Random Matches

Kyle Fletcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa (02/11/2026, AEW): This was a match for Ciampa's TNT Championship on Dynamite just a few short days before AEW's next big PPV, Grand Slam (which was held in Fletcher's home counry of Australia). Ciampa had come into AEW just a few weeks before this and defeated Mark Briscoe for the TNT Championship in his second match with the promotion. This is non-stop, physical action, but the first half of the match felt a little emotionally "hollow" to me with too much back-and-forth bomb-throwing and not enough story. Fortunately, after a commercial break, things got more heightened and you got a stronger sense of urgency as the timekeeper announced there were 10 minutes remaining and then 5 minutes remaining and we got a whole bunch of finisher kickouts and some spectacular 2.9999 kickouts out of Ciampa especially. I also really liked Danielson on commentary for this as you can always sense his enjoyment and appreciation of a great match and a great performance (and you can tell how impressed he is out of Fletcher, who is silky smooth in the ring but also makes everything look like it genuinely hurts). The finish absolutely "got" me as I was expecting this to go to a time limit draw once we got within 2-3. Really strong match with an unpredictable finish in front of a crowd that seemed to start out a bit tepid but then got fully into it. (3/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Jun Akiyama and Kenta Kobashi (10/23/1999, AJPW): With these four, its hard not to go into this match with high expectations. Akiyama and Ogawa start things off, but its not long before Kenta gets the tag and demands some time with Misawa. After some chops from Kobashi and a big knee from Akiyama, Misawa ends up on the outside getting whipped into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Misawa makes a comeback and Ogawa hits a back suplex on Akiyama. Suicide dive by Misawa to Kobashi on the floor! We get a dosey-do spot with Misawa getting whipped into Ogawa and Ogawa whipping him back into Kobashi to deliver a forearm. Its a little silly but I dug it. Back into the ring they go with Misawa and Ogawa in control and Kobashi taking punishment. Misawa applies a chinlock and then tags Ogawa back in for a bit of tandem offense. Ogawa applies a rear headlock but Kobashi fights back and hits a shoulder tackle before tagging Akiyama again. Jumping knee by Akiyama, elbow in the corner, snap mare, dropkick to the back, and then a headlock. Ogawa gets out via rope break and tags in Misawa and we get a forearm exchange with Akiyama getting felled. Back on the outside, Ogawa gets whipped into the rails by Akiyama and then eats a DDT too. Akiyama only gets a one count though and tags in Kobashi. Inverted Atomic Drop by Akiyama into a huge chop by Kobashi. Kobashi delivers a delayed vertical supplex for 2 and then applies a crab. Akiyama hits a forearm on Misawa on the outside to prevent him from breaking the hold but Ogawa won't tap and Misawa rolls in to break it up anyway. Akiyama hits a bunch of forearms to Ogawa's lower back but gets sunset flipped for 2. The match falls apart a bit as Kobashi and Misawa go after each other, but the ref regains control and the match returns to the ring where Ogawa gets beaten up for a bit. Misawa gets the tag and hits a huge flying forearm off the top rope and then a lariat off the ropes. Misawa attempts a Tiger Driver by Akiyama breaks it up. Misawa clobbers Akiyama and hits the Tiger Driver after all for 2! Frog Splash by Misawa for another nearfall. Kobashi applies a sleeper and then flips Misawa with a ridiculous sleeperhold suplex! Running knee in the corner by Akiyama and then another! Underhook DDT by Akiyama and then a flying forearm to the back of the head for 2! I'm not a huge Akiyama fan but that was crazy. Misawa escapes Akiyama's finisher attempt, hits a forearm, and then tags in Ogawa. Ogawa with a heel kick to Kobashi and hits a DDT and a back suplex on Akiyama for 2! Nifty tandem offense by Misawa and Ogawa, including a brilliant German Suplex by Misawa into a Back Suplex by Ogawa sequence. Ogawa with a Tiger Driver on Akiyama for 2.5 while Kobashi and Misawa duke it out on the floor! Another nearfall by Ogawa after his third (or fourth?) chin breaker (preceded by an eye poke). Kobashi and Misawa both get tagged in and Misawa delivers a Tiger Driver for another nearfall. Misawa with a flying clothesline/bulldog off the top and then hits the spinning forearm and gets yet another nearfall after a sick tiger suplex! Misawa goes for a scoop slam but Kobashi fights back with a series of nasty suplexes of his own! Kobashi hoists him up and positions him for Akiyama to deliver a powerbomb from the top rope! Dang. Misawa gets to his feet and gets some shots in but Kobashi clobbers him with a huge lariat for 2. And then another! Ogawa breaks the count but that looked like it could've been the finish. Double shoulder tackle by Akiyama and Kobashi on Ogawa. Big knee to the back of Misawa and then a Kobashi clothesline to the back of the head! Kobashi with the Burning Hammer (Torture Rack Driver) to end it! Wow. This wasn't perfect but it was very, very good and I really liked Akiyama's somewhat subtle heel work and, of course, Ogawa being so fun to watch as a foil to the stoic, super-serious Misawa. (4/5)

