing along with Liger’s music and the red and white is on full display for an awesome visual. Norio Honaga (another legend) is guest referee. We get some Big Match Intros, which really is just a way to get everyone one big moment in front of the huge crowd and that’s just fine.

Liger and Sano, the old rivals, start things off with Liger cranking on the arms early on. Sano dropkicks him to the floor though and hits an old man suicide dives and it’s Otani coming in for the Facewash in the corner. Given how old that mask is, Liger’s face might need a good washing. Liger palm strikes Otani down and it’s Takaiwa coming in to Death Valley Drive Tiger Mask and take over.

Taguchi comes in for the hip attacks, setting up Takaiwa’s top rope elbow drop for two. Mask is right back with a quick tiger driver and it’s Fujinami coming in to snap off the dragon screw legwhips. Sasuke misses the Swanton but Sano misses his top rope double stomp. A superplex drops Sasuke though, allowing Liger to come in and hammer away on Taguchi.

Everything breaks down and it’s Taguchi enziguring Liger, who pops right back up. A second slows him down a little more and a double chickenwing faceplant finishes Liger at 8:54. I know Liger probably handpicked the finish but they had to let TAGUCHI pin him??? The popcorn vendor in the fifth row wasn’t available?

Rating: D+. This is a match where the wrestling was completely not the point and it was all about letting Liger go out there with his friends one more time. They could have went out there and had a sandwich and everything would have been fine because it was all about letting Liger do whatever he wanted. Like I said, this was all about the pageantry instead of the match (which wasn’t bad or anything) and that’s all it should have been. Cool moment, with the big one coming over the next two days.

Post match a lot of respect is shown.

Suzuki-Gun vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon

That would be Zack Sabre Jr./Minoru Suzuki/Taichi/Desperado vs. Evil/Sanada/Shingo/Bushi this time around. Suzuki-Gun attacks during the intros as usual. I watch this company 2-3 times a year and even I knew that was coming. Evil knocks Suzuki into the corner and hits a Bronco Buster for an early two. A badly timed charge lets Suzuki tear away at the arm and there’s the first chair shot to Evil’s back.

Back in and Evil has to fight out of the Gotch style piledriver so it’s Desperado coming in for a double arm crank to keep Evil in trouble. We’ll make that a camel clutch with Sanada putting a boot in Evil’s face for a cheating bonus. Shingo comes in to clean house and trades kicks to the face with Taichi, who gets to take off his pants. I prefer Angel Garza thank you. They trade more shots to the head and everyone is down for a bit.

We settle down to Sabre vs. Sanada (who face off for the British Heavyweight Title tomorrow) but Desperado comes in and gets Paradise Locked. Something like an abdominal stretch puts Sanada in trouble but it gets reversed into a pinfall reversal sequence. A dropkick to Sabre’s knee puts him down and it’s Bushi coming in with a missile dropkick. Sabre gets triple teamed but the rest of the team comes in for the save, leaving Sabre to grab the cranked up Rings of Saturn for the tap from Bushi at 8:40.

Rating: C+. There are very few wrestlers that I would stop to watch but Sabre is one of them. He does things in the ring that I can barely understand let alone describe and it is so much fun to watch. When you add in the fact that he is one of the most punchable guys in the industry, it’s hard not to enjoy watching him so much.

Post match Sabre won’t let go until Sanada makes the save.

Chaos vs. Bullet Club

Hirooki Goto/Tomohiro Ishiii/Toru Yano/Yoshi-Hashi vs. Kenta/Bad Luck Fale/Yujiro Takahashi/Chase Owens here. Yano wants to start, sees Fale, and screams. Some running shoulders don’t work as Fale runs him over, meaning it’s time to go for the turnbuckle. With that broken up, it’s Owens coming in instead but Hashi is right there to clean house instead. Takahashi pulls Hashi to the floor as everything breaks down again. We settle down to Fale stepping on Hashi’s chest for two.

Ishii gets tired of waiting and comes in to start beating people up. Fale slams him down and beats up Yano for a bonus, leaving Hashi to hit a neckbreaker on Takahashi. The hot tag brings in Goto to clean house and everything breaks down again. Fake hits Ishii in the face so Ishii headbutts the heck out of him to rock Fale for the first time (that was awesome) and hits a suplex. Goto comes in for the GTR to finish Takahashi at 8:17.

