Superstar Sleeze

Triple X vs Amazing Red/SAT - NWA TNA 12/18/02 GO RED GO! - Don West, loses his mind in the middle of this match as he gets on the announce table trying to cheerlead for Amazing Red. Tenay & West bitching and moaning about Triple X being aligned with Russo is fucking annoying. Another great X Division match, I really want to see a Low Ki vs Amazing Red singles match after this. I thought this had a good layout. Loved the babyface shine at the beginning, lots of dives and the faces going over. Red's Trouble in Paradise is so much better than Kofi's. As Red is running the ropes he runs into a forearm from Skipper on the apron and Daniels follows up with a clothesline. A really nice long traditional heat segment follows with strong hope spots from red and just solid heel work from XXX nothing too flashy that will get them cheered. I like how he uses Code Red as a hope spot instead of a finish feels more appropriate. Him and Low Ki work really well together in this match. After a rana and a Code Red, he tags out. I liked the finish run with SATs basically roaming ringside waylaying Triple X assholes while freeing up Red to do his work inside the ring. For the most part it is Red vs Low Ki, which is just an offensive spectacle. Loved the missed Phoenix Splash and Infra-Red shows how dangerous those moves are. The finish is the SAT want the Spanish Fly, but they try to dive on the rest of Triple X but miss so Ki hits the Ki Krusher from top rope. It was a nice blend of tradition in the heat segment and spotfest down the stretch. ***3/4 The aftermath is pretty funny both legitimately and in a sad way. Vince Russo says we are going to solve wrestling's biggest mystery. "Road Dogg, why are there tables under a wrestling ring." "Because we put them there." Well there you go! I thought that was funny. What is not so funny was Curt Hennig saving an attack from Road Dogg, Harris Twins and Triple X, collectively SEX, and then being attacked by David Flair...only to have Jeff Jarrett make the real save and Russo brings down TNA sign with an Axe. They should have renamed the promotion S.E.X. Russo did not have the balls to do it.

X Division Champion Syxx vs AJ Styles - NWA-TNA 10/23/02 Damn more people should wrestle on Meth if this is the outcome. I know he said he wrestled AJ on meth, was it this match or the one from the week before? Syxx looked great here busting out a HUGE dive and just kicking AJ's ass from pillar to post in a tremendous shine. I would say AJ was undoubtedly the star here. AJ was a bumping maniac here. Really strong bumping performance by AJ. I liked the transition with AJ catapulting Syxx into ringpost crotch first. Was not in love with Spiral Tap as the follow up and the kick out. Plumtree pulls the ref out on the X Factor. AJ goes for Styles Clash cant get it and Grandmaster Sexay coldcocks Syxx allowing AJ to win. Syxx raises AJ's hand in victory. What the fuck? Awesome shine, not much else going on but great AJ performance and Syxx looked good on offense. Thankfully the heavyweight bullshit has not seeped into the X Division. ***1/4

AJ Styles vs Amazing Red - NWA-TNA 12/11/02 I have been praising AJ vs Low Ki ad naseum, but it is actually AJ vs Red that have had the best two matches in TNA in 2002 that I have seen so far. This featured great early 2000s work with awesome face/heel dynamics. Amazing Red was taken out last week by Styles and starts this match red hot wailing on AJ who tries shoving him off, but Red will not be deterred. Great Red shine with Red Star Press and 619. When he tries follow up on the outside AJ catches him and hits a powerbomb on his knee. The rest of the match is AJ working an awesome cocky bully heat segment while Red sells well and times his hope spots really effectively. AJ was just great in using power moves to cut Red off at the press while Red had to use sudden bursts of energy to have any hope of winning. I loved stuff like Red trying the Code Red early but getting squashed but eventually hitting it. AJ hits a massive powerbomb at one point. The match is pretty much entirely just made up of a heat segment and hope spots and the crowd was totally into the wrestlers and this story. The finish was them tussling on the top rope and Red winning with a Super Top Rope Hurricanarna and AJ doing a 450 off the top. Red gets the HUGE upset win to a big pop. Perfect melding of old school babyface/heel dynamics with some sweet innovative spots. My TNA match of the year thus far. ****

