It’s time to take a DVD expedition to Pottsville, PA to watch the next CHIKARA show in my collection, “A World of Comforting Illusion” (2/28/10). And hey, Renee thinks she’s been to the building they are in to see high school bands play! We may never know if it is true, but the chances of anybody in Pennsylvania having someplace better to be on a Saturday night are pretty low. ZING!
-The UnStable of Vin Gerard and STIGMA look really good in the opener against The Throwbacks. Lots of basic stuff here, but it all works and is all very entertaining. Sugar Dunkerton and Dasher Hatfield are perfect as the good guys you just want to root for. They’re as Americana as Richie Cunningham. And the evil constituents of the UnStable are the perfect foils for our heroes from Anytown, USA. Fun stuff!
-Green Ant is awesome, I’m just saying! His battle against Brodie Lee is quite enjoyable, with the young Ant more than holding his own against the Big Rig! Really liked these two together in the ring, but there’s not much else to say past that.
-Daizee Haze and Sara Del Rey of BDK once again clash with one of CHIKARA’s top teams, this time Hallowicked and Frightmare. The bout has some good things about it, but it also has some downfalls. The story is enjoyable, but a lot of the action comes off as spotty and lacks the fineness these talents are capable of. It is exciting to see Del Ray and Hallowicked clashing, and a lot of the match can be sold on that alone. If only the ring-work was smoother. Oh well.
-For some reason, I just couldn’t get into the four-way of The Osirian Portal vs. The Badd Boyz vs. The Super Smash Brothers vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Ares of BDK. On paper this sounds remarkable, and indeed my excitement was mostly raised watching the entrances, but by the time the match started it was gone. The in-ring work was okay, and the results aren’t totally predictable, but ultimately nothing about it engrossed me.
-Hate to say the same thing for Gran Akuma vs. Eddie Kingston, but unfortunately I have to admit a lack of engagement from their bout as well. I appreciate the story here, the attempts both men take at hitting each other with the hardest blow and swiftest kick possible to get the win. But the passion just wasn’t as strong as I was expecting. The finish comes when the bout is only just starting to move into second gear, which is a bit of a disappointment.
-Four on four time as BDK brethren Tim Donst, Lince Dorado, Pinkie “Pink Ant” Sanchez, and Tursas take on Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Equinox and Helios. It starts out a bit slow and spotty, but by the end the excitement is definitely turned all the way up. The eight-man tag is a CHIKARA staple, nay it is an art that the company has mastered, so there is really no surprise at how good this bout becomes. Not quite as enjoyable as the similar battle from “A Touch of Class,” but fun stuff never the less.
-The Colony and The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple are on fire in the main event! At least, they are for the first half. Things start out really great and the work done by all four men is fantastic. Lots of close counts and exciting moments highlight the first fall of this best two out of three match. But following this, things pretty much abruptly switch gears and the rest of the bout is sacrificed for significant story line development. It is entertaining, and important to the developing BDK vs. CHIKARA plot, so thumbs up for that; however, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to some disappointment that a match on its way to being great ended up stuck at good and sacrificed for the bigger picture.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
2010 – PWG: As The Worm Turns
And we’re back in Reseda, CA for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s “As The Worm Turns” (2/27/10). Let’s get right into the action!
-Another great opener featuring some of the fresh faces of PWG! The company is smart to use these talents who are not being used in all of the other major indies as a drawing point for fans. They are unique to the product, and that makes seeing them on each show a really exciting experience. Johnny Goodtime, Jerome “LTP” Robinson, Malachi Jackson and Ryan Taylor are the four men given the spotlight here, and they do exceptional things with it. Everybody looks grand and already I am feeling high on this show. What a way to begin!
-Speaking of pushing new guys, the decision to put Brandon Gatson against Scott Lost is complete brilliance. Gatson walks away from this one looking like a huge star. His skill level is extraordinary, and generally he is a really exhilarating talent to watch. Lost is amazing too – but we knew that already – and it is Gatson’s awesomeness that is the story in this one. Another magnificent match!
-Whoa. You know, it is easy to forget how unbelievable a singles wrestler Chris Sabin is since he is part of one of the best teams in the world today with Alex Shelley. But there was a time when Sabin was an act worth investing your time in alone. Turns out, that hasn’t changed at all. In fact, Sabin has only gotten better in the ring. Sabin battles Roderick Strong in an excellent contest here; a match that I can’t say a single negative thing about. The pace is incredible, the action is furious, and overall this is a show-stealer without question. Wow.
-Really fun six-person tag with Brandon Bonham, Candice LeRae, and Joey Ryan taking on The Cutler Brothers and Christina Von Eerie. I’m a big fan of everybody here and had a good time watching this develop. Good stuff.
