WWE Money in the Bank 2025

WWE Money in the Bank 2025

Los Angeles, CA - June 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Universal Champion was John Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion was Jey Uso, the RAW Women's Champion was IYO SKY, the SmackDown Women's Champion was Tiffany Stratton, the US Champion was Jacob Fatu, the Intercontinental Champion was Dom Mysterio, the Women's US Champion was Zelina Vega, the Women's Intercontinental Champion was Lyra Valkyria, The Street Profits held the WWE Tag Team Championships, the New Day were the World Tag Team Champions, and Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were the Women's Tag Team Champions. 

The Women's Money In The Bank match opened the show - Guilia vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Stephanie Vaquer - in the annual multi-person ladder match. Ripley came in as the favorite, but they made a big deal out of this being her first ladder match (which is kinda crazy). I liked the visual of the 3 veterans standing across the ring from the three relative newcomers, though its worth noting that Vaquer is only one year older than Bliss and Rhea Ripley was the 2nd youngest woman in the match. There were some good moments, but also some clumsy ones, and the amount of cooperation was a little excessive at times. I'm all for matches like these having cool, explicitly-planned and coordinated spots, but the focus of the combatants should always be on winning the match (for example, the "stereo" Code Reds on the ladders was a great visual but also essentially took both Bliss and Perez out just as much as their opponents). There was also a brief moment of unfortunate calamity when Perez and Guilia attempted to squash Ripley between the legs of the ladder and the darn thing wouldn't close, forcing Ripley to lie there, selling, instead of rolling out or fighting back. The crowd was into things, but chanted for tables at one point, which was an unfortunate distraction. I also did not like the very obvious change in camera work as Naomi made her ascent. At first, I thought it was signaling for the arrival of Jade Cargill to cost her the briefcase - I don't watch SmackDown regularly, but has that storyline been dropped or something? - but it ended up being the set-up for her victory. In a match with quite a bit of telegraphing going on, the production team shouldn't be getting in on the action. Vaquer, Giuilia, and Perez all showed the future of the division is strong, but I didn't necessarily see any of them have a "star-making" turn the way Tiffany Stratton did last year. In fact, it may have been Alexa Bliss who stood out most as a talent that is over with the crowd but inexplicably directionless considering how many more good years she probably has and how selfless she has been as a performer. (3/5)

Next up - Dominik Mysterio vs. Octagon Jr. for Mysterio's Intercontinental Championship was next. Mysterio's current anti-lucha thing is too close to what Gable is doing for me. This was a decent 5-minute match, but nothing special, more like something you'd get on TV rather than a fully built-up PPV-worthy match. This also showed, to me, that Mysterio still has a bit of a ways to go before he can really be considered a reliable upper midcarder without a fully-established, experienced opponent up against him to keep the crowd fully engaged for the duration of anything longer than this. In front of a less enthusiastic audience, I'm not sure this match would've been received as warmly. Too short to be offensive, but not long enough to work as anything but "filler." Even filler can be fun and inventive, though, and this wasn't. (2/5)

The Intercontinental Championship was on the line next as Becky Lynch, sporting some killer Sabu-inspired ring attire, went up against Lyra Valkyria. I liked the bulk of this match more than their previous outing and thought Valkyria was especially good here with all of her offense looking crisp and impactful. There was less emphasis on submissions and more "heat" to this match and Lynch did an excellent job of making Valkyria look like she had her number for most of it. Unfortunately, after the ass-kicking that Lynch withstood, we got a very underwhelming, poorly-produced finish in which Lynch, according to Michael Cole, pulled Valkyria's tights, a cheap heel tactic that needs to be seen by the audience to register properly. Like their Backlash match, this was just a hair short from being "must see" but more because of the poor production choice for the finish than anything else. (3.5/5)

The Men's Money in the Bank was next - Seth Rollins vs. Andrade vs. Penta Jr. vs. Chad "El Grande Americano" Gable vs. LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa. LA Knight got the biggest entrance pop, but Penta was not far behind. Like the opening match, there were some noticeable gaffes caused by the wrestlers as well as the production crew. LA Knight didn't get in the right position for the big finish, forcing to Seth to clearly direct him to re-position for the Curb Stomp. Andrade slipped on the ropes when he attempted to springboard onto a ladder. The camera crew barely caught Bron Breakker's huge spear to Chad Gable, which, had it been captured properly, would've gotten a mega pop. I also didn't like that, once the run-ins began, the Creed Brothers were no-shows despite being shown backstage earlier in the show. Just sloppy booking/writing there. Penta got lots and lots of time to shine, but everyone getting cleared out by Breakker and Bronson Reed and being forced to sell on the outside for the final 8-12 minutes led to the credibility he earned dissipating and being forgotten. Jacob Fatu's turn on Solo Sikoa also didn't work for me. Again, in order for it to occur, not only did the 5 other competitors in the match need to sell on the outside, but so did Breakker, Bronson Reed, and JC Mateo. On top of that, Fatu's big "I Hate You" moment would've been better if it had been prefaced by Solo doing something heelish, disrespectful, or unthankful towards Fatu. Instead, Solo almost came off as sympathetic. I'll readily admit that, if I were a SmackDown weekly viewer, the story would've probably worked better - but if Michael Cole and company had put one eighth of the energy into getting that storyline over on commentary during the match as he did with the Chad Gable/El Grande Americano story, it would've really, really helped. Oh, and can we get a moratorium on Code Reds/Canadian/Mexican Destroyers? All in all, too sloppy to be considered a great match, the commentary was atrocious and way too focused on Gable, and I disliked that the final act shifted all the focus away from the most over babyfaces in the actual match, but the action was there and some of the spots were really hard-hitting. (3/5)

Main event time - Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. John Cena and Logan Paul. The sloppiness continued here as we got all sorts of telegraphing and slo-mo maneuvers and, to my eye, most of it actually came from Jey and not Cena. The crowd was into this, but like Cena's match against R-Truth at Saturday Night's Main Event and against Orton at Backlash, this felt like another house show match being put on a PPV. The match got better as it wore on, with everyone hitting or at least attempting their big finishers and signature moves, but it was far from everyone's best night. At one point, Paul slipped on the top rope when he attempted his Buckshot Lariat (which actually ended up making it look even better and more realistic that Uso caught him with a superkick). Later on, Uso's spear on Cena looked "off," executed with such little speed and force that it was noticeable. The reason? Because it was really just a set-up for Uso to then, inexplicably and defying all logic, lie on his back, 100% vulnerable for a Logan Paul moonsault that did, in fact, put him through the table. Very convoluted spot. The aforementioned R-Truth returned, with Michael Cole summarizing that Truth and the WWE could not reach a deal on a new contract, R-Truth "left the WWE," but that the WWE Universe had protested so loudly that they demanded his return. Hmmm...that's one way to look at it, Mike. A more accurate description would be that R-Truth's contract was not renewed, they effectively wrote him off TV, but needed to negotiate a return because he was not only beloved by fans but also one of the most popular guys in the locker room and the WWE looked like assholes for not doing right by him. Anyway, it was a nice, feel-good ending, but still a weird one, positioning Killings into a main event role that nobody was really asking for and one that is a somewhat awkward fit (that also overshadows the fact that the "big return" we're supposed to care about is Cody's a few weeks ago). (2/5)

One of the "lesser" WWE PLEs in quite awhile, WWE Money in the Bank 2025's main event and TV-caliber Intercontinental Championship matches were sub-par and forgettable save for the return of Ron Killings. Both ladder matches were good but not great. The only match worth seeking out was the Lynch/Valkyria title bout, a match that was so good it almost makes me think the company needs a 3rd and 4th women's singles championship (I say "almost" because, truthfully, I still think any company with 8 singles championships, male or female, could stand to combine a couple). With a Kwang Rating of 2.70-out-of-5, I'd put this one in the category of...

