The XWF was a wrestling company founded by Jimmy Hart, Brian Knobbs and Greg Valentine in between WCW folding and TNA forming. They never made it to TV, but filmed some shows in Orlando (in what is now the Impact Zone) to try and get there. Sadly, the company wasn't long for the world, which is kind of a shame. For, as you are about to read, they had the right idea in pushing new names over known talent (whether or not the talent was good enough is another matter entirely) and they tried to produce a solid, family friendly product. With decent production values and an announce team of Tony Schiavone and Jerry Lawler(!), welcome to what is essentially a pretty good WCW Thunder...
Big Vito vs Buff Bagwell
Well I can't think of a more thrilling way to kick off a new company. Vito cheapshots early to take advantage, but Buff nails him with some clotheslines. A Mafia Kick regains the advantage for Vito, and he keeps Buff down with a choke on the rope. Partway through though, the fans are clearly favouring Vito and, to their credit, both guys start to switch roles. Vito nails a superplex for a nearfall but runs into feet in the corner, allowing Bagwell to nail the Blockbuster for 3.
Marty Jannetty vs Hail
Hail is an enormous mass of muscle managed by Jimmy Hart, famous for not being very good on WCW Saturday Night. Total squash as Hail nails a few dull powermoves (back-breaker, shoulder-breaker) and hits a legdrop for 3. Not impressive.
Horace Hogan vs Ian Harrison
Harrison is dubbed "British Storm" here. He's also a walking Wellness violation. Another squash as Harrison dominates, albeit in a more impressive manner than Hail. Harrison nails an overhead suplex and locks a leg-grapevine round Horace's head for the tapout.
Kid Kash vs AJ Styles vs Psychosis vs Juventud Guerrera vs Christopher Daniels vs Quick Kick vs Billy Fives vs Tongan Prince
This is a battle royale for the XWF Cruiserweight title, where pinfalls and submissions also count. Quick Kick is Low Ki, and the Tongan Prince is Prince Iaukea. Lots of fast paced action early on, though the camera work makes it hard to keep on top of. Fives is first out as AJ reverses a flying headscissors, before the cameras cut to Josh Matthews in the crowd. Juvi eliminates himself and Psychosis, before Styles gets hurled from the ring onto both of them in an insane bump. Ki really stands out here above all others, decimating Kash with a series of kicks. Fun spot as Daniels and Prince both duck top-rope clotheslines, leaving Kash and Ki to collide mid-air. Ki and Prince are eliminated in short order, and Kash knocks Daniels from the top rope to the floor to win the title. Spotty, but pretty fun.
The Nasty Boys vs the Shane Twins
As you'd guess, this isn't very good, though the Shane Twins pull out some decent stuff including a sweet Northern Lights suplex on Sags. Knobbs goes for a splash in the corner, but gets caught with a big clothesline and pinned. The Nastys attack from behind post-match, but the Road Warriors make the save.
Curt Hennig vs Vampiro
Hennig is managed here by Bobby Heenan, which is awesome. Hennig takes control early with the usual offense (knee-lift, neck-snap), but Vamp fires back with a top rope leg lariat for two. Heenan pulls some brass knucks from his pocket, but Roddy Piper runs out to grab them and punches Hennig into the Nail In The Coffin for the Vampiro win. Barely a match.
Psychosis & Juventud Guerrera vs Konnan & Rey Gonzales
Konnan outwrestles Psychosis early on, but the smaller team soon take control after kicking Gonzales in the back as he runs the ropes. Juventud and Psy use their speed and a few nice double teams to retain control. Gonzales shows absolutely nothing here, even less than Konnan, who at least shows a bit of zip on his moves. Even Gonzales' selling is poor, as he looks like he can't be bothered to react. Juvi hits the Juvi Driver, but Konnan knocks him off the top on a 450 attempt, leading to a shitty Gonzales Twist of Fate for 3.
Simon Diamond vs Jerry "the King" Lawler
Lawler insulted Dawn Marie earlier on the DVD, so Simon comes out to defend her honour. Swinger seemingly is allowed to get involved freely as they beat Lawler down 2-on-1, but Simon accidentally superkicks Swinger out of the ring and walks into a piledriver for the Lawler win. Way to make one of your better tag-teams look stupid.
Hail vs Knuckles
Knuckles is a fat balding guy in an ill-fitting singlet. This is another boring Hail squash, as Knuckles can barely sit on the top rope properly. Legdrop finishes, as Hail shows why he never graduated onto Thunder or Nitro.
Johnny B Badd vs Norman Smiley
Badd is in great shape here. Quite a bit of fun here, as both face-off with alternate dances. Smiley actually dominates this match for the most part, downing Badd with a double-arm suplex and wearing him down on the mat. Badd hits a TKO out of nowhere to win. No Big Wiggle either.
The Road Warriors vs the Shane Twins
The Shanes were supposed to face the Nasty Boys here, but they didn't show, leading to the Warriors coming out in their stead. This is kinda, sorta not bad, in a "big guys hitting power moves on each other" way. Certainly, the Shanes more than hold their own here. Hawk plays face in peril after a shoulder first bump into the post, but gets the hot-tag after a collision with one Shane. Animal doesn't exactly land on his feet following a back suplex attempt, but manages to recover enough to clothesline both Shanes. The Road Warriors hit a Doomsday Device, but the Nastys show to pull the ref from the ring, leading to a no contest. Not bad.
Curt Hennig vs Buff Bagwell
Even at this point of his career, Hennig bumps like a maniac, leaping over the top rope after a Bagwell dropkick. Pretty basic match between these two, but it's good to see Bobby Heenan clearly having fun managering Hennig again. He patrols the ring like a shark, waiting for a chance for a shortcut. The ending sees Heenan prevent a Buff Blockbuster by grabbing Buff's leg then pushing hin off the ropes straight into a Hennig-plex for the win.
Marty Janetty vs Drezden
Poor Marty gets to put over another muscle-bound stiff, this time in the form of a huge, leatherclad German. Marty takes some big bumps to make Drezden look a bit more impressive, including a rough looking overhead belly to belly. Powerbomb gets the win.
Horace Hogan vs Josh Mathews
One of those matches that helps no-one. Horace squashes Josh for the whole match in an uninspiring fashion, but gets caught in a flash pin for the Josh win.
The Shane Twins vs South Philly Posse
Odd that this is a family-orientated promotion, and the Posse have Jasmin St Clair in their corner. You may know the Posse better as the Public Enemy. The Shanes dominate Rock with power early, but Grunge attacks Michael Shane as he runs the ropes and the Posse start working on his leg. Not a bad strategy. Rock hits a diving headbutt to Shane's leg. Basic tag formula match, but it's effective. It would help if Shane sold the leg more of course. Hot tag after Rock misses a quebrada. Somehow, all hell breaks loose, the Nasty Boys and the Road Warriors start fighting outside and in the chaos, a Shane rolls up Rock for the win. Passable.
