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Official Match/DVD/Show Discussion Thread (And Stairs)

269K views 3K replies 131 participants last post by  Brad Boyd 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Section got all screwy, here's the latest edition of the thread.

and STAIRS
 
#716 · (Edited)
I enjoyed the hell out of ZSJ/Gulak, and I hardly ever have anything nice to say about Gulak. Fun jump start, and with it, Gulak found the grit so often missing with ZSJ in many of his matches. That was going hold for hold, counter for counter, people! Something mostly forgotten about these days, and the two did it with such exceptional pacing that it didn't feel preordained/choreographed. Not too fast or slow, and some of the strikes were seriously on point. Probably my second/third favorite match of the tournament after Gargano/Ciampa and Ibushi/Cedric. The two showed a lot of chemistry, and Gulak got the best out of ZSJ. Crowd was super into it too, just a well worked match all around. ***1/4-1/2
 
#730 ·
Really good CWC episode. Muaro officially lost me this episode with "like DJ Khaled, Future & Jay-Z, Daniel, you've got the keys to this match". Just fuck off. I don't mind him when he's not in parody mode but I don't think he's super great either. I guess I'm saying his ceiling is at good but that's not a high enough ceiling to make me look past the annoying shit. Tozawa/Metalik was very good. I watched it last night and I'm not even sure why off memory it was very good, just one of those matches where it just was ok! Kinda surprised to see Tozawa go out but this isn't PWG Tozawa and Metalik has also been good. Plus Metalik/Ibushi is the match I want most now with what's left along with Ibushi/Swann. Thought the finish was a bit odd in having Metalik taking Tozawa's finish only to kick out and the next spot is Metalik hitting his finish for the win. Needed to be more in between the two spots.

Ibushi/Kendrick was awesome and only behind Zayn/Nakamura, Zayn/Joe and Omega/Naito for me this year. Kendrick has been a total revelation from this show. I've always kinda liked Kendrick but he's also not had a high ceiling, certainly nowhere near as high as it's been this show. All of a sudden out of nowhere he's become the best babyface anywhere in the world and literally the one guy that I'm really rooting for to win wrestling matches. Sure there's guys on the main roster and even in NXT that I like but I don't really care if they win their matches or not because at the end of the day it doesn't matter. Take Owens winning the world title for instance. It just doesn't matter. He won it via luck in kayfabe and real life sense and I can pretty much guarantee that come this time next year he'll be back in the midcard where he's been his entire run besides the Cena feud. I mean it's a cool moment for Kevin Steen the person but it isn't a career defining win that shapes the rest of his run in WWE. The title is just a prop. And this Cruiserweight belt likely will be too. But if Kendrick spends a year clawing his way up the division to win that belt THEN the belt means something and the guy winning it means something. Kendrick has that where him winning and losing a wrestling match means something to him and thus me now. I totally welled up at the end when Bryan came down to the ring too. I was fearing Hunter would do the Cedric thing again and that would have totally killed the moment but then Bryan came down and it was so perfect. I guess Kendrick gets signed and goes to Raw because that's where the Division is but for fucks sake how do you not have General Manager Daniel Bryan not bring this guy onto his show and give him an opportunity. I mean the whole Daniel Bryan as GM thing is kinda daft anyway because it's just Daniel Bryan reciting lines and stories that someone else wrote rather than yeah Bryan Danielson would absolutely bring in all these cool NXT guys while Stephanie sticks with the usual suspects. But Bryan bringing Kendrick in and it all builds to him challenging for the World Title on a PPV (fuck it shoot him all the way to the top) would be amazing and the perfect foil for a heel champ to feud with the babyface GM. I mean just keep it to the IC belt and bring him in to face The Miz. I mean if that isn't literal storyline perfection then I don't know what is. But if it builds to Kendrick getting a seriously big time Cruiserweight Title match against someone massive then I'm all for that. I'm all for any Kendrick at this stage actually and this is probably the highest I've been on one single guy getting a push and winning wrestling matches since god knows when. Maybe Bryan's big push but even then I was like this doesn't really matter because it's just happened out of good fortune and he's back down the card after. Match itself was super. Ibushi is brilliant and Kendrick was the perfect opponent to add the little things to Ibushi's big things. I loved the small touch of Kendrick trying to lure Ibushi to the outside and it not working the first time but then you see his plan when it does work the second time only for it to just totally not work at all. I can't believe that I've never seen anyone do that neckbreaker on the ring post spot before. It ruled. Burning Hammer spot was insane. Again I loved Kendrick going for something from that position earlier but you don't know exactly what and then he sets it up again and you're like jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezus when you see what he set up. Kendrick had his spots that he wanted to get in and he was making damn sure he was getting them in even if he had to try a few times to actually get them in. And I mean that line in an awesome storytelling sense not the usual getting your shit in sense. I've seen plenty of shitty Indy guys use the Burning Hammer as a cheap pop to make themselves look good in front of 200 people (hello Dan Maff) but this was perfect. Mostly because it was so unexpected to see that spot used in a WWE ring but also because it's a fucking amazing move in the right context and it was so the right context for desperate Brian Kendrick to bust out a fucking Burning Hammer to beat Kota Ibushi. I've seen Ibushi's ropes assisted german before and it's never not a nutty spot. It's weird to say this but I really did think the match could have gone at least a few more minutes with more near finishes and really played up more Kendrick's reactions to busting out everything but not being able to put Ibushi away and then taking everything Ibushi had but refusing to die. If ever there was a match where going into slight overkill would have worked it was here so obviously they did what you should usually do and end it on the conservative side of the right time to end it. Tremendous everything. Who'da thought that Brian Kendrick would be everyone's new favourite wrestler. And if he isn't yours too then get the fuck outta here.
 
#732 ·
Who'da thought that Brian Kendrick would be everyone's new favourite wrestler. And if he isn't yours too then get the fuck outta here.
YES.

The only individual performances this year that had me emotionally invested at a level that was even close to this were Sexy Star in the No Mas match and Omega in the Naito match, but Kendrick just gave us absolutely perfect storytelling with not a single move going to waste, body language and facial expressions on point and just spectacular character work all around right from the beginning when he tried to take Ibushi to the outside so he could find sneakier ways to gain the upper hand.

