Day 25 2020

 

Day 25 

WrestleMania 12

Yep the whole show. 

Our opening contest is a Six Man Tag Team Match. It’s Camp Cornette (Vader, Owen Hart, and Davey Boy Smith) vs. Yokozuna, Ahmed Johnson and Jake Roberts...truly an all star team if I’ve ever seen one. The face team is announced as being over a thousand pound combined which I hope is kayfabe because most of that was probably Yokozuna and I feel bad for the big man. That said him and Vader are actually mu highlights of this match. Any time their in the ring with each other they just throw bombs at each other. The other four handle most of the match which isn’t bad but it’s also nothing great. The match begins and ends with a wild brawl but in between it’s just an ok In Your House match at best. It’s WM boys you should’ve done better. 

Oh boy here we go! The next match is the start of the Hollywood Backlot Brawl! It’s a few minutes of Hot Rod beating the piss out of Goldust. Goldust takes everything, baseball shots, trash cans, being thrown into a catering table and a dumpster, hell Piper even chucks a soda can at him for good measure. Goldust eventually sneaks in a low blow and runs over Piper with his gold car. Personally that’s where I would’ve ended thing but Vince can’t help himself so Piper gives chase and we’ll check back on those two later. 

Back to the Pond for our next match, Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega. I expected this to be our first “traditional” wrestling match but nope. Tensions are high and the two slug it out. Eventually Austin gains control and slows the pace and works over Vegas arm. They keep up a the pace and aggression but the match peaked with the opening brawl. Not that it’s a terrible match, I actually enjoyed it more then I expected. If you can’t tell this match gave me like nothing to work with. Another ok match. 

Things are getting worse before they get better. Our next match is the infamous match between Hunter Hearst Helmsley and The Ultimate Warrior. Between Warriors contract and his pyro I’m surprised anyone else on this show got paid. Maybe they had a collection plate going around Gorilla. Anyway this is basically a squash match. HHH gets some offense and even hits his finisher, but the Warrior doesn’t sell it, gets his shit in, and fucks off. You can tell 1996 was a transitional period because Warrior looks really out of place which is strange considering Goldust is running around. 

Fun fact the last match was also the debut of Sable. Right after we get another debut as Todd Pentigall introduces the newest superstar Marc Mero (or Marc Mauro as Todd calls him). Man Austin had a wild three years following this show but at least he went upwards. Poor Mero peaked in ‘96 and everything else was downhill as Sable became more famous. Now he’s a motivational speaker and she’s living on a farm in Buttfuck, Canada...life is strange. 

Anyway back to wrestling, it’s time for Diesel vs. Undertaker! Though he may have been the fifth victim of the Streak, Diesel was arguably its first real star and first great match. The beat on each other and bump like hell for each other. The match does slow down after a double Big Boot spot but the quality doesn’t drop at all. The crowd is firmly anti-Diesel and these get every bit of that emotion out of them with Taker taking and withstanding two Jackknife Powerbomb. Great moment and great match. Easily the match of the night so far. 

In the back we get the continuation of the Backlot Brawl as Goldie and Piper drift into the arena. The two chase each other to the ring where the brawl continues. Go,dust takes advantage and commits a couple acts o sexual harassment before a kiss pushes Piper too far. Piper gives Goldie the Grapefruit Claw, drops a knee into his balks, and then rips off his outfit revealing the infamous lingerie. Another knee to the balls ends things as Goldie basically forfeits. I could do without the sexual harassment spots but other then that really fun match overall.

We’ve reach our main event, my original plan for Day 25. The Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship, Bret Hart defending the title against Shawn Michaels. I’ve seen both sides of the argument with this match. Either it’s a classic or it’s boring and overrated. I fall somewhere in the middle. 