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

AEW All Out 2020

 AEW All Out 2020

Jacksonville, FL - September 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the AEW World Champion was Jon Moxley, the TNT Champion was Brodie Lee, the AEW World Tag Team Champions were Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page, and the AEW Women's World Champion was Shida. 

Once again eminating from Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show kicks off with Big Swole searching for Dr. Britt Baker at her medical office. The "match" begins with Baker bashing Swole in the head with her diploma and then trying to extract one of her teeth as the two women do something resembling fighting in a very small, very cramped dentist room. The brawl continues in the alley with Swole rolling Baker, who is sitting on a wheelchair, into a stack of boxes. They end up fighting on top of what appears to be a golf cart with Baker getting assistance from Rebel (who she refers to as "Reba"), her personal make-up artist. Its all very hokey and reminiscent of the kind of "wrestling" my friends and I did in middle school and recorded on one of our parents' video cameras. At one point, Baker attempts to use a power drill and then a needle filled with novocaine, which ends up going into Baker's leg instead in a pretty crazy bit of "action." This causes Britt's leg to "fall asleep," allowing for Swole to then put her down for good by putting her under with some gas. This was really bad and not funny or entertaining enough to make up for the poor performances of everyone involved. (0.5/5)

The Young Bucks vs. The Jurassic Express ("Jungle Boy" Jack Perry and Luchasaurus, with Marko Stunt in tow) follows and is a considerable step-up in every way. Perry shows off a ton of athleticism and agility early on with some impressive back-and-forth against Matt Jackson. Perry's chemistry with the Bucks continues to be put on display later on when Perry gets sent to the outside but counters the toss into a head scissors on the ramp before another awesome sequence built around Matt Jackson's signature rolling suplexes. Other highlights included Luchasaurus being blocked from a tag by a Nick Jackson superkick, Jack Perry springboarding off of his partner's back for a great crossbody to the outside, Nick Jackson powerbombing Jungle Boy on the apron and then hitting a Destroyer on Luchasaurus in rapid succession, a nasty superkick to Marko Stunt from Matt Jackson, and a whole slew of other double-team moves from the Bucks pulled out of their seemingly bottomless playlist. I've written it elsewhere but the Young Bucks might be polarizing for their characters, for their "spot-heavy" matches, for "spamming" false finishes...but when you actually sit back and watch one of their matches, especially a top-level match like this one, those criticisms don't tend to hold water. There was a clear structure and layout to this match. There was escalation. The actual finish was definitive and the false finishes weren't gratuitous at all. Damn good match. (3.5/5)

The Casino Battle Royal followed with Trent Baretta, Christopher Daniels, Jake Hager, The Blade (of The Butcher and The Blade flame), and Rey Fenix starting the match. The next group in was Frankie Kazarian, Will Hobbs (not yet "Powerhouse"), Chuck Taylor, and the tag team of Santana and Ortiz. Santana and Ortiz brawled with The Best Friends on the outside but there had yet to be an elimination until Hobbs finally got rid of Blade and Hager tossed Christopher Daniels. The third group in was Billy Gunn, Penta, "Absolute" Ricky Starks and Brian Cage of Team Taz, and Darby Allin. Cage came in and got rid of Gunn quickly, Darby eliminated Fenix, and Chuck Taylor was out soon after. The final group was Shawn Spears (who wisely bided his time outside the ring and joined the commentary team rather than enter the fray), Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, Sonny Kiss, and Lance Archer, who came in with a huge crossbody. Sonny Kiss got rid of Hager but was sent out himself by Cage almost immediately after. Santana was the next man out, followed by Trent Baretta, and then Ortiz. The final entrant was Matt Sydal, who, unfortunately, botched his big entrance spot, slipping on the top rope when it looked like he was going for his signature Shooting Star Press. Whoops. Penta was eliminated and Kaz got sent over the top by The Butcher, but the next few minutes were all about Brian Cage, who went on a rampage, basically taking out everyone in the match (but not scoring any eliminations). Darby Allin managed to eliminate Starks, which led to Starks pulling out a bodybag, Cage filling it with thumbtacks, and then Allin getting shoved inside and tossed onto the stage in what I would think would be a seriously dangerous spot (not so much because of the tacks but because Allin was essentially "blind" when he took the bump). Sydal eliminated Spears but then got planted by a Hobbs spinebuster. Archer knocked Hobbs and Cage off the apron and we were down to the final four - Archer, Kingston, Sydal, and The Butcher. Butcher was out next, followed by Sydal. Butcher tried to help Kingston out, but Archer ended up getting the W by chokeslamming him off the post and into the arms of his buddies, Butcher and The Blade. I liked the format of this battle royal, but it didn't make for many "moments" because the ring was so crowded from the very start. Things got better as the match thinned out. In terms of booking, it felt like a real waste of some talent, specifically Fenix and Penta. Nothing special here aside from the Darby spot, which was insane. (2/5)

Sammy Guevara vs. "Broken" Matt Hardy was next in a "Broken Rules" match with Hardy promising that if he were to lose, he'd leave the company. The match began on the Jacksonville Jaguars' football field with Hardy searching for Guevara, who showed up in a golf cart to try to run down Hardy. They brawled in the backstage (loading?) area, with Hardy hitting Guevara with a DDT on the table. Up they went on a lift and Hardy looked like he was going to toss Guevara through a table, but Sammy countered, and both men went flying off the lift and through a table. Hardy's head hit the concrete, though, and he looked like he may have been paralyzed. Guevara walked away and demanded that the ref count Hardy out. Somehow Hardy broke the count but it was clear he could barely stand and that the match would need to be ended...and then it re-started because, well, they needed to get to the planned finish. This was hard to watch as it was so clear that Hardy had suffered, at the very least, a concussion. Hardy and Guevara climbed up a lighting rig minutes later, Guevara took a fall, and Hardy got the victory. This was an unfortunate mess. (1/5)

Shida vs. Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women's World Championship followed. They got plenty of time and they made the most of it, putting on a hell of a match that was, based on what I've seen (which is admittedly limited), the best women's match in AEW history up till that point. There was some telegraphing, some noticeable moments of cooperation, and not every transition looked perfect, but I liked the pacing, Thunder Rosa's character work, Shida's multiple attempts to lock up Rosa's leg, and the high-impact moves (including an awesome moment when Shida hit a Meteora on Rosa from the top rope to the entrance ramp). (3.5/5)