It sounds like I'm downplaying Ibushi in this match, but I'm really not. For as much as they showed favouritism towards Kota from the beginning, the tournament hasn't really been much about him; he's not really the main character, he's the obstacle everyone else has to surpass because he's that fuckin' good and he hits that damn hard. And in that role, he was a fulcral part of what were possibly the best matches of both Cedric Alexander's and Brian Kendrick's careers, by them masterfully adapting their characters (Cedric giving his all to prove himself on the biggest stage of his career so far, Brian desperately trying to come back into that stage) to facing the guy Ranallo and Danielson have been constantly referring to as the "favourite to win", "the best Cruiserweight in the world", "the hardest hitter in this tournament" and "the biggest star in the CWC".
 
#740 ·
Putting that on a house show, meanwhile TV just sees Owens immediately defeat Zayn like nothing.

*sigh* (more on the logic side, b/c why just throw scenarios like these away?)

RAW rant above was fitting. WWE TV leaves you questioning damn near every thing they do b/c they're idiots and it's like "it shouldn't be THIS severe" on the ineptitude scale. Sasha Banks w/a mic during any of her supposed "babyface" run on RAW has been horrible. She's literally still a cunt anytime she flaps her gums. What is that? Soften up, you're a god damn face. Guess it is only exacerbated w/bad, bad segments like on Monday. Danielson didn't care for it, either. That's how you keep morale high.

At least Kendrick vs Ibushi is making the rounds. Match was the tops. As was Tozawa vs Metallik.
 
#1,033 ·
Okay, so I decided that I'm going to give my own personal analysis of the five star matches WWE has had according to Dave Meltzer, and give my own opinion of whether or not they are Five Star worthy or not.

So, the first match I decided to do was the first ever Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker.

Bad Blood 1997: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker.


Does it deserve the five stars? Yes.

Why: Quite frankly, to someone watching this kind of wrestling back in the day for the first time wouldn't really understand what makes this match so perfect. When looking at it without context in regards to the build up and being used to the in ring style of today, a fan might think that this was a slow, one sided spotfest with no clear intention on either person's part to win the actual match.

It makes me sad to watch this match knowing what Hell in a Cell has become today. I said before that Edge/Taker was the last truly great Hell in a Cell match and I stand by that statement because that match, as well as this one, defined what Hell in a Cell is truly all about. Survival.

On one hand, you had the Undertaker who was lust for revenge. On the other, you had Shawn Michaels who was simply trying to survive. That's the story that should be told in this match and that's exactly what they did.

For the first ten or so minutes, it was pretty much all Undertaker. Granted, Michaels had a few shots in here and there (and he was constantly being a dick to the camera men, which provided some brief hilarity), but otherwise, Undertaker was dominating. Michaels was finally able to gain the advantage and his offense was a thing of beauty. Diving through the ropes at Taker, piledriving him on the steps, climbing the cage so he had a higher vantage point to perform a diving elbow on Taker, etc. Pretty much everything Michaels did when he was on the offensive made sense, and it looked impactful. But what I liked the most is that when ever he did something, there was always a sense of desperation on his part. Yes, he had the advantage, but you always felt like he was in survival mode. Maybe it was just by design, I don't know, but either way, it made the match work.

Pretty soon, Taker took the advantage, but Michaels would take it right back from him and at this point Michaels was in full control. Now remember that whole thing about Michaels being a dick to the camera men earlier? In all honesty, I think that was on purpose, because now all of a sudden, Michaels found himself beating the shit out of one of the camera men. This would all be by design, and it would be done beautifully.

So Michaels continues to dominate Undertaker, while the camera guy is being attended to. Eventually, Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music on the Undertaker. And almost immediately, we witness one of the most legendary moments in the history of the WWF. Undertaker sits right back up, scaring Michaels to the point where he tries to leave the match. Remember that camera guy who was being checked on? Well, they had to open the HIAC door in order to do this, so Michaels tries to leave through that door, but Taker is able to catch him. After a few attempts at getting Taker away from him, even going as far as to dropkick Taker into the cell, Taker catches Michaels and uses the cell to bust him open. Eventually, Michaels climbs to the top, Taker chases him, and body slams him a few times on the top of the cell (as well as another famous moment where a bloodied Michael's head is being smashed down against the cell and ran across it like a cheese grater while the camera from below captures all of it). Michaels continues to try to escape, this time going down the other side of the cell. Taker stops him as he begins the climbing process, and eventually stomps on Michael's hand that is holding him from falling down. Now remember all those classic moments of people falling off the cell and into the announcers table? This is where it truly all began, and this is probably the most unexpected one (apart from Foley's infamous fall). Michaels crashes through the announcers table.

I'm sure you all know what happens next. Michaels gets brought back into the cell, Taker proceeds to hit a chokeslam off the top of the turnbuckle, smashes Michael's head with a chair, and then right before he's about to finish the job, one of the all time greatest debuts in Pro Wrestling history happens. Kane appears with Paul Bearer, rips apart the Hell in a Cell door, goes into the ring, tombstones Taker and then leaves. Michaels pins him and wins the match.

Honestly, are there any faults with this match? In my opinion, no. At least, not anything that hurts the overall value of the match. I do think that the last two or so minutes drag, and I do think it's a little ridiculous that Taker is able to get beaten after one tombstone considering how long it took for Michaels to pin him after Kane hit it, but honestly, it just made Kane's debut all the more impactful. A lot of what happened in this match were original and unique at the time. And of course Michaels and Taker had the advantage of this being the first ever Hell in a Cell match. A lot of the Hell in a Cell matches that occurred later did what they could to stand out on their own, such as Taker/Mankind, Jericho/HHH, Edge/Taker, but there's always a certain part of those matches that always come back to this one. That's not saying that it automatically makes this one the greatest. What makes this one the greatest is that it truly is a masterpiece and a perfect match. Both guys played their parts perfectly, the right result happened. It made the Hell in a Cell concept, something brand new at the time, live up to its own hype. And given how personal the feud was, this was the right way to settle it. This match made Hell in a Cell a hit right off the bat, and for it, it definitely deserves a perfect rating. And I'm glad Meltzer felt the same way.
 
#1,036 ·
Well done writeup on one of USA's finest matches imo. One detail I would highlight to add on is when Kane gets in in the ring after ripping that door off and at that time having the boulder shoulders and looking to be in killer shape: I will always remember that expression Taker has on his face when staring at Kane in the ring. A look of not quite fear, for that would mess with Taker's character, but that look with a masterful mix of "yeah, Im screwed" and shock that synched perfectly with the build and result. Taker could've just straight faced Kane there and the moment would still be badass but that extra sell with that expression just really completed things to me. You have to keep in mind how straight-faced Taker was built up until that point. That little expression did so much in telling the marvelous story.

