Superstar Sleeze

I respect you too, Mod Man! Joe, brutha, you should have walked over to have your brush with greatness.

Oh yes and thanks to Grimmas for backing out so that I could take my rightful place in the Sun as the premiere wrestling nerd.

Oh yeah, I had a blast and thank you Johnny for having me on the show.

Dont sing it, just bring it. When you are from Titletown, USA, home of the 8-Time World Champion Boston Red Sox, the 4-time World Champion New England Patriots, the 17-Time World Champion Boston Celtics, 6-Time World Champion Boston Bruins and of course, the 15-time World Champion John Cena, all you do is win! I am issuing an open challenge to anybody to come on and defeat the first-ever undisputed BRAINBUSTER Champion. SpoIler alert: I am going to win again, again and again.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW 10/13/14 The championship rematch did not disappoint as they did an excellent job blending a normal championship build with some extra booking pyrotechnics at the end of the match. AJ Styles gave one of the best classic heel performances of the modern era in this match with his showboating, cowering and cut offs. Normally, I like Tanahashi in that subtle heel role, but I thought this was most effective pure babyface performance. He was fighting from underneath and was using any burst of energy he had to try to win the match. The match starts out with strong Tanahashi side headlock work peppering in a highspot or two to keep it interesting, but as expected Tanahashi controlled the beginning. However, on a test of strength Tanahashi ended up underneath the middle rope and Styles seeing an opening exploited it by yanking Tanahashi head first into the middle rope. Here comes the gloating and flexing from AJ. On the outside, AJ does his usual hop over the railing, but this time he is ready for Tanahashi with an elbow. In turn, Tanahashi is ready for Styles and catches him into a Northern Lights Suplex. Can Tanahashi capitalize? He is pretty hurt. Styles begs off in the ring and baits him with a powder only to drive him into the apron. Styles is giving a great NWA champion like performance. Styles continually has an answer for Tanahashi in the form of chops or flying forearms. Styles goes to the flying forearm well once too many and Tanahashi breaks it up and hits a High Fly Flow to the outside. The big bomb may have bought some time for Tanahashi, but it also took something out of him. At the same time, this is a wake-up call that he needs to end this match and begins looking for the Styles Clash. Tanahashi wriggles out twice and turns AJ's punch combination into a Human Capture Suplex. Styles is the best at selling the Human Capture Suplex. It gets a little suplex-tradey at this point, but Tanahashi finally strings enough offense together Dragon Suplex and two High Fly Flows that it looks like he will win until Jarrett pulls the ref out. Here comes the booking pyrotechnics. Styles takes advantage of the distraction with the Pele and Elevated DDT, which is usually the callsign for Styles Clash. Tanahashi breaks out of the Clash so Styles throws him into the ref. JJ looks to attack, but it is Yoshi-Tastu? Color me unimpressed. That felt really TNA. Styles hits him with a ballshot to end the fighting spirit exchange. As a fighting spirit strike exchange hater that was the perfect ending. Styles gets tried of his constant movement in and out of the Styles Clash so he drops on his head with Hollow Point. He attempts the Springboard 450 for the first time in NJPW (to my knowledge), but he eats knees. If Tanahashi just won with High Fly Flow right there that would have been perfect, but it goes on like two spots extra before that result. The first New Japan match that I thought went too long for its own good. When you compare that to multitude of NOAH and modern WWE matches with that problem, one NJPW match going long is not that bad. I don't mind "overbooking" as much as most, but you got to have a better payoff than Yoshi-fucking-Tatsu! I thought the match up until the finish stretch was a really strong championship match with Styles looking overwhelmed early, finding his opening, then vacillating between confident and desperate perfectly. Tanahashi was great at fighting underneath and never letting the match get too far away from him so that the finish stretch was credible. I liked Styles busting out the Springboard 450 as a little something extra for the big moment. I think him going for that big bomb and immediately losing would have made for an excellent story, but unfortunately they went two spots too many. Still, overall a really strong championship match level effort from both men, definitely check it out. ****1/4

WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff - MLG 4/21/85 The Maple Leaf Gardens is rocking for the Hulkster baby! Running wild and unbridled! Orndorff is overwhelmed early by the Hulkster. I love the force of things like Hogan's shoulderblock. Hogan is just so good at entertaining with his mannerisms while the heel cowers in the corner or takes a breather on the outside. That seemed to be Wonderful's strategy early to powder and break the Hulkster's rhythm. Orndorff took over with some knee lifts and repeated elbows to back of teh head. He throws into the guardrail, but overall this is a pretty pedesterian beatdown with the knee drops being the climax. Hogan wakes everyone up by repeatedly ramming Orndorff's head into the turnbuckle. Hogan is irresistible, but wait Orndorff cuts off the Hulk Up. He heads up top and cross-body, which Hogan rolls through and scores the pin. Wow! Not the most decisive Hulk Hogan finish and at first I smelt a rematch, but I was unsure because I thought Mr. Wonderful turned babyface around this time. There it was he extends the olive branch and Hogan shakes his hand. Now that Orndorff is going to be a good guy he gets a closer finish to put him over as someone more special, which is smart booking. Nothing special, one of the more ho-hum Hogan matches for the time period, only interesting thing was seeing Hogan and his massive frame roll through a cross-body into an ugly, ugly pin that had both Gorrilla and Jesse wondering if he truly got the pin.

Harper is a sadistic monster that is willing to hurl himself at Ziggler to inflict more pain. I did not notice that Ziggler had the ladder up and that is an excellent point and it is too bad. I thought the middle rope slingshot was totally in line with Harper's behavior up until that point. I liked how the match built from Ziggler having no shot to having some glimmers of hope before breaking out into the big finish. I thought it built really well and was best Ziggler gets his ass kicked match. The victory feels like a big deal and when the last time an IC title victory felt like a big deal?

Wild Burning (Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori) vs. Xceed (Go Shiozaki & Kento Miyahara) - AJPW 12/6/14 There have been strecthes in all these 2014 AJPW matches where they are wrestling at a ***** level and it feels like you are watching 90s AJPW again. The action is explosive, urgent, but also with a sense of purpose directed towards winning the match. The best example of this high-caliber of work is towards the beginning. Miyahara has out worked the bigger, older Omori exposing a midsection weakness. This was not enough for Miyahara who was became obsessed with getting his shots in on Akiyama on the apron. Of course, he paid for his negliglence in the form of a wicked big boot by Omori. Akiyama without missing a beat, seized Miyahara and flung him outside to whip him in the railing. He explosively DDTs him all over the floor. It was like nothing else you would see in modern wrestling landscape. Maybe Brock is that explosive, but that is the only thing that comes close. The problem is unlike 90s AJPW they can not maintain the caliber of wrestling throughout a match rather these are fleeting moments of excellence. These stretches elevate the matches from the usual late 00s NOAH fare. I would say the matches are more similart to early NOAH than anything else. Back to the match, I am 100% sure now that Akiyama was the best offensive wrestler in the world last year. It is scary how deep his arsenal is, but without Misawa, Kobashi, and Taue it is going to waste. Akiyama blasts Miyahara with knees and hits a piledriver in short order. When he does not get the pin, he tags out with authority. I am sure Akiyama has a chip on his shoulder regarding Miyahara. Omori bouncing Miyahara head off the top of the steel post for the super back suplex was the best thing Omori has ever done. Miyahara is such a great young talent. I love how when he gets piledriven he is searching for the bottom rope because he knows he does not have the power to kick out. That is a wrestling acumen very few ever reach. As always, since 2000, a suplex struggle signals Miyahara hitting a hard-fought suplex to tag Shiozaki. I will give Akiyama-Miyahara their suple struggles look hard-fought and having seen a lot of perfunctory suplex struggles I am appreciative of it. Miyahara does the smart thing and tags in Shiozaki. I like Shiozaki's hot tag. It is simple but effective. His chop is the great equalizer. It is the only thing Akiyama has consistently sold all year so it feels like a real weapon. He actually blasts through both Akiyama and Omori. I like Akiyama's desperation to stop the bleeding with one of his bombs but Shiozaki has too much spunk to go for that. Shiozaki is looking lariat but eats a knee and Akiyama clamps on a choke. That is good shit. Shiozaki looks to put his team firmly in position to win, but gets caught quickly. Shiozaki powers out. I like how they are putting over Go. Omori comes in and hits his generic offense and the heat dissapates quickly. Shiozaki chops Omori's lariat arm and tags out to Miyahara. After the tag to Miyahara he trades some moves with Omori. One second Miyahara eats a superplex and the next he is kicking off someone's head with a scissors kick. Once Akiyama is in, he is looking for the win and the match kicks into the big finish stretch. I like Akiyama looking for the Exploder seeing Go coming so he lets go to cut him off, but it is too late and eats the lariat. Miyahara gets a flash triangle and his scissor kick/deadlift German combo as nearfalls. He goes for his kill finish the Butterfly Piledriver, but nothing doing and Omori BLASTS him with a wicked lariat. Omori is good for something. I liked the Boma Ye knee/Lariat combo to a sitting up opponent. Go saves. Akiyama runs through his usual offense of knees to the head and an Exploder head drop to polish off the young hotshot. Easily my favorite of the touted 2014 All Japan match as this one combined a ton of action with the great Akiyama/Miyahara story. Omori dragged shit down a bit. I thought Go wrestled well in the beginning and was a decent hot tag. I liked how they treated his chop and his interactions with Akiyama were good. Still, Akiyama/Miyahara made this match special. If they could just replace Omori with the recently retired Sasaki or someone like that, this match would have a real shot at match of the year. As is, it stands as the one All Japan match that can hang with the best of New Japan. ****1/2

