IMG Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Royal Quest
Date: August 31, 2019
Location: Copper Box Arena, London, England
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Gino Gambino

So this is a New Japan show and their first ever independently promoted event in the UK. That could mean a lot of things, but hopefully it means a good show. Since we already have multiple major events today with Takeover: Cardiff and All Out, I might as well just complete the trilogy. The main event here is Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Minoru Suzuki with a lot of fans wanting to see a title change. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about the fallout from the G1 Climax and how it’s time to take over Europe.

Card rundown with the bigger matches getting the extra attention they deserve.

Roppangi 3K vs. Ryusuke Taguchi/Shoto Umino/Ren Narita

The fans are rather behind Taguchi here though unfortunately we don’t get the big zoom in shot at the opening bell. Yoh and Umino get things going for some early grappling and that’s an early standoff. Umino kicks him in the face but can’t get a slam as the fans are behind Umino, mainly due to him being associated with Jon Moxley. Everything breaks down early on with Taguchi and Romero both cleaning house. That earns Romero a song from the crowd, which sounds so out of place in a New Japan show. Sho rolls Umino up for two but Umino is right back with a suplex, setting up the hot tag to Taguchi.

A bunch of hip attacks, including one from the top, ensue but Romero comes in for the forever lariats. They’re cut off by another hip attack and it’s back to the Young Lions for some double teaming. The Boston Crab doesn’t last long on Sho and it’s time for the parade of kicks to the head. Sho and Yoh are sent into each other and Narita gets two off a victory roll. Sho’s German suplex gets two, followed by Project Ciampa to finish Umino at 8:19.

Rating: C. Perfectly fine opening match with the fans loving Romero and Taguchi as always, even if I’ve rarely (though not never) seen much in them. That’s a good way to start the show: give the fans something fun that is going to energize them for later. Tag matches, either of the four or six man variety, work just fine in that regard and the crowd is now properly energized.

Kota Ibushi/Juice Robinson vs. Yujiro Takahashi/Hikuleo

Takahashi and Hikuleo are Bullet Club and it’s Ibushi and Hikuleo starting things off. Hikuleo throws the smaller Ibushi down to start and mocks him a bit, only to have everything break down. Robinson sends Hikuleo into the corner for a Cannonball but Hikuleo is right back up with a backsplash for two on Ibushi. Takahashi comes in for a legdrop as the fans are behind Ibushi, as you probably expected.

Ibushi is right back up and brings in Robinson to pick up the pace, including a dive to take out Hikuleo. A spinebuster does the same to Takahashi but he’s right back with a fisherman’s suplex for two on Robinson. The Juice Box (Codebreaker to the chest) is enough to bring Ibushi back in but he charges into a powerslam from Hikuleo. The Club is dominating so far, which you might not have expected against a team like Ibushi and Robinson.

Ibushi’s strike rush gets him out of trouble but Hikuleo cuts him off again, this time with a Samoan driver for two. Takahashi comes back in so Ibushi hits a double Pele, followed by a victory roll for two on Hikuleo. A running knee to the face sets Kamigoye (knee to the face) for the pin on Hikuleo at 8:46.

Rating: C. This worked just fine with both teams looking good. Ibushi wasn’t about to lose so soon after winning the G1 so the Club came off more like obstacles for him to get past rather than people who were going to give him an actual run for his money. That’s perfectly fine for a match like this as it came off as a way to get Ibushi (and Robinson) on the card.

Will Ospreay/Robbie Eagles vs. Taiji Ishimori/El Phantasmo

Ishimori and Phantasmo’s (Bullet Club) IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Phantasmo is the British Cruiserweight Champion and Ospreay is the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. Eagles used to be in Bullet Club but Phantasmo turned on him, sending him over to Chaos. Ospreay and Eagles are part of Chaos and of course Ospreay gets a ROAR.

The Club jumps them to start but Chaos tosses them to the floor to the floor, setting up a big flip dive from Eagles. We settle down (kind of) to Phantasmo getting caught in an exchange of strikes and monkey flipped into a kick to the back. Eagles starts throwing the kicks to the chest but Ishimori comes in for the save to take over. To mess with things a bit, Phantasmo seems to twist Eagles’ nipples, setting up a springboard spinning crossbody into a Lionsault.

Ishimori comes in for the loud chops and a top rope Meteora for two. Eagles gets tied in the Tree of Woe for some running crotch standing (egads) but he’s right back with a sliding elbow to the back of the head. The hot tag brings in Ospreay for Pip Pip Cheerio and two on Phantasmo. Ospreay and Phantasmo trade kicks to the head until Ospreay’s Stundog Millionaire puts both of them down.

Ishimori and Eagles come back in with the latter nailing the springboard missile dropkick to Ishimori’s knee. Ospreay comes back in as Eagles hits a Codebreaker to Ishimori, who holds him in place for Ospreay’s moonsault to the back. Superkicks begin to abound and it’s the Oscutter to Phantasmo, followed by a double super Spanish Fly to finish Ishimori at 10:49.

Rating: B. There’s something about watching these people go insane on each other with one big spot after another until the really big one gets the pin. This all but guarantees the Tag Team Title shot for Ospreay and Eagles, which sounds quite good to me as a rematch could be quite awesome. Ospreay has been having one awesomely entertaining match after another as of late and giving him the win in his home country is the best thing they could have done. Very fun match.

Post match, Ospreay issues the challenge for the titles. At least they aren’t wasting time.

Tetsuya Naito/Sanada vs. Jay White/Chase Owens

Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Bullet Club, with Gedo. Naito (Intercontinental Champion) gets a huge reaction. White bails from Naito to start (as you might have expected) so Chase comes in and requests Sanada. An early battle over arm control goes nowhere so Owens offers a handshake. That goes badly for Owens, who tries the Paradise Lock, which Owens reverses into a failed version of his own.

White breaks up the real thing and takes Naito to the floor for some chops. The distraction lets Owens take over on Sanada and a backbreaker puts him down. White comes in for the chops in the corner but Owens charges into some boots in the corner. A suplex puts White down and it’s hot tag to Naito for the house cleaning. White gets sent to the floor and that means the TRANQUILO pose for a big reaction. Back in and Naito gets two off a pair of neckbreakers, only to have White knock him into the corner.

The Bladebuster gets two on Naito but doesn’t get very far with a choke. Naito is right back with his springboard tornado DDT and that’s enough for the double tag. Sanada gets the Paradise Lock on Owens (a recurring problem for him), setting up the big running kick. Owens puts him on top and gets two off a super snapmare (that’s a new one), followed by a running knee to the head for the same. The package piledriver is broken up though and Skull End finishes Owens at 12:53.

Rating: C+. Naito and Sanada just come off as cool no matter what they’re doing and that’s a good thing to have on your roster. It makes a lot of sense for them to be so popular everywhere else, though I can also see why White isn’t the most beloved. He just isn’t all that interesting and while I liked him elsewhere, he hasn’t been clicking for me in Japan.

Post match White gets a chair and beats down Sanada but Naito makes the save and hits Destino for a self counted three. Naito even sits in the chair because he’s cool that way.

Tag Team Titles: Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Aussie Open

Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher/Mark Davis) are an Australian team who won a tournament to get the shot. The Guerrillas make it even worse by having Jado with them. It’s a big staredown to start as the fans are rather split. The champs get in an early cheap shot but the Aussies are right back with running clotheslines in the corner to take over. A series of kicks to the chest gets two on Loa and it’s a double flapjack into Davis’ backsplash for two more.

Loa low blows his way out of trouble and it’s Tama coming in for a corner splash. Some shots to the head keep Davis down but he gets over to Fletcher, who is taken down in a hurry with a neckbreaker. A spear cuts Fletcher down again and a rather delayed Jackhammer gets two. Tama mocks Fletcher’s crawling attempts, earning himself a backdrop so Fletcher can dive over for the tag. Davis clotheslines the champs to the floor and there’s the big dive from Fletcher.

Everything breaks down and a butterfly powerbomb into a sitout Alabama Slam gets two on Loa. Jado cheap shots Davis with the kendo stick though, drawing him outside so Tama can drop Fletcher. A Swan Dive/frog splash combination gets a very close two and the fans are back into it off the kickout.

Davis is back in with a Spanish Fly to bring Tama out of the corner, setting up Fletcher for a big flip dive to the floor. The Fidget Spinner (minus the spinner), a double pumphandle slam, drops Loa but Tama is back in with a German suplex on Davis. A sitout Tombstone plants Davis and a superbomb to Fletcher is enough to retain the titles at 14:26.

Rating: B. The more I see of Aussie Open, the more I like them and the fact that Fletcher is only twenty years old makes it all the more impressive. The Guerrillas are on another level at the moment though with very few teams in the world being able to hang with them. Aussie Open could be able to do that one day, but they’re not there just yet. Another more than solid match though with the near falls being highlights.

We recap Kenta vs. Tomohiro Ishii. Kenta recently debuted for the company and turned on Ishii in a tag match. Therefore, tonight it’s time for a fight over the NEVER Openweight Title. Kenta laid out the returning Katsuyori Shibata to make him even more evil.

NEVER Openweight Title: Kenta vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Ishii is defending and is part of Chaso while Kenta is part of Bullet Club. They go nose to nose to start with Kenta chilling in the ropes for a few seconds. A shot to Ishii’s face has Kenta bailing to the floor as the mind games are on early. Ishii is pulled to the floor and beats Kenta inside for the slugout. As you might have imagined, a guy named the Stone Pitbull is fine in a brawl and takes over on Kenta, until a tornado DDT onto the top rope gets him out of trouble.

The hard kicks to the chest put Ishii down and we hit the chinlock. The fans are all over Kenta here as some knees and the cocky kick to the face…just fire Ishii up. You had to know that was coming, just like more chops and forearms to Kenta. Ishii yells at the referee to take him down but this doesn’t seem like the kind of match where you’re going to see a DQ.

They slug it out again with Ishii staggering, allowing Kenta to blast him with a clothesline. The running dropkick in the corner corner hits Ishii and has the fans annoyed but it’s too early for the GTS. Kenta strikes away but gets caught in a German suplex….and something is wrong. Kenta falls down on what looks to be a slam attempt so Ishii headbutts the heck out of him. The referee checks on Kenta, who gets back up and is clearly gone.

He’s fine enough to knock Ishii down and hit a top rope double stomp. The GTS is countered again and Ishii loads up the brainbuster, which winds up being closer to a swinging suplex instead. The fans can tell something is wrong as Ishii slaps him in the face, meaning it’s time to sit down and slap each other a lot.

Kenta’s sleeper is broken up and Ishii takes his head off with a clothesline. Cue the Guerrillas, who are quickly dealt with by Ishii, setting up the brainbuster. The Guerrillas pull the referee though and Ishii takes a Magic Killer for a very close two. Kenta’s sleeper is broken up as well so a big shot to the face and the GTS to give Kenta the title at 20:16.

Rating: B-. It’s really hard and unfair to be overly critical here as you could see Kenta just being gone as soon as he landed on his head. The intensity went away and Kenta was a shell of himself for the next eight minutes. That makes the shots to the head all the more disturbing and the fact that he went to the hospital after the show all the less surprising. The title change makes sense to make Kenta a more established star around here, but egads it was a scary match to watch in the second half.

Post match Kenta celebrates, but is so messed up that he can’t get onto the middle rope and has to be helped up.

We recap Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. for Zack’s British Heavyweight Title. They’ve feuded for a good while now with Sabre not having much respect for the legend, so Tanahashi is coming to Sabre’s country to take his title. This is their seventh match and they’ve split the first six so it’s quite the rivalry.

Rev Pro British Heavyweight Title: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tanahashi is challenging. Sabre goes for the technical stuff to start as the fans are rather pleased with the heel champ. It’s an early standoff as the Tanahashi chants begin. Tanahashi reverses a crossarm choke into one of his own but you just don’t try to trade holds with Sabre, who is out in a hurry. They circle each other a bit more until Tanahashi takes him down by the leg for a change.

