Middle Kingdom Wrestling
Date: January 20, 2017
Location: Pattaya Boxing Stadium, Pattaya, Chon Buri, Thailand
Commentator: Al Leung

If I remember right, the previous season ended with a line about things picking up in the spring so I’m not entirely sure what this is. This one is labeled as a Thailand Edition though so maybe this isn’t the third season premiere but rather just something as a bonus. Either way, they need all the ring time they can get so maybe we’ll have something here. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is in a club with some good looking women dancing. I’ve heard worse ideas.

We go to the arena for the first match and……there’s no one there. Of a few hundred seats, there might be two dozen people in the arena. I know there probably isn’t much of a wrestling scene in Thailand but this is really sad looking.

Selfie King vs. Candy Brother vs. Mickie Rawaz

The winner gets a future MKW Title shot and the ring is HUGE, probably bigger than a WWE ring. No one gets an entrance and right away we get to a major downgrade in the production. There’s a new (and far weaker) commentator who doesn’t give his name to start the match.

On top of that the camera work seems to have gone way down in quality, though having a camera at either side of the ring is certainly different. A sloppy looking Russian legsweep/DDT combo puts everyone down and we get the triple headlock spot. King is sent outside and Candy…..I guess dances as we’re told Mickie is a local wrestler. That’s the first thing we’ve heard about any of the wrestlers and we’re over three minutes in.

This time it’s Mickie being sent outside so Brother wraps a Twizzler around his hand….before kicking King in the ribs. Eh cute fake out. We continue the “theme” of the match with Brother being sent outside so King can hit a Cannonball. Candy comes back in as there are too many cameramen on the apron. They’re getting a bit distracting, much like having another camera in the corner for a lot of their shots.

Mickie slams both of them down and drops a double leg for two on both. Back up and Brother ties his legs between both of theirs’ and pulls back on their arms for a good looking hold which goes nowhere. Instead it’s off to some slaps to King’s chest, followed by the Tower of Doom to put everyone down. The announcer (still no name) explains that this is a kickboxing ring, meaning it’s much bigger and stiffer. That’s one of the first interesting things he’s said so far. King takes a few quick pictures and drops a frog splash on Brother for the pin at 10:31.

Rating: D-. And that might be too high. This was a real mess with absolutely no story, mostly bad wrestling and no help from the commentary. King winning is fine as he’s one of the better known names in the promotion but that might be the only positive thing I can come up with here. It felt like they were trying but the major production downgrade and lack of anything resembling a story to the match dragged it through the floor.

King takes a quick selfie next to the fallen Candy in one of the best gimmicks going in the promotion.

Dalton Bragg is on the phone in the back (with subtitles, which help overcome some sound issues) and says he’s not medically cleared to defend the MKW Title against the Slam.

ABC Tag Team Titles: Ash Silva/Jason Wang vs. Claude Roca/Tony Trivaldo

Roca (in his 70s) and Trivaldo are defending their French Tag Team Titles. Everyone (who I can identify thanks to some better graphic placement) seems to be a face here and it’s Claude vs. Ash to start. A monkey flip sends Ash flying and Claude headlocks him over for good measure.

Trivaldo (easily the biggest guy and with by far the best look) comes in for a slam and headlock but it’s off to Wang as this is already more structured than the first match. Want takes over with some knees to the head and a frog splash connects (albeit being left a bit short) for two. We get some challengers miscommunication and it’s a double clothesline to set up the tag to Roca. Claude continues to use basic wrestling (I need a Drew Gulak joke there) until Jason throws him into the corner.

The challengers take over and turn into the de facto heels with Wang grabbing a camel clutch. Claude nips up (because of course he can) and monkey flips both of them down at the same time. There’s the hot tag to Tony so house can be cleaned and everything breaks down. Tony spears Jason and gives Ash a release F5. Claude is thrown onto Jason for the pin at 11:20.

Rating: C+. This felt like a different promotion and that’s the best thing that could happen. It’s amazing what a simple story (work over the older guy and keep the younger, stronger champion on the apron) can do for a match and these guys worked fine together. Ash and Jason are old rivals (thank you commentator) so they had their own little story built in. Good match here and I had more fun with it than I was expecting to.

Ash and Jason get in a fight post match.

Overall Rating: D+. That tag match did wonders for this show and really does feel like it came from a different company. The opening match felt like something thrown together by people who had no idea what they were doing. Then everything improved in the second match, including the commentator (whose name was listed on the YouTube page but never on the show itself).

Overall, this was a downgrade from the China shows and some of that might be due to the length. This would have been better off at about five minutes shorter and just one match with more promos to fill in the extra time. It’s far from terrible but as usual, there are a lot of adjustments to be made.

I know I keep harping on it but the commentary here was a big issue. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I miss the old commentary team (maybe they’re gone due to different location), who were far better than the lone guy here. Commentary can do a lot for a show, especially one like this where there isn’t a deep history. Something as simple as “Ash and Jason have feuded before) was a big help but it was one of the only things we were given all night. The commentary is our guide and without it going well, it’s hard to know where things are supposed to go.