Rating: C. Pretty standard eight man tag here but I loved that headbutt to Fale. There’s something awesome about Ishii being the kind of guy who would just hit a monster in the face and beat him up. The action was fun and Bullet Club seems to be on a downward spiral at the moment, which is probably a good thing given their rather lackluster lineup at the moment.

Post match Kenta stares at Goto before their Never Title match tomorrow.

Tag Team Titles: Juice Robinson/David Finlay vs. Guerrillas of Destiny

Juice and David (FitJuice) are challenging after winning the World Tag League while the champs have Jado in their corner. The brawl starts on the ramp and Juice gets backdropped onto the ramp with Finlay nowhere to be seen. They head inside with Juice in trouble and a dropkick getting an early two.

Juice finally gets in a DDT on Loa and the hot tag brings in Finlay to start taking over. A middle rope elbow to the face puts Loa down again but a Tama distraction lets Loa pull Finlay off the top. Some slingshot sentons have Finlay in more trouble but a spear lets him bring in Juice to take over. A pair of Cannonballs have the champs rocked in the corner but Tama kicks him in the face and snaps off a German suplex.

Everything breaks down with a running dropkick getting two on Tama. Back in and Loa powerbombs Finlay to set up Tama’s top rope splash for two with Finlay making a save. The belly to back neckbreaker gets two more on Finlay and it’s a Magic Killer for Robinson. A super powerbomb is countered with a hurricanrana and the Gun Stun is broken up. Finlay’s Stunner gets two and there’s Pulp Friction to Loa. Finlay hits a Dudley Dog to Tama for the pin and the titles at 13:40 (seven years in a row that the titles have changed here).

Rating: B-. This was the first match that felt a little bit bigger than the rest. Maybe it was having fewer people in the match or the titles changing hands, but I was more into this than any other match on the show. FitJuice doesn’t feel like long term champions and the titles changing hands here is becoming predictable, but beating the Guerrillas is still an accomplishment.

US Title: Jon Moxley vs. Lance Archer

Moxley is challenging, having lost the title due to not being able to make a defense due to travel issues. This is a Texas Deathmatch, meaning you win by a ten count knockout or submission. Moxley wastes no time in throwing the chairs inside but Archer brings his own trashcan lids to start swinging. Hang on though as Archer needs to clear out the Young Lions at ringside.

Moxley runs at him with a knee to hit Archer early before sidestepping him to the floor. That means a dive and you can tell how fired up Moxley is to be here. Some whips into the barricade have Archer in trouble and it’s kendo stick time. That earns him a chair pelted at his head and some trashcan lid shots for a bonus. The kendo stick has Moxley down again and there’s a big shot to the chest in the corner.

Old School doesn’t work for Archer so Moxley unloads on him with the stick. A running trashcan shot to the head puts Archer down again and it’s a running knee to send Archer sprawling on the floor. It’s enough for Archer to drop Moxley on the apron and then throw a Lion at him. Archer isn’t done and hits a big running dive over the top to take out Moxley and the Lions in a big crash. Some chairs are set up in the ring and it’s an Iconoclasm through them for huge pain and a nine count.

Archer grabs a Claw but gets reversed into a cross armbreaker. That’s reversed with a suplex so Moxley plants him with a DDT and some knees to the face. Archer is back up with a hard running shoulder and a chokeslam onto the chair, causing Moxley to writhe around in pain. There’s a big boot and it’s time to put the plastic bag over Moxley’s face, good for two arm drops. Some tables are set up at ringside but Moxley starts fighting back on the apron, meaning it’s a Death Rider (Paradigm Shift/Dirty Deeds) through the tables to give Moxley the title back at 14:27.

Rating: B. These guys beat each other up for a good while and it felt like a fight. Archer felt like a short term champion to Moxley and there is nothing wrong with that when Moxley only lost the title due to the travel issues. Moxley was fighting as hard as he could here and Archer was a heck of a dragon for him to slay. This was a lot of fun and the show is starting to crank up.

Post match Moxley says he’s leaving Tokyo with everything or nothing. We’ll find out which it is tomorrow when he defends against Juice Robinson.