AJ Styles vs Low-Ki - NWA-TNA 9/25/02 2 Out Of 3 Falls Nashville crowd loves Low Ki and hey we even get an AJ Sucks chant. I could watch these two wrestle forever. Always great chaining at the beginning even if it always ends with that cool kick by Ki. Low Ki is a great offensive wrestler has that perfect babyface shine offense, it pops up, but keeps stuff in the back pocket for later. I liked AJ mocking Low-Ki's kicks to the chest only to eat a kick to the head. Great way to work in some character work. AJ hotshots Low-Ki's crotch into the top rope. Strong, short heat segment with great fists and chops from AJ. Double clothesline is the reset. Ki get the tap out from the Dragon Clutch to win the first fall. Very good opening fall. Low-Ki 1-0. Second fall sees AJ out of desperation pull Ki's tights so he goes throat first into the ropes. Perfect heel move. Again another great short heat segment with a delayed vertical, knee drop some taunting and lots of booing. AJ comes up short on a baseball slide and Ki spins him around hits him with a wicked kick. Low Ki grabs the Dragon Clutch on the outside, but AJ drops back onto the ramp. A countout victory for the second fall would have been nice. Instead AJ rolls through a hurricanrana for the win. Decent. Tied 1-1. Awesome third fall! Ki is pissed he lost on a roll through so he kicks AJ in the head. AJ retreats to the outside. Ki goes for a kick but AJ catches the foot and slams it into the barricade. Great selling by Ki and awesome leg work by AJ. Loved the super Kneecrusher from the top. Spinning Toe Hold! Ki gets a spike hurricanarana (AJ is good at taking that move) for a hope spot. He goes for Ki Krusher, but AJ moves the ref away to kick him in the balls. Ki is writhing in pain and Styles Clash picks up the victory. Awesome first and third falls, second fall was good. These two have amazing chemistry with each other. ****

X Division Champion AJ Styles vs Low Ki vs Jerry Lynn - NWA TNA 8/7/02 "The fans really showing their respect for these competitors" "Again we point out the fans are still on their feet" - Mike Tenay I am not saying this is the first match, but this was definitely a harbinger of the matches we are stuck with now. Ones that not only emphasize the moves over the victory and the motivation of the characters, but that sense of self-congratulatory respect from the crowd. This crowd was mixed. They definitely wanted Low-Ki to win, but were also as interested in chanting TNA at every highspot and cheering the exhibition rather than competition. The announcing has been absolutely dreadful. Constantly selling me how awesome TNA is rather than telling the story in the ring. Granted there was not much of a story to tell. The first AJ Styles match that has been a disappointment was definitely this one. I don't really like triple threats. Everyone seems to hate them, but someone must like these fuckers they keep putting them on. This was just spot-spot-spot. AJ was beginning his cocky heel turn against Jerry Lynn, but besides a ballshot that was poorly sold (I hate when the ballshot is not respected) and some cockiness at the end, he was not very good at being a heel. Lynn is a snorefest. Low-Ki was definitely the best wrestler. He played his character well and was tenacious about going for the victory via the Dragon Sleeper. I thought the best spots of the match were Lynn flipping AJ Styles into his quebrada/Slop Drop combo and Ki getting stuck in the ropes off a Dragon Sleeper and Styles hitting a quebrada. Probably the most eye ball rolling sequence was each stealing the other's finish hitting on that person and the having that person kick out. That is just so stupid. Hey kill your own finish. It is a fucking triple threat have the other person break it up to protect the finish. Oh speaking of the finish, it sucked out loud. AJ brains Lynn with a chair. Takes his sweet time getting to top rope so Ki rolls in, Styles hits Spiral Tap but Ki stays on top to win. So lame. That's a heel way of winning not a babyface way. Sucky. Lets hope the ladder match is better.