The Dark Order - Brodie Lee, Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, John Silver, and Stu Grayson took on the team of Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, Matt Cardona, and Scorpio Sky in the next match. This was part of the Cody/Brodie feud as the babyfaces were trying to get some revenge after the Dark Order had put Cody on the shelf. Marshall takes some great bumps early on, nearly hitting the ceiling off a back body drop from Brodie. Speaking of Brodie, I loved his taunting of Brandi Rhodes on the outside and how much he worked this as the "lead," allowing his henchmen to do most of the work, coming in to pick up scraps, cheap-shotting Dustin, etc. Dustin eventually gets the hot tag and takes out almost the entire opposing side, including hitting a Canadian Destroyer on Cabana before getting booted by Brodie. This leads to a Brodie/Sky staredown and sequence, briefly interrupted by Brandi hitting a big boot on Anna Jay. The match falls apart a bit from here as there are all sorts of tags and dives and whatnot, which was to be expected. The heels hit a rally of awesome moves on QT, including a really nifty double-team move by Uno and Grayson, but only get 2. Brodie comes in for his team and sends Marshall into the corner to tag in Dustin. Lee goes for a powerbomb but Dustin escapes only to get nailed by a huge lariat. Brodie tags in Cabana, who misses a moonsault and ends up eating a roll-up by Dustin. This was definitely more of a "TV-level" match than a PPV-worthy one. (2.5/5)

Another tag match follows as Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page take on FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Part of the story coming into this was that Page and Omega didn't trust each other 100%. Omega and Page controlled early despite some bickering. Wheeler turned the tides by shoving Page into the post. Page got worked over, punished with an abdominal stretch, before making a tag to Omega, who hit Wheeler with his signature Fireman's Carry Roll/Moonsault combo. Omega followed it up with the Terminator Tope and then a missile dropkick back in the ring, but then fell prey to a powerbomb by Dax and then a German Suplex by Wheeler. Not much of a transition there. Page came back in and we got some cool combos out of the champs. They went for their joint finish but couldn't execute it. Wheeler went for a superplex, but Omega front-suplexed him into the middle of the ring. Omega looked like he was going to take flight but Dax tripped him up and eventually hit him with a superplex of his own. The ref lost control as all four men started throwing bombs, including a Tiger Driver 98' by Omega. Omega hit the V-Trigger onto Wheeler and went for the One Winged Angel but couldn't pull it off. Dax applied an inverted figure four but Omega wouldn't tap. FTR effectively slowed things down and kept Omega on the mat, preventing him from tagging in Page for several minutes. Dax wrapped Omega's knee around the post to continue his attack on the limb. Dax's head hit the post when he attempted a splash, which allowed Omega to make the hot tag. Without a big live crowd, though, the moment didn't feel as big as it typically would. Page hit an awesome swan dive splash from the top rope onto both men on the floor. Back in the ring, FTR used their tag expertise to cut off Hangman's momentum, striking him with double diving headbutts. Soon after, FTR hit a Steiners-esque bulldog onto the floor on Omega but Page was the legal man in the ring. They hit Page with a bulldog for 2 before seemingly setting up for a 2-man spike piledriver. Page escaped, though, and hit Wheeler with a huge moonsault body slam off the top. The champs looked to hit their finisher again, but Omega ended up catching Hangman with the V-Trigger when Wheeler moved! Assisted spike piledriver by FTR...but it only got 2! They connected with a 2nd one and this time it got the 3 count. Kind of an awkward ending there only because its rare that a match ends with a team hitting their finish, having it kicked-out of, and then just hitting the same move a second after to get the W. Maybe it was the lack of audience or the weak transitions or the way that the match, at one point, seemed to be built around Omega's knee but that having little to do with the finish, but this was not the Match of the Year-level bout that I thought it could be. (3/5)

The Mimosa Mayhem match was next: Orange Cassidy vs. Chris Jericho. Before the match, Jericho cut a "meta" promo about how he spent the last 14 weeks trying to make Cassidy a "main event-level draw." Jericho struck first and attempted to catapult Cassidy into the giant vat of mimosa. Jericho threw the table at Cassidy and then smashed a cocktail tray over his head. Cassidy fought back, though, tossing Jericho off the stage and hitting him with a big splash off the platform. Cassidy whipped him through the guardrail, but Jericho struck back with a chair. Jericho hit a nifty powerbomb that sent Cassidy through another table. Cassidy caught Jericho with an awesome superkick. Throughout the match, both guys did a good job teasing various slips near the vats of mimosa, but the gimmick was still kinda too silly and the match went a touch too long for this to be a "great" match. Unique and fun, though. (3/5)

MJF vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship was the night's main event. This was really smartly-worked at the start, but kinda got a bit redundant and repetitive by the end. I really liked the psychology on display as MJF tried his best to avoid having this become a brawl, doing his best to keep the match inside the ring, and Moxley, at least early on, tried to do the opposite. Down the stretch, I didn't love Moxley's selling of MJF's armbar as he just seemed to really undersell how vulnerable he was to it even after MJF had inflicted considerable damage to his arm. Overall, Moxley did a good job of making MJF look credible, but had he gone the extra mile, maybe it would've felt - even for a brief moment - like MJF might've won this match. Moxley just never seemed like he was in any real danger despite MJF putting on a career performance (up till that point). The finish was clever as Moxley, despite having his finisher banned, finally put MJF with it when the referee was distracted by Wardlow (who had tossed MJF his trademark Dynamite Diamond Ring). To me, you know a match goes a bit too long when it peaks with a huge gusher but then goes on long enough for the guy who was bleeding buckets to basically look fresh (and then have to open themselves up again for there to be more blood). (3/5)

Though there are more good matches on this card than bad, the Hardy/Guevara and opening "match" between Britt Baker and Big Swole are so bad, they bring down the Kwang Score all the way to a not-so-hot 2.44-out-of-5. Even the better matches on the card - the Tag Titles bout, the main event - could've stood for a little bit of pruning, running at least 4-6 minutes longer than they needed to and, in both cases, resolving with finishes that didn't necessarily need that much "runway" to land. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

Random Matches

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Hubert Numrich (11/02/1997, NJPW) - I think I've finally found a Hashimoto match I didn't at least partially enjoy. Based on my (minimal) research, Numrich was a K1 MMA/boxing fighter and match was supposed to be a Battle of Styles. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work. Numrich has a size advantage and his kicks and punches look super stiff, while Hashimoto is a bit exposed here, a pro-wrestler who usually has so much aura and whose strikes usually come off as so impactful not looking nearly as good against a guy who doesn't know how to sell or work a dramatic match. The out-of-nowhere finish didn't work for me either as it really relies on full belief that a trained fighter, with the size and strength of Numrich, would be forced to tap the minute Hashimoto applied a keylock. I didn't buy it. At least its short? (0/5)

Lioness Asuka vs. Chigusa Nagayo (01/04/1983, AJW) - I was suprised to see that this match was not Cagematch as one would think that anything on YouTube would almost automatically pop-up there (especially a match that is closing on 10,000 views). Anyway...I knew that these two made up the legendary joshi The Crush Gals (mostly because of watching Queen of Villains on Netflix), but didn't know about the context of this particular match. I'm not sure if they had tagged much before this, but this is a stiff, intense battle from the very start. Asuka was the reigning AJW World Champion at the time, which is helpful to know because she does control most of the match. Most of the action was good, but nobody would confuse this match with the more ahead-of-its-time, spot-heavy matches that the joshi women would produce over the next decade. An interesting watch, especially if you're a Crush Gals fan, but not something I'd consider "must see." (2.5/5)