The match is paced really well. The two wrestle in the mat for a majority of the match with HBK being the dominant one while the Hitman grows frustrated and injured. These moments are broken up by the faster paced stuff that I prefer and sees everyone from the two competitors to poor Mark Yeaton getting bumped around. The two are masters of the sport and know their assigned roles. Bret kills it as the frustrated champ and HBK is a natural resultant babyface. They bump their asses off for each other when necessary and both men come out looking like winners. I shouldn’t mention this because of the stories against Lawler, but his commentary was really good too (I can’t stand Vinces announcer voice sometimes). For sixty minutes, two greats did exactly what their known to do and delivered a hell of a match. Like I said, I personally wouldn’t call this a classic but I wasn’t as bored as I expected be and really enjoyed some parts of this match 

Overall in the pantheon of WrestleManias, 12 is ok. Nothings out right terrible and the shows an easy watch. Even the Iron Man match flies by at certain points. The card is indicative of the changing company as New Gen PPV mainstays like Razor Ramon, Tatanka, and 123 Kid are no where to be seen. And if nothing else, this was a big improvement on WM 11. 

Day 24 2020

 

WCW Halloween Havoc 1992

Coal Miners Glove Match

Jake Roberts vs. Sting

Well this was a bad idea and so was this review. Before we get to the match let’s talk about the stipulation for a second. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this broken down but it’s a mess before the bell even rings. First off, the pole is an actual pole. It’s not a pole with a hook that the wrestlers can easily reach from the second turnbuckle. Nope instead one of them has to actually shimmy up this pole to get the glove at the top like they’re fucking Mulan. 

Secondly, the aforementioned glove, completely optional. This match could’ve ended without either man actually getting the glove. The match is non-sanctioned so why is a pinfall or submission an acceptable method of victory? Wouldn’t it make more sense to book it so that if you get the glove, it’s in play and the first person to knock out the other with the glove? 

Ok that aside let’s get to the match. It stinks. It’s pole match so it’s one of those matches with a formula and boy do this guys not try to do anything out of the box except for one spot where Sting stripper swings on the pole and nails Roberts with an elbow. There’s aslo just moments where the two just stand around. Like not playing to the crowd or camera, just standing still. It’s like they forgot what they had planned. They try to incorporate some storytelling here with Sting working over Jakes DDT’ing arm but it doesn’t matter as Jake still hits the move with the damaged arm...then Sting no sells the DDT so that whole series of events was ultimatum pointless. 

Oh the arm doesn’t play into the finish by the way which is a whole other mess. So spoilers for a twenty year old match. Cactus Jack comes to the ring while Sting is climbing the pole not to stop the Stinger but to hand Jake a snake handlers glove and the bag with his cobra in it. Meanwhile, Sting retrieves the glove. Then the cobra is supposed to have bitten Jake in the face but there’s no way of showing the snake turned so one second Jake is holding the snake fine then the next he’s swaying around acting like the snake bit him. 

Sting comes and punches Jake, who proceeds to roll over the poor snake, and pins him. During this you can clearly see that the snake hasn’t actually latched on as Jake pulls it away from him before trying again. 

Well that was something. I think this was Jakes one and only televised match which is like going into a job interview and just shitting on the floor. The stipulation was a mess and neither man seemed eager to even try and make it work. I know both men are capable of better. And yes I’d rather watch the Human Torch match then this simply because it’s shorter. 

Day 23 2020

 

ECW Holiday Hell 2000

ECW Title Three Way Dance 

Steve Corino(c) w/ Jack Victory vs. Sandman vs. Justin Credible w/ Dawn Marie

Corinos the champ but Sandman has the belt...I don’t know and Styles isn’t there to clarify. Hell unless you know you’re history you wouldn’t even know Corino was champ until the end of the match. Spoilers? Whatever. There’s not much here it’s your standard ECW brawl...at first. 

After Credible is eliminated Sandman takes control from Corino. After throwing the King of Old School through the middle rope and through a table the Sandman encourages the fans to throw their chairs into the ring with the poor referee still in there. I’d say him and Corino were completely safe but not all those chairs cleared the ropes and some even bounced off. The ref is fine though until a few seconds later when he accidentally gets Sabu’ed by Corino. The ring is full of chairs and the two are slipping around like it’s an ice level. Hell Victory takes a bump after accidentally hitting Corino with the belt. 

The final ECW show in the ECW Arena ends as it should in pure chaos. There’s a good portion of this match we don’t see as the camera focuses on the Sandman collecting plunder instead of the fight in the crowd. It’s not a good match but it’s not terrible either. 

Day 22 2020

 

1/15/1977

Kendo Nagasaki w/ Gorgeous George vs. Giant Haystacks 

I couldn’t the promotion or show this was from, sorry. 