I really, really want to like All Japan, but I think it is a stretch to put their best stuff up against New Japan. I think Akiyama is probably better than everyone in New Japan except maybe Styles at this point, which is scary. From the three matches, I watched he is by far the best offensive wrestler on the planet. Since he is the last of the Five Pillars, it stands out how deep his offensive arsenal is especially in this day and age of shrunken movesets. I think every single of his pimped 2014 matches had glimmers of excellent, excellent work, but they could not sustain. Omori is just one of the blandest, generic, create a puroresu star. His comeback in the Akiyama match is so flat. The Miyahara match is all over the place in part because Akiyama just has too much shit and because they work in too many momentum shifts. That finish though is HOLY SHIT AWESOME! Then Real World Tag League final match is again a ton of great action and there are moments where it looks like All Japan could be the best promotion on Earth shit like Akiyama pouncing on a Miyahara mistake and EXPLOSIVELY DDTing him all over the place. The problem is the same as late 2000s NOAH, too much offense and finish stretches that drag. I was hoping when all this love for All Japan that it was a return to the 90s, but it seems to just be a continuance of the NOAH of Akiyama, Misawa and Kobashi etc... I still have Go/Suwama and Go/Doering to watch so maybe that will change my mind, but if Akiyama couldn't it seems bleak. These All Japan matches are great matches, but New Japan has put out enough excellent matches that the gulf is still there. I know Sasaki retired, but they could really use Sasaki to replace Omori. Or and I can't believe I am going to say this fucking Kojima. Omori is just a waste of space.

