Last week, on The Weekly real, I mentioned a pretty major omission from the list. Of course, I didn’t write up the final Bryan/Nigel match, because I was busy preparing a video on it instead. That video is out now, edited together by the wonderful SamTheVAMod, and puts a neat little end to one of my more popular video series. It was nice to revisit Amadeus and that rivalry once again, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s supported the series overall and this latest edition.
On to the Real…
Note on dates: Review dates refer to my local timezone in the Philippines, match dates are based on the timezone each match occurred in.
Mistico vs. Hechicero (CMLL/Alto Voltaje Noche de Campeonatos 9/29/24)
Reviewed: October 8, 2024
This is an interesting mix for this show to be sure. It doesn’t quite have that same Arena Mexico magic but there’s something compelling about this crowd nonetheless. There’s a large section of it real dedicated to Hechicero’s success–only understandable given Hechicero’s recent performances especially in the Aniversario apuesta–and some scattered disdain for Mistico as well. What results is this odd back and forth where neither men plays strictly tecnico or rudo. Nominally, Hechicero is cast in the rudo role with his second getting involved at ringside, but later on Templario does the same on Mistico’s behalf as well.
A much bigger barrier to this is that it just feels a little bit too long. Mistico’s not my favorite in these straight championship-style bouts, especially outside of Arena Mexico. He’s not the most interesting on the mat most days, and his playing to the crowd gets turned up to a slightly more absurd degree. And yet, most of it still holds. It works especially because of how things heat up in the segunda, with Hechicero really firing off these cool worked punches to punish Mistico, and then later Mistico firing back in kind by going after Hechicero’s bad arm. It’s still two CMLL guys so long term limb selling just isn’t in the cards here but it’s sensible for Mistico to keep aiming to soften up the arm for La Mistica. That too helps things as Hechicero’s real great about either blocking or forcing Mistico to switch up his strategy in order to avoid La Mistica. It’s scouting out this particular hold too that allows him the flash of offense at the finish that gets him the win.
A little messy, probably too long, but just a little too much talent involved to deny.
Rating: ***¾
Shinya Aoki & Yuya Koroku vs. HARASHIMA & Yuki Ueno (DDT God Bless DDT Tour in Shinjuku 10/3/24)
Reviewed: October 7, 2024
Another step in the build to HARASHIMA/Aoki, and it’s wonderful. Now turned against each other once again, the HARASHIMA and Aoki interactions are just a joy to watch. Aoki’s made it his business to completely smother and control his opposition in this KOD Title run, and for the first time since winning the belt he’s paired with someone who can swim in the deep waters with him. HARASHIMA actually proves a challenge for Aoki, someone who can get Aoki’s shoulders down and get those same big reactions that Aoki’s been receiving this run. Two guys making the most of the least.
Outside of them, Koroku and Ueno provide some fun texture here. Ueno against Koroku shows some of that darker, ace-like streak that I’ve enjoyed from him in the past. There’s something of a bully in Ueno when paired against the younger worker, but what makes that stand out even more is Aoki’s complete disinterest him in spite of all that. A perfect character dynamic for Aoki to totally ignore the kid he wasted to instead focus on the veteran that’s pushing him.
Rating: ****
Timothy Thatcher & Hideki Suzuki vs. 1 Called Manders & Thomas Shire (wXw World Tag Team Festival 2024 N1 10/4/24)
Reviewed: October 6, 2024
A bit of an uphill climb here. The wXw crowds are not my favorite (more on that later), and having missed much of the company’s golden era, I don’t have the same ability to see through some of the inherent environmental quirks like the crowds and the smaller ring. At the same time, this feels maybe a few minutes too long and likely could have benefited with some judicious editing here and there.
And yet, I still think it mostly rocks. For the most part, it’s about riffing between all the pairings in the bout and then steadily escalating towards the finish. There’s heat segments but they’re more incidental towards just constantly cranking up the intensity of the action here. Shire’s really great here for riffing against Suzuki and Thatcher, both of whom give him a lot on the defense while still really pushing him both with strikes and grappling. Manders plays a fun bruiser, wonderfully adding a lot of friction here by pushing against both the opponents and foregoing any initial feelings of respect. Thatcher may be the best worker in the whole thing though, not only masterfully channeling the (somewhat scattered) energy of the crowd, but also smoothly moving from returning hero to antagonistic heel in control before match end.