-Remember the time I talked about how immense Chris Sabin is as a singles wrestler and how easy that is to forget? The other half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Alex Shelley, is in a similar boat. To me he was never the best individual worker on any roster, but he was always solid. Looks like Sabin has rubbed off on his partner after all these years, as Shelley is simply on fire here against Chris Hero! Outstanding contest, right up there with Sabin vs. Strong as must-see! I have a whole new appreciation for Shelley in the ring. Hero too, honestly, as he isn’t one of my favorites all the time, but it is matches like this that make me believe the many people who argue he is one of the best on the scene today. Incredible!
-And yet another tremendous contest on this show, with The Young Bucks defending the PWG Tag Championship against 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber, also known as El Generico and Chuck Taylor! I enjoy the Bucks as heels very much, and like that they have slowed down the pace of the early parts of their matches. It makes their big double team moves and spots mean a lot more later in the game. Generico is perfect as always, and Taylor now has my full support as the next major star of the independent pro wrestling scene. The back and forth between these four is exhilarating and this adds up to quite the exceptional match.
-As if this show hasn’t been amazing enough, our main event features Davey Richards taking on Kenny Omega for the PWG World Title. It should be no surprise that these two have a terrific contest, as they have been consistently two of the best on the roster for awhile now. Certainly I think back to their clash at “Ninety-Nine” in 2009, which was breathtaking by the end. This bout isn’t quite as strong as that, but it is still pretty great, and definitely worth checking out.
I don’t want to be one of those people who begs that if you can only buy one of something this year you should buy this, but if you can only buy one indie pro wrestling DVD this year, you should buy this! PWG has more than proven itself as essential viewing to every fan out there, and this particular show, with no less than three mind-blowing battles that I don’t want to stop talking about, is as vital as it gets!
-Another great opener featuring some of the fresh faces of PWG! The company is smart to use these talents who are not being used in all of the other major indies as a drawing point for fans. They are unique to the product, and that makes seeing them on each show a really exciting experience. Johnny Goodtime, Jerome “LTP” Robinson, Malachi Jackson and Ryan Taylor are the four men given the spotlight here, and they do exceptional things with it. Everybody looks grand and already I am feeling high on this show. What a way to begin!
-Speaking of pushing new guys, the decision to put Brandon Gatson against Scott Lost is complete brilliance. Gatson walks away from this one looking like a huge star. His skill level is extraordinary, and generally he is a really exhilarating talent to watch. Lost is amazing too – but we knew that already – and it is Gatson’s awesomeness that is the story in this one. Another magnificent match!
-Whoa. You know, it is easy to forget how unbelievable a singles wrestler Chris Sabin is since he is part of one of the best teams in the world today with Alex Shelley. But there was a time when Sabin was an act worth investing your time in alone. Turns out, that hasn’t changed at all. In fact, Sabin has only gotten better in the ring. Sabin battles Roderick Strong in an excellent contest here; a match that I can’t say a single negative thing about. The pace is incredible, the action is furious, and overall this is a show-stealer without question. Wow.
-Really fun six-person tag with Brandon Bonham, Candice LeRae, and Joey Ryan taking on The Cutler Brothers and Christina Von Eerie. I’m a big fan of everybody here and had a good time watching this develop. Good stuff.
-Remember the time I talked about how immense Chris Sabin is as a singles wrestler and how easy that is to forget? The other half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Alex Shelley, is in a similar boat. To me he was never the best individual worker on any roster, but he was always solid. Looks like Sabin has rubbed off on his partner after all these years, as Shelley is simply on fire here against Chris Hero! Outstanding contest, right up there with Sabin vs. Strong as must-see! I have a whole new appreciation for Shelley in the ring. Hero too, honestly, as he isn’t one of my favorites all the time, but it is matches like this that make me believe the many people who argue he is one of the best on the scene today. Incredible!
-And yet another tremendous contest on this show, with The Young Bucks defending the PWG Tag Championship against 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber, also known as El Generico and Chuck Taylor! I enjoy the Bucks as heels very much, and like that they have slowed down the pace of the early parts of their matches. It makes their big double team moves and spots mean a lot more later in the game. Generico is perfect as always, and Taylor now has my full support as the next major star of the independent pro wrestling scene. The back and forth between these four is exhilarating and this adds up to quite the exceptional match.
-As if this show hasn’t been amazing enough, our main event features Davey Richards taking on Kenny Omega for the PWG World Title. It should be no surprise that these two have a terrific contest, as they have been consistently two of the best on the roster for awhile now. Certainly I think back to their clash at “Ninety-Nine” in 2009, which was breathtaking by the end. This bout isn’t quite as strong as that, but it is still pretty great, and definitely worth checking out.
I don’t want to be one of those people who begs that if you can only buy one of something this year you should buy this, but if you can only buy one indie pro wrestling DVD this year, you should buy this! PWG has more than proven itself as essential viewing to every fan out there, and this particular show, with no less than three mind-blowing battles that I don’t want to stop talking about, is as vital as it gets!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
2010 – ROH: 8th Anniversary Show
We enter the second month of the year with my first live show experience for 2010! It’s Ring of Honor’s “8th Anniversary Show” (2/13/10) from Manhattan, NY. These annual celebrations of ROH’s existence have always been a highlight, so let’s see if that trend is kept alive!