AJ Styles vs Kid Kash
Kash is playing smiley face, which really isn't his strength. Neat matwork early on by both guys, who are pretty evenly matched. They also match up evenly on a series of armdrags and counters, which seems to annoy Kash a little. AJ hits a beautiful dropkick right to the face of Kash. Beautiful springboard cross body gets two for Kash, who then finishes it with a double underhook piledriver. Too short, felt like the highlights package of a potentially good match.
Vapor vs Jimmy Snuka Jr
Vapor is oriental and managed by Sonny Onoo, so is therefore evil. I've no idea who he is though. Snuka has the build and attire of Rob Van Dam here, and looks impressive early on, planting Vapor with a pancake facebuster. Vapor comes back with Kendo Nagasaki's Kamikaze Crash, so he's ok with me. Vapor looks pretty decent himself here, with a nice powerslam in his arsenal. Somehow, Snuka Sr and Onoo end up in the ring, and the Snukas down their respective opponents, and hit stereo Superfly Splashes to get the win. Should highlight here that Jr hit an RVD-esque splash, where he changed direction midmove. Perfectly fine match.
Curt Hennig & Ian Harrison vs Buff Bagwell & Vampiro
Hennig tags out straight away to the monstrous Harrison, who dominates Vampiro. However, Vamp isn't as hurt as initially thought, so when Hennig tags in, Vamp rallies back and double-teams him with Bagwell. When Harrison tags in, he is reasonably impressive, and certainly better than the other musclebound unknowns (Hail. Drezden) in the company. He puts decent snap into his powermoves and can take some big bumps too. A melee ensues and Vamp stares down Harrison outside the ring, and thus fails to notice Hennig roll up Buff for the win.
Hulk Hogan vs Curt Hennig
This is a bonus feature on the DVD. Hennig stalls for time after Hogan overpowers him out of the ring. Typically insane Hennig sell off a Hogan shoulderblock. Hennig gets a nice escape from a Hogan knucklelock and takes over, but Hogan rams his head into a full set of turnbuckles to a huge pop. Hennig gets the Hennig plex for two, but Hogan hulks up and hits the big boot/legdrop combo for the win. You suspect they could have this match in their sleep, but plenty of fun.
Showing posts with label Vampiro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vampiro. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Wrestling Society X: Season One Part One
So I managed to pick up this DVD of the first part of the only series of MTV's shortlived Wrestling Society X promotion (though at this point it looks pretty clear that part two will never get a UK release). WSX had a roster primarily made up of So-Cal indy guys (including anyone from XPW who didn't outright suck) so the talent on display is pretty good, though I'm commenting on each match with the knowledge that these matches were booked not so much as wrestling matches, but insane stunt shows for MTV viewers. With that in mind, let's crack on...
EPISODE ONE
Matt Sydal vs Jack Evans
The future Evan Bourne is accompanied by on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, playing a young preppy couple. Evans takes an insane bump straight away, hurtling over the top rope to the concrete floor. Sydal follows with a tope. This is absolutely a spotfest, but crucially it’s a really fun one, with everything connecting nicely. Sydal takes a nasty bump onto his head from an Evans leg lariat, which sends him to the floor. Evans follows him out with a cartwheel into a 360 somersault, which is just mental. Valentine interferes to try and help Sydal, but Evans manages to use her back as a launchpad for a tornado DDT, followed by a 630 splash for the win. Really high-octane way to kick off the concept of WSX.
WSX Rumble
Even Vince Russo would look at this and call it an overbooked clusterfuck. Basically, it’s a rumble with tables and “electrified wires” outside the ring and two contracts hanging above the ring. When all combatants are in, the contracts are lowered and the first two to get ladders and grab them get to compete in the WSX title match on the following show.
We kick off with Justin Credible and Teddy Hart, who foolishly celebrates an early modicum of success by moonsaulting off the top into a Credible superkick. Former XPW wrestler Kaos is 3rd, but gets hit with a cradle DDT by Hart. Vampiro is 4th and cleans house. We get a commercial break, during which Puma (5) comes in and gets eliminated, and Al Katrazz (6) is in the ring. 6 Pac is 7th, whilst Chris Hamrick is 8th. Sadly for Hamrick, entry no. 9, New Jack, takes offence to his Southern ways and follows him to the ring straight away, before proceeding to kick the shit out of him. Hamrick and Jack are both gone pretty much straight away, as Jack eliminates Hamrick and follows him out to inflict more pain. Suddenly, a load of stuff takes place at once, as Kaos is thrown into a big box of electricity by Katrazz’s tag team partner Luke Hawx. At the same time, Katrazz and Hart both get eliminated, as final entrant Youth Suicide gets in, and immediately empties a bag of tacks into the ring. Vampiro powerbombs him onto them straight away, whilst 6 Pac grabs contract #1. Suicide tries to climb the ladder, but is thrown off into another box of electricity on the outside. Vampiro then outlasts Credible to grab the second contract. A total fucking mess, with bad camera work and no rhyme or rhythm to the match,
EPISODE 2
Luke Hawx vs the Human Tornado
Haven’t seen a Hawx match since he was Altar Boy Luke in XPW. This is pretty much a showcase for the Tornado character, but Hawx can go and, despite Tornado no-selling a kick to the nuts thanks to his “balls of steel”, Luke soon takes over following an exploder and a leg lariat. Tornado manages to send Hawx outside and hits an insane tope, followed by a Tornado DDT for the win. Brief, but enjoyable. Afterwards, we get a schmozz with Al Katrazz and Hawx fighting the team of Kaos and Aaron Aguilera, a result of the Hawx interference in last weeks rumble.
That 70’s Team vs Team Dragon Gate
The 70’s boys consist of PWG stalwarts Joey Ryan and Disco Machine, with Yoshino and Horiguchi repping for Dragon Gate. Horiguchi and Yoshino are insanely quick here and use this speed to take control early on. Ryan misses a dropkick, resulting in him yelling to Disco to throw him his asthma inhaler in a funny spot. The match soon descends into carnage, with Ryan hitting a superkick on Yoshino for the win.
Vampiro vs 6 Pac
This is for the first ever WSX championship. Both guys put in a surprisingly high effort and the match moves as a fair old pace. The problem is that it’s way too spotty and is pretty much just a collection of moves. A 6 Factor only gets two for Pac (I personally think it lost it’s power when it realised it’s new name didn’t actually mean anything). Vamp hits a tombstone from the apron into (oh yes!) an exploding coffin to get the win and the title.
