Opinion

Top 5 Matches: Week Ending 4/7/2019

Holy wrestling overload Batman! With all of the wrestling this week, what stuck out and what did Andrew have enough time to see? Let’s see what made the Top 5 Matches!

Published

4 years ago

April 8, 2019

Andrew Balaz

Becky Lynch Ronda Rousey Charlotte Flair WWE WrestleMania 35

Holy wrestling overload Batman! With all of the wrestling this week, what stuck out and what did Andrew have enough time to see? Let’s see what made the Top 5 Matches!

Talk about a long week, right? First world problems I’m aware. But I didn’t even see everything I wanted to since I went to see G1 Supercard live. I pray for those who had a show everyday. I guess I’m just getting old, but I’m still tired from Saturday.

Either way, we’re got two votes this week! The weekly and the March month vote! Let’s look at the March pool:

Stardom Wonder of Stardom Title Match: Jungle Kyona vs Momo Watanabe (c)
Fastlane: US Title 4 Way: Samoa Joe (c) vs R-Truth vs Rey Mysterio vs Andrade
New Japan Cup: Zack Sabre Jr vs Kota Ibushi
New Japan Cup Finals: Kazuchika Okada vs SANADA
SmackDown Live: SmackDown Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs Charlotte Flair

Well March is a little unique since I can’t remember if last year we had a pool with two women’s matches. When it comes to my vote, it goes to Jungle Kyona vs Momo Watanabe. Great match, hard hitting and those style of matches don’t happen enough in Stardom, but damn it was special.

Either way, this week’s vote will probably be hard for most. A bunch of great stuff, it’s always a good week when matches that got 4 1/4 don’t make the Top 5 cut, plus, we have three 5 snowflake matches on the list.

5 (t). WrestleMania 35: SmackDown & Raw Women’s Championships Winner Take All Triple Threat: Ronda Rousey (c) vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair (c)

From My Analysis:
This triple threat had everyone holding their breath before the bell rang. We’ve become so conditioned to expect WWE throwing us a fast one, that they worked us, by not working us. The match was fantastic, a few nit picks. Like Charlotte not selling the Piper’s Pit on the outside, sloppy crucifix and a few of the double moves looked odd, but that’s nit picking. Great match by all three women, and it’s cliche to say, but the right person won.

Winner: Becky via Crucifix Pin

Rating: **** 1/2

5 (t). NXT TakeOver New York: 2 out of 3 Falls NXT Championship: Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano

From My Analysis:
It’s a 2 out of 3 falls match. So there’s a lot that went on. Cole got the first fall with the Last Shot. Gargano got the second fall with the Garga-NO Escape. The third one was crazy, spotty, tons of near falls. Undisputed Era eventually came out to try and put Cole over, but Gargano kept kicking out. Fairytale Ending, Panama Sunrise, reDragon did Total Elimination, another Last Shot…Gargano wouldn’t die. He wiped out the rest of the stable and focused on Cole. Eventually Gargano caught Cole in another Garga-NO Escape, kicked off the rope to put it in the middle, and won the Championship! Crazy match, a little too “indy spotfest” to knock my socks completely off, but still a damn good match.

Winner: Gargano via Garga-NO Escape (2-1)

Rating: **** 1/2

4. NXT TakeOver New York: NXT Tag Team Titles: War Raiders (c) vs Aleister Black & Ricochet

Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
The count reaches 5 as Aleister and Hanson stand. Hanson keeps Aleister get in but Aleister does the same. But now they’re all down, so Rowe and Ricochet get in at 9.5! Rowe and Ricochet are now legal as they slowly stand up. They start brawling, and Ricochet manages to bob ‘n’ weave. Rowe lands a right but Ricochet hits an uppercut. Ricochet swings but into Ace Ten- No, a boot from Ricochet! Tag to Aleister who boots Rowe and knees Hanson. Rowe grabs Aleister but Aleister shakes him off. Rowe roars, BLACK MASS! Tag to Ricochet, who climbs up, SHOOTING STAR! Hanson returns as Ricochet covers, Hanson barrels into everyone to break the pin! Aleister and Hanson tumble out but Ricochet keeps on Rowe. Rowe’s in a drop zone and Ricochet’s up again. Ricochet aims, 630 senton FLOPS as Hanson saves Rowe!

Aleister moonsaults but misses Hanson! Hanson clobbers Aleister then gets Rowe in. Rowe crawls and tags Hanson back in. Ricochet stands and boots Hanson first! Ricochet runs, dodges, but gets THOR’S HAMMER! Hanson DIVES onto Aleister! Rowe drags Ricochet up, Hanson climbs, FALLOUT!! Cover, War Raiders win!!

Winner: War Raiders via Fallout

Rating: **** 1/2

3. GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: Josh Barnett vs Minoru Suzuki

Well it was his show, so of course he gets the best opponent. No ropes, shoot style wrestling with no pinfalls and MMA style rules. This was something to watch.

If you like hard hitting, catch is catch can style mixed with submission/MMA style then find this show. Suzuki and Barnett went hold for hold for most of the match. Suzuki went to the outside, grabbed a chair, bumped the ref, but when he hit Barnett with the chair, it just pissed Josh off.

