AEW World's End 2024

AEW Full Gear 2024

Newark, New Jersey - November 2024

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Jon Moxley was the AEW World Champion, the Women's World Champion was Mariah May, the TNT Champion was Jack Perry, the International Champion was Takeshita, the Continental Champion was Kazuchika Okada, the TBS Champion was Mercedes Mone, the Trios Championships were held by The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Wheeler Yuta), and the AEW World Tag Team Champions were Private Party.  

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher was the night's opening contest and it was a doozy, though maybe just slightly lesser than their previous match. I really liked the first half of this match with Fletcher in control and Ospreay, who was bloodied earlier and continued to drip blood from his face like a faucet for the match's duration, bumping and selling and getting cut off. After Ospreay's comeback, the match became more 50/50, but that didn't hurt it as much as it made it a bit more like every other big Ospreay match. Of course, if you're going to have a "fireworks show" match on your card, Ospreay is the guy to deliver it and he once again delivered here. Countless insane spots and sequences - a front-flip cannoball to the floor, Fletcher's apron bomb and then the lawn dart into the guardrail that opened Ospreay up, a multitude of superkicks and Hidden Blades, a headbutt sequence that provided a brilliant visual of Fletcher "bloodying" himself, Fletcher's Last Ride Liger Bomb, and then the solid Styles Clash finish from Ospreay to end this one 100% clean. Ospreay has not missed in 2024. (4/5)

Kazuchika Okada vs. Ricochet, the finals of the Blue League of the Continental Cup was next. This one was different, slower, and more about Ricochet's new heel gimmick and Okada still being a jerk but getting cheered for it. I dug it, but this felt more like a "TV match" - which, for AEW, is barely an insult - than a "PPV match." Okada is not the flashiest worker, but his timing and pacing are so different than every other main eventer in the company that he's enjoyable to watch because of the contrast in styles he brings to the table. Here, Ricochet was flying and flipping, but Okada kept grinding him down and cutting him off with his big dropkicks and back elbows. The finish came a bit out of nowhere to me but I like that they kept the Rainmaker strong. After the match, Swerve Strickland showed up to mock Ricochet and ol' Rico ended up covered in toilet paper. Swerve/Ricochet should be a ton of a fun, but it feels kinda weird that Strickland isn't 100% focused on Lashley as there was a ton they left on the table there. Anyway, not a bad match, but nothing super special. (2.5/5)

The AEW Womens' World Champion, Mariah May, defended her title against Thunder Rosa in a Tijuana Street Fight next. As is often the case with matches like this, because AEW has featured so many unreal and wild death matches, the performers are often put in the unfortunate position of having to "top" what has been done before. This may have been the first and only real "hardcore" match on the card in terms of stipulation, but when your show starts off with Will Ospreay donning one of the most grotesque crimson mask in recent memory, it makes things extra difficult. They used every weapon they could find, including thumbtacks and a chain and Thunder Rosa's dad's cane, but this was still mildly disappointing and maybe a touch "undercooked." There wasn't much of a "story" to this match and I didn't get the feeling that the animosity between the two combatants had reached a point where they needed a gimmick match like this to settle things. The effort was there and the finishing spot was brutal, but this was just good, not great. (3/5)

MJF vs. Adam Cole followed. The Dynamite Diamond Ring was on the line, but this match was about more than a piece of jewelry as the storyline involving these two has been going on forever now and was derailed due to Cole's injury. Early on, the crowd wanted to cheer MJF, chanting "He's Our Scumbag," and MJF tried to shut it down by telling the audience to "Shut the fuck up." As MJF flipped the audience the bird, Cole bladed on the floor. Again, felt a little "been there, done that" after Ospreay's color earlier in the show. MJF's heel work was fun to watch - as usual - but his shtick suffers when he's up against a guy like Cole, who didn't have the audience behind him any more than MJF did. When Cole missed a Panama Sunrise, MJF went to work on his knee and ankle, the bloody forehead completely moved on from. Cole's selling was really good at first but then got completely forgotten once Cole was able to put even a little bit of offense together, hitting a Panama Sunrise with ease and then running the ropes just fine to hit his knee to the back of the head. MJF, now also busted open, attacked the knee again, but Cole's inconsistent selling continued, selling agony at one moment and then busting out superkicks the next. As much as this bothered me, there was more drama to this match than either of the two that came before it and MJF was highly entertaining throughout, including when he pretended to get attacked by Taven and Bennett, which drew more cheers than boos and allowed MJF to put on the diamond ring. This time when he attempted to use it, Cole caught him with a superkick and then put on the ring himself. He went for a right hand but MJF hit a low blow and then hit the Heatseeker piledriver to get the win. Very solid finish. It will be interesting to see where they go with MJF as, no matter what he does (including attempting to Pillmanize Cole), a large portion of the audience is going to continue to cheer him. During the post-match, Strong, Cole, and O'Reilly reunited and got some vengeance together, hopefully ending this storyline for good. The right guy won and the Undisputed Era reuniting was the right way to transition Cole into something else. (3/5)

