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Join Happy Wrestling Land, The Newsletter, in looking back at AEW Revolution, a New Japan’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Stardom’s Journey in Aore, and a trip to ACTION Wrestling. But first… top WWE matches? From January and February?
Top 10 WWE Matches of the Month – January 2022
Top 10 WWE Matches of the Month – February 2022
Captain Lou’s Review: ACTION Wrestling – Southeast First (1/21/2022)
NJPW New Year Golden Series (1/20 – 2/20/22): Okada Responds To The Haters
Stardom Cinderella Journey in Aore (2/23/22): Everyone Should Know AZM & The Starlight Kid
NJPW 50th Anniversary (3/1/22): Flirty Fifty!
AEW Revolution (3/6/22): Miseria Cantare
Top 10 WWE Matches of the Month – January 2022
To begin 2022 WWE re-named their pay-per-view’s “Premium Live Events” and to re-enforce that they had two of them. Most of the good matches were still on TV.
1. Roderick Strong vs. WALTER (NXT 1/18/22)
There used to be a thing called wrestling. The wrestlers — they’d wrestle. Pace. Tease. Create. Hurt. CHOP!! This would be a supreme TV match in any era, but in 2022 on WWE’s NXT 2.0 it felt like an entirely different (great) strain of pro wrestling. WALTER re-named himself GUNTHER after the match.
2. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 1/29/22)
15-minute runtime, lots of movement, stadium atmosphere, and a couple references to The Shield that caused my brain to exclaim, “You recognize that!” Roman and Rollins opened up the Royal Rumble with a very fun match for the Big Blue Title.
3. Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles (RAW 1/31/22)
Look at these two. Still doin’ it. After a year in the Thunderdome followed by a year of trying — and not really succeeding — at putting over a tag team partner, Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles were able to give themselves a rest while occasionally still pulling out ridiculous flashbacks like this.
4. Randy Orton w/ Riddle vs. Chad Gable w/ Otis (RAW 1/24/22)
Sometimes — rarely, but sometimes — while traveling the dispiriting journey that is “WWE television,” you still might run across an example of perfect timing. Here a guy on the way up (Chad) ran into a singles match with Randy, but the twist is Randy’s having fun and motivated while Chad is good and has stayed good while finally putting together whatever puzzle it is that gets you consistent play on TV.
5. WALTER vs. Nathan Frazer (NXT UK 1/13/22)
WALTER’s NXT UK farewell opponent was Nathan Frazer, who despite little evidence on tape is still an active wrestler who is not only really good at important things like impressing or shocking a crowd through high-flying and bumping, but also extra important things like the ability to look like a threat against a fella like WALTER. Highlight spot was Frazer throwing empty shot after shot before WALTER just demoralizingly chopped him down, only for Frazer to catch WALTER with a rana… and get chopped down again. Classic.
6. SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Usos [c] vs. King Woods & Kofi Kingston (Day 1 1/1/22)
7. Street Fight – SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Usos [c] vs. King Woods & Kofi Kingston (SmackDown 1/7/22)
Doing the same thing over and over has a bad reputation unless you’re these four, who by way of easy-to-follow flashy wrestling and a genuinely impressive ability to stay over for a long period of time just keep having the same great freaking match. Neither of these two matches are their top-tier best, but as they both opened Day 1 and closed the next SmackDown the consistency was just remarkable.
8. NXT North American & Cruiserweight Title: Carmelo Hayes [c] vs. Roderick Strong (NXT 1/4/22)
This is one those matches NXT used to have. A really good version of it actually, with young Carmelo Hayes setting the pace against one of its’ wisest practitioners. That top-rope X-plex, too. Are you kidding me? Who does that?
9. Falls Count Anywhere: Solo Sikoa vs. Boa (NXT 1/25/22)
Weird chemistry and the go-ahead to brawl all over the arena made this a fun one, then Solo Sikoa’s magnificent table splash to close it up made it a keeper.
10. Fatal 5-Way Match – WWE Title: Big E [c] vs. Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Brock Lesnar (Day 1 1/1/22)
For a little while, pretty fun. Just a little while. Five pros powered through with a bunch of fun and ridiculous wrestling for a little over 8 minutes, and then Brock Brock Brock Brock Brock Brock…
Honorable Mentions: Fatal 4-Way Match – Winner Faces Brock Lesnar for WWE Title at Royal Rumble: Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley (RAW 1/3/22), RAW Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Liv Morgan (Day 1 1/1/22), Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Riddle vs. Otis (RAW 1/31/22), Damian Priest vs. Kevin Owens (RAW 1/17/22), Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory (RAW 1/31/22), 30-Woman Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble 1/29/22)
Ricochet vs. Sheamus (SmackDown 1/14/22), Empty Arena Match: Ilja Dragunov vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK 1/27/22), NXT UK Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura [c] vs. Blair Davenport (NXT UK 1/6/22), NXT UK Heritage Cup: Noam Dar [c] w/ Sha Samuels vs. A-Kid (NXT UK 1/20/22), NXT Title: Tommaso Ciampa [c] vs. Bron Breakker (NXT 1/4/22), Riddle & MSK vs. WALTER & Imperium (NXT 1/4/22)
Top 10 WWE Matches of the Month – February 2022
A real deadbeat month for World Wrestling Entertainment.