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Zach Sabre Jr. (03/17/2017, AAW): This was about what I expected with O'Reilly and Sabre both being submission specialists, though it didn't hook me from beginning to end. I think better commentary might've helped too. Move-wise, these guys wrench, twist, and lock each other up in a variety of ways to start before the action becomes more intense, faster-paced, and strike-heavy as they build to the finish. Not a match I'd recommend unless you're a superfan of either of these two, but good enough. (3/5)

Alundra Blayze (Madusa) vs. Bull Nakano (08/25/1994, WWE): This is a fun watch just because it is a "fan cam" from a house show at Madison Square Garden and the "commentary" is provided by the guy holding his camera and his son. Blayze and Nakano were working through the match they'd have at SummerSlam just 5 days later, though this is obviously not as good as that one (a match that, in my review all the way back in 2021, I described as "arguably the best [WWE] Women's Match of the 90s." This is very much a "house show match," but that doesn't mean Madusa and Nakano were half-assing it as much as it just means, as the father on commentary notes, most of the spots and sequences are pretty predictable. (2.5/5)

La Parka vs. Super Calo (09/28/1998, WCW): Your standard filler match from Nitro designed to showcase WCW's lucha talent. They only get about 5-6 minutes so there's not nearly enough time to do much but fly around and hit high spots. Throwing so much into such a short match means that nothing really resonates or stands out as particularly memorable, especially because La Parka can be hit-or-miss with his execution and doesn't have the speed and agility of a Rey Mysterio or Juvi Guerrera. Super Calo doesn't have their execution either and doing "more" ends up making them both look sloppy. The most memorable part was probably Calo attacking La Parka with his own chair during the post-match. (1.5/5)

Jay White vs. Will Ospreay (05/12/2017, ROH): This felt like a showcase match for White way more than it was for Ospreay, which makes a bit of sense because White had only been on "excursion" (as the commentators explain) for a relatively brief amount of time. It's clear that Ospreay and White were already tremendous at the in-ring "movez" part of wrestling and, in front of this crowd, that's enough for this match to get huge reactions for the big spots and counters...but Ospreay had yet to become as great and innovative as he would be and Jay White was lacking the cool, cunning Switchblade character that made him one of AEW's most reliable stars (before injury seemed to derail all his momentum). So, despite all the thrilling action, the match didn't pull me in the way it probably would today. (3/5)

The Great Sasuke vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (06/01/1996, World Wrestling Peace Festival): This match was part of a "festival" that also featured wrestlers from WCW, New Japan (I think?), and either AAA or CMLL (if not both). Dan Severn was even on this show! Anyway...I went into this match thinking it would be great and was a bit underwhelmed. The second half is much more interesting and exciting than the first half and, as always, Liger's offense is the high point, but this wasn't "special" the way I expected it would be considering Sasuke and Liger's history (their J-Cup match in 94' is frequently cited as one of the best matches ever). There's enough good work to put this firmly in that average-slightly above average range. (3/5)