Takeshita vs. Will Hobbs for Takeshita's AEW International Championship was up next. This was one that I was looking forward to because I'm a big Takeshita fan and Hobbs is another guy on the roster that stands out because of how different he is than everyone else. The crowd chanted either "beef" or "meat" as the two men tested each other with forearms and shoulder blocks. Hobbs controlled early and I loved his multiple slams on the apron. Takeshita cut him off with an eye rake and then delivered an absolutely devastating kneebreaker on the apron that I don't think I've seen before. Shit. That was sweet. Takeshita continued to work on the knee, targeting his attack for the next several minutes. Simple but effective. Takeshita hit a brilliant suplex that brought Hobbs into the ring from the apron, but Hobbs fought back with a slap and then some forearms only to get cut off by another eye rake. Hobbs blocked a lariat and hit a crossbody, but continued to sell the damage to his knee. He hit a running clothesline into the corner and then some more, just nailing Takeshita with as many as he could before hitting a classic powerslam for 2. Hobbs sold the knee damage after hitting the move, which allowed Takeshita to rally a bit, leading to an insane Takeshita piledriver that got 2.9! The crowd not biting on that as a potential finish is a surprise because that was one of the better false finishes of the night up till this point. Hobbs and Takeshita traded super stiff lariats, clubbing each other full force. Takeshita ducked one and hit a German Suplex and then went for his knee strike, but Hobbs blocked it. Takeshita ducked another clothesline to hit a forearm to the chin. Hobbs with a huge lariat out of the corner for 2. Dang, that was sick. Takeshita with a chop block and then the Blue Thunder Bomb, but Hobbs kicked out at 1 and hit a lariat! Hobbs with a big clothesline, but he only gets 2! Hobbs went to the top but Takeshita followed him up to seemingly attempt a superplex, but Hobbs stumbled and both men fell to the apron. The crowd chanted "Please Be Careful" as they went back to the top rope and Takeshita hit the superplex and then a huge senton. Takeshita went for the running knee but Hobbs caught him with a spinebuster for 2! A loud "AEW" chant erupted and Hobbs lowered the straps to signal for his finish, but Takeshita rolled to the apron. Hobbs caught up to him and they went to the top rope again. This time Hobbs hit a falling powerslam! Hobbs clutched the knee, though, and was unable to make the cover. Hobbs discarded his knee brace with help from the referee, which made it even easier for Takeshita to attack it and land a big running knee and then apply a front guillotine. Takeshita hit the Raging Fire to win a hard-hitting, excellent match that felt like a star-making performance for Hobbs. Really great match. (4/5)

Next up - Kris Statlander challenging Mercedes Mone for the TBS Championship. Their match at the previous show was good, arguably Mone's best since joining AEW, so expectations were high for this. Some of Statlander's movements look a little clunky to me as she's not the most graceful worker but does cartwheels anyway. When she shows off her strength, I'm a bigger fan and the variety of slams she utilized in the opening minutes was cool. I'll also give her a ton of credit for some of the bumps she took here, including a nasty powerbomb from the top rope onto the apron. Mone's presence and heeling in the first half was really good. This was the type of performance that shows why she was considered such a huge "get" for AEW and someone they could build the entire division around. Other highlights included Statlander countering double knees from the top into a powerbomb, a brilliant Rolling German Suplex from Stat moments later, Mone going bananas with a series of at least 6  suplexes in a row, and a wonderful tumble to the outside that felt like it could've led to a double countout. They maybe took a handful too many breaths between the big kickouts and the next spot, both women filling that time with some serious emoting, but it wasn't too distracting and it mostly felt "earned." I loved Mone's work on Stat's ankle late in the match as it looked brutal, felt fresh, and provided a great pay-off to them exposing the ring. I liked the twists that the match had in its final 5-10 minutes as Statlander, shoeless, threw everything she had left at Mone but ended up eating an absolutely insane sit-out tombstone piledriver on the apron when she tried to go to the top. I'm not sure that shouldn't have been the finish, to be honest, but Statlander somehow managing to beat the count was captured beautifully. From there, Mone applied her crossface, Statlander refused to tap, and we got a not-so-pretty final sequence filled with somewhat awkward counters and reversals and escapes. Again, Statlander does so many things well, but these elaborate sequences that require a lot of quickness, agility, and precision do not play to her strengths or experience level. This was arguably the Match of the Night up to this point. Terrific match, maybe a couple hairs short of being an all-time classic. (4/5)

The Continental Classic finals were next - Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada. JR joined in on commentary and seemed lost before the match even began. The story here was that Okada was competing to prove he is the best tournament wrestler of all time, a distinction that only really matters to the super wrestling nerds who followed wrestling in Japan in the 2010s. Ospreay came into this match with his head bandaged and dried blood streaked all over his face and the back of his neck. Ospreay sold fatigue really well, hitting big maneuvers like hurricanranas and splashes but taking a breather between each, pausing before his springboards, just generally moving at half-speed in the early going. Okada cut him off with a DDT on the floor and then another off the apron, his more methodical approach being played up on commentary. Okada hit a third DDT, clearly targeting Ospreay's head. Okada hit a neckbreaker after a few strikes from Ospreay and then wiped his brow with part of Ospreay's bandage (which had fallen off). Ospreay hit more chops but Okada kneed him in the gut and then scratched at Ospreay's wound and hit him with a back elbow in the corner. Ospreay countered a DDT attempt with a suplex and then hit his big backwards handspring spinning heel kick and a flying elbow from the top rope. Ospreay called for the Hidden Blade but Okada countered it with his signature one-leg flapjack. Okada hit a brilliant dropkick on Ospreay in the corner and Ospreay had a wicked landing, his leg and knee getting caught by the rope. I'm not sure if that was planned or not but Okada took advantage of it, hitting Ospreay with a kneebreaker. When he attempted a piledriver, Ospreay escaped, landed an awesome reverse thrust kick and hit the Os-cutter off the guardrail! Super cool. As Okada climbed back in the ring, Ospreay hit him with a dropkick to the back of the neck and then another Os-cutter, but only got 2. Ospreay laid in another huge chop but ate a signature Okada neckbreaker and then a big elbow from the top. Okada showed Ospreay the bird and then landed a big dropkick and then, after a nifty sequence, another. Ospreay hit the Styles Clash but only got 2, Okada barely getting his shoulder up. Ospreay went for another Hidden Blade but Okada countered it into a tilt-a-whirl and then hit a Rainmaker...which only got 2! A "Fight Forever" chant broke out as both men sold the exhaustion of the evening. Okada absolutely nailed Ospreay with a forearm and then a couple uppercuts, causing Ospreay to collapse onto the mat. As Ospreay's face bled for the second time that night, Okada hit him with a german suplex and then attempted a Rainmaker - but Ospreay countered it into a Spanish Fly for 2! Crazy counter. Ospreay went for the Hidden Blade, Okada hit a dropkick, Ospreay went for the Cutter, Okada countered with a dropkick, Rainmaker attempt by Okada, countered with a Rainmaker by Ospreay, Stormbreaker by Ospreay, but he only gets 2.9! That was an unreal sequence. Ospreay went for a Tiger Driver, but Okada countered it into a Rainmaker! Okada was unable to make the count, but he held onto Ospreay's wrist and hit him with a second one! Ospreay stayed standing and went for the Hidden Blade but, well, we got about a half-dozen counters and finisher attempts in a 15-second time frame and there's really no way to describe it other than saying it was awesome and it ended with Okada's Rainmaker. Wow. That might've been the craziest finishing sequence I've ever seen. Incredible, incredible match. (4/5)