Initially it went to the 20 minute time limit, and the crowd chanted for 5 more minutes. Suzuki silenced them, and then screams “Five more minutes”. So we get 5 more minutes of great submissions, no selling fire spots and just a general spectacle. It was also funny to hear Suzuki talk shit in English and Barnett responded in Japanese. They both had one another in Knee Bar submissions when the time ran out on Overtime.

These two have a lot of history from Pancrase days, both were King of Pancrase champions and this was just a fantastic display of hybrid wrestling. Plus you have to figure, Jersey, New York and Philly are still a hot ECW territory, so anything violent, will be received well. This was just special.

Winner: Time Limit Draw

Rating: *****

Honorable Mentions:

G1 Supercard: ROH World Championship Ladder Wars: Marty Scurll vs Jay Lethal (c) vs Matt Taven
Winner: Matt Taven
Rating: **** 1/4
WrestleMania 35: Randy Orton vs AJ Styles
Winner: Styles via Phenomenal Forearm
Rating: ****
NXT TakeOver New York: NXT North American Title Match: Matt Riddle vs Velveteen Dream (c)
Winner: Dream via Submission Reversal Cradle
Rating: ****
G1 Supercard: Rev Pro British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Winner: Sabre via Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness
Rating: ****
NXT TakeOver New York: WWE UK Championship Match: WALTER vs Pete Dunne (c)
Winner: Walter via Top Rope Splash
Rating: ****
G1 Supercard: Honor Rumble
Winner: Kenny King
Rating: ****
G1 Supercard: IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Kota Ibushi
Winner: Ibushi via Kamigoye
Rating: ****
G1 Supercard: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Triple Threat: Dragon Lee vs Bandido vs Taiji Ishimori (c)
Winner: Dragon Lee via Desnucadora
Rating: *** 3/4
WrestleMania 35: SmackDown Live Tag Team Titles: The Usos (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev vs The Bar vs Aleister Black & Ricochet
Winner: Usos via Double Uce
Rating: *** 3/4
NXT TakeOver New York: NXT Women’s Championship Match: Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair vs Shayna Baszler (c) vs Io Shirai
Winner: Baszler via Kirifuda Clutch
Rating: *** 3/4
WrestleMania 35: Falls Count Anywhere: Shane McMahon vs The Miz
Winner: Shane via Superplex Shenanigans
Rating: *** 1/2
IMPACT: X Division Scramble: Aiden Prince vs Idris Abraham vs Ace Austin vs Trey vs Petey Williams vs Jake Crist
Winner: Petey Williams via Avalanche Canadian Destroyer
Rating: *** 1/2
G1 Supercard: NEVER Openweight & ROH TV Title Winner Take All: Will Ospreay (c) vs Jeff Cobb (c)
Winner: Cobb via Tour of the Islands
Rating: *** 1/2
Impact Wrestling United We Stand: X Division Title Match: Rich Swann (c) vs Flamita
Winner: Swann via Phoenix Splash
Rating: *** 1/2
WrestleMania 35: Women’s Tag Team Fatal 4 Way: The IIconics vs Tamina & Nia Jax vs Boss & Hug Connection vs Divas of Doom
Winner: IIconics via Avalanche Glam Slam
Rating: *** 1/4
WrestleMania 35: Intercontinental Championship Match: Bobby Lashley (c) vs Finn Balor
Winner: Balor via Coup de Grace
Rating: *** 1/4
WWE Raw: Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (c) vs Aleister Black & Ricochet
Winner: Revival via Count Out
Rating: *** 1/4
WrestleMania 35: No Holds Barred: Triple H vs Batista
Winner: Triple H via Pedigree
Rating: *** 1/4
IMPACT: #1 Contender’s Match: Jordynne Grace vs Madison Rayne
Winner: Grace via Grace Driver
Rating: *** 1/4
WrestleMania 35: Raw Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
Winner: Hawkins via Inside Cradle
Rating: ***
G1 Supercard:IWGP Heavyweight & ROH Tag Team Titles Winner Take All: Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs The Briscoes vs Villain Enterprises (c) vs EVIL & SANADA
Winner: G.o.D. via Super Powerbomb
Rating: ***
IMPACT: Eli Drake & Eddie Edwards vs LAX
Winner: Eddie via Boston Knee Party
Rating: ***

2. ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Jay White (c) vs Kazuchika Okada

From my Totally Biased Live Review:
So Okada and White was probably hurt a bit by the length of the show. I saw some people leaving after the ladder match, and this match didn’t get started until a bit after 11. This was insanely well wrestled by both men. White kicked out of the first Rainmaker he was hit with, and hit a desperation Blade Runner, but couldn’t pin Okada. Okada went into his sequence when he beat Tanahashi and Styles the first time, wrist control, short arm lariats over and over, just rocking Jay. The Rolling Rainmaker popped the crowd hard since we all felt it was coming. Then after a few counter attempts, Jay gets drilled by the Jumping Tombstone and then one more big Rainmaker for the win!

