August 2000

Short but entergetic tv match with Mikey having to use his speed to escape the viciousness of Rhino. Rhino does a good job stalking after Mikey and Mikey is always someone that can create sympathy from the crowd. Whippersnapper gives Mikey some hope until Justin Credible canes the Sinister Minister. MIkey hits a pescado on Credible and then canes Rhino repeatedly. Rhino is able to catch Mikey going for a dive and hits the gore for the win. *1/2

I was excited to see how Marvin mixed it up with Crazy Max. Not surprisingly, it’s a pretty big blast. SUWA and Marvin do a pretty great sequence with each other leaving Fuji in amazement and pointing at Marvin asking who the fuck this guy is. After working over Tiger Mask some, CM goes right into the final sequence. Of course, tons of action in this section and a lot of neat stuff involving Marvin and CIMA. CIMA catches a rana attempt with a big powerbomb and puts Marvin away with the powerbomb. ***1/2 (6.9)

As a contrast to the prior match, this is worked much more in a clash of the titans style. Neither of these guys are my favorite strikers, so this didn’t reach the highs of Nagata/Ilzuka but for what they set out to acompolish, it was successful. Tenzan had a neat chinlock that was locked in tightly and had one of Nakanishi’s arms captured. Nakanishi has the crowd behind him when he does his hulk up. Tenzan counter the ending submission attempt of Nakanishi by going back to that chinlock. It looks like that may evolve into the Anacondia Vice down the road. Nakanishi kicks out of the moonsault at 1 which puts him over strong. Tenzan goes to the top once more but gets caugh…

Kanemoto/Otani/Takiawa are barely able to co exist before the match and the masked trio take the opportunity to gain a quick start with dives. Overall, the Otani/Kanemoto dynamic is intriguing in that they can come together for these six mans and tags but are such pricks and competitors that they like testing their meddle against each other too. It is a neat dynamic not emphasized as much as it should be. When the Otani trio works together, they were successful in this match but when they tried to do it on their own, they were taken over. Otani is presented as the weaker member which is an interesting caveat. I think all six men being in a prominent position as the bridge…

This match opened up in a slow methodical way. It wasn’t the most compelling mat work we have seen tonight but for two hoss power guys, the stuff like the test of strength made sense. The chop battle that happens around five minutes in ramps things up a good bit with Nakanishi bringing it down with a chin lock and neck crank. I wish Nakanishi would go after the leg that Nagata worked over so well and Sasaki was still limping on when he entered the ring. Daddy Choshu is watching over his flock from the tunnel. Now Nakanishi goes after the leg after we see Nagata at ringside and I’m delighted as can be. Nakanishi cranks in the crab like submission with the leg wrapped aroun…

Once again, we have a contrast in working style as this match is a straight sprint to the finish with Chono hitting the Yakuza kick right at the bell and looking for the STF 1 minute in. Things settle down a bit in the middle preventing it from being one of the higher end sprint type matches I have seen but there isn’t a feeling out process and Chono is still going for covers after every big move. Chono also looks for the STF. The STO into STF combo works for Chono but Nakanishi is too big to have it be that effective. Chono is not above taking a short cut and gets a low blow and Yakuza kick for a nearfall. Nakanishi comes back from that with a spear and is looking for th…

This match was worked as almost an exclusive grapple battle. The early portions were engaging and Ilzuka opens things up more when he locks in a leg lock on Nagata and starts kicking away. Nagata does the first throw and then moves away from the legs to a cravate. Ilzuka is willing to go for the choke out of course and Nagata quickly realizes this and breaks free. Tempers flare up a bit more now with the first strike exchange of chops. This was a really good flurry with Ilzuka going after the leg but Nagata punching out. Nagata then goes for an enzuiguri but that allows himself to be open for a choke attempt. Nagata reels off a back suplex and quick choke with Ilzuka havi…

Nagata is a strong worker at mixing up the mat work. This felt varied and different from the opening of the Ilzuka match which is no small feat. Here it felt more like Nagata gaining the dominant advantage and the leg lock he cranks in the early moments looks brutal. Nagata is also good at logical progressions. If Sasaki reaches back with his arm, why not grab that and work it over a bit? Sasaki chops himself out of the submission and it shows Nagata takes the bait by going into a strike exchange. Nagata is a good enough striker to hold his own but now he is in Sasaki’s domain and Sasaki takes over with strikes, bulldog and powerslam combo. Nagata quickly realizes his err…