-Brian Kendrick makes his one-night-only return to ROH in the opener against Roderick Strong. Kendrick is once again becoming the wrestler I was a huge fan of before, and that is splendid to see. He more than keeps up with Strong and the two put together a great little bout. Really solid way to start the show, I only wish we had more Kendrick in our ROH future.
-The Kings of Wrestling vs. The Bravado Brothers has SQUASH written all over it. Indeed, the finish is never really in question. But the match itself is pretty fun! Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli are fantastic as a team, and they’ve added a ton to their tandem arsenal since they last paired a few years ago. Getting to see them show off these fancy new moves is enjoyable. And truthfully, the Bravado Brothers look good too! They get some decent offense in at times, and take a beating pretty well when they need to. Overall this is good stuff.
-Here is the first “uh oh” moment for me regarding this DVD. Eddie Kingston and Necro Butcher vs. Joey Ryan and Erick Stevens. At the show, I recall being basically entertained by this no disqualifications match. It isn’t a wrestling clinic or anything, but it isn’t meant to be. Upon re-watching the bout, I really have a hard time seeing anything that can be described as enjoyable. Really, this is just kind of there, with four guys doing a whole lot of nothing to take up time on the card. The big spot of the match still comes off as crazy, and for some reason Joey Ryan is particularly amusing to me, but overall this is as middle of the road as it gets.
-And now for the second, much larger “uh oh” of the night. El Generico vs. Davey Richards. I loved this match live. Absolutely adored it. And yet here on DVD, I find myself lukewarm to a lot of it. Things like Generico being psyched out by his current situation with Steen and Richards’ interactions with the crowd came across great in person, but here they are mostly lost on me. And the in-ring work takes a really long time to get going. Once the bout jumps into second gear, things pick up amazingly and the action becomes intense. By the finish, this definitely felt like a really good match, but not quite the blow-away contest I remembered. May have to watch this again at some point, but right now my thumb is up without being ecstatic over it.
-The Dark City Fight Club has the potential to be one of the best teams in the industry today. Truly I believe that; however, they won’t get to that point with matches like the one they have here against the Briscoes. This should have been a great clash of powerful teams. Instead, it is boring. There really is no other word for it. Nothing exciting happens at all, and this will go down as one of the more forgettable tag title contests in ROH history. At least the post match developments are pretty entertaining.
-Decent match between Delirious, Kenny King, Steve Corino, and Rasche Brown. Basically about as good as I was expecting from this group. Corino isn’t a favorite of mine, but I can see why people like him. He definitely tries hard to keep things going. Kenny King continues to be solid even though he seems like he should be superb; Delirious is Delirious, there’s really nothing new to report; and Rasche Brown continues to make me scratch my head by how much I like the guy. Every fiber of my being says don’t be a Brown fan, and yet once he gets going, I can’t help but be entertained. Forget it, I’m not going to fight it or be ashamed anymore, consider me on the Rasche Brown bandwagon!
-It is a bit odd looking back at the Colt Cabana vs. Kevin Steen bout from this show. The Steen vs. Generico feud has shaped into one of the best in ROH history, but the developments here were weird. Or at least they played out very oddly. Can’t really explain it, as I’m ultimately glad Corino and Cabana became involved in this multilayered story, but seeing how that happened on this show, it feels completely off the mark. So Steen’s working for Corino, or something, and Cabana needs to mind his own business, and...yeah, I don’t even know what they’re trying to do here. I’ll just be glad that things develop nicely past this show and forget this mess ever happened.
-And then there’s the main event. Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries for the ROH World Title, and there must be a winner. Overall this is a good match, though again one that I enjoyed more live than on DVD. There is some decent action between the two, but nothing as great as some of their matches from back in 2008. The story line involving the three judges at ringside – Roderick Strong, Kenny King, and Jim Cornette, there in case the match goes to a draw and a winner needs to be decided on – came off better in person than on video. Again, this may be one of those matches that need another home viewing to reconcile with my initial feelings, but for now my heart is more mild than wild for this contest.
Overall it was an okay show that benefitted greatly from the live event buzz and atmosphere that ROH does so well. A factor that, often times, does not translate well to the filmed product. Unfortunately, it seems this DVD is one of those times.
-Brian Kendrick makes his one-night-only return to ROH in the opener against Roderick Strong. Kendrick is once again becoming the wrestler I was a huge fan of before, and that is splendid to see. He more than keeps up with Strong and the two put together a great little bout. Really solid way to start the show, I only wish we had more Kendrick in our ROH future.
-The Kings of Wrestling vs. The Bravado Brothers has SQUASH written all over it. Indeed, the finish is never really in question. But the match itself is pretty fun! Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli are fantastic as a team, and they’ve added a ton to their tandem arsenal since they last paired a few years ago. Getting to see them show off these fancy new moves is enjoyable. And truthfully, the Bravado Brothers look good too! They get some decent offense in at times, and take a beating pretty well when they need to. Overall this is good stuff.
