United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night Two: Offer Your Own Witty British Praise

IMG Credit: WWE

United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night Two
Date: June 19, 2018
Location: Royal Albert Hall, London, England
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back in England after yesterday’s tournament wrapped up. The tournament crowned a new #1 contender for the United Kingdom Championship and that means we need to have a title match. In addition to Pete Dunne defending against Zack Gibson, we’ll also be seeing some NXT Title matches and a few other matches to fill out the card. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last night’s show, including Gibson becoming the new #1 contender. The NXT wrestlers will also be featured tonight.

NXT opening sequence.

The announcers run down the card.

NXT Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

The Era is defending. Bate dropkicks Strong to start and it’s quickly off to Seven for some arm cranking. As usual this goes badly for Seven but everything breaks down with the champs sending them outside. Back in and the fans are split as Strong chops away at Seven in the corner.

We’re already into the chinlock but Seven kicks O’Reilly to the floor. Like a smart champion, O’Reilly runs around the ring and pulls Bate off the apron to take over. As tends to be the case, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later, allowing Bate to come in and clean house. O’Reilly saves Strong from the airplane spin and jumps on Bate’s back, so Bate German suplexes Strong at the same time, just because he can.

Seven comes back in and gets kicked in the face for two, sending O’Reilly into fits of frustration. A discus forearm knocks Seven into Bate for the tag and the dragon suplex/clothesline combination (how they beat O’Reilly yesterday) gets a close two. Back up and O’Reilly’s brainbuster gets two on Bate but Seven sends Fish to the floor. A hard shot rocks O’Reilly and a torture rack neckbreaker/top rope knee drop combination finishes O’Reilly for the titles at 10:40.

Rating: B. That’s the way to fire up a crowd and it doesn’t matter if the title reign is just for the live crowd and they drop the belts right back in short order. Moustache Mountain is a fun team and the fans in both America and England love them. This was a perfect opener and that’s all you could have asked to see.

The new champs celebrate in the crowd.

Johnny Saint has made a new #1 contenders match between Flash Morgan Webster, Travis Banks and Mark Andrews.

Killer Kelly vs. Charlie Morgan

Morgan, who is rather skinny, works on a wristlock to start but they spin around into double nip ups for a standoff. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Morgan two but Kelly starts in with the power to take over, including an elbow to the back of the head. Kelly grabs a dragon sleeper to nearly break Morgan in half, only to kick her away in frustration.

Morgan comes back with a springboard body block but Kelly throws her into the corner with ease. A running dropkick in the corner rocks Morgan again and Kelly loads up a suplex, only to get reversed into a rollup for the pin at 7:07. The ending is as sudden and out of nowhere as it sounds.

Rating: D. I really wasn’t feeling this one as while it wasn’t terrible or even bad, it was pretty dull and uninteresting. It was a standard power vs. speed match but I don’t have any reason to care about either of them or what they were doing. Not terrible or anything, but just not very interesting.

Christian is here.

Mark Andrews vs. Travis Banks vs. Flash Morgan Webster

The winner gets a title shot at some point in the future. Hang on a second though as Saint comes out to announce a fourth participant.

Mark Andrews vs. Travis Banks vs. Flash Morgan Webster vs. Noam Dar

This is Dar’s return after a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury. Banks still has a bad shoulder. It’s a brawl to start because thankfully there are no tags. Dar, who is looking ripped, and Webster exchange armdrags but Andrews comes back in to stomp on Webster. That leaves Dar to start in on Banks’ shoulder on the floor, leaving Andrews to hit a corkscrew moonsault onto everyone else.

Back in and Andrews hits a Sliced Bread on Webster and a reverse DDT on Dar at the same time. Banks makes a save with a top rope double stomp and everyone kicks everyone else in the face for a four way knockdown. Webster and Morgan are left alone in the ring with Andrews flipping out of a super hurricanrana and grabbing a reverse hurricanrana for a close two. Dar is back in with a kneebar on Andrews but Banks comes in to add to choke.

Dar’s part is broken up so Webster has to grab Andrews’ hand to break up a tap. Banks hits the Slice of Heaven but Andrews reverses the fisherman’s buster into the Stundog Millionaire. The shooting star misses though and Dar sends Banks’ arm into the post. Dar kicks Banks in the chest for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. Just a match here with a bunch of spots and nothing connecting them together. In other words, it’s perfect for an indy style match but the people here should be capable of so much better. Dar is a surprise, but he never did anything for me in the first place and I don’t really find him to be anything of note here. I do like him a bit better as a face though.

Post match the Coffey Brothers run in and attack Andrews and Banks. Dar eaves without helping.

Wolfgang promises to take the Adam Cole’s North American Title.

North American Title: Wolfgang vs. Adam Cole

Cole is defending and gets powered into the corner by the much bigger Wolfgang to start. To be fair though, how many people aren’t much bigger than Cole? A kick to the face gives Cole two and he stomps away in the corner. Cole’s neckbreaker gets two more but Wolfgang is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster. He’s smart enough to go with a waistlock to stay on the ribs and another gutbuster cuts off a comeback attempt.

More shots to the ribs in the corner have Cole in trouble but Wolfgang takes forever going up, earning some loud booing. Cole uses the delay to superkick him out of the air and gets two off a Backstabber. There’s the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for two more and Cole shrugs off a Wasteland. A hard clothesline puts Cole down but he gets the knees up to block the Howling (swanton). The Last Shot retains the title at 10:14.

Rating: C. I get the potential they see in Wolfgang but he doesn’t do much for me more often than not. He’s a big guy who can move around well enough, but every time he’s out there I expect more from him. Cole being the face in the match isn’t that surprising and he could be holding the title for a good, long time.

Moustache Mountain can’t believe they won the titles.

Velveteen Dream/EC3 vs. Ricochet/Aleister Black

Dream is, again, the most over guy in the match. Ricochet and Dream start things off and this time it’s a Ricochet chant. Hang on though as Dream has to rip his shirt off. He wants to face Black though and the champ is down for another round of one of the best feuds of last year. That goes nowhere either so EC3 comes in instead. The fans think this is awesome even with pretty much nothing going on in the first two minutes. Black has a seat in the middle of the ring and EC3 isn’t sure what this is.

The confusion seems to work though as Black gets taken into the wrong corner, only to have Ricochet make a blind tag and springboard in to take over. EC3 bails so Ricochet backflips into his pose for a cool visual. Black moonsaults into his pose as well with Ricochet having a seat next to him as it’s all good guys so far. That’s finally enough for Dream to break up a springboard though and Ricochet is in trouble for the first time. A suplex stays on Ricochet’s ribs and it’s off to a seated top wristlock.

Ricochet dropkicks his way over for a tag but Dream grabbing a chair distracts the referee so it’s Ricochet staying in trouble for a smart move. The fans chant VAR, meaning they want a replay. Both villains come in at the same time so Ricochet beats them both up, capped off by a neckbreaker/DDT combination. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Black and it’s time to use the legs.

A quebrada takes out EC3 and Dream for two on the former but Dream hits one heck of a spinebuster to cut Black off. The Purple Rainmaker slips though and EC3 clotheslines Black’s head off instead. Everything breaks down and a series of strikes to the face sets up a quadruple knockdown for a nice ovation. Ricochet is up in a hurry though and hits a big dive to take Dream out.

Back in and the STO DDT gets two on Black and a Death Valley Bomb puts Ricochet down as well. Ricochet slips out of the Top 1% though and gets two off a running shooting star. The forward DDT (really not liking that move) drops Ricochet but Dream walks away from a hot tag attempt. EC3 yells at him, knows what’s behind him, and turns into Black Mass for the pin at 15:52.

Rating: B. This got a little too wild at the end but they were all working hard and got to show off for a long time. Having some of the more established names out there can show what the top stars can do and that’s a good idea. Give the fans a taste of what they might be able to get later on and make them want to come back. Smart move and a rather good match.

Post match Ricochet looks at the NXT Title before handing it back.

Toni Storm is ready to win the NXT Women’s Title.

NXT Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler vs. Toni Storm

Storm is challenging. They trade headlocks to start with Baszler getting the better of it. The fans are behind Storm as she fights up and gets in a front facelock. With the fans singing about Storm, she sends Baszler outside for a suicide dive but the champ posts her to take over. Back in and Baszler starts toying with her before getting serious by taking the knee out.

A running knee in the corner gets two and it’s time to stat punching Storm in the face. Baszler stomps her on the foot and grabs a gutwrench superplex but Storm knees her in the head. Storm Zero plants Baszler but the knee gives out again, meaning it’s a delayed near fall. Baszler is right back up with a jumping knee to the face for two and the Kirifuda Clutch goes on again. Storm makes the ropes and falls to the floor, giving Baszler the countout win at 12:18.

Rating: C. Storm is clearly someone with star quality and could be a player in the future, though she needs some more seasoning and a trip to the Performance Center full time could do wonders for her. They made sure to protect her with that finish too and that’s one of the best things that could have happened to her.

Post match Baszler leaves but runs back in to choke Storm out again.

Video on Dunne vs. Gibson, which is more about Dunne than anything else, mainly due to how little we’ve seen from Gibson around here.

United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson

Dunne is defending and wastes no time in going for the fingers. A crank of the fingers have Gibson in trouble and we’re back up for a standoff. The fans sing to the guys as they’re still in first gear until Dunne blasts him with a clothesline. Gibson goes with the grappling and takes Dunne to the mat with a suplex, only to have Dunne reach for the ankle. That goes nowhere so Gibson suplexes him over by the arm.

They head outside with Dunne being sent shoulder first into the barricade. Back in and Gibson pulls on the leg some more, which just seems to tick Dunne off. A shot to the face rocks Gibson and Dunne is starting to do that creepy smile of his. There’s a running enziguri in the corner and the X Plex gets two. A hard kick to the head rocks Gibson and a double stomp to the face sends Gibson out to the apron.

That means a DDT onto the apron but Dunne bangs up his already injured arm again. The arm goes into the steps but Helter Skelter is countered into another X Plex to plant Gibson one more time. Back in and Dunne is all ticked off while still hanging onto the arm. With his defenses lowered, Dunne takes a shot to the neck and Gibson pummels away in the corner. Dunne gets back up and puts the mouthpiece in, meaning it’s time to fight. Gibson is beaten down in short order but a clothesline turns him inside out.