Devil Masami vs. Monster Ripper (11/1983, AJW): I couldn't find many details around this after viewing it, so I'm not sure why a chain match was justified here. Based on crowd reactions and the match layout, it seems like Masami was the babyface (despite previously being a heel). Masami takes a beating for the start, but its Ripper who ends up busted open down the stretch. Not a great match or anything, but it is certainly physical and emotional and the crowd is very into it. I'm a little surprised that this match hasn't been analyzed much because it feels like a big deal, even if it is a bit basic. Masami's back suplex towards the end looks sloppy but it sorta makes sense because of how much punishment she'd taken. Not bad, but not worth seeking out. (2.5/5)

Shinya Hashimoto and Yuji Nagata vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama (03/02/2001, ZERO-1): Some context here - Hashimoto had "retired" from NJPW (actually fired, based on what I could dig up online) and decided to start his own promotion, ZERO-1. Yuji Nagata was an NJPW star. Misawa was the acclaimed "ace" of AJPW but had left that company to start NOAH in 2000 and his partner, Jun Akiyama, was Misawa's protege of sorts. Long story short, from a "star power" perspective, this is about as big as it could get in 2001, even if Misawa and Hashimoto were not at their physical peak. That being said, its not like Nagata and Akiyama do the lion's share of work. Hashimoto's kicks and overhead chops are still devastating. I love Misawa's cool demeanor when he's in the ring with Nagata, shrugging off the younger's guys initial attack. When Misawa and Hashimoto finally get in the ring together, the arena absolutely explodes and Misawa eats some nasty kicks but, as always, shows incredible fighting spirit and refuses to quit. This is a terrific contest and well-worth checking out, though I disliked the ending considerably as Hashimoto really undersold the moment, springing right up after getting pinned and going after Akiyama. After such a good, intense match, actually selling the loss for even another half-minute or so would've been better than basically acting like it never happened. Just an ugly finish to an otherwise very fun match. (3.5/5)

Dynamite Kid vs. Bret Hart (09/14/1985, WWE): Not an all-time classic or anything, but for 1985 in the WWE, this is quite good. Most fans know Bret as the awesome babyface worker he was in the 90s, but in the 80s, in matches like this and against Steamboat, he shows he could be a really great crafty midcard heel. Dynamite's snap suplex is awesome, his speed is uncanny, and everything he does looks like it connects and makes impact, but there's something "mechanical" and unemotional about his work, like he was so eager to keep the fans engaged with the next exchange or transition that he decided it was best not to take time to draw any sympathy or play to the crowd (something Bret would later be an expert at). A good-not-great match, which is unsurprising considering the talent. (3/5)

Terry Funk and Dory Funk vs. Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen (12/13/1982, AJPW): This was the finals to the Real World Tag League Tournament and while it only goes a little over 12 minutes, it is an action-packed, intense 12 minutes. This is a match where the larger-than-life characters of Terry, Brody, and Hansen do a lot of the work because each guy is off-the-charts with their mannerisms and energy. What about Dory, you ask? This may be one of my favorite performances out of him, especially once he gets split open. Loved Hansen's Lariat on the outside to Terry and the visual of him covered in streamers. The finish isn't great, though, as Hansen gets DQ'd for catching the referee with his clothesline. I would say this is a hair short of "must see" because there are even better matches featuring these guys to watch and the 12-minute runtime doesn't leave much room for extended storytelling, but it was still very good, entertaining stuff. (3.5/5)

Terry Funk and Dory Funk vs. Jimmy Snuka and Bruiser Brody (12/13/1981, AJPW): This was the finals to the 1981 Real World Tag League Tournament. This might be the best Jimmy Snuka match I've seen, though I'll admit to not having seen much of his work outside of the WWE (and, seemingly, when he was actually in his physical and mental prime). At one point he busts out a springboard splash and it kinda blew my mind. Not to be outdone, Terry Funk dives off the top rope to perform a splash on the outside in another excellent moment. This was a ton of a fun. I didn't know much of the story around this, but reading up on it, this was Stan Hansen's debut in AJPW after being a big star for NJPW. This match goes considerably longer than the 82' Finals but ends in somewhat similar fashion as Terry Funk ends up taken out of the match on the outside due to a Stan Hansen Lariat and Dory Funk is forced to try to survive on the inside. Funk's performance is the epitome of tough as the heels just can't get a 3 count on him despite their best efforts. Really good action throughout with Snuka really impressing and Terry being his usual stellar self, molton hot crowd, intense post-match stuff with Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta showing up to get at Hansen, it all makes for a great match. (4/5)

Toshiaki Kawada vs. Shinya Hashimoto (02/22/2004, AJPW): Two all-timers in Japan squaring off in a match that feels incredibly heated. This one is for the Triple Crown Championship, which Hashimoto had previously vacated due to shoulder injury. I appreciated the recap package before the match on the YouTube video I found despite not understanding it. At the very least, it made it clear that this match was months and months in the making. There's something really touching about this match, even if you're only vaguely familiar with the combatants. Hashimoto had been through so many wars up to this point and the same was true for Kawada, but the two had never met before in a 1-on-1 setting (and never would again). Both guys show incredible respect for eachother's skills early on, locking up and giving each other distance to try to avoid strikes. Soon enough, though, we get the big kicks and overhand chops and all the stiffness one would expect. There are quite a few really cool moments and visuals in this match, including Kawada's ear getting busted open, Kawada targeting Hashimoto's bandaged-up shoulder and Hash's selling, the awesome work that Hashimoto does to Kawada's knee, and, towards the end, a really cool spot where Hashimoto tries to get Kawada up for some sort of suplex but just doesn't have the strength to do it. His face in that moment tells the whole tale of a once-unbeatable monster coming to terms with his own limitations. Unfortunately, I wasn't as big of a fan of the final stretch of kick-trading and Kawada's enziugiri as it (shockingly) didn't look like it connected with all that much force. I also thought the finish, which saw someone - I'm not sure who - throw in the towel for Hashimoto when Kawada applied a pretty loose-looking "Stretch Plumb" (inverted facelock). (4/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Terry Gordy (06/01/1991, AJPW): I'm not sure what Gordy's peak was, but he is in great physical condition here. This one starts with an intense collar-and-elbow broken up with stiff forearms out of both men. Gordy focuses on Misawa's arm, eventually bringing him to the mat with an arm bar. He hits a brilliant short-arm clothesline for 2 and then goes back to the wristlock. Misawa wrestles his way out and manages to apply a rear chinlock that looks particularly painful. Misawa struggles to bring him up for a suplex and Gordy counters it with another wristlock on the mat and then a big leg drop for another nearfall. Gordy clobbers Misawa with a big swing to the back of the head and then a boot before setting him up for a superplex for a 2 count. Gordy goes for another suplex, but Misawa twists his body in midair and ends up landing face-first in a very awkward bump. I'm not sure what happened there but it looked gnarly. Gordy maintained control with a lariat in the corner for another nearfall. Gordy brought him up for a suplex and this time we see what Misawa was going for as he slips out and hits an enziguiri! Gordy ends up busted open and Misawa goes on the attack, stomping him in the head and then hitting him with sharp boots to the face. Dang. Brutal stuff. Misawa goes for a Tiger Driver on the floor but Gordy counters it and back body drops him instead. Gordy goes for a piledriver but has to settle for a lariat and Misawa is down and out on the floor. The crowd chants his name as he rolls into the ring but Gordy meets him with a stomp and then goes for the Texas Cloverleaf! Another loud "Misawa" chants starts up before Misawa crawls his way to the ropes to break the hold. Gordy reapplies it and Misawa again grabs the ropes. Gordy attempts a piledriver but again has to settle for something different - a DDT this time for 2. Misawa fights back with some big forearms and then a flying forearm from the top rope! Misawa only gets 2 but follows it with a bodyslam and then attempts a frog splash - but Gordy gets his knees up! Gordy hits the powerbomb but Misawa grabs the bottom rope at 2! Huge lariat by Gordy and another kickout! Two huge spin kicks by Misawa and he hits a Tiger Bomb! Gordy kicks out at 2, though! Misawa applies a rear chinlock, but Gordy essentially collapses into the bottom rope. Gordy with a crossbody but Misawa rolls through for another brilliant nearfall! Misawa with another enzigirui but he misses the second one and Gordy nails him with a lariat for 2.9. Wow. That was close. Gordy goes for anbumpother short-arm, but Misawa ducks under and hits him with a German Suplex for 2! Misawa reapplies the rear chinlock and Gordy collapses. Misawa tries to pin him but only gets 2. Huge forearm from Misawa out of the corner and this time he gets the full 3 (though Gordy kicked out at 3.1 and was the first man back on his feet). I didn't love the first half of this match, but the second half is too good to deny and definitely goes into the proverbial "second gear." This is the sort of match could show to someone unfamiliar with "90s Japanese Style" and they'll likely appreciate how different it is than what US wrestling was like at the time, but wouldn't be bored or scared off by the match going too long. Really good. (3.5/5)