-Here is the first “uh oh” moment for me regarding this DVD. Eddie Kingston and Necro Butcher vs. Joey Ryan and Erick Stevens. At the show, I recall being basically entertained by this no disqualifications match. It isn’t a wrestling clinic or anything, but it isn’t meant to be. Upon re-watching the bout, I really have a hard time seeing anything that can be described as enjoyable. Really, this is just kind of there, with four guys doing a whole lot of nothing to take up time on the card. The big spot of the match still comes off as crazy, and for some reason Joey Ryan is particularly amusing to me, but overall this is as middle of the road as it gets.
-And now for the second, much larger “uh oh” of the night. El Generico vs. Davey Richards. I loved this match live. Absolutely adored it. And yet here on DVD, I find myself lukewarm to a lot of it. Things like Generico being psyched out by his current situation with Steen and Richards’ interactions with the crowd came across great in person, but here they are mostly lost on me. And the in-ring work takes a really long time to get going. Once the bout jumps into second gear, things pick up amazingly and the action becomes intense. By the finish, this definitely felt like a really good match, but not quite the blow-away contest I remembered. May have to watch this again at some point, but right now my thumb is up without being ecstatic over it.
-The Dark City Fight Club has the potential to be one of the best teams in the industry today. Truly I believe that; however, they won’t get to that point with matches like the one they have here against the Briscoes. This should have been a great clash of powerful teams. Instead, it is boring. There really is no other word for it. Nothing exciting happens at all, and this will go down as one of the more forgettable tag title contests in ROH history. At least the post match developments are pretty entertaining.
-Decent match between Delirious, Kenny King, Steve Corino, and Rasche Brown. Basically about as good as I was expecting from this group. Corino isn’t a favorite of mine, but I can see why people like him. He definitely tries hard to keep things going. Kenny King continues to be solid even though he seems like he should be superb; Delirious is Delirious, there’s really nothing new to report; and Rasche Brown continues to make me scratch my head by how much I like the guy. Every fiber of my being says don’t be a Brown fan, and yet once he gets going, I can’t help but be entertained. Forget it, I’m not going to fight it or be ashamed anymore, consider me on the Rasche Brown bandwagon!
-It is a bit odd looking back at the Colt Cabana vs. Kevin Steen bout from this show. The Steen vs. Generico feud has shaped into one of the best in ROH history, but the developments here were weird. Or at least they played out very oddly. Can’t really explain it, as I’m ultimately glad Corino and Cabana became involved in this multilayered story, but seeing how that happened on this show, it feels completely off the mark. So Steen’s working for Corino, or something, and Cabana needs to mind his own business, and...yeah, I don’t even know what they’re trying to do here. I’ll just be glad that things develop nicely past this show and forget this mess ever happened.
-And then there’s the main event. Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries for the ROH World Title, and there must be a winner. Overall this is a good match, though again one that I enjoyed more live than on DVD. There is some decent action between the two, but nothing as great as some of their matches from back in 2008. The story line involving the three judges at ringside – Roderick Strong, Kenny King, and Jim Cornette, there in case the match goes to a draw and a winner needs to be decided on – came off better in person than on video. Again, this may be one of those matches that need another home viewing to reconcile with my initial feelings, but for now my heart is more mild than wild for this contest.
Overall it was an okay show that benefitted greatly from the live event buzz and atmosphere that ROH does so well. A factor that, often times, does not translate well to the filmed product. Unfortunately, it seems this DVD is one of those times.
Friday, August 13, 2010
2010 – CHIKARA: A Touch Of Class
It’s time to start a whole new season of CHIKARA action with “A Touch of Class” (1/31/10) from Philadelphia, PA. We pick up where things left off last November, as the villainous Bruderschaft des Kreuzes made their existence know and their intention to take over the company clear. What will come of this war? Only one way to find out!
-The opener between BDK member Pinkie “Pink Ant” Sanchez and Green Ant is definitely a great start to the year! Pinkie is one of those guys who I’ve enjoyed with certain reservations in the past, but once he unmasked as Carpenter Ant, who I adored, Pinkie earned a whole new level of my admiration. Green Ant has also more than come into his own as an exciting member of the roster. These two bring an unexpected passion to this bout, making it quite the grand surprise! Good stuff.
-The main point behind The UnStable vs. Sugar Dunkerton, Player Uno, and Create-A-Wrestler is really to establish the return of CAW fan-favorite personality Dasher Hatfield. In that sense, it works, but do we really need a roughly ten minute match to pull that angle off? The action isn’t particularly that great, and overall this is forgettable.
-One of my favorite things about BDK is the formation of Daizee Haze and Sara Del Ray as a force in the tag division! Haze and Death Ray bring the intensity to their clash with the Osirian Portal, and it makes for a really good contest. Ophidian and Amasis are two of my favorites, so I wanted to see them win of course, but the sheer anger behind everything Haze and Del Ray unload on them is damn impressive. Thumbs up!
-Keeping my opposable appendage raised is Brodie Lee vs. Hallowicked! These two go together perfectly and I could watch them battle all day. Love that they both have the size and the speed, making for a really good contest.