Messy, to be sure, but still enjoyable enough to recommend.
Rating: ***¾
1 Called Manders vs. Mad Dog Connelly (wXw Extreme Wrestling Party 10/4/24)
Reviewed: October 6, 2024
The first iteration of this bout as a “touring” match. As with the tag earlier in the day, it’s up against an unideal crowd here. The fans here are unfortunately real quiet for the bout, only engaging in the occasional singing chant for Manders. Be better for our boy Mad Dog next time, Germany. That said, the relative quiet does very little to effect just how well these two pair up together. If anything, it even helps emphasize those great live rounds they always fire off at each other. The match is simpler in construction than their other work, but no less potent with things really emphasized like the work put into getting both men bleeding, the big gutwrench bomb on the floor, and then the dueling biting in the ring. All done to the rhythm of some great punches and smacks and a heavy chain in between. Keep giving these two shots to do this, it always turns out well even in the worst circumstances.
Rating: ***¾
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE Bad Blood 10/5/24)
Reviewed: October 7, 2024
About a minute into the bout, CM Punk gets tossed out of the ring. He glances up against the cell wall, and sells his back from the impact. That’s about the moment I saw that the CM Punk I’ve always been a fan off still existed somewhere in the sell out facsimile still working in the WWE today. It’s such a simple gesture, but one that so many people might have outright ignored, but it’s exactly the kind of thing CM Punk would be sure to include.
That said, this remains far from a perfect thing. It’s still too long, and the veneer of WWE artificiality never really goes away. And yet, they just get so much right. For one, what really works is surpassing the feeling that they’re just moving from big spot to big spot. This feels the most like a spontaneous brawl in the WWE since we last saw Brock Lesnar, for example. It’s all very spite driven, filled entirely with these big punches and really direct uses of violence. There’s a lot of great detail too like how the table leg coming off feels like a mistake at first before being revealed to be the whole point of having that prop in the ring at all. There’s the threat of such great stuff too like Punk trying to drive McIntyre’s eye into the other table leg.
Importantly though, the violence they do deliver instead of just tease rules so much too. It’s a lot of worked, pantomime stuff, but it functions here about as well as it ever has. The wrench is an especially great touch, giving us a lot of jabbing and stabbing that we just don’t really get from the WWE much at all. Deep in the match too, Punk just whacks away with that thing enough that we get the really gorgeous shot of the blood pouring out of Drew McIntyre’s open wound, probably the most legitimate and moving moment of bloodletting we’ve seen from the WWE in years. There’s also a pair of truly disgusting bumps in this from Punk eating the White Noise into the steps, both men taking the apron suplex to the table, and then that grotesque lower back bump Drew takes right into the steel steps.
It’s not all perfect, it is excessive in design, and yet it all still has just enough truly sick shit to rise above its issues. Alongside the current BCC drama, another indication of how true, real-feeling violence is the best way to make drama feel earned in pro wrestling.
Rating: ****
Meiko Satomura & Shoko Nakajima vs. Miu Watanabe & Miyu Yamashita (TJPW All Rise 10/6/24)
Reviewed: October 7, 2024
Another delightful stop on the Meiko retirement tour, this time mixing it up with the top names in TJPW. I’ll make it clear here that I don’t follow TJPW, but everyone looked great in this. The match foregoes heat segments to instead focus on the gravity of Satomura’s presence. Every time Meiko’s in the ring, she feels like a game changer, bearing down on the younger workers and really putting them through the ringer. It’s not even outward violence Meiko applies either, it’s more of just this assured sense of control, locking them into holds, bringing them down to the mat, and then kicking through them when necessary. It’s all there in the opening moments when she gets the chance to tie up with Miyu. Miyu’s kicks get checked or just land like pesky mosquito bites, but Meiko’s sting and the legend’s able to get much more out of her attacks than Yamashita.