Some good stuff with Buffalo and Sugamoto to start off but then Delphin and Togo enter and the match as expected takes a bump up on pace and intensity. Delphin has some legit swank dolphin gear on tonight. He actually puts Togo down on his ass and beats on him with stomps. Togo goes low to end the onslaught. After that, the match breaks down with the heels in control and brawling on the outside. Back inside, Delphin is our FIP which is not what I expected but it is fun to see as it is different from the norm. Legion of Violence in a heel beatdown role is just smothering as they do frequent tags and a bevy of bruising offense. Once Delphin tags out, we go into our ending r…

I am running out of superlatives to spout out at Murahama matches but he is a bonafide #1 contender as my WOTY and this was another example why. The trial series has shown some growth but setbacks for Murahama. This match exemplified that and much like the match these two had in March, it is all action and carries a tremendous pace. The dramatic submissions in the home stretch were excellent and showed a great sense of struggle with the way the camera films so closely in Osaka Pro. Hoshikawa felt a little winded on his finale kick combo but he does crack Murahama with an excellent final blow that feels believable as a knockout shot. Murahama ends the trial series on an 0-…

Tank leads us in a new 3 Count song which was funny. This match puts the pressure on TLC to deliver as it is a fun spotfest for sure. Tons of neat spots with the ladders and all six men look like a beacon in the doldrums of 2000 WCW. The stuff with Tank on one hand is funny but he is the focal point and that is unfortunate. The rules were also a little wonky as you had to retrieve two items so Noble gains the first but it falls into Tank’s hands. 3 Count is then able to grab the contract and win the match. Tank flees with both. *** (6.1)

This match feels really played out. I guess Jarrett earlier in the night attacked and slam Booker’s leg in a car door Arn and Larry Z style. The brawling here is one of the better interactions these two have had but I would like to see more selling of the leg from Booker. Jarrett works it over but then Booker comes back and is running around. We do get the guitar shot as a counter for an ax kick and a ref bump because this is a WCW main event. Booker wins with the Book End but doesn’t get much of a reaction. This ends a pretty awful PPV on a decent note. **1/2

Judy Bagwell on a forklift, need I say more? I will say that the match in itself is worked the right way with Buff coming out pissed off and looking for a vendetta and Kanyon controlling things with his good offensive arsenal. Finish gets goofy with Buff kicking out of the Kanyon cutter and Arquette coming out and turning heel. Arquettes outfit is hideous and they keep calling him a former world champion. Judy Bagwell yelling down doesn’t help things either. Buff attacks both men and sort of gives a double blockbuster before pinning Kanyon. Again, the actual work wasn’t as bad as you might think but what a ginormous plate of absurdity for all of this. *1/2

Goldberg’s music starts but he doesn’t come out. Nash and Steiner start off the match against each other. Goldberg then comes out and they have an ok 3 way match. Then we get the big angle where Nash goes for the powerbomb and Goldberg shoots by leaving. Russo yells at him on the entranceway and this is just complete ass all around. The match continues and you can’t pay attention to it because the announcers keep yammering on about what is in the script or not. Madaja comes out and low blows Nash but that isn’t enough as Nash ends up winning and is the #1 contender. Just an atrocity all around. ¼*

Lance gets a homecoming reaction and cuts a face promo for these fans before announcing Jacques Rougeau as the enforcer. Tony and Hudson are annoyed but they don’t take a knee during the Canadian National Anthem. Madden is annoying on commentary kissing up to Storm. After all of that, the match starts proper with Awesome getting boo’d. Things are going pretty well until Awesome slips on the top rope and gets laughed up uproariously by the fans. Awesome’s pop up powerbomb looks good and then we get a weird ass finish where Storm kicks out but the bell rings and then Slick gives Awesome the match. Rougeau on the outside evokes Canadian rules saying you have to win with a fi…

Madden gets Jerry Lawler pervy when they show a fan with a low cut dress in the front row. A sign says WWF sucks its true its true. IF ONLY. Tony plugs the PPV replay. I would have been ashamed to have ordered that. Nash says that WCW has decided Hall is too dangerous for live tv. Nash does a promo with a cut out of Hall and goes shooty. He calls out Booker and Booker comes out in street clothes. Steiner runs out and attacks Booker with a pipe. Goldberg is on the screen with Madaja and says any bitch that’s been with Steiner isn’t a lady. Goldberg jackhammers Madaja through a table though thankfully we cut away. Some more awful WCW main event stuff here. NR.

