Opinion
Andrew’s Top 5 (10) Matches: Week Ending 9/27/2020
Okay okay, this Top A Lot list is all Japanese matches. With concurrent tournaments it was bound to happen. Maybe you’ve seen some of the matches?
So last week we had too many good matches to fit into just a list of 5 – and this week is similar! This is what happens with big tournaments and shows going on all at once!
Now, even though we had a ton of choices, the hype helped this one match run away with the vote, AEW Dynamite: Parking Lot Fight: Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends, nearly lapped the list.
I didn’t have time to really get to the normal TV programs, so this will probably be a much different list than most.
Quick Top 5:
- N-1 Victory Day 3: B Block: Takashi Sugiura vs Naomichi Marufuji
Rating: **** 3/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Kota Ibushi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: **** ½ - Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Final Day: Utami Hayashishita vs Syuri
Rating: **** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 Day 4: Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
Rating: **** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Shingo Takagi vs Will Ospreay
Rating: **** ½ - Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate: Open the Twin Gate: Kota Minoru & Jason Lee (c) vs Dragon Kid & Susumu Yokosuka
Rating: **** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Jay White vs Kota Ibushi
Rating: **** ¼ - Champion Carnival Day 4: Yuma Aoyagi vs Kento Miyahara
Rating: **** 1/4 - N-1 Victory Day 4: A Block: Go Shiozaki vs Masaaki Mochizuki
Rating: **** 1/4 - Champion Carnival Day 4: AJPW Junior Heavyweight Championship: Koji Iwamoto (c) vs Ikuto Hidaka
Rating: **** ¼
Honorable Mentions:
- N-1 Victory Day 4: B Block: Shuhei Taniguchi vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
Rating: **** - Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate: Kzy vs Naruki Doi
Rating: **** - N-1 Victory Day 4: B Block: Naomichi Marufuji vs Kenoh
Rating: **** - G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Will Ospreay vs Tomohiro Ishii
Rating: *** ¾ - N-1 Victory Day 4: A Block: Manabu Soya vs Kaito Kiyomiya
Rating: *** 3/4 - WWE Clash of Champions: Intercontinental Ladder Match: Sami Zayn vs AJ Styles vs Jeff Hardy (c)
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 4: YOSHI-HASHI vs EVIL
Rating: *** 3/4 - N-1 Victory Day 3: A Block: Kazushi Sakuraba vs Go Shiozaki
Rating: *** 3/4 - N-1 Victory Day 4: B Block: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Takashi Sugiura
Rating: *** 3/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Taichi vs Minoru Suzuki
Rating: *** ¾ - Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate: DOA Cage Match: Eita vs YAMATO vs Big R Shimizu vs KAI vs Masato Yoshino vs BxB Hulk
Rating: *** 1/2 - NJPW Strong Ep. 8: Blake Christian vs Adrian Quest
Rating: *** 1/2 - Stardom 5Star GP Grande Finals: Himeka vs Utami Hayashishita
Rating: *** 1/2 - N-1 Victory Day 3: B Block: Kenoh vs Shuhei Taniguchi
Rating: *** 1/2 - G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
Rating: *** ½ - Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Final Day: Maika vs Syuri
Rating: *** 1/2 - WWE Clash of Champions: Universal Championship: Jey Uso vs Roman Reigns(c)
Rating: *** 1/2 - Champion Carnival Day 4: Shuji Ishikawa vs Shotaro Ashino
Rating: *** 1/2 - N-1 Victory Day 3: A Block: Kaito Kiyomiya vs Masa Kitamiya
Rating: *** 1/2 - UWN Prime Time Live Ep. 2: NWA Women’s World Championship: Thunder Rosa(c) vs Priscilla Kelly
Rating: *** 1/2 - Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Final Day: Tam Nakano vs Mayu Iwatani
Rating: *** 1/2 - IMPACT!: Winner Gets an Immediate X Division Title Shot: Chris Bey vs TJP vs Trey Miguel
Rating: *** 1/4 - Stardom 5Star GP Red Stars Final Day: Konami vs Himeka
Rating: *** 1/4 - Champion Carnival Day 4: Kuma Arashi vs Jake Lee
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 4: SANADA vs Hirooki Goto
Rating: *** 1/4 - IMPACT!: Tenille Dashwood w/Kaleb Konley vs Jordynne Grace
Rating: *** 1/4 - WWE Clash of Champions: WWE Championship Ambulance Match: Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre (c)
Rating: *** 1/4 - NJPW Strong Ep. 8: Barrett Brown vs Danny Limelight
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 4: Juice Robinson vs KENTA
Rating: *** 1/4 - G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Shingo vs Jeff Cobb
Rating: *** ¼ - N-1 Victory Day 4: A Block: Masa Kitamiya vs Kazushi Sakuraba
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Jeff Cobb vs Minoru Suzuki
Rating: *** - WWE Clash of Champions: Raw Tag Team Titles: Angel Garza & Andrade vs The Street Profits (c)
