January 2001

Maybe I am being too generous, but between FMW and now AAA, two of my least favorite 2000 promotions are starting the new year off on the right foot. This had a chaotic brawl to start that was a little tough to follow with the 3 out of the 4 competitors wearing black trunks and long black hair. Things settle down nicely into a solid match and then we get the finish. I initially thought this was a straight botch by Metal and I am still not totally sure but the way they worked other storylines into Metal’s injury makes me believe it may be storyline. Either way, it worked in getting me engaged and searching out Metal on cagematch and other sources to see if this was legit o…

I am already getting those serious 2000 ECW vibes where I really enjoy the match quality even though the promotion is floundering with 2001 FMW. Here we see Candido fresh off of his WCW stint and he looks motivated to have a good performance. It must have worked as this tour of FMW led to him being picked up by NJPW. He delivers a great dropkick and helped hold the glue of this tag together. I especially thought him playing off of GOEMON was a fun pairing. GOEMON/Onryo are mostly about the atmosphere still but they delivered enough in ring that overall this was a fun enjoyable tag. Good to see late era Pat Tanaka too. ***1/4 (6.6)

This was a BAHU FMW Top 100 selection and I can see why. It had some great chaotic moments that showed some great pairings, Gedo had a really nice FIP sequence and then the finish was full of nearfalls and teases that had me on the edge of my seat not knowing who was going to win. Teioh was the standout for me being graceful and athletic when needed and devious and underhanded when needed. Great versatility within a match. Overall, FMW is a shitload of fun in 2001 and the roster is full of great workers. Jado and Yamakawa do hold this back slightly with some sloppy spots in the early going but a full on 16 minutes of heavy action wrestling that also told a story. **** (8.…

Weird match that sets up the rest of the year essentially but I was conflicted on while watching. I actually slept after watching this match to see if it would add more clarity and it didn’t. Kuroda and his stable really interfere at will here. It is some of the most egregious interference in a big time main event this side of Monster Ripper in the Jaguar Yokota vs Lat Galatica matches. The brawl that Kuroda and Fuyuki had was well done and really showcased the hatred of both but it was such an odd contrast of a match. It was really about advancing the storyline. Fuyuki gets a fluke pin but then is attacked more post match and is a bloody mess and wrapped up in a sheet. G…

There’s an even more barren crowd than usual at the IWA warehouse tonight. One member of the audience takes exception to Smooth’s pink top questioning “Don’t you make enough money to buy a different motherf*cking shirt?” which leads to Paul E. calling him a fat motherf*cker and telling him to shut up. For most fans that would be enough for them to keep quiet and sit back down, not this guy though who suggests to Smooth to step outside so he can whip his ass. Paul E.’s response to that is how about he f*cks him in the ass instead, which gets plenty of laughter from the few dozen in attendance. This guy won’t stop and he’s now on about how much money he earns compared t…

I cant imagine being the type of person that buys a Choke on This SlapNuts shirt. Jarrett and DDP have a quick promo exchange before the match starts. DDP continues to have a good start to the year showing a lot of energy and conveying the same type of traits that he exuded vs N W O in late 96/early 97. He hits a quick sit out powerbomb that looked good before getting nailed with a low blow from Jarrett. Jarrett on top wasn’t totally bad here and Page has the fans invested in him as Jarrett works a sleeper. DDP makes a good comeback and is looking for the Diamond Cutter when the cavalry comes in. We get the same schmozz finish from Monday with Kronik, Rick Steiner, Nash …

According to Tony Schiavone “everything about Meng is hard” *insert Frankie Howard face*. Bam Bam is on the charge the moment Meng steps through the ropes, not waiting for the opening bell. Things quickly spill out to the arena floor and they’re playing up the Pacific Islander with the hard head gimmick something rotten, Bigelow hurting his own hand when punching him and Meng shaking off a chair shot. Looking at that afro I imagine that provides plenty of cushioning mind! He slams Meng into the announcer’s table, sending him flying over it as Schiavone and co scarper out the way. Another chair shot to the head has little effect so Bam Bam changes strategy, dropping t…

