WingedEagle

The bell might as well be a spot or transition in the match. Unless its clearly broken up with something else occurring beforehand, I'm usually inclined to treat it at all as part of the match.

So it really was that incredible to see this match after hearing about it for so long. Not quite how accurate my initial thoughts are after watching this without context, but with pictures and an imagination, as well as without any time to look back objectively, but here we go. - Loved the opening with Buzz seizing the opening to work the arm after Rich misses an elbow and hits the cage. The arm work here was probably the highlight of the match for me and I only wish it wasn't abandoned so quickly. - They got to the blood very quickly and wasted very little time, space, motion or offense here. Just about everything was conducted in close quarters after the opening lockup, with great pacing and every big shot was sold - Did I mention the blood? Two classic gushers, and bonus points because blondes really do bleed better. - Really dug the PA announcer counting both men down at various points. In some ways I preferred the audio environment here to Magnum vs. Tully, as the screaming and use of the mic there became grating very, very quickly. This never crossed the line from violent to something hokey that took me out of the moment. - Did it live up to expectations? No, its not a five star classic here but its tough for anything to carry that kind of weight for years. My biggest issue is that the match it didn't take me on that much of a ride. They kicked things into high gear from the arm work on and never really relented or changed paces whatsoever. Additionally, the finish felt a bit flat and looked like any of a number of spots we'd seen earlier. Hey, not every match can be an all-timer, even if this is an all-time find. The matches I hold as classics have their ebbs and flows and will generally build to a peak. That's just not what they were aiming for here. ****1/4 feels about right. Its neither here nor there, but the WWE Network is phenomenal. Perhaps the time I spend watching non-live wrestling is often dedicated to older material or recent footage from Japan, but they've given us a ridiculous archive of footage to go along with all of the PPVs for less than I spend on lunch some days. There's always lots to complain about and they could add so much more, but it really is special.

Loved the heel turn. It was a quick, strong injury angle with a clear and loud attack on Gable's leg that was sold well. Apparently on Talking Smack it was announced that American Alpha are out of the title match on Sunday with the winner of an Usos/Hype Bros undercard match on Sunday to face Rhyno & Slater. Really like that to further the Alpha/Usos feud. Hopefully its not rushed and they get ample time for the matches.

Pete, is it available online anywhere these days?

Indeed promoted by one of the magazines, Weekly Pro Wrestling. At one point I had a copy of the show saved in a Youtube playlist, but it was of course removed long before I had a chance to watch. Would definitely like to see what's available if its at all quality.

Not a ton to add here -- Bayley not as fiery as Sting but overcomes that with more natural charisma. As silly as it is to say that Charlotte is not exactly the old man, the name, look and act make it a natural thought. But it seems as though the development of her character and performance as heel champion have really gone under the radar. Very comfortable calling her the best true heel on the roster on the moment, and that's not intended as a slight -- Styles would be but people like him both because he was programmed with Cena and because of how terrific he is in the ring and as an overall performer. Meanwhile Charlotte is simply lout there looking for ways to get a live crowd to dislike and boo her. Its very simple and she's very good at it. Dad should be as proud as he sounds on his podcast. She's also probably come the furthest of the women since they were called up to the main roster. Really fun house show match that I wouldn't mind seeing live.

I was stunned to see an obit, including photo, of Fuji in the NYT today. Didn't think there was any chance he'd merit that recognition.

Reigns's 2015 was really carried by the Bryan & Lesnar matches. The Show Match was solid and the Wyatt stuff towards the end of the year was looked upon more favorably by some than others, but the depth is so much greater this year. His 2016 includes a pair of PPV classics against Styles, as well as the Ambrose/Brock and Ambrose/Rollins triangles on PPV, the Rollins PPV match, really strong TV outings against Rollins, Rusev, Balor and the recent four ways. Throw in the six man tags with the Usos against The Club and you've got a very long list of big performances.

Jesus, that is some high praise. Where is this available?

I don't recall those TV matches but was thinking of straight singles matches rather than giving credit for Mania XXX or the Evolution/Shield tags. No doubt some Bryan singles affairs in that period were solid.

When was the last great Randy Orton match? Anything since Bryan presumably carried him on TV at some point during his run? Kudos to him for taking the abuse he did here, but I couldn't point to anything else he did to make this match interesting.

First thread I've read in this folder. Fun stuff. Love bringing in some Japanese names when possible. Curious how they get over in that role, even as I can't believe myself writing those words!