EPISODE 3
Trailer Park Boys vs The Filth & The Fury
Trailer Park Boys consist of Nate Webb and Josh “Jug” Raymond (aka Josh Abercrombie of IWA-MS fame), whilst their opponents are Teddy Hart and Matt Cross. The Filth & The Fury dominate this right off the bat and this is a massively one-sided showcase until Hart takes a boot to the face attempting a moonsault onto Webb. The Boys have some nice double teams, but this is Hart and Cross’s match, and once Hart escapes Soylent Green, the end is nigh. Hart hits a Canadian Destroyer on Webb and puts him on a table outside before (and I can’t believe I’m typing this) soaking him in water and zapping him with an electrical cable, then hitting Open Hart Surgery on him from on top of some crates. In the ring, meanwhile, Cross hits a shooting star legdrop on Raymond for the win. Actually quite fun early on, but it took a ridiculous turn that I still can’t decide if I loved or hated.
Jack Evans vs El Hombre Blanco Enmascarado
EHBE is PWG stalwart Quicksilver which, being easier to type, is what I’ll call him. That said, his name is probably longer than this match. Quicksilver hits a Fishermans Buster for two, but Jack nails him with a knee to the head and hits the 630 for the win. Essentially pointless
Al Katrazz & Luke Hawx vs Los Pochos Guapos
Los Pochos Guapos are Kaos and ex-Carlito bodyguard Aaron Aguilera. This is a TLC match, only this time it stands for tables, ladders and cervezas, with a 6 pack of beer in the corner. I really like Aguilera’s 1940’s heavy look and this match is pretty well laid out when you take into consideration the WSX policy of rushing through everything. Give it another 5 minutes and it could have been pretty good. Kaos hits Hawx with a Kaos Driver early, but Aguilera stops him hitting a moonsault and tells him to hit it off the ladder, which Kaos promptly misses. Katrazz tries to hit Old School into a tornado DDT on Aguilera, but AA reverses it into a suplex into the ladder. Kaos hits a Ganso Bomb on Hawx and AA tells him to powerbomb Hawx onto the beers. However, Katrazz Irish whips AA into Kaos midpowerbomb, allowing Hawx to reverse it to a facebuster on the beers. That was pretty nicely worked. Katrazz powerbombs Kaos through a table for the win. Probably the best WSX thus far.
EPISODE 4
Matt Sydal vs Scorpio Sky
Sydal is described as the “Cocky Coverboy”, which would be a great gimmick for him to use if he turned heel in the WWE. Due to some poor booking, both guys are essentially working cocky heel gimmicks, though the crowd soon decides Sky is the face. The match kicks off with a series of flips, ranas and dives, until Sky nails Sydal with a backbreaker. Awesome moonsault into a legroller by Sydal. Sky comes back with a pristine tope. Lizzie Valentine distracts Sky, allowing Sydal to hit a standing moonsault for two. The ending is pretty choice, Sydal hitting a one man Spanish Fly that ends with him on top for the victory. Brief but fun, at least everything was crisp. Afterwards, Valentine writes “H8R” on Sky’s back in lipstick, which is a brilliant heel move.
Keeping It Gangsta vs That 70’s Team
KIG consists of Babi Slymm and former CZW champion Ruckus. That 70’s Team come out to answer an open challenge, and prepare for the match by oiling themselves up. KIG are into total control early on due to the fast paced offence of Ruckus. Slymm comes in and retains control, until Ryan helps Disco complete a victory roll by booting Slymm in the gut. Some high-concept comedy ensues involving Ryan wearing a thong, and Ruckus gets the hot tag. Ruckus is a guy ideally suited to tag matches, his high paced offence suits being the hot tag guy really well. Slymm hits an insane spinning sidewalk slam on Disco. Ruckus puts Ryan in the tree of woe, smashes a discoball in his crotch before hitting a flipping moonsault from a blinged-out ladder onto Ryan’s face. What a sentence. Match was pretty enjoyable.
And that is the final match we get. The episode finishes with an angle involving Vampiro, 6 Pac and a debuting Ricky Banderas (plus ludicrous special effects), but we get no more episodes of WSX...
What we DO get is some web-exclusive matches as extras...
Luke Hawx vs Puma vs the Human Tornado
Earlier this year, I reviewed a PWG match which was a triple threat match with a similar line-up, with Davey Richards instead of Hawx. That was a longer match but, taking into account the WSX constraints of time, I think I enjoyed this one more. This is in large part down to the presence of the former XPW Altar Boy, who really gets showcased here. Tornado kicks things off early with an insane tope to both men which sends him through the safety rails, but Hawx soon takes control on him after sending Puma to the floor with a huge Irish whip to the corner. Hawx nearly beheads Tornado with a clothesline, downing him with a vicious looking series of kicks. Hawx retains control and nearly gets two off a powerbomb, but is shoved from the top rope to the floor by a returning Puma. Tornado attacks Puma and hits a corkscrew senton on him for the win. Made Puma look really dumb, but Hawx and Tornado got to look great.
DIFH vs the Trailer Park Boys
DIFH (or Doing It For Her) are Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black rocking an emo gimmick, Jimmy being the sensitive one and Black being the intense one. The commentators spend a lot of the early going talking about Johnny Webb managing the Trailer Park Boys, and how he’s a former XPW champion, as if anyone watching will have any idea what that means. Jacobs is too busy spending the early moments waving to girls, so Black has to kick things off by hitting Jug with some nice strikes. The Boys take over on Black, with some nice double teams in the corner. Jacobs does get in, but Raymond nearly kills himself hitting a suicide dive into the rails (and partially Jacobs). We see some nice character developments for DIFH as Jacobs locks in a Camel Clutch on Raymond, but gets upset when Black comes in a blasts Jug with a dropkick to the face. Jimmy tries again with a Cattle Mutilation, but Black comes in again with a standing Shooting Star. Raymond manages a hot tag after a springboard kick, and Webb comes in and gets the win on Black following Soylent Green. I liked this a lot.
Matt Sydal vs Matt Classic
Matt Classic is Colt Cabana under a mask, and the gimmick is spectacular. Essentially the story is that he is a wrestler from the 1950’s who has been in a coma for 50 years and is returning to action. Cabana plays it to the hilt, with not only a moveset straight out of the black-and-white days, but also wearing large trunks, no kneepads and with ridiculous mannerisms. Classic locks on the dreaded stomach claw early on, but Sydal somehow escapes and uses his speed to take over. Classic manages to lock on the trapezius claw from a Sydal pinfall, but Sydal hits a reverse rana and the Shooting Star Press to win. Really fun comedy match.
Matt Classic vs Scorpio Sky
Another excellent Classic match. Classic brings some more old school to the table, including fish-hooking Sky. Sky downs Classic with a flying headscissors, but gets caught on another move, and Classic downs him with a dreaded airplane spin. A Heart Punch sends Sky straight down, but Classic misses a bottom rope splash which allows Sky back into it. Sky hits a sloppy looking Impaler DDT for the win.