Eight five minute rounds, two falls to a finish. I’ve always been fascinated by the old round system but up until the Heritage Cup I’ve never actually sat down at watched much of the classic stuff. So here we are then. 

The first round starts with Haystacks in control using his size to knock around Nagasaki. Nagasaki eventually comes back and begins to wail on Haystacks. Along the way Nagasaki takes full advantage of every little rule. The second round see Nagasaki continuing his assault before Haystacks comes back, rips the mask, and forces Nagasaki to tap. Neither man waste any time going into the third round. Nagasaki once again comes out on top and cuts Haystacks open. The ref calls the match and awards the contest to Nagasaki due to a TKO. 

This was a fun match. Neither do anything groundbreaking or extravagant but they have a nice match. The commentator was dull and the finish was kind of weak but it was a different time. 

Day 21 20202

 

ECW on TNN 8/18/2000

Six Man Tag Team Match

FBI (Little Guido, Tony Mamaluke, and Sal E. Graziano) vs. Psicosis, Tajiri, and Mikey Whipwreck w/ Sinister Minister

“We knew Psicosis was psycho but now he’s proven he’s an idiot” 

Five of these don’t fuck around here. The match moves quick showing off some really good wrestling between the babyfaces and Gudio and Mamaluke. Not a slight on Sal as the big fat lad has a role and he plays it well. That role is mostly coming to squish the little guys and get triple teamed. Seriously I feel so bad for the dude, he takes three kicks in the face from Tajiri. Dude probably woke up with a migraine for the next year. 

The smaller guys worked great together but there’s not a lot of that spectacular action you’d expect. There’s some don’t get me wrong but they’d much more time on a PPV or super show to pull out some really crazy shit. That said this was still really good. Two thirds of the FBI work very well with the babyfaces and Sal does good at what he’s there to do which isn’t much but still. 

Day 20 2020

 

Progress Chapter 30: Super Strong Style 16 2016 Night One 

First Round Match

Chris Hero vs. Mark Andrews

The fans are into both men from the jump which is always a good sign. The start simple with Hero mostly out powering Andrews. But once Andrew gets a leg up on Hero, Hero proceeds to beat the ever loving fuck out of Andrews. Fists, chops, boots, elbows, Hero doesn’t run the gamut so much as he throws it square at Mandrews. Bless his heart, Mandrews tries to fight back but it almost ends up with Hero back in control.

As the match builds the crowd only get hotter and hotter. The two start to throw more and more of their arsenal at each other leading to some very well received near falls. Andrews is great as the fighting underdog while Hero excels at being the experienced dickhead bully. 

This was a great match. It builds and builds with both men taking everything from the other. Like I said above both men played their roles perfectly and showed really good chemistry for first time opponents. Add a very hot crowd and you’ve got a fucking winner. 

Day 19 2020

 

WWF Raw 8/17/1998

Brawl for All Semi-Finals

The Godfather vs. Bart Gunn

Yep I’m actually doing this. And to my surprise we come in with a little bit of backstory. In the previous nights Heat Godfather helped Vader soften up Gunn for this contest. You didn’t need to know that because Bart doesn’t appear off at all...and if you know your history, he actually wins this damn thing. 

The match goes three rounds total. The first is a bit of a slow start, as they mostly dance around with not a lot of shots connecting. The second round is a full on slugger and Bart lands a lot of nasty shots, including one right to the face that knocks Godfather on his ass at the end of the round. The third round doesn’t last long. Bart makes quick work of the battered Godfather quickly taking him out with a strong right hook. 

This is usually the part where I sum my thoughts and give my opinion of the quality of the match. But I mean come on, it’s the goddamn Brawl fro All. I knew what I was getting into. It’s place on wrestling s worst ideas list is strongly cemented and no one came out of it looking good except for the actual boxer that wasn’t even on the payroll. I don’t know what makes a decent boxing match but maybe this is it. Bottom line, I’ve seen worse.  

Day 18 2020

 

WCW The Great American Bash 2000

Human Torch Match

Vampiro vs. Sting

Before the actual review I’d like to apologize for the abundance of WCW in this project. I wasn’t intentional I’ve been on sort of a kick lately. This won’t be the last WCW match, but it’ll be the last for a while.