Rating: *** - Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Final Day: Maika vs AZM
Rating: *** - IMPACT!: Kimber Lee w/Deonna Purrazzo vs Susie w/Kylie Rae
Rating: *** - UWN Prime Time Live Ep. 2: Karl Fredericks vs Slice Boogie
Rating: *** - N-1 Victory Day 4: A Block: Kazushi Sakuraba vs Kaito Kiyomiya
Rating: *** - Champion Carnival: SUWAMA vs Zeus
Rating: *** - NJPW Strong Ep. 8: Clark Connors vs Jordan Clearwater
Rating: *** - G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Kazuchika Okada vs Yujiro Takahashi
Rating *** - IMPACT!: RVD w/Katie Forbes vs Sami Callihan
Rating: ***
6t. Champion Carnival Day 4: AJPW Junior Heavyweight Championship: Koji Iwamoto (c) vs Ikuto Hidaka
Snippet from Mathew’s Review:
Koji gets Ikuto up for a Brainbuster and as he attempts a second one, he bounces him off the ropes to do a Swinging Neckbreaker. Koji attempts a German Suplex as Ikuto flipped over him and caught Koji’s leg, kicking it in and hits a Dropkick on it right after to hurt his knee again. Ikuto applies the Kneebar and wrenches it up to get more pain in until he had to break the hold but he’s still on the attack, hitting him with beautiful kicks to make the champ hang between the ropes. Ikuto takes advantage of this as he goes onto the apron, hitting a DDT right on it and the champ goes down. Koji got back in the ring eventually and runs after him as Ikuto hits him with a kick to the face as Koji kicked out. Ikuto attempts a Brainbuster as Koji pushed him out of the ring, holding onto the ropes to lunge himself back in as Koji would do the same as Koji caught him with a knee to the face. Koji ran the ropes but Ikuto catches him with a Backdrop, making Koji roll up right away and does another takedown, the crowd is loving it! Koji hits a German Suplex Hold as Ikuto kicked out at two. Koji would throw him into the ropes and attempts the Koko no Geijutsu but Ikuto held his ground and pushed him off for a moment and as Koji ran towards him, Ikuto backflips into him as if it was a Sliced Bread! Koji catches him with a Lariat before hitting the Dragon Suplex to try and take him down, and he finally hits the Koko no Geijutsu, retaining the championship! What a match!
Winner: Iwamoto via Koko no Geijutsu
6t. N-1 Victory Day 4: A Block: Go Shiozaki vs Masaaki Mochizuki
From My Results:
After Go fights off the submission we get more strikes, Chops from Go, Kicks from Mochi; Mochi gets the advantage after a Buzzsaw Kick, Brazilian Kick and a Snapping High Kick drive Go to the corner ropes. Mochi runs to perform his Triangle Kick finish, but a huge desperation Lariat takes Mochi out of his shoes. They both crawl to the center, slowly get up to strike, Go gets a small advantage hitting a few chops, Limit Breaker, the Karate Chop takedown and a Go Flasher, but only a 2 count!
The strikes continue until we see a trade of finishers, Triangle Kick lands which rocks Go, but he falls back into the ropes and charges forward with a Gowan Lariat. As both recover a little, Go looks for another Gowan Lariat, Mochi ducks, follows him to the ropes, Dragon Suplex Hold for the pinfall!
Winner: Mochizuki via Dragon Suplex Hold
6t. Champion Carnival Day 4: Yuma Aoyagi vs Kento Miyahara
Snippet from Mathew’s Review:
Kento waits for Yuma to get back into the ring and hits the first Blackout into the corner and attempts a German Suplex as Yuma fought off and attempts one of his own, making Kento turn as they both do but Yuma would eventually hit the move onto Kento. The two would get up and hit each other with stiff forearms and it seemed like nobody was going to stop anytime soon until Yuma hits Kento with a Superkick before hitting three German Suplexes in a row but Kento kicked out at two! Yuma jumped to the second rope and it looked like he was gonna go for another Crossbody as Kento caught up to him before he could jump and hits a German Suplex with Yuma on the second rope! Kento attempts the Shutdown German Suplex Hold as Yuma broke free but Kento tries to hit a Blackout instead, only for Yuma to catch his knee and hit a stiff forearm before hitting a spinning kick to get Kento down. Yuma applies the End Game again in the center of the ring and this could be it but as Yuma tried to position himself better, Kento got his foot on the rope! Yuma goes for the Rockstar Buster as Kento pushed himself off and hits the Blackout and as he attempts to hit another one, Yuma had him to the ropes and pins him with the European Clutch as Kento kicked out at two! Another Blackout from Kento in which Yuma responds with a Superkick and goes for a spin kick but Kento ducks and hits another Blackout. Kento goes for the finish as he finally hits the Shutdown German Suplex Hold, staying in the game while eliminating Yuma in the process.
