Opinion

Andrew’s Top 5 Matches: Week Ending 7/7/2019

A weekend with the beginning of the G1 Climax and Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary! How much of those make the Top 5 matches?

Published

4 years ago

July 8, 2019

Andrew Balaz

A weekend with the beginning of the G1 Climax and Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary! How much of those make the Top 5 matches?

So before we get to this week’s Top 5, last week was the last vote for June. I bring you, the June Pool for our MoTY breakdown!

NJPW Southern Showdown: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs Robbie Eagles
WWE Stomping Ground: Cruiserweight Championship: Tony Nese (c) vs Drew Gulak vs Akira Tozawa
AAA Verano de Escalando 2019: AAA Tag Team Championship: Lucha Brothers vs The Young Bucks (c)
NJPW BOSJ 26 Finals: Shingo Takagi vs Will Ospreay
Takeover XXV: NXT Championship:Johnny Gargano (c) vs Adam Cole

Familiar names litter the June Pool, but, Shingo Takagi vs Will Ospreay, is the match that gets my vote.

5. 205 Live: Oney Lorcan, Jack Gallagher & Tony Nese vs Drew Gulak, Ariya Daivari & Mike Kanellis

Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Mike swings but is thrown right back out. Gulak BOOTS Gallagher all the way out! But Lorcan body checks Gualk out, to then FLY out onto them all! But Daivari LEAPS onto everyone! Gallagher crawls away but the others are still out there as Nese FLIES in! Nese wipes them all out! But wait, Gallagher has WILLIAM! Gallagher opens up the umbrella and climbs up top, for the Mary Poppins senton! He wipes out everyone! And he gets Daivari in fast! Gallagher climbs again, leaps, falling headbutt! Cover, but Gulak breaks it! Everyone is down all over the place but San Antonio loves this! Gulak crawls back to his corner and reaches out to Daivari. Tag is made, and Gulak stalks his former friend in Gallagher.

Daivari and Lorcan start brawling on the outside! Lorcan throws uppercuts and CHOPS that send Daivari to the ramp! The brawl continues and Gulak is distracted just enough for Gallagher to roll him up! TWO, and Gulak headbutts Gallagher down! Lorcan and Daivari end up backstage, so this is just 2v2 now. Gulak drags Gallagher up for a headlock. Mike tags in as Gallagher powers out. Gallagher runs at Gulak for a flapjack! Gulak spins but Gallagher gives him the Gentleman’s Headbutt! Both men stagger, and Nese tags in! Nese doesn’t realize Gulak isn’t legal as he goes up top! Nese 450 Splashe FLOPS as Mike drags Gulak out of the way! Mike scrambles to cover Nese, TWO!! Mike is shocked and furious! He gets up and grabs Nese by the head, but Nese spins out and powers Mike up, Sunset Driver! Cover, Nese and team win!

Winner: Nese via Sunset Driver

Rating: ****

4. Impact Wrestling Slammiversary: Impact World Championship: Brian Cage (c) vs Michael Elgin

From My Analysis:
Well now, big boy match with big boys doing big boy things. This was a great display of power moves and athletic moves, since neither guy is one dimensional. Elgin worked over Brian Cage’s back, and it played into the match a few times. Cage couldn’t land the Drill Claw, because his back went out. Right when everything was looking good for Elgin, he hits a Buckle Bomb, lifts Cage for the Elgin Bomb, but Cage rolls through, Sunsets Elgin and sits down into a Double Legged Cradle, ala how Okada beat Jericho (and got the first fall on Omega in the 2 out of the 3 falls match). So after all these power spots, the match ends with a basic wrestling move. Great stuff.

Winner: Cage via Double Legged Cradle

Rating: **** 1/4

3. NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: SANADA vs Zack Sabre Jr

Snippet From Mitchell’s Coverage:
Sanada stays standing with ZSJ’s weight pulling on him, and fans rally up. He pops an arm free and suplexes ZSJ for a brain buster! Fans fire up as Sanada drags ZSJ into the fireman’s carry, TKO! Cover, TWO! ZSJ lives but Sanada vows to finish it. He goes to the corner and climbs up, but has to land on his feet when ZSJ dodges the moonsault. ZSJ uppercuts Sanada, but leaps into a backslide! TWO, and Penalty Kick takes Sanada down! ZSJ catches his breath instead of covering, then gets a facelock to a scoop. Sanada slips out to the dragon sleeper! ZSJ resists so Sanada swings him around! Then he drops ZSJ to go up top, MOONSAULT into knees! And a Triangle Hold!!