Tanahashi puts on a standing leglock but bridges back to really crank on the thing. The middle rope Swanton misses though and Sabre starts in on the arm. A seated armbar has Tanahashi in trouble and the cockiness is rolling fast. That means some cocky kicks but Sabre goes back to the arm to cut off the comeback. A dropkick to the leg gives Tanahashi a breather and a running dropkick in the corner has the champ rocked for a change.

He’s fine enough to come back with an abdominal stretch but Tanahashi is out for a pinfall reversal sequence into a double knockdown. The Cloverleaf is countered into an armbar (on the other arm) from Sabre, which he switches into a small package for two. Sabre is back up with Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness but Tanahashi rolls forward to get to the ropes.

Twist And Shout into the Sling Blade gives Tanahashi two but the High Fly Flow hits knees. That means a triangle choke from Sabre, which he switches into the modified Rings of Saturn. That’s broken up as well and it’s the European Clutch for two on Tanahashi. Another Sling Blade gives Tanahashi another two and it’s the High Fly Flow for the pin and the title at 17:20.

Rating: B+. Sabre is one of the most unique performers I have ever seen and I could watch him go from one submission to another for hours. Tanahashi on the other hand is as smooth of a performer as you’re going to find and they mesh very well together. This was my favorite match on the show so far and it’s quite the impressive display, as these two almost always do. Their styles go together perfectly and Tanahashi winning is a great feel good moment, even in defeat of the home country champion.

Tanahashi celebrates for a good bit.

We recap Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Suzuki was ticked off (shocking) about being left out of the G1 and wanted to show NJPW what they missed. Then he beat Okada in a tag match and challenged him for the title shot, which you just don’t turn down. They’re billing it as the unbeatable champion vs. the angry king and it’s one of the better videos I’ve seen from NJPW.

It’s always cool to see the big montage of champions before the title match.

IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki

Suzuki is challenging. They start very slowly with only a Suzuki kick to the leg in the first minute and a half. Okada works a wristlock and the dueling chants begin again. That’s reversed into a hammerlock from Suzuki as they’re taking their time to start. Suzuki stays on the arm so Okada picks the leg to take it to the mat. That goes nowhere either and we’re already five minutes in. Therefore, it’s time to strike it out in the middle until a snapmare lets Okada hit a running kick to the face.

A triangle over the ropes slows Okada down and it’s a ram into the barricade to make it worse. Okada blocks a piledriver on the ramp so Suzuki settles for a running Penalty kick instead. The referee won’t let Suzuki use a chair so Suzuki sits in one in the middle instead. Okada comes back in….and his forearms have no effect. Suzuki smirks at him and slaps on a few leglocks as the torture begins. That’s broken up and it’s time for another forearm slugout until a running elbow drops Suzuki.

They head outside with Suzuki in trouble, but he’s right back in with more kicks to the chest. The Fujiwara armbar goes on to make Okada scream some more as Suzuki is enjoying this way too much. The running boot to a seated champ gets two but the piledriver is broken up again. Okada gets in another shot to the face and they’re both down again. A slam sets up the top rope elbow for two….and Suzuki is mad. That’s the stuff that nightmares are made of so Okada forearms away, earning himself a hard shot to the face.

Suzuki even puts his arms behind his back so Okada can hit him harder. For some reason Okada agrees to do the same and is promptly knocked silly. We get a rather good tease of a piledriver with Okada kicking his feet and being picked back up twice before he reverses into White Noise onto the knee. They slug it out from their knees with Suzuki taking over off some headbutts, only to get caught with the dropkick. Okada tries his own sleeper but Suzuki throws him down and puts on one of his own.

That means the old school arm drops until Okada counters into the Rainmaker. He’s too down to cover so it’s another Rainmaker but Suzuki blocks a third. Suzuki unloads with strikes to put Okada down but he STILL can’t hit the piledriver (that’s been an awesome tease throughout the whole match). The Rainmaker is countered again so Okada slips out of the sleeper one more time (I can live with that as the piledriver is being treated as the real finisher) and hits the Tombstone. The Rainmaker finally finishes Suzuki at 33:56.

Rating: A. Oh yeah that was awesome with Okada being completely outmatched physically but managing to avoid the big weapon until he could wear Suzuki down enough. Suzuki is a great dragon that has to be slayed and showing him so furious about being left out of the tournament was a fine story with the champ being the only one who could stop him. Okada gets to pass another test as we wait for the next big challenge at whatever the next big show is before Wrestle Kingdom. Great match and I don’t remember liking a New Japan match much more than this one.

Post match Okada thanks the fans but cue Sanada, who beat Okada in the G1, to challenge for the title match. Sanada leaves and Okada seems to accept. He throws in some English for the crowd, who certainly seem to appreciate it to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. While Takeover had a better main event (and not by much), this was the best show of the weekend with nothing bad (some of the tag matches were fine but skippable) and two excellent top matches. It also found that sweet spot in the middle of the times where it was long but not long enough that I was wanting the show to end. While I think it would lose some of the appeal if I watched it full time, it’s always a blast to watch and this was another awesome show. Check out the main event for sure and Tanahashi vs. Sabre if you have 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

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

All Out
Date: August 31, 2019
Location: Sears Center, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Alex Mendez

It’s time for the fourth AEW show and the final one before we get to the weekly TNT show. This show might not mean as much as the other shows as it is all leading up to October, but the World Title will be decided for the first time. We should be in for a good show, but they have a hard one to follow after Takeover this afternoon. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Casino Battle Royal

So it’s twenty one women in four groups of five with each group named after a card suit. Then there is a twenty first entrant with the Joker. The winner is in the Women’s Title match at the first TNT show. The Clubs (Nyla Rose, Faby Apache, Leva Bates, Shalanda Royal, Priscilla Kelly) start things off and it’s Rose cleaning house. Peter Avalon (Bates’ fellow librarian) offers Bates some books to stand on but Rose tosses everyone with almost no effort, plus Peter for a bonus.

The Diamonds (Britt Baker, Penelope Ford, Sadie Gibbs, Shazza McKenzie, Big Swoll) come in next with Ford hitting a handspring elbow on Rose as the ganging up….is broken up in just a few seconds. Baker pulls Shazza out for an elimination, leaving Rose to chokeslam Baker and Gibbs at the same time, leaving Swoll for a showdown. Rose isn’t having any of this and puts Swoll on the apron, setting up a Rock Bottom onto the apron for the elimination. A hard German suplex drops Ford as the countdown clock ends and….no one is here at the moment.

Ford is out as the Spades (Tenille Dashwood, Ivelisse, Bea Priestly, Brandi Rhodes and Awesome Kong) come out. Baker jumps Priestly in the aisle and it’s Ivelisse hurricanranaing Gibbs down. Dashwood butterfly suplexes Ivelisse into Gibbs in the corner, setting up Taste of Tenille to both of them. Brandi orders Kong to start cleaning house but Rose gets back in as a group of people go after Kong. Brandi’s Stunner takes Rose down as Kong picks up Ivelisse to use as a weapon.

Dashwood and Ivelisse are out and here are the Hearts (Allie, Nicole Savoy, Teal Piper, ODB and the bald Jazz). Allie goes straight after Brandi and it’s Savoy squaring off with Kong, who whips her into the ropes so Savoy can hit a big suicide dive. Piper pokes ODB in the eyes and grabs the sleeper but Kong breaks it up. Rose dumps Savoy and Kong tosses Piper through the ropes (no elimination), setting up the big monster showdown.

Jazz breaks that up and ODB joins them for the four way brawl. Kong and Jazz are eliminated as Mercedes Martinez is the Joker and the final entrant. Martinez starts suplexing everyone in sight and it’s a curb stomp to Priestly. Allie gets up and starts cleaning house but Rose knocks her out. It seems that we’re down to Rose, Gibbs, Martinez, Priestly and Baker, plus anyone on the floor. Gibbs gorilla presses Priestly but gets tossed a second later and we’re down to four.

A Sling Blade lets Baker put Martinez down and it’s time to double team Rose. Priestly tries to dump both of them but saves Rose in the process. Baker superkicks Martinez out but Rose survives a double toss attempt. Rose manages a cartwheel kick on the apron so Baker hits a Canadian Destroyer on Priestly. One heck of a forearm gets rid of Priestly and Rose dumps Baker (with an assist from Priestly) for the win at 20:41.

Rating: D. I really don’t care for this concept as it’s either the groups not coming out when the buzzer sounds or trying to keep track of who all is in there. At least they didn’t do the stupid “OH LOOK SOMEONE IS SNEAKING BACK IN!” but it’s still not a great concept. If you want to do a battle royal then do a battle royal, but the casino/gambling thing only really works in Las Vegas.

Pre-Show: Private Party vs. Jack Evans/Angelico

Isaiah Kassidy starts things off with Angelico and they waste no time in flipping around. Kassidy takes him down and starts dancing so it’s off to Marq Quen vs. Evans, with the former taking over in a hurry. Evans gets in a shot to the face on Quen though and the villains (or the closest things we have to villains in this match) take over. A guillotine choke has Quen reaching for the ropes as we already get the five minute announcement.

That’s broken up so it’s Kassidy coming back in to clean house, including the big dive onto Angelico. Back in and a slingshot splash gets two on Evans. A camel clutch into a leap frog double stomp to the back of the head plants Evans, followed by Kassidy flipping over a standing Quen and then flipping back into a tornado DDT on Angelico. An assisted Sliced Bread hits Evans and Kassidy nails a bit running flip dive to the floor.

Quen hits a great looking shooting star press but Evans is back in to suplex Kassidy off the top. A kick to the face and an assisted 450 gets two on Kassidy as we hit five minutes left. Everything breaks down and it’s a series of hurricanranas to Evans and Angelico, setting up another hurricanrana into a cutter to finish Evans at 11:14.

Rating: C+. Yeah it was a moves match but Private Party continues to look great. That’s the kind of thing that AEW needs: some teams (or acts in general) who can come in and be more original stars. Private Party has been around the indies for a good while but now they’re getting their first national exposure and they look like hidden gems.

Post match Evans and Angelico jump Private Party and wreck Quen’s knee as the fans are not pleased.

Some kids from a charity sing the Star Spangled Banner.

The opening video looks at just about every match on the show tonight in a well produced package.

The announcers preview the card again.

SoCal Uncensored vs. A Small Boy/A Boy And His Dinosaur

SCU does their usual stuff before the match with Daniels talking about how they were All In last year and now it’s a new deck and a new dealer. Jungle Boy and Kazarian start things off with neither being able to get anywhere, meaning they flip to a standoff. Daniels comes in for an STO to put Jungle Boy down but he’s right back up with a springboard armdrag. Luchasaurus comes in and it’s a series of kicks to take Daniels down, with the fans being WAY into the dinosaur.

It’s off to Stunt for a running dropkick and the required Floss Dance, setting up the even more required suicide dive. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus hit their own dives and we settle down to Jungle Boy chopping and headlocking Daniels. A blind tag brings in Kazarian for a dropkick before it’s back to Daniels for a dance of his own. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Jungle Boy fights up and brings in Luchasaurus to kick away.

The chokeslam into a standing moonsault gets two on Kazarian and the fans are rather pleased. Stunt gets tossed into a tornado DDT on Kazarian but Celebrity Rehab gets SCU out of trouble. A slingshot hurricanrana takes out Jungle Boy and Stunt, followed by Sky’s big flip dive onto Luchasaurus. The Best Meltzer Ever finishes Stunt at 11:58.

Rating: C. The Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy stuff is awesome as they work perfectly well together but Stunt….yeah it’s too much. Even Rey Mysterio is bigger than he is and that’s as much of a stretch as you can get. It’s like forcing a comedy act in there but they don’t really treat it as comedy. Sometimes its ok to not try for every smile possible and just have a good match without something like that. A Boy and His Dinosaur are awesome on their own so don’t mess with it any more.