Main event time - Jon Moxley defending the AEW World Championship against Orange Cassidy, "Switchblade" Jay White, and "Hangman" Adam Page. I didn't love the build-up for this match as Moxley essentially laid down the challenge for a match where he - if you do the Steiner Math - had only a 25% chance of leaving with the title. I guess that is supposed to make him look like a total badass, but it made White, Page, and Cassidy look like losers before the match even began. I also think, on a show loaded with some really great matches, this needed to be a "Best Fourway Of All Time"-caliber match to stand out. Ultimately, I think I was right. This was fine, good, okay...but not exceptional. Moxley getting bailed out constantly by his stablemates is classic heel villainy and I'm here for it - but that desperation conflicts with the narrative that led to this match, that Moxley fears no one and was willing to put up his title in an against-all-odds setting. Had they just had TK or some other authority book this match because the three challengers all had legit claims to being number one contender, that would've fixed things. Anyway, I try to rate matches on the match itself and this match offered very little innovation or storyline-furthering developments. Where was PAC, by the way? If Yuta is going to be so involved, he should've really had some sort of "statement" moment to further his drama with Cassidy. If Jay White is going to fall prey to the numbers, where were The Gunns or Juice Robinson? If you're going to have a huge clusterfuck finish, go all the way the with it. There were some good sequences and the babyfaces doing a Shield Tribute Spot was cool, but that was about it. The post-match return of Edge - err, Adam Copeland, backed up by FTR, blew the roof off, but I'm not personally intrigued with a Moxley/Copeland match. (2.5/5)

With a strong 3.38-out-of-5 Kwang Score and several "must see" matches, World's End 2024 was another great show for AEW. The weakest matches of the night were the main event and Women's World Championship matches and I was a bit surprised there wasn't a single tag match on the card, but with two excellent outings from Will Ospreay, Takeshita and Hobbs delivering on every expectation, and Mercedes Mone and Kris Statlander putting on another great match, large parts of this show are worth checking out.

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

AEW Full Gear 2019

AEW Full Gear 2019

Baltimore, MD - November 2019

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Chris Jericho was the AEW World Champion, Riho was the AEW Women's World Champion, and the AEW World Tag Team Champions were SCU (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky). 

Full Gear 2019 kicks off with The Young Bucks taking on Proud-N-Powerful, aka Santana and Ortiz. This was a tad underwhelming to me with a few spots I really disliked. I disliked the way Ortiz sold a superkick by wiggling around like a dolphin. I disliked Santana biting the top rope for no real reason just to make a double superkick to the back of the head spot look more vicious (take out the biting and that spot would've been nasty enough). I liked the first Northern Lights Suplex that Matt Jackson hit on both Santana and Ortiz, but disliked him somehow having the power to roll through and do it again. I didn't find the "story" or narrative of the match to be all that interesting and while you know, with these guys, you are going to get some great double-team maneuvers and lots of action, there was one point where the match basically just stopped because Santana and Ortiz seemingly had no game plan. It was an odd hiccup in a match that had been, up till that point, pretty balls-to-the-wall. A touch overlong too, this match was not my cup of tea. The post-match, which saw the Rock n' Roll Express help the Bucks get some revenge against the heels (who had been joined by Sammy Guevara for a post-match attack on their beaten opponents), was a fun, crowd-pleasing moment. (2.5/5)

PAC and "Hangman" Adam Page did battle next. Page controlled early, but really, this was your "classic AEW" back-and-forth bombfest. I liked that they took some time between the big spots, but there was really no "story" to this match aside from both guys showing off all they could do. Like JR noted on commentary, I've often thought that Page's gimmick and style are at odds as you wouldn't expect a cowboy to do so much high-flying, but I've never been an expert on Adam Page's career and, ultimately, his execution is tremendous. PAC was his usual great self here too, though the cameras miss one of his better spots out of the corner. The crowd was a little quieter for this than I think they'd be for this sort of match today, but, at the time, neither guy hugely established with "mainstream" wrestling fans. A good, arguably great, match that suffered from a lack of heat and crowd engagement. (3/5)

Joey Janela, the "Bad Boy" of pro-wrestling, took on Shawn Spears in the next match. The story here was that Spears was trying to rid the wrestling landscape of "Garbage Wrestling," aka hardcore wrestling. Naturally, the story then should've been that Spears would use all sorts of ridiculous, cheap, behind-the-ref's back hardcore spots to win the match, bloodying Janela in the process. We get that...but only after 10 minutes of Janela proving that he can, in fact, wrestle. Unfortunately, being an average wrestler is not enough to get over on a show where the "basement level" of talent is so high. The same criticism can be made of Spears' performance as his stoic heel demeanor lead to underreactions when this match needed more "big" moments and panic. There were moments in this match that were good - Spears' hitting a huge bodyslam on Janela on the floor early, Spears tying up Janela's hair with the tag rope, the finishing spot (a spike piledriver on the floor from Spears with Tully Blanchard on the assist) - but this felt very "mid" as the kids say. (2/5)