-The story of the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple vs. Grizzly Redwood, Pelle Primeau, and Andy Ridge is that Temple leader UltraMantis Black has claimed he has more important matters to attend to than the BDK...like fighting a contention of ROH students. Fun stuff! Probably a lot more enjoyable than it should be. Everybody looks great here, even the Ring of Honor Crew, who if nothing else, learned how to take bumps like pros.
-Tim Donst vs. Player Dos for the Young Lions Cup is a very well put together match, but I’m really not sure if I liked it. I can tell that both guys were working hard, and Donst’s as a heel with BDK is absolutely great. He is worlds better as a bad guy. Who knew? But ultimately the bout didn’t leave me thinking wow that was good. There are solid components to it, but as a whole concept it feels a little disjointed. Plus, and I’m sad to admit this, there is shall we call it a “wardrobe malfunction” that Donst dons the entire time and it is kind of distracting. I want to be more mature and look past that, but it really kind of makes the match hit the skids. Sorry, had to be done. I’m ashamed, don’t worry.
-Eight-man tag time as The Future Is Now and Mike Quackenbush take on the BDK! Some really interesting plot twists here that are going to be essential viewing to the entire Bruderschaft storyline. The action starts out a bit slow, but things definitely pick up in classic CHIKARA eight-man tag style by the end! Really good stuff, easily the best match on this show.
-And then there’s the main event. F.I.S.T. vs. The Colony. This could be the most disappointed I’ve ever been in a CHIKARA match. Something is off with all four men, way off as a matter of fact. They all move slower than usual, and all seem to be missing a step. It bothers me because these teams have had fantastic matches, both against each other and apart, and yet here they are looking quite not good. If this was the first time I ever saw these guys wrestle, I would instantly have zero desire for seeing them again. As it stands, I’m glad I’ve seen them before and will chalk this up to four men having a bad night. It happens.
This isn’t one of my favorite CHIKARA shows overall. There’s some really good stuff, but there is also some really not good stuff. Call me spoiled, but I’ve come to expect more from CHIKARA.
-The opener between BDK member Pinkie “Pink Ant” Sanchez and Green Ant is definitely a great start to the year! Pinkie is one of those guys who I’ve enjoyed with certain reservations in the past, but once he unmasked as Carpenter Ant, who I adored, Pinkie earned a whole new level of my admiration. Green Ant has also more than come into his own as an exciting member of the roster. These two bring an unexpected passion to this bout, making it quite the grand surprise! Good stuff.
-The main point behind The UnStable vs. Sugar Dunkerton, Player Uno, and Create-A-Wrestler is really to establish the return of CAW fan-favorite personality Dasher Hatfield. In that sense, it works, but do we really need a roughly ten minute match to pull that angle off? The action isn’t particularly that great, and overall this is forgettable.
-One of my favorite things about BDK is the formation of Daizee Haze and Sara Del Ray as a force in the tag division! Haze and Death Ray bring the intensity to their clash with the Osirian Portal, and it makes for a really good contest. Ophidian and Amasis are two of my favorites, so I wanted to see them win of course, but the sheer anger behind everything Haze and Del Ray unload on them is damn impressive. Thumbs up!
-Keeping my opposable appendage raised is Brodie Lee vs. Hallowicked! These two go together perfectly and I could watch them battle all day. Love that they both have the size and the speed, making for a really good contest.
-The story of the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple vs. Grizzly Redwood, Pelle Primeau, and Andy Ridge is that Temple leader UltraMantis Black has claimed he has more important matters to attend to than the BDK...like fighting a contention of ROH students. Fun stuff! Probably a lot more enjoyable than it should be. Everybody looks great here, even the Ring of Honor Crew, who if nothing else, learned how to take bumps like pros.
-Tim Donst vs. Player Dos for the Young Lions Cup is a very well put together match, but I’m really not sure if I liked it. I can tell that both guys were working hard, and Donst’s as a heel with BDK is absolutely great. He is worlds better as a bad guy. Who knew? But ultimately the bout didn’t leave me thinking wow that was good. There are solid components to it, but as a whole concept it feels a little disjointed. Plus, and I’m sad to admit this, there is shall we call it a “wardrobe malfunction” that Donst dons the entire time and it is kind of distracting. I want to be more mature and look past that, but it really kind of makes the match hit the skids. Sorry, had to be done. I’m ashamed, don’t worry.
-Eight-man tag time as The Future Is Now and Mike Quackenbush take on the BDK! Some really interesting plot twists here that are going to be essential viewing to the entire Bruderschaft storyline. The action starts out a bit slow, but things definitely pick up in classic CHIKARA eight-man tag style by the end! Really good stuff, easily the best match on this show.