X Division Champion AJ Styles vs Amazing Red - NWA TNA 10/30/02 AJ Styles was at his early 2000s goon best. If there is a God in Heaven, let bangs for men never ever come back! 2002 TNA is great for awesome Nitro cruiserweight matches. For the most part it has been debunked that Nitro was home to all these **** cruiserweight matches. Of course, they exist, but due to time constraints they are not as plentiful as one would be led to believe. TNA continued the lineage of Nitro cruiserweight matches but I think with better presentation (this is very shocking, the commentary is god fucking awful though) and some more time actually enhanced these matches. I think the better presentation is that company in 2002 was built around AJ Styles, which is crazy to think about since he had just started wrestling. He was at the forefront of the X & Tag Division scene and his feud with Ki & Lynn was the biggest feud of the year. The X Division Championship feels like a big deal and it is no small wonder why he was promoted to World Heavyweight Champion the following year. It is not often we get to see AJ against a smaller opponent so I relish these opportunities. He did not bully Red as much as I like, but he was a great cocky prick and there was some good examples of power. Red could have been the heir to Rey Mysterio (weird to say as Rey Rey was active and had at least 10 great years left in him), but he was cut from a similar cloth, undersized, good seller and cool highspots. Watching him back here, there is something about him that has him falling show of Rey. For a lack of better term, he just does not feel like he has "it". The beginning of the match establishes that both men are quicker than a hiccup and equals for the most part. Red dropkicks Styles over the top. What follows is just a masterful way to set up a highspot. They took the extra 30-60 seconds to do proper transition work to make Red's spectacular dive make sense rather than just have AJ stand around looking like a fool. AJ powers Red up and drops him down. I thought this was an effective power-based, slow it down heat segment from Styles where Red got to sell. Red was really effective with hope spots like Code Red and Red Star Press. I am not in love with the moves, but in terms of timing of the hope spots and AJ's heel work it was really well done. AJ was really smart to come up with the Styles Clash given the prevalence of hurricanaranas as it was easy counter to them. Loved the wicked powerbomb counter to a rana by Red. Red did hit a great spike Rana, which was of course all Styles making it look like a million bucks and even getting a Holy Shit chant out of it. Some dude named Mortimer Plumtree in pleated khakis and a sweater vest trips up Red. The righteous indignation from Tenay and West is so hokey. AJ wants Spiral Tap, but blocks and wants a rana and hits a beautiful one only for AJ to roll through. They were putting this over as Red's first title shot and that is such a perfect finish for the first title shot. Red looked great with his hope spots and looked like he was right there with Styles, but due to a roll through lost the match just came up short. Red looked great and definitely protects him for future title shots. While AJ simultaneously looked strong kicking ass but also vulnerable enough to lose. Very strong heel champion vs babyface underdog match with some cool spots thrown in. ****

Kevin Owens does not come to mind at all for me. Admittedly, not seen much of Steen's work on Indy circuit, is that when he had great punches. In WWE now, I don't think he is even Top 5.

X Division Champion AJ Styles vs Low-Ki NWA TNA 7/17/02 These two can not have a bad match together. Not quite as good as the others I have seen but still the intensity and energy was there. Just from the opening grappling, you can feel the tenacity and will to win. I loved AJ hitting a nice dropkick Ki when he goes for the cartwheel karate kick early. It shows that you can only hit those show off moves later in the match or if the opponent does not know you well. Very nice. Liked Ki controlling the wrist on an Irish Whip and him getting a Kappo Kick. Loved the Dragon Sleeper in the ropes. They were just laying everything in. This felt like a very good Nitro match, but like most very good Nitro matches it also felt compressed and rushed. They just did not let things breathe. They packed a lot of stuff in ten minutes. Like the Ki Krusher quickly into a DDT and then AJ missing a Spiral Tap, but everything was humming along. It is too bad. They do that super cool Phoenix Splash into a Styles Clash, but I think Ibushi/AJ pulled it off better. Still very good just hurt by time constraints. ***3/4

AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn vs Low Ki vs Psicosis - NWA TNA 6/19/02 I thought the rules in this were pretty cool. I would make some minor tweaks, but overall a really neat way to do a fatal four-way. Basically it is a double elimination 4-person round robin. Winner of a fall stays in to meet the entrant and they cycle through until the first loser comes in. I would probably change it A vs B then C vs D then losers of the first two go head to head. But I digress. More fatal 4-ways should be done like this. See not everything in early TNA was horrible. Great fucking spotfest. Because it was essentially a bunch of mini-matches it could be wrestled like a sprint. AJ Styles vs Psicosis had some gnarly chops, really great stuff. Guillotine Legdrop did not get done for Psicosis and he fell to the Styles Clash. Styles vs Low Ki was just fucking awesome. Styles started off with that rana from his back and these two just did not let up. Great strikes, throws and submissions. Loved the rolling dragon sleeper from the top by Ki. Styles wins with that German/Front suplex combo. Love Lynn taking advantage of Styles with a piledriver quickly. I thought Lynn/Psicosis was just kinda there. It was action but didn't stick with me and Lynn won with the piledriver. I thought Ki/Lynn started off well, but there seemed to be some miscommunication especially on the Ki Krusher counter. Lynn wins with the cradle piledriver. Don West going on about that this is only $9.95 was funny. This leaves us with Lynn with zero losses vs AJ with one loss. So AJ has to win two in a row, but AJ has had some rest. Wicked discus clothesline by AJ Styles. AJ basically hit Spiral Tap as a springboard pretty incredible. Tornado DDT by Jerry Lynn, I liked that move as a kid, but I hope that does not come back as a move in wrestling anytime soon. RUNNING LIGER BOMB BY LYNN! STYLES CLASH!!! It is all tied up. Ricky Steamboat is the ref. Early TNA was such a strange place. Barrage of nearfalls. Wicked Double Clothesline levels playing field. Asai Moonsault into Quebrada. AJ busting but all the moves in debut. Ed Ferrara says people years later will be talking about Lynn/Styles. He is no prophet. This is getting contrived and a little too spotty. The commentary is fucking awful. So congratulatory and mutual admiration. I like Lynn using a sleeper after this barrage of highspots. Mike Tenay rattling off that this is akin to Dory Funk vs Gene Kiniski. LOL! Don West losing shit over a top rope superplex is great. Hey, Bill Apter is here. SPIRAL TAP~! First half of the match was unique and awesome. Lynn vs Styles was a great spotfest but then descended into that dramatic spotfest style that I don't care for that much. Usually I can tune out bad commentary but this was pretty godawful. Still a clearly great spotfest. Mike Tenay proves he is a prophet saying that AJ Styles is the future of our spot. Amen brutha, amen. ****

This is from 2003, my bad! Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels - NWA TNA 11/12/03 Nothing quite says war like catching your buddy doing a split-legged moonsault. Don West calling this a war was well quite the exaggeration. This is just a fun let me run through my moveset for a bit and now you run through yours. I love Low Ki's moveset so this is totally fun. The control he has over his legs is incredible. The Shining Wizard into an Octopus or the way he could convert just about anything into a submission move was breath-taking. This was NOT Triple X explodes, but just a good routine early 00s indy match. Good chain wrestling, the highspot transition with Daniels using split-legged moonsault, Daniels worked a short, solid heat segment then they hit finish stretch. The key here is that Low Ki comes off really organic in how he sets up his spots. Daniels is definitely not as good at this and really telegraphs everything he does. Angel Wings does not get it done. So Daniels is looking for Last Rites while Low Ki is focused on getting a submission namely the Dragon Sleeper to work. After some counters, Daniels is able to roll through to get the win. Just a really good ten minute match. ***1/4

I have been watching a lot of AJ Styles and he is such an underrated brawler. Some of the best punches of all time! That overhand right that hits the side of face, nose is nasty, always makes a great sound and looks violent as hell. That is some pure 80s, Southern punching greatness there. Everyone talks about the flips and tricks, but he is so sound. Those awesome punches are a staple going all the way back to 2003! He would have been incredible in Memphis. Him vs Lawler could have been the greatest match of all time period. I just think they would have sized up so well against each other. That got me thinking is AJ the best puncher of the 2000s wrestlers??? Punching is not a highly valued commodity in today's wrestling. This is the land of modified suplexes, flips and tricks. Necro Butcher comes to mind and I imagine he will be the one most people cite as the greatest. Is there anyone else in contention? Is there any way AJ Styles does not make your top 5? To me he is a mortal lock and I would currently have him at two behind Necro. Low-Ki and Danielson don't really punch. I would say AJ is a better puncher than Joe or Punk pretty safely. For some reason, I cant picture Chris Hero's punch in my head. I can picture his elbow, which is great. But I do not recall what his punch looks like. Could be an oversight on my part. So who else you got?

