10 Random Matches

Kazuchika Okada vs. Roderick Strong (08/22/2015, ROH): Maybe I haven't seen enough Okada matches to fully "get" the genius because this felt more like a Roderick Strong showcase than a match where Okada shined. Strong shows off a whole fireworks display of running knees, awesome counters to the Rainmaker, and his signature backbreakers, fully in control of the first half of the bout before Okada starts cutting him off with dropkicks and whatnot. I liked the conciseness of the match and that it doesn't actively try to be an "epic," opting instead to just keep their respective feet on the pedal for 15 minutes. Solid match. (3/5)

Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (02/28/2008, ROH): The Danielson/McGuiness match from England blew my mind, so I was looking forward to this one quite a bit. While I don't think it measures up, it's not far off. There were two stories here - first, Danielson refusing to attack Nigel's head due to his history of concussions (a nod to the "honor" aspect of Ring of Honor) and, second, Nigel showing no honor by getting himself disqualified at one point and then, later, delivering some nasty headbutts to Danielson's previously-injured eye. The early DQ was a great way to get heat from an already lively crowd (one that was initially split between Nigel and AmDrag), but I personally tend to dislike that gimmick and, because I wasn't an avid Ring of Honor viewer, the surprise of a bunch of Ring of Honor ex-champs getting together to prevent Nigel from walking out on the match didn't have the emotional power that it probably did for others. If the match in England was Danielson working brilliantly as the pseudo-heel, this is Nigel's turn and he does a masterful job as well. The eventual pay-off to Danielson's refusal to attack Nigel's head is an amazing moment and I'll give him a ton of credit of making the audience wait for it, but I kinda wish there had been even more of it. (3.5/5)

Roddy Piper and Rick Martel vs. The Sheepherders (03/15/1980, PNW): Late 70s/early 80s wrestling from Portland is not something I'd seen much of anything from when it popped up on my YouTube feed. The production is definitely not great - this match seemed to have been uploaded from a very old VHS - but its not as bad as some of the other stuff I've watched recently (especially the early joshi stuff). Anyway, this was also the first time I've seen Piper and Martel in tag action and both super over as straight-up babyfaces while I'm much more familiar with seeing the Sheepherders working as the good guy Bushwhackers. Anyway...I like the excitement of the crowd and the announcer and there's some fun to be had watching Roddy Piper outsmart the referee to maintain control over the heels, but this dragged at times and got repetitive and I wanted to see more of Martel's agility and fire because when he was showing off what he could do, it was awesome. The finish was lackluster too as this was a relatively long match (nearly 20 minutes) and ended with Buddy Rose running in and causing a DQ. I think fans of this particular style and brand and era of wrestling would consider this good stuff, but I wasn't enthralled by any of it. (2/5)

Rick Martel vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (05/13/1984, AWA): A good, not great match, though I'm sure it was a bigger moment for those that had been following Martel's career and hard work. This was a rather straightforward championship match but featured some small details I liked - Tsuruta working on Martel's leg early on, Martel's agility and selling, the finishing sequence and how it protected Jumbo even as he dropped the AWA World Championship here. I also thought, for a match that goes over 20 minutes, it is really action-packed, especially for that era. That being said, it's not a spectacular match and neither guy gives the type of "career performance" that would make this "must see." (3/5)

Scorpio Sky vs. Ronin (01/05/2008, PWG): This was the first (and likely the last?) Ronin match I've ever seen. He's a heavyset guy in a costume resembling a Power Ranger, but he moves decently for a big man. Scorpio Sky was very young here. Not much to say about this match aside from it going maybe a bit long and not being super interesting, but they clearly were working hard. I only watched this because it is part of the PWG All Star Weekend show that I started months back and I wanted to at least try to finish it. (2/5)

Joey Ryan & Scott Lost vs. Tyler Black & Jimmy Jacobs (01/05/2008, PWG): Another one from the same PWG show as the match above. Tyler Black now wrestles as Seth Rollins and is a huge, huge star in the WWE. Here, he looks pale and much, much thinner. In terms of execution, there are some really ugly spots in this match, but they were clearly trying to "steal the show" by putting on a fireworks display and, though there are some duds, there are also some nifty sequences and great high-risk maneuvers on display. I really liked Rollins' busting out the Fosbury Flop to the floor and some of the excellent double-team maneuvers. I was less into the countless false finishes, which seemed like overkill, especially as we neared the 20-minute mark. Fun match when it wasn't hurt by a cringe-inducing botch (like Jimmy Jacobs' atrocious hurricanrana late in the match) and if you can ignore watching Joey Ryan knowing he's a sex pest. (2.5/5)

Rick Martel vs. Nick Bockwinkel (09/20/1984, AWA): Some people consider this an all-time classic, but maybe my tastes are just too pedestrian, uncouth, or zapped by modern style to appreciate this as much as I should. Whatever. This is really good and, based on what I've watched over the past few years, I've become a huge Nick Bockwinkel fan and might even consider him the most underrated wrestler of all time just because he was never a top guy or even an upper midcarder in the NWA/WCW or WWE (which has led to him almost being completely erased from history). Watching Rick Martel work as a babyface is fun and new for me as I'd really only known him for his late 80s/early 90s work in the WWE. Both guys are great sellers and bumpers and also aggressive, physical fighters. You don't get a ton of dives and crazy sequences, but this is old school wrestling that is worked around submission holds and tiring out your opponent and the "character work" is subtle and not over-the-top the way you might get from a Ric Flair match around this time or with what the WWE was doing during the Hulkamania Era. I would've liked a more definitive finish and I'm not a fan of pinfalls getting reversed because new information is brought to light. To me, a pinfall is a pinfall and there's no "instant replay" in wrestling. (3.5/5)

Terry Funk vs. Stan Hansen (08/24/1985, AJPW): These two always bring the goods, though this match is not as bloody and wild as their classic from 83'. Hansen controls most of this very physical match with Funk taking some awesome bumps to the outside over the top rope. If this is a "lesser" match, it's still better than most wrestling matches just because of how tough and "real" Hansen and Funk come across. This ends with Ted DiBiase showing up and he and Hansen trying to murder Funk with a bullrope. Dory shows up for the save, setting up a tag match that I'm kinda curious about having not really seen DiBiase in this setting/context before. Good stuff. (3/5)

Stan Hansen vs. Nick Bockwinkel (04/20/1986, AWA): Not a great match, but decent enough because both Bockwinkel and Hansen are so good. Loved Hansen's knees and elbow drop. Loved Bockwinkel being able to take him up for a bodyslam and a piledriver later on. Wasn't a huge fan of the finishing stretch, though, as some of it looked sloppy and off-the-mark and the ref bump was a weak ending to an otherwise good, physical contest. Some people really hate this match and I can understand the disappointment when you have two guys who are capable of so much more. However, I don't think Bockwinkel was eager to take the kind of mauling that Hansen was known to dish out and I don't think Hansen wanted to work a more technical, straight-up wrestling match either. Decent enough for what it is. (2.5/5)

Jackie Sato vs. Maki Ueda (02/27/1979, AJW): I can't believe there are 20 minutes shaved off of this match (according to Cagematch). Not knowing the full story going in certainly takes away from the enjoyment. The video quality is not great either. But what you do get is some of the most spirited grappling, submission wrestling, and emotional storytelling you'll likely ever see. The crowd is incredibly into this too, which makes it even harder to accurately rate because, unless you are ultra-familiar with the workers going in, the enjoyment and emotional investment will likely come across as a "third-hand" experience (as it did for me). (4/5)

TNA Genesis 2010

TNA Genesis 2010

Orlando, FL - January 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, AJ Styles the TNA World Champion, Amazing Red was the X-Division Champion, the Knockouts Champion was ODB, Eric Young was the Global Champion, Awesome Kong and Hamada were the Knockouts Tag Team Champions, and the British Invasion were the TNA Tag Team Champions. 