Winner: Kento via Shutdown Suplex
6t. G1 Climax 30 Day 3: Jay White vs Kota Ibushi
Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Red Shoes counts, White kicks the bad leg! SNAP SLEEPER SUPLEX! But Ibushi is back up!? V-TRIGGER!! Kenny!! Ibushi brings White up, lifts, LAST RIDE!! Cover, TWO!?! White barely survives and Gedo is relieved! Ibushi won’t stop to be frustrated, he vows to end this! Ibushi grabs the arms, sits White up but White reaches for Red Shoes! Red Shoes tries to shake White off but White refuses. White does let go and throws forearms, but Ibushi just takes them with a smirk on his face. Ibushi DECKS White with one! Fans applaud again as Ibushi sits White up for the BUZZSAW! But Ibushi won’t stop there, he sits White back up with both wrists, but Gedo has the towel? Is Gedo really going to save White like this?
No, it’s so White can get away with a LOW BLOW UPPERCUT! Gedo walks away and White drags Ibushi from the ropes. Fans rally for Ibushi but White gives Ibushi the fisherman BACK SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!! Ibushi escapes and White is furious! White drags Ibushi up by the wrists, reels him in, but Ibushi powers out and V-TRIGGERS!! Gedo is on the apron, Ibushi ROUNDHOUSES him down! Ibushi has White’s wrists, for KAM- NO! BLADERUNNER!!! Cover, White wins!!!
Winner: White via Blade Runner
6t. Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate: Open the Twin Gate: Kota Minoru & Jason Lee (c) vs Dragon Kid & Susumu Yokosuka
The Dragon Gate generation defends against the Toryumon generation! This promises to be fast paced and frenetic since neither group is the big bad heel group of Dragon Gate (that’s R.E.D.), so this will be more of two babyface or tweener teams going hard.
As is the usual set up with Japanese tag matches, we see each of the men have early time to shine before the match kicks into the next gear. When it kicks, it begins with a nice dive from Dragon Kid, and we’re off to the races. There are great counter moves, a nice leg sweep during the rope run for a Tiger Feint, and Asai Moonsault to the outside.
We get another gear shift as both teams start hitting a ton of tandem moves, saves, a flashy Kick/Strike combination, more pinfall breaks and tandem attacks. Jason Lee catches Dragon Kid with a kick, knocking him down, leaving him vulnerable to the Hong Kong Tornado (Yang Time).
Now since I don’t follow Dragon Gate extremely closely, I’m not sure if there was a tangible story…but damn was it fun to watch.
Winner: Lee via Hong Kong Tornado
2t. G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Shingo Takagi vs Will Ospreay
Snippet from Mathew’s Review:
Shingo caught Ospreay midair and would toss him into the ropes before attempting the Pump Bomber, which Ospreay flipped over him and catches him with a Powerbomb as Shingo kicked out. Ospreay would call for the Oscutter and hits it as Shingo kicked out at two! Ospreay goes for the Strombreaker but Shingo fought out of it and when Ospreay attempted a kick, Shingo caught him and hits the MADE IN JAPAN and kickout by Will! Shingo hits the Pumping Bomber this time and Ospreay backflipped with it but still kicked out. Shingo went for the Last of the Dragon but Will fought off him and hits the Hook Kick before delivering a Reverserana. The two exchange blows to each other and Will gets him to down to taught him but Shingo delivers a couple of forearms before meeting another kick. Will tries to run the ropes but Shingo catches him with a Lariat before attempting another Pumping bomber but Ospreay catches him with the Spanish Fly for a kickout when Shingo attempted to roll him up, and Ospreay kicked out as well. Ospreay called for the Oscutter from the top rope but Shingo pushed his legs out to stop him and as he attempted a German. Ospreay held on and made Shingo go to the outside to hit a Pumping Bomber before climbing up to have him on his shoulders for a Death Valley Driver. Shingo hits the Pumping Bomber and then the Last of the Dragon, giving Shingo his first victory and revenge over Will. Their first encounter was better but this was still a great match, can’t wait for the third encounter!
