15 More Random Matches

Volk Han vs. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (05/29/1998, RINGS): The past few Volk Han matches I watched were pretty eye-opening and entertaining. This one didn't grab me as much, but it was certainly physical. Some people absolutely love this type of action and watch a match like this and think it is excellent, top notch wrestling...me? Just not as enthralled by it, though I can appreciate the grappling and submissions on display and just how "real" a match like this comes off. Unfortunately, the abrupt, out-of-nowhere ending came too out of nowhere for me too. Nothing I'd consider "must see," but, again, I might be out of my element reviewing a match like this that doesn't feature as many of the cool takedowns and big strikes as some of the other RINGS stuff I've seen. (2/5)

Tiger Mask II (Misawa) vs. Ricky Steamboat (03/08/1989, AJPW): This one starts off fairly exciting just because of the crowd's interest and the energy level of the competitors. Then we get a long headlock sequence - not a bad one, but just a bit much - and things don't really pick-up until Steamboat mounts a comeback and we get a low dropkick from Tiger Mask that sends Steamboat into the guardrail and then Misawa hits a big splash and we get some near falls during the closing few minutes. The crowd is also thoroughly behind Tiger Mask, which prevents Steamboat's comeback and offense and selling from lacking the emotional impact that he was such an expert at utilizing to tell a story in the ring. There are also some spin kicks that don't look too good and there's just the same physicality/violence as Misawa would bust out against other Japanese talent. All in all, this was fine, but not nearly as great as one would hope for considering the talent involved. (2.5/5)

Giant Baba and Tiger Mask II (Misawa) vs. Genichiro Tenryu and Ashura Hara (07/30/1987, AJPW): Didn't love this, though its noticeable how much more physical Misawa is working against Tenryu and Hara than he was in the Steamboat match from a few years later. After close to 20 minutes of action, it ends with a run-in which makes all the hard work before it feel a little meaningless. Unremarkable match to these eyes. (2/5)

Tiger Jeet Singh and Abdullah the Butcher vs. Genichiro Tenryu and Stan Hansen (11/25/1989, AJPW): I'd never even heard of Singh before this match, but based on who else is involved, I figured he was a brawler that wasn't afraid of getting bloodied. Singh controls early, applying a nerve pinch to Tenryu on the mat before tagging in the Butcher. They brawl in the crowd, which leads to some chair usage and chaos before everyone gets back in the ring. The heels regain control and a bloodied Tenryu takes some puishment before Hansen comes in to a big pop. Hansen opens him up, seemingly from some boots to the face. Tenryu comes back in and delivers some super stiff chops and a back suplex to Abdullah. Impressive. Abdullah mounts a comeback and tags in Singh. The match soon dissolves into a melee as Hansen and Abdullah brawl on the outside and in the ring. As they brawl, Tenryu manages to get a bit of an out-of-nowhere pin after delivering a not-so-clean clothesline. After the match, Singh and the Butcher brawl around the ring, taking out some of the red jacket dudes that are always around the ring. It's a cool pull-apart as both guys look like legit lunatics. (2/5)

Devil Masami vs. Sherri Martel (??/??/1982, AJW): Right from the jump, they are going balls-to-the-wall. We don't get a ton of great "moves," but the energy and intensity is there and they are cutting a feverish pace with lots of back and forth strikes and throws and eye gouges and whatnot. They slow things down a bit with a test of strength that brings Sherri to her knees. Masami follows it up with some stomps, but Sherri fights back with some forearms and a dropkick off the ropes and then a bodyslam. Martel gets help on the outside from a blonde woman I don't recognize and then Martel sends her into a bunch of chairs on the floor! That was sweet! Masami basically no-sells it, though, and marches around the ring. She pulls Martel out to the floor by her hair and then sends her crashing over the announce table! She brawls with the blonde woman (who I think is Judy Martin?) before getting back into the ring. Once both women are back in the ring, Martel regains control, landing a pair of big clotheslines off the ropes, but Masami applies a head scissors. Martel escapes and applies a choke and then stands on Masami's hair. The blonde woman interferes, but this somehow leads to Masami applying a submission. Some of the transitions in this match make absolutely no sense, but they make up for it with the stiffness and intensity of the fight. Back to the floor they go and Masami waffles both women with chair shots that don't necessarily hit their mark but still look like they'd hurt. Back in the ring, Masami hits a trio of suplexes and a simple splash to get the win. Fun, short, action-packed, but obviously not an all-time classic or anything resembling it. (2.5/5)

Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik (12/02/1977, AJPW): This match started out pretty hot, but then sorta drag on. Abdullah was in the ring for the vast majority of the contest on the heel side. The brawling around the ring was the wildest part of the match and I was surprised that nobody got any "color" or busted out a fork or anything. What most people - at least on Cagematch - love about this match is actually the post-match angle, which sees Terry Funk show up after the heels have cheated to win the match and get bloodied and then hung with a rope. To me, its hard to consider a match "must see" when the best part of the package is a guy who is not even involved for the first 15 minutes. (2/5)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki (07/18/2005, NOAH): I totally get why some people, especially in 2005, would consider this to be among the best matches of all time. This is a battle of two powerful heavyweights who do powerful heavyweight things throughout the match, including some insane suplexes and throws and chops...oh, the chops. There is a chopping sequence in this match that is arguably gratuitous and stupid, but gets such a huge reaction that its hard to critique too heavily without sounding like a killjoy. An all-time classic doesn't necessarily need the viewer to fully understand the backstory or the history of the participants and this falls under that category because the story tells itself thanks to the way Kobashi and Sasaki carry themselves, how the audience reacts, the facial expressions, the way the fight unfolds with so much mirror work. Kobashi might be one of the best at selling the story of a match with his facial expressions and he is phenomenal here. Sasaki's Frankensteiner is awesome. The sleeper suplex is brutal. When Kobashi starts delivering back elbows, it is amazing that Sasaki doesn't just crumble to the mat because they look like they could take somebody's head off. This is an incredible, "must see" match that lives up to the hype in terms of ring work, but also feels special because of the tremendous atmosphere of the show and the crowd's enthusiasm for the action.  (4.5/5)

Giant Baba vs. Stan Hansen (02/04/1982, AJPW): Not the most thrilling match and it ends with non-finish DQ fuckery, but the intensity was there. Hansen and Baba do more grappling and wrestling than I necessarily expected to see and it is all executed with vicious purpose. At under 15 minutes, this match doesn't overstay its welcome necessarily, but it also ends before it has really risen to the level of being anything close to an "all-time" match. Not bad, just sorta unremarkable and forgettable considering the talents involved. (2.5/5)

Terry Funk and Dory Funk vs. Abdullah The Butcher and The Sheik (12/13/1979, AJPW): There are people that love this match, but don't count me among them. Sure, it is a bloody, gory brawl and Terry Funk is his usual awesome self, but its not a "thrill ride" with unique twists and turns that carry the match forward. There's forks and there's biting and stabbing and, again, Terry Funk sells everything wonderfully and with tremendous emotion, but there's not an "escalation" of violence as much as just violence from beginning to end to the point that some of it almost feels repetitive after awhile. The Sheik eventually throws a fireball when Abdullah accidentally costs him the match. The crowd is very hot for this and are chanting for Terry throughout, which is cool to see and hear. I wouldn't consider this "must see" unless you are a huge fan of the Funks or of Japanese wrestling. (3/5)

Jack Evans vs. Roderick Strong (01/05/2008, PWG): Back to PWG All Star Weekend 6 for this match, the first in what a 3 Match series to crown a number one contender for the the PWG Championship (was it recognized as a World Title?) between these two. This one starts off a little silly with Strong mocking Evans, who, based on what I've seen, had a bit of a "White Homeboy" gimmick going on. As one might expect, Strong busts out all sorts of ridiculous backbreakers, but he also executes some incredible submissions on Evans, who is pretzeled into some very painful positions at times. This was alright, but nothing I'd go out of my way to see and I wasn't a fan of the finish, which seemed maybe a touch "unearned" after the punishment that Evans took and how dominant Strong looked at times. (3/5)