1. WWE Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 2/18/22)
Like, no — it’s not that good. But it was still good. Real good. On their way up Sami and Shinsuke (as I call them) mastered the arts of both athleticism and some kind of otherworldly physical charisma, and years later they’re mostly relying on the latter but it’s still two masters of their craft — and it’s on FOX! Really enjoyed the TakeOver: Dallas callback too. Good memories. Ah. Hmmm. Crying.
2. Big E & Kofi Kingston vs. Los Lotharios (SmackDown 2/19/22)
New Day has always been better than almost anyone at this, but it felt like they had an incredible match with Angel and Humberto here just to prove a point. Absolute tag team wrestling.
3. Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz w/ Dominik Mysterio (Elimination Chamber 2/19/22)
Rey is Rey, Miz a proper dipshit, and the obscenely excited opening match crowd made this a highlight of a low month.
4. WWE Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Goldberg (Elimination Chamber 2/19/22)
We can question why WWE is in a place where Roman/Goldberg is one of the few last spectacle matches available to them while at the same time enjoying this stupid yet perfectly laid out 6-minute pro wrestling match. Staredowns and Spears, smoke and mirrors.
5. RAW Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Lita (Elimination Chamber 2/19/22)
Another belated passing of the torch dream match (ish) like Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg, and like that match we can ask why this is here or we can just appreciate the effort if not the delivery.
6. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Final: MSK vs. The Creed Brothers (NXT 2/15/22)
7. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – Semi Final: The Creed Brothers vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (NXT 2/8/22)
The Creed Brothers got to work this month in both the semis and finals of the Dusty Classic, getting feature spots against two quality teams in two different matches where one pair took heat and another delivered it before the suplexes started falling.
8. NXT North American Title: Carmelo Hayes [c] vs. Cameron Grimes (NXT 2/15/22)
9. NXT Title: Bron Breakker [c] vs. Santos Escobar (NXT 2/15/22)
Two good, solid, and kind of similar TV title matches. NXT 2.0 has taken a lot of swings and it’s at the very least resulted in a bunch of distinctive new talents on the roster, though it’s going to take seeing them break out of the formula (just a little!) for their matches to not hit a ceiling.
10. KUSHIDA vs. Edris Enofe (LEVEL UP 2/18/21)
Did You Know? KUSHIDA still wrestles. Also, WWE re-named 205 Live to Level Up.
Honorable Mentions: Weaponized Steel Cage Match: Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo (NXT 2/15/22), WALTER, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner vs. Roderick Strong & The Creed Brothers (NXT 2/1/22), KUSHIDA vs. Edris Enofe (LVL UP 2/18/21), Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs. Becky Lynch, Nikki ASH & Doudrop (RAW 2/28/22), WWE U.S. Title: Damian Priest [c] vs. Finn Balor (RAW 2/28/22)
Captain Lou’s Review: Action Wrestling – Southeast First (1/21/2022)
Captain Lou’s cooking travel show continues as we hit the South for an interpromotional extravaganza of the HIGHEST ORDER!
MERC © vs. Damian Tangra – TWE Title
Mandalorian-based gimmicks and ninja squad entrances. My journey through the US indies has officially hit a new level of sleaze. Right off the bat, I can tell that Action Wrestling seems committed to the traditional heel vs. babyface thing, which I dig. And judging by those kicks and forearms, the roster seems committed to watching their Pure-O tapes. Dug the flying European cutoffs from THE BULGARIAN BOUNTYHUNTER Damian Tangra.
Rating: Baby Yoda
Landon Hale vs. Eli Knight
These youngsters went for the cutting-edge indie dream match spot-fest and it was a bit uneven, but both showed a lot of potential. The hot crowd and energetic commentary from Twitter’s favorite son Dylan Hales helped smooth over some of the rough edges. Landon Hale spending the entire match selling a floor DDT like it gave him a brain tumor was a bold choice and you know what? I respect it.
Rating: Two and a half flips out of five
Rolando Perez vs. Brandon Williams vs. Donnie Janela
Someone came out to a metal version of Seal’s ‘’Kiss From A Rose’’ and armdrags were blown within the first few minutes. Welcome to independent wrestling. What the match lacked in workrate, it made up for in wild gimmicks. The villainous Short King Rolando Perez slapping people around brought a few laughs. Maybe?