Of course Dunne is up fast enough for a clothesline of his own and they’re both down. Another slugout puts both guys down again and the fans are rather pleased. Dunne hits a snap German suplex and gets two off the Bitter End, much to his shock. The Ticket to Ride off the ropes gets another close two and it’s off to the Shankly Gates, sending Dunne straight to the ropes.

The fans tell Nigel to sit down but a super Helter Skelter gets both their attention back as well as a near fall. Shankly Gates go on in the middle of the ring and somehow Dunne makes the rope again. For some reason Gibson thinks it’s a good idea to slap Dunne in the face, earning himself a snap of the finger. Dunne punches him out of the air and the Bitter End retains the title at 17:44.

Rating: A-. Sweet goodness Dunne is amazing and there’s no other way to put it. He’s seemingly incapable of having a bad match and now he’s expanding outside of the performances with Bate. Gibson looks great and it’s hard to argue with him losing after wrestling three times yesterday. He’ll be fine, but Dunne was ready to move up to the main roster months ago.

HHH and the locker room comes out to celebrate with Dunne. The boss says this is the next chapter in British wrestling history and this is the fans’ brand.

Overall Rating: B. Another very solid show though I liked yesterday’s edition more. There’s a lot of talent out there and the UK brand should be a lot of fun. Throw in some stories and more action like this with a more compact form and everything will be fine. Two good shows in a row built up a lot of good hope the potential is high. Well done again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Lucha Underground – June 20, 2018: Lucha Strong Style

IMG Credit: Lucha Underground

Lucha Underground
Date: June 20, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s week number two of the fourth season and I’m hoping we’re a bit closer to the standard operating procedure than what we had last week. It wasn’t a horrible show by any means, but it’s not exactly what I had in mind for a season premiere. Maybe we’ll get something better this time with Pentagon Dark defending the Lucha Underground Title against Matanza. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap previews tonight’s show, focusing on the gauntlet, Pentagon Dark vs. Matanza and Antonio Cueto.

Catrina teleports into King Cuerno’s trophy room to look for the gauntlet but Cuerno appears to say it’s not here. She needs it to get her life back but he says he’s given it to someone to hide and isn’t sure where or when (that sounds like Aerostar) he hid it. Catrina teleports away.

Trios Titles: The Mack/Killshot/Son of Havoc vs. Infamous Inc.

Infamous Inc., comprised of Big Bad Steve (indy wrestler Steve Pain), Sammy Guevara (a good high flier) and Jake Strong (Jack Swagger) are challenging and Famous B.’s newest clients since Dr. Wagner Jr. and Texano are in Mexico. The fans go nuts for Strong, as you might have guessed. Killshot and Guevara speed things up to start and it’s an early standoff with Guevara not being sure what to do with him. Son of Havoc comes in to chop the skin off of Guevara’s chest before it’s off to Steve, who is apparently Famous B.’s mechanic.

A cutter drops Steve and Strong is low bridged to the floor. Back in and the villains take over with Strong’s Vader Bomb setting up a Swanton Bomb to give Guevara two. That earns a THIS IS AWESOME chant because that’s the easiest chant to get in baseball. Jake shrugs off Mack’s Pounce and the ankle lock goes on Killshot for the tap, which the referee misses. Mack comes in for some right hands….which have no effect at first but the hold is eventually broken. A Stunner to Steve sets up the shooting star from Havoc to retain the titles at 5:39.

Rating: D+. I’m not wild on throwing together champions as it’s only illustrating the fact that there’s no point in having Trios Titles around here. The trios aren’t exactly strong as the champion were put together to win the titles in the first place, then had a replacement partner, and are now facing a thrown together team. Strong looked good but other than that, the match didn’t have much going for it.

Post match Strong beats up Steve, Guevara and Famous B., possibly breaking B.’s ankle. The fans seem rather pleased.

Here’s Antonio Cueto to say that while Dario wasn’t a great boss, he did have a good idea with the Gift of the Gods. The process to find a new champion starts right now with a match for a medallion.

Ancient Medallion: Drago vs. El Dragon Azteca Jr.

Drago is still under Kobra Moon’s control. They start very fast with some one counts and back to back stereo dropkicks to give us a standoff. An exchange of shoulder blocks goes to Azteca and the spinning rollup gets two. Drago is back up and sends him outside for a nice flip dive.

Back in and Drago starts in on the mask, which really isn’t cool with the fans. Even in the new Temple, they still know their lucha traditions. Azteca fights back but walks into something like a Tesshocker for two. A running Blockbuster gets the same but Azteca kicks him in the head on the top. That’s enough to set up a super victory roll for the pin and the medallion at 6:14.

Rating: C+. They went with the fast paced match that luchadors know how to work in this position and that’s good for all of us. Azteca is turning into something special and with the backstory he has around here, there’s some serious potential there. Bad story with Moon aside, Drago is still one of the safest bets around here too, which is a good place to be in.

Post match Johnny Mundo and Taya Valkyrie come in and jump Drago and Moon.

Antonio is in his office when Catrina teleports in. She’s stuck between this place and the spirit realm so she needs Fenix in a coffin. Therefore, she wants Fenix vs. Mil Muertes in Grave Consequences III. The deal is on so she teleports away.

Lucha Underground Title: Matanza vs. Pentagon Dark

Pentagon is defending and wastes no time by starting the fight in the aisle. The SHH chop, with Pentagon ripping Matanza’s gear open to expose the chest, connects but so does Matanza’s fist with Pentagon’s head. A whip sends Pentagon through some chairs and he gets dropped back first onto the apron. They get inside for the first time and a running Angle Slam gets two on Pentagon.

Back to back Sling Blades give Pentagon the same and the Backstabber into the Codebreaker is good for two more. The spinning belly to back suplex drops the champ again but he’s right back with a pair of kicks to the head. Matanza catches him on top but gets knocked down, setting up back to back Canadian Destroyers. The package piledrive rends Matanza at 7:46.

Rating: B-. Pentagon is becoming a giant killer around here but he’s running out of giants to slay. Matanza is one of the few top names around here and with Prince Puma gone, I’m not sure who is left out there other than Muertes and Mundo. I’ve seen Pentagon vs. Fenix far too many times elsewhere, and I hope Lucha Underground doesn’t go down the same path. Either way, these two beat each other up as much as you can in eight minutes and it was a fun match, so what else can you ask for?

Post match Pentagon goes for Matanza’s arm but an Antonio distraction lets Matanza get away. Antonio berates Matanza and goes into his office, where Jeremiah Crane is waiting on him. He wants to be in Grave Consequences to save Catrina, so the match is now a triple threat.

Overall Rating: C+. This felt more like Lucha Underground and that’s a good thing. It helps a lot when you can start advancing a bunch of stories on the same show, which is one of the places where Lucha Underground shined. Eventually we’ll get to the bigger stories but you need to take the smaller steps before you get there. Thankfully this show knows how to do that, as long as they don’t take too long on the road.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – June 22, 2018: The Classics Still Work

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #10
Date: June 22, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We reach double digits this week with a show that isn’t likely to be as big as last week. This week’s featured match is Brody King trying to claim the $20,000 bounty on MLW Champion Shane Strickland, who has shown a willingness to fight anyone who comes against him. The other stories are starting to take shape as well so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Salina de la Renta issuing the bounty on Strickland and King trying to claim it by attacking him in a parking lot.

Opening sequence.

Trey Miguel vs. Danny Santiago

Actually hang on as the debuting Teddy Hart jumps Santiago and takes him down with a moonsault. Hart is taking his place.

Trey Miguel vs. Teddy Hart

They waste no time in running the ropes with Hart snapping off a powerslam. Miguel sends him outside for a springboard flip dive before tucking Hart’s head in the corner, setting up a 619. The Meteora gets two and we take a break. Back with Hart snapping off a Code Red for two and Miguel screaming a lot. The fans think it was three, even though the count wasn’t all that close.

A hammerlock DDT gets the same and Hart’s electric chair Backstabber makes me cringe. Miguel slips out of a delayed superplex and pulls Hart down into a cutter for two. Another cutter almost onto the apron (the camera shows a big gap between Hart’s head and the apron) gives Miguel two but Hart scores with Project Ciampa. A super Canadian Destroyer ends Miguel at 8:37.

Rating: C-. I’m not that big on Hart but he didn’t go insane with the flips here and that always helps him out. He used to be a bigger indy name and it helps to have someone from the Hart Family on the show. I can’t imagine him being treated like a big deal or being featured for very long so getting what you can out of him in short order is probably the best call.

Kotto Brazil says he looks up to Rich Swann and last week was a great experience. He needs to figure out how to win though.

Hart always gets heat in the back but he’s here to steal the show and make his family proud. ACH comes in and a fight is teased but Rich Swann comes in as well and things calm down a bit.

Battle Riot ad. Newly confirmed this week: Rich Swann, Jason Cade, Joey Ryan, Pierre Carl Oulette, Kevin Sullivan, ACH, Swoggle, John Morrison, Lance Anoa’i, Konnan, Sami Callihan, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Teddy Hart

Also announced for the show: ACH/Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart/Davey Boy Smith Jr. with Brian Pillman II in their corner.

Quick look back at last week’s show.

Colonel Robert Parker has filed a complaint with the refereeing in last week’s title match, saying the Dirty Blonds were treated unfairly.

Parker hits on the interviewer and seems to make her go get a cup of coffee. They leave, so Team Filthy goes into the Stud Stable’s locker room.

Barrington Hughes vs. Paris Hakeem

A headbutt and elbow drop give Hughes the pin at 13 seconds.

Team Filthy have relieved themselves in Parker’s hat. I don’t find this funny, and neither does Parker.

Kotto Brazil vs. Vandal Ortagun

Feeling out process to start with Brazil jumping over Ortagun and superkicking him for good measure. Ortagun is right back with a neckbreaker for two and since it worked so well, another neckbreaker gets another two. An uppercut slows Ortagun down and Brazil pulls him face first into the corner for a breather. That just earns him a Backstabber (popular move around here) for two but Brazil kicks him in the face, followed by a running Sliced Bread and the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C. I like Brazil the more I watch him, but I’m not sure how much he’s going to be able to stand out in a promotion with high fliers like ACH, Fenix and Rich Swann. Giving him a win, even a low level one like this, is better than nothing though and it gives him a little higher status when he loses to other names. That’s worked for years and there’s no reason it can’t do the same now.