Anyway, the match. This match is infamous but if you know me, you know I’m a fan of Vamp and Sting is one my favorites. I wanted to like this, I wanted to come out of this match not agreeing with the naysayers. I’d like to be able to tell you that I really enjoyed this match and to watch for yourself...yeah I can’t do that. 

After an awesome entrance from Sting, the two engage in a quick brawl. The two begin to scale the entrance set up as Sting pulled the torch up to the top of it to fuck with Vampiro (Spoilers, Vamp no sells his supposed fear of heights) and Sting takes a mild-Shane O-Mac bump. And that’s where this match peaks. Which is saying something cause I thought Stings entrance was gonna be the peak.

The two scale the set up...oh by the way Sting is doused in gasoline....and suddenly the lights go down. It’s replaced by this flashing atmosphere light and occasional thunder noise. The two brawl which is visible, what isn’t visible is anything the two do when they go to the ground as there’s no camera man up there with them and it’s dark. The finish happens shortly after and it couldn’t have come sooner. 

Wow this was something. The early parts showed signs of a heated brawl but that gave way to a match that limited visibility. It’s hard to judge a match when you can’t see a chunk of what happens. You can see the punches and Sting slamming Vamps face into the ground but that’s it. The ending is supposed to seem death defying and brutal but just ends looking like something from that Indiana Jones stunt show at Disney World. This may be among the worst Sting matches I’ve seen. 

Day 17 2020

 

Beyond Wrestling Tournament for Tomorrow 4 Day 1

Singles Match

Matt Tremont vs. Jonathan Gresham

Well this is an intriguing match up. Gresham is known for his technical wrestling while Tremont is known for Deathmatchs. Needless to say this isn’t a Deathamtch. Actually Tremont hangs with Gresham early on. He’s not like Zack Sabre Jr. but it’s always surprising to see which Deathmatch guys can get it done outside of their element. The role reversal sets the tone for this match. When Tremont tries to wrestle, Gresham outdoes him but by the same token when Gresham tries to brawl Tremont knocks him around like a tether ball. 

I don’t know if I would call this a good match, but it’s not bad in any sense. They keep the action simple with minimal and well built to high spots. The slower pace makes it a tad boring and some people may get distracted by the commentary. Nothing terrible, nothing spectacular, just a decent simple wrestling match. 

Day 15 and 16 2020

 

TNA Genesis 2010

TNA Knockouts Title 2-Out-of-3 Falls Match

Tara vs. ODB (c)

Gonna be brief here. ODB took the title from Tara under dubious circumstances and a war of words ensued. Things are aggressive from the word go. Tara scores the first fall with a surprise Small Package but ODB immediately takes control going into the second fall. ODB controls the second fall, working over Taras mid-section...I think. The attacks aren’t one hundred percent pin pointed and the announcers couldn’t be fucked to give a shit. All seems lost for Tara until a Widows Peak out of no where gives her the win and title with a rare two falls to zero. 

This was an ok match. Nothing really stands put and they seem slightly off, like they weren’t quiet on the same page though it was never sloppy. Taras selling was a little lax as well but I’m not a stickler for that. Just a decent quick and inoffensive match. 

ECW on TNN 7/14/2000

Steve Corino and Rhyno w/ Jack Victory vs. Jerry Lynn and The Sandman

The gimmick here was that both men got to pick their partners. Corino chose Rhyno and the two assault Lynn before he announces his partner. Lynn still manages to announce his partner as he exposes a beer can he brought to the ring. Sandman comes down to save his partner...and promptly takes a Superkick and like ten kendo stick shots to the head. 

This is ECW in its purest form. The match is just chaos from the word go, and there’s two actual workhorses in there, nothing against Sandman and Rhyno but neither won awards for their technical savvy. It is weird to see Corino and Lynn do a wrestling sequence while Rhyno pummels Sandman off camera though. 

By the matches end, Lynn is bleeding, a table is broken, a chair was brought into play, and both Cyrus and Spike Dudley ran interference. It’s great! Just good old fashioned ECW chaos with a hot crowd. 