The AEW World Tag Team Championships were on the line next as SCU (Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian) defended the titles against The Lucha Bros (Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr.) and Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen). When you put this many high-flyers in the ring, the goal is to get a really fast-paced, non-stop, "spot-heavy" match and they succeed in delivering that. However, its unclear who the crowd should be rooting for and rooting against and that lack of moral conflict or emotion ends up hurting this match and keeping it from being anything more than an "exhibition style" contest. The fact that the championships are on the line should add some drama, but none of the teams try to take a shortcut or bend the rules to capture them. Maybe in 2019 this sort of match would've felt like a breath of fresh air but in 2024, with matches like these being so common, its hard to consider this anything special. (2.5/5)

Emi Sakura challenged Riho for the AEW Womens' World Championship next. I really liked Sakura's Freddie Mercury-inspired cosplay and opera-singing. Really smart way to give the crowd a "hook" as I'm not sure how familiar the AEW fans were with her. The pinfall sequence towards the end was spectacular and the match may have benefitted from an opening that was as fast-paced rather than the more deliberate approach. JR got a bit tongue-tied at one point, a recurring thread on this show. I don't think its a lack of preparation as much as JR just not being the "wrestling nerd" one would need to be to provide the kind of color commentary he was shooting for as an "expert." In a sense, this is where someone like a Don West made more sense as enthusiasm and excitement for the action would've worked better than JR clearly being out of his wheelhouse. Anyway, commentary issues aside, from a workrate perspective, this might've been my match of the night up till this point as Sakura was really great with her character work throughout and I absolutely loved the way they built towards the multiple javelin stomp spots, which I usually loathe but actually felt organic and logical here (one of my biggest pet peeves is the way certain guys will position themselves to take these moves by holding themselves up on the ropes). (3/5)

Cody Rhodes challenged Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship in the next match. The storyline coming into this was that Rhodes would never challenge for the title again if he could not defeat Jericho. This was a very "sports-entertainment" heavy match with some good but not really remarkable back-and-forth for the first third, then a second third built around Cody face-planting on the steel entranceway and Jericho working over a cut on his forehead, and a final third where Rhodes made some inroads towards a comeback, Jake Hager got thrown out of the match for interference, and Jericho managed to apply his Walls of Jericho submission to lead to the finish (MJF throwing in the towel for Cody Rhodes). This went a touch too long for me and started a little too slow for me to consider this "must see." Jericho didn't embarrass himself here but I didn't see any greatness either. I liked MJF's turn after the match, especially him getting doused with water by an angry fan (plant?) as he made his exit. (3/5)

Main event time - Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega in a "Lights Out" match. The "Lights Out" stipulation means that this match was "unsanctioned" (but still had a referee) and "anything goes." They promised a wild hardcore match and this was definitely that. Mouse traps, shards of glass, an ice pick tease, a barbwire broom, a barbwire bat, a barbwire "bed" - it was all there. I'm a bigger fan of Omega when he's showing off his agility, speed, technique, and relentless energy, but he was clearly not afraid to work a "death match"-style contest here. Some of the spots were a bit too cutesy for me, such as Omega double-stomping a trash can on Moxley, but others were spectacular. I also really liked how the violence built up until the final few spots with the exposed ring, culminating in Omega basically diving full force onto the uncovered wood. To be honest, this match wasn't really blowing me away until its second half, but the second half is outrageously good. (4/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.86-out-of-5, Full Gear 2019 was something of a disappointment to me. Jericho/Cody is long and dramatic, but its not particularly great, and really only the main event could be considered "must watch" if you're into death matches. Riho/Sakura is arguably the best "straight-up" match on the show while both tag matches are solid but not unremarkable.

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

13 Random Matches

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Nobuhiko Takada (04/29/1996, NJPW) - This one is for Takada's IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. They start things off with some grappling on the mat, both men trying to grab hold of the other's arm. Takada takes a few kicks to his legs but then rallies with a series of his own to bring Hashimoto down. Takada applies an armbar but Hashimoto makes it to the ropes. Takada continues to use his speed and superior conditioning to try to dodge Hashimoto's big offense, but he eventually gets caught and Hashimoto applies a wristlock of his own on the mat. Hashimoto goes to work on Takada's legs and applies a figure four, but Takada is able to crawl his way to the bottom rope. Back on their feet, Takada delivers some big kicks and hits a beautiful side suplex that drops Hashimoto on his skull. Takada reapplies the wristlock but, when that doesn't work, goes for a single-leg crab and then a full Boston crab after. Hashimoto pushes up and out. Back up they go and while Takada lands some heavy blows, Hashimoto's chops are devastating enough to send the champ to the mat. Takada hits more nasty strikes but Hashimoto ducks a kick to the head and drops low for a sweep! Hashimoto with a stomp and then attempts a suplex, but Takada is back to the wristlock on the mat. When Takada relinquishes the hold, Hashimoto is able to get back on his feet and delivers a big kick that sends Takada back down. Hashimoto attempts a suplex, Takada escapes, but then eats a big backhand! Hashimoto with the DDT for 2. Hashimoto finally lands a ridiculous brainbuster and then applies a wristlock and Takada taps! Reading up on this match, I was surprised to learn that it inspired the nWo storyline - I guess Takada was something of a heel invader in NJPW and Hashimoto was the man set to win back the title - but even without that context, this is a really good match and one that can be enjoyed without knowing any of the drama behind it. It is a touch too short to rate as an absolute "must see," but fans of the genre who consider it a 5-star classic certainly won't get much of an argument from me. (3.5/5)