Salina de la Renta, while being very mean to the interviewer, is happy with the Tag Team Titles but wants Strickland taken out.

On the way to the ring, Strickland runs into Sami Callihan’s goons but Barrington Hughes fights them for him.

Shane Strickland vs. Brody King

Non-title but King, a very tattooed guy with partially green hair, might get $20,000 if he wins. Strickland goes straight at him but gets backed into the corner for some elbows to the face. Brody is sent outside for some stomps to the head but a hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb onto the apron.

Back in with Strickland kicking away, only to get sent into the ropes for a running crotch attack to the neck. A slugout goes to Brody so Strickland snaps off a German suplex to take him down. Some running uppercuts in the corner and he kicks Brody in the back of the head for a delayed cover. King clotheslines the heck out of Strickland and it’s a giant swing of all things to put him on the floor.

Back from a break with Brody getting knocked into a chair and Shane hitting a double stomp, breaking the chair in the process. That certainly looked good. Shane’s kicks to the chest back inside just seem to tick the big man off and it’s another hard clothesline to take him down. That’s enough for King, who tries to go old school with powder. Strickland, probably noticing the powder coming out of Brody’s hand, knees him in the face instead for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: C. Brody was fine for a one off monster for Strickland to slay and that’s all this needed to be. Strickland has turned into the kind of guy that they want him to be, as he’s a bigger star than anyone on the show and there are a bunch of people I’d like to see him face. Throw in a foil like de la Renta and they have a pretty good story at the moment.

Post match Low Ki comes in to beat Strickland down and de la Renta comes in to smile. Low Ki holds up the World Title to end the show. Well so much for the big story being interesting.

Overall Rating: C. The best way to describe this show is a perfectly acceptable hour long wrestling show. I’m liking the mix of newer names with the established veterans and it never feels like a nostalgia show or one last check for a bunch of the bigger names. The show is easy to sit through and while it’s nothing revolutionary, a classically booked show is a very nice change of pace. Another fine show this week, which is the standard around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




NJPW Dominion 6-9: It’s Worth The Wait

IMG Credit: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Dominion 6:9
Date: June 9, 2011
Location: Osaka-Jo Hall, Osaka, Japan
Commentators: Don Callis, Kevin Kelly

So this was a big request and therefore I’m powerless to do anything about it. The main event is yet another Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada match (maybe the stars are just counting how many matches they’ve had) though this time it’s 2/3 falls and no time limit. Thankfully there hasn’t been the crazy hype about the match to drive me crazy yet so I might like it a lot more. Let’s get to it.

We open with a highlight video running down tonight’s card, albeit in Japanese so it might be a recipe for fruit pies.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Roppongi 3K vs. El Desperado/Yoshinobu Kanemaru

El Desperado/Yoshinobu Kanemaru are defending and are part of Suzuki-gun. Sho and Yoh flip dive onto the champs before the bell and it’s Kanemaru taking a sliding dropkick to the head for two to start. The announcers explain a bit more of the idea here, talking about how Roppongi used to be Young Lions and the older guys, like the champs, still see them as weaklings. That’s more of a story than most WWE matches give you.

Yoh gets sent into the barricade and has to dive back in at nineteen. Back in and we settle down a lot with Kanemaru ripping at the face and bringing Desperado back in. A dragon screw leg whip gets Yoh out of trouble and there’s the diving tag to Sho. The champs get speared down and some rolling German suplexes get two on Desperado.

Back up and the champs start double teaming until Yoh comes in for a save. A sliding DDT/Dominator combination (3K) gets two on Desperado and a Backstabber into a dropkick has him in even more trouble. Desperado takes some mist to the face and Sho adds Project Ciampa for two more. The ref gets bumped though and Kanemaru adds a whiskey bottle shot to set up the rollup pin to retain the titles at 9:29.

Rating: C. Completely fine opener here and a good way to make Suzuki-Gun look like a bunch of cheating jerks. Sho and Yoh are so much more entertaining than they were back in Ring of Honor and they make for a snappy little team. This was a fun match and thankfully it didn’t overstay its welcome, which can be a problem in opening matches.

Juice Robinson/David Finlay vs. Yoshi Hashi/Jay White

Taguchi Japan vs. Chaos and Finlay has a Groot jacket. White jumps Robinson at the bell, meaning we have to rush to the zoom in shot that always starts the matches (I kind of like it for some reason). Robinson is right back up and Finlay comes in for a double bulldog as they’re certainly off to a fast start. Takahashi comes in for a suplex before handing it right back to White for a backbreaker. A cravate doesn’t keep Finlay down for very long and it’s off to Juice for the snap jabs.

White is loaded into the corner for a Cannonball but Takahashi tries to break things up. That doesn’t go so well for him as Robinson ties him in the Tree of Woe and now the Cannonball can hit both of them at the same time. A double flapjack plants White but Robinson accidentally punches Finlay, allowing White to grab a Blade Runner to plant Finlay. Not that it matters as Robinson comes back in for Pulp Friction (jumping Unprettier) for the pin on White at 7:28.

Rating: C. Another perfectly fine match that didn’t get a ton of time. The ending has to set up Robinson vs. White for the US Title, probably in San Francisco in July, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Robinson has grown by leaps and bounds in New Japan and I could go for seeing him get a lot closer to win the title.

Robinson holds up the US Title to hammer the point home.

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

Chaos vs. Suzuki-gun and I don’t quite see Yano matching up well with Sabre. Suzuki and Sabre’s British Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line and they have Taka Michinoku in their corner. He even throws in some custom introductions, which I again can’t understand. Suzuki and Ishii start things off and they go straight for the shots to the head. Neither can hit their finisher so it’s Sabre coming in and taking Ishii down in knots. Ishii gets up and goes with the power to take over, allowing the tag off to Yano.

This doesn’t go well either as Yano gets his arms cranked in short order. Suzuki comes in and stays on the arm with Sabre coming back in to work on the leg at the same time. An atomic drop gets Yano out of trouble and it’s off to Ishii for the hard chops in the corner. The sleeper doesn’t work on Ishii and it’s time for the big forearm exchange.

That means a double knockdown so Yano goes after the turnbuckle. Thankfully Sabre is right there to bend the arm around the ropes, making Yano scream again. Yano gets the other buckle pad off and Sabre misses a charge. The low blow is reversed into a double armbar and Yano gives up at 8:42.

Rating: D+. I get what Yano’s deal is and I’ve been tired of it for a long time. I know he’s had more success, but he comes off as the New Japan Santino with the same bits and the same jokes time after time. Ishii vs. Suzuki was fun, as always, and they were smart to keep this short.

Post match Ishii goes after Suzuki again and after a few chair shots each, they slug it out on the floor with the Young Lions coming in for the save.

Never Openweight Title: Michael Elgin vs. Taichi vs. Hirooki Goto

Goto is defending and Taichi, who seems to be a singer, has a good looking woman with him. Elgin is absolutely jacked and looking bigger than I’ve ever seen him. There’s no contact in the first minute as Taichi bails to the floor so the other two can go at it. Goto and Elgin lock up so Taichi comes back in for a rollup on the champ. That’s enough to send Taichi back to the floor and it’s Elgin with an enziguri to Goto.

Taichi comes back in to help kick Elgin down and gets suplexed onto Elgin for good measure. Elgin sends the two of them into each other and starts rolling the suplexes to take over for the first time. With the other two on the floor, Elgin hits a bit running flip dive because of course he can do that. Back in and Taichi gets two off a clothesline but walks into the fireman’s carry backbreaker which I still can’t spell.

Elgin gets belly to back superplexed but pops back up for a Tower of Doom with Taichi getting the worst of it. That sends Taichi to the floor, leaving Elgin and Goto to hit each other very hard. An electric chair suplex gives Elgin two on the champ but he misses an enziguri. Another fireman’s carry backbreaker sets up the GTR for two on Elgin but Taichi throws the woman inside. The distraction lets Taichi get two off a superkick, only to have Elgin buckle bomb both of them. The Elgin Bomb on Taichi is good for the pin and the title at 13:44.

Rating: C+. Elgin, while having some serious issues at the moment, is still fun to watch and looks more than intimidating enough to pull off something like this. Of course none of that matters as he wouldn’t even hold the title for two weeks, but at least we got a good performance to get the title on him in the first place. I can’t imagine he’ll be a big deal in the states for a good while so this is as good as it’s likely to get for him.

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

Evil and Sanada are defending and it’s Nick and Sanada running the ropes to start. A headscissors drops Sanada and it’s time for Nick to strike a pose. Stereo basement dropkicks have Sanada in trouble so Evil comes in, only to take half of a double dropkick. Back in and a side slam drops Matt as everything breaks down. There’s a whip into the barricade to keep Matt’s back in trouble, followed by a standing moonsault to give Sanada two.

Evil is smart enough to knock Nick off the apron but Nick is right back up for a kick to the head. The hot tag is on a few seconds later but Nick kicks the post by mistake. It’s fine enough to hold Evil, only to have Matt superkick his brother by mistake. Naturally the Bucks aren’t going to sell for more than about five seconds so they’re up top for a Tower of Doom with Sanada getting the worst of it.

The Meltzer Driver is broken up but Nick is fine enough to come in with a missile dropkick to save his brother from a dragon sleeper. Another Meltzer Driver attempt fails as Nick’s leg gives out and a Magic Killer gets two on Matt. Sanada starts cleaning house with dropkicks and there’s another dragon sleeper on Matt, with Nick making another save. The Bucks start in with superkicks and More Bang For Your Buck to Sanada gives them the titles at 14:53.

Rating: B+. It never ceases to amaze me how much better the Bucks’ matches are in New Japan than they are in Ring of Honor. Over in ROH it’s a bunch of superkicks at the end and then the Meltzer Driver with very few instances of them really ever being in trouble. Here they start fast, take a beating, sell the heck out of injuries, and grit their way to a win in an exciting finish. That’s actually entertaining and good, which isn’t something I would say more than once or twice in ROH. Do more of that and my complaints will be at a minimum.

Post match the Bucks hire Callis for All In.

Bullet Club vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi/Jushin Thunder Liger/Rey Mysterio Jr.