Heralded as the first TNA PPV of the "Hulk Hogan Era," Genesis 2010 began with Hogan and Eric Bischoff cutting a promo in the company's brand new 4-sided ring. The Impact Zone crowd showered them with a "We Want Six Sides" chant that Hulk tried to silence by saying that "six sides only got them so far" and that real pro-wrestling happens in a ring like this one. As much as Hogan and Bischoff came into TNA promising to promote "pro-wrestling" as opposed to Vince McMahon's "sports-entertainment" (Hogan calls out Vince by name in the promo), nobody bought it because, almost immediately, the show featured a whole ton more ex-WWE wrestlers, as we'd see in our next two contests...

Amazing Red defended his TNA X-Division Championship against a mystery opponent in the opening match and that mystery opponent was...Brian Kendrick, fresh from a stint in the WWE. I'm about as big a Brian Kendrick fan as I can be considering he once thought being a Holocaust denier would be a good gimmick. Anyway, Red is working like he knows his job is on the line and him and Kendrick, who had worked together a little bit in the HUSTLE promotion in Japan, do some phenomenal stuff. Unfortunately, some miscommunications in the final minutes hurt what is an otherwise good contest. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Hogan and Bischoff talk to "The Band" - Hall, Nash, and Waltman. While I'm a fan of all three guys, this was the kind of segment that the TNA superfans could point to as being over-reliant on "Remember the nWo?" nostalgia rather than having anything to do with the work that Nash had done over the previous few years (much of it being at least decent and having very little to do with the nWo, such as his work in the X-Division and as part of the MEM). 

In the ring, Sean Morley makes his way down the aisle doing his Val Venis gimmick, but looking considerably more doughy than he did in 10 years earlier. Morley has to be one of the worst hires that TNA did around this time, a complete waste of money. Before he can even do his pre-match promo, a "We Want Wrestling" chant starts up. His opponent tonight is Christopher Daniels, who cuts a pre-match promo establishing himself as the heel despite the crowd being fully behind him. Daniels looks considerably undersized against Morley, a guy who would have never been considered a "giant" in WWE but, at 6'3'' and over 250, looks that way in this setting. While Daniels is always technically proficient, he's at his best when he's working with a wrestler that can match his skills, speed, and execution, and, maybe most importantly, add some of the "color" that Daniels often lacked. Theoretically, Morley could bring that sizzle...but he's not an interesting enough worker to make this match worthwhile. Considering Daniels was in the main event of the previous PPV, having him get jobbed out here was even more baffling than trying to present him as a heel. Booking-wise, this was insulting. Match-wise, this was just boring. (1.5/5)

The Knockouts Champion, ODB, defended her title against the former champion, Tara, in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match next. I'll give some kudos to TNA for doing the unexpected and having Tara win the match in 2 falls. Of course, there is a reason why 2-out-of-3 Falls Matches exist and having Tara win two falls, in a row, made ODB look like a chump and the fact that she did it under 15 minutes didn't help either. I really like Tara's somersault legdrop. Throughout the match, ODB was checking herself, including her own pulse, tapping at her heart before she lost in an out-of-nowhere faction. I'm guessing the story is going to be that Tara's spider bit her? Or Tara poisoned her before the match or some such nonsense? Whatever the case, this was not very good. (1.5/5)

After a word from "The Pope," its time for the TNA World Tag Team Championship match - The British Invasion vs. Hernandez and Matt Morgan. This wasn't bad at all, or at least not nearly as bad as the reviewers on Cagematch make it out to be. This may have not been all-time great tag match or anything, but it made sense from beginning to end as the monster babyface team generally dominated the overwhelmed Brits who, because they had no interference on their behalf from World Elite or their big muscle guy Rob Terry, were finally defeated after about 10 minutes. Hernandez seemed like a guy on the brink of having a strong singles run and, in retrospect, seems like he could've accomplished more had he been coached and nurtured and not pigeon-holed as a tag guy for most of his career. (2.5/5) 

Backstage, Abyss and Bobby Lashley get into it and then Bischoff and Hogan show up, upset that Abyss has beaten down the guy he was supposed to fight later on. Everyone is bad in this segment. 

Desmond Wolfe vs. "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero is next. Dinero came into TNA with some momentum as he was seen as a guy who should've gone further in the WWE...but he ended being one of those guys who was sorta exposed as too green to really build around and clearly not ready to be as heavily featured as he was, even in TNA. Here, he's in the ring with a very good worker in Desmond Wolfe, but the chemistry isn't there. Wolfe spends much of the match absolutely torturing Dinero with innovative submissions, but it doesn't make for the most riveting action and Dinero's selling isn't anything super special, though I will give him credit for never brushing off the damage. This felt more like a good TV match than a great PPV one. (3/5)

Kevin Nash teamed with Sean Waltman (working as "Six-Pac") to take on Beer Money next. It was a wise move to have Waltman work this match instead of Scott Hall and I can't really understand anyone being too upset by the bait-and-switch there. This was another match that gets torn to shreds on Cagematch but really isn't all that terrible. The crowd is into it. Waltman could still bump and sell and hit his trademark stuff. Kevin Nash was never a brilliant in-ring worker and was probably close to 15 years past his prime, but he was still in tremendous shape and could move decently enough in a tag setting. The finish is bizarre as Hall wanders out from the back but ends up pulling a fan over the guard rail and beating him down, causing a distraction that costs "The Band" the match. I'm not sure what they were going for here and why they this was the best "screwy finish" they could come up with. (2/5)

Abyss took on a mystery opponent next - having beat up Bobby Lashley earlier on the show - and it turned out to be...Mr. Ken Anderson. Anderson's debut promo was great (if you're at all a fan of his shtick) and he got a warm response from the TNA crowd initially. However, as the match wore on, there were chants of "Overrated" that clearly showed at least some of the audience did not want to see yet another ex-WWE guy come in and be given a prominent push from the jump. The match isn't bad and certainly not as bad as the reviews over at Cagematch make it out to be, but it does reveal the weaknesses of Anderson's game in a way that one wouldn't necessarily want in their debut. Anderson's charisma was undeniable, but between the bells, he wasn't the most riveting performer and did not have an arsenal of flashy trademark moves that caught on as well as his catchphrase. What that means is, by minute 5-6 of this match (and several of his matches), the crowd loses interest. Abyss was okay and hits an awesome Shock Therapy backbreaker at one point, so there's that. Not terrible, but no better than average. (2.5/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles defending his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Kurt Angle. This was billed as a match to decide who the best wrestler on the planet was and, in 2010, I think an argument could be made that both of these guys were in the conversation at least in the US. This is a good match, but not a great one. Its wrestled face/face and they get plenty of time to tell a story, but it lacks emotion. This is a straight-up title match where both guys throw everything they can against each other, but its a bit move-to-move-to-move-to-move without any real purpose or direction. Even when Angle, towards the end, really starts to sell a damaged knee, Styles doesn't take advantage or weave that into the match. In terms of execution, its pretty much flawless, but I didn't find myself ever being truly invested. When Flair shows up, its a major hint that something screwy is going to happen and, ultimately, that is what happens as Flair screws Angle and helps AJ retain. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.31-out-of-5, Genesis 2010 is a slight improvement from the previous month's Final Destination show, but not by much. The main event is the best bout of the show, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering its Styles and Angle. The Pope/Wolfe match is a disappointment, but the Tag Team Championship match is better than one might expect. Recommended to only those super curious about how the Hogan Era in TNA began, but most fans would be better off skipping this show.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Royal Rumble 2025

WWE Royal Rumble 2025

Indianapolis, IN - February 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was Cody Rhodes, the World Heavyweight Champion was GUNTHER, the Intercontinental Champion was Bron Breakker, the United States Champion was Shinsuke Nakamura, the War Raiders held the World Tag Team Championships, the WWE Tag Team Champions were #DIY, the Women's Tag Team Champions were Bianca Belair and Naomi, the Women's United Champion was Chelsea Green, the Women's Intercontinental Champion was Lyra Valkyria, Rhea Ripley was the Women's World Champion, and the Women's WWE Champion was Tiffany Stratton. 