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Steve Williams (12/06/1989, NJPW) - Steve Williams looks like an animal during the pre-match, full of energy and excitement and ready to kick serious ass while Hashimoto is more reserved and focused. They lock up to start things, each guy shoving the other into a corner but nobody landing anything much before Williams takes him to the mat using his amateur wrestling background. Williams can't apply much, though, and they're back on their feet soon after. They lock up, which leads to a Hashimoto wristlock, but we're still in "feeling out" mode 6 minutes in with neither guy being able to get much offense. Hashimoto is able to get a hiptoss in, but Williams wrestles out of the side headlock and hits some big right hands to the chest of Hashimoto. Hashimoto rallies with a series of stiff kicks and then a headbutt before a bodyslam. Williams takes his time getting to his feet and then withstands a devastating jumping spin kick! But Williams is back on his feet! I can see some people criticizing the "no sell" there, but Dr. Death no-selling other people's deathblows is sort of part of the shtick. Williams with some forearms and then, miraculously, hoists up Hashimoto for the guerilla press slam! Holy cow! That was super, duper impressive and worth the price of admission on its own. To the floor they go and, because this is being shot by a single camera in the stands, we don't necessarily see everything that happens. Williams lifts up Hash again and rams him head-first into the post. Hashimoto rolls back into the ring and takes a clothesline off the ropes. Williams grapevines the legs and applies an odd-looking crab-looking thing. Hashimoto reaches the bottom rope and Williams releases the hold, but he's still in full control, delivering a spinebuster for 2. Williams with a rear chinlock, but Hash won't tap so Williams decides to release the hold and just wrench his neck repeatedly. Williams with a piledriver but only gets 2. Dr. Death with some big strikes and then a front facelock that brings Hashimoto to the mat. Dr. Death with a bearhug and then an avalanche pin for 2. Williams goes for a back body drop but Hash counters it with a DDT and then a series of chest-caving kicks and a bodyslam. Hashimoto with a spinning heel kick but he only gets 1. Hashimoto goes for the brainbuster but gets suplexed instead for 2. Williams with a powerslam but Hashimoto gets his foot on the rope at 2. Good nearfall there. Williams is signaling for a big finish and lands a charging shoulder that sends Hashimoto out of the ring and to the floor. Williams follows him out and beats him down, sending him into the guardrail. Williams with a rolling back suplex on the floor. He takes a big swing at him on the post but Hash dodges. Hash with a spinning heel kick, but Williams dodges it. Williams hoists him up, but Hashimoto escapes and shoves him into the post. Hashimoto makes the 10 count and is declared the winner. There was enough good stuff here to make this a fun match and I loved how Williams sold his frustration at the end. Great staredown at the end leading to a handshake as a show of respect between these two. I kinda wish Williams had done a bit more selling but, again, his toughness and no-selling is sorta what makes Dr. Death stand apart (and the same can be said of Hashimoto, though, here, he sells his ass off). Very solid finish (even if indecisive) and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Not "must see," but good for what it was. Has Hashimoto ever had a truly bad match? He must've...but I haven't come across it yet. (3.5/5)

Kana (Asuka) vs. Meiko Satomura (02/13/2011, Triple Tails/Kana Pro) - This is my maiden viewing of a non-WWE Asuka (here wrestling as Kana) match. I've heard very good things about Satomura as well. Strike exchange to start after Kana refuses a handshake. Satomura grabs hold of her arm and Asuka sells the heck out of it on the floor. Satomura joins her outside and boots the hell out of her. The brawl continues and Asuka lays in some stiff kicks of her own. Lots of back-and-forth on the outside and inside the ring with both women taking and receiving some serious strikes and kicks. Things shift into more mat-based work as both women apply and then counter a series of submissions, grabbing and twisting eachother's limbs. None of this could be described as "restholds," but this is not the type of action you'd ever get in the WWE. Satomura controls with a side headlock and hits a DDT and then a big running forearm in the corner and then another off the ropes. Woah, holy mule kick! That was NASTY as Satomura applied a wristlock and then just back-kicked the hell out of Asuka's face. Asuka strikes back with a big slap and then a series of kicks, including one that knocks Meiko in the head for 2. Back to the mat they go as Asuka grapevines Satomura's leg and applies an ankle lock. Asuka with some more kicks to the back and the chest and then a reverse DDT for 2. Satomura rallies, though, hitting a bunch of kicks of her own and then an absolutely devastating cartwheel kick to the back of Asuka's head! Holy shit. How is Asuka not finished after that? And yet, she isn't...even after a Pele kick and a big suplex that gets 2.9. When Satomura goes for another flip kick, Asuka grabs hold of her foot and applies a desperate submission and we get another grueling counter-to-a-counter sequence with Asuka in relative control and refusing to give Satomura even the slightest chance of breaking free for long. With Asuka now in control, it seems like Satomura is fully spent by this point, but she hooks on an armbar and then hits a spinning heel kick off the ropes before connecting with a Death Valley Driver for another 2.5. Satomura applies a headlock, a comparatively simple hold in a match full of more innovative submissions, and transitions it into a leg-assisted sleeper before hitting yet another DVD. This one also only gets 2! Dang. Asuka no-sells the damage a bit and hits a german suplex out of nowhere. Not a fan of the lack of transition there after how dominant Satomura was there. A kick exchange follows with both women landing big ones and then Asuka applying something akin to a Tazmission but even more brutal-looking. Locked with nowhere to go, the referee finally calls it for Asuka and we have a winner in a super competitive battle. This was really good, but not quite "essential" viewing. I'm eager to check out more from Meiko Satomura. (3.5/5)