Winner: Takagi via Last of the Dragon
2t. G1 Climax 30 Day 4: Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
From My Results:
Not really a fiery comeback spot, but Naito finally has space to breathe and work out a plan. Naito gets Zack into a spot to try the Destino, ZSJ stops him with an elbow, Tornado DDT from Naito stalls Zack and then Naito sinks in Puma Blanca. ZSJ struggles a little to find an exit before just rolling to the ropes. Zack counters Gloria with an Overhead Kick, Naito Enzuigiris him for good measure, goes for the Flying Forearm, but ZSJ dodges and locks in the Octopus Hold. Rides it down as a Grounded Octopus and starts going to work on Naito’s limbs. Naito does manage to find the ropes, but he’s not moving much after the rope break.
A bunch of nice quick counters set in, leading to Naito hitting the Running Destino, but when he goes for the arm wringer version, ZSJ counters with the Zack Driver. Zack with a Front Neck Lock, which he transitions to the Prawn Hold that beat EVIL, Naito kicks out, European Leg Clutch, Naito barely kicks, and we’re left at a bit of a stalemate. ZSJ tries a Zack Driver again, but Naito now counters with Destino, for 2. Arm Wringer Destino, and Naito scrapes by.
Winner: Naito via Destino
2t. Stardom 5Star GP Blue Stars Final Day: Utami Hayashishita vs Syuri
Snippet from Mathew’s Coverage:
The two finally got up on their feet and would punch each other back and forth until Syuri attempts a kick, making Utami punch her leg down and hits a Lariat as the two go down again. Utami was able to lift Syuri for the German Suplex hold as Syuri kicked out at two. Utami would pick her up to apply the Torture Rack but Syuri rolled off to apply a modified Fujiwara Armbar and turned it into an Armlock as she has it locked in but Utami finally got to the ropes, fighting off the pain. Syuri was able to hit the Buzzsaw Kick and it looks like it’s over but Utami kicked out at two! Syuri wasted no time and would run the ropes to hit the Running Knee Strike and pins Utami again as she kicked out again! Utami slowly got to her hands and knees as Syuri kicked her face in to knock her down but Utami grabbed the ropes before getting the three count. Syuri calls for the finish and runs the ropes but Utami pulled her in to hit a German Suplex as the two do down and we have a couple of minutes left! Utami got Syuri up and finally hits the Torture Rack Bomb and this could be it but Syuri grabbed the ropes before the three count as well! The two are punching each other until Syuri got up to hit another Buzzsaw kick, she’s done but Utami kicked out again! Utami flipped Syuri over and applies the Rear Naked Choke, looking to get the submission victory as she’s forced to let go when Syuri turned it into a pin. Utami quickly picked her up for the Torture Rack and the bell rang once she hits the Torture Rack Bomb, making it a no-contest with one point each, making Utami the winner of the Blue Stars Block with ten points! What an incredible match, best for my block!
Winner: Time Limit Draw
2t. G1 Climax 30 Day 5: Kota Ibushi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Ishii suplexes Ibushi but Ibushi slips out. Ishii swats the roundhouse away but Ibushi PELES! Ishii wobbles, but he blocks Ibushi’s clothesline to spin Ibushi around. Ishii reels Ibushi in but Ibushi suplexes first! To STEAL the BRAIN BUSTER! Fans are thunderous again as both men are down again! The ref checks on both men, they’re okay to continue and slowly rise. Ibushi is up first, teeth grit as the fans rally behind him. Ishii rises, Ibushi runs but Ishii LARIATS! Ishii drags Ibushi back up, but Ibushi trades palm strikes again! ROUNDHOUSE!
Ibushi brings knee pads down, has the wrists and sits Ishii up, but Ishii breaks free. Ibushi still thrusts, but Ishii blocks. Ibushi forearms, hops up but Ishii pushes him off to waistlock. Ishii GERMANS, but Ibushi lands on his feet! BOMAYE!! Cover, TWO!?! Ishii survives Ibushi’s tribute to the King of Strong Style, but Ibushi keeps his focus. Ibushi grabs the wrists, sits Ishii up, but Ishii lariats! There wasn’t much to it, Ibushi KNEES Ishii again, but Ishii HEADBUTTS back! Ibushi LARIATS! Ibushi runs, V-TRIGGER!! KENYY!! KAMI-GOYE!!! Cover, Ibushi wins!!
Winner: Ibushi via Kamigoye
1. N-1 Victory Day 3: B Block: Takashi Sugiura vs Naomichi Marufuji
From My Results:
Both men start realizing the match is going long, so they might be approaching Time. We see Marufuji go for a few Hook Kicks, but Sugiura eats em, then just tosses Marufuji. Two Running Knee Lifts, and an Olympic Slam, but Marufuji kicks out. Sugiura takes him to the ropes for an Avalanche Olympic Slam, but gets an Avalanche Shiranui instead! A slow cover means no pinfall, so Marufuji hits the Cobra Clutch KO-OH and then True Tiger King…BUT SUGIURA KICKS OUT! Marufuji looks to be aiming for the Fisherman Flowsion, but Sugiura catches him with the Front Neck Lock.