Winner: Okada via Rainmaker

Rating: *****

1. WrestleMania 35: WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan (c)

Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Kofi gives Rowan Trouble in Paradise! Big E scoops and Woods jumps in, Midnight Hour on the floor! The New Day takes Rowan out, but Bryan’s building speed! Kofi intercepts with a big right hand! Kofi hurries into the ring and the fans are thunderous again. Bryan slowly stands, Trouble in Paradise misses, but not the Knee Plus!! Cover, TWO!?! Even the watch party is shocked by that! Bryan is beside himself on what he has to do to end Kofimania. Bryan grabs Kofi’s hands and gives him Danielson stomps! He makes The New Day watch each vicious one. Bryan then reels Kofi back into the LeBell Lock! Kofi endures all over again, but comes back to life!

Bryan clubs away on Kofi’s head but Kofi still holds on. Kofi pries his way out and rolls Bryan so that he can throw hands. But Bryan makes it a double wristlock! Kofi still fights through and rains rights! Kofi gives some serious ground ‘n’ pound now! Bryan holds on but Kofi just uses that to give those Danielson stomps back! The old stomping stampede returns for Kofi as he fires up! Kofi aims from a corner as he dares Bryan to stand back up. Bryan does, Trouble in Paradise!! Cover, Kofi wins!!

Winner: Kofi via Trouble in Paradise

Rating: *****

Thoughts:

You can’t go wrong with any of these matches, but I’m giving it to, Josh Barnett vs Minoru Suzuki. There was just something special about that match, the style and just refreshing seeing the catch wrestling/hybrid style Bloodsport. I’m fully aware it’s the dark horse and not for everyone, but it’s the only match on the list where I couldn’t take my eyes off the ring.

Well make your voice heard, especially in such an action packed week! Always Use Your Head, and vote God dammit!

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka from WrestleMania 34

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2023

Chris King

WWE WrestleMania 34 Charlotte Flair Asuka

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

We look back at Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 34. ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ put her unprecedented and historic undefeated streak of 914 days on the line against ‘The Queen’s’ SmackDown Women’s Championship.

For years, this was considered a dream match while Asuka dominated the roster in NXT, while Flair won numerous championships on the main roster on both Raw and SmackDown. The Empress made her long-awaited debut on the September 11th episode of Raw and began to tear through the competition.

Asuka outlasted all twenty-nine other women in the historic first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match to challenge for the title of her choosing. At Fastlane, she made her choice.

The WWE Universe was so excited for this match myself included. Both superstars delivered a fantastic performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All executing counter after counter. Asuka showed off some nasty-looking kicks to her opponent, and Flair hit a thunderous Spanish Fly off the top rope. Flair was seconds away from defeat at the hands of The Empress but she locked in Figure Eight and Asuka was forced to tap out.

I can’t even begin to explain how shocked I was at this outcome, as nearly everyone expected The Empress to continue her undefeated streak and walk away with the women’s title. This controversial decision was the downfall of Asuka’s momentum. She would ultimately win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2018 TLC pay-per-view in the triple-threat ladder match.

Fast forward to this year when Asuka has recently returned with her Japanese-inspired persona Kana. Kana is dangerous and ruthless and is heading into a championship with Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. The Empress has regained all her momentum and is highly favored to walk away with the Raw Women’s Championship. Let’s hope that Asuka and Belair can tear the house down and deliver an A+ grade match both women are fully capable of.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

King: Dominik Mysterio Needs To Do This At WrestleMania

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

Published

2 months ago

April 1, 2023

Chris King

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

On this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Rey Mysterio finally snapped and beat some sense into his disrespectful punk-ass kid Dominik. The member of the Judgement Day came out to push his father again for a match on the Grandest Stage of Them All, this time with his mother and sister at ringside. The ungrateful punk told his mom to “Shut Up,” as a father even I wanted to jump through the screen and whoop his ass.

Back in October of last year, Mysterio made the emotional decision to possibly quit the company but, instead, Triple H persuaded the Lucha libre superstar to move over to SmackDown to avoid his son. This came after Dominik shockingly turned on his father at Clash at the Castle. Mysterio did everything he could to refuse his despicable son’s challenge for Mania but, a man can only be pushed so far. Mysterio will be inducted into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame and I expect Dominik to embarrass his father during his speech to further this personal feud.

Yes, the WWE Universe hates Dominik and wants to see him get the ever-loving crap kicked out of him but, this feud is missing a special ingredient to capitalize on the biggest heat possible. Throughout this feud, Dominik has made mention of the legendary Eddie Guerrero on several occasions going back to the “iconic” 2005 feud.

I know WWE might not want to go this route but, Dominik MUST come out to Eddie Guerrero’s theme at Mania. The disrespectful punk needs to come out in a lowrider to garner nuclear heat. It doesn’t matter if The Judgement Day comes out and causes interference for Dominik to get the win, all that matters is that both superstars get the biggest payoff of this nearly year-long feud. Just imagine the Roman Reigns heat after he defeated The Undertaker and multiply that by ten. Dominik portrays the perfect heel and he truly is the missing ingredient that The Judgement Day needed to grow and evolve into a top faction.