DIFH vs That 70’s Team
The match starts with Disco doing an unnatural amount of gyrating. Jacobs doesn’t seem to want to hurt him, so Black uses his partner as a weapon, whipping Disco into the corner and hurling Jacobs at him. Ryan comes in to attack Jimmy, who ends up as face-in-peril. Machine hits a snazzy looking snap powerslam. Jimmy nails a neckbreaker on Ryan, which causes Joey to need his inhaler. This gives Jacobs time to make the hot tag. The awkward thong comedy comes out again, DIFH rock a nice double team finisher: Black hoists Ryan on his shoulders, Jacobs hits a top rope elbow and Black finishes it off with a sitout driver. This picks up the win. Another perfectly good tag match, better than most of the ones on the main show.
DIFH vs Team Dragon Gate
The third DIFH match on the internet matches and really, they’ve been a highlight of the DVD. This is another fine match, with the opening section with Jacobs and Horiguchi being superslick. Loved seeing Jacobs using the flying headscissors, though it’s not quite the same without the power of the furry boots. Yoshino is still superquick, enough that he starts to make my TV blur, and he gets a two off a tornado DDT. Black is still forced to use the sensitive Jacobs as a weapon, hurling him into Horiguchi for a two count. Horiguchi misses a moonsault, and DIFH use the elbow/driver combination to pick up the win. DIFH were awesome.
Jack Evans vs Marcus Riot
Riot is a guy I know nothing about. Even a quick Google search is revealing nothing. Riot is dressed exactly like Evans, with the storyline being that Riot is an Evans superfan. Riot does a really good job keeping up with the uberfast Evans early on, but he gets blasted with a swank cartwheel kick by Evans. Evans sends him outside and hits a nuts 360 springboard plancha. Riot gets back on offence by raising knees on a standing SSP and nails a roaring clothesline for two. Evans fires back with a reverse rana for two. He follows it with a fantastic standing corkscrew moonsault for two. Evans misses the 630, but he blasts Riot with a Fisherman buster and hits the 630 second attempt for 3. Fun story with Riot being the Evans clone, and he looked pretty good. Shame I’ve literally no idea who he is.
EPISODE ONE
Matt Sydal vs Jack Evans
The future Evan Bourne is accompanied by on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, playing a young preppy couple. Evans takes an insane bump straight away, hurtling over the top rope to the concrete floor. Sydal follows with a tope. This is absolutely a spotfest, but crucially it’s a really fun one, with everything connecting nicely. Sydal takes a nasty bump onto his head from an Evans leg lariat, which sends him to the floor. Evans follows him out with a cartwheel into a 360 somersault, which is just mental. Valentine interferes to try and help Sydal, but Evans manages to use her back as a launchpad for a tornado DDT, followed by a 630 splash for the win. Really high-octane way to kick off the concept of WSX.
WSX Rumble
Even Vince Russo would look at this and call it an overbooked clusterfuck. Basically, it’s a rumble with tables and “electrified wires” outside the ring and two contracts hanging above the ring. When all combatants are in, the contracts are lowered and the first two to get ladders and grab them get to compete in the WSX title match on the following show.
We kick off with Justin Credible and Teddy Hart, who foolishly celebrates an early modicum of success by moonsaulting off the top into a Credible superkick. Former XPW wrestler Kaos is 3rd, but gets hit with a cradle DDT by Hart. Vampiro is 4th and cleans house. We get a commercial break, during which Puma (5) comes in and gets eliminated, and Al Katrazz (6) is in the ring. 6 Pac is 7th, whilst Chris Hamrick is 8th. Sadly for Hamrick, entry no. 9, New Jack, takes offence to his Southern ways and follows him to the ring straight away, before proceeding to kick the shit out of him. Hamrick and Jack are both gone pretty much straight away, as Jack eliminates Hamrick and follows him out to inflict more pain. Suddenly, a load of stuff takes place at once, as Kaos is thrown into a big box of electricity by Katrazz’s tag team partner Luke Hawx. At the same time, Katrazz and Hart both get eliminated, as final entrant Youth Suicide gets in, and immediately empties a bag of tacks into the ring. Vampiro powerbombs him onto them straight away, whilst 6 Pac grabs contract #1. Suicide tries to climb the ladder, but is thrown off into another box of electricity on the outside. Vampiro then outlasts Credible to grab the second contract. A total fucking mess, with bad camera work and no rhyme or rhythm to the match,
EPISODE 2
Luke Hawx vs the Human Tornado
Haven’t seen a Hawx match since he was Altar Boy Luke in XPW. This is pretty much a showcase for the Tornado character, but Hawx can go and, despite Tornado no-selling a kick to the nuts thanks to his “balls of steel”, Luke soon takes over following an exploder and a leg lariat. Tornado manages to send Hawx outside and hits an insane tope, followed by a Tornado DDT for the win. Brief, but enjoyable. Afterwards, we get a schmozz with Al Katrazz and Hawx fighting the team of Kaos and Aaron Aguilera, a result of the Hawx interference in last weeks rumble.
That 70’s Team vs Team Dragon Gate
The 70’s boys consist of PWG stalwarts Joey Ryan and Disco Machine, with Yoshino and Horiguchi repping for Dragon Gate. Horiguchi and Yoshino are insanely quick here and use this speed to take control early on. Ryan misses a dropkick, resulting in him yelling to Disco to throw him his asthma inhaler in a funny spot. The match soon descends into carnage, with Ryan hitting a superkick on Yoshino for the win.
Vampiro vs 6 Pac
This is for the first ever WSX championship. Both guys put in a surprisingly high effort and the match moves as a fair old pace. The problem is that it’s way too spotty and is pretty much just a collection of moves. A 6 Factor only gets two for Pac (I personally think it lost it’s power when it realised it’s new name didn’t actually mean anything). Vamp hits a tombstone from the apron into (oh yes!) an exploding coffin to get the win and the title.
EPISODE 3
Trailer Park Boys vs The Filth & The Fury
Trailer Park Boys consist of Nate Webb and Josh “Jug” Raymond (aka Josh Abercrombie of IWA-MS fame), whilst their opponents are Teddy Hart and Matt Cross. The Filth & The Fury dominate this right off the bat and this is a massively one-sided showcase until Hart takes a boot to the face attempting a moonsault onto Webb. The Boys have some nice double teams, but this is Hart and Cross’s match, and once Hart escapes Soylent Green, the end is nigh. Hart hits a Canadian Destroyer on Webb and puts him on a table outside before (and I can’t believe I’m typing this) soaking him in water and zapping him with an electrical cable, then hitting Open Hart Surgery on him from on top of some crates. In the ring, meanwhile, Cross hits a shooting star legdrop on Raymond for the win. Actually quite fun early on, but it took a ridiculous turn that I still can’t decide if I loved or hated.