Jun Akiyama vs Kento Miyahara - AJPW 9/15/14 In 2014, Akiyama was the God King of Offense. Usually, offense is one of the first things to go for the greats, but I would argue he actually almost has too much good offense that it has been working to the detriment of these matches until the unbelievably awesome finish. The problem with Akiyama dissecting opponents like Omori or Miyahara is that they don't have the cache of a Misawa or Kobashi that I believe in that comeback as much. Miyahara was way better at showing fire than Omori, which helped greatly. I loved the beginning the sense of urgency of both to pounce on each other's mistakes. Then it devolves into who will back down first in an elbow where neither gives an inch. Akiyama wins the battle and then slams Miyahara onto the parquet floor. I love Akiyama jawing with the ref while wrenching Miyahara's head around the railing. Akiyama has so many ways to hurt you and they were all on display as he kicked some Miyahara ass. Miyahara wins a suplex struggle and begins a comeback, but just does not have much in the tank. I have to say Akiyama seems to lost his ability to sell well. This is the guy who made Tenzan tolerable by selling, I would have liked to seen more of that selling here. Stuff like Akiyama walking over to hit a superplex just killed the spot for me. I don't mind more explosive type cutoffs like his Exploder off the apron. Then were selling issues with Miyahara who takes a huge knee to the chin and then armdrags out of an Exploder to hit a nice scissors kick, but before you know it Akiyama is back on offense. It is not like these cutoffs felt like they were fighting through something rather they were just false momentum shifts and they were used a couple times too many. I have decided against giving away the finish because the finish is what takes the match to the next level. What I will say it is the perfect credible ending to to how match had been built at that point. Akiyama rocked on offense per usual. Miyahara gave a pretty good young lion performance, he definitely has a lot of potential. I think what was missing was a more rousing comeback for Miyahara, who I think has it in him. There were too many momentum shifts for their own good. Still that finish takes this from a very good match to a great match. ****

Jun Akiyama vs Takao Omori - AJPW 6/15/2014 Vacant Triple Crown Championship Wow, this is like an exact copy of Kawada vs Kojima 2005 for the Triple Crown. You have the super worker kick the dogshit out of the generic create a puroresu wrestler in really entertaining fashion only to choke in ridiculous fashion to a barrage of lariats. The only difference was that Kojima was actually over. In defense of this match, I think if you plug in a wrestler with more charisma than Omori this match would be a lot better. Omori is about the most bland wrestler I think I have ever seen. He does the bare minimum in almost every regard, but never really excels at any one thing and especially anything involving emotion. Nothing he did felt earned or like he was overcoming anything because he just started hitting moves. To give Kojima some credit, he does have charisma and there is an energy when he starts to make his comeback. Omori is just so flat. On the other hand, I thought Akiyama's asskicking of Omori was more entertaining than Kawada's asskicking. Akiyama just absolutely destroyed the arm. I love he would just take Omori down at will by the arm whenever he tried to fire up. Akiyama has so many weapons at his disposal strikes, submissions and my favorite throwing Omori's arm into steel objects. At one point, Akiyama hits a crazy cool combination of piledriver into a Boma Ye Knee so sick. Akiyama is grooving into his usual finish stretch (Boma Ye Knee, Guillotine Choke, Exploders) and I am just like this is way too easy and alarm bells start going off. Akiyama is going to choke. Choke big time. Omori hits some weird lariats, which I am going to chock up to selling. Akiyama bursts out with an Exploder, a quick Boma Ye Knee and then another Exploder. Omori kicks out? Bullshit! Omori wins with a barrage of lariats, wow, that was lame. I have said this before matches like don't make Omori look resilient, it makes Akiyama looks like a choke for not being able to polish him off with all his big moves. Omori was perfectly fine at selling, but his comeback was pathetic. Akiyama crushed it offensively. This was probably the best offensive performance of the year in terms of limb psychology and the two EXPLOSIVE big move combinations. Did I watch the wrong match? It is a good match and worth to match Akiyama be a boss, but this seems far away from match of the year to me. I am disappointed because I really want All Japan and Akiyama to be awesome. Here's hoping the rest is great. ***1/2

How surreal was it for everybody else when Austin discussed the star rating with Keller for the Rumble Triple Threat match. The fact STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN The Toughest SOB in the WWF said he deducted a 1/4* for what amounted to finisher spamming was the nerdiest thing ever! My mind was blown. I think there are really only two wrestling dreams I have left: go to Tokyo Dome 01/04 or G1 Climax and watch an hour of pro wrestling with Steve Austin, the coolest wrestling fan who ever lived.

Not to get in rating semantics argument, but I would imagine how high you rate it has a lot to do with how much stock you put into feel-good stories and characters. I maybe in the minority, but I more invested in Daniel Bryan the character than I am Daniel Bryan as a wrestler. I thought this was one of the better character-driven matches in WWE history. I can see the ****1/2 rating if the feel good ending does not tip the scales for you. As for the matches listed, I have never seen the Jericho Last Man Standing and I really ought to. The Ladder match is great, but I think it is below the Street Fight. Yeah, Taker WM 27 does not do it for me. What about The Rock Iron Man match? Another match I have never seen, but need to.