Rating: Ricky Steamboat would cry
Team ACTION (Bobby Flaco, Brogan Finlay & Ashton Starr) vs. Team PWF (Bojack, Diego Hill & BK Westbrook)
Interpromotional warfare always does the strick, even on these random Southern indies. The PWF boys worked as a tight invading unit, large man Bojack doing a lot of damage and making good use of Size Advantage Logistics. On the hometown side, everyone benefitted from being over as fuck and brought appropriate babyfacing to the table. Diego Hill stole the show with 100% major league execution on a bunch of mind-shattering high spots. Big-time structure and big-time heat.
Rating: FUN!
Jon Davis © vs. Drew Adler – PWX Heavyweight Title
Sometimes, the age-old concept of Telling A Story just works, man. Adler cutting off Davis’ brute force by taking out his arm was compelling stuff and gave the match a clear focus from bell to bell. Both of these guys were more experienced than anyone on the card up to this point and it showed. They were able to do a lot with very little. THAT DUDE (this is his actual, official nickname) Jon Davis laying waste to the challenger with chops and body slams was just pure badassery. Like the Southern indie version of a midcard G1 match.
Rating: Rock-solid
Anthony Henry vs. Adam Priest
Kinda wish they hadn’t gone back to the Fuck You spot like 28 times, but there was still a lot to like here. They really beat the shit out of each other, Priest eating most of the ass whooping and taking it like a pro. The two dudes have that snappy, explosive execution that goes hand in hand with the insanely-fast counts of indie refs. Although some of the gimmickier sections (floor spot + exposed turnbuckle spot) could’ve used some tightening up, they always reeled you back in with the stiffness and managed to end things on a high note.
Rating: Liked it
Owen Knight © vs. Kyle Matthews – Southern Honor Title
The thing with these 3 hour-long indie shows is that you become numb to certain spots real quick. THUS, a match featuring lots of superkicks/codebreakers/apron enzuigiris at this point didn’t exactly feel super fresh, but at least you could feel the effort behind it. Dug the energy and charisma from Owen Knight – the Southern Honor Pro top guy adding a layer of personality to a sometimes generic-feeling wrestling match.
Rating: Allright
Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) vs. Arik Royal & Jaden Newman
Really wanted to like this, as VIF made a big impression on that Black Label Pro show I reviewed. Alas, it didn’t work for me. They had something going early with Ku and Newman doing the Japanese-style sempai/young lion dynamic, but then the structure fell apart in favor of everyone Getting Their Shit In and it became just another match. Big boi Arik Royal getting easily thrown around by VIF without any struggle was a bad look. They could’ve gotten a lot of drama out of the champs having to work around Arik’s size advantage. I might be overthinking this.
Rating: Meh
Alex Shelley © vs. AC Mack – IWTV World title Match
Alex Shelley is so fucking good. Not to take anything away from hometown hero AC Mack, but Shelley put on a wrestling masterclass here. Blending douchebag rock swagger with lucha submissions and Kawada cut-offs, this man delivered the ultimate outsider champ performance.
They anchored the match around an arm subplot and got serious mileage out of it: Mack unable to go through with his finisher because of the pain, Shelley repeatedly going back to it to stay in the driver’s seat. This shit might sound basic, but it pays off huge when it’s executed with care (Case in point: this match).
STRUCTURALLY SPEAKING (*cough*), the layout was air-tight. AC’s big babyface comeback coinciding with the whole roster coming out to show support was the icing on a cake that already add plenty of icing. Off the charts drama near the end – they really made you believe Mack was fucked until the last second.
Loved all of it. Timeless wrestling always finds its way back to reliable concepts such as heroes, villains and Working The Arm.
Rating: GREAT!
NJPW New Year Golden Series (1/20 – 2/20/22): Okada Responds To The Haters
It wasn’t the first time Kazuchika Okada had heard criticism for New Japan — the company he had ostensibly led for the past 10 years — but he hadn’t remembered it being so prolonged, so passive, so… snarky. Even worse, he thought to himself more often than he was happy to admit: maybe they were right.
He was still showing up to the Tokyo Dome or the G1 Climax every year to remind them of his greatness, but with time even those performances’ impact lessened and called attention to the fact that he wasn’t having them otherwise. Moreso, it seemed that New Japan’s fortunes exactly followed his, and the evidence displayed on tape was that either he had lost a step or he had lost the aura. Maybe both.