The Young Bucks vs. Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi (01/05/2008, PWG): This is the kind of match that you could show someone and they'd probably "get" why the Young Bucks are one of the most important tag teams/"things" of the past 20 years of pro-wrestling, especially in the US. They don't necessarily start the match super hot and, it is clear here that the Bucks were not yet the stars they would become, but this match does eventually "get there" in terms of cutting-edge tag team action. Solid match if maybe a bit long-winded. (3/5)

Rimi Yokota vs. Jackie Sato (12/16/1980, AJW): A very, very intense battle between a young "Jaguar" Yokota and Jackie Sato. This match is an absolute war but it isn't filled with the kind of big bomb-throwing and super dangerous spots and piledrivers that seem like hallmarks of joshi wrestling in the 90s. I wouldn't consider this a great "starting point" for getting into Japanese women's wrestling, but that doesn't mean its not good or enjoyable to watch even if you have limited knowledge of the context (as I did). (3/5)

Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody vs. Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu (12/12/1983, AJPW): I had heard great things about this match and there were things I did really enjoy/love - Brody "gives" much more here than usual, great babyface performers out of Tsuruta and Tenryu, a red-hot crowd - but I guess was expecting something really special and unique and ended up being a bit underwhelmed that the match didn't have that one crazy spot or sequence until the very end, when Hansen delivers an absolutely devastating lariat to win the match. Aside from Brody, who I've come to regard as a great character and having amazing presence but not necessarily a guy with a huge resume of truly great matches, this is nobody's best match and probably wouldn't even rank in their top 10. (3/5)

Stan Hansen vs. Toshiaki Kawada (02/28/1993, AJPW): This match starts off with some incredible vicious offense out of both men, dies down a bit during the "middle third" as Kawada wears down The Lariat, but then picks up for an absolutely thrilling final 5 minutes or so. Highlights include Hansen's powerbomb, Kawada hitting a suplex on the floor, Kawada absolutely paintbrushing Hansen with stiff slaps to the face that basically beg for Hansen to respond in kind, and Hansen hitting a Lariat but spilling to the floor before he can capitalize on it, one of the best spots I've ever seen. An imperfect match because of the dullness in the middle, but some of this is so good, it is still worth a watch, especially if you're into either guy. There are corners of the internet, including over at Cagematch and my beloved ProWrestlingOnly, where this is considered one of the best matches ever, but I just wasn't into it 1000% from beginning to end the way others seemingly were. (3.5/5)

Akira Maeda vs. Andre Kopylov (08/21/1992, RINGS): File this under "Highly Rated Matches I Don't Get" in terms of highly-praised it is. I've enjoyed some of the RINGS matches I've seen, but this one was not for me. It went pretty long and was mostly ground-based with a heavy emphasis on submissions. The crowd was super into it and it did have a realistic feel, but it didn't really grab me until both guys started actually throwing some strikes. I think a better understanding of RINGS and Maeda's character - he was the babyface, but because RINGS is a shoot-style promotion, the "character work" is much more subtle - would help someone like me who comes into this match completely cold. (2.5/5)

TNA Sacrifice 2010

TNA Sacrifice 2010

Orlando, FL - May 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Rob Van Dam was the TNA World Heavyweight Champion (having defeated AJ Styles for the title on an episode of Impact if I'm not mistaken), the TNA World Tag Team Champions were The Band (Hall and Nash, but also Waltman and Eric Young because reasons), the X-Division Champion was Kazarian (despite the fact that the previous champion, Doug Williams, had never lost the title), the Knockouts Champion was Madison Rayne, and the Beautiful People were the Knockout Tag Team Champions. 

Sacrifice 2010 begins with a triple threat tag team match to crown new number one contenders' for the TNA Tag Team Championships between The Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money Inc., and Team 3D. This match was all about showcasing the Guns and they look terrific here, their tandem offense getting big reactions and executed beautifully throughout. The bulk of the match is fought between Beer Money and the Guns, though Team 3D do enough in the match to warrant their inclusion (even if they're definitely a step behind the other teams in terms of what they can physically do at this point). At under 15 minutes, this match never gets dull, never really slowing down from beginning to end. Good opener with the right team winning. (3/5)

I'm not sure why the Abyss/Desmond Wolfe backstage segment was pulled off of YouTube, but I'm guessing it was because doing a storyline involving sex trafficking was not something TNA was super proud of years later. Anyway, no big loss...

And so, instead of showing that segment, the show jumps to Rob Terry defending the TNA Global Championship against Orlando Jordan. This is a bizarre match as Terry absolutely dominates and it looks like he is going to wrap this one up in under 5 minutes, but OJ gets some offense in and makes it a contest...that nobody wanted to see or cared about. Terry was not a worker capable of doing a full 10-minute match and because this one, which is about 8, showed his limitations. OJ is actually a bit of a better worker than I remember him being, with some good heel tendencies and vicious strikes, but he's not a miracle worker and far from the kind of guy who could carry another bad-to-decent wrestler. (1.5/5)

Doug Williams challenged the recognized TNA X-Division Championship against Frankie "Kaz" Kazarian in the next match. Williams, who was stripped of the title due to be unable to compete because of green card issues (?), was trying to win back the belt he'd never really lost. Kazarian was a perpetual TNA "project," a guy they clearly hoped they could somehow morph into a star at the same level as, say, AJ Styles or Samoa Joe...but it never really came together. He's very good in this match, as is Williams, but there is just something about this that doesn't quite reach the level of being an all-time classic (even with ample time and a great mix of action). Kaz takes a nasty bump on what was supposed to be a Buckle Bomb, the kind of "botch" that could've done serious, serious damage to his spine. Its an awkward moment - the crowd audibly gasps - and you can almost see the hesitation about where to go next as the match still had 3-4 minutes in it (despite the Buckle Bomb bump being so noticeably violent that it could've likely worked as a match-ender). The clean finish was a bit of a surprise too as I expected Williams to have to use some sort of treachery to get the win. (3/5)

Backstage, there's a segment with Team 3D talking to Ink Inc., the team of Shannon Moore and their protege Jesse Neal. Gee, I wonder if Team 3D is going to take out their frustrations later in the show on the guys they mentored who are challenging for the TNA World Tag Team Titles...

Madison Rayne defends the TNA Knockouts Championship against Tara in a Title-vs.-Career match next. Tara having her "retirement" match go under 7 minutes tells you a lot about how much trust the new regime in TNA had in the Knockouts Division. Tara is clearly the better worker of the two as Madison Rayne doesn't move very smoothly and none of her offense looks convincing enough. The booking is bizarre too as Rayne gets a clean victory to retire Tara. I can understand Tara wanting to put over Rayne, but as a member of the Beautiful People, she wasn't really a credible worker and the roster had other talents that could've used the rub. Spoiler alert: Tara did not actually retire either and still was competing regularly up through the 2020s. Pretty weak match. (1.5/5)

Backstage, we get a segment with Eric Young talking about why he joined "The Band," aka Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (and Sean Waltman, who had been written off TV in April for reasons I couldn't quite find online but am guessing either had to do with him having Hepatitis C or being a drug addict). You might recall that not too long before this, Nash actually turned on Young to join his old friends. This does not make Young look cool or tough, which I guess is the point of him being a heel, but I'm not a fan of it.

