This is my continued look into the most profitable era in wrestling history for an extensive breakdown of what I am doing click here.
NITRO:
We begin the show with Tony Schiavoni and Larry Zybysko talking about the main event between Lugar and Sting vs Steiners and the Rock and Roll Express vs Flair and Arn Anderson with the revelation that Bobby Heenan is going to be the manager for the horsemen at Bash at the Beach. We get a recap of Shark getting his head shaved and we head to Mean Gene who is standing by to interview Shark. The interview talks about his embarrassment and that his name is not the Shark but John Tenta. this brings us to our first match. Tony and Larry did an excellent job of hyping the remainder of the show and giving us insight that flowed nicely. the interview by Tenta was ugh even with the greatness of Mean Gene setting him up. 2 Stars
Big Bubba Rodgers vs John Tenta starts with Tenta beating the hell out of Bubba. Tony takes the time to say that the advertised Vader and Johnny B Badd are no longer with the company and will not be here tonight. Back to the action where Bubba gets counted out trying to avoid Tenta who is chasing him around the ring with scissors. match cuts to a brief promo from Sting on Scott Steiner and Michael and Kevin Green letting us know we they are here tonight. We head to commercial. From a match perspective I am saying WTF just happened? From a storyline it was OK but nothing I am interested in. 1 Star
Back from commercial for High voltage (Ruckus and Chaos) vs the Faces of Fear (Meng and the Barbarian) High Voltage has an amazing look, Two huge chiseled guys that work really well together but ran into the unstoppable force. Belly to belly of the top rope by the barbarian leads to the double diving headbutt. Chaos tried to save his partner but Meng delivers a Mafia kick to Ruckus for the pin fall. This was a sprint of a match that accomplished two things. First it made the Faces of Fear look like world beaters and it introduced us to a really impressive new tag team. I'm looking forward to seeing how High Voltage improves in weeks to come. Considering all that this match accomplished I am thinking 2.5 stars is in order.
We head back stage for Mean Gene interviewing the tag team champs Sting and Luger. Gene needs to cut Luger off to get him back on track since he started the promo going in the wrong direction. Sting calls out Luger for instigating the brawl last week and Luger defends himself. Rick Steiner interrupts and they argue about what happened last week and pushing and shoving improves. Gene ends the interview by being disgusted with what just happened and vows to never interview any of them again if that's how they are going to act. SOOOOO much happened here that I am trying to wrap my head around it. Seeds being planted of dissension between Luger and Sting and the friendship with the Steiners. Mean Gene controlled the interview and kept things moving along which just shows how great he has been for the last couple decades. We also got excitement to build for the main event. Such a great segment that shows how good things like this can be done. 4 Stars
Disco inferno vs SGT. Craig Pittman with Teddy Long is up next. Disco hurts his hand trying to punch Pittman's head. Very short uneventful match with Pittman getting the submission win after trying to apply the Code Red and disco gives up before he can. Disco explains he gave up so quickly so he could continue to dance and if the move was applied it would have hurt him to much. Decent character work by disco but this match did nothing for either man involved. It cemented Disco as a comedy wrestler but did nothing to help out Pittman. 0 Stars
After the commercial break we come back to Tony and Larry discussing the backstage interview where Lord Steven Regal backhanded Sting on the Main Event. Regal is in the ring to square off against Hacksaw Jim Duggan. match is okay nothing to write home about outside of some great heel work from Regal. Squire Dave Taylor and Earl Robert Eaton come out to surround the ring. The Blue Bloods cause the distraction and Regal gets the roll up to score the pinfall. The match itself was uneventful and maybe 1.5 stars. The interview that followed didn't take the usual direction that Regal normally does. He was fined and told us that he paid double the fine and has credit so he can say what he wants now. He brings up that he wants Sting at his best and will do what he can to bring it out. This wasn't his best work, however the short but sweet promo got out what it needed too. the entire production was 2 Stars and only because of Regal's bicep pose at the end.