Anyway, before reading that came in here to say while I am sure some of ya'll who hardly miss a thing have seen this but for me, I found this and this is a nice little match for the time and purpose they got. Some might say Owen got too much in but I think Dibiase did well in making himself and a quite young Owen Hart look good here. that dive through the ropes by Owen was beautiful.

 
#1,079 ·
There have been many times where Hogan has been selfish and self serving, but he gave Goldberg everything he needed that night. Worked like a proper heel move wise, used a bunch of heat seeking short cuts, showed ass and bumped when it mattered. It's a legit good match that doesn't recieve the credit it deserves because too many people focus on the 'moment' of Goldberg winning and the marks going into a glorious meltdown.

That Atlanta crowd really was something else though. I don't think I've seen many 'modern' wrestling crowds, if any, that were more rabid and raucous in wanting a certain result. An atmosphere that would put a lot of good big time sporting events to shame. That's when you know the product is good, because it feels real and as if the win/loss is a life or death situation for those in attendance. Then again it's not really a surprise, because Goldberg matches of that time often came across as proper sporting events because of his general presentation and style. It all added up and it's easy to see why he was so over.

Amazing to think the audience could have been even more boisterous if WCW weren't so naively focused on short term ratings. Just imagine the attendance figure, gate receipts and ppv buys WCW could have achieved had they built that match up over a few months for Starrcade 98. They drew close to 40,000 to the Georgia Dome with a few days notice from a fucking thunder episode. It could have been WCW's WrestleMania X7 in some ways.
 
#1,301 · (Edited)
Johnny Valentine vs Bull Curry - 6/20/69 Houston, TX

Thanks to NWAonDemand this gem was released last year and it is great. This may be the only full Valentine match in North America so that's how rare it is and it did not disappoint.

This a 2/3 falls match, the first few minutes is both guys feeling each other out. The crowd is going nuts for every Bull Curry punch, Valentine works a headlock but he's not holding it, he is working it and Curry is just trying to get some air. Valentine hits Curry with vicious elbows and fists on the apron. Curry Potatoes Valentine in the face and gets mad and pins him for the 1st fall.



2nd fall and Valentine continues to punish but Curry comes back with fists of his own and Valentine does the most obvious bladejobs you will see and the facials on Valentine after this is tremendous and Valentine gets counted down and the 2nd fall goes to Bull Curry.



3rd fall begins and both men are exchanging blows and go to the outside and both men get counted out. Bull stands in the ring and the crowd is going crazy for him at the Sam Houston Coliseum.

Just a fantastic match, so simple yet so effective. No flips, no dives, just a fight and the fans are loving it. A great look at the Houston territory.

 
#1,304 ·
YES

Everyone who considers themselves a wrestling fan needs to at worst get the free month trial for NWA On Demand. So much classic stuff that's never been seen before Bruce released it via this. Valentine/Curry is one of the best things on there which is high high praise.

Watch Lothario/Gordman if you haven't already. If you love that you'll love this too.
 
#1,315 ·
So I watched the first disc of the WWE Best PPV Matches of 2016 last night whilst having a few drinks. As I said in my prior post, this was the first time I've seen some of these matches (the exception being Undertaker/Shane which I saw parts of a couple of months back). So here are my ratings so far and a little summary of what I thought of each match:

Royal Rumble - Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing Match
Ambrose vs. Owens

A great match with a lot of intensity between these two men, some great spots also where they used the kendo stick, chairs, tables and the steel steps. Funny part where both men shout that they hate each other as they both look spent. Also loved the spot where Ambrose delivered Dirty Deeds on the chair to Owens, who at the count of 9 rolled outside the ring to get to a vertical stance... very smart! A lot of back-and-forth action in this one with both men hitting their finishers and escaping the count, also featured a vicious spot where Owens delivered the Cannonball Senton into the barricade that nearly wiped Ambrose out. Loved the ending where Owens teased doing a Moonsault onto Ambrose who was laying across some chairs, only for the latter to spring to his feet and throw Owens into the two stacked tables to win the match. A really fun match to watch from start to finish, enjoyed the rivalry for the Intercontinental title they had and the fact both men had a lot of resentment for one another.

Rating: ****

Fast Lane - Singles Match
Styles vs. Jericho

This match did start off a little sloppy with the pace and timing of the moves looking a bit off however, the match did start to pick up and about half way through and things really did start to click. I like the story of the veteran Jericho trying to outsmart AJ Styles and trying to avoid his big moves. I really enjoy watching Styles offence, he's so fluid in everything he does. I was a fan of the final 5 minutes where both men were trying everything to put the other away, the Dropkick by Jericho whilst Styles went for the springboard was a nice spot. The ending was different with Styles managing to hit the Styles Clash but Jericho showed some resiliency and kicked out, only for Styles to immediately lock in the Calf Crusher for the submission victory. This was a good way to end the match with Styles not panicking and going for his next move to finish Jericho off who was selling the after effects from the Styles Clash. A good match, apparently not their best from the series but for my first time watching it, I enjoyed it.

Rating: ***1/2

Fastlane - Triple Threat Match to determine the #1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Reigns vs. Lesnar vs. Ambrose

What an enthralling match this was from start to finish. I don't have it as high as the Lesnar/Rollins/Cena triple threat match from Royal Rumble 2015 (****1/2-****3/4 for me) but this was still an excellent match from start to finish. The story was fantastically told throughout with Lesnar just decimating both Reigns and Ambrose, who sold his Suplexes really well. The part where Ambrose went for the Suicide Dive only for Lesnar to catch him and deliver a nasty Belly-to-Belly Suplex on the floor was sickening! The match was action-packed and I love the fact Lesnar just OBLITERATED AND DESTOYED both ex-Shield members for 10 or so minutes. Lesnar would take out one from the match and leave the other one isolated and SUPLEX or F5 them only for his pinfall attempt to be broken up. Finally, both Reigns and Ambrose realised they needed to work together to dispose of Lesnar and Powerbombed him through one of the announce tables. Ambrose takes control of Reigns and there's some good back-and-forth exchanges. Lesnar though manages to go into BEAST MODE and get back to his feet, which Ambrose and Reigns notice and so decide to Powerbomb Lesnar through ANOTHER ANNOUNCE TABLE! They pile everything and anything they can find on Lesnar to try and keep him out of the match. This time Reigns takes over and looks to finish Ambrose off and we have more great action between the two.