Ink Inc. (which, by the way, is the second tag team on this show with "Inc." in their name because TNA had absolutely zero quality control) challenged The Band for the TNA World Tag Team Championships next. I was really surprised that Hall and Nash worked this match because I figured bringing in Eric Young to replace Waltman would mean he would be the one getting in the ring more often than not (they even alluded to The Band following the "Freebird Rule" in their pre-match promo). I was less surprised that this match was unremarkable, dull, and relied too heavily on shtick and overbooking as both Eric Young and then Bubba Ray Dudley got involved. Over on Cagematch, the reviewers give it a pass by saying it isn't as bad as it could've been, which is true, but its not like its even in the ballpark of good or entertaining either. (1/5)

Desmond Wolfe vs. Abyss followed. As I noted earlier, the storyline coming into this match was that Wolfe had convinced his valet, Chelsea, to fake that she had been physically (sexually?) assaulted by Abyss and Abyss had been arrested. Didn't they try to run this storyline with Goldberg in 99'? Anywho...at least half the crowd is chanting for Desmond Wolfe, which tells you how over "Hulkamaniac" Abyss was as a gimmick. The match goes 9 minutes but feels longer because it is so pedestrian. I'm a Desmond Wolfe/Nigel McGuinness fan, but seeing him working over Abyss with a key lock is not riveting stuff. Up for grabs in this stinker are Abyss' Hall of Fame ring (which the Hulkster had given to him for some reason because I think Bischoff and Hogan thought having Abyss as their new 'Evad Sullivan' was a good idea) and the "services" of Chelsea for 30 days if Abyss were to win. Abyss wins after "Hulking Up," which is about as lame as you'd expect, and screams in the face of a terrified Chelsea to further this terrible storyline. (1.5/5)

Ken Anderson took on Jeff Hardy in the next bout. Another good promo from Anderson before the match, referring to Hardy's fans as the "Creatures of the Night," which I wasn't previously aware was what Hardy called his fans (and associate that phrase much more with the Undertaker). Anyway...good, not great match. Hardy looked kinda slow here, not necessarily drugged-out or drunk or anything, just not as spirited and energetic as he was in his better matches. Anderson was good, but often lacked that "next level" in his matches when there wasn't blood or some storytelling element that he could rely on to make a match memorable (not dissimilar to Edge). The same can also be said of Jeff Hardy who always seemed to shine more in stipulation matches or when he had the opportunity to dive off of something super high. Not a bad match at all, just not anything I'd seek out. (2.5/5)

The next "match" is more of an angle than actual match as Sting absolutely destroys Jeff Jarrett all over the arena. Jarrett is sporting a crimson mask before the cameras even cut to Sting to beating his ass backstage. I really liked the way Sting went after Jarrett's arm and shoulder and Jarrett's selling of the damage. This went on a bit long and I kinda felt like someone - anyone - should've come out to try to stop the Stinger as it went on (Hogan eventually showed up). Also, as was an issue throughout this show, including in the previous match, the crowd seemed split on what they were watching as a vocal portion cheered on Sting. I think its fair to say that the loyal TNA fans had trouble "playing along" with some of the storylines being presented because, ultimately, guys like Hogan and Bischoff were viewed as outsiders who were changing what the TNA hardcore fans loved most of the company. And so guys like Abyss, positioned as their ally, got booed against beloved "indie" guys like Desmond Wolfe (it also didn't help that Abyss, unless he was wrestling a match involving barbwire and tacks, wasn't all that great). Its hard to rate this as a "match" because the wrestling portion - Sting hitting his trademark reverse DDT for the win - only last 12 seconds. As a segment, though, it was entertaining enough to warrant a point. (+1)

Main event time - AJ Styles challenging Rob Van Dam for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Van Dam had come in from the WWE and immediately declared himself "Mr.TNA," which was surprisingly not shit-on by the TNA fans. Like Jeff Hardy, Van Dam is so beloved that he can get away with patently absurd stuff like that. This was a disappointment to me, a match that felt really disjointed and separated by too much flat work despite some good spots - Styles hitting an awesome dropkick to Van Dam's face, Styles ridiculous front-flip dive to the floor, Rob Van Dam signature stuff, Ric Flair's incoherent-but-amusing commentary. The match had a "big fight feel" in its initial minutes and the crowd was with them for most of its 20+ minute runtime, but this was not the "Dream Match" I was hoping for. Like Hardy, Van Dam looked a little slow here, which makes sense considering the wear-and-tear to his body. This forced AJ to slow down his own game, which made the overall presentation feel boring. I also really disliked the bizarre decision to shoehorn a Jay Lethal/Ric Flair spot at the end of the match. Lethal's involvement hurt the "star quality" aspect of the match as he, even at his TNA peak, was several positions lower on the ladder than anyone else involved. Plus, it took attention away from a match that, in its final minutes, should've really had all the focus and heat. Underwhelming bout. (2/5)

With a Kwang Rating of 2.13-out-of-5, TNA Sacrifice 2010 is mostly sub-average with the major matches on the card (Anderson/Hardy, Van Dam/Styles, and Wolfe/Abyss) all being decent-at-best. The opener and the X-Division Championship matches are good, but certainly not "must see" and the Jarrett/Sting angle, even if well-executed, could still be categorized as a "bait-and-switch" moment for TNA on a card that wasn't good enough for that to go unnoticeable.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

AEW Revolution 2020

AEW Revolution 2020

Chicago, IL - February 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Chris Jericho was the AEW World Heavyweight Champion, Nyla Rose was the AEW Women's Champion, and the AEW World Tag Team Champions were Adam Page and Kenny Omega.

After a video package highlighting some of tonight's major matches and a rendition of the National Anthem, its time for our opening contest - Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes. This was long and not great. I can also see why some people would think Dave Meltzer was too big of a fan of AEW to criticize it fairly as this match got 3 stars despite being 14 minutes that felt like 25. None of the work is particularly bad, but none of it is really captivating and there was not an interesting throughline (or one interesting enough) to keep me captivated. Both guys had some signature moves that looked good, but also ones that looked awkward. Hager's Ankle Lock has always been an awkward fit, originally a nod to Kurt Angle at Vince's behest (if I'm not mistaken) that played here - and throughout most of his career - as a symbol of how far he didn't end up going as a major star despite a credible wrestling background, good size, and at least a little bit of charisma and character. Dustin may have been in the best shape of his career, as the commentators noted, but the "spot" where he forced a kiss onto Hager's wife was cringe-inducing and unnecessary and only good for a cheap pop. This match simply wasn't fun in any way, nor was it really physical or clever enough to warrant its runtime. A bad opener to the show. (1.5/5)

Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin was next. This was just a straight-up spotfest with both guys busting out everything they could within a relatively short time-frame to get noticed...and it works! Darby dives before the bell, Guevara hits an insane 630 through a table, Darby bumps and sells like a madman, Guevara is an arrogant prick, and then we get an awesome Coffin Flop for the finish. I wouldn't call this "must see" or anything, but I like that they kept things moving and didn't even overdo it with nearfalls and false finishes, choosing instead to just go-go-go and jam-pack their match with crazy high-flying and high-impact moves. A very fun match. (3/5)

Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page teamed up against The Young Bucks in the next match-up, defending their AEW World Tag Team Championships. This was excellent, loaded with great spots, and I loved the story and tension that built up from beginning to end. Is this the greatest tag team match of all time, though? There are some that would call it that, but I'm not quite convinced. It is a wonderful 30 minutes of wrestling action with some outstanding performances, especially from Hangman and Matt Jackson, but it does eventually veer into "overkill" mode with the false finishes. While many of the big nearfalls came with someone breaking up a count, when they actually had guys kicking out of each other's finishers or surviving moves that should and would typically take someone out of action for weeks to recover (the Indietaker Tombstone on the entrance ramp, for example), it was a bit too much for me. I would still consider this a "must see" match because there may be no better showcase of what these four are able to do together and what their "version" of pro-wrestling is. (4/5)

Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander had the unenviable task of following this and despite their best efforts and enough time to try to warm up the crowd, they were unable to do so. I liked Statlander's handstand counter to Nyla's attempt to splash her on the ropes, but aside from that, this didn't keep my interest for long and certainly not for its 13-minute runtime, which felt like it was closer to 20. (1.5/5)

Cody Rhodes vs. MJF was next. This had a huge storyline build as MJF had turned on heel on Cody at the previous PPV, throwing in the towel in his match against Jericho and then kicking him in the balls. Cody got a tremendous entrance with a band playing his theme song and a full crew of supporters - including Arn Anderson, his wife Brandi, his brother Dustin, QT Marshall, and some other folks walking him to the aisle. They threw the kitchen sink into this match but didn't try to out-do the Elite or Allin/Guevara with a bunch of high spots, really focusing on "big moments" instead like MJF going after Cody's damaged toe and ripping off his boot, Brandi attempting a crossbody onto Wardlow that inadvertently led to Cody kicking Double A in the face, MJF getting a nasty cut on his forehead, both guys hitting their signature moves, and then a shocking finish when MJF busted out his Dynamite Diamond Ring to steal the W. Many fans were underwhelmed by this match, though I'm not sure what they were expecting. Neither Cody or MJF are known for their spectacular offense. The crowd was hot for every twist and turn even if some of the Cagematch critics really disliked things. Above-average and, considering its 25-minute runtime, it never dragged. Maybe a hair short of "must see," but if you're at all a fan of Cody's current run in WWE, this won't disappoint. Years later, the most surprising thing about this match is that they didn't have a sequel as this one really seemed like the next chapter of a longer book that would've ended with a stipulation match where Cody wouldn't have to "play by the rules" to get revenge. (3.5/5)

Orange Cassidy vs. PAC followed. This was a ton of a fun. If you're not into OC, avoid this match like the plague because it will irritate you multiple times. That being said, if you're curious as to how Cassidy became so beloved among the AEW fanbase, this match is a great place to start. The crowd is electric and fully behind Cassidy, popping huge for everything he does. PAC is excellent as "The Bastard" heel. Things get a touch too "indieriffic" for me towards the end with the referee being used as a "springboard" at one point, but that's one of very few criticisms about this match (I also must admit to not loving PAC's submission finish and would've liked to have seen him when with a more devastating move). Considering this a "comedy match" is underselling the athleticism on display or the intensity. There is such a stark juxtaposition in the wrestling styles of this match and the one that came before it that I can definitely understand why some people view this show as, in some ways, the start of the Codyverse existing separately from everything else on the card. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. The storyline coming into this was that Jericho wanted Mox to join his Inner Circle stable, even offering him a fancy, super-expensive car, but Moxley turned him down because he wanted the title and, I'm not sure when, ended up getting blinded in his left eye (and started wearing an eye-patch). They started the match with some brawling in the crowd before Jericho took over, attacking Mox and bloodying him - which felt "fresher" in 2020 because of how PG the WWE had become and also because, compared to today, when multiple matches on an AEW card are bound to have "color," this show was not loaded with hardcore matches. That being said, I didn't love this. Jericho was moving a little bit better than he does now, 5 years later, but its not like he was in "peak" shape here. Moxley is fine, but some of his kickouts are lazy and I wasn't a fan of building so much of the second half around the Walls of Jericho when nothing else seemed to be based on targeting the lower back. What carries this match is the crowd's investment because they are fully behind Mox. I didn't like the finish either, which was sold on commentary as Mox "playing possum" and only pretending to have a serious eye injury. It would've been fun if they had made it a more meaningful "reveal," but it doesn't really make sense that Mox would wrestle for 20+ minutes half-blind, putting himself at a distinct disadvantage on top of being outnumbered by Jericho's crew. (2/5)

With its underwhelming Kwang Score of 2.71-out-of-5, AEW Revolution 2020 found the company already divided into a split vision of what AEW could be, would be, and should be. On one hand, matches like the opener, MJF/Cody Rhodes, and the main event highlighted an "old school" approach built around big stars settling blood feuds with lots of "ballyhoo and pyro," including some memorable, elaborate entrances. On the flip side, the best matches of the night showcased talents that had built their reputations on the indie scene and Japan and not in "The Fed" - Omega, the Bucks, Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, and PAC (whose work in WWE only hinted at his actual abilities). Years later - I'm writing this in 2025 - AEW has fully embraced its "indie-riffic" side, but could arguably use a little bit more of what Rhodes and Moxley brought on this show, storytelling built more on emotion and less on trying to constantly "outdo" breathtaking, unbelievable spots and engaging in an "arms race" of needless risk-taking that is often forgotten days later. Aside from the spectacular tag match and some other very good matches, this would not be my entry-point into AEW due to the weak matches bookending the show.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Taboo Tuesday 2004

WWE Taboo Tuesday 2004

Milwaukee, WI - October 2004

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Triple H was the World Heavyweight Champion, the WWE Champion was JBL, the Intercontinental Champion was Chris Jericho, the US Champion was Carlito, Spike Dudley was the Cruiserweight Champion, Trish Stratus was the WWE Women's Champion, the World Tag Team Champions were La Resistance, while Rene Dupree and Kenzo Suzuki were the WWE Tag Team Champions.

The first ever Taboo Tuesday event kicks off with Jonathan Coachman asking the fans in the arena - and at home - to vote for what sort of outfit the divas will wear in the evening's Battle Royal for Trish Stratus' Women's Championship. Why would the champion have to put up her title in a battle royal? I'm hoping there was a storyline to explain that, but it goes unmentioned and I'm skeptical that the WWE ever explained it. They announce the winning outfit: schoolgirl.

From there, Chris Jericho defends the Intercontinental Championship against one of fifteen candidates. Shelton Benjamin, who was in the midst of a fairly strong push, gets the vote and he and Jericho proceed to have a very strong match. To me, its kinda crazy that people think this match was 100% "called on the fly" when all signs were pointing to Shelton Benjamin getting the nod and I highly doubt that the voting on this show was above board. Still, even if they did know they were going to be up against each other, they still had to deliver in the opener and they absolutely did. Jericho worked really hard to make Benjamin look great, but Shelton was already a fairly smooth worker at this point, especially in terms of his athleticism and agility, and the crowd was excited to have a new face to get behind. An extra half-point for a finish that came a bit "out of nowhere" but not so much that it wasn't believable that Benjamin could win with an Exploder suplex. (3/5)

Backstage, Chris Benoit, Edge, and Shawn Michaels all cut short promos about why they should be the one to challenge Triple H. According to wrestling lore, this was a "legit" vote and Edge had been told that, were he to win, they would've had him beat Triple H on this night. He loses the vote to Shawn Michaels, though. I don't believe the story. Edge was certainly on the cusp of getting over, but it would actually take a hot feud with Matt Hardy over his real-life affair with Lita and then beginning an all-time great rivalry with John Cena (and a show-stealing hardcore match against Mick Foley at WrestleMania XXIII) to really cement his status as a main eventer. 