Shoko’s used here as a potential vulnerability for Meiko’s team. It’s much easier for Yamashita and Watanabe to break through Shoko, though Shoko’s quickness may yet prove a problem. Those early dynamics make it feel even better when Shoko makes a comeback later on or when Miyu and Miu finally are able to rock Meiko deep in the match just enough to instill a certain sense of doubt. But as she has always been skilled at before, Meiko has a way of making herself feel inevitable. When the bombs start falling and she really starts to get her best offense in, it feels entirely right for her to take Yamashita down and reinforce the hierarchy they all came in with.
Rating: ****
Mad Dog Connelly vs. Fuminori Abe (wXw World Tag Team Festival 2024 N3 10/6/24)
Reviewed: October 7, 2024
While they don’t strictly produce his best matches, Mad Dog’s performances at World Tag Team Festival may be some of his most impressive all year. He’s working to get over in front of a crowd somewhat unfamiliar with him against names with a lot more popularity in the area than him too. Here against Fuminori Abe, Mad Dog accomplishes so much that I love. Abe in Germany has always struck me as coasting on “vacation mode.” He mostly sticks to the goofier aspects of his shtick, hamming it up for the European audience while only occasionally unleashing his better offense. Mad Dog actually disrupts that mindset here through sheer commitment to the bit. The guy simply refuses to bend for this European crowd, instead finding smaller ways in his work to try to get them involved. Mad Dog sticks to the character, never veering into the silly, but also channeling the crowd’s energy through simple gestures in the anticipation for offense. Most importantly too, Mad Dog doesn’t break for Abe either. Any time Abe might go a little goofier with his selling, Mad Dog presses forward with viciousness. He’s oppressive with his attacks, stiff chops, hard punches, even tugging at Abe’s nose. It’s all so great that Abe’s sort of forced to return in kind, unleashing some of his stiffest kicks all weekend just to get any comeback in. Credit to Abe as well for giving a lot up to Mad Dog here. He’s the one really fighting from underneath, he’s forced to sneak a win instead of solidify it, and he’s the one running for the hills even in victory. Best wXw match I’ve seen in years.
Rating: ****
Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne (WWE Raw 10/7/24)
Reviewed: October 8, 2024
Another great gimmick match from the fed here, this time on a lower stakes platform. This only really need to be scrappy and have some cool spots, and they deliver that in spades. I enjoy the roughness around the edges with things like Sheamus grabbing at hair early or Dunne sneaking in with small shots or grabbing at the limbs more as a means of controlling Sheamus’ mass. All the shots land really well too, but they also supplement it with a few really great setpieces. Dunne getting caught on his crossbody and getting slammed onto the announce desk but also that delightfully nutty White Noise off the barrels through the tables. Great finish too with Dunne trying one final trick and then still getting blasted into oblivion ofr it. Hell yeah.
Rating: ****
Gunther vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Raw 10/7/24)
Reviewed: October 8, 2024
The main point commentary drives home is that Gunther’s coming into this match hoping to be a lot more prepared against Sami Zayn than his WrestleMania loss. I love how smoothly Gunther incorporates that into the work here without being obnoxious about it. For one, Gunther takes Sami a hell of a lot more seriously this time around. There’s no more extended taunting, no more extending things for punishment’s sake. Instead, Gunther wrestles so much more defensively, taking Sami to the mat early to control him, and then focusing on countering or stamping down Sami’s signature offense to keep from getting caught. There’s a delightful sequence in the second act built around Sami attempting the Blue Thunder Bomb and Gunther’s attempts to shut that down. What makes it especially satisfying is that more often than not, Sami still does break through, nailing his big move and breaking past Gunther’s attempts to slow him down.
That allows us to continue to believe in Sami, really buy into his chances here with the memory of the victory at Mania still glowing bright in our minds. What’s different really is that he’s up against a Gunther that’s not playing games anymore. Gunther wrestles defensively at first, but he’s also a lot more keyed in to hone in on advantages. The champion really adds on the pressure here, stringing together offense more urgently, and again Sami still keeps breaking through. That powerbomb one count feels so damn rich given how pretty well protected Gunther’s offense as a whole is, and he gets the most possible drama out of that final Sleeper before going out as well.
A fantastic championship match, one wrestled by the only two men in the company fighting for the best WWE match of the year.
Rating: ****¼
