Best Of The Year...So Far

My infinite dorkdome came to life following CHIKARA’s season 8 Premier, “Revelation X” (1/25/09), as I told Amasis, who was out to say hello to the crowd after the show, that The Osirian Portal vs. The Colony was the best match I had seen this year. Of course, with this being the first live show I had been to for the year and it generally being pretty early on in the calendar, the compliment came with an asterisk at best. Best match of the year...so far. And “so far” with so long to go didn’t necessarily mean much at all.

Now with a second viewing under my belt, I must say it again - The Osirian Portal vs. The Colony is the best match of the year...so far. The level of creativity and uniqueness brought to the bout by both teams is off the charts. As a fan of all four, I expected nothing but greatness, and received even more than that. Anybody who ever feared these young talents were only good for hitting their big spots and not being able to put together a full narrative need only see this contest for proof that they are all well rounded wrestlers. And they have many more brilliant matches in them. Here is the first of many.

The other main event of the night was the first ever ladder match in CHIKARA, as Vin Gerard battled Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen for the Young Lions Cup. Unfortunately, it seems to come across as a bit polarizing to much of the audience. People have a certain expectation of ladder matches, and for their first ladder match, CHIKARA tried to do something very different. They built a highly psychological back and forth between two men who hate each other. The lack of ladder use is part of what makes this not just another ladder match. And while some of the middle of the match does drag, it does so in a way that makes a lot of sense. May not be match of the year material, but for the decidedly uncommon approach alone it gets a huge thumbs up.

As a whole, Revelation X is a fantastic show, with everything CHIKARA does perfectly put on display. When it comes to tag team wrestling, nobody rivals CHIKARA, and there is no shortage of proof of that fact here. Add to that a great Delirious vs. Eddie Kingston bout, with a finish that comes across as plain brutal, and an entertaining Sara Del Ray vs. Daizee Haze match, let the fact that this is the 4,756th time they are wrestling each other be damned, and you have the makings for a perfect start to the new CHIKARA season.

Best show of the year...so far.

Quite Possibly The Greatest Stable Creation Ever!

Entertaining as that first hour of JAPW Wildcard 5 was, the rest of the show is twice, maybe thrice, hell maybe four times as awesome. That’s right, four times awesome, which I think equals foursome, but that’s a different conversation entirely.

What really makes this show is the formation of...wait for it...The Hillbilly Wrecking Crew. That’s right, Jay Briscoe, Necro Butcher, and Brodie Lee are rednecks, and they’re pissed! As Necro Butcher says in the most amazing promo ever, “All you people with non-American last names, watch out!” JAPW just found a license to print money, because this angle is gold.

Incredible stable creation aside, the last four matches on the show prove to be a stream of stupefying stimulation.

-Love the style clash that is Bandido Jr. vs. B-Boy. Bandido is a fast paced worker who can turn the speed on at any moment. B-Boy, on the other hand, hits very few moves, but the moves he hits are powerful and dominating. The two just click in the ring, and make for a really good bout. Sign me up to see these titans clash again.

-The one-two combo of high octane aerial combat in the tag title three-way and the light heavyweight title four-way is a thrill to witness. There are more dives in these matches than on a mafia-run boxing card. Some of it is innovative, some of it is sloppy, but all of it is a blast. Flip Kendrick and Prince Mustafa Ali come off as looking especially impressive; Flip with his unique maneuvers, Ali with his all-around solid ring work. Good, good stuff.

-There’s no way a Hernandez vs. Necro Butcher match should be as amusing as their main event bout here is, particularly in the year 2009. But hot dog, these guys just go after each other in a way that can only be described as enjoyable. No weapon is too small, no crowd member too robust to be spared the need to move out of their destructive way. Thumbs up for the fun of it all alone.

That’s really the sentiment for JAPW Wildcard 5 as a whole - thumps up for the fun of it all.

Wildcard 5...well, the first hour anyway

Last night, Jersey All Pro Wrestling held their first show of 2010, with a card so gigantic that on paper it could easily be in the running for Indy Card Of The Year. I cannot wait to check the show out on DVD...eventually. Right now we are back, back, way back, back at JAPW’s first show of 2009 - “Wildcard 5” (1/24/09) - coming to you from lovely, beautiful Rahway, New Jersey.

It was only an hour into the show before The Sandman showed up. No, not the professional wrestler, but rather the mystical being that whispered in my ear “Joe, go to bed now or fall asleep on the couch and be a douche when your girlfriend tries to wake you up so you can move to the bed.” But hey an hour’s viewing is better than nothing, and dare I say if you must spend time in New Jersey, even by way of digital video, an hour is plenty.

Some thoughts from the first sixty minutes of Wildcard 5:

-Great opening match with The Heavy Hitters taking on the debuting Osirian Portal. I’m a pretty big fan of the Portal from their CHIKARA work, and getting to see them in a new environment is exciting. It was a different kind of match for Amasis and Ophidian, working two guys easily twice if not three times their size. Made for some really clever spots and a lot of fun moments.

