May 2000

The Star Wars inspired team is hilarious. I also enjoy the symmetry of life that I am watching this on May 4. The Toryumon contingent is the rudos here. The C3PO vs Arai segment was fine but things really pick up in the first fall between Susumu and R2D2. Rudos are able to put the match away with some double team moves and a splash from Arai followed by a nice powerbomb by Susumu. Watching the frantic pace of CMLL and AAA, it is refreshing to see this type of match in lucha that takes it time and lets the younger guys work out some things. Second fall has some good dominance by the rudos until the tecnicos make their big flash comeback and are able to take the fall. Third…

I need a breather after the previous Villano and Guapos trios. This has a ton of guys I am not that familiar with so much like the Safari and Zumbido stuff we have seen in CMLL, this is a good chance to see a bunch of the lower level guys in IWRG. Another longish first fall with everyone able to work out some stuff and showcase some matwork. Certainly solid stuff and I like the Mega’s outfit. A crazy move is attempted and nearly pulled off beautiful of one of the Mega guys standing on the apron and someone jumping over him from the top of the ropes and hooking him with a head scissors to the floor. Tilt a whirl backbreaker on the outside as well. Overall, this wouldn’t ma…

Scorpio Sr. holds up the title and we have Jorge Gomez there for the proceedings too. Cerebro having the medical logo on his mask is a nice touch. Another match enhanced by the atmosphere and the feeling of an old school match with families going to the matches as their entertainment for the week. They show an audience clip of what I assume is an adult daughter putting her head on her mom’s shoulder that is endearing. Also little touches like after Vampiro’s excellent dive in the end of the first fall, they show the concessions guy passing out the beers and popcorn to the patrons. The opening 9 minutes of this are all matwork and the guys are stuck together like glue. Cer…

This started much more like the matches that were happening in CMLL began with a big beatdown. IWRG certainly doesn’t shy away from running rudo vs rudo trios. Shocker and Villano III pair off and Shocker is really nasty digging into the eyes of Villano III. III continues to be a sympathetic figure and it looks like the Villanos are going to be defacto tecnicos here as we get mask ripping from the Shocker contingent. After they take the first fall, the Villano brothers come back with a vengeance in fall #2. These guys are great garbage brawlers and are able to make the brawling around the ringside area seem more dangerous and violent than any of the US companies doing the…

E&C ask a kid for $5 backstage for his autograph. Pretty fair deal if you ask me. They also do the same deal as on the UK PPV with charging $10 for the picture. There is an RC Cola vending machine behind them that you don’t see everyday. They do a promo continuing to get more heel heat and then align themselves with Angle which is a good pairing. Match only goes four minutes but with these guys, it is again strong. Benoit does a run in and attacks Jericho. The spear Edge delivers to Jericho here looks good. Benoit and Jericho are fighting on the ramp way and Christian uses the ring bell to give the heels the win. Jericho and Benoit continue their brawl setting up Judg…

I really like having Too Cool and Rikishi kept in the mix that they can throw into tv main events when people like Rock and Austin are elsewhere. This is an elimination match. The opening minutes were good with Too Cool getting eliminated and Rikishi having to overcome the odds. Rikishi does well going against all three guys and is able to send HHH to the outside allowing him to pin Road Dogg and X-Pac. Big Rikishi chant as him and HHH stare off. Patterson runs down and sends his shit stained underwear into Rikishi’s face. Not the best storyline here. The payoff does happen quickly as Rikishi grabs Pat and the underwear and uses it against HHH. Stephanie gets into the rin…

Kind of weird they are having this match after the big cage match but I guess the titles are on the line now. First two falls are really quick with no feeling out process whatsoever. Maekawa does hit her kicks very efficiently which was crucial in making the first fall seem credible so props there. Third fall has more of a brawl all over the ringside area. The crowd brawling is certainly clichéd but I may just be an LCO apologists in that it doesn’t bother me that much because of how hateful they are. Watanabe is also busted open which adds to the drama. The remainder of the match is a sense of survival for Watanabe and is pretty gripping to watch. She is able to weather …

I was really looking forward to this match. Yu Yu has been impressive so far and even Toyota herself has been on point and reigned in for her standards. This starts furiously with a handshake being turned into a Toyota onslaught. Tons of Germans and big bombs has Yu Yu reeling and her grappling skills that she does possess are going to be ancillary in this match. She shows some good resilience in firing back and regaining control. Yu Yu targets the midsection and I surmise this is a strong strategy to perhaps get Toyota winded as her stamina is certainly one of her strengths overall. Toyota is extra vicious in this match fish hooking Yu Yu when she has her in the camel cl…