Well you know that face team is getting a pop. It’s Cody, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll for the Club here. Rey is in tights, which I haven’t seen him wear in many, many years. He also has some rap song so it’s not all great. Liger and Scurll, who have been having issues of late, are about to start, but Rey and Page come in with no contact. Actually make that Tanahashi vs. Page, with the first contact coming a minute and a half in.

Takahashi headlocks him down and gives us some air guitar so it’s off to Cody after the strenuous grappling. Cody and Tanahashi exchange pushups before Rey and Scurll come in. That means we actually get something, including a sunset flip for two on Marty. Liger comes in and Scurll panics, partially due to a surfboard to make Marty scream. Marty does the same thing to take over and it’s Cody coming in to punch Liger in the mask.

The Club starts in on Liger’s leg and you know a villain and a guy named Hangman aren’t going to have issues with that. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker (onto the good knee) gets Liger out of trouble and it’s back to Rey so things can speed up. The moonsault into a tornado DDT plants Scurll but Page makes a blind tag to break up the 619. Everything breaks down and the teams trade cheap shots from the apron.

Tanahashi and Page knock each other down so it’s Cody coming in to face Liger. The palm strike gives Liger two and it’s Page breaking up another 619 to Marty. I hope Scurll gets him a fruit basket. That’s fine with Rey, who hits a 619 to Scurll and Page at the same time. Ok maybe the fruit can be a little bruised. Mysterio and Tanahashi hit dives to the floor but the brainbuster is countered into Cross Rhodes for the pin on Liger at 11:36.

Rating: C+. Mysterio looked awesome here, easily the best I’ve seen him in a long time (maybe it’s the tights). There’s nothing wrong with the legends taking a loss here as the Bullet Club is the hottest thing in the world at the moment. Cody pinning Liger should be a nice little boost for him, though I’m not sure if Cody has anything going on around here other than feuding with Kenny Omega without feuding with Omega.

The heroes get a big sendoff.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay

Takahashi is challenging after winning the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. Ospreay already has a banged up neck after his injuries from about two months ago. They go straight at it with right hands and Ospreay charges into a belly to belly into the corner less than twenty seconds in. A sunset bomb to the floor is broken up so they fight to the ramp with Ospreay getting a running start for a big flip dive. The floor padding is pulled back but Ospreay can’t hit Stormbreaker (a double underhook twisted into a neckbreaker), meaning it’s time to head back inside.

Ospreay is fine enough for a running corner dropkick and he cranks back on both of Takahashi’s arms at once. How Zack Sabre Jr. of him. Takahashi bails to the floor, only to come back in and have his arm cranked a little more. After a double armbar is broken, Takahashi sends him outside for a hard dropkick from the apron to take over. A pop up powerbomb gives Takahashi two and some hard chops draw some swearing from Ospreay. The champ is back up with a 619 to the standing face and a springboard clothesline, apparently called Pip Pip Cheerio. That’s just great.

The Space Flying Tiger Drop (wacky Japanese move names are so much fun) puts Takahashi down again but the Oscutter is countered into a German suplex for a sweet reversal. They slug it out for a few seconds before cranking the pace WAY up. A pair of reverse hurricanranas look to set up the Stormbreaker but Takahashi reverses into a Code Red for no cover. That’s enough to send them to the apron, which is where Ospreay hurt himself in the first place. Instead of something stupid, it’s an apron superplex (in a power display you wouldn’t expect from Ospreay) before he drapes Takahashi over the top.

That means a shooting star press to the back (the Burning Star), because Ospreay does some insane flips. A corkscrew shooting star press (Neville’s Red Arrow) gets two and Stormbreaker is countered for a third time. This time it’s into a middle rope Canadian Destroyer, followed by a triangle choke as he’s really banging on that neck. Ospreay can’t powerbomb his way out of it so he lifts Takahashi up again and just drops him on his head for the break instead.

Another Oscutter is broken up as Takahashi shoves him off the ropes and hits a sunset bomb. Back in and a fireman’s carry into a spinning slam (kind of like Chris Sabin’s old Cradle Shock but called the Dynamite Plunger) gets two more and they’re both spent. The Time Bomb is escaped so Ospreay kicks him in the face. Stormbreaker is countered AGAIN into another triangle before Takahashi switches to a butterfly piledriver (geez). A Death Valley Driver into the corner sets up the Time Bomb for the pin on Ospreay and the title at 20:22.

Rating: A-. Well that was awesome. Takahashi played the neck perfectly and in the end it was one big move after another to finally put the champ away. He’s rather good, and the lack of that stupid Daryl thing made it even better. Ospreay is great of course and those flip are often incredible, especially for someone that much bigger than most cruiserweights. Awesome match, with a great story throughout, especially with how many times they changed the pace so drastically.

Takahashi rolls around on the mat with the title, laughing hysterically.

We recap Tetsuya Naito vs. Chris Jericho. Chris attacked him back in January but hasn’t wrestled since. Then Naito won the Intercontinental Title, only to be attacked by a masked Jericho. The title match is set, which could be a heck of a fight, especially with Jericho being so aggressive in Japan.

IWGP Intercontinental Title: Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito

Naito is defending while Jericho is in some weird face paint and lipstick, plus leather pants. Kind of a Clockwork Orange look actually and that’s not working for me. Jericho jumps him on the floor before Naito can even get the white suit off. A kick to the back and a suplex on the floor have Naito in even more trouble as we’re still waiting on the opening bell. Jericho even powerbombs him through the table (great break) and Naito is rocked.

With Naito more or less dead, Jericho steals a camera and films himself flipping people off. A DDT onto (not through) a table makes it even worse but Jericho stops to sign an autograph on a format sheet. Jericho throws him inside and says to ring the f****** bell so he can cover for one.

The fans chant for Naito and get flipped off, followed by a butterfly backbreaker and the Lionsault for two. Some hard whips into the corner keep Naito down and the Walls go on, sending Naito straight to the rope. Naito gets in a hard slap and tackles Jericho down, finally allowing him to take off the vest. A neckbreaker on the apron and another from the apron to the floor has Jericho in trouble. It’s time to choke with the pants, followed by a few rams into the barricade.

Naito blasts him in the head with the broken table and piledrives him onto the same table from the DDT…..which still doesn’t break. Sweet goodness that’s a heck of a table. Back in and Naito, with his bloody eye, gets his super hurricanrana countered into the Walls. That’s escaped as well and Naito gets two off a DDT. The Walls go on for the third time but the fans drive him to the ropes for yet another break.

A German suplex and Destino get two with Jericho grabbing the rope. Now Naito is bleeding from the ear as well so Jericho slaps him upside the head. Naito’s flying forearm is countered into a Codebreaker for a near fall. The Lionsault hits knees and a pumphandle into a reverse suplex (that’s a new one) drops Jericho on his head. Back up and Jericho shoves the referee, kicks Naito low, and hits the Codebreaker for the pin at 17:18.

Rating: B+. This was similar to the Omega vs. Jericho match with Jericho playing the smoke and mirrors to a high level and presenting it as more of a fight than a match. Naito is a top guy in New Japan and will likely get a boost out of losing, as dropping a title to Jericho is hardly the worst thing in the world. If nothing else, Jericho losing the title to someone else is going to give them a heck of a rub. Really entertaining match here though and that’s all you would have expected from Jericho.

Post match Jericho hammers away at the bad eye and nails Naito with a belt shot. Jericho pulls off his belt to whip Naito, drawing in Evil for the save.

We recap the main event, which is the final blowoff to Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada, who come into this 1-1-1. Okada has held the title for nearly two years and has pretty much every record in the history of the belt. They wrestled to an hour draw here last year and now it’s time for a no time limit 2/3 falls match.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada

Okada is defending and it’s no time limit, 2/3 falls. Kota Ibushi and Gedo are the respective seconds. Feeling out process to start, which is exactly how something like this should be starting. A fight over arm control gives us a standoff so Omega takes him to the mat for a quickly broken hammerlock. Okada has some slightly better luck with a leg crank but Omega is next to the rope. They both tease right hands in the corner and things speed up in a hurry with both finishers missing to send both of them outside.

A hard whip into the barricade has Omega in trouble and there’s a running boot to the face, only to have Omega hit the first (of probably about 75) V Trigger of the match. That’s only good for two back inside so Omega starts kicking at the back, which Okada invites without much of a grimace. A backbreaker sets up a one arm camel clutch but Okada gets in a flapjack for a breather. Okada’s DDT gets two and we hit a rather bad looking cobra clutch. That goes nowhere so Okada sends him outside for a dive.

That’s fine with Omega, who tosses the champ over the barricade for a springboard dive and a nice reaction. Back in and another V Trigger misses, allowing Okada to grab a German suplex. They’re twenty minutes in here and it’s felt like half of that. Okada fights out of a super Snapdragon and Tombstones Omega on the apron, thankfully without the announcers telling us that it’s the hardest part of the ring. Omega gets sent ribs first into the barricade and you can see the confidence on Okada’s face.

A missile dropkick gets a lazy near fall but Okada takes too long loading up the Rainmaker and gets kicked to the floor. The Rise of the Terminator sets up the running no hands flip dive and the fans are rather impressed. Back in and Okada breaks up the Snapdragon and a One Winged Angel, so Omega V Triggers him again.

Omega’s German suplex gets two and there’s the third V Trigger. He still can’t hit the One Winged Angel (they’re setting that up very well) so Okada hits his perfect dropkick. There’s a Tombstone for two but the Rainmaker is countered, only to have the counter countered into a cradle to give Okada the first fall at 28:48.

We take a quick break for a few minutes before Okada dropkicks him to the floor to start the second fall. The ribs go into the apron and the barricade a second time as the champ is in full control. A hanging DDT off the barricade should knock Omega silly and they head back inside. Omega’s chops are shrugged off and it’s a big boot into another cobra clutch. That goes nowhere so let’s head outside again with a table being laid on top of Okada for a running double stomp from the apron. Again the table doesn’t break (the Dudleys must hate this country) and Omega gets his knees up to block a backsplash inside.

An AA drops Omega again and they’re both down one more time. Okada goes up top but gets caught in a superplex as the fans get behind Omega again. That’s cut off by a middle rope moonsault hitting knees so Okada stops to point at a table. The backdrop over the top (like in the first match) is blocked and Omega hits a running tornado DDT. Neither can hit anything off the apron but neither finisher can hit on the floor either.