We recap Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi. Osprey is defending and Takahashi is trying to get the title back after he lost it due to a broken neck in 2018. These two have worked well together before so hopefully we get another classic between these two.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay is defending and takes him straight to the mat with some amateur stuff before slapping him on the back of the head. Takahashi doesn’t think much of Ospreay chilling on the top so it’s time for an exchange of forearms. A rather snappy hurricanrana puts Ospreay down but there’s no sunset bomb to the floor. There is a powerbomb to the apron though and Takahashi hits a running dropkick off the apron for a bonus.

Back in and Takahashi misses a shoulder to the ribs, allowing Ospreay to hit a double stomp to the back of the head. A hanging DDT gets two on Takahashi and Ospreay bends the neck over the barricade like a villain should. Back in and a Koji Clutch stays on the neck with Takahashi having to get a foot on the rope. Takahashi scores with some chops so Ospreay kicks him in the face to send things back to the apron.

Ospreay misses a flip dive to the floor, flips out of a German suplex onto the ramp, dives back in, and hits a Sasuke Special for one of those crazy sequences that about two people in the world can do. Back in and Pip Pip Cheerio gets two but Takahashi dropkicks him into the corner. A springboard double stomp to the back of the neck crushes Takahashi again though and a missile dropkick to the back of the head gets two.

The Kawada kicks set up the Cheeky Nandos kick but Takahashi manages to grab a super victory roll for his own two. Ospreay is right back with the Robinson Special for two of his own and it’s a hooting star press to Takahashi’s back. The Oscutter connects for two more and they’re both down again. Takahashi grabs a pop up sitout powerbomb for another breather and they slug it out.

Ospreay tries a springboard but gets countered into a German suplex. Takahashi’s Canadian Destroyer gets two more but the Time Bomb is blocked. That’s fine with Takahashi as he superkicks him down, only to have to counter the Stormbreaker. Ospreay grabs a C4 into the Hidden Blade but Stormbreaker is countered into a Code Red for two more. Now the Time Bomb connects for the big near fall so it’s a modified Emerald Flosion to give Takahashi the pin at 24:34.

Rating: A. Yep this was great and I continue to get all of the love for Ospreay. He’s as smooth as you can get in the ring and can fly as well as anyone in the world. Then you have Takahashi, who has impressed me before but never at this level. This was about getting Takahashi back to the top and reaching that goal again, which told a great story and had Ospreay doing stuff that only he could do. Incredible match here and the best thing on the show by a lot.

We recap the Intercontinental Title match. Tetsuya Naito is trying to reclaim his status on top of the roster and he has to win the Intercontinental Title to start. Jay White is defending but everyone hates him so Naito is the huge favorite. The winner is not only champion but also gets the World Title shot tomorrow.

Intercontinental Title: Jay White vs. Tetsuya Naito

Naito is challenging and White has Gedo with him. White bails to the floor to start so Naito grabs Gedo to draw White in. Back in and Naito scores with a dropkick, meaning we hit that Tranquilo pose. Naito catches him coming in and hits a neckbreaker off the apron to put White down again. They go inside again but this time Gedo grabs a boot so White can finally get something in.

Another grab from Gedo lets White crotch Naito against the post and Gedo gets in a chair shot to the knee. The knee gets wrapped around the barricade and White gets to flip into his own Tranquilo pose, plus a Too Sweet for some flavor. The Muta Lock goes on until Naito makes the rope, despite White fish hooking his jaws. A Russian legsweep gives Naito two and there’s the basement dropkick in the corner to make it worse.

Naito ties his legs around White’s arms to crank on the neck some more but White is in the ropes after a pretty freaky looking hold. White can’t hit the Blade Runner so Naito grabs the arm and hammers away at the neck. A Downward Spiral into a German suplex plants Naito though and a legsweep sends him face first into the top turnbuckle. White goes old school with a dragon screw legwhip over the rope and Naito can’t even run the ropes.

A Rock Bottom gets two so White goes even bigger with a Saito suplex over the top. Back in and the Kiwi Crusher gets two more as Naito won’t die. The reverse Figure Four goes on and Naito is in trouble, meaning it’s the long crawl to the rope. Naito somehow fights up with a Liger kick, only to walk into a spinebuster. Another comeback is cut off by Gedo getting inside, only to have Naito score with an enziguri on White.

A super hurricanrana drops him again and Gloria (pumphandle slam) gives Naito two. The referee gets bumped so Gedo brings in a chair, only to get kicked low. White pelts a chair at Naito though and snaps off a dragon suplex. Naito shrugs that off though and hits Destino to put them both down. Another Destino gets two more and it’s a brainbuster into a third Destino to give Naito the pin and the title at 33:53.