-I’m glad I watched Don Juan vs. Sexxxy Eddy at around 12:30 a.m., as I’m pretty sure watching either man prior to the sun going down is a federal offense. There’s not much wrestling to discuss here, both guys really just spend the bout playing up their gimmicks, which when you’re in a slightly sleep deprived state proves entertaining. I’m assuming it might be enjoyable when you’re well rested too, but I can’t say for sure.

-Thumbs up for the four-way pitting Kevin Steen against Archadia, Dan Maff, and Eddie Kingston. Everybody gets a chance to shine here, hitting an impressive move or two and having their spotlight moment. It’s basic four-way booking, but it works. Love the finish, and how brilliantly it comes across.

-Homicide and Jay Briscoe end the hour with a really good bout, featuring solid work from both men. They had fun with it, but also turned on the intensity when the time was right. So far this might be the best match on the show, by a hair, which when you consider the bald heads on both Homicide and Jay Briscoe, makes you wonder just where that hair is coming from.

Okay, it’s 11:08 in the morning and I’m pretty sure I just made a pubic hair joke. That’s all for now. Walking away from the keyboard before I do worse.

Getting your head kicked in by a one legged man

Seems like just yesterday we were discussing Ring of Honor’s first shows for 2008; a weekend highlighted by a fun-but-messy main event from the second show, “Transform,” that had a third of the roster involved to entertain the crowd in Edison, New Jersey. The initial cards of the year are often not designed to be the most awe inspiring or direction setting. Most of the matches are one offs, random pairings, and loose ends hanging on from the previous calendar pages.

To start 2009, ROH presented a weekend of shows that actually seemed to aim higher than usual. Two nights full of interesting bouts that set up stories for the months to come. Definitely a change from the previous year...even if the main event from the second show once again featured a third of the roster coming out to entertain the crowd in Edison, New Jersey.

First an admission - this is the second time I have watched “Full Circle” (1/16/09) and “Injustice II” (1/17/09), and that’s a good thing. The first spin these shows received in my DVD player left me somewhat disappointed, especially with Injustice II and its “boring card” and “plodding world title match.” Consider that opinion null and my love for the shows to officially exist.

It took a Saturday afternoon to watch the two shows; viewing them back to back was a great idea. Story lines flow from one night to the next, and it comes across especially well when watching in one long sitting.

Our first stop is Manassas, Virginia, where ROH gives us a truly solid night of action with Full Circle. What struck me initially about this show, and still does, is how strong the top half of the card is. We are presented with three singles matches involving the clearly identified six top tier talents in the company today, and all three bouts deliver everything you can hope for.

Austin Aries vs. Jerry Lynn gives us a look at the “new” Austin Aries, which ends up being a ton of fun. Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Jacobs is pure brilliance as a wrestling match, with a story that is as solid as any I’ve ever seen in the squared circle. This battle makes Jacobs look amazing, and keeps Danielson’s moniker of “Best in the World” sounding completely valid.

The top bout of the night is a one-on-one non-title meeting between Nigel McGuinness and Tyler Black. While I loved their first singles meeting and the subsequent times the two have clashed in multi-man matches, this round of their feud feels brand new. Suddenly Tyler Black looks like he belongs in there with Nigel, and doesn’t seem quite like the underdog. If anything, Black comes off as the up-and-comer who has arrived, while Nigel, who previously looked like the unstoppable champion, now looks worn and desperate. This leads to a much different battle between them than ever before, with both men looking to try something new for the victory. A really good match, second only to Jacobs/Danielson for the night.

The rest of the card is solid as well, with the Roderick Strong and Jay Briscoe vs. American Wolves tag match being noteworthy alone for the intensity all four wrestlers bring to the bout. Overall a well-built show completely worth repeat viewing.

Full Circle aside, the highlight of the weekend is definitely Injustice II, which features a couple of great matches and some really fun promo work by the likes of Austin Aries and Bryan Danielson.

Match of the night honors go to the ROH World Title bout between champ Nigel McGuinness and Tyler Black. The first time I saw this match, I hated it. The booking seemed overdone and the wrestling predictable. Luckily, nobody ever said first impressions had to be everlasting. This time I saw what the match set out to be from the get-go – a fun, almost epic war between two of the top stars in the company. The big match feel was there, and it was earned. To be fair, I wasn’t totally wrong before, there is more going on booking-wise in this one match than some entire ROH shows have had, but it all adds up to something quite entertaining. That’s what matters, and that’s what I somehow missed before.

Jerry Lynn and Bryan Danielson worked their magic earlier in the night. At first I didn’t think this match was as good as their encounter last December, but now I’m positive it is better than that previous meeting. When they’re on their game, Lynn and Danielson are among the best in the business, a theory made very much apparent here. The technical work is incredible, and the animosity and drama they build is fantastic. Great bout.

Props also go to the three-way dance between Austin Aries, Jimmy Jacobs, and Jay Briscoe. The plot points leading up are perfectly executed, and the three deliver a great match once the bell sounds. If there is one misstep on the card, it would be the Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens vs. American Wolves tag contest, which never seems to get out of second gear. Overall though, this is a great show that ends a great weekend of pro wrestling.

Looks like we’re off to a good start!