Instead Omega hits a reverse hurricanrana to knock Okada silly but he’s back in at nineteen. The fifth V Trigger looks to set up the One Winged Angel, which is reversed into another Tombstone (I believe we’re at three now). Okada’s Rainmaker is countered into a spinning Rock Bottom for another double knockdown. The Snapdragon rocks Okada but he pops up with another dropkick to send Omega into the ropes.

We haven’t have a V Trigger in a bit so there’s number six, only to have Okada get two off the same rollup that won him the first fall. Therefore it’s another V Trigger to set up a double underhook piledriver for two on the champ. Hey look! A V Trigger! This one sets up the One Winged Angel to tie things up at 50:35. After another rest period, Okada is almost ready to remember what planet he’s on. Therefore, say it with me: V TRIGGER (that’s nine if you’ve lost count) but Okada reverses the One Winged Angel into the Rainmaker for a double knockdown.

That’s good for a delayed two and neither can hit a Tombstone. Okada misses the dropkick as Omega can’t come off the ropes. He’s fine enough to hit a Styles Clash with Okada grabbing the rope for a save. A V Trigger in the corner connects but the One Winged Angel is countered into a Tombstone which is countered into a Tombstone from Omega. Ibushi gets up on the apron for some advice, but Omega misses the Phoenix splash (Ibushi’s finisher).

We break into the hour mark with V Triggers eleven, twelve and thirteen, followed by two more dropkicks from Okada. The champ loads up another Rainmaker, which connects, but with almost no impact as he collapses from exhaustion (as Omega did last year when he was about to take the Rainmaker). They slug it out from their knees but Okada pulls him up for a quick Rainmaker. There’s a fourth Rainmaker and he loads up a fifth, which is countered into a German suplex.

Omega rolls some more German suplexes but gets reversed into another German suplex. Another Rainmaker attempt is countered into another German suplex and Omega adds a reverse hurricanrana to spike Okada on his head. ANOTHER V Trigger is countered with ANOTHER dropkick but ANOTHER Rainmaker attempt is countered into a kind of sloppy One Winged Angel. Omega can’t cover so it’s V Trigger lucky number fifteen and One Winged Angel #3 to give Omega the third fall and the title at 69:52 (including the breaks between falls).

Rating: A+. If I could go between A+/A here I would, but I’m not one to change a system that has served me very well for so many years and make things that much more complicated for everyone involved. The match is incredible and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. The guys beat the heck out of each other and called back to their previous classics while adding in new stuff. Okada being the one to collapse on the Rainmaker was great and made Omega look like the better man. Omega winning two straight falls make him look like the rightful champion, capping off a great story.

But give me a break with the seven stars thing. As I’ve said many times: I’m now either supposed to believe that this is 40% better than any previous five star match, or every match ever has to be redone because the scale has changed. As I mentioned more than once: they repeat A LOT of moves and spots, plus at times it felt like they were repeating stuff and filling in spots for the sake of breaking an hour and having one of the longest title matches ever. There are times where that works (which it did here at some points) and there are times where it feels like you’re trying to be epic (which it did here at some points).

Overall, it’s definitely a masterpiece and well worth checking out, but is it the best match of all time? Heck if I know, and heck if anyone else knows too. This match was less than two weeks ago and I’ve been finished watching it for about fifteen minutes. One of the my all time favorite matches and a match that I would put on a short list for best match of all time is Austin vs. Hart at Wrestlemania XIII. I watched that match last year and I was STILL finding new stuff about it that I hadn’t noticed before.

Will that be the case here? Probably, but I’d like to wait until the following month before putting it among the best of all time and above so many other things that have impressed me before. Over time, matches are looked at in different ways and tastes can change dramatically throughout the years. I know it’s great, but immediately giving it some kind of other worldly praise sounds like a six year old who just saw THE NEW GREATEST AND COOLEST MOVIE HE’S EVER SEEN for the fifth time this year.

The other question is will the match hold up as well over time. I know the immediate answer is yes, but look at what they did just a year and a half ago. The Wrestle Kingdom XI match was given six stars by Meltzer, meaning that this match has now left that one in the dust if you’re using the same scale (this match would be about 17% better if you’re a numbers person). If you’re basing it on that, the Wrestle Kingdom match is blown away by this one and isn’t even in the discussion. That took a year and a half. What is this match going to be seen as at this time next year?

In other words, let these matches sink in a bit before they’re labeled as the best ever or SO much better than anything else that’s ever been done before. It makes things sound silly instead of great, which is the point in offering these matches so much praise. The match was great, I’d watch it again, and Omega deserves to be champion after taking the title from maybe the best champion ever. If the match can hold up and stand the test of time, then we’ll see if it’s as good as some have claimed it to be. Amazing match, despite a few issues here and there.

Post match the Young Bucks come out and celebrate with Omega, officially setting things right with them before he’ll even accept the title. Omega thanks the fans in Japanese and says this was his final goal. He’ll be here for the future and (in English) he’s been told to stay calm and tranquilo. That’s not his way though and he knows with these men at his side, they can do anything. Omega bids us goodnight and goodbye but here’s Cody to walk halfway down the ramp and then turn around to end the show. Eh it worked for Owen Hart.

Overall Rating: A-. Great show, as New Japan always tends to be. The first hour and a half or so didn’t exactly blow me away (though it was quite watchable) and then it picked up a lot in the second half and never looked back. New Japan has stopped being on a roll and now is just this good. Wrestle Kingdom could go multiple ways and the G1 should be very interesting. I’m curious as to how long Omega holds the title, and if he’ll stick around after dropping it. Really, what else is left for him to do in New Japan now that he’s won the title? Anyway, another incredible night which again flew by, which New Japan does better than anyone.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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Lucha Underground – June 13, 2018 (Season 4 Premiere): Did They Forget How To Do This?

IMG Credit: Lucha Underground

Lucha Underground
Date: June 13, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s time for a new season and it’s going to be a very new one. The promotion managed to survive to a fourth season, albeit on a much smaller budget and in a new building. It’s not clear what will have changed but things are certainly going to be different. Last season ended with Dario Cueto being shot and Pentagon Dark as Lucha Underground Champion. Let’s get to it.

We open with a long recap of the end of last season, including Pentagon Dark becoming the new Lucha Underground Champion and Dario Cueto being shot. As he was dying, he reached for his phone and called his dad.

And now, Dario’s funeral! There are only two people there: Winter (the man who shot Dario) and Dario’s father Antonio…..who is Dario in a gray wig with a cane. It’s hard to mistake that voice. Anyway Antonio is now fully in charge of Lucha Underground and has move out of the Temple because of the people who attacked Dario there. That’s cool because Antonio has a place he used to run shows. Winter reminds him that the wrestling is just a cover for their real purpose. War is coming. Antonio takes the key from Dario, meaning Matanza will be released.

The new Temple is a little brighter and the ropes are blue and yellow for some reason. Other than that, everything looks about the same so it’s not the biggest change.

In the new Temple, we get a ten bell salute to Dario, which is interrupted by Antonio. He throws the picture of Dario out of the ring and promises that we will likely be crowning a new champion tonight…..IN AZTEC WARFARE!

Back from a break with two of the three Trios Champions the Mack and Killshot in the ring with Antonio. The three of them will be in Aztec Warfare but since Dante Fox is missing, Killshot and Mack are starting the match at #1 and #2. Whoever #3 is will be their new partner as the new Trios Champions. Well that’s certainly starting fast.

Lucha Underground Title: Aztec Warfare

Pentagon Dark is defending in a 20 man Royal Rumble with pinfall or submissions only for eliminations. The Mack is in at #1 and Killshot is in at #2 but before they start, Son of Havoc is in at #3, making him their new championship partner. The new champs brawl to start with Havoc dropkicking Mack to the floor but not out. Joey Ryan is in at #4 and immediately handcuffs himself to the top rope. The entrants speed way up as Mr. Pectacular (Jesse Godderz) is in at #5.

The champs waste no time in beating the heck out of him but Killshot rolls Mack up for the first elimination. Pentagon Dark is in at #6 and we take a break. Back with Sling Blades dropping everyone but Ryan, who uncuffs himself to avoid horrible pain. A rollup gets rid of Ryan and a package piledriver into Havoc’s shooting star gets rid of Killshot. Tommy Dreamer (ERG!) is in at #7 and it’s time for the weapons because that’s how Dreamer has to do things. Pectacular is gone and it’s Dreamer vs. Pentagon in the hardcore showdown. Mariposa is in at #8 as Dreamer ties Pentagon in the Tree of Woe for the running dropkick.

With Dreamer heading to the outside, Pentagon dives over the top but gets knocked out of the air. Havoc cutters Mariposa for an elimination and Dreamer gets dropped on some thumbtacks on the steps. That’s good for a pin back inside and it’s Vinnie Massaro in at #9. He gets a pizza delivered on the way to the ring, making sure to shove the delivery guy down. Knowing Lucha Underground, the pizza guy is a future champion. Pentagon hits the Pentagon Driver to get rid of Massaro as it’s Hernandez in at #10, giving us Son of Havoc, Pentagon and Hernandez.

A quick snap of the arm gets rid of Hernandez in about thirty seconds, leaving Havoc to take the Backstabber to leave Pentagon alone. Johnny Mundo is in at #11 for a heck of a showdown as we take another break. Back with Johnny chopping him down as….no one is here at #12.

That was supposed to be Angelico but he’s nowhere to be seen so it’s Ricky Mundo, with a creepy doll, taking his place. The fans don’t like Pentagon getting double teamed but Ricky keeps looking at the doll. Johnny gets his attention so Ricky rolls him up for two. That earns him a kick to the face so Johnny can get the easy elimination. Fenix is in at #13 and that should pick things up a bit.

Johnny breaks up Fenix’s opening springboard with a chop so Fenix just bounces onto the top rope and springs back up to take them both down again. Fenix hits a big dive and it’s Jeremiah Crane in at #14. A slam onto a chair gets two on Fenix and it’s Mil Muertes in at #15. He runs over everyone so everyone goes after him, capped off by Fenix’s top rope double stomp to the back for the pin in less than a minute. Unfortunately that means no more Catrina and it’s Daga in at #16.