Sanada endures again as we hit the 20 minute mark! ZSJ twists the arm and squeezes tight. Sanada fades but fans give him a second wind! He lifts ZSJ but ZSJ Peles the arm. ZSJ runs into an elbow and Sanada moonsaults to the dragon sleeper! ZSJ starts fading now, but he keeps going. Sanada lifts but ZSJ slips out. ZSJ body scissors and leg clutches to the EuroClutch, TWO! SKULL END, but ZSJ pops out to another EuroClutch, only for Sanada to pop out into a Japan Clutch! SANADA WINS!

Winner: SANADA via Japanese Leg Clutch

Rating: **** 1/4

Honorable Mentions:

Impact Slammiversary: Sami Callihan vs Tessa Blanchard
Winner: Callihan via Piledriver
Rating: ****
NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
Winner: Okada via Rainmaker
Rating: ****
NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: Block A: Lance Archer vs Will Ospreay
Winner: Archer via Iron Claw Hold
Rating: *** 3/4
Impact Slammiversary: Knockout’s Championship Monster’s Ball: Havok vs Su Yung vs Rosemary vs Taya Valkyrie (c)
Winner: Taya via Super Piledriver
Rating: *** 1/2
IMPACT!: Trey vs Dez vs Wentz
Winner: Dez & Wentz via Hot Fire Flame
Rating: *** 1/2
Impact Slammiversary: Jake Crist vs TJP vs Trey vs Willie Mack
Winner: Mack via 6 Star Frog Splash
Rating: *** 1/4
IMPACT!: Ace Austin vs TJP
Winner: TJP via Knee Bar
Rating: *** 1/4
Impact Slammiversary: First Blood: Killer Kross vs Eddie Edwards
Winner: Eddie Edwards
Rating: ***
NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: Ren Narita & Jeff Cobb vs Tomohiro Ishii & Shota Umino:
Winner: Cobb via Tour of the Islands
Rating: ***
IMPACT!: Johnny Impact & John E. Bravo vs Rich Swann & Willie Mack
Winner: Swann via Phoenix Splash
Rating: ***

2. NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: KENTA vs Kota Ibushi

From My Analysis:
KENTA and Ibushi might have been the biggest attraction to this show, even beyond the main event. KENTA’s return to Japan in an attempt to prove himself might overshadow Ibushi’s own desires. This match was insanely even. They traded strikes, high impact moves and impressive transitions. Thankfully for KENTA, he countered Ibushi’s Outside-In German Suplex, and rocked the Golden Star with a hanging Double Footstomp, normal Double Footstomp and went for the G2S, but Kota countered it. A nice strike exchange happened, Ibushi went for a Palm Strike, but KENTA hit a high kick that seemed to do in Ibushi. One Go 2 Sleep later, KENTA wins his first G1 match ever! Amazing match.

Winner: KENTA via Go 2 Sleep

Rating: **** 1/2

1. Impact Wrestling Slammiversary: X Division Championship: Johnny Impact vs Rich Swann (c)

From My Analysis:
We saw a lot of character work between Johnny and Bravo, which definitely helped carry the slower spots. Swann took out Bravo towards the end when both we trading big cool moves. One move of note coming from Rich Swann, being a Cartwheel Standing Phoenix Splash. That just looked cool. Johnny attempted Starship Pain, and even though he supposedly hit it (you’d think after a decade he’d know how to position people), Rich kicked out. Rich hit a nice 7 strike blitz and 2 Lethal Injections, ole shock and awe tactic. Top Rope Phoenix Splash allowed Swann to retain the title. Damn good match.

Winner: Swann via Phoenix Splash

Rating: **** 1/2

Thoughts:

The two weekend main attractions delivered big time! Great wrestling to round things out, and now we have to pick a match of the week! My vote goes to, KENTA vs Kota Ibushi, great match and great story unfolding for KENTA.

He is, fucking KENTA.

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.