He could explain some of it away to a number of reasons, some heaped onto the company with no warning but some brought on themselves. There was the jarring crowd environment of a pandemic that still persisted, but in the few years since he was regularly contending for the heavyweight title a handful of his colleagues had been promoted into more prominent roles and for a number of reasons — Jay White’s unavailability, Kota Ibushi’s inconsistency, EVIL’s catastrophe — none really took.
After headlining a 3-night Wrestle Kingdom to begin the year, Okada was once again the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and — with a promotional presentation evoking the legacy of New Japan founder Antonio Inoki — maybe another plane of wrestling star entirely. Any step or aura that appeared lost appeared entirely replaced by a new robe, haircut, and maybe just better general posture. He could have spent a lot of time then and now thinking what they’d say about him when he was gone, but for now he’d have to settle for showing them the truth.
New Japan’s first tour of 2022 was the New Year Golden Series, a first for them since 1989. Back then the company was moving towards a new era and away from the formula they were relying on, with the emergence of the Three Musketeers and Jushin Liger about to revitalize the entire company. I watched seven matches from the tour and seven matches from the last two nights in Sapporo.
1. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA (1/20/22)
2. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA (2/11/22)
The Kings of Chemistry are back! Both of these matches were The Usual, but in a good way: Tanahashi and SANADA grappling, Okada and Naito reminding, and Shingo and Nagata just kicking each other’s ass. After a few more shows (and a few cancelled ones), they ran it back except on the undercard and in a bigger arena than Korakuen Hall. I liked the Korakuen match a little more, but what we had here was a pair of ***‘s.
3. YOH vs. SHO (2/11/22)
The fourth YOH/SHO match was their longest and with the clapping crowds that usually means worst, but here it really meant that. It also followed a 15-minute Gedo vs. Tiger Mask IV match, and I’ve got respect for those two but someone has to draw a line. YOH hit a particularly nice dropkick and tope con hilo, but otherwise as they relied on SHO doing arm work and lazy interference spots the runtime just endured. **1/2
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: El Desperado [c] vs. Master Wato (2/11/22)
After a push out the gates that can best be described as “rough,” somewhere in the last 6 to 12 months the blue-haired Master Wato got to a place where you can kind of take him seriously as a wrestler. And that’s all El Desperado needed. His confident body language knocking down Wato’s general scrappiness made this a fun champion vs. underdog match, and some of the 2-counts later could reasonably be described as good near falls. There was a ceiling because of the crowd and Wato just not being all there, but this is a rock solid notch in Despy’s championship belt. Cool finish too. ***1/2
5. Lumberjack Death Match – NEVER Openweight Title: EVIL [c] Tomohiro Ishii (2/13/22)
Great selling by Ishii, and despite the stipulation minimal bullshit from EVIL… God bless this Lumberjack Death Match, which stood out in current stodgy New Japan but also as just a good old-fashioned wrestling slugfest. EVIL throws a few nasty lariats and Ishii’s eventual headbutt comeback is — like a lot of the match — timed so unbelievably well. ****
6. Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (2/13/22)
This was a preview of what would go on to be two excellent matches, and what it lacked in character and reaction it made up for with 33-minutes (!) of main event pro wrestling and Naito/SANADA seeming especially “on.” ***1/2
7. 4-Way Match – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask IV [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (2/19/22)
Wild match of high-flyers and other guests that got right to the point, highlighted by Robbie Eagles’ ridiculous double-jump springboard rana to the floor and a moment where he exclaimed to something or another, “What the hell was that!?” Could’ve opened a Tokyo Dome show. ***1/4
8. IWGP Tag Team Title: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI [c] vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi (2/19/22)
EVIL and Yujiro attacked before the bell. Goto and YOSHI made a comeback. They kept it around 15. It’s EVIL and Yujiro. ***
9. IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. SANADA (2/19/22)
Lots of guys can try it, can do it… only a few can commit to it. Tanahashi and SANADA commit. Or, Tanahashi commits and SANADA commits when he is in the ring with Tanahashi. Like their G1 Climax 2020 masterpiece (I’ll write it and defend it), they provide holds upon holds upon beautiful holds, getting a lot out of a little with seemingly every movement from the lockup a direct reaction to the other guy’s very serious strategy.