Mike Awesome is shaking his head as he makes his entrance, but the new haircut, minus the mullet, is an improvement. Lance Storm says how the Filthy Animals think they got the last laugh when they cut Mike Awesome’s hair but they beat them at Sin and they’ll beat them again tonight, the war is far from over and they will have the last laugh. Kidman has got his ribs taped up, selling the attack from Monday night. Awesome whips him into the turnbuckles but runs into a big boot and Kidman with a headscissors takedown. A standing dropkick sends the ‘Canadian Killer’ out onto the apron and Kidman then snaps his neck across the top rope. Fucking hell, a shooting star press…

The Kwee Wee is pissed off that Ric Flair doesn’t want him as part of his group and part of his WCW. He tells him that when he’s in this ring he owns it and is issuing an open challenge to prove that. The challenge is answered by Rick Steiner, and I have a feeling this won’t end well. Steiner catches Kwee Wee on the leap frog and powerslams him to the mat. He then runs him hard, head first, into the top turnbuckle and pounds away while questioning “you’re all man?” Kwee Wee is thrown to the floor, taking a rough looking bump, before Steiner launches him with force into the steel guard rail. Back inside the treatment continues, Steiner crossfacing him across the brid…

Well, I was wrong when I said Felino vs. Cerebro wouldn't go anywhere. I guess I should have looked ahead because here they are in a title match. I took a long break from watching this stuff so they may have been feuding at the end of the year as well. This was an excellent title match. In fact, if it wasn't for that amazing Atlantis vs. Wagner mano a mano bout it would have easily been the MOTM for January. The first fall is 9 minutes of matwork, and even though Cerebro is clearly Felino's superior on the mat, it's still an outstanding portion of matwork. The segunda caida is a classic revenge fall with Cerebro hitting a terrific tope that is one of the more realistic lo…

Beautiful undercard match. One of the best I've seen in a long time. Primarily the Mike Segura show but everyone had their working boots on and just about every exchange is gorgeous for one reason or another. You live for this sort of undercard action when you're scouring the tapes. The fact it was on the Felino vs. Cerebro undercard makes this IWRG card one of the better shows of the month.

The Nationwide Heavyweight title is currently vacant and after the previous semi-final ended in some sort of non-decision (it’s never clarified what actually happened), this other semi-final is for the gold. Morton backs Lee into the corner and, as the ref gets between them to separate the pair, Lee slaps his own hand before grabbing his face, claiming Morton hit him on the break. While official Billy Biggs admonishes Morton, Lee laughs at the situation, however the moment he turns around he’s back holding his face. Inverted atomic followed by clothesline which floors Lee. Morton racks up a bunch of two counts until Lee pokes him in the eyes. DDT. That’s also only a…

Contrasting to the match that preceded it, this was a ton of fun. Akiyama does a hip swivel to insult Scorpio two minutes in and I howled. After that, we had a fun as shit 10 minutes with Vader really clowning it up. Morishima looked energetic and determined and was able to kick out of an appropriate amount of Vader’s offense before being put away. ***1/4 (6.7)

I am a little unsure of the pairings as this is match #3 of Wave vs Burning but having Taue be Burning just feels off. This is also the last Kobashi match in 13 months. I am unsure how I will take his 2002-2006 work but he really had a magnificent run from 1989-2001 and was in the top 3 of my WOTY for at least the past three years and in heavy contention in 1993 as well. Even though he had to be in extreme pain here, he still does a ground pleasing delayed suplex on Misawa holding him up for over 15 seconds. As a match, this was good but never really got out of first gear with 3 of the 40 best wrestlers ever in one match. In some ways, this NOAH Korakuen show felt like mo…

I like both of these guys especially Ogawa but I found this to be pretty boring to get through. The limb work dueling premise had me hoping for something that was slow but meaningful but it felt like it was blown off and the second half of the match didn’t match the first. It is possible that I missed something and others will find some deep, meaningful psychology here but it just labored to me and the 15 minutes felt more like 25. **1/2

A poor promo from Edge and Christian before hand. I continue to think they aren’t as natural or funny as history presents itself. They certainly feel like more complimentary features than Angle. Decent match and I thought the Dudley’s did a good job selling their injuries. Finish comes when a bit of miscommunication for E&C allowing Bubba to get the win. E&C get their heat back after the match with a big powerbomb through a table for Bubba. This has been projected as a violent feud leading into the match at the Rumble. I am interested to see if that plays out in that match. *3/4