A suplex backbreaker has Mundo in trouble but Crane dumps Daga because Heaven forbid someone who isn’t a big name gets to showcase themselves. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (Striker: “A living breathing lucha legend.” No.) is in at #17 and Pentagon uses the distraction to hit a Pentagon Driver on Crane for the elimination. Chavo suplexes Fenix for the pin (Fenix deserves better) and dives over the top onto Pentagon. Daga comes back in and is eliminated in short order by Mundo. King Cuerno (POP) is in at #18 and gets to kick a bunch of people in the face.

The big suicide dive drops Pentagon and it’s El Dragon Azteca Jr. in at #19. Mundo gets planted with a tornado DDT and here’s Kobra Moon (Daga’s manager) to send Vibora (not in the match) to chokeslam Mundo. Marty Martinez is in at #20, giving us a final group of Pentagon, Mundo, Guerrero, Cuerno, Dragon Azteca and Martinez. Actually hang on as Vibora Tombstones Mundo so Marty can get the easy pin.

Back from a break with Azteca charging into a chair to the head, setting up Chavo’s frog splash for the elimination. The final four all get inside with Pentagon kicking away until Cuerno knees him out of the hair. Chavo is back in with a Gory Bomb to get rid of Cuerno but a low superkick gets rid of him as well, leaving us with Martinez vs. Pentagon. Marty likes getting chopped really hard but knees Pentagon in the face for two.

A curb stomp gets two more but the Backstabber out of the corner gets Pentagon out of trouble. Marty bites his fingers and hits the double underhook implant DDT for an even closer near fall. Pentagon gets up a superkick out of the corner and hits a middle rope Canadian Destroyer. The package piledriver retains the title at 43:21.

Rating: C-. That….was not very good. The eliminations came WAY too fast and I never bought Pentagon as being in any real danger. It went flying by with the timing being horrendous, making even the Royal Rumble look good by comparison. Some of the names felt like a big deal but Mil Muertes, the big bad of season 1, can’t even last two minutes here? That’s really all they’ve got? I get that they need to rush some eliminations, but don’t fly through one of your best matches this fast.

Pentagon breaks the arm to break in the season. Antonio comes out again and says he’s not Dario, so Pentagon won’t have to fight again right now. Instead we’ll wait to next week when he defends against Matanza.

Overall Rating: D+. I have to downgrade the thing a little bit, just for how bad that wig looked. I understand the idea behind putting one of your big, blow away matches on to jump start the season but it doesn’t have the same impact when I could go for a memory jobbing on who a lot of these people are and why I care about them. Save this for later and it can have a better impact, though I can at least see the thinking here. I really doubt this is indicative where the season is going, as Lucha Underground is about the long form storytelling rather than the individual shows. Not a great start, but it’s just a start.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – June 15, 2018: I Know What That Means

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #9
Date: June 15, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s time to change things up a bit this week with the first ever Tag Team Champions being crowned. This has been teased for a little while and it’s something that could add in a new dynamic to the show. There are several ways to go with the titles, but there’s a good chance that a surprise team walks out with the belts. Let’s get to it.

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

Colonel Robert Parker is giving the Dirty Blonds some strategy for the Tag Team Title tournament. They’re not overly worried.

Opening sequence.

We hear about Battle Riot coming to New York City, which seems to be a 40 man Royal Rumble.


Earlier this week, Brody King tried to collect Salina de la Renta’s bounty on Shane Strickland in a parking lot. This meant shoving Strickland over and that’s about it.

MVP isn’t worried about Maxwell J. Friedman, whose mouth has written a check that his mouth can’t cash. Friedman is going to be taken to school and MVP is going to be his teacher. When Friedman is done, it’s time to go after Sami Callihan and his get along gang.

MVP vs. Maxwell J. Friedman

Before the match, Friedman calls MVP the Jabronin Ronin. Friedman hides in the ropes to start so MVP forearms him in the back and hits a belly to back. A running boot in the corner is blocked though and it’s a poke to the eye like you should be seeing from a villain. Friedman cranks on an armbar and we take a break.

Back with MVP throwing some right hands and the Ballin Elbow connecting for no cover. There’s a fisherman’s suplex for two and the Playmaker connects, drawing out Callihan and company. MVP dives onto the trip, allowing Friedman to get in a low blow, followed by a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin 7:34.

Rating: D+. Friedman is a pretty simple, basic character and that’s all he needs to be. He doesn’t have the best in ring skills but he’s not the worst either, putting him right in the middle on a show full of others who happen to be right in the middle. MVP is the same guy he’s been for years, meaning I’m still not much of a fan.

Ad for Battle Riot, explaining that it’s a Royal Rumble with pins and submissions with the winner getting a World Title shot anyplace anytime. Confirmed for the match: Jake Hager, Barrington Hughes, Jimmy Yuta and Pentagon Jr.

Barrington Hughes doesn’t like the idea of a bounty on someone who is just doing his job.

Jimmy Yuta and Jason Cade are ready to win the Tag Team Titles, with Cade saying he’s the captain. This goes as well as you would expect.

Simon Gotch vs. Parrow

This is Gotch’s $250 challenge, with Parrow only having to last five minutes to win. Parrow is a good sized guy who we’ve seen before and part of the Stud Stable. Gotch kicks him in the face and the 6’4 300lb Parrow bounces back with a shoulder to send Gotch outside. Back in and a chokeslam is countered into a kneebar but it’s too close to the rope. Tom Lawlor gets in a cheap shot with what looked like a shoe, setting up the rear naked choke to put Parrow away at 1:55.

Post match the Dirty Blonds come out for the save.

Brody King, a bounty hunter with a big beard, challenges Strickland for next week.

MLW CEO Court Bauer calls in and says the match is on for next week.

Elimination rules and anything goes with the titles vacant coming in. TBD is Cade/Yuta of course. It’s WCW rules with one person from every team in at once but everything breaks down in short order. The brothers are sent to the floor and TBD get backdropped at the same time. TBD dive into stereo superkicks but the Blonds pull Pentagon and Fenix outside. That just means stereo flip dives from TBD, followed by Brien’s own flip dive from the apron.

We settle down (kind of) with Cade getting caught in a double whip spinebuster for two as Yuta makes the save. Brien starts in with some suplexes and a backsplash to Fenix for two but Cade is back in for a tornado DDT. A top rope elbow from Yuta and a frog splash from Cade are enough to put Brien away and get rid of the Blonds at 4:28.

Back from a break with all four down in the ring until Cade pops up for some chops to the Bros. A double superkick rocks Yuta and he’s tied up in the Tree of Woe. With Cade seated beneath him, Pentagon gets launched into the two of them, only to have Yuta pop up with a kick to Pentagon’s leg for two. TBD go up top for a double missile dropkick on Fenix and Yuta’s German suplex gets two more. Pentagon comes back in and tells Cade CERO MIEDO. Cade: “I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!”” Eh good for a laugh.

The Sling Blade gets two on Cade and a Codebreaker is good for the same. Something resembling an Angle Slam gives Yuta two but Fenix dives in with a dropkick for a great looking save. An over the shoulder sitout Tombstone plants Yuta for another near fall but Cade is right back in with a handspring Codebreaker.

We haven’t had a dive in awhile so Cade nails a suicide version, leaving Yuta to eat a rolling dropkick to the face. Cade is back in with a hurricanrana to set up the elbow/frog splash combination for two more. As you might have expected though, Cade hits Yuta and calls him stupid as a result, setting up a superkick into the Pentagon Driver for another near fall. A spike Fear Factor on Yuta is enough for the pin and the titles at 16:07.

Rating: C+. It was a fun and wild match but if it’s the first time the titles are going to be decided, I could have gone for some more actual tag team wrestling instead of just a bunch of spots. Now that being said, what we got was an entertaining match in the lucha style and it’s the right call to give Pentagon and Fenix, who have been two of the stars of the show, the titles in the first place.

Salina busts out the Patron (thankfully sans Alberto) as the celebration is on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show that they needed to get done with the Tag Team Titles being something that can help them later on. They got the first champions right and that’s what matters most here, plus the match itself was entertaining. I’m actually looking forward to seeing Strickland again next week and that’s why you have someone like him in the top spot: he’s an attraction and feels like a big deal, which is what you want in a champion.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – June 8, 2018: The Filthy Bunch

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #8
Date: June 8, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

Things are starting to change a bit as evil manager Salina de la Renta is coming after World Champion Shane Strickland. At the same time, Tom Lawlor is still a jerk and tonight he gets to face the rather talented Fred Yehi. We’re still at the point of having people debut here fairly regularly around here so we might be seeing some new faces again. Let’s get to it.

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

Video on Shane Strickland. Is there a reason to have this if he’s not here to start the show?

Opening sequence.

Tom Lawlor vs. Fred Yehi

Lawlor has Team Filthy, including Simon Gotch and the still unnamed third man (though his jacket says Sanders), with him. Yehi takes him down to the mat and grabs a front facelock but Lawlor spins back up for a standoff. Now it’s Lawlor’s turn to wrestle him down but Yehi spins out and grabs him again, sending Lawlor to the ropes. This time Yehi stomps on Lawlor’s hand but Lawlor pulls him down by the leg.

That goes nowhere so Yehi gets two off a great looking fisherman’s suplex. Lawlor is right back up and grabs a seated abdominal stretch to slow things down again. It’s off to a butterfly lock on Yehi and we take a break. Back with Lawlor stomping away and getting two off a suplex. Lawlor grabs a dragon sleeper with a hammerlock (allowing Tony to talk about the Andersons, which had to make him smile) and then a guillotine, which is countered with a hard slam.

Yehi’s dragon suplex gets two so he fires off a long string of knees to the face. A layout powerbomb gets two more and Lawlor is rocked, which doesn’t happen very often around here. With the referee checking on Yehi, Lawlor takes off his forearm pad and knocks Yehi cold with the metal forearm. A rear naked choke finishes Yehi off at 13:41.

Rating: B-. Lawlor is one of those guys that MLW owner Court Bauer hyped up to a nearly ridiculous degree when he was promoting the show but he’s turned into one of the best things around here. He really is one of those guys who lives up to his building and the Filthy name suits him perfectly. Yehi is someone who could hang with him on the mat and I had a good time with this one. Well done.

We look back at Maxwell J Friedman attacking Joey Janela last week. He’s been fined $5,000.

Friedman really doesn’t think much of the fine and doesn’t want to talk about it but Janela’s manager Aria Blake comes in to yell at him. This goes nowhere and Friedman is out.

We look back at de la Renta threatening Strickland last week.