The show began with an unadvertised welcome by Stephanie McMahon...yeesh, less than a day after the latest harrowing details emerged about her dad. I really wish she'd have received the Hulk Hogan treatment and gotten boo'ed out of the stadium, but alas it was not to be. I don't think she had first-hand knowledge of the darker parts of Vince's sexual life - namely the sex trafficking, I don't kink shame if everything is consensual - but she's been privy to a whole bunch of shadiness over the years and is a card-carrying Trumper, which means she knows how birds of a feather can be. 

Anyway, the Women's Royal Rumble match kicked off the show with IYO SKY and Liv Morgan drawing #1 and #2 respectively. This went a good 10+ minutes before we got even the first elimination and that element held true for the match's entire duration as the eliminations were significantly spaced out. As per usual in these matches, some wrestlers really shined and others got lost in the mix. Chelsea Green was over with the live crowd and stood out, as did Lash Legend, while folks like Michin, B-Fab, Ivy Nile, Zoey Stark, Natalya, and others probably should've been dealt with quicker to boost the reputation of folks like Jordynne Grace (who also got a huge ovation), the aforementioned Legend, and the veterans like Bayley and Belair. In terms of big returns, the crowd popped the loudest - and it wasn't even particularly close - for Alexa Bliss. Bliss has been off TV for at least a year now, if I'm not mistaken, but is arguably the best female utility player the WWE has had in the past decade in terms of being able to work as a manager or a wrestler, a heel or a face, a WrestleMania-hosting fan surrogate or an over-the-top possessed demon. Meanwhile, Nikki Bella's return landed with a bit of a thud as she entered #30 when, I reckon, part of the audience was hoping for Becky Lynch. I'd also note that Bella, a huge star for the company in the mid-to-late 2010s, spent the majority of her time in the company as an unlikeable, arrogant heel (and wasn't exactly a "smart fan" favorite either, though it is generally agreed-upon now that she improved considerably over the years). Bella was immensely popular with some my male students back in the day - unsurprising, considering I teach kids ages 12-14 - but those fans are now older teenagers and have likely "aged out" of pro-wrestling (if they're anything like me, they'll be back into it in their 20s once they hit their first wave of nostalgic appreciation for the simplicity of pre-teen amusements). The same could be said of Charlotte, who got a big ovation initially, but a somewhat mild reaction upon her eventual victory. Charlotte was made to look super strong to the point of it being a bit too overt. As for Trish Stratus, how many "returns" can one woman have before we just expect her to be part of the Rumble every year until she can no longer physically do it? Stratus will always get a big pop and it is well-deserved...but I wish they'd get a bit more creative with what she can actually bring to the table rather than just shoehorning her into the Rumble every year for the sake of an ovation. All in all, a Rumble that had a few good moments and showcased just how loaded the WWE's Women's roster is...but also highlighted a clear need for the "fresh blood" and "future of the division" to be featured more prominently in 2025. It doesn't feel like all that long ago that Zoey Stark was being touted as a key player for the future and, before her, Shayna Baszler, but both feel like lower midcarders now. I'm not convinced the same isn't true of someone like Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria, who didn't stand-out at all and should've been given the positioning and role of Roxanne Perez in this match. Michin, Candice LeRae, Sonya Deville...all just bodies and the audience reacted to them as such. Giulia and Stephanie Vacquer are obviously very talented, but this match didn't allow either to really showcase their skills and risks making them seem like "just wrestlers" too. (2/5)

#DIY vs. The Motor City Machine Guns in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships was next. Loved the CAPW shout-out by Cole in the first minute! #DIY got a somewhat quick pin as Gargano and Ciampa fooled Shelley into believing Gargano made a tag and Ciampa connected with an unexpected running knee instead. Clever pin, if somewhat rushed. The teams were in a rough spot on the card as the audience was definitely a little cool after having sat through a 60+ minute Rumble. The veterans took their time but also delivered some great spots including a brilliant Sabin crossbody to the floor. The Guns got the second fall with a Skull & Bones double-team maneuver to tie things up. The third fall saw both teams bust out the superkicks and signatures before the Street Profits interfered the cost the Guns the match. After the bout, Dawkins and Ford beat down #DIY with a crutch and held up the titles. I smell a 3-way match. Overall, this was fine but would've come off better with a hotter crowd. (2.5/5)

The WWE Universal Championship was on the line next as Kevin Owens challenged Cody Rhodes in a Ladder Match. Rhodes and Owens did not waste much time getting to the hardcore spots as Owens slammed Rhodes through a ladder on the floor and then beat him down with the metal piece that had broken off. Into the crowd they went, brawling through an aisle. A "We Want Tables" chant started up as they got back to the ring and Owens started pulling ladders out from under the ring. Owens set up a table connecting the announcer's table and the ring apron but couldn't utilize it right away. Cody went climbing but Owens came back in with a step ladder and used it against Cody. The inclusion of the mini-ladder felt a "cutesy" at first, but I loved Owens' back-suplexing Cody onto it. Cody went climbing and grabbed hold of the rung but got brought down with a nasty modified pop-up powerbomb. Owens set up the ladder over Rhodes and tried to climb up, but Rhodes pushed the ladder up and Owens had to step off. Back to the floor they went for Owens to continue his attack. Owens slid yet another ladder into the ring as the crowd again asked for tables. Rhodes hit a suplex that sent Owens into a ladder and then went climbing again but ended up snapping off a rung of the ladder and using it against the challenger. Owens cut him off with a superkick, hit a flurry of left hands, and then bashed Rhodes with the ladder rung. The amount of steel in the ring at this point made for a great visual and clearly a dangerous environ but Owens added yet another one, placing it in the corner over the bottom rope. Owens looked like he was going to try to send Cody into the ladder in the corner, but Cody reversed it and back-dropped Owens onto the top edge of the ladder in one of the sickest moves I've seen in recent years, especially in the WWE. It was absolutely NASTY and the crowd reacted to it as such, going silent at first and then chanting "Holy Shit." It was the kind of bump that could've legit crippled him, but Owens somehow managed to get to his feet to powerbomb Cody into the ladder in the corner! Great spot there and another crazy bump. Owens set up a ladder to hang over the bottom rope and placed Cody on it before attempting a splash, but Rhodes met him on the top rope. Rhodes went for a superplex but Owens countered it with a Fisherman Buster into a ladder! Another "Holy Shit" erupted and deservedly so as that move looked terrific and very painful. Both men got checked out by SmackDown staff, including GM Nick Aldis. Sami Zayn showed up and checked on KO and then Cody as well. Owens got to his feet and attempted a Stunner but Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes! Owens went out to the floor but pulled Cody's foot before he could get onto the ladder. Owens pulled Cody to the floor and Rhodes went wild, bashing KO into the announce table and the post to open him up. Cody hit some good-looking punches, raining blows on KO before joining him on the table. KO with a low blow, but Rhodes counters a package piledriver attempt into an Alabama Slam through the ladder! Rhodes slid into the ring and got hold of the belts to end what was a very good ladder match that may have started a little bit slow and "mid" but ended up delivering an incredible second half full of absolutely brutal spots. (4/5)