-And then there’s the main event. F.I.S.T. vs. The Colony. This could be the most disappointed I’ve ever been in a CHIKARA match. Something is off with all four men, way off as a matter of fact. They all move slower than usual, and all seem to be missing a step. It bothers me because these teams have had fantastic matches, both against each other and apart, and yet here they are looking quite not good. If this was the first time I ever saw these guys wrestle, I would instantly have zero desire for seeing them again. As it stands, I’m glad I’ve seen them before and will chalk this up to four men having a bad night. It happens.
This isn’t one of my favorite CHIKARA shows overall. There’s some really good stuff, but there is also some really not good stuff. Call me spoiled, but I’ve come to expect more from CHIKARA.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
2010 – PWG: Kurt RussellMania
He’s escaped from New York, tangoed with cash, and made executive decisions the likes of which Steven Segal has never before! And now, the venerable Academy Award attendee - at some point, to plug some movie, I’m sure - Kurt Russell has been immortalized by the good people at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with “Kurt RussellMania” (1/30/10)! This is night two of the 2010 WrestleReunion convention and on paper it promises to be quite the show. Does it live up? Let’s find out!
- Love that the show starts out with an eight-person tag full of folks I’m seeing here for the first time. Getting to watch new talents excites me from the start, and the match keeps my enthusiasm alive! There are some highly thrilling spots, and overall everybody involved looks great and leaves me wanting more. Especially impressive is Johnny Goodtime, who has a fantastic look and some really inventive offense.
-Two more new-to-me talents in Brandon Bonham and Brandon Gatson in the next contest. Consider me a fan of both men following this! Bonham has a strong image and some decent in-ring talent. Gatson is more generic in look but makes up for it tenfold in ability. He pulls off a few genuinely wow worthy maneuvers, which is great. Things go a little long, but overall this is grand.
-Was not expecting the level of intensity that Human Tornado and Super Crazy brought to their clash. Holy cow, did one of these guys scratch the other’s car or something? Both men go all out here and put on a heck of a show. It may be the best Super Crazy has looked in awhile, and definitely adds to the case of Human Tornado being one of the best on the indie scene.
-Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen is an odd encounter. The first half is all fun, with men kissing men and random drum solos, and it is entertaining. Weird and maybe even off-putting to those who like their wrestling “serious,” but it is what it is, for better or worse. The second half is far more focused on in-ring action, and there should be no surprise that when these two center their attention on having a strong sprint of action, it comes off as great. Uneven as a whole, but like modern art, if you let go and just experience it, you’ll ultimately be amused.
-Does anybody expect much out of a Great Muta match in the year 2010? The guy moves better than most people his age still actively wrestling can, but he’s still hardly a spring chicken, if I may borrow a phrase my grandparents might use. Muta teams with KAI against Scott Lost and Joey Ryan, and while it isn’t anything to write home about, it is pretty decent considering the limitations brought on by one of the competitors. Ultimately, this is really about the moment of having a legend in the ring with two of PWG’s best, and that moment is pretty awesome. No complaints from me.
-Should have been wearing my “MARK” t-shirt (available at GIMMICK$!) for the El Generico vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger match. I am such a mark sometimes and this was one of those times. I love both of these guys, one is a favorite since childhood and the other is at the top of my current list. Not even sure I had a preference as to who would win, but I definitely reacted to every near fall and close call throughout the bout. What an exuberant viewing experience.
-Brian Kendrick and Paul London are easily one of my favorite teams of the last decade, and while they have both lost a step post-WWE, seeing them against the Young Bucks is still a bit of a dream match. The Bucks are in full heel mode and it is a real treat to watch. They just exude such smugness that you want to see them taken to school. The match is generally slower than expected, which isn’t a bad thing per se. Good stuff overall, not phenomenal or show stealing, but a first-rate, solid tag match.
-Seeing Rob Van Dam in a PWG ring is a pretty far-out thing! Seeing RVD take on two of the top indie talents today is also kind of a strange sight. But once you get past that, you focus in on a solid main event bout! Roderick Strong comes off looking the best to me. His interactions with Van Dam are excellent and reaffirm how great Strong is. Chris Hero, as the third wheel in this triple threat, doesn’t quite work as smoothly with RVD, but he doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb exactly either. Strong and Hero also clash nicely, and overall it is an enjoyable finale to the show if nothing else.
While there may not be any brilliant or classic matches on the show, there is a ton of stuff I love here. From the exciting new talents being used, to the dream matches that are tremendous on levels above simply ring work, everything here is a blast to watch. Lots of fun and that is all I can really ask for from a show.
- Love that the show starts out with an eight-person tag full of folks I’m seeing here for the first time. Getting to watch new talents excites me from the start, and the match keeps my enthusiasm alive! There are some highly thrilling spots, and overall everybody involved looks great and leaves me wanting more. Especially impressive is Johnny Goodtime, who has a fantastic look and some really inventive offense.
-Two more new-to-me talents in Brandon Bonham and Brandon Gatson in the next contest. Consider me a fan of both men following this! Bonham has a strong image and some decent in-ring talent. Gatson is more generic in look but makes up for it tenfold in ability. He pulls off a few genuinely wow worthy maneuvers, which is great. Things go a little long, but overall this is grand.