Finally, Lesnar rises from the dead and out of no where delivers a German Suplex whilst Reigns has Ambrose on his shoulders in a cool looking spot where Ambrose goes flying at full pelt out of the ring! This match is being fought at a frantic pace! Reigns hits the Spear but Lesnar counters into the Kimura Lock. Reigns tries to fight out and gets some much needed assist from Ambrose who swings wildly with the chair at both men only for Reigns to capitalise with the Spear and win an awesome match! Such amazing action; great story told in this one with Lesnar dominating Reigns and Ambrose who both finally plot a plan to remove him from the match (albeit temporarily) so they had better chances of winning. Loved some of the big spots in this one and a great finish!

Rating: ****1/4

WrestleMania 32 - Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
Owens vs. Ziggler vs. Sin Cara vs. Zayn vs. Ryder vs. Miz vs. Stardust

I saw some comments on this match with some people loving it and some not being that huge on it (when WrestleMania 32 aired). This is my first time viewing it and I was a big fan! There were some pretty amazing and unique spots (Zayn's Suicide Dive through the ladder, Cara being pushed to the outside onto Stardust who was prone on a ladder, Zayn's Half Nelson Suplex onto Owens onto the ladder, etc.) and the match was exciting throughout. Maybe it could have slowed down in portions especially with the big bumps but I have no real complaints about this, it was a blast to watch. Seriously the Half Nelson Suplex from Zayn onto Owens onto the ladder was malicious! The way Owens landed on his head and was stuck between the rungs of the ladder was such a visually impressive spot. I like the little story that Zayn was always there to stop Owens from retaining the title, the war between these two was well told. The finish was out of no where with Miz looking to capitalise on everyone being down and out and he cockily went to retrieve the title only for Ryder to pop out of no where and shove him off the ladder and win his first Intercontinental Championship. The fan pop was huge and Ryder deserved it even if it only lasted for 24 hours.

Excellent ladder match.

Rating: ****+

WrestleMania 32 - WWE Women's Championship Triple Threat Match
Charlotte vs. Becky vs. Sasha

I was a big fan of the WWE changing the belt, especially with the "Women's Revolution" looking to come into full effect and they needed to do this for the division to be taken seriously. These 3 women deserved to be in this spot and there were huge expectations for this match especially with the countless great matches these 3 had with each other in NxT. The match did start a little sloppy as you could tell there was a lot of pressure on the women to deliver and maybe the occasion got to them for a bit. However, after the first 3-4 minutes, things started to flow a lot better and there was some solid action and nice spots thrown in. Sasha delivers a nice Flip Dive on the outside (good recovery as she went through the ropes otherwise she could have seriously hurt herself), Charlotte executes a nice Moonsault from the top rope to the outside and Becky with a sweet looking Exploder Suplex from the top rope. The match did slow down in sections as each woman tried to hit her very best offence to win only for someone to intervene the count or the submission.

Flair's bump was hilarious and Sasha credit to her, took some really sickening bumps in this match. I enjoyed the false finishes with Charlotte trying to do the Figure 8 but being unable to due to her leg being worked on and out of no where Becky would lock in the Disarmer and then Sasha would come in and lock in the Bank Statement... some really good false finishes where you believe anyone of these women could win (although most thought Sasha would win the title). The finish was well done with Sasha trying to get back into the ring as Charlotte had Becky locked in the Figure 8 only for Flair to restrain Sasha and thus, Becky tapped out. A very well told match, good chemistry between these women and after a shaky start there was a lot of fast-paced, fluid action and some great bumps also.

Rating: ***3/4

WrestleMania 32 - Singles Match (if Shane wins he takes over Raw, if Undertaker wins he doesn't)
The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon

This match consisted of big spot after big spot and finishing move after finishing move. I think with the time they had and the story they were trying to tell they did this well. It was a little odd seeing Shane kicking out of a Last Ride and a Chokeslam onto the steel steps but there again, this is the same guy that took Kane to the limits! Although I can see why some may think this was a little unrealistic seeing as it's The Undertaker but remember... this is an older Undertaker and one who is still slightly vulnerable after his loss at WrestleMania 30. Shane suckered Undertaker in at times (e.g. DDT onto the chair) and tried everything he could (Coast to Coash, Sharpshooter, Triangle Choke) to keep Undertaker down but it didn't work. The action was decent but some people disliked the fact it was just one big move after the other but I didn't mind this. They weren't going to put on a wrestling clinic so I suppose this is the best way a 50/51 year old Undertaker and a guy who is in his mid 40's and isn't even considered a wrestler could execute the match.

Anyway, the action spills outside the cell as Shane sacrifices his body with a GIGANTIC ELBOW DROP FROM THE TOP OF THE CELL WHICH MISSES AND HE GOES CRASHING THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!!! That was a fascinating spot to watch! Shane somehow is alive and urges Undertaker to bring it, who pats him on the face and delivers the Tombstone Piledriver for the win. Shane deserves props for putting his body on the line and Undertaker looked great here also. This is a love/hate match where I've seen people rate it as low as ** and as high as ****. Did I enjoy the match? Yes. Was it a classic? No. It was what it was... big move after big move and I guess they wanted to make this as memorable as they could with those spots and they surely did. A solid match even if it did seem like a random encounter for WrestleMania.

Rating: ***1/4

Great DVD set so far.
 
#1,431 · (Edited)
Vader vs. Sting (Strap Match) (WCW Superbrawl III)

People on here know how much of a Sting and Vader mark I am, and I was browsing through 1993 and had the urge to revisit this classic match again. Of course, these two already had history before this match. In 1992 they had two other wonderful matches at Great American Bash and at Starrcade. People remember the build up for the infamous 'White Castle Of Fear' video:



Which was a rather wacky element to an other wise, strong rivalry. In the run up to Superbrawl, Sting and Vader both did excellent, individual promos hyping the match up and were involved in matches that further built towards the PPV. There was a Barry Windham & Vader vs. Sting & Dustin Rhodes match on Saturday Night, that resulted in Windham holding Sting, whilst Vader whipped him with the strap, before the babyfaces made the save;



Sting got his revenge the week later when he faced Windham and he used the strap to hang Barry from the rope, until Vader helped Windham and Sting was alone in the ring with the strap, swinging it around in front of Vader;



Vader had a squash match against Rick Thames on Saturday Night, where Race ended up covering his face with red paint to send a message to Sting, whilst Vader held the strap that would be used;



Now, onto the match.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Here we go.