Sabu vs. Lightning Kid (04/17/1993, NWA): An incredible piece of footage, I love all of this, including the semi-pro commentary. Sabu tries to attack the announcer before the match even starts. Sir Oliver Humperdink is serving as Sabu's manager. The action to start isn't mind-blowing, but things pick up as both guys start hitting some of their flashier stuff - jumping heel kicks by the Kid, a brilliant legdrop from the outside of the ring to the inside by Sabu, dropkicks and whatnot. Kid goes for a dive but Sabu dodges and Kid ends up on the floor. Sabu comes flying out of the ring with a somersault splash! And then a springboard moonsault to the floor from the second rope! With the ref's back turned, Humperdink runs Kid into the post and hits him with a big right hand for good measure. The Kid is busted open, but Sabu then delivers a not-so-great, fairly slow sunset flip powerbomb from the outside to the floor. Back in the ring, Sabu hits a moonsault, but eats The Kid's knees on the second one. Lightning Kid gets some offense in but Sabu maintains control, bringing the Kid off the top rope. Sabu attempts a hurricanrana off the top rope but Kid blocks it and Sabu lands right on his head. That was gnarly. The Kid with a series of leg drops, but Sabu gets his foot on the ropes when he tries for a cover. Lightning Kid hits a suplex and goes back to the top rope but misses a front-flip cannonball splash and lands flat on his back. Sabu goes to the top but Lightning Kid catches him with a dropkick that sends him to the floor. Lightning Kid than launches himself with a brilliant springboard splash! And then another! Wow. Back in the ring, we get a ref bump and the match gets thrown out as Sabu and Lightning Kid continue to brawl. This match deserved a better finish. I wouldn't call this "must see" but it is a really fun, entertaining match even if it is messy and there are some noticeable "botches." (3/5)

Rick Martel vs. Stan Hansen (12/29/1985, Pro Wrestling USA): I don't know anything about this promotion and why Martel would be defending the AWA World Championship in it or why the commentary would be in Japanese. Anyway, Martel brings the energy from the very beginning, forcing Hansen to work at a brisker pace than he was probably used to in Japan. A "Boring" chant is audible from within the first 2 minutes, which is unwarranted. Martel applies a heck of an armbar, making a big show out of each wrench. Hansen fights out and eventually lands a side slam. Hansen works on Martel's back and then tosses him with a gut wrench slam. Hansen follows it up with a back suplex for 2 and then another gut wrench suplex. Martel rallies, delivering a back elbow, a hip toss, and then a knee for a nearfall. Martel goes for a suplex but can't connect and Hansen counters with one of his own. Hansen applies an abdominal stretch, but Martel reaches the ropes and out goes Hansen. Back in the ring, Martel gets an inside cradle but only gets 2. Hansen then applies a Boston Crab and Martel is in serious pain. Martel tries to fight out but Hansen keeps it locked in and gets the clean win by submission. This was alright, but nothing super special. Both guys gave good performances, but this felt a little brief and not as "big" as one would expect a title match to be. (2.5/5)

Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Bruiser Brody (03/27/1988, AJPW): This one is for Jumbo's NWA International Championship. This one starts off rather scientifically with Tsuruta trying to wear down Brody and keep things on the mat with headlocks and armbars. Brody shows he's no slouch in that department, though, with some decent submissions of his own. They break things up with big stiff strikes but it isn't until the second half of the match that we start seeing the intense brawling and big power moves that one would expect in this match. When things spill out to the floor, Brody exposes the concrete and teases a piledriver but ends up back body dropped instead. Back in the ring, Tsuruta puts together some good offense, including his patented jumping knee, but I really disliked Brody's selling/bumping from Tsuruta's enziguiris as it defied basic physics. Brody eventually gets the surprise clean victory after he drops Tsuruta on the top rope neck-first and follows it up with a knee drop. I expected a "bigger" finish, but maybe that's my American perspective coming into play as one wouldn't expect a match between two monsters to end with such a simple maneuver. This was a touch underwhelming. (2.5/5)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (01/11/2003, Pro Wrestling NOAH): I was very surprised to not see this written-up over at ProWrestlingOnly because I thought this was excellent, if not a tad too long. This might be the first Ogawa match I've seen and he is awesome and the perfect douchebag heel. Sometimes, a big, bad babyface - like Kobashi - vs. an undersized heel can be a difficult set-up because, eventually, you might feel sorry for the smaller competitor. Not here. This was Batman vs. The Joker with Ogawa being such a smarmy prick, attacking Kobashi's injured knee, hitting a low blow late in the match, grabbing the timekeeper's bell, causing a ref bump, and, most importantly, mocking and taunting Kobashi that when it is time for the big babyface comeback, you want him to get pulverized. Unfortunately, I feel like they tacked on just a bit too much at the end and Ogawa probably should've been beaten by the big powerbomb. After seeing this, I added a handful of other Ogawa matches to my playlist because he was so impressive here. (4/5)