Daniel Bryan vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon - Wrestlemania XXX In light of recent events, this match should only be more cherished as the night everything was right with the world of pro wrestling. The most emotionally impactful of the match of the year contenders of 2014. The Shield versus Wyatts made the best use of past history, AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki told the most interesting intra-match story and Tanahashi/Nakamura rocked the limb psychology like no one else this year. Wrestling should not hit in you the head, it should hit you in the gut. When I watch this match, I was moved moreso now than probably when it happened. Daniel Bryan represents so much more to me than just a great wrestler. He proves if you love it, want it and work hard enough for it that anything is possibly. We all know the obstacles in front of him and he just kept his head down plowed through them and became the World Champion on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Before the fairy tale ending, Bryan had to face the man who was the exact antithesis of Bryan. He was not the populist choice. He was a member of the Kliq, given a forced push to the top, and married the boss' daughter. Triple H is a lightning rod of controversy. Some contend he is a great ring general and master of ring psychology while loathing his backstage politics and knack for burying opponents. Others call his entire reputation a sham manufactured by the WWE to work the fans into believing he was one of the greatest of all-time when he was just a mediocre wrestler that happened to be connected to the correct people. This made him the absolute perfect opponent for Daniel Bryan because no matter your feelings on Triple H, he represented everything corporate and artificial about pro wrestling while Daniel Bryan embodied the passion and humanity of pro wrestling. Triple H offers his hand to begin the match and Bryan kicks it away only to roll him up quickly. Bryan came to play, brutha. Bryan is on him with kicks and HHH bails. Stephanie, who is a total smokeshow tonight with those short shorts, gives The Game exhorts while Bryan now offers his hand. What I love about the early part of the match is that even though Bryan shoulder is taped and HHH targets it, it is not as soon as HHH attacks it that Bryan just writhes in pain. There are levels of pain. Bryan is able to fight through the first couple attacks because of his determination and he can't afford it to be worked on. Yes, it causes a wince, but it is a just brief inconvenience. It is a babyface shine that is truly earned that culminates with Bryan hitting a tornado DDT from the apron and the somersault off the top rope onto The Game. Triple H seems shaken from this onslaught and has underestimated Daniel Bryan. He is able to cause Bryan to lose his balance on the top rope. HHH is not going to fuck around and looks to end this early with a Pedigree on the announce table, but the feisty Bryan fights out so Triple H quickly switches gears and wrenches the bad shoulder right into the edge of the announce table. OUCH! Only now does the heat on Bryan begin with Triple H destroying Bryan's arm and delivering the best limb work of his career. Stephanie laying the badmouth on Bryan, "Mess with the bull, you are going to get the horns" among others was just awesome. She would be such an excellent manager if she ever committed to it full time. Bryan's first hope spot is his signature suicide dive, but Triple H blasts him with a right hand. HHH hits a nasty back suplex with the arm behind the back on the apron. Triple H busting out the Crossface Chickenwing into the Crippler Crossface was wicked cool. Daniel Bryan will not be denied. He makes it to the ropes and begins his signature high-octane comeback. Triple H looks to cut him off with a suplex, but Bryan gets two Germans of his own. Triple H looks to stop the bleeding with a Chickenwing Crossface, but has to settle for the Tiger Suplex. Sick! Triple H showing he is not always a Cerebral Assassin mounts D-Bry on the top rope, which gives him the high ground and the chance to hit a sunset flip powerbomb. Daniel Bryan with a repeated running dropkicks, but on the third Triple H bursts out of the corner with a wicked lariat. I love the struggle of this match. You really feel like two men are fighting strongly for their respective ideologies and pride. Neither one wants to give an inch to the other. Triple H is getting anxious and abandons the arm work for the one surefire way to end this: The Pedigree. Bryan counters into a pinning attempt. Bryan's diving headbutt eats a boot and HHH right back on the arm with a Crippler Crossface, but Bryan reverses into the YESLock. Triple H after all the smack he talks feels desperate to end this. Bryan is a fucking maniac and hits not one full speed suicide dive, but two full-speed suicide dives! Bryan is feeling it, kip up, YES CHANTS! He is looking for that Knee that took down Cena. SPINEBUSTER~! PEDIGREE~! IT IS OVER 1-2-NO! NO! NO! YES! YES! YES! Honest to God, had totally forgotten Triple H hit the Pedigree in this match and Bryan kicked out. I actually saw him hit the Pedigree, my stomach dropped, then I remembered Bryan won and was ecstatic he kicked out. Now if that is not the hallmark of a great fucking match, I don't know what is! Triple H is flabberghasted and tries to beat the shit out of him while Stephanie screams in the background. This is Daniel Bryan's night and Triple H is coming to the realization he cannot overcome the power of Daniel Bryan and the People! Triple H desperately tries to pull the trigger on a second Pedigree, but Bryan wriggles out until finally EXPLODING KNEE~! 1-2-3! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! Awesome match that feels like a real war and really mirrors Bryan's rise to the top. Bryan had to earn every single move in this match. His babyface shine was earned working through Triple H's early arm work. Then he fought tooth and nail not submit to HHH's killer arm work. From there, just when you think Bryan has the match won, it turns on a dime and Triple H hits his knockout shot and Bryan kicks out. They don't waste time with 8 million false finishes. Triple H gets his and keeps going for another Pedigree and then Exploding Knee knocks him out. Stephanie has to carry her husband out while they watch Daniel Bryan go to the main event of Wrestlemania. It is such a feel-good story combined with amazing fundamentals. I don't see a flaw. ***** Is there a better Triple H match? My pick for second is the Cactus Jack street fight and I think that is a clear level below this.