Meiko Satomura vs. Toshie Uematsu (03/31/1997, WCW) - This is the rare joshi match from an episode of WCW Nitro, which means we're not going to get an epic but it should still be a fun bout. Uematsu gets some offense in at first, but its not long before Satomura gets hold of her arm for an armbreaker before following it up with a big forearm in the corner, a scoop slam, and then a frog splash - but Uematsu gets her knees up! Uematsu runs and does a flip off Satomura a couple times, which is more odd-looking than devastating. Satomura goes to the top but gets picked flipped into the middle of the ring. Uematsu with a devastating splash from the top rope! Now that looked good. This was too slight to be considered good and it wasn't the "fireworks show" I was hoping for. Shocked to learn that Satomura was 17 years old for this match. (2/5)

Akira Hokuto vs. Meiko Satomura (04/29/2001, GAEA) - Nice! As I'm reviewing these matches for the eventual Greatest Wrestler Ever poll over at ProWrestlingOnly, I'm hoping to only include wrestlers on my ballot who I've seen 10+ matches of...and I'm nowhere near that for either of these two. This will help. Anyway, Akira Hokuto and Satomura start things off by swinging and kicking at each other with ferocious intent. Hokuto nails Satomura with a nasty DVD early and then brains her with a series knees to the head. Damn. Satomura with a suplex and then a kick of her own. Hokuto with a damn stiff slap to the head and then another and another. Good lord. Brilliant backflip kick by Satomura and Hokuto is on the mat and holding her eye. Satomura lifts her up but Hokuto nearly catches her with an armbar. The pace of this is incredible as neither woman is giving the other even a second to breathe. Both women fight to be the first to go to the top rope, pulling and kicking each other down. Satomura goes for a flying clothesline but gets her wrist capture and its armbar time from Hokuto! It is seriously cinched, but Satomura gets to the bottom rope. Hokuto whips her out of the ring and Satomura sells the limb damage tremendously, holding her forearm in pain and crying out in pain even as she continues to try to fight once she's back in the ring. Satomura gets some offense in but its not long before Hokuto has her facedown on the mat again, her injured arm and one of her legs tied up. She somehow manages to get to the ropes but Hokuto pulls her back in and attempts a sharpshooter. Countered by Satomura...but then Hokuto counters that into a crossface. Again, Satomura's selling of the damaged wrist/arm is really great here and Hokuto's mercilessness is unbelievable. She hits her with a series of boots to the face and then a couple missile dropkicks, sending Satomura halfway across the ring. Nasty powerbomb by Hokuto! Satomura is still clutching her arm (as if to remind Hokuto that she should be working on it much more at this point?). Hokuto applies another wristlock, but Satomurua resists and eventually gets her foot to the bottom rope to break the hold. Back on their feet, Satomura rallies with a DVD of her own and then an armbar of her own too! This is the part of the match where the joshi "style" loses me a bit as we go from some really great selling and bumping to Satomura completely taking over the match without really "earning it" with a big transition. Satomura's selling of the forearm damage returns at times - it is completely ignored or anything - and I love the action that comes after her initial "comeback," specifically Hokuto cutting her off by blocking a splash with her legs, the back suplexes that Hokuto busts out, Satomura bridging out of a pinfall attempt with every bit of her remaining energy, and Satomura absolutely crushing Hokuto's skull with a kick moments later...There is too much to love about this match to be too critical of the "psychology." The "psychology" is that these two women are going to beat the holy hell out of each other until one can't stand any more and, at times, that means they're going to shrug off the type of moves that should end a match. It is as blatant here as it is in modern wrestling (especially AEW), but at least here there is no semblance of it being a collaborative "work." The kicks to the head look dangerous. The bumping looks like it could paralyze someone. The exhaustion is earned. The kickouts have struggle behind them. There is a disregard for safety here that is exhilarating to watch. In the final minutes, it seems like we're getting a direct callback to the legendary Hokuto/Kandori finish as both women hit the other with devastating strikes and Hokuto essentially falls on top of Satomura for a 2 count. Hokuto attempts a brainbuster but can't get her up at first. She ends up hitting it on her second attempt but can't make the cover! Love the added drama there as this one seemed over. Satomura makes it to her feet first to beat the referee's count (due to outside interference from Satomurua's crew) and win the match, a finish that is very dramatic and Rocky-ish and a little cheap too, if you ask me as I wish they would've gone with something a bit more definitive. Still, its a finish unlike many others so I do give them credit for doing something unique. Overall, a terrific match. (4/5)

 

Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura (09/15/1999, GAEA) - This is another one that qualifies as a "double whammy" for me as I try to watch more and more "joshi" wrestling featuring the biggest stars of the genre. Aja Kong was the champion coming into this massive dome show and there is a definite "big fight feel" to this match with huge production value and grand entrances for both competitors. It is bizarre to think that Satomura was 20 years old at this point. Satomura tries to make this an actual wrestling match early, but Kong is too big and is able to overtake her quickly and apply a rear choke before booting her in the back. Kong follows it up with a big suplex and then an elbow drop and some ground-and-pound on the mat. Satomura escapes and gets some offense in, but Kong just basically laughs it off and nails her with a kick to the thigh. Brilliant. Satomura gets some kicks in and knocks Kong off her feet, but Kong looks more annoyed than hurt at this point and applies an armbreaker. Satomura is in agony as Kong continues working on her arm and then nails her with her patented piledriver. Armbar by Kong into a cobra clutch into a full body lock. Kong with a big stalling brainbuster for another 2 count. Big stomp to the lower back by Kong as Satomura is getting completely dominated. Satomura tries to fight back a bit but gets dropped with a headbutt and then crushed again under Kong's weight. Package piledriver by Aja Kong! Dang! That was nasty and way ahead of its time in 1999 to my knowledge. Satomura tries a springboard counter but gets kicked right in the gut. Brilliant cut-off there. Kong has an answer for every hope spot with Satoruma only getting the occasional shot in. Meiko gets suplexed belly-first onto the top rope just as it looks like she may be able to put some moves together and then eats the running reverse powerslam into the corner. Kong goes for a splash but runs into Meiko's forearm. Meiko tries for a splash but Kong gets her knees up. Satomura finally strings together some offense with two big kicks to the head after a brilliant kip-up but then gets clotheslined out of the ring. Wow. Satomura practically leaps back into the ring and, using her speed, lands another big kick before having to eat a wild and stiff suplex. Meiko bridges out at 2! Kong dumps her out of the ring but no longer looks quite as confident and decides to take a risk by delivering a huge crossbody through the middle rope and onto the floor! Whoa. That was sweet. Back in the ring, Kong counters a sleeper attempt with a neckbreaker and then levels Satomura with a huge lariat. Satomura eats another one but won't stay down. Satomura attempts a Pele Kick - wild in 99' - but Kong shoves her away in mid-air. She connects with the second one but after selling the damage for a few seconds, Kong sends her halfway across the mat with a release german suplex. Kong goes off the top, but Satomura catches her in an armbar! Kong reaches the rope, but she was in trouble. Armbreaker by Satomura but Kong hits her with a powerbomb for 2! Kong hoists her up to the top rope but Satomura flips over her and, unable to hit the sunset flip powerbomb, settles for a wild belly-to-back suplex and then another Pele Kick! I didn't love Kong positioning herself for that spot - a rare moment where its clear they are "working" - but its a small criticism. DVD by Satomura for 2. Kong misses the backhand but hits a brainbuster for another 2 count. Kong tries for another backhand but clearly doesn't get all of it and Satomura hits her with a forearm, an armbreaker, and then another DVD for 2. Don't love the repetition there. Kong hits the backhand, but both women go down in exhaustion. Kong hoists Satomura up to the top and this time Meiko hits the sunset flip powerbomb! She still only gets 2, though, and Kong makes it to her feet first. Kong with another attempt at a backhand, but Satomura catches her in an armbar! Kong gets to the ropes, but just barely, and she's clutching her arm in serious pain. Back on their feet, Kong applies a sleeper, hits her with a wild backhand to the back of the skull, and then reapplies the sleeper on the mat. Satomura looks completely dead...but she spins and turns and rolls, putting up a huge struggle to escape. Kong's hold weakens and Meiko makes it to the ropes. Satomura lands another Pele Kick but gets struck by a nasty backhand! Wow. There were a few moments I didn't love and some of the spots seemed a touch repetitive, but the majority of this match was great stuff. (4/5)

Black Terry vs. Multifaceto (04/17/2008, CMLL) - Black Terry meets Multifaceto in the aisleway to start the match in this Hair vs. Mask showdown, gaining the upperhand immediately. Black Terry connects with a pair of codebreakers and then applies something akin to a tarantula. Upon releasing the hold, Multifaceto flies into the barricade. Cool bump. Back in the ring, Multifaceto gains some steam with a bulldog, but an attempt at a springboard Coffin Drop-esque splash gets countered and Terry wins the first fall. Into the crowd they go during the second round with Black Terry blasting Multifaceto with a beer bottle at one point. When he tries to use a chair, the ref demands he return to the ring but he ignores him and throws the chair into his opponent's face. Back in the ring, Terry gets a nearfall and then lays in some really good-looking punches, including an awesome right hand. Either from the punches or Black Terry biting him earlier, Multifaceto is a bloody messy at this point. Gotta love lucha gore. Multifaceto mounts a comeback and applies a really cool submission to win the second fall after hitting a nifty pop-up spinebuster. Someone should definitely steal that combo. During the rest period, Black Terry's second (I'm not sure what his name is) wraps his ribs for him. Multifaceto controls the third fall early. They go back into the crowd for more brawling, this time with Multifaceto in control. Multifaceto hits Terry with a chair, which busts him open. Multifaceto bites him! Back at ringside, the two men trade punches and headbutts but theyre both too exhausted to do much else. In the ring, Multifaceto applies a side bow-and-arrow but Terry escapes, hits a spinebuster, and then applies a leg submission of his own - an inverted figure four. Multifaceto gets to the ropes to break the hold. They continue trading submissions, the match kinda swinging back and forth between being a wild brawl and a more grueling battle of technique and stretching. It wouldn't necessarily work if either part or the selling weren't as good as they are. I love Black Terry attempting to cheat to win but getting stopped by El Pantera (Multifaceto's second) and then Black Terry booting him straight in the face. El Pantera prevents Black Terry from delivering a tope and gets banished from ringside. Quickly after, it is Black Terry's second that gets sent packing. Multifaceto hits a suicide dive - but it takes out the referee on the outside! Not the greatest dive I've ever seen, but I like the twist. Black Terry with a brilliant DDT after catching Multifaceto off the ropes and Multifaceto taps out to a headlock submission but there's no ref to make the call! As Terry goes to revive the referee, his buddy comes in and hits Multifaceto with a low blow. The ref is back to make the count, but Multifaceto kicks out at 2. Side splash by Terry for another nearfall. Black Terry goes for a suplex, but Multifaceto counters it into a small package. Wow. Was not expecting that finish, but it absolutely worked. This was good stuff. (3.5/5)