Rating: B. It was awesome, though the interference near the end felt really out of place. White is still good, though I can see what some of his critics say. There is another gear that I haven’t seen from him, though maybe it’s due to the match going longer than he should have for him. It’s a rather good match, but not great, even though Naito winning is the right call because he seems to be the big story of the weekend (other than Liger).

We recap Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Title. Okada is the great champion and Ibushi won the G1 Climax, but again it’s really just a semifinal for the match with Naito, so enjoy it while it lasts.

IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi

Okada is defending and of course has the incredible entrance that he is known for. They stare at each other for a long time to start with the first lockup taking nearly a minute and a half. Ibushi takes him down by the leg as we hear about Okada having a bad arm. A headscissors gets Okada out of trouble and we’re up with a standoff. Okada’s headlock takeover keeps Ibushi down as they’re certainly in first gear to start.

A shoulder drops Ibushi and he’s up in less than a second. The strike off goes to Ibushi and a standing moonsault gives Ibushi two. We hit a one armed camel clutch so Okada makes the rope (with the arm over the leg just to show off). Okada is back up with a running elbow to the face and a DDT gets two. The hanging DDT plants Ibushi again for one as he’s starting to get fired up.

Okada knocks him right back down and puts on the chinlock, only to have Ibushi fight up and hit the dropkick. A powerslam into the middle rope moonsault gets two and they get a breather. They head outside with Okada kicking him over the barricade and following with a heck of a running crossbody. Back in and a modified STF makes Ibushi scream but a rope grab calms things down a bit. Okada drops a top rope elbow and we get the Rainmaker pose (and camera shot).

That’s broken up and the Tombstone is as well, allowing Ibushi to hit his kneeling Tombstone for two. With Okada on the floor, Ibushi hits a springboard moonsault to near perfection (and to Okada). Back in and Ibushi loads up a Kinshasa (complete with pose) but Okada cuts him off with a dropkick. Ibushi shrugs off the forearms and uppercuts and hits Okada in the face. A right hand to the face (a rarity) drops Okada and Ibushi beats him on the ground.

Okada rolls to the apron so it’s a deadlift German superplex, which is countered out of a high fear of death. Instead Okada Tombstones him onto the apron for the big knockout shot, mainly because Ibushi is completely insane. Ibushi beats the count and it’s Heavy Rain (looked like a high angle TKO) for two more. Another Rainmaker attempt is countered with a heck of a lariat to put Okada down for a change.

Now the deadlift German superplex drops Okada on his head for two more but he pops back up with another Tombstone. Ibushi is right back up with his own Rainmaker and the big knee….gets one. Another big knee gets two and the fans are freaking out over the near falls. A third knee is cut off by Okada’s dropkick and they’re both down. They forearm it out again with Okada going down but he’s able to forearm Ibushi off the top.

Okada dives into a powerbomb though, only to avoid the Phoenix splash. Back to back Rainmakers get two and two more connect but Ibushi ducks the fifth. A kick to Okada’s head sets up a knee to the face but Okada is right back with a sitout Tombstone. Another Rainmaker finishes Ibushi to retain the title at 39:18.

Rating: A. I know I get on him about his finisher a lot but dang Okada is incredible to watch. Put him in there with someone as insane as Ibushi and there was no way this wasn’t going to work. Outstanding stuff here and worthy of a Wrestle Kingdom main event, or at least the first of two in a row. Okada can do some amazing stuff and Ibushi is (probably) going to get his chance one day. Awesome main event as they fought over who wanted it more and eventually one of them gave out. Great story, great action, great all around.

Post match Naito comes out and lays his belt down, saying he’s leaving with both titles tomorrow. Naito leaves so Okada thanks Ibushi for the fight and promises to win tomorrow.

The announcers recap the event and talk about the champions.

Overall Rating: A-. They really are great about building things up on these shows, which is where the structured card offers a lot of help. It’s a great show and there are two incredible matches on here, which almost feels weak for a Wrestle Kingdom. I’m still not wild on the double nights though as there were things on here that could have been skipped for the sake of one big show, but that’s the case with every show that goes on for such a long time. Check out the main event and Ospreay vs. Takahashi of course, but the bigger stuff seems to be coming tomorrow.

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