Maybe this show didn’t work as well because it was part of a co-promotion and more of a feature than a regular show but it wasn’t as good as the normal stuff is. There was something good in there though and the teaser for next time gave me some hope so maybe there’s hope to be had. Not terrible but again the big problems really hold things back.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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

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

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

Middle Kingdom Wrestling
Date: March 20, 2016
Location: CWE Gym, Dongguan, China
Commentators: Eddie Strong, Cam Ferguson

This is a promotion that I looked at late last year and kind of got attached to. In a rare personal note, I’ve actually been chatting with the promoter and one of the wrestlers so I’m hoping that the second season is a step up over the first. There are a lot of improvements that could be made but I like the core they’ve got here. Let’s get to it.

In case you missed it, one of the perks around here is the length of the episodes. For instance, this one clocks in at 16:18 total so it’s a VERY quick sit.

We’re already off to a good start as the opening is set up like an old NES Tecmo wrestling game, complete with the screen jumping.

We see some clips of what looks like a six man tag. No idea what the context is there.

Promoter Adrian Gomez is in the ring when Selfie King (apparently a parody of American culture) interrupts. That’s not very nice as Gomez was talking about…….I have no idea actually as the announcers talk about Selfie King wanting to face Tyler Breeze. Either way, Selfie King gets a match.

Selfie King vs. Candy Brother

Candy Brother is a guy who hands candy out to the fans, sending Ferguson into an amusing rant about how he’s poisoning the teeth of our children. The graphics are set up like an NES game as well. I’m already sold. King jumps him from behind with the selfie stick but Brother (whose mask is made of candy wrappers) throws him to the floor. Back in and we get some acceptable chain wrestling with Selfie King easily being taken down to the mat.

Candy Brother (I keep wanting to call him Candy Man but I’m too much of a Brad Armstrong fan.) sits on the arm and cranks away in something called a Snickers Sunrise. Strong says the MKW Universe loves this guy and it really doesn’t work for a place with so few fans. Then again it doesn’t work when WWE says it either. Candy Brother grabs a Tarantula of all things as Ferguson calls this season one. They botch a headscissors takeover so it’s tried again (never a good idea) before it’s off to a Black Widow on King.

Ferguson keeps making me laugh as he rails against Candy Brother’s love of cavities. A DDT gets two on King but he comes back with a really awkward looking clothesline. Off to a full nelson (with a Masterlock Challenge reference) for a bit before King throws him down with a German suplex. He takes WAY too long going outside but still hits a frog splash for another near fall. It took long enough that Strong plugged every single one of the company’s social media sites.

There’s another delay because it’s time for a quick picture and the distraction lets Brother get in a running kick to the chest. Another Black Widow is broken up (smart) and King puts him in a fireman’s carry for some squats. Brother isn’t all that big but that looked good, as did the Samoan drop. King’s standing moonsault is actually enough for the pin, which I’d call a surprise.

Rating: D+. So here’s the thing about Middle Kingdom Wrestling: for the most part, the wrestling isn’t all that good. Some guys are better than others and it was clear that Brother was much better in the ring than King but this was still pretty low level looking stuff. It also didn’t help that the match wasn’t put together very well. Brother dominated for a long time at the beginning and then things started to come together but this could have used a few minutes cut off.

That being said, there’s some stuff in here that I liked. Above all else, these two have very easily defined characters and you can tell who you’re supposed to cheer for. Brother wants to make fans happy (and give them diabetes but you can’t win everything) and King only cares about himself. That may not be a great story or even a story at all but you have a good guy and a bad guy which is a bigger step than so many promotions can pull off.

King was a BIG improvement over last time as well where he felt like much more of a joke than an actual wrestler. He’s nothing great or anything but it’s cool to see him as an actual threat to something. The match wasn’t terrible and some of the spots were decent enough but it’s clear that these two haven’t been in the ring at a very high level all that long.

A quick preview of next week’s tag match takes us out.

Overall Rating: C. I know it’s a bit weird to give a show with one match a rating other than that of the match but the production stuff was an important step up here. There were more cameras and better editing (though it was jumping around more than it needed to) here to make things feel a bit more important. It still looks very low level but at least they’re moving in the right direction. Get some more stories and some more characters and this could be a more enjoyable promotion. Finally the commentary is still one sided as Ferguson makes me laugh and Strong is……well he’s there too.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of the History of the Intercontinental Title at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4D3EGQ

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

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

Middle Kingdom Wrestling Episode 3
Date: September 30, 2015
Location: CWE Gym, Dongguan, China
Commentator: Eddie Strong

This show is kind of growing on me. I’m digging what they’re going for with the really short TV shows and simple booking. I could go for some stories and better wrestling but that’s a universal issue in wrestling, even in China. We’re on to the semi-finals tonight and it should be easier now that I have an idea who some of these people are. Let’s get to it.

These shows are getting even shorter as this is under fifteen minutes long.