After break we come back to a promo package setting up the the upcoming falls count anywhere match between Kevin Sullivan and Chris Benoit at the Great American Bash. Sullivan heads to the ring against the Nitro debut of Prince Iaukea. Really short squash match that did nothing for Iaukea and the start to his career. This entire segment was a throw away. the only thing it made me want to do is watch the Benoit promos leading up to the Great American Bash. The clips that they showed before this match showed an intense and very underrated talker in Benoit at his best. Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Jimmy Hart and the Taskmaster. Jimmy is upset that Sullivan is forming a friendship with Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Sullivan explains that he is doing it because when Hogan is coming back and coming after them. He said like Pillman he is going to rid the horsemen of another "serpent". Sullivan should never have a mic in his hands ever. Another throw away segment that should only be watched for the Benoit promo's ahead of it. .5 stars
The legendary Rock and Roll Express makes their return to WCW and their debut on Nitro against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to bridge from the first to the second hour and we throw it mid match to Eric Bishoff and Bobby Heenan. Fireworks go off in the middle of the match to indicate the start of the second hour. Flair is at the top of his game and is an incredible heel. Four legends in the ring and all four announcers have spent way to much time talking about the upcoming match between the Horsemen and Steve McMichael and Kevin Green. Arn Anderson taking a time out was classic heel work and a double figure four by Morton and Gibson gets the crowd on their feet. Flair gets his usual referee pushing spot and sells the push back like he got shot in the face. Phenomenal heel work by the horsemen as we go to break, Heenan leaves the broadcast both to head to ringside to give advise to Woman and Miss Elizabeth. Hot tag to Robert Gibson who comes in like a house of fire. With the referee distracted by Ricky Morton, woman rakes the eyes of Gibson, AA hits the DDT and Flair gets the cover. Mean Gene talks to the horsemen and Arn is so smooth talking about how he is bigger than football players. Flair is going to have a stroke during an interview someday and Heenan adds an amazing heel manager promo. Four legends on the mic put on a must see promo. Heenan declares he will never manage again but he will coach the Horsemen at the Great American Bash. This match and promo was easily 4 stars. Flair and Anderson pull out all the classic heel tricks including the fake tag and the double team moves to really get the crowd going. This was a great pay per view quality match that was ruined by the announcers talking about every thing else, the pyro going of after the match had started, and the commercial break. WCW gets a -1 star for their lack of focus on what was a great segment.
Hogan video package promotes the return of Hogan at Hog Wild in August. We head to the ring for a Heavyweight title match pitting Icetrain vs the Giant.
The Giant makes quick work of Ice Train as he delivers a choke slam. Scott Norton comes to the ring to confront The Giant and gets a pair of choke slams for his trouble. Giant goes to ringside and complains about Hogan getting a video package when he is the champ. He runs down the list of guys he's beaten and calls out Lex Lugar at the Bash at the Beach. 0 Stars.
The next scheduled match is Scott Norton vs Hugh Morrus. Morrus comes out checks on Norton and delivers a leg drop and pins him with one finger. Norton kicks out and Morrus drops a few elbows before going up to hit The No Laughing Matter. Norton bats away the moonsault and punches him in the face a couple times which resulted in a pin. 0 Stars. This is probably the perfect example of how to bury a guy. Scott Norton is a tag team guy that was beaten down by the heavyweight champion. He over came a beating by a fresh Morrus to get the win. Morrus will never be taken seriously after that.
Cut to a package showing Kevin Greene and Steve McMichael training. The only thing that came out of it is that they want Randy Savage to be their coach. At least they progressed the story 1 Star.
Main event time between Sting and Lex Lugar vs The Steiner Brothers. During the entrances we get a review of the heat between the two teams in the ring and Bobby Heenan pandering for Savage to stay at home. Savage calls and accepts the offer to coach, Heenan begs Savage to stay home. We then head to a commercial break. Some good in ring performances results with Sting and Rick Steiner out on the floor. The Giant comes out and delivers one of the worst choke slams I have ever seen. Giant pulls down the top rope and low bridges Scott Steiner. Scott teams up with Sting and Lugar to clear the ring of the Giant. 3 Stars for the in ring product that happened before all the Giant shenanigans that took the overall grade of the match down to roughly 2 Stars
More Pandering by Heenan for Savage to stay at home as Razor Ramon saunters to the announce booth. He challenges Bishoff to continue the war and Sting comes out to confront Razor. A tooth pick to the face and a slap by Sting brings out security. Razor announces he has a big surprise for all of WCW next week. 5 Stars. So many questions and still no answers. Other that the announcement by Vince on Raw about Ramon and Deisel no longer being employed there is nothing that lets us know why Razor is on WCW TV. He states he is bringing the war to Bishoff but why? What is the surprise? Two weeks in a row with a great cliffhanger to end the show. If you could get through this show you were definitely treated to greatness at the end of it.