NWA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Low-Ki - NWA-TNA 8/13/03 if there is one wrestler from the first generation of indy boom I want to watch more of it is Low-Ki. Dude always impresses in the limited sampling I have seen. This was a fucking awesome sprint just balls to wall action with plenty of struggle and really organic set up for a lot of cool, innovative spots. Don West having a conniption fit over the fact there was chain wrestling at the beginning was hilarious. AJ Styles goes to throw Ki out of the ring and leads in with his head and Ki swings around nails with 619. Awesome, awesome! Not contrived at all. It is 2:30 am I am wicked tired so I am not going to do this match justice. It was wicked fun. Ki was a monster in his shine, tons of energy. I liked AJ going for the Styles Clash early to try get out of there with a quick win. Asai Moonsault into Scorpion Deathdrop on the outside came off beautifully. I cant believe AJ has been doing that since 2003! Liked Dragon Sleeper as a hope spot only for to get caught in the ropes and then AJ hit him with a rana while he was in the ropes. Nasty, but organic! Tidal wave begins the comeback into a SICK BUTTERFLY SUPLEX INTO A BRIDGE! WOW! AJ has been bumping great for Ki and selling like a heel should for Ki. It does get a bit spotty down the stretch, but fuck it if you are going to bust spots do it like these two! At least they look cool! AJ NAILS HIM WITH A DISCUS CLOTHESLINE! AJ just starts wailing on Ki and it is awesome! Ki into an Octopus only for AJ to hit a suplex barrage. Everything is being laid in. Russo distracts him and Ki levels him. He wants to dive onto Russo but ref wont let him. AJ hits him with the bat to win. On par with great Zero-One match from the beginning of 2003, just a ton of fun, great energy, innovative, but organic at the same time. ****

NWA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Dusty Rhodes - NWA TNA 10/8/03 THIS EXISTS!!! Dusty challenging for the NWA World Championship 24 years after he first won it in 1979. Crazy! I cant believe AJ vs American Dream exists. Unfortunately this more sad than fun. Dusty just does not have anything left in the tank. He does not even have his charisma and schtick to salvage something. AJ tries his best busting him open with some great punches and bumping everywhere for Dusty. Great selling in the figure-4 (hurt his knee on springboard 450) and tap out but ref didn't see it. AJ gets a baseball bat from drunken Vince Russo (less said the better) and takes out Dusty's knee. AJ gets the pinfall on Dusty in the figure-4. Vince Russo wants to whip Dusty's bare ass. Oh God! Jarrett saves. Thank God! Wow! James Storm looks so young! Novel, but very disappointing. Too bad.

AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels - TNA Bound For Glory 2011 I Quit Very strange. Pieces of it were really great and other parts really sucked. They just couldn't decide what they wanted this to be. When the match first started, I thought I found a lost classic. Really heated and intense. Daniels telling AJ to suck his dick only for AJ to tell him to suck it and shoving the mic into his mouth wa awesome. Loved the use of the STO by Daniels as a takedown, loved AJ's tenacity with his punches and then going for submissions constantly from unique spots and really wrenching them in. Then they lost that it settled into as expected AJ face vs Daniels heel match, which can be great. However, we get weird shit like Daniels throwing a wrench at AJ's head but hitting the stairs or stabbing the turnbuckle pad with a screwdriver. Shit like that makes you lose suspension of disbelief. Daniels' segment was fine until he sat on a chair on top of AJ and told he was going to murder him in cold blood. Ugh. AJ's comeback was fucking awesome. AJ would have been an excellent Jerry Lawler opponent. He is like the world's greatest Bill Dundee. AJ as a brawler not talked about enough and he would have fit in Memphis perfectly. Pele into Styles Clash. This finish run would have been perfect for a great AJ vs Daniels standard match. Then AJ is pissed goes for the screwdriver and Daniels pussies out says I Quit without struggle, which hey he is a coward so I get it. Just a weird match. These two have really good chemistry together. This is not a good example of that. AJ was awesome at the beginning and the end. Hard to rate. I do recommend watching it because I think watching more AJ brawling and spreading the word about it is important. ***

AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels - TNA Destination X 2011 Another match of the year contender from AJ Styles in 2011 in a style of match that could not be more of a departure from the violent, bloody war with Bully Ray. This was an excellent, mutual respect face vs face technical classic. What stood out to me the most was hope well they weaved their shared history throughout the match. We have all seen the usual we know each other sequences (both throwing dropkicks at each other, yawn) this felt authentic and on top of that it was consistently played upon throughout the entire match unlike in similar matches where it will eventually be dropped. The beginning chain wrestling and armdrag work was amazing. It felt like a struggle and felt like two guys out there to prove who is the best. I liked them both knowing they were going for dives and avoided. I loved Daniels knowing the typical AJ dropkick sequence. Only for AJ to catch him unawares, but in doing so NOT getting full extension. Daniels forced him to hit the dropkick from an uncomfortable vantage point so in order to hit it AJ had to sacrifice impact. Great storytelling. By the same token, the match finally turns when Daniels hits suicide dive. But this was not an ordinary suicide dive. A typical suicide dive sees the catcher get up and prepare himself to take the dive. Because Daniels knows he needs to catch AJ unawares just leaps out onto him tackling him before he can prepare himself very cool. Then he hits the bigger dive over the top rope for more impact but set himself up first with the smaller surprise dive. I really dug these touches throughout the match. Another great example was AJ knowing Daniels was going for a split-legged moonsault and knocking him off the top rope setting himself up for a quick dive where again Daniels was not in a position to catch him and instead AJ landed nastily on Daniels' neck. The work in between the transitions is solid, but the transitions are really incredible. After AJ's control segment, we see it end because Daniels knows the Springboard Forearm is coming and he knocks him off the top rope and AJ takes a nasty spill. AJ is busting out Fujiwara armbars and Daniels is doing Crossfaces just to keep each other off balance because nobody can hit a signature move! I am digging this story a lot. I really liked AJ intentionally slipping off the top rope on a springboard to put over the danger of the move. There should be more missed and countered moves in wrestling in my opinion that's what I really liked about this. I really liked the symmetry of the finish. AJ put his foot up on the Best Moonsault Ever attempt and this led to the Styles Clash for two. So then he tries the Springboard 450 but eats knees and this sets up the Angel Wings for two. I was not crazy about the set up for Spiral Tap as it was a bit contrived why was Daniels going up top in the first place he does not have a finish in that style and then all of sudden we are battling over Angel Wings only for it to be countered. Spiral Tap is badass though. Great, great story. Both men had to wrestle a completely different match than they are used to because they were completely committed to showing they had the other scouted this led to a lot of interesting counters and offense that felt sudden and urgent. I do feel that during the finish there was a bit of fizzle and did not really build to a big crescendo. It was a missing a spark to really put it over the top. A really cool and interesting match that I think could be template for new style of wrestling that focuses more on missed moves and counters and the opportunities they create rather hitting moves cleanly all the time. ****1/2

AJ Styles vs Bully Ray - TNA Slammiversary 2011 Last Man Standing OH HELL YEAH! Slam dunk match of the year contender for 2011 right up there with Dick Togo vs Antonio Honda. Awesome David vs Goliath, coming of age, violent brawl all wrapped into one badass package. AJ has been such a tremendous heel since 2014 that even a massive AJ mark like myself forgets what an incredible babyface he is. He talks trash to Bully Ray that he is going to end his career. You believe him! Bubba had been calling out his manhood and AJ never backed down. He met him right at his level pissed the fuck off. AJ just opened up a can of whoop ass on Bully Ray. The best punches this side of Memphis baby! AJ even busts out a headbutt. Bully Ray was selling these great especially the headbutt. It was such an fiery, energetic opening to the match. Then we go into AJ bump machine mode. He goes flying off a Bully Ray boot when he went charging into the corner. Then the HIGH back body drop and then the way he bumped to the outside. He was throwing himself into everything hard. Bully Ray is a really great old school, mean heel. Just a total throwback. There is nothing redeemable about him. I loved him trapping AJ under the steps and standing on him. AJ does not get much chance to sell as a heel, but he is so great at sympathetic selling trying to crawl away from the stalking Bully. BIG OVERHEAD CHOP!!! AJ asking for more! ANOTHER BIG OVERHEAD CHOP! You can see the face print! My God, the bruise is already forming! AJ Is begging for him to hit it again. I love this show of pride from AJ. The crowd is chanting "Holy Shit", loving it from the crowd! AJ wants one on the kisser and decks AJ with rock n roll death drop. Incredible babyface performance! This is how you show resilience and pride! Now AJ is throwing some serious haymakers and finally gets Bully off his feet with enziguiri. I love this AJ he looks like man possessed. Everything is so credible. Springboard forearm! Pele when Bully Ray was on top rope, looking superplex, but they duke it out and AJ just starts blasting him with punches and Bubba turns it into a Super Powerbomb! Holy Shit! This is a war! Bully Ray may have bitten off more than he can chew and he realizes that grabbing his chain, but he misses with the whip. AJ wraps it around his hand, SUPERMAN CHAIN PUNCH!!! Epic Bladejob! Springboard 450!!! He gets up at 8 and AJ lifts Bully Ray like he was nothing and throws him right onto the steps on the outside. Holy Shit! Great heavy springboard plancha to outside. Everything is hitting with weight! Nice counter by Bully Ray with flapjack into the apron and we head up the ramp. They tease the powerbomb off the stage which is what started the feud, but instead AJ gets INSANE AIR LEAPING THROUGH THE AIR ONTO BULLY RAY! AJ beats the shit out of Bully Ray to set him up on a table. He climbs up scaffold REALLY FUCKING HIGH AND THEN JUMPS ONTO BULLY RAY! I thought we were going to get the lame both men get counted out, but instead as AJ is about to get up Bully kicks him in the ass and sends him crashing through the stage, great bump. Bully Ray wins! The finish is cheap. AJ earned that victory. We all know it. It pisses us off. I think it works though. AJ was so consumed with rage that it cost him the match. He wanted to destroy Bully Ray so bad he was willing to destroy himself. He could have won the match differently but he wanted to END Bully Ray's career in doing so he did not care what happened to himself. Thus he left himself open to losing the match. Bully Ray is all talk. He just wanted to win by any means and het got what he wanted. SO I think the finish works in a good way that pisses us off to want to see the rematch because we know AJ is the man and that Bully Ray was proven wrong. Instead TNA books AJ into a feud with Daniels, but oh well. This reminds me so much of those blowjob babyface vs the violent monster matches of the 1980s where the pretty boy babyfaces become men by fighting fire with fire. I love these matches. The heels question the face's manhood and AJ is proved that he is more man than Bubba Ray could handle. The overhand chops segment was such a great moment of macho pride and coming of age. Everything AJ did had weight behind it and looked violent. AJ told the story so well through his eyes. He looked angry. You believed every single thing he did. Bully Ray was the perfect foil for AJ as a mean, sadistic bully (I mean he did a great job picking his name). A classic story that was perfectly executed by two men who were perfectly suited to execute this story with great violence. I rationalized the finish above, but I am not in love with it and I think while they executed the classic story perfectly I don't think they expanded or innovated on it. So I am going ****3/4, but very close to the full monty.