Jericho is carrying a ladder out with him and Michael Cole wonders what he’s going to be doing with that tonight. Jerry Lawler calls him “a nut” and doubts he even knows himself. Y2J sets the ladder up in the middle of the ring and climbs up it. He tells Chris Benoit that he’s not going to do some twenty minute opening speech where he shows a bunch of wacky pictures, the Royal Rumble is this Sunday and the name calling is over. The only thing is he doesn’t want to wait until this Sunday, he wants him in a ladder match right now! It’s not the ‘Canadian Crippler’ who answers, rather his Radical brethren Perry Saturn, accompanied by Terri Runnels who ‘the King’ starts pe…

HHH & Steph arrive. HHH says its going to be a great night however they see a big dressing room for Trish with a gold star below it. That sends Steph into a rage but HHH tells her not to worry about it. Trish arrives in a limo and Steph is enraged at that. Again, HHH has to calm her down and be the voice of reason. After the next match, Trish invades the dressing room and Steph and her have a back and forth argument. Steph points out all the new nice things Trish has. Trish says she does like that but not being spanked on television. Steph then spills the ranch sauce she was eating onto Trish as Vince barges in. Vince tells Steph to act her age and why can’t …

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

3 Count is heeling it up and dancing until Suicidal Tendencies clears the ring of them. Moore lets the crowd know they are from WCW and not putting up with this. They tease a countout before heeling it up with the crowd some more. The match I am of two minds of. It was cool seeing 3 Count work as the veterans as they take 80% of the match and slow things way down, but on the other hand it didn’t kind of feel like they were a bit on autopilot being in the barn in Cornelia. It struck me watching this that Helms in particular has a wild ride in the next year as he is wrestling in front of probably a hundred fans here and will be in a prominent comedy spot in a packed house i…

One of the officials does his best to try and keep Justice Pain’s entourage from accompanying him to ringside, but Wifebeater manages to sneak his way past. Spin kick by Tajiri that only just fails to connect as both men are sizing the other up. Pain blocks the hip toss so Tajiri kicks him in the head instead. ‘Stand off respect spot’ and I wonder how many times I’ll be writing that this year? Justice shoves Tajiri to the mat but he’s right back to his feet with the nip up and then flips him the double bird. Samoan drop by Pain. He whips Tajiri into the corner only to go charging head first into a thrust kick. Tajiri misses with the enziguiri and Justice slaps on a…

I’m almost certain that’s a very young Jay Lethal in the white T-shirt shouting abuse at Nate Hatred as he makes his entrance. Wifebeater is dragging a barbed wire table out along with his manager, Mack Smack. I mean he and Smack are dragging the table, not he’s dragging the table and Smack! Smack rechristens his man ‘Natebeater’ for the night and then goes onto say a few words about Zandig as he’s concerned about his behaviour this evening, wondering if his fanny pack is cutting off his circulation or if he’s suffering from some tightjeanitis! He turns his attention to Hatred and while he does have some funny lines, this goes on for too long as he works his way throug…

After Ric Blade makes his entrance he’s joined in the ring by Zandig, who says that he forgot to book Nick Mondo’s flight for tonight and therefore Ric doesn’t have an opponent. Zandig is fairly dismissive of Blade’s wrestling ability, calling him a ‘gymnast’, before apologizing to “all the suckers who came to see Ric Blade flip and fly like a ballerina” because it ain’t gonna happen. Justice Pain’s music kicks in and he joins the two of them in the ring. Zandig tries to get him to leave thinking that he should be concentrating on his match with Tajiri later, however Pain has a few words to say. He tells Zandig that this might be his company, but Zandig didn’t build t…

Williams establishes himself as the heel by telling the fans to “sit down and shut your mouth”. When he starts getting grief off some young kids in the front row he questions “shouldn’t you be in your bed?”, which is so British. Rock reminds me of a poor man’s Justin Credible, only with slightly more hair. Williams insults some “hard man” in a Metallica T-shirt, and then informs the crowd if they don’t keep the noise down and cheer for him he’s going to leave right now. Of course he doesn’t, although teases that he will on two separate occasions. After getting outmanoeuvred on the wrestling front Williams complains of a non-existent hair pull before going on another …