Shinya Hashimoto vs. The Great Kokena (Yokozuna) (01/11/1989, NJPW): Yoko's entrance music is super dramatic. Cool staredown before the bell. It takes someone huge to make Hashimoto look small, but Yoko was just that big. Some lock-ups to start things before Hash tries some shoulder blocks and then just says "fuck it" and starts throwing some kicks to a huge response. To the outside they go and Yoko sends Hash into the guardrail hard. Back in the ring, Hash applies a headlock but Hash escapes and hits a crossbody for 2. Yoko slows things down with a rear chinlock, using his weight to hold Hashimoto down. Hashimoto escapes to the outside to recover and gets clobbered with a headbutt when he tries to get back in the ring. Yoko applies a nerve hold but Hashimoto gets to the ropes. Hashimoto somehow manages to hit a sunset flip on Yoko, which I'm not sure I'd seen before, and then applies a wristlock and then a judo throw for 2. Hashimoto keeps the pressure on with another wristlock and Yoko bellows in pain. Yoko pulls him over and gets on top of him, choking him until the ref breaks it up. Yoko hits a bodyslam and then a big splash that draws a huge reaction but Hashimoto manages to get his foot on the bottom rope. Yoko hits another slam and attempts a 2nd splash but Hashimoto rolls away and then starts leveling him with a series of big kicks to the chest. Hash attempts a bodyslam but can't get him up. Yoko sends him to the ropes and attempts a back body drop but Hash counters with a DDT and then hits his spinning heel kick to get the victory. This wasn't a great match or anything, but it was clearly a crowd-pleasing one and worth checking out if you're into either guy just because it won't eat up too much of your time (the match goes about 10 minutes) and its fun to see both guys before they became much bigger stars. (2.5/5)

Mikey Whipwreck vs. Villano V (08/21/1999, WCW): I watched this as part of my Greatest Wrestler Ever viewing as Whipwreck is a guy who I've always enjoyed a good deal, but, up till this point, had only seen 11 of his matches. Scott Hudson and Dusty Rhodes were on commentary for this match from Worldwide, which was fun. Villano controlled early, hitting a big dive to the outside and then applying a painful seated surfboard on the mat before nearly finishing Whipwreck with a Blockbuster-like move. An eye poke allows Whipwreck to take over and he hits a cool slingshot legdrop on the apron for 2. A sloppy springboard clothesline follows for another nearfall. Villano comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then applies a "traditional" surfboard. A clothesline off the top rope gets Villano another nearfall. Villano goes back to the top rope but Whipwreck meets him there and hits a stunner off the top to get the win. For a 6-minute match, its not bad, but there were some obvious miscommunications/hiccups. (2/5)

Mikey Whipwreck vs. Bobby Blaze (08/14/1999, WCW): This match comes from WCW Saturday Night and aired a week earlier than the last match. Did Whipwreck even have any sort of "gimmick" in WCW? Hudson and Rhodes don't explain or sell anything about him. Unsurprisingly high-energy stuff from Whipwreck, but Blaze is also better than one might expect for a job guy. Blaze also gets to control most of the match, which makes sense when you consider Whipwreck being the perennial "underdog" but less sense when the opponent is Bobby Blaze. Whipwreck's comeback and rally is good and executed quickly with Blaze ending up on the top rope only to eat his finish. This was less sloppy than the Villano V match, but watching this, it'd be understandable if you came out of it thinking Blaze was the more impressive worker. Whipwreck is just not a "squash" wrestler. (2/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (07/12/2002, Pro Wrestling NOAH): I'm always surprised when I watch that I match that I thoroughly enjoy and there's no write-up on ProWrestlingOnly (especially when its one featuring a worker as heralded and studied as Misawa). This match is full of minor details that show why Misawa is considered a true contender as the GOAT, but Ogawa is just as good. I loved the way Ogawa gave Misawa a somewhat "light" slap in the face early and then Misawa clobbered him with the first two of many, many forearms. I really liked Ogawa's cockiness as he took Misawa to the mat with countless back suplexes (it reminded me of Brock Lesnar's old "Suplex City" routine, something I'll admit I never really tired of). Misawa is 40 years old, but looks even more beaten down and grizzled because of all he had been through. That being said, he is still agile and willing to take risks, including a splash to the outside and a somersault splash off the apron that leaves him hitting the arena floor on his back in a sick bump. This wasn't as good as the Kobashi match reviewed above, but I'd still consider it well above-average. (3.5/5)

Jun Akiyama vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (09/11/1998, AJPW): Ogawa comes out swinging, attacking Akiyama before he even takes off his vest. Ogawa with a nice neckbreaker, but Akiyama takes over in the corner. Akiyama goes for a spear in the corner but Ogawa dodges and Akiyama hit the post shoulder-first. Ogawa goes to work on the shoulder, which I appreciate considering that that transition has been done to death but rarely do you see someone actually follow it up by targeting the arm. Ogawa and Akiyama go into a brisk exchange that ends with Ogawa continuing to work on his opponent's arm. There's a cool shot where we see Misawa watching from the wings - a part of the story that is kinda lost on me aside from knowing that both Akiyama and Ogawa were considered rising stars at the time and potential future "aces." Ogawa gets a little cocky, playing to the crowd for long enough for Akiyama to come back and clobber him with a forearm. Good-looking atomic drop followed by a front suplex by Akiyama and then a big running knee. Ogawa saves himself from further damage by grabbing the ref. Love that . Ogawa manages to land a belly-to-back suplex, but Akiyama catches him with a big chokeslam off the ropes. Ogawa cuts off Akiyama when he goes to the top and brings him down with a huge superplex for 2. Compared to the Kenta and Misawa matches, this is a much faster-paced match with way more big spots, but I like how much they are throwing out there. Ogawa hits another big back suplex for 2 and is clearly frustrated that it doesn't finish his opponent off. Ogawa hits some slaps, but Akiyama no-sells them and fires up, landing a bomb off his own after some forearms. Akiyama attempts a series of chokeslams but Ogawa is always one-step ahead - a brilliant sequence follows with Ogawa nearly getting the pin. Akiyama finally connects with a gutbuster and then a nasty underhook suplex. Akiyama with the T-Bone...but only gets 2! Ogawa brings him up and hits him with another Exploder! This one seals it. Cool match. (3/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Shinya Hashimoto & Alexander Otsuka (01/13/2001, NOAH): Just like the tag match I reviewed a week or so ago, the big selling point of this match - and the confrontation the fans seem most interested in - is clearly seeing Misawa and Hashimoto tear it up. This is the first Otsuka match I've seen and he's not too bad at all. Love the initial exchange between Ogawa and Hashimoto as the monster tosses "Rat Boy" into the corner, commanding him to tag in Misawa. Ogawa is excellent at taking a beating and Hashimoto is excellent at giving them, so its no surprise that their minutes together are great. They don't take too long delivering the Misawa/Hashimoto moment as the two legends exchange blows until Misawa lands a devastating kick and then puts the boots to Misawa in the corner. Distracted by the young boys on the apron, Misawa fights back and the match almost deteriorates as the ref tries to maintain order. A collar-and-elbow leads to Hashimoto applying an armbar and then leveling Misawa with another big kick before tagging in Otsuka, who comes off the top with a missile dropkick. Otsuka puts Misawa on the mat, which is unsurprising considering his MMA experience/background. Misawa fights out, lands a forearm, and then a spin kick before tagging in Ogawa. They hit a combo suplex and Ogawa follows it with a jumping stomp to the gut. Hash comes back in and he destroys Ogawa with kicks, overhead chops, and a back splash. Ogawa gets some slaps and chops in himself, but it takes over a dozen to have any real effect and Hashimoto never goes down, eventually clobbering him with a kick. He goes for a suplex but Ogawa resists, pokes him in the eye, and hits him with one of his own! Hashimoto delivers a back hand and then tags in Otsuka, who lands a bodyslam, a knee, and then a big forearm out of the corner for 2. Otsuka comes off the ropes but Ogawa trips him up and Misawa comes in to hit an elbow before tagging in officially. Misawa looks for the Tiger Bomb but Misawa comes in and nails him with a kick, giving Otsuka the upper hand. Otsuka delivers an airplane spin and then a senton of his own. Otsuka applies a nifty Sharpshooter-esque move but Ogawa breaks it up. Big German suplex by Otsuka for 2. Otsuka applies a full nelson but Misawa elbows out of it. German suplex by Misawa into a back suplex by Ogawa! Frog splash by Misawa! Hashimoto breaks it up! Total chaos! DDT by Hashimoto on Misawa! Ogawa pulls Hashimoto off of Misawa and wrestles him into the corner. Big forearm by Misawa and a Tiger Driver to get the win! Hashimoto and Misawa need to be held back from each other! They end up going at it anyway! I really liked this match. It wasn't an all-timer or anything, but it was a great way to tease what I can only assume was an eventual 1-on-1 battle between Misawa and Hashimoto. (3/5)

Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (05/24/1996, AJPW): I enjoyed a match of theirs from 1995 a good bit so I was curious how this would be. Taue controlled early, missing a big boot but landing a pair of dropkicks that sent Misawa to the floor. Taue with a dive through the middle ropes! Misawa gets tossed into the guardrail. Taue exposes the concrete and delivers a DDT. Taue looks to chokeslam him off the apron and onto the concrete but Misawa strikes back with a big forearm! Strike exchange and then a flying clothesline by Misawa followed by a big forearm off the ropes and a slingshot splash to the floor! Missile dropkick by Misawa and a front-flip cannonball off the apron by Misawa! They did not waste any time delivering the big, explosive offense in this. Misawa hits a bodyslam, a senton, and then a frog splash for 2. Misawa applies a weird submission, stretching Taue's neck. I was expecting more of this sort of action in the beginning rather than at the 6-minute mark. Taue comes back with a shoulder tackle but Misawa dodges a dropkick. Taue catches him off the ropes and slams him neck-first onto the top rope before hitting a big boot. Taue attempts a powerbomb by Misawa counters it with a head scissors. Taue with a huge german suplex and Misawa lands right on his head! There's that ol' AJPW chestnut I've read so much about. Taue with another one! How does Misawa land like that? Huge sit-out powerbomb by Taue for 2! Misawa tries to fight back but Taue stomps on him to maintain control. Taue hits a DDT and a leg drop and connects with a chokeslam to a huge response - but Misawa meets him on his feet and hits a forearm before rolling out of the ring in exhaustion. Taue meets him on the floor and attempts a piledriver but Misawa back body drops him instead. Misawa with a series of forearms and then a Tiger Driver (double-underhook powerbomb) attempt. Misawa has to abandon it and hit more forearms before hitting a big German Suplex. Tiger Driver gets 2! Misawa goes for another german but gets elbowed and Taue regains control. Big Boot by Taue but Misawa hits a forearm! Sling Blade by Taue when Misawa comes off the ropes for 2. Misawa counters a chokeslam from the top rope and then lands a pair of huge forearms for 2! Misawa goes to the top rope but Taue rolls away. Misawa evades two chokeslam attempts and lands three big forearms as counters. Back to the top he goes, but he jumps into a chokeslam by Taue! Misawa has been defeated. There were parts of this match that I really liked/was entertained by - Misawa's head drops are unreal, the crowd's reactions to Taue's chokeslam teases, the brilliant finishing stretch, the legitimately surprising outcome (I feel like most Misawa matches I've watched, he's won) - but also elements that I didn't enjoy as much, including a somewhat uneven Misawa performance where he'd spring back from a thorough beating for a hope spot without any real transition and Taue's offense not looking too great, especially compared to some of the other Japanese workers I've been watching lately. (3/5)

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (07/18/2005, Pro Wrestling NOAH): Tenryu's cool, calm demeanor says it all. He extends his hand before the bell but Ogawa just walks away in disrespect. Moments later, Ogawa reaches out, but only to lull Tenryu in for a boot to the midsection. The chops begin and Tenryu wails on him with a big clothesline off the ropes. Ogawa goes to the outside and then slides back in once Tenryu comes out. Clever tactic there. Ogawa targets Tenryu's knee, wrapping it around the post and then applying a figure four-like move to do even more damage. Back in the ring, Ogawa continues his attack but nearly gets his face pried off. Tenryu comes back with a series of huge chops. Ogawa with a DDT and then a submission on the mat but Tenryu gets his foot on the ropes. Big chop by Tenryu and then a spinning heel kick. Tenryu applies the same submission, a rear double chickenwing (?). Tenryu follows it up with some kicks to the head and then reapplies the hold but Ogawa gets to the ropes. Ogawa with an eye poke and then a headscissors to bring Tenryu out of the ring. Tenryu takes a wicked tumble over the guardrail as Ogawa grabs a table. Ogawa tries for a back suplex into the table but Tenryu escapes and slams him head-first into it instead. Back in the ring, Tenryu hits him with a stiff boot to the midsection and then another big clothesline off the ropes. Tenryu delivers a suplex for 2. Tenryu attempts a piledriver, can't pull off, eats an enziguiri, gets sent into the turnbuckle, back suplex by Ogawa and then some boots to the head. Ogawa delivers another back suplex but only gets 2. Strike exchange leads to another stiff clothesline by Tenryu and then another off the ropes for 2.9. Brainbuster by Tenryu...but Ogawa somehow kicks out. Yet another clothesline off the ropes and this time it is over. After the match, Tenryu shows some respect to Ogawa by holding him up and helping him out of the ring. Not a great match in terms of big spots or memorable sequences/moments, but very easy to understand and enjoy based on the character work alone, from before the bell to the post-match. (2.5/5)

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Tastumi Fujinami (04/29/1996, NJPW): Though its only 10 minutes, this match packs enough into its runtime to be quite memorable and borderline “must see.” When I first began to watch more wrestling out of Japan, Tenryu was someone I didn’t necessarily see myself “getting into” (mostly because I remember always fast-forwarding through his WrestleMania VI match), but having now seen more of his matches, I do see the charisma. He’s brilliant in this match, a total asshole, playing to the crowd and seemingly really enjoying the hurting he puts on Fujinami. Speaking of Fujinami, his face exploding within the first few minutes of the match - after some of the best dives I’ve ever seen - makes this one of the grisliest matches I’ve seen in awhile. (3.5/5)