Jack Evans vs El Hombre Blanco Enmascarado
EHBE is PWG stalwart Quicksilver which, being easier to type, is what I’ll call him. That said, his name is probably longer than this match. Quicksilver hits a Fishermans Buster for two, but Jack nails him with a knee to the head and hits the 630 for the win. Essentially pointless
Al Katrazz & Luke Hawx vs Los Pochos Guapos
Los Pochos Guapos are Kaos and ex-Carlito bodyguard Aaron Aguilera. This is a TLC match, only this time it stands for tables, ladders and cervezas, with a 6 pack of beer in the corner. I really like Aguilera’s 1940’s heavy look and this match is pretty well laid out when you take into consideration the WSX policy of rushing through everything. Give it another 5 minutes and it could have been pretty good. Kaos hits Hawx with a Kaos Driver early, but Aguilera stops him hitting a moonsault and tells him to hit it off the ladder, which Kaos promptly misses. Katrazz tries to hit Old School into a tornado DDT on Aguilera, but AA reverses it into a suplex into the ladder. Kaos hits a Ganso Bomb on Hawx and AA tells him to powerbomb Hawx onto the beers. However, Katrazz Irish whips AA into Kaos midpowerbomb, allowing Hawx to reverse it to a facebuster on the beers. That was pretty nicely worked. Katrazz powerbombs Kaos through a table for the win. Probably the best WSX thus far.
EPISODE 4
Matt Sydal vs Scorpio Sky
Sydal is described as the “Cocky Coverboy”, which would be a great gimmick for him to use if he turned heel in the WWE. Due to some poor booking, both guys are essentially working cocky heel gimmicks, though the crowd soon decides Sky is the face. The match kicks off with a series of flips, ranas and dives, until Sky nails Sydal with a backbreaker. Awesome moonsault into a legroller by Sydal. Sky comes back with a pristine tope. Lizzie Valentine distracts Sky, allowing Sydal to hit a standing moonsault for two. The ending is pretty choice, Sydal hitting a one man Spanish Fly that ends with him on top for the victory. Brief but fun, at least everything was crisp. Afterwards, Valentine writes “H8R” on Sky’s back in lipstick, which is a brilliant heel move.
Keeping It Gangsta vs That 70’s Team
KIG consists of Babi Slymm and former CZW champion Ruckus. That 70’s Team come out to answer an open challenge, and prepare for the match by oiling themselves up. KIG are into total control early on due to the fast paced offence of Ruckus. Slymm comes in and retains control, until Ryan helps Disco complete a victory roll by booting Slymm in the gut. Some high-concept comedy ensues involving Ryan wearing a thong, and Ruckus gets the hot tag. Ruckus is a guy ideally suited to tag matches, his high paced offence suits being the hot tag guy really well. Slymm hits an insane spinning sidewalk slam on Disco. Ruckus puts Ryan in the tree of woe, smashes a discoball in his crotch before hitting a flipping moonsault from a blinged-out ladder onto Ryan’s face. What a sentence. Match was pretty enjoyable.
And that is the final match we get. The episode finishes with an angle involving Vampiro, 6 Pac and a debuting Ricky Banderas (plus ludicrous special effects), but we get no more episodes of WSX...
What we DO get is some web-exclusive matches as extras...
Luke Hawx vs Puma vs the Human Tornado
Earlier this year, I reviewed a PWG match which was a triple threat match with a similar line-up, with Davey Richards instead of Hawx. That was a longer match but, taking into account the WSX constraints of time, I think I enjoyed this one more. This is in large part down to the presence of the former XPW Altar Boy, who really gets showcased here. Tornado kicks things off early with an insane tope to both men which sends him through the safety rails, but Hawx soon takes control on him after sending Puma to the floor with a huge Irish whip to the corner. Hawx nearly beheads Tornado with a clothesline, downing him with a vicious looking series of kicks. Hawx retains control and nearly gets two off a powerbomb, but is shoved from the top rope to the floor by a returning Puma. Tornado attacks Puma and hits a corkscrew senton on him for the win. Made Puma look really dumb, but Hawx and Tornado got to look great.
DIFH vs the Trailer Park Boys
DIFH (or Doing It For Her) are Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black rocking an emo gimmick, Jimmy being the sensitive one and Black being the intense one. The commentators spend a lot of the early going talking about Johnny Webb managing the Trailer Park Boys, and how he’s a former XPW champion, as if anyone watching will have any idea what that means. Jacobs is too busy spending the early moments waving to girls, so Black has to kick things off by hitting Jug with some nice strikes. The Boys take over on Black, with some nice double teams in the corner. Jacobs does get in, but Raymond nearly kills himself hitting a suicide dive into the rails (and partially Jacobs). We see some nice character developments for DIFH as Jacobs locks in a Camel Clutch on Raymond, but gets upset when Black comes in a blasts Jug with a dropkick to the face. Jimmy tries again with a Cattle Mutilation, but Black comes in again with a standing Shooting Star. Raymond manages a hot tag after a springboard kick, and Webb comes in and gets the win on Black following Soylent Green. I liked this a lot.
Matt Sydal vs Matt Classic
Matt Classic is Colt Cabana under a mask, and the gimmick is spectacular. Essentially the story is that he is a wrestler from the 1950’s who has been in a coma for 50 years and is returning to action. Cabana plays it to the hilt, with not only a moveset straight out of the black-and-white days, but also wearing large trunks, no kneepads and with ridiculous mannerisms. Classic locks on the dreaded stomach claw early on, but Sydal somehow escapes and uses his speed to take over. Classic manages to lock on the trapezius claw from a Sydal pinfall, but Sydal hits a reverse rana and the Shooting Star Press to win. Really fun comedy match.
Matt Classic vs Scorpio Sky
Another excellent Classic match. Classic brings some more old school to the table, including fish-hooking Sky. Sky downs Classic with a flying headscissors, but gets caught on another move, and Classic downs him with a dreaded airplane spin. A Heart Punch sends Sky straight down, but Classic misses a bottom rope splash which allows Sky back into it. Sky hits a sloppy looking Impaler DDT for the win.
DIFH vs That 70’s Team
The match starts with Disco doing an unnatural amount of gyrating. Jacobs doesn’t seem to want to hurt him, so Black uses his partner as a weapon, whipping Disco into the corner and hurling Jacobs at him. Ryan comes in to attack Jimmy, who ends up as face-in-peril. Machine hits a snazzy looking snap powerslam. Jimmy nails a neckbreaker on Ryan, which causes Joey to need his inhaler. This gives Jacobs time to make the hot tag. The awkward thong comedy comes out again, DIFH rock a nice double team finisher: Black hoists Ryan on his shoulders, Jacobs hits a top rope elbow and Black finishes it off with a sitout driver. This picks up the win. Another perfectly good tag match, better than most of the ones on the main show.