-Was not expecting the level of intensity that Human Tornado and Super Crazy brought to their clash. Holy cow, did one of these guys scratch the other’s car or something? Both men go all out here and put on a heck of a show. It may be the best Super Crazy has looked in awhile, and definitely adds to the case of Human Tornado being one of the best on the indie scene.
-Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen is an odd encounter. The first half is all fun, with men kissing men and random drum solos, and it is entertaining. Weird and maybe even off-putting to those who like their wrestling “serious,” but it is what it is, for better or worse. The second half is far more focused on in-ring action, and there should be no surprise that when these two center their attention on having a strong sprint of action, it comes off as great. Uneven as a whole, but like modern art, if you let go and just experience it, you’ll ultimately be amused.
-Does anybody expect much out of a Great Muta match in the year 2010? The guy moves better than most people his age still actively wrestling can, but he’s still hardly a spring chicken, if I may borrow a phrase my grandparents might use. Muta teams with KAI against Scott Lost and Joey Ryan, and while it isn’t anything to write home about, it is pretty decent considering the limitations brought on by one of the competitors. Ultimately, this is really about the moment of having a legend in the ring with two of PWG’s best, and that moment is pretty awesome. No complaints from me.
-Should have been wearing my “MARK” t-shirt (available at GIMMICK$!) for the El Generico vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger match. I am such a mark sometimes and this was one of those times. I love both of these guys, one is a favorite since childhood and the other is at the top of my current list. Not even sure I had a preference as to who would win, but I definitely reacted to every near fall and close call throughout the bout. What an exuberant viewing experience.
-Brian Kendrick and Paul London are easily one of my favorite teams of the last decade, and while they have both lost a step post-WWE, seeing them against the Young Bucks is still a bit of a dream match. The Bucks are in full heel mode and it is a real treat to watch. They just exude such smugness that you want to see them taken to school. The match is generally slower than expected, which isn’t a bad thing per se. Good stuff overall, not phenomenal or show stealing, but a first-rate, solid tag match.
-Seeing Rob Van Dam in a PWG ring is a pretty far-out thing! Seeing RVD take on two of the top indie talents today is also kind of a strange sight. But once you get past that, you focus in on a solid main event bout! Roderick Strong comes off looking the best to me. His interactions with Van Dam are excellent and reaffirm how great Strong is. Chris Hero, as the third wheel in this triple threat, doesn’t quite work as smoothly with RVD, but he doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb exactly either. Strong and Hero also clash nicely, and overall it is an enjoyable finale to the show if nothing else.
While there may not be any brilliant or classic matches on the show, there is a ton of stuff I love here. From the exciting new talents being used, to the dream matches that are tremendous on levels above simply ring work, everything here is a blast to watch. Lots of fun and that is all I can really ask for from a show.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
2010 – ROH: SoCal Showdown
We’ve evolved, we’ve opened the gate, and now we’ve head to California for Ring of Honor’s first DVD release of the year, “SoCal Showdown” (1/29/10). This is also the first of two major wrestling cards held during the 2010 WrestleReunion convention weekend. The second show, brought to us by our friends at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, will be discussed later. Right now it’s all about ROH!
-Good opener with Colt Cabana and El Generico taking on Scott Lost and Scorpio Sky. It is thrilling to see Lost and Sky getting a shot in ROH, and they intend to impress without question. This is entertaining stuff and a spot-on way to start the night.
-The Erick Stevens vs. Necro Butcher “Anything Goes” bout didn’t quite click. Neither man does anything to look especially strong or cover any new ground. Won’t call it a waste per se as I don’t know that these two could have been better used on this card, but this is forgivably forgettable fare if I’ve ever seen it.
-Really wanted to like the Roderick Strong vs. Delirious match, but from early on they lost my interest and never gained it back. Yes Strong is great, and yes Delirious is better than he is often given credit for, and yes they have had some good clashes against each other before. Heck this may even be a really well wrestled contest, but I couldn’t tell you because I just wasn’t engrossed enough to care. Sorry.
-Consider me a number of years too late for this, but I’m officially starting to explore the option of jumping on the Joey Ryan bandwagon. The work I’ve seen from Ryan in PWG has always been good, and at times even great, but it is his match here against Tyler Black that really has me taking notice. Ryan works the crowd perfectly, his in-ring style shines, and overall he builds a great story with Black. Speaking of Tyler, let’s not take anything away from the man here, he is definitely a big part of why this match is so good. It takes two to tango, and while Ryan can probably make up for a less than stellar opponent if need be, the need does not exist at all here.
-This is what bothers me about Jerry Lynn sometimes. We have Kenny King cutting a promo about wanting to cripple Lynn. Wanting to end his career and his ability to walk; this is vicious stuff. So Lynn comes out and he hits the ring like a man possessed to fight for his right for mobility. Well, actually no, he doesn’t. Instead he enters the arena and takes time to pose for the customers. Huh? Way to kill the fire that should be in this battle from the start. It takes awhile before the heat builds back and the two actually go after each other in a manner fitting of a grudge match. The post match events are pretty good as well. Overall it is a fine contest, but that little bit at the start really took it down a notch before things were even underway.