Day 14 2020

 

AWA SuperClash 4

AWA World Championship Match

Larry Zbyszko vs. Masa Saito (c)

Things start bad with the ring announcing. The lady is nervous as hell and trips all over her words, just a mess. I knew going in I probably wasn’t going to be fond of this match but I hoped for the best...and um yeah...

This took place in 1990. Bret Hart was on the rise, Sting and Vader were lighting up WCW...and thens theres AWA doing ‘70s style title match. The slow parts of this match hinder the faster, more aggressive parts. It’s like they try to make you care but after a seemingly endless Sleeper Hold it’s good will just sunk. There were flash of a better match but overall it’s just a bore. 

This is certainly a wrestling match. Like I said just overall a bore of a match. And the near heatless crowd and messy ending don’t do this match any favors. Maybe there’s someone out there that’ll enjoy this mor then me. 

Day 13 2020

 

Defiant Wrestling Fight or Flight 2018

Defiant Internet Championship Match

Mark Davis. Vs. WALTER (c)

HOSS FIGHT!!!!

All you really need to know about Mr. Davis is that he’s just as big, just as strong, and chops almost as hard as WALTER. If you know WALTER then you know exactly this one goes. It doesn’t take long either. WALTER controls a good chunk of the match because fuck you he’s WALTER. 

About halfway through they abandon all pleasantries and just start wailing on each other and throwing the other around. Davis shows off his strength by hitting WALTER with an Alpamare Waterslide and a Powerbomb, both of which looked great. And again WALTER is WALTER. 

Fantastic fight! It’s just two big dudes being big dudes and hitting each other.

Day 12 2020

 

WWE The Shields Final Chapter

Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley vs. The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose)

So I found myself stuck for this review after three or four matches either didn’t hold my attention or gave me nothing to work with. So instead I went to randomizer, got a random name (Ambrose), and picked out a match. 

You don’t need a history on The Shield. We all enjoyed the Shields run, and even after bleeding the well dry with reunions and teases, we were still excited to see the threesome team together. For the time being this is the last time The Shield would wrestle as a unit but never say never when it comes to wrestling. 

This was a live event they turned into a special because of the occasion and it shows. The match is fairly paint by numbers but that doesn’t mean any of them phoned it in. The six don’t do anything too fancy or exciting but the crowd loved seeing the Shield. It’s a good match for what it is but it’s nothing to go out of your way to watch. 

Day 11 2020

 

WCW The Great American Bash 1999

WCW World Heavyweight Title Match

Randy Savage w/ Miss Madness ‘99, Medusa, and Gorgeous George vs. Kevin Nash (c)

I’ve been curious about this match for a couple years but I finally decided to sit down and watch it. I have a soft spot for Big Sexy and Mach is Mach so I’m going in excited. Nash is coming into this with kayfabe fractured ribs and a bum knee because this was right in the middle of the white Hummer angle.

First of all, next time you see someone say Nash can’t work, show them this. The dude sells his knees and rubs every time he uses them in the early going. Being the heel that he is Mach and his crew take full advantage of the damaged ribs. Mach plays his part as the crafty heel,perfectly and Nash does damn good as the babyface fighting through injuries and medical expertise to defend his belt and kick his foes ass. There’s some WCW bullshit in here like blatant interference and low blows but it doesn’t hamper the match. Neither does Nash fighting through his injuries to deliver the Jackknife. 

I was worried going into this but I really enjoyed it. It’s not long which I think helps. Everyone involved plays their role well and the action moves along smoothly. I’ll call it a hidden gem, I don’t give a fuck. 

Day 10 2020

 

AAW A New Dawn

AAW Heritage Championship No Holds Barred Match

Paco vs. Hakim Zane (c) w/ Karam

One complaint I have with modern day WWE is the way they book grudge matches. Too often we see these two supposedly bitter rivals that just want to kick the shit out of each other start their match by wrestling. Not here, the match starts before the bell even rings and doesn’t slow down. Both men beat the shit out of each other. Even if you don’t know the history here (like yours truly$ you can tell this is some serious beef bubbling over. 

The match is also booked pretty smart. They space out the big weapon spots but keep the heat with I assume stiff strikes. I say assume because dear lord the crowd was super into this. They were so loud you couldn’t hear the impact of the non-weapon strikes. 