Tajiri/Psicosis/Mikey Whipwreck vs. Little Guido/Tony Mamaluke/Big Sal Graziano (08/18/2000, ECW): This goes under 6 minutes, which is a shame because Tajiri and Guido are probably in my top 10 favorite ECW workers. With such a short runtime, we don't get much comedy, which is what Big Sal did best. I liked the finish, which saw Tajiri accidentally blow mist into Psicosis' face and then get kicked in the junk as payback (giving the FBI the victory). Fun match that I wish would've been twice as long. (2.5/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama (01/26/1998, AJPW): I'm always a little confused when I see a match like this and see such conflicting views of it on Cagematch and at ProWrestlingOnly. I think most "serious" wrestling fans would consider this to fall into that great-classic range as Akiyama brings to the fight to Misawa, his former tag partner/mentor, delivering every possible big-time move in his arsenal, but ultimately falling short as Misawa is able to once again withstand the best that his opponents have to offer and hit his own "death blow" (the Emerald Flowsion) to finish off his exhausted adversary. I'm sure the formula gets a bit tiring for those that have seen dozens and dozens of Misawa matches (or matches with similar layouts), but I'm not one of those people and I don't personally know any either - which is how you end up with the glowing praise on Cagematch and the more dismissive/lukewarm reviews on ProWrestlingOnly. I'm with the former. This match ruled and I audibly gasped at certain spots. Very, very much worth-watching. (4/5)

Bull Nakano vs. Shinobu Kandori (07/14/1994, LLPW): Take Bull Nakano, AJW's resident monster, and Shinobu Kandori, LLPW's ace (or one of them), tie them together with a chain, let them loose, and you'll end up with an awesome fight. These two don't bother with many holds or slams as they go at each other with the chain, wrapping it around each other's necks, whipping each other with it, wrapping it around their fists and legs to deliver to strikes...and, no surprise, it doesn't take long before they're both bloody messes. This match was so visually stunning and captivating that I didn't even realize that there was no commentary (at least not on the YouTube video I watched) until towards the end. It was also funny to me that, reading some of the reviews on ProWrestlingOnly, it was noted by a couple fans that this match felt more "hardcore" than anything ECW was producing at the time and I had the exact same thought. This sort of wrestling was very out-of-fashion in the mainstream US promotions and even ECW wasn't putting on matches that felt this truly intense and emotional. If you're at all into the violent side of wrestling, this is a must-watch. (4/5)

Akira Taue vs. Kenta Kobashi (07/26/1991, AJPW): I was surprised to see that this match didn't warrant a thread over at ProWrestlingOnly as Taue and Kobashi doing battle in singles, tags, or six-mans is almost always worth watching. There's lots to like about this match with Kobashi taking early control with a DDT on the floor but Taue rallying and eventually hitting one of his own. I really liked Kobashi's extended selling of knee damage and wish Taue would've targeted the knee more instead of going after the neck. For a 30-minute match (that ends with a time limit draw), they worked a really good pace and didn't over-rely on submissions or overselling. Even just 3 years into his career, Kobashi had the crowd fully supporting him and treating him like a huge deal and the same is true of Taue, who had made his name tagging with Jumbo Tsuruta. Good, not great. (3/5)

La Parka and Silver King vs. Damien 666 and Ciclope (06/07/1999, WCW): This was a "Falls Count Anywhere Mexican Hardcore" match from an episode of Nitro that I was surprised to learn was not booked by Vince Russo. No, this was just WCW throwing a ridiculous gimmick match in front of the crowd with seemingly little to no direction or long-term booking in mind. Fortunately, you don't need much of a "story" when you have these four going out and going wild with tables and chairs and trash cans. This isn't a "good" match and Schiavone's enthusiasm sounds forced in a way that, say, Dustys' commentary never did. Heenan seemed to enjoy the chaos but didn't add anything to the presentation either, which is a shame because there are other times when his excitement for the work of Rey Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera is beneficial. (2/5)