'LIGHTS OUT, LEATHER STRAP MATCH – NOT SANCTIONED'

Vader, the man, the heavyweight champion, is first out. With Harley Race of course and dressed in a white robe



Sting is out next, as energetic as always and gets a massive pop from the crowd. He and Vader square off and start jawing at each other as the ref tries to separate them. Harley has the strap and the ref finally ties them both together.

Already you can feel the intensity here and just how bad Vader was just by the look he gives Sting.

Sting starts out cautiously, moving around and Vader slowly stalks him. They have a mini tug of war which Vader ends up winning and throwing Sting to the mat. Vader's dominance already in effect here. Once again, they have a tug of war and again, Vader throws Sting down with the strap. Vader drags Sting ever closer to him with the strap and they end up face to face, before Vader gives the Stinger a big clothesline



Vader in control early as he delivers some big elbows to Sting. He starts whipping Sting's back with the strap before getting on the turnbuckle for a big splash. Sting then tries to mount a comeback as he gets up and yanks the strap under Vader's legs (Watch the family jewel, now). Crowd pop big for this as you'd expect. Sting follows this up by running at Vader with some right hooks to the head and finally knocking the big man down. Sting gets onto the turnbuckle but Vader gets up, so Sting smacks him in the face with a big kick followed by a big clothesline

Now the Stinger is in control and he has Vader on the mat. He continues to use the ariel offense as he delivers not one, but TWO big splashes. Crowd is going fucking NUTS for Sting. He untangles the strap from Vader and

IT'S PAYBACK TIME, BITCH

Sting starts whipping the back of Vader and the crowd are LOVING this, esp one of Sting's biggest fans, I'm sure




He continues to whip Vader big style with the strap, Harley gets on the apron, and Sting clumps him as well with the strap for his troubles. Big Van Vader is in trouble here as Sting is fully in control and is dominating the big man. Vader ends up rolling out the ring as Harley recovers and tries to get Vader going again. Sting then goes to the outside, Vader gets up, but Sting has the strap in between him and drags Vader right into the post, TWICE.



At this point, Vader's back is RED AS FUCK (A little help from Race, there :side: ). Sting gets him up and drags him to a post and to mark that is one down (remember, you have to drag your opponent to all four corners, and touch the corners to win). Sting PICKS UP VADER and slams him to the mat with a big powerslam. Sting is the babyface in this, but he has the physical power to still bring it to Vader.

Sting starts dragging Vader around to another corner, that's TWO now. He tries to drag Vader to a third, but Vader sends him into the guardrail



I sense this is where Vader regains control. Plus, those two corners mean nothing now as you have to touch all four corners in one successive motion. Sting gets up thou8gh and drags Vader back into the ring and gives Vader a Fireman's carry back drop. Sting runs at Vader but is met with a BIG Vader body bounce, not once, but twice. Vader kicks him in the gut and shouts 'POWERBOMB'. Oh oh, Sting is in trouble here. But Sting blacks it and gives Vader a back drop. Sting is still bringing it here, but ends up making his first real mistake too. He goes to the top turnbuckle again, where he's already been successful, and tries another splash, but Vader moves out the way this time and Sting goes face first onto the mat.

Now this is surely where Vader has enough of this.

He goes off the ropes and delivers his own big splash to Sting, before pancaking him with big punches to the face. We all know you DON'T want to get caught taking any of those from Vader. Crowd is cheering Sting on and willing him on, but Vader squashes that enthusiasm as he picks Sting up and plants him down with a back drop.

Yeah, this is now Vader's yard.

He gets on the turnbuckle and gives Sting his Vaderbomb, as Harley starts taunting him with “How do you like that, Sting?”.



Sting is now in real trouble as Vader starts whipping him again with the strap, the sound effects perfectly demonstrating the pain and anguish he's currently in. This is not where he wants to be . Vader picks Sting up again, gets on the turnbuckle, and delivers a FUCKING BACK BODY DROP



Fuuuuuuuuuuck, Sting is in deep, deep shit atm. Sting is helpless now as Vader drags him to his first corner spot, that's one down. He drags him to another, that's two, only another two to go and this thing is over. Sting is desperately trying to stop this and is grabbing the strap as tight as he can. Just as Vader is close to the third corner, Sting digs deep and kicks Vader right in the mush. Sting is still in trouble, but at least he's broken up the corners.

Vader is pissed and goes back to the turnbuckle and goes for another Vaderbomb. Ohhhhhhhhh shit. He goes for it, but Sting gets some resilience, and moves out of the way. Sting needs to dig deep again here as this could be his moment. Crowd once again go FUCKING NUTS. Vader though gets up and gets back onto the top turnbuckle, he's either supremely or supremely confident. Just as he gets up there though, Sting yanks hard on the strap and it plants Vader down on his, erm, family jewels.

'Don't rub 'em Son, count 'em'

Now this is where Sting can get his shit going again. Vader manages to get up and back onto the top turnbuckle, but Sting again yanks on the strap, only this time it sends Vader over and flying into the ring



Both men and down and, I'd imagine, fucked at what they have been through so far TBH. Vader is gets up on his knees and powders Sting with some of his famous club right hands. Sting blocks on of them and whacks Vader back with a big punch of his own. I love Sting's jumping punches here, as he shows how fucked he is, but he's still trying and fighting. Vader picks him up again though and plants him onto the top turnbuckle. He gives Sting a SUPERPLEX



Sting is dead on the mat as Vader starts going for the four corners again. He gets one. Vader screams “IT'S OVER” as he gets two. He goes for the third, and gets it. ONE MORE AND THIS ISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS OVER. He tries to drag Sting over to the fourth, but Sting wraps his legs around the ropes and clings on for dear life

:jericho2

He gives Vader one hell of a big boot, knocking the big man onto the mat. Once again, as much as anything, Sting has saved the match and has the chance of a comeback here. Don't speak so soon though as Vader gets Sting in the corner

:hutz YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE IN A RING CORNER WITH VADER FACING YOU

Vader pancakes him with big ass clubs to the head



Big Van Vader just wants to fucking KILL this man. Sting is BUSTED OPEN as Vader continues to destroy him. But Sting gets some energy from somewhere and plants Vader with a CAPULO KICK to the head



COME ON STINGER

Fantastic desperation move by Sting to try and get this monster off of him. Vader is still back to his feet, like some fucking horror movie villain though. Sting plants him with some rights and takes him to



Crowd are going nuts as this is Sting's big chance to finally take over. He nails Vader with a DDT. He puts Vader into the corner and starts giving Vader some fucking PAYBACK with some right hooks. I just love Sting's facial expressions here, he perfectly shows the agony and madness he was feeling at Vader. His face is bleeding and he's just pounding on Vader and laying into him with all his frustrations.