It looks like Tineblas is barely able to fit into his suit. Panther also has some slightly alternate gear that looks real good. This is mainly about the rudos as the tecnicos team is pretty limited but the rudos keep it entertaining. Warrior was on point today with a huge dive onto Tarzan Boy in the first fall, some sneaky fouls. Wagner abuses Alsuhe and carries him to the commentary booth. Emilio and Panther have the best in ring sequence in the second fall making me think a good singles between those two would still be a lot of fun to watch in 2000. The height that Warrior gets by being powerbombed by Tarzan Boy is great. Alushe getting his revenge in the second fall is…

This doesn’t last too long but is an absolute blast while it takes place. Felino is in great form looking like he did in the 7/4/97 classic vs Santo. The finish is brilliant as in the second fall, Satanico fakes a foul in a real exaggerated manner and doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. Fast forward to the third fall, Ultimo Guerrero does the same thing and this time they get the fall and the win. Negro Casas has enough of that shit and boots him right in the nuts as a result. Man, I am loving lucha right now. ***1/2

Pretty much what you'd expect from this feud. More build to the cage match. Nothing memorable happens. In fact, the best thing about it might be Villano slapping the taste out of Pierroth's mouth while he's talking to Alfonso Morales. Moving right along...

Danielson is in a long form match here and this is the main event. Danielson cuts a heel promo and does a pretty good job of it to be this early into his career. Well we have another milestone for Danielson, his first really good singles match. Here he is a straight heel bumping huge for Cade’s offense. When he is on top he shows some good arm work that gives a good grasp of his development and fundamentals. The main component of this match that makes it click is the violence. These two really went after each other and Bryan’s chest is bleeding and all sorts of red. Cade looks like a strong prospect here and a potential predecessor to the line of cowboys in wrestling. Ref…

With our pre match promos, the MAW championship is now on the line. Fannin on commentary shoots on MAW and says Corporal was escorted out by his gay lover. Corp takes advantage in the early going but the lumberjack light tube stipulation is first used by Pondo. He then slams his signature stop sign against Corp’s head and smashes a light tube against his dick. Fannin on the time call says we are five minutes into the whipping of Corporal Robinson’s ass. Pondo does a spinning cutter that was actually executed decently for him. The match goes back and forth as a generic hardcore death match with tubes and spots being the main focal point. I will say I didn enjoy the lumberj…

Your typical stay in the ring and dig the barbed wire into each other match that is not the best of Ian by a longshot. Blaze is really limited as a worker as well. IWA still has a ways to go to become the promotion I love in the 2000’s as they are pretty firmly still a death match style promotion first with matches like these. Some moments here and there but really slow overall. Add to that an asinine finish with two ref bumps and Pondo running out with a ref shirt and doing a quick count and you have a disappointing end to a disappointing show. **1/4

I was afraid of this, May had been so good up to this point that a disappointment was inevitable. I feel bad critiquing these guys because both had to retire because of how banged up their bodies are. That being said, in rewatching all the IWA-MS stuff I have seen, these two along with Pondo and Rollin’ Hard are my least favorite regulars on the IWA roster. They seem to bring out the worst in indy spot fu action and this was heavy on display here. A long and meandering match with Benoit/Guerrero tribute spots interspersed with lackluster brawling through the crowd. This didn’t have some of the horrendous botches their matches can have but it also didn’t have much meaning.…

Quick dressing room interview from Ali where he says that Wolfie D has pushed him to the limits, and he won’t get out of the studio today. “Your behind is mine” and he’s not bothered about no title either. Battle Royal Battle Royal for a shot at Wolfie D’s MPPW title and Ali isn't in it because Brandon Baxter invoked the 30 day clause after he had the title match last week. As Alan Steel makes his way out for the Battle Royal he’s followed by Lance Jade, who has his face covered with a towel which is presumably to cover up the burn from that fireball. Jade tries to apologise to him, but Steel wants no part of it. The rest of the participants are the Spellbinder…