Eddie Kingston vs. Kevin Steen (08/11/2012, ROH): This was an "Anything Goes" match for Steen's ROH World Championship so they don't waste much time doing any wrestling and just go straight for the furniture usage/wreckage. After Steen delivers a powerbomb on Kingston through a table suspended between the apron and the guardrail (with the bottom of the table and all its metal framing pointing up), we get an extended stretcher "moment" that allows Steen to cut an angry promo against the fans in attendance and the challenger. It goes on for too long, though, and hurt the momentum of the match. It also doesn't help that, while the spot is certainly not something you see every day, Kingston (and Steen, for that matter) were known for surviving and battling through more brutal and violent incidents. Steen insults Kingston's former rival and longtime friend Larry Sweeny, which is really shameful and cheap (even if Sweeny might've approved), and Kingston rallies back into the ring. After a bit of a comeback by Kingston, including an awesome suplex that gets a big nearfall, Steen regains control, does a cannonball into a chair that is laying across Kingston's chest and then hits him with his F5/AA-type move through a table and then a pair of chairs to finish him off. (2.5/5)

Alundra Blayze (Madusa) and Bob Holly vs. Bull Nakano and Hakushi (03/13/1995, WWE): This was a rare mixed tag match filmed for the WrestleFest 95' home video. Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane provide the commentary for this. The best parts of this match all come from Blayze and Nakano, who had great chemistry (even if I'm guessing most of their minutes were made-up of stuff they'd done before). Holly and Hakushi are a bit clunkier together, slow moving and less impressive overall (though I do love Hakushi's handspring back elbow). Fine for what it was: a dark match in front of a crowd that wasn't super interested in any of it. (2.5/5)

Randy Savage vs. Bobby Eaton (09/20/1997, WCW): I'm guessing that Savage and Eaton had much better matches than this at some point in their early careers but this is not the "hidden gem" that I was hoping for. As good as Savage was up till the mid-90s, by this point, he was more "miss than hit" outside of the DDP feud. Eaton is also someone who is usually reliable for a decent contest but this was boring and slow and lacked any creative energy. This isn't one-sided enough to be a squash or action-packed enough to be a sprint. This is two guys going through the motions on one of WCW's C-shows, Worldwide. (1/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (04/15/2000, AJPW): Ogawa and Misawa were former tag partners and Misawa was Ogawa's mentor. This isn't great. It starts a bit slow with Ogawa working the heck out of simple headlock and while there are moments when things pick up, the match never reaches the heights of Misawa's more revered singles matches. Connoisseurs and die-hard fans of the Kings Road style would probably consider this match highly effective and even brilliant due to the story that is told and built here with Ogawa, despite showing technical skill and lots of determination, not being in Misawa's league and Misawa basically just letting him exhaust himself until he puts him down definitively in the final minutes. As much as that story makes logical sense, it doesn't make for much drama because it never really feels like Misawa is in trouble. (2/5)

Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa vs. 2 Cold Scorpio and Doug Williams (01/23/2005, NOAH): This is a long, weird match. For starters, the crowd is surprisingly dead for way too much of this, which makes me wonder if maybe there were low ticket sales or if this was just a low period for the promotion because Misawa looks miserable and tuned out for the first 2/3rds but comes alive in the final 10. 2 Cold Scorpio does some tremendous work at times and tries his very best to get the crowd into things, but reactions are just mild throughout (even when he hits the 450). I really loved the way he targeted Ogawa's arm at one point too and wish Scorpio had worked with similar intensity in the WWE (though, as the Flash Funk it wouldn't have worked and by the time The Job Squad thing began, he was clearly being phased out with no intention of getting another look). With Misawa seeming almost disinterested at times, the match lags at points and really didn't need a runtime of close to 30 minutes but because this is a title match, I can understand the desire to go "epic." Misawa takes some crazy bumps in the final minutes and it is enough to save things, but this is not a match I'd necessarily recommend. (2.5/5)

Bull Nakano and Lioness Asuka vs. Aja Kong and Reggie Bennett (11/18/1995, AJW): This isn't perfect, but its pro-wrestlng through-and-through and there are some excellent moments in this wild fight. For example, at one point, Asuka and Nakano look like they nearly break Aja Kong's neck with an attempt a tandem powerbomb and its impossible to call that "good wrestling," but its memorable and the fact that Kong gets up and continues fighting is remarkable. Ditto for a Reggie Bennett powerbomb that is just brutal-looking. I was also somewhat surprised how much Nakano and Kong's presence outshines that of Lioness Asuka, who had changed her style and look considerably since the heyday of the Crush Gals, working as much more of a bruiser/brawler than when her and Chigusa Nagayo were known for their quickness, agility, and technique. A fun match, but I can see why this would be considered "inessential" viewing unless you're, like me, on a quest to watch 20+ Nakano, Aja Kong, and Lioness Asuka matches before April! (3/5)

Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Naomichi Marufuji and Ricky Marvin (01/25/2014, NOAH): This is a great match and my introduction to Naomichi Marufuji (and, to a lesser extent, Yuji Nagata, who I remember just a little bit from his brief WCW run). It wasn't till I read up on this match that I learned/realized that Liger is working a heel here, though having now seen more of Liger, I've been able to see more and more of how his cockiness/arrogance can make him something of a "tweener" at times. These four do so, so much in this match and it just builds and builds beautifully as it goes. I was surprised this didn't have a write-up on ProWrestlingOnly as Liger, Nagata, and Marufuji are all popular there, but whatever - I dug this quite a bit and am looking forward to watching more Marufuji as I enter the homestretch of my GWE viewing. (3.5/5)

Manami Toyota vs. Yumiko Hotta (09/03/1995, AJW): An easy must-watch to my eyes, this absolutely ruled. Loved all of Toyota's springboard stuff. Hotta's kicks were absolutely nasty. Some insane suplexes and head drops. Lots of could-be/would-be/should-be (?) nearfalls in the closing stretch to keep it super suspenseful. The folks over at PWO did not heap a ton of praise on this one, though that seems to be partially based on just an overall dislike for Hotta, who I thought looked like a killer here. This was excellent and I even dug the finish, though I can understand why it may have seemed like it came out of nowhere. To me, it read as these two being so beaten up and out of gas by the end that it really came down to who could outsmart the other with an inventive pinning combination. Great, great bout that I'm not surprised is hovering around a 9 on Cagematch. (4.5/5)

Jon Moxley vs. Mark Davis (02/18/2026, AEW): This match from Dynamite was considerably better than the Mox/Takeshita match from a few days prior, which lacked the urgency and "hook" that this match had. Early on, Mark Davis punched the ring post and busted open his hand. I'm guessing it wasn't "hard way" but it looked absolutely brutal and realistic and Moxley did a fantastic job of targeting it repeatedly throughout the match. Speaking of Moxley, the crowd was super into him and this match in general. At one point, Davis hit a gut wrench piledriver that looked brutal. I'm not sure if the "Eliminator" format is better or worse than just giving someone like Davis a random title shot, but at least AEW is consistent with guys having to earn actual championship opportunities. (3/5)

Naomichi Marufuji and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. KENTA and Takashi Sugiura (08/24/2013, NOAH): My second Marufuji and my first Nak-in-Japan review! I thought this was a ton of fun and worth checking out if you're a fan of any of these four. I was "all in" on Nakamura after I first saw him in NXT as I couldn't believe his natural charisma and how much mileage he got out of somewhat simple offense and character work. He's excellent here for similar reasons but it's interesting to see him in his "natural habitat" rather than the more alien context of the WWE. Nakamura comes off as less of a singular/unique worker working alongside the equally confident and charismatic Marufuji, but he's still a captivating presence and it's easy to see why he got so over in his home country. KENTA's NXT run practically everything Nakamura's wasn't, but this match shows why he was considered such a big signing a year or so later. Hard-hitting strikes, really good cut-offs and sequences, a hot crowd...my biggest gripe would probably be that there was at least one save/nearfalls that looked a little sloppy and mistimed. (3.5/5)

Dusty Rhodes and The Junkyard Dog vs. Ted Dibiase and Kamala (08/12/1983, Houston Wrestling): The match itself doesn't offer much more than JYD and Rhodes beating the tar out of the two heels (opening up DiBiase in the process), but paired with the pre-match promo out of Rhodes and JYD, this is a good 15-minute clip available on YouTube. The match is a "Texas Tornado Dog Collar and Bullrope Match," which is a convoluted way of saying that JYD will have his weapon of choice and Dusty will have his and DiBiase and Kamala are going to get their asses kicked. And that's pretty much exactly what happens save for a very brief 20-30 seconds when the heels get a minute amount of offense in. The crowd loves every second of it, though, and there is something to be said for giving the audience what they want without sacrificing any of the heels' overness and credibility. DiBiase takes some cool bumps too. (2.5/5)