My eyes just glaze over with these two wrestling. They have their greatest hits match. The referee gets wiped out with a guitar shot from Booker. Booker goes for the sidekick and misses but the leg is hurt. After 20 minutes of action, they are deciding that is hurt again. Jarrett hits the Stroke and pins Booker but Goldberg runs in for the DQ. He tells Russo 1 down, 2 to go and that Vince should watch his ass because he is next. *1/2

Shane is still in Benoit’s corner. This match made me look up if Benoit and Taker ever had a big match. They do have a 12 minute one later in the year at Rebellion which I look forward to. Besides that and one on SmackDown in a couple of weeks, nada which is pretty amazing. The action is fun with Benoit moving around but also hitting some high impact moves. Taker makes his comeback and looks to have Benoit dead to rights when Shane comes in with a chair. Kane makes his return and turns on Undertaker chokeslamming him making the ring collapse ala Foley at No Way Out. Kane then rides off on Taker’s bike. A pretty nonsensical turn and considering the source, I would imagine …

Benoit and Jericho brawled backstage with Jericho having Benoit’s locker room door locked and then pounding on him in the hallway. Good four minute tv match although Val again is just not quite there as a worker or character compared to the other people he is mixed up with. Life comes at you fast and in 1998 he would have shined. Jericho hits the lionsault but Benoit comes out and he beats down Jericho again. They are making this feud really personal. A 2/3 fall stip is weird for the angle that has presented but we will see how the SummerSlam match is worked. *3/4

Angle has a pretty scathing promo for HHH and HHH is out looking pissed. Shane is the mediator and tries to calm them down. Foley sets up our main event six man for tonight as the Dudley Boyz/Rock vs HHH/Angle/Shane. We then cut to a backstage spot where Angle thanks Steph for coming back for her on SmackDown and gives her a friendship kiss on the cheek. We get some more backstage segments of Shane talking to HHH to talk him off the ledge and Shane telling Kurt to not screw up their marriage and that he isn’t buying what Kurt is saying either. Just Joe spreads some news to both HHH and Angle that someone wants to meet them in ten minutes. HHH and Kurt meet and a limo come…

Loss keeps blaming DEAN for all the ZIPANG matches but I think he secretly likes me tackling them before me. El Sonsadole is an owl that represents the mascot of a Panama soccer team and the owl lives the gimmick receiving bird seed from the fans at ringside. FM Taro has a pretty Rocking 80’s gimmick himself and he looks like he is ready for a cameo on the Goldbergs. The match is full comedy as you might have imagine and the best spot is when Consadole spot on acts like an owl when he gets caught on the top rope. Even though much like WCW, this isn’t a workrate marvel of a match, but it is something I expect and they play into the audience instead of insulting it. That is…

This was a mano a mano bout that highlighted how far Tarzan Boy had come since the beginning of this feud. Satanico attacks him while still wearing his jacket and do-rag and Tarzan Boy immediately fights back and rips Satanico's jacket in half. Now Tarzan Boy is the aggressor, beating on Satanico and making him hurt. Satanico takes a beating for a large portion of this match and Tarzan Boy's confidence borders on arrogance. You can feel the pendulum shifting even if Tarzan Boy is still a tecnico at this stage. They slip in some fouls and there are the usual shenanigans with Satanico faking a foul but it's well sold and the tecnico fans are pretty hot for a mano a mano bou…

I was real excited to see Ayako in Jd’ and like Sumie as well but I am struggling with this promotion. For one, their opponents weren’t much. Starr botches the final moments and Yabushita is pretty generic on her attack when on top. Secondly, the clipping of Jd’ is really annoying and arbitrary. We get 16 out of 23 minutes here but they will cut right after a heat sequence or a hot tag with no reasoning. Lastly, Jd’ as a promotion feels like the epitome of when people reference the dead period of joshi. This is a less than half full Korakuen Hall with minimal crowd heat. Overall, I was excited for a more obscure promotion and some new names but this wasn’t a discovery and…

As Toryumon grows in 2000, the new people that are being inserted mainly Genki and Saito here are adding a lot of depth that retains interest of the viewer. This was the best Saito has looked so far with some great strikes against SUWA. We got an abbreviated match but I appreciate the variety of matches Crazy Max has vs. up and comers here, vs their new rivals in M2K and vs the established stars like the Dragon Kid/Tiger Mask tag a few days earlier. ***1/4 (6.4)

I assume someone taped this off of the satellite feed of SmackDown. Joey Abs looked pretty legit great in this enhancement match against Brutal Bob. His power moves look good and have explosion. The crowd being so quiet is such a contrast to the other WWF stuff we have seen from this year. Bob does some heeling and misses a moonsault. Abs has a good back body drop and a powerslam for a nearfall. Bob actually gets a near victory after that with a scoop slam which surprised me. Abs puts Bob away with a powerbomb. Not bad at all. *1/2