Perry James and The Regulators join Corey Maclin and Perry is holding his neck. He’s filing ‘the lawsuit’ as Moondog Spot made the mistake of attacking him, the greatest legal mind in the business. Spot has been suspended until further investigation, but if he has anything to do with it, the Moondog and Power Pro Wrestling are over. Quick flash pin attempt after King evades the opening lock up and schoolboys Harlem. Two more early quick pins after a DDT and an enziguiri, both of which Rob kicks out of at two. Harlem counters the headlock with a belly to back suplex for a two of his own. Clothesline which King takes a spin bump off. Nice spinning heel kick by the…

Here we are with the latest dose of Golden vs Styles. They do say that Eddie’s uncle is Jimmy Golden in this match. They keep putting over the ladder match between these two but I think I liked this match better as it is more fundamentally sound and tells a better story through the work of both men. Bailey just stomping on Styles on the outside as Al Getz laughs on commentary is a nice moment. Styles is really bumping all over the place smacking the ring barricade. Referee gets bumped and here comes Steve Martin to make the count like he has done before. Right before the three, AJ pulls up and then he attacks Martin. Jorge Estrada comes out and AJ gives him the facebuster…

I didn’t go in with high hopes given the competitors and they proceeded to deliver the type of match I thought they would. Lemons and salt are all around ringside and used along with the light tube and barbed wire boards. Zandig has Wifebeater as a second and he pulls Shadow out in the early going allowing Zandig to gain the advantage. There are a couple of hilarious Zandig execution botches mixed in this match including him running to the corner and going for a jump over Shadow when Shadow just side stepped him andhad other ideas. Wifebeater interferes again to light a table on fire inside the ring. Powerbomb on the table but it doesn’t break. The interference from Wifeb…

A very simplistic death match which I could appreciate. Sheik is pretty much a warm body here offering such great offensive moves as a nerve hold while on top. The selling of Honma as well as his overall charisma keeps things moving along. Finish sees him deliver a suplex through the barbed wire boards and then a flying forearm for the win. This match is a good way to compare other death matches too. If its better than this match, I would say it is a good match. **1/2

Unique visuals outside with the subway coming by. This starts on top of a truck and then the trucks goes into reverse to the ring with both guys on the roof. Honma takes a bump into the ring and then Zandig splashes him from the truck. Wifebeater is around with his weedeater chasing the patrons. Honma takes over and then does a big running splash from the truck. A huge table pyramid gets set up that eventually Honma gets placed on. Zandig scales the table as Wifebeater lights a couple of the tables. Zandig does a big splash through that and then does his MFing Bomb in the ring for the win. Zandig matches live and die by how stupid and unique they are and this was both at …

A sad main event that no one was clamoring for. Francine is with Credible and seems really deflated and loss with Douglas gone. She essentially is here now so Joey Styles can scream cat fight. This actually started out well with Storm pissed off and both guys hitting some good looking punches. Storm even blades which is rare. After the first few minutes, things crawl to a halt with boring action including chin locks from Credible and all the usual bullshit with ECW including the catfight, Dawn Marie getting the That's Incredible, etc. Credible is eventually able to win this battle of the Impact Players. **1/4

A really fun opener to start the PPV out. The crowd was energetic and this carried a pace interspersed with violence to keep the tempo up. Some stuff like Tanaka being able to kick out of the chair shot onslaught of Balls made him look strong. I do really like Balls' punches and think he is underrated as a worker around this era. His matches rarely go too long and he is able to convey a sense of violence to everything. This made me excited for the rest of the PPV. ***

In the immediate aftermath of Tajiri vs Corino, Kinataro Kanemura comes out and attacks Tajiri. This results in the usual ECW segue of going from that to Dusty cleaning house, to Rhino attack Dusty to Sandman making his 10 minute entrance. The crowds are still rabid for Sandman. This match was effective in being kept short. Sandman runs through his limited moveset and Rhino takes a big spill into the table on the apron to allow an opening for him. Rhino has been put over well in this feud and he feels like a big star and a bad ass in the same way they inflated Taz up. Finish is part trashy ECW but effective as Lori Fullington comes out and ends up getting piledriven thro…

This is perhaps my favorite match of their series. I think they shyed away from some of the more exhibition and masturbatory aspects of their previous matches. Again, the timing here was really smooth as evidenced by the complicated sequence they perform that results in Lynn hitting a legdrop onto the chair after a missed Van Dam move. This also had a nice sense of violence that was worked in between the spots. Lynn had something to prove being out of action for the last few months and he carried the action. Scotty Anton ends up turning on RVD and Lynn finally gets that elusive pinfall after two cradle piledrivers. I would never call this a classic feud but for overall en…