Kenny Omega vs. Pac

They circle each other to start and the fans seem to be more behind Omega. Pac drops down and Kenny walks over his back for a bit of taunting. They take turns shoving each other in the face and the 205 chants begin. Omega sends him outside and tries the dive but Pac is waiting on him with a kick to the ribs. A whip into the barricade staggers Pac but he’s fine enough to drive Omega back first into the barricade as well.

The choking against the barricade continues, followed by a great looking dropkick to put Omega down again. Omega fights out of a chinlock in a hurry before sending him outside. That means a suicide dive to take Pack out but Omega comes up holding his ankle. As long as it’s not the V Trigger knee, he still has 89% of his offense. Back in and the ankle is fine enough for a missile dropkick to the back of the head and a fisherman’s buster gets two.

The Regal Roll connects but Pac rolls away before the middle rope moonsault can connect. Pac spikes him with a DDT for two but it’s too early for the Black Arrow. Instead Pac moonsaults to the floor, with his leg crashing into the barricade. Back in and a 450 gives Pac two, followed by Omega’s spinebuster for the same. Something like a fisherman’s buster onto the knee sets up the first V Trigger. The One Winged Angel is broken up so Omega settles for a bridging German suplex instead.

Pac is back up with a slingshot cutter and a snap German suplex of his own. The Snapdragon sets up Omega’s second V Trigger for two, followed by the third to stagger Pac some more. Pac hits something like a reverse hurricanrana but gets caught in a fireman’s carry. Before Omega can throw him anywhere though, Pac reverses into the Brutalizer (standing Rings of Saturn) to knock Omega out for the win at 23:14.

Rating: B-. Almost every Omega criticism is right here: longer than it needed to be, little building to anything and even less selling. It’s a bunch of spots and shots to the head with both of them popping right back up. I’m sure Omega will go on a winning streak and win the title eventually and that’s acceptable, but it’s the kind of thing that you know is coming at the end of the day. The idea here was that Omega isn’t what he’s capable of being and his “heart isn’t in AEW” yet so I’m sure he’s going to get a big featured story.

Darby Allin vs. Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc

This is the Cracker Barrel Clash as we have a sponsored match. They go straight for the weapons and it’s time for the staple gun. Jimmy uses it on himself and it’s time to head outside with Jimmy getting taped into a chair. Joey puts thumbtacks in Jimmy’s mouth and tapes it shut as well, leaving Joey vs. Darby inside. A flipping Stunner takes Joey down but Darby would rather flip dive onto Jimmy, who begs him to do it.

The fight heads outside with Joey busting out weapons of his own, including a tennis racket, which he throws away (hilarious you see). Jimmy chops Joey down and gives him the paper cuts between the fingers. A monkey flip sends Joey flying but he lands in the chair, only to get a paper cut in the mouth. Joey brainbusters Jimmy through a chair and hits a running Canadian Destroyer to send Darby through a table in a nasty crash. Back up and Jimmy goes for a moonsault to the floor….with absolutely no one there to catch him.

Jimmy was down a few feet away but that looked Joey was trying to hurt himself. Since Joey has been crushed, Jimmy throws a plate of biscuits at him and then brings some barrels to the ring. Darby is back in with a skateboard covered in tacks, which he double stomps onto Joey’s back.

Darby throws Havoc at the steps and puts him on them….before grabbing a barrel. The Coffin Drop, with a barrel on Darby’s back, only hits steps as JR declares this insanity. Back in and Joey drops a top rope elbow for two on Jimmy. Another barrel is brought in and Havoc superplexes Joey….well his foot went through it at least. The Acid Rainmaker through the barrel finishes Janela to give Havoc the pin at 14:40.

Rating: D+. I didn’t hate this, mainly because they kept this in one match by itself instead of putting it in some big match that means something. Some of the stuff involved here was so ridiculous that it’s almost impossible to not smile a bit. There’s nothing more than freak show appeal here and some of it was so goofy that it was entertaining. Not the worst, with the biscuits being amusing and Cornette’s response to the tennis racket thing will be worth it alone.

Dark Order vs. Best Friends

The winners get a first round bye in the Tag Team Title tournament. Chuck can’t do much with Stu to start so everything breaks down in a hurry with the Friends cleaning house for the hug. We get a SPOOKY PERVERTS chant (JR: “That’s another t-shirt!”) after what the Best Friends have dubbed the Dark Order.

We settle down to the Order taking over on Trent with a side slam/knee drop combination for two. Grayson hits some knees to the ribs to keep Trent in trouble and it’s a slingshot hilo to the apron as Uno comes back in. A running clothesline isn’t enough for Trent to get over for the tag though as Uno brings him back to the wrong corner. Grayson pulls Chuck off the apron to break up a tag in another classic move. The beating continues, including something like Chasing the Dragon.

Trent gets in a tornado DDT and there’s the hot tag to Chuck so house can be cleaned. The Friends are right back into it Sliced Bread from Chuck, followed by a toss 3D for two on Grayson. That’s not cool with Uno, who comes right back in to toss Trent to the floor. A top rope backsplash gets two on Trent, as does Grayson’s 450. Chuck is back in though and house is cleaned, including Soul Food into a half and half suplex on Grayson. The Awful Waffle hits Uno but the Creepers (Order’s minions) beat up Chuck. The Fatality finishes Trent at 14:43.

Rating: C-. Yeah next please. I don’t like either of these teams and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. They’re not very interesting with the Best Friends coming off like they’re just goofing off and the Dark Order looking like cosplay evil wrestlers. Not a bad match, but a match I was wanting to wrap up in a hurry.

Post match the Creepers go after Trent but Orange Cassidy comes in for the save without ever taking his hands out of his pockets, as is his custom.

Hikaru Shida vs. Riho

The winner gets Nyla Rose for the Women’s Title on the first TNT show. The much smaller Riho slugs away to start but gets cut off by a knee lift. Shida knees her again and grabs a half crab with Riho being bent way too far back. Somehow that doesn’t break Riho in half so Shida sticks with the power by throwing Riho around some more.

A superplex is broken up though with Shida being sent down to the apron for a top rope double stomp. Back up and Shida goes for a Stretch Muffler but Riho makes the rope. With JR demanding separation, Shida pulls her away from the rope and bends the knee around some more. Riho escapes and hits a double stomp but can’t follow up. Shida’s running knee to the arms over Riho’s face gets two and frustration is setting in.

Riho grabs the leg to slow Shida down and it’s a northern lights suplex to drop Shida. A missed kick in the corner sets up the Alberto double stomp on Shida, followed by running knees for two. Shida is right back up with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two and Shida is ready for a rollup. The second attempt works for Riho and puts Shida away at 13:14.

Rating: C. Again: next please. I know there is a reason for these things but it’s not clicking and seeing Riho vs. Rose is about the least most interesting combination they could go with for the first title match. There are so many interesting names on the roster and they pick these two for the best options? I get why with both of them, but it’s really not worth seeing.

We recap Cody vs. Shawn Spears. Cody brought Spears in and said he was a good hand who could become a player/coach. Spears didn’t like that and hit Cody with a chair to bust him open, plus got Tully Blanchard as a manager. This one is personal.

Cody vs. Shawn Spears

Shawn has Tully Blanchard in his corner but Cody counters with Pharaoh (who does not look happy about appearing), Brandi, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Diamond Dallas Page in Star Trek gear. Only MJF stays and I think you know where this is going. Cody dives onto Spears before the bell and the fight heads into the crowd early on. They head back inside for the opening bell and go right back to the floor with Tully grabbing Cody’s arm so Spears can get in a low blow.

Back in and Cody shrugs off some chops but a suicide dive is knocked away because Spears saw it coming on the screen. That’s a nice touch that you don’t see very often. Back in and Spears hammers away with left hands to the head. Cody gets in the Dustin uppercut but misses a charge into the post. A hanging DDT onto the apron rocks Cody and it’s time for the weight belt.

Earl Hebner isn’t letting that happen though and yells, but the distraction lets Tully slip in a regular belt to beat on Cody again. Cody no sells a belt shot to the head and the beatdown is on. A springboard cutter into an Alabama Slam makes it even worse for Spears and it’s time for the leg. The Figure Four is applied but Spears turns it over, with an assist from Tully. They head outside with Cody getting dropped on the ramp, only to have MJF drag Cody back towards the ring.

Back in and Cross Rhodes hits Spears but Tully has the referee for a distraction. MJF tries to come in though, allowing Tully to get Spears a breather. Hang on though as Tully and MJF get in a choke off, allowing Spears to kick MJF in the face. The fight heads to the floor…and here’s Arn Anderson of all people with a spinebuster to Spears, which draws Tully up the ramp after Arn. Cody grabs a chair and hits the Disaster Kick to send it into Spears’ head, setting up Cross Rhodes for the pin at 17:28.

Rating: C+. This was a bit better than I was expecting but as tends to be the case in a Cody match, it was too much stuff going on and the show was hurt as a result. Spears was good enough as a heel, though it feels like MJF is the real big bad for Cody later on. It was fine, though the show is starting to run long and it’s hurting things a bit.

Post match MJF teases a chair shot to Cody but hugs him instead.

We recap the ladder match. The Young Bucks and the Lucha Bros have fought a bunch of times and now they’re fighting in a ladder match for the final win.

AAA Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. Young Bucks

The Bros are defending in a ladder match and the Bucks are in deer masks (bucks you see) Thankfully they come off after the bell as I have enough trouble remembering which is which in the first place. Pentagon breaks up a very early Meltzer Driver attempt and the Bucks are sent outside early on. A ladder shot breaks up a Bros dive and the Bucks start the kicking. Fenix is right back up with a springboard flip dive over a ladder to take everyone down.

Back in and Nick and Fenix springboard onto the ladder but get taken down with rolling cutters. Since we’re doing the “we know each other so well” sequences, it’s a pair of spears to put Nick and Fenix through tables at ringside. That leaves Pentagon to kick Matt in the leg but Matt sends him outside for a flip dive. Back in and Nick rolls some northern lights suplexes on Pentagon but Fenix is back up with a springboard hurricanrana to send Nick into a ladder.

The Bros springboard off the ropes and then off the ladder to take out both Bucks. Another ladder is brought in but Nick gorilla presses Fenix and spears Pentagon down. Nick springboards onto the ladder, which is nowhere near the belts, but gets it turned over. That’s fine with Nick, who springboards off the top to take Pentagon down outside. Fenix’s springboard moonsaults takes Nick down so it’s Pentagon and Matt fighting on top of the ladder.

A super Sling Blade brings Matt off the ladder and it’s Pentagon going outside. That means a suicide dive from Nick, leaving Fenix to hit a Canadian Destroyer on Matt. A table is brought in as JR talks about barbecue sauce. Just because we need one, Pentagon hits a Canadian Destroyer off the ladder to drive Matt through the table and everyone is pretty much dead.

With the other two down, Nick and Fenix put them on tables and climb ladders at opposite sides of the ring. They shout at each other and there are the big dives through their brothers so everyone is down again. Nick and Fenix fight over another ladder until Nick dives over it for a tornado DDT. Two tables are set up at ringside but Nick has to superkick Fenix to prevent a climb. Since back to back huge moves don’t keep you down long, Matt is back in with a Crossface on Pentagon but lets go to cut Fenix off again.

Nick is alone on top so he teases a dive, allowing Pentagon to superkick Matt and then shove the ladder over, sending Nick through the tables. Matt and Pentagon go up with Matt taking off the mask, but Fenix kicks the ladder out for the bigger crash. Pentagon has the mask back on and it’s a spike Fear Factor onto the bridged ladder to kill Matt dead. The Bros FINALLY get the titles for the win at 24:06.

Rating: B. It was a complete stunt show spot fest and that’s all it was trying to be. There was no storytelling and nothing in the way of psychology as everything was one spot after another. Now in this case, that’s what it was supposed to be and in that sense it worked well. Now at the same time, it went on longer than it should have this late in a show and there were way too many instances of the teams having a chance to go up and then doing a spot instead.