This was great. A hot, true blue grudge match. The weapon spots are more reserved then you may see in other NHB matches but you get the feeling neither really needs them to accomplish their goal. The crowd is super into this as well. The finish is a great combo of spots that I won’t spoil. The match is up on AAWs YT channel and I’d recommend checking out even if you’re not familiar with either man because I wasn’t and it didn’t matter. 

Day 9 2020

 

Evolve 137

SHINE Nova Championship Match

Aja Perera vs. Shotzi Blackheart (c)

This ones gonna be quick and unpolished because I’m way late. So fun fact Shotzi actually beat Aja to win the title so there’s a little history here. That should’ve made for a more interesting match then we got. 

The match is good but it feels like filler. Shotzi gotta most of the spotlight while Aja just kinda hung around and mostly did the bare minimum, usually just throwing strikes. The match isn’t long and Aja doesn’t get to show off as much but considering where their careers went after this it’s pretty obvious why. The crowd is mostly quiet which never helps matters. A decent, quick space filler. Nothing offense, but nothing to rave about either. 

Day 8 2020

 

                                  

WWE NXT UK 11/26/20

WWE NXT UK Heritage Cup Finals 

Trent Seven vs. A-Kid

A tribute to the old school British scene. Each match is two falls to a finish with six three minutes rounds. It’s a risk but  it sparked a good bit of intrigue when it was announced. Unfortunately NXT UK is on of those that has some really great talent but hasn’t pulled in the fans and the buzz for this tournament diminished quickly.

The first two rounds are exactly what you expect. The two work the mat and for the most part are even until A-Kid focuses in on Sevens arm to disable Sevens Seven Star Lariat finisher. The third round is the two of them beating the crap out of each other following a late hit from Seven. A-Kid scores the first fall and round four returns to the mat with A-Kid firmly in control. The fifth round is Sevens to control as he tries desperately to tie up the score to no avail. Round six is another brawl with Seven squeaking out the fall tying pin in the closing seconds of the round sending it into Sudden Death. 

 I won’t go into the last round since I’d recommend checking this out for yourself. The action is great but so is everything. The story of Seven growing frustrated and hurt as he desperately tries to break out on his own while A-Kid is looking for his first big accolade in WWE is done to perfection. It’s a brand trophy but the to treat it like it’s a world title and fight tooth and nail to be called the first winner. Excellent match.

Day 7 2020

 

WCW Starrcade 1997

Goldberg vs. Steve McMichael 

Little backstory here, Goldberg cost Mongo a match at Halloween Havoc after being paid off by Debra with Mongos Super Bowl ring. They two were set to meet at another PPV but Mongo took out Goldberg with a pipe. Naturally, the two aren’t coming into this match to wrestle...mainly because if they did it would be a disaster. But luckily it’s not!

Goldberg meets Mongo in the aisle way and the two begin to throw leather to quote the American Dream. That sets the tone for this match as they two just pound on each other. I won’t sugarcoat it there are a couple of sloppy points and awkward moments, mainly involving Goldberg being not completely sure what to do with a table. A Jackhammer Brainbuster ends this for Mongo adding to Goldberg’s now legendary streak. 

A good no nonsense brawl. This match was booked to both men’s advantage and it worked perfectly (mostly). The fans kind of float in and out of this match but it’s not noticeable. 

Day 6 2020

 

IWA Mid-South King of the Deathmatch 2003

Toby Klein vs. Necro Butcher

I don’t like death match wrestling. I had a phase where I tried to get into it like I think every long time wrestling fan does when they find out about it. Like you hear about a weedwhacker being used in a wrestling match and you want to see it for yourself. But I’ve seen a couple of death matches including this one and their rematch in 2004s tournament. But why you may ask if I don’t like this style, variety of course...and the first time I watched those two matches because I heard they used a VCR as a weapon during the match and I wanted to see that. 

Anyway this match, well that’s a loose term but whatever. The two start by beating each other with their hands, forearms, and heads, and man is it stiff. The weapons soon follow when Necro hits Toby with what I think is a toaster. A multitude of light tubes come into play as the two continue to brawl around. Naturally the match is a bloodbath as both men are bleeding from just about everywhere above their waist. It’s gross. 