The move that brought him to the dance is the Boma Ye Knee. I think when times are tough and you think it is worth it. You double down it. It is not like he was Kaz Hayashi flip, flop and flying and then selling the knee. He was selling before and after the knee strike. You got the sense he was fighting through the pain, he knew it was stupid, but damnit he is up against Tanahashi and he has something to prove. His body language really conveyed that sense of struggle. Also it was only in short bursts. Tanahashi controlled the majority of the match, beautifully I'll add, and always cutoff him off at the knee. It was the cross armbreaker that opened up the knee to head game. Without Tanahashi prone, Nakamura would never have the chance to unleash a barrage of knees to the head. When you are coming from underneath from such a severe beating, you need a quick out. Nakamura had the cross armbreaker and knees to head, a flash submission or a flash KO. Nakamura's late match strategy digging himself out of a ditch was totally logical and the fact he sold that he was fighting through the pain made it all the more perfect. The only thing that bothered me was that it was knee barrage->nearfall->Boma Ye Knee -> win. It was such a needless nearfall. Oh, it finished #23 in VOW, for some reason, I thought it was #30-50 range. I must have recalled incorrectly. While I still think that is a bit low, I feel better now. Chad, Styles/Suzuki and this are right now a toss-up for me for New Japan. I still have Okada/Suzuki and Okada/Nakamura and a shit ton of Ishii to watch.

What really makes sense is Bryan getting a title shot for the belt he never lost...