The Slam vs. King Michael

This is incorrectly billed as a tournament match. Michael is a big fat guy and Slam reminds me of Gillberg. He even has similar music to Goldberg. Slam pounds away like he’s a guy twice his size and drops Michael with some forearms to the chest. A leglock sends Michael to the ropes but he clotheslines Slam down and smiles into the camera.

The required fat man splash gets two on Slam and a fat man shoulder drops him again. Michael’s chokebomb is good for two and the argument with the referee allows Slam to come back with a string of forearms, followed by a springboard clothesline for two. Something like a belly to back slam and a big stomp is enough to put the King away.

Rating: C-. This was way better than it had any right to be with Slam looking like a combination of Taz and Goldberg as he fought like a guy 100lbs heavier than he actually is. Michael was your standard fat man who couldn’t do much aside from basic power moves but Slam more than made up for it. I could go for more than big forearms but that might come against someone who can give him more back.

MKW Title Tournament Semi-Finals: Selfie King vs. Black Mamba

Da Li Sam is with Mamba again in a partnership that hasn’t been explained. Mamba isn’t interested in a picture to start so he loses a test of strength instead. So apparently King is really strong. I mean, he’s in good shape but it’s hardly great. Mamba claims his shoes are messing up and the distraction lets Sam come in with a powerbomb for the pin to advance.

Mamba and Sam take a picture over King’s unconscious body. Not bad.

Wait we’re not done as the promoter comes up and points out the shenanigans, meaning Mamba is disqualified. I’m not a fan of that sort of an ending and it feels like they went this way for a shortcut instead of a full on match. Even a short one would have been fine and it would have padded the show out a bit.

Roll credits.

Overall Rating: C-. This didn’t do it for me as well as the previous show but to be fair a show can only be so bad in fifteen minutes. The Slam was definitely the highlight of the show and it’s a good idea to take some of the focus off the tournament for a change. Good enough show here but it’s a step down from last time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B015IN12I2

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

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

Middle Kingdom Wrestling Episode 1
Date: September 5, 2015
Commentator: Eddie Strong

It’s wrestling in China. I have no idea what to expect here and the show is only nineteen minutes long. This is one of the major countries where wrestling hasn’t spread yet and it should be very interesting to see where it goes. I’m hoping this is in English as otherwise, it could be a rather confusing show. Let’s get to it.

So it seems that we’ll be having a tournament to determine the first ever MKW Champion, though it says that the CWE Champion The Slam (I’ve heard worse names) defended his title twice this weekend. So did they just spoil the whole thing?

MKW Title Tournament First Round: Hoho Lun vs. The Selfie King

Selfie King is exactly what he sounds like. Lun has sunglasses on the back of his head. King is sent to the floor and it’s time for a picture. Lun is apparently from Hong Kong and is one of the company’s founders. The ring is really short as King is above the middle rope while standing on the floor.

Back in and King’s kicks to the leg have almost no effect and Lun gets two off a running forearm in the corner. They hit the floor for a chase until Lun takes him back inside for a Boston crab. King makes the rope and tells the referee that he saw a bird, allowing for some selfie stick shots to the back. A standing moonsault (with the camera out of focus for some reason) is enough to pin Lun.

Rating: D. Yeah this was bad. Lun was a mile ahead of King, who might have been making his professional debut here. Above all else here, the commentary is killing it. The guy sounds like he’s about 19 years old and trying too hard. He never stops talking and is more annoying than anything else, but it sounds a lot more like he’s brand new at this and has no idea what he’s doing.

MKW Title Tournament First Round: Len Bai vs. Tangguo Ge

Ge is a masked man in a full body suit and what looks like CM Punk trunks. He gives candy to some kids and comes out to Christina Aguliera’s Candyman. So he’s the reincarnation of Brad Armstrong? Bai has his face painted and looks like a cocky heel. Ge (whose name means Candy Brother) tries a quick cross body but gets caught in a fall away slam. Back up and Bai is Irish whipped but doesn’t seem to know what to do so he just stops. Ge gets whipped into the buckle, followed by a backbreaker for two.

We hit the chinlock on Ge for a bit before he tries……something like a Canadian Destroyer. That’s pretty high up on a list of moves I never thought I would see here, even if it was more of a roll into the piledriver than a jump. A big clothesline gets two for Bai but Ge grabs the Black Widow of all things. This match continues to surprise me. Bai drops him down in a side slam to break it up before a pair of fisherman’s busters are enough for the pin (with the three in slow motion).

Rating: C. WAY better here as both guys looked like they knew what they were doing, at least for the most part. They definitely had some issues out there that can be helped a lot with more experience and some coaching, but both of them looked a lot more polished. It also helps that they were wrestling instead of being obsessed with the gimmick like King was. Far better match here and it even had a story with Bai working on the head to set up the fisherman’s buster.

The credits, including thanking the wrestlers, take us out.

Overall Rating: D+. That’s on a very strong curve. It’s very clear that this is their first show and it looks like they had a budget of about $18. That being said, I can’t imagine there’s a very deep talent pool to pick from and they were doing the best with what they had. I’ll check out the second episode which might be an improvement, but they have a lot of stuff to fix, some of which might be out of their control.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B015IN12I2

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

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