Two out of nine matches were good, one of which was per view quality. A great ending to the show with Razor Ramon's continued mystery and the inclusion of Sting as the face of WCW. The only two good matches were cut by commercial breaks and the commentators talked about every thing and anything other than what was happening in the ring. Badly miss timed production spots and bad wrestling made this a very hard show to watch. It was saved by the Horsemen and Razor Ramon. This entire show was only 2 Stars.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Thursday, June 20, 2019
The Wrestling Legacy of Eddie Guerrero
My Kingdom of Honor co-host and I are doing a new series exclusively for our Patreon subscribers called Wrecked with Rasslers. We are going to be choosing one wrestler and picking four matches or moments that we would want with us if we were stranded on a desert island. This series will focus on wrestling and wrestling only as the real-life stuff you can find else where. To listen to the series please check out our Patreon site here.
Coming from the Guerrero wrestling family, there was no doubt that Eddie was going to be a star. The business was in his blood and he was part of wrestling royalty. But Eddie didn't have things handed to him on a silver platter, he went out and busted his ass for everything he got. He was verse in many styles from Lucha Libre to chain wrestling and could adapt to perform with anyone. From his wars in New Japan and ECW to his time as the undeniable Latino Heat in WWE, Eddie had charisma in spades, an unmatched work ethic and the desire to turn every moment into gold. His life was unfortunately cut short but there is no denying that there is, was, and forever will be only one Eddie Guerrero. So lets take a look at the matches and moments that I personally feel represent Eddie best.
Ironically since we are limiting ourselves to only four matches, my absolute favorite versions of Eddie aren't being represented. After his heel turn in 1997, while with WCW, he showed us that undeniable charisma in every promo he did, every match he was in, and even when he sauntered down to the ring. The second period of time was when he teamed with Chavo in 2003. The los Guerrero's vignettes are some of the greatest things I have ever seen. Definitely take a look at that moment in time as it is one of the greatest moments I can remember. It speaks volumes to the catalog of matches Eddie had that my favorite Eddie periods can't even crack my top 4.
NJPW Super J-Cup 4/16/1994 vs Chris Benoit (Wild Pegasus)
Before ECW, before WCW and way before WWE Eddie wrestled as Black Tiger in NJPW. Before the match we get some pushing and a middle finger from Eddie right into Benoit's face. This one gave you a lot of the classic Eddie moves mixed with some great mat wrestling. Throw in some classic Benoit moves and some great heat between the two and you've got a match for the ages. There was a pop up huricanrana that was beautifully done by Eddie and a spring board huricanrana that had a chance to go south in a hurry but Eddie recovered his balance and performed it to perfection. A missed crossed body countered into an arm drag turned into a pin for Benoit and 25 years later this match still holds up as one of the greatest ever.
Raw 7/22/02 Vs the Rock
The match was brilliant, but paled in comparison to the promo that preceded it. Eddie stood toe to toe with the Rock in a verbal battle. The emotion that Eddie showed when he blamed the Rock for making his little girls cheer for someone other than their father was priceless. Jump forward to the main event and these two put on a fast passed match with a very fiery Eddie that proved what we all learned two years later. He is ready to hang with the heavyweights. Eddie countering the Rock Bottom into a roll up was a thing of beauty and the Rock looked like he was reeling for a good portion of the match. A Peoples Elbow and the Rock scoring the pinfall couldn't take away from the amazing performance that Eddie put on.
No way Out 2004 vs Brock Lesnar
The perfect redemption story for Eddie Guerrero came to a dramatic conclusion in this fantastic big man versus little man story. Eddie came in as the clear cut favorite and the fans were electric for him. Brock coming out to the ring first and letting the the challenger enter last helped build the suspense and made a rabid crowd even more energetic. Brock's speed and power vs Eddie's heart and resilience told such a beautiful David vs Goliath story that I could watch this match over and over again. The submissions moves that ate up a good portion of the second half of the match added to the drama and Eddie hitting the three amigos was impressive. Eddie misses the frog splash and eats an F-5 but the ref was down and couldn't count. Lesnar goes out to get the title belt, when he gets back in the ring, he gets hit with a spear by Goldberg. The crowd gets solidly behind Eddie who picks up the title belt and misses hitting Brock with it. He counters the F-5 into a DDT on the title belt, hits the frog splash for the pin and the crowd delivers one of the loudest pops I've ever heard.