AJ Styles vs Tommy Dreamer - TNA Sacrifice 2011 No DQ The point of this match is twofold: 1. It sets up the big AJ vs Bully Ray match for next month 2. It shows AJ can not only survive in the Extreme environment but thrive against one of its icons. AJ is not given enough credit for damn good his punches are. In an aspect of wrestling that has really taken a hit since the 1980s, AJ has some really damn good punches. There is one in the beginning it looks he should have broken Dreamer's nose and he even sells his hand. That selling leads to Dreamer countering him with a boot and he does a rock n roll death drop to sell that. Awesome, awesome. awesome. This one of those wrestler is reluctantly doing the bidding of another wrestler as good 'ol Dreamer is being blackmailed by mean Bully Ray. Not my favorite storyline. Dreamer is pretty selfless and gives AJ the majority of the match, which is for the best. AJ uses a great combination of strikes and flying to carry the day Like him countering the trash can by kicking into Dreamer's face so using the ECW stuff against Dreamer and then using the table effectively too. Pele setup for Styles Clash on table but Bully Ray blasts him with a chain and its piledriver through table for the win. It was good all the great stuff was AJ's singular spots. Otherwise it was a pretty basic ECW NO DQ match. ***

AJ Styles vs "Cold Blooded" Matt Hardy w/Ric Flair - TNA Victory Road 2011 Matt Hardy with Ric Flair man TNA is a weird place where so much has been forgotten. So Flair turned on AJ and is with Hogan. AJ is the babyface here. AJ absolutely rocking with the punches in this match. Some of the best punches of the modern era, he was so on point. Definitely very fired up wish Matt was meeting him with some bumping, stooging or some energy because AJ was bringing that babyface fire! They tease the heat segment a couple different ways with a Flair distraction or Matt pulling him into the apron, but AJ kept coming back. One really cool spot was AJ slid under the guardrail to avoid hitting it and then hit a springboard forearm. Awesome! Loved the actual transition with Matt whipping AJ hard into the turnbuckles in a like half-German Suplex-half just throwing him move. Great heat segment using the hard parts of the ring and Flair to his advantage (nice chops and then grabs AJ's junk). Loved the Butterfly stretch my favorite move to do to my brother to get him to tap out. AJ did not get a real bonafide comeback there were some nice punches exchange but a bit too much of the modified suplexes for me. Liked the Twist of Fate (Hate at this point) teases, AJ eliminates Flair with a Pele outta nowhere that totally caught me off guard that popped me. Hardy got one last shot in with a moonsault. I wonder if Flair looked up saw that and thought to himself (Damnit, another guy who is better than me!). AJ countered the next top rope move with a sweet Pele and then SPIRAL TAP~! FTW~! Some really innovative spots, great use of the Pele to set up spots, really good Matt finish sequence. Thought the run up to the finish sequence could hav ebeen better. Oh yeah liked the punches in this! Very good. ***1/2

These are all 4.5 star matches for me. Reigns vs AJ from Payback is my choice for best match since 2004. I feel very out of touch. I know I have some really great answers for this but I'm tired.