Eventually they find their way to a dramatic conclusion, both guys completely spent. Tanahashi throws a desperate Sling Blade that barely slings, but SANADA moves when he tries to follow up with the High Fly Flow and rolls him up for the actual win. ****1/4
10. Satoshi Kojima vs. Great-O-Khan (2/20/22)
I was tempted to watch O-Khan’s matches on the tour against Makabe and Honma too, just because O-Khan seems to “get” the basic and usually reliable New Japan heavyweight style and all the vets still hanging around seem to get a kick out of him too. This isn’t much different than any of the few other Kojima/O-Khan matches that have happened over the last year, but a Kojima lariat sends O-Khan flying from the turnbuckle to the floor and O-Khan does an HBK sell off a Koji Cutter. Those few other matches were pretty good too. ***1/4
11. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Shingo Takagi, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI (2/20/22)
Shingo Takagi didn’t do anything but play second or third option in tags all tour, but in each one he managed to light people up and get all his shit in. Here he did the same and it was the highlight of an undercard: good energy, fast pace… New Japan? ***1/4
12. Dog Cage Death Match – KOPW 2022: Minoru Suzuki vs. Toru Yano (2/20/22)
Minoru Suzuki might be one of the only people on Planet Earth that can make the Toru Yano KOPW gimmick “work,” but even he was dragged down to the depths of whatever this is supposed to be. *1/2
13. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title: EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO [c] vs. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH (2/20/22)
A breezier version of the Tag Titles match from the previous evening, with the addition of SHO, YOH, and a less happy ending. ***
14. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito (2/20/22)
I don’t know if there’s anything new I have to say here that wouldn’t have been covered in either the intro or almost every New Japan main event of the last 10 years, but other than a reminder that Okada and Naito are still capable of greatness I was most struck by Okada’s reverse chinlock. He applied it about 4-minutes into the match. He’s applied the reverse chinlock before — for godssakes, he’s a wrestler! But the reverse chinlock he applied defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2017 and the reverse chinlock he applied in 2020 were different.
Okada brought a wrestling style to the highest levels of wrestling that only a guy who spent time under the learning trees of Ultimo Dragon, the New Japan Dojo and the goddamn Young Bucks could really bring, but above all else he carried himself with such a presence that his run on top was both A) among the best things to happen in pro wrestling ever and B) really hard to follow-up on. When it came time to follow-up, that presence seemed to have gone away.
But then came that chinlock. The intent with which he applied that reverse chinlock about 4 minutes into the match. The robe and haircut were new, but the aura was familiar. Excellent, purpose-renewing professional wrestling match. ****3/4
Happy Thoughts: The ability to pick-and-choose what I saw was helpful, but Tanahashi/SANADA and Naito/Okada were excellent and the matches that led to them felt a step above New Japan’s output of the last couple years. I wouldn’t say they’re “back” but these matches are a reminder of how reliable (and really good!) New Japan can be. 4.0 / 5.0
Stardom Cinderella Journey in Aore (2/23/22): Everyone Should Know AZM & The Starlight Kid
With a Supreme Fight in January and a Cinderella Journey to follow, Stardom began 2022 taking multiple swings in both tone and talent development. Numerous talents were introduced to either the main event or Stardom’s roster itself, an undertaking that wouldn’t seem so bold if they weren’t already running the most consistent big shows in wrestling.
Last month’s Supreme Fight in Nagoya didn’t feel so consistent, but maybe it was just different. Tonight’s double main event featured AZM, Natsupoi, and that Starlight Kid while a few days before the show Stardom announced the return of KAIRI/Kairi Sane/Hojo too.
0. 3-Way Battle – Future of Stardom Title #1 Contender’s Match: Mai Sakurai vs. Waka Tsukiyama vs. Rina
Has the 3-Way Battle always been held under (reverse) elimination rules, or was this a new addition? Either way, Waka (Waka) found herself pinned twice in a little under 10 minutes. I did not enjoy it. *
1. Future of Stardom Title: Hanan [c] vs. Momo Kohgo
I am reasonably certain that Momo Kohgo can go, but all that has stuck with me from this 5 minutes of wrestling was Hanan’s very, very, incredibly slow spin kick, as well as the questionable backdrop suplex hold at its’ conclusion. *1/2
2. Utami Hayashishita & Lady C vs. Momo Watanabe & Ruaka
3. Tam Nakano & Mayu Iwatani vs. Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death★
The undercard was mostly comprised of last year’s headliners and championship contenders taking part in some good solid tag team wrestling matches, ones that won’t swing for greatness but amongst some breezy heel beatdowns and energetic comebacks everyone got to re-enforce their whole Thing and there might just be some greatness in that. ***
4. Ryogoku Skirmish: Syuri, Maika & Himeka vs. Giulia, MIRAI & Thekla
As everyone paired off early on this felt like a big deal, all physical and infused with character and attitude, but somewhere along the way it trailed away from compelling event towards just a buncha fun wrestling action — not much different from the previous tags if it wasn’t for the occasional resurgence of physicality or character. Then it went to a 20-minute draw which is a whole other deal. ***1/2
5. Goddesses of Stardom Title: Hazuki & Koguma [c] vs. Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka
Juxtaposing the previous 20-minute journey to a tie was this, a Tag Team Title match that got right to the character and ass-kicking immediately (maybe the two best things about wrestling) and ended in a 3-count before it could even approach losing momentum. ***1/2
6. High Speed Title: Starlight Kid [c] vs. AZM
Oh wow.