ECW 8/7/95 vs Dean Malenko
Unfortunately the standoff to begin this match has been duplicated beyond all recognition of the greatness that was on display here, however, when Eddie and Dean did it, it was a thing of beauty. Some of the moves that Eddie pulled off showed unparalleled athleticism that made him look like Will Ospreay 20 years before there was Will Ospreay. This match was a technical masterpiece with just enough hard hits and fast paced action to make it an all time classic. Unlike their more famous and popular last match in ECW that ended with a double pin, this one ended up with a roll up and Eddie winning the TV title in the process.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Coming from the Guerrero wrestling family, there was no doubt that Eddie was going to be a star. The business was in his blood and he was part of wrestling royalty. But Eddie didn't have things handed to him on a silver platter, he went out and busted his ass for everything he got. He was verse in many styles from Lucha Libre to chain wrestling and could adapt to perform with anyone. From his wars in New Japan and ECW to his time as the undeniable Latino Heat in WWE, Eddie had charisma in spades, an unmatched work ethic and the desire to turn every moment into gold. His life was unfortunately cut short but there is no denying that there is, was, and forever will be only one Eddie Guerrero. So lets take a look at the matches and moments that I personally feel represent Eddie best.
Ironically since we are limiting ourselves to only four matches, my absolute favorite versions of Eddie aren't being represented. After his heel turn in 1997, while with WCW, he showed us that undeniable charisma in every promo he did, every match he was in, and even when he sauntered down to the ring. The second period of time was when he teamed with Chavo in 2003. The los Guerrero's vignettes are some of the greatest things I have ever seen. Definitely take a look at that moment in time as it is one of the greatest moments I can remember. It speaks volumes to the catalog of matches Eddie had that my favorite Eddie periods can't even crack my top 4.
NJPW Super J-Cup 4/16/1994 vs Chris Benoit (Wild Pegasus)
Before ECW, before WCW and way before WWE Eddie wrestled as Black Tiger in NJPW. Before the match we get some pushing and a middle finger from Eddie right into Benoit's face. This one gave you a lot of the classic Eddie moves mixed with some great mat wrestling. Throw in some classic Benoit moves and some great heat between the two and you've got a match for the ages. There was a pop up huricanrana that was beautifully done by Eddie and a spring board huricanrana that had a chance to go south in a hurry but Eddie recovered his balance and performed it to perfection. A missed crossed body countered into an arm drag turned into a pin for Benoit and 25 years later this match still holds up as one of the greatest ever.
Raw 7/22/02 Vs the Rock
The match was brilliant, but paled in comparison to the promo that preceded it. Eddie stood toe to toe with the Rock in a verbal battle. The emotion that Eddie showed when he blamed the Rock for making his little girls cheer for someone other than their father was priceless. Jump forward to the main event and these two put on a fast passed match with a very fiery Eddie that proved what we all learned two years later. He is ready to hang with the heavyweights. Eddie countering the Rock Bottom into a roll up was a thing of beauty and the Rock looked like he was reeling for a good portion of the match. A Peoples Elbow and the Rock scoring the pinfall couldn't take away from the amazing performance that Eddie put on.
No way Out 2004 vs Brock Lesnar
The perfect redemption story for Eddie Guerrero came to a dramatic conclusion in this fantastic big man versus little man story. Eddie came in as the clear cut favorite and the fans were electric for him. Brock coming out to the ring first and letting the the challenger enter last helped build the suspense and made a rabid crowd even more energetic. Brock's speed and power vs Eddie's heart and resilience told such a beautiful David vs Goliath story that I could watch this match over and over again. The submissions moves that ate up a good portion of the second half of the match added to the drama and Eddie hitting the three amigos was impressive. Eddie misses the frog splash and eats an F-5 but the ref was down and couldn't count. Lesnar goes out to get the title belt, when he gets back in the ring, he gets hit with a spear by Goldberg. The crowd gets solidly behind Eddie who picks up the title belt and misses hitting Brock with it. He counters the F-5 into a DDT on the title belt, hits the frog splash for the pin and the crowd delivers one of the loudest pops I've ever heard.
ECW 8/7/95 vs Dean Malenko
Unfortunately the standoff to begin this match has been duplicated beyond all recognition of the greatness that was on display here, however, when Eddie and Dean did it, it was a thing of beauty. Some of the moves that Eddie pulled off showed unparalleled athleticism that made him look like Will Ospreay 20 years before there was Will Ospreay. This match was a technical masterpiece with just enough hard hits and fast paced action to make it an all time classic. Unlike their more famous and popular last match in ECW that ended with a double pin, this one ended up with a roll up and Eddie winning the TV title in the process.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Thursday, June 6, 2019
The wrestling legacy of Chris Benoit
My Kingdom of Honor co-host and I are doing a new series exclusively for our Patreon subscribers called Wrecked with Rasslers. We are going to be choosing one wrestler and picking four matches or moments that we would want with us if we were stranded on a desert island. This series will focus on wrestling and wrestling only as the real-life stuff you can find else where. To listen to the series please check out our Patreon site here.