Bull Nakano and Dump Matsumoto vs. Lioness Asuka and Devil Masami (10/27/1984, AJW): This is a bit of a curio as it features Bull Nakano before she was the Bull Nakano that we all know and love. Wrestling under the name Keiko Nakano, she's almost invisible in this match, little more than Dump Matsumoto's "back up." This is a solid, spirited fight that gets a bit too wacky with weapons and whatnot, but I've learned that's pretty typical of Dump's matches and part of the fun. This is not your typical tag match, but its entertaining and really liked Asuka's intensity and Masami pulling out a kendo stick to even the odds against Dump's chain. Cool watch. (3/5)

Toshiaki Kawada and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshinari Ogawa (10/02/1991, AJPW): Even as someone that is still relatively new to All Japan and its major characters, I thought this was really interesting and, dare I say, "educational" towards better understanding Kawada's story and how he came to be the win-at-all-costs, borderline heel that I know him as from what I've watched of his later in the decade. In some ways, this match played to me as a bit of a "Jumbo Show," but, in this case, that's a good thing because he's so animated and is such a great asshole throughout. Kawada brings the same passion, but he's not yet as arrogant or willing to bend the rules as he would be later on. It's almost like he's not yet embraced that ruthlessness, which is interesting to see. Ogawa is fun to watch for similar reasons as he does have some of his trademark offense and technique locked in, but, from what I can gather, had not yet started to tag with Misawa regularly. There's enough great character work out of Jumbo and Kawada and quality wrestling to make this a fun watch and, having not seen much (any?) Kikuchi before, I thought he was also solid and took a hell of a beatdown. (3/5)

Swerve Strickland vs. Kenny Omega (02/18/2026, AEW): The crowd was absolutely hyped for this first-time ever match-up and Swerve and Omega definitely delivered. Some incredible spots - snapdragon suplexes and Swerve Stomps on the apron, incredible knees-to-the-face by Omega - but really what wowed me most was the execution of every sequence and move. The performances of Swerve and Omega were razor sharp, including during the post-match. I even dug the false finish built around Aubrey Edwards taking a V-Trigger. As this was the main event of an episode of Dynamite, the match went about 15-20 minutes, but nobody would've complained if it had gone twice as long; Omega and Strickland had the kind of instant, obvious chemistry that warranted the "Fight Forever" chant that rang out after the commercial break. Really, really great stuff. (4/5) 

Vader and Stan Hansen vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa (11/14/1998, AJPW): I was surprised to see that this was from 1998 because, watching it, it felt like something that could've happened earlier. Vader did not at all look like the guy who had fallen to the lows that he did in WWE and Hansen could still deliver an ass-kicking as good as anyone. The two heavyweight monsters dominate most of the match and Misawa even takes the pin, which is somewhat surprising considering Ogawa had the reputation for often being "there to take the fall" and not for his own merits as an elite, top level worker. The match doesn't overstay its welcome but doesn't reach the heights that one might hope for considering the talent involved. (2.5/5)

Bull Nakano vs. Lioness Asuka (05/14/1989, AJW): More "angle" than match, this was for the famous AJW "Red Belt," the WWWA World Championship, held by Lioness Asuka. Asuka controls early with an awesome giant swing and a nasty kick and Nakano ends up busted open. They go out to the crowd and its Asuka's turn to bleed after a chair shot. Nakano then takes the turnbuckle apart and basically all hell breaks loose as Nakano continuous to go for pins and covers as she uses more and more weapons (and gets some extra help from her gang at ringside, which includes Aja Kong and Bison Kimura) to try to beat the champ. Because the "rules" were super loose in 80s/90s joshi (I'm not sure if its still that way today), nobody gets DQ'd until Nakano beats up the referee for refusing to make a count. As a "match" its not great and, even as an angle, it seems to be a bit of a retread of what Dump Matsumoto did a few years prior with her blatant disregard of any sort of "fairness," but the crowd's excitement and anger and the ridiculous lengths that Nakano goes to hurt Asuka make this entertaining enough even if it isn't the most original thing I've seen this year. (2.5/5)