Considering the extravagant names of Stardom’s other championships, Stardom’s High Speed Title has a pretty basic sales pitch while also sometimes feeling like the next and natural evolution of professional wrestling. AZM — 19-years-old but 10-years in wrestling — was champion before, but Starlight Kid was my first exposure to a long High Speed Title reign and this one started like the rest: swinging and ducking and diving and dodging, going hold-for-hold between the ropes or hitting the ropes or on the floor or wherever the vibe took them next. It’s like catch-as-catch-can wrestling with more … don’t say speed … purple.
AZM uses all three levels of ring rope effortlessly, hitting dives or setting up moves and I think once or twice she managed to apply a submission. Instead of creating drama out of pacing and build-up (boring!), they did it by having AZM constantly bring the pressure to Starlight Kid in this environment was by definition pretty constant to begin with. It led to an especially exciting close that I won’t go into because I think you should go watch it instead.
Talent development is one of many abstract and ridiculous concepts in pro wrestling, but the kingmaking Stardom pulls off almost monthly is somehow balancing both visibly deliberate and objectively effective. Starlight Kid and AZM come out of this as bigger stars not from the result but just because they broke some formulas and their wrestling match was freaking awesome. What a throwback. ****1/2
7. Wonder of Stardom Title: Saya Kamitani [c] vs. Natsupoi
I understand positioning one championship over another — I may begrudgingly even prefer it — but they really should have swapped the last two matches. If this goes on first, it’s a very good very fun match where a young underdog valiantly challenged a game but inconsistent new champion still sorting through what her whole whole Thing is. Since it went on last, it’s a very good very fun match that felt less unique, less urgent and less effective than the match that came before it. Still dug it though. ***3/4
Happy Thoughts: Starlight Kid vs. AZM is must-see for fans of professional wrestling, and the rest of the card was not only consistent but impressively distinct. 4.0 / 5.0
NJPW 50th Anniversary Show (3/1/22): Flirty Fifty!
Five decades ago, Antonio Inoki — decent pro-wrestler, legendary promoter, actual politician — was sick of it. Yearning for a star role that couldn’t be achieved in the shadow of his (very) tall colleague and bored with the limitations of an approach to pro wrestling that looked like (paraphrasing) “fake bullshit,” he launched New Japan Pro-Wrestling on January 13, 1972.
Inoki presented his matches as fights and sometimes they looked like it. Sometimes, even, his opponent would be in on it. He fought Muhammad Ali, Lou Thesz, and any freakish oddity or martial artist willing to travel to Japan and take a fall. The formula worked as a feature attraction for almost 20 years as New Japan’s dojo trained wrestlers the way he wanted, introducing to the world names that carry weight years later like Fujinami, Choshu, Muto and Liger.
Five decades on he was no longer in charge or even really affiliated, the result of a complex history of ego and hustling over the next 30 years that could include chapters on both North Korea and Mirko Cro Crop. The company was now owned by publicly traded Bushiroad Inc and incorporated as New Japan Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ltd., with another subsidiary based in America, and it was airing its’ 50th Anniversary Show on New Japan World, an Internet streaming service available worldwide.
Though Inoki’s current health prevented him from attending himself, his ideas and legacy could be seen in most of the eighteen figures of New Japan history introduced before the show, including the four young lions mentioned above plus Tiger Mask, Tiger Hattori, Tiger Hunter and Wataru Inoue, who must be so nice.
1. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO vs. Tiger Mask IV, YOH & Ryohei Oiwa
EVIL and the boys opening up the celebration show would be something to ask about if the ability to have a strong feeling about EVIL and the boys wasn’t beaten out of me long ago, so let’s get to the point: Oiwa’s muscles are becoming spectacular. *3/4
2. Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Minoru Tanaka vs. Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
I was able to see Minoru Tanaka’s rise up the New Japan ranks, lucky enough to see the BattlARTS magician before he put on a mask and became Jushin Liger’s nerd protégé. He returns to New Japan after a 13-year absence and I can’t say him wrestling Bad Luck Fale and taking purple nurples from ELP was an ideal comeback, but he and Ishimori do pull off a really nice 60-seconds of wrestling for a couple of dads and it was really nice seeing him back in New Japan. **3/4
3. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI vs. CIMA, T-Hawk & El Lindaman
Strong Hearts — CIMA, T-Hawk and the impeccably and outright astonishingly tanned El Lindaman — make the case for being regulars in the New Japan junior heavyweight division not just because of the tan but they also finish strong with some spectacular triple-team maneuvers. ***1/4
4. Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, Yuto Nakashima & Kosei Fujita vs. Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
Will Ospreay is back, and even worse The Empire is still tonally inconsistent. One of the young lions puts O-Khan in a crab hold, then loses. **3/4
5. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano & Shiro Koshinaka
Shiro Koshiaka is 63-years-old but still bringing it: the music, the lumpiness, the legendary hip attacks that are really just him jumping and shoving his ass in a guy’s face. We have to show respect though: he still has the hops. He does the one off the apron! He’s 63-years-old! He breaks Yano out of the unescapable Paradise Lock by just nudging him with his foot too, like he didn’t follow or was above the canon, then closes up remarkably strong with Honma. Incredible performance, solid match. ***1/4
6. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
With Okada busy in the main event and the traditional Champion vs. Champion match scheduled for the New Japan Cup, the consolation was a version with the Tag Team Champions. They delivered the match that most built by the New Japan Dojo who stick around are able to do, having a inconspicuous though reliable match that gets fantastically amazing at some point towards the end. The normally ass-focused Taguchi not backing down on strike exchanges with the heavyweights was fun, as were the couple near falls he pulled off. ***1/4
7. NJPW Launch 50th Anniversary Match: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki & Yoshiaki Fujiwara
This is an awesome lineup of wrestlers that successfully mixed up wrestling nostalgia and philosophies, Inoki the wrestler vs. Inoki the shooter spanning multiple generations. Fujinami is 68 and Fujiwara is 72 but everyone is committed is to the bit, with Tanahashi selling Fujiwara’s chops like death then watching in horror as he delivers a headbutt to the exposed steel turnbuckle post — that old whimsical spot everyone remembers and definitely wanted to see. Tanahashi and ZSJ matched up well trying to impress their heroes, as did Okada and Suzuki. ***1/2
Happy Thoughts: More a show for the fully committed, but even beyond the fun cameos and nostalgia this was one of the more well-rounded New Japan shows in a while. 3.5 / 5.0
AEW Revolution (3/6/22): Miseria Cantare
The road to Revolution was congested, but found its way to an excellent 12-match card. It just continued this whole thing I’d been feeling. It was getting at me since the last big AEW card, though it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that a line on page 16 of David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game fully articulated it succinctly: “there was more, but it was less.”
Look. AEW beats a lot of other wrestling. Any American wrestling. Most wrestling in general. These are verifiable facts that everyone is well aware of. They brought GODDAMN CM PUNK back among thirty other things they brought back to wrestling or do well at in wrestling. With more talent and more TV though, building momentum feels replaced with balancing priorities. A bunch of good to great wrestlers are being introduced at a rapid pace, but they’re expected to get interesting opposite other wrestlers who weren’t properly cycled into the world to begin with. The most important stuff — World Champion included — no longer felt so important too, or at least not emphasized enough to where the strings pulled to finally bring the card together weren’t so visible.
They got there though, and the third AEW Revolution took place at the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. Eddie Kingston is here! Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley! CM Punk vs. MJF in a Dog Collar Match, referencing some of CM Punk’s most famous feuds in history! Hangman Adam Page in the main event! They got there!
0. Kris Statlander vs. Leyla Legit Hirsch
The 10-minute runtime for this Buy-In opener allowed many things, but it also had way too many things. The wrestling was slow, the setups were rough, and by the time they reached an Electric Chair Drop from the top rope it felt like they were actively mocking the reputation of AEW PPV’s. Ended with a wrench or something too. A match that needed to chill. *1/2
0. Hook vs. QT Marshall
Consider Hook sent. I like Hook, or at least I like what I’ve seen from Hook in the six quick matches I’ve seen him wrestle in after a year of endearing cameos on AEW TV. The journey continues. **
0. Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews vs. PAC, Penta Oscuro & Erick Redbeard
This match, 20-minutes long with several potential victims of a crowded roster, turned all of my bitching on its’ head by being Freaking Incredible. If you are going to have a ton of wrestlers, and you give them something to do — albeit something that has to involve Alex Abrahantes wearing a vampire costume for some reason — you might just be able to pair them up in a random 6-man tag and open your show red hot.
Erick Redbeard always had a way about finding his place in matches with high-flyers and was on assignment here even before he delivered that awesome spin kick right to some poor sucker’s face. Buddy Matthews vs. both PAC and Penta were tremendous exchanges of wrestling too, including Buddy taking one of his classic bumps right on top of his head from a Canadian Destroyer. ***1/4
1. Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Jericho
Eddie Kingston is very good at pro wrestling, but not how a lot of wrestlers today are “very good.” There’s a set of intangibles he brings both in and outside the ring that create a pretty complete package of very good wrestler: promos, personality, personal journey, contact on strikes, attention-demanding selling, ability to change a crowd atmosphere, to create drama, to payoff the drama, and a commitment at all times that seems to serve as an answer to anyone who dare question that this is not real. He might even be great.