Call me a man-hater then, because I've got little use for Jericho once the bell rings. The character has definitely grown on me as he's adjusted his look recently, but still waiting for him to add to a match on this latest run.

Bayley is probably one of my 5 favorite wrestlers going today. She has incredible timing and pacing in all of her matches, and in this outing we saw her ability to put forth a credible, impactful comeback while still coming up short. Very simple story with Asuka the monster, indestructible champion and Bayley trying to overcome insurmountable odds. I actually think Nia Jax is a better fit in this role, but that takes nothing away from what these two did. I really dug Baylet's two key combacks here, particularly because they were both so short-lived and showed a fire that wasn't really called for in previous big matches with Sasha Banks and Jax. **** is probably a hair too high, but with the post-match graduation I refuse to go any lower. Very much looking forward to seeing what she can do on the main roster and hope she's given the time and opportunity to deliver.

Originally watched this live on my phone from the beach. Yes, hate me. At that time I thought it was an incredible 4.5 star affair. This afternoon I rewatched it on the big screen and actually loved it even more. You had effective heat segments first on Gargano, then on Ciampa (who knew he would make such an incredible face in peril?) with The Revival pulling out every Andersons/Horsemen/MX trick to cut the ring in half as well as cut off just about every hope spot Gargano & Ciampa could muster. The Revival are such a unique fit in wrestling today. They maintain a tremendous pace without relying on many highspots beyond some tremendously timed and executed double teams. But don't stop there. Gargano's hot tag, punctuated by the kick to Dash on the floor and spear through the ropes to Dawson set up one hell of a stretch run that featured near falls on both sides that had the crowd biting in real time and me even on replay. The finish? While I'd normally prefer a longer focus on the knee, I thought what they did was put over so strongly from the chop bock to the great stomp, and finally a quick tap to the reverse figure-four that emphasized the damage done in such a short time. Best tag team match I've seen in who knows how many years and in most cases a legit MOTYC. Somehow its possible this is only the 3rd best match of the month, but we'll have to watch the others to confirm. ****3/4

I think she's a tremendous performer. When reined in she's incredibly effective. Just poor usage of a potentially strong performer.

Its not at at all the issue. If it makes you happy, she generally cuts the balls off of any female wrestlers she's in a segment with as well. Not everything needs to be elevated into a social issue. Some things are simply about the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the characters, their presentation and interaction with one another.

Always a pleasure. Not much to add where reading comp is disregarded. Hope you've got a comfy saddle atop that high horse you love to watch from.

The fact you're on here able to update us and do a little complaining after everything you've been through is fantastic. Keep kicking ass, dominating and keeping your head up.

I'm not their parent. Not my job to look out for wrestlers' well being, even if I wish them all the best. But if every match looked like Battlarts or older Japanese shoot style promotions I wouldn't be long for the show. Its one thing to mix that in as part of the overall package being presented. I know what channel UFC is on and can turn there whenever I wish.

Still need to rewatch the show on a big screen, but watching it as well as in a replay of he a lot in question, it certainly looked like Finn exacerbated the situation with how he took the bump, and may have been solely responsible for it. What would Rollins have done differently there? Generally believe these things are freak accidents where one can't ascribe blame, but to my untrained eye this didn't appear to be a good time to point the finger at Rollins.

I shudder to think what would happen if WWE catered to this.

Sabu = Greatest things ever, the icon of ECW. Crowd ate it up. Then. "Oh, fuck Sabu because he's not showing up !". And the crowd ate it up. Then. Sabu's back, handshake, he's the greatest thing ever. And the crowd ate it up. Heyman could do whatever he wanted. Did we mention 911 yet ? It made for phenomenal television back in the day. But on the other hand, how many big houses did all of that Sabu magic draw?

I haven't seen it in ages, but yeah, that's what it seemed to be the last time I watched it. Wasn't blown away at all. Probably second best of its kind off the top of my head, but yes, definitely a gimmick that's limited. Love the match, but will take in in a different direction -- I think Dusty vs. Flair is the best match from Starrcade '85.

Big fan of his when working as a legit heel against Ospreay. I think he's pretty talented and can mix the wrestling with the showmanship quite well in most settings. Some times he can overdo the character bit (particularly PWG), but when keyed in he makes for a fun, different part of a show. Never seen Party Marty.