Crush Gals (Lioness Asuka and Nagayo Chigusa) vs. Devil Masami and Jaguar Yokota (09/26/1984, AJW): Super fast-paced action with mostly excellent execution from both teams, some really ahead-of-the-time spots, and tons of heat inside and outside of the ring. Loved Devil Masami hoisting one of the Crush Gals up in a vertical suplex only to transform it into a press slam (!). There was a cool Crush Gal combo move in which Asuka brought Masami up in a back suplex position only for Chigusa to nail her with an elbow from the top. They also delivered a heck of spike piledriver at one point. This was 2-out-of-3 falls and did get a bit more sloppy in its final act, which also felt a bit short (though, to be fair, any 2-out-of-3 falls match that goes under 20 minutes is going to seem rushed). I wouldn't consider this "must see," but it was very fun and the energy was incredible from beginning to end. (3/5)

Fit Finlay vs. LA Parka (03/20/2000, WCW): With a runtime of barely 4 minutes, I wasn't expecting much out of this - but Finlay and LA Parka are two of my favorites, so I thought it was worth checking out. LA Parka gets a grand entrance and then cuts a pre-match promo - though, because I was watchingt his at the airport, I'm not sure what he was saying. Finlay levels him with a clothesline and proceeds to beat him down for the next little bit, eventually dropping him neck-first onto the top rope from a fireman's carry. La Parka takes a great spinning bump off a back elbow but then dodges a spear in the corner and lands a sweet dive to the floor. La Parka grabs a chair, seats Finlay on it, and nails him with a big kick. La Parka goes for a splash to the outside but Finlay moves out of the chair and La Parka hits it hard. Some Karate Kid-inspired goofiness before Finlay hits his finish for the clean win. I would've loved to see these two get more time. Nothing really special here and too short to be considered good. (2/5)

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Kevin Nash (05/17/1992, NJPW): This is the type of curio that I'm almost more eager to see than a touted 30-minute "classic." Nash was in his Oz phase, a gimmick that I had no idea he went overseas with. Hashimoto was far from a rookie here, but he wasn't as good as he'd become. Nash was even greener. They don't have much chemistry and some of Nash's offense looks a bit weak, especially compared to the more stiff strikes that Hashimoto dishes out. That's not to say Hashimoto's offense is perfect either as he doesn't seem to connect too well with his spinning heel kicks. They nearly botch the finish, taking any sense of drama out of Hashimoto needing 2 DDTs to finish The Great and Powerful Oz off. Interesting enough to not be a total waste of 12 minutes, but far from either guy's best work. (1.5/5)

Bryan Danielson vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (11/05/2004, ROH): This match comes across like Danielson wanting to have fun working through a match with someone he idolizes, Liger being game to do whatever the American Dragon felt like doing, and them not overthinking it or trying to put on an "all-time classic." This match was about the FUN of pro-wrestling and not about epic drama or personal animosity or ultra-violence. Both guys are too good for this to be "average," but its not "must see" either. Danielson's heel shtick from this time period is still entertaining to me and Liger is effortlessly smooth in the ring, even when he's clearly not going "all out." (3/5)

Devil Masami vs. Nagayo Chigusa (08/22/1985, AJW): Very snug, very physical, very fast-paced action to start with Chigusa getting to shine. After considerable struggle, Masami applies a surfboard, adding the extra touch of pulling Chigusa's hair. A test of strength follows with Chigusa getting a nearfall from a german suplex. Chigusa applies a full nelson and delivers a full-nelson suplex for another nearfall. Man, that one rocked Masami's brain. Chigusa will a wild and not-quite-on-the-money dive to the floor. Masami grabs a pipe but Chigusa shows no fear, demanding she get back into the ring. Cool moment. Masami with some jabs as the two women square off, but the "boxing match" ends as quickly as it started and Masami hits some suplexes, including a weird one what almost turns into a braibuster-on-the-knee. Chigusa recovers quickly though and it leads to a strike exchange. Straightjacket Suplex by Chigusa for 2! Chigusa rallies and hits a big jumping tombstone for another nearfall. Masami takes advantage of an exhausted Chigusa and hits her with an electric chair from the 2nd rope! Wow, I'm not sure I'd seen that before. Somersault senton by Masami gets 2. Chigusa recovers and hits another big suplex for 2 but misses on a series of spin kicks. Cool strike exchange with Masami seemingly punching Chigusa right in the face and dropping her on the mat. Dang. Those are some stiff-looking strikes. Boot to the head by Chigusa! Both women are down and out, needing help up. They hug it out at the end, which isn't something I expected, but further research reveals that this was part of Masami's face turn. I also learned that the match I watched was an edit of a much longer, nearly 40-minute match, which is insane. The 17-minute version is brutal enough, though I do guess that the editing helps explain why this match - while very good - did not strike me as something worth of a 9+ rating on Cagematch. Still, good, good stuff. I've come to expect a certain amount of no-selling and a lack of transitions, but it was pretty noticeable here at times (even with, I assume, considerable edits). (3/5)

Jaguar Yokota vs. Lioness Asuka (08/22/1985, AJW): The beginning of this match is just bonkers with the speed, technicality, counter-wrestling - its just a bonkers opening sequence that wouldn't be out of place in an Ospreay/Swerve match. Yokota controls for the next bit but Asuka makes a comeback and hits a big front suplex. Asuka follows it up with a pair of headlocks, but Yokota seems almost unfazed by either. I really liked Yokota digging her elbow into the thighs of Asuka as it reminded me of things my brother I would do to hurt each other. The mat-based action continues for the next stretch with Yokota eventually gaining control over Asuka's legs. Asuka sells these like Yokota is tearing every ligament, screaming in agony. Yokota changes things up by applying an abdominal stretch and then delivering a suplex before going for a double-underhook something. Back to the knee she goes, applying a figure four, but Asuka manages to turn it over. Good to see that trope exists universally. Yokota flips it back over and Asuka once again sells tremendously but then takes back over the match, using her own knee to dish out some punishment and drive Yokota out of the ring. Yokota climbs back in the ring and immediately targets Asuka's knee, grabbing her leg and driving her to the mat. Asuka connects with some boots and kicks and then grabs a hold of Yokota's leg and brings the fight back to the mat. Yokota refuses to submit, eventually grabbing the ropes to break the hold (after considerable struggle). Asuka brings her up for a huge vertical suplex and gets 2, with Yokota using every bit of strength to power out. Yokota with a rolling suplex of her own and then we get an insane sequence of big moves and counters and Yokota executing a double-underhook piledriver. She follows it up an absolutely NASTY jumping piledriver for another nearfall and then lands a series of kicks including a jumping one to the throat. Two airplane spins by Asuka! Yokota looks dead, but bridges out of a pin attempt. Front suplex out of the ring by Asuka and then a ridiculous dive, but Yokota seemingly dodges it! Holy cow. Slingshot suplex by Asuka but Yokota bridges out again! German suplex by Asuka for 2! Straightjacket suplex by Yokota for 2! This is some serious desperation bomb-throwing. To the top rope they go. Front suplex from the top rope and Asuka just dropped Yokota half-way through the ring, but she misses the follow-up knee drop! Yokota with a ridiculous high suplex while pinning Asuka's ankle - wow, that's new and crazy. Incredible match with the only real lull being the mat-based section. However, even that was sold tremendously and the women's facial expressions made it clear that it was anything but "rest holds." (4/5)