I have a backlog of reviews to do. Knock out two before I go to bed. Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto vs Yuji Nagata & Tomomaki Honma - 6/21/14 Picked this match to watch for two reasons: I wanted to watch a modern New Japan tag match and I love the "underdog face paired with a vet face against a bruising heel duo" genre. It looks like the only underperforming part of New Japan is the tag division, which produced pretty much no match of the year contenders. This was the only New Japan heavyweight tag match to even make Voices of Wrestling Top 120 of 2014 countdown. Add in the fact this type of tag match is my favorite type of tags this was a slam dunk to watch. Unfortunately, I was bit disappointed. You think beating the piss out of Honma and a hot finish run would be hard to fuck, but I just didn't think the drama was there. I liked Honma jumpstarting the match. You can't help but be infected by his energy. You want that dude to win a match. He takes it to Shibata early and Nagata/Honma overwhelm Shibata. Shibata finally gets his wits about him and levels Honma with a right elbow and wisely tags out. This is what I am waiting for the beatdown on Honma and it did not last long enough. Goto is just as lame as ever. Shibata was a good dick, but he is no Tenryu. I liked him shoving his boot into Honma's face. Only one knock Nagata off the apron spot? Honma is already making his comeback. Nagata, who is GHC Champ at this point, does feel electric as the vet face bursting on the scene. Shibata tags out and he immediately grabs his armbar. Honma wants in and kicks some Goto ass, which gets me and the crowd rocking. Nagata is a great cheerleader for all this. Honma misses diving headbutt and Goto hits his finishes while Shibata detains Nagata to win the match. It felt really abbreviated and WWE-esque. Like this is one of the better WWE tags of 2014, but happened in NJPW. Where was the usual chipiness and constant shots to the apron guy or holding someone back or the constant saves. It was nice little character piece for Honma, Nagata was a good cheerleader, Shibata is a good dick and Goto is whatever. Honma is entertaining, but not at the level of heat I expect from puro tags. *** Katsuyori Shibata vs Shinsuke Nakamura - G-1 Climax 2014 So this weirdo Nakamura that everybody has been raving about well I will take him over Nakamura circa 2008, who was talented, but did not look like he gave one single fuck. Nakamura seems to be playing mind games with the ultra-serious, straitlaced Shibata with his shenanigans: yawning and putting head right on his bellybutton during a rope break. Shibata finally has enough to unleashes a slap. Nakamura is like "You don't have to get hot about it.", but Nakamura misses his running knee. Shibata gets a nice rip over the top rope and then kicks his head off when he is up against the railing. Shibata applies a figure-4, which is inconsequential in the long run. Nakamura hits a monster elbow and Nakamura after failing like two or three times finally gets his knee lift in the corner. I love that Nakamura is still the King of the Knee Lift. They trade moves like knee lifts, Germans and chinlocks. Nakamura comes running in and Shibata dropkicks him in the mush. The one constant thread is that Nakamura should really stop running at Shibata that is his downfall. BOMA YE~! Gets first and only nearfall. Nakamura runs again at Shibata and dropkick. Shibata hits his wicked spinning back chop to face. Go 2 Sleep and Nakamura-Seeking Penalty Kick for the win! Go 2 Sleep/Penalty Kick is my favorite combination finish in the world right now! I love that Shibata constantly countering Nakamura running into him played into the finish. It makes sense not to artificially create separation between you and your opponent. Shibata made him pay. That's neat, sensible storyline that is not exploited enough. Nakamura likes to build momentum for stuff like Boma Ye knee with a running start, but if you telegraph it, you will pay. That's the type of treating wrestling as real that can make matches like this fun. ***3/4

You my boy, Pete. You can be on my team, anytime!

I am still rewatching stuff from so sorry if people have already moved on 2015. New Japan fans: What's up with the lack of love for Tanahashi/Nakamura Invasion Attack? I thought that was blow-away, instant classic good. All I hear about is G1 Climax this and G1 Climax that, but this match crushes pretty much anything from the G1 Climax but Styles/Suzuki in my estimation. This is a matchup I was really cold on from watching all their 2005-2009 matches recently (mostly due to Nakamura looking bored as all hell). Tanahashi rocks in the heel role. Another thing I don't hear a lot. Tanahashi breaking the rules because he is overmatched is such a great aspect of who he is. I was a big fan of Tanahashi's leg work in the late 2000s and thought this match he just rocked it. Nakamura coming back as the desperate, but yet ferocious comeback. He wanted to win this match so bad, knee be damned, he was just going to hurl it at Tanahashi's head. You would thought he just won the IWGP title at the Tokyo Dome by his reaction. This is a Nakamura that I think effort could be called into question, but here he looked awesome. I have not seen everything and plan watching a lot more, but if the other stuff is as good as or better than this match. The NJPW fans are correct that NJPW is in a freaky awesome groove right now in my estimation. That remains to be seen...