Post match some masked men come in and beat down the Lucha Bros. The Bucks get laid out as well and it’s Santana and Ortiz, formerly known as LAX. Their matches with the Bros in Impact were awesome so I’m more than good with that.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Adam Page. Jericho beat Kenny Omega and Page won a battle royal to earn their spots here, then Jericho busted him open to make things personal. Tonight it’s for the inaugural title.

AEW World Title: Adam Page vs. Chris Jericho

The title is vacant coming in and Page rides in on a horse. We get Big Match Intros and an introduction from the referee to stretch things out even more. Page drives him into the corner to start and it’s an early clean break. A fall away slam and a clothesline put Jericho on the floor but he’s right back in with a middle rope dropkick.

The Liontamer attempt is broken up so Page sends him outside for a suicide dive. A top rope clothesline gives Page two and he ducks the triangle dropkick. The shooting star off the apron is blocked though and Page is down on the floor. Jericho knocks him off the barricade for a big crash with Page’s elbow banging into the barricade. Back in and Jericho bends the arm around the rope, followed by a backsplash for two.

Page fights back up with some strikes and a sliding lariat. The middle rope Russian legsweep gets two but a piledriver attempt is countered into the Walls to put Page in real trouble. That’s broken up and a discus punch busts Jericho open. Page slowly throws him back in, yells at the referee, and then punches Jericho down.

As JR asks if Jericho has enough soldiers in his tank, Page hits a super swinging neckbreaker, followed by the Buckshot Lariat. The Deadeye is countered into the Walls again but Page gets out one more time. Jericho is sent outside and Page’s top rope moonsault….somewhat connects.

Another Buckshot Lariat is countered into the Codebreaker (cool) for two and they’re both down again. Page gets back up but the running shooting star hits knees. The Deadeye is countered into a sunset flip but another attempt plants Jericho….for two. Another Buckshot Lariat misses and the Judas Effect gives Jericho the pin and the title at 26:23.

Rating: C+. It was a perfectly watchable match but it went on too long and the fans were just done by the end. Jericho winning was pretty clear about halfway through (at the latest) and while it makes sense to have the World Title (especially the first one) go longer than anything else, it came after a very long show. Jericho isn’t likely to hold the title for a long time but he’s the right call for the first champion.

Page is crushed as Jericho poses with the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. These shows have got to be shortened a bit as the length is their biggest problem. Eventually you’re two and a half hours in and looking at the clock because the show just keeps going with one long match after another. What we got was mostly good and it set up some stuff for later but my goodness it felt every bit of those five hours.

They need to shorten a few matches (it’s ok to have something go seven or eight minutes) and do something in between them every now and then, just for the sake of a breather. Having it be two hours a week will help, but these pay per views have got to pick up the pace a bit. This didn’t change a lot and I wouldn’t say it built up any real momentum for them, but I’m really not as interested in the promotion as I used to be. I hope TV helps them with that, because their spark isn’t going to last forever with these five hour shows that aren’t exactly burning the house down.

Results

SoCal Uncensored b. A Small Boy/A Boy And His Dinosaur – Best Meltzer Ever to Stunt

Pac b. Kenny Omega – Brutalizer

Jimmy Havoc b. Joey Janela and Darby Allin – Acid Rainmaker through a barrel to Janela

Dark Order b. Best Friends – Fatality to Barreta

Riho b. Hikaru Shida – Rollup

Cody b. Shawn Spears – Cross Rhodes

Lucha Bros b. Young Bucks – Bros pulled down the titles

Chris Jericho b. Adam Page – Judas Effect

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: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #72
Date: August 24, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re on the road to Dallas and War Chamber, meaning things should start picking up around here. That being said, it’s picking up at some odd spots as the World Champion is in the big team gimmick match and everything else has been the focus of the show. It has made for a different direction around here and that’s not exactly a great thing. Let’s get to it.

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

Mance Warner has been arrested on unspecified charges. More later.

Opening sequence.

Promociones Dorado may know something about Warner being arrested so we’ll be hearing from them later.

Hijo de LA Park vs. Zenshi

Salina de la Renta is at the police station giving her statement on Warner (who was arrested for aggravated assault over last week’s chainsaw incident) so Park is on his own here. Zenshi is from Chile and we’ve seen him before. Park starts with the hip swivel so Zenshi flips over him and it’s time for an exchange of evading. Zenshi slides to the floor and gets caught with the suicide dive for the first major contact. The 619 on the apron doesn’t have much effect on Hijo, who sends him into the barricade and gets in a powerbomb onto the apron.

Back in and a release German suplex gives Park two but Zenshi sends him hard into the corner. That means a diagonal Coast to Coast (that’s a new one, albeit in a smaller ring), which made me think “there’s no way he’s doing that” and then he did it). Hijo is right back with a Code Red Canadian Destroyer for his own two and a pop up powerbomb for the same. Back up and Zenshi hits an awkward looking running flip cutter (think a running headscissors but with a cutter) for the pin at 5:58.

Rating: C-. Zenshi has talent but needs some more experience and a little bit more time to get established. That Coast to Coast looked awesome and the spinning cutter could work as a finisher, but he needs to hit it faster and snappier. It’s always cool to see some fresh stars though and with the AEW crew leaving sooner rather than later, this is what they need to be doing.

Post match Park hits him with a chair ala his dad.

The Hart Foundation is ready for Maxwell Jacob Friedman tonight.

Buy MLW gear! How did it take that long to get to something like this?

There will be an MLW/The Crash show in October. Nothing wrong with that.

Video on Low Ki’s run of knockout wins.

Low Ki, now a middleweight, wants a shot at Teddy Hart and the Middleweight Title. As for Contra, they’re about to be introduced to his professional presence.

Contra warns Tom Lawlor about coming after Fatu again. Fatu says this isn’t a podcast or the octagon, so the beating is coming. The Von Erichs haven’t been forgotten either and will get what is coming to them in the War Chamber. Maybe after that we can do something with the title again, because the thing has almost been forgotten since Fatu won it.

Saturday Night Super Fight is coming.

Salina de la Renta and Jimmy Havoc (I guess last week wasn’t Loser Leaves MLW) don’t want to talk about Mance Warner but they’ll be waiting for him when he comes back.

War Chamber Control Center with nothing new. They might want to add some more stuff as the show is in less than two weeks.

The Von Erichs and Tom Lawlor are ready for War Chamber but won’t reveal their fourth member. Is there really any secret about it being Low Ki at this point?

Lawlor is ready for his rematch next week because Fatu stole his title. He didn’t steal Lawlor’s warrior heart though so Lawlor is ready for another fight.

Alexander Hammerstone won a match in Japan.

The Dynasty is happy with all of their gold and Holiday has made a pillow saying “Life If Beauty Full”. They talk about the people they don’t like (fat people, ugly people and Brian Pillman Jr.) and are ready for their matches with the Harts. Hammerstone is ready to conquer Germany and they put their fists together.

Some big shows are coming up.

Austin Aries is coming for the Middleweight Title. That’s becoming the hot division and that’s how you do it: have people talk about wanting the belt. Tonight alone, we’ve heard Low Ki, Austin and MJF talk about wanting the title, plus a middleweight match. That’s how it works and it works here too.

Middleweight Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Teddy Hart

Hart is defending and Aria Blake is with Friedman (whose belt is HUGE). Before the match, MJF has a mic but we need to stop for a lot of booing. He talks about being smarter than everyone and being better than Bret Hart, because he never lost the Middleweight Title. That’s enough to bring out Teddy (with Mr. Velvet of course) and we’re ready to go. Well after a pose off with the fans being quite a bit more behind Teddy.

They shake hands and hug but a quick spank is too much for MJF. Hart is a bit friendlier with Project Ciampa as the announcers compare the history of the two stables. Back up and Teddy snaps the arm around the ropes, setting up the Dungeon DDT for two. Aria gets up for a distraction so Teddy literally kicks her to the floor. Serves her right, though she might have just wanted some information on buying a cat.

With MJF on the floor, Hart loads up the Asai moonsault but Blake gets in the way. That earns her a seat in a chair but Hart walks into a superkick to put the champ in trouble. MJF tosses him into the post before it’s time to go back inside. This time Hart gets in a shot to the knee but gets sent into the buckle to slow things right back down. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a belly to belly into the corner for two on the champ. Hart is back up with Code Red for two and a running Canadian Destroyer rocks MJF again.

The springboard Arabian moonsault to the floor drops MJF again, followed by a rather nice top rope DDT. The moonsault elbow gets two but a lower version hits raised knees and they’re both down again. MJF hits something like a curb stomp onto the turnbuckle and, say it with me, puts on the Sharpshooter. With that broken up, MJF hits the Heat Seeking Driver for two and can’t believe the kickout. Blake throws in a shoe (honestly) and the distraction lets her get in a low blow but the referee ejects her before a cover. That’s enough of a distraction for Hart to hit the super Canadian Destroyer to retain at 12:00.

Rating: B-. This was almost every Hart match you’re going to find: a lot of flips and rather exciting, but very little in the way of selling, storytelling or anything associated. That being said, why would you want something like that in a Hart match? The point here was to have Hart do his thing and MJF cheat a lot but come up short. Hart won’t hold the title forever and whoever beats him is going to get quite the rub.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event was good but I wasn’t feeling this one for the most part. The World Title situation continues to be a sore spot as there is nothing going on with the title and it is starting to show. Instead, the Middleweight Title is what matters most these days and while that is fine, it feels like a step down from the World Title. It’s like the Harts vs. the Dynasty and Salina vs. Konnan are all that matters around here and if that’s the case, they’re going to be in trouble sooner rather than later.

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

You can’t go more than a week without mentioning these two so it’s time for another talk about them.

This was a double shot as despite being top stars on their own, they are better known as a tag team. Both of them were launched into stardom thanks to Lucha Underground as the two of them are awesome talents who got a lot of support from the American fans who had never seen them before. They have dominated almost every promotion they’ve been in since then and that will likely be the case going forward as well.

The DVD is one long video instead of the double disc set advertised on the back, but both interviews are presented in full (The advertised bonus match with Pentagon vs. Sami Callihan is nowhere to be found.  Presumably it would be on the double disc set.). The interviews, which were filmed in late August/early September 2016 (I love picking up on context clues to figure out the date, but they flat out say a show was two weeks ago at one point so it took away some of the fun) are similar as they came up together and got their starts in similar placed.

These interviews are more traditional shoots as they talk about their careers and favorite matches, along with what they have done to get where they are. This was filmed during the height of Lucha Underground so the promotion is mentioned a lot. Their careers in Mexico are heavily discussed and thankfully the interviewer clearly knows his lucha as it helped quite a bit. The interviews are good if you’re a fan of both guys, though there are some in-depth lucha libre discussions so you might need a bit of research to know what they’re talking about.

If you check it out, you might want to watch it in two parts as the interviews are aired back to back. You’ll hear a lot of the same information but it is presented differently enough to make it work. Pentagon uses a translator to answer and Fenix uses English, which is certainly clear enough to understand. Watch it if you’re a fan but it’s nothing worth the nearly three hours combined.

You can get the DVD from Highspots right here.

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #71
Date: August 17, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

Things are starting to get interesting again around here as we’re getting ready for the War Chamber in Dallas and then the big pay per view debut after that. What matters now is that Contra has its fourth member so Tom Lawlor and the Von Erichs need their own help. That could present some interesting options which is the right idea. Let’s get to it.

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

Mance Warner has a new way to deal with Salina de la Renta and has a chainsaw to cut down Ricky Martinez. There is no way this combination is going to end well.

Opening sequence.

Salina is in the ring to open things up. She wants to talk about Ricky Martinez so here he is in person, now billed as the greatest Cuban athlete of all time (a shot at Konnan).