Black Terry vs. Mr. Condor (12/05/2021, ZONA 23) - I'm not exactly sure what I'm watching here as this match is taking place in some sort of makeshift outdoor wrestling venue. Black Terry and Mr. Condor are both old men and look like it, but that doesn't stop them from beating the heck out of each other. This match is captured on film in a way unlike most any I've seen, with lots of handheld cameras both near and far from the action. Condor draws first blood, carving into Terry's skin with something. Condor nails him in the back with a chair and then we get more straight-up fisticuffs. Black Terry connects with some knees to the gut and Mr. Condor breaks a beer bottle against the post and threatens to stab Terry with it! Holy shit. Black Terry gets one of his own! They drop their weapons and Black Terry grabs hold of Condor and bashes him against the hood of a car. Terry grabs a computer keyboard - there is trash and all sorts of weird objects and broken down cars all over the place - and beats Condor with it and then rolls him into the ring. Condor is bleeding like a stuck pig and we get a wild visual as Terry ties him up in the ropes and hits him with some big forearms. Condor grabs a glass plate and smashes it over Terry's head. Dang. That only gets him a 2 count, though. Back out of the ring they go for more brawling, trading punches, headbutts, chops, and quite a few words too. Back in the ring, Black Terry hits a not-so-great clothesline off the ropes and then goes for a submission but gets caught in one instead. Condor goes for a nifty cover to get the win with Black Terry kicking out just a split second too late. I wish the finish had been built up to a bit better as the rest of the match was such a violent spectacle that it felt a bit anticlimactic. I wouldn't consider this "must see," but it was certainly a unique setting and a wild viewing experience to see two guys in their mid-to-late 60s have such a violent, bloody brawl. (3/5)

Stan Hansen vs. Terry Gordy (09/11/1986, AJPW) - Gordy and Hansen take absolutely no time warming up here as they bring the fight to each other from before the bell even rings, Hansen not even able to lose his trademark vest until Gordy opts to take a "breather" after their initial flurry. The first big "spot" of the match might be Gordy attempting a piledriver/powerbomb, Hansen countering by grabbing the ropes, both guys spilling to the floor, and then Hansen taking control using the ring post before delivering a vicious stomp and some stiff blows. Gordy gets busted open and is bleeding big time, just gushing blood from his head. Back to the outside they go and Gordy dodges a clothesline, causing Hansen to wrap his arm around the post. Gordy with an armbreaker back in the ring and then an armbar on the mat. At this point, Gordy is still bleeding huge, every breath spraying red mist across the ring. Gordy's focus and work on the arm is great stuff and Hansen sells the heck out of it. Gordy tries a splash from the top and Hansen dodges it, giving him the opening he needs to re-take control. Hansen lands a simple piledriver and then a simple back suplex for 2. Hansen with a big boot to a seated Gordy and then another. Hansen looks to hit a big lariat and finish Gordy off, but he gets pulled to the mat by Killer Khan, who then tosses a chair into the ring for Gordy to use. It's 2-on-1, giving us a shit finish. Gordy ends up bashing Khan with a chair and Hansen runs the heels off with some chair-swinging of his own. Outside the ring, Gordy starts tossing chairs into the ring, not really aiming for Hansen, who is now busted open too. A more definitive finish and a longer runtime could've made this really special, but what we get - plus a fun post-match brawl - is enough to still consider this above-average, if not quite "must see." (3/5)

Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu (09/02/1989, AJPW) - Mildly disappointing, but only because I expected a touch more from this. It goes under 15 minutes and is very one-sided for its first half as Gordy absolutely dominates the champ. The second half is more even, but some of Tenryu's enziguiris look like they're not quite on target. I loved Tenryu's emphatic resistance to every Gordy attempt at a powerbomb or piledriver. I was impressed by Tenryu's ability to get Gordy up for multiple powerbombs. Obviously with Tenryu and Gordy you are going to get some serious physicality and stiff shots, but there are better examples of it out there which makes this feel lesser in comparison. (3/5)

Kenta Kobashi vs. Vader (02/27/2000, AJPW) - If you told me that Vader had much of a career, with well-regarded matches, after his WWE run ended in the late 90s, I wouldn't have believed you. And, watching this, it is very obvious that he is moving considerably slower, carrying a bit too much weight, and not nearly as dynamic or agile as he once was. That being said, Kenta Kobashi is incredible throughout, selling the heck out of Vader's offense despite it not having the brutal force it once had and taking some heinous bumps on the back of his head. When the crowd comes alive for the second half of the match, you get some really dramatic nearfalls and I thought the finish worked well as Kobashi was able to put down Vader with two huge lariats. Of course, in the US, that sort of finish would never work, but here, where so much of the match was about Vader's size and power, it made sense that it would eventually be his lack of agility, his slowness, and his size that prevented him from being able to kick out once he was down for the count. A really good match. (3.5/5)

Bruiser Brody vs. Terry Funk (11/30/1981, AJPW) - I'm not sure there's enough actual wrestling to consider this a classic. There is little to no "build" or much of a story...but boy is this bloody. Funk either blades himself too deep or gets legitimately split open within the first few minutes of the match and, from that point on, that's really all that this match is about. Funk stumbles and flays, blinded by the crimson that covers his face. Brody ends up opened up too and the match gets more and more violent and wild with Funk taking an awesome fall to the outside at one point. Jimmy Snuka shows up, which keeps this from having a satisfying ending, though you do get the great visual of Brody using his chain to tie Funk into the bottom rope so he can stomp on his knee. This brings Dory Funk out and, eventually, we get a big pull apart. Not much a "match" so its hard to judge something like this, but it was good. (3/5)

Mach Fumiake vs. Jumbo Miyamoto (03/19/1975, AJW) - More historically important than "good," this match is missing a few moments (I think?), but is an interesting watch as it is regarded by many to be the "birth" of real Joshi wrestling. Based on what I've read, Fumiake was a celebrity singer in Japan who brought star power to women's wrestling, which, like in the US, was mostly scene as a sideshow up till that point. While I'm not sure if this was her debut or not, she wins the World Championship here from Miyamoto, who is definitely the more seasoned and animated worker based on this match. Again, not a "must see" match based on its quality necessary - it goes under 5 minutes - but one that has a historic importance. Hard to rate, but based on "the work" and the crowd's engagement, I'm fine calling this just a little sub-average. (1.5/5)