The Front Neck Lock, wrestles him down, and Marufuji is in the hold for at least 30 seconds…but the Time Limit bell rings!
Winner: Time Limit Draw
Thoughts:
There’s even more matches on this article than the last! And yes, I know what some of you may be saying ” 6-10 wasn’t a tie for fifth, why didn’t you stop at 5″. Well that’s easy, because there were too many matches that deserved a bit of recognition. When there were still some 4 snowflake matches that missed a Top 10, that’s a damn good week.
So yes, there we have it. Plus I’m aware this is a harder list for most people since this Top 10 is all Japanese matches. My choice will go to my number 1, Takashi Sugiura vs Naomichi Marufuji, because that was a great match to go into their storied history.
Hopefully you’re watching at least the G1 since NJPW is becoming a little less random Japanese company, and more general knowledge.
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
Greg DeMarco’s 2024 WWE Royal Rumble Reaction
It’s the Royal Rumble! A favorite of many fans, the Rumble kicks off the Road To WrestleMania. Greg DeMarco is here with his live reactions to the event!
It’s the Royal Rumble! A favorite of many fans, the Rumble kicks off the Road To WrestleMania. Greg DeMarco is here with his live reactions to the event!
The WWE Royal Rumble is upon us, and while the Men’s Royal Rumble Match isn’t for the World Heavyweight Championship like I suggested, it’s still the most anticipated event of the year.
Why? The Unknown.
That’s right–in this age of the internet (usually incorrectly) telling us everything it possibly can about what is going to happen in the world of wrestling, the Royal Rumble stands out because despite what we’re told (or, more importantly, what we choose to listen to), the event is always full of fun and surprises.
BOLD Predictions for the #RoyalRumble
* Jimmy Uso #1, Jey Uso #2
* GUNTHER wins–twists & turns coming for the Road to WM
* Bron, Melo, Trick, Roxanne, Blair, Tiffany, Briggs are all in the Rumble.
* Rhea Ripley enters the Women's Rumble.
* Becky Lynch tosses Bayley to win.— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 27, 2024
Check out Steven Mitchell’s 2024 WWE Royal Rumble Results & Review!
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
- They really are driving home the “main event WrestleMania” point this year–strengthens my thought that women will main event Night 1. Triple H would catch a ton of heat if he keeps women out for the third straight year.
- NAOMI! Good to see her back, and the emotional response she had.
- Love Michael Cole calling out Naomi’s time in TNA, and recognizing her as a former Knockouts Champion.
- Entering #3 doesn’t bode well for Bayley. I honestly don’t think she is gonna win.
- JORDYNNE GRACE! I saw the reports earlier today. This is a much bigger deal than Mickie James, because Mickie was a returning legend.
- “TNA HAS A WEAPON!” So glad to have Pat McAfee on the call.
- Honestly, Jordynne Grace belongs in WWE.
Not gonna lie, Jordynne Grace isn't the least bit out of place in WWE. I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see her in a WWE ring.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Asuka comes in, and they sell the surprise of Bayley. STORYTELLING, people!
- Something tells me when we get Kairi Sane in there, The Kabuki Warriors will eliminate Bayley.
- Ivy Nile enters, and I immediately want to see her go toe-to-toe with Jordynne Grace.
- What if they pulled some crazy sh*t and had Jordynne Grace win???
- Just step through the ropes next time, Bianca.
- When I first saw the C4 clock, I thought I would get tired of it But I am already used to it.
- Here’s Kairi Sane, time to set the plan into motion!
- This crowd does not appear to like Tegan Nox.
- Welp, there goes my idea o Asuka and Kairi eliminating Bayley.
- That was a hell of a way for Jordynne Grace to go out.
I legit forgot Xia Li worked there.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- I think Michael Cole secretly loves to call a Meteora.
- There’s a reason Maxxine Dupri doesn’t wrestle much.
- That tandem Code Red was very Young Buckish. And that’s not a compliment.
- Hair,…gear…this might be the messiest Royal Rumble yet.
- Ah, here comes the winner, Becky Lynch (I am calling Becky eliminates Bayley to win her second Royal Rumble).
- LOVE the scoreboard of time in the Rumble for selected wrestlers.
Why does everyone turn around after tossing someone, not seeing that they held onto the ropes?#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- R-TRUTH?!?! (Funny story, it was Truth’s spot that Nia Jax took in 2019.)
- If you push Mia Yim, she’ll take it further than you could imagine.
- “How is everybody the most athletic person on Earth?” – Pat McAfee
- Surprising that Roxanne Perez, at #27, is the first NXT entrant. I don’t think we’ll be seeing Tiffany Stratton of Blair Davenport since we only have 3 more to come.