This isn’t the match with the VCR I think (Toby throws something at Necros head toward the end but there’s no commentary and I can’t make out what it was) but still it’s exactly what you expect...well except for the ending. It’s only about six minutes and it’s a first round match so naturally they don’t go huge with the finish but did you expect Necro winning with a Rear Naked Choke? Cause he does. A bloody brawl which isn’t really my thing but if you like death matches this is probably a pretty good one. 

Day 5 2020

 

WCW Thunder  3/15/1998

El Dandy vs. Juventued Guerrera

He Who Shall Not Be Doubted! Juvi is a weird Luchador. Not because of his personal issues but because when he’s on he’s as good as Rey or Psicosis but he can also be pretty sloppy and prone to botches. He’s a lot like Sabu in same ways. 

But enough about the Juice, let’s talk about the Doubtless One. He controls most of the early match after jumping Juvi before the bell. He generally beats the shit out of Juvi for a minute or two before Juvi comes back and dominates the match for most of the remainder of the match. 

Juvis on his A minus game here (he has like one slip up). Juvi flys around while Dandy sticks to brawling and power moves, it’s good stuff. Just a quick little sprint that obviously showcases the wrong Luchador.

Day 4 2020

 

ROH Main Event Spectacles 

Homicide vs. BJ Whitmer

This is a Fighting Spirit Challenge. What is this you may be asking? It’s a regular match except you can win by knockout or a count out which ROH didn’t do at the time (Gabe on commentary says he’s not a fan.) and boy howdy they tease every finish in the book here. 

The match starts out as a standard match but after a hellacious Backdrop Driver the pace picks up. The match becomes a ping pong match of sorts with both men turning up the aggression and spilling blood. Both men take and give a beating. The final stretch is really well done and highly dramatic. 

This is a great match. It has a little bit of everything from mat work to high flying with a dash of good storytelling thrown in. Certainly a hidden gem in ROHs vast library. 

Day 3 2020

 

WCW Thunder 2/23/2000

Vampiro vs. Ric Flair

What I’m about to say isn’t revolutionary but let’s talk about Ric Flair for a second. He’s Ric fucking Flair. He’s a multi-time world champ, one of the biggest stars in wrestling’s history, he doesn’t owe anyone mid-carder squat. Hogan would’ve gone out there, beat up Vamp, whipped him, taken a move or two then the match end with Hogan winning. Flair says fuck that. Don’t misconstrue that I’m sure Flairs done a lot of politicking in his day. The result was never in question but Vamp hung with Flair. 

Flair gave Vamp more then most people in his position and standing would. He sells him like an actual threat. He’s not a star in the ring doing a mid-carder a favor (well technically he is), he’s just a vet in there with an eager up and comer...none of that speaks to the quality of the match though. 

As a match it’s fine. It’s a quick TV match. Vamp gets in a Rolling Leg Loco and even has Flair taking a powder. Vamp controls most of the early part of the match before Flair begins to work over his leg. Lex Luger and Miss Elizabeth come down to the ring to aid Flair in picking up the win which again makes Vamp look credible and The Brain points this out. Good sprint, good booking, solid all around.

Day 2 2020

 

ECW Hardcore TV 1/30/99

ECW World Tag Team Title Match

Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney vs. Rob Van Dam and Sabu w/Bill Alfonso (c)

This match actually took place at House Party ‘99. Sabu and RVD come out dripping gold. They got the tag belts, TV title, FTW Title, Undisputed who? There’s a great moment right off the bat as the ref checks Axl for things he can use to cheat...despite the fact that’s he holding a chair. Before the match begins Sabu is constantly swatting at the challengers, like a cat annoying other pets. In fact Sabu is so eager he gets annoyed with RVD soaking in the crowd and gets in the ring and goes straight after Balls. Fantastic. 

From there this match is exactly what you expect from these four. Tag rules go out the window as all four brawl. It doesn’t take long for weapons to get involved (another great spot btw). RVD and Sabu fly around and break tables while going punch for punch with the challengers.

The crowd is super into this as well, which always helps. A classic, fun ECW tag team brawl that hits every expected note and does it well. Also check out Balls vs. RVD from Anarchy Rulez the same year, really good match.