-Kevin Steen and Human Tornado have easily the most entertaining encounter of the evening. This is Steen’s first post-turn performance in an ROH ring, and he is beyond on top of his game. Everything about Steen’s work here is gold. Not to be outdone, Human Tornado gives us a fantastic showing against the evil antagonist. The energy is high and overall this is a whole lot of oomph added to the show.
-As a Jushin “Thunder” Liger fan from childhood, it is an awesome treat to see the Japanese superstar come into ROH and wrestle one of the best members of the roster. ROH World Champion Austin Aries is definitely more than qualified for the role and the two have a fun little bout. It is definitely enjoyable, if not something that you need to seek out or risk your life being incomplete without seeing.
-For some reason, on paper, the idea of the eight man tag team main event with The American Wolves and The Kings of Wrestling against The Briscoe Brothers and The Young Bucks did nothing for me. Maybe I have a prejudice against multi-man tags as headlining attractions, but never the less my anticipation for this contest was pretty low. Glad to say the match definitely exceeded every expectation and delivered a thrilling contest all the way around. What most strikes me is how this almost feels more like a four-way between four teams as opposed to an eight-man tag. The heels and the faces are separate, yes, but there is a lot of focus on individual teams and the myriad of great double team maneuvers available in their repertoires. Things build nicely and reach an exhilarating pace that is just awesome to watch. This could be argued as the best match of the show, and it definitely leaves a lasting memory.
-Good opener with Colt Cabana and El Generico taking on Scott Lost and Scorpio Sky. It is thrilling to see Lost and Sky getting a shot in ROH, and they intend to impress without question. This is entertaining stuff and a spot-on way to start the night.
-The Erick Stevens vs. Necro Butcher “Anything Goes” bout didn’t quite click. Neither man does anything to look especially strong or cover any new ground. Won’t call it a waste per se as I don’t know that these two could have been better used on this card, but this is forgivably forgettable fare if I’ve ever seen it.
-Really wanted to like the Roderick Strong vs. Delirious match, but from early on they lost my interest and never gained it back. Yes Strong is great, and yes Delirious is better than he is often given credit for, and yes they have had some good clashes against each other before. Heck this may even be a really well wrestled contest, but I couldn’t tell you because I just wasn’t engrossed enough to care. Sorry.
-Consider me a number of years too late for this, but I’m officially starting to explore the option of jumping on the Joey Ryan bandwagon. The work I’ve seen from Ryan in PWG has always been good, and at times even great, but it is his match here against Tyler Black that really has me taking notice. Ryan works the crowd perfectly, his in-ring style shines, and overall he builds a great story with Black. Speaking of Tyler, let’s not take anything away from the man here, he is definitely a big part of why this match is so good. It takes two to tango, and while Ryan can probably make up for a less than stellar opponent if need be, the need does not exist at all here.
-This is what bothers me about Jerry Lynn sometimes. We have Kenny King cutting a promo about wanting to cripple Lynn. Wanting to end his career and his ability to walk; this is vicious stuff. So Lynn comes out and he hits the ring like a man possessed to fight for his right for mobility. Well, actually no, he doesn’t. Instead he enters the arena and takes time to pose for the customers. Huh? Way to kill the fire that should be in this battle from the start. It takes awhile before the heat builds back and the two actually go after each other in a manner fitting of a grudge match. The post match events are pretty good as well. Overall it is a fine contest, but that little bit at the start really took it down a notch before things were even underway.
-Kevin Steen and Human Tornado have easily the most entertaining encounter of the evening. This is Steen’s first post-turn performance in an ROH ring, and he is beyond on top of his game. Everything about Steen’s work here is gold. Not to be outdone, Human Tornado gives us a fantastic showing against the evil antagonist. The energy is high and overall this is a whole lot of oomph added to the show.
-As a Jushin “Thunder” Liger fan from childhood, it is an awesome treat to see the Japanese superstar come into ROH and wrestle one of the best members of the roster. ROH World Champion Austin Aries is definitely more than qualified for the role and the two have a fun little bout. It is definitely enjoyable, if not something that you need to seek out or risk your life being incomplete without seeing.
-For some reason, on paper, the idea of the eight man tag team main event with The American Wolves and The Kings of Wrestling against The Briscoe Brothers and The Young Bucks did nothing for me. Maybe I have a prejudice against multi-man tags as headlining attractions, but never the less my anticipation for this contest was pretty low. Glad to say the match definitely exceeded every expectation and delivered a thrilling contest all the way around. What most strikes me is how this almost feels more like a four-way between four teams as opposed to an eight-man tag. The heels and the faces are separate, yes, but there is a lot of focus on individual teams and the myriad of great double team maneuvers available in their repertoires. Things build nicely and reach an exhilarating pace that is just awesome to watch. This could be argued as the best match of the show, and it definitely leaves a lasting memory.
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