April 2024

The match-opening mat work often feels like a lost art these days, so seeing two competitors I’d never heard of until now immediately set the tone for the match by having Negoshi target the leg drew me in. Ichimotsu, in turn, goes after Negoshi’s arm. Ichimotsu’s offense is basic but effective, largely consisting of brutal stomps, and he does everything in his power to lock in a Fujiwara armbar. Negoshi works well in his role here, but Ichimotsu is the star of the show. His selling is believable and realistic. Every bit of offense in this match is intentionally and meticulously crafted to further the narrative. Negoshi doesn’t do anything outwardly heelish, but he’s…

This match was initially slated for Stardom 2020 but was derailed by unforeseen circumstances. Now, finally coming to fruition, it not only makes up for lost time but exceeds expectations. Both women engaged in an intense, physically demanding, and ferocious battle, maintaining an unrelenting pace from start to finish. Sareee showcased the dominance she's demonstrated all year, launching a relentless assault whenever she gained control. Meanwhile, Mayu matched her with exceptional selling and elevated the intensity even further. This encounter was truly extraordinary and merits recognition as a MOTYC.

From what I can gather, this is Yutaka Kobayashi's pro debut, I can't find any sort of pro wrestling background on him, only MMA stuff. And it's quite a debut, even if it's a fifteen minute broadway. His matwork is very quick and smooth, very reminiscent of a young Kiyoshi Tamura. The match has some extended mat periods, but never feels lazy or like they're using the holds as an excuse to rest and kill time. Kobayashi is clearly the better mat worker in this case, and Izuchi manages to more or less not lose, but hitting a series of kicks culminating in a head kick that take a point, and staving off the juji-gatame long enough for the time limit to hit just as Kobayashi ge…

Insane big fight feel. Crowd was on their feet for the entirety of this bout, biting on the smallest of interactions. Roman was criticized for being overly dramatic and slow with his title defenses, but this was worked smartly from the get go. The action was very well-paced, from the use of weapons to the brawling in the crowd, to the big bombs and interferences. If there was a time to go insane with overbooking, it was this one. And to be honest, despite having both Usos, Solo, Rollins, Cena, Rock and the Undertaker involved, the focus never really stopped being on the champion and the challenger. Four years, and this was a crowning achievement in booking and build.…