STING HAS FUCKING SNAPPED as he's just killing Vader with punch after punch. He rips Vader's mask off, picks him up off his back and touches one of the corners. But as he does that, Vader's foot catches the ref and knocks him down.

REF BUMP

Sting goes onto to touch THREE corners as Vader's ear is spouting blood heavily at this point. Sting goes for the final corner, but trips over the ref and just misses the corner with his hand. FUCK SAKE. Vader is a BLOODY MESS atm. Ref is back up, but so is Vader and he flies off the ropes and onto Sting. Vader ties Sting's feet up with the strap and drags him into the corner foe ONE. Then to the other corner for TWO. Sting is down and out and is being dragged around like a lifeless body at this point. Vader drags him to a third turnbuckle for a THREE.

Just one more :hutz

Sting clings onto the ropes for dear life to stop Vader dragging him to that fourth corner. He kicks Vader back to try and get out of this, but the power of the kick sends Vader back and right in the corner for the win. Man, Vader really is a BLOODY MESS



Sting gets the strap and starts whipping Vader out of the ring.

--------------------------------------------------------

Well, where does one start with this one? IT'S A FUCKING WAR, A FUCKING WAR. Violent, destructive, monstrous. Vader is just a non stop killing machine who has no mercy or remorse and Sting plays the perfect babyface, timing his hope spots and comebacks to perfection but also showing he can bring the power to Vader when he has to. Still one of the best WCW matches ever and the best match of it's kind. Vader and Sting were always perfect for each other and this match demonstrates this as well as any of their matches. This match shows why I'm such a fan of both too, esp Sting.

Thanks for reading.

Now GO AND WATCH THIS SHIT :cudi​
 
#1,602 · (Edited)
Been watching some Liger today, because he's one of my favorites and why the fuck not. Just watched;

Jushin Liger vs. Dick Togo (NJ 6/17/96)

Another super fun Liger match where he was excellent on offense esp. He gives Togo one hell of a slap, knocking him off the turnbuckle and onto the outside. He also finished him off with the SHOTEI~! A performance to watch for Liger for sure, as he does some really good arm work here.

But we got two absolute GEMS out of this match from Liger





:maisie

Just wonderful.
 
#2,120 ·
WHEN CIEN BECOMES INFINITE :mark:

Other than the really disappointing Women's 4 way (it was ok, but that's about it. Underwhelmed for what it could have been.) the rest of the card was a total blast.

I Looooooooooooooooooooooooooved that War Games match. What a riot. so many good moments, everybody came to fight (Dain & AoP :mark:), which is great to see. We even got blood - for better or worse, as far as Wolfe is concerned, damn the guy kept on going. Cole getting over huge w/this at the end. I already want to watch it again.

Black vs Dream was fantastic, such an interesting way to put it together, and not only does Black continue to look outstanding, Dream showed up in the best way. The Rick Rude homages everywhere. Even the sell mid hip swivel on the top rope. Great job.

McIntyre vs Almas was a battle, w/Drew maximizing his power advantage in a lot of neat ways. The use of nearfalls was unexpected, probs will look better on a rewatch, although I still was wholly into the match. The finish, holy crap. Then the result. Sanity beating AoP at Brooklyn III was a surprise, but this result blew it out of the water. Intrigued to see where the road of the new champion & former takes us en route to January.

Lars vs Ohno was booked ideally. Ohno smacking around the monster, the monster taking it and smashing his way to sudden victory. Exactly how I figured & wanted it to go. Another home grown guy who came out looking good. I like that LARS is basically growing into a Braun-lite for the NXT roster. Guys getting over w/their one man destruction is always cool.

Still dunno why the women seemed so neutered in the long run. No Asuka and then they just kind of felt "there", & that's too bad. Crowd was clearly invested. Oh well, lets hope the next Takeover they'll be back to lighting the show on fire. Rest was still too good to be affected. This is why I gladly look forward to what NXT has up its sleeve.
 
#2,474 ·
So, after one good show (Chicago) and one GREAT show (Brooklyn III), time to cap off my Takeover binge with Takeover: WarGames, the most recent of the shows, eminating from Houston, Texas. The 1st Texan Takeover, Dallas, is one of the best top to bottom wrestling supercards of the decade thus far. The 2nd, San Antonio, isn't one of the stronger NXT shows, but is still a very solid and pretty underrated show imo.

So, how did WarGames go for me?.....

It's only 2nd to R-Evolution as the best NXT PPV of all time imo. And if you consider that R-Evolution was as good as it was because of the pitch perfect booking (top to bottom it wasn't as great a card as some of the other shows), it is THE best NXT PPV ever. Yes, better than Dallas, better than Brooklyns 1-3, better than Respect...... I'm stunned. Two incredible matches, one other great match, a super fun opener, and.... a weak spot in the middle, but still not a DUD by any means. GREAT, GREAT, FUCKING GREAT.

Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan was my introduction to the latter, and I have to say, IMPRESSIVE. Sullivan is a really good monster heel - a gnarly, charismatically scary clubber who enjoys beating the ever loving shit out of his opponents with a face that I'm not sure if even his mother would love. He did great in his role here. And Kassius Ohno... I mean, he's Kassius Ohno/Chris Hero, the man can get good material out of just about anything he's given. This match was a very entertaining crunch fest of two big bulls trying to land KO shots constantly, and told a great story of no matter how much Ohno strikes, he can't seem to get this behemoth of a man that is Sullivan down. Super fun opener, I was definitely a fan of it. I think Sullivan could do with a better finisher, admitedly, and it was pretty short (felt like 5 minutes), but these two did more in a 5 minute sprint than a lot of people in tryhard 30 minute "classics". ***-***1/4

Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream was another introduction for me, as I had never seen Velveteen Dream before either. At 1st, I just thought to myself: "welp, 1998 called, cause Dude Love wants his gimmick back". But, hot motherfucking damn, I did not expect what I got. Actually I'm lying, cause I did see all the hype that this match had, so maybe I'm not as taken by surprise as everyone was at the time. Can't say, however, that the match disappointed me, cause it was kinda great. I will say that SOME of the no-sells - not all of them, as some worked for the story - annoyed me a little bit, and I did find the match just a tiny bit clunky every now and then. But they more than made up for whatever technical flaws they might've had with the stunning character work. That was a true character-piece epic if there ever was one, and the constant mind games between the two.... Dream wanting Black to say his name so fucking bad, and wanting to beat that name out of him if necessary, but Black never giving in to Dream's demands.... the teasing between the two, Dream going to some never-before lenghts (according to commentary) to beat Black and get that respect he wanted....... man, this is what wrestling is all fucking about! What an epic story that they told here. It clicked, it simply clicked in pretty much way. It was mighty impressive, and again, apart from some clunkyness here or there, this was incredibly fantastic and it lived up to the hype. ****1/4

Ember Moon vs. Nikki Cross vs. Peyton Royce vs. Kairi Sane was yet another introduction for me, in this case to Kairi Sane, and... well, she won the Mae Young Tournament, but then again, TJ Perkins won the CWC and he fucking sucks, so yeah. I'm not saying Kairi sucks, though, but in this match, she really didn't do a whole lot. And when she did, she didn't look all that impressive. But then again, who did? This was another flopped multi-woman match in an NXT PPV. Granted, it was WAY, WAY better than the horrible 3-way from Chicago, as it actually had some semblance of story - it was basically Ember vs. Kairi, and Peyton would play that weasel heel trying to pick some bones up, while Nikki would just show up whenever cause she's crazy and all. And at times, this match felt well fought and inspired - particularly in Peyton's big German of Doom spot that was actually very well set up. The character work was also entertaining. The problem is that this match was also filled to the brim with WWE multi-person match clichés, just like the Chicago Triple Threat, with a lot of horribly forced setting up of spots and a lot of.... people rolling in and out of the ring for no reason. Sometimes those roll in-outs had some logic here, but mostly, they didn't. I can't say that I hated this match, like I hated its precursor, but... yeah, it failed to impress. Happy for Ember, though. **1/4

Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade Cien Almas sounded quite good on paper, and it delievered. It was pretty great, gotta say. The clash of styles clicked nicely, as McIntyre's gentle brute vs. Almas' cocky, sneaky flyer story worked very well. Rosita might have been my favorite thing about the match, though, as she added to the story immensely with her constant attempts to help Almas, and her aggressive pep talks to her... pupile, I guess? Either way, the two characters meshed strongly, and it created an interesting story with nice action and some very well booked close calls near the end that spiked my interest up. I was irked by one instance of Almas doing something not heelish at all (that big Moonsault spot), and I did find the pace on and off, but for the most part, this was a very good, very satisfying NXT Title match, and I'm happy for Almas as he is a great heel and this redemption arc deserved this conclusion (even if the ending felt rushed). ***3/4

And finally, the big one. WarGames. SAnitY vs. The Authors Of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. The Undisputed Era. Holy crap. Now, was that pretty much a total spotfest? Yes. Was it.... the bad kind of spotfest? Nope. It was the good kind of spotfest. Why was it the good kind of spotfest? Because it actually told a story, it had selling, it had character work, and pretty much everything that makes wrestling matches good.... just with a lot of flashyness involved. Admitedly, there were some noticeably contrived spots, and it took a while before the match truly gained life. Not that the 1st 8 minutes were bad, they were just... not quite in 3rd, or even 2nd gear yet. They were a little on the boring side. But when the match did gain life (pretty much around when Authors came in, and especially after SAnitY's arrival), it turned into non-stop fun. Pure fun. Carnage everywhere. And dammit, I had a blast. It's the kind of spotfest that reminds me that you can book great spotfests without having to do away with every basic element of a wrestling match. You can still jump all over the place and not give up on selling and logic and story and every one of those little things. And I imagine some people will complain about how WarGames isn't just about spots and it's a gorey, violent hardcore war - and... although it makes sense to modernize WG, you could've at least tried to bring back the roof of the cage - but honestly, the approach they gave it didn't really bother me. This could've gone so, so, SO wrong, especially in the WWE's hands (and with the 3 v 3 v 3 format rather than the traditional 4 v 4). But they handled it smooth. Well done, NXT. ****-****1/4

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thus I conclude my binge of rewatching the new wave of NXT Takeover shows, that I had missed since... May? Orlando's disappointment is still soaring with me, but these shows have reminded me that, even on its weakest form ever, NXT can still do some kick-assery. I now actually look forward for Takeover: Philadelphia, in the week of the Royal Rumble; and give you my all-time NXT PPV ranks, accounting for Chicago, Brooklyn III and WarGames.

(and for the record, when I said yesterday that R-Evolution and Brooklyn I were the best NXT PPV's ever, I had totally forgotten about the existance of the Dallas show :lmao):

R-Evolution
WarGames
Dallas
Brooklyn I
Respect
Brooklyn III
Brooklyn II
Unstoppable
The End
London
San Antonio
Arrival
Toronto
Fatal 4-Way
Rival
Takeover I
Chicago
Orlando

Top 10 NXT PPV matches:

Neville vs. Zayn @ R-Evolution
Zayn vs. Cesaro @ Arrival
Revival vs. DIY @ Toronto
Zayn vs. Nakamura @ Dallas
Sasha vs. Bayley @ Brooklyn I
Neville vs. Zayn vs. Kidd vs. Breeze @ Fatal 4-Way
Sasha vs. Becky @ Unstoppable
Bayley vs. Sasha @ Respect
Black vs. Dream @ WarGames
Bate vs. Dunne @ Chicago
 
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#2,818 ·
Unreleased HBK set is looking quite good so far:

The Rockers vs. The Orient Express
London, ON, Canada • April 29, 1990

Piper’s Pit with Shawn Michaels
Syracuse, NY • April 29, 1992

Six-Man Elimination Match
Shawn Michaels, Diesel & The Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid, Tatanka & Kama
Evansville, IN • July 25, 1995