- Amazing reaction for Jade Cargill. Give her time, she’s definitely going to be a huge star.
- JUST GIVE HER TIME.
- Seriously, Nia Jax had to help Jade eliminate her–A LOT.
#RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/3N2xKku9sY
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) January 28, 2024
- Greg Was Wrong: It is indeed Tiffy Time in the Royal Rumble.
- Back to Jade–she is insanely over.
- I know it won’t be, but this should be Tiffany Stratton’s official main roster call-up.
- Liv Morgan returns at #30, and good for Liv. She nearly went wire-to-wire last year.
- Liv Morgan: “Thank you!” Pat McAfee: “No problem.”
- Tiffany Stratton eliminating Roxanne Perez is, to me, an invitation for a match with them on Raw this Monday.
- Still love the scoreboard as Naomi passes an hour.
- The camera is catching a lot of in-ring communications right now.
- And Jade Cargill eliminates my pick to win. Bye Becky.
- Jade Cargill in the final three of the Royal Rumble (with Liv Morgan and Bayley) is huge for her.
- Hell of a debut for Jade Cargill.
- And a huge win for Bayley.
Winner of the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Bayley (eliminating Liv Morgan to win)
Winners of the Women's Rumble:
TNA Wrestling – TNA chants at a WWE show is amazing
Jordynne Grace – WWE put her over despite not being their talent, I bet we see her in a WWE ring again
Jad Cargill – That pop was pretty special
Naomi – First night back and goes over 60 mins..— #1 Chairshot Villain (@WrestlngRealist) January 28, 2024
Poor Liv Morgan, runner-up two years in a row. I wonder if this is setting her up for the 2025 Rumble.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
Fatal 4-Way Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Randy Orton vs AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns (champion, with Paul Heyman)
Nothing says "Roman isn't losing" like putting his title match on second.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Glad to see AJ Styles got his tights back. Pants AJ Styles (but still with the football gloves) was not working. Not just bring the beard back to your face Allen–the think beard also ain’t working.
What would it cost me to have @SamanthaTheBomb announce "ROMAN…REIGNS!" in the same way she used to announce Chelsea Green? Because I might pay it. #RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Pat McAfee campaigning for Roman Reigns to be given at least a 26% chance is amazing.
- Say what you want about LA Knight, he’s a damn star and totally belongs in this match.
- Roman completely sandbagged Randy on the table drop. I don’t think it was on purpose, but he definitely didn’t jump.
- Roman Reigns is very much like Gunther in that he does the simple things SO WELL, like a jumping clothesline. That’s how you do it.
- Yes, I compared Roman Reigns to Gunther. Don’t @ me, I’m right.
Roman Reigns doesn't get enough credit for how he sells his ass off for his opponents.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- RKO City, Bitch.
- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here’s Solo! (At some point, Solo will get tired of saving Roman’s ass.)
- Solo ’bout to go through that barricade.
- Solo indeed went through that barricade.
Roman waiting around for AJ's Phenomenal Forearm like he's in a Young Bucks match.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Yes, we had the Solo interference mid-match, but honestly in the end Roman won that clean.
Winner, #ANDSTILL your Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Roman Reigns
WWE United States Championship: Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (champion)
- Kevin Owens wearing Zubaz shorts in the Performance Center fight makes me very happy.
- Logan Paul talking about a full time run, and now he’s putting on size.
- Logan’s headband didn’t list very long.
- I honestly hate it when modern-day wrestlers bust out a crotch chop.
- If you were watching the Royal Rumble and didn’t know who Logan Paul was, you’d just assume he was a pro wrestler. That says everything you need to know about how good he is at this.
- ANOTHER crotch chop. Now we’re at 2 too many.
The internet criticizes LA Knight for being a rip-off artist, when Kevin Owens does Crotch Chops and Stunners.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Cue the “Better Buckshot Than Hangman” tweets. But they might be right.
- I love the idea of a Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and Grayson Waller stable.
- C’mon, there’s NO WAY Ryan Tran could see the knucks on Kevin Owens’ hand given his placement. It’s the little things.
- Finish here tells me we’ll see KO vs. Logan Paul again. I’d guess on TV, if not in Australia.
Winner by disqualification, #ANDSTILL WWE United States Champion: Logan Paul
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
- Jey Uso coming at #1 was expected thanks to the internet reports. But I still think Jimmy should be #1 and Jey #2, for the reaction shots on Jimmy.
- Grayson Waller talking himself to the ring is perfect.
- “No Yeet!” Grayson is a brilliant performer. I’d make a Roddy Piper comparison here, but y’all would get at mad at me.
- Good to have Andrade back in WWE. Great reaction for him when the mask came off.