Before I announce my four matches and give a little description of why I would include them, I want to explain what it is about Chris Benoit that I enjoyed so much. From the first time I saw Benoit in WCW I was hooked. He had such a unique style and he was so technically gifted that I was just mesmerized by him. He was silent but stoic and an absolute beast inside the ring. Everything he did in the ring had such precision and aggression behind it that he almost seemed to jerk and twitch with every move he made. Watching him hit the three German suplexes was a thing of beauty. He had such a quick snap suplex and diving headbutt that he would bring people to their feet. As a member of the Four Horsemen he excelled at the utility spot that was previously held by Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham. And he was even better as the leader of the Radicalz.
Chris Benoit was one of those wrestlers that when you asked people, he was never their favorite. The reason being quite simply because he wasn't flashy and he didn't captivate people with his promos. However, he was that guy that would go out every night and put on such a wrestling clinic that people had to take notice. He was the performer who could keep people's eyes glued to that ring because every time he was in one he had a chance to steal the show and put on an instant masterpiece. He was the kind of guy that could have a great match with a broken broom and he elevated everyone's performance when he was in the ring against them.
I have chosen four matches from his career that meant the most to me. Not all of them are 5 star classics but everyone of them have stood the test of time.
The first match and probably my favorite one took place at Wrestlemania 16 when he competed in a two out of three falls triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. This match was not only for both the Intercontinental title and the European Championship, that were held at the time by Angle. But it was also the first Wrestlemania for all three men. The first fall was for the Intercontinental Championship which was won by Benoit and the second fall for the European title which was won by Jericho. This was a great match between three amazing performers that at the time were all heels with Jericho being the closest to a face this match had. Benoit tried to out heel the other two by jumping Angle outside the ring before the bell and was the aggressor for the majority of the match. All three guys were also able to hit their signature moves throughout it. I think my favorite part of this match was knowing that if I were to take four matches to a desert island for any of these three guys, this match would be among each of their sets. I absolutely loved the performance of all three men and loved watching Benoit show why he was the original mayor of suplex city.
My second match happened on the October 4th episode of Nitro in 1999. The significance of the match was that this was a tribute to Owen Hart as both his brother Bret and one of his best friends in Chris Benoit put on an instant classic. My favorite part of this match was how old school Hart dungeon it was. There were very few high spot in fact there were really only two. Benoit hit a dive through the second rope and a flying headbutt off the top rope. The rest of the match was just a series of perfect mat wrestling that told a fun story that wasn't about disdain or overcoming anything. It was just two technically perfect wrestlers trying to see who was better.
My Third match was Chris's final match in WCW at the Souled Out pay per view in 2000. There was a lot of strangeness in this match as Sid Vicious played a goofy face on the way to the ring. Benoit was vicious as he attacked the leg and the match had a very odd ending. Sid hit a chokeslam and the pinfall was waived off because Benoit's foot was under the rope. Benoit immediately puts Sid in the Crippler Crossface and Sid taps. However, Sid's foot was also under the rope which Tony Shiavoni tried to explain away stating that Sid tapped first. This was not even close to an epic classic but the match meant so much to me personally because it was a moment for Benoit that I had wanted to see since the first day I saw him in wrestle.
My fourth and final match that I would need to have with me on any desert island happened on May 24th in 2001 on an episode of Smackdown. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho faced of against three of the greatest tag teams in history when they participated in a tables ladders and chairs match against Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. Anytime Benoit was involved in a falls count anywhere or ladder match he seemed to be out of his element and this was no different. The match was a complete train wreck with some sick spots. Benoit went for a diving headbutt from the top rope on to Matt Hardy who was laying on a table outside the ring. Hardy moved and Benoit went through the table only to be wheeled to the back on a stretcher. After a few more insane spots including Christian being dumped off the top of a ladder all the way to the floor without hitting the ropes first. Benoit came limping out holding his ribs. He then took a con-chair-to to the ribs for his trouble. These eight guys created so much carnage and violence it was honestly hard to watch at times. Everyone took some insane bumps and the match ended with Benoit taking the titles down to retain the belts.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Before I announce my four matches and give a little description of why I would include them, I want to explain what it is about Chris Benoit that I enjoyed so much. From the first time I saw Benoit in WCW I was hooked. He had such a unique style and he was so technically gifted that I was just mesmerized by him. He was silent but stoic and an absolute beast inside the ring. Everything he did in the ring had such precision and aggression behind it that he almost seemed to jerk and twitch with every move he made. Watching him hit the three German suplexes was a thing of beauty. He had such a quick snap suplex and diving headbutt that he would bring people to their feet. As a member of the Four Horsemen he excelled at the utility spot that was previously held by Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham. And he was even better as the leader of the Radicalz.