The Divas Battle Royal is next. This is as awful as one might expect and, watching it, it is hard not to feel bad for the women involved, some of whom were actually better-than-decent workers. Trish Stratus, Molly Holly, Victoria, Gail Kim...all perfectly capable of delivering a serious, action-packed 10 minute match, but, instead, the match is all about giving the audience a peek up their skirts. Stacey Keibler is arguably given the most spotlight because she is the "hottest." Nothing to enjoy about this whatsoever, but I'll give a half-point to at least acknowledge that the women still went out and performed despite being trivialized to an egregious amount. (0.5/5) 

Kane vs. Snitsky is next in a Weapons match where the fans voted for the weapon to be a...chain. The storyline building up to this match was about Snitsky causing Lita to have a miscarriage. If you expected the WWE to handle this sort of story with any kind of sensitivity, well, you'd have been expecting impossible things (especially in 2004). This match goes much longer than it needs to, but I'll give them credit in at least attempting to make Snitsky look like a monster. The finish is legitimately nasty-looking too as Snitsky puts Kane's head into the legs of a chair and "Pillmanizes" his neck. It would've been even better had he done it around minute 9 and not minute 14, though. This isn't as terrible as it could've been and the crowd was engaged, plus some of the chain and chair shots did look good. (2/5)

Next up: Eric Bischoff vs. Eugene. This was a comedy match, but wasn't very funny. Bischoff actually got some offense in. Eugene was a dumb character that was offensive then and is still offensive now. Eugene wins and the online vote was for Bischoff to get his head shaved, but Coachman and Bischoff try to get out of it. That leads to Vince coming out and demanding that Bischoff have his head shaved (and then forcing Coachman to put on a dress). Corny, too long of a segment, unfunny. This is bad. (1/5)

Edge and Chris Benoit challenged La Resistance (Sylvan Grenier and Rob Conway) for the WWE Tag Team Championship in the next bout. This was more about Edge's eventual heel turn and how distracted and "off his game" he was due to not being voted-in to challenge Triple H. Again, I don't subscribe to the theory - even coming from Edge's own mouth - that his character's turn on this night was based on a fan vote. The action isn't too remarkable, though Benoit's execution is great and his work during the closing stretch is remarkable. Edge abandons the Crippler, but Benoit's offense, timing, and efficiency allows him to not only win the match, but do it in a way that doesn't spit in the face of credibility or realism. Not a match I'd consider good, but easily the best wrestling this show had seen in over an hour. (2.5/5)

A Lingerie Pillowfight is the decided stipulation for Christy Hemme vs. Carmella. This is beyond words bad and embarrassing. It is painful to watch knowing now what Hemme was or would be dealing with backstage as her run in WWE went on. (0/5)

Its time for Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H for The Game's World Heavyweight Championship, which seems odd. The Game targets Shawn's left leg/knee, as the storyline was that Michaels had been injured on the previous night's episode of Raw. Giving Triple H a target for his offense and Shawn's over-the-top selling are positives that make for an engaging and dramatic story, but some "moments" are stretched to the point of absurdity almost (Michaels' selling of Triple H's figure four is comical). Shawn hits a low blow and then a big DDT before climbing to the top rope for an elbow from the top. Michaels calls for the Sweet Chin Music and is almost stopped by Batista. Edge hits him with huge spear when the ref is distracted by The Animal and, shockingly, Michaels sells it like death and Triple H makes the cover after a lengthy crawl. This wasn't "must see" and Shawn's selling is not going to be everyone's cup of tea as it is super dramatic, but I enjoyed it. (3/5)

Main event time - somehow - Ric Flair vs. Randy Orton in a stipulation match decided by the fans. The storyline here was that Orton, ostensibly a babyface, was in the running to possibly challenge Triple H for the title but got screwed over by Flair, who he had called out as an "ass kisser." However, Orton's gimmick was grating and Flair was beloved so the dynamic is at odds with the "story" a bit as the fans are sorta split, not necessarily booing either guy but also not decidedly in favor of one over the other. The fans did decide to make it a Steel Cage match, so we get a bit of a "Greatest Hits" out of Flair in what was probably one of his last decent performances. Orton bleeds a gusher and then Flair does too. When Flair tries to escape the cage, Orton practically pulls his tights to his ankles, exposing his entire buttocks. There's fists in the corner and an RKO "out of nowhere" when that gimmick was still in its infancy. The match doesn't overstay its welcome and it ends with the two former stablemates hugging it out, signaling Flair's eventually full-on face turn. At well under 15 minutes, they cut a brisk pace to get everything in, but it doesn't feel too short or particularly rushed. A good match, not a great one, and because of the blood, it felt violent enough to be a "score settler" in the cage. (3/5)

With a fairly weak 1.88-out-of-5 Kwang Score, Taboo Tuesday 2004 is not worth cueing up unless you're a weirdo completist obsessive like me. The Triple H/Shawn Michaels feels like a Raw match/segment, designed to fill time on the PPV and build up the Shawn Michaels/Edge feud, a rivalry that I don't recall ever really producing any great matches (Shawn wouldn't even rate in the Top 10 of Edge's best opponents and probably not even Top 20). The main event is good and violent, but its brief and probably would've worked better as a midcard match. The opener is the only other bout worth even considering to watch, while some of the rest of the card is offensively bad, the kind of "entertainment" where you just feel bad for the people involved having to follow Vince's script. 

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

AEW Revolution 2025

AEW Revolution 2025

Los Angeles, CA - March 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the AEW World Champion was Jon Moxley, the AEW International Champion was Konosuke Takeshita, the AEW Continental Champion was Okada, the AEW World Tag Team Champions were the Hurt Business (Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley), the AEW Women's World Champion was Toni Storm, the AEW TBS Champion was Mercedes Mone, the AEW TNT Champion was Daniel Garcia (who did not appear on the show), and the AEW Trios Champions were The Death Riders (PAC, Claudio Castignoli, and Wheeler Yuta).

The show kicked off with a very good, arguably excellent "Hangman" Adam Page/MJF match. I really dug MJF's heel work throughout the contest, including thrusting his crotch into Page's face, consistently using the ropes or "taking a powder" to stop Page's momentum and save himself from defeat, spitting in Page's face, talking trash - it was all there and it all worked. Page's performance was "smaller," but I liked that he hasn't reverted back to his Man Of The People babyface gimmick so quickly (though, it was noticeable here that Page didn't introduce any weapons in the match or rely on any real underhanded tactics. At one point, MJF hit Page with a jumping piledriver on a chair that was gnarly and inventive. This was just a real solid battle that felt like the right kind of reset for MJF after a 2024 that ended up being quite uneven for him. (3.5/5)

Next up - the TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defended her title against Momo Watanabe. This went a touch long for me, but the action was quite good and some of the spots were incredible, most notably Mone powerbombing Watanabe to the floor and Momo hitting double knees on the apron. This is the kind of match that AEW has built its reputation on and while it may never drive huge ratings or attendance numbers, it will always "draw" with the "freaks." This was a war between two incredible competitors who were given the time and the freedom to go out and try their best to steal the show - which is nigh impossible on a card like this. I wouldn't say they had the best match of the night, but move-for-move, moment-for-moment, it was undeniably above-average and Watanabe had the kind of break-out performance that is hopefully just the start of her being treated like a big deal in AEW. The crowd was as into this as could be expected considering Watanabe is not a household name or a legend, but Mone did more than enough to keep the fans engaged. Another very, very good match. (3/5)

Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet followed. This was a solid match, though the Nana "swerve" was a bit predictable. I was certainly expecting a much more "hardcore-flavored" match due to the build up to this as Ricochet and Swerve both bled gushers over the course of the past few months and the scissor attack by Ricochet was particularly violent. This was loaded with inventive spots and these guys have great chemistry. I particularly liked Ricochet hitting a Drive By off the barrier, the Swerve stomp (not usually a move I love, but they executed it remarkably quickly and somewhat believably here), and, of course, the ridiculous reverse piledriver-like move on the table. The crowd was hot for all of it, especially Leslie Jones of SNL fame. A very good match and, on basically any other show, it probably would've been even better...but on such a stacked card and without that extra element of violence, it didn't feel as "big" as the feud deserved. (3/5)