Main event time - the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble match, which began with Rey Mysterio Jr. and relative newcomer to the WWE, Penta. Unfortunately, what was a great moment got bungled when Penta was clearly eliminated and the announcers (and referees) had to play like he wasn't. Chad Gable came in at #3 and we got another fun couple of minutes with the luchadores teaming up to work over Gable. The first big entrant (and elimination) came with Bron Breakker at #7, who came in and immediately destroyed and tossed Hayes before dishing out a whole bunch more punishment to the other participants. Breakker got rid of Escobar too before having his momentum halted by Otis. Tozawa was supposed to come out at #8 but, in a neat twist, Carmelo Hayes hit him before he could make his way to the ring. Backstage, Triple H was shown asking someone to replace him and finding...IShowSpeed, a YouTuber I had never heard of before. He ate an absolutely NASTY spear from Breakker before getting tossed to the outside (where he was caught by Otis and then reverse slammed onto a table). Andrade came in and it was noted on commentary that he had returned to the WWE at the previous Rumble...which kinda goes to show that sometimes the grass is greener because he's been a non-entity in the WWE (and ended up getting eliminated by Jacob Fatu minutes later). Ludwig Kaiser came in at #13 and I loved his character work as he took his time to enter the ring but then got eliminated almost immediately by Penta! The Miz came in next and got some time to shine before getting shut down by Fatu, who was very over with the crowd. At #15 was TNA Champion Joe Hendry, who got a massive response. Hendry too got cut off by Fatu before we got Roman Reigns at #16, who got an even bigger response than Hendry. Reigns immediately eliminated Miz and Sheamus and then speared Hendry and tossed him too, which actually drew some jeers. Bron ended Roman's momentum with a huge Spear after a staredown but Roman ended up tossing him soon after. At this point, the only 4 left in the ring were Jimmy Uso, Jacob Fatu, Reigns, and Penta. Fatu eliminated Jimmy and we got Roman and Fatu squaring off to a huge response (with Cole noting on commentary that these two doing battle was a "future WrestleMania main event"). Drew McIntyre came in at #17 followed by Finn Balor at #18. Minutes later, after delivering an awesome Canadian Destroyer onto Fatu, Penta finally got eliminated after 42 minutes in the ring. Quite a showing there. Jey Uso came in at #20 to a big response and cleaned house, eventually eliminated Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ Styles came in next, returning from a lengthy hiatus and receiving a huge ovation. Braun Strauman managed to eliminate Fatu once he joined the match, which was smart booking as Fatu had had a great run but needed to "disappear" sometime in the thick of the match to hide the loss. John Cena came in next to another massive reception and got rid of Braun and then Balor as well (in a questionable spot where he AA'd him off the apron and onto Braun, who wasn't in great position to catch him). Cena and Roman stared each other down as the countdown reached 0 and here comes CM Punk! Great timing there. As Cole noted on commentary, this match was super star-powered. Punk, Roman, and Cena stared each other down as the clock ticked down again and...Seth Rollins joined the party. Dominik Mysterio came in next, a huge smirk on his face. Mysterio hit a frog splash on Cena and then went for a suplex on Roman but got Samoan Dropped instead. From here, we got Sami Zayn, Damien Priest, LA Knight, and eventually, at #30, Logan Paul. The big finishing stretch saw Logan Paul eliminate AJ Styles before we got a wild series of events involving Reigns, Rollins, and Punk that saw Punk dump both members of The Shield before getting eliminated himself. On the floor, Rollins hit Reigns with a NASTY Curb Stomp - it looked like he stomped him with both feet - and then brawled with Punk before delivering a second Curb Stomp on Reigns on the steps. This was clearly designed to "write off" Reigns until closer to Mania season. Punk and Rollins brawled again before they were separated and, by this point, it was down to just Cena, Jey Uso, and Logan Paul. Paul was the next to go and we got an imperfect Uso/Cena finale. Cena's overacting was a bit heavy-handed, his facial expressions loud enough to be heard at the furthest row of the stadium, but, to be fair, it is that "Larger Than Life" showmanship that made Cena a massive star (even if it is hokey). Uso and Cena ended up on the apron together and we got a bunch of teetering from Cena before Jey escaped an AA attempt and shoved Cena off to win a title match at WrestleMania. I was not expecting Jey to win this so kudos to the WWE for pulling the trigger on someone new, especially after devoting so much time to the legends on their last major show, the Netflix debut. This was an all-timer Rumble due to the star power, fan engagement, somewhat surprising ending, and some generally great performances out of Jacob Fatu, Chad Gable, Bron Breakker, and AJ Styles. (4/5)

All in all, Royal Rumble 2025 was a strong show with a legitimately surprising ending. The Owens/Cody match was as violent and wild as the WWE is able to get. The Women's Rumble was a tad underwhelming, but the Men's edition more than made up for it. Earning a respectable 3.13-out-of-5 Kwang Score, I'm giving it a...

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

TNA Final Resolution 2009

TNA Final Resolution 2009

Orlando, FL - December 2009

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, AJ Styles was the TNA World Champion, the X-Division Champion was The Amazing Red, ODB was the TNA Knockouts Champion, Eric Young was the Global Champion, the TNA World Tag Team Champions were The British Invasion, and Sarita and Taylor Wilde held the TNA Women's Tag Team Championships. 

Final Resolution 2009 kicks off with a relatively hot tag opener - The Motor City Machine Guns challenging The British Invasion for the TNA Tag Team Championships. The MCMG have the crowd behind them and the much more dazzling offense, but the Invasion end up eking out a victory. The Guns are rightfully considered one of the best tag teams of the past 20 years and while this match may not even be in their Top 10 or 20, they do deliver some really good double-team maneuvers and Sabin's suicide dive through Shelley's legs looks tremendous. I wish the referee would've been in better position for the finish as it should've been a quick, sneaky 3-count instead of what looks more like a 5 count because the referee had to scramble to slap the mat. No worse than average. (2.5/5)

Next up - ODB defending her Women's Championship against Tara. Tara hit an awesome front-flip leg drop early and that was the highlight of the match. Some ugliness at one point when Tara goes for a one-legged flapjack and ODB takes the move directly on her face. Nasty spot there that seems to have dazed ODB and led to a very lackluster finish. Tara's post-match promo is not very good and is a touch "off-key" because ODB was also a babyface and, one could argue, the underdog despite being the defending champion. (2/5)

The Feast or Fired match was next - Jay Lethal vs. Consequences Creed vs. Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Nash vs. Eric Young vs. Kiyoshi vs. Bobby Roode vs. Rob Terry vs. Homicide vs. James Storm vs. Cody Deaner vs. Abdul Bashir. The story coming into this match was actually kinda clever as Eric Young had entered all of his World Elite brothers into the contest in order to "stack the deck" and ensure that Beer Money would not be able to challenge The British Invasion for the Tag Team Championships. While this makes for a fun story that is used to "pair up" various guys in the early going on the match, it also leads to some tension once Rob Terry and Abdul Bashir grab hold of the first two briefcases. Samoa Joe spends most of the match outside the ring looking cool, but does show up for the second half for a good sequence against Lethal and Consequences and then, eventually, to grab the final briefcase. Kevin Nash ends up with a briefcase too. Aside from one sequence involving Beer Money, Lethal Consequences, Joe, and Kiyoshi, there is very little actual "wrestling" on display. After an interview segment with Angle and Styles, the "winners" are revealed: Nash gets a tag title shot, Joe gets a World title shot, Rob Terry gets an X-Division title match, and poor Abdul Bashir got the "pink slip." This could've been so much better if it had been built more around Joe kicking ass. (2/5)