Chris Benoit was one of those wrestlers that when you asked people, he was never their favorite. The reason being quite simply because he wasn't flashy and he didn't captivate people with his promos. However, he was that guy that would go out every night and put on such a wrestling clinic that people had to take notice. He was the performer who could keep people's eyes glued to that ring because every time he was in one he had a chance to steal the show and put on an instant masterpiece. He was the kind of guy that could have a great match with a broken broom and he elevated everyone's performance when he was in the ring against them.
I have chosen four matches from his career that meant the most to me. Not all of them are 5 star classics but everyone of them have stood the test of time.
The first match and probably my favorite one took place at Wrestlemania 16 when he competed in a two out of three falls triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. This match was not only for both the Intercontinental title and the European Championship, that were held at the time by Angle. But it was also the first Wrestlemania for all three men. The first fall was for the Intercontinental Championship which was won by Benoit and the second fall for the European title which was won by Jericho. This was a great match between three amazing performers that at the time were all heels with Jericho being the closest to a face this match had. Benoit tried to out heel the other two by jumping Angle outside the ring before the bell and was the aggressor for the majority of the match. All three guys were also able to hit their signature moves throughout it. I think my favorite part of this match was knowing that if I were to take four matches to a desert island for any of these three guys, this match would be among each of their sets. I absolutely loved the performance of all three men and loved watching Benoit show why he was the original mayor of suplex city.
My second match happened on the October 4th episode of Nitro in 1999. The significance of the match was that this was a tribute to Owen Hart as both his brother Bret and one of his best friends in Chris Benoit put on an instant classic. My favorite part of this match was how old school Hart dungeon it was. There were very few high spot in fact there were really only two. Benoit hit a dive through the second rope and a flying headbutt off the top rope. The rest of the match was just a series of perfect mat wrestling that told a fun story that wasn't about disdain or overcoming anything. It was just two technically perfect wrestlers trying to see who was better.
My Third match was Chris's final match in WCW at the Souled Out pay per view in 2000. There was a lot of strangeness in this match as Sid Vicious played a goofy face on the way to the ring. Benoit was vicious as he attacked the leg and the match had a very odd ending. Sid hit a chokeslam and the pinfall was waived off because Benoit's foot was under the rope. Benoit immediately puts Sid in the Crippler Crossface and Sid taps. However, Sid's foot was also under the rope which Tony Shiavoni tried to explain away stating that Sid tapped first. This was not even close to an epic classic but the match meant so much to me personally because it was a moment for Benoit that I had wanted to see since the first day I saw him in wrestle.
My fourth and final match that I would need to have with me on any desert island happened on May 24th in 2001 on an episode of Smackdown. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho faced of against three of the greatest tag teams in history when they participated in a tables ladders and chairs match against Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. Anytime Benoit was involved in a falls count anywhere or ladder match he seemed to be out of his element and this was no different. The match was a complete train wreck with some sick spots. Benoit went for a diving headbutt from the top rope on to Matt Hardy who was laying on a table outside the ring. Hardy moved and Benoit went through the table only to be wheeled to the back on a stretcher. After a few more insane spots including Christian being dumped off the top of a ladder all the way to the floor without hitting the ropes first. Benoit came limping out holding his ribs. He then took a con-chair-to to the ribs for his trouble. These eight guys created so much carnage and violence it was honestly hard to watch at times. Everyone took some insane bumps and the match ended with Benoit taking the titles down to retain the belts.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Sunday, June 2, 2019
nXt Takeover 25 - review
nXt has become the gold standard when it comes to WWE programming over the last five years and this last Saturday was a perfect example as to why. They continue to give what the fans want with a shorter show and quality wrestling. If you haven't seen this show yet I will tell you that it is a must watch as every match on the card was 4 stars or better.
The show started with the Original Bro Matt Riddle taking on Roderick Strong. This match progressed nicely with a lot of hard hits and good back and forth mat wrestling. The rolling side suplex that Riddle does is a thing of beauty and Roderick strong could be one of the best at picking a body part and targeting the back to set up his finisher the Strong hold. This match had me hooked until a couple of spots near the end, After Strong escaped a power bomb attempt when Riddle's back gave out. Strong backed into the ropes and caught a charging Riddle with a kick to the face and followed it up with an enziguri which knocked riddle back. A running V-trigger by strong followed up by three running forearms to the face and a front facing side suplex that planted Riddle on his face only got a 2. After that Riddle hits a ripcord v-trigger, a powerbomb, and the Final Flash that Strong kicked out of at 2. They were able to pull me back into the match with the amazing grit the two of them showed. Kudos to Matt Riddle for selling the back injury. 4 stars for a match that even though it faltered in the middle was able to hook me back in towards the end.