That will come from 20+ years as a pro wrestler but it will also come from an appreciation for mid-90s All Japan, a time and place that — through strikes to the face and suplexes on the head and kickouts at the last second and goddamn 100% undisputed commitment — might have taken the “pro wrestling main event” to its furthest, most eye-popping and wonderful (psychotic too) possible heights.
The thing Kingston has going right now is he’s been able to showcase that styles’ greatness not by aping it but by blending it into whatever scenario he finds himself in on PPV including this one, where he and 51-years-old Chris Jericho delivered some of King’s Road’s strange joys — including a targeted attack to the orbital bone — from within a tight 15-minute opening match package. Heck of a show that might have passed a torch, if that’s still a thing. The Stretch Plum is now canon in wrestling again too. ****
2. AEW World Tag Team Title: Jurassic Express [c] vs. The Young Bucks vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish
Somewhere around 15 minutes into this 3-Way Tag Match its’ enjoyable chaos seemed to wrap over itself with a more redundant chaos, but there was plenty to love here as the crazy kids just kept it moving. Jungle Boy’s balance on all the high-flying he did was wild, but his connection on the springboard Doomsday Device caused me to audibly gasp. ****
3. Face of the Revolution Ladder Match: Christian Cage vs. Keith Lee vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Wardlow vs. Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Good Ladder Match that felt distinct from all the others, which in 2022 is miracle worker stuff. The big boy trio of Keith Lee, Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs all got their showcase and Orange Cassidy’s skin the cat from underneath a ladder was genuinely one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in wrestling. ****
Who’s House? Swerve’s House.
4. AEW TBS Title: Jade Cargill [c] vs. Tay Conti
Even without the big swing they took by beginning the match with a kiss, this was exceeding expectations for a little while before they tried a few too many near falls that just made it feel like any other match on the show… just less. **1/2
5. Dog Collar Match: CM Punk vs. MJF
I don’t particularly care for bloody violence in my wrestling, unless of course it’s necessary. Nor do I really even care for the very idea of a “Dog Collar Match,” unless it’s that one time with Greg Valentine or at least references something from wrestling history. And close-up camera shots of CM Punk punching open a fresh wound aren’t something I’m going to rush to recommend to friends and family, unless they’re my closest.
I won’t write longform here about my entire wrestling fandom, but attending the first Ring of Honor show in Chicago Ridge (Punk/Cabana vs. The Briscoes!) then the second and third had a lot to do with why I’m into this so much. I thought this particular match needed more punches than thumbtacks as they fought to the finish, but it was yet another stop on the continuous dopamine rush that has been CM Punk’s return to pro wrestling. In delivering this anticipated now compelling rivalry and writing another chapter in his remarkably consistent arc as a pro wrestler, he might be the only wrestler who’s been able to actually Control His Narrative.
The Wardlow turn was delivered perfectly too. ****3/4
6. AEW Women’s World Title: Dr. Britt Baker [c] vs. Thunder Rosa
They will have their day, one day, and hopefully on that day they will be on the same page, too. **3/4
7. Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley
This was pretty much as advertised with two all-time greats (yep) locking up for the first time in a while, if not a little later in the card than expected. They powered through a quiet crowd by trading credible wrestling holds on a bloodstained mat then eventually just beating each other’s ass in a variety of ways that sometimes included one guy grabbing another by the beard for leverage. More IWA Mid-South tribute than Punk’s efforts earlier, made even better when it was revealed as a backdoor pilot to the AEW debut of William Regal. ****1/4
8. Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara vs. Andrade el Idolo, Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy
They could’ve taken it easy but instead brought the noise, most notably Steve “Sting” Borden doing a balcony dive and a Spanish Fly from Sammy Guevara off a ladder through two tables that rivaled the Orange Cassidy spot from earlier. Somehow, Private Party worked their Silly String spot into a crowd brawl too. ***1/2
9. AEW World Title: Hangman Page [c] vs. Adam Cole
The Battle of Adams main event had elements of 90s All Japan too, though it came with more superkicks and less commitment. The last five minutes were occasionally confusing but mostly incredible, and Hangman’s Buckshot Lariat was a-ma-zing. It was a good match that just didn’t do enough to stand out from the other good matches before or like it. Regardless: good defense for Hangman. ****
Happy Thoughts: Tremendous night of wrestling, just one best viewed in two or three parts. Punk, Danielson and Moxley delivered greatness while Eddie Kingston, Wardlow and even MJF came out of the night looking like even bigger deals. 4.0 / 5.0