Now that is a look…#Andrade #RoyalRumble
— #1 Chairshot Villain (@WrestlngRealist) January 28, 2024
- SmackDown superstar Carmelo Hayes! I really really really hope Trick is also in this match, just for the chants.
- Melo pointed to the sign, C’mon, man.
- Do you send Andrade to Smackdown, or do you send him to Raw and let him do his own thing?
- Oh goody, Karrion Kross is here. Yay.
- (Yes, that’s sarcasm you read.)
- Dominik Mysterio is so good. Give him time, he’s going to be a huge star.
Sadly, this did not happen. #RoyalRumble https://t.co/ABNnP5D8Oq
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- The Royal Rumble was a great place for the Apple Spot.
- Here comes Bob Lashley–please just eliminate Karrion Kross.
- Lashley wearing the WrestleMania white gear more than 2 months early.
- Austin Theory still gets his concussion effect entrance, despite it being the Rumble.
- What if–hear me out now–Finn Balor wins the Royal Rumble to get the shot at Seth Rollins, and Priest uses his briefcase to make that match a triple threat at ‘Mania?
- I know he didn’t, but it sure looked like Jimmy was swerving while he drives in that interaction with Gunther.
- Kofi did tell us the Rumble Magic wasn’t happening anymore.
- Give me Ivar vs Gunther!
- Bron Breakker is a star. It’s inevitable.
- Of course Omos would be in the Rumble. Good to see MVP on my TV as well.
- “I didn’t know humans came that big!” – Pat McAfee
- I half think Pat McAfee didn’t know he was entering the Rumble.
- Nice moment for Bron Breakker eliminating Omos. WrestleMania match?
- R-Truth trying to get Dominik (Tom or Nick?) Mysterio to tag him in is brilliant.
- DOM MADE THE TAG!!!
- “And now R-Truth is the legal man.” – thank you Michael Cole.
- Michael Cole delivers multiple TNA references tonight, along with a Dolph Ziggler reference. God Bless Michael Cole.
- Imagine for a second that this was CM Punk’s actual WWE return.
- The reaction to Drew McIntyre’s entrance is a reminder that they don’t actually need him.
- Sami Zayn enters at #30, also known as “Not The Rock.”
Smackdown brand very well represented in this Final 4. (And the Final 6 as well.) #RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- In the ring, Drew McIntyre is amazing. Just keep the microphone away from him. (And stop the damn counting!)
- And there goes my choice for the Men’s Rumble!
- Love having both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in the press boxes watching to see who wins.
- Punk kinda looks like Chris Jericho in there. Seriously.
- Between Punk and Cody, Cody is the right choice. I really don’t want to watch Punk right now–he needs to hit the cardio, and hard. Given Seth Rollins’ injury and Punk’s conditioning, WWE would be smart to make the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40 a multi-man match.
Winner of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble: Cody Rhodes
Overall thoughts on the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble
For at least the second straight year, the Men’s Royal Rumble Match was kinda disappointing. Not the result–that’s fine. But the match itself. It just wasn’t nearly as exciting as the Women’s. Of the four matches, I would place it 4th in terms of enjoyment.
Great moments for both Bayley and Cody Rhodes. Logan Paul continually shows that he deserves to be considered a pro wrestler, not a celebrity who is wrestling. Pat McAfee is a joy on commentary. Jordynne Grace is a WWE Superstar, regardless of what company she is signed to. Bron Breakker is a star.CM Punk is very out of shape. Cody Rhodes is about to become THE guy, and he deserves it.
Overall I give the event a thumbs up, but they have to do something about the Men’s Royal Rumble Match moving forward.
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
WWE Raw Heads To Netflix: What Does It Mean?
Monumental news drops as WWE RAW is moving to Netflix. Is it truly a game changing move? Greg DeMarco analyzes this shift for the TV wrestling business.
Monumental news drops as WWE RAW is moving to Netflix. Is it truly a game changing move? Greg DeMarco analyzes this shift for the TV wrestling business.
Being a wee little kid in the 80s, I am “lucky enough” to remember having 3 TV channels, and my dad explaining what an 8-track is, how shocked I was when I say a laser disc for the first time, when I bought a 6 CD changer, installed my own car stereo, and all the way up to the fact that I have now been watching WWE pay-per-view/premium live events on the WWE Network and Peacock for 10 years. Hell, in the same month (February 2014) I signed up for the WWE Network, cut the cord to drop cable and got Sling TV. I have since moved onto YouTube TV which is highly recommended.
Over the last two years the NFL has put Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, simulcast to various streaming services, and less than 2 weeks ago put a playoff game exclusively on streaming when a Wildcard Weekend showdown between the Chiefs and Dolphins was only shown on Peacock.
And now it’s fully permeated into pro wrestling.