DIFH vs Team Dragon Gate
The third DIFH match on the internet matches and really, they’ve been a highlight of the DVD. This is another fine match, with the opening section with Jacobs and Horiguchi being superslick. Loved seeing Jacobs using the flying headscissors, though it’s not quite the same without the power of the furry boots. Yoshino is still superquick, enough that he starts to make my TV blur, and he gets a two off a tornado DDT. Black is still forced to use the sensitive Jacobs as a weapon, hurling him into Horiguchi for a two count. Horiguchi misses a moonsault, and DIFH use the elbow/driver combination to pick up the win. DIFH were awesome.
Jack Evans vs Marcus Riot
Riot is a guy I know nothing about. Even a quick Google search is revealing nothing. Riot is dressed exactly like Evans, with the storyline being that Riot is an Evans superfan. Riot does a really good job keeping up with the uberfast Evans early on, but he gets blasted with a swank cartwheel kick by Evans. Evans sends him outside and hits a nuts 360 springboard plancha. Riot gets back on offence by raising knees on a standing SSP and nails a roaring clothesline for two. Evans fires back with a reverse rana for two. He follows it with a fantastic standing corkscrew moonsault for two. Evans misses the 630, but he blasts Riot with a Fisherman buster and hits the 630 second attempt for 3. Fun story with Riot being the Evans clone, and he looked pretty good. Shame I’ve literally no idea who he is.
Friday, 12 August 2011
MLW Reload 2002
Back when I was first getting into the indies, this was the first non-WWE/WCW/ECW tape I ever bought. I think the lure was getting to see so many different styles on one show. MLW flew in guys from Mexico and Japan for the show, and not just any old guys, but proper stars like La Parka, Shocker, the Far East Connection and Satoshi Kojima. Unfortunately the business model wasn't sound and they swiftly went out of business. However, the production values were top notch for an indy, plus we get the benefits of Joey Styles commentating.
Fuego Guerrero vs Super Crazy
Guerrero is Amazing Red under a hood, a fact outed by both Joey Styles and the crowd who chant “Red” at him. The opening moments see Guerrero staying one step ahead of Crazy, including a beautiful flying headscissors. Crazy uses his smarts to take control, using two different sunset flip reversals to out-do Guerrero, but again falls prey to the speed of Guerrero, who sends him out and hits a beautiful plancha. Back inside, Crazy is able to regain control and really starts to dominate. Crazy nails a springboard moonsault and a corkscrew elbow, before getting two on a cocky cover following a powerbomb. Guerrero manages to reverse a second try into a tornado DDT. They manage to blow the Code Red, but Red hits a swank looking enzuigiri. A spin kick sends Crazy outside, and Red follows with a spectacular corkscrew moonsault. Back in, a Red Star Press gets two, but Crazy avoids a senton and hits a powerbomb for the win. Excellent opener, Crazy gave Red a fair bit here and everything Red did looked really crisp.
La Parka vs Shocker
La Parka slaps Shocker across the face on a handshake, and they launch into a really nice sequence of counters and reversals, ending in the applause stance. Shocker sends Parka outside and feints a dive, but his cockiness backfires as Parka suckers him outside and kicks him as he re-enters the ring. Shocker then takes a 360 bump from a La Parka shoulderblock, but Parka soon outbumps him, first landing on his head on a backdrop, then flying over the top rope to the floor on a monkey flip. La Parka rallies back and nails a corkscrew moonsault, before hitting a senton for two. Shocker briefly fires back, avoiding a Parka chairshot by dropkicking it into Parka’s face, but his subsequent suicide dive sends him headfirst into a chairshot. Somehow, Shocker regroups and nails Parka with 3 sentons for 2. La Majistral gets 2. Shocker then tries a Bronco Buster, but gets greeted with a boot to the groin, and a Parka corkscrew bodypress gets the win.
Christopher Daniels, Ikuto Hidaka & Dick Togo vs The SAT & Quiet Storm
I will go on record now as stating this is the best SAT match I’ve ever seen. I’d also add this isn’t Daniels, Togo and Hidaka carrying them, more a case of the SAT and Storm bringing themselves up to their opponents level. The SAT work really tightly here, not blowing anything and, thanks to the match structure, not just turning this into a spotfest. All 6 guys take it in turns to work a sequence in the early stages, before the heels (ostensibly Hidaka, Togo and Daniels, though the fans love some Dick) throw their opponents out of the ring, where it all starts to break down. I’d forgotten that Quiet Storm is actually pretty good at working the gusty little tough guy role, levelling Daniels with a big clothesline. Togo comes in and lands face first on an SAT drop toehold. Daniels comes in, which leads to a somewhat convoluted submission hold involving the SAT, Daniels and Togo. Togo nails Joel with an awesome looking DDT to take over, and Joel is the face-in-peril. The heels work over Joel so effectively that the same fans who were chanting “Dick” earlier start up an SAT chant. Hidaka works over the knee of Joel, before Dick nails him with a big swanton. Dick then hits a big brainbuster for two. The heels work in a fun spot where they lure the faces in, distracting the ref, so they can take turns posing on the prone body of Joel Maximo. Joel eventually makes the hot tag and all the guys bust in, leading to a series of dives, culminating with a springboard corkscrew moonsault by Hidaka. Back in, Hell has still broken lose as Storm hits Hidaka with a Widow’s Peak for 2, Daniels gets two following a BME on Jose and the SAT hit the Spanish Fly on Togo (possibly injuring Togo’s ankle) for a broken up two count. We end up with just Storm and Daniels in the ring, with Daniels picking up the win following a Roll The Dice neckbreaker. Fantastic match.
Terry Funk vs Chris Candido
This very much is not a good match. Candido is wearing the Funk-esque trunks he wore at the end of his brief WCW run. Funk starts out stalling and frustrating Candido, but his movements look like he’s in slow motion. Tammy Sytch manages to give Candido an advantage by grabbing Funk’s leg on a break and they head outside for some unspeakably dull brawling. Candido tries to enliven things with some big bumps, first taking a suplex from the ring to the floor, then taking a nasty looking spill over the safety rails. He then tries to top this by taking a piledriver on the floor, which is concrete protected by some carpet. Funk doesn’t help him much, hitting something that looked halfway between a suplex and a brainbuster (called as a DDT by Styles) on the metal ramp. Candido brings a ladder into the ring, and Funk awkwardly falls over trying to pick it up. I know that the Funker was pretty old at the time, but this is not one of his better performances. They botch….something ladder related in the corner, earning some boos. Candido gets two from a diving headbutt, but misses one from the ladder, then takes an odd looking bump over the top from an Irish whip. Tammy gives Funk a low blow while the ref is distracted (though he seemed pretty cool about all the ladders in the ring), but Funk no-sells it and gives her a DDT, before treating her to a bloody bite on the backside. With Candido back in, Funk hits an awkward looking neckbreaker through some chairs. Candido tries a small package on a spinning toehold attempt, but Funk reverses to a small package of his own for the win. My notes end with the phrase “bag of wank”, which sums this match up perfectly.
