NJPW's G1 Climax and Lucha Underground's Ultima Lucha ensured there was no dearth of high quality wrestling this week. Honourable mentions for this week include Ibushi vs Naito, Yano vs Tanahashi, Nakamura vs Ishii, Elgin vs Honma and that's only including matches from NJPW. That's not to mention the likes of Mundo vs El Patron, The Young Bucks vs War Machine along with Progress: Chapter 20 being released online with great matches such as Will Ospreay vs Jimmy Havoc and Samarian Death Squad vs The Hunter Brothers. I won't be including the Progress matches in the list as, technically, Chapter 20 occurred on the 26th July but was only released on demand this week-the whole event is great, those matches mentioned are worth the price of subscription alone.
Enough preamble for today, here are this week's Matches of the Week and we begin with a choice from a promotion that has been having a had time of late.
EC3 vs Matt Hardy- 05/08
Metal Mayhem for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Whilst Jeff Jarrett plays the lute while TNA burns to the ground, EC3 has seemingly made it his personal mission to establish himself as the future of pro wrestling regardless of TNA's future. This week on TNA, the future meets the past as Matt Hardy faces EC3 with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the line. After defeating Bobby Roode to be crowned number one contender Matt Hardy was granted the choice of what match he would meet the champion in. Hardy chose a match he helped pioneer and define in his younger years- a tables, ladders and chairs match, or Metal Mayhem as TNA have branded it.
The stipulation allowed for a fun match with some fun spots throughout. At one stage early on, the champion placed the challenger inside the steel steps before tossing him around ringside. The challenger exacted his revenge by ensuring that there would be no little EC4s running around any time soon by repeatedly driving the ladder into the nether regions of the champion. Hardy attempts a twist of fate but is sent tumbling to the outside by EC3 before a low blow allows EC3 to slam Hardy onto a ladder balanced between the apron and the barricade. As EC3 reaches ever closer to the unhooking the title, returns to his feet and pulls EC3 down before hitting the side effect. Hardy positions EC3 on a table before delivering a leg drop to send both men crashing through the table. Hardy begins the ascent to his first ever TNA World Heavyweight Championship but the champion, somehow, manages to return to his feet to race to top of the ladder to do battle with Hardy. EC3 and Hardy trade blows on top of the ladder before the champion delivers a low blow to send the challenger crashing to the mat along with the hopes of becoming TNA World Heavyweight Champion for the first time.
Despite the multifarious, and justified, criticisms of TNA over the past few months the quality of matches has not deteriorated to the same extent as the roster. As the mass exodus of talent seems to have come to a momentary halt, it is important TNA continue to showcase for what little remaining talent in matches like this. Overall, this was a fun match.
Prince Puma vs Mil Muertes 05/08
No Disqualifications for the Lucha Underground Championship
Amidst concerns regarding the future of Lucha Underground, the first season of Lucha Underground concluded with Ultima Lucha that exhibited some of the finest Lucha Libre in the world. The show featured a solid match between Johnny Mundo and Alberto El Patron, a horrifyingly violent contest between Vampiro and Pentagon Jr and the much anticipated title match between Prince Puma and Mil Muertes. It was Prince Puma, the foundation which Lucha Underground was built, against Mil Muertes that stole the season finale in an epic contest that ushered in the age of the dead.
The rookie champion Prince Puma, for the first time without trainer Konnan at ringside, faced his toughest challenge yet coming up against a man that has cheated death not once but a thousand times, A back and forth brawl around the temple concludes with Mil Muertes parting the sea of humanity to send Puma crashing into the benches moments after Prince Puma utilised Katrina's stiletto as a weapon. Mil Muertes, with the momentum, power bombs the champion on the steel steps before continuing to bounce Puma around the temple like a pinball. Out of nowhere, the champion delivers a pele kick followed by a northern lights suplex- Puma rolls through, lifting Mil Muertes up to deliver a fisherman suplex in a fantastic display of strength. Prince Puma, looking to mount some aerial offence, heads to the ring apron before Mil Muertes delivers a huge spear sending both men crashing through the table placed ringside earlier in the match. Mil Muertes, first to his feet, rolls Puma back inside the ring for a close fall. Mil Muertes looks to end the match as he lines up a spear- the champion dives out the way before hitting a superkick followed by three kicks to take down the challenger,
Mil Muertes lands in the corner, Puma heads up to the top rope and lands the 630 splash...1...2... Mil Muertes kicked out- no one has ever kicked out of the 630 before! Convinced by fan's encouragement, Puma heads to the top looking for another 630- nobody home as Muertes hits a spear before dragging Puma's lifeless body to his feet to deliver the flat liner...1....2.... The champion kicks out- no one has ever kicked out of the flat liner either! As both men return to their feet, motivated by the adoration of the believers, Prince Puma gains the advantage, climbing to the top looking for the 630 but Mil Muertes, wisely, gets to his feet before the champion can hit the move that he has won so many matches with- Muertes follows Puma to the top, smashing his forarm across the face of Prince Puma before delivering a huge flat liner from the top rope to pick up the three count and become the new Lucha Underground Champion as the age of death and darkness enshrouds Dario Cueto's temple.