WWE and AEW are both in the midst of a very important time on the business side, with all of their TV rights up for grabs. The first domino fell when SmackDown On FOX became SmackDown on USA Network, and soon after we learned that WWE NXT was moving to broadcast television and joining The CW (which is also rebranding, but just to CW).
The AEW suite of programming that includes Collision, Rampage, and their most successful show Dynamite is up for renewal with Warner Bros/Discovery, and Tony Khan has been optimistic about the relationship and potentially an increase in rights fees.
That brings us to Tuesday morning, and the likely groundbreaking WWE announcement that Raw is moving to Netflix, starting in January 2025. Triple H tweeted that they’re changing the game, and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro (who knows a thing or two about shifts in media consumption) used the word “transformative” in his statement, and I really think he couldn’t be more right.
But what does it all mean?
Wrestling Remains A Strong Media Product
I have been claiming this for over a year now. As many online will cite a decline in TV viewership for both WWE and AEW, the TV product has been a strong value to networks. Even in dropping SmackDown, FOX themselves said they didn’t pump enough resources into the show, and that the advertising return wasn’t what they wanted. That doesn’t mean the product (TV value, we’re not talking about creative here) isn’t strong. It’s so strong that USA Network picked up SmackDown for $280 million per year, giving WWE an increase over the FOX deal. CW is paying $20-$25 million annually for NXT, and now Netflix is paying $500 million for RAW.
Why? Because wrestling isn’t just a strong media product, it’s consistent. And that is key.
Look at this quote from Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria:
“Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”
Now cross reference that with a comment from CW President Dennis Miller from back when the CW/NXT deal was announced:
“We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round.”
What do those statements have in common? The year-round, 52-week nature of wrestling programming. It’s an unbeatable value for networks. It’s cheaper than a deal with a major sports league, and it’s not finite. Wrestling joins news, talk, and sports talk as the only year-round programming available to networks. And WWE and AEW have shows that essentially always land in the Top 5 after you factor out live sports. You can’t beat it.
What Does This Mean for Netflix?
Don’t get it twisted, this is also a huge leap for Netflix. Prior to the WWE Raw deal, Netflix has only experimented with live events, streaming the live Chris Rock “Selective Outrage” special, and showing The Netflix Cup live (a golf event featuring athletes from their F1 series “Drive To Survive” and their golf series “Full Swing).
WWE is the perfect partner for Netflix as it gets into live programming. It’s sports entertainment: sports like programming (which Netflix has done) that focuses on storytelling (which Netflix has obviously done). And no one does it better than WWE. It’s essentially plug-and-play for Netflix, the perfect solution for their live programming aspirations.
The perfect solution that they were willing to pay $5 billion for.
What Does This Mean for AEW?
The biggest risk to an AEW renewal with Warner Bros Discovery was WBD picking up WWE Raw–and that risk has been eliminated by Netflix. Don’t discount that fact–Netflix did Tony Khan a huge favor by throwing $500 million per at WWE. The path is clear for AEW to remain on the Turner networks.
But at what price?
I know I usually write as if I have all the answers, but I have zero idea either way on this one. WBD no longer has any other options if it wants to keep wrestling (except for TNA, who recently expressed a desire to be on a bigger network), and AEW (at least, Dynamite) is a weekly Top 5 program for them on Wednesdays, on cable.
On the other hand, AEW doesn’t exactly have another network begging for their services. The reason WWE could get a yearly increase for Raw, SmackDown, and NXT is because it was truly a bidding war. Unless Tony Khan gets another network involved, any threat of walking away from a deal doesn’t really hold water.
So if I were a betting man (and who would ever bet on this) I would expect an announcement of a renewal for AEW and WBD relatively soon. We may not know the terms of the deal, I will take a shot in the dark and say that AEW gets a small increase (not the “nearly double” that had been reported last year).
Regardless of the increase (or not), given AEW’s recent attendance challenges, this likely renewal would have to be viewed as a win for the company.
Personally, this is simply an amazing time to be a fan. We’ve seen WWE go from one live TV show per week with Monday Night Raw, through the Monday Night Wars, the addition of SmackDown and later NXT, to being this global juggernaut that is commanding half-a-billion dollars per year for Raw. I also think this makes Raw the flagship once again. All of this comes after Vince McMahon is largely out of power, Triple H has taken over creative (and holds a pretty good success rate so far), and the company was sold to Endeavor, and merged with the UFC as a business entity under the TKO banner.
If you know me, you know I am a huge follower of the business side of the wrestling business. I often care less about WHAT wrestling companies do, but HOW they do it. I have always gravitated towards that, since middle school. And for the past near 24 months, I have been like a kid in a candy store.
The Peacock deal for the WWE Network runs out in 2026, right? The fun never stops!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!