Steve Corino vs Vampiro vs the Sandman
This is scheduled for a 1-on-1 match between the Canadians, before “Enter Sandman” summons the arrival of the Sandman. Vamp and Corino double-team Sandman from the start, with Vampiro hitting the Nail In The Coffin early doors, before getting attacked by Corino. We get a rather average brawl out of the ring, though Sandman and Corino take some nasty-looking bumps on the steel ramp from Vampiro. Vamp looks to be in the best shape of the three men, and hits both with some firm looking kicks. Sandman’s role seems to be pretty much just putting weapons in the ring as he contributes nothing else, leaving Vamp and Corino to have some decent exchanges. Vamp and Sandman fight outside, which allows Corino to set up a piece of the safety rails in the ring, balanced on four chairs. This kinda backfires as Sandman superplexes Corino onto the railing, but Vamp comes along and pins Sandman, who has managed to hurt himself in the process. However, to my shock, it turns out this is an elimination match, so we continue with Vamp and Corino. They look really good in the ring together, though Vamp has the advantage due to Corino still feeling the effects of the superplex. Corino hits the Old School Expulsion out of nowhere for two and hits a second rope cutter for the win. Bit of a mess and would really have been better without Sandman.
Sabu vs Taiyo Kea
Magnificently, Styles claims that Sabu is in the best shape of his career, then points out the bandages on Sabu’s shoulder in the same sentence. That said, Sabu looks really “on” here: his strikes look good and there’s not of his usual sloppiness on his highspots. Sabu misses a baseball slide and gets tossed into the safety rails, before Kea hits a pescado. Back inside, Kea locks in a sharpshooter, and I really dig the way he kicks Sabu in the back while flipping him over. Sabu manages to bail outside and avoids a second pescado, before throwing Kea into the crowd and hitting an insane chair-assisted dive. Sabu tries to set up a table, but takes too long and Kea throws him back in the ring. Kea goes to the top rope, but Sabu gets up to nail a sick looking top rope DDT. Sabu tries for the triple jump moonsault, but Kea droptoeholds him face-first onto the chair. Kea goes up top again, but gets caught by Sabu, who hits a perfect top rope rana, followed by a springboard legdrop for two. Sabu goes back to the table from earlier and puts Kea through it with a legdrop. Back in, the triple jump moonsault only gets two. Sabu runs the ropes, but gets caught with a Frankensteiner by Kea. An enzuigiri sends Sabu face first onto a chair. Kea gives Sabu two Hawaiian Crushes (TKO) then hits the Hawaii 5-0 for the win. Pretty good match, both guys seemed on, though it was a little spotty in places. I really liked the way that, rather than hit a finisher and risk Sabu kicking out, Kea decided to hit 3 in a row to ensure Sabu wasn’t going to escape.
Satoshi Kojima vs Jerry Lynn
This is for the vacant MLW title. I’d like to highlight that Kojima’s entrance attire is fucking awesome. This match is mainly Kojima dominating Lynn, but Lynn using his veteran wiles to escape from moves and hit counters. Kojima takes Lynn down early and locks in a STF, forcing Lynn to the ropes. Kojima starts to subtly heel it up, not breaking cleanly and pretending not to understand English. Kojima hits a flurry of strikes in the corner,, but misses an 2nd rope elbow. Lynn send Kojima to the corner and hits a flurry of his own. Kojima no-sells 3 Lynn clotheslines, but Lynn manages to reverse a slam into an inverted DDT for two, Lynn avoids a lariat and hits a German suplex, which he really has to fight for, for 2. Lynn then hits a tornado DDT for two. Kojima avoids a Lynn clothesline and hits him with a Sky High for two. Lynn comes back with a TKO for two, but Kojima blocks a cradle piledriver attempt and nits a Michinoku Driver for two. A huge Lariat gets the win, and the MLW title, for Kojima. I really like the way they’d put over the Lariat as a death finisher- Styles had talked earlier about Kojima being mentored by Stan Hansen, and the ref recoiled when Kojima hit it. Really fun match, and a more than adequate main event.
Fuego Guerrero vs Super Crazy
Guerrero is Amazing Red under a hood, a fact outed by both Joey Styles and the crowd who chant “Red” at him. The opening moments see Guerrero staying one step ahead of Crazy, including a beautiful flying headscissors. Crazy uses his smarts to take control, using two different sunset flip reversals to out-do Guerrero, but again falls prey to the speed of Guerrero, who sends him out and hits a beautiful plancha. Back inside, Crazy is able to regain control and really starts to dominate. Crazy nails a springboard moonsault and a corkscrew elbow, before getting two on a cocky cover following a powerbomb. Guerrero manages to reverse a second try into a tornado DDT. They manage to blow the Code Red, but Red hits a swank looking enzuigiri. A spin kick sends Crazy outside, and Red follows with a spectacular corkscrew moonsault. Back in, a Red Star Press gets two, but Crazy avoids a senton and hits a powerbomb for the win. Excellent opener, Crazy gave Red a fair bit here and everything Red did looked really crisp.
La Parka vs Shocker
La Parka slaps Shocker across the face on a handshake, and they launch into a really nice sequence of counters and reversals, ending in the applause stance. Shocker sends Parka outside and feints a dive, but his cockiness backfires as Parka suckers him outside and kicks him as he re-enters the ring. Shocker then takes a 360 bump from a La Parka shoulderblock, but Parka soon outbumps him, first landing on his head on a backdrop, then flying over the top rope to the floor on a monkey flip. La Parka rallies back and nails a corkscrew moonsault, before hitting a senton for two. Shocker briefly fires back, avoiding a Parka chairshot by dropkicking it into Parka’s face, but his subsequent suicide dive sends him headfirst into a chairshot. Somehow, Shocker regroups and nails Parka with 3 sentons for 2. La Majistral gets 2. Shocker then tries a Bronco Buster, but gets greeted with a boot to the groin, and a Parka corkscrew bodypress gets the win.