Available to watch here.
Seth Rollins vs Neville 03/08
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Open Challenge
The man that
Much to the disappointment of the champ who seemed to have his hopes set on El Torito, instead the first ever NXT Champion Seth Rollins faces the first WWE Network NXT Champion Neville for the richest prize in sports entertainment. As expected, the match did not fail to deliver. Both men worked a fast pace more associated with PWG than WWE with Neville delivering a hurricanrana to the champion followed by a springboard corkscrew moonsault to the outside. Rollins regained control only for a few seconds before Neville hit a beautiful reverse frankensteiner to turn the tide followed by a dead lift German. Neville, sensing his big opportunity, positions himself to deliver the Red Arrow but the champ rolls out of the way before hitting a huge lariat that sends Neville spinning. A pedigree attempt by the champion is reversed into a roll up for one of the closest 2.999999 counts i have ever seen. Rollins heads to the top but Neville sends him back to the ground with a hurricanrana. Neville heads to the top rope again and successfully lands the Red Arrow for what should have been the match but, in his excitement, the challenger over hooks Rollins' leg placing them on the ropes causing a rope break before the referee reaches three. Animated by the fan's encouragement, Neville heads to the top rope to attempt a Red Arrow again-this time Rollins rolls out the way before taking advantage of Neville's momentary loss of balance to hit the Pedigree to pick up the three count.
This was a really fun match to begin RAW which showcased a side to Rollins we don't get to see too often and probably should have closed the show instead of the insipid six man tag match that did. Rollins cowardice is an easy way to solicit boos from the crowd but last night Rollins was booked a lot stronger against the smaller man. What was most impressive in this match, a match everyone was expecting Rollins to win, was that Neville and Rollins contrived such a close pin fall attempt after Neville hit Rollins with the Red Arrow only for the challenger to accidentally hook the champion's leg on the rope for a rope break.
Available to watch here.
Hirooki Goto vs Kazuchika Okada 01/08
Hitherto Goto vs Okada, this year's best matches from NJPW's G1 Climax have occurred almost exclusively in Block A until the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion met the IWGP Intercontinental Champion on the 1st August. A couple of days earlier, WWE attempted a champion vs champion match that drew widespread derision as one champion was allegedly 'buried' in favour of elevating a minor title. The Okada vs Goto match received no such criticism and still stands as the best match to occur in Block B.
Although Okada has the advantage of the support from the crowd, Goto has the better of the initial exchange due to his strength advantage. A nice exchange concludes as Goto delivers a neck breaker that sends Okada to the outside. Goto follows the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to the outside delivering an irish whip into the barricade before missing an attempted lariat sending himself tumbling into the crowd as Okada hits a running cross body over the barricade and into Goto. After delivering a spike ddt to the ringside floor, Okada attempts a pin-only 2. Okada follows up with a neck breaker before a big lariat by Goto allows the IWGP Intercontinental an opportunity to regain control. Goto, sensing an opportunity, hits a spinning heel kick before a bulldog. A reversal grants Okada an opportunity to mount some offence planting Goto with a ddt followed by a European uppercut. Okada, not allowing Goto room to recover, hits a brain buster on the knee before attempting a tombstone-reversed by Goto who rebounds of the ropes-perhaps looking for another lariat- straight into a beautifully executed dropkick by Okada.
Out zooms the camera as Okada poses for the Rainmaker but Goto has it scouted, ducking out the way before hitting a modified face buster. Goto looks for the Ura Shouten but Okada rolls through only to be cornered by the IWGP Intercontinetal Champion who drives consecutive forarms into Okada's face. Goto looks for a superplex but the Okada slips through- Rainmaker attempt by Okada again but Goto drives his head into Okada's until he loses his grip. Okada is dazed as Goto positions him to deliver the Ura Shouten to pick up the three count and the two points.
Available to watch here.
No comments:
Post a Comment