Team 3D, Rhyno, and Jesse Neal took on Hernandez, Suicide, Matt Morgan, and "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero in the next match. This was a sloppy mess with just about the worst refereeing I've ever seen. The match began with the heels having a 4-on-1 advantage with Hernandez having to survive the first 5 minutes alone. Not only did he survive, he pinned Rhyno. Woo boy. If you're going to bury somebody, let it be Jesse Neal, who was the least experienced of the eight men in the ring. Speaking of Neal, he teased hitting Hernandez with a chair before the rest of the babyfaces joined the match but...didn't...because...it was never clear. It couldn't have been because he didn't want to get disqualified because he ends up using the chair later...and somehow not getting disqualified. Hernandez absolutely BRAINS him with an unprotected chair shot, which seemed like the kind of spot that Bubba and D'von probably thought would "get him over" but definitely did not. Anyway, Hernandez gets DQ'd and we eventually learn that Neal is too, though it happens after Hernandez is. It makes no sense. Team 3D get to look strong, eliminating both Dinero and Suicide with the 3-D. I understand keeping the tag team specialist looking strong, but Dinero had some momentum coming into the company and getting jobbed out here 100% clean was certainly not what the fans wanted. Matt Morgan, who was pretty over with the crowd here, ends up getting the victory. When this wasn't stupid, it was boring. (1.5/5)

Bobby Lashley and Scott Steiner had a surprisingly good Falls Count Anywhere match at the last show, but I kinda expected this to not live up to what was possibly a "lightning in the bottle"/"lucky night" for these two. I'm a Lashley fan, but he was still "putting it all together" in 2009 and not yet as good as he would become. Steiner's TNA run has been much better than I remember it being due entirely to his effort. Still, even with Steiner working hard, busting out suplexes and cutting entertaining promos and performing friggin' Frankensteiners, his timing and selling are not great and the layout of this match is not good at all. Last Man Standing matches almost demand some sort of "big spot" to explain why someone would be laid out for 10 seconds and this offered none, wrestled way too much like a regular match to feel like the culmination of a serious feud over one man's wife. Steiner's selling of leg damage early leads nowhere. Lashley knocking out Steiner with a single pipe shot is silly compared to the level of violence from their previous bout. This was a disappointment even if you went into it not expecting much. (1.5/5)

Another disappointing match follows as Mick Foley teams up with Abyss to take on Raven and Dr. Stevie (Stevie Richards). There's one great Foley spot that he saves for the end of the match, flying off the ramp onto Stevie and putting him through a table, but nothing else is really too impressive. At one point, Abyss could be relied on to put on very violent, very bloody hardcore matches, but as nearly every longtime wrestling fan eventually learns, when a wrestler bases so much of their work around "garbage wrestling," it almost always leads to diminishing returns. By this point, unless there was shards of glass, thumbtacks, and stiff chair shots involved, it felt like Abyss was "half-assing it" despite how unfair a criticism that is. This is physical match and nobody is pulling punches, but when you expect blood and gore, a match like this comes off as incredibly tame. It also doesn't help that, despite the arrival of Raven, the Dr. Stevie/Abyss feud feels like its been going on way too long. (2/5)

Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe in a 3 Degrees of Pain match is next. God, I really wish they would've just made this a 2-out-of-3 falls match in a cage rather than the ham-fisted and mostly unnecessary stipulation that the first fall could only be won by pinfall, the second only by submission, and the third by escape. It should've been much simpler: an escape-the-cage match that can only be won after you had successfully pinned or submitted your opponent. That may seem like a minor change, but it would've helped the psychology of the match, which is a bit "all over the place" despite the strong work of both guys. For example, early on, Tenay has to clarify that neither wrestler is allowed to use the cage "as a weapon" or else risk losing by DQ...which doesn't make sense because they've already said the first fall can only end by pinfall (and, therefor, because its in a cage, is essentially a No DQ/No CO situation anyway). Then, later on, there's a rope break when, again, the match couldn't possibly end with a DQ because the second fall could only end with a submission. Furthermore, the first stretch of the match, which should be loaded with pinfall attempts and counters, is wrestled mostly on the mat...as is the second, submissions-only fall. There's not enough differentiation between the first 15 minutes and the second and the crowd's enthusiasm seems to ebb-and-flow over the course of the two first falls, most likely because so much of it is mat-based when the first fall should've been much more about big suplexes and slams. The third fall is the best fall of the match - not really a surprise there - because this is where the action really picks up and we see Nigel's desperation, especially after he gets opened up. Still, there are some weird moments. Its a trope that the babyface will always escape the cage by climbing out rather than using the door, but I would've loved for them to find a way to make it make more sense here, especially considering that Angle had never really "turned face" after the Main Event Mafia storyline and was something of a "tweener" at this point, a guy who could feud and fight anyone on the roster. One could argue that where Wolfe was lying was close to the cage door (which would've made it easier for him to stop Angle), but that wasn't noted on commentary. I also thought that some of Angle's counters looked wonky, especially compared to how smooth Nigel is. This wasn't a bad match, but it wasn't as good as their bout at the previous show and really suffered from a weak set of rules. (3/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels for AJ's TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A solid match - certainly above average - but missing a true emotional story because, ultimately, as good as Daniels is from a technical perspective, I don't find myself super-invested in his matches. I loved the spot where Daniels came flying over the top to try a hurricanrana but got powerbombed on the floor instead. I loved the finishing stretch and how much Daniels fought to avoid a second Styles Clash. I didn't love that, at no point, did I find myself wondering if Daniels might actually win the title. Because this was wrestled as a battle of two ex-best friends who knew each other so well and didn't really have a true good-vs.-evil dynamic (despite Styles clearly being more over and Daniels infusing a little bit of heelishness here and there), the finish was never in doubt. Had Daniels actually been working to try to screw Styles out of the title, that could've added some drama that just wasn't there. Maybe back in 2009 this would've been really special, but because this level of action and workrate is so common today, it doesn't really stand out now. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score if 2.19-out-of-5, Final Resolution 2009 is not a show worth checking out in its entirety, but the Wolfe/Angle match and the main are both good. Unfortunately, nothing else on the card rises above average.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

TNA Turning Point 2009

TNA Turning Point 2009

Orlando, FL - November 2009

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, AJ Styles was the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, the X-Division Champion was The Amazing Red, the TNA World Tag Team Champions were the British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams), the TNA Knockouts Champion was ODB, the TNA Global Champion was Eric Young, and the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions were Sarita and Taylor Wilde. 

Before the show begins, a video package highlights several of tonight's main event matches and, more historically significant, the arrival of Hulk Hogan (and Eric Bischoff) to TNA. I'm not sure if Hogan and Bischoff had "the book" yet, but I remember/think that they didn't take over the creative direction until a little bit later on. Anyway, we'll see if their involvement comes into play later on in the show, on-screen or off...