Brody King vs. Okada for Okada's Continental Championship. This was definitely the first "dip" of the show - not because it wasn't hard-hitting, not because Okada is a shadow of his former self (though, as someone unfamiliar with his "peak," I would consider his AEW run to be less than special), but because the crowd was coming down from a very strong first hour and this match needed to be something very different than any of the matches that came before it. Instead, it underwhelmed by not telling a more specific, arguably "simple" story. Brody King works best as a monster, not as someone who goes 50/50 with their opponent for 10+ minutes, but Okada didn't really show any fear to make King's size and power seem like as big a threat as they should be treated. This felt a touch "heatless" and, as much as I like King, he's still got things to work on as far as drawing sympathy and support from the live crowd. (2.5/5)

The Outrunners challenged Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin of The Hurt Business for the AEW World Tag Team Championships next. This match was definitely in a "death slot," but it was fine for what it was. The Hurt Business "gave" a bit more than one might've expected, but its not like they were ever really in trouble. The AEW crowd wasn't negative on this, but they weren't super interested in anything other than their entrance it seemed. Its too early to call Lashley a "bust" in AEW, especially after a hot opening storyline against Swerve that should've - but for whatever reason - didn't really go anywhere. I like Hurt Business as dominant tag team champions, but I may be in the minority. The Outrunners were...alright. Their gimmick is more "TV" than "PPV" and I haven't seen them anything beyond the "one-note" aspect of it. (2/5)

"The Hollywood Ending" match was next - Toni Storm defending the AEW Women's World Championship against Mariah May. This was about as wild and bloody as any match - male or female - in several years, just an absolute bloodbath of a spotfest loaded with crazy high spots. I'm not sure if this was good or bad, really, but it was extreme and legitimately shocking to see the level of violence on display. This is not a match for everyone and I can see valid criticisms of Storm and May pushing things too far to the point that this almost became the equivalent of a live-action Itchy and Scratchy cartoon, but I found it to be oddly fitting. This has been a bloody, violent feud between two over-the-top characters so why not go over-the-top with the amount of gore? Also, at a little under 15 minutes, this match didn't overstay its welcome, get repetitive, or have time to drag. With a molten hot crowd and lots of cool throwbacks - and a brilliant visual to end things - this was an unforgettable match on a show where multiple matches could be argued as Match of the Night contenders. (4/5)

Kenny Omega vs. Takeshita for Takeshita's AEW International Championship was next. I expected something akin to the New Japan epics that Omega built his GOAT reputation on and this was exactly that...though, I'm not sure this sort of thing would be everyone's cup of tea and its definitely not my favorite type of match either. At a certain point, the amount of finishers and kick-outs becomes almost absurd, with multiple "match-enders" being used and then showing little to no effect on either competitor minutes later. At close to 30 minutes in length, this match may have been loaded with action, but the first 10 minutes almost felt perfunctory because there was never any real chance of this ending early. I like Takeshita's work on Omega's stomach. I disliked Don Callis on commentary. For TV shows, I think he adds to things by building up heat for his clients and irritating the live audience, but on PPV, just having him in the corner of his client makes more sense as this is a "high stakes" match where Callis should be 100% focused on managing, not commentary. I liked the finish, though, it felt disconnected from the rest of the match, which was heavy on "bomb-throwing" and lighter on reversals and counters to pinning combinations. An epic match, for sure, but not necessarily one that I would be dying to revisit.  (3.5/5)

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher in a cage was next. This was everything one might've expected - another ridiculous "maximalist" match where Ospreay and Fletcher threw every move in the book against each other, including a Styles Clash onto thumbtacks, a Spanish Fly off the top of the cage, and then the finish - a Tiger Driver 91'. There was also lots of blood and Fletcher jabbing Ospreay in the head with a screwdriver. Like the previous match, I didn't love Don Callis on commentary and the amount of nearfalls (and Fletcher screaming "I fucking hate you!") pushed this to a level of absurd melodrama that I'm not a huge fan of. That being said, its hard to consider this match anything less than above-average when you think about the sacrifices and level of athleticism on display. This is not a match built around logic or deliberate pacing or the "old school" version of what a cage match is/should be. This was a cage match in the context of a rivalry between two guys that both want to show they are the best athletes in the world and, to prove that, are going to do outrageous high-risk offense when a more simple, grind-your-face-into-the-cage approach would make more sense and be way less taxing. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Jon Moxley vs. Adam "Cope" Copeland for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. This one started off rough with a strike exchange that felt like a big, neon flashing sign drawing attention to the valid criticisms that have been leveled against both the performers and the booking of this feud. Moxley's puro resu fetish, Copeland's in-ring limitations, the fact that neither guy is particularly over with the AEW crowd in their current roles - it was all there to witness in the first 30 seconds. I believe the hope was that the more punishment Mox dished out to Cope, the more the crowd was going to respond to his occasional flurries of offense...but the crowd just never really got behind Copeland and I don't think there was ever a moment when the finish was in question, even after a very length and poorly executed ref bump sequence (Remsburg being knocked out of the ring and seemingly unconscious for minutes was awful). As others have noted, Christian's cash-in made him look incredibly stupid as he, in this situation, should've had the Patriarchy at his side. There was absolutely no "swerve" with Wheeler Yuta as him possibly turning on Mox was a 13th hour add-on to the storyline that needed to have been built up over several months to work. Jay White's involvement didn't help him at all, though, to his credit, I predict that if they do have him feud with Edge, it will only make him a more over babyface because the anti-Cope crowd is only growing. Here's hoping Swerve wins the title sooner than later and they give Mox some time off-screen to, hopefully, re-evaluate how he can reconnect with fans, who have always wanted to cheer the guy as an ass-kicker and have never seemed to really enjoy or "buy in" to his heel personas. (1.5/5)

Revolution 2025 earned a Kwang Score of just 2.95-out-of-5, which, for most other promotions, in any given year, would be a very, very good score...but AEW's raison d'etre, arguably since its inception, has been to put on PPVs that are so loaded with unbelievable, high quality matches, that this show stands as a low point. Most of the blame goes to the overlong, poorly conceived main event, a match that stuck out like a sore thumb and will likely go down as the worst AEW main event in company history. Put elsewhere on the card and trimmed down by 4-5 minutes, it may have worked...but coming after 3+ hours of incredible, high-impact, workrate-heavy matches like the Ospreay/Fletcher cage match, the Takeshita/Omega war, and a show-stealing bloodbath between Toni Storm and Mariah May, Moxley and Edge were somewhat stuck with what they would and could accomplish and no amount of overbooking could save them. 

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

TNA Destination X 2010

TNA Destination X 2010

Orlando, FL - March 2010

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, AJ Styles was the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, the X-Division Champion was Doug Williams, the TNA World Tag Team Champions were Hernandez and Matt Morgan, Tara was the Knockouts Champion, The Beautiful People (Lacey Von Erich, Madison Rayne, and Velvet Sky) were the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, and the TNA Global Champion was "Big" Rob Terry.