Next up we got four way tag team ladder match for the vacated tag team titles. The Street Profits vs Oney Lorkan and Danny Birch vs the Forgotten Sons vs the Undisputed Era. An amazing match with some crazy spots from Wesley Blake hitting a suicide dive into a ladder being carried by the Undisputed Era to a great spot where Lorkan and Birch duck the ladder shot to German Suplex the Forgotten Sons who were carrying the ladder. The ladder was launched onto Kyle O'Reilly in a spot that could only be O'Reilly in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Kyle O'Reilly took some ridiculous punishment in this match and I am honestly surprised he doesn't have a broken back. Everyone took some crazy hits with the ladder and the match was on it's way to 5 star territory until Jackson Ryker made his appearance and decimated the field. The UE took the fight to Ryker and they were joined by the Profits and Lorkan and Birch to deliver a good old fashioned horsemen stomp. Having all three teams do what they could to take out Ryker got this match back on track and told an incredible story. Lorkan and Birch used the ladders to give the Street Profits a Con-Chair-to. Every team had a chance to shine, to hit there spots and the violence (especially to O'Reilly) was ridiculous. Street Profits stand victorious at the end in a helluva match. 5 Stars all the way. They had a chance to WWE this and ruin the match but took it into a whole new direction that I didn't see coming. Fresh story telling is what launched this match as high as it did.
Tyler Breeze vs the Velveteen Dream is up next. They started the match trying to one up each other by showing who was the flashiest. Then the match got going and didn't quit. A very aggressive Breeze brought out a very aggressive Dream which made this feel like a very personal fight. After smashing Breeze's face into the table multiple times, Dream grabbed the belt and a phone to take a selfie with a dazed Breeze on the announcers table. This was a great match were Breeze played the plucky cagey veteran and Dream played the young emotional competitor that let his feelings lead him to make mistakes. The ending seemed rushed and really out of place considering what the entire match showed. Breeze got distracted and we got the Dream Valley Driver followed by the Purple Rain Maker for the pin. If the ending had been a little tighter this was a 5 star match unfortunately it was rushed and a little out of place so it was dropped down to a 4.5. However they got bonus points for the story leading in and the post match selfie. 5 Stars.
Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai is up next and Io comes out to a completely drained audience that really has nothing left to give to her entrance. Baszler comes out alone as the remaining horsewomen stay in the back. A very aggressive Shirai actually looked at times like she might win this. False finishes all over the place until Baszler places her into the Coquina Clutch for the win. Io took a drained crowd and brought them back into a match that they had absolutely no energy for. Io Shirai snapped after the match and attacked Baszler with a kendo stick and a couple of moonsault's using a chair with the second. This was a solid 4.5 Stars especially considering what they needed to overcome with the crowds energy.
Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole is the main event and how can these two possibly top their performance from Takeover New York. The crowd is pumped for this match from the start as Gargano and Cole pace around the ring staring at each other to drag out the suspense. These two had a really good new take on the stand off to begin a match that has become so popular in today's wrestling when they sat on the floor staring at each other with disdain instead of mutual respect. Much like the Dream v Breeze match you can feel the hatred between these two. Fast paced, athletic, and had a good mix of high spots with just flat out fighting to get this crowd on their feet and keep them there. Reversals and counters and ducks highlighted a very personal match that showed how well these two know each other. Johnny sold his knee injury perfectly, unlike other people that have had injuries Gargano never one time forgot about his injury just to hit a high spot. A classic figure four spot was done brilliantly and the counters continued throughout the match. Gargano has continued to show that never say die attitude that has made him one of the best wrestlers in the world. Panama Sunrise followed by a Last Shot and I have a new front runner for match of the year. 5.75 Stars.