Amazing Red defends his TNA X-Division Championship against Homicide in the opening contest. They get plenty of time and they bust out lots and lots of impressive moods, but this didn't "grab" me the way I hoped it would. Homicide is a good heel, but not a great one, and there's no diversity to his crowd taunting, nothing "extra" that he does to really get the crowd being slightly engaged to fully enthralled. The best facet of this match were the nearfalls during the second half, some of which were absolutely incredible with both guys getting huge reactions for their 2-and-9-10ths kickouts. A good 10-minute match that felt a bit longer just because of how much action they jam-packed into it. (3/5)

Both the TNA Knockouts Championship and the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships were on the line as ODB, Sarita, and Taylor Wilde defended their gold (the former being the Knockouts Champion, the latter holding the tag gold) against The Beautiful People - Velvet Skye, Madison Rayne, and Lacey Von Erich. This wasn't as bad as it could've been considering the talent level of the heel side. Someone in the front row holds up a sign that says "Lacey Von Botch," but she's barely in the match so its not like she drags it down at any point. Taylor Wilde had noticeably improved and while I'm not an ODB fan, she kept her more obnoxious ring mannerisms to a minimum here (meaning we still had her plugging her nose before delivering a headbutt to Velvet Skye's crotch, but she didn't rub her breasts between every big spot for a cheap pop). Not good, but inoffensive and it didn't overstay its welcome. (1.5/5)

Things get much better in the next match as The Motor City Machine Guns and Beer Money challenge The British Invasion for the TNA World Tag Team Championships. This match was excellent for the first eight or so minutes - lots of action, great teamwork out of the Guns and Beer Money, a fully-engaged crowd - but then goes off a cliff once the Guns are "eliminated" and basically disappear from the match so that Eric Young (who interferes on the Invasion's behalf) can have his moment with Kevin Nash (who inexplicably attacks Bobby Roode in the entranceway despite being in a feud with Young over the Legends Championship). Just a total shame that this match, which was on its way into 4-star territory, has to end with such a lame, overbooked finish designed to play into the impending Wolfpack Reunion storyline rather than just giving these guys the chance to shine on their own. (2.5/5)

Tara vs. Awesome Kong followed in a Six Sides of Steel match. This was really good and felt almost like a title match because of how over Kong was as an unbeatable monster. This was physical and spirited and Kong took some pretty big bumps off the top rope - a powerbomb and a missile dropkick - that were impressive. Again, the crowd was very much into this match, which is more than could often be said about the women's matches happening in the WWE at this time. They only got 8 minutes, but they used them well and Tara's victory felt earned (even if her overacting wasn't great during the post-match). Solid match. (3/5)

Team 3D teamed with Rhyno to take on "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero, Matt Morgan, and Hernandez. This was billed and built as a bit of a Old Generation vs. New Generation match. I'm not sure why the Tag Team Triple Threat got under 10 minutes, the Tara/Kong cage match got under 10 minutes, and this match ended up with close to 15. That being said, this was not as bad as I thought it would be considering the talent involved. Somehow, shockingly, the crowd doesn't chant for tables within the first 2 minutes, which is special for a Team 3D match. There are some real highlights to this match - Dinero double-legging Bubba early was a great spot that got a huge reaction and made him seem like a badass, Matt Morgan's elbows in the corner were over, and SuperMex's plancha was great too. I liked the heels having to cheat to get the W in the end as it was the right call to make against a less experienced trio that had clearly pushed the veterans to their limit. Smart, sensible booking there. This felt like a TV match but the crowd's reactions were there to make it feel special and like it actually mattered. Maybe not a "hidden gem," but not necessarily a match you'd just fast-forward through either. (2.5/5)

Bobby Lashley took on Scott Steiner in a Falls Count Anywhere/No DQ match next. This one started off hot with lots of physicality and brawling. I didn't watch the weekly TV building up to this but Steiner came off as a total psycho from the video packages and pre-match promo. Good stuff, at least in hindsight. The match dipped a bit when they went to the back as the table spot and Lashley's spear through a wooden-something-or-other were noticeably convoluted. Steiner's Frankensteiner may not have been the prettiest move on the show, but you gotta give the heavyweight credit for even doing it at his age. This was a fun 12 minutes with an underwhelming-but-still-surprising ending. (3/5)

Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe followed. Wolfe (formerly known as Nigel McGuinness) came into TNA and was immediately treated as a big deal, attacking Angle and putting him on the shelf during the build-up to this match. The crowd was hot for this. I would've liked a little more character work out of Wolfe to really establish what makes him "different," but some of the sequences were excellent and Angle was clearly in the "giving" mood, bumping and selling for Wolfe from beginning to end. Meltzer gave this more than 4-stars, which feels like maybe a bit much...but, then again, in 2009, this sort of contest wasn't happening on PPVs regularly and certainly not on weekly TV the way it seems to happen these days. Very, very good, but a hair short of "must see." (3.5/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels for AJ's TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A match "four years in the making," these two put on one of the best matches in US pro-wrestling history at the Unbreakable PPV in 2005, a match that established what the X-Division was all about and put TNA on the map as a fan destination for cutting edge wrestling. Hitting that same peak was going to be impossible as you can only "break ground" one time. That being said, this is a fantastic match in its own right and it is wonderful to see Samoa Joe motivated again after a very uneven 2009. The MVP of this match, however, was AJ Styles, who executes everything he does flawlessly. They got a little bit "cutesy" with some of the three-man submission spots, but that's getting a bit nitpicky. I loved the psychology here too as, when someone did hang around the outside of the ring to give the spotlight to the remaining two, it did come off as strategic and not someone "overselling." No weapons, no chairs, no tables, no brawling in the crowd, I liked that they wrestled this match "straight up" and kept most of the action contained in the ring. There were some wonderful sequences, especially towards the end, and there were a couple of really nifty nearfalls to build towards a believable finish. I think the only "knock" against this match is that they probably had an additional 5 minutes in them to really move this into all-time classic territory as things never really went "beyond" in terms of emotional storytelling. (4/5)

Earning a very respectable Kwang Score of 2.88-out-of-5, Turning Point 2009 is an uneven show but Angle and Wolfe put on a great contest and the main event is arguably the TNA Match of the Year 2009 (only Jarrett/Angle from Genesis earned a score equal to it from me). With only one truly subpar match, the Knockouts tag, and some overachieving performances out of Scott Steiner, Team 3D, and Tara (Victoria), this was a good show with plenty on it worth recommending. 

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

Random Matches

Curt Hennig vs. Tiger Mask II (01/02/1988, AJPW) - Misawa, who was under the hood here, and Curt Hennig may be known as two of the best to ever lace the boots, but this match was too scientific and too dull for its first 2/3rds to keep my interest. When they actually start speeding things up and going for big moves - Hennig hitting the Perfectplex, Misawa's plancha - this is wonderful. Too bad that only lasts about 2-3 minutes before the match ends in a disappointing countout to protect both guys. (1.5/5)

Jun Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata (08/04/2005, WRESTLE-1): I've really only seen Shibata's work in AEW (which I've mostly enjoyed), but this match is highly touted so I thought I'd check it out. Unbelievable opening minutes as Shibata nails Akiyama with a kick to the face that opens him up quickly. Out to the floor they go where Akiyama absolutely wails on Shibata with chairs ripped from the stands. The physicality continues from there, though I don't think any of the rest of the match - while plenty violent and certainly engaging - quite touches the early peaks in terms of attention-grabbing action. Loved the strike exchange towards the end and all of Akiyama's suplexes. Very "Japanese" ending with Akiyama lending a death blow that was really more about Shibata running out of gas than Akiyama's move being some super wild never-seen-before finisher. Maybe a hair short of "must see" in my eyes because it is a bit on the short side and I feel like it peaked too early. (3.5/5)

Go Shiozaki & Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Katsuyori Shibata & KENTA (12/04/2005, NOAH): This one starts off a little slow and the crowd doesn't seem as engaged as I'd have thought considering who is involved, but boy does it pick up in its second half. Shibata and KENTA are great as the cocky, young heels while Misawa, clearly at least a few years past his prime, is excellent as the grizzled veteran and isn't resting on his laurels at any point (even if he is moving slower than he was 10 years earlier). A very good match with good performances out of Misawa and Shibata especially and some of the best nearfalls I've seen in a hot minute. (3/5)

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii (01/04/2016, NJPW): Based on some research, this is something of a sequel to a previous all-timer they had. This was an absolute war and began with Shibata and Ishii trading stiff kicks to each other's back. Incredibly stiff headbutts at one point too. I think what hurt my viewing of this match was that, aside from the stiffness, there wasn't that extra element that made me stand back and appreciate this match as anything more than just two badasses clobbering each other. Sometimes that's enough to create something magical, and sometimes you just have a really good match that isn't quite "must see." Shibata is such a "cool" wrestler that, at times, he's almost too mechanical and unemotional for me to really feel engaged by (at least by the limited number of matches I've seen from him). (3.5/5)