Is the Thursday show from Hartford going to be branded as a RAW or Smackdown? I need to know for DVR purposes as I want to watch this event for sure. Actually, Hartford is only 90 minutes away...hmmmmmmmmmm...are they sticking to the 8pm-10pm schedule? I may just go now!

That would be awesome! Dolph as the FIP and Bryan as the hot tag would actually be pretty damn sick. I'd buy in to that team. Give me Cesaro/Kidd vs Ziggler/Bryan all night baby!

It is 2015 and at the end of the day, I would be shocked in anyone in the US rioted over wrestling. If this was mid-90s WCW, there is no doubt that the trash would have been flying and I am more surprised that did not happen. My brother said if we were closer, he would have chucked things. Matt actually put it perfectly as I was trying to describe the feeling. It was not exactly anger. Personally, I was not angry, but damn sure I was going to boo the hell out of Roman Reigns and pretty much the rest of the Rumble because they needed to know they are stupid. I didn't think the "revolt" was as vicious as it could have been. There were still "Lets Go Ambrose" and "We Want Ziggler", but it was short and fleeting. I would have preferred them to be more positive like chanting for Daniel Bryan, but there were a lot of people that were just like fuck it and he is not coming back. I think Reigns/Show/Kane woke the crowd out of the coma and we started booing the fuck of it. I am a bit disappointed we did not get "Roman Sucks" or "Die Roman Die" to really bring it full circle with The Rock in the ring. To the "Why didn't we leave", speaking for me and my brother, I did not pay a fortune and drive 10 hours round trip to leave early when I could at least boo the fuck out of Roman Reigns. Hell, I was telling my brother, that I didn't even think Ziggler was going to come out. My brother correctly predicted that Kane would eliminate him (well Big Show helped, so he got it mostly right). I did hang onto the silver of hope for Rusev because he was not an internet favorite that they may go with him. They definitely booked this knowing full well what will happen! Bryan was eliminated early to get the boos out early. They put Roman Reigns in and hide them because they are pussies! Show and Kane are pushed hard to fuck with us. The Rock which was just bullshit! Rusev was deliberately placed as a teaser to get our hopes, which was such one last ultimate fuck you! Dave Musgrave with kills it at the end with the Fast Lane tagline.

I liked the Divas match more than opening six-man. It was close, but I think that divas match was an appreciable level above. I disagree about Daniel Bryan's promo ability. He is able to convey how much he loves pro wrestling and you really believe in the underdog character. He comes across as real even with the shitty scripting. He is one of the top 5 promos in WWE right now and that There is no Cesaro character to really buy into. The arrogant, grandstanding strongman was fine, but you could only figure that out watching the matches intently never from promos or commentary. I thought New Age Outlaws were pretty damn over in Philly and I was there. I was actually pretty pumped to finally get to sing-a-long to Outlaw's promo. I think we need just one character with a fun sing-a-long catchphrase. Outlaws/Ascension was fucking awful. I was right next to the section that was chanting "You still got it" and I don't think it was ironic. It was just plain weird. Amen, Will if I see one more Usos/Miz & Mizdow, it is too soon. Their RAW tag title switch I thought was actively bad. I thought match was pretty awful too. I actually tried to watch the match instead Mizdow and I think that is why I don't get as much enjoy out of it. I don't think they go full bore on the comedy enough. I was watching live so I don't always pick up on details, but exactly happened in this match to further any dissension. I understand how the Rumble did, but what about this match? Yes the crowd was dead for the women's match, but I tried hard to get my section into it to no avail. I didn't notice any botched spots. The Bellas actually made the Paige & Nattie team earn babyface shine. The Bellas worked a strong heat segment. Brie could throw a damn nice knee. If she only threw knees, she would be great. Nikki was throwing great stiff shots. I loved how they were building to the Paige hot tag and then just took it away from us with a fucking wicked elbow. You are all a bunch of haters!

BINGO! This is exactly the problem.

Can't wait for tomorrow's Did You Know on RAW :P Curtis Axel is also trying to vault himself as a top face on his twitter account lolololololololol. Update Curtis Axel is trending in the US, this is awesome!