The show kicks off with a 4-way Ladder Match to find out who will be the next challenger for Doug Williams' X-Division Championship between Brian Kendrick, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Amazing Red. The crowd is fairly solidly behind Kendrick, which I'm guessing is mostly because (a) he was relatively new to TNA and (b) he had a reputation for being underutilized in the WWE. Kazarian was, in kayfabe, returning to TNA after an extended hiatus caused his shame over losing in the X Division Cup some years earlier, but really he had been under a hood as Suicide for much of that time. Kazarian is a guy that the TNA execs always seemed eager to push and its not really much of a surprise why; he was a very polished worker who could do just about any style, had a good physique, did not look out of place against heavyweights, and was handsome and young. However, he never quite got over as himself - or even really as Suicide - to the level of deserving that big main event push (at least to my eyes). This is a good, fun spotfest but nothing more than that. Cool moves, ladder bumps, but nothing much going on in terms of psychology or innovation that would make me ever want to see this again. (3/5)

Tara vs. Daffney is next and is...surprisingly not terrible. They don't get a lot of time and the crowd doesn't seem super into it, but I liked Daffney's use of submissions and urgency throughout. Tara's finisher looked brutal too. I think the real problem here is that Daffney was never treated like much of a big deal in TNA - or even WCW - so it was odd seeing her getting a title shot on PPV. (2/5)

Rob Terry defends the Global Championship against Magnus (no longer "Brutus") in a squash that goes less than 3 minutes. Its hard to rate something like this - it's either really remarkable because of the characters involved or its not. This was not. Rob Terry had a great look, but his execution of big power moves wasn't super special. I guess it could've been worse and they'd actually have put on a competitive contest? (1.5/5)

Ultimate X is next - GenerationMe (aka the Young Bucks) vs. The Motor City Machines Guns to determine who will be the number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championships. Like the opener, this is spotfest, but a fun one and because the environ is not your typical ladder match, there is something "fresher" about this. I also like that, unlike a multi-man where everybody is trying to win but there ends up being guys having a lot of "down time," there is more of a structure to this match. I wouldn't consider this "must see" unless you are super into this sort of action, which, to me, is a bit too "spotty" and doesn't really pack enough emotional punch. Yes, the high-flying is great. Yes, guys take some wicked falls off the structure to the mat. Yes, the superkicks and the slams look great. But...I dunno...its all so "performative," intended to impress rather than to really tell a story. (3.5/5)

And the next match - Kevin Nash and Eric Young vs. Sean Waltman and Scott Hall - might suffer from the exact opposite problem, telling a story so tired and predictable that even if it were perfectly executed, it would probably still be bad. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the execution of the predictable heel turn from Nash was not only telegraphed but is performed so poorly that it is painful to watch. I guess there might be some sort of morbid fun in watching Scott Hall either pretend to be high and going through the motions or actually be high and go through the motions. Waltman actually looks good for moments in this match, doing most of the work for his team against Young, but in this context, a retread of angles and gimmicks that were last relevant over a decade earlier, it is a waste of whatever remaining agility, speed, and ability he had left in the tank. This isn't a trainwreck because trainwrecks are interesting, this is more of just a slog. Bad stuff. (1/5)

The X-Division Champion, Doug Williams, defended the title against Shannon Moore next. Moore was doing his Prince of Punk gimmick, which was atrocious and, at one point, drew "CM Punk" chants. Moore may have been a legit punk rock fan, but his get-up was so over-the-top that it was impossible to believe and the opposite of "credible." As a wrestler, though, he was solid and this is a decent enough match. I'm not sure what Moore did exactly to earn this title shot aside from being Jeff Hardy's buddy, which is alluded to on commentary. This probably could've been on TV rather than a PPV, but whatever. Inoffensive and too brief to be boring. I liked Williams' post-match promo. (2.5/5)

The TNA Tag Team Championships were on the line next as Hernandez and Matt Morgan defended against Beer Money. The story of this match was Morgan was upset about Hernandez offering up a shot at their titles to Beer Money, who were also babyfaces. Morgan had basically turned heel at the previous PPV, but he and Hernandez had not yet split up their partnership as they were reigning champions. I really liked the way this was worked as Hernandez got to be a powerhouse babyface while Morgan was a smarmy bastard. I don't "get" the chants of boring that happened at times because all the work was really solid and Hernandez and Morgan's big spots were great. Maybe this felt "old hat" or repetitive of other similar storylines over the years, but I thought this was pretty darn good. (3/5)

Kurt Angle vs. Ken Anderson follows. These two have good chemistry and wrestle a bit more of a "Sports Entertainment"-type match than some of the other more spot-heavy matches on this show. It is a nice change of pace. I liked the physicality. I liked that Anderson had to use some shortcuts and treachery to shift the momentum because Angle was the more experienced and more skilled grappler. They jammed a ton of action into a relatively short match. I wasn't a fan of Anderson getting a visual pin after a ref bump, especially as he had not hit his actual finisher or used a weapon to accomplish it. Anderson grabbed a chair as the referee oversold the getting run into but then tossed it aside and grabbed Angle's dog tags instead. Anderson went for a big right hand but Angle caught him and hit him with a German Suplex! Angle grabbed the Warrior Medal (I'm not sure what the difference is between those and a dog tag) and used it to carve into Anderson's head! Ouch. The referee still being unconscious didn't make much sense but he eventually came to as Angle applied an Ankle Lock and Anderson, his face covered in crimson, was forced to tap out. I don't know if it needed such an overbooked finish - especially one that relied on the referee being knocked out for minutes on end - but this was a good bout and was believable as a "feud ender" (though it wouldn't end up being that after Anderson's post-match promo, calling out Angle on having to resort to cheap tactics to defeat him). (3/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles vs. Abyss for Style's TNA World Championship. Styles is an awesome bump machine in this match and, for the second PPV in a row, proved he was more than capable of being "The Guy" in TNA even as a heel. Styles might be Abyss' best ever opponent as he bumps and sells and feeds for him with so much energy that you forget how limited Abyss was outside of hardcore matches (and how goofy and cringe his babyface work is). I'm not sure I would call this a total Styles carry job because Abyss' offense looks good and the crowd is behind him, but its clear who is making this match work. The finishing sequence is abysmal, though, with the referee having to react to "mace" seconds before the can actually spews any mist and the camera man missing Styles' low blow. Then we get a non-finish when Styles gets choke-slammed through the mat because Abyss channeled the Power of Hulkamania that existed in Hulk's Hall of Fame ring (which he had gifted Abyss for some bizarre reason). (3/5)

With an overall Kwang Score of 2.5-out-of-5, Destination X 2010 was a mixed bag featuring a strong Bucks/MCMG match, a pretty good main event, a solid Angle/Anderson bout, and a Tag Team Championship match that, like his match against Angle months earlier, showed there was some serious untapped potential Matt Morgan if he had had the right coaches to push him to that next level. The worst match on the show was the Hall & Waltman vs. Nash and Young bout, which was both predictable in its outcome and in its quality. Tara/Daffney was decent and both X-Division matches were perfectly fine if unmemorable. If you're into this era of TNA Wrestling, this show probably offers just enough to make it worth checking out.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Elimination Chamber 2025

WWE Elimination Chamber 2025

Toronto, ON, CA - March 2025

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was Cody Rhodes, the World Heavyweight Champion was GUNTHER, the Women's WWE Champion was Tiffany Stratton, the Women's World Champion was Rhea Ripley, the Judgment Day's Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were the Women's World Tag Team Champions, #DIY were the WWE Tag Team Champions, Bron Breakker was the Intercontinental Champion while Lyra Valkyria was the Women's Intercontinental Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura was the US Champion, the Women's US Champion was Chelsea Green, the WWE World Tag Team Champions were the War Raiders and there were also about a half-dozen NXT Champions and a men and women's Speed Champion (Dragon Lee and Candice LeRae, respectively), so if you think AEW has too many titles and don't see the same issue in the WWE, I don't know what to tell you.

We are in Toronto for this and, when they inexplicably played the US National Anthem during the pre-show (I assume), it got booed heavily. No shocker there. The WWE doesn't normally play the anthem, as far as I recall, but playing it in the midst of a trade war with Canada seems like trolling. Pat McAfee would bring it up multiple times throughout the show, which got heel heat from me, while Cole and Barrett just tried to move on every time he mentioned it. 