Alex Shelley vs. Kazuchika Okada (06/13/2011, TNA): More of a "curio" than a great match, which is why you'll find it listed as a "Hidden Gem" on TNA's YouTube page, this was a young Okada performing before he ascended to becoming one of the most talked-about wrestlers in Japan. Unfortunately, this match offers very little in terms of seeing Okada's potential. It's not a squash - in fact, a squash might've been more interesting - it's just a relatively even back-and-forth match where Okada looks a bit slow and shows none of the confidence or swagger that would become his signature. I like Shelley, but he doesn't dazzle here either and wrestles a bit too seriously to make this much fun. Disappointing. (2/5)

Chris Sabin vs. Kazuchika Okada (05/09/2014, BCW): This match happened at Border City Wrestling when Chris Sabin was released from TNA and Okada was more established as the Rainmaker (though still not as popular and well-known as he would become in the States over the next few years). The worst thing about this match is the absolutely awful production, which makes it a bit unfair to rate. There are sound issues. The commentary team are decent at best. The camera work is a step or two above fan-cam. The crowd is either mic'd terribly or generally indifferent. The action is good, but with some many critical elements of the presentation being poor, I found myself very bored and, at times, even frustrated. Okada is a guy I really need to see more of - especially his prime years - because nothing I've seen with him has really shouted Best Wrestler of the Decade the way he is touted on places like Cagematch and in the Observer. (2/5)

Chris Hero vs. Tomohiro Ishii (11/10/2016, RevPro): Chris Hero does not look good here in terms of "cosmetics," but he can still deliver the goods in terms of stiff strikes and slaps. I really liked Hero's attitude during the match as he came across as an arrogant bully even against someone with an incredible reputation for being super tough. I thought the second half of this match was much better than the first half, which saw Ishii getting dominated until he was able to fight back and land an impressive vertical suplex. The crowd was also super into this, which always helped. This has a 9.0 on Cagematch, which is a bit high to me, but hey, different strokes. (3.5/5)

Kenny Omega vs. Brian Cage (11/15/2025, AEW): I haven't watched/reviewed nearly as many Kenny Omega matches as I'd like so I figured I might as well review this one from Dynamite. This was Kenny's return to the ring in AEW after over 18 months of being on the injured list. I like Cage's look much more without the mohawk and with the more straight-up black tights. I read someone say that Kenny looked a little rusty here, which just goes to show how smooth Omega is in the ring because him on a "sub-average day" is still better than 90% of workers on the planet. This match was not designed to be a show-stealer, but it was solid enough and I really liked the simple story of Kenny using his speed and agility and high-flying to overtake the more powerful Cage. (3/5)

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb (06/09/2024, NJPW): I dug this one more than the Hero/Ishii match, though the story was arguably not as nuanced and more of just a back-and-forth war the younger Cobb, defending his NJPW TV Championship, and the veteran Stone Pitbull. Some people really dislike the "no selling" that Ishii does, but I don't find it to be too egregious. Everything feels high impact, but Ishii is so established as a badass that you don't really notice him shrugging off strikes or even suplexes. Dude's neck is like a coffee can. I also really liked Cobb here too. This was the kind of match that didn't necessarily hook me at its start, but that absolutely had my full attention by the end, especially with the added bonus of it being a 15-minute time limit and the added suspense that came around minute 12 or 13. Really, really good. (4/5)

Nigel McGuiness vs. Bryan Danielson (04/29/2006, ROH): This was a unification match with Danielson's Ring of Honor World Championship on the line as well as McGuiness's Ring of Honor Pure Championship. Electric atmosphere for this with lots of "big fight feel" as these two were the best of the best in the company at the time. Nigel was the babyface in front of the Liverpool crowd and they work the match to play to the crowd's bias in a terrific way. Danielson drew blood first, slapping Nigel in the face and applying a wristlock. Nigel countered with a big slap of his own a minute later. Really tight work between these two with some hold-trading to start before Danielson wears down Nigel's arm. I really liked Nigel's super realistic selling and how vicious Danielson was in his targeting of that damaged limb. Nigel comes back and hits a bunch of his signature moves before applying a choke. Danielson with a brilliant bit of heeling as teases a surfboard before mocking the crowd and just double stomping the back of Nigel's thighs. This is followed by a big superplex spot, a diving headbutt, and then a Cattle Mutilation (which the crowd reacts to by chanting "Please Don't Tap"). Because this is fought under Pure Wrestling rules, they keep a count of rope breaks and a wrestler only gets three (escaping the Mutilation cost Nigel his second). Nigel manages to hit a hangman neckbreaker and then apply a Mutilation of his own, which Danielson gets out of his with his own 2nd rope break. To the outside they go, where Danielson throws Nigel onto a table and then stomps on him on the floor before using the table edge to try to choke him out. Back in the ring, they trade forearms before McGuiness hits one of his trademark lariats. Danielson comes back with a spinning forearm and then applies a chickenwing ala Bob Backlund. McGuinness uses his 3rd rope break and Danielson taunts the crowd before hitting a German suplex. Danielson goes for another splash but Nigel gets his boot up. Not the most original transition there. Back on their feet, Nigel and Danielson slap the daylights out of each other with Danielson winning the contest. Nigel hoists him onto the top rope, though, and lands an awesome flying clothesline to knock him down! Nigel gets the cover, but Danielson uses his 3rd rope break at 2. Great nearfall there. Dueling chants as Nigel goes to the top rope. Danielson meets him up there but gets headbutted back to the mat. Danielson with a dropkick to Nigel and then applies a crossface on the top rope! Nigel gets his arm free and hits another hangman neckbreaker (Tower of London) for 2! We then get one of the ugliest spots in Ring of Honor history as they go to the outside and the men end up locking hands around a ring post. Nigel pulls Danielson a couple times before the Dragon reverses it and Nigel headbutts the post until he's opened up hardway. A basement dropkick from Danielson in the rings sends Nigel into the barricade and then Danielson launches himself with a springboard cannonball plancha into the crowd! Wow. Nigel is a bloody mess in the stands but he manages to make it back into the ring (though there's a brilliant bit where Danielson kicks him away as Nigel tries to prevent him from getting in the ring). The next several minutes are absolutely incredible too as Danielson is unable to put Nigel away with the Cattle Mutilation but eventually gets the W via a ref's decision when he repeatedly elbows Nigel in the face. This match is sometimes criticized for its dangerous use of headbutts - especially the ring post bit - but watching it, as physically violent as this is, I do think its fairly noticeable just how much this is pro-wrestling stiffness and not "shoot" stiffness. This is two pros "working" at a very high level and it is easily one of the best matches I've ever seen. This is thing is perfect. (5/5)

Chabela Romero & Mami Kumano vs. Jackie Sato & Maki Ueda (Spring/Summer 1978, AJW): I was hesitant to even "review" this match because the quality of the recording is so poor and begins "in progress" with the heels beating down on Maki Ueda. Maki and Jackie, known as The Beauty Pair, are a legendary tag team in Japan and were featured prominently in the Netflix show Queen of Villains. Anyway, as this went on, I felt like the action was so intense and incredible and featured so many awesome moments that I knew I needed to do at least a little bit of a write-up. Within the span of 13 minutes, these two teams have a match that wouldn't have been out of place in Midsouth or Memphis or Atlanta with a face-in-peril section followed by a hot tag followed by some of the best around-the-ring brawling you'll ever find. Amazing airplane spin spot during the 2nd fall. Insane hangman spot that is equally as nasty as the ones we see today in AEW. At 13 minutes, I could see the argument that this is too short, but they pack in so much action that it feels like an absolute war and that it doesn't really matter who "wins" because the vitriol and hatred is so real. Really great stuff that, if the video quality was better, I'd be more willing to recommend and consider "must see." (3.5/5)