Ricky Martinez vs. Mance Warner

Ricky crotches him on the ropes on the way in and scores with a springboard dropkick. Mance’s comeback is cut off by an RKO for two but Warner says bring it on. Some slaps to the face fire Mance up so Ricky is right back with a one knee Codebreaker for two. Martinez gets headbutted out of the air though and it’s kneepad up, kneepad down. The running knee sets up the lariat for the pin on Martinez at 2:17. Warner needed the win.

Post match Mance opens a beer but Salina spits in his face. Salina walks off so Mance throws the beer in Martinez’s face.

Richard Holliday is in his hotel room and brags about all the gold the Dynasty has. An unseen woman comes in and gets his attention.

We look at Savio Vega being injured by the Night Terror (yes Night Terror) Pendulum, which may be banned.

We look at Marshall Von Erich being blinded by Contra.

Marshall, wearing sunglasses, says he will be at War Chamber and he’s bringing Kevin Von Erich with him.

Salina doesn’t want to talk about Martinez when Konnan comes in to taunt her with the phone. He teases using her credit cards to order dinner and laughs off her threats of calling the cops, presumably due to what is on the phone. There has to be something illegal going on here.

Teddy Hart is smoking in a bathroom with his cats running around. Brian Pillman Jr. brings in Alexander Hammerstone’s jacket and relieves himself on it.

Austin Aries vs. Ace Austin

Tony realizes how annoying the name similarities are going to be, with Rich wanting to know WHO BOOKED THIS. Welcome to my life man. Aries goes for the arm to start but has to jump over Ace in the corner. A cartwheel sets up a clap around Ace’s ears as I try to not say Austin whatsoever. The middle rope elbow to Ace’s seated back gets one but Ace throws a card at him for a distraction. The boot choking begins in the corner and Ace slowly kicks him in the back.

Ace crotches him into the Tree of Woe and it’s time to choke at Aries, with Ace counting along with the referee. Aries gets in a jawbreaker and slugs away, followed by the fivearm to stun Ace. The suicide dive sends Ace into the barricade but he rolls away before the 450. A low blow sets up Ace’s rollup for two but Aries is right back with the brainbuster for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. I like Ace a lot and Aries is still as consistent of a performer as you’ll find around here so the match was quite watchable. It’s pretty clear that Aries is coming for the Middleweight Title and a win at the pay per view wouldn’t shock me. It makes sense to give someone like him that kind of a rub as he brings prestige to the title, meaning it’s a bigger deal when someone beats him for the title. Good match here with Ace hanging in there with the established star.

Post match Aries says he’s coming for the Middleweight Title.

Hammerstone isn’t happy with the jacket situation. Aria Blake shows up with the jacket, which is now ruined.

Come to house shows!

A kickboxer has signed with MLW and will debut on September 7.

MLW is partnering with Mars Labs to enhance viewing experience.

War Chamber Control Center, which will include a celebration of Gary Hart.

LA Park vs. Jimmy Havoc

Loser Leaves MLW street fight. Park plays his chair so Jimmy plays his jacket, the former of which goes upside Jimmy’s back. Havoc comes back with some armdrags (Tony: “IN A STREET FIGHT!”) as Rich thinks Havoc could use some peanut butter sandwiches. The trashcan is brought in for a shot to La Park’s head….and let’s bring in the staple gun. Before we get there though, it’s some metal signs to the head, followed by a big, table sized piece of wood.

Havoc superkicks a chair into his face/chest as Salina is not looking happy at ringside. As Tony talks about wanting Salina to throw him in her pool (uh…..), Havoc and Park chop it out at ringside. Back in and Havoc hits a middle rope double stomp for two but Park is back with a shot to the face. A running knee to the head gives Park a delayed two and it’s Tree of Woe time.

The board is put in front of Havoc’s face for a running basement dropkick so the referee makes sure Havoc isn’t dead. That means another board, with Park bridging it over some chairs and laying Jimmy on top. There is no way this can end well and Park’s top rope double stomp goes through the table. Back in and Havoc chairs him on top, setting up a superplex for two.

The staple gun is used on Park’s head and then on the crotch, which the fans find rather sick. You don’t do that to a large skeleton man though and Park powerslams him onto four chairs for two (Rich on the kickout: “WHAT???”). Park goes up for a corkscrew moonsault (which is like a small car flying at you), followed by a spear through the chairs to get rid of Havoc at 12:42.

Rating: D+. This was a very good example of what is wrong with having Park as this mega star: there was no reason to believe that Havoc was winning, which would be the case whether or not this was a way to write him off for AEW. The match was your usual garbage brawl and Park’s offense was somewhat noteworthy given his size, but I’ve seen these people do something similar so many times now and it didn’t impress me again here.

Post match Salina tells them to shake hands and promises that Konnan and Warner aren’t taking her down. Neither will the World Champion (you knew they were going to deal with Contra eventually) but here’s Warner to interrupt. He comes through the crowd with the chainsaw and Promociones Dorado runs to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show did a good job with Mance Warner, who needed a chance to look stronger for a change. He wins occasionally but a lot of the time he comes off as more of a nuisance than a threat. That was different this week and that’s the best thing that could happen to him. Other than that the show just kind of came and went, but having a show that just holds the fort until we get to Dallas is an acceptable result.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

This one is from January 2015 but it’s completely timeless.

I don’t care for the Best Friends. I never have and I don’t think I ever will. They can have some good matches with the right opponents, but there is something about them I just cannot bring myself to care about. When I pulled this one out of the box, I kind of rolled my eyes a bit as I can never escape from these people. Then I found out that it’s them interviewing Teddy Hart and had no idea what to think. It wound up being way different than what I would have ever expected.

This is one of the most unique interviews you’ll ever see as there is very little about wrestling and much more about the life of a wrestler. There is one thing that changes this one though: Teddy Hart is completely insane. I know that word is thrown around a lot, but in this case it seems to be the case. Maybe it’s the ridiculous amount of weed he smokes or just one too many shots to the head, but you can see that Hart is several steps off but he completely embraces the whole thing. You’ll never see someone like Hart and it makes for a fascinating interview.

I’m not going to bother going into the details of the stories here because I can’t do them justice. Hart’s way of speaking and it could only work for him. You can see Trent and Chuck being terrified and intrigued by everything that he is saying and it’s rather awesome in several ways. If you can find this one, check it out whether you’re a fan of the people involved or not, because it really is like nothing else.

Oh and as a bonus: there are a dozen or no indy wrestlers in the background, including Ricochet and Drew McIntyre. They all seem disturbed too, as they should be.

IMG Credit: WWE

With Summerslam finally out of the way, I had some extra time and started back in on the pile of DVDs I bought a few weeks back.  I took care of this one, which was the first of the set so far that had actual wrestling (shocking I know).  Let’s get to it.

Bigelow is an interesting case as he’s one of the first high flying big men to gain prominence in America.  He had a very unique look with a lot of size that could move around, but that head tattoo is one of the best trademarks you’ll ever see.  He was always someone to watch and would have been a main event player back in the late 1980s had his knees not given out (and had he not been as loyal to Japan).  If nothing else, he was the first wrestler whose name I could say as a baby, though given that my first word was cranium (I don’t get it either), I don’t know how much of a positive that is.

What we have here is a collection of very random matches and parts of a 1998 shoot interview.  The interview itself is about two hours and forty five minutes but we only get about forty five minutes here.  What we do get is rather entertaining though as Bigelow is a pretty good interview, talking about everywhere he’s been (which is a lot of places) and speaking highly of himself, but not going insane.  He has praise for some people and criticisms for others so it’s not like he’s going nuts or anything.  At the same time, his discussions of what happens when you have no competition and a billionaire comes along with a bunch of money to invest in wrestling hold up 21 years later in an almost eerie manner.  I could go for the whole interview as what we got was intriguing stuff.

The matches….I don’t get it.  I understand that they could only use certain stuff so we have an indy match, a pair of ECW fancam matches and a short clip from a Memphis match in 1986, but there’s one problem: Bigelow goes 1-3 in these matches, including losing a title in one of them.  If the set is supposed to be a nice look at Bigelow, who in the world thought showing him losing most of the time was a good idea?

The whole thing only runs about an hour and a half so it’s a very quick sit with one good match and some interesting stuff in the interview, so this was as easy of a DVD as you could sit through.  The other three matches combine to be about as long as the good one so even they don’t weigh it down too much.  It’s a nice entry, but it feels like it was put together without thinking things through.  Bigelow isn’t going to get the big WWE DVD release so this is about all you can ask for.

And now, the matches.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Samu
Date: November 6, 1998
Location: Patterson Catholic High School, Patterson, New Jersey
Commentators: Unknown

This is from an Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling (ISPW) event. Samu (Roman Reigns’ father) is a pretty big guy as well, though nowhere near as big as Bigelow of course. Commentary talks about Bigelow being a champion everywhere in the world. And that’s very true, assuming you leave out the two biggest companies he had worked for so far. Samu jumps him at the bell and gets in a “beautiful eye rake”. Bigelow comes out of the corner with some clotheslines and it’s time to go out to the floor.

Samu goes into various metal objects as one of the commentators suggests going after the bare pinkie toe. Back in and Bigelow misses a splash in the corner, allowing Samu to hit a “beautiful” side kick. Choking ensues and what looked to be a low blow in the corner keeps Bigelow in trouble. Samu bites in the corner and pokes him in the eye, only to miss a splash of his own. The referee gets bumped off a clothesline, just as Bigelow hits his headbutt. The timing of these things is one of the great marvels of wrestling. Cue another Samoan to hit Bigelow with a chair though and Samu gets the pin at 3:49.

Rating: D+. Of all the matches you could pick for Bigelow, you start the match with a loss? I know it’s kind of hard to find an indy match for him, but you would think they could find a squash win for him. Either way, they treated Bigelow as a big deal here and it wasn’t a clean loss, but the match wasn’t even that good.

Post match, Bigelow promises to get a piece of Samu’s a** and make it his. That’s getting a tad personal, no?

ECW TV Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Date: April 4, 1998
Location: Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo, New York
Attendance: 2,600

Bigelow is defending and this is fan cam footage so the quality isn’t exactly quality. Bigelow (with a bandage on the side of his head) comes out to Welcome To The Jungle and the star power is strong with this one as Bigelow almost charges to the ring and you can feel the raw energy. The song is kind of perfect for a wrestling entrance (it was used in the WrestleCon Supershow Battle Royal and one of the commentators said “This could be any independent wrestler since the 80s!”) but my goodness it’s weird to see Bigelow with a belt. Van Dam (with Bill Alfonso) is just a cocky heel at this point and not the ECW legend he would become.

We get some LAWRENCE TAYLOR chants during the Big Match Intros for a little old school twist. They take their time to start with Bigelow being weary of the kicks. Bigelow gets smart and punches him in the face but Rob is right back with the kicks. For some reason Rob tries a charge in the corner and is thrown down like he’s not even there. I mean, as much as you can throw something that isn’t there….I think. We get a breather on the floor so Fonzie can give Van Dam some pointers, or maybe make a weed order.

Back in and Bigelow pounds away some more but the top rope kick to the face takes him down. Rolling Thunder: beta version gets one and Bigelow low bridges him to the floor. That means an exchange of postings before Van Dam’s headscissors is easily countered with a shove over the barricade. They’re playing up a nice story here with Rob using all of his flying and athleticism and Bigelow just using raw power.

The fight into the crowd is capped off with Bigelow being sent face first into the barricade and then getting kicked right back into the chairs. Fonzie declares Bigelow soft as a boiled egg as Van Dam pelts a chair at Bigelow’s head. That sets up the big dive over the barricade as Van Dam is breaking him down. A CRAZY top rope flip dive over the barricade takes Bigelow down again but Van Dam crashes even harder. The legdrop over the barricade (minus the spin) keeps Bigelow in trouble but Van Dam is spent from all the flips.

Bigelow is back up with a slam onto the timekeeper’s table and a big elbow off the apron puts Van Dam through it in a crash that isn’t as big as you would expect around here. It takes some time for them to get up so Van Dam kicks him in the head, with the bandage gone and the blood flowing. Back in and Bigelow runs him over again but misses the moonsault (I always liked how he did those), setting up the Five Star (or close to it) for two.