De la Renta has put out a $20,000 bounty on Strickland’s head. It’s worked before and it should work again.

Jimmy Yuta and Jason Cade, a fairly unsuccessful tag team, are at a photo shoot where Cade won’t let Yuta get much of the spotlight.

Leon Scott vs. MVP

Scott, the big bald guy who has been following Sami Callihan, is named for the first time here and has Callihan and (Sawyer) Fulton in his corner. MVP goes right at him to start but Callihan comes in for the DQ at 47 seconds.

Post match MVP tries to fight them off but gets caught by Fulton, whose presence seems to surprise Tony, even though he was present and active during Callihan’s match last week. The beatdown is on but Kotto Brazil, who Callihan attacked last week, comes in for the save. That doesn’t last long but he did try. Callihan beats them both down with the baseball bat.

Strickland doesn’t think much of the bounties on his head because it comes with being the World Champion. Low Ki comes in and, in a very low key voice, offers some help dealing with de la Renta and hands Strickland a business card. Shane isn’t interested and Low Ki walks away.

Rich Swann and ACH meet and might be a team in the future. So I guess Swann is just a cocky face? That’s hard to pull off, though not impossible.

ACH vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix is part of de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado but is still rather popular and fan friendly. ACH takes him to the mat and we’re back up to the standoff almost immediately. They take turns flipping around to another standoff but ACH gets in a double stomp to the back, followed by a sliding dropkick to put Fenix outside. You don’t do that with a flier like ACH so there’s the first dive. Fenix is right back up with a dropkick to the floor and the suicide dive takes ACH down as well.

Back from a break with a high angle Swanton giving Fenix two. They trade loud strikes with Fenix getting the better of it and ACH almost looking surprised that Fenix would kick him in the face. ACH is right back with a backbreaker and a snap German suplex for two of his own. Fenix snapmares him down and rolls into a frog splash, followed by a missed moonsault. That’s fine with Fenix, who keeps rolling and catches ACH with a cutter. Cool spot, albeit incredibly contrived. A chop to ACH’s chest makes me cringe and another puts ACH down.

Fenix jumps up top and tries a high crossbody, which ACH rolls through into a Death Valley Driver for two more. That’s enough of ACH on offense so Fenix knocks him to the apron and kicks him in the head. Back in and ACH returns the favor to knock Fenix off the top in a heap. ACH doesn’t exactly have the same prowess with the chops, to the point that Fenix sticks his chest out and tells him to do it. Fenix kicks the heck out him but charges into a superkick to keep ACH strong. The frog splash misses though and Fenix grabs a Muscle Buster driver (egads) for the pin at 14:44.

Rating: B. While maybe not the most classically formulated match in the world, this was a lot of fun with both guys flying around and hitting a variety of big moves, which is more than you get in a lot of matches like this. ACH isn’t likely to win much around here, but he’s regularly putting in entertaining performances on TV. Fenix needed the win a lot more though and that’s what matters most here.

Post match they stare each other down and shake hands after a few seconds to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. After last week’s really weak effort, it’s a good sign that they can still pull off something like this. You had two good matches and angle advancement up and down the show. That’s a good way to use your hour of TV time and even though there’s only so much to draw from, this was definitely one of the best episodes of the series so far.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – June 1, 2018: We Had To Get Here Eventually

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #7
Date: June 1, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

With Pentagon out of the way, it’s time for Shane Strickland to find a new challenger to the World Title. I’m not sure who that can be as Tom Lawlor would seem to be one of the best options but he’s busy with Jimmy Havoc at the moment. Other than that, you never can tell what you might see on this show, which can be both good and bad. Let’s get to it.

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

The backstage interviewer is outside Jeff Cobb’s (Lucha Underground’s Matanza) locker room when the Stud Stable comes in with Colonel Parker promising to put Cobb on a stretcher tonight.

Opening sequence.

Jake Hager vs. Jeff Cobb

Hager is better known as Jack Swagger and is part of the Stud Stable. Cobb, who the fans seem to like, is a fellow wrestling machine but is built more like Samoa Joe. Hager wastes no time in taking Cobb into the corner and tossing him across the ring in an impressive power display. A German suplex gets Cobb out of trouble for a few seconds but a clothesline to the back of the head takes him right back down. It’s too early for the ankle lock so the announcers start talking about the rest of the card instead of what’s going on here. Dang it MLW not you too.

Cobb fights out of a chinlock and forearms away in the corner but charges into a pair of boots. The Vader Bomb gets two but Cobb is fine enough to hit an Oklahoma Stampede for two of his own. Cobb can’t hit the Tour of the Islands and misses the standing shooting star press as well. The second Vader Bomb hits boots but Hager reverses into the ankle lock for the tap at 6:40.

Rating: C. Hager is someone who could be a player around here as he has the WWE pedigree and still looks like a killer. The Stud Stable could use a singles name like him too as just being a tag team isn’t going to get them very far. Cobb is a good choice to have around as well but given a loss like this, which was mostly one sided, I’m not sure how big he’s going to be around here.

Cobb is taken out on a stretcher and after a break, goes into an ambulance with a fractured ankle. That’s a great way to get the ankle lock over early on.

Quick look at Strickland retaining last week.

Shane says that was a hard match last week and is glad that the title is still around his waist. He runs into Salina de la Renta, who says it’s not over. Shane isn’t intimidated but she says be careful what you wish for. She has someone in mind for him.

Next week: Fred Yehi vs. Tom Lawlor.

Team Filthy doesn’t think anything of Yehi because he’s a little guy (“About yay high.”).

Sami Callihan and his big bald (and still unnamed) friend say they’re still taking over everything. Thanks for the update on that one.

Maxwell J Friedman is having some champagne at ringside.

The MLW Top Ten:

10. ACH

9. Jake Hager

8. Joey Janela

7. Barrington Hughes

6. Jimmy Havoc

5. MVP

4. Sami Callihan

3. Rey Fenix

2. Pentagon Jr.

1. Tom Lawlor

So Lawlor is #1 contender. I guess that should do it for Havoc’s deal, at least for now.

Rich Swann vs. Kotto Brazil

This is Swann’s MLW debut and he’s dancing, despite not having the fastest music in the world. We get a CAN YOU HANDLE THIS chant to start and the dancing continues, so at least Swann still has some holdover appeal from WWE. They trade headlocks to start before switching to a long pinfall reversal sequence into a standoff. A jumping Stunner from Brazil cranks the pace up a little bit and a springboard forearm makes Swann hold his face.

Brazil grabs a chinlock (needs more grabbing of the chin) to keep things in control as Friedman doesn’t seem impressed. Swann is back up with a dropkick and the pace actually slows a bit. A SHH chop is loaded up in the corner but Swann punches him in the face instead. Something like a torture rack with Swann on one knee and bending Brazil down a bit has him in more trouble as Swann is being very, very cocky here. Like, to the point where he’s almost a heel which….isn’t the worst idea in the world.

A missile dropkick gets two on Brazil and now it’s an abdominal stretch with Swann picking up the leg off the mat. With that going nowhere, Swann goes up and dives into….I think it was supposed to be a dropkick but was kind of a leg to the ribs instead. A Blockbuster (which actually connects) gives Brazil two but Swann comes back with a Lethal Injection. Brazil pulls him down into a reverse Rings of Saturn (Naomi used it for a bit last year) and then a Crossface for good measure. Swann makes a rope and they slug it out with Brazil going down, setting up the Phoenix splash to give Swann the pin at 12:59.

Rating: C-. What in the world was that? Like really, what were they going for here? If you’re bringing in Swann, a former champion in WWE and someone who got a strong reaction, as a heel (which is doable), don’t have him go move for move with someone who has never actually won a match around here. If you’re bringing him in as a face, which seems to be the idea with Friedman not being pleased, don’t have him being so cocky and having so many problems. This should have been about seven minutes shorter and more of a squash, so I’m really not sure what they were going for here.

They shake hands post match to make things even more confusing. Swann leaves but here’s Sami Callihan to hit Brazil with a baseball bat.

Sami Callihan vs. Joey Janela

Sami has two monsters with him, one of whom is the bald guy we’ve seen before but the other is an even bigger guy with messy hair (who appears to be Sawyer Fulton from NXT). If nothing else, Sami has a cool nickname with the Worldwide Desperado. Joey has Aria, who apparently used to be a backstage interviewer around here, in his corner as usual. Friedman is still at ringside so maybe we’re not done yet.

Janela knocks Callihan into the two monsters (with Fulton being seen on the jacket of the guy with hair, meaning we at least have one person confirmed) and the fans are rather pleased. Back in and Callihan clotheslines him down but Joey forearms away with reckless abandon. That just earns him a piledriver on the apron (they use that way too much) and we take a break. We come back with Janela hitting a sunset bomb for a breather and a Death Valley Driver gets three….but there’s a boot on the ropes.

So we keep going with the fans still behind Janela, though they oddly quiet down when he scores with some superkicks. Sami’s piledriver is no sold (erg) and he hits a fifth superkick before going down. A slugout goes to Janela but he misses a moonsault for a big crash. They head outside with Janela being sent into Friedman, who beats the heck out of him for messing up the champagne. Back in and Sami’s double underhook shoulder breaker is good for the pin at 9:03.

Post match Friedman beats up the bloody Janela even more and pours champagne on him to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. This was the first real miss of the series with only one debut hitting and two matches being ranging from badly booked to just not being interesting in the first place. Maybe it’s me not liking some of the people on this show but it’s not a good sign when the Stud Stable and Colonel Parker were the best things on the show. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until next week but I really hope this isn’t the way they’re heading most of the time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – May 25, 2018: Their First Showdown

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #6
Date: May 25, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s title week as Shane Strickland is defending the World Title against Pentagon Jr., who misted Shane in the eyes and had to defend his #1 contendership as a result. Other than that it’s hard to say what we might see around here as it could be anything from established names to fresh talent. Let’s get to it.

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

Shane Strickland and Barrington Hughes arrived in a very nice car earlier today with Shane telling reporters that Pentagon should be worried. Salina de la Renta comes up to say that the title is rented just like the car. Hughes calls her a witch in Spanish.

Opening sequence.

The announcers chat for a bit.