TNA TV Champion AJ Styles vs Doug WIlliams - TNA Final Resolution 2010 Lets celebrate AJ Styles ascension to the top of the pro wrestling industry by going back to the lost years. I watched TNA pretty religiously from 2005-2010 pretty much after AJ 's World Title loss to RVD I stopped following. There seemed to be a weird feud with ECW wrestlers in the fall of 2010 so I am skipping that. This seemed like a fun random midcard match against a guy who I thought was pretty decent. Excellent AJ offensive performance. Normally I don't care about execution, but when you are so freaking good at as AJ it is noticeable and boosts the match. Normally don't like the Quebrada into the Scorpion Deathdrop, but damn did look pretty and impactful here. There was a great quebrada onto Williams while he was hung up in the ropes and TWO fucking phenomenal punches. Got a call a spade here, AJ sucked as a heel here. Story going into the match was Williams turned on AJ's group to go babyface. Did not feel that fire between these two. It was a good clean mutual respect type match, but not what the story dictated so it left me cold. Good beginning chain wrestling each teasing their finish. Showed both men came to win. Thought Williams while good was a very cold worker. Just mechanical. Thought his shine was just routine. AJ's heat transition was just yanking him off the top rope. AJ's heat segment, which he is great at now just felt routine. Knee work was good into the figure-4 (Flair was his mentor at this point), but ultimately goes nowhere. Liked the finish a lot AJ tries to use his high flying to win by diving to outside, but gets caught in Chaos Theory on the outside and once he gets in he is limp and prone and Williams adds insult to injury by using Styles Clash. There is good stuff in here. Just nothing all that remarkable. Good. ***

Goodness no. I think Danielson is leagues better. Really in what way? Like I can see why Bryan may be better but to say there is a gulf seems a bit of an exaggeration to me. In terms of offense, Bryan is more prone to the mat, but AJ can certainly go; AJ's strikes are better in my opinion and he is the better flyer. AJ is a better bumper than AJ. Bryan can be better at the act of selling but also more prone to blowing it off. AJ is the better trash talking heel who works awesome control segments. Daniel Bryan's finish run is electric but often feels show horned into the match. Hands down Bryan is the better character. So his matches implicitly have more emotion but that should not be conflated with him being the better wrestler. As I think AJ is able to get more out of a variety of opponents in a variety of settings. I say it is close but I'm sticking with AJ

Haven't seen enough Indy Danielson. Daniel Bryan was the better character. AJ has crushed him in WWE vs WWE resume. Doesn't blow off selling like Bryan. Doesn't do KENTA million miles per hour tributes as his finish run. AJ is measured and logical. Incredible sense of progression. Unique in-ring narratives. Execution one of the best of all time. A bumping God!

AJ Styles has been my favorite wrestler since 2004. No wrestler has caused me to travel out of state more than AJ to see him live. Hell I went to see Slammiversary in 2013 main evented by fucking Sting vs Bubba Ray Dudley just so I could see AJ Styles. Even though I expected him to win and had been spoiled, I am just incredibly happy that the best wrestler of the past 15 years has not only become critically acclaimed but has risen to the apex of being WWE World Champion. I love pro wrestling! AJ STYLES BEST IN THE FUCKING WORLD!!!

Miz/Zigs was good. Liked Zigs amateur cradles at beginning. Thought Miz's heel work on top was strong and loved him mocking Bryan. Finish run was pretty standard WWE. Better than I expected. Pretty long feeling though...probably due to shallow card. LOL BRAY JOBBED TO KANE!

Smackdown's women's division is so much better than RAW's! Becky Lynch is the best woman on the roster and Nikki is number two. Alexa packs one helluva for a small chick and would say she has better than Sasha recently. Besides Nattie, that is a stacked women's division. Usos heel turn was magnificent. Best turn angle in years! Awesome heel performance against the Hype Brothers (JBL made me laugh when he called them that.)