A Samoan drop (with Van Dam landing on his shoulder) gets two and Bigelow spikes him with a scary looking brainbuster for the same. Greetings From Asbury Park bumps the referee so here’s Sabu to throw a chair at Bigelow. Not to be outdone, Bigelow throws Sabu at Van Dam and then powerbombs him, with Sabu somehow landing on his face (only Sabu). The chair is back in though as it’s the Van Daminator for the pin and the title at 15:47.

Rating: B-. Remind me to not sign up for a compilation DVD anytime soon as it seems to be a bunch of losses. I liked this one and the interference at the end is fine as it makes sense to have Fonzie’s guys cheat to win the title. Van Dam was about to have a rocket attached to his back as he would hold the title for nearly two years without ever being defeated for it as a broken ankle forced him to vacate it.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. New Jack
Date: February 20, 1998
Location: Woodbridge Armory, Woodbridge, New Jersey
Attendance: 1,200

Fancam again and since it’s a New Jack match, the music is blaring so loudly that there may or may not have been a bell. Bigelow jumps him during the entrance and pounds away with a headbutt sending Jack into the pile of weapons. A low blow is loaded up as Bigelow somehow doesn’t notice Jack holding a big metal sheet, which goes right along the tattooed head. And now, here’s an umbrella, because Jack apparently inspired Jack Gallagher.

There’s a trashcan lid to the head and a low blow with what looked like a garden hoe. Bigelow gets in a trashcan shot and then follows it up with a trashcan shot to send Jack outside (I don’t see this ending well). The timekeeper’s table is laid against the barricade but Bigelow throws him through it instead. Back in and Bigelow stomps away but gets knocked down with a cookie sheet and a golf club. Cue Chris Candido and Shane Douglas (Bigelow’s Triple Threat teammates) to go after New Jack, allowing Bigelow to hit a DDT. A splash and the headbutt finish New Jack at 5;52.

Rating: D+. Well at least he won something. This was all about the weapons vs. the wrestler though Bigelow can brawl very well in his own right. I’ve never cared for New Jack for the most part but it’s hard not to smile a little bit at him being so into what he does. As long as they don’t advertise him as a wrestler and just acknowledge that he’s a gimmick nutjob, he can be acceptable in small doses like this one.

Post match the beatdown is on until someone (looks like John Kronus) comes in for the save. This goes badly for him as well with Greetings From Asbury Park leaving him laying. Jack and Kronus get destroyed with the weapons.

AWA Southern Title/AWA International Title: Jerry Lawler vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Date: September 8, 1986
Location: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentator: Lance Russell

Lawler is International Champion, Bigelow is Southern Champion and this is a Texas Deathmatch, meaning Last Man Standing but you have to get a pin before the count starts. Therefore, we’re joined in progress in the seventh fall, with Russell saying we’re about thirty minutes in. Lawler knocks him down but gets whipped into the referee in the corner.

A splash gives Bigelow the pin from a groggy referee, who doesn’t notice Lawler’s feet on the ropes. Bigelow’s manager Larry Sharpe blasts Bigelow with a chair by mistake and they’re both down after a rest period. Lawler gets to his feet first and gets both titles at 4:14 shown. I’m not rating four minutes (with over a minute of the two of them laying after the bell) of a thirty minute match but this was classic Memphis.

Post match Sharpe beats Bigelow up, which for some reason needed a quick intro from Lawler.

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #70
Date: August 10, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in New York and things have been staying interesting around here as we move towards the first pay per view. Last week’s big story saw Davey Boy Smith Jr. getting a bit annoyed at his sister Georgia for dating Alexander Hammerstone. I’m not sure what to expect from that this week but it should be another fun one. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Rey Horus vs. Bestia 666

They lock up to start with Bestia getting slowed down by a wristlock. Horus flips out of the same thing from Bestia and then grabs a springboard armdrag for two. A dropkick sends Bestia outside but they switch places so Bestia can hit the suicide dive. Some chops keep Bestia in control and a superkick gives him two. Horus is back with a headscissors to the floor and there’s the big running flip dive to keep Bestia down.

Back in and they chop it out until Horus has to hurricanrana his way out of a powerbomb attempt. A running Spanish Fly gives Horus two but Bestia is right back up with a superkick for the same. Horus’ super victory roll is blocked so he settles for an armdrag off the top instead. Back up and Bestia crotches him on top, setting up a kneeling MuscleBuster for the pin at 9:37.

Rating: C. They did the flying stuff well here and Bestia gets to look like more of a monster for whomever he gets to face in his next major match. It’s not the most common thing to have someone in MLW wrestle on back to back weeks so they clearly plan on doing something significant with Bestia.

Post match Salina de la Renta says she is the greatest promoter of all time, unlike that fake legend like Konnan. She wants her phone back so here’s Konnan to interrupt. He offers to let her feel the phone, setting up a classic THAT’S ENOUGH. Tonight Savio Vega is getting an Openweight Title match but according to the phone, Savio isn’t getting a bonus payment that he was owed. Cue Savio to rip up his Promociones Dorado contract and leave with Konnan.

The Dynasty is in a penthouse, which was paid for by the closing of an orphanage. Maxwell Jacob Friedman comes in with the Gift Train, meaning that Hammerstone and Holliday get new Rolexes. Friedman brings up the Hart Foundation but Hammerstone is tired of hearing about them. They mock Teddy Hart for his drug habits and it’s a group hug. They all leave in tears. Ok then.

The Hart Foundation hasn’t forgotten the Dynasty and practice standing moonsaults on their hotel bed.

The Opera Cup, a tournament that took place for over fifty years but hasn’t been awarded in over seventy years, is coming back.

Contra introduces us to their newest member: Ikuro Kwon, a pit fighter from Singapore. He’s the one who blinded Marshall Von Erich last week.

We get the War Chamber Control Center with a rundown of the War Chamber rules.

Ross Von Erich had a role in Hobbs and Shaw. Good for him.

We look at Marshall being blinded last week. It’s still an awesome heel move.

Tom Lawlor and Ross Von Erich talk about Marshall being in Hawaii to see an eye specialist. Lawler promises to get revenge on Contra.

MLW is partnering with the Crash in Mexico.

Mance Warner has his white board to explain his game plan against Promociones Dorado. His first step: draw trees. Second step: grab a chainsaw and cut the board in half, just like he’s going to cut down Salina’s boys. He didn’t actually cut it up, but Mance having a chainsaw isn’t going to go well.

Contra Unit vs. Jay Sky/Ariel Dominguez

It’s Samael/Gotch for the team here. Gotch suplexes Dominguez down and Samael puts on a camel clutch for the tap at 30 seconds. Now that’s a squash.

Post match Samael uses the spike to carve up Dominguez’s mouth.

Video on War Chamber.

Long recap of the Konnan/Salina phone issue. Next week it’s LA Park vs. Jimmy Havoc in a Loser Leaves MLW match to give Konnan his first demand.

Also next week: Mance Warner vs. Ricky Martinez.

National Openweight Title: Alexander Hammerstone vs. Savio Vega

Vega is challenging and is here alone while Hammerstone has the rest of the Dynasty with him. Friedman even does a good strut on the floor before the bell. Feeling out process to start with Hammerstone shoving him into the corner and getting chopped back for his efforts. That doesn’t work with Hammerstone, who knocks Vega right back down, only to miss a charge into the corner. Hammerstone knocks him down again and the stomping commences.

A powerslam gives Hammerstone two and it’s off to a front facelock. Hammerstone kicks him in the face for another knockdown as this is just above a sparring session so far. A missile dropkick misses and the slow motion comeback is on with Vega kicking him in the chest. Hold on though as Friedman removes a turnbuckle pad, with Hammerstone whipping Vega into the steel. The Nightmare Pendulum (with Vega landing on his feet for a bad looking (yet understandable) botch) retains the title at 7:41.

Rating: D. Yeah this was bad. I’m not sure what else you can really expect from the fifty five year old Vega against a monster like Hammerstone but there wasn’t much else they could do. I know Vega is a bigger deal in Puerto Rico and is certainly a name some people will remember, but the match was a waste of Hammerstone’s time.

Post match Brian Pillman Jr. comes out to steal Hammerstone’s jacket as Vega is checked on to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one as the wrestling was barely anything worthwhile and the big reveal was the name of a previously unknown man. We’re coming up on some bigger shows down the line but this one felt like a bunch of quick news bits with wrestling sprinkled in. They can do better and I’m thinking this is just a one off misfire.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

New Japan On AXS
Date: August 3, 2019
Location: Osaka Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan
Attendance: 5,555
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Rocky Romero, Chris Charlton

First of all, no I’m not doing this show regularly, just for the sake of time. Someone asked me to do a show though and since I can’t say no, here we are. This is from night 13 of the G1 Climax Tournament and that means we’re likely in for a bunch of big matches with some matches that earn some high praise. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap looks at Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi’s success throughout the tournament. The star power is sounding very high for this one.

All matches are from the A Block and a win is good for two points.

Bad Luck Fale (2 points) vs. Kenta (8 points)

Chase Owens is on commentary, Kenta would be Hideo Itami and Fale has Jado with him. The much bigger Fale grabs Kenta by the throat for the early choking, plus a Jado kendo stick from the floor. A trip to the floor means a whip into the barricade for Kenta and it’s Fale starting in on the back. Some shots to the head put Kenta down again but he’s back up with the tornado DDT across the top rope. The top rope clothesline drops the monster and a DDT gets two.

The springboard missile dropkick looked to come up short but Fale is knocked into the corner anyway. That means some running kicks to the face to keep Fale down and a top rope double stomp gets two. Fale is back up with a clothesline but Kenta reverses what looked to be a chokeslam into the triangle choke. Game Over (YES Lock) makes Owens tap but Owens has the referee. Jado comes in with the kendo stick but the distraction lets Fale get a rollup pin at 7:21.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here with Kenta having to fight against the odds and coming up shoot against Fale, who didn’t seem to be the greatest in-ring worker here. The big monster certainly looks different in New Japan but that doesn’t mean they’re the most viable option around. Kenta looked more comfortable here, though I’m still not seeing the superstar in him that we were promised for so long.

Lance Archer (4 points) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (4 points)

Both are part of Suzuki-Gun. Archer, a rather big guy at about 6’8, is a bit insane and runs/knocks over a bunch of people on the way to the ring. Sabre starts dodging the big boot attempts to start and the early frustrations might be setting in for Archer. A headlock is countered with Sabre’s signature twists but Archer nips up out of a top wristlock and throws him down. Sabre gets stomped and choked near the ropes as the big vs. small formula is in full swing so far.

Archer slams him down but misses a knee drop out of the corner, allowing Sabre go take him down into a grapevined ankle lock. Since Archer is rather tall he can reach the rope, which had to be a full eight inches away from him. We go to the sleeper on the giant’s back, but it feels a bit more dangerous since it’s Sabre putting it on. Archer slams him down and takes it to the floor, only to have Sabre grab the leg as Archer gets back inside. A guillotine choke is thrown off as well as Sabre just can’t find a way around the power.

Old School is countered with a crotching so Sabre tries a guillotine on top, which is thrown down again. Archer goes aerial with a crossbody but the chokeslam is countered into a triangle choke. The threat of a weird cousin of the Rings of Saturn is broken up with a long leg on the rope. A powerbomb gives Archer two but he has to power out of an armbar. Sabre starts kicking at the arms so Archer goes with a Black Hole Slam for two. The chokeslam connects and the Blackout (looks like a reverse Razor’s Edge) is loaded up, only to have Sabre roll him up for the pin at 10:41.

Rating: C+. I liked this a good bit. Archer is said to have had a career resurgence in this tournament and I can see why with a performance like this. Being his size in New Japan is going to keep him busy as they don’t have too many giants. The rope walk and some of the raw power are going to keep him relevant and this was a good David vs. Goliath story, which is one of the easiest ways to go about doing something. Even if David is a cocky pest that you want to see get kicked in the face.