The Women's Chamber Match opened up the show - Liv Morgan and Naomi starting things off while Bayley, Roxanne Perez, Alexa Bliss, and Bianca Belair waited for their chance in their respective pods. Before the match could begin and the Chamber door could open, Jade Cargill made her return to the WWE and annihilated Naomi while Belair watched in horror. The crowd popped HUGE for this, which is a good sign because it does mean they paid attention to her storyline (which was built around a mystery talker and, if Naomi is that attacker, means that Cargill getting revenge was a great babyface moment). After this, though, things quieted down a bit. Bayley, Roxanne, and Alexa don't really have clear characters at this point - Bayley is the babyface "Role Model" but hasn't had any real storyline since leaving DMG CTRL, Perez's gimmick seems to be "I Was A Big Deal in NXT," and the recently-returned Bliss is weirdly both the cagey veteran returning from maternity leave (as pointed out by McAfee) and still linked to the Wyatt Family gimmick, unsmiling and serious all the time. And so, while the action was good and there were some real bright spots in this match, including Belair whipping Morgan with her hair to produce one of the loudest cracks ever heard on WWE programming, Bayley using the chamber wall to escape a Perez-T-F (which is what they should call it), and Belair ragdolling Liv into the glass and steel repeatedly during the final stretch, this would've been even better and more suspenseful had there been more work done during the build-up to establish some grievances or alliances among the competitors. Still, overall, a solid Chamber match with an all-time great opening. (3/5)

The women's action continued as Trish Stratus teamed with Tiffany Stratton to take on Nia Jax and Candice LeRae. This was a "homecoming" match for Stratus, though it was Stratton who got the big spotlight. This might've been one of the best Nia matches ever as everything she did looked like it hurt and got heat from the crowd. Stratus played the face-in-peril for a lengthy strength which led to Stratton getting the hot tag. Stratton has had more impressive outings, but she was fine here, keeping up with her much more experienced opponents and tag partner. This might've been a tad long, but it never got boring and while not everything looked pristine, it got the job done and did have the crowd engaged even after a very long, very busy opener. (2.5/5)

The Unsanctioned Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn match followed. As expected, this was a brutal battle between two guys that have incredible history and chemistry. The first third wasn't particularly innovative or memorable as they set up some tables at ringside, hit each other with a hockey stick, and brawled in the crowd. Once they returned, though, this match became a much more brutal and impressive contest. Owens was merciless at times, but Zayn's comebacks and occasional flurries of offense were equally excellent and vicious. The big high spots included multiple table-wrecking suplexes, Zayn hitting an awesome full nelson suplex into a chair, a Blue Thunder Bomb onto a barbwire-covered chair, and Owens shoving Zayn off the top rope and through a pair of stacked tables at ringside. My biggest criticism might be the over-the-top commentary as Barrett, McAfee, and Cole may have "peaked" too early with their exaggerated concern, calling the match "over" and a "massacre" when it was clear that Zayn still had some fight left. After trying to break Zayn's neck by wrapping it in a chair and sending into the post twice, Owens ended things with a couple of powerbombs onto the apron. We then got the surprise return of Randy Orton, though, which got a huge pop from the crowd and seems to suggest we'll see Orton/Owens at Mania, but I thought Orton's return did overshadow Zayn's story a bit. All in all, a really, really good match that lived up to my expectations. (4/5)

Main event time - the Men's Elimination Chamber between CM Punk, John Cena, Damien Priest, Logan Paul, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre. McIntyre and Rollins kicked things off. Unlike the Women's edition, there was lots and lots of groundwork laid out before this one began between everyone over the previous weeks, months, and years. Priest came in next and got in some signature offense, including a Razor's Edge that sent Rollins into McIntyre on the Chamber floor. A loud "Fuck You Logan" chant broke out seconds before Paul's pod unlocked. He came in with a crossbody and then hit a standing moonsault on Priest before going after Rollins. Priest took over, bashing Paul into a pod wall and then grinding his face on the cage to a big pop. Priest then delivered a variation of the Old School, walking the ropes before hitting a hurricanrana. Paul caught him with a slam and got back in the ring, walking into a Seth Rollins superkick. Cena came in soon after and hit an AA on Paul, but ate a Claymore from McIntyre, who then got caught by Priest with a roll-up! Priest, despite being eliminated, hit a Claymore on Priest, which enabled Paul to follow-up with a Frog Splash from the top of Punk's pod to eliminate The Punisher (while Cena and Rollins sold for minutes on end on the outside). Punk came in less than 30 seconds after and he and Paul went right at it with Punk hitting Paul with a suplex and then the running knee. Punk and Cena had a staredown that got a huge reaction from the crowd but Rollins cut it short by hitting Punk with a big boot. As Rollins and Cena traded blows, Paul hit them with the front-flip clothesline and then went to hit one on Punk, but Punk countered it into a GTS! With Paul eliminated, it was down to the final three. The match quickly transformed into a fun 3-way at this point with Punk and Cena momentarily teaming up to beat down on Seth and hit him with the Hart Foundation's old finish. Cena and Punk even hugged it out a bit before hitting each other with fists and feet, Cena eventually connecting with a series of shoulder blocks before Punk hit a knee in the corner. Seeing Cena and Punk go through a condensed version of their "greatest hits" was a nice reminder of how good their chemistry was. Punk looked to hit an elbow, but had to deal with Rollins first, which gave time to Cena to catch him on his second attempt and hit him with an AA for a big nearfall. Great spot there. Rollins came back into the mix at this point, sending Cena through a pod wall. Rollins went to work on Punk, hitting him with a Pedigree for another nearfall. Rollins went for another on the chamber floor, but Punk back body dropped him into the ring and climbed to the top rope. Rollins met him up there but Punk countered with a front suplex and then landed the elbow. Rollins hit a Buckle Bomb and a Stomp, though, but again only got 2! Rollins went to the second rope, but Cena grabbed him. Rollins escaped but then got hit with a combo of both a GTS and an AA! With Rollins eliminated, the match entered its final stage but almost ended quickly as Punk hit the GTS for 2! Cena then hit his AA, but also only got 2! Not a huge fan of the finisher spamming, but whatever. Cena went for the STFU but Punk kicked him off...only to get stomped by Seth Rollins! Cena pulled Punk into the center of the ring and applied the STF and Cena is going to WrestleMania! Incredible finish there and also one slightly tainted, adding a wrinkle to the story and adding one more wrinkle to the Rollins/Punk saga (which I predicted weeks ago couldn't have really ended with just one match on Raw). If the Women's edition had arguably better spots, this one had the more riveting story and intriguing twists and turns with excellent performances by Rollins, Punk, Paul, and Cena. (3.5/5)

As Cena celebrated, Cody Rhodes appeared. And then The Rock showed up, demanding Cody's soul. Cody, in a great moment, told him to go fuck himself. Cena turned heel. It was wild. As a segment, it was definitely historic, though I wish Travis Scott hadn't been part of it as his inclusion - really the inclusion of any celebrity - "dates" things a bit (especially when the celebrity is a music star). This one will be treated like one of the most historic "happenings" in WWE history and deservedly so, but I wouldn't consider it as big a shocker as it might look on paper due to the amount of internet buzz and rumors building up to it. Still, an unforgettable moment even if I would've booked it completely different and saved this entire storyline for after Mania. (+1)

Earning an overall Kwang Score of 3.5-out-of-5, Elimination Chamber 2025 was a strong, thoroughly engaging and enjoyable show featuring one of the most talked-about and buzz-worthy post-match segments in wrestling history. Every match on the card was at least decent, though I was "less high" on the Women's Chamber match than many (Meltzer gave it a strong 4.5 stars and its Cagematch rating is currently resting a little bit under an 8). The Stratus/Stratton tag was fun for what it was and it was nice to see Stratus get a big hometown reaction in Toronto, while the Zayn/KO match was a welcome bit of seriously extreme wrestling that wouldn't have felt out-of-place or underwhelming on an AEW show. All in all, a really strong show and serious contender for PPV of the Year, even if the card was obviously "thin," which is why I'm not going "Curt Hennig Level" on this. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It