Wow what a match to end an unbelievably great show. The entire production was an easy 5 star and one of my favorite PPV's of all time. From the dominate presence of the Undisputed Era to the quality of matches, crowd energy and running time of the show. This one is going to be very hard to beat.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
The show started with the Original Bro Matt Riddle taking on Roderick Strong. This match progressed nicely with a lot of hard hits and good back and forth mat wrestling. The rolling side suplex that Riddle does is a thing of beauty and Roderick strong could be one of the best at picking a body part and targeting the back to set up his finisher the Strong hold. This match had me hooked until a couple of spots near the end, After Strong escaped a power bomb attempt when Riddle's back gave out. Strong backed into the ropes and caught a charging Riddle with a kick to the face and followed it up with an enziguri which knocked riddle back. A running V-trigger by strong followed up by three running forearms to the face and a front facing side suplex that planted Riddle on his face only got a 2. After that Riddle hits a ripcord v-trigger, a powerbomb, and the Final Flash that Strong kicked out of at 2. They were able to pull me back into the match with the amazing grit the two of them showed. Kudos to Matt Riddle for selling the back injury. 4 stars for a match that even though it faltered in the middle was able to hook me back in towards the end.
Next up we got four way tag team ladder match for the vacated tag team titles. The Street Profits vs Oney Lorkan and Danny Birch vs the Forgotten Sons vs the Undisputed Era. An amazing match with some crazy spots from Wesley Blake hitting a suicide dive into a ladder being carried by the Undisputed Era to a great spot where Lorkan and Birch duck the ladder shot to German Suplex the Forgotten Sons who were carrying the ladder. The ladder was launched onto Kyle O'Reilly in a spot that could only be O'Reilly in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Kyle O'Reilly took some ridiculous punishment in this match and I am honestly surprised he doesn't have a broken back. Everyone took some crazy hits with the ladder and the match was on it's way to 5 star territory until Jackson Ryker made his appearance and decimated the field. The UE took the fight to Ryker and they were joined by the Profits and Lorkan and Birch to deliver a good old fashioned horsemen stomp. Having all three teams do what they could to take out Ryker got this match back on track and told an incredible story. Lorkan and Birch used the ladders to give the Street Profits a Con-Chair-to. Every team had a chance to shine, to hit there spots and the violence (especially to O'Reilly) was ridiculous. Street Profits stand victorious at the end in a helluva match. 5 Stars all the way. They had a chance to WWE this and ruin the match but took it into a whole new direction that I didn't see coming. Fresh story telling is what launched this match as high as it did.
Tyler Breeze vs the Velveteen Dream is up next. They started the match trying to one up each other by showing who was the flashiest. Then the match got going and didn't quit. A very aggressive Breeze brought out a very aggressive Dream which made this feel like a very personal fight. After smashing Breeze's face into the table multiple times, Dream grabbed the belt and a phone to take a selfie with a dazed Breeze on the announcers table. This was a great match were Breeze played the plucky cagey veteran and Dream played the young emotional competitor that let his feelings lead him to make mistakes. The ending seemed rushed and really out of place considering what the entire match showed. Breeze got distracted and we got the Dream Valley Driver followed by the Purple Rain Maker for the pin. If the ending had been a little tighter this was a 5 star match unfortunately it was rushed and a little out of place so it was dropped down to a 4.5. However they got bonus points for the story leading in and the post match selfie. 5 Stars.
Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai is up next and Io comes out to a completely drained audience that really has nothing left to give to her entrance. Baszler comes out alone as the remaining horsewomen stay in the back. A very aggressive Shirai actually looked at times like she might win this. False finishes all over the place until Baszler places her into the Coquina Clutch for the win. Io took a drained crowd and brought them back into a match that they had absolutely no energy for. Io Shirai snapped after the match and attacked Baszler with a kendo stick and a couple of moonsault's using a chair with the second. This was a solid 4.5 Stars especially considering what they needed to overcome with the crowds energy.
Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole is the main event and how can these two possibly top their performance from Takeover New York. The crowd is pumped for this match from the start as Gargano and Cole pace around the ring staring at each other to drag out the suspense. These two had a really good new take on the stand off to begin a match that has become so popular in today's wrestling when they sat on the floor staring at each other with disdain instead of mutual respect. Much like the Dream v Breeze match you can feel the hatred between these two. Fast paced, athletic, and had a good mix of high spots with just flat out fighting to get this crowd on their feet and keep them there. Reversals and counters and ducks highlighted a very personal match that showed how well these two know each other. Johnny sold his knee injury perfectly, unlike other people that have had injuries Gargano never one time forgot about his injury just to hit a high spot. A classic figure four spot was done brilliantly and the counters continued throughout the match. Gargano has continued to show that never say die attitude that has made him one of the best wrestlers in the world. Panama Sunrise followed by a Last Shot and I have a new front runner for match of the year. 5.75 Stars.
Wow what a match to end an unbelievably great show. The entire production was an easy 5 star and one of my favorite PPV's of all time. From the dominate presence of the Undisputed Era to the quality of matches, crowd energy and running time of the show. This one is going to be very hard to beat.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)