Evil (6 points) vs. Will Ospreay (4 points)

Ospreay’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. Ospreay goes for the wristlock to start and sends Evil outside. The teased big dive doesn’t launch as Ospreay flips back into the superhero pose as only he (and Ricochet) can do. Evil finds a chair and throws it in but Ospreay is ready for it and they go with the rapid fire shots to the head. Ospreay gets kicked down and a big clothesline puts him on the floor. The chair is wrapped around Ospreay’s neck and the other chair knocks the first one off for a spot that has to be a big scary to take.

Back in and Evil stays on the back and neck before grabbing the chinlock (nothing wrong with some basic psychology). Ospreay fights up and gets a Stunner for the breaker, followed by the running forearm to put Evil in the corner. Pip Pip Cheerio (Phenomenal Forearm) gets two but Evil suplexes him into the corner to bang the neck up again. Ospreay is right back with a running kick to the face to send Evil outside.

You know what that means and it’s a cartwheel into the no hands moonsault to the floor for the double knockdown. Back in and something close to Coast to Coast (Evil was on the apron with his head sticking in and close enough to the corner) connects for two. Stormbreaker is blocked (Kelly: “That’s a big a**.” It might have been “ask” but it’s a funny line otherwise.) and it’s an exchange of forearms for the double knockdown.

They slug it out from their knees until Evil hits Darkness Falls (a fireman’s carry into a sitout spinebuster) for two. Ospreay is right back with a spinning sitout powerbomb and he’s ready to pull his hair out on the kickout. Back up and Evil headbutts him but runs into a running Spanish Fly for another near fall.

The Oscutter (always cool) gets two more and you could tell the fans bought that as the finish. Stormbreaker is countered again so Ospreay hits the 630 kick to the head (Robinson Special) but the top rope Oscutter is countered into a half and half suplex. A second one knocks Ospreay silly and a huge lariat gives Evil two more. Everything Is Evil (STO) finally puts Ospreay down at 17:08.

Rating: A-. The near falls were awesome in this one and they built up the neck damage throughout the match. Ospreay is a great high flier and his size makes him that much more fun to watch. Evil has gone from what seems to be a gimmick character into a much more complete performer so I can more than live with watching these two again. Awesome match here with that near fall off the Oscutter stealing the show.

Kota Ibushi (8 points) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (8 points)

Yeah this works. They go to the mat for an exchange of headlocks to start until Ibushi dropkicks him in the face. Tanahashi takes the leg and puts it back on the mat for a good old fashioned leglock. Ibushi finally makes it over to the rope and is right back up with a running kick to the face. A standing moonsault gives Ibushi two but Tanahashi is right back with a pair of dragon screw legwhips.

The Cloverleaf goes on until Ibushi makes the rope as Tanahashi is going with a pretty simple (yet intelligent) strategy here. The leg is wrenched around the ropes and Tanahashi goes up, only to get caught with a super hurricanrana for a pretty close two. Back up and Tanahashi tries a dropkick to the knee but Ibushi jumps over it and lands on Tanahashi’s chest for a double stomp in a sweet counter.

A lawn dart into the corner knocks Tanahashi silly and it’s a deadlift German superplex to make it even worse for two. Tanahashi throws a left hand and Ibushi gets VERY serious. That means more slaps, with these staggering Ibushi a bit. Some more almost put him down but Ibushi blasts him with a clothesline for the double knockdown.

The sitout powerbomb gives Ibushi two but the big knee strike is countered into a trio of Twist and Shouts (swinging neckbreaker). A Sling Blade gives Tanahashi two, only to have the High Fly Flow miss for the big crash. The Boom Ye (Daniel Bryan knee) connects for two so Ibushi kicks him in the head a few times, setting up the big knee strike for the pin at 15:56.

Rating: B+. Ibushi is one of those guys who has grown a lot over the years as he has gone from a guy who is best known for a lot of flips to someone who can pin Tanahashi clean without it being a shocking upset. You can tell Tanahashi is nowhere near what he used to be, but even a fairly damaged Tanahashi is still better than almost anyone in the world. Very good match here, though I liked Ospreay vs. Evil just a bit better.

Post match they’re both down with Tanahashi saying something to Ibushi.

Sanada (4 points) vs. Kazuchika Okada (12 points)

Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line and he’s undefeated so far. They stand around for a good while to start with no significant contact for the first minute. Sanada takes him down into an early armbar which is reversed just as fast. The headlock keeps things slow as they seem to be killing some time (thirty minute time limit here so the draw is an actual possibility).

The legsweeps into the covers for less than one each give us another standoff and things reset. Back up and commentary suggests that Okada isn’t taking Sanada as seriously as he should, just as Sanada hits a basement dropkick to the head. Okada blocks the Paradise Lock so Sanada elbows him in the face for two. The chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s Okada up with an elbow of his own, followed by a DDT for two more.

Sanada gets knocked outside and a running kick sends him over the barricade. Another DDT plants him on the floor so Okada can chill in the corner for a bit. Okada hits a running kick to the face as the fans don’t seem pleased with him. Then we get an OKADA chant as the fans seem a bit confused here. Sanada comes back with his own dropkick to the floor and the slingshot dive takes Okada down again. Now it’s a SANADA chant, meaning I probably misheard the previous one.

Back in and the Paradise Lock works this time, allowing Sanada to hit the running dropkick for two more. One heck of a flapjack (always love that move) drops Sanada and we get a breather. It’s Okada slowly getting up and looking more serious as the strike off begins. Sanada takes him down and hits a basement dropkick, followed by a hard belly to back for two. Sanada’s springboard is countered into White Noise onto the knee and the top rope elbow makes it even worse.

The Rainmaker is loaded up, giving us the always cool zoom out shot. That’s broken up so Okada settles for the Tombstone but the Rainmaker is countered again. A hanging twisting neckbreaker drops Okada but Sanada is too banged up. The slow motion slugout from their knees goes on until they get up, with Okada telling him to throw the forearms at the neck. The uppercuts go to Sanada and Okada actually drops to a knee.

Back up and the Rainmaker is countered again but so is the Tombstone this time, with Sanada switching to something like a dragon sleeper. A tiger suplex gives Sanada two and a TKO gets the same. The moonsault misses but Sanada lands on his feet like a pro. Okada grabs the arm and hits the Rainmaker (which is still…..oh never mind), followed by another for no cover. A third Rainmaker is countered into one from Sanada, who goes back to the dragon sleeper.

This time though he swings Okada around by the neck (egads) before going into the full version with the bodyscissors. Okada fights up but Sanada pulls him back down to get it on again. The fans are WAY into this (as they should be) and Okada reverses into a rollup for two but Sanada grabs it for the third time with three minutes left.

Sanada finally lets go with two minutes left but the moonsault hits raised….legs. Not quite as impactful as knees but Okada just had his head cranked back for three minutes so his accuracy is a bit off. There’s less than a minute left and Okada hits the dropkick but the Rainmaker is countered into a pop up cutter. Back to back moonsaults finish Okada at 29:48.

Rating: A. Oh yeah this was awesome (killing off the dragon sleeper aside) with Sanada throwing everything he had at Okada to FINALLY beat him. This felt very similar to Roderick Strong trying and trying to beat Jay Lethal for the ROH World Title but always coming up short until he did everything he could to finish Lethal in the end. It was the same story here and again it’s one of those that is always going to work. Great main event with Sanada getting the biggest win of his career.

Post match Sanada talks about finally beating his rival (thank goodness for subtitles for a change) and even gets a spotlight to make it feel cooler. He lost to Okada in this building a year ago and it made him hate Okada. Now Osaka is his favorite place in Japan because he finally did it. Sanada says he’ll see us next time and he falls to the mat in happiness.

At the post match press conference, Sanada says that was his gift to the people at home.

A look at the updated standings wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A-. As usual, I can see why this is such a popular show and the action more than lived up to the hype. All three of the big matches felt like instant classics and while they might not mean anything for everyone involved at the moment, you got some great matches with commentary selling the whole thing all the way. Great show here and worth seeing if you get the chance.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: Preston City Wrestling

Better Than A Bollard
Date: May 18, 2018
Location: Envoque, Preston, England
Commentators: Greg Lambert, Stallion

This is the final show from the Independentwrestling.TV cycle I’ve been on and it’s from a company I’ve actually heard of. It’s a Preston City Wrestling event and while I’ve heard mixed reviews from the company, there are at least some names on the card I’m familiar with, at least to a certain extent. Let’s get to it.

Usual disclaimer: I don’t follow this company and know nothing about them.

After some quick graphics of a special appearance and one match, what seems to be the main interviewer gets the show’s name wrong (bigger instead of better). She talks about how we’re in a smaller show at the moment because that big company (guess) is in England. We talk to some fans at ringside, which is as painful as you can probably imagine. The interviewer talks to a fan, who is rather confused about what he’s seeing tonight because his favorite wrestler isn’t on the card.

Another fan likes T-Bone to retain the title because he’s muscular and has nice tattoos. Other fans want to see other matches as I’m not sure why this is airing on a show that is less than two and a half hours in the first place. Another fan is here on her birthday and wants Lionheart to win the PCW Title tonight. A member of the Preston City Council is here and wants Lionheart to win as well. He does seem to know what he’s talking about here and sounds like a longtime fan for a bit of a surprise. For the future, he wants us to come to the upcoming charity show. Nothing wrong with that.

We’re still not ready for the actual matches so here’s Cruiserweight Champion Dean Allmark to talk about being ready to defend against Johnny Storm. They’ve both been around for a long time but tonight should be a good match. The interviewer suggests that Allmark was on a WWE show earlier this week and he doesn’t disagree.

After ten minutes of chattering, we’re ready to go. Was that some bonus pre-show that they just threw on here as an extra?

Opening sequence, which is mainly featuring former WWE stars.

The ring announcer, who gets his own entrance, welcomes us to the show and hypes things up as you would expect him to do.

Adam Brooks vs. Matt Cross

Cross was Son of Havoc in Lucha Underground though he’s unmasked here. Brooks hits an early shoulder so Cross backflips into a superhero pose for a standoff. A handspring elbow in the corner is caught so Cross elbows him in the face to send Brooks outside. It’s too early for Cross’ slingshot dive and Brooks sends him into the apron. Back in and some shots to the face in the corner have Cross in trouble, followed by a running kick to the face for two. Three straight covers get three straight twos as Brooks seems to be a bit stubborn.

The chinlock goes on and naturally just fires Cross up, allowing him to send Brooks outside for a suicide dive. A top rope double stomp to the back (with Cross having to be careful of the low ceiling) gets two on Brooks as you can hear fans talking over commentary. Brooks gets his own two off a slingshot DDT and frustration is setting in. They trade jumping strikes to the face until Cross hits a cutter for two. Brooks is right back with a middle rope Codebreaker for the very fast pin at 7:35.

Rating: C. Not bad here with two guys who have strong enough reputations. It’s a lot better than starting with people most fans have never heard of and gets you off on a better foot. Brooks is someone who has enough talent to work well against most people so putting him in there with a veteran like Cross was a good way to go. It’s a perfectly fine opener and the company feels professional off the bat.

Here’s Sheikh El Sham (with Maxwell Jacob Friedman (not that well known yet), though the graphic lists him as Maxwell Jacob Feinstein, which is likely a joke I’m not getting) for a match and an accompanying chat. He seems to be your standard evil/rich Sheikh, because that’s the kind of thing that will never die. Before the match, Sheikh talks about gracing the fans with his presence, earning him some not very nice chants from the fans. Friedman tells them to NOT do that so Sheikh can brag about his wealth some more. With that out of the way, Friedman brags about his own wealth and does it as well as he usually does.