Christopher Daniels, Ikuto Hidaka & Dick Togo vs The SAT & Quiet Storm
I will go on record now as stating this is the best SAT match I’ve ever seen. I’d also add this isn’t Daniels, Togo and Hidaka carrying them, more a case of the SAT and Storm bringing themselves up to their opponents level. The SAT work really tightly here, not blowing anything and, thanks to the match structure, not just turning this into a spotfest. All 6 guys take it in turns to work a sequence in the early stages, before the heels (ostensibly Hidaka, Togo and Daniels, though the fans love some Dick) throw their opponents out of the ring, where it all starts to break down. I’d forgotten that Quiet Storm is actually pretty good at working the gusty little tough guy role, levelling Daniels with a big clothesline. Togo comes in and lands face first on an SAT drop toehold. Daniels comes in, which leads to a somewhat convoluted submission hold involving the SAT, Daniels and Togo. Togo nails Joel with an awesome looking DDT to take over, and Joel is the face-in-peril. The heels work over Joel so effectively that the same fans who were chanting “Dick” earlier start up an SAT chant. Hidaka works over the knee of Joel, before Dick nails him with a big swanton. Dick then hits a big brainbuster for two. The heels work in a fun spot where they lure the faces in, distracting the ref, so they can take turns posing on the prone body of Joel Maximo. Joel eventually makes the hot tag and all the guys bust in, leading to a series of dives, culminating with a springboard corkscrew moonsault by Hidaka. Back in, Hell has still broken lose as Storm hits Hidaka with a Widow’s Peak for 2, Daniels gets two following a BME on Jose and the SAT hit the Spanish Fly on Togo (possibly injuring Togo’s ankle) for a broken up two count. We end up with just Storm and Daniels in the ring, with Daniels picking up the win following a Roll The Dice neckbreaker. Fantastic match.
Terry Funk vs Chris Candido
This very much is not a good match. Candido is wearing the Funk-esque trunks he wore at the end of his brief WCW run. Funk starts out stalling and frustrating Candido, but his movements look like he’s in slow motion. Tammy Sytch manages to give Candido an advantage by grabbing Funk’s leg on a break and they head outside for some unspeakably dull brawling. Candido tries to enliven things with some big bumps, first taking a suplex from the ring to the floor, then taking a nasty looking spill over the safety rails. He then tries to top this by taking a piledriver on the floor, which is concrete protected by some carpet. Funk doesn’t help him much, hitting something that looked halfway between a suplex and a brainbuster (called as a DDT by Styles) on the metal ramp. Candido brings a ladder into the ring, and Funk awkwardly falls over trying to pick it up. I know that the Funker was pretty old at the time, but this is not one of his better performances. They botch….something ladder related in the corner, earning some boos. Candido gets two from a diving headbutt, but misses one from the ladder, then takes an odd looking bump over the top from an Irish whip. Tammy gives Funk a low blow while the ref is distracted (though he seemed pretty cool about all the ladders in the ring), but Funk no-sells it and gives her a DDT, before treating her to a bloody bite on the backside. With Candido back in, Funk hits an awkward looking neckbreaker through some chairs. Candido tries a small package on a spinning toehold attempt, but Funk reverses to a small package of his own for the win. My notes end with the phrase “bag of wank”, which sums this match up perfectly.
Steve Corino vs Vampiro vs the Sandman
This is scheduled for a 1-on-1 match between the Canadians, before “Enter Sandman” summons the arrival of the Sandman. Vamp and Corino double-team Sandman from the start, with Vampiro hitting the Nail In The Coffin early doors, before getting attacked by Corino. We get a rather average brawl out of the ring, though Sandman and Corino take some nasty-looking bumps on the steel ramp from Vampiro. Vamp looks to be in the best shape of the three men, and hits both with some firm looking kicks. Sandman’s role seems to be pretty much just putting weapons in the ring as he contributes nothing else, leaving Vamp and Corino to have some decent exchanges. Vamp and Sandman fight outside, which allows Corino to set up a piece of the safety rails in the ring, balanced on four chairs. This kinda backfires as Sandman superplexes Corino onto the railing, but Vamp comes along and pins Sandman, who has managed to hurt himself in the process. However, to my shock, it turns out this is an elimination match, so we continue with Vamp and Corino. They look really good in the ring together, though Vamp has the advantage due to Corino still feeling the effects of the superplex. Corino hits the Old School Expulsion out of nowhere for two and hits a second rope cutter for the win. Bit of a mess and would really have been better without Sandman.
Sabu vs Taiyo Kea
Magnificently, Styles claims that Sabu is in the best shape of his career, then points out the bandages on Sabu’s shoulder in the same sentence. That said, Sabu looks really “on” here: his strikes look good and there’s not of his usual sloppiness on his highspots. Sabu misses a baseball slide and gets tossed into the safety rails, before Kea hits a pescado. Back inside, Kea locks in a sharpshooter, and I really dig the way he kicks Sabu in the back while flipping him over. Sabu manages to bail outside and avoids a second pescado, before throwing Kea into the crowd and hitting an insane chair-assisted dive. Sabu tries to set up a table, but takes too long and Kea throws him back in the ring. Kea goes to the top rope, but Sabu gets up to nail a sick looking top rope DDT. Sabu tries for the triple jump moonsault, but Kea droptoeholds him face-first onto the chair. Kea goes up top again, but gets caught by Sabu, who hits a perfect top rope rana, followed by a springboard legdrop for two. Sabu goes back to the table from earlier and puts Kea through it with a legdrop. Back in, the triple jump moonsault only gets two. Sabu runs the ropes, but gets caught with a Frankensteiner by Kea. An enzuigiri sends Sabu face first onto a chair. Kea gives Sabu two Hawaiian Crushes (TKO) then hits the Hawaii 5-0 for the win. Pretty good match, both guys seemed on, though it was a little spotty in places. I really liked the way that, rather than hit a finisher and risk Sabu kicking out, Kea decided to hit 3 in a row to ensure Sabu wasn’t going to escape.
Satoshi Kojima vs Jerry Lynn
This is for the vacant MLW title. I’d like to highlight that Kojima’s entrance attire is fucking awesome. This match is mainly Kojima dominating Lynn, but Lynn using his veteran wiles to escape from moves and hit counters. Kojima takes Lynn down early and locks in a STF, forcing Lynn to the ropes. Kojima starts to subtly heel it up, not breaking cleanly and pretending not to understand English. Kojima hits a flurry of strikes in the corner,, but misses an 2nd rope elbow. Lynn send Kojima to the corner and hits a flurry of his own. Kojima no-sells 3 Lynn clotheslines, but Lynn manages to reverse a slam into an inverted DDT for two, Lynn avoids a lariat and hits a German suplex, which he really has to fight for, for 2. Lynn then hits a tornado DDT for two. Kojima avoids a Lynn clothesline and hits him with a Sky High for two. Lynn comes back with a TKO for two, but Kojima blocks a cradle piledriver attempt and nits a Michinoku Driver for two. A huge Lariat gets the win, and the MLW title, for Kojima. I really like the way they’d put over the Lariat as a death finisher- Styles had talked earlier about Kojima being mentored by Stan Hansen, and the ref recoiled when Kojima hit it. Really fun match, and a more than adequate main event.
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