Santana Garrett vs. Chelsea Green

Santana has been in NXT and TNA while Green is better known as Laurel Van Ness. They shake hands to start with the announcers talking about how close friends they are. A battle of the wristlocks doesn’t get either of them very far and neither can hit a right hand. Some rollups get two each and Chelsea goes mean with a slap to the face. The fans DON’T like that one so Chelsea takes her into the corner….and finds some lipstick? She shouts about that for a bit before a running knee to the face gets two.

The lipstick goes on and seems to make Chelsea a little nuts (I’ve seen this somewhere before) and she sends Santana head first into the buckle. Something like a curb stomp into the corner rocks Santana again and we hit the chinlock. As usual that triggers a comeback but Chelsea forearms her to the apron. Garrett is right back with a kick to the chest and a Russian legsweep (nice one too) for a near fall of her own. Back up and Santana spins out of a suplex, setting up a MickieDT for the pin at 7:56.

Rating: C. This was a perfectly acceptable match with both women doing some good things but very little spark or fire. They had something of a story with Chelsea attacking her friend and going psycho with the lipstick but it never got past a certain level. I’ll certainly take safe over a complete gamble though so this could have been much, much worse.

Tom Lawlor “apologizes” for what happened with Havoc two weeks ago. As usual, Lawlor nails the complete jerk promo.

Simon Gotch vs. Danny Santiago

This is Gotch’s Open Challenge and if Santiago can last five minutes, he makes $250 (which makes the fans laugh). A capture suplex and piledriver end Santiago in 48 seconds. That’s all this should have been.

Joey Janela and Aria Blake have no explanation for why they’re leaving Maxwell J. Friedman’s locker room.

Post break, Friedman freaks out because he finds cigarettes and domestic beer in his dressing room. This is NOT ok!

Video on Shane Strickland vs. Pentagon Jr., which has been well built up for the last few weeks.

MLW World Title: Shane Strickland vs. Pentagon Jr.

Strickland is defending and Pentagon has Salina de la Renta. Hang on though as de la Renta brings in a mariachi band to sing the Mexican national anthem. Shane’s eyes seem fine after the misting that helped set up the match. They circle each other to start until Shane shrugs off a superkick to the ribs and knees Pentagon in the face. That’s enough to start a fight in the crowd with Shane getting the better of it, only to springboard into a superkick back inside.

Pentagon gets creative by tying Shane’s arms to the rope with a camera cable and it’s time to chop away. We take a break and come back with Low Ki sitting in the aisle as Pentagon stops to dance, much to de la Renta’s annoyance. There’s a kick to Shane’s leg but he’s fine enough to knee Pentagon in the head. A 619 to the ribs sets up the rolling cutter for two more and Strickland isn’t sure where to go next.

Shane takes the kneepad down but misses a running knee. Instead he stands on his hands and gets kicked in the ribs for one and they’re both down again. It’s Pentagon up first but he can’t break the arm. Instead he has to save his own arm and you can see de la Renta getting a little nervous. An exchange of kicks to the head puts them both down and we take another break. Back again with the fight on the floor again until Pentagon takes him to the apron for a Canadian Destroyer.

That doesn’t even warrant a cover as Pentagon would rather kick him down instead. The Pentagon Driver gets two and it’s chair time. Of course Shane puts him in the chair instead but dives into a powerbomb while Pentagon is still seated. The Fear Factor (Tony really needs to get the names straight) gets two and a big reaction on the kickout. Salina, looking angrier and more emotional than I’ve ever seen her, gets up and takes the mist from Pentagon by mistake (seems fine). Shane knees Pentagon down and hits the top rope double stomp (Swerve Stomp) to retain at 21:58.

Rating: B. This felt like a big match with both guys working hard and that’s all you can ask for here. Strickland is feeling like the biggest thing around and having him pin Pentagon clean is all you can ask for here. Pentagon can claim that he was distracted or whatever and de la Renta can come back with someone else later on. Good main event and it felt important.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure how smart it is to give one match thirty minutes on an hour long show but I can appreciate them trying something big on a newer series. Strickland is coming off like a more important deal every single week and the women coming in for the first time was a good idea. They did some good enough stuff on here and we can move on to a fresh challenger for Strickland. Another nice effort as the show is starting to find its footing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/


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


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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – May 18, 2018: What About Aunt Mabel?

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #5
Date: May 18, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s time for our first rematch but the good thing is that it’s a rematch of one of the best matches the promotion has put on so far. In this case we have Pentagon Jr. defending his #1 contendership against his old rival (and brother) Rey Fenix as a result of Pentagon spraying mist in World Champion Shane Strickland’s face last week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Strickland vs. Pentagon, which has been built up to the point where it almost has to take place at this point.

Opening sequence.

Kotto Brazil vs. Trey Miguel

Miguel is from the WWN and is a pretty standard high flier. They hit the mat to start with Brazil grabbing a headlock to keep things slow. Back up and they flip a lot with neither making much contact until Brazil smacks him in the face. One heck of a running European uppercut rocks Miguel again but he headscissors Brazil down without much effort. A springboard flip dive has Brazil in even more trouble and I’m rather surprised by how well Schiavone is calling a faster paced match like this. If nothing else the voice is still the same and that’s a good thing.

Back in and Brazil gets one off a snapmare from the middle rope (that’s uh, certainly new) of all things. A slingshot dropkick from the apron keeps Miguel in trouble as the smaller Brazil is continuing to show off here. Miguel gets rocked by a German suplex and a running Sliced Bread makes things even worse. Back up and Brazil misses a charge to get caught in the corner, setting up a 619. Miguel heads up top for a Meteora and the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. This was a fast paced match with some good spots but it felt like so many indy matches: a bunch of moves and stuff but nothing that suggested a story or storytelling or any of that outdated stuff. Both guys need some more time to get the finer points of wrestling, but they have the athletics part around.

Video on the first Pentagon vs. Fenix match.

We go to Salina de la Renta’s estate in Puerto Rico and Rich is in way over his head with someone as sharp as she is. She has the best collection of Hispanic talent and suggests that he’s intimidated by her. Rich winds up in the pool.

Backstage, Salina says she’s signed Pentagon and Fenix to Promociones Dorado.

We recap Jimmy Havoc’s issues last week, including defeating Joey Janela and getting beaten down by Tom Lawlor.

Team Filthy is in a hot tub and says bring Havoc on because they love easy paydays.

Dirty Blonds vs. Jimmy Yuta/Jason Cade

Elimination rules and the Blonds have Colonel Parker in their corner. Brien and Yuta trade slaps to the face to start and it’s Cade coming in with an ax handle to Brien’s arm. Patrick comes in and gets beaten up as well, setting up back to back dives to the floor to drop the Blonds again. Back in and Patrick rolls through a high crossbody and grabs the tights (good villain) for the elimination at 3:08.

Cade is left alone and punches away as much as he can but the numbers get the better of him in short order. The slow pace begins with Cade getting whipped into the opposite corner, though Patrick does throw in a strut for some real villany. A rollup (odd move for when you’re in control) gives Brien two but Cade does manage to use Patrick as a launch pad for a tornado DDT. Unfortunately a single foot to the chest doesn’t do much damage on Patrick, who puts Cade on top. A superplex is broken up though and Black Magic (a backslide driver) gets rid of Patrick at 7:06.

So we’re down to Cade vs. Brien and Cade is already spent after the long beating. Cade fights out of a chinlock without much trouble but Brien is way too big for Black Magic. Colonel Parker trips Cade though, drawing Yuta over to yell. That’s more than enough for Patrick to come back in for a double whip spinebuster and the pin at 9:03.

Rating: C. This was a little fast and while I can appreciate the different stipulation for the sake of some change, it’s not really working as Cade and Yuta aren’t the most thrilling team in the world. The Blonds are a good, old fashioned heel team (I love that they’re both big and overweight as it’s much easier to boo bigger guys) and that’s something that isn’t around often enough anymore.

Cade isn’t happy with Yuta.

Post break, Cade and Yuta say they’ll be on the same page for the upcoming Tag Team Title tournament.

Shane Strickland’s eyes aren’t back to normal yet but he’s ready for Pentagon. The attack only shows him that Pentagon is scared of Swerve. Pentagon can’t take his heart or the title and Pentagon should be afraid of that. Good, emotional promo from the champ.

Pentagon Jr. vs. Rey Fenix

The winner gets the title shot next week. Pentagon has Salina de la Renta with him, even though she said she has signed them both. They go straight to hitting each other in the face before a chop exchange goes nowhere. A pop up hurricanrana sends Pentagon to the floor and of course that means a big dive to take him out again. The fans are into this (as they should be) but Pentagon cuts them off by dropkicking Fenix out of the air on a springboard attempt.

Fenix’s leg gets wrapped around the post and it’s time for Pentagon to steal someone’s hat. I know he’s a rudo but come on now. A VERY loud chop wakes people up a bit more and a Sling Blade is good for two on Fenix. As has been a problem for him over and over again, Pentagon takes way too long setting something up and Fenix is right back with a rolling cutter. He’s fine enough to catch a powerbomb backbreaker for two more on Fenix and we take a break.

Back with Fenix getting two of his own off a nifty rollup and a spinwheel kick to Pentagon’s head puts them both down. The fans are nice enough to count to ten in Spanish so the guys won’t be confused. How polite of them. They fight to the apron and this is going to be painful. Fenix gets the best of it with a kick to the face and a double springboard stomp to the back.

Pentagon avoids getting German suplexed off the apron so he hits the Fear Factor on the apron instead. Geez and that’s his brother. What would he do to his Aunt Mabel? Naturally that’s only good for two back inside so Pentagon breaks his arm and hits the Pentagon Driver for two more. Of note: Tony has the names for the finishers backwards but that’s pretty normal in his case. Another Fear Factor gives Pentagon the pin at 12:40.

Rating: B. These two are incapable of having a bad match against each other so there was even more fun to be had here. Pentagon was pretty obviously the winner here as there was no way they couldn’t go through with the match after setting things up for Pentagon vs. Strickland for so many weeks. At least Fenix got to do his flippy stuff and that’s what he does best. Good match.

Overall Rating: B-. Another good episode this week and I’m looking forward to seeing Strickland again. They’ve built him up as a top guy who can take on almost anyone, including Pentagon who is one of the top villains around. They’re doing a lot of things right but they still haven’t had that blow away match or story that gets your attention so well. Then again with five hours of programming to their name on this show so far, there’s not much else you can do.

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