WWE Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Vader
State College, PA • September 29, 1996

WWE Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Brooklyn Brawler
Madison Square Garden • November 15, 1997

Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista vs. Chris Jericho
Atlanta, GA • November 17, 2008
 
#2,921 ·
So I've been watching all the PPV's of 2003 with the occasional TV match and I've gotten to Vengeance. What a show. :done

WWE United States Title Tournament Final Match - Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero
Fantastic opener. Two of my all time favourite wrestlers going one on one. Never seen this match before which stuns me but I’m glad because I went into this not know what to expect. Some great grappling in the ary goings with the two battling over a knuckle lock for around 5 minutes. Eddie controlled most of it and did a great job at releasing off this energy to make you root against him. It’s uncanny. The two get more physical with more chops, punches and suplexes. A nice escalation throughout the match until the end which had some great character, a unintentional comedy. It was slightly overbooked to protect Benoit but I don’t mind it overall. Great match. ****1/4

Billy Gunn (w/Torrie Wilson) vs. Jamie Noble
Poor Jamie Noble being sucked into this match with Billy Gunn. This didn’t last long at all. **

APA Invitational Bar Room Brawl Match
I have no clue what to say about this. NOT RATED

WWE Tag Team Title Match - The World's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) (c) vs. Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio
Amazing match. This was nutty as well. You got Mysterio and Kidman and flying around the ring, showing off their high flying ability. WGTT showing off their great chemistry as a tag team. So underrated. Then we had Kidman selling and being the FIP for around 10 minutes then the finishing stretch happened which was pure nuts with some fantastic wrestling, awesome near falls and a hot crowd. Fantastic tag match. ****1/2

No Count Out Cat Fight - Sable vs. Stephanie McMahon
Um, I’m not sure what I expect going in. It wasn’t bad, it was basically quite fun. I think I legit liked this. **1/2

John Cena vs. The Undertaker
This was really good. It wasn’t as technical as Benoit/Eddie or as nutty as the tag title match but it was a good back and forth slug fest. Cena was great here, showing spurts of aggression which allowed him to get the advantage but took an ass whipping like a champ. Taker was awesome as the dominating figure of the match. ***3/4

Vince McMahon vs. Zach Gowen
This actually delivered. Vince’s work on Zach’s leg was really good. He was very viscous with it and he was a good foil for Zach. It did go too long though. Gowen was awesome. Big credit for him. ***1/4

WWE Heavyweight Title No Disqualification Triple Threat Match - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Kurt Angle vs. The Big Show
I really liked this match. The dynamic is great. You got Brock and Angle, two friends, two rivals going at each other but you got to deal with The Big Show so they have to team up against him. One aspect of the match I liked was the use of weapons. The match is No DQ so why not. They didn’t stick to “I’m a good guy so I won’t use it even if I can” story and it added a lot. Everything was great in this match, the story, the interactions, everything. ****1/4

Awesome PPV. So much better than the last three PPV's which weren't very good. 9/10
 
#46 ·
So in 2016 we've had Kevin Steen vs El Generico on a WWE PPV, AJ Styles working back-to-back main event programs with the 2 top WWE babybfaces, Shinsuke Nakamura signing for WWE, Samoa Joe holding a WWE title, James Storm wrestling for WWE without signing a contract, Bobby Roode and Kota Ibushi all appearing on WWE TV, The Rock wrestling at Wrestlemania, thumbtacks in a WWE match, a Brand Split, Shane McMahon vs Undertaker in HIAC at Wrestlemania with Shane jumping off the top of the cell, a squash match on Raw against local jobbers, Cody Rhodes quitting, Damien Sandow getting released, Titus O'Neil getting a 90 day suspension for goofing around, Daniel Bryan retired, Eva Marie had a match at Wrestlemania quite frankly not far below the quality of match Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns each had, the Women had the MOTN at a Wrestlemania, a near 1 hour match on WWE TV and Austin Aries signing with WWE.

Oh and Steve Lombardi got released.

AND NOW BROCK LESNAR IS WORKING UFC UNDER WWE CONTRACT.

Well you can't say it's a boring year if nothing else.

Oh and on that note I watched the AJ/Cena angle from Raw yesterday and it was really good. Cena's promo before AJ came out was brilliant. I don't exactly watch promos anymore unless I feel I really need to see them or they happen on a PPV but whenever I catch a Cena promo it's really fucking great. He had one during the Owens feud last year that was a legit all time great promo. AJ/Cena chants were great too. Loved how they started off really tame but they just allowed it to build into a great moment. Shout out to the guy in the front row who switched sides halfway through it too. Oh and then the same crowd who were so hot for the stand off then start giving AJ the what treatment literally as soon as he starts talking. Wrestling crowds everyone. Turn was well done as they pretty much set AJ/Cena vs Gallows/Anderson up perfectly but then also set Cena vs The Club up perfectly at the same time. HATED HATED HATED HATED the camerawork though. Good god almighty what the fuck was that. Legit made me feel giddy watching it and absolutely killed the angle from that point on for me. It's like some kid discovering WordArt on Publisher and whoring the fuck out of it on everything to the point where his school essay is shaped like an octagon with a multi-colour shadow and nobody knows what the fuck it's supposed to be anymore. Really hope the match isn't like the Cena/Owens series but I suspect it will be.
 
#49 ·
With no backstory assistance, Shinsuke Nakmura and Sami Zayn still put on a classic affair. It was a tremendously problematic undertaking, yet these two virtuosos constructed something exquisite in spite of no story to play off. It is one of the greatest exhibition matches ever. Nakamura effortlessly adjusted to NXT’s style and made it look like he had wrestled Zayn an infinite amount of times. These two had astounding chemistry, possessing the same vision and direction of where they wanted to take the match and placing the crowd in the palm of their hands. The crowd just went on for the unforeseeable ride, filled with twists and turns and peaks and valleys. The chain wrestling to start was crisp and smooth, transitioning and setting up the match’s pace so effortlessly.

The match was built on showmanship with both wrestlers trying to outperform the other in every facet. It manufactured into an exquisite “anything you can do, I can do better” seesaw battle with unbridled intensity, hard-hitting strikes, breathtaking spots, blistering sequences, and top-of-the-line athleticism. You name it: psychology, storytelling, physicality, selling, pacing, timing, moves, chemistry, high spots, building to the crescendo; it is all here. **** 3/4
 
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