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (02/05/2023): My Ishii watch continued with this match against the super technical Zack Sabre Jr., a guy who I haven't watched a ton of but have really enjoyed what I have seen from. Sabre was the NJPW Television Championship coming into this bout. Fun waistlock-trading to start before Ishii grabbed hold of ZSJ's ankle. Then it was wristlocks and counters with neither man able to maintain control for long. Ishii ducked and dodged some strike attempts before we got both guys landing kicks to the back and ZSJ managing to take some bit of control with a "headscissor twist" or whatever one calls it. ZSJ with European uppercuts in the corner and then a more traditional headscissors on the mat with an extra wristlock applied. Ishii got to the ropes and ZSJ took a poorly thought-out breather that allowed Ishii to regain his composure and counter a guillotine into an overhead suplex. Ishii dished out some stiff chops, including one that knocked Sabre to the mat. After a good sequence of counters and reversals, Ishii hit another suplex before Sabre went to work on his forearm, stomping it at an awkward angle. Brilliant armbar by Sabre moments later, but Ishii escaped by stomping on Sabre's head. Ishii went after Sabre's arm before we got an exchange of forearms and uppercuts and headbutts. Ishii hit a vertical suplex but Sabre sprung right back up. Sabre tried to rally but Ishii caught him with a lariat. Powerbomb by Ishii, but Sabre catches his arm in an armbar and is really wrenching it! Ishii manages to get his foot on the rope and both guys are selling exhaustion. Sabre with an armbreaker but Ishii applies a sleeper and then a tarantula which leads to a ridiculous Code Red. Ishii goes for another lariat but Sabre somehow turns it into a pin attempt and then both guys land German suplexes back to back! Lariat by Ishii and then a second one! Sabre kicks out at 2. Ishii tries for another suplex but Sabre counters it and we get another great nearfall from a creative pin. Ishii with some strikes and a headbutt, but Sabre manages to land a full nelson suplex for 2! Punt kick to the chest by Sabre! Enziguiri by Ishii! Ishii goes for the low clothesline but Sabre counters it into another nearfall. Heabdutt by Ishii, then the low lariat, but Sabre counters his brainbuster attempt into a cradle driver! Wow. This sort of match won't be everyone's cup of tea because it is crammed to the gills with counters and shifts in momentum and big spots and no-selling...but that pacing means there's never a dull minute from beginning to end and you do get a real sense of urgency as they near the 15-minute time limit. (4/5)

Stan Hansen vs. The Dynamite Kid (03/23/1991, AJPW): This goes less than 10 minutes and Dynamite is not as explosive or quick as he once was. Still, his "little things" are there and even if the match doesn't have any real "wow" moments, the crowd is very into it and Hansen is terrific as the bully. Dynamite hits the flying headbutt and is even able to get Hansen up for a suplex, which is impressive considering the size difference. The finish is ugly as sin as Hansen goes for the lariat but ends up basically tackling Dynamite full-force and landing on top of him for the win. Nothing super special here, but an interesting watch for what it is. (2.5/5)

Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (06/27/1995, AJW): This was for Toyota's AJW World Championship and earned 5-stars in the Observer. This was really, really good, but I didn't think it was flawless. Some of the kickouts were a bit lazy with Kong doing the "indie-rific" thing where she shoves her opponent away at 2 instead of maintaining the count. There was also the usual "no selling" and go-go-go style that seems like something of a joshi trademark based on my viewing. That being said, boy is Toyota is impressive here. Watching some of her acrobatics is like watching early Rey Mysterio or current day Fenix 20+ years earlier. Her agility is absolutely incredible to witness and fits very well in this David vs. Goliath contest. Aja Kong is vicious here but more methodical. There's no blood. There's less piledrivers. There is one absolutely insane chairshot in the crowd, but they don't spend as much time there as one might think. I liked the finish too because it made sense that Toyota would eventually just crumble after taking so much punishment, though it did feel a little bit lackluster compared to the "big endings" that I'm used to in American pro-wrestling. Maybe a hair short of "must see," but I definitely want to see more Toyota after watching this match. (3.5/5)

Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler (03/23/1981, CWA): Considered to be one of the all-time greatest matches out of Memphis, this was a No Disqualification brawl in front of a wildly hot crowd featuring two of the best fist-throwers ever. That being said, if you're looking for great technical wrestling or any psychology beyond two guys slugging it out and trying to make each other bleed, look elsewhere. Considered by Jim Cornette to be the first "5-star match," I think context plays a huge factor in the enjoyment one might have watching this. You have to turn back the clock a little bit, listen to the crowd (who go absolutely bonkers from beginning to end but especially once Lawler starts getting some offense in), ignore the poor production quality, ignore everything we now know about Lawler's proclivity for underage girls, and watch this match in a "bubble" where we haven't seen bloody brawls done to death in every major promotion. But having to do that for this match - and not necessarily having to do it for other Terry Funk matches - tells me that as fun and wild and good as this is, it is still a bit of a "thin" viewing experience and not the all-time classic that it is touted as. (3.5/5)

Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima (08/25/2007, ROH): Just when I think I've seen enough Bryan Danielson and don't really need to see anymore, I get proven wrong again by one of his Ring of Honor matches. This is a really smartly-worked match with an absolutely heartbreaking finish as Danielson manages to survive so much of Morishima's offense, puts on an awesome babyface performance, but still comes up short. While there is a bit of a lull towards the 2/3rds mark as both Danielson and Morishima have to sell the damage, that's a small criticism of an otherwise action-packed, stiff, hellacious battle. I loved Danielson's splash into the crowd. I loved Morishima using his size advantage to crush Danielson against the guardrail. Loved Morishima's expertly-timed cut-off clotheslines. Absolutely great match. (4/5)

Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (11/20/1994, AJW): This wasn't the first, or even the second, meeting between these two (according to Cagematch), but it is one of the most well-known of their battles. I watched their 1995 match before this, which I'll admit probably hurt my appreciation of this because some of the big spots from that match that blew me away were actually "callbacks." There are some spots in this match that are even crazier though, including Aja Kong hitting a running Dominator on Toyota on the ramp that looks like it should've scraped the skin off her face. Seeing this match also explained a bit why Kong was maybe a little less cocky than usual in the 95' bout as Toyota brings the fight to her and performs some incredible maneuevers, including a wild reverse hurricanrana bomb (I'm not sure what else I'd call it) from the top rope. Loved all her spring boards maneuvers. The finishing sequence wasn't an incredibly sequence of counters and reversals and nearfalls (or some sort of screwy thing) like we're used to here in the US, but it was still super effective and credible as Kong landed hard on Toyota and then delivered a brainbuster driver to retain the title. A stupendous, incredible match filled with insane moments and visuals and without any of the shifts and stops that the 95' match has. (5/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (06/03/1994, AJPW): Considered by many pro-wrestling scholars to be the greatest match ever wrestled, I finally got around to watching this one and, though I don't think it would rank as my personal favorite match, it is an excellent match with some thrilling moments and incredible work. The atmosphere is uncanny. I honestly can't recall a crowd that sounds exactly like this one. Pretty much every suplex or powerbomb executed is brutal and the same goes for Kawada's kicks and Misawa's big elbows. Misawa's busted eardrum is plain ugly. I do think the spacing between the big throws gets to be a bit much, but will readily admit that decades of watching faster-paced matches is likely to blame for my impatience with the extended selling. Also, not knowing the full backstory between Misawa and Kawada does mean that I likely "missed" a ton of subtleties that longtime All Japan viewers would've appreciated (including Dave Meltzer). (4.5/5)