Ownage™;9300074 said:
Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler - Royal Rumble 1/30/11
I think this is being overrated on here. It was a good match but not four star quality imo. It was solid the whole way through and some of the nearfalls at the end were really good but big chunks of the match were uninspiring. I wouldn't call anything they did bad but I can't say I was totally into it at all times. That powerbomb counter Edge hit was dope though.
I have it at ***3/4. I think most people are forgetting the multiple chinlocks/headlocks Dolph used in the beginning/middle portions. It works for his character (one of his finishers is a sleeper, so naturally he'll want to wear out his opponent) but it's not at the level of Ziggler/Bryan from last year. Nonetheless, the end was overbooking at it's finest with a really smart finish.
Dragon Gate USA:
NYC:
-Open the Freedom Gate Championship: BxB Hulk © vs. YAMATO (DGUSA United: NYC, January 28th, ***1/4)
What the hell was this? It was a fine match from an athletic standpoint but the useless Julius Smokes run-in and abrupt, anticlimactic ending really took away from it. Oh -- and 3rd match?
-Naruki Doi & Ricochet vs. Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano (DGUSA: United: NYC, January 28th, ***3/4)
I really, really liked this match. It was definitely spotty but everything was crisp and Ronin looked great in a main-event level match.
-CIMA & Dragon Kid vs. Masato Yoshino & PAC (United: NYC, January 28th, ****)
The best match of the two iPPV's. I think what separates this from the others were the legitimate face-in-peril spots rather than just a continuous swing of momentum between two teams. They started slow and built to an exhilarating conclusion. Probably my match of the year right now (doesn't say much).
Philly:
-CIMA & Dragon Kid vs. Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano (DGUSA: United: Philly, January 29th, ***3/4)
Ronin looks great once again but the overly convoluted double bulldog and spanking spots really took me out of this one. The action looked pretty choreographed which keeps this from four star territory but it's still a great showcase for America's breakout team.
-Naruki Doi & Ricochet vs. Masato Yoshino & PAC (DGUSA: United: Philly, January 29th, ***3/4)
I've seen people rate this is as high as ****1/2. If you were to make a highlight reel from this match, it'd be in the five-star territory but the transitions and heat just weren't there. It was a gymnastics display more than a wrestling match, and there were a few botches as well. Amazing moves with little story can only take you so far.