Sheikh El Sham vs. Danny Hope

This seems to be part of a long running feud. Hope has Joey Hayes with him to cancel Friedman out and wears a hat with a ribbon around it for a dashing look. He also has some kind of protection on his back. Hayes insults Friedman’s scarf and the fight is almost on as a result. Sheikh’s trip into the corner goes nowhere as Hope takes him to the mat and parades around a bit. With Sheikh tied in the ropes, Danny hits a walking chop, sending Sheikh outside for a pep talk from Friedman.

Back in and Sheikh nails a dropkick, with Friedman getting in a few cheap shots from the floor as he should be doing. A hard whip into the corner stays on Hope’s back, meaning that while he might not be a great promo, he can at least pay attention. We hit the strut from Sheikh, allowing Hope to come back with some chops. A powerslam plants Sheikh and the comeback is on, including the atomic drop. Sheikh goes right back to the back though and grabs the completely original camel clutch for the tap at 7:04.

Rating: D+. That’s quite the drop in quality from the opener as Sheikh might as well have been out of 1983 with nothing original or new whatsoever to a character that would have felt played out fifteen years ago. I kept waiting for a surprise or some kind of a twist here but it was every generic rich villain that you could imagine.

Post match Hayes calls MJF a chav, meaning he wants a match of his own.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Joey Hayes

This was scheduled for later so at least it isn’t the dreaded impromptu surprise match. Good thing they were both in gear already, including Hayes’ chest protector. Friedman is fired up and grabs a fired up wristlock, which is reversed with some rolls and a pull of the arm. A stomp on Friedman’s hand sends him outside, where Sheikh kisses the hand to show what friendship is all about. Another one to the ear (Friedman: “Don’t make this weird man!”) lets Friedman get back in, allowing Joey to kick the rope for a low blow.

The Sheikh isn’t kissing that one but Joey goes outside, kicks Sheikh in the leg, and sends him face first into Friedman’s crotch. Stallion: “NOW THAT’S JUST OBSCENE!” Hayes gets a running start to set up a very soft dive to keep Friedman in trouble. Back in and an interfering referee lets Friedman gets in a forearm to the jaw to take over. Friedman starts in on the arm, including a stomp to the wrist and an armbar. Hayes fights out of an armbar on the top and hits a high crossbody to start the comeback.

There’s a neckbreaker for two but Friedman gets an elbow up in the corner. A package piledriver shoulder breaker gives Friedman two off a nasty looking landing. The lack of paying attention gets Friedman in trouble though as he chops the chest protector and hurts his hand. The hand is fine enough to poke him in the eye though, only to have Hayes come back with an enziguri. An enziguri staggers Friedman though, meaning it’s time for Sheikh to grab Hayes’ foot. The armbar goes on but Hayes reverses into a Crossface to make Friedman tap at 10:40.

Rating: C. He didn’t mean much yet at this point but you could see the star power all over Friedman here. There is such a natural charisma to him and not only do you want to see him get punched in the face, but he can wrestle a completely competent match with the arm work. Hope and Hayes had some noteworthy charisma to them as well, leaving the Sheikh as the only weak link for the pair of matches.

Commentator Greg Lambert, who is also the matchmaker, is brought to the ring for a chat. Lambert brings out PCW Champion Tyson T-Bone (now of NXT UK) while also picking up the Road To Glory Trophy. T-Bone has been around here since the beginning and as far as Lambert is concerned, T-Bone may be the best of all time in PCW. We hear about T-Bone’s accomplishments and that brings Lambert to the Trophy. This is now going to be a permanent trophy for T-Bone for all of his career success.

Cue Lionheart, who is getting a title shot tonight, to complain about various things (with Stallion explaining what the Trophy means to Lionheart and why he should be angry). Lionheart wants to know where his trophy was when his PCW Title reign had this place jumping. That trophy means a lot more to him than it does to T-Bone so Lionheart is coming for the title.

Cue Sha Samuels, who is also in tonight’s title match. He’s beaten Lionheart twice this year, which draws a TWICE chant. A fan calls Lionheart trailer trash and Samuels even brings him the mic so we can hear it again. Lionheart storms off so Samuels sings him out. As for T-Bone, he deserves the trophy so Samuels hands it over. T-Bone leaves and here’s CJ Banks, Lionheart’s partner, to jump him from behind. Jack Jester, Samuels’ partner, runs in and we’ve got a match.

CJ Banks vs. Jack Jester

Lionheart runs back out to jump T-Bone and Banks gets in a cheap shot from behind to get us started fast. Jester is right back with a swinging slam and an elbow for two as Stallion isn’t sure what Lambert is talking about with Lionheart attacking T-Bone. Something was in his way you see. Banks gets in a few shots to the back to take over but they head outside with Jester sending him into the apron.

A legdrop across the apron has Banks in more trouble as Stallion is ripping into Lambert for giving him the trophy and not seeing how badly it would go. Back in and Banks gets in a knee to put Jester down in the corner but Jester is right back out with a shoulder. A clothesline gives Banks two so Jester tells Banks how many it was, earning him a double stomp on the hands. Jester hits another clothesline but Banks is right back with a rollup and grabs the tights for the pin at 6:58.

Rating: D+. Not much to see here as it seems to be setting up a match down the line between the two teams for Samuels/Jester’s Tag Team Titles. It wasn’t the worst match but it came after a pretty good angle so it felt like a downgrade after the stuff with Lionheart. Both guys felt pretty generic and I was expecting something to stand out a bit more from a guy named Jester.

Cruiserweight Title: Johnny Storm vs. Dean Allmark

Allmark is defending and Storm is a bit of a British wrestling legend, or at least a pioneer as he helped rebuild British wrestling. They go technical to start with Storm standing on his head to escape a wristlock. An exchange of headscissors and hurricanranas give us a standoff with Storm knocking him outside. That means a suicide dive as Lambert pines for Storm’s glory days of 2002.

Back in and Dean hits a lifting swinging neckbreaker for two and the yelling at the referee allows Dean to nip up for an enziguri. Dean is right back up with a powerbomb into a spinning faceplant for two but misses a middle rope moonsault. Storm’s connects just fine for two and it’s off to a pinfall reversal sequence. Dean gets to the apron for his own enziguri and loads up a Styles Clash, only to sit down with a powerbomb for the pin to retain at 6:32.

Rating: C. Given that they were talking about Allmark having a big World Title match at the Anniversary Show, there wasn’t much of a doubt about what was going to happen here. Storm felt like a big deal (with commentary being rather entertaining by arguing over whether he was a legend or needed to be taken care of due to his age) and it felt like a big match, even though Allmark winning wasn’t quite in doubt.

Post match Storm hands him the title in the show of respect.

Rampage Brown vs. Charlie Sterling

Brown was the World of Sport Champion for most of its revival season. Sterling seems to be loathed but comes through the crowd anyway. A glare from Brown sends him to the ropes at the bell as the fans sing rather impolite songs about Sterling. The bigger guys tease some mat grappling but it’s Sterling bailing to the ropes again as the cowardice is shining through.

Back in and Brown takes over on the arm before hitting a dropkick to send Sterling into the corner. Charlie tries a leapfrog and gets powerslammed down in an old Rick Steiner spot. Cue Iestyn Rees and Nightshade, who are scheduled for a mixed tag later, to yell at Brown. Sterling throws him outside so Rees can deck Brown for the DQ at 3:56.

Rating: D. Brown had some nice power stuff in here but the match existed for the sole purpose of getting us to the post match stuff, which isn’t the most thrilling idea in the world. Sterling was just kind of there for Brown to do stuff to and as soon as you saw the other two come out, it was clear where this was going.

I think you know where this is going.

Ashton Smith/Riho/Rampage Brown vs. Nightshade/Charlie Sterling/Iestyn Rees

Riho is Women’s Champion. The villains stall on the floor before the bell until Sterling can be in for the opening bell…and tag out to Rees less than two seconds later. Actually it’s Riho vs. Nightshade (former champion) as we wait for the first actual contact. Riho snaps off some armdrags and a butterfly suplex to send it off to Sterling, who gets punched by Smith.

Brown gets to beat up Sterling even more, including sending him into a big boot from Smith for two. Rees sneaks in for a cheap shot on Smith and the villains get to take over. That includes a chinlock/face rake from Sterling but Brown comes in and hits him in the back…to no avail actually. Sterling shoves the referee and Lambert is aghast at the lack of a DQ. Fair point actually but what do you expect from a heel? Sterling tries to cannonball down onto Smith’s back but lands on knees instead, meaning it’s back to Riho for another fight with Nightshade.

Riho gets whipped into the corner and a Backstabber brings her right back out. Nightshade tells us to WATCH THIS, which is a pair of running knees into the back in the corner. They both hit kicks to the head at the same time and it’s Riho up first for the tag off to Brown, who rampages quite well. A spinebuster gets two on Rees as everything breaks down. Smith hits the big running flip dive to the floor but the ref gets bumped back inside. Rees gets in a low blow and a spear for the pin on Brown at 9:53.

Rating: C-. This show is starting to drag a bit as they’re getting to the point of not explaining who these people are while acting like we just know all of the vague stories they’re referencing. The match itself wasn’t terrible, but they need to get on to something a little more interesting than some of the people who made World of Sport so dull.

They all brawl to the back.

It’s time for a contract signing for a Case vs. Voice match. In other words, Tel Banham, who has a Money in the Bank style briefcase, is putting his case on the line against Matthew Brooks, who likes to sing, who can never sing here again if he loses. Banham, all in white, is out first to brag about how handsome he is. He yells at a Brooks fan about how no one cares about his opinion. We need silence for the signing but since that won’t happen, he opens his briefcase and busts out some fuzzy earmuffs.

Brooks comes out and sings his own version of My Way about how he’s going to win the match and sign the contract. The song, which is quite good, goes on so long that Banham looks at his phone to fill in some time. They sit down and Banham says he can’t hear anything Brooks says, so Brooks takes the earmuffs and throws them to the fans. They sign the contract but Banham teases cashing in tonight so Brooks might have nothing to win in their match.

Actually not so fast as the announcer says the match is locked in and Banham CANNOT cash in until after the match. Oh and Banham is banned from the building, so Brooks sings the Goodbye Song. I could go for hearing how this started as hating a guy’s singing voice probably had some funny lines to set this up. It’s a unique enough story so they do have something good here.

Preston City Wrestling Title: Lionheart vs. Sha Samuels vs. Tyson T-Bone

T-Bone is defending and this is one fall to a finish. The brawl is on before the champ is out here so he hits the ring in a hurry and beats up Lionheart. A missed charge in the corner but Samuels pulls Lionheart outside to send him into some chairs. Samuels spits beer in Lionheart’s face but walks into a spinebuster from T-Bone. A spinebuster from Samuels gets two on the champ though, making them even in at least one category. Lionheart gets back in and stomps on both of them but spends too much time yelling. That means right hands abound but Samuels clotheslines T-Bone by mistake.

Samuels hits a spinebuster for two on Lionheart but T-Bone gets in a shot of his own. Lionheart steals a few near falls apiece, including one with feet on the ropes. Hang on though as Lionheart calls out Banks for some help but Jester cuts him off. Now it’s Brown to go after both of them, meaning all three people actually in the match have their partners here. Samuels slams Lionheart for no count from the distracted referee so T-Bone plants Samuels with a Tombstone. Lionheart breaks the trophy over T-Bone’s head though and steals the pin and the title at 7:07.

Rating: C. The action was pretty good but what worked well here was the ending, with the trophy being brought in earlier today and then playing into the ending. It was good storytelling and sets up a rematch between the only three time World Champions in the company’s history. It’s not a great match but it’s very good storytelling and that’s more important.

Post match T-Bone yells about the loss and walks out on Rampage.

The announcer thanks us for watching to wrap up the night.

Overall Rating: C-. This was ok at best for the most part with nothing ever really taking off and getting them to that next level. I can’t imagine ever going out of my way to watch it again but it certainly wasn’t horrible or even bad. It was another promotion that has a lot of familiar names and doesn’t stand out above some of the other options available. You’re better off watching Progress, but for a lower level alternative, this wasn’t the worst thing you could pick.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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